《I'm the Owner of the Pokémon Day Care In the World of Pokémon》


 Some Settings Regarding the Book

    <h4>Chapter -1: Some Settings Regarding the Book</h4>


    I. As a book focusing on nurturing Pok��mon, it''s inevitable to touch upon the topic of Pok��mon egg hatching. While this hasn''t been covered yet, it will be addressedter. The author would like to provide an exnation to readers and asks for understanding.


    1. In the original story, the type of Pok��mon hatched from eggs was determined by the mother. In this adaptation, it''s modified to be randomly determined by either parent.


    2. Pok��mon without genders, which originally bred with Ditto in game, will now only breed within the same species. Although they don''t have genders, the specifics of who gives birth are intentionally left unmentioned, both in the story and by the author, as having any Pok��mon breed with Ditto would be unsettling in real life.


    3. Even if the egg groups are the same, the author won''t pair Pok��mon with vastly different size characteristics for breeding. For instance, Even if both Wailord and Skitty are in the Field egg group, the author won''t arrange for them to breed.


    II. Additionally, there''s a timing issue rted to the appearance of Fairy-type Pok��mon in the story.


    While Fairy-type Pok��mon were introduced in the XY generation and not in previous generations, this perception is due to the XY games being releasedter. In the Pok��mon world, there''s no official statement that the discovery of Fairy-type Pok��mon urred only after the protagonist arrived in the Kalos region.


    Simr to how in the Pok��mon anime, when Ash first encountered Fairy-type Pok��mon upon arriving in the Kalos region, he expressed surprise with lines like, "Fairy type? I''ve never heard of this type before!"


    Did Professor Oak ever express simr thoughts like, "Fairy type! An attribute I''ve never seen before, I need to research it"?


    No, there''s no evidence of this.


    This implies that while the discovery of Fairy-type Pok��mon might have beenter, it certainly didn''t happen after the protagonist was born. The protagonist''s early unawareness is due to the iplete understanding of the Pok��mon world lore.


    III. Lastly, regarding Pok��mon aptitude in the story.


    In the book, Pok��mon aptitude is categorized into seven levels: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Purple. Red is the lowest, while Purple is the highest, with Green and above being considered high aptitude.


    1. The urrence rate mentioned for each color aptitude in the book refers to the wild Pok��mon poption. Breeding facilities have their own cultivation methods, leading to higher chances of high-aptitude Pok��mon, and therefore, trainers are slightly more likely to encounter high-aptitude Pok��mon.


    2. Green aptitude Pok��mon are the main contenders for variouspetitions in the book. Yellow and lower aptitude Pok��mon are often used during transition periods by somewhat capable trainers (excluding average people). Strong trainers, such as Gym Leaders, mainly possess Pok��mon with Green aptitude. Hence, having numerous Green aptitude Pok��mon in the story doesn''t warrant derogatory remarks.


    Blue aptitude is rare, and the number of such Pok��mon is scarce. Highly skilled trainers primarily possess Pok��mon with blue aptitude. Examples include regional Champions and Elite Four members, as well as certain special Gym Leaders who might have one or two blur aptitude Pok��mon. Notably, important supporting characters or Champions having blue aptitude Pok��mon should not be dismissed asmonce.


    Additionally, the protagonist will have a rtively higher number of Pok��mon with Blue aptitude. Well, he''s the main character after all!


    Indigo aptitude Pok��mon are extremely rare. Only a few champion-level trainers would possess one or two as their aces. For example, Lance Dragonite, Wace Milotic, Steven Metagross, Cynthia Garchomp, Diantha Gardevoir, and so on. Some important supporting characters might also have one or two, but the quantity is limited.


    Purple aptitude is legendary in nature. It''s rumored but unseen. Even champions don''t have them (perhaps a few special individuals do, but they keep it hidden, and no one knows).


    Lastly, the Legendary Pok��mon aptitude is unknown and doesn''t fall into any of the Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, or Purple categories.


    IV. About the Pok��mon League in this work:


    Many readers tend to unconsciously categorize the League negatively, but in this book, the League is an orderly organization.


    While certain issues might exist within the League, it is primarily a just entity.


    Hence, scenarios where the League would trouble the protagonist for treasures, Pok��mon, energy cube forms, or the like, due to various reasons, do not exist.


    Regarding the League and the Three Pok��mon Starter:


    The League exercises strict control over their Three Pok��mon Starter, with limited dissemination and nurturing methods. However, they do not prohibit other breeders from cultivating and selling the Three Pok��mon Starter.


    This can be likened to our nation state-owned enterprises possessing advanced technology. Naturally, they wouldn''t share it with private enterprises. Yet, the nation doesn''t forbid private enterprises from conducting their own research, right?


    This principle applies here.


    It''s not just about the Three Pok��mon Starter; this holds true for other aspects as well.


    These are settings unique to this work and unrted to other creations.

 Chapter 1: Yuga

    <h4>Chapter 1: Yuga</h4>


    When Qi Xu regained consciousness, he felt a splitting headache andplete weakness throughout his body.


    With great effort, he managed to barely open his eyes.


    The ceiling was pale, the room empty; Qi Xu felt disoriented, realizing this wasn''t his room.


    While his family wasn''t wealthy, his room wasn''t this bare.


    Just as Qi Xu was attempting to get up, the room door suddenly swung open.


    "Oh my goodness, Little Yuga, you''ve finally awakened," a voice eximed.


    Upon hearing the name "Little Yuga," countless memories flooded Qi Xu''s mind, causing his head to throb.


    Amidst this intense pain, Qi Xu fainted once again.


    Qi Xu had no idea how long he''d slept, but it felt like a lengthy dream.


    A boy named Shimizu Yuga kept appearing in his dreams.


    This boy had a happy family, parents who loved him, and afortable life.


    This life continued until he turned sixteen.


    His family operated a daycare business, and his parents regrly went to procure goods.


    These goods were Pok��mon eggs.


    During their most recent procurement, Qi Xu''s parents met with a serious ident en route and both passed away.


    Overwhelmed by grief, he couldn''t cope and decided to end his life by jumping into a river.


    Qi Xu''s dream ended there.


    Upon waking again, he realized those memories weren''t a dream; they were memories of this body.


    He had transmigrated, and he''d transmigrated into the world of Pok��mon.


    Qi Xu struggled to sit up, noticing a person by his bedside��a middle-aged woman.


    His movements seemed to disturb her, and she drowsily opened her eyes.


    Seeing Qi Xu sit up from the bed, she eximed with delight, "Little Yuga, you''re awake! Thank heavens! If something had happened to you, how could I face your parents?"


    As she spoke, the middle-aged woman wiped away tears.


    Qi Xu, or rather Shimizu Yuga now, recognized the identity of this middle-aged woman from his memories.


    She was Yuga''s father''s younger sister, his aunt, Hisako.


    Thinking that Yuga hadn''t fully recovered from the grief of losing his parents, Hisako continued, "Little Yuga, are you hungry? I''ve made some porridge for you."


    Hisako''s words reminded him of his hunger, and his stomach rumbled involuntarily.


    Hearing the noise from his stomach, Hisako couldn''t help butugh.


    Yuga''s face turned bright red in embarrassment.


    After wiping her tears, Hisako brought a bowl of congee from the nearby table and handed it to Yuga.


    "Here, eat up. It''s just the right temperature."


    At this moment, Yuga didn''t know what to say. He didn''t know how to interact with Hisako.


    Facing this middle-aged woman who cared for him, he felt both familiar and unfamiliar.


    Hisako watched as Yuga silently finished the congee, saying, "You''ve just woken up, and your body is still weak. Rest well, don''t think about anything else, and promise me you won''t do anything foolish again, alright?"


    Yuga obediently nodded, theny back down.


    "Rest well. Tonight, I''ll bring your cousin to see you."


    Hisako tucked the nket around Yuga, took the empty bowl, and left the room.


    Watching Hisako leave, Yuga stared nkly at the ceiling.


    This body was sixteen years old now, just reaching adulthood by this world''s standards.


    His parents had passed away a week ago.


    At that time, Yuga was overwhelmed with grief, in a daze. It was Hisako''s family that took care of everything, even the funeral arrangements.


    Hisako was already married to an ordinary office worker, and they had an adorable daughter. Their life was happy.


    They were the only family Yuga had left.


    Yuga''s suicide attempt had been just yesterday.


    His rtionship with his parents had been wonderful. He loved them dearly, and they loved him back.


    A once happy andplete family had been shattered by a tragic car ident.


    Yuga, who had been in a constant daze, jumped into the river yesterday while sitting by the yard, unable to cope with his emotions.


    Fortunately, a neighbor, separated by the yard, noticed Yuga struggling in the water and rescued him.


    Yuga thought to himself, "The reflexes of this original body must be quite resilient. It took a whole week after my parents'' passed awat to contemte suicide."


    Yuga couldn''t believe how his life had taken such a drastic turn. He had lived an ordinary life for 28 years, and now he found himself here, in this world.


    He had transmigrated because he fell asleep at his desk, exhausted from work. He had crossed over while in that half-asleep, half-awake state.


    From the original host''s memories, Yuga knew that he lived in the Verdanturf Town in the Hoenn Region.


    The Hoenn Region was known for its many volcanoes and a rtively hot climate.


    Verdanturf Town was situated within the Hoenn Region, protected from volcanic ash due to its location deep within the region.


    It was a beautiful town with clean air, making it an excellent ce for people with weakened health to recuperate.


    Although it couldn''tpare to therger cities in the Hoenn Region, Verdanturf Town was still prosperous.


    However, the original host had never left Verdanturd Town during his entire life, so he was unfamiliar with the world beyond.


    As Yuga pondered all this, he felt the exhaustion creeping in. Before long, he fell asleep on the bed.


    In the evening, Hisako indeed returned with Yuga''s young cousin.


    Yuga''s cousin''s name was Luna, a lively and adorable six-year-old girl.


    It was evident that she had a good rtionship with her cousin, as she immediately started talking to Yuga upon her arrival.


    However, Yuga''s weakened body couldn''t engage in much conversation, and he soon felt drowsy.


    Hisako prepared some food for Yuga, and then she spirited her energetic and clingy daughter away.


    Before leaving, Hisako told Yuga that she woulde to see him again tomorrow.


    Even though Hisako''s family wasn''t next-door neighbors with Yuga''s family, they lived very close by, just a few steps away.

 Chapter 2: Day Care

    <h4>Chapter 2: Day Care</h4>


    ,Chapter 2: The Day Care


    On the second day, Yuga woke up in a state of suffocation.


    In his sleep, he always felt something sticking to his face, preventing him from breathing.


    In a daze, Yuga reached out and peeled off whatever was on his face, tossing it onto the floor.


    With a resounding thud, a miserable cry echoed, jolting Yuga awake.


    Yuga abruptly sat up in bed, scanning his surroundings, searching for the source of the earlier cry.


    He saw a bebe floating unsteadily from the ground, ring at him indignantly.


    "It''s you, bebe," Yuga muttered, relieved to see his initial Pok��mon.


    Yuga''s parents had gone to great lengths to acquire this rare bebe, even in their native Kalos region, let alone in Hoenn region.


    Yesterday, while bedridden, he hadn''t noticed bebe, so it slipped his mind.


    Seeing bebe''s angry expression, Yuga said, "Alright, alright, my apologies. Considering I''m still recovering, can you forgive me?"


    Only then did bebe remember Yuga''s illness and flew over, looking concerned.


    Watching the tiny bebe worry about him, Yuga felt a bit embarrassed.


    "Don''t worry, I''m feeling better now. Everything''s fine."


    After spending a day and night in bed, Yuga''s bones felt stiff.


    Feeling less weak than the previous day, he got out of bed.


    He walked to the window, opened it, and let the morning sunlight bathe him, feeling revitalized.


    Yuga''s room was on the second floor, with the window overlooking their family''s yard.


    The yard was vast, not justrge.


    His parents had bought this extensivend with the intention of expanding their Day Care business in the future.


    Day Cares typically had two types of operations.


    One involved selling Pok��mon eggs or young Pok��mon, as the names suggest.


    Yuga''s parents ran this aspect of the Day Care business.


    The other operation was Pok��mon boarding, where trainers who didn''t have time to care for their Pok��mon would leave them at the Day Care for a fee.


    Yuga''s family''srge yard was prepared for the expansion of this business.


    Unexpectedly, before the business could even start, they were gone.


    Yuga gazed at the neatly trimmed and cleaned backyard, thinking, "My original parents must have had high hopes for expanding the Day Care."


    Taking a deep breath, Yuga descended the stairs with bebe by his side.


    Although Yuga''s family home was quite run-down, it was spacious.


    The second floor was where his family lived, and the first floor housed the shop, which specialized in selling Pok��mon eggs and Pok��mon.


    However, with Yuga''s parents gone, the Day Care was now closed.


    As Yuga gazed at the counters that were once used to disy Pok��mon eggs and Pok�� Balls, he felt a wave of nostalgia.


    bebe noticed Yuga''s somber expression and thought he was upset about his parents'' passing. She hurriedly flew over tofort him.


    Yuga gently patted bebe, reassuring her that he was fine.


    At that moment, Hisako entered the door with Luna.


    Seeing Yuga up and about, she quickly asked, "Yuga, are you feeling better now?"


    Yuga smiled at Hisako and replied, "I''m fine, Aunt Hisako."


    "That''s good. Are you hungry? I brought you breakfast. Come and have a bite. I''ll go upstairs and tidy up your room."


    Hisako handed Yuga his breakfast and then went upstairs.


    As for Luna, the moment she saw bebe, she paid no attention to anyone else and started chasing after bebe.


    bebe wasn''t new to Luna''s mischievous antics and refused to y along.


    While having breakfast, Yuga watched bebe and Luna y around. His earlier gloomy mood had lightened.


    After Hisako left for work, she left Luna behind, iming it was to keep Yugapany.


    Once Hisako had left, Yuga opened the doors of the Day Care and ced a chair at the entrance.


    Yuga''s family''s Day Care wasn''t located in a bustling area; in fact, it was a bit remote. Although it faced a main street, there weren''t many people passing by.


    Since Yuga''s family''s Day Care was the only one in the entire Verdanturf Town, everyone knew where it was.


    As bebe and Luna yed inside the house, Yuga sat at the entrance, closing his eyes to rx.


    Faced with this sudden transition to a new world, Yuga hadn''t yet figured out what to do in the future.


    Just as he was contemting his next steps, a voice reached his ears.


    "Is this YoYo Day Care?"


    YoYo Day Care was indeed the name of Yuga''s family''s Day Care.


    Yuga opened his eyes and saw a boy standing at the entrance, addressing him.


    "Yes, it is. Do you have any business here?" Yuga politely inquired.


    "Oh, I''m in the right ce then. I want to buy a Pok��mon. Do you have a Dratini?"


    Yuga thought to himself, "Where did this guye from? Even if our Day Care weren''t closed, we wouldn''t have Dratini for sale."


    "We don''t have one."


    "No Dratini, huh? How about Growlithe?"


    Come on, this is Hoenn region, not Kanto region. If you want Growlithe or Dratini, go to Kanto. Whye to a small Day Care like this?


    "We don''t have any."


    "How about Charmander?"


    Seriously, this is Hoenn region, not Kanto region.


    "None."


    "Why don''t you have any? Well, at least you must have Rattata, right?"


    Yuga struggled to maintain his smile, feeling like it was about to crumble. He replied, "Still no. Moreover, we have other customers, and our Day Care is already closed."


    The boy suddenly realized, "Oh, it''s closed. No wonder you don''t have anything."


    Yuga''s smile finally gave way to exasperation.


    "The Pok��mon you mentioned are all from Kanto region. This is Hoenn region, and most Day Cares here don''t have them."


    "Oh, I see. I just wanted to buy some Pok��mon from Kanto region to see them. I thought Day Cares had all kinds of Pok��mon."


    Yuga thought to himself, "Where did this troublesome kide from? Buying Pok��mon just to look at them."


    Faced with this situation, Yuga felt that it might be better to sell the Day Care to someone else. After all, he had no experience running it.


    Apart from a few remaining Pok��mon eggs that Yuga''s parents hadn''t sold before their passing, everything else in the Day Care had been disposed of.

 Chapter 3: Inheriting The Family Business

    <h4>Chapter 3: Inheriting The Family Business</h4>


    As Yuga was contemting how to handle Day Care, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.


    [ System loadingplete, initiating host binding. ]


    [ Host bindingplete, scanning host information. ]


    [ Host: Shimizu Yuga


    Age: Sixteen


    Gender: Male


    Pokemon: bebe


    Special Ability: None


    Skills: None


    Identity: Heir of YoYo Day Care. ]


    [ The system has detected that the host has an inheritanceable industry, initiating industry binding. ]


    [ Industry bindingplete, system fully activated. ]


    [ Re-scanning host information. ]


    [ Host: Shimizu Yuga


    Age: Sixteen


    Gender: Male


    Pokemon: bebe


    Special Ability: None


    Skills: None


    Identity: Owner of YoYo Day Care ]


    [ Scanplete, System 1314520 at your service. ]


    This series of sounds left Yuga mind reeling. The only certain thing was that he had been bound to a system.


    "Hey, what''s with that system? Where are you?"


    Yuga asked softly.


    [ It''s System 1314520. Host canmunicate with me using consciousness, no need for speech. ]


    "System 1314520, what kind of name is that? Are you kidding me?"


    [ Not at all. ]


    "Surely you must be. I can''t believe your name is so casual. Tell me, what exactly is this system? How could it have such a random name?"


    [ Once again, let me remind the host, System 1314520 is not joking. That''s my name. ]


    "Heh, heh, is that really your name?"


    [ Absolutely. ]


    "Well then, can you tell me how you ended up with me?"


    [ I am a benefit for time travelers. Every time traveler is randomly assigned a system, and I happened to be assigned to you. My designation is 1314520, hence my name, System 1314520. ]


    Upon hearing about other time travelers and systems, Yuga was greatly surprised.


    "What? There are other time travelers too? Many of them? Where are they?"


    [ In this world, you are the only time traveler. The others are in different worlds. Rest assured. ]


    Hearing this, Yuga breathed a sigh of relief. He didn''t want topete with other time travelers.


    "So, can I ask what your purpose is?"


    [ I have already bound to your industry, YoYo Day Care. My role now is to ''make YoYo Day Care renowned throughout the Pokemon World. ]


    After hearing the system words, Yuga felt as if he had been struck by lightning.


    Make YoYo Day Care renowned throughout the Pokemon World?


    But I just decided to sell Day Care. And why would I want Day Care to be famous throughout the Pokemon World?


    "Can this binding be undone?"


    [ Once bound, it cannot be undone. ]


    "Can I sever the binding with the system?"


    [ Severing the binding with the system will undoubtedly result in the host death. ]


    Yuga felt hopeless.


    "How could you decide my future career without my consent?"


    [ This was determined based on the best and most favorable conditions around the host. Besides Day Care, you have nothing. ]


    You don''t have to say it; we''re still good friends.


    "So, what do we do next?"


    [ Not we, it''s up to you, the host. ]


    "Alright then, it''s me. Dear System 1314520, what should I do next?"


    [ Reopen Day Care. ]


    "Easy to say, but reopening Day Care is not that simple."


    Yuga felt a bit discouraged. Just when he finally got a "cheat code," it turned out to be on the hardest difficulty.


    He had no idea how to run a Day Care at all.


    [ Reminding the host, you have an unimed novice gift package. ]


    Yuga eyes lit up when he heard about the novice gift package.


    This system wasn''tpletely useless after all.


    "How do I im the novice gift package?"


    No sooner had Yuga asked when he felt a sh of white light in his mind, revealing a new interface.


    At the top of the interface were the bold words "Backpack."


    Below the words were ten square grids, the first one upied by an icon resembling a package,beled "Novice Gift Package."


    [ Host can open it directly using consciousness. ]


    Yuga used his consciousness to try and open the package.


    [ Congrattions, host, on receiving:


    <<skill: insight="">> </skill:>


    (Special eyes that allow the owner to see a Pokemon aptitude, gender, traits, level, and skills.


    Note: Aptitude of Pokemon eggs can only reveal aptitude.)


    <<one vial="" of="" basic="" aptitude="" evolution="" potion="">> </one>


    (One of the items that can evolve a Pokemon aptitude. It can raise the aptitude of Pokemon below the green level by one grade.)


    <<one qualification="" for="" free="" shop="" decoration="">> </one>


    (Allows the system to decorate the host shop for free.) ]


    "Is that it? Just these three things?"


    [ Host, please don''t be greedy. If you want more rewards, you must strive for them yourself. ]


    While Yugained about the modest rewards of the novice gift package, he was secretly ted.


    All three items were valuable.


    Firstly, there was the Insight skill.


    Pokemon in the Pokemon world had varying aptitudes.


    Their aptitudes ranged from lowest to highest: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple.


    Higher aptitude indicated greater potential, achievements, and intelligence in a Pokemon future.


    Pokemon of the same level with higher aptitudes were more powerful.


    Humans couldn''t discern a Pokemon aptitude with the naked eye.


    Only after taming them could one see their aptitude through special devices or the alliance-issued Pokemon Handbook.


    However, the Insight skill allowed Yuga to directly perceive a Pokemon aptitude, making it exceptionally powerful.


    Next was the Basic Aptitude Evolution Potion.


    A Pokemon aptitude was innate and challenging to alter.


    Currently, there was no known drug in the Pokemon world capable of changing a Pokemon aptitude.


    Of course, this didn''t mean a Pokemon aptitude was unchangeable.


    Rare treasures or special opportunities might alter a Pokemon aptitude.


    Yuga bebe was indeed rare, but its aptitude was only yellow.


    With this potion, its aptitude could be elevated to the green level.


    The final reward proved to be a helpful tool for Yuga to reopen Day Care.


    Now that he had inherited the family business, Yuga reluctantly had to be the owner of Day Care.

 Chapter 4: Qualification Evolution

    <h4>Chapter 4: Qualification Evolution</h4>


    The existence of ces like the YoYo Day Care, where Pok��mon eggs and young Pok��mon can be sold, is a result of the League prohibition on the indiscriminate buying and selling of Pok��mon.


    Engaging in the buying and selling of Pok��mon contradicts the League long-standing ideals of "harmonious coexistence between humans and Pok��mon" and the notion that "Pok��mon are humans'' bestpanions."


    The primary reason Pok��mon Trainers engage in illegal activities is not solely due to capturing Pok��mon recklessly; it''s mainly because they capture Pok��mon for the purpose of trading.


    Trainers, on the other hand, capture Pok��mon as well, but their actions are legal.


    The YoYo Day Care is the only ce permitted by the League to sell Pok��mon, specifically young ones.


    Any Pok��mon or Pok��mon egg sold at the Day Care must have its qualifications clearly marked before being sold.


    This is a strict requirement that cannot be vited.


    Otherwise, why would customerse to you to buy Pok��mon when they could simply capture them in the wild?


    Customers visit the Day Care to buy Pok��mon or Pok��mon eggs with guaranteed qualifications.


    If a customer receives a Pok��mon or Pok��mon egg from the Day Care that does not match the qualifications indicated at the time of purchase, the customer has the right to demandpensation.


    Of course, setting up intentional situations to demandpensation is not considered.


    The qualifications of wild Pok��mon in the wilderness are mostly categorized as red or orange.


    Yellow ones are exceedingly rare, let alone those of higher quality.


    Yuga b��b�� was carefully chosen by Yuga parents from a myriad of options, yet its qualification is only considered yellow.


    From this, it''s evident that the YoYo Day Care holds a significant role in the Pok��mon world.


    It selects Pok��mon for Trainers.


    Given the importance of the Day Care, establishing one is no easy task.


    It requires League certification, various qualifications, and procedures.


    The Yuga family Day Care has been passed down through generations; otherwise, considering their current situation, they would not have been qualified to operate it.


    Even though their Day Care has been running for several generations, it remains small and unknown.


    Fortunately, Yuga is now an adult and has the right to inherit the business.


    All he needs to do is transfer the ownership from his parents to himself, and he can smoothly be a bona fide owner of the Day Care.


    No further unnecessary procedures are needed.


    Since he has to inherit the Day Care, Yuga decides to be a prominent and respected owner.


    There are myriad professions, and each one has its own expert.


    No one has stipted that only Champions and Pok��mon Masters can gain fame; Day Care owners can achieve it too.


    When Hisako returns from work and visits Yuga, he shares his thoughts with her.


    "Are you really determined to inherit the family Day Care?"


    "Yes, my parents always wanted to expand the Day Care, and I want to fulfill their wish."


    "However, running a Day Care is not as simple as you imagine."


    "I know, but I''m already an adult. If my parents could do it, I can do it well too."


    "Since you''ve made up your mind, I support you. I''m sure your older brother and sister-inw will be happy about your decision too. After all, this Day Care is the result of generations of effort from your family."


    "Thank you, Aunt Hisako."


    Hisako gently pats Yuga head.


    "Why be so formal with Aunt? You''re my nephew, my only family besides your uncle and Luna."


    As she says this, Hisako expression turns somber.


    At this moment, Yuga realizes that just like him, Hisako must also be grieving the loss of her brother and sister-inw.


    Her only brother has passed away, meaning she has lost the closest blood rtive she had.


    Yuga doesn''t know how to console Hisako in this situation.


    Fortunately, Hisako dimmed expression onlysts for a short while before she regains herposure.


    "Since you''re nning to inherit the Day Care, you need toplete the ownership transfer process."


    "When your uncle returns, have him take you to handle the paperwork."


    "Okay."


    Yuga has never dealt with these matters before and doesn''t know where to start. Having his uncle help is exactly what he needs.


    "If you encounter any difficulties, remember you can alwayse to me for help. Don''t keep everything bottled up inside."


    "Understood, Aunt Hisako. If I have any issues, I''ll definitelye to you."


    Yuga body had mostly recovered, so he told Aunt Hisako that she didn''t need to visit him every day anymore.


    He felt capable of taking care of himself.


    Although Hisako was concerned, she agreed nheless.


    After all, Yuga was now an adult, with his own thoughts, and even though she was his aunt, she didn''t want to intervene too much.


    After seeing off Aunt Hisako and Luna the Little Devil, Yuga finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    b��b��, having escaped from Luna the Little Devil clutches, was quite upset that her owner had left her to face hardships alone and was ignoring Yuga.


    Seeing this, Yuga took out the Quality Evolution Elixir from his system backpack.


    "Little darling, do you know what this is?"


    Yuga shook the item in his hand. Upon opening it, an enticing fragrance wafted out, filling the air.


    b��b��, with Yuga back turned to her, twitched her nose, trying to find the source of the scent. Finally, she spotted the item in Yuga hand.


    Although b��b�� didn''t know what Yuga was holding, she was captivated by it and couldn''t resist moving closer.


    Watching b��b�� adorable reaction of wanting to approach but holding back, Yuga couldn''t help but find it extremely cute.


    "If you''re not mad anymore, this is all yours."


    b��b�� eyes lit up, and she quickly flew to Yuga side, indicating that she wasn''t upset anymore.


    With a chuckle, Yuga handed her the Quality Evolution Elixir.


    As b��b�� received the elixir, her eyes narrowed in joy.


    However, the elixir designed for fingers was a bitrge for b��b��, who was only palm-sized.


    Watching b��b�� take tiny sips of the Quality Evolution Elixir, Yuga found her utterly adorable.


    Truly, she was his own Pok��mon, and undeniably cute.


    After consuming the entire elixir, a green light began to emanate from b��b�� body.


    However, the green glow was fleeting,sting only a brief moment.


    b��b�� looked left and right at herself, feeling that something about her had changed, but she couldn''t quite pinpoint what it was.


    Yuga thought to himself, "b��b�� must havepleted her Quality Evolution by now."


    He essed the system and used his Insight skill for the first time.


    [ b��b��


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Flower Veil


    Quality: Green


    Level: 15


    Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Fairy Wind, Safeguard ]


    ...


    Indeed, her quality had evolved from yellow to green.


    This Quality Evolution Elixir is quite a treasure.


    However, this was also the first time Yuga learned b��b�� level, which was 15.


    That was quite low, considering b��b�� had been his Pok��mon for four years.


    In other words, Yuga received his starter Pok��mon when he was twelve.


    But what was the deal with this level?


    While his original self had never aspired to be a Trainer, this level was still quite low.


    Yuga thought, "This won''t do. This is no different from being a cker."


    Even if he was inheriting the family business and bing a Day Care owner, he had to be a strong one.


    Otherwise, how could he be renowned?


    Yuga made up his mind to train b��b�� properly.


    Meanwhile, lost in the joy of her Quality Evolution, b��b��, who hadn''t yet fully recovered, remained unaware that challenging times were just around the corner.

 Chapter 5: Taking A Stroll

    <h4>Chapter 5: Taking A Stroll</h4>


    Yuga prepared his own dinner. When his aunt, Hisako, visited in the afternoon, he informed her that he would handle dinner himself, sparing her the trouble.


    The ingredients had already been purchased by Hisako, so Yuga didn''t need to go out.


    Yuga was skilled at cooking; after all, he had lived for 28 years in his previous life and had acquired basic survival skills.


    Today, with the new system and a generous beginner package, Yuga was in a good mood and ate more than usual.


    b��b�� joined him at the table, enjoying an energy cube.


    In Hoenn region, where they lived, energy cubes were amon food source for Pok��mon.


    The highest-quality cubes were manufactured by Devon Corporation, which made them more affordable in Hoenn.


    Of course, Yuga had only heard this from others; he wasn''t personally aware of it.


    After dinner, while washing dishes in the kitchen, Yuga shouted to b��b��, "b��b��, after dinner, how about we go for a walk to aid digestion?"


    b��b�� flew into the kitchen and happily nodded.


    It enjoyed spending time with Yuga, their strong bond formed over four years ofpanionship.


    Having lost his parents, Yuga hadn''t had many pleasant moments recently.


    Taking b��b�� for a walk was a chance for them to enjoy each otherpany again.


    After cleaning up the kitchen, Yuga set off with b��b��.


    Since he had nothing else to do and had dinner early, the sun was still shining when they left home.


    As they stepped outside, Yuga saw Mr. Kate sitting at the doorstep, enjoying the breeze. Yuga greeted him politely, "Good evening, Mr. Kate."


    b��b�� also greeted him, "b��b��."


    Mr. Kate responded, "Oh, it''s Little Yuga and b��b��. Are you two heading out?"


    Yuga confirmed, "Yes, I''m taking b��b�� for a walk."


    Mr. Kate smiled, "A walk is a good idea, especially when you''re recovering. Enjoy yourselves."


    "See youter, Mr. Kate."


    "Take care."


    Mr. Kate was a kind and easygoing neighbor, and their families had a good rtionship.


    He was the one who had rescued Yuga when he attempted to end his life by jumping into the river.


    Nearby was a small forest, a perfect ce for a stroll.


    Yuga used to bring b��b�� here often to y.


    In the forest...


    "b��b��, what if I encounter danger in the future? Who will protect me?"


    b��b�� patted its chest confidently, signaling that it would protect Yuga.


    Yuga chuckled, "You? Sorry, that won''t work. You''re too weak. I''d be dead several times over if I relied on you."


    Hurt by the doubt in Yuga words, b��b�� protested, "b��b��! b��b��!"


    Yuga didn''t understand its response, but its indignant expression was clear.


    Yuga thought to himself, "It seems you haven''t quite realized just how weak you are."


    "I''m speaking the truth. But if you''re so sure, find a nearby Pok��mon to battle. If you win, I''ll take back what I said."


    Excited by the challenge, b��b�� flew off to find an opponent.


    The forest was frequented by trainers, and the Pok��mon there were friendly due to human interaction.


    Yuga looked around. There were Wurmple, Zigzagoon, Seedot, and Taillow...


    Ah, there it was, a Linoone.


    Immediately, Yuga shouted towards b��b��, who was searching for an opponent, "b��b��, how about this Linoone? It looks pretty weak. If you can''t even beat it..."


    The sudden shout startled Linoone, but it just nced at Yuga and didn''t flee.


    In response to Yuga words, b��b�� flew over and circled around Linoone.


    "b��b��! b��b��!"


    Yuga understood that b��b�� had epted his proposal.


    "Shall we choose it as our opponent then?"


    "b��b��."


    b��b�� confidently patted its chest, indicating its readiness.


    Yuga squatted down and addressed Linoone, "Could you please apany b��b�� for a Pok��mon battle? This is your reward."


    Saying so, Yuga pulled out a few energy cubes from somewhere.


    Fully prepared, it was evident that Yuga had nned this.


    Linoone gulped down the energy cubes and squinted its eyes, nodding in agreement.


    They found an open area, with b��b�� and Linoone standing on opposite sides.


    "Alright then, the Pok��mon battle between b��b�� and Linoone is about to begin. I''ll be the referee. Are both of you ready?"


    Both b��b�� and Linoone nodded simultaneously.


    "Alright, I hereby dere the match - begin!"


    As Yuga voice fell, Linoone leaped like a cannonball, quickly hurtling towards b��b��. It was using its Normal-type basic move, Tackle.


    Although b��b�� wasn''t a Flying-type Pok��mon, it could still fly, giving it an advantage in battles.


    Linoone speed was impressive, but b��b�� agilely evaded its attack.


    Dodging Linoone charge, b��b�� suddenly sprouted two green vines and swiftlyunched an attack towards Linoone.


    Having just finished its assault, Linoone was caught off guard and got entangled in the vines.


    However, this gave Linoone a point of leverage.


    Both of its front paws emitted a white light, and it swung them towards the vines ensnaring b��b��.


    The vines were snapped in an instant.


    Freed from the vines, Linoone immediately bounced back to its feet and charged at b��b�� again.


    Yuga was impressed by Linoone consecutive attacks.


    b��b�� had been pampered by its previous owner, enjoying delicious meals and ytime every day.


    Itcked any battle experience.


    As Linoone charged straight at b��b��, it froze, face turning pale.


    It didn''t know how to respond.


    With a loud "thud," b��b�� was sent flying by Linoone headbutt.


    It crashed into a nearby tree, losing its ability to battle.


    Yuga walked over, picked up b��b�� from the ground, and approached Linoone.


    "Thank you, Linoone."


    Linoone, havingpleted its task, let out a call towards Yuga before turning and running away.

 Chapter 6: Preparation For Opening

    <h4>Chapter 6: Preparation For Opening</h4>


    After seeing off Linoone, Yuga brought the dizzy b��b�� back home.


    Upon returning home, Yuga administered some medicine to b��b�� and ced it on his bed to rest.


    Yuga knew that b��b�� would definitely lose, as the opponent was personally selected by him.


    That Linoone was over twenty levels higher and had evolved to its final form, boasting significantly higherbat power than b��b��, who was only at level 15.


    Despite b��b�� having much higher aptitude than Linoone, the level and racial advantage narrowed the gap between their abilities.


    Yuga had devised a scheme to deceive b��b�� into participating in this inevitably losing battle, aiming to ignite itspetitiveness and motivate it to be stronger.


    The original host never thought of bing a trainer, nor did he have proper ns for his future.


    At most, he intended to naturally take over the family Day Care.


    Thus, his initial Pok��mon was treated merely as a ymate.


    Their carefree life gradually eroded b��b�� motivation to excel.


    Yuga, on the other hand, was different.


    He had inexplicably arrived in this world, retaining the memories of the original host, yet still felt a trace of unease.


    Despite appearing to ept his transmigration naturally and getting along well with Hisako, b��b��, and Luna, only he knew that his heart was filled with uncertainty and anxiety.


    After all, in his previous world, he was just one of countless ordinary individuals, utterly average.


    This was why he had the desire to be stronger.


    Mighty strength provided a sense of security; especially for a man, the pursuit of power seemed almost innate.


    As Yuga looked at the peacefully sleeping b��b��, he felt a hint of guilt; after all, he had resorted to some tricks.


    He thought to himself, "I''ll treat it better in the future."


    "System? System? Are you there?"


    Yuga called out to his "golden finger" with his mind.


    [ I''ve always been here, Host. How may I be of service to you? ]


    "Um, how should I address you?"


    [ I am System 1314520. ]


    "Could we change that name? It sounds... well, can I give you a name?"


    [ I am System 1314520. ]


    "How about we call you ''Dragon Proud Sky''? Sounds majestic, right?"


    [ I am System 1314520. ]


    "Or maybe ''Dragon God''? That''s quite grand."


    [ I am System 1314520. ]


    "Not satisfied with Dragon God? How about ''Conqueror''?"


    [ I am System 1314520. ]


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Feeling parched, Yuga weakly said, "I get it, you''re System 1314520. Can I just call you 1314520?"


    [ Of course, you may. How may I assist you? ]


    The system voice remained unchanged from beginning to end��mechanical, rough, calm, and devoid of emotions...


    Yuga felt extremely ufortable at the moment. He simply wanted to give his system a pleasant name; why was he denied?


    "How do I use the renovation qualification for my shop?"


    [ As long as the host selects an appropriate time and ensures the shop is unupied, the system canmence renovations at any time. ]


    "How long will the renovation take?"


    [ Five hours. ]


    "That''s fast."


    [ System 1314520 is at your service. ]


    Yuga was too weary to retort. He dismissed the overly zealous service and wasn''t even permitted to rename the system.


    "Can I schedule the renovation for tonight after I go to sleep?"


    [ Of course, the host may decide everything. ]


    Once the shop renovation wasplete, Yuga would ask his uncle to help with the transfer procedure, and the shop could reopen.


    After the shop was back in business, Yuga would need to consider the issue of merchandise.


    Previously, YoYo Day Care didn''t sell young Pok��mons due to their circumstances.


    Selling young Pok��mons required an ecological park for their care.


    The spacious courtyard prepared by his parents was meant for constructing the ecological park.


    However, the cost of building the park was high, and even after his parents passed away, it remained iplete.


    As for Pok��mon eggs, there were still some left in the warehouse. However, their number was notrge��only a dozen or so�� leftovers from previous sales.


    The original host only had a rough understanding of this. After his parents'' deaths, his grief prevented him from tending to these matters.


    Yuga decided to inspect the warehouse tomorrow.


    "System, you can start renovating the shop after I go to sleep."


    [ Understood, Host. ]


    Yuga, with plenty of idle time on his hands, found his evenings rather dull.


    After spending a while browsing the inte in his room, he eventually dozed off on his bed.


    The next day, Yuga once again woke up feeling suffocated.


    He felt something sticking to his face, causing immense difort.


    Half-asleep, Yuga quickly swiped at his face, flinging the offending object away.


    Soon after, a pitiful cry followed.


    "Sorry, b��b��, can you forgive me once again, please?"


    Early in the morning, Yuga begged b��b�� for forgiveness, his hands sped in prayer.


    b��b�� turned its head, unwilling to pay Yuga any attention.


    "You said you''d protect me yesterday, but you couldn''t even defeat Linoone."


    Hearing Yuga words, b��b�� felt like it had been struck by lightning. Its petrified form seemed like it could blow away with the wind.


    Thisment directly hit b��b�� sore spot.


    The dejected b��b�� no longer had the energy to be mad at Yuga.


    Seeing b��b�� in such a sorry state, Yuga thought, "Did I go too far?"


    "b��b��, don''t be disheartened. Failing now doesn''t mean you won''t seed in the future. As long as you''re willing to work hard and be stronger, you''ll definitely win in the future. I''m also relying on you for protection! Let''s strive together."


    Encouraged by its owner, b��b�� eyes shone, it clenched its fists, and it regained its determination.


    "b��b��!"


    b��b�� made a cheering gesture towards Yuga, showing that it would put in the effort.


    As for being flung to the ground by Yuga, with its tiny brain capacity, it had long forgotten about that incident.


    Seeing b��b�� back to normal, Yuga let out a sigh of relief.


    Getting along harmoniously with his Pok��mon wasn''t an easy task.


    "1314520, how''s the shop renovation going?"


    No matter how many times he called, Yuga found the name "1314520" rather nd.


    [ Everything has been renovated. ]


    "Then let''s go down and take a look."


    Yuga shouted to b��b��, who was still lost in its world, "b��b��, let''s go downstairs."


    After saying that, he got up and headed downstairs.


    b��b�� hurriedly followed Yuga.


    Descending the stairs from the second floor, the modified first floor, transformed by the system, gradually came into view.


    Yuga marveled at the tremendous change before him; it was no longer just a renovation.


    Yuga could proudly proim, "Our shop has been rebuilt, and it''s beenvishly redecorated."


    Describing a pet shop this way might sound odd, but it was indeed the case.


    The house Yuga lived in was made of wood, so the interior design retained the original style, naturally featuring wooden decor.


    At the entrance stood a wooden cashier counter, notrge in size, yet adorned with intricate patterns that added a touch of elegance.


    Additionally, on either side of the counter were two nts, each about half a person height.


    Yuga didn''t recognize the species of these nts, but it was undeniable that they added a lively atmosphere to the shop.


    The counter where Pok��mon eggs were disyed had the same material as the cashier counter.


    Its light brown wooden surface was embedded with transparent ss, enabling customers to observe Pok��mon eggs inside.


    Of course, there were currently no Pok��mon eggs inside.


    On the counter were also colorful fabric pads, specially designed by the system to protect Pok��mon eggs from damage.


    ording to the system, these pads could automatically regte temperature, ensuring that Pok��mon eggs were always kept at the optimal temperature for incubation.


    Yuga was amazed by this.


    What kind of advanced technology was this? How had he never heard of it before?


    [ Host, this is a unique technology of the system. ]


    "I must say, what''s your background? How do you possess such incredible abilities?"


    [ This system is a benefit randomly assigned to transmigrators. I am Number 1314520. ]


    "Alright, I know all that, you don''t need to repeat it."


    After all, the more powerful the system was, the greater the assistance it provided. Yuga decided not to ask any more questions.


    The less you know, the longer you live.


    All the cabs were arranged around arge tree in the center of the shop.


    This tree grew with abundant branches and leaves, almost enveloping all the cabs within its sprawl.


    What''s significant is that it wasn''t growing in a pot; it was directly rooted in the ground.


    The shop elegant wooden floor had a hole in the middle, where the tree grew.


    Of course, the hole had been artfully integrated and looked quite aesthetically pleasing.


    Yuga also didn''t recognize the tree species.


    "1314520, why is there a tree nted in the middle of the shop?"


    [ Host, doesn''t it look nice? ]


    "It looks very nice, but is there any other reason besides aesthetics?"


    [ It also increases the greenery ratio. ]


    "Is that it?"


    [ That''s it. ]


    "Really? That doesn''t sound like you."


    [ Just kidding. This tree can regte the temperature and humidity inside the shop, keeping it warm in winter and cool in summer. Moreover, it can undergo photosynthesis indoors without requiring sunlight, which is convenient and environmentally friendly. It''s not a native nt of Pok��mon world; it''s a special benefit from the system. ]


    Yuga was a bit speechless.


    "You joke around so seriously, yet it''s not the least bit funny."


    Especially with that tone, Yuga thought.


    [ Is that so? I won''t do that in the future. ]


    Regardless, the tree was still quite impressive.


    b��b�� was fascinated by the sudden transformation of their home overnight. It flew around the shop, inspecting it from every angle.


    Yuga was quite pleased with the shop transformation by the system.


    "b��b��, how do you like the renovation of our shop?"


    b��b�� flew up to therge tree in the center of the shop and paused. It didn''t respond to Yuga question, seemingly captivated by the tree.


    "Do you like this tree?"


    b��b�� immediately flew to Yuga and eagerly nodded its head.


    "Then I''ll build a little house for you on this tree in the future. How does that sound?"


    "b��b��, b��b��."


    b��b�� joyfully nodded,pletely unaware that this was part of Yuga scheme.


    Yuga was determined not to wake up feeling suffocated every morning.


    Soon, Yuga noticed that not only had the front of the shop been renovated, but the kitchen and dining area at the back had also been redesigned to match the style of the shop.

 Chapter 7: Uncle

    <h4>Chapter 7: Uncle</h4>


    After preparing a hearty breakfast for himself and b��b�� in the newly renovated kitchen, Yuga enjoyed the meal together with his Pok��mon in the improved dining area.


    Dining in such a pleasant environment lifted his spirits.


    Once breakfast was finished, Yuga decided to visit the warehouse to inspect the Pok��mon eggs.


    The warehouse was also located on the first floor, albeit not very spacious since the Day Care typically had few clients who required storage.


    Most of the Pok��mon eggs were disyed in the shop.


    Only due to Yuga parents'' unfortunate incident were the remaining dozen or so Pok��mon eggs moved to the warehouse.


    Yuga counted them �C there were a total of 14.


    Using his discerning skill, he assessed the qualities of these eggs.


    The majority were orange, with only five being yellow.


    These eggs had been appraised andbeled with their qualities, but Yuga was merely testing out his discerning ability.


    All the qualities he saw matched thebels.


    Out of the 14 eggs, there were three Tailow, four Shroomish, five Skitty, and two Lotad eggs.


    The most precious ones were the two Lotad eggs, both of them having yellow qualities.


    The remaining three yellow-quality eggs were one Tailow, one Skitty, and one Shroomish.


    All of these eggs were native to the Hoenn region, with the exception of Lotad, which were rtivelymon.


    Once Yuga had a clear understanding of these eggs, he moved them all back into the shop cabs.


    Of course, his intention was not to sell them. The transfer of ownership for the Day Care hadn''t beenpleted yet, making it illegal to sell the eggs.


    His motive was to utilize the specially designed fabric pads in the cabs, creating a more suitable environment for storing the eggs.


    As he looked at the neatly arranged eggs, Yuga let out a sigh of relief.


    Now that he had sorted out these eggs, he could officially begin his journey as the owner of the Day Care once the transfer process was finalized.


    As the saying goes, when you mention Cao Cao, Cao Cao arrives.


    Just as Yuga was contemting the transfer process, his uncle called him.


    Although Yuga had memories of his uncle from his original self, this was his first time seeing him in person, albeit through a video call.


    "Yuga, how have these past few days been for you?"


    Yuga uncle, Kurosaki Mine, had a refined appearance that exuded an air of cultured elegance.


    It was hard to imagine that Luna mischievous personality was nurtured by the gentle beauty, Hisako, and the mild-mannered uncle.


    "I''m doing well, Uncle. No need to worry about me."


    "It''s better for you to be safe. I''ve been away these days, and I couldn''te back to see you even when you were in trouble. I apologize."


    Yuga uncle had taken care of the arrangements for Yuga parents'' funeral, and for that, he had taken several days off from work.


    After the arrangements werepleted, he had to go on a business trip, preventing him from being there for Yuga when he needed support.


    "No, no, I should be the one apologizing. You''ve been busy taking care of everything after my parents'' passing, and here I am causing more trouble for you. I''m truly sorry."


    "Don''t say that. We''re family, and taking care of these matters is our responsibility."


    While conversing with his uncle, Yuga marveled at how different Luna mischievous behavior was from the calm and gentle demeanor of his uncle and aunt.


    "By the way, how''s your b��b�� doing? Is it adapting well to its new environment?"


    Yuga uncle inquired about b��b��, showing genuine concern for the Pok��mon.


    "b��b�� is doing fine. It''s adjusting to the new environment, and we''re getting along well."


    "That''s good to hear. Pok��mon are sensitive creatures, and they need time to adapt. Take good care of it."


    "I will, Uncle. Thank you for your concern."


    After a pleasant conversation with his uncle, Yuga felt a sense offort.


    Despite the recent challenges, having family support was reassuring.


    As the video call ended, Yuga reflected on how Luna carefree nature might have been shaped by abination of her parents'' influence and her own unique disposition.


    With his uncle words in mind, Yuga continued his preparations for the Day Care official reopening.


    The transfer of ownership was still pending, but he was determined to move forward and make the Day Care a sessful venture.


    "I''ve heard that you''re going to inherit the Day Care, and I''m very happy about it. I believe your mom and dad would also be pleased."


    Kurosaki Mine didn''t want to bring up Yuga painful past, so he shifted the topic and began discussing the Day Care.


    "I just got back today, and your aunt told me about this. Since I have some free time this afternoon, how about I help you with the transfer procedure? Do you have time?"


    Yuga was fully prepared and had the time, of course.


    "That''s great. I''lle pick you up this afternoon. Just wait for me at home."


    Yuga shop had just been renovated by the system, so he didn''t want Kurosaki toe over.


    In just a few days, the shop had undergone significant changes, and it wasn''t suitable for visitors at the moment.


    "No, no, you just got back. It''s better for you to rest. I''lle over to your ce. It''s just a few steps away."


    Kurosaki hesitated for a moment but agreed in the end.


    "Alright then. I''ll wait for you at home. Besides, there''s something I want to discuss with you."


    With his uncle agreement, Yuga felt relieved.


    After having lunch, Yuga hurriedly went to Hisako house with b��b��.


    As soon as Yuga arrived at the door, he saw Luna sitting on the steps, lost in thought.


    Luna attention was first drawn not to Yuga, but to b��b�� perched on his shoulder.


    Yuga felt a slight tremor from b��b�� on his shoulder.


    "Big Brother Yuga, why did youe sote? My dad has been waiting for you at home."


    While speaking to Yuga, Luna gaze kept flickering towards b��b��.


    "Why are you sitting at the doorstep?"


    "Of course, I''m waiting for you!"


    Yuga thought to himself, "No, you''re not."


    Then, he saw Luna pounce towards b��b�� on his shoulder.


    It was hard to believe that such a small figure could possess such remarkable agility.


    Seemingly sensing Luna approach, b��b�� extended its two vines and pressed them against Luna shoulder to stop her.


    However, as they say, "Where there''s a will, there''s a way."


    Luna turned the vines around and pulled b��b�� into her arms.


    "Hehe, gotcha!"


    Luna let out a mischievousugh, her little demon-like nature reappearing.


    Soon after, b��b�� "cry of distress" echoed continuously.


    When Yuga entered the house, he saw only his uncle sitting on the sofa.


    He knew that Hisako was at work during this time, so she wouldn''t be home.


    "Uncle, I''m here."


    Hearing Yuga voice, Kurosaki Mine finally noticed that Yuga had entered.


    "Yuga,e over here. Sit."


    Kurosaki patted the sofa next to him, indicating for Yuga to take a seat.


    Yuga walked over and sat down next to Kurosaki.


    He then saw his uncle take out a bank card and turned to Yuga, saying :


    "After your parents passed away, you seemed emotionally distraught. So, both your Aunt Hisako and I handled their affairs for them. The ident happened while they were out shopping for supplies. They were involved in an ident while riding in a vehicle from the Pok��mon Nursery. As a result, the Nursery took on a significant portion of the responsibility. This card contains thepensation they provided."


    "In addition to that, the ident happened on their way back, so the supplies they had purchased weren''t safely delivered to the Day Care.


    As a result, they also promised that the next time the Day Care goes for supplies, they won''t charge any fees.


    Originally, your Aunt Hisako and I thought you wouldn''t take over the Day Care, so we didn''t tell you.


    However, since you''ve decided to continue running the Day Care, we must make things clear to you."


    Yuga epted the bank card from Kurosaki Mine with a sense of guilt and said:


    "I''m sorry, Uncle.


    I was so preupied with grief that I didn''t take on the responsibilities I should have, and I pushed everything onto you and Aunt Hisako.


    I know that both you and Aunt Hisako must have been just as heartbroken as I was, yet you had to suppress your sadness and help with my parents'' affairs.


    I truly haven''t been a good son."


    Even though these matters were the actions of the original owner, and not rted to the present Yuga, he was now in someone else body and had to bear the consequences.


    Hearing Yuga words, Kurosaki Mine felt that his nephew had finally grown up. Suppressing his own emotional pain, he patted Yuga shoulder.


    "You''re a good child. Your reaction at that time was normal.


    We''re family, and there''s no distinction between you and me.


    As long as you can be happy from now on, your mom and dad wouldn''t me you."

 Chapter 8: Grand Opening

    <h4>Chapter 8: Grand Opening</h4>


    As for thepensation from the Pok��mon Nursery, it was like a pleasant surprise for the newly opening Yoyo Day Care.


    With a spacious facility like the Yoyo Day Care, relying solely on the dozen or so Pok��mon eggs in the shop was not feasible.


    The Day Care was established by the Pok��mon League specifically for raising Pok��mon.


    All Day Care centers can restock their Pok��mon eggs and young Pok��mon from there.


    However, the majority of Pok��mon avable aremon, and rare ones are scarce.


    After settling all the matters rted to Yuga parents'' passing, Kurosaki Mine took Yuga to the town business administration department toplete the ownership transfer procedures for the Day Care.


    Because Yuga was taking over the family business, the transfer process was notplicated.


    As long as Yuga provided his identification, followed a series of signing, stamping, and filling in information, the transfer procedure waspleted.


    During the ownership transfer, Yuga didn''t bring b��b�� along, leaving it at his uncle house to keep Lunapany.


    When they returned after finishing the paperwork, b��b�� gaze at Yuga held a deep sense of resentment.


    Yuga could only muster his courage and swiftly leave his uncle house with b��b��.


    Back home, Yuga looked at his newly renovated shop and eximed, "From now on, I''m officially a Day Care owner."


    However, just then, the system decided to make its presence felt.


    [ Congrattions to the host for bing the official Day Care owner. Task system activated.


    Mainline task is now avable: Make Shimizuki Yuga, as the Day Care owner, renowned in the Pok��mon world.


    Mainline Task 1: Sell the 14 remaining Pok��mon eggs in the shop within three days.


    Reward will be determined bypletion rate. ]


    "No way, there''s a task system too? 1314520,e out here before I smash you."


    [ 1314520 at your service. ]


    "What''s the reward?"


    [ The reward will be determined based on the hostpletion rate. ]


    "Are there any penalties for failure?"


    [ There are no penalties, host. ]


    "That''s good."


    Yuga patted his chest in relief.


    "Do I have to ept this task? What happens if I don''t do it?"


    [ Nothing will happen if you don''t ept it. ]


    [ The decision to ept or not entirely depends on the host. ]


    [ This system is merely an assistant tool for the host. Whether to use it, or how to use it, is entirely up to the host will. ]


    "Really, it''s that user-friendly? If I fail, there''s no punishment, and I can even choose not to ept a task?"


    [ That''s right, but if you don''t ept a task, it means you won''t receive the reward. ]


    "Since it''s so user-friendly, why don''t you let me change your name? How about we discuss it?"


    [ I am 131452... ]


    "Alright, alright, I know you''re 1314520, no need to emphasize it.


    Fine, I won''t change your name then."


    Yuga interrupted the system before it could finish speaking, his ears already ringing from the repetitive numbers.


    "Since there''s no punishment for failing the task, I''ll ept it."


    [ Understood, host. Task epted. ]


    As the ownership transfer process waspleted quickly, Yuga returned home while it was still early in the day.


    To fulfill the task, he found a piece of wood at home, wrote "Yoyo Day Care Reopening" on it, and hung it at the entrance.


    "Little Yuga, your Day Care is reopening?"


    Passing by, Uncle Kate saw the sign and curiously inquired.


    "Yes, Uncle Kate. From now on, I''m the owner of the Day Care. Please help spread the word about my Day Care."


    Just as Yuga finished hanging the sign, he turned around and saw Uncle Kate standing right behind him.


    "That''s great! I''ll make sure to spread the word. Maybe my little one will even buy a Pok��mon from your Day Care in the future!"


    Uncle Kate eximed joyfully, especially when talking about his son, his excitement was palpable.


    Despite being around the same age as Yuga father, Uncle Kate got married quitete, so his son was still very young, even younger than Luna by a few years and couldn''t even walk steadily yet.


    "Well, when the timees, I''ll pick out a good one for him."


    After exchanging pleasantries with Uncle Kate, Yuga returned to the shop and sat down, feeling a bit idle.


    Due to Luna "tender loving care," b��b�� was still recovering and seemed like a lifeless body, lying on the branch of the big tree in the middle of the shop.


    And so, Yuga spent the whole afternoon like this, just sitting there, not even getting a single customer until it got dark.


    The excitement of bing a new owner had faded.


    But considering the circumstances, it was no surprise. Yoyo Day Care didn''t have much foot traffic to begin with, relying heavily on tourists from Verdant Shade Town to sustain its business.


    On the first day of reopening, Yuga didn''t do any promotion, and the Day Care itself wasn''t well-known. Such a situation was entirely normal.


    Sigh, I wonder if my Day Care can even continue operating.


    After waiting for the entire afternoon without a single customer, Yuga felt a bit disheartened, so he decided to close the shop early.


    Just as he reached the entrance, preparing to hang the "Closed" sign, he noticed a graceful woman standing there, seemingly hesitant about entering.


    "May I help you?"


    Yuga politely inquired towards the woman.


    The sudden sound startled her, and she stuttered, "I, I want to buy a Pok��mon."


    Upon hearing that she was here to buy a Pok��mon, Yuga spirits lifted, though he still maintained a calm demeanor.


    The first walk-in customer couldn''t be let slip away easily.


    "So, you''re interested in buying a Pok��mon. Pleasee inside."


    Yuga led the woman into the shop.


    She looked around, marveling at the elegant design of the interior while also noticing the empty disy cases.


    Yuga could sense her thoughts and spoke, "We had some issues earlier, so the shop was closed for a while. We''ve just reopened today, which is why there aren''t many Pok��mon in the shop at the moment.


    However, you can trust our reputation. Our family has been running this shop for many years, and everyone in town knows about us."


    After hearing Yuga exnation, the woman nodded and sighed in relief.


    She had been worried that the recently reopened shop might have issues with the Pok��mon being sold.


    "I''m not sure how to address you?"


    "I''m Ms. Suzuki."


    "Ah, Ms. Suzuki. What kind of Pok��mon are you looking to buy?"


    Although Yuga was a first-time shop owner, he still had basic knowledge. First, he needed to understand the customer needs.


    Ms. Suzuki looked a bit uncertain after hearing Yuga question.


    "I''m not really sure what kind of Pok��mon I want to buy."


    "May I ask if you''re a Pok��mon Trainer?"


    Although the woman was beautiful and elegant, shecked the seasoned demeanor of a Trainer. Yuga guessed as much.


    "Well, no, is there a problem?"


    Ms. Suzuki found Yuga question a bit strange.


    Hearing her response, Yuga smiled and exined, "Customers who buy Pok��mon usually fall into two categories.


    One type is Trainers, who use their Pok��mon for battles. This includes both traditional Trainers and the newer roles like Coordinator and Breeder.


    This group tends to have higher requirements for a Pok��mon potential, as they focus on its future development.


    The other type is non-Trainers. They usually don''t use their Pok��mon for battles; rather, they keep them aspanions.


    This group doesn''t need to worry too much about a Pok��mon strength changing over time, so they have lower requirements for a Pok��mon potential.


    For the same species of Pok��mon, the price can vary greatly depending on their potential.


    That''s why I asked you that question earlier."


    After Yuga exnation, Ms. Suzuki finally understood. She was now more impressed with Yuga and Yoyo Day Care.


    Being profit-oriented was natural for a businessman, yet Yuga had taken the time to exin all this, showing his responsible nature.


    "I''m indeed not a Trainer. I just want to buy a Pok��mon to keep as apanion."


    "I see. In that case, there''s a Pok��mon that might be perfect for you. Please follow me."


    Yuga then led Ms. Suzuki to the disy case containing the Pok��mon eggs.


    Pointing to a yellow-based egg with pink patterns swirling on the ss, he said to Ms. Suzuki, "This is an egg of Skitty."


    He then pulled out a paper with a Skitty illustration on it from beside the disy case and handed it to Ms. Suzuki.


    "Skitty has a lively and affectionate personality, gentle and not particrly strong in terms of attack. It''s very suitable for someone like you.


    Furthermore, it''s great at amusing people and can bring endless joy and warmth to a good owner."


    After finishing his exnation, Yuga took out another paper with an illustration of a different Pok��mon and pointed to it:


    "This is Skitty evolved form, Delcatty. Unlike Skitty liveliness, Delcatty is elegant andposed, with an affectionate yet calm personality.


    If you don''t prefer Skitty liveliness, you can evolve it into theposed Delcatty using a Moon Stone after it hatches.


    Importantly, both Skitty and Delcatty are wless in appearance and incredibly adorable."


    Ms. Suzuki was highly satisfied with Yuga detailed exnation and genuinely liked Skitty, so she immediately decided to purchase the Skitty Pok��mon egg.


    "Let me confirm again. Since you don''t have high requirements for a Pok��mon potential, the Skitty egg I rmended with an orange potential is eptable, right?"


    Ms. Suzuki nodded in agreement.


    "Thank you. The Skitty egg with orange potential is priced at 6,000 yen. We ept both bank transfers and cash payments."


    After Ms. Suzukipleted the payment, Yuga retrieved the Pok��mon egg from the disy case and handed it to her, then escorted her to the door.


    "Since our shop has just reopened, we haven''t prepared an incubator yet. Therefore, you''ll need to go to a nearby Pok��mon store to purchase one. Incubators are quite affordable and won''t cost you much."


    Yuga apologized to Ms. Suzuki as she held the Pok��mon egg, ready to leave.


    "No problem. The Pok��mon store isn''t far from here, so I''ll just stop by and buy one."


    Ms. Suzuki smiled and spoke, not fussing over these minor details.


    "Well then, Ms. Suzuki, have a safe trip."


    Ms. Suzuki nodded with a smile and left the Day Care.


    After seeing Ms. Suzuki off, Yuga returned to the shop and breathed a sigh of relief.


    He didn''t expect that closing a deal would require so much effort.


    However, he was already quite satisfied to have weed a customer by nightfall. He had mentally prepared for zero business on the first day.

 Chapter 9: First Training Session

    <h4>Chapter 9: First Training Session</h4>


    Early the following morning, Yuga rose from bed with determination. If he intended to train b��b�� seriously, there was no room for sleeping in.


    Unlike the past mornings when he had awakened in a suffocating state, Yuga had now prepared a small nest for b��b�� on the tree in the shop, in line with b��b��''s request. Starting from the previous night, b��b�� had been sleeping on that tree every night. This arrangement meant that Yuga no longer had to share his bed with b��b��.


    After freshening up, Yuga proceeded to the tree and gently roused b��b�� from its slumber. However, still half-asleep, b��b�� seemed reluctant to leave its cozy nest.


    Yuga decided to employ a different tactic. He began to act melodramatic, saying, "b��b��, my heart is broken. I never expected you to deceive me. You promised to be stronger and protect me in the future, but it turns out those were just sweet lies, mere deceit."


    While pretending to wipe away tears, Yuga continued, "Are you telling the truth or not?"


    Hearing Yuga''s sorrowful "confession," b��b�� swiftly flew out of its nest and gently consoled Yuga with soothing sounds.


    "Is this real, not a trick?"


    With teary eyes, Yuga earnestly asked b��b��.


    b��b�� nodded and gestured, clearly indicating its sincerity.


    "Okay then, let''s work hard from now on. You won''t deceive me, will you?"


    With "teary eyes," Yuga inquired sincerely.


    b��b�� nodded vigorously, its walnut-sized head bobbing up and down.


    Seeing his strategy seed, Yuga couldn''t help but silently mock himself, thinking, "Oops, I unintentionally became quite theatrical, and I''m even acting all coquettish."


    Yuga''s yard was spacious enough for their training needs, so he and b��b�� moved to the yard for their training session.


    "b��b��, show me all the skills you know."


    Yuga had already examined b��b��''s skills using his Insight skill. Unfortunately, the results were far from impressive �C b��b�� only knew four skills, and their power was quite weak.


    However, its level was fixed, and there was nothing Yuga could do about it. Moreover, the awakening of Pok��mon skills was not solely determined by level; chance yed a significant role in it.


    Apart from the battle with Linoone, b��b�� had never participated in any battles before, so Yuga wasn''t sure how proficient b��b�� was with its known skills.


    With an unwavering nod from b��b��, Yuga took that as a signal to proceed.


    First, b��b�� demonstrated the skill Vine Whip. Two green vines shot out, but their momentum fizzled out midway.


    Yuga remembered the incident when b��b�� had used Vine Whip to prevent Luna from hugging it, only to be pulled over. This reinforced the notion that Vine Whipcked sufficient power.


    Next, b��b�� grabbed the Fairy Flower beneath it, twirled around, and conjured a faint breeze that dissipated after a few seconds.


    This Fairy Wind seemed more suitable for providing a gentle breeze than delivering any real attack.


    For the third skill, Tackle, Yuga didn''t allow b��b�� to demonstrate it, as an open area like the yard wasn''t suitable for the move. Besides, Tackle might not be ideal for b��b��''s delicate frame.


    Lastly, b��b�� attempted to use Protect. In this nonbat scenario, the demonstration resulted in brief shes of green light before fading.


    Though this version of Protect appearedckluster, Yuga recognized its value in preserving b��b��''s abilities from being weakened.


    As Yuga sighed, acknowledging b��b��''s limited skill set, he realized that the awakening of abilities was a process beyond his control. Reflecting on the minor skirmish with Linoone, he acknowledged that b��b��''sbat experience was minimal.


    Nevertheless, b��b�� exuded unwavering confidence, prompting a smile from Yuga. b��b��''s self-assuredness was truly amusing.


    At this stage, however, b��b��''s weak skills weren''t very effective.


    b��b�� also realized the level of its skills and returned to Yuga somewhat dejectedly.


    Yugaforted it with a smile.


    "Although you''re not strong now, as long as you work hard, you''ll be increasingly powerful. My safety will depend on you in the future."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, b��b��''s determination reignited immediately.


    "b��b��, b��b��, b��b��!"


    Clutching its tiny fists, b��b�� shouted, showing its resolve.


    Yuga had a two-point training n for b��b��.


    First, enhance its physical stamina.


    Second, practice its skills.


    Physical stamina was the foundation of all battles. Only with increased stamina could b��b�� participate in stronger battles.


    As for skill practice, b��b��''s proficiency was rathercking. Its skills were barely passable, and they needed improvement.


    b��b��''s initial training focused on stamina.


    Yuga found a stone slightlyrger than an adult''s fist, tied it to the stem of b��b��''s Fairy Flower with a rope, and had it fly around the yard while dragging the stone.


    Of course, Yuga followed alongside b��b��, running together. More importantly, he supervised b��b��, as it was rather absentminded.


    However, b��b��''s constitution was underdeveloped; it became out of breath after flying just a short distance.


    Yet Yuga didn''t cut it any ck, and he pushed b��b�� toplete ten rounds of flying while


    dragging the stone.


    The yard was quite spacious, making ten rounds a substantial distance to cover. Yuga himself didn''tplete the run but instead supervised b��b�� while taking shortcuts.


    This training session highlighted the disparity between human and Pok��mon physiques.


    Even though b��b�� was small and seldom exercised, it managed toplete the task of flying ten rounds around the yard while dragging the weight. Even though it was exhausted, it had achieved the goal.


    However, Yuga, as a human, couldn''t match this feat.


    Observing b��b��, utterly fatigued, Yuga realized that perhaps it was best to save skill training for another time. Regardless of the situation, a gradual approach was key; after all, moderation was essential.


    After the training, Yuga gave b��b�� a full-body massage.


    However, due to b��b��''s diminutive size, Yuga didn''t apply too much pressure. By the time he finished, his hands were sore.


    Following the training, Yuga prepared breakfast for both b��b�� and himself. After eating, he readied himself to open the shop for customers.


    However, b��b�� was utterly exhausted. After breakfast, it flew straight back to its nest and fell back asleep.


    Seeing how tired b��b�� was, Yuga decided not to disturb it.


    He opened the shop door, removing the "Closed" sign he had hung there the previous night, and began business for the day.


    Seated behind the cash register, Yuga waited for customers. However, after quite some time, no customers arrived. Yuga thought, "Maybe it''s time to restock. Relying solely on these few Pok��mon eggs won''t attract many customers."


    Nevertheless, Yuga decided to postpone restocking until afterpleting the mission in the next three days. Regardless of the mission''spletion, he would visit the Day Care Center.


    The Day Care Center wasn''t far from Verdanturf Town, located in Lavaridge Town. By passing through the Rusturf Tunnel, he could easily reach it. Lavaridge Town was the closest town to Verdanturf Town.


    If Verdanturf Town was known for its fresh air and therapeutic ambiance, Lavaridge Town gained fame for its thriving tourism centered around hot springs.

 Chapter 10: Grandma Lanca

    <h4>Chapter 10: Grandma Lanca</h4>


    The sun slowly rose in the early morning, and the sunlight that had been blocked outside gradually moved into the shop along with the sun, shining on Yuga''s face behind the cash register.


    However, the climate in Verdanturf Town had always beenfortable, so even if the sunlight fell directly on his face, it didn''t feel hot; instead, it felt warm.


    In thisfortable environment, with no customers visiting, Yuga was about to fall asleep.


    "Young man."


    In a dazed state, Yuga seemed to hear someone calling him, so he opened his half-closed eyes.


    What met his gaze was a kindly old grandmother, causing Yuga to immediately sit up straight.


    "Hello, Grandma. Are you here to buy Pok��mon?"


    Yuga touched the corner of his mouth with his hand to ensure there was no drool before politely smiling and asking.


    "So, you''re the one running this shop now?"


    The old grandmother didn''t answer Yuga''s question; instead, she posed her own question.


    Yuga was momentarily taken aback, then nodded.


    "Yes, I am. By the way, does Grandma know my mom and dad?"


    "Turns out you''re their child. I do know your mom and dad. Though we haven''t known each other for long, we''ve gotten along well. I came here for recuperation, but I haven''t been here for long. I came to the shop once before, thinking of buying a Pok��mon, but I couldn''t make up my mind. After all, buying one means taking responsibility for it. Your parents received me, and seeing my hesitation, they suggested I go back and think it over. Later, we bumped into each other in town several times and gradually became familiar. They often mentioned you to me, though I never got to see you since you don''t usually go out. It''s clear they love you. But before I could make up my mind about buying a Pok��mon, something like this happened."


    The old grandmother spoke many words, revealing her fondness for Yuga''s parents.


    "I''m sorry for making you listen to so much of this olddy''s rambling. Getting older makes you unwittingly chatter on."


    The old grandmother seemed to realize she had said too much and quickly apologized to Yuga.


    Yuga waved his hand to show that he didn''t mind.


    "No, no, Grandma. I''m d you talked about my mom and dad. You''re not rambling at all."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, a smile appeared on the old grandmother''s face.


    "You''re a good child, just like your mom and dad said. Well then, show me the Pok��mon eggs and introduce them to me."


    Yuga didn''t know how the Clearwater couple had described him to the old grandmother, but he didn''t feelfortable epting the title of "good child." His original self couldn''t be considered a good child, but perhaps in the eyes of all parents, their own children were always better than others.


    "Sure, this way, Grandma."


    Yuga led the old grandmother to the cab where the Pok��mon eggs were ced.


    "Grandma, I still don''t know how to address you."


    While walking, Yuga asked the old grandmother.


    "Look at me, I forgot to introduce myself to you. My name is Lanca."


    The old grandmother patted her forehead and said to Yuga.


    "Then I''ll call you Grandma Lanca. I''m Yuga, you can call me Yuga."


    "Alright, I''ll call you Yuga."


    "Did Grandma Lancae to Verdanturf Town alone?"


    "I came with my husband."


    "Are you buying a Pok��mon to keep you and your husbandpany?"


    "Yes, exactly. Our children aren''t around, and at our age, we wanted to find a quiet ce to retire. So, we came here."


    Saying this, a hint of loneliness shed in Grandma Lanca''s eyes, albeit briefly, but Yuga still noticed it.


    Yuga wondered if he had asked the wrong question.


    Standing in front of the Pok��mon eggs, Yuga pondered for a moment before pointing to the eggs inside the cab and addressing Grandma Lanca:


    "Now, we don''t have many Pok��mon eggs in the shop, and the variety is limited, but I think these three types of Pok��mon would be suitable for someone like you.


    The first one is Taillow, a young swallow Pok��mon. It''s brave and responsible, and won''t hesitate to step up in times of danger.


    The second one is Skitty, a small cat Pok��mon. It''s lively and yful, great at bringing joy. Having it at home is like having a source of happiness.


    The third one is Lotad, a waterlily Pok��mon. It has a gentle nature, though not as lively as Taillow or Skitty. It will quietly stay by your side, very obedient.


    Although its final evolution, Ludicolo, isn''t as well-behaved.


    Once it evolves into Ludicolo, it bes energetic, especially fond of dancing, and can help dispel loneliness. It''s the Pok��mon that can bring the mostughter to a household."


    After listening to Yuga''s introduction, Grandma Lanca lowered her head and contemted.


    "What kind of Pok��mon do you think I should choose?"


    After thinking for a while, Grandma Lanca seemed unable to make up her mind and turned to Yuga for help.


    Yuga smiled wryly and said, "I can''t make the decision for you, after all, you''re not buying it for me. You need to think about why you want to buy a Pok��mon and what you want it to bring to you."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Grandma Lanca thought for a moment and chose Lotad.


    Carefully, Yuga took out the Pok��mon egg of Lotad and ced it in a hatcher, handing it to Grandma Lanca.


    Since the incident with Miss Suzuki, Yuga had purchased several hatchers to keep in the shop.


    After Grandma Lanca paid, she said to Yuga, "Many people at our recuperation center would like to have a Pok��monpanion. I''ll spread the word for you."


    Yuga replied with a smile, "That''s great. I''ll be relying on you to take care of my business."


    Seeing Grandma Lanca off, Yuga shouted after her, "Grandma Lanca, pleasee by and visit with your husband sometime."


    Grandma Lanca happily waved her hand at Yuga.


    Another sessful sale, and Yuga was feeling quite good.


    However, at the current rate, with only 2 out of 14 Pok��mon eggs sold, it was evident that the mission wouldn''t bepleted within three days.


    During the morning, apart from Grandma Lanca, Yuga didn''t see another customer.


    It wasn''t until the afternoon that Yuga''s Day Care received the most customers at once.


    First were two women with two children, a boy and a girl.


    From their conversation, Yuga deduced that the women were the respective mothers of the children, and the two families had a close rtionship. The children were childhood friends.


    Judging by their attire, neither family was particrly affluent; at least they weren''t as well-off as Miss Suzuki and Grandma Lanca who hade before.


    They hade here to select their initial Pok��mon for the children.


    Before Yuga transmigrated, he used to watch cartoons on TV where people could receive their initial Pok��mon from a professor, so he assumed it was the same for everyone.


    However, since arriving here, he realized it wasn''t the case.

 Chapter 11: Mission Accomplished

    <h4>Chapter 11: Mission Aplished</h4>


    Children who can receive initial Pok��mon from the professor are descendants of prominent trainers within the League''s lineage.


    They are either of high status themselves or their parents have made significant contributions to the League.


    These two factors alone exclude most people in the world from this privilege.


    In other words, if you don''t meet either of these conditions, even if you''re wealthy, you won''t be able to obtain an initial Pok��mon from the professor.


    The initial Pok��mon from the professor are usually the League''s specially bred "Trio Starter" and their aptitude is typically exceptional.


    Although members of the Trio Starter can asionally be found in the wild, their aptitude can''tpare to the carefully cultivated ones from the League.


    The most a regr person can hope for is to strive and be a prominent League trainer, providing their descendants the chance to receive an initial Pok��mon from the professor.


    However, Yuga belongs to the category of ordinary people who wouldn''t have the opportunity to receive an initial Pok��mon from the professor.


    Fortunately for Yuga, he''s luckier than most ordinary people. His parents managed to acquire a b��b�� for him that''s no less capable than the Trio Starter, even though its aptitude surely falls short. Yet, after consuming an aptitude evolution pill, the difference isn''t stark.


    As for the two children who came to the shop, they are the epitome of ordinary families �C the very definition of it. Theyck the chance to obtain an initial Pok��mon from the professor, and their parentsck the means to provide them with a Pok��mon like b��b��.


    Hence, they had to resort to a small shop like Yoyo Day Care to purchase a regr Pok��mon to serve as their startingpanion.


    Their future progress depends entirely on their own efforts.


    Since both children aspire to be trainers, Yuga rmended Pok��mon eggs with yellow aptitude for them.


    Aside from the Lotad sold to Grandma Lanca, there remained a Taillow, a Skitty, a Shroomish, and another Lotad.


    Ultimately, the boy chose Shroomish, and the girl chose Taillow.


    Initially, they had wanted the Lotad, but due to its higher pricepared to Shroomish and Swellow, they sensibly opted out.


    After these two children left, a young girl arrived the next day. She was quite young, likely just reaching the age to embark on her journey.


    She expressed her desire to be a coordinator, which led her to this ce to purchase a Pok��mon suitable for participating in Grand Contests.


    As the birthce of coordinators, Verdanturf Town had a significantly higher number of coordinatorspared to other regions. Furthermore, it was one of the locations where Grand Contests were held.


    Yuga rmended yellow-aptitude Skitty to her.


    Skitty was adorable and lively, and as a Normal-type Pok��mon, it could learn a variety of moves, making it a great fit for Grand Contests.


    While Grand Contests didn''t judge solely based on a Pok��mon''s appearance, having an attractive Pok��mon did carry an advantage.


    With three sessful transactions in one day, Yuga''s mood improved considerably, leading him to enjoy an extra bowl of dinner.


    However, after dinner, it was once again time for b��b��''s training session, a time b��b�� dreaded.


    The following day, when Yuga went to wake b��b�� up, he found it sprawled out in its nest, unresponsive no matter how much he nudged it.


    In the end, Yuga had to pick b��b�� up and carry it out of the nest.


    Once it was awake, b��b�� reluctantly resumed its grueling training session.


    Seeing b��b�� in such agony pained Yuga, but he couldn''t afford to go easy on it.


    Consistency was crucial in training, and giving up midway due to difort would render earlier efforts futile.


    Once this phase passed, and b��b�� adjusted to the training routine, its distress would lessen.


    For today''s training, the focus wasn''t on physical stamina but on skill training.


    However, a warm-up was still necessary.


    After making b��b�� fly around the yard with a stone in tow, Yuga moved on to skill training.


    b��b�� had a premonition that it would be confined to its bed, motionless, for the next few days aside from training.


    Currently, b��b�� needed to improve proficiency in two skills: Vine Whip and Fairy Wind.


    These two skills, one Grass-type and the other Fairy-type, may not have significant power as basic skills, but they are vital for a Pok��mon''s future growth.


    They serve as precursors to many powerful moves and aid in early familiarization with the Pok��mon''s elemental energy, crucial for mastering energy control.


    Yuga crafted a wooden target and ced it in the yard for b��b�� to practice Vine Whip and Fairy Wind on, shattering the target with each attack.


    b��b��''s Vine Whipcked force, possessing no offensive power, while Fairy Wind dispersed without focus, akin to a scattered breezecking cohesion.


    Skill training is a gradual process. Despite a morning of effort, b��b�� hadn''t made significant progress, leaving it breathless rather than triumphant.


    After breakfast, Yuga resumed his routine of opening the shop.


    However, with b��b�� too exhausted to move, the shop remained quieter than usual for the next couple of days, a situation Yuga struggled to adapt to.


    Yuga found himself increasingly idle during this period.


    Just as Yuga was drifting into his usual state of daydreaming, a group of voices suddenly emerged from outside.


    "Is this the ce?"


    "Looks like it."


    "The sign says ''Yoyo Day Care.''"


    "Then we''re in the right ce."


    ...


    Walking to the door, Yuga was startled to see a group of grandmothers chattering away on the porch.


    "May we ask if you''re the owner, Yuga?"


    One of the grandmothers brightened upon seeing Yuga.


    "Yes, that''s me. What can I do for you?"


    "That''s wonderful, then we''ve found the right ce. We were rmended by Lanca and would like to purchase a Pok��mon."


    Yuga was overjoyed. He hadn''t expected them to be potential customers instead of troublemakers.


    Although Yuga hadn''t taken Lanca''s promise to introduce customers seriously, it turned out she had trulye through.


    Quickly, Yuga invited all of them inside the shop.


    The sale of Pok��mon eggs went remarkably well. These grandmothers genuinely wished to purchase eggs, and Yuga provided diligent guidance, leaving them all satisfied.


    All 14 eggs were sold without a single one remaining, and the mission assigned by the system was inadvertentlypleted.


    Due to insufficient eggs, a few grandmothers requested that Yuga inform them when more were avable.


    After bidding farewell to the grandmothers, Yuga promptly summoned the system.


    "1314520,e out. I''vepleted my mission. What about the rewards?"


    [ Please wait a moment, Host. The system is currently calcting the mission rewards."


    Calctionplete.


    Main Quest 1: Sell all 14 stagnant Pok��mon eggs within three days.


    Completed. Evaluation: Excellent.


    Rewards: �� Five Rare Candy (Each candy randomly increases a Pok��mon''s level by 1 to 5, only effective for Pok��mon under level 30.)


    �� One Premium Shiny Stone (Among evolution stones, premium quality. After use, there''s a chance of improving a Pok��mon''s aptitude. The higher the aptitude, the lower the chance.)


    �� Qualification to be a Ecopark Owner (If the Host wishes to make Yoyo Day Care renowned in the Pok��mon world, they must own an Ecopark.)


    Physical rewards have been sent to the Host system inventory. Please check on your own.


    Note: As this is the Host firstpleted mission, the system has added bonuses to this reward. This benefit will not apply to future missions. ]

 Chapter 12: Transformation Of YoYo Day Care

    <h4>Chapter 12: Transformation Of YoYo Day Care</h4>


    Yuga understood the other rewards, but the final one puzzled him.


    Qualification to be an Ecopark Owner?


    Couldn''t he just build an Ecopark himself as long as he had the funds? Did he need someone else permission?


    "1314520,e out and exin this Ecopark Owner qualification to me."


    [ Please be patient, Host. ]


    [ The system Ecopark is different from the regr Pok��mon world Ecopark. ]


    [ As long as the Host constructs the framework of an Ecopark, the system will transform it. ]


    [ The Ecopark management system, temperature and humidity control system, water purification system, drainage system, venttion system, and more, will all utilize the system unique technology. ]


    [ The system will also employ space expansion techniques to erge the Ecopark internal space. ]


    Yuga suddenly understood.


    "So, you mean I''m qualified for the system to use advanced technology to build an Ecopark for me?"


    [ Exactly, Host. However, the Host must handle the external framework of the Ecopark. ]


    "I''m aware of that. Compared to the cost of constructing the Ecopark interior, creating the exterior framework is a minor task.


    Also, what do you mean by ''main park''? Are there ''sub-parks''?"


    [ Yes, Host. ]


    [ The living environments of Pok��mon vary greatly. ]


    [ Some require volcanoes, deserts, forests, grasnds... ]


    [ A sub-park is an Ecopark formed to mimic these unique environments. ]


    [ The main park is designed for Pok��mon to thrive inmon surroundings. ]


    "Can the system really simte environments like volcanoes and deserts? It''s that amazing?"


    Yuga was greatly surprised, wondering what kind of treasure he had stumbled upon.


    [ Host, please don''t doubt the capabilities of this system. ]


    "Oh no, I''m not doubting your abilities at all. I''m just incredibly surprised. No! I mean I''m pleasantly surprised, so surprised that I can''t contain myself."


    Yuga was in such a good mood that he felt affectionate toward the system, finding it cute just as he looked at it.


    "So, how can I obtain the qualification to open a sub-park?"


    [ Please look forward to future developments, Host. ]


    !!!


    What kind of response is ''look forward to future developments''? Couldn''t you exin a bit more clearly? This darn system, can''t evenpliment it for three seconds.


    Apart from the Ecopark reward, the other two rewards were also pleasantly surprising.


    Rare Candy were perfect for low level b��b��.


    The Hiny Stone not only resolved the issue of Floette evolution into Florges but also boosted its aptitude.


    He had never heard before that an evolution stone could enhance a Pok��mon aptitude, nor did he know there were regr and premium versions.


    However, the greatest surprise was the Ecopark.


    Actually, Yuga had been thinking about how to continue operating Yoyo Day Care these past few days.


    Following his parents'' previous business strategy wouldn''t work.


    He had struggled to sell just 14 Pok��mon eggs, so dealing with hundreds or thousands of them in the future would take ages.


    Ultimately, Yuga concluded that building an Ecopark, cultivating high-aptitude Pok��mon, and adopting a high-end approach was the way to go.


    The desire of Pok��mon trainers in the Pok��mon world for high-aptitude Pok��mon was beyond imagination.


    For a trainer to achieve sess, having high-aptitude Pok��mon was indispensable. The saying "There are no useless Pok��mon, only useless trainers" could boost morale and guide themunity direction.


    This didn''t mean he would ignore low-end customers. Among trainers, low-end customers were the majority.


    Yoyo Day Care sales typically consisted of two parts: Pok��mon egg sales and young Pok��mon sales.


    Yuga decided to take a low-end approach for egg sales, still targeting the general public but with slightly fewer quantities.


    However, for young Pok��mon, he nned to raise them in the Ecopark.


    With his Skill Eye ability, he could easily locate high-aptitude Pok��monpared to others.


    He only needed to frequently venture into the wild to encounter some high-aptitude Pok��mon. While these weren''t young Pok��mon and couldn''t be sold, they could serve as breeding Pok��mon.


    Only three factors influenced the aptitude of newly born Pok��mon.


    First was the strength of their parents. The stronger the parent Pok��mon, the higher the likelihood of their offspring having high aptitude.


    Second was the aptitude of their parents. The higher the aptitude of the parent Pok��mon, the greater the chance of their offspring having high aptitude.


    The third factor was entirely random, subject to chance. In all things, unexpected oues were possible. Offspring of high-aptitude Pok��mon could still be low-aptitude, and vice versa. However, the chances of this were small, making it an uncontroble factor.


    As long as he cultivated high-aptitude Pok��mon in the Ecopark and built a positive reputation, even without promotion, even if Verdanturf Town was remote, people would still be willing to travel miles to buy Pok��mon.


    No trainer could resist the temptation of high-aptitude Pok��mon.


    With the system assistance, all Yuga needed was to construct the Ecopark framework, and thepensation from breeding would suffice.


    In essence, the Ecopark was simr to the greenhouse Yuga had in his past life, only far more advanced, with aplete ecosystem and an intact ecological cycle.


    However, Yuga decided to wait until he returned from the Breeding Center in Furnace ze Town before dealing with the Ecopark framework.


    He wasn''t well-versed in this area and nned to consult his uncle after returning.


    By morning, all the Pok��mon eggs had been sold, so Yuga closed the shop.


    During lunch preparation, he went to wake up the still-slumbering b��b��. However, no matter how hard he tried, she remained asleep like a log.


    Suddenly, Yuga thought of something. He took out Rare Candy from the system backpack and ced them near b��b�� nose.


    An enticing aroma wafted from the Candy, causing b��b�� mouth to water.


    Despite this, b��b�� still didn''t fully wake up, only sitting up drowsily.


    Using Rare Candy, Yuga coaxed b��b�� step by step out of her den and onto the dining table. He then fed her the Candy one after another.


    In her drowsy state, b��b�� suddenly felt a warm flow spreading from her belly throughout her body. It was incrediblyfortable, making her almost want to let out a happy cry.


    By the time she fully opened her eyes, her body began to emit a milky-white radiance.


    In this white, almost sacred light, her body elongated, growing taller. Gradually, her size increased from that of a palm to that of an adult forearm.


    Yuga hadn''t expected that a single Rare Candy would cause b��b�� to evolve from level 15 into Floette.


    [ Floette


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Flower Veil


    Aptitude: Green


    Level: 19


    Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Fairy Wind, Protect, Magical Leaf. ]


    Reaching the level at which evolution was possible, Floette had also learned a highly practical Grass-type move, Magical Leaf.


    Floette looked down at her new form and let out a joyful cry.


    She danced around for a while until Yuga called her back to have lunch, prompting her to fly back.


    Even after evolving into Floette, her personality remained unchanged��lively, cheerful, and fond of being spoiled.

 Chapter 13: Journey To Lavaridge Town

    <h4>Chapter 13: Journey To Lavaridge Town</h4>


    As Floette reveled in her evolution, Yuga decided to increase her afternoon training to help her adjust to her new body. Floette couldn''t help but think of her previous little master who used to pamper and y with her every day. However, she couldn''t find him anymore.


    If Floette knew what Yuga was thinking, she would only regretfully learn that he was no longer alive, continuing to supervise her grueling training.


    After evolving, Floette skills became more powerful. Her Vine Whip was no longer limp, and her Fairy Wind had gained some force, making it a viable attack. The most important change was her new skill, Magical Leaf.


    While Pok��mon in this world could learn more than four moves, it wasn''t a simple process. Wild Pok��mon often possessed only one or two moves, making those with four moves exceptional. Skill acquisition wasn''t solely determined by level or determination but was heavily influenced by aptitude.


    For instance, Pok��mon with red or orange aptitudes might never learn more than four moves in their lifetime. This emphasized the significance of aptitude in a trainer eyes.


    Comparatively, Floette quick acquisition of Magical Leaf, thanks to her green aptitude, was impressive. Moreover, the move power surpassed that of Fairy Wind and Vine Whip, making it her go-to attack for the foreseeable future.


    However, Floette struggled to use Magical Leaf fluently due to its recent acquisition.


    The next day, Yuga decided to head to the Day Care Center in Lavaridge Town to im the promisedpensation. Before departing, he visited Aunt Hisako and informed her and his uncle, about his ns. Since he might not return the same day, he wanted them to know his whereabouts.


    Initially, his uncle insisted on apanying Yuga, but Yuga preferred to go alone. He wanted to explore along the way and train Floette, who was inexperienced in battles. Having his uncle with him would hinder his ns.


    That morning, Yuga closed his shop, carried an extra-dimensional backpack, and set off toward the direction of Rusturf Tunnel. He chose to walk instead of using transportation to make the most of his journey.


    The path was rtively safe, popted by low-level and non-aggressive Pok��mon. Yuga adventure could be described as more of an exploration. Before long, Yuga and Floette left the boundaries of Verdanturf Town and ventured into the wilderness.


    Yuga was curious about the world beyond Verdanturf Town, having never ventured this far before. The narrow path was nked by lush wild grass and nameless wildflowers in full bloom.


    asionally, the sound of rustling emanated from the bushes, signaling the presence of some Pok��mon, likely harmless due to their low levels andck of aggression.


    Taillows asionally darted across the sky,nding on nearby trees. Small clusters of trees formed miniature forests, with Shroomishs frolicking within, Zigzagoon foraging for food, and Beautifly collecting nectar, creating a lively scene.


    As Yuga walked, he observed the surroundings. Upon spotting a struggling Wurmple, he eximed, "Floette,e here! Your opponent has appeared."


    Hearing Yuga voice, Floette, who had been lost in admiration of the flowers, flew over to his side.


    "Floette!"


    Floette let out a soft cry, seemingly asking Yuga what was happening.


    Pointing at the slowly crawling Wurmple in the grass, Yuga remarked, "Look, this is the opponent I''ve chosen for you. It''s weak, and if you can''t win against it, it would truly waste the effort I''ve put into training you these past few days."


    The Wurmple, which had been focused on crawling, suddenly grew dissatisfied upon hearing Yuga call it weak. Although it was indeed weak, it wasn''t something just anyone could criticize��did it have no dignity? Angrily, it shot a string shot toward Yuga.


    Unaware of the imminent threat, Yuga was caught off guard as the string shot bound him, and the Wurmple attempted to charge at him.


    Seeing the situation, Floette extended two vines, entwined the Wurmple, and swiftly flung it away.


    After being flung to the side, the Wurmple rolled over and, a bit dazed, charged back toward Floette.


    "Floette, use Fairy Wind!"


    Floette, who had been a bit dazed herself, quickly snapped to attention.


    A gentle breeze tinted with pink emerged from Floette side and blew toward the Wurmple.


    Although the Fairy Wind didn''t deal significant damage, it sessfully deflected the Wurmple charge.


    Shaken from the gust, the Wurmple shook its head, feeling a bit dizzy.


    Seeing this opportunity, Yuga seized the moment. "Floette, use Vine Whip now, bind it and then throw it."


    Upon Yugamand, Floette promptly entwined the still-dizzy Wurmple with her vines, lifted it up, swung it around vigorously, and then hurled it to the ground.


    The poor Wurmple probably felt like it had been thrown around likest night leftovers. Its final thought was, "Who on earth did I offend?"


    Seeing the Wurmple incapacitated, Yuga let out a relieved sigh.


    "Floette, Floette."


    Floette excitedly flew over to Yuga, a proud look on her face, as if saying, "Look how amazing I am!"


    Yuga let out a slightly exasperated sigh. "Can you please let me go first before you show off?"


    Only now did Floette realize that Yuga was still entangled in the Wurmple string shot.


    She sheepishly smiled and awkwardly helped Yuga remove the silk strands from his body.


    For the rest of the journey, Floette was in high spirits, humming a tune all along the way. Although Yuga couldn''t understand a word of it, her triumphant expression made her look quite insufferable.


    Finally, Yuga couldn''t hold back any longer. "Floette, seriously? You defeated a Wurmple, and now you''re acting so smug?"


    "It''s level 12, and you''re level 19. You have a 7-level advantage. If I weren''t here guiding you, you might have actually lost. So, what''s with all the bragging?"


    Upon hearing Yuga words, Floette looked as if she had been struck by lightning on a clear day, leaving herpletely dumbfounded.


    Little did she know, Yuga had intentionally chosen a lower-level Pok��mon for her to face, fearing that a defeat might shatter her confidence. However, it seemed that her victory had only inted her ego instead.

 Chapter 14: Training Along The Way

    <h4>Chapter 14: Training Along The Way</h4>


    Floette had truly experienced a rollercoaster of emotions.


    Knowing the truth, Floette once proud expressions vanished, and she appeared listless as they continued their journey, bearing an expression as if her world had copsed.


    Seeing her this way, Yuga had to console her again.


    "Alright, alright, don''t be disheartened. You''ve only been training for a few days. You''re still getting used to battles. After a little more time, you''ll be able to easily defeat Pok��mon of the same level as you."


    Yuga thought to himself, "I''m really putting my heart and soul into this. It''s not good for her to be overly inted, but it''s not good for her to be disheartened either. Either way, I have to worry about her."


    Floette weakly nodded and her tense expression rxed slightly.


    To avoid provoking Floette resistance, Yuga cautiously asked, "How about we find another opponent to practice against? If we find more opponents to train with, you''ll be familiar with battling in no time."


    However, Floette mental resilience was apparently better than Yuga had imagined, or rather, she was quite bold.


    As soon as she heard they were going to find another opponent, she clenched her fists, her little face tightened, and she looked very serious, disying a highly spirited demeanor.


    Yuga couldn''t help but find this amusing.


    This time, the opponent they found was a level 13 Shroomish, slightly stronger than the previous Wurmple.


    The Wurmple could only use String Shot and Tackle, while this Shroomish not only had Tackle but also Absorb and Stun Spore. It had both offensive and control moves, making it much more challenging than the Wurmple.


    Yuga said, "Floette, use Vine Whip to bind it."


    Upon hearing Yugamand, Floette swiftly extended two green vines towards Shroomish.


    Shroomish was quite agile, easily dodging Floette Vine Whip attack with its hops.


    Following that, a cloud of yellow powder erupted from the top of Shroomish head, simr to volcanic ash scattering after a volcanic eruption. The powder floated towards Floette.


    Yuga instructed, "Floette, use Fairy Wind to blow Stun Spore back."


    Floette immediately understood, and a gentle pink breeze emerged, scattering the yellow Stun Spore in all directions.


    Seeing Stun Spore ineffective, Shroomish leaped into the air, charging towards Floette like a cannonball.


    Startled by the sudden movement, Floette was at a loss, attempting to turn and dodge, but it was toote.


    Seeing Floette panicked state, Yuga had to quickly remind her.


    "Use Vine Whip to pull it back."


    Upon hearing Yuga voice, Floette eyes brightened, and following Yuga advice, she vigorously whipped two vines towards the approaching Shroomish.


    Due to the force of Floette Vine Whip, the charging Shroomish changed its trajectory and crashed into a nearby tree trunk.


    The intense impact with the tree left Shroomish dazed and disoriented, stumbling on the ground without a clear sense of direction.


    Yuga immediately spoke up, "Floette, take this opportunity to try out your new move, Magical Leaf."


    Upon Yuga words, a green light emanated from Floette, and a flurry of green leaves appeared in front of her. She vigorously hurled the leaves towards Shroomish.


    Under the attack of Magical Leaf, Shroomish struggled to get back up.


    Yuga looked at Floette use of Magical Leaf and couldn''t help but feel speechless.


    She could only produce a lone Magical Leaf, and its gathering speed was hardly faster than a snail crawl. If it weren''t for Shroomish being caught off guard, she wouldn''t have been able to use the move. It seemed she needed more practice in the future.


    Seeing the battlee to an end, Floette flew towards Yuga with a delighted expression on her face. Yuga offered some encouraging words.


    "You performed really well. You''ve made great progresspared to before."


    Receiving Yuga praise, Floette was ted, clenching her fist to show her determination to continue improving.


    Afterward, they gradually found more opponents, including Wurmple, Shroomishes, Taillows, and Zigzagoons��basic forms of Pok��mon.


    To help Floette adapt to battle rhythm and intensity, Yuga chose opponents with levels gradually increasing from low to high.


    Despite this, the highest level of these Pok��mon didn''t exceed 17. The strongest was a level 17 Taillow, which Floette lost to.


    Although Floette lost several times, she didn''t be disheartened again. She maintained her high spirits and urged Yuga to find more opponents for her.


    Around noon, they took a break on a grassy roadside, having a lunch break.


    Floette lunch consisted of energy cubes, while Yuga had a bag of cookies and a bottle of mineral water.


    Normally, Floette meals were divided equally between energy cubes and regr food, often the same as what Yuga ate.


    However, when Yuga decided to train her, he stopped her human food and switched to energy cubes.


    Human food was fine for everyday consumption, but for Pok��mon needing to replenish energy after intensive training, it wasn''t sufficient. Only energy cubes provided what their bodies required.


    Moreover, wild Pok��mon in the wilderness primarily survived on berries, which possessed unique energy not found in other foods. This energy sustained them during high-intensity battles and activities.


    Regr food could only support Pok��mon daily activities and not their battles.


    After lunch, they rested for a short while and resumed their journey.


    In the subsequent battles, Floette unexpectedly leveled up without them noticing, reaching level 20 amidst these "arduous" fights.


    Floette rapid leveling was mainly because her level was still rtively low. Her leveling speed would gradually slow down in the future.


    Having defeated another Shroomish, Yuga and Floette finally arrived at Rusturf Tunnel.


    Rusturf Tunnel was a project undertaken by Hoenn Alliance, aiming to provide trainers with a more convenient route from Verdanturf Town to Rustboro City. Additionally, the tunnel was located adjacent to Lava Path, allowing quick ess to Lavaridge Town as well.


    Without using Rusturf Tunnel, one would need to travel from Route 117 to Lilycove City, then follow Route 111 and Route 112 to reach Lavaridge Town. This detour was quite lengthy, and Yuga, reliant on the "11" bus, couldn''t use this option.


    Another approach was to traverse through the forest after reaching Route 117, which would also lead to Lavaridge Town quickly.


    However, those forests were undeveloped areas, inhabited by many powerful wild Pok��mon and harboring unknown dangers. Yuga, being a novice, would never dare attempt that route. It was practically a suicidal endeavor.


    As they stood before the dimly lit tunnel, Yuga led Floette inside.


    Prior to its construction, Rusturf Tunnel was a gathering ce for Whismur. Even after itspletion, many Whismur remained in the tunnel, continuing to reside there.

 Chapter 15: Encounter In The Tunnel

    <h4>Chapter 15: Encounter In The Tunnel</h4>


    Yuga and Floette encountered quite a few Whismur on their journey, but Yuga and his Floette didn''t provoke them.


    These Whismur lived in groups here, and who knew whether they mighte out with younger ones to confront the intruders, or if they might swarm in response to an attack. Dealing with a whole group of them would be challenging.


    Apart from the peaceful Whismur living here, Rusturf Tunnel had very few pedestrians. Ordinary people traveling from Verdanturf Town to Rustboro City typically used transportation, with the most convenient option being airnes.


    The number of trainers was rtively smallpared to regr people, so there weren''t people wandering around the wilderness all the time.


    As a result, there were rarely pedestrians in Rusturf Tunnel, which was one reason why Whismur hadn''t left the area.


    In the dimly lit and quiet tunnel, there were only Yuga and Floette, and the only sounds were Yuga footsteps, creating an eerie atmosphere.


    "Floette, Floette...tte."


    Floettey on Yuga shoulder, trembling and shivering, her voice quivering.


    Feeling Floette trembling on his shoulder, Yuga spoke, "Floette, you''re really skittish. There''s nothing to be afraid of here except for the slightly dim lighting."


    "Floette, Floette!"


    Floette expressed her dissatisfaction with being called skittish, pounding Yuga shoulder with her hand. It was unclear whether she was venting her frustration or diverting her attention.


    Although Yuga said that, he was also slightly nervous himself. It wasn''t that he was worried about ghosts or anything, nor was it because he was easily scared. This could be considered a natural human instinct; in dim environments, one tended to feel fearful involuntarily.


    Just then, both Yuga and Floette heard a series of hurried gasps.


    "Floette!!!"


    Floette screamed in fright, and Yuga was taken aback as well.


    Yuga instinctively lowered his voice and asked, "What''s that sound?"


    "Floette."


    Floette shook her trembling body and shook her head, indicating that she didn''t know.


    "Absol."


    This time, not only gasping sounds but also a low growl could be heard.


    Hearing this sound, Yuga realized that these sounds were probablying from a Pok��mon.


    Carefully, he followed the direction of the sound and cautiously walked towards it. He finally saw the source of the sound when he turned a corner in the tunnel.


    It was an Absol lying on the ground, not moving. Its snow-white fur stood out in the dim environment.


    If it weren''t for its crimson eyes continuously staring at Yuga, he might have thought it was already dead.


    Yuga wanted to take a step closer to see what was wrong with Absol, but a sharp low growl came from the other side.


    Clearly, this Absol was very wary of Yuga and Floette, who had suddenly appeared.


    "Absol, rx a bit. I don''t mean any harm. I just want to see if you''re injured. Are you hurt?"


    Yuga hadn''t noticed earlier, but he now realized that there was a faint smell of blood in the air. Most likely, it wasing from this Absol.


    Absol stared at Yuga for a while and then lowered its slightly raised head to the ground, indicating that it was letting its guard down.


    Being a pure Dark-type Pok��mon, Absol could sense that Yuga had no ill intent. Moreover, it was already at its limit and couldn''t hold on much longer.


    Seeing that Absol had rxed, Yuga quickly approached to check its condition.


    Yuga guess was correct; this Absol was indeed injured, and severely at that. Its injuries were already fatal. It had a huge horizontal wound on its abdomen, as if it had been sliced by something.


    Not only that, but the wound was also contaminated with arge amount of toxins, causing the wound to keep bleeding.


    In addition to that, its legs, back, and face all had injuries of varying degrees.


    Just as Yuga was about to take out medicine from his dimensional bag to treat the Absol wounds, a series of footsteps suddenly came from the opposite direction they had arrived.


    The footsteps were quite clear in the spacious tunnel.


    As soon as the footsteps emerged, Yuga felt Absol previously rxed body tense up immediately. A low and urgent roar escaped its throat.


    "So, it was these people who injured you like this?"


    Based on Absol reaction, Yuga quickly deduced the reason.


    Absol didn''t answer, but Yuga knew he was right.


    He immediately moved Absol to the corner of the tunnel where they had arrived earlier, then turned to Floette and said:


    "Floette, use Fairy Wind to disperse the scent of blood here, and then use Safeguard to hide all of us."


    Upon hearing Yugamand, Floette understood the urgency and immediately used Fairy Wind. She directed it toward the spot where Absol had been lying just now, and the surrounding area, creating a powerful gust.


    After Floette actions, the air in the tunnel instantly became much fresher.


    Havingpleted those actions, Floette quickly returned to Yuga side. A green light shed across her, and in front of Yuga, a gray screen appeared. This gray screen perfectly matched the color of the tunnel walls.


    This screen then enveloped Yuga, Absol, and Floette, making them seem invisible.


    This method was quite risky; they could easily be discovered if they weren''t careful. But Yuga had no other choice. With Absol severely injured, they wouldn''t be able to get far while carrying it. This was theirst resort.


    They hadn''t been hidden for long when the footsteps of those people followed closely behind.


    There were three of them in total. Their attire was peculiar, and each of them was apanied by a Pok��mon��a Seviper, a Skorupi, and a Murkrow.


    Seeing Seviper, Yuga knew immediately that the massive wound on Absol body was caused by Seviper toxic tail.


    They were all dressed in tightly wrapped clothing, with even their heads covered by hoods. On top of these hoods were small, horn-like decorations.


    "Have you found the target?"


    A rough male voice spoke, belonging to the owner of Skorupi.


    "No, even though I saw it enter the tunnel, and it''s so badly injured that it can''t have gotten far."


    This was another male voice, albeit slightly softer. This person was the owner of Seviper.


    "Useless, you can''t even handle such a simple task."


    The rough male voice spoke again.


    "Who are you calling useless?"


    The softer male voice sounded offended.


    "Alright, enough, you two. Stop bickering. Finding the target is more important."


    This time, it was a female voice, the owner of the Murkrow.


    "Hmph!"


    "Hmph!"


    Both male voices couldn''t help but snort in response.


    After that, the footsteps of these three people gradually faded away along with their conversation. They were heading in the same direction that Yuga and the others hade from.


    Due to the tunnel dim lighting, Yuga couldn''t see the color of their clothing or their appearances. However, this worked in their favor, making it less likely for Yuga group to be noticed.


    When those three people passed by them, Yuga and hispanions held their breath and remainedpletely still.

 Chapter 16: Lavaridge Town Pokemon Center

    <h4>Chapter 16: Lavaridge Town Pokemon Center</h4>


    "We need to leave this ce quickly," Yuga said to Floette and Absol as the three individuals walked away.


    Floette had already been trembling in fear and was eager to leave the eerie ce, so she nodded quickly.


    Having lived in afortable environment since birth, Floette had never seen such severe injuries on Absol, let alone witnessed the heart-pounding scene they had just experienced. At this point, her courage had nearly been shattered.


    Yuga took out a Pok�� Ball and spoke to the immobile Absol, "Absol, enter this Pok�� Ball for now. I''ll release you once we''re out of here."


    Absol injuries were too severe for it to move, and Yuga couldn''t carry a Pok��mon of simr size. Even carrying Floette, who was only about as tall as Yuga arm, was a challenge. So, he had Absol enter the Pok�� Ball first.


    Absol didn''t respond to Yuga words. At this point, it didn''t have the strength to react, its injuries causing its consciousness to blur.


    Assuming that Absol had agreed, Yuga tapped the Pok�� Ball against Absol, causing it to transform into a red light and enter the ball.


    With no resistance, the Pok�� Ball quieted down. Absol, it seemed, had no energy left to resist.


    After securing Absol Pok�� Ball, Yuga said to Floette, "Floette, let''s go quickly to prevent those people froming back."


    Eager to leave, Floette quickly followed Yuga footsteps.


    Yuga jogged for a long time before finally exiting the Rusturf Tunnel.


    The tunnel that led to Lavaridge Town wasn''t an official route built by the Pok��mon League; it was simply a path dug out by other Trainers for convenience due to its proximity to Lavaridge Town.


    Once out of the tunnel, Yuga found a safe spot to release Absol. The injured Absol had already lost consciousness due to its extensive injuries.


    Yuga retrieved medical supplies and antidotes from his backpack and began treating Absol wounds. However, the severity of its injuries required more advanced medical treatment at the Pok��mon Center.


    After treating Absol as best he could for the moment, Yuga recalled it into its Pok�� Ball and hurried with Floette toward Lavaridge Town, hoping to reach the Pok��mon Center as soon as possible.


    Fortunately, they were not far from Lavaridge Town after leaving the tunnel. They just had to follow a small path to reach the town.


    Upon entering Lavaridge Town, Yuga inquired about the location of the Pok��mon Center and swiftly made his way there with Floette.


    Upon arriving at the Pok��mon Center, Yuga immediately spotted the distinctive Nurse Joy.


    "Nurse Joy, please take a look at this Absol. Its injuries are quite severe," Yuga said urgently.


    "Of course, please be patient. Absol will be fine," Nurse Joy replied with a gentle smile.


    Relieved, Yuga tense heart finally eased as he watched Absol being pushed inside by Nurse Joy and Chansey.


    With a moment to spare, Yuga finally had the chance to observe the interior of Lavaridge Town Pok��mon Center.


    Since his arrival through the time travel, this was his first time at a Pok��mon Center.


    Although his past self had visited the Pok��mon Center in Verdanturf Town, Yuga had no personal experience of it. While he retained his past self memories, they felt more like forcefully imnted knowledge rather than his own experiences.


    However, the interior of Lavaridge Town Pok��mon Center was not significantly different from what he remembered of Verdanturf Town.


    Right in front was Nurse Joy and Chansey working station. Behind them was a door leading to an operating room and a medical room where Absol had been taken.


    To the right, there was a row ofmunication devices and a Pok��mon teleportation device. These were specially provided for Trainers to contact others and teleport Pok��mon.


    On the left was a staircase leading to the second floor of the Pok��mon Center, where Trainers could rest and stay overnight.


    And near the windows were some tables and chairs, providing a ce for Trainers to rest and eat.


    Yuga first went to themunication area to make a call to his Aunt Hisako.


    By this time, it was gettingte, and Yuga knew he wouldn''t be able to return home today. He had to reassure his family about his safety.


    After finishing the call, Yuga found a seat by the window and sat down, waiting for news about Absol.


    As soon as he sat down, Yuga stomach growled, and at the same time, Floette stomach rumbled too.


    They exchanged a nce and burst intoughter almost simultaneously.


    Yuga took out energy blocks for Floette and some cookies for himself from his backpack. Together, they wolfed down their snacks without worrying about appearances.


    After the intense and exhausting events of the afternoon, they needed the nourishment. Despite the somewhat nd taste of the cookies, Yuga wasn''t in the mood to be picky.


    Not long after filling their stomachs, the Pok��mon Center notified Yuga that Absol treatment wasplete.


    Heading back to the working station to retrieve Absol Pok�� Ball, Yuga was met with Nurse Joy stern gaze.


    "What were you thinking? How could you let your Pok��mon get this severely injured?"


    Nurse Joy pointed usingly at Yuga,unching into a scolding without any hesitation.


    "No, Nurse Joy... I..." Yuga began, wanting to exin.


    "You want to argue? Do you realize that Absol injuries were close to being fatal?"


    "Nurse Joy, please listen..."


    "Do you even know that causing the death of your own Pok��mon is against thew? Just because it''s your Pok��mon, do you think you can do whatever you want?"


    "No, Nurse Joy..."


    "You seem like you still want to argue. If you ever do something like this again, I''ll have to get Miss Junsa to give you a proper lesson."


    "Nurse Joy, the situation..."


    Yuga had a strong survival instinct, and he felt the need to defend himself, but it was in vain. Nurse Joy, in her angered state, was a force to be reckoned with.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    In the end, Yuga silently endured a half-hour-long lecture from Nurse Joy before he was allowed to leave.


    As for Floette, the little creature had retreated to a seat near the window, closing its eyes and resting as it watched Yuga struggle in Nurse Joy grip.


    Once Yuga returned to his seat, he gave Floette a firm tug as punishment, making sure the little Pok��mon understood the lesson about their bonded rtionship.


    Although Floette was clearly displeased by the tug, it appeared somewhat guilty and offered a few nods before falling silent.


    Just as Yuga settled back into his seat, a voice from the system rang in his head.


    [ Triggered random task: Tame Absol.


    As someone who aims to be renowned in the world of Pok��mon, how can the host settle for just onepanion? Please tame Absol and have it willingly follow you, enhancing your reputation.


    Reward: 10 specially crafted Pok�� Balls by the system. ]

 Chapter 17: Absol

    <h4>Chapter 17: Absol</h4>


    Yuga was startled by the sudden voice of the system, and he couldn''t help but reprimand it.


    "Come on, can you please not startle me like that? Even if my heart is strong, it could still cause issues."


    [ Apologies, it was apse on my part. I''ll be more careful next time. ]


    The emotionless voice of the system echoed again.


    After scolding the system, Yuga remembered the task it had just mentioned.


    "Why did another random task suddenly appear? And the reward is just 10 Pok�� Balls? Seriously, I can afford Pok�� Balls."


    [ System tasks are triggered randomly and are based on the host actual circumstances. ]


    "But seriously, this reward is quite underwhelming."


    [ Host can choose not to ept. ]


    "No, I mean, I just think the rewards could be a bit more thoughtful. 10 Pok�� Balls just seem a bit casual."


    [ System-crafted Pok�� Balls are different from those sold outside. They provide a morefortable living environment inside and are beneficial for the growth of Pok��mon. ]


    "More of the system advanced technology?"


    Yuga voice couldn''t hide his excitement.


    "I''ll ept, I''ll ept."


    Speaking of which, Yuga hadn''t used his "Insight" skill to examine Absol yet, and he didn''t know its potential. Mainly because the previous events had left him too stressed to think about it.


    Through the Pok�� Ball, Yuga activated his "Insight" skill.


    [ Absol


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Pressure


    Potential: Excellent


    Level: 32


    Moves: Thunderbolt, Swords Dance, Psycho Cut, Future Sight, Sucker Punch ]


    Upon reading the details, Yuga couldn''t help but be surprised. The potential, level, and moveset were all impressive. Could he really easily tame a Pok��mon like this?


    He didn''t need to say anything about the potential; it was even higher than Floette, which had consumed an Evolutionary Essence. This meant that under the same level, Floette wouldn''t stand a chance against Absol.


    And that level, let alone the potential, even if the potential were the same, Floette wouldn''t be able to defeat Absol. Moreover, Absol was over ten levels higher.


    How could he even approach this? Sending Floette would be like sending it to be defeated, and he couldn''t possibly fight Absol head-on himself.


    Not to mention the level and potential, just the moveset was superior to Floette in several ways.


    For closebat, Thunderbolt and Sucker Punch were avable, and for ranged attacks, there was Psycho Cut, not to mention the powerful Sword Dance technique for enhancement.


    In terms of attack power alone, apart from Thunderbolt, both Sucker Punch and Psycho Cut were stronger than any of Floette moves.


    With the same five moves, Absol was clearly much more impressive than Floette. No wonder the system wanted him to tame it.


    However, while Absol was strong, taming it would be incredibly difficult, almost like a hellish task.


    After thinking for a long time, Yuga decided to wait until Absol woke up the next day. Worst case scenario, he''d fail the task, but there wouldn''t be any punishment.


    Looking out of the window, he noticed it was already getting dark. Yuga booked a room at the Pok��mon Center to stay for the night.


    However, staying at the Pok��mon Center wasn''t free. He had even paid for Absol treatment earlier.


    Only official League trainers were entitled to free room and board at the Pok��mon Center.


    Trainers were generally divided into League trainers and non-League trainers.


    As long as one registered at the Pok��mon Center, had no negative record, and met certain criteria, they could be a League trainer.


    League trainers were further divided into Peripheral Trainers, Official Trainers, Elite Trainers, Lineage Trainers, and Top Trainers.


    Gym trainers and Champions, who were part of the League, didn''t belong to these divisions, and the ranking wasn''t solely determined by strength.


    Staying for free at the Pok��mon Center was reserved not only for League trainers but also for those with the status of Official Trainers or higher (including Official Trainers).


    As for the identity of non-League trainers, it varied greatly.


    Some people who didn''t want to be bound by the League, criminals, and evil organizations were all part of the non-League trainers.


    However, the majority of trainers were League trainers, as everyone understood the benefits of having the League support.


    The reason Yuga wasn''t registered as a League trainer was that he hadn''t considered bing a trainer in his previous life, so registering wasn''t on his mind.


    After resting for the night, Yuga woke up early and headed to the battle area behind the Pok��mon Center, releasing Absol.


    Nurse Joy medical skills at the Pok��mon Center were truly remarkable, bordering on the realm of Pok��mon world advanced technology.


    So, after Nurse Joy treatment and a night of rest, Absol injuries were no longer a major concern. While it couldn''t participate in battles yet, its freedom of movement remained unaffected.


    "Absol, do you have any ns for the future?"


    Yuga realized how foolish his question was.


    He couldn''t understand Pok��monnguage, and Absol couldn''t speak humannguage either. Even if Absol had ns, there was no way for it tomunicate them to him.


    Looking at the expressionless and motionless Absol, Yuga seemed to realize he had asked a foolish question and quickly spoke up again.


    "I mentioned before that I would let you go after we leave Rusturf Tunnel, but if you don''t have any ns for the future, how about bing my Pok��mon? You won''t lose out by following me. I promise you''ll have the best of everything.


    Moreover, those people who were after you might still show up. If they find you again, it could be troublesome."


    As he spoke, Yuga took out Absol Pok�� Ball.


    "This is the temporary Pok�� Ball I used for you earlier. If you don''t want to stay, I''ll destroy it. I won''t force you."


    Yuga had considered many ways to tame Absol, but ultimately decided to be straightforward and directly ask if it wanted to be his Pok��mon.


    Absol stared at Yuga for a moment, its eyes seemingly saying, "I see through your intentions. I know you''re nning this."


    Then it extended a w and pointed at Floette.


    Initially, Yuga didn''t understand, until Absol pointed again. It became clear that Absol wanted to have a Pok��mon battle.


    Yuga hastily waved his hands, "No, no, no... let''s forget about battling. I''ve just be a trainer, and there''s no way I could defeat you. Look at Floette here. Does it look like it can win against you in any way?


    Besides, your current injuries aren''t suitable for battling."


    As he spoke, Yuga also pointed to Floette, who was watching the scene from the sidelines.


    Seeing Yuga downy himself once again, Floette flew up and started tugging on his hair in protest.


    Yuga yanked Floette off his head, eximing, "Did I say anything wrong? If you think you can beat Absol, then let''s give it a shot."


    Of course, Floette knew it couldn''t defeat Absol. It wasn''t into self-torture, so it gave up.


    Meanwhile, Absol, who had been listening to Yuga speech, was stunned. After a while, its expression seemed to say, "So you want to freeload off me, huh? Well... I guess that''s not a bad idea."


    Then Yuga saw Absol nod in his direction.


    "Absol, you agree!"


    Yuga couldn''t believe it; he might have been seeing things.


    Absol nodded again.


    This time, Yuga was sure he wasn''t imagining things. He ecstatically pulled Absol into a hug and nted a firm kiss on its face.


    "This is incredible! From now on, we''re a team. Please guide me."


    Absol, seeing Yuga excitement, subtly took a step back.


    Witnessing this scene, Yuga awkwardly chuckled, "Sorry about that, got a bit carried away. Don''t mind me."


    "By the way, I hope I didn''t touch your wounds just now."


    Absol shook its head to indicate it was fine.


    Just then, the system voice rang in Yuga mind.


    [ Congrattions, host, onpleting the random task.


    Task: Tame Absol.


    Completed.


    Evaluation: None


    Reward: 10 system-crafted Pok�� Balls.


    The reward has been sent to the host system backpack. Please check. ]


    Once again, Yuga was startled by the system voice.


    "1314520,e out, I''ll make sure to knock some sense into you. Weren''t you supposed to remind me before speaking suddenly?"


    [ Apologies, host, it was apse on my part. I''ll be more careful next time. ]


    The cold voice of 1314520 sounded.


    "I can''t hear a hint of remorse in your voice for that."


    "Never mind, I justpleted a task and received a reward. I''m in a good mood, so I won''t hold it against you."

 Chapter 18: Heading To Day Care Center

    <h4>Chapter 18: Heading To Day Care Center</h4>


    Yuga retrieved the newly obtained Pok�� Ball from the system space.


    This Pok�� Ball had an aura of sophistication.


    It was split into two halves - the upper half was silver, and the lower half was white.


    The silver half bore intricate ck patterns that seemed irregr yet exuded a mysterious and enigmatic vibe.


    Conversely, the white half remained pure and wless, resembling a fine piece of jade.


    The entire Pok�� Ball felt weighty, yet it was as light as a feather when held in hand.


    "To celebrate the addition of a new member to our family, I''ve prepared a new home for you. Let''s give it a try."


    Yuga shook the Pok�� Ball in his hand, then took out the Pok�� Balls containing Floette and Absol and released them, crushing them underfoot.


    Floette and Absol each pressed the button on the new Pok�� Ball with their paw and w, respectively, and transformed into red light before being absorbed into the new Pok�� Ball.


    Following that, Yuga released Floette and Absol again and asked, "How is it? How does the new home feel?"


    "Floette, Floette, Floette."


    Floette joyfully fluttered around Yuga, clearly satisfied with the new amodations.


    Although Absol didn''t make any sound, its expression conveyed its contentment with its new dwelling.


    Seeing both of them happy, Yuga thought, "Indeed, products from the system are top-notch. If only the system personality were better; a change would be nice."


    While Yuga was in good spirits after sessfully taming Absol, he didn''t forget his purpose foring to Lavaridge Town.


    Later, Yuga took Floette and Absol to the Pok��mon Center for breakfast.


    He didn''t indulge in biscuits again this morning; he had no reason to be harsh on himself today, unlike yesterday when he was ravenous.


    So, Yuga, apanied by Floette and Absol, enjoyed a hearty meal. Especially Absol, who hadn''t eaten anything since yesterday, was famished.


    After breakfast, Yuga headed to Day Care Center.


    He knew the address of Day Care Center. His family Day Care and Day Care Center had been in cooperation for a long time. While Yuga original self didn''t typically handle these matters, he still knew what he needed to know from hearing about it over time.


    Day Care Center was a subsidiary of the League Research Institute. Legitimate research institutes of the League were established by renowned Pok��mon professors, and the Pok��mon and eggs at Day Care Center were also from their hands.


    Due to its role in Day Care Pok��mon and eggs, Day Care Center had arge area. It was located on the eastern outskirts of Lavaridge Town, adjacent to Jagged Pass, in the same direction as Mt. Chimey.


    There weren''t many buildings in the suburbs of the town, and Lavaridge Town was no exception. Yuga easily found the location of Day Care Center.


    With its red roof and white walls, Day Care Center stood out amidst the green grass and trees.


    When Yuga arrived at the entrance of Day Care Center, he noticed a young man in a whiteb coat on the adjacentwn. He was holding a hose, watering three Lotad.


    The young man soon noticed Yuga standing at the entrance. Setting down the hose, he approached Yuga and politely inquired, "Can I help you?"


    Yuga replied courteously, "Hello, I''m from Yoyo Day Care. I''vee today to collect the promised Pok��mon eggs from your Day Care Center. I made a reservation over the phone yesterday."


    The young man in theb coat suddenly realized.


    "Oh, I see. The director informed me about this. I''ve been waiting for you. Pleasee in; I''ll take you to meet our director."


    "Sure, thank you."


    "You''re wee, it''s my duty."


    With that, the young man called out to the three Lotad, "You three,e over here with me. Don''t wander off."


    The three Lotad then bounced over to the young man and followed him and Yuga into Day Care Center.


    As they walked, the young man introduced himself to Yuga, "I''m Kerry, a caregiver at Day Care Center. My job is to take care of young Pok��mon, just like these three adorable little ones."


    As he spoke, Kerry pointed to the three Lotad walking at his feet.


    "I''m Shimizu Yuga, the newly inherited owner of Yoyo Day Care."


    Kerry had recently started working at Day Care Center, so he was unaware of the incident involving Yuga parents. He only thought it was impressive for someone as young as Yuga to already be the owner of a Day Care.


    Yuga realized Kerry was uninformed, but he didn''t feel angry. Moreover, as he wasn''t his original self and hadn''t met the Shimizu couple, there was no deep emotional attachment. At most, he was influenced by his original self memories, making him feel a bit uneasy.


    Guided by Kerry, Yuga reached the entrance of a room and saw the director of Day Care Center inside. This room was likely the director office.


    The director of Day Care Center was a burly man with a chin and cheeks covered in a full beard.


    At this moment, he was wearing a whiteb coat and holding a magnifying ss, carefully observing a Pok��mon egg.


    Kerry knocked on the door of the director office and then spoke, "Director, the people from Yoyo Day Care have arrived."


    Upon hearing Kerry voice, the director set down what he was holding.


    "I understand. You can go back to your work; I''ll take care of the rest."


    "Alright, then I''ll leave."


    After Kerry finished speaking, he led the three Lotad and left.


    Now the director turned his attention to Yuga.


    "Hello, I''m the director of Day Care Center, Mond. You can call me Director Mond, or if you prefer, Uncle Mond. Whatever suits you."


    Director Mond had a cheerful expression; despite his full beard, he seemed very approachable.


    "Hello, Director Mond. I''m Shimizu Yuga, the current owner of Yoyo Day Care. I''m sorry, I can''t just casually call someone ''uncle'' upon our first meeting."


    Yuga couldn''t bring himself to address someone as "uncle" so easily.


    "I''m sorry about your parents. We''ve known each other for a long time. We go way back to when they first became owners of your family Day Care. We''re old acquaintances. It''s just that I never expected such a tragedy to ur."


    Director Mond expression turned sorrowful, showing that he was genuinely saddened by the passing of the Shimizu couple.


    Yuga shook his head. "It''s not your fault. No one could have foreseen such an incident."


    Indeed, Day Care Center was not at fault for this ident.


    Even though the vehicle that the Shimizu couple was traveling in belonged to Day Care Center, and the driver was from there as well, the responsibility didn''t lie on their side. The police investigation had already determined this.


    Day Care Center wasn''t responsible, yet they were willing to providepensation. They had done all they could.


    "Alright, let''s not dwell on these sad matters. Speaking of which, you came here with your parents when you were young. I''ve seen you before, but back then, you were just a little child. It''s surprising how you''ve grown up so quickly."


    Director Mondughed heartily and patted Yuga shoulder.


    Yuga hadn''t anticipated this revtion, although his original self memories didn''t contain these details. He could only awkwardly reply, "I''m sorry, but I don''t remember."


    "No problem, no problem. You were so young back then; it''s normal not to remember. Come on, let me take you to choose a Pok��mon egg."


    Director Mond chuckled and walked out of the office, motioning for Yuga to follow him.

 Chapter 19: Selecting Pokemon Egg

    <h4>Chapter 19: Selecting Pokemon Egg</h4>


    Chapter 19: Selecting Pok��mon Eggs


    Yuga followed Director Mond to the back door of the Day Care Center and entered the backyard.


    The backyard was thergest area of the Day Care Center, and this was one of the main reasons why it was located in the suburbs.


    Upon entering the backyard, Yuga saw young Pok��mon frolicking around.


    There were Poochyena chasing and ying on the grass, Lotad swimming and sshing in the pool, and Seedot hopping around on the trees, creating a lively scene.


    These were all native Pok��mon, and Yuga didn''t spot any from other regions. Additionally, there were no starters, Treecko, Torchic, and Mudkip, which were the most famous local Pok��mon known as the "Hoenn trio."


    "Director Mond, don''t you have the Hoenn trio here at the Day Care Center?"


    Yuga felt puzzled, so he decided to ask.


    Director Mond heard Yuga question and smiled wryly:


    "You''re new to this field, so you might not know yet. Day Care Centers are also divided into different tiers.


    Small-scale Day Care Centers like ours aren''t qualified to obtain the Hoenn trio.


    Only therger Day Care Centers have the privilege to sell such rare Pok��mon as the Hoenn trio.


    Most of theserger Day Care Centers are concentrated in big cities like teport, Petalburg, and Lilycove.


    The Pok��mon and eggs we have here at small-town Day Care Centers are mostly leftovers from the selections made by thoserger research-based facilities."


    "I see."


    Yuga hadn''t anticipated that there would be such intricacies even within subsidiary organizations of the League. It seemed wherever there were people, there would be struggles.


    This also strengthened Yuga determination to build his own Ecopark. He couldn''t rely on others to provide him with rare Pok��mon; otherwise, his Day Care might take a long time to grow and expand.


    While Yuga was lost in thought, Director Mond spoke again:


    "The Hoenn trio are special Pok��mon under the League regtion. Breeding and propagation methods unique to the League are used, and their qualifications generally reach the Green level.


    Wild-caught Pok��mon by other trainers don''t count. The number of Hoenn trio Pok��mon that Day Care Centers affiliated with the League can obtain is limited. Small-scale Day Care Centers like ours naturally won''t have the chance to deal with them."


    As Director Mond spoke, he led Yuga to the entrance of a room and pointed to the warehouse, introducing it to Yuga:


    "This is where we store the Pok��mon Eggs. Come, let''s go inside."


    Saying that, Director Mond pushed open the warehouse door.


    Once inside, Yuga saw rows upon rows of shelves, neatly arranged with colorful Pok��mon Eggs.


    "Look, these Pok��mon Eggs are stored ording to their pre-evaluated qualifications. From the red qualification on this side to the green qualification on the other."


    Director Mond pointed at the rows of Pok��mon Eggs and introduced them to Yuga.


    "But your parents never went for anything below a green qualification. I don''t know how you n to choose."


    After thinking for a moment, Yuga said, "For our Day Care, I''ve decided to only bring in Pok��mon Eggs with a yellow qualification or higher."


    Director Mond was quite surprised by Yuga decision and said, "You should think it through. Only bringing in Pok��mon Eggs with a yellow qualification or higher will increase costs and the associated risks as well.


    This time, due to thepensation, we can waive the fees for you, but next time, you''ll have to cover the costs yourself."


    Yuga affirmed, "I''ve thought it through."


    Yuga had already decided that his Day Care would focus on building a good reputation. Therefore, he wouldn''t bring in low-qualification Pok��mon Eggs.


    After all, wild Pok��mon with red and orange qualifications were the mostmon in the wilderness.


    The advantage of Pok��mon Eggs was that newly hatched Pok��mon were easier to develop a bond with. Additionally, some people didn''t have Pok��mon of their own, making it necessary to buy Pok��mon Eggs or young Pok��mon.


    In addition, Pok��mon Eggs with red and orange qualifications didn''t hold apetitive advantage. The Pok��mon hatched from these eggs could only serve as pets for ordinary people.


    For trainers, the minimum standard for selecting Pok��mon was a yellow qualification.


    Seeing Yuga firm stance, Director Mond didn''t say much, but he couldn''t help feeling that Yuga was still quite young.


    "Since you''ve made up your mind, let''s go ahead and choose some Pok��mon Eggs.


    The originalpensation was 100 eggs with orange qualifications and 50 eggs with yellow qualifications, totaling 150 eggs. However, if you only choose eggs with yellow qualifications, you can select up to 100 eggs.


    Is that okay?"


    "No problem."


    "Alright, thene with me. I''ll introduce you to the varieties of these Pok��mon Eggs."


    Director Mond led Yuga to the shelf with eggs of yellow qualification, pointing at the categorized eggs and saying:


    "We don''t have many egg varieties. They are all native Hoenn Pok��mon. Take a look��here are Poochyena, Lotad, Seedot, Taillow, Skitty, Shroomish, Surkrit, Azuril, and Corphish.


    These are all the varieties we have."


    Yuga moved around the Pok��mon Eggs, activating his Ability Insight skill. A yellow light emitted from each egg, indicating that the Day Care Center qualification assessment was urate.


    After pondering for a moment, Yuga decided to take several of each variety. He took 15 of Skitty and Shroomish eggs each, and 10 of the others, making a total of exactly 100 eggs.


    These Pok��mon seemed quite decent, and it was likely that the Day Care Center had considered many factors when restocking.


    Poochyena, Lotad, Seedot, Taillow, Shroomish, and Corphish were more favored by traditional trainers.


    Skitty, Azuril, and Surkrit were favored by coordinators.


    Among them, Shroomish evolved form, Breloom, was particrly popr among traditional trainers.


    Skitty and its evolved form, Delcatty, were most favored by coordinators.


    That''s why Yuga selected 5 eggs each of these two varieties.


    When Yuga chose the Pok��mon Eggs, he used his Ability Insight skill to gauge their brightness, as a brighter glow indicated better qualifications.


    Even when Yuga evaluated the Pok��mon qualifications, they emitted light under his Ability Insight skill. Under the same color, a brighter light indicated better qualifications.


    For example, Yuga Floette had a light green qualification, indicating that its qualifications were rtively low in the green category.


    Absol was medium-green, representing its average qualifications within the green category.


    After spending a good while, Yuga finally selected the required Pok��mon Eggs.


    Director Mond had someone set aside all the eggs Yuga had chosen.


    After finishing selecting the eggs, Yuga said to Director Mond:


    "Director Mond, may I take a look at the Pok��mon Eggs with green qualifications?"


    Of course, Director Mond didn''t object and said with a smile, "Sure, you can look, but if you''re interested, you''ll have to pay for them yourself."


    Yuga also smiled and said, "Naturally."

 Chapter 20: Failed Creations

    <h4>Chapter 20: Failed Creations</h4>


    Director Mond led Yuga to the shelf where Green-potential Pok��mon eggs were kept.


    The quantity of Green-potential eggs was scarce, estimated to be no more than 200 in total.


    "Director Mond, are all the Green-potential eggs from the breeding center here?" Yuga asked.


    Understanding Yuga curiosity, Director Mond sighed and exined, "For high-potential eggs like Green-potential ones, there is a limited supply for breeding centers like ours. We usually have about this many at a time, no more."


    "Our breeding center serves as an intermediary between research facilities andrger Day Care Centers. We don''t have the authority to breed Pok��mon or produce eggs. Our role is to sell the Pok��mon and eggs bred by research facilities to various Day Care Centers."


    "Since therger Day Care Centers need to consider profits, they can fetch high prices for high-potential Pok��mon and eggs. However, smaller centers like ours can''t easily ess theserger centers."


    "Furthermore, therger breeding centers under the research institute won''t casually sell precious Pok��mon and eggs to just any Day Care Center. The Day Care Centers they cooperate with must pass rigorous assessments."


    "The League also wants to prevent these precious Pok��mon from falling into the wrong hands. So, only qualified Day Care Centers, capable of selling rare Pok��mon like the starters, undergo strict evaluations."


    "That''s why the Green-potential eggs hereck valuable Pok��mon like the starters. Instead, we havemon species like Swellow and Shroomish. Even the number of these eggs is strictly limited."


    Listening to Director Mond exnation, Yuga realized that Pok��mon sales had many intricate aspects.


    Deep in thought, Yuga realized that his hopes of obtaining the League endorsement to sell starters were slim through YoYo Day Care. Its small size andck of a strong background would hinder its ability to pass the League evaluations.


    It seemed he would have to rely on himself, Yuga concluded.


    Just as Yuga was pondering whether to buy some Green-potential Pok��mon, he noticed a disorderly disy of eggs on a part of the warehouse shelf. There were quite a few of them.


    "Director Mond, what''s the story behind those eggs?" Yuga pointed and inquired.


    Director Mond followed Yuga gaze, then chuckled, saying, "Ah, those? Those are the failed products from the research facility breeding attempts."


    "Specifically, I''m not entirely sure. I don''t know how the research facility produces these eggs."


    "I''ve heard that during the breeding process, various issues arise, resulting in Pok��mon that are deemed problematic for hatching."


    "For instance, they might have stunted growth, difficulty controlling their elemental energies, or they can''t execute moves properly."


    "Due to gic disorders, even the machines that evaluate egg potential can''t urately assess their qualities. However, based on the condition of the hatched Pok��mon, their potential is indeed quite poor."


    "Our breeding centercks the equipment for independently assessing Pok��mon and egg potential. The ones we receive from the research facility are already evaluated."


    "So, I can''t determine the exact qualities of these eggs."


    "Whenever these kinds of eggs appear, the research facility sends them to small-scale breeding centers like ours for a lower price."


    "It''s said that these eggs were originally supposed to be offspring of outstanding Pok��mon, but something went wrong, making it quite a pity."


    Yuga hadn''t anticipated this situation. It seemed that breeding Pok��mon was not as straightforward as he had thought. He realized he needed to be extra cautious if he wanted to pursue this path in the future.


    "Director Mond, may I take a look at those eggs?" Yuga asked.


    Director Mond hadn''t expected Yuga continued interest after his exnation. He smiled and replied, "Of course, there''s no reason you can''t."


    Yuga approached the shelf where the eggs were and activated his Insight ability.


    Yuga eyes lit up with a rainbow of colors �C red, orange, yellow, and green.


    He recalled Director Mond exnation that these eggs had gic disorders, rendering their potential unidentifiable. Yet, Yuga Insight ability was still able to discern their qualities.


    More importantly, these eggs exhibited surprisingly decent potential, not just yellow but even green.


    Yuga turned to Director Mond and asked, "Director Mond, can I purchase some of these eggs?"


    Director Mond hadn''t expected Yuga to actually consider buying these eggs. He warned, "You need to think this through. These eggs are indeed problematic. ording to reports from those who bought them, the hatched Pok��mon tend to have physical issues of varying degrees. Their potential is consistently very poor."


    "Although we can''t urately determine their potential with machines, these Pok��mon, in terms of skill learning and level advancement, are on par with or even worse than red or orange potential Pok��mon."


    "Just think about it. These are supposed to be eggs of rare Pok��mon. If they weren''t truly problematic, why would the research facility handle them so casually? If there were any opportunities to capitalize on, others would have already taken them. Why would they wait for you?"


    Yuga shook his head, expressing his determination.


    Seeing Yuga persistence, Director Mond sighed and relented, saying, "Fine, if you want to buy them, go ahead. After all, these eggs are cheap. If any issues arise, consider it a lesson learned. Choose the ones you want, and I''ll have someone help you carry them out."


    Yuga sincerely thanked Director Mond, "Thank you, Director Mond."


    Yuga was touched by how much Director Mond had exined to him. These eggs did indeed look quite unsatisfactory �C their eggshells were dull and even a bit rough. Even the red and orange potential eggs appeared more presentable than these.


    Yuga selected all the Green-potential eggs, even discovering five cyan potential ones.


    The colors green and cyan were quite simr, which initially caused Yuga to overlook them.


    Among them, one cyan egg surprised him the most. It emitted a dense cyan glow, with a halo of blue light around the edges.


    What did this mean? It indicated that the potential of this egg was very close to blue.


    And what did blue potential signify? If green-potential Pok��mon were a rarity, then cyan-potential ones were a rarity among rarities, and blue potential was even more elusive, appearing in only one out of a million Pok��mon in the wild. (This refers to average wild encounter probabilities, excluding Day Care Centers or special areas.)


    This clearly highlighted the preciousness of Pok��mon with blue potential.


    Yuga was filled with anticipation about what kind of Pok��mon would hatch from this egg.


    In the end, Yuga selected a total of 32 eggs. Besides the five cyan-potential ones, the remaining 27 were all green-potential.


    Yuga couldn''t help but think �C if he visited more breeding centers, could he potentially strike it rich?


    However, this remained wishful thinking. Each breeding center had fixed partnerships with Day Care Centers and wouldn''t readily coborate with others.

 Chapter 21: The Jagged Pass

    <h4>Chapter 21: The Jagged Pass</h4>


    After selecting this batch of Pok��mon eggs, Director Mond instructed the staff at the Day Care center to move them together with the previously chosen eggs.


    However, these eggs were ced in different locations to avoid confusion.


    These eggs were quite affordable, priced at only 1,000 League Coins each, totaling 32 eggs for 32,000 coins.


    This price was only slightly higher than that of red-potential eggs.


    It''s worth noting that the orange-potential egg previously sold by Yuga was priced at 6,000 coins. The remaining 14 eggs sold at the store yielded a profit of over 100,000 League Coins.


    Therefore, the sale of Pok��mon eggs was a high-profit industry. This exined how establishments like YoYo Day Care managed to stay afloat despite tough times.


    The high profits from Pok��mon eggs and young Pok��mon were the reason for the high entry barrier to starting a Day Care Center.


    While YoYo Day Care managed to open thanks to its ancestral heritage, the qualifications persisted even though its reputation had diminished over generations.


    The lucrative nature of the Pok��mon sales industry naturally attracted illegal activities, most notably Pok��mon poachers.


    Unable to ess eggs and young Pok��mon, these poachers resorted to capturing adult Pok��mon through illicit means and selling them to those in need, reaping higher profits than selling eggs and young Pok��mon.


    This continuous cycle of illegal hunting was driven by the allure of high risk resulting in high rewards.


    As for Yuga insistence on purchasing the wed eggs even after learning about their drawbacks from Director Mond, it was due to a new task being issued by the system.


    As Yuga used his Insight ability to examine the eggs, the voice of 1314520 suddenly echoed in his mind.


    After enduring several sudden attacks from 1314520, Yuga heart had grown stronger. Although he was startled this time, he didn''t make a big fuss.


    [ Triggered random task: Profit from small investments.


    As the owner of a Day Care Center, the host should be a sessful merchant, learning to profit from small investments by buying low-potential eggs at a higher potential.


    Rewards: 5 Large Gene Repair Potions and the form for Small Gene Repair Potions. ]


    Seeing this task, Yuga knew his opportunity hade.


    To be safe, before purchasing the eggs, Yuga confirmed with the system, "1314520, can these Gene Repair Potions fix the defects in these Pok��mon after they hatch?"


    [ Of course, host, please do not doubt this system abilities. ]


    "Then why are there Large Gene Repair Potions and Small Gene Repair Potions?"


    [ The efficacy of Large Gene Repair Potion is much stronger than Small Gene Repair Potion. The issues with these eggs can be resolved with Small Gene Repair Potion. ]


    Fully understanding the task, Yuga couldn''t help but admire the considerate nature of the system, always issuing tasks when he needed them the most.


    After paying for the batch of eggs, thepletion notification for the task appeared.


    [ Congrattions, host, forpleting the random task.


    Task: Profit from small investments


    Completed.


    Evaluation: None.


    Rewards: 5 Large Gene Repair Potions and the form for Small Gene Repair Potions. ]


    Seeing thepleted task, Yuga felt that the system was simply rewarding him, as the task had no difficulty whatsoever.


    Of course, Yuga didn''t wish for tasks to be difficult; tasks with this level of difficulty were just right.


    However, the main storyline tasks were indeed challenging, and Yuga had only taken the first step on a long journey.9


    Nevertheless, this task had no time limit or penalty for failure, so Yuga felt he could take his time and proceed.


    With the matter of the Pok��mon eggs settled, Yuga turned to Director Mond and said, "Director Mond, may Ie to pick up these eggs tomorrow? This is my first time in Lavaridge Town, and I haven''t had a chance to explore. I''d like to stay another day."


    Director Mond, of course, agreed. Heughed heartily and said:


    "Of course, you''re wee to do so. The hot springs in our Lavaridge Town are famous throughout the whole region. You should definitely enjoy them.


    And our local specialty, Lavaridge Town Fairy ms, is also well-known."


    Being a true native of Lavaridge Town, Director Mond had a deep affection for his hometown.


    However, Yuga decision to stay an extra day wasn''t for the hot springs or the Fairy ms. He was nning to explore Mt. Chimey.


    Mt. Chimey is thergest active volcano in Hoenn region, inhabited by numerous Fire-type Pok��mon.


    The fame of Lavaridge Town hot springs owes much to the continuous activity of Mt. Chimey.


    Since Yuga had finally made it to Lavaridge Town, it would be a shame not to pay a visit.


    However, Yuga willingness to explore Mt. Chimey stemmed from his taming of Absol. Without the help of his newly acquired Pok��mon, he wouldn''t dare venture into the mountain with just the weak Floette.


    After leaving the Day Care Center, Yuga returned to the Pok��mon Center, primarily to have Nurse Joy inspect Absol injuries.


    After confirming from Nurse Joy that Absol injuries were no longer an issue, Yuga decided to head to Mt. Chimey.


    It must be said that Nurse Joy medical skills were extraordinary. After receiving treatment for such severe injuries, Absol had fully recovered after just one night and morning.


    Following lunch at the Pok��mon Center, Yuga prepared to set off for Mt. Chimey with Absol and Floette.


    To reach Mt. Chimey, one must first pass through Jagged Pass, which happened to be the only entrance to Lavaridge Town.


    As for the route Yuga took using the Khaki Tunnel, it was an unconventional path created by trainers during their journeys for ease of travel.


    Lavaridge Town was surrounded by mountain ranges and the vast Lavaridge Desert. Apart from Jagged Pass, other routes were not as easily navigable.


    Arriving at Jagged Pass, Yuga noticed that despite its name, the path wasn''t particrly bumpy or uneven. In fact, the road conditions were quite good.


    After all, being the sole "official" entrance to Lavaridge Town, the path had witnessed a steady stream of people entering and exiting, gradually smoothing out even the roughest terrain.


    Both Floette and Absol were rtively inexperienced, having only been to Lavaridge Town. Thus, they were filled with curiosity about everything they encountered along the way��the scenery, various objects, and other Pok��mon.


    However, despite Yuga own curiosity, as an adult, he managed to exercise restraint.


    Comparatively, Floette, with its very young mentality, was much more exuberant.


    Throughout the journey, it kept provoking wild Pok��mon, resulting in Yuga and Absol having to clean up its mess each time.


    Nevertheless, this incident allowed Yuga to realize the stark contrast between Absol, who was far from a "scrub," Floette. Absol exhibited considerablebat strength and battle experience.


    Although its level wasn''t particrly high, likely due to its frequent battles in the wild, it disyed remarkableposure in battle and adeptness in skill usage.


    Seeing Floette mischievous behavior, Yuga decided to let it handle the wild Pok��mon it instigated on its own.


    As a result, Floette engaged in a series of battles, gradually leveling up to 21.


    However, this achievement wasrgely due to Absol backup. Without it, Floette would have been defeated multiple times over.

 Chapter 22: Chimeco And Murkrow

    <h4>Chapter 22: Chimeco And Murkrow</h4>


    Floette wasn''t pleased with Yuga always having her and the other Pok��mon battle. She tried to find ways to bezy, and even contemted going on strike.


    So, Yuga pretended to be saddened and said, "Well, if you''re not willing, I won''t force you. I''ll just pretend I didn''t hear your promise about getting stronger to protect me in the future. After all, with Absol by my side, I''ll have its protection too."


    With a hopeful look on his face, Yuga turned to Absol and said, "Absol, you''ll protect me in the future, won''t you?"


    "Aboss!" Absol nodded, indicating itsmitment to protecting Yuga.


    "Absol, you mentioned that if I had a strong Pok��mon by my side in Rusturf Tunnel, I wouldn''t need to hide when encountering those people who were after you. We can be stronger together and face those people without fear, turning the tables on them. How does that sound?"


    While Yuga spoke, he extended his hand toward Absol.


    Firmly, Absol nodded in agreement, disying a resolute determination to be stronger.


    It reached out one of its front paws and ced it on Yuga hand, symbolizing their sharedmitment.


    Upon hearing this, Floette couldn''t stand it any longer. Yuga actually dared to "move on to something new," so she flew onto Yuga head and pulled his hair in a chaotic manner.


    However, it was evident that Floette, with her simple mind, was no match for the theatrics of Yuga. In the end, she willingly engaged in battles with wild Pok��mon, just to avoid being "abandoned" by Yuga.


    And so, without realizing it, Yuga and the others arrived at the foot of Jagged Pass.


    From a distance, Jagged Pass certainly didn''t resemble an active volcano.


    Lush vegetation covered it, as if the entire mountain had been draped in a green cloak. asionally, groups of Beautifly danced through the forest, and the cries of Taillow searching for food could be heard everywhere. The whole ce teemed with vitality, creating a picturesque view.


    This is why part of Jagged Pass had been developed into a tourist attraction.


    On that side, visitors didn''t need to climb the mountain themselves. Instead, they could take a cable car from the base, watching volcanic ash float outside the window as the car ascended slowly.


    Yuga chose to climb the sparsely popted side of the mountain.


    Compared to regions like Kanto, Johto, and Sinnoh, the climate of Hoenn Region was more humid and tropical, resulting in denser vegetation, and Jagged Pass was no exception.


    As soon as Yuga started climbing the mountain, something fell from the sky and hit him directly in the face.


    Quickly pulling the unknown substance off his face, Yuga felt a burning sensation on his skin and wondered if he had been disfigured.


    Looking at his hand, he realized that the substance that hit him was a rare Pok��mon �C Chimecho.


    It''s worth noting that all Psychic-type Pok��mon are very rare, even nonbative ones like Chimecho.


    Yuga hadn''t expected to encounter such a rare Pok��mon today.


    However, as he looked at the unconscious Chimecho in his hand, he felt puzzled. How had it fallen unconscious, and how did it end up sticking to his face?


    Just then, Yuga noticed a Murkrow hurtling straight toward him from the sky, its beak sparkling with white light �C clearly the move Peck.


    Why would Absol allow a small Murkrow to attack its trainer?


    Absol swiftly jumped out, positioning itself in front of Yuga. The target of Murkrow attack naturally switched to Absol.


    As Murkrow attack was about to hit Absol, a ck light shed across Absol body. It suddenly leaped up and collided head-on with Murkrow.


    Yuga recognized that Absol had used the move Pursuit.


    Although Murkrow was small in size, it was no match for Absol. The force of Pursuit sent it flying, and it crashed to the ground.


    It was clear that this sneaky Murkrow was the culprit behind Chimecho unconsciousness.


    The Murkrow that hadnded on the ground clearly wasn''t ready to give up. After taking flight again, it charged towards Absol once more.


    This time, it used Wing Attack.


    However, before it could get close to Absol, a de of light shot out from the sharp bend on Absol right face, directly hitting the Murkrow. This attack incapacitated the Murkrow, rendering it unable to fight.


    Murkrow was a decent Pok��mon and not amon sight in Hoenn region. It was more frequently encountered in Johto Region.


    However, Murkrow, like many other Pok��mon, could be found to some extent in various regions other than Johto Region, thanks to its broad distribution.


    Its evolved form, Honchkrow, was a formidable Pok��mon.


    However, for Murkrow to evolve into Honchkrow, it required the assistance of a Dusk Stone. This made it quite rare to see Honchkrow in the wild.


    Yuga used his Insight ability to examine the Murkrow.


    <<murkrow>> </murkrow>


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Insomnia


    Nature: Timid


    Level: 21


    Moves: Peck, Wing Attack, Haze


    The nature of Timid was quite good, but the move set was a bit disappointing. It only had three moves, and both of its attacking moves were basic.


    However, it didn''t matter much. Yuga had already obtained the qualifications for building an Ecopark through the system modification. This time, he would prepare to establish the main garden of the Ecopark, and he could consider this Murkrow as the first inhabitant.


    The 32 gically modified Pok��mon eggs Yuga had purchased weren''t meant for selling. Instead, he nned to hatch them and use them as the first batch of breeding seeds in the Ecopark.


    Yuga took out a regr Pok�� Ball and captured the incapacitated Murkrow, which didn''t put up any resistance.


    Yuga used a standard Pok�� Ball, not the specially designed one from the system, since Murkrow wasn''t going to be his main battling Pok��mon.


    With the Murkrow dealt with, Yuga shifted his attention to the Chimecho in his hand.


    <<chimecho>> </chimecho>


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Levitate


    Nature: Mild


    Level: 18


    Moves: Gravity, Healing Wave, Healing Bell


    At a nce, Yuga was stunned by Chimecho move set �C it was exceptionally well-rounded.


    With three moves, all of them rare, excellent, and useful advanced moves, this move set was impressive.


    Having Chimecho meant that Yuga wouldn''t need to worry about training his Pok��mon in the future. He could practically use it to gain an unfair advantage.


    Using Gravity for training assistance and Healing Wave to recover fatigue seemed like a perfectbination.


    Apart from its slightly inferior Nature, Chimecho had no other drawbacks; it was a perfect support Pok��mon.


    Yuga took out a system-modified Pok�� Ball and captured Chimecho, determining to prioritize its growth. Missing out on this opportunity would be regrettable.


    Yuga hadn''t expected to have such a sessful start upon arriving at Jagged Pass. Not only did he acquire a future breeding seed for the Ecopark, but he also obtained a main battling Pok��mon.

 Chapter 23: Tracking Houndour

    <h4>Chapter 23: Tracking Houndour</h4>


    Securing the Pok�� Balls containing Murkrow and Chimecho, Yuga continued his ascent up Mt. Chimey with Floette and Absol.


    The higher they climbed, the more Pok��mon appeared in the forest, but there seemed to be no good catches among them.


    Yuga kept his Insight ability active, hoping to identify a few higher-quality Pok��mon, but it seemed that his luck had been exhausted by encountering Murkrow and Chimecho �C he didn''te across any high-quality Pok��mon.


    As they approached the volcano summit, the vegetation grew sparser, and the encountered Pok��mon shifted to predominantly Fire types.


    Among the mostmon Fire types on Mt. Chimey were Slugma and Magcargo. Since Yuga had neared the mountaintop, he asionally spotted Slugma and Magcargo sluggishly crawling along the path.


    Apart from these, he also saw some Numels and Torkoals.


    However, the quality of these Pok��mon wasn''t great, so Yuga didn''t bother with them.


    While walking, Yuga suddenly spotted a green-quality Houndour. He quickly chased after it with Absol and Floette.


    Given the chance to capture a decent Pok��mon, Yuga didn''t want to let it slip away.


    But this Houndour seemed incredibly timid. As soon as it saw Yuga, it fled rapidly. Normally, Houndours had fierce and audacious personalities, but this one was an exception.


    This particr Houndour was quite fast. Despite Yuga and his team efforts to catch up, they couldn''t quite close in. Of course, Yuga was the main reason for the dy, as Floette and Absol were faster than him.


    Fortunately, they were near the volcano crater, and the sparse vegetation allowed them to keep sight of Houndour.


    As they pursued, Yuga and his team came across a cave entrance. Houndour darted right inside and disappeared.


    Upon reaching the cave entrance, Yuga, Floette, and Absol found no sign of Houndour, only darkness and a sense of foreboding within the cave. The eerie atmosphere gave Yuga a slight chill.


    The cave entrance was taller than Yuga himself, and he could faintly detect the scent of sulfur emanating from within.


    "Do you think this could be Houndour home?" Yuga asked Floette and Absol uncertainly.


    Floette and Absol exchanged nces, then shook their heads, indicating they didn''t know either.


    "Should we go in and take a look?" Floette and Absol both stared at Yuga, seemingly saying, "We''ll follow your lead."


    Ultimately, Yuga couldn''t just let the duck escape his mouth again. Clenching his teeth, he decided to enter.


    "Let''s go, we''re heading in."


    With those words, Yuga stepped forward and entered the cave, with Absol and Floette following closely behind.


    Perhaps due to the proximity to the volcano, the cave was quite dry, and a faint, hot breeze seemed to circte through the air.


    If this was indeed Houndour dwelling, it did fit the profile �C a Fire type like Houndour would find this dry, hot environment suitable.


    However, as they ventured deeper, Yuga found something odd. The tunnel was gradually widening, and the light grew brighter. Houndour, a small creature, didn''t seem to require such arge cavern.


    After walking for an unknown amount of time, the tunnel ahead suddenly vanished, reced by arge, domed chamber. Below them was not solid ground, but a rolling pool of moltenva.


    Within the circr magma pool, the fiery magma emitted bubbles as it churned.


    The pool wasn''t entirelyposed of magma; several stout rock pirs emerged from the depths. These pirs were covered with Houndours, including the one Yuga had been chasing.


    As Yuga, Floette, and Absol footsteps echoed in theva chamber, all the Houndours turned their heads to look at them.


    Feeling awkward, Yuga said, "Uh... hi there. Sorry to disturb your rest. We''ll just be on our way."


    As Yuga turned to leave, the Houndour they had been chasing earlier muttered something to the other Houndours atop the pirs. As a collective response, all of them got up and began snarling aggressively, baring their teeth at Yuga group.


    Yuga used his Insight ability to check the levels of these Houndours; they ranged from level 15 to 25, not exceptionally high.


    But their sheer numbers were overwhelming �C Yuga counted a total of twelve, all of them exuding an intimidating aura. It would be quite challenging to handle them with just Floette and Absol.


    "We mean no harm. I just want to capture that Houndour. We don''t intend to hurt it," Yuga tried to soften his voice, hoping not to provoke these Houndours unintentionally.


    However, despite Yuga exnation, their attitude remained unchanged. The Houndours continued to re menacingly at Yuga group, maintaining their aggressive stance.


    Absol positioned itself in front of Yuga and emitted a low growl, confronting the Houndours.


    Seeing that his exnation was falling t, Yuga thought that using force might be the only option �C though going all-out against the whole group wasn''t feasible, so he''d have to challenge their leader individually.


    "Which one of you is the leader? How about we make a bet? Your leaderes out and faces my Pok��mon in a one-on-one battle. If I win, you let me capture that Houndour," Yuga proposed, pointing at the Houndour they had been tracking.


    This particr Houndour wasn''t tall or aggressive like the others; it seemed a bit timid. Ordinary at first nce, it stood out to Yuga with his Insight ability activated.


    The other Houndours emitted orange or yellow glows, but this one radiated a distinctive green light.


    Pausing for a moment, Yuga continued, "If I lose, the three of us will be at your mercy."


    Yugast statement had a rather confrontational tone.


    If he won, he could take that Houndour with him. If he lost, he''d let them do whatever they wanted to him. What did "whatever they wanted" entail? Tear him apart or devour him?


    Although Houndours were known for their wicked personalities, they weren''t savage enough to resort to such extremes.


    However, it was clear that these Houndours didn''t sense the cheekiness in Yuga words. A Houndour, bigger than the rest, stepped forward, seemingly epting Yuga challenge.


    This Houndour appeared to be the leader of this group of around a dozen Pok��mon. It was also the highest-levelled one Yuga had seen among them, at level 25.


    "There isn''t enough space here. Let''s go outside for the contest," the Houndour leader nodded. It then leaped down from its pir and walked toward the cave entrance.


    Other Houndours followed suit, descending from the pirs and trailing behind their leader, all heading towards the cave exit.


    As they passed Yuga, he could even feel the scorching heat radiating from their bodies �C a result of living in a magma environment for extended periods.

 Chapter 24: Conquer Houndour

    <h4>Chapter 24: Conquer Houndour</h4>


    Exiting the cave, Yuga spotted the Houndour leader standing in front of its followers, waiting for him. As Yuga emerged, the Houndour leader let out a low growl towards the other Houndour, and they automatically made way, creating a space for their leader and Yuga.


    Seeing the prepared Houndour leader, Yuga signaled to Absol. It leaped into the open space, facing off with the Houndour leader as the imminent battle began.


    With both sides ready, Yuga spoke up, "Houndour, since everyone ready, let the battle begin."


    "Ahwoo."


    The Houndour leader nodded and emitted a low sound, indicating its agreement.


    With the consensus reached, the Houndour leader wasted no time andunched an attack. mes burst forth from its mouth, hurtling towards Absol.


    "Absol, Quick Attack!"


    Absol speed elerated, allowed it to dodge the fiery attack. It then charged towards the Houndour leader.


    As the leader of the Houndour could assume its position, Yuga understood that it must have some impressive skills up its sleeve. The leader observed Absol approaching and exhaled a cloud of ck smoke, obscuring their vision. In moments, both figures vanished within the veil of darkness.


    Yuga recognized this as the move Smokescreen.


    Seeing Absol engulfed in the smokescreen, Yuga sense of unease grew. The ck smokescreen not only caused damage to Absol but also inflicted it with the poison status condition.


    More importantly, within the smokescreen, Absol couldn''t see anything, whereas the Houndour leader relied on its keen sense of smell to locate its opponent.


    As Yuga pondered his options, he suddenly recalled Absol Swords Dance ability.


    Swords Dance was a widely-used move for strengthening physical attacks. Although it might not be the most potent attack-boosting move, it was highly practical. Unlike Dragon Dance, which required more time to execute, or Metal w, which only raised attack one stage per use, Swords Dance was easier to employ and offered substantial benefits.


    Of course, while the move was effective, it wasn''t easy to learn. Fortunately, Absol had managed to master it.


    "Absol, use Swords Dance, but don''tplete the final step. Keep the energy swirling around you," Yuga instructed, realizing that Swords Dance could serve a dual purpose in this situation.


    Upon hearing Yugamand, Absolprehended his intent. A series of upright blue phantom swords appeared around Absol. These ethereal swords, created by the move Swords Dance, circled Absol at a high speed.


    The rotation of the phantom swords grew faster, and the gusts generated by their movement dispersed the smokescreen that had concealed Absol.


    As the smokescreen faded, both the Houndour leader and Absol reappeared in Yuga view. After the smokescreen dissipated, the phantom swords converged into Absol body, and a blue glow enveloped it, indicating a boost in attack power.


    The Houndour leader was caught off guard by how easily its smokescreen had been dispelled. It immediatelyunched another attack. Lowering its upper body, the Houndour leader hind legs tensed, its sharp teeth glowing with white light. It lunged toward Absol with incredible speed.


    However, Absol had anticipated the timing of the Houndour leader attack.


    Absol body emitted a streak of ck light as it dashed past the Houndour leader. Just as the leader attack was about to connect, Absol executed a sharp turn, crashing into the Houndour leader from the side.


    Absol level and innate abilities surpassed those of the Houndour leader, giving it an upper hand. Adding the effect of Swords Dance into the equation, Absol attack power had skyrocketed.


    The Houndour leader was sent flying by Absol sudden assault and, before it could react, Absol was already on the move again.


    Utilizing Quick Attack, Absol closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Another Night sh struck the Houndour leader, its power enhanced by the Swords Dance.


    Having a higher level and inherent strength,bined with the boost from Swords Dance, made Absol attack overwhelming. The Houndour leader was sent airborne once more by the attack impact. Absol didn''t let up, however.


    Absol employed Quick Attack yet again, rapidly reaching the airborne Houndour leader. Its next Night sh was even more devastating, and the Houndour leader crashed to the ground, defeated.


    The Houndour leader, though strong, couldn''tpete with Absol carefully calcted strategy and the power-up from Swords Dance. Ity defeated on the ground, and Absol, with the blue glow of the Swords Dance boost still surrounding it, looked triumphant.


    Yuga approached the downed Houndour leader, breathing heavily. "It''s over. You fought valiantly," he said, extending his hand in a gesture of respect.


    The Houndour leader, despite its defeated state, managed to lift its head slightly and touch Yuga hand with its paw. The tension in the air lessened, and the other Houndour seemed to rx.


    With the battle won, Yuga turned his attention to the timid Houndour they had sought to capture. "Thank you for epting the challenge. Now, can we proceed peacefully?"


    The Houndour leader nodded weakly, signaling an agreement. It seemed that, like the Houndours, these Houndour respected strength and upheld their agreements.


    With the timid Houndour secured, Yuga cast a final nce at the Houndour leader. "May we part on good terms."


    The Houndour leader eyes showed a glint of acknowledgment. This encounter had tested Yuga strategies and his connection with his team. As Yuga, Absol, and the timid Houndour began their descent down the mountain, the Houndour observed them with a newfound sense of understanding and recognition.


    The low-level Houndour leader couldn''t withstand the double assault from Absol, which had been strengthened by Swords Dance. It lost its battle capability instantly.


    The other Houndour, witnessing their leader incapacitation, grew restless. They began to roar menacingly at Yuga and Absol.


    Observing their growing agitation, Yuga feared they might all rush towards him at once. He hastily interjected, "The match between me and your leader was agreed upon by your leader himself. Are you reneging on your promise? Are you willing to betray your leader?"


    Upon hearing Yuga words, the Houndour gradually quieted down.


    Fortunately, the Houndour leader injuries were not severe, and it soon regained consciousness.


    Raising its head, the leader nced at Yuga and then turned to a Houndour behind it, emitting a low call. Reluctantly, that particr Houndour stepped forward.


    The Houndour that emerged was the very one Yuga had been pursuing.


    As this Houndour cautiously approached, Yuga knew that the Houndour had upheld its promise.


    Yuga retrieved a Pok�� Ball and threw it towards the approaching Houndour. In a sh of red light, the Houndour was captured within the Pok�� Ball.


    The capture button on the Pok�� Ball blinked for a moment before ceasing its activity. It was evident that the Houndour was resistant to being tamed by Yuga, but ultimately, it didn''t dare disobey its leadermand.


    ...


    <<houndour>> </houndour>


    Gender: Female


    Ability: ze


    Qualification: Green


    Level: 15


    Moves: Destiny Bond, Ember, Roar.


    ...


    This Houndour had quite good qualities, bordering on the upper tier of Green quality and nearing blue quality.


    Its ze ability was very practical, and it even inherited the rare ability Roar. Apart from its low level, it didn''t have many shorings.


    After reviewing the information about the captured Houndour, Yuga turned towards the Houndour leader, which was still lying on the ground. "Rest assured, I will take good care of it," he said, promising not only to take care of the Houndour but also to find a suitable partner for her.


    The Houndour leader emitted a call towards the remaining Houndour. Slowly getting up, it then limped its way back into the cave. The other Houndour followed quickly.


    Seeing all the Houndour return to the cave, Yuga let out a sigh of relief.


    Although the process had been perilous, the ultimate goal had been achieved with minimal danger.


    Recalling the Pok�� Ball containing the captured Houndour, Yuga signaled Absol and Floette to leave the area. They continued their journey towards the summit of Mt. Chimey.


    In the end, it wasn''t just about capturing Pok��mon; it was about forming bonds and understanding the delicate bnce of strength and respect in the Pok��mon world.

 Chapter 25: Mr. Moore

    <h4>Chapter 25: Mr. Moore</h4>


    Houndour cave was close to the summit of Mt. Chimey, and Yuga reached the top in no time.


    At the summit of Mt. Chimey, there was hardly any vegetation apart from a few nts that could survive in high-temperature environments.


    The area was dominated by exposed soil and rocks, and the temperature was ufortably high. Yuga was sweating profusely shortly after arriving.


    As Yuga looked at the asional passing of Slugmas and Magcargos, he couldn''t muster any interest.


    It was said that there were many Fire-type Pok��mon living on Mt. Chimey, but Yuga couldn''t spot many Fire-types now that he was here.


    Could these abundant Slugams and Magcargos be the Fire-types they were talking about?


    Indeed, there were a lot of Slugams and Magcargos, but Yuga thought that "many" referred to a variety of species. Moreover, the qualities of these Slugmas and Magcargos were incredibly poor, not even reaching Yellow quality, let alone Green.


    After searching around and finding no suitable targets, Yuga finally climbed to the volcano summit.


    Upon seeing the situation within the volcano crater, Yuga realized why he hadn''t seen other Fire-type Pok��mon. They were all concentrated here.


    Yuga took a quick look and spotted various kinds of Fire-type Pok��mon: Torkoal, Vulpix, Growlithe, Magby, Magmar, Numel, Camerupt, and more.


    These Pok��mon varied greatly in level, ranging from around 10 to over 50, with diverse qualities spanning from Red to Blue, although most were Green or below, with only a few Blue.


    Thanks to Yuga Insight ability, these Pok��mon appeared colorful and impressive.


    Although Yuga was envious of these Pok��mon, he couldn''t muster the courage to provoke them.


    Some were training their skills, others building their physique, a few meditating, and some even bathing inva.


    While Yuga was dumbfounded by these Pok��mon, they also noticed his presence.


    Yuga hadn''t been aware of the situation here, which was why he had appeared so openly at the volcano crater.


    Now he regretted it deeply and feared these Pok��mon might breathe fire on him, turning him into charcoal.


    However, the Pok��mon nced at Yuga and then continued with their activities, seemingly unconcerned.


    While Yuga sighed with relief, he couldn''t help but wonder: did they sense I''m not a threat? Or can they gauge my strength from my appearance?


    "Hey there, young one, what are you doing here?"


    Just as Yuga found this situation strange, a voice suddenly sounded behind him.


    Yuga was startled and quickly turned to see who was speaking.


    Before him stood an elderly man in his fifties, with white hair, apanied by a Charizard and an Typhlosion.


    Yuga Insight ability had been active all along. When he nced at Charizard and Typhlosion, he was even more astonished.


    <<charizard>> </charizard>


    Gender: Male


    Ability: ze


    Quality: Blue


    Level: 72


    Moves: Wing Attack, methrower, Shadow w, Protect, Will-O-Wisp, Roar, Iron Tail, Dragon Rage, Dragon Dance, Hex, methrower, Smokescreen.


    <<typhlosion>> </typhlosion>


    Gender: Male


    Ability: sh Fire


    Quality: Blue


    Level: 74


    Moves: Ember, Take Down, Gyro Ball, Smokescreen, Thunder Fang, me Wheel, Extreme Speed, Hyper Beam, Rock Tomb, methrower, Rest, Overheat, Eruption.


    These levels, qualities, and moves were the configuration of Legendary-tier Pok��mon. Who was this old man?


    Seeing that Yuga was still in a daze, the old man called out to him again, bringing Yuga back to his senses.


    "Sorry, sir, what did you just say?"


    Yuga was a bit embarrassed; he had been lost in thought and hadn''t heard what the old man said.


    "I asked why you''re here all alone."


    The old man seemed kind and wasn''t upset that Yuga had been distracted and missed his words.


    "Oh, well, I heard that there are many Fire-type Pok��mon living here, so I wanted to capture a few. But their levels seem too high for me; I''m no match for them. So, I thought it''s better to leave them alone."


    The old man suddenly realized and then chuckled, "Even if you could defeat them, how could you capture them?"


    "Why not?"


    Yuga was puzzled. Was this some kind of Pok��mon protection area?


    "Because the Fire-type Pok��mon that live in this crater are all mine. They already have trainers, so how could you capture them?"


    The old man exined with a teasing smile:


    "Ah? Are all these Pok��mon really yours?"


    Yuga couldn''t believe it. There were at least hundreds of Pok��mon in this crater. How could they all belong to one person?


    "Yes, is that so surprising? Haven''t you heard that capturing is the basis of being a Trainer? I''ve lived for so many years; having this many Pok��mon isn''t unusual."


    Yuga thought to himself: Of course, I''ve heard that saying, but you''re taking it to the extreme.


    However, the older generation is always wiser; the old man could tell what Yuga was thinking. He chuckled and exined to Yuga with a smile:


    "From the look of you, I can tell you''re a Trainer too."


    Saying that, he nced at the nearby Floette and Absol.


    "You should know just how important a Pok��mon quality is for them. But before we capture them, we don''t know their quality for sure. While most high-quality Pok��mon might show some unique traits, they aren''t always obvious. Besides, there are exceptions; some high-quality Pok��mon might appear quite ordinary."


    "And so, we Trainers rely on capturing many Pok��mon to screen their qualities. Gradually, as we capture more, the quality of the Pok��mon we catch improves. While this might seem unfair to lower-quality Pok��mon, that''s just how it is, and there''s no way to change it."


    "Although ces like Day Cares allow you to buy Pok��mon with clear qualities, the majority of them are not high-quality. Old-school Ace Trainers almost always have this many Pok��mon in reserve."


    After hearing the old man exnation, Yuga thought for a moment and realized it was indeed the case. Not everyone could have an Insight ability like him, allowing them to know a Pok��mon quality before capturing it.


    The convenience Insight brought to Yuga was even greater than he had imagined.


    Yuga looked at the elderly man before him. He was a Champion-level Trainer, and in the town of Lavaridge, there was only one Champion-level Trainer.


    "Are you Mr. Moore, the Fire-type master among the Elite Four?"


    "Ah, you caught me."


    The old man chuckled.


    Before his time travel, Yuga was a pseudo Pok��mon enthusiast who didn''t know much about the games. He had only watched the anime, and he couldn''t remember most of the content. He only retained some main plot points and major characters.


    His impression of Mr. Moore was faint, but he remembered a bit.


    By the time the protagonist Ash traveled to Hoenn, Mr. Moore had already stepped down from his position among the Elite Four, even handing over the Gym Leader position to his granddaughter.


    Mr. Moore looked younger than Yuga had expected, which meant the protagonist Ash might not have even begun his journey yet.


    However, none of this mattered. The protagonist fate had no relevance to him. But before him stood a genuine Champion-level Trainer.


    "Is Mr. Moore here to train his Pok��mon?"


    Yuga asked curiously.


    "Haha, you could say that. I usually keep my Pok��mon here because it''s a perfect ce for Fire-type training. The people in town know I like leaving my Pok��mon here, so there''s usually not many people around. I didn''t expect anyone toe here today. You''re not from Lavaridge Town, are you?"


    "Yes, I forgot to introduce myself. I''m Shimizu Yuga from Verdanturf Town. I came to Lavaridge Town for some business and decided to take a look at Mt. Chimey and capture Fire-type Pok��mon while I''m at it."


    "I see. Verdanturf Town, huh? It''s not far from Lavaridge Town. But I''m afraid you might be disappointed in capturing Fire-type Pok��mon. Years ago, this ce did indeed gather a lot of Fire-types. However, as more Trainers came here to capture Pok��mon, it disturbed the Fire-types here, so either their left or scattered. Nowadays, it''s quite difficult to capture a high-quality Fire-type Pok��mon. That''s also why I can keep my Pok��mon here. If those Pok��mon were still here, I wouldn''t be able to keep this ce to myself."


    Yuga hadn''t expected this to be the case, but he wasn''t disappointed. He had already captured a Murkrow and a Chimecho, which was quite satisfying. After all, it wasn''t easy to find high-quality Pok��mon.

 Chapter 26: Vulpix

    <h4>Chapter 26: Vulpix</h4>


    "So, that''s how it is. Since there are no more Pok��mon for me to capture, I''ll be on my way, Mr. Moore. Goodbye."


    With that said, Yuga prepared to leave with Absol and Floette.


    Seeing that the young man before him wasn''t disheartened by the fruitless trip, Moore felt his attitude wasmendable, and his impression of him unknowingly improved.


    Little did he know, this was just a facade. Yuga had already captured three Pok��mon on Mt. Chimey.


    Suddenly, Moore thought of something and said to Yuga, who was about to leave, "How about this? Choose one of my Pok��mon as a gift for our first meeting."


    He gestured towards the Pok��mon in the volcano crater.


    Moore decision to gift Yuga a Pok��mon stemmed from his belief that, given Yuga age, his discernment might not be keen enough to identify the promising qualities in his Pok��mon.


    After all, even though many of his Pok��mon had green and blue potential, they were mainly red, orange, and yellow potential ones.


    Amidst the green and blue potentials, they were somewhat plentiful, but in the presence of the dominant red, orange, and yellow potentials, they seemed as inconspicuous as a drop in the ocean.


    In this context, Moore didn''t believe Yuga luck could be so good.


    As a top-tier Trainer, it was no big deal to give away a red, orange, or yellow potential Pok��mon.


    Moore would never have imagined that there was a creature in this world known as a "freeloader," and Yuga before him was one such being.


    Upon hearing Moore words, Yuga eyes lit up. He stopped in his tracks and turned around, eximing in delight, "Really?"


    With a chuckle, Moore replied, "Of course it''s true, but you can only pick a young Pok��mon. The higher-level ones might not easily listen to you."


    Yuga hadn''t anticipated this twist of events, grinning widely he said, "Thank you so much, Mr. Moore."


    Observing Yuga joyous expression, Moore smiled and said, "Go pick a Pok��mon then. Once you decide, I''ll hand you its Pok�� Ball."


    "Okay, sure."


    With that, Yuga dashed to the edge of the volcano, activating his Insight ability, and scanned his gaze over the Pok��mon below.


    Under the Insight ability, the potential of these Pok��mon was fully revealed, each one showcased in Yuga vision. However, he automatically filtered out the red, orange, and yellow potential Pok��mon.


    Green-potential Growlithe, green-potential Slugma, green-potential Magby... Blue-potential Growlithe, blue-potential Charmander...


    High-potential Pok��mon were aplenty, each one appearing exceptionally promising. Yuga was almost overwhelmed by the options.


    After carefully considering his choices, Yuga ultimately settled on a green-potential Vulpix.


    <<vulpix>> </vulpix>


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Drought


    Potential: Green


    Level: 17


    Moves: Power Swap, Will-O-Wisp, me Burst.


    This Vulpix not only possessed excellent green potential, but it also had the hidden ability Drought.


    In terms of moves, it was quite decent. Will-O-Wisp, as an indirect damage skill, was particrly useful. The power of me Burst was also impressive. Power Swap coulde in handy for special situations.


    Though the move pool was limited, the skills were all of high quality.


    Pointing to a sleeping Vulpix by the side of the magma, Yuga said, "I''d like that Vulpix."


    As for why Yuga didn''t choose a blue-potential Pok��mon, it was mostly due to maintaining some semnce of humility. It wouldn''t be right to exploit someone generosity by solely targeting their prized possessions. Although there were blue-potential Pok��mon present, they were rtively scarce.


    Looking at Moore expression, it was evident that the mere selection of a green-potential Pok��mon had disappointed him. If Yuga had chosen a blue-potential one, he might have thrown a tantrum.


    Moore had never anticipated that he would unintentionally step on his own toes by allowing Yuga to pick a high-potential Pok��mon. He was practically hemorrhaging internally at the thought.


    Among the hundreds of Pok��mon here, Moore couldn''t remember which ones had red, orange, and yellow potential. However, he was crystal clear about those with green and blue potential.


    Especially about this Vulpix. Although it wasn''t a blue-potential one, it was still outstanding.


    He had been nning to give it to his granddaughter after some time, but he didn''t expect it to be chosen by a wild kid now.


    Moore was now experiencing the ssic "my cherished daughter got snatched by an outsider" feeling, even though the Vulpix was male.


    "Oh, oh, so you want this one, huh? Haha... Haha... You''ve got a good eye."


    Looking at Moore pained expression, Yuga almost felt like he hadmitted an unforgivable crime.


    Moore recalled the sleeping Vulpix with his Pok�� Ball, then released it again in front of Yuga and himself.


    The Vulpix opened its eyes, looking a bit bewildered from having just woken up, unaware of what had transpired.


    "Vulpix, from now on, this person is going to be your Trainer. You better behave well."


    As soon as it opened its eyes, Vulpix heard its owner say these words.


    Turning its head to look at the person its owner was pointing to, Vulpix thought: This is going to be my new owner from now on.


    It nodded in agreement towards Moore, with no hint of reluctance.


    Although Moore was Vulpix owner, due to Vulpix not being raised as a primary Pok��mon and its rtively short time under his care, it was more of a free-roamingpanion. Vulpix usually didn''t remember it had an owner.


    Moore was aware of the simple reason behind Vulpix straightforward agreement, so it wasn''t surprising. He retracted Vulpix into the Pok�� Ball again.


    Extending his hand holding the Vulpix Pok�� Ball, Moore handed it to Yuga and said, "Take good care of this child from now on."


    "Don''t worry, Mr. Moore. I''ll make sure to take good care of it."


    Yuga epted the Pok�� Ball from Moore, reassuring him. While he didn''t intend to train Vulpix as his main battling Pok��mon, he certainly wouldn''t mistreat it.


    With his objective aplished, Yuga decided to bid farewell to Moore.


    "Mr. Moore, I''ve got my Fire-type Pok��mon now, so I''ll be leaving."


    "Are you headed back to Lavaridge Town?"


    "Perfect, I''m headed back there as well. How about I give you a ride?"


    With that, Moore recalled his Typhlosion and called his Charizard over, then mounted it from behind.


    "You shoulde on over too."


    Yuga hadn''t anticipated the opportunity to ride on a King-level Pok��mon. He promptly recalled his Floette and Absol with their Pok�� Balls.


    "Sure, sure. Just give me a moment."


    Saying that, Yuga hurriedly climbed onto Charizard back, sitting behind Moore.

 Chapter 27: Conflict between Murkrow and Chimeco

    <h4>Chapter 27: Conflict between Murkrow and Chimeco</h4>


    The speed of Elite Pok��mon was truly impressive. In no time, Yuga and hispanions returned to Lavaridge Town, where Moore kindly saw him off at the entrance of the Pok��mon Center.


    After arriving at the Pok��mon Center, Yuga had all his newly captured Pok��mon examined by Nurse Joy.


    After all, aside from Vulpix, most of them had suffered some injuries.


    Once the examination waspleted, Yuga went to the backyard of the Pok��mon Center and released Vulpix, Chimeco, Absol, and Murkrow together.


    Chimeco had been captured by Yuga while it was unconscious and was currently groggy, unaware of what had happened.


    "Hello, everyone. I''m Yuga, and from now on, I''ll be your Trainer. Please take care of me in the future."


    Both Vulpix and Absol had already epted this fact and nodded in acknowledgment.


    Murkrow had been captured by Yuga through sheer strength and had no objections to Yuga bing its Trainer. However, it was incessantly making agitated "Murkrow, Murkrow" noises while pointing at Chimeco.


    Chimeco seemed to understand why Murkrow was so angry with it and that only Yuga could protect it now. As a result, it timidly hid behind Yuga.


    Seeing this, Yuga tried to mediate, saying, "Alright, Murkrow, calm down. No matter what happened, we''re partners now. Can we stop being angry?"


    However, Murkrow wasn''t ready to back down. Especially when it saw Yuga protecting Chimeco, it became even angrier. Its wings started glowing white, preparing to attack Chimeco.


    Murkrow was the highest-level among these Pok��mon, and there was no way Chimeco,cking any attacking moves, could match its strength.


    Seeing Murkrow behavior, Yuga realized that his approach was wrong.


    Instead of trying to downy the issue, he should have identified the root of the problem and addressed it.


    As the situation was about to spiral out of control, Yuga quickly spoke up:


    "Murkrow, please calm down. Let''s talk it out. Tell me what happened, and we''ll find a solution together, okay?"


    Hearing Yuga words, Murkrow finally abandoned its attacking stance and flew onto Yuga shoulder, pping its wings as it started exining.


    However, Yuga couldn''t understand Murkrownguage at all. He watched as Murkrow gestured and tried to piece things together, often guessing with the help of Chimeco asional exnations. Finally, he managed to grasp the sequence of events.


    It all started from a food-rted incident.


    Chimeco strength was quite low, and it didn''t possess any attack moves. It couldn''tpete with other Pok��mon in the wild, so it often went hungry.


    Today was no different. Chimeco hadn''t eaten anything for several days, leaving it dizzy from hunger.


    In this half-conscious state, it stumbled upon a pile of berries in a tree hollow.


    In its desperate hunger, Chimeco paid no attention to consequences and devoured all the berries without hesitation.


    After eating, instead of leaving the hollow, it decided to take a nap right there, oblivious to the fact that the berries likely had an owner.


    Clearly, those berries belonged to Murkrow, and the hollow was its home.


    Upon returning from its search for food, Murkrow was enraged to find that not only were its hard-earned berries gone, but its nest had also been taken over.


    Without any hesitation, itunched an attack on Chimeco.


    Awakened by themotion, Chimeco understood the situation upon seeing Murkrow aggressive posture.


    It wanted to apologize to Murkrow, but Murkrow had lost its temper and only wanted to attack it. It refused to ept any apologies.


    Furthermore, even if it apologized, the food was already gone. Should it just suffer this loss in vain? Thinking this, Murkrow became even more determined not to let Chimeco off the hook.


    And so, one pursued, and the other fled, until they encountered Yuga.


    Yuga found the situation both funny and exasperating after learning the whole story.


    "Alright, Murkrow. Here''s what we''ll do. Let Chimeco apologize to you first. Then, I''ll treat you to a feast that''s way more delicious than those berries. Consider itpensation, alright?"


    "Murkrow, Murkrow!"


    Hearing about a feast, Murkrow eyes lit up. It quickly nodded in agreement.


    Seeing that the situation was resolved, Yuga breathed a sigh of relief and couldn''t help but marvel at Murkrow nature. It was indeed a food lover. It had "chased" Chimeco for the sake of food and was now willing to let go of its grudge for an immediate feast.


    With this, Yuga officially tamed these Pok��mon.


    To fulfill his promise to Murkrow, Yuga took all the Pok��mon inside the Pok��mon Center and ordered a heap of food.


    Aside from Murkrow, Yuga also ordered some food for the other Pok��mon, as they seemed quite hungry too.


    Murkrow truly lived up to its reputation as a food lover. It devoured the heap of food that Yuga ordered and ended up with a round belly. Eventually, it plopped down on the ground, unable to fly due to being overly full.


    Seeing Murkrow practically wanting to devour the entire Pok��mon Center, Yuga couldn''t help but smile wryly.


    "Murkrow, you don''t have to eat like this. If you ever want more food, I''ll get it for you."


    Hearing Yuga words, Murkrow, which was lying on its back on the ground, immediately got up and stared at Yuga with a fixed gaze, as if asking: "Is that really true?"


    "I''m not lying. If you still want to eat in the future, I''ll get more for you."


    After Yuga provided a definite answer, Murkrow made a "plop" sound and flopped back onto the ground motionless.


    Shaking his head, Yuga picked up the "lifeless" Murkrow from the ground, used a Pok�� Ball to recall the other satisfied Pok��mon, and then returned to his room at the Pok��mon Center.


    Deciding to return to Verdanturf Town tomorrow, Yuga reflected that even though he had spent less than two days in Lavaridge Town, he had gained a lot.


    Aside from the hundred yellow potential Pok��mon eggs, he had also bought 32 green and blue potential eggs at a low price.


    Although these eggs had some gic ws and the Pok��mon hatched from them might be considered "inferior" by others, it wasn''t a problem for Yuga, who had the system reward and the form for the small gic repair potion.


    In addition to that, Yuga had also tamed Murkrow, Absol, and Vulpix, three green potential Pok��mon.


    They would be the first residents of his ecological park.

 Chapter 28: Flannery

    <h4>Chapter 28: nnery</h4>


    Early the next morning, Yuga called his aunt house to let them know he was heading back today.


    Yuga aunt and her family were overly concerned about him due to his parents'' recent passing.


    Little did they know that this "Yuga" was no longer the same as before, and things weren''t as severe as they thought.


    Nevertheless, Yuga appreciated their concern and decided to go along with it, making sure to keep them informed about his ns to avoid unnecessary worries.


    After ending the call with his aunt, Yuga had breakfast at the Pok��mon Center.


    Once he finished breakfast, he checked out of his room at the Pok��mon Center and headed to the Day Care Center.


    The Day Care Center opened early, and when Yuga arrived, the ce was already bustling with activity.


    The same Pok��mon caretaker from yesterday, Carey, received Yuga. Carey said, "Mr. Shimizu, pleasee with me to confirm your selected Pok��mon eggs. If everything is in order, we''ll load them onto a vehicle and deliver them to Verdanturf Town."


    "Sure, thank you."


    Carey then led Yuga to a room where neatly arranged Pok��mon eggs were disyed.


    There were several such rooms in the Day Care Center, used for storing Pok��mon eggs for clients who hadn''t collected them yet.


    After verifying the number and quality of the eggs, Yuga instructed the staff to start loading the eggs onto the vehicle.


    While this was happening, Director Mond, whom Yuga had met yesterday, arrived. Upon seeing Yuga, he waved and said, "Hey, Yuga, did you have fun yesterday?"


    Caught off guard, Yuga remembered that he had told Director Mond he was nning to explore Lavaridge Town.


    Feeling a bit embarrassed for lying, Yuga chuckled and said, "Yeah, it was great. Lavaridge Town is a really nice ce."


    Hearing Yuga praise his hometown, Director Mondughed heartily and said, "Absolutely, it''s a well-known tourist spot. You''re wee to visit again anytime."


    "Definitely, I will."


    After the eggs were loaded, the Day Care Center arranged for them to be delivered to YoYo Pok��mon Daycare in Verdanturf Town.


    Instead of riding back with the delivery vehicle, Yuga decided to take the same route he came from.


    It wasn''t because he felt superstitious about his parents'' ident, but simply because the shortcut was closer.


    To travel from Lavaridge Town to Verdanturf Town by car, one needed to take Route 112, then switch to Route 111 to reach Lilycove City, and from there, take Route 117 to Verdanturf Town.


    However, Yuga could easily reach Verdanturf Town by taking the shortcut through the Fiery Path. Even on foot, it was faster than driving.


    Plus, he wanted to take Floette out for some training in the wild. Its battling capabilities were weak and practically useless.


    After bidding farewell to Director Mond and the others, Yuga left Lavaridge Town and followed the path leading to the Fiery Path tunnel.


    He continued his journey with Floette and Absol, battling wild Pok��mon along the way and using Floette Heal Pulse to treat any injuries.


    As for Murkrow, he didn''t release it.


    They weren''t his main battling team, and managing too many Pok��mon at once was challenging for Yuga.


    While Floette was in the middle of defeating a Oddish, Yuga suddenly heard someone calling him from behind.


    "Hey, mister in front! Are you a Pok��mon Trainer?"


    Turning around, Yuga saw a young girl with long red hair tied into a ponytail standing behind him. She had a Cyndaquil by her side.


    "Yeah, I''m a Trainer. What can I do for you, little sister?"


    Curious as to why a young girl was out in the wild alone with a Cyndaquil, Yuga was taken aback when the girl suddenly jumped with excitement.


    "Awesome! Big brother,e and have hot-blooded Pok��mon battle with me."


    As she said this, she struck a pose that she probably thought was cool, but to Yuga, it exuded a sense of adolescence.


    "You''re a Trainer too, little sister?"


    "Yep, I just became a Trainer. But I''ve had Pok��mon for a while now. Look, this is my first Pok��mon, Cyndaquil."


    "Cyndaquil!"


    Her Cyndaquil chimed in with a call, making its presence known.


    So, she''s a new Trainer, Yuga thought.


    Feeling a bit awkward, Yuga said to the girl, "Alright, I''ve only just be a Trainer too. We can battle, but please go easy on me."


    "Aw!"


    Upon hearing Yuga words, the girl eximed.


    "Big brother, you''re pretty old for just starting out as a Trainer, huh? Poor you."


    It was as though an invisible arrow struck Yuga heart. She had seen right through him without saying a word.


    "Uh... hahaha..."


    Yuga chuckled awkwardly.


    "Alright, alright, I''ll go easy on you. I should''ve known better than to challenge you. Who would''ve thought you''re aplete newbie."


    The little girl impatiently retorted.


    At this point, Yuga felt like an arrow had pierced his chest, and he sensed a fiery rage building within him.


    Damn, where did this little brate from? Her words are so venomous.


    Yuga nced at Cyndaquil.


    <<cyndaquil>> </cyndaquil>


    Gender: Male


    Ability: ze


    Potential: Green


    Level: 28


    Moves: Quick Attack, Swift, Tackle, Smokescreen, Ember, Reversal.


    After reading through, Yuga thought, "Damn, I might really be a newbie."


    Absol followed him out of gratitude, and Floette, his starter Pok��mon, had been with him for four years. Despite this, Floette was only at level 21 and couldn''t evenpare to this little girl Cyndaquil.


    This was even after Floette had gained several levels from using a Rare Candy.


    However, upon further thought, Yuga wondered about the little girl. Her Pok��mon level, potential, and moves were quite unusual.


    Normally, a Pok��mon like Cyndaquil would have evolved by now. Yuga wasn''t surprised, though; he knew his Floette could evolve instantly with a Sun Stone, which he had, but he hadn''t rushed it.


    Additionally, the green potential, was it really so easy toe by?


    The move slots were also unusual. His own Absol had green potential and a higher level than this Cyndaquil, yet it only had five moves.


    This girl was clearly what one would call a "rich kid." Yuga thought to himself.


    "What''s your name, little sister?"


    "Oh, I''m nnery. Anyway, let''s start our battle!"


    After hearing nnery words, Yuga finally knew who she was.


    He marveled at how small the world was. He met her grandfather just yesterday and now, he was meeting the granddaughter.


    This was none other than nnery, the current Fire-type Master and the future leader of Lavaridge Gym.


    Although Yuga had seen the anime and knew that the future Gym Leader was named nnery, he hadpletely forgotten her appearance.


    "You''re really nnery? Is your grandpa Mr. Moore?"


    Yuga asked to confirm.


    "Ah, you know my grandpa?"


    nnery was surprised that this big brother in front of her knew her grandpa.


    "Your grandpa is the current Fire-type Master, known by everyone."


    "Yesterday, I met your grandpa, and this Vulpix was actually a gift from him to me."


    Saying that, Yuga released Vulpix Mr. Moore had given him.


    nnery and Vulpix clearly knew each other. Vulpix let out a cry towards nnery, and nnery was equally astonished, saying:


    "Truly Grandpa Vulpix. He had mentioned giving me one before, but I didn''t expect it to end up with you."


    Yuga hadn''t anticipated such a connection, and he awkwardly scratched his nose.


    "Is that so? My apologies."


    nnery, however, seemed entirely unaffected by the matter.


    "No worries. Grandpa has plenty of Pok��mon, he''ll definitely give me an even better one someday. By the way, my Cyndaquil was also a gift from him."


    Yuga thought, "No wonder this Cyndaquil is so exceptional. It might very well be a descendant of Elite Typhlosion by Mr. Moore side."

 Chapter 29: Absol vs. Cyndaquil

    <h4>Chapter 29: Absol vs. Cyndaquil</h4>


    "Alright, enough talking. Let''s get this battle started."


    nnery urged impatiently.


    "Sure, let''s go one-on-one. I only have three Pok��mon, and the other two are too weak to battle," Yuga replied.


    Chimecho doesn''t have any attacking moves, and b��b�� is low level andcks battle experience. Its Grass type is also weak against Fire types, so it''s better not to use them in battle.


    Thinking about his situation, Yuga realized he only had Absol that was battle-ready. He resolved to work even harder in the future.


    "That works for me too. I can only use Cyndaquil for battle right now. I haven''t had a chance to use my newly acquired Torchic in battle yet."


    nnery had recently be a Trainer and wasn''t allowed to travel far by her grandfather. She could only explore the nearby wilderness of Lavaridge Town, which led her to encounter Yuga.


    The League allows registration at the age of ten, but there''s no specific age requirement for owning Pok��mon. nnery is an example of this.


    She''s had Cyndaquil for a long time, which exins its high level. However, she recently became an officially registered Trainer with the League.


    Her grandfather holds a high-ranking position in the League, giving her an advantage. She received Torchic as a reward for bing a Trainer, thanks to her lineage.


    Having influential family members has its perks, providing a significant head startpared to the average person.


    Her starter Pok��mon has a blue potential, and the second Torchic she received from the League usually has green potential. Unlike Yuga, even though the Shimizu couple had put in great effort to obtain b��b��, it still only has yellow potential. Yet, Yuga starting point is higher than that of most people.


    It''s clear that everyone has a different background.


    Yuga and nnery found an open grassy area. They stood on opposite sides and released their Pok��mon��Absol and Cyndaquil.


    With everything set, they exchanged nods, signifying that the battle could begin.


    "Absol, Swords Dance!"


    "Cyndaquil, Quick Attack!"


    Without a referee to signal the start of the battle, both of them almost simultaneously gave their orders.


    Absol body was surrounded by a faint blue light as it performed the Swords Dance move, increasing its attack power.


    On the other side, Cyndaquil leaped forward and charged at Absol with a swift Quick Attack.


    Absol finished its Swords Dance and looked up to see Cyndaquil charging at it.


    With Cyndaquil closing in, Absol battle experience came into y. Even though Yuga couldn''t issue amand in time, Absol skillfully twisted its body, avoiding Cyndaquil Quick Attack.


    nnery didn''t anticipate Absol evasive maneuver after using Swords Dance. Her expression turned sour.


    "Cyndaquil, me Wheel!"


    Close-quartersbat wasn''t effective, so nnery switched to a ranged attack. Cyndaquil body was engulfed in mes as it transformed into a zing wheel and sped towards Absol.


    Absol wasn''t just strong in offense; it was adept at defense too.


    "Absol, Protect!"


    nnery was caught off guard as Absol body was surrounded by a protective barrier just in time to block Cyndaquil me Wheel.


    The collision of me Wheel against Protect created a burst of sparks, illuminating the battlefield.


    As the sparks cleared, nnery could see Cyndaquil a short distance away, still surrounded by mes. Its me Wheel had been effectively countered.


    nnery expression was a mix of surprise and frustration. She hadn''t anticipated Absol quick reaction and the Protect move.


    Realizing that her straightforward approach wasn''t working, nnery understood that she needed toe up with a more unpredictable strategy to turn the tide of the battle in her favor.


    Cyndaquil didn''t react in time and was sent flying like a cannonball by Absol sudden charge, crashing hard onto the ground.


    The petite Cyndaquil couldn''t withstand such a fierce attack from Absol. It was covered in injuries almost immediately.


    At that moment, intense mes erupted from Cyndaquil back. Despite its injuries, Cyndaquil momentum was on the rise.


    Yuga recognized that Cyndaquil ability ze had been triggered. This meant that Cyndaquil Fire-type moves would have increased power for the remainder of the battle, but it also indicated that Cyndaquil was reaching its limits.


    Speaking of abilities, Absol ability is Pressure. This ability causes opponents to consume more energy when using moves due to the pressure it exudes.


    However, throughout the battle, Absol ability hadn''te into y at all.


    In essence, this ability revolves around utilizing its own aura and exerting pressure on opponents, which is supposed to make their moves more energy-intensive. But it seemed that Absol didn''t quite understand how to use its own aura to achieve this effect.


    Seeing her Pok��mon nearing its limit, nnery felt a sense of urgency. Shemanded Cyndaquil, "Cyndaquil, use Ember!"


    Upon hearing themand, Cyndaquil opened its mouth and spewed clusters of fiery sparks, transforming into red meteors that streaked towards Absol.


    "Absol, Psycho Cut!"


    Following Yugamand, a massive white de of energy shot forth from Absol curved horn.


    The red mes and the white Psycho Cut shed in mid-air, resulting in a powerful explosion that obscured everyone vision.


    Just as Cyndaquil was waiting for the smoke to dissipate, a white figure suddenly burst out of the haze, colliding fiercely with it.


    It turned out that while the smoke hid Cyndaquil line of sight, Absol had maneuvered into the haze.


    Using the smoke as cover, Absol closed the gap between itself and Cyndaquil. It then pinpointed Cyndaquil location just as the smoke was about to clear andunched an attack the moment the haze was about to disperse.


    With little strength remaining, Cyndaquil couldn''t withstand another hit. It lost the ability to battle when it was sent flying.


    Seeing her Cyndaquil unable to battle, nnery eximed, "You trickster! You imed to be a weak Trainer, but why did I lose now?"


    Yuga weakly replied, "Hehe, maybe you didn''t perform well."


    nnery shot him a re before rushing to Cyndaquil side, picking up the fainted Pok��mon.


    "Do you want Chimecho to heal your Cyndaquil?"


    Seeing an angry nnery, Yuga cautiously asked.


    nnery rolled her eyes at Yuga and said with annoyance, "Just do it."


    So, Yuga called Chimecho over and had her use Heal Pulse on Cyndaquil.


    Since it was just a friendly match, Absol hadn''t used excessive force, and Cyndaquil injuries weren''t severe. It didn''t take long for Cyndaquil to regain consciousness.


    Seeing Cyndaquil awake and safe, Yuga bid farewell to nnery. "Since Cyndaquil is fine now, I''ll be on my way."


    nnery protested, "You haven''t even told me your name yet!"


    "I thought you wouldn''t want to know my name after losing."


    Yuga chuckled.


    nnery stared at Yuga as if he were a fool. "Am I really that petty?"


    Despite her young age, nnery had no shortage of sass. Yuga couldn''t recall the animated version of nnery having this kind of personality.


    Yuga smiled and introduced himself, "I''m Shimizu Yuga. I live not far from here, in Verdanturf Town. If you have time, feel free toe visit."


    Yuga felt that this young girl was quite likable, and it would be nice to make a new friend, even if he was a few years older. He considered it a "cross-generational friendship."


    "Got it, got it. Now go."


    "In that case, goodbye."

 Chapter 30: Discussing The Construction Of An Ecopark

    <h4>Chapter 30: Discussing The Construction Of An Ecopark</h4>


    After bidding farewell to nnery, Yuga continued his journey with Floette, Absol, and Chimecho, leveling up as they traveled.


    In the afternoon, Yuga, covered in dust from the road, returned to Verdanturf Town with Floette, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun.


    Thanks to their training along the way, Floette was fortunate enough to level up once again, going from level 21 to level 22.


    Absol, being over level thirty already, wasn''t as easy to level up and remained at level 32.


    As for Chimecho, it hadn''t participated in battles and its level didn''t change, but its skill proficiency had improved quite a bit since it had been using Heal Pulses all along without any interruptions.


    Opening the shop door and gazing at the empty shelves and the lush tree, Yuga felt like he had been away for years rather than just a few days.


    Yuga made a call to the breeding center and confirmed that the delivery truck hadn''t arrived yet. Since it had to take a longer route, even if they were to drive, it wouldn''t arrive until the next day.


    In the evening, Yuga went to have dinner at Aunt Hisako house, which she had instructed him to do before he returned home.


    At Aunt Hisako house, Floette was once again weed with enthusiasm by Luna the Little Witch, even though it had teary eyes and looked towards Yuga for help, he ignored its plea.


    As for Absol and the others, after preparing Pok��mon food for them, Yuga had ced them all in the shop. Although today was their first time at YoYo Day Care, they seemed to like the ce, especially therge tree in the shop.


    After spending the whole day outside, they were physically and mentally tired. So, after finishing their meal, Absol, Houndour, and Vulpix all copsed under the tree, closing their eyes and falling asleep.


    Murkrow ability is Insomnia, which means it doesn''t sleep as much as other Pok��mon. It flew up to a branch on the tree and kept itsrge eyes open, observing the situation inside the shop.


    After finishing dinner, Yuga went to find his Uncle Kurosaki for a favor. He wanted some help with something.


    Yuga had decided to build an Ecopark, but he didn''t know any reliable construction teams, so he sought help from Uncle Kurosaki.


    "What! You want to build an Ecopark?"


    Uncle Kurosaki was surprised by Yuga words.


    "Building an Ecopark isn''t that simple. Otherwise, your parents wouldn''t have taken so long and still notpleted theirs. And with the savings you have and even thepensation from the breeding center, it''s probably not enough."


    Uncle Kurosaki was insightful. He knew very well how much it would cost to build an Ecopark, and it was definitely something that small, well-off families like theirs couldn''t afford.


    "Little Yuga, listen to your uncle. Let''s not rush into building an Ecopark. Rome wasn''t built in a day. Let''s wait until business at the Day Care improves a bit before considering this."


    Uncle Kurosaki knew that he was saying these things to calm Yuga down. He wanted to discourage him from the idea of building an Ecopark.


    The hope of building an Ecopark was slim, and the business at the Day Care wasn''t something that would easily turn around.


    If the business at the Day Care could have improved earlier, it would have already. Instead, it had been struggling along until now.


    But he couldn''t just let Yuga open an endless pit due to a momentary impulse.


    Building an Ecopark wasn''t just aboutpleting the construction. The management of the park environment and the maintenance of its systems would all cost money.


    With Yuga current financial situation, building aplete Ecopark was already a problem, let alone the subsequent maintenance and management.


    Yuga listened to his uncle well-intentioned advice, feeling somewhat helpless.


    With the system he had, he could easily build the external facilities of the Ecopark and let 1314520 handle the management and system setup inside the park. But he couldn''t reveal this to Uncle Kurosaki.


    "Uncle, I''m not trying to rush things. I just want to build the external facilities of the Ecopark for now. We can take our time with the rest. I''ll save up gradually, and eventually, we''llplete the whole project."


    Yuga couldn''t tell his uncle that with 1314520, he couldplete the Ecopark in a short time. So, he had to tell a little white lie.


    Uncle Kurosaki pondered for a while, but in the end, he couldn''t resist Yuga persuasion and agreed to help.


    Kurosaki thoughts were that building some external facilities first would be okay. He believed that once Yuga experienced the taste of failure, he would give up his childish idea. As for the money spent on constructing the external facilities of the Ecopark, he considered it a lesson bought with money. After all, it was Yuga own money, and he was an adult now. Even though he was his uncle, Kurosaki didn''t want to intervene too much.


    Yuga also took the opportunity to tell Kurosaki about the shop recent renovation, so he wouldn''t be clueless the next time he visited.


    Kurosaki didn''t have any objections to the shop renovation; in fact, he was quite supportive. After all, Yuga brother and sister-inw had passed away not long ago, so changing the shop environment could help change the mood.


    However, he also sighed, realizing that Yuga had indeed grown up. He now had his own ideas, even though some of them might not be fully mature. But it showed that he was facing the world in his own way.


    In the past, Yuga wouldn''t have bothered with these matters.


    After reaching an agreement with Kurosaki, Yuga discussed the details of building the Ecopark. Yuga wasn''t very knowledgeable about this area, so most of the time, Kurosaki did the talking while Yuga listened.


    Yuga couldn''t deny that having someone who had been in society for many years like Kurosaki was helpful. Yuga himself had no issues with social interactions, considering he had lived almost thirty years in his previous life. However, he was still unfamiliar with this world, and most of his knowledge was based on the memories of the original host.


    The original host wasn''t particrly knowledgeable either; his memories were often unreliable. So, whenever Yuga had something to deal with, he mostly relied on his uncle, Kurosaki.


    With everything settled and the matter of hiring a construction team entrusted to Kurosaki, it was gettingte. Yuga made his way back home, bathed in the moonlight.


    Opening the shop door, everything was pitch dark inside. Suddenly, Yuga spotted a pair of glowing eyes staring directly at him from the darkness, and he was almost scared enough to scream.


    Only when he heard a "Murkrow, Murkrow" chirp did Yuga realize those were Murkrow eyes.


    Turning on the lights, he found that Absol and the others were still asleep, and only Murkrow was awake and alert.


    Floette was also exhausted. It had to deal with battles during the day and Luna at night, so it waspletely drained. It flew back to its little nest on the tree and fell asleep in no time.


    After reminding Murkrow to rest well, Yuga went upstairs to prepare for sleep.

 Chapter 31: Arrival Of The Pokémon Eggs

    <h4>Chapter 31: Arrival Of The Pok��mon Eggs</h4>


    The delivery truck carrying the Pok��mon eggs from Day Care Center arrived at YoYo Day Care around midday the next day. At that time, Yuga was in the kitchen preparing lunch.


    The deliveryman for the Pok��mon eggs was named Larry. He was a middle-aged man in his forties and an experienced employee of Day Care Center. It was said that he had delivered goods to YoYo Day Care before, but Yuga didn''t remember him.


    Of course, Larry was aware of the recent events involving Yuga parents, so he was extra cautious this time.


    Larry seemed quite enthusiastic and immediately asked Yuga where to ce the Pok��mon eggs, offering to help move them into the shop.


    "Little Yuga, where should we put these Pok��mon eggs?"


    Yuga wouldn''t refuse help when it was offered.


    "Oh, Larry,e with me."


    Yuga led Larry into the shop and pointed to the cabs for the Pok��mon eggs.


    "All the eggs should be ced in these cabs."


    Yuga opened the ss on top of the cabs and showed Larry how to ce the eggs on the cushion inside.


    "I see, once you open it like this, you can just ce the eggs on this cushion inside."


    These cabs had been modified by the system, and the ss on top used to disy and protect the eggs could be opened, making it easier to refill with new eggs.


    "I see. Your shop seems different from before."


    Larry looked around the shop.


    Yuga smiled and said to Larry, "Yes, we just finished renovating it recently."


    "Indeed, the renovation looks great."


    "Thank you."


    "Little Yuga, how about we open all the ss covers first before moving the eggs? It might be a bit tricky to hold the eggs while opening the ss."


    Larry suddenly thought of something and suggested.


    Yuga considered it and realized that holding the eggs while opening the ss wasn''t very convenient.


    "Yes, you''re right. Let''s do it your way."


    So, the two of them opened all the ss covers on the cabs before going outside to move the eggs.


    Since the eggs were fragile, they had to be extremely careful while moving them, which slowed down their progress.


    Halfway through their task, Aunt Hisako, Uncle Kurosaki, and their child arrived.


    "Little Yuga, why didn''t you call us to help with this!"


    Aunt Hisako reproached Yuga.


    "Aunt, aren''t you all supposed to be at work today? Why did youe over?"


    Yuga asked in confusion.


    Hisako: "Don''t you even know what time it is? It''s already noon. Don''t people usually have lunch break at work?"


    "Haha, I didn''t realize."


    Yuga scratched the back of his head awkwardly, looking a bit silly.


    He had been so busy moving the eggs that he forgot it was already lunchtime.


    Hisako: "You haven''t made lunch yet. Husband, go help them. I''ll go prepare the meal."


    Uncle Kurosaki: "Sure, you go ahead."


    After Hisako finished speaking, she went straight to the kitchen. As for Luna, by the time they had arrived, she had already chased after Floette and Chimecho and who knows where they had gone.


    With the three of them working together, the speed of moving the eggs indeed increased. In no time, all the Pok��mon eggs were safely ced inside the cabs, and the ss covers were closed.


    The defective eggs were ced separately in another cab, separated from the others.


    After they finished moving the eggs, Aunt Hisako hadn''t finished making lunch yet, but Uncle Kurosaki made a round and said:


    "Little Yuga, your shop renovation is really nice. It must have cost quite a bit."


    Yuga definitely couldn''t say that he didn''t spend a penny, so he lied: "It''s alright, didn''t cost much. We found someone my parents knew to do it, and they only charged us the cost price."


    "I see. I didn''t expect your brother and sister-inw to know someone so skilled in renovations."


    Thankfully, Uncle Kurosaki didn''t inquire further, or Yuga wouldn''t know how to continue the lie.


    "Uncle Larry, why don''t you stay and have lunch here before heading back?"


    Yuga said to Larry, who was sweating profusely.


    Larry seemed like an honest person who was really diligent when it came to work.


    While moving the Pok��mon eggs, it seemed like Larry alone was managing more than both Yuga and Uncle Kurosakibined.


    Mainly because neither Yuga nor Uncle Kurosaki had much experience with this kind of work, so they were quite unustomed to it.


    Uncle Kurosaki was a typical office worker, handling paperwork and business deals in hispany. He hadn''t done any physically demanding tasks.


    As for the original owner, he waszy and physically weak, not suited forbor-intensive activities at all.


    So, the two of them together weren''t as efficient as Larry alone.


    Upon hearing Yuga invitation, Mr. Larry hesitated.


    "How could I impose like that."


    Yuga: "There''s no imposition. You''ve helped me with so much work. It wouldn''t be right if I didn''t offer you a meal before you leave. It''s me who should feel bad."


    Uncle Kurosaki quickly chimed in, "Yes, it''s just a meal. It''s not a big deal. Just stay and have lunch."


    Finally, after Yuga and Uncle Kurosaki sincere invitations, Mr. Larry stayed for lunch before leaving in his car.


    After Aunt Hisako and the others left following Mr. Larry departure, they were quite busy too, so they left as well. They still had work to do in the afternoon, and Luna had to go to school.


    Luna was currently attending the Trainer Junior School in the town, a specialized institution for training young Trainers.


    The original owner had also attended this school, but his grades had never been good, and he wasn''t particrly interested in bing a Trainer after graduation.


    Unlike the original owner, Luna had always been fond of Pok��mon and was determined to be an outstanding Trainer.


    One could tell from the fact that she was always chasing after Floette. She truly loved Pok��mon, although her approach towards them was quite unique.


    Despite being only six years old, Luna was much more ambitious than the original owner. She consistently excelled in school and was truly a pride of both families.


    After Aunt Hisako and the others left, Yuga looked at the neatly arranged Pok��mon eggs in the shop and felt an indescribable sense of aplishment.


    From now on, YoYo Day Care was officially on the right track.


    Since the eggs had just arrived, Yuga didn''t n to open for business immediately in the afternoon. He decided to take the Pok��mon out to the backyard for training.


    Currently, Yuga had six Pok��mon that needed training: Floette, Absol, Chimecho, Murkrow, Vulpix, and Houndour.


    Although Murkrow and the others weren''t his main battle Pok��mon, being residents of the Ecopark, they still needed to have decent strength.


    A Pok��mon potential was influenced by the strength of its parents. The stronger the previous generation Pok��mon were, the higher the chances of producing offspring with high potential.

 Chapter 32: Crafting The Remedies

    <h4>Chapter 32: Crafting The Remedies</h4>


    Yuga training n for his Pok��mon at this stage was quite straightforward.


    First, there was physical training, followed by skill training, and finally battle training.


    Physical training became simpler with the addition of Chimecho Gravity ability. All the Pok��mon would engage in running exercises under the influence of Chimecho Gravity. Wherever they ran, the gravitational field of Chimecho would move ordingly.


    However, Chimecho role wasn''t limited to just providing Gravity. Yuga followed a method simr to how he trained Floette before, tying a stone to Chimecho body to make it run along with the others.


    Besides this, Chimecho also took care of the healing aspect after the other Pok��mon training sessions. Pok��mon could level up not just through battles but also through regr training. This was evident from Chimecho level 18, despite its initially weak battle prowess.


    In terms of skill training, Yuga focused on enhancing the Fairy Wind and Magical Leaf skills of Floette. The goal was to make Floette Fairy Wind swift yet concentrated, and its Magical Leaf capable of being used in multiple leaves simultaneously.


    For Absol, the training involved practicing the state of Swords Dance while continuously using the moves sh and Psycho Cut. Absol current physical condition allowed only one use of Swords Dance, using it again would not boost its attack and might even harm itself.


    Maintaining the state of Swords Dance was crucial for Absol to adapt to it gradually and prepare for a second use in the future. Yuga set up a simple target in the yard for Absol to practice its uracy.


    In addition to this, Absol would also work on using its Psychic-type move, Future Sight. This ability supposedly allowed the user to see into the future, although Yuga wasn''t sure if this was true. Regardless, Absol ability to learn this move made it a rare Pok��mon.


    Yuga suspected that the people chasing Absol were interested in this unique skill. However, since Absol had never used it and showed no special qualities rted to it, Yuga was unsure how to train this ability.


    As for Chimecho, Yuga didn''t devise any extra skill training n for it. Its involvement in training was already significant, assisting others in physical exercises, alleviating exhaustion with Heal Pulse, and soothing their spirits with Aromatherapy. These skills were perfectly suited for its role.


    As for Murkrow and the others, Yuga requirements for their skill training were rtively modest. He wanted them to continually use their existing skills, be familiar with them, and control them better.


    The final aspect of training was battle training, where Pok��mon would engage in pairs to evaluate the results of the previous training phases and umte battle experience.


    Previously, Yuga only had Floette, so this type of training wasn''t feasible. He often thought about taking Floette for outdoor training.


    Now, with six Pok��mon, home-based battle training was viable.


    Yuga trained his Pok��mon throughout the afternoon, ending only as evening approached. This intense training was possible due to Chimecho assistance; without it, the Pok��mon might not have been able to endure the high-intensity training.


    After dinner, Yuga looked at the gically defective Pok��mon eggs in the shop. He decided to expedite the production of Minor Gic Restoration Elixir to address the issues with these eggs.


    Yuga had already reviewed the form for the elixir; the required ingredients were not too difficult to find and were generally avable on the market.


    The main ingredients included two categories: tree fruits such as Citrus, Kee, Oran, Pecha, and Lum berries; and medicinal herbs like White Herb, Big Root, Odd Incense, Luminous Moss, and Star Piece.


    While the herbs were rtively more expensive than the berries, herbs like White Herb and Luminous Moss weren''t typically avable in regr stores. Yuga would need to visit specialized herbal shops for those.


    Although a bit more effort was required, gathering the materials wasn''t overly challenging.


    As Yuga pondered, he began to grow restless. While it was dark outside, it wasn''t toote yet. The herbal shops and berry stores should still be open.


    So Yuga locked the shop door, instructed Floette and the others to guard the house, and stepped outside, just as he had nned.


    As expected, the materials listed in the recipe were readily avable in the shops. However, some quantities were limited. For instance, White Herb and Luminous Moss took Yuga a few visits to various stores before he could gather enough.


    This being Yuga first attempt at creating elixirs, he wasn''t certain about the oue. Thus, he bought a bit more of each ingredient, just in case.


    He also acquired a set of specialized equipment for crafting elixirs from a herbal shop, based on the steps mentioned in the recipe.


    Back home, Yuga immediately closed the door and began the process.


    Firstly, he worked on processing the ingredients. He washed the berries thoroughly and diced each type separately, ensuring they didn''t mix.


    The diced berries were ground into juice and strained using a special tool, purifying them until no impurities remained. The resulting juices were collected in separate test tubes.


    Processing the medicinal herbs was different from the berries, as each required a distinct method. Big Root and Odd Incense needed to be proportionately mixed with water and boiled like traditional medicinal herbs. However, the process was more meticulous to ount for water evaporation. Yuga had to be cautious as the sealed container could explode under heat.


    White Herb and Star Piece needed to be ground into a fine powder, which was tiring but simplerpared to the other ingredients.


    Luminous Moss was unique in that it meltedpletely when in contact with water. Thus, it was left untouched until the end, added to the mixture to naturally blend with otherponents.


    The final step was elixir crafting, involvingbining ingredients as per the recipe instructions and precise measurements. Any deviation could lead to failure.


    Fortunately, Yuga process went smoothly. On his first attempt, he sessfully produced a batch of Minor Gic Restoration Elixir.


    The elixir looked beautiful��its bottle held a clear and transparent emerald-green liquid, resembling the Fountain of Life. It radiated a strong vitality.


    Yuga hadn''t expected to seed on his first try, suddenly feeling like a genius.


    ording to the system, mixing the elixir in water and soaking the eggs twice daily would eventually repair the gic defects. Additionally, the elixir expedited egg hatching without side effects��almost like a miraculous tool.


    Taking advantage of his spare time, Yuga continued to craft elixirs from the remaining materials. As hepleted the process, the voice of 1314520 resounded in his mind once again.


    [ Now initiating main quest: Elevate Shimizu Yuga reputation in the Pok��mon world as a Day Care owner.


    Main Quest 2: Hatch gically defective Pok��mon eggs and integrate them sessfully into the Ecopark.


    Reward: System-custom Universal Pok��mon Food


    Note: Although universal, this special food promotes Pok��mon growth and is highly beneficial. ]


    Yuga was pleasantly surprised by the system innovative ways of rewarding him.


    "1314520, are you there?"


    In truth, the system was often quite unobtrusive, rarely speaking unless Yuga initiated or tasks were assigned.


    [ I''m here, Host. Do you have any instructions? ]


    "No need, no need. I just wanted to express my gratitude for the rewards you keep giving me."


    [ No need to thank, Host. The system exists solely to serve you. ]


    "Haha, I see. Well, I won''t disturb you then."


    In reality, Yuga seldom exchanged more than a few words with the rather reserved voice of 1314520.


    Afterpleting the elixir crafting, Yuga didn''t rush to use it on the eggs. Instead, he decided to wait until the next day for application. As the system stated, the elixir needed to be administered twice a day. Since it was already evening, using only half the dosage in a day wasn''t optimal. To be safe, he opted to wait until the next day.

 Chapter 33: Negotiations

    <h4>Chapter 33: Negotiations</h4>


    Early the next day, Yuga woke up and administered the elixir he had crafted yesterday to the Pok��mon eggs. He had prepared a specific ce for soaking the eggs with the elixir, showing just how seriously he took this matter.


    These eggs were the future residents of Yuga Ecopark, and he couldn''t afford to be careless.


    Afterward, Yuga began the morning training session with his six Pok��mon, followed by breakfast, and then he opened his shop for business as usual.


    Once the shop was open, Yuga resumed his usual habit of daydreaming behind the cash register, while his Pok��mon rested beneath therge tree inside the shop.


    Feeling bored, Yuga realized that he shouldn''t continue being ignorant now that he was the owner of a Day Care. He decided to study and learn more about Pok��mon care to improve his knowledge in the field.


    Since the shop was quiet during business hours, he figured he might as well read some books to educate himself and recharge.


    During shop hours, Yuga didn''t want to leave, so he decided to look online for suitable books about Pok��mon care.


    There was aputer on the shop cash register, which Yuga had bought himself for convenience. It wasn''t a creation of the system but rather his own purchase.


    There were many books avable online on this subject, and Yuga ordered a few beginner-friendly ones.


    Around noon, Kurosaki called Yuga to inform him that he had already found a construction team. In the afternoon, he would bring the team leader to Yuga house to assess the yard and discuss specific details about building the Ecopark.


    Yuga was surprised at how efficient his uncle was. Within a day, he had already found a construction team.


    So Yuga waited at home for his uncle and the construction team leader to arrive. However, before they came, a customer entered the shop.


    This customer happened to be the first customer since Yuga reopened the Day Care, so he offered him a discount.


    The customer name was Arata Niida, a young man in his early twenties, who identified himself as a Trainer.


    He mentioned that he was from the Johto area and was traveling in Hoenn Region. However, he had already decided to return soon and wanted to buy a Pok��mon egg as a gift for his younger brother.


    Through their conversation, Yuga learned that Arata younger brother aspired to be a Trainer like his older brother but was still too young and didn''t have a Pok��mon yet.


    In reality, countless children like Arata brother dreamed of bing Trainers. However, while the initial step into the Trainer profession might be easy, achieving sess and recognition was a challenging endeavor.


    The world was constantly seeing new Trainers emerge, but only a few became well-known. Most of them remained unknown to the masses.


    After Yuga rmendation, Arata bought a Shroomish egg and left the Day Care.


    Not long after seeing off the customer, Yuga spotted his uncle arriving with a middle-aged man at the entrance of the Day Care.


    Through Kurosaki introduction, Yuga learned that the man name was Daichi Kurozumi, a veteran in the construction industry with ample experience.


    In their brief interaction, Yuga could tell that Kurozumi was a friendly person who didn''t underestimate him due to his young age. During the assessment of Yuga yard, he was thorough and meticulous.


    With Kurosaki apanying them, Yuga and Kurozumi had a pleasant discussion. The progress was smooth, and they discussed various aspects of constructing the Ecopark, including specific details.


    During the discussion, Yuga mentioned that he hoped they wouldn''t damage the grassy area in his yard during the construction process. Kurozumi assured him that he had noted that request.


    The grassy area in Yuga yard had been intentionally nted by his parents and was well-maintained. Yuga thought it would be great to preserve this area as it was when the Ecopark waspleted.


    Kurozumi understood his concern and assured him that it wouldn''t be a problem for them to maintain the grassy patch during construction.


    Additionally, Yuga wanted to divide the interior of the Ecopark into several separate sections for individual construction.


    Kurozumi expressed confusion about this request.


    In general, most ecoparks are designed as a unified system to maintain the overall environment. It''s not easy to separate different sections since they rely on the same system for operation. However, Yuga couldn''t tell Kurozumi that he was advised to do this by 1314528, and with 1314520 presence, he didn''t need to worry about the internal system of the Ecopark.


    Yuga Ecopark, aside from the main area, would also have several secondary sections that needed separate management from the main area. These separations were necessary.


    However, Yuga had previously mentioned to Kurozumi that his Ecopark wouldn''t require an internal system, so Kurozumi didn''t press further into the reasons for Yuga decision. After all, it was the customer request, and any dissatisfaction in the future wouldn''t be med on them.


    Afterward, Yuga and Kurozumi discussed the construction cost, external materials, and the overall appearance of the Ecopark. Once everything was settled, Kurozumi informed Yuga that their construction team would bring materials and start construction early the next morning.


    Since Yuga wanted the Ecopark to bepleted as soon as possible, he had no objections.


    Due to the extensive discussions and yard assessment, the day had grownte by the time they finished. Kurozumi didn''t linger and left promptly.


    During the afternoon, there were no customers, so Yuga decided to close the shop for the day. He hung the "Closed" sign at the entrance and concluded today business.


    In truth, with Kurozumi visit today, the shop couldn''t really be considered open. No customers came, and even the shop owner himself didn''t have time to manage the shop. It was hard to call it business as usual.


    After closing the shop, it was still daylight, so Yuga decided to engage in some training with his Pok��mon.


    When his Pok��mon weren''t training, they either napped under therge tree in the shop or yed on the spacious grassy area in the backyard. It was easy for Yuga to locate them.


    Among his Pok��mon, Absol and Murkrow were the most dedicated to training. They executed Yuga training instructions meticulously.


    Vulpix and Chimecho, due to their docile personalities, weren''t extremely enthusiastic about training, but they still managed toplete their exercises effectively.


    Floette was naturallyzy from a young age, so whenever no one was watching, it would find ways to ck off.


    As for Houndour, it was somewhat special. When Yuga first encountered it, he noticed its timid nature, which was entirely different from the fierce temperament of other Houndour.


    Houndour excelled in physical and skill training, but it tended to falter during battle training, which gave Yuga a headache.


    However, these things took time to work on; rushing wouldn''t help.

 Chapter 34: Suzuki Kōen

    <h4>Chapter 34: Suzuki K��en</h4>


    The efficiency of the work in the Dark Swamp was quite high. Early the next day, after Yuga had soaked the Pok��mon eggs in the gene-repair elixir, he led his team to report for duty, bringing along construction materials.


    Apanying them was Yuga uncle, Mine Kurosaki.


    Yuga was clueless about construction matters, but he trusted his uncle, so he was willing to put his faith in the Dark Swamp team brought by his uncle.


    All the materials brought had been paid for by Yuga in advance, and they were entrusted entirely to Dark Swamp responsibility.


    Seeing Mine Kurosakiing with the construction team so early, Yuga asked, "Uncle, you have work today. Why did youe so early?"


    Mine Kurosaki smiled and said, "If I take charge of something, I must see it through to the end."


    Yuga felt happy that Mine Kurosaki cared about him, but he also worried that his uncle hadn''t rested well because of this.


    "The construction team is here, and the materials are all gathered. You don''t need to worry. If you don''t rest well and it affects your work, the gain won''t be worth the loss."


    Mine Kurosaki waved his hand and said with a smile, "It''s fine, it''s fine. I slept earlyst night, so don''t worry about my rest. If I don''t handle your matters properly, I''ll always feel uneasy."


    Yuga felt somewhat helpless and could onlyugh, saying, "Then you should take care of yourself. If you exhaust yourself, Auntie Hisako mighte to me to settle the score."


    Hearing Yuga words, Mine Kurosaki burst intoughter, "Your aunt cares about you too much. She won''te to settle the score with you. If anything, she''ll say it''s my fault."


    Afterward, Yuga went with Mine Kurosaki to the backyard to greet the members of the construction team, and the construction of the Ecopark officially began.


    Mine Kurosaki didn''t stay at Yuga ce for long since it was almost time for work. He left in a hurry.


    As for Yuga himself, he didn''t know much about construction, so apart from exining someyouts and structural details, he yed the role of a bystander.


    In this way, a week passed, and the construction of the Ecopark was only halfway done. During his free time, Yuga returned to the shop to continue business.


    On this day, Yuga was sitting bored behind the cash register, wondering if he should set up a website for the shop.


    When his Ecopark could start sending out Pok��mon, he could use the website for promotion. Relying solely on the current shop situation would be challenging to improve business.


    "Boss, what are you thinking about?"


    Yuga, who was deeply lost in thought, was startled by this sudden voice.


    He let out a sigh of relief and looked up. Standing in front of his cash register was an exceptionally elegant and beautifuldy, Miss Suzuki, the first customer in the shop since he reopened.


    Yuga rxed, saying, "So it''s Miss Suzuki."


    Yuga had a deep impression of the shop first customer, especially since she was such a stunning beauty.


    Seeing Yuga jump at the unexpected voice, Miss Suzuki chuckled, "Well, who else would you think it is? You seem quite jumpy. You aren''t up to any mischief, are you?"


    Only now did Yuga notice that Miss Suzuki was holding a Skitty in her arms. Hemented, "What kind of mischief could I possibly be up to? I was just lost in thought. So, Miss Suzuki, your Skitty hatched."


    Upon hearing Yugament, Miss Suzuki spoke with delight, "Yes, indeed. How do you find it? Isn''t it adorable?"


    While Miss Suzuki spoke, she even gave Skitty a hearty kiss on the forehead, clearly very fond of her Skitty.


    Yuga smiled and said, "It''s very cute and healthy. Congrattions."


    The Skitty in Miss Suzuki arms might be small, but its fur was glossy and smooth, and its bright eyes showed its good health.


    "Really? I also think my Strawberry, is incredibly cute. By the way, Strawberry is the name of my Skitty."


    Miss Suzuki seemed to enjoy othersplimenting her Skitty, and her constant smile reminded Yuga of a cat owner from his past life.


    "Your cat master... Oh no, your Skitty is indeed well-suited to the name Strawberry. With its pink fur and round body, the name is quite fitting."


    Yuga words slightly deviated from the topic, almost letting the words "cat master" slip out. Fortunately, Miss Suzuki mind was elsewhere.


    "Did you have a specific reason foring today, Miss Suzuki?"


    After talking for so long, Yuga still didn''t know why Miss Suzuki hade today. He curiously inquired.


    Upon hearing Yuga question, Miss Suzuki hesitated for a moment, seemingly uncertain how to put her thoughts into words. She finally said hesitantly, "Is it just you running the shop here?"


    Even though he didn''t know why Miss Suzuki was asking these questions, Yuga truthfully replied, "Yes, it''s just me. Is there a problem?"


    "Ah, no, there''s no problem. I was just wondering if you could manage the shop on your own."


    Although he didn''t know what she was getting at, Yuga didn''t answer her question. Instead, he continued to watch her without moving.


    Seemingly embarrassed by Yuga intense gaze, Miss Suzuki bit her lip and finally revealed her purpose.


    "I was actually wondering if you need extra help here. I''m thinking of finding a job at your shop."


    "Finding a job here?"


    Yuga had never considered recruiting a shop assistant. When his parents were around, they never hired any additional staff either. They had always managed the shop by themselves.


    But back then, his parents were both working at the breeding center. Now, Yuga was the only one.


    Indeed, there were times when Yuga felt it was a bit inconvenient to run the shop alone. Going out meant leaving the shop unattended, but he hadn''t reached the point of needing to recruit help.


    "Um... I haven''t really thought about this issue. As you can see, the business in my shop isn''t doing very well."


    Yuga felt somewhat embarrassed.


    Upon hearing Yuga words, Miss Suzuki knew she was being turned down, but she didn''t show any disappointment. Instead, she smiled and said to Yuga:


    "I see. Well, never mind then. To be honest, I wasn''t necessarily looking for a job. I just really like it here. Plus, now that I''m settled in Verdanturf Town, I don''t have much to do during my free time. That''s why I had the idea toe and take a look here."


    Through her conversation with Miss Suzuki, Yuga got a rough understanding of her situation.


    Miss Suzuki, whose full name was Suzuki K��en, hailed from the city of Rustboro and was 32 years old, exactly twice Yuga age of 16. She had taken on the Suzuki name after marrying her husband.


    She and her husband had grown up together, childhood friends who had eventually be a couple and married. It all seemed natural, and their lives were happily fulfilled.


    Her husband was talented and owned his ownpany, and business was thriving. The only issue was that he was a workaholic. Whenever he started working, he couldn''t stop, ignoring everything else.


    Miss Suzuki felt very concerned about her husband habits and worried it wasn''t sustainable.


    She wasn''t upset that her husband was so focused on work that he neglected her. She understood that his hard work was for the family. Her worry was that his relentless dedication might damage his health.


    But workaholics are just that, addicted to work. If they could be swayed by advice, they wouldn''t be workaholics. Her husband hadn''t changed his ways despite her admonitions.


    Finally, her ominous premonition came true three years ago. Her husband died suddenly at his workce due to excessive fatigue, leaving behind Miss Suzuki and their one-year-old son.


    Now, Miss Suzuki no longer felt sorrow when mentioning these things. After all, three years had passed, and tears could only be shed so much.


    Miss Suzuki wasn''t short of money now. Her husband had left her and their son a substantial inheritance upon his death, enough to live afortable life without worries.


    Miss Suzuki had settled in Verdanturf Town with her son because of the pleasant environment. It was suitable for living, with a slow pace of life��quite unlike Rustboro City, where people worked day in and day out.


    "My son goes to school during the day, and I''m alone at home with nothing to do. It gets quite boring. So, I thought about finding something light to do and passing the time."


    Miss Suzuki spoke regretfully. She genuinely liked it here. Sinceing here, she found it veryfortable, and even the air seemed fresher than outside.


    Miss Suzuki certainly couldn''t know that her feelings werergely influenced by the presence of therge tree in the shop.


    "I see. I just haven''t thought about hiring a shop assistant for now. But after the Ecopark is built, I might get busier. At that time, recruiting a shop assistant could be necessary. It would save me a lot of time."


    Yuga thought that when the Ecopark waspleted, he might be busier, and it could be a good time to consider hiring an assistant to save time.


    "Really? Well, then I''ll wait for your decision. I don''t have anything else specific to do right now, so I''ll wait for your notification. Here my phone number."


    Miss Suzuki didn''t anticipate a twist in the situation, happily handing over her phone number to Yuga.


    Taking the note Miss Suzuki handed him, Yuga nced down and saw her phone number written on it. He nodded and said, "Alright, I''ll give you a call when the timees."


    Seeing Miss Suzuki off at the shop entrance, Yuga returned to his ce behind the cash register, waiting for customers toe in.

 Chapter 35: Achievements and Developments

    <h4>Chapter 35: Achievements and Developments</h4>


    Speaking of the past week, Yuga had managed to sell quite a few Pok��mon eggs. Arge portion of these were purchased by thosepanions who hadn''t been able to buy eggs from Grandma Lanca before. Yuga counted them carefully, and in total, he had sold about 7 eggs.


    Selling this many Pok��mon eggs in a week might not be considered great business, but it definitely wasn''t bad either.


    It''s worth mentioning that Pok��mon eggs weren''t everyday items. Even though human life hadpletely integrated with the world of Pok��mon since the development of the Pok��mon League, not every household kept Pok��mon. Pok��mon and their eggs were considered luxury items. Even the cheapest eggs, those with red or orange aptitude ratings, cost several thousand dors. Pok��mon hatchlings were even more expensive, with higher aptitude ones easily reaching tens of thousands, and those in the hundreds of thousands weren''t umon.


    Furthermore, selling Pok��mon eggs was already a high-profit business. Just the profit from selling 7 eggs was several tens of thousands. Yuga was doing pretty well for himself, not too bad but also not overly excessive.


    His parents'' business never used to be this good when they were alive.


    Yuga felt he should find some time to properly thank Grandma Lanca.


    Meanwhile, after a week of hard work, Yuga Pok��mon were starting to show results from their training.


    Floette had finally shed its reputation of being somewhat useless. Not only had its level increased to 26, but it had also started using Magical Leaf and Fairy Wind more skillfully. While it might not have achieved perfection, it was now capable of participating in normal battles without a problem.


    Absol, being naturally higher in level, didn''t improve as fast as Floette. It had only gone from level 32 to 33. However, it had be much more versatile in using its skills. Moves like Quick Attack, Pursuit, and Psycho Cut were not only more coherent but also more powerful.


    Even its Swords Dance took less time for Absol to perform.


    As for Chimecho, it rarely participated in actualbat training and mostly relied on physical training and skill practice. So, its level increase was minimal, going from level 18 to 20. However, its Gravity and Heal Pulse moves were very popr among the other Pok��mon.


    Regarding Murkrow, Houndour, and Vulpix, their strength had also seen notable improvements.


    Murkrow level had gone from 21 to 24, Houndour from 15 to 19, and Vulpix'' from 17 to 21. Since they weren''t the main battle Pok��mon, Yuga had less strict requirements for their trainingpared to Floette and the others. Especially in terms of skill training, he only focused on making themfortable with using their skills smoothly and didn''t push them to explore more advanced aspects.


    And then there were the 32 gically defective Pok��mon eggs. After a week of continuous soaking in gene-repair elixir twice a day, their surfaces, though they hadn''t hatched sessfully yet, had be smooth and glossy. It was as if they had been reced with a new batch of eggs.


    Every day, Yuga looked forward to seeing what cute Pok��mon would hatch from those eggs.


    In summary, during the past week, he had been managing the shop, training his Pok��mon, and supervising construction. Although he couldn''t be described as busy, Yuga was definitely leading a fulfilling life.


    On this day, during lunchtime, Yuga took his six Pok��mon to the Pok��mon Center to have their health checked by Nurse Joy.


    The training intensity Yuga had imposed on his Pok��mon during the past week was quite high. Even though he had Chimecho, who specialized in recovery, Yuga wasn''t a professional medical practitioner, so he believed it was necessary to have his Pok��mon examined regrly to ensure their well-being.


    Yuga original self rarely visited Pok��mon Centers. He had never considered bing a Pok��mon Trainer, and he hadn''t made any future ns aftering here. However, given his current circumstances, he realized that he would likely be dealing with Pok��mon Centers more frequently in the future.


    Perhaps due to it being lunchtime, the Pok��mon Center was quite busy. There were people checking in, eating, and getting their Pok��mon treated. Nurse Joy and her Chansey were bustling around, busy attending to everyone needs.


    Yuga walked up to the counter and said to Nurse Joy, "Nurse Joy, I''d like to have my Pok��mon checked."


    Although Nurse Joy was sweating from being busy, she still smiled at Yuga and said, "Of course, please ce your Pok�� Balls here."


    Nurse Joy pointed to a small cart pushed by Chansey, which had six hollow circr slots designed to hold Pok�� Balls.


    Yuga took out his six Pok�� Balls and ced them on the cart, and then Chansey pushed them into the medical room.


    "Please wait patiently for a while. Once the check is done, we''ll call you in the lobby."


    While registering Yuga information, Nurse Joy smiled and said to him.


    "Alright, thank you, Nurse Joy."


    Yuga thought to himself: Truly, the Joy family, one of the two renowned families in the world, provides impable service with such thoughtful smiles.


    Afterward, Yuga went to the waiting area, waiting for the broadcast notification from the Pok��mon Center lobby after his Pok��mon were checked.


    Just as Yuga was about to sit down in the waiting area, his attention was caught by two colorful posters posted on the wall.


    With nothing better to do, Yuga walked up to the posters to see what was written on them.


    The first poster contained information about a Pok��mon battlepetition.


    Thepetition was named the "Verdanturf Town Youth Pok��mon Battle Tournament," organized by the well-known Devon Corporation branch in Verdanturf Town.


    When it came to Devon Corporation, almost everyone in Hoenn region was familiar with it.


    Devon Corporation full name was Devon Corporation Co., Ltd., headquartered in Rustboro City, Hoenn region, simply referred to as Devon.


    It was said that a few years ago, it was just a smallpany, but under the leadership of its current president, Mr. Stone, it had developed to the point of rivaling Silph Company, a long-standingpany in Kanto region.


    Keep in mind that Silph Company had been a dominant force in Kanto region for many years.


    Devon Corporation was involved in a wide range of industries, including Pok�� Balls, Pokeblocks, Pok��mon food, and carrying items, all catering to Pok��mon Trainers.


    Currently, Devon Corporation was particrly famous for their popr Pok��mon running shoes, Pok��mon navigators, and various newly developed Pok�� Balls.


    It could be said that Devon Corporation had integrated itself into every aspect of Pok��mon Trainers'' lives in Hoenn region.


    The Pokeblocks and Pok��mon food Yuga Pok��mon consumed, the Pok�� Balls he had used before, and even the Pok��mon egg incubator in his shop, were all from Devon Corporation.


    Yuga memory also recalled that they were researching a project rted to fossil revival.


    Although Yuga didn''t know how their research had progressed during this timeframe, there was no doubt that they eventually seeded.


    Yuga also remembered that the research institute in Cinnabar Ind had a simr technology. But whether there was any connection between the two or just a coincidence, Yuga had no way of knowing.


    Devon Corporation president, Mr. Stone son, Steven Stone, was expected to be the champion of Hoenn region in the future. With this rtionship, Devon Corporation future development was undoubtedly bright.


    The branch of Devon Corporation in Verdanturf Town was notrge, as Verdanturf Town, although somewhat well-known in Hoenn region, wasn''t a big city.


    The poster didn''t mention the purpose of thispetition, and its scale wasn''trge. The participants'' age was limited to under sixteen, and Yuga had just passed the cutoff.


    Yuga thought he could consider participating. The ranking wasn''t important; what mattered was giving his Pok��mon a chance to train.


    The way to participate was simple: just go to thepetition location on the day of the event and register within the specified time.

 Chapter 36: Rand

    <h4>Chapter 36: Rand</h4>


    As for the other poster, it announced the uing Grand Contest.


    Verdanturf Town was one of the fixed locations for the Grand Contest, held regrly at this time every year.


    The Verdanturf Ribbon Medal was also part of the entrance ticket to the grand festival of the annual Grand Contest.


    However, Yuga wasn''t particrly interested in the Grand Contest, so he didn''t pay much attention to it.


    Speaking of which, the Grand Contest originated in Hoenn Region, but it was Sinnoh Region that truly made it flourish.


    From what Yuga knew, in recent years, the development of the Grand Contest in Hoenn Region hadn''t been as strong as in Sinnoh Region. Therefore, Hoenn Alliance was making efforts to catch up, actively supporting the development of the Grand Contest.


    But these were things Yuga hade across while browsing the inte to learn more about this world. Since he didn''t pay much attention, he wasn''t well-informed.


    After looking at the two posters, Yuga returned to the waiting area to continue waiting for his Pok��mon check-up.


    Nurse Joy efficiency was impressive. Yuga didn''t have to wait long before he heard his name being called over the Pok��mon Center broadcast.


    Retrieving his Pok��mon, Yuga headed home.


    Since he had decided to participate in the Verdanturf Town Youth Pok��mon Battle Tournament, Yuga nned to use this time to continue training his Pok��mon. Though the tournament was approaching, a little extra effort couldn''t hurt.


    Moreover, being a novice Pok��mon Trainer at sixteen years old, Yuga realized he had no advantagepared to those who had been training from a young age.


    With Ms. Suzuki now helping at the shop, Yuga thought it might be a good idea to hire an assistant. Juggling shopkeeping and Pok��mon training could be challenging, and having someone to assist during emergencies would be beneficial.


    Yet, Yuga wasn''t in a hurry to make a decision. The shop was still under construction, and he was operating in a semi-open state these days.


    Back at home, Yuga released all his Pok��mon into the backyard and gave them training assignments one by one.


    Thepetition was only four days away, leaving little time. Yuga understood the importance of preparing properly.


    Since he needed to attend to the shop, he left the supervision of the training to Absol.


    While he wasn''t overly concerned about the other Pok��mon, Floette had a mischievous streak and would likely find ways to ck off when not supervised.


    After assigning the training tasks, Yuga returned to the shop. But as soon as he sat down, he noticed a little head peeking in through the door. He wondered what was going on.


    Seeing this little head, Yuga chuckled and stood up, calling out, "Rand, why don''t youe in? Why are you just standing by the door?"


    Seemingly startled by Yuga sudden voice, the little head near the door quickly retreated.


    Seeing Rand head disappear, Yuga was puzzled. He wondered if his appearance was so frightening that a simple call scared someone away.


    Unknowingly touching his own face, Yuga thought he looked rather decent. While he might not be astonishingly handsome, he was satisfied with his appearance and didn''t think he was scary enough to frighten someone away.


    Shaking his head, Yuga was about to sit down again when he saw Rand head popping back out, looking around inside the shop. It seemed Rand was searching for something.


    This time, Yuga realized what Rand was doing at the door.


    "Floette and the others aren''t here today."


    Upon hearing Yuga words, Rand seemed visibly disappointed before finally stepping inside the shop.


    "Where are Floette and the others? I came to y with them."


    Approaching the counter, Rand asked Yuga.


    "They''re training in the backyard. They can''t y with you today."


    Hearing Yuga response, Rand mood grew even more downcast.


    Rand was the son of Mr. Kate, their next-door neighbor. He was six years old and bore a striking resemnce to his father.


    Uncle Kate''s family and the Shimizu family have been neighbors for decades, reportedly living together since the generation of Grandfather Yuga. The rtionship between the two families can be described as very good.


    Furthermore, the Shimizu family doesn''t have any other rtives in Verdanturf Town. In this generation, only because of marrying off their daughter, Aunt Hisako, did they gain the Kurosaki family as rtives. Therefore, the rtionship between the Shimizu family and Uncle Kate''s family has always been strong.


    The Shimizu family prosperity came from running a Day Care. Although they weren''t incredibly wealthy,pared to the average household, they were better off.


    In contrast, the Kates were traditional farmers and weren''t as financially well-off as the Shimizu family. Verdanturf Town was mainly sustained by agriculture, given its status as a small, tourism-oriented town. Consequently, most of its residents were farmers, making Mr. Kate family one of the typical farming families.


    Compared to other professions, farming didn''t provide a high ie, which made Mr. Kate family rtively less well-off, a situation simr to the Kates''.


    Rand and Yuga cousin, Luna, were the same age and attended the same Trainer School. The school specialized in nurturing future Trainers, including traditional Trainers, Coordinators, and Breeders, among others.


    Such schools were prevalent in bothrge cities and small towns.


    Since bing a Trainer required a considerable financial backing, whether it was obtaining initial Pok��mon or the resources needed to raise them, having enough money was crucial.


    Families like the Shimizus could manage, but Mr. Kate family economic situation was quite strained.


    Yuga previous self had watched Rand grow up. Even though he never considered bing a Trainer himself, he knew that Rand was truly fond of Pok��mon and aspired to be a Trainer.


    Rand mother had passed away early, which made him mature beyond his years. Unlike Luna, who was a mischievous troublemaker, Rand had always been responsible.


    At the tender age of six, he was already aware of how hard it was for his father to provide for him. Not only did he help with household chores, but he also excelled in school.


    Ever since Yuga had Floette, Rand had been envious and would oftene to y with her.


    Previously, Rand felt that Yuga, possessing such an excellent Pok��mon as Floette, was squandering her potential bycking ambition.


    "Whye if you''re not entering? Why stand by the door instead?"


    Rand frequently visited the shop before, so he was familiar with theyout. He wasn''t sure why he was acting this way today.


    "My dad said your house has many visitors."


    Upon hearing this, Yuga had a sudden realization.


    Rand was an exceptional child: filial, polite, responsible, and determined. However, he was somewhat timid and afraid of strangers. He hardly spoke and rarely yed with other children.


    Those "people" he mentioned were most likely the people from Dark Swamp helping to build the Ecological Park. Rand must have been hesitant to run into them, which was why he seemed so hesitant near the entrance.


    "Don''t worry about them. They''re in the backyard of my house and won''te to the front."


    "Oh, Yuga, then I''ll leave. I''lle back when Floette and the others have time to y."


    Hearing Yuga words, Rand turned around, ready to leave.


    "Hey,e back. Since you''re here, why hurry off?"


    Yuga stood up and grabbed Rand cor, pulling him back just as he had taken a few steps.


    With his face red from the cor, Rand panted, looking at Yuga with curiosity as he wondered why Yuga had stopped him.


    Seeing Rand red-faced and panting, Yuga chuckled awkwardly, "Sorry, Rand. I didn''t notice. Are you alright?"


    Rand looked at Yuga, bewildered, and shook his head, indicating that he was fine.


    He thought Yuga had been acting strangetely. They used to hardly speak to each other.


    Rand himself was reserved, and Yuga used to be equally disinterested in speaking with him. Buttely, Yuga always seemed to strike up a conversation whenever he saw Rand.


    However, Rand understood that Yuga parents had recently passed away. He probably felt lonely and soughtpanionship through conversation.


    With this in mind, Rand decided he woulde visit Yuga more often.


    Observing Rand before him, Yuga didn''t realize that Rand had already projected him as a lonely individual who had lost his parents and was afraid of being alone.


    "Rand, do you know our cousin Luna?"


    Rand nodded, indicating that he knew her. Luna was a notable figure at his school��she had decent grades but was also known for being mischievous, loved and loathed by her teachers.


    "Know her, huh? Are you in the same ss?"


    Rand shook his head, indicating that they weren''t. Not only were they not in the same ss, but they also hadn''t spoken to each other.


    While Rand had good grades, he was reserved at school, didn''t interact much, and had few friends. He considered himself semi-invisible and certainly didn''t talk to someone like Luna, who was "well-known" at school.


    "Not in the same ss, huh." Yuga stroked his chin, then continued, "So, do you know how she behaves at school?"


    At this question, Rand was momentarily unsure how to answer. If he said she wasn''t good, she did have good grades. But if he said she was good, she yed pranks, climbed trees, and fooled around with ssmates and teachers.


    Seeing Rand struggle to answer, Yuga assumed that Luna might not have been doing well at school. That would exin Rand dilemma.


    Yuga had been asking Rand about Luna school behavior because her birthday wasing up, and he needed to prepare a gift. He wanted to decide on a gift based on how she behaved at school.


    Little did Yuga know that Luna, who had yet to discover the truth, had already lowered the bar for the gift her cousin would give her.


    Understanding the situation, Yuga didn''t press for more details and said to Rand, "Alright, I understand now. You can go back. Come find Floette and the others when they have time."


    Rand was still trying toe up with an answer to Yuga question when he heard Yuga words. Without thinking too much, Rand turned and left.

 Chapter 37: Registration

    <h4>Chapter 37: Registration</h4>


    After Rand left, Yuga continued to manage his shop.


    However, after waiting for an entire afternoon without any customers, he felt quite bored.


    As he thought about it, Yuga realized that he truly needed to hire an assistant to help him with the shop. After all, he was destined to be a world-renowned figure, so how could he continue to manage the shop all by himself? A true boss needed to have some employees, right? What was the point of being the mander" with no one else to help? What kind of boss did everything on their own?


    Nevertheless, even as he thought about it, Yuga hadn''t made up his mind to immediately hire an assistant. After all, this wasn''t something to rush into. At the very least, he needed to wait until the Ecological Park waspleted.


    As for Ms. Suzuki, Yuga had no choice but to make her wait a bit longer. Even if she couldn''t wait and decided not to work for him, he could always find someone else. After all, while three-legged frogs might be hard toe by, two-legged people were everywhere.


    Four dayster, the Verdanturf Town Youth Pok��mon Battle Tournament took ce as scheduled. The venue was right in front of the Verdanturf Town Pok��mon Center, and Yuga left early in the morning to register.


    However, he wasn''t alone on his way there; he was apanied by a little tag-along named Rand.


    Given that the town was finally hosting a formal Pok��mon battlepetition, it made no sense for Rand, a Pok��mon enthusiast, not to go.


    But he was still quite young, and it was a bit worrisome for him to go alone. Unfortunately, his father, Uncle Kate, was busy and didn''t have the time to apany him to thepetition. As a result, the responsibility fell on Yuga, who was also going to thepetition.


    Originally, Luna, that little girl, was supposed toe along as well. However, something seemed to havee up at her grandfather ce, so she couldn''t make it. If it weren''t for that, Yuga wouldn''t have needed topete today��he would have just taken care of the child.


    On the way to thepetition venue...


    "Big brother Yuga, I heard Dad say you''re going to participate in thepetition. Didn''t you not want to be a Trainer? Why are you joining thepetition?"


    Yuga hadn''t told anyone about his decision to be a Trainer, not even his Aunt Meiko or Uncle Kurosaki, let alone Rand.


    Although Yuga trained with his Pok��mon every day, the others rarely saw him in action, let alone knowing about his desire to be a Trainer.


    Yuga former self had been a bitzy, and his acquaintances were well aware of his personality. He had never considered bing a Trainer before, and everyone knew that. That''s why Rand was so curious when Yuga suddenly decided to participate in a Pok��mon battlepetition.


    Hearing Rand question, Yuga chuckled and bent down to him, saying, "Why? Did I not want to be a Trainer before? Can''t I change my mind now?"


    Rand hadn''t expected Yuga response to be like this, leaving him a bit flustered. He stammered, "We-... we-..."


    To Rand, Yuga had always been someone whocked ambition. He had opportunities others didn''t, yet he never seemed to put in any effort. While Rand couldn''t say he disliked him, he definitely didn''t like him either.


    When someone who had never been ambitious suddenly wanted to work hard, Rand didn''t know how to feel about it.


    However, Yuga former self had indeed been a personcking in ambition.


    Without any goals in mind, he had drifted through life until the age of sixteen, when he graduated from a mid-level school with poor grades.


    Although his family ran a Day Care, he had never considered bing a Trainer. The school he attended wasn''t a Trainer-oriented school; it was just a regr one.


    In the world of Pok��mon, people who didn''t be Trainers usuallypleted their education through all three levels: basic, intermediate, and advanced. Even though some schools were mixed, the majority were separate.


    Yuga had attended a regr school, and after graduating from the intermediate level, he didn''t pursue further education. Primary education was mandatory, but the intermediate and advanced levels were not. As he was meant to inherit the family business, Yuga former self stopped studying after graduating from intermediate school.


    Usually, in the Pok��mon world, those who didn''t be Trainers wouldplete all three levels of education. After all, they needed the knowledge gained from these schools to make a living. Yuga parents had spoiled him, their only child, but they hadn''t turned him into a menace to society. However, they had made him into someone with no aplishments to his name.


    After graduating from intermediate school, the Shimizu couple hadn''t forced him to continue his studies. Believing that their son would eventually take over the family business, they didn''t push him further. Consequently, aside from asionally helping out in the store, Yuga former self spent most of his time as a homebody.


    After graduating, Yuga former self remained idle at home. While he asionally helped his parents, most of the time hezed around doing nothing. His mental resilience was also extremely poor, and after his parents'' death, he was unable to cope and chose to end his life.


    Therefore, in the eyes of someone like Rand, who was a grown-up, Yuga, a person who seemed to do nothing all day, didn''t leave a favorable impression.


    "Does Big Brother Yuga really want to be a Trainer?" Rand asked curiously.


    "Yeah, why not?" Yuga chuckled and pinched Rand little face. He found it quite amusing that Rand always tried to act mature despite being only six years old.


    Rand wriggled out of Yuga grip on his face, didn''t answer, and ran ahead.


    The ce for registering thepetition was at Nurse Joy Pok��mon Center. The registration process was straightforward, given that it wasn''t arge-scalepetition.


    With Rand in tow, Yuga registered at Nurse Joy and received hispetition number before heading to thepetition venue.


    Although Yuga knew that this was just a minorpetition, upon arriving at the venue, he realized that the scale of the event was even smaller than he had imagined.


    But Yuga wasn''t surprised. After all, Verdanturf Town was at most a small town with few local residents and not much foot traffic. Most of the people visiting were elderly individuals seeking recuperation.


    Apart from that, even though thepetition was organized by the prestigious Devon Corporation, it was just a small branch. While it might be considered a bigpany in Verdanturf Town, its influence was limited to the town itself.


    However, Yuga found it a bit strange. Why would the Devon Corporation organize such a Pok��mon battlepetition? Could it be that they were using thepetition for promotional purposes?


    But no matter how strange it seemed, Yuga had no intention of probing further. As long as he couldpete in peace, that was enough.


    Speaking of which, the rewards for thispetition were quite generous.


    The first-ce prize was aplete set of evolution stones, includingmon ones like the Fire Stone, Water Stone, and Thunder Stone, as well as precious ones like the Dark Stone, Light Stone, Awakening Stone, Leaf Stone, Sun Stone, Moon Stone, and more. However, the exact quality of these stones was hard to determine.


    Even if all these evolution stones were of the lowest quality, the fact that they were offered as prizes for a low-tierpetition showed that the Devon branch was being quite generous. After all, this wasn''t a major tournament by any means.


    The second-ce prize was a Pok��mon with a yellow-quality pedigree. While its pedigree might not be exceptional, the fact that it wasn''t a native species of the Fanyuan region made it a rarity. However, the specific Pok��mon wasn''t disclosed by the organizers.


    The third-ce prize was a set of specialty Pok�� Balls, or rather, five of them: Friend Ball, Moon Ball, Love Ball, Net Ball, and Dive Ball.


    If someone managed to assemble aplete set of these special Pok�� Balls as a prize, it might even be more rewarding than the second-ce prize, considering the individual price of these specialty Balls.


    However, Yuga wasn''t particrly interested in these Pok�� Balls. He had his own exclusive Pok�� Balls as system rewards, so these Pok�� Balls he''d be getting would serve no purpose other than collecting.


    As for the prizes beyond third ce, the organizers hadn''t set anything up. After all, this was just a small-scalepetition.

 Chapter 38: The Start of the Competition

    <h4>Chapter 38: The Start of the Competition</h4>


    After registering with Nurse Joy, Yuga brought Rand to thepetition venue.


    When Yuga arrived at thepetition venue, a temporary arena had already been set up, and a considerable crowd had gathered around it.


    However, not all of these people were participants; most were just there to watch the excitement. But that was exactly what Devon Corporation aimed for.


    By holding Pok��mon battles to increase their branch visibility in Verdanturf Town and boost thepany profits, they achieved their goal as long as people showed up.


    In essence, Verdanturf Town was small, and its influence would not be extensive unless an official Pok��mon League event was held. Consequently, the number of trainers participating in thepetition would naturally be limited, with most being locals.


    After waiting for about an hour, the crowd around the arena grewrger, and Yuga noticed several participants with Pok�� Balls hanging from their belts. Finally, the organizers made their appearance.


    There were three judges for thepetition: Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny, and the general manager of Devon Corporation Verdanturf Town branch.


    Speaking of which, Devon Corporation indeed had some clout to be able to invite these two local powerhouses for a smallpetition.


    Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny were not people anyone could casually invite. In the world of Pok��mon, their presence could be found in any city, and they could be called the true "local powerhouses."


    After a series of announcements andmentary by the host andmentator, thepetition officially began. Of course, the host didn''t miss the chance to promote Devon Corporation.


    The rules for thispetition were one-on-one for the earlier rounds, transitioning to three-on-three for the finals. Without this rule, Yuga wouldn''t have been able to participate, given that he only had three Pok��mon in total.


    After all, Yuga only has three spirits in total, among which Chimecho is purely a support, with nobat abilities.


    The first pair of contestants to step onto the stage were two boys, both quite young. The one on the left appeared to be around Yuga age, while the one on the right was much younger, perhaps three or four years younger than Yuga.


    Considering that the age limit for thispetition was under sixteen, including sixteen, Yuga felt a bit embarrassed to be considered a "mature yer."


    Following the host signal, both sides released their Pok��mon.


    On the left was a Corphish, full of vigor. As soon as it entered the stage, it brandished its huge ws toward its opponent, exuding an air of dominance. With its bright red shell, it looked as imposing as a general about to go to battle.


    On the right was a Taillow. Known for its strong-willed nature, it naturally wouldn''t back down when confronted. pping its powerful wings, it fixed its sharp eyes on the challenging Corphish.


    Yuga used his "Insight" ability to assess the aptitude and levels of the two Pok��mon, as these factors directly influenced theirbat strength.


    Both Pok��mon had the same aptitude, being of Yellow quality. If there was a distinction, Corphish emitted a slightly more radiant light than Taillow.


    However, in terms of levels, Taillow was significantly lower. Corphish was level 32, while Taillow was only level 24. Such an obvious gap meant that unless Taillow trainer was highly skilled, the oue of this match was quite clear.


    Next to him, Rand, who was also watching the match, turned to Yuga and pulled on his clothes, asking, "Who do you think will win?"


    Yuga, who was caught off guard by Rand tugging, casually replied, "Definitely Corphish."


    Rand found Yuga matter-of-fact tone strange. "How do you know Corphish will win?"


    Yuga nced at him yfully. "It''s a secret."


    With Yuga somewhat pretentious response, Rand turned away and ignored him.


    In reality, Yuga was just trying to be cool. After all, Rand always acted as if he didn''t care about Yuga, so Yuga decided to tease him a bit.


    Since his attempt at looking cool backfired, Yuga chose to remain silent and continued to watch the match on the stage.


    At this point, the two Pok��mon had begun battling under their trainers''mands.


    Taillow pointed, pale-yellow beak emitted a burst of white light. With a gust of wind, it dashed aggressively towards Corphish below.


    Facing the iing Taillow, the trainer of Corphish calmly ordered his Pok��mon to use Harden.


    With a robust exoskeleton, Corphish Harden skill didn''t let Taillow Peck have much impact. Instead, due to getting close, Taillow found its head mped by Corphish huge pincers.


    Being held in those pincers, it was needless to say that it must have been quite an ufortable experience, as evident from the anguished cry of Taillow.


    Soon after, Corphish flung Taillow onto the arena floor with force and followed up with a Bubble attack, swiftly taking down Taillow. It could be described as a quick victory.


    In reality, such an oue was quite normal. Taillow trainer was young and had likely be a trainer not too long ago. Compared to Corphish trainer, who was several years older, he not onlycked strength but also experience.


    If it weren''t for Yuga coincidentally rescuing the injured Absol, Taillow trainer wouldn''t be much different from Yuga himself.


    Seeing Corphish indeed win the match, Rand gave Yuga a surprised look before turning away.


    At first, Yuga was a bit smug about seeing Rand astonished expression and was ready to continue acting cool. However, he dropped the idea due to the cold look Rand shot his way.


    Yuga thought to himself, "This kid really isn''t adorable."


    The second pair of contestants was a boy and a girl, both a year or two younger than Yuga.


    The boy Pok��mon was a Poochyena, while the girl was a Surkrit, bothmon native Pok��mon of Hoenn.


    Both these Pok��mon were also of Yellow quality and had a simr level gap. Unlike the previous match, where the winner was determined almost instantly, this match promised to be much more intense.


    Surkrit was clearly much faster than Poochyena and,cking strong attacking abilities, under the trainermands, it continuously shifted positions to harass Poochyena.


    Insufficient attacking power was amon challenge for many low-level Pok��mon. They knew only a limited number of moves, most of which had low attack power. Some Pok��mon evencked an offensive move entirely��Yuga Chimecho was a prime example.


    Surkrit was seen swiftly sliding across the arena while releasing bursts of pink gas that spread slowly in all directions.


    The trainer of Poochyena, of course, noticed the sweet fragrance wafting through the air, but it was evident that he was powerless.


    Though Poochyena attacking power wasn''t low, it was at a loss against the incredibly fast Surkrit. Even if it was being yed around and left dizzy, it couldn''t catch Surkrit.


    Of course, if Poochyena possessed ranged attack moves, this situation might have been different. But evidently, due to its lower level, it didn''t have any long-range attacks.


    Finally, under the constant harassment and attack from Surkrit, Poochyena reluctantly lost its ability to battle.

 Chapter 39: Robert and Baltoy

    <h4>Chapter 39: Robert and Baltoy</h4>


    The pace of thepetition was fast, given the young age of the participants and the rtively low levels of their Pok��mon. Each match ended quickly, with Surskrit and Poochyena match being the longest so far.


    Although Yuga had registered early, the order of matches and opponents was randomly assigned, causing Yuga match to be scheduledter.


    Rand had been watching every match on stage intently, seemingly enjoying the Pok��mon battles.


    As thepetition reached thetter half and it was almost Yuga turn, a particr trainer captured everyone attention.


    This trainer Pok��mon was a rare Psychic-type Pok��mon, Baltoy. Notably, this Baltoy was the highest-aptitude Pok��mon Yuga had seen apart from Mr. Moore Charizard and Typhlosion.


    Among the Yellow-aptitude Pok��mon Yuga had seen so far, his own Absol, Mr. Moore Charizard and Typhlosion, and nnery Quva were examples. But there was a clear distinction between Pok��mon of the same aptitude.


    Consider Mr. Moore Charizard and Typhlosion; their aptitudes were already at the pinnacle of the Yellow tier, nearly reaching the level of a Blue-aptitude Pok��mon. Yuga could discern this through his Insight skill, which allowed him to gauge the depth of their radiant colors.


    Yuga Absol was rtively weaker among the Yellow-aptitude Pok��mon, and nnery Quva was far superior in aptitudepared to Absol.


    Yet, the radiance emanating from Baltoy was almost on par with Mr. Moore Charizard and Typhlosion.


    The attention garnered by Baltoy and its trainer wasn''t solely due to its rare aptitude. Theirmanding presence on the battlefield also yed a significant role.


    Baltoy opponent was a Yellow-aptitude Nuzleaf, a Pok��mon that had already reached its second evolution, making it quite remarkable in thispetition.


    Evolution of a Pok��mon wasn''t a simple matter; it wasn''t guaranteed to ur when a certain level was reached. Otherwise, with so many matches already held in thispetition, there would have been evolved Pok��mon by now.


    Given the participants'' young age and the limited number ofpetitors, Nuzleaf was the only second-evolution Pok��mon present, with a level of 33.


    However, this Pok��mon, with exceptional levels and evolutionary advancements, as well as an absolute advantage in attributes, surprisingly couldn''t hold on for more than five minutes under themand of this Baltoy trainer.


    As soon as Nuzleaf appeared on the stage, it took the initiative by using Leaf de against Baltoy.


    The emerald green des carried a fierce momentum towards Baltoy, but just as they approached, they abruptly stopped in mid-air and then fell to the ground.


    Next, a red beam of light shed across Baltoy, creating a brilliant firework-like disy. Nuzleaf was sent flying.


    Observing the scorched marks on Nuzleaf, everyone recognized it as Baltoy Hidden Power��a Fire-type ability that was effective against Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Despite being knocked down, Nuzleaf reacted swiftly. Disregarding its injuries, it got up and immediately charged towards Baltoy to continue its assault.


    It was clear that the previous Leaf de had been blocked by Baltoy Psychic power. Consequently, Nuzleaf trainer decided against using Leaf de again and instead opted for a close-range attack, using Smack Down.


    Being a Dark-type Pok��mon, Nuzleaf wasn''t afraid of Baltoy Psychic abilities.


    As the charging Nuzleaf approached Baltoy, its trainermanded it to use Rock Lock.


    Nuzleaf, still in its rapid charge, was instantly surrounded byrge rocks and subjected to their fierce pummeling.


    Speaking of which, Baltoy was at a significant disadvantage in terms of attributes against Nuzleaf.


    Its Ground type was countered by the Grass type of Nuzleaf. Despite their simr levels, the Psychic type of Baltoy was immune to the Dark type of Nuzleaf. However, even with these advantages, Nuzleaf had no chance against Baltoy.


    After struggling for a while to break free from the rock confinement, Nuzleaf was struck by the Hidden Power of Baltoy the moment it emerged, rendering it unable to continue battling.


    It wasn''t until the host announced the victory of Baltoy trainer that Yuga learned the name of this Baltoy trainer��Robert.


    Although the host had mentioned Robert name when he came on stage earlier, Yuga hadn''t paid much attention at the time, so he hadn''t remembered it.


    At this point, Yuga truly began to take notice of this trainer named Robert.


    Robert stature was simr to Yuga, and he appeared to be around the same age. He had short golden hair and a handsome face, exuding a dashing aura.


    Speaking of the name Robert, it sounded familiar to Yuga, but he couldn''t recall who he was exactly.


    Robert splendid performance and formidable strength had attracted a crowd of people around him the moment he stepped down from the stage. He was showered with praises andpliments.


    Interestingly, Robert seemed adept at dealing with people. Hisposed smile, elegant demeanor, and apt choice of words allowed him to gracefully dismiss the crowd attention.


    "This guy is really impressive."


    Rand, observing Robert being surrounded by the crowd, was in awe, his eyes filled with admiration.


    "He certainly is!"


    Yuga pursed his lips, feeling somewhat displeased by the way Rand treated him and Robert differently.


    Rand looked at Yuga incredulously. "Aren''t you supposed to be worried about yourself right now?"


    Yuga looked puzzled. "Worried about myself? What is there to worry about? Why should I be worried?"


    "Your match ising up soon. Aren''t you worried about losing? Even if you win, you might face that Robert. Do you think you can beat him?"


    Rand felt that Yuga was pretty carefree. He had seen Robert match, and Yuga wasn''t even nervous?


    Hearing Rand words, Yuga burst intoughter, patting Rand head. "What''s this? Are you worried about me?"


    Seeing Yuga mischievous expression, Rand swatted his hand away. "Who''s worried about you!"


    Yuga grinned and said, "There''s nothing much to worry about. If I lose, I lose. As long as I do my best, it''s fine.


    Besides, I''ve only been a trainer for a short while. If I can easily defeat others, what''s the point of their years of effort?"


    Rand hadn''t expected Yuga to respond this way. He found his words quite reasonable and merely nced at him before falling silent.


    After Robert match, there was another one, and Yuga heard his name being called out by the host, signaling that it was his turn to go. Without much ado, Yuga said to Rand, "Cheer for me from down here."


    Having said that, Yuga dashed onto the stage without waiting for Rand response.

 Chapter 40: Battle against Mareep

    <h4>Chapter 40: Battle against Mareep</h4>


    After Yuga took the stage, another participant followed shortly after, and from the host announcement, Yuga learned that his name was Ah He.


    Ah He was a boy who appeared to be younger than Yuga, but it was hard for Yuga to tell by how much exactly.


    "As thepetition continues, we''re finally approaching the end of the first round. The previous participants have given us splendid performances. Now, let''s see how the next two participants will perform. Let''s watch."


    Once Yuga and the others were on stage, the host began his enthusiasticmentary.


    "Are both participants ready? If you''re ready, the match will begin."


    Yuga and his opponent exchanged a nce, and they both said in unison, "We''re ready."


    "Then, let the match begin!"


    With the hostmand, both Yuga and his opponent released their Pok��mon simultaneously.


    Since it was the first round, Yuga didn''t send out his strongest Absol but chose to have his Floette battle instead.


    Yuga main purpose was to train his Pok��mon and make them adapt to the officialpetition stage. He didn''t want to focus solely on winning. If he kept using Absol for every match just to win, he would lose sight of the true purpose of his participation in thepetition.


    However, his opponent Pok��mon was quite surprising. It wasn''t a native Hoenn Pok��mon but a unique Pok��mon from Johto region called Mareep.


    Speaking of Mareep, these species of Pok��mon were not considered rare in Johto region. Their final evolution, Ampharos, was a very powerful and rare Pok��mon.


    Pok��mon evolution wasn''t easy, and for Mareep to evolve into Ampharos was quite challenging.


    This Mareep didn''t have the aptitude of Yuga Floette. It only had a Yellow aptitude, but its level was slightly higher than Yuga Floette. Yuga Floette was at level 26, while the Mareep was at level 29.


    "We see that both participants have released their Pok��mon. What''s surprising is that neither of these Pok��mon is native to the Hoenn region."


    The appearance of Floette and Mareep in the battle surprised the host. It was the first time in thispetition that Pok��mon from other regions were participating, and two of them appeared at once.


    "Perhaps not everyone is familiar with these two Pok��mon. On the left, Ah He Mareep is an Electric-type Pok��mon from Johto region. We don''t know if Ah He is originally from Johto or if he just captured this Mareep there.


    And on the right, Shimizu Pok��mon is Floette, even though it looks like a Grass-type Pok��mon, it''s actually a Single Fairy-type, from Kalos region."


    For the convenience of the audience, the host briefly introduced these two Pok��mon from other regions.


    "Mareep, Thunder Wave!"


    After the match began, Ah He immediatelymanded his Mareep tounch an attack at Yuga Floette. Golden electric currents wingding towards Floette like thin threads.


    Being hit by Thunder Wave would paralyze the opponent, putting them in an extremely disadvantageous situation.


    However, Floette was quite vignt. Without Yuga reminder, it swiftly flew through the air to avoid the electric currents that attempted to wrap around it.


    "Floette, Magical Leaf!"


    With Yugamand, Floette quickly stabilized itself in the air and then rapidly flung out four sharp and emerald-green leaves.


    After practicing for a while, Floette Magical Leaf was no longer the kind of skill that could only release one leaf at a time and was soft and ineffective.


    Watching the dangerously sharp Magical Leavesing towards Mareep, Ah He immediately ordered Mareep to dodge.


    However, Mareep speed wasn''t fast enough, and with Magical Leaf tracking effect, despite Mareep attempts to dodge, it was urately hit by the Magical Leaves.


    After being hit, Mareep looked rather bedraggled, but it quickly climbed to its feet, ready tounch its own attack.


    "Mareep, Thunder Shock!"


    Thunder Shock was a basic skill for Electric-type Pok��mon, and it was amonly used skill when Electric-type Pok��mon were at lower levels.


    Apparently, this also applied to Mareep. Practice makes perfect, and its Thunder Shock skill was very proficiently used. Its speed of execution and attack speed were both very fast.


    "Floette, Fairy Wind."


    The dazzling golden snake was rushing towards Floette, but it was stopped in its tracks by the Fairy Wind from Floette, keeping it at a distance.


    The collision between the Electric Snake and the Swift Wind caused the surrounding air currents to fluctuate, making the host and the two participants'' clothes rustle.


    "Floette, Magical Leaf!"


    "Mareep, Thunder Shock!"


    After the Thunder Shock and Fairy Wind reached a draw, Yuga and Ah He simultaneously gave their Pok��mon the nextmand.


    The leaves and electric currents quickly met in the air, but they didn''t collide.


    The delicate electric currents shed through the gaps in the leaves, directly hitting Floette and causing it to let out a cry of surprise.


    However, shortly after, Mareep also let out a miserable cry. It was clear that it hadn''t managed to dodge the attack from Magical Leaf.


    The rapid exchange of blows between the two Pok��mon resulted in a significant depletion of energy. Both Floette and Mareep were panting heavily.


    However, the Mareep that had been hit twice by Magical Leaf was now in a very weakened state.


    "Mareep, Thunder Shock again."


    It seemed that this Mareep had a very limited number of skills. Up until now, it had only used Thunder Wave and Thunder Shock.


    Although Pok��mon had fewer skills when they were at lower levels, most Pok��mon owned by trainers had at least three skills.


    Yuga Floette had a total of five skills. Even though Yuga hardly used Protect and Tackle, its Magical Leaf, Vine Whip, and Fairy Wind were frequently used skills.


    But regardless, Ah He seemed to have given up using Thunder Wave with Mareep and opted for Thunder Shock, indicating that he wanted a quick resolution. After all, Mareep wouldn''t be able to hold on for much longer.


    "Floette, dodge."


    Floette, who could fly, obviously had a significant advantage in the air, easily evading the fast-moving Thunder Shock.


    "Magical Leaf!"


    Following the leaves thrown by Floette, Mareep let out another cry of agony, indicating that it had lost the ability to battle.


    Clearly, in situations where Pok��mon had lower levels and fewer skills, a skill like Magical Leaf that was guaranteed to hit had a considerable advantage.


    If Mareep knew moves like Thunderbolt, Discharge, or Thunder, the story might be different. In that case, Magical Leaf wouldn''t have been so effective.


    But obviously, that wasn''t the case here. The guaranteed-hitting Magical Leaf was running rampant against this Mareep, having its way.


    After the match ended, Yuga quickly left the stage and found Rand standing in the audience.


    "How was it? Any thoughts after watching my match, buddy?"


    Yuga was in a good mood after winning the match, and he proudly asked Rand.


    "It was alright."


    Rand response to Yuga remained lukewarm.


    Actually, Rand was quite surprised that Yuga won the match so easily. He had known Yuga since they were kids, and he knew what Yuga used to be like.


    But when did Yuga change so much?

 Chapter 41: Battle Against Spheal

    <h4>Chapter 41: Battle Against Spheal</h4>


    After Yuga match ended, it wasn''t long before the first round of all matches concluded.


    Battles between low-level Pok��mon were straightforward, often straightforward affairs.


    Due to their limited skills and trainers'' fewer tactics and strategies,bined with their low stamina and defense, matches involving them ended quickly.


    By the time the second round of matches began, only 20 participants remained, making thispetition quite small. The prepetition publicity was likely limited to that poster at the Pok��mon Center.


    The remaining 20 participants were randomly divided into 10 groups for the second round,peting in sequence, with Yuga in the third group.


    The first group featured the previously sensational Robert.


    As usual, he dominated the match, a stark contrast to his mild-mannered appearance offstage.


    He continued to use his Baltoy, and his opponent employed a Beautifly.


    This Beautifly was the only fully evolved Pok��mon in thispetition.


    The Beautifly line was among the easiest to evolve in the Pok��mon world. Simr types included Beedrill, Butterfree, and Vivilion.


    These Pok��mon were widely distributed in the Pok��mon world and, under normal circumstances, would evolve into their final forms without issues.


    However, anything with advantages also had disadvantages. The consequence of being more prone to evolution than other types was that they were weaker than other Pok��mon of the same level and aptitude.


    Nheless, the aptitude of this Beautifly was notable in thispetition under Yuga discerning gaze. Even among Pok��mon with green aptitudes, it was exceptional.


    However, no matter how exceptional its aptitude was, this Beautifly couldn''t hold out for long against Robert Baltoy.


    Yuga match followed the second round.


    His opponent this time was a pretty young girl with bright purple short hair, big eyes, and fair skin. She looked adorable and was undoubtedly younger than Yuga.


    But don''t misunderstand �C Yuga, a near-thirty-year-old soul, didn''t have any inappropriate thoughts about the girl named Chris across from him!!


    Although he was pushing thirty, Yuga reassured himself that he wasn''t weird.


    Chris Pok��mon was a rtively rare Spheal, a species that typically lived in cial waters. While not scarce, they were umon.


    The climate of Hoenn Region was warm and humid, with mostly forested areas and deserts. While there were plenty of bodies of water, ciers were scarce. Hence, even though the Spheal was unique to Hoenn Region, it wasn''tmonly seen.


    This Spheal had decent aptitude, though not as high as Robert Baltoy or Yuga Floette, and even less than the Beautifly. Nevertheless, it still reached the green level.


    Yuga still used his Floette.


    The Spheal level was higher than Floette, but its water attacks were countered by Floette Magical Leaves. While there was a difference in aptitude, both being green, the aptitude discrepancy could essentially be disregarded.


    At the start, Spheal used Powder Snow on Chrismand.


    Although Floette could fly and was adept at dodging, Chris intention was to use Powder Snow to restrict Floette movement. If she could also trigger the freezing effect of Powder Snow, it would be even better.


    Powder Snow power was limited, but its attack range was broad. Despite Floette ability to fly, it couldn''t dodge this attack. However, it didn''t trigger the freezing effect either.


    Floette, which typically resided in flower beds and gardens, wasn''t well-suited for cold environments. Thus, Spheal Powder Snow attack truly infuriated Floette.


    "Floette, use Magical Leaves!"


    With Chris having the upper hand, Yuga immediately ordered Floette to counterattack Spheal.


    Angrily, Floette flung four emerald-green leaves with unstoppable momentum straight toward Spheal.


    "Spheal, use Water Gun to counter Magical Leaves!"


    Chris clearly knew that Magical Leaves couldn''t be evaded, so she immediatelymanded Spheal to use its skill to intercept the attack.


    Immediately, a blue pir of water surged from Spheal mouth toward the Magical Leaves. However, each Water Gun attack could only hit one leaf at a time. Despite Spheal efforts, it managed to intercept only three leaves, ultimately being struck by the final one.


    The water-type Spheal being hit by the grass-type Magical Leaves was evidently ufortable. A pained cry rang out, and the momentum of Spheal noticeably diminished.


    "Spheal, use Powder Snow!"


    Clearly, Chris intended to use the same strategy, continuing to employ the ranged skill Powder Snow to attack Floette.


    However, Yuga, having learned from his earlier mistake, wouldn''t fall for the same trick twice.


    "Floette, use Fairy Wind!"


    Simrly a ranged skill, although Fairy Wind was less potent than Powder Snow, its speed gave it an edge, resulting in a fairly even contest with Powder Snow.


    Pink winds and white snow intertwined continuously, colliding violently before dissipating into thin air.


    Both sides exchanged blows, causing mutual damage.


    "Floette, use Magical Leaves again!"


    After the cancetion of Fairy Wind and Powder Snow, Yuga immediately ordered Floette to use Magical Leaves once more.


    Chris response, however, was prompt.


    "Spheal, use Powder Snow."


    Since the previous Water Gun didn''tpletely halt the attack of Magical Leaves, Chris aimed to use Powder Snow broad range to block all four Magical Leaves at once.


    This line of thinking was correct, but the effect was not pronounced.


    While the white snow did weaken the assault of the Magical Leaves, it still allowed them to sessfully strike Spheal.


    If she had used Blizzard instead of Powder Snow, maybe this idea would have worked, Yuga thought.


    Clearly, even Spheal, which hadn''t evolved into its second form, couldn''t withstand two hits of Magical Leaves that countered it. It lost its battling capability outright.


    Upon stepping down from the stage, Yuga noticed that Rand was looking at him strangely.


    "Why are you looking at me like that? Did my dashing appearance sweep you off your feet?"


    Rand rolled his eyes at Yuga.


    "You''re nuts!"


    "Hey, don''t be so impolite!"


    Yuga couldn''t quite fathom how someone like Kent, who appeared so well-mannered, managed to shape Rand character. He looked tough on the outside, but inside, he was probably quite shady.


    What was more important was that Rand always treated him so unfriendly.


    Rand lukewarm attitude toward him didn''t actually bother Yuga.


    While Rand rarely spoke to his original self, they had known each other for many years. Yuga had even watched Rand grow up (although Rand was only six years old now and hadn''t really grown up yet). Even though Rand didn''t seem to like his original self, there was an underlying sense of reluctant affection.


    Moreover, it wasn''t respectable for an adult to hold a grudge against a child.

 Chapter 42: The Competition Continues

    <h4>Chapter 42: The Competition Continues</h4>


    The second round of matchesprised a total of ten groups, significantly reducing the number of participants and elerating the pacepared to the first round.


    Before long, the second round concluded as well, bringing thepetitors down from 20 to 10. However, those who remained were rtively strong.


    Since Yuga didn''t know which opponent would be left for the next round, he diligently watched the matches after his own concluded.


    Several Pok��mon left a strong impression on Yuga due to their exceptional strength among the participants.


    Robert, who had demonstrated impressive performance in the first two rounds with his Baltoy, was naturally one of them. There was also a stubborn Camerupt that was remarkably formidable.


    Despite its unremarkable yellow aptitude, this Camerupt held a level as high as 38, making it the highest-level Pok��mon in thepetition.


    Despite its seemingly sluggish demeanor, the Camerupt was a force to be reckoned with in battle, particrly adept at employing its skill, Eruption.


    Eruption was already considered an intermediate fire-type attack, possessing significant power. In a group of Pok��mon still using basic skills, this stood out prominently. (Skills with a power below 60 are considered basic skills; skills with a power from 60 to below 90 are intermediate skills; skills with a power from 90 and above, including 90, are advanced skills. This ssification is used only for attack-type skills and not for transformation skills.)


    Another impressive contender was a Shuppet.


    Ghost-type Pok��mon were notorious for being tricky and eerie, and this Shuppet, utilizing its elusive form, along with the skills Shadow Sneak and Will-O-Wisp, proved challenging to handle.


    With both its green aptitude and level of 30, this Shuppet exhibited considerable strength.


    The third-round matchups were quickly determined, with Yuga opponent being a boy named Oda. In the second round, Oda had used a rtively umon Snowrunt.


    Unlike the second round where Yuga had a rtively early match, this time he was in the final group. However, in the first group, just like in the second round, Robert took the stage.


    Robert opponent used a grass-type Cacturne, a Pok��monmonly found in the arid areas of Hoenn region where deserts were prevalent.


    As expected, Robert swiftly secured his victory.


    In truth, the Cacturne wasn''t weak either. After all, it had managed to advance to the third round. Its strength wasn''tcking; rather, it was simply outssed by its opponent.


    Following that, both the Camerupt and Shuppet, along with their respective trainers, sessfully advanced as well.


    The two participants from the fourth group had shown average performances in the earlier rounds, making it through in a typical manner. Ultimately, a trainer with a Swalot emerged as the winner.


    Lastly, it was time for Yuga match against Oda.


    Speaking of Oda, he was likely one of the weaker participants to have made it to the third round. His Snowrunt, be it in terms of aptitude or level, was far from impressive. Oda himselfcked substantial battle experience.


    However, in the match against Yuga, Oda didn''t use his Snowrunt. Instead, he released a Bug-type Cutiefly.


    At first, Yuga thought that this Cutiefly might be stronger than the Snowrunt, but the two Pok��mon strengths were almost identical��simr levels and aptitudes.


    If one insisted, the Cutiefly had a slight advantage in terms of species, but in terms of strength, it wasn''t much different from the Snowrunt. Yuga easily secured victory using his Floette Magical Leaf.


    With the conclusion of Yuga group, it marked the end of the third round. The fourth round of matches would soon follow.


    Only five participants would make it to the fourth round, meaning one participant would have a bye round.


    The order of matches was determined by the referees, including Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny, and the event organizer. They took turns drawing two pieces of paper, each containing a participant name. Those drawn together would be opponents.


    The order of matches was quickly determined. In the first group, Robert was up again, facing the trainer with the Camerupt. The second group featured Yuga against the trainer with the Swalot. Fortunately, the trainer with the Shuppet got a bye round.


    Robert match concluded swiftly once more. His Baltoy was just too dominant, leaving no room for his opponent during the battle.


    Despite the Camerupt impressive performance in previous rounds, it couldn''t even put up a fight against Robert Baltoy. The Camerupt downfally in its aptitude, which was only at the yellow level, a stark contrast to Robert peak green-level Baltoy.


    However, it didn''t surprise Yuga that Robert Baltoy was this strong. With its high aptitude, level, skill proficiency, and the seamless coordination with its trainer, it would be strange if such a Pok��mon weren''t strong.


    Next, it was Yuga turn for his match.


    His opponent was a boy named Kiyono, who appeared quite young, sporting a round and chubby baby face that looked extremely cute.


    His Pok��mon was a Swalot, not particrly strong in terms of power. It wasn''t as strong as the trainers with the previously eliminated Cacturne or Oda Pok��mon, let alone the recently defeated Camerupt. Yet, he had managed to secure this position smoothly.


    As the match began, both sides sent out their Pok��mon. Unsurprisingly, Kiyono Swalot remained, and Yuga continued to field his Floette.


    "Swalot, use Acid Bomb!"


    The match curtain was drawn, and a burst of purple liquid shot out from Swalot mouth, hurtling towards Floette at rapid speed.


    Being a Fairy-type Pok��mon weak to Poison-types, Yuga understood that if Floette directly took this Acid Bomb hit, its fate would be sealed.


    "Floette, use Fairy Wind!"


    At Yugamand, a pink gust of wind immediately swirled around Floette, instantly shattering the Acid Bomb that was hurtling towards it.


    The first attack didn''t seed. Kiyono promptly attempted tomand Swalot tounch another attack, but Yuga didn''t give him the chance.


    "Floette, use Magical Leaf."


    Four magical leaves shot out from Floette like sharp des, heading straight for Swalot. However, before Swalot couldunch its attack, it was interrupted by the skill activation.


    Yuga was quite satisfied with Floette timing in this attack; it was just right.


    As Yuga and Floette spent more time together, their understanding of each other grew stronger. Back in the day, Floette wouldn''t have grasped Yuga intentions so easily.


    After being hit by the Magical Leaf, the rotund Swalot tumbled around the arena for several rounds before finallying to a stop. When it did, it appeared dazed and disoriented.


    Seeing Swalot state, Yuga didn''t miss the opportunity and promptlymanded Floette to unleash another Magical Leaf. While Magical leaf intended to intervene, Swalot failed to react in time. In an instant, it was struck again, losing its ability to battle.

 Chapter 43: The Finals (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 43: The Finals (Part 1)</h4>


    The finals were up next, with only Robert, Yuga, and the trainer with the Shuppet remaining.


    Following the rules, the finals changed from one-on-one to three-on-three battles. The three remaining participants would each face the other two to determine the champion, runner-up, and third ce.


    The draw results were quickly announced.


    In the first match, Yuga faced off against Robert.


    The second match would be between the loser of the first match and "Soku." If "Soku" won the second match, the loser would be third ce, and "Soku" would face the winner of the first match. If "Soku" lost, they would be third ce, and the loser would be the runner-up.


    "Soku" was the trainer with the Shuppet and was very strong.


    Once the match started, Yuga stood on the arena, looking at Robert on the opposite side. He had a feeling he had seen Robert somewhere before, but he couldn''t remember where.


    Yuga first Pok��mon was Murkrow.


    While Yuga had three main Pok��mon, his assistant, Chimecho, couldn''t participate due tocking attacking skills. So, Yuga reluctantly used Murkrow.


    Robert first Pok��mon was no longer Baltoy; instead, it was a Chimecho just like Yuga.


    Unlike Yuga Chimecho with yellow aptitude and level 20, Robert Chimecho had both green aptitude and level 33.


    Although Murkrow had a type advantage over Chimecho, the 9-level gap left Yuga with little chance of winning.


    "Murkrow, use Peck!"


    In order to gain an advantage, Yugamanded Murkrow to attack.


    Murkrow yellow beak emitted a white light, resembling a cannonball hurtling towards Chimecho.


    Robert expression remained unchanged as Murkrow approached Chimecho. He didn''t give anymand to Chimecho.


    However, just as Murkrow was about to hit Chimecho, the soft-bodied Chimecho twisted oddly, avoiding the attackpletely. It then twisted again just as Murkrow was about to reach it, binding Murkrow tightly.


    Seeing this, Yuga recognized that Chimecho had used the skill "Wrap."


    Murkrow expression turned painful, and it was evident that Chimecho skill had taken its toll. Just when Murkrow seemed on the verge of copsing, Chimecho suddenly swung its body downward, mming Murkrow onto the arena.


    In that moment, Murkrow was at aplete disadvantage. The fact that Robert hadn''t even given amand showed Yuga the gap between himself, an inexperienced trainer, and those who had been trained from childhood.


    Murkrow, flung onto the ground, struggled to get up and counterattack. Instead, due to the heavy impact, it writhed on the ground.


    Chimecho didn''t miss the opportunity to continue the offensive. It let out a screech and shot a beam of ck light at the struggling Murkrow.


    This was a Ghost-type skill, Astonish. While it didn''t have a significant effect on Dark-type Pok��mon, the vast level difference between the two caused Murkrow to lose its ability to battle when hit.


    Expressionless, Yuga recalled the incapacitated Murkrow and sent out Absol.


    "Absol!"


    The first thing Absol did upon entering the arena was let out a resounding howl.


    Its snowy white fur swayed gently in the breeze, and its sharp gaze locked onto Chimecho hovering in the air.


    "Absol, use Psycho Cut!"


    With Yugamand, a white de of light shot towards Chimecho like lightning.


    "Chimecho, dodge quickly!"


    Robert, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.


    However, Absol Psycho Cut was too fast. In an instant, it reached Chimecho. Despite Chimecho efforts to evade, it was struck.


    Hit by the Psycho Cut, Chimecho was sent flying, but Absol didn''t give it a chance to recover. Immediately afterward, another Psycho Cut wasunched.


    Before Chimecho could evennd from its previousunch, it was hit once again by Absol Psycho Cut.


    "Chimecho, are you okay?"


    Watching Chimecho being hit by consecutive Psycho Cuts, Robert face finally showed a rare expression of anxiety and worry.


    Chimecho shook its small head to assure its trainer that it was alright.


    Psycho Cut was a Psychic-type move, and since Chimecho was a Psychic-type Pok��mon, it naturally had some resistance to it, preventing it from losing its battling capabilities.


    Speaking of which, Yuga Absol was different from his Floette.


    Having lived in the wild, Absol had rich battle experience and a fundamentally differentbat awarenesspared to Floette and other artificially bred Pok��mon.


    When Yuga first tamed Absol, he couldn''t quite keep up with its pace in battles. However, as they spent time together, Yuga had learned to coordinate well with Absol.


    "Chimecho, use Astonish!"


    Following Robertmand, a beam of ck light shot straight towards Absol.


    Astonish, a Ghost-type move, had rtively low power, even lower than Floette rarely used Vine Whip. Robert likely had Chimecho use this attack because its other moves might not be effective against Absol.


    Both Chimecho and Absol were at level 33, with Chimecho aptitude even lower than Absol. In this scenario, Chimecho Psychic-type moves wouldn''t affect the Dark-type Absol.


    Facing Chimecho Astonish, Absol evaded with a quick speed.


    Possibly angered by the previous continuous hits from Absol Psycho Cut, Chimechounched Astonish attack after attack towards Absol.


    Yet, Absol agile movements and quick speed allowed it to easily dodge Chimecho Astonish attacks.


    After several rounds of attacks, Absol found an opening amidst Chimecho intensive assault. It swiftlyunched a Psycho Cut, hitting Chimecho when it wasn''t paying attention, rendering it unable to battle.


    Unexpectedly, Robert second Pok��mon was a Ciino from Unova region.


    With its gray fur, snow-white scarf, and petite body, this Ciino was incredibly adorable and immediately earned cheers from the audience.


    This marked the second appearance of non-native Pok��mon in thispetition and the second fully evolved Pok��mon to appear.


    "Ciino, Bullet Seed!"


    As soon as Ciino entered the field, Robertmanded it to attack. Yuga barely had time to examine its stats.


    Green seeds rained down like bullets toward Absol, traveling at an impressive speed.


    Although Absol intended to dodge, the onught of seeds from Ciino "bullet storm" made evading nearly impossible.

 Chapter 44: The Finals (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 44: The Finals (Part 2)</h4>


    "Absol, Future Sight!"


    Amidst the barrage of attacks from Ciino, Yugamanded.


    Future Sight was an advanced move, and within that category, it was considered a special technique. Generally, Absol at level 30-something would find it difficult to learn, even most Absol wouldn''t be able to learn it. However, Yuga Absol could, although using it was unfamiliar and strenuous.


    Upon hearing Yugamand, Absol body momentarily paused. A sh of light appeared on its crescent-shaped horn, and it swiftly evaded the barrage of seeds shot by Ciino.


    From the repeated Seed Bomb attacks of Ciino, Yuga deduced its characteristic was mainly continuous attacks, as it consistentlyunched five Seed Bombs each time.


    Ciino was remarkably fast, even though Absol had been using Quick Attack to dodge, it barely managed to evade. This situation was significantly draining Absol stamina, and although Yuga was well aware of this, hecked a good solution.


    Ultimately, after suffering several Seed Bomb hits amid significant stamina depletion, Absol lost its ability to battle.


    However, just as Absol lost its battling capability, two luminous rings suddenly appeared in the sky, shing towards Ciino. The moment Ciino was struck, it too lost its ability to battle.


    It turned out that the earlier Future Sight from Absol had activated.


    Seeing Ciino incapacitated on the field, Yuga finally had time to examine its data.


    <<ciino>> </ciino>


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Skill Link


    Aptitude: Cyan


    Level: 38


    Moves: Bullet Seed, Rock st, Tail p


    Given this information, what more could Yuga say? He had no idea where this Robert came from, possessing Pok��mon that were more outstanding than himself, even as someone with a system.


    Looking at it, three Pok��mon, two with cyan aptitude, one of them even being at the peak of cyan aptitude, and the weakest one being of green aptitude.


    Looking at himself, though he also had three Pok��mon, he only had one with cyan aptitude, one with green aptitude, and one even with yellow aptitude.


    Comparison was truly a killer.


    Moreover, this Ciino had the same level as the highest level Pok��mon that had appeared before, Camerumpt. Its ability was a rare hidden ability one as well.


    Yuga final Pok��mon was Floette. However, it was defeated by Robert Baltoy in an instant, and Yuga lost the chance to be the champion.


    Robert Baltoy was incredibly strong; everyone present could witness that. Yuga Floette defeat was without suspense.


    Next was Yuga match against Soku. If Yuga won, he would be the runner-up; if he lost, he would be the third ce winner.


    However, Yuga Pok��mon were injured and needed to be healed at the Pok��mon Center, so the match entered a break.


    Fortunately, the Pok��mon Center was right next to the battle arena, making the healing process very convenient.


    At the Pok��mon Center, Yuga was waiting with Rand for Nurse Joy to heal his Pok��mon.


    "You''re impressive."


    This sentence came from Rand, and upon hearing it, Yuga was momentarily surprised.


    Is he saying this to me? Yuga wondered.


    This unexpectedpliment left Yuga feeling puzzled. He had lost the match, not won it.


    Could it be that this guy is trying tofort me because I lost the match?


    With that thought, Yuga yfully ruffled Rand hair.


    Perhaps embarrassed by Yuga gesture, Rand awkwardly removed Yuga hand from his head and said, with his neck held high, "I mean it! I think what you said earlier makes a lot of sense. You''ve only be a trainer recently, so it''s normal to not be as good as others. But you still made it to the finals; that''s really impressive."


    Yuga hadn''t really thought much about losing the match; even though he had suffered a rather crushing defeat, he hadn''t expected Rand to say something like this to him.


    "Alright, I got it. Thanks, Rand."


    Yuga smiled and said, while Rand turned his head away, ignoring Yuga.


    The break during the matchsted for half an hour, which was enough time for Nurse Joy to restore Yuga three slightly injured Pok��mon back to their original states.


    "Dear audience, wee back. The uing match was crucial. If our contestant, Soku, could win, he would have a chance topete against Robert for the championship. If Shimizu won, the tournament would end. Let''s anticipate the match between these two yers."


    On the arena, the host enthusiastically addressed the audience below whilementating.


    After the host emphasized the importance of the match, both Yuga and Soku stepped onto the arena.


    Seeing Yuga and Soku take their positions, the host announced, "Both contestants are ready, so let the match begin."


    Up until now, Soku had only used his Ghost-type Shuppet. So, Yuga first choice was Murkrow, as Dark-type Pok��mon are resistant to Ghost-types.


    However, perhaps due to the fact that Yuga had already used both Murkrow and Absol in his battle against Robert, Soku first Pok��mon wasn''t a Ghost-type Shuppet. Instead, it was an insect-type Beautifly.


    This was already the second appearance of Beautifly in this tournament, and both instances were quite exceptional.


    Soku Beautifly had the same aptitude as the Beautifly belonging to a girl named Chris, green aptitude.


    Beautifly was one of the most populous andmon species in Hoenn region. With such arge poption, it often produced individuals with impressive aptitudes. Additionally, due to their appealing appearance, Beautifly was rather popr among civilian trainers.


    However, Soku Beautifly was significantly higher in levelpared to Chris. Furthermore, due to Bug-types countering Dark-types, Yuga was under substantial pressure.


    Both Murkrow and Beautifly were Flying-type Pok��mon. As soon as they entered the field, they began to p their wings, facing off in mid-air.


    However, Beautifly wasn''t well-suited for high-altitude flight, so its flying height was much lower than Murkrow. Consequently, it felt a great deal of pressure from Murkrow bird-eye view.


    "Beautifly, Silver Wind."


    Upon hearing the trainermand, Beautifly in mid-air pped its wings, creating a silver whirlwind that whistled towards Murkrow above.


    Silver Wind was a fairlymon move among Beautifly, possessing intermediate-level power and impressive additional effects.


    "Murkrow, use Wing Attack along the path of Silver Wind."


    Murkrow wings shed white before it flew against the oing current of wind created by Silver Wind. Murkrow then directed itself towards Beautifly.


    "Beautifly, use Stun Spore."


    Just as Murkrow was about to approach Beautifly, a sudden burst of yellow powder erupted from Beautifly. The powder engulfed Murkrow body.


    As Murkrow used its wings to disperse the yellow cloud, its body began to emit sparks, an indication that it had been paralyzed.


    Normally, Stun Spore wouldn''t pose much of a problem for a Flying-type like Murkrow. A simple wing p could disperse it. That was the reason this move, despite being effective, wasn''t frequently used �C its effects were quite good, but the opportunity to use it was limited.


    However, this time the Stun Spore appeared quite unexpectedly. Beautifly on the opposite side had timed it perfectly, only using it when Murkrow was forced into unavoidable proximity.

 Chapter 45: The Finals (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 45: The Finals (Part 3)</h4>


    "Beautifly, Silver Wind!"


    Soku wouldn''t miss the chance to attack Murkrow while it was paralyzed. He immediately issued an offensivemand to his Beautifly.


    "Murkrow, dodge quickly!"


    Watching the iing Silver Wind once again, Murkrow tried to avoid it, but its paralyzed body prevented any movement. It was forcefully blown away by the Silver Wind.


    Silver Wind was a Bug-type move that had a natural advantage against Dark-types. If it weren''t for Murkrow Flying-type attribute, the level 24 Murkrow might have been left with only half of its HP due to the Bug-type move.


    "Murkrow, use Wing Attack."


    Upon Yugamand, Murkrow, even though paralyzed, managed to move.


    Murkrow knew very few moves��only Peck, Wing Attack, and Haze. All of these were basic attacking moves with limited power, so Yuga had to tough it out.


    In fact, if Yuga Houndour were at a higher level, it would be the most suitable for dealing with Beautifly. It could use its Fire-type Ember move to counter Beautifly type advantage and its Dark-type Roar against Beautifly Silver Wind and Stun Spore.


    But Houndour level was an issue; it would likely be taken down immediately upon entering the battle.


    Upon hearing Yugamand, Murkrow elerated like a bullet and rushed towards Beautifly.


    "Beautifly, Silver Wind."


    Evidently, Soku wouldn''t allow his Beautifly to be attacked without retaliating. Upon Yugamand, Soku also instructed his Beautifly.


    Murkrow flew directly into the Silver Wind created by Beautifly. Despite the sharp wind des, Murkrow continued to charge forward with unwavering momentum.


    In the midst of the Silver Wind, Murkrow was soon covered in cuts from the wind des, its expression growing increasingly pained.


    Finally, Murkrow reached Beautifly and fiercely struck it with its sturdy wings. Beautifly was knocked down to the ground.


    However, after enduring the onught of Silver Wind, Murkrow fell to the ground and lost its battling capability.


    Watching the unsteady Beautifly take flight once more, Yuga recalled his beaten-up Murkrow with a Pok�� Ball. He then softly said, "Thank you, Murkrow."


    What is a trainer? What is the bond between a trainer and their Pok��mon? Questions that Yuga had never thought about before now swirled in his mind.


    Seeing how hard Murkrow had tried to win the match for him, Yuga suddenly felt a swelling sensation in his heart, as if something wanted to burst forth.


    Yuga next Pok��mon was Floette, a Fairy-type that had good resistance against Bug-types.


    "Floette, use Vine Whip."


    As soon as Floette appeared, it quickly unleashed two Vine Whips that tightly bound Beautifly wings.


    Actually, Floette didn''t have much advantage over Beautifly. Although it had a type advantage, Floette primary attacking moves were Grass-type, which wouldn''t be very effective against the Flying and Bug-type Beautifly.


    However, at this moment, Beautifly was ensnared by the Vine Whips. Despite Soku encouragement to break free, the rtively weak Beautifly couldn''t escape.


    Floette used the Vine Whips to swing Beautifly in the air before mming it to the ground. After lifting it up again, Floette harshly threw it into the air.


    "Floette, Fairy Wind."


    As Yuga voice fell, a pink gust of wind carried the airborne Beautifly towards the wall not far from the arena. Already disoriented from being thrown around, Beautifly lost its battling capability due to the Fairy Wind.


    In reality, Beautifly level was a few levels higher than Floette level 26. The reason Floette managed to defeat Beautifly so easily was because it took Beautifly by surprise.


    Soku silently recalled his Beautifly and gave Yuga a sharp nce, seemingly implying that Yuga victory was dishonorable. However, Yuga just smiled at him, not feeling like he had done anything unfair. After all, he didn''t use any underhanded tactics.


    Soku second Pok��mon was the umon Kecleon, which used its camouge ability to disappear as soon as it entered the field.


    However, Kecleon ability to camouge wasn''t very effective on the bare arena. Its dark-red stripes contrasted starkly against the gray-white arena.


    "Floette, Vine Whip."


    At Yugamand, Floette two Vine Whips swiftly moved towards the red stripes that were constantly shifting on the arena.


    However, this Kecleon was extremely fast and responsive. Before Floette Vine Whips could reach it, it moved like lightning to another spot.


    Floette repeated attempts to catch Kecleon elusive form left it panting and exhausted. This caused Yuga idea of using the same strategy that worked against Beautifly to fail.


    "Kecleon, use Fury Swipes."


    Finally, when Floette was panting and her reactions slowed down, Kecleonunched its surprise attack. Floette was caught off guard and pushed back quite a distance.


    At this moment, Yuga realized how foolish he had been. The best way to deal with the fast and elusive Kecleon was to use moves like Magical Leaf, which had tracking effects, instead of rigidly applying the strategy that worked against Beautifly.


    After being pushed back, Floette adjusted herself and quickly fired four leaf des at the constantly moving Kecleon.


    Although Kecleon was fast, the tracking effect of Magical Leaf still urately hit it.


    It was only now that Yuga realized that the Magical Leaf, with its tracking effect, was the best way to deal with the fast and elusive Kecleon, unlike the straightforward strategy he had used against Beautifly.


    Hit by the Magical Leaf, Kecleon was forced to drop its camouge. It tumbled several times on the arena before finally stopping. However, it quickly entered camouge mode again, leaving only a fast-moving red stripe on the arena.


    "Kecleon, Shadow Sneak."


    With amand from Soku, the camouged Kecleon suddenly appeared below Floette. It leaped high in the air, its ws emitting a dark light as it struck Floette fiercely. Floette was knocked from mid-air to the ground.


    Soku hadn''t expected Kecleon to use Shadow Sneak. Combined with its incredible speed and elusive nature, this took Floettepletely by surprise.


    "Kecleon, use Shadow Sneak again."


    Seeing Floette lying on the ground, Soku immediately ordered Kecleon tounch a second attack.


    "Floette, quickly dodge."


    Shaking its head, Floette, who was about to take flight, saw the small wsing at it once again. Instinctively, it used its Vine Whip to catch the approaching ws and then flung them away.


    Kecleon, which was thrown away, was also bewildered at this point. It never expected Floette to counterattack under these circumstances.


    If it had known that Floette counterattack was merely an instinctive action due to fear, it might have been frustrated.


    After Floette tossed Kecleon aside, it slowly and leisurely took flight. At the moment, its mind was still a bit muddled.


    However, Yuga didn''t give it much time to figure things out. He immediatelymanded, "Floette, Magical Leaf."


    Without thinking too much, Floette obediently followed the trainer instruction andunched an attack towards Kecleon.

 Chapter 46: The Final Battle (End)

    <h4>Chapter 46: The Final Battle (End)</h4>


    The four Magical Leaves urately hit Kecleon. Due to being flung by the Vine Whip, Kecleon hadn''t yet entered its hidden state and lost its battling capability.


    Soku final Pok��mon was the same Shuppet he had been using throughout the tournament, and it was also his strongest.


    This Shuppet, just like Floette, had a green qualification. Although its level couldn''t match the previous level 38 Camerumpt and Robert level 38 Ciino, it was 2 levels higher than Yuga highest-level Absol, reaching level 35.


    Upon Shuppet appearance, Soku didn''t rush to issue amand. Shuppet ominously hovered in midair, asionally emitting eerieughter, creating a sense of psychological pressure on Floette.


    Interestingly, Shuppet and Floette shared amon trait��they were both capable of flight for now, but they would lose that ability once they evolved into Bte and Florges, respectively.


    "Floette, Magical Leaf!"


    Seeing that Shuppet remained motionless for a while, Yuga took the initiative tomand Floette tounch an attack.


    As Yuga voice fell, Floette, already prepared, immediately moved into action. The de-like green leaves shot straight toward Shuppet.


    Unexpectedly, Shuppet, instead of dodging, moved closer to the Magical Leaves.


    As Shuppet neared the Magical Leaves, its body emitted a dark light, causing the four Magical Leaves to transform into ordinary leaves that gently fell to the ground.


    Seeing his Magical Leaves being easily swatted away, Floette couldn''tprehend the situation, feeling a surge of annoyance.


    However, Yuga understood clearly. In that instant of approach, Shuppet had swiftly utilized its Ghost-type skill, Shadow Sneak.


    In previous matches, this Shuppet had relied on its proficient use of Shadow Sneak, inbination with Will-O-Wisp, and its elusive form, to toy with opponents.


    Based on its past performances, this Shuppet had shown mastery over the currently used skills, especially Shadow Sneak.


    "Shuppet, Will-O-Wisp."


    As Floette attack missed, Soku immediatelymanded Shuppet to use Will-O-Wisp.


    A ring of ghostly blue mes appeared around Shuppet, swiftly swirling around Floette.


    Seeing the eerie mes surrounding her, Floette screamed and tried to avoid them. However, the mespressed the surrounding space, leaving her with no choice but to watch as the Will-O-Wispnded on her.


    "Floette, Magical Leaf!"


    Observing Floette hit by Will-O-Wisp, Yuga intensified Floette attack rhythm. He understood that Floette, affected by the mes, wouldn''t be able to hold out for long, and the situation required a quick resolution.


    Seeing the Magical Leaves flying toward her, Shuppet form disappeared in the air. It seemed like an attempt to evade the attack.


    However, this tactic proved ineffective. When Shuppet reappeared from another direction on the arena, the Magical Leaves still urately hit it.


    Despite the sessful hit, Floette lower level became evident. Although the Magical Leaves struck Shuppet, the damage inflicted wasn''t substantial.


    When Yuga decided to press the attack on Shuppet, he heard a scream from Floette, causing his momentum to waver. Floette face turned pale, showing the effect of the Will-O-Wisp.


    "Shuppet, Shadow Sneak."


    Taking advantage of Floette distracted state from the Will-O-Wisp, Soku promptly ordered Shuppet to retaliate. Shuppet shadow elongated beneath it, morphing into a pitch-ck w that forcefully knocked Floette to the ground.


    "Floette is unable to battle. The victory goes to Shuppet. Trainer Shimizu, please send out your next Pok��mon."


    As the announcer voice echoed, Yuga recalled the fallen Floette and sent out his final Pok��mon, Absol.


    "Shuppet, Will-O-Wisp."


    With Absol ready on the stage, Soku promptlymanded his Shuppet tounch an attack. Ghostly blue mes appeared around Shuppet.


    "Absol, Swords Dance."


    As the blue mes neared Absol, a ring of bright blue energy swords formed around it, blocking and extinguishing the encroaching mes. Absol had previously used this move effectively against Houndour leader Smog.


    "Absol, Sucker Punch."


    As the mes dissipated, Yuga voice resonated. Absol leaped high into the air with a forward thrust, aiming to strike Shuppet aggressively.


    However, Shuppet form once again disappeared mysteriously in midair, causing Absol attack to miss.


    But when Shuppet form suddenly reappeared from another direction on the arena, preparing to ambush Absol, it was as if Absol had eyes on the back of its head. It swiftly turned around, its crescent-shaped horns on its head releasing a light de that knocked down the unsuspecting Shuppet.


    Interestingly, Yuga had noticed that Absol seemed to possess strong predictive abilities in battles, possibly due to learning the skill of Future Sight. This predictive ability greatly enhanced itsbat effectiveness.


    With Shuppet low defense, Absol Psycho Cut hit it solidly. As Shuppet once again floated up from the ground, it gave the impression that it could copse at any moment.


    "Your Absol is formidable," Soku suddenly said to Yuga.


    Yuga hadn''t expected Soku to suddenly speak to him, so he replied, "Your Shuppet is also strong."


    Soku peculiar gaze left Yuga feeling somewhat puzzled.


    "Shuppet, Shadow Sneak."


    Soku skipped further conversation andmanded Shuppet to continue its attack. The ws formed from shadows immediately lunged toward Absol.


    "Absol, Quick Attack."


    In the instant that the shadow Sneak attack approached, Absol elerated with a Quick Attack of speed, evading the Shadow Sneak attack.


    "Absol, Sucker Punch."


    As the Shadow Sneak attack missed, Yugamand reached Absol without dy. Without giving the opposing Shuppet any time to react, Absol ws gleaming with dark energy, Absol leaped high into the air, then mmed its paws down onto the airborne Shuppet, knocking it to the ground.


    The battered Shuppet, already covered in injuries, couldn''t withstand Absol sessive attacks. It lost its battling capability after Absol assault.

 Chapter 47: Gift

    <h4>Chapter 47: Gift</h4>


    "Shuppet has lost its ability to battle, and Absol wins! Therefore, in this match, Trainer Shimizu is the winner!" The host announced the results loudly.


    Soku retrieved Shuppet as it fell and nced at Yuga before leaving the arena.


    "Now that Trainer Shimizu has emerged victorious from this match, it signifies the sessful conclusion of this tournament. Third ce goes to Trainer Soku, second ce to Trainer Shimizu, and our champion is Robert! Let''s give a warm round of apuse to these three outstanding youths."


    Next was the award ceremony. Yuga, who had just stepped down from the stage, was called back up.


    The award presenters were the three judges.


    Officer Jenny presented the award to Soku, Nurse Joy to Yuga, and the organizer of the tournament, the boss branch of the Devon Corporation, presented the award to Robert.


    The award ceremony proceeded smoothly, and amid the host enthusiastic praise, Yuga received the Incubator from Nurse Joy.


    "This is a healthy Pok��mon egg. I hope you''ll nurture it well."


    Nurse Joy smiled and spoke gently to Yuga.


    "Sure, thank you, Nurse Joy."


    Yuga bowed to Nurse Joy and felt a sense of worry: How should he deal with this Pok��mon egg?


    The egg potential was only Yellow-grade, not exceptional. He already had a Yellow-grade Chimecho. Did he really need another one?


    If it wasn''t for Chimecho unique skill, Yuga wouldn''t have even considered capturing it.


    With his Insight skill, Yuga wasn''t too concerned about not having high-grade Pok��mon. At the very least, the Pok��mon he captured should be Green-grade.


    While a Pok��mon potential was significant, raising it was incredibly challenging. For most Pok��mon, their potential would never change if they didn''t encounter special circumstances.


    Therefore, given the opportunity, Yuga didn''t want to invest a lot of energy and resources into raising a Yellow-grade Pok��mon.


    He had already startedte, and wasting more time would only widen the gap between him and others. For example, the current Robert, any of the three Pok��mon he used in the match would have higher potential than Yuga strongest Absol.


    So, what should he do with this Pok��mon egg? Sell it at a shop? That wasn''t a good idea; after all, he had earned it through hard-fought battles. Selling it would be a waste.


    Raising it himself wasn''t a good idea either. He already had Chimecho, a "deadweight" on the team. Having another one would be too troublesome.


    Yuga held the Pok��mon egg, thinking as he left the stage.


    When he saw Rand approaching, an idea lit up in Yuga mind. Yes, he could give it to Rand.


    Logically speaking, Rand, who was studying at the Trainer School, should already have his own starter Pok��mon. A while ago, Mr. Kate had even mentioned that Yuga should help Rand find a good Pok��mon.


    Their family conditions weren''t particrly well-off, which was why Rand hadn''t received his starter Pok��mon until now. Though he could afford a Pok��mon, they were somewhat tight on funds.


    After all, Yuga had grown up alongside Rand. Even though Rand didn''t hold a high opinion of the original Yuga, their families had been on good terms for many years. Giving him a Yellow-grade Pok��mon egg was still feasible.


    Moreover, Yuga life was saved by Mr. Kate. If it weren''t for him pulling the suicidal original Yuga out of the water, even if Yuga had transmigrated, he would have met a watery demise again.


    Yuga approached Rand with a cheerful smile. "Rand, would you like a Pok��mon?"


    Rand didn''t understand the intention behind Yuga question, but he answered honestly.


    "I''ve been wanting a Pok��mon for a long time. Most of my ssmates already have their own starter Pok��mon. I''m envious, but I know our family situation, so I didn''t tell my dad."


    "I''m giving this Pok��mon egg to you, how about that?"


    Holding the Incubator, Yuga handed the Pok��mon egg to Rand.


    "For me? Is it really for me?"


    Rand seemed to have trouble grasping Yuga intent and asked in bewilderment.


    "Yes, for you. Do you want it or not?"


    "Really? You''re really giving it to me?"


    Rand face lit up with surprise.


    "Really? Why would I lie?"


    Yuga said with a smile as he observed Rand delighted expression.


    "But this is something you won from thepetition."


    Rand wanted the Pok��mon egg, but he was conflicted.


    "Oh,e on! I have no shortage of Pok��mon eggs. Can''t you see how many I have at my shop?"


    Hearing Yuga words, Rand reached out to take the Incubator, but then hesitated.


    "I can''t ept it. I can''t just take something from you without a reason. My dad wouldn''t agree either."


    Seeing Rand dejected look, Yuga found it a bit amusing. He simply stuffed the Incubator into Rand arms.


    "Just take it. You''re overthinking, little carrot head. If your dad has an issue, he can talk to me. Come on, let''s head home."


    Saying so, Yuga grabbed Rand arm and started walking back home.


    Rand silently followed Yuga, clutching the Pok��mon egg. He stared at Yuga, lost in thought.


    While they walked, Yuga suddenly looked back. "Since I''ve given it to you, you better take good care of it. It''s a rare Pok��mon egg, you know."


    After saying this, Yuga turned around again and continued walking in the direction of their home.


    Rand didn''t say anything, just trailing behind Yuga with a contemtive expression.


    And so, they walked in silence until they reached their respective doorsteps. Before entering his house, Rand turned to Yuga and whispered a thank you, then hurriedly went inside.


    Yuga knew Rand was probably feeling shy, so he shook his head and entered his shop.


    When Yuga got home, the sky had begun to darken. The shop lighting was dim, and it was eerily quiet. For no particr reason, Yuga suddenly felt a sense of loneliness.


    But when he saw Vulpix and Houndour, who hadn''t participated in thepetition, peacefully sleeping under the Weather Tree, Yuga chuckled softly. He realized he was being a bit melodramatic.


    He switched on the lights in the shop and released Floette, Absol, and Murkrow from their Pok�� Balls. The loneliness he felt seemed to be an illusion.


    Perhaps due to the sudden increase in brightness and the noise made by Floette and the others, Vulpix and Houndour perked up their ears and woke up. They trotted over to Yuga feet.


    Chimecho was hiding in the Weather Tree, but suddenly emerged from the leaves, chiming its pleasant "Ling... ling... ling..." It seemed to be weing Yuga and the others back.


    In that moment, Yuga felt a profound sense of happiness.

 Chapter 48: Luna Interrogation

    <h4>Chapter 48: Luna Interrogation</h4>


    "To reward Murkrow, Floette, and Absol for their excellent performance in todaypetition, we''re having a big feast tonight!"


    Upon hearing Yuga words, the Pok��mon cheered with excitement.


    To adapt to their training, most of the Pok��mon food had been reced with Pok��blocks, while regr food became a sporadic treat to adjust their pte.


    However, the taste of Pok��blocks couldn''tpare to regr food, so the Pok��mon were thrilled to hear about the big feast tonight.


    As a result, Yuga spent a busy two to three hours in the kitchen with several Pok��mon before they all enjoyed a hearty meal.


    Although preparing the feast was a bit of a hassle, everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. Rather than simply savoring the meal, it felt like they were relishing the process of preparing it.


    After thepetition, Yuga days returned to normal: training Pok��mon, administering medicine to Pok��mon eggs with gic defects, overseeing the shop, and asionally supervising the progress of the Ecopark construction.


    Furthermore, over the past few days, Rand attitude towards Yuga had noticeably improved. After school, he would sometimese to the shop, holding the Pok��mon egg Yuga had given him.


    Regarding the matter of Yuga giving Rand the Pok��mon egg, Mr. Kate had even visited the shop to talk to Yuga about it. But Yuga insisted that it was a gesture of gratitude for Mr. Kate saving his life, and Mr. Kate had little else to say on the matter.


    The construction of the Ecopark was also nearingpletion these days, and Yuga was greatly looking forward to seeing the finished result.


    On this day, Yuga was idly tending to the shop when he suddenly saw a red blur burst into the shop like a small cannonball. It wasn''t until this red projectile came right up to Yuga that he recognized Luna.


    Luna immediately hugged Yuga waist and started shaking him vigorously.


    "Big Brother Yuga, you gave a Pok��mon egg to that kid Rand, why don''t I have one?! Why? Why?"


    Luna grip was remarkably strong, and Yuga not only felt dizzy but also as if he was being bombarded by her words.


    Yuga gently pushed Luna away, rubbing his waist.


    "How do you know I gave a Pok��mon egg to Rand?"


    Luna huffed, "Why wouldn''t I know?! He goes to school every day hugging that egg. I''ve seen it, and I''ve even heard him telling others that you gave it to him!"


    "That right, I did give it to him."


    "Why does he have one and not me!! You''re my big brother, not his! Why does he have one and I don''t? I don''t care, I want one too, I want one too!"


    Luna tantrum was giving Yuga a headache. She was just a step away from rolling on the floor.


    "Why should I give you one? Rand has been doing well in school, but I''ve heard that you''ve been mischievous and causing trouble."


    Upon hearing Yuga words, Lunaint abruptly stopped. She avoided his gaze, stuttering, "Who... who said that? I do well in school too."


    This little rascal had learned how to divert attention. Yuga was well aware that Luna academic performance was consistently good, but other aspects of her behavior were lessmendable.


    "Oh... so your grades are good! But what about besides your grades?"


    Yuga looked at Luna with a seemingly amused expression.


    Luna felt ufortable under Yuga odd gaze. She mumbled, "I don''t care, I don''t care. I want a Pok��mon egg too. If you don''t give me one today, I''ll stay here and refuse to leave."


    In reality, Luna starter Pok��mon had been prepared by Yuga parents long before he transmigrated. It was just that they hadn''t found the right moment to give it to her. However, before Yuga had transmigrated, Luna was the only child from either family with the potential to be a trainer. Both families highly valued her starter Pok��mon.


    Precisely because of that significance, it had been dyed until now, and by the time Luna starter Pok��mon was ready, Yuga parents had already faced their ident.


    "Alright, alright, stop quarreling. If you keep this up, I''ll call your dad!"


    Upon hearing that Yuga was going to call her dad, Luna immediately quieted down. Luna was spoiled most of the time, and there was only one person who could keep her in check��her dad.


    "I won''t talk to you anymore! Go be a big brother to Rand!"


    Saying this, Luna turned around in a huff and went to vent her frustration on Floette and the others. The shop once again turned into a chaotic scene.


    Yuga watched as Luna fussed around on the side, not paying her much attention, understanding that her behavior was just a child temperament that would pass with time.


    In fact, Yuga had already had thoughts about Luna starter Pok��mon, but he didn''t want to reveal it to her. After all, he wanted to keep the surprise intact.


    Afterwards, Yuga received two customers who came to inquire about Pok��mon, but neither of them made a purchase, likely needing more time to consider.


    At that moment, he saw Rand enter the store with a joyful expression.


    "Yuga big brother, look, my Pok��mon egg hatched!"


    It was only then that Yuga noticed Blitzle in Rand arms.


    Due to just being born, the baby Pony Pok��mon was incredibly small in size, its wet eyes looking at people with an adorable expression.


    <<blitzle>> </blitzle>


    Type: Electric


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Motor Drive


    Nature: Mild


    Level: ?


    Moves: ?


    Observing Blitzle with a discerning eye, Yuga found that due to its recent birth, he couldn''t clearly determine its level or moves. However, its ability was outstanding, and it was indeed a rare Pok��mon, originating from the United regions.


    "So, it''s a Blitzle. A pretty good one," Yuga said with a smile, patting Blitzle head as he spoke to Rand.


    "Yeah, this is the first time I''ve seen a real Blitzle. I''ve only read about them in books before," Rand said excitedly. Seeing his joyous expression, Yuga felt that Rand previously reserved persona might be changing.


    While Yuga and Rand were happily discussing Blitzle, a sudden voice came from behind, startling both of them.


    "Hey, is this Pok��mon the one that hatched from that egg?"


    Turning around, Yuga and Rand saw that Luna had somehow appeared behind them, with Vulpix and Houndour following her.


    "Can I... Can I touch it?" Luna suddenly asked Rand while fidgeting.


    Seeing Luna suddenly blushing face, Yuga began to wonder if he had entered an alternate reality today. Was this the same mischievous little witch? What''s with everyone acting out of character today?


    Rand finally returned to his usual demeanor. He wiped the smile off his face and gave a serious expression, though he didn''t say anything. However, he still carefully extended Blitzle toward Luna.


    Luna happily reached out and petted Blitzle, seemingly wanting tob through every inch of its fur.


    Seeing Blitzle difort, Rand gently took it back from Luna, cradling it carefully.


    "Hmph, such a stingy guy."


    Observing Rand taking Blitzle back, Luna pouted unhappily, then turned and went to y with Vulpix and Houndour.


    Not minding Luna displeased expression, Yuga addressed Rand, "Don''t mind her, she''s just throwing a tantrum."


    Rand nodded and didn''t pay much attention to Luna attitude.

 Chapter 49: Becoming Friends

    <h4>Chapter 49: Bing Friends</h4>


    "By the way, have you prepared a Pok�� Ball for it?"


    "Not yet, I haven''t had the chance to prepare one."


    Yuga could tell from the way he was acting that he must have rushed here as soon as the Blitzle hatched.


    "No need to rush, you can just carry it around like this normally. It''ll help you build a bond with it. After all, it''s just been born and will likely be very dependent on you."


    "I understand."


    Rand nodded in understanding.


    "Also, don''t rush to have it participate in battles. Newly hatched Pok��mon are still in their infancy and can''t participate in battles. Otherwise, it might affect its growth."


    Yuga suddenly thought of these points and quickly advised Rand.


    "I know, thank you, Yuga. I''ll be careful."


    Afterward, Yuga went on to exin some other points to Rand. Rand was eager to learn and even borrowed pen and paper from Yuga to jot down the important things.


    They chatted for a long time before Rand bid his farewell and went back home. As for Luna, in the end, her father had toe and carry her away by the cor.


    After having lunch, when Yuga returned from the restaurant to the shop, he noticed someone by the counter with the Pok��mon eggs.


    Since Yuga home and the kitchen were connected to the shop, he usually didn''t close the shop during lunchtime.


    The figure seemed quite familiar to Yuga, so he walked over and greeted them.


    "Hello, is there something I can help you with?"


    The person turned at the sound, and indeed, it was someone he recognized.


    With golden hair, a handsome face, tall stature, and dressed in a deep blue suit, these distinctive appearance and attire could only belong to Robert.


    "Oh, it''s you, Robert!"


    "Trainer Shimizu!"


    Both of them called out each other names simultaneously.


    "Sorry about that, I didn''t realize this shop was yours."


    Perhaps feeling that it was impolite to address Yuga directly by his name without any greeting, Robert courteously apologized.


    Robert every word and action showcased his good manners.


    In fact, Robert didn''t know Yuga full name. Even though Yuga registered using his full name forpetitions, the host always referred to him as "Trainer Shimizu." So, just now, Robert subconsciously used "Trainer Shimizu" to address Yuga.


    Yuga smiled and said, "Yes, this shop is mine. Are you interested in buying a Pok��mon egg?"


    "Yes, I''d like to take a look. But are all the Pok��mon eggs in the shop disyed here?"


    Clearly, the ordinary Pok��mon eggs in the shop wouldn''t meet Robert needs.


    "Yes, they''re all here. My shop has just started, and I don''t have any high-quality or rare Pok��mon eggs at the moment."


    Yuga apologized to Robert with regret.


    "I see. Nheless, it''s quite impressive that you''ve opened a shop at such a young age."


    Robert didn''t belittle Yuga shop due to its small size. Instead, he expressed admiration for Yuga ability to independently start a shop.


    "Haha, I think you''re the impressive one. You look even younger than me, yet you''re already such a skilled Trainer. That''s really remarkable."


    As a Pok��mon Trainer himself, Yuga genuinely respected and admired Robert.


    "My strength is still far from enough. Compared to ''that person,'' my strength is iparable."


    As he spoke, an expression of admiration and reverence appeared on Robert face.


    Although it was strange who this "person" Robert was referring to might be, Yuga didn''t ask right away. After all, they had just met, and asking too much might seem overly familiar.


    As they continued chatting, Yuga found Robert to be quite a decent person. He seemed toe from a well-off family but didn''t have the air of arrogance that often apanied wealth. Instead, he was mild-mannered and polite, and his knowledge was quite extensive.


    From their conversation, Yuga learned that Robert hade to Verdanturf Town to participate in the Grand Contest. Participating in Pok��mon battles was just something he did for fun in his leisure time, not his main pursuit.


    Moreover, Robert isn''t a traditional Pok��mon Trainer; he belongs to the specialized category of Pok��mon Coordinators among Trainer-rted professions.


    At this point, Yuga finally remembered why he found Robert familiar the first time they met.


    This Robert is actually the same Robert from the original animated series, the one who won the ultimate championship at the Grand Contest during Ash journey in the Kalos region.


    It''s probably because so much time has passed that Yuga has almost forgotten the content of the anime. If Robert hadn''t left a rtively strong impression in the original work, Yuga probably wouldn''t remember him.


    Meeting a character from the original story for the first time, Yuga was quite happy. The more they talked, the more they foundmon ground, and it seemed like they could discuss anything.


    "It''s gettingte, I should go."


    Seeing that they had been chatting for a long time, Robert decided to bid farewell and leave.


    "Sure, let me reintroduce myself. I''m Yuga Shimizu, and it''s an honor to meet you."


    Since Yuga noticed that Robert always addressed him as "Trainer Shimizu" during their conversation, he guessed that Robert probably didn''t know his full name. So, he took the initiative to tell him.


    "I''m Robert, and I''m also honored to meet you. If you have any good Pok��mon eggs in the future, don''t forget to let me know."


    They shook hands and exchanged smiles.


    After seeing off Robert, Yuga returned to the shop feeling quite content. Robert should be considered the first friend of his age that he had made since arriving in the world of Pok��mon.


    In the evening, Yuga took his six Pok��mon out for training.


    After watching Robert battles, Yuga realized that his own Pok��mon still had many issues.


    For instance, Chimecho, his main battling Pok��mon, had no attacking power whatsoever, and it couldn''t even participate in battles. Although its role was meant to be a support Pok��mon, it shouldn''tck any attacking power either. If he continued to solely focus on its supportive role, Chimecho might be useless in battles apart from group battles.


    Observing Robert Chimecho, Yuga could tell that Chimecho had been developed really well.


    Then, there was the matter of levels.


    Whether it was Floette, his main battling Pok��mon, Chimecho, or his backup Pok��mon, Murkrow, Houndour, and Vulpix, their levels were all hovering around twenty-something, and Murkrow level was merely 19, not even reaching 20.


    Comparing this to Robert, none of Robert three Pok��mon were below level 30. Robert highest-leveled Pok��mon, Ciino, was already at level 38, just a step away from reaching level 40.


    Lastly, there were their skills.


    Currently, several of his Pok��mon had achieved a decent level of proficiency in the skills they knew. At least, they could handle battles without a problem. However, the power of their skills was still far from sufficient.


    For example, Floette Fairy Wind, which was a basic Fairy-type skill, had low base power. If he didn''t give it proper training, using this skill in battles when the level was higher would be increasingly challenging. The same applied to Murkrow Peck and Wing Attack, as well as Houndour Ember and Roar.


    Only when these basic skills were well-trained could they evolve into advanced skills, allowing them to use higher-level skills more effectively and harmoniously.


    Yuga also realized that he had been neglecting his backup Pok��mon. Although they weren''t his main battling team, as their Trainer, Yuga still had a significant responsibility towards them. Moreover, since he currently had only a few Pok��mon, he had the capacity to care for and train all of them.

 Chapter 50: A New Round of Training

    <h4>Chapter 50: A New Round of Training</h4>


    Realizing the current issues, Yuga has been training his Pok��mon with more purposetely. Their dedication to training has increased, especially for Murkrow.


    In battles against Robert and Soku, Murkrow performance was disappointing, which affected its morale. As a result, Murkrow was discontent.


    Even Floette, who used to be yful, has be more diligent recently.


    Perhaps influenced by the other Pok��mon, Floette yful nature seems to have changed.


    Both Murkrow and Absol are hardworking and serious, even without Yuga instructions.


    Vulpix and Chimecho are both well-behaved, and they follow Yuga orders wholeheartedly.


    Even timid Houndour has been participating in training more actively due to its good rtionship with Yuga.


    This positive atmosphere has made Floette feel embarrassed about cking off, eventually leading it to forget aboutziness.


    Team dynamics are important; even one hardworking member can influence the whole group positively.


    One morning, Yuga took his team to a nearby forest for training.


    Normally, they trained in Yuga backyard, but due to ongoing construction in the ecopark, the yard was inessible for now.


    "Houndour, use Ember on that tree. While using Ember, try to extend the duration of the mes as much as possible. Let''s see if you can turn your Ember into a column of fire."


    Houndour nodded at Yuga instructions and used the Ember skill on the designated tree.


    Ember advanced form was a stream of mes. Though Houndour strength wasn''t sufficient for the advanced version, this training would help its control over continuous mes, aiding its skill development in the future.


    However, achieving consistent mes wasn''t easy for Houndour.


    Ember produced a spherical me, and turning it into a forceful column required strong physical stamina and fire control.


    Yuga had been focusing on improving Houndour stamina and fire controltely. Today marked the first training session on the continuity of Ember.


    For training Chimecho, Yuga emphasized meditation. Psychic Pok��mon offensive abilities relied heavily on their mental strength.


    Teaching Chimecho attacking skills was a challenge; Yuga wasn''t an expert or knowledgeable about such techniques.


    The world had Technical Machines, but they were rare.


    First, these machines were difficult to make, limiting their avability and causing them to be expensive and often unavable even with money.


    Second, TMs had ws.


    TMs forced skills into Pok��mon minds, hindering natural learning. It limited skill proficiency and hindered learning of advanced skills.


    Yuga had also read online about how TMs might affect a Pok��mon understanding of elemental energy, but these were just rumors.


    Currently, there were three main ways for Pok��mon to learn skills: selfprehension, inheritance, and teaching.


    Thetter had two categories: learning from other Pok��mon or training from a Trainer.


    Learning from other Pok��mon was easier to understand, as Pok��mon had their ownnguage formunication.


    Trainer-led skill teaching depended on the Trainer experience. However, Yugacked experience and knowledge in this aspect.


    He was currently relying on his own experimentation and online resources, though most online information was unhelpful and scarce due to the confidentiality of precious experience.


    Experienced Trainers didn''t overburden their Pok��mon with numerous skills; they selected the most suitable skills. Despite their intelligence, Pok��mon had limited energy.


    A skilled intermediate-level skill might be better than an unskilled advanced-level skill.


    Skill effectiveness wasn''t solely determined by the skill base power but also the Pok��mon proficiency, strength, and control over the skill.


    Therefore, more skills weren''t necessarily better.


    Murkrow was currently learning a new skill, Roar.


    Since thestpetition, Yuga noticed that Murkrow main weakness was itsck of ranged attack skills; all of its attacks were close-range, involving pecking and wing attacks.


    Both these skills required proximity to the opponent to be effective. Being a Flying-type Pok��mon, if Murkrow movement was restricted, it would be almost useless with just these two close-range attacks.


    Yuga decided to have Houndour teach Murkrow the move "Roar." Being Dark-types, Murkrow could potentially learn this move.


    Currently, Houndour had only taught Murkrow the technique method; Murkrow hadn''t sessfully executed it yet.


    As for Vulpix, its focus was on learning the skills "Will-O-Wisp" and "methrower."


    Will-O-Wisp was a powerful skill, as seen from Soku Shuppet. Although Shuppet Will-O-Wisp wasn''t effective against Yuga, Soku had utilized it well against other participants.


    When a Pok��mon was hit by Will-O-Wisp, failure to end the battle quickly meant inevitable defeat.


    methrower, as Vulpix main offensive move, was a major training priority. This intermediate skill held early-game advantage.


    Floette training targeted "Magical Leaf" and "Fairy Wind."


    While Fairy Wind power was low, Yuga emphasized this skill to prepare Floette for learning higher-level Fairy-type moves like "Dazzling Gleam" and "Moonst" in the future.


    Fairy-types differed from other types in that they had fewer high-power moves. Except for Magearna "Fleur Cannon" and The Eternal Flower Floette "Light of Ruin," the only moves with power over 90 were "y Rough" and "Moonst."


    Unfortunately, Floette couldn''t learn "Fleur Cannon" or "Light of Ruin."


    So, Fairy Wind aimed to deepen Floette understanding of Fairy-type energy, crucial for a single-type Fairy Pok��mon.


    Magical Leaf, Floette primary offensive move, needed focused training.


    Yuga had an idea: training Floette to use Magical Leaf as a "Leaf Tornado" effect.


    Currently, Floette could use four leaves in Magical Leaf. Yuga wondered if it could eventually use eight, sixteen, and perhaps even hundreds of leaves in the future.


    Whether this could be achieved, Yuga didn''t know, but having a goal was important. If Floette could achieve this, it would be unrivaled.


    From the recentpetition, Yuga discovered that Floette Vine Whip was useful. Its power might be modest, but it was effective for control and disruption.


    Yuga had previously overlooked Vine Whip potential, but now he realized it was worth revisiting.


    Lastly, there was Absol.


    As Yuga strongest Pok��mon, Absol was also the most reliable.


    Different growth conditions from the others shaped its resolute character and desire for strength. It understood the importance of strength more than anyone.


    Yuga hadn''t given Absol specific training tasks; it had learned skills through outdoor experiences and challenges. Its proficiency and power were exceptional.


    Currently, Absol was training the only skill it hadn''t mastered yet: "Future Sight."


    This Psychic-type skill was remarkable, serving as both an offensive tool and enhancing a Pok��mon perception and prediction abilities, though it was challenging to use.


    Yuga typically focused on skill training in the mornings when Pok��mon were alert, aidingprehension. Afternoons were reserved for physical and practical training to boost their levels.


    While immediate results might becking, consistency and gradual improvement were key aspects of training.

 Chapter 51: Attack of Team Magma

    <h4>Chapter 51: Attack of Team Magma</h4>


    "Absol, Future Sight is a psychic-type move, and you''re a dark-type Pok��mon. It might not be as smooth for you to use abilities from the psychic type. Do you think learning the Calm Mind move would help you use this ability?"


    Although Absol wasn''t a psychic-type Pok��mon, it was a unique creature with a natural ability to foresee disasters. This natural ability gave it an advantage when using psychic-type movespared to other non-psychic-type Pok��mon.


    So, learning the Calm Mind move, which was a psychic-type move focused on alteration, shouldn''t be too difficult for Absol.


    Upon hearing Yuga words, Absol nodded in agreement. However, how to learn the Calm Mind move was still a question.


    While Yuga Chimecho was a psychic-type Pok��mon, it only instinctively meditated as a psychic-type Pok��mon would, and it couldn''t meditate as a move.


    Calm Mind, whether the innate instinct or the learned move, could enhance a Pok��mon mental power. The difference was that only psychic-type Pok��mon had the innate ability to meditate, while the Calm Mind move could be learned by many non-psychic-type Pok��mon.


    The greatest benefit of the Calm Mind move was that it could not only temporarily boostbat abilities during battles but also gradually enhance mental power through regr practice over time.


    "Absol, let me think of a way when I get back. I''ll make sure both you and Chimecho learn this move."


    Yuga spected that Absol difficulty in using this move smoothly might be due to itsck of the strong innate psychic power possessed by psychic-type Pok��mon.


    So, even for many psychic-type Pok��mon of its ss, learning the ability to foresee the future was challenging. Despite Absol having a natural inclination, using the move was bound to be quite difficult.


    Yuga believed that learning the Calm Mind move might need to start from other trainers. If their own Pok��mon didn''t possess the move and they themselves couldn''t teach it, seeking guidance elsewhere was the only option.


    "Alright, Absol, you..."


    Before Yuga could finish speaking, Absol, who had been training, suddenly pounced violently, pushing Yuga aside. At the same time, the spot where Yuga had been standing was blown into a big pit with a loud "bang."


    Yuga stared at the pit before him and the scattered dirt, breaking into a cold sweat.


    "Tch, to think the surprise attack failed."


    At that moment, a voice echoed from afar, and three figures emerged along with a Skorupi. Yuga had a vivid memory of two of them.


    One of them was the opponent Yuga faced in the finals of a previous Pok��mon battlepetition. The other was also a participant �C the trainer of that high-level Camerupt.


    The person who had just attacked Yuga and spoken was the leader of these three individuals, the only one Yuga didn''t recognize.


    Though Yuga didn''t know him, the attire he wore was unmistakable to Yuga.


    With dark red clothing and a horned hood, this attire could only belong to one of the two infamous viinous teams in the Hoenn region �C Team Magma.


    "What''s your intention? Why did you attack me out of nowhere?"


    As Yuga words trailed off, Absol suddenly stepped in front of him, growling menacingly at the three individuals. This aggressive stance was full of hostility.


    Yuga didn''t reveal their identity. The less Yuga knew now, the safer it was. After all, there were three of them and only one of Yuga. A smart person wouldn''t rush into danger.


    "Why attack you? You took something from us. Shouldn''t I take it back?"


    The leader face remained shadowed beneath his hood. Yuga couldn''t see his expression clearly, but from his voice, he seemed middle-aged.


    However, iming that Yuga took something from them seemed to be a misunderstanding. Yuga couldn''t recall having taken anything, but the person voice was oddly familiar.


    "I took something from you? There must be some kind of misunderstanding."


    Although Yuga suspected there might be a misunderstanding, they remained cautious and slowly got up from the ground.


    "Misunderstanding?" The leader sneered.


    "Evidence is right in front of you. What misunderstanding are you talking about?"


    The person pointed at Absol standing in front of Yuga.


    Yuga squinted, realizing what they meant by "something" and understanding why Suo had given Yuga an odd look when Yuga sent out Absol during thepetition.


    Simultaneously, Yuga remembered why the leader voice sounded familiar.


    This leader was one of the three people who chased after Absol in the Rusturf Tunnel. He was the trainer of Skorupi.


    Back then, the tunnel was too dimly lit for Yuga to see the details of their clothes or their faces. Thus, Yuga couldn''t identify their clothing color or realize they were part of Team Magma.


    It seemed that Yuga whereabouts had been leaked to the leader by Suo, who was the Team Magma informant looking for Absol.


    "Remember now? If you do, then hand over Absol to us."


    The leader tone carried a hint of threat.


    Yuga didn''t answer the leader but silently recalled the Pok��mon that had gathered around Yuga. Only Absol, Floette, and Chimecho remained outside.


    Seeing Yuga actions, the leader knew Yuga wasn''t nning toply. Suo and the trainer of Camerupt released their Bte and Camerupt, ready for battle.


    "Hmph, if you won''t ept our offering, then we''ll impose a punishment. Skorupi, use Pin Missile!"


    Without a second thought, the leader ordered his Skorupi tounch an attack on Yuga.


    "Floette, Fairy Wind!"


    Facing the attack, Yuga immediately retaliated.


    Light purple projectiles shed with pink gusts in the air, causing explosions.


    "Absol, Psycho Cut!"


    Not letting their guard down due to deflecting the scorpion attack, Yugamanded Absol to attack the remaining Camerupt and Bte, seizing the initiative.


    Absol quickly understood Yuga intent. Two white psychic des were sent toward Camerupt and Bte.


    "Camerupt, Protect."


    Ideals were beautiful, but reality was often disappointing. Yuga hadn''t expected Camerupt to actually use Protect against such a powerful technique. It swiftly reacted to the sudden attack.


    The Psycho Cuts from Absol aimed at Camerupt and Bte were both blocked by the light shield in front of Camerupt.


    "Bte, Shadow Sneak!"


    After sessfully protecting against the attacks, Camerupt trainer immediately counterattacked using his Bte.

 Chapter 52: Aiding Each Other

    <h4>Chapter 52: Aiding Each Other</h4>


    Bte Shadow Sneak manifested as a ghostly w, fierce and unrelenting, reaching straight towards Absol.


    Absol swiftly evaded Shadow Sneak with Quick Attack move, but the Ghost w continued to pursue relentlessly.


    "Chimecho, Gravity."


    Seeing that Absol was being held back by Bte, Yuga worried that Camerupt might seize the opportunity to strike andmanded Chimecho, who was not skilled inbat, to disrupt Bte.


    Chimecho quietly approached Bte and suddenly, without it realizing what was happening, Bte fell from the air with a "thud." The Ghost w pursuing Absol dissipated as well.


    Unaware of the situation, Bte tried to rise from the ground, but despite its efforts, it struggled to move an inch.


    The Trainer of Bte saw Chimecho involvement and immediately appealed for help from Camerupt Trainer. However, Camerupt was currently being restrained by Absol, who had broken free from the Ghost w, and couldn''t spare a hand to rescue Bte.


    "Not bad, kid. You''re quite capable, trying to take on the three of us alone."


    Observing how Yuga Absol and Chimecho were holding their own against his two subordinates, the leader tone carried a malevolent edge.


    "Skorupi, Toxic."


    Skorupi speed was exceptional; even though Floette was airborne, it couldn''t dodge the Toxic attack. The purple venom sshed directly onto Floette body.


    The Poison type countered the Fairy type, causing Floette body to develop purple blisters, putting it in a poisoned state.


    "Chimecho, Heal Bell."


    As Yuga voice trailed off, a clear and pleasant sound of bells spread from Chimecho, releasing Floette from its poisoned state.


    However, the price of using Heal Bell was that Bte, previously restrained by Gravity, regained its freedom andunched an attack on Chimecho.


    Currently, Chimecho couldn''t maintain Gravity while using Heal Bell.


    Seeing Chimecho about to be hit by Bte Shadow Sneak, Absol, who now held the advantage in battle, broke free from its opponent,unching a Sucker Punch and pinning Bte to the ground, rendering it unable to fight.


    Witnessing his Bte lose its fighting ability, Suo grew angry, releasing his Beautifly and Kecleon. He thenunched an attack on Absol.


    Absol, who had previously been in a dominant position, suddenly found itself surrounded and at a disadvantage due to thebined assault of the three Pok��mon.


    "Chimecho, Gravity."


    The three Pok��mon assaulting Absol were all enveloped by Chimecho Gravity, including Absol itself, located at the center of the battle.


    However, thanks to Chimecho Gravity ability, Absol emerged from the crisis. ustomed to Chimecho Gravity, it found the situation much easier to handle than the other Pok��mon.


    Just as Yuga sighed in relief, cries of agony came from the other side��Floette was in trouble.


    Yuga turned around to see Floette lying on the ground, incapacitated.


    Floette strength was no match for Skorupi on the opposite side, and considering Yuga had tomand three Pok��mon alone, he was overwhelmed, unable to effectively manage the situation. Floette quick defeat was understandable.


    "Skorupi, Pin Missile."


    The leader, now free to act, immediatelymanded Skorupi to attack Chimecho, which was holding back the other three Pok��mon.


    "Chimecho, quickly dodge!"


    Yuga sensed the danger and shouted to Chimecho.


    Chimecho, hearing Yuga voice, instinctively moved aside, narrowly avoiding Skorupi Pin Missile. However, in doing so, its Gravity ability was lifted.


    Free once more, Camerupt, Kecleon, and Beautifly allunched attacks on Absol.


    With three opponents attacking, Absol was overwhelmed and knocked to the ground.


    "Chimecho, Heal Pulse."


    Having recovered from the shock, Chimecho, upon hearing Yugamand, flew to Absol head. Once the pink beam of light touched Absol, its wounds visibly vanished, and it stood up from the ground, revitalized.


    "Absol, Psycho Cut."


    Now reinvigorated, Absol emitted ethereal Psycho Cuts, shing at the three Pok��mon attacking it.


    Kecleon was instantly hit, while the other two narrowly evaded the attack.


    However, the weakened power of Absol Psycho Cut due to it having used the move three times meant that Kecleon wasn''t rendered incapacitated.


    Chimecho was restrained by Skorupi, unable to assist Absol any further. Absol found itself once again under the assault of three Pok��mon simultaneously.


    "Camerupt, me Burst."


    Caught off guard, Absol was hit by Camerupt me Burst, falling to the ground. Its once pristine fur was now smeared with dirt, and some areas were charred from the mes.


    "Beautifly, Silver Gale."


    Just as Beautifly was about to attack the fallen Absol again, green beams of light struck it, causing it to tumble to the ground.


    "Ciino, Seed Bomb. Baltoy, Hidden Power."


    Not only was Beautifly knocked down, but Skorupi, who had been pursuing Chimecho, also had its attack disrupted.


    Hearing the voice, Yuga turned to see Robert standing not far away with Ciino and Baltoy.


    Seeing an additional person in the battle, the leader face turned dark, revealing a touch of trepidation. "Who are you? This has nothing to do with you. I hope you won''t meddle."


    "What if I want to meddle?"


    Robert expression remained calm.


    "In that case, don''t me me for being ruthless. Skorupi, Cross Poison."


    It was the first time Skorupi had used this move. Its pincers emitted purple venom, and it charged rapidly towards Robert.


    Unperturbed by Skorupi attack, Robert calmly said, "Baltoy, Rock Lock. Ciino, Rock st."


    Skorupi, charging forward at full speed, was suddenly encircled by arge ring of rocks. Simultaneously, from the direction of Baltoy,rge stones were shot out, rendering Skorupi incapable of battling.


    Yuga was amazed by Ciino consecutive attack ability, as Baltoy Rock st disyed impressive power.


    Seeing his Skorupi so easily defeated, the leader was dumbfounded. Even the Trainer of Camerupt and Absol, who were attacking Absol, were taken aback.


    "Retreat!"


    The leader recalled his incapacitated Skorupi and cast a nce at Robert before ordering the other two to retreat. In an instant, the three vanished into the woods.


    Yuga hadn''t expected Robert strength to exceed his imagination. He managed to drive away the opponents who had caused him so much trouble in just a few moves.


    "Thank you. If not for you, I wouldn''t know how to handle this situation today."


    Yuga expressed his gratitude to Robert.


    Robert smiled and said, "It''s nothing. Just lending a hand. After all, we''re friends, aren''t we?"


    As it turned out, Robert was also here to train his Pok��mon. Seeing Yuga under attack was merely coincidental.


    Robert didn''t inquire about the attackers or the reason for the attack on Yuga; he was very understanding.


    Due to his Pok��mon injuries, Yuga didn''t engage in much conversation with Robert and quickly headed to the Pok��mon Center with his team.

 Chapter 53: Visiting Robert

    <h4>Chapter 53: Visiting Robert</h4>


    At noon the next day, Yuga closed his shop and headed to the Pok��mon Center to visit Robert.


    Yesterday, due to his concern for the injured Pok��mon, he hurried to the Pok��mon Center and only managed to express his gratitude to Robert in passing.


    "Nurse Joy!"


    Yuga softly called out to Nurse Joy, who was engrossed in her work.


    Hearing the voice, Nurse Joy looked up and then smiled, saying, "Oh, it''s Mr. Shimizu. What can I do for you?"


    Because Yuga trained his Pok��mon every day, he often brought his own Pok��mon to the Pok��mon Center for check-ups. As a result, Nurse Joy had gradually gotten to know the owner of the only daycare in Verdanturf Town.


    "I wanted to ask if there''s a Mr. Robert staying here?"


    Yuga didn''t know whether Robert lived at the Pok��mon Center or how to contact him, so he had to inquire here.


    "Please wait a moment. Let me check for you."


    Nurse Joy pondered for a moment, then took out the amodation records from the side of her desk and began to search through them.


    Halfway through the search, Nurse Joy suddenly looked up.


    "Oh, I remember now. There is indeed a Mr. Robert staying here. How could I have forgotten?!"


    Saying this, Nurse Joy lightly tapped her own head with her hand, appearing somewhat annoyed.


    Yuga couldn''t quite understand. With so many guestsing and going at the Pok��mon Center every day, isn''t it normal to forget one or two people?


    "Could you tell me which room he''s in? I need to talk to him."


    "He''s in the fourth room on the left side of the second floor."


    Nurse Joy pointed towards the staircase leading to the second floor.


    "Thank you, Nurse Joy."


    After politely thanking her, Yuga turned to head upstairs to find Robert. Suddenly, he heard Nurse Joy muttering something under her breath from behind.


    "That Mr. Robert is really handsome."


    Hearing this, Yuga stumbled slightly. So even Nurse Joy can have a crush, it seems. No wonder she had been so arrogant about forgetting Robert; she was captivated by his looks.


    Following Nurse Joy directions, Yuga easily found Robert room and knocked on the door.


    Robert, who was getting ready to leave his room, heard the knocking and wondered who could be looking for him at this time. Opening the door, he found Yuga standing there.


    "Yuga? Why are you here? Do you need something?"


    "What''s wrong? Can''t Ie see you if there''s no specific reason?"


    Yuga looked at Robert with a surprised expression and chuckled.


    "Of course you can,e on in."


    With that, he stepped aside to let him in.


    "Have a seat."


    Robert pointed to the only chair in the room, then sat on the bed himself.


    The rooms at the Pok��mon Center weren''t spacious, especially the single rooms. Other than the single chair, there was only the bed to sit on.


    Yuga sat down on the chair and nced around the room. He casually joked, "Seeing you act like a young master, I thought you might be staying in a hotel. I came here just to see if I could find you. Didn''t expect to find you here."


    The original purpose of the Pok��mon Center was to provide convenience for trainers on their journeys, so naturally, the conditions weren''t luxurious.


    Although as time went on, the League developed and the system improved, society became more stable, and the travel environment for trainers became safer, the Pok��mon Center gradually evolved from its initial form of a supply point and rescue station into the currentbination of a hotel and hospital. However, the conditions still couldn''tpare to a proper hotel.


    Looking at Yuga teasing gaze, Robert helplessly said, "So that''s the impression I''ve given you. From the way I look, can''t I stay at a Pok��mon Center?"


    Yuga waved his hand dismissively. "Haha... Haha... I''m just kidding. A talented trainer like you couldn''t have achieved what you have now without enduring a bit of hardship."


    Ignoring Yuga praise, Robert opened his mouth and said, "You still haven''t said why you''vee to find me. Did you make a special trip just topliment me?"


    Upon hearing Robert question again, Yuga straightened his expression, putting away his yful demeanor, and said, "I came primarily to thank you for what happened yesterday."


    "Is that why you came? There''s no need to thank me for that. We''re friends, and helping you is only natural," Robert said nonchntly, patting Yuga shoulder.


    "Still, I must thank you. One good turn deserves another. If it weren''t for you, I don''t know what might have happened yesterday."


    Recalling yesterday events, Yuga still felt a shiver down his spine. Given the circumstances, he was certain he wouldn''t have been able to handle it alone. If Robert hadn''t shown up, he didn''t know whether he would have been attacked or captured by those people.


    "The people who caused trouble for you yesterday were from Team Magma, right? How did you end up attracting their attention?"


    "You know about Team Magma?"


    Yuga hadn''t expected Robert to know about Team Magma.


    Robert replied, "Yes, this organization hasn''t been around for long. It and another group called Team Aqua emerged in recent years. Both organizations have slogans like ''Protecting the Earth'' and ''Protecting the Sea,'' so when such organizations appear, they usually register with the League. However, they''ve been keeping a low profile and haven''t caused any major issues, so the League has been lenient with them."


    Yuga thought to himself, "They''re not causing trouble now, but let''s see if the League will be troubled by them in a few years."


    However, Yuga also hadn''t realized that Team Magma and Team Aqua Ship were still not infamous, and they were even considered semi-public organizations.


    "Do you know that I have an Absol?"


    "I know, it''s the one you used in our battle before. That Absol is quite exceptional."


    Yuga exined to Robert about capturing Absol and the events leading up to the attack by Team Magma.


    Listening to Yuga ount, Robert furrowed his brow and said, "Technically, if you''ve already captured that Absol, it''s your Pok��mon now. Why would they keep bothering you and go through such trouble to find you?"


    "I don''t know either."


    Yuga suspected that Team Magma might be after Absol due to its faint ability to foresee the future, but these were just his own spections. He didn''t have any evidence to share with Robert.


    Robert advised with concern, "Anyway, be cautious from now on. Who knows if they''ve given up or not."


    Yuga nodded. "I will. By the way, have you had lunch? If you haven''t, I''ll treat you. Consider it my way of thanking you for saving my life."


    "When you knocked on the door, I was actually about to go out for lunch! Since you''re treating, I won''t refuse."


    Saying that, Robert patted Yuga shoulder and stood up. The two of them left the room together.

 Chapter 54: Swablu

    <h4>Chapter 54: Swablu</h4>


    After having lunch with Robert at noon, Yuga was preparing to return to the shop to continue managing it. However, as soon as he opened the shop door, he saw the hurriedly fluttering Chimecho fly up to him, continuously making a "ring, ring, ring" sound.


    Seeing Chimecho urgent demeanor, Yuga curiously asked, "What''s wrong, Chimecho? Is something the matter?"


    Seeing that Yuga didn''t seem to understand, Chimecho stopped chirping and instead pulled Yuga towards the direction of the stairs leading to the second floor.


    "Do you want me to go upstairs?"


    Seeing that Yuga understood, Chimecho nodded happily.


    Following Chimecho lead, Yuga went upstairs, wondering, "What happened on the second floor? Did something ur?"


    Just as Yuga arrived on the second floor aftering out of the staircase entrance, he suddenly saw a blue little ball rushing towards him.


    Before Yuga could clearly see what was rushing towards him, the object crashed directly into his arms, causing Yuga to feel like his insides were about to shatter.


    Taking the object out of his arms to have a look, Yuga saw a pair of shiny ck eyes staring back at him.


    It turned out to be a Swablu.


    The human and the Pok��mon stared at each other for a while, and finally, Swablu couldn''t help but peck Yuga chin with its tender beak, ending the staring contest.


    Looking at the chaotic room and the presence of Houndour, Murkrow, and Vulpix huddled to the side, Yuga felt a headacheing on.


    What exactly had happened? How did his room end up like this? Also, where did this Swablue from? Thankfully, he had taken Floette and Absol out when he left, or his house might have been turned upside down!


    Staring at the mess before him, Yuga shouted, "Exin yourselves! What exactly happened? Did you decide to go wild while I was away?"


    All three Pok��mon shrunk back, not daring to make a sound. Finally, it was Vulpix who nodded towards the spot where Yuga kept the Pok��mon Eggs.


    With suspicion, Yuga walked over, reaching the Pok��mon Eggs. Upon reaching them, he realized that out of the 32 eggs, only 31 were left.


    These eggs were the ones with gic defects. Since they required daily gene treatment, they weren''t convenient to keep on the first floor. Thus, Yuga had moved them to his second-floor room. He didn''t expect that one would finally hatch today.


    As expected, Director Mond words were true. These Pok��mon Eggs were all rare ones, and the first to hatch was the elusive Swablu.


    After all, the evolved form of Swablu was the rare Dragon-type Pok��mon, Altaria. Dragon-type Pok��mon weren''t just synonymous with rarity but also with power.


    Yuga used his skillful Insight ability to inspect Swablu.


    <<swablu>> </swablu>


    Type: Normal/Flying


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Natural Cure


    Qualification: Green


    Level: ?


    Skills: ?


    Indeed, just as the system had said, the gic treatment could cure these defective eggs.


    There was no way to tell that Swablu before him had hatched from a gically defective egg.


    However, Yuga also noticed a w in his Insight ability��it couldn''t reveal the level and skills of newly hatched Pok��mon.


    He wasn''t sure whether inherited skills were also invisible. Neither Rand Blitzle nor this Swablu showed any inherited skills, leaving Yuga uncertain if they originallycked those skills or if they were just invisible.


    Due to the Pok��mon Egg hatching, Yuga mood improved, so he didn''t me Vulpix and the others too much for the messy room.


    In reality, the messy room couldn''t be entirely med on them.


    After Yuga left, Chimecho in the room noticed that one of the eggs was emitting a continuous glow. Out of curiosity, it called over the otherpanions.


    The four Pok��mon gathered around the egg.


    Thus, Swablu was greeted with eight round, curious eyes as soon as it hatched. This startled it, causing it to start darting around the room.


    Even Vulpix and the others were taken aback by Swablu behavior. After realizing what was happening, they began frantically trying to calm it down.


    However, the actions of these inexperienced little ones only made Swablu even more panicked. Consequently, the bird began flying around the room in a frenzy, with the other four Pok��mon chasing after it.


    Chimecho realized that things were getting out of control and attempted to find Yuga, only to find him returning just as she reached the door.


    As Yuga climbed the stairs, he was met with the chaotic scene.


    Seeing the fear in Swablu eyes and its trembling body, Yuga knew it had been scared but fortunately wasn''t injured.


    "Chimecho, use Heal Bell!"


    Chimecho nodded, and its pleasant chime resounded. A pink wave of energy spread from Chimecho body to the surroundings.


    Gradually, Swablu panicked expression began to calm under the influence of Chimecho Heal Bell. Even Vulpix and the others became mesmerized by Chimecho calming effect.


    Honestly, Chimecho Heal Bell was truly pleasant to hear. Yuga himself felt like his cells were celebrating, and all his mental fatigue disappeared.


    Yuga didn''t know about the Heal Bells of other Pok��mon, but Chimecho was undoubtedly excellent.


    Perhaps it had to do with the fact that it only has three auxiliary moves: Heal Pulse, Heal Bell, and Gravity.


    Ignoring the mess that had been made of the room, Yuga carried the freshly hatched Swablu downstairs. Vulpix and the others followed Yuga down the stairs.


    Yuga poured some Moomoo Milk into a small bowl from the kitchen and ced it in front of Swablu on the table, saying softly, "Here, Swablu, have some milk. It''s really delicious."


    He had bought this Moomoo Milk for himself, and there wasn''t much left, to begin with.


    Moomoo Milk was quite expensive, and Yuga rarely bought it.


    Since Hoenn wasn''t the original source of Moomoo Milk and its shelf life was short, the milk was pricey in Hoenn region.


    Perhaps due to all themotion upstairs, Swablu was genuinely hungry. Seeing the Moomoo Milk in front of it, it didn''t hesitate and started drinking right away.


    Seeing Swablu happily drinking, Yuga knew it was satisfied with the food.


    Taking advantage of Swablu mealtime, Yuga found some pieces of cloth around the house and fashioned a small nest for it, cing it on the Climatree alongside Floette and Murkrow.


    After cing the nest, Yuga returned to find Swablu already asleep on the table after finishing the milk.


    Yuga thought, "It must have used up a lot of energy flying around upstairs for so long. Combined with being newly hatched and fragile, it got exhausted."


    Yuga shook his head, gently picked up the slumbering Swablu, and ced it into the nest he had made.

 Chapter 55: Impolite Youth

    <h4>Chapter 55: Impolite Youth</h4>


    On the second day after the birth of Swablu, Yuga, early in the morning, took his Pok��mon out for training and then resumed his daily routine as a shop owner.


    Yuga had sold quite a few Pok��mon eggs in the past few days, generating better revenue than when his original parents were still alive.


    Yuga even hired someone to design a website specifically for his Day Care. The website provided a simple introduction to the YoYo Day Care, and Yuga updated it daily with information about the shop and the Pok��mon eggs for sale.


    However, since Yuga Day Care was just starting out andcked reputation, as well as rare or high-quality Pok��mon, the website had low traffic for now.


    Nevertheless, Yuga remained undeterred. He believed that as his Day Care improved over time and the variety of Pok��mon grew, the current stagnant situation would eventually break through.


    Due to the early hour, the slightly misty and fresh air outside invigorated Yuga. He set up a chair, held a cup of tea, and sat by the shop entrance.


    At sixteen years old, Yuga felt like he had entered the routine life of a sixty-year-old.


    While Yuga observed the bustling crowd on the street, a short-statured young man arrived at the shop entrance. He nced at the sign above the doorframe and said disdainfully, "Can a small Day Care like this have good Pok��mon?"


    Yuga looked up at the ordinary-looking, short young man. Despite feeling ufortable, he politely stood up from the chair and said, "Wee. Are you interested in buying Pok��mon eggs?"


    Without acknowledging Yuga, the young man walked into the shop, and Yuga followed suit.


    Upon entering, the young man mood improved slightly as he observed that the interior was better than the exterior.


    "What kinds of Pok��mon eggs do you have here?" the young man asked, still not bothering to turn his head as he examined the ss cab containing the eggs.


    "At the moment, we have Poochyena, Lotad, Seedot, Taillow, Surkrit, Shroomish, Azuril, Skitty, and Corphish," Yuga exined briefly, pointing out the location of each Pok��mon egg.


    Listening to Yuga introduction, the young man sneered, "Small shop, small selection. I guess you can only have these few kinds of Pok��mon."


    After saying that, he inquired further, "What qualities are these Pok��mon eggs?"


    "All of them have yellow qualities," Yuga replied.


    "Tch!"


    The young man spat lightly and turned to leave.


    Seeing him about to leave, Yuga struggled to suppress his anger and repeated to himself mentally: "Don''t get angry, don''t get angry... Customers are gods, customers are gods..."


    Just as the young man had walked a couple of steps, Swablu, which had been sleeping in its nest, woke up without Yuga noticing. Coincidentally, at that moment, the bird flew out of the Weather Tree andnded on Yuga head.


    Upon seeing Swablu, the young man eyes lit up.


    "Isn''t this a pretty decent Pok��mon? I want this Swablu," he dered.


    Saying that, the young man reached his hand towards the bird, attempting to remove it from Yuga head.


    Yuga leaned aside to dodge the young man hand and apologetically said, "I''m sorry, this Swablu is not for sale."


    Failing to obtain Swablu, the young man raised an eyebrow and said quite displeased, "Not for sale? What, are you afraid I can''t afford it?"


    Seeing the bratty expression on the young man face, Yuga felt a surge of anger but maintained his polite demeanor. He responded, "It''s not about the money. Swablu is truly not avable for sale."


    The young man impatiently waved his hand and continued trying to catch Swablu, saying, "Why are you so full of nonsense? Money? Do you think I''m short of money?"


    Yuga dodged the young man hand once again, realizing that his good nature might not hold up against this youth. He turned cold and said, "Please show some respect. This Swablu is truly not for sale."


    Seemingly frustrated by failing to catch the bird twice, the young man face turned sour, and he angrily eximed, "What''s wrong with you? You''re not making money when you can. With this tiny shop of yours, you should be grateful if I''m willing to buy Pok��mon from you. Why are you acting so high and mighty?"


    Yuga felt like he was about to cry just from listening to this brat speak.


    "Please leave."


    "What do you mean? You think you can kick me out of this small, rundown shop?"


    Upon hearing Yuga ask him to leave, the young man began shouting loudly.


    The young man shouting reached outside the shop, and several passersby on the street curiously stretched their necks to peer inside.


    Seeing the situation, Yuga face turned stern as he told the young man, "I am indeed asking you to leave. Please depart immediately; you''re not wee here."


    The young man expression changed multiple times as he looked at Yuga stern face. He still seemed unwilling to give up, continuing to reach for Swablu.


    At that moment, Yuga Absol suddenly hopped out and positioned itself between Yuga and the young man, assuming a defensive stance.


    Seemingly startled by Absol appearance, the young man, with an air of displeasure, warned Yuga, "What''s so impressive about this! You just wait and see!"


    Saying that, the young man hurriedly left the shop.


    Only then did Yuga let out a sigh of relief and said to Absol, "Thank you, Absol."


    Absol shook its head and then left.


    Returning to his seat by the shop entrance, Yuga sighed deeply. He felt that his mood for the day was probably ruined, and he couldn''t fathom why such an annoying person had toe and irritate him so early in the morning.


    "Big Brother Yuga, are you okay?"


    At that moment, Rand voice rang out. Yuga looked up to see Rand standing in front of him with a backpack on his back and his Blitzle following behind. Perhaps noticing Yuga troubled expression, Rand asked, "Is everything alright?"


    "I''m fine."


    Yuga waved his hand dismissively.


    "Are you heading to school?"


    Rand nodded, "Yes."


    "In that case, hurry along. Don''t bete. I''m fine."


    Without further questions, Rand walked away with his backpack.


    Whether due to the bad luck brought by that young man or for some other reason, the entire morning passed without a single customer entering the shop, let alone buying any Pok��mon eggs. Yuga was fuming with frustration.


    He resolved to teach that brat a lesson the next time they crossed paths. This was the only thought upying Yuga mind throughout the morning.

 Chapter 56: Birthday

    <h4>Chapter 56: Birthday</h4>


    In the evening, Yuga closed the shop and prepared to take his Pok��mon to the small forest for their daily training. Just as he was about to leave, he saw Luna rushing over and hugging his leg.


    "Big Brother Yuga!"


    Luna strong embrace almost made Yuga stumble.


    "What''s going on? Why didn''t you go home after school and came here instead?"


    Seeing her with a backpack, Yuga knew she must havee straight to his ce after school.


    "My mom told me to let you know that tomorrow is my birthday and she wants you toe to our house for lunch."


    Luna looked up at Yuga and said.


    "Alright, I got it. I''ll be there tomorrow."


    Yuga nodded, indicating that he would be there, but as he was about to step out, he realized Luna was still holding onto his leg tightly.


    "What''s wrong? Didn''t I agree toe tomorrow? Why are you still holding onto me?"


    Seeing Luna, who was usually carefree, acting so hesitantly, Yuga found it a bit strange.


    Luna stammered, "Well... um... will you give me a present tomorrow?"


    After all that, she was worried about the gift. Yuga found it a bit amusing and said, "Of course, it''s your birthday tomorrow, so there will be a gift."


    "Can I have a Pok��mon egg like the one you gave Rand?"


    Upon hearing about the gift, Luna instantly perked up, her hesitant demeanor disappearing. Her voice unintentionally became louder, as if speaking with more confidence would help her case.


    Yuga hadn''t expected her to be so concerned about this, especially to the extent of using his birthday as an opportunity to negotiate. He found the young girl quite amusing.


    "I''ve never heard of someone asking for a specific birthday gift. It''s quite impolite, you know."


    Yuga looked at Luna with a half-smile.


    Luna demeanor instantly deted after hearing Yuga words. With a somewhat pleading expression, she said with hesitation, "Well... um... everyone else has one, and I don''t. You gave one to Rand but not to me."


    Seeing her fixate on the Pok��mon egg he gave Rand, Yuga thought for a moment and said, "Alright then, how about this? You promise me that you''ll behave well at school from now on, and not be mischievous. Tomorrow, I''ll give you a surprise. How does that sound?"


    Luna eyes brightened at Yuga words, and she let go of his leg. Excitedly, she asked, "Really? You''re not tricking me, right?"


    Yuga raised his hand to assure her, "Really, I promise. If I''m lying, call me a Houndour."


    "That''s great! I''ll go back now. I''ll be waiting for your surprise tomorrow. Don''t lie to me, okay? And don''t forget!"


    Saying that, Luna ran off with her small backpack, as if carried away by the wind.


    "Don''t forget the promise you made to me either!"


    Yuga shouted after Luna, who was already quite far away.


    Watching Luna spirited departure, Yuga shook his head helplessly, then closed the shop door and left.


    The next day at noon, Yuga bid farewell to thest customer in the shop and closed the door, getting ready to go to Aunt Hisako house.


    As he locked the door, Yuga thought, "I really should find someone to watch the shop. I can''t just close it every time I leave. What if a customeres in?"


    However, Yuga felt that this matter should wait until the Eco Park waspleted. The construction of the Eco Park was entering its final stages recently, and it should be finished within a couple of days. He wondered if Ms. Suzuki was still avable.


    When Yuga arrived at Aunt Hisako house, he found her wearing an apron and setting dishes on the table.


    Seemingly having been scalded, Aunt Hisako alternated between shaking her hands and pinching her ears, making aical expression that was quite amusing.


    Seeing this scene, Yuga couldn''t help but chuckle.


    Aunt Hisako turned her head upon hearing theughter and saw Yuga standing at the doorway. She immediately smiled and said, "Little Yuga is here! Come in quickly, we''re almost ready to eat."


    Yuga stepped forward to the dining table and smiled at Aunt Hisako, saying, "Aunt, if the tes are hot, you can use a cloth to hold them."


    Aunt Hisako pped her forehead and eximed, "Right, my mind bes a mess when I''m busy."


    Then, as if remembering something else, she suddenly put on a serious face and said, "Well, you were making fun of Aunt, weren''t you!" She yfully patted Yuga.


    Yuga quicklyughed and begged for mercy, "How could I dare? I was justughing because Aunt looks even more beautiful now."


    At that moment, Aunt Hisako husband, Mr. Kurosaki, came out from inside the house, holding a bottle of wine.


    "Little Yuga is here. What are you twoughing about so happily?" he asked with a smile.


    Yuga called out to his uncle and said, "I was just praising Aunt beauty."


    "You, kid, always know how to make people happy."


    Aunt Hisako husband said with a chuckle and went towards the kitchen.


    "Aunt, is there anything left to do? Let me help!"


    Saying that, Yuga stood up to go to the kitchen, but Aunt Hisako immediately pushed him back and said, "Just sit there, it''ll be ready soon."


    Seeing that he couldn''t be of much help, Yuga returned to his seat at the dining table and asked, "Uncle, where''s Luna? Today is her big day, so why can''t I see her?"


    Uncle Kurosaki chuckled and said, "Don''t worry about her. She came back from school and locked herself in her room. No idea what she''s busy with. I''ve called her several times, and she kept saying she''ll be out soon, but she hasn''t shown up till now."


    It wasn''t until lunchtime that Luna finally emerged from her room. As soon as she appeared, she circled around Yuga, looking at him with a puzzled expression.


    "What''s wrong, Luna? Did I do something wrong today? Why are you looking at me like that?"


    Curious, Yuga even looked at himself to see if there was something off, but he couldn''t find anything unusual. So, he asked Luna with a puzzled look.


    Seeing Yuga inquiry, Luna avoided eye contact and mumbled, "No... nothing..."


    After finishing lunch and enjoying cake, Luna couldn''t contain her excitement any longer. She went up to Yuga and stretched out her hands, saying, "Quick, Big Brother Yuga, my Pok��mon egg, give it to me now! I can hardly wait!"


    Yuga looked puzzled and said, "What Pok��mon egg?"


    Hearing Yuga response, Luna seemed taken aback for a moment. Then, she loudly eximed, "Didn''t you say you would give me a surprise today? Why aren''t you keeping your word!"


    Seeing Luna frustration building up, Yuga realized he shouldn''t tease her further. He quickly reassured her, "Alright, alright, there''s no Pok��mon egg, but look at this. What''s this?"


    Saying that, Yuga took out a ck-and-white Pok�� Ball.


    Upon seeing the Pok�� Ball in Yuga hand, Luna eyes lit up, and she reached out to take it.


    However, Yuga immediately pulled back the Pok�� Ball and said to Luna, "You can have the Pok�� Ball, but remember the promise you made to me."


    "I got it, I got it."


    Luna waved her hand dismissively, swiftly took the Pok�� Ball from Yuga hand, and left Yuga wondering if she truly understood or was just pretending.

 Chapter 57: Pokémon Contest (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 57: Pok��mon Contest (Part 1)</h4>


    Seeing Luna expression, Yuga could only sigh helplessly and say, "Quick, open the Pok�� Ball and see if you like it or not!"


    Hearing Yuga words, Luna eagerly opened the Pok�� Ball. A red light shed, and the figure of a Swablu appeared before them.


    "Swablu!"


    Luna eximed in excitement, then lifted the Swablu high in the air and spun around happily.


    The Swablu seemed a bit dizzy from Luna spinning and struggled to free itself from her grip. Yuga quickly reminded, "Okay, okay, stop spinning, Swablu can''t handle it!"


    Luna stopped and held the Swablu in her arms.


    "Swablu just hatched, you can''t make such vigorous movements with it, understand?"


    "I know, I know!"


    Luna absentmindedly replied while gently stroking the Swablu soft feathers.


    Seeing her like this, Yuga managed to suppress the urge to scold her again. He wondered if he had made a mistake by giving her a starter Pok��mon.


    Suddenly, Luna remembered something and looked up at Yuga, saying, "Big Brother Yuga, there''s a Pok��mon Contest tomorrow, and our school is on holiday. Can you apany me to watch it?"


    "Sure, I''lle pick you up tomorrow!"


    Although Yuga wasn''t particrly interested in Pok��mon Contests, he remembered that Robert hade all the way to Hoenn region to participate. He decided that he should show some support for his friend.


    As Luna had to return to school in the afternoon and Yuga had to go back to his shop, they left Aunt Hisako house early.


    The next morning, Yuga arrived at Aunt Hisako house as promised to pick up Luna for the Pok��mon Contest.


    However, before heading to the contest venue, Yuga took Luna to the Pok��mon Center first. Then, he knocked on Robert door.


    "You guys are here! Come in."


    After opening the door, Robert saw Yuga and weed them inside.


    Yuga and Robert had previously agreed to travel to the contest together.


    Since the Pok��mon Center was closer to the Pok��mon Contest venue, Yuga had asked Robert to wait for him and Luna there.


    "This is my sister, Luna. Luna, this is Robert, my friend. You can call him Robert."


    Yuga introduced them to each other.


    "Hello, Robert!"


    Luna politely greeted Robert, which surprised Yuga. Luna behavior seemed to depend on her mood.


    Robert smiled and ruffled Luna hair, saying, "Hello, Luna. What a lovely little girl you are."


    Yuga couldn''t help but roll his eyes. He thought, "Is he serious? If I ruffled her hair like that, she''d probably hit me!"


    Despite being ruffled, Luna didn''t show any signs of annoyance. Instead, she seemed a bit shy, which was quite unusual.


    Looking at their interactions, Yuga struggled to hold back his urge to mock them. He thought, "Are these kids for real? They just met a few minutes ago, yet they''re all buddy-buddy, calling each other ''Robert, my friend.'' If I had known, I would have introduced Robert as ''some guy we don''t know.''"


    Taking a deep breath, Yuga reminded himself not to get jealous of Robert good looks. That wouldn''t be a mature attitude for an older brother. No, it wouldn''t be!


    To divert his attention, Yuga turned to Robert and asked, "Are you here to watch the Pok��mon Contest too? Are you interested in it?"


    "I thought I''de and watch the Pok��mon Contest to see if I can gain some experience."


    Robert straightforward response reflected his usual no-nonsense style.


    "Alright, let''s go then."


    With everyone assembled, Yuga, Luna, and Robert made their way to the contest venue.


    When they arrived, the ce was already bustling with people. Some were practicing outside, while others were waiting anxiously for the event to begin.


    Seeing the lively scene, Yuga suggested to Robert, "You should go to the preparation room and get ready. Luna and I will be in the audience, cheering for you!"


    Robert nodded and said, "Sounds good. I''ll head there now. After the contest, we''ll meet here and go back together."


    Once they separated, Yuga and Luna found their seats inside the venue.


    As they settled in, Luna couldn''t wait any longer. She took out her Pok�� Ball and released her Swablu, speaking earnestly to it, "Swablu, let''s cheer for Robert together! He''s definitely going to win!"


    The Swablu responded with an energetic chirp, mimicking Luna cheering gestures urately.


    Yuga, however, felt like rolling his eyes again. He thought, "You guys have only known each other for a few minutes. You''re so sticky-sweet with your ''Robert, my friend,'' left and right. Calling each other so affectionately, were they secretly close friends all along?"


    Suppressing his frustration, Yuga sighed internally, reminding himself not to be jealous and possessive. He focused his attention on the uing contest, hoping that Robert effort would pay off.


    The event was about to start, and the audience was getting excited.


    "Wee to Pok��mon Contest of Verdanturf Town! I''m your host, Vivian. It''s a pleasure to meet you all. Participants who have earned ribbons from five different regional contests are eligible to enter the Advanced Pok��mon Contest �C a Grand Festival of Pok��mon Contest."


    "What kind of battles will we witness today?"


    The audience inside the venue was already filled with excitement.


    Now let me introduce the judges for thispetition: The Chief of the Pok��mon Activities Committee and Head Judge, Mr. Contesta, The President of the Pok��mon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo, and The operator of the local Pok��mon Center, Nurse Joy.!"


    As Yuga and his friends were conversing, the host voice echoed across the field, marking the official start of the Pok��mon Contest.


    "Let''s move on to the first round of thepetition. Up first is..."


    Host Vivian voice resounded again, and the first participant stepped onto the stage.


    The first contestant was a young man in his twenties. He tossed his Pok�� Ball high into the air, and a round, chubby Sentret stood cutely on the stage.


    Sentret, with itsrge tail, hopped around on the ground and yfully winked at the audience, drawing cheers from the crowd. The female spectators, in particr, seemed enchanted, their eyes practically sparkling.


    "Sentret, use Quick Attack!"


    As the young manmand fell, Sentret, who was previously acting cute, suddenly activated the Quick Attack technique and began running around the stage in circles.


    The beams of light formed by Sentret'' Quick Attackbined to create a heart shape as it pranced around, a delightful sight.


    Amidst the apuse and cheers from the audience, Sentret halted for a moment, and the young man gave anothermand.


    "Sentret, Hyper Voice!"


    Sentret, mid-stride, suddenly stopped and rushed into the heart-shaped light formation. With a powerful roar, shockwaves radiated outwards in concentric circles.


    When the soundwaves met the heart-shaped lights, they shattered into countless white dots that danced in the air before gradually dissipating, creating a beautiful spectacle.


    This performance is really quite advanced. This Sentret does not use many skills, but all of them are extremely skilled, and the level of this Sentret is also quite high, otherwise it would not be able to use such an advanced skill such as Hyper Voice.


    The audience erupted in cheers, and the young man received high scores: 9.7, 9.5, and 9, totaling 28.2 points. The scores were indeed remarkable.


    The Verdanturf Tournament had attracted a considerable number of participants, including one that surprised Yuga greatly. He hadn''t expected that the young man he encountered at YoYo Day Care, who had wanted to buy Swablu, would also be participating in the Pok��mon Contest.


    This person was none other than the youth named Touya.


    Only when Yuga heard the host call his name did he realize that the youth name was Touya. It was a pretty name, but his personality left much to be desired.


    Touya Pok��mon wasn''t from Hoenn region; instead, he had a Woobat from Unova region. It was a rare Psychic-type Pok��mon.


    Yuga suspected that Touya might be a wealthy heir of some sort, as he had been boastful in the shop about his financial resources.


    Touya Woobat made its entrance and used the Charm technique, causing numerous pink hearts to spread in all directions, creating an undting disy in the air.


    This move impressed Yuga; while Charm wasn''t especially powerful, being able to utilize it to create an effect of hearts fluttering all around was no simple feat. Not every Pok��mon could use Charm to this extent.


    Woobat yfully flew through the heart-filled skies, seemingly carefree. When it reached the center of the stage, Touya gave themand, "Woobat, Heart Stamp!"


    A massive heart appeared in the center of the stage, growingrger with Woobat at its center. Finally, it enveloped all the smaller hearts in the air.


    "Woobat, finish with Psychic!"


    Guided by Woobat control, the purple psychic energy carried the massive heart to the audience seats. Suddenly, it burst, transforming into a shower of pink luminescence, creating a dreamlike scene.


    Yuga couldn''t help but admire Touya skill. He was quite good at impressing people and knew how to please the audience.


    Touya score was quite impressive, surpassing the previous contestant who used Sentret.

 Chapter 58: Pokémon Contest (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 58: Pok��mon Contest (Part 2)</h4>


    As Robert made his appearance, the first round of thepetition was nearing its end, and the audience seemed a bit aesthetically fatigued.


    "Next up is contestant Robert. When ites to Robert, those who love Pok��mon Contest must be familiar with him. Despite his young age, Robert has already attended two Grand Festival event of Pok��mon Contest.


    Don''t be fooled by Robert young age; he achieved an outstanding third ce in his first major event and even more impressively, secured second ce in thest Grand Festival. He can be said to be the rising star closest to the top-tier Coordinator Trainer."


    The host, Vivian, enthusiastically introduced Robert remarkable achievements.


    Yuga also didn''t anticipate that Robert was already a well-known Coordinator Trainer at this point.


    "Big Brother Yuga, Robert is about to perform. We must cheer for him!"


    Hearing the host mention Robert name, Luna grabbed Yuga arm and cheered excitedly. Yuga felt a bit overwhelmed and could only nod in agreement.


    Introduced by the host, Robert walked onto the stage with a smile.


    It had to be said that having a handsome face was quite advantageous. With the lighting entuating his features, Robert seemed to be surrounded by an angelic halo, causing squeals from young girls, middle-aged women, and grandmothers in the audience.


    Robert sent out his Pok��mon, Baltoy.


    The entrance of Baltoy wasn''t particrly grand; it simply hovered silently in the center of the stage.


    "Baltoy, Rock Lock!"


    After Robertmand, a gigantic lotus flowerposed of rocks bloomed beneath Baltoy, suspended in the air.


    Following this, Baltoy slowly descended from mid-air onto the central tform of the lotus flower.


    "Baltoy, Psybeam."


    After Baltoynded on the giant rock lotus, Robert issued anothermand.


    At this point, Baltoy eyes emitted a white light, which gradually spread over the rock lotus beneath it. In no time, the entire lotus was enveloped in white light.


    With the Psybeam, the rock lotus, now entirely covered in white light, appeared as a genuinely exquisite and enchanting flower.


    Just as the audience and judges were entranced by the breathtaking sight, Robert issued yet anothermand.


    "Baltoy, Confusion!"


    Upon hearing Robert voice, Baltoy, standing on the rock lotus, abruptly took flight. A purple light shot towards the lotus, which was still radiating white light, causing it to disintegrate into powder in an instant.


    Yuga was taken aback by Robert disy of power; he thought, "Wow, that was so aggressive, it doesn''t match your usual style."


    Yuga recalled that in the original story, Robert demeanor was gentle and elegant, which was also reflected in his Pok��mon Contest performances.


    But now, this move seemed rather forceful.


    Cleverly using the white light that enveloped the rock lotus to obscure the dust caused by the disintegration, Robert ensured that once the white light dissipated, the dust settled as well. Otherwise, the entire stage would have been filled with a haze of dirt.


    It must be said that Robert maneuver was quite impressive.


    Without a doubt, Robert secured the highest score so far: 9.9, 9.9, 10, totaling 29.8 points, truly befitting his title as a prodigy.


    "Big Brother Robert, you''re amazing!"


    Luna gazed at Robert walking backstage with admiration all over her face, repeating her praises non-stop. Yuga was rendered speechless by her expression.


    In his heart, Yuga silently resolved to never team up with Luna when Robert was around.


    Soon after Robert performance, the first round of thepetition concluded, and none of the subsequent participants managed to surpass Robert score. His advancement to the second round was practically certain.


    The results of the second round of judging were swiftly announced, and the photos of the eight contestants who advanced appeared on therge screen above the stage.


    Robert smoothly advanced, and the Trainer with Sentret and Touya also made it to the second round.


    Following that, the eight contestants were randomly paired with their opponents, and quite coincidentally, the first match of the second round was between Robert and Touya.


    Yuga was delighted; he had long taken a dislike to Touya, and it was wonderful that Robert could give him a good lesson.


    Yuga couldn''t imagine Robert losing to someone like Touya.


    Once the match began, the five-minute countdown appeared on therge screen.


    "Baltoy, seize the initiative, Rock Lock!"


    Robert response was incredibly swift, seizing the opportunity right at the start of the match andmanding Baltoy into action.


    The cooperation between Baltoy and Robert was seamless. The instant Robertmand was given, the skill was executed.


    Massive rocks formed an enclosure, wrapping around the flying Woobat, which wasn''t flying very high. Then, the boulders mmed shut, trapping the Woobat within.


    The moment Woobat was trapped, Touya Performance score rapidly plummeted.


    Of course, Touya wouldn''t just sit idly; he immediately shouted at the trapped Woobat, "Woobat, Heart Stamp!"


    A loud explosion echoed as a hole was sted through the rock enclosure surrounding Woobat. Woobat hastily flew out.


    "Baltoy, Hidden Power."


    Just as Woobat emerged from the rock, a fiery red beam shot onto it, resembling a firework. This triggered a powerful explosion.


    The charred Woobat fell to the ground, causing Touya Performance score to plummet once again.


    Seeing this, Touya expression turned dark.


    "Woobat, get up and use Charm."


    Touya eximed in frustration.


    Woobat, still slightly disoriented, fluttered back into the air. Its body swayed, and pink hearts rushed towards Baltoy, which couldn''t evade.


    However, these pink hearts had no effect when they collided with Baltoy.


    Clearly, Baltoy was a genderless creature, rendering the Charm move ineffective. Whether Touya was enraged or simplycked basic knowledge, the result was his Performance score hit rock bottom.


    Defeated and fuming, Touya angrily recalled his Woobat and swiftly left the stage.


    The rest of the matches proceeded smoothly, some being one-sided victories while others were evenly matched �C all kinds of situations unfolded.


    Finally, the two contestants who advanced to the finals were Robert and the Trainer with Sentret.


    This Sentret Trainer was quite different from Touya; he was very polite.


    Standing across from Robert, he bowed politely, saying, "I''ve heard of your reputation for a long time. I look forward to learning from you today."


    Robert quickly returned the gesture, "The honor is mine. I look forward to learning from you as well."


    Sentret Trainer name was Sora. His Sentret level was incredibly high, and his strength was also formidable. He had been dominating the matches up to this point. His aggressive battling style starkly contrasted with his gentle and courteous personality.


    "Both contestants are ready. So, our final round is about to begin. Today, the Verdanturf Ribbon Medal will belong to whom? Let''s wait and see."


    Vivian passionate speech ignited the enthusiasm of the audience, and waves of cheers erupted.


    "Sentret, Quick Attack, get close to Baltoy and use Sucker Punch."


    Sora seemed to have been a Coordinator Trainer for a long time. Not only was his Sentret level very high, but his battle experience was also extensive. He exhibited remarkable synergy with his Sentret.


    However, what puzzled Yuga was that, given his Sentret high level, it should have evolved by now. So, why hadn''t it evolved yet?


    Though evolution wasn''t easy for Pok��mon, it was rtively more straightforward for Pok��mon like Rattata, Tediursa, Sentret, Bidoof, Patrat, Bunnelby, and Yungoos.


    While evolving these creatures might not be easy in the wild, in the hands of a Trainer, with the right effort, they generally evolved quite smoothly.


    Nevertheless, Yuga didn''t dwell on this mystery much; whether it evolved or not didn''t really concern him.


    Sentret, which had used Quick Attack, moved like a bolt of lightning, rapidly closing in on Robert Baltoy.


    From the first round performance, it was clear that Sora was adept at using Quick Attack; its speed was impressive.


    "Baltoy, Rock Lock!"


    Robert aimed to prevent Sentret from approaching Baltoy and ordered it to use Rock Lock to intercept Sentret midway.


    However, Sentret speed was too swift, its movements incredibly agile. Its small form dashed right over the rocks.


    The move was ineffective, and Robert Performance score noticeably dropped.


    "Baltoy, Shoot it with Hidden Power!"


    As the Rock Lock failed to halt Sentret, which was about to reach Baltoy, Robert swiftly issued anothermand.


    Sentret next move was Sucker Punch, and as a Psychic-type Pok��mon, if Baltoy were hit by Sentret Sucker Punch, Robert would almost certainly lose the match. Hence, Robert couldn''t allow it to seed.


    Baltoy folded its hands in front of its chest, and a red beam of Hidden Power, apanied by brilliant light, shot towards the sprinting Sentret. Wherever Sentret went, the Hidden Power struck, disrupting its path and foiling its attempt to approach Baltoy.


    Sentret suffered a setback, and Sora Performance score naturally dropped.


    However, continuously using Hidden Power would clearly be unsustainable for Baltoy, so Robert wanted to conclude the match swiftly.


    "Baltoy, Confusion, capture Sentret."


    The panting Sentret was ensnared by Baltoy Confusion power. Despite its struggles, it couldn''t break free.


    Subsequently, with a "thud," Baltoy tossed Sentret onto the stage.


    "Rock Lock!"


    As Sentret hit the ground, Baltoy immediately formed the Rock Lock. Sentret figure was promptly engulfed by the enormous rocks.


    After suffering repeated attacks, Sora Performance score plummeted almost to the bottom. Just as he was about to mount a counterattack, a "beep" signaled the end of the match.


    The five-minute match duration had psed.


    Comparing their scores, it was evident that Robert had won the match.

 Chapter 59: Scatterbug

    <h4>Chapter 59: Scatterbug</h4>


    On the way back, Luna turned to Robert and eximed, "Robert, you''re so amazing!" Her words were enough to make Robert feel like he was on cloud nine.


    To celebrate Robert victory in the Pok��mon Contest of Verdanturf Town, the four of them had dinner together before parting ways. Robert returned to the Pok��mon Center, Yuga escorted Luna home before taking Rand back with him.


    Speaking of which, Yuga had spent a considerable amount of time watching the Pok��mon Contest, causing the Day Care to be closed for a while.


    In the afternoon, the person in charge of constructing the Ecopark, Daichi Kurozumi, paid Yuga a visit. With the construction of the Ecopark nearingpletion, many matters required Yuga attention. Daichi main purpose foring was to provide Yuga with an update on the situation.


    Yuga was quite satisfied with the progress of the Ecopark construction. He would also visit the site regrly and had a general understanding of the situation, although not as detailed as what Daichi Kurozumi, the project overall manager, had presented.


    Through these days of observation and interaction, Yuga had alsoe to understand Daichi Kurozumi a bit. He was meticulous and rigorous in his work, demanding high standards, making him a reliable person.


    Speaking of which, Yuga had to thank his uncle. It was his uncle who had introduced Daichi Kurozumi to him. If it weren''t for his uncle reliable rmendation, the construction of the Ecopark wouldn''t have progressed so smoothly.


    After finishing the evening training session with his Pok��mon, Yuga took them to the Pok��mon Center for a check-up. Ever since Yuga started training Pok��mon, he made it a point to regrly bring them to the Pok��mon Center for thorough examinations whenever he had the time.


    Yuga training regimen for his Pok��mon was always strict, resulting in significant daily exercise. Despite having Chimecho as a dedicated caretaker, Yuga couldn''t guarantee that his Pok��mon wouldn''t encounter any health issues.


    After entrusting his Pok��mon to Nurse Joy due to waiting, Yuga decided to check on Robert.


    After inquiring with Nurse Joy, Yuga learned that Robert was training Pok��mon in the backyard of the Pok��mon Center. Yuga went over to find him.


    By this time, there weren''t many people in the Pok��mon Center backyard. Yuga immediately spotted Robert engaged in conversation with Chimecho.


    Robert few Pok��mon were outside, engaged in training: Chimecho, Baltoy, and Ciino.


    Although Robert had a small number of Pok��mon, only three, each was elite, indicating that he was pursuing an elite route.


    "Why did youe?" Robert asked curiously as he saw Yuga approaching.


    Yuga smiled and replied, "I came to get the Pok��mon checked and to see you."


    Robert responded, "I see. I was actually thinking of finding you too."


    Yuga asked in surprise, "Find me? Is there something?"


    Robert exined, "Not really, the Pok��mon Contest of Verdanturf Town has ended. I''m nning to leave. I just wanted to let you know, and you''vee at the right time."


    Yuga said, "You''re leaving already? When are you leaving?"


    Robert answered, "I''m leaving tomorrow morning. You don''t need toe to see me off. I''ll drop by your shop before I leave."


    Yuga agreed, "Alright, I''ll be waiting for you at the shop tomorrow."


    At that moment, Yuga ears twitched, as if he had heard something.


    Curiously, Yuga looked at Robert and asked, "Did you hear that?"


    Both of them fell silent, and Robert perked up his ears as well. After a moment, he shook his head, "I didn''t hear anything. What did you hear?"


    Yuga thought for a moment and then shook his head, "I didn''t hear it clearly. Could it be that I misheard?"


    As Yuga walked toward arge tree not far away, he discovered a barely conscious bug-type Pok��mon tied to the tree with a rope.


    Robert walked over and saw the Pok��mon as well. He was both surprised and angered, saying, "It''s a Scatterbug. Who could be so heartless to tie it up like this!"


    At this point, Yuga had already untied the rope from Scatterbug and lifted it up, walking towards the direction of the Pok��mon Center.


    "Nurse Joy,e take a look at this Scatterbug," Yuga called out loudly as soon as he entered the interior of the Pok��mon Center.


    Upon hearing Yuga voice, Nurse Joy immediately came out from the examination room, briefly examined Scatterbug, and then directly brought the unconscious bug to the emergency room along with Chansey.


    Shortly after, Nurse Joy emerged from the emergency room and addressed Yuga and Robert:


    "Scatterbug is fine. There are no injuries; it just fainted from hunger since it hasn''t eaten for too long. You can go in and have a look. I''ve administered some nutrients, so it should be awake by now."


    Nurse Joy from Verdanturf Town knew Yuga and was aware of his Pok��mon, so there wasn''t a repeat of the misunderstanding that had urred in like the one that Happend in Lavaridge Pok��mon Center.


    Just as Yuga and Robert were about to turn and go inside to see Scatterbug, Nurse Joy suddenly called out to Yuga:


    "Oh, by the way, your Pok��mon have all been checked and are healthy with no issues. I was actually nning to find you earlier, but I got a little flustered."


    She motioned for Chansey to return Yuga Pok�� Balls.


    Taking the Pok�� Balls, Yuga said, "Thank you, Nurse Joy and Chansey."


    Upon entering the examination room, Yuga found that Scatterbug had indeed awakened.


    The bug weakly emitted a gentle sound towards Yuga as a sign of gratitude. It had seen Yuga before losing consciousness and knew that Yuga had saved it.


    Yuga asked, "Scatterbug, are you feeling better?"


    Scatterbug shook its head slightly, indicating that it was fine.


    Yuga didn''t know what had happened to Scatterbug or who had tied it to the tree, so he inquired, "Scatterbug, who tied you up there?"


    Upon hearing Yuga question, Scatterbug body trembled inexplicably, and its expression dimmed, but it didn''t respond to Yuga question.


    Yuga sensed that Scatterbug wasn''t keen on discussing this matter, so he refrained from probing further.


    Using his Insight skill, Yuga took a look at Scatterbug.


    <<scatterbug>> (Innate Deficiency) </scatterbug>


    Type: Bug


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Compound Eyes


    Aptitude: Blue


    Level: 9


    Moves: Tackle, String Shot, Stun Spore


    At first, Yuga was blinded by Scatterbug aptitude, and then he was highly puzzled by the notation of an "innate deficiency."


    So, Yuga mentally asked the system, "Is the system there?"


    [ I''m here, host! ]


    Yuga felt like his "golden finger" was really low-key. It never made a sound unless he initiated contact, and it would never speak up otherwise. Yuga couldn''t even recall thest time he had heard its voice.


    Yuga asked, "Can I ask what this ''innate deficiency'' means?"


    [ It''s exactly as it sounds. This Pok��mon had defects present before birth, much like the gically wed eggs you purchased from the Day Care Center. It''s the same situation. ]

 Chapter 60: Don’t Abandon Pokémon

    <h4>Chapter 60: Don''t Abandon Pok��mon</h4>


    Yuga: "Are you saying that if those 32 Pok��mon eggs are not treated, the newborns will have congenital deficiencies like this Scatterbug?"


    [ Yes, Host. ]


    Yuga: "Then, what kind of impacts would this congenital deficiency have on the Pok��mon?"


    [ There are many effects.


    Firstly, no matter how you train, the leveling speed of this Pok��mon will never catch up with other Pok��mon.


    Secondly, due to the gic defects, this Pok��mon will never be able to evolve no matter how hard it tries.


    Lastly, regardless of whether this Pok��mon aptitude is the lowest red or the highest purple, it will only be an ornament and won''t have any positive effects on Pok��mon. ]


    Yuga eximed, "That serious? So, this Pok��mon is essentially useless?"


    [ That can be said. ]


    Yuga: "No wonder this Scatterbug is chained up! It must have been abandoned."


    In the Pok��mon world, there are explicit rules that trainers are not allowed to abandon Pok��mon, otherwise, it''s a vition of thew.


    As is well known, Pok��mon with higher aptitudes are more sought after among trainers, but not all Pok��mon have high aptitudes, and human eyes cannot observe a Pok��mon aptitude. Consequently, instances of Pok��mon being abandoned were oncemon.


    In the early days of the Pok��mon League establishment, there was no such rule as "Don''t Abandon Pok��mon." Consequently, trainers would gradually acquire many Pok��mon and then select those that met their requirements.


    For the remaining Pok��mon, maintaining them would consume a significant amount of effort, leading most trainers to choose to abandon them.


    A few released Pok��mon back into the areas where they were originally caught, which was not too harmful. However, many Pok��mon abandoned directly within cities caused significant trouble for the city residents.


    Pok��mon unable to survive far from their homnd began disrupting urban security, causing disturbances, robberies, and harm, leading to numerous problems.


    As the League matured, they established various Day Care Centers and facilities, artificially cultivating arge number of high-quality Pok��mon that were then introduced to the market through Day Care.


    With the output of these high-quality Pok��mon, trainers no longer needed toboriously capture Pok��mon with uncertain aptitudes in the wild. Instead, they could selectively purchase Pok��mon with confirmed qualities from the Day Care.


    This initiative greatly facilitated trainers'' Pok��mon selection process, leading to a decline in the phenomenon of Pok��mon abandonment.


    However, this phenomenon didn''t entirely disappear. On the contrary, artificially cultivated Pok��mon, having grown up under human care, were more likely to face death upon abandonment. Taking this into consideration, the Leagueter established the rule "Don''t Abandon Pok��mon."


    Interestingly, the early Day Care were all officially established by the League to facilitate the export of Pok��mon from their Day Care Centers.


    As society and its systems matured, and with a more tolerant environment, coupled with the overwhelming pressure on the League own Day Care, privately-owned Day Care gradually gained permission to operate.


    However, given the high social status of the trainermunity and the Day Care'' control over their livelihoods, even now, the conditions for opening a breeding house remain stringent.


    While Yuga was busy talking to the system, Nurse Joy walked in and said to Yuga and Robert, "Scatterbug is fine now. You can take it with you. Make sure it gets enough food, and there shouldn''t be any issues."


    After Nurse Joy left, Robert mentioned, "I''ll be leaving tomorrow. It''s not convenient for me to take care of this Scatterbug, so I''ll leave it to you."


    Yuga nodded, saying, "Understood, don''t worry."


    Afterward, Yuga turned to Scatterbug and said, "Do you want toe home with me?"


    Scatterbug stared at Yuga for a while, then nodded, prompting Yuga to gently pick it up and leave the examination room.


    As Yuga reached the entrance of the Pok��mon Center, Scatterbug suddenly leaped from Yuga arms and ran toward someone not far away.


    Following Scatterbug path, Yuga noticed that it was someone familiar.


    Scatterbug stopped at the person feet and blocked their way. The person looked down, their expression bing puzzled upon seeing Scatterbug. Then, they raised their foot and kicked Scatterbug aside.


    "What, it''s you again! Get lost!"


    Upon witnessing this scene, Yuga hurried over, picking up the fallen Scatterbug and angrily said to the person, "Why are you like this! Why do you appear everywhere! Did you abandon this Scatterbug?"


    Yuga saw Scatterbug running over eagerly, and with its teary-eyed expression, he knew he was the one who had abandoned it.


    The person looked at Yuga and smirked, "So it''s Mr. Store Manager, huh! Be careful what you say. Don''t just bring up baseless ims. Abandoning Pok��mon is against thew. I''m an exemry citizen of the League, I wouldn''t do such a thing."


    Yuga was nearly amused by his words. This guy was truly despicable��causing a scene in his store was one thing, but now he was doing something and denying it!


    Indeed, the person who abandoned Scatterbug was Touya!


    Yuga retorted, "What? You dare to do it but not to admit it! You cowardly fellow! Disgusting!"


    Upon hearing Yuga harsh words, Touya became irate, "You..."


    Yuga scornfully interjected, "What? I''m not speaking about you. If the shoe fits, wear it."


    Frustrated, Touya shook his hand, "Why the smugness! A small store owner like you only deserves trash Pok��mon like this!"


    After that, Touya turned and left!


    Hearing Touya call it a trash Pok��mon, Scatterbug lowered its head in dejection.


    Yuga wasn''t exactly theforting type, and he didn''t know what to say when he saw Scatterbug despondent state.


    Indeed, this Scatterbug was discarded by Touya.


    Touya came from a well-off family, with both his parents holding positions of some significance within the League. You could say they were more thanfortable.


    This Scatterbug was acquired through theirwork of friends from arge breeding facility within the Kalos League. At the time, it was still an egg!


    However, no one foresaw that this egg had issues.


    The parents of Scatterbug were both strong Pok��mon. Their trainers were originally criminals within the League. After their trainers were arrested, the Pok��mon were sent to the League daycare facility to be bred as seeds!


    Of course, don''t think of the League as entirely dark. The League didn''t treat these criminals'' Pok��mon as mere breeding tools. On the contrary, their treatment was quite generous, albeit with some restrictions on their freedom.


    When these Pok��mon bred offspring, the Day Care Centers synchronized with their physiological cycles to ensure their well-being.


    However, the League method of breeding Pok��mon had its pros and cons. While it produced numerous high-aptitude Pok��mon, it also resulted in arge number of gically wed eggs.


    Both Scatterbug and the 32 eggs Yuga encountered were products of this process.


    When the Day Care Centers sent out eggs, they''d conduct thorough checks, distinguishing between problematic and normal eggs.


    However, Touya parents had obtained Scatterbug egg through irregr means. As a result, when the egg fell out of the breeding facility, it hadn''t been tested. They didn''t expect the coincidence that led to the problem of the egg.


    Touya only discovered the issue with Scatterbug after training it for quite some time. Coupled with his recent acquisition of an excellent Pok��mon, he no longer wished to keep Scatterbug, leading to its abandonment.

 Chapter 61: Breaking the Cocoon and Emerging as a Butterfly

    <h4>Chapter 61: Breaking the Cocoon and Emerging as a Butterfly</h4>


    Yuga returned to the breeding room with the despondent Scatterbug. cing Scatterbug on the table, he then took out some Moomoo milk and set it in front of Scatterbug, saying, "Come on, Scatterbug, you must be hungry. Have something to eat!"


    However, Scatterbug remained motionless, with its head buried in the table.


    Seeing Scatterbug condition, Yuga felt somewhat helpless and quickly summoned the system.


    "Do you think the gic elixir can cure Scatterbug condition? Since it worked for those Pok��mon eggs, it should work for Scatterbug too, right?"


    The system replied, [ Of course, the gic elixir can, but not the small gic elixir. ]


    "What do you mean?"


    The system initial response gave Yuga a glimmer of hope, but the subsequent sentence dashed his expectations.


    [ You named the elixir you used on those Pok��mon eggs the ''Small Gic Restoration Elixir.'' It''s a weakened version of the gic restoration elixir and works on unborn Pok��mon eggs. However, it''s ineffective on Scatterbuge that have already hatched. ]


    Upon hearing this, Yuga anxiously asked, "What should I do then? I don''t know how to prepare a gic restoration elixir. Do you have the form for it?"


    [ I cannot provide anything beyond my host authority. However, you might find a solution in the system backpack ] the system responded.


    Yuga pondered, "System backpack?" With that thought, he essed the system backpack and revealed a pleasantly surprised expression upon seeing its contents.


    Yuga seldom used the system backpack and hadn''t actively stored items inside, causing him to forget what it held.


    Apart from the seven specially crafted Pok�� Balls, a premium light stone, and four rare candy awarded by the system, there were also five test tubes!


    These tubes contained therge gic restoration elixirs awarded by the system earlier. Yuga had been keeping them all this time, never using them and eventually forgetting about them.


    Taking out one test tube, Yuga eximed in excitement, "Can thisrge gic restoration elixir cure Scatterbug?"


    [ Absolutely, therge gic restoration elixir is a reinforced version of the gic restoration elixir. Just one dose is sufficient to fully rectify the inherent deficiencies of Scatterbug ] the system confirmed.


    Hearing this, Yuga was almost jumping with joy. This meant that he was about to have a Indigo-aptitude Pok��mon.


    As he pondered, Yuga gaze at Scatterbug became almost "dangerous," his eyes practically glowing.


    The rarity of Indigo-aptitude Pok��mons was evident from Mr. Moore blue-aptitude main Pok��mons.


    As one of the Elite Four Trainers of Hoenn region, his main Pok��mons, Typhlosion and Charizard, were both blue-aptitude.


    Not a single blue-aptitude Pok��mon had been spotted in ces dedicated to Pok��mon daycare.


    Even the data provided by the Pok��mon League about the Elite Four Trainers in Hoenn region indicated that their main Pok��mons'' aptitudes were predominantly blue.


    This highlighted the current status of Pok��mon aptitudes in Hoenn: low-tier trainers had predominantly red, orange, and yellow aptitudes, mid to high-tier trainers had green aptitudes, and only the elite top-tier trainers had predominantly blue aptitudes, with barely any exceptions.


    Apart from himself, Yuga had only seen blue


    e-aptitude Pok��mons in Robert and Mr. Moore possession (including nnery Cyndaquil).


    The rarity of Indigo-aptitude Pok��mons was so extreme that he hadn''t even heard rumors about them.


    This emphasized just how scarce Indigo-aptitude Pok��mons were.


    Though Scatterbug was disadvantaged in terms of its species, a Indigo aptitude was a Indigo aptitude��one in a million!


    Had Scatterbug not faced this issue, Yuga would have never had a chance to encounter it.


    Concluding the conversation with the system, Yuga sneakily addressed Scatterbug, saying, "Scatterbug, if I can help you evolve and be strong, will you be my Pok��mon?"


    Upon hearing Yuga words, the head-lowered Scatterbug suddenly lifted its head and vigorously nodded in agreement.


    Yuga heart leapt with joy: it worked! However, he maintained a feigned calm and said, "But before that, you need to eat something. You''ve been hungry for so long, and it''s not good for you not to eat."


    Scatterbug eyed Yuga skeptically. Yuga quickly understood its expression and had no choice but to exin, "I didn''t say that just to trick you into eating. I really have a way to cure you!"


    Finally, with Yuga repeated assurances, Scatterbug finished drinking the Moomoo milk in front of it.


    Speaking of which, these Moomoo milk were actually the ones Yuga had bought for the Swablu earlier. However, he had bought too many and hadn''t finished them by now, which made them perfect for supplying the energy Scatterbug urgently needed.


    After finishing the milk, Scatterbug stared at Yuga with eager little eyes. Yuga, amused, pulled out the cork from therge gic restoration elixir and handed it to Scatterbug, saying, "Here, drink this. It will solve all your problems!"


    Hearing Yuga words, Scatterbug impatiently held the test tube and swiftly gulped down all the liquid.


    Suddenly, Yuga thought that in novels, main characters always experienced painful processes like marrow-washing and bone-refining. He quickly summoned the system and asked, "Will using this gic restoration elixir be painful?"


    [ Not at all, the elixir is very gentle. You''ll see for yourself ] the system reassured.


    True to the system words, Scatterbug didn''t show any signs of pain after drinking the elixir. Instead, it gradually drooped its eyelids and fell asleep.


    Seeing Scatterbug drift into sleep, Yuga hurriedly asked, "System, Scatterbug has fallen unconscious. Is this okay?"


    [ No problem, this is a normal phenomenon. The elixir is taking effect! ] the system responded.


    About half an hourter, the slumbering Scatterbug emitted a dazzling white light. Yuga recognized it as the evolution light, as this was how b��b�� evolved into Floette.


    Within the white light, Scatterbug body gradually stretched, and when the light dissipated, apletely new Pok��mon appeared before Yuga.


    <<spewpa>> </spewpa>


    Aptitude: Insect


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Compound Eyes


    aptitude Quality: Indigo


    Level: 10


    Skills: Harden, Stun Spore, Protect


    Scatterbug had evolved into a Spewpa, its level increased by one, and its skills had undergone some minor changes. All in all, the changes were not significant, but they indicated that Scatterbug issues had truly been resolved.


    The Spewpa had by now awakened, its eyes shifting left and right over its own body in sheer delight. It was overjoyed to realize that it had truly evolved.


    In order to help the Spewpa grasp its changes more tangibly and boost its self-confidence, Yuga decided to take out all the rare candy from the system backpack.


    "Here, Spewpa, have one of these."


    Saying this, Yuga handed a magical candy to the Spewpa, signaling it to consume it.


    At this point, the Spewpa had built quite a bit of trust in Yuga. Without a second thought, it consumed the magical candy.


    After ingesting the candy, a white light once again enveloped the Spewpa body.


    Within the light, a pair of slender wings sprouted from the now plump body of the Spewpa, and its body became increasingly delicate.


    As the white light dissipated, a butterfly-shaped Pok��mon soared from the table. Its agile wings fluttered continuously, making it appear like a beautiful Pok��mon dancing above Yuga head.

 Chapter 62: Farewell and Joy

    <h4>Chapter 62: Farewell and Joy</h4>


    The delicate pink butterfly seemed to have a pattern resembling ice and snow, with predominantly white wings adorned by ck edges and scattered grey spots.


    It appeared elegantly simple,cking the vibrant colors of other patterned butterflies, yet exuding a mysterious charm that made it quite appealing.


    <<vivilion>> </vivilion>


    Attributes: Insect, Flying


    Gender: Female


    Characteristic: Compound Eyes


    Aptitude: Indigo


    Level: 12


    Skills: Protect, Stun Spore, Gust, Psybeam, Electroweb, Bug Buzz, Quiver Dance


    Yuga luck wasn''t too great this time; the miraculous candy only raised Vivilion level by two.


    However, upon seeing Vivilion skills, Yuga felt fortunate once again.


    He couldn''t help but sigh that Indigo-aptitude Pok��mon truly deserved their status. With a total of seven skills, Vivilion possessed the highest number of abilities among all of Yuga Pok��mon. Notably, it also had the powerful skills of Quiver Dance and Bug Buzz.


    These two skills were most likely inherited from its parents, as it would be impossible for it to learn them at its current level.


    Joyfully fluttering in the air, Vivilion admired its own beautiful image, dispelling all previous feelings of frustration and reluctance.


    Subsequently, Yuga fed the remaining three rare candy to Vivilion, mainly due to its low level.


    Although Vivilion had been unable to evolve for a long time and struggled to raise its level, daily training hadn''t been entirely in vain. Its body had grown strong enough to handle the effects of these rare candy.


    Yuga previous decision to only let Floette consume one candy stemmed from his belief that relying on external items for level advancement was less reliable than gradual umtion. However, Vivilion situation was exceptional, which led Yuga to make an exception.


    The three rare candy boosted Vivilion level by 5, 3, and 4 respectively��an impressively lucky streak. Ultimately, Vivilion went from level 12 to level 24.


    Taking out a prepared Pok�� Ball, Yuga addressed Vivilion, "Vivilion, please guide us from now on!"


    Cooperatively, Vivilion entered Yuga Pok�� Ball, and the taming process proceeded smoothly. Yuga then called over his other Pok��mon, speaking to them:


    "This is Vivilion. Starting today, it''s our newpanion! Let''s all get along well!"


    The Pok��mon warmly weed Vivilion addition, and the atmosphere was filled with excitement.


    As the day had already progressed into thete hours, Yuga, in order to avoid inconvenience, prepared a simple bowl of noodles. He then shared dinner with his Pok��mon.


    The following day, not long after Yuga had opened his shop, Robert paid him a visit.


    Yuga: "Why so early?"


    Robert: "I arranged to meet someone in Mauvile City. If I didn''t leave early, I might not make it in time. Besides, I usually wake up around this time anyway. When there no rush, why not leave early?"


    Yuga expressed his speechlessness, "Mauvile City isn''t far from Verdanturf Town. You didn''t have to be this early. I wake up early for business, but why are you up so early?"


    With a smile, Robert replied, "It''s a habit!"


    Yuga genuinely admired Robert lifestyle habits, meticulously adhering to the manners and demeanor of a noble in every aspect of life. His daily routine was precisely structured.


    Although their time together had been brief, Yuga couldn''t im to understand Robert personality and character deeply. However, his lifestyle habits were clear to Yuga.


    From speech and gait to eating and interactions, and now even down to waking up early��Robert strictly demanded the conduct expected of a noble.


    Yuga spected that Robert was likely born into a major noble family.


    In the current era of the League development, nobles were already relics of the past. Apart from a few deeply-rooted old noble families, the majority of the noble ss had disappeared into history depths. In their ce were new sses, like the nouveau riche typified by someone like Devon.


    However, the aristocratic ss indeed ruled over the Pok��mon world for a considerable period of time, and no one knows the depth of their heritage. The current major noble families are all prominent, such as the Oak Family in Kanto region, the Dragon Tamer n in Johto region, and Temple n that serve legendary Pok��mon in the Sinnoh region.


    However, these major noble families have been actively adapting to the development of the new era. They have voluntarily abandoned the aristocratic system within their families and are striving to integrate into the League. Family members no longer refer to themsPok��mon as nobles when traveling outside.


    Speaking of Yuga time of arrival, it''s quite fortunate. It''s neither the dark and oppressive ancient times nor the turbulent and iplete legal system of the early days of the League.


    Nowadays, society is stable, the legal system is sound, and although crime still urs from time to time, overall, the lives of ordinary people are stable and prosperous. The environment for Trainers to survive is also stable and orderly, which is quite good.


    Thinking about this, Yuga feels that they should thank the deity of the transmigration for the time they''ve arrived in. So, they silently join their hands in a gesture of gratitude.


    Yuga: "Take care on your journey, I won''t specificallye to see you off!"


    Robert: "Alright, take care!"


    Saying this, Robert turned around and prepared to leave.


    Yuga: "If you pass by Verdanturf Town, remember to visit me."


    Watching Robert departing figure, Yuga felt a bit reluctant. After all, he was the first friend they had made and they were parting after only a few days of getting to know each other.


    After Robert left, in the afternoon, Yuga went to the backyard to meet Kurozumi Daichi.


    Because Kurozumi Daichi had previously informed Yuga, today the construction of Ecopark officially concluded. At the same time, his uncle, who acted as an intermediary, also arrived.


    Yuga looked at thepleted Ecopark and felt very satisfied.


    The exterior of the semi-finished Ecopark was built using special materials from the Pok��mon world. From the inside, you could clearly see the outside, but from the outside, you couldn''t see anything inside.


    The gate of Ecopark also utilized the unique sensing technology of the Pok��mon world.


    As long as the owner information is recorded, this sensing gate can automatically identify the owner identity and grant them ess. Except with the owner permission, no one can freely enter or exit, making it very secure.


    With the owner permission, the information of the Pok��mon residing inside can also be urately recorded, and the sensing system can identify them precisely.


    From the outside, the entire Ecopark looks like the ss greenhouse Yuga saw in their past life, but the actual construction technology used is vastly different.


    To thank the construction team for their hard work during this period, Yuga not only paid them generously but also gave each of them arge red envelope. Kurozumi Daichi praised Yuga conduct and openly stated that if Yuga ever needed help in the future, he would definitely assist without question.


    On that evening, Yuga and his uncle also took them out for a big meal, making sure everyone had a good time.


    The joy ofpleting Ecopark somewhat diluted the sorrow Yuga felt due to parting, making them feel much better.

 Chapter 63: My Ecopark

    <h4>Chapter 63: My Ecopark</h4>


    Upon returning home in the evening, Yuga couldn''t contain his excitement and summoned the system.


    "System, tell me quickly how you''re going to transform the Ecopark."


    [ The main garden of the Ecopark can be designed ording to the host ideas. You can share your ideas with the system, and I will transform it based on your requirements. ]


    Yuga pondered anxiously, "But I don''t know how to design! I''ve never seen an Ecopark, let alone know how other people gardens are! Without any reference or sample, I''m at a loss!"


    The system fell silent for a moment before saying, [ The system can provide several temtes for the host! ]


    "Really?" Yuga eximed.


    Soon, Yuga was presented with a holographic screen disying seven to eight design concepts, all tailored to theyout of his backyard.


    [ These are the best designs selected by the system, each of them exceptional ] the system exined.


    Yuga felt overwhelmed by the choice between the seven to eight design options. Each one was appealing, but he had to pick just one. Despite not having decision-making difficulties, it wasn''t an easy choice.


    Finally, Yuga closed his eyes and chose the simplest design. Since the system imed each design was excellent, the simplest one should be just as good.


    [ Host, have you made a selection? If you have, the system will begin the transformation of the Ecopark! ] the system inquired.


    With determination, Yuga said, "I''ve chosen. Let''s go with this one. Begin!"


    [ Alright, host! ]


    Yuga asked cautiously, "System, can I quietly ask how long the transformation of the Ecopark will take?"


    Overwhelmed by the thought of having his own Ecopark soon, Yuga excitement was almost too much to contain, and he was finding it hard to keep hisposure.


    [ Please be patient for 12 hours ] the system replied.


    Excitedly, Yuga asked, "So, after 12 hours, I''ll be able to see my Ecopark?"


    [ Yes, host. ]


    His excitement kept Yuga awake throughout the night, leaving him with dark circles under his eyes and a dazed expression the next morning.


    As soon as he woke up, Yuga asked absentmindedly, "System, has the 12-hour mark arrived?"


    [ Not yet, host! ]


    With that, Yuga mechanically prepared for the day and trained with his Pok��mon, all the while inattentive. He returned, had breakfast with his Pok��mon, managed his store, and interacted with customers, all in a distracted manner during the morning.


    Finally, close to noon, the system voice echoed.


    [ Host, the transformation of the Ecopark isplete! ]


    For Yuga, that voice was like heavenly music. The Ecopark had felt like a "teasing little imp" throughout the morning, testing his patience and causing him to grow frustrated and weary.


    Like a gust of wind, Yuga dashed towards the Ecopark. The entrance, sensing his presence, automatically opened its gates. Yuga then got his first full view of the entire Ecopark.


    The entrance was located on the east side, with the westernmost point being the farthest. The first thing Yuga noticed was a massive weather tree in the far west. The tree in his store paled inparison; Yuga spected that even seven or eight of them together wouldn''t match this one.


    Although the tree was thick, it wasn''t remarkably tall. Its branches spread out densely like a huge umbre, covering almost a tenth of the entire Ecopark.


    ording to the system exnation, this colossal weather tree served as the temperature regtion center of the entire main garden.


    To the north was a small orchard with a limited number of fruit trees, allmon species loved by most Pok��mon.


    To the southy a flower field. Although not extensive, it was currently blooming with colorful flowers, vibrant and incredibly beautiful.


    The small stream that existed in the backyard had been enclosed within the Ecopark. Although referred to as a "stream," it was more like a shallow brook.


    This brook flowed from the west, passed by the weather tree, meandered through the flower field, and finally disappeared into the orchard. Yuga wondered how the system had managed to reshape and redirect the stream while keeping it so clear that he could see its bottom.


    The system exined that when the water flowed into the Ecopark from outside, the water cirction system would automatically filter it, ensuring its purity and preventing harmful substances from entering.


    Thergest area within the entire Ecopark was covered by the grasnd.


    Yuga touched the verdant grass with his hand and found it incredibly soft to the touch, although he wasn''t sure of its specific species. The system mentioned that this type of grass had been carefully selected; it was very soft and effectively prevented scratches on newborn Pok��mon.


    Yuga thought the system consideration was truly impressive; it had thought of even this detail. Indeed, some Pok��mon were extremely fragile when they were born and could get injured identally. Such details needed attention.


    The system further exined that this grass was highly nutritious and suitable for herbivorous Pok��mon like Tauros, Mareep, Miltank, Deerling, Bouffnt, and Skiddo, among others.


    Finally, near the entrance of the Ecopark, there was a small storage shed used to store supplies such as Pok��blocks for Pok��mon, and Pok��mon food.


    The system also mentioned that the transparent material surrounding the exterior of the Ecopark had been modified. While it looked unchanged, it could adjust the iing light from the outside, ensuring afortable lighting environment for the Pok��mon inside the garden at all times.


    Moreover, these transparent materials had robust defensive capabilities; they wouldn''t sustain even a hint of damage from attacks by Elite-tier Pok��mon.


    Yuga was thoroughly impressed by the system advanced technology.


    "System, can you secretly tell me how you acquired all these advanced technologies?"


    The system calmly replied, [ I apologize, host, but there is no answer to that question in the system database. ]


    "Do you at least know how you obtained these advanced technologies?"


    [ Apologies, host. Each Gold Finger severs all previous connections upon being acquired by a traveler and focuses solely on serving the current owner. Neither Gold Fingers nor this system is aware of how their abilities originated. ]


    "Sigh!"


    Yuga sighed and asked, "Well, how did youe into existence then? You should know that, right?"


    [ Apologies, host. ]


    Yuga sighed again and said, "Alright, forget it. I won''t ask anymore. Anyway, you''ve been incredibly helpful, and asking so many questions won''t change that."


    Honestly, Yuga found his Gold Finger to be incredibly practical. For the Ecopark alone, it not only provided a high-end environment but also took care of day-to-day maintenance and repairs, all managed by the system.


    The cost savings for construction and maintenance alone were substantial, and without the system assistance, Yuga might not have been able to afford building it even after struggling for twenty years.


    Constructing an Ecopark in the world of Pok��mon wasn''t easy, and maintaining it was even more challenging. If building the garden required a significant amount of money, the funds required for maintenance would be astronomical. This was also why most Day Cares didn''t have Ecoparks.


    Day Cares established by the official League were supplied directly with Pok��mon eggs and Pok��mon from the League own Day Care Centers, eliminating the need for Ecoparks.


    Small-scale Day Cares couldn''t afford to build Ecoparks and had to source their stock from the League Day Care Centers, simr to how the old YoYo Day Care operated.


    Only a fewrge-scale Day Cares had their own Ecoparks.

 Chapter 64: Good Things Come in Pairs

    <h4>Chapter 64: Good Things Come in Pairs</h4>


    Just as Yuga was about to end his conversation with the system, a sudden "ding" sound echoed in his mind, followed by the system voice.


    [ Congrattions to the host for meeting the Promotion Condition: Entering the Right Track. ]


    [ Exnation: The Ecopark is officiallypleted, and the development of the host Day Care is on the right track. The future looks bright; please continue your efforts. ]


    [ The system is about to undergo an upgrade. Please be patient, host! ]


    "What''s going on?"


    Yuga was still unsure of the situation when he tried to ask the system again, but it didn''t respond this time.


    Since it mentioned an upgrade and there seemed to be no major issue, Yuga didn''t dwell on it and instead brought all of his Pok��mon from the store to the Ecopark.


    "Everyone, this will be our new home from now on. How do you like it?"


    The seven Pok��mon felt thefort of their new environment and cheered happily, then dispersed to explore their new home.


    Floette, Vivilion, and Chimecho fluttered towards the flower field, dancing joyfully among the blooms.


    Murkrow soared to the top of the weather tree, pping its wings and making excited sounds.


    Vulpix and Houndour went to the orchard and stood beneath a fruit tree, gazing at the fruits with fascination.


    Theposed Absol walked to the base of the weather tree, lying down to rest with its eyes closed.


    After they had yed for a while, Yuga recorded each of them into the sensing system at the entrance of the Ecopark, allowing them to move freely in and out.


    Once everything was settled, Yuga went to his room on the second floor to prepare to move the 31 Pok��mon eggs he had ced there into the Ecopark.


    The environment in the Ecopark was more suitable for hatching these eggs.


    One by one, Yuga carried out the 31 eggs. They weren''t heavy, but with all the back and forth, he ended up sweating profusely.


    Under the giant weather tree, Yuga set up a simple nest specifically for these eggs.


    He also ced small gene-repair potions in the Ecopark storage, which were used to treat these eggs and readily avable.


    As Yuga ced thest egg and straightened up, wiping his sweat, two of the eggs suddenly emitted a faint white light.


    Yuga knew that this indicated the eggs were about to hatch, and he felt excited, saying, "What a great day it is today, with good things happening one after another."


    The other Pok��mon also noticed the situation and wanted toe over, but Yuga stopped them, recalling the incident when Swablu hatchedst time.


    Yuga stared at the two eggs without blinking, watching as the white light grew stronger. Finally, after an hour, both eggs began to hatch one by one.


    These two Pok��mon were of the same species��small bodies, brown fur, and a light-colored scarf around their necks. Theirrge ears wiggled cutely, and their round eyes were incredibly adorable.


    "Eevee, Eevee..."


    As soon as the two Pok��mon were born and saw Yuga, they started calling out to him in delight. Their cute and endearing appearance melted Yuga heart.


    Indeed, both of these Pok��mon were Eevee.


    Yuga gently picked up the two Eevee, carrying them to the specially prepared sand basin.


    The sand in the basin was custom-made, designed for the purpose of cleaning furry Pok��mon like Eevee after they were born.


    The sand was fine and soft, gentle on the skin and fur of the Pok��mon. It also had effective antibacterial properties.


    Newly born Pok��mon had delicate bodies, and they couldn''t be bathed with water. Sand baths were the best way to clean them.


    Of course, not all Pok��mon were suitable for sand baths, such as Water-type Pok��mon.


    For the newly born Water-type Pok��mon, it''s better to give them a proper water bath.


    Ever since the birth of Swablu, Yuga had been searching online for knowledge on how to take care of newborn Pok��mon. Today, he was trying out what he had learned for the first time, something he hadn''t managed to do with Swablu.


    The sand basin Yuga had prepared was spacious enough for the two small Eevee to move around freely. They seemed to really enjoy the sand bath and yed happily in the basin.


    As they had just been born, their stamina was limited, and after a while, they grew a bit tired. Yuga had prepared Moomoo Milk for them to drink, and one after the other, they fell asleep after finishing it.


    Yuga gently picked them up and ced them back in the nest, instructing Floette to take good care of them. Then, he left the Ecopark.


    Yuga felt he should raise a few Miltank. As the number of newborn Pok��mon in his Ecopark grew, the demand for Moomoo Milk would likely increase as well.


    The Moomoo Milk produced by Miltank was very suitable for newborn Pok��mon. It not only promoted their growth but also enhanced their immune system.


    While these things could be bought, it was a bit cumbersome. Being self-sufficient would be better.


    However, Miltank weren''t native to Hoenn Region, and Yuga didn''t know where to get them.


    After a moment of consideration, Yuga dialed Director Mond number.


    After a short while, Director Mond rugged face appeared on Yugamunication screen.


    "Ah, it''s little Yuga. Did you call me for something?"


    Yuga: "Yes, I do have something I''d like to trouble you with."


    Director Mond: "Just tell me what it is. If I can help, I will."


    Yuga cleared his throat:


    "Well, I want to raise a few Miltank. I''m just not sure where to find them, so I thought I''d ask if you have any leads. Their qualities aren''t a big concern; whether they''re red, orange, or yellow doesn''t matter, as long as they''re healthy. Of course, better qualities would be even better."


    Upon hearing Yuga words, Director Mond chuckled. "So, it''s about this. Leave it to me. Miltank isn''t a particrly rare species. As long as you''re not looking for high qualities and don''t need too many, getting a few for you won''t be an issue."


    Yuga eximed with delight, "Really? Thank you so much!"


    Director Mond replied, "No need to thank me. Your parents and I go way back. Now that you''re running the Day Care, we''ll have plenty of opportunities to coborate. I''ll handle this for you. How many do you want?"


    Yuga lowered his head in thought and said, "Six, I think."


    Director Mond nodded. "Alright, I''ll get in touch with you soon and let you know when it''s done."


    After ending the call with Director Mond, Yuga remembered he also needed to find a new staff member.

 Chapter 65: Changes

    <h4>Chapter 65: Changes</h4>


    Now that the Ecopark had beenpleted, Yuga felt that his main focus should be on the Ecopark rather than being upied with trivial matters.


    Each day he needed to train his Pok��mon, take care of the newborns, and prepare for the breeding of Pok��mon to be sold in the future. The tasks were numerous and endless.


    Managing the shop and sales seemed like something Yuga should delegate to someone else.


    With these thoughts in mind, Yuga decided to contact Ms. Suzuki using the contact information she had leftst time. He dialed her number and waited for her to pick up.


    "Hello, Ms. Suzuki."


    When Ms. Suzuki face appeared on the screen, Yuga greeted her politely.


    "Hello, Store Manager."


    Seeing Yuga call, Ms. Suzuki already knew his intention. However, she didn''t say anything, waiting for Yuga to continue.


    "Ms. Suzuki, are you still interested in working at my Day Care?"


    Yuga didn''t beat around the bush and straightforwardly exined the purpose of his call.


    With a smile, Ms. Suzuki replied, "Of course, I''ve been waiting for your call."


    Yuga said, "Great, then please let me know when you''re avable toe over. We can discuss the terms and job responsibilities."


    Ms. Suzuki responded, "Sure. The Store Manager should be at the shop tomorrow, so I cane by then."


    Yuga agreed, "Sounds good. I''ll be looking forward to your visit tomorrow."


    After ending the call, Yuga let out a long sigh of relief. He had made all the necessary preparations, and now he was waiting for both Director Mond and Ms. Suzuki to arrive.


    Due to being busy with the Ecopark and taking care of the newly born Eevee, the shop had been closed for most of the day. As evening came, the usually quiet system suddenly had a response.


    "System upgradeplete. Host can inquire about the upgrade details at any time."


    Upon hearing this message, Yuga immediately summoned 1314520 to ask about the upgrade.


    Although the system entity was named 1314520, Yuga found that name quite embarrassing, so he usually referred to it as "system." At the beginning, the system insisted on its name, but over time, it seemed to have epted Yuga way of addressing it.


    [ Hello, host! I''m d to be of service again! ]


    Surprisingly, after the upgrade, the system voice had softened quite a bit. It was no longer as cold and rigid as before, even using the word "d."


    "System, tell me, what changes have urred after your upgrade?"


    The system responded, [ The changes from this upgrade mainly involve two aspects. ]


    [ Firstly, the tasks and rewards from now on will no longer apply to the host Trainer identity but will pertain only to the development and growth of the Day Care. ]


    [ Exnation: This system is bound to the host identity as the owner of a Day Care, with the ultimate goal of helping the host be a renowned Day Care owner in the Pok��mon world. ]


    [ Secondly, the Trainer Shop has been opened to exchange items and resources required for the host Trainer identity. ]


    [ Exnation: The role of a Trainer is secondary for the host and serves as an auxiliary condition to assist inpleting mainline tasks. The system is obligated to provide certain assistance. ]


    Hearing this, Yuga shook his head in confusion. "Wait a moment, why don''t I understand what you''re saying? What does it mean that mainline tasks will no longer apply to Trainers? How could your upgraded functionality actually regress? And where is this Trainer Shop?"


    The system rified, [ The exnations I provided should be straightforward. From now on, the rewards from system tasks will only include qualifications for upgrading the Ecopark and decorating the shop. Previous rewards like Sun Stones, Rare Candies, and gene-repair potions will no longer be given. ]


    At this point, Yuga was growing frustrated. "Seriously, how could I notprehend this! What''s the meaning behind tasks no longer applying to Trainers? Why would your upgrade result in a downgrade? And where can I find this Trainer Shop?"


    The system responded firmly, [ I''m afraid that''s not possible! ]


    Yuga responded with a weary tone, "Fine, so where is this Trainer Shop you mentioned? I don''t see it anywhere."


    As he finished speaking, a light screen appeared before him, disying a 4x4 grid.


    After looking at the grid, Yuga was utterly dumbfounded.


    "So, this is the Trainer Shop you mentioned? Inside here, there are only Berries and regr Pok�� Balls?!"


    Yuga was astonished by the simplicity andck of effort put into this grid. He thought, "Is this a joke? It''s worse than having nothing! Besides causing my own myocardial infarction, this thing seems useless."


    "Why can''t Berries and Pok�� Balls be bought elsewhere? These aren''t even significant items! And to top it off, they''re just regr red and white Pok�� Balls!"


    The system exined, [ Yes, this is indeed the Trainer Shop. Let me rify the specifics of the Trainer Shop for the host. ]


    [ 1. The Trainer Shop refreshes daily, and the items within it appear randomly. ]


    [ 2. The items in the Trainer Shop are categorized by rarity: white items, green items, blue items, purple items, and the rarest gold items. ]


    [ 3. The probabilities of each rarity appearing are as follows:


    White items: 99%


    Green items: 0.9%


    Blue items: 0.09%


    Purple items: 0.009%


    Gold items: 0.001%. ]


    [ 4. There''s no limit to the number of times white items can be exchanged, green items can be exchanged up to 5 times per appearance, and blue and higher rarity items can be exchanged once per appearance. ]


    [ 5. Exchange items require revenue from the Day Care. Union currency acquired through other means cannot be used in the Trainer Shop. The Trainer Shop will be linked to the host ount, and the system will deduct the payment during each exchange. ]


    [ 6. The pricing of shop items is generally equivalent to their value in the Pok��mon world, with some special items having variations. The ultimate interpretation lies with the system. ]


    After hearing the long exnation from the system, Yuga didn''t know what to say. Looking at the grid again, he noticed that the Pok�� Balls and Berries indeed had white frames around them, confirming that they were the white items the system mentioned.


    In the end, Yuga couldn''t help but say, "Are you saying that the daily probability of green items appearing is nine in a thousand, blue items is nine in ten thousand, purple items is nine in a hundred thousand, and gold items are one in a hundred thousand? And the rest are just red and white Pok�� Balls and Berries?"


    The system confirmed, [ Yes, host, you''ve got it right! ]


    Yuga gritted his teeth and eximed, "System, I urge you to be kind!!!"


    The system responded, [ ??? ]


    "Quit acting innocent!"


    Yuga continued, "So you mean I''ll have to stare at Berries and regr Pok�� Balls every day since the shop refreshes only once a day? Is this your obligation to support my Trainer identity?"


    The system replied, [ The host can still anticipate it to some extent! ]


    Yuga muttered, "Are you happy about this cheeky response? This upgrade was for nothing."


    Yuga grinned, "Hehehe... System, let''s negotiate. Can we adjust these probabilities?"


    The system regretfully responded, [ I''m sorry, host, it''s not possible. This systemcks the authority to make changes. ]


    Yuga suggested, "Then let''spromise. Can we increase the number of refreshes per day? I''m willing to spend Union currency to refresh it."


    The system apologized, [ I''m sorry, host, the shop automatically refreshes at midnight each day. The systemcks management authority. ]


    Yuga sighed, "Look at you, no authority here, no authority there. What exactly is your purpose?"


    The system hesitated and then replied, [ Perhaps... to keep the hostpany and provide some entertainment? ]


    If the system had a physical form, Yuga would have definitely pped it with a pie. It seemed that the system had mastered the art of empty-handed boasting, all whilecking in useful upgrades.


    "Ah..."


    Yuga sighed, realizing that the Trainer Shop was practically useless. The benefits he used to enjoy were diminishing, and times were tough.

 Chapter 66: Interview

    <h4>Chapter 66: Interview</h4>


    Regarding the decrease in benefits after the system update, while Yuga felt a bit disappointed, he didn''t dwell on it for too long.


    Having a "cheat" like the system was already a significant advantage over others, so there wasn''t a need to demand too much. One had to be open-minded and maintain a positive attitude in life.


    As promised, Suzuki arrived at the Day Care the next day.


    Yuga weed Suzuki and led her to a table in the dining area. He gestured towards a nearby chair and said, "Please have a seat, Ms. Suzuki. I apologize for the simple setup, but this is the best I can offer."


    Suzuki smiled, took a seat, and reassured him, "No worries, this ce is fine."


    Seeing that she was genuinelyfortable, Yuga went straight to the point. "There isn''t much to handle in my shop. We mainly receive customers, sell Pok��mon eggs, and offer rted services.


    You''re probably aware that running a Day Care is a unique business. While Pok��mon and eggs aren''t exactly luxury items, it''s not as bustling as a supermarket. So, we don''t usually have many customers, and it''s not too busy.


    The only requirement is that you need to have a decent understanding ofmon Pok��mon species. Otherwise, you won''t be able to introduce our Pok��mon eggs to the customers. Is that something you''re okay with?"


    After listening, Suzuki nodded and replied, "No problem. I graduated from a Trainer school and received formal Trainer education. Although I didn''t pursue a Trainer careerter on, I have a solid foundation in Pok��mon knowledge. That''s actually one of the reasons why I wanted to work here, to make up for what I missed before."


    Yuga didn''t expect Ms. Suzuki to have such experiences, but her familiarity with Pok��mon knowledge was certainly a wee trait.


    Yuga continued, "Alright, let''s talk about the working hours.


    Back when it was just me, I had flexible opening and closing times. My schedule was often unpredictable. However, now that you''re joining us, we need to establish some rules."


    Suzuki nodded, showing her understanding. "That''s reasonable."


    Yuga proceeded, "Great, then let''s have the shop open from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM, and from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. How does that sound?"


    Suzuki didn''t have any objections and nodded in agreement.


    Seeing her agreement, Yuga hesitated for a moment and then asked, "I heard you mention earlier that you live here with a child, is that right?"


    While Suzuki found it strange that Yuga brought up this topic, she still nodded in confirmation.


    After seeing her nod, Yuga struggled internally for a moment before speaking, "The shop isn''t usually too busy. If it''s not convenient for you to bring your child here, you''re wee to do so. I don''t mind at all."


    Although Suzuki was initially puzzled by why Yuga asked about this, she realized that it was for this reason. She thought to herself, "There''s no inconvenience. I''ve hired a nanny at home to take care of my child."


    But after considering it, she decided not to mention it. Since the boss had agreed, there was no need to borate further.


    However, she did appreciate that her potential employer was considerate. Not many bosses would allow employees to bring their children to work.


    With a smile, Suzuki responded, "Thank you for that, Mr. Yuga."


    Yuga continued, "Alright, let''s discuss thepensation now.


    I''ll pay you 3,000 Union currency each month. Since we''re in the sales industry and you''ll be the only employee, I won''t set specific days for your days off.


    However, if you have something important, you can take leave at any time, and it won''t affect your sry.


    To save you from traveling back and forth, you''re wee to stay for lunch. If I''m not around, you can cook for yourself; the kitchen is fully stocked.


    When I''m here, I usually cook for myself and would be happy to cook for you as well. Of course, if you''re willing to help with cooking, I don''t mind."


    Suzuki agreed, "Sure, I have no objections."


    In truth, considering the consumption level in Verdanturf Town, a monthly sry of 3,000 Union currency for a shop assistant was already quite high. Suzuki was content with the offer.


    Furthermore, Suzuki wasn''ting to work here for the money; she didn''tck it. She just wanted something to do in Verdanturf Town and this job wasn''t demanding. It aligned with her interests and held a sentimental value, which led to her decision.


    Yuga added, "I''ve said everything I needed to. Is there anything you''d like to add? If you have any requests, feel free to bring them up, and I''ll consider them ordingly."


    Suzuki thought for a moment and replied, "I don''t have anything else to add. You''ve thought things through very thoroughly."


    Yuga teased, "You better think it through carefully. I won''t wait around if you change your mind."


    Suzuki didn''t say anything further, and the matter was settled.


    Yuga stood up, extended his hand, and said, "Wee to the YoYo Day Care. Please guide us along the way."


    Suzuki shook his hand in return and said, "Likewise."


    Yuga remembered and asked, "By the way, when can you start working?"


    Suzuki answered, "I can start tomorrow."


    Yuga nodded and said, "Alright then, you can start working tomorrow."


    Afterward, Yuga took out the prepared employment contract, and both of them happily signed it.


    Once the contract was signed, Yuga handed a set of keys to Suzuki and said, "These are the keys to the shop. Here you go."


    Suzuki took the keys and said, "If there''s nothing else, I''ll head back for now. I''ll be here on time to work tomorrow."


    As Suzuki left, Yuga noticed Chimechoing in a hurry. Her demeanor seemed quite flustered.


    Seeing this familiar scene, Yuga immediately understood what had happened. He hurriedly set off towards the Ecopark.


    When Yuga arrived not far from the colossal weather tree, he saw a few little heads poking out from a nest under the tree.


    Just as one of them was about to tumble out of the nest, Yuga rushed forward and caught it.


    Holding the Pok��mon in his arms, Yuga and it locked eyes for a moment. After a while, the Pok��mon grew impatient and let out a chirp towards Yuga.


    At this point, the two newborn Eevee that had hatched earlier were standing together at the base of the nest, looking inside. They were incredibly adorable.


    Counting them, including the one in his hands, a total of four Pok��mon had hatched this time.


    There were three different species: two Mudkip, one Trecko, and one Snivy, a species unique to Unova region. Yuga wondered how an egg of this species ended up in a breeding facility in Lavaridge Town.


    The one that had climbed out was a mischievous-looking Snivy.


    Hatching all three starter Pok��mon in one go made Yuga mood considerably better.


    One had to understand that breeding these valuable starter Pok��mon was usually monopolized by the League. It was rare for them to be avable outside.


    Most privately owned Day Cares didn''t have these starter Pok��mon.


    Somerger private Day Cares might specialize in breeding their own unique Pok��mon, but mass-producing starter Pok��mon was no simple task. Obtaining suitable breeding stock was quite a challenge.


    It could be said that the League breeding and research of starter Pok��mon from various regions was at its pinnacle; they were iconic to the League.


    Every year, beginner trainers in various regions would receive a starter Pok��mon distributed by the local professors.


    These Pok��mon were usually offspring trained by the League established trainers. League starter Pok��mon rarely left their controlled environment.


    Of course, the League did annually distribute arge number of other high-quality non-starter Pok��mon through official Day Cares.


    Many of these species were on par with the starters, so most trainers and citizens didn''t have any objections to the League policy of not releasing starter Pok��mon to the public.

 Chapter 67: The Miltank

    <h4>Chapter 67: The Miltank</h4>


    Yuga prepared a body-cleansing substance for Treecko and Snivy, which was made from crushed leaves of a nt.


    These leaves were not only soft but also had strong absorption abilities, effectively removing dirt from newborn Pok��mon.


    As for the Mudkip pair, Yuga simply ced them in a small river.


    Water-type Pok��mon naturally knew how to swim from birth due to their unique skin, and attempting to clean them with other methods could have adverse effects.


    The river temperature was suitable for their swimming, so Yuga instructed Chimecho to keep an eye on them.


    After feeding and ying with all the Pok��mon for a while, Yuga left the Ecopark when they were allfortably asleep.


    The next day, when Yuga arrived downstairs in the shop, he found Suzuki already there. She was focused on the price list for the Pok��mon eggs that Yuga had printed the day before.


    "Good morning, boss!" Yuga voice caught her attention as she looked up to greet him.


    "Good morning."


    As Yuga approached her, he noticed a little one hiding beneath the cashier counter, which startled him.


    Suzuki smiled and introduced, "This is my son, Dian. Dian, this is Mommy boss. You can call him Big Brother Manager."


    "Big Brother Manager, hi."


    Dian greeted Yuga with a cute voice and looked at him with bright, curious eyes.


    "Such a well-behaved and adorable kid."


    Indeed, this was how children should be. Yuga realized that Luna and Rand were exceptions to the norm.


    Yuga ruffled Dian hair, discovering how soft and pleasant it felt. He couldn''t resist ruffling it a few more times.


    "By the way, how old is Dian?"


    Looking at Dian ying with Meowth, Yuga asked Suzuki.


    "Three years old."


    Yugamented, "He''s so well-behaved. You probably don''t have to worry too much, Suzuki-san."


    Suzuki chuckled, "Well, I''ll be your employee from now on. Don''t call me Suzuki-san anymore. Just call me ''Sister Kouen''."


    Yuga teased, "Your son calls me ''Big Brother'' and you want me to call you ''Sister Kouen''? What kind of logic is that?"


    Suzuki shrugged yfully, "Why not? Let''s each have our own titles. You''re only sixteen, i can''t let my son called you uncle, and I''m just in my thirties. I can''t have you call me ''Auntie'', can I?"


    Yuga chuckled, realizing she had a point. He agreed, "Alright then, but don''t call me ''Manager'' anymore. ''Boss'' sounds moremanding."


    Suzukiughed at his response, "Sure thing, Boss!"


    After chatting for a while, as Yuga was about to leave, he heard his phone ringing. It was a call from Director Mond.


    Upon answering, Director Mond voice came through, "Little Yuga, I''ve got the Miltank you wanted. Is it convenient for you to receive them now, or should I send them over?"


    Excited by the news, Yuga replied, "Really? So fast! Just a moment, I don''t have a Trade Machine for Pok��mon at home. I''ll head to the Pok��mon Center to receive them."


    After ending the call, Yuga told Suzuki, "Sister Kouen, I need to step out for a bit. Could you look after the shop?"


    With that, Yuga left the shop.


    At the Pok��mon Center, Yuga contacted Director Mond through the public phone. He arranged for the six Miltank to be teleported to him.


    Once he had the Pok��mon in his possession, Yuga transferred the agreed amount of money to Director Mond.


    While League regtions prohibited the buying and selling of adult Pok��mon, many individuals engaged in such transactions privately. It was a matter of secrecy.


    ording to Director Mond, all six Miltank were in excellent health and still quite young��just reaching adulthood. Five of them had yellow markings, while one had green markings, which was quite rare.


    Upon returning to the Ecopark, Yuga released the six Miltank and addressed them, "Hello, everyone. This is your new home from now on. I hope you''ll have a pleasant life here."


    These Miltank had been informed beforehand that they would be changing owners, so they didn''t show much resistance to Yuga.


    After looking around and sampling the grass beneath their feet, they seemed content. Eating the grass, their eyes brightened further, and they dly epted Yuga "adoption."


    As for the Pok�� Balls that held these Miltank, Yuga stored all of them in the warehouse, as he likely wouldn''t need them in the future.


    Watching the Miltank leisurely graze on the grass, Yuga suddenly realized a significant issue��he didn''t know how to milk them!


    Yuga decided that he should learn how to milk them properly when he had the time. However, an idea struck him, and he suddenly got excited.


    Instead of milking them, why not let the Pok��mon directly drink from the Miltank? Although the process felt a bit embarrassing, the oue would be positive, right?


    This approach wasn''t just for the newborns; Pok��mon like Floette and Absol could benefit from it as well.


    Yuga called the Miltank over and exined his idea to them. They all agreed without any objections.


    Miltank were mild-mannered Pok��mon, more than willing to let other Pok��mon drink from them. They typically learned how to provide milk once they reached a certain level, allowing others to drink directly from their bodies. Thus, they didn''t find this behavior embarrassing in any way.


    After a productive conversation with the Miltank, Yuga gathered his other Pok��mon and informed them of his decision. Surprisingly, all of them objected, with Floette showing the strongest resistance.


    However, their objections were in vain. Their somewhat thoughtless owner merely informed them of the decision instead of consulting them.


    Notably, Floette, who resisted the most, ended up being the first to be offered a tomato.


    Yuga entrusted the feeding of the newborn Pok��mon to the Miltank, and they were delighted to ept the task.


    Perhaps due to the Miltank'' nature, Yuga observed that the newly acquired six Miltank were very enthusiastic about caring for other Pok��mon.


    They would even initiate ytime with Eevee, Mudkip, Treecko, and Snivy, disying a harmonious interaction.


    Yuga had worried about asionally forgetting to feed these newborns, but now, he didn''t have to worry at all.


    The newborns were just born and hadn''t developed any sense of shame yet, so they were quite cooperative when it came to feeding from the Miltank.


    Yuga truly understood the concept that all human creativity stemmed from ziness."


    He realized that every creative idea he had emerged from his ownziness.


    Because he didn''t want to milk them, he saved himself a lot of hassle and even discovered six new assistants.

 Chapter 68: The Babies

    <h4>Chapter 68: The Babies</h4>


    For the following period, Yuga spent almost all of his time in the Ecopark.


    The park was spacious enough that Yuga didn''t have to go outside to train his Pok��mon.


    With the shop business now in Suzuki hands, Yuga becamepletely hands-off and focused all his attention on nurturing the newly hatched Pok��mon.


    Except for one egg, the remaining eggs hatched over the next couple of weeks.


    Yuga tallied up the results. Out of these 30 hatched eggs, he got:


    - Five Mudkip, one with a blue quality and four with green.


    - Six Treecko, one with a blue quality and five with green.


    - Three Snivy, one with a blue quality and two with green.


    - Seven Eevee, one with a blue quality and six with green.


    - Four Swablu, and five Medidite, all with green quality.


    Yuga noticed that the problematic eggs yielded astonishingly high-quality Pok��mon. Among them, there were four eggs with blue quality. If not for the issues, these eggs could have been a significant fortune, but now they were all rtively cheap.


    This led Yuga to specte that the league method of breeding high-quality eggs might be considerably different from traditional methods, and this method might have a significant downside��higher quality eggs were more prone to issues.


    Otherwise, he couldn''t exin the presence of so many problematic eggs, and not just any issues, but gic defects.


    These eggs truly were from the League breeding facility, just like Director Mond had said. They were all incredibly rare Pok��mon.


    Beyond the starter Pok��mon, there were even future Dragon-type Pok��mon and Psychic-type Pok��mon, which were just a step below Dragon-types in terms of rarity. Even the Eevee, which had the highest quantity, were still exceptionally rare.


    If these eggs hadn''t been problematic, the starter Pok��mon wouldn''t have been leaked, and other rare Pok��mon would only be avable at League-sanctioned Day Cares.


    Yuga small-scale Day Care only had ess to the breeding center run by Director Mond, meaning while rare Pok��mon were avable, their quality might not be guaranteed.


    This highlighted the gap inpetitiveness between private Day Cares and official Day Cares, and between small-scale andrge-scale Day Cares.


    Currently, one egg remained unhatched. Yuga had checked it and found no issues, so he had to be patient and wait.


    During this time, Yuga not only cared for the newborn Pok��mon but also consciously taught the six Miltank various aspects of nurturing. He was trying to mold them into his reliable assistants.


    His Ecopark held too many secrets and wasn''t suitable for outsiders, and he couldn''t rely on others'' help during busy times. Having a few Pok��mon as assistants was the best choice.


    Thankfully, Pok��mon were highly intelligent, and the six Miltank were quick learners. They were already able to assist Yuga well and had be the exclusive caretakers for the little ones.


    Today was the time to train the babies.


    After being born for a while, the little ones were now ready for light exercises, so Yuga would allocate some time each day for appropriate training.


    As for Yuga other Pok��mon, they had formed a fixed training routine, so he just let them train on their own. At most, he would supervise them asionally.


    Yuga pped his hands gently, and the small ones, who were still ying around, instinctively gathered in front of him, forming neat rows of five columns and six rows.


    "Now it''s time for today training. Are you all ready?"


    Though the voices of the babies were a bit chaotic, their enthusiasm was palpable.


    Yuga: "Good, very good! Let''s get started then. Ready, set, run!"


    At Yugamand, the babies eagerly started running, and the once orderly formation immediately turned chaotic.


    The Miltank followed closely behind the babies, acting as runningpanions to deal with any unexpected situations. After all, they were still babies themselves.


    Yuga: "Let''s chant our slogan! One, two, one... one, two, one..."


    While running, Yuga led them in chanting the slogan.


    "Ga... Gaa-lo... Gaa-lo-lo..."


    "Ka... Ka-mo... Ka-mo-mo..."


    "Da... Da-ga... Da-ga-ga..."


    "Bu... Bu-yi... Bu-bu-yi..."


    ...


    Yuga had heard them chant the slogan before, but each time, it left him both amused and bewildered.


    Their chantingcked rhythm and synchronization, sounding more like a bunch of chattering birds.


    Medidite floated in the front of the formation using Psychic, their feet not touching the ground.


    Snivy and Treecko, agile and nimble, followed closely behind.


    Eevee, on the other hand, with their four tiny legs, persevered with gritted teeth. They stumbled and fell, only to quickly get back up and continue chasing.


    The most pitiful were the Mudkip, not adept at running onnd. They clumsilygged behind, asionally sitting down with teary eyes after a fall.


    That''s when the Miltank stepped in. They helped them up,forted them, and encouraged them.


    Since the babies were still quite young, Yuga training sessions with them weren''t very long. After each session, apanied by the soothing sound of healing chimes, he would provide them with gentle massages to ease their fatigue.


    Yuga had learned massage techniques from online instructional videos he''d purchased, which ended up costing him a fair amount of money. However, the results were worth it; judging by the content expressions on the babies'' faces, the massages were quite effective.


    Still, after massaging over thirty Pok��mon at once, Yuga often felt like his hands weren''t his own.


    If it weren''t for the Miltank hooves being unsuitable for massaging, Yuga might have handed off the task to them by now.


    Lately, he was having Chimecho teach the Miltank the Heal Bell move to enhance their abilities and facilitate better care for the babies in the future.


    If only the Miltank could learn Heal Pulse, Yuga would''ve considered letting them handle the massages too.


    Unfortunately, their progress in learning was subpar. Apart from the lead Miltank with green quality, who could barely use the move, the others were struggling.


    After a busy session, Yuga was drenched in sweat. When he left the Ecopark, he took a shower before returning to the shop.


    Inside, he saw Dian ying with Skitty. He crouched down, smiling at Dian. "Hey there, Dian."


    Dian responded happily, "Hello, Big Brother Manager."


    Dian was indeed a well-behaved child. Whenever his mother was busy, he quietly yed with Skitty, never causing a fuss.


    What a good kid, Yuga thought. At moments like this, he couldn''t help but think of his troublesome cousin. People really could feel envious of others.

 Chapter 69: Conceptualizing Signature Pokémon

    <h4>Chapter 69: Conceptualizing Signature Pok��mon</h4>


    "You''re here."


    Suzuki Koen heard Yuga voice and peeked her head out from behind the cash register to nce at Yuga.


    "Yeah, how''s business beentely in the shop?"


    Yuga stood up and walked to the front of the cash register, asking.


    Yuga had been busytely and hadn''t inquired about the shop performance.


    Suzuki Koen pulled out a notebook from the drawer and flipped through it, saying, "It''s been okay. Sales are generally on the rise. Though the increase is slow, it hasn''t dropped."


    "That''s good."


    Yuga nodded.


    Currently, there hadn''t been significant changes in the operation model of Ecoparkpared to before. Itcked any unique features or attractions, so maintaining a regr profit was already good enough.


    Yuga felt that he might need to find a way to change the current situation. Relying solely on Ecopark to turn things around wasn''t very realistic at the moment; the growth of Pok��mon takes time.


    What exactly should he do? As Yuga pondered this, he walked to the shop entrance and leaned against the doorframe.


    Utilizing the ordinary Pok��mon obtained from the Day Care wouldn''t be enough to change the current state of Ecopark. What Ecopark needed was something distinct from other Day Cares.


    Anything needed to have its own unique feature, otherwise it wouldn''t be able to stand out. The simplest example is that the starter Pok��mon cultivated by the various regional Pok��mon Leagues are all different, and each region has its own unique characteristics.


    Because the various regional Pok��mon Leagues are both a unified entity and inpetition with each other, they promote mutual development.


    For a Day Care to have its own distinctive feature, the most direct and apparent approach is to have signature Pok��mon.


    The term "signature Pok��mon" doesn''t just mean that having that kind of Pok��mon makes your Day Care unique. It means you not only need to have them, but you also need to have a significant quantity of them and be able to continually breed this type of Pok��mon.


    Yuga pondered over which Pok��mon from Hoenn region could be signature Pok��mon. Of course, the reason for not considering Pok��mon from other regions was mainly becausepared to Hoenn native species, obtaining Pok��mon from other regions would be more difficult.


    Speaking of which, there are quite a few well-known Pok��mon in Hoenn region.


    Trecko, Mudkip, and Torchic, the three starter Pok��mon, are already iconic representatives of Hoenn region.


    Then there are the two pseudo-legendary Pok��mon, Smence and Metagross. It''s worth mentioning that Hoenn is the only region with two pseudo-legendary Pok��mon.


    The above two categories of Pok��mon are definitely not under consideration. The former is monopolized by the League, and the difficulty of obtaining them is even greater than introducing Pok��mon from other regions. Thetter are too rare; finding even one is a challenge, let alone breeding them.


    There''s also the Psychic Queen Pok��mon Gardevoir and Steel Giant Aggron. However, these two Pok��mon can''t be considered either.


    The former rarity is not better than that the pseudo-legendaries. As far as Yuga knows, currently no Day Care, including the League, has established a substantial scale of breeding for the Aggron line. At most, there are only a few.


    As for thetter, the reason why it''s not feasible to breed them inrge quantities is a bitplicated.


    Firstly, Aggron has a strong territorial instinct. It usually treats an entire mountain as its territory, so if you want to use Aggron as breeding stock, you need to have a mountain.


    Secondly, its diet. It''s not content with just a mountain; it eats the mountain itself. Rocks and minerals from the mountain are its food. Looking at its size, you can imagine how massive its appetite is.


    Therefore, apart from Trainers individually cultivating one or two, or some Day Cares raising a couple at most,rge-scale breeding is out of the question.


    Speaking of which, breeding Pok��mon is really not easy, with all sorts of problems.


    In Hoenn region, there''s another Pok��mon whose fame rivals that of the pseudo-legendaries and starter Pok��mon, and that''s Milotic, known as the most beautiful Pok��mon.


    However, not mentioning the rarity and difficulty of breeding Milotic, no Day Care can sell Milotic because it''s illegal.


    "Selling fully evolved Pok��mon is not allowed," this is a League regtion.


    Once Feebas evolves into Milotic, it immediately bes a fully evolved Pok��mon and thus prohibited for sale.


    Second-stage and third-stage evolved forms of Pok��mon are ssified as fully evolved, as are the initial forms of Pok��mon older than two years. These are all items that are not allowed to be bought or sold ording to League regtions.


    Of course, no one would sell Feebas anyway because no one would buy it.


    Apart from the aforementioned species, there are a few others that are eligible to be considered as potential signature Pok��mon for Yuga. These include Altaria, Flygon, Medicham, Grumpig, Solrock, and Lunatone.


    The first two are Dragon-type Pok��mon, while thetter four are Psychic-type Pok��mon. Each one is very rare and powerful.


    Among these six Pok��mon, Yuga top choice is Flygon.


    Firstly, unlike most Pok��mon that prefer to stay in their own territory, Swablu and Altaria migrate with the changing weather, making them hard to find. Those with definite habitats are all protected areas established by the League.


    Medicham and Grumpig, Yuga hasn''t heard any news about their habitats.


    Solrock and Lunatone only inhabit the Meteor Falls, and their numbers are also limited, so they are protected by the League and not allowed to be captured.


    As for Flygon, it''s rtively easier to find its initial form, Trapinch.


    Whether it''s Trapinch, its evolved form Vibrava, or its final form Flygon, they all live in desert regions. And Hoenn region has thergest desert area.


    Although Vibrava, once evolved from Trapinch, will also migrate, they only undertake short-distance migrations. No matter how they migrate, they won''t leave the desert they originally lived in.


    Trapinch numbers in Hoenn region aren''t few; it''s just that they inhabit the deep desert. It''s hard for ordinary people to find them; venturing deep into the desert is not a simple task and could end fatally.


    However, these issues aren''t problematic for Yuga. He has a system backpack after all, and leaving aside everything else, the space alone isrge. As long as he brings enough food and water, nothing is a problem.


    So, the question is, which desert should he go to? After all, Hoenn region has quite a few desert areas of different sizes.


    Yuga still remembers from the original anime that Ash and his friends identally fell into the underground of a desert and encountered arge group of Trapinch. They also witnessed the spectacr scene of Trapinch evolving into Vibrava.


    Unfortunately, Yuga can only remember that such an event existed; he doesn''t remember anything else. Where is that ce? Or within which range? Yuga has no idea at all.


    Speaking of the most famous desert in Hoenn region, it''s undoubtedly Hoenn Great Desert. This is also thergest desert in Hoenn region and the most dangerous one.


    After thinking it over, Yuga decides to go to Hoenn Great Desert. There''s no other reason; it''s just because Verdanturf Town is nearby, right next to Lavaridge Town.


    Of course, Hoenn Great Desert not only covers the area near Lavaridge Town; a considerable part of the ind area of Hoenn region is also covered by Hoenn Great Desert. Its size is quite substantial.


    Lavaridge Town and Verdanturf Town are the two towns nearest to Hoenn Great Desert and they are the only two towns in the vicinity of Hoenn Great Desert.

 Chapter 70: Departure

    <h4>Chapter 70: Departure</h4>


    Having made up his mind, Yuga decided to go through with his n.


    So, Yuga said to Suzuki Koen, "I''ll be leaving for a while tomorrow, not sure when I''ll be back. I''m entrusting the matters of the shop to you."


    Upon hearing that Yuga was going away, Suzuki Koen quickly responded, "But we''re almost out of Pok��mon eggs in the shop. What should I do while you''re gone?"


    After thinking for a moment, Yuga replied, "I''ll call the Day Care Center and have them send over a batch of Pok��mon eggs. When they arrive, make sure to receive them."


    Suzuki Koen nodded and said, "Alright, I understand."


    The negotiation with the Day Care Center went smoothly, and Director Mond readily agreed to deliver the requested goods to Yuga "YoYo Day Care."


    Yuga order this time wasn''t extensive; he only requested 50 eggs, half of what he had ordered previously. The quality remained the same, all of them being yellow eggs.


    The reason Yuga chose to reduce the quantity of eggs ordered was because he had a new idea. He wanted to change the operational model of the Day Care, but whether this idea would seed depended on the oue of Yuga journey to the Great Desert.


    For this supply run, Yuga didn''t personally go to Lavaridge Town as he didst time. He had be acquainted with Director Mond after the recent interactions, and he believed Director Mond wouldn''t deceive him.


    Preparing for the journey required a lot of things, so Yuga didn''t have much idle time. He had to prepare items like a tent, sleeping bag, water, food, and more.


    Speaking of food, Yuga had emergency provisions��the Trainer Store.


    It had been over ten days since the system update. The Trainer Store refreshed daily with one chance to exchange items. It had yielded a green item this time: the Friend Ball, a special Pok�� Ball. Otherwise, it usually offered red and white Pok�� Balls and Berries.


    Being the first non-white item to appear, Yuga boldly used up all five chances to exchange for the Friend Ball, a special Pok�� Ball that wasn''t cheap��it cost 10,000 League Coins.


    It was worth noting that ordinary red and white Pok�� Balls were only 500 League Coins, while Super Balls were 1,000, and Ultra Balls were 5,000.


    The manufacturing processes for standard Pok�� Balls, Super Balls, and Ultra Balls were all industrial and mass-produced. In contrast, special Pok�� Balls like the Friend Ball were handcrafted using Apricorns, which exined the price difference.


    The Berries that appeared in the Trainer Store daily were all reasonably priced andmon varieties. Most of them could be consumed by both Pok��mon and humans.


    If Yuga ran out of water and food in the desert, these Berries could quench his thirst and stave off hunger.


    Moreover, there were no limits to how many Berries he could exchange for, as long as his ount had enough money. This was probably the most reassuring aspect of the Trainer Store for Yuga at the moment.


    Nevertheless, Yuga still needed to bring food and water. He wasn''t sure how long he would be away this time, and surviving solely on Berries wouldn''t be sustainable for him.


    Yuga even went as far as to pack a pot and some seasoning in his system backpack. If necessary, he could use them to cook something, like noodles...


    Yuga couldn''t help but feel that he wasn''t so much going on an adventure as going on a leisure trip.


    Before setting off, Yuga made sure to brief his Miltank. He instructed them to take good care of the baby Pok��mon and to continue their daily training.


    As for the Miltank as well as Vulpix, Murkrow, and Houndour Pok��blocks, Yuga had them all prepared and stored in the warehouse. The Miltank would be responsible for feeding Vulpix and the others every day.


    The Miltank couldn''t rely solely on the grass in the Ecopark for their food. Essential Pok��blocks were also necessary to prevent nutritional imbnces.


    Yuga wasn''t worried that the Pok��mon would go hungry, after all, there was also a Berry grove in the Ecopark.


    The next day, after Yuga got up and finished his morning routine, he habitually checked the Trainer Store in the system. To his surprise, he found something extraordinary.


    On the four-by-four grid, a bright blue frame immediately caught Yuga attention.


    Yuga hadn''t expected to have such luck today. He had stumbled upon an extremely rare blue item��the Basic Quality Evolution Potion.


    This item had been rewarded by the system before and was used by Yuga on Floette. As a result, Floette quality evolved from yellow to green.


    Without hesitation, Yuga exchanged for it.


    The Basic Quality Evolution Potion was a special item not found in the Pok��mon world, and it was quite expensive. Yuga spent 30,000 League Coins on it.


    Yuga had realized from white items that even items of the same quality had different prices. For instance, regr red and white Pok�� Balls were both 500 League Coins, but the same-color Berries, also white items, could be bought in bundles for the same amount.


    Most of the system pricing was based on the price level in the Pok��mon world, not solely on rarity, although rarer items were generally more valuable, with a few exceptions.


    Yuga currently owned Pok��mon that could use this Basic Quality Evolution Potion was Chimecho. He immediately had Chimecho use it once they were in the Ecopark. As a result, Chimecho quality smoothly changed from yellow to green.


    ...


    <<chimecho>> </chimecho>


    Type: Psychic


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Levitate


    Quality: Green


    Level: 25


    Moves: Confusion, Gravity, Heal Pulse, Healing Bell.


    ...


    Not only did Chimecho quality change, but she also learned her first attacking move through this period of continuous training.


    During this time, Yuga Pok��mon had all gained several levels through non-stop training. Not only had Chimecho reached level 25, but Floette had sessfully reached level 30, Absol reached level 35, and Vivilion reached level 28.


    This time, Yuga was bringing only these four Pok��mon with him on the journey.


    After setting off, Yuga boarded the vehicle headed to Mauville City.


    Yuga hadn''t intended to enter Hoenn Desert from either Verdanturf Town or Lavaridge Town.


    Both Verdanturf Town and Lavaridge Town were situated at the northern edge of Hoenn Desert, close to its northern end.


    Yuga wanted to venture deep into the heart of Hoenn Desert, and the best entry point was to go to Mauville City and then take Route 111. Finally, he would enter Hoenn Desert from Route 111.


    Since Route 111 crossed Hoenn Desert from side to side, it neatly divided the desert into northern and southern parts.


    Route 111 was a long highway, connecting Route 110 and Route 109 at Fortree City and Mauville City, running straight across the entire Hoenn region from east to west.


    Sitting on the vehicle, watching the scenery receding behind him, Yuga found it quite fascinating.


    Having been in the Pok��mon world for so long, this was Yuga first time riding such a long-distance public train.


    The train wasn''t just filled with people but also various kinds of Pok��mon.


    Of course, only small-sized Pok��mon were allowed on the train;rger ones weren''t permitted.

 Chapter 71: Unfortunate Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 71: Unfortunate Encounter</h4>


    The speed of the train in the Pok��mon world was quite fast. After traveling for most of the day, they were now very close to the city of Mauville.


    As Yuga was enjoying the scenery outside the window, suddenly three people came and sat across from him and beside him. There were two middle-aged men and a woman who seemed to be around twenty years old.


    Seeing the woman with dark gray short hair sitting across from him, Yuga felt extremely frightened.


    Damn, isn''t this J, the active Pok��mon hunter from the anime? Did I identally board some sort of horror train? Otherwise, how could I run into this troublesome character?


    Moreover, isn''t this Hunter J from the Sinnoh region? How did she end up in the Hoenn region?


    The woman was holding a Pok��mon egg in an incubator in her arms, and Yuga even suspected that she had stolen that egg.


    With a heart full of questions, Yuga felt a sense of unease deep within. This was just in bad luck. Finally venturing outside, and now he had to run into such a troublesome person.


    Yuga didn''t look at them the entire time, to avoid any trouble. He just waited until they arrived at Mauville City and quickly got off the train.


    But just because Yuga wasn''t looking for trouble, it didn''t mean that trouble wouldn''t find him.


    Right as the train was about to enter Mauville City, suddenly a loud roar came from outside the train, followed by intense explosions and shaking.


    Hearing this sound, one of the middle-aged men sitting next to Yuga nervously said to J, "Miss, it''sing after us! What should we do?"


    Hunter J, with a calm expression, chided in a low voice, "What''s there to be nervous about? Act ording to the situation!"


    What more did Yuga need to understand? It was clear that this group of people had caused thismotion. It was like trouble seeking them out.


    What could Yuga do? Pretend he didn''t hear anything, of course!


    Soon, the outside roars became more impatient, explosions grew stronger, and the train became more unstable. The carriage was in chaos, with everyone screaming.


    And trouble found its way to Yuga after all. Looking up, he met the gaze of a massive, ferocious face outside the window. His heart nearly stopped from the shock.


    And the moment this face appeared outside the window, the three people sitting next to Yuga quickly moved away. Without a second thought, Yuga also hurriedly left his seat.


    Not long after Yuga left his seat than a thick column of fire burst through the train window and engulfed his previous location.


    One of the middle-aged men said, "Miss, we''ll cover you. You need to get out of here!"


    His words had barely left his mouth when the roof of the carriage was ripped off, revealing the entire form of the owner of that massive face outside.


    It was a gigantic, enraged Smence, its blood-red wings spread wide as it roared furiously into the carriage, its crimson eyes showing that it had lost its sanity.


    Everyone in the carriage was screaming, but the airflow created by the high-speed train tore their screams into fragments.


    Yuga gaped in shock at the Smence hovering above him.


    <<smence>> </smence>


    Type: Dragon, Flying


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Intimidate


    Quality: Blue


    Level: 72


    Moves: Fly, Protect, Dragon Tail, Fire Fang, Thunder Fang, Bite, Crunch, Dragon Breath, Dragon w, methrower, Water Gun, Twister, Draco Meteor...


    Yuga thought that these people were clearly out of their minds. They were practically courting disaster, and who else would they attract? They managed to provoke an Elite Level Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon, and now they were in way over their heads.


    Yuga suddenly thought of the Pok��mon egg in J arms. Could it be the offspring of this Smence?


    Yuga was quite certain he had figured it out. Otherwise, why would this Smence be so angry? No wonder they were being chased by it everywhere.


    At this moment, all Yuga could think about was how to escape. The scene had descended into extreme chaos. Hunter J figure had disappeared, leaving only the three middle-aged individuals who remained in ce and released their Pok��mon.


    Yuga was just about to release Chimecho to help him escape when the battle had already begun. Given his fragile state, he was afraid that even a slight touch from the rampaging Smence could be fatal.


    Chimecho had juste out when an iron rod propelled by a violent explosion unexpectedly struck Yuga leg. Fortunately or unfortunately, it hit his leg, and the pain was excruciating, as if his leg had been broken.


    Enduring the pain, Yuga said to Chimecho, "Chimecho, use Psychic to carry me out of the carriage!"


    Yuga believed that if Chimecho hadn''t learned Psychic before they set off, he might have met his end within this carriage.


    Perhaps because Chimecho had just learned Psychic, she wasn''t very skilled at using it yet. As she carried Yuga, they swayed unsteadily. Yuga worried that he might not be killed by the enraged Smence, but rather get knocked out by his own Pok��mon.


    Soon, Chimecho managed to carry Yuga far away from the battlefield. The Smence, now irrational, was busy dealing with the three middle-aged individuals and didn''t pay any attention to Yuga, the small fry.


    From a distance, Yuga saw many passengers who hadn''t managed to evacuate in time suffering from the aftermath of the battle. Several of them had perished in the fiery breath of the Smence.


    This was the first time in Yuga two lifetimes that he had witnessed death, and it was happening right in front of his eyes. Looking at the charred bodies, Yuga felt extreme difort in his stomach.


    Yuga had considered helping the people, but with only his Pok��mon at level thirty-something, charging in would only result in his own death, and it wouldn''t make much difference. Thinking about it, he decided against it. It was simply beyond his capabilities.


    The train was still moving forward without stopping. Yuga had been carried away by Chimecho and was now flying further and further away. In a blink, the sight of the train had disappeared from view.


    In a forest, Chimecho finallynded and gently ced the injured Yuga under arge tree.


    Yuga rolled up his pants leg to inspect his injured leg. He realized the injury was worse than he initially thought; he couldn''t tell if it was a break or a fracture, but it was definitely bruised and swollen like a club.


    Yuga suddenly realized that he had forgotten something so important amidst all his preparations before leaving �C he forgot to pack any healing items.


    Sigh, it was a lesson learned from inexperience. What was he going to do about his leg now?


    "Chimecho, can you try using Heal Pulse on my leg?" Yuga asked.


    He had seen Chimecho use Heal Pulse on injured Pok��mon before, but he wasn''t sure if it would work on humans.


    Chimecho nodded and used Heal Pulse on Yuga mallet-like leg.


    Strangely enough, while he couldn''t immediately tell if it was healing his leg, the excruciating pain was gone. The pain relief was top-notch.


    Gratefully, Yuga said to Chimecho, "Thank you, Chimecho."


    "Chime... Chime..."


    Chimecho shook her head, indicating that there was no need to thank her.

 Chapter 72: Audino

    <h4>Chapter 72: Audino</h4>


    ncing at his injured leg, Yuga decided to take a brief rest here before continuing. Even though the pain in his leg had subsided, a little break wouldn''t hurt, especially since he wasn''t in a rush.


    After the heart-pounding experience he just went through, it seemed wise to take some time to calm his emotions.


    With those thoughts in mind, Yuga leaned against arge tree and sat down.


    Just then, Chimecho hanging around the tree let out a delighted jingle as they swayed.


    Yuga quickly got up and asked, "What''s going on?"


    Rushing over, he saw that it was because of a hollow in the tree, filled with a pile of tree fruits.


    Sighing, Yuga muttered to himself, "Oh well! What''s the big deal? It''s just a bunch of tree fruits. Am I that starved for food? Besides, these clearly belong to someone. We better leave before... the owneres back..."


    Just as Yuga was about to turn around to leave, he spotted a pink humanoid creature standing just behind him, about his height.


    "Au~di~no!"


    The creature held a wounded Weedle in its arms and had some green nts with it, likely herbs.


    "Um... hello..."


    Yuga stammered awkwardly as he looked at the creature.


    ...


    <> </audino>


    Type: Normal


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Healer


    Aptitude: Green


    Level: 58


    Moves: Last Resort, Hyper Voice, Helping Hand, Misty Terrain, Baby-Doll Eyes, Disarming Voice, Refresh, Entrainment, Double p, Attract, Secret Power, Shadow Ball, Heal Pulse, Present, Healing Wish, Safeguard, Fire Punch, Drain Punch, Dazzling Gleam.


    ...


    Yoga''s Inner Turmoil: What happened to me today? I encounter my dad everywhere I go, or should I say it''s my mom. Both Smence and this Audino are females.


    Audino nced at Yuga, then gently ced the wounded Weedle on the ground. It used a Healing Wish to soothe its emotions and then proceeded to crush the herbs it had brought, applying them to Weedle wounds.


    Seeing Audino paying no attention to him, Yuga hurriedly said, "We''re just passing by, just passing through, we''ll leave right away."


    "Riiing... Riiing..."


    The nearby Chimecho also sensed the strong aura of the high-level Pok��mon on Audino and knew they were outmatched. It quickly echoed its agreement.


    "Au~di~no."


    At that moment, after treating Weedle wounds, Audino reached out and stopped Yuga, who was about to leave.


    Nervously, Yuga asked, "Wh-what... what''s wrong?"


    Audino pointed at Yuga injured right leg, then gently pushed him to sit down and used Heal Pulse on Yuga leg. It followed up by applying the remaining herbs to his leg.


    Surprisingly, high-level Pok��mon were indeed high-level. The Heal Pulse it employed was far more potent than the one used by the Level 20-something Chimecho. Yuga right leg instantly deted, though it still had a slight bruise.


    Seeing how gentle Audino was, both Yuga and Chimecho sighed in relief.


    As Audino showed no intention of harming them, Yuga and Chimecho decided not to rush to leave. Instead, they chose to sit and rest on the side.


    Before long, the Weedle that Audino had brought back had recovered quite a bit and hopped away happily.


    Yuga was curious��how could there be a Audino here?


    Audino was a rare Pok��mon, often monopolized by the Joy family. Their appearance in the wild was extremely rare.


    All people in the Pok��mon world, whether they are ordinary folks or Trainers, know that the Joy family excels at raising four specific species of Pok��mon: Chansey lines, Audino, Wigglypuff, and Comfey. Among them, Chansey and Audino are particrly well-known.


    In the world of human society within the Pok��mon world, most Chansey lines And Audino reside within the Joy family. This is their safety for survival.


    Simrly, paralleling the Joy family Chansey lines And Audino, the Jenny family specializes in the Growlithe lines, as well as Herdier lines. The Jenny family is also adept at nurturing Watchdog and Gumshoos, corresponding to the Joy family Wigglypuff and Comfey.


    For this Audino to appear in the wild, with such high level and aptitude, is indeed peculiar.


    During Yuga short stay here, several Pok��mon arrived seeking assistance from Audino to tend to their injuries. It appeared that Audino yed the role of a healer in this area.


    Before long, Audino brought a pile of fruits to Yuga side, gesturing that they were for him.


    Yuga sighed in admiration; it was clear that Audino was indeed chosen by the Joy family to serve as one of their aides. It was gentle not only with Pok��mon but also with humans.


    Yuga also marveled at how different the real world was from the animated world. There were significant differences in the integration and interaction among Pok��mon from different regions.


    In the animated series, it was rare to see Pok��mon from other regions within a specific region. However, here, Trainers with Pok��mon from various regions could be encountered all over the ce.


    Take Audino for example��it was a Pok��mon from Unova region, where even the Joy family Audino breeding centers were located. Yet, one appeared here.


    The Trainer profession had a long history, and over the years, Trainers had left their footprints all over different regions. Moreover, with the current convenience of transportation, this phenomenon had be even moremon.


    So, while it wasn''tmon to encounter Pok��mon from other regions in the wild, it wasn''t entirely surprising either.


    However, Yuga was still astonished that such an extremely rare Pok��mon as Audino had appeared here.


    Holding the fruits that Audino had brought, Yuga was uncertain whether he should eat them. Some of these fruits were not suitable for human consumption, but Chimecho seemed to be enjoying them.


    After thinking for a moment, Yuga took out some human food from his backpack and handed it to Audino, saying, "Thank you for helping me with my injury earlier. This is human food, and it''s very delicious. Give it a try."


    Audino took the food hesitantly, put it in its mouth, and its eyes lit up. Clearly, it enjoyed the food a lot and finished it in no time.


    After finishing the food, Audino turned its eyes to Yuga, staring at him with a meaningful look, clearly conveying its intentions.


    Without hesitation, Yuga took out more food and handed it to Audino. In the end, Audino ate quite a lot, depleting almost half of Yuga food reserves.


    Originally, these were meant for Yuga himself. The Pok��mon usually consumed Pok��blocks, and these human foods could have sustained Yuga for many days. He hadn''t expected Audino to have such arge appetite.

 Chapter 73: New Employee

    <h4>Chapter 73: New Employee</h4>


    It seemed that Audino realized it had eaten a good amount of Yuga food and looked quite embarrassed.


    Seeing how much Audino enjoyed the food, Yuga suddenly had an idea.


    Yuga stared at Audino for a moment and said, "Audino, do you really enjoy taking care of other Pok��mon?"


    Although Audino didn''t know why Yuga was asking this, it nodded. After all, it wouldn''t have brought injured Pok��mon back if it didn''t enjoy taking care of them.


    Seeing Audino nod, Yuga continued, "Here the thing��I''m the owner of a Day Care, and I have many Pok��mon at home. I''m thinking of hiring you to help take care of them."


    Audino tilted its head, not quite understanding Yuga intention.


    Noticing Audino confusion, Yuga continued, "Here the deal��I''ll pay you a sry, and you''ll work for me. I''ll provide food and amodations, like this kind of food. I can make sure you have enough to eat every day!"


    Audino eyes lit up at the mention of delicious food every day, but it hesitated afterward.


    Seeing Audino initial excitement, Yuga sensed he had a chance and asked, "Are you worried that the other Pok��mon here won''t be taken care of after you leave?"


    Audino nodded in agreement.


    "But you can''t take care of them here forever. This is the wild, and they need to learn to fend for themselves. If you keep looking after them, when will they learn to be independent? What if they face danger and you can''t be there in time to help? They need to learn to live on their own from now on!"


    Yuga offered some reasoning, hoping to sway Audino. He felt a bit selfish, but he believed his point was valid.


    After hearing Yuga words, Audino found his reasoning quite sensible.


    Seeing Audino wavering, Yuga thought for a moment and added, "If you''re really concerned, you can take the Pok��mon that are willing to go with you. I''ll take care of their lives from now on. And if they want their own Trainers, I can try to help them find reliable ones!"


    Many wild Pok��mon were open to having Trainers, which was why defeating them during a Trainer journey allowed them to be captured.


    However, this rule applied mostly to the shallow wilderness areas not far from human society. Deep forests and mountains untouched by humans were a different story.


    Life in the wild was tough, involving constant search for food and being wary of danger at every turn.


    Being with a Trainer was different. They wouldn''t worry about food and drink, and don''t think of the Pok��mon as losing their dignity��it was all about survival.


    Moreover, Pok��mon had their own pride. If they chose to follow a Trainer, they needed a Trainer with convincing strength. Once a Pok��mon chose a Trainer, they rarely left.


    In the shallow wilderness areas like where Yuga was, there was some degree of interaction with human society. Many older generations of Pok��mon in this area would tell their offspring, "Having a good Trainer is important."


    Although the League didn''t allow the trading of matured Pok��mon, Yuga didn''t mind keeping a few Pok��mon himself to persuade Audino. If they wanted their own Trainers, he could assist with that too.


    Upon hearing Yuga final proposal, Audino eyes brightened. It found the idea quite feasible and readily nodded in agreement.


    Hooray!!!


    Yuga cheered inwardly, "How can I be this excellent? Finding an employee like this isn''t so easy, and it''s quite skilled!"


    With an agreement established between Yuga and Audino, thetter began summoning itspanions.


    Yuga had been wondering how Audino would notify itspanions. It couldn''t run around telling each one individually.


    To Yuga surprise, Audino pointed its head towards the sky at a 45-degree angle and emitted a series of pink sound waves. It was using the move Hyper Voice. After that, many Pok��mon started arriving one by one��flying from the sky and running from the ground.


    Surprisingly, there were quite a few Pok��mon in the area that had a good rtionship with Audino. There was a group of Poochyenas, a group of Beautiflys and Dustoxs, a flock of Taillow, a few Zigzagoon, a group of Seedot and Nuzleaf, and more. There were around a hundred Pok��mon in total, including several Breloom, Linoone, and Swellow.


    Audino exined the whole situation to these Pok��mon, including Yuga n. However, there were only a few Pok��mon willing to leave their home and join Audino and Yuga. Audino felt like it had received a critical hit of 120,000 points.


    In the end, only one Linoone and one Swellow were willing to leave with Yuga and Audino.


    Yuga looked at these two Pok��mon.


    ...


    <<linoone>> </linoone>


    Type: Normal


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Pickup


    Aptitude: Yellow


    Level: 45


    Moves: y Rough, Bulldoze, Hammer Arm, Rototiller, Headbutt, Odor Sleuth, sh, Shadow Ball.


    ...


    <<swellow>> </swellow>


    Type: Normal/Flying


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Guts


    Aptitude: Green


    Level: 47


    Moves: Beak st, Peck, Focus Energy, Roost, Wing Attack, U-turn, Agility, Steel Wing, Hurricane.


    ...


    Seeing the strength of these two Pok��mon, Yuga eyes lit up. They were both quite powerful. No wonder they were friends with Audino.


    Especially Linoone, evolving in the wild to its final form with a yellow aptitude and reaching a level above forty��this was no easy feat. It was evident that it had gone through a lot of hardships and struggles that no one knew about.


    Yuga thought for a moment and said to Linoone and Swellow, "Alright, both of you have good strength. How about bing bodyguards at my shop? The treatment will be the same as Audino��food and amodations included. What do you think?"


    Linoone and Swellow had noints about the treatment Yuga was offering. They were good friends with Audino, and as long as they could be with it, the treatment didn''t matter much.


    If Yuga knew their thoughts, he would have to marvel at how simple and easily persuaded Pok��mon were.


    At this point, Yuga took out three Pok�� Balls and said to Audino and the two Pok��mon, "So, do you want to try the feeling of being inside a Pok�� Ball?"


    At this moment, Audino looked at Yuga as if he were an idiot. Yuga instantly understood its meaning from its eyes: "Do you really think we know nothing? We''re not caught by you, so why would we go inside a Pok�� Ball? Why don''t you fly up to the sky!"


    "Uh... uh... just kidding, just kidding."


    Seeing his attempt to persuade failed, Yuga awkwardly retracted the Pok�� Balls.

 Chapter 74: Entering the Desert

    <h4>Chapter 74: Entering the Desert</h4>


    When Yuga set out from Mauville City this time, he not only restocked on arge amount of food and water but also made sure to have an ample supply of medicine that he hadn''t thought of preparing before.


    However, Route 111 was truly long, and Yuga and Audino walked for a long time without catching sight of Hoenn Great Desert.


    At this moment, Yuga really regretted not having captured a Pok��mon that could be used as a mount. Even during training sessions with his Pok��mon, he would have exercised along with them, making him better prepared for the journey''s physical demands. He was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed.


    On the other hand, Audino trio seemed carefree, as if they were just leisurely strolling in the mountains.


    Since they hadn''t entered the desert region yet, the scenery along the way was still pleasant. However, Yuga, who was on the verge of exhaustion, couldn''t muster the energy to appreciate it.


    Fortunately, luck was on Yuga''s side. Along the way, he met a truck driver whose route coincided with his own. The driver was heading in the same direction as Yuga, so he gave Yuga a lift.


    When Yuga and Audino trio got off the truck, they still had a considerable distance to cover before reaching their destination, Hoenn Great Desert. They walked until it was dark and hadn''t reached the desert yet, so they had to set up a tent and camp by the roadside.


    Yuga released the other four Pok��mon that had been cooped up in their Pok�� Balls for the past few days. Together, they set up the tent and prepared dinner, creating a joyous atmosphere.


    The rtionship between Floette and the three new team members improved gradually during these days. During training sessions, Audino trio would also exchange experiences with Floette''s group.


    After dinner, Yuga and his Pok��mony on the grass, gazing at the stars that filled the sky.


    Being in the wild, there wasn''t much to do after dark, and it wasn''t toote to sleep. Since Yuga couldn''t sleep, he ended up stargazing with hispanions.


    Perhaps due to their proximity to the desert region, the terrain around them began to tten, and the trees grew shorter. Most ces were covered in expansive grasnds, which were ratherfortable to lie on. Of course, some areas had prickly weeds that were quite ufortable.


    As Yugay there in silence, he pondered: "Did I go a bit overboard? How could I be so impulsive and venture into the desert alone?"


    The more he thought, the more Yuga realized his impulsiveness. Was it really so easy to recklessly explore Hoenn Great Desert? Countless trainers went missing there every year. If something were to happen to him in there, he probably wouldn''t even create a ripple.


    Sighing, he thought, "I was too arrogant. Having a helping hand doesn''t mean I know everything."


    Thinking back, Yuga admitted that when he first arrived in this new world, he was quite lost.


    Suddenly finding himself in a different world, he was unsure of what to do or how to proceed. Even though he didn''t show it, Yuga was quite anxious back then.


    It was at that moment that the system appeared out of nowhere, coinciding with his decision about inheriting the Day Care.


    The system sorted things out for him, even setting a goal.


    To be honest, without the system, there was a good chance Yuga would have abandoned the Day Care idea. After all, he had never run a business or managed a store.


    At that time, Yuga might have followed the crowd to be an ordinary trainer. But how much sess could he achieve that way? Would he truly lead a fulfilling and joyful life? He didn''t know.


    He understood that he was just an ordinary person. Yuga was more aware of this than anyone else. He didn''t possess extraordinary intelligence or exceptional skills. His IQ and abilities were slightly above average, but without the system, he might have lived an average and unremarkable life like most trainers.


    It wasn''t simply about putting in effort; otherwise, he would have seeded in his previous life. Did the world change just because he did? That was a joke. No matter where he went, he was still himself. He hadn''t changed. His intelligence hadn''t improved, his abilities hadn''t transformed, and he hadn''t suddenly gained extraordinary talents.


    Effort might not guarantee sess, and that''s a true depiction of most ordinary trainers in this world.


    Although Yuga hasn''t achieved sess yet, the system has prepared the direction and conditions for sess. Regardless of whether he ultimately seeds or fails, Yuga feels like he''s living life anew in a different way.


    Speaking of which, Yuga must thank the "golden finger" (referring to the system). Not to mention anything else, the goals set by the system helped him ovee the initial confusion that came with crossing into this new world.


    Once a person has a goal, no matter what that goal is��even if it was once despair��it bes possible to move forward with determination.


    Thinking this way, Yuga suddenly felt a surge of courage, and Hoenn Great Desert seemed less daunting.


    Early the next morning, Yuga woke up and roused his still-sleeping Pok��mon. Training was most fitting for this early hour, even in the wild.


    During training, Yuga would asionally seek advice from Audino trio. After all, he didn''t have much experience as a trainer and was figuring things out as he went along.


    After training and breakfast, Yuga recalled Floette''s group and Audino trio, and they continued their journey.


    Today, Audino trio was particrly considerate. When Yuga was getting tired from walking, they used Heal Bell to alleviate his mental fatigue or Heal Pulse to ease his physical tiredness. With this care, the desert finally came into view in their line of sight.


    Upon reaching the entrance of the desert and beholding the expanse of yellow sand, Yuga suddenly felt that the tough times were just beginning.


    Currently positioned on Route 111, both sides were deserts. Yuga faced a choice: should they enter the desert on the left or the one on the right?


    "Audino, which way do you think we should go?" Yuga asked.


    Hearing his question, Audino shrugged, indicating that it didn''t know either. After all, it had never entered a desert before and had no experience to draw from.


    Seeing Audino''s reaction, Yuga turned to ask Linoone and Swellow, "Any opinions from Linoone and Swellow that we could consider?"


    Both of these Pok��mon looked equally clueless.


    Yuga thought for a moment and said, "Then let''s entrust the task of choosing the direction to Linoone. Your ability is Pickup, and who knows, you might even lead us to some treasures!"


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Linoone felt that his Trainer might be a bit naive. If his ability could influence such a vast desert, he would have be a local king by now. Why would he need to stick around with you?


    Although he thought this way, Linoone still casually pointed in a direction. He could tell that his Trainer didn''t really care which way they went.


    And so, dressed in sand-resistant clothing and wearing a hat, Yuga, apanied by Audino, Swellow, and Linoone, entered the desert that Linoone indicated. This was the desert on the side closer to the Verdanturf Town.


    This was the first time Yuga hadid eyes on a real desert in both his lives, and he found it rather novel.

 Chapter 75: Arriving at Mauville City

    <h4>Chapter 75: Arriving at Mauville City</h4>


    Yuga examined his leg and decided it was fine to leave this ce. Retrieving Chimecho''s Pok�� Ball, he addressed Audino, Linoone, and Swellow, "It''s time for us to leave. Say goodbye to your fellow Pok��mon."


    In reality, Yuga wanted to say that if they didn''t leave before nightfall, they wouldn''t reach Mauville City in time. He didn''t want to be stuck in the wilderness overnight with a wounded leg.


    However, considering that Audino and the others were about to part from their friends, he refrained from saying that.


    Amidst the tearful farewells of over a hundred Pok��mon, Yuga, apanied by his threepanions, set off in the direction guided by the navigation.


    By the way, Yuga was being carried on Audino''s back.


    Initially, Audino was attempting to princess carry Yuga, but he strongly objected, leading to them settling on this method.


    Yuga thought it was a bit unexpected for Audino to carry him this way, considering its gentle appearance and the femininity one might expect from its gender.


    Audino''s pace was surprisingly fast. Initially, Yuga thought they wouldn''t make it to Mauville City today, but they managed to arrive when it got dark.


    Fortunately, the location of the train incident wasn''t far from Mauville City; otherwise, Yuga wouldn''t have known how to get there.


    Upon reaching Mauville City, Yuga and hispanions headed straight for the Pok��mon Center.


    Despite Audino''s treatment, Yuga''s leg wasn''t fully healed, so it was best to consult Nurse Joy.


    Although it was already dark, the time wasn''t toote. When Yuga arrived at the Pok��mon Center, there were still many trainers in the lobby, eating and chatting.


    "What happened? Come in quickly, Chansey, you too," Nurse Joy said, seeing Yuga being carried in by Audino and noticing his bruised leg. She attended to Chansey and led Yuga into the examination room.


    Inside the infirmary...


    After some treatment, Nurse Joy said to Yuga, who was seated on the bed, "The injury was quite serious, but fortunately, it was handled promptly. It was Audino that brought you in, right? It did a good job. Rest for a couple of days, and then you''ll be able to move freely."


    "Thank you, Nurse Joy," Yuga expressed his gratitude.


    Nurse Joy responded, "You''re wee. It''s my duty. Rest well. I''ll have Chansey bring you some foodter. After eating, get some good rest. I''ll leave for now."


    "Sure, could you also prepare some food for the three Pok��mon that came with me?" Yuga asked.


    Nurse Joy smiled and replied, "Of course."


    Nurse Joy had a favorable impression of people who cared for their Pok��mon. Despite being injured, Yuga didn''t forget about his Pok��mon, which clearly earned him a higher opinion from Nurse Joy.


    After finishing the dinner brought by Chansey, Yuga released Floette and the others to let them eat some Pok��blocks. After that, hey down on the bed and fell asleep.


    After a day of turmoil, physically and mentally exhausted, Yuga slept for two days before Nurse Joy allowed him to move around.


    Finally allowed to get up, Yuga leisurely sat in the Pok��mon Center''s cafeteria, having breakfast, but his attention was drawn to a news report on the cafeteria''s television.


    "Recently, a train traveling from Rustboro City to Mauville City was attacked by an unidentified Elite level Smence. This attack resulted in the deaths of multiple passengers on board. ording to the police, the attack was orchestrated by a Pok��mon poacher. Four members of this gang are known, two of whom died in the attack. The other two are currently atrge. The whereabouts of the attacking Smence are also unknown."


    The authorities urged the public to contact them promptly if they had any relevant information about the incident."


    After reading this news, Yuga realized that two of the three middle-aged men who stayed behind to confront the Smence had died.


    However, Yuga didn''t sympathize with them at all. If it weren''t for them, so many innocent people wouldn''t have died, and he wouldn''t have been injured.


    And that Hunter J, she truly was a heartless woman. When there was danger, she ran faster than anyone else, leaving her subordinates behind to die. Truly devoid of humanity.


    How could those three middle-aged men possibly be a match for a Elite Smence? Their strength was far from Elite level; they would have been mere cannon fodder.


    Afterward, Yuga didn''t pay much more attention to the matter. Since it was in the past, and he was just an insignificant figure, he had no connection to its subsequent developments.


    After breakfast, Yuga left with Audino, Swellow, and Linoone.


    Mauville City was a bustlingrge city located in the central region of Hoenn Region. It was incredibly prosperous, leaving Audino and the others dazzled on their first visit to the human world.


    "Audino, I''ll take you to enjoy some delicious food," Yuga said to the three Pok��mon, whose eyes were wandering around.


    Hearing the mention of good food, the three Pok��mon became very excited, their eyes shining brightly.


    Yuga hadn''t let them eat Pok��blocks for these two days. Since they had just arrived in the human world and hadn''t fully tasted the delights of good food, he didn''t let them eat those Pok��blocks that paled inparison to regr food in terms of taste.


    ording to Yuga''s investigation, there was a renowned food za in Mauville City with a variety of specialty snacks, like Vige Sub Combo, Magnemite Grills, and Mauville Mixed Ramen Bowls.


    Upon their arrival, Yuga, apanied by his three Pok��mon, found that the food za was indeed as legendary as rumored, with numerous food stalls and shops everywhere, and a bustling crowd.


    However, there was a rule here: customers had to engage in Pok��mon battles while waiting for their snacks to be prepared.


    Nevertheless, Yuga''s Pok��mon didn''t participate; they let Audino and the others hog the limelight.


    Audino and the others were new to these experiences, finding them all novel. Whenever a battle opportunity arose, the three Pok��mon eagerly jumped in, leaving no chance for Yuga''s own Pok��mon to showcase themselves.


    The levels of these three Pok��mon were simply too high. They won every battle effortlessly, not only leaving their bellies full but also gaining considerable poprity. Yuga, mistakenly taken for their trainer, also became well-known.


    Nobody recognized Yuga, and they didn''t even know his name, but witnessing someone so young with such strong power, they gave him a nickname: "Morning Star."


    The "Morning Star" rises in the early morning, symbolizing Yuga''s young age and his extraordinary brightness, indicating his formidable strength.


    However, Yuga wasn''t aware of this new title. After treating Audino and the others to a hearty meal, he left Mauville City with them, heading towards Route 111.


    The "Morning Star," who never appeared again in the food za, eventually became a legend in the za''s history.

 Chapter 76: Gligar

    <h4>Chapter 76: Gligar</h4>


    They walked for an unknown duration, through an uncertain distance, as Yuga and his group followed thepass''s guidance towards the north.


    Throughout the journey, thendscape was covered in yellow sand. asionally, they spotted a couple of Cacturne basking in the sun within the sand, but Yuga paid them no attention.


    At this point, Yuga wasn''t willing to waste time or energy on capturing Pok��mon below the green aptitude.


    ncing up at the ring sun, Yuga took a deep drink of water and wiped his sweat, saying, "I really miscalcted this. In such a vast desert, I have no idea where to find Trapinch!"


    As Yugained, his Swellow suddenly let out a cry. Looking up, Yuga saw the bird pointing with its wings in a direction not far away.


    Following its gaze, Yuga spotted a Gligar munching on a cactus.


    Seeing Gligar, Yuga''s eyes lit up. Gligar were impressive Pok��mon too. They became powerful after evolving into Gliscor.


    As Linoone and Swellow prepared to charge, Yuga stopped them.


    "Let''s not rush. We should find its nest first. Gligar are social creatures; it must havepanions. Let''s follow it discreetly."


    So, Yuga and his team quietly trailed Gligar that had finished eating the cactus.


    Although Gligar had wings, they couldn''t fly but only glide short distances. Yuga''s group managed to keep up.


    However, perhaps due to hunger, Gligar didn''t immediately return to itspanions. Instead, it wandered around, grazing on nts.


    Considering the scarcity of green vegetation in the desert, Gligar devoured everything in its path.


    Once, it identally nibbled on a sleeping Cacturne that was sunbathing. This led to a fight between the two Pok��mon, with Gligar emerging victorious.


    To achieve their goal, Yuga patiently followed, never letting his guard down.


    Fortunately, patience paid off. Just as Yuga had suspected, Gligar did havepanions. Three other Gligar soon joined it.


    After a brief exchange, the four Gligar flew in the same direction. Yuga signaled his Pok��mon to follow them.


    He had Swellow fly higher to track Gligar, ensuring they wouldn''t lose them.


    Seeing Gligar fly behind a sand dune, Yuga quietly followed. But to his surprise, Gligar were nowhere to be seen!


    What was happening?


    Yuga wondered if he was encountering something supernatural; how else could four Gligar vanish so suddenly?


    Yuga called out to his Swellow, "Swellow! Where are those four Gligar?"


    Responding to Yuga''s call, Swellow descended from the sky and shook its head, indicating it didn''t know either.


    Yuga asked again, "They disappeared from right here, didn''t they?"


    Swellow nodded.


    Yuga examined the area around the sand dune, then rubbed his chin, saying, "This is bizarre! Could it really be something supernatural?"


    Just then, Linoone''s excited cries caught Yuga''s attention.


    Yuga rushed over and asked, "What''s going on? Did you find something?"


    Linoone used its ws to uncover the sand beneath it. As it dug deeper, a stone mesh made of some unknown kind of rock came into view.


    The mesh was damaged, with a hole about one and a half meters in diameter. Gligar must have entered through here. Yuga couldn''t fathom whaty beyond this rock formation.


    Yuga eximed, "So they went inside here. No wonder they disappeared suddenly! Linoone, your contribution is invaluable!"


    Yuga gave a tight bear hug to Linoone, who seemed to disdain the affection, but Yuga was in a good mood and didn''t mind!


    Yuga thought that Gligar likely had the ability to dig, as they couldn''t have entered the rock formation so seamlessly without leaving a trace in the sand.


    Examining the hole in the rock mesh, Yuga realized that apart from Gligar, only a "slender" Pok��mon like Linoone could easily fit through it.


    Addressing Linoone, Yuga said, "Linoone, try breaking this rock mesh."


    Linoone nodded and attempted to use its moves, but surprisingly, the unknown material of the rock remained undamaged.


    Linoone then tried using Shadow Ball and y Rough, but to no avail.


    At that moment, Swellow descended from the sky, signaling Yuga and Linoone to step back and let it try.


    After Yuga and Linoone moved aside, Swellow flew up and used Air sh on the rock mesh.


    The white de of wind cut through the mesh, stirring up sand, but the result was the same as with Linoone.


    Yuga was taken aback; he hadn''t expected the rock mesh to be this sturdy, especially since Swellow was considerably stronger than Linoone.


    Yuga quickly called Audino, who was searching for clues elsewhere. If Audino couldn''t help, Yuga would be out of options.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s request, Audino didn''t hesitate. mes zed on its right fist, then it raised its fist high and smashed it down on the rock mesh.


    The mesh shattered instantly, sending rock fragments flying due to the force of the Fire Punch.


    Seeing the mesh broken, Yuga eximed, "It''s open! Thank you so much, Audino."


    Audino waved its hand as if to say "You''re wee" and made a gesture suggesting it wanted to eat.


    Yuga understood �C it wanted him to treat it to a feastter. Truly a dedicated food lover, Yugaughed and said, "Sure, I''ll make sure you eat to your heart''s content!"


    With the mesh shattered, Yuga peered inside but could only see pitch darkness; nothing else was visible.


    Looking at the surroundings, Yuga hesitated; the darkness was a bit intimidating.


    As Yuga pondered, he suddenly felt a push from behind. Before he knew it, he was falling headfirst into the hole.


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    After a brief vertical drop, just as Yuga felt he was about to hit the ground, Swellow swooped in, grabbing onto Yuga''s clothes and gently cing him on the ground.


    Yuga let out a long, relieved sigh, wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, and said, "That scared the life out of me."

 Chapter 77: Underground

    <h4>Chapter 77: Underground</h4>


    Yuga calmed his rapidly beating heart and then began to assess his surroundings. He found himself seated in a circr space with numerous passageways.


    He had expected darkness below, but the walls were illuminated by glowing stones, preventing the area from being too dim.


    At this moment, Swellow, who had returned to the surface, descended along with Linoone. While Yuga wondered how Swellow managed to bring down a Pok��mon almost as big as a doll, he noticed that Linoone had effortlessly leaped down unharmed.


    Yuga felt a bit speechless. His concerns were clearly unnecessary; the toughness remained.


    Yuga suddenly thought about his own descent and asked his three Pok��mon, "Who pushed me down just now?"


    Both Swellow and Linoone looked at Audino, and Yuga instantly knew the culprit.


    Indignantly, Yuga said, "How could you treat your boss like this? I wasn''t even mentally prepared, and you pushed me down."


    Of course, Yuga would never admit he was hesitating abouting down; it wouldn''t fit his boss image.


    Audino cast a knowing nce at Yuga that made him ufortable, so he coughed and continued, "Well, as a generous boss, I''ll let this go without holding a grudge."


    Afterward, observing theplex passageways ahead, Yuga brushed off the dirt from his clothes and stood up, asking his Pok��mon, "Which path should we take?"


    Both Swellow and Audino exchanged nces, then looked at Yuga before focusing on Linoone.


    Yuga had no choice but to shift his gaze to Linoone and asked, "What do you think, Linoone?"


    Linoone suddenly felt his trainer andpanions were a bit clueless. How would I know? Am I some kind of expert at divining? Are you treating my ability as all-knowing? My ability can''t help with navigation!


    Frustrated internally, but keeping his calm, Linoone randomly chose a path.


    So, with conviction, Yuga and his two Pok��mon entered the path chosen by Linoone, who silently followed.


    Of course, Yuga knew that Linoone couldn''t actually discern directions, and both Swellow and Audino knew it too. But since no one knew for sure, they all decided to follow Linoone''s lead.


    The walls of the passage were lined with glowing stones, but the light was somewhat cold. Combined with the eerie silence, Yuga felt a bit uneasy.


    Suddenly, a group of Zubat that had been sleeping upside down in the passage were startled by Yuga and his Pok��mon''s footsteps, causing them to flutter around chaotically.


    Yuga was startled by themotion caused by the Zubat, but he heaved a sigh of relief when he realized it was just a group of Zubat.


    Seeing the Zubat approaching, Audino used a Dazzling Gleam. The pink fairy-type energy emitted a dazzling light that immediately frightened away the Zubat.


    Initially, Yuga had considered capturing a few promising Zubat, but given the situation, he abandoned the idea.


    Suddenly, a dark shadow darted out from a corner towards Linoone. Without hesitation, Linoone swung a powerful blow, sending the shadow crashing into the wall.


    It was then that Yuga and his team realized the attacker was a Seviper.


    Seviper had initially lurked there, intending to prey on the Zubat. However, the disturbance caused by Yuga and his team awoke the Zubat, thwarting Seviper''s ns, forcing it to seek revenge by attacking Yuga''s group.


    Linoone was the smallest among them, making it the most suitable target for Seviper''s ambush. Hence, it chose to attack Linoone first.


    However, it had underestimated Linoone''s strength.


    After being knocked back, Seviper readjusted itself, its eyes red with fury. It hissed venomously, flicking its long tongue, its thick body writhing, fixating menacingly on Yuga''s group.


    Among snake-like Pok��mon, except for Onix and Steelix, their temperaments are typically calm and patient, especially during hunting.


    Just as Seviper was preparing to strike again, Swellow''s Aie sh appeared out of thin air, knocking Seviper down once more, preventing it from executing its skill.


    This time, Seviper finally realized the gap in their strengths and, unwillingly, nced at Linoone before slithering away slowly.


    Seviper was indeed quite strong, at least not weaker than Linoone. In a one-on-one battle, Linoone might even lose due to its type disadvantage.


    Seeing Seviper retreat, Yuga hurriedly approached Linoone and asked, "Are you okay, Linoone? Did you get hurt?"


    Linoone shook its head, indicating that it was fine. Yuga checked multiple times to confirm its safety and then said, "We''re unfamiliar with this environment and don''t know what''s ahead, so we need to be extra cautious."


    Continuing their journey, Yuga and his team made several turns and suddenly heard a faint "rustling" sound from an unknown direction. Yuga inquired, "Can you tell where that sound ising from?"


    Both Swellow and Audino shook their heads, unable to discern the direction. With so many passages, sounds echoed a lot, making it difficult to identify their source.


    At this point, Linoone''s upright ears twitched, signaling Yuga and his team to follow. It then dashed out.


    Seeing Linoone seemed to have found the source of the sound, Yuga''s group followed without hesitation.


    Linoone paused periodically, assessing the direction after running a certain distance. Yuga and his team waited silently, avoiding any interference.


    After a series of turns, they finally saw the creators of the sound: a group of Nincada dwelling here, building nests and burrows.


    The number of these Nincada was quite substantial, forming a sizable group. As Yuga and his team arrived, the timid Nincada hurriedly retreated into the ground.


    Yuga felt somewhat disappointed; he had thought it might be Gligar, but it turned out to be just a bunch of Nincada.


    Yuga didn''t disturb them, as he had no interest in Nincada. Moreover, he didn''t spot any high-quality Pok��mon among them.


    As Yuga was about to leave, he suddenly felt the ground beneath him giving way.


    Swellow also noticed this and tried to grab Yuga, but it was toote.


    Yuga, along with Linoone and Audino, fell into the hole that appeared after the ground crumbled.


    Upon seeing them all fall, Swellow immediately followed suit.

 Chapter 78: Chaos

    <h4>Chapter 78: Chaos</h4>


    After Yuga fell to the ground upon exiting the cave, he suddenly realized he was unharmed, except for a slightly ufortable sensation beneath him.


    Bowing his head, he saw that he was actually sitting on a Gligar he had been searching for a long time. Yuga was about to feel pleased, but his expression changed as he looked up.


    Before himy a vast expanse of Gligars, all of them ring menacingly at him and Audino trio around him.


    Awkwardly, Yuga got off the Gligar he had been sitting on and said with a smile, "It''s all a misunderstanding, really!"


    Without a word, the Gligarsunched numerous Poison Stings towards Yuga.


    Quickly, Yuga summoned Vivillon.


    "Vivillon, use Safeguard."


    A green barrier instantly appeared in front of Yuga, blocking all the Poison Stings.


    Failing in their first attempt, the Gligars immediately prepared for a second round of attacks.


    Yuga hurriedly released all his Pok��mon and shouted at Audino trio, "What are you waiting for? Come and help me!"


    Audino trio, Linoone, and Swellow wasted no time. Upon hearing Yuga''s voice, theyunched a counterattack against the Gligars.


    The Linoone was particrly fierce, employing expertly executed Sucker Punches while simultaneously regaining its strength. It was like a one-punch, one-knockout routine for each young Gligar.


    As the Gligars were of low level, the fight proved effortless for the Linoone.


    The Swellow disyed a simr prowess.


    With incredible speed, it infiltrated the swarm of Gligars, its front paws radiating a white light. With skilled maneuvers, it used its skill to knock the Gligars left and right.


    The Pok��mon under Yuga''smand also performed admirably.


    Floette entwined one Gligar with its vine whip, then spun around with Yuga at the center, knocking down the surrounding Gligars.


    Though the vine whip''s power was modest, it merely knocked the Gligars down without incapacitating them. At this point, Floette followed up with a gust of Fairy Wind, carrying the Gligars away.


    Chimecho and Vivillon, being rtively weaker, formed a team.


    Chimecho trapped a group of Gligars with Gravity skill, and then Vivillon followed up with a Gust skillced with Stun Spore to attack them.


    Their coordination proved more efficient than other Pok��mon.


    As for Absol, it was tasked with protecting Yuga safety.


    Absol''s Pressure ability made weaker Gligars hesitate to approach it. Even the few daring ones were effortlessly dealt with by Absol.


    As most of the Gligars were defeated, their leader finally emerged, surrounded by its subordinates.


    This Gligar tribecked a Gliscor, and the leader was merely a rtively high-level Gligar.


    Enraged by Yuga and hispanions intruding and harming its kin, the Gligar leader brandished its pincers and attacked Yuga and Absol.


    Absol leaped forward, engaging in a head-on collision with the Gligar leader using its Sucker Punch.


    Yuga examined the Gligar leader with his discerning eyes.


    ...


    <<gligar>> </gligar>


    Attributes: Ground, Flying


    Gender: Male


    Trait: Hyper Cutter


    Aptitude: Green


    Level: 40


    Skills: Poison Sting, Quick Attack, Furry Cutter, Feint Attack, Acrobatics, X-Scissor.


    ...


    Among this group of generally low-level Gligars, this Gligar leader''s level was considered high. However, its skill set wasn''t as diverse as Yuga''s Vivillon.


    Currently, Absol was at level 35. Although its level was lower than that of the Gligar leader, it hadn''t shown any sign of being outmatched in their recent sh.


    This Gligar was probably ustomed to dominating within its own tribe, so when it saw that its attack hadn''t achieved the desired effect, it grew extremely angry. It once again employed the X-Scissor skill and aimed it at Absol.


    "Absol, use Sucker Punch again!"


    Upon hearing Yuga''smand, Absol''s ws gleamed with a dark hue, and it once again shed with the Gligar''s pincers.


    This time, the Gligar was directly smacked to the ground by Absol''s w, raising a cloud of dust.


    "Absol, capitalize on this victory, use Quick Attack, and then Sucker Punch once more!"


    Seizing the opportunity while the Gligar leader was down, Absol employed Quick Attack to send it into the air, then lifted its ws to use the Sucker Punch skill once more, striking the Gligar.


    The Gligar leader was left incapacitated.


    Seeing the Gligar leader defeated, Yuga quickly retrieved a Pok��ball and easily captured it.


    Among this group of Gligars, several others were also above level thirty. The reason they hadn''t joined the initial fray was because they had been held in check by Audino trio.


    Now, with their leader down, they were swiftly taken care of by Audino trio.


    The remaining Gligars were small fries, around levels ten to twenty. Yuga''s Pok��mon had no trouble dealing with them.


    However, as the saying goes, even ants can defeat an elephant through sheer numbers. After Yuga''s group took down all the Gligars, his Pok��mon were left panting for breath.


    Yuga had Absol and the others rest to the side while he used his discerning eyes skill to examine the numerous Gligars on the ground.


    There were at least a few hundred of these Gligars, and Yuga wondered how they had gathered here.


    With Yuga''s discerning eyes, the traits of these Gligars became clear.


    Yuga was quite surprised by the qualities of this group of Gligars. Together with the Gligar leader he captured earlier, Yuga found a total of 88 Gligars with a green aptitude, and not a single one had a blue aptitude.


    This probability was indeed astonishing.


    Green-aptitude Pok��mon had a basic urrence rate of around one in a thousand in the Pok��mon poption. This meant that there was a one in a thousand chance of encountering a green-aptitude Pok��mon for every one thousand Pok��mon.


    Yet, in this group of Gligars, with a total poption of less than a thousand, almost one-tenth of them possessed a green aptitude.


    Yuga captured the remaining 87 Gligars with his Pok��balls, his mind filled with questions. Could this ce be a special breeding ground for them?


    Storing the Pok��balls in his system backpack, Yuga suddenly thought that with so many Gligars around, there must be some Pok��mon eggs too.


    He promptly enlisted his Pok��mon to help locate the eggsid by these Gligars.


    Yuga and his Pok��mon quickly located the eggs.


    It turned out that the Gligars had dug another cave and hidden all their eggs inside. If it weren''t for the Linoone, Yuga would never have found it. The entrance to the cave was quite small and hard to spot.


    In the end, it was Yuga and his Pok��mon working together that made the entrancerge enough for Yuga to enter smoothly.

 Chapter 79: Stone Soldiers

    <h4>Chapter 79: Stone Soldiers</h4>


    Upon entering the cave, Yuga gazed at the densely arranged Pok��mon eggs on the ground and felt a tingling sensation on his scalp. It was like a bane for anyone suffering from ustrophobia.


    At that moment, Yuga seemed to understand why the Gligar he encountered earlier outside was eating anything, even grass��it needed a lot of sustenance. Yuga even suspected that the vast desert was created by these underground creatures.


    As usual, Yuga picked out the eggs with green aptitudes and stored them in his backpack, ignoring the rest. There were nearly two hundred eggs in total, yet only one egg had a blue aptitude.


    Yuga found the appearance rate of these green-aptitude eggs to be highly abnormal, almost unbelievably so. However, he couldn''t pinpoint the reason behind it.


    After leaving the Gligar nest, Yuga and his team felt that thisbyrinthine underground passage must consist of more than oneyer.


    Theyer they encountered with Nincada was probably the firstyer, while the Gligar nest was likely the secondyer. The space between the twoyers had be soft due to the Gligars'' nesting, causing it to copse under Yuga''s group''s footsteps.


    Yuga suddenly grew very curious about this ce. Why would there be such a location beneath the desert? And why were there so many high-aptitude Pok��mon here? These questions ignited Yuga''s intense curiosity.


    This ce buried deep under the yellow sand would likely remain undiscovered if they hadn''t followed those Gligars. After all, no one would casually venture deep into the desert to dig around in the sand.


    Moreover, the entrance location is identical to the countless sand dunes in the desert, without a single distinguishing feature.


    After turning another corner, they reached a junction once more. Yuga, with an expressionless face, turned to Linoone and asked, "Which way this time?"


    By now, Yuga and his team werepletely lost. Not only did they not know their position within this underground maze, but they had also lost their sense of direction.


    At this point, Linoone was already numb to the act of choosing directions, so it casually pointed in a direction.


    During their journey, Yuga and his team had faced attacks from several groups of Pok��mon, such as Zubats, Golbats, Sevipers, and even Sandshrew. Luckily, their formidable strength had made the journey challenging yet manageable.


    Taking the path chosen by Linoone, Yuga''s group entered another circr space. At this point, both Yuga and his Pok��mon felt somewhat exhausted. Thus, they decided to rest here for a while, have lunch, and regain their energy.


    In this underground space, it was impossible to distinguish between day and night. All light sources came from the glowing stones on the walls. Yuga''s group only knew the time after checking their watches.


    Yuga took out an alcohol stove and arge pot from his backpack. He then proceeded to cook arge pot of soup, and he and his Pok��mon enjoyed a hearty meal.


    After finishing the meal, Yuga realized that he didn''t have water to clean the pot and utensils. He couldn''t use drinking water for this purpose because it might be vital for survival if they remained here for an extended period.


    After a moment''s thought, Yuga simply discarded the utensils. As expected, cooking in the desert was impractical. In the future, he decided to stick to ready-to-eat food, while his Pok��mon could consume energy blocks.


    Dissatisfied with this decision, Linoone was filled with resentment, but the circumstances forced it to relent...


    After approximately another half hour of walking, Yuga''s group entered a considerablyrger space. This area was several timesrger than all the circr spaces they had encountered before, resembling a za.


    Most importantly, this space was lined with rows of stone soldiers. Each one was d in armor and held a spear, resembling soldiers in appearance.


    Seeing these humanoid soldier statues, Yuga was certain that this ce was an ancient ruin. This intricate maze was likely artificially constructed.


    Yuga wondered who could have constructed such aplex maze and these lifelike stone soldiers. If not for the presence of extraordinary beings like Pok��mon in this world, Yuga believed that building such a maze solely by human effort would have been extremely challenging.


    Approaching one of the stone soldiers, Yuga found its appearance to be fierce and intimidating, exuding a malevolent aura.


    At that moment, Yuga noticed a small piece of stone had fallen off from the soldier''s arm. Upon closer inspection, he saw that what was revealed underneath was a skeletal structure.


    Startled, Yuga took a few steps back and pointed to the exposed bones on the stone soldier, stammering as he addressed his Pok��mon: "Y-y-you... d-d-do you think... these stone soldiers are made from... human remains?"


    The three Pok��mon exchanged puzzled looks, shaking their heads to indicate they didn''t know.


    "Most likely," Yuga continued, "otherwise, how can you exin these bones, the eerie atmosphere, and the scent of decay emanating from these soldiers? Let''s leave quickly; it''s truly frightening."


    Saying this, Yuga grabbed Linoone''s hand and attempted to exit the space.


    However, just then, Yuga heard a series of "ck... ck" sounds from behind him. When he turned around, he was shocked to see that the stone soldiers were mysteriously moving.


    Especially the one nearest to Yuga, which raised its arm and swung it down towards Yuga''s head.


    Just in the nick of time, Linoone pulled Yuga with force, rescuing him from the stone soldier''s attack range.


    The attack missed its mark, and other stone soldiers started surrounding Yuga and his team. Soon, the exit was blocked byyers of these animated stone soldiers.


    Quickly releasing Absol, Yuga turned to his Pok��mon and asked, "What''s happening? Why are these stone soldiers moving on their own and attacking us?"


    Clearly, even Linoone and the other Pok��mon were at a loss, shaking their heads in response.


    "Absol, use Psycho Cut!"


    Observing the stone soldiers approaching them, Yugamanded Absol to counterattack.


    Several white des of light materialized and shed through the air, cutting down multiple stone soldiers. The shattered white bones and stone fragments were scattered around, sending shivers down Yuga''s spine.


    It seemed his suspicion was correct; all these stone soldiers indeed contained human remains, Yuga thought.


    Seeing how easily Absol shattered the stone soldiers, Yuga shouted to his Pok��mon, "Linoone, it''s your turn to counterattack! These stone soldiers are fragile; they break easily once shattered!"

 Chapter 80: Ghost

    <h4>Chapter 80: Ghost</h4>


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, the Pok��mon wasted no time andunched an immediate counterattack.


    Perhaps due to their long existence, these stone figurines were incredibly fragile. With their hands outstretched, the Pok��mon used their striking abilities to shatter these figurines, almost like swatting flies.


    Swellow and Linoone utilized Air sh and Shadow Ball, respectively, obliterating the stone figurines into fragments.


    However, the unsettling mix of bones and stone debris on the ground created an ufortable sight.


    Despite the rtive ease of defeating these stone figurines, their sheer numbers were overwhelming��wave after wave, akin to the ceaseless crashing of waves upon a shore.


    At that moment, Yuga spotted a furtive ck shadow behind one of the stone figurines in the distance. However, because the figurines obstructed the view, Yuga couldn''t discern its appearance clearly.


    Could this whole situation be orchestrated by that shadowy figure? Consequently, Yuga led Absol and charged straight towards it.


    Just as Yuga and Absol were about to close in on the shadow, a Shadow Ball suddenly shot forth from it, striking Absol and incapacitating it from battle.


    With Absol''s protection gone, the surrounding stone figurines swiftly closed in on Yuga. Seeing this, Swellow took to the skies and, perceiving Yuga''s plight, elerated towards him, swiftly dispatching the stone figurines.


    Yuga hadn''t anticipated that his Absol would be defeated with just one encounter with the shadowy entity. He quickly pointed towards the shadow''s direction and instructed Swellow, "It''s likely that the shadow is controlling these stone figurines. Go handle it. Don''t worry about me."


    Swellow acknowledged with a nod and headed towards the shadow,unching an Air sh. However, the Air sh dissipated upon reaching the shadow''s location, followed by a Hex.


    Swellow deftly evaded Hex, only to be struck by the subsequent Mean Look.


    Beneath the influence of the Mean Look, Swellow found himself immobilized, unable to move, and forced to helplessly watch as another Hex bore down upon him.


    Seeing Swellow about to be hit, a pink figure abruptly materialized in front of him, absorbing the full impact of Hex.


    As it turned out, Audino had also noticed the anomaly and hastened over.


    Having deflected Hex, Audino retaliated with a Shadow Ball, shattering the stone figurines obstructing the shadow.


    Now, the true form of the figure concealed behind the stone figurines was revealed: a body swathed in grayish-white tatters, its colossal hands slightly extended, with the most arresting feature being its crimson single eye��lifeless and vacant.


    This was a Ghost-type Pok��mon, a Dusclops.


    ...


    <<dusclops>> </dusclops>


    Type: Ghost


    Gender: Male


    Aptitude: Green


    Level: 56


    Abilities: Shadow Punch, Fire Punch, Future Sight, Confuse Ray, Astonish, Curse, Protect, Will-O-Wisp, Hex, Mean Look.


    ...


    This Dusclops''s level was nearly on par with Audino''s. It was no wonder that both Absol and Swellow had met with setbacks against it.


    Clearly, among those present, only Audino stood a chance against it.


    "Audino, focus on that Dusclops. We''ll handle these stone figurines."


    With that, Yuga withdrew Absol from the battlefield and sent out Floette.


    Audino acknowledged Yuga''s directive with a nod and lunged towards Dusclops.


    Upon seeing Audino approach, Dusclops began emitting eerie, uncanny cries that sent shivers down one''s spine.


    Faced with this eerie Ghost-type Pok��mon, Audino''s initial move was to create a Misty Terrain, aiming to shield against abnormal conditions.


    A pale pink mist slowly began to spread from Audino''s center, enveloping both Audino and Dusclops in its embrace.


    Indeed, with the Misty Terrain in ce, Dusclops''s usual Ghost-type moves like Will-O-Wisp and Astonish had no effect. As a result, Dusclops grew increasingly impatient, its eerie cries growing more unsettling by the second.


    Meanwhile, Yuga, apanied by Floette, Swellow, and Linoone, was assisting Audino in fending off the attacks from the stone figurines. Upon hearing Dusclops''s cries, Yuga felt a chill run down his spine and couldn''t help but shudder.


    This Dusclops was truly bizarre; it seemed devoid of reason and emotion.


    While most Ghost-type Pok��mon were eerie, many of them tended to engage in pranks to absorb human emotions as sustenance. Few of them actually harbored malice towards humans.


    For instance, a Pok��mon like Chandelure would inadvertently drain the life force of humans around it, leaving them weakened. However, this wasn''t intentional on its part��it couldn''t control this instinctual behavior.


    Simrly, a Pok��mon like Gengar enjoyed ying tricks on humans and found joy in it. But they weren''t malicious; they simply didn''tprehend that their actions could inconvenience others, assuming that everyone was as happy as they were. Their nature was incredibly innocent.


    However, this particr Dusclops emanated an entirely different aura. It exuded an air of coldness and malevolence, even without actively trying.


    With no rationality whatsoever, Dusclopsunched a Fire Punch at Audino, only to be repelled by Audino''s own Fire Punch. The resulting crimson sparks scattered, bringing a touch of warmth to the initially frigid space.


    Seizing the moment when Dusclops was pushed back, Audino took the opportunity. Casting Dazzling Gleam, a radiant burst aimed directly at Dusclops''s face, engulfed its head in a pink glow, prompting it to let out a piercing scream.


    During this exchange, Audino suddenly disyed an expression of anguish��apparently, Dusclops had previously cursed it with its Curse move, and now the curse was taking effect.


    Observing this situation, Yuga swiftly released his Chimecho and said, "Chimecho, help Audino out."


    "Ring~Ring!"


    With a chirp, Chimecho nodded and flew towards Audino, using Heal Pulse on it.


    In the blink of an eye, Heal Pulse nullified the damage caused by the Curse move to Audino. Fueled by the agony caused by the Curse, Audino grew furious. Without hesitation, itunched a Shadow Ball at Dusclops.


    At this point, Dusclops also seemed to recognize that it wasn''t a match for the pink creature before it. It began controlling more stone figurines, sending them swarming towards Audino, attempting to use the distraction to escape.

 Chapter 81: Mural

    <h4>Chapter 81: Mural</h4>


    However, how could Audino possibly have let it escape?


    Audino radiated arge-scale Dazzling Gleam, bursting forth like a pink sun. The stone figurines turned into powder, akin to snow meeting the winter sun.


    Simrly affected by the magical radiance, Dusclops couldn''t sessfully escape and instead ended up heavily wounded, lying on the ground.


    During this time, while the curse''s effect persisted, with Chimecho continuously using Heal Pulse on Audino, it not only emerged unscathed but also became more spirited.


    Struggling to rise from the ground, Dusclops realized it couldn''t escape. Its expression grew more ferocious, and the red light in its lone eye flickered intensely.


    "Au~di~no..."


    Audino''s gentle nature led it to attemptmunication with Dusclops, but it proved fruitless.


    Asmunication failed, Dusclops''s expression turned increasingly sinister, and it prepared to attack Audino again. Seeing this, Chimecho employed a gravity skill to suppress it.


    However, the gap in their strengths was too vast. In the blink of an eye, Dusclops broke free from Chimecho''s gravitational suppression and unleashed a fire punch towards Audino.


    Yet, Audino managed to evade the attack. While Chimecho''s gravity suppression had onlysted an instant, it was enough time for Audino to react.


    Dodging Dusclops''s fire punch, Audino countered with a fire punch of its own. Already heavily injured, Dusclops lost its ability to fight.


    As Dusclops fell, all the stone figurines seemed frozen in ce, as if someone had pressed a pause button.


    With the stone figurines stopped, Yuga, panting heavily, resembled a fish out of water. Floette alsoy exhausted on Yuga''s head, not moving.


    Although these stone figurines weren''t strong and were fragile, their sheer number was overwhelming. Even with sturdy bodies, they couldn''t help but be fatigued.


    The Swellow, which had been flying in the air, descended to the ground, looking equally worn out. The exhaustion wasn''t limited to their physical bodies; their taut mental state was equally taxing.


    Yuga used a Pok�� Ball to capture the unconscious Dusclops and securely locked the Pok�� Ball''stch.


    However, don''t misunderstand��Yuga didn''t intend to keep it. While Dusclops met Yuga''s qualifications, it was simply too terrifying, not to mention its eerie and horrifying nature. Since it couldn''t bemunicated with, Yuga had no desire to keep such a huge problem around.


    The reason for cing it in the Pok�� Ball and locking it was merely to prevent it from causing trouble upon waking.


    Yuga found a spot in the square-like space, casually dug a hole, and buried the Pok�� Ball containing Dusclops. What would be of Dusclops from now on was beyond Yuga''s concern.


    After burying Dusclops, Yuga looked at the scattered stones and bones, as well as the intact stone figurines, feeling that the people who built these figurines were truly cruel.


    Counting them, there were at least thousands of these stone figurines, densely packed in the entire square-like space. This implied that there were thousands of human remains here.


    Just the thought of it sent shivers down one''s spine.


    "We should leave quickly; this ce gives off an extremely unsettling feeling."


    Yuga believed that the reason Dusclops had be like this must be rted to these remains. Perhaps the heavy resentment in this ce had affected Dusclops, rendering it devoid of reason.


    Holding Floette, Yuga hurriedly left the area with Audino and the others.


    After leaving the square space, Yuga released the previously incapacitated Absol and gave medicine to it. He also had Audino use Heal Pulse on it.


    Upon waking, Absol felt ashamed of being defeated upon first encounter and med itself for not adequately protecting Yuga.


    Yuga gently touched its soft fur and said, "It''s not your fault. It''s my mistake. I acted recklessly without properly understanding the enemy''s identity and strength, putting you in danger and causing you harm. The one who should apologize is me."


    Absol shook its head and licked Yuga''s cheek with its tongue, indicating that it didn''t me Yuga.


    Amused by its gesture, Yugaughed heartily, "Let''s not apologize to each other. The days ahead are long, so let''s both keep striving."


    Saying this, Yuga extended his right hand.


    Absol stared at Yuga''s hand for a moment, and then, with a resolute expression, ced its paw in Yuga''s palm.


    "Floette, Floette!"


    At this moment, Floette, in Yuga''s arms, emerged and ced its small arm, not yet the size of a human finger, on Yuga''s hand alongside Absol''s paw.


    Seeing Floette in this manner, Yuga burst intoughter and ruffled its tiny head, saying, "Floette, why are you so adorable!"


    Unhappy about Yuga patting its head, Floette pushed Yuga''s hand away and flew onto Yuga''s head, ignoring him.


    Meanwhile, Audino, Swellow, and Linoone watched Yuga and the others interact harmoniously, unsure of their feelings.


    After a brief rest, Yuga and the group continued exploring, leaving that ce behind.


    After wandering for who knows how long, they arrived at a room-like space adorned with various murals on its walls.


    Most of these murals depicted scenes of humans and various battles between Pok��mons, shes between two armies, and scenes of personal worship.


    The armies depicted in the murals rode on various Pok��mons, with a majority consisting of Houndooms, Camerupts, Gliscors, Flygons, and Aggrons. Among these, Gliscors were the most numerous, followed by Flygons, while Aggrons were the least in number, but each rider seemed like amanding general.


    Although these murals had be somewhat blurry over time, the initial attention to detail remained evident in most of the content.


    Seeing these murals, Yuga finally became entirely convinced that this was an ancient ruin, and it had likely existed for a considerably long time.


    While observing, Yuga suddenly spotted a section of text amidst the numerous murals.


    However, this text was in Ancient Pok��mon Script. Yuga had only seen it in history books during school, and even then, it was just in pictures. His original self didn''t recognize half of it, let alone Yuga himself.

 Chapter 82: Arus

    <h4>Chapter 82: Arus</h4>


    At this moment, the voice of the system suddenly sounded.


    [ Host, the system can provide trantions for you. ]


    Yuga asked in surprise, "You understand this?"


    The system replied, [ Yes. We, the Gold Finger, automatically interact with the world and adapt ourselves to it while traversing. ]


    [ For instance, in my case, when I initially entered the Pok��mon world, I didn''t have any information about Pok��mon. It was only after entering here that I evolved into my current form. The tasks and rewards of the system also became rted to the Pok��mon world, all thanks to this information interaction. ]


    [ That''s why I also know the ancient texts of the Pok��mon world. ]


    Yuga realized, "I see. Even though I don''t know how you perform this information interaction and how you evolved, you''re indeed impressive. I''ll rely on you then."


    With the system''s trantion, Yuga finally understood the origin of this ce.


    In ancient times, the vast Hoenn Desert that exists now was not present; instead, there was a country named Arus.


    This country was abundant and beautiful, making it the envy of neighboring nations.


    However, no country dared to oppose Arus, as they possessed a powerful army of Monsters that could sweep across the entire continent.


    The intricate and sprawling maze they were in was the very ce where these Monsters were bred and their army was trained.


    Back then, these Monsters were not referred to as Pok��mon; people called them "Monsters."


    Arus excelled in cultivating three types of Monsters, the three most frequently depicted in the murals: Gliscor, Flygon, and Aggron.


    The murals on the walls celebrated the wise and heroic deeds of King Bruce at that time, which was why Yuga saw so many depictions of people worshiping him.


    The stone figurines Yuga had seen earlier were prisoners captured by the king of Arus. This king was incredibly ruthless, sealing these captives alive within the stone figurines, letting them die in agony as punishment for their offenses.


    The text also recorded that Arus''s formidable army was reliant on a certain treasure, although it didn''t mention what kind of treasure it was.


    After hearing the trantion, Yuga sighed. He hadn''t realized that this ce was once a prosperous nation, not a desert. Truly, how times had changed.


    However, Yuga was intrigued by the treasure that could sustain an entire army. Unfortunately, the text didn''t mention what it was or where it could be found.


    Now Yuga understood why he could find so many Gliscor here. Apparently, they were a legacy of Arus.


    Yet, most of the Gliscor left behind by the Arus army must have died or migrated. Otherwise, there would be more than just a few left. After all, these Monsters could conquer a continent; one can imagine their numbers.


    ording to records, Arus bred more than just Gliscor, Flygon, and Aggron; there were many other types.


    As for why their traces weren''t seen here, Yuga spected that they either perished or migrated elsewhere. After so many years, the rich country had transformed into an endless desert. However, how many Monsters could survive in a desert? Aggron, for example, couldn''t.


    Indeed, not long after, Yuga found a significant number of Aggron remains in another cave.


    Speaking of which, King Arus was truly capricious. To raise Monsters like Aggron, maintaining a full army of them, without a country''s support, it would have copsed long ago.


    Even the Pok��mon League wouldn''t go about things this way. It''s not that the League doesn''t have the resources like King Arus did, but the present-day League values democracy, whereas King Arus ruled with an iron fist.


    Yuga collected all the armor left behind by the deceased Aron, Lairon, and Aggron. These were valuable items, highly prized.


    These armors weren''t just materials for many Pok��mon items; they could also serve as food for many Steel-type and Rock-type Pok��mon, particrly an excellent supplement for Steel-types.


    Fortunately, Yuga''s system backpack wasrge enough; otherwise, he wouldn''t have been able to carry so much.


    Of the three primary Monsters Arus''s army cultivated, Yuga had already encountered Gliscor and Aggron. The only one he hadn''t found yet was his current target, Flygon.


    Logically, Flygon, being more adapted to desert environments than Gliscor, should have been easier to find. They were native to deserts, so their disappearance was puzzling.


    Despite searching for quite a while with hispanions, Yuga couldn''t find any trace of Flygon.


    Feeling that continuing this way was futile, Yuga said to hispanions, "Let''s find the way out first. We can set aside the matter of Flygon for now."


    Although Yuga''s objective for this journey was Gigantamach, having obtained so many Gliscor was already good progress. They were excellent Pok��mon, so this trip wasn''t a failure.


    Hispanions nodded in agreement with Yuga''s decision.


    Yuga took out his direction indicator and observed it. He said, "Since we don''t know the way, let''s follow the direction indicated by this device and head north. That should increase our chances of finding the exit."


    However, Yuga quickly realized this approach was in vain. Thebyrinth had too many intersections, and before long, they were lost.


    If King Arus were alive and appeared before Yuga now, Yuga would likely tear his heart out.


    You built this ce like this, could you even find your way around it?


    In the end, Yuga checked the time and realized it was probably already night outside. So, he found an empty cave, released all his Pok��mon, and prepared to spend the night there, making ns for the next day.


    "To my dearpanions, Audino, Swellow, and Linoone, I''m truly grateful for the three of you today. Without you, I don''t even know what would have happened!"


    Yuga genuinely felt lucky to have recruited these three "staff members" beforeing here. Otherwise, he might have been reduced to a mere pile of bones now. He also realized he had been overly reckless. Despite being a fledgling Pok��mon Trainer, he dared to venture into such a dangerous ce as Hoenn Desert.

 Chapter 83: Land Of Miracle

    <h4>Chapter 83: Land Of Miracle</h4>


    Yuga couldn''t help but marvel at the wonders of fate in this world.


    If it weren''t for the unfortunate incident on the train, Yuga wouldn''t have encountered those Audino trio, let alone receive their protection.


    It truly echoed the ancient saying from his past life: "Misfortune leans on fortune, fortune hides within misfortune."


    At this moment, Yuga suddenly thought of something. He pped his own head, feeling like he had the brain of a pig, for only now thinking of such a great idea.


    Just because he couldn''t find a way here, it didn''t mean the natives couldn''t either.


    Yuga took out the Pok�� Ball containing Gligar Leader from his system backpack and said to Audino, Swellow and Linoone, "I''ll release it in a moment. If it doesn''t behave, you all can give it a good beating for me."


    The three Pok��mon nodded, forming a circle around him. As the Pok�� Ball opened, a red light shed, and Gligar Leader appeared within the circle.


    Gligar Leader immediately spotted Yuga, its arch-nemesis, and without a word, raised its pincers, ready to attack.


    But before it could make a move, Audino pounced on it and gave it a thorough beating.


    Interestingly, Gligar Leader remained defiant no matter how Audino pummeled it. In the end, it was only when Yuga promised to help itplete its evolution that it agreed to acknowledge him as its master.


    With Gligar Leader now battered and bruised, Yuga asked, "Do you know where the entrance to the outside is?"


    Gligar Leader nodded, indicating it knew. Yuga had already guessed it knew; otherwise, its subordinates wouldn''t have ventured out for food.


    Yuga thought for a moment and then asked, "Do you have any Trapinch or Flygon?"


    Upon hearing the name "Flygon," Gligar''s body trembled involuntarily, and it shook its head with uncertain eyes.


    Seeing this reaction, Yuga knew it was lying. He squinted and said, "Are you afraid of them?"


    Upon hearing this, Gligar Leader reacted as if its feet were burning, shouting and hopping in agitation.


    Yuga looked at Gligar Leader with an almost mocking smile and said, "Since you''re not scared, then lead us to them."


    At the mention of finding Flygon, Gligar Leader deted again.


    Yuga grinned and said, "What are you afraid of? With us here, what trouble could you get into?"


    Upon hearing this, a gleam appeared in Gligar Leader''s eyes. That''s right, what was it afraid of? It would be even better if this person could catch the group of Flygon as well. Everyone would benefit.


    Thus, Gligar Leader nodded in agreement.


    Although Yuga didn''t understand Gligar Leader''s thoughts, he was content with its agreement and didn''t think much of it. He decided to rest for the night and set off with Gligar Leader''s guidance the next day.


    After several hours of rest, Yuga checked the time and figured it should be the next day. With Gligar Leader leading the way, they bypassed numerous twists and turns and finally stopped at the entrance of a cave.


    Yuga looked at the luminous entrance of the cave and asked Gligar Leader, "The Flygon are here?"


    Gligar Leader nodded.


    With Gligar Leader''s confirmation, Yuga was about to step inside, but Gligar suddenly grabbed his arm.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Yuga turned to Gligar Leader.


    Gligar Leader gestured for silence and then stealthily entered the cave.


    Although Yuga didn''t grasp Gligar Leader''s intention, he thought it wise to follow suit. He instructed Audino to imitate Gligar Leader''s actions and enter the cave cautiously.


    After sneakily entering the cave, Yuga and hispanions were utterly amazed by the scene before them.


    This ce was truly and of miracles, an underground world.


    Whaty before Yuga and Audino was a vast expanse, brightly lit as if it were daytime. Everywhere was lush with trees, heavy with abundant fruits.


    One after another, the figures of Flygon and Vibrava streaked through the air, leaving behind emerald trails. asionally, one or two of themnded on trees to feast on the fruits.


    At this moment, Yuga understood why Gligar Leader had urged them to be discreet. If these Vibrava and Flygon caught sight of them, they would likely be swarmed and attacked.


    Yuga quickly retrieved a few green nkets from his system backpack and draped them over himself and Audino. Then, he promptly hid within the dense undergrowth.


    Yuga and Audino were the most conspicuous due to their size. That''s why Yuga had the idea to blend in by giving them a protectiveyer of camouge.


    As for Swellow and Linoone, they were less likely to draw attention. Yuga noticed that asionally even Taillows and Zigzagoons passed through the forest.


    Gligar Leader, on the other hand, Yuga held in his arms directly, as they had run out of green nkets. Its pink body was too likely to attract the notice of the Flygon and Vibrava above.


    The entrance they had entered was high up on the wall of this space, affording Yuga and hispanions a vantage point from the trees to easily view the entirendscape.


    This space was expansive, nearly half the size of Verdanturf Town. Trees covered the area, with Flygon and Vibrava being the most visible type of Pok��mon. While other types of Pok��mon could also be seen, their numbers were quite sparse.


    At this moment, Gligar Leader struggled to free its head from Yuga''s embrace. Then, it pointed at the center of the space, making unintelligible noises.


    Yuga attempted to guess its intent and asked, "Are you suggesting we go there?"


    Seeing Yuga grasp its meaning, Gligar Leader vigorously nodded its head.


    Yuga inquired further, "What are we going to do there? Is there treasure?"


    After a moment of hesitation, Gligar Leader nodded again.


    Upon hearing about treasure, Yuga was not about to give up on the opportunity. Since it was right in front of them, it would be a waste to abandon it.


    After some discussion, Yuga and the others fetched a long rope from their backpack space. They stealthily descended from the cave''s entrance down to the bottom of the space. Then, utilizing the cover of the forest, they stealthily moved towards the central area of the space.


    Perhaps because this ce had been peaceful for too long, the various Pok��mon they encountered along the way showed no response to the disturbance Yuga and hispanions caused. As a result, Yuga and the others managed to reach the center of the space without any incident.

 Chapter 84: Stealing Treasure

    <h4>Chapter 84: Stealing Treasure</h4>


    Yuga arrived at the central part of the space and found it slightly different from what he had imagined. Previously, due to the dense trees obstructing his view, he couldn''t make out the specifics of this ce. Now, he finally grasped the entire scene.


    Unlike other areas covered in lush vegetation, here stood a massive yellow earth tform devoid of any vegetation, not even a single de of grass.


    The tform bore numerous caves, asionally releasing Trapinchs from their openings.


    Without a doubt, this was their of Flygon and also the destination of Yuga''s journey.


    However, brute force wasn''t an option here. Unlike the lower-level Gligars he encountered before, Flygon in this area were mostly above level 40. Additionally, there were many level 20 to 30 Vibrava.


    Engaging recklessly here would be tantamount to seeking death, even with the help of the nearly level 60 Audino


    After contemting for a while, Yuga realized he had to rely on strategy.


    After much thought, the only feasible approach that Yuga coulde up with was to take them down one by one.


    If he could eliminate the powerful Flygon, the remaining Trapinch and Vibrava wouldn''t pose much of a threat.


    Although Audino couldn''t handle a bunch of Flygon, attacking them individually would certainly be manageable.


    Hence, Yuga and hispanions quietly left the range of the yellow earth tform and decided to search the forest for isted Flygon.


    They quickly selected their first target.


    It was a level 46 green-aptitude Flygon, leisurely munching on fruits atop a tree when Yuga spotted it.


    This particr Flygon was utterlycking in vignce, engrossed in its meal. It didn''t even notice when Audino had gotten behind it.


    To restrict Flygon, which was a dragon-type elf, Audino used her skill, Mist Terrain.


    A pink mist diffused, invigorating the energy of the fairy-type. By the time Flygon began feeling uneasy, it was toote. Enveloped in the diffused energy, it was immobilized as if stuck in mud, struggling to even take flight.


    Audino immediatelyunched her prepared Dazzling Gleams against it.


    With an attack so close and unexpected, Flygon was sent tumbling to the ground. Concealed nearby, Linoone, Swellow, Absol, and Floette conjured her prepped attacks, all of which struck Flygon unerringly.


    Dark purple shadow balls, white air shes, psycho cut, and green magical leaf all hit Flygon with precision, rendering it unable to fight back.


    Yuga promptly collected the unconscious Flygon into a Pok�� Ball and stashed it in his system backpack.


    In this manner, one after another, Yuga replicated the strategy. Flygon after Flygon was captured. By the time there were no more Flygon left to find in the forest, Yuga had captured over twenty of them, all of them green-aptitude.


    As Yuga had surmised, these Flygon, living in such afortable environment, had lost it will to fight. Lacking vignce and battle experience, it levels and qualifications might have been high, but it actualbat abilities didn''t even match up to Swellow.


    At this point, the Vibrava also realized that something was amiss. Consequently, they took to the skies, searching for the missing Flygon.


    Countless Vibrava filled the sky, it wing vibrations creating a deafening sound. However, Yuga and his group had already hidden themselves away.


    Flygon were the leaders and pirs of the entire colony. With all of them suddenly gone, how could the Vibrava not be anxious?


    Yuga peered through the leaves, observing the multitude of green Vibrava, feeling his scalp tingling at the sight of so many of them �C it was a disaster.


    Thinking for a moment, he realized they had likely emptied it nest tounch this attack. That would mean the defense around the main nest, the yellow earth tform, must be weak. This was a perfect opportunity for a surprise attack. They say fortune favors the bold, and if they didn''t act now, they might never get another chance.


    So, with Audino by his side, Yuga headed straight for the central yellow earth tform while keeping a low profile.


    As expected, when Yuga and the group arrived at the yellow earth tform d in green bed sheets, there was no sign of any Vibrava except for Trapinch scurrying around in panic. Yuga and his team easily climbed to the top of the tform.


    The tform''s peak had a sunken circr pit housing a square stone tablet about half the height of a person. On the tablety a shimmering green orb emitting a radiant glow.


    This orb was likely the treasure that the Gligar had mentioned.


    Just as Yuga was about to approach and retrieve it, a melodious song filled the air, followed by a Flygon almost twice the size of the regr ones descending along with a whirlwind of sand.


    Indeed, this was no ordinary Flygon; it was Flygon renowned as the "Spirit of the Desert" and "Desert Elf." The pleasant song from earlier had been the sound of its wings vibrating as it stirred up the sandstorm.


    No wonder the swarm of Vibrava dared to empty their nest. Their leader was guarding the nest all along.


    ...


    <<flygon>> </flygon>


    Attributes: Ground, Dragon


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Levitate


    Qualification: Green


    Level: 59


    Skills: Dragon w, Dragon Breath, Dragon Dance, Sand Rush, Sonic Boom, Feint Attack, Rock Slide, Bulldoze, Supersonic, Earth Power, Dragon Tail, Dragon Rush, methrower, Stone Edge.


    ...


    This Flygon''s level was even higher than Audino by one level, and it possessed quite a few powerful dragon-type moves. Its strength was not to be underestimated.


    With eyes encased in red membranes, the leader of Flygon coldly observed Yuga and hispanions. The intimidation brought by High level Pok��mon was palpable to everyone.


    "Flygon!"


    In a fit of anger, Flygon let out a deafening roar. Following that, a burst of crimson mes spewed forth from its mouth, aimed at turning Yuga''s invading group to ashes.


    Seeing the attack, Audino swiftly leaped forward. A Fire Punch attack promptly shattered the iing mes, causing them to disperse like fireworks, falling and gradually extinguishing on the ground.


    By this time, Audino had already jumped into action. Yuga had brought out Swellow and Linoone, positioning them to the side. Engaging in a battle of this magnitude wasn''t something he, as a small character, could join.


    After dispelling Flygon''s attack, Audino retaliated immediately. A pink mist quickly spread, filling the entire sunken pit in the blink of an eye.


    Flygon was extremely sensitive to the drastic changes in the fairy-type energy around it. The mist formed from the fairy energy pervaded the area, making it highly ufortable.


    It shook its body, lifting its head. A surge of green dragon''s breath erupted from its mouth, a dragon''s breath akin to emerald mes, charging straight at Audino

 Chapter 85: Dust Settled

    <h4>Chapter 85: Dust Settled</h4>


    Facing the Dragon Breath of Flygon, Audino crossed its arms and forcefully took on the attack.


    However, beneath the thin Misty Terrain, the power of Flygon''s Dragon Breath had significantly weakened, and it didn''t cause much actual damage to Audino.


    After enduring the Dragon Breath, Audino suddenly jumped high into the air, grabbing the long tail of Flygon that was floating in midair and violently throwing it to the ground.


    Although this mming move didn''t have much power, it truly angered Flygon. Being thrown to the ground made it lose face as the leader of its kind, especially with so many Trapinchs watching the battle.


    In its fury, Flygon raised its tail, emitting a green light, andshed out at Audino, who was close by.


    Audino, caught off guard, was struck and sent flying, crashing into the surrounding earthen wall, creating a cloud of dust.


    Having finished its strike, Flygon rose from the ground and red angrily at Audino.


    Speaking of skills, Flygon was heavily countered by Audino. Despite Audino not being a Fairy-type Pok��mon, it was one of the non-Fairy-types most skilled in using Fairy-type moves. The Misty Terrain had greatly handicapped Flygon.


    Although the two Pok��mon were of simr levels, Audino wasn''t particrly adept at battles. Normally, it wouldn''t stand a chance against Flygon.


    Flygon''s previous Dragon Tail, though weakened by half, didn''t deal significant damage to Audino.


    However, having lived in this environment for years, Flygon was unaware of this fact. It continued using Dragon-type moves against Audino, taking advantage of the Misty Terrain.


    Audino got up from the ground, annoyed that it had been so easily hit by Flygon''s tail. Clenching its fists, it quickly formed a Shadow Ball and hurled it at Flygon.


    Calmly, Flygon raised its slender tail again, deflecting the Shadow Ball. The explosive impact against the earthen wall caused a massive explosion, scattering many Trapinchs in fright.


    Seeing that its Shadow Ball had no effect, Audino grew even more furious. It continuously conjured and threw Shadow Balls at Flygon, but each one was deflected by the Dragonfly''s tail.


    The surrounding earthen wall was riddled with craters from the explosions of the Shadow Balls, and only a few Trapinchs were left watching.


    At this point, Flygon had grown extremely impatient with the back-and-forth exchange of attacks with Audino. It ignited countless blue mes all over its body and charged towards Audino.


    It unleashed its ultimate Dragon-type move, Dragon Rush.


    Observing Flygon''s intent to use its finishing move, Audino didn''t back down either. Countless pink lights gathered around its hands, soon shining as brightly as the sun.


    With hands formed into palms, Audino unleashed a Dazzling Gleam upon the charging Flygon.


    This was the sh between Dazzling Gleam and Dragon Rush.


    The confrontation between the two Pok��mon led to a violent explosion, and both of them were sent flying.


    After the dust settled, the figures of the two Pok��mon emerged. At this point, Flygony unconscious on the ground, and Audino wasn''t faring much better. Though not in aa, it was lying motionless.


    Yuga quickly released Chimecho and had it use Heal Pulse on Audino.


    After some healing, Audino''s condition improved significantly. While not fully recovered, it could at least walk normally.


    As for Flygon leader, Yuga had already captured it in a Pok�� Ball.


    Taking advantage of Vibrava not having returned yet, Yuga, apanied by his Pok��mon, swept the area. All Trapinchs with green or higher potential were captured by Yuga.


    These Trapinchs were of very low level, making them easy for Yuga to handle.


    Additionally, Yuga found numerous chambers containing Trapinch Pok��mon eggs. Without hesitation, he took away all eggs with green or higher potential.


    During this process, Yuga couldn''t exactly count how many eggs and Trapinchs he had captured. Roughly estimating, it was probably a few hundred in total.


    The quantity was truly staggering. How had the Arus Empire managed to achieve such a level? Yuga was curious, but as a beneficiary, the process didn''t matter much to him.


    Lastly, there was the green orb ced on the stone tablet, which had made Gligar quite anxious.


    This green orb was exquisitely beautiful. Just being near it made one feel enveloped in a warm aura.


    When Yuga took the orb, he noticed that the stone tablet containing it was covered in ancient Pok��mon text. Concerned that Vibrava might return at any moment, he didn''t have time to use the system for trantion. Instead, he directly stored the entire stone tablet in his system''s backpack.


    Afterpleting all of this, Yuga promptly fled the scene with Audino and the other Pok��mon.


    In truth, Yuga was quite envious of Vibrava group. However, their sheer number was overwhelming, even though their levels were low. Even with all of Yuga''s Pok��monbined, it would have been too much to handle.


    Yuga also had to thank the Trainer Shop within the system. Although it rarely produced valuable items, its unlimited supply of Pok�� Balls was a lifesaver. Without it, Yuga probably wouldn''t have been able to capture the Trapinchs or Gligars.


    Outside the area of the Yellow Earth tform, Vibrava were still searching for Flygon''s presence. Yuga and his team had to proceed cautiously, afraid of being discovered. Being caught would surely lead to dire consequences.


    It took Yuga and the others almost five hours of careful maneuvering to finally leave the space and return to the entrance of the underground area they had entered.


    Once they were out of the entrance, Yuga released Gligar leader and had it guide them to find the exit from the maze.


    With the guidance of the native Gligar leader, Yuga''s group finally managed not to get lost again. Several hourster, they reached the exit of the maze.


    However, this exit was clearly not the same as the entrance they hade in through with the stone. Nevertheless, having had enough of thebyrinth, Yuga didn''t care whether it was the original exit or not. He and Audino simply escaped through it.

 Chapter 86: History (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 86: History (Part 1)</h4>


    When Yuga and the others emerged, they found that it was already nighttime outside, surrounded by pitch darkness where nothing could be seen.


    Due to the nervousness in thebyrinth earlier, Yuga hadn''t thought to check the time, only to realize that it was already night upon exiting.


    At this point, Yuga was mentally exhausted, so he didn''t hesitate. Ignoring any potential danger around, he took out his tent and sleeping bag from his backpack, preparing to get some rest.


    Yuga was awakened by the heat the next day.


    Daytime temperatures in the desert could be extremely high, and that''s what woke Yuga up.


    By the time Yuga woke up, Swellow, Linoone, and Audino had already woken up too. They didn''t want to disturb Yuga, so they sat quietly on the side, keeping watch over him.


    Yuga was deeply moved by Audino''s behavior. After a quick tidying up, he released the other Pok��mon, gave them food, and then took a closer look at his surroundings. Because it had been too dark the previous night, he hadn''t really seen where they were.


    However, the desert environment was mostly uniform: yellow sand, sparse vegetation, rolling sand dunes. Currently, they were beneath a massive sand dune, with the entrance they hade out fromst night behind them.


    After some thought, Yuga decided to use arge amount of sand to block the entrance to the undergroundbyrinth. It was best not to let anyone discover it; although it was unlikely anyone woulde here, it was safer to bury it.


    Only now did Yuga start counting his gains from this trip in the undergroundbyrinth.


    Gligars, including the Gligar Leader, totaled 87. There were also several Gligar eggs, all with green potential.


    Flygons, a total of 22, all with green potential. Additionally, there was one leader with blue potential. Then, 285 Trapinchs, with 3 having blue potential, while the rest had green potential. Lastly, there were several Pok��mon eggs, with 6 having blue potential and the others having green potential.


    After counting these, Yuga remembered he also brought out an orb and a stone tablet.


    Yuga examined the orb closely and noticed a luminous flow within it. A vibrant life force seemed to emanate continuously from the orb. Both Yuga and Audino beside him could feel a gentle aura, as if a spring breeze was brushing against their faces.


    While Yuga knew the orb was undoubtedly a powerful treasure, he didn''t know its specific use. So, he put it aside and focused on the stone tablet covered in text.


    After the system tranted the inscriptions on the stone tablet, Yuga uncovered a glimpse of Arus Empire''s history and learned about the circumstances surrounding the creation of the undergroundbyrinth.


    Arus was a country over a millennium ago, known as the Arus Empire back then.


    It was a prosperous nation located where the current Hoenn Desert is situated.


    The stone tablet recorded that a minister under Arus'' king returned from travels abroad.


    He imed to the king that he had visited another continent,pletely different from Arus, characterized by vast and steep mountain ranges and year-round unsolitary snow.


    Importantly, he visited a country there, wealthier even than Arus.


    That country possessed a treasure that had led to its prosperity. However, what that treasure was and how it came to be, the minister didn''t manage to ascertain.


    Nevertheless, to understand the specifics of that treasure, the minister secretly conducted an investigation within that country.


    The stone tablet didn''t record what the minister ultimately found out, but not long after, the minister returned to his homnd continent, met with the king, and recounted his experiences.


    At that time, the King of Arus heard about the treasure and became very intrigued. However, ancient transportation wasn''t as convenient as it is now, let alone over a millennium ago. The King Arus learned about the existence of other continents beyond his own for the first time, so he had no means to cross the seas to seize or acquire the treasure.


    Then, the minister suggested that while they might not be able to obtain the treasure, they could create one themselves.


    The King was captivated by the minister''s suggestion. The two conspired, and thus began the n to create a treasure.


    Subsequently, they pooled the country''s resources, and countless rare and precious items were brought into the pce to create this treasure. However, simply relying on these items wasn''t enough to create the treasure; they needed four elemental energies.


    These four elemental energies were water, grass, earth, and the power of dragons. But where could they find these four elemental energies?


    Eventually, spurred by the minister, the King resorted to killing four monsters, protectors of the pce whose strength was near reach Legendary Pok��mon. They retrieved the most precious elemental energies from within these monsters.


    These four monsters were Swampert, Sceptile, Gliscor, and Smence. Each of them had been painstakingly nurtured by the ancestors of the Arus Empire and were fiercely loyal to the empire.


    However, merging such powerful elemental energies was no simple task. Each type of elemental energy was a king in its own right, and it wasn''t easy to unite them.


    The King had be obsessed with creating this treasure. He had already sacrificed the four guardians of the pce; if he couldn''t seed, what was the point of his efforts? What were the sacrifices of the guardians for?


    Thus, the King tried everything to merge these four energies, but all his attempts failed.


    Finally, the minister proposed another idea: if there was a force stronger than these four energies, wouldn''t it be easy to merge them together?


    Hearing the minister''s words, the already obsessed King turned his attention to the empire''s guardian deity.


    Indeed, with a force stronger than these four energies, couldn''t they be suppressed? And there was only one kind of force stronger than them: the power of a deity.


    The empire''s guardian deity, as the name implies, existed to protect the empire. As long as the empire wasn''t in a life-threatening crisis, the guardian deity wouldn''t intervene.


    Why not transform this force, which was beyond their control, into something they could manipte? That was the King''s idea at the time.


    So, during the annual deity worship ceremony, the King Arus unexpectedly captured the guardian deity in front of all the empire''s citizens.


    The empire''s guardian deity never expected that the King, who had protected the country for so many years, would turn against it, seeking to kill it!

 Chapter 87: History (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 87: History (Part 2)</h4>


    King Arus used a method unknown to anyone, managing to imprison the guardian deity''s power and rendering it powerless against him.


    The news of the empire''s guardian deity being imprisoned by the King spread like wildfire. The citizens, whether nobles ormoners, united in condemning the King''s actions. However, the King suppressed their voices with his army.


    From this point on, thest King of Arus began his tyrannical rule, executing anyone who opposed him.


    Ultimately, King Arus sacrificed the guardian deity''s divine power, using it to merge the four elemental energies together, creating an Orb.


    The fused Orb possessed a remarkable ability; those in contact with it would significantly slow their aging process, leading to greater longevity.


    King Arus also discovered that the Orb elerated the growth of Pok��mon, enhancing the natural talents of newly born Pok��mon.


    At that time, there wasn''t the concept of a Pok��mon''s potential or instruments to measure it. So, the improvement in the potential of newly hatched Pok��mon due to the Orb''s influence was attributed to enhanced natural talents. While not incorrect, this notioncked the systematic understanding of today.


    With this Orb in hand, King Arus''s ambitions swelled. He constructed an undergroundbyrinth specifically for training troops and nurturing Pok��mon, cing the Orb within it.


    Consequently, this undergroundbyrinth became a forbidden area of the empire.


    The Orb''s effects weren''t immediate; its influence needed time to manifest.


    Over the course of twenty years, King Arus built a massive army and, with the Orb''s power, cultivated numerous Gliscors, Aggrons, and Flygons toplement his soldiers.


    The Orb''s power staved off the King''s aging; two decades passed, and he appeared as if he had just entered middle age. This perpetuated his insatiable desires.


    He led his army to wage wars across thend, bringing devastation to countless small nations.


    Unbeknownst to him, his once prosperous country began to deteriorate.


    Forests withered, fertilends turned barren, and the once-peaceful civilians became disced.


    The country''s prosperity had relied on the guardian deity''s divine power, which began to dissipate after the deity''s imprisonment, causing thend''s vitality to wane.


    Finally, on the brink of shing with another great empire, the King''s actions caught the attention of the creator of thisnd.


    Thend''s creator was infuriated by King Arus''s campaigns that ignited wars across the continent. Moreover, the creator discovered the essence of their departed friend within King Arus.


    Unknown to many, the creator of thend was a deity like the guardian, their friendship forged through the creation of thend and the guardian''s infusion of boundless vitality into it.


    The authority of a deity was not to be trifled with, and King Arus had murdered one.


    Enraged, thend''s creator obliterated Arus Empire''s armies and executed the King.


    Furthermore, numerous volcanoes and magma outbreaks ravaged within Arus Empire''s borders. The once-glorious empire fell, with only the buried undergroundbyrinth surviving.


    At that time, King Arus, for his final battle, took away all the military strength from thebyrinth. Except for a few elderly, weak, sick, and some immature Pok��mon, thebyrinth was left barren.


    The once fertile country transformed into a deste desert, the undergroundbyrinth buried deep beneath the earth.


    These remaining elderly, weak, sick, and disabled beings crafted this stone tablet and recorded everything before ultimately meeting their end within thebyrinth.


    Listening to this history, Yuga couldn''t help but sigh. Thest King of Arus Empire was quite the mastermind; he managed topletely ruin an empire.


    Yuga retrieved the Orb once more, his heart brimming with excitement. This was truly a remarkable treasure, and even more so, a treasure perfectly suited for him.


    Caressing the Orb lovingly, Yuga now understood why there were so many high-quality Gliscors and Flygons among the Pok��mon. Over the past thousand years, generation after generation of their ancestors had been influenced by the Orb, enhancing the potential of these Pok��mon. It would be unjust if their potential didn''t improve.


    Yuga believed that the emergence of the underground world was also due to the Orb''s influence. After all, the one who sacrificed the Orb was a deity capable of bringing vitality to thend.


    However, the stone tablet didn''t reveal the identity of this guardian deity. Yuga spected that it was most likely the Forest deity, Celebi, but this was uncertain. Who knew if there were other undiscovered and unrecorded Mythical Pok��mon?


    As for the creator of thend, there was no need to guess; it was probably Groudon.


    ording to the stone tablet, this Orb was merely a replica of another treasure. If a replica possessed such tremendous power, one could only imagine the might of the original treasure. It was truly beyond imagination.


    Yuga felt that the Pok��mon world was a realm where conventional logic couldn''t apply��anything was possible.


    Gazing at the emerald Orb before him, Yuga''s fondness for it deepened. He thought, "It''s fortunate that thisbyrinth was forbidden in Arus Empire. Had disaster struck and someone found it, this Orb would have likely been taken away long ago. How could I have ever obtained it?"


    In reality, Yuga''s concerns were excessive. Even if someone had found it, they wouldn''t have been able to take it. Such a crucial item wouldn''t be left unguarded by King Arus.


    The guardians of the Orb were Flygons, Gliscors, and the deceased Aggrons. These Pok��mon were steadfastly loyal to the King at that time.


    Many guardians who remained in thebyrinth had noticed the Orb, but without exception, they were killed by the guardian Pok��mon.


    This was why thebyrinth''s location remained undisclosed; all the guardians and soldiers within had perished, leaving none to survive.


    Yuga, of course, had no way of knowing these details. Nevertheless, they weren''t of great importance.


    What truly mattered was that Yuga had incredibly lucked out in inheriting the assets of an ancient empire, especially the precious Orb.


    Yuga pondered for a moment and decided to give the Orb a name. It wouldn''t do to simply refer to such a valuable treasure as "Orb" all the time; that would be quite disrespectful to such a magnificent artifact.


    He wondered why King Arus hadn''t given the Orb a name. Or perhaps he had, but the soldier tasked with recording this event wasn''t aware?


    After some contemtion, Yuga settled on naming it the "Guardian Orb." It was a tribute to the guardian deity that had been sacrificed for it.

 Chapter 88: The Grudge Between Gligars and Flygons

    <h4>Chapter 88: The Grudge Between Gligars and Flygons</h4>


    Suddenly, Yuga thought of how Gligar leader had instigated him to steal this treasure. With a sinister smile, he released Gligar leader from captivity and waved the Guardian Orb in front of it, saying, "Gligar, take a look at this. What do you think it is?"


    Gligar leader''s eyes gleamed with excitement upon seeing the Guardian Orb. It extended its pincers eagerly, attempting to grab the orb from Yuga''s hand.


    Quickly evading Gligar''s pincers, Yuga said with a half-smile, "This is my possession. What are you trying to do?"


    Frustrated that it couldn''t snatch the Guardian Orb, Gligar leader was practically tearing its hair out in desperation. It wanted to seize it, but seeing the nearby Audino, Swellow, and Linoone, it could only dejectedly give up.


    Seeing Gligar leader''s reaction, Yuga tempted it, saying, "You can have it too if you want. As long as you and your followers stick with me in the future, not only will I ensure your livelihood and assist you in evolving, but I''ll also let you and your followers use this orb for free. How does that sound?"


    Gligar was already nearly insane with desire for the orb. At this point, it had no choice but to eagerly nod its head.


    Seeing Gligar leader''s agreement, Yuga was overjoyed. Seizing this opportunity, he also released Flygon''s leader from captivity.


    Flygon had by now awakened. With a single nce, it saw Gligar leader nearby and gave it a disdainful look. Then, it lowered its head in submission toward Yuga.


    Gligar leader was about to be driven mad by Flygon leader''s disdainful gaze. If it weren''t for Yuga''s presence, it would have leapt up to confront Flygon.


    Yuga was also quite puzzled. He hadn''t done much, but Flygon leader seemed to have submitted to him willingly. Why was that?


    In reality, Yuga didn''t know that Flygon leader had misunderstood the situation.


    Flygon leader thought that Audino was Yuga''s Pok��mon, so when Audino triumphantly defeated it, it was tantamount to Yuga defeating it. Therefore, Yuga became its master.


    Flygon had never left the undergroundbyrinth and was unaware of the changes outside. Its entire understanding was based on the rules passed down by its ancestors thousands of years ago.


    Flygon''s ancestors had been domesticated by ancient humans and even served in the military. Their inherent nature toward their owners was one of loyalty and obedience.


    During that time, the rtionship between the "Monsters," as the creatures were known then, and humans wasn''t as cooperative as it was now. Their rtionship was the simplest form of master and servant.


    During that era, the Monsters revered strength, and it wasn''t shameful for the weaker to submit to the stronger.


    Thus, after being defeated by Audino, Flygon naturally submitted to Yuga.


    As for why Gligar leader didn''t perceive things this way, it was because a member of Gligar tribe had sneaked out of thebyrinth eight hundred years earlier.


    Although Yuga was unclear about the reasoning, Flygon leader''s submission brought everyone great joy. The oue after the misunderstanding was resolved remained to be seen.


    However, Gligar leader and Flygon leader were truly ipatible. Flygon leader looked down on Gligar leader, while Gligar leader was itching to confront Flygon but simply couldn''t win.


    To speak of the feud between Gligars and Flygon, one must trace it back several hundred years.


    In those days, Gligar and Flygon tribes, along with Aggron tribe, obeyed King Arus''s orders to guard the orb. However, as time passed, the people within thebyrinth all died, leaving only these creatures behind.


    Subsequently, Aggron tribe gradually went extinct due to its inability to adapt to the desert climate. Only Gligars and Flygon remained in thebyrinth.


    Originally, the two tribes coexisted peacefully, jointly safeguarding the orb. However, as the older generation of Flygon and Gliscor passed away, the rtionship between the new generation Flygon and Gligars deteriorated, leading to frequent conflicts.


    In the end, Gligar tribe developed the desire to monopolize the Guardian Orb.


    However, this intention was detected by Flygon tribe, leading to a massive war between the two tribes.


    Yet, the strength of Gligar tribe had significantly dwindled by then.


    We all know that Gligars need Razor Fangs to evolve; otherwise, they can''t evolve.


    However, the supply of Razor Fangs in thebyrinth had diminished over time. Moreover, many of the older generation Gliscor that had evolved using Razor Fangs had already passed away.


    In contrast, Flygon tribe didn''t have this concern.


    As long as they were willing to work hard and had sufficient aptitude, evolving from Trapinch to Flygon wasn''t a difficult task.


    As a result, during this great war, Gligar tribe suffered a major defeat and was expelled from their territory by Flygon.


    As time went on, life in the undergroundbyrinth grew increasinglyfortable. The absence of conflict led to a significant decline in the strength of both Flygon and Gligar tribes.


    Especially for Gligar tribe, which was now farther from the Guardian Orb, they had declined in both strength and numbers and were no longer a match for Flygon.


    In the past, generation after generation of Gligars attempted to attack Flygon tribe, hoping to reim their territory and enjoy the blessings of the orb. Yet, due to their considerable decline in strength, Gligars failed in every attempt.


    Thus, the grudge between Gligar and Flygon tribes was deep-seated.


    Even the current Gligar leader followed the instructions of its ancestors and attempted to attack Flygon tribe''s territory. But upon arrival, it realized that their numbers were fewer than Flygon and their strength was far inferior.


    Over the years, despite a significant decline in strength, Flygon tribe''s numbers had not decreased. Instead, they continued to increase.


    This was the reason why Gligar leader was so unsettled upon hearing the name "Flygon" earlier.


    However, at that time, Flygon tribe didn''t trouble Gligar tribe. They were too weak, and Flygon tribe didn''t even bother to bully them, just expelling them from their territory.


    This was precisely what angered Gligar leader the most because they felt utterly belittled. Hence, whenever it saw a Flygon, it would be agitated.


    Yet, Yuga was oblivious to the enmity between the two tribes. Upon seeing the tense standoff between Gligar and Flygon leaders, he quickly interjected, "From now on, we''re all partners. Don''t be like this, alright? Let''s get along!"


    In truth, Yuga really wanted to scold Gligar leader. Did it not realize its own strength? Flygon could defeat it with just one w. How did it find the courage to re at it so angrily?


    Hearing Yuga''s words, the atmosphere between the two Pok��mons finally eased up a bit. Although they still ignored each other, at least the tension had subsided somewhat.

 Chapter 89: Encountering a Stranger

    <h4>Chapter 89: Encountering a Stranger</h4>


    The journey through the desert this time was extremely perilous, but the gains were much greater than expected. Not only did Yuga obtain the Trapinch as intended, but also a Gligar. On top of that, encountering the Guardian Orb was such a stroke of luck that Yuga thought he might wake upughing from his dreams when he returned.


    Yuga felt it was time to head back.


    Looking at the massive Flygon before him, Yuga suddenly realized something: Why walk when he had a mount?


    So, Yuga recalled Flygon leader and, with Audino and Linoone in tow, he mounted the back of Flygon leader.


    Meanwhile, Swellow followed behind Flygon.


    Thankfully, Flygon leader was considerablyrger than a regr Flygon. Otherwise, amodating both Yuga and hispanions''rge forms would have been impossible.


    Flygon truly lived up to its title as a desert spirit; its control over sandstorms was remarkable. During the flight, Yuga didn''t feel a single grain of sand hitting his face.


    Yuga rode Flygon, following the direction indicated by hispass, flying southward.


    Before entering the desert, Yuga knew that Verdanturf Towny to the south of the desert.


    As for why Yuga didn''t fly north to return to Mauville City and then take a car to Verdanturf Town, it was simply more convenient this way. After spending a few days in the desert, Yuga was truly eager to return home.


    Yuga had been away for quite a few days now. He couldn''t help but worry about his group of Pok��mon back home. Even though they were being taken care of by Miltanks, he was still very concerned.


    Flygon''s speed was impressive. After flying for almost half a day, Yuga finally saw green vegetation in the distance.


    Just then, he heard the cries of Pok��mon from the ground. Looking down, he spotted a Lairon.


    What caught Yuga''s attention was that this Lairon had a person on its back, looking up at Yuga in plea for help.


    Yuga signaled to Flygon to descend. Although he didn''t like meddling in others'' affairs, he couldn''t just ignore someone in need.


    Descending from Flygon''s back, Yuga carefully lifted the person off Lairon. He offered the person some water and then took a closer look at their appearance. His first impression was: Wow, this person is really messy.


    The person''s clothes and shoes were all dirty, almost impossible to discern their original colors. Their hair was disheveled, covered not only in sand but also emanating a strange odor.


    As for their face, it was even harder to make out. Yuga couldn''t tell what they looked like; all he saw was a smudge of dirt.


    Looking at the person lying on the ground, Yuga asked Lairon, "Did you all get into trouble while exploring the desert?"


    Lairon quickly nodded.


    Observing the tough armor on Lairon''s back and the various protruding metal pieces, Yuga couldn''t help but sympathize. Did this person really faint because they hit their head on Lairon''s back?


    Yuga: "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure he''s safely taken to the Pok��mon Center. Your Pok�� Balls are with him, right? I''ll recall you for now, or I won''t be able to take you with me."


    Lairon nodded gratefully and used its head to nudge the person''s waist, producing an Ultra Ball.


    Yuga picked up the Ultra Ball and recalled Lairon, then released another Flygon.


    cing the person onto the back of Flygon leader, he let Audino sit together with that person to prevent him from falling off midway. While Yuga and Linoone ride the newly released Flygon.


    The two Flygons took off, continuing their journey.


    As they gradually left the desert behind and entered a forested area, the first thing Yuga saw in the distance was the towering Mt. Chimey. Yuga realized he had entered the range of Lavaridge Town.


    He hadn''t nned to pass through Lavaridge Town when he set out, yet here he was on his way back.


    With his location confirmed, Yuga instructed Flygon to speed up. Finally, by evening, they arrived at Lavaridge Town.


    Upon arriving, Yuga''s first destination was the Pok��mon Center. After all, he was carrying a "dead weight" with him.


    Let Linoone help the person down from the back of Flygon, and recall both Flygons. Then, Yuga strode into the Pok��mon Center and called out, "Nurse Joy,e take a look at this person."


    Soon after, Nurse Joy and Chansey guided the person into the examination room.


    After a while, Nurse Joy emerged from the room and told Yuga, "Your friend is fine. They were just a bit dehydrated and probably haven''t eaten for a few days. As long as they drink plenty of water and eat something, they''ll be okay."


    Yuga waved his hand and told Nurse Joy, "No, no, no. I don''t know this person. I found him in the desert. Since they''re okay now, I''ll be on my way. This is his Pok�� Ball. When he wake up, please return it to him."


    With that, Yuga handed over the Pok�� Ball containing Lairon to Nurse Joy.


    Nurse Joy epted the Pok�� Ball and said, "I see, that''s how it is. Don''t worry, I''ll give it back to him."


    Looking at the time outside, Yuga realized it was evening, but the sky hadn''t turned dark yet. He decided to fly back to Verdanturf directly using Flygon''s speed. Given its pace, they should be able to make it smoothly.


    So, Yuga wasted no time. He had Audino and the others climb onto the back of Flygon leader, pointed in the direction of Verdanturf, and instructed Flygon leader to fly straight there.


    Fortunately, Verdanturf wasn''t far from Lavaridge Town. By around 8 o''clock in the evening, Yuga sessfully arrived in Verdanturf.


    Upon reaching the outskirts of Verdanturf, Yuga recalled Flygon leader and headed home with Audino and the others.


    Meanwhile, back at the Lavaridge Town Pok��mon Center, the person Yuga had brought back, who had been unconscious all this time, finally woke up.


    They opened their bewildered eyes, finding themselves under a pristine white ceiling. They felt a bit disoriented, wondering, "Wasn''t I supposed to be in the desert? Where am I?"


    Just then, Nurse Joy came for rounds and, seeing that the person was awake, eximed in delight, "Oh, you''re awake! Is there anything wrong?"


    "Nurse Joy? Is this the Pok��mon Center?"


    Nurse Joy smiled and replied, "Yes, it is. This is the Lavaridge Town Pok��mon Center. You were brought here while you were unconscious, so naturally, you wouldn''t know."


    "How did I get here?"


    Nurse Joy answered, "A young man brought you here. He said he found you in the desert. Here, this is the Pok�� Ball he wanted me to give you."


    As Nurse Joy spoke, she gestured to the Pok�� Ball ced beside the person''s pillow.


    The person turned to look at their Pok�� Ball and then asked Nurse Joy, "Do you know who that young man is? Where does he live?"


    Shaking her head, Nurse Joy replied, "I don''t know. He didn''t say. As soon as he heard you were okay, he left."


    "I see."

 Chapter 90: Sub-Ecopark

    <h4>Chapter 90: Sub-Ecopark</h4>


    Just as Yuga opened the door to his home and stepped inside, the voice of the system suddenly rang out in the darkness, startling Yuga.


    [ Congrattions to the host forpleting the hidden quest: Distinctive Characteristics. ]


    [ Exnation: In order to better develop the Day Care, the host actively engaged in thought and took action, bringing back Pok��mon with their own distinctive features to the Day Care. ]


    [ Evaluation: Extremely excellent.]


    [ Reward: Qualification to open a Sub-Ecopark. ]


    ...


    [ Congrattions to the host for achieving the achievement: Triumphant Return. ]


    [ Exnation: The host ventured out for the first time and seeded. A noteworthy aplishment. ]


    [ Reward: Ground-type Pok��mon Universal Pok��block form. ]


    Although he was startled, Yuga''s mood quickly brightened upon hearing the system''s message.


    Yuga switched on the lights in his shop and addressed the system, "How do I activate this qualification to open a Sub-Ecopark?"


    The system replied, [ A Sub-Ecopark is an independent space attached to the main Ecopark, each with its own unique characteristics. ]


    [ Here are the Sub-Ecopark options the host can choose from: Volcano, Shallow Seashore, Grasnd, Mine, Desert, Snowy Summit, Forest, Cavern, Haunted House, Dragon''s Den... ]


    Yuga found a chair and sat down, then without hesitation, he selected Desert. Currently, he needed an environment suitable for amodating his Gligar, Flygon, and Trapinch. The others could be amodated in potential future Sub-Ecoparks.


    After selecting, Yuga curiously asked, "How do I activate this?"


    The system exined, [ As long as the host confirms the selection, the system will immediately activate it for the host. ]


    [ Sub-Ecoparks are connected to the main Ecopark but are also independent. The entrance to the Sub-Ecopark is within the main Ecopark, but apart from the host and the Pok��mon in the Day Care, no one else can see or enter it. ]


    Yuga eximed in amazement, "That''s impressive! Can you activate it for me? How long will it take?"


    The system reassured him, [ It won''t take long, just five minutes. ]


    Yuga questioned, "So quick? Didn''t the main Ecopark''s transformation take twelve hours?"


    The system rified, [ It''s different. The main Ecopark involves modifying and decorating the existing space, while the Sub-Ecopark is a pre-existing space. The system just links its entrance to the main Ecopark. ]


    Yuga had an epiphany, "I see."


    While waiting for the system to activate the Sub-Ecopark for the next five minutes, Yuga inquired about the information regarding the universal Pok��block form.


    This so-called Ground-type Pok��mon Universal Pok��block was a type of Pok��block suitable for all Ground-type Pok��mon, meaning both Gligar and Flygon could consume it.


    Yuga felt his system was truly considerate, always providing rewards tailored to his needs.


    Examining the form, Yuga noticed that the berries required to make this Pok��block were quitemon, making the production cost very low.


    Yuga wasn''t one to believe that something cheap was necessarily subpar; his system''s offerings were generally high-quality, and he believed this Pok��block was no exception.


    Approximately five minutester, the system notified Yuga that the Sub-Ecopark had been sessfully activated. Yuga immediately stood up, ready to explore the new area.


    When Yuga arrived at the main Ecopark of the Day Care, it was pitch dark, and the Pok��mon in the yard were already asleep. Yuga didn''t want to disturb them, so he focused his attention on a faint, azure-colored gateway appearing at the edge of the yard.


    Yuga walked over silently and passed through the gateway, greeted by a scenery of ake. The water was a vivid blue, crystal clear, and theke was surrounded by fruit trees, radiating a vibrant atmosphere.


    Perplexed, Yuga asked, "Wasn''t it supposed to be a desert? What''s going on here?"


    The system exined, [ This is the oasis at the heart of the desert. ]


    Realization dawned on Yuga; he had forgotten that oases existed within deserts.


    Yuga requested, "Please provide me with information about this ce."


    System: [ The area of this desert is much smaller than real deserts, but it''s ten times the size of the main Ecopark. Most of the area is covered in yellow sand. ]


    [ The central part of the desert has three adjacent oases, each with the same environment, and each oasis is about the size of the main Ecopark. ]


    [ The entrance connecting the desert and the main Ecopark is set in the central oasis. ]


    [ It''s currently daytime here because it''s just connected to the main Ecopark. In about twenty-four hours, the time here will synchronize with the outside. ]


    [ That''s the overall situation. ]


    Yuga found it strange andmented, "Looking at the size of this desert and the oases, I can''t help but feel like this is the main Ecopark, and the one outside is the Sub-Ecopark."


    The system exined, [ It''s not like that. The reason the main Ecopark is called the main Ecopark isn''t about its size, but because it''s directly connected to the world of Pok��mon, it''s a part of the Pok��mon world. ]


    [ However, no matter howrge a Sub-Ecopark is, it''s essentially just a fragment of space. If the main Ecopark ceases to exist, they''ll lose their support and disappear. ]


    Yuga nodded in understanding, "I see."


    Afterwards, Yuga released all of his Gligars and Flygons.


    He ced the Gligars in the oasis on the left and amodated the Flygons and Trapinchs in the oasis on the right. As for the central oasis with the entrance, Yuga left it empty.


    Since Yuga had already tamed the leaders of the Gligars and Flygons, the other Gligars, Flygons, and Trapinchs were quite obedient. The Pok��mon eggs were also ced in their respective territories.


    Yuga called the leaders of the Gligars and Flygons over and addressed them, "This vast space will be your home from now on. I know your rtionship isn''t great, so I''ve already divided the territory for both of you. Remember, no causing trouble for me in the future."


    Both Pok��mon nodded simultaneously and then returned to their designated territories.


    Afterpleting these tasks, Yugafortably took a shower and fed his Floette and Audino. Then, he went to sleep.


    Lying on his soft bed, Yuga felt truly content. He hadn''t realized how much his home meant to him until he returned from the desert. The feeling of being home was soforting.


    The next morning, Yuga got up, dressed in pajamas, yawned, and with disheveled hair, he groggily went downstairs, startling Suzuki Koen who hade over to open the shop.


    "Wow, you scared me."


    Suzuki Koen Koen patted her chest.


    "It''s just the boss returning. I thought it was a thiefing into the shop."


    Perhaps due to a reallyfortable sleepst night, Yuga still seemed half-asleep. He rubbed his eyes and greeted, "Good morning."


    Suzuki Koen replied, "Good morning. By the way, the fifty Pok��mon eggs for the Day Care have arrived. I couldn''t reach you, so I started selling them directly in the shop."


    Upon hearing Suzuki Koen''s words, Yuga became a bit more awake and said, "Understood, that''s the right thing to do."


    Saying that, Yuga nced behind Suzuki Koen and asked, "Where''s Dian? Why hasn''t hee?"


    Suzuki Koen chuckled and said, "He''s stillzing around at home, refusing to get up. Strawberry is keeping himpany at home."


    Strawberry was the Skitty that Suzuki Koen had bought from the shop the first time she visited. Usually, when Suzuki Koen worked, Strawberry would keep Dianpany in the shop.

 Chapter 91: Lively Ecopark

    <h4>Chapter 91: Lively Ecopark</h4>


    After freshening up and having breakfast, Yuga headed to the Ecopark. The Pok��mon there were delighted to see him and gathered around, making joyful noises.


    Amidst the bustling group, a tiny figure emerged. It pushed and wiggled its way out from between two Eevees, revealing itself with a toothy grin. With eyes the size of small beans, it curiously gazed at Yuga.


    A Budew? Why was there a Budew in his Ecopark? Yuga examined the Budew with curiosity,


    ...


    <<budew>> </budew>


    Attributes: Grass, Poison


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Poison Point


    Potential: Blue


    Level: Unknown


    Skills: Unknown


    ...


    feeling that there was something familiar about this deep blue-aura bud that enveloped its distinctive green form.


    Yuga picked up the Budew and walked toward the weather tree where he had previously ced the Pok��mon eggs. As expected, the eggs were gone, and this Budew was likely thest to hatch from the 31 gically defective eggs, possessing the highest aptitude.


    Happily, Yuga gently patted the Budew''s cheek. In response, the Budew nuzzled his palm, even opening its blossom atop its head.


    Yuga then noticed something unique about this Budew. The usual Budew has a red and blue bud on its head, but this one had two bright red ones. Was it a Shiny Pok��mon? Shiny Pok��mon were said to possess extraordinary abilities. Yuga held the Budew at eye level, examining it closely. Other than the color difference, he couldn''t detect anything unusual.


    Unsure why Yuga was scrutinizing it, the Budew gazed back with its small green eyes, showing no sign of fear.


    The sight amused Yuga, and he chuckled before cing the Budew back on the ground. "Alright, go have fun."


    The Budew stared at Yuga for a moment before toddling away on its tiny feet.


    Yuga then released the rest of his Pok��mon, including Audino and Floette. He addressed them, "From now on, this ce is your home. Treat each other well."


    Audino responded with an enthusiastic "Au~di~no!"


    Turning his attention to Audino, Yuga continued, "Audino, with so many Pok��mon babies around, I''ll be relying on you to help out."


    "Au~di~no!" Audino gave a confident reply, looking pleased with its new responsibility.


    By now, Floette and the others had already gone off to y with their friends Murkrow Houndour, and Vulpix.


    Yuga also took a moment to thank Miltanks. During his absence, they had taken excellent care of the Pok��mon, and they all looked lively and energetic. These Miltank had truly be reliable members of his Ecopark team.


    Yuga introduced Audino to Miltanks, exining that they would all work together to care for the Pok��mon in the Ecopark. Miltanks warmly weed Audino, and the two groups quickly bonded. Miltanks even treated Audino to some of their Moomoo Milk.


    With Audino''s addition, along with Miltanks, Yuga believed that his Ecopark was gradually forming a strong team of Pok��mon assistants to help manage the park efficiently.


    At this point, Yuga felt that he should also dedicate some time to learning. After all, how could he take care of the Pok��mon in the Ecopark without understanding them? As the owner of a Day Care, his knowledge about Pok��mon was quite limited, which wasn''t ideal.


    Returning to the Ecopark, Yuga found Floette ying hide and seek with Chimecho, Vivillon, and the recently arrived Linoone in the flower field.


    Swellow seemed to have befriended Murkrow suddenly. The Murkrow stood on a branch of the weather tree, looking up at it with admiration, though Yuga couldn''tprehend what they were discussing.


    Absol, usuallyposed, was lounging under the weather tree with Vulpix and Houndour, enjoying a rare moment of rxation.


    There was also Mudkip ying in the water, Eevee frolicking on the grass, Medidite meditating, Treckoo hopping around in the Berry trees, Swablu soaring freely in the sky, and Snivy indulging in the berries.


    Everything seemed harmonious, giving the Ecopark a vibrant and lively atmosphere. Yuga felt a sense of aplishment in his heart.


    Yuga decided to check on Gligar and Flygon in the Desert Sub-Ecopark. Both groups appeared to be getting along well. He hadn''t provided them with Pok��blocks yet; the oasis''s fruits were their main sustenance.


    Thankfully, the oasis was abundant in various types of fruits, satisfying both the Gligars and Flygon.


    Flygon had an easier time, as they used to live in the Guardians'' realm, where food was plenty. However, Gligars had a different experience. During their time in the underground maze, they rarely had enough to eat. The current oasis life filled them with happiness.


    Yuga also fulfilled a promise to the Gligar leader. He informed both groups that he would ce the Guardian Orb on the main Ecopark''s weather tree. They could take turns sending a small group of Pok��mon led by their leaders to the main Ecopark daily to receive the orb''s blessings.


    However, he set a few conditions:


    1. Each group should only send a limited number, preferably around ten Pok��mon per batch.


    2. They must peacefully coexist with the main Ecopark''s inhabitants.


    3. No conflicts should arise during simultaneous blessings.


    The Flygon, ever loyal, agreed without hesitation to these conditions. For the Gligars, receiving the Guardian Orb''s blessing was a longstanding wish. The Gligar leader was thrilled and didn''t object.


    Upon returning to the main Ecopark, Yuga immediately retrieved the Guardian Orb and carved a hole on the thick trunk of the weather tree. cing the orb inside, a warm energy enveloped the park, and even the nts seemed to stretch out their leaves instinctively.


    Yuga was satisfied with the effect of the Guardian Orb. He believed that with this orb''s presence, the Ecopark would be more vibrant, and the likelihood of high-aptitude offspring among the Pok��mon here would increase.


    However, he understood that the long-term effect of the orb would require time to gradually influence the Pok��mon in the Ecopark, rather than an immediate transformation.

 Chapter 92: Merit Plan

    <h4>Chapter 92: Merit n</h4>


    Chapter 92: Merit n


    Upon returning from the Ecopark to the store, Suzuki was attending to a customer, so Yuga sat down behind the cash register and opened hisputer.


    When Yuga had tricked Gligar leader earlier, he had promised it two conditions: one was to let it use the Guardian Orb, and the other was to help it evolve into Gliscor.


    He had already fulfilled the first promise, leaving only the second one pending.


    Yuga opened the official League website and navigated to the section about the League store.


    The League store on the official website offeredmon items for most Pok��mon, including Evolution Stones, Evolutionary Items, medicines, Pok�� Balls, special Pok�� Balls, and more. These were benefits provided to trainers by the League.


    Of course, onlyw-abiding citizens of the League were eligible to enjoy this benefit. Once youmitted a crime, your name would be added to the cklist, and you would lose the privilege to ess the League store.


    Registering and logging into the League website required real-name authentication with urate personal information.


    The special section of the League store also contained precious items like rare held items for Pok��mon, move tutors, advanced potions, and more. However, these items could only be purchased with League merit points.


    As long as you were a legitimate citizen of the League and contributed to the League, your profile would be marked with a certain amount of merit points based on the size of your contribution. These points determined your ess to the special section of the League store.


    These merit points had more than one purpose; they also indicated your status within the League.


    Although the Pok��mon League propagated a society of equality, there was no absolute equality anywhere, and the establishment of merit points was an example of this. They discreetly divided citizens of the League into different ranks.


    Of course, to some extent, merit points were also a form of fairness, as this system applied to all legitimate citizens of the League.


    This was simr to the philosophy of Yuga''s previous world, "more work, more rewards; less work, fewer rewards." If you wanted a higher status and power, you had to work hard and strive for it yourself.


    The identity of League-recognized trainers was also rted to the merit points system.


    There were two types of League trainers: solo trainers who chose not to join the League''s system and registered League trainers.


    Both types of trainers could earn League merit points, and both could improve their status within the League based on their merit points.


    However, thetter could hold positions within the League, gain ess to League resources and training, and these benefits could even extend to their descendants. For instance, receiving one of the starter Pok��mon from the local Pok��mon Professor was one such benefit.


    In other words, no matter how many merit points a solo trainer earned or how much they contributed to the League, their benefits only affected themselves, not their families.


    On the other hand, League-registered trainers not only reaped personal benefits from their merit points, but their families also benefited. Moreover, if their merit points reached a certain level, even if something happened to them, their families would still be protected by the League.


    This could be considered a strategy by the Pok��mon League to win over arge number of trainers. Consequently, the majority of trainers in the Pok��mon world were League-registered trainers.


    However, merit points weren''t easy to umte. As the League had developed steadily and society was stable, even though most trainers were registered with the League, they were still regr trainers.


    Currently, Yuga was just a solo trainer because he had never registered his trainer identity. Naturally, he had zero merit points.


    Yuga''s purpose in opening the League store this time was to buy a Razor Fang for Gligar leader. The Razor Fang was amon Evolutionary Item, and although it was pricey, it was purchasable with money.


    Yuga was also making his first purchase from the League store, but fortunately, the process wasn''t tooplicated. After a short while, he found the image of the Razor Fang.


    He clicked on the purchase option, entered the delivery address, and made the payment through his ount. All that was left was to wait for the delivery.


    At this point, Suzuki had finished attending to the previous customer and approached Yuga.


    Seeing hering over, Yuga said, "Did you know that our Day Care has its own website?"


    This website had been set up by Yuga himself earlier. It was quite simple, containing basic information about the Day Care and details about the Pok��mon eggs avable for sale.


    Suzuki shook her head and replied, "I had no idea. You never told me before."


    Yuga opened the Day Care''s website and signaled Suzuki toe closer.


    Once she walked over, Yuga continued, "Take a look. The way we''re operating the Day Care right now is just too ordinary. There are countless Day Cares like ours in Hoenn Region. If we keep going like this, we won''t stand out."


    Listening to Yuga''s words, Suzuki nodded and asked, "You''re right, but what do you have in mind?"


    Yuga thought for a moment and said, "After we sell this batch of regr Pok��mon eggs in the store, we''ll stop dealing with these ordinary ones. Instead, we''ll sell baby Pok��mon and only high-aptitude ones."


    Hearing Yuga''s idea, Suzuki voiced her concerns, "There might be a lot of problems with that approach. First, there''s the issue of sourcing baby Pok��mon. It''s not easy to find high-aptitude baby Pok��mon, and regr breeders won''t supply them. Secondly, the prices of high-aptitude Pok��mon eggs are much higher than regr ones, let alone baby Pok��mon. Even the market price for a basic green-aptitude baby Pok��mon is well over 100,000 Pok�� Dors. Many people won''t be able to afford that."


    "Moreover, these are just the two main issues. There are many more things we need to consider," Suzuki added.


    Yuga smiled and responded, "I''ve already thought of solutions for the points you raised. I''ve already acquired high-aptitude baby Pok��mon; I went out for that purpose this time, so you don''t need to worry about that."


    He continued, "Secondly, high-aptitude Pok��mon are always in demand, so you don''t need to worry about losing customers. Even if we lose those regr customers, we''ll have high-end customersing to us. Plus, when we sell a high-aptitude Pok��mon, it''s equivalent to selling several regr Pok��mon eggs. By focusing on quality, we might actually have an easier time."


    He reassured Suzuki, "With so many people in Hoenn Region and countless trainers in the Pok��mon world, not to mention trainers from other regions, we won''t run out of potential customers."


    However, Suzuki wasn''t fully convinced by Yuga''s optimistic perspective. "There might be many people in Hoenn Region and the Pok��mon world, but that doesn''t mean they''ll necessarilye to us."


    Mystically, Yuga said, "This is where our uniqueness wille into y. And I''ve alsoe up with a ''Poverty Alleviation n.''"


    Confused, Suzuki asked, "Uniqueness? Poverty Alleviation n? What do you mean?"

 Chapter 93: Ideas

    <h4>Chapter 93: Ideas</h4>


    Yuga: "First, let''s talk about our unique features.


    We''ll focus on two types of Pok��mon as our main products, asionally selling other kinds in between. By highlighting these two distinct Pok��mon, we can build a reputation for our Day Care, making more trainers aware of us."


    Suzuki: "Your idea sounds good, but to achieve that effect with two types of Pok��mon, they must be quite rare and not easily avable from other Day Cares."


    Yuga grinned and said, "How about Trapinch and Gligar?"


    Suzuki replied, "For these two Pok��mon, it would work perfectly fine. Trapinch''s final evolution is a Dragon-type, Flygon. Dragon-types are universally recognized as rare, especially a very umon type like Flygon. Additionally, as a Dragon-type, Flygon boasts strong abilities. It''s not inferior to the League''s starter Pok��mon, and with its distinctive appearance, it will be popr not only among male trainers but also among females."


    Listening to Suzuki''s analysis, Yuga nodded, thinking to himself, "No wonder she used to be in business. Her analysis is spot-on."


    Suzuki paused for a moment and continued, "Gligar might not be as rare as Trapinch, but it''s still undoubtedly a rare Pok��mon. Moreover, Gligar''s evolution, Gliscor, is also a powerful Pok��mon and can hold its own against Flygon in terms of strength. Most importantly, Gligar is umon in our area. It''s mainly found in the Johto region and the Sinnoh region, with very few in the Day Care''s region. So, for most trainers, it would offer a fresh experience."


    Yuga nodded, impressed by Suzuki''s understanding of Pok��mon, given that she had attended a Trainer School.


    Listening to Suzuki''s exnation, Yuga said, "I already have these two types of Pok��mon on hand. So, you don''t need to worry now!"


    Suzuki eximed in surprise, "Really? If you actually have these two Pok��mon, then your idea might really be achievable."


    Yuga chuckled, "Of course, I have them. What benefit would I get from lying to you?"


    Suzuki yfully responded, "I didn''t expect that you, as a young boss, would possess quite some skills."


    Yuga proudly stated, "Indeed."


    Afterward, Yuga pointed at the website on theputer and said to Suzuki, "I n to use this website as our main tform for promoting the Day Care."


    "My n is to sell three green-aptitude baby Pok��mon every month, two Trapinch, and one Gligar. We''ll post the information about these Pok��mon on the website and wait for customer inquiries."


    "Although selling only three baby Pok��mon per month seems like a small quantity, the revenue would be dozens of times higher than selling regr Pok��mon eggs."


    "I intend to price Trapinch at 500,000 and Gligar at 400,000. This pricing matches the market rates for rare Pok��mon."


    Suzuki nodded, finding Yuga''s pricing quite reasonable.


    Yuga continued, "We''re aiming for quality. We won''t have trouble selling three Pok��mon because, through website promotion, not only local customers but also people from other regions can see it."


    "So, I have a n. Just as we choose Pok��mon, they also choose us. Therefore, we won''t use the trade machine to deliver the Pok��mon to customers. Instead, we''ll ask customers toe to the shop in person to pick them up."


    "Through this process, we can gain some insight into the customer. I believe a rare green-aptitude Pok��mon is definitely worth a trainer''s trip."


    "If the buyer has obvious character issues, we have the right to refuse further transactions."


    "Of course, we''ll clearly state these rules on the website to prevent disputes."


    Although this approach might not have an immediately noticeable effect, it does have its benefits."


    Suzuki had never heard of a Day Care that observed the future trainers of the Pok��mon they sold. She found her boss quite unconventional.


    However, what the boss said does make sense. Faced with a green-aptitude Trapinch or Gligar, trainers willing toe here would definitely not be few.


    Suzuki thought for a moment and said, "If you n to do this, your current website is definitely insufficient. It''s too rudimentary. I think you''ll need to hire someone specifically to manage this website for you."


    Yuga pondered and nodded, saying, "You''re right. I''ll have to find someone for thatter. Alright, I''m done discussing the unique features. Do you have any other opinions?"


    Suzuki thought for a moment and then shook her head, saying, "No, you''ve already thought of most of the issues. I''ll bring up anything else if needed."


    Yuga said, "Alright, you''re currently the only staff member at our Day Care, so feel free to raise any concerns. Now, let me talk about my ''Poverty Alleviation n.''"


    Suzuki nodded, saying, "I''m all ears."


    Yuga continued, "As you know, while many people today have enough to eat and wear, there aren''t many children who can be trainers. The problem with starter Pok��mon is that they''re the first hurdle on their journey as trainers."


    "Many childrene from families that aren''t well-off, so getting a green-aptitude Pok��mon priced in the hundreds of thousands is nearly impossible."


    "Usually, they settle for the next best thing, opting for red, orange, or yellow-aptitude Pok��mon. After all, these aptitudes cost around 10,000, which is more affordable."


    "However, these Pok��mon are limited by their aptitude and often can''t achieve high levels of aplishment."


    "For most trainers, their starter Pok��mon hold a special ce in their hearts. Even if they obtain higher-aptitude Pok��monter on, seeing their starter Pok��mon fall behind can be emotionally difficult."


    "So, I''ve devised a n for staggered Pok��mon purchases."


    Suzuki asked, puzzled, "Staggered? What do you mean?"


    Yuga exined, "Let me give you an example. Say we price Trapinch at 500,000. Paying 500,000 upfront is certainly difficult for an average family. However, paying a tenth of that, 50,000, annually is more manageable."


    "So, we allow them to split the 500,000 payment over ten years, paying 50,000 each year."


    "Once they be trainers, their ie will undoubtedly change, making repaying the 500,000 quite easy."


    "Of course, those who want to participate must register their identity details here, including home address, family members, and more. Otherwise, if they default, we''ll be at a loss."


    "Also, there''s a quota for this service. It should only be avable to those who genuinely can''t afford a Pok��mon. Otherwise, if too many people participate, I won''t have enough Pok��mon to supply them."


    "The detailed implementation of this n still needs to be worked out."


    Suzuki finally understood the concept of the "staggered purchase" and said, "Boss, you have quite a lot of ideas."


    Of course, Yuga wouldn''t tell her that these ideas weren''t his own but rather inspired by the practices of many businesses in his previous life. Instead, he humbly replied, "Not really, not really."


    Suzuki asked, "But will people really be willing to do this?"


    Yuga responded, "Who cares? We''re not relying on this method to make money. I''m doing this purely to help those children who dream of bing trainers. Otherwise, why would I bother? My Pok��mon sell well regardless."


    Yuga thought to himself, "I''m not even charging interest, what more do you want? Those installment ns in my previous life came with interest. Moreover, my repayment terms are annual, not monthly."


    Yuga''s n was mainly inspired by the mortgage system in his previous life, minus the interest. He was doing this purely for a good cause.


    Yuga continued, "Moreover, if theyck the courage for even this, how can we expect them to achieve much as trainers in the future? If they''re not willing to take advantage of this service, it shows that they''re not truly passionate about bing trainers. Instead of holding onto half-hearted aspirations, they might as well just live as ordinary people."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Suzuki found his reasoning quite sound and didn''t have much else to say.

 Chapter 94: Creating Pokéblocks

    <h4>Chapter 94: Creating Pok��blocks</h4>


    Continuing their discussion, Yuga and Suzuki refined the details of their ns until it was time for lunch.


    At noon, Yuga''s aunt, Hisako, visited the shop.


    The main reason was that Yuga had gone out without informing her. A couple of days ago, Luna hade looking for Yuga and found he wasn''t around. Luna had mentioned this to her own mother, which had made its way to Hisako.


    Yuga had been absent for several days, his phone was unreachable, and there had been no response to any messages. This had naturally led to worries on Hisako''s part.


    "Dear aunt, I just went out to see a friend. There''s no need to worry so much. Look, I''m perfectly fine," Yuga said, spinning around to demonstrate his well-being.


    Of course, he wouldn''t tell his aunt that he hadn''t gone to see any friends but had ventured into the desert for an adventure. Besides, apart from Robert, he didn''t really have any other friends.


    Hisako patted Yuga''s back and said, "As long as you''re fine. Just let us know next time if you''re going somewhere, or you''ll needlessly worry us."


    Yuga quickly wrapped his arms around Hisako''s, trying to appease her. "I understand, I promise next time I won''t do this. I guarantee."


    Pushing away Yuga''s hands from her arm, Hisako continued, "As long as you''re safe, that''s all that matters. If you do this again next time, I won''t...!"


    As she spoke, Hisako raised her hand in a yful threat towards Yuga.


    Yuga quickly pleaded for mercy,ughing as he said, "I won''t, I won''t."


    Hisako hade over after lunch since she had to return to work in the afternoon. She chatted with Yuga for a while and then left.


    After Hisako departed, Yuga got in touch with the person who had previously helped him design the Day Care''s website. He wanted to make some modifications to the site.


    Yuga had also met this person online. At the time, he had posted a task to design a website, and this person had taken it up.


    They had chatted a few times online, and Yuga had found him decent, so they had kept in touch.


    "Hey... you there? Brother Seal?"


    "Yes, what''s up?"


    This person wasn''t very talkative. When chatting with Yuga, he generally answered Yuga''s questions directly.


    Yuga didn''t even know his real name; he only knew him by his online name, "Brother Seal." It sounded cute, aplete mismatch with his actual personality.


    "I want to make some changes to the website you designed for me. I''d like to make it more polished."


    "How do you want to change it?"


    Yuga exined his requirements and also provided the Day Care''s address. He said, "This is the address of our Day Care. Add it to the location I just mentioned."


    "Okay, got it. I''ll let you know once the changes are done."


    Yuga sent a message after that, "Hey bro, can I ask for a favor?"


    "What favor? Go ahead."


    "It''s like this, you know, I run a Day Care. I''m thinking of hiring someone to maintain and manage the website. I was wondering if you knew anyone you could introduce to me?"


    Adding another message, Yuga continued, "Don''t worry, thepensation will be good. I won''t mistreat your friend."


    Brother Seal hesitated for a moment before replying.


    "How about me?"


    "You? Of course, you''re even better. But do you not have any other job?"


    "None. As long as it''s good on your end, I''m okay."


    "If you''re willing, then I certainly have no problem. I''m just not sure if you staying with me will be too far since I don''t know where you''re from."


    "I''m currently living in Rustboro City, not far from your ce."


    "Rustboro City? That''s a big city. How did you think ofing to work in my small town?"


    Regarding Yuga''s question, Brother Seal didn''t provide a direct answer. Instead, he replied, "I''ll be there in a few days, and I''ll have the website changes ready for you to see."


    Yuga didn''t probe further into why Brother Seal didn''t answer his question; after all, everyone had things they preferred not to discuss.


    "Okay, I''ll be waiting for you toe."


    After ending the conversation with Brother Seal, Yuga went to the Ecopark and found Audino.


    Yuga: "Audino, I want to create Pok��blocks for the Trapinch and Gligar. Can you help me?"


    The Pok��blocks Yuga wanted to make were the ground-type universal Pok��blocks provided by the system as rewards.


    Audino naturally agreed after hearing Yuga''s request. She was delighted to be of help to Yuga.


    In addition to Audino, Yuga also called over the Miltanks and Chimecho. The numbers of Trapinch and Gligar were quite substantial, and Yuga and Audino alone wouldn''t be able to handle the workload.


    The ingredients required for the ground-type universal Pok��blocks weremon fruits. They could be found in the orchard of the main Ecopark and in the desert oasis. There was no need for Yuga to buy them.


    The Gligar were responsible for collecting the fruits and cing them in baskets. The Flygons then used their feet to transport the baskets, brimming with fruits, to the main Ecopark and ce them in front of Yuga and the others. In no time, they had collected all the required fruits.


    Yuga had already prepared the fruit blender required for making the Pok��blocks. When all the fruits were in ce, they began their work.


    The Miltanks and Chimecho were responsible for chopping the fruits ording to Yuga''s instructions. The sizes had to be roughly the same, not too big or too small, all chopped into thumb-sized pieces.


    As for Chimecho, Yuga had asked it to use its psychic powers to control the knife while chopping the fruits.


    Chimecho had recently learned psychic abilities, so its control over its own psychic power was quite rough. Yuga hoped that through this task, it would gradually learn how to use its psychic powers with more precision.


    Yuga and Audino''s task was to take the different kinds of chopped fruits and ce them into the fruit blender in certain proportions. Then, they operated the fruit blender to turn the mixture into Pok��blocks.


    The process of creating Pok��blocks wasn''t overlyplicated, just a bit tedious due to the various steps involved.


    The real challenge of making Pok��blocks alwaysy in acquiring the right recipe. The rightbination of fruits and proportions that could create Pok��blocks suitable for the consumption of the Pok��mon was a topic of great concern for all breeders.


    While many fruitbinations would yield Pok��blocks when mixed and blended, the sheer variety of fruits meant that incorrect recipes could potentially be harmful rather than beneficial for the Pok��mon.


    As such, the formtion of each Pok��block recipe was abor of love for countless breeders.


    Just like the Pok��blocks sold by Devon Corp, the ones painstakingly developed by the breeders under their banner were proprietary and confidential, not to be shared outside thepany.


    All the Pok��blocks consumed by the Pok��mon in Yuga''s Ecopark were ordered from Devon Corp.

 Chapter 95: Unexpected Incident

    <h4>Chapter 95: Unexpected Incident</h4>


    Due to therge quantity of Pok��blocks that needed to be produced, Yuga spent the entire afternoon in the Ecopark crafting Pok��blocks alongside Audino.


    However, Yuga quickly realized that his speed in making Pok��blocks was no match for Audino''s, and the quality of the blocks he made was slightly inferior.


    Yuga was very displeased with this, so he put in even more effort, being more meticulous. But in the end, he was defeated and had to reluctantly give up on trying to outdo Audino.


    Truly befitting Nurse Joy''s assistant Pok��mon.


    Once all thepleted Pok��blocks were stored in the main park''s warehouse, Yuga instructed the Miltanks to feed Gligar, Trapinch, and Flygon daily.


    Feeling quite fatigued from yesterday''s extensive Pok��block crafting, Yuga slept soundly through the night. It wasn''t until around 8 or 9 in the morning of the next day that he finally woke up, stretchingzily as he got out of bed.


    As he opened the window after getting up, Yuga intended to let some fresh air into the room. However, as soon as he opened the window, he noticed many people on the street below pointing and talking about his house.


    What could have happened? Was there something wrong with his house?


    Quickly putting on some clothes, Yuga hurried downstairs.


    Upon reaching the ground floor, Yuga saw a crowd of people standing outside the shop, asionally pointing and chatting.


    Yuga turned to Suzuki, who had been in the shop for a while, and asked, "Suzuki, what''s going on? Why is there such amotion outside?"


    Suzuki sighed and gestured outside, saying, "Just go out and see for yourself."


    Still wearing his slippers and sleepwear underneath his coat, Yuga made his way to the entrance with a "patter-patter" of footsteps.


    Just as Yuga reached the door, he spotted a brown Pok��mon lying at the doorstep. On closer inspection, it was none other than Linoone.


    "What are you doing here?"


    As Yuga approached, Linoone noticed him and opened its eyes slightly. It nced at Yuga and then pointed towards the door frame.


    Yuga couldn''t decipher its meaning at all and didn''t pay much attention to it.


    Except for the young Pok��mon, Yuga had granted free ess to all the Pok��mon in the Ecopark. However, most of them preferred to stay within the park''s boundaries and rarely showed an inclination to venture outside.


    Moving past Linoone, Yuga stepped out to see what was happening outside. But as soon as he stepped out, he found himself surrounded by neighbors.


    "Yuga, is this Pok��mon yours? It looks so impressive!"


    One of the women pointed towards the rooftop of Yuga''s house.


    "Yeah, that''s right. It''s a Flygon, isn''t it? I''ve only seen them on TV."


    A man chimed in.


    "Oh my, I recognize this Pok��mon too."


    "Yuga is bing more and more aplished. He even has such powerful Pok��mon."


    ...


    ...


    With Yuga being encircled by a group of neighbors who praised him non-stop, his groggy mind from just waking up instantly cleared up.


    Following the direction they were pointing, Yuga gazed at his rooftop and saw the Flygon leader Flygonsurely basking in the sun, asionally swaying its long, robust tail.


    Yuga was beginning to worry if its tail would end up creating holes in the rooftop.


    The Flygon leader indeed appeared very imposing. With a body half again asrge as other Flygon and a naturally high level, it exuded an impressive aura. It was no wonder that the neighbors were gathering to observe.


    "This is my Pok��mon. There''s nothing special about it. Everyone, please disperse. Gathering outside my house like this isn''t good for business."


    As he watched the neighbors scatter, Yuga let out a relieved sigh. Then, he waved to the Flygon leader perched on the rooftop, signaling for it toe down.


    Seeing his owner waving, the Flygon leader pped its wingszily and descended from the rooftop,nding before Yuga.


    Yuga asked, "How did you end up outside? Were you just staying on the rooftop?"


    "Flygon!"


    The Flygon leader looked at Yuga with its bright red eyes and called out.


    Yuga rubbed his head and said, "I must be silly to ask you. I can''t understand what you''re saying."


    Then he waved his hand and added, "Never mind, never mind. If you want to stay up there, stay. But promise me you won''t cause trouble or harm the townspeople without reason."


    The Flygon leader nodded and flew back up to the rooftop, squinting its eyes to continue sunbathing.


    Returning to the shop, Yuga encountered Linoone at the entrance again and couldn''t help but think, "What''s happening today? Why are one or two of them venturing outside?"


    What Yuga didn''t know was that Linoone hade outside to fulfill its promise to him.


    When Yuga took them out, he had mentioned that he intended to employ them as guard Pok��mon for the Day Care, providing them food and shelter.


    At present, Linoone had a ce to stay and eat at Yuga''s ce, but it hadn''t done anything. This made it feel quite guilty.


    By this time, Audino, who was simrly hired, had already started helping Yuga take care of the Pok��mon and make Pok��blocks. How could it just remain idle?


    So, it took the initiative to guard the shop entrance.


    In truth, it had forgotten that aside from itself, Swellow hadn''t done anything either. Swellow had been preupied with battles against Murkrow and hadn''t thought much about anything else.


    As for the Flygon leader, it felt responsible for Yuga''s safety now that he was its owner. It couldn''t stay cooped up in the Ecopark all the time. How could it? It decided to venture outside. It even relinquished its leader position to another Flygon in the n. (Starting today, it was no longer the Flygon leader but instead would be called the Great Flygon.)


    Yuga couldn''t understand Pok��monnguage, so naturally, he had no clue about their thoughts or reasons for doing what they did. But he didn''t dwell on it.


    Yuga returned to the shop and faced Suzuki with a puzzled expression. "The two Pok��mon outside the door and on the rooftop are mine. From now on, they''ll be responsible for guarding the shop. Don''t worry about them."


    Suzuki nodded and said, "Got it."


    With that settled, Yuga promptly went to freshen up.


    However, news of a powerful Flygon perched on the roof of YoYo Day Care quickly spread through the town. As the owner of the Day Care, Yuga soon became well-known in the town.


    While the town''s residents were aware of YoYo Day Care, the only one running a Day Care there, they didn''t know the owner''s name. But now, Yuga had practically be a local celebrity.


    Verdanturf Town wasn''t a big city, and there hadn''t been any particrly renowned trainers. The only thing that had garnered some attention was its rehabilitation environment. With Yuga''s presence, word spread easily.

 Chapter 96: Training Content

    <h4>Chapter 96: Training Content</h4>


    After finishing his morning routine, Yuga headed to the Ecopark.


    The first thing he did every morning after freshening up was to train with his Pok��mon. This was an essential task that couldn''t be skipped.


    For the 31 young Pok��mon, simple physical training was in order. Since they had recently hatched, apart from moderate physical training, other activities were not very suitable for them.


    As for the other Pok��mon, the morning was reserved for skill training.


    Since learning Psychic, Chimecho had reduced its meditation time. Yuga reced that with more time dedicated to training its psychic abilities.


    To aid in this, Yuga had custom-made many fist-sized solid iron balls. During training, Chimecho used its psychic powers to move these iron balls, performing various challenging movements with them.


    Each day, Yuga adjusted the number of iron balls Chimecho controlled based on its psychic growth.


    The task of teaching Heal Bell to the Miltanks had been handed over to Audino.


    Yuga''s six Miltanks had daily training tasks as well. Apart from learning the skill Heal Bell, physical training was a necessity to ensure the production of high-quality MooMoo Milk.


    Initially, Yuga had considered having the Great Flygon teach Absol the skill methrower. However, he decided against it.


    Although Absol had limited skills and coverage, new skills could always be learnedter. Besides, the Great Flygon wasn''t going anywhere. What mattered was that it hadn''t fully mastered the skill of Future Sight.


    Future Sight wasn''t just an attack skill for Absol; it enhanced its perception and predictive abilities all-around.


    Yuga''s Absol was direct in battles, preferring to charge ahead for an all-out assault.


    Yuga had no intention of changing this behavior. After all, each Pok��mon had its own personality and unique fighting style. It made more sense for the trainer to adapt to them, as they were the main force in battles.


    For a Pok��mon that fought head-on, excellent perception and predictive abilities were crucial.


    Originally, Yuga had nned to teach Absol the skill of Calm Mind, as a means to enhance its psychic power and fully grasp Future Sight.


    But since none of Yuga''s Pok��mon knew the skill, and Yuga himself wasn''t proficient, this idea was abandoned.


    Ultimately, Yuga came up with a rather simple approach.


    Future Sight required charging before use. Yuga instructed Absol to repeatedly use the skill, aiming to make it use the skill as quickly as possible each time.


    Furthermore, Yuga asked Absol to sense the fluctuations of Psychic energy around it while using the skill, attempting to discern patterns in these fluctuations.


    As a Dark-type Pok��mon, Absol was sensitive to Psychic energy, which prompted Yuga to believe this method could help it better understand the application of Psychic skills.


    Practice makes perfect, and although Yuga felt this method was rather crude, he believed it would yield results.


    Yuga''s Vivillon had inherited the skill Quiver Dance, so he tailored all its skill training around that.


    Although Vivillon''s aptitude was superior to other Pok��mon, it had obvious shorings in its species characteristics. The skill Quiver Dance happened to address these deficiencies.


    Yuga prepared an enormous fan, allowing Vivillon to fly within the immense gusts it generated while using the Quiver Dance skill.


    At the outset, Vivillon found flying within the powerful winds quite strenuous. It struggled not only to use Quiver Dance but even to maintain regr flight.


    However, being a Indigo-quality Pok��mon, Vivillon''s intelligence was exceptional. It didn''t take long for it to master the technique of flying in strong winds.


    While it still couldn''t smoothly execute Quiver Dance in the powerful gusts, its flying skills improved rapidly. Yuga believed that soon enough, it would be capable of using Quiver Dance while flying in fierce winds.


    Vivillon was an incredibly diligent Pok��mon. Its level of effort was no less than that of Absol. Yuga frequently witnessed it training alone while the other Pok��mon rested.


    Possibly due to its past experiences of abandonment, Vivillon attached great importance to its strength. Its training was strenuous every day. If Yuga didn''t keep an eye on it, providing massages and regr check-ups, its health would likely suffer.


    Even with Yuga''s supervision, its training load was much higher than the other Pok��mon, surpassing even Absol.


    This was likely a psychological issue for Vivillon, and Yuga often tried to console it. However, the effects didn''t seem to be very apparent.


    Recently, Floette practiced two skills: the Fairy-type transformation skill Misty Terrain and the Fairy-type attack skill Moonst. Both of these skills were taught by Audino.


    As a pure Fairy-type Pok��mon, Floette had always known only one basic Fairy-type skill, Fairy Wind. Its offensive capabilities werecking, which is why Yuga intended to teach it the Moonst skill.


    Actually, Audino was more proficient in the Fairy-type attack skill Dazzling Gleam. However, Dazzling Gleam was a special attack skill with shorter range and less explosive powerpared to Moonst.


    Nheless, Dazzling Gleam was better suited for group battles, whereas Moonst was more appropriate as a single-target attack skill. Both had their own strengths.


    For now, Yuga didn''t n to teach Floette both skills. Quantity doesn''t equate to quality in terms of skills, a principle that anyone understood, especially considering Floette''s current low level and limited strength.


    As for the reason behind learning Misty Terrain, Yuga had conceived it when Audino faced Flygon in the desert battle.


    Misty Terrain was a somewhat unique field-type skill. The field skills Grassy Terrain, Electric Terrain, and Psychic Terrain all provided a boost to the user''s STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) moves. Misty Terrain did not.


    Its primary function was preventing the user from falling into various status conditions. Yuga believed that weakening Dragon-type Pok��mon was merely a secondary effect.


    In the context of the game, this skill might work well against Dragon-type moves, given that Dragon-type Pok��mon weremon. However, in reality, encountering Dragon-type Pok��mon wasn''t that frequent.


    On the other hand, there were many Pok��mon capable of using various interference-type skills.


    However, these effects weren''t Yuga''s primary focus for choosing this skill.

 Chapter 97: Speculation on Field Skills

    <h4>Chapter 97: Spection on Field Skills</h4>


    When Yuga saw Audino using Misty Terrain in battle against the Great Flygon, he wondered if the pink fairy-type energy scattered around could be controlled by its user.


    Yuga had read an academic report by a Pok��mon schr online regarding field-type skills. The schr mentioned that when a Pok��mon uses a field skill, if its opponent''s type is different from the field skill''s type, the skill usage within the field can feel noticeably sluggish.


    Yuga wasn''t concerned about how the schr knew about the sluggishness when using skills; he was more interested in understanding why it happened. However, the schr didn''t provide an answer. Maybe he didn''t know, or perhaps he knew butcked evidence to prove it.


    Regardless of the reason, Yuga''s interest was piqued.


    Normally, except for special locations, all elemental energies within a space are bnced, allowing Pok��mon to use skills of various types without hindrance.


    However, when a field skill takes effect, the energy of that specific type in the space significantly increases, pushing out energies of other types.


    Yuga spected that the sluggishness experienced by other Pok��mon when using skills and the increased power of skills of the same type as the field skill might be due to this reason.


    As for why the power of Fairy-type skills didn''t increase within Misty Terrain, Yuga didn''t have an answer yet.


    However, Fairy-type energy possesses strong dispelling and purifying abilities. This might be why Misty Terrain prevents Pok��mon from falling into abnormal statuses. This characteristic stands in stark contrast to Dark and Ghost-type energies.


    Yuga thought that if Pok��mon could control the energy within the field skills they use, it would be like creating a domain where they are greatly strengthened while opponents are substantially weakened.


    However, these were just Yuga''s spections. Their feasibility needed verification. Even if his spection was correct, the effects might not be significant if both battling parties and the field skill''s type were the same.


    Yet, Yuga believed that in order to realize this idea, the Pok��mon using the field skill must match the attribute of the field skill.


    For instance, the user of Misty Terrain must be a Fairy-type Pok��mon. It would be difficult for Normal-type Pok��mon like Audino, who uses Misty Terrain, to achieve this spection.


    It would be quite challenging for Pok��mon with attributes differing from the field skill''s type to control the energy within the field. The most difficult part of this experiment''s sess would be figuring out how to enable Pok��mon to manipte the energy within the field skill, which is a challenging task.


    If it were easy to aplish, others would have discovered this secret long ago.


    Yuga decided to name this n the "Domain Project." He intended to first experiment with Floette, and if it seeded, he would extend it to other Pok��mon.


    However, before he could proceed, Yuga needed to teach Floette how to use Misty Terrain.


    Because Floette was well-versed in the use of Fairy Wind, a foundational fairy-type skill, learning Misty Terrain should be rtively easy. Mastery of this skill would greatly aid in learning the skills Dazzling Gleam and Moonst.


    Yuga felt that Floette might find learning Moonst easier. However, he wasn''t in a hurry to teach Floette this ultimate move. Instead, he decided to focus on teaching it Misty Terrain first.


    While learning Moonst would simply broaden Floette''sbat capabilities and output, learning Misty Terrain was part of Yuga''s hypothesis and experimentation.


    Yet, learning Misty Terrain wasn''t that straightforward. No matter how Audino exined the principles of its usage, Floette couldn''t seem to fully utilize the skill.


    However, field skills were generally difficult to learn. Only a small number of Pok��mon possessed this skill, so it wasn''t surprising that Floette struggled.


    At this point, Audino had already stopped personally guiding Floette in learning Misty Terrain. It had moved on to teaching the Miltank about Heal Bell, believing that it had already imparted the essence of the skill to Floette, and the rest could be left for it toprehend on its own.


    Floette held its breath, closing its eyes as it floated in mid-air. It carefully reviewed all the methods Audino had taught it for learning Misty Terrain, striving to grasp the ability to use the field skill.


    However, despite the passage of a long time, there was no change in its surroundings. With a downcast expression, Floette looked at Yuga, appearing somewhat miserable. Its expression seemed to be asking Yuga, "Am I really so dumb?"


    Yuga smiled andforted it, saying, "No need to feel this way. Let''s take it slowly. Learning this skill isn''t easy, but with time, we''ll manage to learn it. Calm yourself, clear your mind, and try to perceive andmunicate with the fairy-type energy."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Floette regained itsposure and continued to attempt the challenge.


    Yet, reality was often harsh, and even by the time the morning training session ended, Floette hadn''t managed to sessfully use Misty Terrain even once.


    Seeing Floette''s frustration, Yuga reassured, "We have plenty of time. If we can''t learn it in one day, we''ll use two days, and if not in two, then three. We''ll learn it eventually."


    Yuga''s encouragement didn''t manage to lift Floette''s spirits. It remained despondent.


    Yuga patted Floette''s small head and said, "Alright, take a break now. We''ll have breakfastter."


    Afterforting Floette, Yuga proceeded to give massages to the little Pok��mon that had just finished their morning run. With Audino''s assistance, this task became much easier.


    Once all this was done, Yuga didn''t leave the Ecopark. Instead, he headed to the Desert Sub-Ecopark.


    First, he arrived at the oasis where Gligars resided. However, upon seeing the situation inside, Yuga was almost driven to anger.


    Gligar leader was currently reclining on a chaise lounge crafted from woven leaves, adopting an extremelyfortable posture. The area around the lounge was piled high with uneaten tree fruits, and assistants on either side were attending to its every need. Its leisure was almost indescribable.


    Yuga chose not to disturb them and made his way to the Flygons'' habitat.


    True to his expectations, the situation there wasn''t much different from that of Gligars. Although they didn''t indulge in luxury like Gligars, they were lyingzily on the ground.


    Both these groups had enjoyedfort for far too long, devoid of any vigor or fighting spirit. It wasn''t surprising that their poptions were in decline.


    Returning to the main Ecopark, Yuga had Audino and Miltanks summon the leaders of both groups.


    Looking at Gligar leader and the Great Flygon before him, Yuga began to speak, "Both of you are leaders of various groups, and now there are some things I need to say to you."


    Yet, before Yuga could finish speaking, the Great Flygon took off and flew directly into the light gate leading to the Desert Sub-Ecopark.


    Yuga wore a bewildered expression. What just happened? Why did it fly away? I hadn''t even begun speaking yet.

 Chapter 98: Learning

    <h4>Chapter 98: Learning</h4>


    When the Great Flygon returned, another Flygon followed closely behind it.


    The two Flygonsnded in front of Yuga. The Great Flygon pointed to the other Flygon beside it.


    What did this mean? Yuga was utterly perplexed.


    After much gesturing, Yuga cautiously said, "Are you telling me to talk to it? That you''re passing on the position of leader to it?"


    The Great Flygon nodded.


    Yuga couldn''t fathom why the Great Flygon would suddenly step down. It wasn''t old, let alone deceased. Why relinquish leadership?


    However, Yuga didn''t concern himself with who the leader was. To him, it made no difference.


    Yugaposed himself and said, "Now that both of your leaders are here, let me speak.


    Starting tomorrow, both of you leaders shoulde to the main Ecopark for training. Once your training is done, return to the Sub-Ecopark and train your tribesmen with the same program."


    Gligar leader, who had grown ustomed to enjoying days of leisure, was immediately inclined to object. But Yuga didn''t give it the chance to argue. He quickly continued, "Every month, your two tribes will have apetition. The losing side will have half of their members reduced each day in the next month''s Orb Purification Ceremony.


    Finally, I''m informing andmanding you, not negotiating. Understand?"


    Gligar leader had no more intention to object. It nodded obediently.


    The newly appointed Flygon leader, on the other hand, was quite cooperative. It had no objections to Yuga''s arrangements.


    Yuga thought for a moment and added, "When you train your tribesmen, don''t even think about cking off. I''ll have someone keep an eye on you regrly."


    As he spoke, Yuga intentionally nced at Gligar leader, causing it to tremble under his gaze.


    Truth be told, Gligar leader still greatly feared Yuga, mainly because of the harsh lesson Yuga''s Pok��mon had taught it when they first met.


    After concluding the conversation with Gligar and Flygon leaders, Yuga, along with the Audinos and the Miltanks, fed energy blocks to the park''s inhabitants. Afterward, they returned to the store.


    As soon as he stepped into the store, Yuga heard bursts of cheerfulughter. Upon getting closer, he saw Dian ying with Skitty and Linoone, apparently engrossed in some game, thoroughly enjoying themselves.


    Yuga approached Suzuki and said, "Dian is here today too, huh? I didn''t see him in the store earlier, so I thought he hadn''te today."


    Suzuki cast a nce at the happily ying Dian and exined, "He dide. He was ying hide and seek with Strawberry earlier, that''s why you didn''t see him."


    "I see."


    "Oh, by the way, there''s a package that just arrived. It''s addressed to you."


    Suzuki reached below the cash register and retrieved a box, handing it to Yuga.


    Yuga took the box and, without needing to guess, knew exactly what it was: the Razor Fang he had ordered. Opening the box confirmed his assumption.


    Yuga nced at the Razor Fang, put it away, and paid no more attention to it. It only worked at night, and he wasn''t in a hurry. Moreover, Gligar leader''s behavior had left him quite dissatisfied. Yuga decided to dy using it.


    As Yuga was about to turn and leave, he suddenly remembered something. He turned back to Suzuki and said, "By the way, I''ve hired a new employee specifically for managing and maintaining our website. They should be arriving in a few days. Keep an eye out for them."


    After finishing his statement, Yuga moved a chair under the weather tree in the store and brought aputer to sit down, opening an online breeding course to start studying.


    Yuga decided that whenever he had time, he would dedicate himself to learning the knowledge of a breeder. As the owner of a daycare, there were certain things he should know.


    Breeding courses in the world of Pok��mon were generally quite expensive. While some academic discussions were free to ess, anything involving the imparting of knowledge came at a cost.


    Considering the money he had spent on these courses, Yuga thought it wouldn''t be very cost-effective to learn them all by himself. So, he called Linoone, who was ying with Dian, and said, "Go fetch Audino for me. Let her know I need to speak with her."


    Linoone nodded and dashed towards the Ecopark.


    When Linoone found Audino, she was ying with the baby Pok��mon in the park. As soon as she heard Yuga needed her, she left the park.


    Seeing Audino approaching with Linoone, Yuga smiled and waved at her, saying, "Come over here, quickly."


    As Audino reached him, he pulled out another chair and gestured for her to sit down. Then he said, "In order to improve our skills for future work, we need to continuously enhance our proficiency. Come, let''s learn together."


    Audino shifted her gaze to theputer screen and became engrossed in the knowledge being taught by the instructor.


    The lesson Yuga was currently studying was titled "How to Clean the Bodies of Ground and Rock-type Pok��mon."


    We all know that the body structures of many Pok��mon are quite unique, especially for Ground and Rock-types. Their bodies often have many joints and crevices, such as Geodude, Rhyhorn, and Aggron, among others.


    These joints and crevices tend to umte a lot of dirt, but due to their elemental traits, these Pok��mon often despise water. Hence, cleaning their bodies is not aplished with water.


    Afterpleting this lesson, Yuga and Audino proceeded to learn "How to Keep the Bodies of Water-type Pok��mon Clean."


    Because Water-type Pok��mon live in water for extended periods and frequently swim, their bodies often appear clean. However, that''s not the reality.


    Water bodies are one of the ces with the highest prevalence of parasites. In ces we can''t see, various parasites thrive in seemingly clean water.


    As a result, the bodies of Water-type Pok��mon, within their armor and scales, often host numerous harmful organisms.


    Learning how to keep these parasites away from their bodies is a crucial skill.


    Subsequently, they studied courses such as "Identifying Tree Fruit Types," "Selecting High-Quality Tree Fruits," and "Taste Preferences of Pok��mon of Different Attributes." The day passed by unnoticed as they delved into their studies.


    After finishing these courses, Yuga felt his brain swelling, but Audino was still deeply engrossed. This led Yuga to wonder if the mental capacity of Pok��mon wasrger than that of humans.


    While it was known that Pok��mon like kazam and Metagross hadrger brains than humans, he hadn''t heard that Audino''s intelligence was also of that sort.


    In the evening, when Yuga returned from the Ecopark after training the Pok��mon, he found Audino still under the weather tree, holding theputer. He shook his head helplessly.


    Seeing Audino''s diligence, was she nning to be a top-tier breeding master?

 Chapter 99: Windy

    <h4>Chapter 99: Windy</h4>


    For the next several days, Yuga''s life continued in a calm manner. It consisted of daily routines��eating, sleeping, training and taking care of the Pok��mon, and studying with Audino. However, one thing that drove Yuga to the edge was that ever since Audino learned how to use aputer, it seemed like it had opened the door to a new world.


    Besides studying courses Yuga had purchased, Audino also bought various courses online that piqued its interest. Since Audino''s online learning ount was linked to Yuga''s, within just three days, Audino managed to spend a considerable amount of Yuga''s money on courses.


    Checking through the courses it had bought, Yuga found that they weren''t just rted to Pok��mon; many of them were about various aspects of human life.


    Thankfully, Audino had opted for video courses. If it had bought text-based materials, Yuga wondered how it would understand them.


    But that wasn''t all. It also learned how to cook online. These days, it would drag Yuga to the market to buy ingredients and then cook for him when they returned. Since Yuga was used to cooking for himself, he was already familiar with the vendors at the market. The uncles and aunties selling vegetables there recognized him, and they gradually got to know Audino, who appeared with him.


    As a result, the neighbors came to know about Audino''s exceptional domestic skills. In fact, Audino became even friendlier with the local residents than Yuga himself. When Yuga and Audino walked on the street together, everyone would first greet Audino, and then Yuga. Sometimes, they even seemed to forget Yuga altogether.


    Surprisingly, Audino''s cooking was actually quite good. Although it couldn''t be considered a top chef, it made everyday dishes very vorful. Even Suzuki Koen, who had lunch here every day, praised it, especially Dian, who loved Audino''s cooking.


    In the training of the past few days, the Gligar leader had also performed quite well. To reward it, Yuga finally took out the Razor Fang and, in the evening, handed it over to the Gligar leader. This allowed it to sessfully evolve into Gliscor.


    Perhaps because Yuga had fulfilled both promises, the Gligar leader had be much more sincere in its dealings with him. It was no longer as deceitful as before.


    One day, while taking Floette and the others to the Pok��mon Center for a check-up, Yuga returned to find Suzuki Koen waiting at the shop''s entrance.


    Seeing Yuga return, Suzuki Koen immediately approached and said, "Boss, you''re back. The person you mentioned hase."


    Yuga was momentarily puzzled and casually asked, "What person?"


    Suzuki Koen quickly exined, "It''s the person you hired to maintain the website. They''ve been here for a while, waiting for you toe back. They''re still inside."


    pping his forehead, Yuga realized what had happened. He had indeed told Brother Seal that he would arrive in two days, but those two days had passed, and he had forgotten about it in the meantime.


    "Well, what are we waiting for? Let''s go in quickly."


    Yuga entered the shop and immediately saw the young person seated inside. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to call them young; they seemed several years younger than Yuga in terms of appearance.


    Approaching cautiously, Yuga asked, "Are you Brother Seal?"


    The young person in front of him was quite petite, with a baby face and big, shining eyes. They had light green hair that looked extremely soft and cute. They were nothing like the Brother Seal that Yuga had imagined.


    "Yes, that''s me. My real name is Windy. You must be the store manager."


    Yuga had always assumed that Brother Seal would be a man in his thirties at least, or at the very least a capable young man in his twenties. He never expected it to be such an adorable young person.


    Yuga pointed towards the direction of the dining area and said to Windy, "Let''s discuss inside, it''s not convenient here."


    Yuga''s house wasn''trge. Apart from the storefront on the ground floor, there were only three other areas: the kitchen, the dining area, and a bathroom. Suzuki Koen had evene here for their job interview in the dining area.


    Once in the dining area, Yuga gestured for Windy to take a seat and asked, "You seem quite young, is it really suitable for you to work outside?"


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Windy''s face flushed red immediately. They stammered, "I''m 22 years old this year, so I''m not that young."


    Windy''s response left Yuga a bit awkward too. He had never expected someone who looked younger than him to already be 22 years old.


    Speaking of appearances, Windy did indeed seem quite youthful, but their voice was much deeper than one would expect from their appearance. It wasn''t the typical high-pitched voice associated with youths.


    Feeling slightly embarrassed that he had mistaken a young adult for an underage person, Yuga cleared his throat and said, "Since your age isn''t a problem, then it''s settled. Let''s discuss yourpensation."


    Before Yuga could continue, Windy asked, "Can I ask you a question?"


    Yuga nodded and said, "Go ahead."


    Expressionless, Windy stated, "I checked out your Day Care before you came back. It''s a small Day Care and business doesn''t seem to be great. Do you really need a website? Are you sure you want to hire me?"


    It wasn''t surprising that Windy would ask such a question. Most people would likely think the same after seeing Yuga''s Day Care.


    Yuga chuckled as he replied, "What you''ve seen might be a bit different from what it seems. You''ll understand thister. Also, since I informed you toe, it naturally means I intend to hire you. I don''t have a habit of toying with people."


    After hearing Yuga''s response, Windy nodded and said, "That''s fine then. However, let''s not discusspensation for now. Why don''t we take a look at the website modifications I''ve made for you first?"


    With that, Windy took out aptop from the backpack they had been carrying and opened it up. After a few clicks, they pushed theptop towards Yuga and said, "This is the website I''ve modified for you. Take a look and see if there''s anything inappropriate."


    The overall design of the modified website was dominated by shades of green. At the top of the page was an illustration of a flower bed, with cute b��b�� happily dancing among the flowers.


    This design was what Yuga had requested. Since his starter Pok��mon was a b��b��, he hade up with this idea.


    Beneath the flower bed, the website disyed the YoYo Day Care''s address in bold red font, along with the owner''s name.


    In the middle were three yellow nk squares, intended to showcase pictures and information about the Pok��mon avable for sale each month.


    The lower right corner held the appointment window. Whether customers were buying the Pok��mon avable that month or utilizing installment payment services, they could make appointments through this window.


    On the left side, there was a section for customerments and messages, providing an avenue for feedback.


    The website looked clean and elegant as a whole, fulfilling all of Yuga''s requests. He was very satisfied with the design.

 Chapter 100: Renting a Place

    <h4>Chapter 100: Renting a ce</h4>


    After reviewing the website design, Yuga looked up and said, "I''m quite satisfied with the website you''ve designed. If you''re willing, you can start working here anytime."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Windy nodded without disying any particr expression. There was neither joy nor discernible displeasure.


    Yuga continued, "Let me tell you about your sry and job responsibilities."


    Windy spoke very little; it seemed like they preferred not to speak if possible. However, they frequently nodded and shook their head in response to Yuga''s questions. Consequently, Yuga had to take the initiative to exin the situation to them.


    "Your sry will be the same as Sister Koen''s. Oh, Sister Koen is thedy who just greeted you in the shop. Her name is Suzuki Koen, and she''s the only other employee here apart from you. You can call her Sister Koen as well."


    Windy nodded in understanding.


    Yuga went on, "So, Sister Koen''s monthly sry is 3,000. Yours will be the same. Do you have any objections?"


    Windy shook their head, indicating they had no objections.


    Yuga continued, "Great, now that thepensation issue is settled, let''s talk about your job responsibilities.


    Apart from daily website maintenance and management, you''ll also be responsible for answering customer queries on the website, gathering customer feedback, introducing the Day Care''s services, and handling promotional activities.


    What do you think? Any questions?"


    Windy listened attentively, and after Yuga finished exining, they indicated that they had no issues with these tasks.


    Yuga felt somewhat apologetic as he added, "Your workload might be a bit heavy and the tasks might be somewhat intricate. So, if you perform well, I''ll provide you with bonuses.


    By the way, have you found a ce to stay?"


    Windy shook their head, indicating that they hadn''t. They hade straight to the YoYo Day Care as soon as they arrived in Verdant Shade Town and hadn''t had the chance to look for amodations yet.


    Yuga pondered for a moment and said to Windy, "Wait here for a moment. Let me inquire around and see if I can find a ce for you to stay. After all, you''re new here and might not be familiar with the area."


    In truth, Yuga felt somewhat guilty. Windy was a talented individual, and even though the wage he offered wasn''t high, he was still willing to work here. Yuga felt he should help him out a bit.


    Yuga wasn''t quite sure where Windy could find amodation. After leaving the shop, he stood at the entrance of Mr. Kate''s house and called out, "Mr. Kate, Mr. Kate, are you there?"


    The door of Mr. Kate''s house creaked open, and Mr. Kate walked out. Seeing Yuga standing at the doorway, he asked, "What''s the matter, Yuga?"


    Yuga exined, "Well, I wanted to ask if you know of any houses for rent near our ce."


    Mr. Kate thought for a moment and said, "Ah, yes. The house across from your ce, owned by Grandpa Banana, is up for sale. You could ask him if he''s willing to rent it to you."


    Yuga found this puzzling and asked, "Why would Grandpa Banana want to sell his house? Isn''t he living there just fine?"


    The house owned by Grandpa Banana was right across from Yuga''s Day Care. The two houses were adjacent to each other on the north and south sides of the street, and they had been neighbors for quite a few years.


    Mr. Kate chuckled and said, "Do you remember Raiu you used to y with? He''s working in Rustboro City now, and he''s bought a house there. He''s nning to bring his grandpa to live with him. I heard he doesn''t intend toe back here, so they''ve decided to sell this old house."


    Yuga thought for a moment. In his original memories, there was indeed a big brother named Raiu. He was about five or six years older than Yuga. Yuga used to y with him often when he was a child. However, he hadn''t seen him since he left for another city.


    "I see, that''s the case. I''ll go ask Grandpa Banana then."


    With that, Yuga turned and headed across the street.


    However, Yuga was unsessful in securing the rental. Grandpa Banana wasn''t willing to rent out the house.


    The reason was that Raiu wouldn''t have the chance toe back in the future. Selling the house was more preferable than renting it out, as collecting rent from a distant ce would be inconvenient. Even though rent could be transferred electronically, it was still one''s own property, and there would always be some level of unease about it being far away.


    Feeling disappointed that he couldn''t be of help, Yuga walked home with a deted spirit.


    At that moment, Mr. Kate, who was about to head out, saw Yuga''s return and asked, "What happened? You couldn''t secure the rental?"


    Yuga looked up at Mr. Kate and sighed, saying, "Yes, Grandpa Banana isn''t willing to rent; he only wants to sell."


    Mr. Kate responded, "Why are you looking to rent anyway? Don''t you have a house of your own?"


    Yuga pped his forehead, realizing that he did indeed have an empty house!


    In fact, apart from Yuga''s room on the second floor of his house, the rooms that once belonged to his grandparents and his parents were all vacant.


    The room that had belonged to his grandparents had been unused for many years and had been turned into a storage room by Yuga''s parents. The room belonging to Yuga''s parents, however, remained intact. Perhaps due to the influence of his original memories, Yuga hardly ever went in there; he always felt a sense of difort.


    Yuga thought for a moment and concluded that it wouldn''t be an issue for Windy to stay in his parents'' room. As long as they didn''t cause too much damage, it should be fine. So, he hurriedly returned to the shop.


    When Yuga entered the shop, he found Windy sitting under the weather tree on the stool Yuga usually used for studying. Theirptop was on theirp, and they were typing away, seemingly engrossed in something.


    Sitting next to Windy was Dian, who was clutching strawberry, staring at Windy without blinking.


    Yuga went over and immediately scooped up Dian, asking, "What are you looking at, little one?"


    Dian was startled by Yuga''s sudden movement, but upon seeing that it was Yuga, it broke into giggles.


    After a bout of giggles, Yuga pinched the chubby little face and asked, "You still haven''t told me what you''re so focused on. You seem quite engrossed."


    Dian pointed a giggling finger at Windy.


    Yuga smiled and said, "This is Brothet Windy, the one you''ve been watching."


    Dian mimicked Yuga and called out, "Brother Windy!"


    Yuga straightened up and set Dian down, saying, "Alright, go y on your own. The Big Brother manager and Brother Windy have something to discuss."


    After Dian scampered off, Yuga turned to Windy and said, "I didn''t manage to find a ce to rent."


    Windy paused their typing and replied, "It''s alright. I''ll look for one myselfter."


    Yuga continued, "I haven''t finished yet. You''re in a hurry. There''s an empty room in my house. It used to belong to my parents. If you don''t mind, you can stay there. I won''t charge you rent either. After all, it''s just sitting vacant. You moving in will give it some life. Just make sure to keep it clean."


    Windy nodded and said, "Sure, thank you."


    Yuga smiled and extended his right hand, saying, "Wee aboard YoYo Day Care."


    Windy shook Yuga''s right hand, saying, "Nice to meet you."


    The two exchanged smiles.

 Chapter 101: A New Beginning

    <h4>Chapter 101: A New Beginning</h4>


    After tidying up the room for Windy, Yuga returned to the ground floor and asked Suzuki Koen, "Sister Koen, how are the remaining Pok��mon eggs selling?"


    Suzuki Koen took out the store''s ledger, flipped through it, and replied, "There are just a few left. They''re pretty much sold out."


    Yuga thought for a moment before speaking, "Since that''s the case, we can now begin our new business model. Let me go get Windy, and we can discuss it together."


    Suzuki Koen put away the ledger and nodded, saying, "Sure."


    After Windy joined them, the three of them gathered in the dining area. Yuga briefly exined his business philosophy and model to Windy.


    Windy hadn''t expected that their small Pok��mon Day Care would be able to cultivate rare Pok��mon like Trapinch and Gligar as part of their signature offerings. Nor had they anticipated that their boss would have such an innovative business model.


    Yuga thought for a moment and added, "We won''t be selling Pok��mon eggs in the shop anymore. The space where we had the Pok��mon egg counter can be repurposed to sell Pok��blocks.


    I have a form that''s particrly suited for Ground-type Pok��mon. Whether it''s Trapinch or Gligar, consuming these Pok��blocks will significantly boost their growth. We can produce these cubes and offer them for sale in the shop.


    Customers who buy Trapinch and Gligar from us can also ce orders for these Pok��blocks. This way, we not only make money but also provide convenience to our customers."


    Yugapared the effectiveness of the Ground-type Pok��mon Universal Pok��block the system provided to many other Pok��blocks on the market and found that it surpassed any high-quality Pok��block he had evere across.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Windy said, "That''s a great idea. Nowadays, most Pok��mon Day Cares coborate with Pok��blockpanies. They sell Pok��mon and Pok��blocks simultaneously. With just three customers per monthing to us, over time, even if our Pok��block production isn''t high, we can sustain a steady supply for them. As long as our Pok��blocks are of high quality, there''s no doubt they''ll buy."


    Perhaps Windy had spoken too much at once, they seemed somewhat ufortable. Their cheeks had even turned a bit red, whether from nervousness or shyness was unclear.


    Yuga said, "You''re absolutely right. Let''s start by posting the information about the three Pok��mon for this month on our website."


    Yuga instructed Linoone to bring a Gligar and two Trapinch from the Desert Sub-Ecopark to the main Ecopark. These three Pok��mon had been pre-selected by Yuga, and their physical conditions and ages were suitable for sale.


    Soon, Linoone brought over the three Pok��mon.


    The leaders of both groups were not against Yuga selling members of their tribes. It was in the nature of Pok��mon to support anything that benefited them. Yuga had also promised them that he would carefully select Trainers for them, ensuring they would find suitable ones.


    For these Pok��mon, either leading a carefree life in the Ecopark or finding a lifelong partner in a trustworthy Trainer were both excellent choices.


    Additionally, both groups had been domesticated by humans for generations, so they didn''t reject having human Trainers.


    Now, for the recently hatched Trapinch and Gligar, Yuga made sure that their older counterparts subtly conveyed the idea to them that they would have a human Trainer to apany them on journeys and adventures.


    This way, by instilling this notion right from their birth, it would naturally prepare them to ept their future human Trainers.


    This strategy borrowed from the League''s educational approach towards raising starter Pok��mon. They employed a simr method, allowing young starter Pok��mon to naturally ept their new Trainers who came to select them.


    Yuga took photos of the three Pok��mon and handed them to Windy to upload into the three empty boxes on the website. Then, he inputted the basic information about the three Pok��mon.


    ...


    <<gligar>> </gligar>


    Type: Ground/Flying


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Sand Veil


    Nature: Hardy


    Level: 5


    Moves: Poison Sting, Harden, Night sh


    ...


    <<trapinch>> </trapinch>


    Type: Ground


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Hyper Cutter


    Nature: Hardy


    Level: 5


    Moves: Sand Attack, Endure, Mud-p


    ...


    <<trapinch>> </trapinch>


    Type: Ground


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Sand Veil


    Nature: Hardy


    Level: 5


    Moves: Bite, Hold On, Signal Beam


    ...


    These three Pok��mon were meticulously chosen by Yuga. Each one excelled in terms of physical development and skill inheritance, all in order to make YoYo Day Care stand out.


    Take this Gligar, for example. Not only did it possess the attacking move Poison Sting and the defensive move Harden, but it also inherited the strong Dark-type move Night sh as an ace in the hole.


    With the images and basic information of the three Pok��mon entered into the website, Yuga instructed Linoone to return the three Pok��mon to the Ecopark.


    Although YoYo Day Care''s website didn''t have a high traffic of visitors, there were still some people who took a look.


    After fully updating the website with the information and images of the Gligar,ments immediately started appearing in thements section.


    "What''s happening? I haven''t checked for a few days, and now YoYo Day Care''s website haspletely changed?"


    "Is this for real? Are there really Gligar and Trapinch?"


    "Was what I saw before just an illusion? Is this sophisticated version the real YoYo Day Care?"


    "What''s this installment business about? I''m not well-educated, I don''t understand."


    "Is the exnation for this installment business real? Boss, you''re seriously a genius."


    ...


    ...


    YoYo Day Care had originally been an ordinary small-scale Pok��mon Day Care. The website''s visitors were typically very few, and most of them were not there to buy Pok��mon; they were either just browsing or joining in the fun. Therefore, this "grand re-opening" of YoYo Day Care''s website, aside from a fewments from users, didn''t cause a significant stir.


    After skimming through thements in thement section, Yuga said, "Alright, we''ve done what we needed to. Now, we just need to wait for customers to get in touch with us. Let''s tidy up the shop next."


    So, the three of them began organizing the empty ss disy counters in the shop.


    Yuga intended to gift the special cushions that were originally used for disying Pok��mon eggs to the Gligar tribe and the Trapinch tribe. They could use them as nests for newly hatched Pok��mon eggs.


    The originally straight rows of counters were now arranged in the shape of the letter "��". In the middle, there was a table and a few chairs set up for customer reception.


    They couldn''t have customers justing in and heading straight to the dining area; it wouldn''t be very presentable.


    However, due to the space-consuming arrangement, a few counters were removed by Yuga. After all, these were used to disy sample Pok��blocks, so they didn''t require too many counters.

 Chapter 102: Taro’s Decision

    <h4>Chapter 102: Taro''s Decision</h4>


    Taro, a trainer from Fortree City, had just turned twenty years old this year. It had been a decade since he received his first Pok��mon.


    Ten years ago, he had witnessed a battle between the Gym Leader and a challenger at the Fortree Gym. That experience ignited his dream of bing a trainer.


    His first Pok��mon was a Volbeat, amon species in the vicinity of Fortree City. He had captured it with his father back then.


    However, being a wild-caught Pok��mon, even after careful selection by him and his father, the Volbeat''s aptitude remained average at best.


    After ten years of his journey as a trainer, his initial Volbeat had long fallen behind his progress and was no longer part of his main team. It now resided at home, keeping his parentspany.


    The fiercepetition among countless trainers was something Taro understood all too well. Over the past decade, he had traveled to various ces: participating in the Kanto Quartz League, the Johto Silver Conference, and multiple other tournaments, including the Hoenn Mirage Conference. However, his best achievement in thesepetitions had been reaching the top 16.


    Throughout the years, he had captured several Pok��mon: in Hoenn, it was Whismur, Taillow, and Shroomish; in Kanto, it was Geodude, Pidgey, and Zubat; and in Johto, he captured Spinarak, Hoothoot, and Hoppip, among others.


    These Pok��mon had all evolved into their final forms and apanied him on journeys across different regions. Yet, their potential and power were insufficient, hindering his sess in battles.


    Five years ago, with all his savings amounting to 350,000, he purchased his first high-quality Pok��mon: a cute Phanpy with green aptitude, a significant milestone in his life.


    Two years ago, thanks to his evolved Donphan, he achieved his best result in the Hoenn Mirage Conference, entering the top 16 of the league tournament for the first time.


    This experience made him realize the importance of having a well-aptituded Pok��mon, one that could serve as an ace.


    With his progress recently stagnating, Taro decided to once again buy a Pok��mon from a Pok��mon Day Care. However, his funds were limited, and he wasn''t sure when he could afford another purchase. Therefore, he invested a great deal of thought into this selection, but he struggled to find a satisfactory option.


    While major Pok��mon Day Care certainly had high-quality Pok��mon, most of them weremon species in the Hoenn region, such as Taillow, Zigzagoon, or Shroomish.


    After much contemtion, he eventually narrowed down his options to a Makuhita and a Corphish. Both had green aptitudes, and their evolved forms, Hariyama and Crawdaunt, were strong contenders. However, he hesitated.


    At that moment, he noticed a change in the icon of a certain Pok��mon Day Care on various websites.


    All officially registered Pok��mon Day Care were listed in the Pok��mon League''s designated navigation section for Pok��mon Day Care. Trainers could ess this section to view icons representing the different Pok��mon Day Care and easily visit their websites.


    These icons resembled smartphone app icons and were apanied by the names of the Pok��mon Day Care. Clicking on an icon led to the respective daycare''s homepage.


    The League implemented this system to help trainers quickly ess information about Pok��mon Day Care. After all, the development of Pok��mon Pok��mon Day Care had a significant impact on the growth of trainers in the Pok��mon world.


    This navigation included icons from all six regions: Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos. The icons were categorized by region, making it easy for trainers to find daycares in their desired area.


    However, Al was not included in this navigation since it had only recently be part of the Pok��mon League. Their practices had yet to fully align with the current League standards, and they didn''t have Pok��mon Day Care.


    As Taro contemted this, he noticed that the icon of YoYo Day Care had changed. It was a coincidence that this change urred just as YoYo Day Care was updating its homepage and adding new Pok��mon information.


    Originally, YoYo Day Care''s icon had featured a simple design of a Stantler with magnificent antlers. But after Windy modified it, the icon now depicted a cheerful and happy Floette.


    Seeing this change, Taro''s memory of the Pok��mon Day Care faded. Nheless, driven by curiosity, he clicked on the icon to enter the daycare''s website.


    Upon entering the homepage, he was greeted by three prominent photos: a Gligar and two Trapinch.


    "Gligar and Trapinch!"


    Taro''s excitement surged as he carefully reviewed the page. Whether it was the Gligar or the Trapinch, they seemed to suit him better than the Makuhita or Corphish he had been considering.


    After scrutinizing the basic information about these three Pok��mon listed beneath their photos, Taro felt even more satisfied.


    However, the prices gave him pause: 400,000 for the Gligar, and 500,000 each for the Trapinch pair.


    Although reasonable for Pok��mon like Gligar and Trapinch, the prices still exceeded his expectations. Despite this, Taro decided to take the plunge and buy one. He was aware that these types of Pok��mon were highly sought after, and he needed to act quickly to secure one for himself.


    With his decision made, Taro contacted the Pok��mon Day Care through their website.


    "Hello, I''d like to purchase a Pok��mon."


    Soon, he received a reply.


    "Hello, which one are you interested in?"


    "I''m interested in the male Trapinch. Is it still avable?"


    "It''s still avable. If it''s sold, we''ll update the website. If you''re serious about buying, please leave your name and contact information. You can then visit our Pok��mon Day Care for the purchase. You''re aware that our policy requires trainers to buy Pok��mon in person from our daycare, right?"


    "I''m aware, and that''s not a problem for me."


    Taro found it odd that YoYo Day Care had this policy. Why did trainers have to physically go to the daycare to purchase Pok��mon? Wouldn''t it be more convenient to teleport directly using a transportation device?


    He didn''t dwell on this question for long, though. He wasn''t from another region, so traveling from Fortree City to Verdanturf Town to purchase a high-quality Trapinch was worth the effort.


    Taro wasn''t concerned about being deceived. Only officially recognized Pok��mon Day Care were featured in the navigation, and they were all redited by the League. Even if something went wrong, the League would ensure justice was served.


    With determination, Taro provided his name and contact details, along with the time he nned to visit. The Pok��mon Day Care assured him they would reserve the Trapinch for a specific period. If he didn''t arrive within the allotted time, they would make it avable to other customers.

 Chapter 103: Luna’s Scream

    <h4>Chapter 103: Luna''s Scream</h4>


    In the afternoon, Yuga was busy packaging the finished Pok��blocks with Suzuki and cing them beneath the ss counter.


    Yuga had given a name to these Pok��blocks: "Solid." This name was chosen based on the characteristics of Ground-type Pok��mon. After all, these Pok��blocks were meant to be sold, and calling them "Universal Ground-type Pok��blocks" was too long and not very catchy.


    At that moment, Windy approached and said, "Boss! We''ve got our first order. The customer said they''lle to the store in three days."


    Yuga eximed in surprise, "So soon? What''s the customer''s name? Where are they from?"


    Windy replied, "It''s a gentleman named Mr.Taro from Fortree City."


    Yuga nodded, "I see. I didn''t expect to get business right after we released our information. It seems my idea was a good one."


    If Yuga managed to sell the three Pok��mon each month, his ie would be close to 1.5 million. After deducting somebor costs, it would mostly be pure profit.


    This was because the cost of raising these Pok��mon for Yuga was quite low.


    Firstly, maintaining and managing the Ecopark didn''t require Yuga''s attention, so that was no cost. This aspect constituted the majority of expenses for most Pok��mon breeders.


    Secondly, the management and training of these Pok��mon were all carried out by their respective leaders. Yuga just needed to oversee their leaders.


    Furthermore, the presence of Guardian Orb not only made these Pok��mon grow faster but also enhanced their reproductive abilities and greatly reduced the chance of illness, saving Yuga costs.


    Lastly, Yuga only needed to make Pok��blocks and pay Suzuki and Windy''s sries.


    The materials for making Pok��blocks came from the Ecopark, so there were no material costs. Apart from Yuga, there were only a few others working on production��almost just plushies and Miltanks��sobor costs were minimal.


    Thebined sries of Suzuki and Windy were also less than ten thousand, a drop in the bucketpared to 1.5 million.


    Considering all these factors, Yuga''s business was indeed quite profitable.


    After Windy informed Yuga about the order, he returned to monitoring the website on theputer.


    While everyone in the store was busy, a sudden excited scream echoed from outside, a voice that sounded all too familiar.


    Just as Windy was wondering what was happening, the owner of that scream burst into the store like a cannonball.


    "Big Brother Yuga, I''m here!"


    When the neer saw that the person behind the cash register wasn''t the usual Suzuki, she hesitated for a moment before asking, "Who are you?"


    Before Windy could respond, the girl noticed Yuga and Suzuki who were busy on the side, and then quickly ran away.


    "Big Brother Yuga, you''re really amazing! You have such powerful Pok��mon!"


    She pointed towards the door as she spoke.


    At that moment, everyone understood why she had screamed at the door. She had seen the Great Flygon dozing on the roof.


    As soon as Yuga heard the voice upon entering, he knew who hade. Other than his little cousin, there was no one else with such a loud and distinct voice. Without even raising his head, he asked, "Why are you here?"


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Lunained, "You have such a powerful Flygon and you didn''t even tell me. If it weren''t for my ssmates discussing it, I wouldn''t have known until now!"


    Verdanturf Town wasn''trge, so any slightly sensational news would quickly spread everywhere. The fact that Yuga had a Powerful Flygon had caused quite a stir even at the Trainer School.


    Yuga nced up at Luna, who was carrying a Swablu on her shoulder, and gave her a look, saying, "There are many things you don''t know. Your big brother is much more amazing than you think."


    Luna replied irritably, "Hmph, you''re just trying to act mysterious!"


    Yuga retorted just as irritably, "Instead of thinking about random things, you should focus on how to train your Swablu. When it evolves into an Altaria, it won''t be any weaker than Flygon."


    Hearing this, Luna''s eyes lit up, and she asked, "Really? My Swablu can be that powerful too?"


    "Of course it''s true. Do you think I''m lying to you? You can still pay me a sry if I am!"


    Listening to Yuga''s words, Suzuki, who was busy nearby, couldn''t help but chuckle.


    Luna happily took her Swablu off her head and gave it a kiss, saying, "Did you hear that, Swablu? You''ll be that powerful too!"


    Swablu nuzzled against Luna, and they both started giggling like children.


    After giggling for a while, Luna suddenly hugged Swablu and ran outside, saying as she went, "Big Brother Yuga, just you wait! I''m going to train with Swablu now, and I''ll definitely defeat you and your Flygon in the future."


    And so, Luna boldly made her statement and disappeared from Yuga''s sight in the blink of an eye.


    Seeing Luna''s departing figure, Yuga shook his head helplessly.


    Suzuki, standing beside him,ughed andmented, "That little girl is really full of energy."


    Yuga inwardly quipped: She''s got too much energy, if anything.


    Speaking of which, Luna''s attitude towards her Swablu now waspletely different from how she treated Floette back then.


    In the past, she had yed quite roughly with Floette, almost tormenting it, and she hadn''t hesitated to order Floette around either. It had even left psychological scars on Floette.


    Now, she treated her own Swablupletely differently. She treated it like a treasure, not letting it out of her sight.


    Yuga thought: She''s learned the art of double standards at such a young age. Not a very good habit!


    Once all the Pok��blocks were packaged, Yuga checked the time and realized it was getting close to evening. He then moved the Pok��blocks that didn''t need to be ced on the counter into the warehouse of the Ecopark.


    After that, it was time for Yuga to conduct physical training with his Pok��mon.


    Since the Desert Sub-Ecopark had opened, Yuga had moved the training grounds for the Pok��mon into the desert. Except for the 31 baby Pok��mon and the Miltanks that looked after them, all the other Pok��mon trained here.


    Vulpix, Murkrow, Houndour, Swellow, Linoone, Yuga''s four main Pok��mon, the Great Flygon, the leader of Flygon tribe, and the leader of Gligar tribe were all part of this team.


    The soft sand of the desert and the asional sandstorm provided excellent conditions for the physical training of the Pok��mon.


    Yuga assigned tasks to Murkrow, Swellow, and Vivillon. They were to chase the sandstorms in the desert, training their stamina and enhancing their flying skills amidst the turbulent sand and gusts of wind.


    As for Great Flygon, Flygon, and Gligar, because they were highly adapted to the desert environment and possessed strong sand control abilities, Yuga didn''t send them topete with a few flying-type Pok��mon. Instead, he tiedrge stones to them and had them fly around the desert while carrying the weights.


    The training for the other Pok��mon was simpler��they just had to run on the yellow sand in the desert.


    Running on the sand with their feet or paws wrapped up in the yellow sand created significant resistance, making it quite challenging for them to run.


    The only Pok��mon exempt from this training was Chimecho.


    Chimecho, with its slender build, didn''t need to do these exercises. Its sole task was to meditate, continuously elevating its spiritual power��a path it needed to follow.

 Chapter 104: Crucial Point

    <h4>Chapter 104: Crucial Point</h4>


    In the morning, Yuga opened his groggy eyes and, after sitting up in bed, instinctively checked the Trainer Store on his system.


    Even though the store had maintained its routine of alternating between Berries and Pok�� Balls for so many days, Yuga believed that dreams were worth having. Just in case a golden item appeared!


    Sure enough, he noticed amidst the numerous white-framed items a blue-framed one��a Basic Evolution Qualification Potion.


    However, aside from Linoone, all of Yuga''s Pok��mon had green or higher Qualifications, which meant that this Basic Evolution Qualification Potion could only be used by Linoone.


    But Linoone had truly been of great assistancetely. Apart from guarding his store, it had helped manage the Berry orchard and tended to the flower Terrains alongside the Baby Pok��mon. It was diligent indeed.


    Especially, its Rototiller skill had proven invaluable��a true expert at farming. It kept the tree orchard and flower Terrains in the Ecopark meticulously organized.


    After washing up, Yuga found Linoone lying at the store''s entrance, and beckoned it toe into the Ecopark.


    While Linoone wasn''t aware of the reason Yuga had called it, it obediently followed.


    Pok��mon, being creatures sensitive to things beneficial to them, immediately recognized that the Evolution Qualification Potion Yuga presented must be advantageous to itself, the moment Yuga took it out of his system bag.


    Drinking down the Evolution Qualification Potion Yuga handed it, Linoone felt a warm sensation spreading throughout its body, immenselyfortable. However, it remained unaware of the specific changes it had undergone.


    Only Yuga''s discerning gaze could truly perceive Linoone''s transformation.


    ...


    <<linoone>> </linoone>


    Type: Normal


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Pickup


    Qualification: Green


    Level: 46


    Moves: y Rough, Rototiller, Tackle, Sand Attack, Headbutt, Odor Sleuth, sh, Shadow Ball.


    ...


    The change in Linoone''s Qualification came as no surprise��it smoothly transitioned from yellow to green, and its level rose by one.


    After examining Linoone''s status, Yuga crouched down and patted its head, saying with a smile, "Alright, you''ve had it. Go have some fun now."


    Although Linoone was uncertain about the effects of what Yuga had just given it, it couldn''t be mistaken about how it felt. The item must have brought about unexpected benefits. As a result, it felt even more grateful to Yuga.


    Having assisted Linoone inpleting its Evolution Qualification, Yuga remained in the Ecopark, spending the morning engaging in skill training tasks with his Pok��mon.


    The training for the other Pok��mon was part of their daily routine, with each capable of independentlypleting its training task. After all, they had been with Yuga for quite some time, and these routines had gradually be ingrained habits. Even if Yuga asionally couldn''t spare time to train with them, they could stillplete their tasks efficiently.


    The only concern for Yuga was Floette''s grasp of Misty Terrain concept.


    Despite several days of practice and experimentation, Floette hadn''t been sessful in employing Misty Terrain even once.


    Consequently, Floette was not only feeling extremely frustrated, but was also growing increasingly impatient.


    Observing Floette''s vexed demeanor, Yuga could only console it, saying, "Floette, there''s no need to rush. We''ll take it slow. We have plenty of time."


    Although Floette nodded in apparent agreement with Yuga''s consoling words, its mood hadn''t truly improved. Seeing this, Yuga couldn''t help but feel a sense of worry.


    How can Floette learn Misty Terrain?


    Yuga himself wasn''t particrly inventive, unable toe up with a surefire method to help Floetteprehend Misty Terrain. Thus, he decided to call Audino over, who was currently assisting with the training of the Baby Pok��mon.


    Under Audino''s careful guidance, the Miltanks were now capable of effectively using Heal Bell. As such, they had taken over the task of supervising the training of the Baby Pok��mon.


    Addressing Audino as he approached, Yuga asked, "Audino, do you remember how you initially learned Misty Terrain?"


    In response to Yuga''s query, Audino shook his head with a puzzled expression.


    Yuga, somewhat befuddled, inquired, "Did you learn it naturally?"


    Audino nodded.


    Yuga inquired further, "No special training or anything?"


    Audino nodded again.


    Could this be attributed to Qualification disparity? Audino was naturally a Pok��mon with a native Green Qualification, while even after using the Basic Evolution Potion, Floette''s Qualification only improved from Yellow to Green.


    Yuga also noticed that Linoone, with its Yellow Qualification, had fewer skillspared to the Green-Qualified Swellow. Yet their levels were nearly identical, they lived in the same environment, and had been close friends for quite some time.


    This was the power gap caused by Qualification disparities.


    Since Audino didn''t provide any helpful inspiration, Yuga began to consider how to guide Floette in learning Misty Terrain.


    All the prerequisites for using Misty Terrain had been exined to Floette by Audino. So why couldn''t Floette employ it?


    Just as Yuga was pondering this, the Great Flygon flew out from the Sub-Ecopark''s light gate, seemingly on its way out of the Ecopark.


    As Yuga observed the Great Flygon flying past him, he suddenly understood.


    Indeed, Floette was just Floette��it wasn''t Florges. Given its current level, it didn''t have the qualifications to learn Misty Terrain skill.


    For Floette to learn Misty Terrain skill, it would require a level of at least forty. However, Yuga''s Floette was only at level 30, far from the necessary level to learn Misty Terrain skill, unless through inheritance.


    Florges, on the other hand, wasn''t bound by level restrictions to learn Misty Terrain; as long as Floette evolved into Florges, it would naturally fulfill all the conditions required to learn Misty Terrain skill.


    Previously, Yuga had believed that Floette needed toy a solid foundation before evolving, without realizing that this approach was actually limiting its growth.


    In reality, for Floette to evolve into Florges, it only needed to be around level 19, and the evolution could be achieved through a Shiny Stone. However, Yuga''s Floette was already at level 30, well past the level necessary for evolution.


    The advantage of requiring an item for evolution was that it made the process rtively straightforward.


    Typically, even if a Pok��mon reaches the appropriate level, it might not necessarily evolve smoothly. It often requires extensive and challenging training to achieve evolution.


    However, for Pok��mon that require an item to evolve, as long as the item is provided, they can evolve immediately. Of course, the value of evolution items is well known��summed up in two words, "big spender."


    This scenario exemplifies the saying, "When one door closes, another opens." Both forms of evolution have their pros and cons.


    For natural evolution, you need to invest time and effort; for immediate evolution, you need to contribute from your wallet.

 Chapter 105: Florges

    <h4>Chapter 105: Florges</h4>


    After pondering these matters, Yuga called over Floette, who was diligently practicing using Misty Terrain.


    Floette gazed at Yuga with a quizzical expression, not quite understanding why her Trainer had summoned her.


    Addressing the perplexed Floette, Yuga asked, "Floette, would you like to evolve into Florges?"


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Floette immediately spun around in the air in excitement, then nodded eagerly.


    Floette had long anticipated the prospect of evolving into the elegant and mature Florges.


    Watching Floette''s ted expression, Yuga shook his head with a smile. He then retrieved a top-quality Shiny Stone that had been rewarded by the system earlier and handed it to Floette.


    Floette eagerly epted the Shiny Stone from Yuga''s hand.


    The moment Floette''s hand touched the Shiny Stone, a white energy resembling a soft ribbon spiraled up her arm. Gradually enveloping her entire body, it radiated a warm sensation.


    As the light of evolution surged, Floette descended from the sky onto the grass below. Her form began to elongate, and her arms stretched out. In no time, her height was nearly on par with Yuga''s.


    With a resounding "pop," the dissipating light of evolution revealed apletely new Pok��mon before Yuga.


    Slim, deep green body, slender white arms, and above her neck, a deep blue Florgesl tuft that exuded a beautiful and graceful aura.


    "Florges!"


    "Congrattions, Florges. I look forward to learning from you."


    Florges had five color variations: red, yellow, blue, white, and orange. This was based on the color of the Fairy Flower she held prior to evolution. Yuga''s Florges was of the blue variation.


    ...


    <<florges>> </florges>


    Type: Fairy


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Flower Veil


    Qualification: Blue


    Level: 30


    Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Fairy Wind, Safeguard, Magical Leaf, Moonst, Misty Terrain, Grassy Terrain, Flower Shield.


    ...


    Just as the system exined about the top-quality Shiny Stone, it indeed had a chance to alter a Pok��mon''s Qualification after use. After evolution, Floette''s Qualification smoothly shifted from green to blue.


    Following her evolution, Florges not only learned Misty Terrain but also mastered the previously designated Moonst. She even gained an additional move, Flower Shield. Truly a delightful development.


    After evolving into Florges, the once lively and cute demeanor had transformed. In its ce was a regal aura akin to that of a queen.


    Turning to the newly evolved Florges, Yuga said, "Let''s try out your new skills."


    "Florges."


    Florges let out a soft call and then nodded. Yuga only now noticed that her once cute voice had matured into a sophisticated tone.


    Yuga suggested, "Let''s start with Moonst."


    "Florges," replied Florges.


    With a gentle leap, a bright crescent moon materialized behind Florges. Silver moonlight coalesced into a sphere in front of her chest, which she flung outward with force.


    Following Florges''s toss, the sphere exploded with a powerful st, leaving behind a substantial crater on the previously pristine grass.


    The potency of Moonst was undeniably impressive. Despite Florges''s recent acquisition of the move, the sizable crater thaty before them spoke volumes about its effectiveness.


    "The power of Moonst is quite remarkable. Let''s try Grassy Terrain now," Yuga suggested.


    "Florges," responded Florges.


    After nodding, Florges walked towards the flower field and gestured for Yuga to follow.


    Yuga found himself somewhat puzzled. Weren''t they supposed to use Grassy Terrain? Where were they heading?


    In the middle of the flower field, Florges closed her eyes and sped her hands together on her chest. A bright green halo emerged around her, quickly expanding outward to epass the entire flower field.


    Wherever the aquamarine halo spread, all nts extended their branches and leaves. Buds that were once tightly closed unfurled into fully blossomed petals. The already vibrant flowers became even more alluring, exuding a fragrant grassy aroma that Yuga could sense even from a distance.


    Not only was Yuga awestruck by the breathtaking sight, but all the Pok��mon practicing their skills were also captivated. They halted their activities and stared in astonishment at the enchanting Florges amidst the blossoms.


    Indeed, even though not a Grass-type Pok��mon, Florges''smand over the Grass-type move was truly impressive.


    The Pok��mon within the Ecopark noticed Floette''s evolution into Florges and rushed over to offer their blessings. Florges was enveloped by the crowd of well-wishers, yet she remained dignified and graceful. It was a far cry from her more spirited Floette days.


    Vulpix and Murkrow, both requiring evolution stones to evolve, gave Yuga a rather intense re upon witnessing Floette''s evolution. Yet, Yugacked both a Fire Stone and a Dusk Stone, leaving him to ignore their gaze.


    Once the Pok��mon dispersed from around Florges, Yuga could continue testing her new abilities alongside her.


    Yuga said, "Now it''s time for our main event, Florges. Are you ready?"


    Florges nodded resolutely, saying, "Florges, Florges."


    With her eyes closed, Florges spread her arms and began tomunicate with the surrounding Fairy-type energy using a method given to her by an Audino.


    Soon, a hint of pink mist started to rise around Florges. Gradually increasing in volume, the mist began to twirl and rise, ultimately forming a circr areaposed of pink hues around Florges.


    Even with her eyes closed, Florges keenly sensed the vibrant Fairy-type energy swirling around her. Slowly opening her eyes, she eximed:


    "Florges, Florges, Florges!"


    Joyfully shouting towards Yuga, it was as if she had reverted back to her Floette days.


    Yuga hugged Florges with a smile and congratted her, "Congrattions, Florges. You''ve finally mastered Misty Terrain."


    Though Florges''s version of Misty Terrain was much smaller in scale and less potent than that Audino''s, the sessful execution marked significant progress.


    Afterwards, Yuga considered and advised Florges, "Florges, try to sense the Fairy-type energy within Misty Terrain and see if you can manipte it."


    Taking heed of Yuga''s suggestion, Florges closed her eyes to sense the active Fairy-type energy surrounding her.


    She quickly discovered that although the vibrant Fairy-type energy was easy tomunicate with, it stubbornly refused to be controlled. Even when she attempted to manipte a small thread of it, the energy remained unyielding.


    After multiple unsessful attempts, Florges opened her eyes and shook her head in disappointment.


    Observing Florges''s struggle, Yuga wasn''t surprised in the least. Such challenges were expected, but it was important to make an attempt. Only then could they find a breakthrough.


    Yuga reassured, "It''s alright. These challenges were expected. We''ll think of other ways in the future. There''s always a way to make progress."


    Florges nodded in understanding.

 Chapter 106: Business

    <h4>Chapter 106: Business</h4>


    After that, Yuga had Florges attempt to manipte the Grass-type energy within the Grassy Terrain, but it was evident that she failed as well.


    As Yuga had suspected, it was much more difficult for Florges, a non-Grass-type Pok��mon, to control Grass-type energypared to her attempts with Fairy-type energy. It seemed they would have to focus on working with the Misty Terrain for now.


    Due to the evolution of Floette and the skill experiments, they spent quite a bit of time at the Ecopark that day. When Yuga returned to the shop, Audino had already prepared a hearty breakfast. Windy was sitting at the dining table, savoring the meal.


    Walking over, Yuga pulled out a chair and sat down. He addressed Windy, who was eating breakfast, "So, how''s it going? Enjoying thefortable life with everything at your fingertips?"


    Windy replied expressionlessly, "It''s fine," but Yuga noticed the slight blush in his ears and couldn''t help but chuckle.


    Ever since Audino learned household chores, it seemed like everything in Yuga''s home was being taken care of by her.


    From tidying up the house to doingundry and cooking, as well as helping with the Pok��mon at the Ecopark, finding time to study alongside Yuga and make Pok��blocks, Audino''s days were packed from start to finish, leaving no room for leisure.


    Yuga even tried to advise her to take it easy, but not only did she not reduce her workload, she seemed to revel in it. She truly was a born workaholic.


    It made Yuga feel like he didn''t hire an employee, but rather lucked into an all-purpose butler.


    Compared to her, Swellow was far moreckadaisical, spending his days bothering Murkrow, not doing anything productive.


    However, Yuga didn''t bother about it. Let it do whatever it pleased.


    After breakfast, Windy diligently went back to checking his website.


    These two days, apart from the initial appointment with a Mr. Taro, there hadn''t been a second one.


    Many people leftments and messages on the website, but most were skeptical of the information published by YoYo Day Care.


    How could an ordinary Day Care like this possibly have exceptional Pok��mon like Gligar and Trapinch?


    Everyone watched with skepticism, and no one was willing to be the first to try it out.


    Amidst this wait-and-see attitude, on the afternoon of the third day, YoYo Day Care weed its first customer after the revamp.


    When Mr. Taro hesitated to enter, he found the decorations and furnishings inside very pleasant.


    This was a Day Care with a different exterior and interior��Mr. Taro''s first impression.


    Suzuki, the female salesperson behind the counter, saw Mr. Taro enter and stood up, asking, "Hello, can I help you with something?"


    Mr. Taro was a bit awkward, looking at the pretty female salesperson before him. He stammered, "I had a reservation toe here to buy Pok��mon. Is this the ce? I didn''t get it wrong, did I?"


    Suzuki suddenly realized and asked, "Are you Mr. Taro?"


    Mr. Taro quickly nodded and said, "Yes, that''s me."


    Suzuki smiled and said, "Then you''re in the right ce. Please follow me."


    Saying so, Suzuki led Mr. Taro to the central table in the store reserved for customers and said, "Please have a seat. Wait a moment, I''ll go get our boss."


    At this moment, Yuga was upstairs discussing the post-revamp promotion strategy with Windy.


    After being called downstairs by Suzuki, Yuga instructed Linoone to make a quick visit to the Ecopark and then proceeded to Mr. Taro''s location.


    Taking a sip of the tea that Audino had just brought over, Mr. Taro felt a bit stunned. This Day Care was truly strange, even employing a rare Pok��mon like Audino as a waiter.


    However, he didn''t doubt the authenticity of YoYo Day Care having Trapinch. Apart from the fact that this Day Care was recognized by the League and legitimate, the Great Flygon perched on the roof was enough to dispel any doubts.


    "Hello, are you Mr. Taro?"


    At this moment, a young voice sounded, and Mr. Taro looked up to see a young boy standing before him.


    Mr. Taro hesitated and asked, "And you are?"


    The person across from him smiled apologetically and introduced himself, "I''m Shimizu Yuga, the owner of this Day Care."


    Mr. Taro hadn''t expected that the owner of the Day Care capable of nurturing Trapinch and Gligar would be a young boy.


    He quickly stood up from his seat and extended his hand, saying, "Hello, hello."


    Yuga shook his hand and motioned for him to sit down before speaking, "You had a reservation to purchase our Trapinch. However, our Day Care has some special rules when ites to selling Pok��mon. I hope you''re aware."


    "This is a questionnaire. Take a look at it first. If you find no issues, you can fill it out. Based on this questionnaire, we will decide whether or not to sell the Pok��mon to you."


    With that, Yuga pushed a paper document and a pen in front of Mr. Taro.


    Mr. Taro nced briefly at the questionnaire and found questions like "What''s your name?" "How old are you?" "Where do you live?" "Who are the members of your family and their names?" "Home address." "When did you be a Trainer?"...


    Though the questionnaire contained many questions, they were all trivial matters. Mr. Taro patiently continued to fill it out.


    Taking thepleted questionnaire from Mr. Taro, Yuga carefully read through it from start to finish, gaining a rough understanding of Mr. Taro''s basic background.


    After reading it, Yuga said, "Rest assured, the information you''ve provided in this questionnaire will be treated as confidential by our Day Care. It won''t be leaked to the outside. And congrattions, you''ve gained the right to purchase the Trapinch."


    In fact, the questionnaire not only inquired about the customer''s identity and background but also delved into various psychological aspects.


    When customers answered these questions, they inadvertently revealed their true nature. While this wasn''t particrly urate, there was some scientific basis to it.


    These questions were the result of hard work from Yuga and Windy, with Windy being the main contributor and Yuga assisting.


    "Really?"


    Mr. Taro stood up from his chair in excitement.


    Yuga replied, "Of course."


    At this moment, Linoone, who had been sent to the Ecopark, returned along with the Trapinch.


    Yuga pointed at the Trapinch and said, "This is the Trapinch you reserved. You can check if it''s the one you selected."


    Excitedly, Mr. Taro rushed over, scrutinizing the Trapinch from different angles. Then he picked it up, satisfied, and said, "This is the one. I trust that the boss wouldn''t deceive me."


    Of course, the main reason Mr. Taro said this was that he couldn''t discern any difference between this Trapinch and others.


    Yuga smiled and said, "Certainly. You can visit the Pok��mon Center to examine its aptitude and test the skills it knows. If you have any issues, feel free toe back to us."


    The Pok��mon Center was where registered Trainers could have their Pok��mon''s aptitude tested for free by the League. However, once a Trainer registered their Pok��mon''s aptitude at the Pok��mon Center, that Pok��mon would automatically be bound to the Trainer''s identity and couldn''t be traded, exchanged, or given away.

 Chapter 107: Houndoom

    <h4>Chapter 107: Houndoom</h4>


    After transferring 500,000 League Coins to Yuga for the purchase of the Trapinch, Yuga handed over the Pok�� Ball containing the Trapinch to Mr. Taro. He then pointed towards the ss counter within the shop and said, "We have specialized Pok��blocks for Ground-type Pok��mon here. They''re not only excellent for promoting their growth, but also reasonably priced. Would you like to give them a try?"


    Mr. Taro thought to himself that since he had already spent 500,000 League Coins, spending a bit more on Pok��blocks wouldn''t hurt. After all, the Trapinch would need to eat, and where better to buy them? So, he ended up spending an additional 20,000 League Coins on a year''s supply of food for the Trapinch.


    After Mr. Taro left, Yuga gave his face a light pat and addressed Suzuki, who was sitting behind the cash register, "I really am not cut out for dealing with customers. My face feels so stiff. From now on, you can handle these matters, Sister Koen. You can send Linoone to retrieve the customers'' Pok��mon."


    Suzuki and Windy were both aware of the existence of the Ecopark in Yuga''s daycare. As for why Yuga hadn''t allowed them ess, they understood. After all, the Ecopark was the most confidential part of the Day Care, and there was no room for any carelessness.


    Suzuki smiled and responded, "Sure thing! As long as the boss isn''t worried that I''ll mess things up."


    Yuga waved his hand dismissively and said, "I might be worse than you at this."


    At that moment, Yuga noticed a news report airing on the TV hanging on the wall in the shop.


    "Recently, Elite Four member Mr. Drake managed to subdue a Smence. ording to Mr. Drake, this Smence was the same one that caused chaos near Mauville City some time ago.


    This Smence has now been confirmed as a Elite-tier Pok��mon, and two of the four Pok��mon poachers who drove this Elite Smence into a frenzy are still atrge. We urge all concerned citizens to report any clues to Officer Jenny in their local area.


    Fighting against Pok��mon poachers is everyone''s responsibility."


    Yuga had acquired this TV recently to stay more up-to-date with news in the world of Pok��mon.


    Upon seeing this news, Yuga whispered to himself, "So, that Smence was captured by Mr. Drake. Truly befitting of his reputation as a Dragon-type Trainer."


    "Boss, what are you saying?"


    Suzuki overheard Yuga''s muttering and asked curiously.


    Yuga chuckled and said, "Oh, nothing, nothing. I was just marveling at how skilled Mr. Drake is."


    Hearing Yuga praise Mr. Drake, Suzuki joined in with a proud smile, "Of course! Mr. Drake is a renowned Trainer in our Hoenn region! I''ve heard that he was quite the heartthrob for many girls when he was younger! I used to idolize him when I was a student at the Trainer School!"


    Yuga hadn''t expected this older man to have such charm. He thought to himself, "In the future, I''ll be the heartthrob of countless girls as well. Just wait and see. Hmph, I''ll surpass you and be the new wave, leaving you, the old wave, behind on the shore."


    With thoughts of envy and jealousy towards Mr. Drake, Yuga left while mumbling to himself.


    However, the topic of the Smence couldn''t help but remind Yuga of the mastermind behind the train incident, Hunter J. He had no idea where she had disappeared to, but the grudge between them had been established.


    If Hunter J. hadn''t kidnapped someone else''s child, so many innocent people on the train wouldn''t have suffered for no reason. After all, during their breeding season, the already vtile Smence couldn''t be provoked, yet they dared to tantly provoke it.


    Hunter J probably still had no idea that she had unknowingly gained another potential enemy.


    Leaving the shop, Yuga headed straight to the Ecopark, intending to coborate with Audino on creating the Pok��blocks.


    Presently, the Solid Pok��blocks needed to support the consumption of numerous Pok��mon within the Sub-Ecopark, as well as those for sale in the shop, were best stockpiled inrge quantities, in Yuga''s opinion.


    Fortunately, these specialized Pok��blocks were a high-energy food source for Pok��mon. Just a couple of Pok��blocks were enough to keep a Pok��mon satiated. They were an essential item for Trainers on their journeys or at home, and this was why the Hoenn region''s Pok��blocks had be a sought-after product in various regions.


    After numerous practice attempts, Yuga might not have surpassed Audino in making the Solid Pok��blocks, but he had be a half-qualified breeder himself.


    During the process of making Pok��blocks, not only were the Miltanks assisting, but Mudkip were also helping Yuga by washing the berries by the riverside.


    Watching Mudkip yfully chasing the berries that floated on the water, Yuga couldn''t help but find them incredibly adorable.


    He had developed a sort of paternal feeling towards these young Pok��mon. Every time he saw them, he felt a sense of healing warmth. The more he looked at them, the more he found them irresistibly cute.


    Just look at the Eevees rolling around on the grass like fluffy balls; the defiant-looking Snivy that didn''t want to y with the other little partners, yet its eyes betrayed its true desire; the energetic Trecko jumping among the berry trees; the seemingly meditative but actually snoozing Medidite; Swabblu pping it cotton-like wings.


    Who could say they weren''t adorable???


    As Yuga was busy making Pok��blocks and admiring his "sons and daughters," a sudden burst of white light caught his attention not far away.


    By the time Yuga put down what he was doing and rushed over, the white light had already dissipated, leaving before him a robust and imposing Houndoom.


    With its fearsome curved horns, cold and piercing gaze, sharp teeth, sleek and powerful body, agile tail, and the white bony structure on its back, all indicated that this Houndoom had undergone a remarkable growth and development.


    The white light he had witnessed was the evolution light of Houndour.


    ...


    <<houndoom>> </houndoom>


    Type: Dark, Fire


    Gender: Female


    Ability: ze


    Potential: Green


    Level: 27


    Moves: Destiny Bond, Ember, Roar, Smog, Inferno


    ...


    Not only had Houndour evolved, but she also learned a powerful Fire-type move, Inferno, giving her an even stronger offensive capability.


    The dignified and imposing Houndoom before him was vastly different from the slightly timid and feeble Houndour that Yuga had brought back initially.


    Beside the Houndoom, Vulpix looked on with envy at the majestic Houndoom and thought to itself that its little partner was truly the epitome of coolness. And what about itself?


    With that thought, it sent its owner a "Death Stare" again, hoping for an evolution through the Fire Stone. When would it ever happen?


    Yuga''s skin had thickened by now, and he could easily ignore Vulpix'' "Death Stare." He patted the curved horns on Houndoom''s head and said, "It seems like Houndoom has been training really seriouslytely. All of you should learn from her."


    Houndoom nuzzled Yuga''s palm with her head, showing her closeness, but she remained unaffected by Yuga''s praise, her eyes filled with a cool intensity.


    The personality of a Pok��mon could truly change after evolution, just like with Floette and Houndour.


    After evolving into Houndoom, Floette''s personality had undergone aplete transformation. What was once timid and feeble had be cold andposed.


    Though this kind of personality shift wasmon among Dark-type Pok��mon. Just look at Murkrow, for example. However, while Absol''s personality leaned more towards arrogance, Houndoom''s personality was more cold and calcted.


    Even though the votes for rmendations have decreased over these few days, there are still many readers who continue to vote. As a reward, I''ll release two additional Chapters.

 Chapter 108: Friendship Quest

    <h4>Chapter 108: Friendship Quest</h4>


    After observing Houndoom, the surrounding Pok��mon gradually dispersed, and Yuga decided to return to continue making his Pok��blocks. However, he suddenly noticed a little tail following behind him.


    Turning around, Yuga saw it was a Budew.


    Seeing Yuga looking back at her, Budew hopped around joyfully, making little "Budew... Budew..." sounds.


    Yuga bent down and picked up Budew, patting its two petal-like heads, and asked, "What''s the matter, little cutie? Why are you following me?"


    Just as Yuga finished asking this, the voice of the system rang in his mind.


    ...


    [ Congrattions, host, on triggering the quest: Pok��mon''s Friendship. ]


    [ Exnation: As the owner of a Day Care, how can you not have the friendship of the Pok��mon in the Ecopark? As proof of gaining friendship, let your partners evolve. ]


    [ Content: �� Budew evolves into Roselia. ]


    [ Reward: Grass-type Universal Pok��Block form and Poison-type Universal Pok��Block form. ]


    [ �� Eevee evolves into Umbreon. ]


    [ Reward: Dark-type Universal Pok��Block form. ]


    [ �� Eevee evolves into Espeon. ]


    [ Reward: Psychic-type Universal Pok��Block form. ]


    [ �� Eevee evolves into Sylveon. ]


    [ Reward: Fairy-type Universal Pok��Block form. ]


    [ Completion of all rewards: Soothing Bell. ]


    [ Note: The quest has no time limit, please cultivate on your own. ]


    ...


    After reading the quest details, Yuga realized that his "golden finger" had a certain advantage �C each task and its rewards were tailored to his needs, which was quite considerate.


    However, the finalpletion reward seemed a bit perplexing. With his friendship tasks alreadypleted, what purpose could an Soothing Bell serve?


    Yuga looked at the Budew in his arms and realized he might have to spend more time with this group of little ones during this period.


    After leaving the Ecopark and preparing in his room, Yuga returned. He called all seven of his Eevees over and as he looked at them, he couldn''t help but wonder if the system was intentionally guiding him to cultivate seven different Eevee evolutions.


    But considering there were eight different Eevee evolutions in total, he was certain there was at least one he couldn''t cultivate. So, Yuga decided to leave this choice to the Eevees themselves.


    He ced images of the eight Eevee evolutions he had found on the ground and said to the Eevees, "You siblings total seven, yet there are eight different evolutions for you. Now, you need to choose the form you want to evolve into.


    Remember, each Eevee can only choose one form, no repeats allowed. Begin."


    The seven Eevees looked at each other and then walked over to examine the images on the ground.


    Seeing their hesitation, Yuga encouraged them, "When you''re decided, stand on the image of the form you want to evolve into."


    After some contemtion, the seven Eevees made their choices. Yuga walked over to look and noticed that the only image left unchosen was the one depicting the Fire-type evolution.


    For any evolution form not being selected, Yuga wouldn''t find it strange. After all, every Pok��mon had unique preferences and aesthetics, so there was nothing to be surprised about.


    Once the Eevees were done choosing, Yuga took out seven ribbons of different colors and tied them around the neck of each Eevee.


    The deep blue ribbon for those who wanted to evolve into a Water-type Eeveelution, the yellow ribbon for those choosing Electric-type, the green ribbon for Grass-type, the light blue ribbon for Ice-type, the ck ribbon for Psychic-type, the purple ribbon for Dark-type, and the pink ribbon for Fairy-type.


    Tied with these colorful ribbons, the Eevees looked quite charming. They also seemed to really like them, yfully interacting with each other.


    Yuga''s Rainbow Squad was officially formed.


    Since there was no time limit for this quest, Yuga didn''t n to rush things. Instead, he felt it was better to gradually cultivate stronger bonds with his Pok��mon partners during his daily interactions with them.


    These little Pok��mon babies were already very attached to Yuga. He was the only person they had seen since birth, so Yuga felt that this friendship task would just require a bit more time; its difficulty wasn''t high.


    Thus, Yuga quickly decided on a simplepletion n for this intimacy quest triggered by Budew.


    Yuga made up his mind that he would take on these intimacy tasks one by one. He decided to start with Budew. So, from that day on, Yuga would carry Budew with him everywhere, even if people gave him odd looks.


    During his free time, he would also y with the Eevees, holding onto the thought of gradually improving their affection towards him. He aimed toplete the tasks as soon as possible.


    Of course, these are things toe; it''s not worth mentioning now.


    While things were happening here, discussions on the YoYo Day Care''s website were in a frenzy.


    Apparently, after buying a Trapinch, Taro uploaded a picture of himself with the Trapinch to the discussion area of the YoYo Day Care website.


    The moment this picture appeared, it caused an uproar.


    "It''s really a Trapinch! Someone actually bought one."


    "Could it be a hoax? There are quite a few scammers these days."


    "The guy upstairs thinks highly of himself. Didn''t you see that they required the buyer to go to the shop in person? Can''t you tell if it''s a scam?"


    "That''s right, the person upstairs is right. It should be real."


    "Everyone, go take a look! The picture of the Trapinch in the homepage was indeed taken down, and it''sbeled as ''Sold''!"


    "What are you waiting for? Go buy it now!"


    ...


    When Yuga returned to the shop, Windy reported themotion on the website to him. Yuga casually skimmed through a fewments and said with a smile, "Taro here really knows what he''s doing. He''s given us quite a bit of free publicity. It looks like we won''t have any trouble with our sales goal this month."


    Indeed, just as Yuga suspected, the YoYo Day Care was confirmed to indeed have a Trapinch. Trainers started moring to make reservations, only to be told that the Pok��mon for this month had already been sold out, asking them toe back next month.


    After Taro actually bought the Trapinch, he shared the news with his two trainer friends. He had met these friends while traveling, and they had known each other for over five years.


    Upon hearing the news, the two trainer friends didn''t hesitate and reserved the remaining two Pok��mon immediately. The uploading of the photo on the website happened after this.


    Countless trainersmented their bad luck, regretting their decisions.


    Everyone felt that this was a strange little shop. Selling only three Pok��mon a month, and not a single one more. Despite having money to make, they weren''t doing so. It was truly baffling.


    However, there were people who understood this.


    The Pok��mon industry had always been highly profitable, especially with high-quality Pok��mon. There was a saying that went, "Close shop for half a year, then open for the other half," indicating that a shop could earn enough money in just six months of operation. Selling three rare Pok��mon of green quality every month, the shop wouldn''t make a small profit.


    And that''s just for green-quality Pok��mon. If it were blue-quality Pok��mon, even if only one were sold in a year, it would undoubtedly be a profitable endeavor.


    This is what''s known as a seller''s market.


    Trainers in the Pok��mon world are all in need of high-quality Pok��mon. Not to mention Yuga''s rare three Pok��mon per month, even if he sold thirty a month, it wouldn''t make much of a ssh in the trainermunity.


    As for Indigo-quality Pok��mon, there still haven''t been any reports of Day Cares selling them. Purple-quality Pok��mon are more of a legend than anything at this point.

 Chapter 109: Day Care Exchange Conference

    <h4>Chapter 109: Day Care Exchange Conference</h4>


    In the blink of an eye, the month was nearing its end. As time passed, the discussions surrounding the Trapinch and Gligar had gradually died down.


    Now, thements section of the Day Care website had also quieted down. Everyone was secretly waiting for the Day Care to release new slots for Pok��mon purchases next month.


    However, Yuga wasn''t concerned about that. He was more focused on whether his Pok��mon could sell and, during this period, he spent most of his time with the Pok��mon babies, especially the Eevees and Budew.


    As a result, the bond between the Pok��mon in the main Ecopark and Yuga was growing stronger.


    It''s worth mentioning that during this time, some of the eggs from the Trapinch and Gligar in the Sib-Ecopark had hatched, and some of the Trapinch hadid new eggs. This brought immense joy to Yuga.


    "Next month, the Triennial Day Care Exchange Conference will be held in Goldenroad City, Johto region.


    The Day Care Exchange Conference is a grand event jointly organized by various regional Pok��mon Breeder Associations to promotemunication and learning among Day Cares. This time, the conference will be co-hosted by the Day Care United Council.


    During the conference, Day Care owners from various regions will gather, along with numerous breeders, all aiming to enter different Day Cares to seek development."


    As Yuga was amusing himself with Budew, he suddenly heard a news broadcast on the television. A thought struck him.


    He had never seen how other Day Cares operated. Why not take this opportunity to learn and gain some insights?


    Yuga was well aware of this Day Care Exchange Conference. When his biological parents were still alive, they used to attend every time. There were no prerequisites to attend this conference; as long as your name was listed in the League records, you could participate.


    This was one of the biggest events officially organized by the Pok��mon Breeder Associations. It took ce every three years and Yuga remembered that the previous one had been held in Castelia City at Unova Region.


    In the previous years, Yuga''s biological parents attended, but the original Yuga, being something of a homebody, never went out much and had a quiet personality. Thus, he had rarely left the Verdanturf Town.


    The event was jointly organized by two parties. The main organizer was the Pok��mon Breeder Association, a subsidiary of the League, primarily responsible for managing breeders. They were the official organization for all certified and graded professional breeders in the Pok��mon world.


    For all Day Cares, breeders were a top priority. Without this group, the Day Care industry couldn''t have thrived. That''s why the annual Day Care Exchange Conference was organized by this association.


    Day Cares like YoYo Day Care, where legitimate breeders couldn''t be found, were exceptions. This was because YoYo Day Care had not previously bred Pok��mon and only sold eggs, which was not unusual.


    As for the Day Care United Council, it was essentially a grassroots organization.


    The League established the Day Care industry initially, and it developed with the League''s support. Consequently, the League had abundant financial resources and powerful established Day Cares. These Day Cares were like what Yuga''s previous self referred to as "state-owned enterprises."


    In order topete with the official Day Cares and withstand their influence, manyrge private Day Cares united. Eventually, they developed into the current Day Care United Council.


    This organization was one of thergest in the Pok��mon world, with branches in various regions. The headquarters was in Hezhong, and Day Cares like Yuga''s, small and unestablished, were not qualified to be members.


    Yuga brought hisputer and found the registration website for the Day Care Exchange Conference. He registered his Day Care.


    Registration was necessary for this event. If you showed up unexpectedly and the organizers couldn''t find your Day Care on the list, they wouldn''t amodate you.


    After registering, Yuga turned to Suzuki Koen and said, "Sister Koen, I n to participate in the Day Care Exchange Conference mentioned on TV just now. During my absence, I''ll leave the shop to you and Windy."


    Suzuki Koen listened and replied, "Sure, but didn''t they say on TV that the conference will be held a month from now?"


    Yuga: "That''s correct. However, the event will take ce in Johto, so I''ll have to leave a few days in advance. That''s why I''m letting you know now."


    After briefing Suzuki Koen, Yuga went to the second floor to inform Windy about his n.


    "During this time, when I''m away, make sure to prepare meals for yourself three times a day. You should take care of the website, handle online reservations, and if there are any visitors to the shop, just follow Sister Koen''s instructions. Understand?"


    After hearing Yuga''s instructions, Windy nodded.


    Windy was a ssic homebody; as long as he had aputer, he could spend three days and nights in his room without any issues. Sincepleting this month''s sales task, he hardly left his room, except for meals and restroom breaks. If Yuga didn''t asionally force him to go outside, he''d probably be a total recluse.


    "Also, make sure to go out for a walk every day. Linoone will supervise you directly. If you can''t do it, it will use its ws to scratch you."


    Windy nodded, confused.


    Yuga sometimes felt like he hadn''t hired an employee, but rather adopted a son. After all, he was only sixteen years old himself.


    Thank goodness he had a mature mindset; otherwise, he might have fallen apart. Luckily, Sister Koen was very reliable.


    During the remaining time, Yuga made preparations for his trip to Johto.


    Firstly, he needed to stock up on food for the Pok��mon babies in the Ecopark. Their Pok��Blocks were something Yuga bought from outside, so he needed to have enough for this trip.


    Yuga also instructed Windy that if the supplies in the Ecopark ran out, Audino could go buy them. After all, Audino had money, and Yuga even prepared notes for it to use if it needed to buy something while he was away.


    After all, Audino couldn''t speak, so notes were its only means ofmunication.


    Audino had be quite a "celebrity" in Verdanturf Town. Everyone knew it now. Whenever Audino went to the market to buy things, people would subconsciously give it a little extra. Especially the elderlydies in the market, whenever Audino bought something from them, they would end up giving it a little more.


    With everything settled at home, Yuga began to decide on the members for this trip.


    Firstly, Florges, Absol, Chimecho, and Vivillon, Yuga''s main Pok��mon, were definitelying along.


    After this period of training, the strength of Yuga''s four main Pok��mon had improved to varying degrees. Except for Chimecho, who was still at Level 29, the other three Pok��mon had surpassed Level 30. Absol, with the highest level, had already reached Level 37, not far from Level 40.


    Furthermore, except for Chimecho, the aptitudes of the other three Pok��mon were all above "Green."


    Next was Budew. In order toplete the task as quickly as possible, Yuga decided to bring it along.


    Lastly, there was the Great Flygon.


    In any case, he needed to bring a Pok��mon that couldmand the scene.


    Audino would be left in charge at home, so Yuga had no choice but to choose the Great Flygon. Moreover, as a Pok��mon that can fly, it could also serve as a mount when they had nothing to do.

 Chapter 110: Setting Out

    <h4>Chapter 110: Setting Out</h4>


    Just a day before Yuga was set to depart, Rand suddenly approached him and asked if he could apany him to Johto.


    Baffled, Yuga asked, "Why do you want to go to Johto?"


    Rand replied, "I want to see it."


    What a mighty reason that was.


    In this vast world, he wanted to see it, huh?


    Rand knew about this all because when he came over to y, Suzuki Koen happened to mention it unintentionally.


    With the Trainers'' School in the midst of its summer break, Yuga suspected that if Luna hadn''t gone to her grandparents'' ce, he wouldn''t be the only one heading there right now.


    Helplessly, Yuga said, "Even if I agree to take you, your dad won''t."


    That''s right, what parent would feel at ease letting their six-year-old child wander around with others? Uncle Keith definitely wouldn''t approve.


    Rand responded, "My dad said that as long as you''re okay with it, he has no objections."


    Hearing Rand''s words, Yuga''s jaw dropped. Seriously? He could agree to this?


    What Yuga didn''t know was that since he had reopened his Daycare, he had be a reliable good kid in the eyes of the neighbors. With the addition of taming the Great Flygon, Uncle Keith''s trust in him had grown even stronger.


    Yuga pulled Rand close and spoke earnestly, "Rand, the outside world isn''t all fun; it''s also dangerous. How about we stay at home instead?"


    Listening to Yuga''s words, Rand remained silent. He just blinked his watery eyes, staring at Yuga without blinking.


    In the end, Yuga surrendered and agreed to take him along.


    Yuga: "But we have a deal. Once we''re there, you must stick close to me the whole time. No wandering off. Otherwise, if you get lost, I won''t be responsible. It''s not like Hoenn there, and it''s definitely not like Verdanturf Town. If you get lost, you might not find your way back."


    While Rand still maintained his poker face, he obediently nodded, appearing much cuter.


    A week before the conference began, Yuga set off.


    First, he and Rand took a ne to Lilycove City, nning to take a boat from there to Goldenroad City in Johto.


    Lilycove City was a famous city in Hoenn Region. Before Mauville City developed, Lilycove City had been thergest city in the region.


    The ship Yuga and Rand were to board was named "Breaking Wave." It was a rtively luxuriousrge cruise ship.


    As they boarded the ship, Yuga held Budew in his arms and held Rand''s hand. He said to him, "Hold my hand tightly. It''s crowded here; be careful not to get lost."


    Rand nodded, then turned around and said to the little Blitzle following behind him, "Blitzle, stay close to me."


    "Blitzle!"


    Blitzle let out a soft call and obediently followed behind Rand.


    There were many people, like Yuga and Rand, who kept their Pok��mon by their side without storing them in Pok�� Balls. Especially for these small-sized Pok��mon, many people had one with them.


    Many modes of transportation, including buses, nes, ships, and trains, didn''t mind these small-sized Pok��mon apanying their owners on board, as long as the Pok��mon didn''t cause any trouble.


    After smoothly boarding, Yuga and Rand were guided by the ship''s staff to their room on board.


    It would take at least five days to travel from Hoenn to Johto by boat. As such, each passenger on the ship had their own room.


    Not long after Yuga and Rand had boarded the ship, it set sail.


    After cing their luggage in the room, Yuga brought Rand to the ship''s deck.


    It was Yuga''s first time seeing the ocean in the Pok��mon world. Although Hoenn was abundant in oceans, Verdanturf Town was ind within Hoenn. Therefore, there was zero chance to see the ocean there.


    Looking at the azure sea before him, Yuga took a deep breath, feeling the moist humidity in the air and the faint scent of the sea.


    Leaning against the railing, Yuga asked Rand, "Rand, have you seen the sea before?"


    Rand shook his head, indicating he hadn''t.


    With a smile, Yuga said, "So, what does it feel like to see the sea for the first time?"


    Rand responded, "Big."


    Yuga chuckled at Rand''s straightforwardness, "You''re quite honest. But you''re right. It is indeed big. Not only is this ocean vast, but our Pok��mon world is evenrger. When you can travel to different ces around the world, you''ll find that it''s much bigger than you imagined."


    Both Yuga and Rand stared at the sea with curiosity on their faces. Even Budew and Blitzle widened their eyes in curiosity, gazing at the vast expanse of water before them.


    Suddenly, a Mantine soared out of the water with a small Remoraid, gliding just above the surface for a while before diving back into the water.


    Surprised, Yuga pointed to the spot where the Mantine had appeared, saying, "Look, it''s a Mantine with a Remoraid!"


    Although Rand didn''t speak, his expression revealed his excitement.


    After the Mantine and Remoraid had returned to the water, Yuga said regretfully, "This is the first time I''ve seen a Mantine and Remoraid!"


    Rand added, "Me too. I''ve only seen them in textbooks at school."


    Not only the Mantine and Remoraid, but there were also many Wingull flying around the ship from time to time, asionally perching on the railings to beg for food from the passengers.


    All of this was scenery unseen ind.


    As the ship sailed further away from thend, Yuga and Rand spotted various Pok��mon they had never seen before in the waters along the way.


    Groups of Luvdisc swimming leisurely, fleeting Gorefish, carefree Tentacool, and fierce Sharpedo �C all of these widened Yuga and Rand''s horizons.


    Yuga touched the forehead of Budew in his arms and asked, "Budew, are you having fun today?"


    "Budew!"


    Budew closed its eyes with delight, clearly satisfied with today''s experience.


    After spending a long time on the deck, Yuga started feeling a bit tired. He turned to Rand and asked, "Are you hungry? How about we go to the restaurant and get something to eat?"


    This medium-sized luxury cruise ship had various options for eating, drinking, and entertainment on board, though most of it was in the paid area.


    Once they arrived at the restaurant, Yuga found a seat and ordered noodles and grilled meat for himself and Rand. He also ordered fruit juice for Budew and Moomoo Milk for Blitzle.


    While eating noodles, Yuga said to Rand, "Being idle on the ship is a bit boring. How about we go fishing tomorrow? Maybe we can even catch some good Water-type Pok��mon."


    A while back, Yuga had obtained Green-grade Super Fishing Rods from the Trainer''s Store during a system refresh. At that time, he didn''t think they were very useful, but since they were rare Green-grade items, he bought all five. He had stashed them in his system backpack, and today, they finally came in handy.

 Chapter 111: Fishing

    <h4>Chapter 111: Fishing</h4>


    Upon hearing Yuga''s proposal, Rand''s eyes brightened, and he nodded, clearly intrigued by the idea of fishing.


    Since it was already gettingte, after finishing their meal, Yuga and Rand didn''t wander around anymore. Instead, they returned to their room.


    Once in the room, Yuga released the other five Pok��mon from his Pok�� Balls and gave them each an Pok��block to eat.


    Seeing Yuga''s impressive Pok��mon, Rand''s eyes were filled with envy, and even a hint of admiration he himself hadn''t noticed.


    Seeing Rand constantly gazing at his Pok��mon, Yuga ruffled his hair and said with a smile, "What do you think? My Pok��mon are quite impressive, aren''t they?"


    Rand nodded, agreeing with Yuga''s self-praise.


    Yuga thought to himself, "This kid''s taste is getting better."


    "Don''t worry, as long as you work hard, your Blitzle will be just as powerful in the future."


    Encouraged by Yuga''s words, Rand nodded, his eyes filled with determination.


    Early the next morning, Yuga was awakened by Rand, and at that moment, his inner self was in turmoil.


    Because back home, he had to get up early every morning to train with his Pok��mon, so there were very few opportunities for him to sleep in.


    Having finally gotten a chance to be away from home and on the ship, where it wasn''t convenient to train his Pok��mon, Yuga had decided to get a good night''s sleep. But he didn''t expect Rand to ruin that n.


    With a dazed look, clearly still annoyed from being woken up, Yuga spoke impatiently, "What''s the matter? It''s so early in the morning, why are you up so early?"


    But Rand remained unfazed, speaking calmly, "Fishing."


    Yuga sat up on the bed, ruffled his messy hair, and grumbled, "Do we have to get up so early just to go fishing? Can''t we do itter?"


    Rand didn''t say anything; he simply looked at Yuga.


    Yuga realized that Rand''s gaze held a powerful force, one that he often couldn''t withstand. So, reluctantly, he got out of bed.


    After freshening up, feeding his Pok��mon, and having breakfast with Rand, the two of them brought out the fishing rods that Yuga had prepared and went to the deck.


    The fishing bait they used was purchased from the ship. Since there were often fishing enthusiasts on board, a ce selling fishing rods and bait had been set up.


    ording to the system''s introduction, the super fishing rod Yuga had bought from the Trainer''s Store had a certain bonus effect for fishing Water-type Pok��mon. Whether this was true or not, he wasn''t sure.


    "Rand, have you fished before?"


    Rand shook his head, indicating that he hadn''t.


    "Then just follow my lead!"


    Yuga had fished before in his previous life, but he had never fished for Pok��mon. He wasn''t sure if his previous experience would be of any use, but since neither of them had any proper experience, he figured he might as well share his "pseudo" experience.


    Adjusting the fishing line, the hook, and cing the bait, Yuga executed a series of actions seamlessly. Rand imitated every move.


    However, due to Rand''s young age, he struggled a lot when casting the fishing rod. Yuga teased him, "Make sure to hold onto the railing tightly. If you happen to hook a big catch and it drags you into the sea, I won''t have time to save you, you know."


    Rand didn''t pay attention to Yuga''s yful words. He focused on his fishing rod seriously, waiting for his catch to bite.


    Today, the weather at sea was exceptionally good. Although it was summer, the sun wasn''t scorching, and instead, it illuminated the clear and translucent seawater.


    The sea was calm and the horizon met the distant sea level, with clusters of white clouds decorating the sea and the blue sky, creating a picturesque scene.


    While appreciating this rare sight, Yuga also patiently waited for his catch to bite.


    Just then, Yuga suddenly felt his fishing rod move, indicating that he had caught something. He knew that he had a catch on the line.


    When the catch was securely hooked, Yuga seized the moment and swiftly reeled in the fishing line, pulling up a red and white fish-shaped Pok��mon onto the deck.


    It turned out to be a Goldeen, and it was a red quality specimen.


    "Go, Budew!"


    "Budew!"


    At Yuga''smand, Budew emerged from his side and confronted Goldeen.


    After spending so much time growing up, Budew had reached a point where it could engage in battles. Its level had also reached 13 through training, slightly higher than the other babies that were born before it.


    Sending out Budew wasn''t about capturing Goldeen; it was for the purpose of training and strengthening their bond.


    Battle was a way for Pok��mon and Trainers tomunicate their feelings effectively.


    Goldeen on the deck leaped about andunched a Water Pulse at the suddenly appearing Budew.


    A blue water sphere was expelled from Goldeen''s mouth and shot toward Budew.


    "Budew, dodge quickly!"


    Yuga hurriedlymanded Budew to evade Goldeen''s Water Pulse.


    "Budew!"


    With its small and agile body, Budew easily dodged Goldeen''s attack by hopping around.


    "Budew, use Stun Spore!"


    Seeing Budew sessfully evade the Water Pulse, Yuga immediately ordered it to counterattack.


    Numerous brown particles sprayed out from Budew''s bud on top of its head, forming a smoky cloud that enveloped Goldeen.


    Out of the water, Goldeen couldn''t freely move onnd. It could only watch as it was surrounded by the Stun Spore and then fell into a paralyzed state.


    In a paralyzed state, Goldeen couldn''t sessfully execute any moves. Eventually, it lost its battle capability after Budew used Absorb to drain its energy.


    Achieving victory in its first battle, Budew appeared very happy, hopping around and running to Yuga, seeking praise.


    Yuga patted its head, praised it, and then approached the incapacitated Goldeen. He fed it a Cheri Berry to cure its paralysis, followed by an Oran Berry to restore its energy. Finally, he released it back into the sea.


    After releasing Goldeen, Yuga continued with his fishing endeavors.


    Following Yuga''s capture of Goldeen, Rand also caught a Qwilfish.


    After reeling in Qwilfish, Rand followed Yuga''s example and battled with his Blitzle against Qwilfish. After winning the battle, he released Qwilfish back into the sea.


    Seeing that it was also a red quality Pok��mon, Yuga didn''t pay much attention to it.


    Despite Rand''s young age, his battling skills were notcking. He truly lived up to being a top student of the Trainer School.


    Although Blitzle''s quality wasn''t excellent and its level wasn''t high, relying on its type advantage and Rand''s skillful guidance, it managed to defeat the higher-level Qwilfish.

 Chapter 112: Eccentric

    <h4>Chapter 112: entric</h4>


    Later on, both of them managed to catch several Pok��mon, but due to their low levels and potential, it was quite easy for Yuga to handle them using his Budew. However, there were moments when Rand''s Blitzle found itself in a pinch.


    The description of the super fishing rod in the system was indeed urate. It had a special allure for Water-type Pok��mon, making them unwittingly take the bait.


    However, this kind of rod probably wouldn''t attract higher-level Pok��mon, so their catches were all rtively minor yers.


    Yet, it was just right for Yuga and Rand, who wanted to train their Budew and Blitzle.


    Yuga released a Tentacool into the sea and turned to Rand. "So, enjoying fishing?"


    Rand nodded. Fishing not only provided a chance to train his Blitzle, but he also got to see many Water-type Pok��mon he hadn''t encountered before, making it quite fascinating.


    Yuga grinned. "d to hear you''re having fun."


    As Yuga was about to continue fishing, a middle-aged man in casual clothes approached them. He politely greeted Yuga. "Hello."


    Though not sure of the man''s intentions, Yuga courteously returned the greeting. "Hi."


    The man, named Edward, smiled and asked, "Let me introduce myself first. I''m Edward. I saw you both catching one Pok��mon after another. Is there some secret technique?"


    Of course, the real secret was Yuga''s overpowered fishing rod, but he wouldn''t reveal that. So, he chuckled and replied, "There''s really no secret. It''s just that luck is on our side."


    Edward was skeptical of Yuga''s answer. "You''re kidding, right? Who would take luck seriously? Why don''t you share your secret? I can also share my fishing experiences. I''m quite a seasoned fishing enthusiast, you know."


    Unwilling to spill the beans, Yuga said, "I really don''t have any secrets. It''s just in old good luck, I assure you."


    Since Yuga was unyielding, Edward started to suspect it might be the bait''s fault.


    He examined the bait Yuga had put aside and noticed it was just ordinary bait purchased on the ship, nothing like his special homemade bait.


    Oh, right. Edward''s eyes lit up as he figured it out. It must be the spot Yuga chose. For fishing, a good spot was crucial.


    Edward sighed, "Well, if you won''t tell me, I won''t press further."


    With that, he turned to leave, leaving Yuga confused by his behavior.


    However, after a while, Edward returned, not alone, but with all his fishing gear: rod, bait, stool, and everything. He ced his bait not far from Yuga''s.


    Seeing his actions, Yuga immediately understood what he was up to. He found Edward rather self-important.


    Soon enough, Edward realized that even after changing his location, his luck hadn''t improved. He hadn''t caught a single Pok��mon. In contrast, Yuga and Rand kept pulling up Pok��mon one after another.


    His frustration mounting, Edward moved closer to Yuga and Rand, hoping for a breakthrough. When he realized his efforts were still in vain, he positioned himself right in the middle of Yuga and Rand.


    Rand was still quite young, and despite his usual maturity, he was visibly annoyed. He wanted to reprimand Edward but was stopped by Yuga.


    Yuga finished packing his gear and said to Rand, "Let''s go to a different spot."


    Although Rand couldn''t understand why he should move when the old man was in the wrong, he packed his things and signaled for his Blitzle to follow Yuga.


    Before they left, Rand saw Edward smirking smugly, making him even angrier.


    After changing to a new spot, Yuga observed Rand''s sulky face and found it quite amusing. Normally, Rand always had an impassive expression; this was the first time Yuga saw him visibly angry.


    Yuga chuckled and shook his head. Kids will be kids. There''s no point in getting mad over people like him.


    Yuga spoke up, "Do you know why I ignored that guy, Edward?"


    Rand shook his head.


    Yuga continued, "Imagine if a Magikarp tried to challenge a Gyarados. Do you think the Gyarados would get angry?"


    Rand shook his head again.


    Yuga chuckled and said, "Exactly. What''s the difference between someone like him and a Magikarp challenging a Gyarados?


    What would we gain from arguing with him? Not only would we not gain anything, but we''d also just get angrier and lower ourselves to his level.


    Of course, when I say he''s like a Magikarp challenging a Gyarados, I don''t mean we''re of higher status and he''s of lower status. I''m referring to our level of maturity and mentality.


    Do you understand?"


    Rand nodded, a bit puzzled.


    Yuga continued, "To put it simply, even if we managed to give him a good beating to vent our frustration, we can''t use force on this ship. If we do, even if we''re right, we''ll be the ones in the wrong. So, it''s better to just ignore him.


    But of course, if we ever get a chance to give him a beating in the future, don''t hold back. Beat him to your heart''s content."


    This time, Rand understood clearly and didn''t feel angry anymore. He replied, "Got it."


    Just as Rand cast his fishing rod again, the rod twitched. Rand seized the opportunity, swiftly yanked it upwards, and pulled up a yellow-colored Pok��mon.


    "Qua."


    The yellow Pok��mon that was pulled up covered its head with both hands, then tilted its head to look at Rand, who had caught it.


    "Why are you just standing there? Hurry up and tame it."


    Seeing Rand hesitating, Yuga reminded him.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s reminder, Rand quickly sent out his Blitzle.


    "Blitzle, use Shock Wave!"


    Blitzle''s reaction was swift. Upon hearing its Trainer''smand, a surge of yellow electricity emitted from its body and struck the opposing yellow Pok��mon.


    Blitzle''s Shock Wave clearly inflicted significant damage on the yellow Pok��mon. Its initially dazed face twisted in pain. In response, the yellow Pok��mon fired a Water Gun toward Blitzle.


    However, Blitzle was quick, swiftly evading the Water Gun attack.


    "Blitzle, Quick Attack."


    Under Rand''smand, Blitzle dashed toward the yellow Pok��mon as a white streak of light, closing in instantly. It then kicked the yellow Pok��mon''s head with both hind hooves.


    The yellow Pok��mon clutched its throbbing head, its painful expression deepening. Its eyes glowed with a blue light, and before Blitzle could escape, it was ensnared by telekinesis of the yellow Pok��mon and Blitzle was mmed onto the ground.


    "Blitzle, get up quickly and use Shock Wave again!"


    Blitzle rapidly got up from the ground and released another surge of yellow electricity. This time, the opposing yellow Pok��mon couldn''t hold on and copsed.


    As a Water-type Pok��mon, the yellow Pok��mon indeed couldn''t withstand two consecutive Shock Waves, especially considering its low level. However, if this Pok��mon had been more responsive and had some attacking moves, Blitzle might not have been able to defeat it.

 Chapter 113: Unexpected Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 113: Unexpected Encounter</h4>


    Upon seeing the defeated yellow Pok��mon, Yuga quickly eximed, "Quick, use a Pok�� Ball!"


    At this point, Rand wore a slightly pained expression as he said, "I don''t have any Pok�� Balls."


    Yuga then remembered that Rand wasn''t an official Pok��mon Trainer, so he didn''t carry Pok�� Balls around like Yuga did. Yuga took out a Friend Ball he had previously obtained through exchange and handed it to Rand.


    "This is a Friend Ball. It can increase the bond between Trainers and Pok��mon. I''m giving it to you."


    Rand took the Friend Ball that Yuga handed to him, said "Thank you," and then tossed the Pok�� Ball at the yellow Pok��mon.


    The taming process went smoothly. Rand released the yellow Pok��mon from the Friend Ball, fed it an Oran Berry provided by Yuga, and soon it regained consciousness.


    "Qua!"


    The yellow Pok��mon tilted its head, staring nkly at Rand. Rand, with a wry smile, asked Yuga, "Is it really a good idea to tame this Pok��mon? It seems a bit dull."


    Yuga chuckled and exined, "This Pok��mon is called Psyduck. It''s a Water-type Pok��mon with the potential to learn a variety of Psychic-type moves.


    Don''t let its appearance fool you; it''s actually quite intelligent. However, its powerful psychic abilities tend to suppress its cognitive functions. Once it evolves into Golduck, it will improve.


    Psyduck is quitemon in the Kanto region but rare in the Johto region, so your school probably doesn''t cover it much."


    Rand nodded in understanding.


    The reason Yuga had Rand tame this Psyduck was that it was the first green-aptitude Pok��mon they had caught during their fishing trip.


    After taming Psyduck, Yuga noticed that it was gettingte and time for lunch. He took Rand to the dining area to prepare for a meal.


    As they passed by Edward, he cast an unfriendly gaze at Yuga and Rand. Clearly, despite upying Yuga and Rand''s previous spot, he hadn''t achieved any improvement in results.


    Though Yuga and Rand walked past Edward without a single nce, he was infuriated to the point where he might break his teeth from biting them too hard.


    Yuga found this person to be quite peculiar. Despite his age, he had an excessive desire to prove himself andpete, which Yuga found rather unnecessary.


    After having lunch, Yuga and Rand heard about a Pok��mon battlepetition organized by someone in the battle arena.


    Upon investigating, Yuga discovered that the cruise''s organizers had arranged thepetition as a way to pass the time for the passengers. The participants were mostly amateur enthusiasts.


    In the Pok��mon world, humans and Pok��mon had be inseparable races. Not only Trainers, but many ordinary people also kept one or two Pok��mon aspanions, treating them like family members.


    The requirements for these Pok��mon weren''t stringent because people soughtfort from them rather than focusing on their battle prowess.


    For instance, Rand''s grandma, who had previously purchased a Pok��mon Egg from Yuga''s shop, as well as the Strawberry that apanied Suzuki Koen and Dian, fell under this category.


    The participants of thispetition were such people. In simple terms, most of the participants weren''t serious Trainers, so Yuga lost interest in participating.


    However, Yuga managed to goad Rand into joining thepetition.


    Rand''s strength wasn''t exceptional, and he hadn''t had his Pok��mon for long. This kind ofpetition, which didn''t demand much from Trainers, suited him well.


    Rand performed quite decently in thispetition.


    Though these were just amateur enthusiasts, and their Pok��mon hadn''t undergone professional training, they had taken good care of their partners for years. Often, Rand, as a rookie, found it challenging to face them.


    Yet, Rand''s advantagey in his calmness during battles and his clear strategic thinking, which set him apart from other kids.


    This reminded Yuga of the protagonist in the original story, who was known for using brute force in battles. It was all about being reckless.


    It could be said that the battling style of the original protagonist and Rand wereplete opposites.


    However, due to his age disadvantage, Rand couldn''t make it to the final stages of thepetition this time. He was eliminated before reaching the top eight. Additionally, besides amateur enthusiasts, there were some legitimate Trainers participating in the event. Though their numbers were limited and their strength not too high, they still held the advantage.


    Seeing Rand returning with a downcast expression after losing thepetition, Yuga patted his shoulder and said, "You performed really well. I didn''t expect you to have such potential as a Trainer."


    Though Rand didn''t be ted due to Yuga''s praise, his despondent demeanor vanished. He firmly stated to Yuga, "I''ll definitely be stronger in the future."


    Speaking of which, that middle-aged man named Edward also participated in thepetition. He used a Lanturn, which was both Water and Electric type. Among the group of amateur participants, his strength was quite impressive. Shortly after Rand''s elimination, he advanced to the top four.


    However, Yuga spected that he probably wasn''t a professional Pok��mon Trainer. With his age, his level of skill was rather inadequate. Even if he had poor natural talent, it wouldn''t be enough to justify his performance.


    As expected, he was eliminated in the semifinals by another Trainer. He ended up securing the third ce.


    Both the first and second ce winners were young and clearly had received formal Trainer education, exhibiting a more professional approach tomand.


    When the top three winners went on stage to receive their prizes, Edward''s expression grew sour when looking at the first and second ce winners. It was apparent he wasn''t pleased with their results and paid no mind to his own significantly older age.


    Yuga thought this man must have been grown on a lemon tree��sour towards anyone better than him. However, the first and second ce winners paid no attention to him, treating him like air. He was left to stew in his own sourness.


    After watching thepetition, Yuga and Rand left the battle arena and explored other areas of the cruise ship.


    While wandering around with Rand, Yuga discovered there was actually a movie theater on the ship, and it seemed quite crowded.


    Yuga had never watched a Pok��mon World movie before, finding it rather intriguing. He decided to go in and have a good look.


    In the end, they chose a film called "Pikachu and Eevee''s Underground Adventure." It was Rand''s choice, who mentioned that this movie was currently quite popr, and many of his ssmates had seen it.


    However, after watching it, Yuga realized that Rand''s idea of "popr" referred to the poprity among their age group. The movie waspletely aimed at children. Yuga nearly fell asleep throughout the film, whereas Rand enjoyed it from start to finish.


    After the movie, as Yuga yawned while leaving, he identally bumped into someone. Unfortunately, this person was holding a cup of juice, which ended up spilling on Yuga''s clothes.


    Realizing he had collided with someone, Yuga immediately woke up and offered his apologies.


    "I''m sorry, really sorry. Are you okay?"


    The person Yuga bumped into was quite understanding, knowing that Yuga hadn''t done it intentionally, so he didn''t me him.


    As he wiped the juice off his clothes with a handkerchief, he said to Yuga, "It''s alright, don''t worry. You didn''t mean to."


    When the person lifted his head, Yuga recognized him as the one who had won the championship in the previouspetition.


    Yuga blurted out, "It''s you!"


    The person paused for a moment and asked, "Do you know me?"


    A bit embarrassed, Yuga said, "I watched the previouspetition. You were the champion, so of course I''ve seen you."


    The person smiled and said, "Ah, I see."


    Then, he noticed Rand standing next to Yuga and remarked, "This young fellow also participated, right? I remember him. He did pretty well."


    Rand was the youngest participant in thatpetition. Considering his notable performance, it wasn''t surprising that people remembered him.

 Chapter 114: Reggie

    <h4>Chapter 114: Reggie</h4>


    Upon hearing Rand being mentioned, Yuga smiled and said, "He''s just here to have some fun. After all, he''s still young, and the emphasis is on participation."


    The person across from him felt a bit awkward and admitted, "Honestly, I feel a bit embarrassed myself. I shouldn''t have participated in such an amateurpetition. It''s just that I recently trained a new Pok��mon and thought of letting it get some practice."


    It was then that Yuga realized that when he watched this person''s match, he appeared very professional and experienced inmanding Pok��mon. He didn''t seem like someone who would join such an amateurpetition.


    Yuga chuckled and said, "I understand, I understand."


    The life of a Trainer usually consisted of either training established Pok��mon or nurturing new ones. Only through continuous training could they figure out their best teambinations.


    "Oh, by the way, I haven''t introduced myself yet. I''m Reggie."


    Hearing the introduction from the other side, Yuga found the name "Reggie" somewhat familiar. So, he replied, "I''m Shimizu Yuga, and this is my little brother, Rand."


    Yuga gestured toward Rand, who was standing beside him.


    Yuga: "Anyway, let''s find a ce to sit down and chat. It''s a bit inconvenient here."


    Reggie: "Sure."


    So, the three of them went to the ship''s caf��. Yuga and Reggie each ordered a cup of coffee while Rand got a ss of milk. They sat down to talk.


    As Yuga looked at Reggie, the name was bing increasingly familiar. So, he asked, "Reggie, aren''t you from Hoenn?"


    Reggie looked surprised and asked, "How did you know? I''m from Veilstone City in Sinnoh region. I''m here with my grandfather to visit his friend in Hoenn."


    Upon hearing that he was from Veilstone City, Yuga finally confirmed his identity. In the original anime, Ash had a formidable rival in Sinnoh region named Paul, and Reggie was Paul''s older brother.


    Paul had admired his older brother Reggie since childhood and considered him his role model. However, after a defeat in a battle against the Pyramid King Brandon, Reggie abandoned his career as a Pok��mon Trainer. This disappointment led Paul to adopt an entirely different attitude toward his Pok��mon when he became a Trainer.


    While watching the original anime, Yuga had always thought that Reggie giving up his Trainer status wasn''t rted to his loss against Brandon. Reggie''s personality was mild and rational, not the kind to easily give up due to a single failure.


    However, Yuga wasn''t entirely sure of the exact circumstances, so he refrained from making any conclusions.


    Yuga: "So, are you also going to Johto like us?"


    Reggie nodded and said, "My grandfather owns a Pok��mon Day Care and is participating in an exchange conference in Goldenroad City in Johto."


    Upon hearing the term "Pok��mon Day Care," Yuga finally remembered that after Reggie gave up his career as a Trainer, he became the owner of a Day Care. Could this Day Care have been inherited from his grandfather?


    Yuga: "It''s such a coincidence. I''m also going to Goldenroad City for the Pok��mon Day Care exchange conference."


    Reggie looked surprised and said, "You''re so young, and you already own a Pok��mon Day Care?"


    Feeling a bit embarrassed, Yuga said, "I inherited the Day Care from my parents. Otherwise, I''d still be living at home, eating and doing nothing!"


    Reggie didn''t pick up on the implication that Yuga''s parents were deceased. He smiled and said, "That''s impressive too. My grandfather has been saying he wants to pass his Day Care down to me, but I haven''t decided whether I should take it over yet."


    He continued, "My grandfather only has one child, my mother, who has her own job and can''t take over the Day Care. So, I''m the best candidate. I''m just not sure how to handle it."


    Hearing this, Yuga finally understood that Reggie''s decision to give up his Trainer status was likely because he needed to inherit his elderly grandfather''s legacy.


    Yuga tried to console him, saying, "Just take your time to think it through. Who knows, you might end up liking running a Day Care someday."


    He continued, "When I first took over the Day Care, I wasn''t exactly thrilled either. It was a half-hearted decision because I didn''t know what to do at the time. But now I realize that managing a Day Care is quite fulfilling."


    Reggie, considering Yuga''s words, said, "You''re right. There''s no rush, I''ll figure it out over time."


    Afterwards, Yuga and Reggie chatted for a long time, discussing various topics. Yuga learned from their conversation that Reggie''s parents were both affiliated with the League.


    No wonder Reggie''s younger brother Paul had a starter Pok��mon from the Sinnoh region.


    They exchanged insights on training Pok��mon. Reggie had a formal education in Pok��mon training and was a true academic trainer. His background was vastly different from Yuga''s unconventional approach. Reggie''s understanding of Pok��mon and training was more systematic, and Yuga gained a lot from their conversation.


    The day after meeting Reggie, Yuga and Rand made ns to go fishing together. Yuga even lent Reggie one of his "precious" fishing rods.


    However, they encountered that odd middle-aged man, Edward, once again during their fishing trip.


    Seeing Yuga and the others fishing, Edward''s eyes seemed glued to them, as if he was trying to uncover their secret for frequently catching Pok��mon. It was quite unpleasant.


    Yuga told Reggie about Edward''s behavior from before, and Reggie was also disgusted by such a shameless person. Throughout the day, they ignored Edwardpletely.


    While fishing:


    Yuga: "Reggie, have you caught any Pok��mon from Hoenn since you arrived here?"


    Reggie: "No, most of my Pok��mon are from my grandfather''s Day Care. They''re all from Sinnoh region."


    Rand suddenly spoke up, "Can I see your Pok��mon?"


    Rand hadn''t seen Pok��mon from Sinnoh region before and was curious about Reggie''s Pok��mon.


    Of course, Yuga was also interested in Reggie''s Pok��mon, but he felt awkward asking like Rand did. As a bit older, he couldn''t just be as forthright.


    Reggie smiled and said, "Of course, no problem. However, most of my Pok��mon are back at my home in Sinnoh. I only have a few with me."


    Rand''s eyes were filled with curiosity as he said, "That''s fine."


    Reggie responded, "Alright, I''ll show you."


    With that, Reggie took out four Pok�� Balls and released the Pok��mon within. After a sh of red light, four Pok��mon appeared on the deck.


    The first was Staraptor, with apletely different appearance from Hoenn''s Swellow. Its imposing aura was enhanced by its sharp eyes.


    The second was Drapion, its fierce appearance coupled with its sturdy armor startled even Rand, who was usually calm and collected.


    The third was a goofy and adorable Bibarel, with its round body, dumbfounded expression, and thick tail making it quite endearing.


    Lastly, there was the Floatzel Reggie used in thepetition. It seemed to be the Pok��mon he mentioned as his newly trained one.


    All four Pok��mon had green potential. Except for Floatzel, the other three were all above level 30, indicating Reggie''s strength was quite remarkable. At the very least, he wasn''t weaker than Yuga.

 Chapter 115: A Pod of Wailord

    <h4>Chapter 115: A Pod of Wailord</h4>


    After seeing the four unique Pok��mon from Sinnoh region, Rand abandoned fishing altogether, setting down his fishing rod and rushing over to the Pok��mon.


    Although Reggie''s Staraptor and Drapion looked intimidating, they were actually gentle Pok��mon. They weed Rand''s approach warmly, as he greeted them.


    While Yuga and Reggie were immersed in their fishing, a melodious call echoed from somewhere. The sound wasn''t overly loud, but it resonated across the water''s surface like an echoing ripple, drawing several passengers out to investigate.


    As everyone searched for the source of the sound, a massive blue Pok��mon leaped out of the ocean in the distance, creating a ssh as itnded.


    The resulting ssh resembled blooming flowers on the sea''s surface, capturing everyone''s attention.


    As the water settled, a powerful water spout shot out from the massive Pok��mon''s blowhole. Yuga then recognized its identity��the Wailord.


    Truly living up to the title of thergest Pok��mon, the Wailord seemed like a blue ind, floating on the water''s surface. It was a testament to the creator''s artistry.


    ...


    <<wailord>> </wailord>


    Type: Water


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 78


    Moves: Soak, Noble Roar, Heavy m, Ssh, Water Gun, Whirlpool, Astonish, Mist, Water Pulse, Water Spout, Rest, Dive, Bounce, Water Canon, Rain Dance, Hail, Ice Beam, Round, Protect, Waterfall, Blizzard, Surf, Double-Edge, Earthquake, Thrash.


    ...


    As more Wailord surfaced, one after another, a breathtaking sight emerged��dozens of them gracing the ocean. Alongside them, Wailmer also emerged, their massive numbers forming a spectacr disy on the water''s surface.


    One Wailord suddenly let out a roar, followed by a towering water spout. As if a switch had been flipped, all the Wailord and Wailmer joined in, creating a harmonious symphony of deep, resonant calls.


    Countless water spouts soared into the sky, scattering droplets and mist that refracted colorful rainbows in the sunlight, dazzling the passengers on board.


    Although the Wailord and Wailmer were numerous, when they sang in unison, their deep, melodious voices weren''t overly loud or jarring. Instead, they exuded a sense of serenity and mystique.


    Yuga thought to himself that such a vast assembly, even if submerged in the deep sea, should hold dominion. Being able to witness this spectacle was truly rare.


    Even seasoned sailors, ustomed to the sea, might not have witnessed such a grand pod of Wailord.


    Wailmer and Wailord were both gentle creatures, often aiding stranded humans at sea. This set them apart from the likes of the "seafaring rogues" Sharpedo and Gyarados.


    Once the pod of Wailord had exchanged breath and resurfaced, they gradually dived back into the sea, continuing their journey beneath the waves. The "Wave Breaker" nearby went unnoticed.


    Wailord and Wailmer were ssic examples ofmunal Pok��mon, but witnessing a gathering of such magnitude was truly umon. The fact that their leader was exceptionally powerful likely contributed to their harmonious coexistence in the ocean.


    As the pod of Wailordpletely disappeared beneath the sea''s surface, the ship''s passengers sighed with amazement, feeling that their horizons had expanded and their journey was well worth it.


    Watching the Wailord depart, Reggie eximed, "This world is truly amazing, with so many things we haven''t seen waiting for us to explore and discover."


    Yuga nodded, "Indeed, it''s a world of unrivaled beauty."


    "We from Sinnoh can''t witness such a massive group of Wailord."


    Reggie expressed a touch of regret.


    Sinnoh had fewer seas and more mountains, with a rtively cooler climatepared to Hoenn. It was indeed rare to find areas suitable for the habitat of Wailord.


    Yuga smiled and said, "But Sinnoh has towering mountains and snow-covered peaks that Hoenncks. Aside from certain ces, the Hoenn region doesn''t haverge-scale Ice-type Pok��mon either. Each region has its unique characteristics."


    "True!"


    Listening to Yuga, Reggie happily agreed, his tone revealing pride in his homnd.


    Turning to Rand, Reggie continued, "If you ever get the chance to travel to Sinnoh, you''ll get to seendscapes and Pok��mon that Hoenncks. There''s the precipitous Mount Cor, the beautiful and clear Lake Verity, the Eterna Forest teeming with Bug-type and Grass-type Pok��mon... I''m sure you''ll love it."


    Mentioning Sinnoh seemed to open up Reggie''s floodgates of speech. He proceeded to share numerous tales and anecdotes about Sinnoh region with Yuga and Rand. He discussed how people used small Swinub to locate hot springs, how they traversed steep snowy mountains while riding on Mamoswine, and the color differences between Shellos and Gastrodon in the Eastern and Western Seas of Mount Cor.


    Reggie was quite knowledgeable about Sinnoh region. His understanding wasn''t solely due to his hometown; he had personally explored various ces in Sinnoh.


    However, a person''s home didn''t necessarily mean they would understand it deeply. For example, Yuga hailed from Hoenn, but his knowledge of the region was still mostly based on the animations and written descriptions from his previous life. He couldn''t truly be considered well-versed in Hoenn.


    Reggie''s anecdotes captivated both Yuga and Rand, not only broadening their horizons but also deepening theirprehension of this world.


    The ship arrived at Goldenroad City''s harbor on the fourth evening, a bit quicker than the anticipated five days. Over these three days, Yuga and Reggie got along famously. Reggie''s good nature made him an ideal friend to have.


    During this time, Yuga also had the chance to meet Reggie''s grandfather, a kind and gentle old man. Yuga couldn''t help but suspect that Reggie''s personality might have been influenced by his grandfather. He wondered how his younger brother, Paul, had developed into the awkward person he eventually became.


    Because the four of them shared the same destination, they continued to travel together.

 Chapter 116: Truly Adorable

    <h4>Chapter 116: Truly Adorable</h4>


    The venue for the Day Care Exchange Conference this time was Goldenrod City Gym.


    Goldenrod City is a famous city in Johto region, especially in the field of technology. It is renowned in the entire Pok��mon world along with Mauville City of Hoenn, Castelia City of Unova, and Lumiose City of Kalos.


    Thus, Goldenrod City Gym is not just arge venue but also a building exuding a scientific atmosphere.


    However, upon disembarking, Yuga and the others weren''t heading to Goldenrod City Gym. Instead, they were going to Goldenrod City Grand Hotel, which was the designated amodation for all participants of the conference appointed by the Breeder Association.


    Furthermore, the hotel had beenpletely reserved by the Day Care Association for the duration of the conference. All the members of the various major Day Cares attending the conference could stay for free. One couldn''t help but marvel at the Day Care Association''s financial strength.


    Goldenrod City Grand Hotel truly lived up to its reputation as the most luxurious hotel in the city. Even the most basic room where Yuga and the others were staying appeared exceptionallyvish.


    Both Yuga''s "YoYo Day Care" and Reggie''s grandfather''s Day Care were rtively small-scale. Especially Yuga''s Day Care, which most people had never even heard of, so they were assigned the standard rooms for their stay.


    However, because Yuga and Reggie had registered together, their rooms were arranged next to each other, providing a small butforting constion.


    But just as Yuga and the group were settling in and heading to the dining hall, they encountered that entric middle-aged man, Edward, again.


    Before Yuga and the others could say anything, Edward, with his peculiar tone, eximed, "Tsk tsk tsk, so you guys are here for the Day Care Exchange Conference too? I really couldn''t tell. Bringing even kids along, are you ying house or something?"


    As he spoke, he casually gestured towards Rand.


    Upon being pointed at by him, Rand''s face immediately turned red. He was both angered by Edward''s attitude and embarrassed for causing Yuga to lose face.


    Seeing this, Yuga patted Rand''s head tofort him.


    Reggie''s grandfather, unaware of the situation, asked Reggie, "What''s going on? Do you have a history with him?"


    Reggie shook his head and replied, "No, it''s just that this guy always finds trouble for no reason."


    Although Reggie''s voice was quiet, it was still heard by the entourage next to Edward.


    The entourage immediately raised their voices, "What do you mean by ''finding trouble for no reason''? How dare you talk like that! Who do you think you''re talking to? Do you even know the identity of our boss?"


    Upon hearing the entourage''s words, Yuga casually inquired, "So, who is your boss? I''m curious to know."


    As Yuga followed up with her question, the entourage, with an air of pride, said, "Our boss is none other than the famous Truly Adorable Day Care''s owner, Mr. Edward."


    Upon hearing the name "Truly Adorable," not only did Yuga burst intoughter, but many others in the dining hall also joined in.


    "Why are youughing? What''s so funny!"


    Unhappy with Yuga''sughter, the entourage shouted at her again.


    Yuga quickly waved her hand, her tone strange as if he were suppressing something. He said, "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to. You see, it''s not just meughing, everyone is."


    The entourage was about to say something else, but Edward immediately pped him, scolding, "Shut up, you idiot."


    At this moment, Edward not only regretted letting this entourage apany him but also started ming his father for giving the Day Care such a name as "Truly Adorable."


    "Why on earth did you give the Day Care such a name? If the boss were a cute girl, it wouldn''t be a problem, but the boss is a middle-aged guy like myself, and I''m not even good-looking. This is just embarrassing."


    One had to admit that Edward had a clear sense of self-awareness, especially about his own rather unattractive appearance. He had long given up hope.


    His family''s Day Care had been in business for decades. Changing the name now was impossible. Otherwise, who knows how many loyal customers they would lose? It was all due to branding; you could say that the name was both a blessing and a curse.


    In fact, people from other regions might not have heard of the Truly Adorable Day Care, but in the Hoenn region, quite a few people knew about it, including Yuga.


    This Day Care excelled in breeding Water-type Pok��mon, and their gship Pok��mon were all Water-types. Among them, the most famous was their mpearl.


    The mpearl was a unique species of Pok��mon found in the Hoenn region. It had a gray-blue shell on the outside and a pink body on the inside, appearing incredibly adorable. It was said that when it evolved, it would produce a magical pearl.


    Thanks to the mpearl, the Truly Adorable Day Care had gained some reputation in the Hoenn region.


    However, it should be noted that the Truly Adorable Day Care hadn''t been established for a long time. It had only gone through two generations, and even Yuga''s "YoYo Day Care" was older than it.


    The breeding industry required a solid foundation. To cultivate Pok��mon with their own distinct characteristics, a significant amount of time was needed to select outstanding genes of the same species. Then, through multiple generations of breeding, those selected genes would be stabilized.


    Only in this way could arge number of high-potential Pok��mon be cultivated. Both the League and many major Day Cares had developed in this manner.


    This was why many Trainers preferred to spend money at Day Cares to buy Pok��mon rather than capturing wild ones.


    Most wild Pok��mon had gone through several generations of interbreeding, which often resulted in less stable gicspared to the carefully cultivated Pok��mon from major Day Cares.


    Of course, this was the choice of most Trainers. There were still many exceptional wild Pok��mon, which was also why Pok��mon poacher remained prevalent.


    Yuga''s ability to obtain so many high-potential Gligar and Trapinch was thanks to the favor of the King of the Arus Empire. He had received support, otherwise, even with the help of the system, it might have taken a long time for the YoYo Day Care to develop.


    But the Truly Adorable Day Care reportedly had some backing within the League, which allowed them to develop smoothly and build a good reputation in the Hoenn region.


    "Mr. Edward, while it''s Truly that our Day Care may not be as famous as your Truly Adorable," Yuga deliberately emphasized the words "Truly Adorable," "I have to say, having your underling causing such a scene in a public ce like this really doesn''t suit your status."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s sarcasm, Edward''s face turned pale, and he shot a fierce re at his subordinate, who was already trembling in fear.


    "Hmph, let''s see how things go!"


    After giving his subordinate a re, Edward then shot a fierce nce at Yuga before walking away angrily.


    "What a lunatic!"


    Reggie muttered discontentedly.


    Seeing the tension in the air, Reggie''s grandfather quickly intervened, "Alright, alright, let''s go eat. I think everyone must be hungry by now."


    Seeing that Rand was still a bit upset, Yuga patted his shoulder and said, "Yeah, don''t let those insignificant people ruin your mood. We should go eat. We''ve been on the ship for several days. Today, let''s enjoy a good meal."

 Chapter 117: Sightseeing

    <h4>Chapter 117: Sightseeing</h4>


    After dinner, Yuga and the others returned to their respective rooms to rest, agreeing to explore Goldenrod City together the next day.


    Whether it was Yuga, Rand, or Reggie, this was their first time in Johto and Goldenrod City. With three days remaining until the start of the exchange conference, they saw this as a rare opportunity to have some fun.


    The next morning, Yuga and the group set out together, skipping breakfast and saving their appetites for the delicacies of Goldenrod City.


    Today, Yuga was also carrying Budew with him. Reggie had noticed Budew in his arms early on and curiously asked, "Are you keeping Budew outside so it can evolve?"


    Yuga chuckled and replied, "Yes, after all, its evolution method is quite unique. Having it with me often makes it evolve faster, right?"


    "That makes sense. I also have a Roselia. I left it at Professor Rowan''sb when it was a Budew. Back then, I went through quite an effort to help it evolve into a Roselia, but it was all worth it."


    As he spoke, Reggie''s face held a nostalgic expression.


    "That''s the joy of raising Pok��mon."


    Finishing his sentence, Reggie noticed Rand had released his Blitzle and the recently captured Psyduck. Reggie smiled and asked, "And why did you release your Pok��mon, Rand?"


    Rand replied with a serious tone, "To let them see the outside world."


    It must be said that although children were young, their thoughts were the most pure. They were willing to share everything with their partners. Many older Trainer predecessors tended to forget these important aspects.


    And so, the three of them, apanied by their Pok��mon, embarked on a tour of Goldenrod City. Due to his advanced age, Reggie''s grandfather declined to join and chose to rest at the hotel instead.


    Looking at the map of Goldenrod City in his hand, Yuga hesitated and asked, "Where should we go first? There are many ces to visit in Goldenrod City."


    "We can start from here."


    Reggie pointed to the central spot on the map, Goldenrod Department Store.


    "It''s said to be the best shopping spot in Johto. You can find all sorts of Pok��mon-rted items here.


    Plus, it''s located at the center of Goldenrod City and closest to our hotel. This will make it convenient for us to visit other cester."


    Yuga found Reggie''s suggestion reasonable and said, "That''s a good choice. Rand, what do you think?" Yuga turned to Rand and asked.


    Rand looked at Yuga and said, "I''ll follow whatever Yuga says."


    Seeing Rand had no objections, Reggie eximed, "Then let''s head to the department store!"


    When they arrived at Goldenrod Department Store, Yuga and his friends looked at the towering building before them. It was indeed worthy of being considered the best shopping destination in Johto. The grandeur of the building lived up to its reputation.


    Goldenrod Department Store had two shopping areas, one for humans and one for Pok��mon.


    The human area, as the name implied, sold various goods rted to human daily life, but Yuga and his friends weren''t interested in those items. They went straight to the Pok��mon area.


    The Pok��mon area specialized in selling various items rted to Pok��mon, including Pok��mon food, Pok�� Balls, Evolutionary Stones, held items, and even shops that sold Pok��mon and Pok��mon Eggs.


    It was said that the shop selling Pok��mon Eggs and Baby Pok��mon was a coboration between Goldenrod City''s Day Cares and the department store.


    Day Cares named after cities were mostly official Day Cares established by the League. This indicated that Goldenrod Department Store also had a strong background.


    In front of a store selling Pok��mon food, Yuga and his group stopped.


    Yuga said, "Let''s go in and take a look. I wonder how Pok��mon food in Johto region differs from the Pok��blocks in our Hoenn region."


    Reggie nodded and said, "Sure, I''m curious too."


    Trainers in the Kanto and Johto regions both use the region-specific Pok��mon food, which is different from the Pok��blocks used in Hoenn and Sinnoh regions.


    In contrast, the Unova and Kalos regions are rtively more inclusive, as Trainers in these areas use both Pok��mon food and Pok��blocks. No single method has a clear advantage.


    The rapid development period of Unova and Kalos somewhat resembled the developmental phase the United States experienced in Yuga''s previous life. During that time, people from various regions flocked to these two ces, resulting in a fusion and collision of cultures. Thisid the foundation for the current environment of these two regions.


    These two regions were the most evident examples of regional integration. There, you could encounter a plethora of Pok��mon from the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh regions.


    As for the Al region, which developed rtivelyter, let''s not discuss it here.


    Once inside the store, Yuga noticed that the price of the Pok��mon food here wasn''t significantly different from that of Pok��blocks. The packaging was also simr, both being canned.


    Yuga purchased a can of Grass-type Pok��mon food and opened it to take a look. The Pok��mon food consisted of small, dark-brown granules about the size of a small section of a finger. This was quite different from the colorful Pok��blocks.


    Pok��blocks varied in color depending on the proportion and types of berries used, and they were translucent and square in shape.


    Yuga handed a piece of Pok��mon food to Budew in his arms. It seemed to enjoy it, and Yuga thought that Pok��blocks and Pok��mon food were likely simr in essence, with differences mainly in form.


    Following suit, Yuga bought a bit of local specialty Pok��mon food for each of his Pok��mon. After leaving the department store, they visited Goldenrod City''s Game Corner.


    Situated diagonally across from the department store, the Game Corner was also quite famous in Goldenrod City.


    Once inside, Yuga didn''t y any games. He wasn''t particrly skilled at gaming, so he watched as Reggie and Rand exchanged tokens to y a few rounds. However, they ended up losing all their tokens.


    Clearly, such Game Corners had their tricks; they wouldn''t let you easily walk away with the prizes.


    However, Yuga also noticed that Reggie''s gaming skills weren''t any better than him; he was almost as bad as he was.


    On the other hand, Rand, this young boy, was more promising. Although he didn''t win, he didn''t lose too terribly either.


    After leaving Goldenrod City Game Corner, Yuga and his group visited several other famous ces in the city, such as Goldenrod Radio Tower, the National Park, and the Pok��athlon Dome.


    Speaking of the Pok��athlon Dome, it was truly famous in Johto region. Here, not only could you shop and tour, but you could also participate in Pok��mon battlepetitions.


    The battle points earned from thepetitions could be exchanged for items. When Reggie first saw this, he was eager to give it a try. Yuga had almost not stopped him, but at that point, it was getting quitete. If they didn''t return to the hotel soon, Yuga was worried that his grandfather mighte looking for him.

 Chapter 118: The First Day

    <h4>Chapter 118: The First Day</h4>


    In the end, Reggie managed to participate in the Pok��mon battlepetition as he had hoped.


    On the second day of Yuga and the group''s sightseeing, Reggie eagerly dragged Yuga to the Pok��athlon Dome and promptly registered for thepetition.


    However, with only a day avable, Reggie couldn''t participate in many battles. As a result, he didn''t achieve any notable results. Points in thepetition were hard toe by; participants had to earn them step by step, otherwise, the Dome would have gone bankrupt long ago.


    On the day before the exchange conference, the organizers instructed all attending Day Cares to gather at the Goldenrod Gym to familiarize themselves with the conference proceedings, tour the venue, and understand the conference guidelines. It was a busy day, leaving Reggie with no time to continue participating in battles.


    Initially, Yuga was quite interested in thepetition. After all, he was a Trainer as well. However, when he considered the serious nature of the conference, he chose to give it up. He didn''t want to end up like Reggie, who would be even more distressed if he left thepetition halfway through.


    By their fourth day in Goldenrod City, Yuga and his group were ready for the Day Care Exchange Conference. Despite having visited the Goldenrod Gym the previous day, Yuga was still awestruck by the immense scale of the venue as they entered alongside the other attendees.


    Nearly all the legitimate Day Cares from the six regions participated in the conference. Along with the audience, breeders, and some Trainers, the number of attendees was substantial. Yet, the Goldenrod Gym effortlessly amodated everyone.


    Once inside, Yuga and his group located their seats and took a moment to survey their surroundings.


    The venue for this conference was divided into three tiers. The outermost tier housed the general audience, the middle tier was upied by medium and small-sized Day Cares, such as YoYo Day Care and Reggie''s grandfather''s Day Care. The innermost tier was reserved for the organizers, co-organizers, and members of renowned Day Cares from various regions.


    Some prominent and reputable breeders were also seated in the innermost tier.


    The conference began with a speech from the president of the Breeder Association, who briefly introduced the history of Day Cares'' development, the purpose and significance of the conference, and then concluded his speech.


    Following that, prominent Day Care owners took the stage to share their experiences, and well-known breeders presented their research findings.


    ording to what Yuga and his group had learned the day before, the first day of the conference was focused on Day Cares getting to know one another and exchanging experiences. Only highly respected figures within the Day Care industry were granted the opportunity to speak on stage.


    To be honest, after listening to the "sessful individuals" share their experiences, Yuga was somewhat disappointed. These shares had very little practical content; they had essentially turned into performance reports and apetition to show off each Day Care''s achievements.


    The Day Care industry exhibited stark prization. Some small Day Cares barely managed to survive andckedpetitiveness, much like YoYo Day Care from earlier times. On the other hand, somerge Day Cares possessed substantial reserves and monopolized the market.


    The cause of these phenomena wasn''t the fault of a single Day Care or a few. Ultimately, it boiled down to the Day Care industry''s heavy reliance on umtion for growth.


    Mostrge Day Cares were established early on and received support from the League at their inception. There was nopetitive pressure, allowing them to gradually develop.


    However, times had changed. It was no longer the League''s early days when the market had a high demand for quality Pok��mon. Newly established Day Care alliances were no longer concerned about your survival. Everything was determined by the market''spetitive mechanisms, deciding whether a Day Care would thrive or disappear.


    The development of the Day Care industry differed greatly from other industries. Most industries pursued the "new," seeking new technologies, concepts, and operational methods. However, the Day Care industry focused on umtion, valuing the "old."


    This doesn''t mean that the development of Day Cares didn''t require new technologies, concepts, or operational methods. However, these weren''t the primary focus. The most crucial aspect was the umtion of knowledge about Pok��mon.


    For a newly established Day Care, how did they obtain high-quality Pok��mon and maintain a stable channel for acquiring these Pok��mon? Rely on the League''s breeding facilities? If that were effective, YoYo Day Care wouldn''t still be obscure.


    All sessful Day Cares had one thing inmon: they built their own ecopark, cultivated their Pok��mon poptions, and optimized the gic makeup of their Pok��mon. This was the key step in a Day Care''s development and also the most time-consuming.


    This step was also the main reason whyrge Day Cares grewrger while small ones struggled.


    After the first day of the conference, Yuga''s backside was numb from sitting for so long. He noticed that Reggie had dozed off during the talks.


    On their way back to the hotel, Reggieined about the people who spoke on stage, using them of bragging and showing off, especially the members of The Day Care Joint Council. He couldn''t believe how they hogged the spotlight.


    Yuga also thought The Day Care Joint Council members were a bit too attention-seeking. They acted as if they were the organizers, with the Breeder Association merely co-organizers.


    Although everyone was a private Day Care owner, Yuga couldn''t help but form a negative impression of The Day Care Joint Council members. He found their behavior rather distasteful, which made it hard for him to have a favorable opinion of them.


    "Alright, let''s stop talking about this. In reality, what they do doesn''t affect us much. Let them be," Yuga casually remarked.


    Curiously, Reggie asked, "Why don''t those League-affiliated Day Cares try to control the members of The Day Care Joint Council? They just let them take the spotlight like that."


    Yuga pondered for a moment before replying, "I think the League-affiliated Day Cares probably don''t pay them much attention.


    Consider this: how many active Trainers are there in the League? Most Trainers are officially registered with the League. When they purchase Pok��mon, they naturally tend to favor the League''s official Day Cares. Private Day Cares would only be chosen if they offered superior options.


    However, the variety of Pok��mon avable at League-affiliated Day Cares is generally wider, and the quality is better. Backed by the League, they don''t consider The Day Care Joint Council members aspetition."


    Reggie''s grandfather chimed in, "Yuga is right. The League-affiliated Day Cares never regard private Day Cares as theirpetitors. There''s no need, really. Even if their Pok��mon go unsold, the League will ensure they have a ce to go.


    The Day Care Joint Council members are simply frolicking around there. Although they''re doing well now, the League still doesn''t consider them a significant concern. You could tell this from how the League didn''t intervene when the organization was initially formed."


    Listening to Reggie''s grandfather, Yuga thoughtfully added, "All of this doesn''t really concern us. Day Cares like oursck the strength topete with either side. We won''t make a significant impact on them. Our best option is to focus on steady development."


    Reggie''s grandfather nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 119: The Second Day

    <h4>Chapter 119: The Second Day</h4>


    The main event of the second day of the exchange conference was the Pok��mon Showcase, which could be seen as a way for various Day Cares to promote themselves. After all, the conference was also being televised.


    Yuga found today''s activities much more interesting than yesterday''s, and he felt that he was learning a lot.


    Participating in the Pok��mon Showcase required advance registration. However, most of the participants were League-affiliated Day Cares andrge to medium-sized private Day Cares.


    It wasn''t that small Day Cares weren''t allowed to participate, but even if they did, they wouldn''t achieve good rankings. In fact, they might just end up being stepping stones for others, so many of them chose not to participate.


    However, not all small Day Cares refrained from participating. Some small Day Cares that didn''t care much about rankings still chose to register.


    This event was like a Pok��mon-themed fashion show, where each Day Care showcased a minimum of fifteen identical baby Pok��mon of the same species. Otherwise, they wouldn''t qualify to participate.


    Of course, a Day Care could also present two different species of Pok��mon, but each species needed to have more than fifteen representatives.


    It''s worth noting that Reggie''s grandfather''s Day Care, Blue Sky Day Care, also registered for this event. So, apart from Yuga and Rand, both his grandfather and Reggie were in backstage preparing.


    The first Day Care to appear was the official Day Care of Rainbow City in the Kanto region. This Day Care focused on raising Grass-type Pok��mon, and when a group of twenty Bulbasaur appeared on stage, they immediately caught everyone''s attention.


    It was probably the organizers'' way of starting on a high note��having the first group of Pok��mon be the Grass-type starter trio from the Kanto region.


    Rainbow City Day Care owned a breeding facility designated by the League to specialize in the Grass-type starter trio. Most new Trainers in the Kanto region received their Bulbasaur from this facility.


    This was why Reggie''s grandfather had mentioned that even if the League-affiliated Day Cares couldn''t sell their Pok��mon, they would still find a ce for them.


    The League had arge number of in-house Trainers, including police officers, investigators, forest rangers, and others who required Pok��mon from official Day Cares. The starters for new Trainers were among these Pok��mon.


    The second group to appear was another League-affiliated Day Care, the Red Lotus Ind Day Care. They specialized in Fire-type Pok��mon, particrly Magby.


    The Magby, fiery red all over, held hands and took cautious steps on stage, following the gestures of the Breeders guiding them. They performed various adorable actions, melting the hearts of the audience.


    Apart from the impressive performance of the League-affiliated Day Cares, private Day Cares also showed their strengths.


    From the Day Care Joint Council''s top five members, Midnight Day Care exhibited Houndoom, a Pok��mon thatbined Dark and Fire types.


    They presented twice the required number of Houndoom, thirty ferocious Houndoom stepping onto the stage and letting out a series of howls, effectively showcasing the traits of Dark-type Pok��mon.


    Yuga had previously owned a Houndour that had evolved into a Houndoom. Before evolving, its personality was a bit of an anomaly among Dark-type Pok��mon.


    Common characteristics of Dark-type Pok��mon included arrogance, ferocity, intelligence, cunning, and mischief. However, Midnight Day Care''s Houndoom seemed even more aggressive than the typical Houndoom.


    Midnight Day Care was headquartered in Johto and specialized in raising Dark-type Pok��mon. They excelled not only in nurturing Houndoom, but also in raising Murkrow, making them a formidable enterprise.


    As for the leading private Day Care in the Hoenn Region, it was Aroma Day Care, also among the top five members of the Day Care Joint Council.


    Judging from the name, it was apparent that Aroma Day Care specialized in nurturing Grass-type Pok��mon. They were the only Day Care in the event that exhibited two different species.


    The first group of Pok��mon they showcased was the Cea, a cactus Pok��mon. This unevolved Cea had a peculiar appearance and a somewhat goofy expression, making it quite endearing.


    The second group of Pok��mon consisted of Water and Grass types, the Lotad line.


    As the Lotad children, each wearing a lily pad on their heads with vacant expressions, slowly and leisurely lined up on the stage, Yuga felt that regardless of how odd Ludicolo and Lombre looked, Lotad was undeniably adorable.


    Also, Edward''s "Truly Adorable" Day Care participated in this event as well, showcasing their signature Pok��mon, mperl.


    Yuga thought that while Edward might not be much of a person, the mperls in his Day Care actually looked quite good.


    Reggie''s grandfather''s Blue Sky Day Care presented Starly, one of the mostmon Pok��mon in the Sinnoh Region.


    Though the Starly in this group were of low levels and young age, they disyed advanced flying skills on stage. Yuga also noticed that all these Starly had green potential values.


    Reggie''s grandfather had definitely put in a lot of effort for this showcase. These young Starly might be small, but they had undergone rigorous training.


    Yuga believed that Reggie''s grandfather was undoubtedly a wise person.


    From the potential values of these Starly, it was evident that he considered them to be the gship Pok��mon of his Day Care, and the results were already starting to show.


    Compared to other lessmon Pok��mon, Starly was widely distributed in the Sinnoh Region. It was rtively easier to find excellent individuals for breeding purposes from them.


    Staraptor, Starly''s final evolution, was an exceptional Flying-type Pok��mon. As long as their potential was sufficient, there would certainly be no shortage of buyers for them.


    From these Starly, Yuga could see that Reggie''s grandfather had achieved preliminary sess.


    Apart from the exceptional performances of the aforementioned Day Cares, the subsequent presentations by many other Day Cares were also impressive.


    For instance, the official Day Care of the Sinnoh Region Seaside City showcased Piplup, while the Unova Region Verdant Leaf Day Care exhibited the Sewaddle. The Aurora Day Care of Lumiose in the Kalos region showcased Swirlix, among others.


    Each Day Care showcased their unique Pok��mon in their own way, leaving the live audience thoroughly impressed.


    Even though Yuga was knowledgeable about many Pok��mon, he hadn''t seen most of them firsthand. Today''s Pok��mon Showcase truly broadened his horizons, as different Pok��mon from various regions were gathered together, creating a visual feast.


    When the Pok��mon Showcase segment concluded, not only Yuga and Rand felt somewhat unsatisfied, but many in the audience also sighed.


    However, this showcase wasn''t just about spectators enjoying the show. Rankings needed to be determined, making it a form ofpetition among the Day Cares.


    After careful evaluation, the Rainbow City Day Care imed the first ce, Midnight Day Care took second, and the Seaside City Day Care secured third.


    Two out of the top three were League-affiliated Day Cares, indicating that private Day Cares were slightly less skilled in Pok��mon breeding techniquespared to official Day Cares.


    The evaluation of this event wasn''t solely based on the variety of Pok��mon. It also took into ount various factors like the Pok��mon''s development, inherited skills, and potential values.


    Reggie''s grandfather''s Day Care did reasonably well, ranking above average. For a Day Care of its size, this was already quite impressive, considering the participating Day Cares came from all over the world.

 Chapter 120: The Last Day

    <h4>Chapter 120: The Last Day</h4>


    The final day of the Day Care Conference mainly focused on the different breeders present.


    After most breeders achieved proficiency and received certificates from the Breeder Association, they would seek employment in various Day Cares for a better future.


    This event was specifically organized by the Association for breeders who hadn''t found suitable positions yet.


    The profession of a breeder often required a role simr to that of a schr. They needed to have a deep understanding of various Pok��mon species, be familiar with their habits, growth patterns, and even possess knowledge of their gics and reproduction.


    In general, any skilled breeder would be a sought-after candidate for major Day Cares.


    Initially, Yuga thought about hiring a breeder for his YoYo Day Care to help care for the Pok��mon in the Ecopark. However, he discarded the idea. His Ecopark held too many secrets; it wasn''t suitable for an outsider to enter. Moreover, the number of Pok��mon in the Day Care wasn''t overwhelming yet, and with the help of Audino and Miltanks, there weren''t any immediate issues.


    Thus, Yuga skipped the final activity of the Day Care Conference and went somewhere else.


    We know that MooMoo Milk, renowned in the world of Pok��mon, originated from the Johto region. Among the top producers of MooMoo Milk was the MooMoo Farm in Goldenrod City.


    The owner of the Goldenrod City MooMoo Farm was the current Gym Leader of Goldenrod City, Milton. Yuga''s purpose for this trip was to meet Mr. Milton.


    Yuga believed that the number of Trapinch and Gligar in his Ecopark was already substantial. Coupled with their continuous reproduction, the current six Miltanks couldn''t provide enough MooMoo Milk to sustain them.


    Although Yuga considered seeking Director Mond''s help again, YoYo Day Care had stopped procuring from Lavaridge Town Day Care Center by now. Bothering them again would seem unreasonable.


    So, Yuga thought, since he was in thend of the Miltanks, why not figure something out here? There might be a solution waiting to be found.


    Naturally, Yuga''s first thought was Milton, who owned thergest ranch in Goldenrod City. However, Yuga didn''t know Mr. Milton personally, so the best way to meet him would be to visit his Gym.


    When Yuga and Rand arrived at the Goldenrod City Gym, there were no challengers present. Apart from a few Gym apprentices, there was nobody around.


    "Hello, can I meet Mr. Milton?" Yuga asked one of the Gym apprentices.


    The apprentice assumed that Yuga was there for a Gym challenge with Rand and said, "Our Gym Leader isn''t at the Gym right now. If you''re here for a Gym challenge, could you wait a bit? I''ll go get him."


    Upon hearing this, Yuga knew he was mistaken and quickly waved his hand, saying, "No, no, no. You''ve misunderstood. I''m not here to challenge the Gym. I have some other matters to discuss with him. Could you please pass on a message to him?"


    Thinking that Yuga had something important to discuss, the apprentice inquired, "Is it something urgent that you need to discuss with our Gym Leader?"


    "Not something urgently important, just some private matters I''d like to talk to Mr. Milton about," Yuga replied, a bit embarrassed.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s response, the apprentice hesitated and said, "I''m afraid that won''t be possible. Since you''re not here for a Gym challenge and it''s not an urgent matter, I can''t help you contact the Gym Leader. It''s beyond my responsibilities, and if I do so, it would vite the rules of the Gym."


    Upon hearing the apprentice''s response, Yuga wasn''t surprised. He already knew that the Gym Leader wouldn''t be easily essible.


    "Can you at least tell me where Mr. Milton is right now? I can go find him myself," Yuga didn''t want to give up easily and asked again.


    The Gym apprentice smiled and said, "That''s no problem. Everyone in Goldenrod City knows that if Mr. Milton isn''t at the Gym, he''s definitely at the ranch. If you want to find him, go there. But whether he''s willing to see you or not is a different matter."


    As they left the Gym, Yuga''s expression showed some disappointment. Rand noticed and asked, "Didn''t that person tell us where Mr. Milton is? Why isn''t Yuga happy?"


    Yuga gently ruffled Rand''s furry head. "Although we know where he is, it doesn''t necessarily mean we''ll be able to meet him. We don''t know him, so why would he meet us out of the blue?"


    Rand nodded after hearing Yuga''s exnation, his face showing concern.


    Seeing Rand''s expression, Yuga chuckled softly. "Alright, regardless of the oue, let''s give it a try. Rand, remember, there are many things in this world that won''t unfold exactly as we wish. What we need to do is give our best effort. Only by doing our best can we avoid regrets."


    Rand nodded in agreement. He might not fullyprehend the depth of Yuga''s words, but he felt they made sense.


    Leaving the Gym, Yuga took out a map of Goldenrod City, located MooMoo Farm, and prepared to take Rand there to find Mr. Milton.


    MooMoo Farm was situated in the outskirts of Goldenrod City. It upied a vast area and was highly visible on the map, making it easy to locate in reality as well.


    Following the map, Yuga and Rand traversed through the urban area of Goldenrod City and arrived at the outskirts.


    The outskirts of Goldenrod City were t and covered in lush grass, with only a few short trees sporadically dotting thendscape. It was indeed an ideal location for a ranch, and it wasn''t surprising that the famous MooMoo Farm was established here.


    Yuga''s Budew, which was in his arms, didn''t want to be held anymore. It hopped onto the ground and happily hopped around in the lush grass.


    Rand''s Blitzle also unleashed its four hooves, galloping joyfully across the grasnd. Only the seemingly absent-minded Psyduck walked slowly behind Rand, its two little hands covering its head, looking quite adorable.


    Seeing the three littlepanions ying so happily, Yuga''s mood improved significantly, and the worries about not meeting Mr. Milton dissipated unconsciously.


    People were easily influenced by their surroundings and the atmosphere. Even if their mood wasn''t great, seeing beautiful scenery and a cheerful atmosphere could naturally brighten their spirits.


    With light hearts, Yuga and Rand walked along the road, enjoying the scenery along the way. Suddenly, they heard an explosion not far away, followed by the roars of Pok��mon. Yuga instinctively walked towards the sound.

 Chapter 121: Heroic Rescue

    <h4>Chapter 121: Heroic Rescue</h4>


    When Yuga and Rand arrived at the scene of the explosion, they saw three men surrounding a girl. The attire of these three men was all too familiar to Yuga.


    They wore ck round hats, ck uniforms, and had arge red "R" on their chests. There could be no doubt, they were members of Team Rocket.


    In Yuga''s understanding, Team Rocket was the most powerful among all the evil organizations across various regions. They had a presence in both Kanto and Johto regions, and their existence had been the longest among all the evil organizations.


    Normally, Yuga would avoid such situations if possible, but upon recognizing the girl being attacked, he decided it was best to intervene.


    Indeed, the girl being attacked was none other than Yuga''s intended visit, Mr. Milton''s granddaughter, Whitney. She was also the future Gym Leader of Goldenrod City Gym.


    If Yuga didn''t help now, Mr. Milton would certainly refuse to see him no matter what.


    Yuga pulled Rand into a nearby thicket and told him, "Stay hidden here and don''te out."


    Rand looked at Yuga''s hand and nodded with concern, "Just be careful."


    On the other side of the battlefield.


    Whitney''s Pok��mon was a Miltank, while the three attacking men had a Rattata, a Spearow, and a Golbat.


    Under Whitney''smand, her Miltank used Rollout to knock the Rattata, which was using Quick Attack, aside. Then, Miltank swiftly changed direction, utilizing the momentum of Rollout to leap high and attack the Spearow flying in the air.


    However, as a Flying-type Pok��mon, Spearow was incredibly agile. With a p of its wings, it easily evaded Miltank''s Rollout. Then, using its move Aerial Ace, it knocked the airborne Miltank down to the ground.


    The fallen Miltank was caught in an awkward position, unable toplete its Rollout move. At this moment, another Team Rocket member''s Golbat took action.


    "Golbat, Air Cutter!"


    Several transparent des of Air Cutter rapidly sliced toward the defenseless Miltank.


    Seeing this, Whitney shouted worriedly to her Miltank, "Miltank, be careful!"


    However, Miltank was currently between the exhaustion of its old move and the birth of a new move, and it waspletely unable to evade the Air Cutter shes. The attack from Golbat was about tond on Miltank.


    "Florges, Magical Leaf."


    Just then, leaves materialized out of thin air, blocking all the Air Cutter attacks.


    At this moment, Whitney and the three Team Rocket members noticed a young man with a beautiful Pok��mon standing not far away.


    "Florges, Grassy Terrain."


    Before the four could fully react, the voice of the young man rang out again. Green light radiated like a tide, spreading out from the beautiful Pok��mon at the center. The grassy ground around them turned a lush shade of green.


    At this time, the environment in Goldenrod City''s outskirts was perfect for Florges to use Grassy Terrain.


    The healing effect from Grassy Terrain alleviated the damage taken by Whitney''s Miltank, making her realize that the neer was an ally. It also made the three Team Rocket members aware of a new opponent.


    Who else could it be but Yuga and his Florges who hade to the rescue?


    "Golbat, Wing Attack!"


    Realizing the situation, the Team Rocket membermanding Golbat immediately ordered it to attack Florges.


    "Florges, Vine Whip."


    As Yuga''s words fell, two thick Vine Whips quickly entangled Golbat. With a gentle flick, Florges sent the struggling Golbat crashing to the ground.


    The Vine Whip of Florges was vastly different from b��b�� and Floette used in the past. It was not only thicker in appearance but also exhibited superior flexibility and binding strength.


    This Golbat was the strongest among the three Pok��mon. Seeing it easily knocked down, the other two Team Rocket members began to hesitate, considering retreat.


    "What are you standing around for? Attack now!" Themander of the Golbat shouted at the other two.


    After a moment''s hesitation, the other two abandoned the idea of retreating andmanded their own Pok��mon.


    "Rattata, use Tackle!"


    "Spearow, use Quick Attack!"


    Upon hearing themands, Rattata and Spearow immediately abandoned their engagement with Miltank and turned their attacks toward Yuga and Florges.


    "Florges, Magical Leaf."


    Empowered by the Grassy Terrain, over a dozen de-like leaves streaked toward the two Pok��mon, quickly taking down Rattata and Spearow.


    The Magical Leaf that Floette and b��b�� could use in the past was limited to four leaves and was much weaker than now. Currently, Florges could use over a dozen Magical Leaves. The leaves were not only sharper but also enhanced in resilience and binding force, making Yuga''s envisioned Magical Leaf Storm even more usible.


    Yuga observed Rattata and Fearow. Their levels were not high, and their potentials were only rated as yellow. The attack of just a Magical Leaf rendered them unable to battle.


    Meanwhile, the Golbat, which had been flung to the ground by the Vine Whip, had managed to regain its footing and was still in fighting condition. This showed that there was a considerable power gap between these three Pok��mon.


    Of course, this also had to do with the Flying-type Golbat''s inherent resistance to Grass-type moves like Vine Whip.


    Although the Golbat''s potential was also rated as yellow, its level was much higher than the other two.


    "Golbat, Air Cutter!"


    Seeing theirrade defeated, the Team Rocket member inmand of the Golbat didn''t retreat. Instead, they ordered Golbat to continue its attack on Florges.


    "Florges, Fairy Wind!"


    Empowered by the Grassy Terrain, a pink storm generated by Florges''s Fairy Wind swallowed up the iing Air Cutter attacks before dissipating into the air.


    Witnessing this, the Team Rocket member with Golbat finally disyed a hint of retreat, but Yuga didn''t give them the chance.


    "Florges, Moonst!"


    With the backdrop of a silver-bright moon behind it, Florges appeared even more noble and untouchable. A dazzling beam of white light engulfed the Golbat.


    Although the Poison-type Golbat possessed some resistance to Fairy-type moves, it still lost its battle capability under the might of Florges''s Moonst.


    This was the result of a power disparity.


    Just as Yuga defeated the Golbat, apuse suddenly rang out.


    "Not bad, not bad. I didn''t expect you to be so skilled at such a young age. Would you be interested in joining Team Rocket?"

 Chapter 122: Tyson (Team Rocket)

    <h4>Chapter 122: Tyson (Team Rocket)</h4>


    Following those words, another man in Team Rocket uniform emerged from the nearby bushes.


    Unlike the threeckeys in ck Team Rocket uniforms who were defeated by Yuga, this man wore the elite uniform that only distinguished Team Rocket members could wear. It was the same attire worn by Musashi and Kojir�� in the original series.


    However, what Yuga didn''t anticipate was that the first thing this Team Rocket elite did upon appearing was to try and recruit him. It had to be said, Team Rocket was truly desperate for new talent.


    "Lord Tyson, we have failed."


    Seeing the newly arrived Team Rocket member, the three defeatedckeys quickly recalled their defeated Pok��mon and ran over to him, bowing in respect.


    Tyson?


    Yuga did recall this name. He had encountered him in the original anime when Professor Oak encountered him during his journey in Sichuan. Tyson was responsible for triggering the evolution of the Red Gyarados using Team Rocket''s Angry Device.


    Although Yuga couldn''t remember what Tyson looked like, he remembered his name quite clearly.


    "I''m not interested in joining Team Rocket, and I don''t want to provoke you either. However, I hope you''ll let us go," Yuga declined Tyson''s proposal as soon as he spoke.


    Hearing Yuga''s refusal, Tyson''s expression immediately darkened.


    "In that case, there''s no way I can let you go today. me that girl for seeing something she shouldn''t have." Saying this, Tyson released a Fearow.


    Seeing something she shouldn''t have? Yuga nced at Whitney, who was not far away.


    Whitney caught Yuga''s gaze and vigorously shook her head, indicating she hadn''t seen anything.


    "It seems a battle is inevitable today," Yuga had just finished speaking when Florges, who was standing nearby, stepped forward to confront the Fearow in the air.


    Seeing Yuga''s stubbornness, Tyson snorted and said, "If you won''t ept a drink, you''ll have to face the punishment. Fearow, Steel Wing!"


    Using his Insightful Eyes, Yuga examined the Fearow.


    ...


    <<fearow>> </fearow>


    Type: Normal/Flying


    Ability: Keen Eye


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Yellow


    Level: 41


    Moves: Agility, Peck, Leer, Pursuit, Fury Attack, Aerial Ace, Quick Attack, Steel Wing.


    ...


    Although this Fearow had a higher level than Florges, the considerable difference in potential meant their overall strength wasn''t significantly disparate.


    "Florges, Vine Whip!"


    Faced with Fearow''s Aerial Ace, Yuga employed the same strategy he used against Golbat earlier, attempting to use Vine Whip to toss it aside.


    Two Vine Whips instantly ensnared Fearow''s wings. With a strong tug, Florges redirected Fearow away from its original attacking trajectory, preventing it from sessfully hitting Florges.


    This Fearow, which had used Aerial Ace, outstripped the previous Golbat in both speed and power. However, Florges''s strength only managed to divert its attack trajectory rather than deal effective damage.


    "Fearow, Drill Peck!"


    Benefiting from the momentum of its high-speed assault, the Fearow that had just stabilized itself in midair immediately received its trainer''smand. The pointed beak of the bird shone with intense Ground-type energy as it lunged straight toward Florges.


    "Florges, Moonst!"


    Florges''s Moonst took form swiftly, transforming into a silver beam that shot toward the oing Fearow.


    Florges''s movement speed wasn''t exceptional, and itcked defensive moves apart from the single Flower Shield, which was only effective against Grass-types. Therefore, when battling, Yuga employed the strategy that the best defense was a good offense.


    In the midst of its high-speed charge, Fearow was unable to turn or evade. It collided head-on with Florges''s Moonst.


    After the intense explosion, the disheveled Fearow burst out from the smoke formed by the explosion, emitting an unpleasant screech.


    Fearow was known as one of the most irritable and easily angered bird-like Pok��mon, often getting into conflicts with other Pok��mon in the wild due to its fiery temperament. The significant setback it suffered at the hands of Florges had pushed it to the brink of fury.


    However, Tyson seemed to understand Fearow''s vtile nature quite well. He addressed the ferocious-looking Fearow in the air, saying, "Fearow, don''t hold back, go all-out!"


    Upon hearing Tyson''smand, Fearow''s wings illuminated with a bright white light. It utilized its Steel-type move, Steel Wing, once again, charging fiercely towards Florges.


    "Florges, Moonst!"


    Watching the unwavering Fearow charging forward, Yuga employed the same strategy as before, trying to interrupt Fearow''s attack with Moonst.


    However, when the Moonst''s beam of light approached Fearow, the Pok��mon abruptly folded its wings together. It utilized the Steel-type energy apanying its Steel Wing to block the Moonst''s attack. After a brief pause, it continued its assault on Florges.


    Seeing Fearow closing in on Florges in an instant, Yuga urgently shouted, "Florges, use Vine Whip to entangle that tree and dodge!"


    Thinking she was about to be hit, Florges''s eyes brightened upon hearing Yuga''smand. She instantly swung out her two Vine Whips, grabbing onto the nearby tree and flinging herself out of the way, narrowly evading Fearow''s Steel Wing.


    "Florges, Fairy Wind!"


    Even before touching the ground, Florges received anothermand from Yuga. Swiftly changing her trajectory mid-air, a pink gust of energy emanated from her, heading towards Fearow.


    Due to Florges''s sessful evasion, the Steel Wing that Fearow had unleashed missed its target. Since Fearow was still mid-air and hadn''t regained stability due to inertia, it was caught off guard by the sudden Fairy Wind, causing it to plummet to the ground.


    "Florges, press the advantage and use Moonst again?"


    With Florges now standing firmly on the ground, Yuga issued anothermand. Without hesitation, a powerful Moonst shot out from Florges, striking the grounded Fearow. This time, Fearow didn''t manage to get back up into the air.


    "Underestimated you. I didn''t expect your strength to surpass my expectations. It''s a pity you won''t join Team Rocket," Tyson muttered, recalling the incapacitated Fearow and wearing an unsightly expression.


    Having achieved his first victory, Yuga''s mood was good. He smiled and said, "You don''t need to worry about us, worry about yourself."


    "Tyson, Tyson, where are you?"


    As he stored the fainted Fearow back into its Pok�� Ball, Tyson, who had intended to send out another Pok��mon, suddenly heard a voice. His expression changed, and he promptly turned to theckeys standing not far away, urgently saying, "Run!"


    After ncing at Yuga, he disappeared into the bushes.


    Though the threeckeys didn''tprehend what was happening, their superior had given orders, so they quickly dashed into the bushes.

 Chapter 123: Visiting MooMoo Ranch

    <h4>Chapter 123: Visiting MooMoo Ranch</h4>


    Seeing Tyson and his subordinates leave, Yuga didn''t bother to chase them. It wouldn''t necessarily lead to anything, so he decided to save his energy.


    "Grandpa, I''m here, I''m here!" Upon hearing that voice, Whitney immediately called out to its source.


    Before long, a silver-haired old man arrived at Yuga''s location. As soon as he saw Whitney, he looked her up and down, repeatedly muttering, "Whitney, are you alright? What happened?"


    The neer was Whitney''s grandfather, the current Gym Leader of Goldenrod City and Yuga''s intended contact, Mr. Milton. He had heard the sounds of battle and rushed out of concern for Whitney.


    "Grandpa, I''m fine. It was this young man who saved me," Whitney reassured Mr. Milton and pointed to Yuga.


    Whitney was actually a sweet-looking girl, but her strong ent and thick dialect were a bit disappointing when she spoke.


    Mr. Milton had actually noticed Yuga as soon as he arrived but was preupied with worrying about his granddaughter to ask.


    "I see, thank you very much, young man. But what exactly happened?" Mr. Milton first thanked Yuga and then asked in confusion.


    "I don''t know either. I saw Miss Whitney being surrounded when I was passing by, so I intervened. I''m not sure of the details," Yuga said, equally puzzled about why Team Rocket would attack Whitney and what "inappropriate sight" Tyson referred to.


    Mr. Milton nodded and turned to Whitney, asking, "Whitney, do you know why they targeted you?"


    Whitney shook her head and exined, "I don''t know. I left the gym and was heading to the ranch to find you. When I reached here, I saw many people dressed simrly gathering for some unknown reason. They quickly left when they saw me and left a few behind to deal with me."


    After hearing Whitney''s ount, Yuga asked in confusion, "That guy named Tyson mentioned that you saw something you shouldn''t have seen. Take a moment and think, do you remember what you saw?"


    Whitney pondered hard for a while but eventually confirmed, "I really didn''t see anything."


    Seeing that Whitney genuinely couldn''t remember, Mr. Milton patted her back and said, "Alright, forget about it then. Let Miss Cynthia and the others investigate this matter."


    Mr. Milton, as the Gym Leader of Goldenrod City, was well aware of the existence of Team Rocket. Over the years, Team Rocket''s influence had been steadily expanding, reaching from Kanto to Johto. Their name had long been on the lists of Gym Leaders and Miss Cynthia in these two regions.


    However, this organization''s activities remained shrouded in secrecy. The identity of their leader was still unknown to the League, and dealing with them had proven challenging. Their sudden appearance on the outskirts of Goldenrod City, coupled with their attack on the local Gym Leader''s granddaughter, raised questions about their motives.


    Mr. Milton said, "Regardless, we have to thank this young man for his help. By the way, we still don''t know your name."


    "I''m Shimizu Yuga, you can call me Yuga," he replied.


    Mr. Milton chuckled and said, "Then I''ll call you Little Yuga. Since you and Whitney are around the same age, you can call me Grandpa Milton. Are you alright now? How about visiting my ranch? I must show my gratitude."


    "Of course, I''d be honored." Yuga''s purpose foring was rted to Whitney, so he wouldn''t refuse. "However, during the battle just now, I left my brother hidden in the bushes. Can I go to him first?"


    "Of course, go ahead. Don''t keep your little sibling waiting."


    After retrieving Rand, Yuga, along with Mr. Milton and Whitney, headed to MooMoo Ranch.


    Upon arrival, Yuga saw rolling hills and a t area where various Miltanky, each in different poses: some sleeping on the grass, some leisurely munching on grass, and others ying in groups. The scene was delightful.


    Seeing these groups of Miltank, Mr. Milton proudly said, "How about it? My Miltank are great, aren''t they?"


    "Absolutely, each one looks healthy and full of vitality," Yuga answered involuntarily.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s praise, Mr. Miltonughed heartily, sounding proud. Whitney chimed in with self-satisfaction, "Indeed, my grandpa''s ranch is thergest in Goldenrod City. My Miltank alle from here."


    Speaking of ranches, there are two famous types of ranches in Johto region. One is the Mareep Ranch, known for its abundant wool production, and the other is the MooMoo Ranch, renowned for its rich supply of Moomoo milk. Both types of ranches are well-known in the Pok��mon world.


    The only ranch that can bepared to the Moomoo Ranch in Johto region is the Baa De Mer Ranch in the Kalos region. The Sheep milk produced by Skiddo and Gogoat has a nutritional value simr to that of MooMoo Milk, known for its high nutritional value.


    Mr. Milton''s MooMoo Ranch is one of the most renowned milk ranches in Johto region.


    The group walked through the spacious ranch and reached Mr. Milton''s house. After they sat down, Mr. Milton served Yuga, Rand, and even their Pok��mon with sses of Moomoo milk.


    Especially for Florges, as the heroine of the recent battle, she received a warm wee from Mr. Milton and Whitney.


    Looking at Yuga''s Pok��mon, Mr. Milton asked, "Little Yuga, you''re not from Johto region, are you?"


    Setting down his ss, Yuga nodded and exined, "I''m from Hoenn region, living in Verdanturf Town. I came to Johto to participate in the Breeder''s Exchange Conference."


    "I see." Yuga had five Pok��mon in total��two from Al and two from Hoenn, while the smallest, Budew, was distributed in both Hoenn and Sinnoh. Mr. Milton immediately noticed that Yuga wasn''t from Johto, but he couldn''t determine Yuga''s specific origin.


    "However, the Breeder''s Exchange Conference doesn''t seem to be over yet. How did you end up here?" Mr. Milton was certainly aware of the conference. It was arge event that urred every three years, and as the Gym Leader of Goldenrod City, he naturally knew the details of the event held in his jurisdiction.


    Yuga answered with a smile, "Well, you see, the final day of the conference is the day of breeders'' job hunting, and I didn''t participate."


    Mr. Milton suddenly realized and jokingly said, "It''s a good thing you didn''t, otherwise Whitney would have been in danger." He burst intoughter after saying that.


    "However, your strength is quite impressive. Compared to you, our Whitney falls far behind," Mr. Milton added, pretending to re at Whitney.


    Indeed, judging from Whitney''s performance in the previous battle, her strength wascking. Though her age was simr to Yuga''s, her abilities were considerably inferior. Even though Yuga was a self-proimed "pseudo" Trainer, her own abilities couldn''tpare.


    Coming from a decent background��her grandfather being a Gym Leader, and her family wealthy and influential��Whitney was a ssic rich kid. Yet, even with all these advantages, her strength didn''t surpass that of her peers. Compared to Yuga''s friend Robert and Reggie, she was far behind.


    "Grandpa!"


    Seeing her grandfather''s stern expression, Whitney quickly clung to his arm, acting coquettish.


    Mr. Milton feigned annoyance and said, "You still have the nerve to call me that? If your strength could match Little Yuga''s, today''s incident wouldn''t have happened."


    Whitney let go of Mr. Milton''s arm, stomped her foot, and said, "I know, I''ll work hard to train from now on and catch up to Yuga''s level!"


    Only then did Mr. Milton happily pat her head andugh heartily. "That''s right, the future of Goldenrod City''s Gym will rely on you. You can''t stay like this forever."

 Chapter 124: Test (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 124: Test (Part 1)</h4>


    "In fact, I came here to visit you this time," Yuga said somewhat embarrassed.


    "Visit me?" Mr. Milton asked, puzzled.


    "Yes, you know I run a Day Care. There are many young Pok��mon at home, and these young Pok��mon are in great need of nourishing items like Moomoo Milk."


    "But in Hoenn Region, we don''t have a ranch as big as yours, and the quantity of Miltank is also limited. So, I took this opportunity during the conference toe here and see if you could spare a few Miltank for me." Yuga clearly stated his purpose to Mr. Milton.


    "I see." Mr. Milton lowered his head in thought. "Giving you some is not out of the question, but you also know that these Miltank are the result of my lifetime efforts. If you want to obtain them, I need to test you."


    "Test me?" Yuga asked with confusion.


    "Yes." At this point, Mr. Milton''s expression turned serious.


    "Grandpa, Yuga saved my life. You have so many Miltank here, what''s the big deal about giving him a few? You don''t have to put him through a test," Whitney couldn''t bear to see her grandfather making things difficult for her savior and pouted while acting coquettish towards Mr. Milton.


    "Shut up." Mr. Milton pped away Whitney''s arm that was clinging to his, "When you''re capable of winning against others, then you cane to plead on someone else''s behalf."


    "Hmph." Whitney, seeing that her grandpa was ignoring her request, turned her body away, pretending to ignore Mr. Milton. But Mr. Milton paid no attention to her tantrum.


    Yuga hadn''t expected that obtaining Miltank would be an easy task this time, so he agreed to Mr. Milton''s request, "Sure, what kind of test is it? Whether it''s a Pok��mon battle or something else, I have no problem."


    Yuga thought that as a Gym Leader, Mr. Milton might test him through a Pok��mon battle. However, it was evident that his guess was incorrect.


    "Do you have any ns for the next few days?" Mr. Milton asked Yuga.


    "No, nothing urgent," Yuga replied honestly, even though he wasn''t sure why Mr. Milton was asking this.


    "In that case, stay at my ranch for a few days."


    "Stay at your ranch for a few days?" Yuga said in surprise.


    "What''s the matter? Any objections?" Mr. Milton''s expression turned stern,pletely different from the friendly demeanor he had shown before. "If you have objections, you can leave now."


    "No problem, no problem." Yuga didn''t have anything important to attend to in theing days, and staying at the ranch for a few days wouldn''t be an issue. So, he agreed.


    "Very well. If you perform satisfactorily during these few days, I''ll grant your request."


    "I promise to meet your expectations!" Yuga said happily.


    "Don''t be in a rush to promise. Let''s see if you can deliver first," Mr. Milton nced at Yuga and then turned around and walked away.


    Watching Mr. Milton leave, Yuga turned to Rand who was sitting nearby and asked, "Rand, we''ll be staying here for a few days. Are you okay with that?"


    Rand shook his head, indicating that he had no problem. In fact, he quite liked it here. The natural environment waspletely different from Hoenn Region, and there were so many Miltank he had never seen before, which made him feel excited and intrigued.


    Yuga patted Rand''s shoulder happily, "Good, I''m not treating you wrongly, bro."


    Afterward, Yuga called Reggie, informing him that he couldn''t return and to take action after the conference ended.


    Initially, Yuga and Reggie were also nning to part ways after the conference. Previously, Reggie hade to Johto from Sinnoh Region by boat to apany his grandfather to visit friends in Hoenn Region. Now, when he returned, he could simply take the boat directly back to Sinnoh Region with his grandfather, without needing to take the detour to Hoenn Region.


    After exining the reasons to Reggie, Yuga and Rand were arranged to stay at Moomoo Ranch under the arrangements of Whitney.


    The next morning, Yuga got up early as usual to train with his Pok��mon. This had be a habit for him. During their journey by boat, it wasn''t convenient to train, but now at Moomoo Ranch, he had no problem doing so.


    Mr. Milton had initially nned to wake Yuga up early, but when he went to Yuga and Rand''s room, he found that Yuga was already gone. Heter found Yuga training with his Pok��mon on the grassy field.


    Satisfied, Mr. Milton nodded in approval. Yes, he''s diligent enough. No wonder his strength is so impressive. Then, he couldn''t help but shake his head in helplessness when he thought of his own granddaughter who was still sleeping.


    Unbeknownst to Yuga, he was unconsciously earning more favorable points in Mr. Milton''s eyes.


    Watching Yuga finish his training with his Pok��mon, Mr. Milton had breakfast with him. As for Rand and Whitney, who were still in bed, Mr. Milton had prepared breakfast for them as well.


    "Your task this morning is to feed the Miltank with Pok��mon food. Although Miltank mainly eat grass, they also need some Pok��mon food as supplements. This not only helps them grow healthily but also aids in their milk production."


    While exining, Mr. Milton took Yuga to the storage warehouse where the Miltank food was kept. He pointed out the various types of Pok��mon food that would be needed and told Yuga the amount required for each Miltank.


    After exining the feeding process, Mr. Milton went on to exin the task of cleaning the pasture.


    "Next, you''ll need to clean the pasture. Remove the excrement of the Miltank and check for any harmful rubbish on the grasnd to prevent the Miltank from ingesting them."


    These were all tasks that Yuga had never done before. In his Ecopark, there was no need to worry about harmful waste, as the system would automatically take care of the cleaning. Yuga realized how much convenience the system had brought to him, saving so much manpower and effort.


    Grateful for the system, Yuga silently said to himself, "Long live the system!"


    "After cleaning the pasture, you''ll also need to help clean the Miltank''s bodies."


    "You don''t need to use water; it''s too troublesome. Just use these soft brushes to groom their fur. I usually bathe them every three days, but for the rest of the time, use these brushes."


    Mr. Milton took out a brush from somewhere and showed it to Yuga as he exined.


    Yuga nodded helplessly. Finally, he couldn''t resist asking, "With so many Miltank here, are you the only one taking care of them?"


    Mr. Milton replied somewhat irritably, "What do you think? Have you seen anyone else here? Can I rely on thatzy girl, Whitney?"


    Yuga awkwardly smiled, "Hehe, you have a point."


    "Alright, that''s the tasks for the morning. Let''s see how well you perform."


    Yuga hadn''t imagined that his test would involve personally taking care of the entire Moomoo Ranch''s Miltank. It was almost like demanding his life.

 Chapter 125: Test (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 125: Test (Part 2)</h4>


    Thus, the entire morning, Yuga was incredibly busy.


    With therge number of Miltank and the vast expanse of the ranch, Yuga dragged along with Pok��mon food and feeding trays, going one by one to feed them. His legs were nearly worn out.


    Fortunately, Yuga had his Pok��mon as assistants. He sent out all his Pok��mon except for Budew to help him deliver meals to the Miltank.


    After that came the task of cleaning the ranch, which was rtively easy work. The only challenging part was therge area of the ranch, and his two legs were the ones working hard.


    When Rand and Whitney woke up, they saw Yuga dashing around picking up Miltank''s excrement. Yuga also noticed a mischievous smile from Whitney directed at him. The smile seemed incredibly odd to him.


    Of the three tasks, grooming the Miltank''s fur was the most arduous. Towards the end, Yuga felt like his hands were about to break.


    Fortunately, the onlyforting aspect for Yuga was that the Miltank were very gentle in nature. Whenever he groomed their fur, they would behave obediently. However, Yuga always felt that the way Whitney looked at him was rather peculiar.


    In the afternoon, Yuga''s task was to exercise with the Miltank.


    The Miltank at Moomoo Ranch were the kind that slept after eating and ate after sleeping. To ensure they had sufficient exercise and produced higher quality MooMoo Milk, they were made to run around the ranch in the afternoon.


    Yuga''s responsibility was to supervise them and prevent any Miltank from cking off.


    However, the ranch was quiterge. In order to supervise all the Miltank properly, Yuga had to run alongside them. He felt like his legs must have been cursed; they were the ones getting injured.


    After a day''s work, Yuga copsed on the bed, utterly exhausted. He felt that staying at Moomoo Ranch for this period of time would probably turn him into a fitness fanatic. The amount of exercise was just too much: arm exercise brushing the fur in the morning, leg exercise jogging in the afternoon.


    Yuga continued this strenuous work for a whole week. During these seven days, he transformed from a novice to an adept caretaker of Miltank, and he got along very well with the Miltank on the ranch.


    During this time, Yuga experienced the task of bathing the Miltank.


    This was even more exhausting than brushing their fur, but luckily, bathing only urred once every three days. Hence, it was only a one-time affair.


    It''s worth mentioning that despite being exhausted every day, Yuga managed to wake up early and train with his Pok��mon without interruption. This deeply "touched" Whitney, thezy girl''s, heart. She began to wake up early and train with her Pok��mon, although not as early as Yuga. Still, it was enough to please Mr. Milton.


    During this period, when Rand had nothing to do, he would train with his Blitzle and Psyduck. When Mr. Milton saw this, he would offer some guidance.


    Mr. Milton was a seasoned Gym Trainer after all. Although his expertisey in Normal-type Pok��mon, many aspects of Pok��mon training were universal. His guidance saved Rand from taking many detours.


    Finally, on the evening of the seventh day, after Yuga finished jogging with the Miltank and returned, Mr. Milton called him over and said, "After these seven days of testing, I''m very satisfied with your performance. So, I''ll grant your request."


    "Really?" Yuga asked, surprised and delighted.


    Seeing Yuga''s happy expression, Mr. Milton smiled and said, "Of course it''s real. Starting from tomorrow, you won''t need to do these tasks anymore. Let''s go; I''ll take you to choose the Miltank you need." With that, he turned and walked towards the Miltank.


    "Alright, alright, alright." Yuga couldn''t contain his joy, and he repeated "alright" three times, quickly following Mr. Milton''s footsteps.


    When they reached the Miltank, Mr. Milton asked, "How many Miltank do you need? Let''s agree on a number; I won''t give you more than that."


    Yuga quickly waved his hand and said, "Not too many, about 50 will do."


    For Yuga''s Ecopark, 50 Miltank were already sufficient; in the entirety of Moomoo Ranch, they were a drop in the bucket.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Mr. Milton pped his hands and addressed the Miltank, "Those of you willing to go with Yuga, step forward."


    As Mr. Milton spoke, one after another Miltank stepped forward, far exceeding the count of 50.


    So, Mr. Milton had been having me take care of the Miltank so that they would voluntarily follow me? Grandpa Milton really put a lot of thought into this, Yuga thought.


    "Alright, you can select 50 from these Miltank," Mr. Milton said, noticing Yuga still in a daze.


    After hearing Mr. Milton''s words, Yuga snapped out of his daze and activated his Insight ability to pick out 50 from the Miltank.


    However, there wasn''t much to pick from; the qualities of these Miltank were quite simr, ranging mainly between red, orange, and yellow with no green ones at all.


    Nevertheless, Yuga chose these Miltank for the production of MooMoo Milk, not for any other purpose, so the difference in quality wasn''t substantial.


    After returning home, Grandpa Milton gave Yuga the Pok�� Balls containing the 50 Miltank he selected. When Yuga left, he could simply recall them into the Pok�� Balls for convenience.


    At the dinner table.


    Grandpa Milton ate his meal while saying to Yuga, "During your time at the ranch, something happened outside."


    Curious, Yuga asked, "Something happened? What happened?" Being upied with ranch work for the past few days, he hadn''t had the time to keep up with events outside, so he found it strange.


    "Upon returning from the Breeder Exchange Conference, the various Day Care were attacked by Team Rocket. They suffered heavy losses, and even the League''s Day Care were not exempt," Grandpa Milton calmly revealed something that shocked Yuga.


    Team Rocket''s audacity was really something.


    Before Yuga could express his opinion, Grandpa Milton continued, "Team Rocket''s actions this time have seriously angered the League. They''re currently making stringent efforts to capture Team Rocket members."


    Yuga thought to himself, Team Rocket seems to be stepping onto the center stage of history.


    "Why did they attack Whitneyst time?" Yuga asked curiously.


    "Whitney''s situation was probably a misunderstanding. They had assembled their forces near the outskirts of Goldenrod City, and Whitney, who happened to be visiting the ranch, saw them. As she''s my granddaughter, they probably mistook her for someone I had sent to investigate them, which led to their assault on her," Grandpa Milton said with a hint of helplessness.


    Yuga finally understood, "So, that''s what happened."

 Chapter 126: Departure After Being "Trolled"

    <h4>Chapter 126: Departure After Being "Trolled"</h4>


    Early in the morning, Yuga continued his routine of training with his Pok��mon. With no more Miltank to take care of, he felt incredibly relieved.


    Now that he had the Miltank, Yuga decided it was time to leave Goldenrod City today. After all, he had spent quite a bit of time here.


    Yesterday, upon hearing from Grandpa Milton about the attacks on various Day Cares by Team Rocket members during the exchange conference, Yuga immediately called Reggie to inquire if he had encountered Team Rocket.


    Thankfully, Reggie informed him that he and his grandfather had safely returned to Sinnoh without any incidents. Yuga''s worries were put to rest.


    Speaking of which, Yuga had also be involved with Team Rocket now, but he wasn''t overly concerned. Since he wasn''t from the Johto or Kanto regions, and Team Rocket''s influence in the Hoenn region wasn''t strong, Yuga didn''t need to worry too much.


    After having breakfast with Grandpa Milton, he said, "Since you''ve decided to leave, I''ll show you how I take care of all these Miltank."


    What does he mean? Is there something about taking care of Miltank that I don''t know? Is Grandpa Milton continuing to share his experiences with me?


    With a heart full of questions, Yuga followed Grandpa Milton to the pasture.


    First, they fed the Miltank.


    Grandpa Milton held arge horn, and after a single blow, all the Miltank lined up one by one. They grabbed their own tes, filled them with the appropriate amount of Pok��mon food, all without Grandpa Milton lifting a finger.


    So, was all my effort in the past few days in vain?


    Next was cleaning the pasture.


    After breakfast, the Miltank went to a specific spot one by one to relieve themselves, leaving the pasture spotless. So, how did all that waste end up on the yground in the previous days?


    Lastly, they brushed the Miltank''s fur.


    Using the same horn as before, the Miltank formed a line, each one receiving a small brush from Grandpa Milton. They started brushing their own fur, helping each other with the hard-to-reach spots.


    What about the time I spent tirelessly brushing their fur until my arms almost broke? Where are the gentle and obedient Miltank during grooming? Is this all a trick?


    At this point, Yuga truly felt like a fool for his actions in the past few days.


    Just think about it, how could Grandpa Milton manage all these Miltank on his own without these methods? And these are Pok��mon, intelligent creatures! How could they need their owner to do everything for them like the cows in my previous world? I''ve been so naive.


    Lastly, Grandpa Milton took Yuga to watch the Miltank''s bathing activity. Using the same horn again, Grandpa Milton didn''t even lift a finger.


    Yuga was on the verge of kneeling down. Grandpa Milton, are you a wizard? Can we still have a good time together? I even praised you for being so thoughtful yesterday, but it turns out you were just leading me on.


    No wonder Whitney looked at me so strangely before.


    "You see, everything requires using your brain," Grandpa Milton said and left, leaving Yuga perplexed in the wind.


    It''s my own fault forcking a brain, and your test was indeed a true test.


    When Yuga left, it was already noon. Grandpa Milton and Whitney insisted that he and Rand stay for lunch before allowing them to leave.


    Before departing, Yuga used Pok�� Balls to recall his 50 Miltank and transferred the payment for the Miltank to Grandpa Milton.


    Initially, Grandpa Milton was reluctant to ept the payment. Yuga had saved Whitney''s life and they had spent these days getting along well. Moreover, Grandpa Milton was already quite wealthy, so he wasn''t concerned about receiving a few Miltank.


    However, Yuga was determined to pay. Grandpa Milton''s wealth was his own business, and since they weren''t rted, it didn''t feel right to ept such a significant gift without any real connection.


    As he was about to leave...


    "Grandpa Milton, take care of yourself. When I have a chance, I''lle visit you in Johto," after spending these days with Grandpa Milton, Yuga felt like he truly was his own grandfather.


    Yuga had never had a grandfather in his previous life or this one. Both his grandfathers had passed away at a young age, and Yuga was too young to have many memories of them.


    "I know, I know. Hurry up and leave. You might miss the boat back to Hoenn," Grandpa Milton pretended to be impatient, but he was actually quite reluctant to see this hardworking and ambitious young man leave.


    Yuga knew that Grandpa Milton was just putting on a tough exterior but was soft-hearted inside. He shook his head with a smile and turned to Whitney who was standing nearby. "Whitney, make sure to train well in the future and don''t let your grandfather worry about you, okay?" Yuga hade to think that Whitney was quite a good girl.


    Despite Whitney''s somewhatzy and spoiled personality, she was genuinely kind-hearted and innocent. Moreover, she had been taking her training seriouslytely, making her a good girl overall.


    "I know. You muste to visit me when you have time!" Since she was about to part ways with Yuga and Rand, Whitney was feeling a bit unhappy and her words came out in a subdued manner.


    Yuga patted her shoulder with a smile. "Don''t worry, I will. Grandpa Milton, we''re leaving." Saying this, he left with Rand.


    The journey back was no different from the journey there, but his mood was markedly changed. Yuga tucked away the sense of loss from saying goodbye and regained his spirits. Life is always made up of countless meetings and partings, and one must learn to face them with equanimity.


    The trip back to Hoenn was smooth. Yuga and Rand took a boat from the Goldenrod City pier back to Lilycove City, and then a ne back to Verdanturf Town. The return journey took less time than the initial one.


    As they disembarked the ne and saw the familiar scenery, Yuga nced at Rand and asked, "Rand, what are your thoughts on this trip to Johto?"


    Rand pondered for a moment and replied, "I''ve broadened my horizons."


    Yuga was almost floored by his response. Couldn''t he have said a few more words? Who hasn''t broadened their horizons by now?


    However, Rand''s answer was urate. He was still young and hadn''t reached the age for official Pok��mon training ording to the League''s rules. His strength wasn''t the most crucial thing at this point; learning was.


    This trip to Johto had exposed him to many things he hadn''t seen before and taught him knowledge he didn''t possess before, expanding his worldview.


    Whether as a Pok��mon Trainer or an ordinary person, having a broad perspective and knowledge were crucial. They always influence your choices and the direction you move forward in.

 Chapter 127: Disturbance

    <h4>Chapter 127: Disturbance</h4>


    After disembarking the ne, Yuga returned to the YoYo Day Care with Rand.


    As they arrived at the entrance of the Day Care, Yuga noticed that a crowd had gathered, making the entrance impassable.


    "What''s going on? Why is everyone crowded here?" Yuga asked Rand to go home and then pushed through the crowd to reach the entrance.


    "Who are you? Why are you pushing?"


    "We came to buy Pok��mon, but it seems this store is putting on airs!"


    "Exactly, do they have a mental issue, refusing business?"


    ...


    As Yuga''s voice fell, the crowd began to chatter and shout in unison.


    After listening to their noisyints for a while, Yuga finally understood why they were causing a ruckus here.


    It turned out that these were Trainers who wanted to buy Trapinch and Gligar from the YoYo Day Care. However, the Day Care only had three slots avable each month, and this month along with the next, that made for a total of six slots. As a result, those who couldn''t obtain Pok��mon from the center were causing amotion.


    At this moment, Suzuki Koen walked out from the store. When he saw Yuga, his expression brightened. "Boss, you''ve finally returned. If you hadn''t, I wouldn''t have been able to hold out any longer."


    "What''s going on?"


    "They''ve been crowding the entrance for days. No matter how I try, I can''t disperse them. They''ve been causing a ruckus here every day," Suzuki Koen pointed to the angry people at the entrance and said indignantly. "They''ve been causing so much trouble these past few days that I didn''t even dare bring Dian into the store."


    Observing the chaotic crowd still outside, Yuga raised his voice. "Can you all please quiet down? Don''t you realize this is disturbing the peace?"


    "Who are you? We''ll make noise if we want to!"


    "That''s right!"


    "How are we disturbing the peace? We''re on a public street, are we not allowed to speak?"


    ...


    The moment Yuga spoke, the crowd responded with a barrage of protests.


    Just then, a person walked out from the crowd, pointing at Yuga and shouting, "This person is the owner of this Day Care!"


    Upon seeing this person, Yuga realized he knew them. It was Touya, the one who abandoned his Vivillon.


    Touya seemed to be quite the troublemaker. He had caused a scene at the store before, and Yuga had even spotted him at the Grand Festival. He was the one who abandoned his Pok��mon, and now he was here causing a disturbance. It seemed like Yuga kept encountering him everywhere.


    "So, you''re the owner of this Day Care?"


    "What gives you the right to not sell Pok��mon to us?"


    "That''s right, why won''t you sell Pok��mon to us?"


    "Have you gone crazy? We''re here to give you money, and you''re shutting us out!"


    ...


    When Touya exposed Yuga''s identity, the crowd grew even more agitated. Yuga rubbed his throbbing head, caused by their continuous noise, and helplessly said, "Our store has its rules. If you want to buy Pok��mon, you must follow our regtions."


    Coming back to encounter such an annoying situation, Yuga felt like he must have offended some malicious entity. Otherwise, why was he always at the center of such issues?


    "What rules? Who cares about your rules? Don''t you know that the customer is god? Offend us, and your store won''t survive!"


    One of the troublemakers stepped forward and shouted loudly upon hearing Yuga''s words.


    Yuga calmly nced at the person, then asked, "Are you the League Chairman, or is your father the League Chairman?"


    The person Yuga had addressed felt taken aback by the question and stammered, "Don''t talk nonsense. What League Chairman?"


    Yuga continued, "Do you have any influential rtives in the League?"


    The person answered with a mix of anger and frustration, "Even if I did, why would I be standing here if I did?"


    Hearing their response, Yuga''s tone unconsciously rose as he asked, "So, you''re just an ordinary person without power or influence?"


    The person''s confidence seemed to waver as he stuttered, "Yes... So what?"


    Right after he finished speaking, Yuga delivered a solid kick to the person.


    "Who the hell do you think you are? What are you pretending for here? Customer is god? Are you my customer? Truly putting on airs, you ignorant fool. I''m going to show you today, offending you won''t stop this store from thriving!"


    Yuga was usually easy-going, not quick to anger, but that didn''t mean he couldn''t get angry.


    Having traveled for several days and returning to find these people chattering away was already quite irritating. Hearing that they had been causing trouble here for days from Suzuki Koen made him even more furious. And now, this person dared to use harsh words in front of Yuga. It was utterly intolerable!


    Even Suzuki Koen, who was used to her boss''s demeanor, was taken aback by his behavior. She had always thought her boss was easy-going, but it seemed she had misjudged him. Misjudged him indeed!


    This person clearly hadn''t expected Yuga to suddenly take action. When he received Yuga''s kick, he was sent flying into the crowd, knocking down several people in the process.


    Others also didn''t anticipate that Yuga would resort to such a direct move. The crowd fell eerily silent, with only the few people lying on the ground moaning in pain.


    "You dare to kick me? I''ll make you regret it!" The person who Yuga kicked down got up, angrily shouting at Yuga, then releasing a Pok��mon.


    "Houndoom, tear him apart!"


    Upon being released, the Houndoom hesitated momentarily upon hearing its trainer''smand to attack a human. But ultimately, it obeyed its trainer''s orders.


    With its Crunch attack activated, the Houndoom''s teeth gleamed with an eerie light as it lunged at Yuga.


    As soon as the Houndoom was released from its Pok�� Ball, Absol burst out from Yuga''s own,unching a sucker punch. In an instant, the Houndoom was knocked down.


    The person who had been making a fuss just a moment ago witnessed his Houndoom being defeated in an instant. His voice, which had been loud and aggressive, suddenly came to an abrupt halt, sounding like a duck whose throat had been squeezed shut.


    With an elegant stride, Absol slowly approached the person. The oppressive aura exuding from its Ability left the person breathless, and he ended up sitting on the ground, trembling.


    Yuga looked at him disdainfully and sneered, "You dare tounch a sneak attack like this? Ignorant fool!"


    As Absol drew closer to the person, his body shivered with fear. At this moment, Touya, who was among the crowd, stepped forward again.


    "Boss, I think you should stop now. It won''t be good if Officer Jenny finds out about this."


    Touya''s words made Yuga feel like bursting intoughter and shouting "Haha" three times at the sky. This person was making Yuga want tough out loud with hisck ofmon sense.


    "Are you sure you want Officer Jenny to find out about this? Do you want her to know that you''re causing a scene and attacking Trainers with Pok��mon?"


    Upon hearing these words, Touya''s expression immediately turned gloomy. That''s right, whether it was causing a disturbance or releasing a Pok��mon to attack Trainers, their side was in the wrong. Meanwhile, the other side was merely acting in self-defense.


    Especially when it came to releasing a Pok��mon to attack Trainers, a behavior strictly prohibited by the League, the consequences could be severe if it was proven. It might even result in the revocation of their Trainer status.


    Thinking this through, Touya red at the person who was lying on the ground, trembling in fear. He couldn''t help but curse in his mind: What an idiot!

 Chapter 128: Settling the Matter

    <h4>Chapter 128: Settling the Matter</h4>


    "What do you want?"


    Originally, all Touya wanted was to buy a Trapinch from the YoYo Day Care. However, considering his previous conflicts with the owner, he knew that the owner wouldn''t sell to him. So, he instigated these people to cause trouble, but little did he know that his n would backfire and give Yuga leverage against him.


    If it weren''t for the crowd watching, Touya would have made a quick escape long ago.


    "What do I want?" Yuga''s voice carried a strange tone as he asked back. Then, with a fierce tone, he continued, "I think it should be me asking you what you want!"


    Seeing Yuga''s imposing presence, Touya began to feel a hint of fear.


    In his previous life, Yuga would never have projected such an intimidating demeanor, but after reliving life and adapting to this world''s ways, he had grown more assertive. In this world, strength ruled, and having a strong fist was the only true authority.


    "We just wanted toe here to buy a few Pok��mon." Touya replied hesitantly, his confidence waning.


    "Buy Pok��mon?" Yuga mockingly retorted, "Doing business has always been a mutual agreement. There''s never been a concept of forced transactions. Am I wrong?"


    "N-No... you''re not wrong."


    "In that case, what''s the meaning of all this today? Have you lost your mind?" Yuga''s question left the group of troublemakers speechless.


    "Oh, I remember now!" Yuga suddenly realized something and changed the subject as he turned to Touya, "You know, this isn''t your first time attempting to force a purchase. If I recall correctly, the first time you came to our store, you tried to force me to sell my Swabblu to you. Am I mistaken?"


    Touya was silenced by Yuga''s sharp retort.


    "Well, given that you''re someone who can abandon your Pok��mon, I suppose it''s no surprise youck basic etiquette." Yuga walked over to Touya, nced at him, and then continued walking past.


    Yuga''s words immediately ignited discussions among the crowd, as they began to point fingers at Touya and murmur to each other.


    "Don''t make baseless usations! I''ve never abandoned any Pok��mon!" Touya''s face turned red from embarrassment as he loudly refuted the im.


    With no evidence and aware of the potential legal implications, Touya would never admit his guilt. Plus, he couldn''t help but feel a bit intimidated by Yuga''sposed demeanor.


    "I''m sure," Yuga shrugged off his retort, not bothering to continue the argument. After all, he had no intention of pursuing legal actions against Touya over this incident. He simply wanted to make him feel ufortable.


    "So, what do you want to happen today before you''ll let this matter go?" Touya asked, his tone moreposed.


    "Let this matter go? Do you think you can just offer some money and everything will be settled?"


    "How much money do you want? Tell me, and we will give it to you, as long as you don''t pursue this matter." Touya''s family is still wealthy, and he doesn''t care about a little money.


    Yuga smirked and then looked at the people gathered, "Do you really think spending money can resolve this situation? Sorry, I''m not interested in your money."


    As Yuga''s words faded, the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance, and shortly after, Officer Jenny arrived with her entourage.


    As it turned out, when Yuga was speaking with the troublemakers, he secretly instructed Suzuki Koen to inform Officer Jenny. He had no intention of letting these individuals leave unscathed, and he believed that a visit to the police station would help settle the score in his mind.


    "You!" Upon seeing Officer Jenny''s arrival, Touya''s expression darkened as he pointed at Yuga, rendered speechless by frustration. The realization that this incident could tarnish his reputation forever left him agitated.


    The person who had attacked Yuga was now paralyzed on the ground, regret filling his heart.


    For most people, the charge would likely be causing a disturbance, which would result in a short stay in jail. But for him, the case was more severe. He had ordered his Pok��mon to attack humans, a grave crime that could lead to serious consequences. If things turned sour, he might be permanently barred from bing a Trainer.


    Eventually, these individuals were taken away by Officer Jenny, all while Touya muttered a resentful "Just wait!" to Yuga as he passed. Yuga responded with a disdainful nce, and that exchange infuriated Touya even further.


    Seeing the troublemakers being escorted away, Suzuki Koen sighed with relief, "Thank goodness you''re back. Dealing with these people alone was no easy task."


    Yuga, puzzled, asked, "Alone? What about Windy?"


    Suzuki Koen coughed softly and said in a low voice, "You''ll see when he arrives."


    Though curious about what had transpired during his absence, Yuga didn''t inquire further. He simply advised, "If something like this happens again, don''t hesitate to call the police. No need for second thoughts."


    Yuga walked towards the shop, leaving Suzuki Koen to exin, "If you had returned anyter, I would''ve called the police myself. I thought that by detaining them for a couple of days, they would leave on their own. But things escted unexpectedly."


    Entering the shop, Yuga immediately noticed Linoone, who was lying on the ground with its eyes closed, seemingly taking a nap. Yuga lightly kicked it and remarked, "You were supposed to be guarding the entrance! People stormed in, and you''re here taking a nap."


    Then, he turned to Suzuki Koen and added, "These people need to be dealt with firmly. Otherwise, if they daree once, they''ll dare toe again."


    As Linoone was roused by Yuga''s kick, it looked up and thought, "What an unscrupulous owner. He constantly warns me not to attack humans and now he''s ming me? Hmph! Back to my nap."


    In reality, Yuga was merely speaking his mind. He didn''t actually want Linoone to attack those people. If it did, the me might shift to them.


    Walking into the shop, Yuga nced around and noticed that everything remained the same as when he left. Nothing had changed. He walked over to the counter where the heavy Pok��blocks were stored and inquired, "How are the Pok��blocks selling?"


    "Due to their limited variety, not many peoplee to the store to buy them. However, we''ve been receiving numerous online orders, and the reviews have been excellent," Suzuki Koen exined.


    Yuga wasn''t surprised. The store only carried Pok��blocks suitable for ground-type Pok��mon. Naturally, not many people would travel all the way to the store for them. Ordering online was much more convenient and offered home delivery.


    With countless Trainers in the Pok��mon world, many of whom owned ground-type Pok��mon, and considering the benefits of the Pok��blocks, Yuga wasn''t concerned about their sales.


    "And Windy? Where is he?" Noticing Windy''s absence in the shop, Yuga asked.


    "He''s upstairs. You can go see for yourself," Suzuki Koen replied, his expression seeming to hold a myriad of words he couldn''t express, leaving Yuga feeling intrigued.


    With curiosity guiding his steps, Yuga made his way to the second floor.

 Chapter 129: Punishment

    <h4>Chapter 129: Punishment</h4>


    When Yuga arrived at the entrance of Windy''s room and peered inside, he didn''t spot Windy. Instead, he saw a chubby and fair-skinned young man sitting in front of theputer, typing away.


    A thief? Thieves nowadays are incredibly audacious, tantly breaking into homes like this! Yuga didn''t waste any time and immediately released Chimecho.


    "Chimecho, use your psychic power to catch him!"


    As soon as Chimecho emerged, upon hearing its trainer''smand, it didn''t hesitate to use its psychic abilities to immobilize the chubby young man in ce.


    The young man in front of theputer had no idea what was happening as Chimecho''s psychic energy kept him frozen, unable to move.


    Yuga quickly walked up to the captive young man, his voice filled with anger. "You shameless thief! How dare you break into my house in broad daylight! Didn''t you bother to find out who I am? You''re practically asking for trouble..."


    But just as Yuga was preparing to give the thief a piece of his mind, the chubby young man, struggling under the influence of the psychic energy, managed to turn his head and said, "Yuga, you''re back?"


    Yuga''s voice came to an abrupt halt, the sound of the voice was so familiar. And that chubby, fair face looked oddly familiar as well.


    "Windy?" Yuga tentatively asked.


    The fair-skinned young man appeared puzzled. "Yes, it''s me. What''s going on?"


    Yuga stared in disbelief, then quickly signaled Chimecho to release Windy.


    "What happened to you? I''ve only been gone for a little over ten days. How did you end up like this?"


    Yuga felt like his worldview was about to shatter. Where had the gentle, slender boy gone? How did he transform into this chubby, round figure?


    No wonder Sister Koen always had an indescribable expression when mentioning Windy. No wonder the entrance of the shop was in such a mess. Could Windy still even go out in this state?


    Hearing Yuga''s perplexed question, Windy scratched his head, his face reddening. "I tend to gain weight easily!"


    Even if he had a tendency to gain weight, it shouldn''t have resulted in gaining so much weight in just a little over ten days. Yuga wasn''t sure how to express the full extent of his astonishment.


    Here''s how it happened.


    Although Yuga had repeatedly told Windy to go out, exercise, and be active before he left, Windy had treated all those words like they were nothing.


    Of course, even if he stayed indoors all the time, it shouldn''t have caused him to gain so much weight. The real culprit in this situation was none other than Audino.


    When Yuga left, the inherently food-loving Audino began to immerse itself in learning culinary skills.


    Every day, it not only searched for information online and purchased courses to study, but it also took full advantage of the financial resources at its disposal to buy a variety of ingredients for practice.


    One had to admit that Audino had quite the talent for cooking. Even though it was self-taught, it gradually honed its culinary skills.


    However, with extensive practice came numerous results. Even if Audino had always been a foodie, it couldn''t possibly consume so much food.


    As a result, over the past few days, Windy had been fed by Audino every few hours. The food was even conveniently delivered directly to Windy''s room.


    In other words, for over ten days, Windy had hardly left his room except to use the bathroom. He had settled into a life of being fed like a pig on a fixed schedule.


    Audino and Windy were a match made in heaven �C one was a cooking enthusiast, the other, a total inte addict.


    Knowing all this, Yuga felt like he was going to explode from sheer exasperation.


    "Chimecho, take him downstairs!"


    As soon as Windy was released by Chimecho, the psychic energy was used again to escort him downstairs.


    Yuga then called Audino over and had both of them stand in a row.


    Pointing angrily at Windy, Yuga demanded, "Tell me, how did I remind you before I left? How did you respond to me? And now, what''s the situation? Exin!"


    Hearing Yuga''s reprimand, Windy lowered his head, unable to utter a word.


    Seeing Windy''s state, Yuga helplessly said, "Come on, big brother, you''re older than me by several years. Can''t you be a bit more sensible? Am I trying to harm you?"


    "I won''t do it again next time!" Windy said sheepishly.


    Yuga turned his head and looked at Audino, which was staring at him with big, innocent eyes. "And you, are you seriously looking at me like that? I''m barely gone, and you''re already running wild!"


    Yuga''s voice grew louder, making his throat feel dry. After pausing for a moment to ease his throat, he continued, "I don''t even know if you''re the boss or if I am. You don''t even seem to care how much of my money you spend!"


    Faced with Yuga''s reprimand, Audino blinked with innocent eyes, attempting to evade the me, but Yuga wasn''t buying it.


    "Starting today, you''re only allowed to eat Pok��blocks. Nothing else! When I''m in a good mood, I''ll decide what your meals will be like in the future!" Yuga pointed at Audino.


    "Au... Audino..."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Audino''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    For a foodie, being unable to enjoy all sorts of delicious meals and only having nd Pok��blocks was nothing short of torture. Yuga had truly struck at the heart of the matter.


    "Au~di~no!"


    Audino tugged at Yuga''s sleeve, attempting to resist, but Yuga ruthlessly turned it down.


    "And you!" Having dealt with Audino, Yuga hadn''t forgotten about Windy.


    "Starting today, I''ll be in charge of yourputer. You''ll have only three hours a day to use it. You can decide when during the day you want those three hours. I think that should be enough time for you to handle things on our Day Care website."


    Just as Windy was still immersed in the sorrow of losing hisputer, Yuga delivered another blow.


    "Also, every morning and evening, you''re going to run around our town. I''ll have Great Flygon apany you! If you dare to ck off, you''ll see what happens!"


    With that said, Yuga didn''t care about their dejected expressions. He headed straight for the Ecopark.


    Upon reaching the Ecopark, Yuga released the 50 Miltanks he had brought back from Johto. He introduced them to the other Pok��mon and instructed the original six Miltanks to help them be familiar with their new environment.


    The 50 Miltanks that Yuga brought back were all quite young, the perfect age for milk production.


    However, their levels weren''t very high, and their potentials weren''t strong, so the original green-potential Miltank naturally became the leader among them.

 Chapter 130: Kazuma

    <h4>Chapter 130: Kazuma</h4>


    When Yuga emerged from the Ecopark, he found Audino and Windy sitting there with a look of utter dejection.


    The only sce for Yuga these days was that the Pok��mon in the Ecopark were being well taken care of by Audino. Their training seemed to be on track as well.


    If the Ecopark''s Pok��mon were treated the way Audino had been pampered, Yuga might have been tempted to grab a knife and take drastic action.


    Yuga had also checked Windy''sputer, logged onto the "YoYo Day Care" website, and perused thements section. He noticed that the recent confirmation of the sale of three Pok��mon this month had boosted the website''s poprity, thereby spreading awareness of the "YoYo Day Care" name.


    Particrly noteworthy was the fact that the three slots released each month for aspiring Trainers to buy Pok��mon were subject to fairpetition. Regardless of one''s authority or wealth, sess depended on speed and luck.


    This aspect had contributed to why Touya could manipte the group into causing a scene here; it was nearly impossible for them to secure a slot amidst the multitude of Trainers.


    It was worth mentioning that this month''s Pok��mon buyers had all been attended to by Sister Koen, as Yuga wasn''t present in the shop. Consequently, he remained unaware of the specific details.


    Nevertheless, Yuga had no intention of inquiring further. Since he had entrusted this responsibility to Sister Koen, he decided to extend his full trust, abiding by the adage "trust without doubt, doubt without trust."


    At that moment, Suzuki Koen, seated behind the cash register, suddenly remembered something. Turning towards Yuga, she said, "By the way, boss, there''s something I forgot to tell you."


    Yuga had just finished browsing the website''s status, closed Windy''sputer, and looked puzzled as he asked, "What is it?"


    After standing up and rummaging around inside the cash register for a while, Suzuki Koen retrieved a document and approached Yuga. She handed it over, saying, "Someone came to process your installment service. This is their information."


    Yuga epted the document, flipping through it to get a general sense of the Trainer named Kazuma.


    Kazuma, 14 years old, a local resident of Verdanturf Town, just like Yuga. However, he lived quite a distance away from Yuga''s Day Care, so the two had not previously crossed paths.


    Apart from his parents, Kazuma had an older brother named Shin, who was eight years his senior and also a Trainer.


    Kazuma''s family wasn''t well-off either, much like the Rand family. After putting their full effort into supporting Shin''s aspirations to be a Trainer, they no longer had the means to back Kazuma''s ambitions.


    While Kazuma''s parents were reluctant to have him give up his dream, they were truly limited in their ability to support him.


    Furthermore, even though Shin had be a Trainer, he hadn''t achieved significant sess, remaining rather unremarkable among Trainers. So, Kazuma''s parents thought that not bing a Trainer might not necessarily be a bad thing.


    However, Kazuma earnestly desired to be a Trainer. He assured his family that he wouldn''t burden them a single bit once he became a Trainer; he would cover all his expenses on his own. Only then did he secure his parents'' approval.


    Kazuma''s starter Pok��mon was a Numell, captured by his older brother Shin.


    Although his parents weren''t entirely supportive of Kazuma''s Trainer path, Shin was in favor of his younger brother''s aspirations. Feeling guilty about not being able to support Kazuma''s dream due to his own circumstances, he meticulously selected a Numell with yellow potential specifically for Kazuma.


    Since acquiring Numell at the age of 10, Kazuma hadn''t captured another Pok��mon. He had focused solely on nurturing his Numell. Only after learning about the installment service provided by "YoYo Day Care" did he decide to take a gamble.


    All these details were included in the document written by Kazuma himself, clearly outlining his situation.


    After reading the document, Yuga was quite satisfied with Kazuma. Despite his family''s modest circumstances, Kazuma disyed determination, a refusal to give up, a willingness to endure hardships, and a strong work ethic. This made him an ideal candidate for the installment service.


    "Has this person named Kazuma visited?" Yuga raised the document in his hand and asked Suzuki Koen.


    Suzuki Koen nodded and replied, "Yes, he has been here for about four or five days."


    Yuga''s criteria for the installment service weren''t extensive. Firstly, the applicant needed toe from an underprivileged background. Secondly, they were required to provide a clear ount of their background and origin. Lastly, the applicant needed to spend two weeks interacting with the Pok��mon they were considering. If, after two weeks, the Pok��mon was willing to go with the Trainer, then the applicant met all the criteria for the installment service.


    Since the installment service didn''t involve any interest charges, Yuga believed that these requirements were only fair.


    "He''s been here for four or five days? How''s he been getting along with the Pok��mon?" Yuga gazed at the attached photo on the document, feeling that this person named Kazuma seemed somewhat familiar.


    However, Yuga didn''t dwell on it too much. After all, it wasn''t strange for people in the same town to seem familiar to one another.


    "He applied for a Trapinch, and they seem to be getting along quite well. The Trapinch looks quite fond of him." Suzuki Koen seemed to have a rather positive impression of this Kazuma.


    "Alright then!" Yuga nodded. "He should be back tomorrow. I''ll take another look then."


    After saying that, Yuga noticed Windy and Audino''s expressionlessly sitting there. He angrily called out, "What are you two doing sitting there? Don''t you have anything to do?"


    Upon hearing Yuga''s voice, both of them shivered uncontrobly. Windy, whoseputer had been confiscated, stuttered, "Wh-what am I supposed to do?" He genuinely had no idea what to do in his current situation.


    Yuga pointed to the Pok��blocks on the counter and said irritably, "With so many customers ordering Pok��blocks online, don''t you know you need to send them out?"


    "But I look like this if I go outside..." Windy began hesitantly.


    The local delivery service for YoYo Day Care was managed by Pidgey''s Delivery, a branch of Pidgey Express, a well-established courierpany with branches all over the Pok��mon world. Their couriers were well-trained Pidgey, Pidgeotto, and Pidgeot.


    Typically, short-distance deliveries were handled by Pidgey, mid-distance by Pidgeotto, and long-distance by Pidgeot.


    Their headquarters was located in Kanto, and the Verdanturf Town branch was just a small outpost.


    "me it on me?" Yuga red at him.


    Windy eventually headed off to work with a dejected expression.


    After dealing with Windy, Yuga turned his attention to Audino. "And what about you? Aren''t you responsible for taking care of the Pok��mon in the Ecopark? Are the Pok��blocks sufficient?" The more Yuga looked at the two of them, the more annoyed he became.

 Chapter 131: Luna’s Envy

    <h4>Chapter 131: Luna''s Envy</h4>


    Since Yuga''s return, life at the Day Care had returned to normal, except for some changes with Windy and Audino.


    Yuga restricted Windy''sputer time to three hours each day, locking it away in his room the rest of the time.


    Every morning, Yuga would train while Windy went for a run. The Great Flygon, free from training duties, would fly around the town, bing a beautiful sight.


    In the evenings, Windy also went running, matching Yuga''s training schedule perfectly.


    As for Audino, Yuga didn''t take away its financial control. It still managed the finances, took care of the Pok��mon, made Pok��blocks, went shopping, and cooked.


    However, the difference was during meals. Previously, everyone would sit at the table��Yuga, Windy, Suzuki Koen, Dian, and Audino��all eating the same food.


    Now, they still sat together, but Yuga, Windy, and Suzuki Koen enjoyed Audino''s cooking while Audino itself only had a few Pok��blocks in its te.


    Not being able to eat its own creations made Audino quite miserable.


    Yuga was practically with Audino 24/7, and it didn''t even have a chance to sneak a bite.


    Yuga had considered putting Windy, who had turned into a chubby guy, on a diet as well, but he decided against it. Crash diets wouldn''t work, and Windy''s eating habits would probably return to normal once he resumed his usual diet and exercise.


    On the second morning after his return, Yuga finally met the child named Kazuma.


    Seeing Kazuma''s photo on the information, Yuga had a sense of familiarity. When he saw the real person, he remembered who he was.


    Kazuma had participated in a Pok��monpetition held by the Devon Corporation''s branch in Verdanturf Town. Yuga had also participated, and Kazuma''s Camerupt had left an impression.


    While Kazuma''s Camerupt had average potential, its level was decent��higher than Yuga''s current Florges. Its skill usage was adept, making it quite strong.


    However, he had bad luck and faced Robert, who was stronger, thus failing to advance.


    Kazuma was 14 years old, not very tall but appeared mature for his age. He greeted Suzuki Koen with a smile upon arrival, creating a likable impression.


    Seeing Yuga, he felt a sense of recognition and then remembered Yuga as the runner-up from thepetition.


    After Suzuki Koen introduced them, Kazuma realized Yuga was the owner of the Day Care, earning his admiration.


    "I''m Kazuma. It''s nice to meet you again," he said, extending his small right hand confidently.


    Yuga shook his hand and replied, "I''m Shimizu Yuga, the owner of this ce. Nice to meet you again too." He added after retracting his hand, "But we both live in the same town, so saying that feels a bit strange."


    After hearing Yuga''s words, Kazuma agreed and nodded, saying with a smile, "Indeed, it feels that way."


    Just then, Linoone led a Trapinch over. The Trapinch immediately greeted Kazuma enthusiastically, nuzzling against his leg with itsrge head.


    Seems like they''re getting along well, Yuga thought. Kazuma must have quite a charismatic personality; after just a few days, the Trapinch was already so attached to him.


    "Have you tried our Pok��blocks from the store? I remember you have a Camerupt, which would find our Pok��blocks very suitable," Yuga pointed to the counter, looking at Kazuma while he entertained the Trapinch.


    Upon hearing Yuga, Kazuma looked up and said, "I bought some, and my Camerupt really likes them. Its training efficiency has improved quite a bit. I''ve decided to switch all its Pok��blocks to the ones from your shop."


    Hearing Kazuma''s words, Yuga gave him a thumbs up and said, "Great choice!"


    Kazuma''s visits to the store were never very long. He would spend a couple of hours ying with the Trapinch before leaving. Every time they parted, it seemed like a heartfelt farewell, which Yuga found a bit hard to bear.


    That day, Yuga was studying breeding knowledge in the store, when Luna burst in energetically.


    Seeing Luna, drenched in sweat, Yuga paused what he was doing and sighed, "Miss High and Mighty, could you please make less noise when youe next time? I''m afraid my door will break from your entry one day."


    Luna heard Yuga''s voice and saw him, rushing over quickly and grabbing the hem of his clothes. She asked, "Big Brother Yuga, I heard you took Rand to Johto. Is it true?"


    A bit exasperated by the sweaty Luna, Yuga removed her hand from his clothes and asked, "Didn''t you go to your grandfather''s ce? When did youe back?"


    "Returned yesterday," Luna replied impatiently, "Don''t bother about when I came back. You haven''t answered my question yet!" Saying that, she grabbed Yuga''s arm and shook it gently, looking a bit cutesy.


    Yuga shivered at her touch, "Could you please speak properly? You seem to have quite a knack for information. You found out I took Rand to Johto just a day after I returned."


    "So Rand''s words were true!" Luna widened her eyes, somewhat disbelieving.


    Surprised, Yuga asked, "Rand told you? When did you two be so close?"


    "Whether we''re close or not isn''t the point. I saw Rand with another yellow duck-like Pok��mon. It was so adorable. Did you help him catch it?" When mentioning the yellow duck-like Pok��mon, Luna''s eyes were full of envy.


    Yuga gave her a light smack on the head, saying, "What yellow duck-like Pok��mon? It''s Psyduck. When you have time, read more books and gain some knowledge. And by the way, Rand caught it himself; it has nothing to do with me." Though I did provide him with the fishing rod to catch it.


    Yuga was definitely not going to tell Luna thest part; otherwise, she would make a fuss.


    Luna looked puzzled, asking, "Really?"


    "Really!"


    "But I really want one too."


    "If you want it, then train your Swablu well. When your Swablu bes powerful, you can catch one yourself."


    Finally, Yuga managed to talk Luna out of her desire using his persuasive skills.

 Chapter 132: Mastery of Skills

    <h4>Chapter 132: Mastery of Skills</h4>


    "Florges, Misty Terrain!"


    Inside the Ecopark, as Yuga''s voice echoed, a multitude of pink mist surrounded Florges standing in the flower Terrain. The mist added an aura of mystery to her beauty.


    Florges had learned the Misty Terrain skill for some time now, but she had made no progress in fully developing its potential.


    No matter how she tried tomunicate with the Fairy-type energies in the Misty Terrain, she couldn''t control or harness them in the slightest, let alone use them to her advantage.


    Yuga found the Misty Terrain skill quite peculiar. It didn''t possess the broad utility of other Terrain skills yet possessed unique attributes.


    In terms of frequency, Florges used the Grass Terrain skill much more often than the Misty Terrain skill. However, she wasn''t a Grass-type Pok��mon and was less attuned to Grass-type energy than to Fairy-type energy.


    Sometimes Yuga wondered if he had gone wrong in developing this skill. But he believed the journey was just beginning, and giving up too easily wasn''t the right choice.


    Apart from theck of progress in Florges''s Misty Terrain, Yuga''s other Pok��mon had made significant advancements.


    First was Absol. As his understanding of the Future Sight skill deepened, his perception became sharper. Even when sparring with much stronger Flygon, he disyed a poised andposed approach, knowing when to advance and when to retreat.


    Vivillon was bing increasingly adept at using the Quiver Dance skill. While she couldn''t achieve constant "dancing," there had been considerable improvement.


    Vivillon''s ultimate goal was to integrate her dancing into every moment, whether in flight, battle, or evasion, making it instinctual.


    Lastly, there was Chimecho. As a support type of Pok��mon, her innateck of offensive strength was her greatest weakness. Although Vivillon faced a simr challenge, certain abilities like Quiver Dance alleviated the issue.


    Moreover, inparison to Vivillon, Chimecho''s skill set was rather limited, with only three skills: Psychic, Gravity, Heal Pulse, and Heal Bell. Three of her skills were utility-based.


    Yuga, having trained his Pok��mon for a while, had begun to view their training differently.


    Many trainers teach their Pok��mon a variety of skills to broaden theirbat repertoire, enhancing their versatility and adaptability through skill quantity.


    However, Yuga believed that mastering a single skill was more important than learning ten skills.


    Simr to humans, we don''t need to excel in everything, nor can we be masters of all trades. The simplest path to sess is through specializing in one particr ability.


    For instance, Absol''sbat style was straightforward and direct, focused on offense without much consideration for retreat. So, Yuga helped him specialize in the Future Sight skill, improving his five senses and enabling him to handle battles more adeptly.


    As for other skills, they were just supplementary means for his battles, and as long as they could be used skillfully, there wouldn''t be significant issues.


    Vivillon followed the same principle. Her expertisey in the Quiver Dance skill, which she used as her core ability. The other skills served as her means of attack, allowing her to have an advantage in various situations.


    For Florges, Yuga''s current consideration for her specialization was the Misty Terrain skill, but it still required effort as it was currently challenging to develop.


    With Chimecho, whose skill set was rtively small, Yuga tentatively chose Gravity as her core skill. This skill was rather unique; its primary function was to restrict the movements of opponents. However, it demanded high levels of mental strength and skillful use of psychic energy. Chimecho still had room for growth.


    If developed well, Gravity could be highly useful. It created a gravitational field around the user, restraining the opponent''s movements, making it an excellent control skill.


    In Yuga''s memories from his previous life, the Gravity skill allowed Ground-type moves to hit Levitating and Flying-type Pok��mon. But in this world, the skill''s effects were much more versatile.


    "Florges, is it still impossible to achieve?" Yuga inquired toward Florges within the Misty Terrain.


    "Florges."


    Florges shook her head.


    "Well, it seems it''s still not working today. Let''s put this aside for now. Practice your other skills, and I''ll check on the other Pok��mon," Yuga sighed and instructed Florges.


    "Florges!" Florges nodded and began practicing Grass Terrain and Magical Leaf.


    Yuga checked on his other Pok��mon and found their training to be progressing smoothly. Then, he went to see the 50 Miltank he had brought back earlier.


    The new Miltank had seamlessly integrated into their new life. They learned skills daily alongside the original six Miltank, practiced caring for baby Pok��mon, and even helped Audino make Pok��blocks.


    While assisting with the Pok��blocks production, the new Miltank mainly handled the simpler tasks, such as cleaning and cutting fruits. The more intricate tasks were performed by Audino. Moreplex tasks were beyond their capabilities.


    Apart from Budew, who was always by Yuga''s side, the other 30 baby Pok��mon had started training alongside Murkrow, Vulpix, and Houndoom.


    With the nourishing Moomoo Milk and the protective effects of the Guardian Orbs, these baby Pok��mon were growing at a much faster rate than ordinary Pok��mon.


    Using his Insight skill, Yuga checked their levels and found that since their birth until now, their levels had unknowingly reached around level 15. Their growth speed was undoubtedly impressive.


    Since the Flygon leader trained his people daily ording to Yuga''s instructions, several of the Trapinchs in the sub-ecopark had evolved into Vibrava. The levels of over twenty Flygon had also risen several levels imperceptibly.


    The situation was the same in the territory of the Gligars, and both groups had gradually seen the birth of new lives during this period. Especially now, with the well-fed and cared-for Gligars, their numbers were increasing.


    Everything in the Ecopark was developing very smoothly, and Yuga felt proud and aplished.


    After finishing the morning training with his Pok��mon and exiting the Ecopark with Budew in his arms, Audino was wearing an apron, setting breakfast on the table.


    It was a pity that Audino could only look but not eat these delicious breakfast dishes. It had only a few Pok��blocks ced in the te not far from it.


    Watching Audino''s mouthwatering expression while looking at the food, Yuga sometimes wondered if he was being too cruel. However, considering how it would misbehave when he was away, he believed these punishments were necessary. Otherwise, it might do it again next time.

 Chapter 133: Team Building Activity

    <h4>Chapter 133: Team Building Activity</h4>


    During breakfast, Yuga, Windy, and Audino sat at the table. Audino blinked her big, pitiful eyes, trying to sway Yuga.


    "Your blinking eyes won''t work. You still need to eat Pok��blocks! The Pok��mon in the Ecopark eat these every day. I haven''t seen any of them throwing tantrums like you," Yuga said, unmoved by Audino''s cuteness.


    In these past few days, Audino hade up with numerous schemes to get Yuga to cancel her punishment.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Audino''s face immediately fell.


    "Budew! Budew!"


    Seeing her big sister being treated unfairly, Budew hopped over to Yuga, attempting to plead for Audino. Yuga simply pressed it down with his hand, saying, "You better just eat your meal. Leave the adult matters to us."


    Budew blinked its small eyes the size of green beans and obediently went back to eating breakfast.


    After a few days of strenuous exercise, although Windy was still a bit chubby, he did appear to have lost some weight.


    During this time, Windy had been obediently following Yuga''s orders without any signs of rebellion. He was afraid that if he made even a slight mistake, he might not see hisputer for a long time.


    So, when it came to the "unjust treatment" Audino, his rade," was receiving, Windy dared not plead for her, worried that his actions might bring trouble upon himself.


    After finishing breakfast, Yuga walked over to the shop where Dian and Strawberry were already waiting with Sister Koen.


    "Sister Koen, to reward you all for your hard work during this time, how about we have a pany team building'' event?" Yuga suggested.


    "Team building?" Suzuki Koen asked in confusion, "What kind of team building are you thinking of?"


    Yuga pondered for a moment but couldn''te up with anything, so he asked, "What do you think would be good?"


    Suzuki Koen thought for a moment, "It''s summer now. How about we go to the seaside? Since our Verdanturf Town is ind, it''s rare for us to see the sea."


    Yuga really wanted to say that he had already spent quite a few days at sea on his trip to Johto, but considering that team building activities were meant to be enjoyed together, he decided to listen to everyone''s opinions.


    So, Yuga waved his hand to call over Windy, Audino, and Linoone. He said to them, "We''vepleted most of this month''s tasks at the Day Care, and we have some free timeing up. I''m thinking of organizing a team building activity to have some fun. Does anyone have any ideas?"


    Upon hearing the prospect of going out to y, Audino and Linoone''s eyes lit up. However, Windy''s expression remained unchanged. This hardcore indoor enthusiast wasn''t interested in any activities that required leaving his room.


    Windy wasn''t interested, Audino and Linoone couldn''t speak, so no one expressed their opinions.


    Seeing everyone quiet, Yuga said, "Since no one has any ideas, how about we go with Sister Koen''s suggestion of going to the seaside? Does anyone oppose it?"


    Audino and Linoone, who had spent their lives ind, had never seen the sea before. They were naturally excited at the idea of going to the seaside and had no objections.


    Windy, however, maintained his expressionless face.


    "Windy, do you have any thoughts about going to the seaside?" Yuga asked when Windy remained silent and expressionless.


    "No," Windy shook his head.


    Seeing him like this, Yuga felt that his responsibilities were truly overwhelming. He not only had to provide room, board, and sry to his employees, but he also had to consider their physical and mental well-being.


    "If you can go to the seaside this time and have a great time, I''ll cancel your punishment when youe back," in order to entice Windy to go out and y happily, Yuga used a big move.


    "Really?" Windy widened his eyes in disbelief.


    "Really!" Yuga nodded.


    "I promise I''ll have a great time."


    After saying this, Windy ran off, but it wasn''t clear what he was going to do.


    Seeing Windy turn and run, Yuga sighed deeply, shaking his head. Who was the older one after all?


    Seeing Yuga''s borate attempt to trick Windy into going out, Suzuki Koen couldn''t help but burst intoughter. Yuga helplessly said, "Being a boss is really not easy. I might as well raise a son, it would be easier."


    Suzuki Koen teased, "You could just let him be. As long as he''s doing his job, isn''t that enough?"


    Yuga waved his hand, "Never mind, never mind. Let''s not talk about this. We''ll depart the day after tomorrow, and the destination is Lilycove City. Sister Koen, get ready."


    After saying that, Yuga turned and left.


    Yuga chose the day after tomorrow for departure because there were still some things in the shop that needed to be prepared. Moreover, it was also thest day of Kazuma''s visit. After that day, the Trapinch would belong to him.


    Yuga felt that going out with just him, Suzuki Koen, and Windy was a bitcking, so he went to his aunt''s house to ask if his aunt and uncle wanted to join. However, even though it was summer vacation, his aunt and uncle still had to work and had no time.


    But he managed to rope in the mischievous little witch Luna, who had nothing to do at home.


    Yuga thought: Well, since I have Luna now, it doesn''t matter if I have Rand, too. So he also informed Rand about the n.


    Before leaving, Yuga also took the time to buy enough Pok��blocks for the Pok��mon in the Ecopark to eat during his absence, so they wouldn''t go hungry.


    But to be honest, they wouldn''t go hungry even without the cubes, as the Ecopark was filled with plenty of fruits that they couldn''t finish.


    However, with their extensive training each day, they needed the Pok��blocks to sustain their increased consumption.


    With the decision to go to the seaside made, Yuga spent the next two days exining the daily training tasks to the Pok��mon in the Ecopark. This included the baby Pok��mon, the Murkrow, Vulpix, and Houndoom, the Gligars in the sub-ecopark, the Trapinch, the Vibrava, and the Flygon. Each group had their own unique training tasks, which Yuga had to outline for them.


    On the morning before departure, Kazuma arrived at YoYo Day Care as usual. When he walked in, he greeted Yuga and Suzuki Koen with a cheerful smile.


    After spending half a month with the Trapinch, Kazuma had gained the trust of the Pok��mon and agreed to leave with the Trapinch. Yuga was very satisfied with Kazuma''s performance.


    "Today is the day you take the Trapinch with you. Let''s go through some procedures," Yuga said to Kazuma before Linoone brought the Trapinch over.


    The procedures and steps for installment payments had already been discussed with Suzuki Koen, so today they just needed to follow the nned sequence.


    Windy had set up a dedicated database. Every Pok��mon purchased at YoYo Day Care was recorded in the form of files and stored in this database. This included information about the buyer, the purchase date, and the physical data of the Pok��mon.


    "Alright," Kazuma nodded and then followed Windy toplete the final procedures for the installment payment.


    The Trapinch was priced at 500,000 Pok��dor. Kazuma would gradually transfer this amount into YoYo Day Care''s ount over the next ten years, at a rate of 50,000 Pok��dor per year.


    Yuga had set three repayment periods: 5 years, 10 years, and 25 years. For the first two options, Yuga didn''t charge any interest or additional fees. It was purely a gesture of support. For the 25-year period, due to the long time span, he would charge some interest aspensation. This was also to prevent the Day Care from running short of funds.

 Chapter 134: The Sudden Arrival of the Spheal

    <h4>Chapter 134: The Sudden Arrival of the Spheal</h4>


    Finally, the day of departure arrived. Before leaving, Yuga made sure everything was in order at the Ecopark and entrusted the care of the Pok��mon to the Daycare workers. With that settled, he could finally leave with Windy and the others.


    Yuga first went next door to pick up Rand, then he went to his aunt''s house to fetch Luna. Finally, he met up with Suzuki Koen at the airport.


    Suzuki Koen had brought her son, Dian, along as Yuga had requested. After all, as a single mother, it wouldn''t be right to go on a trip and leave her son behind.


    The distance between Lilycove City and Verdanturf Town was not close, so taking a short flight was the quickest option. Just like when he went to Johtost time, Yuga took a ship to Lilycove City.


    When Yuga and the others arrived at Verdanturf Town Airport, Suzuki Koen was already there, holding and cuddling a strawberry. It seemed like she had been there for a while.


    Yuga rushed over, panting, and said apologetically, "I''m... sorry, Sister Koen. We''rete."


    Suzuki Koen waved her hand, nonchntly saying, "It''s fine. With so many of you, a little dy is normal."


    The airport was bustling with peopleing and going. Yuga turned to the people behind him and said, "There are so many people here. Luna, Rand, stick close. If I lose you, I won''te looking."


    "Understood!" Luna eximed vigorously.


    "Understood," Rand answered expressionlessly.


    Yuga thought for a moment, then turned to Windy and said, "You too!"


    Windy looked bewildered. What did he mean? He put me on the same level as Luna and Rand? Don''t forget that I''m older than you!!! He wanted to say something, but Yuga had already turned and walked away with Suzuki Koen. He could only swallow his words and follow Luna and the others.


    On the ne.


    Since Audino and Linoone had not been captured by Yuga, they couldn''t be stored in Pok�� Balls. Thus, Yuga had to buy a separate ne ticket for therger Audino.


    As for Linoone, its size was rtively small and it didn''t need its own ticket. It simplyy on Windy''s leg and slept soundly during the flight.


    At this moment, Yuga was holding Budew, resting his head against the seat and closing his eyes. However, as he leaned back, he started to feel drowsy. His thoughts began to blur.


    Just as Yuga was about to fall asleep in the next moment, he suddenly felt something cool and bouncy at his feet, as if something was hopping on his leg.


    Yuga''s groggy consciousness instantly cleared. He slowly opened his eyes and looked down, meeting a pair of shiny ck eyes.


    The two pairs of eyes stared at each other like this for a good half minute. Suddenly, the owner of the eyes at the bottom parted its three-segmented mouth and smiled at Yuga.


    "Spheal, Spheal."


    A Spheal? How could there be a Spheal at his feet?


    Yuga stretched his neck and looked around. He saw a young girl with bright purple hair winking and gesturing at him.


    Yuga immediately recognized the cute-looking girl. He remembered her name was Kris.


    Kris had participated in the Pok��mon Trainer Battle Tournament held by Devon Corporation in Verdanturf Town. She was also his opponent. The Pok��mon she used was a Spheal. However, she had been eliminated by Yugater on.


    They were quite a distance apart, and voices couldn''t carry well. Yuga could only point at the Spheal under his foot, then point at Kris, implying if the Spheal belonged to her.


    Kris understood Yuga''s meaning and nodded.


    Yuga bent down, picked up the Spheal, and said to it, "Little cutie, your Trainer is looking for you. Hurry back." He patted its chubby body and put it back on the ground, motioning for it to go back.


    But the Spheal on the ground remained still, with its round eyes fixed on Yuga.


    "What''s wrong?" Yuga didn''t understand why the Spheal was staring at him and refusing to move. He asked in confusion.


    "Spheal, Spheal." The Spheal made a few calls and bounced on the ground. Yuga still couldn''t figure out its meaning.


    After a while, Yuga finally realized what was going on. It turned out he had misunderstood the situation. The Spheal wasn''t looking at him at all; it was looking at Budew in his arms.


    Yuga took Budew out from his arms and ced it next to the Spheal. He said, "Do you want to y with Budew?"


    "Spheal, Spheal!" Seeing that Yuga finally understood its intentions, the Spheal bounced with joy, looking incredibly cute.


    Wait a minute! You''re not interested in my Budew, are you? Your species can''t fall in love with each other, and besides, I don''t approve!


    Yuga kindly said to the Spheal, "Spheal, your Trainer has been waiting anxiously for you. You should go back."


    "Spheal!" The Spheal shook its head, unwilling to leave.


    Yuga looked at the Spheal, which blinked its innocent big eyes at him, and then at Budew, which was also looking expectantly at him. It seemed that they really wanted to y together. Yuga thought, It''s true that kids are fearless.


    He sighed and said helplessly to the Spheal, "Because you''re still young, I won''t send you away. But you mustn''t bully my Budew."


    "Spheal, Spheal." Hearing Yuga''s agreement, the Spheal happily hopped around.


    Yuga put Budew down on the ground as well, and the two Pok��mon soon began to y happily together.


    At this moment, Yuga turned around and looked at the girl named Kris. He pointed at the Spheal, then patted his own chest, implying that he would take care of the Spheal for her.


    The girl sped her hands together in gratitude, her worries dissipating from her face.


    And so, the Spheal stayed with Yuga until the nended.


    Uponnding, due to the crowdedness, Kris couldn''te to pick up her Spheal. Yuga held the Spheal and gestured outside, indicating for her to wait there.


    After disembarking.


    "Thank you so much. If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t know what to do." Kris received the Spheal from Yuga''s hands, expressing her gratitude.


    However, Kris seemed to havepletely forgotten that she had met Yuga before.


    "No need to thank me. Besides, your Spheal didn''t want to leave because it wanted to y with my Budew. Looking after it is only fair," Yuga said with a smile.


    "By the way, I''m Kris. I don''t know the name of this big brother yet!" Kris realized she hadn''t introduced herself, and quickly did so.


    "I know you''re Kris. We''ve met before, in Verdanturf Town during the Pok��mon Battle Tournament," Yuga didn''t mention his own name, smiling at the young girl ambiguously.


    Kris was momentarily puzzled, then she pped her forehead suddenly and remembered, "Oh... Oh, oh, oh, you''re that big brother who eliminated me!" After a pause, she looked puzzled again, "Oh right, what''s that big brother''s name?"


    Yuga was nearly floored by her words, and he helplessly said, "Shimizu Yuga!"


    Kris grinned and said, "I''m really sorry. I tend to forget things easily. Well then, I''ll call you Big Brother Shimizu."


    "Whatever you like. I still have people waiting for me, so I won''t talk with you much. If fate allows, we''ll meet again!" With that, he waved to Kris and walked towards Suzuki Koen and the others who were waiting not far away.

 Chapter 135: Where Life Crosses Paths

    <h4>Chapter 135: Where Life Crosses Paths</h4>


    After parting ways with Kris, Yuga and hispanions continued on their way to their destination.


    Prior to arriving in Lilycove City, Yuga had already arranged amodations. They were staying at a seaside resort hotel located in the coastal area of Lilycove City.


    Being summer vacation, the weather was scorching hot, and it was also the peak tourist season for the seaside resort area. When Yuga and his group reached the beach, it was teeming with tourists.


    After walking for a while, with sweat pouring down, Yuga looked at the sign that read "Seaside Haven" and said to Suzuki Koen and Windy, "We''re here, this is it, let''s go in!"


    As Yuga was about to lead Suzuki Koen and Windy inside, he saw a blond guy named Robert. He was wearing a floral shirt on top and a pair of oversized shorts with flip-flops on his feet, walking out of the hotel.


    "Yuga?"


    Upon seeing Robert, Yuga, of course, saw him too.


    "Big brother Robert!"


    Seeing her idol, Luna, who was behind Yuga, rushed over trying to hug Robert, but Yuga was quick to react and held her back.


    Yuga really didn''t want to witness his cousin acting like a fangirl in public, it would be too embarrassing.


    After restraining Luna, Yuga looked at Robert, and eventually couldn''t hold back a chuckle, which led to Robert''s puzzled question, "What are youughing at?"


    Pointing at Robert''s outfit, still grinning, Yuga said, "I just find your attire a bit unusual."


    Robert, baffled, looked down at his attire. Not seeing anything amiss, he was even more confused. "What''s wrong with my clothes? They''re perfectly fine. Look around, everyone here is dressed like this. See over there, and there, aren''t they dressed simrly?" He gestured towards several men not far from him who were dressed somewhat simrly.


    With a pat on his chest, suppressing his amusement, Yuga said, "It''s not a problem if others dress like this, but somehow it doesn''t suit you. Haven''t people mentioned that to you?"


    Robert''sbination of a refined demeanor with the down-to-earth floral shirt did indeed look quiteical.


    Robert finally realized, "No wonder my cousin burst intoughter the moment she saw me!"


    "What a coincidence to run into you here! Are you here for a vacation too?" After containing hisughter, Yuga asked.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Robert shook his head and exined, "Not exactly for vacation. I just caught a Water-type Pok��mon recently and brought it here for some special training." He pointed to the hotel behind him and continued, "Yep, my aunt and uncle own this hotel, so it''s convenient to stay here."


    "I see."


    Yuga nodded.


    "By the way, based on what you said earlier, are you here for sightseeing?"


    "Yes, these two are employees from our Day Care. This is Suzuki Koen, and she has her son Dian with her. As for this chubby fellow, his name is Windy." Yuga pulled Windy, who was behind him, over, then pointed at Suzuki Koen who was holding Dian, introducing them to Robert.


    "As for Luna and Rand, I won''t introduce them since you already know."


    Luna didn''t seem too pleased with how casually her cousin was handling her introduction in front of her idol, and her little mouth pouted high.


    "Alright, let''s not stand in front of the door. Let me take you guys inside." After everyone got acquainted, Robert led Yuga''s group into Seaside Haven.


    Once inside, after learning that Yuga''s group were friends of Robert''s, the innkeeper, who was also Robert''s aunt, warmly weed them and offered them hospitality.


    Afterpleting the check-in process, the innkeeper shouted inside the hotel, "Kris, what are you doing? Come out and show the guests to their rooms. You can''t always make your cousin do everything!"


    Kris? Could it be just as he thought?


    "Coming,ing!"


    Following the innkeeper''s call, a familiar voice emerged from inside, and soon Yuga''s group saw the source of the voice.


    "Brother Shimizu, why are you here?"


    Exactly as Yuga had suspected, the person who appeared was indeed Kris. Not only was Yuga surprised by Kris''s presence, but Kris was also equally taken aback by seeing Yuga in her house.


    This was truly a case of life''s unexpected encounters. Not only had they run into Robert here, but now it turned out Kris was none other than the cousin Robert had beenughing about earlier.


    "Do you guys know each other?" Both Robert and the innkeeper asked in unison.


    Yuga gave Robert''s shoulder a friendly pat and exined, "You''ve forgotten, we both participated in the Pok��mon Battle Tournament in Verdanturf Town."


    Only now did Robert remember that his cousin had participated in thatpetition too. However, Kris had been eliminated quite early, so he had nearly forgotten about her involvement.


    It turned out that Kris''s grandparents weren''t in good health and were currently staying at a sanatorium in Verdanturf Town. Kris had gone there to apany them, and participating in the tournament was just a side thing.


    After being eliminated by Yuga, Kris had been staying at the sanatorium with her grandparents. That''s why Yuga hadn''t encountered her whenever he visited the Pok��mon Center to see Robert.


    Yuga: "But we officially got to know each other on the ne here."


    Kris: "Yeah, that''s right. Like I told you, Brother Shimizu, he took care of my Spheal on the ne!"


    With the details of Yuga and Kris''s acquaintance rified, everyone couldn''t help but marvel at how small the world was.


    Who could have imagined that Robert and Kris, friends of Yuga''s, were actually cousins? Not to mention, the inn that Yuga had booked happened to be owned by Kris''s family. On top of that, Yuga and Kris had coincidentally be acquainted on the ne.


    Led by Kris, Yuga''s group was shown to their respective rooms.


    Yuga and Windy shared one room, Suzuki Koen stayed with Luna, and Rand shared a room with Audino and Linoone.


    After settling their belongings and stepping out of their rooms, they spotted Robert again. He had changed out of the down-to-earth floral shirt and was now sporting a white T-shirt and shorts.


    Seeing this, Kris yfully remarked, "Cousin, you finally took off that floral shirt. You can''t imagine how surprised I was when I saw you earlier. I couldn''t believe my eyes."


    Ignoring Kris''s teasing, Robert addressed Yuga''s group, "Since you guys are new here and not familiar with the ce, I''ll show you around."


    Before Yuga could say anything, Luna excitedly chimed in, "Sure, sure, as long as��"


    Before she could finish her sentence, Yuga quickly covered her mouth to prevent her from blurting out anything embarrassing.


    "Sure, thank you for your help," Yuga said apologetically.

 Chapter 136: Milotic

    <h4>Chapter 136: Milotic</h4>


    Yuga and the others changed into suitable beach attire and, led by Robert, arrived at the beach. Upon noticing the crowd, Robert suggested, "Let me take you to a less crowded spot, a ce only I know about where there''s hardly anyone."


    Following Robert''s lead, Yuga''s group crossed several rocky shores to reach a secluded beach devoid of other tourists.


    "This is where I train with my Pok��mon every day. It''s not crowded. You shoulde here if you want to y by the seaside in the future."


    Listening to Robert''s words, Yuga stepped onto the soft sand and surveyed the surroundings.


    In the distance, there was a not-so-high cliff covered in lush green trees. Wingulls were busy preening their feathers in their nests on the cliffs.


    The beach area was quite spacious, and now and then, a Crawdaunt or a Corphish would climb out of the water with an air of pride. A Shellder was by the water''s edge, happily spitting water, while a gentle breeze ruffled the sea''s surface, causingyer uponyer of azure waves to wash up on the shore.


    During the time Yuga spent observing the surroundings, the others had already begun ying joyfully.


    Suzuki Koen was building sandcastles with her son Dian and Strawberry. Dots of sand covered their faces, but they couldn''t stopughing.


    Linoone using its ws to dig a sand pit, and the amassed sand was alreadyrger than its own body. After finding a seashell in the sand, it carefully stashed it away, clearly valuing it.


    With her Swablu on her head, Luna pulled a somewhat reluctant Rand to the water''s edge, happily sshing through the waves. Behind them, Psyduck, with its vacant expression, was doing who knows what. But Blitzle and Luna, in a somewhat synchronized manner, were stamping on the sshes of water, breaking them into mist.


    Hiding behind a sand dune, Windy was sitting alone in a daze, indifferent to the smiles around him. But eventually, he was forcefully thrown into the water by Luna, almost like a doll.


    Seeing everyone having fun, Yuga released his Pok��mon from their Pok�� Balls.


    "Everyone,e out!"


    As four red lights shed, the figures of Florges, Absol, Vivillon, and Chimecho appeared on the beach.


    This time, Yuga didn''t bring out Great Flygon. On one hand, there needed to be someone in charge at home, and on the other, as a Ground-type Pok��mon, Flygon wasn''t particrly fond of the beach.


    Seeing Yuga''s Pok��mon out, Robert greeted them alongside his own Pok��mon and said to Yuga, "It''s been a while. Your Pok��mon have gotten stronger."


    Proudly, Yuga replied, "Of course, we can''t stay stagnant."


    Without hesitation, Robert took out his own Pok�� Balls and threw them, saying, "Let me show you my Pok��mon as well."


    With Robert''s actions, Baltoy, Chimecho, and Ciino appeared on the beach, but there was also a new face among them.


    This must be the Pok��mon Robert mentioned earlier, the new addition.


    "Milotic!"


    Lifting its slender neck, this Pok��mon softly called towards the sky. Yuga felt a magical power that soothed his heart emanating from it.


    The Pok��mon also spotted Yuga at this moment, shaking its fan-shaped tail and letting out a friendly call, a way of greeting Yuga.


    "So, this is your newly obtained Pok��mon, a Milotic," Yuga said, walking up to the Milotic and patting its chin. He greeted it warmly, "Hello there, Milotic. I''m Yuga, Robert''s friend."


    The rtivelyrge Milotic lowered its head, gently rubbing its forehead against Yuga''s, expressing its friendliness. At the same time, Milotic''s data appeared in Yuga''s mind.


    ...


    <<milotic>> </milotic>


    Type: Water


    Ability: Cute Charm


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 32


    Moves: Aqua Ring, Water Gun, Refresh, Captivate, Water Pulse, Dragon Tail, Recover, Ice Beam.


    ...


    Seeing the information about this Milotic, Yuga couldn''t help but suspect that Robert might be the real one with the "golden finger." While he, after all this time, only had a Vivillon as the Indigo-potential member of his team, Robert had obtained a rare and valuable Milotic, a Pok��mon that could be considered on par with pseudo-legendary Pok��mon.


    Milotic was already a rare sight, and a Indigo-potential Milotic was even rarer. Encountering one of these was probably no less difficult than encountering a Legendary Pok��mon.


    No one knows the qualifications of Legendary Pok��mon, but it''s known that among regr Pok��mon, Indigo is the highest potential, while those with purple potential have only existed in legends.


    Yuga had seen Mr. Moore''s Pok��mon and his Pok��mon breeding base at Mt. Chimey. The highest-potential Pok��mon he had there were only green. This shows just how rare Indigo-potential Pok��mon are, let alone a Milotic.


    Owning a Milotic like this is basically equivalent to reaching the pinnacle of life. No wonder he was able to effortlessly outshine Drew and others, bing the champion of the Grand Festival in the Pok��mon Contest.


    "How lucky," Yuga said, his tone full of envy.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Robert smiled and said, "Your Pok��mon are pretty good too."


    "That''s a given!" While Yuga was envious of Robert''s Milotic, he didn''t think his own Pok��mon werecking. He believed that one day, his Pok��mon would also shine brightly.


    "How about a Pok��mon battle between us? I''ll use Milotic!" Robert suddenly proposed to Yuga.


    Yuga rolled his eyes silently. You just want to show off your Milotic, don''t you?


    However, in the face of Robert''s challenge, Yuga had no reason to back down. So, he agreed without hesitation, "Sure, who''s afraid of who!"


    Instantly, the two of them set up their positions on the beach!


    "Florges, you''re up!" Yuga''s Florges excelled at using Grass-type moves, giving her an advantage against Robert''s Water-type Milotic.


    Deciding on their opponents, Florges and Milotic appeared, facing each other on the beach.


    "Florges, set up Grassy Terrain!" Yuga took the initiative, giving Florges themand.


    Although the beach wasn''t the ideal ce for Grassy Terrain, Florges quickly turned the sand beneath her into a vibrant green using her familiarity with the move. des of grass, formed from Grass-type energy, stubbornly grew on the sand.


    "Milotic, use Water Gun!"


    With the creation of Grassy Terrain, Robert realized he was a step behind and immediatelymanded Milotic to attack.


    Milotic truly lived up to its training as a coordinator''s Pok��mon. The Indigo Water Gun twirled and shot towards Florges, gleaming brightly in the sunlight. The droplets of water it scattered along the way resembled pearls.


    "Florges, block it with Vine Whip!"


    Seeing the Grassy Terrain, Robert knew he was slightly slow. He immediately ordered Milotic to attack.


    Florges''s two vines suddenly merged in the air, forming a barrier that blocked Milotic''s Water Gun.


    "Florges, use Safeguard!"


    Upon hearing Yuga''smand, Florges was surrounded by a green glow. Under the Grassy Terrain, she used Safeguard, changing her type from Fairy to Grass.


    Seeing Florges''s type change, Robert promptlymanded Milotic to use the Ice-type move, Ice Beam.


    "Florges, Magical Leaf!"


    With the boost from her type advantage, Florges''s Magical Leaf became even more formidable. Swiftly colliding with Milotic''s Ice Beam, the two moves shed.


    In the end, the result was that the Magical Leaves were frozen into ice chunks and fell from the air.

 Chapter 137: Florges vs. Milotic

    <h4>Chapter 137: Florges vs. Milotic</h4>


    After an intense exchange, neither Pok��mon emerged as the clear victor.


    "It seems you''ve made significant progress during this time. Your Florges can actually hold its own against my Milotic," Robert remarked.


    Robert hadn''t expected Yuga to improve so rapidly in just a few months. It was only a matter of time before Yuga caught up to him.


    "Of course, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and now you can truly see my growth! Today''s me is not the same as yesterday''s!" Yuga replied confidently.


    In truth, Yuga was aware that there was still a gap in strength between Florges and Milotic. While their levels were close, with Milotic at level 32 and Florges at level 33, the difference in potential created a distance between them.


    However, Florges had her own advantages. Utilizing the move "Safeguard" to change her type to Grass, she would surely take the initiative against Milotic.


    "No more talking, Florges, use Magical Leaf!"


    Dozens of sharp leaf des formed by the swirling green leaves mercilessly sliced toward Milotic.


    "Milotic! Dragon Tail!"


    A green glow enveloped Milotic''s beautiful fan-like tail, and with a sweeping motion, it deflected each and every Magical Leaf.


    With the elimination of the Magical Leaves, Milotic immediately retaliated. Its slender and graceful body glided along the beach, swiftly closing in on Florges.


    Milotic''s speed was astonishing, catching Yuga off guard as it approached Florges.


    Just as Milotic was about to reach Florges, its majestic dragon tail poised to strike, Yuga suddenly remembered a long-forgotten move that Florges possessed.


    "Florges, Flower Shield!"


    This move instantly took effect on Florges, who had already transformed into a Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Countless vibrant, multicolored flower illusions materialized around Florges, creating a splendid disy. With the flower illusions surrounding her, Florges now appeared as if she were a graceful flower queen.


    When Milotic''s Dragon Tail was about to strike Florges, the clustered flower barrier blocked its path.


    Although Florges undoubtedly sustained damage, Flower Shield increased her defense. As a result, Florges, even though wounded by the Dragon Tail attack, gritted her teeth and endured.


    Furthermore, the Grassy Terrain had a minor healing effect, as streams of green light slowly flowed into Florges''s body, gradually mending her wounds.


    In pain, Florges furiously swung her vines, binding the nearly approaching Milotic tightly, then flung it away. Following this, she unleashed Magical Leaf in a relentless barrage toward Milotic.


    Magical Leaves not only hit Milotic but also stirred up countless sand particles on the beach.


    When all the sand particles settled, Milotic revealed its heavily marked body from the impact of the Magical Leaves. As a Water-type Pok��mon, being struck by Grass-type moves like Magical Leaf had inflicted significant damage on Milotic.


    "Milotic, use Recover!"


    Hearing Robert''s voice, Yuga thought to himself, "Here ites, that annoying move."


    Milotic''s body was instantly enveloped in a milky-white glow. After the glow dissipated, the damage from Florges''s Magical Leaf waspletely nullified.


    While Recover was indeed a useful move, it was also quite frustrating.


    "Your move is really tricky. How can we even fight like this?" Yuga shrugged his shoulders helplessly.


    Robert chuckled and replied, "Well, it all depends on your skills."


    "Milotic, use Ice Beam!"


    Since Milotic''s close-up approach hadn''t yielded favorable results against Florges, Robert gave up on that strategy and opted for the highly effective Ice-type move.


    "Florges, use Magical Leaf!"


    As before, the Magical Leaves were frozen into ice by the Ice Beam, while the Ice Beam itself dissipated upon contact with the Magical Leaves.


    Yuga''s eyes flickered as he realized that the current situation could go on indefinitely. He needed to find a way to break this deadlock, as prolonging the battle would not be advantageous for him. After all, Florges couldn''t heal herself.


    After a moment of contemtion, a mischievous grin crossed Yuga''s face. He turned to Florges and said, "Florges, use your vines to bind Milotic''s mouth!"


    Though confused by Yuga''s inexplicablemand, Florgesplied.


    On the opposite side, Milotic was caught off guard by Yuga''s sudden maneuver. It struggled fiercely, but its mouth and head were firmly bound by Florges''s robust vines.


    Milotic relied on its mouth for moves like Water Gun, Aqua Ring, Ice Beam, and Captivate. With Florges''s vines constricting its mouth, Milotic was rendered helpless.


    With its mouth and head immobilized, Milotic thrashed about vigorously. Milotic''s size and strength allowed it to roll forcefully on the sandy terrain, stirring up a cloud of sand.


    "Florges, while you can, keep using Magical Leaf!"


    Wave after wave of Magical Leaves shot towards the struggling Milotic, and before long, Milotic was covered in wounds.


    Robert was taken aback by Yuga''s sudden tactics. After countless battles, he had never encountered such a crafty strategy.


    "Milotic, use Dragon Tail to break those vines!"


    Though Milotic was somewhat overwhelmed by its own emotions, upon hearing its familiar Trainer''s voice, it instinctively obeyed.


    Under the immense force of Milotic''s Dragon Tail, Florges''s vines snapped one after another, bing lifeless branches scattered on the ground.


    At this point, despite Milotic''s normally gentle disposition, it was slightly agitated. Ignoring its own injuries, it leaped toward Florges with its colossal dragon tail, swiping left and right like a fan.


    Fortunately, every time Milotic used Dragon Tail, Florges also countered with Flower Shield. By the time Milotic finished its attack, though Florges was battered and bruised, her defense had reached its peak.


    Finding the opportune moment, Florges swung her vines and flung Milotic away once more, but she was visibly exhausted.


    Both Pok��mon were now running on fumes.


    "I never thought you would be this cunning!" Robert eximed, his frustration evident.


    Yuga nonchntly responded, "How am I being cunning? Did I break any rules?"


    "Well, not exactly..." It''s just that you''re being cunning because you didn''t break any rules! Robert felt like he was about to explode, unable toprehend the situation.


    Seeing both Pok��mon in their current states �C the Queen of Flowers reduced to the "Queen of Ruins," and the graceful serpent now a "Tattered Snake" �C Robert suggested, "Let''s call it a draw for this battle. We''ll have a rematch next time."


    "Alright, I''ll go along with that."


    Deep down, Yuga knew that if the battle continued, he would eventually lose. After all, Milotic could recover, while Florges was running out of steam.

 Chapter 138: Linoone The Treasure Hunter

    <h4>Chapter 138: Linoone The Treasure Hunter</h4>


    When Yuga and the others stopped, they noticed that the rest of the people and Pok��mon had already gathered around to watch the battle.


    "Both Big Brother Yuga and Brother Robert are so amazing!" Luna eximed as she pped her hands in excitement after their battle concluded.


    Seeing Luna, the little white-eyed wolf, apuding for them, Yuga couldn''t help but feelforted. He had thought that this heartless brat would only p for its idols.


    After the battle, Yuga called over Chimecho and Audino. He had them use Heal Pulse on Florges and Milotic respectively, then fed them a few Oran Berries to help them regain their strength.


    Seeing both Pok��mon were recovering well, Yuga said to Milotic, "I''m sorry for being too careless earlier. I hope you don''t me me."


    Milotic gently shook its head, indicating that it had already moved on. Yuga sighed, impressed by how well Milotic embodied the gentle nature of its species. It was quick to forgive and forget.


    Yuga suddenly felt like he was being a "green tea b*tch," causing harm and then acting innocent to seek forgiveness. Of course, he wouldn''t admit to that �C battles naturallye with injuries!


    After their injuries had mostly healed, Milotic slid into the sea to stretch its body.


    Once the onlookers dispersed after the battle, Yuga saw Linoone returning to its sand pit to continue digging.


    Walking over, Yuga looked at the pile of items Linoone had dug out of the sand. He absentmindedly sifted through them and was about to continue when he saw whaty beneath. Shocked by what he saw, he inspected these newfound treasures: Shoal Salt, Shoal Shells, a pile of soft sand, pearls, big pearls, star sand, star fragments, and more.


    Yuga picked out the useful items from the pile, which included materials and items beneficial for Pok��mon. He then pointed at them and asked Linoone, "Did you dig these up?"


    Apart from the items like Shoal Salt, Shoal Shells, and soft sand that could be used by Pok��mon, the pearls, big pearls, star sand, and star fragments were quite valuable.


    Linoone lifted its head, nodded at the items Yuga pointed to, and then with a sweep of its paw, a water-blue stone dropped right in front of Yuga.


    "A Water Stone?" At this moment, Robert suddenly appeared behind Yuga, startling him with his unexpected voice.


    Yuga patted his racing heart, "Couldn''t you make a sound when you walk? You scared me." He then picked up the water-blue stone and examined it. "Indeed, it''s a Water Stone."


    "Who would have thought your Linoone is a treasure hunter," Robert chuckled. "Its Ability is Pickup, right?"


    Yuga nodded, holding the Water Stone. "Yes, you''re right, it''s the Pickup Ability." He paused for a moment before raising a skeptical eyebrow. "Is the Pickup Ability really that useful? Can I just take Linoone out to find treasures and get rich?"


    Rubbing his chin, Robert pondered, "It shouldn''t be that easy. Even with the Pickup Ability, you can''t just randomly pick up so many valuable items."


    Yuga shrugged indifferently, collecting the items into his bag, or rather, into the system''s inventory. He remarked, "Who cares if it''s possible or not. Come on, Linoone, let''s keep searching. We''ll exchange these items for moneyter, and I''ll buy you whatever you want."


    Excited by Yuga''s words, Linoone nodded vigorously and happily resumed its sand-digging adventure.


    Observing Yuga''s money-driven behavior, Robert shook his head helplessly. He wasn''t concerned about these items himself; he was more curious about how Linoone managed to find these items so effortlessly.


    If Yuga knew what Robert was thinking, he would probably want to spray him with a soda. Of course, Robert didn''t care; after all, this wicked rich kid probably wouldn''t understand what it''s like to support a big family!


    Under Yuga and Linoone''s "diligent efforts," the sandy beach soon became dotted with sand pits.


    Originally ying in the water with Rand, Luna saw Yuga and Linoone digging holes and found it fun. She picked up a twig and joined "the digging business" with Rand.


    Dian, with his mom, saw the older kids digging sandcastles. Excited, he tugged at his mom and joined them.


    What had started as a simple day at the beach had gradually turned into a sand-diggingpetition. Luna even yed a game with the three-year-old Dian to see who could dig the biggest and roundest hole.


    Observing this nonsensical scene, Robert gazed at the Baltoy beside him and asked, "Should we join in?"


    "Baltoy~"


    Chimecho shook its head, indicating it didn''t know either.


    Although everyone was digging, it was only Linoone, with its Pickup Ability, that managed to find anything valuable. The rest were just having fun. In no time, Linoone unearthed a pile of pearls.


    While Linoone continued digging, suddenly the sand disappeared and hit rock underneath. Linoone called Yuga over, and he leaned in.


    Beneath the sandy pit was not just golden sand, but also some brown rocks. On one of these rocksy a rusted, ck iron object.


    Because the iron object was fused with the rock, Linoone couldn''t extract it directly.


    "Linoone, use Rotottiler to crush the rock beneath," Yugamanded. Linooney down, emitting a tan glow that spread from its body to the rock. The rock instantly fractured.


    "Good job, Linoone. Bring that thing up now." Yuga couldn''t wait to see what Linoone had found this time.


    Linoone brushed aside the stone fragments, finally revealing the object. To everyone''s surprise, it was muchrger than Linoone.


    Linoone attempted to move it, but the object was incredibly heavy. No matter how hard Linoone tried, it wouldn''t budge.


    Helpless, Yuga called upon Florges and Audino for assistance.


    Yuga had Florges wrap vines around the iron object and had Audino grab Florges'' vines. With a strong pull, the iron object wasunched from the pit like a cannonball.


    As the heavy iron object hit the ground, it stirred up countless sand particles and made a dull sound. This caught the attention of Robert and the others.


    Seeing that Audino had sessfully pulled up the iron object, Yuga gave her a thumbs-up. "Well done, Audino. You''re truly the big sister of YoYo Day Care. You''re quite powerful."


    In response to Yuga''s praise, Audino proudly puffed up her chubby head, seemingly saying, "See? You had to rely on me in a critical moment!" It was as if all the setbacks she had faced under Yuga''s care were now forgotten.

 Chapter 139: The Black Hole

    <h4>Chapter 139: The ck Hole</h4>


    Seeing Robert approach, Yuga immediately pulled him over and pointed at the iron object. "Robert,e take a look at this."


    Robert crouched down, touched the iron object, and tried to flip it over, but it wouldn''t budge.


    After examining it for a while, Robert stood up and said to Yuga, "This might be an anchor."


    "An anchor?"


    "Yes, a ship anchor, a metal device used to stop ships. It''s connected by a chain to the ship, and when thrown into the water, it holds the ship in ce."


    "Hold on, no need to exin so much. I know what an anchor is, but why would there be a discarded anchor here?"


    Upon hearing Yuga''s question, Robert was also puzzled. He crouched down to examine the anchor again, stood up, and said, "The style of this anchor doesn''t resemble modern anchors. It''s just that the rust has taken over, so we can''t see its original appearance."


    Just as Yuga was about to respond, the system''s voice echoed in his mind.


    [ Congrattions, host, on triggering the quest: Sunken Ship Remains. ]


    [ Description: As a man equipped with a system, you''ll inevitably encounter unexpected events. Find the sunken ship remains and learn about its past. ]


    [ Reward: Choose one qualification for opening a Sub-Ecopark. ]


    [ The benefits from the system came at just the right moment. Yuga thought, "I truly am a man with a cheat system. ]


    Based on the system''s hint, there should be an ancient sunken ship nearby, and the anchor likely belonged to that ship.


    Robert, noticing Yuga lost in thought, waved a hand in front of him and said, "Hey, what are you thinking? You''re so absorbed in thought."


    Snapping back to reality, Yuga hurriedly said, "Oh, nothing, just thinking about this anchor. You think there''s a sunken ship around here, which is why we found this old anchor?"


    Robert nodded in agreement. "That''s quite likely. It also exins why there''s so much treasure beneath this beach."


    Yuga pretended to be surprised and said, "Well, let''s go find it then!" He slowly led Robert into helping him search for the sunken ship.


    "Sure, let''s give it a shot. Who knows, we might actually find it," Robert readily agreed.


    "Since we dug up this anchor here, why don''t we start here?" Yuga suggested.


    "Alright, Baltoy,e over and use Dig," Robert agreed and called his Chimecho.


    "Linoone, you too, help out with Rotottiler." Yuga addressed his Linoone.


    Both Pok��mon jumped into the pit and started using their skills to break the rocks beneath the sand.


    As the hole transitioned from a sandy pit to a rocky pit, growing deeper andrger, they found nothing. Robert spoke up, "What if it''s not here? Should we search elsewhere?"


    Yuga thought for a moment and found the idea reasonable. Just as he was about to suggest moving to another location, a loud boom resonated. The bottom of the pit copsed, revealing a pitch-ck hole.


    Baltoy fell with the copsing pit, quickly flying back up. However, there was no sign of Linoone.


    "Where''s Linoone?" Yuga didn''t see Linooneing up and anxiously asked Chimecho.


    Chimecho pointed to the ck hole below, indicating that Linoone had fallen down.


    "Linoone!" Yuga leaned over the pit and shouted down into the ck hole.


    "Linoone, can you hear my voice? If you can, answer me!" Yuga called several times but received no response.


    "We should go down and find it. Shouting might not reach it down there," Robert suggested.


    "Alright." Yuga nodded.


    Yuga and Robert summoned their Pok��mon and prepared to enter the ck hole. Before setting off, Yuga told Ringo, "Sister Koen, I''m leaving the little ones to you. I''ll have Audino stay with you. If we''re not back before dark, you can head back to the Seaside Hotel."


    Suzuki nodded and said, "Don''t worry, I''ll take good care of them. Go on without worries."


    Upon hearing Suzuki''s words, Yuga couldn''t help but think: Did I just jinx myself?


    With everything arranged, Yuga and Robert were sent into the ck hole by their respective Chimecho using Psychic power.


    Inside the hole, it was as dark as it had appeared from the outside.


    However, Yuga and Robert were well-prepared. As soon as their feet touched the ground, Yuga turned on the shlight he had prepared in advance.


    However, when Yuga turned on the shlight, he didn''t see Robert, nor did he see their Chimechos. Instead, he saw a Corphish staring at him with wide eyes.


    Without hesitation, the Corphish lifted one of itsrge pincers and swung it at Yuga, which startled him.


    Luckily, Chimecho was quick to react. It first used Gravity to forcefully press the charging Corphish onto the ground and then used Confusion to render it unable to fight.


    "What just happened? Are you alright?" Robert opened his shlight too and looked at Yuga, concerned.


    "I''m fine, just encountered a Corphish." Yuga pointed to the unconscious Corphish lying on the ground.


    "Fine, just..." Robert''s words were cut off as a roar echoed.


    "Crawdaunt!" The voice carried immense anger.


    Yuga and Robert turned around and shone their shlights, revealing an enormous Crawdaunt charging toward them with bright red armor.


    "It''s a Crawdaunt. It''s probably with that Corphish!" Robert eximed.


    Before it could reach them, a series of bubbles rapidly floated towards Yuga and Robert.


    Without hesitation, Yuga released his Absol andmanded, "Absol, use Psycho Cut!"


    "Chimecho, use Astonish!" Robert gave his ownmand to his Chimecho.


    The white des of Psycho Cut and the ck shockwaves of Astonish shed with the Crawdaunt''s bubble attack, causing a violent explosion. Rocks began to fall from above.


    "Crawdaunt!"


    Seeing its bubble attack ineffective, the Crawdaunt grew angrier. It used its Shell de and charged at Yuga and Robert.


    "Absol, Sucker Punch!"


    Robert''s Chimecho, being a Psychic-type, wasn''t at an advantage against the Dark-type Crawdaunt, so Yugamanded his Absol to intercept the attack.


    Absol collided with the Crawdaunt, generating a powerful impact that pushed them both back.


    As the Crawdaunt regained its bnce, it spat out clumps of ck sludge from its pincers��Poison-type moves, Sludge Bomb.


    "Absol, Psycho Cut!"


    The white des of Psycho Cut sliced through the sludge bombs, splitting them in half before theynded on the ceiling. Falling rocks followed suit.


    At this moment, Robert suddenly realized something and shouted at Yuga, "Yuga, we need to retreat now! If we keep fighting, this ce will copse, and we''ll be trapped."


    Robert''s words made Yuga realize the imminent danger. He quickly turned to Absol and Chimecho and said, "Don''t linger in the battle, let''s go."


    With Absol and Chimecho in tow, Yuga followed Robert''s lead and fled.


    Looking back, Yuga saw the passage behind them copsing due to the Crawdaunt''s Sludge Bombs. The Crawdaunt itself was trapped behind a pile of rocks.

 Chapter 140: Searching for Linoone

    <h4>Chapter 140: Searching for Linoone</h4>


    Robert looked at the blocked passage and said worriedly, "Now how are we going to get out?"


    At this moment, Yuga wasn''t really thinking about getting out; he was more concerned about Linoone.


    "Let''s focus on finding Linoone first. There must be other ways out, otherwise, how did the Corphish and the Crawdaunt get in?" he said.


    Robert nodded and said, "You''re right."


    Yuga used his shlight to illuminate the damp surroundings they were in. It was a rock-carved passage, and the walls were wet with water marks.


    The passage wasn''t very wide. Yuga and Robert could only walk side by side, amodating three or four people. The previous Crawdaunt that entered the passage nearly blocked half of it.


    Since there were no light sources around, it was pitch ck.


    "Let''s keep moving forward. We don''t know if Linoone went this way or the opposite direction from the Corphish," Yuga said, worried they might take the wrong path.


    "It''s no use worrying about that. The path on that side is already blocked. Even if it weren''t, we''d have to choose one direction. Hopefully, luck will be on our side," Robertforted Yuga, knowing he was concerned about the Linoone''s safety.


    Yuga realized he was right. Instead of getting stuck in indecision, it was better to let fate decide. So, he followed Robert''s lead and continued forward.


    They continued down the damp passage for what seemed like a long time. Suddenly, they saw numerous yellow lights moving ahead.


    "What are those?" Yuga whispered softly, afraid of alerting the Pok��mon ahead.


    "Too far to see clearly. Let''s catch up and take a look," Robert replied quietly. He was wary that if the Pok��mon were too powerful, arge group of them appearing at once would be overwhelming.


    To avoid attracting attention, Yuga and Robert turned off their shlights and proceeded, guided by the lights emitted by the Pok��mon ahead.


    "It''s a school of Lanturn!" It wasn''t until they were close enough that Yuga and Robert could see the true identity of the Pok��mon.


    The number of Lanturn wasn''t thatrge, around twenty or so. However, from a distance, the lights they emitted dazzled Yuga and Robert''s eyes, making the number seemrger.


    So, Yuga and Robert quietly followed the Lanturn, hoping they would lead them to Linoone.


    But as they followed the Lanturn around a corner, they eventually saw them arrive at a pool of water and one by one, they jumped into the pool and disappeared.


    Yuga and Robert switched on their shlights again, exchanging nces, shaking their heads in resignation.


    Robert used his shlight to circle around the pool. Then he turned to Yuga and said, "This pool might connect to the outside ocean. If we can''t find a way outter, we can try from here."


    "Okay," Yuga agreed with a nod.


    Leaving the pool, Yuga and Robert returned to the ce where they had encountered a fork in the path earlier and chose another direction to proceed.


    However, as soon as they entered, the light from their shlights revealed countless wings pping above them.


    It turned out that there were numerous Zubat roosting above the passage. ustomed to living in darkness, they were startled by the shlight''s beam and woke up from their slumber.


    The cries of the Zubat were piercing, and when they all called out together, it felt like they were trying to pierce Yuga and Robert''s eardrums. The awakened Zubat started tounch attacks at them.


    "Chimecho, Heal Bell! Absol, Psycho Cut!"


    The distant sound of Zubat calls and the pping of their wings didn''t disrupt Chimecho and Absol''s attacks.


    Despite the chaos, Yuga and Robert tried their best to fend off the attacks. They soon realized that the sheer number of Zubat would overwhelm them.


    "Let''s retreat for now!" Yuga shouted over the noise.


    Robert agreed, and they quickly turned back, escaping from the swarm of Zubat.


    Facing the assault of the Zubat, Yuga alsounched a counterattack against them.


    The reason Yuga had Chimecho use Heal Bell was because these Zubat were all starting to use Supersonic in panic. Without Heal Bell, Yuga and Robert might have fallen into a confused state.


    At this moment, Robert released his Baltoy, and following Yuga''s lead, had Chimecho use Mysterious Guardian to defend, while Baltoy took care of the attacking.


    Fortunately, despite their number, these Zubat weren''t very strong. With thebined efforts of Yuga and Robert, they scattered and fled in no time.


    Taking advantage of the situation, Yuga managed to pick out two green-quality Zubat from among them and easily tamed them. This unexpected gain was a nice surprise.


    Robert didn''tment on Yuga''s actions. He knew Yuga ran a daycare, so trying to capture Pok��mon encountered along the way was a natural thing to do.


    After dealing with the Zubat, the two continued moving forward.


    They didn''t know how long they had walked when they encountered several solitary Pok��mon that attacked them. Just then, they heard the sounds of battle.


    Because the passage was deep and quiet, some sounds echoed loudly, causing a chain reaction of echoes.


    "Could it be Linoone?" Yuga asked Robert excitedly.


    For the environment here, Linoone was an outsider, and conflicts with other Pok��mon were more likely. Many Pok��mon were territorial, which was why Yuga and Robert had been attacked by other Pok��mon along the way.


    "It''s very possible. Let''s go take a look," Robert also thought it was quite likely that it was Linoone, so he immediately ran over with Yuga.


    Following the sound, Yuga and Robert arrived at the scene. Sure enough, they saw a Linoone battling, and its opponent was unexpectedly a uncher.


    "Why would there be a uncher here?" Yuga eximed in surprise.


    Robert shook his head, indicating he didn''t know either.


    This uncher was only around level 30, much lower than the 46-level Linoone. However, its naturallyrge cannon-like arm used a powerful move, Dragon Pulse. Linoone had already suffered several losses in a row.


    uncher''s ability was Mega Launcher, and it was the only ability it had. It greatly amplified punching-type moves, making it quite practical.


    Furthermore, uncher was a species that could easily learn Dragon Pulse, Dark Pulse, Heal Pulse, and Aqua Jet solely through evolution, in addition to learning Water Pulse through leveling up. Once cultivated properly, this species was a natural turret.


    And this uncher seemed to be particrly skilled in using Dragon Pulse.


    Struggling to defeat a Pok��mon weaker than itself, Linoone was getting annoyed. Just then, it heard the voice of its trainer from behind and felt relieved.


    "Linoone, y Rough!" Seeing another Dragon Pulse about to hit Linoone, Yuga couldn''t help but remind it.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s reminder, Linoone''s body transformed into a straight pink arrow, breaking through the dragon-shaped energy formed by Dragon Pulse. It collided heavily with the uncher, rendering it unable to continue fighting.

 Chapter 141: Sunken Ship

    <h4>Chapter 141: Sunken Ship</h4>


    After defeating witzer, Linoone rushed towards Yuga and leaped into his arms from behind.


    Yuga embraced Linoone''s head, gently smoothing its disheveled fur due to the battle. He scolded, "Honestly, you fell down here and you should''ve just waited for us toe find you. Why did you start wandering around? Do you know how long we''ve been searching for you?"


    Though Yuga''s words carried reproach, his tone was thick with concern. After spending such a long time with Linoone, Yuga hade to treat it, along with Audino and Swellow, as part of his own family.


    Feeling guilty, Linoone lowered its head and earnestly apologized to Yuga, moved by Yuga''s genuine care.


    Chimecho and Absol approached from the side and said something to Linoone. Although Yuga couldn''t hear their words, it was clear they were also worried about Linoone.


    With Linoone found, Yuga''s heart finally settled. He pointed to the fallen witzer not far away and asked Robert, "Do you want this one? If not, I''ll capture it."


    Robert shook his head and said, "No need. I generally don''t capture Pok��mon outside because I can''t guarantee their potential."


    Unlike Yuga, Robert didn''t possess the ability to assess Pok��mon potential. He always believed that if he were to capture a Pok��mon, he would need to take responsibility for nurturing it. Since the potential of wild Pok��mon couldn''t be guaranteed, he would have to abandon them if they weren''t suitable for training. This didn''t align with his initial intentions.


    In this regard, Robert differed from the majority of trainers. Many trainers would readily capture any Pok��mon they found appealing in the wild. Once they realized it wasn''t suitable for training, they might not say they were abandoning it, but they would likely set it aside and no longer pay much attention to it.


    Robert, on the other hand, aimed to be responsible for every Pok��mon he captured, which was why he generally refrained from capturing wild Pok��mon. This could be seen as a minor quirk of his perfectionist personality.


    Unaware of Robert''s thoughts, Yuga jokingly said, "You wealthy second-generation, you evil capitalist facade! But it''s truly envy-inducing!"


    After saying this, Yuga tossed out a Pok�� Ball and captured witzer.


    Yuga captured witzer mainly because its potential had reached the green level, making it an excellent addition to the Ecopark.


    Robert shook his head with a smile, finding Yuga''s envious expression amusing.


    As Yuga''s friend, Robert understood Yuga''s family situation. Honestly, he admired Yuga''s ability to single-handedly manage an unknown small Day Care and consistently try to develop it.


    Making a determined decision alone isn''t easy, and maintaining that determination is even harder. Robert believed Yuga''s ability to single-handedly uphold the Day Care demonstrated an impressive resolve.


    Of course, these were all assumptions Robert had made. If Yuga were to learn of his thoughts, he would probably pat Robert''s shoulder and burst into heartyughter. There was no such determination on Yuga''s part; it had merely been coincidental when he first arrived and obtained the system. He found it quite enjoyable and had continued with it.


    Sometimes misunderstandings arise this way, whether they''re positive or negative.


    After capturing witzer, Yuga suddenly said, "Oh, Robert, do you think the sunken ship we''re looking for could be here?"


    Robert raised doubts, saying, "Although this ce is connected to the sea, can ships evene in here?"


    Yuga casually replied, "Well, since we''re here, let''s search thoroughly. Who knows, we might find something valuable."


    At that moment, Linoone tugged at the leg of Yuga''s pants with its paw.


    "What''s wrong, Linoone?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s question, Linoone abruptly dashed outside and then turned back to signal Yuga and the others to follow.


    "Did your Linoone discover something?" Robert guessed, watching Linoone rush outside.


    "Let''s follow and see," Yuga said, leading Chimecho and Absol as they caught up.


    Observing this, Robert also followed with his Chimecho and Baltoy.


    Yuga and Robert trailed behind Linoone, taking several turns at junctions. After an unknown duration, they finally saw Linoone stop at an entrance.


    As Yuga''s group approached Linoone, they found themselves in a massive irregr circr space.


    The top of the space had a small hole, allowing the limited outside light to prate and illuminate the dim interior.


    Docked within the space was the sunken ship they had been seeking. It was muchrger than Yuga and his friends had imagined.


    The ship was made of wood and had tall masts, indicating it was a sailboat. However, most of the enormous masts were broken, and the ship''s body was tattered and had severalrge holes. It was no wonder it had sunk.


    Beneath the ship was a body of water, roughly the size of a smallke, but the dim surroundings made it appear somewhat eerie.


    "Looks like we got lucky without much effort. Let''s go check it out," Yuga said to Robert beside him.


    Robert nodded.


    Just as the two were about to step forward, the water in front of them stirred.


    One by one, blue shrimp-like Pok��mon emerged from the water, blocking Yuga and the others'' path.


    Surprisingly, these obstructing Pok��mon were none other than the devolved forms of the previous opponents of Linoone, witzer �C uncher.


    Seeing the guarded expressions of the uncher, Yuga whispered to Robert, "Aren''t these only found in the Kalos region? Howe there are so many here?"


    Robert shook his head, indicating he didn''t know either.


    After the uncher appeared, Absol and Baltoy unconsciously positioned themselves in front of their respective trainers, ready to prevent any sudden attacks.


    While Yuga was contemting negotiating with these Pok��mon to allow them passage to the ship, the foremost group of uncher unleashed a barrage of bubbles towards them.


    Reacting swiftly, Yuga released his Vivillon, which materialized in front of him. Just as the bubbles approached, Vivillon used Protect, creating a white barrier that effortlessly blocked all the bubble attacks.


    "Vivillon, Electroweb!"


    Seeing the angered uncher, Yuga abandoned the idea of negotiation and initiated an offensive move.


    An electrified spider web shot forth as Yuga gave themand. In an instant, the web, crackling with electricity,shed out from Vivillon''s position and ensnared arge group of uncher. The trapped Pok��mon emitted pained cries as they struggled within the electrified.


    Yuga''s counterattack signaled the start of a formal battle. The remaining uncher, no longer mere spectators, took action one after another.

 Chapter 142: The Belated Elders

    <h4>Chapter 142: The Bted Elders</h4>


    Yuga engaged the uncher in battle, and Robert certainly didn''t stand idle. He released his own Chespin and joined the fight alongside Baltoy and Chimecho.


    "Vivillon, Stun Spore."


    In thisrge-scale group battle against lower-level opponents, status-inducing moves like Stun Spore from Vivillon were highly effective.


    Upon Yuga''smand, Vivillon''s wings fluttered, carrying it swiftly above the uncher.


    Seeing Vivillon above them, the uncher unleashed Bubble Beam attacks in an attempt to hit it.


    Thanks to Yuga having Vivillon train in front of an electric fan for an extended period, its flight speed was impressive and skillful. It deftly evaded the Bubble Beam attacks through agile turns and ascents, while also managing to scatter Stun Spore onto the uncher below.


    Vivillon truly lived up to its Indigo potential, with training efficiency far surpassing other Pok��mon. Its intelligence was also extraordinary.


    In terms of level, Vivillon had already reached level 32, surpassing Chimecho, who was the first to join Yuga''s team, and almost matching Florges, who was at level 33.


    Moreover, Vivillon possessed exceptional intelligence. It quickly mastered all its learned moves, even demonstrating ease in further development and control. It had made smoother progress with its core move, Quiver Dance,pared to other Pok��mon.


    Under the effects of Stun Spore, many uncher fell into paralysis, significantly disrupting their attempts to use attacks against Yuga''s team.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Robert led Baltoy and Chimecho to sessfully defeat the paralyzed uncher one by one.


    With the aid of Chimecho''s Gravity Disturbance, Absol, the strongest member of Yuga''s group, rapidly harvested the "heads" of their opponents.


    Not to be forgotten was Linoone, the highest level and most powerful member among them. With its incredible speed and the use of its yfully destructive move, it darted through the swarm of uncher like lightning, taking down one opponent after another. Its performance on the battlefield was unquestionably exceptional.


    At this point, only a handful of uncher remained standing.


    "Vivillon, create a gust."


    Having contributed with Stun Spore, Vivillon, under Yuga''smand, rapidly pped its delicate wings, generating sharp gusts that transformed the gentle breeze into cutting des.


    The originally mild breeze, under Vivillon''s control, became as sharp as a de, dispersing the remaining uncher, who had already been weakened, leaving them scattered and unable to continue the fight. The move also sessfully imed the final "head" of the opponents.


    Although the individual strength of these uncher was not significant, their overwhelming numbers proved challenging. After defeating them all, even Absol and itspanions were left panting.


    Thankfully, with Chimecho''s expertise as a dedicated support Pok��mon, a Heal Pulse quickly restored everyone to full health.


    Chimecho had been consistently aiding Absol in battle, so it hadn''t sustained any injuries itself.


    Yuga walked over to the incapacitated uncher and carefully picked out 14 of them. He then used Pok�� Balls to capture them.


    After storing the Pok�� Balls in his pocket, Yuga turned to Robert and asked, "Are you really not going to catch one? The uncher is quite good."


    Yuga genuinely believed the uncher were valuable Pok��mon and thus suggested Robert capture one. Their exceptional traits, versatile skills, and decent species would undoubtedly make them a signature feature of the YoYo Day Care.


    Robert smiled and shook his head, declining Yuga''s offer. He was just curious as to why, with so many uncher present, Yuga only captured a dozen or so.


    "That''s a shame."


    Yuga shook his head regretfully. If Robert had been willing to capture one, Yuga would have dly given him a Green potential uncher. As a side note, all 14 uncher Yuga selected were of Green potential, as higher grades were nonexistent.


    However, the number of uncher here was clearly muchrger than the Gligar swarm they encountered earlier, yet the count of high potential Pok��mon was less than one-tenth of them. It demonstrated how remarkable the power of the Guardian Orbs was.


    "Now that we''ve dealt with the uncher blocking our way, let''s quickly go aboard the ship and take a look." Amused by Yuga''s bewildered expression, Robert remarked.


    On the side of the waterway was a path leading directly to the sunken ship. Yuga and the others turned a corner and walked towards it.


    As they reached the middle of the path, the water''s surface began to churn violently, followed by sshes of water. Blue-colored spirits emerged from the water, surrounding Yuga''s group.


    When the water settled, Yuga and his team could finally make out the appearance of these spirits��they were all evolved forms of uncher, witzer.


    witzer numbered more than twenty, all of them at level 30 or above. They were far more formidable than the mereckeys, the uncher, they had encountered earlier.


    The path where Yuga and the others stood was extremely narrow. As witzer continued to close in, they could only remain back-to-back in a state of vignce.


    "What do we do? These witzer are too strong. We can''t handle them all at once." Yuga expressed his concern to Robert.


    Robert remained silent but shook his head, his expression serious. It was evident that he, too, found the situation challenging.


    These witzer were likely the elders of the uncher they had just faced. Seeing their offspring being harassed by Yuga''s group, they hade forward to defend them.


    At this moment, Yuga suddenly spoke, "witzer, do you also want to overwhelm us in numbers, like how the uncher tried to attack us just now? That''s truly despicable!"


    "witzer!" "witzer, witzer!" "w, witzer!"


    Upon hearing Yuga''s usation of their behavior as despicable, witzer became angry, responding with indignant cries.


    "Am I wrong? You have more numbers than us, and you want to outnumber us just like the uncher did. Isn''t that the same trick?" Yuga continued to provoke them.


    While such crude taunts might not have much effect on humans, they were highly effective with straightforward and simple-minded Pok��mon.


    Especially for witzer, who had evolved to their final form and were at a rtively high level, their personalities tended to be proud. They would never tolerate being belittled, as dignity was crucial to them. This was particrly pronounced in group-living Pok��mon, where their dignity symbolized their status within themunity.


    The witzer pointed to the defeated uncher not far away, who were yet to regain consciousness, and chattered.


    "Are you suggesting that we release the captured uncher?" Yuga easily deduced the intentions of witzer.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, witzer nodded involuntarily.


    However, to their disappointment, Yuga tly rejected their proposal, saying, "Don''t you know the rules of us humans? We have the right to capture defeated Pok��mon, especially when they attacked us first. That gives us even more reason not to let them go."


    witzer exchanged nces, seemingly unsure of what to do. Eventually, their gaze shifted to their leader.


    After conversing with the other witzer in hushed tones, the witzer leader, actually tightened their encirclement once more. It appeared that they were not nning to let Yuga''s group off the hook.

 Chapter 143: The Advancing Clawitzer

    <h4>Chapter 143: The Advancing witzer</h4>


    "What should we do?" Robert was growing increasingly anxious as the encirclement closed in.


    With a quick change of thought, Yuga turned to the approaching witzer and said, "I could release the uncher if you want."


    Hearing this, witzer halted in their tracks, gazing at Yuga intently, signaling him to continue.


    Clearing his throat, Yuga continued, "Let''s follow the rules of humans. We''ll have a one-on-one battle. If you win, I''ll release the uncher, and we''ll leave without disturbing you."


    Yuga''s words made witzer jubntly wave their massive ws. But before three seconds had passed, Yuga added, "Don''t get too excited yet. Since we''re following human rules for this battle, if you lose, I''ll have the right to capture you."


    Upon hearing this, anger red among witzer. They raised their ws, ready to attack Yuga.


    "What''s the matter? Are you afraid?" Yuga''s situation was getting a bit out of control, so he quickly continued to taunt them.


    Fortunately, Yuga''s taunts still worked. The leader of witzer stepped forward, quelling the anger of the others and agreeing to Yuga''s challenge.


    Although the other witzer were reluctant, they ultimately agreed under themand of their leader.


    Clearly, the leader of witzer had a strong sense of pride and confidence in its own strength.


    Seeing that Yuga easily tricked witzer, Robert nodded in admiration and gave him a thumbs-up, earning a satisfied raised eyebrow from Yuga.


    Facing the impossible odds when all witzer were attacking together, Yuga''s group was at a disadvantage. However, facing them one by one, Yuga felt no worry. The leader of witzer, who had the highest level, was several levels lower than the already level 46 Linoone.


    "Let''s change the location. The terrain here is all water, and my Pok��mon can''t move well." Yuga said to the leader of witzer.


    "witzer!" The leader of witzer nodded and agreed to Yuga''s request.


    witzer and Yuga''s group moved to an open area beside the water. The leader of witzer and Yuga both prepared for battle.


    Yuga sent out his most powerful Linoone, of course. Yuga was concerned that the other Pok��mon''s strength might not be enough to face the leader of witzer, so he had Linoone take on the challenge.


    Linoone stood on all fours, looking solemnly at the leader of witzer. It was cautious and didn''t dare to be careless. From its previous battle with a witzer, it knew that this Pok��mon was not easy to deal with.


    "Linoone, use Headbutt!" Yuga took the initiative and had Linoone use its STAB move, Headbutt.


    Linoone turned into a blur of light and rushed towards the leader of witzer.


    However, the leader''s reaction speed was also impressive. It shot out a Water Gun towards the ground, nullifying the impact of Linoone''s Headbutt attack. It managed to dodge the attack by disappearing into the ground, narrowly escaping Linoone''s Headbutt.


    Nevertheless, Linoone''s attack didn''t stop there. The moment its Headbutt missed, a Shadow Ball appeared without needing Yuga''smand, shooting towards the still moving leader of witzer and hitting it sessfully.


    "witzer!" "witzer!" "witzer!"


    Seeing that their leader was suppressed from the start, the other witzer became anxious and started crying out.


    The leader of witzer shook its head, trying to shake off the daze caused by the hit. It lifted itsrge w and fired a white dragon-shaped energy, Dragon Pulse.


    However, Linoone was incredibly fast. It dashed away from Dragon Pulse attack by quickly darting in another direction. The attack missed, leaving behind a sizable pit in the ground.


    Seeing the massive crater caused by the missed Dragon Pulse, Yuga shuddered. If Linoone had been hit by that attack, it could have lost half of its health.


    "Linoone, use Bounce to evade. Don''t let witzer hit you with their moves." Without hesitation, Yuga ordered Linoone to use its move "Bounce."


    Seeing their Dragon Pulse easily dodged, the leader of witzer became frustrated. Immediately, it formed another dark purple energy andunched another Foul y, aiming it at Linoone.


    "Linoone, y Rough!"


    Linoone soared to its maximum height, a pink light surrounded it, and it spiraled towards the energy column created by the Foul y, crashing into the leader of witzer.


    Unable to match Linoone''s speed, the leader of witzer was hit by the y Rough, sending it flying and crashing into a rock not far away.


    As the situation for the leader of witzer became increasingly unfavorable, the rest of witzer grew more and more restless.


    "Linoone, another Shadow Ball." Seizing the advantage of the leader''s defeat, Yuga pressed on.


    Another ck energy ball shot towards the leader of witzer, who was pressed against the wall.


    However, the leader of witzer didn''t just stand still; it retaliated with another Dragon Pulse.


    Clearly, in terms of attack power, the leader of witzer had the upper hand. Its Dragon Pulse shattered Shadow ball with ease and continued to surge towards Linoone.


    After a violent explosion, the witzer leader''s Dragon Pulse struck Linoone, who hadn''t managed to dodge in time.


    Fortunately, the power of Dragon Pulse was mitigated by Shadow ball, resulting in only minor damage to Linoone.


    As the leader of witzer hit Linoone, the other witzer immediately cheered and became lively again, shaking off their previous slump.


    Seeing that Dragon Pulse had an effect, the leader of witzer immediatelyunched another Dragon Pulse.


    However, this move no longer worked on Linoone, which was now prepared. With a burst of speed from its powerful hind legs, Linoone easily evaded Dragon Pulse.


    Yuga noticed that while this witzer was indeed strong, itsck of training in actual battles likely made its attack speed slow. This was one of the main reasons its moves were easily evaded by Linoone.


    Linoone, having dodged Dragon Pulse, once again elerated and used Headbutt, transforming into a white streak of light that heavily collided with the leader of witzer. This time, it finally incapacitated the leader.


    Seeing their leader defeated, the other witzer immediately grew agitated, with a few even assuming aggressive stances.


    Observing this, Yuga''s expression changed slightly, and he sternly said, "What''s this? You want to back out now? Don''t forget what we agreed upon! Don''t forget what your leader said to you!"


    Of course, Yuga wouldn''t know what the leader of witzer had said to the others; he didn''t understand thenguage of Pok��mon. He was just gambling on the leader''s dignity preventing it from betraying its followers.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, witzer indeed quieted down. They looked left and right, seemingly unsure of what to do.


    At this point, a smaller witzer stepped forward. It appeared to be rtively young, likely having recently evolved.


    First, it pointed at Yuga, then gestured towards the nearby Linoone, assuming abat stance.


    "Are you saying you want to battle me?" Yuga asked.


    The small witzer nodded.


    Yuga certainly wouldn''t turn down Pok��mon that approached him voluntarily.


    However, unfortunately, the strength of this small witzer was much weaker than its leader''s. It couldn''t withstand more than a few moves from Linoone before copsing.


    Seeing their smallest member challenging Yuga, other witzer began to request battles with him as well.


    One had to admit that these Pok��mon were fearless. Even though anyone with discerning eyes could tell they were no match for Yuga, they still rushed forward without hesitation.


    Of course, Yuga and Robert couldn''t handle over twenty of these Pok��mon all at once. They tackled them with their Pok��mon, taking turns to battle and finally dealing with the over twenty witzer, each of whom was at a level above 30.


    Yuga epted the Pok�� Balls containing witzer handed over by Robert and asked again, "You really don''t want them?"


    Robert shook his head. This was the third time Yuga had asked him, and he was still declining.

 Chapter 144: Exploration

    <h4>Chapter 144: Exploration</h4>


    The potential of these twenty-something witzer wasn''t all green; several of them were only yellow. However, Yuga kept them all due to their decent levels.


    The higher a Pok��mon''s level, the greater the likelihood of it producing offspring with high potential. Plus, with the presence of Guardian Orbs in the Ecopark, using them as breeding stock was still feasible.


    However, despite thisrge group of witzer and unchers, Yuga didn''t find a single Pok��mon with blue potential. He was a bit disappointed, but this was normal. Gligar and Flygon were exceptions.


    "Thanks to you, otherwise we might not have been able to make it out today," Robert said with emotion, looking at Yuga.


    Yuga modestly replied, "Not at all, I just had to think on my feet." In reality, Yuga thought back to when he tamed Houndour and used a simr approach.


    However, the situation back then was a bit differentpared to now. Houndour and Houndoom were inherently proud Pok��mon, so Yuga hadn''t needed to put in as much effort as he did now.


    "Enough talk, now we can finally explore inside the sunken ship." After saying this, Yuga led Linoone and Chimecho back onto the path that led to the sunken ship.


    When Yuga and his group reached the bottom of the ship, they looked up at the massive sailboat and Yuga sighed in frustration, "It''s too tall, how are we supposed to get up?"


    Robert pointed to the two Chimecho floating in mid-air and said with a smile, "Don''t we still have them?"


    "Right, look at me, after fighting for so long my mind''s gone dull." Yuga had be too ustomed to thinking in his past world''s way, sometimes subconsciously forgetting the magical creatures called Pok��mon around him.


    With Chimecho'' psychic help, Yuga and Robert sessfully boarded the sunken ship.


    As they stepped onto the deck, Yuga saw that most of the wood had rotted, not as sturdy as usual wooden material; instead, it was somewhat soft.


    "Let''s go inside the cabin and take a look!" Robert suggested.


    Yuga nodded.


    At this point, Yuga''s Absol had been recalled when they boarded the ship, so only Chimecho, Linoone, and Vivillon were outside.


    Robert''s Ciino and Baltoy had also been recalled, leaving only Chimecho outside.


    Walking past the ship''s main deck, Yuga and Robert smoothly entered the cabin. However, it was dim inside, and without shlights, they couldn''t see the situation clearly.


    "Feels a bit eerie!" Yugamented in disgust. Facing this dark, damp space that emitted a moldy smell, people couldn''t help but feel a bit repulsed.


    "A bit!" Robert agreed, feeling the same way.


    This ship was quiterge, and it was evident that the cabin had more than one level. It was probably due to the front half of the ship having problems first that the entire ship was tilted.


    "With such arge area, we better split up to search, or we won''t know when we''ll be done," Robert suggested.


    "Ugh, seriously?" Yuga was a bit unwilling. This ce looked eerie and unfriendly.


    "What''s the matter? Are you scared?" Robert''s tone was yful.


    "Cut it out, let''s split up. Chimecho, Linoone, Vivillon, let''s go!" Yuga said and led his Pok��mon downward.


    The front half of the ship was tilted downward, while the back half was raised, so Yuga went to explore the front half of the sunken ship.


    "After searching, we''ll meet back here!" Robert shouted toward where Yuga had already disappeared into the darkness.


    "Got it!" Yuga''s voice came from a distance.


    Squeak, squeak. Yuga held a shlight, and every now and then, the sound of stepping on broken wood could be heard beneath his feet. Coupled with the pitch-ck and quiet environment, it truly resembled a scene from a horror movie.


    Just then, eerieughter echoed from somewhere, sending shivers down Yuga''s spine.


    Yuga knew for sure that this was the work of Ghost-type Pok��mon, but he couldn''t help but feel his scalp tingle.


    "Linoone, use Odor Sleuth!" Yuga didn''t want to hear those strange sounds anymore, so he hoped that Linoone could find the Ghost-type Pok��mon responsible for it.


    Linoone twitched its nose, then suddenly used Shadow Ball toward the area above Yuga''s head. A Duskull then floated down from above in a somewhat wobbly manner.


    However, upon seeing Yuga''s two eyes staring straight at it, Duskull screamed in fear and fled.


    This Duskull was of orange potential, and Yuga didn''t feel like chasing it, so he continued walking downward.


    As Yuga continued downwards, the shlight''s beam often startled some of the Pok��mon living here��Zubats, Chinchou, and Corphish, to name a few.


    However, these Pok��mon were quite timid; when startled, they not only didn''t attack Yuga, but also scurried away.


    Yuga continued walking downwards. Suddenly, he saw a light shining ahead, and he quickened his pace to reach it.


    Upon reaching the spot, Yuga realized he had arrived at the very front of the sunken ship. His current position seemed to be the bow of the ship''s original cabin.


    Unfortunately, arge hole had already been ripped in front of the cabin, and the light Yuga saw was shining through that hole into the cabin.


    Yuga guessed that thisrge hole in the bow cabin was likely the main reason the ship had sunk.


    This hole had destroyed the front side of the ship, connecting the outer water area to the cabin through this hole.


    Using the shlight, Yuga nced around the bow cabin and suddenly spotted several unchers, along with numerous Pok��mon eggs nestled in nests made of water nts.


    Yuga hadn''t expected to inadvertently find the nesting grounds of the witzer; those unchers were probably the guardians of the eggs.


    The light from Yuga''s shlight immediately startled these unchers, and they all fired Bubble Beam at Yuga.


    "Vivillon, Protect!"


    The Protect ability truly lived up to its reputation as a defensive skill��all of the Bubble Beams were blocked without any issue.


    "Linoone, Shadow Ball; Chimecho, Psychic; Vivillon, Electroweb."


    The remaining unchers weren''t strong; under the sessive attacks of Yuga''s Pok��mon, they quickly lost their ability to fight.


    However, the potential of these unchers was all below green, so Yuga didn''t pay them any further attention.


    Yuga was a bit puzzled; he wondered how such a vital task like guarding Pok��mon eggs had been assigned to these weak Pok��mon.


    Just as Yuga was about to step forward to examine these eggs, he suddenly heard the sound of water behind him.


    Drip, ssh.


    Followed by the sound of a Pok��mon''s cry.

 Chapter 145: Appearance of the Guardian Greninja

    <h4>Chapter 145: Appearance of the Guardian Greninja</h4>


    Upon hearing the sound, Yuga slowly turned around and saw a Pok��mon standing with folded arms at the junction of the cabin floor and the water.


    The light shining through the hole illuminated the Pok��mon, adding a touch of coolness to its appearance.


    This Pok��mon was none other than the final evolution of one of the popr Water-type starter Pok��mon from the Kalos region: Greninja.


    ...


    <<greninja>> </greninja>


    Type: Water, Dark


    Ability: Torrent


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 47


    Moves: Flying Water Shuriken, Dark Pulse, Mat Block, U-turn, Scald, Dark Aura


    ...


    Under Yuga''s insight ability, Greninja''s strength was immediately apparent.


    Unfortunately, its power was noticeably stronger than Yuga''s strongest Pok��mon, Linoone, both in terms of potential and level.


    No wonder only a fewckeys were left by the witzer; it turned out the real ace in the hole was Greninja, whose strength surpassed even the leader of witzer.


    While Yuga was in a daze, Greninja had already swiftly closed the distance toward him.


    Seeing this situation, Yuga clenched his teeth and decided to go all out��his Pok��mon''s strength might not be enough, but as a Trainer, he would fight alongside them.


    "Linoone, y Rough!"


    Fortunately, Linoone had a Fairy-type move that was super effective against Dark-type Pok��mon.


    Linoone had been prepared since Greninja''s appearance. Upon hearing Yuga''smand, it transformed into a streak of light and charged toward Greninja.


    The powerful sh between Greninja''s Dark Pulse and Linoone''s y Rough created gusts of air that shattered the already rotted wooden nks.


    Following this, Linoone used Crunch in session with Greninja''s Dark Pulse, the two Pok��mon shing fiercely, neither giving an inch.


    The intense confrontation between the two Pok��mon resulted in hole after hole appearing in the wooden nks. Yuga was beginning to struggle to keep up with the pace of their battle.


    Linoone''s headbutt struck Greninja''s abdomen, but Greninja pped its hands on the ground and raised a nk to block the attack.


    As the nk fell, Greninja used its feet to execute U-turn, kicking Linoone away.


    Linoone crashed into the wooden nk, sending up a cloud of dust that made the musty smell in the air even stronger.


    After getting up from the ground, Linoone started emitting a golden light and quickly charged towards Greninja.


    This was a Normal-type ultimate move: Take Down.


    Yuga hadn''t expected that Linoone would grasp a new skill through its intense sh with Greninja��a move called Take Down.


    The golden streak formed by Linoone''s charge knocked the unprepared Greninja to the ground, but Linoone suffered from the recoil damage of the skill, showing signs of pain.


    Greninja was a fast and powerful attacker with low defenses and stamina. Being struck by the Take Down, it was clearly injured.


    However, Linoone was not faring well either. The damage from U-turnbined with the recoil damage from Take Down left it battered and bruised.


    The two Pok��mon stood panting, facing off against each other.


    Watching their battle, Yuga realized that his path as a Trainer was indeed long. At this point, he couldn''t provide any meaningful assistance to Linoone in battle, and his battle awareness couldn''t keep up with theirs.


    Evidently, Greninja was a seasoned fighter, its experience exceeding Yuga''s skill as a Trainer.


    Just then, Greninja initiated an attack, raising its hands to form a dark energy sphere that quickly transformed into a circr column of energy, shooting towards Linoone.


    Linoone pushed off with its hind legs, leaping to evade the attack of Dark Aura. Then, it quickly hurled a Shadow Ball toward Greninja.


    Unfortunately, the Shadow Ball missed its target as Greninja evaded it skillfully.


    Descending from the air, Linoone once again used y Rough as it charged towards Greninja. Greninja didn''t retreat either; it employed U-turn once more to meet Linoone head-on.


    Just as Greninja''s foot was about to make contact with Linoone during the use of its U-turn skill, Linoone mysteriously adjusted its posture, evading Greninja''s foot and crashing into its left shoulder.


    In the instant that Greninja was sent flying, it raised its right hand and delivered a critical Dark Pulse strike to Linoone.


    Under the impact of this Dark Pulse attack, Linoone lost its ability to battle.


    "Linoone!" Seeing Linoone fall, Yuga hurriedly rushed over, lifting it up with concern.


    "Greninja!"


    At the same time, Greninja let out a cry of pain. It struggled to get up but couldn''t stand due to its severe injuries. Although it didn''t lose consciousness, its injuries were so severe that it couldn''t stand up and could only lie still on the ground.


    "Chimecho, use Heal Pulse on Linoone." At this moment, Yuga realized the convenience of having a healer by his side.


    Under the effect of Heal Pulse, Linoone quickly regained consciousness.


    "Linoone."


    Just awakened, Linoone was still weak. It let out a feeble cry towards Yuga.


    Yuga took out an Oran berries and fed it to Linoone, smiling and saying, "You''re okay now. You''ve defeated Greninja."


    Linoone turned its head to look at the fallen Greninja and saw that it was indeed not moving. Satisfied, Linoone closed its eyes once again.


    Seeing that Linoone was truly exhausted, Yuga lifted it up. Linoone''s exhaustion wasn''t just physical; the intense battle had drained its mental energy as well.


    However, after Yuga picked up Linoone, he realized that Linoone was surprisingly heavy for its small size. He then said to Chimecho, "Chimecho, use your Psychic to support Linoone."


    Chimecho, despite herziness, was convinced by Yuga and gently levitated the sleeping Linoone with her Psychic.


    Seeing that Linoone was fine, Yuga walked over to Greninja and said, "Both you and Linoone are injured. If you don''t resist, I''ll capture you."


    Greninja nced at Yuga, then at Linoone being supported by Chimecho, but remained silent.


    "If you don''t speak, I''ll take it as your agreement!" Yuga took out a Pok�� Ball and announced. Seeing no response, he threw the ball directly.


    The capturing process went smoothly. Greninja didn''t resist, and the light on the Pok�� Ball dimmed, indicating a sessful capture.


    After capturing Greninja, Yuga released it and let Chimecho heal its injuries. He also fed it an Oran berries before recalling it back into the Pok�� Ball.


    With no more obstacles, Yuga finally managed to select the high-potential Pok��mon from the eggs. Unfortunately, he still hadn''t found any with blue potential.


    However, capturing the incredibly strong Greninja was a surprising bonus.


    At this moment, Yuga had to thank Robert for suggesting they split up. Otherwise, he would have had to figure out how to carry away the eggs. After all, he couldn''t store them in Pok�� Balls like regr Pok��mon, and he couldn''t use the system backpack in front of Robert.


    After securing the eggs, Yuga, along with Chimecho, Vivillon, and the sleeping Linoone, began to head back.


    In order to make up for the mistake of posting the wrong Chapters, here are two extra Chapters. These two Chapters were originally intended to be posted tomorrow and are the only remaining drafts.

 Chapter 146: The Treasure

    <h4>Chapter 146: The Treasure</h4>


    As Yuga returned to the spot where he encountered the Duskull, he suddenly heard bursts of eerieughter. This time, it seemed like there was more than one entity.


    Unconsciously, Yuga felt the air around him grow heavy.


    Linoone was still asleep, rendering Yuga unable to use its Odor Sleuth to locate the Ghost-type Pok��mon. However, Yuga had another n.


    "Vivillon, use Psybeam."


    At Yuga''smand, the two antennae atop Vivillon''s head emitted a colorful beam that swept across the area.


    Wherever the beam touched, it turned into powder. Before long, the Ghost-type Pok��mon hidden in the darkness started to fall, dazed and disoriented.


    Gastly, Misdreavus, Shuppet, and others, including the Duskull Yuga had encountered earlier, all sumbed to the beam''s effects. Yuga casually counted and realized there were more than ten Ghost-type Pok��mon here.


    They were probably the ones that Duskull, whom Linoone had "educated," had called over for assistance.


    It was fortunate that these Ghost-types were of rtively low levels. Otherwise, Yuga would have had a difficult time. After all, these entric Ghost-type Pok��mon didn''t follow conventions like straightforward witzer, making them harder to manipte.


    The floating Ghost-types tried to flee.


    "Vivillon, use Psybeam to capture that Misdreavus."


    Yuga didn''t mind the other Pok��mon, except for the Misdreavus. Yuga didn''t intend to let it go; it was the only high-potential Pok��mon among the Ghost-types, and it had a blue potential.


    Yuga nned to give it to Robert. After all, he had managed to capture so many Pok��mon since arriving here, while Robert had obtained nothing. Yuga felt a bit guilty about this.


    Knowing that his usual Pok��mon wouldn''t interest Robert, Yuga decided to give him the Misdreavus, as it was a perfect fit for his role as a coordinated Trainer.


    Speaking of which, Robert''s Pok��mon had very high potentials. Except for Chimecho, who had a green potential, all his other Pok��mon were either blue (Baltoy, Ciino) or Indigo (Milotic).


    Yuga''s Pok��mon also had one green (Chimecho), two blue (Absol and Florges), and one Indigo (Vivillon).


    Capturing the low-level Misdreavus with Psybeam was simple. Vivillon tapped it gently, causing it to lose its battling capabilities.


    After storing the Pok�� Ball containing Misdreavus, Yuga couldn''t help but feel lucky. To his surprise, he had encountered two Pok��mon with blue potentials consecutively.


    Returning to the spot where they had split up, Yuga found Robert had returned.


    "Why were you so slow? Did something happen?" Robert seemed a bit worried after Yuga''s prolonged absence.


    Yuga smiled and shook his head. "Nothing much, just encountered a few Pok��mon attacks, all resolved."


    "For a few days of absence, did you find anything on your side?" Now that Yuga was indeed alright, Robert inquired about the results of Yuga''s exploration.


    Yuga shook his head again and said, "No gains, I reached the end and found a nest of witzer. Nothing else. But I''ve brought you a gift." Saying that, Yuga took out the Pok�� Ball containing Misdreavus and handed it to Robert.


    "Pok��mon?" Seeing Yuga offer the Pok�� Ball, Robert didn''t ept it; instead, he asked with suspicion.


    "Yes, your kind. Trust me, you won''t be disappointed!" Seeing Robert''sck of reaction, Yuga simply ced the Pok�� Ball in his hand.


    Robert took the Pok�� Ball and released the Pok��mon inside.


    When the Misdreavus emerged from the Pok�� Ball, it opened its eyes in bewilderment. Startled upon seeing Yuga and Robert, it instinctively tried to flee.


    However, just as it was about to make a move, Robert''s Chimecho restrained it.


    "Misdreavus, this will be your Trainer from now on. As long as you behave well, he won''t mistreat you." Yuga pointed towards Robert and addressed Misdreavus.


    "Drooow."


    ncing at Robert, Misdreavus reluctantly nodded under Yuga''s "intimidation."


    "Misdreavus, I look forward to working with you." Despite not understanding why Yuga insisted on giving him this Misdreavus, Robert chose to keep it out of trust for his friend.


    After recalling Misdreavus, Robert thanked Yuga, "Thank you for the gift. I''ll take good care of it."


    With the matter of Misdreavus settled, Yuga asked, "Did you find anything on your side?"


    Standing in ce, Robert replied, "I think I''ve found their storeroom and obtained a batch of treasures." He gestured towards Chimecho.


    Chimecho understood his gesture and used psychic power to levitate four boxes from the darkness: threerge ones and one small.


    "Treasures? What''s inside these boxes?" Yuga asked curiously. If they were considered treasures, they should contain valuable items.


    Right after Yuga asked, Robert''s Chimecho opened the first box. The contents inside were dazzling, emitting countless red glows that nearly blinded Yuga''s eyes.


    Inside were numerous Fire Stones.


    "So many Fire Stones!" Yuga eximed, astonished.


    However, the surprising revtion was yet toe.


    The second box contained an abundance of Thunder Stones, while the third was filled with Water Stones.


    Indeed, they were treasures. These many Evolution Stones must have been worth a fortune.


    The contents of the fourth small box wereparatively fewer, but they were still valuable: a Prism Scale, a King''s Rock, a Dragon Scale, a Light y, a Spell Tag, and a small ck box.


    "Let''s divide these items." Robert suggested.


    "But... it doesn''t seem right... after all, you found them," Yuga hesitated. He really desired these items, but he felt a bit embarrassed.


    "What''s wrong with that? You were the one who discovered this ce. There''s a saying that the discoverer should have a share. Besides, didn''t you also give me a gift?" Robert looked at Yuga, who was practically glued to the items with his eyes and even refusing, making it quite amusing.


    In the end, unable to resist the temptation, Yuga agreed.


    Ultimately, they split the Evolution Stones evenly, with each taking one of each type.


    As for the final box, since Robert had found it, he first chose the King''s Rock, the Dragon Scale, and the Spell Tag. Yuga received the Prism Scale, the Light y, and the mysterious ck box.


    "By the way, I tried to open this ck box before, but I couldn''t. I don''t know what''s inside," Robert suddenly remembered something and told Yuga.


    Excitedly, Yuga replied, "In situations like this, the most valuable item among all these is usually inside. You better not regret it when you open it."


    Robert nonchntly responded, "I hope not, and I hope you won''t regret either."

 Chapter 147: The Mystery of the Sunken Ship

    <h4>Chapter 147: The Mystery of the Sunken Ship</h4>


    After dividing the treasures, Yuga realized that the task issued by the system had not beenpleted yet. This meant that the mission was still unfinished.


    The system''s task description was to find the sunken ship and uncover its past. Merely inspecting it once clearly did not meet the system''s requirements.


    "Have you found any information rted to the origin of this ship?" Yuga wanted to know if Robert had any clues.


    Robert shook his head, "No, but judging by the decay of this ship, it seems to be from a long time ago." Apart from the treasure boxes on the other side of the ship, Robert hadn''t found anything else.


    "Since there''s nothing in the cargo hold, let''s check the upper deck!" Yuga suggested.


    Robert nodded in agreement and, along with Chimecho, followed Yuga out of the cargo hold.


    As for the treasure, Robert''s Chimecho and Yuga''s Vivillon continued to carry them, While Yuga''s Chimecho continued carried the still sleeping Linoone using Psychic power.


    Outside, the light was much brighter, and they didn''t need shlights anymore.


    Yuga and Robert meticulously searched the ship''s deck, eventually discovering the control room, living quarters, and captain''s cabin.


    Furthermore, in the captain''s cabin, Yuga and hispanions found the captain''s diary.


    The captain''s diary wasn''t written on modern paper but on a type of material that Yuga wasn''t familiar with. The material had turned yellow, and due to extended exposure to moisture, it had be somewhat moldy, making it look less appealing.


    Holding his nose, Yuga flipped through the pages, realizing that many parts were blurry. Only some portions were still legible.


    Although Yuga recognized the characters on the pages, whenbined, they made no sense to him.


    "What is this? Why can''t I understand it at all?" Yuga swung the diary disdainfully. After all, it had an unpleasant smell.


    Hearing this, Robert took the diary from Yuga''s hand and flipped through it. He exined, "The writing style here is an ancient form ofmunication that''s significantly different from our current speech and writing, which is why you can''t understand it."


    So, this is like ssical Chinese in the Pok��mon world? Yuga pondered.


    "Can you understand it?" Yuga didn''t expect thatmunication styles from ancient and modern times in the Pok��mon world would be different. It was the same with his previous world.


    Robert nodded.


    Delighted, Yuga eximed, "Great! Then quickly tell me what it says up there!"


    Subsequently, Robert tranted as he flipped through the pages.


    However, many parts were iplete. In the end, the two of them used their imagination to piece together the ship''s history.


    Based on the style of writing, this diary was probably created five to six hundred years ago.


    The captain who wrote this diary was named Lawrence and was a member of the royal family of a small country.


    Back then, he was ordered by the king to lead thergest fleet in the kingdom on an exploratory voyage to visit other continents.


    Due to theck of convenient transportation in ancient times, the various continents were isted from each other. This was the only way to understand each other.


    As for why the king issued thismand, Yuga and hispanions were unaware. Regardless of whether he sought to expand his territory or umte wealth, these reasons didn''t matter to them.


    This fleet drifted at sea for a whole decade. During this time, they sessfully discovered the continents the king had instructed them to, and not just one. Thest continent they arrived at was the continent of Hoenn.


    In these continents, he exchanged the specialties from his country for a substantial amount of wealth. However, this couldn''t fill the longing he felt in his heart for his homnd; he was constantly yearning to return.


    After spending a considerable time on the continent of Hoenn, he finally made up his mind to return to his own country.


    But shortly after he and his fleet left the continent of Hoenn, they encountered a massive maritime disaster. Not only did the fleet get scattered, but the ship Lawrence was on, which was serving as the lead ship, was also facing the threat of sinking.


    As for the fate of the other ships in the fleet, Yuga and hispanions were unaware. However, this ship, which had separated from the rest, had undoubtedly sunk during that maritime disaster. Furthermore, all the members on the ship had lost their lives.


    The part of the diary that recorded the maritime disaster was already blurry, so Yuga and hispanions didn''t know what kind of catastrophe had caused the fleet to scatter.


    Yuga spected that this fleet had likely set out from the Kalos region. The witzer and uncher they encountered were probably the descendants of the sailors'' Pok��mon on the ship.


    Yuga''s spection had a basis. Although the diary didn''t mention the location of Lawrence''s country or provide any information about witzer and uncher, it did record the presence of a Greninja, which was Lawrence''s Pok��mon.


    Thus, Yuga surmised that the Greninja he had captured was probably a descendant of Lawrence''s Greninja, intermingling with the native Water-type Pok��mon of Hoenn. The strongest possibility might be its descendants with the witzer, considering their egg groups ovepped. After all, Greninja yed a crucial role in guarding the eggs of thismunity of Pok��mon.


    Yuga concluded that this Lawrence was the Pok��mon world''s version of Zheng He, who embarked on maritime expeditions. However, although both Lawrence and Zheng He died during their respective journeys, Zheng He''s fleet managed to return home, while Lawrence''s fleet probably met an unfortunate fate.


    But what saddened Yuga the most was the fact that, ording to the diary, this ship should have held many valuable treasures. However, all of them had seemingly scattered into the sea along with the ship''s sinking, leaving behind only this small portion.


    It was heart-wrenching...


    Having pieced together theplete story, Yuga finally received the system''s notification ofpleting the mission.


    [ Congrattions to the host for sessfullypleting the mission: Sunken Ship Relics. ]


    [ Completion Rate: Slight ]


    [ Rewards: Choose one Sub-Ecopark opening qualification. ]


    Another opening qualification for an Sub-Ecopark was sessfully obtained. Yuga let out a sigh of relief.


    "Let''s quickly leave this ce!" Now that Yuga''s mission wasplete, he immediately wanted to depart. After all, the environment here was far from friendly for humans.


    Robert nodded. "I''ll keep this diary!" Saying that, he tucked the diary into his backpack.


    "What do you need that thing for? It''s useless and filthy!" Having understood the history of the sunken ship, the diary was of no use to Yuga.


    Robert smiled. "For collecting. After all, it''s an ancient artifact."


    "I didn''t expect you to be an enthusiast for ancient artifacts!"


    Yuga found his idea quite speechless, but this item was useless to him. He could do whatever he pleased with it.

 Chapter 148: Return

    <h4>Chapter 148: Return</h4>


    "How can we leave here? The entrance we came through copsed during the battle with the Crawdaunt," Robert expressed concern when it came to leaving.


    "Speaking of familiarity with this ce, we should ask the locals!" Seeing Robert''s worried expression, Yuga had a clever idea.


    Locals? At this moment, Robert thought of the witzer and uncher that Yuga had tamed. Yes, asking them would surely reveal the location of the exit!


    However, the Pok��mon Yuga released was different from what he expected.


    "Greninja?"


    "Yes, what do you think? Handsome, isn''t it?" Yuga said triumphantly.


    Greninja, having been treated by both Chimecho and Yuga, was recovering quite well. After all, its injuries were much lighter than those of Linoone.


    Looking at the Greninja before him, with its arms folded and a cold gaze, standing tall, Robert couldn''t help but admit it did look quite handsome.


    "Did you just catch it down there?"


    Yuga nodded, then turned to Greninja and asked, "Greninja, do you know where the exit leading outside is?"


    Greninja pointed down towards the water.


    "You mean beneath this body of water?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    Greninja nodded in a cool manner.


    "Are you saying that if we go out from here, we might drown?" Yuga pointed towards the water below and turned to Robert.


    "It''s unlikely. For now, we''ll have to trust Greninja. If it bes unbearable, we can always return. At least now we know where the exit is," Robert was moreposed than Yuga, having found out the location of the exit.


    "Alright, that seems to be the only option."


    Finally, led by Greninja and Milotic, Yuga and Robert entered the water.


    Beneath the water was pitch ck, making it impossible to see anything. Yuga held his breath, feeling extremely suffocated.


    After a while, Yuga saw several Chinchou with their own light sources swimming around. By this time, he felt he could hardly hold on any longer, and he let out arge breath, choking on several mouthfuls of seawater.


    Greninja, cradling Yuga, seemed to notice his distress and sped up, ultimately leaping out of the water just before Yuga would have suffocated.


    As Yuga emerged from the water''s surface, he clung tightly to Greninja, taking deep breaths of the long-missed air. He felt he might develop a psychological aversion to the sea after this.


    Robert, following closely with Milotic, emerged from the water as well. Simrly, he took deep breaths, his cheeks flushed red. His condition wasn''t any better than Yuga''s; he appeared quite disheveled.


    "We''re finally here. I thought I was going to drown in there." Having recovered his breath, Yuga said to Robert.


    "Me too! I never want to experience something like this again. I was so na?ve; I thought there wouldn''t be any danger!" Robert was also shaken by the experience.


    Having survived the ordeal, both of them looked at each other''s disheveled appearances and couldn''t help but burst intoughter.


    "The coast is over there. Let''s hurry over!" Yuga pointed towards the faintly visible coastline.


    Their current location was still quite far from the coastline. It seemed they would have to spend some time in the water.


    By the time they reached the shore, dusk was approaching. Luckily, though, Yuga and Robert hadn''t strayed far from Hoenn. They had returned to the same beach they left from. However, there was no one on the beach now; it seemed that Yuna and the others had listened to their advice and returned earlier.


    Both of them recalled Greninja and Milotic into their Pok�� Balls. Robert said, "Let''s head back to the Seaside Hotel. quickly. Otherwise, everyone might be worried."


    When Yuga and Robert returned to the Seaside Hotel, they saw Luna and Rand sitting on the steps at the entrance, their chins propped on their hands, lost in thought.


    "Luna! Rand!"


    Yuga waved and shouted towards the two at the entrance.


    Hearing Yuga''s voice, Luna and Rand suddenly looked up, their expressions lighting up with surprise. Luna quickly dashed towards Yuga.


    Reaching Yuga''s side, Luna embraced him tightly, then burst into tears.


    "Wow, wow... Big Brother Yuga, where did you go? You took so long toe back!"


    Luna''s voice was truly impactful, possessing the ability to prate human eardrums.


    Yuga hadn''t expected that Luna''s first reaction upon seeing him would be to burst into tears, and such unrestrained ones at that.


    "Big Brother Yuga, you were gone for so long, I thought you were lost forever!"


    While sobbing uncontrobly, Luna continued to speak.


    Yuga hadn''t anticipated that Luna would cry so intensely out of concern for him. He had always thought that kind of reaction was more fitting for his idol, Robert.


    "Alright, alright, look, I''m back now, aren''t I?" Yugaforted Luna by patting her head.


    It took Yuga quite a while to calm Luna down, though her sobbing still caused her to shake and shiver a bit.


    Rand, who hade along with Luna, didn''t speak, but his eyes also revealed his deep concern for Yuga.


    Seeing that Luna had stopped crying, Yuga held her hand and said, "Okay, let''s go inside." He then pulled both Rand and Robert into the Seaside Hotel.


    Once inside, they encountered Kris''s mother, who was walking towards them. Seeing that Yuga and the others had returned, she said, "You''re back. Have you had dinner? Would you like me to prepare something for you?"


    Yuga and Robert hadn''t eaten anything for almost a whole day. They were so hungry that their stomachs were touching their backbones, so they readily agreed.


    At first, Yuga and Robert were puzzled by Kris''s mother''s calm reaction to their one-day disappearance. Later, they found out why.


    It turned out that after Suzuki Koen anf the others had returned, they hadn''t told Kris''s family that Robert and Yuga had gone on an adventure to an unknown ce. They had simply said that the two of them had gone out for something. That was why Kris''s mother was able to talk to Yuga and the others so calmly.


    Silently praising Suzuki Koen and the others, otherwise they would have to be nagged when they came back.


    Upon learning that Yuga and Robert had returned safely, Suzuki Koen and Windy also let out a sigh of relief. Throughout the entire day, they had been on edge, fearing that something might have happened to Yuga.


    After taking afortable shower and eating the dinner Kris''s mother had prepared, Yuga said to Suzuki Koen, "I''m going to the Pok��mon Centerter. My Pok��mon sustained some injuries. Can you watch over Luna for me? It seems she was quite scared today."


    Upon hearing that Yuga''s Pok��mon were injured, Suzuki Koen quickly asked, "Your Pok��mon are hurt? Are you okay?" In Suzuki Koen''s eyes, Yuga was quite strong, so if his Pok��mon were injured, he must have encountered danger.


    Yuga smiled and replied, "I''m fine, and my Pok��mon are actually okay too. I just want to take them to the Pok��mon Center as a precaution."


    In truth, after being healed by Chimecho''s heal pulse, neither Linoone nor Greninja had any major issues. However, Yuga still wanted to take them to Nurse Joy''s at the Pok��mon Center just to be sure; after all, she was a professional.


    Once Suzuki Koen was certain that Yuga was indeed fine, he nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 149: Chance Encounter with the Norman Family

    <h4>Chapter 149: Chance Encounter with the Norman Family</h4>


    The next day, Yuga sent the treasures he obtained from the sunken ship, including evolution stones, back to Verdanturf Town via express delivery. He also called his uncle, to ask for his help in receiving the items.


    Since these treasures were too conspicuous, and Yuga didn''t want to stash them in his system backpack without Robert knowing, he had no choice but to send them back to Verdanturf Town through express delivery.


    Due to the disappearance incident involving Yuga and Robert the previous day, they decided not to visit the beach this time. Instead, they stayed on the sandy shore right in front of the Seaside Hotel.


    Although there were many people around, the atmosphere was quite lively.


    Suzuki Koen was still keeping Dianpany, while Windyy on a reclining chair beneath a parasol, sleeping soundly.


    The other Pok��mon were happily ying in the water.


    Meanwhile, Yuga and his friends were ying beach volleyball.


    Yuga and Budew, Luna and Swablu are on one team, and Robert and Misdreavus, Rand and Blitzle are formed another team.


    "We all agreed that the Pok��mon aren''t allowed to use any moves. Otherwise, we won''t be able to keep up," Yuga said to the Pok��mon on the field.


    Several Pok��mon nodded in agreement.


    "Alright, if you''re ready, I''ll start serving!" With Yuga''smand, he jumped high into the air and smacked the ball to the opposite side.


    Yuga''s serve was quite low, but the small-sized Blitzle immediately galloped over on all fours and bumped the ball with its head, passing it to Rand.


    Rand was small andcked strength, so when he received the ball, his return was quite soft. Fortunately, Yuga and the others had set the lower to amodate the two smaller yers. Rand''s return made it over the smoothly.


    Budew, bouncing around, easily caught Rand''s ball and used the petals on its head to send it back.


    Yuga chuckled and said, "Rand, this won''t do. You''re a boy, and your strength is quite weak! You need to train harder."


    Luna, next to him, took the ball Misdreavus hit over and chimed in, "Yeah, that''s right! Watch me!" With that, she pped the volleyball back with force, disying unwavering determination. In the future, she would definitely be a tough girl.


    Rand''s face turned red from Yuga and Luna''s teasing. He lunged to catch the ball, dering, "I''m not weak, and I don''t need training!"


    However, unfortunately for him, he failed to catch Luna''s powerful return. Instead, he ended up with a mouthful of sand as the ball sailed past him. Robert, who was behind him, caught the ball.


    "Rand, they''re just trying to rile you up, make you lose focus. Don''t listen to their nonsense," Robert reminded.


    Rand got up from the ground, his face flushed. He red at Yuga and Luna, causing everyone to burst intoughter.


    Yugaughed so hard that he lost control and identally hit the ball out of bounds, causing it to strike a person''s head nearby with a resounding "thud," leading to a cry of pain.


    Seeing the ball he hit strike someone, Yuga quickly ran over and apologized, "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to. Are you alright?"


    The person, wearing sunsses, lifted his head, removed the sunsses, and rubbed his head where Yuga''s ball had struck. He said, "I''m fine, you didn''t do it on purpose!"


    "You''re Mr. Norman!"


    The moment the sunsses came off, Yuga recognized him. It was Norman, the Gym Leader of Petalburg Gym, and the father of May and Max.


    "You know me?"


    Norman was only slightly surprised, but he wasn''t puzzled that Yuga recognized him.


    After all, he was a somewhat famous Gym Leader in Hoenn and he can also regarded as a star trainer. It wasn''t strange for someone to recognize him.


    "Of course, you''re the Gym Leader of Petalburg Gym. I''ve seen you on TV!" Yuga also knew about him from TV. By now, Norman was a Gym Leader at Petalburg Gym.


    At this point, Norman was around thirty to forty years old. May and Max should have been born quite some time ago.


    "Mr. Norman, are you here for a vacation?"


    "Yes, the Gym is usually busy, so I finally had some free time. I brought my wife, daughter, and son here to have some fun." Norman pointed to three figures ying in the sand not far away.


    Following Norman''s gesture, Yuga indeed spotted May and Max.


    May seemed to be around the same age as Luna, probably six years old, while Max was approximately the same age as Koen''s Dian.


    While Yuga was conversing with Norman, Robert arrived with Luna and Rand.


    "Mr. Norman?" Seeing Norman, Robert eximed in surprise.


    "Isn''t that Robert? You''re here too?" Norman also appeared surprised to see Robert.


    Evidently, these two knew each other.


    "You two know each other!" Yuga didn''t expect that they were acquainted.


    "Yes." Robert nodded, "I''ve challenged Petalburg Gym before!"


    "Hey! Weren''t you a Coordinating Trainer? Why did you challenge a Gym?" Yuga asked in amazement.


    "Just to give it a try. I''ve challenged several Gyms before and earned quite a few badges. I just haven''t participated in the League Championships." Robert said with a smile.


    "Indeed, Robert is quite an aplished Trainer. He''s excellent as both a Coordinating Trainer and a regr Trainer. He''s quite active in the Grand Festivals," Norman praised Robert''s abilities.


    "You''re keeping up with the Grand Festivals!" Yuga was surprised that Norman was aware of Robert''s impressive performance in the Grand Festivals.


    Norman chuckled and said:


    "Of course, whether they''re traditional Trainers or Coordinating Trainers, they''re all part of the Trainer profession. When exceptional talents arise, it''s only natural for me to pay attention. After all, I''m a Gym Leader!"


    Yuga yfully nudged Robert with his elbow and said, "Wow, you''re quite something. Even the Gym Leaders are keeping an eye on you!"


    Robert modestly replied, "Oh no, not at all. It''s just the recognition from Mr. Norman and others."


    Norman, not agreeing with Robert''s modesty, said, "Recognition or not, excellence is excellence. We should speak the truth."


    Yuga added, "Exactly, being overly modest cane across as arrogant!"


    At this moment, May and Max, who were ying with their mother not far away, noticed their father talking to others. They ran over, holding onto Norman''s legs, and asked, "Daddy, who are they?"


    Norman lifted Max and said to the two, "They''re Daddy''s friends!"


    Yuga pinched Max''s cheek and introduced, "I''m Shimizu Yuga, you can call me Big Brother Yuga, and this is Big Brother Robert."


    "Hello, Big Brother Yuga, hello, Big Brother Robert." The two children greeted Yuga and Robert politely after Yuga''s introduction.


    At that moment, Norman''s wife, Mitsuko, walked over and smiled, "Oh my, it''s quite lively here. What''s everyone up to?"

 Chapter 150: Team Aqua of Lilycove City

    <h4>Chapter 150: Team Aqua of Lilycove City</h4>


    When Yuga and the others were ying beach volleyball, May became very interested and insisted on joining them.


    Norman and Caroline couldn''t resist May''s enthusiasm and eventually agreed.


    With May joining, the numbers on both sides became uneven, so they needed one more person.


    Both Norman and Caroline felt they were too old to join, and Max was too young, so Robert called Kris over.


    May joined Yuga''s team, while Kris joined her cousin''s team.


    Luna, Rand, and May were all children, and Budew, Swablu, Misdreavus, and Blitzle weren''t much older. So, during the game, Yuga, Robert, and Kris were mostly amodating to them.


    The group had a great time ying until noon when Yuga''s group separated from Norman''s group and returned to their seaside hotel for lunch.


    Since the witzer and uncher they had tamed were still with Yuga, he nned to go to the city center of Lilycove to buy some Pok��blocks for them in the afternoon.


    Pok��blocks were the kind of thing that usually filled a Pok��mon''s stomach with just one or two pieces, so even though Yuga had a total of over thirty witzer and uncher, it wasn''t much trouble to feed them.


    Since he was only going to buy Pok��blocks, Yuga didn''t disturb others and went to the city center alone.


    Even the Pok��mon he brought along were only Linoone, Greninja, and Audino. He left the rest of the Pok��mon at the seaside hotel so they could rx. After all, their training was quite intense every day.


    As for why he brought Linoone and the others, it was because they were no longer actively participating in training.


    At Yuga''s Day Care, the Pok��mon that weren''t actively training included Audino, Linoone, Swellow, and Great Flygon. Linoone and Audino were fine; they would usually help out at the store and ecopark. Swellow and Great Flygon were the epitome of idleness.


    But Yuga didn''t intervene much with them.


    Firstly, their strength was rtively strong, especially Great Flygon and Audino, who were like semi-dominant figures.


    Secondly, they couldn''t be considered Yuga''s true Pok��mon, especially Audino, Linoone, and Swellow. They joined Yuyu''s Day Care as employees, so Yuga respected their autonomy.


    With Linoone and Audino by his side (Greninja was in a Pok�� Ball), Yuga walked through the streets of Lilycove City, admiring its bustling scenery.


    Although this was Yuga''s second time in Lilycove City, he had only passed through before to get to Johto. Now he finally had the chance to appreciate this renowned city in the Pok��mon world.


    Why was Lilycove City so famous in the Pok��mon world?


    Because when cities like Mauville City and LaRousse City were still underdeveloped in Hoenn, Lilycove City, Goldenrod City in Johto, Castelia City and Nimbasa City in Unova were collectively known as the Four Great Cities of the Pok��mon world.


    Back then, cities like Jubilife City in Sinnoh, Saffron City in Kanto, and Lumiose City in Kalos had not yet developed. It was only with the passage of time that regions rapidly developed, and many cities rose to prominence, eventually surpassing Lilycove City''s status. The title of being one of the Four Great Cities of the Pok��mon world faded as well.


    Nevertheless, Lilycove City remained prosperous. It connected thend and the ocean in Hoenn and served as an important gateway for international exchanges. Moreover, it was the most popr location for Pok��mon Contests in Hoenn. It boasted thergest Contest Hall.


    Being a gateway for Hoenn, Yuga could see people with Pok��mon from various regions walking the streets, such as the Shinx from Sinnoh, the Patrat from Unova, and the Furfrou from Kalos. This city''s diversity and inclusiveness were fully disyed.


    Here, Yuga saw art galleries brimming with artistic vor, bustling department stores, and even Pok��mon Trainer clubs. However, Yuga didn''t linger in these ces much; after all, he wasn''t here to y today.


    Devon Corporation also had a branch in Lilycove City. Yuga usually bought Pok��blocks from there. Today, that was his destination. Even though the department store sold Pok��blocks as well, Yuga didn''t go inside.


    As Yuga passed by an alley beside the department store, he suddenly saw two men wearing headscarves and blue-and-white striped outfits carrying an unconscious person into the alley.


    "Members of Team Aqua?"


    Yuga recognized the distinctive attire of Team Aqua members at a nce.


    "Linoone, Audino, let''s follow and see." Yuga turned to the two Pok��mon beside him and said.


    Yuga wasn''t someone who like to meddle, but he certainly disliked Team Aqua and Team Magma, two troublesome organizations, especially after Team Magma had attacked him before.


    Yuga was content with his peaceful and carefree life, but the existence of these two organizations undeniably posed a threat to his current lifestyle. If they achieved their goals, it would lead to turmoil in Hoenn.


    "Audino!"


    "Linoone!"


    Audino and Linoone nodded in response to Yuga''s words.


    So, Yuga discreetly followed the two Team Aqua members with his two Pok��mon, wanting to find out what they were nning.


    As Yuga got closer, he realized that the person they were carrying was a woman with short brown hair.


    Passing through the alley, they arrived at the front of a warehouse. Yuga saw them ce the unconscious woman into a truck, unaware of where they intended to take her.


    Just as the two were about to sit in the driver''s seat to leave, Yuga took action.


    "Linoone, use Shadow Ball!"


    A ck Pok��ball struck the truck door, preventing the two Team Aqua members from getting in.


    Yuga had changed his mind about intervening because if they got into the truck, he wouldn''t be able to catch up. Unlike movie and TV protagonists, he wasn''t adept at concealing himself and climbing onto vehicles.


    "Who''s there!"


    The two Team Aqua members dodged the Shadow Ball attack. One of them shouted loudly and cautiously released their own Pok��mon, two Corphish.


    As soon as they released their Pok��mon, two more Shadow Balls shot out, knocking the Corphish to the ground.


    Seeing their Pok��mon being immediately defeated by this unseen adversary, fear crept into the hearts of the two individuals. They trembled uncontrobly.


    Retrieving their fallen Corphish, they each sent out a Zubat and shouted, "Whoever you are,e out! Don''t hide like a coward."


    Observing their ratherckluster strength, Yuga saw no need to remain hidden. He stepped out with Audino and Linoone from the corner of the wall.

 Chapter 151: The Quiet Takeover of the TV Station

    <h4>Chapter 151: The Quiet Takeover of the TV Station</h4>


    Seeing that only a young boy had stepped forward, the two Team Aqua members were greatly surprised. However, considering the power he had just demonstrated, they immediately dropped their underestimation.


    "Who are you? Why did you attack us?" one of the Team Aqua members spoke sternly.


    Yuga stood his ground and said, "If you want to know who I am, you''ll have to tell me your intentions and why you captured that woman in the car!"


    The other Team Aqua member, feeling provoked, arrogantly retorted, "I advise you not to meddle further. Otherwise, you won''t be able to bear the consequences."


    "Oh!" Yuga''s tone perked up. "Then today, I''ll find out what consequences I''ll face for meddling in this affair."


    "You..."


    Before the Team Aqua member could continue, two more Shadow Balls came hurtling towards them.


    Linoone and Audino''s dual Shadow Balls once again swiftly took down the Team Aqua members'' Zubats.


    Seeing the situation unfolding, the two of them tried to flee, but Yuga wasn''t about to let them seed. Linoone elerated, delivering a headbutt to each Team Aqua member, sending them copsing to the ground, unconscious.


    At this point, Yuga didn''t expect to gather any useful information from these seemingly low-ranking Team Aqua members. Instead, he decided to awaken the unconscious woman and inquire.


    Instructing Linoone to watch over the two incapacitated Team Aqua members, Yuga opened the truck and found the woman trapped inside.


    "Hey, wake up! Wake up!"


    After getting inside the truck, Yuga approached and shook her.


    However, no matter how much Yuga tried, he couldn''t wake her up. He finally resorted to having Greninjae out and ssh some water on her.


    Perhaps due to the generous amount of water Greninja sshed, the unconscious woman took a sudden deep breath and then opened her eyes, shouting, "Ty!"


    After calling out, she noticed Yuga standing beside her and cautiously retreated.


    "Who are you?"


    "The ones who captured you have been defeated by me. They''re outside. Don''t be afraid. I just want to know what happened," Yuga said, understanding that she was likely emotionally unstable. He attempted to speak calmly, hoping to ease her tension.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, she finally let out a sigh of relief.


    From her description, Yuga learned that her name was Gabby. She was a reporter from the Lilycove City TV Station. She and her partner, Ty, were out to cover a story when they were suddenly attacked by the Team Aqua.


    They had taken Ty and said they were going to the Lilycove City TV Station.


    "Can you help me rescue Ty? If you can defeat those people outside, you should be able to save Ty, right?" Gabby was deeply worried about her partner''s safety. She grasped at thest straw, Yuga, in her anxious state.


    After pondering for a moment, Yuga said, "I can promise to help you gather information, but I can''t guarantee that I''ll be able to save him."


    With no other ideas, Gabby nodded in agreement, agreeing to whatever Yuga suggested.


    "Also, immediately contact Officer Jenny. Inform her about the situation at the TV station and have her send reinforcements. Also, hand over the two individuals outside to them," Yuga felt that he couldn''t handle this matter alone and needed to inform Officer Jenny.


    Upon receiving Yuga''s instructions, Gabby nodded quickly and mentally noted down Yuga''s words.


    After parting ways with Gabby, Yuga promptly set out with his three Pok��mon toward the Lilycove City TV Station.


    The TV station was easy to find, being one of the iconic buildings of Lilycove City. Whether from the city center or any direction, it was visible.


    When Yuga arrived at the entrance of the Lilycove City TV Station, he noticed two men with TV station badges blocking the entrance. They were preventing anyone from entering the building.


    However, Yuga knew that they couldn''t be actual TV station employees, as the station was typically open to the public.


    Seeing the entrance guarded, Yuga circumvented them and stealthily made his way to the back of the TV station building, entering through a partially open window.


    Though entering was a challenge, as Audino chubby body didn''t make climbing through the window easy.


    Once inside the building, Yuga realized the corridor was eerily quiet, devoid of people. This confirmed Yuga''s suspicions that something had gone wrong, as a normally functioning TV station wouldn''t be this quiet.


    Cautiously, Yuga proceeded with Audino and Linoone along the corridor of the first floor. It was his first time engaging in such secretive activity, and he was feeling somewhat nervous.


    Upon turning a corner, Yuga finally spotted Team Aqua members patrolling. They didn''t make any effort to conceal themselves, directly wearing the Team Aqua uniform.


    Not finding anything of note on the first floor, Yuga managed to avoid these individuals and quietly took the elevator to the upper floors of the TV station.


    On the third floor''s lobby, Yuga discovered that all the station employees were being held captive there, under the watchful eye of numerous Team Aqua members. Yuga had no idea which one was Gabby''s partner, Ty.


    Moreover, the number of Team Aqua members inside was substantial, and Yuga couldn''t take action to rescue anyone.


    Just as Yuga was pondering his next move, someone suddenly tugged at his arm, startling him.


    When Yuga turned around, he was astonished to see Mr. Norman.


    "Mr. Norman, what are you doing here?" Yuga looked surprised as he regarded Mr. Norman. Speaking in a low voice, he only just realized that he hade dangerously close to being spotted by the patrolling Team Aqua members.


    Mr. Norman was also taken aback to see Yuga here. "Actually, I should be the one asking that question. How did you end up here?" his tone was filled with surprise.


    Yuga felt a bit embarrassed. "I''ve been entrusted toe here and rescue someone," he admitted, then asked, "Mr. Norman, are you here in Lilycove City to investigate the Team Aqua?"


    Shaking his head, Mr. Norman replied, "No, I''m just here on vacation. I received news about this ce and decided to take a look."


    "Just by yourself?" Yuga was surprised. With so many Team Aqua members around, even Mr. Norman would have a hard time handling the situation alone.


    Mr. Norman let out a sigh. "The League only caught wind of rumors and doesn''t really know the situation here. I happened to be in Lilycove City when I was suddenly notified toe and assess the situation."


    "I see," Yuga nodded in realization. "So, what do we do now?" Meeting Mr. Norman here boosted Yuga''s confidence a bit.


    Mr. Norman pondered for a moment before saying, "Let''s assess the situation and act ordingly. Our main priority is to ensure the safety of the hostages."

 Chapter 152: Showdown at the TV Station

    <h4>Chapter 152: Showdown at the TV Station</h4>


    Confirming the safety of the hostages, Yuga and Mr. Norman prepared to find a safer and more concealed location to wait for the right opportunity to take action.


    At that moment, a group of people entered the hall, led by a woman with pink curly hair.


    Yuga didn''t expect to see Team Aqua officer and Special Operations Unit leader, Shelly, here. She was one of Archie''s most capable subordinates. This woman had appeared multiple times in the original animated series, known for her decisive actions and swift execution. It was clear she wasn''t someone to be trifled with.


    "This should be the leader of their operation," Mr. Norman whispered to Yuga. Evidently, he didn''t recognize Shelly.


    Yuga nodded in agreement and said, "Let''s leave here first and wait for a better opportunity to rescue the hostages."


    "Alright," Mr. Norman softly agreed, getting ready to leave with Yuga.


    Just then, Linoone''s sharp ws scraped against the smooth floor of the TV station, creating a grating noise.


    "Who''s there?"


    The voice was piercing, audible even to those who didn''t want to listen. The other Team Aqua members immediately went on alert, and Captain Shelly released her Walrein, bellowing.


    Seeing no one emerging, Shelly ordered Walrein to use an Ice Beam in the direction where Yuga and the others were hiding. Yuga and his team were forced to reveal themselves.


    Upon seeing Yuga and Mr. Norman, Shelly let out a light chuckle. "So, it''s Mr. Norman from the Petalburg Gym. I thought it might be some little mouse."


    Although Mr. Norman didn''t recognize Shelly, as a significant figure in the evil organization, she knew about him. Mr. Norman was a renowned Trainer in the Hoenn region and an important member of the Hoenn Pok��mon League. Many members of the evil organization were familiar with his face.


    "Since you recognize me, you should know that what you''re doing is wrong," Mr. Norman remainedposed despite being discovered, speaking calmly to Shelly.


    The Team Aqua had previously acted in awful manner and hadn''t vited the League''sws. That''s why the League had been passive in their response, unaware of the takeover of Lilycove City''s TV station.


    Little did Mr. Norman know, the Team Aqua had always been ambitious. They just hadn''t shown their true intentions until now.


    "What we''re doing is wrong? That''s impossible. We''re forging a new world!" Shelly, an ocean enthusiast, would never admit that her actions were wrong.


    Upon hearing Shelly mention forging a new world, Mr. Norman was puzzled. Yuga, on the side, whispered an exnation, "The Team Aqua is searching for the Ancient Pok��mon Kyogre to control and expand the oceans."


    Though he didn''t know how Yuga had this information, Mr. Norman was still shocked by what he heard. He felt they must be insane to want to control a legendary Pok��mon.


    "Mr. Norman, I suggest you surrender. There''s no way you''re leaving here today."


    As Shelly''s voice fell, the Team Aqua members surrounded Yuga, Mr. Norman, Linoone, and Audino.


    "It seems we won''t be able to negotiate today."


    Mr. Norman''s tone remained as calm as ever. Then, he quietly retrieved a Pok�� Ball and released his own Pok��mon, Kangaskhan.


    ...


    <<kangaskhan>> </kangaskhan>


    Type: Normal/Fighting


    Ability: Early Bird


    Gender: Female


    Quality: Blue


    Level: 65


    Moves: Double Strike, Mega Punch, Progressive Break, Dizzy Punch, Crunch, Endure, Counter, Revive, Thunderbolt, Shadow Ball, Brick Break, Assault, Rock Lock.


    ...


    This was a Pok��mon almost on the level of an Ace Trainer and was trained for all-out offense. Other than Endure, it only had attacking moves.


    Seeing Mr. Norman''s intention to resist, Shelly had her Walrein confront Kangaskhan.


    ...


    <<walrein>> </walrein>


    Type: Water/Ice


    Ability: Thick Fat


    Gender: Male


    Quality: Green


    Level: 62


    Moves: Ice Fang, Crunch, Roll, Powder Snow, Water Gun, Rollout, Ice Ball, Aurora Beam, Topple Over the Summit, Ice Beam, Rock Lock, Surf.


    ...


    Shelly truly lived up to her position as an officer of the Team Aqua; her strength rivaled that of Hoenn''s strongest Gym Leader, Mr. Norman.


    Quietly, Yuga released his Greninja and said to Mr. Norman, "Mr. Norman, please focus on dealing with this woman. I''ll handle the other Team Aqua members."


    While he didn''t want Yuga to get involved in this situation, Mr. Norman had no other choice with only the two of them present. He nodded and advised Yuga, "Be careful and don''t be reckless."


    The impending battle had everyone in the hall trembling with fear.


    "Mr. Norman, I advise you to surrender sooner rather thanter. Don''t engage in futile resistance," Shelly said with a cold tone.


    Mr. Norman''s resolve remained unwavering. "Are you sure you''ve already won today?"


    "Then let''s see what you''ve got! Walrein, Rollout followed by Ice Ball!" Negotiations failing, Shelly wasted no time in taking action.


    With hermand, Walrein curled up into a ball and a massive ice ball formed above its head before hurtling toward Kangaskhan.


    "Kangaskhan, Mega Punch!"


    Confronting the iing ice ball, Kangaskhan faced the danger fearlessly. It raised its right fist high and shattered the ice ball into countless pieces that scattered in all directions.


    As Shelly acted, her subordinates also moved into action.


    The Pok��mon used by the Team Aqua members were primarily Corphish and Spheal, resulting in a barrage of Bubble Beams and Water Guns aimed at Yuga.


    "Greninja, Mat Blocki!"


    Yuga''s Greninja pped its hands on the ground, and a white energy shield blocked all the attacks.


    "Audino, Dazzling Gleam! Linoone, Headbutt!"


    After Greninja shielded them from the Team Aqua''s assault, Yuga immediatelymanded his other two Pok��mon to attack.


    Linoone turned into a streak of lightning, quickly darting into the crowd of Team Aqua members. Each collision knocked down one of their Pok��mon.


    Audino also covered a great distance with its steps and arrived in front of the Corphishs and Spheals attacking Yuga''s group. A colorful radiance shed, causing a significant number of Pok��mon to fall to the ground.


    Shelly and Mr. Norman, engaged in their battle, noticed the Team Aqua members that Yuga had defeated. Both showed surprise, not expecting that an ordinary-looking young man would possess such strength.


    Though Mr. Norman was pleased with the oue, Shelly''s brows furrowed in frustration.


    It''s no wonder the Team Aqua members were unable to withstand Yuga. Linoone and Greninja were of excellent quality, approaching Level 50, while Audino was nearly Level 60. This level of strength surpassed everyone present except for Shelly and Mr. Norman.


    The Team Aqua hadn''t reached its peak yet, and many of its members were newly recruited, so encountering such a situation was inevitable.

 Chapter 153: The Team Aqua’s Purpose

    <h4>Chapter 153: The Team Aqua''s Purpose</h4>


    However, neither Norman nor Shelly hadpletely misjudged the situation. Yuga''s true strength wasn''t as formidable as it seemed.


    Linoone and Audino weren''t his Pok��mon; they merely followed hismands. Greninja was tamed through Linoone''s intervention, and like Great Flygon, it didn''t know that Linoone and Audino weren''t Yuga''s Pok��mon. Thisck of awareness made them obedient to Yuga''s orders.


    Nheless, these details were inconsequential. What mattered was that Yuga, with his individual efforts, had managed to suppress numerous members of the Team Aqua, preventing them from interfering in the showdown between Shelly and Norman.


    "I never expected the kid by your side to be this strong!" Shellymanded Walrein while addressing Norman.


    Although Norman was also surprised by Yuga''s strength, he wouldn''t openly admit it. Instead, he smiled and replied, "I told you, you might not have it all your way!"


    Following this, Walrein engaged in an intense battle against Kangaskhan.


    Despite the slight level difference between the two Pok��mon, Walrein was slightly inferior in strength to Kangaskhan. Each Ice Ball shot by Walrein was mercilessly shattered by Kangaskhan''s Mega Punch.


    While Walrein''s Ice Ball move has the added effects of bing more powerful with each consecutive hit and increasing in power with each turn, Kangaskhan adopts a "survival of the fittest" mentality, facing Walrein''s attacks head-on with an unwavering stance, not dodging or evading. Kangaskhan takes the approach of meeting Walrein''s attacks head-to-head, breaking through them with sheer force.


    At this point, as Walrein''s Trainer, Shelly finally recognized that the renowned Gym Trainer from the Hoenn Region was not easily dealt with.


    On the other side, Yuga was locked in intensebat with other members of the Team Aqua. Both Linoone and Greninja possessed remarkable speed. They surged into the crowd like assassins, swiftly knocking out the weaker members. With Audino''s support, they had an almost unstoppable advantage, creating a one-sided battle situation.


    Shelly watched the current scenario with growing concern. As she waited for backup that seemed dyed, she found it increasingly difficult to fend off Norman''s attacks.


    The hostages in the vicinity were beyond her concern now. Unable to capture Norman and Yuga, the other Team Aqua members had lost their purpose. In the midst of the battle''s chaos, the hostages had retreated to a safe corner.


    To make matters worse, the final straw came when Grabby, along with Officer Jenny and the police force, finally arrived at the scene, encircling the television station.


    As Officer Jenny and her team stormed in, they witnessed Kangaskhan, under Norman''smand, delivering a punch that sent Shelly and her Walrein crashing to the ground.


    Frustrated, Shelly recalled her Walrein with a scowl. She realized that she couldn''t continue the battle any longer. While the main objective had been achieved, other considerations were trivial.


    Shelly swiftly threw a smoke bomb and leaped out of the window. By the time the smoke cleared, there was no trace of her in the hall.


    Norman and Yuga had initially believed that the police force outside would apprehend her. Yet, Shelly had employed a flying device developed by the Team Aqua, which allowed her to escape through the sky.


    With the Team Aqua''s core member on the run, the remaining members, who were less skilled, were mere disorganized soldiers. They were quickly arrested by Officer Jenny and her team.


    With the Team Aqua subdued, the hostages were finally safe. Grabby, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, rushed to a man in the crowd, sobbing uncontrobly. It was clear that this man was her partner, Ty.


    Afterward, Grabby and Ty came to express their gratitude to Yuga.


    "We''re truly grateful to you. If it weren''t for you, we wouldn''t know what might have happened to us at the hands of those people!" Tearfully, Grabby thanked Yuga earnestly.


    Ty, standing beside her, was equally emotional. "Indeed, indeed! Your performance just now was incredibly heroic. You single-handedly defeated so many people!"


    Yuga waved his hand modestly, responding humbly, "No, no, the real credit goes to Mr. Norman. If he hadn''t held off their leader, I wouldn''t have been of much help."


    From Ty''s ount, Yuga then learned about the Team Aqua''s purpose for this mission.


    It turned out that during an excursion for source materials, Grabby and Ty unintentionally stumbled upon information about the ancient Pok��mon Groudon and Kyogre. This data was taken back to the television station. The Team Aqua attacked them both to retrieve this information.


    Regarding the upation of the television station, Ty exined that it was an impromptu decision by Shelly. She intended to establish it as a base for collecting information after obtaining the data. Hence, they didn''t leave once they found the information but instead captured the station''s staff.


    Although most of the Team Aqua''s members had been apprehended, Shelly, the central figure, managed to escape and took with her the crucial data about Groudon and Kyogre.


    As there was still some cooperation required with the police for recording statements, after thanking Yuga, Grabby and Ty apanied the police to the station.


    Before leaving, they made it clear that if Yuga ever needed their assistance, they would be ready to help without hesitation.


    After Grabby and Ty departed, Mr. Norman, who had finished his tasks, approached. He smiled and said to Yuga, "I must really thank you this time. If it weren''t for you, we wouldn''t have been able to rescue the television station and the hostages so quickly."


    Facing the more experienced Trainer, Yuga remained modest, saying, "I just happened to meet Ms. Grabby. That''s why I identally got involved. I almost ruined everything, so it''s not much of an aplishment." If Yuga had known that Mr. Norman was already investigating the matter, he likely wouldn''t have interfered.


    Norman smiled and said, "If there''s credit to be given, then credit should be given. Why be so modest? I''ll report this matter to higher-ups, and your contribution won''t go unnoticed."


    Though Yuga maintained his humility, if Norman was willing to acknowledge his contribution, he certainly wouldn''t decline.


    "However, I never expected that someone of your young age would have such outstanding strength," Norman eximed. He had initially thought that people as exceptional as Robert were already considered geniuses, but Yuga seemed to surpass Robert''s excellence.


    Yuga was reluctant to admit his exceptional strength, so he kept humbling himself in front of Norman. Ironically, this made Norman perceive Yuga as a modest andposed individual, elevating Norman''s appreciation for him.


    With the matters at the television station resolved, Yuga recalled Greninja and continued on with Linoone and Audino to purchase Pok��blocks.


    On the way, Yuga noticed that Linoone appeared somewhat downcast. He looked at Linoone and asked, "What''s wrong, Linoone?"


    "Linoone..."


    Linoone lifted its head and emitted a soft call towards Yuga, then lowered its head in dejection.


    "Audino, Audino!" Audino, standing by, started calling out and gesturing, attempting to exin to Yuga. But how could Yuga understand it?


    However, a thought seemed to ur to Yuga suddenly. He turned to Linoone and asked, "Are you feeling guilty because the Team Aqua discovered us because of you?"


    At Yuga''s words, Linoone''s body froze momentarily before it slowly nodded.


    Sensing that he was right, Yuga squatted down, patted Linoone''s head, and said, "That was an ident. Nobody wanted it to happen, right?"


    Although Linoone still appeared somewhat disheartened, Yuga continued, "If today''s incident was because of me, would you me me?"


    Linoone shook its head.


    "Just like you, I wouldn''t me you either! Moreover, you performed really well today, defeating so many Team Aqua members. I''m more grateful to you than I can express. How could I me you?"


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Linoone''s expression improved somewhat. Together, the Trainer and his two Pok��mon resumed their journey to purchase Pok��blocks.

 Chapter 154: Returning to Verdanturf Town and the New Sub-Ecopark

    <h4>Chapter 154: Returning to Verdanturf Town and the New Sub-Ecopark</h4>


    When Yuga returned to the Seaside House after purchasing Pok��blocks, it was alreadyte in the day.


    Early the next morning, Yuga was informed that Mr. Norman hade to see him. Upon meeting, Yuga learned that Norman hade to bid him farewell.


    Due to the significant incident involving the Team Aqua''s upation of the Lilycove City''s television station, it had caught the attention of higher-ups in the League. As the Gym Leader, Mr. Norman had many responsibilities to attend to, whichpelled him to conclude his journey early and return to Petalburg City with his family.


    Yuga, Robert, and Kris, after staying for three more days in Lilycove City, headed back to Verdanturf Town.


    Upon disembarking from the return flight, Sister Koen led Dian back home, and Yuga dropped Luna off at his house. He also picked up the belongings he had sent back from his uncle''s ce. With Rand and Windy, he began the journey back.


    During the journey home, the townsfolk greeted Yuga warmly upon seeing him, asking why they hadn''t seen him for a few days. Yuga would reply to each person with a smile, exining his absence.


    At this point, Yuga hadpletely assimted into the peaceful and natural life of Verdanturf Town. The blue sky, white clouds, quaint streets, short buildings, abundant flowers and leaves��everything was so different from Lilycove City''s towering skyscrapers and bustling crowds. Familiar faces and sights made Yuga feel extremelyfortable.


    After bidding farewell to Rand at the shop entrance, Yuga used his keys to open the door of the Day Care.


    Though there hadn''t been any changes to the store''syout over the past few days, a thinyer of dust had settled on everything.


    Seeing this, Audino, who hadn''t done any chores for several days, immediately became enthusiastic and began cleaning energetically.


    Upon entering the house, Windy went straight to his room. Over the past few days, Yuga had kept his promise and spared Windy from his punishment. He had returned Windy''sputer to him, and the only constant was that Windy still had to go for a run every day.


    As for Yuga himself, he headed to the Ecopark. Having been away with Audino and Linoone for a few days, he wasn''t sure if any trouble had arisen in his absence.


    Once he entered the Ecopark, the baby Pok��mon inside immediately surrounded him, chirping and chattering happily, expressing their "yearning."


    Yuga let out Budew, and upon seeing their long-lostpanion, the other Pok��mon immediately yed with it joyfully.


    Yuga also released his new friend, Greninja, and introduced it to the other Pok��mon.


    However, Greninja was just too cool in appearance. It seemed difficult to approach it, and even though the other baby Pok��mon gazed at it with curious eyes, they didn''t dare get too close.


    Of course, Yuga was most interested in the reward for exploring the sunken shipwreck this time��the opening of the new sub-Ecopark.


    "System, I want to select the new sub-Ecopark," Yuga called out to the system in his mind.


    System: [ Please choose a sub-Ecopark: Volcano, Shallow Seashore, Grasnd, Mine, Snowy Peak, Forest, Rock Cave, Haunted House, Dragon''s Den... ]


    After some thought, Yuga chose Shallow Seashore. It was clearly a sub-Ecopark suitable for Water-type Pok��mon, aplete contrast to the desert environment from before. This would be perfect for the recently captured witzer and uncher.


    System: [ Sub-Ecopark activation has begun. Please be patient for five minutes. ]


    Yuga was eager to see what the new sub-Ecopark looked like. Waiting anxiously for five minutes, he suddenly felt that what used to feel like a mere instant had be incredibly lengthy.


    When another light gate appeared beside the entrance to the Desert sub-Ecopark, the system''s voice followed, [ Sub-Ecopark: Shallow Seashore, activationplete. ]


    Hearing the prompt from the system, Yuga couldn''t wait any longer. He brought Greninja and walked into the light gate, entering the new sub-Ecopark.


    As he crossed the threshold of the light gate, Yuga was greeted by a sandy beach. Before him stretched an endless expanse of azure blue sea.


    Just like the endless desert in the Desert sub-Ecopark, the sea in the Shallow Seashore sub-Ecopark also extended as far as the eye could see, without end.


    The sea was calm, without wind or waves, resembling an unblemished mirror. ording to the system''s exnation, the sea within the Shallow Seashore sub-Ecopark was all shallow waters, equivalent to the real-world nearshore coastal waters. Even the underwater terrain wasn''t particrly uneven.


    The seafloor was covered in various types of seaweed, aquatic nts, and small aquatic creatures that served as food for Water-type Pok��mon. The most diverse aspect of the seafloor was the myriad corals and coral reefs.


    Not far from the shore in the sea, there was a small ind. The ind was lush with leaves and adorned with colorful fruits, even visible from a distance.


    Yuga realized that ever since his sub-Ecoparks had gradually opened, he no longer had to worry about running out of fruits. Everywhere within the sub-Ecoparks where vegetation could grow, there were fruit-bearing trees nted. He felt that he couldfortably raise several Snox without any pressure.


    Soon, Yuga noticed that the spot he was standing on was also a small ind. He followed the shoreline and saw a small stream flowing from the center of the ind to the sea.


    Yuga decided to follow the stream upstream. Along the way, he encountered bountiful fruit trees. Finally reaching the center of the ind, he found ake identical to the oasis in the desert sub-Ecopark. Theke was crystal clear, allowing Yuga to even see the underwater nts at the bottom.


    The system informed Yuga that there were a total of three inds within this area, and the situation on each ind was identical.


    Yuga couldn''t help but sigh; it seemed the attractions of these sub-Ecoparks were likely mass-produced.


    Returning to the beach, Yuga released all the witzer and uncher. He said to them, "From now on, this will be your new home."


    The witzer and uncher, who hadn''t been in the water for several days, eagerly crawled into the sea from the beach, enjoying themselves by swimming freely.


    The well-spaced corals in the sea naturally became the nesting grounds for the witzer and uncher. They were very satisfied with their new home. The bright lighting and clear seawater here were much better than the dark environment of the cave where they used to live.


    witzer and uncher were foreign Pok��mon, so they had always struggled to be epted by the native sea-dwelling Pok��mon. That''s why they had lived in the gloomy cave, guarding the wrecked ship.


    These Pok��mon, like Lapras, Seel, Sharpedo, and Wailord, usually lived in the sea, and it was rare to see them in freshwater environments. This was why Yuga chose to release them by the seaside instead of in the centralke of the main ind.


    Comparatively, Greninja, also a Water-type Pok��mon, seemed to prefer theke that he had just seen. Yuga could tell from its expression, even though it had lived in the sea before.


    Afterward, Yuga carefully ced the witzer and uncher eggs in the Shallow Seashore sub-Ecopark and then headed to the Desert sub-Ecopark to check on the Gligars and Flygon.


    Fortunately, they hadn''t caused any trouble during the days Yuga was absent. They appeared to be training well, and their energy seemed quite high.

 Chapter 155: Contents of the Black Box

    <h4>Chapter 155: Contents of the ck Box</h4>


    After checking on Gligar and Flygon, Yuga took another trip to the Shallow Seashore with Great Flygon, Chief Flygon, and Gliscor to introduce them to Koga''s Greninja and Chief Empoleon, ensuring there wouldn''t be any conflicts in the future due to unfamiliarity.


    He ced his Pok��mon Florges, Chimecho, Absol, and Vivillon into the Ecopark and then stepped out. It was then that he remembered the spoils he had brought back from his uncle''s house.


    Opening the box containing three different evolution stones, Yuga gazed at the sparkling Thunder Stone, Water Stone, and Fire Stone, each radiating like precious gems. His mood was greatly lifted.


    Yuga nned to hand these three evolution stones over to Suzuki Koen to be sold in the store. He also asked Windy to update this information on the "YoYo Day Care" website so other trainers could buy them online. With the quantity of these evolution stones, he believed they would be enough tost for quite a while.


    As for the Prims Scales and Light y, Yuga didn''t currently have a use for them, so he stored them directly in his system backpack.


    Finally, he turned his attention to the remaining ck box.


    Slightlyrger than a human head, the ck box was a perfect cube with clean, symmetrical sides, exuding an air of mystery. Its surface was pitch-ck, and the material couldn''t be discerned.


    Yuga picked up the ck box and felt its weight. He noticed one side of the box had a 9x9 grid with 49 raised squares that could be moved.


    However, the grid was quite small, only about the size of a human thumbnail, and the squares were even smaller. Given the darkness of the box, it wasn''t surprising that Yuga hadn''t noticed them at first.


    "Could this be the method to open the box?" Yuga pondered.


    Yuga attempted to move the squares using his fingers, but they were toorge for the grid. He then found a needle and used it to manipte the squares, making them more maneuverable. However, even after a considerable effort, he couldn''t figure out the pattern for moving the squares and thus couldn''t open the box.


    The system''s voice chimed in his head, [ Host, this is a mechanism created by ancient humans to safeguard valuable items. It requires a special method to unlock. ]


    Hearing this, Yuga sighed in frustration, "But I don''t know the special method."


    The system replied, [ Host, you can move them ording to my instructions. ]


    "Are you familiar with the method?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    [ Yes, Host ] the system confirmed.


    Yuga felt a surge of relief. Indeed, his external assistant was truly versatile, showcasing its brilliance. With the system''s guidance, Yuga sessfully moved the 49 squares to their correct positions. With a clicking sound, the raised squares swiftly retracted into the grid, aligning seamlessly and forming the pattern of a Greninja.


    Following the system''s instructions, Yuga pressed down on the Greninja symbol, and the ck box made a clicking sound before opening. Yuga peered inside and saw the contents.


    Neatly arranged in a circr pattern were nine translucent evolution stones: Water Stone, Fire Stone, Thunder Stone, Leaf Stone, Moon Stone, Sun Stone, Dusk Stone, Dawn Stone, and Awakening Stone. Each type of evolution stone was represented, and Yuga''s gaze was drawn to the center, where a round stone with spiral patterns was ced.


    Nine evolution stones plus one Mega Evolution Stone��this surprise waspletely unexpected.


    Yuga noticed that the Sun Stone in the box was exactly the same as the high-quality Sun Stone the system had previously rewarded him. With its regr shape and sparkling rity, it was a true beauty.


    This meant that the other eight evolution stones treated with the same care were also high-quality evolution stones.


    Yuga''s face lit up with joy as he touched the nine high-quality evolution stones and the Mega Evolution Stone. He couldn''t help but marvel at how fitting the contents of the box were. Indeed, the most valuable items were stored inside.


    Once his excitement subsided, Yuga turned to the system and asked, "By the way, do you know which Pok��mon this Mega Evolution Stone is for?"


    The system replied, [ Gyarados! ]


    It turned out to be a Gyarados Mega Evolution Stone. Yuga felt a twinge of disappointment. It would have been perfect if it were for Absol instead. Was he going to have to capture a Gyarados to utilize it?


    Chuckling at his own wandering thoughts, Yuga shook his head. He was overthinking things, especially since he didn''t even possess a Key Stone. He decided to ponder that matterter. With that, he stored the Gyarados Mega Evolution Stone in his system backpack.


    As he stored the high-quality evolution stones as well, Yuga noticed that Audino was beckoning to him while wearing a pink apron.


    For a moment, Yuga felt as if he were a husband being called to dinner by his diligent wife. However, this notion quickly sent a chill down his spine as he realized he was truly single��his perceptions were certainly skewed. Even a pink demon seemed pleasing to the eye.


    Yuga checked the time and realized it was already dinnertime. He went upstairs to fetch Windy and found him absorbed in hisputer.


    Yuga knocked on his door, but Windy didn''t respond. Knocking again, Yuga said, "It''s time for dinner!."


    Hearing this, Windy closed hisptop and turned to look at Yuga.


    "Let''s go eat!" Yuga said before leaving Windy''s room. Windy followed suit, mirroring Yuga''s steps.


    Around the dining table, Yuga, Windy, and Audino sat as usual, with a meticulously prepared dinner in front of them. However, Audino''s te still contained a few Pok��blocks.


    Yuga picked up his chopsticks, lifted a piece of ribs, then put it down again, and picked it up once more. Wherever Yuga''s chopsticks moved, Audino''s eyes followed.


    After repeating this several times, Audino finally realized Yuga was teasing it. It looked at Yuga with teary eyes and a pouting expression.


    Seeing Audino''s reaction, not only did Yuga burst intoughter, but even Windy, who was usually reserved, couldn''t help but smile.


    "Let''s see if you dare to mess around next time!" Yuga put away his smile, deliberately adopting a serious expression as he addressed Audino.


    Audino shook its head vigorously in response, indicating that it wouldn''t dare to do so.


    Yuga decided to stop teasing it, but he maintained a stern look and said, "I''ll spare you this time, but if you dare to do this again, I''ll show you what I''m capable of."


    "Audino!"


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Audino cheered happily and immediately pushed the Pok��blocks aside. It eagerly indulged in the dishesid out on the table.


    Ever since Yuga had arrived in this world, he had struggled to adapt to the local cuisine. Eventually, he shared his past life''s recipes with Audino, and now their household prepared meals based on those recipes.


    The first time Windy and Suzuki Koen dined at Yuga''s home and tasted these dishes, they grew to love them. Over time, everyone became ustomed to eating this way.

 Chapter 156: Evolution, Evolution, Evolution

    <h4>Chapter 156: Evolution, Evolution, Evolution</h4>


    Since he had just returned from his trip today and felt a bit weary, Yuga decided to turn in early after dinner.


    The next morning, Yugapleted the daily training with his Pok��mon and called over Vulpix and Murkrow.


    "Vulpix, Murkrow, have you both wanted to evolve all along?" Yuga asked.


    Both Pok��mon''s eyes lit up at Yuga''s words, and they nodded eagerly.


    Seeing their enthusiasm, Yuga smiled as he took out the high-quality Fire Stone and Dusk Stone from his system''s backpack. He addressed them, "Considering your diligence and hard work in training, I''ll grant your wishes today."


    Although they had already guessed Yuga''s intention from his words, their hearts still filled with joy upon seeing the Evolution Stones.


    Both Murkrow and Vulpix took the Evolution Stones from Yuga and bit down on them. Soon, a white light enveloped their bodies as the evolution process began.


    In the white light, Vulpix''s body grew taller and more slender. Suddenly, its six short tails extended rapidly, resembling the unfurling of a peacock''s tail feathers. The tails lengthened from six to nine.


    Murkrow''s stature also grew taller, its sleek figure expanding. The hat-like crest on its head became even more prominent.


    Once the white light dissipated, two entirely new Pok��mon stood before Yuga.


    ...


    <<nales>> </nales>


    Type: Fire


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Drought


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 31


    Moves: Power Swap, Will-O-Wisp, methrower, Seal, Feint Attack, me Burst, Volt Switch, Charge Beam, Safeguard.


    ...


    <<honchcrow>> </honchcrow>


    Type: Dark/Flying


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Insomnia


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 30


    Moves: Peck, Wing Attack, Haze, Screech, Foul y, Dark Pulse.


    ...


    Indeed, the two high-quality Evolution Stones weren''t in vain. Both Vulpix and Murkrow, previously having green Potentials, evolved into Pok��mon with Blue Potentials.


    "Congrattions, Nales and Honchcrow."


    Seeing his Pok��mon sessfully evolve, Yuga felt extremely happy. Among his partners, Honchkrow and Nales were the earliest Pok��mon he had captured aside from his main battle team. He had a deep emotional connection with them.


    Both Pok��mon were ted by Yuga''s congrattions. Nales affectionately nuzzled Yuga''s palm with its head, while Honchcrow yfully pped her stronger wings.


    Seeing the formidable Honchkrow that Murkrow had evolved into, Swellow, who had been perched on a weather tree, flew down and attentively rubbed its head against Honchkrow''s feathers, much like a devoted wife. But after Honchkrow''s evolution, even with its wings folded, it was taller than Swellow. It unceremoniously brushed Swellow aside with its wings.


    Yuga couldn''t help but mock, "Hey, hey, hey, Swellow, you''re the boy here! What happened to your masculinity? Your kingly demeanor? Even if you manage to win Honchkrow overter, you''ll still be henpecked!"


    While Honchkrow and Swellow''s interaction unfolded, Houndoom approached Nales from somewhere and affectionately rubbed her neck with her head.


    The key was that Nales didn''t resist this interruption. Instead, it warmly reciprocated Houndoom''s affection. It was so sweet that Yuga felt he didn''t need breakfast anymore; he was already full on dog food.


    When did you two be so affectionate? Why didn''t Dad know?


    Perhaps Vulpix was too small before, not suitable for a romantic rtionship with the muchrger Houndoom. So, the two Pok��mon had endured it, waiting until Vulpix evolved into Nales.


    Realizing this, Yuga shook his head vigorously to dispel these silly thoughts. What am I thinking? How does any of this make sense? My adorable Vulpix can''t possibly have such thoughts!


    Indeed, the apple doesn''t fall far from the tree. Even when they''re in love, they don''t bother telling their dad. Dad wasn''t even prepared for this.


    After sending off Nales and Honchkrow, Yuga joined the young Pok��mon. He summoned two Eevee, who wanted to evolve into Vaporeon and Jolteon, from the group.


    "Come on, evolve!" Yuga ced the high-quality Water Stone and Thunder Stone in front of the two Eevee.


    "Eevee!"


    "Eevee!"


    Both Eevee jumped in delight and then ced their right front paws on the Evolution Stones.


    The moment their paws touched the Evolution Stones, the evolution process began.


    After Evolution, a blue Vaporeon Pok��mon with a fish-like tail and a yellow Jolteon covered in spikes appeared before Yuga.


    ...


    <<vaporeon>> </vaporeon>


    Type: Water


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Hydration


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 17


    Moves: Aqua Ring, Help, Tackle, Sand Attack, Volt Switch, Swift Swim, Water Pulse.


    ...


    <<jolteon>> </jolteon>


    Type: Electric


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Volt Absorb


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 15


    Moves: Help, Tackle, Volt Switch, Thunder Shock.


    ...


    Without any surprises, the Potentials of both Pok��mon changed from the Green to the current Blue Potential. Amendable achievement.


    "Vaporeon!"


    "Jolteon!"


    After evolving, the two Vaporeon and Jolteon lowered their heads to examine their new bodies. They looked left and right, even lifting their feet to examine them. Feeling a bit unfamiliar, they looked at each other and noticed that their buddy''s appearance had also changed.


    After evolving into Vaporeon and Jolteon, their bodies were significantlyrger than when they were Eevee. When they rejoined the other Eevee, the rest of the Eevee gazed at them with admiring eyes.


    Seeing their friends'' envious expressions, Vaporeon and Jolteon, who were still getting used to their new forms, immediately became proud. They walked ahead of the other five Eevee with heads held high, their proud expressions undeniable.


    They demonstrated their newly learned moves, Water Pulse and Thunder Shock, to theirpanions. This led to another round of cheers and excitement.


    Watching their childish behavior, Yuga chuckled. Even after evolving, they couldn''t shake off their childish nature.


    Once they left the Ecopark, Suzuki Koen had already returned to work at the shop. Yuga informed her about the Evolution Stones and assigned her the task of selling them. Suzuki Koen readily agreed.


    After freshening up, Yuga heard the roars of the Flygon from outside, knowing that Windy had returned from his run. He invited him to join for breakfast at the dining area.


    At the table, Windy said, "Yesterday, a customer asked me if he could reserve a Pok��mon for his daughter."


    "Reserve? What do you mean? Aren''t the Pok��mon in our shop already avable for reservation?" Yuga found Windy''s words a bit confusing.


    Windy exined, "His daughter''s situation is different from others. She hasn''t reached the age to be a trainer yet and can''t purchase Pok��mon from the Day Care."

 Chapter 157: The Rejected Business

    <h4>Chapter 157: The Rejected Business</h4>


    There isn''t a specific rule in the League about the age at which someone can own a Pok��mon; such matters are rather hard to regte.


    For instance, when a child below the regted age has their own Pok��mon and the League investigates, since there''s no registration information, they can simply im that the Pok��mon belongs to their parents or siblings. There''s no way to dispute this, so the League usually doesn''t interfere in such cases.


    However, for those under ten years of age, even if they have their own Pok��mon, the League won''t recognize them as trainers and will also refuse to register them as trainers.


    This means they don''t have the right to purchase Pok��mon from any of the Day Cares either.


    Of course, you might suggest that the parents buy the Pok��mon in their name and then transfer them to their child, but in reality, this doesn''t work in legitimate Day Cares.


    When you purchase a Pok��mon from a proper Day Care, they bind the Pok��mon''s information to you. This information is then transmitted to the League''s database, and your citizen information gets updated ordingly. The Pok��mon bes non-transferable.


    Day Cares have to pay taxes to the League for their business operations. Each legitimate transaction is recorded. However, some Day Cares might choose to evade taxes illegally, but there''s not much that can be done about that.


    In the case of this customer, his daughter wasn''t of the age to be a trainer yet. Naturally, he wasn''t looking to secretly purchase a Pok��mon from YoYo Day Care against regtions. So, he came up with the idea of "reservation."


    The children who qualify to receive a starter Pok��mon from their local Pok��mon Professors have their parents pay a fee to the League every year until the day they''re eligible to receive their starter Pok��mon.


    Of course, the total amount paid to the League over the years is less than what they would have paid in the market for an equivalently priced Pok��mon. This can be considered one of the League''s benefits.


    This arrangement shares simrities with Yuga''s installment n in some ways. However, they aren''t opting for an installment n due to financial constraints; it''s more of a formality.


    This customer proposed to pay a yearly fee to YoYo Day Care just like the starter trainers'' parents do to the League. Then, when his daughter bes old enough to be a trainer, he woulde to YoYo Day Care to receive her Pok��mon.


    Yuga thought for a moment, then got the customer''s contact information from Windy and reached out to him after breakfast.


    Using a video call, Yuga found it convenient for discussing business, as meeting in person wasn''t possible.


    "Hello, Mr. Kobayashi," Yuga greeted the middle-aged man on the other end of the video politely. "I''m the owner of YoYo Day Care, Shimizu Yuga."


    "Hello, Mr. Shimizu!" Mr. Kobayashi seemed taken aback at seeing Yuga, clearly not expecting the owner of YoYo Day Care to be such a young boy.


    But as someone with some experience, he recovered quickly and asked, "I wonder, Mr. Shimizu, what do you think of my proposal?"


    Rather than answering his question directly, Yuga posed a question of his own. "Mr. Kobayashi, I assume you''re a businessman?"


    Mr. Kobayashi nodded in the video, perplexed. "Yes, that''s right. I''m a businessman. But does this have something to do with what we''re discussing today?"


    "No, it doesn''t. I just find your proposal very innovative. You seem to have put a lot of thought into purchasing Pok��mon from us." Yuga smiled.


    "So, that means you agree!" Mr. Kobayashi said excitedly, disying his deep affection for his daughter.


    However, Yuga''s next words dashed his hopes.


    "No, I''m sorry to disappoint you, but your proposal is something we cannot execute."


    "Why?" Mr. Kobayashi was visibly confused. If Yuga found his idea good, then why the rejection?


    "Mr. Kobayashi, your business dealings are unrted to the Pok��mon industry, correct?" Yuga once again brought up Mr. Kobayashi''s business.


    "That''s right, it has nothing to do with the Pok��mon industry." Mr. Kobayashi didn''t understand why Yuga kept bringing up his business, but he answered honestly.


    "Exactly. If you had experience in the Pok��mon industry, you''d understand immediately. Your idea might work well in other fields, and I even think it''s a good idea for our industry. However, it''s not feasible in practice." Yuga''s words were straightforward, but Mr. Kobayashi became even more puzzled.


    "Why?"


    With patience, Yuga exined:


    "Your idea might be great in other industries, and it''s certainly appealing in our line of work too. But appealing as it is, the reality is that it can''t be practically implemented.


    The Pok��mon industry is different from other industries. It concerns all the trainers in the Pok��mon world and consequently, the world''sbat power. As a result, the League''s attention to our industry can''t bepared to that of other sectors.


    Other industries pay taxes based on their profits, but our industry isn''t just about profits; we also need to provide proof of the Pok��mon sold to the League.


    If I were to follow your proposal, I''d receive a sum of money each year, but when ites to paying taxes, I wouldn''t be able to provide the League with proof of the Pok��mon sold. What would you suggest in that case?"


    After hearing Yuga''s exnation, Mr. Kobayashi finally realized that his idea was somewhat presumptuous. He didn''t understand the industry at all, yet he had casually given his suggestions.


    "Since this method is unworkable, why did you even bother contacting me? It would have been fine to reject me outright," Mr. Kobayashi asked, puzzled.


    Yuga replied with a smile, "I initially thought that if you were suggesting this, there must be a way to implement it. If it were possible, I personally would have been quite interested in your proposal. It''s just that I didn''t expect..."


    Yuga''s sentence was left unfinished, and Mr. Kobayashi felt quite embarrassed. He quickly apologized, "I''m really sorry; I didn''t consider this thoroughly."


    Yuga shook his head and said, "It''s alright. Your idea itself is good. Maybe one day it''ll be feasible!


    If you still wish to buy a Pok��mon for your daughter when she''s old enough, YoYo Day Care will wee you anytime."


    "But your reservation slots..."


    Mr. Kobayashi was a bit hesitant. It was extremely challenging to secure a reservation slot at YoYo Day Care. There were only three slots avable each month, and with so many people vying for them, there was no shortcut to sess. How could he possibly secure one?


    Understanding Mr. Kobayashi''s predicament, Yuga smiled and reassured him, "Just bring your daughter over when the timees. Don''t worry about the reservation slots. Let''s consider it a way for us to be friends."


    Mr. Kobayashi hadn''t expected such a turn of events. With great excitement, he asked, "Really?"


    "Of course, it''s true."


    After ending the conversation with Mr. Kobayashi, Yuga let out a long sigh. He felt a bit ufortable speaking so formally and seriously with others.


    Initially, he had thought of expanding the Day Care''s business, but it turned out to be a futile effort. However, this experience also opened up new avenues for Yuga''s thoughts, allowing him to consider efforts in this direction in the future.


    The author just wants to be honest; can''t we keep up with voting for rmendation and monthly tickets? Can''t we put in a little more effort for subscriptions? Begging all the book-loving friends for their support.

 Chapter 158: New Pokémon on Sale

    <h4>Chapter 158: New Pok��mon on Sale</h4>


    After finishing the conversation with Mr. Kobayashi, Yuga called Windy to his side and said, "Starting today, we''ll be selling another type of Pok��mon."


    Windy was aware that Yuga had captured quite a number of witzer and uncher, so he had a hunch about what type of Pok��mon Yuga was referring to.


    "Is it the uncher?" Windy asked.


    Yuga nodded and said, "Yes, but we have a rtively small number of unchers, so we can''t offer one every month. Let''s set it at one every three months."


    "Understood," Windy replied, and then he opened hisputer and modified the main interface, adding a fourth box for the new Pok��mon.


    "Are we starting sales this month?" After making the changes, Windy looked up and asked Yuga.


    "Yes, starting this month. Here''s the information for the uncher for this month." Yuga handed over a piece of paper with the uncher''s information to Windy. "I''ll have Linoone bring it overter. Take a picture of it and upload it to the website along with the information on this paper."


    An hourter, Windy had everything ready. The photo and information for the uncher were uploaded to the website.


    Although the YoYo Day Care''s website was essible to the entire Pok��mon world, due to the shop''s policies, the primary customer base was still from the Hoenn region.


    After the uncher was put on sale, Yuga retreated to his room, took out hisputer, and essed the YoYo Day Care''s website to see the reaction to the new addition.


    Opening the website''s discussion area, he found it to be quite lively. Yuga casually skimmed through thements.


    "Another rare Pok��mon is up for sale. Gotta admit, YoYo Day Care sure knows how to do business."


    "Another green-potential Pok��mon, huh? Hurry up and snatch it, it won''t be avable if you''rete!"


    "The person above, by the time you posted that, you probably won''t have a chance anymore!"


    "The new Pok��mon is called uncher? What kind of Pok��mon is that?"


    "The person above probably isn''t even a real Trainer! Can''t you read more books in your free time? Don''t you know you can just search online and get 9102 results?"


    "Allow me to educate you for free. uncher, a Water Gun Pok��mon, Water type..."


    "Why does the quantity of this Pok��mon seem even scarcer than the other two? One every three months? When will those of us with bad luck ever get a chance?"


    "The person above thinks high-potential Pok��mon are allmbs to be ughtered? After one batch is gone, there''s always another."


    "You think the YoYo Day Care''s sales quota is just a gimmick? They probably decide who they''re selling to in advance, that''s why we can never get one no matter how hard we try."


    "The person above must be nuts. What benefit do they get from spreading such conspiracy theories about others?"


    "That''s right, always resorting to conspiracy theories for everything."


    "I advise you to be kind. What do you gain from smearing others?"


    ...


    Reading thesements, Yuga found them quite interesting. While there were both positive and negative remarks, overall, the response was good. Pok��mon had never been hard to sell for the YoYo Day Care.


    In fact, recently, the YoYo Day Care had gained quite a bit of attention among a small group of Trainers, especially those specializing in Ground-type Pok��mon.


    The initial two gship Pok��mon that the YoYo Day Care showcased were both Ground-type Pok��mon and, furthermore, extremely rare ones from that type. When these two Pok��mon were confirmed as real, they immediately caught the attention of many Ground-type Trainers.


    However, the YoYo Day Care''s allocation of sales slots was extremely limited, so most people had no chance of obtaining them, and thus, it didn''t really create much of an impact.


    Later on, the YoYo Day Care introduced a Ground-type Pok��block called "Heavies," which had an excellent effect and was very suitable for consumption by Ground-type Pok��mon. After it was put on sale, anyone who bought it had nothing but positive feedback, which further solidified the YoYo Day Care''s reputation among many Ground-type Trainers.


    Hence, the YoYo Day Care had gained a certain level of poprity within this small nichemunity.


    The response to the new uncher was quite positive after being put on sale. The only point that was widely criticized was the fact that it was offered only once every three months. Other than that, everything seemed to be in order.


    However, most people understood this, as it was widely known that high-potential Pok��mon were not easy to cultivate. That''s why their prices were so high.


    Trainers who were familiar with both uncher and witzer knew that they were both exceptional Pok��mon with rtively low cultivation difficulty. Therefore, Yuga wasn''t worried about their sales.


    Sure enough, not long after, Yuga received a message from Windy that the buyer for the first uncher had been confirmed.


    Usually, once someone made a reservation at the YoYo Day Care, the avable slots on the website would be removed. The slots would only be made avable on the website again if the person who made the reservation wasn''t suitable after Yuga or Suzuki Koen conducted an assessment.


    As soon as the slots were taken down from the YoYo Day Care''s website, there was a reaction in the discussion area.


    "They''re moving so fast! I hesitated for a moment and now it''s gone!"


    "Just as expected, YoYo Day Care is still YoYo Day Care. Their slots are always out of reach."


    "The Pok��mon is great and all, but making people go to their store... a bit..."


    "The person above, if you don''t want to go, there are plenty of people who do!"


    "Missed out on it again. When will the goddess of luck favor me for once?"


    "Ah, they used to say that YoYo Day Care selling Gligar and Trapinch was a scam. Now it''s really attractive..."


    ...


    ncing through thements, Yuga felt that the current reputation of YoYo Day Care was quite good. He closed hisputer, called Windy over, and asked him to provide the customer information for the uncher reservation.


    Yuga received the name of the customer from Windy, and he was taken aback. He didn''t expect the customer for this reservation to be this person.


    This individual was undoubtedly a well-known figure, practically a household name in the Hoenn region. Yuga hadn''t expected that they would meet under these circumstances, and he found himself feeling somewhat excited.


    However, Yuga also realized that given this person''s status, it was surprising that they chose to purchase a Pok��mon from a rtively unknown Day Care like YoYo Day Care.


    Upon further thought, Yuga understood. There was likely only YoYo Day Care in the entire Hoenn region that had uncher. While this species wasn''t incredibly rare in the Kalos region, finding a high-potential one wasn''t easy.

 Chapter 159: Celebrity Customer

    <h4>Chapter 159: Celebrity Customer</h4>


    On the afternoon of the third day after receiving the reservation, Yuga, who was making Pok��blocks with Audino, was informed by Suzuki Koen that the customer who wanted to buy the Pok��mon had arrived.


    When Yuga entered the shop, he saw a person with green hair wearing a white Windybreaker sitting by the customer service table in the middle of the store.


    Yuga first signaled for Linoone at the entrance to bring the uncher from the Ecopark. Then, he walked briskly toward the customer.


    "Hello, Mr. Wace."


    As he approached the customer, Yuga proactively greeted him.


    Indeed, the visitor was Wace, the other champion of Hoenn besides Steven.


    However, unlike Steven, who was still rtively unknown, Wace was already a well-known figure.


    He was the most representative figure of the Pok��mon Contest in Hoenn, winning first ce in his very first participation in the Grand Festival. Since then, he had been unstoppable. Every Pok��mon Contest he participated in, others undoubtedly became supporting characters. He had already won the Grand Festival multiple times, rightfully earning the title of Contest Master.


    Although he hadn''t participated in any Pok��mon Contest in thest two years, it was said that he was preparing to inherit the position of his instructor, Juan, the Gym Leader of the Sootopolis City Gym.


    Even so, Wace remained a miracle in the history of the Pok��mon Contest. Although he hadn''tpeted for a long time, he still frequently appeared as a judge in various contests.


    In this regard, he even outshone Yuga''s friend, Robert. One could say he was a genius among geniuses.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s voice, Wace turned his head and then stood up, extending his right hand and smiling as he addressed Yuga, "Finally meeting you, Mr. Shimizu. I''ve been looking forward to meeting you."


    ??? At this moment, Yuga''s mind was filled with question marks. "Looking forward to meeting me? Do we know each other?"


    Despite his immense confusion, Yuga shook hands politely with Wace and then invited him to sit.


    Seeing Yuga''s utterly bewildered expression, Wace exined with a smile, "I heard about you from Robert."


    "Robert? You know each other?" Yuga asked in puzzlement. He seemed to have never heard Robert mention this.


    "Of course, we''re fellow disciples!"


    Wace''s casual remark left Yuga thoroughly shocked.


    Wace and Robert were fellow disciples? What kind of surprising twist was this?


    "In other words, you two are both disciples of Gym Leader Juan?" Yuga asked uncertainly.


    "Yes." Seeing Yuga''s shocked expression, Wace gave an affirmative answer.


    So that''s it. After learning this, Yuga realized that these three individuals had something inmon �C each of them had a Milotic.


    When Gym Leader Juan was young, he had been a top-tier Coordinator. He had participated in the Pok��mon Contest multiple times and won the Grand Festival. He was a truly top-ss Coordinator, and even now, he still had numerous fans from the Pok��mon Contest.


    His signature Pok��mon at the time was Milotic, andter, as he became a Gym Leader, Milotic continued to be active in Gym challenges.


    Wace was even more renowned for his Milotic. Whenever people talked about Milotic, the first person who came to mind was Wace.


    Wace and Juan could be said to be the two most famous Milotic trainers in the Hoenn region.


    As for Robert''s Milotic, although it hadn''t be his gship Pok��mon yet, it undoubtedly would in the future. With its exceptional talent, there was absolutely no doubt about it.


    However, if there was one major difference between Robert and his master and fellow disciple, it was that Juan and Wace were both well-known Water-type trainers, whereas Robert only had Milotic as a Water-type Pok��mon.


    Now that Yuga understood the rtionship between Robert and Wace, he realized that Wace''s visit to purchase a Pok��mon might have something to do with Robert''s influence.


    "I see, so Robert and Mr. Wace are fellow disciples!" Yuga had known both individuals from the original work in his previous life, but he hadn''t expected that these two had this connection.


    "Not only Robert, I''ve also heard about you from Gym Leader Juan!" Now that Yuga had finally grasped the connection, Wace spoke again.


    "Gym Leader Juan?"


    Wace continued, "Yes, as per what Mr. Norman told me, you were very active during the recent incident at the Lilycove City TV station. He''s currently putting in a good word for you with the League."


    "I didn''t expect you to know Mr. Norman as well." This time, Yuga wasn''t surprised by Wace knowing Norman. Since both of them were Gym Leaders, with one being the Gym Leader and the other being a disciple, it wasn''t strange for them to know each other. After all, Robert also knew Norman.


    "Yes, I''m about to inherit my master''s Sootopolis Gym, so I''m quite familiar with Mr. Norman."


    Hearing Wace''s response, Yuga sighed. It seemed that rumors weren''t just empty talk. The rumor he had heard was indeed true.


    "By the way, does Mr. Wace know what''s happening with the Team Aqua?" Yuga was a bit curious. After exposing himself and Norman to the League regarding the Team Aqua, he wasn''t sure what would happen next.


    Upon hearing Yuga mention the Team Aqua, Wace''s expression turned serious. "This matter is rted to League confidential information. I can''t disclose the specifics to you." After a moment of thought, he continued, "However, the League is taking this matter very seriously. Not only have various Gym Leaders been notified to assist in the investigation, but the Guardians have also taken action."


    Hearing Wace''s response, Yuga nodded. It seemed that the League had no intention of letting the Team Aqua off the hook. He wondered whether this fledgling criminal organization would meet its demise here.


    However, Yuga didn''t have any sympathy for these individuals. Treating the destruction of the world as a noble ideal, Yuga felt that their minds were twisted. With such a beautiful world, why were they always fixated on destruction? Wouldn''t it be better for everyone to work together and fill this world with love and peace?


    Just as Yuga and Wace were talking, Linoone led an uncher to their presence.


    The information about the uncher was publicly avable on the Yoyo Day Care website, including its growth status, abilities, learned moves, and level. Therefore, upon seeing the uncher, Wace didn''t inquire about these details. Instead, he squatted down to examine the uncher.


    After inspecting it, he found that the uncher''s growth status and health were consistent with what was mentioned on the website. He turned to Yuga and said, "The Pok��mon is in good condition. Let''s proceed with the formalities."


    Although Wace was a celebrity and Robert''s senior, Yuga didn''t skip any of the required procedures.

 Chapter 160: Sorrow

    <h4>Chapter 160: Sorrow</h4>


    After bidding farewell to Wace, who left in a hurry, Yuga felt the need to contact Director Mond of the Day Care Center. He had previously informed Director Mond about the problematic Pok��mon eggs he had taken from Lavaridge Town, stating that he should be notified in the future if more such eggs arrived.


    Upon calling Director Mond, Yuga learned that eggs like these were not frequently sent to the Day Care Center. The Pok��mon hatched from such eggs often had significant issues, making them difficult to sell. The League distributed these eggs to various city Day Care Centers to share the burden.


    However, there were many Day Care Centers in the Hoenn Region, resulting in long intervals between each batch they received. Director Mond also mentioned that most of these eggs remained unsold and were hatched directly at the Day Care Centers due to prolonged storage.


    The League had a n for the Pok��mon hatched in these circumstances. They had established several Trainer schools to cultivate new Trainers, and these Pok��mon were sent to the schools as practicepanions for young students who couldn''t yet own their own Pok��mon.


    Reflecting on this, Yuga couldn''t help but be amazed at how the League''s intricate system operated like a well-oiled machine, with each part ying its role to maintain stability.


    Although the League wasn''t perfect, it did ensure peace and stability in the Pok��mon world. Yuga had seen his fair share of abandoned Pok��mon in towns, even in serene ces like Verdanturf Town. Some were once battlepanions, some were former pets, and others were descendants of long-forgotten Pok��mon.


    These domesticated Pok��mon, having lost their ability to survive in the wild after generations of captivity, struggled to find their ce in towns devoid of fruit-bearing trees and natural prey. They relied on the kindness of some humans, scraping by on meager scraps. Unfortunately, hunger and scarcity had be their norm.


    While some might argue that sending problematic Pok��mon to Trainer schools was unfair or disrespectful to them, it was a chance for these abandoned and struggling Pok��mon to find some happiness. For them, even living as practicepanions for young Trainers was better than starving on the streets, battling for survival.


    Yuga knew that while the League had established clearws against abandoning Pok��mon, some people still resorted to it. Over time, the poption of stray Pok��mon in towns had grown steadily. The League had established Pok��mon rehabilitation centers for these abandoned Pok��mon, but the sheer number of them, including their offspring, made it a challenging issue to address effectively.


    Yuga empathized with these Pok��mon, but he also recognized his limitations as an individual. In ancient times, humans domesticated, tamed, and utilized Pok��mon. In the modern era, most people considered Pok��mon friends, partners, and even family. The rtionship between humans and Pok��mon was evolving, but it was a gradual process. The struggle and adaptation of these abandoned Pok��mon were a result of that ongoing evolution.


    Just like the industrial revolution in Yuga''s previous world had brought progress but also pollution, these changes in the Pok��mon world had their own challenges. Yuga''s conversation with Director Mond about the uing batch of problematic eggs reminded him of how intricately connected humans and Pok��mon were, and how their interactions shaped the world around them.


    On the other end of the line, Director Mond''s familiar rough voice greeted Yuga, "Hey, Yuga. Have you returned from Lilycove City?"


    Yuga chuckled, responding, "Yes, I just got back not long ago. I wanted to give you a call right away."


    The conversation continued as they discussed the new batch of eggs that had arrived, and Yuga made ns to visit the Day Care Center and examine the eggs. Despite the challenges andplexities of the Pok��mon world, Yuga remained determined to contribute positively to the lives of these Pok��mon, no matter how small his efforts might be.


    Yuga proposed, "When do you have some time? I cane over to your ce."


    Director Mond chuckled on the other end, "I''m avable anytime. Juste to the center, and you''ll find me."


    "Alright, I''lle to Lavaridge Town tomorrow."


    "You''re always wee!"


    Yuga sincerely thanked Director Mond, saying, "I appreciate your help, Director Mond."


    Director Mond replied, "Oh, it''s no trouble at all. If anything, I should thank you. These problem eggs were tough to get rid of, and you doing us this favor is a big help."


    Although the Lavaridge Town Day Care Center was a subsidiary of the League, they were still required to meet certain performance goals. Yuga''s willingness to help dispose of problematic eggs was a significant assistance to them.


    The Day Care Center in Lavaridge Town was rtively small and primarily served private Day Cares, much like the previous YoYo Day Care. Each transaction held importance for them.


    After ending the call, Yuga returned to working on Pok��blocks alongside Audino and the other Pok��mon.


    Recently, the sales of "Heavies" had been on the rise. Besides catering to Gligars and Trapinch''s needs, they also needed to maintain sufficient inventory for the store. Even with Audino and the others helping, Yuga found the workload overwhelming.


    Should I consider hiring a dedicated breeder? Yuga contemted.


    Typically, Day Care came equipped with dedicated breeders, even the smaller ones. The only exception seemed to be YoYo Day Care, whichcked dedicated breeders.


    Understandably, when YoYo Day Care was established, it focused solely on selling Pok��mon eggs. There wasn''t much need for breeders back then.


    After Yuga took over the Day Care and expanded its offerings to include young Pok��mon, he handled everything himself. With the addition of Audino and other Pok��mon to help, the idea of hiring a breeder seemed less pressing.


    As the business flourished and the number of Pok��mon in the Ecopark increased, Yuga realized that relying solely on himself and Audino would eventually be insufficient.


    However, he decided that this was something to consider down the line. For now, they could manage the workload.

 Chapter 161: Return to Lavaridge Town

    <h4>Chapter 161: Return to Lavaridge Town</h4>


    The next morning, after finishing the morning training with his Pok��mon in the Ecopark, Yuga turned to Suzuki Koen, who had already arrived at the shop, and said, "I have something to do in Lavaridge Town today. I''ll leave the shop to you."


    Suzuki Koen nodded and reassured Yuga, "Don''t worry, I''ll take care of the shop."


    Yuga sneakily nced at Audino, who was busy making breakfast in the kitchen, and whispered to Suzuki Koen, "Especially keep an eye on Audino. Don''t let it make a mess while I''m gone."


    Understanding what Yuga meant, Suzuki Koen suppressed a smile and replied in a low voice, "Don''t worry, I''ll keep an eye on it." After a pause, she added, "Including Windy."


    Yuga gave Suzuki Koen a yful "You understand" look.


    After breakfast, Yuga set out with his Pok��mon, riding on the back of the Great Flygon, to Lavaridge Town.


    For this rare asion, Yuga didn''t bring Florges, Absol, or Vivillon. Instead, he brought Nales, Houndoom, Honchkrow, and Chimecho.


    Lavaridge Town used to be the home of these four Pok��mon, and Yuga wanted to take them back to visit, allowing their formerpanions to see how they had grown.


    Of course, the main focus was on Houndoom and Nales. Honchkrow and Chimecho had always lived on their own in the wild, so the concept ofpanions didn''t really apply to them.


    In addition, Yuga also brought Budew, since its friendship task was not yetplete.


    Lavaridge Town was very close to Verdanturf Town, and with the speed of the Great Flygon, it didn''t take long for Yuga to arrive.


    Rather than stopping within Lavaridge Town, Yuga continued to fly to the outskirts, where the Lavaridge Town Day Care Center was located.


    As Yuga descended from the Great Flygon in the open air, the staff member of the Day Care Center, Kerry, appeared at the entrance.


    Upon seeing Yuga, Kerry waved and greeted, "Long time no see. Didn''t expect you to arrive so quickly."


    disembarking from the Great Flygon, Yuga smiled and greeted Kerry, "Long time no see. I didn''t have much to do at home, so I came early. By the way, is Director Mond here?"


    Upon hearing Yuga mention Director Mond, Kerry immediately nodded and said, "Yes, he''s here. Follow me, I''ll take you to him. He told us that when you arrived, we should take you to him right away."


    Apanied by Kerry, Yuga arrived in the garden of the Day Care Center and found Director Mond. When they arrived, Director Mond was inspecting the health of a Shroomish.


    "Director, Mr. Shimizu is here!" Kerry called out to Director Mond from behind.


    Upon hearing Kerry''s voice, Director Mond turned around and upon seeing Yuga, he smiled and said, "So, Little Yuga is here. I didn''t expect you toe so quickly. I thought you wouldn''t arrive until at least this afternoon."


    Yuga smiled and replied, "When you have something to do, it''s better to get it done early."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Director Mondughed heartily and agreed, "You''re right, you''re right. Just give me a moment. After I finish treating this Shroomish''s injuries, I''ll take you to select the Pok��mon Eggs."


    As Director Mond began carefully treating the injured Shroomish, Yuga observed him and noted that although Director Mond had a rough appearance and a bold way of speaking, he was actually very gentle and considerate.


    Yuga watched him tend to the Shroomish''s injuries with tenderness and precision. The Shroomish didn''t show any signs of pain, and its expression remained rxed.


    After finishing treating the Shroomish, Director Mond stood up and said to Yuga, "Come, let''s go take a look at the Pok��mon Eggs."


    Yuga followed Director Mond to the same ce where he had previously selected the eggs. There, he found the gically wed Pok��mon Eggs that were still ced in the corner.


    Director Mond pointed to those eggs and said to Yuga, "Those Pok��mon Eggs are all here. After you selected thest batch, apart from a few that were sold, the rest hatched and were sent away."


    Yuga nodded, then activated his "Insight" skill to examine the Pok��mon Eggs. Instantly, the view before him became colorful and vibrant.


    Yuga carefully selected the Pok��mon Eggs with green or higher qualities, though the quantity this time was not as much as the previous batch.


    In thest batch, Yuga had selected a total of 32 Pok��mon Eggs with green or higher qualities, including several with blue potential. However, this time he only managed to pick out 20, with just one having a blue potential. The disparity was quite significant.


    It seemed that his luckst time had been quite good.


    After choosing the Pok��mon Eggs, Yuga bid farewell to Director Mond and didn''t linger at the Day Care Center.


    "Director Mond, when the next batch of Pok��mon Eggs arrives, could you please let me know?" Before leaving, Yuga asked Director Mond.


    Director Mond chuckled and said, "Don''t worry, I won''t forget about you. But do you really not need us to help deliver your Pok��mon Eggs?"


    "No need, it''s only 20 Pok��mon Eggs. It''s not cost-effective for you to make a special trip to Verdanturf Town. I''ll take them back myself," Yuga declined Director Mond''s offer.


    With his system backpack, Yuga could simply toss the Pok��mon Eggs into it once he left the confines of the Day Care Center. It was very convenient.


    Under the watchful gaze of Director Mond and Kerry, Yuga released Chimecho. Using its psychic abilities, Chimecho carried the Pok��mon Eggs and boarded the back of the Great Flygon.


    The Pok��mon Eggs were all protected by incubators and wouldn''t be easily damaged. In this way, Yuga left the outskirts of Lavaridge Town and flew in the direction of Mt. Chimey.


    Yuga''s next objective was to bring Nales and Houndoom to visit their formerpanions.


    Once out of sight of Director Mond and the others, Yuga directly had Chimecho use its psychic powers to carry the 20 eggs. They were easily stored in his system backpack.


    "Chimecho, Chimecho..."


    With the burden of the eggs lifted, Chimecho let out a rxed sigh of contentment. Using its psychic powers to control the 20 eggs without damaging them was still quite a challenge for Chimecho.


    After stowing away the eggs, Yuga took out Chimecho''s Pok�� Ball and recalled it. In the instant it was recalled, Chimecho couldn''t help but think, "What a jerk, he just uses me and then tosses me away!"


    After recalling Chimecho, Yuga released Budew and cradled it in his arms. If Chimecho could express its thoughts, it would probably be cursing Yuga for being fickle��loving something new and discarding the old!


    "Budew, Budew, Budew!"


    From Yuga''s embrace, Budew had a novel experience looking downward. It happily waved the two petals on top of its head, and then a white light emanated from its body.

 Chapter 162: Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 162: Reunion</h4>


    "Roselia."


    As the white light dissipated, the Budew that was in Yuga''s arms had disappeared, reced by a beautiful Roselia.


    Unlike other Roselias, the flowers on the hands of Yuga''s Roselia were a vibrant red color, not the usual mix of blue and red.


    "Roselia, Roselia!"


    Afterpleting its evolution, the Roselia happily hugged Yuga and called out.


    At the same time, the voice of the system sounded in Yuga''s mind.


    [ Congrattions to the host forpleting the friendship task. Budew has evolved into Roselia. ]


    [ Reward: Grass-type Universal Pok��block Form and Poison-type Universal Pok��block Form. ]


    Yuga nced at his system backpack and found that there were indeed two new Pok��block forms inside. It was undoubtedly the Grass-type and Poison-type Universal Pok��block Forms.


    Happily hugging the Roselia, Yuga congratted it, "Congrattions on evolving, Roselia."


    "Roselia, Roselia!"


    Clearly, Roselia was also pleased with its evolution.


    Yuga used his Insight skill to look at Roselia''s data.


    ...


    <<roselia>> </roselia>


    Gender: Female


    Type: Grass, Poison


    Ability: Natural Recovery


    Level: 20


    Skills: Absorb, Growth, Water Sport, Stun Spore, Magical Leaf, Leech Seed, Poison Sting.


    ...


    This Roselia truly lived up to its peak Green potential. It had just reached level 20, yet it had already acquired such a diverse set of skills.


    Under the high-speed flight of the Great Flygon, Yuga quickly arrived at the foot of Mt. Chimey. He followed the same path he had taken before to search for the cave where Houndoom''s tribe used to live.


    Fortunately, Yuga had a good memory. Following his recollection, he finally found the cave he remembered.


    When he reached the cave entrance, Yuga released Houndoom. Seeing the familiar ce before it, Houndoom extended its neck and let out a long howl.


    Hearing this long howl, the Houndour inside the cave all rushed out. However, upon seeing Houndoom, they hesitated for a moment. Evolved Houndoom no longer resembled its former small self, and its personality was no longer as submissive. As a result, its kin couldn''t recognize it.


    However, after Houndoom called out to them a few times, they eagerly gathered around Houndoom. Their eyes conveyed not only the joy of reuniting but also curiosity about Houndoom''s drastic change.


    Houndoom and the group of Houndour chattered away, sometimes casting curious nces at Yuga.


    Yuga didn''t mind and didn''t interrupt their reunion. Instead, he called out to Houndoom from a distance, "Houndoom, I''ll take Nales to the mountaintop to see itspanions. I''lle back for youter."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Houndour turned its head and nodded at Yuga. Then, it continued to catch up with its kin.


    Yuga shook his head with a smile and, apanied by Roselia, headed toward the mountaintop.


    Yuga''s Nales had been a gift from Elite Mr. Moore. The mountaintop was also an important ce for Mr. Moore to raise Fire-type Pok��mon. Yuga wondered if Mr. Moore was there.


    Before Yuga and Roselia reached the mountaintop, they heard two voices��one old and one young��arguing.


    "Grandpa, can''t you go easy on me? With your strength, I''ll never be able to beat you in my lifetime!"


    "When battling, giving your all is the greatest respect you can show your opponent. If you keep holding onto that kind of thinking, you''ll never surpass me in your life."


    "Damn it! Quva, hold on! Use Stored Energy me Assault!"


    The young voice sounded increasingly impatient.


    Shortly after, a loud explosion rang out.


    "Quva! Are you okay?"


    When Yuga arrived, he saw a red-haired girl holding an incapacitated Quva. On the other side stood a spirited elderly man and a dignified Growlithe.


    These two were none other than Old Mr. Moore, who had given Yuga Nales, and his granddaughter nnery.


    Yuga''s arrival with Roselia quickly caught the attention of Old Mr. Moore and nnery.


    "It''s you!"


    nnery shouted, clearly recognizing Yuga. He was the one who defeated her outside of Lavaridge Town.


    "It''s you! Why are you here?"


    Old Mr. Moore also had an impression of the young man he had given a Vulpix to. So, when Yuga arrived, he recognized him.


    "I''m here to bring Nales back to see itspanions!" Yuga said, releasing Nales from its Pok�� Ball.


    "Nales!"


    As soon as Nales appeared, it let out a happy bark. Evidently, it was delighted to be able toe back and see its old friends. When it saw Old Mr. Moore, it happily ran over and nuzzled him, clearly remembering him.


    Old Mr. Moore patted Nales'' head and said with a chuckle, "Good, good. It seems your new owner has raised you well."


    "Nales."


    Upon hearing Mr. Moore''s praise, Nales let out another joyful bark, agreeing with Mr. Moore''s words.


    While under Yuga''s care, Nales hadn''t been used as a primary battling Pok��mon, but it had received all the care it deserved. Whether it was training, food, or shelter, Yuga treated them all fairly and equally.


    After bonding with Nales, Mr. Moore raised his head and said to Yuga, who was standing nearby, "Young man, would you like to battle me using Nales?"


    A battle with an Elite Trainer? Yuga hadn''t expected Mr. Moore to propose such a challenge and was momentarily stunned.


    "What? Not willing?" Mr. Moore wasn''t annoyed by Yuga''s hesitation; instead, he smiled and asked.


    Hearing Mr. Moore''s words, Yuga quickly shook his head. "Why wouldn''t I be willing? It would be an honor to battle you."


    At that moment, nnery, who was holding her Quva, spoke up. "I think it''s better to forget it. How could he possibly be Grandpa''s match?"


    Hearing nnery''s words, Mr. Moore said solemnly, "nnery, if you keep holding onto that kind of thinking, you''ll never surpass me in your life, and you won''t have the chance to inherit the Lavaridge Gym."


    After Mr. Moore''s reprimand, nnery said with a hint of grievance, "Why? Am I wrong in saying that?"


    "Whether it''s right or wrong, you need to figure that out for yourself. You''re not a child anymore; there are some things you need to understand on your own." Mr. Moore finished speaking and got ready for the battle with Nales alongside his Growlithe.


    With Mr. Moore ready, Yuga and Nales were not to be outdone.


    The Growlithe''s level was simr to that of Nales. It was slightly higher at level 32, but its potential was only Green, making it considerably weaker than Nales. In any case, the power gap between the two Pok��mon wasn''t significant.


    Yuga''s Nales didn''t ck off just because it was battling its former owner. On the contrary, it was even more enthusiastic. Its nine long tails, which usually swayedzily, were now held high and swung forcefully from side to side, exuding a powerful aura.

 Chapter 163: Ninetales and Growlithe

    <h4>Chapter 163: Nales and Growlithe</h4>


    The battle was about to begin, and Yuga''s Nales had the Hidden Ability "Drought." As the battle started, Yuga felt the sun above growing brighter and the temperature around him rising rapidly due to the Drought''s effect.


    Unfortunately, both Pok��mon on the field were Fire-types, so the Drought''s effect didn''t give Nales any advantage.


    Mr. Moore, the old man, had an Growlithe with the Intimidate ability. At the start of the battle, Nales visibly flinched from the pressure of Growlithe''s presence. However, since Nales wasn''t reliant on physical attacks, the Intimidate''s effect had limited impact.


    Seemingly intentionally going easy on Yuga, Mr. Moore didn''t let Growlithe make the first move. Instead, he allowed Nales to have the first opportunity.


    "Nales, use methrower!"


    As Yuga''smand fell, Nales lifted its head high and released a stream of mes that swept towards Growlithe.


    "Growlithe, use Heat Wave!"


    Mr. Moore''s Growlithe stomped its front paws onto the ground, causing a crimson heat wave to surge forward like a tide at the beach. The Heat Wave and Nales'' methrower fiercely intertwined.


    Yuga had checked Growlithe''s information and knew about this move, but he hadn''t expected Growlithe to use it so skillfully, beyond his imagination.


    "Nales, use Trickery."


    Yuga understood that, given Nales'' current output capability, taking down Growlithe was somewhat challenging.


    Most of Nales'' moves were Fire-type, which wasn''t very effective against Growlithe, another Fire-type. However, Growlithe had learned many non-Fire-type moves through leveling up, allowing it to effectively damage Nales. Therefore, Yuga chose to temporarily forgo attacking and opt for reinforcement.


    "Growlithe, Bite and stop its Trickery!"


    Mr. Moore certainly wouldn''t stand idly by while his opponent reinforced. He immediately ordered Growlithe to stop Nales.


    Growlithe, with its powerful legs, swiftly approached Nales, its mouth oozing with Dark-type energy. It looked like it was about to bite Nales.


    "Nales, use Quick Attack!"


    Using the advantage of Quick Attack''s preemptive strike effect, Nales forcefully collided with Growlithe, sending it flying.


    However, the effect of Nales'' Quick Attack was limited due to Growlithe''s Intimidate, causing Nales'' attack to decrease substantially.


    "Growlithe, use Fire Spin."


    Having been knocked into mid-air by Nales, Growlithe, under Mr. Moore''smand, transformed into a zing wheel and fiercely lunged towards Nales.


    "Nales, use Quick Attack to dodge!"


    Using Quick Attack''s lightning-fast speed, Nales easily evaded Growlithe''s attack, causing the Fire Spin to create a deep crater in the ground.


    Crawling out of the pit, Growlithe faced off against Nales. The two Pok��mon were now locked in a standoff.


    "Young man, you''re quite skilled. It''s no wonder you made a name for yourself in Lilycove City."


    As the two Pok��mon momentarily halted their attacks, Mr. Moore, smiling, addressed Yuga.


    ??? When did I be so famous? Even the Elite Trainer like Mr. Moore knows about my heroic deeds? Yuga thought in astonishment.


    Seeing Yuga''s perplexity, Mr. Moore, being of advanced age, could read his thoughts and exined with a chuckle, "It was Norman who told me. He put a lot of effort into promoting you! The moment he mentioned your name, I thought of you."


    So it was Mr. Norman again, Yuga thought. Mr. Norman truly goes to great lengths to promote me. I should find a time to thank him properly.


    "It''s Mr. Norman exaggerating," Yuga humbly replied.


    Mr. Moore shook his head and said, "I know Norman''s character well. Since he praised you, it means you''re worth the praise."


    Yuga thought to himself: Truly a veteran Elite Trainer, even a powerhouse like Mr. Norman is just a kid in his eyes.


    The battle continued as the two engaged in conversation again.


    Meanwhile, watching their intense battle, nnery was amazed by Yuga''s strength. She hadn''t expected Yuga to engage in such a fierce duel with her grandfather. He wasn''t even falling behind, considering she had been defeated by her grandfather''s Pok��mon after only a few moves.


    Is this the same Yuga I encountered before? Back then, he was only slightly stronger than me. How did he be so overpowering now?


    If Yuga knew what she was thinking, he would probably say, "You''re right, I''ve definitely leveled up."


    "Growlithe, Bite!"


    As the battle resumed, following Mr. Moore''s instruction, Growlithe raced forward, its four powerful limbs propelling it towards Nales. Its mouth was enveloped in a dark aura, looking fiercely aggressive.


    "Nales, use methrower."


    Chapter 164: Nales and Growlithe


    After being enhanced by the Trickery ability, Nales'' special attack power increased significantly. The mes it spewed were apanied by scorching heat, instantly engulfing the charging Growlithe.


    However, even though Growlithe appeared somewhat singed after the mes dissipated, it continued its fierce charge towards Nales without losing any momentum.


    Growlithe''s sharp teeth sunk into Nales'' back, causing Nales to let out a cry of pain. Then, with a vigorous twist of its body, Nales flung Growlithe off its back.


    "Nales, use Quick Attack to create distance from Growlithe, then continue using Trickery."


    Since fire-type moves had limited effect against Growlithe, Yuga could only choose to reinforce the attack continuously. After all, Nales only knew Quick Attack besides Trickery! Upon Yuga''smand, despite the pain, Nales transformed into a white light, instantly moving far away from Growlithe. After putting some distance between them, it resumed using Trickery to enhance itself.


    Seeing this, Growlithe immediately tried to catch up, but without any speed-boosting abilities, it couldn''t keep up with Nales.


    Although Quick Attack was an attacking move, it also had an elerating effect. By suddenly increasing its speed, Nales collided with its opponent, causing damage. Utilizing this effect, Nales distanced itself from Growlithe andpleted its second enhancement.


    With two enhancements and the sunny weather caused by Drought''s ability, Nales'' fire-type attacks finally reached a point where they could effectively damage Growlithe.


    "Nales, use methrower!"


    The mes spewed by Nales had already reached an extremely high temperature, and even Yuga standing at a distance could feel the rising ambient temperature.


    Facing Nales'' formidable attack, Mr. Moore, the old man, didn''t sit idle. He calmlymanded, "Growlithe, use Heat Wave."


    The collision between the mes and the heat wave was simr to the techniques they used at the beginning of their battle. However, this time the heat wave couldn''tpletely halt the advance of the mes. The mes broke through the heat wave, instantly submerging the small form of Growlithe.


    After the mes dissipated, Growlithe copsed to the ground.


    Yuga''s heart raced. He had won!


    However, Nales, seeing Growlithe lying down, immediately ran over in concern. Luckily, Growlithe wasn''t severely hurt. Mr. Moore simply treated its injuries, and it soon woke up.


    Seeing Growlithe regain consciousness, Nales joyfully bumped its head against Growlithe''s. Growlithe responded by happily nuzzling back.


    Observing this, Yuga thought to himself: Hey, Nales, ease up a bit! Acting like this, your girlfriend Houndoom might get jealous! Even though both of you are males, there''s something called...


    Mr. Moore, on the side, burst intoughter. "Even after being apart for so long, your rtionship is still so strong."


    From Mr. Moore''s words, Yuga learned that before Nales left, it was best friends with Growlithe.

 Chapter 164: Homeward Journey and the Defiant Taillow

    <h4>Chapter 164: Homeward Journey and the Defiant Taillow</h4>


    While Yuga was engrossed in conversation with Grandpa Mr. Moore, nnery on the other side was left inplete shock.


    She never could have imagined that Yuga would actually defeat her own grandpa, her admired and respected grandpa. Her grandpa, who was one of the Elite Four of Hoenn, how could he be so easily defeated? Who was her grandpa? How could he have lost like this?


    Devastated and doubting life itself, nnery watched as Mr. Moore, Yuga, and Nales left for the volcanic crater where Nales used to live.


    The Pok��mon in the volcanic crater were the ones Mr. Moore kept here. The rich fire Pok��emitted near the crater promoted the growth of fire-type Pok��mon.


    Compared to thest time Yuga had been here, not much had changed in the crater. It still housed a variety of fire-type Pok��mon. Among them, the most prominent were the same Typhlosion and Charizard that Yuga had seen earlier.


    These two Pok��mon were sprawled near the magma, dozing off contentedly, asionally letting out a hearty snort.


    Seeing his oldpanions, Nales bounded over joyfully. However, much like the case with Houndoom, initially no one recognized the elegant and beautiful Nales as the once petite Vulpix.


    Yet, with a little exnation from Growlithe, everyone soon realized, and familiarity was rekindled.


    Watching Nales happily reconnecting with its friends, Mr. Moore, the old man, contentedly remarked, "You''ve nurtured Nales very well."


    Yuga humbly replied, "It''s Nales'' own effort."


    Mr. Moore chuckled and shook his head. "No matter how hard Nales works, it couldn''t have grown without your help. When I gave you Vulpix back then, it was just because I didn''t want you to return empty-handed after climbing the mountain. I never expected you to be so much more remarkable than I thought."


    At this moment, Mr. Moore recalled his granddaughter, nnery. Although she was not much younger than Yuga, she was far from making a breakthrough. This was probably the difference between a genius and an ordinary person.


    Unbeknownst to Mr. Moore, the young man before him might not necessarily be a genius, but he was undoubtedly quite gifted.


    After Nales finished reminiscing with its old friends, Yuga bid farewell to Mr. Moore.


    Watching Yuga, Nales, and Roselia heading down the mountain, Mr. Moore turned to nnery and said with a mix of frustration and exasperation, "Learn something from him. You''re almost driving me insane."


    "Oh," nnery, who hadn''t fully recovered from the earlier shock, replied listlessly, further infuriating Mr. Moore.


    When Yuga returned to Houndoom, he saw Houndoom teaching the other Houndour some techniques. After a brief moment of affection with Nales, Yuga recalled it into its Pok�� Ball.


    After bidding farewell to Houndour and the others, Yuga released Great Flygon, hopped on its back, and flew towards Verdanturf Town.


    As Yuga leisurely rode Great Flygon back home, passing over a forest, he suddenly noticed a vast "dark cloud" moving in his direction.


    Upon closer look, it wasn''t a "cloud" at all, but arge group of Taillow, their eyes red and charging furiously at Yuga.


    Yuga thought to himself, "What bad luck have I gotten myself into? Just going home, and now trouble is rushing to greet me."


    "Caw!" "Caw!" "Caw!"...


    As the Taillow drew closer, their raucous cries invaded Yuga''s ears, greatly agitating him.


    Originally, Yuga nned for Great Flygon to turn and avoid the Taillow, but its speed was too fast. As a result, it collided headfirst into the group.


    These Taillow began pecking fiercely at Yuga with their beaks, attacking him like a barrage of raindrops.


    Fortunately, the Taillow were all low-level Pok��mon. When their attacks hit Yuga, he merely felt a bit of pain and wasn''t significantly hurt.


    Finally, unable to endure any longer, Yuga said to Great Flygon, "Great Flygon, use Rock Slide."


    Great Flygon had grown tired of these annoying flies circling around. Upon hearing Yuga''smand, it didn''t hold back.


    Numerousrge rocks appeared above the Taillow''s heads under Great Flygon''s control, then mercilessly came crashing down.


    These low-level Taillow couldn''t withstand Great Flygon''s brutal onught. They fell like dumplings, dropping from the sky.


    However, these Taillow were indeed as defiant as their name implied. They exuded an excessive amount of pride and confidence, evident by how, just as one wave of them fell to the ground, the next wave immediately took flight again.


    Facing the powerful Great Flygon, they showed no fear whatsoever. Time and time again, theyunched fierce attacks at Great Flygon.


    However, no matter how defiant these Taillow were, their stamina was not limitless. Eventually, they were brought down by Great Flygon''s might.


    What was going on with these Taillow? Yuga wondered. Taillow weremon Pok��mon in the Hoenn region. While they might not be gentle-natured, they certainly weren''t known for being aggressive. So why were they suddenly attacking people for no reason today?


    Yuga gentlynded on the ground while riding Great Flygon. After recalling Great Flygon to its Pok�� Ball, he took a look around the forest, hoping to uncover the reason behind the Taillow''s outbreak.


    Observing the forest for a while, Yuga realized it was an orchard. However, all the fruits from the trees had disappeared, leaving behind a carpet of discarded cores.


    It seemed that the Taillow''s revolt was triggered by the fact that something had eaten all their food, prompting them to attack Yuga.


    Taillow, being the kind of Pok��mon withrger appetites, generally consumed more than other bird-type Pok��mon. As a result, they attached more importance to their food.


    If anyone dared to touch the food within their territory, it was akin to murdering their parents��no different. Regardless of who the intruder was, Taillow would charge at them without hesitation.


    These Taillow were usually found inrge flocks, so most weak Pok��mon wouldn''t provoke them. Therefore, their food had always been safe.


    However, unexpectedly, this group of Taillow had suffered a great setback today.


    Picking up a discarded fruit core from the ground, Yuga examined it. He noticed that the one who had taken the Taillow''s food had eaten it quite cleanly, leaving no trace of fruit flesh.

 Chapter 165: The Big Eater’s Acquisition

    <h4>Chapter 165: The Big Eater''s Acquisition</h4>


    Yuga gazed at the trail of discarded fruit cores that extended deep into the orchard and couldn''t help but sigh at how immense this Pok��mon''s appetite was. Was it possible that it would devour the entire orchard?


    With Roselia by his side, Yuga followed the path of fruit cores, venturing further into the forest. He intended to uncover the culprit behind this incident.


    "Roselia," Roselia spoke up.


    Yuga, with Roselia at his feet, looked down as it tugged at his pant leg. He noticed Roselia pointing in a direction not far away.


    Following Roselia''s indication, Yuga''s gaze fell upon a massive Pok��mon whose body was partially concealed by dense branches and leaves. Its lower half was obscured by the foliage, and at its feety a carpet of fruit cores.


    Even without seeing its upper body clearly, Yuga knew what Pok��mon it was. With such an insatiable appetite andrge size, who else could it be but Snox?


    "Snox!" Yuga eximed.


    Approaching Snox, Yuga witnessed the Pok��mon with its eyes half-closed, its expression one of bliss as it continuously stuffed itself with the tree fruits.


    Quietly activating his Insight ability, Yuga learned more about Snox.


    ...


    <<snox>> </snox>


    Type: Normal


    Ability: Thick Fat


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 50


    Moves: Tackle, Rollout, Amnesia, Giga Impact, Rest, Hyper Beam, Earthquake, Blizzard.


    ...


    Impressive��Snox was indeed incredibly powerful. No wonder it could dominate the Taillow''s orchard.


    "Hey, Snox, do you know that these fruits have owners? You can''t just eat them recklessly," Yuga said as he approached Snox.


    Although Snox was arge Pok��mon, it had a gentle disposition, so Yuga wasn''t worried about being attacked.


    "Snox?"


    Hearing Yuga''s voice, Snox paused its eating, tilting its head in confusion as it looked at Yuga. Its dumbfounded expression somehow made it look endearing.


    "Do you understand what I''m saying? Your behavior is uneptable!" Yuga reiterated.


    Seeing Snox''s "I don''t understand what you''re saying" expression, Yuga repeated his words.


    Unable to feign ignorance any longer, Snox hastily shoved a fruit into its mouth, chewed a couple of times, and swallowed. Then, its eyes darted around, avoiding Yuga''s gaze.


    This was truly a rare sight. Yuga couldn''t help but think, weren''t Snox known to be honest and simple-minded? What was going on with the one in front of him? Had it undergone some sort of mutation? It was remarkably good at pretending to be clueless.


    "Even if you pretend, it won''t work! You''ve eaten up all this food. How will the Taillow cope? If it weren''t for you, we wouldn''t have been attacked by them. How should we ount for this?" Yuga sternly reprimanded Snox''s hical behavior.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s reprimand, Snox finally dropped the pretense. It patted its rotund belly, appearing somewhat aggrieved, indicating it had acted out of sheer hunger.


    Upon understanding this, Yuga had an idea on how to convince Snox toe home with him. After all, Yuga''s ecological garden was brimming with fruits, and he wasn''t afraid of Snox going hungry.


    Furthermore, there were specialized Pok��blocks on the market specifically designed for Snox. Just a small piece of it could instantly satisfy the Pok��mon''s ravenous hunger.


    "Snox, why don''t youe home with me? I have an abundance of food at home. If youe with me, you won''t go hungry anymore; you can eat to your heart''s content every day."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Snox''s half-closed eyes suddenly widened. They were filled with happiness, but quickly the Pok��mon hesitated, its gaze flickering between Yuga, as if doubting whether Yuga''s words were true.


    Seeing Snox''s skepticism, Yuga continued to assure it, "I''m telling the truth, I''m not lying to you. If you don''t believe me, just ask Roselia!" Yuga nced at Roselia and continued, "Roselia, tell me, do we have plenty of food at home?"


    "Roselia, Roselia!" While Roselia disapproved of being unjustly dragged into its owner''s scheming, it cooperated and "persuaded" Snox.


    Who knew if this was considered speaking one''s mind directly.


    Having received a confirmatory response from Roselia, Snox immediately perked up, nodding eagerly and agreeing to apany Yuga home.


    "Did you really agree?" Yuga ecstatically rubbed Snox''s squishy belly. In fact, when he first saw Snox, he had been curious about its tactile sensations. It didn''t disappoint��its soft fur and ample fat made it an ultra-premium cushion.


    Snox nodded, indicating that it had indeed agreed to go home with Yuga.


    Without further ado, Yuga produced a Pok�� Ball and said to Snox, "In that case, why don''t you go inside this Pok�� Ball?"


    Snox''s hefty paw pressed against the switch of the Pok�� Ball. A red light enveloped it, and in an instant, it was absorbed into the Pok�� Ball. The capture went smoothly; Snox didn''t struggle, and the Pok�� Ball ceased shaking.


    Hooray, Snox is captured!


    Feeling excited, Yuga impulsively imitated the standard actions that Ash Ketchum would do after capturing a Pok��mon, and afterward, he found it quite embarrassing.


    Blushing, Yuga sneakily nced at Roselia beside him and realized it wasn''t looking at him, which relieved him.


    Indeed, indulging in adolescent behavior was detrimental; it could make one feel awkward and embarrassed.


    After capturing Snox, descending from Great Flygon, Yuga released Chimecho, allowing it to create a Heal Pulse that helped the injured Taillow. He then hopped back onto Great Flygon and continued his journey back.


    As for the fruits Snox had eaten, there was nothing Yuga could do about them.


    This time, the journey back was smooth, and Yuga reached his doorstep without any issues.


    Yuga marveled at the convenience of having a flying Pok��mon mount. With one at his disposal, he couldplete trips from Verdanturf Town to Lavaridge Town within a single day. Yuga was amazed that he could go there in the morning and be back by afternoon.


    Stepping down from Great Flygon, Yuga didn''t take it back to the poke ball, so it flew to the rooftop andy down on its stomach.


    As Yuga entered the shop, Suzuki Koen hadn''t closed up yet. She was sitting behind the cashier''s counter, busy tallying the sales of Pok��blocks and evolution stones.


    Upon seeing Yuga return, she raised her head and smiled, saying, "You''re back. How did things go?"


    "Yeah, I''m back. Everything went smoothly." Yuga''s mood was upbeat, likely due to sessfully capturing Snox, which even lightened his tone.


    Suzuki Koen could also tell that Yuga was in high spirits. She informed him, "You''ve returned at just the right time. I''m about to finish up for the day, so I''ll leave the shop in your hands."


    Yuga nodded and responded, "Sure, go ahead and head back when it''s time. Oh, and what about Windy and Audino? They didn''t cause any trouble today, right?"


    Shaking her head, Suzuki Koen replied, "No, they were well-behaved today."


    Hearing her response, Yuga sighed in relief. It was a relief that Windy and Audino didn''t create any chaos in his absence, like they had thest time.

 Chapter 166: Buying a House

    <h4>Chapter 166: Buying a House</h4>


    After Suzuki Koen leaving the Day Care with Dian, Yuga headed to the Ecopark.


    Upon arriving at the Ecopark, Yuga ced the 20 Pok��mon eggs brought back from the Day Care Center under the weather tree, where the original 31 Pok��mon eggs were located. He instructed the Miltanks to take good care of them.


    Then, Yuga took out two Pok�� Ball and released two Taillows. These two Taillows were casually tamed by Yuga from the Taillow flock, both possessing green potential.


    As the two Taillows emerged, they appeared somewhat startled by the unfamiliar environment. Yuga said to them, "This will be your new home from now on. Get along well with the other Pok��mon and don''t cause trouble."


    With these words, Yuga departed.


    Unbeknownst to Yuga, as soon as he released the Taillows, Swellow perched on the crown of the weather tree took notice. It flew over to them and proceeded to subject the Taillows to a series of knocks and hits, ultimately making them its subordinates.


    The two Zubats that Yuga had previously brought back were simrly taken as subordinates by Swellow.


    Swellow had established its dominance within the Ecopark, and except for nearly the equivalent generation, no one dared to challenge it. Thus, when it decided to make someone its subordinate, the other Pok��mon naturally had no objections. Over the past few days, the two Zubats had been intensively trained by Swellow.


    As for why Swellow behaved this way, it was undoubtedly to impress its "goddess," the Honchkrow. It wanted to disy its masculine side in front of her.


    It had to be admitted that Swellow had a unique sense of humor.


    However, by chance, the training provided by Swellow had indeed improved the capabilities of the two Zubats significantly. In a way, it had done something beneficial.


    Yuga ced all the Pok��mon he had with him, including Roselia, in the main Ecopark. Then, he took Snox and arrived at the oasis in the middle of the Desert Sub-Ecopark, the only ce without Pok��mon.


    By thekeside of the oasis, Yuga released Snox and said, "This will be your ce to live from now on. You can freely eat any of the fruits from the trees around here." Yuga pointed towards the abundant fruit-bearing trees around theke.


    "Snox!"


    Excitedly, Snox let out a loud call and eagerly reached for the nearest fruit on a branch, stuffing it into its mouth and starting to eat.


    Back in the Taillow forest, Snox had been interrupted by Yuga before it could eat its fill. Now, faced with thisvish feast, it couldn''t hold back any longer.


    Focused on its meal, Snox paid no attention to Yuga. Likewise, Yuga didn''t disturb it and turned to the territory of the Gligars.


    These days in the Ecopark had beenfortable, with plenty to eat and drink. The Gligar tribe had entered their peak breeding period, and many female Gligars hadid Pok��mon eggs.


    Although the potentials of these Gligars were all green or higher, a portion of the Pok��mon eggs they produced were still of yellow potential, causing Yuga some distress.


    Afterward, Yuga went to the Flygon territory and found a simr situation there. However, the Flygon produced fewer low-potential Pok��mon eggs. After all, they had received the blessing of the Guardian Orb for generations, making their gic heritage superior to the Gligars.


    How should these Pok��mon eggs be handled? Discarding them wasn''t an option. But they couldn''t remain in the Ecopark either, as allowing them to hatch and mate with other high-potential Pok��mon would negatively impact their offspring.


    After much consideration, Yuga reached a decision: to revive the business of selling Pok��mon eggs.


    He decided to continue his previous practice of selling these yellow-potential Pok��mon eggs in the store. Unlike with juvenile Pok��mon, there wouldn''t be a monthly limit; the Pok��mon eggs would be sold as many as there were avable.


    However, trainers interested in purchasing these Pok��mon eggs would have toe to the store themselves. Unlike Pok��mon, Pok��mon eggs couldn''t be contained in Pok�� Ball and transported using Trade Machine.


    Reviving the Pok��mon egg business would require a shop, and the counter that had previously held Pok��mon eggs had been repurposed for Pok��blocks and was no longer usable.


    At this moment, Yuga suddenly thought of Grandpa Banana. His house hadn''t been sold yet, and Yuga currently had the funds for a new property. So why not buy it and convert it into a store?


    Grandpa Banana''s house was considerablyrger than Yuga''s, and it had a more prestigious appearance. Unlike Yuga''s two-story building that appeared somewhat run-down on the outside.


    However, this was just from the outside. After undergoing systematic renovations, the interior had a charming feel to it.


    Yuga immediately contacted Grandpa Banana and arranged a meeting to discuss purchasing the house.


    Grandpa Banana was no longer in Verdanturf Town; he had been taken to Rustboro City by his grandson Rei. If Yuga wanted to meet him, he would have to wait until tomorrow when Grandpa Banana returned.


    Fortunately, Rustboro City wasn''t far from Verdanturf Town, directly connected by Route 116, with only the Rusturf Tunnel in between. Traveling between the two ces by car was very convenient.


    The next afternoon, Grandpa Banana returned to Verdanturf Town, apanied by his grandson Rei. They met with Yuga at Grandpa Banana''s house.


    "Little Yuga, it''s been a long time. I didn''t expect you to grow this tall," Rei remarked nostalgically. He remembered that when Yuga was a child, he used to follow behind him.


    "Yeah, Big Brother Rei, it''s been a while. You haven''t been back to Verdanturf Town much since you left."


    Yuga''s impression of Rei was based on his original memories. He didn''t really know much about Rei, especially since they hadn''t seen each other in years.


    "I went to study in Rustboro City, then worked there, got married. Naturally, I came back less often."


    Rei also felt it �C despite their strong bond from childhood, after so many years apart, they were mostly strangers now. Moreover, Yuga wasn''t the same as he used to be.


    Without dwelling too much on the past, Yuga and Grandpa Banana signed the contract, proceeded to handle the property transfer procedures, paid the necessary taxes, and received the property deed.


    For the purchase of Grandpa Banana''s house, Yuga spent just over a million, roughly equivalent to the price of selling two green-potential Pok��mon.


    Once the house was sold, Rei immediately took Grandpa Banana back to Rustboro City without lingering in Verdanturf Town. Yuga thought that there might not be another chance to meet them again, so he bid them farewell.


    However, Grandpa Banana was still attached to Verdanturf Town. After all, he had spent his entire life here. His wife had passed away here, his son and grandson had grown up here, and there were so many old neighbors who had beenpanions for a lifetime. But now, Verdanturf Town no longer held a ce for him.

 Chapter 167: League Reward

    <h4>Chapter 167: League Reward</h4>


    After buying the house, in order to use it as a shop, it needed renovation. In this regard, Yuga didn''t personally know anyone, so he contacted the Dark Swamp Construction Team, who had helped him build the Ecopark. Dark Swamp Construction Team had quite awork in this field and quickly connected Yuga with a renovationpany.


    However, Dark Swamp Construction Team was friends with Yuga''s uncle. He informed his uncle about Yuga''s ns for renovations, and his uncle even came over to take a look.


    Yuga had initially thought his uncle would scold him for spending money recklessly, as he had tried to dissuade him when he wanted to build the Ecopark.


    But to his surprise, his uncle not only didn''t reprimand him, he even praised him.


    During this time, the development of the YoYo Day Care hadn''t escaped the notice of Yuga''s uncle and aunt. They felt immense gratification and pride that their nephew was able to independently support the family''s business. They understood Yuga''s growth.


    Yuga''s original self was quite the underachiever. His uncle and aunt knew this very well. During the time of his parents'' passing, they had been worried that Yuga would spiral downward.


    Now seeing Yuga truly growing, they finally felt relieved. So instead of opposing his expansion of the Day Care, his uncle was very supportive. He believed that today''s Yuga could certainly n his future well.


    Knowing his uncle''s thoughts, Yuga was deeply moved. Although they weren''t his true uncle and aunt, their affection for him was genuine.


    After bidding farewell to his uncle, Yuga received a call from Mr. Norman, who informed him that the League had decided on his reward.


    "Mr. Norman, I''m really grateful to you. I heard from Mr. Wace that you put in a lot of effort for my reward," Yuga expressed his gratitude to Mr. Norman over the phone.


    Mr. Norman didn''t think he had done anything wrong. He said, "You''ve made contributions to the League, so isn''t it natural for them to reward you? Why thank me?"


    "It''s not that simple. Even if it''s a reward, there are different levels of rewards. Anyway, I want to thank you."


    Yuga didn''t think that just because he had achieved something, Mr. Norman had an obligation to help him in various ways.


    Mr. Norman understood what Yuga meant. Rewards did indeede in different levels. Without Mr. Norman''s efforts, Yuga''s reward might not have been as good.


    With a smile, Mr. Norman said, "Let''s not exchange pleasantries. Let''s get to your reward."


    "Given your substantial contributions this time, the League''s reward for you is quite generous. Besides the usual League points, considering that you also run a Day Care, we''ve decided to provide you with a batch of high-potential breeding Pok��mon."


    Hearing this, Yuga was overjoyed and hastily asked, "Is this true? The League really wants to reward me with a batch of high-potential breeding Pok��mon?"


    Mr. Norman had already guessed that Yuga would be pleased with this reward. As he had expected, as soon as Yuga heard the news, he was ecstatic.


    "Of course it''s true. Why would I lie to you? But since you''re being rewarded with breeding Pok��mon, your League points will be slightly reduced as a trade-off."


    Yuga wasn''t overly concerned about League points. He wasn''t currently a registered trainer in the League. Though he often considered himself a trainer, he was essentially a wild one.


    For him, League points could only be used like currency at the moment. Moreover, he didn''t have anything specific he wanted to buy.


    "The League has provided a list of breeding Pok��mon. You can choose one from this list." With that, Mr. Norman showed Yuga a paper over the video call.


    Through the screen, Yuga saw the list: Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Golduck, Machamp, Ariados, Ampharos, Gastrodon, Drapion, Liligant, Leavanny, Tsareena.


    There were a total of eleven options. Yuga first ruled out the Pok��mon that required evolution stones to evolve: Nidoking, Nidoqueen, and Liligant.


    For some trainers, purchasing a high-potential Pok��mon could deplete their savings, only to require further expenditure on expensive evolution stones after purchase, which put them in a difficult situation.


    YoYo Day Care already had an example with the Gligar, so Yuga didn''t want to add another one, even though some of the Pok��mon were truly powerful.


    Next, he excluded the Water-type Pok��mon, Golduck and Gastrodon. Yuga actually liked Gastrodon quite a bit, as it had fewer weaknesses and was great for nurturing. However, the Day Care already had the Water-type witzer, so it didn''t make sense to choose another Water-type Pok��mon.


    Then came Ariados, Leavanny, and Drapion. Ariados and Leavanny was quite ordinary as a Bug-type Pok��mon and didn''t stand out either. As for Drapion, its fierce appearance might frighten children.


    That left him with Ampharos, Machamp, and Tsareena to choose from.


    Without hesitation, Yuga chose Tsareena. And here''s why...


    Firstly, he wanted to emte the League''s Three Starter Pok��mon which included Water, Fire, and Grass-type Pok��mon as their main lineup. Therefore, the Grass-type Tsareena was the best choice.


    Secondly, whenparing the beautiful "Miss" (Tsareena) to the muscr "Mister," (Ariados) it was obvious he would choose the beautiful "Miss."


    Actually, Yuga quite liked Ampharos, but in the Johto region''s Mareep Farm, there were plenty of Mareep. So he decided to skip on it.


    "I choose Tsareena," Yuga told Mr. Norman.


    Mr. Norman nodded to indicate his understanding.


    "The number of breeding Pok��mon is ten. I''ll transmit them to you shortly. Go to the Pok��mon Center and wait. Your League points have been credited to your personal ount. You can go and check."


    After hearing Mr. Norman''s words, Yuga nodded.


    After ending the call with Mr. Norman, Yuga headed directly to the Pok��mon Center. Upon arrival, he received a message from Nurse Joy, saying that someone had sent him ten Pok��mon.


    Yuga was rtively well-known in the small Verdanturf Town, and he was somewhat familiar with Nurse Joy at the Pok��mon Center. Since he often brought his Pok��mon there for check-ups, they gradually became acquainted. So as soon as Yuga entered the Pok��mon Center, Nurse Joy spotted him.


    Having received the ten Tsareena Pok��mon in their Pok�� Balls from the Pok��mon Center, Yuga hurriedly returned home. He was eager to take a look at the newly acquired Pok��mon.

 Chapter 168: Settlement

    <h4>Chapter 168: Settlement</h4>


    Upon returning to the Day Care, Yuga went straight to the Ecopark. He didn''t ce the Tsareena in the main Ecopark but headed to the Shallow Seashore instead.


    Yuga felt that the center of the ind in the Shallow Seashore was a perfect habitat for the Tsareena. Besides, there was only one Greninja there, and it was a bit lonely. Introducing a few more Pok��mon would liven things up and providepany for the Greninja.


    Approaching thekeside at the center of the ind in the Shallow Seashore, Yuga saw Greninja lying on a tree, eyes closed in meditation. Upon hearing Yuga''s approach, Greninja slightly opened its eyes, nced at him, and then closed them again.


    "Greninja, I''ve brought some newpanions for you today. You won''t be alone here anymore."


    Yuga called out to Greninja on the tree.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Greninja finally fully opened its eyes, but it just went from lying down to sitting up.


    Yuga released the ten Tsareena Pok��mon from their Pok�� Balls. They seemed a bit bewildered, probably not used to the new environment.


    "Hello, everyone!"


    Yuga greeted the Tsareena Pok��mon cheerfully, trying to ease their nervousness.


    However, perhaps due to a prior notification, the ten Tsareena Pok��mon quickly settled down and curiously observed Yuga and Greninja.


    Using his Insight ability, Yuga checked the data of these ten Tsareena Pok��mon. He found that their data was quite average, with all having green potentials and being around level thirty. Their known skills were also quite simr, indicating they were likely mass-bred Pok��mon from the League.


    In Yuga''s Day Care, the Pok��mon were mostly raised with a more hands-off approach. Apart from setting their daily training routines, he didn''t intervene much. He believed that Pok��mon should have their own independent rights. This was also why Yuga had never delved into researching gic skills. Intervening in their choice of mates would undermine their autonomy, which he didn''t want to see.


    Yuga always believed that reality was not a game. Pok��mon had more potential and agency. Even without perfect gic skills, Pok��mon could still be exceptional through effort. The League''s approach seemed to contradict this belief. Their intervention in Pok��mon breeding likely resulted in the appearance of defective eggs.


    Yuga didn''t know the exact methods they used, so he couldn''t definitively say their approach was wrong. After all, they did optimize the Pok��mon'' genes, but from a humanitarian perspective, there were some ethical concerns.


    Just like these ten Tsareena Pok��mon, they seemed to have been produced through an assembly line, with identical levels, potentials, and skills.


    "From now on, this will be your new home. How do you like it here?" Yuga gestured to the surroundings and addressed the Tsareena Pok��mon. He then pointed to Greninja. "This is your neighbor. Despite its cold appearance, it''s actually a gentle Pok��mon." Otherwise, he wouldn''t have entrusted it to guard the eggs.


    Yuga had always thought of Tsareena as an extremely proud Pok��mon, cold yet powerful. However, these ten seemed a bit different. They were gentle andcked the imposing aura of a queen.


    Were their abilities Leaf Guard or the hidden ability Sweet Veil? But wait, their data had indeed indicated the Queen Majesty. Yet, their appearance and demeanor didn''t match their abilities.


    Yuga pondered for a while and concluded that it was probably rted to the League''s method of raising them.


    Yuga felt that he might need to help them regain their dignity as queens. But this could wait; there was something else more important.


    As a female-only species, the Tsareena would needpatible partners to breed. Their egg group was nts, so only Grass-type Pok��mon could be paired with them. However, not all Grass-type Pok��mon would do. The most typical Grass-type species from the Hoenn region, Sceptile, couldn''t be paired with them, as its egg group was Dragon and Monster,pletely unrted to nts.


    Besides Sceptile, Chesnaught from the Karlos region and Decidueye from the Al region were also unsuitable. Chesnaught''s egg group was Field, while Decidueye''s was Flying, neither having any connection to nts.


    Finding suitable partners for the Tsareena Pok��mon would require some effort.


    The Tsareena seemed to like their new home. However, they were a bit cautious around the stoic Greninja. Yuga believed that with time, they would realize that Greninja was actually a gentle Pok��mon.


    Leaving the Shallow Seashore, Yuga essed his personal ount and checked. As expected, his ount had gained 10,000 League points. It seemed that the League had invested quite a bit. 10,000 points wasn''t a small sum.


    However, Yuga didn''t currently have anything he wanted to purchase from the League shop, so he decided to leave those points as they were for now and use them when the need arose.


    Checking the time, Yuga realized it was afternoon, the time for physical training with his Pok��mon. He gathered them in the main Ecopark and led them to the Desert Sub-Ecopark.


    Yuga had been conducting physical training with his Pok��mon in the desert for a while now. The spacious terrain and the assistance of sand made it an ideal training ground.


    Each time they came for training, his four main fighting Pok��mon, Nales, Houndoom, Honchkrow, Flygon leader, Gliscor leader, and as well as the neers witzer leader, two Zubat, and two Taillow, all joined in.


    Furthermore, starting a couple of days ago, the former 31 Pok��mon babies also officially joined the training family.


    Why were they referred to as "former" Pok��mon babies? Because they had mostly passed their infancy stage, reaching an average level of around 15. Moreover, Budew and the two Eevee hadpleted their evolutions. They couldn''t be considered babies anymore no matter how you looked at it.


    However, for some reason today, the usually non-participating Swellow joined Yuga and the others in their training session.


    Even though there were quite a few Pok��mon to train every day, Yuga didn''t find it particrly taxing. Once the training routines were established, his role was mainly supervisory.


    Instructing the Pok��mon to follow their usual training routines, Yuga had the recently joined Taillow and Zubat, who were still unfamiliar with the routine, train alongside Honchkrow.


    As a senior in the Ecopark, Honchkrow, even after evolving and appearing somewhat more stern than before, was responsible and enthusiastic. It dly took on the task of guiding the Zubat and Taillow through their training.

 Chapter 169: The Changes Brought by Greninja

    <h4>Chapter 169: The Changes Brought by Greninja</h4>


    Seeing this situation, the rarely seen Swellow quickly approached the training area, gesturing and giving directions to the training Taillow and Zubat.


    However, Honchkrow, the top flyer in the Ecopark, paid no attention to it. It continued supervising the four juniors ording to its own methods, asionally swatting the approaching Swellow away.


    Sometimes, Yuga felt that his Swellow didn''t quite act like a "king." Look at how it acted so shamelessly when chasing after mates, it was a real eyesore.


    ( Note : Swellow Chinese name is D��w��ngy��n Which mean "Great King Swallow" )


    Yuga''s initial impression of the Swellow was based on the main character Ash''s Swellow in the original anime �C resolute, mature, andposed. His own Swellow was like night and daypared to that. At other times, it was fine, but when around Honchkrow, it was almost unbearable to watch.


    Yuga believed that if his Swellow continued being idle like this, the day it was surpassed in strength by Honchkrow would be a truly pitiable day for it.


    However, what Yuga didn''t know was that during this time, not just his Swellow, but even the Linoone, Great Flygon, and including Audino, had be like this as well.


    And the origin of all this was the Greninja that had recentlye to the Ecopark.


    The Greninja that Yuga recently captured was a verybative Pok��mon. After losing to Linoonest time (though Linoone lost even more), it felt quite dissatisfied with its strength. So, after arriving at the Ecopark, it challenged the Pok��mon in the Ecopark.


    After some final selections, it chose the stronger Linoone, Great Flygon, Swellow, and Audino as its daily training opponents.


    Originally, its list also included Gliscor leader and Flygon leader, but both of them were busy training their own kind every day and didn''t have the time.


    Audino was manageable, too. It was quite busy every day �C besides doing household chores, it had to take care of the Pok��mon and create Pok��blocks. So, Greninja didn''t bother it much. However, the others weren''t so lucky.


    Every day, their leisurely lives were getting farther away due to Greninja''s strong intervention. It woulde to spar with them in various ways and wouldn''t take no for an answer. If you rejected, it would pester you until you epted.


    The most obvious result of this was that Great Flygon spent less time lying on the roof, Linoone spent less time in front of the shop, and the Swellow spent less time chasing mates.


    This was also why the Swellow hastily took in four younger brothers and became increasingly clingy to Honchkrow.


    During this period, the appetite of these Pok��mon had also increased significantly, though Yuga hadn''t noticed these changes.


    What Yuga didn''t know was that Greninja had already "interfered" with the newly arrived group of Tsareena.


    These newly arrived Tsareena were not weak at all, so Greninja wanted to use their disadvantage against its type to sharpen itself.


    However, what Greninja couldn''t stand was that these ten Tsareena were simply not up to standard.


    In the Ecopark, whether they were strong or weak, young or old, when facing Greninja''s challenge, the Pok��mon were all fearless. Even if they knew they''d lose, they''d ept its challenge.


    But these ten Tsareena werepletely different. They would flee at the sight of Greninja. Not only did they refuse to battle it, they wouldn''t even confront it with ten of them together.


    Although they appeared to have decent strength, Greninja felt truly wronged! Especially since they were its neighbors. The more it thought about it, the more it felt something was off.


    Thus, the straightforward Greninja adopted a stubborn approach. It persisted even when met with resistance, gradually getting them used to it. Their timid nature slowly faded away.


    So, while Greninja''s method might seem misguided, it was in fact effective.


    Unbeknownst to Yuga, the queen-like dignity of the Tsareena had been restored, all thanks to Greninja. It had also entered the daily routine of battling and loving ten "queens."


    However, these were all stories forter. For now, the Tsareena remained "inexperienced," and Greninja, while a regr straightforward guy, didn''t take any action.


    But it had to be said that Greninja had injected a new vitality into those old-timers in the Ecopark.


    After concluding the routine physical training, Yuga left the Ecopark.


    With the arrival of a new batch of gically wed Pok��mon eggs, Yuga needed to reconfigure the small gic repair potions. However, some specific fruits and herbs werecking at home, so he had to go out and purchase them.


    After dinner, Windy returned to his room, while Yuga took the Audino to the Ecopark to make the small gic repair potions and Pok��blocks.


    Besides the Heavies Ground-type Pok��blocks, Yuga also acquired the forms for Grass-type and Poison-type Pok��blocks. He named them "Vitality" and "Enigma" respectively, bringing good fortune to the Grass and Poison-type Pok��mon in the Ecopark as well.


    However, the Ecopark only housed two Poison-type Pok��mon, Roselia and the two Zubat. Their demand wasn''t substantial. Yuga primarily aimed to stock them in the store. With the sess of the Heavies Pok��blocks, he believed that "Vitality" and "Enigma" would surely sell well too.


    However, relying solely on Yuga and the Audino might be overwhelming. Hiring dedicated breeders should be on the agenda.


    As expected, the very next day after "Vitality" and "Enigma" were introduced, they ignited a heated discussion on the website.


    "YoYo Day Care has finally released new Pok��blocks. After checking out the Heavies Pok��blocks my friend bought earlier, they''re definitely better than other Pok��blocks of the same type. Looking forward to ''Vitality'' and ''Enigma''!"


    "Is this finally the boon for Grass-type trainers like me? d I didn''t give up!"


    "I have Ground-type, Grass-type, and Poison-type Pok��mon. Am I on the path to the pinnacle of life?"


    "What are you waiting for? Get them quickly!"


    "Is there a group purchase? I wonder if there are any discounts for group buying."


    "YoYo Day Care''s products are always top-notch, and this time should be no exception."


    "Are the items from this shop really as good as you all say? You''re not paid promoters, are you?"


    "What kind of talk is that? Do I look like a promoter to you? Look carefully. Does my ount seem like a promoter''s? Do I seem like a high-level promoter?"


    ...


    In short, with the solid foundationid by the Heavies Pok��blocks, there was high anticipation for "Vitality" and "Enigma" as soon as they hit the shelves.

 Chapter 170: Arrangement of New Store Employees

    <h4>Chapter 170: Arrangement of New Store Employees</h4>


    The issue of Pok��block sales had always been handled by Yuga and Windy. Yuga took care of offline sales, while Windy managed online sales.


    Although Windy was quiet in real life, he was quite active online. He had consistently managed the robust online sales and promotion. After the introduction of "Vitality" and "Enigma," Yuga left the subsequent matters to them.


    Upon checking the online response to "Vitality" and "Enigma," Yuga headed to the newly purchased house across the street. Today marked the official day of house renovation.


    Yuga arrived andmunicated his renovation intentions to the head of the renovationpany. The newly bought house was muchrger than his original one. As a shop selling Pok��mon eggs, the first floor was more than sufficient. Yuga cleared out the second floor and requested the renovationpany to arrange it like a standard employee dormitory.


    Since Yuga had decided to hire a dedicated breeder, he needed to prepare amodations for them. Even though he was initially hiring one, the future might require more. Thus, he prepared a few extra rooms.


    He also asked the renovationpany to convert the original kitchen and dining room on the first floor into a studio. This space would be exclusively used to craft Pok��blocks. After all, he couldn''t casually bring them into the Ecopark.


    As for the dining arrangements for the new store employees, Yuga decided they would eat at the restaurant of the old store. It would be convenient and not too crowded, and having dinner together with Audino also made things easier.


    Currently, Yuga nned to hire two new store employees �C one as a front desk salesperson, simr to Sister Koen, and the other as the nned breeder.


    The breeder couldn''t strictly be ssified as a new store employee since their primary role was to assist the old store. However, since the old storecked a ce for them to stay, they ended up bing an employee of the new store. After all, that''s where their work would be carried out.


    With the addition of the breeder, Yuga and Audino would likely have an easier time. The task of producing Pok��blocks wouldrgely shift to the breeder. After all, their main responsibility at YoYo Day Care would be crafting Pok��blocks.


    Having exined his requirements to the head of the renovationpany, Yuga returned to the old store. In the Pok��mon world, many tasks were aided by magical creatures like Pok��mon. Coupled with advanced technology, house renovations were generally faster than in Yuga''s previous life.


    Upon returning to the old store and heading upstairs, Yuga found Windy engrossed in the inte. He instructed Windy to post a job advertisement on the website, seeking a sales breeder. The advertisement specified that experience, gender, and age were not limitations, but honesty and dedication were crucial.


    Yuga''s decision not to specify work experience primarily stemmed from the fact that YoYo Day Care only needed one task from the breeder �C crafting Pok��blocks. This was the fundamental skill of a breeder; not being proficient in it would make it hard to call oneself a breeder.


    For the new store''s sales staff, Yuga intended to hire locally within Verdanturf Town. After all, for professions like sales, few were willing to leave their hometown for work, especially when the workce was an inconspicuous small Day Care.


    After printing out the job advertisement, Yuga posted it on the old store''s door. He then informed Sister Koen, "Sister Koen, I''m nning to hire a salesperson for the new store. The job advertisement is up on the door. Could you keep an eye out for anyone whoes for an interview?"


    Sister Koen was busy arranging Pok��blocks to be sent out when she heard Yuga''s words. She looked up and replied, "Sure, I got it."


    Seeing her upied with the Pok��blocks, Yuga asked, "How are the sales of the newly released ''Vitality'' and ''Enigma''?"


    Sister Koen happily reported, "The sales are quite substantial. They''re no worse than the Heavies Pok��blocks. ording to Windy, the trainers who bought them are giving excellent feedback online and are rmending our Pok��blocks to their friends and family."


    With the introduction of the two new types of Pok��blocks, YoYo Day Care''s reputation continued to grow. Many trainers had now noticed this small, inconspicuous shop that used to be overshadowed by numerous other Day Cares.


    What Yuga didn''t expect was that he posted the job advertisement in the morning, and there were already peopleing for interviews in the afternoon.


    When Sister Koen came to inform Yuga that someone was here for an interview, he was watching an online tutorial by a renowned breeder in his room, which cost him quite a bit of money.


    Yuga had been studying to be a breeder for some time now. He asionally assisted Audino and the Miltanks in taking care of the Pok��mon in the Ecopark, practicing his skills. However, he wasn''t sure of his actual proficiency level.


    Professional breeders needed to undergo breeder assessments to secure a job. Only with the recognition of the Breeder Association could others hire them with confidence.


    Descending from upstairs, Yuga spotted a boy sitting in the center of the store, and he looked somewhat familiar.


    Walking over, Yuga greeted with a warm smile, "Hello."


    Seeing Yuga, the boy awkwardly stood up and stuttered, "Y-you, hello."


    Seeing him like this, Yuga thought, "This won''t do. As a salesperson, even if you can''t be as skilled and experienced as Sister Koen, you can''t stutter while talking."


    Windy was also someone who got easily shy, but he was the kind of person whose shyness never showed on his face, unlike the boy before him who was truly an "open book."


    "Start by introducing yourself. I''m the owner of this Day Care, named Shimizu Y��ga. You can just call me ''boss.''"


    Although Yuga felt that the boy before him might not be suitable for the job, he still decided to go through the normal process. It wouldn''t be fair to skip it entirely.


    Furthermore, Yuga thought to himself that perhaps the boy could impress him and make him want to keep him around. Judging someone solely based on a first impression wouldn''t be fair either.


    "I, I know you. My name is Arata Sena."


    Despite Yuga''s attempt to keep the conversation light, Arata Sena still appeared very nervous.


    Yuga didn''t find it strange that Arata Sena knew him. Since they were both from Verdanturf Town, it was only normal for Arata Sena to be acquainted with him, a local figure.


    Yuga took a seat and motioned for Arata Sena to sit as well. Then, he casually asked, "How old are you?"


    Arata Sena, who had retaken his seat, replied, "I''m 16."


    Yuga nodded. Sixteen years old, a year younger than himself, and just reaching the legal adult age set by the League, as well as the age at which one could start working.

 Chapter 171: Reason

    <h4>Chapter 171: Reason</h4>


    When Yuga first crossed over, he was sixteen years old; now he had turned seventeen.


    His seventeenth birthday had passed while they were in the desert searching for the Trapinch. However, Yuga''s previous life birthday was not on that day, so he hadn''t realized it.


    Upon returning, due to having missed his birthday, Yuga had received a thorough scolding from Aunt Hisako. But, he managed to avoid further reprimand by exining that his parents had recently passed away, and celebrating felt inappropriate.


    "Why do you, at just sixteen years old, want to work?" Yuga asked in confusion.


    In the world of trainers, children who didn''t be trainers would lead normal lives, attending school and receiving a regr education. They''d begin working at an appropriate age, not much different from the regr world.


    After all, for this world''s progress, elite talents who had received higher education were necessary. Trainers weren''t the sole mainstream; individuals from various disciplines and fields had achieved remarkable sess and contributed greatly to this world.


    As for why the original owner of this body didn''t attend school properly and instead dropped out to manage the Day Care, it was solely because of his ambition to inherit the Day Care one day.


    "I just want to work at the Day Care. There''s only one Day Care in Verdanturf Town!" As if recalling something, Arata Sena suddenly spoke with unwavering determination, his previous nervousness gone.


    This statement piqued Yuga''s curiosity. Why did he insist on working at the Day Care? What connection did it have with starting work at such a young age?


    After their conversation, Yuga finally understood the reasons behind his decision.


    Originally, Arata Sena had been a student at Verdanturf Town''s Trainer School. He was even a senior to Luna and Rand.


    At ten years old, the school had required every student to have their own starter Pok��mon. Arata Sena had looked forward to this, as he loved the idea of being a trainer. Excited, he went home and informed his parents about the school''s requirement.


    To his shock, not only did his parents refuse to help him acquire a starter Pok��mon, but they also demanded that he quit the Trainer School altogether.


    Of course, Arata Sena was unwilling, but his parents'' stance was firm. He had no power to resist. Without their support, he couldn''t acquire a starter Pok��mon or continue to pay the tuition fees.


    Thus, he was unjustly forced to drop out of the Trainer School.


    His experience was somewhat simr to Suzuki Koen''s, with the difference that Suzuki Koen had voluntarily left, whereas Arata Sena was forced out.


    After leaving the Trainer School, Arata Sena enrolled in a regr school, but he soon dropped out from there as well. He still wanted to be a trainer, but by then he was past the suitable age to enroll in the Trainer School. Furthermore, his parents remained opposed.


    After struggling till he reached sixteen, Arata Sena finally decided he would no longer let his parents dictate his dreams. He renewed his desire to be a trainer, even though he no longer held any advantage in agepared to others. However, he was determined to give it a try.


    To break free from his parents'' constraints, he first needed a job. With a job, he could be financially independent, affording Pok��mon and nurturing them. Among the jobs rted to trainers, what could be more suitable than working at the Day Care?


    Yesterday, he had coincidentally passed by the Day Care''s entrance and seen the recruitment notice on the wall, which bolstered his courage to walk in.


    Although Yuga found his ideas somewhat naive, he admired Arata Sena''s courage. While Yuga had pursued bing a trainer without any burdens, Arata Sena carried both familial and financial pressures.


    For those who dared to take action for their dreams, Yuga always held admiration, regardless of whether they ultimately seeded.


    Understanding Arata Sena''s circumstances, Yuga decided to give him a chance, saying, "My new Day Care is still under renovation. During this time, you can learn from Sister Koen. If you perform well, I''ll keep you."


    As Yuga spoke, he pointed toward Suzuki Koen, who was busying herself not far away.


    "Really?" Arata Sena stood up excitedly, his face flushing red with delight. He looked incredibly thrilled.


    Seeing his reaction, Yuga smiled and said, "Don''t get too excited just yet. If you don''t perform well, I won''t keep you either."


    "I''ll do my best. I won''t let you down."


    Regardless of whether he''d be kept on or not, Arata Sena was ecstatic to have been given an opportunity.


    Hearing Arata Sena''s words, Yuga found it somewhat amusing. "Don''t let me down"? What''s there to let down? If you perform well, you stay; if you don''t, you leave. It''s a straightforward business matter; there''s no concept of being disappointed or not.


    Watching him with that silly expression, Yuga began to doubt whether he was fit for this job.


    After everything was settled, Yuga was ready to apany Arata Sena out. Just then, Audino came down from the second floor.


    "Audino?"


    "Audino!"


    Arata Sena and Audino simultaneously called out to each other.


    Seeing this, Yuga was a bit puzzled. What? They know each other?


    "Do you know each other?" Yuga asked hesitantly.


    "We do, we do," Arata Sena hurriedly replied.


    Audino also nodded beside him.


    Only after listening to Arata Sena''s exnation did Yuga finally understand what was happening.


    It turned out that Arata Sena was the son of the Aunt Aoba from the market, and Audino was a regr customer at Aunt Aoba''s ce.


    Before Audino came to the Day Care, Yuga used to go to the market to buy groceries himself. However, he didn''t have a habit of shopping at any specific stall. After Audino arrived, it took over this task.


    Unlike Yuga, Audino got used to shopping at one specific stall, which was Aunt Aoba''s.


    After Arata Sena stopped going to school, he often went to the market to help his mother sell vegetables. Thus, he got to know Audino.


    Yuga thought to himself, "So there''s this connection." Arata Sena wasn''t entirely inexperienced in sales, at least he had experience in selling vegetables.


    Seeing the joy on both their faces, Yuga almost mistook his own Audino for a wall-climber. His emotions were all over the ce.


    Fortunately, it was just a misunderstanding.


    After seeing off Arata Sena, when Audino came downstairs, Yuga asked, "Is the lesson over?"


    Audino nodded.


    "Alright then, let''s end today''s study here. We''ll continue another day."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Audino nodded and turned to head back to the Ecopark.

 Chapter 172: Aroma Day Care

    <h4>Chapter 172: Aroma Day Care</h4>


    The next day, after finishing training his Pok��mon at the Ecopark, Yuga stepped out and saw Arata Sena arriving as nned.


    Following behind Sister Koen, he became a little intern. Although the shop no longer sold Pok��mon Eggs, Sister Koen asionally shared her sales experiences with him, and he listened attentively.


    Yuga nodded in approval, feeling satisfied. As long as people are willing to learn and put in effort, they will surely seed.


    Just then, the TV unexpectedly broadcasted news that surprised Yuga.


    "The recent Champion League has finally concluded. Yesterday, the Hoenn League announced the candidates for the new Elite Four. The long-standing Elite Four member, Mr. Moore, has stepped down, and the newly appointed Elite Four member is the expert in Dark-type Pok��mon, Sidney.


    The newly crowned Elite Four, Sidney, is already a well-known Trainer. In past Champion League, he performed remarkably well...


    Following his retirement, former Elite Four Mr. Moore has taken over his son''s Gym..."


    Hearing this news, Yuga was genuinely taken aback. He had just seen Mr. Moore a few days ago, so why had he stepped down from his position as one of the Elite Four so suddenly?


    From what Yuga observed of Mr. Moore''s strength, there seemed to be no decline. Both his powerful Charizard and Typhlosion were at their peaks. Why step down now?


    Could it be rted to the recent incident involving the Team Aqua?


    To prevent unnecessary panic, the League didn''t make the Team Aqua incident public; instead, they handled it discreetly. Yuga wasn''t sure about the aftermath of that event, but if the League was pursuing the Team Aqua, there was no escaping for them.


    After contemting for a while, Yuga couldn''t make sense of it. He decided to let it go. Whether the issue with Mr. Moore stepping down was rted to the Team Aqua incident or not, it had no significant impact on him as a small yer.


    At that moment, Windy came downstairs and told Yuga that someone had contacted him, expressing interest in an interview. The person wanted to know when Yuga would be avable.


    Yuga instructed Windy to tell the applicant that they coulde anytime, but they needed to hurry. If they took too long, they might miss the chance for an interview if someone else was hired before they arrived.


    Windy nodded and headed back upstairs.


    Seeing the empty entrance, Yuga suddenly felt that something was off. After thinking for a moment, he remembered, "Hey, where''s Linoone? It used to nap there all the time."


    Thinking harder, he realized that the Great Flygon had also been absent from the rooftoptely. That was its favorite spot for sunbathing and resting.


    Considering this, Yuga still couldn''t figure out what was going on with them. If he hadn''t seen them that morning at the Ecopark, he might have suspected someone had taken them away.


    Could it be because I haven''t been paying enough attention to them? Yuga wondered.


    Just as he was about to check on them, Windy came rushing down the stairs once more.


    Seeing how hurried Windy looked, Yuga stopped in his tracks and asked, "What''s going on? You seem pretty worked up, like a fire''s been lit under you?"


    Windy caught his breath and said, "Someone from Aroma Day Care''s headquarters contacted me. They want to meet you."


    Aroma Day Care? Meet me? Why? Yuga couldn''t understand. They didn''t seem to have much interaction. Yuga Day Care''s scale wasn''t significant enough to be in directpetition with Aroma Day Care. So, what could they want with him?


    Aroma Day Care was one of the five major private Day Care chains and was also one of the top five heads of the Day Care Joint Council. They were worlds apart from small yers like Yuga Day Care.


    During the Day Care Conference, Yuga hadn''t been left with a great impression of the Council members. He felt they were a bit too overbearing, leaving no room forpromise.


    But after some consideration, Yuga decided to meet with them. So, he asked, "Did they mention where they want to meet?"


    Shaking his head, Windy said, "No, they want you to decide on the location."


    Yuga chuckled, thinking they were quite amodating. However, this suggested they might have a request or favor to ask of him. With this in mind, Yuga directly said, "Tell them toe to Yuga Day Care to meet me."


    Windy hesitated slightly and said, "Is that appropriate?"


    Yuga shrugged it off. "What''s wrong with that? Didn''t they say I could choose the location?"


    "That''s true, but..." Windy''s unfinished words were understood by Yuga. He was implying that Yuga''s position wasn''t on par with theirs, so he should be more humble.


    However, Yuga didn''t see anything wrong with his approach. First, it was their suggestion, and he was merely following it. Secondly, precisely because he was in a weaker position, he needed to assert himself a bit; otherwise, he''d seem easy to push around. Lastly, it was highly probable that they were in need of his help this time, and lowering his stance would only make him vulnerable.


    "Why overthink it? Just reply to them as I said."


    In the end, Windy could only reluctantly nod in agreement. After all, Yuga was the boss, and what he said went. What could Windy do about it?


    However, what surprised Windy was that when Yuga suggested they meet at YoYo Day Care, Aroma Day Care didn''t express any objections. They readily agreed, leaving Windy with the feeling that, for the first time, he truly understood the phrase: "The boss is the boss!"


    Aroma Day Care''s team acted quickly, and the next day, their representative arrived with a few others at Yuga Day Care.


    Standing at the entrance of Yuga Day Care and looking at the somewhat rundown appearance of the shop, the Aroma representative unconsciously furrowed his brows.


    Nevertheless, the representative disyed excellent professionalism. Despite finding Yuga Day Care''s facilities less than satisfying, he didn''t show much disdain. Calmly, he led his team into the shop.


    Once inside, his expression improved significantly. At the very least, the interior was presentable.


    Observing Suzuki Koen, who was currently busy with the intern, Arata Sena, the representative walked over and said, "Hello, I''ve scheduled a meeting with your boss. Could you tell me where he is?"


    In fact, as soon as this group walked into the shop, Suzuki Koen had noticed. After all, a sudden influx of several people was hard to miss.


    Upon hearing someone address her, Suzuki Koen raised her head and asked, "Are you Mr. Yezuki from Aroma Day Care?"


    The representative replied politely, "Indeed, that''s me."


    "In that case, please take a seat over there and wait. I''ll go fetch our boss." Suzuki Koen pointed towards a chair in the center of the shop.


    Yezuki nodded, walked over to the chair, and sat down. Suzuki Koen went upstairs to summon Yuga.

 Chapter 173: Conditions

    <h4>Chapter 173: Conditions</h4>


    As Yuga descended the stairs, he noticed four individuals sitting in the shop, wearing serious expressions that were somewhat intimidating.


    "Hello there."


    Yuga approached the four people, offering a greeting.


    Seeing Yuga arrive, Reika asked, "You''re the owner of YoYo Day Care?"


    Yuga smiled and replied, "Yes, that''s me. Since you wanted to see me, I assume you''ve done some research about me. So, what brings you here?"


    Yuga was straightforward, skipping the pleasantries and directly asking about the purpose of Reika''s group''s visit.


    "We''d like to discuss a business deal with Mr. Yuga." Unsurprised by Yuga''s directness, Reika stated the reason for their visit upfront.


    Hearing Reika''s words, Yuga''s interest was piqued a little. He smiled and asked, "A business deal? I wonder what Aroma Day Care wants to discuss with our rtively inconspicuous little shop."


    "We''ve used your product called ''Vitality,'' a grass-type Pok��block, and we''re quite interested in it." Reika''s response was as candid as Yuga''s earlier questions.


    "You''re interested in the form for Vitality?" That''s when Yuga realized the purpose of their visit.


    "Yes, and we''re open to your terms."


    Reika was a woman of few words, speaking directly and confidently.


    However, unfortunately, Yuga wasn''t inclined to sell the form for Vitality.


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t sell you the form for Vitality."


    Reika didn''t expect Yuga''s refusal to be so straightforward, without a hint of hesitation. Aroma Day Care hade with genuine intentions, letting Yuga dictate the terms of the transaction, but he still declined.


    "Why? We''re very sincere about this." Reika inquired.


    Yuga smiled and exined, "As you can see, YoYo Day Care is just a small shop, and surviving as such is quite challenging. If we were to sell our onlypetitive advantage, how would we continue to sustain ourselves?"


    Yuga''s reasoning was sound, but it was mostly an excuse; he simply didn''t want the form for Vitality to be spread around.


    Hearing Yuga''s exnation, Reika fell into contemtion. She found his reasoning logical. With years in this industry, she had witnessed many small Day Cares like YoYo Day Care close down due tock ofpetitive edge.


    After some thought, Reika came up with apromise. She said, "We hope that YoYo Day Care can provide exclusive ess to Vitality for Aroma Day Care."


    "Are you suggesting that you want to purchase all our Vitality products?" Yuga was surprised by the proposal.


    Reika nodded and exined, "Yes, that''s right. This way, you can continue to earn from Vitality, and we can secure the Pok��blocks we need. It''s a win-win situation. We''ll buy as many as you can produce."


    Being one of thergest establishments for cultivating grass-type Pok��mon, Aroma Day Care could easily buy out all the Vitality they needed. Reika was confident in this arrangement.


    Yuga pondered for a moment and saw the potential in this deal. Selling to anyone was still selling, right? Selling directly to Aroma Day Care would save him the hassle of marketing and finding customers.


    Although he had already decided internally, Yuga spoke with a hint of reluctance, "We do have some loyal customers. If we sell exclusively to you..."


    Before Yuga could finish his sentence, Reika interrupted, "What other conditions do you have?" She stared at Yuga, her gaze implying she had already figured him out.


    Feeling a bit embarrassed by her insight, Yuga exined, "Well, here''s the thing. The League recently provided me with a batch of breeding Pok��mon, but they''re all female. So, I was wondering if you could...Rest assured, I don''t need many. Just ten, and I''ll pay you the market price for them."


    Upon hearing this, Reika thought he could work with this offer. Feeling there was a chance, he replied, "I can''t make the final decision myself. I need to consult with others."


    Seeing the potential for an agreement, Yuga quickly added, "Feel free to do so, please."


    About half an hourter, Reika hung up a call and approached Yuga. "We ept your conditions, but we''d like to choose the specific species of Pok��mon."


    Upon realizing that his goal was within reach, Yuga smiled and responded, "Naturally."


    Then, Yuga discussed the details of the supply agreement with them, and ultimately, they signed a contract. The agreement stipted that for the specified time, YoYo Day Care would exclusively sell Vitality Pok��blocks to Aroma Day Care.


    To avoid being too passive, Yuga suggested an annual contract renewal. If a year passed without renewal, the previous agreement would be null and void. Reika agreed to these terms, marking Yuga''s advantageous position in this transaction.


    After the agreement was finalized, Reika extended her right hand with a friendly smile. "A pleasure doing business with you."


    Yuga shook her hand, returning the smile. "Likewise."


    After neatly storing the signed contract and handing it to his subordinate behind him, Reika turned to Yuga and said, "Let''s head to the Pok��mon Center. The headquarters will send over the Pok��mon you need."


    "Sure, let''s go."


    Yuga was bing quite eager.


    At the Pok��mon Center, Yuga apanied Reika as she received the Pok�� Balls sent by Aroma Day Care''s headquarters. Once he was handed the Pok�� Balls, Reika left with her three subordinates.


    Yuga had initially thought about treating them to a meal after such a substantial deal, but Reika declined, citing othermitments.


    Yuga thought, "If they don''t want to go, they don''t have to. I''m just as happy without it."


    Afterward, he joyfully returned home with the Pok�� Balls. Yuga was almost impatient to see what kind of Pok��mon Aroma Day Care had sent him.


    For these ten Pok��mon, Aroma Day Care had asked for a total of 6 million Pok��dors. Yuga had practically emptied his coffers; the money he had earned from selling Pok��mon and Pok��blocks during this period had all been spent.


    This private transaction between Yuga and Aroma Day Care was somewhat illegal, considering that the sale of fully evolved Pok��mon was prohibited.


    However, considering the context, the price wasn''t too steep. Young Pok��mon with a green potential rating could already fetch between 300,000 to 600,000 Pok��dors. These were fully evolved Pok��mon, and the cost of breeding factored in. With all things considered, 6 million wasn''t exorbitant.


    From this, it could be seen that the Pok��mon industry was indeed profitable. Selling just ten Pok��mon could yield several million Pok��dors, potentially propelling someone to the pinnacle of sess in a matter of minutes.


    This was especially true for fully evolved Pok��mon, which came with a certain level ofbat capability as soon as they were acquired, and their prices were astronomical.


    Upon returning home, Yuga wasted no time and headed straight to the Ecopark to deliver the husbands for Tsareenas.

 Chapter 174: Potential Husbands for Tsareena

    <h4>Chapter 174: Potential Husbands for Tsareena</h4>


    Upon arriving at the shallow seashore, Yuga witnessed several witzer battling against Tsareena. Surprisingly, Sweet, a Grass-type Pok��mon, was struggling against these Water-type witzer, retreating step by step.


    Meanwhile, Greninja was observing from the side. Whenever Sweet attempted to escape, a flying water shuriken wouldnd near their feet.


    "What''s going on? Why are they fighting?" Yuga was puzzled.


    Just as he was about to inquire about the situation, Greninja noticed Yuga''s presence. It signaled the witzer to retreat into the water, disappearing through a small stream connecting theke and the ocean.


    "What happened? Why were they fighting?" Yuga approached Greninja and asked.


    Greninja shook its head, indicating that nothing was amiss, then leaped into theke.


    With Greninja gone, Yuga turned his attention back to Tsareena. He noticed their dejected expressions, seemingly unable to express their grievances.


    Seeing them in this state, Yuga couldn''t bear to watch. A group of Grass-type Pok��mon being defeated by Water-types was quite embarrassing. It was one thing if their strength didn''t match up, but they were visuallyparable, yet still ended up being defeated.


    Perhaps it was a good thing for them to experience a defeat. With this thought in mind, Yuga chose not to interfere.


    He retrieved ten Pok�� Balls from his pocket that Aroma Day Care had sent him, and released the Pok��mon inside.


    As red lights flickered, ten Pok��mon appeared before Yuga and Tsareena.


    There were two types among these ten Pok��mon.


    The first type were humanoid figures wearing pointed hats, covered in spikes��Cacturne, one of Aroma Day Care''s signature Pok��mon. The Cacturne had naturally fierce appearances, and these five were particrly well-bred, tall and imposing, exuding even greater presence.


    Seeing the second type of Pok��mon, Yuga felt something was off.


    That was because the second type of Pok��mon were Bellossom.


    Although all five Bellossom were male, they strangely resembled little girls. If they really caught the eyes of Tsareena, there would definitely be a certain feeling...


    Heh heh... Better not go down that path... Oops, my mind wandered a bit there. My bad, my bad. Yuga touched his chest, quickly repenting.


    Leaving appearances aside, height was a problem too. The average height of Tsareena was around 1.2 meters, but the average height of the Bellossom was only 0.4 meters. It was awkward when the husbands were shorter than the wives.


    However, Yuga didn''t overthink it. After all, human and Pok��mon aesthetics were different. Perhaps Tsareena would like this type of Bellossom? Who could really say for sure?


    Furthermore, Yuga was just letting them interact with each other for now. He wasn''t forcing them to be together. If things didn''t work out, he could always find other partners for themter.


    After Cacturne and Bellossom emerged, they curiously looked around their new surroundings. Once they confirmed that it wasn''t their original habitat, they appeared a bit unsettled. Seeing this, Yuga quickly tried to calm them down.


    "Don''t be afraid, this will be your new home from now on. It''s safe here. Take a look, those are the partners you''ll be living with."


    Pointing toward Tsareena not far away, Yuga introduced them.


    After confirming their safety, Cacturne and Bellossom gradually settled down.


    Seeing that they had calmed down, Yuga finally breathed a sigh of relief. Did Aroma Day Care notmunicate with them beforehand? What if they didn''t ept it and caused chaos out of nowhere?


    Using his Insight ability, Yuga examined the data of Cacturne and Bellossom.


    Cacturne''s levels were roughly on par with Tsareena, all being in their early thirties. The Bellossom were slightly lower in level, averaging in their twenties.


    Now it would depend on how they interacted. If things went well, they might eveny eggs.


    "In the future, make sure to get along well here. Don''t start conflicts, just like with Greninja."


    Yuga advised the newly joined Cacturne, Bellossom, and Tsareena.


    Who knows, among you, there might be a couple formed in the future. If conflicts arise at this point, it''ll serve as evidence of future marital discord.


    Cacturne and Bellossom, who didn''t quite understand, obediently nodded, while Tsareena internally grumbled. What had they done to deserve Greninja''s constant targeting?


    Seeing how obedient they were, Yuga took out the "Vitality" cubes he had grabbed from the store earlier and let them try it.


    After consuming the cubes, the group of Pok��mon disyed joyful expressions, seemingly loving the


    taste of the cubes.


    Tsareena, along with Cacturne and Bellossom, all Grass-type Pok��mon, got along harmoniously, which eased Yuga''s worries considerably.


    Leaving the shallow seashore, as Yuga passed by the main ecopark, he suddenly noticed a group of Pok��mon gathered together, making amotion. Curious, he approached to take a look and inquired, "What''s going on? Why is it so lively here?"


    Seeing Yuga''s arrival, the Pok��mon made way for him, revealing the subject of their attention.


    It was a Servine, with a more slender and tall figurepared to regr Snivy. It had leafy crowns and back leaves that Snivy didn''t possess, and its expression seemed even more haughty.


    Observing the surrounding Pok��mon watching it, the Servine gave a look of disdain.


    "It''s Snivy''s evolution, Servine." Yuga eximed in surprise, also feeling quite delighted.


    "Ser-vine!"


    While the Servine''s appearance seemedposed, its cry gave away its joyful mood.


    "Congrattions to you," Yuga said with joy.


    This Servine was the evolved form of the blue potential Snivy among three Snivy. It was umon for a Pok��mon to evolve so smoothly right after reaching the first level. Besides its blue potential, Yuga spected that the Guardian Orb might have yed a role.


    In the records, Guardian Orb not only improved a Pok��mon''s potential but also elerated their growth.


    Yuga praised Servine, then turned to the other Pok��mon and said, "All of you should work hard too, striving to evolve as soon as possible."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, the other Pok��mon seemed to be revitalized, as if they had been injected with vigor. They patted their chests and assured Yuga that they would definitely put in their best efforts.

 Chapter 175: Three Breeders

    <h4>Chapter 175: Three Breeders</h4>


    Over the next few days, Yuga frequently visited to observe how Cacturne, Bellossom, and Tsareena were getting along. While there were no signs of budding romance, their interactions were harmonious, which reassured Yuga.


    However, nearly every time Yuga visited, he witnessed Greninja with witzer taunting Tsareena. Thetter Pok��mon often found themselves bullied and retreating steadly. The Cacturne tried to stop Greninja and witzer from doing this, but they were ignored him every time.


    Yuga attempted to discuss the matter with Greninja, but it paid no heed. Eventually, Yuga noticed that Greninja and witzer weren''t causing any actual harm to Tsareena, so he chose not to intervene further.


    Yuga thought, "Perhaps this is a form of training through indirect battles. It might actually be a good thing."


    Today was the day when the breeders Yuga had invited for an interview wereing. He had instructed Suzuki Koen to be attentive, but Yuga didn''t expect that all three candidates would arrive simultaneously.


    Looking at the two men and one woman before him, Yuga sighed with resignation. "Since you''ve all arrived together, let''s have a joint interview."


    Guiding them inside the shop, Yuga proceeded to address them. "As you can see, my Day Care Center isn''trge, so I don''t require many staff members. Among the three of you here today, only one will be chosen to stay. Who that will be depends on your performance."


    All three candidates nodded in agreement.


    "In that case, let''s begin the interview. We don''t have too many formalities; it''s a straightforward process. Please start by introducing yourselves."


    The candidates exchanged nces before the older-looking man spoke up first.


    "I''m Sugisaki, 32 years old, from Petalburg City. I used to work at Midnight Day Care in Johto, specializing in breeding Dark-type Pok��mon."


    Sugisaki seemed particrly proud of his experience at Midnight Day Care and emphasized it while speaking.


    Next to him, the other man appeared momentarily surprised that Sugisaki had finished introducing himself so swiftly. Then he began his own introduction.


    "I''m Lin Mi, 25 years old, from Sootopolis City. I graduated from Sootopolis Trainer School andter interned at a Day Care Center in Sootopolis City. I''ve worked at a few private Day Cares and recently passed the intermediate breeder assessment. My expertise lies in the gics and heredity of Pok��mon."


    Compared to the previous candidate, Lin Mi provided much more information in his introduction. His tone was humble and modest, unlike Sugisaki''s proud demeanor. Lin Mi wore ck-framed sses and exuded an air of a schr or researcher more than a breeder.


    Having interned at an official Day Care Center, Lin Mi seemed to have good skills. With intermediate breeder certification and such a background, he was more than qualified for work at Yuga''s facility.


    Yuga nodded approvingly after hearing Lin Mi''s introduction. Meanwhile, Sugisaki pursed his lips, seeming to hold some disdain for Lin Mi.


    Lastly, the youngest-looking candidate, a girl with a sweet appearance, introduced herself. However, her voice was unexpectedly deep, not at all matching her appearance. It was even coarser than Lin Mi''s voice, and coupled with her straightforward manner, Yuga thought she resembled a tomboy.


    "I''m Misaki, 20 years old, from Lavaridge Town. I recently earned the qualification as a Junior Breeder and haven''t been in this role for long. I used to be a trainer, but my skills werecking. I participated in several Pok��mon League but never made it past the top 32. Later, my teachers at the Trainer School suggested I be a breeder. I do like this profession, but I''ve had no luck with applications at other Day Care. So, I don''t have any work experience yet. I''m particrly skilled at making Pok��blocks."


    When Yuga heard that Misaki excelled at making Pok��blocks, his eyes lit up.


    However, among the three, Misaki had the weakest background, being the youngest and having the least experience. Startingte might have led to an insufficient knowledge base, and without any prior job experience, she was a rookie in the workforce. The only aspect that appealed to Yuga was her skill in making Pok��blocks.


    Nevertheless, crafting Pok��blocks was a basic skill for breeders, required regardless of their specialization. Breeder rank assessments also tested this skill.


    The girl named Misaki didn''t feel inferior due to her lesser experiencepared to the others. On the contrary, after listening to their introductions, she continued to exude enthusiasm and confidence as she introduced herself.


    Her appearancebined with her voice was a bit amusing, making people smile.


    However, Sugisaki beside her seemed to hold a strong disdain for Misaki. After her introduction, he scoffed audibly, which everyone present heard, disying ack of manners.


    Seeing his behavior, Yuga already had the idea of removing him from the list of candidates.


    When hiring employees, regardless of their skill level, their character had to pass the test first.


    After listening to the self-introductions, Yuga first looked at Sugisaki, who finished his introduction first, and asked, "Mr. Sugisaki, may I ask why you left Midnight Day Care, where you seemed to be doing well, why you choose toe back to Hoenn?"


    Hearing Yuga''s question, Sugisaki raised an eyebrow and retorted, "What do you mean? What does this question have to do with the interview? Or are you suspecting I didn''t leave on my own ord but was actually fired?"


    Yuga''s expression darkened at Sugisaki''s words. Could he not overinterpret others'' statements? Couldn''t he simply seek to understand the situation? At that moment, Yuga decisively removed Sugisaki from the list of candidates.


    "I didn''t mean it that way. I was just asking about the situation. If you don''t want to answer, I won''t press."


    After speaking, Yuga didn''t bother with Sugisaki and shifted his gaze to Lin Mi.


    "Mr. Lin Mi, your credentials are quite impressive. I believe that with your qualifications, you could be epted by any Day Care without hesitation. So, I want to ask, why did you choose our YoYo Day Care?"


    Lin Mi''s answer could be described as refreshingly genuine and unaffected.


    "Because you have Tapinch and Flygon. I''d like to study them, and other Day Cares don''t have them."


    Hearing this reason, Yuga felt like he was about to kneel. So, this was a research-oriented breeder. No wonder his specialization was in gics and heredity.

 Chapter 176: Results

    <h4>Chapter 176: Results</h4>


    Big brother, your reasoning itself isn''t a problem, but using it for a job interview might not be quite appropriate.


    At a time like this, shouldn''t you be saying things like "Your Day Care is well-suited for my growth," "I want to grow together with your Day Care," "I feel the positive working atmosphere here," and so on?


    "Hehe, I see."


    Yuga awkwardly chuckled.


    After asking a few more questions to Lin Mi, Yuga turned his attention to Misaki.


    "I believe you''re well aware of your disadvantagespared to others. What qualities do you think you possess that make me choose you over the other two more outstanding candidates?"


    Yuga''s question was sharp, and it could be said that he hit a sore spot with Misaki.


    After pondering for a moment, Misaki solemnly replied, "I understand thatpared to typical breeders, I don''t have many advantages. I startedte, have little experience, and hold a lower rank. These are my shorings. However, I have a passionate heart for this profession.


    I used to be a Trainer and dedicated a long time to it. But because of this, I realized how difficult it is to find a career that suits me and that I''m passionate about.


    Therefore, I need an opportunity!"


    As Misaki spoke, her tone was resolute, and her expression serious, as if she were exining something very solemn.


    Although Misaki''s words might sound grandiose, Yuga indeed saw enthusiasm and sincerity in her eyes.


    Even Lin Mi, who was usually straightforward and cheerful, seemed shocked by the determination and passion Misaki disyed. While he also liked the breeder profession, he had never thought about its meaning as a career itself.


    On the other hand, suddenly, Sugisaki disdainfully said, "Heh, passion? What''s that supposed to be? Can passion make you stronger? Can it improve your skills? What a joke!"


    Sugisaki''s contemptuous words made Misaki, who was usually easygoing and cheerful, blush for the rare asion. Even Lin Mi seemed a bit angered by his dismissive attitude.


    "Mr. Sugisaki, please show some respect to others." Yuga, feeling ufortable with Sugisaki''s words, reminded him.


    Yuga''s words made Sugisaki awkwardly close his mouth.


    Yuga: "Misaki, you mentioned that you''re skilled in making Pok��block. Can you demonstrate it for us?"


    "Right now?" Misaki asked.


    "Yes." Yuga nodded.


    "Alright. But where are the Berries and the tools needed for making them?"


    "Don''t worry about that."


    Yuga immediately arranged for Audino, who brought the required Berries and Berry Blender over.


    Thus, Yuga and the other two witnessed an eye-opening demonstration.


    Misaki moved seamlessly from processing the Berries to operating the Berry Blender. The entire process was fluid and smooth. When she finally produced the Pok��block, Yuga estimated that she used less than one-sixth of his time and less than one-fourth of Audino''s time.


    Although they used different recipes, causing time variations, the difference wasn''t significant.


    If you thought it was merely about speed, you''d be entirely mistaken. The quality of the Pok��block Misaki produced was impable.


    After observing Misaki''s demonstration, Yuga admired her. Indeed, she truly was skilled in making Pok��block. Such proficiency, if ced in Yuga''s past life, would undoubtedly be eligible for a Guinness World Record.


    Even Lin Mi, who had finished observing, was in awe. Only Sugisaki continued to wear a disdainful expression while looking at Misaki, as if he couldn''t ept her skills.


    After watching Misaki create the Pok��block, Yuga separately asked them more detailed questions about their backgrounds. Although he had already given up on Sugisaki, Yuga still interviewed him, as he wanted to appear as fair as possible to avoid raising suspicions.


    After much contemtion, in the end, Yuga chose Misaki.


    Sugisaki, needless to say, Yuga had no intention of selecting him. His arrogant personality and questionable character made him even less likely to be chosen.


    Lin Mi was indeed outstanding and presented well, but his expertise didn''t align with Yuga''s requirements.


    While Misaki did have several shorings, she possessed the skills that Yuga needed. Moreover, Yuga wanted to give her a chance.


    Misaki had mentioned how her less impressive background led to numerous rejections from other Day Cares. Yuga genuinely felt her passion for the breeder profession and was willing to gamble on her future.


    After all, adding a finishing touch is easy, but giving help in a time of need is much more challenging.


    "Is that really true?"


    Misaki could hardly believe her ears. She had actually been epted, and this was under the condition that there were candidates more outstanding than herself.


    She couldn''t even recall how many times she had been rejected; the feeling of wanting to burst into tears was overwhelming.


    "Of course it''s true." Yuga smiled and extended his right hand to Misaki, "Wee to YuYu Day Care."


    "Thank you, thank you, thank you."


    Misaki repeated her thanks three times and excitedly shook Yuga''s outstretched hand, her eyes slightly moist.


    Upon hearing the news announced by Yuga, Lin Mi was rtively calm. He could understand the reasons behind Yuga''s choice of Misaki. However, Sugisaki had objections.


    "Why?" Notprehending, Sugisaki''s tone unintentionally elevated.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Sugisaki, this decision was made considering the practical situation of our Day Care."


    Although Yuga didn''t particrly like this person named Sugisaki, he still politely exined to him.


    "Practical situation? What practical situation! I wouldn''t say anything if you had chosen that Lin Mi, but what''s the meaning of choosing this little girl who knows nothing? Do you look down on me?"


    Sugisaki''s voice grew louder, and his tone became increasingly sharp, almost on the verge of shouting.


    "Mr. Sugisaki, I ask you to please calm down," Yuga''s expression turned cold at this point.


    "Calm down? What do I have to calm down for! Do you even know who I am? I''ve worked at the Midnight Day Care, the Midnight Day Care! Do you even know what kind of ce the Midnight Day Care is? I''ve condescended toe to this rundown ce of yours, and you not only fail to thank me, but you also reject me!"


    Upon hearing Sugisaki''s words, Yuga felt utterly bewildered by his outburst.


    "Mr. Sugisaki, I am aware of the Midnight Day Care. However, if you feel that the Midnight Day Care is a better fit for your status, you are wee to go back there."


    At this point, Yuga''s tone ceased to be courteous. His words dripped with sarcasm. While Yuga didn''t know how Sugisaki had left the Midnight Day Care, given his current demeanor, it was unlikely to have been a pleasant experience.


    In truth, Yuga''s guess wasn''t entirely off the mark.

 Chapter 177: No Politeness and Negotiation

    <h4>Chapter 177: No Politeness and Negotiation</h4>


    Sugisaki was indeed capable; otherwise, he wouldn''t have been hired by the Midnight Day Care. However, his interpersonal skills left much to be desired. He was arrogant, selfish, and self-centered. During his time at the Midnight Day Care, he managed to offend almost half of his colleagues, resulting in his istion.


    Eventually, after being ostracized beyond tolerance, he quit his job at the Midnight Day Care, left the Johto region, and returned to his hometown of Petalburg City.


    The reason such a proud individual like him chose the YoYo Day Care, a little-known ce, was based on his attitude of preferring to be a big fish in a small pond. He wanted to establish his dominance at YoYo Day Care.


    He arrived with great delight, thinking he had a sure shot. Yet, he was ruthlessly rejected and lost to an inexperienced young girl. Could his state of mind not be shattered in this situation?


    "I don''t care. If you don''t give me an exnation today, I won''t leave!"


    Unable to get a satisfactory answer, Sugisaki resorted to being insolent.


    "Exnation?" Yuga was genuinely getting annoyed and no longer minced his words.


    "Why should I exin to you? Whom I hire is my prerogative. Who do you think you are? Even if I exin, do you even think you''re worthy?"


    What kind of person is this? Yuga wondered. How did he keep encountering these absurd characters? From Touya to Edward, and now this Sugisaki �C the world was indeed full of all sorts of people.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Sugisaki was on the verge of exploding.


    "How dare you talk to me like that!"


    "Why shouldn''t I? Do you think you''re the emperor or something? If you don''t leave, I''ll have Officer Jenny deal with you."


    Yuga issued the order without hesitation.


    The reputation of Officer Jenny had some weight. As soon as Sugisaki heard Yuga mention her, his arrogance diminished.


    Just when Yuga thought he would leave, Sugisaki unexpectedly sat back down and said, "I won''t leave even if you call Officer Jenny. I haven''tmitted any crime. Even if shees, she can''t do anything to me."


    Seeing this, Yuga, in extreme annoyance, sarcastically responded, "Alright, alright! You won''t leave, huh? Then let me help you!" With that, Yuga called for the nearby Audino, saying, "Audino, throw him out for me."


    Upon hearing Yuga''smand, Audino grabbed Sugisaki by his armpits and lifted him up by his squealing dimples.


    "What are you trying to do? Put me down!" Sugisaki struggled violently as he shouted.


    But with his limited strength, he couldn''t break free from Audino''s grip. Audino carried him to the door.


    Just when Sugisaki wanted to say something, Audino unceremoniously tossed him out, instantly bringing quiet back to the world.


    "Sorry for the spectacle; both of you had to witness this," Yuga apologized sheepishly to Lin Mi and Misaki.


    "It''s okay."


    "It''s fine."


    Both of them didn''t hold any favorable impression of Sugisaki, so seeing him being thrown out made them feel like he deserved it.


    After being thrown out, Sugisaki muttered angrily at the shop''s entrance for a while, then reluctantly left while ncing at Audino, who was still guarding the entrance.


    Seeing themotion settle down, Lin Mi said to Yuga, "Now that you''ve decided to hire Miss Misaki, I''ll take my leave."


    "I''m sorry for making youe all the way for nothing," Yuga apologized as he saw Lin Mi off from the YoYo Day Care.


    After Lin Mi left, Yuga turned to Misaki and said, "Let''s discuss the specific details of your employment."


    Misaki nodded and sat down with Yuga.


    "Based on your introduction, you''re from Lavaridge Town. Since you''ve decided to work here, you''ll need to live here. Is that okay?" Yuga asked Misaki.


    Misaki nodded again, saying, "That''s fine."


    Yuga continued, "You don''t need to worry about your amodation. I''ll arrange it for you. As for meals, you can eat with us. And regarding the sry, our recruitment notice already outlined it, and since you''re here, I assume you have no objections."


    "That''s correct. I have no objections."


    Misaki hadn''t expected to get free room and board as part of the job �C it was a delightful surprise.


    "Now that we''ve covered the benefits, let''s discuss your job responsibilities."


    "Please go ahead."


    "Your main task here will be crafting Pok��blocks. This is your area of expertise, so I don''t anticipate any problems."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Misaki nodded in agreement.


    "The recipe for making Pok��blocks is our exclusive secret. We will teach it to you, but you''ll need to sign a confidentiality agreement."


    Misaki didn''t have any objections to this; it was only natural. If she learned someone else''s recipe without signing a confidentiality agreement and then quickly switched jobs, the original creator would be left in tears.


    "After you''ve learned to craft our Pok��blocks, you cannot produce them outside of YoYo Day Care, nor can you share the recipe with anyone else. Otherwise, we reserve the right to hold you legally ountable."


    Once all was settled, Yuga proceeded to sign abor contract with Misaki, formally employing her.


    Yuga asked, "When do you think you''ll be able to start working?"


    Misaki pondered for a moment and replied, "I need to inform my family in Lavaridge Town and pack up a bit. It''ll probably take me two days round trip."


    Yuga thought for a moment; two days would be sufficient time to finish the remaining renovations for the new shop. Misaki''s arrival would align well with the grand opening.


    "Alright, I''ll be waiting for you toe over."


    Seeing Misaki off, Yuga sighed. With the grand opening on the horizon, everything was practically in ce, just waiting for the final touch.


    Over the past few days, Arata Sena came to the shop every day on time, full of enthusiasm. Yuga had decided to keep him onboard due to his zeal alone.


    Moreover, from what his elder sister said, Arata Sena''s performance over the past few days had been quite impressive. Several customers who hade to buy Pok��blocks were attended to by him.


    Sister Koen mentioned that Arata Sena often appeared shy, but when dealing with customers, he exhibited an ease andposure that he didn''t usually possess. Yuga wondered if he had developed this while selling vegetables at the market.


    During lunchtime, Yuga asked Windy, "How has the online response been regarding the removal of Vitality Pok��blocks?"


    Windy thought for a moment before responding, "The reaction has been quite significant. Many of our previous customers have expressed strong opinions, and online forums are practically exploding."


    Hearing Windy''s words, Suzuki Koen, who was wiping her mouth, chimed in, "The shop is the same. Several customers who specifically came to buy Vitality Pok��blocks almost lost their temper when they found out they were no longer avable."


    Yuga nodded. He had already anticipated these reactions when he agreed with Aromara Day Care''s decision, so he wasn''t particrly surprised.


    "Don''t worry; things will settle down soon. In a little while, we''ll introduce other types of Pok��blocks, and by then, everyone will have forgotten about this matter."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s reassurance of introducing more types of Pok��blocks, both Windy and Suzuki Koen breathed a sigh of relief. Their worries about this matter were finally eased.

 Chapter 178: Delayed Gratitude

    <h4>Chapter 178: Dyed Gratitude</h4>


    Yuga''s sessful evolution of Roselia led to him acquiring the recipes for Grass-type Pok��blocks and Poison-type Pok��blocks.


    In order to swiftly acquire the form for the next type of Pok��block, after lunch, Yuga headed to the Ecopark to retrieve an Eevee.


    This Eevee Yuga took out had a ck ribbon tied around its neck, indicating that it was the Eevee wishing to evolve into an Umbreon, the only one among the seven Eevees whose base potential was originally blue.


    As long as this Eevee evolved sessfully into an Umbreon, Yuga would obtain the form for Dark-type Pok��blocks.


    Yuga cradled the Eevee in his arms, stroking the fluffy fur around its neck. He spoke gently, "Eevee, in order for you to smoothly evolve into an Umbreon, you must resist the urge to evolve during the daytime, alright? Otherwise, you''ll evolve into an Espeon."


    "Eevee, Eevee," the Eevee nodded joyfully, wiggling slightly in Yuga''s embrace to find a morefortable position before contentedly closing its eyes.


    Previously, Eevee had envied Budew for being able to stay by Yuga''s side all day long. Now, it finally had the chance, and its mood couldn''t be any better.


    Observing the adorable scene, Yuga suddenly thought that one day he might be seen as entric forpleting this friendship task.


    He used carrying Budew, and now Budew has evolved into Roselia, he change to an Eevee, it was a streak of switching cute pets consecutively. If not entric, what else could people call it?


    With these thoughts in mind, Yuga carried the Eevee and stepped into the shop. He cast a nce at Suzuki Koen and Arata Sena as if to check for any strange looks, and only then did he let out a sigh of relief. This was probably what they called "a guilty conscience."


    Approaching Arata Sena, who was counting the number of Pok��blocks at the counter, Yuga asked, "Little Sena, how have these few days of training been?"


    At first, Arata Sena didn''t realize that "Little Sena" was his name being used. It was only when he saw Yuga staring at him that he realized he was being addressed as "Little Sena."


    Being earnestly called "Little Sena" by someone just a bit older than him made Arata Sena feel a bit embarrassed.


    "Pr-pr-pretty good."


    Arata Sena stumbled over his words, flustered by Yuga''s sudden question. Was Yuga here to inform him that he didn''t need toe tomorrow?


    "Pretty good, that''s great. I wanted to tell you that you''ve been officially hired."


    "Really?"


    Hearing from Yuga that he was officially hired rather than being told not toe, Arata Sena asked in delight.


    "Of course it''s true. Why would I lie to you?"


    "But I''ve only been interning for a few days."


    As he spoke, Arata Sena felt somewhat embarrassed. He had only interned for a few days and was already hired. Although he was happy about it, something didn''t feel right.


    "What does that matter?" Yuga waved his hand dismissively. "If it doesn''t work out, you can quit, and we can find someone else, right?"


    Just as Arata Sena''s joy was starting to rise from Yuga''s earlier words, his enthusiasm was quickly dampened by thetter part of the sentence. Yuga, couldn''t you let me be happy for three seconds?


    "Hehe, hehe..."


    Seeing Arata Sena''s awkwardughter, Yuga burst intoughter. "Hahaha, I''m just teasing you. As long as you perform well, I won''t fire you. Don''t worry." With that, Yuga patted Arata Sena''s shoulder.


    "Thank you, Boss."


    Just then, Yuga heard someone calling him from behind.


    "Mr. Shimizu!"


    Turning around, Yuga saw two familiar faces at the entrance of the shop, looking at him with smiles of joy.


    "Well, if it isn''t Gabby and Ty? What brings you here?" Yuga asked in surprise. "Are you here for an interview or to gather information?"


    The two approached Yuga with happiness in their eyes and said, "We came to find you specifically."


    "To find me?" Yuga looked puzzled. "Did I forget to pay back the money I owed you in Lilycove City?"


    Gabby yfully gave Yuga a pat. "Mr. Shimizu, you''re quite the joker. We came to tell you some good news."


    "Good news? Is it that you forgot to ask me for money owed?" Yuga feigned astonishment.


    "Mr. Shimizu, we''re here to talk about something important!" Gabby pretended to be annoyed.


    "Alright, alright, I won''t tease you anymore. We''ve finally met, let''s liven up the atmosphere. So, what''s the good news you have for me?" Yuga said with a smile.


    Gabby cleared her throat and said, "Well, here''s the thing. Our television station wants to conduct interviews with some of the Day Cares in the Hoenn region. We rmended your YoYo Day Care to our superiors."


    "Exactly, our television station is thergest in the entire Hoenn region. If we can feature your Day Care in our interviews and reports, we believe your business will definitely flourish even more," Ty chimed in.


    "Oh, so there''s such a good opportunity!" Yuga eximed in surprise. "Are you saying you pulled some strings for me?"


    Yuga was well aware of the current status of his Day Care. It would be impossible for his YoYo Day Care to be interviewed by thergest television station in the Hoenn region without some connections.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s question, Gabby and Ty both awkwardly smiled and said, "We just opened a small convenient door, but you and Mr. Norman saved our entire television station. We''re all very grateful to you and wanted to repay you. Besides, it was our station director who finally approved this."


    "So that''s how it is. It seems my efforts in saving that person weren''t in vain," Yuga thought to himself. It was just as he suspected; without a little help, there was no way such a good opportunity would havee to YoYo Day Care.


    "Would you consider it? This is a rare opportunity."


    Just as Gabby was about to say, "Even if you have a noble character and don''t want to take shortcuts," she heard Yuga say, "Not agree? Why not? Of course, I agree! If there''s a shortcut to take, why wouldn''t I take it? I''m not an idiot."


    Gabby''s intended words got stuck in her throat. Yuga''s statement was true, but hearing it in this context didn''t feel quite right.


    "That''s right, you''re absolutely right," Gabby said awkwardly.


    While feeling that Gabby''s tone was a bit odd, Ty continued, "Exactly, that''s how you should think. Moreover, it''s not just your Day Care being interviewed. Who knows if other Day Cares also have some connections?"


    Yuga nodded in agreement and said, "You''re absolutely right. Regardless, I want to thank you for this opportunity. Please convey my thanks to your station director as well."


    "Don''t worry, we will."


    "By the way, when is this interview expected to start? I''d like to prepare myself mentally."


    Ty answered, "The interviews with the other Day Cares have already started. It will be YoYo Day Care''s turn in about a week."


    Yuga nodded and replied, "I''ll be ready. I look forward to your arrival."

 Chapter 179: The Talkative Bird

    <h4>Chapter 179: The Talkative Bird</h4>


    After seeing off Gabby and Ty, Yuga''s mood became quite good. Following this television station coverage, Yuga believed that more people woulde to know about YoYo Day Care''s existence.


    It seems the path to the rise of his Day Care is about to begin, Yuga thought.


    "Sister Koen, keep an eye on the shop. I''m heading to the Pok��mon Center," Yuga called out to Suzuki Koen.


    Today was the day Yuga took the Pok��mon to the Pok��mon Center for a check-up. As soon as Yuga left the Ecopark, he recalled the Pok��mon into their Pok�� Balls.


    "Sure, go ahead," Suzuki Koen replied upon hearing Yuga''s voice.


    Upon arriving at the Pok��mon Center, the lobby was broadcasting the Pok��mon Contest of Lilycove City. The screen disyed Yuga''s good friend, Robert.


    "The winner of the Lilycove City Pok��mon Contest is once again Robert."


    "Yeah, he''s so strong. I heard he already has five Ribbon Badges."


    "Really? So fast!"


    "But he''s known as the genius coordinator. This doesn''t count as fast."


    ...


    Regarding Robert winning the Lilycove City Pok��mon Contest again, the lobby of the Pok��mon Center was buzzing with discussions. There were expressions of astonishment, envy, and even some sarcastic remarks... Various reactions were abound.


    So Robert won again in the Lilycove City Pok��mon Contest. I should give him a call to congratte him, Yuga thought.


    Ignoring the people in the lobby, Yuga went straight to find Nurse Joy.


    Seeing Yuga approaching with Eevee in his arms, Nurse Joy said, "You''re here. Still for the check-up?"


    Yuga nodded, took out the Pok�� Balls, and said, "Same as before."


    After Chansey taking Yuga''s Pok�� Balls, Nurse Joy said, "Please wait a moment."


    During the waiting time, Yuga decided to give Robert a call, and he chose a video call.


    "Hey, how are you?"


    Yuga greeted Robert with a smile as he appeared on the other end of the call.


    "Why did you suddenly decide to call me? Is there something wrong?" Robert asked in a puzzled tone.


    "What? Do I have to have a reason to call you? Can''t I just call you for no reason?" Yuga feigned seriousness.


    "Speak if there''s something! If not, I''m hanging up!" Robert wasn''t falling for Yuga''s bluffs. Seeing that Yuga wasn''t getting to the point, he was about to hang up.


    "Okay, okay, I''ll tell you." Seeing that Robert wasn''t taking the bait, Yuga dropped the yful act. "I heard you won the Lilycove City Pok��mon Contest again?"


    Robert nodded and said, "Yes."


    "Congrattions! You got all five Ribbon Badges, right? Let me know when the Grand Festival takes ce. I''lle to cheer you on."


    "Sure, I''ll let you know when thepetition happens."


    After ending the call with Robert, Yuga''s Pok��mon had also finished the check-up.


    "Your Pok��mon are fine, very healthy. You take good care of them." Nurse Joy handed the Pok�� Balls back to Yuga, looking pleased.


    "Thank you, Nurse Joy." Yuga took the Pok�� Balls and expressed his gratitude.


    Seeing Eevee in Yuga''s arms, Nurse Joy suddenly asked, "Didn''t I see you holding a Budew some time ago? Did you sell it?"


    Being a breeder himself, Yuga understood what Pok��mon Nurse Joy was referring to��there''s no Eevee or Budew in his lineup. But they appeared in his arms one after the other.


    Hearing Nurse Joy''s words, Yuga froze for a moment, answering somewhat awkwardly, "No, no, Budew evolved. It''s at home."


    Upon hearing that Budew hadn''t been sold and had actually evolved, Nurse Joy''s expression turned puzzled. Why would Budew evolve and then be reced by Eevee? However, Nurse Joy didn''t voice this question.


    "I see!" This phrase from Nurse Joy carried a deeper meaning.


    Nurse Joy was well aware of the Pok��mon Yuga had. Eevee wasn''t part of them, and neither was Budew. But both of them appeared sessively in Yuga''s arms.


    Nurse Joy: Hmmm, Mr. Shimizu, I think I''ve stumbled upon something.


    Under Nurse Joy''s curious gaze, Yuga "escaped" from the Pok��mon Center.


    I''m really not a cute Pok��mon enthusiast, Nurse Joy! Yuga felt like crying without tears, but he couldn''t reveal that he was doing all this for the sake ofpleting a system task.


    While walking down the street, Yuga''s peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of something hanging on a branch. He walked over and took it down.


    It turned out to be a dead bird. Yuga sighed.


    At that moment, the dead bird suddenly opened its eyes. The gaze of a person met the gaze of a bird, and Yuga was momentarily stunned.


    "Hello! Could you spare some food?"


    Oh my god, the bird is talking!


    Yuga instinctively took out a Pok�� Ball and tossed it.


    Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk!


    Without any struggle, the light on the Pok�� Ball dimmed, indicating a sessful capture.


    "Did it work that easily?" Yuga picked up the Pok�� Ball from the ground, muttering to himself.


    ...


    <<chatot>> </chatot>


    Type: Normal/Flying


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Keen Eye


    Potential: Yellow


    Level: 18


    Moves: Chatter, Whisper, Taunt, Mimicry, Screech, Imitate.


    ...


    After Identification, it''s a true newbie.


    But never mind, it can talk! potential, strength, and such things don''t matter.


    So Yuga brought the Chatot back home.


    Upon returning to the shop, Yuga released the Chatot from the Pok�� Ball, then prepared some food and water for it.


    Half an hourter.


    "Ah! Finallying back to life!"


    After eating and drinking, the Chatot copsed onto the table, patting its round belly where it had consumed a lot of food.


    Seeing the Chatot eat so much in one go, Yuga worried that its stomach might burst. He had refilled its food multiple times.


    "Human, I thank you for the meal," the Chatot turned its head to Yuga and said.


    Yuga couldn''t help but think that this bird surprisingly understood gratitude.


    "In appreciation of your somewhat handsome appearance, I''ll give myself to you!"


    Yuga had barely finishedplimenting the bird in his mind for not even three seconds before its next sentence dropped his jaw.


    "Hey, hey! You''re a male bird, can''t you tell I''m also a male?" Yuga helplessly replied.


    "Hey, kid, no need to pretend. Who doesn''t know about a thing called ''gay'' these days?" The Chatot slyly looked at Yuga and winked.


    Pffft!!! Yuga felt like he was spraying a mouthful of blood thirty meters away. What kind of bird is this? How does it know everything?


    "Even if I could be gay, our species are different, so we can''t fall in love," Yuga felt like he was going to vomit. He actually had a serious conversation about "being gay" with a bird.


    The Chatot climbed up from the table, pped its tiny wings, and fluttered onto Yuga''s shoulder. It patted his cheek and said, "Hey, gender, species��it doesn''t matter. True love is what matters! Don''t worry, I''ll love you well in the future."


    Yuga immediately yanked the Chatot off his shoulder, then pressed it down onto the table. "No need to love me. Just keep your mouth shut."

 Chapter 180: A Very Sassy Bird

    <h4>Chapter 180: A Very Sassy Bird</h4>


    "Since my dear doesn''t like it, I won''t say anything then," the Chatot said while miming the action of zipping its beak shut.


    At that moment, Sena walked over and heard the Chatot. She asked, "Did I just hear this Pok��mon talk? Did I mishear?"


    "You didn''t mishear, it''s the great me talking," the Chatot, which had just closed its beak, opened it again. "Hmm, why were you so disgusted by me just now? Seems like you already have a crush on someone," it said while throwing a disdainful look at Yuga.


    Yuga was about to cover the sassy bird''s beak when it suddenly pped twice and flew up, circling around Sena twice. It continued, "I think this kid is not as good as me. You should consider me instead."


    Sena waspletely baffled on the side. What is this bird saying? Why can''t I understand a single word? In the end, Sena could only awkwardly say, "This bird is surprisingly articte."


    "Never mind, just go about your business. Don''t pay any attention to this sassy bird. Treat whatever it says as if you didn''t hear it," Yuga pushed Sena away from the Chatot, trying to save her from its influence.


    Seeing Sena walk away, the Chatot said regretfully, "Leaving already? I haven''t even dered to my rival in love yet!"


    Rival in love? Yuga clenched his fist and gave the Chatot''s head two thumps. "Shut up. Who''s your rival? If you keep bbering, I''ll throw you out."


    Seeing Yuga getting annoyed, the Chatot quieted down, awkwardly saying, "Alright, I won''t say anything anymore. Don''t throw me out, I still need you to take care of me! The meal earlier was really delicious!" As it spoke, it smacked its beak a couple of times, savoring the taste.


    Yuga was truly regretting bringing it back.


    "Just stay here properly, don''t cause any trouble for me. Otherwise, I''ll deal with you!" Yuga pretended to be fierce, saying as he turned to leave.


    "I understand, dear," the Chatot pinched its throat and spoke in an odd voice.


    Yuga couldn''t resist and turned back to give it two more thumps. "Don''t call me dear!"


    "Then... husband..."


    The Chatot covered its head, which Yuga had thumped, with its wings and shyly said, the tone being a perfect example of coquetry.


    "Oh no, that won''t do, it''s too embarrassing! Calling me husband directly is progressing too quickly. Let''s take it slow."


    After saying that, it rolled around on the table, theny on its back and kicked its tiny short legs, covering its head as if embarrassed to face anyone.


    Yuga simply ignored it and turned to leave. He realized that the more attention he paid to it, the more spirited it became.


    "Dear, I won''t give up. I''ll definitely defeat my rival in love and ascend to the position of the main consort."


    Suddenly, this sentence came from behind Yuga, causing him to almost trip.


    Yuga walked to the cash register and saw Suzuki koen busy working. He thought for a moment and walked over to say, "Sister Koen, a talking Chatot hase to the shop. When you''re free, don''t bother with it."


    "A talking Chatot?" Suzuki koen looked up, surprised. "That''s quite rare."


    Chatots are born with the ability to mimic human voices, but there aren''t many that can speak humannguage fluently.


    "But why shouldn''t we bother with it? A Pok��mon that can talk is quite interesting, isn''t it?" Suzuki koen was puzzled.


    "Just don''t ask why. Just do as I said, and you won''t go wrong." Yuga waved his hand, not wanting to exin the reasons.


    "Okay, I''ll listen to you," Suzuki koen nodded. When you''re the boss, everyone follows your lead.


    The next day, Yuga hadn''t been awake for long when he felt a sharp pain on his face. He opened his eyes and saw the Chatot on his chest.


    "Dear, wake up."


    As it spoke, it struck a pose it believed to be very seductive and kept throwing flirtatious nces at Yuga.


    "Wait, were you pecking at my face just now?"


    "Ohe on, it''s not pecking, it''s ''morning love kisses''!" it replied, sounding rather smug.


    Damn it, this sassy bird! Can''t it talk properly?


    Yuga rubbed his eyes and asked, "What are you doing so early, harassing me like this?"


    Yuga woke up early every day to take everyone to the Ecopark for training. But today, it wasn''t time yet, and the Chatot had already woken him up.


    "Of course, it''s time to feed your dear boyfriend."


    Yuga automatically blocked out its sentence as if he hadn''t heard anything.


    Since he was awake, Yuga reluctantly got out of bed.


    After getting up, Yuga went to the bathroom to freshen up. When he was brushing his teeth, the Chatot pped its wings and flew over, opening its pink little beak and saying, "Dear, shouldn''t you also brush your dear boyfriend?"


    Without a word, Yuga picked up the cup he used for rinsing and gently tapped the Chatot''s head.


    After freshening up, Yuga entered the Ecopark. This was also the first time the Chatot entered there.


    "Wow." The Chatot marveled at Yuga''s Ecopark. "I thought you were just a poor guy, didn''t expect you to have a kingdom." The Chatot surveyed the Ecopark with satisfaction.


    "Oh my, looks like I''m about to upgrade to be a queen," the Chatot loudly eximed while flying in the air. "This pce just has a few too many concubines." Hovering in the air, it looked down at the other Pok��mon below with a face of regret.


    Just as the Chatot was about to say something, a sudden shadow appeared next to it, and in an instant, a Steel Wing attack knocked the Chatot to the ground.


    The unexpected attack sent the Chatot crashing into the ground, creating a small pit.


    "What... what... is happening... Who dares to ambush this queen!" The Chatoty in the pit, its two soft yellow short legs trembling.


    Yuga looked up and realized that the attacker was the Swellow.


    Lately, the Swellow had been enthusiastic about recruiting underlings. However, the number of flying-type Pok��mon in the Ecopark was quite limited. Seeing the Chatot, it mistook it for another potential underling brought in by Yuga and wanted to establish its dominance.


    However, the Swellow''s attack was controlled well, and the Chatot wasn''t seriously harmed.


    Seeing the Chatot being reprimanded by the Swellow, Yuga couldn''t help but feel a bit pleased. How''s that for your smart mouth? You''re facing the consequences now.


    The Chatot, which had taken flight again, approached the Swellow and circled around it. It said, "Big bro, you''re really strong. Looks like you''re the boss around here."


    Upon hearing the Chatot praise its strength, the Swellow proudly raised its head. When the Chatot dered it the boss, its tail raised even higher.


    To Yuga''s surprise, the Chatot started discussing how to be in a romantic rtionship with the Swellow. The Swellow seemed genuinely interested, and in no time, the two birds were acting like brothers. Yuga could only gape in astonishment.


    This Swellow was truly a flip-flopper. Yuga decided to ignore them both and went on to train the Pok��mon.

 Chapter 181: Opening of the New Store

    <h4>Chapter 181: Opening of the New Store</h4>


    After having breakfast, Yuga went to the new store because today was the day the renovation of the new store waspleted, and Yuga needed to meet with the person in charge.


    Upon entering the new store, Yuga saw the fresh and renovated interior, which he found very satisfying as it perfectly met his requirements.


    The counters inside the store were all custom-made by Yuga, specifically designed to disy Pok��mon eggs.


    After that, Yuga meticulously inspected the employee dormitories upstairs and the workshop downstairs. He was pleased with both areas and promptly settled the payment with the person in charge.


    In fact, it was fortunate that Aroma''s Day Care had paid the down payment for six months'' worth of Pok��blocks yesterday. Otherwise, Yuga wouldn''t even have been able to afford the wages for the renovation workers.


    When Yuga returned to the old store, he noticed that the Chatot was chatting with Suzuki Koen, and he couldn''t help but wonder what they were talking about, especially since he heard Suzuki Koenughing uncontrobly.


    Oh heavens! Didn''t I tell Sister Koen not to mingle with the Chatot? Howe they''re both chatting so happily now?


    Yuga walked over and shooed the Chatot away from the cash register with a wave of his hand.


    "Move along, move along. Don''t disturb Sister Koen while she''s working."


    In a dejected tone, the Chatot flew into the air and said, "Dear, how could you treat your boyfriend this way?"


    Hearing this, Suzuki Koen burst intoughter beside them.


    Helplessly, Yuga said, "Sister Koen, didn''t I tell you to ignore it?"


    Suzuki Koen asked in confusion, "Why? I find it quite entertaining!"


    Yuga couldn''t help but roll his eyes. He really didn''t understand what you women are thinking. You call this entertaining? This is just a bird bbering nonsense. Where''s the entertainment?


    "Gagagaga..." Upon hearing Suzuki Koen''s words, the Chatotughed smugly. "Dear, did you hear that? Someone still appreciates the captivating essence of my soul."


    Saying this, it flew back to the cash register and continued chatting happily with Suzuki Koen.


    Due to the impending opening of the new store, Yuga didn''t have time to let the Chatot waste his time there. So, he went to the Ecopark to move the Pok��mon eggs.


    Almost all the Pok��mon, including Audino, Milktank, and Linoone, had been called over by Yuga to help. With many hands, the task waspleted quickly, and all the Pok��mon eggs required for the new store''s opening were ced in the counters.


    After returning to the old store from the new one, as he approached the entrance, Yuga noticed that Misaki had arrived with her luggage.


    "Boss, I''m reporting for duty." Misaki greeted Yuga cheerfully.


    "You''re here. Perfect timing. The new store is just ready. Come, I''ll show you around your work and living space." Yuga gestured for her to follow him and even took some of her luggage. He then led her to the new store.


    Upon arriving, Yuga said to Misaki, "The main focus of the new store is selling Pok��mon eggs, but this is also where you''ll work and live. There''s another salesperson besides you, but you''ll meet them when they start officially."


    Misaki nodded in response to Yuga''s words.


    Yuga then guided Misaki to the second floor''s employee dormitories and helped her tidy up her room.


    One major difference between the Pok��mon world and Yuga''s previous life was that they didn''t have to worry about pollution even in newly renovated houses. They could move in without any concerns.


    After helping Misaki with her room, Yuga briefly showed her the area where she would be working in the future. Then, he returned to the old store. Before leaving, he informed Misaki that someone woulde to get her for lunch.


    On the second day of Misaki''s arrival, the new branch of the YoYo''s Day Care finally opened.


    Being a rtively unknown small store, the opening of the new branch of the YoYo''s Day Care was quite low-key. Apart from Yuga''s Aunt''s family, Uncle Kate''s family, and some local neighbors, there weren''t many special attendees.


    However, to Yuga''s surprise, Nurse Joy from Verdanturf Town''s Pok��mon Center actually showed up.


    Although Yuga and Nurse Joy were acquainted, they weren''t close. At most, they exchanged greetings when they met. Her presence was a considerable show of support for Yuga.


    However, upon learning about the opening of Yuga''s new store, his friends Robert and Reggie, although unable to be there in person, immediately congratted him over the phone.


    The signboard for the new store was the same as the old one, custom-made by Yuga. However, there was a small "2" in the bottom right corner of the YoYo''s Day Care logo, distinguishing it from the old store.


    The signboard of the original YoYo''s Day Care was actually quite an aged item, almost as old as the establishment itself.


    Yuga wasn''t certain about when exactly the YoYo''s Day Care was founded, but it had been a long time. In Yuga''s memory, his parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents had all made a living running this Day Care.


    It was absolutely urate to call the YoYo''s Day Care a century-old establishment.


    After the opening ceremony concluded and the neighbors dispersed, Yuga treated all the employees in the store, including his aunt''s family, to a meal.


    Raising a ss of Berry Juice at the table, Yuga addressed those present, saying, "Our Day Care is thriving more and more. In the future, we need to work together to continue prospering. First and foremost, I want to thank my aunt and uncle for taking care of me during this time. You''ve been busy and hardworking on my behalf."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, his Aunt, truly became teary-eyed. She never expected Yuga to be so aplished. She felt both proud and honored, as well as remorseful for the times she might not have done enough for him.


    To think her nephew had grown into such an exceptional man without her realizing it.


    It seemed that Yuga''s Uncle, understood his wife''s emotions. He quietlyforted her while Luna, who didn''tprehend much, looked on with curious eyes, wondering why her mother was so happy today and yet shedding tears.


    After expressing his gratitude to his family, Yuga turned to Suzuki Koen and Windy, saying, "The development of the Day Care owes much to both of you. I''m extremely grateful for your diligent work all this time."


    Windy was a man of few words, so Suzuki Koen responded on behalf of both of them.


    "Boss, you''re too kind. Working hard is what we employees should do. We don''t deserve much credit. Let''s continue to work hard together in the future."


    When Suzuki Koen had joined the YoYo''s Day Care, she had initially thought of it as a way to lead a leisurely life. But seeing how the Day Care had developed step by step under their efforts, she couldn''t help but feel proud.


    After thanking Suzuki Koen and Windy, Yuga raised his ss to Misaki and Sena, saying, "Next, we want to take this opportunity to wee our newrades, Misaki and Sena, to the YoYo''s Day Care. I hope that with our joint efforts, the Day Care will continue to thrive."


    With Yuga''s emotional speech, the group had a joyful meal together.

 Chapter 182: Interview

    <h4>Chapter 182: Interview</h4>


    After the opening of Yuga''s new store, his life returned to its previous routine. The sales tasks of the new store were handed over to Sena, and Suzuki Koen asionally checked on his progress.


    Yuga himself continued his daily life of training Pok��mon, learning about breeding knowlegde, and creating Pok��blocks.


    However, there was one thing Yuga was busy with �C preparing for an interview with Lilycove TV.


    Although he didn''t know the exact content of the interview, some preparation was needed. He made sure the store looked neater and briefed his employees on what to expect during the TV appearance.


    In truth, this was Yuga''s first time being in the spotlight, not only in this life but in his previous life as well. Hecked experience.


    During these days, other Day Cares in Lilycove City that had been interviewed were gradually featured on TV. These were well-known Day Cares in the Hoenn region.


    However, the featured Day Cares weren''t the top-tier ones. ording to the TV station, they wanted to provide opportunities for smaller establishments with good reputations to survive and grow.


    This was the reason why Yuga''s YoYo''s Day Care was included in the interview list. Otherwise, a small establishment like his mixing in with big names would raise suspicions.


    Before he knew it, seven days had passed since Gabby and Ty had informed Yuga about the uing interview. Today was the day for the YoYo''s Day Care interview.


    Interview opportunities were scarce in Verdanturf Town. Thus, the fact that the YoYo''s Day Care was being interviewed by the biggest TV station in the Hoenn region created quite a buzz in the town. As a result, a crowd had gathered outside the Day Care.


    Yuga did consider shooing them away to prevent any disruptions during the interview. However, as they were all neighbors and familiar faces, he hesitated to take such an action. He had no choice but to let them be.


    The TV crew arrived punctually. They set up their cameras as soon as they got out of their vehicle and began shooting.


    "Hello, everyone. I''m Gabby, a reporter from Lilycove TV. After interviewing several outstanding Day Cares, we have finally arrived at the YoYo''s Day Care, a highly rated establishment online. Let''s get closer and find out more about it."


    The interviewer was someone familiar to Yuga �C Gabby. Her partner, Ty, was in charge of filming.


    As Gabby and the camera crew moved closer to the Day Care, the onlookers naturally made way for them, not wanting to interfere with their work.


    Reaching the entrance of the YoYo''s Day Care, Gabby said to the camera, "Look, we have arrived at the entrance of the YoYo''s Day Care. It might seem like an inconspicuous small shop from the outside, but who would''ve thought it holds so much inside? Let''s see what makes it so sessful!"


    Gabby led the camera crew, who were carrying their equipment, into the YoYo''s Day Care.


    "Wow!" Gabby eximed after taking a tour inside, "Who would''ve thought that this ordinary-looking shop from the outside would have so much hidden inside!"


    In coordination with Gabby''s astonishment, the camera focused on different aspects of the YoYo''s Day Care.


    By now, Yuga had prepared himself inside the store, waiting for Gabby and her crew to begin the interview.


    Gabby approached Yuga, who was sitting by a table in the center of the store, and said to the camera filming him, "It seems this handsome young man is the owner of the YoYo''s Day Care, Mr. Shimizu."


    Then, addressing Yuga, she continued, "Hello, Mr. Shimizu!"


    "Hello," Yuga greeted, waving at the microphone Gabby held and the camera in front of him.


    "Who would''ve thought that at such a young age, Mr. Shimizu, you''re already supporting a Day Care on your own," Gabby pretended to be surprised in front of the camera.


    "I''ve only benefited from the legacy of my parents and ancestors," Yuga modestly replied. "Although the YoYo''s Day Care might seem small in scale, it''s been an old establishment for a long time."


    "Really?" Gabby hadn''t known this before and was quite surprised by Yuga''s revtion.


    "Absolutely," Yuga smiled. "I''m still young, so I''m not sure exactly when the YoYo''s Day Care was founded, but my parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents all grew up here."


    "I see. I never imagined that the YoYo''s Day Care had such a rich history unknown to us," Gabby eximed.


    "Well then, Mr. Shimizu, could you tell us about the unique features of the YoYo''s Day Care today?" Gabby continued.


    "Of course," Yuga said, pping his hands together. Following that, a round of apuse echoed, and directly in front of Yuga and the camera, three Pok��mon appeared, guided by Linoone.


    "Everyone, please take a look," Yuga pointed at the three Pok��mon in front of him and addressed the camera, "These three Pok��mon are the Ground-type Gligar and Flygon, and the Water-type uncher. They are currently our Day Care''s gship Pok��mon. Even without much introduction from me, I believe most of you are aware that these three species are exceptionally rare."


    "Indeed, these three Pok��mon are extremely umon. The final evolution of Gligar, Gliscor, is formidable. The final evolution of Trapinch, Flygon, is a rare Dragon-type Pok��mon. The uncher is a species found only in the Kalos region," Yuga finished, and Gabby immediately took over to provide detailed information about the three Pok��mon.


    After Gabby''s introduction, Yuga continued, "Every month, we provide one Gligar with green potential and two Trapinchs with green potential. Additionally, every three months, we offer one uncher with green potential as our featured Pok��mon of the month."


    "Why do you have a monthly limit like this?" Gabby inquired, her brow furrowed.


    Yuga exined, "The breeds we cultivate haven''t been around for long, and their numbers are limited. This doesn''t supportrge-scale external sales."


    "I see," Gabby eximed, a sudden realization dawning upon her.


    "It''s not just our YoYo''s Day Care; I believe other Day Cares also can''t mass-produce high-potential Pok��mon for the market. Reality doesn''t allow it, as the breeding rate of Pok��mon can never catch up with customer demand. This is why high-potential Pok��mon alwayse wituju high prices," Yuga continued.


    Listening to Yuga''s exnation, Gabby nodded in agreement and said, "Indeed, that''s true. We''ve interviewed many Day Cares, and they''re all simr. Their sales models are just a bit different from YoYo''s Day Care. They pair low-potential Pok��mon with the higher ones to avoid standing out like your establishment."


    Hearing Gabby''s words, Yuga took the opportunity to promote his new store.


    "YoYo''s Day Care has also changed its business model. We recently opened a new store where, in addition to the monthly limited high-potential Pok��mon, even lower-tier Pok��mon are avable for purchase anytime."


    Surprised, Gabby pretended, "Really? That''s great news for all Pok��mon enthusiasts."


    Of course, Gabby had known about Yuga''s new store long before, but she yed along for the show''s effect.


    "Furthermore, our Day Care has introduced unique Pok��blocks, which have received praise from all our customers as soon as they were introduced."


    With that, Yuga guided Gabby and her crew to the counter where the Pok��blocks were disyed and exined the details to them.


    "I''ve heard that you recently discontinued a very popr Grass-type Pok��block. Could you tell us why?" Gabby asked, a question that many customers were curious about.


    "This delves into the business secrets of our Day Care, which I''m afraid I can''t share with everyone," Yuga chuckled, smoothly deflecting the question.


    The entire interviewsted quite a while and covered numerous details, but the process went smoothly.


    Later, Yuga also took them to visit his new store and introduced them to his employees, among other things.

 Chapter 183: Narrowing of Foes

    <h4>Chapter 183: Narrowing of Foes</h4>


    The interview with YoYo''s Day Care was broadcasted on the Lilycove TV station the next day. Consequently, YoYo''s Day Care revealed itselfprehensively to all the folks in the Hoenn region.


    Due to the interview, the business of YoYo''s Day Care''s Pok��blocks exploded, and the number of customers at the new store kept growing. Many trainers felt that even if they couldn''t get a green-potential Gligar or Trapinch, a yellow-potential one was still serviceable.


    Meanwhile, in a vi in the teport City, a middle-aged man watched the interview about YoYo''s Day Care on TV. Filled with anger, he violently hurled his teacup across the room.


    "Shimizu Yuga! YoYo''s Day Care! You wait for me!" The middle-aged man''s voice dripped with venom.


    If Yuga were present, he would definitely recognize this man as an acquaintance he had shed with before.


    On the other hand, in the Rustboro City, a Lairon became visibly excited upon seeing Yuga''s image on TV. The Lairon bit onto its trainer''s clothes, signaling them to look at the screen.


    However, all of this was unknown to Yuga, who was in the town of Verdanturf. He was currently listening to Suzuki Koen''s report about the sales of the Pok��blocks over the past few days, feeling secretly delighted.


    Because business was booming, the incubators in Yuga''s new store were running short. Seeing that Arata Sena was busy, Yuga decided to head out himself and buy some supplies from the Devon''s shop.


    Yuga had a great deal of faith in the Devon''s capabilities. He usually bought the necessary Pok��mon items from their store since their reputation was solid, ensuring the quality of their products.


    Navigating easily, Yuga entered the Devon''s store, intending to purchase his incubators. To his surprise, he encountered someone he''d rather not see.


    "Why are you here?" the person on the opposite side said in a hostile tone.


    "Why wouldn''t I be here? Isn''t the entrance open for business?" Yuga retorted, bypassing him and getting ready to buy his items.


    "Halt!" The man shouted as Yuga attempted to leave.


    "What? You''ve been to the detention center once, and you think it''s not enough? Want to go back in?" Yuga sneered, ncing back at him.


    Indeed, the person Yuga encountered was none other than Touya, who had instigated others to cause trouble at YoYo''s Day Care and had been thrown into the detention center by Officer Jenny.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Touya''s face went from red to ck and then purple with anger. Being thrown into the detention center was the biggest shame Touya had ever experienced in his life. He had been mocked incessantly, and he still hadn''t told his parents about it. It was his uncle who had managed to pull him out of the detention center.


    "Anything else? If not, I''m leaving." Yuga nced at him with a half-smile, seeing that he was rendered speechless in a fit of rage. He then turned and walked away.


    Yuga arrived at the incubator section and found a sales representative. He told them how many incubators he needed and asked them to have them delivered to his new store.


    Just as Yuga was wrapping up with the sales representative and preparing to leave, Touya''s voice once again made its presence felt.


    "Hold on!"


    Hearing Touya''s voice, Yuga instinctively paused and turned around, only to find him standing behind him, somehow having moved unnoticed.


    "Is it you who''s buying these incubators?" Touya arrogantly touched the incubators, a statement that left Yuga rather perplexed.


    Where did this person''s innate sense of superioritye from?


    "Yes, it''s me. Does it concern you?" Yuga had no intention of engaging with him. After speaking, he turned to leave.


    "It doesn''t concern me, but soon it won''t concern you either," Touya said with a smile.


    "What do you mean?" Yuga questioned, puzzled.


    Without answering Yuga''s question, Touya signaled the sales representative Yuga had approached.


    "Young Master Touya, is there something you need?" The sales representative walked over to Touya''s side, bowed, and cautiously inquired.


    Young Master Touya? Could this Touya have something to do with the Devon? Yuga pondered.


    Touya pointed at Yuga with an air of superiority andmanded, "From now on, this person is not allowed to buy anything here!"


    Hearing Touya''s words, Yuga''s expression instantly soured.


    "Well... That doesn''t seem very appropriate..." The salesperson stuttered, unsure of how to proceed.


    "What''s inappropriate about it? Just do as I say. Where''s all this unnecessary talking from? Do you want to get fired?" Touya barked at the salesperson aggressively.


    Upon hearing the words "get fired," the salesperson immediately fell silent, not daring to speak further. They could only reluctantly inform Yuga, "I''m sorry, sir. We can''t sell the incubators to you."


    Yuga felt that every encounter with Touya was one annoyance after another. This person seemed to be able to get under his skin like no other.


    "How about this? I could crush you with just one hand, a small fry like you!" Seeing Yuga''s face darken, Touya arrogantly taunted.


    Yuga closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and was afraid that he might identally end up "killing" this "jerk" in front of him.


    What''s the rtionship between this Touya and the Devon? How can he control things here?


    In reality, Yuga was unaware that it wasn''t Touya who had connections with the Devon, but rather his uncle, Kiryu. And Kiryu was the owner of the Devon''s branch in Verdanturf.


    Yuga had encountered Kiryu before. During a youth Pok��mon battle tournament in Verdanturf, Kiryu had served as a referee.


    Both Touya and Kiryu were not originally from Verdanturf but from the Rustboro City. Due to Kiryu''s exceptional business skills, he had been promoted by the headquarters to be the owner of the Verdanturf branch.


    Kiryu hadn''t been in Verdanturf for long, and Touya hade to Verdanturf with him at that time.


    Although Kiryu was quite busy most of the time, his wife was a full-time homemaker. She took care of Touya and his cousin at home, allowing Touya''s parents, who were busy with their League public duties, to entrust their son to Kiryu''s care.


    However, judging from Touya''s ignorant attitude, it seemed that neither Kiryu nor his wife were particrly adept at parenting.


    "Crush me with one hand?" Yuga scoffed, "Why don''t you give it a try? Let''s see if you can actually crush me!"


    "Whether you believe it or not, I can make sure your little Day Care won''t survive!" Touya dered boldly.


    Hearing Touya''s bold words, Yuga wanted to burst intoughter. He wondered if this Touya had anymon sense at all.

 Chapter 184: Resolution - Victory of the Insects over the Birds

    <h4>Chapter 184: Resolution - Victory of the Insects over the Birds</h4>


    Is it really that simple to make a Day Care go out of business? The answer is undoubtedly no.


    In the Pok��mon world, the Day Care industry is unique and essential, supporting the livelihood of all trainers. As a result, the League takes its management very seriously.


    Think about it, even the tax payment is based on a separate taxation system. Can it not be considered special?


    So, for a League-certified Day Care, unless they voluntarily close down, it''s quite a challenge to make them go out of business without a legitimate reason.


    "I''ll wait and see how you''re going to shut down my Day Care," Yuga said disdainfully, as if he were a person of great importance.


    Originally, Touya wanted to see Yuga begging for mercy. He didn''t expect Yuga to be so unyielding and indifferent. It was enough to make him furious.


    Without gaining any advantage, and seeing Yuga about to leave, Touya yelled, "Stop!"


    Yuga turned around and said, "Stop repeating ''stop, stop.'' If you have something to say, say it all at once. I don''t have time to chat with you."


    Touya pondered for a moment and suggested, "How about a Pok��mon battle? If you defeat me, I''ll have them sell all these incubators to you."


    "You want to battle me?" Yuga asked. "I recall you being a Trainer Coordinator. Are you serious about battling me?"


    Although many Trainer Coordinators were powerful, such as Robert or Wace, Touya certainly wasn''t among them.


    "What? Are you scared?" Touya smugly replied, showing great confidence in his abilities.


    Initially, Yuga had no intention of agreeing, but seeing Touya''s e on, hit me!" expression, he couldn''t resist.


    "Fine, if that''s what you want, let''s do it," Yuga said indifferently.


    The two agreed upon a battle area and took their positions facing each other.


    "I''ll send out my Pok��mon first," Yuga said, releasing his Vivillon. "You should be familiar with this one."


    To be honest, it took Touya a while to recognize Vivillon. Only after some time did he remember that Yuga had approached him with a Scatterbug before.


    "I don''t understand what you''re talking about."


    Whether he recalled Vivillon''s identity or not, Touya wouldn''t admit to knowing it.


    "Since you''ve sent out such an unimpressive Pok��mon, don''t me me."


    "Vivillon, Vivillon!"


    Hearing Touya call Vivillon unimpressive, Vivillon''s two antennae on its head started trembling with excitement. Its wings began to p rapidly, creating weak currents of air that swirled around it.


    Touya sent out a Delibird, an Ice/Flying-type Pok��mon.


    ...


    <<delibird>> </delibird>


    Type: Ice/Flying


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Vitality


    Potential: Green


    Level: 35


    Skills: Gift, Peck, Power-Up Punch, Ice Beam.


    ...


    "Since you''re the one who sent out your Pok��mon first, don''t me me," Touya said smugly.


    Ice and Flying types of Delibird had the upper hand against Vivillon. Touya had reason to be confident.


    "Vivillon, are you confident?" Yuga asked the airborne Vivillon.


    "Vivillon, Vivillon!"


    Vivillon descended from the sky, circled around Yuga''s head, and nodded resolutely.


    Today, it was going to settle its past grievances. It resented this person for abandoning it before, pretending not to recognize it. However, after today, it wouldn''t remember him. It had a new life and someone it wanted to protect.


    "Now that we''re ready, let''s begin," Yuga said to Touya, who was oozing with pride.


    Touya extended his right hand, signaling Yuga to attack first. Yuga felt like Touya was acting like a clown. Suddenly, the battle seemed quite tasteless.


    Without giving anymands, Vivillon gracefully began to dance in the air. Its elegant movements and graceful posture attracted attention.


    "Delibird, Peck!"


    Seeing Vivillon''s dance, Touya immediately took action.


    It must be said that Touya had done quite well with the training of his Delibird. It was incredibly fast, like a shooting star, heading straight for Vivillon.


    But Vivillon was already well-versed in its dance skills. As it danced, it deftly avoided Delibird''s attack with a sidestep, enhancing its dance.


    With boosted special attack, special defense, and speed, Vivillon''s wings fluttered rapidly. It controlled a gentle breeze mixed with gray powder, shaping it into a wind dragon that surged toward Delibird.


    "This can''t be! How does Vivillon have such strong control over the wind?" Touya couldn''t believe his eyes as he watched Vivillon manipte the wind dragon towards Delibird.


    Due to the excessive force exerted while using the "Peck" move, the Delibird that had managed to steady itself was suddenly struck by a Gust infused with Stun Spore. Not only did it take damage, but it also became paralyzed.


    "You see that! This is the very same Vivillon you abandoned before," Yuga''s voice came through, with an air of cold indifference, amid Touya''s incredulous murmurs.


    "It can''t be! This isn''t the Vivillon I know. You''re lying to me! Delibird, Ice Beam!"


    Refusing to ept reality, Touya shouted frantically at his Delibird.


    The blue beam of light transformed into a sword under Delibird''s control and was directed towards the Vivillon. At this moment, the Vivillon took to the air again, resuming its dance.


    Being a truly indigo-potential Pok��mon, Vivillon possessed exceptional intelligence, sharp reflexes, and remarkable adaptability, unlike other Pok��mon. In the face of the oing Ice Beam, its eyes glowed blue. Employing a Psybeam, it manipted the Ice Beam, changing its trajectory. Subsequently, Vivillonpleted its second dance.


    Two rounds of dancing were the current limit for Yuga''s Vivillon. Beyond that, it wouldn''t be able to cope. At this point, all of Vivillon''s abilities had reached their peak.


    Affected by the Stun Spore from Vivillon, Touya''s Delibird remained fixed in ce after using Ice Beam once, unable to move. It crackled with arcs of yellow electricity.


    "Delibird, move! Use Ice Beam!" Touya excitedly yelled upon seeing his Delibird paralyzed.


    Delibird wore a helpless expression at the moment. It desperately wanted to respond to its trainer''s call, but it was utterly powerless.


    "Vivillon, create a Gust," Yuga seized this prime opportunity for an offensive move.


    Under Vivillon''s control, an even more ferocious wind dragon rushed towards the paralyzed Delibird. It swallowed Delibird whole in an instant.


    When the wind dragon dissipated, Delibirdy defeated on the ground, rendered incapable of battling.

 Chapter 185: The Uncle and Nephew’s Scheme

    <h4>Chapter 185: The Uncle and Nephew''s Scheme</h4>


    "I''ve won," Yuga said expressionlessly as he looked at the fallen Delibird.


    "Impossible, impossible..."


    Muttering incessantly, Touya had never imagined he would lose to someone he had always looked down upon. Not to mention that it was with the same Pok��mon he had abandoned.


    The emotional discrepancy was too vast for Touya to ept the reality. He even forgot to recall his fallen Delibird.


    Seeing Touya in such a bewildered state, Yuga didn''t bother looking at him any longer. He simply stated, "You can stay here as long as you want. I''m leaving. As for those Incubators, I don''t need them. Verdanturf Town has more than just your shop selling Incubators."


    After saying that, Yuga turned and left.


    Yuga didn''t want to engage with someone whocked dignity. He simply hoped that this person would avoid bothering him in the future and bring him bad luck.


    After Yuga left, he found another store and bought enough Incubators before returning home.


    As Yuga arrived at his doorstep, he heard the annoying voice of his Chatot.


    "Darling, why were you gone for so long? I missed you so much!"


    Without sparing the Parrot a nce, Yuga pped it aside and entered the shop.


    The Chatot was like an indomitable cockroach; it promptly got up again and followed Yuga inside.


    While passing by the shop''s entrance, Yuga saw Linoone lying there as usual.


    "Why are you lounging around here again today? I thought you were trying to quit." Yuga teased.


    Although Yuga didn''t understand why Linoone and the Great Flygon had undergone a change in behavior over the past few days, staying in the Ecopark all day long withouting out, he didn''t inquire further. Seeing them spirited and lively was enough for him.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s voice, Linoone opened its eyes slightly, nced at Yuga, then closed its eyes again.


    Noticing that it had no intention of acknowledging him, Yuga uninterestedly entered the store.


    Yuga had been back in the store for a short while when Touya finally snapped out of his stupor and returned, dejected, to his uncle''s house.


    Upon arriving home, seeing his nephew looking as if he had been through a frost, Kiryu asked curiously, "Little Touya, what happened?"


    Hearing Kiryu''s voice, Touya suddenly sprang to life as if injected with chicken blood.


    "Uncle, you absolutely have to help me. You have to help me properly teach that guy named Shimizu Yuga a lesson!"


    After listening to Touya''s ount of what happened, Kiryu couldn''t help but think that his nephew was really going too far. However, regardless of how unreasonable his nephew was, he couldn''t allow anyone to bully him.


    It had to be said that their thought processes were quite simr, being uncle and nephew.


    "What do you want to do?" Kiryu asked Touya with a serious expression.


    "Uncle, I remember that the Day Care is managed by the Breeder Association, right? You know people in the Breeder Association. Why don''t we find an excuse to shut down his Day Care?"


    Touya gritted his teeth as he spoke. He felt that he had endured too much humiliation all his life, all of it thanks to this Shimizu Yuga. He needed to teach him a severe lesson; otherwise, he couldn''t relieve the hatred burning in his heart.


    "Foolish!" Kiryu scolded him upon hearing Touya''s terrible idea.


    "W-What... What''s wrong..." Touya was taken aback by Kiryu''s sudden exmation of "foolish" and stammered.


    "This YoYo Day Care has been featured on the Lilycove TV station. Do you know what that ce is? It''s part of the League. The League just praised them, and now you want to im there''s a problem? Are you trying to disgrace the League?"


    Touya was left speechless by Kiryu''s words, and he weakly asked, "Then what should we do?"


    Seeing Touya''s demeanor, Kiryu scolded him without reservation, "Look at you. With a mind like yours, no wonder you keep losing to others. Even if you lived twenty more years, you still wouldn''t be able to beat them."


    "You don''t need to worry about this matter. Uncle will take care of it for you. Instead, focus on your Pok��mon Contest. Don''t you need two more Ribbons to qualify for the Grand Festival? Put in more effort; when are you going to get it otherwise?"


    "Yes! I understand, I''ll go." Hearing that his uncle would handle the issue with Yuga, Touya happily hurried away.


    Once Yuga returned to the shop, he, Audino, and Misaki started making Pok��blocks. Little did he know that a pair of uncle and nephew were plotting against him.


    This was the first time Yuga was making Pok��blocks with Misaki. After Misaki arrived, she had been taught how to make both the Heavies and Enigma Pok��block by Audino.


    What Yuga hadn''t anticipated was that apart from being excellent at making Pok��blocks, Misaki had two highly capable assistants: a Plusle and a Minun.


    Thanks to the help of these two Pok��mon, Misaki''s speed at crafting Pok��blocks became even faster. Yuga was the weakest link in the team in terms of crafting ability, and the gap between him and others kept growing wider.


    Yuga also noticed that Misaki''s Plusle and Minun could use their inherent positive and negative charges to better blend the nutrients in the Berry, resulting in higher quality Pok��blocks.


    "Misaki, you''re truly a genius. How did youe up with this method?" Yuga didn''t hold back on his praises, leaving Misaki a bit embarrassed.


    "I stumbled upon it identally," Misaki humbly replied, "Later, I tried having other Electric-type Pok��mon follow the same method, but none of them could do it like Plusle and Minun."


    "I think it''s probably because Plusle and Minun inherently possess two distinct types of Electric-type energy. These two types of energy attract and fuse with each other," Yuga spected.


    Misaki nodded, finding Yuga''s theory reasonable.


    "That''s probably it. Otherwise, why would other Pok��mon fail while only Plusle and Minun seed? Separately, they can''t meet the requirements. They can only maximize this ability when they''re together."


    While crafting the Pok��blocks, Yuga watched Eevee ying around nearby. He wondered when Eevee would finally evolve into an Umbreon. The variety of Pok��blocks in the store had be somewhat monotonous.


    As Yuga was immersed in crafting Pok��blocks, Kiryu and Touya, the uncle and nephew, were plotting against him. Meanwhile, a Trainer with a Lairon was making his way towards Verdanturf Town all the way from Rustboro City. It seemed his target was also Yuga.

 Chapter 186: Mother-Son Conflict

    <h4>Chapter 186: Mother-Son Conflict</h4>


    Ever since Misaki joined, the production of YoYo Day Care''s Pok��blocks had steadily increased, easing the pressure on Yuga and Audino.


    Furthermore, in terms of the quality of the Pok��blocks, Yuga and Audino couldn''tpare to Misaki.


    The higher the quality of the Pok��blocks, the more crystalline and translucent they appeared. Lower quality cubes seemed muddier, determined by the impurities within.


    Each Pok��block made by Misaki resembled a beautiful crystal, making them the finest among the Pok��blocks.


    ording to Misaki, her proficiency in making Pok��blocks came from practicing extensively during her early days as a Breeder. She hadn''t done anything else, dedicating all her time to perfecting the craft.


    Misaki was self-taught,cking formal education as a Breeder, so she relied on her own trial and error to progress.


    While there were specialized courses avable for Breeders online, Yuga and Audino attended them daily. However, most of these courses were quite expensive.


    Knowledge was among the most preciousmodities in this world. Higher-level Breeders were willing to share their knowledge because it held value.


    Back then, Misaki was just a rookie Trainer who couldn''t even make it to the top 32 of the Pok��mon League. Naturally, she couldn''t afford those exorbitant Breeder courses, and her family''s circumstances didn''t support it either.


    Thus, she could only afford to buy some basic courses to learn by herself, among which the most affordable were the semi-public basic Pok��block tutorials.


    As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Diligencepensates forck of skill. Through extensive practice, Misaki developed her own technique for crafting Pok��blocks.


    This was the epitome of the principle that masteryes from 360-degree learning and experience.


    At this moment, while Yuga was consulting Misaki on the intricacies of crafting Pok��blocks, they suddenly heard amotion outside.


    "What''s happening?" Yuga asked Audino and Misaki.


    "Audino."


    "No idea."


    Both the Pok��mon shook their heads simultaneously.


    "Could someone be causing trouble?" Feeling concerned, Yuga swiftly got up from his chair and hurried out of the workshop.


    Audino and Misaki followed suit.


    "Youe back with me! Don''t stay here any longer." The voice belonged to a middle-aged woman, and Yuga found it somewhat familiar.


    "Isn''t that Aunt Aoba?" Yuga recognized her as Aunt Aoba, who ran a stall at the market. She was also the mother of Sena.


    "Boss, I''m sorry."


    Seeing Yugae out, Sena looked guilty. His mother''s actions were affecting the store''s business, making him feel quite embarrassed.


    Yuga didn''t me Sena; instead, he patted his shoulder gently and smiled as he spoke to Aunt Aoba, "Aunt Aoba, what brings you here today?"


    Seeing Yuga''s smiling face, Aunt Aoba grew a bit bashful. She might have realized that her behavior was affecting someone else''s business and was beginning to feel ufortable.


    "Uh... I''m sorry, Yuga. I just wanted my son Sena toe back home with me."


    "Why? Your son is working here just fine. Why do you want him to go back with you?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    "Yeah, Mom, why? Why won''t you let me work here?" Sena was getting frustrated.


    "Don''t think I don''t know. You still want to be a Trainer, right?"


    Hearing Sena''s words, Aunt Aoba''s voice immediately became louder. She had seen through her son''s intentions��Sena still wanted to be a Pok��mon Trainer.


    "I''m your mother! If I tell you toe back, you have toe back! Hurry,e with me!"


    Although Yuga was aware that Sena''s parents didn''t approve of him bing a Trainer, he hadn''t expected Aunt Aoba toe all the way to the shop for this matter.


    "Aunt Aoba, isn''t it good that Sena is working here? At least, it''s much better than him selling vegetables with you at the market. He''s earning more in a month than you are." Yuga tried to reason with Aunt Aoba.


    "That''s not eptable. As long as he still has the intention of bing a Trainer, I''d rather have him sell vegetables with me at the market for his entire life."


    Aunt Aoba''s stance was resolute; she firmly disagreed whenever the topic of Sena bing a Trainer was brought up.


    Yuga found Aunt Aoba''s actions quite strange, but she refused to provide reasons, leaving him somewhat baffled.


    "Mom, I''m not going back!"


    Confronted by his mother''s forceful attitude, Sena didn''t give up. He had already given up his dream once before due to his mother''s words; he couldn''t afford to make the same mistake again.


    "I''m your mother! Don''t you think I''m doing all this for your own good? Do you think I''m trying to harm you?"


    Sena''s steadfastness frustrated Aunt Aoba even more, and she spoke in an agitated manner.


    At this point, due to the conflict between mother and son, a crowd had gathered outside the shop''s entrance. They were asionally pointing and gesturing towards the shop, and the few customers inside had left in the meantime.


    Seeing the situation, Yuga said to Aunt Aoba, "Aunt Aoba, can we go upstairs to talk about this in private? It''s not good to have so many people watching here."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Aunt Aoba looked outside and her face turned red. She realized that the scene was indeed quite embarrassing. She nodded in agreement.


    Yuga thought Aunt Aoba''s character was quite simr to Sena''s; they were truly mother and son, exhibiting the same shyness.


    "Misaki, can you watch the store for a bit? We''ll go upstairs for a while." Yuga instructed Misaki before taking Sena and Aunt Aoba upstairs.


    Currently, only Misaki lived on the second floor of the new shop, and there were quite a few vacant rooms. Yuga randomly picked one and took Aunt Aoba inside.


    "Yuga, I''m really sorry for causing trouble for your business," Aunt Aoba said as she sat down in the room, feeling embarrassed.


    "It''s fine, it''s fine!" Yuga waved his hand dismissively. "You''ve always looked out for Audino when she visited your ce to buy vegetables. This little matter shouldn''t bother you."


    Every time Audino went to Aunt Aoba''s ce to buy vegetables, she woulde back with a little extra��either some of this or some of that��kind gestures from Aunt Aoba.


    Although Audino would absentmindedly carry things back every time, Yuga remembered. While they were all just small acts of kindness, it was important to hold onto others'' goodwill.

 Chapter 187: Origins

    <h4>Chapter 187: Origins</h4>


    .


    "Aunt Aoba, there must be a reason behind your opposition to Sena bing a Trainer. If you don''t state your reasons, how can Sena ept it?" Yuga believed it was important to understand the reasons before addressing the issue.


    "Exactly, Mom. If you don''t give a reason, I won''t go back with you," both Yuga and Sena urged Aunt Aoba.


    Yuga believed that since Sena had signed a contract of employment with him, he wouldn''t release Sena without knowing the reasons.


    Aunt Aoba''s expression became conflicted upon hearing Yuga''s words. She seemed torn, but Yuga saw a glimmer of hope and continued, "Sena is under an employment contract with me. If you don''t state your reasons, I won''t let him go."


    Upon hearing this, Aunt Aoba struggled even more with her decision.


    "Aunt Aoba, no matter what the reason is, it concerns Sena''s future. He has the right to know. He''s an adult now; he can make decisions for himself."


    Yuga''s words broke down Aunt Aoba''sst line of defense.


    Finally, Aunt Aoba seemed to make up her mind. Her tense body rxed all at once, and she began to speak, "All of this is rted to Sena''s father."


    "My father? What does he have to do with this? If it weren''t for your strong opposition, he would''ve supported me bing a Trainer," Sena questioned his mother''s words with great confusion.


    "I''m talking about your biological father," Aunt Aoba paused when she said this.


    "My biological father? Mom, what are you saying?" Sena thought his ears might be ying tricks on him.


    "Yes, your biological father."


    This time, Sena was certain he hadn''t misheard.


    And so, as Aunt Aoba narrated the story, Yuga and Sena finally learned the truth.


    Sena was not Aunt Aoba and her husband''s child; he was the son of their elder brother and his wife.


    Sena''s father was named Isamu Sena, the elder brother of Aunt Aoba''s husband.


    Like Sena, Isamu Sena had dreamt of bing a Trainer from a young age. Supported by his parents and family, he attended the Trainer School and eventually became a Trainer after graduation.


    However, dreams might be grand, but reality could be harsh. Isamu Sena wasn''t suited for the life of a Trainer. He drifted through the years as a Trainer, remaining at the lowest rank.


    Being a Trainer was lucrative if done well. Both the League and private parties assigned many tasks to Trainers, and if skilled, there was money to be made.


    But if things didn''t go well, the high costs associated with raising Pok��mon would drag you down. Unfortunately, Isamu Sena became such an example.


    Isamu''s insistence on being a Trainer, without giving up, led not only to his own downfall but also that of his parents and his younger brother.


    His parents passed away not long after, and in the face of his brother''s reproach, Isamu Sena finally saw the reality. He abandoned his dreams of being a Trainer, found a stable job, and married Sena''s mother.


    During this time, Isamu Sena lived a peaceful life. Not long after, his wife became pregnant.


    And then Sena was born. His name was chosen personally by Isamu Sena.


    Isamu''s younger brother, seeing that Isamu was finally willing to settle down and lead a stable life, also began to let go of his past resentment. He and his wife, now Aunt Aoba, frequently took care of their nephew.


    Aunt Aoba and her husband had been married even longer than Isamu Sena, but they hadn''t been able to have children of their own. So, they cherished their nephew deeply.


    If life had continued to be peaceful, perhaps none of theter events would have transpired. But reality often differs from our wishes.


    Living a regr nine-to-five life at home, performing the same tasks day in and day out, Isamu Sena''s restless heart grew more and more uneasy.


    As it turns out, beneath the seemingly peaceful exterior, he couldn''t let go of his identity as a Trainer.


    Finally, one incident acted as the spark for all the subsequent tragedies.


    At the time, a significant event urred in the League: the bankruptcy of the Greater Mauville Holdings.


    Initially, the Greater Mauville Holdings was an energy developmentpany located in Mauville City. They were involved in various projects, such as the underwater energy collection tform "Sea Mauville," therge-scale underground city and power nt "New Mauville," and the urban redevelopment project in Mauville City.


    The reason arge corporation like this went bankrupt was due to a new energy application method developed by their long-standing rival, the Devon Corporation. This blow was devastating for an energy developmentpany.


    Additionally, the New Mauville project was halted because the project leader, Wattson, who was now the Gym Leader of Mauville City, was concerned about the potential impact of such a massive project on the habitat of nearby Pok��mon.


    The encroachment on habitats, the suspension of a costly project, and the series of unfortunate events led to Greater Mauville Holdings''s bankruptcy not long after.


    But how could the bankruptcy of Greater Mauville Holdings be rted to someone as insignificant as Isamu Sena?


    All of this was connected to the underwater energy development tform of Mauville, "Sea Mauville."


    After Greater Mauville Holdings went bankrupt, Sea Mauville was abandoned, yet due to its unique ecological environment, it was preserved as a natural conservation area.


    Inside Sea Mauville, there were many leftover historical documents from Greater Mauville Holdings. This led to rumors among many Trainers that the corporation had left a treasure behind, sparking a frenzy to seek treasures in Sea Mauville.


    Regardless of whether there was treasure or not, as a former Pok��base of a major corporation, there were valuable items inside. Some Trainers indeed benefited, and the rumors of hidden treasure intensified.


    Once Isamu Sena, who was already itching for adventure, received this news, he couldn''t bear to stay at home any longer. He informed his younger brother and his wife that he intended to search for treasures in Sea Mauville.


    His decision caused a stir at home. Both his wife and his brother strongly opposed his choice. But since he had already made up his mind, no one could change it.


    He promised his brother and his wife that he would seed, that he would make their lives better. Where he got this confidence from was anyone''s guess.


    Before leaving, his brother said, "If you step out that door, don''t bothering back. I''ll consider you no longer my brother."


    His brother''s words had no effect; Isamu Sena was determined.


    Perhaps his brother''s words yed a part, but Isamu Sena never returned after that departure.


    Not long after he left, his wife fell seriously ill and passed away without ever seeing her husband again.


    And Isamu Sena''s own son, Sena, was raised as their own child by his uncle and aunt, with his true parentage concealed from him.

 Chapter 188: Convincing

    <h4>Chapter 188: Convincing</h4>


    After hearing Aunt Aoba''s story, Yuga was left speechless. Who would have thought that such a melodramatic story could happen right before his eyes?


    Meanwhile, Sena was still in shock from the astonishing revtion. He sat there with a vacant expression, as if his soul had been drained from his body.


    Never in his wildest dreams did Sena imagine that the parents who had raised him for over a decade were not his biological parents. To make matters worse, his father turned out to be a scoundrel who had caused his family''s downfall.


    His mother, grandparents, all had died because of his biological father.


    Finally, Sena understood why his mother had persistently opposed his desire to be a Trainer. She feared that he would follow in his biological father''s footsteps.


    Sena had always known about his uncle and aunt, but his parents had never mentioned them, except for the annual visits to pay respects to histe aunt. Little did he know that his aunt was actually his biological mother.


    "Sena, listen to your mother. Can we go back home? Can''t you give up being a Trainer?" Aunt Aoba delicately suggested, aware that Sena was surely suffering.


    Hearing his aunt''s words, Sena wiped away his tears, walked over, and hugged her, saying, "Mom, thank you for taking care of me all these years, along with Dad. But I''m determined to be a Trainer!"


    However, hearing Sena''s stubbornness, Aunt Aoba pushed him away and cried out uncontrobly, "Why are you so unyielding? Do you also want to end up like your father, tearing this family apart?"


    Sena stumbled and fell to the ground due to Aunt Aoba''s shove. Seeing this, she wanted to help him up, but her anger stopped her, and she wiped her tears in secret.


    "Mom, in the past, I wanted to be a Trainer because I love Pok��mon. But now, I want to find that person!" Sena, seated on the ground, said resolutely.


    Upon hearing Sena''s words, Aunt Aoba wiped her tears and, with a tone less firm, said, "Even if you find him, what then? Over a decade has passed, and he hasn''t returned once. Who knows if he''s even alive?"


    "Whether he''s alive or not, I want to find him! He owes this family an exnation, owes an exnation to my deceased mother, and owes you all an exnation."


    "We don''t need an exnation from him. Your mother doesn''t need one either. For all these years, we''ve treated him as if he never existed. Why? It''s because we hoped you could grow up peacefully, live your life quietly, not for some exnation he might give us." Aunt Aoba said these words while wiping her tears.


    "But..." Sena tried to say something, only to be interrupted by Aunt Aoba.


    "Don''t ''buts.'' Regardless of anything, I won''t allow you to be a Trainer!" Aunt Aoba''s resolve remained unshaken.


    At this moment, Yuga felt it was time to intervene. The longer this went on, the more likely his employees would be forced to log off.


    "Aunt Aoba, I believe not everyone is like Sena''s biological father. After all, you''ve raised Sena yourself. Do you really not understand his character?" Yuga tried to reason.


    Aunt Aoba didn''t react to Yuga''s words, appearing steadfast in her stance.


    "Mom..." Sena still attempted to struggle.


    Yuga pondered for a moment and then said, "Aunt Aoba, not letting Sena be a Trainer is probably because you''re afraid he''ll end up destitute and unable to support himself. Additionally, you''re afraid he''ll follow in his father''s footsteps and never return.


    How about this? I promise you, no matter what happens, I''ll keep a job open for Sena here. This way, you won''t have to worry about his livelihood. The wages here are much higher than what you earn selling vegetables at the market."


    Furthermore, I will personally keep an eye on Sena, ensuring he doesn''t stray down the wrong path. I am a Trainer myself, and as you can see, I''m doing quite well. Not all Trainers end up like Sena''s father."


    "But you''re not just a Trainer, you''re also a Pok��mon Day Care owner. Of course, you wouldn''t worry about going hungry," Aunt Aoba retorted with a touch of sarcasm.


    "Yes, that''s true. I''m both a Trainer and a Pok��mon Day Care owner. So, I''m not afraid of going hungry, and Sena could work as a salesperson at the Day Care. He won''t go hungry either," Yuga cleverly suggested.


    "Sena''s father ended up that way because he was too obsessed. There''s someone in my shop who''s not suitable to be a Trainer, just like him. She switched to being a Breeder, and isn''t she doing well now?" Yuga continued.


    "As long as Sena doesn''t make the same mistakes, and if he realizes he''s not cut out to be a Trainer, he can change his ss immediately. Then there won''t be any issues, right?"


    "Yeah, that''s right. Our boss is right. I definitely won''t make the same mistakes. Our boss will supervise me," Sena responded eagerly, echoing Yuga''s words.


    Hearing Yuga''s reasoning, Aunt Aoba''s expression finally softened a bit.


    After a brief contemtion, Aunt Aoba said, "I''ll talk to his father about this."


    "Really?" Sena asked, delighted.


    In fact, Sena''s father wasn''t against his son bing a Trainer. Otherwise, Sena wouldn''t have had the opportunity to attend Trainer School for a few years.


    Although his older brother''s identity as a Trainer had brought so much pain to the family and had made him resent the upation, over a decade had passed, and he''d started to understand.


    From start to finish, it wasn''t the Trainer profession that was wrong, but rather his brother''s stubbornness.


    With so many Trainers in the world, many for various reasons gave up being Trainers without wreaking havoc on their families. Why was his brother the only one who had torn their family apart? Wasn''t it because his brother didn''t have the sense to abandon that path?


    After Aunt Aoba left, Yuga let out a sigh of relief.


    "Boss, thank you," Sena said gratefully. If it wasn''t for Yuga, he wouldn''t have been able to handle his mother.


    Yuga waved his hand nonchntly and said, "Well, I didn''t want my newly hired employee to quit after just a couple of days. What would that say about me?"


    After a moment of thought, Yuga added, "When you get off work, make sure to have a good conversation with your parents. You''re a family; there''s nothing that can''t be resolved throughmunication."


    "Got it!" Sena nodded.


    "Get back to work. Don''t let today''s events affect your mood. Regardless of who your biological father is, you and Aunt Aoba''s family are the closest. No one can change that fact.


    As for searching for your biological father, I think you should just go with the flow. If he''s meant to be a part of your life, he''ll naturally appear. If he doesn''t, consider it as if you never knew he existed. Your mission is exactly what Aunt Aoba said: to live peacefully. That way, you won''t disappoint them after all the hard work they put into raising you."


    With a final piece of advice, Yuga sessfully lifted Sena''s spirits. After hearing Yuga''s words, Sena''s tense expression finally rxed somewhat, and he returned to work.

 Chapter 189: Subordinate

    <h4>Chapter 189: Subordinate</h4>


    After Aunt Aoba came over and caused amotion, Sena returned home and had a thorough conversation with his family. Now, Aunt Aoba no longer opposed him continuing to work at the Pok��mon Day Care. However, bing a Trainer was still a topic she hadn''t let go of.


    Nevertheless, Sena believed that a persistent stone can eventually crack the diamond. He was confident that his mother would support him one day.


    One day, Yuga called Sena over and said, "I know you really want to be a Trainer, but bing an excellent Trainer isn''t easy. Right now, there''s an opportunity in front of you that you can consider."


    "What opportunity?" Sena asked excitedly.


    "An opportunity to be a full-time Trainer under YoYo Day Care," Yuga said.


    Many Pok��mon Day Cares have their own in-house Trainers. These Trainers help with various issues and concerns, and Yuga had pondered this decision before ultimately choosing Sena.


    Sena was new to the workforce, making it easier for him to develop a sense of belonging to YoYo Day Care. This would likely lead to higher loyalty in the future. Although he was a bit older, that wasn''t a big concern. Yuga wasn''t grooming him for major Leaguepetitions, so age wasn''t a decisive factor.


    What mattered was their familiarity with each other''s backgrounds, which made trust easier to establish.


    "A full-time Trainer?" Sena eximed in surprise.


    "Yes, many Pok��mon Day Cares do this. It''s not a secret. If you be a full-time Trainer under YoYo Day Care, they will provide the resources you need for training. Also, having a legitimate employment rtionship might increase the likelihood of your mother supporting your Trainer path."


    After hearing Yuga''s exnation, Sena found it quite reasonable. He could tell from his biological father''s experience that bing an excellent Trainer on one''s own was incredibly challenging. Having a reliable support system would undoubtedly make things much easier.


    "I agree."


    Sena''s voice was resolute.


    "You can take some time to think about it. After all, once you join YoYo Day Care, it''ll be difficult to change your mind."


    While Yuga hoped that Sena would agree, he also wanted him to consider this decision thoroughly. Usually, once someone joined an organization as a full-time Trainer, it was challenging to leave. Yuga didn''t want Sena to regret the decision due to ack of careful consideration.


    Each organization invested a lot of resources in nurturing its full-time Trainers. Consequently, these Trainers were tied to the organization''s goals. This principle would also apply to YoYo Day Care in the future.


    "I''ve thought it through," Sena said without hesitation. "Based on my current situation, it would take me a long time to be a capable Trainer on my own. Instead of wasting all that time, I''d rather join YoYo Day Care directly. Plus, I trust you, Boss. I don''t think you''d lead me astray."


    "Alright then, wee to YoYo Day Care as a full-fledged member." Yuga extended his hand, and they shook hands.


    Then, Yuga produced a pre-prepared contract for Sena to be a full-time Trainer under YoYo Day Care. After Sena reviewed and signed the contract, they officially established an employer-employee rtionship.


    "To celebrate your official membership in YoYo Day Care, I''ve prepared a gift for you." With that, Yuga took out a Pok�� Ball.


    "It''s a Pok��mon!" Seeing the Pok�� Ball in Yuga''s hand, Sena immediately understood what the gift was.


    Yuga handed the Pok�� Ball to Sena and smiled, saying, "Open it and take a look."


    Sena took the Pok�� Ball from Yuga''s hand and couldn''t help but stroke it. This was the Starter Pok��mon he had dreamt of.


    As a sh of red light gleamed, a healthy, Trapinch appeared before Sena.


    "As YoYo Day Care''s first and only full-time Trainer, of course, your Starter Pok��mon has to be our signature Pok��mon. So, what do you think of this Trapinch? Are you satisfied with it?"


    Yuga looked at Sena''s joyful expression and asked with a smile, "Are you satisfied with this Trapinch I chose for you?"


    "Satisfied! Satisfied! Very satisfied! Thank you, Boss!" Sena was so excited that he couldn''t form coherent sentences.


    The Trapinch that Yuga had chosen for Sena had already passed its early stages of development and was now at a level exceeding twenty. With proper training, it wouldn''t take long for it toplete its first evolutionary stage.


    "The Pok��blocks needed to nurture this Trapinch can be directly obtained from the main store. I''ll inform Sister Koen about it."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Sena bowed gratefully to Yuga and said, "I''ll work hard and won''t let you down, Boss."


    "Then I''ll look forward to it." After saying this, Yuga left with a smile.


    Before leaving, Yuga reminded Sena, "Since this Trapinch is already at a rtively high level, you''ll need to earn its trust first. Consider this a small test from me."


    In this manner, through an incredibly simple conversation, Yuga gained his first subordinate at YoYo Day Care, and this individual would be his capable right-hand person.


    After resolving Sena''s matters, Yuga headed straight to the Ecopark. When Yuga went to select Trapinch, he had noticed that one of the Snivy in the main Ecopark was showing signs of evolution.


    After an extended period of meticulous nurturing, the Pok��mon in the main Ecopark had started evolving one by one. The most noticeable cases were the Starter Pok��mon��Trecko, Mudkip, and Snivy.


    Among the Starter Pok��mon, Snivy was the only one that hadn''tpleted its evolution yet. Today, it finally showed signs of evolving.


    As for the other Starter Pok��mon like Swablu and Medidite, they still had a long way to go due to their higher evolution requirements.


    When Yuga rushed to the Ecopark, the other Pok��mon had already gathered around the evolving Snivy. This included evolved Pok��mon like Marshtomp, Grovyle, Servine, Swablu, Medidite, Eevee, Jolteon, and Vaporeon.


    These thirty-one Pok��mon had lived together since birth, and their rtionships were excellent. Whenever one of them was about to evolve, the others would gather around and form a protective circle.


    Although there was no danger in the Ecopark, this behavior was truly heartwarming.


    Upon arriving, Yuga watched the clustered Pok��mon��five Marshtomps, six Grovyles, two Servines, four Swablus, five Medidites, five Eevees, Jolteaon and Vaporeon, along with a single Roselia.


    As Yuga approached, the Pok��mon spontaneously created a path for him, and he could clearly see the evolving Snivy at the center.


    Interestingly, among these thirty-one Pok��mon, apart from Budew (which needed high friendship for evolution) and Eevee (which required evolution stones), the first to evolve was Snivy, and thest to evolve would also be Snivy.


    Perhaps due to its first experience with evolution, Snivy seemed a bit nervous. On the other hand, the nearby Roselia was like a caring elder sister, constantly reassuring it.


    Interestingly, Roselia was the youngest among the thirty-one Pok��mon.


    At that moment, the white light shimmering on Snivy''s body grew increasingly intense, and its body began to change uncontrobly.


    After the white light dissipated, Snivy had sessfully evolved into Servine.


    The newly evolved Servine curiously examined its new body and then secretly nced at the two already-evolved Servines. It realized that their bodies were considerablyrger, and a touch of defiance appeared in its eyes.


    Looking at the sessful evolution of Servine, Yuga said with satisfaction, "More and more of you are evolving. This shows that you''re working hard. Keep it up and strive to reach your final forms sooner."

 Chapter 190: The Origin of YoYo Day Care

    <h4>Chapter 190: The Origin of YoYo Day Care</h4>


    The hearts of the Pok��mon were incredibly pure, and Yuga''s praise made them very happy.


    After witnessing Snivy''s evolution, Yuga went to check on the 20 eggs he had brought from the Day Care Center. He noticed no signs of hatching and left the Ecopark.


    When Yuga arrived at the store, he saw Windy holding a box and talking to Suzuki Koen.


    "Oh, did the sun rise in the west today? Windy, how could youe down from upstairs?" Yuga teased Windy with a smile.


    Thanks to a period of rigorous training, Windy had returned to the physical condition of an ordinary person. As a result, Yuga had reduced his exercise routine. Besides a morning jog, he didn''t impose any other physical activity on him.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s voice, both of them turned their heads.


    "Boss, you''re here. I need to talk to you about something," Windy said.


    "Something you want to discuss with me?" Yuga was somewhat puzzled. Could it be rted to a business matter?


    "It''s about this," Windy said, raising the box he was holding.


    "What is this?" Yuga took a closer look at the box in Windy''s hand.


    The box was entirely ck, seemingly made of wood. It had some simple floral carvings on it.


    "Is there something special about this box?" Yuga curiously asked.


    "I haven''t opened it, so I don''t know what''s inside. But I found it in my room. Didn''t this used to be your parents'' room? I thought this might be their belonging," Windy exined, handing the box over to Yuga.


    "Found it in my parents'' room?" Yuga asked in confusion. "But howe I''ve never seen this box before?"


    "I discovered it when I was tidying up the bed. There was a hiddenpartment in the bed frame, and this box was inside it," Windy exined.


    "A hiddenpartment?" Yuga was puzzled. His parents'' room had hiddenpartments? What could be so important that it needed to be hidden in such a manner?


    "Alright, I''ve taken the box. You can go back to what you were doing," Yuga waved his hand dismissively at Windy.


    "Sure," Windy nodded and turned to head back upstairs.


    Yuga sat down by the table, holding the box in his hands. He opened it to find a pile of documents and a palm-sized blue badge.


    Yuga first picked up the blue badge, examined it, and gave it a tap. He couldn''t determine the material used, but it felt substantial.


    The front of the badge disyed amon Pok�� Ball design used by the Pok��mon League. However, its style seemed outdated, unlike the modern designs��more intricate and detailed. On the back were the words "YoYo Day Care."


    The badge appeared simple overall, but its purpose remained a mystery.


    Setting the badge aside, Yuga reached for the pile of paper materials.


    Picking up the top sheet, Yuga realized that it was a deed for the ownership of thend beneath YoYo Day Care, including the backyard where Yuga had built the Ecopark. Following that were property deeds for YoYo Day Care and other relevant documents.


    Since taking over YoYo Day Care, Yuga hadn''t thought about looking for these property documents. When he inherited ownership of the Day Care from his parents, it was done through inheritance, and all that was required was proof of the rtionship between Yuga and his parents.


    However, these documents were no longer of use. When Yuga gained ownership of YoYo Day Care, he had received new property deeds andnd ownership certificates.


    Putting aside these materials, Yuga picked up the bottommost documents in the box. These documents seemed to have existed for a long time; the paper had started to yellow slightly. However, they were well-preserved, showing no signs of damage.


    Reading through these documents from start to finish, Yuga finally understood their purpose.


    These were records detailing the origin of YoYo Day Care.


    Yuga had always known that YoYo Day Care had a long history, but he didn''t expect it to be even longer than he had imagined.


    Speaking of the origin of YoYo Day Care, it required delving into the history of Yuga''s maternal ancestors. The Day Care had been passed down from his mother''s ancestors.


    Surprisingly, Yuga''s maternal ancestors had yed a significant role in the establishment of the Pok��mon League. The documents didn''t mention the individual''s name, but it stated that he was an indispensable figure in the League''s establishment. Without him, the League as it existed today might not havee into being.


    However, after the establishment of the League, Yuga''s maternal ancestors chose not to involve themselves in League politics and returned to life among ordinary citizens.


    Even though he was a figure of great merit, his family was renowned during that time. However, they weren''t interested in seizing power or wealth. Consequently, they led peaceful lives.


    Even after his passing, the League continued to treat his descendants kindly, ensuring that their lineage remained strong.


    Later on, as the demand for high-quality Pok��mon by trainers began to strain the League''s resources, they established a group of Day Care centers to supply trainers with Pok��mon. However, due to initial imperfections, the League sometimes struggled to manage all the centers. It was during this time that private Day Cares started to appear.


    Yuga''s maternal ancestors embraced this period of evolution and established their own Day Care , which eventually became YoYo Day Care.


    At that time, the League treated YoYo Day Care quite favorably. To demonstrate their appreciation for the descendants of a key League figure, the League Chairman at the time personally awarded YoYo Day Care a badge.


    This badge was the very same blue badge Yuga had seen in the box��a badge said to be crafted from the molt of a champion-level Lapras.


    ording to the documents, the League Chairman at that time promised that as long as the League existed, as long as this badge remained in the possession of Yuga''s maternal line, it would function as an amnesty badge. As long as the descendants of Yuga''s maternal line didn''tmit any egregious crimes, they could be pardoned.


    It was said that the Pok��mon League had awarded only three of these badges back in the day. Each badge was given to the descendants of individuals who had made immense contributions to the League. However, the documents didn''t record which families had received the other two badges.


    This was why Yuga''s maternal line had carefully preserved this badge all these years.


    However, since Yuga''s ancestors'' passing, their lineage hadn''t produced any aplished individuals. With each generation, they seemed to decline further. Over time, YoYo Day Care fell into decline as well. By the time of Yuga''s mother, only she remained from their lineage.


    This important badge gradually faded into the dust of history.


    Yuga suspected that these things had been passed down through generations orally within his maternal line. However, his mother hadn''t had the chance to tell her son about them before her untimely passing. If it weren''t for Windy''s idental discovery today, Yuga might have remained ignorant for an indefinite amount of time.


    "I never thought my ancestors were such prominent figures. It''s a pity. The previous generation didn''t nt the tree properly, and theter generations didn''t enjoy its shade."


    Yuga shook his head, carefully stowed away these items, and ced them into his system''s backpack.

 Chapter 191: Bribing

    <h4>Chapter 191: Bribing</h4>


    Regardless of the past of YoYo Day Care, the fact that it had fallen into decline was undeniable. If they wanted to continue surviving and developing, they would have to rely on their own efforts. That''s why Yuga didn''t pay much attention to this matter.


    On the other hand, Misaki, who had gone out for a walk due to spending too much time in the studio, was intercepted by someone.


    "Excuse me, are you Miss Misaki from YoYo Day Care?"


    "Yes, it''s me. What''s the matter?" Misaki asked with a surprised expression, looking at the two tall men in ck suits and ck sunsses in front of her.


    "Are you nning to kidnap me? I''m really poor, I have no money."


    The two men were burly, and they didn''t look like good people at all.


    Upon hearing Misaki''s words, they almost spat out blood. Kidnap? One of them was just a bodyguard, not a kidnapper!


    "You''ve misunderstood, Miss Misaki! We''re not here to kidnap you. Our boss would like to have a talk with you."


    Despite thinking "What the heck," the two sunss-wearing men managed to maintain their poker faces as professional bodyguards.


    Misaki knew, of course, that they weren''t here to kidnap her. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have appeared so openly on the street. She understood that they were targeting her boss.


    You know, despite Misaki having the appearance of a naive and innocent girl with a somewhat coarse voice, she had a keen intuition. Her act of pretending to be clueless was just to make them lower their guard. Whatever their intentions were, ying dumb was never wrong.


    "Your boss? Who''s your boss?" Misaki asked, genuinely curious this time.


    This time, Misaki wasn''t pretending. She was really curious about who wanted to confront her boss. Their sneaky behavior and the fact that they specifically mentioned "Miss Misaki from YoYo Day Care" made her confident that they were after her boss.


    Believe it or not, despite Misaki''s appearance, her heart was quite sharp. Her previous act was just to make them underestimate her. Whatever their goal was, acting ignorant was the right strategy.


    "You''ll find out when you get there." The two men remained cautious and didn''t reveal their boss''s identity.


    "Okay."


    Misakipromised and knew that being trapped here by them wouldn''t end well for her.


    So, Misaki was dragged into a car, her arm nearly pulled apart. She thought, "They said it''s not a kidnapping, but it''s not much different."


    Sitting in their car, Misaki was taken to a high-end caf�� in the town center and led into a private room.


    Once inside, she saw a middle-aged man in a silver-white suit sitting in the room. The two bodyguards stood at the door and didn''t enter.


    "Hello... Hello there... Hehe... Hehe..." Misaki nervouslyughed while speaking.


    This time, her anxiety wasn''t an act. This middle-aged man seemed very imposing, and Misaki couldn''t help feeling nervous.


    "Please have a seat, Miss Misaki." The middle-aged man smiled politely, gesturing for Misaki to sit down. He appeared gentlemanly, but the word "hypocritical" came to Misaki''s mind.


    "I wonder why this gentleman has invited me here?" Misaki sat down and nervously inquired.


    "Have you ever considered pursuing a more promising opportunity, Miss Misaki?"


    Without answering Misaki''s question, the middle-aged man asked her an oddly phrased question.


    "What do you mean? I''m having a bit of trouble understanding." Misaki pretended to be puzzled.


    It seemed they wanted to steal their clients, Misaki thought.


    "I believe a smart youngdy like Miss Misaki wouldn''t have trouble understanding my meaning." The middle-aged man took a sip of the coffee in front of him and then looked at Misaki with a smile that didn''t quite reach his eyes.


    Misaki realized that the man saw through her act of ying dumb, so she straightened up and asked, "May I know your name, sir?"


    "It''s not necessary for Miss Misaki to inquire about my identity. You just need to answer whether you''re interested or not," the middle-aged man stood up from his chair, walked over to Misaki, and asked.


    Feeling the pressure from the man''s gaze, Misaki mustered up the courage and asked, "There''s no such thing as a free lunch. What do I need to do?"


    "Miss Misaki only needs to do something trivial."


    "What exactly?"


    "You should be aware of the exclusive Pok��block form from YoYo Day Care, right? Just hand it over."


    So, that''s their intention!


    "But, but, I signed a confidentiality agreement with YoYo Day Care. If the form is leaked, I''ll be legally responsible," Misaki hesitated and exined.


    "Don''t worry about that. We will take care of that for you." The middle-aged man patted Misaki''s shoulder andughed heartily.


    "Really?"


    "Of course."


    "What will you do with me after I hand over the Pok��block form?" Misaki looked nervous.


    "Have you heard of Truly Adorable Day Care? It''s evenrger and more powerful than YoYo Day Care. Once this is done, I''ll rmend you there, ensuring a bright future for you."


    The middle-aged man''s words were filled with temptation, offering Misaki a promising future.


    After pondering for a moment, Misaki asked cautiously, "Can I take some time to think about it? This matter is rted to my future development. If I''m not careful, I could ruin my reputation. I want to think it over."


    "Of course, you can take your time to think about it." The middle-aged man didn''t want to pressure Misaki too much and agreed readily. "Here''s my contact information. Let me know when you''ve made up your mind."


    With that, the middle-aged man handed Misaki a piece of paper with his contact details.


    Misaki silently tucked away the paper and then asked, "May I leave now?"


    "Of course, please!" The middle-aged man made a gesture of approval and personally opened the door of the private room for Misaki.


    "Both of you, escort Miss Misaki back." After opening the door, the middle-aged man instructed the two ck-d bodyguards standing at the door.


    "Yes."


    When Misaki returned to the store, Arata Sena was in the midst of helping customers select Pok��mon eggs. Seeing Misaki return, he smiled and said, "Misaki, you''re back! You were out for quite a while. What were you up to?"


    Lost in thought, Misaki was startled by Sena''s sudden voice and replied nervously, "Uh, yeah, I''m back. I just went for a walk and lost track of time." She then hurried back to the studio.


    "What''s wrong with her? Seems quite flustered," Arata Sena wondered aloud.


    However, he didn''t dwell on it and continued attending to the customers before him.

 Chapter 192: An Unexpected Visitor

    <h4>Chapter 192: An Unexpected Visitor</h4>


    Taking a deep breath as he stepped out of the car, Steven felt the distinctly different air of Verdanturf Townpared to Rusboro City, and his mood instantly improved.


    After spending two days on the road, he had finally reached Verdanturf Town from Rusboro City.


    Walking along the streets of Verdanturf Town, Steven felt a sense of inner peace that had been absent for a while. This was a quaint little town with fresh air and beautiful surroundings. The pedestrians here all wore smiles, a far cry from the always-rushed city dwellers in Rusboro.


    Approaching a fruit stall, Steven asked a woman there, "Excuse me, ma''am. How do I get to YoYo Day Care?"


    The woman looked up to see a handsome young man asking for directions and beamed, "Young man, are you here to buy Pok��mon? Oh my, YoYo Day Care has be quite famous recently. Many people areing to buy Pok��mon, and they even got interviewed by a TV station. You''ve got good taste."


    "Is that so? I didn''t realize YoYo Day Care was this famous!" Steven feigned surprise.


    "Absolutely. Let me tell you, that Little Yuga is bing quite talented! Opening up their Day Care and making it more vibrant than ever," the woman spoke about Yuga with a prideful tone, as if he were her own child.


    "Is this ''Yuga'' you''re talking about the owner of YoYo Day Care?" Steven asked curiously.


    "Of course, who else could that ''Yuga'' be? That kid is truly talented, and their Day Care is gaining quite the reputation," the woman continued to praise Yuga endlessly, like a torrent of words that kept pouring out. Since it didn''t cost anything to shower people with praise, she did so with gusto.


    Finally getting the directions from the woman, Steven hastened away. He had had enough of her verbosity.


    It seemed that when YoYo Day Care chose its location, it took into consideration the size required for a Day Care, so it was situated on the outskirts of Verdanturf Town. Fortunately, the town wasn''trge to begin with, so Steven quickly arrived at the entrance of YoYo Day Care.


    Standing on the street, he saw a YoYo Day Care on the left and another on the right. The only difference was that the house on the left appeared older, while the one on the right looked newer.


    Gazing at the new store on the right, Steven mumbled to himself, "This must be the new store they mentioned in the interview! I wonder if I should visit the new store first or the old one?"


    Just then, he saw a child chasing after a Skitty from the old store, followed by a woman who picked up the child and Skitty, about to return inside.


    Recognizing the woman as a staff member of YoYo Day Care, someone he had seen in the interview, though he couldn''t recall her name, Steven called out, "Excuse me."


    Turning around with the child and Skitty in her arms, the woman faced Steven, asking, "Is there something you need, sir?"


    "I''d like to meet your boss. Is he here?" Steven inquired.


    "Of course, if he wasn''t here, where else could he be?" the woman replied with a smile. "Please,e with me."


    Steven followed the woman into YoYo Day Care.


    Inside the Day Care, Steven scanned the surroundings. Several customers were currently selecting Pok��blocks at the counter, indicating good business.


    "Just wait here for a moment, I''ll fetch our boss," the woman said, setting down the child and Skitty in her arms.


    "Sure, thank you!" Steven replied with a smile.


    "Dian, stay in the store and don''t run around, okay? If you act like you did just now, Mommy will get angry," the woman warned the child before leaving.


    As the woman left, the child, named Dian, picked up the Skitty by his feet and quietly observed the young man before him.


    Seeing the child named Dian staring at him so intently, Steven met his gaze. The two of them engaged in this seemingly pointless staring contest while waiting for Yuga to arrive.


    Meanwhile, on the second floor, when Suzuki Koen came to find Yuga, he found Yuga talking with Misaki in his room, with Windy present as well. Upon seeing Suzuki, Yuga addressed both of them, "That''s how things stand. You two can head back now."


    After listening to Yuga''s words, Windy and Misaki nodded, then got up and left Yuga''s room.


    "Sister Koen, what''s up? Did you need something from me?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    Suzuki Koen replied, "There''s a guy downstairs looking for you."


    "A guy looking for me? Who is it?" Yuga asked, confused.


    "I don''t know," Suzuki Koen shook her head, "I haven''t seen him before."


    "Let''s go down and check it out." Intrigued, Yuga and Suzuki Koen went downstairs together.


    Arriving downstairs, Suzuki Koen pointed at Steven, who was silently locked in a stare-down with Dian, and said, "No, it''s him."


    Steven!


    Following Suzuki Koen''s direction, Yuga looked over with a hint of surprise.


    With his lightly blue hair and a fairly handsome face, Yuga instantly recognized the future Champion.


    Why is he here? He said he wanted to find me, but I don''t know him!


    Baffled, Yuga approached Steven.


    "Hello, did you want to see me?" Yuga walked up to him and greeted.


    Hearing Yuga''s voice, Steven lifted his head, ending the stare-down with Dian.


    "Yes, Mr. Shimizu, don''t you remember me?" Steven''s opening words left Yuga a bit perplexed.


    ??? Should I recognize you? Although I do know about you, this is our first meeting. I can''t really say I know you!


    Seeing Yuga''s puzzled expression, Steven continued, "Desert, Lavaridge Town, don''t you recall?"


    Yuga still didn''t understand what he was talking about.


    "You saved a person in the desert and also had a Lairon with you."


    Hearing this, Yuga finally remembered. It seemed he did save someone while leaving the Hoenn Desert, but if Steven hadn''t mentioned it, he would''vepletely forgotten.


    "You''re that person?"


    Really? What a coincidence. The disheveled guy from back then and this handsome young man now are worlds apart.


    Steven exined, "Yes, it''s me. I stumbled upon a ruin in the desert and found many fossils. I ended up spending a lot of time there without realizing, and I ran out of water and food. That''s why I looked like that."


    So that''s what happened!


    Only now did Yuga recall. Steven wasn''t just an exceptional Trainer, he was also a crazy enthusiast for rare stones. He even went so far as to give up the Champion title for his good friend, Wace, in order to collect stones more efficiently.


    "I''m sorry for not recognizing you. It''s just that your appearance then and now are so different." Yuga said embarrassedly.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Steven suddenly understood. No wonder Mr. Shimizu didn''t recognize him earlier.


    He then remembered how he looked when he had just woken up �Cpletely disheveled. Not only was his face obscured, but even the color of his hair had changed.

 Chapter 193: Invitation

    <h4>Chapter 193: Invitation</h4>


    "Mr. Shimizu, I truly appreciate what you did back then," Steven sincerely thanked Yuga.


    "Let''s skip the ''Mr. Shimizu.'' It sounds a bit awkward after being called that. Just call me Yuga," Yuga suggested.


    Yuga''s friends referred to him as Yuga, while rtives and elders called him "Little Yuga." It felt strange to be addressed as Mr. Shimizu.


    "Then I''ll call you Yuga without hesitation," Steven said somewhat shyly.


    Yuga noticed that the current Steven was a bit different from the mature andposed one he remembered. Presently, Steven''s way of speaking and handling things still had a touch of youthfulness.


    "No need to be formal, given your age, it''s perfectly reasonable to use my name," Yuga chuckled.


    Yuga and Robert were the same age, while Wace and Steven were notably older than Yuga and Robert.


    "Let''s not stand around here. Let''s sit down and chat over there," Yuga gestured toward the central table and chairs in the shop.


    Steven nodded and sat down beside Yuga at the table.


    "Do you have something important to discuss today?" Yuga inquired.


    Shaking his head, Steven exined, "Nothing major, I just wanted to see you. After all, without you, I might have perished in the desert."


    Yuga wanted to inwardly tease him with, "Serves you right. Who told you to be so engrossed in stones?"


    "Actually, it wasn''t much trouble for me to save you. There''s no need for you to make a special trip just to thank me," Yuga humbly stated.


    "No, it might have been effortless for you, but for me, it was a lifesaving favor. So, I must express my gratitude," Steven insisted.


    Seeing Steven so determined to thank him, Yuga jokingly asked, "So, how do you n to thank me?"


    Caught off guard by Yuga''s question, Steven struggled toe up with an answer. He hadn''t really thought about how to express his gratitude to Yuga.


    "Well, uh..."


    Seeing Steven''s awkward hesitation, Yuga chuckled and reassured him, "Never mind. You don''t need to think about it. I didn''t save you expecting something in return. Don''t worry about it."


    "Alright," Steven deted a bit, "If you ever need help with anything in the future, I''ll be more than willing to assist."


    "Alright, I''ll look forward to your repayment."


    Thinking for a moment, Yuga decided not to reject Steven outright. It might be handy to have a favor from a future Champion at some point. Yuga never know when such things mighte in handy.


    "By the way, aside from meeting me, did you have any other business in Verdanturf Town?" Yuga inquired.


    After pondering for a moment, Steven said, "No, nothing else. But I do want to stay here for a while. I really like it here."


    Since arriving in Verdanturf Town, Steven had been drawn to the peaceful and serene atmosphere. The beautiful environment and fresh air made it an ideal ce for a vacation.


    Steven wasn''t one to sit idle. He often traveled around the world, and his formidable skills were honed through years of adventure. It was quite a novel experience for him to settle down in one ce like this, and he suddenly felt that asional rest like this wasn''t bad at all.


    Yuga smiled and said, "Indeed, although Verdanturf Town is small, the environment is quite pleasant."


    "Oh, and have you found a ce to stay? If you don''t mind, you could make do with staying here at our ce."


    With the intention of strengthening their rtionship with Steven, Yuga extended an invitation for him to stay at the Day Care. Since the new shop had plenty of rooms, they might as well use them to amodate guests.


    "Really? That''s wonderful!" Steven said with excitement. He had been nning to look for a ce to stay after leaving Yuga''s Day Care. Now he didn''t have to worry about that anymore.


    "Of course, no problem! Come on, I''ll show you where you''ll be staying," Yuga stood up and gestured for Steven to follow him.


    Yuga brought Steven to the second floor of the new shop and said to him, "These rooms are meant for the staff to stay in. Currently, only one room is upied, so you can choose any of the remaining ones."


    Suddenly, Yuga remembered that Steven was still the young master of the Devon Corporation, so he added, "The conditions here are quite basic, I hope you don''t mind."


    Upon hearing this, Steven quickly waved his hand and said, "No, not at all. I often spend nights in the wilderness; conditions there are much tougher than this. This ce is already very nice, I don''t mind at all."


    Yuga realized he was right. Steven was an adventure enthusiast, and spending nights in the wild was probably amon urrence for him. While his rooms weren''t on par with mansions or hotels, they were definitely a step up from Pok��mon Centers.


    After Steven selected a room, Yuga told him, "Just rx and stay here. Whenever you decide to leave, just let me know."


    Steven nodded and said, "I appreciate your help."


    "No trouble at all. These rooms were empty to begin with. Your presence will add a bit of atmosphere," Yuga said with a smile. "Rest well. I''m sure you''re tired after arriving in Verdanturf Town."


    Before leaving, Yuga turned back to Steven and said, "By the way, when it''s time to eat, someone wille to fetch you. If you don''t mind, you can join us for meals."


    Steven hesitated and said, "I really can''t impose."


    Yuga waved it off with a smile, "There''s no need to feel awkward about it. We usually eat as a big family. One more won''t make a difference, and one less won''t matter either."


    "Alright then, thank you."


    Steven''s arrival didn''t have a significant impact on Yuga''s life, aside from adding another mouth to feed.


    The day after Steven''s arrival at the Day Care, Misaki secretly retrieved the contact information the middle-aged man had left her and dialed his number.


    "Hello, Miss Misaki. You finally decided to contact me," the familiar voice of the middle-aged man came through the phone.


    "Yes, can you really fulfill the promise you made to me?" Misaki''s voice trembled slightly due to nervousness.


    "Miss Misaki, have you made up your mind?" The middle-aged man''s voice sounded a bit excited upon hearing Misaki''s words.


    "As long as you can fulfill your end of the deal exactly, I''ll agree," Misaki''s voice seemed to lose its strength as she said this, trembling slightly.


    "Very good." The middle-aged man''s tone was filled with excitement due to Misaki''s response. "Miss Misaki, rest assured. Once the task ispleted, I will ensure that your request is taken care of properly. Get ready to wee a bright future."


    "Alright then, we''ll meet at the caf�� where we first met. I''ll have the things you requested prepared."


    "Sounds good. I''ll be eagerly awaiting Miss Misaki''s arrival."

 Chapter 194: Steven’s Strength

    <h4>Chapter 194: Steven''s Strength</h4>


    After arranging a meeting time and ce with the middle-aged man, Misaki hurriedly left the new shop.


    Misaki was cautious this time, wearing a mask to prevent anyone from recognizing her.


    When she arrived at the caf��''s private room, the middle-aged man was already seated inside.


    Seeing Misaki enter, the middle-aged man smiled and said, "Miss Misaki, you''ve finally arrived. I''ve been waiting for you."


    Misaki sat across from the middle-aged man, adjusted her cor, and straightened her posture. She said, "I have to be careful not to draw attention."


    The middle-aged man nodded in agreement and asked, "Did you bring what I need, Miss Misaki?"


    Instead of answering, Misaki asked, "Have you ever considered that secretly bribing me to steal the recipes for the Heavies, Enigma, and Vitality Pok��blocks might be illegal? If someone finds out, you could end up in prison."


    Intellectual property and trade secrets were highly protected under thew in the Pok��mon world. Challenging thesews wasn''t something that could be resolved with just fines; it could indeed lead to imprisonment.


    The recipes for these three Pok��blocks owned by Yoyo Day Care were both trade secrets and protected intellectual property.


    Although the middle-aged man found Misaki''s tone strange, he didn''t pay much attention to it and replied with a smile, "As long as you keep quiet, and I keep quiet, no one will know, right, Miss Misaki?"


    Misaki lowered her head and said, "Indeed, as long as I don''t speak, no one will know."


    "If I provide you with the recipes for these three Pok��blocks, will you really help me secure a position at Truly Adorable Day Care?" Misaki asked once again.


    "Of course, I have no reason to deceive you. Furthermore, once things are sessful, I''ll give you some money. Yuga won''t be at a loss," the middle-aged man assured her repeatedly.


    "Alright then, I''ll trust you this once." Saying this, Misaki retrieved three sheets of paper from her bag, each covered in writing.


    Just as the middle-aged man excitedly reached out to take them, Misaki pulled her hand back and said, "Have you considered that your actions could potentially ruin Yoyo Day Care?"


    The middle-aged man wiped the smile off his face and replied nonchntly, "Wouldn''t it be better if they went downhill? Wretched Day Cares like theirs should have closed long ago. I''m just giving them a little nudge."


    Upon hearing the middle-aged man''s words, anger surged within Misaki as she said, "You''re truly despicable."


    The middle-aged man, rather than being ashamed, took pride in it and said, "Thank you for thepliment."


    Misaki tossed the three sheets of paper onto the table before him and said, "You''ll face consequences sooner orter."


    The middle-aged man paid no attention to Misaki''s words; if consequences were a real concern, he would have suffered countless times over.


    "If I''m to face consequences, as an aplice, Miss Misaki, your fate won''t be much better."


    With that, the middle-aged man picked up the three sheets containing the Pok��block recipes from the table, carefully examined them to ensure there were no issues, and then looked up at Misaki, saying, "Miss Misaki, wait for my good news."


    "Hmph!"


    Hearing the middle-aged man''s dismissal, Misaki gave a cold snort and turned to leave the private room. As she left, she mmed the door with a "bang," as if releasing all her anger at the middle-aged man onto the door.


    Observing this, the middle-aged man shook his head with disdain, unfazed by Misaki''s behavior.


    "Hmph, just a puppet. Who does it think it''s deceiving?"


    Meanwhile, at Yoyo Day Care...


    As Yuga was idly ying with Dian and Skitty on a tree, he spotted Steven entering the shop with Lairon.


    Seeing Yuga, Steven approached with Lairon and smiled, saying, "Lairon heard that we''ve arrived in Verdanturf Town. So Lairon insisted oning to see you."


    "Lairon, Lairon."


    Lairon narrowed its eyes, nodding along with Steven''s words and making a series of affirmative sounds.


    Just as Yuga was about to speak, Catot, which had been preening its feathers in a nearby tree, noticed Steven and Lairon approaching. It immediately pped its wings andnded on Lairon''s back.


    "Darling, you''re sneaking around behind my back to flirt with others? Doesn''t your conscience hurt?"


    When Steven first arrived at Yoyo Day Care, Catot was still in the Ecopark, so it hadn''t seen Steven before.


    "This Catot can actually talk!" Steven eximed in surprise, looking at the Catot perched on Lairon''s back.


    "That''s right."


    Catot arrogantly shook its restless head and proudly said.


    "Uh huh, it''s barely passable in looks, though it''s still a bit worse than me."


    Catot appraised Steven and muttered while pinching its chin with its wing.


    Amused by Catot''s demeanor, Steven smiled and said, "Hehe, Yuga, your Catot is quite interesting."


    Upon Steven''s praise, Yuga could only chuckle.


    Catot pped its wings andnded on Steven''s shoulder, then leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Quickly tell me, how did you and our darling be a couple?"


    Seeing Catot''s behavior, Yuga was afraid it might blurt out something outrageous, so he quickly grabbed it off Steven''s shoulder and covered its beak. He awkwardly said to Steven, "It just babbles nonsense, don''t mind it."


    Struggling to break free from Yuga''s grasp, Catot attempted to escape from Yuga''s clutches, but it was no match for Yuga''s strength.


    Finally managing to stick its head out from under Yuga''s hand, it gasped for breath and said, "You heartless person! I promote your business by attracting customers every day, and without me, would your business be this prosperous? Yet, you treat me this way!"


    Rolling his eyes, Yuga retorted, "If you could just say a bit less nonsense, I''d be grateful."


    Observing Yuga and Catot bickering, Stevenughed heartily and said, "You two have a really good rtionship!"


    "Who has a good rtionship with it!"


    "That''s a must!"


    The first statement was from Yuga, and the second was from Catot.


    After sending Catot away, Yuga focused his attention on Lairon, who hade to meet him.


    ...


    <iron>> <iron>


    Type: Steel/Rock


    Ability: Sturdy


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 59


    Moves: Tackle, Harden, Headbutt, Metal w, Rock Tomb, Rock Slide, Iron Tail, Iron Defense, Take Down, Lightened Body, Heavy m, Stone Edge, Double-Edge, Dragon Rush.


    ...


    After reading this, Yuga marveled. Steven truly lived up to his reputation. Even in its unevolved state, Lairon was slightly stronger than the most powerful Pok��mon in his Ecopark.


    At this moment, Yuga couldn''t help but wonder how strong Steven''s ace Pok��mon, Metagross, was. He wondered if it had reached the Champion-level.


    Yuga hadn''t seen Wace''s Pok��mon, but considering his rtionship with Steven, they probably weren''t far behind in strength.

 Chapter 195: Fossils

    <h4>Chapter 195: Fossils</h4>


    "Lairon, it''s been a while." Yuga greeted Steven''s Lairon warmly.


    "Lairon, Lairon!" Lairon clearly had a fondness for Yuga, the Trainer who had saved its life. Squinting its sky-blue eyes, it seemed to be in a good mood.


    "You came to see me just so Lairon could meet me?" After greeting Lairon, Yuga looked up at Steven and asked.


    "Of course not, I came for another reason." Steven waved his hand and said.


    "Another reason?" Yuga asked in confusion.


    "Yes, I mentioned to you yesterday that I found many fossils in the Hoenn Desert. I wanted to ask if you''re interested. I can give you a few." Saying this, Steven took out his backpack and emptied several fossils onto the ground.


    Yuga thought that Steven was quite straightforward. He liked rocks himself, so it was only natural that he chose stones as gifts for others.


    However, Yuga did find fossils interesting because they could be revived as Pok��mon using a fossil revival device. This device would also be introduced by the Devon Corporation in the future. The specifics of its development were unclear to Yuga.


    Looking at the colorful pile of fossils, Yuga was amazed.


    "Where did you find so many fossils? There are quite a variety."


    Steven answered, "I found them in a relic in the desert. However, my spatial backpack has limitations, so I could only bring this many."


    Yuga thought: There are really a lot of relics in the Hoenn Desert.


    "You call this ''only this many''? It''s almost like a small hill!" Yuga believed that for Steven, there could never be too many rocks.


    Squatting down, Yuga rummaged through the pile of fossils. He suddenly realized that his skill "Insight" couldn''t determine the former potential of these fossils.


    However, Yuga didn''t pay much attention to it. Fossil Pok��mon were rare items in themselves, and their potential didn''t matter. There were people willing to buy them just to take a look.


    Seeing Yuga''s actions, Steven asked curiously, "Yuga, can you distinguish the types of these fossils?"


    Yuga nodded and said, "Yes, look, this is a root fossil. It should be part of a Cradily; this is a w fossil, probably from an Anorith; and there''s... oh, finally, this one is a armor fossil, likely from a Shieldon."


    Saying this, Yuga ssified the fossils one by one and set them aside.


    Steven didn''t expect Yuga to have knowledge about fossils as well, and he was pleasantly surprised.


    "I didn''t expect you to have knowledge about fossils. That''s great."


    Yuga said with embarrassment, "Actually, I don''t know much about fossils, besides recognizing their types. I''m clueless about everything else."


    "Hey, don''t be too modest. Just look at your ssification earlier. Yuga didn''t make a single mistake. Don''t say you''re not knowledgeable."


    With that, Steven began discussing the fossils with Yuga.


    After Steven''s free tutorial, Yuga realized he had embarrassed himself earlier.


    Steven not only urately recognized the type of each fossil, but he could also discern the era in which they lived through scientific methods, identify if the genes within the fossils were intact, and even proposed the possibility of reviving fossil Pok��mon.


    Yuga felt that Steven had truly broadened his horizons.


    Yuga noticed that aside from being a Trainer, Steven was also a top student, especially when it came to archaeology. He was practically an expert in that field.


    Looking at himself and then at Steven, Yuga realized that the gap between the two of them was just like the gap between a pauper and a wealthy man.


    Lacking strength and knowledge.


    Yuga secretly determined that while Steven was a second-generation rich kid, he would strive to be a first-generation rich kid!


    After discussing fossils, Steven said to Yuga, "Take a look at the ones you like and choose some. Consider them as gifts from me, along with a few days'' amodation fee at your ce."


    Yuga thought to yourself: This amodation fee is really quite expensive.


    Although he thought this way in his heart, Yuga still wanted the fossils from Steven. Why miss an opportunity to gain some advantage?


    "Could you help me choose? I don''t know which ones to pick."


    The reason Yuga didn''t want to choose himself was that he was afraid of mishandling the quantity. If he picked too many, he might appear greedy; if he picked too few, he''d be at a disadvantage. So, Yuga decided to let Steven choose.


    Yuga have to admit, Yuga is quite a crafty person.


    "That works." Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Steven agreed without hesitation.


    Steven was quite straightforward too. He split each type of fossil in half and gave half to Yuga.


    "So many!" Yuga was surprised by Steven''s generosity. Was this really the same stone enthusiast he knew? He was unexpectedly so generous.


    "It''s nothing. There will be more chances to find them in the future." Steven waved his hand nonchntly.


    So, that''s your real intention! Just as I thought, how could Yuga be so generous with stones! It turns out you had nned it from the beginning.


    However, Yuga thought to himself: If you go again, there''s no telling if you''ll make it back alive.


    After seeing Steven off, Yuga noticed that Misaki had returned. Not long after, Yuga left the house.


    When Yuga returned, he went to the Ecopark with great enthusiasm. He ced all the fossils he had obtained from Steven there and handed them over to the Miltanks for safekeeping.


    Yuga was waiting for the day when the Devon Corporation would introduce the fossil revival device. Then, he could use his connections with Steven to have all these fossils revived, which would be a big profit for him.


    After entering the Ecopark, Yuga also checked on the other Pok��mon.


    Yuga noticed that the personalities of the newly added Tsareena had changed from when they first arrived. Initially gentle and tender, they had be wild and assertive, truly invincible queens now.


    Especially recently, they had heated battles with the witzer. They seemed to fight at the drop of a hat.


    The key point was that the initiator, the Greninja, was watching the battles unfold without intervening.


    The Tsareena held the advantage in type, while the witzer held the advantage in numbers. Neither side had the upper hand.


    Seeing them fight so fiercely, Yuga tried to discuss moving the Tsareena to the oasis of the Desert Sub-Ecopark. But not only did the witzer object, even the Tsareena themselves refused.


    Are they addicted to fighting now? Yuga was puzzled; perhaps they were enjoying the thrill of battle.


    If that was the case, then Greninja should shoulder the me. It was the one most enthusiastic about fighting in the entire Ecopark.


    Since they were unwilling, Yuga wouldn''t force them.

 Chapter 196: Ins and Outs

    <h4>Chapter 196: Ins and Outs</h4>


    One day, Yuga was sitting idle in the shop when he heard a piece of news on the local TV news.


    "Recently, the president of the Verdanturf Town branch of the well-knownpany Devon Corporation was arrested by the police for suspected theft of trade secrets. Detailed reports will continue on this channel!"


    Upon hearing this news, Yuga grinned.


    "All the effort I put in wasn''t in vain!"


    It turned out that the middle-aged man who had tried to bribe Misaki was the owner of the Devon Corporation''s branch, Kiryu, and he was Touya''s uncle.


    As for why he was arrested by the police, it traced back to the day when Misaki was taken away by two bodyguards.


    In truth, Misaki had been greatly tempted by the various conditions Kiryu had promised her. After returning to the Day Care, she struggled with her decision for a long time. Ultimately, she chose to confide in Yuga about it.


    Misaki''s decision was influenced by her own past experiences. She had started in the breeding profession with little knowledge and weak skills. Due to herck of work experience and other factors, all the Day Cares had rejected her job applications.


    Unlike other breeders, Misaki had no advantage to speak of on the surface. Not all Day Cares offered part-time Pok��block sales, and not all breeders were skilled at making Pok��blocks. This made her job search extremely difficult.


    YoYo Day Care was the only ce that had chosen to hire her despite her disadvantages, which deeply moved her.


    It was an act of recognizing her potential, something other Day Cares couldn''tpare with.


    After sorting out her thoughts, Misaki immediately went to find Yuga.


    Upon learning about the situation, Yuga instructed Misaki to keep it quiet. At the time, they didn''t know the identity of the middle-aged man who tried to bribe Misaki, and Misaki had never met Kiryu before, so she didn''t know who he was.


    This led to the scene where Misaki went to see Kiryu againter.


    For this, Yuga asked Windy to help. He obtained a high-tech pinhole camera from Windy and handed it to Misaki.


    This camera not only recorded high-quality video but also had audio recording capabilities. It was very advanced.


    This was the scene that Suzuki Koen saw when he came to notify Yuga about Steven''s arrival.


    Misaki met Kiryu again and ced the pinhole camera on herpel. The reason she sat up straight and adjusted her clothes as soon as she entered the private room was to adjust the camera''s angle.


    In her conversation with Kiryu, Misaki kept mentioning key words like "Heavies," "Enigma," "Vitality," and "YoYo Day Care." This was to make Kiryu admit these points out loud, leaving him with no room to denyter.


    This was also why Kiryu felt that something was off during his conversation with Misaki, but he didn''t think much of it at the time.


    Aftering back, Misaki handed the camera over to Yuga. After confirming Kiryu''s identity, Yuga wasted no time in going to see Officer Jenny.


    At that moment, Yuga''s heart was filled with delight. His adversary had been caught, and he felt incredibly pleased.


    Just as Yuga was humming a little tune to celebrate, he suddenly heard someone shouting outside the shop.


    "What''s going on?" Yuga asked Suzuki Koen.


    Suzuki Koen poked his head outside and shook it, indicating that he couldn''t see anything from inside.


    Yuga got up and walked to the door, only to find Touya standing at the entrance of YoYo Day Care with dark circles under his eyes, angrily berating them. His outburst had attracted quite a crowd of onlookers.


    Seeing Yuga stepping outside, Touya''s agitation intensified.


    "Shimizu Yuga, it was you who did something to my uncle, right?"


    "Uncle? Who is your uncle? I don''t know him!" Yuga put on an innocent expression, pretending to be clueless.


    "Stop pretending! I refuse to believe you don''t know who my uncle is!" Touya was getting quite frustrated by Yuga'' "I know nothing" act.


    "Why should I know who your uncle is? What connection does he have with me? Is he somehow rted to my family?"


    Previously, Yuga thought that this Touya, whilecking in character, still had a bit of cleverness. Now, it seems that he''s not using his brain properly either. His uncle has already been captured, and yet he''s causing trouble here. Apart from making a fool of himself, what other benefits could he possibly gain?


    "You!" Touya''s face had turned crimson with anger. "Don''t think I don''t know. You set a trap for my uncle, otherwise, why would Officer Jenny have taken my uncle away?"


    Touya was currently in a state of confusion. He believed that his uncle''s motive for targeting Yuga was due to the conflicts between himself and Yuga. Whenever he returned home now, he felt a sense of guilt when he saw his aunt and younger cousin.


    However, the reality was different from what he thought.


    While part of Kiryu''s actions were indeed to vent his frustration on Touya, that wasn''t his main goal. The primary reason behind all of Kiryu''s actions was his own interests.


    Kiryu fully understood the value of the forms for the various Pok��blocks produced at YoYo Day Care. Obtaining these forms was akin to acquiring a money-making machine, and he couldn''t resist the temptation.


    Coincidentally, he received contact from someone during this time. When a wolf and a hyena met, there was naturally no good oue.


    "So, your uncle has been taken away by Officer Jenny? That''s truly unfortunate. But shouldn''t you be asking Officer Jenny about this matter? Whye here making a fuss? I didn''t take away your uncle, so what''s with all this unnecessarymotion?"


    Yuga persisted in ying the fool, which infuriated Touya to no end, leaving him helpless!


    "Do you really think you can do anything to my uncle? My uncle hasn''t been idle in Devon Corporation all these years. With his connections there, it''s as easy as pie for him to get out.


    You know about Devon Corporation, right? The influence of Devon Corporation is far greater than you, a country bumpkin hiding in this small town, could ever imagine."


    Hearing Touya''s words, Yuga had initially intended to retort, but then he noticed Steven approaching. Every word Touya said was heard clearly by Steven.


    "What''s wrong with Devon Corporation?" Steven approached with a perplexed expression.


    Fine, seeing this situation, Yuga knew he didn''t need to say anything more. The young master of Devon Corporation was here now.


    "Who are you? What''s it got to do with you? Go away, can''t you see I''m talking to Shimizu Yuga?" Touya didn''t recognize Steven, and upon hearing Steven''s interruption, he responded impatiently.


    Yuga pulled Steven closer and whispered in his ear, giving him a brief rundown of what had happened between Kiryu and YoYo Day Care.


    After hearing Yuga''s ount, Steven became furious. He hadn''t expected to find such a scoundrel within his ownpany. Now, he finally understood the meaning behind Touya''s words from earlier.


    Thinking he could use Devon Corporation''s influence to get his uncle out? Not a chance! Steven thought to himself.

 Chapter 197: The Enemy in Slateport City

    <h4>Chapter 197: The Enemy in teport City</h4>


    "It doesn''t matter who I am, but it won''t be so easy for your uncle to get out." Steven, who now understood the situation, turned to Touya and spoke.


    If Touya knew that just because of his few words, he had dashed his uncle''s hopes of being released, he probably would have regretted it deeply.


    "Whether your uncle can get out or not, it''s not up to you to decide. Just wait and see what happens!" With that, Touya pushed through the crowd and disappeared in a hurry.


    Yuga knew that there were likely more people involved in this matter than just Kiryu, as the video evidence captured both Misaki and Kiryu mentioning another name: Edward! However, without concrete evidence, Yuga couldn''t take action against Edward!


    Yuga was puzzled. Although he and Edward, the owner of Truly Adorable Day Care, had some disagreements, they were insignificant. So, why would Edward go to such lengths to target YoYo Day Care?


    After thinking about it for a while and failing toe to a clear conclusion, Yuga decided not to waste any more brain cells on it. When the enemyes, we''ll defend ourselves.


    Returning to the shop with Steven, he asked, "What''s the whole story?"


    Although Yuga had briefly exined the situation to Steven earlier, Steven still had only a vague understanding of the ins and outs of the matter.


    So, Yuga went into detail about the events, including his conflicts with Touya, how Kiryu bribed Misaki, and how he plotted against Kiryu.


    Yuga knew that Steven was straightforward and disliked conspiracies, so he didn''t hide anything from him.


    After listening to Yuga''s ount, Steven was furious.


    "I never expected our Devon Corporation to have such people. Rest assured, I won''t let anyone from Devon Corporation meddle in this matter."


    Although Yuga had known that Steven was the young master of Devon Corporation, Steven had never told Yuga before. So, when Steven said "our Devon Corporation," Yuga didn''t react in any special way, as he wasn''t inclined to put on a show of surprise or amazement. Thankfully, Steven was too focused on being angry to notice Yuga''s unusual behavior.


    While Yuga felt pleased for taking down Kiryu, at a vi in teport City, a middle-aged man was leisurely sipping tea and feeling content.


    Because he believed he had effortlessly obtained the valuable Pok��block forms from YoYo Day Care, he thought he was quite clever.


    At this moment, he still had no idea that his partner had been arrested for their involvement in this matter.


    As he hummed a tune while drinking his tea, one of his subordinates entered.


    "Boss, Mr. Sturt would like to see you."


    Upon hearing the report from his subordinate, the middle-aged man quickly put down his cup, stood up, straightened his clothes, and said, "Please, bring him in!"


    Sturt was a high-ranking breeder and the only one under the middle-aged man. Normally, he had great respect for Mr. Sturt and wouldn''t dare to be disrespectful.


    Soon, his subordinate led a man in his fifties to the middle-aged man.


    "Mr. Sturt, why have youe? Please have a seat." The middle-aged man warmly greeted Mr. Sturt. "Is there any progress in your research on the Pok��block forms?"


    Mr. Sturt calmly sat across from the middle-aged man, showing no hint of nervousness or respect just because he was in front of his boss.


    "Boss, are you sure the Pok��block form you gave me is correct? I followed the instructions, but I can''t create Pok��blocks as described. Instead, I''ve been getting some unsightly waste products!"


    Mr. Sturt''s words made the middle-aged man''s heart skip a beat. Could the Pok��block form be fake? No way!


    "Mr. Sturt, could you possibly be mistaken? How could there be a problem with the form?" The middle-aged man''s face turned ugly.


    Upon hearing the middle-aged man''s doubts, Mr. Sturt''s expression soured. "Are you doubting my abilities?"


    "I wouldn''t dare, I wouldn''t dare! How could I doubt your abilities! You''re a well-known figure in the breeder industry! You''ve misunderstood, I was just speaking casually, just speaking casually!" Worried that Mr. Sturt was displeased, the middle-aged man quickly apologized.


    "Alright, I won''t waste any more words on you. I''m busy, and I don''t have time to waste with you. I''m leaving." With that, Mr. Sturt stood up and prepared to leave.


    Seeing the situation, the middle-aged man quickly said to his subordinate, "What are you standing there for? Quickly escort Mr. Sturt out!"


    After Mr. Sturt left, the middle-aged man swept all the cups and teapot off the table onto the ground, creating a loud crashing noise.


    "Fake, it''s all fake! Shimizu Yuga, Kiryu, well done! You dared to deceive me with fake things. Just you wait."


    At this moment, the middle-aged man still thought that Kiryu and Yuga had conspired together to frame him.


    This situation illustrated that rtionships built solely on interests are fragile; the ship of friendship can capsize.


    Of course, the Pok��block form Yuga provided them was fake, but it was a high-quality imitation.


    Both Kiryu and the middle-aged man were astute individuals �C one was a CEO of argepany''s branch, and the other was a breeder. Therefore, Yuga had removed only the crucial parts of the Pok��block form, leaving the rest untouched, as he gave it to them.


    To discern the authenticity without actually trying to create the Pok��blocks required a significant level of expertise.


    In this invisible confrontation, Yuga was slightly victorious!


    Now let''s switch to YoYo Day Care.


    Around noon, Yuga had organized a sumptuous lunch with Audino almost prepared. He gathered all the staff to celebrate the victory and also invited Steven.


    Yuga raised his ss of juice and said, "Thanks to Misaki, we were able to sessfully thwart the enemy''s schemes this time. Here''s to you, Misaki!"


    Misaki, who was usually a bit rough around the edges, was umonly bashful and said, "I didn''t contribute much; it was mainly thanks to the boss''s strategy."


    Yuga waved his hand and said, "What kind of strategy did I evene up with? Anyone could have thought of it. The real key to our sess was your acting. You managed to deceive Kiryu, and that''s what made this n work!"


    Out of nowhere, Windy interjected, "Yeah, great acting!" and everyone burst intoughter!


    Windy had also watched the video that Misaki had recorded. Her acting skills were truly exceptional.


    Suzuki Koen joined the teasing and said to Misaki, "If you can''t make it in the breeder industry in the future, you might be a big star!"


    Everyone was in high spirits, joking around. However, Steven sat on the side, eating silently. Then he added, "Yuga, do you have any Audino left? Could you give me one too?"

 Chapter 198: An Old Flame of Chatot

    <h4>Chapter 198: An Old me of Chatot</h4>


    "Unfortunately, I have to tell you that we only have this one precious Audino. There are no others."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Steven felt a deep sense of disappointment.


    "I see, that''s truly a pity." Steven looked at the Audino sitting beside him, enjoying the delicious food he had prepared, and couldn''t help but envy it.


    What Yuga didn''t know was that due to his envy for this particr Audino, after leaving the Verdanturf Town, Steven had also managed to obtain a Audino. Unfortunately, Steven''s Audino didn''t turn out the way he had hoped. Instead of bing a nurturing caregiver, it ended up as a violent boxing contender, bing a liability on his path to bing a champion.


    However, these were stories for another time; they won''t be mentioned here.


    After finishing their lunch, Steven said to Yuga, "I heard that your Day Care produces excellent Ground-type Pok��blocks. I''d like to buy some."


    Surprised, Yuga said, "Oh, do you also have Ground-type Pok��mon?"


    Yuga had only watched the original animated series and was unaware that, besides his Steel-type Pok��mon, Steven had other attribute Pok��mon as well. In the animated series, Steven''s Pok��mon were only Aggron and Metagross!


    "Yeah."


    Saying this, Steven released a ydol.


    ...


    <<ydol>> </ydol>


    Attributes: Ground, Psychic


    Abilities: Levitate


    Gender: None


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 66


    Skills: Hyper Beam, Hardening, Confusion, Rapid Spin, Teleport, Earth Power, Ice Beam, Trick Room, Explosion, Stealth Rock, Psychic, Light Wall, Toxic, Power Trick, Seal, Sandstorm.


    ...


    After looking at this ydol, Yuga sighed. Indeed, there''s no such thing as the strongest; there''s always something stronger.


    This ydol was already close to Level 70, and the Lairon Steven usually carried around must have been trainedter, so there was a slight disparity in levels.


    Through conversation, Yuga came to know that the future Steel-type champion Steven only had three Steel-type Pok��mon: Aggron, Metagross, and Skarmory.


    Yuga couldn''t help but sigh. It seemed this Steel-type champion had something inmon with a certain "Flying-type" champion.


    Taking Steven to the counter, Yuga helped him choose Pok��blocks. Steven was quite knowledgeable; he immediately selected the Pok��blocks crafted by Misaki. He disregarded the "Defective Product" Pok��blocks made by Yuga.


    Yuga was almost in tears.


    Steven picked up a translucent Pok��block, twisted it in his hand, and even licked it, saying, "These Pok��blocks are truly excellent, better than what I usually use."


    Yuga realized that Steven''s formidable prowess wasn''t without reason �C his vast knowledge and expertise made him a true schr, and his extensive experience allowed him to judge the quality of Pok��blocks with just a taste. Coupled with his impable background, he was undoubtedly formidable.


    However, Yuga felt motivated; in a few more years, when he reached Steven''s age, maybe he could be equally powerful! After all, he had the potential to be handsome, rich, and powerful.


    Steven had his ydol try the Heavies vored Pok��blocks, and it loved them. Steven purchased quite a few cans of them directly from Yuga (Pok��blocks were sold in cans here) and dered that he would buy all of his ydol''s Pok��blocks from YoYo Day Care.


    Perhaps he forgot that his own Devon Corporation also sold Pok��blocks.


    After bidding farewell to Steven, Yuga suddenly saw Chatot flying in hurriedly from outside, squawking, "It''s over, it''s over!"


    Seeing Yuga, the bird flew over and urgently said, "Darling, you absolutely have to help me."


    Unaware of why it was so panicked, Yuga asked amusedly, "What''s going on today? Look at your anxious little eyes; they''re really heart-wrenching!"


    "Since darling is so worried about me, can you help me, pretty please?" Despite its frantic demeanor, Chatot couldn''t change its yful personality.


    Before Yuga could respond, Chatot shouted, "There''s no time, there''s no time! When Noctowl arrivester, pretend you didn''t see me!"


    Saying this, it was about to fly away.


    Yuga hadn''t quite figured out what was happening when he saw a blue beam of lightnding on Chatot. Chatot, which had been about to fly away, was now frozen in mid-air.


    "It''s over, toote!"


    Following this, Yuga saw an Noctowl with glowing blue eyes fly in, stopping not far from Chatot.


    Yuga thought, "This must be Noctowl that Chatot mentioned."


    At this moment, Chatot was immobilized by the Psychic of Noctowl.


    "Hehe... Hehe... Kitty-chan, you''re here! It''s been so long!" Chatot nervouslyughed.


    "Noctowl!" Noctowl called.


    "No, no, that''s impossible! How could I possibly avoid our adorable Kitty-chan!" Faced with Noctowl''s question, Chatot hurriedly denied.


    "Noctowl."


    "Really, really, I''m not lying to you!" Chatot struggled to exin.


    "Noctowl... Noctowl!"


    "Hey! Hey! Don''t talk nonsense, we''re best sisters! Husbands and wives don''t exist."


    Noctowl said something, and Chatot immediately earnestly denied it.


    "Hey, hey, be gentle! My bones are about to break! We''re still best sisters, aren''t we!"


    Chatot''s words sessfully made the Psychic that Noctowl had focused on it even tighter, causing it to cry out in pain.


    "Noctowl."


    "I really didn''t avoid you!" After saying this, Chatot suddenly pointed to Yuga next to it and said, "Oh, oh, by the way, I actually really wanted toe find you! But I was captured by this person, and I can''t go anywhere."


    Chatot took no psychological pressure for this.


    Yuga, bewildered, pointed to himself, wondering if it was ming him.


    "Yes, yes, it''s him! He took advantage of me being unconscious due to hunger and forcefully captured me!" Chatot said with a pained expression.


    Yuga felt like saying "MMP" (an inte ng expression of frustration and annoyance). ming me? Sure, I captured you, but you can leave anytime you want! Whenever you want to leave, just go. I''mpletely supportive of that! Don''t go falsely using me!


    Ever since Yuga brought Chatot back to YoYo Day Care, it did nothing but mooch off food and make jokes all day. Its sole purpose was to amuse customers who came to the store.


    Moreover, this Chatot was a totalbat flop �C it had a yellow potential, was below level 20, and didn''t even possess a single attacking move! It couldn''t even defeat the baby Pok��mon in the Ecopark.


    Yuga truly wished for it to leave YoYo Day Care as soon as possible.

 Chapter 199: The Terrifying Noctowl

    <h4>Chapter 199: The Terrifying Noctowl</h4>


    Upon hearing Chatot''s words, Noctowl shifted its gaze towards Yuga. For some reason, Yuga felt that Noctowl''s eyes were particrly sharp.


    "Noctowl, please don''t listen to the Chatot, he spewing nonsense. I genuinely didn''t intend to keep it here, and it can leave anytime it wants," Yuga quickly exined, not willing to take the me for this.


    Noctowl merely nced at Yuga briefly before turning its head away. Evidently, it also knew Chatot''s temperament all too well �C around ny percent of what it said couldn''t be trusted.


    Seeing that Noctowl didn''t misunderstand him, Yuga continued, "Noctowl, you should take Chatot and leave as soon as possible. I won''t stop you!"


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Chatot immediately protested, crying out, "I''m not leaving! I''ll stay right here and won''t go anywhere!"


    If it hadn''t been restrained by Noctowl''s Psychic at the moment, Chatot might have thrown a tantrum on the ground.


    Just as Chatot was crying and refusing to leave, Noctowl suddenly withdrew its Psychic, causing Chatot to unexpectedly fall to the ground with a "plop." It was quite aical sight, and Yuga almost couldn''t suppress hisughter.


    "Noctowl!" Noctowl cried out.


    Chatot, which had been rolling around and acting out, immediately stopped all movement.


    "What!!! Are you staying here too!!!" The voice sounded as if a duck''s throat had been squeezed, making an identical sound.


    "No, no, I won''t agree!" Chatot began its tantrum once again.


    "Noctowl!" Noctowl cried out.


    This time, an eerie silence suddenly fell around, the kind that sent shivers down one''s spine. Luckily, there were no customers in the store at the moment, otherwise, with such abruptness, they wouldn''t be able to do any business.


    What happened? Why did it suddenly be quiet? Yuga wondered.


    "You said you''re pregnant!!!"


    After quite a while, Chatot, as if catching its breath, yelled loudly. The sound was truly indescribable, as if waking up in the morning and suddenly realizing that one had been ������ by a stranger.


    "Oh, I didn''t expect you to be such a scumbag, iming your pregnant wife is your sister! Truly despicable!" Yuga said to Chatot with a look of disgust.


    By now, Chatot was so shocked that it couldn''t speak, and it no longer mentioned preventing Noctowl from staying.


    Noctowl, having decided to stay, paid no attention to the still-shocked Chatot on the ground. It flew to the center of the store and perched on the weather tree.


    At this moment, Yuga remembered to use his discerning eye to check on Noctowl''s situation.


    ...


    <<noctowl>> </noctowl>


    Attribute: Normal, Flying


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Insomnia


    Potential: Yellow


    Level: 69


    Skills: Sky Attack, Dream Eater, Insight, Hypnosis, Confusion, Echoed Voice, Zen Headbutt, Psycho Shift, Extrasensory, Reflect, Air sh, Uproar, Mean Look, Defog.


    ...


    What''s going on? Yuga wasn''t entirely sure, rubbing his eyes to make sure he was seeing correctly. How was this possible? When did a yellow-potential Pok��mon reach level 69 so easily? It was just a step away from being an Elite Pok��mon! This Noctowl''s level even surpassed the Steven ydol!


    No wonder it nced at me, and I felt a chill down my spine. This is the pressure of a master!


    Yuga had originally thought that the Linoone was a miracle to reach over level 40 with yellow potential, but it turned out hecked knowledge!


    But why would this Noctowl set its sights on this cowardly Chatot? Was this the equivalent of a goddess being attracted to a loser in the world of Pok��mons? Or is it that the aesthetics of Pok��mons and humans are too different?


    Yuga was utterly puzzled.


    However, dealing with this sly bird was already difficult enough, and now there was another powering in �C and it''s the child''s father! Truly, the times were unfortunate!


    "Wow... My lost youth!" After a long while, Chatot suddenly copsed on the ground, crying out pitifully. The crying was really quite tragic.


    After crying for quite some time, Chatot finally quieted down. It fluttered onto Yuga''s


    shoulder, wiping away the lingering tears at the corner of its eyes, and said with a heartbroken tone, "Darling, how am I supposed to live from now on? I haven''t had enough fun yet!"


    Yuga sarcastically replied, "Hey, don''t call me ''darling.'' Your ''darling'' is right there!"


    Pointing towards Noctowl on the weather tree, Yuga said, "Don''t do that, darling. I truly love you!"


    "Scumbag, you forget people once you put on your pants, scumbag!" Yuga looked at it disdainfully.


    Chatot retorted angrily, "What nonsense! I don''t even need to wear pants!"


    "That doesn''t change the fact that you''re a scumbag!"


    "I was forced to do it!"


    "Forced?" Was there more to this story?


    "How were you forced?" Yuga leaned in, asking curiously.


    "It was on a dark and stormy night... sob... sob..."


    Yuga gave Chatot a p, saying, "Can''t you talk properly?"


    "Ah, me it on my foolish youth. That''s how I got into this emotional debt!" Chatot held its wings to its chest, striking a dramatic pose.


    Yuga''s goosebumps dropped to the ground again.


    "At the time, I thought it was a handsome male bird and couldn''t resist flirting with it. Who would''ve thought..."


    Damn, so you were thinking about getting intimate with it! Yuga nearly couldn''t hold back!


    It turned out that Chatot was originally a member of a circus. After the circus went out of business, it escaped and roamed around.


    After a while, it found city life tough and ventured into the wild. It identally entered the territory of Noctowl.


    Noctowl was the king of their region, with formidable strength that deterred all from trespassing.


    But who was Chatot? Born with a sharp beak, it was daring and fearless. It thought Noctowl in front of it was an ordinary male and couldn''t resist flirting with it, and that''s when the trouble began.


    In a way, perhaps Noctowl liked Chatot''s attitude. It seemed Chatot had caught its attention.


    From then on, Chatot lived a difficult life.


    "On that dark and stormy night, it used hypnosis on me... and then it... sob... sob..."


    As it spoke, Chatot began to cry again, its tears flowing freely.


    This situation was truly indescribable. Chatot was, and Noctowl was too!


    Yuga felt that this was more entertaining than watching a y.


    "Cough, cough." Yuga coughed twice. "I have to say, the fact that Noctowl took a liking to you is quite lucky for you. Otherwise, with your disposition, you might''ve been single forever."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Chatot immediately jumped off Yuga''s shoulder, eximing, "What single? Darling, don''t you want me anymore? Aren''t we a couple?"


    "No, no, you better let go of that thought. You and Noctowl are the couple!" Yuga was worried that Noctowl might chase after him.


    "You heartless man! Sob... sob..." Chatot turned into a sobbing mess once again.

 Chapter 200: Trailing

    <h4>Chapter 200: Trailing</h4>


    "Can you secretly tell me, how did your wife be so powerful?" Yuga whispered to Chatot''s ear.


    Yuga was quite curious about why Noctowl had such formidable strength. If he knew the method, wouldn''t he be able to reach the pinnacle of life directly?


    Chatot immediately saw through Yuga''s intentions and used its wings to push Yuga aside, saying, "What wife? I haven''t acknowledged that yet!"


    Yuga silently cursed it in his heart again: scumbag.


    "I advise you not to entertain this idea! It has connections!" After saying this, Chatot cautiously looked around, finding no one nearby paying attention. Then it leaned in close to Yuga''s ear and continued, "It''s rted to Celebi. She helped Celebi in the past, and her strength became so strong with Celebi''s help."


    Hearing Chatot''s words, Yuga nearly blurted out in surprise, but he was immediately hushed by Chatot.


    "Keep your voice down. This is a secret only I and her know. If you dare bber about it, I guarantee you''ll be done for immediately. SHE values Celebi more than she values me!"


    "If she values Celebi that much, why would it tell you?" Yuga whispered.


    "What can I do? Who told her to like me? My charm is too irresistible!" Chatot said proudly, raising its head.


    "Indeed, you''re a scumbag for spilling such an important secret about your wife!"


    "Hey, why are you like this? Weren''t you the one who asked?" Chatot said indignantly.


    "I asked, and you answered. But why didn''t you leave when I asked you to? Instead, you moved in here with your family!" Yuga retorted, unamused.


    Chatot once again flew onto Yuga''s shoulder, saying with feigned sincerity, "That just shows my true love for you."


    Yuga pushed it off his shoulder and said with disdain, "Save your true love for Noctowl."


    With that, Yuga turned and walked away.


    He had initially hoped to extract some information from Chatot about how Noctowl became so powerful. However, he learned that it was an unrepeatable method, one that was based on connections!


    He couldn''t exactly go around trying to cozy up to Mythical Pok��mons, could he? Besides, even if he knew where a Mythical Pok��mon was, there was no guarantee it wouldn''t p him to death with a single swipe.


    And so, a revered deity ended up living in the YoYo Day Care. Strangely, it never entered the Ecopark and spent its days perched on the weather tree in the shop.


    In order to ensure itsfort during pregnancy, Yuga even took out the small nest that murkrow had used on the weather tree. However, due to Noctowl''srger size, he had to make some modifications.


    Noctowl was highly skilled in using its psychic abilities. It could effortlessly monitor Chatot''s every move near the Day Care without having to move. As a result, Chatot stayed in the Ecopark all day and didn''te out.


    Noctowl didn''t seem to mind. As long as Chatot wasn''t trying to escape, it was content to stay in Yuga''s shop.


    Yuga couldn''t help but sigh. Noctowl''s love for Chatot was truly deep. He couldn''t fathom what Noctowl saw in Chatot. After all, he found no redeeming qualities in it whatsoever.


    Meanwhile, Steven spent some time in Verdanturf Town, but he couldn''t suppress his restless heart any longer. He decided to leave the town and continue his adventures.


    Yuga even went to the train station to see him off.


    As he was about to board the train, Steven said to Yuga, "Thanks for your hospitality these past few days. If you ever need help, feel free to reach out. Here''s my contact information." He handed Yuga a note with his contact details.


    "If you can''t reach me, you can also contact my good friend Wace. He''s quite well-known. You should have heard of him. His contact information is also written there."


    Steven didn''t know that Yuga had already met Wace, but the two of them seemed like the best of buddies, readily passing on the responsibility of helping others.


    Yuga took the note, nodded, and said, "Don''t worry, I won''t hesitate to ask for your help when needed. Travel safely!"


    After bidding farewell to Steven, Yuga retraced his steps, preparing to return to the Day Care.


    As Yuga passed a street corner, a person dressed in red attire caught his attention from the corner of his eye.


    Team Magma?


    Upon closer inspection, Yuga realized he recognized the person. It was the same individual who had attacked him alongside Shu and another Camerupt Trainer during their previous encounter.


    At this time, Team Magma hadn''t yet been ssified as an evil organization. Therefore, this person was boldly walking down the street wearing Team Magma''s attire.


    Fate seemed to have a strange sense of humor, Yuga thought. If it weren''t for Robert''s helpst time, he didn''t know how things would have turned out. Encountering this person again now was quite unfortunate for them.


    Yuga decided to first understand the person''s purpose ining to Verdanturf Town before deciding when to take action. So, he discreetly followed behind him.


    The person was heading out of town, seeming quite cautious. Every now and then, he would check if anyone was following him. However, Yuga used Florges''s Flower Veil ability, ensuring he remained unnoticed.


    Silently trailing him, Yuga followed the person to a small hill outside of town. There, he saw another individual waiting, dressed in the same Team Magma attire, but with a much slimmer figure.


    "Did you get the items?" The slim man''s voice was equally sharp and unpleasant to the ears.


    Yuga immediately recognized this person''s voice. He was one of the trio who had pursued Absol, the same individual whose Seviper had severely injured Absol.


    Today seemed to be a day to settle both new and old scores, Yuga thought.


    "Got them!" the person who was being followed by Yuga replied.


    Saying this, he took a box from his bag and opened it. Inside were four distinct-colored beads of the same size and shape �C only the colors differed, ranging from red, blue, green, to yellow.


    What are these? Yuga wondered. Nevertheless, if they considered these items valuable, they must be some kind of treasures, and if they were treasures, there was no reason not to take them for himself.


    Just as the person was about to close the box and put it away, two vine whips materialized out of thin air, snatching the box away.


    "Who goes there?" both men shouted in unison.


    Yuga calmly epted the box Florges had snatched and stepped out from behind arge tree.


    "What''s the matter? Just a few short months and you''ve forgotten me?" Yuga addressed the Scorpionscorp Trainer who had previously attacked him.

 Chapter 201: New Grudges, Old Hatreds

    <h4>Chapter 201: New Grudges, Old Hatreds</h4>


    "It''s you!"


    As Yuga appeared, the Skorupi Trainer recognized him instantly! This was the wretched kid who had snatched his mission target and caused his group significant lossesst time.


    "Do you know him?" the Seviper Trainer beside him whispered.


    "He''s the one who took away the Absol we were chasingst time!" exined the Skorupi Trainer.


    "Ah, so it''s him! Today, we can''t just let him go. It''s the perfect opportunity to take Absol back from him!"


    The Seviper Trainer squinted his eyes and said with a malicious tone, matching his sinister appearance, which made him quite intimidating.


    Hearing this, Yuga smiled and said, "Today, it''s not so easy for anyone to leave!"


    The Skorupi Trainer scoffed, "You, brat, haven''t you forgotten how we beat you without breaking a sweatst time? Today, no one''sing to rescue you!"


    Hearing the Skorupi Trainer mention the incident fromst time, Yuga felt a surge of frustration. While hisck of strength was a drawback, today was a different story.


    "Hmph, don''t underestimate others just because you haven''t seen them for a few days. After today, you''ll know!" Yuga sneered.


    A red light shed, and Absol appeared beside Yuga.


    Meanwhile, the two opponents also released their Pok��mon, a Skorupi and a Seviper.


    "Absol, today we settle both new and old scores. Make sure to give it your all!" Yuga said to Absol.


    "Absol!"


    Absol locked eyes with the Seviper not far away and let out a low roar in response.


    "Let''s start! Florges, Grassy Terrain!"


    "Florges!"


    Upon Yuga''smand, a thick green light swept in, bringing with it the fragrance of grass. The environment, already a grassy field, now became even more vibrant and alive.


    Seeing Yuga take action, the opponents immediately gave orders to their Pok��mon.


    "Skorupi, Pin Missile!"


    "Seviper, Venom Impact!"


    Purple pin missiles and a deep purple venom shot toward Florges, but Florges, who had just activated the Grassy Terrain, couldn''t dodge in time. However, Absol stepped in front of Florges, releasing an angry roar as the attacks approached.


    As Absol''s roar spread, waves of ck energy emanated from it, dissipating the pin missiles and venom in mid-air. This Roar technique was a move Absol had recently learned, specifically for situations like this. Although it wasn''t particrly powerful, being a sound-based special move, it had a wide range of applications.


    The Skorupi Trainer hadn''t expected Yuga and Absol to make such progress in just a few months. Facing him and Absol now was proving to be more challenging than they''d anticipated.


    While the opponents were still dazed, Yuga didn''t hesitate. Florges and Absol immediatelyunched their next attacks.


    Florges swiftlyshed out with two Vine Whips, pulling the Skorupi from a distance and binding it tightly.


    Meanwhile, Absol, prepared in advance, made a sudden assault, crashing urately into the Skorupi and eliciting a pained screech.


    Subsequently, Florges executed a graceful parab, hurling the Skorupi onto the Seviper''s back, causing the Seviper to be dizzy.


    wlessly coordinated, Florges and Absolpleted their actions so smoothly that the opponents hadn''t even recovered their senses yet.


    "Skorupi, use Acupressure!"


    Seeing his side repeatedly suffer setbacks, the Skorupi Trainer decided to use Acupressure.


    "Absol, stop it!"


    Hearing Yuga''smand, a colossal Psycho Cut appeared and swiftly shed toward the Skorupi, which was using Acupressure.


    "Seviper, Coil!"


    Seeing the Psycho Cut aimed at the Skorupi, the Seviper Trainer quickly coiled its entire body together, blocking Absol''s Psycho Cut.


    "Skorupi, continue using Acupressure!"


    Yuga realized that letting the Skorupi use Acupressure freely would be disastrous, so he ordered Florges and Absol to intervene.


    Consequently, Florges used Magical Leaf, and Absol''s Psycho Cut targeted the Skorupi using Acupressure again.


    "Seviper, block it with Coil!"


    After having used Coil twice, the Seviper was now quite tough. Despite the damage it had sustained from Florges''s Magical Leaf and Absol''s Psycho Cut, it was still battle-ready. Additionally, using Coil twice had significantly boosted both its attack and defense.


    Yuga was somewhat puzzled. Learning Coil typically required a Pok��mon to be at a rtively high level. This Seviper clearly didn''t meet the prerequisites!


    "Skorupi, sh!"


    While Florges and the others were still engaged in a standoff with the Seviper, the Skorupi had rapidly closed in on Absol and struck it with a powerful sh.


    Caught off guard, Absol was hit by the sudden attack and tumbled to the ground.


    The Skorupi''s speed and attack had both noticeably increased �C the effects of the two Acupressure moves.


    Fortunately, the effects of Florges''s Grassy Terrain were still in y, allowing Absol''s injuries to quickly heal.


    Seeing Absol take a hit, Yuga was somewhat frustrated. This is your idea of strengthening?


    "Absol, Swords Dance repeatedly! Florges, cover Absol!"


    Upon hearing Yuga''smand, a circle of blue energy swords appeared around Absol, rotating rapidly.


    The Skorupi and the Seviper both tried to intervene, but the Skorupi was hindered by Florges''s Magical Leaf.


    Despite the Skorupi''s speed, Florges''s Magical Leaf''s unique tracking effect consistently intercepted its movements.


    The Seviper, with more severe injuries, had slightly limited mobility. However, it continuously used its venomous attacks against Florges, causing significant trouble for Florges, who was at a disadvantage due to the type disadvantage.


    Thankfully, Florges''s control abilities were robust. It used Magical Leaf and Vine Whip effectively, managing to hold on until Absol hadpleted two Swords Dance moves.


    Just as Absol finished its second Swords Dance, Florges received its signal. The two Vine Whips, akin to agile tentacles, instantly flung the bulkier Seviper toward Absol.


    In the terrified eyes of the Seviper, Absol used a Sucker Punch to finish it off.


    Florges had initially intended to use the same strategy against the Skorupi, but the Skorupi managed to deftly evade.


    However, after narrowly escaping Florges''s Vine Whip, the Skorupi couldn''t avoid Absol''s Quick Attack.


    Knocked down by Absol''s Quick Attack, the Skorupi was quickly bound by Florges''s Vine Whip.


    Subsequently, Absol''s numerous Psycho Cuts rained down upon it.


    One could only say that Absol and Florges''s coordination was incredibly seamless.


    Seeing their Pok��mon defeated, the opponents'' first instinct was to flee. However, Yuga promptly released a Chimecho, using psychic power to apprehend them both, preventing their escape.


    Looking at the motionless Seviper on the ground, Yuga asked Absol, "Absol, how do you feel? Satisfied?"


    Absol nodded. While its expression didn''t show much, Yuga knew it was definitely pleased.

 Chapter 202: Passing the Buck

    <h4>Chapter 202: Passing the Buck</h4>


    After apprehending the two individuals, Yuga retrieved the Pok�� Balls containing Skorupi and Seviper from them and returned the Pok��mon to their respective balls.


    Furthermore, he found a Pok�� Ball containing a Houndoom on each of them.


    "What do you want?" the Skorupi''s trainer asked Yuga.


    "What do I want? Why don''t you tell me what you want first! Speak up, why did you capture Absol!" Yuga kicked the Skorupi''s trainer, who had dared to lead an ambush against him. The audacity was infuriating.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, the Skorupi''s trainer immediately mmed up, refusing to say a word.


    "He won''t talk, how about you!" Yuga turned to the Seviper''s trainer after seeing the Skorupi''s trainer act like a stubborn mule.


    "Capturing a Pok��mon, what could that be for? To tame it, of course."


    The Seviper''s trainer was far more astute than the Skorupi''s trainer, evening up with an excuse. However, Yuga clearly wasn''t buying into it and pped him across the face.


    "Behave yourself, don''t y tricks with me!"


    "You!"


    The Seviper''s trainer hadn''t expected Yuga to act on his threat immediately. His face turned red, and he was left speechless in anger.


    "If you won''t talk about Absol, then tell me, what are these beads for?" Yuga opened the box he had confiscated from the two of them, revealing four bright and shining beads.


    Interestingly, these four beads were quite attractive, boasting Vivillon colors. They shimmered in the sunlight, not falling short of the allure of precious gemstones. The material, however, remained a mystery.


    Seeing the four beads, the expressions of the two individuals changed, but neither of them spoke.


    "It seems you''re determined not to talk today!" Yuga closed the box and put it away.


    Yuga stared at the two of them, feeling somewhat helpless. He wasn''t well-versed in any methods of coercive interrogation, so how could he make them spill the beans? He couldn''t just beat them up, could he?


    After some thought, Yuga had Florges hang them upside down from a tree with her Vine Whip. He intended for them to experience what it felt like to have blood rush to their heads.


    However, despite being in that awkward position, the two of them remained silent about Absol and the beads.


    "Don''t waste your efforts; we won''t tell you," the Skorupi''s trainer stated.


    "That''s right, our grand ideals are beyond theprehension of ordinary people like you," the Seviper''s trainer added.


    Seriously, such grand ideals! Aren''t they just summoning Groudon to destroy the world? And they''re talking about it as if it''s something noble! Clearly, they''ve been brainwashed by Maxie! Who knows what these people are thinking; as if erging thendmass will make the world better? It''s utterly nonsensical.


    One couldn''t deny that the ideologies of these ferventnd extremists and the ocean extremists were incredibly difficult to grasp. Yuga couldn''t fathom how Maxie and Archie had brainwashed these people, making them so unquestioningly obedient.


    Yuga then attempted various methods to force them to talk �C like using grass to tickle their feet or having Florges whip them with her Vine Whip �C but they stubbornly resisted each ordeal.


    Yuga didn''t know what would be effective, and in the end, he gave up. Perhaps, in these people''s hearts, their faith superseded everything else.


    However, how should he deal with these two? Yuga was at a loss.


    Should he kill them? Yuga had never killed anyone before and found it difficult to take that step.


    Should he hand them over to the police? There didn''t seem to be any legitimate reason or evidence to prove them as wrongdoers.


    Should he release them? That wouldn''t work either; they might cause trouble again in the future.


    What should he do? Just thinking about it gave him a headache.


    Suddenly, Yuga had an idea. He couldn''t give them to Officer Jenny, but he could hand them over to Mr. Norman.


    Team Magma was simr in nature to the Team Aqua, and now that the Team Aqua had been exposed to the League, it was a good opportunity to have Mr. Norman investigate Team Magma thoroughly. This would prevent them from stirring up more trouble.


    As long as Yuga exined the situation to Mr. Norman, he was confident that Mr. Norman would conduct a thorough investigation.


    So, Yuga had Absol knock both of them unconscious, then dialed Mr. Norman''s number.


    The call connected, and Mr. Norman''s voice came through from the other end of the line.


    "Hello, Yuga, is there something you need at this time?"


    "Mr. Norman, it''s like this..."


    So, Yuga proceeded to exin the entire sequence of events: how he had encountered the Team Magma for the first time in the Rusturf Tunnel while chasing Absol, how the Team Magma hadter attacked him, and even embellished the story by adding the part about Team Magma''s desire to capture Groudon. He emphasized that he had overheard these details unintentionally.


    Of course, Yuga hadn''t actually heard any of this from Team Magma; he was simply trying to draw Mr. Norman''s attention. While Yuga hadn''t heard these specific details from Team Magma, the overall situation was urate, and the process of how he came to know about it wasn''t significant, right?


    After hearing Yuga''s exnation, Mr. Norman fell into thought for a moment before saying, "Actually, I''ve also noticed this organization recently."


    "Mr. Norman, you''ve noticed too?" Yuga asked, surprised.


    "I don''t know the specifics, but after the incident with the Team Aqua, I started paying attention to this organization. Their formation and their handling of matters are quite simr to the Team Aqua''s. Both of these organizations were low-profile before the Team Aqua''s incident. However, after the Team Aqua''s incident, I became suspicious of this organization due to their simr modus operandi. Initially, I thought they might be two branches of the same organization, but it seems it''s not that simple."


    Yuga thought to himself that not only were they not the same organization, they were archenemies!


    However, Yuga didn''t say anything unnecessary. After all, less is more; he didn''t want to be a suspect himself.


    "Leave this matter to me. I''ll inform Officer Jenny from the local police. They''ll take these two individuals into custody and then transfer them to Petalburg City. I''ll personally investigate this matter," Mr. Norman stated over the phone.


    Hanging up the call, Yuga felt a sense of relief. These two troublesome characters finally had a destination, and he no longer needed to figure out how to deal with them.


    So, Yuga recalled Absol and Florges and had them carry the unconscious individuals back to Verdanturf Town using psychic powers.


    The Verdanturf Town police arrived promptly. Yuga returned to YoYo Day Care with the two individuals, and soon enough, Officer Jenny arrived with her team. After exining the situation, they took the two away.

 Chapter 203: Reggie’s Invitation

    <h4>Chapter 203: Reggie''s Invitation</h4>


    Yuga watched as the two individuals taken away by Officer Jenny, thinking to himself, "Did I expose the Team Magma and the Team Aqua too much? I hope they weren''t crushed by the League before they even had a chance to fully develop."


    But then again, maybe it''s better that they were stopped. The world was pretty good as it is, and there was no need for unnecessary trouble.


    "Just who were those two? Why did you beat them up so badly?" Suddenly, the chattering voice of Chatot rang out, startling Yuga.


    "Could you stop being so sneaky?" Yuga raised his hand and gave it a p. "Howe you dared to leave the Ecopark? Aren''t you afraid of Unfezant?"


    "Wh-what are you talking about? I''ve never been afraid of it!" Chatot retorted defensively, its tiny eyes darting around out of nervousness. "I stayed in the Ecopark not because I''m afraid. It''s because Swellow needed my advice on how to romance. I had to give it some tips."


    "Oh really? You''re that considerate."


    "Of course." Under Yuga''s skeptical gaze, Chatot imed, "It''s rare to find a bird as caring as me."


    "I''m telling you, you''re about to be a father. Can''t you be more reliable?" Yuga sighed and said.


    "I''m not reliable, but aren''t you reliable enough?" Chirpy Bird said indifferently.


    "I might be reliable, but what''s my rtionship with your child?"


    "Darling, don''t say that! Given our rtionship, my child is your child too."


    Yuga was exasperated by its words and decided not to continue the conversation. He was about to leave when Chatot''s voice called out again.


    "Hey, hey, don''t go! I haven''t finished talking yet! I heard you''re nning a trip? Take me with you!"


    Yuga turned around and asked, "Is that why you came out today? Who told you I''m going on a trip?"


    "Well, do I really need someone to tell me? Florges, Absol, they all know. Just listen casually, just listen casually." Chatot grinned mischievously.


    "Are you eavesdropping on people''s conversations?"


    "What eavesdropping? Your words are so harsh. I just happened to overhear them, happened to." Chatot deliberately put on a serious face.


    "All this just to avoid Unfezant?"


    "What nonsense!" Chatot quickly flew over, trying to cover Yuga''s mouth with its wings. "I just wanted to rx a bit, rx. How could I ever avoid the lovely Kitty-Chan? I took a peek at it over there." Chatot nced in the direction of the weather Tree, relieved that Unfezant hadn''t noticed them, and let out a sigh.


    Yuga looked at it trying to lie with open eyes and had no words. "Taking you along is impossible. I don''t want to be strung up and beaten by your spouse."


    "Don''t always mention my spouse. My beloved is you. For the sake of my deep love for you, take me with you!" Chatot pleaded pitifully.


    "In that case, I''m even less inclined to take you. If I did, your spouse would think we''re eloping, and if it found out, it might tear me apart!" Having said that, Yuga ignored Chatot and walked away.


    Speaking of Yuga''s uing trip, it''s necessary to mention Reggie, who was in faraway the Sinnoh.


    Recently, The Lily of the Valley Conference was going to be held in Sinnoh, and Reggie was participating in thepetition. So, he extended an invitation to Yuga toe and watch his match.


    If it were someone else''s invitation, Yuga would have definitely declined. Traveling all the way to Sinnoh just to watch a match that had nothing to do with him wasn''t worth it.


    However, since Reggie was one of Yuga''s two friends, he ultimately decided to ept the invitation and cheer for him.


    Yuga knew that in the future, Reggie would inherit his grandfather''s Day Care. Opportunities like participating in such arge-scalepetition would be rare. Yuga hoped that Reggie wouldn''t have any regrets.


    The fact that Reggie invited Yuga to Sinnoh was known to Yuga''s Florges, Absol, Chimecho, and Vivillon. However, he didn''t expect even the nosy Chatot to find out about it.


    But Yuga had no intention of taking Chatot along. The bumbling bird wouldn''t be of any help, and it would just keep chattering all the time. Instead of carrying that burden, Yuga would rather take Eevee with him, who might evenplete a mission.


    Yuga had been getting along quite well with Eevee recently, but there were no signs of evolution yet.


    Before setting off, Yuga gathered Audino and entrusted it with the prepared Small Gene Repair potions. He instructed Audino to administer the specified doses to the unhatched Pok��mon eggs every day.


    In addition to this, Yuga also shared the method of creating the Small Gene Repair potions with Audino. This was a precaution in case he used up all the potions and couldn''t return in time. He would have to rely on Audino in such a situation.


    For this trip to Sinnoh, Yuga didn''t n to bring along Audino, Great Flygon, or Linoone. Apart from his four main battling Pok��mon and Eevee, Yuga decided to take along Nales, Houndoom, and Honchkrow.


    These three Pok��mon hadn''t ventured out much since they started following Yuga. He wanted to give them the chance to rx and experience the world beyond the confines of their daily lives.


    As for Honchkrow''s pursuer, Swellow, Yuga didn''t intend to bring it. Swellow was too clingy to Honchkrow and Yuga thought it was best to give it some space.


    Yuga didn''t mind Swellow pursuing Honchkrow, but being overly clingy wasn''t ideal. Sometimes, creating a bit of distance could enhance the attraction.


    Currently, Audino held the role of manager in the Day Care. The Day Care relied heavily on it for its operations. On the other hand, Linoone acted as a bridge ofmunication between the Ecopark and the rest of the Day Care''s members.


    Hence, Yuga had to give up the idea of bringing these two key figures along.


    As for Great Flygon, it preferred to stay at home. It felt that basking in the sun and sleeping were the most blissful activities. It preferred not to roam around unnecessarily, especially if that bothersome Greninja was around.


    Nevertheless, after careful consideration, Yuga decided to bring along Snox. Having a formidable Pok��mon by his side provided a sense of security.


    In the end, when Yuga counted, he realized he was bringing quite a number of Pok��mon��nine in total. He was fortunate not to be a newly registered trainer under the League, as those trainers couldn''t carry more than six Pok��mon at a time within the first two years of their training career.


    The League established this rule to ensure that novice trainers,cking sufficient experience, wouldn''t struggle to care for multiple Pok��mon simultaneously.


    However, for independent trainers, the rules were different. Even if you became a trainer just yesterday, you could possess a hundred Pok��mon, and the League wouldn''t intervene.

 Chapter 204: Targeted Florges

    <h4>Chapter 204: Targeted Florges</h4>


    After receiving the invitation from Reggie, Yuga took three days before setting off. He still had enough time, so he made sure all the matters at the shop were properly delegated before departing.


    Yuga didn''t need to worry much about YoYo Day Care''s current situation.


    Audino managed the overall situation in the Ecopark. In the old shop, Windy and Suzuki Koen handled both online and offline tasks. In the new shop, Arata Sena focused on selling Pok��mon eggs, while Misaki was responsible for crafting Pok��blocks. Everything was well-organized.


    Unlike his previous trip to Johto, this time Yuga opted for a flight to Sinnoh instead of a ship.


    Verdanturf Town was located on the outskirts, but it was rtively small. Yuga decided to walk there directly.


    During his journey, Yuga suddenly felt that something was following him. Swiftly turning around, he spotted a colorful figure dart into the nearby bushes. Yuga didn''t need any further exnation.


    "Come out! I''ve already seen you," Yuga called out to the bushes.


    However, the thing inside the bushes didn''te out. Growing impatient, Yuga walked over, cleared away the undergrowth, and pulled out Chatot.


    "I''ve already seen you, so why hide?" Yuga scolded with irritation.


    "Hehehe, I thought you were trying to trick me!" Chatot pped its wings, attempting to break free from Yuga''s grasp.


    "Didn''t I tell you not toe? How did you secretly sneak after me? Does your wife know?" Yuga let go of it and asked angrily.


    Yuga''s barrage of three questions left Chatot flustered. "Of course I can''t let her know, otherwise, why would I follow you?"


    "And you said you''re not here to avoid your wife? Look at you now!" Yuga looked at it disdainfully.


    "Alright, stop berating me. Let''s just get going already," Chatot said with a tone of relief at regaining its freedom.


    Seeing that it had followed him all the way here, Yuga decided not to shoo it away and continued on his journey.


    However, Yuga and Chatot hadn''t walked for long before a ck car pulled over, stopping them.


    Soon, two individuals emerged from the car��a man and a woman.


    The man was middle-aged and slightly overweight with thinning hair on top.


    The woman, wearing an all-ck windbreaker and ck sunsses, had silver-white hair.


    "Kid, I heard you have a Pok��mon named Florges. Hand it over!" The woman spoke, clearly the leader of the duo.


    "Hunter J, it''s you!" Yuga couldn''t help but blurt out as he looked at the two before him.


    "Hunter J? You mean me? That''s a good name. Maybe I''ll change my name to Hunter J in the future! J! It''s a fantastic name for a Pok��mon hunter like me," the woman said joyfully.


    ???? Yuga was utterly confused! Wasn''t she Hunter J? Did he mistake her for someone else? But this was exactly how Hunter J looked!


    It couldn''t be that her name had changed, right? Did he inadvertently give her a new name?


    The current Hunter J appeared to be around the same age as Steven and his group, roughly in her early twenties. She didn''t seem significantly different from the original Hunter J Yuga remembered. He was certain he hadn''t mistaken her identity.


    "Given your knack for naming, hand over Florges and I''ll let you leave safely," Hunter J stated.


    "Who are you? Leave if you know what''s good for you. We''re not easy to mess with."


    Before Yuga could speak, Chatot began to squawk.


    At this point, Yuga felt that this foolish bird had truly lost its senses. Did it think Hunter J was just an ordinary person? She was the only true antagonist he recalled from the series, ruthless to both Pok��mon and humans.


    "Oh, look, it''s a chatty Chatot. Seems like it could be a valuablemodity as well." Hunter J looked at Chatot with interest.


    Under Hunter J''s gaze, Chatot involuntarily shivered and stammered, "What do you want?"


    Yuga knew that things couldn''t end well today. Hunter J wouldn''t let him pass unscathed, and he couldn''t just surrender Florges obediently.


    Silently, Yuga released Florges, Absol, and Chimecho.


    "Chimecho, during the battle, make sure to use Heal Pulse to support Florges and Absol. I might not have time to give you instructionster," Yuga instructed Chimecho in advance.


    Controlling two Pok��mon at once was already Yuga''s limit. So, since Chimecho was focused entirely on support, Yuga could only hope it would adapt on its own.


    "Chi-mecho, Chi-mecho."


    Chimecho seemed to sense the gravity of the situation and nodded firmly.


    "It seems you''re not nning to cooperate willingly." Seeing Yuga release his Pok��mon, Hunter J remarked.


    Simultaneously, she and her malepanion released their own Pok��mon.


    Hunter J sent out an Ariados. Her henchman released a Crobat.


    ...


    <> </ariados>


    Type: Bug/Poison


    Ability: Sniper


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Green


    Level: 61


    Moves: Swords Dance, Focus Energy, Toxic Spikes, Pin Missile, Poison Sting, String Shot, Scary Face, Pursuit, Poison Jab


    ...


    <<crobat>> </crobat>


    Type: Poison/Flying


    Ability: Inner Focus


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 42


    Moves: Cross Poison, Supersonic, Bite, Wing Attack, Air sh, Poison Fang, Confuse Ray, Mean Look


    ...


    After reviewing the data on the two Pok��mon in front of him, Yuga sighed. Hunter J truly lived up to her future reputation as the head of a notorious hunter organization. This Ariados was exceptionally powerful, already approaching the level of an Elite Four member.


    No wonder Hunter J was bold enough to openly steal Pok��mon. With just this Ariados, the majority of trainers wouldn''t stand a chance against her.


    However, Yuga waspletely mistaken.


    This Ariados used to be Hunter J''s father''s ace Pok��mon. Her father, the leader of a rtivelyrge Pok��mon hunting organization in the Hoenn region, had unexpectedly passed away not long ago. Hunter J had inherited this Ariados from him in an attempt to prove her worth as his sessor.


    Her father''s death resulted from a confrontation with Smence, which Yuga and hispanions had encountered on a train. Unfortunately, her father''s followers all perished in that operation, leading to the disbandment of the hunting organization. The only remaining members were Hunter J and her current subordinate.


    This subordinate was one of the three individuals Yuga had seen apanying Hunter J on the train. Sadly, the other two had fallen victim to Smence''s fury.


    Recently, with the heat dying down from the train incident, they had resumed their malicious activities.


    The introduction of Hunter J''s two Poison-type Pok��mon was disadvantageous for the Fairy-type Florges. Furthermore, Ariados was significantly stronger than both Florges and Absol. Yuga could feel a headacheing on just thinking about it.


    Why would Hunter J inexplicably target his Florges?


    Hunter J''s appearance this time would mark her final appearance before the start of the animated series.

 Chapter 205: Retreat in Surprise

    <h4>Chapter 205: Retreat in Surprise</h4>


    In response to Hunter J and her henchman releasing their Pok��mon, Yuga had Florges spread out a Grass-type terrain.


    While the Crobat on the opposing side was adept at inflicting status conditions, Yuga had the support of Chimecho, a Pok��mon capable of countering that. Therefore, between Misty Terrain and Grass Terrain, Yuga opted for thetter.


    "Ariados, Spit String Shot!"


    "Crobat, Supersonic!"


    As Florges created the Grass Terrain, Ariados released a flurry of white silk strands, while Crobat emitted rings of Supersonic soundwaves.


    "Florges, Magical Leaf! Absol, Roar!"


    The white silk strands from Ariados were split in half by Florges''s Magical Leaf,nding on the ground. Meanwhile, the Supersonic soundwaves canceled out alongside Absol''s Roar, which was also a sound-based move.


    "Kid, I didn''t expect you to have some skills, but the next part won''t be so easy! Ariados, Poison Jab!"


    As Hunter J''s voice fell, Ariados vanished instantly and reappeared behind Florges. Its front ws radiated a strong purple light as they lunged toward Florges.


    Fortunately, Chimecho, who had been on standby, intervened on Florges''s behalf. As a Psychic-type, Chimecho''s reflexes were much quicker, and it used Gravity to momentarily halt Ariados'' movements. This allowed Florges to evade the attack.


    Just recently, Absol had also caught on.


    With its ability to foresee the future, Absol''s reaction speed wasn''t any less than a Psychic-type''s. However, its physical speed couldn''t keep up with its reactions, resulting in a dy in its actions.


    Seeing this, Hunter J grew furious. If she hadn''t been left with only Ariados, she wouldn''t have used two Pok��mon against the opposing three. She wouldn''t have done so even if her side were stronger, due to the significant risk.


    The failed ambush on Florges didn''t discourage Ariados from attacking. It swiftly turned around and redirected its assault toward Absol.


    This time, neither Absol nor Chimecho, who hadn''t fully adjusted after using Gravity, could prevent Ariados'' attack.


    Ariados'' Poison Jab struck Absol down, covering it in a purple toxic mist.


    "Poisoned! Chimecho!"


    Upon hearing Yuga''s voice, Chimecho understood immediately. It rang a melodious chime, dispelling Absol''s poisoned status. Simultaneously, the healing effect of the Grass Terrain took effect.


    However, Ariados'' attack was just too potent. Despite the healing from the Grass Terrain, Absol sustained severe damage.


    "Tch!"


    Seeing that Chimecho''s healing chime and Florges''s Grass Terrain had swiftly saved Absol from danger, Hunter J let out a dissatisfied snort.


    "Have Crobat cover Ariados! Ariados, Swords Dance!"


    Her henchman nodded and instructed Crobat, "Crobat, Mean Look!"


    A surge of ck energy instantly struck Absol, rendering it unable to move. Meanwhile, not far away, Ariados began a Swords Dance, its blue energy swords spinning around it in circles.


    Seeing Absol''s movements restricted, Yuga had no choice but to say to Florges, "Florges, Moonst, stop Ariados."


    Although Moonst wasn''t particrly effective against Ariados, Yuga was left with no better option, as Florges''s moves outside of Grass-type were all Fairy-type, which weren''t effective against Ariados.


    However, Florges''s Moonst had no effect on Ariados. The attack was entirely blocked by Crobat''s Cross Poison.


    With Absol entirely immobilized, Yuga faced a grim situation.


    Soon, Ariadospleted two Swords Dance maneuvers and returned to the battlefield. By this time, the effects of Florges''s Grass Terrain had dissipated.


    Could the situation get any more hopeless?


    Once again, Ariados appeared before Absol like lightning. With a Poison Jab, Absol lost its ability to fight back instantly. Restricted by Mean Look, Absol had no way to retaliate.


    "Stubbornly resisting instead of cooperating, huh?" Hunter J scoffed disdainfully.


    Although Yuga felt internally panicked, he remained unwavering on the surface. He calmly recalled Absol, who had lost the ability to battle, and then sent out his most powerful Pok��mon, Snox.


    Snox, usually drowsy, turned resolute the moment it entered the battlefield.


    "Oh, you''ve got another trick up your sleeve. But the oue will be the same!" Seeing Yuga release Snox, a Pok��mon that appeared even stronger, Hunter J was surprised for a moment.


    "Ariados, Poison Jab."


    Ariados was incredibly fast, moving so swiftly that Yuga''s eyes could barely catch its form. However, this time, its target was Florges.


    Yet, Snox proved quite clever. It rolled on the ground, sessfully blocking the Poison Jab intended for Florges. This allowed Florges to re-establish the Grass Terrain.


    While Snox''s defense was not as high as Torkoal''s, its innate bulk and longsting endurance allowed it to withstand Ariados'' Poison Jab.


    At this moment, Crobat''s Mean Look focused on Snox. However, for a powerhouse like Snox, Mean Look wasn''t a concern; it easily broke free from the restraint.


    "Snox, use Rollout after Defense Curl!"


    Having evaded the attacks from Ariados and Crobat, Yugamanded Snox to attack.


    Snox transformed into a spherical shape and then rolled toward Ariados with a deafening rumble.


    However, Ariados was incredibly swift and sidestepped the attack with a swift movement.


    "Crobat, hold Snox down! Ariados, use Poison Jab on Florges."


    Following Hunter J''s orders, Crobat appeared on the path of Snox''s roll, disrupting it with Supersonic. Chimecho had to step in to assist.


    Meanwhile, Ariados had positioned itself beside Florges. With a Poison Jab, Florges was left helpless.


    Seeing Florges lose its ability to battle again, the Chatot perched on Yuga''s shoulder was almost in tears of distress.


    "What do we do? What do we do?"


    Yuga ignored it and silently recalled Florges.


    At this moment, Ariados directed its gaze at Yuga,unching a String Shot attack. Yuga initially thought it was aimed at him, but to his surprise, the Chatot on his shoulder was ensnared by the silk.


    "No, don''t do that!"


    The Chatot screamed as it was pulled away by the silk.


    Then, a series of Poison Stings shot from Ariados'' mouth towards Chatot.


    Strangely, these Poison Stings suspended midair, leaving Ariados wide-eyed in disbelief at its own move.


    Immediately afterward, an Noctowl descended from above, a psychic force knocking Ariados away. The Chatot was also freed.


    Liberated, the Chatot clung to the Noctowl and burst into tears. "Ki-Kitty-Chan, you finally came! I thought I''d never see you again!"


    Meanwhile, Hunter J, witnessing this scene, was full of confusion.


    What was up with this Noctowl? It had effortlessly repelled Ariados with a single blow.


    Without concerning itself with Ariados, the Noctowl employed another psychic force, promptly dealing with Crobat, which was still grappling with Snox. It only took one blow.


    Crobat wasn''t at the pseudo-Elite level like Ariados. It was entirely defenseless against Noctowl''s psychic force.


    Seeing this, Hunter J finally realized that she was facing an Noctowl she couldn''t handle.


    "Retreat!"


    With that, she recalled Ariados, along with her henchman and Crobat, back to her vehicle, and departed.

 Chapter 206: YoYo Day Care - Pokémon Strength Rankings

    <h4>Chapter 206: YoYo Day Care - Pok��mon Strength Rankings</h4>


    Ecopark Pok��mon


    1. Unfezant: Level 69


    2. Audino: Level 58


    3. Great Flygon: Level 59


    4. Snox: Level 50


    5. Greninja: Level 47


    6. Swellow: Level 47


    7. Linoone: Level 46


    8. Nales: Level 31


    9. Honchkrow: Level 30


    10. Houndoom: Level 30


    11. Chatot: Level 18


    (Other Pok��mon are temporarily not included in the ranking.)


    Protagonist''s Pok��mon


    1. Absol: Level 41


    2. Florges: Level 36


    3. Vivillon: Level 33


    4. Chimecho: Level 30


    Notes:


    1. This ranking is solely based on levels and does not represent overall strength.


    2. The Ecopark Pok��mon strength represents the YoYo Day Care''s collective strength; the protagonist''s Pok��mon represent the protagonist''s individual power. Ecopark Pok��mon strength is not cultivated by the protagonist personally, while the protagonist''s Pok��mon strength is nurtured by the protagonist themselves.

 Chapter 207: The Arrival at Sinnoh

    <h4>Chapter 207: The Arrival at Sinnoh</h4>


    Seeing Hunter J retreat, Yuga let out a sigh of relief. If it weren''t for Noctowl''s timely intervention, Yuga felt that he might have been in serious trouble this time.


    However, Yuga now seriously doubted whether Noctowl had been following Chatot all along. It seemed that Noctowl only acted when it saw Chatot in danger.


    Instantly, Yuga felt that he held no significance whatsoever in Noctowl''s eyes.


    Noctowl, you''ve been eating my food, drinking my water, living in my ce, and even if I don''t get credit, I deserve some recognition for my efforts. Why do you despise me so much?


    Yuga felt like crying.


    "Noctowl, you really saved us this time! Without you, we would''ve been in that woman''s clutches."


    Chatot wiped away tears as it scolded Hunter J.


    For some reason, when Chatot said the words "my dear," Yuga''s whole body ran cold.


    "If it weren''t for Noctowl being pregnant, those two wouldn''t have escaped today!" Chatot said angrily, as if it were the one that had just shown immense power.


    Yuga sighed. It''s Noctowld to have support!


    But it was true. Noctowl was pregnant, and it couldn''t act recklessly. Thinking about this, Yuga felt much better.


    On the other side, as Hunter J left in the car, she immediately dialed her employer''s number.


    "Hello, Mr. Phineas, we were unable to capture Florges as you requested. Her owner had strong Pok��mon protection, and we were outmawatched. The information you provided us with was inurate.


    Our transaction ends here!"


    After saying that, Hunter J hung up the phone. She was pragmatic; she never held onto a mission she couldn''t aplish.


    On the other end of the call, after J hung up, a young man lowered his head in contemtion: It seems I was used by Edward. Perfect!


    Yuga''s side.


    "Hey, Chatot, your wife''s here. You should go back with her!" Yuga persuaded Chatot.


    "I''m not going back. I''ll go to Sinnoh with you. You let Noctowl go back." Apparently, Chatot still didn''t know that Noctowl had followed it all along. It was now trying to convince Noctowl to return while it followed Yuga adventurously.


    "I can''t do that. If you can, convince Noctowl to go back on your own." Yugapletely ignored Chatot''s words and firmly rejected the idea of it continuing to follow him.


    Chatot stole a nce at Noctowl, shrank back, shook its head, and said, "I dare not, it definitely won''t listen to me."


    "Noctowl!"


    Just as Yuga was about to say something, Noctowl''s voice came.


    Hearing Noctowl, Chatot jumped up anxiously, "What? Are you alsoing with us to Sinnoh? Are you joking?"


    "Noctowl!"


    "No, no, you shouldn''t go. Sinnoh isn''t fun at all, and you''re pregnant! Stay home and take care of yourself!" Chatot actively tried to persuade Noctowl to go back.


    "Noctowl!"


    Finally, Yuga spoke up, "Forget it, let Noctowl go."


    Things decided by the big boss were things usmoners couldn''t resist. Instead of resisting, it was better to go along with the big boss''s wishes, and maybe even establish some connections along the way.


    Hearing Yuga''s decision, Chatot was thunderstruck, staring with its two eyes wide open. "H-how... could... it be like this..."


    And so, the matter was settled.


    Following that, Yuga brought Chatot and Noctowl to the Verdanturf Town Airport and boarded a ne to Sinnoh.


    Reggie''s home was in Veilstone City. Unfortunately, Verdanturf Town didn''t have flights directly to Veilstone City, so Yuga and the others needed to fly to Jubilife City first and then transfer to Veilstone City.


    Jubilife City in Sinnoh was the most modernized city in the region, closely connected to the world of Pok��mon. Its global terminal linked the entire Pok��mon world together.


    They arrived in Jubilife City in the afternoon. As soon as they disembarked from the ne, Yuga sensed a distinctive aura different from that of Hoenn.


    Currently, it was early autumn. In most cities in Hoenn, the climate was warm, even hot, but in Sinnoh, you could feel a slight chill in the air.


    Upon arriving in Jubilife City, Chatot wore an expression of nostalgia, leaving Yuga utterly perplexed.


    "What''s this? You''ve been to Sinnoh before?" It shouldn''t be possible! Did Chatot possess such strong flying abilities? Flying from Hoenn to Sinnoh, huh!


    "Of course, I''ve been here! Not only have I been here, but this is also where I was born!" Chatot eximed.


    "Huh, you weren''t born in Hoenn?" Yuga was highly surprised.


    "Didn''t I tell you before? I used to be a member of a circus, you know? They took me away from Sinnoh, and I joined them afterward." Saying this, Chatot flew and perched on Yuga''s head.


    With Chatot''s words, Yuga actually remembered. Chatot, a species that wasn''tmonly seen in Hoenn, was quitemon in Sinnoh.


    "Speaking of that circus, the people there were terrible. They kept me hungry and cold every day, and they forced me to train and perform. Even my fluent humannguage was forced out by them." Chatot''s voice dripped with bitterness as it spoke of the circus.


    "What circus is this? Have I heard of it?" Yuga curiously asked.


    Being able to train such an entric Pok��mon like Chatot was a skill in itself, to some extent.


    "Why bother asking it? It''s already disbanded, so forget it!" After saying that, Chatot flew up from Yuga''s head and headed into the distance.


    "Hey, do you know the way? Do you know where we''re going?" Yuga shouted at Chatot.


    In no time, Chatot returned because it indeed didn''t know the way, and it once again perched on Yuga''s head.


    "My dear mount, lead the way forward!"


    Okay, usually it was "my dear," said with warmth, but now it had turned into "my dear mount." Seriously!


    This reminded Yuga of a line from a past life: "Before, when I watched the moon with you, I called you ''Sweetie.'' Now, with someone new recing the old, I call you ''Madame Cow.''"


    Did he now upgrade to being a "Madame Cow"?


    Well, who allowed him to have such a support? Yuga resigned himself and walked toward the Pok��mon Center.


    It was already quitete when they arrived in Jubilife City today. They wouldn''t reach Veilstone City before nightfall, so Yuga decided to stay the night in Jubilife City. They would set off tomorrow; there was still plenty of time.


    Throughout the journey, Yuga drew quite a bit of attention with his two birds, especially one that could talk.

 Chapter 208: Flint and Volkner

    <h4>Chapter 208: Flint and Volkner</h4>


    Yuga, apanied by Chatot and Noctowl, arrived at the Pok��mon Center in Jubilife City, nning to stay for the night.


    Upon entering the Pok��mon Center, Yuga noticed that the Pok��mon Center in Sinnoh was no different from the one in Hoenn; the facilities and environment were quite simr.


    Upon entering, he heard the TV in the Pok��mon Center broadcasting a voice.


    "Recently, the annual Sinnoh Lily of the Valley Conference is about to take ce on Lily of the Valley Ind. Trainers from all over are now starting to flock to the ind..."


    It seemed that the uing Lily of the Valley Conference had stirred up the entire atmosphere of Sinnoh.


    People inside the Pok��mon Center were also engaged in lively discussions about the Lily of the Valley Conference.


    After registering his amodation with Nurse Joy, Yuga ordered some food in the Pok��mon Center''s lobby and sat down.


    At that moment, Yuga suddenly noticed a red-haired young man and a yellow, spiky-haired youth entering the Pok��mon Center.


    Flint and Volkner?


    Yuga was acquainted with these two individuals. One was Sinnoh''s future Fire-type Elite Four, and the other was the strongest Gym Trainer in Sinnoh. He wondered why they were here.


    The two of them also registered their amodation with Nurse Joy and then left the lobby of the Pok��mon Center.


    Yuga didn''t pay too much attention to them and continued to eat his food.


    Although he didn''t have much time to explore Jubilife City, enjoying a meal while looking out the window at the bustling city was a pleasant experience for Yuga.


    As the owner of a Day Care, Yuga usually didn''t have the time, like other Trainers, to embark on adventurous journeys to various ces in the Pok��mon world, experiencing its splendor and magic. However, asionallying to a new city like this, being able to pause and quietly feel the local atmosphere was a different kind of enjoyment.


    Through the window of the Pok��mon Center, Yuga could see the roads that led in all directions, the bustling pedestrians, the modern architecture, and the prominent billboard of the Pok��tch Company.


    Sinnoh''s Pok��tch Company was a major enterprise just like Silph Co. in Kanto and Devon Corporation in Hoenn. It was also a leading force in driving the economic development of Jubilife City.


    The next day, Yuga, as usual, woke up early and brought his Pok��mon to the backyard of the Pok��mon Center to train.


    As for Chatot, thezy one, when Yuga woke up, it was still lying in bed with his legs in the air, drooling and sleeping soundly.


    Neither Snox nor Noctowl required training, so Yuga left them in the room.


    Yuga''s few Pok��mon had always progressed smoothly in their training.


    Absol''s training n, focused on Future Sight, had already shown initial results. Its responsiveness and environmental awareness had greatly improved under the influence of foreseeing the future.


    The only shoring was that its own strength couldn''t support its brain''s lightning-fast reaction speed, leading to deviations in its actions.


    Currently, Yuga was gradually shifting its training focus toward enhancing its physique and raising its level. As for learning new skills, Yuga wasn''t too rushed; after all, even if it learned numerous skills, without the ability to effectively utilize them, it would be pointless.


    Thanks to its remarkable innate talent, Vivillon had consistently been the fastest-progressing member in Yuga''s team. Especially in terms ofprehending and utilizing skills, it possessed unparalleled natural gifts.


    For the Quiver Dance skill that Yuga had consistently emphasized its training in, it could now perform a Quiver Dance while moving. Even in the face of iing attacks, it could smoothly execute Quiver Dance while evading.


    As for Chimecho, Yuga''s intended role for it had always been a pure support Pok��mon. Under Audino''s tutge, its abilities in Heal Pulse and Heal Bell had grown increasingly proficient.


    Additionally, its development in the Gravity skill had progressed smoothly. If it hadn''t been for its quick wits, during the battle against Hunter J''s Ariados, Florges would have fallen much sooner.


    What caused Yuga the most headache was his starter Pok��mon, Florges.


    Her progress in developing the Misty Terrain ability had been slow, and at times, Yuga had considered abandoning his initial spection. However, Florges was stubbornly persistent, firmly believing that she could achieve it. Yuga had no choice but to go along with her determination.


    Although Yuga''s conjecture about the terrain ability had yet to be realized, Florges had not been without gains. Her use of Fairy-type energy had be increasingly proficient, and her ability to generate Misty Terrain had grown faster. Additionally, she had be adept at creating Grassy Terrain as well.


    While Yuga was instructing his Pok��mon in training, he suddenly heard an explosion and cries of rm. Unable to resist his curiosity, he rushed over to see what was happening.


    Yuga was an early riser, and at this hour, there was no one around. He wondered who else could be up so early and causing such amotion.


    Circling around some trees, Yuga arrived at another training area and saw a fierce sh between an Magmortar and an Electivire. However, the Electivire seemed to be acting strangely.


    It was tantly disregarding its Trainer''smands,unching indiscriminate attacks all around it. The training area was already in shambles.


    It was in a state of confusion.


    Should I help? Yuga wondered.


    Clearly, these two Pok��mon were engaged in battle training. If he intervened, he might disrupt their training, but if he didn''t, the Electivire''s situation would only worsen.


    At that moment, the people on the training field noticed Yuga and his Chimecho. They shouted towards Yuga, "Hey there, can your Chimecho lend a hand? Our Electivire seems to be losing control."


    Since the Trainer had spoken up, Yuga didn''t need to hesitate any longer. He turned to Chimecho and said, "Chimecho, Heal Bell."


    As Chimecho shook its body, a clear and melodious ringing sound echoed. The confused Electivire gradually calmed down amidst the chaos. However, it seemed somewhat exhausted.


    "Thank you so much."


    Once the Electivire had calmed down, the Trainer of the Magmortar expressed gratitude to Yuga. That person with distinctive red curly hair was indeed Flint, whom Yuga had seen yesterday.


    "It''s nothing much, just lending a hand. I was actually debating whether I should help you guys," Yuga replied with a nonchnt wave of his hand.


    At that moment, the Trainer of the Electivire recalled his Pok��mon into its Pok�� Ball and approached.


    "Thanks to you, my Electivire gets unusually aggressive when it falls into a state of confusion, even more so than other Pok��mon."


    Speaking this time was Flint''s friend, Volkner.

 Chapter 209: Travel Companions

    <h4>Chapter 209: Travel Companions</h4>


    "I''m Volkner, and this is my friend Flint. Thanks again for your help," Volkner introduced himself and Flint while extending his right hand towards Yuga.


    Yuga shook Volkner''s hand with his right hand and replied, "I''m Yuga. Nice to meet you both."


    Through Volkner''s exnation, Yuga learned that during their battle, Flint''s Magmortar identally used Confuse Ray on Volkner''s Electivire. This caused the Electivire to enter a state of frenzy.


    Yuga was truly speechless about Flint''s Magmortar. He thought, "You''re a Fire-type Pok��mon specialized in attacks. Why not just use attack moves against Electivire instead of using Confuse Ray? It''s not doing what you''re supposed to do."


    "I usually don''t send out Electivire when facing Pok��mon with disruptive abilities. It''s just too prone to going into a frenzied state. Today was an exception," Volkner exined helplessly.


    Listening to Volkner, Yuga nodded. Indeed, some Pok��mon were prone to falling into frenzied states, especiallymon among Pok��mon like Smence and Hydreigon. Electivire, on the other hand, was not so prone to such situations.


    Observing Yuga''s Pok��mon behind him, Flint remarked, "Yuga, you''re not from the Sinnoh region, are you?"


    Yuga nodded, "Right, I''m from the Hoenn region. I''m here to support my friend who''s participating in the Lily of the Valley Conference."


    "Really?" Flint eximed, "We''re also participating in the Lily of the Valley Conference. Who knows, we might even run into each other on Lily of the Valley Ind during thepetition."


    Surprised by Flint''s words, Yuga was amazed that they were also partaking in the Lily of the Valley Conference. It seemed that Reggie''spetition wouldn''t be easy!


    After chatting with Flint and Volkner for a while, Yuga parted ways with them. He needed to set off from Jubilife City to reach Veilstone City, and time was tight.


    Jubilife City and Veilstone City were quite distant.


    The entire Sinnoh continent was divided in half by the Mount Cor mountain range. Veilstone Cityy to the east of the Mount Cor, while Jubilife City was to the west.


    To travel from Jubilife City to Veilstone City, Yuga had to take a train that passed through the Mount Cor.


    After finishing training his Pok��mon, Yuga had breakfast at the Pok��mon Center and then prepared to depart for the train station in Jubilife City.


    "Couldn''t we leave a bitter? It''s too early to leave. I haven''t even had a Noctowld night''s sleep!" Chatot pped its wings and perched on Yuga''s shoulder, chattering away.


    Yuga replied as he walked, "Still early? Why don''t you wait until noon to say it''s early? I''ve noticed that your sense of time doesn''t quite match everyone else''s."


    "I''m sure Kitty-chan didn''t sleep well either, right, Kitty-chan?" Chatot turned its head and used an overly sweet voice to ask the Noctowl flying in the sky.


    Hearing that voice, Yuga shuddered and nearly choked. But it seemed that Noctowl was perfectly ustomed to it. It left Yuga at a loss for words.


    Once Yuga and his Pok��mon boarded the train, they found their seats and sat down by the window. As the departure time approached, he noticed that Flint and Volkner were hurrying towards the train. They managed to get on just in time.


    Yuga watched them from his seat as they scurried onto the train. They ended up sitting across from him.


    "It''s all your fault for dawdling. If we''d left a littleter, we wouldn''t have had to rush like this," Volkner wiped the sweat off his forehead and said to Flint, sounding exasperated.


    Flint put down the backpack on his back and rested it on his legs. Panting, he said, "And you say it''s my fault? I told youst night not to take things out of the bag unless necessary, to avoid having to pack them again. But you didn''t listen."


    Listening to these two bickering while sitting across from each other, Yuga weakly chimed in, "Hello to you both!"


    Turning their heads upon hearing Yuga''s voice, they looked at him in surprise. "Yuga?"


    "What a coincidence, you''re taking this train too!" Volkner said with a smile.


    Yuga responded, "Yeah, it''s quite a coincidence. Our seats are even facing each other."


    Though Yuga was traveling alone, he had bought two tickets. This was because it wasn''t suitable for the pregnant Noctowl to be squeezed among other passengers, so Yuga had purchased a separate seat for it, right next to him.


    And so, all four seats at this table were upied.


    Scratching his head sheepishly, Flint apologized, "Sorry about that, Yuga. We didn''t notice you earlier."


    Yuga hadn''t spoken yet when the Chatot beside him rolled its eyes and said, "Of course, you two couldn''t see us. You were too busy flirting with each other."


    Hearing Chatot''s voice, Flint was startled at first and then eximed in amazement, "This Chatot can talk!"


    Chatot continued to roll its eyes and retorted, "What''s so strange about me talking? Haven''t you heard about it before?"


    Seeing this, Yuga raised his hand and gave it a smack on the head, causing its head to retract.


    "Hehe, don''t mind its nonsense. It''s just talkative,"


    Volkner was quite surprised that Chatot could fluently speak humannguage.


    "I''ve heard that Chatot can imitate human speech before, but I''ve never seen it. I never expected to encounter one that''s so conversational today," he added.


    "By the way, where are you all headed?" Yuga asked.


    "We''re going to Sunyshore City, and from there, we''ll head to Lily of the Valley Ind for thepetition," Flint interjected.


    Yuga nodded. He recalled that Volkner was a Gym Trainer from Sunyshore City, so his home was likely there.


    Yuga''s guess was correct. Volkner''s home was indeed in Sunyshore City. They hade to Jubilife City for their journey, and this time, they were returning to Sunyshore City to participate in the Lily of the Valley Conference, as Sunyshore City was very close to Lily of the Valley Ind.


    They and Yuga, who was headed to Veilstone City, would be traveling together until they reached Hearthome City, where they would part ways and head to their respective destinations.


    After Flint and Volkner boarded the train, it wasn''t long before the train slowly began moving.


    Volkner asked Yuga, "Is this your first time in Sinnoh?"


    Yuga nodded and replied, "Yes, I''m not like you who travels and trains all over the ce. I rarely leave Hoenn because I don''t have much reason to."


    Flint added, "Despite the age difference, we haven''t traveled around Sinnoh much either! Over the years, we''ve either been training at home or traveling around Sinnoh. If there''s nothing special, we don''t leave the region."


    "Really? I thought Trainers like you would like to travel all around the world," Yuga said, surprised by Flint''s exnation.


    He had always assumed that Trainers would travel to various regions, much like Ash. He never thought that there were trainers like Flint and Volkner who only traveled within their own hometown.

 Chapter 210: Giving Birth...

    <h4>Chapter 210: Giving Birth...</h4>


    Amid the cheerful conversation between Yuga, Flint, and Volkner, the train gradually left the bounds of Jubilife City and entered a mountainous area.


    Sinnoh was a ce filled with mountains, and these were the steep and treacherous kinds of peaks, unlike the low hillsmonly found throughout Hoenn.


    As Yuga gazed at the scenery outside, he let Eevee out as well, allowing it to take in the unfamiliar sights and cultivate their bond.


    "Eevee," the little Pok��mon cooed.


    Nestled in Yuga''s arms, Eevee was immensely pleased by the outside view, especially as the train''s speed caused the rapidly retreating trees to appear curious.


    "Yuga, I miss it. Back in the day, Volkner and I also had an Eevee," Flint reminisced.


    "Back in the day?" Yuga inquired, puzzled.


    Flint chuckled and exined, "Yeah, but they''ve evolved into reon and Jolteon now."


    A realization dawned upon Yuga as he understood the context behind "back in the day." Initially, he had interpreted it differently, thinking something had happened to their Eevees.


    "What form are you nning for this Eevee to evolve into?" Volkner inquired curiously.


    Both of them were specialists in Electric and Fire types, and their Eevees naturally evolved into Jolteon and reon. However, Yuga''s Pok��mon didn''t have a fixed attribute, so he wondered if Yuga specialized in any particr type.


    Yuga patted Eevee''s soft fur around its neck and replied, "I''m nning for this little one to evolve into an Umbreon."


    Flint remarked, "I see. That''s more challenging than evolving into other forms."


    While reon, Jolteon, and Vaporeon forms required evolution stones, and though they cost some money, they were affordable. These evolution stones were quitemon, and their prices weren''t exorbitant. Forms like Leafeon and ceon required specific conditions, though these conditions were manageable and required some effort but weren''t overlyplicated.


    Consequently, among Eevee''s eight evolutionary forms, Umbreon, Espeon, and Sylveon were the most challenging. They required high levels of bond and friendship between the Trainer and the Pok��mon.


    However, in reality, this wasn''t as difficult as one might think. Pok��mon were rather straightforward creatures, and as long as Trainers genuinely cared for them, it was quite easy to earn their affection. Especially in Yuga''s case, as he had witnessed Eevee''s birth, it was effortless to foster Eevee''s fondness.


    "No matter how hard it is, I believe that Eevee and I can definitely achieve evolution, right, Eevee?" Yuga scrawatched under Eevee''s chin, smiling.


    "Eevee, Eevee!" Eevee lifted its head confidently and responded to Yuga''s statement.


    "Noctowl, Noctowl, Noctowl..."


    While Yuga and the others happily chatted away, the nearby Noctowl suddenly let out an urgent cry.


    "Kitty-chan, what''s wrong?" Chatot, perched on Yuga''s shoulder, looked at Noctowl with concern.


    "Noctowl, Noctowl!"


    "What! You say you''re about to give birth?" Chatot''s sharp voice echoed in the trainpartment, startling Yuga as well.


    About to give birth? What do you mean? Did I understand that correctly? Giving birth on the train?


    Yuga stared at Noctowl, whose expression had turned increasingly pained, finallyprehending the situation.


    With a jolt, he ced Eevee down from his shoulder, stood up from his seat, and helped Noctowl lie down t on the chair.


    Under normal circumstances, a Pok��mon''s birthing process would proceed smoothly on its own. However, it required a calm and stable environment. With the trainpartment filled with people, even an imposing Pok��mon like Noctowl felt anxious.


    After all, this was its first time experiencing childbirth as well.


    Meanwhile, Chatot, the expectant father, was flying around frantically, disying a sense of panic.


    Although it outwardly dislikes the Noctowl, there''s still a bond between them, especially considering that the Noctowl carries its bloodline.


    "Darling, Kitty-chan will be fine, right?" Chatot''s voice trembled as it addressed Yuga.


    "Don''t worry, I''m here." Yuga didn''t have the spare time to quibble over the term "darling" at this point.


    Yuga hadn''t assisted with Pok��mon childbirth before. The Pok��mon in the Day Carepleted eggying on their own, and Yuga hadn''t intervened.


    Nevertheless, Yuga had been studying as a Breeder for quite a while now, so he had some understanding of Pok��mon reproduction.


    "Can we help with anything?" Seeing Yuga and Chatot bustling around, Flint and Volkner asked.


    Yuga thought for a moment and replied, "Could you help us by keeping people away?"


    Themotion Yuga and the others had caused had alerted quite a few passengers on the train. Many were craning their necks to see what was happening, which made Noctowl, already quite anxious, be even tenser.


    Flint and Volkner nodded, got up, and stood by Yuga''s seat to shield them.


    Yuga looked at Noctowl lying ufortably on the small chair and asked, "Noctowl, can you move? How about we move from the chair to the table? It might be more convenient for you to give birth there."


    Noctowl nced at Yuga, nodded, and with Yuga''s assistance, moved from the chair to the table.


    "Noctowl, rx a little. We''re here for you. You''ll be able to safely deliver your child," Yugaforted, stroking Noctowl''s tense body.


    However, Yuga''s words didn''t have a particrly strong effect. Noctowl still seemed very agitated.


    Yuga released Chimecho and said, "Chimecho, Heal Bell."


    Chimecho''s soothing sound was enchanting. Its Heal Bell not only dispelled abnormal status conditions but also helped Pok��mon rx and relieve tension.


    As the melodious chime filled the air, Noctowl''s body did indeed start to rx, and its expression appeared less tense.


    Yuga''s hands moved continuously over Noctowl''s belly in a massaging motion. This technique was a kind of massage that rxed the Pok��mon''s body, something he had learned during his studies as a Breeder. It made Noctowl''sbor process easier.


    Aside from aiding Noctowl''s emotional rxation, Yuga also employed a massage technique that would help facilitate the birthing process. These were all techniques he had picked up while studying Breeder knowledge.


    To ensure Noctowl wouldn''t be too exhausted duringbor, Yuga made it eat some Oran Berries.


    After about an hour of effort, signs ofbor finally appeared in Noctowl. Yuga turned to Flint and Volkner and said, "Could one of you go to the train attendant and ask if we can borrow some warm water?"


    Upon hearing this, Volkner promptly left to find the train attendant.


    When Volkner returned with a basin of warm water, Noctowl finally sessfullyid an egg.


    By this point, the freshly birthed Noctowl was utterly spent, but it still kept its tired eyes open as it watched Yuga carefully ce the egg into the warm water for cleaning. Only after Yuga assured it that the child was healthy did Noctowl finally drift off to sleep.

 Chapter 211: The Clear Morning in the Mount Coronet

    <h4>Chapter 211: The Clear Morning in the Mount Cor</h4>


    After cleaning the Pok��mon egg, holding it in his arms, Yuga and Chatot were somewhat dazed.


    Yuga had just experienced a "heart-pounding" delivery, and he was still somewhat lost in thought. Chatot, on the other hand, hadn''t fully realized that it was about to be a father.


    Both of them had just gone through a first in their lives��Yuga with his first delivery, and Chatot with his first experience as a father.


    The egg had a light brown exterior with dark brown spots distributed across it. It was obvious that it would hatch into a Hoothoot, not a Chatot.


    Yuga took out a nket from his backpack and covered the sleeping Noctowl. After all, the weather in Sinnoh was still a bit chilly at this time, and considering that Noctowl had just given birth, it was better to be cautious.


    Looking at the egg in Yuga''s arms, Flint eximed in surprise, "I never thought Yuga would be delivering Pok��mon. You''re amazing!"


    Volkner also chimed in, saying, "Yeah, this is the first time I''ve seen a Pok��mon egg beingid!"


    Yuga smiled and exined, "My family runs a Day Care, so I''m quite familiar with these things. I didn''t expect Noctowl to suddenly show signs of giving birth."


    "I see!"


    Hearing Yuga''s words, both Flint and Volkner suddenly understood.


    Looking at Chatot, who was still staring nkly at the egg in Yuga''s arms, Yuga asked, "Do you want to touch your child?"


    "Uh... maybe not." Chatot looked embarrassed, appearing as if it wanted to approach but wasn''t quite daring to, which was quite amusing.


    Eevee, sitting on the table nearby, stared at the Hoothoot egg in Yuga''s arms with wide curious eyes.


    "Is this Chatot the father of this child?" Flint asked in surprise.


    It wasn''t surprising that Flint was taken aback, considering the difference in size between Chatot and Noctowl.


    When Noctowl retracted its wings and stood up, it was about one meter and fifty centimeters tall, roughly the height of a human teenager. In contrast, Chatot was just a little over half a meter tall, not even half the size of Noctowl.


    Understanding what Flint meant, Chatot felt somewhat belittled and retorted with a raised voice, "What do you mean? I''m way bigger than you in the ces that matter! Want to test it out?"


    Chatot''s unexpected flirtatiousness caught Flint and Volkner off guard, causing both of them, despite being young men in their twenties, to blush.


    Yuga raised his hand and gave Chatot a p on its head, causing Chatot to shrink back in embarrassment. He then said, "Haha, you guys know, it''s just the way it is with Chatot."


    "Haha... haha..."


    Flint and Volkner also chuckled awkwardly.


    Only Eevee had a pair of round eyes, looking left and right, not understanding what was happening.


    By this time, there was no Pok��mon Egg Incubator specially ced on the train. Yuga had to hold the egg carefully in his arms.


    This egg''s potential wasn''t high; it had an ordinary yellow quality. However, Yuga wasn''t surprised.


    Both its parents were yellow quality Pok��mon. Although its mother was a pseudo-Elite Pok��mon and had received the blessing of Celebi, its father was quite mediocre, averaging out the potential.


    When Noctowl woke up, the sky was already darkening. The train was now very quiet, and Flint, Chatot, Volkner, as well as Eevee and others, had all fallen asleep.


    Upon waking up, Noctowl stared at its child in Yuga''s arms, its eyes filled with maternal radiance.


    Yuga, who had been dozing off, noticed Noctowl''s gaze. Although it had recovered somewhat, its weariness was still evident.


    "Noctowl, would you like to eat something or drink some water?" Yuga asked.


    Noctowl looked at Yuga and nodded slowly, probably because it had been helped so much by Yuga during the birthing process, making it less cold towards him.


    First, Yuga took out a canister containing Pok��blocks and fed a few to Noctowl. Then, he fetched a water cup and let it drink some water.


    Yuga said, "Your child is very healthy. With both me and Chatot looking after it, you don''t have to worry. Just rest well and recover as soon as possible."


    Upon hearing this, Noctowl nodded, casting a lingering look at its child before sinking back into deep sleep.


    The next day, when Yuga woke up, he heard Flint pointing outside and saying, "Yuga, take a look. We''re entering the range of the Mount Cor."


    Probably afraid of waking up Volkner and others who were still sound asleep, Flint''s voice was unusually low.


    Yuga opened his eyes and looked out the window. Sure enough, he saw steep peaks on either side of the train tracks not too far away, and the vegetation around them had subtly changed.


    Perhaps due to the higher altitude or the early morning, Yuga felt that the temperature had dropped quite a bitpared to yesterday.


    On this autumn morning, the air was heavy with moisture. Yuga took a deep breath, feeling the air was incredibly fresh and invigorating.


    The Mount Cor in the early morning appeared very serene. At the start of the day, the Pok��mon in the mountains hadn''te out to y yet. Only one Starly after another hopped about in the woods, foraging for food. asionally, they would call out to each other in the distance, forming small groups. Or a Buneary bounced around with curiosity in its eyes, looking around. Once it sensed any threat, it would quickly flee.


    Due to the higher altitude of the Mount Cor, the temperature was generally lower year-roundpared to other areas. Most of the vegetation consisted of coniferous forests. Therefore, even in autumn, the mountains remained lush and green, unlike the withering foliage in the Hoenn region.


    Perhaps Yuga''s deep inhale was too intense, as it woke up Eevee from its slumber. Eevee rubbed its eyes with its front paws, yawned, and opened its eyes.


    "Eevee." Eevee gently called out to Yuga.


    "Good morning, Eevee! How did you sleepst night?" With one hand holding the Pok��mon egg, Yuga used the other hand to rub Eevee''s small head. His hands felt a bit numb from holding the egg all night.


    "Eevee, Eevee."


    Eevee cheerfully nuzzled Yuga''s hand with its head, indicating that it had slept well.


    After having slept soundly on the table for half a day and a night, Noctowl was now awake. It looked around nervously at its child before resting its head back on the table, appearing calm once it saw that everything was fine.


    After Yuga and Flint woke up, Volkner and Chatot also gradually stirred awake.


    Yuga took out Pok��blocks, poured out some, and shared them with Eevee, Chatot, and Noctowl. They were all Normal-type Pok��mon, so they all received the same Pok��blocks.


    As Flint ate the breakfast provided on the train, he looked outside and said to Yuga and Volkner, "The Mount Cor are quite spectacr, aren''t they? No matter how many times you see them, they''re still quite breathtaking."


    Yuga and Volkner both nodded in agreement.


    Even though Volkner and Flint had passed by the Mount Cor multiple times, they still held the highest respect for this towering range��the tallest andrgest mountains in all of Sinnoh. It was a gift from nature.


    Yuga, having lived through two lifetimes, was seeing such a magnificent mountain range up close for the first time.


    Unfortunately, they were all on a moving train and couldn''t stop to fully appreciate the view. Once the train left the vicinity of the Mount Cor, the sight would be lost.

 Chapter 212: Uprising of the Nosepass

    <h4>Chapter 212: Uprising of the Nosepass</h4>


    Just as the train was about to leave the Mount Cor, it suddenly came to a halt, causing a stir among the passengers on board.


    "What''s going on? Why did the train suddenly stop?" Flint asked curiously.


    Yuga and Volkner shook their heads simultaneously, indicating they didn''t know either.


    Flint opened the window, leaned out to take a look, and then pulled his head back inside. He said, "It seems like there''s a problem with the tracks ahead, which forced the train to stop."


    Yuga thought to himself: Is it really this unlucky? He had only taken the train twice, but it seemed like there was an issue each time.


    "I''m going to find out what''s happening." Flint was a bit impatient by nature, and waiting quietly wasn''t in line with his character. He left his seat as he spoke.


    After a while, Flint ran back and told Yuga and the others, "ording to the crew, it seems there''s been an uprising among the Nosepass and Probopass in the nearby area. They''ve caused damage to the tracks ahead, and emergency repairs are underway."


    "An uprising among the Nosepass and Probopass? Why? It''s not the season for them to evolve into Probopass, right? Normally, they should stay quiet deep within the Mount Cor," Volkner said in surprise.


    In certain areas of the Mount Cor, there existed a unique maic field that could assist Nosepass and Maon in evolving into Probopass and Magnezone, respectively.


    However, the strength of this maic field changed with the seasons. This wasn''t the time of the strongest maic field, nor was it the optimal season for the Nosepass to evolve. During this period, they typically stayed within the depths of the Mount Cor.


    Yuga nced out the window and suddenly saw Officer Jenny apanied by her Arcanine, investigating something with her subordinates.


    "Why would Officer Jenny be here?" Yuga asked puzzledly.


    Flint answered, "Oh, I heard they''re searching for the cause of the Nosepass uprising. Apparently, the local railway management couldn''t resolve the issue, so they''ve called in Officer Jenny for help."


    "Oh, by the way, the forest rangers in this area have also been mobilized. The Nosepass must have caused quite a ruckus," Flint added.


    "What could have happened to cause the Nosepass to act out like this?" Volkner asked, scratching his chin in confusion.


    At that moment, Flint suddenly eximed while holding hismunication device, "Look at this, mymunication!"


    Yuga and Volkner followed Flint''s gesture and saw that hismunication device''s screen was filled with static, making it impossible to see anything.


    Yuga and Volkner took out their ownmunication devices and found the same situation. It wasn''t just them��everyone on the train had realized that theirmunication devices were malfunctioning.


    Apart frommunication devices, some navigation systems,puters, and electronic watches also experienced varying degrees of problems.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, due to the influence of an unknown maic force, allmunication devices in the vicinity are being interfered with. Please don''t panic. Officer Jenny is investigating the cause!" An announcement sounded, aggravating the chaos on the train.


    "It''s likely due to the effects of this unknown maic force that the Nosepass are acting unusually," Volkner spected.


    Flint said, "That seems usible. Otherwise, the Nosepass wouldn''t have stirred up trouble out of nowhere."


    Yuga asked in confusion, "What could possibly cause the maic anomaly in the Mount Cor? It doesn''t seem easy to manipte the maic field there."


    Flint and Volkner nodded in agreement, equally puzzled.


    Suddenly, sounds of battle could be heard outside the train.


    Yuga and the others looked out and saw numerous Nosepass gathering in formation,unching an attack on Officer Jenny and her team.


    Due to the sheer number of Nosepass, even though Officer Jenny''s team was strong, they were struggling to cope. Some Nosepass were even advancing toward the direction of the train.


    "Passengers on board, if there are any trainers present, please assist Officer Jenny in repelling the Nosepass attack," a voice urged.


    Evidently, Officer Jenny''s team was short-handed and had to seek help from the passengers on board.


    "Great, it''s our turn to shine! Let''s go help Officer Jenny and the others!" Flint was clearly the kind of person overflowing with a sense of justice. As soon as he heard they could assist, he became excited.


    Volkner smiled and nodded in agreement, supporting his friend''s sentiment.


    Yuga turned to Chatot and said, "I''m going out for a bit. You stay here and take care of your wife and child, got it?"


    Chatot, understanding the urgency of the situation, obediently nodded.


    With a slightly concerned nce from Noctowl, Yuga assured it with aforting look before recalling Eevee into its Pok�� Ball. He then followed Flint and the others off the train.


    Before getting off, Yuga released Florges and Chimecho.


    Outside the train, indeed, there were Nosepass causing chaos everywhere. Many trainers had already begun to help Officer Jenny, and both Flint and Volkner were engaged in battles of their own.


    Flint''s Pok��mon was a Fire/Dark dual-type Houndoom, and Volkner had an Electric-type Raichu.


    "Florges, Grassy Terrain!"


    In a group battle, Grassy Terrain was undoubtedly one of the best moves.


    As Florges spread Grassy Terrain, all friendly Pok��mon on the field were invigorated. This included Officer Jenny''s team, who had been battling for quite some time. Even Arcanine, who had been exhausted, quickly regained vitality under the influence of the Grassy Terrain.


    Officer Jenny and many of the trainers on the field looked at Yuga and Florges with grateful eyes.


    At that moment, a young man with disheveled blond hair said to Officer Jenny, "This is bad. We can''t capture these Nosepass. They''re acting weird."


    While directing her Arcanine in battle, Officer Jenny responded, "It seems that unless we find the cause of the maic anomaly here, we won''t be able to address the issue fundamentally."


    "Florges, Magical Leaf!"


    Yugamanded Chimecho to help heal Flint''s Houndoom and Volkner''s Raichu while directing Florges to fend off the Nosepass attacks with Magical Leaf.


    Both Flint''s Houndoom and Volkner''s Raichu fought fiercely on the field. Houndoom''s mes and Raichu''s Thunderbolt raged incessantly among the Nosepass, knocking down one after another as they relentlessly attacked.


    Their battle perfectly encapsted the traits of Fire-type and Electric-type battles: fierce and direct. However, they also sustained considerable damage themselves due to their fighting style.


    That''s where Chimecho''s presence came in handy.


    Suddenly, Yuga remembered something. He released his Vivillon and said to it, "Vivillon, use Sleep Powder on the Nosepass!"


    This was a new skill that Vivillon had recently learned, awakening from its previous state of only knowing Stun Spore.


    Upon hearing Yuga''smand, Vivillon nodded and swiftly flew into the battlefield, deftly evading the Nosepass'' attacks. It sprinkled clusters of brown powder over them.

 Chapter 213: The Giant Stone

    <h4>Chapter 213: The Giant Stone</h4>


    As the Sleep Powder descended, the Nosepass fell into slumber one after another.


    Seeing this, other trainers also released Pok��mon capable of using Sleep Powder. Some trainers even had a stroke of genius and sent out Pok��mon capable of using Hypnosis.


    However, whether due to the maic interference or not, Psychic-type Hypnosis surprisingly had no effect on the Nosepass. They could only resort to using Sleep Powder.


    With the collective effort of the trainers, the rioting Nosepass eventually copsed to the ground.


    Flint walked over and patted Yuga on the shoulder, smiling, "Not bad, my brother. Your brain''s pretty nimble."


    Yuga humbly replied, "It''s just that no one thought of it at the moment."


    At that time, Officer Jenny held a loudspeaker and shouted to the trainers on the field, "Thank you all for your swift assistance in resolving this issue. However, this is only temporary. Unless we find the cause of the Nosepass'' revolt, this matter won''t be considered resolved, and you won''t be able to leave here smoothly.


    I implore you all to help us once more and work together to identify the cause of the maic anomaly at Mount Cor."


    Of course, everyone wished to leave as soon as possible. Hence, they all agreed to Officer Jenny''s request and promised to help find the problem. Yuga and his group were no exception.


    Under Officer Jenny''smand, all the trainers on the scene formed teams of 3-5 people each, scattering to investigate the surroundings.


    Walking through the forest, Flint voiced his concerns, "Do you think, if we can''t solve the issue here quickly, we might miss the Lily of the Valley Conference?"


    Volkner reassured, "Nah, with so many people helping, we''ll likely find the cause soon."


    Yuga also nodded,forting Flint that it wouldn''t happen.


    Not far away, Yuga amd Flint''s Houndoom repeatedly sniffed the air, trying to find clues. Meanwhile Volkner''s Luxray, with its eyes that could see through everything, carefully observed the surroundings.


    Suddenly, Luxray''s body began to flicker with faint electric lights for no apparent reason. Its expression became quite ufortable.


    "Luxray, what''s wrong?" Volkner asked nervously.


    "Luxray!" Luxray roared at Volkner and then quickly ran forward on all fours.


    "Luxray!"


    Volkner shouted and followed Luxray closely.


    "What''s going on?" Flint asked in confusion.


    Yuga shook his head, saying to Flint, "Let''s follow as well. There might be some clues. Maism can affect Electric-type Pok��mon too, and Luxray might have discovered something."


    Flint nodded and quickly followed Yuga, leading his two Houndooms.


    When they caught up with Volkner, they found him searching the area with a frustrated expression.


    "Volkner, where''s Luxray?" Flint grabbed Volkner''s arm and asked.


    "Luxray ran too fast, I lost track," Volkner said in a dejected tone.


    Flint patted Volkner''s shoulder and said, "Don''t worry, leave it to me. I''ll definitely find Luxray for you.


    "Houndoom, see if you can trace Luxray''s scent."


    Flint''s Houndoom lifted its head, closed its eyes, and sniffed the air. Then it nodded at Flint with assurance.


    Flint smiled and said, "See? I told you I could find them. Houndoom and Luxray have known each other for so long; they can''t possibly get lost."


    Upon hearing Flint''s words, Volkner''s expression improved considerably. He said to Flint, "Thanks, Flint."


    "Don''t mention it. Let''s find Luxray together. Houndoom, lead us to Luxray!"


    So, the three of them followed behind Flint''s Houndoom and ran towards the depths of Mount Cor.


    As they followed Houndoom, they didn''t know how long they had been running, but Yuga and his group noticed that the altitude was getting higher and the trees in the forest were bing denser.


    "Where do you think we''ll end up if we keep running like this?" Flint asked.


    Volkner shook his head and said, "I don''t know."


    The depths of Mount Cor were extremely dangerous, and few people ventured there.


    "But we have to find Luxray, no matter where it takes us," Yuga said.


    "I''m sorry, if it weren''t for my Luxray..." Volkner expressed his guilt.


    Flint turned around and disagreed, "What are you saying! Since we came out together, we naturally share the responsibility if something happens. Would you just stand by if something happened to our Houndoom?"


    Yuga also nodded in agreement.


    "Right." Volkner softly replied but didn''t say more.


    Just then, the Houndoom in front, who was scouting ahead, suddenly turned around and shouted at Yuga''s group before quickly running forward.


    "Houndoom must have found Luxray''s trail. Let''s catch up quickly," Flint shouted.


    So, the three of them quickly followed Houndoom''s lead until they arrived at a massive pit.


    This pit seemed to have formed a long time ago; the surrounding area was overgrown with lush trees. At the bottom of the pity a huge gray rock.


    Luxray was currently lying under the giant stone, surrounded by crackling electric energy, appearing to be in great pain.


    Not only Luxray, but many other types of Electric-type Pok��mon were also gathered there��Pikachu, Plusle, Minun, Pachirisu, Magnemite, and others. Like Luxray, they all looked very distressed.


    "Volkner, quickly use a Pok�� Ball to recall Luxray. It looks terrible," Yuga reminded Volkner.


    Upon hearing this, Volkner hurriedly took out a Pok�� Ball, walked into the pit, and recalled Luxray into it.


    Yuga''s group also approached the giant stone. As they got closer, they could feel an ufortable and nauseating aura emanating from it.


    "Do you sense it?" Yuga forced himself to suppress the feeling of nausea and asked the other two.


    Both Flint and Volkner nodded at the same time.


    "Could this giant stone be the source of the maic anomaly near Mount Cor?" Volkner spected.


    Flint said, "It''s highly likely."


    "It''s you!"


    Just then, they heard Officer Jenny''s voice from behind.


    Turning around, Yuga''s group saw Officer Jenny standing at the edge of the pit with her Arcanine and the golden-haired ranger.


    "Officer Jenny! You''ve also found this ce," Flint said.


    "Yes, we followed my Arcanine and traced the path of my Electivire to get here," Officer Jenny exined, pointing to her Electivire not far away, which appeared to be in great pain.


    Seems like Officer Jenny and their group encountered a simr situation, Yuga thought.

 Chapter 214: Encounter with the Legendary Pokémon

    <h4>Chapter 214: Encounter with the Legendary Pok��mon</h4>


    "Officer Jenny, it''s better to recall your Electivire into its Pok�� Ball. This giant stone seems to be causing a lot of pain to Electric-type Pok��mon," Yuga reminded Officer Jenny.


    Officer Jenny also noticed the issue with her Electivire. Upon Yuga''s reminder, she quickly recalled her Electivire.


    "Do you have any clues about this giant stone?" the golden-haired ranger next to them asked Yuga''s group.


    Yuga''s group simultaneously shook their heads, indicating they didn''t know.


    "By the way, I forgot to introduce myself. I''m Jack Walker, but you can call me Jackie. I''m the ranger of this area," the golden-haired ranger said.


    "I''m Gardenia. As you can see, I''m a police officer. This time, I''m here to assist Jackie in investigating the maic anomalies," Officer Jenny introduced herself. "Thank you for your help during the incident at Northridge. I appreciate it."


    During the battle, what caught Gardenia''s attention the most were Yuga and his twopanions.


    Flint and Volkner disyed extraordinary battle prowess, shining brightly in the fight. Yuga''sbat strength might not have stood out much, but his powerful supportive abilities were unparalleled.


    "I''m Flint!"


    "I''m Volkner!"


    "I''m Yuga!"


    After hearing Jackie and Gardenia''s introductions, Yuga''s group also briefly introduced themselves.


    "We three just arrived here as well. Like Officer Jenny, we followed Volkner''s Luxray to get here," Flint said to Walker.


    "But this giant stone is most likely the cause of the maic changes," Officer Jenny said. After approaching this giant stone, she experienced the same feelings of nausea and difort as Yuga''s group did.


    Walker looked at the giant stone before him and curiously said, "I''ve been a ranger here for some time, but why have I never noticed such a peculiar stone?"


    Officer Jenny said, "This giant stone must have undergone recent changes. Previously, it probably looked no different from an ordinary stone, which is why it didn''t catch anyone''s attention."


    Walker agreed with a nod and then asked, "Can you tell anything about the origin of this stone? Why does it cause the maic anomalies around Mount Cor?"


    Officer Jenny shook her head. "Not really. It looks just like an ordinary stone on the surface, except it''s a bitrger."


    Looking at the numerous holes covering the giant stone, Yuga suddenly suggested, "Do you think this giant stone could be a meteorite?"


    Walker circled around the stone, pped his forehead, and said, "Yeah, why didn''t I think of that? Highly possible! These surrounding pits might have been caused by its impact."


    Officer Jenny also nodded in agreement.


    Flint patted Yuga''s shoulder and said, "Impressive, your brain works well."


    Yugaughed and said, "Just a thought."


    "If this is indeed a meteorite, it should have fallen a long time ago. But why did it suddenly be a problem now?" Officer Jenny wondered aloud.


    "We should drive away these Electric-type Pok��mon from this area. They all seem to be suffering greatly," Volkner suddenly suggested.


    As a specialized Electric-type Pok��mon trainer, he felt quite ufortable seeing so many Electric-type Pok��mon in distress.


    "Yes! It''s very unsafe for these Pok��mon to stay here. Let''s get them away first," Officer Jenny agreed.


    However, after a round of shooing, they found that despite the Electric-type Pok��mon''s obvious pain, none of them were willing to leave.


    "Why aren''t they willing to leave?" Walker asked curiously.


    He had also attempted to use his ranger capture device to catch these Electric-type Pok��mon, but like with the incident at Northridge, they couldn''t be captured.


    Just when Yuga and hispanions were full of confusion, a circr dimensional rift suddenly appeared on the surface of the giant stone, and then the head of a creature emerged from it.


    "Deoxys!" Yuga eximed.


    Following Yuga''s exmation, Deoxys hadpletely emerged from the dimensional rift and was now floating calmly in front of them.


    Gazing at Deoxys in the air, Yuga gulped and felt that things might not go well. He had never expected that this event would be connected to Deoxys.


    Despite Deoxys''s silent float in midair andck of action, the overwhelming pressure it emitted made it hard to breathe.


    After several minutes of silent staring, Deoxys emitted a peculiar sound, but nobody present could understand its meaning.


    Deoxys''s eyes shifted, and it made another strange noise, slightly different from the previous one, yet Yuga and hispanions still couldn''t offer any response.


    "Deoxys, what are you trying to convey? We bear no ill intentions." After suppressing his sense of oppression for a while, Yuga mustered the courage to speak aloud.


    After hearing Yuga''s words, Deoxys''s eyes shifted again, and it wasn''t clear whether it understood or not.


    In truth, even after Yuga said that, his heart was racing with anxiety. He was afraid that if Deoxys was even slightly unhappy, it might trigger something like a mental onught.


    At this moment, Deoxys descended slowly from the air and stood on top of the giant stone. Suddenly, Yuga felt himself floating.


    Seeing this, Gardenia, Jackie, Flint, and Volkner all grew restless. They wanted to intervene, but a protective energy shield suddenly materialized, keeping them all outside.


    Yuga''s Houndoom was currently ignoring the unintentional pressure emanating from Deoxys. It saw that Yuga was being taken away by Deoxys and beganunching attacks frantically at the energy shield.


    Sparks, Inferno, Roar... it used all the attacking moves it knew, even resorting to tearing, scratching, biting, and ramming. But nothing had any effect whatsoever.


    Yuga was extremely anxious at this point as well. He wondered, could Deoxys possibly attack him just because he shouted earlier? It was terrifying to contemte.


    Deoxys, using Psychic, pulled Yuga close until they were face to face. Yuga nervously looked into its eyes, but he couldn''t manage to say a word.


    Deoxys slowly raised its right hand and ced it on Yuga''s head, then closed its eyes.


    Yuga thought Deoxys was about to crush his head, so he quickly shut his eyes too, too nervous to even scream.


    However, the expected pain never came. Instead, a sentence inexplicably appeared in his mind: "Hello, human."

 Chapter 215: The Sorrows of the Legendary Pokémon

    <h4>Chapter 215: The Sorrows of the Legendary Pok��mon</h4>


    What''s going on? Wasn''t Deoxys about to crush me just now? Did I hear something just a moment ago? But it seems like I didn''t hear anything at all! Yuga closed his eyes, waiting for a while, feeling a bit bewildered.


    "Hello, human."


    Once again, that sentence appeared in Yuga''s mind. This time, Yuga was sure that he didn''t actually hear anything, yet the meaning had somehow formed in his mind.


    Is it Deoxys?


    "Yes, it''s me, human!"


    Yuga was once again taken aback. Was Deoxys reading his thoughts?


    "I mean no harm, human. I merely wish for you to leave this ce."


    This time, Yuga was certain that it was Deoxys he was conversing with. Slowly, he opened his eyes, finding Deoxys intently staring at him.


    Seeing Yuga open his eyes, Deoxys nodded at him. Yuga got the sense that Deoxys probably didn''t intend to harm him or the others.


    "Why can you read my thoughts?" Yuga asked Deoxys within his mind.


    "I cannot understand yournguage, and you cannotprehend mine. Therefore, we have established a mental link to convey our meanings."


    Yuga suddenly recalled that Deoxys was an extraterrestrial being from the cosmos. To the inhabitants of various continents, they were essentially aliens, just as iprehensible to both humans and Pok��mon alike.


    "A mental link?" Yuga was puzzled. "I''ve only heard of telepathy."


    "Telepathy? Perhaps it''s the same thing; I don''t know. Even though we have established a mental link, we still can''t understand each other''snguages. However, the meanings we wish to convey in our minds are urately transmitted to the other."


    "I see! But why do you want us to leave this ce?" Yuga asked, intrigued.


    "This meteorite is dangerous."


    Then, Yuga noticed Deoxys pointing towards the meteorite at their feet.


    Indeed, it was a meteorite. Yuga thought to himself, it seemed his previous spection was correct.


    "However, this meteorite has already had a significant impact on the Pok��mon of the Mount Cor! We can''t just leave it as it is." Yuga conveyed his thoughts within his mind.


    "I deeply apologize for this, but I''m afraid you won''t be able to solve this problem."


    Not able to solve it? Why? Yuga was puzzled.


    "Do you know the origin of this meteorite?" Yuga inquired.


    Deoxys nodded. "It was this meteorite that gave birth to me and brought me here."


    Understanding Deoxys''s message, Yuga was utterly astonished. He hadn''t expected that this meteorite held such a significant history, that it had given birth to a Legendary Pok��mon.


    Then, Deoxys proceeded to recount the story of the meteorite to Yuga. Finally, Yuga understood the sequence of events that led to the meteorite affecting the maic field of the Mount Cors.


    As the meteorite descended from the cosmos into the Mount Cors, Deoxys was slumbering within it. However, Deoxys didn''t know how long it had remained dormant.


    This extraterrestrial meteorite carried a potent maic field. But due to Deoxys''s slumber, the maic forces within the meteorite were suppressed. As a result, for an extended period, the colossal meteorite had simplyin in the meteorite crater, dormant.


    However, when Deoxys awakened, it left the interior of the meteorite, and consequently, the suppression of the meteorite''s maic field disappeared.


    The freshly awakened Deoxys found this world incredibly novel. In the vast cosmos, all it had seen was boundless darkness and constant loneliness. Seeing such a vibrant world now, how could it not be curious?


    Busy exploring the new world, Deoxys didn''t notice that the maic field generated by the "mother" that had birthed it was resonating with the unique maic field of the Mount Cors. This resonance caused the meteorite''s maic field to grow stronger.


    Deoxys loved the new world, but it discovered that itsnguage was iprehensible to the local Pok��mon. This left it deeply distressed.


    However, before it could figure out how to resolve its dilemma, Deoxys noticed that the Pok��mon of the Mount Cors were experiencing anomalies, all caused by the meteorite that had given birth to it.


    By this time, due to the resonance with the Mount Cors'' maic field, the meteorite''s maic force had be so powerful that even Deoxys couldn''t suppress it.


    Deoxys had thought about cing the meteorite inside its own created dimension. Yet, it realized that the maic field produced by the meteorite could now affect it. Like with Yuga and his group, Deoxys also experienced dizziness and nausea when approaching the meteorite.


    If it was ufortable just being near it, how could it live peacefully if it kept the meteorite in its own space? After pondering for a while, Deoxys couldn''t find a good solution.


    Destruction wasn''t an option either, as Deoxys couldn''t bring itself to do that. After all, this ce was where it was conceived, and it was a part of Deoxys.


    If left unattended, the maic field here would only grow stronger, and there woulde a point where it would be uncontroble.


    Ultimately, it found itself trapped in endless distress.


    Deoxys cared deeply for the Pok��mon of the Mount Cors, fearing that they might be harmed by the meteorite. It had no choice but to drive them all away. This was the reason why Yuga and his group had ventured deep into the Mount Cors but had encountered very few Pok��mon.


    However, the maic field had a special attraction for Electric-type Pok��mon. No matter how hard Deoxys tried to shoo them away, they refused to leave, even though they seemed to be suffering.


    In addition to Electric-type Pok��mon, those like Nosepass, which naturally had a sensitivity to maism, were also greatly affected. Due to the excessive maic force, their brains couldn''t handle it, causing them to go into a state of mental confusion and even rebellion.


    Not only that, a considerable number of Maon evolved under the influence of this maic field. Evolution was generally beneficial, but it wasn''t ideal when urring under a state of mental confusion.


    Those disrupted railway tracks were destroyed by the mentally disturbed Probopass. After evolving, they gained a Steel type, which gave them a special affinity for iron tracks.


    As the cause of the Probopass''s rebellion originated from their mental state, attempts by trainers to put them to sleep using Hypnosis would inevitably fail.


    When Yuga and the others arrived here earlier, Deoxys worried that they might face a mishap, prompting its appearance.


    However, due to their inability tomunicate in the samenguage, neither side understood each other''s intentions.


    Deoxys had established a mental link with Yuga primarily because he was the first person tomunicate with it. Additionally, Yuga seemed to have some understanding of Deoxys''s identity.

 Chapter 216: Dealing with the Situation

    <h4>Chapter 216: Dealing with the Situation</h4>


    In reality, Deoxys''s suspicions were not off the mark. Among the five individuals present, aside from Yuga, the transmigrator, the other four werepletely ignorant of Deoxys''s true identity.


    However, the overwhelming aura emanating from Deoxys clearly conveyed its immense power. This was the reason they hesitated to take action.


    Creatures like Deoxys, mysterious Pok��mon from the cosmos, had no concrete records in the world of Pok��mon. Only some vague descriptions existed in certain texts, so it was normal for others to be unaware.


    "So, how do you intend to handle this meteorite?" Yuga asked after hearing Deoxys''s ount.


    "I don''t know," Deoxys shook its head.


    "But if this continues, not only the Pok��mon of the Mount Cor but also human will gradually be affected," Yuga urgently expressed.


    A significant portion of the Sinnoh region was bisected by the Mount Cor. If the maic field''s impact rendered the area impassable, did that mean people from both sides would cease to interact?


    "But now, I am also powerless. The maic field produced by the meteorite is currently so potent that relocating it to another location would still impact the local maic fields," Deoxys''s face was etched with frustration.


    "Are you saying that this meteorite would be perilous no matter where it''s ced?" Yuga inquired.


    "Yes," Deoxys nodded.


    Yuga was left bbergasted. What could be done now?


    Was there no ce to iste from the external world? Pondering over this, Yuga suddenly realized there might indeed be a solution.


    At this moment, Yuga thought of his own system backpack. However, he wasn''t certain whether it would work.


    "System, if I ce this meteorite into the system backpack, can you iste its effects?" Yuga mentally queried the system.


    Just as Yuga had this thought, he realized he was currently linked mentally with Deoxys. Could Deoxys potentially read his thoughts and discover the existence of the system?


    [ No problem. The system backpack can achieve that. ] echoed the familiar voice of the system in Yuga''s mind.


    "Can we openly discuss like this? Won''t Deoxys notice?" Yuga anxiously asked.


    [ No, except for the host, there''s no other entity in this world that can perceive the system. ]


    Upon hearing the system''s response, Yuga breathed a sigh of relief, surprised by the thoroughness of the system''s security measures.


    With the system''s affirmation, Yuga conveyed to Deoxys, "I have a way to resolve the current situation, but I need to take this meteorite away."


    "No problem, you can take the meteorite, but you must not damage it," Deoxys responded.


    "No problem, I promise not to harm it in the slightest," Yuga readily agreed.


    Deoxys nodded.


    "However, I need a ce where no one can see to take away the meteorite. Can you take me and the meteorite to a secluded location?" Yugamunicated to Deoxys.


    In response to Yuga''s request, Deoxys nodded. With a gentle gesture of its hand, a dimensional rift appeared in the air.


    Before Yuga was taken into the dimensional rift by Deoxys, he turned back and called out to Flint, the others, and his Houndoom, "Don''t worry about me. I''ll be back soon."


    Just as Yuga finished speaking, he and the meteorite were pulled into the dimensional rift.


    When Yuga opened his eyes again, he found himself floating in a colorful expanse. The space was empty, vast, and boundless.


    This was the dimensional space opened by Deoxys. Yuga marveled at the wonder of it all.


    At this moment, Deoxys floated across from Yuga, with the meteorite also present.


    "How do you n to handle it? Hurry up and put it here; I''m feeling extremely ufortable with it nearby," Deoxys urged.


    In truth, the maic field emitted by the meteorite was quitefortable for Deoxys and even beneficial. However, due to its current excessive strength, the meteorite felt like poison, causing difort the closer Deoxys got to it.


    Yuga nodded at Deoxys and then touched the meteorite with his hand. In an instant, the meteorite disappeared from Deoxys''s dimensional space, reappearing in Yuga''s system backpack.


    Witnessing the enormous meteorite vanish before its eyes, even Deoxys, a Legendary Pok��mon, was astonished.


    "How did you manage that? Are you truly a human?" Deoxys curiously inquired.


    Yuga smiled and replied, "I am indeed human, but this involves a personal secret of mine that I can''t reveal."


    "You''re quite a remarkable human."


    Deoxys didn''t press further. Being a Legendary Pok��mon, it was well aware of the wondrous abilities possessed by beings in this world, whether human or Pok��mon.


    "Regardless, I must thank you for this. If not for you, I wouldn''t know what to do. I hope you''ll take good care of that meteorite for me."


    Yuga responded, "It''s not just about helping you; it''s a challenge that humans and other Pok��mon must face together."


    With the meteorite issue resolved, Deoxys guided Yuga out of its dimensional rift and gently ced him on the ground.


    "With the meteorite matter settled, I''ve decided to explore various parts of this world. I look forward to the day we meet again."


    "Take care, and I hope you have a pleasant journey."


    Deoxys nodded.


    Suddenly, Yuga thought of something and said to Deoxys, "I hope you won''t fly too high in the future; the high altitude isn''t very friendly to you."


    Though Yuga''s words were cryptic, Deoxys sensed the sincerity in his tone. It nodded and flew into the sky before disappearing from view.


    In truth, Yuga was thinking about the history between Deoxys and Rayquaza.


    When Deoxys descended into the world of Pok��mon, it was slumbering within the meteorite. As a result, Rayquaza didn''t detect it. Who knew if, in the future, when it entered the ozoneyer again, it might once more be the target of Rayquaza''s pursuit.


    As Deoxys departed, the psychic barrier that had blocked Flint and the others finally disappeared. Houndoom rushed over swiftly and leaped into Yuga''s arms.


    Yuga held it close, gently stroking its back with his hand,forting it, "I''m fine; you worried too much."


    When he was taken away by Deoxys, Yuga had noticed Houndoom''s concern. He was deeply moved by it and felt guilty for not considering Houndoom''s feelings at that time. He had been so focused on his own fear that he hadn''t thought about how it might affect Houndoom.

 Chapter 217: Continuing Forward

    <h4>Chapter 217: Continuing Forward</h4>


    At this moment, Flint and the others had also run over.


    "Yuga, are you okay?"


    Flint rushed over and looked at Yuga from left to right, relieved only when he confirmed Yuga was fine.


    "I''m fine, you all worried for nothing," Yuga said with a smile.


    "That Pok��mon earlier... It was incredibly powerful! Just one nce and I felt paralyzed all over," Flint said, his tone filled with fear.


    At this point, not only Flint but also Volkner, Gardenia, and Jackie were all looking at Yuga curiously, wanting to know what had transpired between him and that Pok��mon.


    "That was the legendary Pok��mon, Deoxys! It''s very rare; it''s not surprising that you haven''t heard of it!" Yuga exined.


    "Deoxys?" Gardenia said. "I''ve never heard of this legendary Pok��mon. I''ve only heard of ones like Ho-Oh and Lugia."


    "I''ve only heard of Dialga and Palkia," Volkner added.


    "I''ve onlye across it in historical records; I don''t know the details very well," Yuga fibbed.


    After Yuga''s exnation, everyone nodded. Legendary Pok��mon were the most mysterious entities in this world, and they dared not im to fully understand them.


    "What happened between you and Deoxys? And where did that huge rock go?" Jackie asked, voicing the questions that were on everyone''s minds.


    "That giant rock was indeed a meteorite, just as we spected. It''s the very meteorite that caused the maic field disturbance in the Mount Cor," Yuga answered. "Deoxys just exined the circumstances to me."


    "Deoxys had been suppressing the meteorite all along. So, until recently, the meteorite remained undisturbed in the Mount Cor. However, Deoxys left the area for some time, and the meteorite lost its suppression. The emitted maic field resonated with the maic field of the Mount Cor, leading to the turmoil we witnessed."


    Yuga didn''t reveal the entire truth, just a rough exnation that he polished, as he couldn''t exin where the meteorite had gone.


    "I see!"


    After Yuga''s exnation, the others suddenly understood.


    "It''s truly exciting. I never thought I''d see a legendary Pok��mon in person. What an eye-opener," Flint said excitedly as he walked.


    The others also realized how thrilling it had been. Although they hadn''t engaged in a battle with the legendary Pok��mon, the moment Deoxys appeared had nearly stopped their hearts.


    The overwhelming pressure had been intense. They admired Yuga''s ability to speak under such conditions.


    "This situation can be understood rationally. Thanks to the help of the three of you, I''ll make sure to put in a good word for you with the League when we return," Gardenia said.


    "That''s right, we''re really grateful to you," Jackie added.


    "No need, no need. We didn''t contribute much; it was all Yuga''s doing."


    Upon hearing Gardenia and Jackie''s words, both Flint and Volkner felt a bit embarrassed. In this mission, it seemed like they were just tagging along.


    At this point, Yuga became unhappy.


    "What do you mean it''s all my credit? Without both of you, Luxray and Houndoom, would I have found that ce?"


    Actually, Yuga wasn''t a registered Trainer of the League, so he didn''t ce much importance on merit points. However, it was different for Flint and Volkner. They were legitimate League Trainers, and their parents were direct descendants, so merit points held great significance for them.


    "Alright, alright," Gardenia said with a smile. "You all contributed; none of you will be left out."


    When Yuga and his friends returned to the train, the Nosepass that had been lying there had already been dealt with by Gardenia''s subordinates. The other Trainers who had gone out to investigate the cause of the Pok��mon unrest had gradually returned as well.


    After all the Trainers hade back, Gardenia took out her megaphone again and shouted to everyone, "The issue of the Mount Cor''s abnormal magmetic field has been resolved. Thank you all for your assistance. Those who helped, pleasee to me and register. Each person will receive a certain amount of League merit points as a reward."


    Upon hearing Gardenia''s words, all the Trainers present cheered happily. They had thought they were just helping out of duty, but they hadn''t expected to receive merit points as a reward. It was a pleasant surprise.


    Seeing this situation, Flint sneered, "Those who were just pretending to help really lucked out."


    Indeed, not every Trainer present had been wholeheartedly assisting in repelling the Pok��mon attack or diligently searching for clues about the maic anomalies. There were also those who were just going through the motions, pretending to contribute.


    But that was also inevitable. There was no way to investigate each person''s actions thoroughly, and there was no surveince in ce.


    With the situation resolved, Yuga and his friends returned to their train seats, waiting for the train to resume its journey.


    "How did it go, dear? Is everything fine now?" Seeing Yuga and his friends return, Chatot couldn''t wait to ask.


    Unfezant also raised its head to look at Yuga. Clearly, it was quite concerned about the oue.


    Before Yuga could speak, Flint burst intoughter, "With this old man around, what problem can''t be solved?"


    Chatot rolled its eyes at him, ignoring him and simply muttered, "Idiot."


    Not long after Yuga and his friends returned to the train, the attendants brought them a lot of delicious food as a way to thank them for their assistance, and it was all free of charge.


    It wasn''t just Yuga''s group; all the Trainers who had participated in the previous mission received the same treatment. Flint couldn''t help but exim that the conductor of this train was really considerate.


    As it was getting close to evening, the train attendants finally announced that the tracks had been repaired and they could soon resume the journey.


    By the time the train started moving again, it was already dark outside.


    Before departing, Yuga specifically called Reggie to let him know that he had been dyed due to something on the road. He didn''t want Reggie to worry if he didn''t arrive in Veilstone City on time.


    After Yuga stored the meteorite in his system backpack, it didn''t take long for the maic field disturbances in the surroundings to settle down. Allmunication devices returned to normal, and Electric-type Pok��mon also regained consciousness, leaving the meteorite crater one by one.


    As the train continued its journey, Flint sighed, "After crossing the Mount Cor, we''ll be in Hearthone City. That''s where we''ll part ways." His tone held a sense of reluctance.


    Yuga smiled and said, "Don''t worry, we''ll meet again on Lily of the Valley Ind. Just wait for it."

 Chapter 218: Visiting the Blue Sky Day Care

    <h4>Chapter 218: Visiting the Blue Sky Day Care</h4>


    The train Yuga and his friends were on arrived at the station in Hearthone City amidst the clear calls of Starly in the early morning mist.


    Stepping out into the golden radiance of the sunrise, Flint and Volkner disembarked from the train.


    "Yuga, let''s not miss each other on Lily of the Valley Ind," Flint and Volkner stood side by side, facing the window where Yuga was sitting.


    Waving their hands, Yuga replied, "Lily of the Valley Ind, see you there."


    After Flint and Volkner left, the train remained at the Hearthone City station for a while before departing once again.


    Once out of the Mount Cor''s range, the train''s speed noticeably increased. After passing through the Sceon Town, it took less than half a day for Yuga and his friends to sessfully arrive at Veilstone City.


    Thanks to the robust constitution unique to Pok��mon, the Unfezant that had just given birth was already able to move normally. Yuga carried the Pok��mon egg and Chatot in his arms as he disembarked.


    "Yuga! Over here!"


    Just as he stepped off the train, Yuga heard the familiar voice of Reggie.


    Following the sound, Yuga saw Reggie waving at him while standing beside a young boy with light purple hair.


    Carrying Chatot and Unfezant, Yuga hurried over.


    Yuga had informed Reggie about Unfezant giving birth on the train through a phone call the previous day, so Reggie wasn''t surprised when he saw Yuga holding a Pok��mon egg.


    "Is this your younger brother, Paul?" Yuga looked at the young boy with light purple hair standing beside Reggie and asked.


    "Yeah," Reggie smiled and said, "Paul, this is the little brother I told you about, Yuga. Say hello."


    "Hello, Big Brother Yuga."


    Paul obediently greeted Yuga, looking nothing like the Paul from the original story that Yuga remembered.


    Suddenly, Yuga thought that when meeting a close friend''s younger brother for the first time, he should bring a little gift or something, right? But he seemed to have forgotten to prepare anything. What should he do?


    After pondering for a moment, Yuga took out a Old Amber from the fossils that Steven had given him and handed it to Paul.


    Since Steven had given him quite a lot of them, he didn''t mind giving one away. Besides, he couldn''t determine the potential of these Pok��mon, so he didn''t know what they would be in the future. It wouldn''t hurt to give them away.


    The Old Amber was transparent with a touch of red in the middle, making it look beautiful. It was the perfect gift.


    "This is a Old Amber that my friend gave me. It''s a fossil of ancient Pok��mon. I''m giving it to you," Yuga handed the Old Amber over to Paul and said.


    Paul looked at Reggie, unsure whether he should ept it or not.


    Reggie chuckled and said, "Since Little Brother Yuga is giving it to you, go ahead and ept it."


    At this time, the technology for reviving fossils hadn''t been released yet. Fossils of ancient Pok��mon didn''t hold much value except for their archaeological significance. They weren''t worth much, and only enthusiasts like Steven, along with archaeologists and researchers, would collect them with enthusiasm.


    "Thank you, Big Brother Yuga."


    With his brother''s permission, Paul epted the Old Amber from Yuga''s hands and held it affectionately, showing that he really liked it.


    "Alright, it''s crowded here. It''s not convenient to talk. Let''s head back together," Reggie said to Yuga and Paul.


    Just like how Yuga''s Yoyo Day Care was located on the outskirts of Verdanturf Town, Reggie''s grandfather''s Blue Sky Day Care was also situated on the outskirts of Veilstone City. Moreover, it appeared to be muchrger than Yoyo Day Care in terms of area.


    Thundering footsteps signaled that Reggie''s grandfather was already waiting for Yuga and the others at the door.


    "Grandpa, long time no see," Yuga greeted Reggie''s grandfather warmly upon spotting him.


    Reggie''s grandfatherughed heartily, "Long time no see indeed, little Yuga. Come in,e in." He ushered Yuga and his friends inside.


    After chatting with Yuga for a while, Reggie''s grandfather excused himself due to some matters, leaving the task of entertaining the guests to Reggie.


    "By the way, let me show you my grandfather''s Day Care," Reggie suddenly said to Yuga, "Since we don''t have much else to do."


    "Sure, I haven''t seen someone else''s Day Care before!" Yuga''s eyes lit up upon hearing Reggie''s suggestion.


    Reggie first took Yuga on a tour of the backyard.


    The backyard of the Blue Sky Day Care was quite spacious, evenrger than Yuga''s home backyard. Half of it was designed as an Ecopark, while the other half remained an open yard.


    Thewn was neatly trimmed, and on the lush green grass, Pok��mon like Shinx, Bidoof, Budew, Buneary, and many others were frolicking happily.


    In the center of the yard was a small pond, where Marill, Poliwag, Staryu, and Shellder, among various other Water-type Pok��mon, were ying in the water.


    "These Pok��mon have all been cultivated by my grandfather over the years," Reggie exined.


    Yuga nodded; it was clear that these Pok��mon had been meticulously nurtured, as each one seemed to be in excellent health.


    After touring the backyard, Reggie said to Yuga, "Let me take you to see my grandfather''s Ecopark."


    Yuga nodded in agreement.


    Reggie''s grandfather''s Ecopark was slightly smaller than Yuga''s main Ecopark. It was filled with various types of trees, most notably groups of Starly and Staravia, interspersed with a few Staraptors.


    Starly was the specialty of the Blue Sky Day Care and the pride of Reggie''s grandfather''s life''s work.


    Of course, apart from Starly, there were many other rare Pok��mon in the Ecopark. There were fleeting glimpses of Luxray, Roserade tending to flowers, and several yful Pok��mon.


    While Yuga and his friends were touring the Ecopark, a majestic Staraptor descended from the sky andnded in front of Yuga and Reggie.


    The Staraptor let out a cry, and Yuga recognized it as Reggie''s Staraptor.


    Just as Yuga was about to greet the Staraptor, Chatot on Yuga''s shoulder hopped out.


    "Ah, ah, ah! What a handsome little brother!" It called out while taking flight from Yuga''s shoulder, then fluttered around the Staraptor, pping its wings.


    Comparing its slightly petite figure to the towering and powerful Staraptor was somewhatical.


    Yuga was speechless. Chatot had just separated from the Unfezant, and now it was causing a ruckus here. Was it not afraid of being disciplined by Unfezant after it found out?


    Although Unfezant had recovered quite a bit, Yuga had left it resting in the room after they arrived here. He also ced its child by its side, allowing them to get along well.


    Reggie had only just met Chatot and was taken aback by its peculiar personality. He knew that Chatot was the father of the Pok��mon egg.


    Moreover, wasn''t his Staraptor male? Why did Chatot appear to have such ascivious expression?

 Chapter 219: Learning

    <h4>Chapter 219: Learning</h4>


    Seeing Chatot''s behavior, Yuga wanted to cover his face, feeling genuinely embarrassed.


    "Hehe, let''s not mind it and continue the tour," Yuga said, pulling Reggie away, leaving Chatot swooning over the Staraptor by itself.


    After visiting the Ecopark of the Blue Sky Day Care, Yuga realized how challenging it was to take care of such a garden. It required constant monitoring of temperature, humidity, nt growth, waste disposal, water quality testing, soil conditions, and much more.


    Comparatively, Yuga had entrusted all the management of his Ecopark to the system, which made things much easier. The operational costs of his Ecopark were also negligible.


    "Is your grandfather the only one taking care of all this normally?" Yuga asked.


    "Of course not. The workload is enormous, and my grandfather''s Day Care has dedicated caretakers for the Ecopark. They help take care of it," Reggie replied with a smile.


    "I see."


    Yuga felt that even if the Ecopark wasn''trge in scale, managing it single-handedly would still be a tremendous task.


    In his own Ecopark, internal management was handled by the system. Pok��mon care was overseen by the Audino and Miltanks, so his workload wasn''t substantial.


    Now, thinking back, if the system hadn''t appeared by his side, Yuga might not have chosen to inherit the Day Care. He might have opted to be a straightforward Trainer instead.


    Because running a Day Care was truly no easy feat.


    After concluding the Ecopark tour, Yuga and Reggie returned to the yard. At the moment, Reggie''s brother, Paul, was ying with a Elekid and a girl with a Riolu beside him.


    "That''s Maylene, a Trainer from the Veilstone Gym. She often brings Riolu here to y with Paul," Reggie exined, smiling at Maylene, then telling Yuga.


    Looking at the energetic girl with pink hair ying energetically with Riolu in the yard, Yuga thought she was truly lively.


    Leaving the yard, Yuga saw Reggie''s grandfather mixing a white powder with a few people using wooden barrels. Curious, he approached and asked, "Grandpa, what is this white powder?"


    Upon seeing Yuga, Reggie''s grandfather smiled and said, "This is a kind of medicine powder used specifically for deworming."


    "Deworming? What kind of worms are being targeted?" Yuga asked, perplexed.


    Setting down the wooden mallet in his hand, Reggie''s grandfather exined, "Bird-type Pok��mon rarely bathe in water, so they often have various parasites on them. While the quantity might not berge, each type can greatly trouble bird Pok��mon. This powder is specially formted for deworming."


    "I see!" Yuga suddenly understood. He had never considered the issue of deworming bird Pok��mon.


    The Flying-type Pok��mon in his Ecopark were not numerous. There was just a Swellow, Honchkrow, two Taillow, and two Zubat. Furthermore, the Zubat was a non-bird Pok��mon without feathers, so he hadn''t thought about these things.


    "Bird-type Pok��mon have abundant feathers, making them susceptible to parasites. Regrly using this powder to cleanse their bodies is crucial," Reggie''s grandfather continued to exin.


    "But wild bird Pok��mon don''t have ess to this powder, and they''re still healthy, aren''t they?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s question, Reggie''s grandfather burst intoughter and said, "Wild bird Pok��mon live in harsh environments, and correspondingly, their parasites endure those conditions as well. Their challenging surroundings often naturally help cleanse their bodies through activities like crawling, rolling, and climbing.


    However, the bird Pok��mon in an Ecopark live in a much morefortable environment. Unlike wild Pok��mon that need to burrow into forests, roll in sand, or climb into caves to survive, these Pok��mon naturally attract other organisms that prefer such a cozy living."


    What Reggie''s grandfather was exining were things Yuga had never thought about before. He hadn''t considered the particr needs of transitioning wild Pok��mon into domesticated ones.


    "By the way, since you also run a Day Care, would you like to learn how to make this medicine powder?" Reggie''s grandfather asked Yuga.


    "Really? Is it possible? Isn''t the form for this powder quite valuable?" Yuga expressed surprise, not expecting Reggie''s grandfather to entrust him with such a precious form.


    "Valuable, but not overly so. This form wasn''t developed by me. I obtained it as a reward from the League back in the day." Reggie''s grandfather patted Yuga''s shoulder, nonchntly exining.


    "Well, thank you so much for this," Yuga said delightedly.


    Yuga thought that Reggie''s grandfather might have been quite impressive in his prime as well. From what Yuga knew, Reggie''s parents had recently be prominent members of the League''s direct Trainers. Therefore, it was likely that the grandfather who raised them into suchpetent Trainers was also extraordinary.


    Both Reggie and his younger brother Paul were descendants of the League''s direct Trainers. In the future, they would enjoy various benefits provided by the League. Although Reggie had missed it, by the time Paul turned ten, he would already have the opportunity to receive a highly qualified Starter Pok��mon.


    Guided by Reggie''s grandfather, Yuga began to learn how to prepare the medicine powder.


    With the sentiment "I''ll teach them both or none at all," Reggie''s grandfather roped in both Reggie and Yuga to learn together.


    In Reggie''s grandfather''s view, their Pok��mon needed to be cared for by their trainers. He believed that Reggie''s Staraptor would undoubtedly appreciate the medicine powder personally prepared by its Trainer.


    Resigned to the situation, Reggie had no choice but to agree.


    Every time Yuga sessfully produced the powder, he would use Chatot as a test subject. Despite its initial reluctance each time, Yuga would say, "You im to love me, don''t you? Is this the extent of your love?"


    At such moments, Chatot would obedientlyply.


    Though Yuga was pleased with Chatot''s obedience, he sometimes doubted it: Could its affection for me really be genuine? Otherwise, how could it be so obedient?


    Yuga spent four days at the Blue Sky Day Care. During this time, he learned not only how to prepare deworming powder but also gained a lot of knowledge about various breeding practices.


    For example, the optimal duration and distance for flight training for Flying-type Pok��mon, the different sunlight requirements of various Grass-type Pok��mon, and the preferences for environmental conditions of Pok��mon with primary and secondary types.


    In these four days of learning, Yuga realized that Reggie''s grandfather was actually a highly skilled breeder, but he had never participated in the ranking assessments of breeders.


    Reggie''s grandfather was attentive in teaching Yuga. Aside from the core secrets of the Blue Sky Day Care, he was almost always ready to answer Yuga''s questions, providing him with substantial knowledge.


    In truth, Reggie''s grandfather had a hidden motive for being so invested.


    His daughter and son-inw were active Trainers in the League, making it unlikely that they would return to inherit the Day Care. Among his two grandchildren, Reggie and Paul, he saw the potential inheritor in Reggie. That''s why he was earnestly instructing Yuga, hoping to influence Reggie and foster his interest in inheriting the Day Care.

 Chapter 220: Setting Off for Lily of the Valley Island

    <h4>Chapter 220: Setting Off for Lily of the Valley Ind</h4>


    On Yuga''s fifth day at the Day Care, they bid farewell to his grandfather and embarked on their journey to Lily of the Valley Ind.


    Besides Yuga and Reggie, Yuga''s younger brother, Paul, was also joining them. Yuga''s grandfather had to stay behind to manage the Day Care, so he couldn''t go to Lily of the Valley Ind to support his grandsons.


    During the past four days, thanks to Yuga''s careful attention, Unfezant had finally regained its vigor, appearing no different from before its giving birth.


    To facilitate Yuga''s journey, Unfezant even suggested temporarily entering its Pok�� Ball, agreeing to be released when Yuga returned to the YoYo Day Care.


    Its gesture deeply moved Yuga, and he couldn''t help but exim that his hard work over these days had not been in vain.


    As for Chatot, it was perched on Yuga''s shoulder as usual, its round eyes darting around, looking for handsome guys.


    Although Yuga had this troublemaker''s Pok�� Ball at hand, he had never seeded in returning it inside.


    Normally, when Yuga and the others were traveling from Veilstone City to Lily of the Valley Ind, they would first take a bus to the location of the Volkner in Sunyshore City, and from there, they would take a boat to Lily of the Valley Ind.


    However, Reggie mentioned that his grandfather had an acquaintance who could take them directly by boat on a shortcut to Lily of the Valley Ind without needing to go to Sunyshore City. They just need to walk a distance to reach his grandfather''s acquaintances'' home.


    Midway through the journey...


    "Handsome guy, is this what you call a shortcut? This is clearly the wilderness!" Chatot perched on Yuga''s shoulderined unhappily.


    Reggie chuckled and said, "It''s called a ''shortcut'' precisely because no one takes this route."


    "Tch." Chatot snorted discontentedly. "If it weren''t for you being passably handsome, I''d p you."


    Upon hearing its words, Yuga promptly gave it a p on its face and remarked, "You didn''t even have to take a single step; you just hitchhiked on my shoulder. What right do you have toin?"


    Chatot cupped its head with both wings, looking pitiful, as it nced at Yuga, who had just smacked it. This sight made Reggie and Paul burst intoughter.


    Over these few days, Reggie had alsoe to understand Chatot''s personality and never took its words seriously.


    "Bun-eary."


    A cute, Buneary Pok��mon hopped out of the bushes. It gazed at Yuga''s group with a pair of curious eyes.


    It was a green-potential, Buneary. Yuga recognized it at a nce.


    "Chatot, it''s up to you, use Chatter!" Seeing a high-quality Pok��mon, capturing it was only natural.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Chatot let out a screech and flew off Yuga''s shoulder.


    As Chatot was about to use its move, the Buneary leaped up high, stomping right onto Chatot''s head before disappearing into the bushes.


    Chatot ended up crashing to the ground with a thud.


    Yuga, helpless, covered his face. He initially thought that using a control-inducing move by Chatot, a Scumbag, to confuse the Buneary and prevent its escape should work fine. But who could have anticipated that its reaction speed would be so sluggish?


    The Buneary had escaped, and Yuga didn''t want to go chase after it, as Reggie and the others might have a hard time understanding why he was running after amon Buneary.


    Walking up to the fallen Chatot, Yuga grabbed its tail, lifted it off the ground, and said in an annoyed tone, "You''re good for nothing except eating, sleeping, and flirting with guys."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Chatot immediately opened its eyes, yanked its tail out of Yuga''s grip, and pped its wings while protesting, "You know better and let me go!"


    Yuga felt like Chatot didn''t seem embarrassed at all by its tone, rather it was quite assertive. Yuga had to give up on lecturing it; there was no saving its behavior.


    Guided by Reggie, they traversed through a stretch of forest and arrived at a seaside town around noon.


    "Grandpa Julian lives here. He''s going to use his boat to take us to Lily of the Valley Ind," Reggie pointed to the town in front of them and said to both Yuga and Paul.


    "Finally, we''re here. I''m so exhausted,"ined Chatot on Yuga''s shoulder.


    "Exhausted from what? Stop being so melodramatic," Yuga retorted, giving it another smack.


    "I''m just speaking up for you!" Chatot mumbled as it held its head.


    Ignoring Chatot, Yuga turned to Reggie and said, "Since we''re here, let''s go find Grandpa Julian."


    Having visited this town before, Reggie navigated them to Grandpa Julian''s house and introduced them to him.


    "Long time no see, Grandpa Julian!" Reggie enthusiastically hugged Grandpa Julian.


    "Reggie, you''re here! It really has been a while," Grandpa Julian was happy to see Reggie. "Your grandfather has already told me everything. I''ll make sure to safely take you to Lily of the Valley Ind."


    Then, Grandpa Julian shifted his gaze to Paul, "Is this Paul? I can''t believe how much you''ve grown."


    Paul clearly didn''t recognize Grandpa Julian and seemed a bit shy.


    Reggie turned to Paul and said, "Paul, this is Grandpa Julian, a good friend of our grandfather''s. He even held you when you were born."


    Upon hearing Reggie''s words, Paul softly greeted, "Grandpa Julian," bringing a smile to Grandpa Julian''s face.


    "This is my good friend Yuga. He''s also joining us on our trip to Lily of the Valley Ind." Reggie introduced Yuga.


    "Hello, Grandpa Julian," Yuga politely greeted.


    "Good, good. A fine young man indeed," Grandpa Julian looked at Yuga kindly.


    Grandpa Julian appeared to be younger than Reggie''s grandfather by quite a bit and had a youthful appearance. He lived alone, without a wife or children.


    ording to Reggie, Grandpa Julian used to work as a sailor on the sea. As he grew older, he returned to his hometown and began fishing using his boat. He didn''t have any ns to get married and enjoyed his carefree life.


    At noon, Grandpa Julian invited Yuga''s group to have lunch at his house before taking them to the boat.


    Grandpa Julian''s boat was a medium-sized yacht that looked quite spacious. Yuga, Reggie, and Paul allfortably boarded it. Grandpa Julian''s sailing skills were still impressive, making the trip fast and steady.


    As they sailed along, Yuga, feeling bored, took out the fishing rod he had drawn earlier and said to Reggie, "How about we go fishing? We still have a bit of distance to cover before reaching Lily of the Valley Ind."


    "Sure." Reggie dly epted the fishing rod Yuga handed over.


    Yuga still had some unused bait left in his backpack from thest time they went fishing. He took it out as well.


    "I didn''t expect you to be so well-prepared," Reggie said with a chuckle.


    "I didn''t prepare anything! Look, the fishing rod and bait are the same ones we usedst time."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Reggie examined the bait in his hand and found out that Yuga was right. The fishing rod and bait looked very familiar.


    "Paul, do you want to give it a try too?" Yuga took out another fishing rod and offered it to Paul.


    Paul nodded, epted the fishing rod from Yuga, said a thank-you, and joined Yuga and Reggie in casting their lines.

 Chapter 221: Fierce Rival Cynthia

    <h4>Chapter 221: Fierce Rival Cynthia</h4>


    As time flew by during Yuga and the others'' fishing, evening approached, and a lush green ind came into view.


    "Lily of the Valley Ind is almost here. Get ready to disembark," Grandpa Julian''s voice came through.


    "Got it!" Yuga and Reggie replied loudly after packing up their things.


    From a distance, Yuga and the others could see a bustling crowd of peopleing and going at the Lily of the Valley Ind pier. Despite being evening, there was no shortage of people.


    After disembarking, Grandpa Julian said to Reggie and the others, "I''lle pick you up again once the Lily of the Valley Conference is over." With that, he sailed away.


    "Take care on the journey, Grandpa Julian!" Reggie waved and shouted.


    Walking on the streets of Lily of the Valley Ind, they encountered many trainers with their Pok��mon and vendors selling their wares. The ind was lively and bustling.


    Although the Lily of the Valley Conference was still several days away, most trainers, tourists, and vendors had already arrived, causing the ind to be overflowing with people.


    "We should first go to the Pok��mon Center to register. Once we register, we''ll receive the keys to our amodations in the yer''s vige. Otherwise, we might end up sleeping on the streets tonight," Reggie suggested.


    Given the overcrowded state of Lily of the Valley Ind, it was likely that hotels were fully booked, and they wouldn''t be able to get into the yer''s vige, forcing them to sleep on the streets.


    Yuga nodded in agreement, saying, "I''ll follow your lead." He hadn''t experienced this before and didn''t understand much, so he could only go along with Reggie''s ns.


    Arriving at the Pok��mon Center, they found a long queue at the registration desk. Reggie stood in line for nearly half an hour before reaching Nurse Joy.


    "Please register me," Reggie handed his gym badge and identification to Nurse Joy.


    Reggie''s identification was different from the one obtained from the professor; it was a unique trainer''s ID, simr to an ID card in Yuga''s past life. This ID was automatically issued when you registered as a league trainer.


    The one from the professor was more advanced, not only serving as identification but also symbolizing the identity of a descendant of the league''s main line. Holders of this ID received special treatment when staying and dining at ces like the Pok��mon Center.


    Though Reggie''s parents were already part of the league''s main line of trainers, Reggie hadn''t yet switched to that status due to his early debut.


    "Very well, please leave it with me," Nurse Joy took Reggie''s badge and identification, then scanned them under the scanning device, confirming Reggie''s identity and the authenticity of the badge. Registration waspleted smoothly.


    "Wee to the yer''s vige. Here''s your room key." Nurse Joy returned Reggie''s badge and identification with a smile and handed him his room key.


    "Thank you, Nurse Joy." Reggie epted the items, expressing his gratitude with a smile.


    Next, Reggie led Yuga and the others to the yer''s dormitory.


    The yer''s dormitories for the league tournament allowed friends and family members apanying the participants to stay with them. This way, Yuga and Paul wouldn''t have to worry about finding a ce to stay.


    Following the room number on Reggie''s key card, they quickly found their room.


    "Yuga, you''re here!"


    As Yuga and the others prepared to enter the room, a voice sounded nearby.


    "Flint! Volkner!"


    Turning his head, Yuga saw Flint and Volkner standing side by side.


    "Why did you arrive so slowly?" Flint rushed over and hugged Yuga, then looked at Reggie beside him. "Is this your friend?"


    "Yes, this is my friend, Reggie." Yuga introduced, "Reggie, this is Flint and Volkner, also my friends."


    "Hello!"


    "Hello!"


    "Hello!"


    All three of them exchanged greetings with each other.


    "This time, the three of you are all participants, but you''re also each other''s opponents," Yuga said with a smile.


    "Even if we know each other, I''ll still give it my all," Flint said confidently.


    Volkner looked at Flint''s confident smile and shook its head without saying a word.


    "That''s the spirit! I''ll give it my all too," Reggie also said with a smile.


    "Is this your room?" Volkner pointed to the door in front of Yuga and the others.


    "Yes, what about you?" Yuga asked.


    "It''s quite a coincidence, we''re staying right next to you. Three doors down," Flintughed heartily, using the term "next door" several times.


    Following Flint''s gesture, Yuga looked at the room next to theirs and said, "That''s indeed very close."


    After settling in their room, Yuga and the others joined Flint and Volkner at the Pok��mon Center for dinner.


    "I didn''t expect the official tournament to be so generous. Even the food is delicious and looks quite high-end."


    Inside the Pok��mon Center, Flint spoke while eating heartily.


    Yuga and the others shook their heads and smiled. Flint''s eating style was quite embarrassing, and even his partner Volkner couldn''t bear to watch.


    Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Yuga noticed a figure with blond hair entering the Pok��mon Center. He turned his head to take a look.


    Cynthia!


    Yuga immediately recognized the female champion who was extremely popr in the original storyline. Although she appeared younger now, her appearance hadn''t changed much.


    Perhaps Yuga had been lost in thought for too long. Flint, sitting across from him, nudged his hand with his cutlery and teased, "What''s wrong? Have you taken a liking to someone?"


    Hearing Flint''s voice, Yuga snapped back to reality, shook his head with a smile, and said, "No."


    Flint grinned mischievously, "There''s no need to be embarrassed. She''s indeed very beautiful. But let me advise you, if you''re interested in her, you better give up."


    Confused, Yuga asked, "Why? Do you know her?"


    Flint set down his cutlery, wiped his mouth, and said, "Of course I know her. Not only do I know her, but I''m also quite familiar with her.


    Her name is Cynthia. She''s an incredibly powerful trainer. We''ve shed many times, and I''ve never won against her.


    She''s great in many ways, but her personality is a bit... how should I put it? Anyway, she''s on a different wavelength from ordinary people."


    As he spoke, Flint sighed helplessly.


    Volkner nodded in agreement and added, "That''s right. Among the young generation, she''s the strongest trainer I''ve encountered."


    Yuga thought to himself: How could she not be strong? She''s your future superior, after all!


    Yuga hadn''t expected that while he and Flint were both future champions, highly powerful, Steven was currently busy with stone excavation, rtively unknown at the moment. In contrast, Cynthia had already made a name for herself among the younger generation.


    After Cynthia entered the Pok��mon Center, like Yuga and the others, she ordered some food, found a seat, and started eating.


    Yuga didn''t pay too much attention to Cynthia. After all, he didn''t really have any romantic interest in her. He turned to Flint and said, "Since your opponent is so formidable, aren''t you worried about yourself?"


    Flint sighed, "Worrying won''t change anything. What will be, will be."


    After dinner, Yuga and the others took a stroll outside before returning to rest.

 Chapter 222: Magicarp Salesman

    <h4>Chapter 222: Magicarp Salesman</h4>


    Encountering Cynthia didn''t have any impact on Yuga, as he wasn''t a participant in thispetition.


    However, it seemed to be quite a stimulus for Reggie, Flint, and Volkner. Early the next morning, they each went out to train. Reggie even entrusted the task of looking after Paul to Yuga.


    Yuga suggested to Paul, "How about we explore Lily of the Valley Ind while the tournament hasn''t started yet? Once the tournament begins, we''ll be busy cheering for your brother, and we might not have much time to enjoy."


    "Sure," Paul nodded in agreement.


    "But you better stick close to me. With so many tourists and participants on the ind now, if you identally get lost, I won''t be able to exin it to your brother."


    Yuga emphasized before they set off.


    Before Paul could respond, the Chatot on Yuga''s shoulder spoke up, "Don''t worry, with me around, how could he possibly get lost?"


    Yuga gave it a look and said, "Alright, if anything happens to Paul, I''ll pluck all your feathers!"


    "Wait, wait! Just keep an eye on him yourself. I need to keep these beautiful feathers intact for my date with a handsome bird." Hearing Yuga''s threat, the Chatot clutched its wings protectively.


    And so, Yuga embarked on a sightseeing journey around Lily of the Valley Ind with Paul and the Chatot.


    During the League tournament, although there were many merchants conducting business on Lily of the Valley Ind, official management was in ce, so all the stalls appeared to be well-organized.


    "Paul, if you see something you like, don''t hesitate to let me know. Just tell me directly," Yuga said heartily. After all, the food and attractions were quite affordable and wouldn''t cost much.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Paul nodded and then spotted a plush toy of an Elekid, bringing himself to a halt.


    "You like this, huh." Yuga recalled that Paul''s Pok��mon was an Elekid.


    Seeing Paul simply staring at the plush toy without saying anything, Yuga thought he might be a bit embarrassed and directly bought the plush toy for him.


    Sure enough, after receiving the plush toy, a smile appeared on Paul''s face.


    Afterwards, Yuga took Paul to taste takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and also bought limited editionmemorative badges and Pok��mon posters rted to the League. They had a lot of fun.


    At that moment, Yuga suddenly noticed a middle-aged man with a white scarf calling out to passersby.


    Yuga thought, "Why does this slightly creepy-looking man seem so familiar?"


    So, he led Paul in that direction.


    Seeing Yuga and Paul approaching, the middle-aged man waved to Yuga with a sly grin, "Hey, young man over there,e over here."


    Though Yuga found him quite sleazy, he walked over.


    "Hey there, take a look at my Magikarp. Isn''t it bursting with vitality?" The man lifted the white cloth in front of him and whispered to Yuga, "These Magikarp of mine are all treasures. What do you say? Want to buy one?"


    Seeing these Magikarp and looking at the somewhat familiar face of the man, Yuga immediately remembered. Wasn''t this the Magicarp Salesman who had tricked James many times?


    "Uncle, do you think I look stupid?" Yuga looked at the tank full of red-colored, poorly rated Magikarp and asked the man.


    "Hehe, hehe." The man chuckled awkwardly. "These Magikarp of mine cany golden eggs, you know." He tried to continue to deceive Yuga.


    Maybe he thought Yuga looked just as gullible as James.


    "Really?" Yuga suddenly pretended to look pleasantly surprised.


    Thinking that Yuga had fallen for it, the man happily nodded and said, "Really!"


    "Could you show me one of themying a golden egg right now?" Yuga looked at the sleazy man with an "anticipatory" expression.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, the man''s smile immediately froze.


    "It... it''s not pregnant yet..." The man struggled toe up with an excuse.


    However, Yuga didn''t want to y along anymore. He told the man directly, "Alright, alright. Don''t bother showing me these unseble Magikarp. If you have anything good, just show it to me."


    The sleazy man realized he had been fooled by Yuga. He put away his sleazy smile and said, "You little guy, are you having fun ying tricks on me for no reason?"


    "And are you having fun ying tricks on others for no reason?" Yuga countered.


    The sleazy man shrugged nonchntly and said, "Well, it''s all about business. It''s a matter of mutual consent. If they fall for it, they can only me their poor judgment."


    Yuga thought that this man had the typical mindset of a cunning merchant, thoroughly rotten.


    "I must ask, Uncle, does anyone actually fall for your childish tricks?" Yuga expressed serious doubt about it.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, the sleazy man looked left and right. Seeing that no one was paying attention to them, he leaned in closer to Yuga and whispered, "How can you say that no one falls for it? These days, money isn''t easy toe by. There are plenty of fools with money."


    Hearing this, Yuga thought to himself, "James is indeed one of those foolish rich people."


    "Uncle, do you actually have anything good?" Yuga whispered quietly into the man''s ear.


    Yuga was certain that this man must have some good items. After all, this character had appeared in various ces in the original work, such as the Kanto region, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. If he only carried those worthless Magikarp around all the time, wouldn''t he end up bankrupt?


    Sighing, the man said, "You''ve put it this way, I can''t really avoid showing you some real goods."


    In truth, the man was thinking, "No matter who I sell it to, it''s still selling. It''s no different with this person."


    The man beckoned to Yuga and then walked around his stall, reaching his car and opening the back to reveal a covered water tank.


    "Ta-da!" The man dramatically pulled off the red cloth covering the water tank and showed it to Yuga.


    Looking at the motionless group of Feebas inside the water tank, Yuga said to the man, "So, Uncle''s so-called good items are this group of Feebas?"


    Feebas could evolve into Milotic, which most people knew. However, what others didn''t know was the method to trigger their evolution!


    Someone like Yuga, who had transmigrated into this world, knew that Feebas could evolve into Milotic by either raising its beauty stat or using a Prism Scale. But to most trainers in the Pok��mon world, these methods were still a mystery. As a result, facing the challenging evolution of Feebas, very few people were willing to raise them.


    Not every trainer was from the Sootopolis Gym.


    In fact, Yuga had already figured it out. Indeed, among this group of Feebas, there were some good ones. Several of them had a green potential rating. He just chose not to say anything about it.

 Chapter 223: New System Task

    <h4>Chapter 223: New System Task</h4>


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, the sleazy man felt a bit embarrassed. He knew that Pok��mon like Magikarp and Feebas, which had difficult evolutions, were not easy to sell at a decent price even if they had high-potential stats.


    "Although Feebas is hard to evolve, once it bes a Milotic, you''ll make a fortune," the man tried to convince Yuga. After all, several of the Feebas he had were of green potential, and he didn''t want to sell them off as ordinary Pok��mon. That would be heart-wrenching.


    While the man was speaking, Yuga suddenly heard the voice of the system in his mind.


    [ Congrattions, Host, for triggering the mission: Transformation. ]


    [ Mission Name: Transformation ]


    [ Description: As a Pok��mon Nursery owner, how can you back down when faced with a challenge? Evolve a Feebas into Milotic and let it undergo a transformation. ]


    [ Reward: Water-type Pok��mon Universal Pok��block Form, Beauty Increase Pok��block Form. ]


    Yuga hadn''t expected the system to suddenly issue a task at this moment, and the rewards for the task were quite generous��two types of Pok��block forms.


    While Yuga might not be able to cultivate multiple Milotic, evolving just one was certainly within his capabilities. During his previous adventure with Robert, he had obtained a Prism Scale among the treasures they found. Robert already had a Milotic due to Feebas evolving, so he didn''t choose the Prism Scale. Instead, Yuga ended up with it, and now it wasing in handy.


    With a group of Feebas right in front of him, Yuga was feeling a bit excited!


    "Uncle, the fact that Feebas can evolve into Milotic ismon knowledge around the world. You don''t need to use that excuse to deceive me. If you truly have a method to evolve Feebas into Milotic, I''d be willing to pay a bit more even if it''s more expensive."


    Although Yuga was determined to acquire those Feebas with green potential, he still needed to negotiate the price with this sleazy man.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, the man grew anxious and quickly said, "Among these Feebas I have, several are of green potential. If you choose one of them, you''ll make a profit. These are green potential Pok��mon!"


    All the Feebas in his group looked the same. He couldn''t even remember which ones had green potential. The reason he was saying this was to persuade Yuga to buy more, hoping that by purchasing more, Yuga''s chances of choosing one with green potential would increase.


    He wanted to use these few Feebas with green potential to sell off the numerous ordinary-potential Feebas at the same time.


    Unfortunately, he had no idea who he was dealing with at the moment.


    In fact, Yuga found the sleazy man quite admirable. While Feebas weren''t extremely rare, they were still scarcerpared to Magikarp. Yet this man had managed to acquire a whole group, and many of them were green potential, showing that he did have some skills.


    "Do you know that Pok��mon with green potential in the market typically range from 300,000 to 600,000 Pok��dors? Although Feebas is priced lower, selling them for around 100,000 each is reasonable. Here''s my offer: I see that we''re getting along well, so for each Feebas you pick, I''ll sell it to you for 10,000. If you choose one with green potential, you''ll recoup your costs immediately and even make a small profit. What do you think? Want to give it a try?"


    In order to convince Yuga to buy his Feebas, the sleazy man had put a lot of effort into this. He did have Feebas with green potential, but they only totaled six, whereas there were nearly a hundred with ordinary potential. If he sold them all, he would certainly make a profit.


    You see, under normal circumstances, no one would buy Feebas with ordinary potential. Is it really worth all this effort just to cultivate a Feebas with ordinary potential into a Milotic? Why bother? Instead of doing that, one could invest time into raising a normally talented Pok��mon.


    "Really?" Yuga feigned surprise, as though he had really gained an advantage.


    "Of course, of course! I definitely won''t deceive you." Seeing Yuga''s reaction, the sleazy man happily affirmed.


    "Alright then, I''ll pick a few." Yuga walked up to the water tank and pretended to observe the Feebas.


    In the end, while Yuga was pretending to choose, the sleazy man didn''t realize that all his Feebas with green potential had already been picked by Yuga.


    To avoid raising suspicion, Yuga deliberately chose four more, making it a total of ten, just in case the sleazy man became suspicious.


    Yuga wasn''t worried that the man would be suspicious afterward since it was uncertain whether they would meet again in the future. His main concern was to prevent immediate suspicion.


    Yuga felt no psychological pressure in tricking the sleazy man; after all, he himself was somewhat of a schemer.


    As for the four Feebas with ordinary potential that Yuga picked, he nned to evolve them all into Milotic. After all, the system had rewarded him with Pok��block forms to increase beauty. Trying them out was a good idea, and having multiple Milotic in his Pok��mon Garden would be pleasing to the eye.


    Although the sleazy man was a shady character, he was experienced in the proper procedures for selling Pok��mon as stipted by the League. It was clear he was an old hand in the business world.


    Transferring 100,000 Pok��dors to the man and capturing his ten Feebas in Pok�� Balls, Yuga quietly asked the man, "Uncle, do you really only have this much inventory? Do you have any other good items?"


    Feeling like he had just made a good profit, the man was in a good mood. After hearing Yuga''s question, he whispered, "Of course I have good items, but it depends on whether you''re willing to pay the price."


    Seeing a potential deal, Yuga grinned and said, "Money is not an issue. Do I look like someone who''s short on funds? But I''ll have to see the potential of your goods!"


    "Follow me." With that, the man held Yuga''s hand and led him to the cargo area of hisrge truck, closing the door behind them.


    Once they were inside, the man turned on a light, illuminating the previously dim cargo area.


    Truly living up to his reputation as the Magikarp King, the cargo area was filled with numerous tanks containing vibrant red Magikarp. Remarkably, they appeared healthy, but all of them were of ordinary potential.


    "I must say, Uncle, is your ce solely dedicated to breeding Magikarp?" Observing the abundance of Magikarp, Yuga expressed his surprise.


    "You guessed it right! Our family indeed specializes in breeding Magikarp." The man smiled.


    In the world of Pok��mon, even after the establishment of the Pok��mon League, some small kingdoms remained independently governed. Although these kingdoms were quite small, often norger than an ordinary city in the League, they still adhered to traditional governance methods.


    The man''s family was once responsible for breeding Magikarp exclusively for a certain small kingdom. The ruler of that kingdom was enamored with the power of Gyarados and sought a way to rapidly evolve Magikarp. This led to the birth of the man''s family business.


    Unfortunately, the family''s efforts to find a method were in vain. Despite spending vast amounts of resources, they were eventually abandoned by the kingdom.


    Nowadays, the man''s family had relocated from that kingdom and had be a simple Magikarp merchant, who doesn''t even have the qualification to establish a daycare within the League''s jurisdiction.


    Although Yuga found it odd that someone was exclusively breeding Magikarp, he didn''t inquire further since it wasn''t particrly relevant to him.

 Chapter 224: Magikarp and Feebas

    <h4>Chapter 224: Magikarp and Feebas</h4>


    Yuga watched as the sleazy man moved tank after tank filled with Magikarp to the side, revealing arge water tank.


    Though this tank wasrger than all the others, it only held two Pok��mon inside.


    Those two Pok��mon were Magikarp and Feebas, but Yuga didn''t look down on them at all. These were two genuinely blue potential Pok��mon.


    "Aren''t these still just Magikarp and Feebas? I thought you were going to show me some treasures!" Yuga''s excitement was contained in his heart, but he maintained a calm exterior.


    The sleazy man gave Yuga a look that said, "You don''t understand anything!" He continued, "These are extremely rare blue potential Pok��mon! You just don''t appreciate their value!"


    The man emphasized the rarity of the blue potential Magikarp and Feebas by repeating the word "extremely" three times.


    "Blue potential Pok��mon?" Yuga feigned surprise, widening his eyes into ovals and looking like someone who hadn''t seen much of the world.


    The man was pleased with Yuga''s reaction and proudly said, "These are the pinnacle of years of our family''s effort in breeding Magikarp and Feebas!"


    The reason why the Magikarp King''s family had also taken up the task of breeding Feebas was mainly to find a breakthrough point for evolving Magikarp. However, it was clear they had failed.


    "Are they really blue potential Pok��mon?" Yuga asked, pretending to be shocked.


    "Of course! Why would I lie to you? Originally, I was nning to find a good buyer during the Lily of the Valley Conference, but since you and I seem to get along well, as long as your offer is eptable, I''m willing to sell them to you." The man gave Yuga a look of good fortune and said.


    "How much would I need to pay for them?" Yuga asked "eagerly."


    "What do you think of one million for each?" The man had intended to let Yuga make the first offer, but seeing how clueless Yuga appeared, he was afraid the offer might be too low, so he spoke first.


    "One million for each is already quite low. The blue potential Pok��mon of other types on the market, not to mention their prices, are extremely rare to find. This is a reasonable price." The man continued when he saw Yuga''s hesitant expression.


    In fact, the man was not wrong. One million for a blue potential Pok��mon was genuinely not expensive because blue potential Pok��mon were not part of the regrmodities circting in the market.


    High-potential Pok��mon like these, especially ones with blue potential, were often kept for personal use, making them a rare sight on the market. Especially within the League''s official Pok��mon Day Care, while they did release a few blue potential Pok��mon to the market over the years, those urrences were few and far between.


    Considering the countless number of Trainers affiliated with the League, the few blue potential Pok��mon released to the market hardly made a ripple.


    Private Pok��mon Day Care did sell more blue potential Pok��mon, but their numbers were limited. After all, their breeding techniques were not on par with the League''s standards.


    In summary, hearing about blue potential Pok��mon in the market only urred a handful of times each year.


    "Uncle, even though they are blue potential Pok��mon, they''re still just Magikarp and Feebas, right?" Yuga said with a hint of difficulty.


    "Oh my, my dear friend, I''m really giving you a good deal here! What more can you ask for?" Seeing Yuga''s unsure expression, the man''s face drooped.


    "Why don''t you sell them to someone else then? Even though they''re blue potential Pok��mon, Magikarp and Feebas shouldn''t be hard to sell." Yuga asked in confusion.


    Although it''s challenging for Magikarp and Feebas to evolve, a little time spent can result in obtaining blue potential Gyarados and Milotic. The small cost is negligible. Even if I can''t evolve them myself, I could sell them to someone who can, like at the Sootopolis Gym, and still make a profit.


    However, the eager demeanor of Magikarp Salesman to sell to Yuga seemed odd.


    "Oh, young man, why so many questions! Just tell me whether you''re buying or not! Either way, these two are undoubtedly blue potential Pok��mon," Magikarp Salesman said in frustration. He wanted to curse under his breath. Blue potential Pok��mon were sure to sell, and there would even be a bidding war on the market. However, his two Pok��mon were no longer in their infancy. They were both over two years old, and selling them legitimately was not feasible.


    He wasn''t a fugitive or anything; he couldn''t just do a job and run. He still wanted to do business peacefully in the future. Openly breaking the League''sws was out of the question.


    When Magikarp King''s family first bred these two exceptional Pok��mon, they hadn''t intended to sell them. Their aim was to nurture them into Gyarados and Milotic. However, several years had passed, and there had been no progress. Feebas not evolving was understandable since its evolution method remained unknown. However, Magikarp not evolving was peculiar.


    While Gyarados was indeed more difficult to evolvepared to other Pok��mon, with careful nurturing and time, it was still achievable. Failing to evolve it indicated ack of dedicated care.


    Most Trainers fell short of this level of dedication, which was why Gyarados seemed hard to evolve. However, this Magikarp, painstakingly nurtured by his family, shouldn''t be considered neglected. Even though it had reached a high level, it still showed no signs of evolving. Helplessly, the family had decided to let both it and Feebas go.


    Unfortunately, both these Pok��mon were considered "mature" and had passed the stage when the League allowed their sale. Coupled with Magikarp''s issues, the uncle was eager to find a suitable buyer.


    "Uncle, how about you lower the price a bit, and I''ll buy them all!" Yuga now realized that these two Pok��mon must have some kind of issue, which was why the sleazy uncle was so impatient.


    "Well, let''s say 900,000 each. Can''t go any lower," the uncle said, his expression pained.


    "800,000, or I won''t buy them," Yuga countered.


    Considering Magikarp''s problem, the sleazy uncle gritted his teeth and finally agreed to Yuga''s offer.


    There were no formal procedures when exchanging money, and Yuga immediately knew these Pok��mon were no longer in their infancy. However, he didn''t mind.


    Seeing that Yuga seemed to be aware but hadn''t exposed the situation, Magikarp Salesman gave him an understanding look.


    Leaving the uncle''s stall with Paul, thetter looked at Yuga with amazement. "Big Brother Yuga, you''re amazing! You actually managed to buy blue potential Pok��mon!"


    Paul''s grandfather ran a Day Care, and though Paul was young, he understood the significance of blue potential Pok��mon. Out of all the Pok��mon at the Blue Sky Day Care, blue potential Pok��mon couldn''t be counted on one hand. They were their prized possessions.


    After spending most of the day with Yuga, Paul was gradually getting morefortable around him. Conversations between them flowed more easily.


    Yuga smiled and exined, "The fact that he was willing to sell these Pok��mon to me so easily means there must be something wrong with them."


    "Something wrong? What''s wrong?" Paul looked puzzled.


    Yuga chuckled and said, "We don''t know what''s wrong yet. We''ll have to go back and take a look."

 Chapter 225: The Lily of the Valley Conference Begins

    <h4>Chapter 225: The Lily of the Valley Conference Begins</h4>


    "What if you can''t figure out the problem?" Paul asked.


    "If I can''t, I''ll ask someone else for help! I have a friend who''s an expert in Water-type Pok��mon," Yuga replied confidently.


    Yuga had already nned that if there was an issue with these two Pok��mon, he could turn to his good friend Robert for assistance. After all, Robert was the renowned sessor of the Sootopolis Gym, known for his expertise in Water-type Pok��mon.


    "Oh," Paul nodded.


    In thepetitors'' vige room:


    When Reggie returned with his trained Pok��mon, he saw Yuga and Paul gathered around a water basin. Peering inside, he noticed a Magikarp and a Feebas swimming about.


    "Where did the Magikarp and Feebase from?" Reggie''s sudden voice startled Yuga and Paul, who were deeply engrossed.


    "Big Brother Yuga bought them today," the younger child, who had recovered from the initial shock, exined to his older brother in a nonchnt manner.


    Yuga patted his heart, which had been startled, and said, "Why do you walk so quietly? You scared me!"


    Reggie chuckled and said, "Did I walk quietly? It''s probably because you two were so engrossed. But why did you buy a Magikarp and a Feebas?"


    "Because they''re blue potential Pok��mon," before Yuga could answer, Paul exined the situation to Reggie.


    "Blue potential?" Now Paul was surprised.


    Blue potential Pok��mon were now somon? You could easily buy two of them anywhere, even a Magikarp and a Feebas.


    "You''re so lucky! Where did you buy them? Tell me, I want to get one too," Reggie said, envious of Yuga.


    Yugaughed and said, "These two Pok��mon are probably wed, and Feebas might be unpredictable. But Magikarp is definitely wed."


    "wed? What do you mean by that?" Reggie asked curiously.


    "It''s not clear! This Magikarp has clearly been nurtured meticulously. Its high level is astounding, but it hasn''t evolved. Don''t you think it''s strange for a blue potential Pok��mon?" Yuga exined.


    Reggie nodded and said, "Indeed, it''s very strange."


    Yuga took out a Pok�� Ball and recalled both Pok��mon. He said, "Well, I''ll just wait for a chance to ask a professional for their opinion."


    After deciding this, Yuga nned to let Robert examine Magikarp''s condition. As for Feebas, he would wait until after it used the Prism Scale. If it evolved smoothly, it would indicate that Feebas was not wed; others just didn''t know its correct evolution method.


    In the next few days, Reggie, Flint, and Volkner were busy adjusting their Pok��mon''s conditions in preparation for the tournament. Yuga, being idle, wandered around with Eevee, Paul, and Chatot.


    Sometimes, Yuga would release Nales, Houndoom, and Honchkrow to y with them in turns.


    During their leisurely strolls, Yuga often spotted Cynthia, who was also wandering around.


    Yuga couldn''t help but marvel at how Reggie and the others were busy dealing with Cynthia, while she leisurely wandered every day. Was this theposure that came from being a super genius?


    Yuga felt sympathy for Reggie and the others!


    Time passed, and the much-anticipated Lily of the Valley Conference finallymenced, drawing the attention of many.


    The tournament''s opening ceremony had taken ce the previous evening, with countless splendid fireworks illuminating the skies over the four venues. The colorful lights danced and sparkled in the air above thepetition grounds.


    Yuga and Paul were seated in the spectator stands of one of the central venues, watching the opening ceremony. The entrance ceremony for the participating Trainers also took ce there.


    The first tomence were the preliminary matches, and the pairings for these matches were announced during the opening ceremony.


    The preliminary matches posed no difficulty for Reggie''s trio, who were very strong. They effortlessly qualified for the mainpetition.


    Cynthia, who they saw as their biggest obstacle, also made it through to the mainpetition.


    After watching Reggie''s match, Yuga made a special effort to watch Cynthia''s match as well.


    It had to be said that Cynthia''s strength was not the slightest bit weaker than Flint''s. She disyed her Roserade, a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, which easily defeated her opponent''s Yanmega.


    "She''s really strong," Reggie said with a serious expression.


    "You''re not weak either," Yuga consoled, "At least you''re stronger than me."


    "You don''t need tofort me. I''m well aware of the gap between me and her, but I''ll give it my all," Reggie regained his fighting spirit.


    "That''s the spirit!" Yuga chuckled and patted Reggie''s shoulder.


    Paul also looked up to his brother, who was brimming with determination.


    The preliminary matches of the League tournament concluded quite quickly. By morning, they were mostly done, and by afternoon, only 64 Trainers remained.


    Leaving aside Cynthia''s strength, Reggie''s power was considerable. With his Green potential Bibarel at level forty, he effortlessly advanced through the rounds, securing an easy qualification.


    Because the tournament hadn''t reached the quarter-finals yet, the previous matches were all 3 vs. 3 battles, resulting in a rtively fast pace.


    Reggie''sst match on the first day was in the 64 to 32 elimination round.


    His opponent was a Trainer from Johto, who led with an Electric-type Raichu. He had likely studied Reggie''s previous battles.


    Reggie had advanced to the top 64 relying solely on his Bibarel, which was why his opponent chose the Electric-type Raichu to counter Reggie''s Water-type Bibarel.


    Unfortunately, Reggie''s first Pok��mon was abination of Poison and Dark types. Although his Drapion had the same potential as Bibarel, it was at a much higher level with more battle experience. As a result, Reggie''s opponent''s Raichu was taken down by Drapion''s Sword Dance and Cross Poisonbo.


    Next, Reggie''s enhanced Drapion pressed on and defeated his opponent''s Ariados and Sunflora, securing his ce in the top 32.


    After Reggie''s matches concluded, Flint and Volkner, who were ced in different venues, also sessfully progressed in their battles, making it a cause for celebration.


    Back in their room that night, Yuga continued to observe Magikarp and Feebas in the water basin. Apart from observing them, Yuga also wanted to familiarize himself with them and build a bond. After all, they were no longer baby Pok��mon. Having spent quite a while in the hands of others, their levels had increased significantly. Yuga believed that he needed to establish a certain level of emotional connection with them before they evolved, especially in the case of Gyarados.


    The next day, while Yuga was getting ready to continue supporting Reggie, an unexpected incident urred, temporarily taking him away from thepetition venue.

 Chapter 226: Joy and Latias

    <h4>Chapter 226: Joy and Latias</h4>


    Normally, it was Reggie and Flint who would head to the arena''s waiting room to prepare for their matches first. Then, Yuga would take Paul to the spectator stands to await the start of thepetition.


    However, today, as Yuga was on his way to the arena with Paul, he received a message from Gardenia. She was nearby on Lily of the Valley Ind and needed Yuga''s help with something urgent. She sent him her location and asked him toe as soon as possible.


    "Paul, big brother Yuga has something to take care of for a while. Can you go to the arena by yourself and cheer for your brother?" Yuga said to Paul on their way.


    "Okay!" Paul nodded.


    Even though Paul agreed, Yuga couldn''t help but feel a bit worried. So, he decided to leave Chatot with Paul and said, "I''ll let Chatot apany you! Please don''t wander off, and if you get lost, let Chatot help you."


    While Chatot wasn''t the most reliable, being a bird, it had a good sense of direction, so it should be able to guide Paul if needed.


    "Oh, dear, you don''t have to do this. I want to be with you, not with this little brat!" Yuga''s decision immediately triggered protests from Chatot.


    Unfortunately, Chatot''s protests were silenced by Yuga''s stern gaze.


    "If anything happens to Paul, you''ll see how I deal with you when I get back!" With those words, Yuga turned and left, leaving Chatot sulking on Paul''s shoulder.


    Yuga wasn''t sure what Gardenia needed his help with, but judging from her urgent tone, he had to hurry.


    Yuga''s own travel speed on foot was too slow, so he released Honchkrow to fly him to the location Gardenia had sent.


    As Yuga flew with Honchkrow, following the coordinates Gardenia provided, he realized that he was heading southeast. It took quite some time, and when he finally left thendmass of Lily of the Valley Ind, his navigation system still showed that he hadn''t reached Gardenia''s location.


    "Could she have made a mistake? Isn''t this the open sea ahead? Is she out in the ocean?" Yuga wondered aloud.


    Despite his doubts, Yuga continued flying forward. About an hourter, he finally spotted an ind in the distance.


    Just as he was preparing to fly towards it, a sudden burst of orange light shot up from the center of the ind, exploding in the sky and turning into meteors that rained down towards the ind.


    "My goodness, a Draco Meteor?"


    Yuga was utterly amazed by the sudden and spectacr disy. He couldn''t help but wonder what kind of Pok��mon could unleash such a powerful and widespread Draco Meteor.


    He was grateful that he hadn''t ventured closer, or he and Honchkrow might have been obliterated by the explosion. It made him hesitate for a moment. Should he continue or head back? The outside world seemed dangerous, and he longed to be back home.


    Finally, after the Draco Meteor had subsided, Yuga gathered his resolve and continued flying toward the center of the ind.


    Upon reaching his destination, Yuga finally saw the Pok��mon responsible for the Draco Meteor. It was a Latias, a red and white jet-like Pok��mon, and it was none other than the younger sibling of the Latias and Latios pair known as the Eon Duo.


    Latias was known for its incredible speed and abilities, but this disy of power was something else entirely.


    At this moment, Latias had lost all reason, its eyes bloodshot, and it wasunching indiscriminate attacks on the two Pok��mon below: a Arcanine engulfed in mes and a resolute and spirited Lucario. Nearby, an Electivire and a Blisseyy defeated.


    "You finally arrived! Hurry and help us! We can barely hold on!" Gardenia''s voice suddenly called out.


    Focused on observing Latias, Yuga finally noticed Gardenia and another woman, Nurse Joy.


    Now, Yuga understood why Gardenia had called him here. It seemed they needed his assistance in dealing with Latias.


    Yuga felt a bit dumbfounded; was he really prepared for a battle of this magnitude?


    He quicklynded on the ground with Honchkrow. Flying in the open sky made them an easy target.


    "Release your Chimegcho and Florges, and support Lucario and Arcanine!" Gardenia shouted at Yuga.


    It was at this moment that Yuga realized he wasn''t meant to fight but rather assist. He breathed a sigh of relief and released Florges and Chimegcho.


    "Florges, use Misty Terrain!


    Chimegcho, use Heal Pulse!"


    Following Yuga''smands, a pink mist covered the entire area, including Latias. Soon after, a gentle wave of healing energy began to envelop the battlefield.


    As the Misty Terrain expanded, Latias'' movements grew increasingly sluggish, and the power of its Dragon-type moves diminished. However, in its irrational state, it remained oblivious to this fact.


    Yuga noticed that his Insight skill couldn''t provide any information into Latias'' condition, just like when he faced Deoxys. It dawned on him that his Insight wasn''t infallible, especially against Legendary Pok��mon.


    Yuga also realized that the Lucario battling Latias was an extraordinary Champion-level Pok��mon with a blue potential, while even the fallen Blissey was of the Elite-level.


    Observing the lineup of Pok��mon before him, Yuga understood that he might have encountered a formidable opponent today.


    In its frenzied state, Latias made several attempts to harm Florges and Chimegcho, but Lucario managed to fend it off each time.


    Perhaps due to extreme fatigue, Latias'' attacks gradually weakened, and then it took a devastating hit from Lucario''s Aura Sphere, followed by a fiery burst from Arcanine''s methrower.


    "Chimegcho, use Heal Bell."


    Yuga attempted to use Chimegcho''s Heal Bell to restore Latias'' sanity, but the intense pain had driven it further into madness.


    "It''s futile. Blissey already tried," Nurse Joy, who had remained silent until now, said.


    "What should we do then?" Yuga looked anxious; their current situation was unsustainable.


    "Other than defeating it, we have no other choice," Nurse Joy replied with unwavering determination. "I believe Lucario can do it."

 Chapter 227: The Indomitable Lucario

    <h4>Chapter 227: The Indomitable Lucario</h4>


    Despite Latias showing signs of exhaustion, battling a Legendary Pok��mon like her was still an incredibly daunting task for Lucario.


    With a resounding "boom," a Dragon Pulse hit Gardenia''s Arcanine, causing it to fall. Facing a Legendary Pok��mon, even high-level Pok��mon like Arcanine struggled to keep up. All it could do was provide some distraction.


    Gardenia only had Arcanine and Electivire as her remaining Pok��mon. Now that both were incapacitated, she had no way to intervene in the battle.


    To avoid causing unnecessary trouble for Nurse Joy, Gardenia quickly recalled her Pok��mon and moved away from the battlefield.


    On the battlefield, only Chimegcho and Florges, who could only assist and not engage directly, remained alongside Lucario to face Latias alone.


    "Lucario, engage in closebat!" Nurse Joymanded.


    Upon hearing Nurse Joy''s orders, Lucario leaped up from the ground like a missile andnded squarely on Latias''s back. It swiftly rotated on her back, alternately pounding her with its two fists and finishing with a powerful kick that sent Latias crashing to the ground.


    Although Latias was already in a frenzied state, the pain on her back was excruciatingly clear. After the fall, she let out a deafening roar.


    Afternding, Latias took off into the air once more, her gaze fixed on Lucario with a menacing re as she unleashed another Dragon Pulse.


    Lucario, with incredible agility, somersaulted in the air, evading the Dragon Pulse''s attack effortlessly.


    However, Latias was relentless, unleashing wave after wave of Dragon Pulses at Lucario.


    "Lucario, run circles around Latias while using Swords Dance!" Nurse Joy ordered.


    Lucario''s incredible speed allowed it to circle around Latias rapidly, dodging each Dragon Pulse attack with its unique aura power while performing a Swords Dance.


    After three consecutive Swords Dances, Nurse Joy shouted, "Lucario, use Ice Punch!"


    Upon hearing Nurse Joy''smand, Lucario suddenly stopped its circles and, after avoiding another Dragon Pulse attack, swiftly moved beneath Latias. With a leap, it delivered a powerful Ice Punch to Latias''s abdomen.


    The intense pain prompted Latias to respond instinctively, swatting Lucario, which was still in mid-air, down with a Dragon w.


    Seeing this Chimecho choose to use a Heal Pulse on Lucario.


    Had it not been for the Misty Terrain dampening the Dragon w''s power, Yuga suspected Lucario might have been down for the count.


    Lucario could use Heal Pulse itself, but in this fast-paced battle, it didn''t have the time to do so. Stopping to heal itself would have rendered it defenseless. That''s why Yuga''s Chimegcho was needed.


    Initially, Nurse Joy''s Blissey had yed the role of Chimegcho, but Latias'' early battle prowess was too overwhelming, leaving Lucario powerless as it watched Blissey get knocked down.


    After three Swords Dances, the damage inflicted by Lucario''s Ice Punch had be too severe for Latias. She roared and retaliated with a Draco Meteor.


    Seeing this, Yuga quickly released his Vivillon, instructing it to use Protect to shield himself, Chimegcho, and Florges.


    Unfortunately, even the so-called imprable Protect disyed cracks under the relentless Draco Meteor. Yuga watched in sheer anxiety.


    However, the protective shield formed by the Protect move ultimately shattered.


    Fortunately, Lucario came to Yuga''s rescue, using Bone Rush to deflect each iing meteor that threatened them.


    Gardenia had wisely taken cover behind a giant tree trunk, avoiding the rain of meteors. In front of Nurse Joy, a Cloyster with Protect guarded her. Although this Cloyster wasn''t of a high level, not even close to being a pseudo-Elite, it served its purpose well in protecting Nurse Joy.


    After this Draco Meteor, the once small ind was left pockmarked and aze. Countless trees were now engulfed in roaring mes, and it seemed like a disaster was imminent.


    As Nurse Joy observed the ind, riddled with craters, her heart ached, and she couldn''t help but feel intense resentment toward certain individuals.


    "Cloyster, use Rain Dance!" Nurse Joymanded.


    The Cloyster by Nurse Joy''s side let out a soft cry and released a blue sphere into the sky. In no time, dark clouds gathered, and a light drizzle began to fall. The already chilly autumn air made Yuga shiver as the cold raindrops pelted his face. Even Latias in the air seemed to pause, panting heavily, her crimson eyes reflecting a hint of confusion as she gazed at the forest engulfed in mes.


    However, this pause was brief. In the blink of an eye, her confusion turned into madness, and she unleashed a flurry of Dragon Pulses towards Lucario.


    At this point, Florges had lost track of how many times she had created the Misty Terrain. She only felt a bit drained, relying on her Level-40-something Pok��mon to maintain the Misty Terrain against a Legendary Pok��mon was taxing.


    Evading the sessive waves of Dragon Pulses, Lucario closed in on Latias once again. With a swift jump, Lucarionded on her back, delivering a series of brutal Ice Punches.


    The frigid blows stimted Latias''s nerves, and she thrashed in the air, attempting to shake Lucario off her back. But she couldn''t seed.


    After enduring countless Ice Punches, Latias finally closed her eyes unwillingly and fell from the sky. Lucario executed a somersault andnded safely on the ground. However, as itnded, its legs nearly buckled, almost causing it to kneel.


    Even a Champion-level Pok��mon like Lucario found it incredibly challenging to face a Legendary Pok��mon on its own. If Latias hadn''t lost her sanity, her reasoning, and if there weren''t several other Pok��mon assisting, Lucario would have had no chance against her.


    When Latias fell, Nurse Joy rushed to her side and quickly examined her. The worried expression on her face made it evident that Nurse Joy and Latias shared a close rtionship.


    "It''s finally over!" Gardenia eximed, relieved, as she approached from a distance. "I thought we were done for today."

 Chapter 228: Joyna’s Promise

    <h4>Chapter 228: Joyna''s Promise</h4>


    Seeing Gardenia approaching, Yuga couldn''t help but give her a stern look, saying, "You didn''t mention that helping would involve such a dangerous task! Is this something I can even get involved in?"


    Yuga grumbled as he replenished the energy of Chimecho and Florges with some energy blocks. He was clearly discontent with the situation.


    Gardenia apologized, saying, "I had no other option. You were the only one nearby who could help."


    "You''re practically trying to get me killed!" Yuga retorted.


    Facing Yuga''s usation, Gardenia simply waved her hand, saying, "It''s over now. Don''t worry; I''ll make it up to you."


    Hearing the promise ofpensation, Yuga quickly asked, "How do you n topensate me?"


    Gardenia didn''t answer Yuga''s question but instead said, "Let''s putpensation aside for now. First, help me heal my Arcanine and Electivire."


    Reluctantly, Yuga had Florges create a Grassy Terrain and, in conjunction with Chimecho''s Heal Pulses, performed a simple healing on Gardenia''s Arcanine and Electivire. He also took the opportunity to heal Nurse Joy''s Blissey.


    After dealing with Latias''s injuries, Yuga witnessed Joyna recalling her into her Pok�� Ball. Yuga was surprised and asked, "Is this Latias your Pok��mon?"


    Gardenia patted Yuga''s shoulder and introduced, "You should address her properly! This is Chief Prosecutor of the Sinnoh League - Joyna!"


    "Chief Prosecutor?" Yuga was dumbfounded. No wonder Nurse Joy''s strength was so impressive. She not only had a Champion-level Lucario but could alsomand Legendary Pok��mon like Latias.


    But Joyna appeared quite young, yet she has already be the Chief Prosecutor of the Sinnoh League.


    "Today, I really have to thank you! If it weren''t for you, defeating Latias would have been much more challenging for Lucario!" Perhaps because the issue with Latias had been resolved, Joyna''s stern expression had finally eased.


    "No, no! Chief Prosecutor, I didn''t actually help much!" Facing such an influential figure, Yuga was still somewhat nervous.


    "Is it? You don''t have to be so formal, and you can drop the ''Chief Prosecutor'' title; it sounds awkward. I see you''re not much older yourself. How about calling me ''Auntie Na''?" Joyna suggested with a smile.


    Yuga''s words made Joyna beam with joy and said: "Oh! You are really good at talking. I am almost forty, and you still call me young."


    "You''re almost... forty..." Yuga muttered in disbelief, unable to reconcile Joyna''s youthful appearance with her age. She looked no older than twenty!


    Seeing Yuga''s shocked expression, Gardenia leaned in and whispered, "Joyna is telling the truth. She''s nearly forty, but she has aged gracefully."


    Yuga sighed, appreciating the importance of proper skincare and maintenance. He reluctantly called her "Auntie."


    "Since you''ve helped me so significantly this time, you can make a request, as long as it''s not too outrageous. I''ll do my best to assist you," Joyna offered Yuga.


    "That''s wonderful! I''d like a promise from Joyna," Gardenia said, enviously.


    Joyna yfully pped her head and said, "Haven''t I given you enough benefits? How much more advantage do you want to take of me?"


    Upon this, Gardenia wisely kept quiet.


    Yuga pondered for a while, unable to decide where to ce his request. After all, this was an opportunity granted by a Champion-level Trainer, and it wasn''t something to be taken lightly.


    "Have you made up your mind?" Joyna asked.


    Prompted by Joyna, Yuga gritted his teeth and said, "I have a Audino at home, would you be willing to help me train it?"


    "Train an Audino?" Joyna didn''t expect Yuga to make such a request.


    "Yes, I run a Day Care at home, and I''d like you to teach my Audino how to be apetent assistant Pok��mon. Strength isn''t crucial, but I hope you can impart some knowledge to it," Yuga exined.


    Joyna lowered her head and thought for a moment, considering that this request wasn''t unreasonable. She nodded and agreed.


    "Thank you very much," Yuga said happily.


    Joyna instructed, "You can hand over Audino to Gardeniater, and she''ll pass it on to me. I''ll help it be an outstanding assistant Pok��mon."


    Afterward, Joyna had to leave due to other obligations.


    Before leaving, Joyna looked at the ind, devastated by the recent events, and felt a deep sense of sorrow. Unfortunately, she didn''t have a better solution at the moment.


    Luckily, when Joyna arrived, her ship wasn''t damaged. Otherwise, with Latias injured, she wouldn''t have known how to leave the ind.


    Watching Joyna''s departing figure, Yuga asked Gardenia, "How could Latias, with such immense power, go berserk like that?"


    "Ah, me it on those international fugitives!" Gardenia sighed.


    It turned out that Joyna and Gardenia were working together in the vicinity to assist the International Police in capturing fugitives. However, these fugitives were no ordinary individuals; they had used some advanced technology to subdue Latias and injected it with an unknown substance.


    This unknown substance had driven Latias to madness, making it unrecognizable even to its Trainer. The International Police had no choice but to continue their pursuit of the fugitives while Gardenia and Joyna stayed behind to deal with Latias.


    "Since you were on the mission together, why didn''t you leave with Auntie Na?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    "The mission was a failure, and the pursuit has been fully handed over to the International Police. It''s no longer our concern," Gardenia casually exined.


    "Wouldn''t there be consequences for failing the mission?" Yuga inquired with curiosity.


    Gardenia pondered for a moment and replied, "There won''t be punishments, but it might affect our performance records."


    Hearing this, Yuga was relieved and said with a smile, "That''s great, then! Can you please pay me my fee? I was even thinking, if you had to face consequences, I''d let it slide!"


    "What? You want a fee too?" Gardenia eximed. "Didn''t Auntie Na already give you something?"


    "Auntie is Auntie, and you are you. How can you mix the two? Besides, you invited me here!" Yuga retorted indignantly. "If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t have ended up in such a dangerous situation!"


    "Alright, alright, I''ll give it to you, but I haven''t decided yet. I''ll give it to you once I''ve figured it out," Gardenia said with a hint of annoyance. "Honestly, you don''t know how to cut some ck for a young girl!"


    After saying this, Gardenia released a Skarmory and flew away.


    "Hmph!" Yuga watched Gardenia''s departing figure and muttered, "You''re so much older than me, yet you can''t cut some ck for your younger brother! And you promised topensate me!"

 Chapter 229: Florges’s Grassy Field

    <h4>Chapter 229: Florges''s Grassy Field</h4>


    After Gardenia left, Yuga had initially decided to leave on his Honchkrow. However, he noticed many wild Pok��mon looking at their burned-down homes with tearful eyes.


    Surveying the area, Yuga saw trees felled by the Draco Meteor, scorched flowers and grass, making the scene truly deste.


    Although Joyna''s Cloyster had extinguished the mes with Rain Dance, the damage to the nts and trees was real.


    Seeing the pitiful wild Pok��mon, Yuga couldn''t bear it. He turned to Florges and said, "Florges, use your Grassy Terrain."


    Florges closed her eyes, sped her hands together, and emitted a dense green light from her body. Her outstretched arms generated waves of green light that spread outward, with her at the center.


    Wave after wave of green energy spread out, touching the damaged nts and trees. Coupled with the water droplets left by Cloyster''s Rain Dance, the vegetation began to sway gently, seeminglying back to life.


    After nurturing the grass, it was time for the trees. Responding to Florges''s power, they started swaying their branches, absorbing the Grass-type energy brought by the Grassy Terrain. New leaves sprouted one after another.


    At this moment, all the wild Pok��mon bathed in the Grassy Terrain cheered joyously, celebrating the rebirth of their home.


    However, Florges''s strength wasn''t sufficient for such an extensive task. Perhaps nurturing the forest consumed too much of her energy. Her green light suddenly shattered into dots, vanishing, and she knelt down, panting heavily.


    As a result, the vegetation, which had been slowly recovering, came to a halt.


    Yuga rushed over immediately, helping Florges to her feet, and said apologetically, "I''m sorry, Florges. Maybe I pushed you too hard."


    Indeed, Florges''s current power was insufficient to fully restore an entire forest after such devastation.


    "Florges..." Florges shook her head gently while cing her right arm on Yuga''s hand, showing understanding and forgiveness.


    At this moment, the wild Pok��mon that had gathered around them watched with concern, their savior looking weary.


    Florges, standing once again, gazed at the homeless wild Pok��mon and the surrounding environment. Her heart ached.


    As a Garden Pok��mon, she had a natural affinity for nurturing nts and loving nature. Seeing the dismal situation weighed heavily on her heart.


    With determination, she pushed Yuga aside, her expression resolute, and activated her Grassy Terrain once more.


    As the green light flickered again, Yuga looked on with worry, fearing that Florges couldn''t bear the strain.


    Previously, during the battle supporting Lucario against Latias, she had already been fatigued. Forcing her to overexert herself now could have serious consequences on her health.


    However, this was a decision made by Florges herself, and Yuga couldn''t stop her. He could only quietly support her from behind, silently cheering her on.


    At this point, the wild Pok��mon also realized that helping them restore their homnd was a significant burden on Florges. They all looked nervous and worried, no longer as jubnt as they were initially.


    With Florges''s Grassy Terrain in effect, the nts and trees began to grow and sprout again, albeit at a slow pace. Nevertheless, the results were promising.


    However, in the presence of all the Pok��mon, including Yuga, no one felt happy because Florges''s forehead was covered in sweat.


    Suddenly, amotion arose among the wild Pok��mon. Before long, arge group of Grass-type Pok��mon, including Oddish, Gloom, Tang, Bellsprout, Paras, and Parasect, emerged. They quickly surrounded Florges, pushing Yuga to the side.


    These Grass-type Pok��mon started emitting green energy threads that connected to Florges, who appeared to receive a burst of energy as if she were revitalized.


    Seeing this, Yuga widened his eyes in amazement. What was happening? Were these Grass-type Pok��mon absorbing energy in reverse? Yuga felt like he was witnessing something extraordinary.


    With the assistance of these Grass-type Pok��mon, the vitality in Florges''s Grassy Terrain became even more vigorous. The nts began to grow faster, and the burden on Florges lessened.


    Yuga thought that at this rate, the forest would soon return to its original state.


    However, things couldn''t be that easy. These wild Grass-type Pok��mon were too weak, and they couldn''t sustain their efforts for long. One by one, they copsed under the immense energy demand of the entire forest.


    Seeing this, Yuga grew increasingly anxious, especially since Florges appeared to struggle more.


    Finally, all the wild Grass-type Pok��mon fell, leaving Florges with no support. She had to rely solely on her strength again.


    Just as the forest was nearly restored, Florges didn''t want to give up at this crucial moment. She gritted her teeth and increased her energy output.


    Eventually, when the forest had mostly recovered, Florges copsed, falling to the ground.


    "Florges!" Yuga pushed aside the Grass-type Pok��mon surrounding them, cradling the unconscious Florges in his arms and urgently administered a potion to restore her strength.


    At this moment, all the wild Pok��mon gathered around Yuga and Florges, their expressions filled with gratitude.


    While Yuga anxiously called out to the unconscious Florges, a strange sound suddenly echoed throughout the entire forest. Subsequently, all the trees began to emit a green fluorescent glow, like fireflies, and these glows drifted toward their savior, Florges.


    Not only the trees but also the grasnds, flowers, and even the entire ind seemed to respond to Florges. It was as if they had formed a mysterious connection with her. Countless life energies came from all directions, pouring into Florges''s body.


    Finally, Florges slowly opened her eyes.


    For some reason, Yuga noticed that there was something different about her now.

 Chapter 230: Gratitude

    <h4>Chapter 230: Gratitude</h4>


    "Florges, you''re finally awake!" Yuga looked at Florges with joy and then hugged her tightly, holding her close.


    "I was really scared just now. I thought you might not wake up," Yuga couldn''t help but let tears well up in his eyes, his voice trembling and choked as he spoke to Florges.


    "Florges! Florges!" Florges gently patted Yuga''s back with her hands, as ifforting a frightened child.


    The wild Pok��mon around them saw that Florges had awakened safely and started cheering and celebrating. At this point, Yuga began to feel a bit embarrassed. He quickly released Florges from his embrace and got up from the ground.


    By now, the green lights that had responded to Florges had all disappeared, and the forest looked ordinary again, as if the previous events had been mere illusions.


    Yuga felt a bit bewildered. He had been so busy worrying about Florges and immersed in the joy of her awakening that he had automatically ignored the changes in the surrounding environment.


    However, even so, Yuga had clearly seen the tremendousmotion just moments ago.


    "Florges, do you know what just happened? Why did those green lights appear?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    "Florges!"


    Florges stood up from the ground, extending her hand and pointing to the now vibrant forest.


    "Are you saying this was the forest''s way of showing gratitude to you?" Yuga said incredulously.


    "Florges!"


    Florges nodded in confirmation.


    Yuga couldn''t help but find this world full of wonders. The fact that the forest could express gratitude was astonishing.


    "Florges, Florges!"


    Florges gently tugged at Yuga''s clothing, gesturing for him to look.


    Yuga followed Florges''s gesture and saw that a green light had begun to wrap around her pristine arms. When she directed the green light towards a small de of grass on the ground, the grass visibly grew rapidly and blossomed into vibrant flowers.


    Yuga was astounded by Florges''s newfound ability. "Is this a power you just gained?" Yuga asked uncertainly.


    "Florges!"


    Florges nodded in affirmation.


    Was this a silver lining after the misfortune? The forest''s reward was truly remarkable. Florges''s Grassy Terrain seemed to pale inparison.


    While Yuga and Florges were happily experimenting with her new ability, the wild Pok��mon from the forest came over, each carrying piles of tree berries and cing them at Yuga''s feet.


    "Are these berries for us?" Yuga asked the Pok��mon in front of him.


    The Pok��mon all nodded in unison.


    Yuga smiled and said, "You don''t need to do this. We helped you because we wanted to, not to receive your gratitude. Besides, the forest was just damaged, and it will take some time for new berries to grow. You need these berries more than we do."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, the Pok��mon looked at each other, unsure of what to do.


    "We genuinely don''t need more food! Moreover, even if you give us all these berries, we can''t carry them all!" Yuga added with a yful tone, clearly deceiving them. After all, Yuga had no trouble carrying away plenty of items.


    Just as the Pok��mon were unsure of what to do, a majestic-looking Tangrowth suddenly called out. The other Pok��mon promptly retrieved their tree berries.


    After epting the Pok��mon''s heartfelt thanks, Yuga and the others watched as the remaining Pok��mon gradually departed. The only one who remained was Tangrowth, which beckoned Yuga over.


    Yuga approached, curious, and asked, "Tangrowth, is there something you want?"


    Tangrowth extended one of its vines into its own foliage-covered body, rummaging around until it pulled out a tender yellow seed and handed it to Yuga.


    A Miracle Seed?


    "Is this a gift for me?" Yuga asked.


    Tangrowth nodded and handed Yuga the Miracle Seed.


    "Thank you. I''ll dly ept this gift," Yuga expressed his gratitude to Tangrowth.


    Yuga considered the situation and then passed the Miracle Seed to Florges standing nearby. After all, he didn''t have a Grass-type Pok��mon, making Florges the most suitable recipient for the Miracle Seed. Moreover, Florges had been the one to save the forest, so it was only fitting that she receive Tangrowth''s gift.


    Florges happily epted the Miracle Seed from Yuga, and a green light emitted from her body. It seemed that the Miracle Seed had triggered something as it merged into the floral pattern on her neck.


    Yuga noticed that Florges, now carrying the Miracle Seed, appeared rejuvenated and radiant. It almost gave him the illusion that his initial Pok��mon partner was a Grass-type instead of a Fairy-type.


    Just when Yuga thought Tangrowth was about to leave, he saw it reaching into its body once more.


    This time, it retrieved a round, shiny stone.


    A Mega Evolution Stone?


    Yuga examined it closely and finally confirmed that it was indeed a Mega Evolution Stone.


    "Is this for me too?" Yuga asked excitedly.


    Tangrowth nodded without hesitation.


    Yuga joyfully epted the Mega Evolution Stone from Tangrowth, finding it utterly adorable.


    "Metagross''s Mega Evolution Stone?!"


    After a system appraisal, Yuga eximed in surprise.


    This Mega Evolution Stone was incredibly rare. However, Yuga didn''t have a Metagross, and obtaining such a rare Pok��mon was exceptionally difficult. It felt almost impossible.


    Yuga sighed. He thought that it might be better to receive a Keystone instead. At the very least, he could pair the Keystone with the Gyaradosite''s Mega Evolution Stone. The Metagross''s Mega Evolution Stone seemed somewhat underwhelming inparison.


    Nevertheless, Yuga considered that he might be able to use it in the future for a trade with Steven. Devon Corporation surely had the means to obtain a few Mega Evolution Stones. At worst, he could trade it for a Keystone, as having a Mega Evolution Stone without a Keystone would be rather pointless.


    With these thoughts in mind, Yuga ced Metagross''s Mega Evolution Stone carefully into his backpack, intending to keep it safe. He then turned to Tangrowth and said, "Thank you for your gifts; I really appreciate them."


    Tangrowth nodded at Yuga and slowly departed.

 Chapter 231: The Cry for Help from the Combees

    <h4>Chapter 231: The Cry for Help from the Combees</h4>


    After Tangrowth had left, Yuga and Florges were preparing to leave the area. However, just as Yuga was about to release Honchkrow from its Pok�� Ball, several Combee suddenly flew in from the side.


    "Combee! Combee!"


    These Combee buzzing around Yuga anxiously, their expressions filled with distress.


    "What''s wrong, Combee?"


    Yuga couldn''t understand what they were saying, but he could tell they were extremely agitated. Unfortunately, Chatot wasn''t around to trante their buzzing, or he could have easily understood their message.


    At that moment, one of the Combee suddenly flew to the top of Yuga''s head and tugged at a small strand of his hair, trying to pull it out.


    "Ouch, that hurts! Stop, Combee, stop!"


    Yuga''s scalp tingled as the Combee yanked at his hair.


    Just then, the system''s voice sounded in Yuga''s mind.


    [ Congrattions, host, you''ve triggered a mission: ''Heroic Rescue.'' ]


    [ Mission Name: Heroic Rescue ]


    [ Description: Due to the madness of Latias, the innocent Vespiqueen and countless Combee have been affected. What are you waiting for, host? ]


    [ Reward: Eligibility to ess the Sub-Ecopark Flower Sea. ]


    Yuga didn''t expect that within such a short time, the system had issued two missions, both offering substantial rewards.


    It seemed that something had happened to the Vespiqueen and the Combee due to the battle between Latias and Lucario, but he didn''t know the details.


    With the system''s prompt, Yuga had a rough idea of the situation. He asked the Combee, "Do you want me to follow you?"


    "Combee! Combee! Combee!"


    Seeing that Yuga understood their intention, the Combee nodded enthusiastically and then quickly flew forward.


    Yuga and Florges followed them.


    However, they didn''t notice that the moment they left, Celebi''s figure shed across the sky.


    The Combee flew at a fast pace, and even though Yuga increased his speed, he could barely keep up. It was evident that they were extremely anxious about the Vespiqueen''s condition.


    Along the way, Yuga saw many injured Combee, some of which had difficulty flying.


    Yuga originally intended to stop and let Florges or Chimecho heal them, but all the Combee refused. They insisted that Yuga first go to see the Vespiqueen.


    Helplessly, Yuga had to respect their decision and continued forward with the Combee, including those who were unharmed.


    Following the Combee, they eventually arrived at a field of flowers. Most of the flowers in this field had withered, with only a few scattered blooms left untouched by the meteor shower.


    Although Florges''s grassy field had helped the forest recover its vitality, it wasn''t enough to restore everything, and this flower field was one of the areas that still struggled to flourish.


    Inside this flower field, many Combee were buzzing around, and there were also many injured Combee, moaning in pain.


    The Combee who met each other gathered together to form massive bee walls, continuing to lead Yuga and Florges forward.


    Looking at these bee walls, Yuga was deeply impressed. They coordinated so well, flying swiftly without any chaos. Only Combee, with their exceptional teamwork, could achieve such unity.


    The Combee led Yuga and Florges to a stop in front of a waterfall. One of the Combee flew in front of Yuga and pointed at the waterfall while buzzing non-stop.


    "Do you mean our destination is behind this waterfall?" Yuga asked while looking at the waterfall.


    "Combee! Combee!"


    The Combee nodded frantically.


    Yuga carefully stepped on the scattered rocks and walked to the back of the waterfall, revealing a copsed cave entrance.


    Normally, there should have been some distance between the cave entrance and the flowing water of the waterfall. It should have been easy for the Combee to enter and exit. However, the meteor shower had caused the waterfall''s water to directly flow over the cave entrance. With their small bodies, the Combee couldn''t withstand the rushing water and were unable to enter the cave.


    Returning to where the Combee were, Yuga pointed at the cave entrance and asked, "Is that your home? Is your Vespiqueen inside?"


    The Combee nodded and looked at Yuga with teary eyes, hoping he could help rescue the Vespiqueen trapped inside the cave.


    Due to the system''s mission, Yuga couldn''t simply ignore the Vespiqueen''s plight. He said to the Combee, "You guide me into the cave, and the other Combee will wait outside."


    The Combee that hadmunicated with Yuga nodded enthusiastically. It then flew over to the other Combee and chattered with them before returning, indicating that Yuga could proceed.


    To facilitate the journey, Yuga recalled Florges into her Pok�� Ball. He then said to the Combee, "I''ll carry you into the cave; otherwise, you won''t be able to get through the waterfall."


    With the Combee''s agreement, Yuga carefully wrapped the Combee in his clothes and covered its body. He held it close and dashed towards the waterfall.


    The force of the waterfall wasn''t a significant obstacle for a young and robust human like Yuga. However, by the time he passed through the water, he waspletely drenched.


    Yuga released the Combee from his clothes as they reached the familiar cave entrance, and it looked very happy.


    However, their joy was short-lived as they found their path blocked by fallen rocks inside the cave.


    It turned out that not only was the entrance blocked by the waterfall, but the interior of the cave had also copsed.


    Realizing this, the Combee were in a state of agitation, buzzing around Yuga as if they were ants on a hot pan, anxiously circling him.


    Yuga pondered for a moment and then released Nales from her Pok�� Ball. He said to Nales, "Nales, please use Dig to clear this blocked passage."


    Upon hearing Yuga''smand, Nales hopped over to the obstructed passage and started using the Dig technique.


    However, the passage was severely blocked, and it took Nales quite a while to gradually dig through it. This indicated that the cave copse was indeed very serious.

 Chapter 232: The Fractured City of Amber

    <h4>Chapter 232: The Fractured City of Amber</h4>


    It was apparent that not only this section of the passage but many other areas had also sumbed to copses.


    Yuga dared not allow Nales to dig a hole toorge, ensuring it was just enough for him to pass through. He harbored a fear that erging the hole might incite a secondary cave-in.


    Apanied by Combee and Nales, Yuga pressed onward. Whenever they encountered obstacles due to cave-ins, he had Nales aid in clearing the path.


    Throughout this journey, they stumbled upon countless forks and entrances within the cave. Without the guidance of Combee, Yuga believed he might have wandered aimlessly forever.


    Yuga marveled, "Undoubtedly, the Combee Hive."


    Furthermore, scattered among the rubble, Yuga discovered the lifeless forms of many Combee who hadn''t managed to escape, crushed beneath falling rocks.


    Combee apanying Yuga mournfully gazed upon their fallen brethren.


    Yuga grasped that this specific branch of Combee family would likely bear a deep-seated grudge against Latias. Although Latias had not acted with malice, the fact remained that many Combee had been harmed or perished.


    Sighing softly, Yuga proceeded.


    Eventually, they reached arge, circr chamber. As Yuga ventured within, innumerable Combee fixed their eyes upon him. Whaty ahead was an enormous wallposed of countless Combee.


    Upon encountering a human, Combee within the chamber employed Gust. Individually, their gusts resembled nothing more than a gentle breeze. Yet, whenbined, they produced a substantial effect.


    Without hesitation, Yuga summoned his Vivillon and directed it to create a Light Screen to shield against the approaching gusts.


    The subsequent Combee quickly rified Yuga''s intentions to the others��that he hade to rescue their Queen��and the animosity towards Yuga dissipated.


    Yuga couldn''t help but admire the profound trust and unity among these Combee.


    With misunderstandings resolved, Yuga and Combee promptly advanced toward Vespiqueen''s location. However, they encountered a formidable cave-in along the way.


    "Are you indicating that Vespiqueen is within?" Yuga inquired in astonishment.


    The cave-in appeared dire. Yuga harbored grave doubts about Vespiqueen''s survival if she were indeed inside.


    Observing the hopeful gazes of Combee, Yuga had no recourse but to allow Nales to employ Dig.


    After a brief period, a golden liquid began seeping through the gaps in the rocks. The entire chamber filled with a sweet, fragrant aroma.


    "Is this all Sweet Honey?" Yuga queried.


    Combee all nodded in unison.


    Yuga couldn''t help but feel it was an immense waste. It seemed that the hive of Combee had been utterly obliterated; otherwise, such a copious flow of Sweet Honey would not have urred.


    As Nales delved deeper, an ever-increasing quantity of Sweet Honey emerged, transforming the brown rocks into glistening gold. Yuga''s heart ached at witnessing such a loss.


    At this moment, Yuga suddenly remembered that he had brought along his Snox. Why not let it out to consume all this oozing Sweet Honey, preventing waste? After all, the benefits of thend should go to its owner.


    With this thought in mind, Yuga released Snox from its Pok�� Ball.


    Initially dozing with its eyes closed, Snox was enticed by the sweet aroma in the air. It began to twitch its nose and eventually opened its eyes.


    "Snox, all of this Sweet Honey is yours; eat as much as you want!" Yuga told Snox, whose mouth was already watering.


    Upon hearing this, Snox cheered and happily began scooping up the flowing Sweet Honey, not minding that it was mixed with bits of rock. It licked even the rocks clean, showing no restraint.


    And so, while Nales continued to dig, Snox feasted along the way. Yuga was amazed by Combee'' hive''s astonishing reserves of Sweet Honey. Yuga made a rough estimate that the Sweet Honey they had encountered so far was close to a ton, and Snox was still eating!


    However, Snox couldn''t finish it all, and a significant portion flowed into the crevices between the rocks, wasted.


    Finally, with Nales'' unwavering efforts, they sessfully cleared the obstructed entrance, allowing Yuga and the others to enter Vespiqueen''s chamber.


    Upon entering, what they saw was a floor covered in rubble and the lifeless bodies of Combee, creating a gruesome scene.


    In addition to this, Yuga was stunned by the golden world before him. Within the cave, aside from the fallen rocks from the cave-in, the rest of the space wasposed ofrge pieces of beeswax, forming a world literally made of Sweet Honey.


    This was undoubtedly the legendary Amber City of Vespiqueen.


    However, regrettably, this Amber City was now shattered. It was not only littered with Combee corpses but also vast areas of Pok��mon eggs had been crushed. The Sweet Honey storage pools had copsed, and Sweet Honey had flowed everywhere.


    Combee following Yuga, upon witnessing this dire sight, began to wail, creating a cacophony that left Yuga''s head throbbing.


    Meanwhile, Snox,pletely ignoring the atmosphere, continued to devour Sweet Honey, its eyes squinted in pure bliss.


    "Let''s first find Vespiqueen!" Yuga instructed Combee amidst their mourning.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Combee immediately ceased their weeping and scattered, searching for Vespiqueen''s whereabouts.


    Finally, a few Combee discovered the unconscious Vepiqueen beneath a heap of rubble in the nursery.


    As Yuga carefully lifted Vespiqueen out of the pile of rocks, he noticed that she was still protecting several Pok��mon eggs beneath her. Sadly, in her unconscious state, these eggs had shattered.


    Yuga examined Vespiqueen''s injuries and found that she was on the brink of death. She had multiple fatal wounds all over her body, and even with the Heal Pulse of Chimecho and the Grassy Terrain from Florges, there was little hope of her recovery.


    Seeing Vespiqueen''s condition, Combee wailed once more and began to circle around Yuga and Vespiqueen, performing what seemed to be a mysterious ritual.


    Yuga didn''t understand what they were doing, but as they flew faster and faster, he lost sight of their individual forms, only witnessing streaks of motion left behind by their rapid flight.


    The massive airflow generated by the multitude of Combee swirling at high speeds tore at Yuga''s clothing, creating a loud rustling sound. In the midst of this spectacle, Yuga was treated to a scene of wonder and astonishment.


    Yuga observed that as Combee flew rapidly, they simultaneously emitted a peculiar, melodic chant. Apanied by this chanting, their bodies began to slowly melt and merge into a multitude of golden, swirling lights.


    When these golden lights ascended to the top of the cave, they abruptly transformed into a stream of light that descended onto Vespiqueen and enveloped both her and Yuga.

 Chapter 233: The Light of Life

    <h4>Chapter 233: The Light of Life</h4>


    Submerged in the golden radiance, Yuga felt his entire body enveloped in a warm,forting aura, apanied by a faint scent of Sweet Honey lingering in the air.


    Yuga couldn''tprehend the purpose of this transformation of Combee into light, but he could sense the profound essence of life emanating from it.


    Eventually, most of the radiance merged into Vespiqueen''s body, with a small portion entering Yuga''s body due to him holding onto Vespiqueen.


    At this moment, Yuga felt like his body was brimming with boundless strength, as if he could single-handedly take on a Tauros.


    After the golden light vanished, Combee'' presence also disappeared. Yuga then noticed Vespiqueen slowly opening her eyes.


    Tears welled up in Vespiqueen''s eyes as she gazed lifelessly towards the cave''s ceiling.


    Yuga was perplexed. Where had Combee gone? How had Vespiqueen''s injuries vanished? Was this some sort of sacrifice in the Pok��mon world?


    "Vespiqueen, are you okay?" Yuga inquired with concern, seeing Vespiqueen remain motionless.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s voice, Vespiqueen''s vacant eyes finally shifted their focus to him.


    "Human, thank you!" Vespiqueen emitted a peculiar cry, and mysteriously, Yuga understood its meaning.


    What''s happening? Did I turn into a Combee? How else could I understand Vespiqueen''s words? She had indeed spoken in thenguage of Pok��mon, and Yuga was certain he hadn''t misheard.


    Seeing Yuga''s bewildered expression, Vespiqueen exined, "Don''t be surprised. Just now, you received the baptism of our Combee''s ''Light of Life,'' which make you enables to understand thenguage of our tribe."


    "Light of Life?" Do Combee possess such a mystical ability? Why hadn''t I known about this?


    Seeing Yuga''s confusion, Vespiqueen continued, "We have a unique connection within our tribe. When a Vespiqueen is near death, The Combee can sacrifice themselves using a special incantation to transform into the ''Light of Life'' and heal Vespiqueen."


    At this point, Vespiqueen couldn''t hold back her tears, appearing deeply distressed.


    Yuga didn''t know how to console her, so he changed the subject and asked, "But what''s our connection? Why did the ''Light of Life'' affect me too?"


    "I''m not entirely sure, but I sensed a rich natural aura within you. The ''Light of Life'' might have been drawn to you because of this," Vespiqueen exined.


    Natural aura? What is that? Why wasn''t I aware that I carried such an aura? Yuga pondered in confusion. Could it be rted to when Florges used her Grassy Terrain?


    After thinking for a while without finding an answer, Yuga turned back to Vespiqueen and asked, "You were unconscious just now, right? How did you know I wouldn''t harm you and thanked me?"


    Vespiqueen exined, "I am the central consciousness of all Combee. As long as they wish, they can transfer all their knowledge to me. They have told me that you helped theme here and saved the forest."


    Yuga suddenly realized that Combee and Vespiqueen shared an informationwork.


    "Let''s first check on the injured Combee!" Yuga suggested to Vespiqueen.


    Aside from Combee who had transformed into the ''Light of Life,'' there were still many injured Combee within the hive who couldn''t move.


    Seeing Vespiqueen nod in agreement, Yuga tried to get up. However, as he attempted to stand, he found that his body was somewhat unresponsive. In an instant, he toppled over and fell to the ground,nding face-first in a pool of golden Sweet Honey. His entire body became sticky and ufortable.


    Seeing Yuga in this state, Vespiqueen remarked, "Under the baptism of the Light of Life, your strength and physical prowess will experience a significant boost. Initially, you will undoubtedly feel some difort."


    It wasn''t just you; my talents and abilities have also greatly improved due to the Light of Life."


    Yuga hadn''t expected the Light of Life to have such effects. No wonder he had felt his entire body brimming with power during the baptism.


    Yuga opened his eyes and looked at Vespiqueen.


    ...


    <<vespiqueen>> </vespiqueen>


    Type: Bug/Flying


    Ability: Presure


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 65


    Moves: sh, Poison Sting, Sweet Scent, Gust, Fury Cutter, Defend Order, Heal Order, Attack Order, Power Gem, Toxic, Hyper Beam, Acrobatics, X-Scissor, Signal Beam, Tailwind.


    ...


    Indeed, Vespiqueen''s potential and level had undergone changes. Yuga had previously observed her information, with a potential barely reaching the green level and her level just over 40. Now, her potential had transformed into a shiny shade of blue, and her level had surpassed that of a Unfezant, entering the pseudo-Elite level.


    It seemed that the Light of Life generated by the thousands of Combee was incredibly powerful. Yuga suspected that if he hadn''t intercepted a portion of it, Vespiqueen might have been on her way to bing an Elite level Pok��mon.


    Yuga marveled at how life was truly remarkable. Even small Combee gathering together could generate immense energy. This reminded Yuga of another weak Pok��mon, Wishiwashi.


    Yuga struggled to get up from the ground, feeling strange sensations in his body.


    Enduring the difort, Yuga released all of his Pok��mon, instructing them to gather the injured Combee scattered throughout the cave.


    "Florges, use Grassy Terrain!" Yuga ordered when he saw the remaining few hundred Combee, all battered and bruised.


    Florges nodded at Yuga and activated Grassy Terrain.


    As Florges unleashed Grassy Terrain, Yuga immediately felt a difference. This Grassy Terrain was different from before. It radiated a strong life force, casting a rich green light throughout the cave. Clumps of grass, transformed from Grass-type energy, stretched out, expanding and blooming with vibrant flowers.


    Moreover, within the aura of the Grassy Terrain, the injured Combee quickly regained their vitality and took flight once more.


    "What''s happening?" Yuga asked, puzzled, turning to Florges.


    Florges was equally perplexed and shook her head. It couldn''t make sense of it either.


    "Could it be the effect of the forest''s gratitude from earlier?" Yuga wondered aloud.


    Florges thought it might be the case as well; otherwise, there was no other exnation.


    Vespiqueen watched in awe at the Grassy Terrain created by Florges. She said, "Indeed, you are a remarkable Pok��mon who can save an entire forest." Her tone was filled with admiration.


    Yuga couldn''t help but think, "It wasn''t this powerful when it was saving the forest."

 Chapter 234: Invitation

    <h4>Chapter 234: Invitation</h4>


    "But it has the same natural aura as you, and it''s even more intense," Vespiqueen suddenly remarked.


    Again with the natural aura. What on earth is this natural aura? Why can''t I remembering into contact with such a mystical thing?


    After pondering for a while with no leads, Yuga decided to set it aside. After all, it seemed to bring only benefits, so why question it further?


    The Combees, now recovered and jubnt, danced around Vespiqueen. However, Vespiqueen couldn''t share their joy entirely, given that her life had been exchanged for their well-being.


    Yet, The Combees didn''t think the same way. Vespiqueen was everything to them, and they were willing to do anything for her, even sacrificing their lives.


    Observing the shattered Amber City, Yuga asked Vespiqueen, "Vespiqueen, now that this ce has turned out like this, and the outside flower fields are ruined, have you thought about what to do in the future?"


    "I n to take the remaining children with me and leave this ce. After all, this ce..."


    Vespiqueen didn''t finish her sentence, but Yuga understood what she meant. This ce was their ce of sorrow.


    Suddenly, Yuga thought of his mission reward, which seemed to be the qualification to open the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark. So, he tentatively said to Vespiqueen, "How abouting with me? I have a ce that''s perfect for you to live, and you can bring all your remaining subjects with you."


    However, Yuga was puzzled. Vespiqueen was supposed to be fine now, so why hadn''t he received a system prompt indicating that the mission wasplete?


    "Do you really have a ce to amodate us?" Vespiqueen asked.


    "Yes, yes," Yuga nodded eagerly. "There''s a vast flower sea there with various kinds of flowers. Importantly, it''s secluded from the outside world. Besides me, no one else will disturb you."


    "Is that ce truly as good as you say?" Vespiqueen asked again.


    "It really is," Yuga affirmed. He had never seen the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark himself, but he had faith that the system wouldn''t disappoint him.


    After much contemtion, Vespiqueen finally agreed to go with Yuga.


    It trusted that Yuga wouldn''t harm them. It could sense the gentle natural aura emanating from Yuga and believed that someone willing to save the forest couldn''t be a bad person. Furthermore, Yuga had received the baptism of the Light of Life, which, in its view, made Yuga like one of their kin.


    "We still have many Combee waiting outside who couldn''t enter. Let''s go out and meet them," Yuga happily suggested.


    Before leaving Amber City, Yuga noticed his Snox was still there, indulging in the Sweet Honey. So, he said to Snox, "Alright, Snox, stop eating. We''re leaving."


    Snox paused in its tracks, reluctantly eyeing the remaining Sweet Honey.


    Yuga smiled and said, "I''ll take all this Sweet Honey with me, and you can enjoy it slowlyter. How''s that?"


    "Snox, Snox!" Hearing Yuga''s words, Snox''s eyes immediately squinted with delight.


    After recalling Snox into its Pok�� Ball, Yuga stored all the Sweet Honey in the system backpack.


    Yuga marveled at the abundance of Sweet Honey. While a significant portion had been destroyed, it still amounted to nearly a thousand pounds of Sweet Honey. But considering that over ten thousand Combees lived here, it wasn''t surprising that they had umted so much over time. Unfortunately, most of Combee had perished under the rocks. Only the remaining few, along with those outside, probably didn''t exceed a thousand.


    It''s truly a tragedy! Yuga couldn''t determine whose fault this tragedy was��was it the deranged Latias or the international fugitive who drove Latias to madness?


    Carrying Vespiqueen and the remaining Combees, Yuga arrived at the cave''s exit. He looked at the turbulent water flow with some concern. How were these Combees going to cross? Did he have to carry them one by one?


    Seemingly sensing Yuga''s dilemma, Vespiqueen instructed the nearby Combees, and to Yuga''s astonishment, they began to enter Vespiqueen''s abdomen, disappearing from sight.


    Yuga was dumbfounded. Did this kind of thing exist? Moving them was incredibly convenient!


    Seeing Yuga''s surprised expression, Vespiqueen exined, "To all Combees born from me, my abdomen is both a hive and their home."


    No, no, no. What amazed me was how you managed to fit over a hundred Combees into your abdomen. Even though Combees are small, this seems too imusible!


    However, Yuga ultimately refrained from voicing his question.


    The waterfall''s current posed no obstacle to Yuga, and Vespiqueen, now nearly at the level of a pseudo-Elite, as they effortlessly made their way out of the waterfall.


    Combees waiting anxiously outside saw their Queen and Yuga emerge safely and flew overjoyed to greet their Queen. She briefly reassured them and then gathered them all into her abdominal hive.


    Yuga thought to himself, "That''s definitely not a hive; it''s like a pocket dimension."


    After gathering the injured Combees during their journey here, Yuga and Vespiqueen set out to find them again. The ident had scattered Combees throughout the forest, making it time-consuming but not particrly difficult to locate them, thanks to the unique connection between Vespiqueen and The Combees.


    Once they had found all of The Combees, they allowed Florges and Chimecho to treat their injuries, after which Vespiqueen reabsorbed them into her hive.


    As Yuga had suspected, what was once over ten thousand Combees had dwindled to just over eight hundred when gathered together. This deeply saddened Vespiqueen.


    By this time, night had fallen, and it was impossible for Yuga to return to Lily of the Valley Ind. They had to spend the night in the forest. Fortunately, the forest''s Pok��mon were very friendly toward Yuga, their savior. They not only provided him with a cave for shelter but also kindly brought him food and water.


    Inside the cave, Yuga watched Vespiqueen, who hadn''t eaten anything, and said, "Cheer up and have something to eat. I believe The Combees who sacrificed for you wouldn''t want to see you like this. They surely hope you''ll stay strong."


    Saying this, Yuga took out an Pok��block, the kind he usually fed to Vivillon, and handed one to Vespiqueen, saying, "Here, try this. It''s called a Pok��block, and it tastes different from the tree berries and flower nectar you used to eat."


    Vespiqueen blinked and silently epted the Pok��block from Yuga, finding it unexpectedly satisfying. She went on to eat two more before feeling full.


    Seeing Vespiqueen''s troubled expression ease a bit, Yuga finally felt relieved.

 Chapter 235: The Annoyed and Angry Chatot

    <h4>Chapter 235: The Annoyed and Angry Chatot</h4>


    The next morning, as Yuga prepared to leave, Vespiqueen voluntarily entered his Pok�� Ball, making things a lot easier for him.


    As Vespiqueen entered Yuga''s Pok�� Ball, he suddenly heard the system''s voice.


    [ Congrattions, host, onpleting the ''Heroic Rescue'' task. ]


    [ Reward: Qualification to unlock the Flower Sea Sub-Park. ]


    Yuga was stunned. This system was truly cunning. It didn''t give any hints earlier but now it was notifying him. It seemed like the mission wasn''t about saving Vespiqueen but rather about capturing her!


    No wonder even the reward was specified as unlocking the Flower Sea Sub-Park. Previously, the choice of Sub-Parks was flexible, but this time, it was predetermined. It seemed like there had been a hidden agenda all along.


    Yuga was exasperated. Where did this devious side of the systeme from?


    Riding on the back of Honchkrow, Yuga soared out of the unnamed ind, retracing his path back to Lily of the Valley Ind. It took several hours, and by the time he arrived, it was nearly noon.


    Outside the tournament venue, arge screen disyed a battle between two Trainers, one of whom was Volkner.


    "Volkner''s Electivire delivered a stunning 100,000 Volts, decisively defeating the opponent''s Rapidash and ending the match. Let''s congratte Volkner for smoothly advancing to the quarter-finals!"


    As thementator''s voice faded, the audience erupted into apuse and cheers. Volkner walked out of the battle area.


    It seemed that thepetition had progressed to the round of eight. Yuga wondered how the battle between Flint and Reggie had gone.


    After Volkner''s match, all the morning matches concluded. Yuga called Reggie.


    "You''re finally back! How did it go? Was everything sessful?" Reggie''s voice came through the phone.


    "It can be considered sessful, I guess," Yuga replied. He wasn''t sure whether the oue was good or bad. He had sessfully helped Joyna defeat Latias, but he had also witnessed the near-decimation of The Combees tribe.


    "By the way, where are you guys? I''lle find you immediately!" Yuga said.


    "Come to the main hall of the Pok��mon Center. We''re waiting for Volkner to finish restoring her Pok��mon, and then we''ll have lunch together," Reggie replied.


    After hanging up the phone, Yuga quickly headed to the Pok��mon Center. Many people had already gathered there. However, Yuga immediately noticed the bright red curls of Chatot.


    As he approached, the observant Chatot was the first to notice him. It pped its wings and flew towards Yuga.


    "Darling, you''re finally back! I missed you so much!" Chatot eximed as it flew into Yuga''s arms, tears welling up in its eyes.


    Yuga grabbed its tail and lifted it up, saying, "That''s enough."


    Chatot wiggled its tail out of Yuga''s hand and then sadly said, "You have no idea! When you weren''t here, that little rascal... actually..."


    As it spoke, it even wiped away some tears, looking so heartbroken that Yuga thought it was genuinely crying.


    "What happened to it?" Yuga asked, puzzled, as he turned to Reggie and Flint nearby.


    Reggie and Flint both suppressed smiles as they exined what had happened to Yuga.


    It turned out that after the morning tournament ended, Reggie took Chatot and Paul to the mall to buy some gifts for their grandfather. However, they got separated in the crowded mall.


    Without knowing the way or how to find his brother, Paul had the brilliant idea to have Chatot sing and dance in the mall, which attracted arge crowd of onlookers. Eventually, they found each other thanks to themotion.


    Someone in the crowd recorded Chatot singing and dancing and posted the video online, which unexpectedly made Chatot famous.


    Chatot''s video gaining poprity was not because it had a great singing or dancing talent, but rather because its singing and dancing wereically bad.


    Afterward, Chatot watched its own video and felt utterly embarrassed. So, it had a major disagreement with Paul, who had suggested making it sing and dance.


    As Flint exined the situation, he also retrieved the video for Yuga to watch.


    "No, please, no!!"


    Chatot, who had been pretending to cry, had abandoned that act. Instead, it flew over to Flint in an attempt to stop him from showing Yuga the video. However, Yuga still managed to see it.


    Yuga watched the video, trying to suppress hisughter. Chatot was mortified by its own performance.


    Seeing everyoneughing uncontrobly, Chatot climbed onto Yuga''s head, legs in the air, looking utterly despondent.


    At this moment, everyone finally couldn''t contain theirughter anymore.


    Seeing everyone in stitches, Chatot puffed up its feathers and indignantly said to Yuga, "Darling, aren''t you my Trainer? Shouldn''t you be on my side and help me vent my frustrations?"


    Yuga managed to hold back hisughter, cleared his throat, and said, "True, True. Paul is still young, and we shouldn''t hold it against him."


    "No, I won''t let this little rascal off the hook!" Chatot eximed, pointing an using wing at Paul, who stood next to Reggie.


    However, Paul widened his innocent eyes, seemingly unaware of what was going on, which only irritated Chatot more.


    "How about I summon your wife to help you vent your frustrations?" Yuga asked with a mischievous smile.


    "No!!!" Chatot shrieked sharply.


    Hearing Yuga''s suggestion, Chatot had a meltdown.


    "I absolutely can''t let Kitty-chan know about this! How can I show my face in front of her if she finds out?"


    Of course, Yuga had never intended to release her, it was all just in good fun.


    Amidst their cheerful banter, Volkner returned after restoring her Pok��mon. He seemed surprised to see Yuga.


    "Yuga, you''re back!" he eximed.


    Yuga nodded. "Congrattions on making it to the top eight!"


    Through their conversation, Yuga had already learned that in the morning''s matches, both Flint and Volkner had sessfully advanced to the quarter-finals. Reggie''s match was scheduled for the afternoon.


    Luckily, they hadn''t crossed paths with each other in thepetition so far. Otherwise, someone might have to bow out early.


    During lunch, the others asked Yuga what Gardenia had wanted when she came to find him. Yuga couldn''t reveal the entire story about Latias and Joyna, so he simply said that Gardenia needed his assistance to defeat a particr Pok��mon, and that''s why she had sought him out.


    While it wasn''t the whole truth, it also wasn''t a lie. With that exnation, the matter was dropped.

 Chapter 236: Their Respective Lily of the Valley Conference

    <h4>Chapter 236: Their Respective Lily of the Valley Conference</h4>


    In the afternoon, the round of sixteen battles in the Lily of the Valley Conference officially began. Reggie''s match was the second one.


    Although there were four battlefields in total for this Lily of the Valley Conference, theter matches were all held in the central main arena, including the round of sixteen.


    As thepetition had progressed to theter stages, the remaining participants were all skilled trainers. The first match had been intense, a far cry from the smallpetition Yuga had once participated in at Verdanturf Town.


    The round of sixteen battles still followed the three-on-three format, allowing for a rtively fast pace. The first match concluded quickly.


    Reggie''s opponent was a rather attractive youngdy, and ording to thementator''s introduction, she hailed from Twinleaf Town. Yuga recalled that Ash''s travelpanion, Dawn, also came from Twinleaf Town.


    It had to be said that this youngdy possessed genuine strength, and Reggie had a close call during the match.


    The youngdy''s lead Pok��mon was Empoleon, the final evolution of the Sinnoh region''s Water starter. Reggie''s chosen Pok��mon to face it was Fross, an Ice and Ghost type.


    Reggie''s Fross had the Snow Cloak ability, and upon entering the battle, it summoned a hailstorm and vanished into the icy gusts.


    Normally, this strategy of hiding within the snow andunching surprise attacks was well-suited for Fross. However, the youngdy''s Empoleon surprisingly used the move Echoed Voice to pinpoint Fross''s location.


    With Empoleon using Echoed Voice to track Fross, it thenunched Water Pulse attacks. After a few rounds, Fross, with its rtively low defenses, was defeated, and the hailstorm faded away.


    Reggie felt immense pressure from being caught off guard at the start. So, he sent out his second Pok��mon, Electivire, which was strong against Empoleon due to its Electric typing.


    Unfortunately, the opponent recalled Empoleon and sent out Hippowdon, a Ground type resistant to Electric moves. However, to Yuga''s surprise, his Electivire had inherited the move Ice Punch, which caught Hippowdon off guard. Though Hippowdon put up a fight, it eventually left the battle, and Electivire was also heavily injured.


    The youngdy''s final Pok��mon turned out to be a Purugly. Despite its plump appearance, it exuded an intimidating presence upon entering the field. With its disdainful eyes, it seemed to look down on everything.


    This Purugly was remarkably sturdy, and its first move was a powerful STAB move, Pay Day. Despite its bulky build, it had impressive speed and quickly knocked out Electivire, which was already weakened.


    At this point, the situation was dire for Reggie. He had one Pok��mon left, and his opponent had an undamaged Purugly and Empoleon, with Empoleon''s Echoed Voice strategy still active. Even Yuga couldn''t help but break into a cold sweat for him.


    Reggie''s final Pok��mon was his starter, the formidable Staraptor.


    Fortunately, Reggie''s Staraptor was truly formidable. Upon entering the battle, it dived down swiftly towards Purugly. In a series of closebat maneuvers, Purugly was swiftly knocked out, leaving only Empoleon on the opponent''s side.


    The girl''s Empoleon indeed had impressive strength, but facing the flying ability of Empoleon against Reggie''s Staraptor didn''t provide her with a significant advantage, especially given the incredibly fast flight speed of Staraptor.


    Reggie''s Staraptor possessed the hidden ability Reckless, which made its Brave Bird attack extremely powerful. Although it suffered some damage in the process, it sessfully helped Reggie advance to the quarterfinals.


    The following two matches were also incredibly exciting, particrly thest one featuring Cynthia, which can be described as aplete domination of her opponent.


    Today, there were no more matches, so Flint, Volkner, and Reggie all came to "gather intelligence" together. However, after observing, they all felt a tremendous amount of pressure. Even though they were reluctant to admit it, deep down they knew that Cynthia was undoubtedly going to be the champion of this Lily of the Valley Conference.


    In the evening, in the rooms at the contestants'' vige, the pure moonlight seeped through the windows, casting a soft glow, turning the dim room into something akin to a dream.


    Suddenly, a sigh broke the silence.


    Lying on his bed, Yuga turned to Reggie on the other bed and asked, "What''s wrong? Can''t sleep?"


    Reggie, trying not to wake up Yuga who was peacefully asleep, replied in a hushed tone, "Yeah, a bit."


    "Worried about tomorrow''s match?" Yuga inquired.


    Apart from the faint sound of Flint''s breathing in his sleep, the room remained quiet. Reggie didn''t speak, but Yuga understood that he had guessed correctly.


    "Don''t worry too much. Get a good night''s rest. You''ll perform better with a clear mind tomorrow. Regardless of tomorrow''s oue, what matters is that you''ve given your best," Yugaforted him.


    Yuga knew that the chances of Reggie winning this tournament were slim. Even without Cynthia, both Flint and Volkner were formidable opponents. He couldn''t fully understand how Reggie felt at this moment, even though he had tried to put himself in his shoes. He couldn''t utter grand words about friendshiping first andpetition second. All he could do was hope that Reggie wouldn''t have any regrets.


    The next day arrived as scheduled. It was the final day of the Lily of the Valley Conference. The morning featured the quarter-finals, while the afternoon held the semi-finals and finals.


    After the quarter-finals, all the participants were allowed to bring six Pok��mon into battle, making the matches more intense and time-consuming. Consequently, there was no midday break before the semi-finals, which increased the excitement for the audience. However, no one had expected the surprise of the first match: Flint versus Volkner.


    Flint and Volkner''s battle could be described as the most thrilling match of the entire Lily of the Valley Conference. As childhood friends who had grown up together, they were incredibly familiar with each other''s Pok��mon. Instead of employing specific strategies, they chose to go head-to-head in a direct confrontation.


    From Infernape against Raichu, Luxray against Houndoom, Magmortar against Electivire, reon against Jolteon, Rapidash against Magnezone, and Steelix against Ambipom, each of their matches was heart-pounding, eliciting continuous cheers from the audience.


    Although Flint ultimately won against Volkner by a slim margin, the excitement in the arena was palpable, and the crowd couldn''t help but apud.

 Chapter 237: Reggie’s Disheartenment

    <h4>Chapter 237: Reggie''s Disheartenment</h4>


    Reggie''s uing matches wereparatively easier. Yuga could tell that among the top eight, aside from Flint, Volkner, and Cynthia, the others were slightly below Reggie in terms of skill. As long as Reggie didn''t make any fatal mistakes, reaching the semi-finals was well within his reach.


    Cynthia continued her dominant performance in the quarter-finals, using only her Garchomp to achieve the remarkable feat of defeating six opponents single-handedly, causing quite a sensation in the stadium. Cynthia gained numerous admirers as a result.


    After the morning matches concluded and the semi-finalists were decided, only Flint, Reggie, Cynthia, and a boy Yuga didn''t know remained.


    During lunch, Yuga could clearly sense that both Flint and Reggie were somewhat nervous. However, Yuga and Volkner, who was no longer in thepetition, didn''t know how to help them rx. All they could do was silently root for them in their hearts.


    The afternoon match-ups were announced just before the games began: Flint versus an unknown opponent, Reggie versus Cynthia.


    Sitting in the audience, Paul expressed his concern to Yuga, "Is my brother going to be okay?"


    Yuga patted his head and replied with a reassuring smile, "Don''t worry, your brother will do his best."


    Paul nodded but couldn''t hide the worry in his eyes.


    In the first match, Flint won quite easily. Among their peers, Flint''s strength was exceptional, and except for opponents like Cynthia, there were few obstacles to his progress, even in the top four of the current Lily of the Valley Conference.


    In contrast, Reggie experienced one of the biggest setbacks of his journey as a Pok��mon Trainer. Cynthia, just like in the quarter-finals, used only her Garchomp. Reggie sent out Bibarel, Drapion, Fross, and Lickilicky consecutively, and they were all ruthlessly defeated by Cynthia''s Garchomp.


    At this point, Reggie''s spirit had sunk to its lowest. He couldn''t believe that he could defeat Cynthia''s six Pok��mon with only his two remaining. Even worse, he felt it was an uphill battle to defeat the Garchomp right in front of him.


    As the match progressed, Reggie was covered in cold sweat, his hands trembling. He recalled his incapacitated Lickilicky with a trembling hand and sent out his Honchkrow.


    Reggie''s Honchkrow was exceptionally powerful, much stronger than the four Pok��mon he had used earlier. It engaged in a fierce battle with Cynthia''s Garchomp, but it was eventually defeated, leaving Reggie with only hisst Pok��mon, Staraptor.


    Reggie stared at Cynthia with her beautiful yetposed face, feeling as though she was a towering mountain that he couldn''t possibly conquer. After releasing Staraptor, Reggie had lost all his will to fight. He couldn''t even give propermands to his Pok��mon.


    Staraptor kept calling out to its Trainer on the battlefield, but Reggie remained unresponsive. Finally, Staraptor''s gaze turned resolute, and it took matters into its own wings,unching an attack against Cynthia''s Garchomp.


    Reggie''s Staraptor, his starter Pok��mon and strongestpanion, possessed an indomitable spirit. Even when its Trainer had lost all hope, it refused to give up.


    Reggie''s Staraptor, despite the injuries it had sustained, put up an impressive fight against Cynthia''s Garchomp, receiving thunderous apuse from the audience. However, both Pok��mon eventually sumbed to their injuries.


    At this moment, the atmosphere in the stadium reached its peak. Staraptor''s courageous performance earned a standing ovation and cheers from the entire audience, including Cynthia.


    "The battle between Staraptor and Garchomp has ended in a double knockout! Considering that Reggie has lost all six of his Pok��mon, Cynthia wins this match!"


    Yuga and Paul watched Reggie, who seemed lifeless, with concern. Despite Staraptor''s valiant effort, Reggie''s spirit had been shattered by the overwhelming strength of Cynthia''s team.


    The referee''s voice snapped Reggie back to reality. He looked at his fainted Staraptor on the battlefield, a swirl of mixed emotions in his heart. He recalled Staraptor into its Pok�� Ball and left the arena without looking back.


    Reggie neither acknowledged Staraptor''s valiant effort nor noticed the cheers and admiration it received from the audience.


    In the spectator seats, Yuga said to Paul, "Paul, stay here and don''t wander around. I''ll be back in a moment."


    Paul obediently nodded.


    Then, Yuga turned to Volkner and said, "Can you watch over Paul for a while? I''ll be right back."


    After seeing Volkner''s agreement, Yuga left the spectator seats.


    Yuga found Reggie sitting on the grass behind the venue, gazing at the clouds in the sky, and he seemed unaware of Yuga''s arrival.


    It was autumn, and the sky was an exceptionally deep blue with few clouds.


    "Feeling down?" Yuga asked as he sat down beside Reggie.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s voice, Reggie turned his head slightly, then turned back to the sky. It took him a while to respond, his voice filled with dejection. "Am I useless?"


    "Why would you say that? Just because you lost to Cynthia?" Yuga inquired.


    "But I used six Pok��mon just to defeat one of hers," Reggie replied with a hint of despair, burying his head in his arms, his voice quivering.


    "But that doesn''t determine whether you''re useful or not. Many have been defeated one-on-six by her; it''s not just you!" Yuga reassured him.


    "But..."


    Reggie wanted to say more, but Yuga interrupted him.


    "You''ve known for a long time that Cynthia is very strong, right? So why be disheartened now?"


    "She''s strong, extremely strong. But in the end, it doesn''t make much of a difference to you," Yuga continued.


    "I haven''t participated in any seriouspetitions, and I don''t quite understand the feelings of frustration, anger, and helplessness after losing a match.


    So, I won''t tell you things like ''keep working hard'' or ''cheer up.'' I know these words mean a lot to you, and that''s why you''re feeling so upset.


    But what I want to say is, you can''t ignore your Pok��mon''s efforts just because you''re feeling down.


    Did you see thest match where Staraptor fought with all its might? Did you witness its victory? What about the Pok��mon that gave their all earlier for you? Even though they lost, they still gave their best for you."

 Chapter 238: Departure and Plans

    <h4>Chapter 238: Departure and ns</h4>


    Yuga''s words left Reggie staring wide-eyed at his friend, who wore a serious expression. He didn''t know what to say for a moment.


    "I''m... I''m sorry," Reggie finally managed to utter after a long pause.


    Yuga smiled and replied, "You shouldn''t be saying that to me."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s response, Reggie released all of his Pok��mon, one by one, and apologized to each of them, especially to his Staraptor.


    Watching Reggie regain some of his spirits, Yuga stood up, dusted off the grass from his clothes, and said, "Alright, I''m going now. Paul is still waiting for me in the spectator seats!"


    Yuga started to walk away, but halfway, he turned back to Reggie and said, "Although these words may sound clich��, I still hope you remember why you wanted to be a Trainer in the first ce. It has nothing to do with how strong others are! Oh, and don''t forget, you still have a match for third ce topete in. Paul and I will be in the audience, waiting for your outstanding performance."


    After Yuga left, Reggie continued to have heartfelt conversations with his Pok��mon. They talked about his initial dreams, future ns, and the uncertainty of whether he should inherit his grandfather''s Pok��mon Day Care. Unconsciously, he felt a stronger bond with his Pok��mon.


    Because finding Reggie took some time, when Yuga returned to the spectator seats, the battle for the championship between Flint and Cynthia was already underway.


    In the current match, Flint''s reon was facing Cynthia''s Milotic.


    On therge screen, it showed that Cynthia''s ceon, Roserade, and Lucario had all lost their battle capabilities, while Flint''s Magmortar, Rapidash, and Steelix had also lost their ability to battle.


    Melotic used a water cannon to defeat reon, and the light representing reon on the big screen dimmed.


    It was clear that Flint was at a disadvantage against Cynthia, and the situation was getting worse.


    Silently recalling reon, Flint sent out his Houndoom.


    Flint''s Houndoom moved swiftly on the battlefield, using cunning tactics to enhance its abilities. Eventually, Cynthia''s weakened Milotic sumbed to Houndoom''s powerful Night sh.


    Cynthia''s next Pok��mon was Azumarill, a Water-type with high resistance to Fire Pok��mon.


    While Cynthia''s previous Pok��mon had weaknesses to Fire, herter choices had a clear advantage over Flint''s team. This included her ace, Garchomp, which further pressured Flint.


    However, Flint remainedposed on the battlefield. Unlike Reggie, who had no prior knowledge of Cynthia''s strength, Flint had battled Cynthia several times before and was well aware of her abilities.


    Even though Azumarill had a type advantage over Houndoom, Flint''s Houndoom was one of his strongest Pok��mon, second only to reon. After skillful tactics and previous enhancements, Houndoom managed to defeat Azumarill, albeit at the cost of fainting itself.


    Cynthia''sst Pok��mon was Garchomp, a powerful Dragon and Ground type. This was her ace Pok��mon and a formidable adversary.


    At this point, Yuga also noticed that Cynthia''s overall strength wasn''t significantly higher than Flint''s. The only exception was her exceedingly powerful Garchomp.


    In this final showdown, Flint''s Houndoom was at a disadvantage due to the type match-up. Still, it was a testament to their history and Flint''s strategic skill that the battle ended in a draw, with both Houndoom and Garchomp losing their battle capabilities.


    With this result, the championship of the Lily of the Valley Conference was decided in Cynthia''s favor.


    The gap between the two Pok��mon was significant.


    Cynthia winning the championship in this tournament was expected by everyone, and there were no surprises among the audience. Cynthia''s performance in thispetition had been outstanding.


    Yuga could foresee that after this tournament, Cynthia, the brilliant young girl, would be widely recognized in the world of Pok��mon Trainers. While Cynthia had some fame in the Trainermunity before, this victory would establish her as a leader among the young Trainers of Sinnoh.


    However, this didn''t have much to do with Yuga and his friends.


    After the battle for first and second ce, there was a battle for third ce between Reggie and another trainer.


    After adjusting, Reggie regained his energy and won the third ce in the Lily of the Valley Conference with an absolute advantage.


    Yuga felt that something different might have happened to Reggie.


    After the championship and runner-up ceremony featuring Flint and Cynthia, Yuga and hispanions started packing up, preparing to leave Lily of the Valley Ind.


    Besides Yuga''s group, many tourists, media personnel, and tournament participants were also gradually preparing to leave Lily of the Valley Ind.


    Grandpa Julian had arrived at the Lily of the Valley Ind''s harbor as soon as the Lily of the Valley Conference ended. He had promised to take Flint and Volkner with him and apany them back to Sunyshore City.


    Although this route was a bit longer, the kind-hearted Grandpa Julian didn''t mind.


    As Yuga and his friends were leaving Lily of the Valley Ind in the evening, they spent the night at sea on Grandpa Julian''s spacious yacht, which posed no problem.


    During the night, after they had dinner, Yuga and his friends sat together on the deck, chatting.


    "Now that this tournament is over, what are your ns for the future?" Yuga asked the other three.


    "I''m from Sunyshore City''s Gym, and I need to prepare to take over the Gym''s responsibilities. I''ll inherit Sunyshore Gym," Volkner spoke up first, his goals clearly defined.


    Flint immediately followed, saying, "Of course, I''ll continue my training. I''ll defeat Cynthia one day!"


    Yuga thought to himself: Achieving that might not be easy, as I don''t recall you ever beating Cynthia.


    After contemting for a moment, Reggie said, "I''ll continue traveling for a while. I n to visit Kanto first, then Johto, and finally Hoenn. I''ll participate in the League Championship in these ces. Afterward, I''ll return to Sinnoh to study under my grandfather and eventually inherit his Pok��mon Day Care."


    "Are you giving up on being a Trainer?" Flint asked, astonished.


    Volkner also stared at Reggie in disbelief, but Yuga was confident that Reggie wouldn''t give up.


    "Of course not! I''ll keep being a Trainer! Yuga told me that even if I can''t travel anymore or inherit the Day Care, it won''t stop me from being a Trainer. I''ll keep working hard, and when we meet again, Pok��mon battles will be inevitable! Speaking of which, we''ve never battled once during this tournament!"


    Hearing Reggie''s words, both Flint and Volkner were delighted. They promised that the next time they met, they would have an exciting battle.


    Yuga also felt happy for Reggie. It seemed that Reggie had already nned his path for the future without realizing it.


    Yuga knew that Reggie had been struggling with whether to continue being a Trainer or to inherit his grandfather''s Pok��mon Day Care.


    But now, they were all adults, and no matter what path they chose, it would be an enjoyable one.

 Chapter 239: A Request

    <h4>Chapter 239: A Request</h4>


    After daybreak, Grandpa Julian sessfully took Flint and Volkner to the Sunyshore City''s harbor, then sailed back to the Coastal Town with Yuga and his friends.


    Following lunch at Grandpa Julian''s home, Yuga and his two friends bid farewell to him and embarked on the journey back to Veilstone City.


    During the journey, Reggie asked Yuga, "Have you decided when you''ll return to Hoenn?"


    Yuga thought for a moment and replied, "Let''s leave for Hoenn as soon as we get back to Veilstone City."


    Reggie was surprised and said, "So soon? I haven''t had a chance to show you around Sinnoh yet!"


    Yuga sighed, saying, "There are still many responsibilities to take care of at the shop. Being away for too long isn''t ideal, considering I''m the owner."


    Yuga had ns to return to his hometown and start a new Sub-Ecopark. He also needed to arrange amodations for Vespiqueen and the Combees and deliver Audino to Gardenia, asking her to pass it on to Joyna. Additionally, he had to settle the children of the Unfezant he had kept in his system bag. The tasks were piling up.


    "Alright," Reggie replied, though he sounded a bit reluctant.


    Yuga smiled and patted Reggie on the shoulder, saying, "Didn''t you mention that you''d like to travel to Hoenn in the future? When that timees, visit Verdanturf Town, and I''ll be sure to host you properly."


    Happily, Reggie agreed, "That''s a promise then!"


    "Deal!"


    The two of them exchanged smiles.


    The day after Yuga and Reggie returned to Veilstone City, Yuga said his goodbyes to Reggie and his grandfather, starting his journey back to Hoenn.


    As he traveled by car toward Jubilife City, passing through the imposing and rugged Mount Cor once again, Yuga couldn''t help but feel nostalgic.


    This visit to Sinnoh had been an eventful journey. He had encountered the Legendary Pok��mon Deoxys, teamed up with others to battle against the Legendary Pok��mon Latias, and witnessed the rise and fall of the Combee family. It had truly been a thrilling experience that made his heart race.


    Upon arriving in Jubilife City, Yuga didn''t stay for long and promptly boarded a flight back to Verdanturf Town.


    The speed of flights in the Pok��mon world was impressive, and in less than twenty-four hours, he traveled from one continent to another.


    Once hended, Yuga took a deep breath of the familiar air and admired the familiar scenery. He stretched outzily.


    "Caw, caw, caw! Finally back, dear. Let''s hurry to our lovely nest," Chatot chirped, pping its wings andnding on Yuga''s shoulder with a mischievous grin.


    Yuga brushed his shoulder, shooing Chatot away, and said, "That''s your love nest with your mate, not mine."


    With that said, Yuga walked in the direction of the YoYo Day Care.


    As if thinking of his miserable life as a father in the future, Chatot''s face copsed, and he flew over chasing Yuga.


    After being away for some time, Yuga noticed that nothing much had changed in the town. As he walked through the streets, uncles, aunties, grandparents, and other residents warmly greeted him.


    "Little Yuga, it seems like we haven''t seen you in days."


    "Hehe, I went on a trip, and I just got back."


    "Little Yuga, it''s been a few days. Here, have some fruits to take with you."


    "Thank you, Aunt Bess."


    ...


    The townsfolk didn''t have much recollection of the previously reclusive Yuga, but they were still very friendly to the diligent and kind-hearted young man they saw now.


    "Auntie, you''re bing more beautiful each day."


    "Oh my, this bird can really talk."


    "Uncle, it''s been a few days, and you''re growing more manly."


    "Hehe, really? I feel the same way."


    Along the way, anyone talking to Yuga was inevitably interrupted by Chatot''s incessant chatter. However, they all found themselvesughing heartily at the bird''s loquacious antics.


    When Yuga walked into the store, several customers were busy purchasing Pok��blocks, and Suzuki Koen, who was engrossed in counting, looked up to see Yuga''s arrival.


    "Boss, you''re back," Suzuki Koen greeted, setting aside his work.


    Chatot had disappeared as soon as Yuga entered the store, but Yuga paid it no mind. He approached the counter and asked Suzuki Koen, "How has business been while I was away?"


    Suzuki Koen smiled and replied, "Business has been excellent. We''ve been getting more customers, and sales of Pok��blocks have been steadily increasing with positive feedback."


    Suzuki Koen gave Yuga a brief overview of the shop''s performance during his absence. Suzuki Koen was indeed talented in sales and had ample experience. Under her management, the shop had thrived.


    After conversing with Suzuki Koen for a while, Yuga beamed and said, "You''ve done an excellent job during this time. You can continue with your tasks."


    With that, Yuga turned and headed upstairs. After continuous travel, he was starting to feel ufortable and needed a hot bath.


    After finishing his shower, Yuga came downstairs and was about to go to the Ecopark when he noticed Luna, holding her Swablu, standing in the store, lost in thought.


    The sound of Yugaing down the stairs caught her attention. Luna looked up, her eyes lighting up, and hurried over to Yuga. "Big Brother Yuga, you''re back!"


    "Why are you here? Is something the matter?" Yuga rubbed his still-damp hair, inquiring.


    Luna pouted upon hearing Yuga''s words and said, "Can''t Ie for no reason?"


    Yuga gave her a sidelong nce and said, "Based on your usual habits, you wouldn''te see me without a reason. Also, I''ve just returned, and you''re in such a hurry to run over! You certainly have a keen sense of timing."


    "I heard Aunt Bess spotted you on the street, and that''s why I came!" Luna replied while gently stroking her Swablu''s soft wings.


    "Alright, if you have something to say, just say it. I''m quite busy," Yuga waved his hand dismissively.


    "I... I want to participate in the school''s autumn wilderness training," Luna stammered.


    "School-organized training? Just go ahead and join. Why did youe running to tell me?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    "But... but my mom and dad both disagree!" Luna pouted, looking aggrieved.


    "Training is a good thing, isn''t it? Why don''t your parents approve?" Yuga inquired. Then, something struck him, and he asked, "You''re talking about wilderness training? Which wilderness?"


    "It''s... it''s... Petalburg Woods..."


    "What?!! Petalburg Woods?!" Yuga couldn''t help but exim loudly before quickly lowering his voice. "Not the Petalburg Woods I know, right?"


    Luna nodded silently, confirming that it was indeed the same Petalburg Woods Yuga was thinking of.


    "So, your parents don''t agree, and you want me to plead on your behalf?" Yuga asked, feeling helpless.


    Luna remained silent and nodded.

 Chapter 240: New Life

    <h4>Chapter 240: New Life</h4>


    Yuga sighed in resignation and said, "I won''t go and plead for you. That ce isn''t suitable for kids like you to undergo training."


    Petalburg Woods was thergest forest in the Hoenn region, slightly smaller in size than the Hoenn Great Desert. Ity within the epassing areas of Verdanturf Town, Oldale Town, Petalburg City, and even Rustboro City, with its edges bordering Routes 104, 102, 103, and 116. It was an expansive region.


    It was one of thergest wild Pok��mon ecosystems in Hoenn, and the dangers inside were well-known. Even most professional Trainers hesitated to venture too deeply into its depths, let alone a group of kids who hadn''t even graduated from Trainer School.


    "Why not?" Luna protested unhappily.


    "Why not? You tell me," Yuga retorted irritably, "Don''t you know who your teacher is? They made such an unreliable decision!"


    "But the teacher said we''d only be active on the outskirts, not deep inside," Luna grumbled, stomping her foot.


    "Even the outskirts are no good! Do you think you''ve be something special just because you have a Swablu?" Yuga scolded her.


    Luna clutched her head, her eyes teary as she red at Yuga, and then she dashed out of the YoYo Day Care.


    Shaking his head, Yuga entered the Ecopark. Upon entering, he contacted the system and had it activate the Flower Sea Sub-Park.


    While waiting, Yuga released all of his Pok��mon from their Pok�� Balls.


    The first one to notice Yuga''s return was Swellow the self-proimeddies'' man. The moment he saw Honchkrow appear, he rushed over to her as if he were a lightning bolt.


    Honchkrow nced at him lightly and flew up to a Weather Tree.


    Eevee found its buddies as soon as it came out and regaled them with tales of its journey through the Sinnoh region, garnering envious nces from its new friends.


    Nales and Houndoom emerged and immediately sought out a secluded spot to engage in some intimate bonding.


    The aloof and cool Absol, on the other hand, didn''t pay anyone any attention. It simplyid down beneath a Weather Tree and closed its eyes to rest.


    Chimecho, Vivillon, and Florges, Which is known calling themself the "Garden Sisters," came out and eagerly rushed to the garden to connect with nature.


    Except for Snox, once all the Pok��mon were released, Yuga released Unfezant as well and then took out its child from the system backpack.


    "Unfezant, I''ve ced your child here in the Ecopark. How does that sound? Stay here with your child until it''s born; this ce is absolutely safe."


    Unfezant nodded in response to Yuga''s words.


    Yuga brought Unfezant to the ce where the Pok��mon eggs were stored. It was then that he realized that Audino and Miltanks were also there. That exined why he hadn''t seen them before; he had assumed they were with the new shop.


    "Audino, Miltanks, I''m back!" Yuga joyfully eximed.


    Hearing Yuga''s voice, Audino and Miltanks turned their heads in surprise. Yuga saw that they were each cradling a small Pok��mon in their arms.


    The twenty Pok��mon eggs had hatched! Yuga was overjoyed.


    "Audino!"


    "Miltank!"


    Audino and Miltanks responded to Yuga one after the other.


    Excitedly, Yuga rushed over to inspect them. As expected, the twenty Pok��mon eggs that had been ced there earlier had disappeared, reced by twenty adorable baby Pok��mon.


    "Did these Pok��mon hatch while I was away?" Yuga asked Audino.


    "Audino!"


    Audino nodded.


    "Thank you, Audino. You''ve worked hard," Yuga said appreciatively.


    "Audino, Audino."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Audino shook its head, indicating that it didn''t find it troublesome at all and actually enjoyed taking care of the Pok��mon.


    "Miltanks, you''ve worked hard too," Yuga said to the Miltanks who were feeding the newborn Pok��mon.


    "Miltank."


    "Miltank."


    ...


    The Miltanks modestly shook their heads.


    After settling Unfezant''s child, Yuga examined the young Pok��mon before him: three Vulpix, three Houndour, two Ponyta, two Medidite, three Swablu, four Petilil, and three Scatterbug.


    Yuga felt a tinge of disappointment that he hadn''t hatched any of the Starter Pok��mon this time, but looking at these adorable baby Pok��mon in front of him, he realized that the variety of the Pok��mon wasn''t the most important thing.


    The newly born Pok��mon babies, who were curious about this "stranger" Yuga, gazed at him with wide eyes, showing no signs of shyness.


    It was the nearby Unfezant, which had remained silent the whole time, that observed these young Pok��mon with a maternal affection, likely because it had recently given birth, making its maternal instincts hard to suppress.


    Yuga could tell that during the days he was absent, not only had Audino taken excellent care of the Ecopark, but the newly born Pok��mon had also been well looked after. Audino had truly be a qualified caretaker of the YoYo Day Care.


    Yuga believed that after Audino''s further training with Joyna, it would be even more professional.


    However, Yuga had no intention of forcing it. Even though this opportunity was rare, he would respect Audino''s choice if it didn''t want to go.


    "Let''s have a good discussion, Audino," Yuga thought.


    Yuga yed with the young Pok��mon for a while alongside Audino, and then entrusted them to the Miltanks to take care of. He left the area.


    As for Unfezant, it had officially settled in the Weather Tree at the center of the Ecopark, guarding its child diligently. It needed to stay by its child''s side constantly.


    "Audino, you know about the Joy family, right?" Yuga asked Audino as he walked.


    "Audino!"


    Audino nodded its head. Yuga and Audino often studied breeding knowledge together, so they were familiar with this family that known for producing top breeders.


    "I''ve met a significant member of the Joy family. I''d like to send you there for some training. You know, they have the mostprehensive methods for training Audinos," Yuga continued.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Audino lowered its head without a sound.


    "Of course, I''m discussing this with you, and if you''re unwilling, I''ll respect your choice," Yuga added.


    "Audino!"


    Audino shook its head.


    "You don''t want to go?" Yuga was a bit disappointed. He hoped that Audino would seize this opportunity.


    "Audino!"


    Audino nodded its head this time.


    "You agreed?" Yuga asked, ted.


    Audino nodded its head again.


    Audino enjoyed taking care of the Pok��mon, so learning more about it was something it had no objections to. Its hesitation earlier was likely because, once it agreed to go for training, it would need to leave the YoYo Day Care for some time, and it was a bit reluctant.


    Today, just two Chapters. I''ll make up for the remaining ones tomorrow. I don''t have enough time to trante the remaining two Chapters now.

 Chapter 241: The Flower Sea and Vespiqueen

    <h4>Chapter 241: The Flower Sea and Vespiqueen</h4>


    Yuga and Audino discussed the matter of Audino''s uing journey for quite some time. Despite theirnguage barrier, they managed to understand each other.


    Apart from Audino''s reluctance to leave the YoYo Day Care, Yuga also felt attached to it. Since its arrival, Audino had been managing the Ecopark, creating Pok��blocks, taking care of the staff, and handling its own daily life. It had be an indispensable part of Yuga''s operations.


    Unbeknownst to both, Audino had seamlessly integrated itself into the YoYo Day Care.


    After their conversation, Yuga turned his gaze towards the direction of the Sub-Ecopark''s light gate.


    As expected, in the ce that originally had only two light gates, a new one had appeared, identical to the others.


    Without hesitation, Yuga stepped into the gate, finding himself on a hillside surrounded by colorful flowers. It was no wonder they called this ce the Flower Sea, given the spectacle thaty before him.


    Yuga followed the hillside upward for a while until he reached its peak, where he could overlook the entire expanse of the Flower Sea.


    At the summit of the hill was a serene spring, with crystal-clear water gently flowing out of it.


    Yuga leaned over the edge to peer into the seemingly bottomless spring. He carefully scooped a handful of water and tasted it, finding it remarkably sweet and refreshing.


    The spring water split into four streams, each flowing in a different direction, meandering and slow-moving. They perfectlyplemented the floral beauty of the Flower Sea.


    Although there was a diverse variety of flowers on the hillside, they were neatly arranged in concentric circles, spreading out in a sea of red, yellow, blue, white, and purple. Apart from the flowers, there was nothing else to be seen.


    This area in Yuga''s Ecopark was unique in that itcked berries trees, consisting solely of blooming flowers, truly living up to its name as the Flower Sea.


    Yuga took a deep breath, the delicate scent of the flowers filling his senses. Despite the abundance of blooms, their fragrance was not overwhelming; it was rather soothing, making one feel at ease.


    Surveying the various flower types, Yuga realized he didn''t recognize most of them. He had little knowledge about pRands, whether from his previous world or this Pok��mon world, so he couldn''t discern whether they were native to the Pok��mon world or brought in by the system.


    After some searching, Yuga finally identified a familiar flower among the multitude. This particr flower stood out because it was the only one with a circr arrangement of five different colors: red, yellow, blue, white, and orange.


    This flower, prior to evolving into Florges, had been possessed by both b��b�� and Floette. It was the Fairy Flower.


    Yuga spected that other flowers might be native to the Pok��mon world as well.


    Satisfied with his inspection of the Sub-Ecopark, Yuga released Vespiqueen from her Pok�� Ball and presented her with the environment.


    "This is my Ecopark. How do you find the surroundings?" Yuga asked Vespiqueen.


    Fluttering her wings, Vespiqueen took to the air and surveyed the breathtaking Flower Sea below. She replied, "It''s truly a beautiful ce."


    With that, Vespiqueen''s abdomen began releasing a continuous stream of Combees.


    "Combee!"


    "Combee!"


    "Combee!"


    ...


    The Combees happily danced among the flowers, resuming their honey-collecting work, creating a scene of prosperity.


    Seeing the Combees joyfully gathering honey, Vespiqueen couldn''t help but reveal a long-unseen smile. It was the first time Yuga had witnessed such a cheerful expression on her.


    Yuga smiled and said to Vespiqueen, "From now on, this ce is your home. You can live here safely without any danger."


    "Thank you, human," Vespiqueen sincerely expressed her gratitude.


    "No need to thank me. Anyway, this ce was vacant, so all I ask is that you share a bit of Sweet Honey with me," Yuga stated his requirement without pretense. He had brought Vespiqueen and her Combees here primarily for their Sweet Honey, and he saw no reason to feign generosity.


    Vespiqueen didn''t mind Yuga''s honesty; in fact, she appreciated it. Their Sweet Honey was in abundance, and sharing it with Yuga was of little consequence. Besides, Vespiqueen had alreadye to regard Yuga as one of her own kind.


    The Combees'' food source was ordinary flower nectar, and they didn''t require additional sustenance from Yuga. The Sweet Honey they produced was typically reserved for times of scarcity, such as during winter when food was scarce. Otherwise, they refrained from consuming it.


    Yuga''s Sub-Ecopark didn''t experience seasonal changes, so their stored food supplies were unlikely to be needed. Yuga foresaw that he would umte an increasing quantity of Sweet Honey in the future.


    Sweet Honey, much like Moomoo Milk, was highly nutritious and versatile, serving both as a culinary ingredient and aponent in crafting Pok��blocks. It was indeed a valuable resource.


    Yuga envisioned that, in the future, apart from Pok��blocks, the YoYo Day Care might also offer Sweet Honey as a product, which he believed would be well-received due to its rarity. In the Pok��mon world, there were no professional beekeepers like in Yuga''s previous world, so the Sweet Honey avable in the market was primarily sourced from the wild, making it rtively scarce.


    Compared to the brutish bee-like Pok��mon like Beedrill, Combees were evidently more skilled at honey collection, as indicated by their ability to collect Sweet Honey. Therefore, their Sweet Honey likely possessed a superior vor and would likely be more popr.


    Imagining countless Pok��dor beckoning him in the future due to the Sweet Honey, Yuga couldn''t help but let out augh.


    Observing Yuga''s ecstatic demeanor, Vespiqueen couldn''t help but ask, "Human, what''s gotten into you?"


    Vespiqueen''s voice sessfully snapped Yuga out of his daydream. He instinctively wiped the corner of his mouth and replied awkwardly, "Hehe, hehe... I''m fine, I''m fine. By the way, my name is Yuga. You can call me Yuga from now on. We''re family now."


    Vespiqueen nodded and said, "Alright, Yuga."


    "By the way, have you thought about how to rebuild your Amber City?" Yuga inquired after some thought.


    "For now, we''ve decided against it. Currently, the number of Combees is simply too small. The difficulty of building Amber City is too great. We''ll consider itter," Vespiqueen replied.


    Hearing her response, Yuga said, "Alright then. If there''s anything you need help with, feel free to let me know. I''ll do my best to assist you."


    "Understood. Thank you, Yuga."

 Chapter 242: A Transformative Evolution

    <h4>Chapter 242: A Transformative Evolution</h4>


    After leaving the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, Yuga headed to the Shallow Seashore. In addition to settling the Combees, the Magikarp and over a dozen Feebas also needed amodation.


    Before going to the Shallow Seashore, Yuga informed Florges and hispanions about the Flower Sea and encouraged them to visit. He believed that Florges and her Vivillon would appreciate the ce.


    Upon reaching the centralke on the ind in the Shallow Seashore, Yuga discovered that Greninja was not around; he wondered where it had gone.


    However, Tsareena, Bellossoms, and Cacturnes seemed to get along well. Although it was unclear if they truly liked each other, they coexisted harmoniously.


    The personalities of the Tsareena had changed significantly since their arrival in the Ecopark. They now exhibited a strong presence in their every action, disying her Queenly Majesty Ability.


    In a way, Greninja had done something beneficial, even though it hadn''t earned the Tsareena'' gratitude; instead, it had received theirpetitive spirit.


    Furthermore, the Tsareena had strong reservations about the witzer family.


    Yuga arrived at thekeside and released the blue potential Feebas into the water.


    Today, Yuga intended to see if this Feebas could evolve into a Milotic using the Prism Scale (In the game, this would require trade evolution, but this step has been omitted here).


    In terms of breeding, this Feebas was exceptionally well-cultivated and held a high level. However, it had not evolved.


    Despite spending time together, the Feebas had not fully epted Yuga, but they no longer rejected him either. Given their experience of being raised by humans from a young age, they did not inherently dislike humans.


    Yuga said to the Feebas in the water, "Feebas, today we''ll try to help you evolve."


    The Feebas did not react much to Yuga''s words, only staring at him with nk eyes while silently blowing bubbles.


    Knowing that the Feebas had likely lost hope after numerous failed evolution attempts under the care of the Magikarp family, Yuga wasn''t bothered by theirck of response. He understood the Feebas''s mindset; too many failures had gradually worn it down.


    Hoping for a sessful evolution that would give Feebas newfound hope and help Yugaplete his task, he silently prayed. From the system''s backpack, Yuga retrieved the radiant blue and multicolored Prism Scale.


    The moment Yuga presented the Prism Scale, the Feebas''s gaze was captivated. Something in its bloodline was telling it how much it desired that beautiful scale.


    The origin and purpose of Prism Scales in the Pok��mon world remained a mystery. Most people regarded them as mere ornaments.


    However, Prism Scales were scarce, rarely encountered in the wild. This scarcity led to ack of research about them.


    Yuga carefully handed the Prism Scale to the Feebas. The Feebas couldn''t wait and leaped out of the water, grabbing the Prism Scale in its mouth before returning to the water.


    As Yuga watched the Feebas remain motionless in the water, he wondered, Could I have been mistaken? Is there something wrong with the Feebas, or perhaps the evolution method is incorrect?


    Unbeknownst to Yuga, the Feebas''s blood was boiling, but its natural expressionless face and vacant gaze masked its internal excitement.


    Just as Yuga began to doubt the chances of sess, the Prism Scale held in the Feebas''s mouth suddenly emitted a bright white light. Slowly, it floated up and adhered to the Feebas''s neck.


    The radiant Prism Scale on the Feebas''s neck grew brighter and brighter until it enveloped the entire body. The Feebas''s form started to elongate, gradually bing more slender.


    "Milotic!"


    "Milotic!"


    As a soft chime rang out, the radiant white light enveloping the Feebas dissipated, revealing a graceful serpentine creature. Its body was predominantly a pale milky white color with pink fins and a rainbow-like fan-shaped tail.


    Milotic! Sess!


    At the moment Milotic appeared, Yuga received a notification from the system.


    [ Congrattions to the host forpleting the quest: ''A Transformation of Beauty.'' ]


    [ Quest Name: A Transformation of Beauty. ]


    [ Rewards: Universal Water-type Pok��block Form and Beauty Enhancement Pok��block Form. ]


    Fantastic! I''ve obtained two more Pok��block forms!


    "Milotic!"


    Milotic, staring at its reflection in the water, couldn''t believe that such a beautiful creature was now itself. It was momentarily captivated by its own appearance.


    "Milotic, congrattions!"


    Yuga''s words brought Milotic back to its senses. It looked at Yuga with gratitude and then gently nuzzled his cheek, signifying itsplete eptance of Yuga.


    Yuga reached out to touch Milotic''s cool skin. He found that apart from being slightly damp, its texture was remarkably simr to human skin, albeit more delicate and soft, apanied by an indescribable sensation.


    Furthermore, when he rested his forehead against Milotic, Yuga felt an overwhelming sense of calmness, as if a mystical power was soothing his soul.


    Indeed, Milotic possessed the power to calm conflicts, appease anger and hatred.


    Yuga opened his Insight skill.


    ...


    <<milotic>> </milotic>


    Type: Water


    Ability: Marvel Scale


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 48


    Moves: Water Gun, y Rough, Refresh, Disarming Voice, Aqua Ring, Whirlpool, Dragon Tail, Recover, Safeguard, Dragon Pulse.


    ...


    Yuga thought that this Feebas might actually be a descendant of a Dragon-type Pok��mon, considering it had inherited Dragon Pulse, a move notmonly passed down among Water-type Pok��mon.


    The most likely candidates were Kingdra''s family or the Goodra family, as they were the Water-type families that could inherit Dragon Pulse. Other Dragon-type Pok��mon were difficult to imagine as ancestors, making the breeding process rather puzzling.


    Having sessfully evolved into Milotic and received two Pok��block forms, Yuga was in high Pok��mon. He released the remaining ten Feebas and Magikarp.


    Yuga addressed the ten stunned Feebas, saying, "Take a look at who''s here."


    Upon seeing Milotic, the Feebas widened their eyes. Although they still appeared rather nk, their expressions couldn''t hide their astonishment.


    "I want to assure you that, just like it, you will evolve into beautiful Milotics in the future," Yuga confidently dered.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, the Feebas joyfully swam around in the water.


    Yuga turned to Milotic and said, "From now on, you''ll be their leader. Take good care of them, okay?"


    Milotic nodded, then led the ten Feebas into the depths of theke, disappearing from sight.

 Chapter 243: What Yuga Didn’t Know

    <h4>Chapter 243: What Yuga Didn''t Know</h4>


    Yuga couldn''t help but feel sorry for the lonely Magikarp standing to the side. He said, "Don''t worry, Magikarp. I will find out why you can''t evolve and help you solve the problem."


    "Magikarp"


    Magikarp opened its mouth and let out a cough.


    Yuga looked at its expressionless face and couldn''t quite understand what it meant. He continued, "Make sure you get along well with Feebas and Milotic, okay?"


    "Magikarp."


    This time, Magikarp nodded clearly and then submerged itself in the water, disappearing from view.


    "Is it impatient with me? I hadn''t finished speaking yet!"


    Yuga stared at the empty water surface, shaking his head.


    When Yuga left the Shallow Seashore, he extended an invitation to the Grass-type Pok��mon, including Tsareena. He hoped they would move to the Flower Sea and avoid constant battles with the witzer family in the Shallow Seashore.


    Originally, the Tsareena were opposed to the idea. The loyal followers of the Tsareena, Bellossom and Cacturne, also firmly supported their queen. However, when Yuga suggested that they visit the ce first and then make a decision, they reluctantly agreed.


    But after arriving at the Flower Sea, they just stayed there. Compared with the Shallow Seashore, the environment like the Flower Sea is more suitable for Grass-type Pok��mon to live in.


    The behavior of Tsareena and the others exemplified the "True Scent Law."


    Apart from the Tsareena, the Grovyles, Servines, Roselia, and other Pok��mon in the main Ecopark have also moved to the Flower Sea. The originally quiet Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark suddenly became lively.


    Among the main battle Pok��mon of Yuga, Vivillon dance gracefully in the midst of the flowers, Florges stands in the flower thicket with her eyes closed, as if contemting something, and Chimecho chases after other Pok��mon, ying and frolicking.


    The only exception was Absol, the cool and aloof male, who remained in the main Ecopark, unperturbed by the changes.


    Yuga found it somewhat strange that he hadn''t seen Linoone since he returned. Furthermore, Greninja, was nowhere to be found. He wondered where they had gone.


    "Does anyone know where Linoone and Greninja went?" Yuga asked the ying Pok��mon.


    Hearing Yuga''s voice, they paused their activities and exchanged puzzled nces before shaking their heads, indicating that they didn''t know.


    "Servine!"


    At that moment, a Servine came forward and let out a soft cry.


    "What does it mean?" Yuga turned to Vespiqueen and asked.


    "It says that Linoone and Greninja are in the Desert Sub-Ecopark," Vespiqueen replied.


    In the Desert Sub-Ecopark? What were they doing there? Could it be that Greninja went there?


    With these questions in mind, Yuga left the Flower Sea and made his way towards the Desert Sub-Ecopark, taking Snox with him.


    Upon arriving at the Desert Sub-Ecopark and standing in the oasis, Yuga could see the scattered golden sand dunes in the distance through theyers of berries trees.


    "Is there a fight going on? Who''s fighting whom? Are the Gligar fighting with the Flygon?" Yuga wondered aloud.


    He quickly released Snox and set off towards the direction of the flying sand.


    When he reached the scene, he didn''t see a single Gligar but found Greninja and Linoone teaming up against the the Great Flygon. However, they were being pushed back by the relentless assault.


    The desert was the natural habitat of the Flygon family, and considering that the the Great Flygon had much higher levels than Greninja and Linoone, they didn''t stand a chance even when working together.


    "Why are they fighting?" Yuga was utterly perplexed.


    Just as Yuga was about to intervene, the noisy chatter of Chatot suddenly rang out.


    "Darling, where are you going?"


    Yuga was startled by Chatot''s sudden appearance and asked, "When did you show up?"


    "Ah... I''ve been here the whole time, dear. You just don''t see me!" Chatot looked rather forlorn.


    Yuga ignored itpletely and proceeded towards Greninja, Linoone, and the Great Flygon.


    Chatot hurriedly stopped Yuga and eximed, "Hey, hey... my dear, are you trying to get yourself killed? Can''t you see they''re in the middle of an intense battle?"


    "You said they''re fighting intensely, so of course, I need to stop them!" Yuga replied urgently.


    "Stop them? What''s there to stop? They''re just sparring!" Chatot looked at Yuga as if he were aplete idiot.


    "Spar...ring?" Yuga asked in astonishment.


    Weren''t they the ones who never trained?


    Finally, through Chatot''s exnation, Yuga learned that Greninja had a habit of training with Linoone, Swellow, and the Great Flygon. He just hadn''t noticed it before.


    Even Audino asionally joined in.


    Yuga opened his Insight skill, and indeed, Linoone''s level had risen from 46 to 48, and Greninja''s level had gone from 47 to 49. Their strengths were indeed improving.


    Their levels were rtively high, and increasing by 2 levels in such a short time was quite an achievement.


    However, the level of the Great Flygon remained unchanged at 59, and it was tough to advance further, as it was nearing the level of a pseudo-Elite Pok��mon, which was no easy feat.


    "When did they start doing this? Why didn''t I know?" Yuga asked.


    "Hehe, they said it started when Greninja arrived," Chatot replied with a mischievous smile, as if mocking Yuga''s ipetence as a trainer.


    Yuga realized that ever since Greninja had arrived, the Great Flygon spent less time on the shop''s roof, and Linoone''s naps at the front door were less frequent. Sometimes, they even seemed out of breath. It was all because they were training with Greninja.


    Yuga didn''t mind Chatot''s taunting because, strictly speaking, Yuga wasn''t their trainer, so he didn''t see anything wrong with their training.


    Since it was just sparring, Yuga had nothing to worry about. He looked down at Chatot, who was all smug, and said, "What are you so proud of, with your stagnant power? Maybe you should learn from Greninja and the others."


    With that, Yuga turned and left, leaving Chatot stomping its feet in frustration.


    As Yuga passed through the main Ecopark, he took a nce at Swellow and Audino and noticed that Swellow''s level had indeed increased from 47 to 49. Even Audino had gained one level since their first meeting, now reaching level 59, on par with the Great Flygon.


    Yuga thought to himself, "It seems that Chatot wasn''t lying."


    Yuga had never been very strict with the powerful Pok��mon in the garden because, in strict terms, he wasn''t their trainer. They were often much older than Yuga and had more experience and wisdom, so Yuga allowed them to arrange their lives as they saw fit.


    However, now it seemed that they had apetitive spirit, especially Greninja, whose arrival had brought a new atmosphere to the Ecopark.

 Chapter 244: Young Elite Preparatory Camp

    <h4>Chapter 244: Young Elite Preparatory Camp</h4>


    On the second day after returning, Yuga transferred Audino to Gardenia.


    Audino didn''t object to Yuga''s request to be stored in a Pok�� Ball because it understood that this was necessary for using trade machine.


    The reason Yuga sent Audino away so quickly was to ensure a swift return. On the day Audino left, around noon, Yuga and the others found themselves collectively starving. At that time, Audino had already prepared lunch, but Yuga hadpletely forgotten that Audino was gone.


    The days without Audino felt particrly challenging for Yuga. With no one to apany him in learning about nurturing Pok��mon, he had to rely on Misaki forpany.


    The workload for making Pok��blocks had significantly increased, especially with the addition of Water-type Pok��blocks, making it more demanding than ever.


    By the way, Yuga named these Water-type Pok��blocks "Rippling."


    As for the Pok��blocks that enhanced beauty, Yuga couldn''t release them to the public yet, so he had to make them himself.


    Fortunately, the Miltanks were always with Audino, taking care of the Pok��mon in the Ecopark, so Yuga didn''t have to worry about that aspect. Otherwise, he would have been overwhelmed.


    Yuga wasn''t the only one struggling to adapt; the residents of YoYo''s Day Care also faced difficulties, particrly in the matter of eating.


    After Audino left, the role of the head chef fell back to Yuga, the owner. Although Yuga''s dishes weren''t terrible, they paled inparison to Audino'' culinary skills.


    It took the residents of YoYo''s Day Care nearly five days to gradually adjust to this new situation.


    One day, Yuga was sitting in front of the shop, lost in thought, when he suddenly saw Rand passing by. Yuga called out to him.


    "Rand, are you heading to school?"


    Rand nodded.


    "Did your teacher mention that you need to participate in wilderness training?"


    Rand nodded again, replying, "Yes."


    "Are you going to attend?" Yuga continued.


    "I want to, but Dad won''t allow it!"


    After hearing Rand''s response, Yuga inquired, "Is this training mandatory, or is it voluntary?"


    "It''s voluntary."


    Yuga nodded after hearing this.


    The school teacher''s choice of Petalburg Woods for wilderness training seemed rather odd. Given that it was voluntary, not many parents would agree to let their children participate.


    After some contemtion, Yuga couldn''t figure out what to do, so he set the matter aside for the time being.


    In the afternoon, Yuga finally seeded in creating Pok��blocks that enhanced beauty.


    Yuga thought for a moment and decided that although he couldn''t sell them in his store yet, he could give some to Robert to try out. These items would be a boon for Coordinators like him.


    With that in mind, Yuga called Robert.


    "What''s up? Howe you, the busy bee, have time to call me?" Robert''s voice came from the other end of the phone quickly.


    Yuga chuckled and said, "Look at how you''re talking; I can''t even make a phone call to you without scheduling it!"


    "Alright, what''s the matter? You wouldn''t call me without a reason!" Robert''s tone was one of someone who knew Yuga well.


    Yuga replied with some irritation, "You really don''t know how to appreciate things. I''m calling to offer you a little bonus!"


    "A bonus? What kind of bonus?" Robert asked in confusion.


    "I''ve developed a new type of Pok��block. Although I''m not nning to sell it publicly right now, considering our friendship, I''ll send you some to try out."


    Yuga couldn''t reveal that he obtained the Pok��block form from the system, so he imed to have developed it himself.


    "A new Pok��block? It won''t have any side effects, will it? Or are you trying to make me a guinea pig?" Robert asked with a hint of suspicion.


    Robert wasn''t genuinely suspicious. Judging by the high-quality Pok��blocks introduced by YoYo''s Day Care, he knew that Yuga''stest creation was far from ordinary.


    Yuga didn''t pay much attention to Robert''s doubt and said, "I''ll send you some first for testing. Hey, know the benefits beforeing to me, and it''s ''pay after delivery''!"


    "You still want money?" Robert joked.


    "Of course, not even a cent less!"


    After discussing business, Yuga and Robert chatted for a while, and Yuga unintentionally mentioned the strange behavior at Luna''s school.


    Upon hearing this, Robert paused for a moment and exined, "What you''re describing might be the selection for the League''s Young Elite Preparatory Camp."


    "Young Elite Preparatory Camp? What''s that?" Yuga asked in amazement, as if he had never heard of such a thing.


    "It''s not surprising that you don''t know. It''s a secret program, a talent development initiative by the League."


    "Talent development program?"


    "Yes, even though the League is a unified organization, when you introduce regional divisions,petition arises. This talent development program aims to enhance thepetitiveness of each region within the League."


    "The selection this time targets children under ten, regardless of their status or background, and it''s open to all students in Trainer Schools. They don''t inform the candidates they''re undergoing selection to gauge their determination."


    "But they''re so young; why focus on their determination..." Yuga found their approach a bit strange.


    "You see, many prodigies show their uniqueness at a young age. Like my senior..."


    "Alright, alright..."


    Interrupting Robert, Yuga had to admit that some prodigies were indeed exceptional.


    "Is this selection dangerous?"


    "It should be safe; the selection locations are not particrly perilous. Moreover, the League has assigned elite Trainers to apany them. It''s unlikely there will be any danger since the participants are all children."


    "In that case, should I let Luna go? She seems really eager." Yuga was unsure of what to do.


    Robert chuckled and said, "That depends on your choice. It''s said that children selected for the preparatory camp will receive a free, promising starter Pok��mon."


    "Such great perks?" Yuga was astonished.


    "Of course, it''s a talent development program. You need to invest to nurture talent. I rmend you let Luna try it; opportunities like these are rare, perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime chance."


    "I still need to think about it. Mainly, I''ll discuss it with my aunt and uncle; I can''t make the decision alone."


    In the end, Yuga believed that it was better to leave the decision-making authority regarding Luna to her parents, with himself as a reference.


    "Remember, this is confidential information. Don''t disclose too much to others! I''ve made a special exception to tell you, so you should be thankful!"


    "I know, I know. You think I should be grateful for sharing some good stuff with me? You act like I''m asking you for money. I won''t bother you anymore; think about it yourself."


    With that, Robert hung up, leaving Yuga alone with his thoughts.

 Chapter 245: Searching for the Magikarp’s Query

    <h4>Chapter 245: Searching for the Magikarp''s Query</h4>


    After ending his call with Robert, Yuga pondered for a long time. Eventually, he decided to inform his aunt and uncle about the Young Elite Preparatory Camp. So, in the evening, Yuga went to his aunt''s house.


    Around the table, Yuga, his aunt, and uncle sat together.


    After hearing Yuga''s exnation about the preparatory camp, there was a prolonged silence. Finally, his aunt was the first to break it.


    "Let her go."


    "But..."


    His uncle appeared worried and was about to say something when his aunt interrupted.


    "As Yuga mentioned, there''s not much danger involved. If she wants to go, why not let her?"


    "While that may be true, what if..."


    His uncle still seemed a bit concerned.


    "Since she wants to be a Trainer, situations like these are inevitable sooner orter. Under these circumstances, it might even be better."


    After hearing his aunt''s words, his uncle didn''t oppose further and sat silently.


    And so, it was decided that Luna would participate in the preparatory camp selection.


    To be honest, Yuga had initially expected more resistance from his aunt and uncle.


    His uncle was the youngest son in the family, and Luna was born rtivelyte, making her the youngest on that side of the family. From a young age, she was adored by her grandparents, uncles, and aunts.


    In Yuga''s family, her parents also spoiled her. While she hadn''t turned into a spoiled child due to the excessive attention, she did have a rather strong personality.


    Typically, characters like her wouldn''t survive past the third Chapter in novels. Yuga thought that his aunt and uncle would object more strongly.


    After leaving his aunt''s house, Yuga made a quick visit to Rand''s home. He believed it was best to inform Rand about the preparatory camp.


    In terms of family circumstances, Rand''s family wasparatively less well-off. If he could sessfully enter the preparatory camp, he would be able to utilize the League''s resources for better growth and reduce the burden on Uncle Kate.


    Upon learning about the preparatory camp, Rand didn''t hesitate and decided to participate in the selection. This time, Uncle Kate didn''t oppose him.


    Unlike Yuga''s aunt and uncle, Uncle Kate had always respected Rand''s choices. His earlier refusal was mainly because the Petalburg Woods was too dangerous for children. Now that he knew elite Trainers from the League would apany them, there was no reason to object.


    Yuga wasn''t surprised by Rand''s decision. Despite his young age, Rand always knew what he wanted and which path he should take. Given this excellent opportunity, there was no reason for him not to participate.


    The following day, Yuga brought his Magikarp to the Pok��mon Center. He wanted Nurse Joy to help identify the problem preventing Magikarp from evolving.


    After a thorough examination, Nurse Joy pushed Magikarp''s Pok�� Ball out of the examination room and addressed Yuga, saying, "Overall, this Magikarp is very healthy, and its vital signs are active."


    "So why can''t it evolve?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    Nurse Joy organized her thoughts and exined, "A Pok��mon''s evolution urs when certain life conditions are met, triggering the evolution factors within them, leading to a transformation into a new form."


    Yuga nodded in understanding, given that he had been studying as a Pok��mon Breeder for quite some time.


    "But the activity level of evolution factors within different Pok��mon varies. Some have very active factors, while others are more stable, as exemplified by Caterpie and Magikarp," Nurse Joy continued to exin.


    "If we were to express it numerically, Caterpie''s evolution factor has a very high value, while Magikarp''s is exceptionally low. In fact, the evolution factor in your Magikarp is probably the lowest I''ve ever seen in any Pok��mon."


    Nurse Joy then shrugged her shoulders, expressing her frustration.


    "Why is it like this? Can you identify the cause behind this low level of evolution factors within it?" Yuga asked eagerly.


    "I''m sorry, but we can''t determine that here," Nurse Joy said apologetically.


    Yuga retrieved Magikarp''s Pok�� Ball, thanked Nurse Joy, and prepared to leave the Pok��mon Center.


    "I guess I''ll need to find a time to let Robert take a look," Yuga thought to himself.


    The Grand Festival of the Hoenn Pok��mon Contest was approaching, and Robert was actively preparing for it. Yuga didn''t want to disrupt him during this busy time, which is why he had held off on asking Robert about Magikarp.


    "Recently, the mastermind behind the Mauville City train incident was sighted in Lilycove City and pursued by the Elite Four Member, Drake. Currently, she has fled Hoenn, and her whereabouts are unknown. We urge all citizens to contact the local police if you have any information."


    As Yuga was turning to leave the Pok��mon Center, a news report began ying in the lobby, apanied by a photograph on the screen.


    "She''s left Hoenn? Could she be headed to Sinnoh?" Yuga wondered.


    He remembered from the original story that Hunter J had first appeared in Sinnoh, though she wasn''t as down-and-out as she appeared now, being chased by Elite Four Trainers.


    But, in a way, it was a good thing. She was a real troublemaker, and Yuga considered her something of an enemy. Seeing her not doing well put his mind at ease.


    After leaving the Pok��mon Center, Yuga pushed aside thoughts of Hunter J and focused on the issue with Magikarp.


    ording to Nurse Joy''s exnation, the reason why Magikarp cannot evolve is due to the stability of the evolution factors within its body. Does this mean that by activating these evolution factors, Magikarp can sessfully evolve?


    As he walked, Yuga thought about this, not even noticing when his neighbors greeted him on the street.


    Yuga was also curious about why Magikarp''s evolution factors are so stable.


    The mostmon item for suppressing a Pok��mon''s evolution factors was the Everstone. However, Magikarp definitely wasn''t holding one; Yuga had carefully checked multiple times.


    He had even gone as far as to suspect that Magikarp might have swallowed an Everstone, so he contacted Unfezant, who performed a full-body scan using psychic powers to confirm that Magikarp hadn''t ingested such an item.


    Could it be gic? Yuga wasn''t well-versed in gics, but ording to Nurse Joy''s examination, Magikarp didn''t seem to have fewer evolution factors than other Pok��mon��its issuey in their extreme stability.


    Suddenly, Yuga thought about Evolutionary Stones, the mostmon items used to activate a Pok��mon''s evolution factors. Many Pok��mon had stable evolution factors and required Evolutionary Stones to trigger their evolutions, like Vulpix, Growlithe, Shellder, and Staryu, among others.


    Of course, Evolutionary Stones didn''t just activate a Pok��mon''s evolution factors; their primary role was to provide the energy needed for evolution.


    Although there was no precedent for using a Water Stone to evolve Magikarp, who could say it wouldn''t work?


    With this thought in mind, Yuga quickened his pace, eager to return to the store and test his hypothesis.

 Chapter 246: Attemp

    <h4>Chapter 246: Attemp</h4>


    Hastily returning to the store, Yuga found Suzuki Koen and inquired, "Sister Koen, have you sold the batch of Water Stones I gave you some time ago?"


    "Not yet, why do you need them?" Suzuki Koen replied, puzzled.


    Evolutionary Stones, althoughmon in the world of Pok��mon, were still rtively rare items since they were only used by a limited number of Pok��mon. Given the quantity Yuga had provided, there were still some left in stock.


    "I need some of them. Can you give me a portion?" Yuga asked urgently.


    Suzuki Koen, still perplexed, opened the counter beneath which Pok��blocks were stored and retrieved a few Water Stones. She handed them to Yuga and asked, "Is this enough?"


    "Yes, that should suffice. If not, I''lle back. I have something to attend to," Yuga replied as he turned and left, leaving Suzuki Koen baffled by his request.


    Leaving the shop, Yuga headed to the Ecopark and released his Magikarp into the main Ecopark''s stream. He held the Water Stones in his hand, staring at the Magikarp blowing bubbles in the water, only to realize he hadn''t thought through how to use the Water Stones. Did they need to be ingested?


    Yuga spent some time gesturing with the Water Stones near Magikarp''s body but couldn''t figure out how to activate them. Magikarp showed no response, unlike other Pok��mon like Slowpoke or Staryu that evolved by simply holding the appropriate stone.


    Perhaps they needed to be consumed. With this thought, Yuga considered the possibility that grinding the Water Stone into a powder and adding it to an Pok��block might work. He wondered if this process could lead to gallstones in Magikarp, a risk he had to consider.


    Realizing this, Yuga told Magikarp, "Stay here and y with the Mudkip and Marshtomp. I''m going to find a way to help you evolve."


    The Mudkip and Marshtomp, although water-type Pok��mon like Magikarp, didn''t seem to enjoy seawater or the deepke on the ind. They preferred the small stream in the main Ecopark.


    Magikarp nodded gently, wagging its tail, and swam towards the Mudkip and Marshtomp, who weed it with open fins.


    Leaving the stream, Yuga began experimenting with how to incorporate the Water Stones into the continuous production of Pok��blocks.


    The materials in the Pok��block recipe interacted with each other, and any addition or subtraction of ingredients could disrupt the final product. Yuga needed to be careful.


    The primary ingredients for the Pok��blocks were Kelpsy Berry and Sitrus Berry, both rich in water-type energy and appealing to water-type Pok��mon.


    Maintaining a delicate bnce, Yuga had to ensure that the energy from the Water Stones would blend seamlessly with the existing materials, without disrupting the harmony and causing the Pok��blocks to fail.


    The challenge was to find another material that could fuse with the energy from the Water Stones without shing with the Kelpsy Berry, Sitrus Berry, or the auxiliary ingredients.


    Yuga initially experimented with fire-type berries, including Tomato Berry, Spelon Berry, Lansat Berry, and Haban Berry, hoping to neutralize the Water Stones'' energy. However, these attempts all ended in failure. The added fire-type energy shed with the existing materials, resulting in a messy, inedible mixture.


    Yuga then considered materials rich in water-type energy, simr to Kelpsy Berry and Sitrus Berry, such as Bluk Berry and Rowap Berry. He aimed to blend this energy with that of the Water Stones to create a harmonious fusion. Yet, these attempts also ended in disaster, causing conflicts among the ingredients.


    Staring at the remnants of various failed experiments, Yuga felt discouraged. The challenge of altering the recipe for Pok��blocks, even by a slight margin, was proving to be far moreplex than he had initially thought.


    Indeed, the path of a Breeder was fraught with difficulties, and every step of research came with its own set of obstacles. While Yuga didn''t mind the waste of berries, he couldn''t help but cringe at the idea of squandering precious Water Stones in pursuit of a solution.


    Nheless, Yuga knew that such setbacks were an integral part of research. To achieve progress, sacrifices were inevitable.


    He sighed and pondered, wondering from which angle he should approach this problem. Indeed, the life of a Breeder was filled with challenges, and every advancement came with its own share of hurdles.


    After several failed attempts, Yuga decided to consult relevant materials, such as "The Key to Water-Type Energy Fusion," "ssification of Water-Type Energy," "Analysis of Kelpsy Berry Energy," and "Characteristics of Water Stones."


    While perusing these documents, he stumbled upon a book titled "Variations in Water-Type Energy," which surprisingly discussed the characteristics of Ice-Type energy.


    Yuga suddenly had an idea. Ice-Type materials might work better than Water-Type ones. These two energy types were closely rted, and he hoped they could provide a breakthrough. Moreover, Ice-Type energy was known for its lower activity and greater stabilitypared to Water-Type energy.


    Within his Ecopark, he had ess tomon Ice-Type berries such as Yache Berry, Chesto Berry, and Aspear Berry, with Chesto Berry and Aspear Berry being the most abundant.


    Instead of immediately attempting to create Pok��blocks, Yuga extracted the essences of these three berries using an extractor. He then ced these extracts into separate test tubes and added Water Stone powder to each one to observe their reactions.


    The moment Water Stone powder entered the test tube containing Yache Berry'' essence, a violent reaction urred. The liquid inside the test tube began to boil and rapidly turned from light blue to murky ck. Precipitates formed quickly.


    It was evident that Yache Berry were unsuitable for blending with Water Stone energy.


    In contrast, the extracts of Chesto Berry and Aspear Berry exhibited no strong reactions; they remained clear and transparent. The Frostapple extract shifted from deep blue to light blue, while the Icicle Pear extract changed from pale yellow to indigo.


    Next, Yuga repeated the process with Kelpsy Berry and Sitrus Berry, extracting their essences.


    He cautiouslybined a drop of the deep blue Kelpsy Berry extract with a drop of the light blue Sitrus Berry extract, creating a fusion that went smoothly. He then separated this mixture into two portions, adding them individually to the extracts of Chesto Berry and Aspear Berry.


    The process went smoothly; neither Chesto Berry nor Aspear Berry exhibited significant reactions. The fusion with the Kelpsy Berry and Sitrus Berry extracts became clear.


    Now, both test tubes contained fusion extracts of deep blue color, appearing identical.


    This promising result delighted Yuga. It indicated a high likelihood of sess in his experiment.


    The final step involved adding various auxiliary materials'' extracts and powders. Fortunately, the process went smoothly without any major issues.


    However, when Yuga added thest auxiliary material, Vigor Powder, to the Frostapple extract, the liquid within the test tube started to churn violently. White smoke emerged, and the previously clear blue liquid rapidly transformed into an unappealing brown. Eventually, it solidified.


    Another failure with Chesto Berry, but fortunately, Aspear Berry remained sessful.

 Chapter 247: The training of Florges and the Grass-type Pokémon

    <h4>Chapter 247: The training of Florges and the Grass-type Pok��mon</h4>


    In this experiment, Yuga used a smaller amount of extract, which helped save a considerable amount of berry, as well as Water Stone powder.


    After sessfully testing the extracts, Yuga proceeded to attempt making Pok��blocks. This time, to his relief, he seeded in creating an Pok��block.


    The newly created Pok��block remained blue, albeit slightly darker than the original pale blue of the Extender. Its effects, however, were still uncertain.


    Yuga took one of the cubes and tasted it. Perhaps due to the slightly sour taste of the Chesto Berry, Sitrus Berry, and Kelpsy Berry, the improved Pok��block had a remarkably sour vor. It masked the faint bitterness that was originally present in the Extender.


    Although Yuga felt as if his teeth might dissolve from the sourness, he didn''t experience any adverse effects. On the contrary, he felt quite satiated.


    Yuga believed that the Pok��blocks he produced should be safe to feed to the Magikarp, even if they didn''t promote evolution. He decided to let the Magikarp consume them for a while.


    One morning, as Yuga checked the Trainer Shop in his system, he was delighted to discover a rare purple item amidst the usual white-bordered items. It turned out to be a Quality Evolution Potion.


    Yuga recalled having previously obtained Quality Evolution Potions, but those had been blue items. This was his first time encountering a purple item, indicating it might be used to evolve Green-Quality Pok��mon into Blue-Quality.


    Yuga exchanged this Quality Evolution Potion and found it to be indistinguishable from the previous ones. However, upon inquiry with the system, it indeed served the purpose Yuga had guessed �C evolving Green-Quality Pok��mon.


    Without hesitation, Yuga decided to use it on his Chimecho, who had the lowest quality among his main battle Pok��mon.


    With excitement, Yuga went to his Ecopark and located Chimecho in the Flower Sea, where he administered the Quality Potion to her.


    Chimecho, having already experienced this once, recognized the Potion and consumed it eagerly.


    After she had ingested the Potion, Yuga activated his discerning eye.


    ...


    <>


    Type: Psychic


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Levitate


    Quality: Blue


    Level: 30


    Moves: Psychic, Gravity, Heal Pulse, Heal Bell, Synchronoise, Safeguard, Shadow Ball, Uproar.


    ...


    Indeed, Chimecho''s quality had shifted from Green to Blue, and she had also awakened four new abilities.


    Among Yuga''s four main battle Pok��mon, Chimecho was the only one he had not pushed to learn new skills. His training focus had been on developing her Gravity ability and mastering Heal Pulse and Heal Bell.


    Even her previous sole attacking skill, Psychic, had only been trained as a byproduct of enhancing her mental strength.


    This was because Chimecho had always been positioned as a dedicated support Pok��mon and had performed exceptionally well in that role. Unexpectedly, with this evolution, she had gained three new offensive abilities.


    Yuga suddenly considered the possibility of expanding Chimecho''s role to include dealing damage, while her support capabilities remained unchanged.


    Feeling the changes in her body, Chimecho was ecstatic and couldn''t resist trying out her newly awakened skill, Uproar. Her enthusiastic demonstration forced Yuga to cover his ears.


    Allowing Chimecho to familiarize herself with her newly awakened skills, Yuga ventured into the flowerbeds and found Florgres.


    Not only Florgres but also all the Grass-type Pok��mon in the Ecopark had gathered around her in a circr formation, enclosing Florgres at the center. Tsareena, Bellossom, Cacturne, Grovyle, Servine, and even Roselia, not a single one was missing.


    Within the flowerbed, Florgres was employing her Grassy Terrain, enveloping all the Grass-types, while the Pok��mon sat on the ground with their eyes closed, seemingly in deep contemtion.


    The Grass-type energy within the Grassy Terrain continuously resonated with these Grass-type Pok��mon. Yuga could clearly sense that the Grass-types were gradually establishing a unique connection with Florgres through this process.


    Over time, green tendrils of energy from the Grassy Terrain began to extend and move, eventually wrapping around all the Grass-type Pok��mon. Contrary to difort, the Pok��mon wore expressions of enjoyment.


    Yuga observed all of this silently, without uttering a word.


    As time passed, Yuga noticed that not only the Grass-type Pok��mon but also the entire Flower Sea was establishing a connection with Florgres.


    While Florgres''s Grassy Terrain covered only a small area, epassing the Grass-type Pok��mon, it seemed like the heart of the entire Flower Sea, pulsating with powerful energy.


    With every heartbeat of the Grassy Terrain, Yuga could see the nts swaying their leaves and blossoms in a synchronized manner, emitting numerous white energy particles that merged into the Grassy Terrain.


    The Grassy Terrain periodically released green waves that spread across the surrounding Flower Sea, invigorating the nts even more.


    It was as if there was an energy exchange happening between the Flower Sea and Florgres''s Grassy Terrain, simr to the rtionship between blood and the heart in a human body.


    Ever since the opening of the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, Florgres and the Grass-type Pok��mon had embarked on this unique training method.


    Yuga couldn''tprehend the principles behind it, but he was sure that Florgres and the Grass-types were reaping tremendous benefits from it.


    Yuga believed that this distinctive training method would bring significant changes to Florgres and the Grass-types, and he simply needed to observe quietly.


    Unable to resist his curiosity, Yuga used his discerning eye to observe Florgres''s situation.


    ...


    <>


    Type: Fairy


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Flower Veil


    Quality: Blue


    Level: 48


    Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Fairy Wind, Safeguard, Magical Leaf, Moonst, Misty Terrain, Grassy Terrain, Flower Shield, Petal Dance, Petal Blizzard.


    ...


    Yes, that was indeed level 48. Yuga distinctly remembered that when he checked her with his discerning eye before going to the Sinnoh Region, her level was 36. Now, it had increased by a whopping 12 levels.


    Yuga often used his discerning eye to monitor the level changes of his main Pok��mon. However, recently, with the departure of Audino, he had been quite preupied and hadn''t paid much attention. At least, since returning from the Sinnoh region, he hadn''t checked.


    When he finally did, he was astonished by the significant growth in Florgres''s level. This had surpassed Absol, who had been the highest level Pok��mon until now. Yuga couldn''t determine if this was due to the new training method or something that urred during the forest''s offering; he simply didn''t know.

 Chapter 248: Enchanted Honey

    <h4>Chapter 248: Enchanted Honey</h4>


    In addition to the level change, Yuga also noticed that Florgres had gained two new Grass-type moves, Petal Dance and Petal Blizzard.


    She was certainly making great progress on her path within the Grass-type domain.


    Florgres had acquired this new training method, which filled Yuga with anticipation. He looked forward to seeing the results of Florgres''s training with the Grass-type Pok��mon in the future.


    Speaking of which, Florgres was originally a Fairy-type Pok��mon, yet she had be a master of Grass-types. Did that count as straying from her original purpose?


    Florgres and the Grass-type Pok��mon were taking their training seriously. Yuga observed them for a while, afraid to disturb their focus, and quietly left.


    In recent times, Yuga hadn''t been able to participate much in Vivillon''s training because she had been following Vespiqueen to learn.


    However, Vivillon wasn''t learning new moves or battle techniques.


    Although Vivillon shared the Bug-type attribute with Vespiqueen, their individual differences were substantial. Their strengths and skills were entirely distinct, and Vivillon couldn''t directly copy her abilities.


    Furthermore, even though Vespiqueen was close to the status of a pseudo-Elite Pok��mon, her level wasn''t solely raised through her own battles. Her constant residence within the hive meant that she had limitedbat experience.


    Vivillon''s training with Vespiqueen focused on the utilization and conversion of Bug-type and Flying-type energy, as well as oveing the weaknesses of Bug-type Pok��mon.


    The weaknesses of Bug-type Pok��mon were ringly obvious: they had fragile vitality, low defense, and insufficient attack power.


    While Vivillon could enhance her attack power with Quiver Dance andpensate for low defense with her speed, addressing the issue of weak vitality was more challenging.


    Vitality directly impacted a Pok��mon''s stamina, which in turn affected their ability to engage in prolonged battles.


    Vespiqueen was a long-lived species among Bug-types, partially due to her lineage. However, ording to her, she had her own secret for bolstering her vitality.


    Vespiqueen exined that what people typically referred to as "Sweet Honey" was produced by Combees. There was, however, a type of honey known as "Enchanted Honey," and only Vespiqueen could produce it.


    Creating this honey had stringent requirements and demanded a wide variety of nectars. The forest where Vespiqueens originally livedcked sufficient types of flowers to produce Enchanted Honey.


    Yet, the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark was abundant with diverse flower species, fully capable of meeting the requirements for Enchanted Honey production.


    ording to Vespiqueen, this type of honey had no significant effect on other Pok��mon or humans, distinguishing it from Sweet Honey. Its only distinctiony in its superior taste. However, for Bug-type Pok��mon, it was a sacred substance.


    Feeding on Enchanted Honey for an extended period gradually enhanced the constitution of Bug-type Pok��mon and increased their vitality.


    However, only Vespiqueen possessed the capability to brew this honey, and its production volume was extremely limited, ounting for just one-tenth of the production of regr Sweet Honey.


    So, mass-producing this Enchanted Honey is impossible.


    Yuga thought that this Enchanted Honey was somewhat simr to the Royal Jelly from his previous life but had unique effects that Royal Jellycked.


    As a butterfly Pok��mon, Vivillon naturally had the habit of feeding on flower nectar, but she didn''t possess the ability to produce honey like bees. Therefore, Vivillon wasn''t learning how to make honey by following Vespiqueen.


    She was serving as an assistant to Vespiqueen.


    Although Vivillon couldn''t produce honey, she had the unique ability to collect nectar and ssify it urately based on her Compound Eyes ability. This saved Vespiqueen a lot of effort.


    In return, Vespiqueen taught Vivillon how to utilize her Bug-type and Flying-type powers to process the nectar.


    Vespiqueen possessed special techniques for handling the powers due to her long history of honey production (referring to regr Sweet Honey). These techniques weren''t particrly suitable for battles, but they helped Vivillon better understand the characteristics of Bug-type and Flying-type powers. This was what they referred to as "learning by analogy."


    Moreover, Vespiqueen would reward Vivillon by sharing the Enchanted Honey she produced, allowing her to enjoy the benefits of this special honey.


    Yuga was quite intrigued by this honey. Unfortunately, Vespiqueen had very limited reserves, and Yuga had only tasted it once. The taste was indeed exquisite, sweet but not cloying, with a delightful fragrance.


    Yuga wanted to understand how it worked, but Vespiqueen regretfully told him that there was no extra Enchanted Honey for him to try. So, Yuga had to give up on that.


    Since Vivillon and Florgres''s training didn''t require his involvement, Yuga focused his Pok��mon training efforts on Absol.


    Until Florgres gained her special abilities, Absol had always been Yuga''s strongest Pok��mon. He had developed his Future Sight ability sessfully, and now Yuga was considering how to further unlock his potential.


    Absol''s ability was Pressure, which in the games (Yuga had a certain level of understanding even though he hadn''t yed games in his past life) reduced the PP of an opponent''s moves. In reality, the effect was creating pressure on the opponent, making them more susceptible to fatigue.


    So, Yuga recently increased Absol''s battle training, having him engage in battles with the Pok��mon in the Ecopark continually. He often had multiple Pok��mon attacking Absol simultaneously, particrly Flygons and Gligars.


    Yuga frequently divided these Pok��mon into several groups and had them take turns attacking Absol. The goal was for Absol to ovee them, thereby continuously improving his imposing presence.


    There was a significant difference in the demeanor of a Pok��mon that lived a carefree life and one that had battled extensively. This was why people often said that battle-hardened soldiers possessed an intimidating presence.


    Initially, Absol found it very challenging to cope with simultaneous attacks from multiple Pok��mon and rarely had a chance to win. However, he had gradually started to hold his ground in these battles.


    Such training not only helped unlock Absol''s Pressure ability but also served as practice for his existing Future Sight ability.


    Through numerous battles, Absol became more adept at sensing attacks from all directions, allowing him to find effective responses, whether it was evasion, defense, or counterattacks. This made Absol moreposed on the battlefield.


    Furthermore, Absol was now eligible to join the training sessions with Greninja, Linoone, and the others in their free time. They would often gather to spar and learn from each other.

 Chapter 249: Changes in the Feebas

    <h4>Chapter 249: Changes in the Feebas</h4>


    In the blink of an eye, it was the day for Luna and Rand to participate in the preparatory camp selection, and Yuga went to the Trainer School in Verdanturf Town to see them off.


    This was Yuga''s first visit to the Trainer School in Verdanturf Town.


    However, unbeknownst to him, there weren''t many children willing to participate in this wilderness training. In the entire school, there were only about a dozen students. It looked a bit deste, but the teacher leading the group didn''t seem to mind.


    In a way, Luna and Rand had taken a backdoor route to get here; otherwise, they wouldn''t have been among those selected for this opportunity.


    Yuga didn''t have much advice to give to the two young trainers. He could only tell them to stick together during their journey, helping each other out as much as possible.


    Yuga had initially considered whether he should provide them with a few strong Pok��mon for protection, but after careful consideration, he decided against it. Using powerful Pok��mon might inadvertently lead to usations of cheating.


    After bidding farewell to Luna and Rand, Yuga returned to the Pok��mon Day Care. Suzuki Koen was in the shop, handling customer payments. Since they had introduced the Water-type Upgrade Pok��blocks, business at the YoYo Day Care had be even more prosperous.


    Besides the Beauty Enhancement Pok��block, Yuga now had four types of Pok��block forms. The shop sold three of them, and it was these three Pok��blocks that had significantly boosted the Day Care''s business. The sess had even spilled over to the new shop.


    Yuga believed that as long as he continued his efforts, he would eventually collect forms for Pok��blocks of all attributes.


    At that moment, Yuga received an unexpected call from Robert.


    "Yuga, the Pok��blocks you gave me are incredible!"


    The excitement in Robert''s voice was immediately evident as soon as Yuga answered the call.


    Listening to Robert''s enthusiastic tone, Yuga was pleased and said, "I hope you appreciate my efforts! You''re the only one using these new Pok��blocks."


    Robert excitedly replied, "Of course, I do! I''m so grateful to you. From now on, please send them to me regrly. I''ll pay you the full amount."


    Since consuming the Pok��blocks Yuga had provided, Robert''s Pok��mon had undergone significant changes in their vitality. For instance, his Milotic seemed to emit a constant radiant glow, and its beautiful scales sparkled like crystals.


    Seeing the remarkable transformations in his Pok��mon, Robert was amazed. He felt that with these Pok��blocks, he would certainly make a great impression at the uing grand festival.


    "All right, but keep in mind that these Pok��blocks are quite a bit more expensive than regr ones. Be prepared for the cost," Yuga reminded him.


    Robert wasn''t concerned about the cost. He wasn''t short of money. He agreed happily.


    After the call with Robert, Yuga was reminded of his Feebas and Milotic, so he decided to pay a visit to the Ecological Park.


    Since creating the Beauty Enhancement Pok��blocks and the improved Water-type Upgrade Pok��blocks, Yuga had given them to his Feebas and Milotic.


    On his way to the park, Yuga considered that perhaps he should give the Beauty Enhancement Pok��blocks a proper name. Calling them that all the time felt a bit awkward.


    On the way, Yuga felt that perhaps he should give a name to the Pok��blocks that enhance beauty. Otherwise, it sounded quite cumbersome to keep calling them that way.


    Yuga contemted and came up with a name for the Beauty Enchanted Pok��block. He thought about how people in his previous life used "Beautification" for photo filters, so calling it "Beautie" seemed appropriate, creating a nice parallel.


    However, it''s important to note that the Beauty Enchanted Pok��block was different from traditional beauty effects. It didn''t just change a Pok��mon''s appearance; it genuinely benefited their health and well-being.


    Therefore, the name "Beautie" for the Beauty Enchanted Pok��block was casually chosen.


    Upon arriving at the ind''s center on Shallow Seashore Beach, he coincidentally found Greninja there. Ever since Tsareena and the others moved away to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, the area near Lake Center had be quite deste, and the witzer didn''t visit anymore.


    The Pok��mon living at theke''s bottom, such as Milotic, Feebas, and Magikarp, didn''t have much interaction with Greninja, which made Yuga feel like Greninja might be a bit lonely.


    "Hey, Greninja!"


    Yuga called out to Greninja, who was meditating on a tree branch. Greninja slowly opened its eyes and nodded at Yuga.


    Yuga couldn''t help but appreciate Greninja''s ninja-like demeanor. It was always elusive, silent, and diligent in its efforts to improve its strength, much like Absol.


    After watching Greninja close its eyes again, Yuga sighed and went to theke''s edge. He called out to Milotic, and as he did so, bubbles suddenly appeared on the surface. A long, slender body emerged from the water �C it was Milotic.


    After Milotic emerged, the Feebas, one by one, floated to the surface, revealing their fluffy gray heads.


    Yuga reached out and touched Milotic''s extended head, then crouched down to look at the Feebas in the water. He noticed that Magikarp was among them.


    Just as Robert had mentioned, the beauty effect was indeed remarkable. At first nce, the Feebas didn''t appear to have changed much and still had their characteristic gray, puffy appearance. However, the more you looked, the more you realized they were different from ordinary Feebas.


    It was somewhat like the difference between freshly cleaned window ss and one that hadn''t been cleaned for a while. They might look the same from a distance, but up close, the distinction was clear.


    Moreover, the Feebas'' spirits seemed different as well. Previously, they had silently stayed submerged, asionally blowing bubbles. Now, they were full of vitality, swimming around energetically in the water. The only thing that hadn''t changed was their dead fish eyes.


    Yuga believed that with patient nurturing, all ten Feebas would surely evolve into Milotic sessfully.


    On the other hand, the Magikarp, which had been consuming the Improved Pok��blocks for a while, didn''t appear to have changed at all. It still looked the same, and Yuga couldn''t discern if the improved Pok��blocks had any effect. He''d have to wait for further observation.


    After inspecting the Feebas, Yuga recalled Magikarp into its Pok�� Ball and decided to take it to the Pok��mon Center again, where Nurse Joy could examine it further to see if there were any changes in its evolution factors.


    Upon arriving at the Pok��mon Center and undergoing a thorough examination, Nurse Joy came back with a report and approached Yuga, saying, "The evolution factors have indeed shown some changes. Take a look!"


    She showed Yuga the graph depicting the changes in Magikarp'' evolution factors.


    "During this period, Magikarp'' evolution factors did be more active, but gradually they stabilized, as if they were repressed by something."


    "Repressed? By what?"


    Yuga was quite puzzled. There shouldn''t be anything unusual in Magikarp'' body. He had brought it for examination several times, and nothing out of the ordinary had been found.

 Chapter 250: Solidad

    <h4>Chapter 250: Solidad</h4>


    "I suspect there''s something within Magikarp that suppresses its evolution factors, and this something may be difficult to detect with machines," Nurse Joy spected as she reviewed Magikarp'' examination results.


    Leaving the Pok��mon Center with Magikarp, Yuga thought to himself: Based on Nurse Joy''s findings, the Improved Pok��block did have an effect on Magikarp, but it seemed to be counteracted by something else.


    What could that something be? Even Nurse Joy couldn''t identify it.


    Unable to figure out the reason, Yuga decided to put Magikarp aside for now. However, he still nned to continue giving it the improved Pok��blocks. Even if the effect was minimal, it was better than doing nothing.


    Yuga also considered that since Nurse Joy had confirmed the effectiveness of the improved Pok��block, perhaps he could sell it in his shop as a special Pok��block. This could be a significant boon for trainers looking to raise Magikarp, as the Magikarp family had struggled to evolve for many years �C a task he had now achieved effortlessly, thanks in part to the system''s assistance.


    If the improved Pok��block, which was suitable for all Water-type Pok��mon, could promote the evolution of other Water-types, it might prove beneficial. However, the improved Pok��block required high-cost materials like Water Stones, so if it were sold in stores, the price would likely be rtively high.


    Yuga decided to discuss this further with Suzuki Koen.


    When Yuga returned to the Day Care, he saw that Arata Sena hade to the old shop and was sitting there, talking to Suzuki Koen. Curious, Yuga asked, "Why did youe here?"


    Arata Sena saw Yuga return and stood up, letting out a sigh. She replied, "Boss, you''re finally back."


    "What''s got you sighing like that?"


    Seeing Arata Sena like this, Yuga was puzzled. Arata Sena had changed significantly since his arrival at the Day Care. He was now capable of handling business matters efficiently, so he wondered what was troubling him.


    Arata Sena answered, "A customer came to the new shop, and she insisted on seeing you. No matter how I tried to exin, she wouldn''t leave."


    A customer who wanted to see him?


    "Alright, let''s go see her."


    With that, Yuga gestured for Arata Sena to lead the way to the new shop. He wondered why the customer was so insistent on meeting him.


    On the way there, Yuga asked Arata Sena, "Do you know the reason she wants to see me?"


    "I think it''s rted to buying Pok��mon," Arata Sena replied uncertainly, "but she doesn''t seem interested in the yellow-quality Pok��mon in the new shop."


    That likely meant she was interested in Gligar, uncher, or Trapinch, Yuga thought.


    Upon entering the shop, Yuga saw a young woman with long pink hair sitting there, ying with a Pidgey. She looked to be about his age.


    Upon hearing Yuga and Arata Sena''s footsteps, the young woman stopped what she was doing and stood up.


    "Hello, I''m the owner here, Yuga," Yuga introduced himself first.


    The girl clearly knew Yuga and introduced herself naturally.


    "Hello, I''m called Solidad," she said.


    Yuga gestured towards the chair behind Solidad, inviting her to sit, and took a seat himself.


    In this situation, Yuga was always straightforward and asked, "May I know the reason why Miss Solidad insisted on meeting me?"


    "I want to buy an uncher," Solidad replied directly.


    Yuga pointed to the uncher Pok��mon Egg in the shop and said, "We don''t have uncher currently, but there are uncher Pok��mon Eggs in the store. Miss Solidad, you can rest assured and make your purchase."


    However, Solidad''s gaze didn''t focus on the Pok��mon Egg Yuga had pointed to. Instead, she smiled at him and said, "I think the shop owner should understand my intention."


    Of course, Yuga understood her intention. She wanted a green-quality uncher, but unfortunately, Yuga couldn''t agree to that.


    "I''m sorry, Miss Solidad, but if it''s what I''m thinking, you might be disappointed."


    Solidad likely anticipated that the process wouldn''t be straightforward and calmly responded, "I can ept a certain degree of markup."


    "It''s not about the money," Yuga replied. "It''s a matter of basic integrity."


    Solidad couldn''tprehend. Since YoYo Day Care had extra Pok��mon and she was willing to pay, why would they refuse?


    Seeing Solidad''s puzzled expression, Yuga continued, "We have a quota system for selling Pok��mon because we don''t have enough Pok��mon to meet the needs of all trainers."


    "But as far as I know, you should have extra unchers," Solidad said.


    "We do have some extra unchers, but not enough to meet the demands of all trainers, including you. Our quota system applies to all trainers, without exception," Yuga exined. "If I were to agree to your request today and word got out to other customers, what would we do? Where would our reputation stand? Reputation is the most important thing for a businessperson. Do you believe you''re so special that I should break such an important rule for you?"


    Yuga''s words sessfully silenced Solidad. After a while, she spoke, "But I genuinely came here to buy a Pok��mon. I traveled all the way from Kanto for this, just to purchase an uncher."


    "It''s not about whether the customer is sincere or not. While we appreciate your support for YoYo Day Care, we must adhere to our principles."


    Realizing that she couldn''t persuade Yuga, Solidad left the new shop with her Pidgey, feeling regretful.


    "You can always keep an eye on our website. Perhaps one day, we''ll open up more slots," Yuga said to her retreating figure.


    Solidad turned back, nodded at Yuga, and then disappeared into the crowd.


    Seeing Solidad leave empty-handed, Arata Sena felt a bit sympathetic and said to Yuga, "Boss, since she came all the way from Kanto, couldn''t we have sold her one?"


    Yuga replied seriously, "Even if she came from the moon, we must adhere to our established rules. We are businesspeople, and if we can''t even follow our own rules, it might be best to close shop."


    After Yuga left, Arata Sena nodded thoughtfully.

 Chapter 251: The Thunderstorm Near Verdant Town

    <h4>Chapter 251: The Thunderstorm Near Verdant Town</h4>


    After Solidad left the new shop, Yuga decided to stay and work on Pok��blocks with Misaki. Since Audino had left, Yuga and Misaki had taken on more responsibility, but the increased production of Pok��blocks had allowed Yuga to improve his skills significantly.


    As they worked, Yuga also shared the improved cotton weaving technique with Misaki, as he intended to put it up for sale in the shop.


    Watching the seamless coordination between Plusle and Minun, Yuga couldn''t help but feel a bit envious. So, he released his own Chimecho, hoping it would someday be as helpful as Plusle and Minun.


    While Yuga and Misaki were engrossed in discussing Pok��block production techniques, Plusle and Minun suddenly emitted unusual electrical currents.


    "Plusle, Minun, what''s going on with you two?" Yuga inquired.


    Plusle and Minun exchanged nces and then dashed out of the workshop. Yuga and Misaki found their behavior strange and hurriedly followed them.


    Plusle and Minun ran all the way to the front of the shop and stood there, hand in hand, gazing at the distant sky.


    Unable to resist their curiosity, Yuga and Misaki followed their gazes, looking up at the sky.


    In the southwest of Verdant Town, the sky had be overcast with thick, dark clouds that seemed as if they were about to descend upon the earth. Within those pitch-ck clouds, lightning flickered ominously, causing even Electric-type Pok��mon like Plusle and Minun to shudder.


    "What''s happening there? Is it going to rain?" Misaki asked.


    Yuga stared at the distant dark clouds and replied, "I don''t know."


    Not only Yuga and Misaki, but many of the town''s neighbors had alsoe out of their homes to observe the eerie thunderclouds in the distance.


    Electric-type Pok��mon kepting outdoors too, their bodies asionally sparking with electricity, much like Plusle and Minun.


    However, unlike the others, Yuga could vaguely make out a blurry figure stirring within the thunderclouds. Since his encounter with the Light of Life, his senses had be sharper, and he suspected that a powerful Pok��mon might be responsible for this phenomenon, possibly originating from the nearby Petalburg Woods to the southwest of Verdant Town.


    Could it have any connection to Luna and the others'' assessment there? Yuga wondered.


    He quickly shook his head, dismissing the idea. Luna and her group were inexperienced rookies; they couldn''t possibly provoke such a formidable Pok��mon.


    Yuga suspected that the Pok��mon within those thunderclouds might be even more potent than Joyna Latias, but due to the distance, he couldn''t discern its true identity.


    As the clouds continued to thicken, and the golden lightning grew brighter, Yuga noticed countless Magnemite, Maon, and Magnezone all flying towards the vicinity of the thunderclouds. They were drawn to it, seeminglypelled to approach, even though they were struck down by the lightning before they could get close.


    Observing the expanding thunderclouds, the residents of Verdant Town grew increasingly anxious, worrying that the storm might spread directly over the town. The sight of those clouds alone felt oppressive, and the prospect of a closer encounter was unsettling.


    Just then, Yuga suddenly saw an orange silhouette dive into the thunderclouds, causing the ck storm clouds to intensify their turbulence.


    Due to the incredible speed of the orange figure and the distance involved, Yuga couldn''t make out what it was, but he was certain it was a Pok��mon.


    The thick ck clouds, though, were imprable even to Yuga''s keen eyesight. He could only see the ck clouds churning like boiling water, asionally releasing bursts of golden lightning and sporadic blue shes.


    The Magnemite family, drawn to the clouds'' vicinity, were like bullets, shot down by the crackling lightning but quickly regrouping and approaching again, seeminglypelled by an unseen force.


    As the blue shes and golden lightning continued to intertwine, the gathered Magnemite, Maon, and Magnezone were suddenly suspended in mid-air as if something had taken hold of them. They involuntarily ascended into the sky and stopped near the thunderclouds.


    Following this, countless electric currents began emanating from the Magnemite family, flowing into the thunderclouds as if they were recharging a mysterious entity inside.


    When the flow of electric currents ceased, the Magnemite family dropped from the sky like dumplings.


    Absorbing the electrical energy from the Magnemite family, the ck thunderclouds turned progressively golden. A massive, sturdy golden lightning bolt pierced the entire cloud, and an orange silhouette was expelled from it, still moving at an incredible speed, too fast for Yuga to discern its true form.


    After the orange figure was expelled, the thunderclouds, glittering with golden lightning, suddenly burst open like a fireworks disy. The previously vague silhouette was now fully revealed.


    Zapdos!


    At this moment, not only Yuga but all the residents of Verdant Town witnessed the appearance of the "God of Thunder."


    "Squaa!"


    Zapdos in the sky let out a resounding cry, causing everyone in Verdant Town to instinctively cover their ears.


    The sound was incredibly prating, as if it could pierce through eardrums directly.


    While Yuga''s discerning eye couldn''t ascertain the legendary Pok��mon''s exact circumstances or its rtive strengthpared to other legendary Pok��mon, he was certain that Zapdos was far more powerful than Joyna''s Latias.


    Just based on its unparalleled mastery of lightning control, it outssed Latias by miles.


    If Latias had engaged in battle at the same level as Zapdos had once, Verdant Town would likely have been reduced to ruins under its electric rampage. However, Zapdos expertly contained all the lightning within the thunderclouds, causing no harm to the surrounding environment.


    Of course, the unfortunate victims were the Magnemite family.


    What intrigued Yuga even more was the orange figure that had challenged Zapdos. What kind of Pok��mon could it be? Could it also be a legendary Pok��mon?


    While it ultimately lost the battle, its power was undeniable, at least on par with Latias.

 Chapter 252: Exceptional Magnemites

    <h4>Chapter 252: Exceptional Magnemites</h4>


    After the resounding cry, Zapdos quietly hovered in mid-air, gently pping its wings, possibly recovering from the recent battle or simply resting.


    All the residents of Verdant Town watched in awe at this legendary Pok��mon that existed only in stories. Though they were too far away to see Zapdos''splete form, the waves of awe and the palpable sense of presence it emitted were undeniable.


    However, most of the townsfolk didn''t recognize Zapdos but were amazed at the sheer power and rarity of this Pok��mon.


    After remaining in the sky for a while, Zapdos spread its wings and flew toward the depths of Petalburg Woods. It disappeared from everyone''s sight within moments.


    "Boss, was that the legendary Pok��mon, Zapdos?" a stunned Misaki asked Yuga.


    As a breeder, Misaki clearly recognized this legendary Pok��mon.


    "That''s correct," Yuga nodded.


    "I can''t believe I got to see a Pok��mon like that in my lifetime," Misaki eximed with joy.


    Yuga thought to himself, "If the Hoenn plot didn''t go terribly awry, you might have witnessed the Creatiom Trio within your lifetime. However, you probably wouldn''t have been so thrilled then."


    Yuga sighed, knowing that after this incident, Petalburg Woods would likely be more crowded. The entire town would soon know that deep within the forest lived a Zapdos, especially considering the number of people who had witnessed it.


    As expected, about four or five dayster, Yuga could feel an increasing influx of peopleing and going in Verdant Town. It had suddenly be lively.


    Even using hismon sense, Yuga knew exactly why these people were here. After all, Verdant Town was one of the nearest towns to Petalburg City.


    While the increased foot traffic was undoubtedly good for Yuga, a businessman, he couldn''t help but worry about the intelligence of these neers. Did they really think they could challenge Zapdos with such a motley crew? Yuga suspected they might not even stand a chance against him, let alone Zapdos. Who gave them the audacity? Did the Pok��mon world have its own version of Lian Jingru?


    Nevertheless, Yuga had no interest in meddling in their affairs. He continued his business quietly, and surprisingly, business was booming, especially for the Pok��blocks.


    Yuga wasn''t concerned about these inexperienced trainers causing trouble in his territory. That''s because, in thest few days, Great Flygon had returned to his rooftop perch. Its massive form and imposing presence had a humbling effect on the trainers staying in the town.


    Furthermore, to prevent them from causing havoc in Verdant Town, Great Flygon circled the town at regr intervals, intimidating the temporarily residing trainers.


    Most of these trainers were independent and not affiliated with the Pok��mon League, often acting without proper decorum.


    However, since Great Flygon taught a few of them a lesson, the trainers in town had be much more well-behaved. They didn''t realize that this small town housed a formidable trainer like Yuga. Their actions had improved significantly, thanks to the awe-inspiring presence of Great Flygon.


    Unbeknownst to Yuga, he had inadvertently assumed the role of the Guardian Pok��mon of Verdant Town. This had earned him the gratitude and admiration of the town''s residents, and Yuga''s reputation in Verdant Town had silently grown significantly.


    Simultaneously, the news that the owner of the YoYo Day Care was a powerful trainer began circting among the trainermunity.


    Not only did independent trainers take notice, but even the Pok��mon League considered the appearance of Zapdos in Verdant Town to be a matter of significance. Their interesty not in battling Zapdos but in investigating the cause of its appearance.


    As a result, many forest rangers were deployed in the forests surrounding Verdant Town.


    On the sixth day after the Zapdos incident, Yuga saw Luna and Rand excitedly enter his store, with Luna leading the way.


    "Wee back! Has your wilderness training ended?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    However, upon reflection, it made sense that their training hade to a close after almost a week.


    "Yes, it has," Luna cheerfully replied. "Actually, we onlypleted half of our assessment when our teacher suddenly told us the assessment was over, and we were all qualified to enter the preparatory camp!"


    It seemed that the effects of the Zapdos incident had reached the outskirts of Petalburg Woods, resulting in the abrupt conclusion of the preparatory camp assessment.


    Yuga thought to himself, "Thankfully, each school had different assessment locations. If they were all like the group from Verdant Town, the preparatory camp selection process would have been futile."


    In the end, Verdant Town had only sent about ten participants in total. The Pok��mon League likely made this decision with the idea of having a few extras, not expecting much.


    Yuga had never thought Luna would make it through the assessment. The odds of her being selected weren''t high, but she had miraculously made it.


    "Enough about that. Look at what I''ve caught!" Luna eximed, taking out a Pok�� Ball and releasing a Pok��mon in front of Yuga.


    "A Magnemite?"


    "Yes, isn''t it adorable?" Luna said happily.


    The Magnemite floated calmly in mid-air with two mas revolving around it, asionally emitting tiny sparks of electricity.


    Well, Yuga thought, Magnemite could be considered cute in its own way.


    "Adorable, indeed," Yuga smiled.


    "Rand has one too! Come on, Rand, show your Magnemite to Big Bro Yuga!"


    Excitedly, Luna pulled Rand over and positioned him in front of Yuga.


    Following Luna''s prompt, Rand took out a Pok�� Ball and released an identical Magnemite.


    Rand had one too?


    Could it be a coincidence? Yuga wondered. Were these Magnemites the ones near the thunderclouds created by Zapdos?


    With these thoughts in mind, Yuga activated his Insight.


    ...


    <<magnemite>> </magnemite>


    Type: Electric/Steel


    Ability: Ma Pull


    Gender: Genderless


    Potential: Green


    Level: 24


    Moves: Tackle, Supersonic, Thunder Wave, Thunder Shock, Thunderbolt


    ...


    <<magnemite>> </magnemite>


    Type: Electric/Steel


    Ability: Sturdy


    Gender: Genderless


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 16


    Moves: Supersonic, Ma Bomb, Thunder Wave, Spark, Thunderbolt


    ...


    The first one belonged to Luna, and the second one to Rand.


    After reading the details, Yuga felt a bit baffled. Were high-potential Pok��mon like these somon now? Encountered casually in the wild? And two at once?


    Furthermore, both of these low-level Magnemites not only had a decent number of moves but also knew Thunderbolt, an advanced move. What was happening in this world?

 Chapter 253: The Gift of Grassy Terrain

    <h4>Chapter 253: The Gift of Grassy Terrain</h4>


    "Where did you two catch those Magnemites?" Yuga curiously inquired.


    Luna replied, "It was on our way back!"


    Rand nodded in agreement.


    It seemed like his hunch about those Magnemites was correct, Yuga thought.


    However, he couldn''t help but wonder why they had managed to capture two with such outstanding potential. Especially Rand''s Magnemite, which had a blue potential.


    Could it be a gift from Zapdos? Yuga remembered that Zapdos had utilized the electric currents of the Magnemites during its battle with the unidentified Pok��mon.


    Yuga asked the two youngsters, "Capturing these Magnemites must have been quite challenging, especially for you, Luna."


    Luna bashfully scratched her head and said with a grin, "Our teacher helped us with it!"


    Yuga shook his head with a smile, amazed at the fortunate turn of events for these two.


    Yuga thought, "Perhaps I should try my luck too if Zapdos really enhanced the potential of those Magnemites. Maybe I could capture a few talented ones."


    While Yuga was lost in thought, Luna tugged on his arm, saying, "Big Bro Yuga, what are you thinking? I''ve been calling you for ages, and you didn''t respond!"


    Snapping back to reality, Yuga apologized, "Oh, sorry, I was lost in thought. What did you say?"


    Luna pouted, "In a while, we''ll be leaving the Trainer School to go to the preparatory camp."


    "That''s great, isn''t it? In the preparatory camp, you can learn so much more and be a strong trainer!" Yuga smiled and ruffled Luna''s hair.


    Luna frowned, "But the camp is in Sootopolis City, and Mom said it''s far from Verdanturf Town."


    Yuga chuckled, "Don''t want to go? But you''re the one who wanted to participate in the selection process. Now''s not the time to back down."


    "I didn''t mean it that way!" Luna retorted, clearly annoyed by Yuga''s teasing.


    "Don''t worry, as long as you don''t give up, I won''t look down on you," Yuga teased.


    "I''m not talking to you anymore! Let''s go, Rand!"


    Seemingly embarrassed by Yuga''s teasing, Luna recalled her Magnemite into its Pok�� Ball and then ran out of the YoYo Day Care with Rand.


    Suzuki Koen watched Yuga''s interaction with Luna and said, "Why do you tease her like that? She''s a young girl, and her pride is easily hurt. She might stop talking to you."


    Yuga replied nonchaRandly, "You can rest assured about that. I can guarantee she''ll be back tomorrow, all cheerful and happy. You underestimate her resilience."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Suzuki Koen shook her head in resignation. Who would tease their own sister like this?


    After they left the store, Yuga headed to the Ecopark to check on Florges and her Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Lately, Florges and the Grass-type Pok��mon have been deeply immersed in their training. Whenever they have the time, they stay in the Flower Sea. Youga periodically visits them to check on their progress.


    Arriving at the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, as expected, Florges and the Grass-type Pok��mon are still engrossed in their intensive training. Even the recently born Petilil and Scatterbug gather near the Grassy Terrain but dare not step into the Grassy Terrain''s boundaries. Their young and delicate bodies cannot withstand such powerful Grass-type energy.


    Originally, the Grassy Terrain created by Florges looked like a beautiful green gem set within the Flower Sea.


    However, today, Yuga noticed something different from afar. This green gem seemed to have developed "speckles," making it appear far from beautiful. Those dark-green "speckles" marred the once wless emerald.


    Upon closer inspection, Yuga realized that these weren''t "speckles" at all but rather miniature Grassy Terrain embedded within therger Grassy Terrain.


    Bellossom, Servine, Grovyle, and Roselia��all of them had these small Grassy Terrain surrounding them, ovepping with Florges''srger Grassy Terrain.


    What was going on? As far as Yuga knew, the only Pok��mon in the Ecopark that could create Grassy Terrain naturally was Florges herself!


    Grassy Terrain, an auxiliary skill, was a rare and difficult skill to master. Few Pok��mon could naturally learn it. Otherwise, Gardenia wouldn''t have sought Yuga''s help to deal with Latias.


    But now, what was happening? Why had Bellossom, Grovyle, Servine, and Roselia all learned it?


    In theory, the final-stage evolution of Bellossom, indeed, shouldn''t have been able to learn Grassy Terrain!


    Also, weren''t Grovyle and Servine supposed to acquire it through breeding?


    Was this Florges''s new special ability? Just how many benefits did she gain from that incident?


    Fortunately, Pok��mon like Cacturne and Tsareena, which shouldn''t have had the chance to learn Grassy Terrain, appeared not to use it. Otherwise, Yuga felt his worldviews might shatter.


    After confirming with his Insight Skill, Yuga could see that all the Bellossom indeed had Grassy Terrain in their skill slots.


    Could Florges awaken abilities hidden deep within the Pok��mon''s genes? That would be incredibly powerful, even though it was limited to Grassy Terrain.


    Seeing how colorful and vibrant the Grass-type Pok��mon in the Ecopark had be after their recent training, Yuga wondered if the Grass-type Pok��mon were on the rise in the Ecopark.


    Yuga thought, "Oh dear, Florges, you''re not living up to your Fairy-type Pok��mon title."


    However, Yuga believed that after this miraculous encounter, Florges had achieved some degree of control over the Grassy Terrain energy.


    The vines that entwined around the Grass-type Pok��mon, helping them maintain their connection to the Grassy Terrain, were the best proof. This made Yuga believe that his initial spection regarding field skills was correct, but achieving this effect had demanding conditions.


    Originally, Yuga had wanted Florges to aplish it through her Misty Terrain skill. Unexpectedly, due to some twist of fate, it had been achieved through the Grass-type''s Grassy Terrain instead.


    After witnessing Florges and the Grass-type Pok��mon''s training going smoothly and yielding new results, Yuga prepared to leave the Sub-Ecopark.


    "Ah..."


    As Yuga was about to depart from the Ecopark, the Great Flygon suddenly flew in andnded in front of him.


    "What''s wrong, Flygon?" Yuga asked, noticing the dragonfly''s anxious demeanor.

 Chapter 254: The Appearance of a Pseudo-Legendary

    <h4>Chapter 254: The Appearance of a Pseudo-Legendary</h4>


    "Flygon..."


    Seeing that Yuga didn''t understand its intentions, The Great Flygon let out an anxious cry.


    "Flygon, what are you trying to convey?" Yuga was truly perplexed.


    Seeing Yuga''s bewildered expression, The Great Flygon decided to nudge him and carried him onto its back, then took off.


    The Great Flygon carried Yuga out of the Ecopark, ascended into the sky, and headed towards the outskirts of Verdanturf Town.


    At first, when The Great Flygon hastily flew out of the YoYo Day Care, the trainers in town assumed there was another troublemaker causing problems. It wasn''t until they saw The Great Flygon fly out of Verdanturf Town that they collectively breathed a sigh of relief.


    Yuga didn''t understand where The Great Flygon was taking him, but he knew it had to be urgent for it to be in such a hurry.


    The Great Flygon guided Yuga to a rocky area, then ced him on the ground and gestured for him to follow.


    "Flygon, where are we going?" Yuga was highly curious about why The Great Flygon had brought him here.


    "Flygon..."


    The Great Flygon turned its head and let out a cry, signaling for Yuga to follow.


    "Flygon..."


    Yuga followed The Great Flygon to the entrance of a cave, where The Great Flygon called out into the darkness.


    "Ah-woo!"


    Soon, a response echoed from inside the cave.


    There was a Pok��mon inside the cave! Yuga was surprised.


    After the response, The Great Flygon proceeded into the cave, and Yuga silently followed.


    The cave was incredibly spacious, and even with The Great Flygon''s massive size, there was no sense of crowding.


    The cave wasn''t deep, and after a short walk with The Great Flygon, they reached the end. In the shadows, a Pok��mon of equally massive size was revealed: a Dragonite.


    Upon seeing this Pok��mon, The Great Flygon instinctively lowered its body in a show of respect.


    With The Great Flygon no longer obstructing his view, Yuga could finally see the Dragonite clearly. It appeared to be muchrger than ordinary Dragonite.


    This Dragonite looked extremely weakened. Its skin was charred all over, as if it had been roasted by mes, making it impossible to discern its original color. Its eyes betrayed a profound weariness.


    When this Dragonite saw the human in front of it, its pupils constricted for a moment but quickly returned to calmness.


    It sensed the blessing of the Forest God emanating from the human before it. No Pok��mon would bear ill will towards the Forest God.


    "Ah-woo!"


    The Dragonite called out to The Great Flygon nearby.


    "Flygon..."


    The Great Flygon responded.


    Although Yuga couldn''t understand theirmunication, it was evident that they were exchanging information.


    During this moment, Yuga used his Insight ability to examine the Dragonite before him.


    ...


    <<dragonite>> </dragonite>


    Type: Dragon/Flying


    Ability: Multiscale


    Gender: Female


    Aptitude: Indigo


    Level: 89


    Moves: Wing Attack, Hurricane, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Leer, Thunder Wave, Dragon Twister, Dragon Rage, Agility, Dragon Tail, Aqua Tail, Dragon Rush, Dragon Dance, Outrage, Hyper Beam, Dragon w, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Hold Back, Stone Edge, Earthquake, methrower, methrower, Rock Lock, Steel Wing, Aura Sphere, Rock Slide, Dragon Wave, Iron Tail, Extreme Speed.


    ...


    Yuga didn''t know if Legendary Pok��mon had levels, but he believed this Dragonite couldn''t be far from being a Legendary Pok��mon.


    This Dragonite was much stronger than the Champion-level Lucario he had previously encountered. Its aptitude, level, and moves were all overwhelmingly superior.


    Yuga believed that if this Dragonite were to face the Latias they previously encountered, it might give Latias a tough battle. However, Yuga could clearly sense that the Dragonite''s life force was gradually diminishing, and its injuries seemed severe.


    After a brief exchange between The Great Flygon and the Dragonite, The Great Flygon nudged Yuga with its head.


    Yuga asked The Great Flygon, "Are you suggesting that I save this Dragonite?"


    The Great Flygon nodded in response. It had always known that its owner was a highly capable human. It believed that he could save this Dragonite, the king of Dragon-type Pok��mon.


    Yuga observed the Dragonite''s injuries and felt somewhat helpless. He had rushed out without Chimecho, Florges, or even any medicinal items. Moreover, he didn''t think that ordinary treatments would be effective for the Dragonite''s condition. The fact that an opponent had inflicted such injuries on such a formidable Dragonite hinted at the adversary''s immense power.


    Just then, Yuga noticed that golden electricity began to emanate from the Dragonite''s body, filling the cave. He was taken aback by the sudden change.


    From this electricity, Yuga sensed a profound pressure that left him struggling for breath.


    "Is the Pok��mon that battled Zapdos a few days ago you?" Yuga asked in astonishment.


    The weakened Dragonite nodded in response.


    Indeed, only a Legendary Pok��mon like Zapdos could have inflicted such injuries on this Dragonite. Only such a Pok��mon had the right to challenge Zapdos.


    Despite its defeat, it could take pride in the battle.


    However, what Yuga didn''t know was that the Dragonite hadn''t battled Zapdos to challenge it but for another reason.


    "I''m sorry, but I''m powerless to heal your injuries," Yuga said with regret in his tone.


    "Flygon..." The Great Flygon cried anxiously upon hearing Yuga''s words.


    The Dragonite itself had no significant reaction. It was well aware of the extent of its injuries. The electric energy left by Zapdos within its body was challenging to remove��it was the ower of a deity.


    The Dragonite shifted its wounded body slightly and gently ced a small, injured Pok��mon in front of Yuga.


    It was a Dratini!


    This Dratini, like the Dragonite, had suffered severe injuries, with its body covered in charred patches and its vitality The Greatly diminished.


    This must be the Dragonite''s offspring.


    Yuga asked the Dragonite, "Do you want me to save Dratini?"


    The Dragonite responded with a nod. Despite knowing that these injuries were challenging to heal, it hoped that the human before it, who had received the blessing of the Forest God, could help save its child.


    Yuga approached the Dratini, touched its body, and immediately felt a strong surge of electricity winding around his fingers, causing him to shudder involuntarily.


    Quickly retracting his hand, Yuga marveled at the power of Zapdos, even in the residual electricity. However, the injuries on the Dratini seemed less severe than those on the Dragonite. At least, Yuga didn''t sense the same overwhelming pressure that lingered around the Dragonite due to the residual Zapdos''s energy.

 Chapter 255: Spectral Celebi

    <h4>Chapter 255: Spectral Celebi</h4>


    "Dragonite, to save Dratini, I need to take it back home," Yuga said to the Dragonite.


    In a situation where he had nothing at his disposal, Yuga couldn''t do much.


    The Dragonite didn''t object and nodded in agreement. The reason it had sought help from The Great Flygon was because it had run out of options.


    Now, it couldn''t move, and it feared it would soon sumb to the constant drain of electricity from Zapdos''s thunder. If it perished, what would happen to its injured child? So, it chose to trust Yuga.


    Due to the electric currents surrounding Dratini, Yuga couldn''t make direct contact with it, so he returned Dratini to its Pok�� Ball.


    After securing Dratini, Yuga asked the Dragonite, "Dragonite, do you want toe with us?"


    Dragonite nodded. In its final moments, it wanted to be with its child.


    Since Dragonite was unable to move its body, with its consent, Yuga also recalled Dragonite into its Pok�� Ball.


    The Pok�� Ball containing Dragonite was a Heal Ball. While Yuga knew it wouldn''t have any effect on Dragonite''s injuries, he hoped it might provide somefort.


    Yuga swiftly rode on The Great Flygon and returned to YoYo Day Care, then entered the Ecopark.


    Once at the Ecopark, Yuga asked The Great Flygon to fetch Florges while he prepared some medicine and called for Chimecho.


    Once everything was ready, Yuga released both Dragonite and Dratini from their Pok�� Balls and said to Florges, "Florges, the Grassy Terrain, please."


    Florges nodded, and in an instant, Dragonite and Dratini were enveloped in a Grassy Terrain.


    The unique healing effect of Florges''s Grassy Terrain was surprisingly effective. Even Yuga hadn''t expected it to rapidly mend such severe injuries.


    Dragonite and Dratini''s injuries began to improve, especially Dratini, whose charred skin turned back to its light blue hue in the blink of an eye.


    Just when Yuga and the others were rejoicing, both Dragonite and Dratini suddenly emitted golden electric shes. Their once-recovered skin swiftly turned charred again, with flesh and skin cracking horribly, making it a gruesome sight.


    Witnessing this, Yuga hastily instructed Chimecho, "Chimecho, Heal Bell."


    "Chimecho, Chimecho!" Chimecho responded solemnly, and then a melodious chime rang out.


    At the same time, Yuga began applying more medicinal items to Dragonite and Dratini''s injuries.


    However, these efforts didn''t alleviate their injuries. Electricity continued to flicker all over their bodies.


    Seeing this, the Grass-type Pok��mon behind Florges reacted. Those capable of creating Grassy Terrains activated them to assist Florges, covering Dragonite and Dratini. They wanted to lend Florges a hand.


    But their actions seemed to anger the electric currents even more. They surged upward, then scattered in all directions, flinging Yuga, Florges, and their Pok��mon away.


    "How could this happen?" Yuga eximed as hey on the ground, shocked.


    Just then, the Weather Tree began to shimmer with a brilliant green light, and a green energy sphere flew out.


    "A Guardian Orb!" Yuga eximed.


    They watched as the Guardian Orb swiftly flew above Dragonite and Dratini, emitting beams of green light to counter the golden lightning.


    However, these golden lightning bolts seemed exceptionally tenacious, matching the Guardian Orb''s strength.


    As the Guardian Orb and golden electric currents battled fiercely, the injuries of both Dragonite and Dratini appeared to worsen, evident by the pain on their faces.


    It was as if the Guardian Orb sensed this issue. Suddenly, two green beams of light extended from it, wrapping around Yuga and Florges.


    Yuga, wrapped in the green light, felt something being drawn from his body. He witnessed a green sphere flying out from his body. Florges experienced the same, though her green sphere was muchrger than Yuga''s.


    These two green spheres simultaneously flew into the Guardian Orb and vanished. Then, the Guardian Orb radiated blinding light, forcing Yuga and Florges to involuntarily close their eyes.


    Once the light dissipated, they saw a green spectral figure hovering above the Guardian Orb.


    "Celebi!" Yuga couldn''t help but exim.


    Yuga was filled with confusion. Why was Celebi within the Guardian Orb? And what were those green spheres that had flown out of him and Florges?


    As soon as the spectral Celebi appeared, the golden electric currents seemed frightened. They attempted to retreat back into Dragonite and Dratini''s bodies, but Spectral Celebi didn''t allow it.


    Spectral Celebi extended its small hand, and the golden electric currents were drawn toward it, converging to form a shining golden sphere.


    After about a quarter of an hour, all the electric currents had vanished from Dragonite and Dratini''s bodies, while the golden sphere in Spectral Celebi''s hand had taken shape.


    Spectral Celebi held the golden sphere, then flew to hover over Dragonite and Dratini. It rapidly released green spheres toward them while flying in circles. Dragonite and Dratini''s injuries began to heal.


    The wounds on Dragonite, torn apart by the thunder, began to disappear, and its charred skin slowly peeled away, returning to its normal color in the blink of an eye.


    Once Dragonite and Dratini''s injuries were fully healed, Spectral Celebi tossed the golden sphere it held into Dratini''s body. It merged with Dratini, and then Spectral Celebi turned around, reaching into its own body and taking out two green spheres��onerge and one small. These were tossed into Yuga and Florges''s bodies. Yuga immediately felt something returning to him, although he couldn''t help but wonder if his green sphere had grown slightlyrger. It might have been a trick of the mind.


    Afterpleting these actions, Spectral Celebi dove into the Guardian Orb and disappeared as if it had never been there.


    The Guardian Orb emitted a faint glow, drifting slowly towards Dragonite, whoy unconscious on the ground. Dragonite''s front paws reached out, cradling the Guardian Orb in its embrace.

 Chapter 256: The Sleeping Dragon and the Awakened Dratini

    <h4>Chapter 256: The Sleeping Dragon and the Awakened Dratini</h4>


    What''s going on here? Why did the Guardian Orb fly into Dragonite''s hand?


    The expression on Yuga''s face was utterly bewildered.


    Then Yuga saw a faint green light on the Guardian Orb slowly spreading along Dragonite''s skin, gradually enveloping it.


    From the sudden appearance of Spectral Celebi to the light orbs floating out of him and Florges''s bodies, to the healing of Dragonite and Dratini, and finally the disappearance of Spectral Celebi��everything happened so suddenly that Yuga couldn''t make sense of it.


    Where did Spectral Celebie from? Does this mean that Spectral Celebi was the guardian deity of the Arus Empire? What about the green light orbs inside him and Florges''s bodies? Why could they summon Spectral Celebi? Does Florges''s special abilitye from these green light orbs? Then why didn''t Yuga gain any special abilities?


    Yuga was filled with questions, but Spectral Celebi had already disappeared, leaving him with no answers.


    Yuga approached Dragonite, squinting his eyes and peering at the Guardian Orb, but he couldn''t see anything.


    "Dratini, Dratini!"


    Just then, the unconscious Dratini opened its eyes and let out a gentle cry.


    "Dratini, you''re awake!" Yuga eximed joyfully.


    "Dratini, Dratini!"


    Dratini slowly swam over to Dragonite''s side and gazed at it with teary eyes.


    "Don''t worry, Dratini. Your mom will wake up soon. Look, her injuries are all healed!" Yugaforted Dratini in a soft voice.


    Yuga spected that Dragonite''s injuries might not havepletely healed yet and needed the nourishment of the Guardian Orb. After all, Dragonite''s injuries from before were extremely severe.


    "Dratini, Dratini."


    Dratini nodded, reassured by the peaceful expression on its mom''s face.


    Yuga carefully examined Dratini''s body once more to make sure it was truly unharmed. It appeared that Dratini had suffered much lighter injuriespared to Dragonite.


    Then, Yuga and the other Pok��mon worked together to carry Dragonite, who held the Guardian Orb, into the Sub-Ecopark. It wouldn''t be right to let Dragonite lie in the main Ecopark like this. Plus, if she had to remain in slumber, it was best to choose a beautiful environment for her rest.


    Looking at Dragonite, whoy asleep in the flowerbed, Yuga turned to Dratini and said, "Dratini, we don''t know when your mom will wake up. For now, you can live with us."


    "Dratini, Dratini."


    Dratini looked up at Yuga with its big, watery eyes, and even nuzzled Yuga''s leg with its head, looking incredibly adorable.


    Yuga gently picked up Dratini and activated his Insight ability.


    ...


    <<dratini>> </dratini>


    Type: Dragon


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Marvel Scale


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 38


    Moves: Thunder Wave, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Water Pulse, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Extreme Speed.


    ...


    This Dratini perfectly inherited its mother''s talents: a Indigo potential, a rare hidden ability, and even the Extreme Speed from its mother.


    During Dragonite''s battle with Zapdos, Yuga noticed that Dragonite excelled at using Ice-type moves. Dratini had also learned Ice-type moves smoothly, indicating that its Ice-type talent was exceptional.


    As for Dratini learning Thunderbolt and Thunder, which didn''t align with reality, Yuga suspected it was rted to the light orb thrown into its body by Spectral Celebi.


    After all, Dragonite itself couldn''t use Thunderbolt or Thunder.


    While the level requirement for Dratini to learn Thunderbolt and Thunder wasn''t high, mastering these moves in reality was quite challenging. Typically, Pok��mon learned these moves after evolving into Dragonair, and only with guidance, as Dratini''s body couldn''t easily handle such high-intensity electrical output.


    However, this Dratini had learned them, even without anyone teaching it, which made Yuga wonder if it was due to the light orb Spectral Celebi had tossed into it.


    Nevertheless, this was undoubtedly a good thing, so Yuga didn''t pay too much attention to it.


    Furthermore, Dratini''s level was higher than Yuga had initially imagined. Yuga had assumed it was just born, but it was already approaching level 40.


    With such exceptional talents, it would be challenging to find anywhere else. Even in the hands of a champion, it would be treated as a trump card.


    In time, this Dratini would undoubtedly be a powerful Dragonite, the second of its kind.


    But when Yuga considered it, if Dratini had just been born when in Zapdos''s possession, it would likely have perished.


    Without hesitation, Yuga decided to cultivate Dratini as his fifth main battling Pok��mon.


    As for the future when Dragonite awakened, and Dratini had to leave, Yuga didn''t even consider it. Pok��mon that came into his hands were not meant to be given up.


    Through Vespiqueen''s ount, Yuga learned why Dragonite and Zapdos had shed.


    Both Dragonite and Zapdos had long lived in the depths of the Petalburg Woods, each dominating their respective territories without interfering with each other.


    Dragonite''s territory was a deep forestke, where Dratini had lived since birth and never left.


    One day, while Dragonite was out hunting, Dratini sensed that the entireke had been covered in golden electric currents. Shortly after, it lost consciousness.


    When it woke up, it found itself flying high in the sky, held by Zapdos, while its mother chased after Zapdos relentlessly.


    As for why Zapdos had captured it, Dratini had no idea, and Dragonite probably didn''t know either.


    Like this, Dragonite and Zapdos engaged in both pursuit and battle, gradually flying out of the Petalburg Woods and eventually having a fierce confrontation not far from Verdanturf Town.


    The rest of the story, Yuga had witnessed: Dragonite, weakened and injured, somehow managed to reim its child.


    After suffering injuries, Dragonite persevered for several days until it realized it couldn''t hold on any longer. It had no choice but to seek help from the Great Flygon that happened to be patrolling near Verdanturf Town.


    Hearing the ount, Yuga was perplexed. Zapdos, a legendary Pok��mon, why would it bother capturing a Dratini, a Pok��mon of no significance to it? Perhaps it was due to hunger? But Yuga hadn''t heard of Zapdos having a taste for Dratini!


    The specific reasons, Yuga thought, only Zapdos itself knew.

 Chapter 257: Inside and Outside Verdanturf Town

    <h4>Chapter 257: Inside and Outside Verdanturf Town</h4>


    After experiencing such an eventful day with Dragonite, Yuga found himself a bit bewildered when he finally had time to think about it.


    The Pok��mon that had gathered around dispersed upon seeing that both Dragonite and Dratini were unharmed. Even Florges, with her littlepanions, returned to the Flower Sea to continue their "cultivation" journey.


    When Yuga left the Ecopark, he ced Dratini in the ind''s centralke at the Shallow Seashore, allowing it to live with Melotic and the others since Dratini originally came from ake. With Melotic''spany, it wouldn''t feel lonely.


    Passing by the main Ecopark, Yuga saw the Nales and Houndoom couple ying on the grass with newborn three Vulpix, three Houndour, and three Ponyta. They all got along harmoniously, appearing like one big happy family. Yuga couldn''t help but marvel; were the Nales and Houndoom adjusting to parenthood in advance?


    This made Yuga feel a bit sympathetic towards Swellow. While others were preparing for parenthood, it hadn''t even won over its partner yet.


    Recently, Swellow had be enthusiastic about recruiting underlings. Originally, it was just two Taillow and two Zubat, butter it expanded to include four Swablu from the main Ecopark. Even the three newly born Swablu had been convinced to join its ranks.


    It seemed like it was in the process of forming a birdmunity.


    The only ones it didn''t dare to touch were the Unfezant and its beloved, the Honchkrow.


    However, Yuga didn''t stop it because it did take these bird Pok��mon as its underlings and was genuinely teaching them. This saved Yuga a lot of trouble.


    Yuga nced at Swellow, who stood tall on a branch of the Weather Tree, giving orders to its underlings, and at Honchkrow, who watched with poise nearby, shaking his head.


    Thinking about Swellow, Yuga also thought about the Chatot, its partner, which stayed in the Ecopark guarding its offspring. It was dedicated to taking care of its Egg, while the Chatot seemed to be constantly flirting with others, whether male humans or male Pok��mon, behaving like a true phnderer.


    After bringing Dragonite back to the Ecopark, the excitement around the Zapdos incident didn''t die down as time passed. On the contrary, it escted further.


    Officer Jennyined to Yuga more than once upon seeing him. She mentioned that the security situation in Verdanturf Town was bing increasingly difficult to manage and requested Yuga''s assistance with the police station.


    Yuga''s strength had been evident to the entire Verdanturf Town during this period.


    Yuga thought it over and didn''t refuse for two reasons. First, he didn''t want the tranquility of Verdanturf Town to be disrupted. Second, he felt that it wouldn''t hurt to have Officer Jenny, who was the boss around here, owe him a favor.


    As a result, the daily patrol tasks of the Great Flygon became increasingly formal, and Linoone also joined in on the patrols. The two of them took charge of the sky andnd, respectively.


    Yuga didn''t reveal the existence of his other Pok��mon, as in this perilous world, it was essential to keep a few cards up his sleeve.


    While the town appeared peaceful, there were some undercurrents outside the small town. Not only were there wandering trainers, adventurers, but even Pok��mon poachers and members of evil organizations had been spotted.


    The forest rangers outside the town had encountered signs of huntings and traps several times in the forest, which weremon tactics used by Pok��mon poachers.


    In the world of Pok��mon, trainers typically engage in battles and defeat wild Pok��mon before capturing them. In contrast, hunters often employ advanced technology and weaponry, including illegal arms.


    However, the Pok��mon League had also increased its efforts. Many forest rangers and prosecutors were dispatched to the Petalburg Woods to investigate the reasons behind Zapdos''s appearance in Verdanturf Town.


    Yuga knew about this because a few days ago, Steven had visited and inquired about the situation regarding Zapdos''s appearance. Steven had revealed that he was one of the prosecutors assigned to the Petalburg Woods for investigation.


    Yuga was quite surprised that Steven had joined the league''s prosecutor team so quickly. Was this a step towards bing a Champion?


    However, Yuga didn''t have much to tell him. What he could reveal, Yuga knew, was already known to others. As for what he couldn''t reveal, he wouldn''t tell anyone. In the end, Steven left without any significant progress.


    Yuga didn''t expect the forest rangers and prosecutors from the league to uncover much. Even the victim, Dratini, had no idea why Zapdos had captured it and taken it out of the Petalburg Woods, not to mention others.


    Themotion outside brought a significant influx of people to Verdanturf Town. Yuga''s Pok��blocks sold offline saw sales doublepared to usual, making him quite a bit of money.


    However, the increased business also meant that Yuga was busier than usual. Almost every day, he had to work alongside Misaki to produce Pok��blocks.


    Yuga''s newly improved the Extender had also been sessfullyunched. However, these specialized Pok��blocks didn''t have many offline customers; most of them were ordered online. After all, few people ventured outdoors with a Magikarp.


    Nevertheless, these Pok��blocks were in high demand. The power of Gyarados was well-known, and Magikarp was an extremelymon Pok��mon. With these Pok��blocks, the cost of raising a Gyarados significantly decreased.


    Even Robert, upon learning about these Pok��blocks, decided to raise a Magikarp and pre-ordered Pok��blocks.


    Regardless of the turmoil outside, Yuga remained quietly conducting his business in Verdanturf Town. The town had mysteriously be a resupply station for those from the outside world.


    But as all things muste to an end, themotion surrounding the Zapdos incident finally concluded.


    One day, Yuga saw countless charred individuals being carried into Verdanturf Town. Some were dead, and some were alive, but Yuga didn''t need an exnation to know what they had gone through.


    Later, Yuga learned from those who returned that this group of reckless individuals had indeed ventured deep into the Petalburg Woods to provoke Zapdos. Unfortunately, they had underestimated the Legendary Pok��mon.


    Once they were targeted by Zapdos, they realized that Legendary Pok��mon were not something they could provoke. Just a nce from Zapdos had unleashed countless thunderbolts, engulfing all of them and their Pok��mon.


    It was said that at that moment, half the sky of the Petalburg Woods had turned golden.


    Several dayster, Steven returned. The prosecutors and forest rangers hadn''t found any results, but wisely, they hadn''t provoked Zapdos and all returned safely.


    A few more days passed, and someone imed to have seen Zapdos flying out of the Petalburg Woods, but no one knew where it had gone.

 Chapter 258: An Invitation from the League

    <h4>Chapter 258: An Invitation from the League</h4>


    As the Zapdos incident gradually subsided, the trainers who had gathered in Verdanturf Town began to leave, and the town returned to its usual tranquility.


    However, Yuga and the YoYo Day Care gained recognition due to this incident. Many trainers now knew about this rtively unknown but excellent Daycare facility, with the added benefit of being run by a skilled trainer.


    While Yuga remained unaware of the events outside, he had started training Dratini after it had limated to life in the Ecopark. Florges, Absol, and Vivillon were all engaged in independent training. Therefore, Yuga focused his training efforts on Chimcho and Dratini.


    Chimecho''s training still emphasized gravity maniption and recovery skills, but recently, Yuga had been gradually improving its battle capabilities to increase its offensive power. After all, a good nanny should be capable of both offense and support.


    Then there was Dratini.


    After a period of training, Yuga began to appreciate Dratini''s exceptional talent. Just like its mother, it excelled in using Ice-type moves, creating exquisite patterns with Ice Beams.


    Dratini could freely use Ice Beam to create lifelike ice lotus flowers on the water''s surface and craft beautiful ice sculptures with precise control of its Ice-type abilities. Its control was on par with a coordinated trainer''s Pok��mon.


    However,pared to Ice Beam, it struggled a bit with the more powerful Blizzard, likely due to its young age. It couldn''t controlrger area-of-effect attacks very well. Perhaps it was just a matter of growing older.


    Apart from its Ice-type prowess, Dratini''s Electric-type talent was just as impressive. Maybe it was the influence of the golden lightning fused with it by Spectral Celebi. Not only did it easily master Thunderbolt, but it could also use Thunder reasonably well.


    Like Vivillon, another Pok��mon with indigo potential, Dratini disyed exceptional talent in grasping and utilizing skills. Even with its recently acquired proficiency in Thunderbolt, it demonstrated a level of masteryparable to its Ice Beam control. It seemed like Dratini had a knack for learning various abilities.


    The powerful electrical output didn''t seem to burden Dratini''s body at all. Instead, it provided a significant boost to its explosive power, making its Electric-type skills no less formidable than those of dedicated Electric-type Pok��mon.


    However, considering its future potential, Yuga focused on improving its physical fitness. Only with a robust physique could Dratini safely harness both Ice-type and Electric-type abilities.


    Yuga had previously employed a training regimen where Chimcho used Gravity to build the stamina of Absol and others. He had put it on hold when Absol and the others grew stronger. However, with Dratini''s training, he had resurrected this training program because it proved effective for Dratini.


    In addition to physical conditioning, Yuga didn''t merely seek to enhance Dratini''s Ice and Electric talents. Instead, he encouraged Dratini to understand and control these two innate abilities.


    Given Dratini''s young age rtive to the long lifespan of a Pok��mon like Dragonite, Yuga didn''t want to rush its development but rather foster it in the most bnced way possible.


    On this particr day, Yuga was helping Windy pack Pok��blocks to be shipped when he saw Steven entering the shop.


    "Hey, Yuga!" Steven greeted him.


    Yuga, surprised, asked, "Why are you still here? Aren''t you a prosecutor now? Why are you so free?"


    Steven awkwardly replied, "What do you mean, free? I have important business to attend to!"


    Seeing Steven''s guilty expression, Yuga thought to himself, "Is this important business about discovering some new types of stones again?"


    "What brings you here today?" Yuga asked as he continued to package the Pok��blocks.


    Steven, with a serious expression, said, "I''m here to discuss something important. Yuga, are you interested in bing a prosecutor?"


    Yuga''s hands paused for a moment as he continued, "Not interested," before resuming his work.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s response, Steven''s initially serious expression nearly crumbled.


    "Why not? Isn''t being a prosecutor a good profession in the League?" he asked, a hint of disappointment in his tone.


    Yuga retorted, "Then, do you want to be one?"


    Steven, having no intention of bing a prosecutor himself, was momentarily left speechless.


    Yuga was well aware that being a prosecutor wasn''t his calling, considering that he was, in essence, a stone. Prosecutors and their pursuits were far from his interests.


    "Why aren''t you saying anything?" Yuga asked Steven after a brief silence.


    Steven finally exined, "Here''s the thing. Our prosecutors wanted me to ask if you''d be interested in joining us. If you are, we can open up an assessment spot for you."


    Yuga''s next statement caught Steven off guard as he quipped, "Why assessment? I thought you guys would just invite me directly!"


    Steven suddenly found it difficult tomunicate with Yuga today, as the responses he was receiving were far from what he expected.


    "Hehe... Well, assessments are still necessary."


    "Alright, alright, I won''t tease you anymore." Yuga moved a packaged box and continued, "Look, my shop is so busy, I don''t have the time to be a prosecutor."


    Besides, his main storyline task was to be a YoYo Day Care owner. There was no time to be some kind ofborious prosecutor; it sounded exhausting to him.


    Upon hearing the title of "prosecutor," Yuga couldn''t help but think of that red-haired champion who''s always running around. It''s quite the contrast to stayingfortably at home every day.


    "YoYo Day Care owners can hire others to manage their businesses," Steven pointed out.


    Yuga thought to himself, "No way! I can''t hire anyone here; I have too many secrets."


    "That''s not possible! I''m indispensable here; they can''t do without me."


    "Alright."


    Seeing how uninterested Yuga was, Steven gave up. He had briefly considered that if Yuga became a prosecutor, they might make a good team, but now it seemed unlikely.


    "By the way, where''s your Audino?" Steven looked around the room but couldn''t spot Audino anywhere.


    Yuga, puzzled by Steven''s sudden interest in Audino, replied, "You need it for something? It''s not here."


    "Oh, I see... Never mind then," Steven said, feeling a bit embarrassed. He had also captured an Audino and hoped to have Yuga''s Audino teach it some cooking skills.

 Chapter 259: Sharp Fangs

    <h4>Chapter 259: Sharp Fangs</h4>


    In reality, Steven had also attempted to teach his Audino to cook and had even hired a dedicated chef to help, but the results were limited, and the dishes were quite indescribable.


    Upon hearing that Audino was not around, Steven didn''t press the matter further. He figured there would be another opportunity to discuss it.


    "You''re really not considering it?" Steven asked Yuga again.


    "No, I''m not considering it!" Yuga waved his hand dismissively. "Look at how well I''m doing now. With all the League business, would I even have time to enjoy life?"


    Seeing that he couldn''t persuade Yuga, Steven said, "Alright, I''ll go back and inform the Bureau that you''re not interested. I''ll take my leave now."


    "You''re not staying for a meal?" Yuga asked as Steven was about to leave.


    "No, I''m really busy now. Maybe next time," Steven replied and left YoYo YoYo Day Care.


    Yuga couldn''t help but roll his eyes, thinking, "Busy? He''s been lingering in Verdanturf Town for a while now. Don''t think I don''t know. Some time ago, a trainer found an unusual stone in the Petalburg Woods, and that trainer is still here."


    After Steven left, Yuga gestured to the neatly stacked Pok��blocks on the floor and told Windy, "Go ask The Great Flygon to have these delivered to the Pidgey Express office for shipping. The destination is clearly marked on top of each."


    Windy nodded and went outside to find The Great Flygon.


    Yuga then headed to the Ecopark because earlier that morning, he had acquired another green-grade item from the Trainer''s Store. He had used all five of his exchange opportunities.


    This time, the item was Sharp Fangs. Since it was amon evolution (carrying) item, the system had given it a green rating, and its price was much lower than the others.


    Yuga had no use for the five Sharp Fangs and decided to give them to the Gligars in the Desert Sub-Ecopark for their evolution.


    Among the Gligars, aside from their leader, all the others remained in their basic form. In contrast, the Flygons that moved into the Ecopark with them had made significant progress.


    Since settling in the Ecopark, thanks to their consistent training, several of the Trapinch had evolved into Vibrava, significantly boosting the group''s strength.


    While the two groups now lived together peacefully without conflicts, there was still an underlying sense ofpetition. The Gligars'' leader, Gliscor, felt troubled by the growing gap in strength between their two groups.


    Therefore, when Yuga arrived with five Sharp Fangs at the Gligars'' territory in the Sub-Ecopark, they received a warm wee, especially from Gliscor.


    Initially, when the Gligars first entered the Ecopark, their numbers were less than a hundred. Later, after hatching the Gligar eggs that Yuga had brought back one by one,bined with new births, their poption had now exceeded two hundred, and this didn''t even ount for those reserved for monthly reservations.


    Unfortunately, even after such a long time, the Gligars had yet to produce a blue potential offspring. All their current members were green potential.


    In contrast, when the Flygons group initially arrived, they had three blue potential Trapinchs, all of which had evolved into Vibrava. Moreover, they had six green potential Trapinchs eggs, which had sessfully hatched.


    With thisparison, it was clear that the Gligars had a long way to go to catch up with the Flygons.


    Yuga didn''t have many choices, so he picked the five strongest Gligars and handed them the Sharp Fangs. He instructed them to train diligently and evolve when the time was right.


    When Yuga left the Gligar territory, Gliscor was overly obsequious, hoping Yuga would leave more Sharp Fangs for them. Yuga could only shake his head in response.


    Yuga inspected the leader, Gliscor''s level and noticed that it had significantly improved. It was evident that it had been working hard, managing the Gligar tribe efficiently. Yuga agreed to provide more Sharp Fangs in the future.


    However, the thought of spending a considerable amount of money on Sharp Fangs made Yuga sigh. Unlike items in the system''s Trainer''s Store, Sharp Fangs in the real world were quite expensive.


    The Trainer''s Store priced most items simrly to the real world, but they had their own grading standards. Some items had different valuespared to reality, although Yuga didn''t fullyprehend these standards.


    For example, all special variant Pok�� Balls, such as Ultra Balls, Great Balls, Friend Balls, Healing Balls, had the same price.


    Yuga wondered if the Master Ball, rumored to exist, would also have the same price, but he had never obtained one to confirm.


    With the increasing number of Gligars in the Ecopark, their demand for Sharp Fangs would undoubtedly rise in the future. Yuga wished he knew how to produce Sharp Fangs himself, but it wasn''t something he had knowledge of.


    Sharp Fangs were made from Pok��mon teeth using a specific method, but the exact procedure was a well-kept secret. Yuga, like most people, didn''t know how to produce them.


    After leaving the Ecopark, Yuga returned to his room and retrieved hisputer. He started searching for information on Sharp Fangs.


    Most online articles focused on how to use Sharp Fangs, but none mentioned how to create them, which didn''t surprise Yuga.


    However, he found some information on identifying the quality of Sharp Fangs and the differences in effects between various types.


    After reading through the material, Yuga discovered that, theoretically, the teeth of most Pok��mon could be used to create Sharp Fangs. However, some Pok��mon had teeth with insufficient toughness or hardness, which could get damaged during the crafting process. Common examples included Rattata and Furret.


    On the other hand, some Pok��mon naturally had small teeth, making them unsuitable for creating effective Sharp Fangs. Pok��mon like Nales, Sandsh, and Marill fell into this category.


    The most suitable teeth for crafting Sharp Fangs were the sharp front teeth of Pok��mon in their final evolutionary forms.


    The material further listed several Pok��mon species that had teeth highly suitable for Sharp Fangs, such as Nidoking and Nidoqueen, Charizard, Arcanine, Feraligatr, Granbull, Sharpedo, Hippowdon, and Drapion, among others.


    It also mentioned that the teeth of many canine Pok��mon were highly suitable for crafting Sharp Fangs.


    Incidentally, the teeth of Gliscor, the Gligar Evolution, were also excellent for creating Sharp Fangs.


    Additionally, it noted that the teeth of many Dragon-type Pok��mon could be used to create Sharp Fangs, but most were reserved for crafting Dragon Fangs, which was another topic not borated upon in the material.


    The document also contained a unique perspective from its author.

 Chapter 260: Breeding Task

    <h4>Chapter 260: Breeding Task</h4>


    The author believed that, depending on the main material used in creating Sharp Fangs, the Sharp Fangs would exhibit different attributes.


    For example, Sharp Fangs crafted from Charizard''s teeth would have a faint Fire or Flying attribute, while those from Sharpedo''s teeth would carry a subtle Water or Dark attribute. Simrly, Sharp Fangs made from Hippowdon''s teeth would possess a mild Ground attribute.


    He also proposed that Pok��mon wearing Sharp Fangs should preferably choose ones with matching attributes. Even if the attributes differed, it was best to avoid selecting ones with conflicting attributes.


    While Yuga found these ideas reasonable, he thought it might be challenging to implement in practice since the store''s Sharp Fangs didn''t specify which Pok��mon''s teeth were used.


    As the only known Pok��mon that required Sharp Fangs for evolution, Gligars were mentioned explicitly. The document stated that for Gligars, the best choice for Sharp Fangs was to use teeth from Ground-type Pok��mon such as Hippowdon, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, or even Gliscor himself.


    After reading this information, Yuga thought that the author had some insightful views. He hadn''t considered these aspects before, assuming that all Sharp Fangs were the same.


    Yuga sighed, regretting that he didn''t know how to create Sharp Fangs himself. If he did, he could save a considerable amount of money, and it would be convenient for customers to purchase Sharp Fangs for their Gligars when buying them from his YoYo Day Care.


    As Yuga sighed, the system''s voice suddenly chimed in.


    [ Congrattions, Host, on receiving a new mission: ''Kill Two Birds with One Stone.'' ]


    [ Mission Name: Kill Two Birds with One Stone ]


    [ Description: Since the Host has some ideas, why not put them into action? Go ahead and cultivate a Gligar with a blue potential qualification or higher. ]


    [ Rewards: The method to create Sharp Fangs. ]


    Upon seeing this mission, Yuga felt a bit overwhelmed. The difficulty of this mission was unexpectedly high. Pok��mon offspring''s qualifications had significant random variations. For example, despite bringing Gligars and Flygons back, some of their offspring still had yellow-tier qualifications, which led Yuga to open a new store.


    This time, the mission required Yuga to deliberately cultivate a Gligar with qualifications at least blue potential or higher. In other words, it had to be at least blue potential in quality, and this level of difficulty was not to be taken lightly. Furthermore, Yugacked knowledge in this field.


    However, Yuga realized that this system had one advantage: it provided missions based on his needs. This mission was no exception.


    Yuga''s headache was the daunting task ahead. Pok��mon offspring''s qualifications were subject to significant randomness. Gligars and Flygons were initially green potential or higher in quality when he brought them back, but they still asionally produced offspring with yellow-tier qualifications. Hence, Yuga decided to open a new shop.


    Now, the mission required Yuga to intentionally cultivate a Gligar with green potential or higher qualifications. This meant that it needed to have qualifications at least blue potential or higher, which posed a considerable challenge. Moreover, Yugacked knowledge in this area.


    Despite the difficulty, Yuga epted the mission. Whether he seeded or not, ito was worth a try.


    With the mission epted, Yuga immediately began considering his breeding n.


    First, he needed to select two breeding candidates. His first choice was Gliscor, as it was the most powerful and had one of the highest qualifications among the Gligars.


    Ideally, Yuga would have liked to pair Gliscor with a Flygons since they shared the same egg group. Additionally, Flygons had more outstanding individuals in their group.


    However, Gliscor would never agree to such an arrangement; it despised Flygons. Furthermore, there was no guarantee that their offspring would be Gligars; they could turn out to be a Trapinch, which Yuga wanted to avoid repeating.


    Yuga returned to the Ecopark and asked Gliscor, "Do you have a mate?"


    Yuga wasn''t entirely sure about the rtionship status of the Gligars, Flygons, and witzer within his three breeding groups. Given their numerous numbers and the fact that they allid eggs together, it was hard to determine who was paired with whom, and Yuga had lost track.


    Even though Gliscor couldn''t fathom why Yuga was asking this question, it obediently nodded in response.


    Yuga then requested, "Summon one of them, let me see."


    "Gliscor!"


    Upon Yuga''s request, Gliscor called out to his group, and three Gligars flew out of the cluster in response.


    Seeing the three Gligars before him, Yuga couldn''t help but exim, "You actually have three wives?"


    "Gliscor!"


    Gliscor proudly nodded, and the three female Gligars even blushed, looking affectionately at Gliscor.


    Yuga was taken aback by the existence of a harem in his Ecopark. It took him a while to ept this fact.


    Well, this could be a good thing, right? At least it wasn''t a problem; otherwise, his breeding n wouldn''t be able to proceed.


    Yuga carefully examined the three female Gligars with his discerning eyes and realized that their qualifications and levels were excellent. They were the ones Yuga had selected previously to receive Sharp Fangs.


    Yuga couldn''t help but suspect that Gliscor might have used his position to secure these highly talented and powerful Gligars as his mates.


    After inspection, Yuga understood that all three female Gligars were currently in a non-pregnant state, making them perfect candidates for the breeding program.


    Yuga then told Gliscor, "Without my permission, you are not allowed to mate with any of them."


    Gliscor didn''t quite understand and wondered why. Was there something wrong with him sleeping with his wives?


    Yuga continued, "I want to help all four of you adjust and prepare for a new generation that will be even more outstanding. This is crucial for the future development of your group, so you must take it seriously."


    Hearing these words, Gliscor finally nodded seriously. Expanding the group had always been its aspiration!


    After giving instructions to Gliscor, Yuga marked each of the three female Gligars to ensure he could recognize them.


    Yuga decided to wait until all three female Gligars evolved into Gliscors before continuing with the breeding n. This would increase the likelihood of sess.


    Before that, Yuga''s task was to find a method that would increase the chances of producing offspring with blue potential or higher qualifications. However, he understood that discovering such a method wouldn''t be easy unless he employed some unconventional means. Otherwise, high-qualification Pok��mon wouldn''t be so rare.


    Yuga was inexperienced when it came to artificial interventions in Pok��mon breeding. Previously, the breeding in the Ecopark had always urred naturally. Therefore, Yuga needed to carefully n his next steps. He aimed to find a way to sessfully breed Pok��mon with blue potential or higher qualifications without viting the rules of natural reproduction.

 Chapter 261: Norman’s Regret

    <h4>Chapter 261: Norman''s Regret</h4>


    Since Yuga had decided to promptly adjust the physical condition of the Gliscor Leader and the three female Gligars, he began by focusing on their food.


    Yuga decided that their recent meals would consist of the top-quality Pok��blocks made by Misaki, rather than the ones he had crafted himself.


    Furthermore, he personally took charge of their training to ensure the swift evolution of the female Gligars.


    On this particr day, Luna and Rand had finallypleted their transfer procedures at the Trainers'' School in Verdanturf Town and were about to depart for the preparatory camp in Sootopolis City.


    The League''s preparatory camp differed from regr Trainers'' Schools. It did not send children on journeys after they turned ten; instead, it allowed them to continue their education within the school, following a more academic path.


    Moreover, the preparatory camp operated with a militarized management style, imposing strict discipline on the students. Their life was no less demanding than that of traveling Trainers, and they enjoyed minimal vacation time.


    His Uncle and Uncle Kate decided to personally apany the two of them to Sootopolis City. This was also the only opportunity for parents to visit the preparatory camp, as they would not be allowed to attend it in the future.


    Students could only anticipate vacations during the year-end holidays.


    Yuga and his aunt had decided to personally apany Luna and Rand to Sootopolis City. This was the sole opportunity for parents to visit the preparatory camp, as subsequent visits would not be permitted.


    When Yuga and his Aunt apanied Luna and his Uncle to see them off, Luna was crying uncontrobly in her aunt''s arms.


    It was understandable, as Luna had been pampered since childhood and had never traveled alone, let alone the prospect of living alone in an unfamiliar ce in the future.


    On the other hand, Rand was quiet during the journey, not causing any trouble. Unlike Luna, he didn''t have to say goodbye to his mother since his only rtive had apanied him on this trip. However, it remained uncertain if, once they arrived at the preparatory camp, Uncle Kate would leave him just like Luna''s situation.


    After seeing Luna off to the preparatory camp, Yuga returned to the Day Care, resuming his hectic schedule.


    Lately, Yuga had been swamped with numerous tasks: training new Pok��mon, investigating the reasons behind Magikarp''s inability to evolve, and making preparations for the breeding of the Gligars. Each task demanded his full attention.


    However, shortly after his return to the Day Care, Yuga received a call from Mr. Norman.


    "Mr. Norman? What prompted you to call me?" Yuga inquired.


    In recent times, the Zapdos incident had not only affected Verdanturf Town but also had varying degrees of impact on the towns and cities around the Petalburg Woods. Besides the event''s epicenter in Verdanturf Town, the fourrgest human settlements around the Petalburg Woods were Oldale Town, Verdanturf Town, Petalburg City, and Rustboro City. Among them, Petalburg City was the closest to the center of the forest.


    As a Gym Leader and a Pok��mon Trainer, Mr. Norman had been quite busytely.


    "I heard that you declined the invitation for an assessment from the Prosecutor''s Bureau," Mr. Norman''s voice came through the phone.


    So, that''s why he''s calling, Yuga thought.


    "That''s correct."


    "Why did you reject such a good opportunity so easily!" Mr. Norman felt a little bit resentful.


    Bing a prosecutor wasn''t something just anyone could achieve; it was a position held only by carefully selected elites. It was equivalent to an instant promotion.


    For example, we all know about the Elite Four Challenge, and participating in it requires qualifications. Either you win a major League tournament, or you''re a Gym Leader, or you have some other special status.


    Prosecutors were simr in that regard; they held a unique status in the League.


    Certainly, being a prosecutor has many advantages, but I won''t delve into them. However, being a prosecutor is also a high-risk profession; that''s inevitable since there''s no such thing as a free lunch.


    The reason Yuga was invited to this position, aside from his excellent performance in Verdanturf Town, was mainly due to a rmendation from Joyna.


    Although various regions within the League sometimespete, they are essentially part of a unified system. Especially among the various regional Inspectorates, given their unique roles, there is a tightwork ofmunication. However, Yuga himself remained unaware of this.


    "Why? can''t you decline this?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    On the other end of the phone, Mr. Norman sighed and ran his hand through his hair, saying, "Why did you decline? Being a prosecutor is an excellent opportunity. With your abilities, you could certainly pass the assessment."


    Mr. Norman had high hopes for Yuga. Being from outside the Hoenn region, he had no close rtives in Hoenn apart from his wife and children. Thus, those younger trainers with a good impression of Yuga looked out for him and wished him a bright future.


    However, Mr. Norman never expected Yuga to have such a carefree attitude. A bright future was right in front of him, and he had effortlessly pushed it away.


    Yuga replied, "Because, if I can refuse, why not? I declined because I have no desire to be a prosecutor."


    Why be a prosecutor when it was tiring, dangerous, and he couldfortably sit at home counting money? Why seek trouble?


    "Do you even know what being a prosecutor signifies?" Mr. Norman asked, sounding extremely frustrated, as if he couldn''tmunicate with Yuga.


    "I do!"


    Of course, Yuga knew. He wasn''t an idiot. Bing a prosecutor meant stepping into the elite ranks of the League, signifying that he would have the chance to challenge the Elite Four and even the Champion in the future. It also meant boundless opportunities.


    But the key was that Yuga''s aspirations did not lie in that direction.


    "Even if you know, you still declined!" Mr. Norman nearly shouted into the phone.


    Hearing Mr. Norman''s frustration, Yuga quickly tried to calm him down, saying, "Alright, Mr. Norman, I know you''re concerned for me, and I truly appreciate it. However, people have their own ambitions. Some want immense wealth, others desire vast power. As for me, I just want to run my Day Care well. I genuinely have no interest in being a prosecutor."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Mr. Norman fell silent for a moment. Finally, he let out a resigned sigh and said, "Fine, do as you please. But, is everything okay in Verdanturf Town recently?"


    Yuga knew that Mr. Norman was referring to the Zapdos incident, given that Verdanturf Town was the site of the incident.


    "It''s fine. It''s been quite some time since the incident, and most of the people involved have already left."


    Verdanturf Town was a small town with limited security forces. When such a significant event urred, Mr. Norman was still somewhat worried that Yuga might not have been able to handle it all.

 Chapter 262: Norman’s Recommendation

    <h4>Chapter 262: Norman''s Rmendation</h4>


    "By the way, Mr. Norman, do you know of anything besides Everstones that can suppress a Pok��mon''s evolution factor?" Yuga suddenly thought that Mr. Norman might be aware of why Magikarp couldn''t evolve, given his extensive experience as a veteran Trainer.


    Mr. Norman pondered for a moment but couldn''te up with an answer. He furrowed his brow and said, "Hmm... I don''t know. Is there something troubling you in this regard?"


    "Well," Yuga began, not holding back, and proceeded to exin the situation with Magikarp.


    "I see," Mr. Norman responded after hearing Yuga''s ount. "In that case, let me introduce you to someone. He''s an expert in this field. You should reach out to him."


    Mr. Norman provided Yuga with a name and contact information.


    "Professor Birch? Is that Professor Birch from Littleroot Town?" Yuga asked in astonishment.


    Mr. Norman replied, "Oh, you know him! He''s my good friend and should be able to assist you. I''ll give him a heads-up, so feel free to contact him with confidence."


    Yuga thought to himself, "Professor Birch, the renowned Pok��mon researcher from the Hoenn region. Who doesn''t know him? He''s known for his expertise in the field."


    Yuga expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you so much, Mr. Norman."


    Mr. Norman smiled and said, "No need to thank me. I just hope I can be of help to you. Now that everything seems fine, I won''t keep you any longer."


    Afterward, Yuga ended the call with Mr. Norman.


    Before contacting Professor Birch, Yuga headed to his Ecopark to bring out Magikarp. He needed to show the doctor Magikarp''s condition to understand the issue.


    Once Magikarp was out, Yuga took a deep breath and dialed the number for Professor Birch''s research facility. He was about to meet a well-known figure he had only seen on television, and he felt a bit nervous.


    Since Yuga nned to have Professor Birch examine Magikarp''s condition, he made a video call.


    Soon, someone answered the call on the other end, and a young man''s face appeared on the screen.


    "Hello, this is the Professor Birch Research Institute. How can I assist you?" the man asked.


    "Hello, I was introduced by Mr. Norman, and I''m looking for Professor Birch," Yuga replied.


    "Oh, it''s you. Professor Birch was informed about your call," the man said in surprise. "Please wait for a moment; I''ll fetch the doctor."


    With that, the man left the screen.


    When someone appeared on the screen again, it was a middle-aged man with a beard.


    "Hello, are you Yuga? Mr. Norman told me about your situation," Professor Birch said with a friendly smile, giving the impression of a gentle person.


    "Hello, Professor Birch," Yuga greeted, nodding slightly to show his respect. He then held his Magikarp in his arms.


    "Doctor, can you identify what''s wrong with my Magikarp?" Yuga asked.


    Professor Birch observed Yuga''s Magikarp through the video call and said, "Could you flip it over so I can take a closer look?"


    Yuga agreed and adjusted Magikarp''s position. Despite its size, Magikarp remained cooperative in Yuga''s arms, allowing Professor Birch to examine it more closely. Without such cooperation, Yuga would have struggled to hold it due to its sheer strength.


    After observing for a while, Professor Birch said, "This Magikarp seems to be developing perfectly. There don''t appear to be any visible issues."


    Hearing Professor Birch''s assessment, both Yuga and Magikarp felt somewhat disappointed. They hadn''t expected that not even the renowned Professor Birch would have a solution.


    After a brief pause, Professor Birch suggested, "How about this? If you have the time, bring Magikarp to the research institute, and I''ll conduct a thorough examination using the equipment we have here. I''m also quite interested in understanding why Magikarp can''t evolve."


    Excited by the prospect, Yuga asked, "Really?"


    The Professor Birch Research Institute boasted state-of-the-art technology provided by the Pok��mon League, far superior to the facilities avable in the small town of Verdanturf. Yuga hoped this visit might reveal why Magikarp couldn''t evolve.


    Professor Birch smiled and replied, "Absolutely. Being able to witness the unraveling of a mystery is an honor for any researcher."


    Yuga said, "That''s wonderful! Do you have a preferred time, Professor Birch? I''ll bring Magikarp to your research institute."


    "You cane whenever you like; I''ll be at the institute for the time being," Professor Birch replied.


    Professor Birch was known for his outdoor observations of Pok��mon, so it was rare for him to remain at the research institute. Yuga scheduled the visit with Professor Birch and ended the call.


    Addressing Magikarp, Yuga reassured it, "Magikarp, with the help of someone as skilled as Professor Birch, we''ll definitely find out why you can''t evolve. Don''t worry."


    Magikarp, upon hearing Yuga''s words, wiggled its tail and showed a glimmer of excitement in its usually vacant eyes.


    Yuga returned Magikarp to the main pond in the Ecopark, where it could join the other Pok��mon, including Marshtomp. Since they were going to visit Professor Birch, Yuga didn''t send Magikarp back to the smaller pond at the Center of Lake Ind.


    As he watched Magikarp swim alongside the other Pok��mon, Yuga suddenly felt something brushing against his leg. He looked down and found an Eevee.


    Noticing the purple ribbon tied around its neck, Yuga recognized this as the same Eevee that had been eager to evolve into an Espeon.


    Yuga affectionately picked up the Eevee, scratched its chin, and asked with a smile, "What''s going on, little one?"


    The Eevee responded with joyful sounds and tilted its head, inviting Yuga to scratch it more.


    "You little one."


    Yuga had already noticed that this Eevee was quite affectionate and seemed to enjoy humanpany. With a gentle kiss on its forehead, Yuga continued to caress it.


    At that moment, the Eevee''s body began emitting a pure white light, and its form gradually grewrger. Yuga felt the weight in his arms increasing.


    When the white light dissipated, the small Eevee in Yuga''s arms had transformed into a gentle-looking Espeon with pale purple fur.


    "Espeon!"


    The Espeon gracefully lifted its head and let out a melodious cry.


    Everything had happened so suddenly that Yuga was taken aback. Wasn''t the Eevee that wanted to evolve into an Umbreon, the first one he tried to build it friendship? Howe the one that wanted to evolve into Espeon evolved first?

 Chapter 263: Harrison from Littleroot Town

    <h4>Chapter 263: Harrison from Littleroot Town</h4>


    Yuga held the newly evolved Espeon in his arms and activated his analytical gaze.


    ...


    <<espeon>> </espeon>


    Type: Psychic


    Ability: Synchronize


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Green


    Level: 20


    Moves: Confusion, Help, Tackle, Quick Attack, Swift


    ...


    The data seemed quite standard. After evolution, Espeon had gained a new move, Confusion, which was a practical addition. Yuga didn''t fault Espeon or Eevee for having limited moves due to their low levels.


    Yuga noticed that Espeon had also reached level 20, indicating it had been diligent in training.


    At that moment, the system''s voice chimed in, [ Congrattions to the host forpleting the mission: Evolution of Espeon. Reward: Universal Pok��block Recipe for Psychic-type Pok��mon. ]


    Yuga received another Pok��block recipe, bringing him much joy.


    He gently ced Espeon on the ground, and the newly evolved Pok��mon raised its forepaws, examining its transformed body. It took a few steps towards the stream, observing its reflection in the water with curious eyes. Afterward, it turned left and right, seemingly satisfied with its new appearance.


    Yuga chuckled, thinking that this little one seemed rather vain. Watching Espeon admire itself by the stream, he mused to himself.


    The next day, after making arrangements for his shop, Yuga set off for Littleroot Town. He entrusted the responsibilities of the Ecopark to his Miltanks, left his main shop matters to Suzuki Koen, and assigned Arata Sena to oversee the new store. He anticipated a short trip and didn''t make extensive ns.


    This time, Yuga decided to rely on his own Pok��mon during his journey. His main battling Pok��mon, Florges, Absol, Vivillon, Chimecho, and Dratini, were with him. In addition, he brought along the Eevee (the one that aimed to evolve into an Umbreon), leaving the rest of his Pok��mon behind.


    Yuga thought, "It''s time to aplish things with my own Pok��mon." His main battling Pok��mon had grown significantly, and both Florges and Absol were now as powerful as Swellow and Linoone.


    He held immense gratitude for Great Flygon, Audino, and Linoone; they had all been immensely helpful in their own ways.


    Due to Yuga''s history of vehicle mishaps, he decided to fly to Littleroot Town this time, and the journey took only half a day.


    Littleroot Town, as its name implied, was a pristine town untouched by pollution. It boasted a superb natural environment, simr to Verdanturf Town, but with one on the maind and the other by the sea.


    Littleroot Town was famous within Hoenn Region, primarily because of its renowned resident, Professor Birch.


    Professor Birch''s research institute was located on the outskirts of Littleroot Town, and Yuga headed straight there afternding.


    Yuga followed the navigation, and soon, he spotted the white building on the hillside��the Professor Birch Research Institute.


    "Ahhh..."


    Suddenly, while descending a slope, Yuga felt a gust of wind beside him, apanied by cries of distress.


    With a loud ssh, something heavy had fallen into the river.


    Yuga rushed down the slope and saw what appeared to be a "corpse" floating in the river. He quickly released his Chimecho from its Pok�� Ball and instructed, "Chimecho, use Psychic to pull that child out of the water."


    "Chimecho! Chimecho!" Chimecho nodded and employed its Psychic ability to lift the "corpse" out of the water.


    The "corpse" was hoisted out and sat on the ground, gasping for air. "Phew! I almost drowned!"


    This was a young boy with short brown hair, appearing to be around ten years old, and he waspletely drenched by now.


    "Are you okay?" Yuga asked.


    "Yeah, I''m fine. Thank you so much, big brother," the boy expressed his gratitude to Yuga.


    Yuga, puzzled, asked, "What happened? How did you suddenly end up in the river?"


    The boy, looking embarrassed, rubbed the back of his head and exined, "I''m not very good at riding a bike, and that downhill stretch was too steep. I lost control."


    "Oh, my bicycle!" The boy suddenly remembered something and stood up, looking towards the river.


    But his bicycle was most likely submerged underwater now, and he couldn''t see anything. The boy felt disappointed.


    "Chimecho."


    Yuga softly called out to Chimecho.


    "Chimecho! Chimecho!" Chimecho nodded in agreement.


    With Chimecho''s Psychic ability searching, a bicycle soon floated to the water''s surface.


    "Ah, my bike!" The boy eximed with joy.


    Since the bike had fallen into the water, it wasn''t damaged. The boy expressed his gratitude to Yuga once more, saying, "Thank you, big brother."


    "No problem. Where are you heading? You seemed to be in a hurry," Yuga curiously asked.


    "I''m going to Professor Birch''s ce! Today is the day I receive my starter Pok��mon!" The boy joyfully shared.


    So, it was a young aspiring Pok��mon Trainer! Yuga thought.


    "I''m also on my way to Professor Birch''s ce. Why don''t we go together?" Yuga suggested.


    "Really? That''s great! By the way, I''m Harrison. How should I address you, big brother?" the boy asked.


    "Call me Yuga."


    "Yuga, got it! Let''s get going!" With that, Harrison started pushing his bicycle forward.


    At this moment, Yuga couldn''t help but wonder if the boy was feeling cold.


    It was almost winter now, and even in the rtively warm climate of Hoenn, the temperature had dropped considerably. Being soaked through, Harrison was likely feeling quite chilly.


    Sure enough, Yuga quickly noticed that the boy was shivering.


    Yuga sighed and removed his own jacket, saying to Harrison, "Take off your wet jacket and put this one on."


    "Thank you!" Harrison smiled awkwardly, taking off his soaked jacket and wearing Yuga''s. However, Yuga''s jacket was quiterge on the ten-year-old boy.


    Yuga said to Harrison, "Let''s hurry to Professor Birch''s research institute. Otherwise, you''ll catch a cold soon."


    Harrison nodded and quickened his pace alongside Yuga, heading towards Professor Birch''s research institute.

 Chapter 264: New Pokémon Trainer

    <h4>Chapter 264: New Pok��mon Trainer</h4>


    As Yuga and Harrison arrived at Professor Birch''s research institute, a young man with green hair and dressed in a whiteb coat was craning his neck to get a better look at them.


    When he spotted Harrison, the young man eximed with delight, "Harrison, you''re finally here! I''ve been waiting for you for a long time!"


    However, he quickly noticed Harrison''s disheveled appearance and asked in surprise, "What happened to you? You''re soaking wet."


    Harrison smiled awkwardly and replied, "Hehe, I identally fell into the water."


    "Yuga? Why are you here with Harrison?" The young man noticed Yuga and asked in amazement.


    This young man was Aru, the one who had answered the phone when Yuga had contacted Professor Birch. He was clearly surprised to see Yuga.


    Yuga chuckled and said, "We happened to meet on the way. Let''s let Harrison go inside first; otherwise, he might get sick."


    "Yes, yes, you''re right!" Aru pped his forehead and turned to Harrison. "Come on, let''s go inside quickly."


    Inside the Professor Birch Research Institute, Aru helped Harrison take a hot shower and dried his wet clothes, thus sparing Harrison from the "misfortune" of catching a cold.


    Meanwhile, Yuga had the chance to meet Professor Birch.


    "Please release Magikarp so I can examine it," Professor Birch said to Yuga.


    Yuga nodded and ced Magikarp in arge water basin in front of them.


    As soon as Magikarp entered the basin, it vigorously sshed water around, creating a shower that drenched Professor Birch, who had leaned in for a closer look.


    "Hehe, it''s truly an energetic Magikarp!" Professor Birch wiped his face and said awkwardly.


    Yuga could only smile helplessly.


    After observing for a while, Professor Birch stood up and said, "Indeed, just by observing with the naked eye, we can''t see anything. It seems we''ll need to use instruments for a thorough examination."


    Yuga nodded in agreement.


    At this moment, Professor Birch suggested, "By the way, today is the day that Harrison, that child,es to receive his starter Pok��mon. Would you like to join us and have a look before the examination?"


    Professor Birch knew about Yuga''s Pok��mon Day Care and had heard that Yuga had declined the Prosecutor''s examination to support his Day Care. He found Yuga''s personality quite intriguing.


    After a moment of thought, Yuga agreed to Professor Birch''s suggestion. He also wanted to see the Pok��mon League''s starter Pok��mon, especially Torchic.


    In Hoenn, there were three starter Pok��mon species avable, and Yuga''s Ecopark didn''t have Torchic. So, apart from reading about them in books and watching them on TV, Yuga hadn''t seen Torchic up close, which he considered a missed opportunity.


    As Yuga and Professor Birch arrived in the institute''s living room, Aru arrived with three Pok�� Balls containing starter Pok��mon for Harrison.


    By this time, Harrison had already changed into his dry clothes, looking much better than his previous drenched appearance. Yuga''s jacket, which had also been dried, was ced to the side.


    "Professor, Yuga," Aru greeted them as he approached.


    "Please continue; we''re just here to watch," Professor Birch told Aru.


    Aru nodded and picked up the three Pok�� Balls, releasing the three Pok��mon. On the left was a Water-type Mudkip, in the middle was a Fire-type Torchic, and on the right was a Grass-type Treecko.


    Aru exined, "First, we have Mudkip, a Water-type Pok��mon. This little one is quite sociable and should be easy to get along with."


    "Mudkip!"


    Harrison approached Mudkip, and the Pok��mon gazed at him with a nk expression before letting out a gentle cry.


    "Next is Torchic, a Fire-type Pok��mon!" Aru continued with his introductions.


    "Chic, chic, chic!"


    Harrison squatted down in front of Torchic. The Fire-type Pok��mon was lively, bouncing and jumping around enthusiastically, trying to impress its new trainer.


    "Finally, we have Treecko, a Grass-type Pok��mon."


    This particr Treecko seemed a bit shy. While Aru was introducing the starters, it suddenly darted behind Aru, peeking out with only its head visible, observing Harrison cautiously.


    Aru chuckled and said, "This little one is a bit shy but very gentle. I''m sure you''ll get along well."


    After carefully observing the three distinctly different Pok��mon, Harrison decided, "I''ve made up my mind; I want this one!" He picked up Torchic from the center.


    Torchic, being chosen, was ecstatic and nuzzled the young boy who was about to be its trainer.


    On the other hand, Treecko, not selected, appeared somewhat disheartened, with tears welling up in its eyes.


    Mudkip, however, didn''t seem to mind whether it was chosen or not and maintained its nk expression.


    In Yuga''s eyes, these three Pok��mon were quite simr. They all had outstanding green potentials, basic skills suitable for novice trainers, and typical abilities of the Hoenn starters: Torrent, ze, and Overgrow.


    As for their personalities, these could be developed through post-capture training. After all, it was well-known that Pok��mon gradually became more like their trainers in terms of personality.


    After Harrison made his selection, Aru handed him a Pok��dex and three Pok�� Balls.


    This was Yuga''s first time witnessing a new trainer selecting their starter Pok��mon, and he found it quite refreshing, as it was an experience he had never personally undergone.


    Once Harrison left, Professor Birch smiled at Yuga and asked, "So, how was it? The starter Pok��mon provided by the League for new trainers seem impressive, don''t they?"


    Yuga nodded in agreement.


    Indeed, the League had resources and expertise in Pok��mon breeding that surpassed those of private Day Care. They possessed the best breeding stock, cutting-edge breeding techniques, and, most importantly, the vast quantity required to cater to the region''s many new trainers.


    For instance, consider the yearly provision of starter Pok��mon to direct line trainers. While the number of direct line trainers was rtively lowpared to other trainers, whenbined with the entire region, it became a substantial quantity. Providing these trainers with starter Pok��mon of at least green potential wasn''t something that private Day Care could easily achieve, let alone providing three specific species.


    Professor Birch chuckled heartily and said, "Now that we''ve seen the Pok��mon, it''s time to investigate the Magikarp issue."

 Chapter 265: Magikarp and the Pokémon Virus

    <h4>Chapter 265: Magikarp and the Pok��mon Virus</h4>


    Inside Professor Birch''sboratory at the Professor Birch Research Institute, there were numerous machines, most of which Yuga was unfamiliar with. Several young individuals in whiteb coats were conducting experiments.


    "These are my students," Professor Birch introduced them to Yuga with a smile.


    However, they didn''t disturb the others working diligently because they seemed deeply focused.


    "Let''s start by conducting a full-body scan on Magikarp to check if there are any foreign substances within its body," Professor Birch suggested.


    Yuga nodded in agreement.


    Even though these scans had been performed at the Pok��mon Center, Yuga thought it wise to repeat them here, as the facility possessed more advanced diagnostic equipment.


    It didn''t take long for Professor Birch to finish examining Magikarp. The results were identical to those from the Pok��mon Center.


    Observing the results, Professor Birch turned to Yuga and said, "There are no foreign substances inside its body, and there''s nothing unusual on its exterior either. It seems the problem doesn''t originate from external factors."


    Yuga added, "The results here match those from the Pok��mon Center. There are no anomalies within Magikarp'' body."


    "In that case, we need to conduct a more thorough examination," Professor Birch contemted.


    Subsequently, Professor Birch collected samples of Magikarp'' saliva, excrement, blood, and scales and handed them to his assistants to conduct separate tests.


    Because of theplexity of these examinations, it took a considerable amount of time for all the results to be obtained.


    After carefully reviewing the results, Professor Birch paused for a long moment. Then, he extracted the results of the scale and blood tests, exining to Yuga, "Based on the results, the issue seems to lie in the gic makeup and blood of Magikarp."


    Yuga was surprised and asked, "Does this mean that if the genes be too stable, a Pok��mon can no longer evolve?"


    Professor Birch responded, "Yes, that''s correct. When evolution factors stabilize, there is still a possibility of reactivation. However, once the genes be stable, Pok��mon lose all potential for evolution. We cannot modify a Pok��mon''s genes since doing so would lead to its death."


    "Why is that?"


    Then, Professor Birch showed Yuga the results of the blood test and exined, "I suspect that Magikarp'' unique changes are rted to an anomaly in its blood."


    "Are you saying there''s something wrong with Magikarp'' blood?"


    "Yes, I believe this is a form of parasitism, but these parasites have integrated themselves into Magikarp'' body. So, under normal circumstances, they are challenging to detect."


    Yuga''s expression turned horrified. Parasites within Magikarp'' body? That sounded terrifying!


    Seeing Yuga''s reaction, Professor Birch chuckled and reassured him, "Don''t worry; these parasites do not pose a threat to Magikarp'' life."


    "Why not? Having parasites in the blood sounds quite serious, doesn''t it?" Yuga was puzzled.


    Professor Birch smiled, pointing at Magikarp in the water basin, blowing bubbles, and said, "Magikarp has been in this state for a while, right? Look at how it''s not only healthy but also getting stronger both physically and in terms of size."


    Yuga realized that his Magikarp was indeed in exceptional condition, far superior to other Magikarp in terms of both physique and size.


    At this point, Professor Birch suddenly asked, "I wonder if you''ve heard of the Pok��mon Virus?"


    "The Pok��mon Virus?"


    Yuga admitted that he hadn''t heard of it.


    "Is the professor suggesting that Magikarp might have contracted the Pok��mon Virus?"


    This spection sent shivers down Yuga''s spine. A virus wasn''t more formidable than parasites, was it?


    Professor Birch exined, "My spection is that, but don''t misunderstand, in reality, the Pok��mon Virus is a specific type of parasite."


    "Virus equals parasite? I might not be well-read, but don''t try to fool me!"


    After the professor''s exnation, Yuga had a rough understanding of this unique existence called the Pok��mon Virus.


    The Pok��mon Virus hadn''t been discovered for long, so many mysteries still surrounded it. The first discovery of these viruses was made by Professor Elm in Johto.


    Professor Elm was an expert in researching Pok��mon breeding, Pok��mon eggs, and other rted fields. A few years ago, he suddenly noticed that some of the Pok��mon he was breeding had been infected by a peculiar type of parasite.


    However, Professor Elm soon discovered that these parasites didn''t harm the Pok��mon''s life; instead, they had substantial benefits. Pok��mon infected with these parasites not only grew stronger and more robust but also exhibited improved training efficiency.


    Moreover, these parasites were contagious, but the transmission rate was exceptionally low, and the mode of transmission remained unclear.


    Over time, simr cases were reported from different regions, but the parasites didn''t persist for long within the Pok��mon''s bodies. Due to the scarcity of cases, researchers were left puzzled.


    These beneficial parasites in Pok��mon were eventually named "Pok��mon Virus" by Professor Elm.


    "But isn''t the Pok��mon Virus supposed to be beneficial to Pok��mon? Why would it prevent Magikarp from evolving? Also, the Pok��mon Virus should disappear after a short time, but Magikarp has been like this for many years," Yuga asked.


    Professor Birch lowered his head in contemtion and said, "That''s precisely why I used the word ''suspect.'' Magikarp'' condition is strikingly simr to Pok��mon Virus infection, but these two aspects make me hesitant. Perhaps this is a new strain of Pok��mon Virus."


    "A new strain of Pok��mon Virus?"


    The professor replied, "Yes, exactly. All previous cases of Pok��mon Virus showed the presence of the same microorganism, but Magikarp exhibits slight differences."


    Yuga inquired, "If it''s indeed a new strain of Pok��mon Virus, how can we resolve Magikarp'' issue?"


    Although it was unknown whether this new strain of Pok��mon Virus benefited Magikarp, its disadvantages were evident. A Magikarp that couldn''t evolve was seemingly of little breeding value. Yuga didn''t want such a promising Pok��mon to remain in its initial form forever.


    Professor Birch, stroking his bearded chin, responded solemnly, "I haven''t thought about that yet. Let me think it over; a Pok��mon Virus that doesn''t disappear quickly is a fantastic subject for research!"


    With that, Professor Birch delved into studying Magikarp'' test results, leaving Yuga on his own.


    Yuga couldn''t help but think that these researchers were utterly absorbed when it came to something that piqued their interest!

 Chapter 266: Big Apologize!!!

    <h4>Chapter 266: Big Apologize!!!</h4>


    I want to apologize to the reader of this novel. one of the reader told me that the Chatot wife is not Unfezant but Noctowl. i''ve check it twice and its indeed true! >_<


    Now, i need to go back and edited all of them again!! just thingking of it make me wat to cryo(�i�n�i)o


    I''m so tired with all of this fast update but this novel have more than 1k Chapter. If i do slow update i dont know when i willpleted this novel.


    However my goals for this week is to reach Chapter 300.


    So i''ll not edit them first but in the future i''ll start mentioning Unfezant as Noctowl.


    I''m really sorry to all the reader for the inconvenant.


    And i want to say thanks to @RoronoaZoro08 who remind me of it. Thanks you so much!!

 Chapter 267: The Disruptive Meowth

    <h4>Chapter 267: The Disruptive Meowth</h4>


    Professor Birch, engrossed in his research, left Yuga to his own devices, and his assistant Aru came over to keep Yugapany.


    With nothing to do, Aru suddenly suggested, "Hey, how about I show you around our research institute? It''s quite spacious here, and we house a variety of Pok��mon, including some from other regions!"


    Yuga''s eyes lit up at the idea. He happily replied, "That sounds great! Thank you!"


    Opportunities to visit Professor Birch''s research institute were scarce, as not just anyone could enter.


    Aru waved his hand, smiling as he said, "No trouble at all! It''s rare for outsiders to visit our institute, so this is a special asion."


    The backyard of the Professor Birch Research Institute was where the Professor, kept his Pok��mon. Pok��mon that grew tired of the Ecopark inside the institute would often venture into the backyard. Unlike other Ecoparks, Yuga''s felt like a separate space, making it morefortable for the resident Pok��mon.


    Even though other Ecoparks might simte environments well, they still differed from the natural environments.


    Aru pointed to a group of Bulbasaur by the river and introduced them to Yuga, saying, "Those Bulbasaur were recently exchanged by the professor with Professor Oak for research purposes."


    Yuga looked at the Bulbasaur with envy, nearly drooling.


    In truth, Yuga was quite fond of Bulbasaur. While its final evolution might be a bit hard to describe, its initial and middle stages were undeniably cute.


    Suddenly, several Wooper emerged from the water, startling the Bulbasaur drinking by the river. They tumbled backward in surprise.


    Aru chuckled and exined, "These Wooper were brought back by the professor during his research expedition in Johto."


    It was said that Wooper and Quagsire would only inhabit areas with crystal-clear water, making them a symbol of a pollution-free environment.


    "Wooper!"


    The Wooper nced at the startled Bulbasaur, seemingly afraid of being scolded. Their agile heads turned, and they slipped back into the water.


    Not far away, Yuga spotted some sleeping Morerull attached to the tree trunk.


    Seeing Yuga''s gaze fixed on the Morerull, Aru volunteered some information, "Those Morerull were a gift from the Aether Foundation in Al Region during the professor''s exchange program."


    Yuga nodded. When he saw these Morerull, he couldn''t help but recall a funny scene from the animated series where Ash got drained dry by them in the forest. It struck him as oddly amusing.


    In reality, Morerull didn''t pose much of a threat. They would unconsciously absorb the life force of nearby flora and fauna, but the amount was minuscule and didn''t harm the creatures around them.


    Comparatively, the Chandelure and Litwick family, which shared a simr characteristic, were much more fearsome. They had the ability to drain all of a creature''s life force, leading to its demise.


    However, this ability was controble, and unless they were inherently malevolent, they wouldn''t harm ordinary life.


    Some of the terrifying rumors about the Chandelure were spread by some evil individuals.


    This was also why people feared Ghost-type Pok��mon, as they indeed possessed many mysterious abilities.


    As Yuga pondered these thoughts, a suddenmotion reached his ears, as if something had caused a disturbance.


    "What''s happening?" Yuga inquired curiously.


    "It must be that troublemaker again! This time, I''m determined to catch it!" Aru suddenly looked furious and dashed toward the source of themotion. Yuga followed suit.


    When Yuga and Aru arrived at the scene, they saw a Meowth yfully bouncing on top of an Tang''s head, continuously making faces at the Pok��mon below. The other Pok��mon were in chaos.


    "It''s you again!" Aru shouted at the Meowth.


    Meowth, upon seeing Aru approach, didn''t seem frightened at all. Instead, it stuck out its tongue at him, made funny faces, and then jumped down from the Tang it had been teasing. Meanwhile, the Tang had fallen to the ground, looking rather pitiful due to Meowth''s unexpected jump.


    "I won''t let you get away this time!" Aru dered, releasing a Budew from its Pok�� Ball. "Budew, let''s catch this Meowth together. We can''t allow it to escape today."


    Budew nodded at Aru and immediately extended two vine whips to ensnare Meowth. At the same time, Aru rushed towards Meowth.


    Instead of fleeing, Meowth stood still, constantly wiggling its rear end and taunting Aru, which greatly frustrated him.


    Just when Aru and Budew''s vines were about to capture Meowth, the mischievous Pok��mon effortlessly dodged, leaving Aru caught in Budew''s vines instead.


    "Meowth... Meowth, Meowth!" Seeing Aru and Budew in such aical predicament, Meowth burst intoughter while lying on the ground.


    Afterughing, Meowth leaped onto the head of an Breloom that was eating berries not far away.


    The Breloom, savoring its meal, suddenly felt something heavy on its head and a suffocating sensation. Meowth had covered the two holes Breloom used to breathe through its cap and continued to mock it.


    Frustrated, Breloom dropped the half-eaten berry, raised its arms, and tried to scratch the top of its head. But Meowth agilely leaped down from Breloom''s head, leaving Breloom scratching itself and yelping in pain.


    Meowth rolled on the ground,ughing heartily, clearly amused by Breloom''s antics.


    At this moment, Aru, who had managed to free himself from Budew''s vines, arrived. He muttered angrily, "You little rascal!" He appeared thoroughly vexed.


    In this chase between Aru and Meowth, the entire backyard of the research institute had turned into chaos, with Pok��mon running amok.


    Yuga watched this spectacle with bewilderment. He couldn''tprehend how Aru, armed with only an 18-level Budew, thought he could catch a nimble and capable Meowth like this.


    Yuga activated his Insight ability to see Meowth Information.


    ...


    <<meowth>> </meowth>


    Type: Normal


    Ability: Unnerve


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 35


    Moves: Scratch, Feint Attack, Pay Day, Taunt, sh.


    ...


    Yuga took out a Pok�� Ball, releasing Florges. He said to her, "Florges, catch that Meowth."


    Florges nodded and her two thick vines shot out toward Meowth, their speed far surpassing Budew''s vines.


    Meowth, who had been perched on the back of a Rhyhorn, tauntingly mocking Aru, was suddenly caught off guard as the vines swiftly ensnared it. Itsughter came to an abrupt halt.

 Chapter 268: Howling Moon

    <h4>Chapter 268: Howling Moon</h4>


    Aru, panting heavily, ran up to Yuga and patted his chest, saying, "You really helped me out."


    "It''s nothing, just a small favor," Yuga replied, waving his hand and gesturing for Florges to hand Meowth over to Aru.


    Seeing this, Aru quickly waved his hand and said, "This is the Pok��mon you caught; you should be the one to tame it." He looked at Meowth with a hint of disdain.


    "Meowth! Meowth, Meowth!"


    Observing Aru''s disdainful attitude, Meowth was quite displeased. It bared its sharp teeth at Aru, as if it wanted to scratch him right away.


    Hearing Aru''s words, Yuga asked curiously, "Isn''t this a Pok��mon from the research institute?"


    Aru shook his head and said, "No, it''s a wild Pok��mon that somehow found its way here to the institute, where it''s been freeloading."


    Yuga learned from Aru''s description that this Meowth indeed had a mischievous nature.


    Meowth''s origin remained a mystery; it suddenly appeared in the institute''s backyard one day. Initially, it behaved quite decently, only stealing food from other Pok��mon.


    Aru had reported Meowth''s actions to Professor Birch, but the Professor considered it harmless and allowed it to continue. However, this leniency only emboldened Meowth. Its behavior escted from stealing food to tormenting other Pok��mon.


    Eventually, Aru could no longer tolerate Meowth''s actions and attempted to discipline it. To his surprise, he was no match for Meowth, and it ended up teaching him a lesson instead.


    Meowth became increasingly audacious, visiting the institute more frequently, causing chaos among the Pok��mon. It was particrly cunning, targeting weaker Pok��mon for its antics.


    After hearing Aru''s ount, Yuga wondered if this Meowth was simply seeking attention from him, as its actions suggested.


    Yuga suggested, "Why don''t you try capturing it?"


    Aru quickly shook his head and said, "You should do it. I can''t handle it."


    It was evident that Aru had been thoroughly worn out by Meowth.


    Seeing Aru''s evident disdain for Meowth, the mischievous Pok��mon once again showed its sharp teeth, trying to intimidate Aru. In response, Aru quickly moved away, fearing that Meowth might pull another prank.


    Yuga gently patted Meowth''s head andmented, "You''re quite a little troublemaker."


    Meowth, feeling Yuga''s hand on its head, immediately raised its paw, as if it wanted to scratch Yuga. However, a stern look from Florges made it retract its paw.


    Yuga took out a Pok�� Ball and ced it in front of Meowth, saying, "Come on in!"


    Meowth, realizing it couldn''t resist, gave Aru onest re, then lifted its right paw and tapped the switch button on the Pok�� Ball, allowing itself to be captured.


    Yuga looked at the motionless Pok�� Ball and asked Aru, "Are you sure you don''t want to capture it? It seems to like you."


    Aru chuckled and replied, "You must be joking."


    Seeing that Aru wasn''t interested, Yuga didn''t insist and put Meowth''s Pok�� Ball away.


    Since Professor Birch hadn''t yet found a solution to the Pok��mon Virus on Magikarp, and he didn''t want to leave Yuga alone, Yuga decided to stay at the research institute for the day.


    That night, when it was time for bed, Yuga released his Pok��mon into the room, allowing them to sleep with him. This included the recently captured Meowth.


    Despite its mischievous nature, Meowth seemed to understand the situation. Upon seeing Yuga''s Pok��mon, it abandoned any thoughts of escape.


    Absoly down on a nket by Yuga''s bed, Florges covered herself with a nket and rested at the bed''s edge, Vivillon perched on the window sill, while Eevee, Chimecho, and Dratini snuggled directly under the covers with Yuga.


    Meowth observed this, then that, and eventually nestledfortably under Absol''s belly, closing its eyes in a rxed position.


    Absol opened its eyes briefly, casting a faint nce at Meowth, then closed them again, paying no attention to Meowth''s actions.


    In the middle of the night, Yuga, still half-asleep, felt something crawling out from under his nket.


    He rubbed his eyes and, illuminated by the moonlight streaming in from the window, saw that Eevee was now standing on his belly, gazing out of the window.


    Yuga softly asked, "What''s wrong, Eevee? Can''t sleep?"


    "Eevee."


    Eevee, upon hearing Yuga''s voice, turned its head towards him and let out a gentle sound. Then, it hopped off the bed and ran toward the bedroom door.


    "Eevee, where are you going?"


    Yuga, fearing to wake the other Pok��mon, tried to speak as quietly as possible. However, Eevee continued running without turning back.


    Seeing this, Yuga quickly put on his coat, got out of bed cautiously, and then followed Eevee outside.


    Eevee wasn''t running fast, asionally looking back at Yuga, almost as if it were waiting for him.


    And so, Yuga followed Eevee to the research institute''s backyard.


    The autumn night sky was clear, with a few stars scattered, and the cool moonlight illuminated the backyard''s grass, making it unusually bright.


    Eevee trotted to the center of the backyard and looked up at the bright moon in the sky. Moonlight bathed it, creating a hazy and unique beauty.


    Yuga reached Eevee''s side, crouched down, and gently stroked its back. He asked, "What''s wrong? Why did youe outside in the middle of the night?"


    Autumn nights could be quite chilly, and as Yuga touched Eevee''s fur, he felt a coldness.


    Eevee shifted its gaze from the moon to Yuga''s face. Its pitch-ck eyes seemed to shine in the moonlight. It stared at Yuga for a moment, then extended its tongue and licked Yuga''s cheek.


    Yuga felt a tickling sensation and was about to say something to Eevee when he noticed a brilliant evolution light radiating from Eevee''s body, harmonizing with the moon''s glow. It was stunningly beautiful.


    Evolution? Yuga was genuinely surprised.


    Eevee''s evolution process didn''tst long. When the white evolution light dissipated, a new Pok��mon appeared under the moonlight.


    This Pok��mon had inconspicuous ck fur in the night, but it had golden, ring-shaped patterns on its body that interacted with the moonlight, emitting a peculiar glow.


    Umbreon! Yuga softly eximed.


    "Umbreon!"


    Umbreon nced at Yuga, then turned away, emitting a melodious cry toward the moon hanging in the sky.

 Chapter 269: The Berserk Gyarados

    <h4>Chapter 269: The Berserk Gyarados</h4>


    Due to Eevee''s evolution in the middle of the night, Yuga woke up the next morning with heavy panda-like eye bags.


    Seeing Yuga''s prominent dark circles, Aru asked in surprise, "Yuga, what happened to you? Those are some serious dark circles."


    Yuga waved his hand and replied, "It''s nothing, I had trouble sleepingst night."


    Aru nodded, saying, "Maybe it''s because you''re not used to the new environment."


    At noon, Professor Birch, who hadn''t appeared until now, showed up in front of Yuga with disheveled hair. He ced two test tubes containing red and blue potions in front of Yuga and said, "I''vee up with a solution to the Magikarp issue, but ites with some risks."


    "Risks?" Yuga asked.


    Professor Birch replied, "Yes. The genes in Magikarp''s body have solidified significantly. To trigger its evolution, we have to reactivate these stabilized genes. However, this process carries risks. Furthermore, there''s the issue of the Pok��mon virus in its bloodstream."


    "No one has ever considered eradicating the Pok��mon virus within a Pok��mon before, as it''s generally beneficial. However, for Magikarp to evolve, we must remove the virus from its blood, which also poses risks."


    Pointing at the two test tubes in front of him, Yuga asked, "Are these potions meant to activate Magikarp''s genes and clear the Pok��mon virus?"


    Professor Birch nodded and replied, "That''s correct."


    Yuga lowered his head in thought for a moment and said to Professor Birch, "I''d like to discuss this with Magikarp before making a decision. Is that okay?"


    Smiling, Professor Birch said, "Of course, it''s your right." He then handed Magikarp''s Pok�� Ball to Yuga.


    To facilitate Professor Birch''s research, Magikarp had been kept at hisb since yesterday.


    Yuga arrived at the riverbank in the yard, released Magikarp from its Pok�� Ball, and said, "Magikarp, we''ve found a way for you to evolve."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Magikarp happily flipped over in the water.


    Yuga continued, "However, this method is very dangerous, and there''s a possibility that you might lose your life because of it."


    Magikarp stopped swimming and remained still in the water, its sad, pale eyes fixated on Yuga.


    Yuga went on, "I will respect your choice, whether you choose to evolve or remain as you are. I won''t abandon you."


    After Yuga finished speaking, Magikarp leaped out of the water with a single bound, then jumped again after hitting the water''s surface. It repeated this action over and over.


    Yuga couldn''t quite understand what Magikarp was trying to convey, so he said, "Magikarp, if you agree to evolve, jump one more time. If you don''t want to evolve, then calm down."


    This time, Magikarp jumped even higher than before, clearly expressing its decision.


    Understanding Magikarp''s intention, Yuga returned to Professor Birch and told him, "Magikarp has agreed to evolve."


    Professor Birch nodded and took out the two vials again.


    Yuga took the vials and asked, "How should these be used?"


    Professor Birch replied, "The blue one is for clearing the Pok��mon virus. Give it to Magikarp first. The red one is for activating its genes, to be administered afterward. However, when Magikarp takes the blue potion, it will experience extreme pain. You must ensure it endures."


    Yuga nodded in understanding and went to the riverbank.


    Professor Birch, somewhat concerned, followed him.


    Upon reaching the riverbank, Yuga called Magikarp, which had been waiting there, and said, "Magikarp, drink this."


    Magikarp obediently opened its mouth, allowing Yuga to pour the blue potion into it.


    After Magikarp consumed the red potion, Yuga noticed it remained remarkably calm, showing none of the dangerous symptoms Professor Birch had mentioned. He breathed a sigh of relief.


    However, Professor Birch cautioned, "The crucial part is yet toe. Stay vignt."


    Yuga nodded, removed the stopper from the red potion, and poured it into Magikarp''s mouth.


    Soon after drinking the red potion, Magikarp started trembling violently, and then it thrashed about in the water. Yuga could almost feel its agony.


    Suddenly, the light of evolution radiated from Magikarp. Its body elongated and grewrger, creating amotion in the small river.


    The other Pok��mon that had originally inhabited the river scattered in fear, refusing to stay in the water.


    When the evolution light dissipated, the massive form of Magikarp, now a Gyarados, emerged. This creature, over ten meters long, upied a significant portion of the river.


    Just as Yuga was delighted that Magikarp had finally evolved into Gyarados, he realized that the newly evolved Pok��mon was staring at him with crimson eyes.


    "Oh no, Yuga, run! Gyarados has lost its sanity due to the pain," Professor Birch suddenly shouted.


    However, Yuga was too close to Gyarados, and it was toote to escape. He watched in horror as Gyarados opened its mouth and unleashed a Hydro Pump towards him.


    Yuga quickly released Vivillon,manding it to use Protect to block Gyarados''s Hydro Pump attack. Then, he swiftly retreated.


    The berserk Gyarados didn''t fixate on Yuga. Instead, it swung its head and sprayed Hydro Pump in all directions, causing destruction everywhere it reached.


    The Pok��mon that had been casually ying in the yard were terrified, turning the entire area into chaos.


    Back with Vivillon near Professor Birch, Yuga asked anxiously, "Professor, is there any problem with Gyarados behaving this way?"


    Frowning, Professor Birch replied, "Since the evolution was sessful, there shouldn''t be any problems now. It probably lost its sanity due to the intense pain during evolution. It should regain its senses once it''s exhausted."


    Yuga inquired, "So, are we just going to watch it rampage like this?"


    Looking at his devastated yard, Professor Birch sighed and said, "Unfortunately, that seems to be our only option."


    Yuga watched the out-of-control Gyarados, still feeling worried. In just a short while, the water in the river had reduced by half, a testament to Gyarados''s ferocity.


    Fortunately, the Pok��mon in the river had fled early; otherwise, they might have met a grim fate by now.


    After some time, Gyarados unleashed another Hydro Pump, knocking down arge number of trees, before finally copsing by the river, utterly exhausted and lying quietly.


    Seeing this, Yuga hurried over to check on Gyarados''s condition.

 Chapter 270: Farewell to Professor Birch

    <h4>Chapter 270: Farewell to Professor Birch</h4>


    After a thorough examination, it was confirmed that Gyarados, aside from exhaustion, didn''t have any other issues. Yuga finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Looking at the backyard in shambles due to Gyarados''s rampage, Yuga apologized to Professor Birch with a heavy heart, saying, "I''m sorry, Professor. I turned your yard into this mess."


    Professor Birch smiled and replied, "No me on you, it''s my fault for not thinking things through. I didn''t expect Gyarados to cause such amotion."


    Subsequently, Professor Birch took the unconscious Gyarados back to theboratory and performed aprehensive examination.


    Afterward, he told Yuga, "Gyarados is perfectly fine now. Its health is excellent, and the Pok��mon virus in its body haspletely disappeared."


    Yuga expressed his joy, saying, "That''s wonderful."


    Professor Birch continued to exin, "Not only that, due to the prolonged exposure to the Pok��mon virus, although Gyarados couldn''t evolve, it has gained another advantage. After evolving into Gyarados, its defense and strength are significantly higher than other Gyarados of the same level."


    Yuga didn''t expect this additional benefit, but as long as Gyarados was safe and sound, he was content.


    After retrieving Gyarados from the professor, Yuga used his Insight to examine Gyarados''s condition.


    ...


    <<gyarados>> </gyarados>


    Type: Water/Flying


    Ability: Moxie


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 55


    Moves: Bite, Outrage, Ice Fang, Aqua Tail, Scary Face, Crunch, Hydro Pump, Rain Dance, Dragon Dance, Hyper Beam.


    ...


    Yuga was very satisfied with Gyarados''s strength; it was even stronger than Milotic.


    Not long after, Gyarados woke up, and by looking into its clear eyes, Yuga knew it was genuinely fine.


    "Gyarados, is there anything ufortable with your body?"


    Gyarados shook its head.


    "Then you must be hungry."


    Saying this, Yuga took out an Pok��block he had prepared in advance and fed it to Gyarados, who eagerly devoured it.


    After all, causing such amotion was bound to make it hungry.


    After watching Gyarados eat and drink to its heart''s content, Yuga returned it to its Pok�� Ball.


    Gyarados''s sessful evolution lifted a heavy weight off Yuga''s heart. In the afternoon, Yuga decided to bid farewell to Professor Birch and leave Littleroot Town.


    Before returning to Verdanturf Town, Yuga decided to make a detour to Petalburg City to visit Mr. Norman. Since he hade to Littleroot Town, it didn''t feel right to leave without saying hello, especially since Mr. Norman had introduced him to Professor Birch, which had yed a crucial role in Gyarados''s evolution.


    Upon learning that Yuga intended to go to Petalburg City to visit Mr. Norman, Professor Birch said, "Of course, go ahead. It''s gettingte."


    With that, Yuga bid farewell to Professor Birch and set off for Petalburg City.


    However, to reach Petalburg City from Littleroot Town, one had to pass through Oldale Town. On the way to Oldale Town, Yuga released the newly captured Meowth. Its personality was quite stubborn, and it hadn''t been very friendly with Yuga.


    So, Yuga thought he''d use the travel time to get better acquainted with it.


    Just then, arge truck suddenly stopped beside Yuga, and a ck-haired young woman leaned out of the window, asking, "Are you headed to Oldale Town? Do you want a ride?"


    "Really?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    Given the opportunity to ride instead of walking, Yuga certainly didn''t want to miss it. However, it was frustrating that Littleroot Town surprisinglycked dedicated transportation to Oldale Town. ording to the local residents, they''d say, "It''s so close, just walk there."


    Such reasoning was hard to argue with.


    "Get in quickly!" The young woman smiled at Yuga, who was pleasantly surprised.


    Yuga immediately, with great enthusiasm, recalled Meowth into its Pok�� Ball and took a seat in the truck''s passenger side.


    The unfortunate Meowth had just been released and was promptly returned to the ball, with no say in the matter.


    After a brief introduction, Yuga learned that the straightforward and efficient youngdy was named Mio. She was the daughter of a nearby farm in Oldale Town and hade to Littleroot Town for a delivery. On her way back, she spotted Yuga all alone and decided to offer him a ride.


    "Yuga, are you a traveling Pok��mon Trainer?" Mio asked curiously.


    As an ordinary person with limited interaction with Trainers, she was genuinely curious.


    Yuga shook his head and replied, "No, I''m on the way to Petalburg City to visit my rtives, not traveling."


    "I see," Mio nodded in understanding.


    Time flew by as Yuga and Mio chatted, and soon, they arrived near Oldale Town. Mio pulled over and said to Yuga, "My home is just ahead. I can only drop you off here."


    Yuga nodded and said, "Thank you so much, Mio."


    Mio graciously replied, "No need to thank me; it was just a small favor."


    With that, they parted ways.


    Yuga continued walking for some time, nearing Oldale Town, when he suddenly noticed a stone formation ahead. It appeared ancient, so he couldn''t resist going closer to investigate.


    Stepping into the stone formation, Yuga noticed many traces of copsed structures within, resembling ruins.


    "Ruins?" Yuga whispered to himself.


    "These are ancient ruins," a sudden voice came from behind, startling Yuga.


    Turning around, he saw a young man standing behind him.


    Seeing Yuga startled, he quickly apologized, "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to startle you."


    Yuga turned and asked, "No problem. Who are you?"


    The young man, feeling embarrassed, scratched his head and said, "I forgot to introduce myself. I''m Charles, and I''m researching these ancient ruins."


    "I''m Yuga," Yuga introduced himself. "Are you an archaeologist?"


    Charles looked embarrassed and said, "Not yet, but my dream is to be an archaeologist."


    Yuga nodded in understanding.


    Charles suddenly remembered something and said to Yuga, "By the way, would you like to explore these ruins? I can guide you."


    Yuga thought for a moment and agreed; after all, he wasn''t in a hurry.


    Pointing at the copsed buildings within the ruins, Yuga asked Charles, "Were these buildings constructed by ancient people?"


    Charles nodded and exined, "These stone houses are said to have a connection to the ancient Pok��mon and the modern Pok��mon. However, no one has discovered anything specific."


    "Ancient Pok��mon? Like Fossil Pok��mon, Aerodactyl, Kabutops, and Omanyte?" Yuga asked, curious.

 Chapter 271: The Key

    <h4>Chapter 271: The Key</h4>


    "Exactly, those are the ones. I didn''t expect you to have knowledge about ancient Fossil Pok��mon," Charles said with excitement.


    Yuga smiled and replied, "I have some basic knowledge, but nothing extensive."


    With Charles''s guidance, they arrived at the heart of the ruins, where a stone door adorned with intricate patterns stood.


    Charles exined, "Legend has it that behind this stone door lies a stone chamber containing secrets of ancient Pok��mon. However, no one has ever ventured inside."


    Yuga asked curiously, "Why hasn''t anyone entered?"


    Charles smiled and pointed at four round holes located in the center of the stone door, saying, "Because you need a key to enter."


    Saying this, Charles pulled out a worn-out piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it, revealing four different-colored beads. He pointed to them and said to Yuga, "These are the keys to unlocking the ruins! I''ve been searching for them, but there were no leads."


    Yuga looked at the four beads on the paper and felt a sense of familiarity. He thought to himself, "Could it be?"


    Yuga then took out four differently colored beads from his system backpack and handed them to Charles. He asked, "Are these the ones you''re looking for?"


    Seeing the four beads, Charles immediately eximed, "Yes, these are the ones! Where did you find them?"


    Yuga thought to himself, "So, it really is these."


    These four beads had been taken from members of Team Magma and Team Aqua earlier, and Yuga hadn''t figured out their purpose until now �C they were the key to this ancient ruin.


    It seemed that Team Magma and Team Aqua had their eyes on this ruin for a long time, and Yuga had inadvertently interfered.


    "Let''s try if these four beads can open the ruins," Yuga suggested to Charles, who was immersed in joy.


    "Yes, yes, let''s try it quickly!" Charles couldn''t contain his excitement.


    Yuga didn''t know which bead should go into which hole, so he handed all of them to Charles to handle.


    Charles, who had extensive knowledge of the ruins, ced the four differently colored beads into the circr slots on the stone door ording to their positions: upper left, upper right, bottom, and center.


    The entire ruin suddenly began to tremble, and the four beads emitted a faint glow. The stone door started moving towards the inside, and an entrance appeared before Yuga and Charles.


    "Let''s go inside," Charles said to Yuga with excitement.


    Yuga nodded, and together with Charles, they entered the passage created by the moving stone door.


    Inside the chamber, the first thing that caught their eyes was the wall covered in murals. It depicted scenes of ancient humans living harmoniously with ancient Pok��mon, including Fossil Pok��mon like Aerodactyl, Kabutop, and Omanyte, among others.


    "This is amazing! These murals show the harmonious coexistence of ancient humans and ancient Pok��mon," Charles eximed in excitement.


    While Charles was engrossed in studying the murals, Yuga, not particrly interested in the artwork, walked around the chamber. He soon realized that the chamber wasn''t veryrge; it was a circr room with the stone door, which was embedded with the four beads, standing in the center.


    After a brief exploration that yielded no discoveries, Yuga found a ce to sit down and decided to wait for Charles to finish his research before leaving. However, Charles, driven by his ambition to be an archaeologist, got lost in the murals and continued his research into the night.


    Yuga eventually left the chamber and saw the pitch-ck night outside. He decided that continuing the journey at this hour wasn''t a good idea and opted to stay overnight.


    Returning to the chamber, Yuga noticed Charles using a shlight and taking notes in his notebook. Yuga walked over, tapped Charles on the shoulder, and suggested, "Charles, how about we have a meal and then continue your research? There''s no need to rush."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Charles nodded and joined Yuga in having a small meal. Afterward, he eagerly returned to his research, leaving Yuga shaking his head in amusement.


    That night, Yuga took out a sleeping bag andy down in the chamber, falling asleep. Before drifting off, he saw Charles still engrossed in his research.


    In the early morning, when Yuga opened his eyes, he saw Charles wrapped in a nket, sleeping soundly while still sitting upright. Yuga truly admired Charles''s unwavering dedication to his research.


    Yuga stepped out of the chamber, and at that moment, the sun was slowly rising, casting golden rays of sunlight through the entrance into the chamber, illuminating the stone door.


    Turning his head, Yuga noticed that the four gems on the stone door were absorbing the brilliance of the sunrise, radiating a dazzling light. These beams gradually followed the patterns on the door, spreading across the entire door. Then, they extended throughout the entire chamber, causing the murals on the chamber''s walls to start glowing.


    When the entire chamber was covered in radiant patterns, the heavy stone door moved backward once more, revealing a descending stone staircase.


    It was at this moment that Charles finally woke up amidst the considerablemotion.


    Rubbing his bewildered eyes, Charles asked Yuga, "What''s happening?"


    Yuga didn''t say a word but simply pointed towards the stone staircase below. The look of confusion in Charles''s eyes disappeared instantly.


    Surprised, he asked, "What is this?"


    Yuga shook his head, indicating that he didn''t know, but he shared what he had just witnessed with Charles.


    "This is incredible!" Charles eximed. "Let''s go down and explore."


    Yuga nodded and followed Charles down the stone staircase.


    Descending the stairs, Yuga and Charles found themselves in an underground cavern, and the cavern contained arge underground pool.


    "It''s an underground pool!" Charles eximed.


    Yuga asked in confusion, "But why did the ancient people go to such lengths to conceal an underground pool?"


    Charles shook his head, indicating that he didn''t know.


    Suddenly, a column of water shot out from the pool, heading straight for Charles, who stood there in a daze, as if paralyzed.


    Yuga quickly leaped forward, pushing Charles aside just in time to narrowly avoid the water projectile''s attack.


    "It''s a Relicant!" Charles, lying on the ground, eximed with excitement.


    Yuga thought to himself, "Is this guy really that excited about a Relicant? Is it worth risking his life for?"


    The Relicant in the water seemed poised tounch another attack at Yuga and Charles. However, Yuga wasn''t one to stand idly by and take hits. He released his Florges, addressing it, "Use Vine Whip to pull that Pok��mon out of the water."


    "Florges!" Florges nodded, and two vine whips swiftly plunged into the water. With a vigorous tug, the Relicant was yanked out of the water onto the shore.


    Once onnd, the Relicant was helpless and could only flop around desperately. Eventually, it sumbed under the effects of Florges''s Magical Leaf and closed its eyes.


    In reality, this Relicant was quite formidable, but it had chosen the wrong opponents.


    Yuga tossed a Pok�� Ball, capturing the incapacitated Relicant, and then handed it to Charles, saying, "Since you''re so fond of Relicant, it''s yours."

 Chapter 272: Unknown Fossil

    <h4>Chapter 272: Unknown Fossil</h4>


    Charles caught the Pok�� Ball thrown by Yuga and excitedly got up from the ground.


    "Did you really give this to me?"


    "Of course, isn''t it already in your hands?"


    Yuga had no interest in Pok��mon like Relicant, even if it was an ancient fossil.


    As Charles caressed the Pok�� Ball in his hand, he muttered to himself, "This is amazing, an Ancient Fossil Pok��mon appearing here."


    At that moment, another water pir shot out from the pool, and Florges, guarding nearby, immediately dispersed the water pir with a gust of Fairy Wind.


    After the water pir was scattered, Florges''s two vine whips plunged into the water and started churning. Before long, Relicant were thrown onto the shore one after another.


    Seeing the Relicant flopping around, Yuga asked Charles, "Do you still want these?"


    Charles quickly nodded, indicating that he wanted all of them.


    Yuga reluctantly had Florges knock out all the Relicant and then took out Pok�� Balls to capture them.


    Charles held the Pok�� Balls Yuga had thrown to him, and he couldn''t stop smiling with joy.


    When Yuga had dealt with all the Relicant, suddenly an energy ball shot out of the water, heading straight for Florges on the shore.


    Florges reacted swiftly, whipping the energy ball away with one of her vines.


    The energy ball that was knocked away hit the cave wall, causing a violent explosion. Many rocks fell into the water, creating sshes.


    When Yuga and the others looked back at the pool, they found a Cradily that had appeared in the water at some point, roaring at them menacingly.


    "It''s a Cradily!" Charles eximed.


    Charles''s exmation sessfully drew Cradily''s attention, and a massive energy ball instantly shot toward him.


    "Florges!" Yuga called out.


    In response, Florges swiftly used her vine whip to once again deflect the energy ball.


    Seeing Florges repeatedly thwarting it, Cradily finally became furious and directed its attack at Florges.


    As Cradily redirected its attack toward Florges, dark purple liquid shot toward her. This was a Poison-type Gastro Acid.


    Facing Cradily''s Gastro Acid, Florges didn''t dodge. Instead, dozens of emerald-green leaves suddenly appeared around her, transforming into des that sliced through the Gastro Acid before heading towards Cradily with undiminished momentum.


    If it had been the old Florges, she might have had some trouble dealing with this Gastro Acid, but now she handled it with ease.


    Cradily didn''t expect Florges to be so formidable. Caught off guard, it was hit by the magic leaves and sent flying out of the water onto the shore.


    Without giving Cradily a chance to react, Florges used her vine whip to hoist it up high and unleashed a Moonst directly at it, defeating Cradily.


    ...


    <<cradily>> </cradily>


    Type: Rock/Grass


    Ability: Suction Cups


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 45


    Moves: Wrap, Gastro Acid, Ingrain, Brine, Energy Ball, Ancient Power, Barrier, Recover


    This Cradily was clearly much stronger than the Relicant, both in terms of potential and level.


    Yuga threw a Pok�� Ball to capture Cradily. Although he didn''t particrly like this tentacle creature, he considered it a valuable addition to the Ecopark, especially with its decent potential.


    Charles looked at the Pok�� Ball containing Cradily in Yuga''s hand, clearly torn about something. Yuga could tell what was on his mind.


    "Do you want Cradily?" Yuga asked, shaking the Pok�� Ball in his hand.


    Charles quickly nodded.


    "But I don''t want to give it to you!" Yuga yfully teased, a rare sight.


    "Well, can I trade it for the Relicant then?" Charles muttered.


    Yuga disdainfully curled his lips and said, "The Relicant aren''t even mine to give."


    Charles sessfully fell silent.


    "Alright, alright! Let''s see if there are any more Cradily in the water," Yuga chuckled, patting Charles''s shoulder.


    Charles immediately beamed with joy.


    Unfortunately, Florgesbed through the water but didn''t find another Pok��mon. Instead, they retrieved numerous ancient Pok��mon remains.


    These remains hadn''t turned into fossils and couldn''t be used to revive Pok��mon, so they weren''t of much use to Yuga. He decided to give them all to Charles to make up for his disappointment in not finding another Cradily.


    While Charles was busy collecting the Pok��mon remains, he identally stepped on something, causing the entire cave to shake violently.


    Charles jumped in fright and eximed, "Is this ce copsing?"


    Yuga also wondered, "Could it be that dramatic?"


    However, they quickly realized that the cave showed no signs of copsing. The shaking soon stopped, but in the center of the pool, something resembling an altar slowly rose.


    "What is that?" Charles pointed at the semi-transparent stone ced on the altar in astonishment.


    Yuga also saw the object on the altar but didn''t recognize it. He could only shake his head.


    Normally, something immersed in water for a long time would be covered in moss or parasites, but this stone on the altar remained clean and shiny. They wondered if it had been preserved in a special way.


    Yuga turned to Florges and said, "Florges, retrieve that stone."


    Florges nodded and extended her two vine whips to pull the stone from the center of the pool to the shore.


    Yuga and Charles took the stone from Florges and ced it on the ground.


    Charles pulled out a magnifying ss from somewhere and examined the stone closely, turning it this way and that. Finally, he said, "This might be a fossil of an ancient Pok��mon."


    "A fossil of ancient Pok��mon?" Yuga asked in surprise, realizing that he wasn''t familiar with this type of fossil.


    "Yes," Charles nodded, "but we can''t be sure which Pok��mon it is."


    Yuga examined the stone carefully. It was light purple, semi-transparent, andrger than a human head. It looked unlike any other ancient Pok��mon fossil he had seen before.


    Yuga tested its weight and found it to be much lighter than he had expected.


    "Um... Yuga, can I have this fossil?" Charles hesitantly asked.


    Yuga rolled his eyes and said, "Don''t even think about it!"


    This might be an unknown Pok��mon. However if it can be revived in the future, it could be a valuable discovery. Yuga would be foolish if he give it away.

 Chapter 273: The Green Gem and Florges

    <h4>Chapter 273: The Green Gem and Florges</h4>


    Yuga''s refusal left Charles deeply disappointed, but he didn''t push the matter further. He silently began packing up the ancient Pok��mon remains.


    While Charles gathered his belongings, Yuga and Florges thoroughly inspected the cave, confirming that indeed nothing remained. They decided it was time to leave.


    "Are you ready? Once you are, we can leave!" Yuga called out to Charles.


    "I''ming, just a moment," Charles replied.


    He removed his coat, packed all the ancient Pok��mon remains into it, and slung it over his shoulder, panting as he rushed over to Yuga.


    Together with Florges, they climbed the stone staircase, preparing to exit the cave. Meanwhile, the unknown fossil, released by Yuga, was being carried by his Chimecho, who followed along.


    When they emerged from the cave and returned to the stone chamber, they noticed that it was alreadyte morning, and the sun shone brightly outside, casting warm rays into the chamber through the entrance.


    Just as Yuga was about to remove the four gems from the stone door and leave the chamber, the green gem among them suddenly floated out, hovering above their heads and emitting a strange green light.


    "Florges!" Florges, by Yuga''s side, eximed.


    Turning around, Yuga saw a green orb floating out from Florges''s body. It was heading towards the green gem.


    Yuga recognized this green orb; Spectral Celebi had once extracted it from Florges''s body. He was just puzzled about why it had reappeared.


    The green orb approached the green gem, then transformed into a thin beam of light that gradually entered the gem. As a result, the green gem became even more radiant.


    When the light on the green gem finally faded away, Yuga and the others saw it slowly floating towards Florges, eventually settling on her chest.


    At this moment, Florges began emitting a faint green glow, and a Grassy Terrain appeared momentarily in the chamber. des of grass sprouted, flowers bloomed, and then everything withered away, repeating the cycle.


    Within this Grassy Terrain, Yuga, Charles, and Chimecho all felt as though they were immersed in a warm spring. Their entire bodies felt cozy andfortable.


    But what did Florges, with her eyes closed, experience during this time?


    She felt as though she had transformed into amon de of grass, experiencing the cycle of life from sprouting to withering. It was as if she had gained insight into the essence of life, the world of Grass-type Pok��mon, and the power of Grass-type energy.


    When Florges opened her eyes again, the Grassy Terrain in the chamber vanished instantly, and the warm sensation disappeared from Yuga, Charles, and Chimecho.


    At this moment, Yuga remembered to check on Florges''s condition and quickly approached her, his voice filled with concern.


    "Florges, are you okay?" Yuga asked nervously.


    "Florges," Florges gently shook her head.


    Yuga noticed that the green gem was now seemingly fused with Florges''s chest. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t remove it.


    As he carefully examined the green gem, he could faintly see green fluorescence shimmering inside it, a beauty he hadn''t noticed before.


    Yuga hurriedly asked his internal system, "System, do you know what''s happening here?"


    The system responded, [ These four gems appear to be a special artifact created by ancient humans. They were originally in a sealed state but have now been activated by the ruins. ]


    Perplexed, Yuga asked, "But how did it be a part of Florges''s body?"


    The system exined, [ It seems to have be a part of Florges''s body, simr to an organ. I''m not sure of the specific effects, but there seem to be no downsides, and likely some benefits. ]


    Yuga felt that Florges''s demeanor had changed noticeably, gaining an indescribable sense of dignity, somewhat resembling how he felt when facing Dratini''s mother, even though Florges didn''t possess such power.


    Yuga inquired, "Did that green orb cause Florges to merge with the gem? Why didn''t it merge with Chimecho but chose Florges?"


    The system replied, [ Yes, that green orb holds the residual power of a Legendary Pok��mon, carrying its unique divinity, which triggered the gem''s response. ]


    Yuga was puzzled, "Residual power of a Legendary Pok��mon? Why don''t I remember encountering any Grass-type Legendary Pok��mon?"


    Regardless, since Florges seemed fine and had likely gained benefits, Yuga wasn''t too concerned about where this power came from.


    Since the gem reacted to Legendary Pok��mon power, Yuga wondered if it would work on Dratini. He recalled when Spectral Celebi ced a simr orb of Zapdos''s residual power into Dratini.


    Yuga decided to try itter; perhaps Dratini could benefit too.


    Yuga examined the green gem on Florges''s chest once more, noticing how itplemented the green on her body. It was nearly impossible to notice without close inspection.


    "What''s happening, Yuga?" Charles, witnessing the previous events, was startled.


    Yuga smiled and replied, "Nothing to worry about. Let''s leave this ce quickly."


    Charles sensed Yuga''s reluctance to exin further and nodded in agreement.


    Yuga reached out and removed the remaining three gems from the stone door. These were valuable treasures that he couldn''t afford to lose.


    As soon as the remaining gems were taken down, the stone door began closing outward. Yuga hurriedly led Chimecho and Florges toward the exit, with Charles following closely.


    Once they were outside the chamber, the stone door closed shut, sealing the ruins once again.


    Charles caught his breath and expressed his gratitude to Yuga. "Thanks to you, I was able to enter the chamber and learn about the ancient Pok��mon and the ancient human way of life. I''m truly grateful."


    Yuga chuckled and shook his head. "If you hadn''t told me how to open the chamber, even with the key, I couldn''t have entered. So, it''s not a matter of who should thank whom. We''ve both gained something, haven''t we?"


    After a short rest, they went their separate ways. Yuga resumed his journey towards the Petalburg City. As for the unidentified fossil, he stored it in his system''s backpack after parting ways with Charles.

 Chapter 274: Bustling Petalburg City

    <h4>Chapter 274: Bustling Petalburg City</h4>


    The distance from the ruins to the town of Oldale Town was not far, and Yuga arrived there in no time.


    What made Yuga happy was that there was finally transportation from Oldale Town to Petalburg City. He wouldn''t have to rely on Route 11 anymore.


    Without lingering in Oldale Town for a moment, Yuga boarded the bus headed for Petalburg City and arrived there in just a few hours.


    Stepping out of the bus station, Yuga sighed. Originally, it would only take a day to travel from Littleroot Town to Petalburg City, but he had spent nearly two days.


    Yuga walked through the streets of Petalburg City when he suddenly noticed arge crowd of people heading in one direction. He found it strange and stopped a passing teenager to ask, "Excuse me, has something happened up ahead? Why is everyone heading in that direction?"


    The teenager looked surprised and said, "Are you new to Petalburg City? The Marina Group is performing here, and it''s been going on for several days. Many people go to watch it, and it''s absolutely amazing!"


    Yuga asked in puzzlement, "The Marina Group? What is that?"


    The teenager gave Yuga a dumbfounded look, as if he were seeing someone with no knowledge, and then said, "You don''t know? It''s the Marina Group, the famous Water-type Pok��mon performance Group!"


    After saying that, the teenager ignored Yuga and joined the crowd.


    A Water-type Pok��mon performance Group? Is it well-known? Why haven''t I heard of it? Yuga began to doubt his own knowledge.


    Curious, Yuga followed the crowd towards the location of the Group. He wanted to see what was so special about this Group that it could captivate so many people.


    Yuga hadn''t reached the area yet, but from a distance, he saw numerousrge light blue water spheres floating in the air. Inside these spheres, various Water-type Pok��mon swam happily.


    There were groups of Wooper, pairs of Gorebyss and Huntail, and clusters of Luvdisc, among others. It all looked incredibly spectacr.


    Just this sight alone was intriguing. Water spheres floating in the sky? What was the principle behind this? Yuga wondered if Primarina was controlling them.


    With questions in mind, Yuga arrived at the location of the Group.


    Inside the massive water sphere surrounded by a crowd, a man and a woman were wearing peculiar costumes, swimming in the water with Water-type Pok��mon. They would asionally leap out of the water sphere and fly into the sky.


    The Water-type Pok��mon inside the water spheres would jump from one sphere to another, creating a highly entertaining spectacle.


    Yuga took a closer look and realized that it was a Medicham and a Medidite using their psychic to control the water spheres and swim with the humans. Due to the simr light blue color of their psychic energy and the water spheres, it was not easy to notice.


    However, both the Medicham and Medidite were undoubtedly very skilled, as they could control these massive water spheres. Without powerful psychic abilities, these spheres would have fallen from the sky long ago, let alone constantly changing their formations.


    The onlookers were cheering and apuding for this amazing performance, and Yuga couldn''t help but apud as well. It was undeniable that this Group had the ability to captivate people.


    At that moment, Yuga suddenly spotted three familiar faces in the crowd. His eyes lit up, and he walked over, calling out, "Aunt Caroline!"


    Caroline, who was watching the performance with May and Max, was surprised to hear someone calling her name. She turned around and saw Yuga standing not far away.


    "Yuga, you finally made it!" Caroline said in amazement.


    Professor Birch had informed them that Yuga woulde to visit, but they hadn''t seen him all day yesterday and were starting to worry that something had happened to him.


    May and Max also waved and greeted Yuga, calling him "Big Brother Yuga."


    Yuga made his way through the crowd and approached Caroline. He ruffled the heads of May and Max, saying, "I ran into a little trouble on the way, so it took me longer."


    Since Yuga had arrived, Caroline considered heading home instead of watching the performance. However, seeing how reluctant May and Max were to leave, Yuga suggested they watch the rest of the show before going home. Caroline reluctantly agreed.


    After the Group''s performance ended, it was approaching evening. Yuga followed Caroline''s family back to the Petalburg Gym. At that moment, Mr. Norman hadn''t returned home yet due to work.


    Yuga hadn''t brought any gifts with him, so he took out a portion of the Sweet Honey he had obtained in Amber Castle as a gift for Caroline. In reality, most of the Sweet Honey had been left for his Snox to consume. The quantity he had brought wasn''t much, originally intended for his own use, but he decided to share it since the Combees in the Ecopark had started producing honey again, so he didn''t mind.


    Honey made by purebred Combees was rtively rare, especially in Hoenn region, so Caroline was very pleased to receive the Sweet Honey from Yuga.


    In the living room, Yuga epted the teacup Caroline handed to him and asked, "When does Mr. Norman usually return from work?"


    Caroline looked at the clock on the wall and replied, "Usually around this time. Lately, there has been a lot of work with the League, so as a Gym Trainer, he''s always busier than others."


    Just as Caroline finished her sentence, they heard the sound of the door opening.


    "I''m back!"


    Entering the room, Norman spotted Yuga sitting on the couch. He eximed with surprise, "You finally made it! We were starting to worry that something had happened to you!"


    Yuga apologized, saying, "I''m sorry for making you all worry."


    Norman hung up his coat on the nearby rack and waved his hand, smiling. "As long as you''re okay."


    Since Norman had returned, Caroline, May, Max, and Yuga chatted for a while before Caroline headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Norman joined Yuga in the living room.


    "By the way, how''s your Magikarp doing?" Norman asked.


    Yuga smiled and replied, "Thanks to your help, my Magikarp has sessfully evolved into Gyarados. It''s in great shape now."


    Norman nodded, saying, "I knew Birch would find a way."


    After all, being lifelong friends, Norman was well aware of Birch''s abilities, and his reputation wasn''t just for show.


    Since Yuga hade all this way, Caroline had prepared a sumptuous dinner. It delighted May and Max, and they ate to their hearts'' content, leaving their little bellies round and satisfied.


    The dinner was a joyous affair.


    Later that evening, Yuga spent some time ying with May and Max, as arranged by Caroline. Following Caroline''s arrangements, Yuga stayed at the Petalburg Gym for the night.

 Chapter 275: The Balance Badge

    <h4>Chapter 275: The Bnce Badge</h4>


    In the early morning, Yuga woke up to the sweet chirping of birds. He had spent a veryfortable night at the Petalburg Gym.


    "Good morning, everyone," Yuga greeted the awakened Pok��mon with a smile. They responded energetically to his greeting, except for Meowth.


    Meowth had been eating Yuga''s food and drinking his drinks for the past few days but still maintained an aloof attitude toward him. It left Yuga a bit perplexed, but Meowth never showed any intention of running away, treating Yuga as a consistent source of meals.


    After waking up, Yuga led his Pok��mon to the backyard of the Petalburg Gym for some light training. Since it wasn''t his home, he didn''t engage them in their usual skill-based training but opted for simple physical exercises.


    At that moment, Mr. Norman approached them, observing Yuga''s Pok��mon. He asked, "How about having a Pok��mon battle to warm up?"


    Yuga turned to him with a smile and replied, "Sure, I haven''t battled a Gym Trainer before."


    Mr. Norman showed genuine interest and said, "Oh, really? If you can defeat me, I''ll give you the Bnce Badge from the Petalburg Gym as a memento of your first Gym Trainer battle."


    Excited by the offer, Yuga said, "I''ll do my best, then!"


    Mr. Norman smiled and gestured for Yuga to follow him. Yuga recalled his Pok��mon into their Pok�� Balls and trailed behind Mr. Norman.


    They arrived at Mr. Norman''s personal Ecopark, which housed various koths, Vigoroths, and even a king. Yuga marveled at the sheer number of koth in the Ecopark, considering how rich Mr. Norman must be to maintain such arge collection of the same species.


    As they walked deeper into the park, Mr. Norman stopped one of the Vigoroths along the way. He then turned to Yuga and said, "Your opponent for today will be this one."


    The Vigoroth appeared exceptionally robust, a testament to its excellent care and training.


    "Vigoroth!" The Vigoroth roared energetically and struck a flexing muscle pose, apanying Mr. Norman''s announcement.


    Yuga couldn''t help but use his Aura Reader to examine the Vigoroth''s information.


    ...


    <<vigoroth>> </vigoroth>


    Type: Normal


    Ability: Vital Spirit


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 46


    Moves: Reversal, Uproar, sh, Focus Punch, Bulk Up, Taunt, Blizzard, Shadow Ball, Aerial Ace, Night sh.


    ...


    Seeing the Vigoroth''s stats, Yuga felt relieved that Mr. Norman hadn''t chosen one of his ace Pok��mon. After all, Mr. Norman was a pseudo-elite Trainer, and any of his main Pok��mon could easily overpower Yuga''s entire team.


    They reached the central area of the Ecopark, where Mr. Norman activated some hidden mechanism. A battle arena rose slowly from the ground.


    "This battle arena is what I use for training, and not many people get to see it," Mr. Norman exined.


    Yuga chuckled and said, "I feel honored to be using it today."


    Mr. Norman and his Vigoroth took their positions on one side of the battle arena, while Yuga stood on the other.


    Yuga tossed a Pok�� Ball, and Absol''s imposing figure appeared on the battlefield.


    The moment Absol appeared, not only the Vigoroth but even Mr. Norman felt the air freeze momentarily. It was due to Absol''s Intimidate abilitying into y.


    After rigorous training, Absol had learned to control its Intimidate ability effortlessly, providing significant psychological pressure on its opponents when faced in battle.


    "Absol is impressive!" Mr. Norman thought to himself.


    Mr. Norman called out to Yuga, "You''re the younger one here, so I''ll let you make the first move."


    Yuga nodded and said, "I appreciate that. Absol, use Swords Dance!"


    Yuga was aware that Mr. Norman''s Vigoroth had the Taunt move. He didn''t want to miss this opportunity to use Swords Dance, which was Absol''s only boosting move.


    A blue aura surrounded Absol as it performed a graceful spin, infusing itself with increased power,pleting the Swords Dance.


    "Vigoroth, use Taunt!"


    As Yuga anticipated, Mr. Norman didn''t give Absol a chance for a second Swords Dance.


    Vigoroth taunted Absol by turning around, wiggling its buttocks, and even raising a middle finger, sessfully infuriating Absol. Without hesitation, Absol unleashed Dark Pulse toward Vigoroth.


    Vigoroth disyed impressive agility, somersaulting and narrowly dodging Absol''s attack.


    "Vigoroth, use Bulk Up!"


    Since Vigoroth hadn''t reached its final evolution form, it might havecked in terms of attack power. Therefore, Mr. Norman, like Yuga, decided to boost Vigoroth''s attack.


    Yuga wanted to prevent that, so he instructed, "Absol, use Sucker Punch!"


    Absol''s two front ws radiated with dark energy, and it lunged towards Vigoroth, who was performing Bulk Up.


    However, Mr. Norman''s Vigoroth had undergone special training. Before Absol could reach it, Vigoroth executed a sessful Bulk Up.


    In a surprising twist, Absol seemed to predict Vigoroth''s attack trajectory, even at such close quarters. It agilely evaded Vigoroth''s Focus Punch, leaving Vigoroth momentarily bewildered.


    But while Vigoroth was in a daze, Absol swiftly struck with a Sucker Punch, knocking Vigoroth out of the battle.


    Mr. Norman, with a puzzled expression, couldn''tprehend how Absol had managed to evade the attack at such close range. He was unaware of Absol''s extensive experience in predicting opponents'' attack patterns, especially when opponents were unaware of its abilities.


    Vigoroth, now incapacitated on the ground, let out a painful howl. It looked worse for wear, with the added pressure from Absol''s ability affecting its movements.


    "Vigoroth, one more Force Palm!" Mr. Normanmanded.


    Despite Vigoroth''s slowing movements, itunched another Force Palm at Absol in an attempt to strike back.


    However, Absol seemed to have eyes all over its body. It effortlessly dodged Vigoroth''s swinging fists.


    Finally, amidst Vigoroth''s increasingly sluggish movements, Absolnded another Sucker Punch, rendering Vigoroth unable to battle.


    Mr. Norman watched Vigoroth fall to the ground and admitted with a smile, "You won. Your skills are getting stronger."


    While Mr. Norman was curious about Absol''s unique evasion tactics, he understood that this was a Trainer''s secret and didn''t press further.


    Yuga humbly replied, "Thank you. I''ll cherish the Bnce Badge."


    Mr. Norman took the Bnce Badge from his pocket and handed it to Yuga, saying, "Even if you''re notpeting in the League Challenge, keeping it as a memento is a good idea."


    Yuga epted the Bnce Badge with gratitude and whispered, "I''ll treasure it."

 Chapter 276: Dragonair, the Weather Dragon

    <h4>Chapter 276: Dragonair, the Weather Dragon</h4>


    Initially, Yuga had hoped that there would be challengers at the Petalburg Gym, giving him the opportunity to experience Gym Battles. However, Mr. Norman informed him that there were very few challengers so soon after the League Challenge had concluded, so Yuga didn''t get the chance to battle any.


    Yuga didn''t linger in Petalburg City for long. In the afternoon, he bid farewell to Mr. and Mrs. Norman and boarded a flight back to Verdnaturf Town.


    Upon his return to Verdnaturf Town, Yuga first inspected both the new and old stores. Seeing that everything was running smoothly, he headed to the Ecopark.


    Yuga''s first order of business at the park was to check on the status of the Gliscor Leader and the three female Gligar. While he was away, they had been cared for by the Miltanks.


    Fortunately, the Miltanks had taken excellent care of them. The Gliscor Leader and the female Gligar were in excellent condition, and they were ready for the next phase of the breeding program once the female Gligar evolved sessfully.


    However, what surprised Yuga was that among the five Gligar that received the Razor Fang, the two male Gligar evolved into Gliscor sessfully, while the three female Gligar showed no signs of evolution.


    It seems like they didn''t get enough training, Yuga thought.


    Yuga continued to tour the Ecopark and noticed that everything was running smoothly. He credited this to the diligent work of the Miltanks. This led him to contemte whether he should find suitable mates for them.


    Whether it was Tauros or Bouffnt, both were excellent candidates for the Miltanks, and neither were rare Pok��mon, making them rtively easy to acquire.


    Moreover, as the number of Pok��mon in the Ecopark continued to grow, the demand for Miltanks would undoubtedly increase. It would be even better if they could breed some baby Miltanks.


    With this thought in mind, Yuga added the task of finding mates for the Miltanks to his schedule.


    Finally, Yuga arrived at the Shallow Seashore. He released the recently acquired Cradily directly into the sea. The Cradily immediately extended its vines and attached itself to the seabed rocks, lookingfortable and content.


    Next, Yuga visited the Heart Ind Lake.


    He came here to confirm a hypothesis he had. The system had mentioned that the Gems reacted to the divinity that had tainted Florges, leading to their fusion. Therefore, this principle should also apply to Dratini, which had been exposed to divinity.


    Standing by the edge of the Heart Ind Lake, he released Dratini from its Pok�� Ball and retrieved the remaining three Gems.


    Just as Yuga had suspected, the yellow Gem immediately reacted strongly when it appeared, sensing the presence of Dratini. It swiftly flew to Dratini''s head, emitting a dazzling golden light, in stark contrast to the gentle response it had shown with the green Gem.


    Simultaneously, the golden, electrically charged orb within Dratini''s body burst out and transformed into a strong electrical current, before being absorbed by the yellow Gem.


    After absorbing all the electrical energy, the glow on the yellow Gem faded, and it settled on Dratini''s forehead.


    "Dratini!"


    Dratini seemed startled by the yellow Gem, letting out an rmed cry.


    Just as Dratini called out, its body began to emit a white light. Within the white light, Dratini''s body elongated, growingrger with each passing moment.


    "Evolution?" Yuga was taken aback.


    Considering Dratini''s level, it should have been able to evolve a long time ago. However, Yuga hadn''t expected this particr moment to be the trigger for its evolution.


    As the white light dissipated, an elegant Dragonair, floated silently in mid-air, looking at Yuga.


    This Dragonair is quiterge! That was Yuga''s first reaction.


    Typically, Dragonair has a length of around 4 to 5 meters. However, the one before Yuga appeared to be over 7 meters, even longer than the average Gyarados.


    Moreover, unlike regr Dragonair, its neck ornament, which was originally deep blue, had turned golden. This gave it an unusual appearance with its otherwise entirely blue skin.


    "Dragonair..."


    Dragonair tilted its head towards the sky and let out a gentle cry. In an instant, the sky above became shrouded in dark clouds, apanied by countless lightning shes.


    What''s this? Rain dance? Or something simr to the abilities of Zapdos? Yuga wondered.


    Following a loud thunderp, the entire Heart Ind began experiencing a heavy downpour, with rain pouring down in torrents. Yuga''s clothes were quickly drenched, and he couldn''t help but shiver.


    It''s indeed the Rain Dance ability, but this rain is pouring down awfully fast, isn''t it? And the range is too wide, and the volume of rainfall is excessive. Even though Dragonair is known for its ability to control the weather, this effect seemed exaggerated. Moreover, does the Rain Dance ability usually involve thunder and lightning like this?


    At this moment, the Milotic and Feebas in theke sensed themotion outside and timidly peeked their heads above the water''s surface. However, when they saw Dragonair, they couldn''t help but show signs of fear.


    "Dragonair..."


    Just as Yuga thought it was over, Dragonair in the midst of the downpour tilted its head toward the clouds once more. The clouds grew denser, and golden lightning bolts began to surge from the cloud mass like electric serpents.


    The Milotic and Feebas in the water were frightened and quickly retreated back to theke''s bottom. Even Yuga was taken aback by this terrifying scene, fearing that a lightning bolt might identally strike him.


    Fortunately, these electric serpents only darted around in the high sky and didn''t descend. Otherwise, Yuga suspected that this orchard on the Heart Ind might have been reduced to ashes.


    Yuga pondered, how were these thunderstorms generated? 100,000 volts? Or thunderbolts? In any case, it was truly intimidating.


    Why did this yellow Gem seem more powerful than the green Gem? Why did it create such a massive disturbance?


    Unable to contain his curiosity, Yuga activated his Insight ability and examined Dragonair, which was manipting the weather with its eyes closed.


    ...


    <<dragonair>> </dragonair>


    Type: Dragon


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Multiscale


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 40


    Moves: Rain Dance, Dragon Pulse, Thunder Wave, Outrage, Dragon Tail, Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Agility.


    ...


    At first nce, apart from evolving, there weren''t many significant changes. The most significant benefit was learning a rare weather-rted ability, along with a low-power Dragon Pulse and a two-level increase in level.


    However, the power it exhibited was entirely different from before. Just based on its strong weather maniption abilities, it was ahead of many other Pok��mon. Yuga felt that this ability was quite simr to Zapdos.


    He couldn''t help but wonder whether this was an inherent talent or an influence from the yellow Gem. If it was due to the Gem, then this Gem was remarkable. Yuga also couldn''t help but wonder how the ancient people managed to create it.


    It had to be said that based on the discovered relics so far, the ancient people possessed many mysterious powers that the modern Pok��mon world couldn''t exin.

 Chapter 277: The Meditate Pokémon, Medidite

    <h4>Chapter 277: The Meditate Pok��mon, Medidite</h4>


    Dragonair seemed to be venting an excess of energy within its body, continuously controlling the thunderclouds in the sky to release lightning bolts. It took more than an hour before it finally ceased.


    During this time, not only the Milotic and Feebas in Heart Lake Ind but also the wild uncher and witzer in the sea were rmed and trembling in the water.


    Water-type Pok��mon always instinctively feared such powerful thunder and lightning.


    On the other hand, Greninja had disappeared and wasn''t in the Shallow Seashore.


    Dragonair, now exhausted from its rampage, slowly descended from the sky and flew to Yuga, letting out a gentle cry. It nudged Yuga''s palm with its head.


    Yuga smiled and said, "Congrattions, Dragonair! One day, you''ll be as powerful as your mother."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Dragonair nodded happily, feeling the fatigue in its body dissipate.


    Yuga fed Dragonair an Pok��block before allowing it to rest at the bottom of theke.


    When Yuga left the Shallow Seashore, he returned Gyarados to Heart Lake Ind, relieved that it had sessfully evolved.


    For the next three days at the YoYo Day Care, Yuga was immersed in researching how to breed a Gligar with a blue potential. He consulted a vast amount of breeding knowledge but had limited sess.


    During these three days of training, Yuga gradually understood some characteristics of the green and yellow Gems.


    Firstly, these Gems had their own attributes. Clearly, green represented the Grass type, and yellow represented the Electric type. If everything went as expected, the red Gem should be Fire type, and the blue Gem should be Water type.


    Secondly, after the fusion of the green and yellow Gems, both Florges and Dragonair''s control over Grass and Electric-type moves had increased significantly, and the power of their abilities had greatly improved. They even outperformed true Grass and Electric-type Pok��mon.


    For these two attributes, Florges and Dragonair seemed to have reached an entirely different level of understandingpared to other Pok��mon''s mastery of their own types.


    Lastly, Florges and Dragonair seemed to have inexplicably gained two extra attributes because of these two Gems, without being vulnerable to weaknesses associated with those attributes. This was quite astonishing.


    As for any other functions of the Gems, Yuga had yet to discover them, so further research was needed.


    One unexpected surprise during this time was that a Medidite in the Ecopark had sessfully learned the Calm Mind move.


    Calm Mind was a rare and difficult-to-learn move that allowed Psychic-type Pok��mon or those skilled in using Psychic moves to rapidly enhance their mental power.


    While Medidite and Chimecho had been meditating regrly, the effects of this ordinary meditation and the Calm Mind move were entirely different.


    If the effects of regr meditation could reach half the effectiveness of using the Calm Mind move, it would already be considered highly efficient.


    Yuga had always wanted his Absol and Chimecho to learn this move, but he hadn''t found any Pok��mon capable of teaching it. Therefore, this idea had been shelved until Medidite pleasantly surprised him.


    Medidite and its evolution, Medicham, were ssified as Meditate Pok��mon. In other words, both of these Pok��mon were skilled in meditation, especially Medidite, which spent most of its day in a meditative state.


    Therefore, Yuga was not surprised that Medidite had learned the Calm Mind move, but rather pleasantly so.


    This Medidite''s meditation using the Calm Mind move had a significant differencepared to the ordinary meditation performed by other Medidite.


    While other Medidite''s surface would only exhibit a shallow, faint blue aura during their meditation, this Medidite disyed a stark contrast.


    They covered their bodies with the psychic energy generated during meditation to coordinate and strengthen their physical abilities, achieving the effects of training typical Fighting-type Pok��mon.


    Medidite, having learned the Calm Mind move, disyed a different phenomenon during meditation. The psychic energy surrounding its body was no longer light blue but instead a pale purple.


    Moreover, its psychic energy resonated slightly with the psychic energy in the air, affecting the other Medidite meditating nearby, drawing them into a deeper state of meditation.


    In Yuga''s Ecopark, there were a total of seven Medidite. When they Calm Mindd together, it created a noticeable aura. Passing by them, one could distinctly feel the psychic energy permeating their surroundings, even though it was invisible and intangible.


    Upon discovering that one of the Medidite had learned the Calm Mind move, Yuga promptly arranged for Chimecho and Absol toe and learn it. This move was essential for enhancing their strength.


    For Chimecho, as a Psychic-type Pok��mon, learning Calm Mind was the most direct and effective method to increase its power.


    As for Absol, learning Calm Mind aimed to further develop its Future Sight abilities. The effectiveness of Future Sight relied on the user''s psychic power, and the stronger the psychic power, the better the results. Absol''s perception training and ability development also involved the use of psychic energy, making learning Calm Mind a necessity.


    Therefore, for a considerable amount of time, the Pok��mon in the Ecopark could witness six Medidite, Absol, and Chimecho meditating in the main grass area, surrounding a single Medidite for meditation lessons.


    Aside from training, during these three days, Yuga provided Misaki with the form for the Dark-type Pok��block obtained from the Umbreon. She sessfully produced it.


    This Dark-type Pok��block was named "Stern" by Yuga and became the fourth type of Pok��block officially avable at the YoYo Day Care (excluding the improved version of the Extender Pok��block).


    However, since this Pok��block had just been introduced, customer feedback wasn''t very clear yet. Based on previous Pok��blocks, though, it was expected to be well-received.


    Due to his busy schedule with Gligar, Yuga didn''t personally get involved in the production of Stern. He left it entirely in Misaki''s capable hands and only checked the quality of the finished product when it was ready.


    But Yuga knew that Misaki''s skills were unquestionable, and he was just following the usual process.

 Chapter 278: Experiment

    <h4>Chapter 278: Experiment</h4>


    Lately, Yuga had been feeling a bit overwhelmed. He had been researching extensively to find a way to cultivate Gligar with blue potential. He delved into the knowledge about Ground-type Pok��mon and conducted numerous experiments, but none of them yielded promising results.


    One day, while Yuga was going through breeding data as usual, he stumbled upon an article written by a long-deceased breeder. In this article, the breeder mentioned materials that had long been used solely for collection purposes��Stardust and Star Pieces. He imed that these materials could trigger changes in the life energy of Ground-type, Steel-type, and Rock-type Pok��mon.


    ording to him, these materials might have originated from the vast universe, harboring unknown and mysterious powers that remained undiscovered.


    When this article was first published, many people had researched it and conducted experiments with Stardust and Star Pieces. However, they didn''t achieve any significant breakthroughs, and over time, these materials were forgotten.


    Yuga found the article''s detailed descriptions and spections about Stardust and Star Pieces very convincing. He couldn''t help but think that if something came from the universe, he might already have something like that in his possession.


    Whether the star dust and star piecese from the universe, you can know if youpare them.


    It suddenly urred to Yuga that he had a meteorite that Deoxys had entrusted to him. It just so happens that I still have some star dust and star pieces in my hand, which are just right for research materials.


    When traveling to Lilycove City before, Yuga never had time to deal with the star dust and star pieces that Linoone found on the beach, and slowly forgot them in the system backpack.


    Stardust and Star Pieces, despite having different names, were essentially the same substance. They had a dark red color, a fine texture, and asionally emitted specks of light, resembling stars in the night sky.


    As YoYo Day Carecked suitable equipment for researching Stardust and Star Pieces, Yuga went to the Pok��mon Center and asked Nurse Joy for permission to use their testing equipment. Nurse Joy, being well-acquainted with Yuga, readily agreed to his request.


    Since he only needed a small amount for testing purposes, Yuga gently scraped ayer of powder from the colossal meteorite, avoiding creating noticeable damage. After all, he didn''t want to risk angering Deoxys in case it came back for the meteorite.


    Yuga''s objective wasn''t a detailed analysis of Stardust''sposition but rather to verify if itsposition was simr to that of the meteorite. Yuga wasn''t particrly skilled with the precise equipment at the Pok��mon Center, so Nurse Joy assisted him, and they soon had the test results.


    Just as described in the article, the mainponents of Stardust were remarkably simr to those in the meteorite. Many substances were unidentified, even by Nurse Joy.


    However, the meteorite contained a unique energy that was absent in Stardust. This energy was extremely faint, challenging to detect, and entirely different from the maic energy that triggered geomaic effects in the meteorite.


    ording to Nurse Joy, this unique energy exhibited strong elemental characteristics that aligned perfectly with Ground-type, Steel-type, and Rock-type attributes.


    Furthermore, this energy exhibited a strong level of radiation. Even a small amount of it could have an impact on the bodies of living organisms. However, Nurse Joy couldn''t determine whether this influence was positive or negative.


    Yuga spected that Stardust might have originated from meteorites but underwent some transformation upon entering the Pok��mon world due to natural assimtion. Some of its original energy and substances might have dissipated while new materials native to the Pok��mon world were incorporated, resulting in the existence of Stardust and Star Pieces.


    However, there was one aspect Yuga couldn''t be certain about. Were all meteorites, like the colossal one entrusted to Deoxys, imbued with this unique energy? Or did other meteorites lose this special energy during their assimtion into the Pok��mon world? If it existed in other meteorites, why hadn''t the unique energy in Deoxys''s meteorite dissipated, considering it had been in the Pok��mon world for quite some time?


    Yet Yuga believed that the energy mentioned by the old breeder, which affected the life energy of Ground-type Pok��mon, might indeed be this unique energy. As regr Stardust and Star Piecescked it, other researchers had been unable to make sense of it.


    Understanding the characteristics of this special energy, Yuga borrowed equipment from the Pok��mon Center to extract this energy from the meteorite. He aimed to verify whether the radiation it produced was beneficial or harmful.


    Since he couldn''t use Pok��mon for experimentation, Yuga chose nts as test subjects. He selected seven saplings, each representing different types: Asper Berry, Lum Berry, Rowap Berry, Tomato Berry, Sc Berry, Jaboca Berry, and Kebia Berry. These saplings possessed distinct elemental attributes: Ice, Grass, Water, Fire, Rock, Ground, and Steel, respectively. Yuga wanted to observe if this unique energy would affect the growth of these seven berry trees.


    If it did have an impact, he wanted to determine which berry trees it influenced, especially if it corrted with the Ground, Steel, and Rock attributes, as the old breeder had suggested.


    Yuga incorporated the extracted special energy into fertilizer and applied it to each of the seven saplings. The fertilizer used was suitable for most berry trees and would yield simr results for all seven types.


    To ensure the uracy of the experiment and prevent external interference, Yuga nted all seven saplings inrge pots and moved them to the main Ecopark of the YoYo Day Care. He nned to monitor their growth daily.


    To protect the saplings from any idental damage by other Pok��mon, Yuga requested the ever-watchful Noctowl, which constantly patrolled the main Ecopark, to keep an eye on them.

 Chapter 279: Juan’s Discovery

    <h4>Chapter 279: Juan''s Discovery</h4>


    During the ongoing special energy detection experiment, Yuga also informed the Gliscor Leader, that they could resume their normal marital life. After all, it wouldn''t be fair to keep them waiting for too long.


    In these past few days, three female Gligar, under Yuga''s direct supervision, sessfully evolved into Gliscors. Their physical conditions had been nurtured well and were now suitable for pregnancy.


    Since the experiment with the berry tree saplings began, Yuga found himself with more free time. The experiment required careful observation, which didn''t demand his constant attention.


    One day, Yuga received an unexpected video call from Robert, which caught him by surprise.


    Looking at the screen and seeing Robert behaving differently from usual, Yuga asked, "What''s going on? You seem a bit hesitant."


    Robert appeared remorseful as he said, "Yuga, I may have done something that I should apologize for."


    Apologize? Yuga was taken aback. He and Robert didn''t have any particrly close rtionship, so what could he have done to warrant an apology?


    "What''s the matter?" Yuga felt a hint of anxiety.


    Robert sighed, his expression regretful as he exined the situation.


    Due to preparations for the Grand Festival of the Pok��mon Contest, Robert had been busy training and getting his Pok��mon in top condition at the Sootopolis Gym. The use of Beautie Pok��blocks had resulted in his Pok��mon, including Milotic, Chimecho, and even Ciino, gradually appearing "radiant," with significantly improved vitality and spirit. Even the newly captured Magikarp no longer looked as dull.


    His Milotic, in particr, disyed minimal changes due to its species characteristics, but all these transformations had drawn the attention of his mentor, the Sootopolis Gym Leader, Mr. Juan.


    Seeing the transformations in Robert''s Pok��mon, Juan began to pay closer attention to his young apprentice.


    Gradually, he noticed that the Pok��blocks Robert had been providing for his Water-type Pok��mon were not the specialized Pok��blocks used exclusively by the Sootopolis Gym.


    As the most renowned gym in the Hoenn region, the Sootopolis Gym had its unique secrets when it came to nurturing Water-type Pok��mon. Even the Pok��blocks for Water-type Pok��mon in the gym were custom-made. Juan, as the Gym Leader, not only used the gym''s exclusive Pok��blocks but was also confident that these were among the best Pok��blocks avable for Water-types.


    However, today, he discovered that his apprentice was secretly using different Pok��blocks. This revtion shocked him! Could there be something better than the Sootopolis Gym''s Water-type Pok��blocks?


    This newfound awareness made him observe Robert''s Pok��mon even more closely. He realized that Robert was feeding his Pok��mon with a type of Pok��block that Juan didn''t recognize. After using these Pok��blocks for some time, Robert''s Pok��mon underwent significant transformations.


    After observing for a while, Juan couldn''t resist and approached Robert to inquire about the two types of Pok��blocks he was using.


    It was no secret that Robert was using products from the YoYo Day Care �C specifically, the Extender and Beautie Pok��blocks. The Magikarp he had recently captured was using an upgraded version of Extender. The two Extender blocks looked simr in appearance and color, which was why Juan hadn''t noticed the difference.


    Robert hadn''t anticipated that Juan would discover the use of Beautie, though. While Extender was openly sold by the YoYo Day Care, the matter of Beautie had been explicitly instructed by Yuga to be kept confidential.


    However, since Juan had already discovered it, Robert had no choice but to reveal the truth about both Extender and Beautie. This revtion also exposed the existence of the YoYo Day Care to Juan.


    Juan was genuinely surprised by Robert''s description of the effects of Extender and Beautie.


    The fact that an upgraded version of Extender Pok��blocks could promote the evolution of Magikarp was a perplexing mystery for many breeders and Water-type Pok��mon trainers.


    Beautie Pok��blocks, on the other hand, not only adjusted a Pok��mon''s spirit, making them more beautiful, but prolonged use could also induce Feebas to evolve into Milotic.


    The Sootopolis Gym had always relied on the interaction of Feebas with Prism Scales to trigger their evolution, a closely guarded secret of the Gym.


    However, Prism Scales were scarce and valuable. Consequently, if there was another way to facilitate Feebas''s evolution, the Sootopolis Gym could potentially be the top Gym in the Hoenn region! No, it is the number one gym in the entire Pok��mon world.


    Juan had these thoughts running through his mind. He continued observing Robert''s Pok��mon for a while, finally witnessing the sessful evolution of Robert''s Magikarp.


    At this point, could Juan just sit idly by? He had to acquire these two types of Pok��blocks as soon as possible!


    However, what troubled Juan was that YoYo Day Care didn''t publicly sell Beautie Pok��blocks; instead, they provided them only to specific apprentices.


    While this secrecy worked to the Sootopolis Gym''s advantage, it also meant that Juan didn''t have the qualifications to make a purchase himself.


    This was the reason for Robert''s call �C Juan hoped that Robert could introduce him to Yuga for a personal discussion.


    "I see," Yuga said, pondering for a moment after hearing Robert''s ount. "This isn''t really your fault. You had no control over this situation."


    "Nevertheless, I revealed the secret about Beautie Pok��blocks, so it''s my responsibility," Robert replied, sounding apologetic.


    Yuga considered the situation and then said, "Is your mentor interested in meeting me?"


    "Yes, that''s correct," Robert nodded.


    "In fact, it might not be a bad thing that your mentor found out. After all, I am a businessman, and if there''s money to be made, meeting your mentor is no issue."


    The potential benefits of Beautie Pok��blocks were immense. As a rtively small yer, Yuga knew he couldn''t fully capitalize on this opportunity himself. However, by discreetly coborating with the Sootopolis Gym, he could secure a stable source of ie.


    The Sootopolis Gym held a significant position within the Pok��mon League, and Mr. Juan was a highly skilled trainer himself. With the Sootopolis Gym''s backing, Yuga could conduct business more securely.


    As for the idea that the Sootopolis Gym might try to create the Beautie form, that thought never crossed Yuga''s mind. It wasn''t that he had an immense trust in the Sootopolis Gym; after all, he hadn''t even met Mr. Juan in person. He simply trusted his best friend.


    Yuga believed that the Gym where his friend belonged would never be the kind to forget loyalty for the sake of profit.

 Chapter 280: Capricious Snorlax

    <h4>Chapter 280: Capricious Snox</h4>


    Upon hearing Yuga''s response, Robert was somewhat surprised. He knew the significance of Beautie Pok��blocks very well, and he hadn''t expected Yuga to readily agree to meet with his mentor.


    Although Robert still had faith in his mentor''s character, Yuga didn''t know him personally.


    Seeing Robert''s surprised expression, Yuga smiled and said, "What''s wrong? Didn''t expect me to agree?"


    Robert nodded in response.


    Yuga chuckled and continued, "Since you reached out to me, it means you trust your mentor. If you trust him, then I can trust him too."


    Robert was moved by Yuga''s words and said, "If you meet my mentor and strike a deal, I''m sure he''ll offer you a good price."


    Yuga jokingly responded, "Hey, are you already selling out your mentor?"


    In the end, Yuga agreed to meet with Mr. Juan at the Sootopolis Gym after the Grand Festival of Pok��mon Contest. Yuga nned to support Robert during the event in Mossdeep City, which was conveniently close to Sootopolis City.


    Yuga wasn''t in a rush to meet with Mr. Juan because he couldn''t currently provide Beautie Pok��blocks to the Sootopolis Gym. He couldn''t share the form with Misaki, and he couldn''t produce enough on his own. So he could only wait until Audinoe back from her training.


    However, Yuga could directly supply both types of Extender Pok��blocks to the Sootopolis Gym, thanks to Robert''s arrangements.


    After concluding his call with Robert, Yuga felt relieved. He then noticed Chatot rapidly approaching him.


    "Dear, you have to go and see, you have to go see! They''re fighting! They''re fighting!" Chatot''s annoying voice and tone remained as consistent as ever.


    Yuga asked, puzzled, "What''s going on? Who''s fighting?"


    Chatot smirked and said, "Snox and Vespiquen are fighting!"


    Snox and Vespiquen? Yuga couldn''tprehend.


    Snox lives in the oasis of the Desert Sub-Ecopark and never moves away. Vespiqueen lives in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark and never goes out. Howe these two are fighting?


    "Why do you sound so delighted?" Yuga asked, raising an eyebrow while walking towards the Ecopark.


    Perched on Yuga''s shoulder, Chatot covered its mouth and chuckled. "Hehe, how could that be? I''m just in a hurry."


    Once inside the main Ecopark, Yuga asked Chatot, "Where are they?"


    Chatot hurriedly replied, "They''re in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark."


    Upon entering the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, Yuga immediately spotted Snox. Vespiquen was floating not far from Snox.


    Yuga squinted his eyes and tried to make sense of the situation. He realized that Snox had Sweet Honey smeared all over its mouth and hands, and many Combee were attacking it persistently.


    Seeing this, he rushed over and loudly asked, "What''s going on? What happened? How did Snox end up here?"


    As soon as Yuga asked the question, he noticed the Sweet Honey on Snox''s mouth and hands, and everything became clear.


    "Snox, did you steal Sweet Honey from the Combee?" Yuga asked.


    Snox waved its hand, shooing away the annoying Combee on its head, and nodded with a sheepish expression.


    Yuga asked in surprise: "Have you eaten everything I gave you before?"


    Snox nodded to Yuga again with a confused look on his face.


    "My goodness," Yuga eximed in his mind. "That''s over a thousand pounds of Sweet Honey! I left only a little for myself, and Snox finished it all? It''s only been a few days!"


    "Can''t you be a bit more frugal with your eating?" Yuga scolded Snox, shaking his head in disbelief.


    Yuga was nearly infuriated. He had thought that the Sweet Honey he provided to Snox wouldst for quite some time, but it had disappeared so quickly. The mere thought of it was heartbreaking.


    "Snox!" Yuga eximed.


    Snox looked at Yuga with an expression that seemed to say, "I don''t know what you''re talking about," appearingpletely innocent.


    Yuga thought Snox might be pretending to be naive. How else could it have eaten so much Sweet Honey, run out, and thene here to steal more while acting innocent?


    Seeing Snox''s feigned innocence and its full paws covered in Sweet Honey, Vespiquen and the Combee became very angry and continued their attacks on Snox.


    Vespiquen, of course, wasn''t using its full power; otherwise, it would have easily defeated Snox. The Combee''s attacks had no effect on Snox''s tough hide, so Snox seemed unfazed.


    Yuga was frustrated with Snox''s shameless behavior. He told Snox, "Starting today, you are prohibited from entering or leaving the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark. I won''t provide you with any more Sweet Honey. You can eat Berries in the Oasis."


    "Yes, yes, forbidden, forbidden!" Chatot chimed in, imitating Yuga''s tone and telling Snox the same thing.


    Yuga''s words caused Snox, who had been acting innocent, to crumble. It widened its eyes and stared at Yuga with disbelief, as if saying, "You''re heartless, you''re cruel, you''re unreasonable!"


    "What are you looking at? I mean it!" Yuga sternly said to Snox.


    "Snox... Snox!"


    Realizing what wasing next, Snox stopped pretending to be innocent and even opened its eyes, attempting to appear cute to Yuga.


    But Yuga wasn''t swayed by Snox''s "puppy eyes." He said firmly, "You are also prohibited from leaving the Oasis. I will instruct the Gligars and Flygons in the Desert Sub-Ecopark to keep an eye on you."


    Snox didn''t mind staying in the Desert Sub-Ecopark; in fact, it preferred not to move. However, not being allowed to eat Sweet Honey was something it couldn''t ept. Ever since it had tasted Sweet Honey, other foods had be tasteless.


    Yuga reprimanded Snox, "Have you ever thought that most Pok��mon wouldn''t finish so much Sweet Honey in such a short time?"


    After hearing Yuga''s words, Snox couldn''t help but look away, avoiding Yuga''s gaze.


    Yuga was getting frustrated. He had thought Snox was just a simple-minded Pok��mon, but it turned out to be quite cunning.


    "Chimecho!"


    Yuga called out to Chimecho, who had been ying in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark for a while.


    Chimecho flew over, looking puzzled and seemingly asking, "Why did you call me?"


    Yuga instructed, "Take Snox and return it to the Desert Sub-Ecopark."


    Although Chimechoplied, it couldn''t help but think, "Why do I always have to do the heavy lifting?"


    And so, Snox was taken back to the Desert Sub-Ecopark by Chimecho and "confined."


    In reality, with Snox''s strength, it could have easily broken free from Chimecho''s Psychic power. However, it didn''t want to provoke Yuga''s anger and decided not to resist. From then on, Snox had to endure a Sweet Honeyless existence.


    The most painful thing in the world is to have something and then lose it.

 Chapter 281: The Terrible Name

    <h4>Chapter 281: The Terrible Name</h4>


    After Snox was taken away, Yuga looked at the Combee and Vespiquen and asked, "Are you all right?"


    Vespiquen shook her head gently and said, "We''re fine."


    As a pseudo-Elite Pok��mon, Vespiquen was certainly not harmed. Her frustration came from the fact that this was the first batch of Sweet Honey they had produced sinceing to the Ecopark, intending to give it to Yuga. However, Snox had devoured it all.


    Moved by their gesture, Yuga said, "Thank you. I appreciate your kindness. Please feel free to give me more Sweet Honey when you produce it in the future."


    However, as he thought more about it, Yuga felt increasingly irritated. Initially, he had decided to cut off Snox''s supply of Sweet Honey for a while, but now he believed Snox needed to suffer more consequences for its actions.


    Later, Vespiquen led Yuga to visit the Amber Castle they were building, albeit it was still a work in progress. Unlike the previous Amber Castle built in the cave, this new one was outdoors, suitable for the environment of the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    The golden beeswax stacked up to form the beehives stood out brightly amidst the colorful Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark. Groups of Combee were busy working on them, creating a lively scene.


    However, the Sweet Honey reservoirs that used to store Sweet Honey were now empty, with only a shallowyer of it covering the bottom.


    As Yuga left the park, he noticed Suzuki Koen, who usually sat at the cash register, greeting customers. He entered the cash register area and took a seat.


    Just as Yuga sat down, he heard the clear voice of a young boying from the entrance.


    "Ah! It''s Linoone!"


    Yuga looked up and saw Linoone, who had been napping at the entrance, gazing up at a young boy.


    Upon seeing Yuga, the boy''s eyes lit up, and he hopped over to Yuga excitedly, pointing at him and saying, "It''s you! It''s you!"


    Yuga''s face was now sporting a big question mark. What did he mean by "it''s you"? Did they know each other?


    Yuga asked, "Do we know each other, Little friend?"


    The boy shook his head and replied, "Well, we may not exactly know each other, I don''t even know your name! Hey, the Morning Star, what''s your name?"


    The Morning Star? What kind of name was that?


    "Kid, I think you''ve got the wrong person," Yuga said awkwardly.


    The boy tilted his head and said, "Nope, I didn''t get it wrong! I remember it clearly. It''s you! Aren''t you the Morning Star? We even battled before!"


    Yuga scrutinized the boy carefully but couldn''t remember where he had seen him before. And what was this "The Morning Star" business? Was there really such a terrible name in this world? It made him feel embarrassed.


    Yuga exined, "I think you might have mistaken me for someone else. I''m really not this ''Morning Star.''"


    Upon hearing this, the young boy appeared somewhat disappointed and said, "You really don''t remember me."


    Helplessly, Yuga replied, "I truly don''t recognize you."


    The young boy continued, "It was about half a year ago at the Food Court in Mauville City. You defeated me using your Linoone."


    Hearing the boy''s words, Yuga did indeed recollect the incident. He and his Linoone had visited Mauville City''s Food Court, and on that day, Audino had turned into an absolute glutton.


    "Oh, I see now! I''m really sorry; I genuinely didn''t remember."


    That day, Linoone, Swellow, and Audino had defeated numerous opponents, so Yuga couldn''t recall the appearance of those challengers, including the young boy before him.


    Yuga chuckled and said, "But young man, my name is Yuga, not ''Morning Star.''"


    The young boy was puzzled and asked, "But that''s what everyone calls you."


    Hearing this, Yuga felt like he''d been struck by lightning.


    "Everyone calls me that? Who''s everyone? So, is this terrible name really mine?"


    The young boy then chimed in, "So, Morning Star''s real name is Yuga."


    Yuga hurriedly covered the boy''s mouth and whispered, "Please, don''t say ''Morning Star'' anymore." Yuga nced around the shop and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that nobody had overheard.


    This terrible name was too embarrassing, and he couldn''t let others know about it.


    The boy, named Glenn, pried Yuga''s hand away and said, "Why not? Isn''t it a cool name? I wish I had a name like that!"


    As he spoke, Glenn had a dreamy look on his face.


    Yuga was at a loss for words. Cool? All he felt was a strong sense of chuunibyou (adolescent delusions of grandeur).


    Glenn was actually one of Yuga''s admirers. He lived near the Food Court in Mauville City. His family ran a small restaurant and had some assets.


    His father was once a Trainer when he was young, but due to his limited talent, he eventually returned home to inherit the family business. However, the Pok��mon he had captured remained at home to apany the family.


    Glenn had always looked up to his father and aspired to be a strong Trainer like him (though his father wasn''t strong at all). About half a year ago, he had challenged Yuga to a battle at the Food Court in Mauville City, using his father''s Pok��mon, but had been easily defeated by Linoone.


    However, he wasn''t disheartened by the loss. Instead, he developed a deep admiration for Yuga, the Trainer who had defeated him.


    Later, he had heard about Yuga and Linoone''s impressive performances at the Food Court, which only intensified his admiration for Yuga. This was when he learned about the nickname "Morning Star," a title that Yuga himself was unaware of.


    Later, in a TV report about YoYo''s Day Care, he recognized Yuga and learned that his idol''s home was in Verdanturf Town.


    More recently, having just turned ten, the age at which Trainers set off on their journey, he had embarked on his own adventure. He was apanied by a lively and cute Spoink, the starter Pok��mon his father had prepared for him.


    As the League Championship had just ended, and it was too early to challenge Gyms, he wasn''t sure where to go. That''s when he decided to fulfill his dream of meeting his idol in Verdanturf Town.


    After listening to Glenn''s story, Yuga couldn''t help but pat his forehead. Was this kid all right in the head? There were plenty of powerful Trainers in the world �C the Elite Four, Champions, and even Gym Leaders from various towns. Yet, he chose to admire an unknown Trainer like Yuga.


    Glenn moved Yuga''s hand away from his forehead and asked, "Morning Star, what''s wrong?"


    Yuga quickly begged, "Please, young man, I beg you, stop calling me ''Morning Star.'' Just call me Yuga. I''ll even ept ''boss,'' but I have no idea who gave me such a terrible name."


    Glenn shrugged and said, "Okay, I''ll call you Yuga, but I still think ''Morning Star'' is a really cool name."


    Yuga felt like covering his ears after hearing that.

 Chapter 282: Disappearance

    <h4>Chapter 282: Disappearance</h4>


    Yuga, puzzled, asked Glenn, "So, why did youe here?"


    Glenn replied, "Just to see you!"


    Damn, he came to see me!


    Yuga stood in front of Glenn, turned slowly, and said, "Alright, you''ve seen me. Are you satisfied? Can you leave now?"


    Glenn scratched his head, looking a bit silly, "Well, that''s the thing, but something doesn''t feel right."


    Yuga pushed his shoulder and guided him outside the shop, saying, "There''s nothing wrong. Just go do whatever you need to do."


    Finally, with Yuga''s urging, Glenn reluctantly walked away.


    Watching his small admirer''s departing figure, Yuga shook his head lightly.


    The next day, after Yuga finished training his Pok��mon in the Ecopark, he walked to the shop''s entrance. He stretchedzily, enjoying the warmth of the rising sun on his skin.


    After a moment of basking in the morning sunshine, Yuga was about to turn back into the shop when he noticed Officer Jenny passing by with her Growlithe.


    Initially, Yuga didn''t intend to pay attention, but his mind changed when he saw what Officer Jenny was carrying.


    "Officer Jenny," Yuga called out.


    Upon hearing his voice, Officer Jenny and Growlithe stopped in their tracks.


    "It''s Mr. Shimizu. Is there something you need?" Officer Jenny still held a great deal of respect for Yuga, considering that not long ago, he had helped the police station immensely. Moreover, Yuga was powerful and deserved respect.


    With a smile, Yuga said, "I just wanted to ask if something''s wrong. I noticed you and Growlithe seemed in a hurry."


    Hearing this, Officer Jenny furrowed her brows, looking uneasy. She said, "Recently, I don''t know what''s happening, but children have been disappearing inexplicably. Just yesterday, a boy who had just arrived here vanished at the Pok��mon Center."


    As she spoke, Officer Jenny raised the backpack she was carrying.


    "See, this is the backpack the boy left behind."


    Yuga remembered this backpack; it belonged to Glenn. He had pushed Glenn out of the Day Care with this bag just yesterday.


    He couldn''t believe that in just one night, the boy had gone missing.


    "Officer Jenny, is there anything I can do to help?" Yuga felt a responsibility since it was because of him that Glenn hade to Verdanturf Town.


    "It would be wonderful if Mr. Shimizu could assist," Officer Jenny said with immense relief, as she had been overwhelmed with the situation these past few days.


    "Please wait a moment; I''ll be right back."


    With those words, Yuga dashed back into the shop, retrieved Florges, Dragonair, and Absol from the Ecopark, and brought them with him. He also decided to bring Houndoom along since it was a search mission.


    On their way, Yuga released Houndoom and asked Officer Jenny, "Do you have any clues about the missing children?"


    Officer Jenny replied, "We don''t have many leads, but at the scene where the boy disappeared yesterday, we found this piece of ck cloth."


    She took out a tattered piece of ck fabric from her pocket. It looked worn and torn.


    Yuga reached out and took the fabric from Officer Jenny''s hand. Surprisingly, it felt incredibly soft, but he couldn''t shake the feeling that it carried an ominous aura.


    Since he had undergone the baptism of the Light of Life, Yuga''s sensory abilities had improved considerably.


    Yuga handed the fabric to Houndoom, who smelled it and detected a peculiar energy.


    This energy was simr to Dark-type energy, belonging to the power of darkness, which Houndoom, as a Dark-type Pok��mon, was quite familiar with.


    However, Officer Jenny''s Growlithe couldn''t sense it.


    Houndoom nodded in agreement with Yuga''s spection.


    Yuga handed the ck torn fabric back to Officer Jenny and exined, "If I''m not mistaken, this piece of cloth belongs to a certain Pok��mon, likely of the Dark or Ghost type."


    Officer Jenny asked in astonishment, "Are you suggesting that a Pok��mon is behind these child disappearances?"


    Yuga nodded and replied, "We don''t know if someone is directing this Pok��mon''s actions or if it''s acting on its own."


    Officer Jenny''s expression turned serious. "Regardless of the circumstances, we must find these children as soon as possible. Ghost and Dark-type Pok��mon are not to be underestimated. Dying could put these children in danger."


    Yuga agreed with a nod and then asked Houndoom, "What about you, Houndoom? Can you sense the same energy as on this fabric and determine a direction?"


    Houndoom sniffed the fabric and nodded in response.


    Officer Jenny, excited, said, "What are we waiting for? Let''s go quickly."


    Yuga agreed and instructed Houndoom, "Lead the way, Houndoom."


    Previously, during the incident in the Mount Cor, his Houndoom had stayed in the background while Flint''s Houndoom took the lead. This time, Yuga''s Houndoom finally had a chance to shine, and he couldn''t help but feel a bit proud.


    Houndoom marched forward briskly, guiding Yuga and Officer Jenny to the outskirts of Verdanturf Town.


    "Have the children been taken to this location?" Officer Jenny asked, surveying the overgrown grass and trees.


    Yuga shook his head and said, "I don''t know; we haven''t found the main source yet."


    Houndoom stopped, lowered his head to sniff the surroundings, and then closed his eyes to sense the energy. He looked left, then right, appearing somewhat uncertain about the direction.


    "Don''t hesitate," Yuga encouraged. "Choose the direction that feels most promising."


    Houndoom turned to Yuga, nodded, and selected a direction before dashing off.


    Eventually, Houndoom stopped at the entrance of a cave, gazing inside where darkness engulfed everything.


    "Is this the ce?" Yuga asked as he caught up to Houndoom.


    Houndoom nodded gently.


    "It doesn''t seem like a ce where anyone would be," Officer Jenny remarked, peering into the pitch-ck cave.


    Yuga responded, "That''s why it might be the work of a Pok��mon."


    Officer Jenny nodded and said, "Let''s go inside; the truth will be clear once we do."


    Thus, they followed Houndoom into the cave step by step.


    The cave wasn''t deep, and they soon reached its end.


    As soon as they arrived, a massive shadowy sphere shot towards them, but Houndoom deflected it with a Dark Pulse.


    Yuga and Officer Jenny now had a clear view of the Pok��mon within the cave.

 Chapter 283: The Mysterious Girl

    <h4>Chapter 283: The Mysterious Girl</h4>


    Floating in mid-air with one red eye open, there was a Dusknoir before Yuga and Officer Jenny, silently observing them. Yuga and Officer Jenny simultaneously realized that this Dusknoir was the one responsible for abducting the children, for it matched the ck torn fabric that Officer Jenny held in her hand.


    ording to legend, Dusknoir''s antennae on its head could receive information from the Ghost World and transport humans into that realm, a ce where the living had no hope of returning from.


    Thinking about Dusknoir''s reputation, both Yuga and Officer Jenny suspected that Dusknoir intended to take the children into the Ghost World.


    Addressing the enigmatic giant before them, Officer Jenny asked, "Dusknoir, did you take the children? Where are they?"


    Dusknoir responded with an eerie growl, its red eyes glowing brighter.


    Seeing that Dusknoir was reluctant to release the children, Officer Jenny attempted to approach with her Growlithe by her side.


    However, Dusknoir extended itsrge hands and conjured eerie blue mes within them, tossing them forward like projectiles. The mes created a fiery barrier in front of Officer Jenny, blocking her path.


    Quickly, she retreated with her Growlithe.


    "Houndoom," Yuga called softly.


    Upon hearing hismand, Houndoom nodded gently, leaped into the fiery barrier created by Dusknoir, and with a single inhale, absorbed all the mes. Houndoom remained unscathed, showcasing its Ability, ze, which allowed it to control fire.


    Officer Jenny''s Growlithe, with its Intimidate Ability, couldn''t perform the same feat.


    Addressing Dusknoir once more, Yuga said, "Dusknoir, we only want to find the missing children. If you release them, we won''t harm you."


    It seemed like Dusknoir paid no heed to Yuga''s words. It gathered dark orbs in front of itself, resembling cannonballs, and fired them at the feet of Houndoom and Growlithe, causing powerful explosions that halted their advance.


    Yuga found Dusknoir''s actions peculiar. Why wasn''t Dusknoir attacking them directly? Each assault seemed intentionally off-target. What was Dusknoir nning?


    "If you won''t heed our warning, don''t me us for being tough! Growlithe, use methrower!" Officer Jennymanded.


    Frustrated with the uncooperative Dusknoir, she ordered her Growlithe to unleash a zing stream of fire towards Dusknoir, seemingly intent on reducing it to ashes.


    However, before the mes could reach Dusknoir, a blue beam of psychic energy deflected them, sending them crashing into the cave wall.


    Dusknoir had used its Psychic powers to counter the attack.


    After dispelling Growlithe''s methrower, Dusknoir focused its psychic abilities on Growlithe, immobilizing it. Seeing this, Yuga urgently instructed Houndoom, "Houndoom, use Dark Pulse."


    Upon hearing Yuga''smand, Houndoom unleashed a Dark Pulse attack towards Dusknoir. To avoid the attack, Dusknoir reluctantly released Growlithe from its psychic hold.


    Once Growlithe was free, Dusknoir didn''t initiate another attack. Instead, it gazed silently at Yuga and Officer Jenny, its red eyes shimmering with an unknown purpose.


    Yuga took the opportunity to survey the cave but found no sign of the missing children. He couldn''t help but worry that they might have already been transported to the Ghost World. While Dusknoir was undoubtedly powerful, Yuga''s primary concern was the safety of the children. Reluctantly, he once again attempted diplomacy, "We only want to know where the children are. If you release them, we will leave immediately."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, the lone red eye on Dusknoir''s forehead flickered even faster, as if it were contemting something.


    Finally, as if it had made a decision, Dusknoir descended slowly from the air. Both Yuga and Officer Jenny cautiously took a step back, unsure of Dusknoir''s intentions.


    When Dusknoirnded on the ground, it first nced at Yuga and Officer Jenny, then suddenly opened the yellow pattern on its abdomen. A massive ck hole appeared out of nowhere.


    Initially, Yuga and Officer Jenny thought Dusknoir was preparing to attack again, but to their surprise, the ck hole started spewing out children one after another.


    Were these the missing children? Yuga wondered. It seemed Dusknoir intended to return them.


    One by one, six children emerged from the ck hole. Among them, Yuga spotted Glenn, who, like the others, was in a state of unconsciousness.


    After releasing the children, the ck hole disappeared, and the yellow pattern on Dusknoir''s abdomen closed up once more.


    Dusknoir pointed at the children, then gestured towards the cave''s exit. Its expression appeared somewhat urgent, as if it were urging Yuga and the others to leave quickly.


    Overjoyed at seeing the children safe, Officer Jenny rushed over to awaken them. With so many children, it was impossible for Yuga and Officer Jenny alone to escort them.


    At Officer Jenny''s call, the children began to wake up one by one, looking around in confusion,pletely unaware of what had transpired.


    Glenn, upon opening his eyes, quickly noticed Yuga standing nearby and eximed, "Yuga!"


    However, his memory soon caught up with him, and he muttered to himself, "Huh, where is this? How did I end up here?" He nced around, puzzled.


    The other children had simr reactions upon awakening �C they appeared somewhat anxious, notprehending what had urred. They remembered being at home, in their beds, before waking up in this strange ce.


    Officer Jenny reassured them, saying, "Children, now that you''re awake, let''s leave this ce with me. I''ll exin everything when we get back home."


    Since the children recognized Officer Jenny from the town, they nodded in agreement and began to rise from the ground, ready to follow her out.


    As Officer Jenny led the children towards the cave''s exit, an eerieughter echoed through the cave.


    "Giggle, I smell the scent of humans."


    The voice sounded crisp and pleasant but sent shivers down everyone''s spine.


    Upon the appearance of this voice, Dusknoir immediately grew anxious. Its single red eye on its forehead blinked rapidly, and it swiftly moved in front of Officer Jenny and the children.


    Suddenly, a girl materialized in the cave, floating in the air. She had a smile on her face as she looked at Dusknoir and, behind it, Officer Jenny and the children.


    "Giggle, I smell the scent of humans," the girl repeated.

 Chapter 284: The Pitch-Black Door

    <h4>Chapter 284: The Pitch-ck Door</h4>


    "Dusknoir!"


    Dusknoir angrily called out to the girl.


    "Giggle, so you finally decided to let them go," the girl said with a smile.


    Yuga, by now, had also noticed this mysteriously appearing girl. To be honest, she was extraordinarily beautiful, perhaps the most beautiful girl Yuga had seen in both of his lifetimes.


    She appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in a in gray dress that couldn''t hide her unique aura. Her long, light-purple hair flowed messily behind her, as if moved by an unseen wind.


    However, her eyeballs were pale gray, devoid of any vitality. She hovered in the air, her feet not touching the ground, giving off an eerie vibe.


    "Who are you?" Officer Jenny asked with a serious expression.


    She had no illusions that this was just an ordinary girl. The girl seemed incredibly dangerous.


    "Human? Hehe, really? Do I look like a human to you? Hehe, she said I look like a human, that''s so nice, hehe..." The girl suddenly twisted her face into a distorted smile and began muttering to herself, her focus quite peculiar.


    Yuga and Officer Jenny were baffled by the girl''s response. What did she mean by "like a human"? Wasn''t she a human herself?


    "But, even if you praise me, those children still belong to me," the girl said, her expression suddenly turning menacing, her eyes fixed on Officer Jenny and the children behind her.


    "What do you want with the children?" At this moment, Yuga, who had been quietly observing, spoke up.


    "Oh my, there''s another person here!" The girl seemed to have just noticed Yuga, and then her expression turned disdainful. "But you have a rather unpleasant smell about you."


    Yuga guessed she was referring to the unknown power of the Grass-type Legendary Pok��mon left on him. This vibrant energy didn''t seem friendly to the eerie girl.


    "Who are you, and what do you want with the children?" Officer Jenny asked again, raising her voice.


    The girl''s voice sessfully grabbed the girl''s attention, and she licked her lips, smiling as she responded, "What do I want? Well, I want to take them back to the Ghost World, of course!"


    As the girl finished speaking, a pitch-ck door appeared behind her, radiating dark energy. Swirling vortexes of energy spiraled within it. Even from a distance, Yuga could sense the terror emanating from that door.


    "What is this?" Officer Jenny eximed, staring at the horrifying scene before her.


    "It''s probably the Gate to the Ghost World," Yuga said.


    At this point, both Officer Jenny and Yuga were utterly puzzled. The children had been in Dusknoir''s possession, but it seemed that Dusknoir didn''t intend to send them to the Ghost World. Instead, it was this eerie girl. Furthermore, Dusknoir didn''t appear to be allied with her.


    But who was this girl? And why did she possess the ability to open the gateway to the Ghost World?


    "Dusknoir!"


    The moment the gateway to the Ghost World appeared, Dusknoir let out a loud cry and raised its fists, attacking the girl.


    Seeing Dusknoir charging toward her with raised fists, the girl grew very angry. She said, "You keep interfering! If it weren''t for you, I would have taken them back to the Ghost World long ago."


    With that, the girl gently lifted her skirt, and a group of Gastly emerged from beneath it, grinning menacingly as theyunched an attack on Dusknoir.


    Yuga counted them; there were nearly twenty Gastly in total, and they were all quite powerful. In the blink of an eye, Dusknoir was overwhelmed.


    Yuga finally grasped the situation. Dusknoir didn''t want the children to go to the Ghost World, and it seemed that the girl was determined to take them there.


    He turned to Officer Jenny and said, "Officer Jenny, take the children and retreat to a safe area."


    Officer Jenny nodded and, with her Growlithe, led the children away from the chaotic scene.


    Yuga then turned to Houndoom by his side and said, "Houndoom, let''s help."


    Houndoom nodded and swiftly shot forward, unleashing Dark Pulse that pushed the attacking Gastly away from Dusknoir.


    "Do you also want to hinder me? Unforgivable!" The girl''s voice was now filled with malice, far from the pleasant tone when she first appeared.


    She once again lifted her gray dress, and this time, over a dozen Ghost-type Pok��mon, all Mismagius, floated out from beneath it.


    Yuga couldn''t help but be astonished by the number of Pok��mon she seemed to have hidden under her dress. Was it possible that she carried the entire Ghost World within it?


    The Mismagius lunged at Houndoom, screaming as if they intended to tear him apart. Seeing that Houndoom was outnumbered, Yuga had no choice but to release Absol.


    As Absol appeared, he leaped near Houndoom. Countless Psycho Cuts shot toward the encroaching Mismagius, like flying knives, aiming to stop their assault.


    After undergoing meditation training, Absol had be increasingly proficient in using Psycho Cuts and Future Sight.


    The Mismagius screeched, attempting to evade the iing Psycho Cuts, abandoning their assault on Houndoom.


    Although Houndoom''s crisis was averted, Dusknoir once again found itself in a disadvantageous situation. Faced with numerous Gastly, it had no way to defend itself.


    Yuga didn''t want to see his ally defeated so easily. He released Florges, hoping for some assistance.


    As Florges appeared, a Grassy Terrain instantly spread out. Then, Florges closed her eyes, spreading her arms. The green gem on her chest emitted a faint glow, causing countless verdant vines to grow from the grass field. They snaked toward the attacking Gastly.


    This was a new ability Florges had gained after obtaining the green gem��a mastery of manipting Grass-type energy in her grassy terrain.


    The Gastly blinked and found themselves ensnared by the vines, struggling in vain to break free.


    Liberated from the Gastly''s assault, Dusknoir raised its ming fists and fiercely pounded the Gastly down. In no time, over ten Gastly were defeated.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, with Houndoom and Absol''sbined effort, the Mismagius also lost their ability to fight.


    "Damn you! How dare you..." The girl watched as her Ghost-type Pok��mon were defeated. Her face darkened, and she nearly shouted at Yuga and Dusknoir.


    "If you stop here, we can avoid further conflict. What do you say?" Yuga didn''t want to provoke this dangerous girl any further and preferred to keep the peace.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, the girl suddenly calmed down. She waved her hand lightly, and the Gastly and Mismagius turned into wisps of ck mist, returning beneath her dress.


    "Avoid further conflict? You wish! You ruined my ns, so now you will all stay here!" The girl suddenly raised her head, her expression twisted.

 Chapter 285: Dusknoir

    <h4>Chapter 285: Dusknoir</h4>


    After the girl finished speaking, she suddenly turned to face the Ghost World Gate she had opened.


    A surge of ck energy emanated from her, resonating with the ck vortex on the Ghost World Gate. The vortex seemed toe to life, spinning faster and faster until it suddenly turned into dots of light and disappeared.


    "Hahaha..."


    At the moment the dots of light vanished, the girl burst intoughter, while Dusknoir became extremely nervous.


    "Dusknoir!"


    Dusknoir anxiouslymunicated something to Yuga, but Yuga couldn''t understand a word.


    However, Yuga quickly grasped what Dusknoir was trying to convey.


    After the vortex on the Ghost World Gate disappeared, the swirling ck energy around it slowly dissipated. When the ck energypletely vanished, the Ghost World Gate suddenly emitted a tremendous suction force, as if it intended to pull Yuga and the others into it.


    Yuga and hispanions clung to the ground, resisting the enormous pull from the Ghost World Gate. The children struggled to withstand the force, and Yuga''s hands, gripped tightly on the ground, throbbed with pain.


    Strangely, this suction force from the Ghost World Gate didn''t seem to affect Dusknoir and the girl. Many rocks and debris were sucked in, but the two of them remained unaffected.


    At this moment, a child''s scream echoed from Yuga''s back. He turned to see a young girl being lifted off the ground due to not holding on firmly enough.


    Seeing the girl getting closer and closer to the Ghost World Gate, Yuga gritted his teeth and reached out to grab her, pulling her into his arms.


    As Yuga pulled the girl, his hands left the ground, and he, too, was sucked up by the force. Seeing this, Florges, who was next to him, quickly extended two vine whips and firmly bound Yuga and the young girl.


    With the suction force growing stronger, several of the younger children were struggling to hold on. Once again, Florges opened her Grassy Terrain, and numerous green vines extended, binding the children to the ground.


    Watching this scene, Officer Jenny, who was lying on the ground, couldn''t help but shout to Yuga, "Mr. Shimizu, what should we do?"


    Yuga had no idea what to do at this point. The suction force generated by the Ghost World Gate was incredibly powerful, and if he let go, they would be pulled in immediately. He was helpless.


    At this moment, Dusknoir looked at Yuga''s group, then at the girl, as if it had made a decision.


    It suddenly floated to the other side of the girl and threw a Shadow Ball directly at her.


    The girl, who had been smugly watching Yuga and the others struggle, waspletely caught off guard by Dusknoir''s attack. She had never expected Dusknoir to attack her, let alone dared to do so. She was pushed into the Ghost World Gate by the Shadow Ball.


    "Dusknoir, how dare you! How dare you..." The girl''s furious roar echoed from within the Ghost World Gate, filled with anger and frustration.


    Yuga and his group hadn''t expected this arrogant girl to exit the scene in such a manner.


    Although the girl had disappeared, the Ghost World Gate remained, and their danger was far from over.


    After the girl vanished into the Ghost World Gate, Dusknoir looked at Yuga and the children, then at the Ghost World Gate. It floated to the front of the Ghost World Gate, and the yellow antennae on its head emitted colorful light.


    The colorful light gradually covered the Ghost World Gate, and at the same time, Yuga and the others felt the suction force from the Ghost World Gate diminish significantly.


    Afterpleting these actions, Dusknoir suddenly passed through the Ghost World Gate''s covered colorful light, appearing on the other side of the gate. It extended its two huge hands and slowly closed the Ghost World Gate.


    The Ghost World Gate disappeared, and the suction force naturally vanished as well.


    Florges retracted her Grassy Terrain and released the vines that had bound Yuga and the children.


    Yuga watched quietly as Dusknoir disappeared, lost in thought.


    At this moment, Officer Jenny walked over, holding the children''s hands, and said to Yuga, "Dusknoir saved us."


    Yuga nodded gently and replied, "But at the beginning, we misunderstood it."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Officer Jenny fell into thoughtful silence.


    It was clear that Dusknoir had been protecting the children earlier, preventing them from being taken by the girl. The attacks on Yuga and the group were likely aimed at making them leave.


    The reason it kept the children hidden within its own body instead of giving them to Yuga''s group was to avoid being discovered by the girl. However, ultimately, because of Yuga''s group, the girl had been lured there.


    These children were probably kidnapped by the girl, and Dusknoir had managed to rescue them.


    Yuga was left curious about who this girl was and why she possessed such unique abilities. What was the rtionship between Dusknoir and the girl?


    However, there was no doubt that both the girl and Dusknoir came from the Ghost World, and the girl''s status was undoubtedly higher than Dusknoir''s. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have been so arrogant, and Dusknoir wouldn''t have been so cautious around her.


    In such a situation, Yuga was worried about what fate awaited Dusknoir when they returned to the Ghost World.


    After observing for a while, Yuga recalled Houndoom, Absol, and Florges into their Pok�� Balls. Then he said to Officer Jenny and the children, "Let''s go back."


    Officer Jenny and the children silently nodded in agreement.


    On their way back, Glenn followed Yuga closely and asked in a low voice, "Yuga, did youe to rescue me on purpose?"


    Yuga turned and gave him a look, saying, "What nonsense are you talking about? I came to save everyone!"


    Glenn responded discontentedly, "They have nothing to do with you. Why did you specificallye to rescue them?"


    Yuga replied, "Your words don''t make sense. You have nothing to do with me either, so why would Ie just for you?"


    Glenn proudly dered, "I''m different! I''m your number one fan!"


    Yuga, feeling exasperated, gave him a light punch on the head and said, "I never agreed to have a fan like you."


    With that, Yuga walked ahead briskly, leaving Glenn to follow while holding his head.


    Except for Glenn, these missing children were all local residents of Verdant Town. Since they had been rescued, Officer Jenny needed to quickly return them to their homes to prevent their parents from worrying. She also had to report the incident''s details to the agency.


    Therefore, once they returned to town, Officer Jenny bid farewell to Yuga. Before leaving, she expressed her gratitude to him, mentioning that without Yuga''s help, she wouldn''t have known where to start searching for these children.


    Yuga didn''t pay much attention to Officer Jenny''s thanks, as he hadn''t helped for any personal gain.

 Chapter 286: A Newborn

    <h4>Chapter 286: A Newborn</h4>


    After bidding farewell to Officer Jenny, Yuga noticed that Glenn was still trailing behind him, chattering incessantly. He decided to send him back to the Pok��mon Center.


    Yuga had realized that this kid could be incredibly annoying, constantly talking and following you around.


    Upon returning to the shop, Yuga copsed into a chair, feeling exhausted and unwilling to move. Rescuing those people had been a taxing experience, and it had also put a strain on his heart.


    Seeing Yuga looking tired and out of breath, Suzuki Koen chuckled and asked, "What''s wrong with you? Did someone rob you?"


    Yuga sighed and replied, "Perhaps getting robbed would be less exhausting."


    Not understanding what Yuga meant, Suzuki Koen just shook her head and walked away.


    At that moment, Chatot suddenly fluttered over,nded on Yuga''s arm, and awkwardly said, "Darling, it seems like our baby has hatched. Could you go take a look?"


    Surprised by Chatot''s words, Yuga raised his head to look at the bird. Already hatched? That was quite fast.


    Yuga teasingly said to Chatot, "I didn''t expect you to care about your child. I thought you didn''t care at all, especially with Noctowl around."


    Chatot blushed and said with embarrassment, "What are you talking about? Of course, I care!"


    Yuga stood up, shook his head with a smile, and then headed towards the direction of the Ecopark to check on Chatot''s baby.


    Yuga had previously observed that Chatot often wandered outside and didn''t seem to care much about its child. He had thought Chatot was aplete deadbeat, but it turned out it did pay some attention to its offspring, which surprised Yuga.


    Of course, this didn''t change the fact that Chatot was still a bit of a deadbeat. It just showed that it wasn''t entirely neglectful.


    Upon arriving at the Ecopark, Yuga headed straight for the area where Pok��mon eggs were usually ced. However, there were no more eggs there, as Noctowl''s child had been thest one to hatch.


    Yuga quickly spotted Noctowl standing on the ground, its head lowered as it looked down. Its child should be right there.


    Noctowl typically perched on the branches of the Weather Tree, keeping a watchful eye on its child from above. But today, it hade down from the tree, indicating that its child had indeed hatched.


    Approaching, Yuga saw the newborn child at Noctowl''s feet. A Hoothoot had just hatched, and this was probably Noctowl''s offspring.


    Before the egg had hatched, Yuga had already determined that this child would be a Hoothoot based on the patterns on the egg. It was not a Chatot like its father but a Hoothoot.


    Hoothoot had a brown body with a beige belly, red irises, and its eyes were surrounded by ck "sses," giving it an oddly cute appearance.


    What made Hoothoot unique was its spherical body, onerge leg that supported its entire body, and small wings that surprisingly allowed it to fly freely.


    Hoothoot had an unusual look, but upon closer inspection, it had a certain charm.


    Noctowl acknowledged Yuga''s presence with a slight nod of its head.


    "Congrattions, Noctowl," Yuga said.


    As for the newly hatched Hoothoot, it saw Yuga, blinked its curious eyes, and hopped over to him. It had an innocent and friendly demeanor, and upon reaching Yuga, it rubbed its round body against his hand.


    Yuga couldn''t help but smile and gently pet Hoothoot''s small body. It was soft and felt nice to touch.


    Observing this scene, Noctowl seemed a little jealous. It used its wing to nudge Hoothoot away from Yuga, creating some distance between them.


    Yuga chuckled at the sight, surprised that Noctowl would behave this way.


    In Yuga''s memory, since he had met Noctowl, it had always been distant and reserved, speaking very little.


    Even in front of its beloved Chatot, Noctowl was restrained andposed, disying an extraordinary level of self-control. It had the demeanor of a stoic and disciplined executive, despite being female.


    It''s hard to imagine that Noctowl would feel jealous because of its own child. Motherly love is truly remarkable.


    Hoothoot, who had been pushed aside by Noctowl, gazed at its mother with big, puzzled eyes. It didn''t understand why Noctowl prevented it from getting closer to the person in front of them, especially when that person emitted such aforting aura.


    Yuga carried the residual scent of Celebi, making him naturally approachable to Pok��mon, particrly to Hoothoot, who had just been born and had a simple nature.


    Due to Hoothoot being freshly hatched, Yuga''s discerning eye couldn''t provide much information about its potential or abilities. He could only tell that this was a female Hoothoot, inheriting both characteristics and traits from its mother.


    Yuga thought Hoothoot''s potential might not be high, but like its father, it could be a great mascot for the Day Care in the future.


    After all, they already had Noctowl as the boss there.


    Perhaps unable to bear the pitiful gaze of its daughter any longer, Noctowl finally stopped preventing Hoothoot from approaching Yuga.


    Yuga took the opportunity to perform a thorough examination of Hoothoot, confirming that it was in excellent health, which relieved him.


    As Yuga left the Ecopark, he made a point to find the leader of the Miltanks and asked him to pay attention to the newborn Hoothoot.


    The leader of the Miltanks had cared for many newborn Pok��mon and was very familiar with the precautions and care required. There was no need for Yuga to give special instructions.


    Just as Yuga exited the Ecopark, he saw Chatot flying over in a hurry.


    "How is it? How is it? Is the child okay?" Chatot eagerly asked.


    Yuga stood still, gazing at Chatot for a moment, making Chatot ufortable. Unable to bear the silence, Chatot asked, "Why are you staring at me? Why aren''t you answering my question?"


    Yuga replied, "Since you care so much, why don''t you go see for yourself?"


    Chatot awkwardly responded, "I''m not really in a convenient position to do so."


    "Are you afraid of Noctowl?" Yuga asked.


    Upon hearing this, Chatot immediately puffed out its chest and said with a fierce tone, "Of course not!" It seemed like this bravado was meant to boost its confidence.


    Yuga retorted, "Then what''s stopping you?" He didn''t sound pleased.


    Chatot couldn''t quite exin what was stopping it. While Noctowl treated it well, it still felt uneasy whenever it saw Noctowl.


    Their rtionship hadn''t started out of love, and now they were dealing with theplexities of raising their child together.


    "The child is perfectly fine, a healthy and lively Hoothoot," Yuga finally reassured Chatot and left, leaving behind a relieved Chatot.

 Chapter 287: Acerola’s Arrival

    <h4>Chapter 287: Acer''s Arrival</h4>


    On the third day following the disappearance incident, Yuga was busy with Misaki in their studio in New Store, crafting Pok��blocks.


    Usually, only Misaki worked in the Pok��block studio, and Yuga asionally lent a hand, as he had to train his Pok��mon on one hand and take care of the Ecopark''s Pok��mon on the other �C he had a lot on his te.


    In New Store, Arata Senay bored on the table, tilting his head and lightly tapping the table with his fingers, as there were no customers in the shop at that moment.


    Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a figure entering the shop. He quickly lifted his head, ready to greet the customer.


    "Wee," Arata Sena politely said, rising from his seat.


    The neer was a petite girl with deep purple hair, wearing a purple dress that gave her a yful and cute appearance.


    The girl nced around the shop but, finding nothing of interest, locked eyes with Arata Sena. She shook her head and said, "Hmm... It''s not you!"


    Arata Sena was puzzled. "Not me? Then who should I be?"


    "Excuse me... Are you looking to buy Pok��mon Eggs?" Arata Sena cautiously asked.


    The girl shook her head gently, then walked straight towards the studio where the Pok��blocks were being made.


    "Hey, you can''t go in there," Arata Sena said, trying to stop her, but the girl moved so swiftly that he couldn''t intervene.


    "Hello!" Both Yuga and Misaki, who were focused on making Pok��blocks, didn''t notice the neer until they heard her voice.


    They both stopped what they were doing and turned to the door.


    "Who are you?" Yuga asked, feeling a sense of familiarity as he looked at the girl who had appeared at the door.


    Arata Sena hurriedly ran over and told Yuga, "I''m sorry, boss, I couldn''t stop her."


    Yuga shook his head at Arata Sena, not ming him, as he sensed a simr aura to the mysterious girl from three days ago emanating from this new girl.


    The girl paid no attention to Arata Sena as she approached Yuga directly and smiled, saying, "It''s you! Have you seen Cecilia? Where is she?"


    Yuga was puzzled. "Cecilia? I''m not sure..."


    "Don''t try to deceive me. I sense her aura on you," the girl said with a smile.


    Yuga couldn''t recall meeting any strangers recently except for the girl three days ago, who had a simr aura to the one before him now. He spected that this girl might be referring to her.


    With that in mind, Yuga told Arata Sena and Misaki, "You two carry on with your work. I''ll be back shortly."


    Then he turned to the girl and said, "Please follow me." After that, he walked out of the studio.


    The girl nodded and followed Yuga''s steps, leaving Arata Sena and Misaki looking at each other in confusion.


    Yuga led the girl to the meeting room in New Store, a specially arranged area for receiving customers.


    He gestured toward a chair and said, "Please have a seat. I won''t offer you tea, as I assume you''re not here for that."


    "Thank you, that''s fine," the girl replied with a slight nod and took a seat.


    "I don''t know your name," Yuga said.


    The girl, a bit embarrassed, stuck out her tongue yfully and said, "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I''m Acer, from Al."


    Acer, from Al!


    Hearing these words, Yuga finally remembered why the girl in front of him seemed so familiar.


    She had appeared in the original story.


    However, what intrigued Yuga was that her current appearance and age matched his impression of her exactly.


    Originally, Yuga had assumed that she and Ash Ketchum''s group were around the same age, but now it seemed not to be the case. She might even be older than him.


    "I hope your arrival won''t cause trouble," Yuga said.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Acer''s expression instantly turned serious.


    "I didn''t intend to cause trouble, but I must take Cecilia with me. Regardless of your rtionship with her, she shouldn''t stay here," Acer replied.


    Yuga sat down across from Acer and said, "First, I don''t even know who this Cecilia is."


    Before Yuga could finish his sentence, Acer gave him a look that said she wasn''t buying it.


    Yuga continued, "However, three days ago, I encountered a girl with a simr aura to yours."


    At this point, Acer''s eyes lit up, and she immediately said, "That must be Cecilia! Tell me, where is she?"


    Acer hadn''t expected Yuga to sense the unique aura they both possessed, which surprised her. Still, she couldn''t ignore the extraordinary power she felt emanating from Yuga, even if it made her ufortable.


    Yuga looked at Acer for a moment and said, "I can tell you where she is, but you need to tell me who she is, who you are, your rtionship with her, why she has the ability to open the Ghost World Gate, and whether she might reappear in Verdant Town."


    After hearing Yuga''s words, Acer fell silent for a while before saying, "I''m sorry, I can''t answer those questions, but I hope you can tell me where Cecilia is. It''s crucial for me."


    Seeing that Acer refused his request, Yuga said, "In that case, I can''t tell you her whereabouts either."


    The reason Yuga wanted to know Cecilia''s identity was to be prepared, as who knew if she would go insane again and try to abduct people back to the Ghost World, which he couldn''t tolerate.


    Seeing Yuga''s firm stance, Acer sighed and said, "Do you really want to know?"


    "Of course," Yuga nodded.


    Acer then said, "I can tell you, but you must promise that what you hear from me today will remain a secret, known to no one else."


    Yuga nodded and promised, "Of course."


    The secrecy of the matter piqued Yuga''s curiosity even more.


    Acer continued, "Alright, Cecilia is a Specter from the Ghost World, and I''m also half from the Ghost World."


    While it was surprising that Cecilia was a Specter, what puzzled Yuga even more was Acer''s im that she half from the Ghost World.

 Chapter 288: Ghost World Emissary

    <h4>Chapter 288: Ghost World Emissary</h4>


    As Acer exined, Yuga finally understood what she meant.


    ording to Acer, the Ghost World had two negative realms.


    One was the Distortion World governed by Giratina, and the other was the Ghost World.


    The Distortion World was a reflection of the real world, existing solely to correct the various errors in the real world, such as pollution or breaches, which required the Distortion World''s intervention.


    The Distortion World and the real world were interdependent, and if the Distortion World suffered damage, the real world would crumble as well. That''s why, aside from Giratina, there were no other inhabitants in the Distortion World.


    However, the Ghost World was different; it was the realm of ghosts and Specter.


    At this point, Yuga realized that there were indeed Specter in the world.


    People and Pok��mon from the Pok��mon World automatically entered the Ghost World when they passed away, bing Specter inside it.


    Of course, the Ghost World was different from the underworld of Yuga''s past life; the Specter that entered didn''t go through reincarnation. Instead, they became unconscious, drifting souls that gradually dissipated.


    Some of them might, due to special circumstances, transform into Ghost-type Pok��mon and continue living in the Ghost World, constituting another type of resident - the Specter.


    If the Distortion World was responsible for correcting the real world''s existence, then the Ghost World served as a containment for things that the real world shouldn''t allow, such as Specters.


    However, unlike thepletely sealed state of the Distortion World, the Ghost World was in a semi-closed state.


    Connecting the Ghost World and the real world involved a special type of Pok��mon - the Dusknoir, and special humans - the Ghost World Emissaries.


    Dusknoir had the ability to link with the Ghost World and carry humans into it, as rumored.


    However, not all Dusknoir possessed this ability. Only those born in the Ghost World could do so, while all ghost-type Pok��mon in the real world couldn''t.


    Ghost-type Pok��mon in the real world could increase their numbers through breeding, but Ghost World''s ghost-type Pok��mon were different; they couldn''t reproduce and could only increase theirpanions through conversion of Specters.


    Next was the Ghost World Emissaries.


    As mentioned earlier, there was no concept of reincarnation for the Specter in the Ghost World. However, there was one exception - the Ghost World Emissaries.


    They were originally Specter in the Ghost World, but after being selected by the Ghost World''s consciousness, they would be sent back to the real world to serve as Ghost World Emissaries.


    In other words, Ghost World Emissaries retained some memories from their past lives.


    Ghost World Emissaries were extremely rare, with at most one appearing on each continent. Their mission was to guide Specter into the Ghost World.


    Of course, since there were so few Ghost World Emissaries, it was impossible for them to guide all the Specter from the entire continent. Given the unknown number of deaths among humans and Pok��mon every day, they couldn''t keep up.


    As long as there were no unexpected circumstances, the souls of humans and Pok��mon would automatically enter the Ghost World after death, and there was no need to worry about it.


    Ghost World Emissaries were responsible for those Specter who, due to special reasons, couldn''t or wouldn''t go to the Ghost World.


    And Acer was one such Ghost World Emissary. That''s why she called herself "half from the Ghost World."


    She truly originated from the Ghost World but had be a genuine human, no longer a Specter belonging to the Ghost World.


    Even though the Specter in the Ghost World, even if unconscious, possessed some special abilities, making them very close to ghost-type Pok��mon, the moment Ghost World Emissaries awakened as humans, their special abilities would disappear, leaving only the ability to be close to ghost-type Pok��mon.


    Of course, it wasn''t aplete loss; some of them could stillmunicate with ghost-type Pok��mon.


    Each Ghost World Emissary had a special Dusknoir as a partner, helping them carry out their task of guiding Specter.


    And among them, there was a special existence - Cecilia.


    Strictly speaking, Cecilia isn''t truly a Ghost World Emissary because she hasn''t be a human; she remains in a state of a Specter.


    Ghost World Emissaries, as they transform from Specter into humans, experience the natural processes of life, including aging and death. Therefore, there is a need for substitute Ghost World Emissaries.


    Cecilia is a substitute Ghost World Emissary.


    As long as one Ghost World Emissary steps down from their role, she can smoothly take up the position of the next Ghost World Emissary.


    However, she did something that led to the Ghost World consciousness revoking her position as a substitute Ghost World Emissary.


    While Giratina, the ruler of the Distortion World, possessed its own consciousness, the Ghost World consciousness did not. It wasn''t a living being but rather a set of rules, the fairest and most impartial rules, necessary for managing the Ghost World.


    Any Specter or ghosts in the Ghost World thatmitted wrongdoings would face the Ghost World consciousness''s most impartial punishment.


    Cecilia impatiently took matters into her own hands, using the Specter in the Ghost World to create a physical body for herself, bing a human. This caused arge number of Specter and ghosts in the Ghost World to dissipate.


    Initially, she should have had her memories wiped by the Ghost World consciousness and returned to being an ordinary unconscious Specter. However, with the help of her Dusknoir, she managed to escape from the Ghost World and stole Acer''s Ghost World Flute.


    Ghost World Emissaries, apart from their partner Dusknoir, who can help them open the Ghost World''s gate to guide Specter, rely on their Ghost World Flute as proof of their identity.


    That''s why Acer pursued Cecilia''s trail so relentlessly.


    After listening to Acer''s ount, Yuga fell silent for a long time.


    The world had so many secrets that he hadn''t known about before.


    Whether it was the Distortion World, the Ghost World, Dusknoir, or Ghost World Emissaries, Yuga found the world to be vast and truly remarkable.


    But he hadn''t anticipated just how dangerous Cecilia could be.


    However, why did Cecilia take such actions?


    As long as she waited for the previous Ghost World Emissary to step down, she could have legitimately and risk-free transformed into a human. Why was she in such a hurry?


    Acer looked at the silent Yuga and asked, "So, can you tell me where Cecilia has gone now?"


    Yuga, regaining hisposure, smiled and said, "Actually, she has already returned to the Ghost World!"


    "Returned to the Ghost World? That''s impossible!" Acer eximed.


    She knew that the Ghost World consciousness was waiting for Cecilia''s return. Her fate upon returning was to have her memories wiped, bing an ordinary Specter, forever remaining in the Ghost World until she naturally dissipated.


    "It''s like this..." Yuga proceeded to exin Cecilia''s actions in capturing children in Verdanturf Town and her eventual return to the Ghost World with the help of her Dusknoir.


    "I see," Acer sighed. "Perhaps her Dusknoir didn''t want to see her continue making mistakes."


    "I''ve said everything I know. Cecilia probably won''t return to the real world, right?" Yuga asked.


    "Don''t worry, she won''t appear in the real world again," Acer reassured him.


    With that, Acer stood up, sighed, and said, "Now that Cecilia has returned to the Ghost World, it''s time for me to go back to Al. Goodbye."


    Yuga nodded and escorted Acer out.

 Chapter 289: Expecting

    <h4>Chapter 289: Expecting</h4>


    Watching Acer gradually disappear into the distance, Yuga let out a soft sigh. He hoped that Cecilia would indeed stay in the Ghost World, or who knows what trouble might arise.


    In the evening, Yuga finished his work on crafting Pok��blocks and went to the Ecopark.


    First, he checked the growth of the tree berry seedlings in the flower pots, as this was crucial forpleting the task.


    Seeing that the seedlings were thriving, Yuga secretly hoped that his experiment would be sessful.


    Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Yuga suddenly felt that the Jaboca, Sc, and Kebia tree seedlings seemed to be growing more robustly than the other five varieties.


    As he passed by the Weather Tree, he noticed that Houndoom was lying therezily, hardly moving, only asionally raising its head to look at Nales nearby, and it seemed different from its usual self.


    Yuga thought carefully and realized that Houndoom had been in this state since they resolved the situation with Cecilia.


    You see, ever since several Vulpix, Houndour, and Ponyta were born, Houndoom''s greatest joy was ying and training with them alongside Nales. But today, only Nales was apanying them.


    Finding it strange, Yuga walked over, crouched down, and rubbed Houndoom''s head, asking, "Houndoom, what''s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"


    Houndoom opened its eyes, saw Yuga, shook its head, and thenid its head back on the ground.


    Was it not feeling unwell? Then why did it seem so lethargic? Yuga wondered.


    Yuga couldn''t see any issues with Houndoom, so he said, "Let''s go to the Pok��mon Center and have you checked out."


    Houndoom shook its head, unwilling to go to the Pok��mon Center, but instead pointed at its belly with one of its front paws.


    Its belly? Was its belly hurting? Yuga reached out to touch Houndoom''s belly but didn''t feel anything unusual.


    "It''s pregnant!"


    Suddenly, Chatot, who had been chattering away, flew over, perched on Yuga''s shoulder, and said.


    "Pregnant?" Yuga asked, surprised.


    Chatot scoffed, "Yes! Despite all your studying, you couldn''t figure that out? All those books were a waste of time."


    Yuga ignored Chatot''s sarcasm and happily asked Houndoom, "Houndoom, are you really pregnant?"


    Houndoom gently nodded, confirming what Chatot had said.


    "That''s wonderful, congrattions, Houndoom!" Yuga eximed with joy.


    This was the first time a quadruped Pok��mon in Yuga''s Ecopark had be pregnant, making it stand out even more.


    At this moment, Nales, apanied by its littlepanions, walked over. It lowered its head and nuzzled Houndoom, its eyes filled with tenderness.


    Yuga patted the soft fur on Nales'' back and said, "Congrattions to you too, Nales, you''re going to be a father."


    "Nales..." Nales let out a soft and contented sound, unable to hide its joy.


    Yuga then looked at Chatot on his shoulder and asked, "Why did youe here today? Aren''t you afraid of Noctowl?"


    "What are you talking about! I just came out for a stroll!" Chatot replied, feigning indifference.


    It wouldn''t admit that it came here to sneak a peek at the babies, only to find that Noctowl and Hoothoot were both absent. It was only then that Chatot boldly flew out.


    Yuga actually knew what Chatot was up to, and seeing it look so dejected was rather satisfying. He wouldn''t tell Chatot that Noctowl had taken Hoothoot to y in the Flower Sea.


    Having learned about Houndoom''s pregnancy, Yuga went to inform the leader of the Miltank, hoping that they would take extra care of her and the unborn offspring.


    However, the Miltank herd was already aware of the situation and had prepared everything they needed. They were also experienced in taking care of pregnant Gligar and Flygon, so they were quite skilled in handling such matters.


    This made Yuga feel somewhat inadequate.


    However, the pregnancy of quadruped Pok��mon like Houndoom was different from that of Gligar and Flygon, which had unique physiologies. Yuga still gave Houndoom some precautions.


    Before leaving, Yuga specifically told Houndoom to halt all training tasks during her pregnancy as her health was the top priority.


    The news of Houndoom''s pregnancy left Yuga in high spirit, and he left the Ecopark humming a tune.


    When he arrived at the shop, Suzuki Koen looked at Yuga, who had a cheerful expression, and asked with a smile, "What''s making you so happy? Did you find some money?"


    Yuga chuckled and replied, "No way, if I found money, that would be great. It''s that Houndoom is pregnant."


    Suzuki Koen, after hearing this, smiled and said, "Well, congrattions then."


    Yuga bowed and said, "Thank you, thank you."


    At that moment, Yuga suddenly pped his forehead and said, "Oh, I almost forgot about the mates for the Miltank."


    Yuga had previously mentioned that he would find mates for the Miltanks, but he had forgotten about it amidst his other tasks.


    So, in Suzuki Koen''s puzzled gaze, Yuga hurriedly went upstairs.


    After returning to his room upstairs, Yuga dialed Director Mond''s phone number. This was the kind of matter that required professional handling.


    Director Mond answered the phone quite quickly, speaking in his rough voice, "What''s up, kid? Why are you calling me?"


    Yuga smiled and said, "Come on, don''t be like that. Can''t I just call to say hello?"


    Although he knew that Yuga was just being polite, Director Mond stillughed heartily and said, "You brat, cut the crap. If you''re calling, you must have something to discuss. If I can help you with it, I''ll definitely help."


    Yuga cleared his throat and said, "Well, here''s the thing. I want to introduce a batch of Tauros or male Bouffnt, and if possible, some Skiddo and Gogoat as well."


    Tauros and Bouffnt weremon Pok��mon and rtively easy to obtain. However, Skiddo and Gogoat were much rarer and not as easy to find.


    Director Mond thought for a moment and said, "Tauros and Bouffnt are easy to get. As for Skiddo or Gogoat, I''ll do my best!"


    Upon hearing Director Mond''s reply, Yuga happily said, "Thank you so much!"


    On the other end of the phone, Director Mond shrugged it off and said, "There''s no need to thank me. Just remember me when you''re sessful. By the way, do you have any specific requirements for the qualifications of these Pok��mon?"


    Yuga replied, "There are no specific requirements for the qualifications of these three Pok��mon. The limit for Tauros and Bouffnt is 60 each. If you can''t find them, please do your best. As for Skiddo and Gogoat, get as many as you can."


    Director Mond said, "Alright, I''ll let you know when it''s done."


    After hanging up the phone, Yuga let out a sigh of relief and resolved another matter.

 Chapter 290: Recommendation

    <h4>Chapter 290: Rmendation</h4>


    The morning after Acelora''s departure, Yuga supervised the daily training of the Pok��mon in the Ecopark. He also picked a bunch of flowers from the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark to bring with him.


    Suzuki Koen, who was busy tallying something, looked up and saw Yuga approaching with a bouquet of flowers. She teased, "Oh, Boss, who are these flowers for? A special someone?"


    Yuga waved his hand dismissively and said, "Come on, there''s no special someone. I just thought it would be nice to decorate the shop a bit. It might lift the customers'' moods."


    With that, Yuga ced the flowers on the counter and went upstairs to fetch two vases. He divided the bouquet into two parts and arranged them in the vases, cing one on the cash register and the other on the central table in the shop.


    Finished with the task, Yuga turned to Suzuki Koen and asked, "What do you think? Does it look good?"


    Suzuki Koen nodded in approval and said, "Honestly, these flowers are really beautiful. Where did you get them from?"


    Yuga replied, "Oh, I grew them in the Ecopark."


    Suzuki Koen knew about the Ecopark in the YoYo Day Care but had never been inside. After all, she was a salesperson, not a breeder. Therefore, she didn''t doubt Yuga''s words.


    Suzuki Koen nodded earnestly and said, "I didn''t expect the boss to be skilled in flower cultivation as well, and you''re quite good at it too."


    Yuga chuckled awkwardly and said, "Hehe... just a little hobby, a way to refine one''s taste."


    Suzuki Koen leaned closer to the vase and sniffed, nodding in approval, "Hmm, they smell really nice."


    Just as Yuga was about to leave, he noticed a little head sneaking a peek into the shop from the entrance. He knew there could only be one fan who would do that is, Glenn.


    Yuga waved at Glenn, gesturing for him toe over. Glenn eagerly ran to Yuga, his face beaming with joy.


    Yuga asked, "Why haven''t you left yet? nning to stay in Verdanturf Town?"


    Glenn''s face immediately fell upon hearing Yuga''s words. He lowered his head and replied, "I haven''t figured out where to go yet."


    Although Glenn had decided to travel to meet Yuga, he hadn''t really thought about what he would do next.


    Yuga sighed and asked, "Have you thought about what you want to do in the future? Do you want to be a traditional Trainer, a Breeder, or maybe a Coordinator?"


    Glenn''s eyes lit up, and he said enthusiastically, "Of course, I want to be a Trainer! I want to be a cool Trainer like you!"


    Yuga blushed slightly at Glenn''s straightforward praise. While he was indeed quite cool, hearing it so openly was a bit much.


    As expected, a momentter, Yuga heardughter behind him. He and Glenn turned to see Suzuki Koenughing uncontrobly. She couldn''t help but find Glenn''s words amusing.


    Glenn was puzzled and asked Suzuki Koen, "What''s so funny? Did I say something wrong?"


    Suzuki Koen tried to suppress herughter and said, "No, no, you''re absolutely right."


    While Suzuki Koen also thought her boss was a skilled Trainer, hearing someone say it so seriously was unexpectedly funny.


    Glenn nodded in agreement, looking pleased with himself, and said, "That''s right."


    Yuga could only rub his forehead and sigh. This kid was probably just naturally straightforward. Would he survive in this world by being so open?


    "I think you should take some time to think carefully about your future path," Yuga advised. "You''re still young, and there''s plenty of time to consider your options."


    In this world, there are plenty of people who have gone halfway only to realize they are on the wrong path, just like Misaki, right? So, it''s essential to figure out one''s future path.


    "But I really enjoy being a Trainer!" Glenn pouted.


    With that, he took out a Pok�� Ball and released his Spoink, saying, "Look how spirited my Spoink is! Spoink, we will definitely be awesome Trainers, won''t we?"


    "Spoink!" Spoink responded enthusiastically, its eyes squinted with happiness.


    Seeing Glenn''s optimism, Yuga shook his head and sighed, realizing that Glenn was still a naive young boy.


    "Since you want to be a great Trainer, you should have a n," Yuga advised. "Lingering in Verdanturf Town like this, when will you achieve your goals?"


    "Oh, what should I do then?" Glenn looked a bit lost after hearing Yuga''s words.


    After thinking for a moment, Yuga suddenly said, "How about this? I rmend a ce for you to go. Spend some time there to reflect on your future path, and then continue your journey. What do you think?"


    "Great! Sounds good!" Glenn''s eyes lit up, and he agreed without hesitation. He didn''t even care where Yuga was suggesting; after all, his idol couldn''t be wrong.


    Seeing Glenn''s response, Yuga couldn''t help but think that if someone wanted to deceive him, Glenn would probably believe anything they said.


    "Alright, stay here for a moment. I''ll make a call and get back to you," Yuga said.


    Glenn obediently nodded.


    Yuga went upstairs, dialed Mr. Norman''s number, and discussed his rmendation. Yes, the ce Yuga wanted to rmend to Glenn was the Petalburg Gym.


    However, Yuga wanted to consult Mr. Norman, the Gym Leader, first. After all, the decision to send Glenn there should be made by the Gym Leader.


    Over the phone, Mr. Norman readily agreed to Yuga''s rmendation. The Petalburg Gym was quite busy, and since Mr. Norman had recently taken up the role of the Gym Leader, the Gym had no apprentices.


    Therefore, Mr. Norman agreed to let Glenn be an apprentice at the Petalburg Gym for a period.


    After getting Mr. Norman''s approval, Yuga felt relieved. He had gone to great lengths for this young fan, from rescuing him to helping him find a way forward. It was truly exhausting.


    When Yuga hung up the phone and returned to the ground floor, he told Glenn, "You should leave for Petalburg City now. Go to the Petalburg Gym and look for Mr. Norman. He will let you be an apprentice at the Gym. Learn diligently."


    Although Mr. Norman specialized in Normal-type Pok��mon, Normal-type Trainers were often considered the most knowledgeable because Normal-type Pok��mon could learn moves from various types. Glenn was sure to learn a lot from Mr. Norman.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Glenn said excitedly, "Wow, Yuga, you''re amazing! You even know Gym Trainers."


    Yuga raised his hand and gave him a light pat on the head. "Enough chatter. Pack your things and get going. Remember, work hard and don''t bring shame to my name!"


    Glenn asked in surprise, "Leave now?"


    Yuga gave him a stern look, then pointed outside, saying, "What else? It''s only morning. If you don''t leave now, do you n to stay here for the New Year?"


    Finally, with Yuga''s urging and Glenn''s departure, Glenn left the YoYo Day Care to prepare for his journey to Petalburg City.

 Chapter 291: Departure to Mossdeep City

    <h4>Chapter 291: Departure to Mossdeep City</h4>


    Three days after Glenn left Verdanturf Town, Yuga suddenly received a call from Robert.


    "In two more days, the Grand Festival is about to begin. When are you nning to arrive?" Robert''s tone was displeased.


    These days, his mentor kept pestering him, urging him to hurry and get Yuga toe. It was driving him nuts.


    Was that really necessary? Yuga and the Pok��block were right there; he wasn''t going to vanish without a reason.


    Yuga awkwardly replied, "Isn''t there still two days left? I can take a ne directly from Verdanturf Town to Sootopolis City in just one day. Why the rush?"


    Yuga wasn''t about to tell him that he had been so busy that he nearly forgot about this matter.


    "Can''t you depart a bit sooner? I''m getting lectured by my mentor all the time," Robertined.


    "But if I go now, I''ll still arrive in Sootopolis City first, and then I have to go to the Sootopolis Gym. What''s the rush?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    On the phone, Robert paused, then said, "Oh, didn''t I tell you that my mentor is one of the judges for this contest? He will also be going to Mossdeep City."


    Yuga was speechless. "You should have told me this sooner!"


    Robert awkwardly replied, "Hehe, my bad, it slipped my mind."


    After considering, Yuga said, "Alright, I''ll depart tomorrow, and we''ll meet in Mossdeep City."


    "See you in Mossdeep City."


    Afterward, both of them hung up their phones.


    Unlike the Pok��mon League Conference, the Pok��mon Contest was rtively short,sting only two days. Currently, the Pok��mon Contest was still in its promotional stage, with fewer participants, less recognition, and less attention from the Leaguepared to the Pok��mon League Conference.


    Furthermore, the most famous Coordinator in the Coordinator Trainer profession was still only Wace. Even the top Coordinators from previous years, although strong in their own right, were not well-known among Trainers, mainly because of the lower publicity levels at the time.


    Only a few individuals, like Mr. Juan from the Sootopolis Gym, became famous primarily as Gym Trainers before his Coordinator Trainer identities gained recognition.


    It could be said that Wace''s presence marked a milestone in the history of the Pok��mon Contest, signifying its integration into the Trainermunity.


    The next day, Yuga briefly informed Suzuki Koen and the others and then departed for Mossdeep City. He arrived at Mossdeep City Airport in the afternoon.


    Mossdeep City was a coastal city with a pleasant Weather year-round due to its proximity to the sea. Even inte autumn, the city remained lush and green.


    Although Yuga had visited Lily of the Valley Ind, another coastal city, before, he found Mossdeep City more beautiful due to its natural Weather conditions.


    This was probably one of the main reasons why the Pok��mon Contest''s official location was chosen here.


    Another significant reason was that Mossdeep City was a bustling metropolis with arge influx of people. It was the ideal venue for the Pok��mon Contest.


    The calm and pleasant Weather of Mossdeep City also led to the establishment of the Space Center here.


    The Mossdeep Space Center was a renownedndmark in the Pok��mon World and attracted numerous tourists throughout the year.


    Upon exiting the airport, Yuga spotted the tall building located in the northern part of Mossdeep City. He didn''t need to guess; it was the famous Space Center.


    Following Robert''s provided location, Yuga arrived at a luxurious vi located in the northwest of Mossdeep City.


    Observing the standalone vi in front of him, Yuga marveled at the wealth of the Sootopolis Gym. It was astonishing to find a vi like this in Mossdeep City.


    Robert and his group had already arrived in Mossdeep City, and this vi served as their residence during their stay.


    "You finally made it!" Robert joyfully gave Yuga a hug as he stepped out of the vi.


    Yuga pushed him away and said irritably, "What do you mean by ''you finally made it''? Was Ite? I had originally nned toe on the day of your contest."


    At this moment, another man in his middle years wearing a blue cape emerged from the vi. It was Juan, the Gym Leader of the Sootopolis Gym.


    Upon seeing Yuga, his eyes brightened, and he quickly walked over, saying, "This should be Yuga, right? Truly a heroic boy."


    Yuga extended his right hand with a smile and said, "Hello, Gym Leader Juan. Nice to meet you."


    Juan promptly extended his right hand as well and said, "Nice to meet you, nice to meet you. You don''t have to call me Gym Leader Juan; it''s too formal. Since you''re Robert''s good friend, just call me Uncle Juan."


    Yuga chuckled and said, "Well, if you don''t mind, I''ll take you up on that and call you Uncle Juan."


    Since they had decided to be partners, Yuga didn''t mind getting closer to the Sootopolis Gym. Addressing Juan as "Uncle Juan" was reasonable and suitable.


    "Alright, alright," Juanughed. "Let''s go inside! No need to stand at the door."


    With that, Juan led Yuga and Robert into the vi.


    Once inside, Yuga learned from Robert that this vi wasn''t owned by the Sootopolis Gym but was actually Steven''s personal vi.


    Steven was close friends with Wace and well-acquainted with the Sootopolis Gym members. So, upon learning that Robert would be participating in the Grand Festival of Pok��mon Contest in Mossdeep City, he had generously offered his vi for them to stay in.


    Steven had been busy with his adventures and mining for rare stones in various ces. Now, he was upied with overseeing the Prosecutor Bureau''s affairs, so he rarely returned home. He entrusted the vi''s management to the household staff.


    Yuga thought to himself that the lives of the wealthy were beyond hisprehension. They had built such arge vi just for it to gather dust.


    Observing a group of Steel-type Pok��mon basking in the sun and ying in the yard, Yuga asked Robert, "Are these Pok��mon all owned by Steven?"


    Yuga took a cursory nce and saw Pok��mon like Forretress, Mawile, and Aron. There were at least dozens of them roaming in the yard. He even spotted the rare Riolu and several Sinnoh Water-type Pok��mon starter like Piplup.


    Robert replied, "Yes, they all belong to Steven. He has arranged experienced Breeders here to take care of these Pok��mon."


    Yuga shook his head and said, "Truly wealthy."


    Robert chuckled and said, "Don''t you have arge group of Pok��mon at your home too?"


    Yuga countered, "How can that be the same? My family runs a Day Care; can it evenpare?"


    Furthermore, it wasmon knowledge that Steel-type Pok��mon not only needed to eat but also required high-quality ores as part of their diet.


    Yuga suspected that these Steel-types had eaten all the precious ores Steven had dug up.

 Chapter 292: Collaboration

    <h4>Chapter 292: Coboration</h4>


    Under Robert''s guidance, Yuga temporarily stayed in the vi.


    In the evening, after enjoying a carefully prepared dinner by the vi''s servants, Yuga and the others retired to their respective rooms.


    Once back in his room, Yuga began exining the principles of the Fairy-type move "Baby-Doll Eyes" to his Eevee, hoping it would learn this Fairy-type move soon.


    For this trip, Yuga had brought not only his main Pok��mon team but also this Eevee, which was eager to evolve into a Sylveon. It was thest Pok��mon for his Friendship task.


    Just then, a knock on the door interrupted him. Yuga got up to answer it, curious about who would visit him sote.


    Opening the door, Yuga was surprised to see Juan and said, "Uncle Juan, it''ste. Is there something you need?"


    Juan smiled and replied, "I hope I''m not disturbing you."


    Yuga shook his head and gestured for Juan toe inside, saying, "Not at all, pleasee in."


    "Coming here at this hour, what brings you?" Yuga asked as he pulled out a chair for Juan to sit.


    Juan settled into the chair and motioned for Yuga to join him. Then he said, "I wanted to discuss the matter of the Beautie Pok��blocks with you."


    Yuga was somewhat taken aback by Juan''s urgency. He had originally nned to discuss this matter with Juan after Robert''spetition was over, but he hadn''t expected Juan toe over so promptly.


    However, considering the significance of this matter to the Future of the Sootopolis Gym, Juan''s eagerness was understandable.


    "I see," Yuga nodded. "Alright, let''s discuss it. But let''s keep our conversation business-like. If I''ve said or done anything that offended you, please ept my apologies in advance."


    Juan smiled and said, "Of course."


    Clearing his throat, Yuga continued, "Currently, our Beautie Pok��blocks have not been released to the market. So, once we coborate with the Sootopolis Gym, you will have exclusive ess to all our Beautie Pok��blocks. I assume you understand what this means."


    Juan nodded, well aware of the implications. This coboration would make the Sootopolis Gym the sole beneficiary of these remarkable Pok��blocks.


    However, Juan wasn''t naive. He understood why Yuga had agreed to partner with the Sootopolis Gym. The benefits of unveiling Beauty Energy to the public were significant, especially for a seasoned Gym Trainer like him. He also realized that Yuga was seeking a powerful ally, and the Sootopolis Gym fit the bill perfectly.


    "Understood," Juan said, his tone resolute.


    Yuga then added, "Furthermore, since this is an exclusive coboration between YoYo Day Care and the Sootopolis Gym, I hope that news about the Beautie Pok��blocks won''t leak from the Sootopolis Gym."


    "Of course not," Juan agreed promptly. Leaking the information would bring no benefit to the Sootopolis Gym and would onlypromise their advantage. Only a fool would do such a thing.


    Yuga continued, "Lastly... If YoYo Day Care ever encounters any difficulties in the future, I hope that the Sootopolis Gym can lend a hand to the best of your ability."


    Yuga felt a bit awkward as he mentioned thisst request.


    This request can be considered an additional one and isn''t directly rted to the coboration itself. Yuga simply wants to seize the opportunity to have an extra card up his sleeve for YoYo Day Care.


    Juan remained silent for a moment before agreeing to Yuga''s request. He understood Yuga''s mindset well. For a small Day Care like YoYo Day Care without strong backing, having an extra ally was a valuable asset.


    Even without Yuga''s request, Juan wouldn''t have stood by if YoYo Day Care encountered difficulties. Now that they had begun this coboration, they were in it together, and Yuga was also Robert''s good friend. Juan had no reason to ignore YoYo Day Care.


    Seeing Juan''s agreement, Yuga breathed a sigh of relief.


    In truth, Yuga had been contemting the future development of YoYo Day Care. While the current environment within the League was stable and didn''t obstruct the growth of private Day Cares, it was apetitive world. Without a strong background, who knew what challenges they might face in the future?


    Although YoYo Day Care currently relied on others for support, Yuga had decided to build his own influence. He hoped that one day, YoYo Day Care would have the confidence to face any powerful entity.


    For now, their priority was to ensure the stable development of YoYo Day Care.


    The League itself didn''t hinder the development of major organizations, as long as they abided by thew and didn''t cause trouble. This was evident from how the Aqua and Magma Teams had secretly infiltrated the League for so long.


    After stating his requests, Yuga and Juan discussed various details of their coboration, such as when the supplies would begin, delivery methods, maximum supply quantities, and so on.


    Additionally, they also discussed the Extender and the Upgraded version of Extender, addressing many more details of their future coboration.


    It waste into the night when Juan finally left Yuga''s room.


    Of course, their current discussion was verbal, and they would proceed to formalize the agreement in writing.


    The next morning, Yuga saw Robert training with his Pok��mon in the yard, making final preparations for the Grand Festival tomorrow.


    Yuga walked over and asked, "How are your preparations going? Thepetition starts tomorrow. Nervous?"


    Robert smiled and said, "I''m not a newbie participating for the first time. Why would I be nervous? I''m aiming for victory this time!"


    Yuga patted his friend''s shoulder and said, "Well, you certainly have confidence! Are you aiming to be the next Wace?"


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Robert let out a sigh and said, "I''m still far from my senior, Wace!"


    Indeed, Wace, at Robert''s age, was already a well-known figure. Compared to him, Robert had some catching up to do. However, it couldn''t be denied that Robert was also a talented individual.


    Wace had always been Robert''s role model and direction for improvement.


    Yuga gave his friend''s back a pat and said with determination, "You''re just not there yetpared to Wace, but someday, you''ll catch up, just like how I''ll defeat Steven someday!"


    Robert chuckled at Yuga''s words and teased, "I''ll be keeping an eye on that then."

 Chapter 293: Seeds

    <h4>Chapter 293: Seeds</h4>


    On this day, fireworks lit up the sky, and the air buzzed with excitement as the Grand Festival for the Pok��mon Contest was about to begin.


    Juan had been invited early by the organizers as a judge for thepetition, and Robert, being a participant, had gone to join the other contestants in preparing for his entrance.


    So today, only Yuga was heading to the spectator seats.


    The Pok��mon Contest''s Grand Festival was divided into two parts: the preliminary rounds and the main event, held on the first and second days, respectively.


    The preliminary rounds on the first day involved over two hundred participants who were judged based on their move demonstrations and Pok��mon performances. Only sixty-four would advance to the main event.


    The second day was when the remaining sixty-four contestants wouldpete for the championship. The finals would also take ce on this day.


    Unlike the opening day''s purely performance-basedpetition, the second day introduced battles. Before the top sixteen, there were still performance rounds, but after that, it became a knockout battle.


    So, in reality, Robert only needed to appear twice today: once for the opening ceremony''s participant parade and once for his performance in the preliminary rounds. The real battles would begin tomorrow.


    Just like the Pok��mon League Conference, the Pok��mon Contest Grand Festival had numerous vendors setting up shop at the venue.


    Walking along the bustling streets of the venue, there were various vendors calling out and advertising their wares. It was a lively scene with stalls selling snacks, Pok��mon Contest participant merchandise, and more. Every booth had gathered a crowd of visitors.


    Yuga thought to himself that if Audino was here, she would undoubtedly make him carry her around to taste all the snacks avable.


    asionally, Yuga purchased a thing or two as well. After all, he didn''te here often, so souvenirs were a must. He also bought some gifts for his four employees, who worked tirelessly in the shop every day.


    At one point, Yuga noticed an elderly man in a corner also selling items. The old man had white, bushy facial hair and a face full of wrinkles, indicating his advanced age.


    His stall was exceptionally basic, with just a piece of ck clothid out and some items neatly arranged on top. Unlike other booths that had borate setups with frames and tents, his stall appeared deserted.


    Out of curiosity, Yuga decided to approach and take a look.


    The items on the stall may look unimpressive, consisting of small gray or ck pottery jars, each norger than a fist, but they are neatly arranged.


    Yuga cast another nce at the elderly man. Despite his old age and in attire, he maintained meticulous order, giving the impression of a very methodical old man.


    "What''s inside these jars, sir?" Yuga inquired.


    "Seeds," the old man replied sinctly, without any change in expression, as though he didn''t particrly care whether customers came or went.


    Yuga nodded.


    No wonder this elderly man wasn''t doing well in business; he sold seeds, and his attitude wasn''t particrly friendly.


    "May I have a look?" Yuga asked.


    The old man nced at Yuga and nodded slightly.


    Yuga picked up the nearest ck ceramic jar, removed the cloth stopper from the top, and peered inside.


    After inspecting it, Yuga felt somewhat embarrassed. He had forgotten that he wasn''t familiar with the nts in the Pok��mon world, and naturally, he wouldn''t recognize these seeds.


    Yuga thought to himself: This old man should have at leastbeled the names of the seeds on the jars. That way, customers would instantly know what they were.


    After looking at several jars, not recognizing any of them, Yuga awkwardly reced the cloth stopper and put the jar back in its original ce. He hesitantly asked, "Sir, what kind of seeds are these?"


    Not knowing anything anding here to buy something indeed made Yuga feel awkward. It was as if he were a person who didn''t recognize crops going to a seed store to buy seeds, iming he wanted to start farming.


    Seeing Yuga''s embarrassed expression, the old man understood that he didn''t recognize these seeds.


    "You don''t recognize any of them?" Yuga nodded in confirmation.


    "If you don''t recognize them, why are you asking about them?"


    When the old man said this, his tone was very calm, not as if he was reprimanding Yuga.


    "Mynd is quite big, and I wanted to buy some things to nt, but I''m not very knowledgeable," Yuga admitted, feeling somewhat embarrassed.


    Yuga''s im about having argend wasn''t entirely untrue. His Ecopark had vast plots ofnd, and with its pleasant climate and abundant water sources, it was suitable for cultivation. He was interested in these seeds because he felt it would be a waste not to utilize his spacious Ecopark for growing nts.


    Moreover, many Grass-type Pok��mon in his Ecopark had learned Grassy Terrain moves �C a skill akin to farming. Although very few people used it this way, most considered it a valuable skill and were hesitant to teach their Pok��mon this technique, only for them to work on a farm.


    Yuga had this idea as an entric "mass producer" of Grassy Terrain.


    He had only decided toe to this old man''s stall after hearing that he was selling seeds.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s exnation about his rgend," the old man was somewhat amused, thinking that Yuga was a bit naive. However, he didn''t pretend to know what he didn''t, so the old man had a favorable impression of him.


    "These are White Herb seeds, these are Mental Herb seeds, these are Power Herb seeds... and this is Balm Mushroom mycelium," the old man exined, pointing to each jar.


    Yuga was stunned when he heard the names. These were all precious herbal seeds, each a rare species. Yet this old man had casually disyed them here.


    Seeing Yuga''s dumbfounded expression, the old man''s solemn face finally cracked a faint smile as he asked, "Do you want to buy them or not?"


    "Buy, buy, buy!" Yuga hurriedly nodded. Of course, he wanted to buy them. These nt seeds were incredibly precious and typically hard toe by in the outside world.


    "Sir, how much are these?" Yuga pointed to each type of seed.


    The old man then named the prices for each.


    Well, none of them were cheap. They were all quite expensive. However, Yuga believed they were worth the price, so he dly paid the amount.


    As Yuga was about to turn and leave with the jars in his arms, the old man suddenly called out to him, saying, "Wait!"


    Yuga turned back, puzzled, and asked, "What''s wrong? Is there anything else, sir?"


    He hoped the old man hadn''t changed his mind about the sale. Yuga had practically bought up all the seeds at the old man''s stall, and this opportunity was too rare to pass up.


    Then, Yuga watched as the old man took two items from a nearby box and tossed them to him, saying, "Take a good look at these and don''t waste those seeds."


    It turned out the old man hadn''t changed his mind. Yuga felt relieved.


    He epted the items from the old man, which included a book titled "Comprehensive Guide to Herb Cultivation" and a small, moss-green seed inside a white pouch.


    Yuga didn''t recognize the moss-green seed, but he certainly knew the value of the book.


    "Thank you, sir. May I know your name?" Yuga inquired. Initially, he had intended for this to be a straightforward business transaction, with money exchanged for goods. However, the old man''s unexpected generosity had prompted him to express gratitude and learn the old man''s name.

 Chapter 294: Sneaky Wallace

    <h4>Chapter 294: Sneaky Wace</h4>


    With everything bought, the old man had no intention of staying any longer. He began packing up to leave.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s question, he responded, "You''ve bought everything from me, so why do you care who I am? Do you want me to provide you with customer service now?"


    After saying this, he grabbed his belongings and disappeared into the crowd.


    Watching the old man vanish into the crowd, Yuga didn''t know how to react. Why had this old man been so kind to him? He had even given Yuga such precious books and seeds, some of which held closely guarded secrets. The moss-green seed he received was surely no ordinary item.


    Could this old man be a distant rtive he didn''t even know about?


    Unable to figure it out, Yuga simply shook his head. Overthinking it wouldn''t change anything. It was clear that the old man had acted out of goodwill.


    Yuga found a quiet corner, discreetly cing all the jars he had purchased, along with the book and seed the old man had given him, into his system backpack. After all, the opening ceremony was about to begin, and it wouldn''t be proper to carry these items around.


    Once everything was safely stored, Yuga returned from his secluded spot. He checked the time and realized that the opening ceremony was about to start. He needed to hurry to the spectator''s area.


    However, as Yuga took a few steps, he felt a tap on his shoulder from behind.


    Turning around, Yuga saw a man dressed entirely in ck with a hood covering his head, sunsses on his face, and a scruffy beard.


    Seeing this mysterious man who seemed to be concealing his identity, Yuga cautiously asked, "Uncle, what can I help you with?"


    When the man heard Yuga address him as "Uncle," he was clearly displeased.


    "What do you mean, ''Uncle''? Look carefully; who am I?"


    Saying this, he quickly removed his sunsses and then put them back on.


    Although Yuga had only taken a brief look, he recognized the man. But for fun, Yuga pretended not to know and continued, "How am I supposed to know who you are? With that beard, ''Uncle'' seems appropriate. Don''t tell me you want me to call you ''little brother''?"


    The man on the other side was annoyed and said, "The beard is fake,pletely fake! You cheeky kid, don''t y games with me!"


    Seeing the man''s irritated expression, Yuga finally dropped the act andughed, saying, "Haha, it was just a joke. Is Mr. Wace here to watch Robert''s match?"


    Indeed, the person in front of him was Wace, Robert''s senior.


    Wace was visiting under a disguise because his current status was no different from a superstar. Furthermore, this was the venue for the Grand Festival of Pok��mon Contest, and the attendees were all enthusiasts of the event. If they discovered that the top star of the Pok��mon Contest, Wace, was present, it would surely cause amotion.


    "Wace, weren''t you in the Unova Regions promoting the Pok��mon Contest? How did you end up here?" Yuga inquired with curiosity.


    At present, the Pok��mon Contest was most popr in the Hoenn Region and the Sinnoh Region. Over the years, with the efforts of the Pok��mon Contest''s official organizers, both the Kanto Regions and Johto had started to be familiar with the event. However, other regions were still rtively unfamiliar with it.


    Therefore, the Pok��mon Contest''s officials had been making active efforts to promote it in different regions.


    Recently, Wace had been promoting the Pok��mon Contest in the Unova Regions. This wasmon knowledge, so it was unexpected to see him sneaking back to the Hoenn Region.


    If it weren''t for Wace''s trip to the Unova Regions, he would have been the judge instead of Mr. Juan. The entire Hoenn Region knew of Wace''s achievements surpassing his mentor, Mr. Juan, which was Mr. Juan''s greatest pride. His current goal was to train Robert to be as outstanding as Wace.


    Although Robert''s achievements didn''t currently match Wace''s, no one could deny that Robert was also a genius Pok��mon Coordinator.


    Wace whispered to Yuga, "After all, this is an important match for Robert. How could I, as his senior, note to see it?"


    "What about your work?" Yuga asked.


    Wace shrugged nonchntly. "Oh, don''t worry about that. Skipping work for a few days won''t be a big deal."


    It seemed that Wace was a bit of a free spirit, much like his best friend. Yuga thought to himself.


    Yuga inquired, "Are you heading to the spectator''s seats as well?"


    "Yeah, you too, right? Let''s go together. I recognized you from behind; I didn''t expect it to be you."


    "Alright, let''s go," Yuga nodded.


    So, the two of them entered the stadium together.


    Wace''s strange disguise had sessfully concealed his identity, but it also attracted attention, and anyone with him, like Yuga, became a focal point.


    As the opening ceremony began punctually with fireworks lighting up the sky, the energetic host, Vivian, started the event. The audience in the stadium erupted into cheers.


    Vivian was quite popr in the Hoenn Region, with arge fan base.


    Following Vivian''s introduction, the official leaders of the Grand Festival of Pok��mon Contest spoke, as well as the introduction of the judging panel.


    This year''s panel included the usual judges, Mr. Sukizo and Mr. Contesta, along with three Nurse Joy and the Gym Leader of Sootopolis City, Mr. Juan.


    Each of these individuals was significant in their own right, and even the three seemingly ordinary Nurse Joy were influential members of the Joy family.


    Next up was the entrance of the participating contestants.


    With a single nce, Yuga could spot Robert in the field due to his striking golden hair.


    Unexpectedly, Yuga also saw another familiar face, someone he remembered from the Pok��mon Contest in Verdanturf Town. It was the young man who had used Sentret during the finals against Wace.


    Yuga recalled his name as Sora.


    The reason Yuga had such a vivid memory of him was because his skills were impressive. He had performed exceptionally well during the Pok��mon Contest in Verdanturf Town, and had it not been for Robert, he might have been the winner.

 Chapter 295: The Cinccino and Grass Knot

    <h4>Chapter 295: The Ciino and Grass Knot</h4>


    After the opening ceremony, the Grans Festival of Pok��mon Contest officially began, and thepetition among the 247 contestants on the first daymenced.


    The order of appearance for the contestants was arranged based on their registration order. Robert and Mr. Juan arrived early and registered promptly, so Robert''s turn was rtively early.


    All the Pok��mon Coordinators who earned five Contest Ribbon to participate in the Grand Festival were undoubtedly strong. The level ofpetition was much higher than Pok��mon Contest that Yuga had witnessed in the Verdanturf Town.


    For example, there was a Drifblim who skillfully controlled a flying disc using Gust moves, showcasing remarkable control over wind maniption. Yuga believed even his own Vivillon wouldn''t be able to achieve such precise control.


    Then, there was a Rain Dish-ability Pelipper that could summon a gentle drizzle upon entering the stage. Interestingly, the rain didn''t reach the audience or judges. The ability was expertly developed.


    One standout performance was by a Clefable thatbined Substitute and Sing to create a breathtaking disy. It summoned two Substitutes, identical to itself, and the three Clefable performed Singing in harmony, filling the entire arena with a beautiful melody.


    This Clefable managed to captivate both the audience and judges, earning it the highest score so far in the preliminary rounds, a remarkable 99 out of 100.


    Yuga had to admit that the Coordinator behind this Clefable was truly outstanding.


    Thebination of these two moves might seem easy, but it was actually quite challenging. Firstly, Substitute was an advanced move, and teaching a Substitute to use a move was itself a significant hurdle. Not all Pok��mon could do that. Lastly, having the Substitute mimic the main Pok��mon''s singing voice was incredibly difficult.


    The internal structure of a Substitute wasn''t identical to that of the real Pok��mon, and not all Pok��mon that used Sing had melodious voices. Some produced noise, like the Poliwag, Magnemite, or Teddiursa, to name a few. Achieving this required specialized training, making it a kind of secret technique.


    It had to be said that many Pok��mon Coordinators excelled in skill development, surpassing traditional Trainers. Yuga was truly impressed today.


    "Next up is our contestant, Robert! He''s a familiar face to all of us. Let''s look forward to his performance!" announced the host, Vivian, from the stage.


    "Quick, pay close attention; it''s Robert''s turn," Wace excitedly said beside Yuga.


    Watching Wace''s enthusiasm, Yuga nodded, thinking that Robert probably wasn''t as excited as Wace himself. He truly was a great senior!


    With the host''s introduction, Robert calmly stepped onto the stage.


    With a sh of a Pok�� Ball, Robert''s Pok��mon appeared before the audience, a Ciino, graceful and adorable in equal measure.


    After emerging from the Pok�� Ball, Ciino gentlynded on the ground. It then spun around, and five seeds from its Seed Bomb move formed a circle around it.


    Now, at the center of the five seeds dropped by Seed Bomb, Ciino began singing softly��a skillful disy of singing abilities.


    As Ciino''s melodious voice filled the air, the seeds on the ground started to sprout and grow into vines, slowly intertwining and spiraling upward.


    Within Ciino''s song, the vines flourished like they were guarding forest fairies. Gradually, they became lush and interwoven, ultimately weaving themselves into a vibrant green chair, lifting Ciino onto it.


    Finally, standing on the chair woven from vines, Ciino concluded the performance with a captivating skill.


    "That was amazing! Ciino appeared like a forest spirit, so beautiful. Contestant Robert has brought us a magical performance," eximed the excited host, Vivian.


    "How did he do that? Ciino isn''t a Grass-type Pok��mon, so it shouldn''t be able to make the seeds from Seed Bomb sprout!" Yuga expressed his confusion.


    Not only could Ciino, a non-Grass-type Pok��mon, not achieve this, but even genuine Grass-type Pok��mon would find it difficult.


    "The seeds from Seed Bomb didn''t actually sprout," Wace exined.


    "They didn''t sprout? Then where did those vinese from?" Yuga asked, growing even more puzzled.


    "Couldn''t it be another move?" Wace chuckled. "In reality, the seeds from Seed Bomb never sprouted from start to finish. They were just used to disguise another move. It''s no wonder my junior thought of this."


    Seeing Wace''s proud tone, Yuga was left quite speechless.


    After some contemtion, Yuga suddenly realized, "Is it Grass Knot then? Those vines were formed by Grass Knot."


    "That''s right, Grass Knot can automatically create vines and doesn''t require Ciino to control them. Ciino''s role is to guide those vines in the direction it desires," Wace exined.


    "I see," Yuga said, finallyprehending the trick. Wace truly deserved the title of a Coordination Master, easily seeing through Robert''s diversionary tactic.


    Robert''s spectacr performance undoubtedly earned recognition from the entire audience and the judges. Apuse filled the arena, and countless fans of Robert cheered for him.


    After Robert''s performance, thepetition continued, and Yuga and Wace didn''t leave just because Robert''s performance had ended.


    Yuga felt that watching the performances of other Pok��mon Coordinators could provide him with unique insights, expanding his perspective. It was clear that the Coordinators participating in the Grand Festival had remarkable skills.


    They watched for a while, and when thepetition ended, Robert found them in the audience and sat down next to them.


    "The person sitting next to you is dressed quite strangely," Robert whispered to Yuga,pletely unaware that this person was his senior.


    "Hahaha!"


    Upon hearing Robert''sment, Yuga burst intoughter.


    Robert was initially puzzled by Yuga''sughter, but then the person sitting beside them spoke.


    "Kid, who are you calling strange? I came all this way to cheer for you, do you know how hard it was for me?"


    Upon hearing the voice, Robert was momentarily stunned. The voice sounded so familiar.


    "Senior?" Robert tentatively asked.


    "Who else could it be besides me?" Wace replied grumpily.


    "Well, I can''t help it. You dressed so strangely!" Robert retorted, not realizing it was his own senior.


    "Hahaha, that''s Wace''s entric style," Yuga chimed in, amused by the situation.

 Chapter 296: Pressure

    <h4>Chapter 296: Pressure</h4>


    After Robert joined them, Yuga and the others sat together and watched the remaining matches.


    Robert aimed to gain insights into his potentialpetition, Yuga sought to learn from their experiences, and Wace was simply there for the spectacle.


    Among the remaining participants, none disyed the same outstanding performance as Robert or the Clefable Coordinator. However, Yuga recognized a Coordinator named Sora, who was showing a noteworthy performance.


    This time, his Pok��mon was no longer a Sentret but a lively and beautiful Bellossom.


    Bellossom''s first move was Sunny Day. It threw a shining orb into the sky, which burst like fireworks, raising the temperature on the field for everyone to feel.


    Following this, at an incredibly fast pace, Bellossom threw six Energy Ball into the sky. Throwing six Energy Ball in such a short time, even with the boost from Sunny Day, was no easy feat, showcasing Bellossom''s impressive skills.


    Once the six Energy Ball floated smoothly in the air, Bellossom plucked two leaves from its skirt, held one in each hand, and with a sh of green light, the leaves transformed into razor-sharp des.


    Then, with a graceful jump and the support of its Chlorophyll ability, Bellossom moved so fast that it left a trail, dazzling everyone''s eyes.


    Bellossom, wielding the leaf des, performed a mid-air spin. The six emerald Energy Ball burst into fireworks in the sky, creating luminous green spots that glittered under the sunlight intensified by Sunny Day.


    Upon finishing this, Bellossomnded elegantly on the ground. The green spots from the bursting Energy Ball fell upon it, making it even more beautiful.


    The cheers in the arena reached another peak.


    Yuga recognized that Bellossom''s final move was Photosynthesis.


    Sora''s Bellossom had demonstrated its impressive appearance, skillful technique application, and excellent energy control to the judges.


    As a result, he received the second-highest score after the Clefable Coordinator and Robert, with a score of 95.


    Although the remaining participants also performed admirably, none of them stood out as brilliantly.


    With over two hundred participants in the showcase, even with short performances, thepetition on the first day extended until sunset.


    Following that, the results of the preliminary rounds were announced.


    Unsurprisingly, Robert advanced smoothly to the main tournament, along with the Clefable Coordinator, who had tied with him for first ce, and Sora, among others.


    After thepetition ended, the three of them returned to Steven''s vi.


    As for Mr. Juan, due to his responsibilities as a judge, he couldn''t leave at the moment.


    However, when they returned to the vi, Yuga noticed that Wace had disappeared.


    Robert informed him that Wace had returned briefly but left again not long ago, leaving Yuga to marvel at how Wace was as elusive as the wind.


    Around midnight, Yuga woke up to use the restroom. As he passed by Robert''s room, he noticed that the light was still on.


    He gently pushed the door open and saw Robert asleep, his head resting on the table. Theputer screen disyed information about the participants that he had collected.


    Yuga sighed and carefully helped him to his bed, covering him with a nket.


    It seemed that Robert wasn''t as rxed as he appeared. The data on theputer screen had been about the Clefable Coordinator, and most of the notes were rted to her.


    Earlier in the day, Yuga had heard Robert mention that the Clefable Coordinator was the winner of the previous Grand Festival, and it was her that he had lost to in the finals, earning him second ce.


    Seeing Robert sleeping soundly, Yuga quietly turned off theputer and the light, then left his room as silently as he had entered.


    "So-called geniuses don''t rely solely on talent; often, they put in more effort than others in ces where no one can see," Yuga thought to himself as he shook his head before returning to his room to continue sleeping.


    The following morning, Yuga saw Robert in the yard, discussing the day''s matches with his Pok��mon. Robert had a confident smile on his face, and there was no sign of pressure.


    If Yuga hadn''t witnessed Robert workingte into the night, he would have found it hard to believe that this confident Robert was under any stress due to thepetition.


    "Good morning, Yuga," Robert greeted with a smile when he noticed Yuga not far away.


    Yuga replied, "Good morning!" He decided not to bring up what happenedst night. He believed that there were certain challenges one had to ovee independently to grow.


    Today marked the beginning of the official tournament. Before the Top 16 matches began, the 64 participants, as in the preliminaries,peted in showcase performances. The top 16 with the highest scores would advance.


    However, unlike the preliminaries, in the official tournament, each participant would use two Pok��mon. They had to not only showcase the individual charm of each Pok��mon but also demonstrate effective teamwork to earn high scores.


    Robert''s choice for this round was Chimecho and Ciino.


    Both of these adorable Pok��mon captivated the audience, and they received cheers and apuse from both spectators and judges alike.


    After all 64 participants had performed, it came as no surprise that Robert advanced to the next round with ease.


    "Not bad, my junior!" Wace''s voice suddenly rang out, catching Yuga off guard.


    Startled, Yuga turned to find Wace,pletely wrapped up in his attire, sitting next to him in a seat he hadn''t noticed Wace upying before.


    "Mr. Wace, you have a knack for appearing out of nowhere. Were you trying to give me a heart attack?" Yuga sighed in exasperation.


    Wace looked apologetic and said, "Sorry, sorry, I didn''t mean to."


    The Top 16 matches were about to begin, and the participants were quickly grouped into pairs, determining their respective opponents.


    Looking at the big screen disying the photos of the 16 participants, Wace suddenlymented, "Robert''s under quite a bit of pressure."


    Yuga was taken aback by this statement. "You know about it too?"


    Wace grinned and replied, "Of course, I''m his senior, after all. Maybe I understand him better than you do."


    Yuga thought about it for a moment and realized that it made sense. If he, as Robert''s senior, could see it, there was no reason Wace wouldn''t know.


    Wace continued, "That girl named Suzuye is someone the Pok��mon Contest Officials has been promoting heavily in thest couple of years. They want her to be the next me."


    Yuga was surprised by the twists and turns in thispetition. It exined why Robert was under so much pressure. Suzuye, whom Wace mentioned, was the Clefable Coordinator and Robert''s main rival in thispetition.

 Chapter 297: The Milotic and Claydol Showcase

    <h4>Chapter 297: The Milotic and ydol Showcase</h4>


    Thepetition continued, and Robert performed exceptionally well from start to finish, not yielding to the Coordinator named Suzuye. He advanced all the way to the semi-finals.


    The remaining four participants were Robert, Suzuye, Sora, and the Trainer who had previously used the Drifblim in the preliminaries, Ruoyu. Two males and two females, making for a bnced gender ratio.


    The matchups for the semi-finals were quickly determined, and surprisingly, the two top contenders, Robert and Suzuye, were set to face each other in the semi-finals.


    The first match of the semi-finals featured Sora against Ruoyu.


    Sora''s two Pok��mon were Bellosom and Noctowl. Both had appeared in previous matches and exhibited formidable strength, showcasing seamless synergy in their battles.


    Ruoyu seemed to be a Coordinator specializing in Ghost-type Pok��mon, with her lineup consisting of Drifblim and Dusclops.


    Although Ruoyu disyed strong skills, she couldn''t quite match Sora''s expertise in Pok��mon coordination. In the end, Sora outscored her with precise strategies, leading to her defeat.


    Sora advanced to the finals.


    Next up was the match between Robert and Suzuye.


    Standing at opposite ends of the arena, though they remained expressionless, Robert''s palms were sweating.


    Suzuye, on the other side, said to Robert, "We meet again."


    "Yes, we do! But this time, I won''t lose," Robert said with determination in his voice.


    "I can''t afford to lose either."


    With Suzuye''s words, she released her two Pok��mon, Clefable and Gade.


    Suzuye had previously used Clefable and Meganium, but this time, Gade made its debut, likely her hidden ace.


    Clefable and Gade swiftly assumed battle stances as they were released, indicating their deep familiarity and synergy.


    On the opposite side, Robert also released his Pok��mon.


    With a sh of red light, ydol and Milotic appeared on the battlefield.


    The moment Milotic appeared, the arena erupted in enthusiastic cheers because the Milotic before them was exceptionally beautiful.


    "Miiilotic!"


    As Milotic gently waved its fan-like tail, its voice spread throughout the arena. Everyone felt a soothing energy enveloping their hearts, even though they couldn''t see or touch it�� they could truly sense it.


    Both Suzuye and Robert had their hidden strategies. Robert''s Milotic and ydol were both powerful and disyed incredible synergy, making them his strongest and most harmonious duo.


    "This Milotic has been cultivated to perfection," one of the judges, Nurse Joy, marveled.


    "Yes, whether it''s the coloration or physique, it''s nearly wless," another Nurse Joymented.


    "Have you noticed that every Pok��mon Robert selects has an outstanding appearance, especially this Milotic?" the final Nurse Joy added.


    Little did the Nurse Joys know that Robert possessed the YoYo Day Care Beautie Pok��block, and and it would be weird if it appearance didn''t have any bright spots.


    As the signal to begin the match sounded, Milotic from Robert''s side took the initiative.


    A magnificent ice-blue beam of light transformed into a sword-like projection, aiming straight at Gade.


    Upon seeing this, Gade''s two arms quickly manifested two green energy des. After a swift and stylish sh, Milotic''s Ice Beam turned into blue dots, enhancing Gade''s majestic appearance.


    Robert''s performance score decreased instantly.


    With the shattered Ice Beam, Gade swiftly dashed towards Milotic and ydol, leaving streaks behind on the battlefield.


    "ydol, Reflect!"


    Despite Gade''s incredible speed, ydol''s Reflect blocked his approach when he got near Milotic.


    Seizing the opportunity, Milotic delivered a powerful Dragon Tail strike to Gade''s waist, nearly bending it out of shape.


    Gade was sent flying andnded heavily in front of Clefable.


    Suzuye''s score took a significant hit, and she fell behind Robert.


    Gade''s experience taught us that even when dealing with closebat, you shouldn''t take it lightly; it might leave you with a sore waist.


    "Clefable, Heal Pulse!"


    Suzuye''s Clefable responded by casting a Heal Pulse.


    Suzuye immediately wanted her support Pok��mon, Clefable, to tend to the injured Gade.


    However, before Suzuye could finish speaking, Robert issued hismand.


    "Milotic, Heal Block!"


    Just as Clefable was about to use Heal Pulse, it seemed as though she had suddenly lost her voice, looking rather embarrassed.


    Robert was evidently extremely familiar with his old rival''s Clefable, having already nned a counter-strategy to nullify her healing capabilities.


    Clefable''s failed skill usage caused Suzuye''s performance score to drop significantly once again.


    Despite the pain, Gade managed to climb to his feet. He suddenly disappeared from the battlefield, and when he reappeared, he was already behind Milotic.


    With Lead de, he struck Milotic, causing Milotic to cry out in pain. The audience couldn''t help but frown in response.


    Milotic''s long tail swiped through the air, but it missed its target as Gade had swiftly returned to his original position.


    While everyone marveled at Gade''s Teleport, three identical Clefable had appeared on the battlefield at some point and began singing a song.


    It was Clefable''s signature move, Substitute and Round.


    Substitute and Round was a move that increased in power with each additional Pok��mon used, and with three Clefable performing it simultaneously, its power was awe-inspiring.


    Beautiful circr ripples spread throughout the arena, apanied by melodious singing. Robert''s performance score instantly dropped to a level simr to Suzuye''s.


    "Milotic, Recover! ydol, Light Barrier!"


    With ydol''s Light Barrier defense, the continuous waves of Substitute and Round finally disappeared, and Robert''s ydol immediately shifted from defense to offense.


    First, it used Power Swap, exchanging its defense with attack stats, followed by a devastating Earth Power.


    The Clefable responsible for defense rushed forward and attempted to use Light Barrier, but it quickly realized that its Light Barrier had inexplicably failed. Momentster, it was knocked to the ground by Earth Power.


    It turned out that ydol had quietly use Imprison move on Gade and Clefable''s.


    Originally, this was to prevent Gade''s Teleport, and It use on Clefable''s was just an Incidental. Unexpectedly, it had turned into a pleasant surprise.


    Gade attempted to retreat upon seeing the situation but was pushed back by a fierce blizzard.


    With the help of ydol''s dy tactics, Milotic sessfully used Recover.


    The sessivebination of moves from ydol and Milotic caused Suzuye''s performance score to plummet.


    The intense blizzard turned the entire battlefield into ice, making it impossible for Gade to maintain his bnce or counterattack.


    Seeing this, Robert pped his forehead, wondering why he hadn''t thought of using the blizzard to change the battlefield earlier. After all, his Milotic and ydol were unaffected by it.


    As the final bell signaling the end of the match rang, Robert emerged victorious by a wide margin, and the entire audience erupted in cheers.


    He had won! Robert let out a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 298: News from Juan

    <h4>Chapter 298: News from Juan</h4>


    Robert''s victory resonated through the arena, and it was truly an exciting match.


    "Congrattions!" Suzuye said as she returned her Pok��mon, extending her right hand towards Robert.


    "Thank you!" Robert gently shook her hand.


    "Carry my share to victory!" Suzuye added.


    "Absolutely!" Robert epted graciously.


    After Robert and Suzuye''s match, there was a brief intermission before the battle for third ce, which Suzuye won convincingly.


    Now, it was time for the final showdown.


    While Sora disyed impressive skills, he still had a gap to bridgepared to Robert. Just like in the Verdanturf Pok��mon Contest, Robert secured an easy victory.


    Perhaps because Robert and Suzuye''s match in the semi-finals had been so spectacr, the final appeared rather uneventful, and the audience''s response was quite subdued.


    Perhaps everyone simply expected Robert to clinch the victory.


    Finally, Robert had secured the Grand Festival of Pok��mon Contest, establishing himself as a top-tier Pok��mon Coordinator.


    In the evening, Yuga, Robert, and Mr. Juan held a celebration at the vi to mark Robert''s victory.


    As for Wace, he had vanished without a trace once thepetition ended.


    "Come, let''s raise a toast to celebrate Robert''s triumph," Mr. Juan happily raised his ss.


    Robert''s victory was particrly gratifying for Mr. Juan, who had always taken pride in his two apprentices. Today, Robert''s sess made him happier than anyone else.


    "Cheers!"


    "Cheers!"


    Yuga and today''s protagonist, Robert, also raised their sses.


    However, the two of them were drinking berry juice, not alcohol.


    Although both were of legal drinking age, they simply weren''t ustomed to alcohol.


    The three of them celebratedte into the night, with Mr. Juan eventually bing quite intoxicated.


    With Robert''s Pok��mon Contest concluded, Yuga nned to return to Verdanturf Town the next day.


    While Yuga was packing in his room, Mr. Juan knocked on his door and entered.


    "Aren''t you staying a few more days? You could take the opportunity to visit Sootopolis City. I''d be happy to host you as the local host."


    Sootopolis City was right next door to Verdanturf Town, making the trip quite convenient.


    Yuga smiled and replied, "Thanks, but there''s so much to attend to at the Day Care. Maybe next time; there will be plenty of opportunities."


    Juan nodded and said, "True."


    "Is there something specific, Uncle Juan?" Yuga inquired.


    He didn''t believe that Mr. Juan hade over for a casual chat about visiting Sootopolis City.


    "Well," it turned out that the Pok��mon League had recently discovered a rich deposit of Fire Stones, and they were quite abundant. The League was now nning to start mining them.


    However, the area around the Fire Stone deposit was inhabited by numerous Fire-type Pok��mon, many of which were quite powerful. So, the League had delegated the task of clearing out these Fire-types to various Day Cares and Gym Leaders.


    This was typically how the League handled such situations.


    The League Day Cares required seeds to nurture Pok��mon, which was the fastest way to tame them.


    Most importantly, Pok��mon that have lived around Evolution Stone deposits for an extended period tend to have higher potential than those grown in typical environments, making them ideal candidates for breeding seeds.


    The League has always favored major Gym Leaders who y vital roles in cities, so they usually allocate some slots to them when opportunities like this arise. After all, many Gyms specialize in certain types of Pok��mon and require a steady supply.


    However, even if they receive slots, not all Gyms send representatives, as is the case this time.


    The Sootopolis Gym is a Water-type Gym specializing in nurturing Water-type Pok��mon, so they have no interest in the task of capturing Fire-type Pok��mon.


    Initially, Juan considered declining the offer, but then he thought about Yuga. After all, Yuga ran a Day Care, and he could use these Pok��mon. Fire-type Pok��mon weren''t particrly valuable to their Water-type Gym. Besides, if the slots weren''t used, it would be a waste, so why not let Yuga go?


    So, that''s why he hade to see Yuga.


    After all, they were already allies, and sharing benefits made sense.


    "Are you suggesting that I represent the Sootopolis Gym in this operation?" Yuga asked, trying to contain his excitement and maintaining a calm demeanor.


    Juan replied, "Yes, I thought since you run a Day Care, you would need these Pok��mon. Fire-type Pok��mon aren''t that useful for our Water-type Gym, so we have no interest in the slots. You can go in our ce."


    "But is this really okay? Won''t the League inquire if they find out?" Yuga was somewhat concerned; this seemed like snatching someone else''s opportunity.


    Juan waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Don''t worry. The League won''t interfere in such matters. They''ve allocated the slots to us, so we can use them however we want, and they won''t intervene."


    Furthermore, the Sootopolis Gym still had some reputation, so this minor issue wouldn''t be a problem.


    Yuga joyfully eximed, "Thank you so much, Uncle Juan!"


    Yuga had always aimed to build a Three Speciality Pok��mon of Water, Fire, and Grass-type. He already had the Water-type uncher and the Grass-type Tsareena, so he only needed the Fire-type now. If he could capture an appropriate group of Fire-type Pok��mon in this operation, he would be halfway to realizing his goal.


    Juan said, "Since you''ve called me Uncle, no need to be so formal!"


    "Where is this operation taking ce?" Yuga inquired.


    Juan replied, "On an ind in the eastern sea near Farbor Town. Interestingly, Verdanturf Town is rtively close to that location."


    Yuga nodded in response. Farbor Town was close to the sea, and its eastern side bordered a vast, endless ocean. It was unexpected to find a Fire Stone deposit in that area.


    "In a week, the team for the operation will assemble in Farbor Town. This is your participation certificate." Juan handed Yuga an envelope. "Inside, I''ve filled in your information. Just hand it over to the person in charge when you arrive."


    Yuga epted the envelope and said, "Thank you very much."


    Afterward, Juan provided Yuga with some guidelines for participating in the operation and then took his leave.


    Yuga never expected that offering assistance to Robert would not only lead to a significant business deal but also bring such a favorable opportunity. He felt incredibly lucky.


    At the airport, Robert came to see Yuga off.


    "Having won the Pok��mon Contest, what are your ns for the future?" Yuga asked Robert.


    Robert replied, "I haven''t decided yet, but I''m not far from catching up to my senior. I must continue working hard! I''ll need to think carefully about my next steps."


    Yuga nodded and said, "I need to keep pushing forward as well!"


    Then, Yuga boarded the ne to return to Verdanturf Town.

 Chapter 299: My Home Has a Grassland

    <h4>Chapter 299: My Home Has a Grasnd</h4>


    Yuga smoothly arrived in Verdanturf Town that afternoon.


    His absence had been brief, and Suzuki Koen''s and the other employees had capably managed the store during that time.


    With the diligent efforts of the Miltanks in the Ecopark, the Pok��mon had been well taken care of. Even though Yuga''s presence was currently missing, the Miltanks, under the coordination of their leader, were capable of handling things themselves.


    After briefly inspecting his store, Yuga headed straight to the Pok��mon Center.


    While he was still in Mossdeep City, Director Mond had called Yuga and informed him that the Pok��mon he had requested were ready. However, Yuga couldn''t ept them at that time.


    Now, at the Pok��mon Center, Yuga dialed Director Mond''s number and requested that he send the Pok��mon over.


    Director Mond had obtained a total of 60 Tauros for Yuga, along with a pair of Skiddo. The Skiddo consisted of one male and one female.


    As for the Bouffnt, Director Mond decided not to bother, as Yuga was primarily interested in breeding for the Miltanks, and Bouffnt served the same purpose.


    Of these 60 Tauros, one had a green potential, while the rest ranged from red to yellow potential. Since they weren''t rare Pok��mon, they didn''t cost Yuga much money.


    However, obtaining the two Skiddo had required significant effort on Director Mond''s part and came at a considerable expense. Just these two Pok��mon had cost Yuga a whole one million Pok��dor.


    Cross-regional Pok��mon like these were typically expensive, but Yuga''s thriving business, both with Pok��mon and Pok��blocks, meant he could afford this expense. Otherwise, his finances would have been stretched thin.


    All these transactions urred discreetly, as they went against League regtions.


    Back at the Ecopark, Yuga released the 60 Tauros and two Skiddo into the main Ecopark area.


    The Tauros and Skiddo didn''t seem surprised by their new surroundings. They casually looked around before bending down to enjoy the delicious grass beneath their hooves.


    Watching the numerous Tauros munching on the grass, Yuga suddenly felt that his main Ecopark might be getting a bit crowded with 60 lively and running Tauros.


    At that moment, Yuga received a message in his mind from the system.


    [ Congrattions, Host, onpleting the hidden task: Pairing Males and Females. ]


    [ Exnation: After obtaining pure female Miltanks, how could you not have pure male Tauros? You''re quite understanding! ]


    [ Reward: Grasnd Sub-Ecopark unlocked. ]


    Yuga couldn''t help but marvel at how the system always seemed to read his mind and provide benefits ordingly.


    "System, isn''t this reward a bit too easy?" Yuga eximed.


    [ All the Sub-Ecoparks are considered basic infrastructure by the system, designed to help the Host establish aprehensive Day Care. As such, their tasks are rtively simple. Tasks for other rewards will be rtively more challenging. ]


    After hearing the system''s exnation, Yuga realized why obtaining Sub-Ecoparks had been rtively easy. These Sub-Ecoparks were considered special rewards.


    He thought about it and realized that it made sense. After all, the task to gain knowledge about crafting Razor Fangs had been quite challenging. Even now, Yuga only had a rough idea of the process and still had a long way to go toplete it, making it one of the most difficult tasks he had encountered.


    Five minutes after unlocking the Sub-Ecopark, Yuga saw another portal appear in the main Ecopark area.


    Upon entering, he was greeted by an endless expanse of green, like a lush carpet underfoot. The Grasnd stretched as far as the eye could see, with the exception of a towering tree by thekeside at the center.


    This tree was evenrger than the weather tree in his main Ecopark.


    The weather tree in the main Ecopark was thick but not particrly tall. However, the tree in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark was not only thicker but also taller, casting a vast shadow over the area.


    This tree, different from the weather tree, belonged to an unknown species ording to Yuga. But it was covered in pink flowers, simr in size to peach blossoms, giving the entire tree a pink hue.


    Upon receiving an exnation from the system, Yuga learned that these blossoms also yed an important role. Whenbined with the Grasnd''s grass as part of the diet for milk-producing Pok��mon, they could increase both the quantity and quality of milk they produced.


    So, Yuga aptly named this tree the "Lactation Tree," and its flowers were called "Lactation Flowers."


    Beneath the Lactation Tree, there were neatly arranged small wooden houses and warehouses, intended for Pok��mon residence and storage. These buildings marked the first appearance of structures in any of Yuga''s Sub-Ecoparks.


    The entrance to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark was right in front of the wooden houses.


    Yuga inspected each of the wooden houses, realizing that they were designed for Pok��mon like the Miltanks, Tauros, and Skiddo, all of which hadrger body sizes. Each wooden house could amodate a maximum of two Pok��mon, as more would have felt crowded.


    This was a standard setup for a ranch.


    After checking the wooden houses, Yuga went to inspect the warehouses.


    While there weren''t many warehouses, with only five in total, each offered ample space for storage.


    Finally, Yuga approached theke. Except for the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, which had springs and streams, water sources were crucial for most Pok��mon.


    Theke''s water was crystal clear, not as deep as the heartke ind''s, which was found in the shallow seashore. Theke was shallow enough to see the bottom, and it was essentially a pure drinking water reservoir.


    After gaining a good understanding of the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, Yuga informed the Miltanks and the newly arrived Tauros and Skiddo about their move.


    Despite themon misconception that Miltanks had nothing, they had quite a few possessions. They had brushes and toiletries for bathing themselves and other Pok��mon, buckets for fetching water, bowls for eating, and much more.


    While their main diet consisted of grass, Yuga regrly provided them with Pok��blocks for a bnced diet. Therefore, their food bowls were also essential.


    There were also various items required for taking care of other Pok��mon, and these were stored in their new homes due to their quantity. Managing these items was easier when they were ced in the Sub-Ecopark rather than the main Ecopark.


    One crucial item among them was the milking machine.


    This machine had been rmended by Grandpa Milton and was a convenient device for the Miltanks to milk themselves. It was very convenient and allowed the Ecopark''s Pok��mon to switch from loose milk to bottled milk.


    Surprisingly, they didn''t move therge quantity of Pok��blocks stored in the main Ecopark''s warehouse. These Pok��blocks were usually meant for other Pok��mon in the Sub-Ecoparks. However, the Pok��mon from the Sub-Ecoparks would still have to pass through the main Ecopark when moving, so these Pok��blocks remained untouched.


    When the relocation wasplete, Yuga looked at the Miltanks happily grazing on the grass, the Tauros running freely, and the affectionate Skiddo. He felt content.


    The Miltanks had found their mates, and the rest was up to them.

 Chapter 300: Planting

    <h4>Chapter 300: nting</h4>


    The unexpected opening of the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark was a pleasant surprise for Yuga. For the past few days, his main focus had been preparing for the trip to Farbor Town.


    However, when it came to preparations, there wasn''t much to worry about, as he had been on many journeys before.


    So, during these days, Yuga spent most of his time studying the "Comprehensive Guide to Herb Cultivation" that the elderly gentleman from Mossdeep City had given him.


    This book contained information on a wide variety of medicinal herbs, many of which Yuga had never seen before. Fortunately, the book included both illustrations and descriptions, making it very convenient to read.


    Yuga meticulously cross-referenced the seeds he had purchased from the elderly gentleman with the book, identifying each one and expanding his knowledge significantly.


    For instance, there was a type called "Green Ginseng."


    Yuga had never seen or heard of Green Ginseng, but he was familiar with the Big Root item that Pok��mon sometimes carried.


    ording to the book, Green Ginseng''s root was not only a precious medicinal herb but also the primary ingredient for crafting Big Roots, an item known to boost certain moves.


    Then there was another type known as "Water Hyacinth."


    This was a water-based nt that produced beautiful flowers. While the flowers and leaves had no practical use, the nt''s roots, which resembled bulbs, provided significant benefits to Water-type Pok��mon.


    Yet another example was the "Energy Grass" (Yuga had received its rhizomes for propagation). This seemingly inconspicuous nt neither bloomed nor bore berry but was a treasure trove of valuableponents.


    The Universal Powder sold in Herb Shopss was made using its leaves as the main ingredient. Additionally, its roots and stems were used to make Energy Roots and Energy Powder.


    In addition to these three medicinal herb seeds, Yuga had also acquired seeds for the Mental Herb, White Herb, and Power Herb, as well as spores for the Big Mushroom, Small Mushroom, and Balm Mushroom.


    Technically, the Big Mushroom and Small Mushroom were not medicinal herbs but rather high-quality ingredients. Yuga bought them for the pure enjoyment of savoring their taste.


    The Balm Mushroom, on the other hand, was a rare find. Not only did it possess significant medicinal value, but it was also an exceedingly rare ingredient.


    Yuga was surprised to find that this book, the "Comprehensive Guide to Herb Cultivation," contained detailed cultivation methods even for the Balm Mushroom, a species reportedly challenging to cultivate artificially.


    It made him wonder who the elderly gentleman from Mossdeep City truly was.


    Within the book, Yuga also discovered the identity of the dark green seed that the elderly gentleman had tossed to him before parting ways.


    As it turned out, it was a Seed of Revival Herb.


    After confirming that he hadn''t made any mistakes, Yuga was filled with immense excitement.


    The Seed of Revival Herb fell squarely within the realm of miracle drugs. Whenever one of these seeds appeared on the market, it would cause quite a stir.


    This was a true life-saving herb. Regardless of how grave a Pok��mon''s injuries were, as long as it had a breath left, the Seed of Revival Herb could bring it back from the brink of death.


    However, using the Seed of Revival Herb came with side effects; it would cause the revived Pok��mon to lose some of its memories, weakening the bond between it and its trainer.


    Butpared to life itself, what were a few lost memories?


    The Max Revive and Revive made from the Seed of Revival Herb as a raw material did not have these side effects. However, it was said that the recipes for crafting these two items had been lost.


    The content within the "Comprehensive Guide to Herb Cultivation" was incredibly rich, and Yuga couldn''t possibly cover it all in a short amount of time. Therefore, he primarily focused on the species for which he had seeds.


    After several days of research, Yuga finally began nting the first type of herb: Water Hyacinths.


    For Yuga, the nting conditions for this herb were rtively straightforward; it required high-quality water sources. Regardless of which Sub-Ecopark he was in, Yuga could find suitable nting locations.


    After careful consideration, Yuga decided to nt them in the centralke of the Shallow Seashore, known as Heart Lake Ind. This choice was made because when Water Hyacinths grew, their rhizomes emitted a strong Water-type energy, which greatly benefited the Water-type Pok��mon living nearby. This decision would be particrly advantageous for Pok��mon like Greninja, Gyarados, Milotic, and Feebas who resided in that area.


    Yuga arrived at thekeside of Heart Lake Ind, holding the Water Hyacinth seeds in his hands.


    The first step in nting was to remove the thick outer shell of the seeds. This outer shell served as a protective mechanism for the seeds since they often became prey for Water-type Pok��mon in the wild. After passing through the digestive fluids of Water-type Pok��mon, which eroded this protectiveyer, the seeds would germinate sessfully.


    However, when artificially nting Water Hyacinths without the aid of Water-type Pok��mon''s digestive fluids, the only option was to manually remove the outer shell.


    Before nting the Water Hyacinths, Yuga made sure to gather several Pok��mon that lived in the area. He instructed them not to mistakenly consume these seeds and emphasized the importance of guarding them. Only then did he proceed to nt the seeds.


    Following this, Yuga prepared to nt Green Ginseng, Energy Grass, Power Herb, Mental Herb, and White Herb.


    As for the three types of mushrooms, Yuga decided not to nt them immediately because they couldn''t be directly nted in soil. Instead, they required a specially prepared cultivation medium, which was a moreplex process. Therefore, Yuga decided to postpone their nting.


    However, Yuga faced a dilemma when deciding where to nt the remaining herbs: in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark or the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark.


    Both locations had their advantages.


    In the Flower Sea, Grass-type Pok��mon resided, making it convenient for their care. On the other hand, the Grasnd had t and expansive terrain, suitable for establishingrge-scale herb fields.


    After careful consideration, Yuga decided to nt the herbs in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark. The Flower Sea had sloping terrain, which would make it less suitable for establishing herb fields.


    Regarding the maintenance of the herb fields, Yuga nned to have the Grass-type Pok��mon take care of it by running around.


    Therefore, Yuga sought out his Linoone and had it use its Rototiller skills to clear a piece ofnd. Then, he created a rtivelyrge area, dividing it into five sections.


    Activities like tilling, breaking soil, and creating furrows were all handled by Linoone alone, showcasing its remarkable diligence.


    It had to be said that Linoone''s Rototiller skills were truly remarkable when it came to farming.


    Subsequently, Yuga, along with the Grass-type Pok��mon, nted the seeds one by one. The Miltanks helped by carrying their small water buckets to assist with watering. Finally, the Grass-type Pok��mon collectively nurtured the nted seeds on the Grassy Terrain.


    However, these tasks were not yetplete.


    In the future, Yuga would need to regrly fertilize the herbs and provide them with medicinal water. Fortunately, the fertilizers and medicinal water required for each type of herb were rtively simple to prepare. Unlike theplex process of preparing cultivation medium for Balm Mushrooms, Yuga could easily delegate these tasks to the Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Looking at the vast expanse of lush greenery in the Grasnd, which now had arge patch that resembled a giant patchwork quilt, Yuga couldn''t help but chuckle. Despite its somewhat amateur appearance, Yuga felt a sense of aplishment.

 Chapter 301: Reunion with Flannery

    <h4>Chapter 301: Reunion with nnery</h4>


    Since the herb fields were established, Yuga frequently visited to check on the herbs'' progress, ensuring they were sprouting properly. He did this until it was time to depart for Farbor Town.


    Returning from Mossdeep City to Verdanturf Town, Yuga had dedicated most of his time to studying "Comprehensive Guide to Herb Cultivation," establishing the herb fields. When he finally came to his senses, six days had passed. It was time to head to Farbor Town. In haste, he set off with his Pok��mon.


    Fortunately, Farbor Town was not far from Verdanturf Town. Yuga took a Dragonair and started his journey in the morning, arriving there by evening.


    To avoid drawing too much attention, Yuga chose tond Dragonair on the outskirts of Farbor Town, proceeding to walk into the town.


    Following Mr. Juan''s instructions, Yuga made his way to the Pok��mon Center in Farbor Town and handed over the letter addressed to him to Nurse Joy.


    Nurse Joy epted Yuga''s letter with a smile and said, "You''re here to participate in this operation! That''s great. It''s just you guys from the Sootopolis Gym left. I was starting to think you wouldn''t make it."


    Yuga, feeling a bit embarrassed, replied, "I''m sorry for the dy. I got caught up in other matters."


    Yuga knew he was probably one of theter arrivals. After all, he couldn''t resist his newfound passion for herb cultivation.


    Nurse Joy chuckled and said, "No problem at all. You''re here on time. Please stay the night, and tomorrow morning at 7 o''clock, assemble in the lobby, then depart with the others."


    Saying that, Nurse Joy handed Yuga a room key.


    Yuga epted the key and said, "Thank you very much."


    The next morning, to avoid beingte again, Yuga rose early, had breakfast, and sat in the Pok��mon Center''s lobby, waiting for the others to arrive.


    As the time neared 7 o''clock, participants in this operation gradually gathered in the Pok��mon Center''s lobby.


    "Hey, Yuga!"


    At that moment, Yuga heard someone calling his name from behind. He turned around and saw a familiar face.


    "It''s really you! I thought I was seeing things!" the neer eximed with delight.


    "nnery, it''s you! You''re here too," Yuga replied.


    The person addressing Yuga was nnery, the daughter of the Lavaridge Gym and the granddaughter of the former Fire-type Elite Four Member, Mr. Moore. Of course, now that the Lavaridge Gym had reverted to Mr. Moore after passing the Elite Four title to Sidney. The original Lavaridge Gym was managed by his son.


    However, it wasn''t surprising that nnery, a member of the Fire-type Gym, was participating in this operation.


    "Why are you here for this mission? I remember your family runs a private Day Care!" nnery asked in confusion.


    She didn''t know that Yuga was representing the Sootopolis Gym and that private Day Cares weren''t typically eligible for such missions, prompting her to inquire.


    Yuga smiled and said, "I''m here representing the Sootopolis Gym."


    "I see!" nnery suddenly realized, although she still couldn''t fathom why a Water-type Gym like Sootopolis Gym would send someone for this mission.


    "Did youe alone?" Yuga asked, noticing that she was on her own.


    All the representatives from the official League Day Care Centers usually traveled in groups, and Yuga and nnery were the only ones withoutpanions.


    Yuga could understand being alone, but for nnery, it was unusual, especially given the high level of danger associated with this mission. The Pok��mon living around the Evolutionary Stone Veins were powerful due to the unique living conditions they enjoyed, so all the participants were skilled trainers.


    nnery replied in a hushed tone, "My grandpa is leading this mission."


    Hearing nnery''s words, Yuga suddenly realized the presence of Mr. Moore, a former Elite Four and an expert trainer. With him leading the way, there was nothing to worry about.


    Yuga nodded in understanding.


    "All right, is everyone here? Then let''s prepare to depart," Nurse Joy announced, pping her hands and addressing the group participating in the mission.


    There were at least over a hundred people participating in this mission, most of whom were trainers representing the various major city-based official League Day Care Centers.


    The number of individuals, like Yuga and nnery, representing their gyms was quite low. After all, there weren''t many Fire-type Gyms like nnery''s Lavaridge Gym, and trainers from other Gym types were not inclined to join such missions.


    "Let me introduce the leader of this mission, Mr. Moore, a Gym Trainer from the Lavaridge Gym."


    With Nurse Joy''s introduction, Mr. Moore stepped forward. Just like before, he appeared energetic and showed no signs of change. Yuga couldn''tprehend why he had suddenly stepped down from his Elite Four position.


    Mr. Moore''s appearance stirred discussions among the trainers present, given his status as a former Elite Four. He was still quite popr.


    "Hello, everyone. I''ll be leading this mission, and I hope we can all cooperate effectively."


    "Yes!" The response came unanimously from everyone present.


    After offering some brief words of encouragement to the trainers, Mr. Moore said, "Now that we''re prepared, let''s depart!"


    Under Mr. Moore''s guidance, the group of over a hundred people exited the Pok��mon Center in an orderly fashion.


    Mr. Moore even gave a friendly nod to Yuga, who was standing beside nnery, as they left.


    Once outside the Pok��mon Center, Mr. Moore summoned his Charizard and mounted it. He said, "Follow me," and took off into the sky.


    The remaining trainers also released their flying Pok��mon and climbed aboard.


    Experienced trainers typically raised a flying-type Pok��mon, which was crucial for survival in the wild.


    nnery, too, summoned her mount Pok��mon. Surprisingly, it wasn''t a Fire-type Pok��mon but a Grass-type Tropius.


    "What''s taking you so long, Yuga? You''ll get left behind!" nnery urged when she noticed that Yuga had yet to make a move.


    Yuga only had Dragonair capable of flying (please ignore Chimecho and Vivillon), but he wondered if it would be too conspicuous to release it.


    "Alright, here Ie!" After a moment''s consideration, Yuga released Dragonair. After all, he couldn''t remain inconspicuous forever. Besides, he was no longer the weak Yuga from when he first arrived.


    As expected, the appearance of Yuga''s Dragonair immediately drew everyone''s attention.


    "Wow, it''s a Dragonair!"


    nnery eximed in surprise, her eyes wide.


    "It''s so beautiful!"


    nnery, despite specializing in Fire-types, still appreciated beauty.


    Yuga mounted his Dragonair and flew up to nnery, saying, "Let''s catch up; otherwise, we''ll fall behind."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, nnery quickly nodded and directed her Tropius to join the rest of the group, with Yuga closely following.


    The trainers present were reasonably knowledgeable and showed only mild surprise at the sight of Yuga''s Dragonair. After all, they were all trainers with league backgrounds,cking knowledge and unable to ess the training offered by various major Day Care. Furthermore, some established Day Care were even capable of producing one or two pseudo-legendary Pok��mon.

 Chapter 302: Settling In

    <h4>Chapter 302: Settling In</h4>


    Mr. Moore''s Charizard didn''t fly very fast. It seemed like he intentionally waited for the other trainers, as not all Pok��mon could fly as fast as Elite level Charizard.


    More than a hundred people rode their Pok��mon into the sky together. It was quite a spectacr sight, and even the residents of Farbor Town couldn''t help but look up in awe.


    Following Mr. Moore''s Charizard, the group of trainers flew eastward and soon entered the oceanic expanse, surrounded by deep blue waters.


    During their flight, Yuga asionally spotted some small inds floating on the sea''s surface. However, Mr. Moore flew past them without a second thought, indicating they weren''t their destination.


    In this manner, Yuga and the others flew for nearly a full day, only stopping on uninhabited inds briefly when someone couldn''t endure the journey any longer.


    Fortunately, there were plenty of these inds along the way. Otherwise, they might have exhausted themselves and never reached their unexpectedly distant destination.


    Finally, as the orange sun began to set, Mr. Moore, riding on Charizard, pointed ahead and shouted to the group of trainers behind him, "We''ve reached our destination!"


    Following his gesture, the trainers looked in the direction he indicated and saw a distant ind covered in lush trees.


    Even though it was already winter, the coastal areas of the Hoenn region remained as warm as spring, a characteristic of the region''s climate.


    In the center of the ind stood a conspicuous mountain peak. ording to the information they had received earlier, that should be the discovery site of the Firestone vein��a dormant volcano and a gathering ce for Fire-type Pok��mon.


    Upon hearing Mr. Moore''s words, the trainers erupted in cheers. After a day of flying, everyone was feeling a bit fatigued.


    Under Mr. Moore''s guidance, the group descended to the ind''s edge, where they were met by a weing party.


    These individuals were the advance team of the Pok��mon League, consisting mainly of geologists and support personnel, along with a mining crew.


    Once Yuga and the others cleared the Fire-type Pok��mon from the area, these personnel would conduct surveys and initiate mining operations.


    The leader of this reception party, a middle-aged man with a rotund appearance, rushed forward when he saw Mr. Moore dismounting from his Charizard. He greeted them warmly, saying, "Mr. Moore, you''ve finally arrived! We''ve been anxiously awaiting your arrival."


    It was clear that Mr. Moore and this middle-aged man knew each other well. Mr. Mooreughed heartily and replied, "No need to rush! We''re here now!"


    The middle-aged man said, "Yes, yes! Let me arrange amodations for you all. It''s gettingte today, and it''s not suitable for any further action. We can discuss matters tomorrow!"


    Mr. Moore nodded and said, "Very well, we appreciate your help."


    The middle-aged man waved his hand and added, "It''s no trouble at all; it''s my duty."


    Turning to the group of trainers, Mr. Moore said, "It''s gettingte, so let''s settle in here for the night. Tomorrow, I''ll brief you all on the ind''s situation, and then we''ll proceed with our mission."


    The trainers had no objections and agreed to this n.


    After Mr. Moore''s introduction, Yuga and the others learned that the middle-aged man weing them was named Ux. He was a renowned geologist and the person in charge of this mining operation.


    They had arrived on the ind shortly after the discovery of the Firestone vein. Ux had already conducted a preliminary survey of the entire ind and set up a rudimentary base.


    Under Ux'' guidance, Yuga and his group followed him to this "rudimentary base."


    The perimeter of the base was enclosed with wire fencing, likely to prevent certain Pok��mon from identally wandering in. The buildings in the base were of the convenient, prefabricated metal type.


    Many staff members wereing in and out of the metal rooms, appearing quite busy, but Yuga and the group of trainers couldn''tprehend their activities.


    Ux led Yuga and the others to a row of two-story metal buildings and pointed to them, saying, "During our operation, you''ll be staying here. It''s rather basic, so I hope you''ll bear with it."


    To be honest, most trainers were surprised to have any housing at all. They had initially expected to camp in their own tents, and many of them had brought tents along.


    Trainers were generally ustomed to hardships. Otherwise, they wouldn''tst long on this path. Even someone like Steven, who came from a wealthy family, had spent years adventuring in the wild. That''s why his skills surpassed those of his peers.


    Battles, training, and adventures remained the unchanging themes for most trainers.


    Of course, Yuga, the pseudo-trainer, was an exception. After all, he was the guy with the "cheat codes."


    Under Ux'' arrangement, the trainers chose rooms in the row of two-story metal buildings. However, since they had arge group, and the number of rooms was limited, most of them ended up sharing a room with a roommate.


    nnery shared a room with an unfamiliar female trainer, while Yuga found himself sharing a room with an unfamiliar male trainer.


    The rooms were very basic, with bunk beds, a table, two chairs, and the essential bedding.


    As Yuga was inspecting the room, his temporary roommate walked in.


    "Hey, you''re the trainer who rides the Dragonair!"


    The neer was a young man in his twenties, and he seemed quite surprised when he saw Yuga.


    "Hello! I''m Yuga. Let''s get along these few days."


    Yuga nodded and greeted the young man.


    "Hi there! I''m Beidou. Nice to meet you."


    Beidou appeared to have an outgoing personality, always sporting a bright smile on his face.


    "By the way, are you from the Sootopolis Gym?" Beidou suddenly asked Yuga.


    Yuga paused for a moment and then nodded. Although he wasn''t technically from the Sootopolis Gym, he represented it. He didn''t feel like exining, so he decided to go along with it.


    "How did you know?" Yuga asked curiously.


    Beidou chuckled and replied, "I think everyone knows by now. After all, you were thest one to arrive! We had all met each other a day before the scheduled gathering time. It''s kind of an unspoken rule. Didn''t your Gym Leader tell you?"


    "I had no idea!" Yuga eximed.


    He had no clue about this convention. It was surprising to him that he had made a name for himself even before arriving. But why hadn''t Mr. Juan mentioned this?


    What Yuga didn''t know was that even Mr. Juan wasn''t aware of these details. The Sootopolis Gym hadn''t participated in this type of operation for a long time, and it had always been Wace, his disciple, who led the teams in the past. So, Juan had never paid attention to such nuances.

 Chapter 303: Mr. Moore’s Entrustment

    <h4>Chapter 303: Mr. Moore''s Entrustment</h4>


    Beidou had a pleasant personality, and Yuga found it easy to chat with him. After talking for a while, they headed to the base''s cafeteria together. During their stay here, they would have their meals at this cafeteria. Before going to their lodgings, Ux had already shown them around the cafeteria.


    Through their conversation, Yuga learned that Beidou was from the Ever Grande City Day Care Center. However, he had just joined the center recently, so he wasn''t very familiar with his colleagues. That''s why he had been assigned to share a room with Yuga.


    But Yuga didn''t feel like he was being excluded by his teammates. After all, it was natural for colleagues to be more familiar with each other, and he was the neer in this context. Typically, his teammates were quite considerate.


    However, Yuga did find this situation somewhat like a subtle form of exclusion. If they really wanted to take care of Beidou, shouldn''t they have split themselves up and left the neer with his own team?


    Nevertheless, one couldn''t really fault the actions of these people. After all, they had no obligation to take care of someone with whom they had no prior connection. That''s just how human nature worked.


    And so, Yuga and his group of trainers spent their first night quietly at the base.


    The following day, after having breakfast, Mr. Moore assembled Yuga and the others.


    "We are currently on an ind called Illuma Ind. Of course, it didn''t have a name before; we just settled on this recently. Let me give you some information about Illuma Ind!" Mr. Moore addressed the trainers below.


    Everyone listened attentively, as information was often crucial during wilderness adventures.


    "I''m sure you saw it from the sky when you flew here on your Flying Pok��mon; this ind is veryrge and thergest in this area. Moreover, it has never been developed before. This means that there may be unknown dangers here, so please be cautious during your operation.


    Next, our target for this mission is the gathering of Fire-type Pok��mon, which is located near the dormant volcano in the center of the ind. In other words, your destination is there.


    However, don''t think that just because the Fire-type Pok��mon gather near the dormant volcano, the rest of the ind is safe. You would be gravely mistaken.


    Through our investigations, we''ve discovered that the ind''s forests are teeming with numerous other types of Pok��mon, and they are all quite powerful. If you''re not careful, your life could be in danger.


    Your mission isn''t just to deal with the Fire-type Pok��mon near the dormant volcano but also to find a rtively safe route for our mining team to enter."


    Additionally, Mr. Moore informed them about three massive groups of Pok��mon on the ind''s other sides, warning them not to provoke these groups lightly.


    To the east of the ind, there was a territory belonging to a group of Shiftry, Nuzleaf, and Seedot. They were numerous, and their leader was exceptionally powerful.


    To the south, there was a territory of Ursarings, and though their numbers weren''t asrge as the Shiftry group, they were exceptionally fierce. Their overall strength exceeded that of the Shiftry group.


    To the northy the territory of Aggron, the most potent group among the three. Their leader was a legitimate Elite-level Pok��mon.


    These three groups of Pok��mon were beyond what Yuga and his group of trainers could handle. All they had to do was quietly handle the rtively safe western coast, and they could ignore the other three sides.


    Mr. Moore emphasized that they should not cross over into those territories under any circumstances. Otherwise, they would bear the consequences.


    Mr. Moore''s purpose ining here was solely to help Yuga and the others deal with the excessively powerful Pok��mon on the western coast near the dormant volcano.


    Furthermore, they were warned never to take a shortcut by flying directly to the dormant volcano in the center of the ind. If they did, they would meet a gruesome end.


    Because your actions will undoubtedly attract the attention of numerous Flying-type Pok��mon, potentially leading to them attacking in groups.


    Mr. Moore gave Yuga and the others a general overview of the ind''s situation, and now they could begin their mission.


    Before their departure, Mr. Moore secretly approached Yuga.


    "Young man, there''s a somewhat awkward request I''d like to make. I''m not sure if I should bring it up."


    Seeing Mr. Moore''s somewhat embarrassed expression, Yuga was puzzled. What could be bothering the old man?


    "If you have something to say, just tell me. There''s no need to be so polite."


    Yuga felt grateful to the kind old man who had given him the Vulpixs.


    In a hushed tone, Mr. Moore spoke to Yuga, "Here''s the thing, you see, nnery''s abilities are stillcking a bit, and I''m somewhat concerned about her. So, I hope you can look after her a bit more. I might have other matters to attend to, and I won''t be able to watch over her."


    Yuga suddenly understood. The old man was also going through a tough time. While children needed to grow through their experiences, Mr. Moore was also deeply attached to his granddaughter, which led him to seek Yuga''s assistance.


    nnery''s abilities were indeed not particrly strong, but given her young age, it was understandable.


    "Don''t worry, to the best of my abilities, I will take care of her."


    Yuga readily agreed, as it wasn''t a difficult task for him.


    "Alright, thank you very much. Just make sure not to tell her that I approached you; otherwise, she will definitely be upset!" Mr. Moore confessed, feeling somewhat guilty.


    Yuga smiled and reassured him, "Don''t worry! I won''t tell her."


    With that, Mr. Moore felt at ease and left to attend to his own matters.


    After Mr. Moore departed, Yuga found nnery and said, "nnery, since both of us are on our own, how about we team up for this mission?"


    Hearing Yuga''s proposal, nnery''s eyes lit up with joy. "Really? That''s great!"


    Previously, nnery had watched others forming groups with their organizations, while she was all alone. She had been quite anxious, so Yuga''s suggestion was like a ray of hope for her.


    After making some preparations at the base, various teams gradually set off into the forest, and Yuga and nnery were no exception.


    The forest on this ind was extremely dense, withrge leaves blocking out the sun overhead. Only sporadic patches of light broke through, illuminating the ground or the trainers'' clothes.


    Yuga released his Vivillon to keep watch in the air while Absol stayed close to protect him.


    Seeing this, nnery followed suit and released a Houndoom.


    Yuga nodded in approval. Houndoom, a Dark-type Pok��mon, was well-suited for wilderness exploration due to their strong sense of smell and vignce.


    However,pared to Yuga''s Absol, Houndoom fell slightly short.


    While Houndoomcked the keen sense of smell, Absol''s exceptional perception, especially when it came to danger, was unmatched by most Pok��mon.

 Chapter 304: The Shiny Ariados

    <h4>Chapter 304: The Shiny Ariados</h4>


    Watching nnery cautiously, Yuga suddenly asked, "nnery, are you afraid?"


    Yuga knew that nnery was experiencing the wilderness far from human society for the first time. Previously, she had only engaged in outdoor activities near Lavaridge Town. That''s why he asked this question.


    The wilderness near human towns was significantly different from remote wilderness areas like the Illuma Ind.


    Wild Pok��mon in the wilderness near human towns had adapted to human presence over time. They knew that most humans wouldn''t harm them; at most, they might capture them. And they didn''t mind being captured because it often meant a better life.


    However, in ces like the Illuma Ind, it was a whole different story. To the Pok��mon here, humans might be considered potential threats, a part of their food chain, or invaders into their territory, and they would attack without mercy.


    Children in the Pok��mon world typically began their journeys around the age of ten, exploring only the wilderness near towns that had been scouted and explored by generations of trainers. They wouldn''t venture too far, or else they''d risk facing countless dangers.


    Only experienced trainers would venture far from human towns for adventures. So, the Pok��mon world''s wilderness was categorized by difficulty levels.


    After hearing Yuga''s question, nnery hesitated for a moment and then confidently replied, "Afraid? How could I be?"


    Yuga considered it and realized that with nnery''s carefree personality, the word "fear" probably didn''t even exist in her dictionary.


    Suddenly, a white silk thread shot out of nowhere, binding nnery''s ankle, and it looked like she was about to be hoisted up into the trees.


    "It''s an Ariados!"


    Yuga immediately spotted the spider-like Pok��mon hidden among the leaves.


    Perhaps sensing it had been discovered, the Ariados no longer concealed itself. It crawled out of the leaves boldly, ring menacingly at Yuga and nnery.


    "How dare it ambush us! Houndoom, use methrower!"


    nnery was furious and gave the order for her Houndoom to retaliate. A scorching stream of mes shot towards the Ariados.


    The Ariados turned out to be all show. As Houndoom''s methrower hit, it plummeted from the tree, smoking, but luckily, the forest''s moisture prevented any wildfires. Otherwise, Yuga and nnery would have had to worry about using Fire-type moves.


    Just as nnery was celebrating her victory over the Ariados, Yuga tugged her and said, "Don''t get too excited! Look up."


    At Yuga''s words, nnery looked up.


    Upon seeing whaty ahead, her joy turned into astonishment. They had unknowingly been surrounded by over a dozen Ariados.


    What was more intimidating was that their leader was a shiny Ariados,rger than the others.


    Ordinary Ariados had red heads and abdomens with ck markings, while their back appendages and legs were yellow with purple patterns.


    This one was the opposite.


    Its head and abdomen were purple, with red patterns, and its back appendages and legs had red markings.


    This marked the second shiny Pok��mon Yuga had encountered, the first being his own Florges.


    nnery couldn''t help but exim, "Wow! This is so exciting! We''ve only just entered the forest!"


    "How else would your grandfather describe this forest as dangerous?" Yuga said, scanning the shiny Ariados.


    ...


    <> </ariados>


    Type: Bug, Poison


    Ability: Sniper


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Green


    Level: 35


    Moves: Swords Dance, Focus Energy, Toxic Spikes, Pin Missile, String Shot, Poison Sting, Megahorn.


    ...


    This Ariados, living in the wild, had an impressive set of moves. It not only had moves like Swords Dance to enhance its skills but also inherited powerful Bug-type move, Megahorn.


    However, Ariados, in general, wasn''t known for its strength, and this shiny Ariados was already the strongest among this group of Ariados.


    "What should we do?" nnery asked Yuga after he remained silent for a while.


    "What else? We fight head-on!" Yuga didn''t think much of a group of Ariados with mediocre strength.


    As Yuga spoke, all the Ariados simultaneously used String Shot on Yuga and nnery.


    nnery''s Houndoom and Yuga''s Absol were ready, and they unleashed methrower and Dark Pulse, respectively, to repel the spider silk threads.


    In the air, Vivillon had already strengthened itself with Quiver Dance when the first Ariados appeared. Golden threads descended from the sky, trapping the Ariadoses.


    The electric currents in the threads caused the trapped Ariadoses to shriek in pain.


    However, the shiny Ariados was exceptionally fast. It swiftly evaded the assault from Vivillon''s Electroweb by moving all four legs at once.


    Seeing its Electroweb dodged, Vivillon was surprised. It pped its wings, instantly appearing in front of the shiny Ariados, blocking its path.


    Vivillon, with its Indigo Potential, was one of Yuga''s fastest-growing Pok��mon, second only to Dragonair. Currently at level 42, it was close to catching up with Absol at level 45 and Florges at level 48. Its strength was remarkable.


    Seeing Vivillon standing in its way, the shiny Ariados didn''t hesitate and showered it with Poison Stings.


    Vivillon didn''t mind the Poison Stings. Its eyes gleamed, and it redirected the iing stingers right back at the Ariados with a psychic redirection.


    This was Vivillon''s Psychic Redirection, a technique it had developed based on its Psybeam move. The Indigo Potential Pok��mon showed incredible potential.


    The Ariados hadn''t expected its own attack to be turned against it. The Poison Stings controlled by Vivillon''s Psychic Redirection struck it directly.


    Being a Poison-type, Ariados was naturally weak to Psychic-type moves. Vivillon''s Psychic Redirection instantly took out half of its remaining health.


    Watching as theirpanions were trapped in Vivillon''s Electroweb and subsequently defeated by Absol and Houndoom, the shiny Ariados decided it was time to flee.


    But a golden thread of Electroweb blocked its escape route.


    Realizing there was no way to escape, the Ariados jumped from a tree branch. Its forehead''s white horn emitted a bright light, extending sharply, aimed straight at Vivillon in the air.


    This was the shiny Ariados''s most powerful move, Megahorn.


    However, this move didn''t affect Vivillon, which was known for its agility. It easily dodged the attack and, with a swift motion, struck back with another Psychic Redirection.


    With only half its health remaining and immobilized in the Electroweb, the shiny Ariados fell from the air, incapacitated. Yuga promptly captured it with a Pok�� Ball.


    "Let''s go!" Yuga said after all the Ariados had been dealt with.


    "Do you want the other Ariados?" nnery, being a Fire-type trainer, had no interest in Bug-type Ariados. She pointed to the other Ariados and asked Yuga.


    "No, thanks," Yuga shook his head and continued exploring the forest.


    nnery quickly followed, apanied by her Houndoom.

 Chapter 305: Lone Beidou

    <h4>Chapter 305: Lone Beidou</h4>


    After the Ariados attack, Yuga and nnery became more cautious, as they didn''t know when sudden danger might appear.


    Although they were in a dense jungle, the surroundings were eerily quiet. Yuga and nnery walked on a carpet of dry leaves and twigs, making an unpleasant creaking sound.


    At that moment, both Yuga and nnery heard a series of roars. They stayed alert and quietly moved towards the source of the noise.


    Yuga gently pushed aside some branches and leaves and, through the gap, saw a Zangoose locked in a fierce battle with its natural enemy, a Seviper.


    It was evident that this particr Zangoose had the Immunity ability, rendering the Seviper''s poison ineffective against it. Moreover, the Seviper was notably weaker. Currently, the Zangoose had a firm grip on the Seviper''s neck, swinging it around relentlessly. Even Yuga, an outsider, felt sorry for the Seviper.


    The roars they heard wereing from the distressed Seviper.


    Yuga gestured to nnery, signaling her to stay away, as he didn''t want to interfere in the battle between these two natural enemies.


    nnery, understanding Yuga''s intention, nodded quietly, and both of them moved away from the scene.


    Far from the ongoing battle between the Seviper and Zangoose, Yuga and nnery continued their journey towards the dormant volcano at the center of the ind.


    As they walked, they came across a pond with several Lotad and Surkrit living in it.


    These Lotad and Surkrit were not particrly strong, but when they saw Yuga and nnery approaching, they didn''t show any fear. Instead, they stared at the two with curiosity.


    The Lotad, in particr, had a vacant look in their eyes, making them appear quite cute.


    Yuga selected two Lotad with green potentials and two Surkrit with green potentials and captured them.


    The other Lotad and Surkrit didn''t resist at all. Perhaps they realized that they couldn''t oppose Yuga''s "authority."


    Yuga thought that he could ce these two Lotad in the ponds of his Grasnd Sub-Ecopark and have them water the fields daily.


    "If only there were more of them. It would be better if there were more," Yuga thought. However, it was challenging to find high-potential Pok��mon.


    He imagined the Lotad standing in the water, moving in an orderly fashion towards the fields, step by step. Oh, it would be so adorable.


    The unscrupulous businessman Yuga had once again started thinking about how to exploit thebor of his Pok��mon, not sparing even the weaker Lotad!


    "Why did you only capture four of so many Lotad and Surkrit?" nnery asked curiously.


    nnery knew that Yuga ran a Day Care, so his capturing Pok��mon didn''t surprise her. However, Yuga always picked and chose, and she couldn''t understand why.


    Yuga smiled and told a little white lie, "I select the ones that appear to have better development potential. It''s about breeding value, not quantity!"


    nnery wasn''t a breeder and couldn''t discern which ones had better development potential and which didn''t. She simply trusted Yuga''s exnation.


    After taking a short break by the pond, the two continued their journey.


    While Yuga and nnery cautiously made their way toward the center of the ind, Beidou, along with a Delcatty, dashed out of the tall grass. Beidou''s face was covered in dirt.


    Seeing Yuga and nnery, he shouted while running, "Run quickly!"


    Initially, Yuga and nnery were puzzled as to why Beidou was running. But then, they saw a swarm of Beedrill emerging from the grass behind him, looking menacing.


    "Vivillon, set up an Electroweb!" Yuga ordered. Countless Electrowebs, crackling with electricity, attached to the branches ahead, forming a dangerous trap that blocked the Beedrill''s path.


    The Beedrill, fearing the Electrowebs crackling with electricity, didn''t dare to proceed further. After briefly inspecting Beidou, Delcatty, and their surroundings through the Electrowebs, they reluctantly flew away.


    Seeing the Beedrill retreat, Beidou and Delcatty breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Thank you so much, Yuga," Beidou wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, still catching his breath.


    Yuga found it strange and asked, "Weren''t you traveling with your teammates? Why did you end up being chased by Beedrill like this?"


    Upon hearing Yuga''s question, Beidou''s face stiffened momentarily, then he awkwardly chuckled, "Well... we got separated!"


    Yuga could tell from Beidou''s expression that there was more to the story than just getting separated, but since Beidou didn''t seem willing to share, he didn''t press further.


    "So, what are your ns now? Are you going to look for your teammates or..." Yuga inquired.


    Beidou remained silent, and an awkward silence hung in the air.


    "How about you join us for now?" Yuga suggested. "nnery, what do you think?"


    Since the team wasn''t solely Yuga''s, he sought nnery''s opinion as well.


    "I''m fine with it!" nnery said nonchntly. In fact, she thought the more people, the merrier.


    "Really? That''s great!" Beidou was delighted when he saw that nnery agreed to have him travel with them.


    Seeing how Beidou was more inclined to apany them rather than search for his teammates, Yuga surmised that something must have happened between them.


    "This is nnery, and this is Beidou. We''ll be traveling together for now, so let''s get to know each other!" Yuga made a brief introduction, and after Beidou and nnery exchanged pleasantries, a simple three-person team was formed.


    As they continued their journey together, aside from Delcatty by their side, Beidou also released a Crobat to patrol the skies alongside Yuga''s Vivillon. After all, it was easier to spot potential issues from the air.


    Beidou''s strength was quite impressive. Both Delcatty and Crobat had reached a level above forty. If it weren''t for their potentials being inferior to Yuga''s Pok��mon, they might even surpass him in power.


    At least nnery''s Houndoom, with its green potential, couldn''tpete with these two Pok��mon.


    Not long after the three of them resumed their journey, they were blocked by a familiar Pok��mon they had encountered earlier��a Zangoose.


    This Zangoose was covered in purple venom, the same one they had seen tormenting a Seviper earlier.


    It appeared that the Seviper had fallen victim to it.


    This Zangoose had a ferocious disposition. Upon seeing the three individuals, it didn''t hesitate andunched an attack right away, using its sh directly towards Yuga.


    But would Yuga''s Absol allow it to have its way?


    Absol''s Sucker Punch directly collided with Zangoose''s sh. Consequently, Zangoose was sent flying and crashed into arge tree. Dazed and confused, ity there, feeling embarrassed. To think that it had roamed the jungle for so many years, only to be humiliated by an insignificant adversary. What was the unsettling aura emanating from this insignificant adversary?


    In the blink of an eye, Zangoose regained its footing, lifted its front paws, and prepared to use sh again. However, this time its target was Absol.


    Before it could get close to Absol, a barrage of Psycho Cut was sent directly at it, hitting it squarely in the face.


    Itsst thought before losing consciousness was, "After all these years roaming the jungle, to be..."


    Leaving the fainted Zangoose behind, the three continued on their way.

 Chapter 306: Onslaught of Ursaring

    <h4>Chapter 306: Onught of Ursaring</h4>


    After Yuga dealt with the Zangoose, the three continued on their way.


    During their journey, they encountered several other groups of people, but since they were all strangers, no greetings were exchanged, and they simply went their separate ways.


    Exploring the forest was indeed a challenging endeavor. Not only did they have to watch out for attacks from snakes, insects, rodents, and ants, but the environment itself posed significant obstacles with its rugged terrain, tangled trees, and undergrowth. Swamps could also appear unexpectedly, making every step perilous.


    In fact, Yuga, Beidou, and nnery were now blocked by a group of Grimer and Muk dwelling in the swamp.


    One of them was identally stepped on by nnery, and without a second thought, this group of sluggish creaturesunched a barrage of filthy Mud Shot towards the three individuals.


    Luckily, the vignt Colorful Butterfly quickly activated a protective skill, saving the three from being "poisoned" by the nauseating purple-ck muck.


    "Vivillon, Sleep Powder!" Yugamanded.


    Removing its protective abilities, Vivillon flew into the air above the swamp, releasing showers of green powder. Before long, the Grimer and Muk sumbed to slumber.


    The sludge mixed with sleep powder, and with the movement of the grimer and muk, it all became thoroughly stirred together, making it hard for them to avoid the effects.


    Yuga and hispanions didn''t show much interest in these peculiar-looking Pok��mon and continued on their way.


    Not far after leaving the swamp, they realized they had unintentionally reached the boundary between the West Coast and the South Coast, as per Mr. Mr. Moore''s advice. They had no intention of provoking the formidable Ursaring group on the South Coast and decided to skirt around the area, continuing toward the center of the ind.


    Just then, a heavily injured man, clutching a Pok��mon egg in his hands, leaped out unexpectedly. His gaze first froze when he saw Yuga''s group, but upon noticing Beidou, he became excited.


    "Beidou! It''s you! Please, please save me! Save me..."


    Before he could finish speaking, a sturdy Ursaring, its eyes filled with rage, emerged. It red angrily at the man clutching the Pok��mon egg.


    Seeing the Ursaring charging towards them, the man quickly scrambled behind Beidou for cover.


    Yuga looked gravely at the Ursaring in front of them. This was a Pok��mon at a level exceeding fifty, and dealing with it would likely pose some challenges.


    ...


    <<ursaring>> </ursaring>


    Type: Normal


    Ability: Guts


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Green


    Level: 53


    Moves: Hammer Arm, Scratch, sh, Scary Face, Taunt, Stone Edge


    ...


    The Ursaring, upon noticing the man taking refuge behind Yuga''s group, roared in fury and rushed forward. It raised its radiant white arms and unleashed a Fighting-type move, Hammer Arm.


    Yuga cast a sidelong nce at the man clutching the Pok��mon egg. He hadn''t initially intended to intervene, but seeing the Ursaring losing itsposure andunching indiscriminate attacks, he had no choice but to handle the Ursaring first.


    "Vivillon, Electroweb; Absol, Psycho Cut!"


    As Yuga''smand fell, an Electroweb crackling with electricity enveloped the Ursaring, followed by a colossal light de striking the Ursaring directly.


    The Ursaring, infuriated by the attack, roared in anger. The Electroweb that had ensnared it shattered instantly, and it continued charging towards Yuga and his group.


    "Houndoom, methrower!"


    "Delcatty, Thunderbolt! Crobat, Confuse Ray!"


    Recognizing the formidable strength of the Ursaring, nnery and Beidou immediately provided support to Yuga.


    A fiery column and golden lightning struck the Ursaring. While it caused damage, the effects were not as significant as they hoped, as the Ursaring ignored the attacks. However, Crobat''s Confuse Ray sessfully threw the Ursaring into a state of confusion.


    But a confused Ursaring became even more furious. While it halted its advance, it started to recklessly attack the nearby trees and asionally even itself.


    "Now''s our chance!" Yuga shouted.


    nnery and Beidou nodded in unison andmanded their Pok��mon tounch another assault.


    Houndoom''s methrower, Beidou''s Delcatty''s Thunderbolt, Crobat''s Cross Poison, Absol''s Psycho Cut, Vivillon''s Psychic, all struck the Ursaring simultaneously.


    However, being level fifty-plus Pok��mon, they remained formidable. Despite enduring numerous attacks, the Ursaring hadn''t lost its fighting spirit. In fact, the intense pain caused by the attacks seemed to snap it out of confusion.


    With newfound rity, the Ursaring stamped its foot onto the ground, causing countless sharp, blue stones to suddenly erupt from the ground. nnery''s Houndoom and Beidou''s Delcatty were quickly incapacitated.


    On the other hand, flying-type Pok��mon like Crobat and Vivillon managed to evade the Ursaring''s Stone Edges with their agile maneuvering. Yuga''s Absol also dodged the stones thanks to its quick reflexes.


    During the battle, Vivillon finallypleted two rounds of Quiver Dance, reaching its limit. Its wings began to stir up air currents, transforming the surrounding air into thin threads that entwined around the Ursaring, and then, these threads turned into fine Cut, constricting the Ursaring''s limbs tightly.


    This was a fundamental flying-type move called Gust. Although not very powerful, Vivillon executed it with incredible finesse. Its thread-like constraints were as tenacious as Ariados'' webs, but with the added capability of cutting, gradually tightening around the enemy.


    This showcased the extraordinary control that Indigo Potential Pok��mon possessed.


    The now sane Ursaring suddenly felt as if it were trapped in quicksand, struggling became increasingly strenuous, and its movements grew sluggish. When it lowered its head to inspect, it noticed countless thin red lines that had mysteriously appeared on its arms and legs.


    At that moment, Yuga''s Absolunched another Sucker Punch, and Crobat''s Steel Wing struck once more,nding a solid blow on the Ursaring''s abdomen and head, respectively.


    The enraged Ursaring could no longer withstand the onught and copsed.


    With the Ursaring now down, the group breathed a sigh of relief.


    Yuga summoned Chimecho to tend to nnery''s Houndoom and Beidou''s Delcatty, and both trainers recalled their Pok��mon. Yuga then used a Pok�� Ball to capture the Ursaring thaty on the ground.


    nnery and Beidou had no interest in the Ursaring, and since Yuga had done most of the work, they had no objections to Yuga capturing it.


    The Ursaring disyed considerable strength, and its potential was likely high. Pok��mon with an potential lower than yellow rarely reached the level of Ursaring in the wild, a fact all present understood.

 Chapter 307: Risky Return Trip

    <h4>Chapter 307: Risky Return Trip</h4>


    "Um, thank you for saving me!"


    At this moment, the man holding a Pok��mon egg approached with a grateful smile, addressing Yuga''s group.


    However, as he looked at Yuga, a barely noticeable hint of jealousy shed in his eyes.


    Yuga turned to the man and said, "No need for thanks. Just hand over the Pok��mon egg you''re holding."


    "What... what do you mean?" The man seemed puzzled by Yuga''s words, hesitating for a moment.


    "Don''t understand?" Yuga replied, "No worries, Vivillon!"


    With a gesture, Yuga signaled his Vivillon, which immediately used Psychic to control the Pok��mon egg in the man''s arms, making it float into Yuga''s hand.


    Seeing his Pok��mon egg taken away, the man''s expression darkened. "What''s the meaning of this?"


    "What I mean is something you should already know," Yuga said coldly, fixing his gaze on the man.


    The man couldn''t help but shrink back under Yuga''s scrutiny. Then, he turned angrily to Beidou and said, "Beidou, this person is your friend, right? What''s going on? Why did he steal my Pok��mon egg? Are you just going to stand by while your teammate is treated like this?"


    Upon hearing the man mention Beidou as his teammate, Yuga and nnery were surprised. They hadn''t expected this connection between the two.


    However, the man''s words made Beidou''s expression turn oddly serious. He replied, "Teammate? Are you seriously calling yourself my teammate now?"


    Beidou''s retort silenced the man, leaving Yuga and nnery puzzled.


    "Did your team provoke the Ursaring group down south?" Yuga suddenly asked.


    "What if we did? None of your business!" The man replied, his expression inexplicably defiant.


    The man''s team was actually Beidou''s former team, and after unintentionally trespassing into the Ursaring territory, they not only failed to leave immediately but also hatched a crooked n.


    The stronger the Pok��mon, the better the potential of their offspring. So, when they saw a group of powerful Ursaring guarding Pok��mon eggs, they couldn''t resist the urge to steal them.


    Normally, if your strength is sufficient, you can do as you please, and no one can stop you. However, these individuals were bothcking in strength and recklessly audacious.


    One of them had a Kecleon, which they relied on for its incredible stealth abilities to steal several Pok��mon eggs in session.


    They managed to snatch the eggs, but their greed led them to be discovered by the Ursaring, who then pursued them relentlessly.


    The Ursaring were overwhelmingly powerful, and the five of them were quickly scattered, fleeing in all directions.


    The man Yuga''s group had encountered was the only survivor of this group, with all his Pok��mon defeated. Eventually, he stumbled upon Yuga''s group.


    Yuga angrily remarked, "Normally, your recklessness isn''t my concern, but you shouldn''t have used us as shields against the Ursaring!"


    nnery and Beidou were equally furious. If it weren''t for Yuga''s strength, they wouldn''t have escaped unscathed from the formidable Ursaring.


    "But why did you need to steal my Pok��mon egg when you''re unharmed?" the man protested.


    "Just because we''re unharmed doesn''t mean you can use us as targets. This Pok��mon egg is your payment."


    "But didn''t you already subdue a stronger Ursaring?"


    After saying this, the man''s eyes turned envious and red. The Ursaring was undoubtedly powerful, and its potential was likely high. Subduing it would have immediately bolstered his strength, saving him a lot of trouble.


    At this moment, nnery pointed at the man''s nose and scolded, "You''ve got some nerve! The Ursaring we defeated had nothing to do with you. What gives you the right to consider it as payment for us? If it weren''t for us, you''d have been long gone at its mercy!"


    The little girl sure had a way with words, and her rapid-fire scolding left the man speechless.


    "Alright, let''s move on and ignore him!" Yuga called to nnery and Beidou, intending to continue their journey.


    "Hey, you can''t just leave me behind!" Seeing Yuga''s group about to leave him, the man immediately panicked. All of his Pok��mon were incapacitated, and being left alone in this situation was akin to a death sentence.


    So, the man tagged along behind Yuga''s group like a clingy shadow.


    Yuga''s group didn''t object to him following. While they didn''t hold this man in high regard, they had no intention of letting hime to harm.


    During their journey, Yuga asked nnery and Beidou if they wanted the Pok��mon egg he had taken from the man. Both of them declined, so Yuga decided to keep it for himself.


    nnery''s primary goal was to gain experience, and she might consider a suitable Fire-type Pok��mon if she encountered one, but Ursaring was off the table.


    Beidou was employed by the Ever Grande City Day Care Center to capture Fire-type Pok��mon from the dormant volcano. If it wasn''t a Pok��mon he personally favored, he wouldn''t capture other Pok��mon.


    So, in this situation, Yuga benefited.


    Generally, trainers didn''t frequently capture Pok��mon in the wild like Yuga did. Skilled trainers sometimes captured powerful wild Pok��mon because achieving a high level of strength in the wild indicated excellent potential. However, capturing average-strength Pok��mon was umon because their potential was harder to gauge.


    Therefore, if trainers wanted to breed young Pok��mon, they often preferred using the services of a Day Care, as it ensured quality.


    Afterward, Yuga''s group encountered some other Pok��mon on their journey, but none were particrly strong, and they easily dealt with them.


    "It''s gettingte; let''s stop here for today and return to the base," Yuga said as he checked the time, suggesting to the other two.


    "Yeah, we should head back now before it gets dark!" nnery agreed.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s suggestion, the man who had been trailing them chimed in, "Hey, you can''t just leave me behind!"


    Through Beidou''s introduction, Yuga and nnery had learned that the man''s name was Kondoh and that he used to be on Beidou''s team. However, Beidou hadn''t shared more details about their rtionship, and while Yuga and nnery were curious, they respected Beidou''s decision not to divulge more information.


    Ignoring Kondoh''s protests, Yuga and his group agreed to return to the base. Thanks to their efforts in clearing the way, the journey back was considerably easier, and they made it back to the base just before nightfall.


    Staring at the base, a disheveled Kondoh was nearly in tears. He had finally made it back alive!


    He gave Yuga''s group a resentful re before running toward the base.


    Yuga''s group paid no mind to Kondoh''s ungrateful behavior. They weren''t particrly close, and no one owed anything to anyone.


    Once inside the base, they saw other teams returning, some looking relieved, while others appeared troubled. It was clear that everyone had their unique experiences during the mission.

 Chapter 308: Reasons

    <h4>Chapter 308: Reasons</h4>


    After spending a day in the forest, Yuga and hispanions were covered in dirt, so they each went back to clean up before meeting at the cafeteria for a meal.


    As soon as they entered the cafeteria, they encountered five individuals, including Kondoh.


    Without guessing, Yuga knew that these five were likely Beidou''s former teammates.


    The leader of the group, a man, walked directly towards Beidou upon seeing them.


    He didn''t spare a nce for Yuga and nnery and simply shouted, "Beidou!"


    Beidou had no intention of engaging with them and walked past the man with Yuga and the others to get their food.


    At this moment, Kondoh, who was behind the man, pointed at Beidou and yelled, "Beidou, don''t be unreasonable. We''ve already apologized to you. What more do you want?"


    Seemingly emboldened by reuniting with his teammates, Kondoh''s voice was loud, immediately drawing the attention of everyone in the cafeteria.


    Beidou turned around, staring at him as if he were insane, and retorted, "Who says I must ept apologies? Whether I choose to speak to you or not is my freedom, isn''t it? Do you have a say in it? Stop shouting here!"


    "You!" Kondoh was visibly angered, pointing at Beidou for a while before finally shifting his gaze to his own team captain, Anxia, the man who had spoken first.


    Anxia looked at Beidou, who was struggling to speak, then nced at a girl behind him with an uncertain expression. He sighed and chose not to say anything, merely watching Beidou and Yuga''s group walk away.


    The three of them collected their food, found a table, and sat down. Beidou, noticing the curious expressions on their faces as they stared at him, reluctantly put down his chopsticks and said, "You''re both so curious about my business, huh?"


    Both of them nodded simultaneously.


    Beidou sighed and said, "Alright, alright, I''ll tell you. It''s not that big of a deal, really."


    Beidou and his teammates had encountered extremely bad luck. When they had set out in the morning, not long after entering the forest, they encountered a pseudo-Elite Pok��mon, a Victreebel.


    Once a Pok��mon reached the pseudo-Elite, its strength underwent a dramatic transformation, making it impossible to defeat with sheer numbers alone.


    The Ursaring Yuga''s group had encountered earlier, at just over level 50, could potentially be handled with sheer numbers. However, when a Pok��mon reached the pseudo-Elite, it was a different story. Although the level difference between 59 and 60 seemed insignificant, the difference in power was like night and day.


    In the blink of an eye, one female trainer among the six was caught by Victreebel''s vines.


    At a crucial moment, Beidou caught Victreebel off guard, and his Delcatty used its Fire-type Awakening Power to burn the vines and save the girl.


    Then, realizing they couldn''t defeat Victreebel, they turned to run. However, their speed couldn''t match Victreebel''s swift vine attacks.


    Just as the vines were about to capture the girl Beidou had saved, she unexpectedly reached out and pulled Beidou in front of her, using him as a shield.


    That way, Beidou ended up restrained by Victreebel''s vines and was nearly delivered to its mouth.


    At this critical moment, the others were solely focused on their own escape and didn''t even think about turning back to rescue Beidou.


    Fortunately, at that moment, Mr. Moore descended from the sky on his Charizard and defeated Victreebel, saving Beidou. The others only stopped running after they saw this.


    Beidou didn''t mind that the others hadn''te back to save him. At crucial moments, people often thought only of themselves, and he had no grounds for criticism. However, what he couldn''t tolerate was that the girl he had saved turned on him.


    Beidou and that girl had a heated argument, but instead of ming her, the others not only didn''t reprimand her but also took her side. They repeatedly emphasized that Beidou wasn''t hurt and that he should stop making a fuss. They even said that she was a girl, and he should cut her some ck.


    What''s wrong with being a girl? Did that mean girls should be unconditionally forgiven when they made mistakes?


    Beidou couldn''t understand the thought process of these people and eventually decided to part ways with them.


    In reality, those individuals knew that the girl had done wrong, but their act of leaving Beidou behind when he was captured by Victreebel made them lose face. It was as if Beidou had seen their most embarrassing side, prompting them to unconsciously take the opposite stance against him, as if doing so could cover up their cowardly behavior.


    However, Beidou didn''t care about this at all. In his perspective, prioritizing oneself in a life-threatening situation was only human nature, and he had no grounds to criticize them. .


    After hearing Beidou''s story, Yuga and nnery both sighed.


    Yuga asked, "So what will you do next?"


    Beidou wore a troubled expression and replied, "Well, aren''t we on the same team?"


    Yuga said, "Being on the same team with us is fine, but after the mission, won''t you return to the Ever Grande City Day Care Center? You''re still colleagues, and won''t it be awkward when you meet them again?"


    Beidou sighed and said, "Let''s take it one step at a time. Besides, if anyone should feel awkward, it''s them, not me."


    Yuga chuckled and shook his head, saying, "It''s up to you then. It''s not a problem for us since we were originally just a team of two."


    Since they had to continue exploring the forest the next day, after dinner, Yuga, Beidou, and nnery parted ways after went to visit the Pok��mon Center. After all, they had fought all day, and some of their Pok��mon were injured. Relying solely on Yuga''s Chimecho wouldn''t solve all their problems.


    Before returning to their rooms, Yuga found a spot to tidy up the Pok��mon he had newly captured today.


    The two Lotad and two Surkrit were very obedient and didn''t dare to resist Yuga. They epted their fate of being captured.


    The shiny Ariados is also a spineless guy. When it saw Vivillon, it immediately chickened out, retracting its minions, lying down on the ground, and bowing its head to Yuga.


    As for the Ursaring, it was a bit tricky to handle.


    After an intense battle, the Ursaring was seriously injured, and the pain from its wounds, along with the anger of losing its child, made it extremely agitated.


    Fortunately, Yuga brought its child back, and that calmed it down.


    Yuga then proceeded to treat its injuries. Although it still didn''t want to interact much with Yuga, at least it stopped resisting.


    It had to be said that Kondoh had a good eye; this stolen Pok��mon Egg he had taken was of Green potential. Yuga had gotten a good deal out of it.


    Speaking of which, in ces rarely visited by humans like this, high-potential Pok��mon were more abundant. In towns near the outskirts, powerful Pok��mon and those with high potential had long been captured, leaving behind descendants with less remarkable potential.


    In ces like Illuma Ind, which had umted powerful Pok��mon over a long period, they would choose strong partners. Offspring born from such unions had a higher chance of having high-potential Pok��mon.


    Such ces, despite their dangers, were a paradise for trainers.

 Chapter 309: Dragonair, You’re Amazing

    <h4>Chapter 309: Dragonair, You''re Amazing</h4>


    The following day, before Yuga and his team set out, they were once again gathered by Mr. Moore.


    "I know your main objective on this trip is the Fire-type Pok��mon poption at the center of the ind, but you also have the task of clearing the path.


    There''s no such thing as a free lunch, and since the League has provided you with the opportunity to capture Pok��mon, you must also contribute to the League''s cause.


    Yesterday, you defeated many Pok��mon while clearing the path, but these Pok��mon, once they recover, will still be obstacles to the mining team''s progress.


    Starting today, your job is to capture the Pok��mon you''ve defeated along the way.


    You can keep the captured Pok��mon for yourself or turn them in. Of course, the League won''t take your Pok��mon for free; you will bepensated with Merit Points. Non-final evolved Pok��mon will earn you 10 Merit Points each, while final evolved forms will earn you 50 Merit Points, and pseudo-elite will earn 100 Merit Points.


    Let''s not even talk about Elite-level Pok��mon; you''re not capable of dealing with them. Handling pseudo-elite will be challenging enough, so take it easy.


    You can get more Pok�� Balls from the supply station, but don''t take them lightly, or you won''t like the consequences."


    Mr. Moore''s speech elicited cheers from all the trainers below.


    Except for Yuga, everyone here was registered with the League. For them, Merit Points were more valuable than Pok��mon, as they determined their status within the League.


    Yuga''s personal ount already had 1500 Merit Points, 1000 from Lilycove City and 500 from Sinnoh. He had never used them.


    Yuga also picked up some Pok�� Balls.


    ording to Mr. Moore, the League was capturing these Pok��mon to relocate them to a protected area, so there were no potential requirements. He could hand over any leftovers, earning Merit Points in the process, a win-win situation.


    After getting ready, Yuga and his team continued their journey.


    They followed the same route as yesterday, and since they had explored it once, they moved much faster. Along the way, they also captured the Pok��mon that had attacked them yesterday, such as Ariados and Zangoose. After all, the Merit Points they earned were the same.


    As for weaker Pok��mon, the three of them ignored them because they wouldn''t have a significant impact on the mining team.


    As they neared the dormant volcano, they were ambushed by a group of Swellow and Taillow. The reason was that Yuga had defeated one of the Taillow.


    The leader of these bird Pok��mon wasn''t as high-leveled as Ursaring, so dealing with it alone wasn''t difficult. However, there were a total of five Swellow, all with levels above 40.


    The leader, Swellow, was at level 45, and the other five Swellow ranged from levels 40 to 43. Additionally, three of them had Green potentials, including the leader.


    Dealing with them alone wouldn''t be too challenging for Yuga and Beidou, as their Pok��mon were all above level 40. However, the real issue was therge number of Taillow following them closely. They were numerous and intimidating.


    Facing the group of Swellow and Taillow, Yuga said to the other two, "nnery, you handle one of the Swellow, Beidou, you deal with the two over there, and I''ll take care of the remaining three!"


    Capturing the leader, Swellow, first was Yuga''s decision.


    nnery, upon hearing Yuga''s n, was not pleased.


    "You''re underestimating me. Give me the two Swellow over there; I won''t be a burden!"


    Yuga hesitated for a moment but ultimately nodded in agreement.


    First, Yuga recalled Absol because it would be weaker in both group and aerial battles. Then, he sent out Dragonair and Florges.


    Yuga instructed his three Pok��mon, "Dragonair, go block the group of Taillow. Florges and Vivillon, stay here to deal with the Swellow."


    "Dragonair!"


    Dragonair nodded and took to the sky, blocking the path of the Taillow.


    At the same time, Beidou and his elegant Delcatty and Crobat were ready for action. nnery, in addition to her partner Typhlosion, released her starter Pok��mon, which was significantly stronger than Houndoom.


    Staring at Yuga''s team for a while, the six Swellow rapidly swooped down, all using Aerial Ace.


    Yuga and his team each selected their opponents.


    With two against two, Yuga waspletely unafraid of these two Swellow.


    Florges nimbly ascended into the sky, using her vine whips to restrain the charging Swellow. While the Swellow struggled, Vivillon swiftly performed a Quiver Dance.


    Two powerful psychic waves took control of the Swellow entangled by the vines. After a graceful 360-degree spin in the air, both Swellow were thrown to the ground like ragdolls. Even Yuga, their opponent, couldn''t help but feel sorry for them.


    But the attacks weren''t over yet.


    While Vivillon used its psychic waves to control the Swellow, Florgespleted the preparation for Moonst. A magnificent beam of light engulfed the Swellow.


    Caught by Florges''s vine whips after swooping down, both Swellow were in a state of confusion. Why had they been captured? Why were they thrown to the ground? Why were they powerless to resist? Wasn''t it supposed to be the other way around?


    Yuga wasn''t privy to the mental turmoil of the two Swellow. Seeing them both down, he intended to assist Dragonair, who was fighting alone.


    However, when Yuga raised his head, he saw a massive dark cloud forming rapidly in the sky, soon followed by a drizzle.


    Surrounded by the Taillow, Dragonair raised its head and let out a resounding cry before soaring into the clouds. Shortly after, the cloud began to flicker with lightning.


    Beneath the thick ck cloud, the cacophony of the Taillow became increasingly agitated. They all felt an unparalleled pressureing from above, making them extremely restless.


    Screaming, they tried to escape the intimidating cloud above them. However, as they pped their wings to flee, a myriad of golden lightning bolts struck down, drowning all the Taillow.


    Yuga watched Dragonair''s extraordinary performance in awe, stunned by its incredible abilities. Had his Dragonair been this powerful all along?


    Meanwhile, Beidou''s opponent had also fallen under the onught of Delcatty''s Thunderbolt and Crobat''s Cross Poison. Then, he saw the golden sky lit up with lightning.


    nnery was still engaged in a battle with one remaining Swellow alongside her Typhlosion when the sky suddenly began to rain. Following that, a sh of lightning struck, causing the Swellow to emit smoke and fall to the ground.


    Wave after wave of lightning descended, and the Taillow, like dumplings falling into a pot, fell one after another. In no time, there was not a single Taillow left in the sky.


    Watching the lightning-filled clouds, nnery and Beidou couldn''t help but swallow hard.


    As the other teams performing missions in the forest saw the distant lightning in the sky, they were unaware of what had urred.

 Chapter 310: The End

    <h4>Chapter 310: The End</h4>


    Dragonair descended slowly from the sky, and Yuga patted its neck,plimenting it before recalling both it and Florges into their respective Pok�� Balls.


    "Um, how about we clean up the battlefield?" Yuga said with a cheerful smile.


    The other two exchanged strange nces with Yuga.


    Yuga chose to keep the three Swellow with high potential, while they didn''t find any with such qualifications among the Taillow. The rest of the Taillow were to be prepared for submission.


    The Swellow that Yuga kept would have their rewards deducted from the Merit Points they received. So, the other two didn''t mind Yuga keeping them.


    In truth, Yuga could have just taken both of them without anyints since he contributed the most. After all, dealing with a few hundred Taillow would have been quite a task.


    After cleaning up the battlefield, nnery sighed and said, "I didn''t realize you were this strong."


    nnery and Yuga had known each other for quite some time. Back then, when Yuga had just crossed over to this world, he had brought along Absol and Floette, who hadn''t evolved into Florges yet, and they used to have fun battles on the outskirts of Lavaridge Town.


    Now, with time passing, Yuga''s strength had grown far beyond nnery''s reach. While she had always been aware that Yuga was stronger, she never imagined he would be this much stronger. It was hard for nnery to hide her feelings of frustration.


    Despite being younger than Yuga, she had been a trainer for a longer time.


    Yuga, on the other hand, didn''t know how to respond to nnery. He was unaware of Dragonair''s newfound strength since Dragonair had never used this move before. One could say that the misterious gem had not only granted Dragonair power but also control over thunder and lightning.


    So, did Florges, who had also received a misterious gem, possess simr abilities?


    "Hehe, it''s all a matter of coincidence, coincidence!" Yuga chuckled casually.


    nnery rolled her eyes at Yuga and said, "I''d like to have a few coincidences like that!"


    Beidou didn''t have much of a reaction to Dragonair''s performance. He hadn''t known Yuga and the others for long and wasn''t particrly familiar with Yuga''s situation. He just assumed Yuga had always been this strong, perhaps a hidden genius from the Sootopolis Gym.


    The Sootopolis Gym held a prestigious position in the eyes of trainers from Hoenn, whether it was because of the gym leader Juan or his renowned disciple Wace. They were both admired figures among Hoenn''s trainers.


    After Yuga and his group left, Kondoh and his teammates emerged from not far away.


    "Thatpanion of Beidou''s is way too terrifying!" the only female member of the team shivered.


    Kondoh, too, nodded in agreement with wobbly legs. "I think we should stay away from them in the future!"


    The thought of having screamed so loudly in front of such a terrifying person made Kondoh almost unable to stand.


    The great Forest God, Celebi, please, take me back to the past. I promise to be more discreet.


    That was the only thought in Kondoh''s mind at that moment.


    The team quickly agreed with Kondoh''s suggestion, not wanting to provoke Yuga and his group. Only their team leader looked in the direction where Yuga and his group had left with an inexplicable expression.


    Unbeknownst to Yuga and his group as they departed, Beidou''s former teammates were right behind them and had witnessed Dragonair''s impressive disy.


    After surviving the Taillow attack, the three of them finally arrived at the foot of the Dormant Volcano.


    Looking up at their destination, which was now within reach, nnery sighed and said, "We''ve finally arrived!"


    Yuga added, "The Pok��mon here will be even more dangerous than what we encountered before. We need to be extra careful."


    This ce was a paradise for Fire-type Pok��mon. It not only provided the volcanic environment ideal for their growth but also contained Fire Stones, which were highly beneficial to them. In a way, this ce could be considered the most perilous spot on the entire Illumina Ind.


    The other two nodded in agreement with Yuga''s words, their expressions bing more serious.


    As they began their journey up the Dormant Volcano, Yuga and his group noticed a significant increase in temperature and a decrease in vegetation.


    "Oh, it''s a Slugma!" nnery suddenly pointed to a Pok��mon crawling slowly beside them.


    nnery''s family in the Lavaridge Town had many Slugma and Magcargos because the Mt. Chimey near Lavaridge Town was rich in these Pok��mon.


    Slugma had a very gentle temperament, and even when they saw Yuga and his group, they showed no signs of aggression. Instead, they continued to crawl at their own pace.


    None of the three attacked the Slugma because its slow and deliberate movements didn''t inspire any desire for a battle.


    As they watched the Slugma slowly move away, they continued their ascent up the mountain and encountered several more Slugma along the way, all of them behaving just like the previous one. Yuga, nnery, and Beidou let them pass without confrontation.


    "Could it be that there are only Slugma on this mountain?" Beidou sighed in frustration.


    "It''s impossible! The environment here is extremely suitable for Fire-type Pok��mon, so it can''t be just Slugma!" nnery, the granddaughter of the Fire-type Champion, said confidently.


    "What about other Pok��mon?" Beidou shrugged.


    Yuga thought for a moment and said, "We probably haven''t gone deep enough yet."


    nnery nodded in agreement.


    Indeed, when Yuga and his group reached halfway up the mountain, they were blocked by a Houndoom and six Houndour.


    Unlike the Slugma, Houndoom and Houndour weren''t as friendly. They snarled at Yuga''s group and had no intention of letting them pass.


    Yuga''s Vivillon, nnery''s Houndoom, and Beidou''s Delcatty immediately stepped forward, ready for a battle.


    These seven Pok��mon, except for the lead Houndoom, had mediocre strength, and their potential was all in the yellow range or lower.


    Vivillon cast an Electroweb over them, and while they attempted to burn the with mes, they didn''t have the strength to do so before getting struck by the attack.


    Delcatty''s Thunderbolt and Houndoom''s Thunder Fang quickly dispatched them with ease.


    Yuga actually liked Houndour and Houndoom but regretfully, their potential didn''t meet the requirements. They would only be used to exchange for Merit Points.


    "We''ve finally encountered Fire-type Pok��mon of a different species," Beidou remarked as he put Houndour into its Pok�� Ball.


    Houndoom, which was fully evolved, was kept by Beidou separately because he needed toplete a task assigned by the Ever Grande City Day Care Center, bringing back a batch of Fire-type Pok��mon as breeding seeds. Since he couldn''t determine the potential of the Pok��mon, he could only choose the ones with stronger abilities to fulfill the task.


    Unlike the others, nnery didn''t have a specific task. Besides training, if she encountered a suitable Pok��mon, she might choose to capture it for her own team. Thus, she wouldn''t easily capture Pok��mon.


    After they tidied up, they continued their journey. Meanwhile, Professor Moore arrived at the Dormant Volcano''s crater riding on his Charizard.

 Chapter 311: A Nest of Flareon

    <h4>Chapter 311: A Nest of reon</h4>


    After encountering Houndoom and Houndour, Yuga and his group gradually encountered more Fire-type Pok��mon. However, most of them were still Slugma and Magcargo.


    These two species of Pok��mon usually ignored Yuga and his group, so they didn''t bother them either. They didn''t seem like they would interfere with the mining team, so they preferred not to stir any trouble.


    "Look what I found!" nnery eximed happily, holding up a fiery-red spar for Yuga and Beidou to see.


    Yuga and Beidou focused their gaze and saw that it was a high-quality Fire Stone.


    In the Pok��mon world, evolution stones were categorized into high, medium, and low quality, but there was no concept of "supreme" stones, at least as far as Yuga knew.


    Yuga suspected that this information might be known to only a few, as supreme evolution stones were extremely rare and had tremendous effects.


    Other quality of evolution stones didn''t seem to have a significant impact on a Pok��mon''s evolution. At least, there was no evidence to suggest that the quality of an evolution stone affected a Pok��mon''s evolution results. When a Pok��mon evolved, it absorbed the energy inside the stone, excluding impurities. The only difference was that low-quality stones requiredrger volumes to facilitate evolution.


    Perhaps supreme evolution stones had some unique properties that other qualitycked, possibly altering a Pok��mon''s potential. However, this was purely Yuga''s spection.


    Beidoumented, "It seems the reserves of Fire Stones here are indeed quiterge. We can pick them up so casually as we walk."


    "Yes, indeed," nnery agreed, putting the Fire Stone she found away, thinking it mighte in handy someday.


    As Yuga''s group ascended the mountain, vegetation became scarcer. When they reached halfway up the mountain, they could hardly see any nts. Thendscape was dominated by bare rocks and mud.


    nnery wiped her forehead with her sleeve and remarked, "It''s getting hotter!"


    Yuga smiled and replied, "There''s no helping it. The ce we''re in is a dormant volcano, not an entirely dead one. There''s still some magma activity, so it''s normal for it to be hotter."


    Just then, Beidou''s Crobat, sent ahead to scout, flew back and chirped incessantly, as if it had discovered something.


    Beidou said: "The Crobat asked us to follow it."


    Yuga and nnery nodded, and followed Beidou behind the Crobat and ran forward.


    Not long after running, the Crobat stopped in front of a cave.


    Beidou asked, "Did you find any Pok��mon inside?"


    The Crobat nodded.


    Yuga suggested, "Let''s go inside and take a look."


    The other two agreed with nods.


    Before entering, Yuga and Beidou recalled their Crobat and Vivillon into their Pok�� Balls because the cave ahead appeared narrow, making it challenging for Flying-type Pok��mon to maneuver.


    After recalling Vivillon, Yuga released his Absol to provide protection.


    Indeed, once they entered the cave, it was extremely narrow. Both humans and Pok��mon couldn''t walk side by side, so they had no choice but to have Absol, Delcatty, and Houndoom lead the way, while Yuga and the others followed.


    Fortunately, the further they ventured into the cave, the wider it became, and they eventually had more space to move around.


    Following the cave''s path to the end, Yuga''s group arrived at a circr stone chamber. At the top of the chamber was a round hole through which sunlight streamed down, illuminating the entire chamber.


    As soon as Yuga and his three Pok��mon stepped into the chamber, a group of reon with fiery-red fur opened their eyes and stared at them warily.


    A group of reon!


    Yuga and his group hadn''t expected to find such a rare group of reon here.


    In addition to the reon, Yuga also noticed a few scattered Eevee mixed among the group of reon, and they all seemed young.


    "Get ready for battle," Yuga whispered.


    "Sure thing!" nnery''s voice was filled with excitement as she finally encountered a Pok��mon that interested her.


    The reon stared at the intruders for a moment and couldn''t hold back any longer. They began to use me Charges, enveloping themselves in mes, and rushed toward Yuga''s group.


    Yuga''s Absol quickly dealt with the approaching reon, striking them down with its Sucker Punchs. However, these reon were relentless and continued to charge towards Absol, seemingly unaffected. As they got closer to Absol, they began to feel weakened, as if they were being suppressed. No matter how hard they tried, Absol seemed to effortlessly evade their attacks.


    On the other side, nnery''s Houndoom used Dark Pulse, and Beidou''s Delcatty used Thunderbolt to battle several reon, and the fights were evenly matched.


    Clearly, the reon were no match for Absol. After a few rounds of shes, the attacking reon fell one by one, like fish out of water.


    After the battle, Yuga''s group counted the defeated Pok��mon. Apart from a few trembling Eevee huddled in a corner, there were a total of 15 reon. Yuga took down 7 of them, Beidou defeated 5, and the remaining ones were taken care of by nnery.


    nnery was particrly interested in the reon and wanted to raise one. With Yuga''s guidance, she selected a green potential Eevee, which coincidentally matched the Fire Stone she had.


    nnery obediently followed Yuga''s advice, knowing that he was more knowledgeable about Pok��mon than she was.


    Among the other reon and Eevee, only the leader and another reon had green potential, and Yuga imed them. Beidou chose one for his mission, and the others were intended for trading for merit.


    With two reon captured, Yuga realized that he was close to collecting all the evolved forms of Eevee, as long as the remaining three Eevee in his Day Care sessfully evolved.


    They explored the cave again, finding several Fire Stones that were probably intended for the Eevee''s evolution. However, they decided to keep them.


    Once they had thoroughly explored the cave, the three of them left.


    However, as soon as they exited the cave, they heard a loud explosion from the direction of the mountaintop. Two Charizards, one following the other, flew into the sky. They both unleashed massive streams of fire that intertwined and collided violently. They grasped each other''s ws and quickly descended from the sky.


    "That''s Grandpa''s Charizard!" nnery suddenly pointed at one of the Charizards.


    Yuga also recognized them. Both Charizards were an Elite Pok��mon, and their strengths were nearly equal.


    The two Charizards simultaneously used Seismic Toss, causing a violent explosion upon impact with the ground. Countless rocks rolled down from the mountaintop, creating a spectacr scene.

 Chapter 312: The Charmander in the Corner

    <h4>Chapter 312: The Charmander in the Corner</h4>


    The battle between two Charizards at the mountaintop not only caught the attention of Yuga and his group but also the other teams that had arrived at the dormant volcano.


    They all felt relieved, knowing that Mr. Moore hade this time; otherwise, they wouldn''t have stood a chance against this formidable Elite Charizard.


    Due to the mountain''s battle, countless Fire-type Pok��mon hurriedly fled from the mountaintop in a panic.


    Watching the Fire-type Pok��mon rushing down, Yuga said to the other two, "Let''s split up; staying together isn''t efficient."


    Both nnery and Beidou nodded, agreeing with Yuga''s suggestion.


    "No matter what happens, safetyes first!" Yuga reminded them.


    "Alright, let''s meet up directly at the base!" Beidou suggested.


    "Agreed!"


    "Agreed!"


    And so, the three of them split up on the mountainside.


    Because of the fright, the previously clustered Pok��mon scattered, making it much easier for Yuga and his group to capture them.


    They managed to capture several Numel and Camerupt that ran toward them, but Yuga didn''t spot any Pok��mon with green or higher potential, which left him somewhat disappointed.


    With so many Fire-type Pok��mon running down from the mountain, Yuga soon realized he couldn''t handle them all. He decided to focus on capturing fully evolved Pok��mon with high potential.


    Although their numbers is small, this approach still yielded a decent amount of merit points, and it also provided valuable training for his Pok��mon.


    Moreover, with more teams arriving at the dormant volcano, the missed Pok��mon could be handled by others.


    Yuga also found a few fire stones from the rocks that rolled down from the top of the mountain, and collected them all without ceremony. After all, he still had several Vulpix at home waiting to evolve!


    As Yuga continued to capture lower potential Pok��mon, he finally encountered a high-potential one��a green potential Typhlosion, at a level exceeding forty.


    Typhlosion, a species ssified as a Volcano Pok��mon, was known to frequent areas near volcanoes, so Yuga didn''t find it too surprising toe across one.


    The Typhlosion red angrily at Yuga, blocking his path and unleashing a powerful Eruption.


    Intense smoke and scorching mes billowed from its body, heading straight for Yuga''s Absol.


    The attack had a wide range, and Absol couldn''t avoid it. It used Dark Pulse to create a circr opening amidst the mes and smoke. Then, it leaped through, escaping the fiery onught and delivering a fierce hit to Typhlosion''s abdomen using Sucker Punch.


    Typhlosion staggered from the impact, nearly falling to the ground. The intense pain in its abdomen further fueled its anger. After steadying itself, Typhlosion retaliated with a zing Eruption aimed at Absol.


    Typhlosion, known for its fiery temper, had already been startled on the mountaintop and now found itself blocked by Yuga and Absol. Its patience had worn thin.


    Unable to use its powerful moves like Eruption repeatedly, Typhlosion resorted to spewing methrower towards Absol.


    Witnessing the iing wall of scorching fire, a massive Psycho Cut appeared, slicing the mes into fragments, ultimately extinguishing them. Only a few sparksnded on the ground.


    Realizing that the Pok��mon before it was stronger than expected, Typhlosion hesitated for a moment. Its fiery personality didn''t mean it was foolish; it recognized a formidable opponent when it saw one.


    However, the bold nature of Fire-type Pok��mon wouldn''t allow it to retreat. It stared at Yuga and Absol with a solemn expression, and all signs of restlessness and impatience vanished from its face. Then, it opened its mouth and exhaled arge cloud of ck smoke mixed with waves of heat.


    This time, it used the move Lava Plume, which not only caused significant damage but also had a chance to inflict a burn status.


    The waves of heat and ck smoke quickly filled the area, nearly engulfing Absol. Just as it seemed that Absol would be overwhelmed by the Lava Plume, Absol raised its head and let out a powerful roar, creating a tornado-like soundwave pir that tore a hole through the Lava Plume. This allowed Absol to sessfully dodge the Lava Plume attack.


    Emerging from the Lava Plume''s range, Absol swiftly used the move Sucker Punch and charged towards Typhlosion.


    However, Typhlosion was incredibly fast and agile, skillfully evading Absol''s attack.


    Just as Typhlosion was starting to rx, two rings of light suddenly appeared in the sky, perfectly striking Typhlosion''s head. Typhlosion, not understanding what had just happened, copsed without a clue.


    That was Absol secretly using its future sight ability.


    Yuga had captured another Starter Pok��mon, and he happily recalled Typhlosion into its Pok�� Ball.


    Thinking about it, this was Yuga''s first Fire-type Starter Pok��mon he obtained.


    Just as they were preparing to leave, they noticed a small tail with mes flickering behind a massive rock.


    Yuga and Absol quietly moved around the rock, and there they saw a Charmander cowering behind the rock, its tiny hands covering its head, trembling in fear.


    Charmander!


    Yuga was pleasantly surprised. It seemed that Fire-type Starter Pok��mon were bing quitemon these days. They had encountered two without much effort.


    ...


    <<charmander>> </charmander>


    Type: Fire


    Gender: Female


    Ability: ze


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 10


    Moves: Scratch, Ember, Awakening Power (Electric), Dragon Dance, Outrage.


    ...


    When Yuga checked Charmander''s information, he was shocked. What an extraordinary Pok��mon! Its potential was not only the rare indigo, but it also had two inherited moves among its five abilities. And all of them were top-tier Dragon-type moves.


    I must be incredibly lucky! Yuga thought to himself.


    It appeared that Charmander had heard Yuga''s footsteps. It lifted its head, tears welling up in its eyes, and stared at Yuga with a fearful expression.


    It''s just a child! Yuga realized.


    "Don''t be afraid, I won''t hurt you!" Yuga whispered gently.


    Could this Charmander be rted to the one on the mountaintop? Yuga wondered. If so, it would make sense for it to have such outstanding potential. However, the one on the mountaintop had only shown a potential of blue. Yuga had seen that before.


    But at that time, the two Charizards were locked in such an intense battle that he couldn''t see much. Aside from knowing its potential was blue, he couldn''t make out any other details.


    In fact, Yuga''s guess was correct. This Charmander was indeed the offspring of the Elite Charizard on the mountaintop.


    After Mr. Moore arrived, Charmander''s mother instructed her subordinates to take her child away from the mountaintop. However, on their way down, they were separated due to the onught of other Pok��mon. Charmander and its guardians were left with only a Typhlosion, and that''s how Yuga got his chance.


    Yuga''s soft-spoken reassurance didn''t calm Charmander down; instead, it burst into tears, wailing loudly enough to give Yuga a headache.


    Without further ado, Yuga threw a Pok�� Ball toward Charmander, and the frightened Pok��mon was instantly captured inside.

 Chapter 313: Outrage

    <h4>Chapter 313: Outrage</h4>


    Yuga used one of the ten custom-made Pok�� Balls awarded to him by the system.


    A Charmander with such outstanding potential had to be trained as his main Pok��mon! Besides, Yuga had a red gem, and maybe someday he could use it on Charmander. He couldn''t help but anticipate if Charmander would be as majestic as a Charizard.


    It was unclear if Charmander was too busy crying to react or if it was due to the special nature of the Pok�� Ball, but the Charmander captured in the Pok�� Ball didn''t struggle; it was immediately caught.


    Yuga didn''t release Charmander because it seemed quite the crybaby! But he understood, after all, she was just a little girl, and being a bit teary-eyed was normal.


    Finally, Yuga had captured his sixth Pok��mon, and he felt like he was on the right path as a Pok��mon Trainer, although he didn''t always look like one.


    Capturing a Charmander with such extraordinary potential made this journey worth it, even if he didn''t find anything else along the way. It seemed that setting certain expectations was indeed a gamble. Yuga didn''t encounter anything else noteworthy after capturing Charmander; it appeared that his luck had run out with that Charmander.


    After some wandering, Yuga encountered a few Camerupts, but they all had potential below green, making them useless for Yuga except for earning Merit Points.


    Soon, Yuga was only a stone''s throw away from the mountaintop of the dormant volcano. At this point, the battle between the two Charizards on the mountaintop had intensified. They had taken to the sky once more, and Yuga could see them clearly.


    Their intense battle involved constant shes of scorching mes, and waves of searing heat spread out in all directions, even reaching Yuga and making him feel the oing heat.


    The two Charizards collided once more. This time, Mr. Moore''s Charizard delivered a Thunder Punch to the chest of the mountaintop Charizard, sending it plummeting from the sky.


    The roaring of the mountaintop Charizard nearly shook the entire dormant volcano, and everyone on the mountain, trainers and Pok��mon alike, heard it.


    As the mountaintop Charizard soared back into the sky, its eyes turned crimson, and it charged aggressively toward Mr. Moore''s Charizard!


    It was Outrage! Yuga thought.


    It seemed that Charmander was truly the offspring of the mountaintop Charizard. Outrage was not a skill that every Pok��mon possessed. Even among legitimate Dragon-type Pok��mon, not many could use it. For example, none of the Flygons in Yuga''s Ecopark could perform it.


    In the sky, the mountaintop Charizard collided heavily with Mr. Moore''s Charizard. Mr. Moore''s Charizard was sent flying, appearing to be seriously injured.


    However, the mountaintop Charizard had no intention of letting it go. It dove towards Mr. Moore''s Charizard once more.


    This time, Mr. Moore''s Charizard reacted quickly, dodging sessfully, and then retaliated with another Thunder Punch, knocking the mountaintop Charizard down again.


    The mountaintop Charizard created arge crater uponnding. When it got back up, it was in a state of confusion.


    Outrage was indeed powerful. With just one use, it had depleted half of Mr. Moore''s Charizard''s health, coupled with the intense battle before, Mr. Moore''s Charizard was now on itsst legs.


    However, the drawback was significant too. The confused mountaintop Charizard not only began spewing mes and causing destruction in its surroundings, but it also turned aggressive towards itself and anyone nearby. Fortunately, there was little vegetation on the mountaintop; otherwise, it could have triggered a forest fire.


    Mr. Moore''s Charizard simply hovered in the sky, watching the rampaging mountaintop Charizard without taking any action. It knew that once the mountaintop Charizard exhausted itself, it would fall.


    At this point, there were no Pok��mon left on the mountaintop, only falling rocks and raging mes, which left Yuga and the other Trainers on edge.


    After almost half an hour of madness, the mountaintop Charizard finally calmed down and copsed into the deep pit it had created.


    It was then that Mr. Moore finally appeared and used a Pok�� Ball to capture the mountaintop Charizard.


    In fact, Mr. Moore had originally gone to the mountaintop to negotiate with the mountaintop Charizard.


    The mountaintop Charizard was the king of the entire dormant volcano, leading numerous Fire-type Pok��mon that resided there.


    Due to the Fire Stone veins, Mr. Moore hoped the mountaintop Charizard and its followers would relocate. The League would provide them with a new habitat.


    However, negotiations had broken down. The mountaintop Charizard refused to leave the dormant volcano and engaged in a fierce battle with Mr. Moore instead.


    To be honest, it was quite unfair to ask someone to relocate without any reason.


    People were living peacefully in their homes, and suddenly youe along and ask them to give up their nests. Anyone in their ce would resist, even if youpensate them with a new nest. Who knows if the new one is asfortable as their old one.


    However, human progress oftenes with various sacrifices.


    From the perspective of human development, it''s understandable, just like industrial development inevitably leads to environmental pollution, even if many measures are taken, pollution will still exist.


    It''s the same here.


    Despite the League''s efforts topensate the Pok��mon, the damage still remains.


    So, you might say humans are wrong, but from the standpoint of human history, it''s a step towards progress. Are the Pok��mon wrong? No, they are simply guarding their home.


    Therefore, finding a way for humans to develop and coexist with Pok��mon is something the League has always wanted to do but hasn''t been able to achieve.


    After capturing the mountaintop Charizard, Mr. Moore mounted his battle-worn Charizard and departed.


    Seeing that it was gettingte, Yuga decided it was time to return to the base. He immediately set off with Absol.


    Upon Yuga''s return to the base, it wasn''t long before both nnery and Beidou returned safely, each with their own degree of sess.


    Beidou had sessfully captured a seemingly promising Houndoom. He chose it because he found nnery''s Houndoom very convenient in the wild and believed it would be a significant asset.


    When they had some time, they all turned in the extra Pok��mon they had caught for Merit Points.


    Their harvest for the day was quite good, with each of them earning over a thousand Merit Points. nnery, in particr, earned over two thousand Merit Points since she didn''t keep any Pok��mon. If this were in the outside world, it would take a lot more effort to earn this many Merit Points.


    In the evening, Yuga met with Mr. Moore privately.


    "Why have youe to see me?" Mr. Moore asked with a smile.


    "I want to see that Charizard!" Yuga stated his purpose directly.


    Yuga''s words surprised Mr. Moore.


    "Why? What do you want to do with it?" Mr. Moore was puzzled.


    Yuga took out a Pok�� Ball, released the crying Charmander, and said, "I suspect this little one is the offspring of that Charizard. I want to let it see its mother."


    Charmander was now Yuga''s Pok��mon, and he didn''t want it to have any regrets. That''s why he made this trip.


    Looking at the Charmander before him, Mr. Moore was somewhat astonished. He hadn''t expected that Charizard had offspring. Although Charmander appeared to be a bit teary-eyed, its potential was likely quite good.


    Mr. Moore didn''t refuse Yuga''s request and agreed. There was nothing wrong with letting them, mother and child, meet. It would ensure the safety of both the Charizard and the Charmander, and Charmander could train with its Trainer without worries.

 Chapter 314: A Dim Target

    <h4>Chapter 314: A Dim Target</h4>


    Mr. Moore went to his room and retrieved a Pok�� Ball, then he took Yuga outside. With a casual toss of the Pok�� Ball, the Charizard was released.


    As soon as the Charizard emerged, it roared angrily at Mr. Moore. However, Mr. Moore paid it no mind, smiling as he said, "Since you''ve already lost to me, behave yourself."


    Hearing Mr. Moore''s words, the Charizard quieted down and turned its head away, unwilling to look at Mr. Moore.


    After returning to the base, the Charizard had received some treatment, and its injuries were mostly healed. That''s why it had the energy to be so irritable when facing Mr. Moore.


    "Charmander!"


    At that moment, the Charmander hiding behind Yuga noticed its mother. It cautiously peeked out from behind Yuga''s leg.


    The Charizard was immediately drawn to the Charmander upon hearing its cry. When it saw the Charmander behind Yuga, its eyes lit up, and it seemed genuinely happy.


    "Charizard!"


    The Charizard let out a roar towards the Charmander, which immediately dashed towards its mother with excitement. It then embraced the Charizard''s sturdy thigh, shedding tears and acting spoiled.


    The Charizard lowered its head and gently rubbed the Charmander''s smooth head with its own. Its eyes were filled with affection, a stark contrast to its fierceness during the day.


    "In the future, this child will be Charmander''s Trainer!"


    While the Charizard and Charmander were affectionately interacting, Mr. Moore suddenly pointed at Yuga and spoke to the Charizard.


    Upon hearing this, the Charizard shifted its gaze towards Yuga, then opened its massive mouth and let out a deafening roar. The force of its voice made Yuga''s head throb, as if it disapproved of its child following Yuga.


    "Hello, Charizard! I''m Yuga."


    Yuga wiped some of the saliva that had sttered onto his face by the Charizard''s roar. He felt the overwhelming pressure the Charizard exerted on him and had trouble catching his breath.


    "Don''t be like this!" Mr. Moore quickly intervened. "This child is an outstanding Trainer; he won''t waste your child''s talent."


    The Charizard turned its head away from Mr. Moore with a skeptical look, but after observing Yuga for a moment, it tilted its head, pondered, and nodded. It agreed to let the Charmander follow Yuga.


    It sensed a natural aura around Yuga.


    The Charizard hadn''t encountered Celebi, so it didn''t know about the power Celebi had left behind. However, this kind of aura easily gained the favor of Pok��mon, and the Charizard was no exception.


    Anyone who could possess such an aura couldn''t be a bad person. That was the Charizard''s simplest thought.


    Upon seeing the Charizard''s nod, Yuga breathed a sigh of relief. He didn''t yet know that Celebi had assisted him once again.


    The Charizard gently spoke a few words to the Charmander. The Charmander released its grip on the Charizard''s thigh and took three steps back, tears glistening in its eyes.


    Yuga and Mr. Moore didn''t understand what the Charizard had said, but it was clear that the Charizard was reluctant to part with the Charmander.


    After hearing the Charizard''s words, the Charmander gently loosened its hold on the Charizard''s thigh and took a few steps back, tears still in its eyes.


    "What a crybaby," Yuga sighed, then gently picked up the Charmander. He reassured the Charizard, "Don''t worry, I''ll take good care of it, and in the future, it will be as strong as you."


    The Charizard nodded gently in response, then turned to Mr. Moore and let out a final roar, not holding back at all.


    "Alright, alright, I get it!" Mr. Moore said helplessly.


    With that, he took out the Charizard''s Pok�� Ball and recalled it. Now that the Charizard was assured of the Charmander''s safety, it didn''t fuss or feel sad about the separation. Instead, it was quite decisive.


    Mr. Moore recalled the Charizard and said to Yuga and the Charmander, "Take good care of this child!"


    Yuga nodded in agreement and bid farewell with the Charmander.


    The following day, Yuga and hispanions proceeded to the dormant volcano as usual to continue capturing Pok��mon.


    As numerous Trainers gradually arrived at the volcano, Pok��mon were sent to the base one by one. From there, the base staff transported them to the natural conservation area established by the Pok��mon League.


    In this area, the League had guardians in ce, so the Pok��mon sent there didn''t need to worry about Pok��mon Poacher. They were also equipped with resident Pok��mon doctors, so even if they experienced any health issues like "headaches" or "fever," they''d be well taken care of.


    However, Yuga hadn''t yet found a suitable Fire-type Pok��mon to serve as the seed for his "Pseudo-Pok��mon Starter Trio." While he encountered several Fire-types, none of them were the right fit.


    Three dayster, the density of Pok��mon in the entire West Coast, including the area around the dormant volcano, had significantly decreased. Sometimes, they wouldn''t encounter any Pok��mon for half a day, and when they did, it was usually Pok��mon that posed no threat to their capturing team, so they could simply ignore them.


    That evening, after Yuga and hispanions returned, they went to hand over the Pok��mon they had captured that day. However, the number of Pok��mon captured that day was rtively small, with all three of them capturing only a dozen or so Pok��mon in total. This was a significant droppared to the previous days.


    It had been a golden opportunity for these Trainers to earn Merit Points, and almost all the Trainers who came during this time had made a fortune. There was nothing remotely simr to this outside.


    After handing over the Pok��mon, Yuga checked his personal ount. He realized that in just five days, he had umted over five thousand Merit Points.


    Yuga''s Merit Points were not that high, as he tended to keep high-potential Pok��mon for himself. Those who handed over all their captured Pok��mon earned far more Merit Points than him.


    Yuga also reviewed the Pok��mon he hadn''t handed over during these three days.


    Two Cyndaquils, two Houndour, and a Camerupt, all with green potentials.


    Combined with the Shiny Ariados, two Lombre, two Surkrit, the Ursaring and its egg captured on the first and second days, three Swellow, and two reons, Yuga''s harvest had already been quite substantial.


    However, he still hadn''t achieved his initial goal.


    Yuga had initially thought that if he could find enough Houndour or Camerupt, they would make excellent alternatives. However, the numbers of these two Pok��mon, although not small, didn''t meet his requirements in terms of quality.


    He wasn''t hoping for a quantity like Gligar or Trapinch, even having just ten of them like Tsareena would be sufficient. Unfortunately, that wasn''t the case.


    Yuga hadn''t yet obtained ten Fire-type Pok��mon; not to mention a single species with ten members.


    As Yuga and hispanions were returning after handing over the Pok��mon, they suddenly heard the assembly call over the loudspeaker. They hurried to the base''s square.


    When they arrived, Mr. Moore was already there. Seeing that most people had gathered, he began, "The Pok��mon cleanup mission on the West Coast is nearlyplete. Tomorrow will be the final day of this operation. I hope you are all prepared."


    Upon hearing that tomorrow was thest day of the mission, the crowd below let out a collective sigh. They were about to lose the excellent opportunity to earn Merit Points.


    Even if they stayed behind, there weren''t enough Pok��mon left for them to capture. Unless they went to the other three coasts, but they might not have the strength for that.


    Even on the West Coast, Mr. Moore had resolved the powerful Pok��mon in advance, which was why their mission had been so easy.

 Chapter 315: Rapidashes on the East Coast

    <h4>Chapter 315: Rapidashes on the East Coast</h4>


    During the night, Yugay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.


    Perhaps Yuga''s restless movements had woken up Beidou, who asked, "What''s wrong? Can''t sleep?"


    "Sort of," Yuga replied.


    Having a rare opportunity but failing to achieve his goal left Yuga feeling somewhat frustrated. Tomorrow was the final day, and it seemed unlikely that he would capture enough Fire-type Pok��mon of the same species.


    Frustrating!


    Beidou jokingly said, "Is it because you''re thinking that once the mission ends, you''ll have to part ways with your big brother, and you can''t bear it!"


    Yuga retorted, "I may not be able to bear parting with nnery, but who would have a tough guy like you in mind!"


    After nearly a week of bonding and fighting side by side, the three of them had formed a deep friendship. They now often joked around like this.


    Beidou was the oldest among the three and was especially close to being a decade older than the youngest, nnery. Therefore, these days, he looked after Yuga and nnery like a big brother.


    Though he wasn''t the strongest among them, Beidou excelled at taking care of others. He had noticed that Yuga seemed upset, which was why he tried to lighten the mood with a joke and help Yuga feel better.


    "You say that, but aren''t tough guys also deserving of care?" Beidou yfullyined.


    "By the way, aren''t you from the Sootopolis Gym? Why have I seen you capturing so many Fire-type Pok��mon?" Beidou had always found this puzzling. Yuga was clearly from the Water-type Gym, so why was he capturing Fire-type Pok��mon? He hadn''t asked earlier because they weren''t familiar yet.


    "I never really exined it to you, but I''m not from the Sootopolis Gym. I just came here as a recement for them," Yuga admitted, somewhat embarrassed.


    Beidou was surprised. "Oh! That''s possible?"


    Although Beidou was from an official League breeding base, he had only recently arrived and was unfamiliar with the intricacies of these arrangements.


    Yuga exined, "I have a friendship with Mr. Juan, the Gym Leader of Sootopolis, so he offered me this mission."


    "I see," Beidou said, understanding now.


    Then, Yuga talked about his responsibilities in managing a Day Care, and Beidou briefly shared some of his background. The two of them finally got to know each other better.


    They chatted for a long time, and as they talked, Yuga''s feelings of frustration gradually faded away. Without realizing it, he fell asleep.


    The next morning, after getting up and tidying up, the three of them embarked on the final day of their exploration mission.


    This time, they headed to the other side of the dormant volcano.


    Since the dormant volcano was located at the center of Illuma Ind, it was connected to the West Coast and bordered the other three coastlines.


    Yuga''s team explored the side of the dormant volcano that faced the East Coast. By walking directly down the mountain, they would enter the territory of Shiftry, one of the three rulers of Illuma Ind.


    Pok��mon had a strong sense of territorial boundaries. As long as there was an abundant supply of food and water within their territory, they rarely ventured beyond it. So, as long as Yuga''s team didn''t trespass, they wouldn''t encounter any danger.


    The number of Fire-type Pok��mon near the dormant volcano had been decreasing. After walking for half a day, Yuga''s team hadn''t even seen a shadow of a Pok��mon.


    "Let''s go check near the mountaintop!" Beidou suggested.


    The mountaintop used to be the territory of the Fire-type Pok��mon, led by their king, Charizard, and had ava pool.


    However, Charizard and its strong subordinates had all been taken away by Mr. Moore, leaving theva pool unattended.


    After climbing to the mountaintop, Yuga''s team saw bubblingva in the distance, which looked a bit intimidating. Apart from Fire-type Pok��mon, it was unlikely that any other Pok��mon would choose to live here.


    "Look, it''s a Rapidash!" nnery suddenly pointed and eximed.


    Yuga and Beidou followed the direction indicated by nnery and indeed spotted a Rapidash with its body enveloped in crimson mes, peacefully basking in the warmth beside theva pool.


    It was a green potential Rapidash! Yuga recognized it at a nce.


    At that moment, the Rapidash also noticed Yuga''s group and wasted no time, immediately lifting its hooves and sprinting away.


    The Rapidash knew that humans had upied the dormant volcano, so upon seeing them, it had no intention of battling and chose to flee first.


    "It''s running away!" nnery eximed.


    Due to the considerable distance and the well-known speed of Rapidash, there was no guarantee they could catch up to it. Neither nnery nor Beidou had any intention of intervening.


    However, Yuga was different. He didn''t want to give up on the chance of capturing a good Fire-type Pok��mon, which had been a rare find.


    "You two continue exploring here. I''ll go after it!" Yuga dered.


    With those words, he withdrew Absol, who was outside, and summoned his Dragonair, then quickly mounted it.


    "Hey! Wait..." nnery shouted after Yuga, but Dragonair was too fast, and before she could finish her sentence, Yuga disappeared from their view.


    "What should we do?" nnery felt a bit helpless.


    Beidou sighed and said, "Let him go. With his skills, he shouldn''t be in any danger."


    Reluctantly, nnery nodded.


    On the other side, Rapidash was indeed swift, but Dragonair possessed the advantage of flight, and it didn''t take long for Yuga to catch up to the Rapidash.


    The running Rapidash, initially confident in its speed, was horrified when it nced back and realized that it was being pursued by a flying human.


    Oh my Arceus! That human can fly!


    Rapidash immediately exerted all its energy, breaking its own speed record as it sprinted desperately.


    While running, Rapidash suddenly felt a chill down its spine. Instinctively, it veered to the side, narrowly avoiding a golden bolt of lightning that struck the ground right next to it.


    Damn! He can use Thunderbolt too! Rapidash felt a surge of panic. It sprinted even harder, swearing that it had never run this fast in its entire life.


    In this chase, they inadvertently crossed into the territory of the East Coast. For Rapidash, this ce was more familiar than the dormant volcano; it was its home. So, instinctively, it ran towards this area.


    Seeing the Rapidash enter the boundaries of the East Coast, Yuga found himself in a dilemma. Going further would take him into the territory of Shiftry, and Mr. Moore had repeatedly emphasized not to cross those boundaries.


    For a moment, Yuga hesitated. Should he go on? Was it worth it to capture a green potential Rapidash?


    Just then, Yuga spotted another green potential Rapidash running towards them from the opposite direction.


    Gritting his teeth, Yuga urged his Dragonair forward, diving into the territory of the East Coast.

 Chapter 316: Mission Accomplished

    <h4>Chapter 316: Mission Aplished</h4>


    The Rapidash, which had been focused on running away, suddenly saw its mate approaching.


    "My silly wife, can''t you see I''m running away? Why are youing towards me like that?" The Rapidash immediately shouted to its mate, "Hurry, run, dear wife, run!"


    The approaching Rapidash, thinking its husband was delighted to see it and wanted it toe closer, immediately picked up its pace, running eagerly toward him.


    The Rapidash couldn''t believe its mate''s behavior, considering it foolish. Normally, a bit of silliness was endearing, but why be so foolish at a critical moment? With their incredible speed, the two Rapidashes quickly reunited. The first Rapidash wanted to scold its silly mate, but the timing wasn''t right.


    As the second Rapidash reached its husband, intending to be affectionate, a powerful bolt of lightning struck right in front of them.


    The second Rapidash was frightened, looking up to understand why its husband had urged it to run. Without a second thought, it turned and dashed away.


    Observing his mate fleeing faster than himself, the Rapidash felt bewildered, thinking, "You goof, you didn''t have to run so fast!" It immediately sprinted to catch up with its mate.


    Watching the two Rapidashes sprinting at incredible speeds, Yuga thought, "Truly, they''re sprinting champions among Pok��mon. Their speed is no exaggeration."


    However, Dragonair''s speed was not to be underestimated either. With a burst of eleration, it swiftly caught up with the two Rapidashes.


    Flying above the primitive forest on Dragonair was quite dangerous, but fortunately, no other Pok��mon had noticed them yet.


    Rapidash indeed had exceptional speed among Pok��mon, but itcked endurance, amon weakness among Fire-type Pok��mon. Panting heavily, the Rapidash realized it couldn''t keep running and abruptly came to a halt. Gasping for breath, it faced Yuga and Dragonair.


    "You''re relentless, human! I''ll fight you!" It dered.


    Meanwhile, the other Rapidash, who had been running relentlessly, also stopped when it saw its mate pause.


    Watching its silly mate running towards it, the first Rapidash felt touched, thinking, "She might be a bit foolish, but she loves me."


    Yuganded and dismounted Dragonair, now facing two determined Rapidashes.


    Both Rapidashes were strong, with levels exceeding forty. Yuga didn''t dare to be careless and released Absol.


    As Yuga dismounted Dragonair, both Rapidashes emitted a brilliant glow from the single horn on their foreheads and charged toward him.


    They used their Double Mega Horn Attacks!


    Absol lunged forward with a powerful Sucker Punch, apanied by dark energy, colliding fiercely with one of the Rapidashes.


    Meanwhile, Dragonair raised its tail high, smashing it onto the head of the other Rapidash with an Aqua Tail.


    The first Rapidash was repelled by Absol''s attack, while the second Rapidash was sent flying due to the type disadvantage.


    The sight of its mate being flung away angered the first Rapidash, and its mes intensified. Its eyes glowed red as it charged toward Dragonair.


    This time, it used a powerful Fire-type move, re Blitz.


    Watching the husband charging in a fit of rage to protect his mate, the second Rapidash, which was lying on the ground, gazed at him with admiration.


    Yuga looked at the two Rapidashes, feeling like he had consumed tons of Dog food.


    Burp! Quite stuffed!


    As the Rapidash charged toward him, Dragonair didn''t back down. It ascended high into the sky and descended with a powerful airstream, targeting the Rapidash directly.


    This was a rare ability inherited from its mother - Extreme Speed.


    The two Pok��mon collided intensely and were both sent flying.


    The power of re Blitz was greater than Extreme Speed, but the Rapidash''s inherent strength was inferior to Dragonair''s, making their confrontation evenly matched.


    Rapidash 2, seeing that its husband couldn''t harm Dragonair, quickly got up from the ground, wanting to support its husband. However, Absol swiftly used Psycho Cuts under its hooves to thwart its actions.


    In terms of level and battle experience, Rapidash 2 couldn''tpare to its husband, so it found itself overwhelmed by Absol and had to reluctantly give up on assisting and focus on dealing with Absol instead.


    On the other side, Dragonair, who had withdrawn to the side, ascended to the sky and used the Rain Dance move. Before long, the sky started drizzling.


    Fire-type Pok��mon like the two Rapidashes disliked rainy weather, and the fiery mes on their bodies weakened due to the rain.


    As a result of the rain weakening them, the Rapidashes gradually fell behind. Finally, under Dragonair''s continuous Thunder moves, one of the Rapidashes copsed first.


    In rainy weather, Dragonair''s advantage became evident.


    However, Dragonair refrained from using the move it had used against Swellow, as it consumed too much energy and was difficult to control.


    Rapidash 2, witnessing its husband fall, became frantic, disrupting its battle rhythm. Ultimately, it sumbed to Absol''s Future Sight, which had been previously set up.


    Yuga sessfully captured both Rapidashes! It was clear to Yuga that these two Rapidashes were a pair.


    Rapidash 2 was already here, indicating that their home was in this area. Since Rapidashes were known to be social Pok��mon, Yuga suspected that there might be other Rapidashes or Ponyta nearby.


    Rapidashes, unlike other Fire-type Pok��mon, disliked or were unustomed to living near volcanoes. It wasn''t that they disliked the hot environment; it was the volcanic terrain they didn''t favor.


    Rapidashes were naturally fond of running, so they preferred living in environments like ins, grasnds, and meadows.


    This likely exined why these two Rapidashes chose to live in the dense forests of the East Coast rather than near the volcano.


    Yuga spected that there must be a vast grasnd nearby.


    After storing Dragonair, Yuga carefully searched the area and soon found a t grasnd within the forest. It was inhabited by several Ponyta.


    As expected, the two Rapidashes were most likely the leaders of this group of Ponyta.


    Just as Yuga thought, the reason the Rapidashes appeared near the volcano was because they had a habit of absgeming me energy there regrly.


    Although they didn''t favor the volcanic terrain, as Fire-type Pok��mon, they greatly enjoyed the scorching magma, which was why they were seen by Yuga and the others.


    With the Rapidashes gone, the remaining Ponyta in this area didn''t pose much of a threat. Yuga easily defeated them and found six more Ponyta with green potential.


    Two Rapidashes, plus six Ponyta, made a total of eight. While it didn''t reach the target number of ten, don''t forget that Yuga''s Ecopark already had three Ponyta.


    Now, the mission was preliminarily aplished.


    Yuga decided to take the remaining Ponyta with him as well. Without the Rapidashes, life would be challenging for them here. It was better to relocate them to the League''s protected area.

 Chapter 317: Summary of Ecopark Pokemon Populations

    <h4>Chapter 317: Summary of Ecopark Pokemon Poptions</h4>


    1. Individual Pokemon:


    - Dragonite (Slumbering)


    - Audino (Training Abroad)


    - Noctowl + Hoothoot + Chatot


    - Vespiquen (The Combee)


    - Ursaring


    - Snox


    - Linoone


    - Cradily


    - Ariados (Shiny)


    2. Large Groups:


    - Trapinch + Vibrava + Flygon Family


    - Gligar + Gliscor Family


    - uncher + witzer Family


    - Miltank (1 Green + 55)


    - Tauros (1 Green + 59)


    3. Flying and Bird Types:


    - Honchkrow


    - Swellow (Earliest)


    - Swellow 3


    - Taillow 2


    - Zubat 2


    - Swablu 4 + 3


    4. Quadrupedal Species:


    - Nales + 3 Vulpix


    - Houndoom + Houndour 3 + 2


    - Rapidash 2 + Ponyta 3 + 6


    - Umbreon (Green)


    - Jolteon (Green)


    - Vaporeon (Green)


    - reon 2


    - Espeon (Green)


    - Eevee (Green) 3


    - Meowth


    - Typhlosion + Cyndaquil 2


    - Camerupt


    5. Water-Type Species:


    - Greninja (Blue)


    - Milotic 1 Blue + Feebas (6 Green + 4 Yellow)


    - Gyarados (Blue)


    - Marshtomp (1 Blue + 4 Green)


    - Lodat 2


    - Surkrit 2


    6. Grass-Type Species:


    - Roserade (Shiny, Blue)


    - Grovyle (1 Blue + 5 Green)


    - Servine (1 Blue + 2 Green)


    - Petilil 4


    - Scatterbug 2


    - Tsareena 10


    - Bellossom 5


    - Cacturne 5


    - Skiddo 2


    7. Psychic-Type Pokemon:


    - Medidite 5 + 2

 Chapter 318: Ambush by Gengar

    <h4>Chapter 318: Ambush by Gengar</h4>


    After capturing Rapidash and Ponyta, Yuga didn''t linger too long on the East Coast, aware that the Shiftry inhabited this region. These Pok��mon weremunal creatures, and with their formidable strength, encountering them could bring trouble, and escape might not be guaranteed.


    When departing, Yuga didn''t dare to freely soar through the skies on his Dragonair like he did when he arrived. While his arrival was unavoidable, he had to be cautious on the way back.


    Fortunately, his return journey went rtively smoothly, with only a few encounters with weaker ordinary Pok��mon, which Yuga easily defeated before swiftly moving on, not bothering to capture them.


    Returning to the dormant volcano where he had separated from nnery and Beidou, Yuga found neither of them there. It seemed they had gone off toplete other tasks. Yuga decided not to rush to find them and continued his exploration alone.


    As the mission''s conclusion neared, most of the Pok��mon in the area had already been captured, so Yuga''sst day was spent inspecting the area to be thorough, even though he didn''t encounter any Pok��mon during his aimless wanderings.


    As soon as Yuga finished inspecting a cave and found it empty, he walked out. However, just as he reached the cave entrance, he saw five people approaching, nearly colliding with them.


    It was Beidou''s former teammates!


    Yuga hadn''t expected to run into them.


    "Why is it you?!" one of the team members, Kondoh, eximed.


    Yuga covered his ears and furrowed his brows, perplexed by how a grown man could produce such a piercing scream.


    Ignoring Kondoh''s question, Yuga walked past him.


    Kondoh seemed extremely fearful, stumbling backward until he bumped into another teammate, finallying to a halt.


    Later, realizing how cowardly his behavior was, Kondoh''s face turned very embarrassed.


    Yuga didn''t care about Kondoh''s reaction. But ever since Kondoh witnessing the power of Yuga''s Dragonair, he had been constantly worried that Yuga might seek revenge. He didn''t dare to hold any grudge against Yuga.


    The other team members were also nervous. After all, Yuga was Beidou''spanion, and they had done some questionable things to Beidou.


    However, when they saw that Yuga paid them no attention and simply walked past them, they all breathed a sigh of relief simultaneously.


    Just as Yuga had taken a few steps away, he suddenly heard a voice from behind.


    "Excuse me, may I ask how Beidou has been these days?"


    Yuga turned around to see that it was their team leader speaking.


    In these days of busy missions, it was difficult for teams to encounter each other. Since the cafeteria incident, this was the first time Yuga hade across them.


    "What''s it to you?" Yuga replied.


    Yuga had no favorable impression of these five individuals. Although it didn''t warrant a direct confrontation, he had no intention of being friendly.


    "You... Why are you..." The only woman in the group couldn''t help but speak up, her voice trembling with a mix of resentment, nervousness, and fear.


    Yuga gave the woman a slight nce, causing her to retreat behind her teammates in fear.


    Yuga couldn''t help but think, "Do I look that fierce and intimidating? Why are they so scared?"


    "I just wanted to inquire about Beidou''s situation, nothing more," the team leader said politely.


    Looking at the well-mannered young man before him, Yuga couldn''t help but think that if he hadn''t heard Beidou''s story, he would have never guessed that this man was capable of abandoning his teammates and showing no loyalty.


    Yuga stared at the team leader and said expressionlessly, "If you had shown this concern for Beidou earlier, perhaps things wouldn''t havee to this."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, the team leader''s face instantly froze, clearly understanding what Yuga was referring to. The other team members wore embarrassed expressions, except for the female trainer, who seemed resentful.


    Yuga had no patience for this group of people and simply turned to leave.


    "Wait!" the team leader called out to Yuga.


    "What else?" Yuga turned back, showing impatience.


    However, he suddenly felt an unnatural presence and nced around but found nothing, so he disregarded it.


    The team leader first nced at himself, then looked around warily, his expression darkening. Afterward, he added with a smile, "I just wanted you to help us apologize to Beidou."


    Upon hearing this, Yuga turned and walked away, leaving behind the phrase, "If only I had known, why bother now?" The captain wore a perplexed expression on his face.


    After parting ways with the strange group, Yuga continued his exploration mission.


    Suddenly, a stout, snake-like Pok��mon, a Seviper, emerged from behind a rock, opening its massive jaws to bite Yuga.


    Yuga''s Absol rushed forward, sending a Psycho Cut shing quickly, knocking the Seviper aside.


    The Seviper, which had climbed back up from the ground, raised its neck high, hissing with a crimson tongue and ring at Yuga and Absol with blood-red eyes.


    "Absol, use Psycho Cut!" Yugamanded.


    Yuga hadn''t expected to encounter a non-Fire-type Pok��mon on this volcano. This ce was originally dominated by Fire-type Pok��mon, and other types rarely ventured here.


    As Yuga''smand fell, Absol''s Psycho Cut struck out.


    At that moment, Yuga suddenly felt his hair stand on end. Instinctively, he lunged forward, and in the next instant, the spot where he had been standing was sted into arge crater by a Shadow Ball.


    It turned out that a Gengar had just emerged from Yuga''s shadow,unching an attack on him without a word.


    Yuga wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, gazing at the Gengar floating in the air. He couldn''t fathom how the Gengar had stealthily hidden in his shadow without his notice.


    With these thoughts in mind, Yuga nced at the Serperior, once again knocked down by Absol, and then looked up at the floating Gengar.


    If he hadn''t experienced the baptism of the Light of Life, which had sharpened his ability to sense auras, Yuga would have found it incredibly challenging to detect the Gengar hidden within his shadow and evade its attacks.


    After this realization, Yuga nced at the Gengar once more. It was a green potential Gengar, and its level had reached an impressive 40. Its strength wasmendable.


    Inparison, the Seviper was far behind. Its level was only in the twenties, and it had ordinary orange potential. As Yuga was lost in thought, it had already been defeated by Absol.


    With Seviper defeated, Absol immediately positioned itself in front of Yuga, confronting the Gengar.


    The Gengar looked down at Yuga and Absol from above, smiling strangely, and thenunched a Thunderbolt toward them.


    Absol, unwilling to back down, released a massive Psycho Cut that instantly shattered the iing Thunderbolt.

 Chapter 319: Mission Completion

    <h4>Chapter 319: Mission Completion</h4>


    The collision between Thunderbolt and Psycho Cut created a violent explosion, quickly obscuring Gengar''s vision in a cloud of smoke.


    Before the smoke could clear, a Dark Pulse suddenly pierced through, striking Gengar, which had no time to react.


    Under Absol''s Dark Pulse, Gengar fell from the sky, looking quite injured. After all, Gengar was a rather fragile Pok��mon. Additionally, Absol''s strength far surpassed Gengar, and the Dark Pulse was its weakness. So, Gengar was fortunate not to be more severely injured.


    Gengar staggered, attempting to rise from the ground. However, Absol swiftly followed up with another Psycho Cut, causing Gengar to copse once more.


    With Gengar defeated, Yuga took out two Pok�� Balls and threw them, one at Gengar and the other at Seviper.


    The Pok�� Ball sessfully captured the unconscious Seviper but rebounded off Gengar when it made contact. What was going on?


    Yuga was puzzled but tried once more, throwing a Pok�� Ball at Gengar.


    It had an owner! Pok��mon that were incapacitated in battle couldn''t be captured by a Pok�� Ball. Unless there was a special reason, this indicated that Gengar had a trainer.


    Yuga easily connected the dots. He had only encountered five people during this period, and the one most willing to interact with him was the seemingly polite team leader. Moreover, only he had the opportunity to secretly hide Gengar in Yuga''s shadow when he wasn''t paying attention.


    But why? Yuga and the team leader had no apparent grievances or conflicts. Could it be because he had grown closer to Beidou?


    It just didn''t make sense.


    Taking the Pok�� Ball containing Seviper, which Absol had brought back, Yuga looked at the unconscious Gengar with a perplexed expression.


    However, Yuga didn''t intend to let the matter rest. Using Pok��mon for sneak attacks on trainers was a serious offense. All he needed to do was report this incident to Mr. Moore, and the League would investigate. After all, Yuga had been attacked while performing a League mission, and the League had a responsibility to thoroughly investigate.


    Since there weren''t many Pok��mon left to capture, Yuga decided to end the mission. He released Ursaring and instructed it to carry Gengar in the direction of the base.


    Since Yuga had reunited Ursaring with its child, it had be more obedient and could generally follow hismands.


    So, with Absol at his side, Ursaring dragging Gengar by a hind leg, Yuga made his way back to the base.


    Since most of the Pok��mon in the area had been cleared, when Yuga returned to the base, Mr. Moore was not out and about.


    Mr. Moore looked at the unconscious Gengar and spoke with a serious expression, "I will investigate this matter thoroughly. You won''t suffer unjustly."


    Yuga nodded. He knew he couldn''t resolve this issue himself; he couldn''t just go and eliminate the team leader. Reporting it to the League was the best course of action.


    Yuga also shared his suspicions with Mr. Moore, giving him a direction for the investigation.


    After listening to Yuga''s theory, Mr. Moore said, "I understand. We will focus on investigating the person you mentioned."


    Leaving Gengar in Mr. Moore''s care, Yuga returned to his room. Before long, the others began to return as well.


    When Beidou came back and opened the door, he immediately saw Yuga sitting in a chair.


    "You''re back!" Beidou eximed happily.


    Yuga turned to face Beidou and smiled. "Yeah, did nnery return with you?"


    "They''ve all returned! You''re the one who wandered off on your own. We were really worried!" Beidou said, patting Yuga''s shoulder yfully.


    Yuga apologized sheepishly, "I''m sorry, I couldn''t help myself."


    Beidou pulled out a chair, sat down, and smiled, saying, "No matter what, as long as you''re safe!"


    Because they were set to leave Illuma Ind the next day, Mr. Moore, along with the ind''s mining teams and trainers, organized a farewell party thatsted until the early hours of the morning.


    The following morning, after breakfast, Yuga and his group packed their belongings, preparing to leave Illuma Ind.


    This time, Mr. Moore didn''t guide them back as he had other matters to attend to on the ind. So, they had to make their own way back.


    Before departing, Mr. Moore found Yuga and said, "We investigated the Gengar and found it to be an unregistered Pok��mon."


    In the Pok��mon League, trainers must register their Pok��mon in the League''s system, much like a Pok��mon ID card, if they intend to use them in official battles. However, if a trainer has no ns to participate in battles, registering their Pok��mon is optional. Some of Yuga''s Pok��mon, for example, were not registered.


    Nevertheless, most registered League trainers have their Pok��mon on record since not participating in battles defeats the purpose of being a trainer.


    Yuga was surprised to learn that this Gengar was unregistered.


    Mr. Moore exined, "While we don''t have conclusive results yet, rest assured that we will continue to investigate this matter."


    Yuga nodded and said, "Thank you for your efforts."


    Returning to the group of trainers preparing to leave Illuma Ind, Yuga immediately spotted the team leader among them. The team leader also turned to look at Yuga with an odd expression.


    "Just enjoy your freedom for now, but don''t let me catch you. Otherwise, you''ll regret it," Yuga thought to himself.


    "Yuga, what are you looking at?" nnery asked, waving her hand in front of Yuga''s eyes, perplexed.


    Yuga snapped out of his thoughts and smiled at nnery. "Oh, it''s nothing. By the way, aren''t you staying with your grandfather here?"


    nnery shook her head and replied, "Why would I stay here? It''s not like I have anything to do. I''d rather go back."


    Yuga nodded in understanding.


    Soon, it was time to depart. Yuga and nnery released their Dragonair and Tropius.


    Beidou''s flying Pok��mon was a majestic Pidgeot, which looked quite powerful.


    As the leading trainer took off on their Pok��mon, others followed suit, one by one, taking to the skies and leaving Illuma Ind behind.


    Yuga rode on Dragonair, taking a final nce at the gradually receding Illuma Ind. He let out a deep sigh and then elerated, catching up with the others.


    Their destination was still Farbor Town, where they had started their journey.


    Time passed as they endured the monotony of travel. Much like their journey to Illuma Ind, it took them a day to return, and they arrived in Farbor Town feeling exhausted.


    Since it waste, they were warmly received by Nurse Joy at the Pok��mon Center in Farbor Town.

 Chapter 320: Returning Home

    <h4>Chapter 320: Returning Home</h4>


    The second morning back in Farbor Town, trainers began leaving one by one, and Beidou''s former teammates left him behind.


    "You might have a tough time when you return," Yuga remarked.


    Being ostracized by his colleagues wasn''t a pleasant situation.


    "Well, there''s not much I can do about it, right? I''m not going to beg for reconciliation," Beidou shrugged nonchntly.


    Yuga nodded in agreement. "Alright, let''s part ways here. Stay in touch."


    With that, Beidou mounted his Pidgeot and departed.


    "Let''s head back too," Yuga sighed and said to nnery.


    Yuga would pass through Lavaridge Town on his way back to Verdanturf Town from Farbor Town, so he and nnery were traveling together until they reached Lavaridge Town.


    nnery nodded, releasing her Tropius and following Yuga''s Dragonair.


    To be honest, after a week away from home, Yuga missed his friends and Pok��mon back at his shop. So, he sped up their journey a bit, unintentionally causing nnery''s Tropius to struggle to keep up.


    After dropping nnery off in Lavaridge Town, Yuga hurriedly made his way back to Verdanturf Town.


    By the time Yuga arrived home, it was already evening. The shop had no customers at the moment, and the rays of the setting sun cast a warm, reddish glow into the dimly lit room.


    Hearing footsteps, Suzuki Koen, who had been sitting behind the counter and working on herputer, paused and looked up, thinking it was a customer. To her surprise, it was Yuga walking in.


    "Boss, you''re back!" Suzuki Koen eximed.


    "Yep," Yuga nodded. "Where''s Windy?"


    "He''s upstairs!" she replied.


    "By the way, how did they manage to eat while I was away?" Yuga suddenly realized that he was usually the one who cooked for them at home. But with him gone, who had prepared their meals?


    Suzuki Koen smiled and said, "Your auntes over every day to cook for them."


    Yuga suddenly realized the solution.


    "Little Yuga, you''re back!" Right on cue, Yuga''s Aunt Hisako''s voice came from behind him.


    "Hey, Aunt Hisako, you''re here!" Yuga turned around to see his aunt standing at the door with bags of groceries in her hands. She had obviouslye to cook for Windy and the others.


    The feeling of having family around was truly heartwarming, Yuga thought.


    Yuga went over to help his aunt with the bags and then led her into the house.


    "Aunt Hisako, you''ve been so helpful these past few days!" Yuga thanked her.


    His Aunt Hisako patted his hand and smiled. "Why mention it? We''re family; there''s no such thing as too much help."


    Now that Luna was studying abroad, Aunt Hisako had no specific thing to do after work, so she was happy toe over and assist Yuga. She treated Yuga as if he were her own son, especially considering that Yuga was a trainer and she worried about him when he was away from home.


    "So, how was your time away? Did you get hurt?" Yuga was seated on a chair, and Aunt Hisako began checking him over, fussing over his well-being.


    "Come on, Aunt Hisako, I''m perfectly fine!" Yuga eximed, rotating for a quick inspection to show he waspletely unharmed.


    A mother''s love knows no boundaries, and to Aunt Hisako, Yuga was no different from her own son. Thus, whenever Yuga ventured far from home, she couldn''t help but worry, especially considering he was a trainer.


    Once she was satisfied that Yuga had returned unscathed, Aunt Hisako happily dered, "Tonight, I''ll make you a feast to replenish your energy. You look like you''ve lost weight!"


    Yuga thought to himself that losing weight was not an issue, but he happily said, "Sure, I''ll assist you!"


    With that, he linked arms with his aunt and carried the groceries into the kitchen.


    Yuga and Aunt Hisako prepared avish spread of dishes. They summoned his Uncle, along with Windy, and Misaki, creating a delightful feast for the five of them.


    Suzuki Koen declined Yuga''s invitation since she needed to take care of Dian.


    As for Arata Sena, he had a routine of returning home daily to have dinner with Auntie Aoba and therefore didn''t stay.


    It had to be said that Aunt Hisako''s culinary skills were far superior to Yuga''s. While she couldn''t quite match Audino''s natural talent for devouring food, the years of honing her culinary abilities allowed her to create dishes that made people feel content and happy.


    After finishing their dinner, Misaki and Windy returned to their rooms, and his Uncle left early due to some matters.


    Aunt Hisako remained behind to help Yuga clean up the dishes, asionally getting lost in thought while gazing at him.


    "Are you missing Luna?" Yuga asked gently when he noticed his aunt''s distracted expression.


    Caught off guard, Aunt Hisako blushed a little and admitted, "Yes, I do. I wonder how she''s doing."


    It had been some time since Luna left home, and for Aunt Hisako, her daughter who had never been away from her for such an extended period, thoughts of Luna inevitably crept into her mind.


    Yuga patted his aunt''s back and reassured her, "Don''t worry, Aunt Hisako. Luna''s personality ensures she''ll do just fine no matter where she is."


    Aunt Hisako smiled, saying, "You''re right!"


    Yet, Yuga could still perceive the traces of his aunt''s longing and concern in her eyes.


    "Whenever you have time, I''ll take you to visit her," Yuga suddenly proposed.


    "But isn''t it forbidden for parents to visit?" Aunt Hisako inquired, puzzled.


    Yuga grinned and said, "That''s for ordinary people. I have a way around it."


    Considering that Mr. Juan controlled Sootopolis City, gaining ess for Aunt Hisako should be rtively straightforward.


    "Really? That''s wonderful!" Aunt Hisako''s joy was short-lived, as she quickly voiced her concerns, "But won''t this cause you trouble?"


    Although she longed to see her daughter, Aunt Hisako didn''t want her nephew to face difficulties. In her heart, Yuga and Luna held equal importance.


    Yuga put his arm around his aunt''s shoulder,forting her, "Don''t worry, Aunt Hisako! It won''t be any trouble at all!"


    "Alright, as long as it won''t be an issue!" she sighed in relief.


    Hearing Yuga''s assurance and knowing she would soon be able to see Luna again, Aunt Hisako''s mood improved considerably. She hastened her pace in washing the dishes.


    Aunt Hisako stayed a while longer, chatting with Yuga. However, as it was gettingte, she decided to head home.


    Yuga initially wanted to apany her, but she firmly refused, citing his recent return and the need to rest, so Yuga eventually relented.


    Watching Aunt Hisako''s silhouette disappear into the night, Yuga turned and prepared to visit the Ecopark.


    After all, the newly captured Pok��mon were still inside their Pok�� Balls.


    Time inside the Ecopark passed in sync with the outside world, and by the time Yuga entered, it was already dark.

 Chapter 321: Arrangements

    <h4>Chapter 321: Arrangements</h4>


    When Yuga entered the Ecopark in the evening, he didn''t linger inside for long. He briefly instructed the newly acquired Pok��mon ced in the main Ecopark and then left.


    Early the next Earlier, he returned to the Ecopark to settle the Pok��mon he had introduced the previous day.


    By now, the main Ecopark in the Ecopark was nearly empty. Most Grass-type Pok��mon had moved to the Flower Sea, which was more suitable for them. Flying-type and terrestrial Pok��mon enjoyed the vast Grasnd, where Flying-types could soar and terrestrial Pok��mon could frolic to their heart''s content. Even the Linoone now resided in the dense forest near the Heart Lake Ind''s, bing neighbors with the Greninja. Their extended training together had turned them into great friends!


    Upon Yuga''s arrival at the Grasnd sub-Ecopark, he found Houndoom and Nales resting beneath actation tree with their Fire-type Pok��mon. Nonchntly, theyy in the shade while Meowths dozed on the branches above them.


    Seeing Yuga, both Houndoom and Nales rushed over joyfully. After observing the Pok��mon following Yuga, they understood that new members had joined the Ecopark.


    Yuga introduced the new Fire-type Pok��mon, which included Rapidash, Ponyta, Typhlosion, Houndour, and Camerupt, to Nales. He encouraged them to explore the Grasnd restoration area and adapt to the environment.


    Rapidash and Ponyta were thrilled upon seeing the expansive Grasnd. Their enthusiasm was evident as they eagerly prepared for an exhrating race.


    Subsequently, Yuga introduced the two reons to the Eevee family living in the Grasnd. The entire Eevee family gave the two neers a warm wee.


    This was the first time the reons realized they belonged to such a diverse family with various evolutions.


    Next, Yuga brought Lotad and Surkrit to the Grasnd Lake. The Marshtomp in theke were leisurely swimming, but upon noticing Yuga''s arrival, they swam energetically to the shore to greet him.


    Yuga gestured towards Lotad and Surkrit, saying, "Starting today, they will also be living here. You, as the elders here, must take good care of them, alright?"


    All five Marshtomp simultaneously nodded in agreement. The leader of the group waved at Lotad and Surkrit, signaling them to join in the water.


    With a leap, the two Surkrit entered theke and floated on the water''s surface. The two Lotad, however, cautiously tested the water''s surface with their front paws and identally fell in. After resurfacing, they looked left and right, reassured by the safety of the water, and began to swim happily.


    After settling Lotad and Surkrit, Yuga found the Swellow (Earlier), who was responsible for managing the Flying-type Pok��mon. The Swellow (Earlier) immediately became tense upon seeing the three new Swellow, fearing that its position might be threatened. Without further ado, it engaged in a skirmish with the neers, firmly establishing its dominance and putting them in their ce.


    Yuga didn''t object to this because it made managing the group more convenient.


    Henceforth, the Swellow (Earlier) became the leader of the Flying-type Pok��mon in the Ecopark, while the Honchkrow remained the true mastermind behind the scenes. After all, who could me the Swellow (Earlier) for being wary of it? (Henceforth referred to as the Leader Swellow)


    Watching Leader Swellow solemnly disciplining the three new Swellow, Yuga chuckled, shook his head, and left.


    Thest ones needing cement were Ariados and Ursaring.


    However, Yuga didn''t put them in the Grasnd sub-Ecopark. Instead, he took them to the Desert sub-Ecopark.


    In the Desert sub-Ecopark, there were three oases. Two of them were upied by the Gligars and Flygon, respectively. Only the middle oasis was home to the Snox. Yuga decided to ce Ariados and Ursaring there.


    When Yuga arrived, he found Snox still fast asleep under a fruit tree. He gently patted its soft belly and called out to it, but there was no response. Yuga had no choice but to let it be.


    Since Yuga had severed Snox''s sweet honey supply, it had lost all enthusiasm for life, spending much more time sleeping than before.


    Seeing that Snox remained undisturbed, Yuga turned to Ariados and Ursaring, saying, "You two can settle down herefortably. As for it, we don''t need to bother with it."


    Both Ursaring and Ariados nodded, looking around at the fruitden trees. They were very pleased with the environment here, knowing they wouldn''t have to worry about food and drink anymore.


    Wild Pok��mon often fretted over food in the wilderness, considering how to fill their bellies as their top priority.


    So, seeing an oasis filled with food everywhere, both Ariados and Ursaring had tears in their eyes. For the first time, they realized how fortunate it was to be tamed by humans.


    Ursaring happily embraced its child, found arge tree, and made it their home. The Ecopark had stable weather conditions, so it was suitable for living anywhere.


    Initially, Yuga wanted the Miltank family to take care of Ursaring''s child since they had experience. Still, Ursaring refused, insisting on guarding its child itself, possibly due to the trauma of it being taken away once before.


    Ariados gracefully leaped onto a tree and began spinning silk to create a web, preparing to establish a residence in the fruit trees.


    Seeing both Pok��mon settled, Yuga turned and left.


    However, Yuga didn''t hurry; instead, he went to visit the territory of the Gligars to check on their leader, Gliscor, and its three wives.


    Yuga''s arrival received a warm wee from Gliscor and the "Queens."


    ( Note : it called queen because the chinese name for Gliscor is Scorpion King )


    Yuga carefully examined the conditions of Gliscor and the Queens and was relieved to see that they were all doing well.


    The Miltank family took great care of them, and while the Queens hadn''t be pregnant yet, their physical conditions had improved to varying degrees. It seemed they had consumed quite a bit of Moomoo Milk.


    Since they had just returned from their adventure the day before, Yuga didn''t ask the Pok��mon to train today. Instead, he gave them a day off.


    The Flower Sea Trio��Florges, Vivillon, and Chimecho��returned to the Flower Sea together. Absol lounged under the Weather Tree in the main Ecopark, enjoying some rare leisure time. Dragonair flew back to the centralke on the ind and dived into the deep waters.


    Charmander on the Grass, watched as onepanion after another departed. It gazed at Yuga with teary, watery eyes, looking pitiful.


    Charmander stared at Yuga, and Yuga stared back at it without moving. Finally, Charmander couldn''t help itself, ran up to Yuga, and hugged his leg tightly, refusing to let go.


    After some consideration, Yuga sighed.


    Charmander had recently left its mother and was still young, at an age when it loved sticking close to others. It seemed like Yuga would have to spend more time with it.


    During this period, wherever Yuga went, he had a little tag-along following closely behind him.

 Chapter 322: The Crybaby Charmander

    <h4>Chapter 322: The Crybaby Charmander</h4>


    Following Yuga out of the Ecopark, Charmander gazed around with curious, wide eyes at the unfamiliar surroundings,pletely different from where it had lived before.


    "Oh, Yuga, is this Charmander yours? It''s so cute," said Suzuki Koen, who had been at the shop for a while, counting energy cubes at the counter.


    Charmander was a rare sight at the Hoenn region!


    Suzuki Koen crouched down, wanting to pat Charmander''s smooth head, but it dodged out of the way.


    Yuga smiled and said, "This little one is a bit shy, especially around strangers."


    Seeing that Charmander avoided her touch, Suzuki Koen didn''t mind and stood up, smiling. "It looks like it''s just been taken out for a walk. It should get better as it grows."


    Suzuki Koen had also attended a Trainer school and had some knowledge about Pok��mon.


    Yuga nodded in agreement.


    "Hey, Yuga!"


    Just as Yuga and Suzuki Koen were talking, someone suddenly called out to Yuga at the entrance.


    Yuga looked up and saw Kris, half hanging out of the doorway, with her head and upper body visible.


    "Kris! What brings you here? Come on in," Yuga said, surprised by Kris''s visit, waving her in.


    "Hi, Sister Koen!" Kris bounced into the room, approaching the two. She first greeted Suzuki Koen.


    Suzuki Koen nodded to her and remarked, "You''re here again."


    Kris had visited the YoYo Day Care shortly after arriving in Verdanturf Town, but Yuga hadn''t been there at the time.


    Kris smiled and asked, "I hope I''m not interrupting your work?"


    Yuga chuckled and replied, "Not at all! Are you here to visit your grandparents in Verdanturf Town?"


    Yuga had known about Kris''s grandparents, who were in the town''s sanatorium, which was why he asked.


    "Yeah, I visit them every so often! I heard from the townsfolk that you''re back, so I came to find you," Kris exined.


    As Kris continued to speak, she suddenly noticed the Charmander hiding behind Yuga''s legs. Her eyes lit up, and she rushed over to Yuga, eximing, "Wow, a Charmander!"


    Startled by Kris''s loud exmation, Charmander, with a frightened expression, stepped back, stumbled, and ended up sitting on its rear.


    Charmander gazed at Kris with eyes brimming with tears. It tried to hold back its tears but ultimately couldn''t and started crying, sobbing uncontrobly.


    Seeing Charmander cry, Kris felt at a loss and hurriedly apologized. "Oh no, Charmander, I didn''t mean to scare you! Please don''t cry..."


    The more Kris tried tofort it, the harder Charmander cried. Yuga sighed and shook his head.


    Charmander''s crying tendencies really needed to change. Even though it was frightened, its crying was quite intense.


    "Alright, Charmander, stop crying. This youngdy didn''t mean to scare you," Yuga said, bending down to pick up Charmander, which was crying loudly on the ground.


    After wiping away Charmander''s tears, Yuga thought to himself, "Even though there''s a saying that girls are made of water, you''re a Fire-type Pok��mon! Your tear ducts are way too developed!"


    Under Yuga''s reassurance, Charmander finally stopped crying. It clung to Yuga''s shirt, sniffling and snuffling, showing signs of having cried itself out.


    Seeing the now quiet Charmander, Kris let out a sigh of relief. She looked at Yuga, her expression somewhat embarrassed, and said, "I''m really sorry, Yuga!"


    She never expected Charmander to be so easily scared. Could it be that all the Pok��mon she''s been in contact with are too resilient?


    Yuga shook his head and said, "It''s not your fault; it''s just this little one..."


    In fact, Kris''s behavior earlier wouldn''t have fazed most Pok��mon, not even those that are newly born. Her Charmander seemed overly sensitive.


    As Yuga looked at Charmander, now peacefully asleep in his arms after its earlier crying fit, he decided to recall it into its Pok�� Ball. He didn''t want it to get startled by any iing customers.


    Retrieving Charmander''s Pok�� Ball, Yuga turned to Kris and asked, "So, did youe to visit me or is there something you need?"


    Kris patted her forehead lightly and replied, "I actually have a reason foring!"


    "What is it? Just tell me, I''ll help you if I can," Yuga offered.


    Kris exined, "Well, I''ve decided to go on a journey in a while, but I only have one Spheal in my hand. My cousin suggested Ie to you, asking if you could help me find another Pok��mon."


    "Robert sent you to me?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    Why did Robert suddenly think of sending Kris to him? Did he somehow know about his special ability?


    In fact, Yuga''s guess wasn''t far off. Ever since Robert learned that the Misdreavus Yuga had given to him have blue potential, he realized that Yuga was highly knowledgeable about Pok��mon. However, he hadn''t figured out that Yuga possessed unique eyes; he simply thought Yuga had extensive knowledge about Pok��mon due to growing up in a Day Care.


    Yuga took a moment to think, and Kris, worried he might refuse, hurriedly said, "Don''t worry; I''ll pay you fairly."


    In reality, Kris knew the rules of YoYo Day Care, and she assured Yuga that she''dpensate him fairly.


    Eventually, Yuga agreed. After all, Kris was his good friend''s cousin, and he couldn''t refuse her request.


    "Okay, what kind of Pok��mon are you looking for?" Yuga asked.


    Kris rubbed her chin, pretending to think like an adult, and furrowed her brows, saying, "I haven''t really thought about it yet."


    "Then at least consider the type of Pok��mon you want!" Yuga sighed.


    Kris quickly replied, "Water type! Just like my Spheal!"


    "You want to specialize in Water types?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    Kris tilted her head and said, "Yeah, what''s wrong with that?"


    Yuga shook his head and said, "No problem at all; Water-type Pok��mon are great. I''m just thinking about finding one that suits you."


    Currently, Yuga had several Water-type Pok��mon avable: uncher, Feebas, Surkrit, and Lotad. He wasn''t sure which one Kris would prefer.


    Yuga told Kris, "Wait here; I''ll bring over a few Pok��mon for you to choose from. I hope one of them catches your eye."


    Kris was delighted and said, "Great, take your time!"


    Yuga nodded and turned to leave, heading towards the Ecopark.

 Chapter 323: Kris’s Choice

    <h4>Chapter 323: Kris''s Choice</h4>


    After a short while, Yuga returned cautiously holding a bowl, with several small tails trailing behind him.


    Yuga ced the bowl filled with water on the ground, and upon looking inside, one could see an Feebas happily swimming around.


    Unlike when it was first brought to YoYo Day Care, this Feebas had undergone a significant transformation after consuming Beautie Pok��blocks for quite some time. While it still couldn''t be called attractive, it certainly couldn''t bebeled as unattractive either. This change was all thanks to its newfound aura.


    Once Yuga set the bowl with the Feebas on the ground, the several small tails behind him walked up to the front, forming a line. These were uncher, Lotad, and Surkrit, one of each.


    Yuga pointed towards the Pok��mon in front of him and said, "Currently, these are the Water-type Pok��mon I have here. Take a look and see if any catch your eye."


    Kris knelt down and looked at the Feebas in the bowl. She then raised her head and asked Yuga, "Is this the Feebas that can evolve into Milotic?"


    Yuga nodded in affirmation.


    Kris listened and continued gazing at the Feebas. After staring at each other for a while, it seemed the Feebas had grown impatient and squirted water directly into Kris''s face.


    "��(��|||)�� It seems it doesn''t like me much!" Kris said as she wiped her face.


    Yuga, somewhat exasperated, remarked, "Well, no one would like you if you stared at them like that!"


    Yuga sighed and said, "Let''s look at the next one."


    Kris shifted her position and moved in front of Surkrit, asking, "If it evolves, it won''t remain a Water-type Pok��mon, right?"


    Yuga nodded, impressed with Kris''s basic knowledge.


    Seeing Yuga''s agreement, Kris moved past Surkrit and approached uncher.


    Despite Kris ignoring it, Surkrit didn''t mind at all. It had just arrived at the Ecopark and enjoyed it so much that it had no intention of leaving.


    As Kris approached uncher, it instinctively moved back a bit. Kris took a step closer, and uncher moved back again. This continued until uncher bumped into Yuga''s leg, unable to retreat any further. It stopped and half-opened its eyes, looking at Kris, who was now right in front of it.


    Perhaps Kris''s intense gaze had frightened uncher too, as it didn''t seem to appreciate her presence either.


    "Hey, why doesn''t anyone like me? I''m an invincible beauty!" Kris straightened up, somewhat puzzled.


    Yuga thought to himself, "Maybe tone down that fangirl expression, and they might not react this way."


    Finally, Kris reached Feebas.


    She brought her face close to Feebas''s, and they stared at each other, with Feebas rolling its eyes.


    Feebas remainedpletely still as Kris continued to gaze at it. It didn''t even blink. However, Kris couldn''t take it anymore and copsed on the ground.


    "Ah! I can''t take it; my eyes hurt!" Kris cried out.


    Yuga couldn''t help but think, "You brought this upon yourself."


    She quickly got up from the ground, pointed at Feebas, and dered, "I''ve decided, I''ll choose this one!"


    Yuga couldn''t resist asking, "Is this how you choose a Pok��mon?"


    Kris nodded and said, "Yep, any problem with that?"


    "Do you have any basis for this choice, or..." Yuga started to ask.


    Kris, with her innocent big eyes, replied, "Well, do you really need a basis for choosing a Pok��mon? If it looks appealing, that''s enough, right? Besides, the other ones don''t seem to like me!"


    Yuga couldn''t argue with that logic.


    Yuga sighed and said, "At the beginning, it''s impossible for any Pok��mon to have a 100% connection with their trainer. What''s crucial is the bonding and adaptation over time."


    Watching Kris''s bewildered expression, Yuga continued, "It''s possible that when you go back, you might find that Surkrit and the other Pok��mon react the same way towards you. Or maybe, they just seem unfriendly on the surface but are actually just shy?"


    Kris eximed in surprise, "Oh, is that possible?"


    "Of course, it is. That''s why you should be careful when choosing a Pok��mon. Don''t make a decision just by staring at them for a few moments," Yuga advised.


    "Alright, alright, so what should I do then?" Kris asked, puzzled.


    Yuga replied, "Shouldn''t you directly ask these Pok��mon themselves? After all, it''s a matter between you and them."


    "Ah, I see!" Kris nodded.


    With her head down, Kris approached the group of Pok��mon and said, "I''m going on a journey, and I''d like to know if any of you would like to join me on this adventure."


    "I promise to treat you well!"


    When the Pok��mon remained unresponsive, Kris continued, "Well, it seems none of them like me."


    Just then, the Feebas suddenly jumped out of the water, sshing water everywhere.


    Kris happily ran to the front of the water bowl and asked the Feebas inside, "Would you like to be my Pok��mon?"


    The Feebas swished its dirty tail in the water and blew a bubble towards Kris.


    "Feebas, if you blow one more bubble, I''ll take it as a yes!"


    Immediately, another sky-blue bubble floated out of the Feebas''s mouth andnded in front of Kris.


    "That''s great! That''s great!" Kris scooped the Feebas out of the water, kissed its forehead, and received another "Water Gun" attack in return.


    "It seems that''s how the Feebas expresses its agreement!" Yuga chuckled.


    Kris nonchntly wiped her face, leaving it soaking wet. She eximed, "Yuga, I''ve decided, I''ll choose this Feebas."


    Yuga nodded with a smile and said, "Once you''ve chosen, there''s no turning back!"


    Kris nodded decisively and said, "Of course!"


    "Feebas is on the verge of evolving. You should wait until it evolves before setting out on your journey. Otherwise, even if you take it with you, it won''t be of much help!"


    Yuga had already informed Kris that he had a way to help the Feebas evolve, so Kris wasn''t surprised that Yuga presented the Feebas as an option.


    "Alright, I understand!" Kris said.


    Then, Yuga gave Kris the Pok�� Ball containing the Feebas and handed her some Beautie Pok��blocks, instructing her to feed them to the Feebas regrly.


    After exining all the necessary details, Kris happily left YoYo Day Care with the Pok�� Ball containing the Feebas.


    Before leaving, she informed Yuga that her cousin would transfer the money for the Feebaster. Yuga nodded, indicating that he understood, and then returned to the Ecopark with the remaining Pok��mon.

 Chapter 324: The Exchange

    <h4>Chapter 324: The Exchange</h4>


    After returning several Water-type Pok��mon to the Ecopark, Yuga took a moment to check on the saplings of various Berry trees that had been growing there.


    After all the careful nurturing they had received over a considerable period, the differences in the growth of these saplings were finally bing evident.


    Under the same growth conditions, it was clear that the Jaboca Berry, Sc Berry, and Kebia Berry saplings were growing more robustly, with more branches and leaves.


    Although these berry trees were still too young to bear fruit, Yuga could now confidently conclude that the special meteorite had an influence on the growth of Rock, Ground, and Steel-type Pok��mon.


    If it affected the berry trees, it should be effective for Pok��mon too.


    A researcher in the Pok��mon world had long established that a Pok��mon''s life force directly influenced its potential.


    This exined why higher-level Pok��mon were more likely to produce offspring with high potential. As a Pok��mon''s level increased, not only did its strength improve, but there was also a change in its life stage, which affected its life force and subsequently influenced its offspring.


    However, artificially altering a Pok��mon''s life force was exceedingly difficult. Currently, there were no effective methods to enhance a Pok��mon''s life force without adverse side effects.


    Life force was extremelyplex and fundamental to an organism''s existence. Yuga realized that the task of Razor Fangs was the most intricate and challenging of all the tasks he had undertaken.


    But Yuga had no intention of giving up!


    "I need more research material!" he thought.


    The gigantic meteorite in his system backpack didn''t belong to him; it was stored there by Deoxys. Stealing a small portion for experimentation might not raise any issues, but using it excessively could potentially lead to trouble with Deoxys in the future.


    With this in mind, Yuga decided to collect some meteorites himself.


    When it came to collecting stones, Yuga knew no one better than Steven. Not only Steven, but to Yuga''s knowledge, Steven''s father was also an avid stone collector. It seemed like a family tradition!


    Of course, Yuga wouldn''t let Steven help withoutpensation. He had a batch of Aggron armor pieces in his possession, which he had obtained from an underground maze in the Arus Empire. They had been sitting unused in his system backpack.


    Since Yuga didn''t have any Steel-type Pok��mon, and there were none in the Ecopark, these Aggron armor pieces were collecting dust without any practical use. Steven would likely be interested in them.


    Back at the store, Yuga dialed Steven''s number, and he quickly answered.


    "What brings the big shot to call me out of the blue?" Steven, who had been extremely busy since joining the Prosecutor Bureau, was now ustomed to missions that kept him out of town. Just when he had finally enjoyed a two-day break, he received Yuga''s call.


    "Why do I feel like you''re mocking me?" Ever since Yuga had rejected the Prosecutor Bureau''s invitation to join their team, Steven had been teasing Yuga by calling him a "big shot."


    Steven grinned and replied, "Oh, I wouldn''t dare. After all, you''re considered an outstanding talent in our organization!"


    Yuga yfully retorted, "Hey, don''t say that! I''ve heard that someone recently got promoted. Hearing such praise from the rising star of the Prosecutor Bureau makes me feel a bit overwhelmed!"


    Ever since Steven joined the Prosecutor Bureau, his exceptional abilities had led to one achievement after another. In a short period of time, he had risen several ranks, making him a rising star in the Bureau.


    Yuga had learned all of this from Robert.


    Perhaps embarrassed by Yuga''s praise, Steven cleared his throat lightly and asked, "So, what brings you to contact me?"


    If Yuga and Steven were on a video call right now, Yuga would notice that Steven''s ears had turned red. It seemed that this future champion had thin skin.


    "No more joking around, here''s the deal..."


    Yuga exined his desire to collect meteorites to Steven.


    After considering for a moment, Steven said, "Meteorites, huh? I do have some in my collection at home. If you want them, I can give them to you."


    Yuga quickly responded, "I''ll definitely give youpensation. I won''t take advantage of people!"


    Steven replied nonchntly, "No need forpensation. Meteorites don''t have much use aside from their collectible value. You can have them."


    Well, that''s the mindset of a phnthropist!


    Yuga chuckled and said, "Is that so? I also have some Aggron armor pieces here that I was nning to give you, but since you don''t want them, I''ll keep them for myself!"


    As he spoke these words, Yuga''s tone was filled with yful banter.


    Steven eximed, "Wait a minute! You really have Aggron armor pieces?"


    Steven''s attitude immediately changed, and he dropped the topic of refusingpensation.


    For Steel-type Pok��mon, Aggron armor was nearly as valuable as a treasure. However, obtaining them was quite challenging, as it required capturing and dismantling live Aggron, something Steven would never engage in, considering its ethical and legal implications.


    Yuga knew that Steven had wealth, but he was also a man of principles, and he worked for the Pok��mon League''s Prosecutor Bureau.


    "I wouldn''t lie to you," Yuga said with a grin.


    Steven eagerly asked, "How many of them do you have approximately?"


    "Quite a few, around a hundred pairs."


    "So many? Where did you get them?" Steven was taken aback.


    "They all have legitimate sources, no need to worry," Yuga assured him.


    Steven quickly exined, "Please don''t misunderstand, I trust youpletely!"


    "I understand, I understand, no misunderstanding here. So, do you want them?"


    Steven hastily replied, "Of course! Why wouldn''t I? But these armor pieces are worth much more than meteorites. Just think about what else you might want. As long as it''s not too extreme, I''ll try to obtain it for you."


    Yuga thought for a moment. Indeed, not owing any favors was a good thing, but he also didn''t want to be at a disadvantage.


    After some contemtion, Yuga couldn''t think of anything he needed at the moment.


    "Never mind, I can''t think of anything right now. I''ll let you know once I do!"


    "Alright, take your time thinking!" Steven''s voice came through the phone.


    They chatted for a while longer before ending the call.


    Yuga then took out the Aggron armor pieces from his system backpack, ready to send them to Steven.


    These items were quite heavy andrge, and just the shipping fees alone would likely cost a substantial amount of money. Yuga suddenly felt like he was losing out.


    Maybe I''ll let Steven cover the shipping fees! Yuga thought.

 Chapter 325: The Persian

    <h4>Chapter 325: The Persian</h4>


    Steven''s shipment of meteorites arrived at the entrance of the YoYo Day Care in just a couple of days.


    There were a considerable number of meteorites, suggesting that Steven had probably emptied his entire collection, possibly in response to Yuga''s generous offering of Aggron armor pieces.


    Upon receiving the meteorites, Yuga transported them all to the Pok��mon Center. Not all meteorites were suitable for his purposes, so further testing was necessary.


    Even though Yuga had given prior notice, Nurse Joy at the Pok��mon Center was still taken aback by the substantial pile of rocks before her.


    "So many?" Nurse Joy eximed, her mouth agape.


    Yuga awkwardly scratched his head, saying apologetically, "Is it going to be troublesome for you?"


    He hadn''t anticipated that Steven would send this many.


    Nurse Joy shook her head and replied, "It''s not exactly troublesome, but this quantity will take a lot of time, won''t it?"


    The meteorites sent by Steven were all small pieces, with some even smaller than a fist. It was easier to work withrger pieces, as each meteorite, regardless of size, required a small sample for testing. However, with small-sized meteorites and arge quantity, the process became more challenging.


    Fortunately, the testing equipment Yuga needed to borrow wasn''tmonly used at the Pok��mon Center, or it would have disrupted their normal operations.


    Yuga ended up spending an entire day at the Pok��mon Center, and he even forgot to have lunch until Nurse Joy prepared it for him.


    In the evening, Yuga was still not finished, so Nurse Joy decided to lend a hand.


    The testing process was quiteplex. Each meteorite needed to bebeled, and they had to remember which test corresponded to which meteorite. Without Nurse Joy''s assistance, Yuga would have been overwhelmed.


    Thus, the work with the meteorites continued for three days before they could conclude the initial phase.


    During these three days, Yuga practically lived at the Pok��mon Center, leaving his bunch of kids at home in his aunt''s care.


    In the process, Yuga and Nurse Joy, whose name was actually Joeyka, became more acquainted with each other. Yuga was extremely grateful for Joeyka''s enthusiastic assistance. He remembered how she had readily helped him the first time he came to test the meteoriteposition.


    She truly was a gentle Miss Joeyka!


    Once the testing results were avable, Yuga easily identified the meteorites that had no effect. What surprised him, however, was that out of thisrge batch, fewer than five contained the special substance. The quantity was disappointingly low.


    Furthermore, even thergest of these meteorites were only about the size of Yuga himself, making him realize that meteorites containing this unique substance were likely extremely rare.


    Yuga kept these special meteorites aside and stored the others in the Ecopark. He wasn''t particrly interested in collecting meteorites, and it wouldn''t be suitable to return them to Steven, so this seemed like the best solution.


    Yuga''s next task was to find a suitable method to neutralize the special substance within the meteorites.


    One of the first thoughts that came to Yuga''s mind was the radiation emitted by this substance. Joeyka had mentioned that it had strong radiation, but this radiation didn''t harm living creatures.


    Yuga believed that there might be a breakthrough in this aspect of research.


    Sometimes, he wondered if he should change careers and be a researcher. Managing a Day Care required studying all these matters, and it was quite challenging!


    As he gazed at the pile of meteorites in the main garden, Yuga let out a sigh of relief. Even Chimecho, who was helping him move the stones, seemed to breathe a sigh of relief mimicking Yuga''s actions, though she couldn''t understand why Yuga wasughing when he exhaled.


    Watching Chimecho''s clueless expression, Yuga burst into even moreughter.


    Just as Yuga was heartilyughing, Meowth suddenly arrived at his feet. The cat gently let out a meow, then leaped onto the pile of meteorites, gazing silently at Yuga and Chimecho.


    Yuga stoppedughing, looking at Meowth. He asked, "What''s up, Meowth? Do you need something?"


    "Meow!"


    Meowth licked its paw and let out a soft meow. Both its voice and actions seemed incrediblyzy, a stark contrast to its usual self.


    Considering Meowth''s mischievous personality, it was rare to see it in such azy state as today.


    Yuga climbed onto the rocks, approaching Meowth. He gently touched Meowth''s body and asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"


    "Meow!"


    Meow Meowthed again, then shook its head, indicating that it wasn''t experiencing any difort.


    Meowth''s attitude toward Yuga had changed significantly.


    In the past, Meowth had seen Yuga as a long-term meal ticket. However, perhaps due to Yuga''s affable nature, Meowth gradually epted him.


    Just then, a faint white light began to emanate from Meowth''s body, then dissipated.


    Seeing this white light, Yuga eximed in surprise, "Meowth, are you about to evolve?"


    "Meow!"


    Meowth nodded in response to Yuga''s question.


    No wonder Meowth''s behavior had changed; it was going through the transformation into a Persian.


    Persian was known for its seeminglyzy disposition, constantly exuding an air of indolence. Many non-trainers adored Persian''sid-back personality, making it a highly popr Pok��mon.


    However, most people were deceived by Persian''szy demeanor.


    The reason they acted this way was because Persian possessed high intelligence. It adopted a disdainful attitude towards everything and everyone outside of itself, and it showed no mercy when hunting.


    So, don''t underestimate a cat, or you might end up at a disadvantage!


    "Congrattions, Meowth!"


    Yuga was genuinely delighted about Meowth''s impending evolution.


    As soon as Yuga spoke, Meowth''s body began to emit a brilliant white light. Its form started elongating, and it shifted from standing on two hind legs on the meteorite pile to all fours on the ground.


    When the white lightpletely dissipated, Meowth had transformed into an elegant Persian. The ruby on its forehead gleamed brightly.


    "Persian, I look forward to working with you in the future."


    Yuga said as he touched Persian''s smooth, silky fur.


    After Yuga finished petting Persian, it leaped off the meteorite pile,pletely ignoring Yuga, and walked away.


    Halfway through, Persian turned around, cast a disdainful nce at Yuga, and walked through the gateway to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark.


    Yuga suddenly felt his heart shatter. Just when he had developed a good rtionship with Meowth, it evolved and acted like a liberated soul.


    As he watched Persian''s figure disappear through the gateway to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, Yuga''s expression remained dazed.


    "Chimecho... Chimecho... Chimecho..."


    Chimecho, who had witnessed the whole scene, didn''t hesitate to "mock" her trainer with heartyughter.


    Mock me all you want; I guess I deserved it! Ah-ha-ha... Ah-ha-ha... Let''s hurt each other, shall we?

 Chapter 326: Peaceful Farming

    <h4>Chapter 326: Peaceful Farming</h4>


    Afterpleting the meteorite analysis, most of Yuga''s energy was dedicated to research in that area, but progress was slow. Yuga was not an expert in this field, so he divided his time between studying literature and pondering the problem.


    During his leisure moments, Yuga woulde to the Ecopark to farm with Grass-type Pok��mon, hoping to broaden his horizons.


    The seeds of the medicinal herbs Yuga had nted before leaving Illuma Ind were now sprouting one after another. The entire medicinal field was vibrant and filled with a sense of aplishment.


    The first to sprout were the water hyacinths nted in the heart of the ind''ske. Water hyacinths were nts with broad, thick leaves. In this environment, they thrived. Yuga noticed that when they sprouted, they covered half of Lake Heart''s surface with their leaves.


    Although water hyacinths primarily used their rhizomes, their leaves grew remarkably fast. ording to the "Comprehensive Guide to Medicinal Herb Cultivation," when their leaves became too dense, some had to be manually removed to prevent excessive nutrient absorption, which could hinder rhizome growth.


    Originally, Yuga thought about having Milotic and Gyarados, who lived in theke, help clear the leaves. To his surprise, they opened their mouths and devoured all the excess leaves.


    Initially, Yuga worried that consuming water hyacinth leaves might have adverse effects on them, but after observing for a while, he found that nothing happened. This relieved his concerns.


    To be sure, Yuga even took Milotic and Gyarados to the Pok��mon Center to consult with Joy. Once Joy assured him that neither Milotic nor Gyarados showed any abnormalities, he entrusted them with the task of regrly clearing water hyacinth leaves.


    With the care of Grass-type Pok��mon, the other medicinal herbs were also growing well.


    Today, when Yuga visited the medicinal field, he saw Grass-type Pok��mon helping with weeding. Two Lotad followed behind, carefully watering the herb seedlings.


    Because the medicinal field was located on a grasnd, the grass grew exceptionally fast. Coupled with the assistance of the Grass-type Pok��mon, if left unchecked, the medicinal field could easily turn into a grassy meadow.


    Therefore, regr weeding was essential for the medicinal field.


    Speaking of weeding, Yuga once made aical mistake.


    When he returned from Illuma Ind and had some free time, he decided to check the medicinal field. To his surprise, he found many areas covered in tender yellowish grass. He decided to pull out these weeds since he couldn''t use herbicides, right?


    At that time, the Grass-type Pok��mon were still in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark and hadn''te over yet. Yuga squatted in the medicinal field and spent a long time pulling out the grass. It was backbreaking work!


    After all, he hadn''t done any farming before!


    When he felt utterly exhausted, Yuga stood up among the herb seedlings and massaged his sore back and waist.


    At that moment, a group of Grass-type Pok��mon, led by Roselia, entered the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark.


    Despite being the youngest among this group of Grass-type Pok��mon, Roselia had an air of authority.


    Approaching the edge of the medicinal field, the Grass-type Pok��mon saw the weeds Yuga had pulled and stared at him as if he were a fool, leaving Yuga bewildered.


    Seeing Yuga''s confusion, Roselia sighed, approached him, and used Absorb on a clump of grass at Yuga''s feet. In the blink of an eye, the lush green grass withered.


    After dealing with that clump of grass, Roselia continued to remove other weeds. The remaining Grass-type Pok��mon used Absorb, Mega Drain, and Giga Drain. In no time, all the weeds in the medicinal field were gone.


    After weeding, the Grass-type Pok��mon looked at Yuga with a "Wherever you find itfortable, stay there" expression.


    Yuga stood in the medicinal field, feeling like he''d been hit with a critical hit of 100,000 points. He wanted to explode right there but ultimately retreated from the field.


    Thinking back on this incident now, Yuga felt extremely embarrassed.


    Observing the Lotad''s struggling efforts to water the nts, Yuga picked up a small iron bucket and joined the Grass-type Pok��mon to help water the field.


    The Marshtomp also saw what was happening and followed Yuga, each holding a water bucket, trailing behind him.


    In truth, it wasn''t just Yuga who had made a foolish mistake. The Marshtomp had their moments too.


    Seeing how challenging it was to water the medicinal herbs, they wanted to lend a hand and, without warning, started using Water Gun attacks on the field. If other Pok��mon hadn''t stopped them promptly, who knows how many herb seedlings would have been washed away by now.


    Yuga thought to himself, "If only you knew Rain Dance, then you could help." However, the only Pok��mon in the entire Ecopark that could perform this advanced move was Dragonair. But Dragonair mostly stayed in the bottom of Heart Lake and hardly ever ventured out. Asking it to help with watering was out of the question.


    Watering the herbs was no easy task. Carrying a bucket back and forth between the medicinal field and the grasndke, Yuga would have fallen apart long ago if his body hadn''t been strengthened by the Light of Life.


    The Marshtomp, on the other hand, appeared to find it quite easy-going.


    Lately, Yuga had been considering installing a water pump by the grasndke, connecting it with pipes to make watering more convenient.


    Setting up a water pump wasn''t too difficult; Yuga could handle it on his own.


    After clearing all the weeds and finishing watering with the Marshtomp, the Grass-type Pok��mon in the grasnd field surrounded a section of the medicinal field. Following Roselia''smand, they began using the Grassy Terrain move.


    As the entire field filled with green light, the young herb seedlings started swaying their leaves, seemingly responding to the Grassy Terrain.


    In no time, the nourishing process for the entire field wasplete. Yuga couldn''t help but wonder if it was just his imagination, but the field seemed to shine even more brilliantly after the Grassy Terrain move.


    In the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, five medicinal fields had been established for cultivating Mental Herbs, Power Herbs, White Herbs, Green Ginseng, and Energy Herbs, respectively.


    The Grass-type Pok��mon took turns using the Grassy Terrain move to nurture them one by one.


    Due to the special requirements for cultivating Balm Mushroom, Big Mushroom, and Tiny Mushroom, Yuga had yet to begin nting them.


    Revival Herbs hadplex nting conditions, and Yuga wasn''t prepared for them yet.


    These peaceful farming days continued for a long time. After researching the meteorite each day, Yuga would spend time tending to the herbs with the Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Gradually, Yuga felt himself adopting a moreid-back attitude, but he didn''t mind this kind of life. If he could choose, he''d prefer a simple and peaceful life.


    Business at the store continued to thrive. Suzuki Koen and her team managed it efficiently, leaving Yuga with little to worry about. His daily routine included research, farming, and preparing meals.

 Chapter 327: The Green Bracelet

    <h4>Chapter 327: The Green Bracelet</h4>


    In the morning, Yuga had spent the entire morning researching the meteorite. After having lunch, he decided to take a break to clear his mind.


    By this time, there were already several customers in the shop purchasing Pok��blocks.


    Since YoYo''s Day Care introduced several moderately priced and more effective Pok��blocks, business had been thriving. It even outearned the monthly revenue from selling Pok��mon. Of course, this was partly due to the limited quantity of Pok��mon avable for sale.


    But Yuga wasn''t concerned about that.


    The ultimate goal of the system was to make YoYo''s Day Care famous in the Pok��mon world. To achieve this, it wasn''t about quantity but quality. Otherwise, YoYo''s Day Care would be no different from any other Day Care, and the goal of bing renowned would be meaningless.


    At this moment, Yuga''s gaze fell upon the wrist of ady holding a Marill, and his pupils dted.


    "Hello, ma''am."


    Yuga quickly approached thedy and got her attention.


    Thedy, who was busy selecting Pok��blocks while holding Marill, looked up upon hearing the voice and saw a young man standing in front of her.


    "May I help you?" she asked softly.


    From thedy''s demeanor, it was evident that she was a woman of great refinement.


    "Apologies for the interruption," Yuga said apologetically. "May I ask where you got that bracelet on your wrist?" As he spoke, Yuga''s gaze remained fixed on the green bracelet adorning thedy''s wrist.


    "Oh, this?" Thedy raised her wrist, disying a beautiful green bracelet. "How do you like it? It''s quite exquisite."


    Thedy seemed to adore the bracelet on her wrist and proudly showed it off when Yuga inquired about it.


    "May I know where you obtained this bracelet?" Yuga asked, his tone carrying a sense of urgency.


    "Well..." Thedy hesitated upon hearing Yuga''s question. "I purchased it at the Luminescent Jewelry Shop in Mauville City. However, there was only one like this in stock. If you''re interested, you might want to give up on it."


    Luminescent Jewelry Shop? Yuga thought for a moment but hadn''t heard of that name before.


    "Could you consider selling me this bracelet?" Yuga asked with a sincere tone.


    Thedy appeared conflicted upon hearing Yuga''s words. "Well, I really like this bracelet, and it''s quite expensive..."


    "I understand that my request is abrupt and presumptuous, but this bracelet means a lot to me. Please, I implore you to sell it to me."


    Hearing Yuga''s earnest plea, thedy didn''t know how to respond. She truly cherished the bracelet, and it was a rare and precious item. Letting it go so easily was something she was reluctant to do.


    Thedy asked Yuga, "May I know why you''re so eager to have this bracelet?"


    Yuga contemted for a moment, then gestured towards a table in the shop. "Let''s sit down over there and talk."


    Thedy nodded in agreement. After they took their seats, Yuga asked, "I don''t know your name, madam."


    "I''m called Fiona," thedy replied politely, introducing herself. Fiona''s husband came from an ancient noble family, and held some status within the League. Their families had a long-standing connection, and they had been engaged from a young age and got married once they reached adulthood. Unlike many arranged marriages, Fiona and her husband were deeply in love, and she hade to Verdanturf Town to visit her inws, who were recuperating there.


    Yuga introduced himself as well, saying, "My name is Yuga, and I am the owner of this Day Care."


    "Oh! I''m honored to meet you," Fiona said, clearly surprised. She hadn''t expected the young man sitting across from her to be the owner of the Day Care.


    "I''m equally honored to meet you, Ms. Fiona."


    After a brief pause, Yuga continued, "You asked me why I''m so keen on obtaining this bracelet. Well, the reason is that this bracelet belonged to my mother."


    Indeed, Yuga''s strong desire to acquire the bracelet stemmed from the fact that it had once belonged to his mother.


    This bracelet had disappeared after Yuga''s mother passed away, but at that time, Yuga was too overwhelmed by grief to notice this detail. If he hadn''t seen it again today, he might have never remembered.


    Now, looking back, it was highly likely that this bracelet had been lost during the car ident that took his parents'' lives. The prime suspect for taking this bracelet was still atrge, and Yuga couldn''t help but suspect that his parents'' deaths might not have been as straightforward as they seemed.


    This bracelet had been passed down through generations in his mother''s family. Just from its appearance, it was clear that this bracelet held significant value. Yuga''s mother, who had a penchant for beauty, always wore it. Furthermore, this bracelet was unique; there couldn''t be another one like it.


    Yuga''s family was not poor; they had some wealth, and his mother enjoyed adorning herself. Seeing the bracelet lost and now in possession of another, Yuga felt that his parents'' death might have more to it than met the eye.


    Typically, a hit-and-run driver would be terrified after an ident, not daring to steal belongings from the deceased unless they were a maniac or a ruthless criminal.


    However, now his mother''s bracelet had appeared in a ce called Luminescent Jewelry Shop.


    "Oh!"


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Fiona couldn''t help but exim.


    "Why... your mother''s possession..."


    "It''s like this..."


    Yuga briefly recounted the events surrounding his parents'' ident and the loss of the bracelet.


    "I see."


    After hearing Yuga''s ount, Fiona sighed. She hadn''t expected to buy stolen property and now felt ufortable wearing the bracelet she once adored.


    However, Fiona was not naive, believing everything people said. She asked, "Do you have evidence to prove that this bracelet belonged to your mother?"


    Yuga replied, "There is a floral pattern on the inside of your bracelet."


    Indeed, there was a delicate floral pattern on the inside of the bracelet, something Fiona was well aware of. Although it wasn''t immediately visible when worn on the wrist, someone examining it closely would notice. However, this alone wasn''t concrete evidence.


    Seeing Fiona''s silence, Yuga knew what she was thinking. Suddenly, he remembered something and said, "Please wait for a moment. I''ll get something."


    Fiona nodded, and Yuga went upstairs to his room.


    When he returned, he was holding a dark wooden box. The box had engravings that were quite simr in style to the floral pattern inside the bracelet, and the central design on the box was an exact match to the floral pattern on the bracelet.


    This box contained the emblem that had once represented YoYo''s Day Care''s glorious past.


    Yuga ced the box on the table and said, "Now, do you believe me?"


    Yuga had always found the floral pattern on the box quite appealing. Now he realized that it was likely a family crest of sorts, given his mother''s family''s prestigious background.


    Upon seeing the wooden box disyed in front of her, Fiona finally believed Yuga''s words.


    She gently removed the green bracelet from her wrist and ced it on the table, pushing it towards Yuga.


    "If it''s your mother''s possession, then it should return to its rightful owner."


    Yuga picked up the bracelet with joy and said, "Thank you so much! I will pay you the agreed amount!"


    Fiona nodded. She didn''t really care about the money; after all, she wasn''t in need of it. She genuinely liked the bracelet but felt uneasy wearing something that was essentially stolen property.

 Chapter 328: Teacher Robert

    <h4>Chapter 328: Teacher Robert</h4>


    Opening the wooden box and cing the bracelet inside, Yuga said to Fiona, "Could you tell me more about Luminescent Jewelry Shop?"


    Unnoticed by Yuga, Fiona''s eyes briefly shed with surprise when he opened the box and revealed the blue badge inside.


    "Fiona, ma''am?"


    Seeing Fiona momentarily lost in thought, Yuga gently called out to her.


    "Oh! What did you say?"


    Realizing her distraction, Fiona asked with an embarrassed expression.


    "I wanted to ask about Luminescent Jewelry Shop," Yuga repeated.


    Fiona inquired, "Are you investigating your parents'' case, aren''t you?"


    Yuga nodded and said, "Yes."


    Fiona responded, "I don''t think you''ll get the information you want from Luminescent Jewelry Shop."


    "Why?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    Fiona exined, "Luminescent Jewelry Shop never reveals their customers'' information to outsiders."


    I see!


    Yuga continued, "But this is currently the only lead I have, so I''d like to give it a try if possible."


    "Very well," Fiona sighed. "Luminescent Jewelry Shop is quite renowned in high society. They have branches everywhere, but the headquarters is in Mauville City, where I bought this bracelet."


    Clearing her throat, Fiona continued, "The founder of this jewelry shopes from an ancient noble family. Although no one from their family is currently serving in the League, they have extensive connections, which is why they''ve been able to grow their business."


    "Their shop is never open to the general public. Their clientele consists of powerful and influential individuals, and that''s one of the reasons why so few people know about it."


    Listening to Fiona''s words, Yuga asked, "Could you tell me the exact location of Luminescent Jewelry Shop?"


    Fiona looked at Yuga and sighed. She said, "Since you''re determined to investigate, I won''t stop you. Do you have paper and a pen?"


    Yuga nodded, got up, and went to Suzuki''s desk to fetch paper and a pen.


    Handing the written address to Yuga, Fiona said, "You should be prepared for the possibility ofing back empty-handed."


    Yuga nodded and said, "Thank you, Ms. Fiona."


    Fiona waved her hand and said, "Consider it fate; no need for thanks."


    Subsequently, Yuga transferred the money for the bracelet to Fiona. The price took him by surprise �C 6,660,000. Once again, his finances were drained!


    Life is indeed challenging! Saving money is no easy task!


    Fiona originally came to buy Pok��blocks for Marilou. Seeing that Yuga had spent six million, he didn''t mind the small amount and waived the money for Fiona to purchase the Pok��blocks, earning praise from Fiona for his generosity and kindness.


    Watching Fiona leave from the shop''s entrance, Yuga thought, "Looks like I''ll need to make a trip to Mauville City."


    Mauville City wasn''t far from Verdanturf Town; it could be reached directly via Route 117.


    Verdanturf Town, Mauville City, and Lavaridge Town were connected by Routes 117, 111, and 112.


    Yuga''s parents had taken this route when they went to Lavaridge Town for their business trip.


    Yuga spected that the hit-and-run driver might have collided with his parents along this route, then fled to Mauville City and opportunistically sold his mother''s bracelet.


    Thinking about this, Yuga''s mood darkened.


    As he turned back to the shop, it didn''t take long before Yuga received a call from Robert. It turned out to be payment for the Kris Pok��mon.


    Seeing the additional funds in his ount, Yuga said to Robert over the phone, "I''ve received the payment."


    "Thank you for Kris''s matter," Robert''s voice came through the phone.


    Yuga dismissed it casually, saying, "Why talk about these things? It''s just a small effort, and besides, you did pay me!"


    "In any case, thank you! She''ll be staying in Verdanturf Town for some time. Please keep an eye on her," Robert added.


    Yuga had previously mentioned that Kris and the Feebas would evolve before going on a journey, so during this period, Kris stayed in Verdanturf Town, taking care of the newly acquired Feebas and spending time with its grandparents.


    "Understood," Yuga agreed to this simple task. "By the way, what are you up to now?"


    After the Grand Festival of the Pok��mon Contest, Robert had been staying in Sootopolis City without any immediate ns.


    "Oh, the teacher rmended me to join the Sootopolis City Trainer Prep Camp, and I''ve been working as a teacher there for several days now. I''m currently in the teacher''s dormitory at the Prep Camp!"


    "Wow!" Yuga was quite surprised. "Is it the same Prep Camp Luna and Rand attended?"


    "Yes! That''s the one!" Robert replied with a smile.


    Yuga asked, "Have you met Luna and Rand then?"


    Robert yfully said, "Guess!"


    Yuga had no patience for guessing games and said impatiently, "Just tell me!"


    "Hahaha!" Hearing Yuga''s impatient tone, Robertughed heartily. "Not only have I met them, but I''m also one of their instructors!"


    "That''s quite a coincidence," Yuga eximed.


    "It sure is!" Robert admitted that even he hadn''t expected this turn of events.


    Yuga couldn''t help but think, "Well, Luna won''t have to attend sses anymore; she can spend the whole day admiring Robert!"


    Yuga asked, "How are they doing?"


    Both of these kids were away from home for the first time, and Yuga was somewhat concerned about how they were adjusting.


    Robert smiled and said, "Don''t worry, they''re doing well, and they get along harmoniously with their ssmates."


    "That''s great!" Yuga breathed a sigh of relief.


    "By the way, since you''ve be a teacher at the preparatory camp, can you open a small back door for me?" Yuga asked with a mischievous grin.


    "Open a back door? What kind of back door?" Robert asked, puzzled. "Could it be..."


    "Could it be... Could it be what?" Yuga inquired.


    Robert said, "Could it be that you want to join the preparatory camp too? Sorry, but you''re too old for that. The preparatory camp doesn''t ept people of your age!"


    Yuga chuckled and scolded, "Come on, Robert, are you still the same person I know? You can crack such weird jokes! I''m not trying to join the preparatory camp. What I meant was, can you help me with something?"


    "Hehe... just kidding, just kidding. Go ahead, what kind of favor do you need?" Robert replied.


    So, Yuga proceeded to tell Robert about Aunt Meiko''s longing to see her daughter and her desire to visit Luna in Sootopolis City.


    "Well..." Robert thought for a moment and said, "It''s not entirely impossible, but you all must keep this a secret. We can''t let anyone else know about it!"


    "Alright, when your auntes to Sootopolis City, let me know. I''ll pick her up and secretly take her to see Luna!"


    "Will it cause you any trouble?" Yuga inquired. While he wanted to fulfill his aunt''s wish, he also didn''t want to inconvenience his friend.


    Robert jokingly replied, "As long as you don''te back for a second round of favors!"


    Ending the call with Robert, Yuga breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally fulfilled his promise to his aunt.

 Chapter 329: A Problem and a Surprise

    <h4>Chapter 329: A Problem and a Surprise</h4>


    After ending the call with Robert, Yuga visited his new store, which seemed to be doing well. Upon returning, he entered the Ecopark.


    Inside the main Ecopark, only Absol and a few Medidite were gathered for meditation training. They didn''t react when Yuga approached, deep in their meditation.


    It seemed they were in a deep meditative state. During deep meditation, Pok��mon blocked their external awareness for higher meditation efficiency, even though they couldn''t respond to danger.


    However, Yuga''s Ecopark was a safe ce, allowing Absol and Medidite to meditate without worry.


    Without disturbing Absol''s training, Yuga headed to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark to check on the herb growth.


    Upon entering the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, he first noticed the Tauros and Rapidash (Ponyta) galloping in the distance. Yuga thought, "Thank goodness they don''t have a habit of running into people. I don''t have a Super Beginner''s body."


    Currently, Nales and Houndoom, who had been with him from the beginning, were helping Yuga manage the Quadruple Pok��mon. Although their strength was slightly inferior to two Rapidadh and Typhlosion, with Yuga''s authority, the Pok��mon were rtively obedient.


    Seeing Yuga''s arrival, Nales and Houndoom immediately approached happily. The nearby Persian, however, nced at him lightly and walked away in a haughty manner.


    But Yuga could feel from its gaze that Persian didn''t dislike him.


    Yuga carefully examined Houndoom''s condition and saw that both Houndoom and the unborn pups in her belly were in good shape. He instructed them to return and rest.


    After Nales and Houndoom left, Yuga went to the edge of the herb garden. At this moment, two Lotad were standing side by side on the field ridge, motionless, staring at the herb garden.


    "What are you two doing?" Yuga crouched down and asked the two Lotad, who seemed lost in thought.


    "Lo-tad..."


    Both Lotad turned their heads in unison upon hearing Yuga''s voice, gazing at him with innocent eyes.


    Yuga felt that having a normal conversation with these two might be a bit challenging; their responses were somewhat...slow.


    At this moment, the Grass-type Pok��mon that tended to the herb garden were all in the Flower Sea. Only the two Lotad were guarding this area.


    Yuga nced into the herb garden and suddenly noticed something unusual about the white herbs. He quickly descended into the field to investigate.


    He crouched down, pushed aside the soil around the roots of a white herb, and saw that the normally white roots had turned ck.


    He checked several other white herbs nearby, and the situation was the same. Not only the roots but even the leaves were covered in faint blue speckles.


    White herbs were nts that were entirely white, from their roots to stems, and leaves. That''s why they were called white herbs. This made it easy for Yuga to notice that something was wrong.


    Yuga picked up a piece of soil from the roots of a white herb and crumbled it in his hand, furrowing his brows.


    It was too moist.


    Clearly, the problem with the white herbs was excessive watering, leading to root rot.


    The Lotad had probably been keeping a close watch here and noticed this issue in time.


    Fortunately, it was a problem that could be remedied easily.


    Leaving the herb garden, Yuga told the two Lotad, "For now, please don''t water the herbs in the herb garden, especially you and Marshtomp. Follow my instructions before taking any action."


    The Lotad nodded obediently and then trotted in the direction of the Grasnd Lake.


    Afterwards, Yuga carefully checked the other herb fields and found no issues, which relieved him. If something irreparable happened to these herb fields, Yuga would face significant losses, as he wouldn''t easily find so many precious herb seeds again.


    With these thoughts in mind, Yuga decided to visit the Heart Ind Lake in the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark, where there was another type of herb.


    Water Hyacinth, of course, wouldn''t face the issue of excessive watering since they were aquatic nts. However, there might be other potential problems to deal with.


    When Yuga arrived at the Heart Ind Lake, he saw that the Water Hyacinth on the water''s surface had grown lush.


    Water Hyacinth were probably the fastest-growing among these medicinal herbs. Yuga even noticed a few flower buds rising among the leaves on the water''s surface.


    However, these buds were still small and tender, and it would take some time before they bloomed.


    ording to the "Comprehensive Guide to Medicinal Herb Cultivation," Water Hyacinth flowers were exceptionally beautiful, resembling Yuga''s previous life''s lotus but even more vibrant, entirely purple-red, and highly conspicuous when blooming on the water''s surface.


    This was also why wild Water Hyacinth were rarely seen in the wild; their striking appearance easily attracted herbivorous Pok��mon, which might devour them.


    For many Pok��mon, Water Hyacinth flowers had a pleasant taste and high nutritional value.


    To mature the Water Hyacinth''s rhizomes, they had to wait until the flowers naturally withered. If the flowers were destroyed prematurely, the rhizomes wouldn''t mature, and they couldn''t be used for reproduction.


    Yuga walked to theke''s edge and gently tugged on a piece of Water Hyacinth vine. He saw that their growth was excellent, which eased his mind.


    Apparently, Yuga''s action disturbed the underwater Pok��mon. A Milotic''s head suddenly emerged from the water and swam over to Yuga.


    Just as Yuga was about to pat Milotic''s head, it turned its head, gave a soft call towards the rear, and another Milotic emerged from the water.


    Before Yuga could react, one after another, several Milotic surfaced from the water.


    Yuga counted, and there were a total of five Milotic. All five Feebas with green potential had evolved.


    "You''ve all evolved! That''s fantastic!" Yuga eximed in delight as he looked at the five Milotic standing side by side before him.


    The five Milotic nodded simultaneously in response to Yuga, their movements synchronized.


    All five Feebas had evolved, which meant that Kris''s Feebas was likely to evolve soon, Yuga thought.


    Not long after the Milotic emerged, Gyarados, carrying the remaining four Feebas, rose from the water and approached Yuga.


    The four remaining Feebas looked at the already-evolved Milotic with envy.


    Yugaforted them, saying, "No need to envy them. You''ll evolve soon, too. Just be patient."


    Yuga''s words filled the Feebas with excitement. They couldn''t help but jump and frolic on the water''s surface, expressing their inner joy.


    Before leaving, Yuga looked for Greninja and Linoone but found they were not there. They were probably off training again, most likely in the Desert Sub-Ecopark.

 Chapter 330: The Failed Birth of a Legendary Pokémon

    <h4>Chapter 330: The Failed Birth of a Legendary Pok��mon</h4>


    After leaving the Ecopark, Yuga pondered how to solve the issue of the White herbs'' root rot.


    Carefully flipping through the "Comprehensive Guide to Medicinal Herb Cultivation," he indeed found a solution outlined in there.


    However, this method, although sounding simple, could be quite troublesome to execute.


    It required carefully pulling out the white herbs with root rot from the soil and then cing it in a well-ventted environment for some time.


    This sounded straightforward, but the greatest challenge was to extract the herbs from the soil without damaging their fragile roots since these white herbs nts were still in their seedling stage.


    During the time the herbs were ced in a well-ventted environment, a special potion needed to be prepared and sprayed on the herb''s leaves periodically to prevent them from drying out.


    Once the herb''s roots were dry, the entire herb field needed to be dried and disinfected before renting.


    After researching the method for treating root rot in white herbs, Yuga realized it was gettingte and decided to prepare the potion first. Cleaning the herbs could wait until the next day.


    The preparation of this potion wasn''t overlyplicated, and the materials weremon, although most were chemical substances that Yuga needed to purchase outside.


    To expedite the process, Yuga asked Misaki for help. It wasn''t a secretive task, so Yuga had no reason to hide it.


    After an entire night of work, Yuga and Misaki finally prepared enough potion.


    Early the next morning, Yuga went to the Ecopark with the Grass-type Pok��mon to address the issue with the white herbs.


    The Grass-type Pok��mon were responsible for delicately pulling out the seedlings from the soil since they could perform this task with greater precision without harming the herb''s roots. Yuga''s role was to clean the excessive soil from the seedlings'' roots.


    After a busy morning, they managed to clean the seedlings and ced them in a well-ventted area, then sprayed them with the prepared potion.


    Yuga entrusted the remaining potion to the Pok��mon, instructing them to apply it to the herb seedlings regrly. He couldn''t stay in the Ecopark all the time, as there were other tasks to attend to.


    Leaving the Ecopark and returning to the store, Yuga spotted Kris inside, enjoying a cup of tea.


    "Yuga!"


    Kris eximed with joy upon seeing Yuga enter.


    Yuga walked over and sat across from her, asking, "Feebas evolved?"


    "Hey! How did you already know before I mentioned it?" Kris was genuinely surprised.


    "It seems I was right. You''re nning to leave Verdanturf Town, aren''t you?"


    "Yes." Kris nodded. "I''ve been here for quite some time. I want to start traveling as soon as possible."


    Yuga asked, "Have you decided where to go?"


    Kris replied, "Just going to wander around for now."


    Yuga nodded and asked, "When are you leaving?"


    "Tomorrow! First stop, Rustboro City!"


    Kris said excitedly, showing her eagerness for the uing journey. She was heading in the opposite direction from her hometown, Lilycove City.


    Yuga said, "Then consider today as your farewell. Don''te by tomorrow; I won''t have time to host you."


    "Hey, why are you so cold-hearted? You don''t even care about sentiment!" Kris was quite unhappy with Yuga''s words.


    Yuga gave her a sidelong nce and said, "Why should I care about sentiment with you?"


    "Never mind, I won''t bother saying more. I''ve said everything I wanted to. Goodbye!"


    With that, Kris stood up and walked toward the door.


    "Take care out there!"


    Yuga shouted after Kris as she left.


    "I know!"


    Kris raised her hand in acknowledgment.


    After seeing Kris off, Yuga headed to the workshop in the new store.


    He came here not to help Misaki with crafting Pok��block but to continue his research on meteorites.


    For these past few days, Yuga had been studying meteorites at the workshop in the new store. The several meteorite pieces were stored here, and both he and Misaki were upied with their respective tasks, not interfering with each other.


    Entering the meteorite storage area, Yuga prepared to retrieve a small piece for his research.


    Seeing the meteorite, which was about the same size as himself, Yuga suddenly felt that it was taking up too much space. Since it was for research purposes, why not cut it into smaller pieces? This would also make it easier to transport.


    Without hesitation, Yuga brought out the stone-cutting machine he had specifically purchased for meteorite research, intending to reduce the size of thergest meteorite.


    This cutting machine had been bought by Yuga when he started researching meteorites, and he had used it several times before. So, using it now was quite a familiar process.


    In no time, half of the meteorite had been sliced into smaller pieces.


    However, as he attempted to cut the other half, he suddenly felt that the cutting machine couldn''t make any further progress, no matter how much force he applied.


    What was going on? This shouldn''t be happening!


    Yuga stopped cutting, looked into the existing gap, and noticed a faint purple glowing from within.


    What was this? Yuga wondered.


    However, due to the small gap, Yuga couldn''t get a clear view of what the purple glow inside the meteorite actually was.


    Curiosity getting the better of him, Yuga continued to cut away the meteorite bit by bit and slowly extracted what was inside.


    It was a crystal.


    A fist-sized, irregrly shaped, light-purple circr crystal.


    Yuga could sense that this was no ordinary crystal. Through his perception, enhanced by the Light of Life, he could clearly feel the terrifying energy contained within this crystal.


    "System, do you know what this is?"


    Unable to identify the object in his hand, Yuga turned to his trusty system for answers.


    The system replied, [ This is half of Deoxys''s Energy Core! ]


    "What!"


    Yuga couldn''t help but exim in shock.


    "What''s wrong, boss?"


    On the other side, Misaki, who had been diligently crafting Pok��block, was startled by Yuga''s loud exmation.


    Yuga awkwardly replied, "Ah, nothing, nothing. You focus on your work, don''t mind me."


    Seeing Yuga''s strange expression, Misaki was puzzled but decided to continue her work.


    In his mind, Yuga urgently asked the system, "Are you sure what you said is true?"


    The system responded, [ It''s true. The meteorite in front of you was likely in the process of nurturing a Deoxys before it fell to Earth. However, for some unknown reason, the Deoxys was not fully nurtured when the meteoritended. Most of the meteorite was consumed during the descent, and the half-formed Deoxys inside likely lost its vital signs when it hit the ground. Whether it encountered an ident in space or during the descent, the specific reasons are unknown. In any case, the half of the Deoxys Energy Core in the host''s hand is already deceased. ]


    As far as Yuga knew, Deoxys possessed incredibly strong vitality. Even if its body was destroyed, as long as its Energy Core remained intact, it could regenerate.


    He never expected that this Deoxys, still in the process of formation, would die without its Energy Core being fully developed.


    Yuga gently rubbed the half Energy Core in his hand, feeling incredibly lucky.


    If it weren''t for the unique properties of the meteorite, which could iste internal energy fluctuations, this crystal, containing enormous power, wouldn''t have gone unnoticed, let alone ended up in his possession.


    He had taken advantage of Steven!


    However, the thought of returning it never crossed Yuga''s mind. He hadn''t stolen or looted it; he had acquired it through a legitimate transaction.

 Chapter 331: The Unapproachable Chimecho

    <h4>Chapter 331: The Unapproachable Chimecho</h4>


    What should he do with this Energy Core?


    Maybe he should give it to Chimecho! She''s Psychic-type Pok��mon, she would probably find it useful.


    Yuga himself didn''t know how to use this Energy Core, so it might be better to let Chimecho figure it out.


    With this in mind, Yuga didn''t care about the meteorites anymore. He tossed the cutting machine aside and rushed out of the studio.


    Misaki watched her boss dash out in a hurry, puzzled by his strange behavior, and continued focusing on her work.


    Leaving New Store and returning to the old store, Yuga headed straight for the Ecopark.


    Seeing his boss running past him in a hurry, Suzuki Koen couldn''t help but wonder what was going on. Had the boss suddenly be so urgent?


    When he reached the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, Yuga found Chimecho ying with Vivillon in the flowers. He waved to get its attention.


    "Why are you looking for me now? It''s not training time," Chimecho thought while flying towards Yuga.


    What do you want, interrupting my fun like this! Chimecho pouted, expressing its dissatisfaction with Yuga.


    "I''vee to give you a gift. Don''t want it?" Yuga smiled.


    Hearing the word "gift," Chimecho''s eyes lit up, and it joyfully flew around Yuga, forgetting its earlier displeasure.


    "See, what''s this!" Yuga then took out the Energy Core.


    Chimecho, of course, didn''t know what it was, but the light purple energy crystal in front of it was incredibly attractive, making it feel dizzy with excitement.


    Yuga looked at Chimecho, then at the Energy Core in his hand, suddenly feeling that it might be a bit too big for Chimecho. It clearly wouldn''t be suitable for it to wear!


    "Uh, Chimecho, do you want this?"


    Yuga looked at Chimecho, who seemed mesmerized, and couldn''t help asking.


    "Yes, yes!" Chimecho nodded frantically. This had to be something good!


    Having received the signal of approval, Chimecho directly wrapped the Energy Core with its body and flew up into the air with it.


    Yuga watched in amazement as Chimecho, with a head not much bigger than the Energy Core itself, swallowed it whole.


    After consuming the Energy Core, Chimecho returned to its original appearance, with no sign that its head had just been filled with such arge energy crystal.


    "Chime..."


    Chimecho happily called out to Yuga after swallowing the Energy Core, leaving Yuga dumbfounded.


    After swallowing such arge stone, isn''t your head heavy?


    Yuga reached out and grabbed Chimecho, which was floating in front of him. He pinched its head left and right but couldn''t find where it had stored the Energy Core.


    Well, this little head feels nice to pinch, soft and squishy. Yuga couldn''t resist pinching it a few more times.


    Little guy, your abilities are quite intriguing; howe I never knew about this?


    Perhaps feeling ufortable from being pinched by Yuga, Chimecho struggled out of his grasp and flew into the air. It had a somewhat sulky expression, as if it wereining.


    "Hehe, sorry about that, Chimecho. I was just curious about where you put the crystal."


    Yuga said with a grin.


    "Chime!"


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Chimecho raised its head in an arrogant manner, seeming quite proud. If it had hands, Yuga suspected it would be putting them on its hips and lifting its nose even higher.


    Just as Yuga was about to say something else, a purple light suddenly emitted from Chimecho''s body. Then, a light purple energy shield appeared and continued to expand. In an instant, itunched Yuga into the air.


    Yuga''s who was floating in mid-air, remained utterly bewildered,pletely unaware of what was happening.


    Fortunately, Vivillon had been closely monitoring the situation between Yuga and Chimecho. When they saw Yuga beingunched into the air, one of them immediately used it wind-controlling abilities to catch him, preventing him from crashing down.


    Safely back on the ground, Yuga stared at the expanding purple energy shield, recognizing it as a manifestation of pure psychic power.


    The sudden surge in Chimecho''s psychic abilities was undoubtedly linked to the Energy Core.


    The energy shield didn''t keep expanding indefinitely and eventually dissipated. However, many flowers in the garden had been ttened by the shield, creating a "Flower Sea crop circle" from a distance.


    Many Combees that were busy collecting nectar had been frightened by the energy shield, but luckily, there were no casualties. Nevertheless, they buzzed anxiously around the fallen flowers, clearly distressed.


    At this moment, Chimecho was also perplexed, equally clueless about what had just urred. It watched as Yuga safelynded, relieved, and quickly floated over to him.


    However, Yuga soon noticed that, with Chimecho''s movement, the "Flower Sea crop circle" started to shift as well. As it approached, all the Combees that were previously flying in the air suddenly fell to the ground, unable to take flight.


    Just as it got closer to Yuga and Vivillon, Yuga suddenly felt an unprecedented force pressing down on him. He couldn''t resist and was pushed to the ground.


    Turning his head, Yuga realized that it wasn''t just him; Vivillon were also pinned down and unable to move.


    This was Chimecho''s gravity skill!


    Having spent so much time with Chimecho, Yuga quickly deduced the reason for their predicament��himself, Vivillon, and even the Combees had been immobilized by Chimecho''s gravity skill.


    But could Chimecho''s gravity skill really be this strong?


    Yuga tried to move his body but found himselfpletely immobilized, just like Vivillon.


    You see, Chimecho''s gravity skill was originally only effective at restraining Vivillon; immobilizing them entirely was impossible.


    Chimecho, approaching Yuga without understanding what was happening, had no idea why everyone was lying on the ground when it arrived.


    "Chimecho, don''te any closer! Stay back!" Yuga shouted while raising his head.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Chimecho obediently stopped, still puzzled as to why Yuga wanted it to stay away.


    "Move back, further back!" Yuga continued to instruct.


    Though uncertain about the reason, Chimecho obediently retreated. By this time, the Combees had already disappeared from the vicinity of Chimecho.


    Feeling the gradually diminishing gravitational force acting upon him, Yuga slowly climbed to his feet, and Vivillon resumed their flight.


    Taking a deep breath, Yuga felt relieved; being pressed down by Chimecho''s gravity had nearly taken his breath away.

 Chapter 332: Farewell

    <h4>Chapter 332: Farewell</h4>


    "Chimecho, quickly remove the gravity skill!" Yuga shouted from a distance to Chimecho.


    "Gravity skill? Did I use a gravity skill?" Chimecho still had no awareness of its actions.


    As it turned its head to look at the ttened flower fields, it realized that it had indeed unintentionally used the gravity skill!


    Now, it attempted to cancel the gravity skill, but after several attempts, it couldn''t figure out how to deactivate it.


    So, it tried to move, but every time it did, the "flower field crop circle" shifted, and the flowers were ttened again.


    With a troubled expression, Chimecho shook its head when looking at Yuga, indicating that it couldn''t deactivate the gravity skill.


    "You can''t do it?" Yuga said, baffled.


    It seemed that Chimecho couldn''t control this sudden surge in psychic power due to excessive amplification.


    Seeing Chimecho''s dejected face, Yuga consoled, "It''s alright. As long as you practice and get ustomed to your powers, you''ll soon return to your previous self!"


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Chimecho looked at him hopefully, as if asking, "Really?"


    Yuga, of course, gave an affirmative answer.


    "However, you can''t stay in the Florwer Sea now," Yuga added.


    Chimecho''s current situation was not suitable for staying in the Florwer Sea due to its destructive power, which could lead to the extinction of all the flowers if it remained for a few more days.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Chimecho''s face immediately fell. The Florwer Sea was its favorite ce, and it didn''t want to leave.


    With teary eyes, Chimecho looked at its good friend, Vivillon, who could only shake her head helplessly.


    Then, Yuga took Chimecho to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark. While the flowers feared the pressure, the grass didn''t!


    Bidding farewell to its dear friend, Chimecho embarked on its journey of self-improvement in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark.


    Afterward, Yuga warned other Pok��mon in the Grasnd not to approach Chimecho to avoid idental harm, especially Houndoom, who was pregnant.


    Few Pok��mon in the Grasnd could withstand Chimecho''s current level of gravity.


    With Chimecho settled and instructed to practice diligently to regain control of its psychic powers, Yuga left the Ecopark.


    He sighed deeply; what he intended as a gift for Chimecho had unintentionally caused trouble. He wondered if it would ultimately be a blessing in disguise.


    While contemting this, Yuga returned to his shop.


    Seeing their boss enter, Suzuki Koen, having noticed his earlier rushed demeanor, asked, "Did something happen just now? You seemed quite hurried."


    Yuga, brought back to the present by her question, smiled and replied, "Oh, it''s nothing, just some matters that came to mind and needed immediate attention."


    Suzuki Koen nodded in understanding and didn''t press further.


    Suddenly, Yuga remembered that he had to share the good news about Luna visiting their aunt. So, he hurriedly left for his aunt''s house.


    It was already evening when he arrived at his aunt''s house. She should be home from work by now.


    Sure enough, when Yuga reached his aunt''s house, she was at home, busy collecting theundry hanging outside.


    Seeing Yuga approaching from a distance, his aunt joyfully said, "Little Yuga, what brings you here?"


    Yuga walked over, taking the pile ofundry from his aunt''s arms. As they headed inside, he said, "I''ve arranged for you to visit Luna in the Sootopolis City anytime you''re ready. Just let me know, and I''ll make the arrangements."


    "Really?" His aunt asked in amazement.


    At that moment, his uncle stepped out of the house and inquired, "Yuga, you''re here? What are you two talking about? What''s this ''really or not really'' about?"


    "Uncle, you''re at home too!" Yuga eximed in surprise.


    His uncle usually returned home muchter than his aunt. It was unusual for him to be back early today.


    His uncle nodded and exined, "Yeah, thepany had nothing going on today, so I came home early."


    Aunt happily said to Uncle, "Little Yuga just told me that we can visit Luna in the Sootopolis City."


    Uncle, upon hearing this, also looked pleasantly surprised and turned to Yuga, asking, "Is that true?"


    Yuga smiled and replied, "For something like this, would I lie to you?"


    Uncle put his arm around Yuga''s shoulder, saying joyfully, "Goodd, you''re worth every bit of care!"


    The three of them entered the house together. While Yuga helped Aunt fold the collectedundry, they chatted.


    In the end, Aunt and Uncle decided to take leave the day after tomorrow and go to the Sootopolis City together.


    Originally, Yuga wanted to apany them, but Aunt and Uncle disagreed. Yuga was already quite busy in his daily life, and they didn''t want to inconvenience him further.


    So, on the day of departure, Yuga could only see them off at the airport.


    Yuga had already arranged everything on the Sootopolis City side. Once Aunt and Uncle arrived, someone would be there to pick them up and take them to meet Robert.


    Yuga also informed Uncle Kate about this, but Uncle Kate was unable to join them. He couldn''t take time off like Aunt and Uncle, so he asked Yuga Aunt and Uncle to bring some items to Rand when they went.


    "I''ve made all the arrangements on the Sootopolis City side. Once you''re there, someone wille to pick you up. Just follow them with peace of mind," Yuga exined meticulously while seeing them off at the airport.


    "Got it, got it, why are you fussing like an old man?" His Auntined jokingly, but her face was all smiles, and she felt a sense of pride and nostalgia, thinking, "Our kid is growing up," both proud and sentimental.


    "When you return, just let me know, and I''lle to pick you up!" His Uncle said with a smile. "But there''s really no need for you to pick us up; we''re not strangers to this small Verdanturf Town."


    Just then, the airport''s announcement about a flight''s imminent departure echoed through the terminal. Yuga quickly said, "You should go now before it''s toote."


    Aunt nodded, holding onto Uncle''s arm, and they turned to leave.


    After seeing off Aunt and Uncle, Yuga called for a taxi and headed home.


    Upon reaching his doorstep, Yuga saw two familiar Pok��mon, Linoone and the Great Flygon, soaring in the sky.


    Yuga smiled and greeted the two Pok��mon, "Why are you two out here today?"


    "Linoone!"


    "Flygon!"


    The two Pok��mon softly called out to Yuga, and he noticed that their auras seemed different.


    Had they leveled up?


    Yuga quickly activated his Insight ability.


    Indeed, Linoone had reached level 50, while the Great Flygon had advanced to pseudo-elite level, at level 61, bing the third pseudo-elite-level Pok��mon in YoYo Day Care, following Noctowl and Vespiqueen.


    "Congrattions to both of you!" Yuga said happily.


    Linoone and the Great Flygon were clearly pleased with their own progress as well.


    At this moment, Yuga also remembered Audino. Its level was originally simr to the Great Flygon''s. He wondered how it was doing now.

 Chapter 333: Beidou’s Visit

    <h4>Chapter 333: Beidou''s Visit</h4>


    The progress of Great Flygon and Linoone brought immense joy to Yuga, especially the Great Flygon.


    For Pok��mon to advance to the pseudo-Elite level was exceedingly difficult, with countless stumbling blocks along the way. The fact that the Great Flygon could make this advancement was a testament to its diligent efforts. Of course, its exceptional potential yed a crucial role as well.


    Pok��mon like Noctowl, which advanced to the pseudo-Elite level with its yellow potential, were exceedingly rare. If it hadn''t been for its fortunate encounter with Celebi in the past, it might not have been as simple as that.


    Furthermore, if it weren''t for the limitation of a yellow potential, Noctowl might have already reached the Elite level by now, as it was only a step away from it.


    After exchanging greetings with Yuga, the Great Flygon adjusted itself into afortable position and closed its eyes once more. Linoonezily rolled over, continuing to bask in the winter sunlight.


    Compared to coastal areas, Verdanturf Town in the Hoenn region had significantly lower temperatures. Even though ces like Sootopolis City and Lilycove City still felt like spring, Verdanturf Town was already beginning to experience the cold.


    Yuga couldn''t help but shiver, wrapping his clothes tightly around himself as he walked into his shop.


    Back in the store, Yuga retrieved the Sweet Honey he had obtained from Vespiqueen and brewed a hot cup of tea for himself and Suzuki Koen. Then, he sat in the shop, absentmindedly watching the customerse and go.


    During this period, he had been researching meteorites, but his progress had been fruitless. He needed to calm down and think things through.


    Sitting in his chair, cup in hand, Yuga stared nkly at the entrance. That''s when he noticed a familiar figure entering the shop.


    Standing at the entrance and surveying the interior, the person''s eyes lit up when they spotted Yuga sitting at the central table. They walked straight over to him.


    Suzuki Koen, who had initially thought to greet the neer, realized that this was someone familiar to her boss. She stepped back, continuing to attend to other customers.


    The neer reached Yuga and sat down across from him, a look of genuine delight on their face. "What a stroke of luck to find you here so quickly!"


    Yuga, surprised, asked, "Why are you here? Aren''t you working in Sootopolis City?"


    The neer was none other than Beidou, the Trainer Yuga had met on Illuma Ind, who worked at the official Pok��mon Day Care Center in Sootopolis City.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s question, Beidou sighed and replied, "You''re right. I quit my job."


    "Quit?" Yuga was greatly surprised.


    Working in a League-affiliated institution like that was akin to having a stable job for life, especially in a higher-ranking Day Care.


    Beidou smiled wryly and exined, "Yeah, it couldn''t be helped. After those few people returned, they made life miserable for me. They even conspired with other Trainers at the facility to ostracize me. I was just a neer, and I couldn''t bear it. Besides, there''s a girl on our team who happens to be a high-ranking executive''s daughter. After she returned, she seemed to have said something, and she kept targeting me!"


    Trainers like Beidou, who spent most of their time away from the central regions, tended to have a bit of a rebellious streak. Faced with such treatment, he couldn''t endure it any longer.


    Yuga felt a sense of disdain for the behavior of those people and tried to console Beidou. "Leaving a ce like that is no loss."


    Even within the League, there were inevitably some bad apples.


    Beidou nodded in agreement and said, "You''re right. If I hadn''t just joined the facility, resigning might not have been this easy."


    Yuga nodded in understanding.


    No organization would easily let go of a Trainer they had invested a substantial amount of money in cultivating. Only someone like Beidou, who had just joined and had not yet deeply involved himself with the organization, could leave so easily.


    Yuga smiled and asked, "What made you think ofing to my ce?"


    Beidou replied, "I''m a lone wanderer, and since I left Sootopolis City, I had nowhere specific to go. I remembered you mentioned having a Pok��mon Day Care here, so I thought I''d drop by. Surprisingly, it was easy to find."


    "Well, it''s true. I''m the only Pok��mon Day Care here, so it''s easy for anyone to ask around and find it."


    Beidou teased, "I didn''t expect you to be quite popr here. As soon as people heard I was your friend, they enthusiastically guided me here."


    Yuga proudly stated, "Well, that''s the advantage of being handsome. You can''t envy that."


    Beidou protested, "What do you mean I''m not as handsome? Clearly, I''m more handsome!"


    Yuga waved his hand dismissively and said, "Alright, alright, enough joking around. What are your ns from here?"


    Beidou sighed and replied, "I''ll take it step by step. I''m still a fairly capable Trainer, so I won''t end up starving on the streets."


    Indeed, Trainers had various means to earn money, whether by taking on missions, epting job offers, or embarking on adventures to find treasures. It was these opportunities that attracted many to the profession.


    Yuga then suggested, "How abouting to work at my ce?"


    Beidou was taken aback by Yuga''s sudden proposal.


    "Work here? Are you serious?" he asked.


    "Of course, do I look like I''m joking?" Yuga responded seriously.


    Beidou considered Yuga''s words carefully. Turning to look around the shop, he asked, "But what can I do here? You run a Pok��mon Day Care, and I''m neither a Breeder nor a businessperson. Am I just going to be a doorman?"


    In fact, Beidou had initially considered seeking refuge with Yuga because he believed that Pok��mon Day Cares often trained their own Trainers. However, upon arriving, he had abandoned that idea, as YoYo Day Care didn''t seem any different from a regr small-scale Day Care, and it didn''t appear capable of supporting Trainers.


    Keeping Beidou here was actually a recent decision for Yuga as well. He had long considered establishing his own powerbase, given that as his Day Care grew, he would encounter more challenges. Without his own faction, he would face increasing difficulties in the future.


    However, this idea had never fully matured, and he had only epted Arata Sena as a member, not dedicating much time or effort to training him.


    Beidou, on the other hand, was different. He was a professional Trainer with skill and experience. Entrusting the task of building his own faction to Beidou would make Yuga''s life much easier.


    Thinking along these lines, Yuga became even more determined to persuade Beidou to stay.

 Chapter 334: Teacher and Disciple

    <h4>Chapter 334: Teacher and Disciple</h4>


    Yuga smiled and said, "What are you thinking? Inviting you to stay isn''t about having you help with my business or act as a doorman. Do you think so little of me?"


    With that, Yuga briefly exined his desire to train a group of Trainers to Beidou.


    Training Trainers was not something that could be aplished overnight, and it was unclear when they would be useful. That''s why Yuga had made this n so early.


    After hearing Yuga''s simple exnation, Beidou eximed in surprise, "You''re starting from scratch? That won''t be easy!"


    Yuga chuckled and replied, "I''m well aware it won''t be easy, but don''t forget, my Pok��mon Day Care may not berge, but it''s quite profitable. Supporting a few Trainers won''t be an issue."


    Yuga''s words were not empty. Apart from the monthly profits from the Pok��mon, the Pok��blocks alone, thanks to retail sales and bulk deals with Aromatherapy Day Care, as well as future coborations with Lilycove Gym, made YoYo Day Care extremely lucrative.


    Moreover, YoYo Day Care''s Pok��blocks had low production costs, providing a significantpetitive advantage.


    With the increasing ie, Yuga couldn''t think of many ces to spend it other than building his own faction. After all, he couldn''t just hoard it like a miser!


    Beidou fell into silence for a long time, and Yuga patiently waited for his response.


    After a while, Beidou raised his head and firmly said, "Alright, I''ll take a gamble with you. When you seed, I''ll be one of your senior members. You can''t treat me poorly then!"


    Hearing Beidou''s answer, Yuga beamed and said, "Of course not!"


    With that, Yuga stood up from his chair and extended his right hand.


    "Pleasure doing business with you!"


    "Pleasure doing business with you!"


    Beidou also got up and shook Yuga''s right hand.


    "Come on, I''ll take you to meet someone!"


    Yuga led Beidou outside.


    "Meet who?" Beidou asked curiously.


    "Of course, we''re going to meet your first disciple!"


    Naturally, Yuga intended to introduce Beidou to Sena. Since he was entrusting the task of building his faction to Beidou, Sena would be his responsibility in the future.


    After all, a master had to meet his disciple.


    "So, I''m not your number one employee?" Beidou eximed with surprise.


    Yuga smiled and said, "Well, you''re just a stepte!"


    Beidou pretended to be disappointed and said, "That''s a shame."


    Then he changed the subject and added, "But if I can''t be your number one employee, I guess being the master of your number one employee will have to do!"


    When Yuga and Beidou arrived at the new store, Sena was busy counting the number of Pok��mon eggs. When he saw Yuga enter, he happily greeted, "Boss, you''re here!"


    Upon noticing Beidou behind Yuga, Sena looked puzzled and asked, "Who is this?"


    "Follow us, and we''ll talk inside," Yuga said.


    Sena gestured to the few remaining customers in the store and said, "But what about the shop?"


    Yuga smiled and said, "That''s easy. You wait here."


    With that, he walked towards the workshop and soon returned with Misaki.


    "Misaki, can you watch the shop for a while? I need to talk with Sena and Beidou."


    Although Misaki didn''t know what was going on, she obediently nodded.


    Once they were in the customer waiting area, Beidou asked, "So, is this the disciple you mentioned?"


    Seeing someone around the same age as Yuga, Beidou immediately thought of Yuga''s formidable strength and felt somewhat uneasy.


    Yuga nodded and said, "Indeed."


    Beidou rubbed his chin, furrowing his brow, and asked Sena, "Do you have any Pok��mon?"


    Even though Sena was still a bit confused, he nodded obediently.


    "Release them, let me see!"


    Sena turned to look at Yuga, seeking his opinion. Seeing Yuga nod, Sena took out his Pok�� Ball and released his Trapinch.


    Beidou squatted down, carefully observing the Trapinch, then stood up and said to Yuga, "This Pok��mon is good, but judging by the strength of this Trapinch, isn''t the kid a bit too old for his age?"


    So not all young people are prodigies, Beidou thought, feeling relieved.


    Sena was already sixteen years old, just one year younger than Yuga, but his strength was worlds apart from Yuga''s.


    Beidou''s blunt words made both Yuga and Sena feel a bit awkward.


    Indeed, judging from the strength of his Pok��mon, Sena was not so young anymore, and Luna and Wattson''s strength probably wouldn''t be much weaker than his.


    Yuga exined, "His situation is a bit special; he only recently became a Trainer."


    "Oh, I see!" Beidou suddenly understood.


    At this point, Sena, who had been confused on the sidelines, asked softly, "Um, boss, can I ask what you guys are talking about?"


    Yuga pped his forehead and said, "I forgot to exin to you. Let me introduce formally. This is the teacher I found for you, who will be responsible for teaching you how to be a qualified Trainer."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Sena asked excitedly, "Really?"


    Although Sena had attended Trainer school, he dropped out halfway through, and he still struggled with many aspects of being a Trainer.


    While Yuga had hired him as a Trainee Trainer at YoYo Day Care, Sena had a hard time fully capitalizing on the benefits of the high-quality Pok��blocks provided daily. Thus, his progress had been limited.


    "Of course. He''s Beidou, my friend, and he will be your teacher from now on."


    Hearing this, Sena was thrilled and said, "That''s great! Hello, I''m Arata Sena. I look forward to learning from you!"


    He then bowed to Beidou, showing his respect.


    "Hello, nice to meet you."


    Sena''s unexpected enthusiasm left Beidou somewhat bewildered.


    Yuga suddenly asked, "By the way, have you thought about where you''ll be staying?"


    "No, not yet. I just came here to work. You''re not that cruel to leave me homeless, are you?" Beidou said, raising an eyebrow at Yuga.


    Yuga chuckled and said, "If you haven''t made any ns, I''ll arrange something for you. But if you have something in mind, feel free to do as you please."


    Beidou replied, "I''ve just arrived here, so I don''t know the ce at all. I don''t have any ns."


    "Alright,e with me then. I''ll show you where you''ll be staying. Sena, you go back to looking after the shop. Once I''ve arranged amodation for your teacher, you can catch up with himter."


    After saying that, Yuga led Beidou to the second floor of the new store.


    There were several rooms on the second floor, and everyday necessities were readily avable. Yuga had purchased them when Misaki moved in, just to be prepared.


    "The amodation conditions are quite good!"


    Beidou chose a sunny room, opened the window, andmented on the sunlight streaming in.


    Yuga said, "I''m d you like it. Take your time to settle in, and if you need anything, you can find me at the old store."


    "Sure, go about your business. Don''t worry about me."

 Chapter 335: Reunion in Mauville City

    <h4>Chapter 335: Reunion in Mauville City</h4>


    While still with Beidou, Yuga learned an unexpected piece of news: their team leader had gone missing.


    Although Yuga had found their team leader rather peculiar, he never expected him to vanish as soon as he returned to Ever Grande City.


    So Yuga shared his encounter with the Gengar attack on Illuma Ind with Beidou, which greatly surprised him.


    However, Yuga didn''t pay too much attention to their team leader''s situation. But if they crossed paths again, he wouldn''t hesitate to take action.


    When Beidou arrived at YoYo Day Care, he had more tasks than just teaching Sena.


    Yuga also asked him to explore the Verdanturf Town regrly to see if they could discover any promising talents. After all, building an influence required more than just Sena.


    However, this needed to be done gradually; there was no rush.


    In summary, Beidou''s arrival didn''t bring significant changes to YoYo Day Care, aside from having one more mouth to feed. Another benefit was that Yuga delegated the cooking duties to Beidou.


    As a Trainer who had traveled extensively, Beidou had excellent culinary skills. Unbeknownst to many, including Suzuki Koen, Windy, and Misaki, they believed Beidou was a chef specially hired by Yuga.


    Yuga''s aunt and uncle returned from their trip to Sootopolis City four dayster. Yuga personally picked them up from the airport.


    He could clearly sense his aunt''s improved mood; she always had a smile on her face and chatted incessantly about Luna''s progress at school. Luna had been doing exceptionally well, both in terms of behavior and academic performance. It seemed that the change in environment had transformed her somewhat fragile personality. Yuga''s aunt was immensely proud of her.


    Yuga also made a point of calling Robert to express his gratitude.


    One day, Yuga received a call from Director Mond, informing him that a new batch of Pok��mon Eggs had arrived and invited Yuga to pick them up.


    Yuga set off that very day.


    This time, he didn''t use his Dragonair or the shortcut through the Rusturf Tunnel. Instead, he took the official route.


    This was because he nned to make a detour to Mauville City to investigate his parents'' situation.


    He didn''t bring Chimecho with him this time; instead, he brought his Great Flygon that had recently brokenthrought.


    Chimecho still struggled to control her excessive psychic power, even though she could now limit the effect to a three-meter radius centered around her. However, within this range, the gravitational pressure became even greater.


    Currently, no one dared to approach her. Even the workers who prepared her food ced the Pok��blocks far away, allowing her to eat on her own.


    Yuga had sworn off trains and high-speed rail travel due to his past experiences. He had a lingering aversion to them.


    Afternding, Yuga walked through the familiar streets of Mauville City with mixed feelings.


    Thest time he had been here, Audino had been by his side, and they had explored the city''s culinary delights together.


    Yuga didn''t rush to visit the Lumines Jewelry Shop this time. Instead, he nned to register at the Pok��mon Center; he knew he wouldn''t be leaving today.


    As Yuga walked towards the Pok��mon Center, he didn''t notice a ck car on the opposite side of the road. An elderly man inside the car was watching him intently.


    As soon as he walked to the door of the Pok��mon Center and was about to go in, he was blocked by a sturdy man wearing a ck suit and ck sunsses.


    Yuga couldn''t help but wonder about this situation. Who was this man dressed in such a mafia-like attire? Had he already offended someone in Mauville City, right after his arrival?


    "Is it Young Master Shimizu?"


    He appeared rather fierce, but surprisingly, his tone was polite, and his demeanor quite friendly.


    It seems like he''s not here to cause trouble.


    Yuga looked at the imposing man and couldn''t help but think, "What kind of setup is this? Does this thug really think I''m a ''young master''? Do I even remotely resemble one?"


    After a momentarypse, Yuga couldn''t resist looking down at his attire for the day. Well, it was quite ordinary; he certainly didn''t look like a "young master."


    "I''m Shimizu Yuga. Who are you?" Yuga inquired.


    "Hello, I''m Ryuichi," the imposing man responded politely, despite his intimidating appearance. His tone was friendly and gentle.


    It seemed like this wasn''t a hostile encounter. But why did they think he was a "young master"?


    The man in the suit introduced himself as Ryuichi.


    "Ryuichi? I don''t know you," Yuga replied.


    "Our old man would like to invite you over," Ryuichi continued.


    Yuga couldn''t help but think this situation resembled something out of a TV drama. However, the man in front of him didn''t seem like an antagonist.


    But who was this "old man"? Did Yuga know any old men who might be involved?


    "May I ask who your old man is..."


    "You''ll find out once you arrive. Please don''t misunderstand; our old man simply wants to meet you," Ryuichi exined.


    Ryuichi was significantly taller than Yuga, forcing Yuga to look up at him. Yuga wondered what this man had been eating to grow so tall. Chicken feet, perhaps? Yuga sighed; he felt exhausted.


    Despite his intimidating appearance, Ryuichi seemed like a decent person. Yuga reluctantly nodded and followed him, ready to meet this mysterious "old man."


    Yuga and Ryuichi got into an upscale-looking ck car. Yuga wasn''t familiar with luxury cars, but it certainly appeared high-end.


    After a short drive, they arrived at a stylish teahouse.


    As Yuga followed Ryuichi inside, he noticed that the teahouse waspletely empty. It seemed like they had reserved the entire ce��truly extravagant.


    However, Ryuichi''s next words surprised Yuga, making him realize how little he knew.


    "This teahouse belongs to our old man, and it''s only open when our old man isn''t here."


    So, when the old man was present, they didn''t run the business? That was another level of extravagance!


    As they passed through several beaded curtains, Yuga finally saw an elderly man with white hair sitting inside.


    "Is it you, sir?" Yuga eximed in surprise.


    It turned out that this "old man" was the one who had sold him herb seeds in Mossdeep City and given him the "Comprehensive Guide of Medical Herb Cultivation."


    The old man nced at Yuga, nodded in acknowledgment, but didn''t speak. Instead, he gestured toward a chair opposite him, indicating for Yuga to sit down.


    Yuga approached, bowed slightly to show respect, and took a seat across from the old man.


    The old man poured a cup of tea from the teapot in front of him and pushed it toward Yuga, saying, "Try it."


    The tea had a pale green color with a few delicate leaves floating inside. As Yuga took a sip, he found it delicious but couldn''t quite describe the vor.


    "Great tea!" Yugaplimented.


    The old man asked, "Do you understand tea?"


    The old man continued to be concise in his words.


    Embarrassed, Yuga replied, "Heh... I don''t, but it tastes good."


    The old man didn''t mind and simply nodded.


    "I wonder why you''ve invited me here?" Yuga couldn''t help but ask.


    The old man shook his head and said, "No specific reason, I saw you on the street and wanted to meet you. Do you have any urgent matters? You can leave; don''t mind me."


    Yuga shook his head; he didn''t have any urgent matters. And he wasn''t in a hurry to deal with his own affairs.

 Chapter 336: The Manor

    <h4>Chapter 336: The Manor</h4>


    "I don''t know how to address you, sir," Yuga suddenly realized he still didn''t know the name of the elderly man sitting in front of him. He had askedst time but didn''t get an answer.


    "You can call me Kuni''o," the old man said after taking a sip of tea, offering two simple sybles.


    Yuga nodded in acknowledgment. "Kuni''o" sounded quite dignified.


    "Did you read the book I gave youst time?" Kuni''o suddenly asked, breaking the silence.


    Yuga hurriedly replied, "Ah, yes, I read it, at least some of it."


    Kuni''o nodded and asked Yuga a few questions rted to the knowledge in the book. He didn''t press Yuga too hard and focused on topics rted to the seeds Yuga had purchased. Yuga''s responses were fluent, which seemed to satisfy Kuni''o.


    "How did you know I was in Mauville City?" Yuga asked, feeling a bit awkward sitting in silence for so long.


    "I saw you on the street," Kuni''o replied.


    Wait a minute! Yuga thought, I remember Ryuichi immediately called out his own name on the street. Did I introduce myself?


    "Do you know me?" Yuga couldn''t help but ask.


    "I''ve investigated you," the old man said straightforwardly.


    "Um..." Yuga didn''t know what to say.


    "nning to stay in Mauville City for long?" Kuni''o asked as they continued sitting in silence.


    Yuga answered, "I''m not sure yet, I have some things to take care of before I leave."


    "Do you have a ce to stay?" Kuni''o inquired.


    "I''ll go to the Pok��mon Centerter," Yuga replied.


    "Come to my ce," Kuni''o said, standing up abruptly and leaving without finishing his tea.


    Seeing this, Yuga had no choice but to follow. They passed through the beaded curtains, and Kuni''o instructed Ryuichi, who was guarding outside, to "go back." Ryuichi nodded and followed Yuga.


    "Sir, do I really have to stay at your ce?" Yuga asked as they walked toward the teahouse''s exit.


    "What''s wrong? Do you have any issues with it?" Kuni''o suddenly stopped, turned around, and asked.


    Yuga noticed that Kuni''o had been wearing a serious expression since their meeting. His face showed no other emotions, which was a bit intimidating.


    "No, no!" Yuga hurriedly shook his head.


    After hearing Yuga''s response, Kuni''o turned and continued walking. Yuga had to quicken his pace to keep up.


    Despite Kuni''o''s white hair, he walked briskly and didn''t seem like an elderly person at all. Yuga had a hard time keeping up with him.


    Once they reached the ck car they had arrived in, Yuga got in with Kuni''o, and they headed to the Northern outskirts of Mauville City. They stopped at the entrance of arge estate.


    The estate was substantial but not overly luxurious, radiating a natural and rustic charm. It felt somewhat like a farmhouse, although muchrger.


    After getting out of the car, Kuni''o turned to Ryuichi and said, "Ryuichi, arrange a ce for him."


    "Yes, sir," Ryuichi bowed.


    Kuni''o then left, leaving Yuga and Ryuichi standing at the entrance of the estate. The driver also drove away with the car.


    "Young Master Shimizu, please follow me," Ryuichi respectfully said, motioning for Yuga to follow him.


    As Yuga walked alongside him into the estate, he said, "Mr. Ryuichi, can you stop calling me ''young master''? It sounds awkward. Just call me Yuga; that''s how everyone else addresses me."


    "I can''t do that," Ryuichi said firmly. "You are our master''s distinguished guest. It wouldn''t be appropriate to address you casually. Also, you can simply call me Ryuichi; there''s no need for the ''mister.''"


    Once inside the estate, Ryuichi removed his intimidating ck sunsses, and he seemed much friendlier.


    Indeed, the eyes were the windows to the soul. With just his eyes visible, Ryuichi no longer appeared as menacing.


    Yuga attempted to change how Ryuichi addressed him, but his efforts were in vain. Since they had just met and Yuga didn''t want to engage in lengthy discussions, he decided to let it go.


    "Are there any other people living here besides Mr. Kuni''o?" Yuga asked, looking up.


    Talking to tall people was truly exhausting! Oh, my neck!


    Ryuichi smiled and replied, "No, just Mr. Kuni''o and I live here."


    "Wow, with such arge estate, don''t you need people to maintain it regrly?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    "We have Pok��mon to take care of that," Ryuichi exined, pointing towards the courtyard.


    Yuga looked into the courtyard and indeed saw a multitude of Grass-type Pok��mon. There were Leavannys trimming the nts, Bellossomes watering them, Sunfloras tending to thewn, and many other Grass-type Pok��mon like Sceptile, Vileplume, Jumpluff, Ludicolo, Roserade, Nuzleaf, and Breloom. Yuga was overwhelmed by the variety of Grass Pok��mon he saw.


    "I see," Yuga said softly.


    "By the way, are you a Trainer?" Yuga casually asked.


    "Of course! Can''t you tell?" Ryuichi replied with pride. "Our master is a very skilled Trainer, you know!"


    Whenever Ryuichi mentioned Mr. Kuni''o, admiration would appear on his face involuntarily.


    Mr. Kuni''o must be a Grass-type specialist Trainer, judging from the assortment of Grass-type Pok��mon and theyout of the estate.


    However, Yuga couldn''t recall any particrly famous Grass-type Trainers in Hoenn region.


    After crossing the courtyard, Yuga followed Ryuichi to the inner courtyard.


    The entire estate was designed in an antique style and divided into inner and outer courtyards, giving it a tranquil andyered feel.


    Ryuichi stopped in front of a small courtyard, and turning to Yuga, he said, "You''ll be staying here."


    Just as Ryuichi finished speaking, a Bellossom walked out of the small courtyard, tilting her head as she looked at Yuga and Ryuichi.


    "Bellossom!"


    Seeing Bellossome out, Ryuichi smiled and said, "Perfect timing, Bellossom! This guest will be staying here. Please take care of him."


    "Bellossom, Bellossom!"


    Upon hearing Ryuichi''s words, Bellossom happily spun around and then curtsied to Yuga, lifting the edge of her floral skirt.


    Oh, she even knows how to curtsy! What a polite Pok��mon, Yuga thought in amazement.


    "Bellossom is the caretaker of this small courtyard. You can ask her for anything you need," Ryuichi exined.


    Yuga nodded in understanding. It truly was a ce with only two living beings �C himself and a caretaker Pok��mon.


    Bellossom gently approached Yuga and took his hand, pulling him towards the courtyard. Yuga looked back at Ryuichi, who nodded, and followed Bellossom into the courtyard.


    Inside the courtyard, Yuga found everything he needed, and it was beautifully arranged. He turned to Bellossom and asked, "Did you arrange everything here?"


    "Bellossom."


    With half-closed eyes, Bellossom nodded at Yuga.


    "You''re an impressive little caretaker," Yugaplimented, patting Bellossom''s head.


    Hearing Yuga''s praise, Bellossom was delighted and started dancing in ce, releasing a sweet fragrance that filled the room.

 Chapter 337: Luminescent Jewelry Shop

    <h4>Chapter 337: Luminescent Jewelry Shop</h4>


    After inspecting the room and returning outside, Ryuichi was waiting at the door.


    Seeing Yugae out, Ryuichi smiled and said, "Shall I show you around some more? It''s better to get familiar with the ce, so you don''t get lostter."


    Yuga nodded in agreement. This estate was indeed quiterge, and he didn''t want to get lost.


    With Ryuichi as his guide, Yuga toured most of the estate. Eventually, Ryuichi handed Yuga over to Bellossom, and then Ryuichi left.


    In the evening, Bellossom led Yuga to the dining room.


    When Yuga arrived, Mr. Kuni''o and Ryuichi were already there, and the table was filled with various dishes.


    Seeing Yuga approach, Ryuichi happily said, "Yuga,e and sit down! The kitchen has prepared a special meal for you today!"


    After pulling Yuga to a seat, Ryuichi took his ce opposite Yuga, while Mr. Kuni''o sat at the head of the table.


    "Please, start eating. Try if it suits your taste," Ryuichi said with a smile, gesturing to the delicious spread of food in front of Yuga.


    Looking at the table filled with dishes, Yuga noticed that the tes in front of Mr. Kuni''o and Ryuichi primarily contained vegetarian dishes, while his te had meat dishes.


    He couldn''t help but wonder how someone grew so tall just eating vegetables. Yuga nced at Ryuichi, then back at the vegetables on his te, finding it hard toprehend.


    The food was incredibly delicious, surpassing even Audino''s cooking skills. Yuga was so amazed that he nearly bit his own tongue.


    After finishing the dinner, Yuga let out an unexpected burp, feeling a bit embarrassed. However, he saw Ryuichi smiling kindly at him, while Mr. Kuni''o remained as expressionless as ever.


    At that moment, Mr. Kuni''o beckoned to the side, and a Nuzleaf carried a tray to Yuga. The tray held a small golden key.


    Yuga looked at it curiously and asked, "What''s this?"


    "It''s the estate''s pass, allowing you toe and go freely during your stay in Mauville City. With this key, the Pok��mon in the estate won''t obstruct your movements," Mr. Kuni''o exined.


    Yuga hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Why are you taking such good care of me? We have no family ties."


    "You''ll find out in due time. For now, just rx and stay here. I won''t harm you," Mr. Kuni''o replied, keeping his reasons to himself.


    Yuga couldn''t help but feel anxious and uncertain about Mr. Kuni''o''s mysterious intentions.


    "By the way, while you''re here, don''t feel obligated to visit me. You cane and go as you please. There''s no need to bid farewell when you leave," Mr. Kuni''o added before getting up and leaving.


    What a capricious old man, Yuga sighed deeply.


    Ryuichi smiled and said to Yuga, "Just rx and stay here. Mr. Kuni''o is probably delighted; you''re the first person he''s brought here in years."


    After saying that, Ryuichi also got up and left.


    Yuga then picked up the golden key and returned to his courtyard with Bellossom.


    The next day, Yuga was awakened by Bellossom. After getting ready, breakfast was brought to his room by Bellossom.


    This became Yuga''s daily routine �C his needs were effortlessly met.


    After breakfast, Yuga decided to visit the Luminescent Jewelry Shop, as that was the primary reason he came to Mauville City.


    Bellossom apanied Yuga to the estate''s entrance, watching him until his figure disappeared before returning to the courtyard.


    Compared to hisst visit, Mauville City hadn''t changed much. Yuga took out the address given to him by Fiona and made his way to Luminescent Jewelry Shop.


    Luminescent Jewelry Shop wasn''t hard to find; it was located right in the center of Mauville City. Yuga followed the address and easily arrived at the location.


    The reason it isn''t famous isn''t solely because its clientele consists of the upper ss; it''s also because unlike other shops, it doesn''t have a distinctive sign. A simple, sleek building stands there, guarded by two individuals who appear highly professional.


    If it weren''t for prior knowledge that this was a jewelry store, one wouldn''t be able to tell from the outside.


    When Yuga entered, the two guards didn''t obstruct him, suggesting that no special permissions were required for entry.


    The interior of the jewelry store was luxurious, and Yuga was nearly dazzled upon entering. Counters disying various jewelry pieces were neatly arranged in the spacious hall.


    At this time, the store wasn''t crowded; apart from Yuga, there were only two or three customers, each elegantly dressed and clearly well-off.


    As Yuga stepped in, a friendly saleswoman with a bright smile approached him.


    "Hello, sir. How can I assist you today?" she inquired politely.


    Yuga replied, "May I speak with your manager, please?"


    The saleswoman blinked in surprise for a moment, then smiled and asked, "Is there something specific you''d like assistance with? Usually, I can help with most inquiries."


    Yuga shook his head and said, "I have something to discuss with your manager."


    The saleswoman responded, "Very well, sir. Please wait a moment, and I''ll inquire for you."


    Yuga nodded appreciatively and said, "Thank you."


    The saleswoman guided Yuga to a sofa on the side of the spacious hall before heading off.


    Watching the saleswoman walk away, Yuga marveled at the high level of service and courtesy in this establishment. It truly was a ce that catered to high society.


    It didn''t take long before the saleswoman returned, saying, "I apologize for the wait. Our manager is waiting for you in the meeting room. Please follow me."


    Yuga rose from the sofa and thanked the saleswoman, who replied with a smile, "It''s my pleasure."


    Under her guidance, Yuga arrived at the door of a meeting room, where the saleswoman lightly knocked.


    "Pleasee in," a melodious voice from within the room beckoned.


    It seemed that the manager here was a beautiful woman, Yuga thought.


    As expected, upon entering the room with the saleswoman, Yuga spotted a woman in her thirties sitting on the sofa.


    When she saw Yuga enter, the woman stood up, greeted him with a smile, and said, "Is this young man here to meet with me? Please have a seat."


    After Yuga sat down, the manager poured him a cup of tea and asked, "May I inquire about your name?"


    "I''m Shimizu Yuga."


    "Ah, Mr. Shimizu. I''m Juliana, the general manager of Luminescent Jewelry Shop. May I ask what brings you here today?"

 Chapter 338: Fruitless Inquiry

    <h4>Chapter 338: Fruitless Inquiry</h4>


    "Miss Juliana, hello. I''vee to inquire about something," Yuga said.


    "Inquire about what?" Juliana asked, puzzled.


    "Yes," Yuga nodded.


    With that, Yuga took out a box, revealing a jade-green bracelet, and gently pushed it toward Juliana.


    "Do you have any impression of this bracelet, Miss Juliana? It''s said to have been sold here."


    Looking at the bracelet in front of her, Juliana furrowed her brow. She couldn''t recall anything specific. They had sold so many pieces of jewelry here, and she couldn''t possibly remember each one.


    After a moment of thought, Juliana apologized to Yuga, saying, "I''m sorry, but I can''t recall it."


    "Please, take your time to think. It''s essential to me," Yuga requested.


    Seeing Yuga''s serious expression, Juliana thought for a while and said, "Please wait."


    Yuga nodded.


    Juliana rose from her seat in the reception room and returned with arge ledger.


    "This is our recent sales record of jewelry. If this bracelet indeed came from here, there should be a record of it," Juliana exined.


    Yuga acknowledged with a nod.


    After Juliana sat back down, she inquired about the date of the bracelet''s sale. Yuga didn''t have the exact time, as he hadn''t purchased it himself. However, from Miss Fiona''s conversation, he could estimate a rough timeframe.


    Listening to Yuga''s description, Juliana carefully examined the sales records.


    After about fifteen minutes, Juliana closed the ledger and asked Yuga, "May I know, sir, why you''re so interested in this bracelet? If there''s an issue with it, we''ll take responsibility."


    Yuga shook his head and said, "There''s no issue with the bracelet. I simply want to know who sold this bracelet to Luminescent Jewelry Shop."


    Hearing this, Juliana furrowed her brow and replied, "This bracelet is indeed from our shop, but ording to our records, it was purchased by ady."


    Yuga nodded and exined, "That''s correct. However, thedy has transferred it to me."


    Juliana said, "Regardless of who currently possesses the bracelet, once it leaves our shop, we have no control over it. But since the bracelet itself has no issues, I can''t answer your question."


    "Please, you must tell me. It''s crucial to me," Yuga insisted.


    Juliana apologized, "No matter how you request it, I''m sorry, but I can''t disclose any information about any customer. It''s a matter of our principle."


    As expected, things weren''t going as smoothly as Fiona had suggested.


    "I wonder what price I have to pay to learn more about this bracelet," Yuga wondered aloud.


    Juliana asked curiously, "May I ask why you''re so persistent about this bracelet, sir?"


    "I have my reasons that I must know," Yuga replied. He didn''t want to reveal his parents'' situation, and he doubted that Juliana would divulge details just out of sympathy for him.


    Seeing that Yuga didn''t want to share further, Juliana didn''t press and simply said, "You don''t need to pay any price because we won''t disclose any information. It''s a matter of our principles."


    The negotiation between Yuga and Juliana continued for a long time, but Juliana remained adamant about not revealing any information.


    "If you have no other matters, please leave. I have other things to attend to," Juliana eventually said, showing Yuga the door.


    After Juliana left the reception room, Yuga, realizing that his inquiry had hit a dead end, sighed and exited Luminescent Jewelry Shop.


    Stepping out of the grand entrance of Luminescent Jewelry Shop, Yuga turned to look at the imposing building, unsure of how to obtain the information he sought.


    Just then, a car pulled up in front of Yuga, and the window rolled down.


    "Mr. Shimizu!"


    Seeing the person in the car, Yuga eximed in surprise, "Miss Fiona! You''re back from Verdant Shade Town?"


    Fiona smiled and replied, "Yes, just returned! So, you''vee to Lavender City. Is it rted to Luminescent Jewelry Shop?"


    Yuga nodded.


    Observing Yuga''s troubled expression, Fionamented, "It seems things aren''t going well."


    Yuga nodded again, saying, "Indeed, they''re unwilling to reveal any information."


    "Oh, I haven''t introduced you yet. This is my husband, Michael."


    Fiona gestured, and Yuga, through the car window, saw a man sitting beside her.


    "Hello, Mr. Shimizu!"


    Michael leaned over to greet Yuga.


    "Do you know me?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    "Fiona mentioned you to me," Michael exined with a smile.


    "In that case, let''s find a ce to sit and talk morefortably!"


    Fiona suggested.


    Yuga and Michael both agreed.


    So, the three of them found a nearby restaurant and took their seats.


    After ordering some food, Yuga asked, "Miss Fiona, are you also going to Luminescent Jewelry Shop?"


    Fiona took a sip of her coffee and smiled, saying, "Yes, indeed! After you bought that bracelet, I thought of getting another one. Today, both Michael and I had some free time, so we came to have a look."


    Yuga nodded.


    "Mr. Shimizu, did youe to Lavender City specifically for this bracelet?" Michael inquired. He knew a bit about Yuga''s situation, as Fiona had informed him upon her return.


    Yuga nodded and exined, "Yes, but please don''t call me Mr. Shimizu. It sounds awkward. Just call me Yuga."


    Both of them were more than a decade older than him, and being addressed with formal titles and honorifics made Yuga ufortable. Although he understood it might be rted to their upbringing, it still felt awkward.


    "Very well!" they agreed.


    "Do you happen to know if there''s any way to make Luminescent Jewelry Shop divulge information?" Yuga asked. He didn''t have much knowledge about Lavender City or Luminescent Jewelry Shop, so he hoped that these locals, especially Fiona and Michael, might have some insights.


    Michael stroked his chin, furrowing his brow. "It won''t be that easy. The owner of Luminescent Jewelry Shop isn''t an ordinary person. He''s maintained strict principles in his business for years, and even close acquaintances find it hard to sway him. That''s one of the reasons his business has thrived."


    Fiona chimed in, "Exactly. What you''re trying to find out involves revealing the information of their customers, which goes against their business principles. Getting them to open up won''t be easy."

 Chapter 339: A Hint

    <h4>Chapter 339: A Hint</h4>


    At that moment, Michel noticed something on Yuga''s wrist, and his pupils involuntarily contracted. Then, he looked meaningfully at Yuga and said, "However, if it''s you, Yuga, there might be a turning point."


    Yuga asked curiously, "What do you mean?"


    "The answer is right on your left wrist!" Michel pointed to Yuga''s left wrist.


    Yuga raised his left wrist, revealing a small golden key hanging there.


    "You mean this?" Yuga touched the golden key hanging from his wrist and asked.


    This golden key was the one Mr. Kuni''o had given himst night as a pass to enter and exit the estate.


    Michel nodded and said, "Yes, the owner of that key might be able to help you."


    Mr. Kuni''o could help me? Even though Yuga already knew that Mr. Kuni''o wasn''t a simple person, he didn''t expect him to be even more extraordinary than he imagined.


    "Do you know Mr. Kuni''o, Michel?"


    Michel let out a sigh and said, "This key is undoubtedly from Mr. Kuni''o."


    Yuga nodded.


    "Then perhaps, aside from Mr. Kuni''o, no one else can help you."


    But Mr. Kuni''o had told him not to disturb him unless it was necessary.


    With these thoughts in mind, Yuga couldn''t help but feel anxious. Well, he thought, I''ll go and ask Ryuichi for advice!


    "Michel, Fiona, I have something else to attend to, so I''ll be going. Let''s arrange to meet again!"


    Yuga was in a hurry to see Ryuichi now.


    "Sure, go ahead with your business. We''ll meet another time." Michel nodded.


    Before leaving, Yuga exchanged contact information with Michel.


    Watching Yuga''s hurried departure, Michelmented, "It seems this young man is even more extraordinary than we imagined!"


    Fiona also nodded and said, "Indeed! Who would have thought he would have a connection with Mr. Kuni''o?"


    Armed with Michel''s hint, Yuga rushed back to the estate. When he returned to his small courtyard, he found Bellossom.


    "Bellossom, can you take me to see Ryuichi?"


    The estate was too vast, and Yuga didn''t know where Ryuichi lived, so he turned to Bellossom for help.


    "Bellossom, Bellossom!"


    Bellossom, who was sweeping the courtyard with a broom, heard Yuga''s request, nodded, and although it didn''t understand why Yuga wanted to find Ryuichi, it was more than willing to help him.


    Following Bellossom through several winding paths, Yuga was led to the entrance of another courtyard.


    Bellossom approached the courtyard gate and knocked on it. After the gate opened, a Roserade poked its head out from the gap.


    "Roserade!"


    The Roserade was delighted to see Bellossom and immediately opened the gate, inviting Bellossom inside. It was clear that the two spirits had a close rtionship.


    "Bellossom, Bellossom..."


    Bellossom held back the excited Roserade and chattered with it for a while. Then the Roserade noticed Yuga standing behind Bellossom.


    After a nce at Yuga, the Roserade nodded at Bellossom and then turned around and disappeared back into the courtyard.


    When the Roserade returned, it had a message from Ryuichi, and Bellossom led Yuga into the courtyard.


    The estate was truly unique, with everything being handled by Grass-type Pok��mon. It was an eye-opening experience for Yuga.


    As Yuga entered the courtyard, he saw Ryuichi wearing casual home attire and trimming the branches of a flower in the garden.


    Upon seeing Yuga, Ryuichi put down his scissors and greeted him warmly, "Young Master Shimizu is here!"


    Since Ryuichi hadn''t gone out today, he wasn''t wearing his usual ck suit. Despite his imposing height, he appeared much milder in casual attire, with a friendly smile on his face.


    Yuga didn''t beat around the bush and went straight to the point, "I want to inquire at Luminescent Jewelry Shop, but I wasn''t sessful. I came to ask if you have any ideas."


    "Luminescent Jewelry Shop, huh!" Ryuichi said, looking down for a moment. Then, he smiled and said, "What''s that? Come on, I''ll apany you. I guarantee there won''t be any issues."


    "Don''t we need to ask Mr. Kuni''o for permission first?"


    Yuga was somewhat worried. Ryuichi''s approach seemed too direct. Could they really just show up like this?


    Ryuichi waved off Yuga''s concerns, saying, "No need to trouble yourself with such small matters, Master. Leave it to me. You won''t have to worry about a thing."


    Yuga had no choice but to nod in agreement.


    "Wait here for a moment, Young Master. Let me change into something appropriate."


    Ryuichi turned and entered the house. When he emerged, he was back in his ck suit, even wearing sunsses.


    Yuga thought to himself, "Come on, Ryuichi, we''re not going to a fight! There''s no need for this!"


    "Let''s go, Young Master Shimizu!"


    Yuga shook his head weakly and followed Ryuichi briskly.


    On the way, Yuga asked Ryuichi, "Ryuichi, why are you so good to me?"


    Ryuichi smiled and said, "Well, it''s because the Master values you."


    "But why does the Master value me?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    Ryuichi shrugged and said, "I don''t know that. But the Master has his reasons, and since he values you, you are someone I must respect."


    Yuga couldn''t quite grasp Ryuichi''s logic.


    Once they entered Luminescent Jewelry Shop, the same saleswoman who had helped Yuga before approached them.


    "Sir, you''re back! Are you here to see our manager again?"


    However, upon seeing Ryuichi standing next to Yuga, the saleswoman couldn''t help but shiver. He was too intimidating with his imposing presence.


    Yuga nodded in confirmation.


    "Please wait a moment, I''ll inform the manager."


    The saleswoman rushed off as if fleeing, leaving Yuga rather bemused.


    It seemed that Ryuichi''s attire was a bit too overwhelming for regr people. Yuga sighed to himself.


    Soon, they were once again escorted into a meeting room, where Juliana was already waiting.


    "I told you..."


    Juliana was about to speak, but as soon as she saw Ryuichi, her voice abruptly trailed off.


    "Ryu... Ryuichi... Mr. Ryuichi, why are you here?"


    Juliana looked at Ryuichi with a terrified expression. The stern attitude she had disyed earlier had vanished, reced by fear.


    The rapid change in Juliana''s demeanor left Yuga and Ryuichi equally stunned.


    "I''m here apanying our young master! He has some questions he''d like to ask!"


    Ryuichi casually walked over to the sofa and took a seat.


    "Young... young master?"


    Juliana looked at Yuga in disbelief.


    "Yes, any problem?" Ryuichi asked unapologetically.


    "But... but... what the young master wants to know is..."


    Juliana stammered.


    "No matter what it is! Hurry up and take care of it! Do you want me to personally find Genos?"


    Ryuichi furrowed his brow.


    "N-no, of course not! I''ll go and attend to it right away! Mr. Ryuichi and the young master, please wait a moment."


    Juliana quickly rushed out of the reception room.


    Seeing this, Ryuichi turned to Yuga and said with a smile, "Come on, Young Master Shimizu, don''t just stand there. Have a seat!"


    Yuga walked over and sat down, not sure what to say. Even principles couldn''t withstand power and influence, it seemed.


    Wasn''t this a case of abusing authority? Well forget it...

 Chapter 340: Motohara

    <h4>Chapter 340: Motohara</h4>


    Yuga sat beside Ryuichi, feeling somewhat a little emotional. Who were Ryuichi and Mr. Kuni''o? What kind of individuals couldmand such respect from Luminescent Jewelry Shop?


    As Yuga drifted into thought, Juliana returned to the reception room, clutching the sales record once more.


    She opened the record book to the section rted to the emerald bracelet, then ced it in front of Yuga, saying, "Young sir, the information you seek is right here."


    Yuga nced at the record book, which was filled with detailed information. It not only contained a photo of the emerald bracelet, the date of sale, but also the names and photos of the purchasers.


    Yuga quickly spotted Fiona''s photo in the record.


    Luminescent Jewelry Shop was indeed peculiar. Recording the buyers'' names should suffice, so why include their photos? Nevertheless, this made it convenient for Yuga.


    He swiftly located the information he sought under the "Source" column.


    Not only did it have a name, but there was also a photo. Yuga pointed to the half-body photo of Motohara, a middle-aged man with a rugged appearance, thick eyebrows, and bold features.


    The photo only showed his upper body, making it hard to gauge his height, but based on what was visible, he didn''t appear very tall.


    There was no additional information avable.


    Yuga pointed at Motohara''s photo and asked Juliana, "May I take this photo with me?"


    Juliana hesitated briefly but eventually nodded. She then said to Yuga, "Please wait a moment."


    She left the reception room once again. When she returned, she held an identical photo detached from the record book.


    "Here you go. I hope this helps."


    Yuga epted the photo and thanked Juliana, who nodded in resignation.


    "Alright, we''re done here, Young Master Shimizu. Let''s go."


    Ryuichi stood up from the sofa, signaling Yuga that it was time to leave.


    Yuga nodded and safely stored Motohara''s photo. He was ready to depart alongside Ryuichi.


    Before leaving, Ryuichi told Juliana, "Give my regards to Genos."


    "Don''t worry; I will."


    By now, Juliana had lost much of the fear and unease she had shown earlier when meeting Ryuichi. She probably realized that Ryuichi wasn''t there to cause trouble.


    As soon as Yuga and Ryuichi left the meeting room, Juliana dialed a phone number.


    "Boss, Mr. Ryuichi came with a young man and took away a customer''s information."


    A young male voice came from the other end of the line.


    "Oh, whose information did they take?"


    "It was a customer named Motohara."


    "Motohara? The name sounds familiar, but is he an important client?"


    "He''s not particrly significant; he only visited the store once. We haven''t investigated his identity thoroughly. Should I look into it?"


    "If he''s not important, let it go. However, I''m quite interested in the young man Ryuichi brought with him. Do you know his identity?"


    The young man on the phone sounded genuinely curious.


    "I only know his name is Shimizu Yuga, but I don''t have any further details."


    "Check it out."


    "Understood."


    The phone call ended, and Juliana let out a deep sigh.


    Ah, what a frustrating boss who doesn''t appreciate his employees'' work.


    On the other side of town, on their way back to the estate, Yuga turned to Ryuichi and said, "Thank you, Ryuichi."


    Ryuichi replied nonchntly, "No need to thank me. It''s what I should do."


    Yuga didn''t press the matter further; otherwise, Ryuichi would likely start talking about how he was valued by "the Master" again.


    "Oh, by the way, Young Master, are you looking for someone named Motohara?" Ryuichi suddenly asked.


    "Yes, do you know him?" Yuga asked eagerly.


    Ryuichi shook his head and replied, "No, I don''t."


    Yuga felt disappointed. If he didn''t know him, why bother asking? It was a waste of his emotions.


    "Do you have any other information about this person? Like where he lives or any other details? I could help you look into it," Ryuichi continued.


    Yuga shook his head and said, "I don''t know anything else. I didn''t even know about this person until recently."


    Ryuichi stroked his chin and furrowed his brows. "Thatplicates things. In a world this vast, who knows where he might be?"


    Yuga nodded in agreement and said, "Indeed, it''s quite frustrating."


    Ryuichi then asked, "By the way, why are you looking for this person? Didn''t you say you didn''t know him at all?"


    Yuga contemted for a moment and decided to confide in Ryuichi. Perhaps he could offer some advice.


    "I suspect this person might be connected to my parents'' deaths."


    "Why do you think that?" Ryuichi was puzzled.


    Ryuichi was aware of Yuga''s parents'' tragic deaths, as he had helped Mr. Kuni''o investigate Yuga. However, he had no idea that this Motohara person could be rted to the case.


    Yuga exined, "He sold the emerald bracelet to Luminescent Jewelry Shop, and it was my mother''s heirloom."


    "I see! In that case, we must find this person!" Ryuichi''s tone became resolute.


    As soon as Yuga mentioned his mother''s heirloom being sold, it was hard to believe that this person had no connection to him.


    "However, at the moment, all I have is this photo and his name. I don''t have any leads," Yuga sighed.


    "Wait a moment! There might be a ce where we can find this person!" Ryuichi suddenly eximed with excitement.


    "Really? Where? Please take me there!" Yuga grabbed Ryuichi''s arm, thrilled.


    Seeing Yuga''s eagerness, Ryuichi chuckled and said, "Young Master Shimizu, let''s discuss it tomorrow. It''s gettingte, and you can see that the sun is about to set. We should head back."


    Yuga looked up at the sky and realized that it was alreadyte afternoon. He had spent most of the day going back and forth.


    "Alright, let''s talk about it tomorrow. It''s not urgent for now," Yuga agreed, feeling moreposed.


    "By the way, Young Master, I bet you''re hungry. How about I have the kitchen prepare something delicious for you? Is there anything specific you''d like to eat?" Ryuichi asked warmly.


    Yuga smiled and said, "I''ll eat anything; I''m not a picky eater."


    "Not picky? Excellent! I''ll have the kitchen make something then," Ryuichi happily responded.


    Yuga couldn''t help but find it odd that Ryuichi, who looked imposing and spoke with a tough demeanor, was now using such warm and caring words. He remembered that Ryuichi had mentioned that only he and Mr. Kuni''o lived in the estate. So, if the kitchen staff were also Grass-type Pok��mon, weren''t they afraid of fire?

 Chapter 341: White Light Intelligence Bureau

    <h4>Chapter 341: White Light Intelligence Bureau</h4>


    When Yuga and Ryuichi returned to the estate, they were greeted by the sight of Bellossom waiting eagerly at the entrance, resembling a young wife anticipating her husband''s return.


    "Bellossom, Bellossom!"


    Upon seeing Yuga, Bellossom immediately waved and, as Yuga approached, it rushed over to greet him warmly.


    "Hey, hey! Can''t you see me, even though I''m this big?" Ryuichiughed and teased Bellossom.


    Bellossom then shyly greeted Ryuichi, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    After some yful banter with Bellossom, Ryuichi turned to Yuga and said, "Young Master Shimizu, why don''t you go back to your courtyard? When dinner is ready, I''ll have Bellossom bring it to your room."


    Yuga nodded and said, "Thank you."


    Yuga then returned to his courtyard with Bellossom. After a long day, he was starting to feel tired and wanted to rest as soon as possible.


    In the evening, as promised by Ryuichi, Yuga''s dinner was delivered to his room by Bellossom, with the usual luxurious dishes.


    After dinner, Yuga released his other six Pok��mon in the courtyard. They lined up, waiting for Yuga to prepare some Pok��blocks for them.


    Through spending time together, Charmander had be more harmonious with Yuga''s other Pok��mon. Although its timid and teary-eyed nature hadn''t changed much, it wasfortable and cheerful around familiar Pok��mon and people.


    However, when it saw the unfamiliar Bellossom, it remained a bit reserved. Even though they had met yesterday, Charmander was still reluctant to get too close.


    Fortunately, Bellossom was gentle and well-behaved. Otherwise, Charmander would have hidden away.


    The team''s eldest sister, Florges, helped Yuga set out the prepared Pok��blocks in front of Charmander, which eagerly devoured them.


    After finishing the Pok��blocks, Yuga didn''t return his Pok��mon to their Pok�� Balls. None of his Pok��mon wererge enough to take up much space except for the Great Flygon, even Dragonair it''s notrge enough, because it could coil up quite small if needed.


    Yuga''s Pok��mon rarely stayed in their Pok�� Balls when they were at home. Unlike other trainers who needed to travel extensively, Yuga stayed in his home in Verdanturf Town, and his Pok��mon lived in the Ecopark. In terms of living conditions, few trainers couldpare.


    The next morning, after breakfast, Yuga hurriedly sought out Ryuichi, hoping he could exin how to find Motohara.


    However, when he arrived at Ryuichi''s courtyard, he was informed that Ryuichi had left the Mauville City due to urgent matters the previous night.


    Before leaving, Ryuichi had left a message for Yuga. He instructed his Roserade to deliver a note containing an address and a name to Yuga.


    "White Light Intelligence Bureau!"


    The note had the name written on it, and the address appeared to be for the "White Light Intelligence Bureau."


    Was it a ce that dealt in intelligence?


    Yuga couldn''t help but wonder about the founder''s choice of name for this secretive ce. Instead of something like "Dark Night," "Shadowy," or "Obsidian," why name it "White Light"?


    Regardless, Yuga decided to go and investigate. He folded the note and put it away. As he exited the estate, he followed the address on the note.


    Following the address on the note, Yuga arrived at the front of a bar. The location was easy to find, just like Luminescent Jewelry Shop, as it was situated in a busy part of the city.


    Initially, Yuga thought that the bar was the location of the White Light Intelligence Bureau. After all, it made sense to have a front like a bar for a ce that gathered and sold information, as it provided a legitimate cover.


    However, as Yuga was about to step into the bar, he suddenly noticed a small, inconspicuous building next door with a sign that read "White Light."


    Could this be the real White Light Intelligence Bureau? It seemed rather unassumingpared to other secretive ces that would typically opt for names like "ck Night," "Shadow Syndicate," or "Eclipse."


    Standing in front of the dpidated building, Yuga furrowed his brows, wondering, "Could this shabby ce really be rted to an ''Intelligence Bureau''?"


    You know what, judging a book by its cover isn''t a good practice. I should take a look first.


    So Yuga approached and gently knocked on the door.


    With a creaking sound, the worn door in front of him swung open automatically.


    Yuga hesitated for a moment but eventually stepped inside. However, as he entered, the door promptly closed with a snap.


    The room was dimly lit, but one shaky electricmp hanging from the ceiling provided just enough light to see. The interior was sparsely furnished, with empty shelves on both sides.


    In the center stood a long table, and behind it sat a person wearing a white mask, draped in a ck cloak. Yuga couldn''t discern whether it was a man or a woman.


    The atmosphere in the room was quite pretentious, and Yuga couldn''t help but think it felt like a haunted house. The ce seemedpletely at odds with its name, "White Light."


    "Please, have a seat," the masked figure suddenly spoke.


    So, Yuga sat down in one of the chairs in front of the table.


    "Keke, keke, keke..."


    Just as Yuga took his seat, a shadow suddenly emerged from behind the masked person. Yuga looked closely and realized it was a Gengar.


    This Gengar seemed quite powerful, that was Yuga''s first impression.


    However, he didn''t activate his Insight ability to see it because he wasn''t here for a fight. Examining the Gengar would serve no purpose.


    "Sorry, Gengar can be mischievous," the masked figure said, noticing Yuga''s momentary surprise. The apology somehow undermined the mysterious aura created by the mask and cloak.


    Yuga shook his head, indicating that he wasn''t bothered by it.


    "Looking for information?" the masked figure asked.


    Yuga nodded. After all, who woulde to such a suspicious ce if not for information?


    "What kind of information?" the masked figure inquired.


    Yuga took out Motohara''s photo and ced it in front of the masked figure.


    "I want to know everything about this person."


    Examining the photo under the dim light, the masked figure then said, "No problem. Leave the photo, ande back in two days. We''ll discuss the price then."


    Quite confident, being able to promisepletion with just a nce at the photo, and offering a two-day turnaround. This ce was certainly not ordinary, Yuga thought.


    Yuga nodded in agreement.


    Seeing Yuga''s consent, the masked figure put away Motohara''s photo and retrieved an iron token, cing it on the table. "Use this iron token for the transaction in two days."


    Yuga picked up the iron token from the table. It had patterns resembling the mask worn by the person and the number "38" in the center, with a simple design.


    However, this custom-made token likely had special anti-counterfeit features.


    Putting the token away, Yuga stood up and said, "I''ll be back in two days."


    The masked figure nodded and then watched Yuga exit through the door.


    Once outside the door, Yuga turned to look at the shabby little building, thinking, "Aren''t they afraid that customers who have gone through so much trouble to inquire about information might not return?"


    After a moment of contemtion, Yuga shook his head. It wasn''t his business. As long as they could provide the information he sought, everything would be okay.


    With that in mind, Yuga left the peculiar White Light Intelligence Bureau.

 Chapter 342: Information

    <h4>Chapter 342: Information</h4>


    Over the next two days, Yuga stayed at the estate, waiting for the White Light Intelligence Bureau''s message. During his downtime, he trained his Pok��mon, primarily focusing on his Charmander.


    Yuga''s other Pok��mon had already be self-reliant in their training. Yuga''s usual task was to outline their training ns for different phases, and they managed the rest themselves.


    However, to be honest, while he had chosen Charmander as his main Pok��mon due to its potential, Yuga hadn''t yet devised a specific training. Currently, he focused mainly on physical training.


    Nheless, building a strong foundation was crucial. For Charmander, having a robust physique would greatly benefit its future evolution and battles.


    Since his the Great Flygon was toorge for training within the estate, Yuga had it stand still, serving as a target to assist Charmander in training. Fortunately, Charmander''s strength couldn''t harm the Great Flygon in the slightest.


    On the third day after Ryuichi''s departure, the day Yuga intended to retrieve the results from the White Light Intelligence Bureau, Ryuichi returned.


    He specifically came to inquire about the results of Yuga''s visit to the White Light Intelligence Bureau. Yuga informed him that he would be going there for answers today. Ryuichi insisted on apanying Yuga, but Yuga firmly declined.


    We''re not children. Some things we can handle ourselves!


    With the location of the White Light Intelligence Bureau still fresh in his memory, Yuga ventured into the dpidated building once more.


    The setting remained the same: dim lighting, an empty room, and the enigmatic masked figure.


    The masked figure seemed to recognize Yuga. Even before Yuga could produce the iron token, the figure said, "You''vee! Sit down."


    Yuga nodded and took a seat, asking, "What about the information I requested?"


    The masked figure extended a hand wearing ck gloves towards Yuga, saying, "Give me the token back first."


    Yuga agreed with a nod and retrieved the iron token, cing it into the masked figure''s hand.


    The masked figure examined it carefully, confirming it was the same one he had given Yuga. He then beckoned to someone behind him.


    A Gengar emerged from his shadow, holding a stack of documents. After handing the documents to the masked figure, the Gengar retreated back into the shadow.


    Yuga couldn''t help but think that their pretentious skills were still top-notch.


    The masked figure epted the documents from Gengar and ced them in front of himself. Instead of immediately giving them to Yuga, he provided an ount number and said, "Complete, two and a half million!"


    Two and a half million? Why does this figure sound like mockery? Is this person really worth that much? Two and a half million!


    Fortunately, Yuga had just sold his Pok��mon this month, or he wouldn''t have been able toe up with the money so easily. He had just spent over six million buying a bracelet from Fiona, so he couldn''t afford to spare a single coin right now!


    Seriously, is it that difficult to save some money?


    With a heavy heart, Yuga paid the amount. He then took the documents handed over by the masked figure and began reading them on the spot. If they didn''t meet his expectations, he could return them right away.


    However, the White Light Intelligence Bureau did not disappoint Yuga.


    The information revealed details about Motohara, a 42-year-old man from a nearby vige around Mauville City. His parents were ordinary farmers.


    At the age of twelve, he fortuitously obtained his starter Pok��mon, Teddiursa, which set him on the path to bing a Trainer. Motohara disyed some natural talent, progressing faster than his peers and eventually gaining recognition in the localmunity.


    However, things took a dark turn when he was pursued by the authorities due to idental manughter. During this period, his initial Pok��mon, Ursaring, died.


    While on the run, he inadvertently joined a group of Pok��mon Poachers, bing one himself. When he reappeared in the public eye, he had switched to using Nidoking, Shiftry, and Exploud as his Pok��mon.


    His personality had changed significantly, bing cunning, cruel, and bloodthirsty. The number of police officers killed by his hand exceeded double digits, and he captured countless Pok��mon using illegal methods every year.


    Despite multiple failed police attempts to capture him, there were now very few Trainers willing to take on the task of apprehending him.


    At present, he had reached the level of a pseudo-Elite Trainer, possessing at least three pseudo-Elite-level Pok��mon. It could be said that unless a Elite-level Trainer intervened, it would be challenging for anyone else to capture him.


    Elite-level Trainers didn''t bother with him, and regr Trainers struggled to deal with him. This was why he had enjoyed freedom for decades.


    Moreover, this individual had a keen sense of judgment. He never provoked opponents he couldn''t handle, following the old adage of avoiding those stronger than him.


    Not long ago, his organization''s leader had unexpectedly died, throwing the organization into turmoil. He seized the opportunity to break free and became a lone wolf.


    Recently, he had been spotted near Lavaridge Town and Mauville City. His most recent location was the Luminescent Jewelry Shop in Mauville City, and he had then headed to the Violet Glow Forest near Route 118.


    The current prediction was that he was in the Violet Glow Forest.


    After roughly reviewing the information in his hands, Yuga couldn''t help but marvel at the White Light Intelligence Bureau''s extensive capabilities. They seemed capable of uncovering even a person''s family history going back generations, and they urately predicted his current location.


    Yuga didn''t believe that the White Light Intelligence Bureau made casual predictions; otherwise, they would tarnish their reputation. Their uracy must be at least eighty percent or higher for them to confidently provide such information.


    However, this individual was undoubtedly a seasoned pseudo-Elite Trainer. That''s why the information was worth over two million, making it quite a challenge!


    From the data, this person was a genuine viin, and the description of him as ruthless and malicious was fitting.


    Yuga didn''t think there was any room for negotiation with someone like him; conflict seemed inevitable. Yuga''s Pok��mon were generally around level forty, and even with their potential and unique abilities, they could barely handle Pok��mon above level fifty. Facing pseudo-Elite-level Pok��mon under themand of a Trainer was a daunting prospect.


    Even with his pseudo-Elite the Great Flygon, victory was far from guaranteed.


    It seemed like he needed to carefully consider his approach; otherwise, rushing to confront this individual might lead to disaster.


    "I''m satisfied with the information. I''ll take my leave now," Yuga said, getting up from his seat.


    "You''re wee toe back anytime!" the masked figure nodded and said.


    Yuga thought to himself, "I hope there won''t be a next time. My wallet can''t take it."


    As he made his way back to the estate, Yuga contemted the best approach to deal with Motohara. Unknowingly, he reached the entrance of his own yard.


    "Young Master Shimizu, you''re back! How did things go?" Ryuichi, who had been waiting at the yard''s entrance for Yuga''s return, immediately asked upon seeing him.


    "Well, I got the information I wanted from the White Light Intelligence Bureau. They are indeed impressive!" Yuga replied casually as he pondered his next steps.


    Ryuichi smiled and said, "Of course, they''ve been around for a long time. When ites to gathering information, no one can match them."


    Yuga couldn''t help but feel speechless after hearing Ryuichi''s words. Didn''t he find the existence of such an organization terrifying? Who knows, they might dig up your entire family history one day.

 Chapter 343: The Elite

    <h4>Chapter 343: The Elite</h4>


    Seeing Yuga''s expression, Ryuichi knew what was on Yuga''s mind. He smiled and said, "They have their own rules and limitations; otherwise, they wouldn''t have survived for so long. They''d have been wiped out by now."


    Yuga found this reasonable, as the White Light Intelligence Bureau did indeed seem formidable.


    "By the way, Young Master Shimizu, have you found Motohara''s whereabouts?" Ryuichi asked.


    Yuga nodded and replied, "I''ve found it." Even though it was a predicted location.


    "Do you need my help then?" Ryuichi asked eagerly.


    Yuga shook his head and said, "No need. I can handle it myself."


    Although having Ryuichi''s assistance would make things easier, Yuga didn''t want to rely on others blindly. He believed in self-reliance rather than depending on external help.


    Moreover, he and Ryuichi, along with Mr. Kuni''o, weren''t rted by blood, so constantly troubling others felt inappropriate.


    Though their current situation was already quite troublesome, Yuga preferred to keep it as minimal as possible.


    If he truly couldn''t resolve it, he could seek helpter.


    "Alright, feel free to ask if you need anything," Ryuichi nodded in agreement.


    So, Yuga spent the following time considering his strategy against Motohara. However, he couldn''t find a good solution. Dealing with an experienced pseudo-Elite Trainer was a daunting task for Yuga.


    But one morning, while checking the Trainer''s Shop in the system after breakfast, Yuga had an idea. He had obtained a Potential Evolution Potion.


    After finishing breakfast, he quickly called his home, and Suzuki Koen answered the phone.


    "Hey, Sister Koen, is Chatot in the shop?"


    Suzuki Koen nced at Chatot perched on a small tree in the shop and replied, "Yes, it''s here. Do you need something with it?"


    Yuga breathed a sigh of relief; that was a good sign. Due to Noctowl''s influence, Chatot rarely stayed in the Ecopark. So, Yuga had Suzuki Koen help locate Chatot.


    "Please let Chatot take the call."


    Suzuki Koen nodded.


    In no time, Chatot fluttered over, using its wing to take the phone from Suzuki Koen''s hand. It chirped, "Darling, what do you need? Missed me already?"


    Yuga sighed and said, "Enough with the sweet talk. I have something to discuss."


    "What is it? Don''t be so formal with me!"


    "Go to the Ecopark and tell your wife that I need her to go into her Pok�� Ball. Then, ask Sister Koen to go to the Pok��mon Center and have Noctowl transfer it to me."


    "You... you want me to find Kitty-chan?"


    Chatot was taken aback.


    "Yes, what''s the issue? How many wives do you have?" Yuga replied exasperatedly.


    "I... I won''t go!" Chatot firmly refused.


    "Are you sure? You''ve been freeloading here for so long. You won''t even do this much?"


    "Um..." Chatot hesitated, rendered speechless.


    "Well, if you won''t cooperate, despite getting a free ride, what kind of partner are you?" Yuga''s tone took on a dangerous edge.


    "I... I''ll go, okay!" Chatot reluctantly agreed.


    About half an hourter, Yuga received Noctowl''s Pok�� Ball via the The Manor''s Trade Machine, sparing him a trip to the Pok��mon Center.


    In the yard, Yuga released Noctowl from its Pok�� Ball. He greeted it with a smile, saying, "Hello there, Noctowl!"


    Noctowl nodded slightly in response, acknowledging Yuga''s greeting. Then, it looked at Yuga with a puzzled expression, seemingly wondering why Yuga had summoned it.


    Yuga wiped the smile off his face and spoke sternly, "Noctowl, I want to make a deal with you."


    "Noctowl..."


    Noctowl tilted its head, not quite understanding Yuga''s intentions.


    Yuga continued, "I''ll help you reach the level of an Elite, and in return, you join the YoYo Day Care. How does that sound?"


    The Noctowl was the only Pok��mon in the Ecopark that hadn''t clearly indicated its intention to join the YoYo Day Care, apart from the Dragonite.


    The reason it had stayed was solely because of the rtionship between Chatot, its offspring, and itself. So, it was at this moment that Yuga proposed this trade.


    Noctowl had been at level 69 for many years, and while it had umted experience, it had been held back by its potential. Yuga believed that with a Potential Evolution Potion, it could easily break through.


    However, upon hearing Yuga''s proposal, Noctowl seemed puzzled. Wasn''t it already a member of the YoYo Day Care?


    Pok��mon tend to have straightforward thoughts, even for big shots like Noctowl. It believed its partner had stayed in the YoYo Day Care, its child had been born there, so it naturally considered itself a part of it. Why wouldn''t it?


    Furthermore, considering how both myself and the child have been freeloaders at the YoYo Day Care for so long, there''s no reason not to join the YoYo Day Care. Not every Pok��mon can be as shameless as a Chatot, after all.


    Thus, amunication gap existed between Yuga and Noctowl in this situation, leading to a misunderstanding. One thought the other was just staying temporarily, while the other already considered itself a member.


    Nheless, if this would help it reach the Elite level, why not agree? So, Noctowl nodded.


    This misunderstanding between Yuga and Noctowl continued, unresolved.


    Seeing Noctowl''s agreement, Yuga felt ecstatic. With Noctowl breaking through to the Elite level, what did he have to fear from Motohara? Even if Motohara had three pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, Yuga wouldn''t be afraid!


    Elite-level Pok��mon were truly impressive!


    Yuga still vividly remembered the Elite-level Smence that had caused amotion on the train. It had left a profound impression.


    Though Noctowl was not on the same level as Smence, it was still an Elite, not a pseudo-Elite.


    Without further ado, Yuga took out the Potential Evolution Potion he had just exchanged and had Noctowl drink it.


    Shortly after Noctowl consumed the Potential Evolution Potion, its aura began to change dramatically, exuding a terrifying and escting pressure.


    Yuga, who was rtively close, had to step back due to the overwhelming aura. Even the nearby Bellossom were startled.


    While Noctowl''s breakthrough aura was intimidating, it didn''t reach catastrophic levels. It subsided after a while.


    When Noctowl''s terrifying presence finally receded, Yuga activated his Insight.


    ...


    <<noctowl>> </noctowl>


    Type: Normal/Flying


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Insomnia


    Potential: Green


    Level: 72


    Moves: Sky Attack, Dream Eater, Foresight, Hypnosis, Confusion, Echoed Voice, Zen Headbutt, Psycho Shift, Extrasensory, Reflect, Air sh, Uproar, Mean Look, Defog.


    ...


    The Potential Evolution Potion had indeed pushed Noctowl to the Elite level. Not only that, it had surpassed the typical Elite threshold of level 70, reaching an impressive level 72.


    However, its moveset remainedrgely unchanged.


    If it weren''t for its potential limitations, Noctowl would likely have be an Elite-level Pok��mon long ago. Achieving level 72 was no small feat, and it was all due to its umted experience; there was no other exnation.


    What Yuga didn''t know was that at the moment of Noctowl''s breakthrough to the Elite level, Mr. Kuni''o, who was brewing tea in the distant yard, suddenly stopped his actions. Shortly thereafter, a Jumpluff quietly appeared above Yuga''s yard.


    After returning, Jumpluff chatted with Mr. Kuni''o, who nodded in acknowledgment and waved it off. Jumpluff then flew away silently.

 Chapter 344: Violet Glow Forest

    <h4>Chapter 344: Violet Glow Forest</h4>


    Noctowl breaking through to the Elite level undoubtedly deepened the foundation of the YoYo Day Care. In the future, anyone thinking of provoking the YoYo Day Care would have to reconsider their own strength.


    No matter how vast the world was, Elite-level Trainers were still a minority.


    "How does Noctowl feel?" Yuga asked cheerfully as he looked at the newly evolved Noctowl.


    Noctowl nodded in response to Yuga, indicating that it felt excellent at the moment, filled with newfound strength.


    The sensation of bing an Elite from a pseudo-Elite was entirely different, marking another form of life evolution. If regr evolution for Pok��mon was like a leap in life stages, evolving from a pseudo-Elite to an Elite was no different.


    After the breakthrough, Noctowl felt like it had transformed into a different kind of life form��a more powerful, energetic one. This exined why stronger Pok��mon tended to have longer lifespans.


    "Noctowl, I need your help with something," Yuga told Noctowl and proceeded to exin his n to locate and confront the pseudo-Elite Trainer Motohara.


    Feeling great after its evolution, Noctowl readily agreed to assist Yuga. After all, it considered itself a part of the YoYo Day Care, having enjoyed its hospitality for so long without contributing.


    However, Yuga didn''t immediately set off to find Motohara in the Violet Glow Forest. Instead, he decided to help Noctowl adapt to its newfound power, just in case.


    Over the next three days, Yuga took Noctowl outside the manor daily to help it be ustomed to its enhanced abilities. The manor couldn''t withstand the antics of an Elite-level Pok��mon.


    The best way for Noctowl to familiarize itself with its newfound strength was through battles. However, there were no Pok��mon near the manor that could match Noctowl''s level. Therefore, Yuga temporarily ask the Great Flygon to be a sparring partner.


    the Great Flygon wasn''t too thrilled about this situation, considering it had previously been used as a target by Charmander. Now, it was facing Noctowl''s training. It was a bit disgruntled but had no choice.


    Fortunately, the sparring between Noctowl and the Great Flygon was rtively gentle, so the Great Flygon didn''t struggle too much.


    After three days, Noctowl had mostly grasped its newly acquired power, and Yuga was ready to set off.


    Before leaving, Yuga informed Ryuichi. As usual, Ryuichi offered his assistance, but Yuga declined.


    However, he didn''t encounter Mr. Kuni''o again. Aside from their initial meeting on the first day at the manor, Yuga hadn''t seen Mr. Kuni''o at all during his stay.


    Yuga mounted the Great Flygon and left the manor, heading towards the Violet Glow Forest near Route 118.


    The Violet Glow Forest wasn''t far from the Mauville City; it could be considered right next to it. It was thergest forest near Mauville City, but also one of the most dangerous ces nearby.


    Only Trainers as strong as Motohara could remain hidden in the forest for an extended period, using it as a sanctuary to conceal their whereabouts. Most people would have perished in there.


    To the west of the Violet Glow Foresty a vast bay, and thanks to the warm sea breeze, the forest remained lush and green year-round. It was an ideal habitat for Pok��mon and a perfect ce to hide.


    After flying over arge portion of Mauville, Yuga entered Route 118, and it didn''t take long for him to spot the expansive Violet Glow Forest.


    Upon reaching the forest''s edge, Yuga dismounted the Great Flygon. Instead of venturing deeper, he decided to proceed cautiously.


    Boldly flying above the forest was an extremely unwise move.


    Yuga recalled the Great Flygon and released Absol. Then, he proceeded to enter the Violet Glow Forest.


    The Violet Glow Forest was vast, and Yuga had no specific information about Motohara''s location. He had prepared for the possibility of a prolonged battle and stocked up on supplies stored in his system backpack.


    Yuga hadn''t even considered the option that Motohara might not be within the Violet Glow Forest. If that were the case, it would simply be his bad luck.


    As he entered the forest, Yuga noticed it was bustling with activity. Groups of Taillow leaped through the trees, Shroomishs gathered in pairs to bask in the sun, and Zigzagoon stumbled clumsily while transporting food to their dens. The entire Violet Glow Forest seemed vibrant and full of life.


    Yuga didn''t disturb these Pok��mon enjoying their leisure time. Instead, he quietly proceeded deeper into the forest with Absol.


    He didn''t believe that Motohara would stay near the forest''s edge. This ce was too dangerous for someone like him.


    Perhaps due to Yuga''s haste, they identally rmed a Loudred. The Loudred immediately charged towards Yuga and Absol, its face filled with anger.


    Loudred had excellent hearing, but its mostmon ability was Soundproof, which made it difficult to wake them up during sleep. However, there was one exception��Loudred with a hidden ability.


    The ones with hidden abilities had extremely sensitive hearing and often had trouble sleeping. Once they were awakened, they became furious.


    Unfortunately, Yuga and Absol had encountered a Loudred with a hidden ability.


    The charging Loudred opened its enormous mouth and used the Bite move, lunging at Absol, which stood in front of Yuga.


    Absol easily dealt with this lesser-evolved Pok��mon. It raised its paw and lightly swatted the approaching Loudred, sending it flying backward.


    While the Loudred wasn''t incapacitated, it needed some time to recover. Ignoring the furious Loudred, Yuga and Absol continued their journey deeper into the forest.


    Along the way, Yuga saw numerous powerful Pok��mon, but he avoided engaging with them. At the moment, he didn''t want to provoke any other Pok��mon, lest he stir up trouble unnecessarily.


    During their exploration of the Illuma Ind''s forests, the formidable Pok��mon had been cleared by Mr. Moore. That''s why Yuga''s mission there had progressed so smoothly. However, things were different here.


    Once they ventured deeper into the Violet Glow Forest, Yuga knew they might encounter formidable Pok��mon at any moment, so they had to be extremely cautious.


    Unbeknownst to Yuga and Absol, as they entered the middleyer of the Violet Glow Forest, a Natu appeared not far away, covertly observing them.


    This Natu had a green body, making it difficult to spot among the foliage. Moreover, being a Psychic-type Pok��mon, it could easily conceal its presence.


    After observing Yuga and Absol for a while, the Natu quietly flew deeper into the forest and soon disappeared from sight.

 Chapter 345: Accidental Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 345: idental Encounter</h4>


    After Absol easily dealt with a Seviper that attacked them, Yuga suddenly heard a human voice crying out for help.


    Who would be foolish enough to shout loudly in a forest like this? Did they have a death wish?


    However, it sounded like the voice of a young girl in distress.


    In the end, Yuga couldn''t resist and, with Absol, headed towards the source of the voice.


    Not far ahead, Yuga saw a ziken sprinting towards them with a young girl on its back. Behind them, a pack of Mightyena relentlessly chased them.


    Upon spotting Yuga, the ziken expressed relief and started pleading for help.


    Yuga gestured to Absol, and it leaped into action. Absol stomped its front feet on the ground, causing blue stone walls to rise and block the path of the pursuing Mightyena.


    This was a new move Absol and the Great Flygon had recently learned, called Stone Edge.


    After assessing the Mightyena''s levels, Yuga didn''t hesitate to release the Great Flygon andmanded, "the Great Flygon, use Rock Slide!"


    Countlessrge rocks materialized in the air and rained down on the Mightyena.


    No wonder the ziken, despite its considerable strength, had been fleeing desperately. Not to mention the leader of this pack of Mightyena, which Absol found challenging to deal with, it had a group of subordinates under itmand.


    ...


    <<mightyena>> </mightyena>


    Type: Dark


    Ability: Intimidate


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Green


    Level: 55


    Moves: Snarl, Crunch, Tackle, Bite, Sand Rush, Odor Sleuth, Embargo, Swagger, Scary Face.


    ...


    This Mightyena leader was the strongest Pok��mon Yuga had encountered since entering the Violet Glow Forest.


    Most of the Mightyena were knocked down by the Great Flygon''s Rock Slide. However, the Mightyena leader agilely evaded the attack.


    Seeing her subordinates injured and lying on the ground, the Mightyena leader red at the Great Flygon, which was flying in the air, and immediately leaped towards it, using the move Crunch.


    But the Great Flygon weed the leaping Mightyena leader with a Dragon Tail. The Mightyena leader was struck and rendered incapable of furtherbat before she could react.


    This was the crushing difference in power!


    The gap between ordinary Pok��mon and pseudo-Elite Pok��mon was immense, even though this Mightyena was over fifties level.


    Pok��mon like Mightyena were naturally very united. They weren''t frightened when their leader being swiftly defeated. Instead, they snarled aggressively at the Great Flygon.


    However, most of them had been injured by the Great Flygon''s Rock Slide and were easily dealt with by Absol nearby.


    Yuga didn''t pay much attention to the other Mightyena; he merely threw a Pok�� Ball and captured the Mightyena leader.


    Among these Mightyena, she was the one with visible potential.


    At this moment, the girl carried by the ziken finally realized she was safe. After dismounting from ziken''s back, she suddenly burst into tears.


    Yuga, seeing this, quickly covered her mouth and sternly said, "Do you want the Mightyena to chase us again?"


    The girl was immediately frightened and held back her tears, looking at Yuga with fear.


    It was only then that Yuga noticed that the ziken had sustained severe injuries. There were scratches and bite marks on its thighs and back.


    Yuga recalled the Great Flygon into its Pok�� Ball and released Florges. Hemanded, "Florges, use Grassy Terrain!"


    Florges examined ziken''s wounds and nodded in agreement with Yuga. She created a super-small Grassy Terrain that perfectly covered ziken.


    Yuga then retrieved some medicine from his backpack and gently sprayed it onto ziken''s injuries.


    Perhaps relieved to have been rescued, ziken finally lost consciousness.


    Because Yuga hadn''t brought Chimecho along this time, he had prepared a good supply of medicine. After all, Florges''s Grassy Terrain wasn''t as effective for healing as Chimecho''s Heal Pulse.


    "Big brother, is ziken going to be okay?" asked the young girl who had been carried by ziken, her eyes filled with tears.


    After treating ziken''s injuries, Yuga turned to the girl, who appeared to be around ten years old, and asked, "What''s your name?"


    Probably still frightened by the recent events, the girl avoided Yuga''s gaze and stammered, "I-I''m... A-Adrielle."


    "How did you end up here? This isn''t a ce you should be!" Yuga inquired, noting the girl''s attire and the impressive ziken by her side. It was clear she came from a well-off family.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s question, Adrielle wiped her tears away and nervously exined her journey into the Violet Glow Forest.


    Adrielle had recently be a Pok��mon Trainer after receiving her starter Pok��mon. The ziken apanying her was specially assigned by her family for her protection.


    Unlike most children from ordinary families, Adrielle hadn''t embarked on a journey after graduating from the basic Pok��mon Trainer school. Instead, her family arranged for her to attend an intermediate Pok��mon Trainer school, intending for her to follow an academic path.


    However, Adrielle made a bet with her schoolmates, challenging each other to capture stronger Pok��mon without relying on their families'' assistance. That''s how she ended up in the outskirts of Mauville City and, eventually, got lost within the Violet Glow Forest.


    She entered the forest to chase after a wild Spoink, but soon lost her way, wandering into the central area of the forest.


    If it weren''t for the ziken by her side, she feared she might have be a meal for the Mightyena pack.


    As Yuga listened to Adrielle''s story and observed her tearful demeanor, he couldn''t help but sigh. Why were there so many reckless kids in the world?


    Why couldn''t she just stay in school and mind her own business? Why get into a risky bet with others?


    Did she not appreciate the privilege of having high-potential Pok��mon provided by her family? Why did she insist on venturing out to capture Pok��mon with uncertain potential?


    The areas around towns are all graded, making it convenient for rookie trainers to travel. Even in each town''s Pok��mon Center, you can get a map of the wild areas for free. It clearly indicates where you can go and where you shouldn''t. Why risk it?


    High-level wild areas like the Violet Glow Forest are usually explored by experienced trainers.


    While Adrielle was still wiping her tears, her stomach suddenly betrayed her with a loud growl, causing her to blush in embarrassment.


    Blushing and clutching her stomach, Adrielle secretly nced at Yuga, who was staring at her, feeling even more self-conscious.

 Chapter 346: Death

    <h4>Chapter 346: Death</h4>


    Yuga sighed and took some food from his backpack, handing it to Adrielle. He said, "Eat up!"


    "Thank you, big brother," Adrielle muttered softly. She didn''t know if Yuga had heard her, but she focused on eating her meal.


    Due to Adrielle''s presence, Yuga couldn''t proceed further for now. He had to wait for ziken to wake up at the very least.


    During this break, Yuga didn''t engage in much conversation with Adrielle. She seemed a bit frightened of him and hesitated to initiate conversation.


    Time passed in silence between them.


    After a considerable while, ziken slowly opened its eyes and saw Adrielle unharmed by its side. It let out a relieved cry, "ziken!"


    ziken called out to Yuga, expressing its gratitude.


    Yuga approached the awakened ziken and checked its condition. Thanks to Florges''s Grassy Terrain and the medicine, ziken''s injuries were no longer severe. Yuga then addressed both Adrielle and ziken, "Since ziken''s injuries are no longer a concern, you should hurry and leave the Violet Glow Forest."


    "Big brother, aren''t youing with us?" Adrielle quickly asked.


    Yuga replied, "I have other matters to attend to. I can''t leave right now. Let ziken escort you out."


    Adrielle reluctantly nodded.


    Before parting ways, Adrielle asked for Yuga''s name, but he didn''t share it. In such chance encounters, revealing his name held little significance.


    As Yuga continued walking a short distance, he suddenly signaled to Absol with his eyes. Absol nodded quietly and swiftly turned, releasing a Dark Pulse towards the treetops in the distance.


    Following a pitiful cry, a wild Natu fell from the trees, incapacitated.


    A wild Natu? Why was it following me? Yuga wondered.


    He attempted to capture it with a Pok�� Ball but failed. It had a trainer already.


    It seemed like he had attracted someone''s attention. Yuga thought, unsure whether it was a local resident of the forest or someone else entirely.


    Yuga and Adrielle had noticed they were being watched during their rest, but Yuga didn''t make a fuss about it or act hastily. He decided to deal with this Natu only after he had seen Adrielle safely out of the forest.


    So, how should he handle this Natu? Keeping it could cause trouble, and he couldn''t catch it. Did he have to resort to eliminating it?


    With no other option, Yuga reluctantly picked up the Natu and continued on his way.


    After Yuga and Absol had left with the Natu, another wild Natu emerged from the treetops where it had been hiding. It stared at the direction Yuga had gone for a moment, its expression somewhat mncholic, and then pped its wings and flew away.


    As Yuga carried the Natu for some distance, he noticed something ck sticking out from its feathers around the neck area. He examined it more closely and found a miniature camera. Unfortunately, it had been damaged by Absol''s Dark Pulse.


    Seeing the damaged camera in his hand, Yuga contemted the situation. He became even more cautious in his actions.


    Before long, Yuga sessfully ventured deeper into the forest. Due to the presence of the wild Natu, he became extra vignt about his surroundings.


    The depths of the Violet Glow Forest were vastly different from its outskirts. It was eerily quiet, and this silence sent shivers down one''s spine.


    Yuga could spot snakes like Serviper lurking in the grass, Ariados hanging motionless from tree branches, and Victreebel continuously drooling.


    At this moment, Yuga truly admired the person called Motohara for enduring life in such a stifling environment for an extended period.


    After walking for a while, Yuga suddenly noticed a Wigglytuff following him.


    Why was a Wigglytuff following him? Could it be another one like the Natu, spying on him?


    However, just as Yuga was about to turn around, he saw the Wigglytuff hiding behind a tree at some distance, its eyes filled with tears.


    What was going on?


    "Wigglytuff!"


    Following that, the Wigglytuff, running towards him, burst into tears.


    Yuga was too puzzled to react until the Wigglytuff reached him.


    "Wigglytuff, Wigglytuff!"


    When Yuga noticed the tattered scarf tied around its arm, he suddenly realized why Wigglytuff was in such a state.


    He pulled Wigglytuff away from the embrace, disbelief in his voice, "Are you Mom''s Wigglytuff?"


    The Wigglytuff, still crying, nodded vigorously.


    "How did you end up here? And what about Grandbull?" Yuga urgently asked.


    Hearing Yuga mention Grandbull, the Wigglytuff sobbed even harder.


    Seeing the Wigglytuff''s condition, Yuga''s heart sank.


    "Grandbull... Grandbull, is it dead?" Yuga asked with a trembling voice.


    "Wigglytuff..."


    The Wigglytuff nodded, tears streaming down its face.


    Wigglytuff and Grandbull were Yuga''s parents'' Pok��mon, and they were also a couple. They had been given to Yuga''s parents by their own grandfather on the day they inherited the Pok��mon Day Care. At that time, they were just Jigglypuff and Snubbull.


    Although Yuga wasn''t the original Yuga, he possessed all the memories of his predecessor. He knew that Jigglypuff and Snubbull had grown up with him, and he understood the deep bond between them.


    Before Yuga''s parents met their tragic fate, Wigglytuff and Grandbull had apanied them on their journeys.


    When Yuga received the news of his parents'' death, there was also word of the disappearance of the two Pok��mon.


    Initially, Yuga thought they had simply gone missing, but he never expected to encounter Wigglytuff in the Violet Glow Forest, along with the news of Grandbull''s death.


    The authorities had also searched for traces of Wigglytuff and Grandbull, but there had been no results, and eventually, the matter had been left unresolved.


    Yuga, hands trembling, pulled out a photo of Motohara and handed it to Wigglytuff. He then asked, "Is Dad and Mom''s death rted to this person?"


    Seeing Motohara''s photo, Wigglytuff''s once bright blue eyes turned bloodshot, filled with deep-seated hatred.


    It violently tore the photo of Motohara into shreds and threw it on the ground, stomping on it repeatedly.


    Witnessing Wigglytuff''s actions, Yuga understood the unspoken answer.


    "Is Grandbull''s death also rted to him?" Yuga asked without ming Wigglytuff for its actions.


    After venting its emotions, Wigglytuff finally regained someposure and nodded once more. If it weren''t for Grandbull, it couldn''t have escaped.

 Chapter 347: Final Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 347: Final Encounter</h4>


    Yuga wiped away Wigglytuff''s tears with his own sleeve and said, "Now is not the time for sorrow. What we need to do is seek vengeance for Dad, Mom, and Grandbull!"


    This Motohara person must pay with his life!


    Yuga had lived two lifetimes but had never harbored murderous intent toward anyone before.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Wigglytuff wanted to nod but hesitated.


    No one knew better than it how formidable Motohara was. Compared to seeking revenge, it wished for Yuga''s safety above all else.


    Seeing the worried expression on Wigglytuff''s face, Yuga immediately guessed its thoughts.


    "Don''t worry; now that I''m here, I''m confident I can deal with this person."


    Wigglytuff looked at Yuga with uncertainty, seemingly verifying the truth in his words.


    "I''m telling you the truth; I won''t lie to you!" Yuga reaffirmed.


    After reconfirming that Yuga was indeed honest, Wigglytuff nodded and agreed to join forces with Yuga to confront Motohara.


    Yuga, upon seeing Wigglytuff''s nod, hurriedly asked, "Do you know where Motohara is?"


    Wigglytuff nodded, of course, it knew. It had escaped from that hellish ce, and Grandbull had died there, leaving no remains.


    This was perfect; finding Motohara had turned out to be easier than expected.


    "Then take me to him quickly!" Yuga eximed with excitement.


    "Wigglytuff!"


    Wigglytuff firmly nodded, then grabbed Yuga''s hand and started walking in one direction. Absol quickly followed suit.


    As they walked further with Wigglytuff, Yuga noticed that the number of Pok��mon around them grew fewer until there wasn''t a single one in sight. He guessed that they were approaching their destination.


    Yuga spected that Motohara had likely cleared out the local Pok��mon to ensure his safety.


    Before long, he suddenly spotted a Natu perched on a tree branch and understood what was happening.


    It seemed that their target had already realized Yuga''s presence.


    Subsequently, Yuga spotted several more Natus intermittently. He realized that his every move was probably being watched by Motohara, using the cameras installed on the Natus.


    When Yuga entered the central part of the Violet Glow Forest, Motohara had already discovered him. However, at that time, he was unaware of Yuga''s intentions.


    After all, he had so many enemies that he couldn''t remember all their faces.


    It wasn''t until he saw Yuga and Wigglytuff meet that he knew this boy hade for him, and it wasn''t for a friendly visit, especially after learning that the boy had a powerful Flygon in his hand.


    The Wigglytuff was also a source of shame for him; a Pok��mon he had captured but had escaped. Such incidents had not happened to him for many years.


    However, when Motohara first entered the Violet Glow Forest, his preparations for the surroundings were not yetplete, so he hadn''t had time to deal with the Wigglytuff. Now, it seemed the Wigglytuff had walked right into his trap.


    Motohara wasn''t concerned about what Yuga might do to him. After all, many people wanted him dead. Why would he fear a brat with a Flygon?


    Yuga followed Wigglytuff, monitored by the Natus. They traversed through a silent forest until they reached akeside. On the grassy shore of theke stood a white stone house.


    "Is that Motohara''s residence?" Yuga asked Wigglytuff.


    Wigglytuff nodded in confirmation, its eyes filled with disgust and revulsion as it stared at the stone house.


    "Let''s go; it''s time to meet this Motohara."


    Aware that his every move was being watched by Motohara, Yuga had no interest in ying games with him. With his powerful Noctowl guarding him, he decided to confront Motohara directly. If he couldn''t win, so be it.


    As soon as Yuga stepped out of the forest onto the grassy field, more than a dozen Fearow appeared in the sky, circling and emitting harsh cries while keeping a close watch on him.


    Motohara''s methods were indeed extensive, withyer uponyer of defenses. It was no wonder he had managed to survive despite so many people wanting him dead.


    After assessing the levels of these Fearow, Yuga released his Dragonair from its Pok�� Ball and said, "Dragonair, these Fearow are your responsibility now!"


    Dragonair nodded at Yuga, nced at the dozen Fearow in the sky, and flew up into the air.


    Inside the stone house, Motohara, who had been watching Yuga,ughed heartily when he saw Dragonair being released. "I didn''t expect another generous benefactor!"


    Dragonair intercepted the Fearow, allowing Yuga to reach the stone house without any hindrance. However, Motohara didn''t emerge from the house.


    Instead, a group of Diglet and three Dugtrio emerged from the ground, surrounding Yuga, Absol, and Wigglytuff.


    Just as the Diglet and Dugtrio were about tounch their attack, Yuga quickly released his Florges.


    Once Florges emerged, it swiftly created its unique Grassy Terrain, enveloping the Diglet and Dugtrio in countless vines, rendering them incapable of moving.


    The immobilized Diglet and Dugtrio were showered with a beautiful rain of petals, and when the petals disappeared, they were all rendered powerless.


    After dealing with the Diglet and Dugtrio, Yuga called out to the stone house, "Come out, Motohara! Did you think these tricks could stop me?"


    These Diglet and Dugtrio were too weak. Besides causing minor disruptions, they couldn''t pose any substantial threat to Yuga.


    After Yuga''s challenge, the door of the stone house creaked open.


    The provided text appears to be in Chinese. Here''s the trantion into English:


    "p, p, p..."


    A round of apuse echoed, followed by a group of middle-aged men who were not very tall but had sturdy builds. At first nce, Yoka recognized the person he had despised for so long.


    "I finally meet you, Motohara!"


    "It''s true that heroes emerge from the younger generation!" Motohara said as he opened his mouth.


    At this point, Motohara''s attitude toward Yuga had changed. This young boy before him was no ordinary opponent. His recent performance had shown that he possessed extraordinary strength, and his Pok��mon were unique.


    "I wonder what brings the young man here?" Motohara asked with a grin.


    What brought him here?


    Upon hearing these words, Yuga felt a surge of anger rise within him. Could Motohara, who stood in front of his Wigglytuff, not understand? Or had hepletely forgotten the people he had killed?


    "Do you remember this Wigglytuff?" Yuga suppressed his anger and asked Motohara.


    Wigglytuff?


    Of course, he remembered. It was the Wigglytuff that had escaped from him. At that time, another Pok��mon, a naive Grandbull, had helped it escape. However, that Grandbull had been dismembered by his Shiftry.

 Chapter 348: Fierce Battle

    <h4>Chapter 348: Fierce Battle</h4>


    "Are you here to stand up for this Wigglytuff?" Motohara squinted his eyes, looking dangerous as he stared at Yuga.


    Yuga took a deep breath, calming himself, and said, "It seems you really can''t remember anything. Let''s settle this with our Pok��mon."


    With that, Yuga released the Great Flygon from his Pok�� Ball. The Dragon-type Pok��mon exuded its inherent aura,bined with the presence of a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, visibly unsettling Motohara.


    A pseudo-Elite level Great Flygon!


    As a pseudo-Elite level Trainer, Motohara could roughly gauge its strength solely from the Great Flygon''s presence.


    Although he had seen through the Great Flygon''s extraordinary power via a camera feed, he hadn''t expected it to be a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon.


    The appearance of the Great Flygon made Motohara wary, and he no longer underestimated the young man before him.


    Motohara reached for two Pok�� Balls on his belt and released two Pok��mon that matched the Great Flygon''s imposing presence.


    Exploud and Shiftry, both of them pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon.


    "Exploud, Shiftry, take care of them!" Motohara ordered his Pok��mon cruelly. Whoever dared toe looking for trouble would have to pay the price!


    "Exploud!"


    Exploud roared, generating shockwaves that sent tree branches and leaves flying in all directions.


    "Shiftry!"


    Shiftry waved its two leafy tails and let out an eerieugh, casting a scornful nce at Yuga, mirroring Motohara''s expression.


    "Florges, Absol, handle Exploud! Great Flygon, Shiftry, it''s up to you."


    Yuga instructed his Pok��mon.


    He didn''t immediately release his Noctowl, as ording to the information he had, Motohara possessed three pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon. To be on the safe side, he decided to keep one in reserve.


    After hearing Yuga''smand, all three Pok��mon nodded solemnly and assumed battle stances.


    "Shiftry, X-Scissor on Flygon! Exploud, Boomburst!"


    Shiftry, with incredible speed, wearing clogs on its feet, closed in on the Great Flygon rapidly. It then leaped high into the air, its two leafy hands crossed together, glowing green as it shed towards Flygon.


    The Great Flygon, on the other hand, used its sturdy tail to block Shiftry'' X-Scissor attack.


    Seeing how easily the Great Flygon defended against Shiftry'' attack, Motohara grimlymented, "Looks like you''ve got some tricks up your sleeve!"


    Yuga responded confidently, "The real surprises are yet toe. You''ll be amazed soon enough!"


    "You''re just talking big! You''ll cryter! Shiftry, Sunny Day, then X-Scissor again!"


    Upon hearing thismand, Yuga realized that Shiftry had the Chlorophyll ability. He quickly shouted to the Great Flygon, "Great Flygon, stop it!"


    However, the Great Flygon was a fraction slower. By the time its Stone Edge attack was headed toward Shiftry, the sunlight had intensified, and Shiftry had transformed into a shadow, avoiding the Stone Edge attackpletely.


    As Shiftrynded on the Great Flygon''s back, it executed a X-Scissor attack, striking the Great Flygon''s back directly.


    The Great Flygon crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and sustaining considerable damage.


    Seeing Shiftry suddenly be elusive, Yuga shouted and called out to the Great Flygon on the ground, "Great Flygon, speed up into the sky, Dragon Dance!"


    "You think you can speed up, I can do it too!"


    The Great Flygon, after escaping the pit it had created earlier, took to the sky, its wings and tail moving at breakneck speed.


    Even the agile Shiftry couldn''t do much against the Great Flygon soaring high into the sky. It had to continuously use Leaf Storm from afar under Motohara''smand.


    However, due to the considerable distance and Shiftry not being proficient in this long-range attack, the Great Flygon effortlessly dodged the attacks every time.


    Meanwhile, Florges and Absol were engaged in a fierce battle against Exploud.


    At the beginning of the battle, Exploud was discreetly led away by Florges and Absol'' from battlefield of the Great Flygon and Florges, as per Yuga''s orders.


    This strategy was due to the fact that Florges and Absolcked the strength to engage directly. To join the battle, they had to coborate effectively.


    This way, Yuga would have more Pok��mon in the fight,pensating for his lower Trainer levelpared to Motohara. However, it also meant that Florges and Absol faced increased pressure.


    Luckily, Motohara had immense confidence in his Exploud, believing it could defeat Florges and Absol on its own. He didn''t send out additional support Pok��mon; otherwise, Florges and Absol would have faced an even more challenging situation.


    Florges immediately established her unique Grassy Terrain upon confronting Exploud.


    Leveraging the special properties of her Grassy Terrain and her exceptional control skills, Florges was confident she wouldn''t mistakenly target the enemy.


    Absol, enveloped in the Grassy Terrain, instantly used Psycho Cut and shed with Exploud''s Boomburst.


    However, it was evident that Absol''s Psycho Cut was less potent than Exploud''s Boomburst.


    Exploud''s Boomburst broke through the Psycho Cut resistance and struck Absol. Yet, it was swiftly intercepted by Florges''s Magical Leaf, sparing Absol from harm.


    It was fortunate that Psycho Cut partially neutralized the Boomburst; otherwise, Florges would have been helpless.


    Seeing his attack thwarted by these two seemingly insignificant opponents, Exploud grew infuriated. It opened its enormous mouth wide, and a more potent Supersonic was aimed once again at Absol.


    Supersonic was Exploud''s most proficient skill, not only tremendously powerful but also executed wlessly.


    Seeing that Absol couldn''t evade in time, two vines suddenly extended from behind it, sessfully guiding it out of harm''s way, narrowly avoiding another Supersonic attack.


    While suspended in mid-air, Absol immediatelyunched a massive Psycho Cut at Exploud.


    The effect was there, but it was minimal.


    Absol''s strength was still vastly inferior to Exploud''s, both in terms of attack power and defense.


    Afternding a hit on Exploud, Absol smoothly descended to the ground. On the other side, Exploud, having been struck by Absol before, was now furious.


    Two Pok��mon it considered mere pests had injured it before it could strike back! Unforgivable!


    It had to be said that this Exploud was incredibly prone to anger.


    Although Pok��mon of this type were generally quick to anger, this particr one was an exceptional case.

 Chapter 349: Injuries

    <h4>Chapter 349: Injuries</h4>


    Observing the enraged Exploud, Florges and Absol immediately decided to take the initiative. Countless Magical Leaf transformed into des, mixed with Absol''s Psycho Cuts, and were directed at Exploud.


    However, the furious Exploud countered with a pir-shaped Supersonic created by its loud cry, shattering Florges''s Magical Leaf and Absol''s Psycho Cuts. Without losing momentum, it charged towards Absol.


    Florges used a familiar strategy, using her vines to fling Absol away. However, since both of them were in a straight line, and Absol was no longer blocking the way, it was thrown aside as well.


    The Grassy Terrain instantly came into y, radiating a green light that covered Florges. Simultaneously, a pink beam of light descended upon Florges, significantly improving her condition.


    This pink beam was the effect of a skill called Wish, which Florges had recently awakened.


    While Absol dealt with Exploud, it had secretly employed this move. Otherwise, it wouldn''t have dared to unreservedly shield Absol from Exploud''s deafening attack.


    And without the support of the Grassy Terrain, Florges likely wouldn''t have survived long enough for Wish to take effect. Truly, pseudo-Elite Pok��mon were terrifying.


    In contrast to Florges and Absol, who were struggling on their side, the Great Flygon, having sessfully executed Dragon Dance,unched a relentless assault on Shiftry, who was equipped with its own Sunny Day and Chlorophyll abilities.


    The powerful physical attributes of Dragon-type Pok��mon,bined with its slightly superior potentials, allowed the Great Flygon to hold its own against Shiftry.


    Havingpleted Dragon Dance in mid-air, the Great Flygon seamlessly transitioned into Dragon Rush, preparing to dive down like a cannonball from the sky straight onto Shiftry. Its speed made it impossible for Shiftry to evade.


    The impact of the Great Flygon''s Dragon Rush created a massive crater instantly.


    After precisely striking Shiftry, the Great Flygon swiftly ascended into the sky and released a methrower toward the still smoky crater below.


    While the Great Flygon wasn''t skilled in special attacks, the power of its mes,bined with Shiftry'' Sunny Day boost, made them formidable.


    The scorching mes dispersed the lingering smoke, revealing a battered Shiftry emerging from the crater, covered in soot and burn marks.


    Did it just dig its own grave?


    However, being a pseudo-Elite, even after consecutive hits from Dragon Rush and a methrower, Shiftry remained standing.


    "Great Flygon, use Rock Slide!" Yuga believed that the best way to deal with Shiftry, a Pok��mon with exceptional closebat abilities, was to keep it at a distance.


    After all, who could fly like them?


    With Yuga''smand, several boulders appeared in mid-air above Shiftry and rained down on it.


    Shiftry, extending the green leaf-like appendages on its hands, rapidly elongated them, transforming them into sharp des that sliced through the descending boulders, reducing them to fragments without causing any harm.


    X-Scissor skillfully resolved the crisis!


    On the other side, due to the difference in strength, both Absol and Florges found themselves in jeopardy.


    Despite Florges''s control over numerous vines, effectively blocking Exploud''s movements, Exploud effortlessly broke free. At this point, Exploud was dangerously close to Florges.


    Florges''s movement speed wasn''t fast, and she was about to be hit by Exploud''s me Fang when a golden lightning bolt struck Exploud, causing it to emit a piercing scream.


    It turned out that just when it was crucial, Dragonair had arrived.


    Mastery over manipting lightning, Dragonair found it easy to handle a group of not-so-strong Fearow, or it would have ended the battle sooner if there weren''t so many Fearow.


    Taking advantage of Exploud''s momentary distraction due to pain, Dragonair immediately used Dragon Tail to send Exploud, now only a short distance from Florges, flying.


    Exploud rolled on the ground several times and hadn''t even climbed back to its feet when Absol, already prepared on the side, swiftly struck its face with a Sucker Punch.


    It seems that Exploud got its eyes scratched by Absol''s ws. After crawling back to its feet, Exploud covered its eyes with both hands, constantly screaming. It''s a real "seeing is heartbreaking, hearing is tearful" moment!


    However, Exploud''s hearing is extremely keen. Even though it can''t see, it can still locate its target through sound. It urately found Dragonair''s position and unleashed a Boomburst directly.


    But Dragonair''s speed is nothing to scoff at. In an instant, it dodged the Boomburst like lightning and shot an Thunder Wave, sessfully paralyzing Exploud.


    With Exploud immobilized due to the Thunder Wave, it was in grave danger.


    Florges''s Moonst, Absol''s Psycho Cuts, and Dragonair''s Thunderbolt, all came crashing down on Exploud, one after the other, as if it were raining attacks.


    This Exploud had the worst luck. Every time it tried to move or counterattack, it was unfortunate enough to be obstructed by the pervasive golden electric currents on its body.


    Despite being a pseudo-Elite, Exploud couldn''t withstand the relentless onught from three exceptionally gifted Pok��mon, and it eventually fell to the ground in defeat.


    However, by this point, both Florges and Absol were in a sorry state, even with the Grassy Terrain aiding their stamina. Their disheveled appearance couldn''t be hidden.


    Motohara, who was directing Shiftry to deal with the Great Flygon, couldn''t believe his eyes when he saw Exploud defeated. He even forgot to give orders to Shiftry in his astonishment.


    Taking advantage of Motohara''s momentarypse, Yuga said to the Great Flygon, "Great Flygon, Dragon Rush!"


    Hearing this, the Great Flygon folded its wings in mid-air and, with an unstoppable momentum, dove towards the now-vulnerable Shiftry. Its speed left Shiftry with no chance to escape.


    Regaining hisposure, Motohara saw that Shiftry was undoubtedly about to be defeated. He immediately ordered Shiftry, "Shiftry, use Explosion!"


    Yuga had never expected that the Shiftry before him could perform Explosion, and he had no time to react.


    Shiftry triggered a self-destructive explosion that generated a thick cloud of smoke, engulfing the approaching Great Flygon and Yuga, who wasn''t far away.


    In the midst of the smoke, Yuga felt like his organs were about to shatter. He couldn''t hold back and spewed a mouthful of blood, while Wigglytuff copsed beside him, already unconscious.


    At a critical moment, if Wigglytuff hadn''t used its Protect skill in time, Yuga would have been reduced to a pile of bones.


    However, even with Protect skill activated, Wigglytuff had fainted, and Yuga himself had suffered severe injuries from the powerful impact.


    Outside the smoke, Motohara''s arrogantughter could be heard.


    "Haha... Haha... Now let''s see if you can survive this!"


    When the smoke finally cleared, both the Great Flygon and Shiftryy motionless in the crater created by the explosion. It was evident that they had lost theirbat capabilities. Even the heavily injured Shiftry had questionable chances of survival.

 Chapter 350: The Joke

    <h4>Chapter 350: The Joke</h4>


    As the smoke cleared, and Yuga was still alive and well, Motohara''sughter abruptly ceased.


    "You''re still alive!"


    Yuga spat out blood from his mouth and chuckled, "Guess I''ve disappointed you."


    Perhaps it was the act ofughing that exacerbated his injuries, as Yuga felt as though his chest was about to burst open.


    Motohara, who had been wearing a stern expression, suddenly burst intoughter.


    "So what if you''re alive? Your Great Flygon has already fallen. Now, you''re at my mercy," he said, pointing to the crater where the Great Flygony.


    Yuga didn''t say anything. Instead, he silently retrieved the Great Flygon''s Pok�� Ball and recalled it.


    Standing beside Motohara was a Cloyster, and it was likely this Cloyster that had shielded him from the full force of the explosion.


    Yuga''s other three Pok��mon had gathered around him, guarding him and ring fiercely at Motohara.


    Observing Yuga''s three Pok��mon, Motohara smuglymented, "These are truly exceptional Pok��mon. I''m sure they''d fetch a good price!"


    Yuga, supporting Florges, rose to his feet and addressed Motohara, "Are you so certain you can defeat me now?"


    "Of course! Perhaps you''re unaware of where my confidencees from. Today, I''ll show you!"


    With these words, Motohara reached for a Premier Ball and released a massive Nidoking right before Yuga''s eyes.


    ...


    <<nidoking>> </nidoking>


    Type: Poison/Ground


    Ability: Poison Point


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 69


    Moves: Megahorn, Peck, Focus Extrasensory, Double Kick, Poison Sting, Chip Away, Earth Power, Toxic, Venoshock, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Hyper Beam


    ...


    Having examined Nidoking''s details, Yuga suddenly realized why Motohara was so confident. It turned out that Motohara possessed a peak level pseudo-Elite Pok��mon.


    As Nidoking emerged, it roared defiantly, its aura clearly that of a peak level pseudo-Elite.


    "So, what do you think? Do you believe that you and your three Pok��mon can challenge me? It''s nothing but a pipe dream!"


    Motohara scoffed, but deep down, he couldn''t help but admire Yuga.


    Even with three Pok��mon that weren''t anywhere close to pseudo-Elite level, Yuga had defeated his Exploud. Motohara couldn''t help but marvel at Yuga''s capabilities. It was a case of the young surpassing the old.


    However, an enemy was still an enemy, and Motohara had no intention of showing mercy to his adversary.


    As Yuga contemted Motohara''s taunts, he quietly retrieved a Noctowl''s Pok�� Ball and released Noctowl.


    "Noctowl! Take down that Nidoking!"


    Yuga''s tone was ice-cold.


    Though Noctowl wasn''t particrlyrge among bird Pok��mon, its mere presence silenced Nidoking''s roars.


    Hovering in the air, Noctowl''s eyes emitted a strong violet light, and an Extrasensory in form of two Beams struck Nidoking with precision.


    Two critical hitsnded on Nidoking, causing it to cry out in agony and copse.


    Seeing that Nidoking was still not incapacitated, Noctowl fired two more beams of Extrasensory at it.


    Nidoking was helpless against the onught.


    While on the ground, Nidoking lifted its head and fired an icy-blue beam from its horn. However, Noctowl easily evaded the attack.


    After dodging the Ice Beam, Noctowl swiftly struck Nidoking with another powerful Extrasensory attack.


    This time, Nidoking didn''t get back up.


    The gap between an Elite and a non-Elite Pok��mon was indeed immense. The chasm between the two was insurmountable.


    "An... Elite... Elite Pok��mon!"


    Motohara stammered in fear, "I..."


    His previous pride and taunting had turned into a joke.


    Facing an Elite Pok��mon, he was utterly powerless.


    But Motohara was a seasoned individual who had weathered many storms. He quickly regained hisposure.


    "While I don''t know who you are or how you have an Elite Pok��mon, don''t think for a moment that I''ll surrender willingly!" Motohara''s tone was unusually calm now.


    With that, he released a Natu and ordered, "Natu, use Teleport, get us out of here!"


    He seemed ready to abandon his Pok��mon and make a run for it.


    However, before Natu could take action, a pair of eyes formed from ck energy locked it in ce, rendering it immobile.


    It was the quick-thinking Noctowl that used its Mean Look to immobilize Natu upon detecting Motohara''s attempt to escape.


    Although Noctowl wasn''t a Psychic-type Pok��mon, it was proficient in Psychic-type moves and keenly aware of every move Natu made.


    With Natu trapped in ce, Motohara, seeing his escape route blocked, stared at Yuga with eyes filled with resentment.


    "It''s really you!" There was a teeth-gritting tone in Motohara''s voice.


    Yuga walked up to Motohara and said with resentment, "You should have died a long time ago! Your continued existence is a mercy from fate!"


    "I don''t understand. Why did you have to push me to this extent? Just for a Wigglytuff and a Grandbull?" Motohara''s voice was filled with bewilderment.


    Yuga raised his hand and pped Motohara hard.


    "Just? Just? You make it sound so trivial." When it came to family members who were treasured by others, they were worth nothing to him.


    Yuga took out his mother''s green bracelet from his backpack and said to Motohara, "Recognize this bracelet?"


    Motohara stared at the bracelet for a while before finally remembering.


    "So, it was because of that couple! You came for them!"


    He had never imagined that his own momentary greed would lead to today''s cmity.


    "I remember now! I remember now!" Motohara spat out the blood from his mouth andughed, "I never thought that killing two inconsequential people back then would lead to this disaster today.


    It was then that he remembered that Wigglytuff and Grandbull had been stolen from that couple.


    Initially, he had encountered a couple transporting Pok��mon Eggs on his way to Mauville City. Tempted by greed, he wanted to take all the Pok��mon Eggs for himself.


    Originally, he hadn''t intended to kill the couple. However, as he was constantly pursued by the police recently, he became agitated. After transferring all the Pok��mon Eggs into his vehicle, he ruthlessly rammed their car into pieces before looting everything, including the bracelet. Little had he known that this bracelet would bring about his own downfall.


    "It seems I haven''t mistaken you!" Yuga concluded, not caring to delve into the details. For him, knowing the oue was sufficient.

 Chapter 351: Submission

    <h4>Chapter 351: Submission</h4>


    Yuga silently retrieved a knife from his system backpack, a knife he usually used for cutting vegetables, and closed his eyes before pressing it against Motohara''s neck.


    Yuga didn''t want to use his Pok��mon to carry out this act; he had to avenge his parents and Grandbull with his own hands.


    "Gulp... gulp..."


    As Motohara''s throat was severed, he couldn''t utter another word. When his warm blood sprayed onto Yuga''s face, Yuga couldn''t help but remark, "Ah! So, even a person''s blood is warm."


    What kind of experiences had led him to be this way?


    When Yuga finally opened his eyes again, he saw the pool of blood surrounding Motohara''s lifeless body. He couldn''t hold back the urge to vomit.


    He had never killed a person before, and he found it psychologically unbearable.


    When Yuga felt like there was nothing left in his stomach, he finally stopped vomiting.


    At this point, both Natu and Cloyster, which had been controlled by Noctowl''s Mean Look, were trembling in fear. They had been stationed near Motohara earlier.


    Yuga casually tossed the knife aside, paying no attention to them. Instead, he had Noctowl gather the three Pok��mon��Exploud, Shiftry, and Nidoking��that had belonged to Motohara and ordered Noctowl to eliminate them.


    Although it was a pity to kill three pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, these three Pok��mon, oncepletely under Motohara''s control, had lost their humanity and would only be a menace if kept alive.


    Yuga also retrieved all the Pok�� Balls from Motohara''s body and proceeded to bury his corpse along with the three Pok��mon.


    Afterward, Yuga looked at Natu and Cloyster, unsure of what to do with them.


    Both of these Pok��mon had promising potential; after all, they had been carefully chosen by the infamous Pok��mon Poacher Motohara.


    Should he keep them for fear causing trouble? Should he release them, feeling reluctant to do so? Or should he...


    While Yuga contemted this dilemma, several Natus descended from the sky, one after another. They all stood before Yuga, bowing repeatedly, indicating they didn''t want him to harm their fellow Natu.


    These Natus were the ones that had been monitoring Yuga''s every move in the forest earlier. It seemed that Natu near Motohara was their leader.


    Several Natus that appeared to hold a certain status among the group chattered with their leader. Eventually, all Natus prostrated themselves before Yuga.


    "Are you nning to submit to me in exchange for your lives?" Yuga asked with interest.


    All Natus simultaneously nodded their heads.


    Yuga hadn''t expected these Natus to be so intelligent. They truly deserved their reputation as Psychic-type Pok��mon.


    After giving it some thought, Yuga agreed. After all, they were arge group of valuable Psychic-type Pok��mon, and it would be a waste to abandon them. Moreover, he assessed their potentials and discovered that most of them had green potentials. He counted them; there were a total of eighteen, which was quite a significant number.


    Upon seeing Yuga''s agreement, Natus collectively breathed a sigh of relief.


    They had not been personally raised by Motohara; hence, they felt no emotional attachment to him. Originally, they were raised by the Poacher organization that Motohara had been a part of, exclusively for gathering intelligence.


    However, after the organization split, Motohara, using his authority and position within the organization, had taken them with him. He would often mistreat and verbally abuse them, making their lives miserable.


    In truth, they had longed to break free from Motohara''s control, but the opportunity had never presented itself.


    It seemed that fate had taken an unexpected turn today!


    "What about your Pok�� Balls?" Yuga inquired.


    He had only found the leader''s Pok�� Ball on Motohara; the Pok�� Balls for the other Natus were not on his person.


    Natus all pointed simultaneously towards a stone hut behind them.


    Yuga asked, "Are they all inside this room?"


    Natus nodded in confirmation.


    Now knowing where Natus'' Pok�� Balls were located, Yuga turned his attention to Cloyster nearby and inquired, "What are you nning to do?"


    What else can I do? Surrender, of course!


    Observing Cloyster''sck of resolve, Yuga shook his head and returned it to its Pok�� Ball.


    One couldn''t entirely me Cloyster for switching sides so quickly; after all, it had endured Motohara''s frequent mistreatment. It was not a primary battling Pok��mon, and its treatment differed greatly from that of Exploud, Shiftry, and Nidoking.


    Yuga didn''t rush to go inside the room to retrieve Natus'' Pok�� Balls. Instead, he intended to tend to his own Pok��mon''s injuries first; Natus'' situation wasn''t pressing.


    He released the incapacitated the Great Flygon, then gathered Wigglytuff, Florges, Absol, and Dragonair around him. From his system backpack, he retrieved healing items and administered them to each Pok��mon before returning them to their Pok�� Balls.


    Once he was done, Yuga returned to the front of the stone hut. He noticed that Natus had ck cameras attached to their necks. Yuga removed all of them, as they were no longer needed.


    However, he found that one Natu had nothing on its neck. Judging by its evasive gaze, it was the one Yuga had captured earlier and identally released on the way here. Yuga didn''t me it; it had also been under someone''s control.


    Guided by Natus, Yuga entered the stone hut. The room was dimly lit, with severalputer screens illuminated, disying blurry images. There were also a few Magnemites inside, apparently used by Motohara for power generation. Upon seeing Yuga, they immediately hid, trembling in fear. Yuga paid them no mind.


    "Where are your Pok�� Balls?" Yuga asked Natus surrounding him.


    Apart from theputer screens, the room contained a table, a few chairs, and a bed, with other unimportant odds and ends scattered about.


    One Natu pointed towards under the bed. Yuga went to investigate and indeed found a wooden box beneath it, filled with numerous Pok�� Balls, all empty.


    Yuga began checking them one by one, a process that took a considerable amount of time, before finally capturing all Natus into empty Pok�� Balls. There seemed to be quite a few of them.


    However, when he was about to capture thest Natu, it led him to the center of the room and pointed to a square stone b, indicating Yuga should move it.


    Perplexed, Yuga lifted the stone b, revealing an entrance leading downwards. A foul stench immediately wafted up, nearly causing Yuga to vomit.


    "Is this the underground chamber built by Motohara?" Yuga asked Natu.


    Natu nodded in confirmation.


    "What''s hidden inside?" Yuga inquired.


    Natu shook its head, indicating it didn''t know because it had never been inside. It only knew about the entrance to the underground chamber.


    Yuga nodded and captured Natu into a Pok�� Ball. He decided not to enter immediately due to the strong odor; it might be a good idea to let the area ventte first.

 Chapter 352: Bloodshed

    <h4>Chapter 352: Bloodshed</h4>


    While taking advantage of the time for the underground entrance to ventte, Yuga tended to his own injuries.


    He seemed to have internal injuries, as there were bruises on his body, but no visible external wounds. However, whenever he took a deep breath or made sudden movements, he felt sharp throbs of pain in his chest.


    Yuga''s system backpack didn''t contain any medication for treating internal injuries, so he took a few painkillers to temporarily alleviate the pain.


    Once he felt somewhat better, Yuga prepared to explore the underground chamber.


    Before entering, Yuga released his Vivillon.


    Aside from Charmander and Noctowl, Vivillon was the only Pok��mon left in his possession that was still in good condition.


    As for the recently subdued Natus and Cloyster, Yuga didn''t have that level of trust with them yet and didn''t want to rely on them for safety.


    Standing at the entrance of the underground chamber, Yuga said to Vivillon, "Vivillon, use Gust."


    Although the area had been ventted for quite some time, Yuga still sensed the nauseating stench emanating from below.


    He wondered what purpose such a ce could serve.


    After Vivillon created a Gust, Yuga felt a noticeable improvement in air quality. His instincts told him that whatevery below was likely not a pleasant sight, so he mentally prepared himself for the worst.


    The passageway was quite spacious, and with the sunlight streaming in from outside, the entrance area was well-lit. Yuga descended the stairs alongside Vivillon.


    However, as soon as he went a few steps down, he was confronted by a swarm of Spinarak blocking his path, surrounding him.


    These Spinarak were of such low level strength and potential that Vivillon''s Gust easily blew them away, leaving them dazed on the ground.


    These were rather unimpressive Pok��mon in terms of strength and potential, so Yuga didn''t pay them much attention. He simply stepped over them and continued deeper into the underground chamber.


    Gradually, he noticed faint bloodstains on the ground. The farther he progressed, the more abundant the bloodstains became. It exined the putrid odor in the air.


    At a bend in the passageway, two Ariados suddenly charged at Yuga. Their single horns on their foreheads emitted a blinding glow as they rushed towards him.


    Yuga was startled and instinctively stepped back, aggravating his injuries, which caused him considerable pain.


    However, Vivillon reacted swiftly, using Protect to shield Yuga and then using Psychic to send the two Ariados flying back.


    Despite the Ariados'' crimson eyes and aggressive demeanor, they seemed to have lost all reason and appearedpletely frenzied. Yuga wondered what Motohara had done to them.


    Yuga wasted no time and ended the lives of the two Ariados. Unlike the Spinarak at the entrance, these Ariados had already lost their sanity, disying intense aggression.


    After briefly observing their lifeless bodies, Yuga took a deep breath and continued deeper into the underground chamber.


    Once he turned the corner, Yuga finally arrived in the heart of the underground chamber.


    The contents of the chambery exposed before him.


    The underground chamber had been meticulously constructed and was surprisingly spacious. However, it was now densely packed with various items.


    A bright light hung from the ceiling, illuminating the entire chamber, which only added to Yuga''s eerie feeling about the ce.


    The walls were covered in dried bloodstains, obscuring their original colors.


    One wall disyed various limbs and body parts of Pok��mon, including the head of an Seviper, the abdomen of a Ariados, the dual stingers of a Beedrill, the serpentine skin of an Arbok, and the flower crown of a Vileplume, among others.


    Some of the bloodstains were still fresh, dripping slowly with fresh blood.


    In the center of the underground chamber stood a highly polished, unusually smooth, massive wooden table. However, it was also stained with blood and cluttered with an assortment of des and tools.


    It resembled a surgical or experimental table.


    At the center of the tabley a Golbat, dissected halfway through. Its wings and legs had been severed, leaving its body exposed, contorted in pain, with wide-open eyes.


    Yuga noticed that all the dissected Pok��mon had onemon characteristic: they were all Poison-type Pok��mon.


    Besides this gruesome sight, the chamber''s corners were filled with iron cages, each containing Pok��mon with nk expressions.


    Ever since Yuga entered the chamber, they had been trembling in fear, hiding in the corners, too terrified to make a sound.


    These Pok��mon seemed to have been captured and subjected to cruel experimentation by Motohara, leaving them in miserable states.


    After searching the chamber, Yuga finally found Motohara''s experiment records in a drawer of a table.


    It turned out that Motohara had hidden here to conduct these experiments.


    The reason so many Poison-type Pok��mon had been dissected was because Motohara was searching for a method to elevate his peak pseudo-Elite level Nidoking to Elite level.


    Advancing to Elite level was an extremely challenging task for Pok��mon, requiring abination of potential, umtion, and insight. Otherwise, Elite level Pok��mon would not be so rare.


    Noctowl''s swift breakthrough after improving its potential was not only due to Celebi''s assistance but also because it had spent many years in that stage, umting and understanding the necessary factors.


    However, Motohara''s Nidoking had not spent much time approaching the peak pseudo-Elite level, and both its umtion and insight were insufficient. Hence, he had sought unconventional methods.


    All these experiments, focused on Poison-type Pok��mon, had resulted in countless innocent Pok��mon died under his de.


    Yuga also found a metal bucket filled with dark purple venom. The vile stench emanating from it was overpowering even from a distance.


    Yuga couldn''t contain himself and kicked over the bucket, causing the viscous purple venom to spill out, mixing with the fresh blood on the ground. It nearly made him vomit again.


    However, as the venom flowed outpletely, a fist-sized, spherical object slowly rolled out.


    What is this?


    The spherical object was covered in a thickyer of venom, making it unrecognizable. Yuga had to wipe away all the venom before he realized it was a Toxic Orb.


    Yuga didn''t understand Motohara''s experiment principles or why he had submerged a precious Toxic Orb in venom. Still, since it had been offered to him, there was no reason to waste it.


    However, a Toxic Orb was best suited for Pok��mon with the Poison Heal ability, which Yuga currentlycked. None of his five Gliscor in the Ecopark possessed the hidden ability Poison Heal.


    Furthermore, Yuga rarely allowed his Gliscor to battle aside from training, so equipping them with a Toxic Orb would be somewhat redundant.

 Chapter 353: Soulless

    <h4>Chapter 353: Soulless</h4>


    In addition to those items, Yuga found a Potential Appraiser here.


    Yuga had only seen such a device in Pok��mon Centers and Day Care Centers in Lavaridge Town, making it a rare item.


    This item was quite expensive and usually only found in ces like Breeding Facility, Day Care Centers, and Private Day Care that frequently needed it, apart from the standardized equipment provided by the Pok��mon Center League.


    There was one in YoYo Day Care, but Yuga had never used it. Moreover, that one was an outdated model, no longer valuable. While it still functioned, its performance was subparpared to this advanced one.


    The new model Potential Appraiser was verypact, about the size of an adult''s head, shaped like a perfect cube. Unlike the old one at YoYo Day Care, which was as tall as Yuga, this modern device was much smaller.


    The front of the cube-shaped Potential Appraiser had a slot just the right size for a Pok�� Ball to fit in, with a tiny indicator light above it.


    When assessing a Pok��mon''s Potentials, the light would illuminate, with its color representing the Pok��mon''s Potential.


    However, these Potential Appraisers also had different levels. The lowest-grade ones could only detect Green Potentials, and they were the cheapest.


    The ones capable of detecting Blue Potentials, which were the highest, cost more than twice as much as the lower-grade ones.


    As for Potential Appraisers that could detect Potentials higher than Blue, they were exceedingly rare in the market and not avable in Pok��mon Centers. This wasn''t about cost but rather a matter of technology.


    However, such devices were present in the League Headquarters and some major factions.


    YoYo Day Care''s old machine could only detect Green Potentials at best, while this one from him appeared to be of a higher grade.


    Although Yuga couldn''t make much use of it, he decided to stow it in his system backpack.


    Finally, Yuga turned his attention to the Pok��mon confined in cages.


    A Pok��mon Poacher''s greatest wealth was always the Pok��mon they collected.


    Some Pok��mon reacted when they saw Yuga, while others had vacant, unresponsive gazes.


    With his Insight ability, Yuga observed that these Pok��mon had Potentials that were Green or higher, indicating that they had likely been assessed with the Potential Appraiser.


    What Yuga didn''t know was that any Pok��mon captured by Motohara from the outside, if found to be of little value, would be killed. Hence, the underground chamber was stained with blood everywhere.


    This hinted at the sheer number of Pok��mon that had met their end, especially since low-Potential Pok��mon were the majority.


    To break these Pok��mon''s spirits, before killing them, Motohara would torment them mercilessly. This was done right in front of the confined Pok��mon.


    In addition to this, sometimes they would open the cages, but if any Pok��mon dared to step out, they would be brutally beaten by Motohara. Any part that extended out would be subjected to harsh punishment until the Pok��mon no longer dared to step even half a step out, even if the door was wide open.


    However, Yuga remained unaware of these details.


    He approached and opened the cages'' doors, hoping to free these Pok��mon, but not only did they note out, they also trembled more intensely.


    Yuga frowned, unable to fathom what these Pok��mon had endured.


    These Pok��mon were not only covered in injuries but also emaciated, giving them a ghastly appearance.


    Was this Motohara person a sadist?


    Weren''t these Pok��mon supposed to be for selling? They should have been treated well. How did they end up like this? Can they even be sold now?


    "Please,e out. I won''t harm you," Yuga softly murmured.


    However, these Pok��mon showed no response whatsoever. Their eyes were not only vacant but also filled with an instinctive fear of humans.


    Motohara, over the years of being hunted and on the run, had be twisted and sadistic in character, disying unpredictable cruelty.


    Most of the Pok��mon he had captured had already been tortured to death, and only those considered rtively rare were spared from his brutality.


    Yuga noticed a cage containing what seemed to be a family of three: a Gardevoir, a Kirlia, and a Ralts. The Gardevoir was female, the Kirlia male, and the Ralts their offspring.


    All three Pok��mon appeared soulless. Even when Yuga approached them, they remained unresponsive.


    The Ralts, cradled in Gardevoir''s arms, seemed severely ill, having already fallen into a deep unconsciousness, disying a pained expression on its face.


    Yuga wanted to check on the Ralts, but Gardevoir kept her distance. In her current state of mindlessness, she was driven solely by maternal instinct, fearing that Yuga might harm the Ralts.


    Looking at these Pok��mon, who appeared to have lost their very souls, Yuga felt an overwhelming sadness.


    In the following moments, Yuga attempted tomunicate with these Pok��mon, but his efforts were futile. Their minds seemed sealed shut, impervious to any external voice.


    Yuga counted them; there were a total of 17 Pok��mon here, all possessing high Potentials, most likely collected by Motohara over a long period.


    After all, not everyone, like Yuga, could perceive a Pok��mon''s Potentials. Hence, capturing Pok��mon was more selective and purposeful for him.


    The Pok��mon included a Gardevoir, a Kirlia, a Ralts, a pair of Kecleon, three Swablu, four affy, three Murkrow, and two Mr. Mime.


    Among them, the two Mr. Mime seemed to be in the best condition. While they were still injured, they didn''t have the lifeless gaze of the others. Instead, they responded quite visibly to Yuga''s presence with fear.


    Yuga found this perplexing. Why were these Natus unharmed when all the others suffered so much?


    Unbeknownst to Yuga, these Natus had been taken by Motohara from a Poacher organization, specially trained to serve as messengers. If not for the careful nurturing within the organization, how could these Natus have such high Potentials?


    Motohara couldn''t have found more than a dozen Pok��mon with identical Potentials outside.


    And if not for the internal strife and division within the Poacher organization, he wouldn''t have had this big of an advantage.


    Even so, these Natus did not lead easy lives under Motohara''s control. They were subject to frequent physical abuse, although not as severe as the Pok��mon in cages. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have surrendered so easily.


    Seeing these soulless Pok��mon in front of him, Yuga sighed and decided to take them all out before deciding what to do next.


    Each of these Pok��mon had their own Pok�� Balls, the same ones that had been stored together with the Natus'' Pok�� Balls.


    Yuga returned to the stone house, retrieved these Pok�� Balls, and then stored all seventeen Pok��mon inside them.

 Chapter 354: Hospital Admission

    <h4>Chapter 354: Hospital Admission</h4>


    After capturing all those Pok��mon in Pok�� Balls, Yuga double-checked the underground chamber for any other discoveries before preparing to leave.


    This ce wasn''t somewhere he wanted to linger for even a minute.


    During his inspection, he dide across a variety of firearms and hunting gear, but most of it was covered in dust, indicating they hadn''t been used in a long time.


    But then again, Motohara was a strong pseudo-Elite level Trainer; he didn''t need such tools to capture Pok��mon.


    Before leaving, Yuga recalled his Vivillon and released Noctowl. He ordered Noctowl to demolish the entire underground chamber, burying this ce of sin deep underground.


    This included the Pok��mon corpses that hadn''t been dealt with.


    He also shooed away the group of Spinarak that he had encountered earlier. They were young and only followed Motohara''smands, not reaching the level of obedience of the two Ariados.


    When Yuga exited the underground chamber and returned to the stone house, he found that the Magnemite that had been hiding in the corners of the room had vanished.


    Upon exiting the stone house, Yuga had Noctowlunch a few Air shes to demolish it entirely, and then he left the area with Noctowl.


    As he walked away from thekeside grasnd, he noticed several dozen Fearows that had been dealt with by his Dragonair, still lying on the ground, yet to regain consciousness. He released them from their Pokeballs, effectively granting them their freedom.


    These Fearows were all caught using Pokeballs that Yuga had found in the stone house. He had no use for them and had no intention of keeping these Fearows, so he decided to set them free.


    Upon waking up and seeing Yuga, the Fearows immediately flew high into the sky, their eyes filled with fear. In their eyes, Yuga was no different from a formidable viin.


    Observing the Fearows scatter and flee, Yuga shook his head, turned, and left with his Noctowl. Meanwhile, Wigglytuff was carried on Noctowl''s back.


    Yuga''s departure from the Violet Glow Forest was effortless, thanks to the imposing aura of his Noctowl, which kept wild Pokemon at bay.


    Once outside the Violet Glow Forest, he continued his journey on Route 118, making his way back to Mauville City.


    With his flying mounts, the Great Dlygon and Dragonair, one heavily injured and the other bearing numerous battle scars, Yuga had no choice but to rely on his two legs to return.


    Yuga was already injured, and his entire body was stained with blood, so when he finally entered Mauville City, he looked disheveled beyond recognition.


    Many people mistook him for a Trainer who had returned from wilderness training and offered to escort him to the Pok��mon Center.


    Visiting the Pok��mon Center was certainly on his agenda, but not right now. First, he needed to return to his Manor.


    Politely declining the kind offers of passersby, Yuga quickly made his way to the Manor.


    By the time he reached the Manor, it was alreadyte in the day. Bellossom was anxiously waiting at the entrance, and when she saw Yuga covered in blood and looking disheveled, she was utterly shocked. She rushed over to support him.


    "Thank you, Bellossom!" Yuga''s current state left him utterly exhausted. Having walked a long distance, his legs felt almost unusable.


    With Bellossom''s help, he barely managed to stay on his feet.


    Once inside the yard, Yuga promptly took a shower, changed into fresh clothes, and then issued some orders to Noctowl.


    He intended to teleport all 18 of the Natus and the 17 mentally ill Pok��mon back to YoYo Day Care right away, entrusting them to the Miltanks.


    The condition of these 17 mentally ill Pok��mon was far from ideal. They needed immediate treatment, considering they wouldn''t be suitable for the Pok��mon Center in their current state.


    Yuga believed that the Miltanks could handle these Pok��mon''s issues efficiently.


    After making all the necessary arrangements, Yuga called Suzuki Koen. He asked her to go to the Pok��mon Center to collect the Pok�� Balls and then instructed Noctowl to transport these Pok�� Balls back to the Ecopark for cement.


    Fortunately, there was a Trade Machine at the Manor, so Yuga didn''t need to rush to the Pok��mon Center.


    After dealing with those Pok��mon, Yuga was ready to take Wigglytuff and a few other injured Pok��mon to the Pok��mon Center for their treatment, and to tend to his own injuries as well.


    However, at this moment, Ryuichi hurriedly arrived after receiving a message from Bellossom.


    "Young Master Shimizu, are you okay?" Yuga had already cleaned himself up, removing all the dirt and blood, leaving him looking clean except for a slightly paleplexion.


    Smiling, Yuga shook his head and said, "I''m fine, can''t you see I''m perfectly fine?"


    Seeing Yuga''s pale face, Ryuichi was certain and said, "You''re injured!"


    Unable to hide it any longer, Yuga sighed and admitted, "Well, they are just minor injuries."


    Ryuichi, noticing Yuga''s difort, immediately grabbed his arm and began walking him outside. However, as he did, Yuga''s injuries in his chest were exacerbated, causing him to inhale sharply in pain.


    Seeing Yuga''s reaction, Ryuichi anxiously said, "You said these were minor injuries! Look at how much they hurt."


    Afterward, he quickly called a driver and had him wait at the Manor gate. Then, he dragged Yuga to the Pok��mon Center.


    While on the way and sitting in the car, Ryuichi asked Yuga, "How did you deal with that person named Motohara?"


    Yuga smiled as he answered, "I handled everything."


    Frowning, Ryuichi said, "That''s good, but next time, don''t be so reckless. Look at how you''re injured now."


    Seeing Yuga breaking into a cold sweat, Ryuichi knew that Yuga must be in more pain than he let on.


    Yuga looked at his side at the still unconscious Wigglytuff and said with a smile, "I''ve been through some trouble, but it was all worth it."


    Not only did he seek revenge, but he also found his mother Wigglytuff again. Yuga felt ted, but thinking about Grandbull still made him feel ufortable.


    When they arrived at the Pok��mon Center, Yuga and his Pok��mon were promptly taken to the emergency room.


    Perhaps due to the exhausting day he had, Yuga fell asleep without realizing it. When he opened his eyes again, it was already the next morning.


    Taking a look around his hospital room and seeing himself wearing a patient''s gown, Yuga realized he was in a bed at the Pok��mon Center.


    Feeling a bit thirsty, he was about to get up and pour a ss of water when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.


    At that moment, Ryuichi pushed the door open, and seeing Yuga awake, he eximed, "My little ancentor, you''ve finally woken up!"


    Ryuichi ced the breakfast he was carrying on a nearby table and gently helped Yuga sit up.


    Watching Yuga wincing in pain, he couldn''t help butin, "You said it wasn''t a serious injury, but you''ve got two broken ribs and several areas of internal bleeding in your lungs. If it had been any worse, you might not have made it!"


    Yuga smiled awkwardly and said, "I didn''t pay much attention to it yesterday."

 Chapter 355: Departure

    <h4>Chapter 355: Departure</h4>


    Perhaps it was due to the intense mental breakdown he endured yesterday, Yuga hadn''t felt the full extent of his injuries until today when he finally rxed and the pain hit him all over.


    But when he thought about it, it made sense. After all, it was a massive explosion caused by a pseudo-Elite Pok��mon, and Wigglytuff''s strength was quitecking, so sustaining significant injuries was expected.


    "By the way, how are my Pok��mon?" Yuga suddenly remembered that his Pok��mon were also injured and inquired anxiously.


    Opening a thermos with a bowl of rice porridge and handing it to Yuga along with a spoon, Ryuichi replied, "You just focus on recovering. Your Pok��mon are all fine, thanks to Nurse Joy! Don''t worry."


    With his worries eased, Yuga epted the thermos from Ryuichi and started eating contentedly. He had hardly eaten anything the previous day, and now he was quite hungry. Even in rice porridge tasted delightful.


    Watching Yuga eat happily, Ryuichi reassured him, "Just focus on resting and healing. I''ll take good care of your Pok��mon for you."


    Wiping his mouth, Yuga expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you so much, Ryuichi!"


    Ryuichi chuckled at his gratitude, saying, "You don''t need to be so polite with me."


    After chatting with Yuga for a while, Ryuichi got up and prepared to leave.


    "Rest assured and recover here. I''lle to see you around noon."


    Yuga nodded in agreement.


    After Ryuichi left, Yuga sighed as he looked out the window at the sky.


    "It seems like I won''t be able to move around for quite some time."


    Upon his return to the Manor, Ryuichi went straight to Mr. Kuni''o''s residence.


    Seeing Ryuichi respectfully standing below, Mr. Kuni''o inquired, "How is that child doing?"


    Ryuichi bent slightly and replied, "He''s injured quite seriously, but it''s not a big deal. He just needs some time to recover."


    Mr. Kuni''o nodded, took a sip of his tea, and remarked, "That''s good to hear. When he''s healed, he''ll be leaving soon. During these days you''ve spent with him, what''s your impression of him?"


    Ryuichi thought for a moment and replied, "He''s a good kid, just a bit independent and reluctant to rely on others."


    Setting his tea cup down gently, Mr. Kuni''o said, "Being self-reliant isn''t necessarily a bad thing."


    Ryuichi bowed slightly and said, "As you say."


    Mr. Kuni''o waved his hand lightly and said, "You may go."


    Ryuichi nodded slightly and exited the room.


    Meanwhile, in a luxurious vi on the outskirts of Mauville City.


    In a study, Genos held a report about Shimizu Yuga, provided by Juliana.


    After reviewing Yuga''s information, Genos tossed the documents onto the table and remarked with a smile, "He''s an interesting person, but how did he be connected to Mr. Kuni''o?"


    This was a puzzling question for Genos. One was an obscure daycare owner, while the other was a high-profile figure in the region. There didn''t seem to be any apparent connection between them.


    Just as Genos was deep in thought, the study door creaked open, and a young girl with a small head popped in.


    "Big brother, am I bothering you?"


    Seeing the neer, Genos immediately smiled and waved, saying, "Of course not! Come in, Adrielle!"


    If Yuga were here at this moment, he would undoubtedly recognize this girl as Adrielle, the one he met in the Violet Glow Forest.


    Adrielle rushed into the study, jumped into Genos''s arms, and coquettishly asked, "Brother, are you going to help me find my big brother, the one who saved me?"


    Genos lifted Adrielle into his arms, ced her on a chair behind the desk, and sighed helplessly, "I still don''t know what your big brother looks like, his name, or how to find him!"


    To be honest, Genos had no desire whatsoever to find this person. His sister had been incessantly talking about this person ever since she returned home yesterday, and he was starting to feel as sour as a lemon.


    "Adrielle! I''m your brother; don''t you love your brother anymore? Forget about that so-called big brother. Isn''t having me as your brother enough?"


    But Genos would never admit to being a siscon.


    Kidding aside, how could Genos, the great Genos, possibly be a siscon? He could only me his parents for making Adrielle so adorable.


    Genos pretended to be very caring, bent down, and solemnly said to Adrielle, "Adrielle, rest assured. Even though we don''t have any leads, I will do my best to help you find that big brother of yours."


    Who would actually help you find him? You''ll probably forget about this in a while! Genos thought to himself.


    However, in the moment when Genos bent down, the sharp-eyed Adrielle noticed the documents on the table.


    Her eyes lit up, and she immediately jumped out of her chair, grabbed a piece of material with a photo of Yuga, and happily eximed to Genos, "Brother, I found him!"


    Genos was left dumbfounded by Adrielle''s words and pointed at the photo of Yuga on the table, asking in disbelief, "You mean this person is the one who saved you yesterday?"


    "Yes, yes! Brother, do you know him?"


    "Heh...heh... No... I don''t know him..."


    Genos replied awkwardly.


    At this moment, he wished he could give himself two big ps.


    Why on earth did he investigate this person when it had nothing to do with him and Mr. Kuni''o?


    Now he had dug his own grave!


    Upon hearing Genos say he didn''t know, Adrielle didn''t mind at all and said, "That''s okay. If you don''t know, you can investigate, right? There''s a photo here!"


    Genos reluctantly took the photo that Adrielle handed to him, thinking to himself, "I''ve already investigated, but I''m not telling you!"


    Yuga spent over a week in the Pok��mon Center, and he felt like he was beginning to rust away.


    It was fortunate that people from the Pok��mon world had robust constitutions and quick healing abilities. Otherwise, with such severe injuries, Yuga would have needed a month to recover.


    After being discharged from the Pok��mon Center, Yuga decided it was time to leave Mauville City. He had been dyed long enough, and Director Mond was still waiting for him.


    He called home as soon as he left the center.


    Yuga hadn''t told his family about his injuries, wanting to spare his aunt from worrying. After all, he had been out of contact for a week, and he was afraid she mighte to Mauville City if she didn''t hear from him soon.


    As expected, his aunt was furious when she received Yuga''s call, demanding to know what had happened. Thankfully, Yuga managed to evade her inquiries with some vague exnations.


    Before leaving, Yuga went to bid farewell to Ryuichi, intending to return the golden key. However, Ryuichi insisted on giving it to him, saying that he coulde to the Manor anytime he wished while visiting Mauville City.


    But Yuga never got to meet Mr. Kuni''o. Ryuichi informed him that there was no need to say goodbye.


    Except for the moment when he first arrived at the Manor, Yuga hadn''t seen Mr. Kuni''o again, and the same held true when he left.

 Chapter 356: Visiting

    <h4>Chapter 356: Visiting</h4>


    Yuga didn''t leave Mauville City using conventional transportation; instead, he rode on a the Great Flygon.


    Under Nurse Joy''s excellent medical care, his Pok��mon had already regained their health ahead of him, and the Great Flygon carrying Yuga posed no problem at all.


    Because he had lost quite a bit of time in Mauville City, Yuga didn''t dare to dy any further. He flew non-stop toward Lavaridge Town.


    In order to reach Lavaridge Town as quickly as possible, he even rode the Great Flygon through a small desert area, finally arriving at the Pok��mon Center in Lavaridge Townte in the evening.


    In fact, if Yuga had taken a shortcut directly from Verdanturf Town through the Rusturf Tunnel to Lavaridge Town, he could have arrived in half a day. Conversely, taking the official route through Mauville City turned out to be much longer.


    If it weren''t for the investigation into his parents'' murder, Yuga wouldn''t have taken this roundabout route. He had realized the importance of this case and was determined to uncover the truth.


    As he arrived in Lavaridge Townte at night, Yuga didn''t rush to see Director Mond. Instead, he decided to spend the night at the Pok��mon Center.


    The next morning, Yuga was awakened by a series of "Double ps" from Wigglytuff. This reminded Yuga of the days when he and Wigglytuff spent time together in the past.


    Back then, Wigglytuff used to wake him up like this regrly.


    Having been in this world for so long, Yuga''s mind was filled with the memories of his original owner. Sometimes, he found it difficult to distinguish between himself and the original Yuga. His sense of identification with his original owner was growing stronger.


    "Good morning, Wigglytuff!"


    Yuga rubbed his sleepy eyes, smiled at Wigglytuff, and greeted her.


    "Wigglytuff, Wigglytuff."


    Wigglytuff ced Yuga''s clothes in front of him, urging him to get up.


    Yuga understood that Wigglytuff had lost her most beloved master and lover, and even though they had returned to a somewhat normal life, she was still feeling confused and anxious inside. This was why she was eager to find something to do.


    However, Yuga didn''t point this out to her; instead, he tried to let Wigglytuff gradually recover from the shadow at her own pace.


    Yuga sometimes felt fortunate that Wigglytuff had managed to escape, otherwise she would have suffered like Gardevoir and the others if she had been captured, being tortured and be walkong corpse.


    Yet, the cost of her escape had been enormous. It had cost Grandbull life, which was quite unbearable.


    Yuga ran his hand through his disheveled hair, sat up in bed, and said to Wigglytuff, "Later, we''re going to visit a friend of mine. I''ll introduce you to her."


    Before going to the Pok��mon Day Care Center, Yuga decided to visit nnery at Lavaridge Gym.


    The two of them were friends, after all, and since he was already in Lavaridge Town, it wouldn''t be right not to pay her a visit.


    Besides, Mr. Moore had helped him quite a bit.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Wigglytuff happily nodded.


    Since reuniting with her little master, she had noticed that he was different from before, not only much stronger but also having made friends.


    The previous Yuga had been quite a loner without any friends.


    After finishing breakfast, Yuga arrived at the entrance of Lavaridge Gym with Wigglytuff.


    The Gym was an old-style building with a retro architectural design that exuded a sense of history.


    After knocking on the door, a young man soon opened it and inquired through the gap, "Are you here to challenge the Gym?"


    "No, I''m Shimizu Yuga, a friend of nnery. I''d like to meet her. Please inform her."


    Yuga politely exined.


    The young man nodded gently, closed the door, and hurried inside.


    When the door opened again, it was nnery who appeared. She saw Yuga and greeted him with a smile, saying, "Why didn''t you tell me you wereing? Come on in."


    As she spoke, nnery beckoned Yuga and Wigglytuff to enter the Gym.


    Yuga walked in, exining, "I came to Lavaridge Town for something and decided to drop by and see you. It was a bit sudden, and I didn''t think to notify you."


    nnery didn''t need to guess; she knew Yuga hadn''te specifically to see her, so she smiled and said, "Is this your first time visiting our Gym? Stay for lunch; I''ll host you."


    Yuga smiled and replied, "Sure, I was just wondering where to have lunch."


    "Then it''s settled."


    As they walked along the path in the courtyard, they encountered a middle-aged man. When he saw them, he asked in surprise, "Do we have guests at home?"


    nnery joyfully introduced them, "Yes, we do! This is my friend, Shimizu Yuga. Yuga, this is my dad!"


    The man walking towards them was nnery''s father, Mr. Kei, the former Gym Leader of Lavaridge Town. His abilities as a Trainer were somewhatcking, so he had returned the Gym Leader position to his father after the former Elite Four, Mr. Moore, retired. However, when Mr. Moore was absent, Mr. Kei acted as the interim Gym Leader.


    "Hello, Uncle. I apologize for the sudden visit," Yuga greeted, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    "Ah, so you''re Yuga? My father has mentioned you before; today, I finally get to meet you. It''s quite an honor," Mr. Kei eximed in surprise.


    Yuga hadn''t expected that Mr. Moore had talked about him at home, so he was momentarily unsure how to respond.


    At that moment, nnery interjected, "By the way, Dad, where are you rushing off to?"


    Startled by nnery''s question, Mr. Kei pped his forehead and said, "Oh, dear me, Ipletely forgot. Your mother has something for me to do. I won''t bother you with the details; nnery, please take care of our guest."


    nnery smiled and said, "I understand, Dad. You go ahead with your business."


    Mr. Kei then turned to Yuga and added, "Make yourself at home here; there''s no need to be polite. I have something to attend to, so I''ll leave you in nnery''s capable hands."


    Yuga nodded, saying, "Please, go ahead with your work."


    Watching her father rush off, nnery shook her head in resignation and said to Yuga, "Let''s head inside."


    Yuga agreed with a nod.


    Once inside, nnery invited Yuga to sit down and poured them each a cup of hot tea.


    Even though Lavaridge Town was located near Mt. Chimey, a volcanic area, the temperature in the winter was slightly lowerpared to other parts of Hoenn region.


    Taking a sip of the hot tea, Yuga felt warmth spreading through him. He asked, "Has Mr. Moore returned from the Illuma Ind?"


    Sitting across from Yuga, nnery smiled and replied, "Yes, he returned a while ago, but now he''s gone again. I don''t understand why the League keeps assigning him so much work, especially after Grandpa stepped down from the Elite Four position."


    As Mr. Moore was getting older, nnery didn''t want to see him overworked and constantly on the move.


    Yuga reassured her, "Mr. Moore has only recently retired, and the new Elite Four, Sidney, is quite young. There are many responsibilities to transfer. Things will likely settle down in the future."


    nnery sighed and nodded, saying, "Let''s hope so."

 Chapter 357: Love Struck

    <h4>Chapter 357: Love Struck</h4>


    The two of them sat together and talked for a long time. Yuga even told nnery about Beidou resignation from Ever Grande City Day Care Center and he work at the YoYo Day Care now, which surprised her greatly.


    Time passed unnoticed, and it was already noon. With the warm hospitality of nnery''s parents, Yuga was treated exceptionally well.


    Not long after lunch, Yuga took his leave from the Lavaridge Gym and headed to the Day Care Center to meet Director Mond.


    Director Mond was quite surprised about Yuga being sote this time, but he didn''t inquire further. Instead, he enthusiastically helped Yuga choose some Pok��mon Eggs.


    This time, there were a total of 24 Eggs, all of them with green Potentials; there were no higher Potentials avable.


    After making his selection, Yuga bid farewell to Director Mond and returned to Verdanturf Town on the back of the Great Flygon. Because he took a shortcut, he managed to make it back home that very day. However, when he reached his doorstep, it was already dark.


    Since Suzuki Koen had finished work and the house was pitch ck after Yuga opened the door, it felt a bit eerie. Only the light in Windy''s room was still on.


    Yuga went upstairs, and as he passed Windy''s room, he noticed him still sitting in front of hisputer. Yuga knocked on the door, thinking of reminding him to go to bed early.


    However, to his surprise, Windy was startled by the knocking and nearly hid under the table.


    Seeing Windy''s reaction, Yuga pushed the door open and said with amusement, "Do I really scare you that much?"


    Seeing that it was Yuga, Windy breathed a sigh of relief and quickly got up from the floor. He stammered, "B-boss, you''re back?"


    Yuga chuckled at his words and said, "What''s the matter? Can''t I return to my own home?"


    Windy realized he had misspoken and hurriedly exined, "I meant... It''s just that it''s quitete."


    Yuga shook his head, feeling a bit helpless. "You really need to work on yourmunication skills. It would be good for you to chat more with the others downstairs, especially with Siter Koen and the others."


    Windy remained silent, keeping his head down as he listened.


    Seeing Windy''s attitude of "I hear you, but I won''t change," Yuga sighed and said, "Get some rest; it''s gettingte."


    After saying this, Yuga went back to his room.


    The next morning, Yuga headed to the Ecopark. It had been over a week since the Pok��mon obtained from the Motohara had been transfered to the YoYo Day Care, and he hadn''t checked on their condition yet.


    However, before he even entered, he noticed Linoone approaching him, followed by a wagging tail, a Mightyena.


    What kind ofbination was this? Yuga couldn''t quite understand.


    "What''s going on with you two?" Yuga asked Linoone in confusion.


    Linoone seemed helpless as he stood upright and spread his front paws, making a gesture that seemed to say, "I can''t help it either."


    Yuga then shifted his gaze to Mightyena, who was looking at Linoone with a shy expression, not giving Yuga a single nce.


    Seeing this, Yuga didn''t need any more exnations.


    Mightyena had fallen for Linoone.


    In fact, when Mightyena had just been transfered to the YoYo Day Care, it was very unwilling to stay here.


    Jokingly, why should a dignified n leader like itself, proud and imposing, stay in this ce? Moreover, it had been tamed by that man who had beaten it so badly, showing no mercy at all!


    But all these thoughts disappeared the moment it saw a heroic figure passing by it one day. It was none other than the handsome Linoone.


    Looking at that streamlined body, in that moment, it felt its heart racing.


    "What an amazing handsome male!" (��) It had fallen head over heels for Linoone in that instant.


    That''s how Mightyena fell in love at first sight with Linoone.


    Love truly strikes unexpectedly.


    As for the Greninja, who was apanying Linoone, it was ruthlessly ignored.


    Without a second thought, Mightyena decided to follow Linoone.


    On the day when Linoone and Greninja had arranged to train with Typhlosion and Ursaring, they were heading to the Desert Sub-Ecopark for their training session. They werepletely unaware of the Mightyena following them.


    Upon arriving at the Desert Sub-Ecopark, where Typhlosion and Ursaring were already waiting, the four Pok��mon split into two teams. Greninja and its good friend Linoone formed one team, while Ursaring and Typhlosion formed the other.


    Given that Greninja and Linoone had known each other for quite some time, trained together regrly, and lived together, their teamwork was stronger, and they easily defeated Ursaring and Typhlosion.


    Seeing the powerful and majestic Linoone on the battlefield, Mightyena, who was watching from the sidelines, was utterly captivated.


    Mwah! (*�s3�t) What a MANly male!


    What else was there to do? For the sake of its idol, it decided to stay at the YoYo Day Care forever!


    From that moment on, Mightyena abandoned the idea of leaving the YoYo Day Care and awakened its infatuation attribute.


    Unable to contain its admiration any longer, Mightyena boldly went out to confess.


    "Idol, I adore you!"


    Linoone, upon hearing Mightyena for the first time, was utterly stunned by its "deration of love."


    (��)�� How straightforward for a female!


    Since then, Mightyena followed Linoone around every day and even moved with it to the woods near Heart Lake.


    Linoone didn''t particrly dislike Mightyena.


    It also wished to have a romantic partner and couldn''t help but notice the affectionate vibes between Nales and Houndoom whenever they were around. It had lost count of how many times it had been fed with dog food.


    Moreover, its old friend Swellow had recently announced that he was no longer single.


    Yes, during Yuga''s absence, Swellow had finally won over his dream girl��Honchkrow.


    To say that Linoone wasn''t envious would be a lie, but it also wanted someone to love!


    Well, this Mightyena was pretty good��graceful, good-looking, and most importantly, bold.


    Of course, the other Pok��mon couldn''t see where Mightyena''s grace and beauty wereing from, but Linoone could.


    However, even if they shared mutual feelings, they couldn''t decide on a lifelongmitment without the boss''s approval. So, they had to wait for the boss to return.


    That was Linoone''s n.


    So, what Yuga saw in front of him was the result of these events.


    Yuga looked at Linoone, who seemed to be saying, "It''s not like I wanted to be bothered by it," and what else was there to understand?


    "Hehe... This is your business, so you two can figure it out yourselves."


    What else could he do? He couldn''t y matchmaker, could he? Yuga thought.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Linoone''s eyes revealed a hint of joy, but it continued to act aloof.


    Well, it couldn''t ruin its idol''s image.


    However, in the next moment, it lost its cool because the excited Mightyena gave it a kiss on the cheek and then gave Yuga a "I hope you''re satisfied" look.


    Linoone blushed at the kiss from Mightyena and quickly ran away.


    Well, the love-struck Linoone also had a touch of tsundere in its nature.

 Chapter 358: Scars

    <h4>Chapter 358: Scars</h4>


    Having resolved the love issue with Linoone, Yuga proceeded directly into the Ecopark.


    Upon entering, Yuga immediately noticed that the eighteen Natus had all been arranged to reside in the weather trees of the main Ecopark, and they seemed to be living quite well.


    There was no mistreatment here, and they enjoyed good food and drinks every day without the need tobor or travel outside. The Natus truly cherished this ce.


    The only downside was that they had to participate in training every day.


    However, since all the other Pok��mon here were also required to train, they couldn''t afford to ck off.


    Back in their hometown, they rarely participated in training since their role was mainly gathering information and monitoring others. Being too powerful would attract unwanted attention.


    Upon seeing Yuga enter, all eighteen Natus simultaneously flew down from the treetops andnded in front of him.


    "How have you all been these days?" Yuga asked the Natus with a smile.


    The Natus chirped and chattered, excitedly describing their experiences over the past days. Although Yuga couldn''t understand what they were saying, he could tell they were doing well.


    At that moment, the leader of the Natus tugged on Yuga''s sleeve and then pointed in a direction.


    Yuga followed its gaze and saw Medidite and the others trying tomunicate with Gardevoir, Kirlia, Ralts, and two Mr. Mime in the middle.


    However, only the two Mr. Mime responded slightly to Medidite and the others. Gardevoir and Kirlia seemed like puppets, their eyes lifeless and unmoving.


    Yuga attempted to approach and check on them, but he realized that the Mr. Mime reacted strongly to his presence.


    Seeing Medidite shake its head at him, Yuga reluctantly abandoned the idea of getting closer.


    Fortunately, after the careful care provided by the Miltanks over the past few days, the Mr. Mime no longer looked emaciated, and Ralts seemed to be recovering from its illness.


    It seemed that their psychological issues would take time to heal, Yuga thought.


    The Miltanks had made a sensible arrangement, cing these psychic-type Pok��mon under Medidite''s care so they couldmunicate telepathically, helping them open up sooner.


    "Please help Medidite and the others as well in your daily routines, so Gardevoir and the others can recover sooner," Yuga said to the eighteen Natus beside him.


    The Natus nodded in unison.


    Yuga then had one of the Natus apany him to check on the conditions of the other Pok��mon brought back.


    The remaining affy, Murkrow, Swablu, and Kecleon had been ced in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark and entrusted to different Pok��mon for care.


    The three Murkrow were assigned to the Bird Leader Swellow and Honchkrow, and when Yuga arrived, Honchkrow was patiently trying tomunicate with them, even though the Murkrow didn''t respond.


    Despite Honchkrow''s usual reticence and cold demeanor, Yuga knew it was actually very gentle.


    Otherwise, most Pok��mon wouldn''t tolerate the clingy nature of the Bird Leader Swellow.


    The three Swablu were entrusted to other Swablu in the Ecopark for care, and being of the same species, they should find it easier tomunicate.


    The four affy and the pair of Kecleon were in the care of the Quadruped Pok��mon family.


    The Quadruped Pok��mon family, apart from the Flying-type Pok��mon led by Swellow, were the most inclined to form tight-knit groups.


    Nales and Houndoom, along with Houndour, Vulpix, Ponyta, Rapidash, Typhlosion, Cyndaquil, and the Eevee family, typically lived together as a close-knit group.


    With the addition of the affy and Kecleon, this team had grown evenrger, and the other Pok��mon were activelyforting and supporting them, hoping for their early recovery.


    Yuga felt extremely gratified to see that these Pok��mon no longer looked as emaciated and battered as before.


    Since the absence of Audino, the Miltank leader''s guidance had be increasingly reassuring, and Yuga was very satisfied with their arrangements this time.


    The only one left unseen was Cloyster, but Yuga wasn''t in a rush to check on its condition. Judging from the condition of the other Pok��mon, Cloyster should be doing fine.


    Moreover, he already knew that Cloyster had safely settled in the shallow seashore, living as neighbors with the witzer family and Cradily.


    Next, he was nning to check on the conditions of the Gligar, and logically, they should be pregnant by now.


    However, the Wigglytuff that had been following Yuga since early morning was utterly stunned by the scene in front of it.


    "What on earth happened during the time I wasn''t home? Why are there so many Pok��mon here? And where am I standing now? Can someone please tell me??"


    Seeing Wigglytuff constantly in a daze, Yuga asked with a lowered head, "What''s wrong, Wigglytuff?"


    Wigglytuff pointed towards the yful Pok��mon not far away, lookingpletely puzzled.


    Yuga smiled and said, "I captured these Pok��mon while you were away, and this Ecopark was constructed during that time."


    Wigglytuff looked at Yuga with an expression that said, "I haven''t been to school; don''t try to deceive me."


    Yuga chuckled and said, "I used some little-known secrets. Just know that from now on, this ce is your home too."


    "Wigglytuff, Wigglytuff!"


    Wigglytuff nodded happily.


    Indeed, this ce would forever be its home.


    Yuga continued, "With so many Pok��mon in the Ecopark now, I''ll be counting on you to help take care of them."


    "Wigglytuff!"


    Wigglytuff patted its chest happily, indicating that it was up for the task.


    Yuga''s mom''s Wigglytuff and his dad''s Grandbull both had low potential, just like Yuga''s Florges when it had just started. All of them had yellow potential.


    Moreover, they rarely trained, so after all these years, Wigglytuff''s level was still not high, and its strength wasn''t remarkable.


    ...


    <<wigglytuff>> </wigglytuff>


    Type: Normal, Fairy


    Ability: Cute Charm


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Yellow


    Level: 33


    Moves: y Rough, Sing, Disable, Double p


    ...


    Yuga didn''t expect Wigglytuff to be of significant help, but he hoped it could eventually ovee its past trauma.


    Despite Wigglytuff''s cheerful demeanor now and its casual attitude in front of Yuga, he knew that it still carried the scars of the past.


    Last night, in the middle of the night, Yuga heard Wigglytuff quietly sobbing. Its voice was barely audible and filled with suppression, as if it feared waking Yuga, who was still asleep.


    It must be said that this Motohara, in the hearts of Gardevoir, Wigglytuff, and even Yuga, had left indelible scars.


    At the time, Yuga really wanted to tell Wigglytuff that it should cry out loud if it wanted to, but the words couldn''t find their way out.


    He could only hope that with time and amidst their busy days, Wigglytuff would gradually emerge from the shadow of that incident.


    Yuga then went to the Desert Sub-Ecopark to check on the three Queens of Gliscor, but he was disappointed to find that none of them were pregnant.

 Chapter 359: Classmate

    <h4>Chapter 359: ssmate</h4>


    While Yuga was in the Ecopark, a young man who appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen walked into the YoYo Day Care.


    "Wee!" Suzuki Koen greeted.


    "Hello!"


    The young man nced around the shop and nodded politely to Suzuki Koen.


    "Is Shimizu here?" the young man asked in a soft voice.


    "You''re looking for our boss?" Suzuki Koen was somewhat surprised. Did he know the boss?


    "No, no, no, I was just asking, just asking," the young man quickly waved his hand and denied.


    Suzuki Koen nodded and thought, "This kid is really strange."


    "Feel free to look around, let me know if you need anything," Suzuki Koen said, bending slightly.


    The young man nodded and walked to the Pok��block sales area, carefully selecting Pok��blocks.


    Meanwhile, Yuga, after a long absence in the Ecopark, had just finished training with the Pok��mon and came down after taking a shower upstairs. He adjusted his freshly changed clothes and greeted Suzuki Koen behind the cash register.


    "Good morning, Sister Koen!"


    Then he noticed Dian, who was holding strawberries, beside Suzuki Koen.


    "Ah, Dian is here too! It''s been a while since I''ve seen you!"


    Yuga said as he ruffled Dian''s head.


    "Hello, Big Brother Yuga," Dian greeted Yuga sweetly.


    "Good, good, Dian, you''re such a good kid."


    After that, Yuga turned to Suzuki Koen and said, "It''s been quite some time since Dian started going to school, hasn''t it?"


    Suzuki Koen smiled and replied, "Yes, it''s inevitable that he had a bit of trouble adjusting at the beginning of school, but he''s doing much better now."


    Yuga nodded and then suddenly noticed a boy looking at him. He had a feeling that he recognized this person.


    "Is it Eisuke?" It took him a while to retrieve the name from his memory, and he cautiously called out.


    "Shimizu, long time no see," the boy said, smiling.


    "It''s really you!" Yuga eximed in surprise as he walked over to him.


    "Come, have a seat," Yuga said, gesturing for Eisuke to sit at a table in the center of the shop.


    "It''s been such a long time," Yuga sighed.


    Eisuke was Yuga''s ssmate in middle school. They hadn''t spoken much, so Yuga was surprised to see him today, especially since it had been a while since theyst met.


    Also, due to Yuga''s reserved nature, he didn''t have a close rtionship with his ssmates, and he didn''t have any friends. After graduating from middle school, he didn''t keep in touch with anyone.


    "You''ve changed a lot now," Eisukemented.


    Yuga smiled and replied, "I had to change due to circumstances."


    Upon hearing this, Eisuke remembered Yuga''s parents'' situation and quickly apologized, saying, "I''m sorry, I said the wrong thing."


    Yuga was momentarily stunned, then realized what Eisuke meant and said with a smile, "It''s okay, it''s okay. It''s been a long time, and there''s nothing that can''t be mentioned."


    "Oh, by the way, why are you here?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    He remembered that Eisuke wasn''t a Pok��mon Trainer, so what was he doing here? Both of them had attended a regr school together, and Yuga assumed that Eisuke should be pursuing higher education in a high school by now.


    Just then, Suzuki Koen came over with two cups of tea and ced them in front of Yuga and Eisuke.


    "Thank you, Sister Koen," Yuga said.


    "Thanks," Eisuke nodded at Suzuki Koen.


    "You''re wee, continue your conversation," Suzuki Koen said as she turned and walked away.


    "I came here to buy some Pok��blocks," Eisuke said with a smile.


    "Buying Pok��blocks? But I remember you''re not..." Yuga started to ask, looking puzzled.


    Eisuke smiled and said, "I''m just like you. After graduating from middle school, I didn''t continue my education. Instead, I became a Pok��mon Trainer and have been traveling recently."


    "I see!" Yuga suddenly understood.


    It wasn''tmon for someone to switch careers and be a Trainer midway, which was why Yuga hadn''t considered it. After all, not everyone had the unique circumstances that favored Yuga.


    Switching careers halfway through came with the significant drawback of falling behind peers, which was why very few people chose this path.


    "I''ve heard about you, though. You''re quite famous now," Eisuke teased.


    When he had entered the shop earlier, he had been startled by the Great Flygon perched on the roof. He had a gut feeling that none of his Pok��mon would be a match for that Great Flygon.


    Eisuke had been away on his travels for a while, so he wasn''t aware of Yuga''s achievements. It was only when he returned home and heard his parents describe and praise Yuga that he learned his former ssmate had be a local celebrity.


    At first, he didn''t believe his parents because they had spent quite some time as ssmates, and although they hadn''t talked much, he knew Yuga''s character well. Yuga was the type of person who couldn''t even muster a loud fart, so how could he have turned into the person his parents described?


    However, he quickly realized that not only his parents but also the neighbors and everyone in town were talking about Yuga. Even when he walked down the street, he could hear people discussing Yuga''s achievements. That''s when he had to ept the truth.


    Coincidentally, he had run out of Pok��blocks for his Pok��mon, which is what brought him here out of curiosity.


    Yuga modestly replied, "It''s nothing special; it''s all just exaggeration."


    Eisuke didn''t believe Yuga''s words for a second. It was one thing for a couple of people to exaggerate, but when everyone was saying the same thing, it couldn''t all be an exaggeration. Plus, he had seen that Great Flygon outside.


    "By the way, have you picked out your Pok��blocks? Would you like me to help you choose?" Yuga suddenly asked.


    Eisuke happily said, "Sure, I''d appreciate that."


    Yuga stood up and asked, "Which Pok��mon are you buying these for?"


    Eisuke answered, "I''m buying them for Starmie."


    "Water-type and Psychic-type Pok��mon, right? We have two types of Pok��blocks that would suit your needs."


    Saying this, Yuga led Eisuke to the counter and pointed to the blue Pok��blocks, saying, "These are called ''Extender,'' suitable for Water-type Pok��mon."


    Then, they moved to the pale purple Pok��blocks, and Yuga continued, "And these are ''Enigma,'' designed for Psychic-type Pok��mon."


    Both types of Pok��blocks were suitable for Starmie. However, Starmie''s primary type was Water, while its secondary type was Psychic.


    "If you''re only nning to buy one type, I suggest you go with ''Extender.'' But if you want both, get more ''Extender'' and just a small amount of ''Enigma.''" Yuga advised.


    After hearing Yuga''s exnation, Eisuke looked at the price tags and noticed that both types of Pok��blocks were priced the same. He decided, "Let''s go with the second option."


    "Smart choice!" Yuga said with a smile.


    He then had Suzuki Koen wrap up Eisuke''s Pok��blocks and escorted him to the exit. Yuga didn''t offer Eisuke a discount just because they were former ssmates, as their rtionship hadn''t reached that level.

 Chapter 360: Bullying

    <h4>Chapter 360: Bullying</h4>


    While Yuga saw off Eisuke, in the northwest of verdanturf Town, closest to the Petalburg Wood, a girl with a Dusknoir emerged from the woods. She gazed in the direction of Verdanturf Town, wearing a sinister smile.


    After escorting Eisuke out, Yuga decided to check on his new shop. As soon as he entered, Arata Sena, excited, rushed over.


    "Boss, you''re here!" Yuga asked with a smile, "What''s making you so happy?"


    "Hehe... I want to show you my Pok��mon!" Arata Sena said and released his Pok��mon from its Pok�� Ball.


    Seeing the Vibrava rapidly vibrating its wings and flying in the air, Yuga eximed in surprise, "It evolved! It seems you''ve been working really hard."


    Although Yuga had given Arata Sena a high potential Trapinch, evolving into a Vibrava usually required a stringent level requirement. So, Yuga was genuinely astonished at how quickly Arata Sena''s Trapinch had evolved.


    Arata Sena grinned and said, "Oh, it''s all thanks to your excellent teaching, Boss."


    At this moment, Beidou walked in from outside, smiling, andmented, "Even if the teaching is excellent, it''s no use if you don''t work hard yourself."


    Comparing Arata Sena''s progress to his father''sck of innate talent as a Trainer, Arata Sena showed goodprehension in this regard. Coupled with his dedicated efforts, it was only natural for him to make rapid progress.


    Yuga generously praised him, saying, "Excellent! Keep it up. When your Vibrava evolves into a Flygon, I''ll reward you with another Pok��mon."


    "Really?" Arata Sena asked excitedly.


    He knew that any Pok��mon Yuga rewarded him would be exceptional, far superior to themon Pok��mon outside, just like his Vibrava. Without its extraordinary talent, he wouldn''t have made such significant progress in such a short time.


    "Of course, I mean it. I gain nothing from deceiving you," Yuga said with a smile.


    Being his first recruited Trainer, Yuga was investing heavily in his training. Moreover, Yuga had no shortage of Pok��mon, so long as he remained diligent.


    "I''ll definitely work even harder and live up to your expectations!" Arata Sena affirmed resolutely.


    Yuga provided him with hope and encouraged him to bravely take the first step in life. He needed to work hard to be a valuable person.


    Yuga nodded and reminded, "Alright, remember, no matter how much progress you make, always maintain humility and avoid arrogance."


    "I understand!"


    Then, Yuga turned to Beidou and asked, "And what about you? How''s your progress on your end?"


    Beidou knew Yuga was referring to his task of looking for potential Trainers near Verdanturf Town. He replied, "I''ve noticed a few, but I need to assess the situation further."


    Yuga nodded in understanding. This task wasn''t urgent, so there was no rush.


    Afterward, Yuga looked around the shop, ensured everything was running smoothly, and decided to visit his aunt''s house.


    Since he had been out of contact for a week after his injury, his aunt had sternly ordered him toe over and apologize.


    It was a weekend, and his aunt and uncle were both at home. Yuga mustered the courage to pay them a visit.


    "Ahahaha! Hurry... hurry up and stop it!"


    "Shro....oomish..."


    As he passed by an alley, he suddenly heard a burst of arrogantughter and panicked cries. Unable to resist, Yuga peered inside and saw four delinquent youths surrounding a small Shroomish. They kept igniting sticks and throwing them at the Shroomish.


    The mes on the sticks frightened the Shroomish, causing it to frantically flee in all directions. However, the youths blocked its path, and its body bore several burn marks.


    "What are you all doing?" Yuga couldn''t help but shout angrily.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s voice, the four delinquent youths all turned their attention to him.


    "Kid, do you want to meddle in our business?" one of them in a red jacket said menacingly.


    Yuga, despite being a local celebrity in Verdanturf Town, was not known to everyone, including these four troublemakers.


    Ignoring the guy in the red jacket, Yuga walked over and picked up the injured Shroomish, being careful not to touch its wounds. He gently asked, "How are you holding up?"


    Initially, the Shroomish was terrified when it saw Yuga approaching, but the moment Yuga lifted it, its inner fear seemed to dissipate. This was due to Yuga unconsciously using the power of Grass-type Legendary Pok��mon to soothe the Shroomish''s emotions.


    "Hey, kid, didn''t you hear me talking?" the guy in the red jacket said angrily, but Yuga continued to ignore him.


    In frustration, the guy in the red jacket raised his fist to strike Yuga. However, before his punch couldnd, Yuga kicked him away.


    Since receiving the Light of Life purification from Combees, Yuga''s physical abilities had improved significantly, allowing him to easily handle these small-time troublemakers.


    The guy in the red jacket was sent tumbling and writhing in pain as he clutched his stomach. He pointed at Yuga and said to the other three, "What are you waiting for? Get him!"


    Hearing the guy in the red jacket''s orders, the other three approached Yuga.


    However, before they could get close to Yuga, he kicked each one of them, sending them all sprawling to the ground, howling in pain.


    Seeing his underlings beaten up, the guy in the red jacket finally felt fear. He continuously retreated while muttering, "What are you trying to do? What are you trying to do?"


    Yuga stepped on the guy''s shin, causing intense pain, and threatened, "Next time I catch you guys doing something like this, I''ll break your legs."


    The excruciating pain in his leg prevented the guy in the red jacket from shouting. He could only nod repeatedly.


    Carrying the injured Shroomish, Yuga decided to visit the Pok��mon Center before going to his aunt''s house.


    At the Pok��mon Center, Joyka immediately noticed the Shroomish in Yuga''s arms and rushed over, asking, "How did this child get injured like this?"


    Yuga replied, "Let''s take care of it first. We can discuss the detailster."


    Joyka nodded and, along with Chansey, took the injured Shroomish into the examination room.


    Yuga then exined the situation to Joyka, who soon emerged from the room with the Shroomish, which had mostly external injuries.


    Yuga decided to skip the issue with the troublemakers and chose to visit his aunt''s house first.

 Chapter 361: Ambushed

    <h4>Chapter 361: Ambushed</h4>


    "Ah, it''s them," Joyka sighed after listening to Yuga.


    "Miss Joyka, you know them?" Yuga asked curiously.


    Joyka exined, "Of course, how could I not know them? It''s not the first time they''ve been causing trouble like this."


    So, they were repeat offenders, no wonder they had a record even at Miss Joyka''s ce.


    Upon hearing Joyka''s exnation, Yuga understood that these four people were typical troublemakers who despised Pok��mon.


    In the Pok��mon world, not everyone loved Pok��mon. Just as some adored them, there were those who detested them. This simrity with the people from Yuga''s previous life who disliked small animals struck him.


    Some people often said, "How could anyone dislike cute little animals?" Yet in reality, such people existed, and news reports about animal cruelty were not umon.


    Although these individuals were in the minority, their existence couldn''t be denied.


    In the Pok��mon world, this issue was even more severe on a societal level. The Pok��mon League had been advocating for harmonious coexistence between humans and Pok��mon, promoting living together.


    As a result, even if many people weren''t trainers, there were Pok��mon in their families. It could be said that in today''s society, humans and Pok��mon were inseparable.


    However, there was this group of people who advocated for humans to stay away from Pok��mon. They believed that humans shouldn''t let Pok��mon excessively interfere in human society, as it would make humans overly dependent on Pok��mon, leading to their downfall.


    Though these individuals were a minority, since the establishment of the League, their voices had never disappeared.


    Upon hearing Joyka''s description, Yuga furrowed his brow and asked, "Does Officer Jenny not do anything about these people?"


    Joyka helplessly replied, "Do something? Of course, we do something! But the results are not always clear. There are so many stray Pok��mon in the town, and Officer Jenny can''t watch over them all the time. Even when we catch them, the best we can do is detain them for a few days. After release, the situation doesn''t necessarily improve."


    Yuga thought for a moment, realizing that it was indeed the case.


    As human-Pok��mon connections grew tighter, more Pok��mon were living in cities, including abandoned ones. Even Officer Jenny couldn''t easily manage them all.


    "What are you nning to do with this child?" Joyka gestured to the Shroomish.


    Looking at the pitiful expression of the Shroomish, Yuga sighed and said, "I''ll take it with me."


    This Shroomish had mediocre potential, not even reaching the yellow potential; it had only orange potential. Under normal circumstances, Yuga wouldn''t have taken it with him. However, seeing the Shroomish''s pitiable condition, he couldn''t bring himself to leave it behind.


    Hearing Yuga''s decision, Joyka smiled and said, "Then, leave it to Mr. Shimizu."


    Yuga gently picked up the Shroomish and said to Joyka, "Don''t worry; I''ll be on my way now."


    With the Shroomish in his arms, Yuga headed in the direction of his aunt''s house.


    Arriving at the entrance of his aunt''s house, Yuga saw that the courtyard gate was open. He stood by the wall and peeked in, observing his aunt carrying a bundle of nkets out of the house. She immediately spotted Yuga''s head.


    "Why are you standing at the doorway like a sneak?!" scolded his aunt.


    "Hehe, I''m not being sneaky. I was just checking if my dear aunt was home!" Yuga cheekily replied.


    His aunt yfully pped away Yuga''s arm that was draped over her shoulder, saying, "Don''t bother me while I''m airing the nkets. Do you want me to give you a good thrashing next time?"


    "Hehe, I won''t dare anymore. I know my aunt loves me the most," Yuga grinned.


    In reality, despite his aunt''s stern appearance, Yuga knew she was reluctant to scold him. His impression of Aunt Hisako was that she had neverid a hand on him, not even raising her voice like she did today.


    "Alright, alright, stop fooling around. Come on in."


    As Aunt Hisako entered the house, Yuga quickly followed suit.


    Yuga chatted with his aunt at her home for a while, and as it approached noon, he decided to leave. Aunt Hisako, aware that he had arge family in his house, so she didn''t insist on him staying for a meal and let him go.


    Just as Yuga walked towards the alley where he had confronted the troublemakers earlier, he suddenly found himself unable to move.


    Disable! Following that, Yuga''s peripheral vision caught sight of an Ariados slowly crawling out from the corner of the wall.


    "Shroomish."


    The Shroomish in Yuga''s arms also sensed something amiss and let out an uneasy cry.


    Just as the Ariados was about to pounce on Yuga, a Pok�� Ball appeared in his hand. Using his barely movable fingers, he opened the Pok�� Ball, summoning Vivillon, who instantly appeared in front of him, using its Protect move to shield Yuga from Ariados'' sudden attack.


    "Vivillon, Psychic!"


    Having failed its assault, Ariadosnded but was promptly hit by Vivillon''s Psychic attack and mmed into the wall behind.


    The moment Ariados was struck, the Disable on Yuga lifted.


    With his keen senses, Yuga immediately noticed a figure hidden in the alley.


    Damn, do I not fit in with this ce? Why do I keep encountering trouble here?


    The person was dressed entirely in blue, and their face was obscured, making it impossible for Yuga to see their appearance clearly.


    While Vivillon was dealing with Ariados, Yuga released his Absol and directed it towards the person in blue.


    Seeing Yuga approaching, the person in blue summoned a Drifblim in front of them.


    "Absol, use Swords Dance!"


    Yugamanded as he ran towards the person.


    By the time Yuga and his Pok��mon reached the person in blue, Absol hadpleted its Swords Dance. It lunged at Drifblim, but Drifblim narrowly evaded using Gust.


    However, as Absolnded, it released several Psycho Cuts with precision, hitting Drifblim urately.


    Drifblim, a Pok��mon with naturally high HP, wasn''t incapacitated by Absol''s Psycho Cuts.


    In retaliation, Drifblim attempted to counter with Ominous Wind. Absol, relying on its extraordinary intuition, evaded it with a Quick Attack.


    When Drifblim tried to strike again, it found itself surrounded by Absol''s Psycho Cut attacks.


    Finally, Drifblim fell to the ground.


    Seeing Drifblim''s failure, the person in blue quickly recalled it, and then a kazam appeared beside them. It vanished in an instant, and Yuga couldn''t stop it in time.


    Sigh, I regret not having any Pok��mon with Mean Look moves!


    But who is this person, and why did they attack me?


    If it weren''t for my habit of keeping Pok�� Balls in the system backpack, which allows me to retrieve them with just my thoughts, I would have been in serious trouble due to Ariados'' Disable.

 Chapter 362: The Reanimated Corpse

    <h4>Chapter 362: The Reanimated Corpse</h4>


    When Yuga saw the person in the blue attire using Teleport to escape, he turned back to the alley. To his surprise, there was only Vivillon left, and the Ariados that had attacked him was nowhere to be seen.


    "Vivillon..."


    Seeing Yuga approach, Vivillon seemed very dejected and apologetic, as it had identally let Ariados escape.


    Yugaforted Vivillon with a smile, saying, "It''s okay, no need to me yourself. That person clearly came prepared, and it''s fine if they ran away this time. Next time we encounter them, we''ll make sure they regret it."


    Little did Yuga or the person in blue know that as they battled, a girl with a Dusknoir had been silently floating in a corner of the sky, watching them.


    When the person in blue used Teleport to flee, the girl immediately followed suit.


    Meanwhile, in a forest on the outskirts of Verdanturf Town.


    The person in blue, who had used Teleport multiple times, and their kazam, were catching their breath as they stopped in the forest.


    Repeated use of this advanced skill was taking a toll on kazam.


    "How did it go?" Another person appeared at this moment, apparently waiting in the forest to assist the person in blue. They were wearing Team Aqua uniform.


    The person in blue removed their mask, sighed, and said, "It was a failure. He''s way too strong; I was no match for him."


    The person in blue who removed their mask was none other than the former captain of the Beidou that Yuga had encountered on Illuma Ind. This former captain had been assigned by Team Aqua to infiltrate the League. However, upon encountering Yuga on Illuma Ind, he chose to take action without hesitation.


    This decision was primarily due to the significant trouble Yuga had caused for Team Aqua.


    Team Aqua had been quietly developing its forces and intended to take advantage of the League''s resources once they gained control of the Lilycove City TV station. Yuga''s appearance disrupted their ns and brought unwanted attention from the League.


    Being targeted by the League during the early stages of their development was a severe blow to Team Aqua. Many of their hidden forces had been uprooted.


    Hence, Yuga and Team Aqua had a deep-seated enmity.


    Upon hearing the former captain''s words, the other person sighed and said, "Let''s wait for another opportunity. This operation has likely put him on high alert."


    Just as these words left their mouths, they heard eerieughter echoing in the forest.


    "Hehehe... Another chance? No, no, no, you won''t have another chance!"


    "Who''s there? Show yourself! Stop lurking in the shadows!" the former captain shouted loudly.


    Both individuals were startled by the sudden voice from nowhere and felt extremely nervous. They searched the forest carefully but couldn''t spot anyone.


    "Am I lurking in the shadows? Isn''t it you who''s been lurking?" The voice responded.


    As the words were spoken, a girl in a light purple dress gradually materialized in front of them, floating in mid-air like a ghost.


    Apanying the girl was a simrly eerie Dusknoir.


    Seeing the girl appear out of nowhere, both individuals were so frightened that they could hardly speak.


    "Who... who are you?" stammered the former captain.


    "You don''t need to know who I am. What you need to understand is that you''ve meddled with someone you shouldn''t have!"


    After saying this, the girl''s previously smiling face suddenly twisted into a grimace, contorting her once beautiful features.


    "His life belongs to me, and no one else can take it. Do you understand?" The girl extended her hand and slowly approached the former captain''s forehead, then firmly gripped it.


    The former captain''s kazam immediately attempted to use Teleport to escape with the trainer, but was swiftly Disabled by a Gengar that emerged from the girl''s body.


    Both the former captain and the other individual desperately wanted to flee, but they found themselvespletely paralyzed. The eyes of the Dusknoir beside the girl emitted a dazzling purple light.


    It was a Disable!


    The former captain recognized it immediately; his own Ariados could perform this move. He realized that they were unable to move at all.


    When the girl''s hand touched the former captain''s forehead, he immediately felt his strength draining away, and his skin began to visibly wither at an rming rate.


    The excruciating pain from losing his strength caused the former captain to scream, but thissted only a few minutes before abruptly ceasing.


    In just those few minutes, the former captain transformed into a horrifying desated corpse.


    The girl withdrew her hand, slowly closed her eyes, and disyed an oddly contented expression as she murmured, "This should allow me to endure for a while longer."


    Seeing theirrade reduced to such a terrifying state, the other person was so frightened that they wet their pants.


    Opening her eyes again, the girl stated, "One more!"


    "Please... please don''te near..." the terrified person begged.


    Observing his wet pants, the girl snorted disdainfully. "Never mind, it''s all the same."


    Subsequently, this person also turned into a lifeless husk, just like the former captain.


    After dealing with both of them, the girl retrieved all the trainer''s Pok��mon and released them, allowing them to follow their trainers into oblivion, just like the kazam before them.


    Surveying the lifeless bodies scattered around, the girl muttered, "This should keep me going for quite some time. Wait for me! I''ming to find you!"


    She then took out empty Pok�� Balls she had found on the two individuals and recalled her Dusknoir and Gengar into them.


    Tidying everything up, the girl''s figure gradually disappeared into the forest, leaving behind a gruesome scene of death.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Yuga was walking back home while holding his Shroomish.


    Ever since witnessing Yuga and Absol effortlessly defeat Drifblim, Shroomish had been gazing at Yuga with an adoring and fervent look in its eyes.


    This passionate gaze from Shroomish made Yuga slightly ufortable.


    "Do you want to be as strong as Absol?" Yuga asked.


    "Shroomish, Shroomish, Shroomish!" Shroomish responded enthusiastically, nodding vigorously.


    Seeing Shroomish''s excitement, Yuga couldn''t help but feel a bit concerned. Achieving the level of power that Absol possessed might be challenging for Shroomish given its low potential.


    Well, let''s take it one step at a time. After all, I''m a man with a system; there''s nothing that can truly daunt me!

 Chapter 363: Muya

    <h4>Chapter 363: Muya</h4>


    On this day, Yuga was sitting in his shop, leisurely watching Dian ying with her Strawberry and Shroomish. Suddenly, Officer Jenny rushed into the shop in a hurry.


    Yuga stood up and approached Officer Jenny, asking curiously, "Officer Jenny, what brings you here today? It''s not often you visit."


    Officer Jenny sighed and replied, "Some people found several human and Pok��mon corpses in the forest outside town. The conditions were gruesome, so I''m going door-to-door to inform everyone and advise caution."


    "Corpses?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    "Yes," Officer Jenny continued, "I went to see for myself, and they were in terrible shape. I suspect an Evil Ghost-type Pok��mon are draining their life energy."


    Ghost-type Pok��mon usually don''t recklessly drain life energy from creatures. Even when they do, they tend to control it to avoid harming the creatures. However, a small number of Ghost-type Pok��mon are known for ruthlessly absorbing life energy without regard for others, making them quite terrifying. These Ghost-types that grow this way tend to be much more powerful than ordinary ones.


    "Anyway, that''s the situation. Mr. Shimizu, please be cautious. I need to inform others as well."


    With that, Officer Jenny hurriedly left.


    Just as she left, Yuga saw a beautiful girl in a light purple dress entering the shop.


    "Wee."


    Yuga greeted the girl.


    "Are you Shimizu Yuga?"


    The girl, upon seeing Yuga, excitedly bounded over to him, wide-eyed and eager.


    "Yes... I am. What''s... what''s going on?" Yuga was taken aback by the girl''s sudden actions.


    Who is this person? Do we know each other?


    "Fantastic! I finally get to meet you!"


    Hearing Yuga acknowledge his identity, the girl was ecstatic.


    "Um, well, do we... know each other?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    "We haven''t met before, but I''ve heard all about you. I''m a huge fan!"


    The girl had the demeanor of a fan meeting their idol, but Yuga couldn''t shake a sense of unease about this person.


    Yuga studied the girl carefully.


    She appeared to be about his age, and she was undeniably beautiful. Tall and slender with her light purple hair and a matching long skirt, she exuded elegance. However, her overly paleplexion and the unmistakable aura of a Ghost-type Pok��mon emanating from her body couldn''t be concealed.


    Due to his connection to the Light of Life, Yuga had be highly sensitive to Bug, Ghost, and Psychic types��Pok��mon that could influence Bug types. Consequently, he quickly sensed the potent Ghost-type energy emanating from the girl.


    "May I ask your name?" Yuga inquired.


    "I''m Muya. Idol, Remember my name!"


    Muya was overjoyed upon hearing Yuga''s question, as if she had won the lottery.


    Yuga sighed and said, "Oh, Muya, right? It''s a nice name. But could you keep it down a bit? I have customers in the shop."


    Upon hearing this, Muya immediately covered her mouth and whispered, "Hehe... Sorry, I couldn''t help it. I''m just so thrilled to meet you!"


    In truth, Yuga found it hard to believe Muya''s words. If she were a rookie trainer like Glenn, who had just received her first Pok��mon, he might have believed her. After all, neers often had limited exposure. But looking at Muya, she hardly resembled a rookie trainer.


    However, Yuga hadn''t quite figured out what this girl named Muya was up to, so he decided to y along with her for now.


    If she wants to act, then let''s see who''s the better actor. Sooner orter, I''ll expose her true intentions.


    "Muya, you''re too kind with your praise. I don''t deserve such ttery!" Yuga pretended to be modest.


    "Who says you don''t deserve it? A while back, you helped Officer Jenny maintain peace in Verdanturf Town. Everyone in town knows you''re a hero!" Muya''s eyes sparkled, showing the enthusiasm of a devoted fan.


    Such a drama queen!


    If I hadn''t sensed something was off about you, I might have believed I''d done something extraordinary! Yuga thought.


    "By the way, Muya, are you a Ghost-type specialist trainer?" Yuga asked casually.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s question, Muya''s eyes briefly narrowed, a hint of danger shed in her gaze, but it quickly returned to normal.


    However, this change in expression was swift and subtle, and Yuga didn''t notice it.


    "Oh, you found out!" Muya yfully stuck out her tongue and said with a cheeky smile.


    Yuga regretfully replied, "Too bad our shop doesn''t have Ghost-type Pok��mon or Pok��blocks for them to consume. Otherwise, your visit wouldn''t have been in vain."


    Muya nonchntly responded, "It''s okay, it''s okay. My Pok��mon don''t need..."


    "Don''t need what?" Yuga wondered, as Muya''s voice suddenly trailed off.


    "I mean, don''t need to worry about my Pok��mon. Just meeting you makes the trip worthwhile," Muya smoothly shifted the conversation, and Yuga decided not to press further.


    Definitely something fishy here! Yuga thought.


    Yuga continued to chat with Muya for a while, attempting to extract any other information from her.


    However, Muya proved to be quite shrewd, and Yuga couldn''t get any useful information out of her. In fact, he almost started believing she was indeed his fan.


    "By the way, Idol, are you hiring here? How do I look to you?" Suddenly, Muya asked.


    Yuga was caught off guard by this unexpected question.


    Wow, she''s already thinking about infiltrating our ranks? No chance.


    Yuga feigned regret and said, "I''m really sorry! We don''t have many openings at our daycare, and our capacity is limited."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Muya looked genuinely disappointed and said, "I see... That''s a shame. I thought I could work alongside my idol."


    I don''t buy it! Yuga was too exhausted toment further. This girl is quite the actress!


    "No need to apologize," Yuga said with a tone of faux remorse.


    "It''s okay, it''s okay. I guess I was asking for too much. Idol, you don''t need to apologize."


    Muya quickly waved her hand, clearly showing a lot of concern for Yuga.


    "Can I hang out here for a while if I''m not working?" Muya continued.


    Yuga replied, "Of course, make yourself at home."


    I''d like to see what kind of game you''re ying!


    Muya then went to sit at a table in the center of the shop, happily observing the peopleing and going.


    When Suzuki Koen brought her a cup of tea, she teasingly remarked to Yuga, "Not bad, boss! You already have fans, and she''s a pretty young girl!"


    Yuga shook his head in resignation, thinking, "I don''t need fans; I just hope she''s not a ticking bomb."


    At that moment, Muya nced at Yuga from the corner of her eye, thinking, "Shimizu Yuga, we still have a long way to go!"

 Chapter 364: Changes

    <h4>Chapter 364: Changes</h4>


    In the following days, Yuga could see Muyaing to the shop regrly, always on time. She arrived in the morning and left in the evening, with a cup of tea that Wigglytuff brewed for her ced on the table. She would sit there quietly for most of the day, even more punctual than Suzuki Koen, the employee. She didn''t disturb anyone, asionally offering Yuga a sweet smile as he passed by, leaving people puzzled about her intentions.


    Yuga couldn''t bring himself to ask her to leave, as he was running a business, and she wasn''t causing any trouble. So, he just went along with it.


    However, what worried Yuga these days was the Shroomish he had recently brought to the Day Care.


    Every time he went to the Flower Sea, he would see Shroomish trying to learn from the Grass-type Pok��mon there how to improve its strength and acquire new skills. Shroomish seemed determined, but its temperament was somewhat stubborn.


    With its orange potential and being only at level 8, Shroomish found it challenging to make quick progress. The only safe approach was to rely on time to slowly refine and umte skills, a path that low-potential Pok��mon seeking improvement had to endure.


    Just like Noctowl, who had once received help from Celebi, one could only wonder how much effort and time it had taken to advance to pseudo-Elite level.


    Shroomish was still young, and its path to bing stronger was even more arduous than Noctowl''s.


    However, Shroomish didn''t seem to have the patience to take it step by step. It pushed itself relentlessly every day.


    Shroomosh only have two learned skills, Tackle and Stun Spore, which were the most basic skills, Yuga had witnessed Shroomish practicing relentlessly in a corner, trying to learn Leech Seed from Cacturne. Despite its efforts, it hadn''t managed to produce a single seed after a long time.


    Seeing Shroomish''s frustrated expression, Yuga couldn''t help but feel sorry for it.


    Every day, Shroomish would also visit Florges and the Grass-type Pok��mon''s practice area. However, even when standing on Grassy Terrain amidst the lush grass energy, it couldn''t sense the enveloping feeling of Grass-type energy that other Grass-types did.


    One day, as Yuga was about to check on Chimechocho''s situation, he noticed Shroomish training in the main Ecopark.


    Perhaps because it couldn''t learn new skills, Shroomish had begun practicing the skills it already knew.


    Seeing it repeatedly use Tackle on a tree, Yuga realized it was practicing its only attacking skill, Tackle.


    Originally, Yuga didn''t intend to interfere. However, when he saw that Shroomish''s forehead had begun to bleed due to its relentless practice, he hurried over to stop it.


    "Shroomish."


    When Yuga prevented Shroomish from training, it looked at him with a puzzled expression.


    Seeing that Shroomish didn''t seem to realize it was injured, Yuga sighed and gently picked it up.


    "Shroomish, we have to take our training one step at a time. Haste makes waste, and being too impatient can have the opposite effect."


    However, Shroomish, after hearing these words, only stared nkly at Yuga, seemingly not understanding the meaning behind his words, which left Yuga feeling quite helpless.


    He carried Shroomish to a grassy area by the small river and set it down. From his system backpack, he took out a bottle of healing potion and treated the wound on Shroomish''s forehead.


    "Shroomish, Shroomish!"


    Perhaps it stung a bit when Yuga applied the healing potion, as Shroomish couldn''t help but let out a cry.


    Yuga then put a band-aid on Shroomish''s forehead and said with a sigh, "Now you know it hurts!"


    "Shroomish!"


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Shroomish felt a bit embarrassed. However, it truly wanted to be stronger, to the point where no one could bully it anymore, and to protect Yuga.


    Seeing Shroomish''s troubled expression, Yuga picked it up again and smiled, saying, "How about I help you with your training from now on?"


    Yuga''s words lit up Shroomish''s eyes, and it happily nodded in response.


    Yuga smiled and asked, "How about we put training on hold for today and wait until you''ve fully healed?"


    "Shroomish!" Shroomish nodded in agreement.


    And so, Yuga carried Shroomish to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, prepared to check on Chimecho''s progress.


    After returning from Lavaridge Town, Yuga had visited Noctowl, hoping it could provide some guidance to Chimecho regarding controlling its psychic powers. As an Elite level Pok��mon, Noctowl could easily ignore the gravitational field unintentionally set by Chimecho and was highly skilled in Psychic-type abilities. Seeking Noctowl''s guidance was a perfect fit.


    A couple of days ago, when Yuga saw Chimecho again, he noticed that it had made significant progress. The gravitational field had once again decreased in size, with a diameter of less than half a meter.


    One could say that as long as it didn''t get too close to other Pok��mon, it no longer hindered its normal life.


    However, it did create some extra work.


    The bowls that had been prepared for Chimecho to hold Pok��blocks had to be reced every so often because they would shatter after a prolonged period under the gravitational field.


    In the end, Chimecho using an "iron bowl"!


    Seeing Yuga approaching while carrying Shroomish, Chimecho floated over happily, but Yuga quickly spoke up to stop it.


    "Are you trying to make me talk to you while lying on the ground?"


    "Chimecho!"


    Chimecho gave Yuga a disdainful look, as if it were saying, "Tch, what a lousy Trainer!"


    Casting a quick nce at Shroomish in Yuga''s arms, Chimecho muttered to itself with a hint of disdain, "New love interest again, huh? Such an unfaithful Pok��mon Trainer."


    "It''s better with my sisters!" Chimecho felt sudden nostalgia for Florges and Vivillon. "I wonder when we''ll reunite as the Three Sisters of Flower Field. Looks like I''ll have to put in more effort."


    Fortunately, Yuga was oblivious to Chimecho''s inner thoughts; otherwise, he might exim, "Where did my sweet and lovely Chimecho go?"


    In reality, when it came to Chimecho''s change in personality, Yuga had noticed it.


    Chimecho had told him that after Absorbing the half-energy core into its body, the core had merged into its mental field, and it couldn''t extract it now, not even by itself.


    Yuga realized that this change in Chimecho''s character was likely a result of the residual consciousness within the energy core, much like Yuga''s own situation.


    Even though his original self had passed away, the memories he retained would unconsciously influence Yuga''s behavior.


    Yuga had noticed changes in his own personality,pared to his previous life. However, he didn''t consider it a bad thing.


    People naturally change over time due to their living environment and rtionships, so Yuga didn''t resist this transformation.


    Thoughts like "Will I be someone unrecognizable?" or "Am I still myself?" didn''t bother Yuga at all.


    Worrying about such matters wouldn''t benefit him, nor could it change anything. So why bother?


    The merging of his original self''s memories with his current self was akin to two individuals bing one, and personality changes were entirely normal in such a process.

 Chapter 365: Chain Reactions

    <h4>Chapter 365: Chain Reactions</h4>


    Yuga spent some time chatting with Chimecho in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark. After all, with no other Pok��mon able to approach it in recent days, Chimecho was feeling quite lonely.


    As Yuga left the Ecopark, he spotted Officer Jenny patrolling the streets with her Growlithe.


    The mummies corpes in the forest on the outskirts of town had truly kept Officer Jenny busy, but they couldn''t find any clues, so they had to intensify their patrols every day.


    The town had remained calm these days, and no other incidents had urred, which puzzled Officer Jenny even more.


    Could it have been just an ident? Or did the culprit simply pass through Verdanturf Town?


    Furthermore, the identities of the two individuals among the mummies corpes remained a mystery, making the situation even more enigmatic.


    Shortly after Yuga entered the shop, he noticed that Muya was carrying a severely injured Skitty.


    "What happened to this little one?" Yuga asked as he approached.


    "Probably got into a fight with some other Pok��mon," Muya replied with a smile.


    Yuga was suspicious because the wounds didn''t appear to be from a typical fight; they looked more like whip marks. However, he didn''t press the matter further since she seemed unwilling to share, and he didn''t want to make things unpleasant.


    "By the way, Idol, do you have any medicine or bandages here?" Muya asked.


    Yuga nodded and went inside to fetch some medicine and bandages, which he handed to Muya. He watched as she skillfully tended to Skitty''s wounds.


    "Why didn''t you take it to a Pok��mon Center? Nurse Joy would be better at treating it," Yuga inquired.


    "Because I don''t have any money!" Muya said half-jokingly.


    Treatment at a Pok��mon Center required payment from everyone except the League''s authorized Trainers and their children; otherwise, the League would have gone bankrupt.


    "Haha, just kidding! I can handle this myself; no need to bother going to a Pok��mon Center."


    Seeing Yuga''s serious expression, Muya quicklyughed it off, trying to brush it aside.


    "Where did you find this little one?" Yuga asked curiously.


    "I found it as a stray! Where else would ite from?" Muya shrugged.


    Yuga noticed a brief moment of sadness in Muya''s eyes when she nced at the wounds on Skitty, followed by a sh of anger.


    The anger in Muya''s eyes was genuine and not concealed. Yuga couldn''t quite figure out what she was angry about, but he didn''t want to pry into her personal matters.


    As he watched Muya cradle Skitty and sit down in the shop, Yuga shook his head, turned, and left.


    After having lunch, Yuga noticed that Muya was still sitting in the shop, which was a bit unusual.


    Did this person never eat? Yuga realized he had never seen Muya eat before. Even during lunchtime when everyone else went to eat, she would calmly stay in the shop.


    Yuga had asionally invited her to join them for meals since there were so many people at home, and one more person wouldn''t make a difference. However, she had always politely declined.


    Seeing Muya sitting there, not eating once again, Yuga picked up an Pok��block and brought it over, cing it on the table. He said to her, "Since Skitty is injured, maybe you should let it have something to eat."


    These Pok��blocks were normally consumed by Persian as well, so Yuga brought one for Skitty.


    Knowing that Muya had no intention of eating, Yuga didn''t want to insist. Whether she wanted to eat or not was her own choice.


    "Thank you, Idol. You''re a really kind person."


    Muya epted Yuga''s kind gesture with a genuine smile.


    A kind person? Yuga quietly rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, "Who knows what scheming ideas you might have in that head of yours!" He didn''t consider himself a kind person.


    As Yuga turned to leave, Officer Jenny entered the shop in a hurry, apanied by her Growlithe.


    "Officer Jenny, what''s going on? You look quite frantic," Yuga inquired with a puzzled expression.


    Officer Jenny, slightly out of breath, said, "Don''t even mention it; that Life-Draining Ghost-type Pok��mon has appeared again, and this time, four people are dead!"


    Appeared again? And four people dead? That''s incredibly audacious! Yuga thought.


    Yuga furrowed his brow and asked, "Have you found any leads on the culprit?"


    Officer Jenny shook her head in distress and replied, "Not a single clue. Even though this time it''s just four troublemakers who got themselves killed, who knows who might be next!"


    "Wait, you said it was four troublemakers?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    "Yes, they were always causing trouble, getting into fights, and have been in and out of jail countless times," Junsa replied.


    "Are you talking about those four troublemakers who always mistreated stray Pok��mon?" Yuga continued.


    "Yes, that''s them! You even know about them? It seems they''ve caused quite a stir around here, and even you''ve heard of them!" Junsa said in amazement.


    It really is them! Yuga thought.


    Troublemakers, abusing Pok��mon, the injured Skitty, and Ghost-type Pok��mon!


    A terrible suspicion suddenly arose in Yuga''s mind.


    He nced over at Muya, who sweetly smiled at him.


    Could it be?


    But this was just too much of a coincidence.


    As Yuga was lost in thought, Officer Jenny said, "I''ve informed you about the situation. Please be careful and let me know if anything happens. I have to go now."


    Yuga thought, "What''s the use of telling you? By the time you arrive, I might be history."


    Although he had these thoughts, Yuga still smiled and escorted Officer Jenny out.


    It seems I''ve got quite a bombshell around me! Yuga sighed.


    Despite his suspicions, Yuga didn''t inquire further. Firstly, there was no evidence, and secondly, it could tip off the culprit. Moreover, if the opponent had overwhelming strength, it might be suicidal.


    Putting thoughts of Muya aside, Yuga turned his attention to the task of breeding Gligar with blue potentials.


    Just yesterday, Yuga had discovered that one of the Gliscor queens had sessfully be pregnant. If he didn''t research this promptly, who knew when he''dplete this task?


    A few days ago, Yuga noticed that among the berry trees he had cultivated using meteorites as fertilizer, one of the Jaboca berry trees seemed to have mutated. Its once-green leaves had turned entirely brown.


    Initially, Yuga thought it might be sick, but after a thorough examination, he realized it was incredibly healthy and grew even more robust than the other berry trees.


    Yuga became intensely interested in the growth of this berry tree and began taking extra care of it. He also procured several Jaboca berry tree saplings to experiment further, hoping to produce more mutated Jaboca berry trees.


    Although he had no idea whether the mutated Jaboca berry trees would bear berry or what their purpose might be, if he wanted to conduct research, he needed sufficient material.


    Perhaps he could cultivate an entirely new species of berry tree!

 Chapter 366: Accident

    <h4>Chapter 366: ident</h4>


    In the morning, after Yuga finished training with the Pok��mon in the Ecopark, he noticed that they were running low on fertilizer for the berry trees. So, he decided to go out with Wigglytuff to buy some.


    While on their way, Yuga saw Wigglytuff gazing longingly at a disy in a store window. It was a pink apron with round, chubby Jigglypuff patterns printed on it, looking incredibly cute.


    "What''s wrong? Do you want it?" Yuga approached the shop window and asked Wigglytuff.


    Wigglytuff nodded eagerly, saying, "Wigglytuff!"


    "Then let''s go get it." Yuga smiled and led Wigglytuff into the store.


    Back at home, Wigglytuff took care of all the household chores, including helping Beidou prepare meals. Buying an apron for Jigglypuff was a thoughtful gesture.


    "Wee!," the store clerk greeted them.


    With the help of the clerk, Wigglytuff tried on the apron, and it was a perfect fit in terms of size.


    Once Wigglytuff put on the apron, it didn''t want to take it off and insisted on wearing it around. Yuga couldn''t resist Wigglytuff''s enthusiasm, so he let it be.


    While paying, Yuga noticed another apron, one that was yellow and white with lots of pink flowers printed on it. He said to the clerk, "I''d like to see this one too."


    "Of course!" The clerk nodded and retrieved the apron, handing it to Yuga.


    Yuga checked the size and thought it would be suitable for Audino. He said to the clerk, "I''ll take this one as well."


    The clerk agreed and wrapped up the second apron.


    Seeing Yuga buying another apron, Wigglytuff looked at him with curiosity. Why did he buy another one? The first one was too big for Wigglytuff to wear!


    Yuga, seeing Wigglytuff''s puzzled expression, exined, "This one isn''t for you; it''s for Audino."


    "Wigglytuff?" Wigglytuff wondered, not sure who that was.


    Yuga rified, "Audino is another Pok��mon who came to our Day Care while you were away. She''s currently training outside, and when she returns, you''ll get to meet her. I''m sure you two will get along well."


    Wigglytuff nodded in a somewhat bewildered manner.


    After paying for both aprons, Yuga, along with Wigglytuff, left the store and continued on to buy the fertilizer.


    Wigglytuff was absolutely thrilled with its new apron and couldn''t stop fidgeting with it along the way, which made Yuga smile.


    Verdanturf Town was somewhat of an agricultural vige, so buying fertilizer was not difficult, and Yuga was already familiar with the process.


    As they followed the factory worker who brought the fertilizer out from the warehouse, Yuga suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure near a dpidated building.


    "Excuse me, is that building over there inhabited?" Yuga pointed to the rundown structure and asked the worker.


    The worker nced at the decrepit building and replied, "Oh, you mean that ce? It''s been abandoned for a long time. How could anyone live there? I''ve heard rumors that it''s haunted!"


    Haunted? Then why was Muya seen here?


    Yuga turned to Wigglytuff and said, "Wigglytuff, take this bag of fertilizer back home. I have something to attend to, and I''ll returnter."


    This type of fertilizer was specially made and couldst a long time, so Wigglytuff had no trouble carrying it alone.


    Though Yuga wasn''t sure what he was going to do, he left Wigglytuff with the fertilizer and ventured inside the abandoned building.


    Stepping into the building, Yuga realized that it had likely been a factory in the past.


    "Skitty, Skitty, Skitty."


    Suddenly, Yuga heard cheerful cries.


    Was that Skitty''s voice?


    Following the sound, Yuga silently moved deeper into the abandoned factory.


    The ce was quite extensive, and it took Yuga a while to locate a small room where he saw Skitty, and the figure he had spotted earlier, Muya.


    This room was indeed very small, with a worn-out wooden bed in one corner. The beddings looked tattered, as if they had been salvaged, but they were freshly cleaned.


    Apart from that, there was nothing else in the room.


    She lived here? Yuga was puzzled.


    In the room, a Gengar was cing a Pok��block in front of Skitty. Muya, with a smile on her face, watched Skitty happily munching on the Pok��block.


    Muya often smiled at Yuga, but each time he felt a strong sense of discord. Only this time, her smile appeared more genuine than ever.


    This smile made her paleplexion seem much more lifelike, not much different from a regr teenage girl.


    However, at this moment, Yuga suddenly felt his hairs stand on end and realized that he had been spotted. He quickly rolled away and left the area.


    The ce where Yuga had hidden was immediately blown open by a Shadow Ball.


    Indeed, a Ghost-type Pok��mon Trainer was incredibly sensitive to the presence of life.


    Holding Skitty, Muya rushed out of the room upon hearing Yuga. When she saw him, she eximed in surprise, "Idol! Why, it''s you!"


    Seeing Muya''s pleasantly surprised expression, Yuga almost believed he was her idol.


    Her acting skills would be a waste if she didn''t pursue an acting career.


    Yuga looked at Muya seriously and with an indifferent expression said, "I don''t think we need to continue ying this idol and fan game."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Muya instantly wiped away all the smiles from her face.


    "What are you talking about? I can''t understand a word!" she retorted with a sharp tone and a dark expression.


    Seeing Muya''s change in demeanor, Yuga thought, This must be her true self!


    Yuga asked, "Who are you, really?"


    At this point, Muya no longer pretended and grinned, "Guess!"


    Yuga couldn''t recall ever having any significant interactions with someone like her. He looked at the Gengar floating behind Muya, and his surprise grew.


    ...


    <<gengar>> </gengar>


    Type: Ghost/Poison


    Ability: Cursed Body


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 66


    Moves: Shadow Punch, Lick, Mean Look, Curse, Shadow Ball, Dream Eater, Hypnosis, Foul y, Psychic, Perish Song.


    ...


    A pseudo-Elite level Gengar!


    Yuga had miscalcted! He shouldn''t have recklessly followed her here. It wasn''t the right time to confront her. His Pok��mon wouldn''t have a significant advantage against this formidable Gengar.


    Quietly, Yuga released his Dragonair and asked, "Did you kill those people in town and in the outskirts?"


    Muya, seeing Dragonair, didn''t answer Yuga''s question directly. Instead, she asked with a smirk, "Are you nning to fight me?"


    Yuga simply gazed at Muya in silence, refusing to respond with words.


    Seeing this, Muya took out a Pok�� Ball, recalled the Gengar behind her, and said, "I have more important things to do right now, and I don''t want to deal with you yet."


    After saying that, Muya disappeared with Skitty as if she were smoke.


    As she vanished, Yuga broke into a cold sweat. He was lucky he hadn''t initiated a battle; otherwise, he might not have made it out of that warehouse in one piece.


    The world truly was a mysterious ce. It seemed like people of all kinds existed here. Yuga had no idea how Muya had vanished just now.

 Chapter 367: A Surprise Visit

    <h4>Chapter 367: A Surprise Visit</h4>


    Due to the incident with Muya, Yuga returned to the shop with a furrowed brow.


    As he entered, he heard Suzuki Koen saying, "Boss, you''re back!"


    "What''s going on?" Yuga asked, puzzled. Most of the shop''s affairs were handled independently by Suzuki Koen, so why was there something that required his presence?


    Suzuki Koen gestured towards the inside of the shop, and Yuga followed his gaze to see someone sitting there.


    It was that Trainer called Kazuma!


    Yuga took a moment to remember his name - Kazuma, the first Trainer to arrange installment payments for a Pok��mon from the YoYo Day Care.


    Why was he here? The repayment period hadn''t ended yet, right? Besides, he didn''t need toe in person; as long as he paid from his end, Yuga would receive the payment.


    With these thoughts in mind, Yuga walked over to Kazuma.


    Upon seeing Yuga approaching, Kazuma immediately stood up from his chair and greeted, "Manager Shimizu, you''re back."


    Yuga nodded and smiled, "Sorry for keeping you waiting."


    Kazuma shook his head and said, "No problem; I haven''t been here for long."


    Yuga gestured towards a chair, indicating for Kazuma to sit down for a chat. Yuga sat across from him and asked, "What brings you here today?"


    Kazuma hesitated and said, "I came to inquire about the possibility of paying off my installment n early."


    Yuga hadn''t expected this reason for his visit and asked in surprise, "You want to pay it off early?"


    Kazuma replied, "Yes, ever since I obtained Trapinch, I''ve been traveling and had a few opportunities to earn some money. I thought it would be better to clear my debts, as I felt like something was weighing on my conscience."


    Indeed, Trainers were one of the groups most likely to strike it rich quickly. Perhaps they could get lucky and be overnight millionaires due to a chance encounter.


    Yuga chuckled, "I see. There''s no problem with paying it off early."


    In fact, he was more than weing of early repayments. They didn''t charge interest, and having the money back earlier was advantageous.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Kazuma was overjoyed. "Really?"


    Yuga nodded. "Of course!"


    After finalizing the details, Yuga had Suzuki Koen assist Kazuma in processing the early repayment paperwork.


    Suzuki Koen saw Kazuma out of the YoYo Day Care, and when he returned, Yuga noticed that Arata Sena was rushing in a fluster. Upon seeing Yuga, he ran exaggeratedly towards him.


    "Boss! Boss! Something bad has happened!" she eximed.


    "What''s wrong with you?" Yuga asked, slightly annoyed. "Are you going to stop our business by shouting like this?"


    Only then did Arata Sena realize that all the customers were looking at him. He quickly covered her mouth and leaned close to Yuga, whispering, "Boss, something really big has happened."


    "What''s going on?" Yuga asked with curiosity. "Did the sky fall?"


    Arata Sena sighed in frustration, "I''m not kidding, boss. We have another Pok��mon Day Care opening in Verdanturf Town!"


    "Another Pok��mon Day Care opening?" Yuga couldn''t believe it. He didn''t recall any other ce in Verdanturf Town having the potentials to easily open a Pok��mon Day Care.


    Curious, Yuga inquired, "Who''s behind this one?"


    Arata Sena answered, "It''s not someone from our town; it''s a branch opened by another Pok��mon Day Care. The name is something like ''Truly Adorable!''"


    Upon hearing the name "Truly Adorable," Yuga immediately knew which Pok��mon Day Care it was.


    It had to be the Pok��mon Day Care run by Edward!


    However, their Pok��mon Day Care seems to have been originally located in teport City. Why would they suddenly open a branch in Verdanturf Town? Verdanturf Town isn''t a big city; it doesn''t seem like a suitable ce for opening a branch!


    In reality, Pok��mon Day Cares aren''t the kind of businesses that heavily rely on location. Many Pok��mon transactions can ur online, and Trade Machines can facilitate these trades. Very few Trainers physically visit the shops to pick their Pok��mon unless the Trainer lives nearby.


    Especially for renowned Pok��mon Day Cares that require extensive Ecoparks, they often choose remote locations. However, such practices are typically followed byrge Pok��mon Day Cares. Smaller ones, like Truly Adorable, which stands between medium andrge in terms of scale and doesn''tpare to therger establishments, wouldn''t usually do this.


    "Where did they set up their shop?" Yuga continued to ask.


    Arata Sena replied, "It''s on the far east side of town. They''ve already begun constructing their Ecopark."


    The east side, huh? That was directly opposite to his own Pok��mon Day Care''s location!


    "Will it take them a while toplete the construction of their Pok��mon Day Care?" Yuga inquired.


    "Yeah, they just started today, and judging by their scale, it should take quite some time," Arata Sena replied.


    "Don''t worry about them. Let them do their own thing!" To be honest, Yuga wasn''t particrly concerned.


    It''s not that he looked down on Truly Adorable; in terms of scale and reputation, they surpassed the YoYo Day Care. However, their owner was Edward.


    From their previous interactions, Yuga had noticed that this person was a bit narrow-minded and had a limited perspective. Expecting someone like him to achieve significant sess seemed unlikely.


    Nheless, Yuga wasn''t nning to let his guard down.


    There had been some conflicts between him and Edward, and now he had opened a branch in Verdanturf Town. It all looked suspicious.


    Yuga told Arata Sena, "You go about your tasks; you don''t need to worry about this. Focus on running the shop and your Pok��mon training. That''s what you should be most concerned about right now."


    "But��" Arata Sena began to protest, only to be stopped by Yuga, who raised his hand. He sighed in resignation and left the old shop, returning to the new one.


    Yuga contemted the situation with Truly Adorable Pok��mon Day Care as he walked toward the Ecopark.


    Wigglytuff had brought back the fertilizer, and Yuga needed to process it further before using it on the Jaboca berry tree saplings.


    When Yuga arrived at the main Ecopark, he found Wigglytuff using scissors to trim the excess branches from some of the berry trees, following the methods Yuga had taught it. Wigglytuff stopped its work upon seeing Yuga approach.


    "Thank you for your hard work!" Yuga said to Wigglytuff.


    "Wigglytuff! Wigglytuff!" Wigglytuff shook its head when it saw Yuga, indicating that it wasn''t tired at all. It was more than willing to help Yuga.


    Together, Yuga and Wigglytuff finished pruning the remaining berry trees. They also prepared the fertilizer and applied it to the saplings of the Jaboca berry tree.


    Afterpleting these tasks, Yuga and Wigglytuff left the Ecopark.


    Just then, Yuga''s phone rang, and he saw that it was a call from his friend Gardenia. He immediately had a hunch about the reason for the call.

 Chapter 368: Homecoming

    <h4>Chapter 368: Homing</h4>


    "Hello, what can I do for you?" Yuga asked, even though he had a suspicion in his mind.


    "What else could I want with you? Your Audino training is almostplete, and you can take it back now," came the voice of Gardenia from the other end of the phone.


    "Really?" Despite already knowing why Gardenia was calling, Yuga couldn''t contain his excitement upon receiving confirmation.


    "Of course! When can you pick it up?"


    "I''m heading to the Pok��mon Center right now!" Yuga interrupted before Gardenia could finish her sentence.


    Hearing the urgency in Yuga''s voice, Gardenia shook her head in amusement. Did he really need to be in such a hurry? I could have finished my sentence first!


    "Wigglytuff"


    Meanwhile, on Yuga''s end, Wigglytuff watched his excited expression with curiosity, wondering what good news had him in such high spirits.


    Facing the perplexed Wigglytuff, Yuga said, "Wigglytuff, Audino ising home soon. Let''s go to the Pok��mon Center together!"


    Audino? Wasn''t that the Pok��mon the little trainer wanted to give an apron to?


    For some reason, Wigglytuff felt a bit uneasy.


    Despite this unease, Wigglytuff obediently nodded in agreement, even though it couldn''t help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Audino was going to be a part of their family now, and it didn''t find that very appealing.


    And so, Yuga rushed to the Pok��mon Center with Wigglytuff, where Gardenia handed him a Pok�� Ball.


    As soon as Yuga took the Pok�� Ball off the trade machine, he eagerly opened it. A sh of red light revealed the familiar form of Audino.


    "Wee home, Audino!" Yuga eximed, extending his arms to greet it.


    "Audino!" Audino rushed into Yuga''s embrace, overflowing with joy and emotion.


    It had been too long, and the reunion was sweeter than it had imagined!


    "Wigglytuff! Wigglytuff!"


    At that moment, Wigglytuff, who stood behind Yuga, tugged at his clothes.


    So this was Audino? It didn''t seem any more appealing than me! Wigglytuff thought with a hint of jealousy.


    Yanked back to reality by Wigglytuff''s reminder, Yuga let go of Audino, who was still happily hugging him.


    "Oh, right! Audino, let me introduce you. This is Wigglytuff, my mom''s Pok��mon," Yuga said, introducing Wigglytuff to Audino.


    Audino turned its gaze toward Wigglytuff.


    Mom''s Pok��mon? But Yuga''s mom had already passed away. Where did this little trickstere from?


    In an instant, Audino narrowed its eyes suspiciously.


    "Audino!"


    With a seemingly friendly smile, Audino greeted Wigglytuff.


    "Wigglytuff, I told you about Audino before!" Yuga added.


    However, as soon as Audino turned its gaze towards Wigglytuff, it sensed a strong tension in the air.


    "Wigglytuff"


    Smiling, Wigglytuff greeted Audino as well, although it was a bit forced.


    (#�F��) Why does this Audino seem a bit too strong? I can''tpete with that!


    With their Pok��mon amiably exchanging greetings, Yuga joyfully said, "From now on, we''re a family. You two should get along well!"


    At that moment, Yuga also noticed a unique aura emanating from Audino.


    ...


    <> </audino>


    Type: Normal


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Healer


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 63


    Moves: Last Resort, Hyper Voice, Helping Hand, Pound, Misty Terrain, Baby-Doll Eyes, Refresh, Disarming Voice, Double p, Attract, Secret Power, Shadow Ball, Heal Pulse, Heal Bell, Healing Wish, Safeguard, Fire Punch, Drain Punch, Dazzling Gleam.


    ...


    Upon closely examining the situation of Audino, Yuga immediately noticed that Audino had sessfully reached the level of a pseudo-Elite. Notably, its level was two levels higher than the Great Flygon, another pseudo-Elite.


    The Joy family truly excelled in nurturing Audino!


    It seemed impossible for the Great Flygon to surpass Audino now. The big sister always remained the big sister!


    "Audino, congrattions on advancing to the pseudo-Elite level! You''re amazing!" Yuga eximed joyfully.


    "Audino!" Audino epted Yuga''s praise with humility, giving a triumphant nce to Wigglytuff.


    Seeing Audino''s smug expression, Wigglytuff couldn''t help but feel annoyed.


    What''s so impressive about reaching the pseudo-Elite level? I''ve been with my little trainer since I was small!


    Wigglytuff cast a disdainful look at Audino.


    Unbeknownst to Yuga, a silent battle of pride and jealousy was brewing between Audino and Wigglytuff.


    After a brief reunion, Yuga returned to the YoYo Day Care with Audino.


    Audino''s long-awaited return received a warm wee from everyone at the shop.


    We''ve missed Audino''s meals so much! This sentiment was shared by everyone, including Windy, Misaki, and Arata Sena.


    Seeing how well-received Audino was, Wigglytuff felt even more frustrated.


    "Audino, look! This is the gift I got for you!" Yuga revealed the apron he had bought for Audino and handed it to the Pok��mon.


    Audino happily epted the apron, wasted no time putting it on, and even twirled around in it. Finally, it gave a smug nce at Wigglytuff.


    Little did Audino know that Wigglytuff, far from being upset, casually flicked its own apron hem with a self-satisfied air.


    Like that would make any difference!


    Observing Wigglytuff''s half-apron attire, Audino had no trouble understanding the situation.


    Fine, we''ll see about that!


    That night, upon Audino''s return, it prepared a sumptuous dinner to celebrate.


    Suzuki Koen, along with Dian and Arata Sena, stayed to enjoy the feast.


    Taking a bite of the dishes, Beidou sighed, "Today, I''ve learned what it means to truly live!"


    Though he had been cooking at the shop for some time, the level of cuisine on the table still far exceeded his own!


    Beidou''s words had everyone bursting intoughter.


    Wigglytuff also took a bite of the meal and instantly felt its taste buds explode.


    (������)~* Is this even legal? So delicious!


    Strong, talented in cooking, and not bad-looking... Well, sort of.


    What do you do when your opponent is too strong? Waiting online for advice, urgently seeking help!


    Audino''s triumphant return filled the shop with a joyful atmosphere, and with an efficient helper back on board, Yuga felt a sense of relief.


    Finally, business with the Sootopolis Gym could officially begin.

 Chapter 369: Provocation

    <h4>Chapter 369: Provocation</h4>


    Since Yuga''s encounter with Muya at the abandoned factory, Muya hadn''t visited YoYo Day Care again. This break of a week, to some extent, had relieved Yuga.


    On this particr day, Yuga was in the Ecopark, crafting Beautie Pok��blocks with Audino, aiming to deliver them promptly to the Sootopolis Gym.


    Due to the confidentiality of the Beautie form, Yuga didn''t take Audino to the new shop''s workspace.


    Wigglytuff was also actively assisting Yuga and, unnoticed by Yuga, sparking small conflicts with Audino here and there.


    "Dear, dear, someone is looking for you outside!" Just then, Chatot flew over, shouting to Yuga.


    Yuga paused his work, looked up, and asked, "Who''s looking for me?"


    Chatot perched on Yuga''s shoulder, shook its head, and said, "I don''t know, some bald middle-aged man."


    A bald middle-aged man? Who could that be!


    "Let me check!"


    Saying this, Yuga stood up, preparing to leave the Ecopark, instructing Audino and Wigglytuff to continue making the Pok��blocks.


    As soon as Yuga entered the shop, he spotted Edward, sitting leisurely, sipping tea.


    So, it was him!


    No wonder Chatot referred to him as bald. Although Edward usually wore a hat that concealed his baldness, Yuga had long noticed his bald spot.


    As for how Chatot could tell, well, it had the ability to spot sharp details.


    Even though Chatot might not excel in everything, its eyesight was exceptional.


    Seeing Yuga''s arrival, Edward greeted him with a smile, "Ah, Mr. Shimizu, you''ve finallye! You''ve made me wait!"


    Yuga asked with a straight face, "I don''t recall any acquaintance between Mr. Edward and me. May I ask what business you have with me?"


    Edward immediately put on a stern face upon hearing Yuga''s words and said, "Oh,e on! We''re going to do business in the same area in the future. There will be plenty of interactions. We shouldmunicate!"


    "I don''t believe we have anything to discuss," Yuga replied coldly. In his mind, he added, "If you''re here to cause trouble, I won''t hold back."


    Yuga''sck of courtesy left Edward struggling to maintain his smile.


    Edward clenched his fists, cleared his throat, and continued, "You''re still young, and in business, interpersonal rtionships are crucial. A person who only focuses on their work won''t get far."


    (_)


    Yuga felt like rolling his eyes at Edward''s words. "If I wanted to build rtionships, I wouldn''t choose you. Do you really not understand our situation?"


    Before Yuga could respond, Edward continued, "Even though you have exceptional Pok��mon like Trapinch and Gligar, look at your ce. It''s so shabby. If I were a customer, I wouldn''t step inside!"


    Yuga needed no further exnation!


    It was a challenge!


    Yuga was about to speak when Chatot swooped in and began scolding Edward.


    "Hey, hey, baldy! Who are you calling shabby? Take a good look at yourself! Besides, we may be shabby here, but it''s because of you standing here that we even look shabby!"


    Chatot "pffed" sharply and sessfully used Gust by pping its wings to blow Edward''s hat off. Everyone in the shop, including the customers, witnessed Edward''s shiny bald head.


    Trembling, Edward pointed at Chatot and stammered, "M-Mr. Shimizu, y-y-y-you... You let your bird be so... insolent!"


    What do you mean by "my bird being insolent"? What did my bird do to you? Be clear!


    Yuga smiled and said, "Mr. Edward, it''s just an unruly Pok��mon. There''s no need to lower yourself to its level."


    Yuga couldn''t help but feel refreshed by Chatot''s outburst. It was even more satisfying than if he had scolded Edward himself.


    Hmm, this annoying bird has its uses!


    Watching Edward struggle to put his hat back on, Yuga couldn''t help but want tough.


    Finally managing to pick up his hat from the ground and ce it back on his head, Edward angrily pointed at both Yuga and Chatot, saying, "You two... You''re cut from the same cloth!"


    As Edward spoke and took a step back, he suddenly felt like he bumped into something!


    "Tsk, what bad luck!"


    A disdainful voice came from behind Edward. Yuga was surprised to see her again!


    Yes, the person Edward had bumped into was none other than Muya, who had been missing for over a week!


    "What are you looking at? Watch out, or I''ll gouge your eyeballs!" Muya, with a sharp look in her eyes, said menacingly.


    Edward, shaken by Muya''s sharp gaze, shivered and retorted, "Hmph, a little brat like you, don''t you know how to respect your elders?"


    "Huh, elders? You think you qualify?" Muya sneered and walked past Edward.


    Already irritated by Chatot earlier, Edward''s mental fortitude was reaching its limit. He gave a malicious order to his subordinates, "Capture this little brat for me!"


    Upon hearing Edward''smand, his subordinates immediately moved to surround Muya.


    Seeing this scene, Yuga had initially thought of saying, "Hey, hey, this is my shop. If you want to fight, take it outside." But he quickly changed his mind. He realized that tangling with this formidable sorceress wasn''t a good idea. Being drained dry by her wouldn''t be worth it!


    Initially, the other customers in the shop had considered intervening to be heroes and save the beauty, as Muya was indeed an attractive young woman. However, shortly after, they saw a Gengar suddenly appear next to Muya. With its powerful Psychic abilities, Gengar instantly captured everyone, including Edward, and threw them out like Pok�� Balls.


    Witnessing this, those who had thought about ying heroes couldn''t help but shudder.


    Ghost-type trainers were not to be trifled with!


    Muya, freed from the encirclement, walked back to her usual spot and asked Yuga, "What''s going on here? Why is everyone allowed inside?"

 Chapter 370: Vacation

    <h4>Chapter 370: Vacation</h4>


    Yuga let out a sigh. What more could he say?


    He walked to the store''s entrance just in time to see Edward and hispanions, who had fallen t on the ground, slowly getting up.


    "Mr. Edward, are you okay?" Yuga asked, trying to suppress hisughter. His tone was as sarcastic as could be.


    Edward, supporting one of his subordinates with one hand and nursing his sore backside with the other, blushed deeply. He said, "Shimizu Yuga, mark my words! We''re not finished!"


    After saying this, Edward waddled away, swaying his hips indignantly.


    Hmph, if he thinks it''s not over, then it''s not over!


    Although Yuga thought this, he still called after Edward''s departing figure, "Oh, Mr. Edward, please don''t be mad. It wasn''t me who insulted you, and I certainly didn''ty a finger on you. Let''s just get along!"


    Edward almost tripped over himself upon hearing Yuga''s words.


    Back inside the store, Yuga saw Muya, who was sitting there with a face full of hostility, lost in thought.


    Perhaps because she had already let her guard down with Yuga, Muya gave off a different vibe this time. Her entire being exuded an aura of hostility, devoid of the previous sweet and gentle demeanor.


    Yuga couldn''t help but think to himself, "Madam, your acting skills are truly impressive."


    He approached her and asked, "Why are you back again?"


    Yuga hade to understand that although Muya didn''t hold any goodwill towards him, she didn''t seem intent on harming him at the moment. Therefore, he didn''t need to tread carefully when speaking with her.


    Muya nced at Yuga but remained silent. She just sat there, emitting an icy aura.


    Suddenly, Yuga remembered that she had mentioned having something to take care of. Could it be that her mission didn''t go as nned?


    With this thought in mind, he decided not to press her for answers and left her to her own thoughts.


    As it turned out, Muya''s return had no immediate impact on YoYo Day Care. She continued to sit in her usual spot, observing the store''s customerse and go, asionally ying with the rescued Skitty. Nobody could discern what was on her mind.


    Time passed, and the New Year was fast approaching. While the Pok��mon world celebrated the New Year, it didn''t have the equivalent of a Lunar New Year''s Eve; instead, the New Year itself was the grandest festival.


    As New Year''s Day drew near, the entire Verdanturf Town buzzed with a lively atmosphere, as every household made preparations for the holiday.


    On a particr day, Yuga gathered all the employees in his store for an annual summary meeting. Afterward, he distributed year-end bonuses and announced a vacation for everyone.


    Since YoYo Day Care didn''t usually grant time off, and the staff had worked diligently, Yuga thought it would be a good idea to give them a few days off for the New Year.


    After receiving their bonuses, Misaki headed straight back to her family in Lavaridge Town, and the local boy Arata Sena returned to his home.


    On the other hand, Beidou and Windy were essentially homeless, so they stayed behind to celebrate the New Year with Yuga.


    Beidou truly had no family or rtives, which Yuga knew. As for Windy''s family, Yuga wasn''t aware of their situation, but he didn''t press the matter. If they wanted to stay, they were wee; the more, the merrier.


    Yuga also extended an invitation to Suzuki Koen, asking her to join them for the New Year''s celebration. After all, it was just two of them at home, and they could have a more festive time together.


    With the store temporarily closed for preparations, YoYo Day Care gradually quieted down. One day, Yuga, apanied by Audino and Wigglytuff, carried a load of groceries and was on his way home when he encountered Luna.


    "Big Brother Yuga!" Luna saw Yuga from a distance and began waving her arms enthusiastically. She rushed toward him.


    "When did you get back?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    "I just arrived home!" Luna replied with excitement.


    At that moment, Luna noticed Wigglytuff beside Yuga and eximed, "Oh, Big Brother Yuga, has Wigglytuff returned as well?"


    "Yes," Yuga confirmed with a smile.


    "Wigglytuff!" Wigglytuff greeted Luna with a cheerful "Wigglytuff!"


    "This is wonderful! Has Grandbull returned too?" Luna asked with delight.


    Luna''s words sessfully froze the smiles on Yuga and Wigglytuff''s faces.


    "Cough, you''re back. Is Rand back too?" Yuga quickly changed the subject.


    Audino, who didn''t know the situation, looked at Yuga with a puzzled expression.


    Though Luna was curious why Big Brother Yuga didn''t answer her question, her attention was sessfully diverted.


    "Yes, he''s back, he''s back! He''s returned home. By the way, let me help you carry these!" Luna offered, reaching out to take the groceries from Yuga.


    Yuga hastily responded, "No need, these are heavy. You can''t handle them."


    Upon hearing this, Luna immediately frowned and said, "You''re underestimating me!"


    With that, she effortlessly took the groceries from Yuga and headed in the direction of YoYo Day Care. She turned back to Yuga and asked triumphantly, "How''s that?"


    Yuga smiled and replied, "Not bad, you''ve gained some strength."


    It seemed that sending her to the preparatory camp had been the right decision. Not only had she grown taller, but she also seemed more spirited, and that spoiled attitude of hers had vanished.


    More than half a year in the preparatory camp was not in vain!


    Back in the store, Luna immediately noticed Muya sitting there. She then slyly whispered to Yuga, "Big brother, who''s that beautifuldy sitting over there?"


    Yuga could tell what she was thinking by the look in her eyes. He replied, somewhat irritably, "What does it matter who she is? She has nothing to do with you!"


    Luna chuckled and said, "Hehe... don''t be shy, tell me, did you find a sister-inw for me?"


    It seemed that Muya heard Luna''s words because she shot a fierce nce in their direction, effectively silencing Luna.


    "Well... this...dy looks a bit intimidating," Luna stammered.


    That''s what you get for making up stories. Yuga rolled his eyes at Luna.


    If I actually brought her here to be your sister-inw, you probably wouldn''t survive until the next semester at the preparatory camp.


    "I say, Miss Muya, it''s almost the New Year. Do you still n on staying here?" Yuga asked, somewhat helplessly.


    Leaving such a dangerous person in his home during the New Year didn''t feel very safe.


    "Do you really want me to leave?" Muya raised an eyebrow, questioning Yuga.


    Yes, I want you to leave, right away.


    "Oh, no! It''s just that I think it''s not quite appropriate for you to stay here. After all, New Year is a time for family reunions, and you''re not part of our family," Yuga replied.


    He didn''t notice that when he mentioned "family reunions," a fleeting, extremely menacing look shed in Muya''s eyes before disappearing.


    "Oh, are you implying that you want me to be part of your family?" Muya asked yfully.


    Yuga''s heart nearly skipped a beat.


    "N-no! I was just kidding," Yuga said, nervouslyughing.


    He hurriedly ran into the kitchen, carrying the groceries, afraid that Muya might say something to stop his heart from beating.


    Following Yuga into the kitchen, Luna asked curiously, "Big Brother Yuga, who is that big sister over there? Why do you seem so scared of her?"


    Yuga put down the groceries, then gave Luna''s head a light pat, saying with a hint of irritation, "Nonsense! Why would I be afraid of her?"

 Chapter 371: New Year

    <h4>Chapter 371: New Year</h4>


    As the New Year approached, the town became increasingly festive, with streets adorned in colorful decorations. Many people who had been away for work, traveling trainers, and more returned to Verdanturf Town, bringing liveliness to the town.


    Finally, the highly anticipated New Year arrived. Early in the morning, Yuga was awakened by Wigglytuff''s enthusiastic "Double ps." He stood by the window and saw that every household was busy with preparations.


    In this world, there was no tradition of setting off fireworks for the New Year, but the joyous atmosphere was palpable on everyone''s faces.


    However, there were still fireworks, but they were typically set off in the evening.


    Passing through the kitchen downstairs, Yuga noticed his aunt and Audino working busily inside. In the Pok��mon world, there was no tradition of having breakfast on New Year''s morning. Instead, they made a snack called Pok��mon Round Cakes using flour. It was said that when people came to visit for the New Year, these cakes would be served as a treat. The family that made the best cakes would gain prestige and have a smoother year ahead.


    "Awake!" Yuga''s aunt, wearing a smile, noticed him standing at the door.


    Yuga''s aunt and her family hade to celebrate the New Year with Yuga. After all, they were Yuga''s only rtives, and with their small familiesbined, it made for a more festive celebration.


    Audino, upon seeing Yuga, also appeared very pleased and greeted him with hands covered in flour.


    Following Yuga was Wigglytuff, who entered the kitchen to assist Yuga''s aunt. Although it couldn''t cook, it had no trouble assisting. Of course, it didn''t offer to help Audino!


    "Need any help?" Yuga leaned against the doorframe and asked.


    His aunt, with a smile, replied, "You''d better stay out of the kitchen. Take a look; can this kitchen fit another person?"


    "Alright!" Yuga shrugged helplessly and left the kitchen entrance.


    After a quick tour around, Yuga saw Suzuki Koen decorating the windows with decorations, apanied by Dian. The mother and son were having a great time and didn''t want Yuga, the "outsider," to interfere. Windy, on the other hand, rarely left his room and was unusually idle, diligently cleaning every nook and cranny of the house.


    Muya, on the other hand, had disappeared from the store, and Yuga hadn''t seen her until the evening.


    But her absence was not unwee. Yuga didn''t care where she went; as long as she didn''t stay in his house.


    With everyone busy, Yuga headed to the Ecopark. Since it was New Year''s Day, the Pok��mon deserved to enjoy it as well.


    Today, Yuga allowed all the Pok��mon to enjoy themselves without any training or tasks. He had secretly bought a bunch of delicious food from the supermarket a few days ago, loaded them into his system''s backpack, and brought them to the Ecopark. He nned to gather everyone and host a Pok��mon party on New Year''s Day.


    Now, everyone had gathered in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, actively preparing, and the atmosphere was extremely lively.


    As night fell, fireworks lit up the sky with their colorful splendor. It was truly beautiful.


    Audino ced the final dish on the table, and Yuga addressed everyone, saying, "Alright, the dishes are ready. Let''s dig in!"


    His aunt also cheerfully invited everyone, "Yes, yes, all the dishes on this table were prepared with great effort by Audino and me. Enjoy your meal, everyone!"


    Watching everyone raising their sses and sharing joyful moments, Yuga felt somewhat sentimental. This was his first New Year since he had crossed into this world, and being able to celebrate it in such a lively manner was truly a rare experience.


    "Come on, Aunt, Uncle, I''ll raise a toast to both of you. Thank you for taking care of me all this time."


    Yuga suddenly stood up, raising his ss to his aunt and uncle.


    Yuga didn''t usually drink, but today, he generously filled his ss.


    "You silly child, sit down quickly, sit down," his aunt replied.


    Aunt and uncle raised their sses simultaneously, their eyes filled with contentment as they had witnessed their nephew''s growth all along.


    After downing his own ss of wine in one gulp and refilling it, Yuga turned to Windy and Suzuki Koen.


    "Also, I want to thank Sister Koen and Windy. Without both of you, the shop wouldn''t be running so smoothly, and our business wouldn''t be thriving. Come on, let''s have a toast!"


    Windy wasn''t much of a talker, just raising his ss somewhat awkwardly.


    Suzuki Koen, on the other hand, smiled and said, "It''s what we should do, and besides, you do pay us a sry!"


    Lastly, Yuga shifted his gaze to Beidou, saying with a smile, "Thank you, Beidou, for joining YoYo Day Care. Let''s continue working together."


    Beidou happily raised his ss and said, "Of course!"


    "Of course, we also need to thank Audino and Wigglytuff. Thank you for always apanying me!"


    Of course, Yuga didn''t toast Audino and Wigglytuff with alcohol; instead, he prepared Moo Moo Milk for them.


    "Wigglytuff!"


    "Audino!"


    Audino and Wigglytuff had big smiles on their faces.


    Looking at the joyous scene before him, Beidou, who had been alone for a long time, felt like he finally had a family. He was touched and ended up drinking a few more sses of wine.


    During the meal, the eight of them gathered around the table and enjoyed themselves immensely.


    Unknowingly, Yuga had been encouraged to drink a considerable amount of alcohol by his uncle and Beidou. When he realized it, his head was already spinning.


    In his uncle''s words, "How can a man not drink?"


    After dinner, Aunt and Suzuki Koen helped tidy up the table, while Beidou and Yuga''s uncle chatted. Yuga and Windy took Luna and Dian outside to set off fireworks.


    Audino and Wigglytuff had already gone to the Ecopark after finishing their meal. It was time for the Pok��mon inside to celebrate, and Yuga wanted to make sure everything was okay.


    Yuga and Windy, both inexperienced with fireworks, were cautious when lighting them, fearing they might identally hurt themselves.


    In contrast, little Dian, who usually appeared obedient, turned out to be quite energetic when ying. Not only did it light its own fireworks, but it also lit Yuga''s and Windy''s.


    Watching the fireworks burst in the sky, Luna teased Yuga, "Big bro Yuga, you''re so useless! Even Dian is better than you!"


    Yuga raised his hand and gave her a smack. "Mind your own business!"


    Windy watched in silence, holding Dian in his arms. He looked up at the brilliant fireworks in the sky and couldn''t help but smile brightly.


    However, due to the dark sky, Yuga and Luna, who were caught up in themotion, didn''t notice Windy''s rare, radiant smile.


    "Wow, Big bro Yuga, there''s a ghost!"


    At this moment, Luna suddenly pointed to the rooftop and shouted.


    As the fireworks illuminated the area, Yuga sessfully recognized the figure on the roof.


    "Muya?"


    Luna finally saw the person on the rooftop clearly, patted her chest in relief, and said, "Oh, it''s just Big Sister. You scared me!"


    Muya didn''t pay attention to Yuga and Luna, she just sat quietly on the rooftop, lost in thought, watching the fireworks bloom and fade.


    "Big Sister, do you want toe down and y with us?" Luna suddenly called out to Muya.


    Yuga hurriedly gave her a p on the head. She was meddling again; after all, they weren''t that familiar with Muya!


    Luna covered her head, not understanding what she did wrong, and looked at Yuga with an using expression.


    Fortunately, Muya didn''t react to Luna''s words, which relieved Yuga.

 Chapter 372: Identity

    <h4>Chapter 372: Identity</h4>


    The group paid no attention to Muya on the rooftop and continued to enjoy setting off fireworks, being lively and noisy. Even Yuga''s alcohol buzz had lessened considerably due to the excitement.


    After ying for quite some time, Yuga noticed that Dian and Luna were getting tired, so he and Windy took them back inside.


    At this moment, Aunt and Suzuki Koen had already tidied up the table and were chatting with Uncle and Beidou.


    "Wee back! Tired from ying, I bet!" Aunt said with a smile when she saw Yuga and the others enter.


    "Not too bad, just that these little ones can''t keep up anymore," Yuga replied, looking at Dian, who was already dozing off in Windy''s arms.


    Suzuki Koen took Dian from Windy, found a nket to cover him, and then sat back down, joining the New Year''s celebration with everyone.


    Time passed quietly amid the joyful conversation.


    When the clock struck midnight, everyone spontaneously wished each other a "Happy New Year!"


    It was veryte by the time they all dispersed. Dian and Luna had long since fallen asleep, soundly so.


    Therefore, Yuga asked Beidou to take Suzuki Koen and Dian back home, while he carried Luna and walked Aunt and Uncle home.


    Originally, Yuga''s uncle didn''t want him to apany them; Luna could ride on his back. But Aunt said, "Can''t we have some alone time as a family at the end of the year?"


    Uncle readily epted his nephew''s kind offer.


    Yuga carried Luna on his back and chatted with Aunt and Uncle along the way. He walked them all the way to their home.


    As he was returning, Yuga saw that Muya was still sitting on the roof of his house. Curiously, he asked, "You''ve been sitting on the rooftop all night. Aren''t you cold?"


    "Cold?" Muya chuckled softly. "I''m not human; what do I have to fear from the cold?"


    What?! Not human?


    Yuga was startled by Muya''s words. Did I not cross into the Pok��mon world but rather into a fantasy realm? Are there shape-shifting creatures here?


    Just then, a Gengar suddenly appeared by Muya''s side. However, because the night was too dark, Yuga didn''t notice.


    Then, Gengar''s psychic power suddenly carried Yuga into the air, eye-level with Muya.


    "Are you curious about my identity?" Muya asked Yuga.


    "Are you willing to tell me?" Yuga didn''t feel afraid despite being under Gengar''s psychic influence. His intuition told him that Muya had no intention of harming him.


    "Why not?" Muya countered.


    Under Gengar''s control, Yuga slowly floated up to the rooftop andnded beside Muya.


    "My true name is Cecilia," Muya said softly, gazing at the sparsely scattered stars in the sky.


    "Cecilia?" Yuga eximed. "That''s impossible!"


    He had seen Cecilia before, and he was very familiar with the aura surrounding her. It was entirely different from the Muya before him. Furthermore, Cecilia was a Specter, while the Muya beside him, Yuga had confirmed countless times, was a flesh-and-blood human, with a physical presence!


    However, deep down, Yuga had a vague feeling that what Muya was saying might be true, which would exin why she hade to find him.


    "Do you know me?" Muya suddenly turned her head, squinting at Yuga.


    "I''ve met Acer!" Yuga blurted out.


    "Oh, I see!" Muya suddenly realized. "Acer said that as long as you returned to the Ghost World, you would nevere out again."


    After hearing Yuga''s words, Muya fell silent for a moment and then said, "Yes, under normal circumstances, I should not be able toe out. My consciousness should have been erased."


    "Then..." Why...


    Yuga hesitated to speak further. He suddenly felt that Muya was very sad.


    "Do you think there''s anything different about me nowpared to the Cecilia you saw before?" Muya suddenly turned her head and smiled as she asked Yuga.


    Anything different? Everything seems different, right?


    Seeing that Yuga remained silent, Muya continued, "Because I am no longer theplete Cecilia."


    Yuga felt very puzzled by her words but didn''t speak up.


    Muya absentmindedly took out a Pok�� Ball and released a Dusknoir.


    Yuga recognized this Dusknoir. It had once assisted him and Officer Jenny, and it was the one that had brought Cecilia back to the Ghost World.


    However, this Dusknoir now looked extremely strange. It floated there silently, showing no signs of reaction, as if... as if it had no soul!


    "Now, I am it, and it is me!" Muya pointed to the Dusknoir.


    Looking at Yuga''s perplexed expression, Muya raised her right hand and pinched Yuga''s face. Instantly, Yuga felt a bone-chilling cold.


    Even in winter, a person''s hand shouldn''t be this cold.


    "What you see is just a corpse. I found it in the forest and borrowed it for my use."


    Hearing her words, Yuga finally understood why there were those dried-up corpses in the town.


    "So, do you absorb the life energy of those people to maintain the vitality of this corpse?"


    "It''s the only way. Otherwise, I would rot!" Muya said with a smile, but her smile sent shivers down Yuga''s spine.


    He was conversing with a corpse!


    "Why does it do this?" Muya suddenly whispered.


    "Who?" Yuga was puzzled.


    "It, right there!"


    Muya pointed to the Dusknoir floating beside her, or more precisely, her true body.


    Now, Muya''s true identity was no longer a Specter but an actual Dusknoir.


    After Cecilia was brought back to the Ghost World, her consciousness was immediately seized by the Ghost World''s consciousness, and the only oue waiting for her was to have her consciousness erased and be an ordinary Specter.


    But how could she, who was determined to leave the Ghost World, sit idly by? So, she used a forbidden technique of the Ghost World to let all her Gengars and Mismagius take the ce of her death.


    Cecilia originally had many Gengars and Mismagius around her; Yuga had seen some of them the first time he met her.


    In the Ghost World, there was a forbidden technique that allowed other ghost-type Pok��mon who shared a life with the deceased Specter to take on the punishment of the Ghost World''s consciousness while avoiding its detection.


    Everything was going smoothly with her n. However, Cecilia had overlooked the Dusknoir that had always apanied her.


    When Cecilia performed the forbidden technique, the Dusknoir secretly released all of her Gengars and Mismagius, taking their ce.


    Cecilia, although ruthless toward everyone and every Pok��mon, never thought of harming the Dusknoir that had always been by her side.


    By the time she realized what had happened, it was already toote.


    In the haste of the moment, the forbidden technique went awry, seeding only halfway.


    Half of the consciousness of the Dusknoir and Cecilia was erased by the Ghost World''s consciousness, and the remaining halves merged into the body of Dusknoir.


    However, Cecilia''s soul dominated the majority, with the remaining memories in her mind, which is how the current Muya came to be.


    And Muya originally used to be the name of the Former Dusknoir.


    So, the present Muya is both Cecilia and Dusknoir!


    The personality of Muya, The Dusknoir, sometimes invisibly influenced Cecilia''s actions, which is why she didn''t harm Yuga for a long time. The people she killed were only those two members of the Team Aqua and the four thugs.


    Otherwise, with Cecilia''s originally twisted character, who knows how many more people would have died.

 Chapter 373: Greetings

    <h4>Chapter 373: Greetings</h4>


    Yuga realized that before him wasn''t just a corpse; there was also a unique creatureposed of spirits and specters, a special Dusknoir.


    Yuga attempted to assess Muya''s condition with his Insight Ability.


    ...


    <<dusknoir>> </dusknoir>


    Type: Ghost


    Ability: Pressure


    Gender: Female


    Potential: ...


    Level: ...


    Skills: Shadow Punch, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Leer, Night Shade, Disable, Foresight, Pursuit, Will-O-Wisp, Curse, Shadow Ball, Power-Up Punch, Shadow Sneak, Rock Tomb, Focus st, Ominous Wind, Trick Room, Destiny Bond, Ability Swap.


    ...


    Even his Insight ability had moments when it wasn''t effective. This unique Dusknoir not only had indistinguishable potential and levels, but its range of skills was staggering, surpassing even some Elite Pok��mon.


    Muya grew somewhat annoyed as she noticed Yuga continuously fixated on her other form.


    "What are you looking at? You haven''t answered my question!" she eximed.


    Yuga shivered and, snapping back to attention, replied, "What else could it be? It likes you. It doesn''t want you to do wicked things or die, so it had to do that!"


    "But... but... I didn''t want it to do that, and I didn''t want it to die either!"


    Yuga suddenly felt that Muya''s voice choked with emotion, but when he looked again, it seemed like his imagination.


    "But what''s the point of it doing that? It''s dead, Cecilia is dead, and what am I now?"


    Muya gazed at the bright moon in the sky, her voice wooden as she asked.


    Yuga suddenly felt like this person... or rather, this Dusknoir, was somewhat simr to his situation.


    Though hecked his original owner soul, he retained its memories, and his personality had been influenced by the original owner.


    The difference was that he had never pondered whether he was still the original Yuga, the past Qixu, or had transformed into someone new.


    He felt such thoughts were meaningless; why bother seeking trouble? Living in the present was the truth.


    "Why do you think this way? Cecilia and Muya are both alive and well. You''re lively and kicking right now; that''s evidence enough!" Yuga replied.


    After hearing Yuga''s words, Muya stared at him for a long time before turning away.


    "Why did you suddenly think of telling me all this?" Yuga asked. "It''s New Year''s, and while it satisfied my curiosity, it feels a bit bleak."


    They didn''t have much of a connection, and to be precise, he had an unpleasant history with Cecilia.


    Yuga shivered secretly.


    "Perhaps it''s because you''re the only person in this world who still has a connection with me," Muya softly replied.


    "What did you say?"


    Yuga didn''t catch Muya''s words clearly and asked again, but Muya remained silent, gazing at the sky.


    So, Yuga sat on the rooftop, chatting with Muya for a long time, and then... (.-��-)zzz


    When Yuga opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in his own room, and it was already the next morning.


    Wait, didn''t he chat with Muya on the rooftopst night? What''s going on now?


    One thing did make Yuga happy, though. After learning about Muya''s true identity, he no longer had to worry about her causing trouble.


    During their conversationst night, Muya had promised not to bother him until she dealt with the matters in her hands. She also assured him that she wouldn''t casually drain the life energy of humans for a while.


    The life energy she had absorbed from a few people and Pok��mon earlier was enough to sustain her for a long time.


    Of course, if someone actively sought trouble with her, that was a different story. Yuga couldn''t control that; after all, they brought it upon themselves.


    Shortly after getting up, Yuga couldn''t help but sneeze several times.


    It seemed that he caught a cold from being out in the cold for too longst night.


    After having breakfast, Yuga began to receive New Year''s greetings from his friends, including Robert, Reggie, Flint, Volkner, and others. Even Steven and Wace sent him text messages.


    After exchanging greetings with his friends, Yuga made phone calls to several elders who had helped him significantly: Grandpa Milton in Johto, Grandfather Reggie from the Sinnoh region, Mr. Moore, Mr. Norman, Director Mond, and Mr. Kuni''o.


    These elders had all been of great assistance to Yuga, and he couldn''t let the New Year pass without expressing his gratitude.


    However, Mr. Kuni''o didn''t personally answer Yuga''s call; it was answered by Ryuichi instead.


    "Oh, Mr. Shimizu, it''s been a while! How have you been?" Ryuichi''s voice carried a warm tone, delighted that Yuga had called.


    Yuga smiled and asked, "I''ve been well. How about you and Mr. Kuni''o?"


    "We''re both doing wonderfully! By the way, ever since you left, Bellossom has been missing you like crazy!"


    As Ryuichi spoke, Yuga heard a wail from the other end of the line.


    Apparently, as soon as Ryuichi had mentioned Yuga, Bellossom appeared behind him. Seeing him making fun of her, she immediatelyunched Petal Blizzard, then snatched the phone from Ryuichi''s hand.


    "Bellossom, Bellossom!" Yuga recognized Bellossom''s voice immediately.


    "Happy New Year, Bellossom!" Yuga was thrilled to hear Bellossom''s voice.


    "Bellossom, Bellossom!" Bellossom was equally delighted to talk to Yuga.


    And so, they chatted for a while, even though they couldn''t understand each other''snguage. Yuga shared amusing stories with Bellossom, who seemed thoroughly entertained,pletely ignoring Ryuichi beside her.


    After checking in with everyone he needed to, Yuga headed to the Ecopark.


    He hadn''t attended the Pok��mon party therest night, so he wasn''t sure what to expect.


    Thankfully, when he entered the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, he found the situation much better than he had anticipated.


    Most of the rubbish fromst night''s festivities had been cleaned up by the diligent Pok��mon, including Audino, Wigglytuff, and Miltank, among others.


    However, even so, the grasnd was still a mess, with Pok��mon sprawled in all directions after the wild celebration.


    Members of the Gligar n, Flygon n, witzer n, Melotic, Gyarados, and various Pok��mon from the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark were all present.


    Of course, such a scene would not beplete without Snox, the food-loving Pok��mon.


    As a New Year''s gift, the Combee had brought some sweet honey to satisfy Snox''s cravings.


    The first Pok��mon to notice Yuga''s arrival was the Persian. Ityzily on the ground, lifted its head to nce at Yuga, and then went back to dozing.

 Chapter 374: Amazement

    <h4>Chapter 374: Amazement</h4>


    More than ten days had passed since the start of the new year, and the festive atmosphere had gradually faded. People in town were returning to work or setting off on trips.


    The YoYo Day Care reopened for business on the seventh day of the new year, and Misaki sessfully made her way from home to resume her work there.


    Luna and Rand had returned to Sootopolis City to continue their studies a couple of days earlier.


    After her conversation with Muya on New Year''s Eve, Muya still spent her days in the shop, but with one difference: she no longer kept to a strict schedule, asionally disappearing every few days.


    Yuga didn''t concern himself with her actions.


    What did concern him, though, was the Jaboca Berry Tree he had carefully nurtured finally blooming. With the flowers in full bloom, would there be Berrys soon?


    On the same day, Houndoom sessfullyid a bright red Pok��mon egg, bringing immense joy to Nales and Houndoom.


    Without a doubt, this was an egg that followed it father''s, and it had a rare blue potential.


    This double joy put Yuga in a very good mood. As he exited the Ecopark and entered the shop, Suzuki Koen said to him, "It''s snowing outside!"


    Snowing?


    Yuga was surprised and headed to the shop''s entrance.


    Sure enough, the sky was filled with goose-feather-like snowkes, and there were quite a few children outside cheering.


    Hoenn region was a ce where it rarely snowed, even coastal areas hardly ever experienced snowfall. So, for Verdanturf Town to have such heavy snowfall was truly unusual.


    "Shroomish!"


    At that moment, Shroomish suddenly appeared at Yuga''s feet, shivering as it gazed at the swirling snowkes outside. Being a Grass-type Pok��mon, Shroomish despised this kind of cold weather.


    However, if Yuga tried to send Shroomish to the Ecopark, it refused to go and was content following Yuga around everywhere he went.


    These days, Yuga had been training with Shroomish and Charmander.


    Shroomish had poor potential, so Yuga wasn''t trying to teach it any new moves. Instead, he focused on physical training.


    Physical fitness was the most important asset!


    For everything else, Yuga would wait until he could get a special Potential Evolution Potion.


    Charmander had made significant progress recently. Although it still had a tendency to cry, it no longer resisted training or battles, which pleased Yuga immensely.


    He picked up Shroomish from the ground and gazed quietly at the heavy snowfall outside. Shroomish nestled itself snugly into Yuga''s arms.


    (*�R���Q) Master''s embrace is so warm!


    "Chimecho, Chimecho!"


    Suddenly, Yuga felt something tighten around his neck, making it difficult to breathe.


    It turned out to be Chimecho! Yuga reached out and removed Chimecho, who had wrapped itself around his neck.


    Huh? Chimecho? Wasn''t it supposed to be in the Ecopark?


    "Chimecho, can you control the gravitational field freely now?" Yuga asked Chimecho, who was floating above his head, with excitement.


    Of course! Chimecho raised its tiny head proudly and even rolled its eyes at Shroomish!


    Phew! Trying to seduce Yuga, you smelly mushroom!


    Shroomish wasn''t afraid of Chimecho''s disdain and shot a defiant nce back. Then, it snuggled even closer into Yuga''s arms, irritating Chimecho to no end.


    But Yuga remainedpletely oblivious to the "scheming" of these two Pok��mon.


    Seeing that Chimecho''s issue had finally been resolved, Yuga said happily, "Congrattions, Chimecho! But you should also thank Noctowl who helped you."


    "Chimecho, Chimecho!"


    There''s no need to tell you that! You fickle carrot!


    Yuga then used his Insight ability to assess Chimecho''s current condition.


    ...


    <<chimecho>> </chimecho>


    Type: Psychic


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Levitate


    potential: Indigo


    Level: 49


    Moves: Confusion, Gravity, Heal Pulse, Heal Bell, Synchronoise, Shadow Ball, Safeguard, Uproar, Psyshock, Calm Mind, Light Screen, Psychic, Reflect, Healing Wish, Future Sight, Teleport, Psycho Boost.


    ...


    After reading this, Yuga was dumbfounded.


    The transformation was too significant!


    The potential had changed from the original blue to indigo, and the level had jumped from 36 to 49, making Chimecho the highest-level Pok��mon among Yuga''s main team, surpassing Florges at level 48.


    What''s more, there were nine new Psychic-type moves added!


    Among them, Future Sight was an inherited move that the original Chimecho didn''t have but had awakened now.


    Teleport was a move that Chimecho''s species couldn''t normally learn, but it had now mastered it.


    Most importantly, Chimecho had learned Deoxys''s exclusive move��Psycho Boost! While this move had its downsides, it was one of the most powerful Psychic-type moves, rivaling even Future Sight.


    Yuga was left speechless by this set of moves. Apart from having a single type, Chimecho was nearly perfect, with attack moves, defense moves, enhancement moves, healing moves, and mobility moves��all covered.


    All of this was thanks to that half Energy Core, truly living up to the status of a Legendary Pok��mon!


    Yuga was amazed, and he wanted to scream!


    Chimecho seemed like it was ready to step up and take the lead!


    Was he still going to be a nanny? A support? An attacker? An attacker?! An attacker?!! He couldn''t emphasize it enough!


    "Chimecho, you are amazing!" Yuga eximed excitedly.


    Yuga pulled Chimecho down and gave it a passionate kiss.


    Ew! You pervert!


    Chimecho struggled free from Yuga''s grasp and pped him hard across the face, leaving it bright red. However, Yuga, who was overwhelmed with excitement, paid no mind.


    Actually, this was what Chimecho was thinking deep down: (*�R���Q) Let those little vixens step aside! Yuga is mine!


    Chimecho''s drastic transformation left Yuga in a daze all day, until he received a call from Ryuichi.


    "Ryuichi, what''s up? Why did you suddenly decide to call me?" Yuga asked curiously.


    Ryuichi replied, "Master asked me to tell you that he hopes to meet you in Mauville City before February 22nd."


    February 22nd? Isn''t that already spring?


    Why talk about spring when it''s snowing? Mr. Kuni''o doesn''t seem to be making much sense!


    But why does he want to see me in Mauville City before February 22nd?


    "Do you know why Mr. Kuni''o wants to meet me?" Yuga was curious. He had been at the manor for so long, and Mr. Kuni''o had never proactively met with him. What was the purpose this time?


    "You''ll find out when you get there. But Mr. Kuni''o said it''s entirely up to you whether youe or not; he won''t force you."


    Ryuichi''s words only piqued Yuga''s curiosity further. However, since Ryuichi wasn''t willing to say more, Yuga didn''t press the matter further. He would find out everything once he went there.


    "Don''t worry; I''ll go. Both you and Mr. Kuni''o have helped me before, so I''ll keep our appointment."


    Hearing Yuga''s response, Ryuichi was very pleased.


    "In that case, both Mr. Kuni''o and I will be waiting for your arrival!"

 Chapter 375: The Wooden House

    <h4>Chapter 375: The Wooden House</h4>


    In just one day, the entire Verdanturf Town had transformed into a picturesque winter wondend.


    When Yuga opened his window early in the morning, he saw everyone outside their homes, clearing away the umted snow.


    A chilly breeze seeped through the window, making Yuga, who was still in his pajamas, shiver and hug his arms.


    "Wigglytuff! Wigglytuff!"


    At that moment, Wigglytuff entered the room and, upon seeing Yuga standing by the window, quickly closed it and scolded Yuga for exposing himself to the cold.


    Yuga then put on the winter gear andyers provided by Wigglytuff, including a down jacket and thermal pants, and headed downstairs.


    During breakfast, Yuga noticed that Windy was absent and curiously asked, "Where''s Windy? Not having breakfast?"


    Audino, sitting nearby, pointed upstairs, indicating that Windy hadn''t woken up yet. She then pointed to the breakfast she was holding, signaling that she would take it to Windy.


    Treating himself like a king, huh? Yuga couldn''t help but shake his head. Could it be that he''d turn into a chubby couch potato over the winter?


    With a helpless sigh, Yuga decided not to interfere. It was understandable that no one wanted to get out of bed in such cold weather, and he didn''t want to set a bad example as the boss.


    After finishing breakfast, Beidou pulled Yuga aside and whispered, "I have something to discuss with you."


    Confused, Yuga followed him to the side and asked, "What''s going on? Why are you beating around the bush? Just say it."


    "I want you toe with me somewhere."


    "Somewhere? Where?" Yuga was puzzled. Why not just say it directly instead of being so cryptic?


    "Oh, you''ll find out once we get there!"


    Seeing that Beidou was unwilling to exin further, Yuga reluctantly agreed, "Alright, fine! I won''t ask, but can we hurry?"


    Beidou nodded and quickened his pace. Together, they ventured out into the winter morning.


    Yugained, "Why are you in such a hurry? Couldn''t we have waited a bit longer?"


    Despite the cold, Yuga tugged his coat tighter around himself.


    "Oh, you''ll understand once we get there!"


    Beidou exhaled a deep breath, and his words were apanied by a puff of white mist.


    Yuga gave in, saying, "Okay, okay! I won''t ask more questions. But can we please walk faster?"


    Beidou nodded and increased their pace.


    As they walked, Yuga began to sense that the destination looked familiar. When they passed by an old factory, it suddenly clicked��this was where Muya used to live!


    Although Muya had moved elsewhere, Yuga didn''t really care. After all, he had no reason to be concerned about a Ghost-type Pok��mon''s ce of residence.


    Without stopping in front of the abandoned factory, Beidou led Yuga through a series of alleyways.


    Finally, after passing several alleys, they stopped in front of a wooden house.


    Yuga surveyed the area. Despite being covered in snow, it was clear that this area had been abandoned for a long time, with dpidated factories that were no longer inhabited.


    Beidou noticed Yuga''s puzzled expression and exined, "This ce used to be a paper mill, but it was shut down due to excessive pollution, thanks to the collective efforts of the townspeople."


    Yuga couldn''t help but wonder how Beidou knew so much about this when even the native residents like him were unaware of these details. But considering that Verdanturf Town''s reputation was built on its pristine environment, it made sense that the residents wouldn''t tolerate a factory causing pollution.


    "These wooden houses were where the workers from the paper mill used to live."


    Beidou pointed at the wooden house in front of them again.


    Yuga became even more puzzled. He wondered why Beidou had first talked about the paper mill and now shifted to discussing the wooden house. What was he trying to convey?


    Without further exnation, Beidou pushed open the door of the wooden house and led Yuga inside.


    Upon entering the wooden house, Yuga''s first impression was that it was run-down, but his second impression was that it felt cozy.


    The wooden structure had deteriorated over the years, with visible signs of decay in many ces. The floor was uneven, and cold drafts seeped in through the old windows.


    However, the interior was surprisingly warm and inviting.


    Pink curtains adorned the worn windows. Though not new, they were remarkably clean.


    In the center of the room was a round table, surrounded by six shiny stools that had been diligently cleaned.


    The most prominent feature of the room was the three not-sorge wooden beds, one of which had four small, carrot-like heads nestled on it.


    As soon as Yuga and Beidou entered, the upants of the room noticed them. Their expressions shifted from caution to rxation upon recognizing Beidou, followed by excitement.


    "Uncle Beidou, you''re here!"


    There were a total of five children in the wooden house, all very young. The girl who had just spoken appeared to be the oldest, but she seemed to be under ten years old.


    "Good morning, Anya."


    "Why are you here? Who''s this big brother?"


    Anya rushed excitedly to Beidou''s side and asked.


    Yuga couldn''t help but notice the slight twitch in Beidou''s face when Anya referred to him as a "big brother." He inwardly chuckled, thinking that men were sensitive about their age, too.


    Apart from Anya, the other four children had been huddled together on one of the old beds, wrapped in what seemed like stiff nkets, clutching each other tightly.


    Upon seeing Beidou''s arrival, they eagerly climbed down from the bed and gathered around him, addressing him as "Uncle Beidou" with enthusiasm.


    "Alright, haven''t you noticed we have a guest? Be on your best behavior."


    At this point, the elder sister, Anya, spoke up, and the four carrot-like children obediently fell silent, moving to the side.


    Beidou smiled and said, "It''s alright, Anya! These kids don''t need to worry about me. Haven''t you had breakfast yet? I brought breakfast for you all."


    He then gestured toward Yuga, implying that Yuga was also a guest.


    Upon hearing this, Yuga felt a bit offended. After all, Beidou had brought him here, so why say they shouldn''t bother with him now? It was quite rude!


    Unable to contain his irritation, Yuga shot a re at Beidou, but Beidou seemedpletely unfazed by Yuga''s silent protest, engrossed in his conversation with Anya.


    "But Akihiro, our big brother, has already gone out to buy us breakfast."


    Anya hesitated to speak, but Beidou noticed her eyes wandering towards the food.


    "Oh dear, we don''t know when Akihiro will be back. Look, your little brothers are so hungry; their tummies are growling. You should go ahead and eat!"


    Beidou ced the breakfast he had brought on the table and led Anya towards it.


    Initially, Anya wanted to refuse, but seeing her younger brothers discreetly swallowing saliva, she decided otherwise.


    Beidou ced the breakfast on the table, and as he gestured for them to sit, he happily began to eat the steaming breakfast himself.

 Chapter 376: Dispute

    <h4>Chapter 376: Dispute</h4>


    While the children were eating, Beidou approached Yuga and pulled him aside near the door, exining the background of these children.


    It turned out that these children were all orphans, specifically the children of the former workers at this paper mill.


    Back when the factory was shut down, there had been a conflict between the factory workers and the factory owner. The reason was that the factory owner, faced with mounting losses, refused to pay the workers their agreed-upon wages.


    As tensions escted, the factory owner resorted to violence and hired trainers to intimidate the workers. However, the workers were upromising, leading to a further esction of the conflict, eventually resulting in a tragic bloodshed.


    The trainers, who considered themselves superior, felt insulted and disrespected. Consequently, they ordered their Pok��mon to attack the workers. This reckless action left over a hundred workers injured, with over thirty fatalities, including some married couples.


    Although the trainers and the factory owner were eventually arrested, the deceased could not be brought back to life.


    The children left behind by these murdered couples were the ones Yuga and Beidou were now visiting, a total of six children from two families. Anya and her two twin brothers formed one family, while Akihiro and his younger brother and sister constituted the other.


    The Pok��mon League did have orphanages for children without parents, but there was a strict age limit of ten years to qualify, as that was the age deemed capable of working.


    Both Anya and Akihiro had surpassed this age limit.


    Their younger siblings adamantly refused to be separated from their older brothers and sisters, and the League staff handling the situation had no choice but to allow Anya and Akihiro to live on their own.


    Thus, two children who had just crossed the age of ten were burdened with the responsibility of raising their younger siblings. At that time, Anya was only ten years old, and Akihiro was just eleven.


    With no one to rely on, they chose to be a family and lived together, supporting each other.


    The factory owner, despite losing his fortune due to the massivepensation ims, couldn''t pay much to the injured workers due to therge number of victims.


    Although thepensation they received was not substantial, Anya and Akihiro''s families received slightly more than others because two people from each of their families had died.


    With thispensation money, they managed to get by, although their lives weren''t luxurious by any means.


    However, there were unscrupulous individuals in the world who took advantage of the children''s innocence and, through deceit, swindled away all their money.


    Back then, Anya and Akihiro were both very naive,pletely unaware of the dangers and treachery that existed in society, and they fell victim to these schemes.


    With theirpensation money gone, they struggled to make ends meet for over two years, relying on the meager wages from their work and the minimal support provided by the Pok��mon League.


    Now, both Anya and Akihiro were a bit older, and their lives had improved somewhat, but they still often went without meals, making them appear quite frail.


    Yuga had initially assumed that the petite Anya was still under ten years old, but to his surprise, she was already twelve, her small stature a result of long-term malnutrition.


    Among the six children, Akihiro was the oldest, at thirteen, and he served as the family''s primary breadwinner.


    After hearing about Anya and Akihiro''s experiences, Yuga felt a sense of admiration for their resilience. However, he couldn''t help but wonder why Beidou had shared this story with him.


    "So, you told me all of this because...?" Yuga inquired curiously.


    "Because you wanted to train some people, right? I hope you''ll take them under your wing!"


    Beidou stated firmly.


    These children reminded him of his own past.


    He too had been an orphan, never even meeting his parents. He had grown up in an orphanage, and his name had been given to him by the orphanage''s director.


    If it hadn''t been for a fortunate stroke of luck that led him to receive a fairly talented Skitty as his initial Pok��mon, setting him on the path to bing a Pok��mon Trainer, he couldn''t fathom where he''d be right now or what kind of life he''d be living.


    That''s why he hoped Yuga would give these children a chance as well, allowing them to embark on the journey of bing Trainers and altering their own destinies.


    Yuga contemted for a moment before saying, "Taking them in isn''t a big issue, but can you guarantee that they will all grow to the level I desire? I am a businessman, and I don''t engage in ventures that are bound to incur losses."


    While this might sound somewhat heartless, it was the harsh reality. Yuga wasn''t a Phntropist, and he didn''t have an abundance of wealth to spend recklessly. Therefore, those he selected had to go through a rigorous screening process.


    Beidou quickly assured him, "I promise you, I will educate them well, and they won''t disappoint you."


    Yuga countered, "A promise? What do you have to guarantee that? The future is uncertain, and how can you ensure that they will definitely grow to meet my expectations?"


    "But you can''t guarantee the same with anyone else."


    "I can select individuals who have already embarked on the path of trainers and have shown promise," Yuga said.


    Yuga''s words silenced Beidou.


    Indeed, there were countless Pok��mon Trainers in the world, and as long as he was willing to invest, he could easily find capable individuals. There was no need to invest his time and effort in uncertain children.


    Watching Beidou''s diminishing enthusiasm, Yuga felt a pang of sympathy, but he had spoken the truth.


    "Why do you want to help them? They have no rtion to you whatsoever."


    Beidou raised his head, nced at the children who were happily eating, and revealed a smile.


    "Seeing them reminds me of my own past. Back then, I left the orphanage at just ten years old, and our lives were so simr. Our greatest wish every day was to have enough to eat."


    Yuga listened to Beidou''s words and couldn''t help but furrow his brow. While he knew that Beidou had grown up alone, he hadn''t imagined he had experienced such a life.


    "But have you ever considered whether they willingly want to be Pok��mon Trainers? Have you asked for their input when making decisions for them? Have you obtained their consent?"


    Yuga posed a series of questions that gradually darkened Beidou''s expression.


    Indeed, these were all his own assumptions, and he hadn''t asked these children for their opinions.


    Being a Pok��mon Trainer was undeniably one of the easiest ways to change one''s destiny, but it was also one of the most perilous upations. Not everyone was willing to forsake afortable life to embark on this path.


    Beidou sighed and admitted, "You''re right; I''ve been too presumptuous. I never actually asked for their opinions."


    "I''m willing to do it. I want to be a Pok��mon Trainer!"


    At that moment, the door to the wooden house was suddenly pushed open, and a lean, dark-haired boy barged in.

 Chapter 377: The Challenge

    <h4>Chapter 377: The Challenge</h4>


    "Akihiro? You''re back?" Beidou eximed in surprise.


    "Hello, Uncle Beidou!" Akihiro greeted Beidou.


    However, the term "uncle" caused Beidou some difort.


    "Akihiro, big brother!"


    Seeing Akihiro enter and join the conversation, the little kids who were eating turned their attention towards them.


    "Continue eating, everyone. Akihiro and I need to talk. Stay where you are."


    Beidou''s words halted the little ones who had considered rushing over to see Akihiro when he returned. They obediently returned to their seats, exchanging nces.


    At this moment, Yuga observed the lean, spirited young boy in front of him closely.


    "Are you Akihiro?"


    "Yes."


    "Did you hear our conversation earlier?"


    Perhaps due to Yuga''s direct gaze, Akihiro appeared somewhat uneasy. His hands fidgeted anxiously, swaying the breakfast he held.


    "Yes, I heard everything," Akihiro affirmed.


    When he returned with breakfast and stood at the door, he heard the conversation inside and recognized one of the speakers as his familiar Uncle Beidou. The wooden house had terrible sound instion, and standing at the entrance, Akihiro had easily caught every word of the conversation between Yuga and Beidou.


    Although eavesdropping on others was highly impolite, curiosity drove him to listen to every word exchanged inside.


    "Do you want to be a Pok��mon Trainer?" Yuga continued to inquire.


    "Yes, I do."


    Despite feeling somewhat nervous, Akihiro''s voice was resolute. He knew the opportunity was right in front of him, and whether he could seize it depended on himself.


    "Why? You should know that bing a Trainer means not only glory but also countless hardships and dangers."


    "I want to provide a better life for my younger siblings. I want to change the future."


    Akihiro fixed his gaze firmly on Yuga.


    In fact, he was familiar with Yuga, even a semi-fan. When the Zapdos incident urred in Verdanturf Town, Akihiro had coincidentally witnessed Yuga reprimanding misbehaving Trainers in the town.


    Back then, he had thought of Yuga as quite formidable. If he could be as powerful as Yuga, Akihiro believed that he and his younger siblings could not only lead better lives but also avoid being bullied by others.


    Being swindled out of theirpensation money was still a thorn in Akihiro''s heart. Originally, he had thought of people like Yuga, willing to protect the town, as heroes. However, after hearing the conversation between Yuga and Beidou, he realized that Yuga was a businessman, far from the hero he had imagined.


    Yet, he didn''t feel disappointed. He had been struggling on his own for so long, and he had learned many lessons along the way. Akihiro understood that Yuga''s refusal to take them in was entirely justified.


    "You must have heard what I said earlier. What do you believe you bring to the table that makes me want to take you in and train you?"


    As Yuga looked at the young boy before him, he felt that Akihiro was different from the other children. At the very least, Akihiro''s eyes revealed determination, not just innocence.


    "I want to challenge you to a Pok��mon battle!"


    Akihiro dered firmly.


    A Pok��mon battle? Did this boy already have Pok��mon?


    Yuga shifted his gaze towards Beidou, his expression filled with confusion.


    Beidou also shook his head, indicating that he didn''t know either.


    "Very well, since you''ve proposed it, it wouldn''t be right for me to refuse."


    Yuga nodded in agreement.


    To be honest, Yuga rarely engaged in friendly battles with other Trainers. Except for a small-scale tournament shortly after he arrived in this world, most of his battles were intense and serious affairs against formidable opponents like the Team Aqua, Hunter J, and Motohara.


    When he trained, he usually practiced with the Pok��mon in the Ecopark. Being formally invited to battle like this, especially by a child, made him feel like he was picking on a kid.


    Upon Yuga''s agreement, Akihiro was ted. He then pulled a Pok�� Ball from his pocket.


    "Shroomish, can you hear me? We''re going to battle soon, so give it your all!"


    "Shroomish!"


    Shroomish leaped out of Akihiro''s arms, brimming with determination and ready for battle.


    Yuga was surprised when he saw Shroomish.


    ...


    <<shroomish>> </shroomish>


    Type: Grass


    Ability: Effect Spore


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 20


    Moves: Tackle, Stun Spore, Absorb, Leech Seed, Bullet Seed.


    ...


    "I didn''t expect you to have such a good Pok��mon," Yuga thought to himself.


    Akihiro exined, "I was nning to save more money before bing a Trainer with Shroomish."


    Akihiro had found Shroomish on the way home from work some time ago, and it was severely injured at the time. He began feeding it daily, and over time, they had be close friends.


    Today, he had intended to bring Shroomish back home, but it coincided with Beidou bringing Yuga over.


    "Nice Shroomish," Yuga praised.


    "Thank you!"


    Receivingpliments on one''s Pok��mon always brought a sense of pride.


    Beidou, on the side, suggested, "Since you want to have a battle, let''s go find a suitable battleground outside. I''ll be the referee."


    Then, Yuga followed Akihiro to an open space behind the wooden house. However, the ground was covered in thick snow, making it unsuitable for a battle.


    "Leave it to me!" Yuga said with a smile.


    He took out a Pok�� Ball and released Chimecho, saying, "Chimecho, could you please clear away this snow?"


    Having just experienced a significant increase in strength, Chimecho felt like showing off a bit.


    Originally pleased to be summoned by Yuga, Chimecho''s mood soured upon realizing it was being asked to do physicalbor.


    "Ugh, you''re such a terrible person! Am I just a tool for you?!"


    Despite its dissatisfaction with Yuga, Chimecho obediently got to work. It flew to the center of the open space, radiating a purple light. Suddenly, the thickyer of snow on the ground was lifted into the air and flung far away. Since the snow had just fallen and hadn''t melted, it wasn''t too wet, and with Chimecho''s help, the battlefield was prepared for battle without a hitch.


    Beidou and Akihiro were left stunned by Chimecho''s abilities. They couldn''t believe how easily Chimecho had cleared such arge area of snow.


    "Your power has grown again!" Beidou sighed.


    The disparity between people was just too vast!


    Yuga grinned and said, "It''s not too shabby."


    Beidou rolled his eyes, thinking, "Your expression says otherwise. Look how proud you are!"

 Chapter 378: Agreement

    <h4>Chapter 378: Agreement</h4>


    Seeing Akihiro''s stunned expression, Yuga smiled and said, "Don''t worry, I won''t use Chimecho in our battle!"


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Akihiro breathed a sigh of relief.


    Chimecho''s recent performance had made Akihiro realize that Yuga was even more formidable than he had thought.


    "Alright, now that both of you are ready, let''s begin," Beidou said as he walked to the middle of the open space at the edge.


    Both nodded in agreement and released their respective Pok��mon.


    On Akihiro''s side, it was, of course, Shroomish, while on Yuga''s side, it was his weakest Pok��mon, Charmander.


    "Sorry, I have a bit of a type advantage here," Yuga said apologetically to Akihiro.


    He didn''t have many options for battling Shroomish, and his Ecopark Pok��mon were more suitable, but unfortunately, he hadn''t brought them along.


    Akihiro shook his head in response, indicating that he didn''t mind.


    While Charmander had a slight advantage in terms of type, its actual level was not higher than that of Shroomish. If there was any advantage, ity in the difference in their potential.


    Charmander had a somewhat timid nature, and upon seeing strangers, it immediately wanted to hide behind Yuga. However, Yuga scolded it, and it reluctantly stepped onto the battlefield.


    "Charmander, today is your first battle with someone else. Try to do your best, okay?" Yuga encouraged it.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Charmander, with tears in its eyes, stepped back onto the battlefield.


    "Alright, now that both sides are ready, the battle begins," Beidou shouted, "One, two, three, begin!"


    A rather unprofessional referee, Beidou wasn''t sure how to properly announce the start of the match.


    At Beidou''smand, Yuga immediately instructed Charmander, "Charmander, rush forward and use Ember."


    Yuga knew that Charmander''s Ember attack couldn''t hit the enemy from a distance yet, so he had to get it close.


    However, Charmander, with its teary eyes, seemed to be slow in responding to Yuga''smand.


    On the other side, at Akihiro''smand, Shroomish released several seeds towards Charmander, sessfully hitting it. The moment the seeds touched the ground, they grew into vines, binding Charmander tightly.


    Shroomish''s Leech Seed not only restricted Charmander''s movement but also started draining its energy.


    "Charmander, use Ember to burn those vines," Yugamanded.


    This time, Charmander finally snapped out of its daze and spewed a stream of mes to burn the vines binding it.


    However, as soon as it broke free from the vines, Shroomish charged and bumped Charmander away.


    Charmander flew andnded on the ground, looking quite pitiful, gazing at Yuga with a face full of misery.


    Yuga couldn''t help but rub his forehead. OMG! Was he getting beaten by a primary school student? Charmander, you need to step it up!


    He wondered what training Charmander had undergone during this time. Why was it still in this state? It had performed quite smoothly when battling familiar Pok��mon in the Ecopark. Why was it acting like this now?


    "Charmander,e on, you can do it!" Yuga encouraged Charmander.


    With Yuga''s encouragement, Charmander reluctantly stood up again, but the look of misery in its eyes couldn''t be concealed.


    It was fortunate that Shroomish didn''t take advantage of the situation to attack; otherwise, Charmander might have been in trouble.


    "Charmander, use Smokescreen!"


    Charmander exhaled a thick cloud of ck smoke, immediately engulfing Shroomish. Due to the smokescreen, Shroomish''s line of sight waspletely ckened, losing track of Charmander.


    "Shroomish, charge out of the smokescreen!" Akihiro shouted loudly.


    "Charmander, use Ember towards the smokescreen!" Yugamanded.


    Charmander, upon hearing thismand, spewed out small fireballs into the ck smoke.


    The smokescreen produced by Charmander consisted of mmable particles, which immediately ignited upon contact with mes, resulting in explosions.


    With a loud "bang," Shroomish was sted out of the ck smoke, and the smokescreen dissipated.


    Fire-type Pok��mon had a significant advantage over Grass-type Pok��mon like Shroomish, especially with the added smokescreen effect. The knocked-back Shroomish was now incapacitated.


    "Shroomish, are you okay?"


    Seeing Shroomish injured, Akihiro rushed over and nervously embraced it.


    "Don''t worry, Shroomish is fine," Yuga assured, "Chimecho, it''s your turn!"


    Chimecho, on the sidelines, rolled its eyes.


    Yes, yes, I''m just a tool Pok��mon. I''ll do whatever you need me to do!


    After two Heal Pulse from Chimecho, both Shroomish and Charmander were back in fighting shape.


    However, Charmander continued to cling to Yuga''s leg, looking quite pitiful. Was it really Charmander or a Little Water Dragon in disguise?


    (Note : Charmander chinese naame is Little Fire Dragon, so Yuga call it Little Water Dragon because it always crying)


    Holding Shroomish, Akihiro sighed with a low spirit, "I lost."


    "Shroomish!" Shroomish looked at Akihiro with deep remorse for losing the battle.


    "Do you really want to be a Pok��mon Trainer?" Yuga asked Akihiro.


    Akihiro had actually performed quite well in the battle��quick reactions and goodmands. The only thing he missed was the opportunity to attack Charmander while Yuga and Charmander were momentarily distracted. Otherwise, it might have been Yuga and Charmander on the losing side. This was a sign of inexperience.


    Akihiro''s eyes lit up at Yuga''s words, and he eagerly asked, "Do you mean you''re willing to take me in?"


    "As long as you won''t regret your decision today," Yuga replied.


    With that, Yuga recalled Charmander and Chimecho and headed back towards the wooden house.


    "I won''t regret it, thank you, Mr. Shimizu!" Akihiro said enthusiastically, catching up with Yuga.


    Back at the house, Akihiro discussed his decision with Anya and the others, receiving their full support.


    "You should have them pack their things and move to the new dormitory; staying here is simply torturous," Yuga said, shivering from the cold drafting through the window.


    Now that he had agreed to take them in, there was no reason to let them stay in this deste and unsafe ce.


    "Thank you, Yuga," Beidou said softly.


    "Don''t mention it; I''m not doing this just to save face. They''re currently selling themselves, and I n to get it all back from them in the future!" Yuga replied.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Beidou simply smiled and said nothing.


    "But did you deliberately choose this freezing weather for a reason?" Yuga suddenly remembered something and asked Beidou.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s question, Beidou''s face turned red.


    "You figured it out!"


    Choosing such freezing weather was meant to make Yuga see how much they were suffering, hoping it would increase the likelihood of Yuga taking them in. Unfortunately, Yuga had seen through the tactic and remained unswayed.

 Chapter 379: Leaving Home

    <h4>Chapter 379: Leaving Home</h4>


    Under Beidou''s arrangements, the six children smoothly moved into the dormitories of the new store.


    The next day, Beidou took Akihiro and Anya to formally resign from their previous jobs. After all, they were now part of the YoYo Day Care and had even signed "indenture contracts."


    Akihiro temporarily studied alongside Arata Sena under Beidou to learn about the knowledge of Pok��mon Trainers. Anya, on the other hand, was assigned to assist Misaki by Yuga.


    Yuga intended to train Anya to be a dedicated Breeder for YoYo Day Care, rather than being merely an employee with an employer-employee rtionship like Misaki. As Anya grew, some of the secret forms of the shop could be entrusted to her, as it wouldn''t be realistic to rely solely on Audino for the tasks.


    As for the other four children who were not even ten years old, Yuga didn''t assign them any work because of their young age. Instead, he arranged for them to enroll in the Trainer School.


    After all, some necessary investments had to be made. The Trainer School in Verdanturf Town taught basic Trainer knowledge, and the tuition fees were not high, so it wasn''t a significant burden for Yuga to cover the expenses of the four children.


    However, the knowledge they could acquire was limited. Otherwise, Luna and the others wouldn''t have chosen to go to the Preparatory Camp so readily. These children were working hard because their older brother had worked hard to secure a ce where they could livefortably, have enough to eat, and not be bullied.


    Two months had passed in the blink of an eye. The short winter in the Verdanturf Town gradually gave way to spring, and the trees started to regain their greenery.


    During this period, Yuga finally seeded in brewing a Potential Evolution Potion, which transformed Shroomish''s Potential from orange to yellow.


    After the Potential evolution, Shroomish clearly felt that its training efficiency had improved, and it easily awakened a new move, Headbutt. However, Headbutt was an intermediate-level move, and for Shroomish, which was not very powerful, using it smoothly was still somewhat challenging.


    Then there was Charmander. After the battle with Akihiro, Yuga realized how deadly its personality was.


    Therefore, he threw Charmander into the Desert Sub-Ecopark every day, allowing it to be ambushed by Gligar and Trapinch.


    During this time, Yuga didn''t provide Charmander with any help. If it wanted to avoid injuries, eat, or drink water, it had to fend for itself.


    After a period of training, Charmander was finally able to face opponents calmly.


    Spring arrived, and the date of February 22nd drew near. Yuga remembered the appointment he had made with Mr. Kuni''o.


    It was time to visit the Mauville City. Although he didn''t know why Mr. Kuni''o wanted to meet him, Yuga believed that being on time was better. If he dyed, who knew if it might affect anything.


    Since Audino had returned, Yuga had be more rxed. She managed both his home and the Ecopark effectively.


    After returning from training with Joyna, Audino had be more professional in caring for Pok��mon and handling misceneous tasks. This also extended to how the Miltanks behaved, bing more organized.


    For this, Wigglytuff expressed his admiration and secretly tried to learn from Audino''s ways. However, Audino noticed Wigglytuff''s actions but didn''t mention it.


    In any case, with Audino overseeing things at home, Yuga could go out for ten days or half a month without any worries.


    It''s worth noting that the two Mr. Mimes Yuga had brought back from Motohara finally started interacting with other Pok��mon in the Ecopark. Sometimes, they even helped the Miltanks with tasks they were capable of.


    However, they would instinctively hide when they saw Yuga.


    Even though other Pok��mon repeatedly told them that Yuga was harmless, they resisted his approach. However, Yuga believed that with time, they woulde to ept him.


    As for Gardevoir, they remained the same, spending most of their days like puppets, eating, sleeping, and daydreaming.


    Additionally, Yuga had finallypleted all his Friendship Tasks, sessfully Evolved Eevee to thest Sylveon.


    As a result, Yuga smoothly obtained the Universal Pok��block recipe for Fairy-type Pok��mon and named it "Innocent." He sessfully listed it in the YoYo Day Care.


    With this, Yuga had acquired a total of eight Pok��block recipes: Heavies (Ground), Vitality (Grass), Extender (Water), Fierce (Dark), Mysterious (Poison), Fantasy (Psychic), Innocence (Fairy), and Beautie (Beauty).


    On February 12th, Yuga left Verdanturf Town and rode on his Dragonair, heading towards Mauville City.


    It was now the season of gentle spring breezes and rejuvenation, the perfect time for a journey.


    The Pok��mon apanying Yuga on this trip included Dragonair, Absol, Chimecho, Charmander, Shroomish, and Chatot.


    Florges stayed back in the Ecopark because she was about to break through to level 50, and her joint training with the Grass-type Pok��mon in the Ecopark had made great progress.


    It''s worth mentioning that Chimecho, the highest-level Pok��mon, had finally broken through to level 50, bing the first Pok��mon among Yuga''s main battle team to reach that milestone.


    As for Vivillon, she apanied Vespiqueen when it came time for the critical stage of their Enchanted Honey production, She insisted on staying behind at the YoYo Day Care.


    Initially, Yuga didn''t intend to bring Shroomish along, but it stubbornly refused to leave Yuga''s side, so he had no choice but to take it.


    Chatot tagged along purely to avoid Noctowl.


    In its own words, something was off; after giving birth, Noctowl seemed more attractive by the day. It thought its eyes might be malfunctioning and wanted to go out to see some fresh young Pok��mon to cleanse its vision.


    Yuga couldn''t quite understand Chatot''s unique thought process, so he simply went along with it.


    And so, Yuga rode his Dragonair, stopping along the way, and finally arrived in Mauville City on the afternoon of the third day.


    He had considered using transportation to get to Mauville City, but since the weather was so nice during this time, Yuga wanted to enjoy the scenery along the way. Besides, he had left early, so there was plenty of time.


    Thanks to the Golden Key given by Mr. Kuni''o, Yuga encountered no resistance from any guard Pok��mon along the way, smoothly entering the manor.


    When he saw Mr. Kuni''o in Ryuichi''s courtyard, he was quite surprised.


    "Young Master Shimizu! You''vee without notifying me. I should have gone to receive you!" Ryuichi said in astonishment.


    Yuga smiled and replied, "There was no need for you toe to receive me. I''ve arrived smoothly, after all!"


    Ryuichi led Yuga into the courtyard while saying, "It''s not about whether there''s a need or not. I should have gone to receive you."


    "Yeah, exactly! Who would refuse to be weed by a handsome guy!" Chatot, perched on Yuga''s shoulder, chimed in.


    "Handsome guy, nice to meet you! Can you tell me what you''ve been eating to grow so tall?"

 Chapter 380: The Master

    <h4>Chapter 380: The Master</h4>


    Upon hearing Chatot speak, Ryuichi was quite surprised.


    "A talking Chatot! That''s quite rare. Truly fitting for Young Master Shimizu''s Pok��mon!" he eximed.


    Yuga, feeling somewhat exasperated, thought, "Whether it talks or not, it''s got nothing to do with me. I''d prefer it not to talk!"


    "Of course! I''m the one and only talking Chatot in the world!" Chatot proudly puffed its chest.


    After bringing Yuga into the house and having a seat, Ryuichi brewed a pot of tea, poured a cup for Yuga, and then sat across from him.


    Speaking of Ryuichi''s tea-making habits and techniques, he had learned them from Mr. Kuni''o, but he didn''t particrly enjoy drinking tea himself.


    After their long journey, Yuga was indeed a bit thirsty. He took a sip of the tea and asked Ryuichi, "Ryuichi, do you know why Mr. Kuni''o sent me here this time?"


    Ryuichi pondered for a moment and then asked Yuga in return, "Does Young Master Shimizu know Mr. Kuni''o well?"


    Yuga held his tea cup still for a moment and then shook his head. He didn''t just not know Mr. Kuni''o well; in fact, he knew nothing about him.


    He could guess that Mr. Kuni''o was a significant figure, but he had no idea about his specific identity.


    To that end, he had even tried searching for information about Mr. Kuni''o online but found nothing.


    "In that case, have you heard the term ''Master'' before?" Ryuichi continued.


    Master? Beforeing to this world, Yuga used to hear Ash constantly saying he wanted to be a Pok��mon Master, but since arriving here, he hadn''t heard that term. He had no idea what it meant.


    Yuga shook his head in confusion.


    "Then, let me exin," Ryuichi said.


    In this world, a Trainer with a Pok��mon team containing at least one Elite-level Pok��mon was recognized as a Elite-level Trainer. Those who had six Elite-level Pok��mon were considered as Elite-level Trainer.


    As a result, even among Elite Trainer, there were vast differences in strength.


    Through the rigorous selection process of the Pok��mon League Champion, all the League''s active Elite Four members were Elite Trainers who possessed at least six Pok��mon of Elite-level.


    However, it was different for the Champion, who ranked above the Elite Four.


    It didn''t require you to have six Champion-level Pok��mon, or even a single one. To be a Champion, all you needed to do was hold your own in a battle against the four active Elite Four members of the League simultaneously.


    This was because the number of true Masters was extremely limited, and being a Champion was often more of a title than an actual ranking.


    In the entire history of the League, there were very few instances where a non-Champion Trainer earned the title. Usually, a Trainer would at least have one Champion-level Pok��mon.


    The term Ryuichi referred to as a Master meant a true Champion-level Trainer. Each of them had at least six Champion-level Pok��mon and had experience facing Legendary Pok��mon in their prime without suffering defeat.


    For instance, the Legendary Pok��mon Yuga had seen, like Latias, weren''t in their prime, and the Zapdos that appeared in the Petalburg Wood barely qualified.


    Only when a Trainer and their six Champion-level Pok��mon collectively faced Legendary Pok��mon in their prime without defeat would they be acknowledged as a Master.


    "Are you saying that Mr. Kuni''o is a Champion-level Trainer with the Master title?" Yuga eximed in amazement.


    Ryuichi nodded and continued, "Master-level Trainers are exceedingly rare. Each one is considered one of the most significant assets for their respective regional Leagues. However, they don''t exist in every region."


    Currently, there are only four Trainers in the world who hold the title of Master: the Elder of the Johto Dragon n, Mr. Kuni''o from the Hoenn region, the Elder of the Meteor Vige, and The Elder from the Vige of Dragons in Unova region.


    These four individuals are akin to guardian deities in their respective regions.


    "What about Professor Oak from the Kanto region?" Yuga inquired. As far as he knew, Professor Oak was also a Champion-level Trainer, and he had a deep impression of the Professor from his childhood.


    Ryuichi exined, "Indeed, Professor Oak is a Champion-level Trainer, and he''s known as the most exceptional talent among Trainers in nearly fifty years. However, he hasn''t obtained the title of Master. Nevertheless, he''s acknowledged as one of the Trainers closest to achieving the status of a Master."


    Professor Oak, in his early fifties, was considered a juniorpared to the four Masters. He had not yet reached the level of a true Master. The other four Masters were already around a hundred years old, with Mr. Kuni''o and the Elder of Meteor Vige being the oldest, both surpassing a hundred years of age.


    However, due to certain unique circumstances, they appeared younger than their actual age.


    Although Kanto and Johto were considered the origins of the Pok��mon League, in recent decades, Kanto had declined somewhat andgged behind other regions in terms of development. As a result, true Master-level Trainers had been scarce, and Professor Oak was seen as their hope.


    Rumors had it that the Jenny and Joy families also had Master-level Trainers among them, although this was not publicly known. Whether these rumors were true or not, only they themselves knew.


    This world was vast, and there might be hidden Master-level Trainers who remained unknown to the public. After all, people generally liked to keep their trump cards hidden, and who knew who might be secretly holding one.


    After hearing Ryuichi''s exnation, Yuga gained a deeper understanding of Mr. Kuni''o''s significance. He couldn''t help but marvel at how Mr. Kuni''o, who was already over a hundred years old, didn''t look his age at all.


    "But what does Mr. Kuni''o being a Master-level Trainer have to do with me? And why does he want to see me?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    "Because Mr. Kuni''o wants to take you as his apprentice," Ryuichi dropped the bombshell, nearly causing Yuga to fall off his chair in shock.


    "Take me as his apprentice?" Yuga eximed.


    "Yes," Ryuichi affirmed with a nod.


    "As you may have noticed, the other three Masters all have families and followers, but Mr. Kuni''o is alone. Now that he''s getting older, it''s only natural for him to seek a sessor."


    Indeed, it was normal to want a sessor, but why had he chosen Yuga of all people?


    "But why me? What could possibly make a Master-level Trainer see potential in me and want to take me as an apprentice?" Yuga questioned.


    Yuga considered himself an ordinary Pok��mon Breeder with no significant background or connections. His parents had passed away not too long ago. He wondered what qualities had drawn Mr. Kuni''o''s attention.


    If it came to Trainer talent, Yuga considered himself slightly above average, though his current strength wasn''t on par with the likes of the powerful Trainers he knew, such as Steven and Wace. He acknowledged his limitations and felt that there were many Trainers with greater potential than himself.


    "I don''t know either," Ryuichi shook his head. "But since Mr. Kuni''o has chosen you, he must have his reasons. He won''t be mistaken."


    Yuga rolled his eyes in exasperation. Ryuichi sure had a lot of confidence in his Master. I don''t even believe in myself, Yuga thought, let alone someone like Mr. Kuni''o seeing potential in me!

 Chapter 381: Power

    <h4>Chapter 381: Power</h4>


    After a lengthy conversation with Ryuichi, he said to Yuga, "You must be tired from your journey. Rest for a while, and I''ll take you to meet Mr. Kuni''o in the evening."


    Yuga, feeling a bit dazed, returned to the courtyard where he had been staying. Inside, Bellossom was singing while tending to the newly sprouted nts and flowers. She noticed Yuga entering.


    "Bellossom!" Upon spotting Yuga, Bellossom put down her pruning shears and quickly flew over to him.


    "I''m back, Bellossom!" Yuga''s return brought joy to Bellossom, who eagerly led him inside and busily attended to his needs.


    After dinner, Ryuichi arrived as promised and escorted Yuga to meet Mr. Kuni''o.


    Upon reaching Mr. Kuni''o''s ce, Ryuichi stepped aside, and Mr. Kuni''o gestured toward a chair opposite him, saying, "Please, have a seat."


    Yuga nodded and respectfully took a seat. Ever since he had learned of Mr. Kuni''o''s identity, he couldn''t help but feel a bit nervous when facing him.


    "Don''t be too formal. Rx; I won''t eat you," Mr. Kuni''o said, speaking in a gentle tone with a smile on his face. This was the first time Yuga had seen a second expression on Mr. Kuni''o''s face since he had met him, and it helped alleviate some of his nervousness.


    Mr. Kuni''o pushed a cup of tea toward Yuga and then noticed the chattering Chatot perched on Yuga''s shoulder.


    "Your Chatot..."


    Mr. Kuni''o''s sentence trailed off as he saw the Chatot''s pupils suddenly contract, and it stopped chattering abruptly.


    Yuga nced curiously at his Chatot. Why had this usually noisy bird suddenly gone silent?


    "Ryuichi must have told you about me, right?" Mr. Kuni''o inquired.


    Yuga nodded slightly. "Yes."


    "Do you have anything you''d like to say?" Mr. Kuni''o asked.


    Yuga pondered for a moment and replied, "I would be honored to be your apprentice, but I''m curious about why you chose me."


    Mr. Kuni''o took a sip of tea and then nodded. "Come closer."


    Although Yuga didn''t understand why Mr. Kuni''o wanted him to move closer, heplied, rising from his chair and approaching Mr. Kuni''o''s side.


    As Yuga did so, the Chatot on his shoulder became flustered and started fluttering its wings.


    Once Yuga stood by Mr. Kuni''o''s side, he watched as Mr. Kuni''o extended a hand bathed in a radiant green light towards him.


    Yuga was amazed by this mysterious ability. He couldn''t help but gaze in wonder at Mr. Kuni''o''s hand.


    Mr. Kuni''o gently ced his hand on Yuga''s chest, and Yuga felt as if something were being drawn out of him. This sensation was familiar; it was akin to what had happened when Celebi had blessed him back when they encountered the Spectra Celebil within the Guardian Bead.


    Just as Yuga had suspected, a bright green orb quickly emerged from his chest and floated silently into Mr. Kuni''o''s hand.


    "Do you know what this is?" Mr. Kuni''o asked, looking at Yuga.


    Yuga shook his head.


    Although he had seen this before, he still had no idea what it was.


    "This is a seed of Celebi''s Blessing."


    Celebi''s Blessing seed?


    Yuga remembered the system mentioning the presence of a power left by a Grass-type Mythical Pok��mon within his body. Was it really Celebi?


    "But how did it end up inside me? I don''t recall ever meeting Celebi!" Yuga asked in confusion.


    Mr. Kuni''o returned the green orb back into Yuga''s body and replied, "That''s a question only you can answer. I have no way of knowing."


    Yuga racked his brain but couldn''t recall any encounter with Celebi.


    Mr. Kuni''o noticed Yuga''s furrowed brows and gently tapped the table, saying, "Don''t dwell on it if you can''t remember; it''s not essential."


    Yuga asked, "So, you''re taking me as your apprentice because of this Celebi''s Blessing seed?"


    "That''s one of the reasons."


    Of course, there were other factors, like the investigations and observations conducted on Yuga, which Mr. Kuni''o didn''t disclose.


    "Because you also possess a simr seed in your body?" Yuga continued.


    The green light emitted from Mr. Kuni''o''s hand earlier had the same aura as the one within Yuga.


    "They are not the same," Mr. Kuni''o exined. "I possess Celebi''splete blessing, whereas yours is just a seed."


    Yuga suddenly realized. That was why the green light disyed by Mr. Kuni''o seemed more profound and expansive.


    "Do you know why I wanted you toe and see me before February 22nd?"


    Yuga shook his head.


    "It''s because only on that day can the seed within you sprout, awaken, and transform into a true Celebi''s Blessing," Mr. Kuni''o exined.


    "In its seed form, you can''t control Celebi''s Blessing. To harness it, you need to awaken it."


    Yuga inquired, "But how can I awaken it?"


    "I will tell you on that day. I''m sure you''re curious about what Celebi''s Blessing can do."


    Yuga nodded, as he had no knowledge of this.


    "You must have heard of the Viridian Power."


    Yuga was familiar with this; it was said that children born near the Viridian Forest had a very slight chance of awakening mysterious power and this powerter called the Viridian Power. This power could heal Pok��mon,municate with them, and was highly regarded, on par with other mystical abilities like Psychic Abilities, and Aura Mastery.


    Mr. Kuni''o exined, "In reality, the Viridian Power is a part of Celebi''s Blessing. It''s only referred to as the Viridian Power near the Viridian Forest in the Kanto region, but its essence is Celebi''s Blessing."


    In this world, it was rumored that there were a few Celebis no one knew about, but each continent was said to have one. While the authenticity of these ims was questionable, the vast Viridian Forest that spanned both the Kanto and Johto regions did exist.


    Celebi''s type was Grass and Psychic. The Grass type granted the Viridian Power its healing abilities, while the Psychic type allowed formunication.


    But the Viridian Power was simply a local term used by Kanto residents; its true essence was Celebi''s Blessing.


    After listening to Mr. Kuni''o''s exnation, Yuga finally understood the nature of what resided within him.


    They continued to chat for a while, and then Mr. Kuni''o said, "It''s gettingte. You should return to rest. Come see me again tomorrow; there are some matters we need to discuss."


    Although curious about what Mr. Kuni''o wanted to discuss the next day, Yuga refrained from asking too much. He would find out tomorrow.


    As he left Mr. Kuni''o''s residence, the Chatot returned to Yuga''s shoulder and eximed, "That old man is too scary!"


    Yuga rolled his eyes. "What makes you say that? He''s a Trainer with the title of Master!"


    The Chatot retorted, "Exactly! He''s a Trainer with the Master title!"

 Chapter 382: Selection

    <h4>Chapter 382: Selection</h4>


    The following day, after training with a few Pok��mon in his yard, Yuga went to see Mr. Kuni''o. However, the Chatot, which had been following him, oddly insisted on waiting at home and refused to apany him to Mr. Kuni''o''s. Yuga figured it must have been frightened by Mr. Kuni''o the previous night and didn''t pay much attention to it.


    Upon arriving at Mr. Kuni''o''s, it seemed he had been waiting for Yuga for some time, with Ryuichi present as well.


    "You''re here," Mr. Kuni''o greeted as Yuga entered.


    Yuga nodded and asked, "Is there something you wanted me for today?"


    Mr. Kuni''o stood up from his chair and said, "Follow me."


    Yuga nodded and followed Mr. Kuni''o, with Ryuichi closely trailing behind.


    They passed through several courtyards until they reached a grassy area on the manor. As Yuga arrived, many Grass-type Pok��mon emerged from the tall grasses.


    There were all sorts of them, frommon Oddish and Hoppip to rare Trecko, Grovyle, and even a few rare Bulbasaur and Ivysaur. And Bellossom, who took care of him daily, was among them, looking expectantly at him.


    Yuga roughly counted and found that there were at least thirty Grass-type Pok��mon that had appeared here. Their potential were all Green or higher, with a majority being Blue potential.


    Truly befitting of a Master Trainer, this collection was quite impressive. Even though there were no Indigo potential Pok��mon among them, their presence was astonishing. After all, Blue potential Pok��mon were exceptionally rare and challenging toe by.


    But Yuga believed that someone like Mr. Kuni''o should have some indigo potential Pok��mon in his possession.


    Seeing the rows of Grass-type Pok��mon before him, Yuga looked at Mr. Kuni''o with curiosity and asked, "Mr. Kuni''o... what is this?"


    Mr. Kuni''o exined, "As you should know, I specialize in Grass-types, which is rted to my abilities. Since I''m going to take you as my apprentice, you should also cultivate a few Grass-type Pok��mon. You''ll need them for your awakening."


    "These Pok��mon have all been collected by me over the past two years. Grass-type Pok��mon tend to have long lifespans. Both Ryuichi and I have passed the age for nurturing new Pok��mon, so you can choose two from among them."


    Mr. Kuni''o was aware that Yuga didn''t have any Grass-type Pok��mon, which led to this arrangement.


    However, he didn''t know that Yuga actually had Grass-type Pok��mon in his Ecopark; they just weren''t the primary focus of his training.


    After hearing Mr. Kuni''o''s words, Yuga lowered his head and contemted for a moment.


    Originally, Yuga had no intention of training another main Pok��mon at the moment, especially since finding good Pok��mon wasn''t easy.


    However, it was evident that Mr. Kuni''o wanted him to cultivate a few Grass-type Pok��mon, and he had even prepared them.


    In all honesty, Grass-types weren''t the most popr type among Trainers. Many chose not to specialize in this type unless they had a particr affinity for Grass-type Pok��mon.


    But could you say Grass-types were weak? Certainly not! Just looking at the four Masters, one of them was a Grass-type Master, proving that Grass-type Pok��mon had their strengths.


    It was worth noting that out of the four Masters, two specialized in Dragon-types (the elder of the Dragon n in Johto and the Elder from Vige of Dragon in Unova).


    Grass-type moves included various recovery skills like Grassy Terrain, Leech Seed, Absorb series, and more; control abilities such as Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, and Grass Whistle; support moves like Aromatherapy; and powerful offensive skills like Sr Beam, Petal Dance, Frenzy nt, Leaf Storm, Wood Hammer, and Power Whip.


    Considering all these factors, Grass-types were not inferior to other types.


    However, Grass-types were vulnerable tomon weaknesses and didn''t have the best resistances. Nheless, these issues could be ovee with dedicated training.


    Thinking about it, Yuga decided to ept Mr. Kuni''o''s arrangement.


    Having be his apprentice and knowing that Mr. Kuni''o possessed the most mature Grass-type Pok��mon training methods, Yuga saw no reason not to go along with this.


    Furthermore, it was rted to his awakening.


    "Understood, Master," Yuga replied.


    Mr. Kuni''o nodded and said, "You can choose for yourself; pick any Pok��mon you like."


    With those words, Yuga entered the group of Pok��mon, his eyes scanning the various Grass-types. There were Oddish, Tang, Exeggcute, Chikorita, Bayleef, Whimsicott, Lotad, Budew, and many more.


    When he saw Bellossom looking at him with an expression that clearly said, "Choose me!" Yuga smiled and walked over without hesitation.


    Yuga had a fondness for Bellossom since it had taken care of him, and he had known about its Blue Potential since their first meeting.


    "Bellossom! Bellossom!" Happy that Yuga chose her, Bellossom happily twirled around him.


    ...


    <<bellossom>> </bellossom>


    Type: Grass


    Ability: Chlorophyll


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 36


    Moves: Absorb, Mega Drain, Giga Drain, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Sweet Scent, Magical Leaf, Leaf Storm, Razor Leaf, Sunny Day, Sr Beam, Strength Sap, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Dazzling Gleam.


    ...


    Yuga had been astonished by Bellossom''s movepool the first time he saw her. Typically, Pok��mon in their thirties found it challenging to learn so many moves at once, but Yuga figured that if it had been taught by a Master, anything was possible.


    Satisfied with Yuga''s choice of Bellossom, Mr. Kuni''o nodded in approval.


    In fact, Bellossom had been carefully chosen by Mr. Kuni''o to take care of Yuga. The intention was to foster a bond between them.


    While Bellossom might not be considered extremely rare among this group of Pok��mon, she had no significant drawbacks.


    If Yuga, who had already formed a strong bond with Bellossom, chose a different, rarer Pok��mon, Mr. Kuni''o would need to rethink his approach to apprenticeship.


    After all, Bellossom was not particrly rare among these Grass-types. If you considered rarity, it might only be slightly unusual due to the use of a Sun Stone during evolution, while Oddish and Gloom were about asmon as Grass-types came.


    After choosing Bellossom, Yuga shifted his gaze to other Pok��mon. He could choose one more.


    Finally, he set his sights on a Ivysaur.


    The Bulbasaur line of Pok��mon had always been among Yuga''s favorites, but they were the Kanto region''s starter Pok��mon and not easy toe by.


    However, Yuga chose it not because it was a Ivysaur but because it had exceptional potential among these Pok��mon.


    ...


    <<ivysaur>> </ivysaur>


    Type: Grass/Poison


    Ability: Chlorophyll


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 25


    Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Poison Powder, Sunny Day, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Power Whip.


    ...


    This Ivisaur possessed peak Blue Potentials, just slightly below the half-Indigo Potentials of the Roselia in Yuga''s Ecopark.


    With its hidden ability, Chlorophyll, which was rarely seen, and the Sunny Day move it had already learned, it was even more practical than the typical Overgrow.


    While its level and the number of moves were a bit lower than Bellossom''s, it was undoubtedly one of the best among its peers. Furthermore, it inherited a powerful Grass-type move, Power Whip.


    In fact, among these Pok��mon, there was another Bulbasaur, but it was slightly inferior in various aspectspared to the Ivysaur Yuga chose.

 Chapter 383: Lost

    <h4>Chapter 383: Lost</h4>


    After choosing Ivysaur, Yuga walked up to it and said, "Ivysaur, would you like to be my Pok��mon?"


    "Ivysaur!"


    Ivysaur nodded.


    Yuga knew that these Pok��mon had been prearranged, even if he didn''t ask, they would agree to be his Pok��mon.


    However, Yuga had a natural affinity for Pok��mon due to the blessings of the Celebi Seed on him, especially for Grass-type Pok��mon. He didn''t have to worry about his chosen Pok��mon not wanting to follow him.


    With Bellossom and Ivysaur by his side, Yuga left the group of Pok��mon and said to Mr. Kunio, "Mr. Kunio, I''ve made my choice."


    Mr. Kunio nodded, very satisfied with Yuga''s choices. He knew the condition of the Pok��mon he raised very well. Setting aside Bellossom for a moment, the fact that Yuga had chosen Ivysaur from among all these Pok��mon showed that Yuga had a discerning eye.


    At Mr. Kunio''s signal, Ryuichi took out the Pok�� Balls of Bellossom and Ivysaur and handed them to Yuga.


    With this, Yuga had now captured his seventh and eighth main battle Pok��mon, both of them being Grass-types.


    "In the next few days, get to know Bellossom and Ivysaur well. On the 22nd, I will take you to awaken your abilities," Mr. Kunio said before leaving.


    Yuga then returned to his small yard with Bellossom and Ivysaur. He released all of his Pok��mon and introduced them, saying, "Everyone, starting today, Bellossom and Ivysaur will be joining us. Let''s all get along!"


    All the Pok��mon weed Bellossom and Ivysaur, except for Shroomish, who seemed a bit down.


    Shroomish also wanted to be Yuga''s main Pok��mon and fight alongside everyone, but it knew that its strength and talent fell shortpared to the others.


    Yuga noticed Shroomish''s growing despondency and gently picked it up, asking, "What''s wrong, Shroomish? You seem a little unhappy."


    Shroomish wore a sad expression and nestled in Yuga''s arms, refusing to make a sound.


    Just then, Chatot flew over and perched on Yuga''s shoulder, saying, "Isn''t it obvious? It''s jealous! Let me tell you, what''s so great about being a main battle Pok��mon? Isn''t it nice to be carefree like me every day?"


    Upon hearing Chatot''s words, Yuga finally understood why Shroomish was feeling down.


    He swatted Chatot away from his shoulder, saying with irritation, "If everyone were like you, this world would be in trouble."


    Since Chatot entered the Day Care, its strength had not improved at all; it had remained at level 18. Considering it was a Yellow Potential Pok��mon, there was no excuse for it not to have leveled up.


    Yuga attributed this to Chatot being too idle.


    "Ha, what''s wrong with me? Aren''t I carefree enough?" Chatot flew in a circle above Yuga''s head and flew away grumbling.


    Yuga rubbed Shroomish''s head and asked, "Shroomish, do you really want to be my main battle Pok��mon?"


    "Shroomish!"


    Shroomish looked at Yuga with determination and nodded.


    "But being a main battle Pok��mon is tough, and sometimes it can be dangerous," Yuga cautioned.


    Shroomish shook its head, indicating it wasn''t afraid.


    After thinking it over, Yuga decided not to disappoint Shroomish''s enthusiasm and agreed.


    Having a Pok��mon that was wholeheartedly devoted to him was a source of great happiness for Yuga.


    Today, he had captured two Grass-type Pok��mon, and he didn''t mind having one more.


    Besides, what did it matter if it was a Yellow Potential Pok��mon? After all, Florges and Chimecho started as Yellow Potential Pok��mon, and now they were both Blue and Indigo.


    "I''ve got cheat codes; who do I fear?"


    Indeed, the world is filled with Pok��mon of excellent potential, and Yuga''s Ecopark housed many of them. However, life is full of surprises, isn''t it?


    The rtionship between humans and Pok��mon cannot be sustained solely by potential.


    It''s the bond that surpasses everything.


    Seeing Yuga''s agreement, Shroomish first widened its bean-like eyes, then jumped out of Yuga''s arms, excitedly bouncing around before announcing the good news to the other Pok��mon.


    The other Pok��mon were very happy about Shroomish, their junior, joining the main team. The happiest of them all was Charmander, who had been training with Shroomish regrly.


    Watching Shroomish''s joy, Yuga chuckled and shook his head, and the atmosphere in the yard became lively.


    Chatot, on the other hand, shook its head upon seeing this scene.


    As Shroomish joined the main team, Yuga gave it the Toxic Orb he received from Motohara. Shroomish''s ability was Poison Heal, making the Toxic Orb an excellent fit for it.


    In the following days, Yuga had a rxed time in the manor, with nothing much to do. His daily routine consisted of getting acquainted with Bellossom and Ivysaur.


    Yuga noticed that despite their lower levels, Bellossom and Ivysaur were very skilled in using their moves. For example, Charmander, who was already at level 20, still struggled to execute its inherited moves, Dragon Dance and Outrage, smoothly.


    Dragon Dance was passable, except it was too slow to use effectively in battles. However, Outrage was problematic; whenever Charmander used it, it would be confused within three seconds, making it a challenge to execute any attacks, let alone harming opponents.


    But Ivysaur was different. It was just in its twenties, yet its Power Whip was skillful and powerful. Yuga even had Charmander, Shroomish, and Ivysaur spar with each other, but even when they teamed up, they couldn''t defeat Ivysaur. This was especially the case since Charmander''s type make Ivysaur at a disadvantage.


    As Yuga continued to train his Pok��mon and bond with Bellossom and Ivysaur, the days quickly passed, and February 22nd arrived.


    Early in the morning, Ryuichi arrived at Yuga''s yard wearing a special set of clothing and requested that Yuga put it on.


    "What''s this outfit for?" Yuga asked curiously.


    The outfit was mostly beige, but the cor, cuffs, and front were green, adorned with exquisite floral patterns.


    Ryuichi replied, "You''ll find out once you put it on. Today is the day of your ability awakening, and you must wear this outfit."


    Yuga had no choice but to change into the clothing.


    Before leaving, Ryuichi informed Yuga that once he had changed, he should go to the manor''s entrance, where Mr. Kunio was waiting for him.


    Yuga hurriedly put on the clothes and dashed toward the manor''s main gate. After all, it was impolite to keep his elders waiting.

 Chapter 384: The Temple

    <h4>Chapter 384: The Temple</h4>


    When Yuga arrived at the entrance of the manor, Mr. Kunio was indeed waiting for him, and interestingly, Mr. Kunio was dressed quite simrly to Yuga.


    Shortly after Yuga''s arrival, Ryuichi also joined them, wearing the same style of clothing as Yuga.


    "Sir, we can depart now," Ryuichi said after approaching Mr. Kunio and bowing.


    Mr. Kunio nodded and said to Yuga, "Let''s go. If you have any questions along the way, I''ll exin."


    Yuga nodded in response, suppressing the many questions swirling in his mind.


    With that, Mr. Kunio released a majestic Tropius and mounted it, then said to Yuga, "Follow me."


    A Champion-level Tropius! This Tropius''s aura was even stronger than the Champion-level Dragonite in Yuga''s Ecopark! Perhaps it wasn''t merely Champion-level but should be considered Master-level.


    Yuga wasn''t aware of the specific distinctions between Champion-level and Master-level Pok��mon, so he could only specte.


    This was Yuga''s first encounter with Mr. Kunio''s Pok��mon, and he could genuinely feel Mr. Kunio''s strength.


    Following Mr. Kunio, Ryuichi also released his own Pok��mon, an Decidueye.


    But even this Decidueye startled Yuga.


    An Elite-level Decidueye!


    So, Ryuichi, who had always shown utmost respect to Yuga, was actually an Elite Trainer? It seemed that the boss truly walked alongside the boss!


    Seeing Yuga gazing at him, Ryuichi urged, "Young Master Shimizu, why are you still standing there? Get ready; we''re leaving!"


    Yuga immediately snapped back to attention, releasing his own Dragonair and mounting it. Then, he followed Mr. Kunio and Ryuichi as they left the manor.


    Yuga followed behind Mr. Kunio as they flew southwest towards the city of Mauville, passing over Route 118 and the outskirts of the Mauville Forest, until an ind came into view in his line of sight.


    This ind wasrger than any he had seen before, with a prominent mountain peak at its center.


    Uponnding on the ind''s edge, Yuga saw a long stone staircase winding its way into the depths of the dense forest.


    Retracting his Tropius, Mr. Kunio said, "Our destination lies at the end of this staircase."


    Yuga nodded in acknowledgment.


    As the three of them set foot on the staircase, a sudden gust of wind blew, and a Shiftry suddenly appeared on the stairs, startling Yuga.


    An Elite-level Shiftry!


    Though its aura was somewhat weaker than Ryuichi''s Decidueye, this Shiftry appeared somewhat aged. The leaves on its body, which should have been green, had turned yellow, and its body looked wrinkled andcked luster.


    Neither Mr. Kunio nor Ryuichi seemed surprised by the appearance of the Shiftry. They both bowed respectfully to the Shiftry.


    "Thank you," Mr. Kunio said.


    A Master-level Trainer saluted to an Elite-level Pok��mon. As a novice, Yuga didn''t quite understand the dynamics but followed suit, bowing in respect. When in doubt, mimicking the experts was a safe bet.


    After all, regardless of what the experts did, he was just a neer.


    The Shiftry nodded at the three of them and then led the way up the staircase.


    "This Shiftry has guarded this ce throughout its life. It''s much older than me. The first time I came here, it was already here, and it''s deserving of respect." Mr. Kunio exined.


    While Mr. Kunio led the way, he spoke to Yuga.


    Yuga suddenly realized the reason behind this respect. It turned out he was a revered elder.


    The stone staircase was quite lengthy, nked by dense forests on both sides. Many Pok��mon peeked their heads out from the woods, secretly observing the three climbers on the stairs.


    Yuga guessed that the staircase likely led to the summit of the ind''s central mountain, as it continued ascending without end in sight.


    After what seemed like a considerable amount of time, they finally reached the end of the staircase, revealing a temple before their eyes.


    It did indeed look like a temple, although Yuga couldn''t be certain, so he decided to call it that for the time being.


    The temple was notrge nor extravagant, but it had an elegant simplicity.


    At the entrance stood a towering Cacturne, a Champion-level Cacturne.


    Upon seeing Yuga and the others, the Cacturne appeared delighted. It first bowed respectfully to the Shiftry leading the way and watched as the Shiftry left before turning its attention to the neers.


    Champion-level Pok��mon showing respect to a Elite-level Pok��mon. This indicated the great reverence the Pok��mon here had for the Shiftry, despite its not being the most powerful.


    "This is my teacher''s Pok��mon. After his passing, Cacturne has remained here to guard the temple," Mr. Kunio exined.


    Indeed, it was a temple.


    Following the Cacturne, Yuga and hispanions entered the temple. However, aside from a small wooden table in the center, there was only a small shrine inside, and nothing else.


    The Cacturne, Yuga, and hispanions gathered around the table, and several Nuzleaf approached, each carrying tree berry wrapped in leaves and ced them on the table.


    The Cacturne pointed to the berry on the table, indicating they were for Yuga and hispanions.


    "After such a long journey, have a snack to replenish your energy," Mr. Kunio suggested.


    Yuga and Ryuichi both nodded, picking up the fruits from the table and starting to eat.


    "Our lineage has been passed down for a very long time, dating back to ancient times. We are also one of the few lineages that still maintains a connection with the Legendary Pok��mon," Mr. Kunio exined as he ate.


    "You mean we still have a connection with Celebi?" Yuga asked in amazement.


    Mr. Kunio nodded.


    "This is why, despite our small number, our lineage has thrived. Our inheritance doesn''t depend on bloodline or apprenticeship, but on Celebi''s designation. Only those who have been blessed by Celebi''s seeds, left behind by Celebi, have the opportunity to awaken the blessing. Otherwise, even if we take on disciples, we cannot pass on this power."


    "What if Celebi never designates a sessor?" Yuga asked.


    "We have an agreement with Celebi. Every fifty years, Celebi will designate a sessor. Of course, the previous sessor also has the right to decide whether the new sessor is qualified."


    "Our lineage typically enjoys longer lifespans due to our unique abilities, so we''re not worried about waiting fifty years."


    Yuga nodded. It made sense; Mr. Kunio was over a hundred years old and had only recently chosen Yuga. Fifty years would have surely passed long ago.


    In other words, the sessor not only needed to impress Celebi but also needed to meet the previous sessor''s approval; otherwise, it would all be in vain.

 Chapter 385: Awakening

    <h4>Chapter 385: Awakening</h4>


    After finishing the tree berrys, Yuga stood up and followed Mr. Kunio, guided by the Cacturne, to the shrine.


    The shrine''s door was closed, so Yuga couldn''t see what was inside.


    "Use the key I gave you to open the shrine''s door," Mr. Kunio instructed.


    "This one?" Yuga raised the golden key that had been hanging on his wrist all along.


    Mr. Kunio nodded.


    Yuga removed the golden key from his wrist and unlocked the shrine. Inside, he saw a wooden statue of Celebi. It looked quite rudimentary, and Yuga might not have recognized it if he didn''t already know what Celebi looked like.


    Once the shrine was open, Yuga stepped back from it and turned to Mr. Kunio, silently asking him what to do next.


    "Now, I''m going to help you awaken your abilities. Are you ready?" Mr. Kunio asked.


    Yuga nodded, and then he noticed Mr. Kunio''s entire body emitting a rich green glow. This radiant energy flowed toward the wooden Celebi statue inside the shrine.


    As a strange and melodious chime echoed in their ears, a transparent ripple suddenly appeared in the temple. From within it emerged a Celebi.


    "Celebi!" Celebi happily circled in the air and thennded, scanning everyone in the room before locking its gaze onto Yuga.


    It swiftly flew up to hover above Yuga''s head, and then it began a soft, melodic chant. However, the sound was not Celebi''s usual song but rather a series of pleasant bell-like tones.


    As these bells resonated, the trees all over the ind''s forest began to sway gently.


    In response to Celebi''s call, or perhaps inspired by it, all the nts began emitting clusters of green light.


    These green lights resembled twinkling fireflies as they floated into the temple,nding on Yuga and his three Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Celebi then enveloped Yuga and the three Grass-types in a green column of light.


    As Celebi''s bell-like sounds became increasingly urgent, more and more light orbs flew out of the forest, and all the Pok��mon in the area gazed upward, captivated by the breathtaking scene.


    During this time, Yuga and the three Pok��mon, their eyes closed, felt as if they were soaking in warm water.


    Inside Yuga''s body, the blessed seed started growing, nurtured by the green light and the light column, transforming into a flowing green energy.


    This energy began resonating with Celebi and emerged from Yuga''s body, circling around Celebi once before repeating the same process with the three Grass-type Pok��mon. Finally, it returned into Yuga''s body.


    This processsted for over an hour.


    Once it concluded, Celebi emitted a deep-green light ring that expanded outward and swept across the entire forest on the ind.


    Every nt touched by the green light seemed to have been rejuvenated, appearing even more vibrant.


    Afterpleting this, Celebi waved its hand, and the transparent ripple reappeared, allowing Celebi to vanish into it.


    When Yuga opened his eyes again, Celebi had disappeared without a trace.


    Yuga looked up at Mr. Kunio, realizing that Celebi had disappeared, and asked, "Did my awakening seed?"


    Mr. Kunio nodded and said, "Yes, it was sessful. Try to feel the power within your body."


    Yuga closed his eyes and sensed a warm energy flowing within him. He attempted to guide this power towards his right hand and saw a green light briefly appear in his palm, simr to the one Mr. Kunio had produced, albeit smaller. However, the light vanished after a moment.


    Mr. Kunio exined, "You''ve just awakened, and your internal power is still weak. With time and practice, it will gradually be stronger."


    Suddenly, Yuga noticed that Mr. Kunio''splexion was extremely pale. Concerned, he asked, "Master, are you alright?"


    Mr. Kunio shook his head and replied, "I''m fine; it''s just a bit of energy exhaustion. I''ll recover after resting for a while. Now that you''re my disciple, don''t call me ''Mr. Kunio'' anymore; call me ''Master.''"


    Yuga, reassured by Mr. Kunio''s words, addressed him as "Master."


    At the same time, Yuga finally noticed a significant change in his unchanged status panel.


    ...


    [ Host: Yuga Shimizu ]


    [ Age: Seventeen ]


    [ Gender: Male ]


    [ Pok��mon: Florges, Absol, Chimecho, Vivillon, Dragonair, Charmander, Bellossom, Ivysaur, Shroomish. ]


    [ Special Ability: Celebi''s Blessing ]


    [ Skills: Pok��block Crafting (Intermediate), Pok��mon Training (Intermediate) ]


    [ Identity: YoYo Day Care Owner, Grass-Type Master''s Disciple ]


    ...


    Not only was the Special Ability section no longer nk, but a newyer had been added to his identity.


    Upon seeing the "Special Ability" section on his status panel for the first time, Yuga had wondered what he had to do to fill it. However, it remained empty until today when it finally disyed his new ability.


    Furthermore, Yuga noticed that the potentials of the three Pok��mon he had released had all changed.


    When he activated his Insight ability, Bellossom emitted a dazzling blue light, reaching the pinnacle of blue potential.


    Ivysaur''s potential had directly advanced to half-indigo, on par with the Roselia from Yuga''s Ecopark.


    The most significant change urred in Shroomish.


    Perhaps due to its originally low potential, it had directly transformed from yellow to green, even awakening a new skill.


    ...


    <<shroomish (toxic="" orb)="">> </shroomish>


    Type: Grass


    Ability: Poison Heal


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 18


    Moves: Tackle, Stun Spore, Headbutt, Worry Seed, Leech Seed.


    ...


    Although Shroomish still appeared somewhat shabbypared to Yuga''s other Pok��mon, it was a tremendous improvement from its previous state. Yuga also felt a unique connection with these three Pok��mon, as if their thoughts were now in sync, which was quite remarkable.


    It wasn''t just Yuga who felt this way; the three Pok��mon experienced the same sensation.


    This awakening had brought Yuga an enormous reward.

 Chapter 386: Abilities

    <h4>Chapter 386: Abilities</h4>


    After the awakening ceremony, Mr. Kuni''o led Yuga to bow deeply in front of the shrine. Then, he took Yuga to a small shrine behind the temple.


    "Master, what is this shrine used for?" Yuga asked, looking at the rather simple building in front of him, puzzled.


    "This is the shrine where we honor the memorial tablets of our lineage''s past inheritors," Mr. Kuni''o exined and opened the shrine''s door, ushering Yuga inside.


    The shrine was tiny, with only an altar adorned with leaves and some berrys. Above the altar, there were rows upon rows of memorial tablets, a surprisinglyrge number.


    As the master said, it is indeed true that our lineage has a long history. There''s at least one sessor every fifty years, and surprisingly, there are so many memorial tablets.


    "Juste over here and pay your respects to the predecessors," Mr. Kuni''o turned to Yuga and said.


    Yuga nodded and joined Mr. Kuni''o in bowing before the altar. After the ceremony, Mr. Kuni''o turned to leave.


    Curious, Yuga followed him and asked, "Aren''t we supposed to kowtow as well when paying respects to our ancestors? It feels like you''re skipping that part, Master."


    Isn''t it customary to kowtow when paying respects to ancestors in such rituals? Why does it feel like the master is being so perfunctory?


    "Kowtow?" Mr. Kuni''o shook his head, "We don''t have so many formalities. Originally, we didn''t even have this ceremony. We just thought it would be good for you to see, but doing a bow shows respect."


    "Oh, I see!" Yuga replied, realizing Mr. Kuni''o was making a joke in a serious tone.


    With a somewhat speechless expression, Yuga followed his Master out of the shrine and closed the door.


    When they returned to the temple, Cacturne and Ryuichi were waiting for them at the entrance.


    "We''re about to leave. Please take care of yourself," Mr. Kuni''o said, bowing to Cacturne.


    Yuga quickly followed suit with Ryuichi, bowing to Cacturne as well. Cacturne nodded in response and smiled with its somewhat unfriendly face, indicating that there was no need to worry about it.


    As they prepared to leave, Yuga looked at the long stone staircase ahead with some distress. "Master, why don''t we just ride our Pok��mon to fly down? Wouldn''t that be much faster?"


    Ryuichi, who was nearby, hurriedly chimed in, "Young Master, what are you talking about? This is such a sacred ce; we can''t just casually fly around!"


    Hearing Ryuichi call him "Young Master," Yuga was momentarily taken aback. Oh, where did my surname go?


    "Is that so?" Yuga turned to Mr. Kuni''o for confirmation.


    However, Mr. Kuni''o didn''t say a word and simply started walking down the mountain.


    After a long and arduous journey, they finally reached the foot of the mountain. The three of them mounted their flying Pok��mon and prepared to depart.


    When Yuga turned around, he happened to see the Shiftry who had guided them up the mountain. It was now perched on the treetop of arge tree, watching them as they left.


    Riding their Pok��mon, the trio retraced their steps, returning only when it was already dark.


    "Go back and rest well. We did a lot today, and you must be tired. Come find me again tomorrow," Mr. Kuni''o said before heading back to his own courtyard.


    Back in his own courtyard, Yuga followed Bellossom''s arrangements for dinner. He enjoyed a warm bath and then went to sleepfortably.


    After a day of hard work and exhaustion, Yuga felt truly fatigued.


    The next morning, as the sunlight streamed in through the window onto Yuga''s face, he suddenly opened his eyes.


    Time had passed, and it was already quitete!


    Thinking about how Mr. Kuni''o had asked him toe over today, Yuga swiftly got out of bed, hurriedly washed up, skipped breakfast, and dashed to Mr. Kuni''o''s courtyard.


    Bellossom had assumed that Yuga might be tired from the previous day, so she didn''t rush to wake him, which resulted in histe start.


    When Yuga hurriedly entered Mr. Kuni''o''s house, he found his teacher in the midst of having breakfast, looking like he had just gotten up not too long ago.


    Seeing Yuga panting from his hasty arrival, Mr. Kuni''o gestured for him to sit down.


    "Why the rush? You were tired from yesterday; getting some extra rest wouldn''t hurt," Mr. Kuni''o said, trying to put Yuga at ease.


    Yuga simply smiled without saying anything, feeling somewhat embarrassed.


    He just thought that on the first day of bing a disciple, arrivingte might not be the best impression to make.


    "Haven''t had breakfast, have you? Let''s eat together," Mr. Kuni''o suggested, and a Leavanny set a bowl and chopsticks in front of Yuga at the table.


    After breakfast, Mr. Kuni''o led Yuga to the courtyard and had him release his three Grass-type Pok��mon.


    "The reason I asked you toe today is to teach you how to cultivate the power within your body. Our poweres from the blessing of Celebi, but, to be specific, there isn''t any particr name for it. Our ancestors never bothered naming it, probably because our lineage is so small. As long as we know it exists, the name doesn''t really matter."


    Hearing this, Yuga suddenly felt that the past inheritors of his lineage were quite casual about it. Justing up with a name wouldn''t hurt!


    "Anyway, you can call it whatever you like. You can call it ''Viridian Power,'' ''Grass Power,'' ''Wood Power,'' ''Celebi''s Power,'' or whatever suits you."


    Listening to this, Yuga suddenly understood why the past inheritors hadn''t bothered naming it.


    Listen to those names �C ''Viridian Power,'' ''Grass Power,'' ''Wood Power,'' ''Celebi''s Power''!


    Could they be any more casual? They probably didn''t name it not because they couldn''t, but because they didn''t dare to!


    "Our power''s growth, aside from using it frequently and training regrly, is most significantly linked to the Grass-type Pok��mon that awakened with you."


    Without dwelling on the naming issue any further, Mr. Kuni''o continued, "Pok��mon?" Yuga was puzzled.


    "Yes, I believe you''ve already felt the somewhat indistinct connection between you and them. This connection will strengthen as your abilities and your Pok��mon''s strength grow."


    "But how is the growth of our abilities rted to this connection?" Yuga asked in confusion.


    "I think I mentioned this before �C Viridian Power is a part of Celebi''s blessing, and it possesses the ability to heal andmunicate."


    Yuga nodded; his master had indeed mentioned this.


    "Besides healing andmunication, our abilities also include exchange and grooming."


    "Exchange and grooming?" Yuga understood healing andmunication, but what were exchange and grooming?


    Mr. Kuni''o continued to exin, "Your abilities have just awakened, and they are very weak right now. You can''tmunicate with Pok��mon yet, and your healing abilities are minimal. What you can currently utilize are exchange and grooming."


    "What is exchange, and what is grooming?"


    "Exchange involves swapping the energy within your body with the energy inside your Pok��mon, mutually boosting each other''s strength. This process relies on the unique connection between you and them. Other Pok��mon can''t do this, not even other Grass-types. Through this process, both you and your Pok��mon will experience rapid growth in strength."


    Yuga nodded, starting to grasp the concept.


    "Grooming abilities are even simpler. When Pok��mon use their internal elemental energy for battles for an extended period, it can disrupt the bnce of their energy. This effect is quite minimal and hard to notice in the short term, but it umtes over time, affecting their evolution. Grooming abilities can restore the bnce of energy within your Pok��mon."

 Chapter 387: A Fortunate Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 387: A Fortunate Encounter</h4>


    After listening to his master''s exnation, Yuga finally had a rough understanding of the general functions of the power within him.


    "In the uing period, I will teach you how to use the abilities of exchange and grooming. As for the abilities ofmunication and healing, you will naturally grasp them as your powers continue to grow stronger," Mr. Kuni''o exined.


    Yuga nodded to show his understanding. It seemed like he would be staying in Mauville City for a while longer.


    In the following days, Yuga would bring his three Grass-type Pok��mon to Mr. Kuni''o''s courtyard regrly. He learned how to utilize the abilities of exchange and grooming under Mr. Kuni''o''s guidance.


    Initially, Yuga thought this routine mightst for a week or two, but to his surprise, it extended to a whole month. He found himself frequently calling his aunt to let her know he was okay.


    Auntie had grown anxious with Yuga''s frequent disappearances. In her eyes, Yuga was just a seventeen-year-old boy, and she couldn''t help but worry when he was out on his own.


    In this month under Mr. Kuni''o''s careful guidance, Yuga sessfully mastered the usage of grooming and exchange abilities. Moreover, with the help of their unique powers, his three Grass-type Pok��mon got along better, strengthening their bonds.


    During this month, Yuga not only learned how to use grooming and exchange abilities from Mr. Kuni''o but also gained knowledge about nurturing Grass-type Pok��mon. He learned about the light and soil requirements of Pok��mon like Bellossom and Ivysaur, the types of food they needed, and how to cultivate Pok��mon like Shroomish so they could adapt quickly to the Fighting-type attributes they gained after evolving.


    All this knowledge was not something one could acquire just by observing. Even the training of Pok��mon like Absol received appropriate guidance from Mr. Kuni''o. For example, since Absol had been training its Future Sight, Mr. Kuni''o suggestedbining this innate foresight with its ability to predict disasters.


    As for Chimecho, who excelled in controlling the field''s gravity, she learned tobine her abilities with moves like Light Screen and Reflect to maximize her defensive and counterattacking tactics.


    Every piece of advice given by Mr. Kuni''o was highly valuable, leaving Yuga with a sense of enlightenment.


    It could only be said that a master was truly a master.


    One day, Yuga received a call from Reggie. He mentioned that he was nning to travel to the Hoenn region and wanted to visit Yuga in Verdanturf Town.


    Yuga felt that he had been in Mauville City long enough, so he decided to bid farewell to his master and return to Verdanturf Town. After all, he had been away for over a month, and he didn''t want to be perceived as an absentee leader.


    After exining his intention to Mr. Kuni''o in the courtyard, Mr. Kuni''o said, "Go ahead. You''ve learned the basics of both abilities, and the rest will depend on your own efforts. Don''t ck off in your daily practice."


    "I understand, Master," Yuga replied.


    When Yuga left, it was Ryuichi who saw him off. Since officially bing Mr. Kuni''o''s disciple, Ryuichi''s attitude toward Yuga had be even more sincere and respectful.


    Yuga had also learned about the rtionship between Ryuichi and his master. Ryuichi was an abandoned child, left next to a garbage bin in Mauville City shortly after his birth. Mr. Kuni''o happened to pass by and found him, deciding to take him in.


    As Mr. Kuni''o had no children of his own and no siblings, he chose to keep and personally educate Ryuichi. As Ryuichi grew, he disyed exceptional talent as a Pok��mon Trainer, receiving guidance from a master that eventually led him to be a formidable Elite Trainer.


    However, Ryuichi remained grateful for Mr. Kuni''o''s care and guidance and had no intention of leaving him. As a result, the general public was unaware that Mauville City housed such a powerful Elite Trainer.


    Yet, Ryuichi''s existence was not a secret from the Pok��mon League or many prominent families in the region.


    Who was Mr. Kuni''o? He was the guardian deity of the Hoenn region, akin to the Dinghai Shenzhen. And how could Ryuichi, who had been with him year-round, possibly go unnoticed by these people?


    Before leaving, Yuga decided to visit the Food Court in Mauville City.


    Ever since Audino knew that Yuga was in Mauville City, he received countless reminders and requests from Audino to bring back delicious food from the Food Court.


    Ever since their previous visit to the Food Court with Yuga, Audino couldn''t forget about it, living up to its reputation as a foodie.


    Its exceptional culinary skills were developed solely to satisfy its own cravings, and any benefits Yuga and the others received were merely incidental.


    Since food could be stored in the system backpack without fear of spoge, Yuga agreed to Audino''s request.


    Upon arriving at the Food Court, Yuga noticed that not much had changedpared to his previous visit. It was as lively as ever, with both local residents from Hoenn and tourists from other regions enjoying the vibrant atmosphere.


    Furthermore, the spirit of Pok��mon battles still thrived here, with many food stalls hosting battles alongside their culinary offerings.


    However, in Yuga''s eyes now, the level of Pok��mon battles here appeared rtively lowpared to his initial visit, where he witnessed Linoone, Swellow, and Audino dominating the scene.


    Yuga didn''t engage in any battles this time. Instead, he spent a bit more money, purchasing food items that Audino liked.


    "Ah! Yuga!"


    As Yuga was settling his bill at one of the stalls, he suddenly heard someone calling his name from behind.


    "It''s really you!"


    The person who called him rushed over, wearing an excited expression.


    Upon closer examination, Yuga recognized him as Glenn.


    "Why are you here, you rascal!" Yuga eximed.


    Yuga did remember this young fellow who referred to himself as his "number one fan." He was indeed a local from Mauville City. Their "connection" had been established right here in the Food Court.


    "When did youe to Mauville City? And why didn''t you tell me?" Glenn asked, brimming with excitement.


    Yuga couldn''t help but feel speechless. "Why should I have told you? Besides, I had no idea whether you were even in Mauville City!"


    Glenn had previously gone to Petalburg City as an apprentice under Yuga''s rmendation but returned home during the New Year period. Yuga hadn''t expected him to still be there.


    "I''ve been preparing for some special training at home during this time, and then I n to go on a journey to challenge Gyms and participate in the Pok��mon League Champion!" Glenn dered, full of determination.


    Yuga smiled and asked, "So, have you found your goal?"


    Glenn clenched his fists, looked up at the sky, and exuded an intense aura, all while saying, "Yes! I want to be a great Trainer, just like my idol!"


    Yuga couldn''t help but ask, "Oh? Changed your idol again?"


    Glenn protested, "What are you talking about? You''re my idol, and I haven''t changed! I heard from Mr. Norman that you''re a very skilled Trainer!"


    Yuga couldn''t handle this kid''s exaggerated praise and quickly said, "Alright, alright. Do you have any other business? If not, I need to get going."

 Chapter 388: Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 388: Reunion</h4>


    "Hey, why are you in such a hurry to leave? You''vee all this way, soe sit at my ce!"


    Seeing Yuga about to leave, Glenn quickly grabbed his idol.


    In the end, Yuga couldn''t resist Glenn''s enthusiasm and was dragged to his house.


    Glenn''s house was not far from where Yuga was standing, and they had a high-end restaurant, well-known in the Food Court.


    As Yuga was being pulled into the restaurant by Glenn, he came face to face with Glenn''s father.


    "Who''s this?"


    Glenn''s father looked at the young man his son was pulling and asked in confusion.


    Glenn happily said, "Dad, this is the one I told you about, my idol, Shimizu Yuga. You can call him Yuga; that''s what I call him."


    Hearing that the young man in front of him was his son''s idol, Glenn''s father''s expression immediately changed.


    What! This is my son''s idol? How impressive can this little kid be? I used to be my son''s idol!


    How can this be! I should still be Glenn''s idol!


    Seeing the sudden anger in Glenn''s father''s eyes, Yuga was puzzled.


    "Dad! Hurry up and prepare something delicious. Treat my idol well!"


    As Glenn pulled Yuga into the restaurant, he said to his father.


    Want to eat? No way!


    "Glenn! We have rules in our restaurant. If you want to eat for free, you have to participate in a battle!"


    Glenn''s father was secretly delighted. See how you''re trying to deceive my son. Unforgivable!


    "Ugh, Dad, why are you being so troublesome! My idol came all this way, and you''re ying these games!"


    Glenn looked at his father in exasperation.


    Troublesome... troublesome...


    His son actually called him troublesome...


    Glenn''s father felt heartbroken. Damn, it''s all this Shimizu Yuga''s fault.


    Just as Glenn''s father was thinking about how to persuade Yuga to agree to a battle, he heard Glenn say, "Well, fine, let''s battle then! My idol isn''t afraid of anyone anyway!"


    Glenn''s father was dumbfounded!


    Your idol isn''t afraid, but am I, your father, supposed to be scared? I''m not afraid of anyone either!


    Seeing Glenn''s father''s pained expression and Glenn''s confident "my idol is the best" look, Yuga was speechless.


    You two are how old?


    "Um, can you two decide when to battle and consult the person involved first?"


    Yuga raised his hand and asked quietly.


    "What''s the matter, kid? Are you scared?"


    Glenn''s father looked at Yuga provocatively.


    "Dad, be gentler with your words!" Glenn tugged at his father''s clothes, discontent evident.


    What''s wrong with my dad today? Acting all strange!


    Feeling exasperated by Glenn''s father''s determined expression, Yuga reluctantly agreed.


    Kid, consider yourself brave!


    The three of them arrived at a specially prepared battle area in the restaurant, and Glenn''s father released his Pok��mon first, a Grumpig.


    "I''ll send out my Pok��mon first, giving you a chance!"


    Glenn''s father said confidently.


    ...


    <<grumpig>> </grumpig>


    Type: Psychic


    Ability: Thick Fat


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Yellow


    Level: 42


    Moves: Psywave, Psybeam, Power Gem, Iron Tail, Signal Beam


    ...


    A decent Grumpig. No wonder he''s so confident.


    At least as an amateur Trainer, this Grumpig''s level is quite high, even though its moves and potential are not outstanding.


    Seeing a Pok��mon battle starting in the designated area, many people began to gather around.


    "Bellossom,e on out!"


    Yuga took out his Pok�� Ball and released his Pok��mon.


    "Bellossom, it''s our first battle together. Let''s do our best!"


    "Bellossom!"


    Bellossom nodded in excitement and then stared fiercely at the opposing Grumpig.


    Bellossom had a lower level than Grumpig, but she had been well-trained, so both sides had their advantages.


    "Grumpig, use Signal Beam!"


    "Bellossom, bring out the Sunny Day!"


    At the referee''smand, both of them issued their orders.


    Grumpig''s hands merged, forming a pale yellow ball of light, which then shot towards Bellossom.


    Bellossom tilted her body slightly to the side, easily dodging Grumpig''s Signal Beam. Immediately, she threw a glowing orb into the air.


    After the orb burst in the air, everyone present felt a noticeable increase in temperature in the surroundings.


    Grumpig, seeing its first attack ineffective, immediately prepared for a second round of offense.


    But Bellossom was like lightning, releasing an Energy Ball in an instant that disrupted Grumpig''s move with incredible speed.


    "Why so fast!"


    Glenn''s father wore a bewildered expression, taking a while to remember that most Bellossoms possessed the Chlorophyll ability.


    "Grumpig, use Psybeam to control Bellossom''s movements!"


    Realizing what was happening, Glenn''s father attempted to obstruct Bellossom''s actions, but she responded with a Sr Beam.


    The colorful Psybeam collided with the yellow Sr Beam, which shattered the Psybeam and struck Grumpig with undiminished force, rendering it incapacitated in an instant.


    It was nearly a one-sided battle!


    There was no helping it; the Bellossom, bred by Mr. Kuni''o, was exceptionally talented, proficient in all its moves. For example, the earlier Sunny Day and the recent Sr Beam were executed so swiftly that Grumpig''s reaction couldn''t keep up.


    "Grumpig!"


    Seeing Grumpig on the ground, Glenn''s father was dumbfounded.


    "This is incredible!"


    "Yeah, there''s no suspense at all!"


    "I remember the boss being quite strong, right?"


    "It''s just that the opponent is too amazing!"


    The crowd was abuzz with discussion.


    At that moment, a young man and a girl entered the restaurant.


    "Big brother, it looks like there''s a Pok��mon battle going on! Let''s go watch!"


    The girl tugged on her big brother''s hand, acting coquettish.


    The man said, "What''s interesting about battles at this level?"


    "No, no, let''s go see!" The girl continued to sway her brother''s hand, determined not to give up until he agreed.


    In the end, the man reluctantly conceded to his sister''s request.


    Meanwhile, in the battle area, Yuga was using his Chimecho to heal Grumpig, and its injuries were quickly mended.


    "I''ve lost. You''re really amazing!"


    Glenn''s father admired, genuinely acknowledging Yuga''s strength.


    However, what he was really thinking was: my son has a good eye!


    This father is beyond help.


    On the other hand, as they entered the battle area, the man apanying his sister began to regret when he saw Yuga standing there.


    "Why is it this guy? He''s persistent."


    The man hurriedly said, "Ah, Adrielle, let''s go eat first. We can watch the battleter."


    That''s right; the man and the girl were Genos and his sister, Adrielle.


    But Genos regretted his words toote. When Adrielle saw Yuga standing in the center, she immediately got excited.


    "Big brother! Big brother!"


    Adrielle raised her hands high, shouting with excitement.


    All eyes in the room turned to focus on the loudly cheering Adrielle, including Yuga.


    Well, that''s a defeat! Genos sighed.

 Chapter 389: Dinner

    <h4>Chapter 389: Dinner</h4>


    Watching his little sister''s excited demeanor, Genos really wanted to cover her mouth, but he couldn''t bring himself to do it.


    Yuga, seeing the enthusiastic little girl waving at him, felt a sense of familiarity but couldn''t quite recall where he had seen her before.


    "Yuga, do you know that person?" Gleen ran up to Yuga, curious.


    Yuga shook his head and replied, "I think I''ve seen her before, but I can''t remember."


    Since she was someone he couldn''t remember, she probably wasn''t that important.


    At this moment, Adrielle finally squeezed her way into the battle area and ran up to Yuga.


    "Big brother, I''ve been looking for you for so long! It''s finally great to see you!"


    The young girl reached Yuga, and upon a closer look, Yuga remembered who she was.


    It was the girl he had encountered in the Purple Light Forest. Her name... he couldn''t quite recall.


    Yuga thought for a moment but couldn''t remember the name. Well, it didn''t matter; it wasn''t necessary to remember an unrted person.


    However, this girl had been terrified of him back then, so why was she so enthusiastic now?


    "Hello, hello!"


    Since he couldn''t recall her name, Yuga could only awkwardly greet her with a smile.


    "Adrielle, why did you rush here so quickly? He''s not going anywhere."


    Genos also squeezed through the crowd and looked at his sister with a slightly resentful expression.


    Adrielle rolled her eyes at her brother and, with a dissatisfied expression, leaned close to his ear and whispered softly:


    "It''s because you''re so useless. You''ve been searching for someone, and you still have no leads, despite running a spy agency."


    Genos, upon hearing his sister''s words, felt like he was going crazy. Little brat, why do you have to spill everything!


    Fortunately, Adrielle knew her boundaries, and her voice was very low, so no one else in the area heard her words.


    Except for Yuga!


    With his awakened abilities, his hearing was much better than an ordinary person''s. Even though Adrielle had lowered her voice, Yuga still heard her clearly.


    Regarding spy agencies, there was only one he knew of: the White Light Intelligence Agency.


    Could this person be the owner of the White Light Intelligence Agency?


    Yuga couldn''t help but specte.


    Genos wasn''t just the head of the Luminescent Jewelry Company; he was also the owner of the White Light Intelligence Agency.


    The names Luminescent and White Light were easily connected.


    This was why Genos''s family, despite having exited the League''s political system, had remained prosperous.


    All of this was due to the existence of the White Light Intelligence Agency.


    "This gentleman here is the one who unintentionally saved my little Adrielle, right? Thank you so much!"


    Genos emphasized the word "unintentionally" heavily and spoke in an oddly ented tone, making Yuga feel that the owner of the White Light Intelligence Agency was somewhat peculiar.


    This person seemed to not hold Yuga in high regard, but why?


    Yuga shook Genos''s outstretched hand and, puzzled, said, "You''re wee. It was just a coincidence."


    "N-No, Adrielle, did you hear that? He said it was just a coincidence. We don''t need to..."


    Before Genos could finish his sentence, Adrielle interrupted, "What do you mean, coincidence? If it weren''t for my big brother saving me, I''d be dead in the forest by now!"


    Genos felt like he was choking from his sister''s words.


    After observing for a while, Yuga finally realized that the guy in front of him was, for some reason, a siscon!


    What''s wrong with this world? He just met a brocon, and now he''s met a siscon!


    They''re all so weird!


    "Well... then, how about we invite this gentleman to dinner? We don''t even know his name yet," Genos suggested, trying to act like he didn''t know Yuga''s name.


    "Shimizu Yuga!" Yuga said, but before he could finish, Gleen interjected, "Why would you need to invite Yuga to dinner? This is our family''s restaurant, so of course, we should be the ones to treat him, right, Dad?"


    After speaking, Gleen looked hopefully at his father.


    "Yes... yes," Gleen''s father reluctantly nodded.


    Upon hearing Gleen''s words, Adrielle became unhappy.


    "Who''s this little brat? Who asked for your opinion!"


    Glenn was also infuriated when he heard this. ''Where did this yellow-haired girle from again? It''s none of your business if I invite my idol to dinner!''


    The two kids began to argue on the spot.


    Gleen''s father and Genos exchanged helpless nces, their expressions clearly showing their frustration with the squabble.


    What''s so good about this kid that makes you argue over him like this?


    In the end, Yuga couldn''t stand the two of them anymore and shouted, "Alright! I don''t need anyone to treat me. I''ll treat myself!"


    Honestly, he had the money to eat out, so there was no need for this fuss.


    With Adrielle and Gleen ring at each other, themotion came to an end.


    "I didn''t expect you to be quite popr, my dear. It seems my taste is really good," the chattering bird, perched on Yuga''s shoulder all along, remarked in a low voice.


    Yuga just shook his head in response, not saying anything.


    With that, they all followed Gleen''s father into a private dining room.


    "Oh, by the way, brother, weren''t you supposed to meet someone today? Is it alright if we join you for dinner?" Adrielle suddenly asked.


    Genos smiled and replied, "No problem at all. This private room is quite spacious. Mr. Shimizu, you don''t mind having one more person, do you?"


    Since the person he was supposed to meet had requested his assistance, Genos didn''t think they would mind a few extra guests.


    Yuga shook his head, indicating that he didn''t mind.


    "I''m just here for a meal. If you have other business, feel free to discuss it," he said.


    After waiting for a while, they saw a man with long purple hair dressed in a white suit walk in.


    "Good day, Mr. Genos."


    The man didn''t acknowledge Yuga and only greeted Genos before taking his seat.


    "This is Mr. Butler," Genos introduced to Yuga.


    "Hello," Yuga nodded in Mr. Butler''s direction.


    Mr. Butler also nodded in response but didn''t say anything.


    Genos took the initiative to start the conversation since Mr. Butler seemed uninterested. He didn''t even spare a nce at Yuga, and as for Gleen, he didn''t give him any attention either.


    Because Gleen''s father, as the restaurant owner, was quite busy, he wasn''t in the private room with them.


    Yuga wasn''t bothered by Mr. Butler''s condescending attitude. Arguing with someone like that would only be undignified.


    However, both Gleen and Adrielle appeared visibly upset with Mr. Butler''s demeanor.


    Once the food arrived, Yuga focused on his meal and paid no attention to the discussion between Genos and Mr. Butler. He could tell that they were discussing Mr. Butler''s research project and his desire to join Genos''s team. However, it seemed that Genos wasn''t particrly interested.

 Chapter 390: Tracking

    <h4>Chapter 390: Tracking</h4>


    Yuga and Glenn peacefully enjoyed their meal, while Butler was engrossed in conversation with Genos. Unfortunately for Butler, Genos appeared quite disinterested.


    However, Yuga couldn''t shake the feeling that Butler''s gaze kept drifting in his direction, though he wasn''t sure if it was just his imagination.


    "Why is this person seemingly watching me when he clearly doesn''t like me?" Yuga wondered.


    Unbeknownst to Yuga, as soon as Butler had entered, the Chatot on Yuga''s shoulder had gone stiff, desperately trying to reduce its presence. It stood silent and avoided ncing at Butler.


    After the meal, the Chatot was drenched in sweat. In the end, neither Yuga nor Genos paid for the meal, and Glenn''s father wouldn''t think of making his son''s friend pay for dinner.


    Yuga didn''t n to stay in Mauville City for long as he needed to return to Verdanturf Town. He prepared to bid farewell to Glenn and the others.


    "Yuga, if you have time,e back to Mauville City for a visit. I''ll make sure to treat you well," Glenn said with a hint of reluctance.


    "But aren''t you nning to travel? Are you sure you''ll be at home if Ie back, or was that just to cate me?" Yuga teased.


    "Uh..." Glenn was at a loss for words.


    "Big brother, you can rest assured ande visit anytime. I''m always here in Mauville City," Adrielle chimed in, looking provocatively at Glenn and making him grind his teeth in frustration.


    Yuga had given up on trying to reason with these two childish individuals.


    "Mr. Genos, I bid you farewell," Yuga said to Genos.


    "Alright, take care!" Genos thought, "Finally, he''s gone. Hopefully, he''ll nevere back!"


    As Yuga turned to leave, he didn''t notice that Butler had been watching his shoulder where the Chatot was perched.


    Once out of the city limits of Mauville City, Yuga summoned his Dragonair and took off. Reggie had mentioned he would visit Verdanturf Town soon, and it would be embarrassing if Reggie arrived while Yuga was still away.


    However, Yuga hadn''t flown far when he sensed that he was being followed.


    "Chatot,e out and see if there''s someone trailing us from behind," Yuga said to the Chatot hidden in his hat.


    The Chatot twisted its head a few times, poking it out of Yuga''s hat to observe. It confirmed Yuga''s suspicions; there was indeed someone trailing them at a distance.


    Once the person''s appearance became clear, the Chatot immediately retracted, nervously advising, "Yes... there is someone following us. Let''s shake them off quickly."


    "Shake them off?" Yuga chuckled. "Since they''ve already followed us, let''s meet them."


    "No...no need for that. It''s better to lose them, it''s not worth the trouble," the Chatot said nervously.


    Yuga suddenly found the Chatot''s reaction strange and asked curiously, "What''s going on? Do you know this person?"


    "No... I don''t know him!" the Chatot quickly denied.


    "Well, you seem to know him somehow," Yuga said. "You were stammering just now. Is it because he''s Butler?"


    "Butler? Yes, it''s Mr. Butler," the Chatot admitted hesitantly.


    Butler? Why would he be following me?


    "Since it''s Mr. Butler, it''s even more reason to meet him," Yuga decided.


    With that, Yuga directed his Dragonair to dive into the forest below, disappearing from sight. The Chatot had no time to stop him.


    Seeing Yuga''s descent, Butler immediately signaled his Smence to descend as well. Once on the ground, he looked around puzzled.


    Strange, where did he go?


    "Mr. Butler, were you looking for me?" Yuga''s voice suddenly came from nearby.


    Yuga leaped down from the treetop of a tree.


    "Smence! The enemy seems a bit tricky!"


    ...


    <<smence>> </smence>


    Type: Dragon, Flying


    Ability: Intimidate


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 52


    Skills: me Fang, Dragon Breath, Bite, Stare, Scaryt Face, Rage, methrower, Steel Wings, Fly


    ...


    After reviewing the Smence''s information, Yuga breathed a sigh of relief. It had just reached level fifty, which was manageable. Additionally, its green potential was the lowest among the Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon, making it ordinary in that regard.


    Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon were sought after because of their superior racial characteristics and potential, often having at least green potential as the lowest tier, though the blue potential is rare and Indigo potential was even rarer.


    Despite this rarity, exceptionally talented Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon were enough to capture the admiration of all trainers. Unfortunately, they were incredibly scarce.


    "Mr. Shimizu, I don''t want to cause you any trouble. Just hand over that Chatot," Butler said arrogantly, using amanding tone and even adding an element of threat.


    To capture the Chatot? Not to find him? Yuga waspletely surprised.


    Chatot is just a low-level, weak, and talkative ordinary Pok��mon, with no other advantages apart from being able to speak fluent humannguage. What does this person want with a chatot?


    Thinking back to their previous strange behavior, Yuga suddenly realized something.


    They knew each other!


    "Chatot,e here!"


    Yuga called out to the tree canopy behind him, and Chatot reluctantly flew out.


    "Do you know each other?" Yuga asked.


    "Oh, didn''t I tell you already? I used to be in the circus, and this person was there too!" the Chatot whispered in Yuga''s ear.


    "So, why would he be chasing after you? You''re so useless!" Yuga couldn''tprehend.


    Ouch, that hurts, dear! I''m not that useless!


    "Well, how would I know? Maybe he thinks I''m handsome and wants to pursue me!" the Chatot stammered.


    Yuga instantly realized the bird wasn''t telling the truth. This annoying bird had a secret!


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Butler, but the Chatot is my Pok��mon. I have no intention of handing it over to anyone," Yuga said, turning his attention back to Butler.


    Who the hell are you? You think I''ll just hand it over because you say so? Idiot! Yuga silently cursed.


    Butlerpletely ignored Yuga and turned his gaze to the Chatot perched on Yuga''s shoulder, saying, "Chatot, it''s been a while. Won''t youe over?"


    "Hey, dear, he looks down on you!" the Chatot said slyly to Yuga.


    "Shut up! You caused all this trouble. I''ll deal with youter!" Yuga scolded the bird fiercely.


    Under Yuga''s scolding, the Chatot quickly covered its mouth and didn''t dare to speak again.

 Chapter 391: Carelessness

    <h4>Chapter 391: Carelessness</h4>


    Seeing Yuga and the Chatot chatting away,pletely ignoring him, Butler''s expression turned sour.


    "Smence! methrower!"


    Butler knew the Chatot wouldn''t cooperate, so heunched an attack without hesitation.


    As the Smence''s methrower headed towards Yuga, Chimecho instantly appeared in front of him, erecting a transparent light barrier to block the attack.


    Despite conversing with the Chatot, Yuga''s attention had always been on Butler.


    Butler attempted another attackmand, but Chimecho had already used Teleport to appear directly above the Smence.


    The Gravity skill was activated instantly.


    Chimecho''s Gravity skill, enhanced by half of a Deoxys Energy Core, was too much for the Smence, even though it was only level 52. It struggled to move as if it were stuck in a quagmire, restricted from every angle.


    However, this was just the beginning of the restraints imposed by Chimecho''s Gravity. Immediately afterward, the Dragonair descended from the sky, delivering a fierce blow to the Smence''s head with a Dragon Tail.


    All of this happened in just a few seconds.


    Both Chimecho and the Dragonair made a single attack and retreated instantly, creating distance between themselves and the Smence.


    Damn it! I got yed!


    Butler inwardly cursed as he finally focused on the young man before him.


    No wonder he could dine with Mr. Genos; I underestimated him!


    Butler had been arrogant, relying on his Smence, looking down on everyone, but he had never expected such a big setback.


    The Smence groaned and shook its head as it climbed back to its feet. It red angrily at Chimecho and the Dragonair, floating side by side in front of Yuga.


    "Smence, Dragon Breath!"


    The Smence vibrated its wings and flew into the air, opening its mouth to release a green Dragon Breath aimed at both the Dragonair and Chimecho.


    Chimecho stopped above the Dragonair''s head and quickly erected another light barrier, blocking the Dragon Breath. Immediately afterward, Dragonair''s Thunderbolt shot out swiftly.


    Dragonair''s Thunderbolt was incredibly fast, like a nimble dragon of lightning. It bit into the Smence.


    Thus, the two dragon-type Pok��mon engaged in an intense aerial battle.


    Chimecho didn''t do anything except hover quietly around Dragonair''s head, continuously using Light Screen and Reflect to defend against all attacks.


    Even though Dragonair wasn''t in its final form and was of a lower level than the Smence, it gradually began to lose ground in the fight.


    Finally, under the Dragonair''s Dragon Tail, Smence was knocked to the ground once more.


    Smence, covered in injuries, crawled back to its feet. It felt extremely aggrieved and roared angrily at Chimecho and the Dragonair hovering above.


    "You''re stronger than I thought!"


    Butler stared at Yuga with a malicious expression and then summoned a Dusclops, a ghost-type Pok��mon.


    If only I had summoned the Dusclops earlier, I wouldn''t have stumbled here! Butler thought.


    ...


    <<dusclops>> </dusclops>


    Type: Ghost


    Ability: Oppression


    Gender: Female


    potential: Green


    Level: 46


    Skills: Shadow Fist, Shadow Sneak, Scary Face, Will-O-Wisp, Confuse Ray, Shadow Ball, Daek Pulse


    Upon reviewing the Dusclops''s information, Yuga wasn''t overly concerned. He didn''t believe that a level 46 Dusclops could change the current situation.


    "Chimecho, Psycho Boost!"


    Yuga suddenlymanded.


    Chimecho used Teleport to disappear from the Dragonair''s head and reappeared not far from the Dusclops. It was then shrouded in purple light and charged toward the Dusclops.


    After the collision, there was a powerful explosion. When the smoke cleared, the Dusclopsy motionless on the ground.


    Truly the exclusive skill of Deoxys!


    Hmph, you thought my Chimecho was only for support?


    After defeating the Dusclops, Chimecho used Teleport to return to Dragonair''s head.


    Although Psycho Boost had reduced Chimecho''s Special Attack considerably, from now on, Chimecho only needed to focus on defense and wouldn''t require any further attacks.


    Seeing his Dusclops being withdrawn from the battle without making a move, Butler was surprised and wide-eyed.


    "What was that skill just now?"


    Do you think I''ll tell you just because you asked? Dream on!


    The subsequent battle unfolded predictably, and the Smence was eventually knocked down.


    Butler struggled to release a Mightyena, but unfortunately, this Pok��mon''s strength wascking, and it didn''t survive a single round.


    Once captured, Butler was bound by Yuga with a rope, then tossed onto the ground.


    "Look at what an ordinary Smence got you into! Who do you think can challenge our dear here?"


    Now, the Chatot was back to its arrogant self, and its attitude made Yuga want to give it a good scolding.


    Yuga removed the backpack and Pok�� Balls from Butler. He asked, "Tell me, what do you want with the Chatot?"


    Upon hearing this question, the Chatot immediately became unwilling and replied, "Dear, why are you still asking this? Just kill him!"


    Yuga gave the Chatot a meaningful look. "I never noticed before, but you''re quite ruthless, aren''t you? You''re talking about killing once you open your mouth."


    Feeling uneasy under Yuga''s scrutiny, the Chatot huffed, "Fine, I won''t talk. Do as you like!"


    Faced with Yuga''s questioning, Butler kept a stern expression and refused to utter a word, ring at Yuga angrily.


    Seeing that he was being stubborn, Yuga turned away and collected the Smence and the Dusclops, both of which had lost their fighting capabilities.


    "Oh no!"


    Just then, the Chatot suddenly cried out.


    Yuga quickly turned around to see a blond woman wearing red jacket and a Kirlia appearing beside Butler.


    Immediately after that, Kirlia used Teleport, disappearing with the two individuals.


    Chimecho quickly fired a Shadow Ball at them, but the woman and Kirlia had appeared too suddenly, and Chimecho''s attack was toote.


    Damn, I let my guard down!


    Yuga kicked a stone angrily from beneath his feet.


    Why don''t my own Pok��mon know this Mean Look moves? I''ve been caught off guard like this before!


    "That woman is Diane!" the Chatot shouted.


    "Do you know her? Are they allies?" Yuga asked.


    The Chatot replied, "Diane is Butler''s childhood friend and also his girlfriend. They used to be in the circus together!"


    "Do they have any background?" Yuga continued to inquire.


    After thinking for a moment, the Chatot said, "Background? Probably not! Both of them seem toe from ordinary backgrounds."


    Yuga still looked incredulous. "Are you sure you''re not fooling me? Ordinary people having a Smence? And a Kirlia?"


    The Chatot argued, "Can''t they have some extraordinary encounters? You have a Dragonair yourself, as well as Ralts, Kirlia, and Gardevoir. I don''t see you having such an impressive background!"


    Yuga remained skeptical.

 Chapter 392: The Reason

    <h4>Chapter 392: The Reason</h4>


    "Let''s just believe you. But why did he want to capture you?"


    Yuga still couldn''t figure out why anyone would want this obnoxious and useless bird. The Chatot was favored by the Noctowl, and now humans wanted it too. It didn''t make sense.


    "I told you, I don''t know, maybe it''s because I''m too handsome! He must be lusting after my beauty."


    The Chatot struck a pose as it spoke.


    Yuga could tell this bird was lying without a doubt.


    "Never mind, if you won''t talk, I won''t ask. Who knows, someday when you''re out and about, someone might catch you, and then I won''t be able to do anything."


    Yuga picked up the backpack he had taken from Butler and emptied its contents with a tter.


    Yuga rummaged through the items but didn''t find anything particrly special. However, he did find a Pok��mon egg. It was light blue with some grayish spots.


    "Could this be the Pok��mon egg of that Smence?" Yuga asked in astonishment, holding the egg in a hatching device.


    Judging by the color and pattern of the egg, it strongly resembled Bagon, just with a Green potential.


    "Maybe," the Chatot replied.


    Putting the Bagon egg into the system backpack, Yuga picked up a ss device, and a gray stone the size of an index finger was floating inside.


    "What''s this? It looks valuable!"


    "I don''t know," the Chatot shrugged, indicating it had no idea either.


    [ This is a part of Groudon''s body ] the system''s voice suddenly chimed in.


    "Groudon''s body part?"


    Yuga was startled. How did Butler discover such a treasure?


    Never mind, it''s a valuable item. I''ll take it. I just don''t know what it''s used for.


    Yuga stored the Groudon fragment and continued to rummage through the bag, finding nothing of particr note. He casually tossed the backpack aside.


    "Butler may have unwittingly be the God of Wealth!"


    He had given away a Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon egg and now this valuable Groudon item, not to mention the other Pok��mon that had lost their battle capabilities. There were indeed quite a few items.


    However, Yuga wondered how to handle these Pok��mon, considering they were originally the enemies. It would likely be impossible to turn them into allies.


    "Let''s get back for now."


    With that, Yuga recalled Chimecho, mounted Dragonair, and continued flying toward the direction of Verdanturf Town.


    Before leaving, Yuga asked the Chatot one more time, "Are you really not going to tell me the secret between you and Butler?"


    In response, the Chatot quickly dove into Yuga''s hat and refused to utter another word.


    Meanwhile, the Butler, who had been rescued by Diane, was in a fit of rage. The reason for his anger was the loss of the Groudon fragment, while the other items didn''t seem to concern him, including his Pok��mon.


    After flying for a while, the Chatot suddenly poked its head out of Yuga''s hat and sighed, saying, "Actually, he just wanted to know some information from me."


    "Information? What kind of information?" Yuga asked curiously.


    "It''s about the People of the Water."


    "People of the Water? You mean the ones who guard Manaphy?" Yuga eximed in surprise.


    "How did you know?" This time, the Chatot was taken aback.


    "I have some knowledge about it, just a bit," Yuga replied cryptically, not revealing the full extent of his knowledge.


    "I never thought you were so knowledgeable. You even know about such a secret."


    The Chatot looked admiringly at Yuga.


    "But what''s your connection to the People of the Water? You''re a bird, not a fish!"


    Yuga was even more puzzled.


    The Chatot exined, "I have no real connection to the People of the Water, but I know the location of their ancestralnd."


    It turned out that the circus where the Chatot belonged once discovered a relic at sea, which contained information about the People of the Water, Manaphy, and the Sea Crown. Unfortunately, the others hadn''t reached the deepest part of the relic before it copsed, leaving only the circus''s ringmaster and his Pok��mon, the Chatot, to explore the secret within.


    Initially, everyone believed that the Chatot and the circus ringmaster had both perished in the relic, leading to the circus''s dissolution.


    However, surprisingly, the Chatot had survived and reunited with its former troupe member, Butler, as well as Diane.


    Listening to the Chatot''s ount, Yuga finally understood the sequence of events.


    "Why are you willing to tell me all this now?" Yuga asked curiously. "Weren''t you reluctant to share before?"


    "Well, keeping it all inside was getting ufortable," the Chatot sighed.


    "Alright then, what about your ringmaster? Weren''t you both supposed to enter the depths of the relic together? You made it out, but what about him?"


    This question made the Chatot fall silent.


    Yuga waited for a while, seeing that the Chatot wasn''t going to answer, he decided not to press further.


    After a considerable pause, the Chatot suddenly asked, "Aren''t you going to ask me about the People of the Water''s information?"


    Yuga rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Why would I ask? Is it for Manaphy? Come on, that''s a mythical Pok��mon that maintains the bnce of the ocean''s ecosystem. I''m not stupid enough to provoke its attention. Isn''t it better to live a peaceful life?"


    The peaceful life suited Yuga just fine.


    The Chatot considered this and realized that Yuga had a point. Given Yuga''s character, he clearly preferred a tranquil life and had no interest in stirring up trouble.


    Knowing the secret that the Chatot had been hiding made Yuga feel better, although he suspected that it was still concealing other information. Nevertheless, Yuga didn''t care about the Chatot or its previous owner''s affairs.


    Upon returning to Verdanturf Town, Yuga made a swift journey. It had been over a month since he left, marking his longest time away from home. He couldn''t help but feel a bit homesick.


    Although his master''s manor was pleasant, there was no ce like his own cozy pet shop.


    The next afternoon, Yuga finally returned to the YoYo Day Care as he had wished.


    Inside the shop, not much had changed from when Yuga left, except that business seemed even busier than before.


    However, as soon as Yuga entered, he was almost immediately pulled into the Ecopark by the excited children.


    Once inside, Yuga realized why they were so eager. The first batch of Pok��mon brought from Lavaridge Town Day Care Center had finally evolved into their final forms.


    All the Grovyles and Servines had evolved into Sceptiles and Serperiors.


    Moreover, Florges had sessfully reached level 50, and she now exuded an even more dignified and elegant aura, looking quite different from before.


    Yuga suspected that the evolution of Grass-type Pok��mon was not only based on reaching a certain level but also had something to do with Florges''s efforts.


    "Florges!"


    Seeing Yuga, Florges calmly greeted him.


    Yuga took Florges''s hand and sensed a power simr to his own flowing through her body.


    This power emanated from a green seed at Florges''s chest, coursing through her entire body before returning to the seed in a continuous cycle.


    He remembered that Florges also had a Seed of Celebi, much like his own. His had awakened into a unique ability, but under the influence of the seed, Florges''s power had evolved into something else.


    Yuga couldn''t help but wonder about the true purpose of this newfound power.

 Chapter 393: Fulfillment

    <h4>Chapter 393: Fulfillment</h4>


    After checking on Florges''s condition, Yuga released Ivysaur and Bellossom and introduced them to Florges.


    As the eldest member of the team, Florges warmly weed the two Pok��mon and took the initiative to show them around their new home.


    Watching Florges lead Bellossom and Ivysaur away, Yuga was reminded of his other Pok��mon, Vivillon, whom he hadn''t seen in over a month.


    However, when Yuga went to Amber Castle to find Vivillon among the Combees, he discovered that both the Vespiqueen and Vivillon had fallen into a deep slumber due to consuming some Enchanted Honey. He had no choice but to leave them be.


    Initially, he had thought about letting Vivillon and Bellossom interact and have Vivillon to teach Bellossom the skill of Quiver Dance. Although Quiver Dance was an advanced move for Bellossom, learning it without guidance wasn''t easy.


    He then proceeded to visit other areas of the Ecopark.


    First, he visited the Herb Garden.


    The herbs were flourishing, a testament to the diligent care provided by the Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Next, he checked the Mutant Jaboca Berry Tree. Its flowering season had ended, and now its branches bore small, golden fruits about the size of fingernails.


    Then there was the pregnant Queen Gliscor.


    Seeing that the first one was about to give birth and the others were also pregnant, Yuga still hadn''t figured out how to breed a Gliscor with a blue potential.


    Right now, he was pinning his hopes on the Mutant Jaboca Berry Tree, but it would take some time for the fruits to ripen, and he didn''t know if it would be in time.


    If not, he would have to wait until their next pregnancy cycle.


    Finally, out of the ten Tsareena, eight had sessfully paired with Bellossom and Cacturne, and some were already pregnant.


    Currently, only two Tsareena, one Bellossom, and one Cacturne remained single. These four Pok��mon didn''t seem to have found suitable partners.


    The sessful pairing of the Tsareena marked a significant step forward for the Day Care, following the introduction of the Water-type uncher, and now, the Grass-types were joining the mix.


    As for the Fire-type Ponyta, it would likely take some more time before they were ready to breed. The ones in the herd, aside from the two leaders, were rtively young and not suitable for pairing at the moment.


    When Yuga left the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, he saw a flock of Swablu flying slowly overhead. The lead Swablu, upon spotting him, let out a cheerful cry in greeting.


    Currently, in his Ecopark, although the Flying-type Pok��mon''s leaders were Swellow and Honchkrow, the most numerous were Swablu, with a total of 15, mostly acquired from the Day Care Center in Lavaridge Town.


    Among the recent 24 hatched Pok��mon eggs, five were Swablu, and one of them had a blue potential, making it the only Swablu with that potential among the 24 eggs.


    (Aside from these, the remaining Pok��mon hatched from the eggs included: 4 Medidite, 4 Petilil, 3 Lotad, 5 Shroomish, and 3 Skitty.)


    The source of the Pok��mon eggs from the Lavaridge Town Day Care Center seemed to be from a fixed breeding base. The types of Pok��mon were rtively consistent, such as Swablu and Medidite, which had a very high appearance rate, with Swablu being the most frequent.


    The first batch of Swablu that came to the Ecopark had actually already met the level requirements for evolution, but perhaps the timing wasn''t right as they had yet to evolve.


    Yuga believed that with proper care, they would be a signature feature of the YoYo Day Care.


    Not long after leaving the Ecopark, Yuga saw Arata Sena rushing into his old shop with excitement. He said to Yuga, "Boss, you''re back!"


    Behind him were his teacher Beidou and his junior apprentice Akihito.


    Yuga asked with curiosity, "So, what''s the good news that got you all so excited?"


    Beidou hesitated for a moment and then said, "My Vibrava has evolved, just like you promised..."


    Evolved so quickly? Yuga was a bit surprised.


    But then he realized the reason.


    The Flygon lineage in his Ecopark, due to generations of being exposed to the Guardian Orbs'' influence, could often evolve into Flygon even without reaching level 45.


    At the same time, he remembered that he had promised Arata Sena that if his Vibravapleted its evolution, he would give him another Pok��mon.


    Yuga smiled and asked, "Do you want a second Pok��mon?"


    Arata Sena nodded enthusiastically.


    "Of course, no problem. But you''ll have to pass a test."


    "A test?" Arata Sena looked puzzled.


    Yuga called Audino over and whispered a few words in its ear, then said to Arata Sena, "Let''s go outside. I''ll take a look at your Flygon, and I''ll also tell you what the test is."


    After saying this, Yuga walked out of the shop, with Beidou and Akihito following closely behind. Arata Sena, filled with curiosity, had no choice but to chase after them.


    The four of them arrived at a nearby open area at the Day Care.


    Yuga said to Arata Sena, "Come on, release your Flygon so I can have a look."


    Arata Sena nodded and took out a Pok�� Ball, releasing his Flygon.


    ...


    <<flygon>> </flygon>


    Type: Ground, Dragon


    Ability: Levitate


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 39


    Moves: Sand Attack, Iron Tail, Sandstorm, Stomp, Sand Tomb, Supersonic, Steel Wing, Crunch, methrower.


    ...


    With the support of the YoYo Day Care, an ample supply of Heavies Pok��blocks, and judging by the appearance and size of this Flygon, it had been well nurtured.


    In terms of moves, it seemed that a lot of effort had been put into them, and Beidou had also taught it diligently.


    The move Iron Tail that Flygon knew was a specialty of Beidou''s Delcatty. Steel Wing and Supersonic were skills of his Crobat, and methrower was from his Houndoom.


    Combined with its level nearing 40, this Flygon was already quite impressive.


    Although Arata Sena received a high-level Trapinch from the start, it couldn''t be denied that he had put in a lot of effort.


    "Good job, you''ve raised it well. I knew I didn''t make a mistake in choosing you."


    Hearing his boss''s praise, Arata Sena smiled happily, feeling that all his hard work during this time had been worthwhile.


    Just when he was beaming with joy, Audino led a Camerupt over at a slow pace.


    "This Camerupt is the second Pok��mon I''ve prepared for you."


    Yuga pointed to the Camerupt next to Audino and said.


    This Camerupt was one of the Pok��mon he brought back from Illuma Ind, and it was the only Camerupt in the Ecopark.


    Yuga noticed that it always seemed to be alone, which was why he decided to give it to Arata Sena as a reward.


    However, since Camerupt was already in its final evolutionary form, Arata Sena would need to defeat it to gain its eptance.

 Chapter 394: Unfinished

    <h4>Chapter 394: Unfinished</h4>


    "Really?"


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Arata Sena ran excitedly to the side of the Camerupt. He looked left and right, touched here and there, thoroughly inspecting the Pok��mon.


    The Camerupt seemed to find him annoying and let out a dissatisfied snort, eyeing Arata Sena warily.


    Seeing Arata Sena''s behavior, Yuga couldn''t help but say, "Alright, alright. You haven''t forgotten that I mentioned there''s a test, have you?"


    "Oh, right, the test! Tell me, I can handle any test with confidence," Arata Sena said confidently.


    Upon hearing these words, Yuga couldn''t shake the feeling that Arata Sena had set some kind of grand expectation.


    "Okay, as you''re confident, your test is to defeat the Camerupt in front of you and make it submit to you."


    After Yuga exined the test, Arata Sena stared firmly at the Camerupt before him.


    He believed that after all the hard work and time he had put into training himself and his Flygon, they could surely defeat this Camerupt.


    And so, Arata Sena, with his Flygon and the Camerupt, positioned themselves on opposite sides of the open area, ready for battle.


    On the other side, Akihito secretly released his Shroomish, eager to learn and improve.


    "Both sides are ready, then the battle officially begins!"


    With Yuga''s signal, Arata Sena immediately initiated an attack.


    "Flygon, charge in and use Crunch!"


    The Flygon, floating in mid-air, suddenly formed a ck, energy fang in its mouth and dove rapidly toward the Camerupt.


    The Camerupt remained calm andposed, showing no signs of panic.


    As the Flygon approached it, the Camerupt swiftly summoned arge ring of giant rocks around itself, enclosing it. The Flygon''s Crunchnded on one of these rocks, shattering it.


    This move was Rock Tomb, originally meant to trap an opponent but sessfully used by the Camerupt for defense.


    As the Flygon bit into and shattered the rock, the Camerupt remained unscathed and escaped the entrapment.


    In the moment when the Flygon bit into the rock, the Cameruptunched a powerful Rock Slide due to the sudden and unsuspecting attack. The Flygon was thrown about and fell to the ground, utterly defeated.


    "How could this happen?" Arata Sena eximed in shock.


    He hadn''t expected that in just one round, he and his Flygon would be at such a disadvantage.


    In its panic after being hit by the Rock Slide, Arata Sena''s Flygon retaliated with an Iron Tail against the Camerupt.


    Unfortunately, Steel-type Iron Tail only dealt half damage to the Fire-type Camerupt, and it appeared to be unharmed.


    The Flygon, which hadnded a hit on the Camerupt, flew back into the air in a fluster, looking dazed from the Camerupt''s previous Rock Slide.


    However, the Camerupt had no intention of letting the Flygon go.


    Suddenly, mes and moltenva erupted from the humps on its back, apanied by thick smoke and fiery glows.


    Just when Arata Sena was still uncertain about what was happening, the Camerupt''s humps spewed forth two massive pirs of fire, seemingly mixed with scorching magma.


    These two fire pirs shot high into the sky, their speed extremely fast, and in the blink of an eye, they charged toward the Flygon.


    This was the signature move of Camerupt��Eruption!


    The Camerupt had sustained minimal damage and, as a result, the power of Eruption was devastating. Itpletely overwhelmed the Flygon in mid-air.


    Once the fire pirs transformed into embers and gradually dissipated, the Flygon fell to the ground with nobat capability remaining.


    Even though Flygon was a Dragon-type Pok��mon, its resistance to Fire-type moves couldn''t withstand a powerful attack like Eruption, especially after taking a solid hit from Rock Slide.


    "Flygon!"


    Seeing his Flygon lying on the ground, Arata Sena hurriedly rushed over. His confident expression from earlier hadpletely disappeared, reced by genuine concern for his Pok��mon.


    Yuga shook his head. It seemed Arata Sena had set an unwinnable g for himself.


    Arata Sena and his Flygon were clearly outmatched by the Camerupt.


    In fact, the difference in strength between Camerupt and Flygon was quite minimal. Arata Sena''s loss came down to hisck of battle experience.


    Camerupt, having lived in the wild, clearly had extensive battle experience, making it more than capable of handling a rtively inexperienced trainer like Arata Sena.


    "Alright, don''t wear such a gloomy face! Flygon is fine now."


    With that, Yuga released Chimecho, and after a Heal Pulse, Flygon was back in good shape.


    "Boss, I''m sorry!"


    Putting Flygon back into its Pok�� Ball, Arata Sena, with a flushed face, apologized to Yuga.


    "Yourmands were rigid, your reactions were slow, and your improvisational skills weren''t enough..." Yuga pointed out the ws Arata Sena had shown during the battle. However, he wasn''t overly disappointed, as he had expected this oue.


    Arata Sena lowered his head and didn''t utter a word.


    "Beidou, in the future, make sure to arrange more practicalbat training for him. Teaching knowledge alone won''t suffice," Yuga turned to Beidou and said.


    Beidou nodded and replied, "Understood, I''ll take care of it."


    "Alright, let''s head back."


    With that, Yuga took the Pok�� Ball that Audino had handed over and recalled Camerupt.


    Seeing Camerupt being recalled, Arata Sena looked reluctant. Such an outstanding Camerupt, and it felt so close, yet so far!


    However, as Arata Sena and Akihito walked ahead, Yuga discreetly signaled Beidou, handing over the Camerupt''s Pok�� Ball to him.


    Beidou looked at Yuga with confusion, wondering what he meant.


    In a low voice, Yuga said, "Use this Camerupt to provide him with practicalbat training in the future. Once he can defeat Camerupt on his own, you can give it to him."


    Since he had already decided to give Camerupt to Arata Sena, Yuga had no intention of taking it back. It would be more convenient to leave it with Beidou than to keep it himself.


    Who knows when he might forget about this matter, and then Arata Sena''s reward would be lost.


    Akihito, who was in the front talking to Arata Sena, spoke with an admiring tone, "I wonder when I''ll have a second Pok��mon."


    Yuga, with his excellent hearing, heard this and chuckled. "When your Shroomish evolves into Breloom, I''ll give you a chance too!"


    The evolution of Shroomish into Breloom was much easier than Trapinch evolving into Flygon, so a test would certainly be part of the deal.


    "Really?" Akihito turned around immediately, looking at Yuga with excitement.


    Yuga replied, "Of course, it''s true, but there will be a test, of course!"


    "Don''t worry, I''ll work hard!" Akihito said confidently.


    Yuga teased, "Oh, don''t set your expectations too high, just like Arata Sena!"


    Yuga''s words sessfully turned Arata Sena beet red with embarrassment.


    "I''ll definitely work hard to surpass Arata Sena and won''t let you down!" Akihito said confidently.


    Arata Sena quickly chimed in, "You little rascal, don''t talk so big. I won''t let you surpass me that easily."


    And so, the four of them chatted andughed as they returned to the Day Care. Arata Sena''s gloomy mood due to failing the test had lightened considerably.

 Chapter 395: Mutual Exchange

    <h4>Chapter 395: Mutual Exchange</h4>


    Over the next few days, Yuga focused on practicing his special abilities alongside his three Grass-type Pok��mon, following the methods taught by his master. However, he soon discovered that even though Florges had not undergone the awakening ritual of Celebi and wasn''t a Grass-type Pok��mon herself, she could still exchange energy with him. The likely source of this ability was the green gem on her chest.


    The green gem''s energy was strikingly simr to the new power derived from Celebi''s Blessing Seed and the energy within Yuga himself. He then realized that Florges could not only exchange energy with him but also with all Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Normally, she used her special Grassy Terrain to simultaneously exchange energy with all the Pok��mon in the Ecopark.


    This method of training not only rapidly strengthened her but also enhanced her understanding and control of Grass-type abilities. It even elerated the growth of other Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Subsequently, Yuga began to consider himself as a Grass-type Pok��mon too. Every day, he sat in Florges''s Grassy Terrain with Bellossom, Ivysaur, and Shroomish, practicing alongside the Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Surprisingly, this method yielded better resultspared to practicing alone with Bellossom, Ivysaur, and Shroomish.


    Mr. Kuni''o probably never imagined that Yuga and Florges would develop such a unique training method.


    During these days, Yuga became engrossed in his training and delegated the shop''s affairs to Suzuki Koen, while the Ecopark was managed by Audino and Wigglytuff.


    On the fourth day of Yuga''s return to Verdanturf Town, Reggie finally arrived as promised, apanied by his younger brother Paul.


    "You''ve finally arrived! I thought you''d call and rush here immediately. You made me rush back from Mauville City!" Yugained as he led Reggie and Paul into the shop.


    Reggie rolled his eyes and retorted, "I came for a vacation in Hoenn, not specifically to see you. Why would I be in a hurry?"


    Yuga felt as if an arrow had pierced his heart upon hearing that.


    "Big brother, your words cut deep!" Yuga quipped.


    Guiding the two brothers to a table, Miltank brought two sses of Moomoo Milk and Sweet Drinks made by Audino, cing them on the table.


    "Paul, it''s been a while. Have you grown taller? Try this and see if it''s delicious!" Yuga pushed the drink toward Paul.


    Paul nodded and took a sip, immediately won over by Audino''s culinary skills.


    Yes, these special drinks were concocted by Audino, using Moomoo Milk and Sweet Honey, supplemented with various berry juices. They were not only delicious but also beneficial for both humans and Pok��mon.


    "Considering the hurtful words your big brother just said, I''ve decided to serve him in water!" Yuga jokingly said.


    "Oh, no, don''t be like this! I was just joking, joking! Of course, I came all this way just to see you!" Seeing Paul drinking with enjoyment on his face,


    Reggie swallowed his saliva and hurriedly beg for mercy.


    "Alright, alright, I won''t tease you anymore." Yuga smiled and pushed the ss of water toward Reggie.


    "This time you came for a vacation, do you have any ns?"


    Reggie thought for a moment and replied, "Nothing special, just like when we traveled through Sinnoh before. We''ll challenge the gyms in order and then participate in the Pok��mon League Conference."


    Yuga ruffled Paul''s hair and said, "Traveling can be quite challenging. Is Pauling along too?"


    Paul nodded firmly.


    "There''s no other way; he insisted oning, and Grandpa agreed," Reggie said with a wry smile.


    Yuga chuckled and said, "Well, that''s good. It will help him gain experience. Traveling alone in the future will be much easier as long as he doesn''t mind the hardships."


    Suddenly, Reggie pped his forehead and said, "Oh, right, Grandpa wanted me to discuss something with you during this visit."


    "Your Grandpa sent you? What is it?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    Reggie said, "As you know, our Blue Sky Day Care specializes in the Starly line. Lately, Grandpa wants to introduce some new species, so he sent me to ask you."


    Yuga seemed to understand after hearing this. "Are you saying that Grandpa wants to introduce the Swellow line from Hoenn region?"


    Reggie nodded. "Yes, but Grandpa doesn''t know anyone in Hoenn region''s Day Cares. He thought of asking you for help."


    Yuga pondered for a moment and asked, "How many does he need?"


    Reggie replied, "Around ten. Most Day Cares prefer Pok��mon with green potential or higher for breeding."


    Yuga suggested, "Ten Taillows or Swellows would work. In exchange, you can use ten of the Starly line. How does that sound?"


    Yuga was actually interested in introducing Pok��mon from other regions to diversify the offerings at the YoYo Day Care. The Starly line seemed like a good choice. Staraptor its final evolution was not only visually appealing but also one of therger Flying-type Pok��mon, likely to be weed by trainers in need of flying mounts or those who liked Flying-type Pok��mon. Moreover, as one of the few Flying-types capable of easily learning closebat techniques, Staraptor was highly popr among ordinary trainers in Hoenn.


    Excited, Reggie said, "That''s great! Grandpa had the same idea but was concerned about the feasibility. Buying fully grown Pok��mon with money can be inconvenient. However, if two Day Cares coborate, it bes much easier. This sort of thing is quitemon among Day Cares, and the League is rtively lenient in this regard."


    Perhaps speaking too much, Reggie felt his throat dry and took a sip from his ss.


    "Goodness, this is incredibly delicious!" Reggie eximed.


    The rich vor of Moomoo''s milk, the sweetness of Sweet Honey, and the freshness of various berry juices had been cleverly blended together.


    Reggie nced at his little brother, whose cup was already empty, and saw him looking at Reggie''s cup with hopeful eyes.


    Reggie hurriedly tilted his head back and emptied his cup.


    Observing this, Yuga shook his head. "What a pair of brothers you are! There are elder siblings who dote on their younger ones and then there''s you!"


    Unperturbed, Reggie asked, "What''s this called? Why is it so delicious?"


    Yuga sighed in exasperation. "You''re not a child anymore! How can you be so gluttonous?"


    Reggie nonchntly replied, "What''s the big deal? I enjoy it!"


    "Alright, alright, you''re insatiable! Stay for lunch, and you''ll get to taste our genuine culinary delights!" Yuga said.


    When it came to Audino''s culinary skills, Yuga had immense confidence. Especially since he returned from his training, he had truly earned the title of "culinary god."

 Chapter 396: Competition

    <h4>Chapter 396: Competition</h4>


    Following that, Yuga and Reggie discussed the details of the Pok��mon exchange for a while, and they reached an agreement.


    In about two weeks, Yuga would have ten Taillows or Swellows ready, then he would contact Reggie''s grandfather in Sinnoh region toplete the Pok��mon exchange.


    So, Reggie and his younger brother, Paulo, temporarily stayed at the YoYo Day Care. Since they had just arrived in Hoenn, Reggie nned to rest here for two days before continuing their journey.


    During lunch, Reggie finally got to taste Audino''s cooking and was genuinely impressed. Yuga proudly raised his head, reveling in his cooking skills.


    Meanwhile, in a forest within Hoenn region, Steven took a sip of the soup Audino had prepared for him and couldn''t help but spit it out. Why was there such a stark difference? Both were Audino''s dishes; how could they vary so much?


    This wasn''t the first time Steven had experienced this. Calmly, he put away Audino, deciding not to force it to improve its cooking skills further.


    For several days at the Ecopark, Yuga had tried to tame the three Pok��mon he had taken from Butler, but he had failed each time. Whether it was Smence, Dusclops, or Mightyena, all were fiercely loyal to Butler and refused to submit to Yuga, their enemy.


    Yuga sighed, acknowledging that most Pok��mon''s loyalty to their trainers was admirable. Still, enemies were enemies, and if he couldn''t tame them, he had to deal with them. Of course, Yuga''s approach wasn''t to harm them but rather to exchange them for something he needed.


    On the second day of Reggie''s visit to the Day Care, Yuga contacted his Master. Through his Master''s connections, he exchanged these three Pok��mon for other Pok��mon at the League''s breeding facilities.


    Although there is animosity between Yuga and these three Pok��mon, the people from the League don''t have any issues with them. The personnel at the breeding facility should have a way to tame them.


    The League''s breeding facility naturally wees this trade. Setting aside the Dusclops and Mightyena, the Smence is a genuine and valuable pseudo-Elite Pok��mon, ensuring they only profit from this exchange.


    Yuga sessfully obtained four Ratls and five Taillows, all of them having green potential.


    He exchanged the four Ratls for Smence, as Smance is already in final form and Ralts is just on basic form. Trying to trade for Gardevoir or Gade would have been too challenging.


    Originally, Yuga wanted to trade for a few Torchics since, among the Three Hoenn Starter Pok��mon, Torchic was the only one missing from his Ecopark. However, the person in charge of the breeding facility didn''t have the authority to trade Torchics, leaving Yuga with no other option.


    Interestingly, Ralts is actually more precious than Torchic and is more favored by trainers. Nevertheless, even with that in mind, the League would rather let Ralts be traded away than agree to trade Torchic.


    It must be said that the League takes its three Hoenn Starter Pok��mon very seriously, and they protect them with great care. If it weren''t for these asional opportunities, Yuga would have found it challenging to obtain even a Mudkip and a Trecko.


    However, Yuga thought Ralts was a good addition, as it could keep his Gardevoir family in the Ecopark and help them ovee their past experiences sooner.


    Five Taillow were obtained by exchanging Dusclops and Mightyena. Yuga decided to exchange them with Reggie''s grandfather, knowing that he wanted these Pok��mon.


    Now that there are five out of ten Taillows, he only needs to prepare five more.


    Coming out of the Pok��mon Center, Yuga had nine more Pok�� Balls in his hand, and then walked back happily.


    However, just as Yuga had walked a few steps, he noticed a middle-aged man in a suit approaching with two others. Seeing this person, Yuga''s pleasant mood instantly soured.


    This person''s name is Paulo, and he is the manager of the Truly Adorable Day Care''s branch in Verdanturf Town. Interestingly, his character is almost identical to his boss, Edward, and he often wears a sly expression.


    The Truly Adorable Day Care officially opened shortly after the New Year, but Edward only came once for the grand opening ceremony. Since the headquarters of the Truly Adorable Day Care is located in teport City, it''s impossible for Edward, the owner, to stay in Verdanturf Town all the time. Hence, the responsibility of overseeing this branch fell to Paulo.


    Despite Paulo''s recent arrival in Verdanturd Town and taking over the Truly Adorable Day Care, he has been quite creative in his marketing strategies. He has offered discounts, promotions like buying a Pok��mon and receiving an Pok��block as a gift, and various other tactics to attract customers.


    These marketing strategies are understandable, considering that there are two Day Cares in the same town, which naturally createspetition. Using such methods to gain an edge is not umon.


    However, whether these ideas were Paulo''s own or his boss''s directives, he frequently hangs around near the YoYo Day Care and takes the opportunity to make sarcastic remarks whenever he sees Yuga. This behavior made Yuga feel nauseated, as anyone would when constantly encountering an annoyance.


    Could Yuga endure this? Definitely not. It''s impossible to tolerate someone who''s always hovering around like a piece of excrement.


    As a result, Yuga instructed the Great Flygon, who perched on the roof day and night, to exert its pseudo-Elite aura over Paulo whenever he approached the vicinity of YoYo Day Care.


    Over time, whenever Paulo got close to the YoYo Day Care, he''d feel unstable and gradually stoppeding around.


    Despite Truly Adorable Day Care employing various tactics and promotions, the reputation and experience of YoYo Day Care is still there, which had been established in Verdanturf Town for many years, it meant that their business wasn''t greatly impacted.


    Day Cares have two primary types of customers in the Pok��mon world.


    The first category consists of trainers who pursue Pok��mon''s strength, and consequently, they also seek Pok��mon with exceptional potential.


    The second category includes regr people who buy Pok��mon aspanions and may not necessarily prioritize a Pok��mon''s potential (although there are exceptions).


    High-end Day Cares generally target the first category, whereas smaller Day Cares like the former YoYo Day Care cater to both categories, simr to Truly Adorable Day Care''s approach.


    In terms of the first category, the two Day Cares didn''tpete much. Trainers who select Pok��mon based on potential would still find their way to a smaller Day Care if the Pok��mon met their criteria, even if the Day Care had a smaller scale or less reputation.


    Moreover, most trainers in the first category were not locals. They often preferred online transactions, despite asionally visiting specific Day Cares like YoYo Day Care, where they had pre-arranged appointments.


    Therefore, in the vast external market, the two Day Cares didn''t have a significant rivalry when it came to customers in the first category.

 Chapter 397: Roadblock

    <h4>Chapter 397: Roadblock</h4>


    However, the second type of customers is different.


    Most of them are locals, and they tend to be influenced by subjective impressions and external evaluations when choosing a Day Care to buy Pok��mon.


    YoYo Day Care has been rooted in Verdanturf Town for many years, so long that most of the town''s residents can''t recall a time without it. They remember that YoYo Day Care has been part of Verdanturf Town since their earliest memories.


    Although YoYo Day Care isn''trge in scale and isn''t widely famous, it has an excellent reputation in Verdanturf Town.


    This positive reputation owes much to Yuga''s maternal lineage, which has worked diligently for generations.


    Among the second type of customers, many are affluent individuals who spare no expense when purchasing Pok��mon. If they find a Pok��mon they like, they''re willing to spend, even if the Pok��mon doesn''t have exceptional potential.


    Verdanturf Town is a renowned healing haven in the Hoenn Region, so there are many wealthy individuals in the town. They also frequent YoYo Day Care.


    Yuga''s first batch of Pok��mon were bought by her mother''s acquaintances in the local Senatorium, all introduced by Granny Lanca. Even now, many of them regrly visit YoYo Day Care to purchase Pok��blocks for their Pok��mon.


    In the past, ordinary households rarely raised Pok��mon. However, as human society and Pok��mon integration continued to deepen, more ordinary families started keeping Pok��mon.


    Currently, the second type of customers is the main target of both YoYo Day Care and Truly Adorable Day Care.


    In reality, YoYo Day Care doesn''t hold an absolute advantage in this regard.


    Although YoYo Day Care has the advantage of being a local business, it doesn''t excel in the variety of Pok��mon species avable.


    Since the Ecopark was established, YoYo Day Care hasn''t procured Pok��mon from other sources and has maintained a self-sustaining model, limiting the variety of Pok��mon in the store.


    However, Pok��mon like Trapinch, Gligar, and uncher are very popr species, and YoYo Day Care''s business has consistently performed well. Furthermore, these three Pok��mon, even with their potentials below green, are reasonably priced, making them essible to ordinary people.


    In fact, Yuga has been considering adding Grass-type Pok��mon to the inventory.


    Due to Florges''s uniqueness, Yuga''s Grass-type Pok��mon easily awaken the rare ability, Grassy Terrain.


    This ability is not only popr among trainers but can also be promoted to benefit the local farmers in Verdanturf Town.


    Verdanturf Town is a legitimate agricultural town, with the majority of its residents being farmers. Having Grass-type Pok��mon with the Grassy Terrain ability would significantly ease their agricultural activities.


    Pok��mon like Oddish and Hoppip are bothmon and affordable species, making them perfect candidates for introduction to the town.


    Although Grassy Terrain is a hereditary ability unique to Hoppip, with Florges''s assistance, Oddish can also awaken this ability.


    To implement this n, Yuga would need to obtain these two species. Fortunately, acquiring Oddish and Hoppip wouldn''t be difficult. The requirements for their potentials in Yuga''s n are not very high, and these species aremonly found.


    Once he finished dealing with Reggie''s grandfather''s affairs, he intended to start working on obtaining these two Pok��mon.


    As Yuga walked away, he had no intention of engaging with Paulo and his associates. He simply wanted to deliver the Pok��mon he had just acquired to the Ecopark and move on.


    "Hey, hey, Boss Shimizu, what a coincidence to run into you like this. Why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Paulo called out to Yuga as he passed by.


    Yuga rolled his eyes in response. "What? You want to invite me for dinner? Sorry! I can''t eat with you; your presence ruins my appetite!"


    "What dinner? When you meet your elders, you should at least say hello!" Paulo looked disdainful as he gazed at Yuga.


    Yuga couldn''t believe that he had the audacity to refer to himself as someone''s elder when he hadn''t introspected about his own behavior. He remained silent.


    Not wanting to deal with this nonsense and eager to ce his newly acquired Pok��mon into the Ecopark, Yuga turned to leave.


    Paulo signaled with his eyes to his two associates, and they stepped forward, blocking Yuga''s path.


    "Move aside!" Yuga warned.


    The two individuals in front of him remained unmoved.


    "All right, you asked for it!" Yuga thought to himself.


    Without hesitation, Yuga continued to walk forward without stopping, causing the two individuals to stumble and nearly fall to the ground.


    Yuga had been blessed by the Light of Life and undergone the Awakening Ceremony with Celebi, greatly enhancing his physical strength. These two individuals were no match for him and couldn''t stop him.


    The two individuals who had taken several steps back were surprised by the turn of events. They hadn''t expected the seemingly frail young man in front of them to possess such great strength.


    They exchanged nces and released two imposing Poliwrath from their Pok�� Balls. They clenched their fists, ring fiercely at Yuga.


    "What? Do you want to resort to violence in public?" Yuga looked at the two Poliwrath in front of him with genuine interest.


    The two Pok��mon were both below level forty, and their potential was only in the yellow range.


    Paulo smirked and said, "We just want to teach you a lesson so that you won''t be so arrogant all the time!"


    Paulo genuinely found Yuga annoying. Despite his young age, he always looked up at people arrogantly, and every time he looked at Paulo, it irritated him greatly.


    "You''re not afraid of Officer Jenny causing you trouble?" Yuga asked calmly.


    Seeing Yuga''s expression, Paulo couldn''t help but feel frustrated. He thought, "Look at that! Look at that expression! Even in this situation, he still wears that ''I''m not afraid of anything'' look. What''s he so smug about?"


    Very annoyed! Extremely annoyed!


    "As long as no one finds out, it''s fine," Paulo responded.


    With that, Paulo gestured to his two Poliwrath, who grabbed Yuga''s arms and tried to take him away.


    Yuga didn''t resist, allowing the two Poliwrath to lift him up by his arms.


    And so, Yuga was led into an alleyway where no one was around.


    About three minutester, Yuga emerged from the alleyway, feeling refreshed and with Chimecho by his side. He looked at Chimecho, and they both burst intoughter.


    He had nned this all along!


    Not long after leaving the alley, Yuga suddenly heard someone calling his name from behind. When he turned around, he saw that it was Joyka and her Chansey running towards him.


    "Boss Shimizu, are you okay?" Joyka asked, panting.


    Yuga, upon seeing Joyka running covered in sweat, asked in puzzlement, "I''m fine. Can''t you see I''m perfectly fine? What''s wrong?"


    "I heard someone say you were taken near the Pok��mon Center, so I rushed over to check if you were okay."


    Relieved to find Yuga unharmed, Joyka let out a sigh of relief.


    "I see. Thank you foring, but there''s really no need to worry. I appreciate your concern," Yuga replied.


    Although it was for his safety, he still felt thankful as Joyka had exerted herself like this.


    "You''re fine, and that''s what matters," Joyka said, relieved.


    Realizing that even if he were in danger, her presence with Chansey wouldn''t have been much help, Yuga thought to himself, "Even if I were in danger, your Chansey wouldn''t be much help in a situation like that."


    "I understand. Thank you again," Yuga said sincerely.


    "That''s a relief. So, where are those people who took you?" Joyka asked curiously.


    "Oh, them? They just had something to discuss with me, and now they''ve left," Yuga replied, making up a story.


    Meanwhile, in the small alleyway, Paulo and his two associates were lying on the ground, bruised and battered. The two Poliwrath had also lost their ability to fight.


    After briefly exining the situation to Joyka, Yuga returned to YoYo Day Care with Chimecho.

 Chapter 398: Disappearance

    <h4>Chapter 398: Disappearance</h4>


    Reggie bid farewell to YoYo Day Care after spending three days there with Paul, and starting his journey in Hoenn region.


    Meanwhile, Yuga began preparing to hand over Taillow and Swellow to Reggie''s grandfather.


    In addition to the five Taillow obtained through an exchange with the League Breeding Facility, Yuga''s Ecopark would need to find five more Taillow or Swellow, which was a bit challenging.


    However, Yuga had no intention of disturbing the ecosystem within his park. He couldn''t uproot old Pok��mon just to introduce new ones.


    So, Yuga shifted his focus to the wilderness.


    Taillow and Swellow weremon Pok��mon found in the wild, and Yuga believed that with some effort, he could manage to find five of them.


    Thus, Yuga began riding on his Great Flygon, exploring the forests surrounding Verdanturf Town each day.


    In truth, Yuga had never explored the area around Verdanturf Town carefully. Some ces felt entirely unfamiliar to him.


    Of course, Yuga didn''t spend his entire day outside; he usually ventured out in thete afternoon, returning home promptly after dark.


    This routine continued for a week, during which Yuga gradually captured one Swellow and two Taillow. At this pace,pleting the task seemed feasible.


    Though it was somewhat troublesome, Yuga didn''t mind. Daily outings served as a way to rx and unwind.


    One evening, as Yuga leisurely navigated the forest on his Great Flygon, using his Insight ability to search for Taillow or Swellow with green potential, he noticed a figure lying not far away. He quickly flew over.


    Dismounting from his Great Flygon, Yuga approached the body and nearly gagged at the sight and smell.


    Muya?


    Yuga quickly recognized the corpse as Muya, the Pok��mon that had been staying at YoYo Day Care not too long ago.


    However, Yuga hadn''t seen her since he returned from Mauville City. Muya had a tendency to disappear, so her absence didn''t concern him much. But now, seeing her dead was a shock.


    "Oh, she''s dead," Yuga sighed softly.


    "I''m not dead yet!" a voice suddenly came from behind Yuga, startling him.


    Turning around, he saw a Dusknoir standing silently behind him.


    "Muya?" Yuga cautiously inquired.


    "It''s me," replied the Dusknoir, sounding just like before.


    This Dusknoir''s eyes were no longer lifeless; it seemed Muya''s soul had returned.


    "You''ve be even more annoying!" Muya said with clear disdain.


    Yuga knew what she meant but chose not to react. Instead, he asked, "How did you end up like this? Weren''t you supposed tost a long time in your human form?"


    Muya sighed in frustration. "I was tricked, and my human body was killed!"


    Killed!


    Yuga was shocked. Muya possessed extraordinary abilities, akin to a ghost, and was difficult to capture. It was astonishing that someone had managed to kill her, especially with her pseudo-Elite Gengar with her.


    However, Yuga refrained from probing further. He sensed that delving into this matter might bring trouble.


    Observing Yuga''s silence, Muya said, "Aren''t you going to ask who killed me?"


    "Why should I?" Yuga rolled his eyes, expressing his disinterest.


    Though curiosity urged him to uncover the truth, his aversion to trouble prevailed.


    "But I want to tell you!" Muya spoke earnestly.


    "But I don''t want to hear!" Yuga''s tone remained resolute.


    "Then let''s make a deal," Muya continued.


    "What kind of deal?" Yuga asked.


    Deals with benefits were worth considering, depending on the price.


    Muya borated, "You help me kill someone, and I''ll give you my Gengar and Mismagius, both of which are pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon."


    Two pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon!


    Yuga''s interest was piqued.


    "And who do you want dead? I''m not as strong as you; I can''t be of much help," Yuga pointed out.


    "I want to kill Cecilia''s father. He''s the one who tricked me. If you don''t help, I might dissipate unnoticed, and you''re my only chance now. I have to take a gamble."


    Upon hearing Muya''s desperate plea, Yuga realized that her situation was indeed dire. The golden patterns on her abdomen were dissipating, and her crimson single eye was slowly dimming.


    "You''re dying?" Yuga asked, astonished.


    "Yes, Cecilia''s father is a skilled trainer who specializes in Ghost-type Pok��mon and has a deep understanding of the Ghost Realm. He used secret techniques to steal my essence," Muya exined, but before she could finish, her body began to further disintegrate. She hurriedly continued, "Will you agree or not? I can''t hold on much longer!"


    Muya''s voice sounded urgent and desperate.


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t agree. I don''t know the full story, so I can''t casually agree to assist in taking a life," Yuga firmly declined Muya''s offer.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s refusal, Muya seemed to grow angry. Her entire body began to emit a ck mist.


    Nervous, Yuga signaled his Great Flygon to prepare for battle. However, the mist dissipated after a while, slowly retreating into Muya''s form.


    "Forget it," Muya sighed.


    She then extracted a small, finger-sized ck gem from her body and said to Yuga, "Although he took my essence, he doesn''t know that my true poweres from this Ghost Realm Source Stone stolen from the consciousness of the Ghost Realm itself. But now, it''s yours."


    While Yuga was still trying to make sense of Muya''s cryptic words, her Dusknoir suddenly crumbled into a cloud of ck mist, which swiftly merged into the gem. The gem then transformed into a streak of light and entered Yuga''s head, leaving him no time to react.


    "Gengar and Mismagius are now in your care. They will tell you Cecilia''s story. If, after hearing it, you still refuse to kill her father, so be it," Muya''s voice echoed in Yuga''s mind before gradually fading away.


    Yuga quickly covered his head, but he felt no physical sensations. Instead, his mind became remarkably clear, as if someone had illuminated it.


    What was that gem? A Ghost Realm Source Stone? Yuga was filled with questions.


    In the ce where Muya''s body had disintegrated, Yuga noticed two Pok�� Balls. They were most likely Gengar and Mismagius.


    Picking up the two Pok�� Balls, Yuga released Gengar and Mismagius. Initially wary, he was surprised to see that both Pok��mon were looking at him with great reverence.


    What was going on? Yuga couldn''tprehend.


    However, he soon found his answer.


    ...


    [ Host: Shimizu Yuga ]


    [ Age: Seventeen ]


    [ Gender: Male ]


    [ Pok��mon: Florges, Absol, Chimecho, Vivillon, Dragonair, Charmander, Bellossom, Ivysaur, Shroomish ]


    [ Special Abilities: Celebi''s Blessing, King of Ghosts ]


    [ Skills: Pok��block Crafting (Intermediate), Pok��mon Training (Intermediate) ]


    [ upation: YoYo Day Care Owner, Grass-type Master''s Disciple ]


    ...


    In the Special Abilities section of his identity panel, a new entry had appeared: King of Ghosts.


    Gengar and Mismagius likely regarded him with such reverence due to this new ability. Muya''s ability to control Ghost-type Pok��mon was probably linked to this as well.

 Chapter 399: The Story

    <h4>Chapter 399: The Story</h4>


    "Mismagius!"


    "Gengar!"


    Two Pok��mon called out to Yuga, and strangely, he understood the meaning behind their calls. They were addressing him as their master.


    After conversing with the two Pok��mon, Yuga realized that this newfound ability came from the Ghost Realm Source Stone that had entered his mind. However, he also understood that their obedience was not solely due to the Stone''s effects but because of the previous owner''s trust.


    While the Ghost Realm Source Stone granted Yuga the power to suppress Ghost-type Pok��mon, it couldn''tpel Gengar and Mismagius, who were already pseudo-Elite level, to submit. Nevertheless, the King of Ghosts ability could make weaker Ghost-types obey him.


    Additionally, due to the Source Stone, Yuga''s body emitted an energy that Ghost-type Pok��mon found highly appealing, serving as their best nutrition for growth.


    However, this also meant that Yuga frequently attracted various Ghost Pok��mon, which could be quite bothersome.


    The Ghost Realm Source Stone was the most precious treasure of the Ghost Realm and the source of life for all its inhabitants, hidden deep within the realm.


    Muya''s fragment was chipped off when she was being punished by the Ghost Realm''s consciousness.


    After exining this, Mismagius and Gengar began telling Yuga about Cecilia''s story.


    Initially, Yuga had no interest in listening, but Mismagius and Gengar weren''t having it. They weren''t willing to let Yuga enjoy the benefits without fulfilling their end of the deal. So, Yuga was forced to listen to Cecilia''s tale.


    In the ancient and prestigious family in Hoenn region, a lineage had dedicated generations to the study the Ghost-type Pok��mon. They had produced numerous outstanding Ghost-type trainers. However, over time, through wars and divisions, and the loss of valuable records, the family had gradually declined.


    But even a camel starves if it keeps getting thinner. In modern times, the family still held significant power and influence in Hoenn.


    Cecilia, however, belonged to a branch of this family. Her father, a member of the branch, was moderately talented but highly ambitious. He was determined to make a name for himself within the family. To achieve this, he used cunning way to marry the daughter of one of the family''s elders, who happened to be Cecilia''s mother. With her father-inw''s help, he slowly climbed the family''s hierarchy.


    Cecilia was born during this period. Unlike other children, her health was extremely fragile, and she spent most of her time in bed.


    Initially, her father treated both Cecilia and her mother well. Even after her father-inw''s passing, his attitude remained unchanged. But things took a dark turn when he gifted Cecilia a Gastly.


    Due to her physical condition, Cecilia had no friends, so she developed a strong bond with Gastly, who was a yfulpanion. One sunny day, while Cecilia was sitting in her wheelchair in the garden, she identally cut her finger on a rose thorn.


    Mischievous Gastly licked the blood from Cecilia''s finger, and this seemingly innocuous act unleashed Gastly''s hidden desires.


    From that day on, Gastly developed a liking for Cecilia''s blood. Her blood was unique, not only enchanting Ghost Pok��mon but also promoting rapid growth in them. Cecilia''s frail health was a result of her extraordinary blood.


    Afterward, Gastly frequently asked Cecilia for her blood, and the requests became more and more frequent. At the time, Cecilia was naive and Gastly was her only friend. She couldn''t refuse its requests, inadvertently fueling its desires.


    Under the nourishment of Cecilia''s blood, Gastly rapidly grew in power.


    However, such a noticeable change in Gastly couldn''t escape the attention of others, especially Cecilia''s closest rtive, her father.


    After noticing the significant transformation in Gastly, Cecilia''s father began to observe Cecilia and Gastly closely. Eventually, he uncovered the secret of Cecilia''s unique blood.


    A terrifying idea took root in his mind, and he became controlled by it. Using the excuse of Cecilia''s frail health, he imprisoned her secretly and extracted her blood to feed his own Pok��mon.


    At first, he told Cecilia that he was extracting her blood to find a cure for her illness. Innocent Cecilia naturally believed her father.


    However, unlike just feeding a single Gastly, Cecilia''s father used her blood to nourish numerous Ghost-type Pok��mon. The substantial loss of blood gradually weakened Cecilia''s body until she couldn''t even move, leaving her increasingly suspicious.


    Then, one day, she saw her mother. It was the first time she had seen her mother since her confinement.


    Her mother revealed all the secrets she had identally discovered to Cecilia. She hade to take Cecilia away secretly.


    However, their escape attempt failed. Cecilia''s father discovered her mother''s actions and was furious. He wouldn''t allow his wife to ruin his opportunity.


    So, right in front of his daughter, he killed his wife.


    Cecilia was once again imprisoned.


    To the outside world, Cecilia''s father imed that she had passed away due to illness, and her wife had died from excessive grief. Cecilia''s frailty was well-known among the people, and no one suspected his story.


    From then on, Cecilia became nothing more than a tool for her father to extract blood.


    Cecilia considered suicide, but she couldn''t ept dying like that. So, in the midst of endless torment, her personality became increasingly twisted.


    This situation continued for five years, and over that time, Cecilia finally realized that even if she remained alive, she wouldn''t find any hope.


    So, she chose to end her life. Her intense resentment led her to sessfully transition into the Ghost Realm, bing a Specter. With the help of the Ghost Realm''s consciousness, she regained her memories.


    With her memories from her past life, Cecilia couldn''t possibly remain calm. She stole the Ghost Realm Flute of Acer and escaped the Ghost Realm.


    She wanted revenge, and she wanted to find her father, not wasting a moment.


    However, her status as a Specter prevented her from staying in the mortal realm for an extended period, so she sought a genuine physical body.


    This is precisely why Yuga and Cecilia had their first encounter.


    In reality, Cecilia had been dead for over thirty years, and her father was no longer the insignificant figure he once was.

 Chapter 400: Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 400: Encounter</h4>


    With the help of Cecilia''s blood from her previous life, her father''s power grew rapidly. Thirty years had passed, and he sessfully climbed to a high position within the family.


    And all of this waster discovered by Muya.


    With most of Cecilia''s soul within her, how could Muya give up on seeking revenge?


    Therefore, she frequently sneaked into her former family, gathering information and biding her time for revenge.


    With her unique abilities, she often managed to evade danger.


    However, she forgot that her family had experienced researchers of Ghost-type Pok��mon, including her father.


    They had recorded many secrets about the Ghost Realm, and in the end, Muya fell into her father''s trap.


    After escaping her family severely wounded, Muya returned to Verdanturf Town. Due to her injuries, she copsed in the forest, and only when her body started to dpose did she encounter Yuga again.


    Listening to Gengar and Mismagius recount Cecilia''s experiences, Yuga came to understand why Cecilia''s personality had be so twisted and her actions so erratic.


    Even Muya''s personality bore the heavy influence of these experiences.


    However, while he sympathized, Yuga had to think twice about helping her seek revenge.


    Her father was a true monster, killing his wife and daughter without hesitation.


    But often, such individuals were the most sessful and the hardest to deal with.


    Over thirty years had passed, and who knew what kind of situation he was in now.


    "If there''s a chance in the future, I''ll help you seek revenge, but if the enemy is too powerful, I won''t force it!"


    Yuga murmured softly, folding his hands together before the decaying body of Muya.


    Finally, he found a secluded and quiet spot in the forest, dug a hole, and buried Muya''s human remains.


    This girl had truly suffered, with no respite even in two lifetimes. Besides Yuga, no one else knew her story.


    But in this life, her death was her own doing. Blinded by hatred, she had taken the least rational path. If she had been more patient, waited until she was stronger, perhaps she could have achieved her revenge.


    At the very least, her father must be getting old now. If you couldn''t wait for him to die naturally, you could always dig up his grave. It was better than recklessly seeking vengeance on his turf.


    Yuga then activated his Insight ability and examined his two new Pok��mon.


    ...


    <<gengar>> </gengar>


    Type: Ghost, Poison


    Ability: Cursed Body


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 68


    Moves: Shadow Punch, Lick, Mean Look, Curse, Shadow Ball, Dream Eater, Hypnosis, Dark Pulse, Psychic, Perish Song.


    ...


    Yuga had seen Gengar before, but he was surprised that its level had increased by two in just a few months. Remember, this Gengar had only a green potential, not even blue. To advance this quickly at the pseudo-Elite level showed just how precious the Ghost Realm Source Stone that Muya had given to Yuga was.


    ...


    <<mismagius>> </mismagius>


    Type: Ghost


    Ability: Levitate


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 61


    Moves: Screech, Spite, Astonish, Confuse Ray, Mean Look, Pain Split, Shadow Ball, Shadow Sneak, Power Gem, Lucky Chant, Magic Coat, Thunder Wave, Confusion, Double Team, Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, Frisk.


    ...


    Yuga had never seen Mismagius before, and he had no idea that Muya had another Ghost-type Pok��mon. He was astonished to find that this Mismagius had a much better potential than Gengar. Moreover, in terms of moves, this Mismagius was exceptionally talented, with an impressive set of moves pool. Even an Elite level Noctowl didn''t have as many moves as this one.


    However, this was likely due to the tutge of her original family, which excelled in training Ghost-type Pok��mon. With their long history and Muya''s mysterious connection to the Ghost Realm, it wasn''t surprising that she could train Mismagius to such a level.


    The Noctowl had been a wild Pok��mon before entering the YoYo Day Care, and Yuga hadn''t actively taught it any new skills, simr to how things were with Mismagius.


    However, this Mismagius must have broken through to the pseudo-Elite level not long ago. Otherwise, given its potential, under the same training conditions, its level wouldn''t have been lower than Gengar''s.


    ording to the two Pok��mon, they used to have anotherpanion, a Chandelure. However, Chandelure was too weak, and when Muya was on the run, Chandelure was captured and killed by Cecilia''s father''s Pok��mon.


    Cruel and ruthless were the perfect words to describe Cecilia''s father.


    Cecilia herself was no stranger to cruelty, but her personality had turned that way after enduring pain and suffering. Her father''s cruelty was inherent.


    If there was a chance, it might be good to help Muya. The gifts she had brought were truly extraordinary.


    Unique abilities, outstanding potential, and powerful Pok��mon were what everyone dreamed of. Yuga was truly taking advantage of these opportunities.


    Yuga, alongside Gengar and Mismagius, paid tribute to Muya. He then took both of them into their Pok�� Ball and mounted his Great Flygon to continue today''s mission of finding Taillow and Swellow.


    Riding on the Great Flygon, Yuga searched the forest below for his targets. Suddenly, he spotted a truck parked in the woods.


    Shortly after, two people disembarked from the truck, and these two individuals were familiar to Yuga �C Paulo''s two henchmen.


    Once they got off the truck, they opened the cargo area and began dragging out several cages covered in ck cloth.


    Yuga was curious about what was inside the cages, so he descended from the sky while riding the Great Flygon.


    "What are you two doing?" Yuga asked without hiding his presence, feeling no need to be secretive around these two.


    The sudden appearance of Yuga startled the two men, nearly causing them to wet themselves. Seeing Yuga, they were reminded of their torment in the alleyway by Chimecho, and their bodies trembled like sieves.


    "How... how are you here?" one of them stammered, trying to block the cages with his body.


    "What''s the matter? Why are you so nervous? Let me see what''s inside the cages behind you," Yuga continued to inquire.


    However, despite their fear, the two men steadfastly blocked ess to the cages.


    Because they knew that if Yuga saw what was inside those cages, it would be the end for them.


    "Poli.." at that moment, Yuga suddenly heard a painful cry from inside one of the cages. The voice sounded weak and feeble.


    "Step aside!" Yuga shouted loudly.


    Seeing the two men shaking their heads and refusing to move even an inch, Yuga summoned Chimecho, and then he tossed them aside.

 Chapter 401: Grudges

    <h4>Chapter 401: Grudges</h4>


    Yuga ripped off the ck cloth covering one of the cages and was utterly shocked by what he saw inside.


    Inside the cage were three Pok��mon: a Poliwag, a Shellder, and a Corphish.


    The Poliwag had lost its tail and legs, the Shellder''s once-hard shell had turned soft, and the Corphish had only one w left.


    "What on earth is going on?" Yuga turned to the two individuals on the ground.


    "We...we don''t know," both of them stammered in unison, shaking their heads.


    "Don''t know?" Yuga couldn''t help but sneer. He had a hard time believing their words.


    Yuga proceeded to uncover the remaining cages, and without exception, each cage contained three to four deformed Pok��mon.


    "I think you should exin this to Officer Jenny," Yuga said, looking at them sternly.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, the two men were terrified and quickly begged for mercy.


    But Yuga paid them no heed. He let Chimecho keep an eye on them along with the cages as he drove the truck back to Verdanturf Town.


    As for the two men in the cargo area, they weren''t going anywhere.


    Upon arriving at the police station in Verdanturf Town, Yuga reported the situation. Shortly after, Officer Jenny arrived with several subordinates.


    When they saw the deformed Pok��mon inside the cages, they were all left dumbfounded.


    Yuga exined the situation to Officer Jenny, and the two men in the cargo area were promptly arrested.


    As employees of the Truly Adorable Day Care, Truly Adorable Day Care would also face an investigation by the authorities.


    However, that had nothing to do with Yuga.


    After handing over the two individuals, Yuga returned to the YoYo Day Care. He set aside the task of finding Taillow and Swellow for now.


    Five days passed in the blink of an eye, and Yuga sessfully gathered the five Taillow and Swellow he needed.


    At the same time, the investigation results of Truly Adorable Day Care were released.


    As it turned out, the Truly Adorable Day Care''s branch in Verdanturf Town had been using drugs on Pok��mon and forcing them to breed to cut costs.


    The excessive use of drugs had caused health problems in breeding Pok��mon, resulting in numerous deformities among the offspring. Consequently, they attempted to dispose of these deformed Pok��mon in the wild, believing it would go unnoticed due to the high number of wild Pok��mon.


    However, they didn''t anticipate that Yuga would stumble upon them after only two attempts and promptly report them to the police.


    The incident received extensive media coverage, with numerous televisionworks reporting on it. Truly Adorable Day Care faced an unprecedented crisis, and one wrong move could lead to its downfall.


    Nevertheless, the owner of Truly Adorable Day Care was highly skilled in handling such situations. He shifted all responsibility onto the manager of the Verdanturf Town branch, Paulo.


    Truly Adorable Day Care publicly imed that their headquarters had no knowledge of the situation, putting all me on Paulo for acting independently.


    Furthermore, Truly Adorable Day Care headquarters voluntarily offered to undergo an investigation by the Breeder Association.


    The investigation ultimately cleared Truly Adorable Day Care headquarters of any wrongdoing. However, since they had volunteered for the investigation, it was evident they had taken extensive precautions.


    The truth remained unknown: whether Truly Adorable headquarters knew or was involved in the incident, no one could say. Still, the investigation results dered them innocent.


    Regarding this matter, there was still widespread discussion in the outside world. Quite a number of people remained skeptical that Truly Adorable Day Care headquarters was unaware of the situation. Such attempts to shift me and find scapegoats were not unheard of, but unfortunately, no one had concrete evidence.


    Additionally, Truly Adorable Day Care''s Verdanturf Town branch manager, Paulo, readily admitted to the situation, taking full responsibility without room for anyone else to intervene.


    Regardless of the oue, Truly Adorable Day Care had certainly gained a lot of notoriety, its reputation swinging wildly between positive and negative. However, it leaned more toward thetter.


    On the second day of the investigation into Truly Adorable Day Care''s Verdanturf Town branch, Edward hurriedly arrived in Verdanturf Town, bing busy dealing with this matter.


    This day happened to be the monthly day for YoYo Day Care to trade green-potential Pok��mon. The customer had chosen a uncher as their Pok��mon and had arrived early to spend time with it.


    Afterpleting the transaction, Yuga escorted the customer with their new Pok��mon to the exit of YoYo Day Care. That''s when he saw Edward approaching with a mischievous grin on his face.


    "Oh, Mr. Shimizu, your business is truly flourishing!" Edward remarked.


    Yuga nced at him gently and said : "That''s nothingpared to how ''hot'' Truly Adorable Day Care has betely!"


    These words from Yuga twisted Edward''s face in an unpleasant manner, almost making his features contort.


    Yuga relished the satisfaction of seeing Edward react like this.


    "Actually," Yuga continued, "when Truly Adorable Day Care first opened its branch in Verdant Town, I had all sorts of ns for a showdown with you. Little did I know that before the showdown even began, you all..."


    Edward''s face turned bright red, and his chest heaved violently. Yuga was worried he might run out of breath and copse right there in front of YoYo Day Care.


    "What''s... what''s wrong with you?" Yuga feigned innocence.


    "You... You wait for me!" After struggling to find his voice, Edward spat out these words and then stormed off.


    At this point, Edward harbored an intense hatred for Yuga, who had brought Truly Adorable Day Care into such dire straits.


    Initially, their enmity had stemmed from minor conflicts. However, it all escted during the television interview at YoYo Day Care.


    Truly Adorable Day Care, while not a small-scale operation,cked deep-rooted connections. Thus, Edward had been diligently trying to establish ties with more influential figures in the business.


    The opportunity for an interview at Lilycove City TV was originally meant for Truly Adorable Day Care. Edward had intended to use this tform to boost their Day Care''s reputation and potentially secure a major partnership.


    However, unbeknownst to them, YoYo Day Care had appeared out of nowhere and ruined their ns.


    Their reputation remained untarnished, but Truly Adorable''s headquarters had missed a golden opportunity. Now, Edward held a deep grudge against Yuga.


    As a result, Edward frequently caused trouble for YoYo Day Care, even choosing to establish a branch in Verdanturf Town with the sole purpose of antagonizing Yuga.


    This included orchestrating the attack on Yuga by Hunter J.


    Edward had learned about someone''s desire to acquire a Florges. So, he decided to leak Yuga''s possession of Florges to that individual, hoping to use them to get rid of Yuga.


    Unfortunately for Edward, they didn''t anticipate Yuga''s still has hole card in his hand, that is the Noctowl.


    Edward''s ns backfired once again, and he ended up offending the person who had hired Hunter J, causing himself considerable trouble in the process.

 Chapter 402: Evolution

    <h4>Chapter 402: Evolution</h4>


    Due to the recent events, Truly Adorable Day Care''s branch in Verdanturf Town had temporarily suspended its operations. Whether it would reopen remained uncertain for Yuga.


    Afterward, Yuga contacted Reggie Grandfather, who resided in Sinnoh region. He arranged for the prepared Taillow and Swellow to be transported there.


    Yuga had prepared two Swellow and eight Taillow. Among them, two Taillow were conveniently a male and female pair.


    On Reggie Grandfather''s end, based on the Pok��mon sent over by Yuga, he also prepared a pair of Staraptor and eight Starly. However, evolving Starly into Staraptor was significantly more challenging because it has three stage evolution than evolving Taillow. Yuga feel that he has taken advantage of it.


    By bringing back two Staraptor and eight Starly to the Ecopark and entrusting them to the leadership of Swellow and Honchkrow, Yuga''s Flying-type Pok��mon group continued to grow stronger.


    It wouldn''t be long before he could arrange for his Flying-type Pok��mon to be put on the shelves.


    Notably, in the Ecopark, the original three Taillow had sessfully evolved into Swellow, making a total of six Swellow (excluding the Boss). Additionally, the only two Zubat had evolved into Golbat.


    However, evolving these two Golbat further into Crobat would likely prove to be challenging. Evolution for Golbat into Crobat relied on friendship, and Yuga''s rtionship with them was merely average, far from what was required to facilitate their evolution.


    Nevertheless, he still had the Soothe Bell in system backpack, which was a reward for Eevee Friendship Task. Yuga decided to equip one of the Golbat with it, hoping to hasten their evolution.


    Recently, Yuga conducted a survey of the Pok��mon in the Ecopark that needed to evolve using Evolution Stones. He prepared a batch of Evolution Stones to help them reach their final forms.


    Firstly, there were the first batch of Pok��mon that entered the Ecopark, Roselia. It evolution required Shiny Stones. Fortunately, Yuga had a Supreme-grade Shiny Stone on hand, which he promptly used for it evolution, eliminating the need for any preparations.


    As for the remaining supreme-grade Leaf Stones, Moon Stones, Sun Stones, and Awakening Stones, Yuuga currently has no ns to use them.


    (Note: There are no Ice Stones avable.)


    Next, there are three Murkrows and three Vulpix. They require Dusk Stones and Fire Stones for their evolutions, respectively.


    Three Skittys need three Moon Stones, while eight Petilils require eight Sun Stones.


    Upon tallying these, it became evident that a substantial number of Evolution Stones were needed. Furthermore, all of them, except for the Fire Stones needed for Vulpix''s evolution, were rare Evolution Stones.


    However, Yuga didn''t intend to purchase these Evolution Stones with money from the market. The cost would be quite substantial whenbined.


    The average price of one Fire Stone in the market was around 30,000 Pok��dor, while the Dusk Stones, Moon Stones, and Sun Stones were slightly higher, costing approximately 50,000 Pok��dor each. Altogether, Yuga would have to spend nearly 800,000 Pok��dor.


    As a result, Yuga chose to exchange these Evolution Stones directly from the League''s store using his rued Merit Points.


    He had earned a total of 6,500 Merit Points over time, and the League store offered ordinary Evolution Stones at 100 Merit Points each, while rare Evolution Stones were priced at 150 Merit Points each. Yuga required three ordinary Evolution Stones and fourteen rare Evolution Stones, which amounted to a total of 2,400 Merit Points.


    These Merit Points weren''t serving any other purpose in Yuga''s hands, so he readily used them to purchase the Evolution Stones from the League''s store.


    Moreover, buying Evolution Stones from the League''s store was more reliable, as there was no risk of encountering counterfeit items. Evolution Stones were frequently counterfeited, making the market a risky ce to acquire them.


    In addition, he exchanged for another Soothe Bell to give to the other Golbat, spending 200 Merit Points.


    Originally, there were five Lombre whose final evolution required a Water Stone, and two male Ralts requiring an Awakening Stone. However, they had yet to evolve to their second stages, so those ns were put on hold for the time being.


    It was Gardevoir''s husband, Kirlia, who needed an Awakening Stone to evolve into Gade. Unfortunately, given Kirlia''s current condition, which wasn''t suitable for evolution, Yuga had to set that aside as well.


    After Yuga ced his order, it would still take some time for the Evolution Stones to arrive at YoYo Day Care. Therefore, the first Pok��mon in this batch to evolve was Roselia.


    Roselia''s potential was already quite close to Indigo. After using a Supreme-grade Evolution Stone, its potential smoothly transitioned to Indigo.


    ...


    <<roserade>> </roserade>


    - Type: Grass, Poison


    - Ability: Natural Cure


    - Gender: Female


    - Potential: Indigo


    - Level: 40


    - Moves: Absorb, Growth, Aqua Ring, Stun Spore, Magical Leaf, Leech Seed, Poison Sting, Vine Whip, Poison Jab, Toxic, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Grassy Terrain


    ...


    Initially, Yuga believed that the supreme-grade Evolution Stone would elevate Roserade''s potential closer to purple. However, he soon discovered that it wasn''t the case. Roserade''s potential only reached a moderate degree of Indigo, just about on par with Vivillon and falling behind both Chimecho and Dragonair.


    The effect of the supreme-grade Evolution Stone wasn''t as significant as Yuga had imagined, making the transition from Indigo to Purple potential an extremely challenging feat for Pok��mon.


    Otherwise, Pok��mon with purple potential would have already appeared in reality instead of being confined to legends. No one had seen such Pok��mon in real life.


    However, Roserade was diligent in its training, and its level had silently reached 40. It had acquired numerous moves, especially showing remarkable talent in poison-type moves.


    Yuga''s Roserade was a rare Shiny Pok��mon. While ordinary Roserade had one red and one blue petal on its hands, Yuga''s was entirely vibrant red, resembling two burning mes.


    Yuga believed that Roserade''s talent likelyy in its poison-type abilities. After much consideration, he decided to make Roserade his tenth main battling Pok��mon.


    After all, he intended to inherit his master''s legacy, and his unique abilities suited the cultivation of Grass-type Pok��mon. With such an outstanding Grass-type Pok��mon, he couldn''t afford to neglect it.


    Indigo-potential Pok��mon were incredibly rare, and Yuga couldn''t be certain when or if he''d encounter another one.


    With ten main battling Pok��mon, Yuga had no ns to capture more in the near future.


    Roserade was delighted to be Yuga''s main battling Pok��mon and worked even harder during training.


    Among Yuga''s four Grass-type Pok��mon, Roserade was the only one that couldn''t engage in energy exchanges with him. During group training sessions, it had to rely on Florges.


    However, its potential was the highest among these Pok��mon, so its growth rate wasn''t slower than that of Vivillon and the others.


    The Evolution Stones Yuga ordered were sessfully delivered to YoYo Day Care the next day.


    With his assistance, the Pok��mon sessfullypleted their final evolutions. This added three Honchkrows, three Nales, three Delcatty, and eight Lilligant to the Ecopark.

 Chapter 403: Awakening

    <h4>Chapter 403: Awakening</h4>


    Yuga watched as the Pok��mon evolved one by one, feeling immensely pleased, and the Pok��mon were filled with gratitude toward Yuga.


    He was also fortunate that there were no special individuals among the Pok��mon in his Ecopark who didn''t want to evolve. If there were, he thought it might make him ufortable, as one couldn''t force them to evolve.


    In reality, the majority of Pok��mon were willing to evolve. Evolution was a biological instinct, a pursuit of higher life forms, even if not always for the sake of bing stronger; most Pok��mon were eager to evolve.


    Pok��mon like those that didn''t want to evolve, like Ash''s, were genuinely rare.


    Yuga arranged the evolution activity in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark. After evolution, the three Honchkrows, three Nales, and three Delcatties all returned to their respective groups, and Yuga nned to take the eight Lilligant back to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    Just then, he saw Bellossom approaching him.


    After weeks of training, Yuga could nowmunicate somewhat with his three Grass-type Pok��mon (excluding Roserade), but the others were not there yet.


    Bellossom: "Bellossom, Bellossom."


    "Is Vivillon about to wake up?"


    Yuga asked in surprise.


    Bellossom nodded quickly and then led Yuga in the direction of the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, with the eight Lilligant following closely behind.


    In the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, the Lilligant returned to their Grass-type Pok��mon group, while Bellossom led Yuga towards the direction of Amber Castle.


    After so much time had passed, the number of Combee had grown significantly. With their efforts, Amber Castle had be a magnificent sight, resembling a golden castle from afar, surpassing their previous underground Amber Castle in grandeur.


    The original Castle was underground, while this new one was built on the surface.


    Amber Castle was constructed entirely from stones and beeswax, extremely sturdy, and the interior of the towering castle was filled with honebs, with a flow of golden Sweet Honey.


    The conditions in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark were excellent, and the Combee produced Sweet Honey at a rapid pace, umting a substantial quantity.


    Yuga had been contemting how to handle this excess Sweet Honey. Even the Snox who is banned from eating Sweet Honey before, now received a regr supply of Sweet Honey.


    He had considered selling the Sweet Honey directly in his shop, but he ran a Pok��mon Day Care, not a food or general merchandise store; selling Sweet Honey seemed out of ce.


    As they continued towards the heart of Amber Castle, they arrived at the Vespiqueen''s hive.


    At this moment, the Vespiqueen and Vivillon were both lying motionless on a stone tform in the center of the hive, but a faint yellow light continued to radiate from their bodies.


    These lights rose and fell with the breath of the two Pok��mon, giving the impression that they could awaken at any moment.


    Yuga had only heard that they were brewing a Enchanted Honey during this time, but he had not seen the final product. He wasn''t sure of its effects, but the Vespiqueen imed it could enhance Bug-type Pok��mon''s vitality.


    This honey was extremely challenging to brew. If it weren''t for the Vespiqueen''s unexpected breakthrough to the pseudo-Elite level and the excellent conditions of the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, it would have been impossible to produce.


    Yuga waited for nearly three hours until the yellow light on Vivillon and the Vespiqueen finally faded, and the two Pok��mon slowly opened their eyes.


    Upon seeing Yuga, the newly awakened Vivillon happily pped its wings and flew towards him.


    Yuga noticed a significant change in the awakened Vivillon. Its overall demeanor had improved significantly, bing more elegant.


    The transformation in Vivillon, in a way, was likeparing 480P and 1080P in a video. It used to be 480P, but now it had be 1080P.


    In the case of the Vivillon, a species of Pok��mon with various wing patterns, there are a total of 20 different patterns. The one that belongs to Yuga is the rtively unremarkable "Icy Snow" pattern, primarily consisting of ck and white colors.


    However, with this recent change, Yuga''s Vivillon can no longer be considered unremarkable. Even with only ck and white colors, its appearance has be quite captivating.


    ...


    <<vivillon>> </vivillon>


    Type: Bug, Flying


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Compound Eyes


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 50


    Moves: Gust, Stun Spore, Tailwind, Psybeam, Electroweb, Safeguard, Bug Buzz, Quiver Dance, Light Screen, Supersonic, Sleep Powder, Psychic, Powder, Hurricane.


    ...


    With this awakening, Vivillon became Yuga''s third level 50 Pok��mon in his main battling lineup, following Florges and Chimecho, significantly boosting its strength.


    Apart from that, Vivillon also awakened two new skills.


    Firstly, there was the Flying-type move Hurricane, which addressed Vivillon''s previousck of powerful offensive abilities.


    Then, there was the move Powder, which countered Fire-types. Vivillon had a double weakness to Fire-types, making this move a natural counter to them.


    "Vivillon, congrattions to you," Yuga eximed with joy.


    "Vivillon..."


    Vivillon happily circled above Yuga''s head upon hearing this, pping its wings and sprinkling sparkling scales.


    However, it soon noticed Bellossom next to Yuga.


    Although it knew Bellossom, Bellossom should be in the manor in Mauville City. How could it be here?


    Still in a state of slumber, it wasn''t aware of what had happened to Yuga in Mauville City.


    Seeing Vivillon''s puzzled look at Bellossom, Yuga exined everything about Bellossom and the others to it.


    Unlike Chimecho the easily jealous and envious, Vivillon warmly weed Bellossom and was pleased with its arrival.


    Coincidentally, Bellossom wanted to learn the move Quiver Dance from Vivillon, so their rtionship couldn''t have been better.


    Yuga then turned his attention to the Vespiqueen, who had undergone significant changes since consuming the Enchanted Honey.


    The most noticeable change was her aura bing more stable.


    The Vespiqueen hadn''t advanced normally to the pseudo-Elite level; it had reached that stage through the sacrifice of many Combee, which had left her aura unstable and her strength much weaker than a typical pseudo-Elite.


    But after awakening this time, Yuga clearly sensed that her condition had improved significantly. Even though her level hadn''t changed much, her strength had increased.


    "Long time no see, Vespiqueen. Congrattions!" Yuga smiled at the Vespiqueen.


    The Vespiqueen was usually busy taking care of therge bee colony and collecting Honey, so Yuga rarely had the chance to meet her. It had indeed been a while.


    The Vespiqueen didn''t speak but nodded slightly. From a corner of her hive, she retrieved a small jar the size of a fist and handed it to Yuga.


    "This is thest bit of Enchanted Honey. Give it a taste," the Vespiqueen said.


    Yuga took the small jar and picked up a bit with his fingers, cing it in his mouth.


    (��o��) It''s too intense!


    As a human, he found it a bit overwhelming and felt the urgent need for a ss of water.


    "Can I let Bellossom try it?" Yuga asked the Vespiqueen.


    The Vespiqueen nodded.


    Yuga picked up a bit more and offered it to Bellossom.


    "How is it, Bellossom?"


    (*�R���Q) It''s delicious!


    Bellossom''s reaction waspletely different from Yuga''s. It seemed to really enjoy the Enchanted Honey.


    "I''d like to take some back for the other Pok��mon to try, is that okay?" Yuga asked the Vespiqueen again.


    Enchanted Honey only had a special effect on Bug-type Pok��mon, and a significant quantity was required. Yuga and the other Pok��mon would only be able to taste the vor.


    "Since I''ve given it to you, you can do as you please," the Vespiqueen replied.

 Chapter 404: Exchange of Gifts

    <h4>Chapter 404: Exchange of Gifts</h4>


    Yuga brought the Enchanted Honey back and invited Florges and the others to taste it together. Everyone loved it, especially Audino, who practically licked the jar clean.


    Unfortunately, there was very little honey, so each Pok��mon could only taste a bit. Moreover, this honey was exceptionally challenging to produce, and it was uncertain when they would have another chance to taste it.


    For the Pok��mon who didn''t find it satisfying, they resorted to Sweet Honey as an alternative to curb their cravings. After all, Amber Castle was now overflowing with Sweet Honey.


    Next, Yuga had to prepare for his own Grassy Terrain mass production n. Originally, this n was his response to the impact that Truly Adorable Day Care had on his business. However, before the n could even start, they had closed down.


    Regardless of their closure, Yuga intended to continue with his n.


    When thinking about Grass-type Pok��mon, Yuga''s first thought was naturally his Master.


    Initially, he considered asking Aroma Day Care for information in this regard since the two Day Care had always had a good rtionship and conducted business together. However, Aroma Day Care was renowned for its expertise in Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Asking them for information would be like using their help topete against them, and it might strain their rtionship, which was built on mutual respect.


    So, after some consideration, Yuga decided to seek assistance from his own Master.


    When Yuga called the manor, it was still Ryuichi who answered the phone.


    Over the phone, Yuga exined his n to acquire Oddish and Hoppip to Ryuichi.


    Ryuichiughed heartily and said, "So, that''s what this is about! Leave it to me. You can wait for my message at home. I''ll get back to you in two days."


    With Ryuichi''s promise, Yuga eagerly awaited news at home.


    However, two dayster, instead of a call from Ryuichi, Yuga received an urgent delivery.


    The delivery was a perfectly square box, leaving Yuga quite puzzled as he couldn''t recall anyone mentioning sending him a package.


    But his confusion was soon resolved.


    Before he could open the box to see what was inside, he received a call from Ryuichi.


    "How''s it going, young master? Have you received the Pok��mon I sent you?" Ryuichi''s familiar voice came through the phone.


    "You mean the box was from you, and it contains Pok��mon?" Yuga asked in astonishment.


    "Yes! You haven''t opened it yet? Inside, you''ll find Pok��mon that I and Mr. Kuni''o have umted over the years. Since we don''t need them, they''ve been living in our yard. Mr. Kuni''o said that since you need them, he''s giving them all to you. Most of them are from the Oddish and Hoppip families."


    Hearing Ryuichi''s words, Yuga was dumbfounded.


    He had originally intended to ask Ryuichi for information on where to find Grass-type Pok��mon in abundance so he could catch them himself. He hadn''t expected Ryuichi to package it from his Master inventroy and send the Pok��mon to him.


    Mr. Kuni''o and Ryuichi, one a Master Trainer and the other an Elite Trainer, had both progressed step by step from humble beginnings.


    Unlike Yuga, who had Insight ability from the system, they had also raised many Pok��mon themselves. Most of these Pok��mon belonged to the Oddish and Hoppip families because these two families were the mostmon and easiest to obtain.


    Mr. Kuni''o was a traditionalist who preferred to raise Pok��mon step by step rather than spend a fortune on high potential Pok��mon. After gaining fame, raising Grass-type Pok��mon had be his pleasure rather than a means to be stronger, as he was already quite powerful.


    However, among the Pok��mon they had sent to Yuga, there weren''t many with high potential. The high potential Pok��mon had long been raised and guarded on their manor. This was also why such arge manor had no staff; the Grass-type Pok��mon took care of all the chores and security.


    As for those low potential Pok��mon, Mr. Kuni''o figured they wouldn''t be of much use to him, so when he heard that Yuga needed them, he had Ryuichi package and send them over.


    Yuga never expected such a generous gift from his Master and Ryuichi.


    After finishing the call with Ryuichi, Yuga and Audino together carried the package that had arrived via express delivery into the Ecopark.


    Yuga suspected that there must be quite a few Pok�� Balls inside the package because it was not light.


    Once the box was in the main Ecopark, Yuga opened it up, and as he expected, it contained a bunch of Pok�� Balls.


    So, Yuga and Audino released all the Pok��mon from these Pok�� Balls and counted their number and types.


    Most of them were from the Oddish and Gloom families, Hoppip, Skibloom, and Jumpluff along with a few Bellossom and Vileplume.


    The majority of these Pok��mon had yellow potential, with a few having orange and a small number with green. Among them, there were two or three green-potential Vileplume and Bellossom, and a few Jumpluff with green potential as well.


    These green-potential Vileplume, Bellossom, and Jumpluff were likely the leaders of this group of Grass-type Pok��mon.


    These Pok��mon had been raised very obediently, and they didn''t seem to have any trouble adapting to their new environment.


    Yuga nned to relocate them to the second ind heartke in the Shallow Seashore.


    Simr to the Oasis in the Desert Sub-Ecopark, there were three ind heartkes in the Shallow Seashore, each connected by a long stone bridge.


    The first ind was inhabited by Greninja and Milotic, while the other two were currently vacant.


    The reason Yuga didn''t ce them in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, which was suitable for Grass-type Pok��mon, was due to the significant disparity in their potentials. If he ced them in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, which had high potential Pok��mon, it might affect the quality of the other Pok��mon.


    It wasn''t favoritism, but a practical decision. The reality was quite harsh, and other Day Cares operated in a simr manner.


    high potential breeding seeds couldn''t be mixed with those of slightly lower quality; it went against the principles of selective breeding.


    Apart from the Oddish and Hoppip families, among the Pok��mon that were sent, there were also five Exeggutor and five Lurantis, all with green potential. Yuga arranged them to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    The poption of Grass-type Pok��mon in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark expanded further, getting closer to the upper limit set by the Day Care.


    Currently, in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, there were three Serperior, eight Lilligant, ten Tsareena, five Cacturne, five Bellossom, five Exeggutor, five Lurantis, and five Shroomish. They all had nt types in their egg groups, allowing them to pair up andy eggs.


    Yuga just had to be patient.


    As for Sceptile, Skiddo, and Sewaddle, these three types of Grass-type Pok��mon didn''t have any nts in their egg groups, and they couldn''t crossbreed. They would have to be processed internally.


    Note: Lotad is in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, not in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.

 Chapter 405: Grass Types

    <h4>Chapter 405: Grass Types</h4>


    Three months flew by, and YoYo Day Care, known for its old-timers like Gligar, Trapinch, and uncher, finally introduced its fourth type of Pok��mon.


    The fourth type that appeared on the YoYo Day Care website was not a specific Pok��mon but rather the broad category of Grass-types.


    Within this category, they also listed the potential Pok��mon species that might be avable: Oddish, Cea, Petilil, Exeggcute, Fomantis, and Bounsweet.


    Like the other three types of Pok��mon, Grass-types were also limited in quantity, with only one avable per month.


    Given the current circumstances, this was the best they could manage, as Grass-type Pok��mon had a slightly faster reproduction ratepared to others.


    The pricing for Grass-type Pok��mon was the lowest among the limited-edition Pok��mon offered by YoYo Day Care. Oddish was the cheapest at 150,000, Petilil was the most expensive at 250,000, and the other types were all priced at 200,000.


    The first Pok��mon to appear on the YoYo Day Care website in its debut month was Bounsweet.


    As a unique species from the Al region, Bounsweet immediately caught the attention of many trainers and was quickly reserved.


    Apart from this, YoYo Day Care''s new store had finally introduced Hoppip and Oddish, which could create Grass Terrain. They promoted this aspect specifically, highlighting the effects of Grass Terrain on nt growth.


    These two Pok��mon, with their distinct features, immediately caused a small sensation in the local area. Not only were regr people interested in purchasing them, but many trainers also wanted to get their hands on one.


    What made these Pok��mon even more appealing was that YoYo Day Care had not raised their prices due to the Grass Terrain ability. In fact, due to their potentials and species, these two Pok��mon were very reasonably priced.


    Many farmers in the town, including Rand''s father, Uncle Keith, purchased one. They were willing to trust YoYo Day Care''s reputation, and Yuga''s good standing in town made them confident that YoYo Day Care wouldn''t deceive them.


    However, the Grass Terrain Pok��mon bought by regr townsfolk were mostly those with red and orange potentials, which were priced quite low. The Pok��mon with yellow potential were mostly purchased by some civilian trainers.


    But since these Pok��mon had just been released, their numbers were extremely limited, making them a highly sought-after type of Pok��mon.


    Yuga felt that perhaps one day, farming with Grassy Terrain Pok��mon might be a specialty of Verdanturf Town.


    Due to the booming Pok��mon business, Pok��blocks were also selling more briskly, keeping the employees at YoYo Day Care quite busy.


    Around two dayster, the customer who had reserved Bounsweet arrived at YoYo Day Care.


    However, to Yuga''s surprise, this customer was someone he knew, and he hade with his daughter.


    "Nice to see you again, Mr. Shimizu."


    As soon as he saw Yuga, Mr. Shimizu greeted him with a smile.


    "Hello, Mr. Kobayashi. Nice to see you again."


    Yuga shook hands with him politely.


    Mr. Kobayashi was the gentleman who hade to the store earlier, wanting to pay an annual deposit and reserve Pok��mon for his children.


    Although Yuga had declined his proposal, Mr. Kobayashi had left asting impression on him.


    Since customer reservations were usually handled by Windy, Yuga only found out today that Bounsweet had been reserved by Mr. Kobayashi.


    "This is my daughter, Shiho. Bounsweet is reserved for her."


    Mr. Kobayashi introduced the young girl standing beside him.


    It turned out that Mr. Kobayashi had two daughters, with the one present being the older one, while his earlier intention to reserve Pok��mon was for his younger daughter.


    His older daughter, Shiho, had just celebrated her tenth birthday not long ago, and Mr. Kobayashi had been struggling to choose her starter Pok��mon.


    His younger daughter had expressed her desire for a Pok��mon from YoYo Day Care, specifically Trapinch, well in advance. However, she was still quite a few years away from turning ten, so Mr. Kobayashi was in no hurry.


    But Shiho had already turned ten, and she hadn''t yet mentioned what kind of Pok��mon she wanted as her starter.


    Just then, YoYo Day Care introduced its new Pok��mon, and it was Shiho who discovered it. She immediately fell in love with the adorable Bounsweet and informed her father.


    Mr. Kobayashi was well aware of the unique rules at YoYo Day Care. It required the Pok��mon trainer personally to be present when acquiring a Pok��mon. However, for the sake of his beloved daughter, Mr. Kobayashi didn''t find it troublesome at all.


    Shiho appeared to have a reserved personality. After her father introduced Yuga''s identity, she greeted him briefly and didn''t say much more.


    Yuga could tell that she was the quiet type and didn''t mind her distant demeanor. Instead, he sent Wigglytuff to the daycare to bring Bounsweet.


    "During this time, you need to spend quality time with Bounsweet. If Bounsweet doesn''t approve of you, we won''t let you take it. Do you understand?" Yuga held Bounsweet and spoke to Shiho. He believed Mr. Kobayashi had already exined these rules to her.


    Shiho remained silent, only nodding her head in response, and then continued to gaze at Bounsweet in Yuga''s arms.


    Bounsweet, with its small, watery eyes, also looked at the young girl before it, considering the possibility of her bing its partner.


    "May I hold her?" Shiho suddenly looked up and asked Yuga.


    Yuga smiled and replied, "Shouldn''t you ask Bounsweet that question? If it''s willing, then there''s no problem."


    Shiho nodded and looked back at Bounsweet, asking, "May I hold you?"


    "Bounsweet!"


    Bounsweet responded with an affirmative nod.


    Bounsweet felt that she needed to personally assess if Shiho suited for her.


    After handing Bounsweet to Shiho, Yuga led the father and daughter to the guest room, where they could spend time with Bounsweet. Since there were still many customers in the store, he left them in the care of Wigglytuff. When it was time, Wigglytuff would escort them out.


    Yuga wasn''t concerned that anyone would sneak away with their Pok��mon. The Gatekeeper, like Great Flygon, were perched on the roof, silently watching over the customers entering and exiting YoYo Day Care.


    In fact, those familiar with YoYo Day Care knew better than to cause trouble or try any tricks inside. The Pok��mon stationed at the entrance were not there for show.


    YoYo Day Care had been in operation for quite some time, and it wasn''t umon for incidents to ur in the store. However, most people who had caused trouble inside had not fared well.


    Not to mention the guardians on the roof, even the Linoone and Mightyena couple patrolling near the entrance was intimidating enough to deter anyone from trying anything foolish.

 Chapter 406: Main Character’s Pokémon

    <h4>Chapter 406: Main Character''s Pok��mon</h4>


    1. Florges


    Type: Fairy


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Flower Veil


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 50


    Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Fairy Wind, Safeguard, Magical Leaf, Moonst, Misty Terrain, Grassy Terrain, Flower Shield, Petal Dance, Petal Blizzard, Wish, Psychic, Aromatherapy.


    ...


    2. Absol


    Type: Dark


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Pressure


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 48


    Moves: Quick Attack, Swords Dance, Psycho Cut, Future Sight, Sucker Punch, Uproar, Dark Pulse, Stone Edge, Shadow w, Throat Chop.


    ...


    3. Vivillon


    Type: Bug/Flying


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Compound Eyes


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 50


    Moves: Protect, Stun Spore, Gust, Confuse Ray, Electroweb, Safeguard, Bug Buzz, Quiver Dance, Hurricane, Light Screen, Supersonic, Sleep Powder, Psychic, Powder.


    ...


    4. Charmander


    Type: Fire


    Gender: Female


    Ability: ze


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 24


    Moves: Scratch, Ember, Hidden Power (Electric), Dragon Dance, Outrage, Smokescreen, Iron Tail, methrower.


    ...


    5. Dragonair


    Type: Dragon


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Mold Breaker


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 46


    Moves: Rain Dance, Dragon Dance, Thunder Wave, Twister, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Extrem Speed.


    ...


    6. Chimecho (Light y)


    Type: Psychic


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Levitate


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 50


    Moves: Confusion, Gravity, Heal Pulse, Heal Bell, Synchronoise, Shadow Ball, Safeguard, Uproar, Psyshock, Calm Mind, Light Screen, Psychic, Reflect, Healing Wish, Future Sight, Teleport, Psycho Boost


    ...


    7. Roserade


    Type: Grass/Poison


    Ability: Natural Cure


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 40


    Moves: Absorb, Growth, Aqua Ring, Stun Spore, Magical Leaf, Leech Seed, Poison Sting, Vine Whip, Poison Jab, Toxic, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Grassy Terrain.


    ...


    8. Bellossom


    Type: Grass


    Ability: Chlorophyll


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 36


    Moves: Absorb, Mega Drain, Giga Drain, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Sweet Scent, Magical Leaf, Leaf Storm, Leaf de, Sunny Day, Sr Beam, Strength Sap, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Dazzling Gleam, Grassy Terrain.


    ...


    9. Ivysaur


    Type: Grass/Poison


    Ability: Overgrow


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 27


    Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Venoshock, Sunny Day, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Power Whip, Grassy Terrain.


    ...


    10. Shroomish (Toxic Orb)


    Type: Grass


    Ability: Poison Heal


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 22


    Moves: Tackle, Stun Spore, Headbutt, Leech Seed, Bullet Seed.


    ...

 Chapter 407: Attraction

    <h4>Chapter 407: Attraction</h4>


    After leaving Mr. Kobayashi and his daughter in the care of Wigglytuff, Yuga headed to the Ecopark.


    Because the mutated Jaboca berry tree he had carefully cultivated had finally matured.


    This Jaboca berry tree had been transnted to the oasis in the Desert Sub-Ecopark and had grown very tall.


    However, strangely, this tall Jaboca berry tree had only produced one Jaboca berry.


    Yuga had been ecstatic when the Jaboca berry tree first bloomed, as it had bloomed with many flowers, almost covering every branch.


    The results had also thrilled him; small Jaboca berry had hung all over the tree.


    Although these small Jaboca berry looked slightly different from the regr ones, he could feel that they contained a rich Ground-type energy.


    But as time passed, Yuga''s excitement waned. The berrys on the tree started to wither one by one until only one remained at the top.


    It seemed like this berry absorbed the nutrients from the others, growing fuller andrger, eventually twice the size of a regr Jaboca berry and golden in color, like it was cast in gold.


    Unfortunately, the three Gliscor queens had alreadypleted their breeding, and not one of their offspring had Blue Potential.


    Yuga believed that even if he gave these hatched Pok��mon the mutated Jaboca berry to eat, it wouldn''t have much effect, so they didn''t get a chance to consume this mutated Jaboca berry.


    He was now waiting for the Gliscor''s queens to be pregnant again. During this time, he needed to figure out what was special about this mutated berry.


    In the oasis of the Desert Sub-Ecopark, Yuga picked the mutated Jaboca berry and then went to the Pok��mon Center, nning to ask Joyka for help in examining this Jaboca berry.


    At the Pok��mon Center, Joyka readily agreed to Yuga''s request.


    They had worked together before, and their rtionship was good. Moreover, Joyka was very interested in the mutated Jaboca berry cultivated by Yuga.


    Under the precise instruments at the Pok��mon Center, the general situation of this Jaboca berry was quickly examined.


    Firstly, it was found that this mutated Jaboca berry contained an incredibly rich Ground-type energy, far beyond what regr Jaboca berry possessed, and this energy was exceptionally pure.


    Secondly, it perfectly inherited the characteristics of the special energy in the meteorite and did not contain any substances harmful to Pok��mon.


    Lastly, this berry had the potential to be turned into a permanent held item, unlike regr Jaboca berry berries that were consumed after one use.


    Jaboca berry berries could already be held by Pok��mon as items. When a Pok��mon holding one was hit by a physical move, the opponent would take damage equal to one-eighth of its maximum HP.


    Joyka informed Yuga that this mutated Jaboca berry could be crafted into a permanent held item, locking in this one-time effect.


    Thest revtion surprised Yuga. It was simr to the Pok��mon ability Rough Skin, except that one affected close-range attacks, while the other affected physical attacks.


    However, Yuga didn''t consider turning this precious mutated Jaboca berry into a held item. His primary goal was to breed Gligar with Blue Potential, to obtain the method of crafting Razor Fangs.


    To preserve it better, with Joyka''s assistance, Yuga turned this mutated Jaboca berry into a Potion.


    After all, the Gliscor''s queens had recently given birth. It would take some time before they could be pregnant again, and if he left the Jaboca berry for too long, it might rot.


    He had considered using other Gligar for this purpose, but after careful thought, he decided against it. Having a better individual would increase his chances of sess in the breeding program.


    Joyka had also informed Yuga that this mutated Jaboca berry was unique in its growth. Due to its high energy requirements during growth, it could only produce one berry each season, and not more.


    In this situation, Yuga couldn''t afford to waste such a precious item carelessly.


    However, he still had a few meteorites in his possession. He was now thinking about whether he could follow the previous steps to cultivate another mutated Jaboca berry tree. If he seeded, it would be a significant gain.


    Joyka was also interested in the breeding process for this special Jaboca berry and proposed that she would be willing to pay a high price for the method.


    However, Yuga declined Joyka''s offer, citing that it was merely a coincidence, and he wasn''t certain about the exact method. Joyka, half skeptical, didn''t press further.


    In truth, Yuga wasn''t lying. This berry tree had indeed been an idental result of his experimentation. Originally, he had wanted to conduct an experiment to see if the unique energy from the meteorite would affect Ground-type Pok��mon. He hadn''t anticipated stumbling upon this mutated berry tree.


    Several other types of berry trees that had participated in the experiment hadn''t undergone this particr transformation.


    As for whether he could cultivate a second one, Yuga couldn''t be certain himself. He could only return and continue experimenting with the remaining meteorites.


    With the prepared Potion in hand, Yuga happily prepared to return to the YoYo Day Care.


    However, while walking along the road, he suddenly sensed something following him from behind, and it emanated the aura of Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    Yuga had be extremely sensitive to Ghost-type Pok��mon now.


    He abruptly halted his steps, and from the shadows behind him emerged a Gengar. Gengar extended its chubby little hand and gently pulled a few Ghost-type Pok��mon out of the corner''s shadows.


    A Shuppet, two Gastly, and a Midreaveous looked at Gengar, who was grinning at them. Fear filled their eyes.


    It turned out these Ghost-type Pok��mon had been attracted by the energy emanating from Yuga''s body, thanks to the Ghost Realm Origin Stone.


    Previously, Gengar and Mismagius had told him that he would frequently be harassed by Ghost-type Pok��mon, and now he was experiencing it firsthand.


    This was still in a town with a scarcity of Ghost-type Pok��mon. If he were in the wild, even more Ghost-type Pok��mon might be drawn to him.


    When the Ghost Realm Origin Stone entered Yuga''s body, it formed a special space within his shadow, a unique space where only Ghost-type Pok��mon could exist.


    Most of the energy released by the Origin Stone would flow into his shadow and remain in this special space. Gengar and Mismagius would reside there as well.


    Even though most of the energy from the Origin Stone was locked away in his shadow by Gengar and Mismagius, there was still a portion that was difficult to control and would scatter, attracting nearby Ghost-type Pok��mon to him.


    It could be said that the allure of the Ghost Realm Origin Stone''s power to Ghost-type Pok��mon was irresistible.


    However, this situation wasn''t particrly friendly for Yuga, as his peculiarity could easily be noticed by Ghost-type Pok��mon trainers.


    Fortunately, Gengar and Mismagius informed him that once they advanced to Elite level, they couldpletely seal the power of the Origin Stone within Yuga''s shadow, putting an end to these encounters.


    Looking at the trembling Ghost-type Pok��mon, Gengar raised a shadow ball, seemingly ready to deal with them. However, Yuga stopped it.


    These Pok��mon didn''t have any ill intentions; they were simply attracted by the power. There was no need to harm them, especially since their abilities and potential were quite ordinary. Yuga had no interest in capturing them, so he let Gengar release them.


    Gengar nodded to Yuga, controlled their psychic power, and sent the Ghost-type Pok��mon flying away, disappearing in the blink of an eye.


    Watching Gengar return to its shadow, Yuga continued on his way toward the YoYo Day Care.

 Chapter 408: Shuri

    <h4>Chapter 408: Shuri</h4>


    Upon returning to the Day Care, Yuga noticed that all the customers were gathered around the television, and he then realized that there was breaking news being broadcast.


    Another one of the Elite Four had stepped down, and the new Elite Four member who took their ce was a young Elite Trainer named Phoebe.


    Now, aside from cia, the Elite Four members matched what Yuga remembered.


    cia was older than both Sidney and Phoebe, but she wasn''t originally from the Hoenn region. It was unclear when she had arrived in Hoenn.


    The television was currently showing the transition ceremony between the outgoing and iing Elite Four members.


    Simr to Phoebe, the previous Elite Four member had been a specialist in Ghost-type Pok��mon. He was quite elderly, almost as old as Mr. Moore, although Yuga didn''t know much about him, as he hadn''t paid attention to this kind of news before.


    That person was Cecilia''s father.


    Just then, the voice of Gengar entered Yuga''s mind.


    "Are you talking about the Elite Four member on TV?" Yugamunicated with Gengar using his special ability, expressing disbelief.


    "Yes!" Gengar''s thoughts came through again.


    Gengar''s words made Yuga feel like he still had much to learn. He looked again at the television, at the kind, smiling old man, and couldn''t reconcile this image with that of a ruthless killer of women and children.


    This veteran Ghost-type Elite Four member was named Bridges, and he had held his position for nearly two decades. Even though Yuga wasn''t familiar with him, he had heard that Bridges was highly regarded and known for his numerous contributions to the League. He was also frequently featured on television for his charitable endeavors.


    Yuga had also heard that after his first wife''s death, Bridges had waited ten years before marrying his second wife, showing great respect for his first wife. Was all of this just a fa?ade?


    Just by looking at the television and seeing the cheerful expression on Bridges'' face, Yuga found it hard to believe that this was Cecilia''s father, let alone connect him to the image of a viin.


    "Are you sure you''re not fooling me? He doesn''t look like it!" Yuga againmunicated with Gengar using his special ability.


    This time, Gengar didn''t respond, seemingly displeased with Yuga''sck of trust.


    "Well, it seems I''ve encountered an Elite Four member as an enemy, and I''ll have to wait until I''ve grown my wings. If things really get tough, I can only say sorry to you, Muya," Yuga thought.


    Yuga returned to the Ecopark, selected several saplings from the mutant Jaboca berry tree, and then headed to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark to continue his experiments. The open space there was suitable, and it allowed Grass-type Pok��mon to take care of the fields while also looking after the saplings.


    However, when Yuga entered the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, he witnessed a rather eye-catching scene: three Delcattys were all chourting the Persian simultaneously, and what was more surprising was that the Persian wasn''t refusing any of them.


    Seeing the Persian''s proud face with a triumphant expression, Yuga couldn''t help but think that this dead cat had the dame virtues as the Gliscor Leader.


    The three Delcattys had only recently evolved and were already captivated by their leader. Was it really necessary to deceive inexperienced ignorant female cat ike this?


    Furthermore, shouldn''t Delcattys have some dignity? Where was the elegance? All Yuga saw were only three infatuated female cats.


    (Note : Delcatty chinese name is Elegant Cat)


    Seeing that Yuga had entered the Ecopark, the Persian raised an eyebrow at him. As a single dog, Yuga suddenly felt like he had taken a critical hit.


    Seeing that his provocation was sessful, the Persian who was lying on the grass raised his head high, then stood up and left with his girlfriends arrogantly, leaving Yuga vomiting blood on the spot.


    "Did I offend you in some way? I''m your provider, after all. Is it really necessary to be so provocative?" Yuga felt that it was too difficult for him.


    Recalling the time when they were at Professor Birch''sb, the Persian should have been interested in Professor Birch''s assistant, Aru. Unfortunately, Aru had avoided the Persian when it was still a Meowth, and that''s why Yuga had ended up bringing it to the YoYo Day Care.


    But isn''t it your own fault if someone doesn''t like you? Yuga couldn''t help but think.


    Shaking his head in resignation, Yuga picked up the mutant Jaboca berry saplings and continued with his farming work.


    A few more days passed.


    On this day, as Yuga returned from the new shop to the old one, he was surprised to find Grandma Lanca inside the store, apanied by a young boy.


    "Grandma Lanca, what brings you here? Are you looking to buy Pok��blocks?" Yuga greeted her warmly.


    "Oh, Little Yuga, I didn''t know you were in the store," Grandma Lanca replied with a smile.


    At that moment, Suzuki Koen approached, followed by a Trapinch that was trotting alongside her.


    "Grandma Lanca is this month''s client for Trapinch," Suzuki Koen introduced.


    Since Grandma Lanca had previously purchased a Lotad from the store, she was a regr customer for Pok��blocks. Suzuki Koen and Grandma Lanca had be acquainted over time.


    "Yes, indeed. This is my grandson, and I reserved the Trapinch for him," Grandma Lanca said with a smile, pointing to the young boy beside her.


    The more Yuga looked at the young boy, the more familiar he seemed. So, he couldn''t resist giving him a longer nce.


    "Hello," Yuga finally remembered, looking surprised. "Oh, it''s you! I remember you came to our store."


    "Yes... I came once," the boy replied somewhat uneasily.


    Back then, he had visited Verdanturf Town to see his grandparents, and upon learning that there was a Day Care in town, he hade to check it out.


    This young boy was, in a sense, the very first customer at Yuga''s store, although he hadn''t bought anything during his initial visit.


    At that time, Yuga had just arrived in this world, and the child came to the store and asked if there were any Pok��mon from Kanto region. He had thought that this boy might be a sheltered rich kid, which as it turns out, he was.


    (Note : if you''re forgot this kid is the one that asking Yuga about Dratini, Charmander, and Growlithe in early Chapter. it should be in Chapter 2)


    Grandma Lanca was not a native of Verdanturf Town, and Yuga didn''t know exactly what her family did, but he knew that they were wealthy and influential. Due to Grandma Lanca''s health condition, she had been staying with her husband at the recuperation facility in Verdanturf Town.


    "My son prepared an initial Pok��mon for this boy. However, he believes that to be an excellent Trainer, one Pok��mon won''t be enough. So, when he came to visit me this time, I decided to reserve another one for him at your store," Grandma Lanca exined.


    Yuga nodded in understanding. It was amon idea among wealthy individuals that having more than one Pok��mon was essential for aspiring Trainers.


    Grandma Lanca had a great deal of trust in YoYo Day Care. Back when Yuga''s parents were still around, they had been acquainted with Grandma Lanca. So, she considered YoYo Day Care before thinking of the more well-known Day Care in Hoenn. Currently, YoYo Day Care might not have much reputation, but its Pok��mon quality was on par with therger Day Carr; it simply had fewer in quantity.


    After Grandma Lanca''s introduction, Yuga learned that the boy''s name was Shuri, and he was eleven years old. He attended the Trainer Middle School and followed an academic approach, simr to Genos'' sister. Shuri didn''t go on Trainer journeys and seemed rather inexperienced, likely due to his limited life experiences.


    In the meeting room, Shuri quickly hit it off with Trapinch, as pure-hearted children were often easily epted by Pok��mon.


    Just as Yuga was about to leave, he witnessed Shuri taking out a Premier Ball and releasing a Dratini, which began ying with Trapinch.


    Seeing this scene, Yuga thought, "No wonder he asked for a Dratini right away when he first came to the store. He really does have the means to get even a Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon like a Dratini as his starter."


    Not long after Shuri and Grandma Lanca arrived, Shiho and Mr. Kobayashi also came. The two kids quickly became friends in the meeting room, primarily because Shuri was quite lively. Otherwise, given Shiho''s reserved nature, it would have been challenging for them to y together.

 Chapter 409: Anya

    <h4>Chapter 409: Anya</h4>


    After leaving the meeting room, Yuga headed to the Ecopark and returned with a Miltank from it.


    This Miltank was one of the newly born Pok��mon in the Ecopark, the offspring of the old assistants of Audino and Tauros.


    Over time, more Miltank and Tauros had been born in the Ecopark, but their parents'' potentials were not particrly high, and as a result, these newly born Miltank and Tauros also had modest potential.


    However, Yuga didn''t mind. He didn''t intend for the Miltank to be used in battles; he simply wanted them to take good care of the Pok��mon in the Ecopark, and that was enough for him.


    This particr Miltank was the first one born with a green potential, and Yuga had brought it out to assign it to Anya, making it her exclusive assistant.


    Since Yuga had already decided to nurture Anya into the exclusive breeder of YoYo Day Care, he was willing to invest in her.


    Moreover, after observing her for some time, Yuga had noticed that Anya was incredibly diligent and eager to learn. She also showed significant talent. Thanks to her help, the production of Pok��blocks in YoYo Day Care had noticeably increased.


    Yuga was nning to teach her the form for Beautie series Pok��blocks once she could independently produce Pok��blocks. This way, she could work alongside Audino and be responsible for the business with Sootopolis Gym.


    Business at the store was booming, and the number of Pok��mon in the Ecopark was steadily growing. Sometimes, Audino alone had a hard time keeping up, so Yuga needed to find an assistant, and Anya was the best choice.


    Taking the Miltank to the new store, Yuga called Anya out from the workshop.


    Following Yuga outside, Anya asked nervously, "Is there something you need from me, boss?"


    At this moment, Anya believed she might have done something wrong, causing the boss to be upset with her.


    She was genuinely content with her current life, where she could eat well, dress warmly, and not worry about the uncertainties of the future or being mistreated by others.


    Therefore, she was very grateful to Yuga for providing her and her older brother, as well as her younger siblings, with a new life.


    However, sometimes she couldn''t help but feel anxious, fearing that if she didn''t perform well one day, her wonderful life would vanish.


    Seeing Anya''s nervous expression, Yuga smiled and said, "Why are you so tense? I''m not going to eat you."


    Seeing Yuga''s friendly smile, Anya''s nervousness gradually eased.


    "Today, I have good news for you. I''ve been watching your hard work all this time, so this Miltank is a reward for you."


    As he spoke, Yuga pointed to the Miltank he had brought with him, which was timidly tugging at his pants because it had recently been born and looked very small and a bit shy when gazing at Anya, a stranger.


    "Really?"


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Anya''s eyes widened in surprise, and she couldn''t believe it. Her earlier nervousness hadpletely disappeared.


    When she had followed Yuga earlier, she had seen this small Miltank but didn''t understand why there was a Miltank following her boss. She never expected it to be a gift for her.


    "Of course, it''s true. Why would I lie to you?" Yuga said with a smile.


    "Thank you so much, boss!" Anya eximed with joy and gratitude.


    Then, Yuga exined his n for Anya in detail and asked for her opinion.


    "What do you think? Do you have any objections to my arrangements? If you do, feel free to speak your mind."


    Anya gently shook her head and replied, "No, I''m willing to follow your arrangements, boss."


    Yuga''s n for Anya gave her a great sense of security because she had been unsure of her role at YoYo Day Care all along.


    Anya''s older brother had be the dedicated Trainer of YoYo Day Care, and her younger siblings had also gone to Trainer School, possibly following the path of bing Trainers in the future.


    But what about her?


    She didn''t have any aspirations to be a Trainer, nor did she have an interest in Pok��mon battles. While she wouldn''t oppose it if Yuga wanted her to be a Trainer, that wasn''t the life she desired.


    Because she couldn''t find her own ce, she had always felt uneasy.


    Yuga had brought them to YoYo Day Care to help with its operations, so what role could she y if she couldn''t contribute anything? Did she even deserve to stay at YoYo Day Care?


    These thoughts had been troubling Anya for a long time.


    It was only today that Yuga finally revealed her future role to her, and it instantly lifted the burden from her heart.


    Yes, if she didn''t want to be a Trainer, then she could be a Breeder!


    Anya might not enjoy Pok��mon battles, but that didn''t mean she didn''t love Pok��mon. Just like her older brother, she had a deep affection for Pok��mon. So, bing a Breeder was the best choice for her.


    With this realization, the uneasiness that had gued Anya for so long suddenly disappeared.


    As her inner turmoil vanished in an instant, Anya couldn''t control her emotions, and tears welled up in her eyes.


    Seeing Anya suddenly burst into tears for no apparent reason left Yuga dumbfounded.


    "What''s wrong? Did I say something wrong? Or did you reluctantly agree to bing a Breeder?" Several thoughts shed through Yuga''s mind the moment Anya shed tears.


    "Anya, don''t cry. If there''s something you don''t want, just tell me, and we can discuss it. I''m here to have a conversation with you, and I won''t force you into anything."


    Yuga hadn''t expected to make a young girl cry like this, and he was somewhat flustered.


    "No... no, it''s not like that. I didn''t... didn''t unwillingly agree. I''m happy," Anya said, wiping away her tears.


    Hearing Anya''s words, Yuga finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had been genuinely worried.


    "I''m willing to be a Breeder, and I''ll work hard to not let you down."


    After a while, Anya managed to calm her emotional rollercoaster and assured Yuga.


    Seeing that Anya''s tears were not yet dry, Yuga sighed lightly.


    She''s still a child after all, he thought. Despite her usual facade of being mature beyond her years, her heart was still fragile.


    But it was understandable. They had relied on each other for so long during difficult times, and it was natural for them to carry some emotional baggage.


    "Don''t be so serious. As long as you do your best, there''s no need to be so nervous in the future. YoYo Day Care is your home now, so feel at ease."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Anya nodded gently, and her tears that were about to fall again stayed in her eyes.


    "Alright, why don''t you go and greet the Miltank? It will be your partner in the future," Yuga suggested.


    Anya, upon hearing this, looked down at the Miltank. Her tearful eyes gradually regained theirposure, and Yuga quietly sighed in relief.

 Chapter 410: Eevee

    <h4>Chapter 410: Eevee</h4>


    After a heart-to-heart conversation with Yuga, Anya finally settledfortably into her life at YoYo Day Care. Her daily smiles became moremon, and gradually, she resembled an ordinary young girl.


    One day, after Yuga had finished practicing with the Pok��mon in the Ecopark, he prepared to leave. As he walked from the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark into the main Ecopark, he found himself surrounded by the Eevee family.


    There were Umbreon, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Sylveon, Espeon, two reon, and three Eevee.


    "What''s going on, little ones?" Yuga smiled, addressing the Pok��mon.


    "Umbreon," said Umbreon, stepping forward and pointing its front paw towards the three Eevee standing in front of Yuga. It seemed like they wanted to convey something.


    Currently, Umbreon was the strongest among the Eevee family, serving as their leader. So, they probably had a request for Yuga, which was why they had sent their leader to speak.


    Unfortunately, Yuga''s Celebi Blessing ability tomunicate with Pok��mon through Telepathy wasn''t quite perfected yet, so he couldn''t easily understand them.


    Seeing that Yuga was confused by their gestures, Umbreon started to get a bit impatient. Thankfully, Yuga had brought Chatot with him, which helped rify what they wanted to say.


    It turned out that they were concerned about the evolution of the three Eevee.


    Many of the Pok��mon in the Ecopark had already evolved. However, two of the Eevee in question were among the first arrivals at the Ecopark. Seeing that other Pok��mon who arrivedter had evolved, they felt a sense of urgency. That''s why they brought their older siblings to "negotiate" with Yuga.


    Two of the three Eevee had previously agreed to evolve into Leafeon and ceon, but their evolution conditions were unique, causing a dy. Leafeon required evolving near moss-covered rocks, while ceon needed to be near ice-covered rocks.


    (Note: In the eighth generation, Leaf Stone and Ice Stone can be used for evolution, but this story maintains the old generations evolution methods.)


    However, not just any ce with moss or ice-covered rocks would work. It had to be a location with extremely concentrated Grass and Ice type energy.


    These types of locations were rare in Hoenn, but they were moremon in Sinnoh. It was in the Sinnoh region that these two Eevee forms were first discovered.


    "If you want to evolve, you''ll have to leave home for a while. Are you two okay with that?" Yuga squatted down and asked the two Eevee with ribbons around their necks.


    "Eevee!" "Eevee!" The two Eevee nodded in agreement, indicating that they were fine with it.


    Yuga let out a sigh. It looked like he would have to ask Flint for help. He didn''t have the time to make a special trip to Sinnoh.


    Fortunately, Flint was constantly traveling around Sinnoh, so asking him for assistance should be feasible.


    Yuga exined the situation to the Eevee, and they didn''t oppose the idea of apanying Flint for some time.


    "Now, what about you?" Yuga turned his attention to the third Eevee, which had joined the Ecoparkter. Yuga hadn''t asked it what form it wanted to evolve into.


    "Eevee! Eevee!" The Eevee excitedly pointed at Vaporeon, expressing its desire.


    "You want to evolve into Vaporeon?"


    This Eevee nodded and then walked over to the Vaporeon, gently rubbing its head against the Water-type Pok��mon. The Vaporeon responded happily, returning the affectionate gesture.


    Yuga now understood; it was all about love! Even if your evolved forms are different, does that really matter in a rtionship? Yuga couldn''t help but feel amused. "So, you like someone and want to evolve to match them?"


    But regardless of their unique rtionship desires, Yuga gave them a thumbs-up in his mind. "You sure know how to y this game!"


    This particr Eevee was quite selective in choosing its partner. Vaporeon was one of the strongest Pok��mon in the Eevee family, it has a rare blue potential among them, alongside Umbreon and Jolteon.


    Once Yuga had resolved the Eevees'' requests, he heard a voice in his mind, indicating a new task had been triggered.


    [ Congrattions, host, for triggering the task: ''Perfect Ten.'' ]


    [ Description: The Eevee family consists of ten members. How can three remain unevolved? A perfect ten is aplete family reunion.]


    [ Reward: Universal Ice-type Pok��block form. ]


    Yuga couldn''t help but smile. The system was offering another opportunity!


    This task wasn''t particrly challenging; it was mostly a matter of spending some time. Yuga exited the Ecopark with a sense of aplishment, intending to contact Flint to help with the evolution process and order a Water Stone.


    However, as soon as he left the Ecopark, before he could even call Flint, Suzuki Koen stopped him.


    "What''s going on, Sister Koen?" Yuga asked, curious.


    Suzuki replied, "Three guests have arrived at the shop, saying they want to see you. They''re waiting in the meeting room."


    "Someone wants to see me? Three people! Who could it be?" Yuga wondered aloud, as he headed towards the meeting room.


    When he entered the room, Yuga was met with three unexpected faces: Genos, Butler, and Diane.


    Yuga wasn''t surprised that Butler had found his way to YoYo Day Care, given his role as an information broker. Yugapletely ignored Genos and, with a cold smile, sat down, addressing Butler and Diane, "I never expected you two to have the audacity to appear before me. Aren''t you afraid I''ll just kill you?"


    To Yuga''s harsh words, Butler wore a deeply ugly expression. If Diane wasn''t holding him back, he might have angrily overturned his chair.


    "Cough, Mr. Shimizu, there''s no need for such hostility. We came today to discuss something with you," Genos interjected, realizing the tense atmosphere.


    "Mr. Genos, did you bring them here?" Yuga finally turned his gaze towards Genos.


    Seeing that Yuga wasn''t being polite, Genos didn''t take offense. As the head of the White Light Intelligence Bureau, he was well aware of Yuga''s rtionship with Mr. Kuni''o. Furthermore, Mr. Kuni''o hadn''t kept his association with Yuga a secret, making it easy for the White Light Intelligence Bureau to gather information.


    "Mr. Shimizu, please don''t be so quick to anger. They''vee today to seek reconciliation with you," Genos replied with a forced smile.


    "Are you saying you understand the situation between them and me?" Yuga asked.


    "I have some knowledge of it," Genos sighed. He couldn''t understand why Butler would provoke Yuga when he had nothing to do. In his opinion, Butler was digging his own grave. If it weren''t for a favor he owed Butler, he wouldn''t be involved in this mess at all.


    Originally, Butler wanted to use this favor to beg Genos to invest in his experiment, but now he is using this favor to beg Genos toe to Yuga for reconciliation.

 Chapter 411: Mediator

    <h4>Chapter 411: Mediator</h4>


    "Since you are aware of the conflicts between us, you should understand that reconciliation isn''t so simple," Yuga remarked sharply, clearly recalling Butler''s initial arrogant attitude and his hostile actions. Reconciliation was not going to be straightforward.


    "Yes, yes, what Butler did was wrong, and he''s willing topensate you and apologize," Genos quickly interjected.


    In truth, Genos was also unsure of why Butler had attacked Yuga. He had questioned Butler about it, but Butler had refused to provide an exnation.


    "Compensation?" Yuga scoffed. "Do you think I care about whateverpensation he has to offer?"


    Yuga believed that Butler had ulterior motives for wanting reconciliation. It couldn''t be as simple as making amends for his earlier actions.


    "I will do my best to fulfill any requests you have, as long as it''s within my capabilities. I hope you will return what was taken from me," Butler replied, his face dark with suppressed emotions. He seemed ufortable with the idea of apologizing or making concessions but was driven by his ultimate goal.


    So, this was his real motive, Yuga thought.


    "Oh, are you referring to what I ''took'' from you? Could you please specify? If it''s Pok��mon, I''ve already handed them over to the League," Yuga said, pretending not to understand. He had indeed sold the Pok��mon to the League, but it was not the typical transaction.


    "It''s not Pok��mon, not Pok��mon! It''s a small, finger-sized stone! You should have seen it; I kept it in a ss container," Butler eximed, his excitement palpable.


    As Yuga had suspected, Butler''s visit was rted to this item. In terms of valuable possessions taken, this stone was far more significant than any Pok��mon he had sold to the League. However, Yuga found it curious that Butler didn''t seem emotionally affected by the fact that his Pok��mon had been given to the League; instead, he was fixated on the stone.


    On the sidelines, Genos was bing increasingly curious about the stone. What was it that made Butler so anxious? He was willing to go to great lengths to retrieve it, even if it meant using the favor he was owed by Genos.


    Unaware of the stone''s significance, Genos decided not to pry further. He simply wanted to conclude this matter quickly and distance himself from both Butler and Yuga, considering them both troublesome individuals.


    Little did Genos know that all of Butler''s experiments were dependent on that stone. Without it, he wouldn''t be able to continue his research, even with the investment he sought from Yuga.


    "You mean that stone? It''s indeed in my possession, but I have no intention of returning it. After all, it''s my spoils of war," Yuga said, casting a meaningful nce at Butler.


    Butler''s initial anger at Yuga''s refusal was soon reced by a sense of dread. He worried that Yuga might have discovered something about the stone, but that was unlikely. It appeared no different from an ordinary stone, and there was no reason anyone would suspect otherwise.


    Quickly shaking his head to rid himself of the unpleasant thoughts, Butler asked, "What do you want?"


    Butler gritted his teeth, attempting to suppress his anger.


    Seeing Butler''s reaction, Yuga knew that Butler had yet to realize his true position. He had no equal footing to negotiate with Yuga, even with Genos acting as an intermediary. His arrogance and pride were baseless.


    "I don''t want anything from you. However, I hold grudges, and since you attacked me without provocation, you should be prepared for my retaliation," Yuga stated. He had no intention of reconciling with Butler, surrendering the stone, or letting him off easily.


    "You!" Butler couldn''t contain his anger any longer and stood up from his chair, intending to confront Yuga directly. However, Diane restrained him once more.


    "Mr. Shimizu, can''t you consider giving in just a little for my sake?" Genos implored, trying to defuse the tense atmosphere.


    "It seems that Mr. Genos has made up his mind to be the mediator for Butler today, but have you thought about it? Do you have any favor with me? We don''t seem to have a deep friendship at all!"


    Yuga''s straightforward words made Genos''s expression momentarily unpleasant. However, he quickly reasoned that indeed, there was no mutual respect or obligation between them. Reflecting on it, Yuga had even saved Adrielle from danger, which meant that Genos owed him a favor.


    Yuga''s unique status also meant that he held considerable power, and when there were no favors to be exchanged, Genos felt powerless to influence the situation. Considering his own reputation, he rarely encountered individuals who were unwilling to respect his face, yet he had encountered Yuga, a person who could not be easily influenced due to his special background.


    Seeing Yuga''s unwavering stance, Genos sighed and said to Butler, "Butler, let''s go."


    "But..." Butler began, anxious to voice his thoughts.


    "Butler!" Genos reprimanded him sharply, his displeasure evident.


    Genos had been reluctant to apany Butler on this trip in the first ce. Now that he knew their efforts were in vain, he didn''t want to linger any longer. Seeing Butler attempting to prolong the discussion frustrated him.


    Observing the anger on Genos''s face, Butler reluctantly sealed his lips, withholding his objections. However, his discontent was clearly visible on his face.


    "We''ll take our leave then," Genos said to Yuga before turning and exiting the meeting room. Butler and Diane followed closely behind.


    As they watched Butler leave in frustration, Yuga narrowed his eyes slightly.


    Exiting the YoYo Day Care, Genos and his group headed towards their parked vehicles.


    Butler, still disgruntled, turned to Genos and said, "Mr. Genos, why did you give him so much respect? He''s just a small Day Care owner!"


    Clearly, Genos hadn''t informed Butler of Yuga''s unique background, and Butler genuinely saw Yuga as a person with no significant connections. He couldn''t understand Genos''s attitude toward Yuga.


    Hearing Butler''s words, Genos, who was about to get into his car, suddenly froze with his left foot raised.


    "Butler, I hope you understand that in my eyes, you are also a rtively insignificant figure. Sometimes it''s better to exercise some caution," Genos replied, his tone revealing his anger.


    Genos was genuinely upset about Butler''sck of tact in front of Yuga. After all, Butler was the one seeking reconciliation, yet his attitude had been anything but conciliatory. What''s more, Butler was the one in the wrong.


    Butler was left bewildered by Genos''s words. He couldn''t fathom what had angered Genos, wondering if he had said something wrong. Confused, Butler followed Genos and boarded the vehicle along with Diane.

 Chapter 412: The Dark Knight

    <h4>Chapter 412: The Dark Knight</h4>


    After Genos and his group left, Yuga contacted Flint to inform him about his two Eevee that he wanted to evolve into ceon and Leafeon.


    Flint readily agreed to Yuga''s request since he was currently on a journey and helping with such matters was convenient for him. He did mention that Yuga should be patient since he had some other things to take care of first.


    Yuga had no objections to this arrangement. Evolving the Eevee wasn''t an urgent matter, so he told Flint to proceed at his own pace, not wanting to disrupt his ns.


    After a visit to the Pok��mon Center to transfer the two Eevee to Flint, Yuga returned to the Day Care and bought a Water Stone from the League Store, preparing to use it on the remaining Eevee.


    Not long after Yuga returned, Arata Sena excitedly approached him, telling him that he had sessfully defeated and captured a Camerupt. He wanted to thank Yuga for his help.


    Seeing Arata Sena''s enthusiastic demeanor, Yuga couldn''t help but sigh, thinking, "He''s truly a child at heart."


    However, when he considered his own age, he realized that he was just a year older than Arata Sena. It made him feel like a child himself. But with his soul being that of a man in his thirties, Yuga couldn''t help but shiver.


    "Enough with this child talk!" he thought.


    Speaking of which, in this world, being 17 years old wasn''t considered a child anymore. Here, 10-year-olds were already held ountable under thew, and 16-year-olds were considered adults. Marriages at 17 or 18 years of age were quitemon.


    Yuga vaguely remembered that Ash''s mother was 19 when she gave birth to him. He wondered if he remembered correctly.


    Arata Sena hade with his junior, Akihito, to deliver the news about Camerupt. When Akihito saw Arata Sena holding Camerupt''s Pok�� Ball, he looked at it with envy.


    "Boss, thank you," Akihito suddenly said.


    Yuga was puzzled by Akihito''s words. Why would Akihito thank him when Arata Sena had just captured a new Pok��mon? They seemed quite close already.


    Seeing Yuga''s gaze shifting between him and Arata Sena, Akihito realized there was a misunderstanding. He quickly rified, "I''m talking about Anya''s matter!"


    Yuga then understood that Akihito was thanking him for helping Anya.


    "There''s no need to thank me for that. Both of you are the pirs of the Day Care now. Properly nurturing you is my duty," Yuga replied.


    Akihito nodded in response, making a silent vow to work hard and not let Yuga down for the kindness he had shown.


    The busy day passed quickly, and in the evening, Yuga closed the doors and windows of the shop before heading to the second floor to sleep.


    As it was approaching summer, he left the windows of his room open to let in the cool night breeze, making the room feel refreshing.


    Under the gentle night breeze, Yuga gradually drifted into slumber.


    At this moment, a shadowy figure, d in ck, entered Yuga''s room through the open window, grabbing the foot of a Crobat to silently glide inside.


    Crobat, being a nocturnal Pok��mon, could enter without making any noise, even as it pped its wings rapidly.


    Once inside, the shadowy figure released Crobat''s foot and silentlynded on the ground. He then nced at Yuga, who was peacefully asleep, and breathed a sigh of relief.


    Subsequently, the intruder began searching Yuga''s room with utmost caution.


    However, after checking just a couple of cabs, he suddenly felt his surroundings change dramatically. The small, cramped room vanished, reced by a deste graveyard.


    The intruder was startled and fell to the ground. He looked around and saw countless dark graves, a total absence of sound, and an eerie silence that sent shivers down his spine.


    Aside from the graves, the intruder also noticed the faint swaying of tree shadows near the graves, felt the chilling breeze on his skin, and saw wisps of eerie blue mes rising from the tombstones.


    He wanted to shout or scream, but something seemed to have choked his throat, and no sound escaped his lips.


    Slowly, he felt like he couldn''t breathe, and he began to lie on the ground, clutching his throat and struggling desperately. He writhed with all his might, but it was in vain. He sensed that his life was slipping away from him.


    Just when he was about to despair and closed his eyes, he suddenly heard a distinct "snap," which was very loud in the silent environment.


    He abruptly opened his eyes and found that the graves, tree shadows, and ghostly mes had all disappeared. He was back in his room, and the room''s owner, Yuga, was looking at him with a smile. Floating beside Yuga was a Mismagius, while his Crobat had long lost its ability to battle andy motionless on the floor.


    The loud "snap" was the sound of Yuga turning on the lights.


    It turned out that everything he had seen was an illusion created by Mismagius.


    "Nice to see you again, Butler!" Yuga said with a smile.


    The person lying on the ground quickly touched the mask covering his face and realized he was still alive. He tried to speak, but no sound came out. When he saw Mismagius, with its eyes emitting a blue glow, he understood everything.


    Seeing the nervous Butler, Yuga walked over with a smile and removed the mask from his face. It was indeed Butler.


    "I knew it was you the moment you entered. Who else would sneak into my ce for a break-in?" Yuga chuckled as he got up.


    Seeing Butler''s calm expression, Yuga couldn''t help butugh.


    "Are you still waiting for Diane toe and rescue you? Wake up!" Yuga said.


    As Yuga''s words trailed off, a Gengar appeared in the room, and along with it were the unconscious Diane and a Kirlia.


    "See, I told you!" Yuga pointed to the unconscious Diane and Kirlia. He had been cautious this time after the previous encounter. He didn''t underestimate the situation.


    Seeing Diane and Kirlia tossed carelessly on the ground by Gengar, Butler''s face turned extremely unpleasant.


    He hadn''t expected Yuga to capture Diane so easily. Diane, with her Kirlia that could use Teleport wlessly, was supposed to be the backup n for security. But now, both of his contingency ns had failed.


    After their previous showdown, Butler had a rough estimate of Yuga''s strength. He thought that with Crobat as a safeguard, he could deal with Yuga, and even if things went south, they could make a quick escape.


    However, he had greatly underestimated Yuga''s abilities. He couldn''t have anticipated that Yuga had a Ghost-type Pok��mon, nearly on the level of Elite, as his personal guardian.


    Yuga looked at the Crobat lying on the ground.


    ...


    <<crobat>> </crobat>


    Type: Poison, Flying


    Ability: Infiltrator


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 59


    Moves: Cross Poison, Screech, Absorb, Supersonic, Astonish, Ominous Wind, Air Cutter, Swift, Mean Look, Quick Guard, Shadow Ball, Sludge Bomb, Taunt, Toxic, Defog, Sky Attack.


    ...


    To be honest, Butler had learned a valuable lesson this time. The Crobat he had with him was indeed extremely powerful, just one step away from being pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon. Its array of moves was also impressive.


    Although Yuga didn''t know how Butler had obtained this outstanding Crobat, it was clear that both he and Crobat were no match for Yuga pseudo-Elite level Mismagius.

 Chapter 413: Testing the Waters

    <h4>Chapter 413: Testing the Waters</h4>


    After confiscating Crobat and Kirlia''s Pok�� Balls from Butler and Diane, Yuga instructed Mismagius and Gengar to take them both. Quietly, under the cover of night, Yuga left the Day Care.


    He brought the captives to the outskirts of Verdanturf Town, where Yuga had Mismagius and Gengar deposit the two on the ground.


    Diane, who had been thrown rather harshly, moaned and slowly opened her eyes. When she saw Yuga and the prone Butler beside her, her expression turned to one of sheer terror.


    She had no idea how she had fallen unconscious or how she had been captured.


    "Butler!" she cried out as she rushed to his side.


    At this moment, Butler discovered that he could finally speak.


    "Diane! I''m sorry for dragging you into this," he said.


    Back in Yuga''s house, Mismagius had silenced Butler to prevent him from awaken the sleeping Windy. But now, outside, there was no need for him to remain quiet.


    Yuga looked at the two who were embracing each other and said, "You two should have a good chat. You won''t have another chance."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Butler''s face became extremely gloomy. He realized that Yuga would not spare him this time, and despair washed over him.


    "Please, just release Butler. If you want to kill someone, kill me. Butler was just too eager toplete his experiment; he meant no harm!" Diane suddenly threw herself at Yuga''s feet, tears streaming down her face as she begged.


    "No harm?" Yuga chuckled. "If he meant no harm, then why did he engage in activities like tracking and burry? If he had malicious intent, wouldn''t I be dead by now?"


    "Truly, he was just a bit too extreme in his actions; he''s not a bad person!" Diane continued to plead.


    "Diane, don''t bother begging him. He won''t let me go," Butler said with a heavy heart, his voice filled with despair.


    "Stop talking!" Diane suddenly yelled at Butler, startling him. She had never spoken to him in such a loud voice before.


    "Mr. Shimizu, I beg you, if you release Butler, I promise we''ll never appear before you again," Diane continued to implore.


    Yuga sneered, "Don''t you find yourself ridiculous? If, back when he wasmitting these acts, you had intervened instead of helping him, would we be here today? But you didn''t. Not only did you not stop him, but you also aided him in these crimes. You should have seen thising!"


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Diane fell silent.


    Yes, what if I hadn''t assisted him and tried to stop him? What would the oue have been? But would he have even listened to me? Ever since he obtained that stone, Butler had descended into madness, bingpletely different from the person he used to be.


    After much thought, Diane came to the conclusion that even if she had tried to stop him, it would probably have been in vain.


    With this realization, she slumped to the ground, unable to utter another word.


    As the sky began to turn a pale fish-belly white on the horizon, Yuga quietly returned to his room and went back to sleep.


    Perhaps due to his exhaustion from the previous night, he slept until nearly noon and missed his daily training with the Pok��mon.


    When he finally woke up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he descended the stairs to the first floor. He was about to freshen up when Suzuki Koen informed him that Mr. Genos had returned to visit.


    Hastily, Yugapleted his morning routine, tidied up, and headed to the guest room to meet Genos once again.


    "I wonder what brings Mr. Genos here today. If it''s about yesterday''s matter, I believe I made my stance clear," Yuga remarked as he greeted Genos.


    Genos stared at Yuga for a while before slowly speaking, "Butler and Diane went missingst night."


    "Oh? Is that so?" Yuga appeared surprised. "But what does that have to do with me? Are you suspecting me? I may have wanted to eliminate them both, but I can assure you, it wasn''t me."


    Yuga maintained a calm demeanor as he spoke these words.


    In truth, Genos didn''t fully believe Yuga''s words, but seeing that Yuga seemed genuinely unaware of the situation, he became somewhat uncertain.


    Genos had been aware that Butler and Diane were going to find Yuga''sst night. He had even provided Butler with excellent Crobat that good traveling at night from his family''s lineage of intelligence experts.


    The Genos family specialized in gathering information, and their signature Pok��mon was the Crobat, known for its expertise in nocturnal activities. So, how could Butler have acquired such a well-trained Crobat unless Genos had provided it?


    Genos had orchestrated this to test Yuga''s capabilities. He was curious about what made Yuga appealing to someone like Mr. Kuni''o. Curiosity was one of Genos'' most prominent traits, especially as someone involved in gathering intelligence.


    Initially, Genos thought that with the assistance of the carefully bred and trained Crobat from his family, Butler could achieve his goals without incident and safely retreat. However, Butler and Diane had not returned.


    Was it really unrted to the person before him, or had those two been quietly dealt with?


    At this moment, Genos found himself having difficulty deciphering the young man in front of him.


    If it wasn''t rted to the person before him, then where could those two have gone? If they had been disposed of quietly, Genos needed to be more cautious of this individual.


    Seeing Genos squinting at him without speaking, Yuga smiled and said, "What''s the matter? Don''t trust me? Well, it''s up to you. I can''t change your mind. Of course, if you can provide any evidence that I''m involved, I''m all ears."


    Yuga nonchntly spread his hands as he spoke.


    "Is it really not you?" Genos stared intently at Yuga''s face, as if trying to discern the truth behind the situation.


    Yuga shrugged and replied, "Didn''t I say so? Believe it or not, it''s your choice. My words are here."


    After scrutinizing Yuga for about half a minute and finding nothing unusual, Genos sighed and said, "Well then, I''ll temporarily believe you."


    In reality, Genos didn''t care much about the fate of Butler and Diane. What concerned him more was the loss of his valuable Crobat with a blue potential. Even within his own family, such Pok��mon were rare, and losing it weighed heavily on him.


    Hearing Genos'' words, Yuga rolled his eyes, thinking, "Who cares if you believe me or not? If you have evidence, just bring it!"


    "If there''s nothing else, Mr. Genos, please feel free to leave. I have business to attend to, and I won''t keep you here for idle chat," Yuga said, pointing to the door of the guest room as he spoke.


    "Then, I''ll take my leave today!" Genos stood up, bid farewell to Yuga, and left the guest room.


    Watching Genos exit the room, Yuga let out a quiet sigh.


    Ah, acting can be so tiring!

 Chapter 414: A Scare

    <h4>Chapter 414: A Scare</h4>


    After seeing Genos off, Suzuki Koen brought a package for Yuga to sign for. Yuga opened it and found it was the Water Stone he had ordered yesterday.


    So, Yuga took the Water Stone to the Ecopark, intending to help Eevee, who wanted to evolve into a Water-type Pok��mon,plete its evolution.


    Upon reaching the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, Eevee''s evolution went smoothly. The moment it touched the Water Stone, the evolution waspleted, and it happily went off with its partner.


    Next, Yuga took out two Pok�� Balls, each containing the Crobat and Kirlia from the previous night.


    Once he released Crobat, it looked at him with extreme vignce until a Mismagius emerged from Yuga''s shadow. Crobat was immediately too scared to move.


    The psychological trauma from Mismagius''sst night was still fresh!


    Terrified by Mismagius, Crobat quickly submitted. It was a Mobile Pok��mon raised by the Genos family and had no specific owner. It obeyed whoever held its Pok�� Ball, which is why it yielded to Yuga without resentment.


    Seeing itspliance, Yuga didn''t trouble it further. He summoned Swellow and had it take Crobat back to join its fellow Flying-type Pok��mon.


    Next up was Kirlia.


    As soon as Yuga released Kirlia, it attempted to attack him, but Mismagius effortlessly blocked its attempt. However, Kirlia''s eyes glinted with resentment toward Yuga.


    Yuga realized that this one couldn''t be easily tamed. He promptly recalled Kirlia back into its Pok�� Ball.


    Even if it harbored hatred towards Yuga, there was little it could do. Its own trainer''s actions had put it in this situation.


    Initially, Yuga hadn''t intended to harm Butler if he had been cooperative, but Butler had dared to sneak into the Day Care.


    Yuga''s Day Care was his "forbidden ground" with his biggest secrets. Anyone trying to pry into Yuga''s affairs would not be spared easily.


    He had considered handing Butler over to Officer Jenny, but he worried that if he did, Genos might intervene to retrieve Butler. That would be a dangerous situation.


    Yuga didn''t want to end up facing unintended consequences.


    In reality, Yuga''s concern had merit. Genos didn''t particrly care about Butler''s fate, but he did owe Butler a favor. If Butler asked for help, Genos wouldn''t refuse. Even if Yuga handed Butler over to the police, Genos, with his connections, could easily get him released on theft charges.


    Originally, Butler had intended to use this favor with Genos to take back of his Groudon''s body fragments in Yuga possession. However, since Butler hadn''t seeded, the favor remained.


    Genos, as someone involved in gathering intelligence, valued his reputation. If Butler genuinely needed his help, Genos would provide it.


    So, Yuga''s only choice to prevent potential problems was clear.


    Watching Crobat fly away with Swellow, Yuga suddenly noticed two Mr. Mimes assisting the Miltanks in transporting Pok��blocks to other Pok��mon. They were even chatting andughing with the Miltanks, which pleased him.


    Had their condition improved?


    These two Mr. Mimes happened to be a male and a female, seemingly a married pair. They had experienced the least psychological trauma among the group and appeared to have recovered well.


    Yuga decided not to disturb them, to avoid causing unnecessary scares. Even if they were now interacting with other Pok��mon, it didn''t necessarily mean they would ept Yuga as a human.


    Afterward, Yuga made a quick trip to the medicinal herb field, mainly to check on the Revival Herbs he had nted.


    Originally, Yuga had no confidence in growing such precious herbs, but after studying under Mr. Kuni''o, he had specifically asked for guidance on cultivating Revival Herbs.


    So, Mr. Kuni''o exined to Yuga the steps of preparing the cultivation soil for Revival Herbs and told him that to ensure the sessful growth and maturity of Revival Herbs, he should use his unique abilities to aid their growth; this was the key to artificially growing Revival Herbs.


    With Mr. Kuni''o''s guidance, Yuga managed to get the Revival Herb seeds he had nted to sprout, and they were now growing well.


    When Yuga arrived at the herb field, five Lotad were lined up neatly on the field''s ridge, staring intently at the lush herbs in the field.


    These five Lotad were responsible for watering the herb field, and although they initially struggled, even causing some of the herbs to rot at the roots, they were now perfectly capable of their duties.


    Among these five Lotad, three had hatchedter, while the two leading ones had been in the Ecopark for a considerable time.


    Surprisingly, the two leading Lotad still hadn''t evolved to their second stage, unlike the two Surkrit that hade with them, which had already evolved into Masquirain and moved to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    Surkrit, after evolving into Masquerain, lost its Water typing, so it typically left its original water source, where it was still Surkrit. Therefore, the two Masquerain moved to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    Bug-type Pok��mon usually evolved quite quickly, so it wasn''t strange for Surkrit to evolve into Masquerain in a short time.


    Watching the Lotad on the ridge with their goofy expressions, Yuga found it quite amusing. He walked over to y with them, but they didn''t cooperate much and remained in their dazed state.


    Seeing that the Lotad weren''t paying him much attention, Yuga, uninterested, walked into the herb field and used his unique abilities to nourish the Revival Herbs.


    Just as Yuga was about to finish and leave, one of the Lotad approached his feet. It had somewhat vacant-looking eyes and stared fixedly at the green light emitting from Yuga''s hands.


    "Do you want to give it a try?" Yuga extended his right hand, bringing the green light in front of the Lotad.


    The Lotad nodded gently and appeared eager to rub against Yuga''s hand.


    Yuga lifted the Lotad from the ground, and using his unique abilities, both of his hands emitted green light, gently massaging the sides of the Lotad''s body.


    After some exploration, Yuga understood that his unique abilities could soothe a Pok��mon''s body, making them feel extremelyfortable sensorially. However, Yuga''s abilities weren''t strong enough yet to heal Pok��mon.


    As Yuga softly massaged the Lotad, it made contented noises. Its usual emotionless expression faded away, reced by azy one.


    Continuing the massage, the Lotad suddenly emitted a dazzling white light, surprising Yuga to the point that he involuntarily closed his eyes.


    When he opened his eyes again, he saw a Lombre lying in his arms, blinking at him without a break.


    Yuga was startled and almost threw the Lombre out of surprise. He stared wordlessly at the Lombre for over ten seconds before silently suppressing his impulse.


    There was no way around it; the somewhat eerie appearance of Lombre,pared to the cute and endearing Lotad, was a bit unsettling.

 Chapter 415: Withering

    <h4>Chapter 415: Withering</h4>


    After calming down his startled heart, Yuga gently ced the Lombre he was holding on the ground.


    Upon seeing their leader suddenly evolve, the other four Lotad quickly gathered around the Lombre and chatted excitedly with it. Then, they all turned their gazes toward Yuga in unison.


    Feeling somewhat bewildered under the scrutiny of their ten pairs of eyes, Yuga couldn''t help but wonder if his ability had anything to do with their leader''s evolution. After all, he hadn''t heard that his abilities could trigger Pok��mon evolution.


    "Just a coincidence! It''s purely coincidental!"


    In the end, unable to resist their collective gaze, Yuga had to give each of them a massage. As expected, the evolution of the Lotad had nothing to do with him; the remaining four didn''t evolve at all.


    "If you want to evolve, you need to train regrly. Slowly, you''ll evolve. No need to rush," Yuga reassured the disappointed Lotad.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, the Lotad nodded in agreement. They followed the Lombre out of the herb field, returning to the ridge where they lined up once again. The only difference now was that the lead position was held by the Lombre, but the near-dazed expression remained, as if it was passed down from one to the next.


    Seeing the Lotad leave, Yuga also exited the herb field and left the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark.


    In fact, the reason Yuga was in such a hurry to grow Revival Herbs was to see if they could heal the injuries of Dragonair''s mother. After all, Revival Herbs were known as a "life-saving" elixir, so they should be able to heal Dragonite''s injuries without a problem.


    However, considering the growth rate of the Revival Herbs, Yuga realized that there might not be much hope in the short term.


    Nheless, Dragonair''s mother''s injuries were stabilized by the Guardian Orb and wouldn''t worsen. She was slowly recovering, albeit not as quickly as Yuga had hoped.


    Upon returning to the shop from the Ecopark, Yuga noticed Chatot perched on the small weather tree in the shop, engaging in cheerful conversation with a customer.


    The customer had never seen a talking Pok��mon before and was thoroughly entertained by Chatot.


    When the customer left with the Pok��blocks that Suzuki Koen had prepared for him, Chatot finally noticed Yuga''s presence in the shop and flew over joyfully.


    "Darling, you''re here!"


    Chatotnded lightly on Yuga''s shoulder, evidently in a great mood, probably because it had just flirt with a handsome guy.


    "Why can''t you do something productive for once? You''re always idling around," Yuga said helplessly.


    "Productive work? Is there something I need to do? Besides, I have my own ideal lifestyle, so how can you say I''m idling around?" Chatot was quite dissatisfied with Yuga''s usation, even though it did tend to idle around.


    Yuga grabbed the neck of the Chatot and pulled it down from his shoulder. He then said, "Can''t you help the Noctowl take care of your baby?"


    The Chatot struggled, trying to escape from Yuga''s grip, but found that he was holding it too tightly and couldn''t break free.


    "Don''t... don''t... I''m almost choking!" The Chatot exaggeratedly stuck out its tongue, as if it were about to suffocate, urging Yuga to release it.


    However, as Yuga continued to hold onto the Chatot, he suddenly felt that something was not right with its body.


    "What''s wrong with your body?"


    Yuga suddenly let go of Chatot''s neck and asked Chatot with a frown.


    "What... what... what''s going on! I don''t know what you''re talking about!" The Chatot rapidly pped its wings and distanced itself from him, wearing a look of utter confusion, as if saying, "I have no idea what you''re talking about!"


    Yuga watched the fluctuating expression of Chatot and said in a deep voice, "Are you pretending with me?"


    When he had held Chatot''s body earlier, he had sensed that the bird''s life force was extremely weak, as if its entire body had withered away, devoid of any vitality. Although his special ability couldn''t yet heal Pok��mon, he could still perceive their physical condition.


    "When did I ever pretend with you? Everything I said was the truth!" Chatot continued to be defiant.


    "Come here!"


    Yuga''s expression turned serious as he waved his hand towards Chatot, unintentionally taking on amanding tone in his voice.


    "W-what are you going to do?"


    Chatot was visibly nervous under Yuga''s stern gaze, slowly flying over to Yuga.


    Seizing the opportunity, Yuga grabbed Chatot with both hands, holding one of its wings firmly, and began to examine it closely.


    Chatot struggled to break free, but Yuga''s grip was too tight.


    He covered Chatot with a green aura of energy and carefully observed. He discovered that Chatot''s physical condition matched what he had sensed earlier. Chatot''s body resembled that of a withered nt,pletely devoid of moisture. Within its body, Yuga feltrge areas of darkness. He marveled at how Chatot was still alive in such a state.


    "Has your body always been in this condition?"


    Yuga released his grip on Chatot, his eyebrows tightly furrowed. Before he had this special ability, he hadn''t noticed anything unusual about Chatot''s body. It usually acted just like any other Pok��mon. Yet, he now discovered that Chatot''s body was in a state of extreme depletion.


    Chatot, realizing it couldn''t hide anymore, pped its wings and flew into the air. Annoyed, it tugged at its neck and said, "Yeah, yeah, it''s always been like this, ever since I met you! What''s the matter?"


    "Follow me!" Yuga ignored Chatot''s dismissive attitude and said firmly.


    Watching Yuga head upstairs, Chatot hesitated for a moment but eventually gritted its teeth and followed.


    Yuga reached the second floor, entered his room, sat down on the bed, and then looked at Chatot, which had followed slowly. He said, "Spill it, what''s going on."


    He felt that he had to get to the bottom of this today. With Chatot''s current condition, it might not survive much longer.


    Once inside Yuga''s room, Chatotnded gently on the table and then impatiently said, "Why are you asking all these questions? It''s none of your business!"


    "It''s none of my business? Don''t forget that you''re my Pok��mon now. You eat what I provide, drink what I offer, and live under my roof. Now you say it''s none of my business!"


    Yuga was visibly angry at Chatot''s indifference.


    "But what can you do even if I tell you? What do you want?"


    Chatot impatiently pped its wings, causing the table to creak under its talons. It shouted in a restless tone.


    "What can I do? Of course, we need to find a solution! Do you want to die?"


    Yuga''s eyes widened, and his voice unintentionally rose significantly.

 Chapter 416: Abadonment

    <h4>Chapter 416: Abadonment</h4>


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Chatot suddenly deted like a punctured balloon, copsing onto the table.


    "It''s useless, there''s no way," Chatot''s tone was filled with despair.


    "How can there be no way? If necessary, we''ll go see my master. With his abilities, he''ll surely find a solution," Yuga''s expression became somewhat excited. He believed that his master, with his remarkable skills, would surely have a solution.


    Chatot raised its head to look at Yuga and said, "No, Mr. Kuni''o''o didn''t have a solution either."


    Back in Mauville City Manor, during their first encounter, Mr. Kuni''o had already noticed Chatot''s ailing condition. However, he had chosen not to reveal it to Yuga, as Chatot had desperately implored him to keep it a secret.


    Later, Chatot approached Mr. Kuni''o, seeking to maintain the facade of normalcy in front of Yuga. It knew that its time was limited, and it simply wanted to enjoy its remaining days in the joyful atmosphere of YoYo Day Care, rather than burdening Yuga with its plight.


    Mr. Kuni''o had examined Chatot''s condition, intending to address its underlying health issues, but he discovered that Chatot''s physical state was too deteriorated. Even Mr. Kuni''o''s healing abilities couldn''t help in this situation.


    Mr. Kuni''o understood Chatot''s wish to keep this a secret from Yuga and decided to respect that.


    "It''s alright; even if Master can''t help, we have Revival Herb. Once I cultivate the Revival Herb, it should be able to solve your problem," Yuga suddenly remembered that he had Revival Herb seeds in his Ecopark. He believed that Revival Herb would be the answer.


    However, Chatot shook its head gently and said, "It''s useless. Mr. Kuni''o told me that Revival Herb can only heal injuries, not restore life force. What Ick is life force, not an injury."


    The Revival Herb seeds Yuga possessed were also given to him by Mr. Kuni''o. It was inconceivable that Mr. Kuni''o wouldn''t understand the properties of Revival Herb or overlook its potential use.


    After hearing Chatot''s exnation, Yuga hung his head in disappointment. Did this mean he would have to watch Chatot die right in front of him?


    Although Chatot often had a sharp tongue,cked power, and caused asional chaos, Yuga couldn''t deny the vibrancy and liveliness it brought to YoYo Day Care. After spending such a long time together, emotions had naturally developed.


    He couldn''t bear to see Chatot pass away like this.


    "You should tell me what happened, exactly," Yuga lifted his head to look at Chatot and said.


    Seeing Yuga''s determined gaze, Chatot silently nodded.


    Chatot was born in Sinnoh, a carefree wild Pok��mon until the day it encountered a Trainer named Captain Phantom, the leader of a unique circus troupe. Unlike ordinary circuses, this troupe consisted of adventurers whobined performances with explorations.


    Their current visit to Sinnoh was both for a performance and an adventure. Captain Phantom was the one who met Chatot.


    Captain Phantom treated Chatot exceptionally well, training it diligently and even teaching it to speak. Chatot grew fond of its Trainer. It put great effort into learning humannguage and honing its abilities.


    Chatot possessed outstanding potential, with a rare blue potential among Pok��mon. Because of this, Captain Phantom cherished Chatot deeply and invested all his energy into its growth.


    With the blue potential and Captain Phantom''s dedicated training, Chatot''s strength gradually reached the level of a pseudo-Elite, bing the strongest Pok��mon in the troupe.


    Chatot thought it would spend its entire life happily with Captain Phantom, adventuring and performing together without a care in the world. Yet, the world is unpredictable, and Chatot''s perception of an "entire life" was cut short.


    The circus troupe stumbled upon a mysterious relic��an ancient site that contained information about Manaphy, the Mythical Pok��mon, and the Sea Crown, said to grant control over the sea.


    The relic was left behind by the People of the Water, revealing the location of their ancestral homnd, information about the mythical Pok��mon Manaphy, and details about the Sea Crown.


    However, exploring the interior of the relic was perilous. Most members of the troupe who ventured inside lost their lives, with only a few managing to escape.


    Nevertheless, some individuals did make it deep into the relic''s depths, including Captain Phantom and Chatot.


    However, the depths of the relic were often the most dangerous ces.


    Upon seeing the information deep within the relic regarding the People of the Water, Manaphy, and the Sea Crown, they were suddenly attacked by a powerful witzer.


    Chatot''s strength was no match for the powerful witzer.


    At a critical moment, Captain Phantom took out a vial of potion and made Chatot drink it.


    After consuming the potion, Chatot felt intense pain throughout its body. It was as if it was about to explode, and even its consciousness began to gradually fade, leaving only one thought: to fight.


    It seemed like the potion had activated something within Chatot, flooding it with an overwhelming surge of power.


    The battle was fierce, and with the potion''s effects, Chatot''s strength became on par with the witzer. In the end, both were severely injured.


    Chatot couldn''t pinpoint when it had lost consciousness. It only woke up to find the relic had copsed. The troupe members, Captain Phantom, and the witzer had all disappeared, leaving Chatot battered and lying among the rubble.


    Chatot struggled to get up and fly, but it couldn''t. It felt as though its body was shattered, and the pain was unbearable.


    It realized that this was the result of the potion Captain Phantom had made it drink. Such sensations were not typical for injuries alone.


    Furthermore, it noticed that the connection between itself and its Pok�� Ball had disappeared.


    Chatot instantly understood; it was either had been abandoned by Captain Phantom or Captain Phantom might have perished. In either case, it was not the oue Chatot had wanted.


    While Chatot was awaiting to die, it encountered a Noctowl. The Noctowl brought it home and took care of it.


    Under the attentive care of the Noctowl, Chatot''s injuries gradually improved, and it regained its vitality.


    In this new environment, Chatot lived happily with the Noctowl. It never thought of seeking out Captain Phantom again because whether Captain Phantom was dead or had abandoned it, there was no need to find him anymore.


    However, the good times didn''tst long. Chatot soon realized that its body was deteriorating, and its strength was waning. Even the skills it used to master were gradually bing unusable.


    It was because of that potion! Chatot instantly made the connection.


    Desperate to solve its health issues, Chatot started searching for a solution. The Noctowl also noticed the problem and helped in the search, but there was no solution in sight.


    Over time, Chatot''s strength declined from pseudo-Elite level to a mere 18, and its once-blue potential had degraded to yellow. Its body was gradually withering away.


    Knowing it didn''t have much time left, Chatot chose to run away. It wanted to distance itself from the Noctowl and leave their home.


    And so, Chatot returned to the human world, embarking on aimless wanderings. Its personality gradually transformed into what it is now. Then, it encountered Yuga in Verdanturf Town and entered YoYo Day Care.


    Not long after, the pregnant Noctowl found Chatot.


    Noctowl didn''t me Chatot and didn''t express any opinions about its behavior, even though Chatot had been flirting and causing trouble everywhere. That''s because Noctowl understood Chatot and believed that Chatot had always been the same Chatot it remembered.


    As for the ims Chatot had made about Noctowl having a crush on it and all the other nonsense it had said, those were all fabrications made up to fool Yuga.

 Chapter 417: Decision

    <h4>Chapter 417: Decision</h4>


    Previously, Yuga had always been puzzled about why Noctowl would have any interest in Chatot. Chatotcked strength, didn''t possess striking looks, was flirtatious, talkative, and idled around.


    It wasn''t until today that he finally understood why.


    Noctowl understood Chatot andprehended how it hade to be the way it was today. That''s why Noctowl treated Chatot with the utmost tolerance, quietly following it with her child.


    "I''ll take you to find Ho-oh!" Yuga suddenly spoke, looking at the despondent Chatot.


    Given Chatot''s current condition, there was probably no one else besides Ho-oh who could help. Though Hope was faint, having a chance was better than simply waiting for the worst.


    "Ho-oh?"


    Chatot, who had only been to Sinnoh and Hoenn, was unfamiliar with the legend of Ho-oh. So when Yuga mentioned the name, it left Chatot bewildered.


    "Yes, Ho-oh! It''s a Legendary Pok��mon in the Kanto and Johto regions, holding the Sacred Fire and the power to resurrect the deceased. If we find it, you will definitely be saved."


    Yuga briefly introduced the origin of Ho-oh.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Chatot eximed, "Are you out of your mind? How could we possibly find it? Even if we do, why would it help us?"


    "Cross that bridge when wee to it!"


    Yuga''s response was clear-headed and calm. His decision wasn''t impulsive; he was determined to find Ho-oh, regardless of whether Chatot agreed or not.


    The Ho-oh is the Legendary Pok��mon who possesses the power of life. As long as we find Ho-oh, Chatot will definitely be saved.


    Watching Yuga''s questioning expression, the Chatot slumped onto the table and said weakly, "Why bother with this?"


    "Because you don''t want to die, right?" Yuga''s response left the Chatot stunned.


    Indeed, it didn''t want to die. If it did, it wouldn''t have ended up like this today. It still had the Noctowl who loved it, cute children, and plenty of beautiful experiences waiting in life. Quietly and meaninglessly passing away like this was something it couldn''t ept.


    The Chatot didn''t say anything, but its expression conveyed its thoughts clearly to Yuga.


    "Since you don''t want to die, what''s there to hesitate about? At worst, it''s just a wasted trip. There''s no worse oue than what you''re facing now."


    Yuga decisively made the decision for the hesitant Chatot.


    With the determination to seek out Ho-oh in the Kanto and Johto regions, Yuga immediately began preparations.


    He didn''t n to dy any longer because he could sense that Chatot''s condition had deteriorated to a critical level. This matter was best addressed sooner rather thanter.


    Besides the travel essentials he needed to pack, there wasn''t much else for Yuga to arrange or exin.


    He could entrust the shop''s business to Suzuki Koen, who was well-versed in managing it. The Ecopark was efficiently overseen by Audino and the Miltanks, so there were no concerns there.


    Watching Yuga busily prepare for the journey, Chatot, in a weak voice, asked, "Are we really going to find Ho-oh?"


    Yuga paused his work and looked at Chatot. "What? Do you have any other ideas?"


    Chatot quickly shook its head. Then, Yuga gave it a stern look, silently conveying that it should remain quiet.


    With an uncertain return date for this journey, Yuga had a pile of things to prepare. He packed all the items he could think of for the trip into his system backpack, knowing it wouldn''t run out of space.


    When it was suddenly heard that their boss was going to Kanto and Johto, Suzuki Koen and the others were quite surprised. However, they didn''t inquire about Yuga''s purpose. They simply wished him a swift return.


    Chatot naturally didn''t keep this trip to find Ho-oh a secret from Noctowl. She immediately expressed her intention to apany them, but Chatot managed to dissuade her.


    The oue of this trip to Kanto and Johto was uncertain. Perhaps Chatot might not return once it went there. It didn''t want to experience a heart-wrenching separation from Noctowl, especially with their child still at YoYo Day Care.


    Yuga was apanied by two pseudo-Elite Ghost-type Pok��mon for personal protection. As long as they didn''t do anything reckless, their safety was guaranteed, mainly because Elite level Trainers were a rare sight.


    Even if they encountered an Elite level opponent, with the eerie abilities of two Ghost-type Pok��mon, escaping would certainly be an option.


    Of course, the premise is that they didn''t meet someone as formidable as Cecilia''s father.


    Before departing, Yuga found Beidou and handed him a Pok�� Ball containing a Teddiursa.


    This Teddiursa was the child of the Ursaring Yuga had captured on Illuma Ind.


    Yuga had promised Akihito that he would reward him with a Pok��mon once his Shroomish evolved into Breloom. Some time ago, Yuga noticed that Akihito''s Shroomish was on the verge of evolving. Considering that he wouldn''t be returning for a while, Yuga decided to give the Teddiursa to Beidou for now.


    As Beidou took the Pok�� Ball, Yuga couldn''t help but feel like he was making arrangements for his possible departure. Was he really not going to return from this trip?


    On the third day after deciding to go to the Kanto and Johto regions, Yuga and Chatot arrived at the airport in Verdanturf Town.


    "Where are we going?" Chatot asked curiously, as Yuga hadn''t yet told it where in Johto they were going to search for Ho-oh.


    Yuga replied, "We''ll first visit Ecruteak City in Johto to visit Bell Tower."


    Ecruteak City was deeply connected to Ho-oh, making it Yuga''s first choice for finding leads.


    However, for Yuga, Ecruteak City wasn''t the friendliest ce. Both Ecruteak Gym and Ecruteak Tower had many Trainers skilled in Ghost-type Pok��mon, precisely the type of Trainers Yuga wanted to avoid right now.


    Encountering them would make it easier for his aura emanating from the Ghost Realm Origin Stone to be detected.


    Fortunately, Mismagius and Gengar provided Yuga with a temporary solution by sealing the spread of his energy using the power of Cleanse Tag.


    The reason Yuga waited until the third day to depart was to receive the Cleanse Tag he had ordered.


    However, the Cleanse Tag had very limited effectiveness. Yuga couldn''t easily utilize the King of Ghost ability within him. Otherwise, the Cleanse Tag would fail to contain the Ghost Realm Origin Stone''s energy.


    The Pok��mon Yuga brought with him on this journey included Absol, Chimecho, Charmander, Bellossom, Roserade, Ivysaur, and Shroomish.


    Because he had Mismagius and Gengar with him, Yuga didn''t bring his most powerful Pok��mon. Instead, he chose to bring the ones he had been training recently, hoping they would all continue to grow.


    Especially Bellossom, Shroomish, and Ivysaur. Yuga intended to train them jointly, so bringing them along was essential.


    The Cleanse Tag''s function was creatively adapted by the author based on its name.

 Chapter 418: Seatmate

    <h4>Chapter 418: Seatmate</h4>


    Unlike his first trip to Johto, Yuga chose not to take a boat this time and opted for a ne. As a result, it took them only three days to reach the Johto region, apanied by Chatot.


    There were no direct flights from Hoenn to Ecruteak City, so Yuga first took a ne to Goldenrod City. From there, they nned to take a train to Ecruteak City.


    Ecruteak City was not far from Goldenrod City, with only Violet City in between. The transportation was convenient and the journey was smooth, so it wasn''t much of a hassle.


    Upon arriving in Goldenrod City, Yuga didn''t linger elsewhere and went straight to visit Mr. Miltan. After all, he felt it would be disrespectful not to visit the elderly man while he was in Goldenrod City.


    Yuga had maintained contact with Mr. Miltan, who had taught him a lot about breeding and raising Milktanks, so Yuga held great respect for the elderly man.


    Upon hearing that Yuga was nning to visit Ecruteak City, Mr. Miltan was quite surprised. Ecruteak City was not a ce where just anyone could gain ess.


    Before leaving, Mr. Miltan gave Yuga a letter of introduction to Ecruteak Gym, suggesting that Yuga seek their help if he encountered any trouble.


    Mr. Miltan wasn''t just the owner of Moo Moo Farm; he was also a Gym Leader at Goldenrod Gym and had been good friends with the previous Gym Leader of Ecruteak City.


    The current Gym Leader of Ecruteak City was a rtively young Trainer named Morty. Despite his age, he possessed formidable strength.


    Ecruteak Gym was technically part of the Bell Tower faction. However, since the establishment of Ecruteak Gym, there had been growing discord within the Bell Tower.


    Ecruteak Gym had be stronger over the years, causing increasing tensions within the Bell Tower. Eventually, the Gym Trainers chose not to interfere with the internal affairs of the Bell Tower anymore, focusing solely on guarding the Burned Tower.


    So, even though Ecruteak Gym was still officially affiliated with the Bell Tower, their rtionship had effectively be strained.


    However, there was no significant conflict between the two, just differences in ideology. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for both to coexist in the same city for so long.


    After leaving Mr. Miltan''s Moo Moo Farm, Yuga and Chatot boarded a high-speed train bound for Ecruteak City.


    Once on the train, Yuga found his seat along with Chatot. However, upon arrival, he noticed that someone had already taken the seat next to his.


    The person saw Yuga approaching, nodded politely in greeting, and Yuga responded with a nod in return.


    The train quickly began moving, and the scenery outside the window started to retreat rapidly. Chatot anxiously asked, "Will our trip to Ecruteak City go smoothly?"


    Yuga knew that Chatot had been quite anxious these past few days. It carried both hope of finding Ho-oh and the fear of returning empty-handed, making it a turbulent emotional journey.


    "Don''t worry; it will go smoothly," Yuga reassured Chatot with a smile as he gently patted its head.


    In reality, Yuga himself wasn''t entirely confident. Whether Bell Tower would be willing to provide any clues or not, even if they were willing, the information they could provide might be quite limited.


    And so, Yuga and Chatot, each with their own concerns, continued to gaze at the rapidly receding scenery outside the train window.


    "Um...hello there!" At that moment, an abrupt voice interrupted their thoughts.


    Yuga turned to see the person seated next to him looking somewhat embarrassed while addressing both him and Chatot. The previous voice had indeede from him.


    "Hello. Is there something you need?" Yuga looked at the young man beside him, who seemed to be around his age.


    "Haha, nothing important. I just heard this Pok��mon speak, and it surprised me. I wanted to get to know you guys. Oh, by the way, I''m Eusine."


    It seemed that this young man was quite interested in Chatot''s ability to speak, as his eyes remained fixated on it while he spoke.


    "I see. Hello, I''m Shimizu Yuga, and this is Chatot. Nice to meet you," Yuga replied politely, introducing himself and Chatot.


    "Great, great! I''ll call you Yuga, then! It''s not every day youe across a talking Pok��mon. In fact, it''s my first time! So, this is Chatot, right?"


    Eusine appeared thoroughly excited as he gazed at Chatot. He came across as quite sociable, addressing Yuga by his name without any hesitation, even though they had just met.


    "Species like Chatot are naturally adept at learning and mimicking, which is why a small number of them canmunicate like humans," Yuga exined.


    "I see, I see. It''s fascinating! Is Chatot not a native species in Johto then? I haven''t seen them here," Eusine asked with curiosity.


    Yuga replied with a smile, "Chatot is moremonly found in the Sinnoh region. It''s not amon sight in Johto."


    And so, Yuga and Eusine struck up a conversation on the train. As they talked, they became gradually more familiar with each other.


    "You two are also heading to Ecruteak City? What a coincidence, so am I," Eusine eximed upon hearing that Yuga and Chatot were headed to Ecruteak City.


    Yuga was equally surprised. He hadn''t expected to meet someone randomly on the train, let alone someone with the same destination.


    Thus, Yuga and Eusine decided to travel to Ecruteak City together.


    Through their conversation, Yuga learned that Eusine was friends with Morty, the Gym Leader of Ecruteak City. He was visiting Ecruteak City to meet his friend Morty.


    Yuga marveled at how small the world could be, to think that he''d meet someone with ties to Ecruteak Gym so easily.


    However, Yuga didn''t n to immediately follow Mr. Miltan''s suggestion to seek help from Ecruteak Gym. He wanted to try his luck at Bell Tower first.


    It wasn''t that Yuga was being obstinate; he just wasn''t sure if his somewhat unreliable Cleanse Tag would work at a renowned Ghost-type Gym like Ecruteak Gym.


    The high-speed train was incredibly fast, covering the distance in less than a day. They passed through Violet City and arrived at Ecruteak City''s train station.


    Yuga and Eusine parted ways at Ecruteak City''s train station.


    By the time they arrived in Ecruteak City, it was no longer early in the day. So, Yuga didn''t head directly to Bell Tower but instead chose to visit the Pok��mon Center first.


    Since he needed to ask for help, Yuga felt it necessary to freshen up and be presentable. After all, he didn''t want to appear rude.


    From Hoenn to Johto, and then without a moment''s rest from Goldenrod City to Ecruteak City, Yuji had indeed traveled extensively, and his condition was far from ideal.


    Ecruteak City was a renowned historical city in the Johto region, exuding a rich ancient cultural atmosphere. Even the buildings here were constructed in traditional architectural styles.


    The Pok��mon Center in Ecruteak City, like the other structures, followed the traditional architectural style, making it unique and charming.


    One more Chapter is currently being written by the author. However, due to the author not feeling well today and a slower writing pace, there''s a possibility that it won''t bepleted before midnight. If that happens, this Chapter will bebined with the one for tomorrow.


    The text has been edited for grammar, syntax, and rity while preserving the original content and word count.

 Chapter 419: The Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 419: The Meeting</h4>


    After spending the night at the Pok��mon Center in Ecruteak City, Yuga freshened up in the morning before heading to the Bell Tower with his Chatot.


    The Bell Tower was located to the east of Ecruteak City, and it stood in distant view of the Burned Tower to the northwest. The Ecruteak Gym was situated in between them.


    Both the Bell Tower and the Burned Tower were iconic structures of Ecruteak City, visible easily from any part of the city. Yuga didn''t need navigation or directions to find his way there.


    The Bell Tower had a total of nine floors, with the first to the eighth floors open to regr visitors. Only the ninth floor was essible to the internal personnel of the Bell Tower.


    As Yuga and Chatot arrived at the entrance of the Bell Tower, many people were already visiting. Two monks in brown robes stood at the tower''s entrance, indicating they were likely associated with the Bell Tower.


    These Bell Tower monks were different from the ascetic monks Yuga knew from his previous life. They could marry and have children, and the ancestors of the Ecruteak Gym were among these monks.


    Yuga didn''t disturb the two monks guarding the entrance on the first floor and went directly inside with Chatot.


    As he entered, the two monks bowed to him with joined hands.


    Inside the Bell Tower, the interior resembled a typical temple, but what enshrined inside is not any Deities, Buddha, or Legendary Pok��mon, it contained four Golden Bells.


    Three hundred years ago, due to human conflict, the predecessor of the Bell Tower, which was now the Burned Tower, was set aze. This angered Ho-Oh, and it never appeared before humans again.


    However, in the ruins of the burned Burned Tower, a miracle urred. Four transparent bells and thirty-two golden bells, which could convey the will of Ho-Oh, were miraculously preserved.


    Today, these thirty-two golden bells were enshrined in the newly constructed Bell Tower. Each of the first eight floors had four bells, but the most important transparent bell was on the ninth floor.


    Yuga didn''t linger on the first eight floors and proceeded directly with Chatot to the entrance leading from the eighth to the ninth floor.


    At each floor''s entrance, two monks in brown robes were stationed as guards. However, the monks guarding the entrance from the eighth to the ninth floor wore ck robes instead of brown, and their attire was moreplex, indicating a higher status.


    As expected, as Yuga was about to step onto the staircase leading to the ninth floor, the two monks blocked his way.


    "Sir, we apologize, but the ninth floor is not open to the public," one of the monks with joined hands bowed to Yuga and said.


    "May I see your abbot for a moment?" Yuga asked.


    "I''m sorry," the monk replied with a troubled expression.


    It seemed that things weren''t going to be so easy! Yuga had expected that meeting the abbot of the Bell Tower wouldn''t be straightforward, but he just wanted to give it a try.


    However, what surprised him was the impable manners of these monks. They treated guests with great humility.


    It appeared that a direct visit wouldn''t work!


    Just as Yuga was preparing to leave, he suddenly saw a young novice monk, about eight or nine years old,ing down from the ninth floor.


    The young novice monk whispered a few words to one of the monks guarding the entrance, and then, to Yuga''s surprise, the monk looked astonished and turned to him.


    "Sir, our abbot would like to meet with you."


    Yuga was taken aback by this development. He was going to meet the abbot right away? Could it be that the abbot of the Bell Tower had some kind of rtionship with his family?


    Perplexed, Yuga followed the young novice monk, who led him up the mysterious ninth floor of the Bell Tower.


    Upon reaching the ninth floor, Yuga saw more than ten monks sitting in rows on the floor, seemingly waiting for him.


    As Yuga stepped onto the ninth floor, a dozen pairs of eyes immediately turned their gaze towards him.


    These monks on the ninth floor were different from the younger guards below; they were all elderly. Except for the leader, even the youngest among them appeared to be in their forties.


    The leading monk was dressed in pristine white robes, while the others wore uniform ck robes with brown silk ribbons around their necks.


    In contrast to the ck robes of the guards at the entrance to the ninth floor, the ck robes of the senior monks were more intricate and dignified. The style of their robes likely indicated their positions within the Bell Tower.


    "Please, have a seat, sir," the white-robed leader of the monks gestured toward a cushion ced in front of them.


    Honestly, Yuga was still unsure about the situation. Why were the monks of the Bell Tower assembling in such a grand manner to meet him?


    With a heart full of questions, Yuga sat down across from the monks, and Chatot remained perched on his shoulder, now feeling a bit timid.


    "I am Joe, the current abbot of the Bell Tower," the white-robed monk introduced himself with a smile and joined hands.


    Upon hearing this introduction, Yuga was greatly surprised. He had expected the abbot of the Bell Tower to be an elderly, solemn figure. Instead, he was met with a young man who didn''t look a day over thirty.


    What was even more astonishing was that this abbot was exceptionally good-looking, with striking features and an attractive appearance, despite his bald head. Even thepleteck of hair couldn''t diminish his extraordinary charm.


    Seeing Yuga''s surprised expression, Joe chuckled and said, "I can understand how my appearance might be misleading, but I am indeed the abbot of the Bell Tower."


    Joe not only had good looks but also exuded a kind and gentle aura. It was as if he was blessed by a divine light, making people naturally fond of him.


    Yuga couldn''t help but marvel at how even bing a monk required such an impressive appearance. This abbot of the Bell Tower was certainly not an ordinary person.


    "Oh, um, hello, Abbot Joe!" Yuga quickly bowed in a gesture of respect, joining his hands together.


    "I already know the purpose of your visit, but unfortunately, the Bell Tower cannot assist you," Joe said, his gaze briefly falling on Chatot perched on Yuga''s shoulder.


    Upon hearing Joe''s words, Yuga couldn''t help but sense a strong air of mysticism around the Bell Tower''s monks. How did they know everything even before he had said a word?


    Although he had expected this journey wouldn''t be easy, Yuga couldn''t help but feel disappointed. He asked, "Is there truly no information regarding Ho-Oh avable at the Bell Tower?"


    Joe shook his head with a regretful expression. "There is none. Since the events three hundred years ago, Ho-Oh severed all ties with the Bell Tower, and the transparent bells have not rung since."


    Hearing Joe''s words, Yuga and Chatot both sighed in disappointment. While they knew this journey might not yield results, they hadn''t anticipated leaving the Bell Tower empty-handed.

 Chapter 420: The Hero

    <h4>Chapter 420: The Hero</h4>


    "However, there is a way to meet Lord Ho-Oh," Joe suddenly spoke, just as Yuga and Chatot were feeling disappointed.


    "What way?" Yuga asked excitedly.


    "This will require your assistance to help the Bell Tower," Joe replied.


    "Help? What could the Bell Tower possibly need my help with?" Yuga wondered. The Bell Tower was a significant force in the Pok��mon world, and he couldn''t fathom how he, an unknown individual, could be of assistance.


    "We are in great need of a Chosen One," Joe exined.


    "A Chosen One? You mean you want me to be your Chosen One? Or perhaps you want me to father a Chosen One for you?" Yuga''s imagination ran wild, and he couldn''t help but feel a bit terrified at the thought.


    It seemed that Yuga had quite the vivid imagination. If Joe knew what he was thinking, he might just explode in frustration.


    Seeing Yuga''s bewildered expression, Joe continued, "I hope you can help us find the Chosen One."


    Yuga breathed a sigh of relief. "Help you find the Chosen One? Are you saying you need me to locate someone you believe is the Chosen One? But why can''t you do it yourselves? You have plenty of capable trainers here, so why involve me, an ordinary person?"


    "It has to be you," Joe said firmly.


    "Why?" Yuga was puzzled.


    "Because you must be curious why we knew of your arrival and your purpose," Joe replied.


    Indeed, Yuga was extremely curious, but he had assumed it was some sort of mystical ability of the monks. "Why?" he asked, keeping his inner thoughts in check.


    "Because our Chosen One once visited us from the future. He told us that only you could help him. Unfortunately, we don''t know the Chosen One''s name or what he looked like as a child. Otherwise, we wouldn''t need to trouble you," Joe exined.


    This revtion left Yuga truly surprised. Time travel? Had he encountered Celebi, the guardian of the forest, or Dialga, the Legendary Pok��mon that controlled time?


    If this were true, it would exin everything. Yuga had initially thought that the monks possessed some unique power to predict the future, but now it made sense that they had knowledge from a time traveler.


    Yuga sighed and asked, "How do you expect me to find this person? And what does finding someone have to do with meeting Lord Ho-Oh?"


    Joe responded, "Have you heard of the legend of the Rainbow Feather?"


    "The Rainbow Feather?" Yuga nodded. He was familiar with the legend that said Lord Ho-Oh would grant the title of Rainbow Hero to those chosen by the Rainbow Feather. If the Rainbow Hero passed a test, they would have the opportunity to meet Lord Ho-Oh, who would grant them one wish.


    Joe was somewhat surprised that Yuga knew of the legend, given that he wasn''t from the Johto or Kanto regions. Still, he smiled and said, "Since you know about the legend of the Rainbow Feather, it''s quite simple. By helping our Chosen One pass the Rainbow Hero''s test, you can also meet Lord Ho-Oh."


    "Pass the Rainbow Hero''s test? Do I have the qualifications to be a Rainbow Hero?" Yuga was astonished.


    "You misunderstand. I want you to help our Chosen One pass the test and be the Rainbow Hero. This way, you''ll also have the chance to meet Lord Ho-Oh," Joe rified.


    At that moment, Yuga felt a strong sense of disdain and disapproval from Joe.


    Well, it turns out I''m just a sidekick. I got all excited, thinking I could be the Rainbow Hero, but it seems I''m just here to be a tool. Although I''m not interested in this Chosen One business.


    "But even if I agree to your request, I don''t have the crucial Rainbow Feather," Yuga said helplessly, shrugging his shoulders.


    "You don''t need to worry about that!" Joe replied, and with a nod to a young monk standing nearby, the acolyte respectfully brought a box to Yuga and opened it.


    Yuga peered into the box and saw a dazzling, seven-colored feather inside. "This Rainbow Feather is one of thest remaining treasures of the Bell Tower. With this Rainbow Feather, you can find our Chosen One," Joe exined.


    From what Yuga knew, Ash Ketchum, also known as Satoshi, was the chosen Rainbow Hero. Should they kidnap Ash and bring him here? Given Ash''s connection to Professor Oak, that wouldn''t be practical, and turning him into a monk wouldn''t be easy either.


    Yuga sighed and asked Joe, "How often does a Rainbow Hero appear?"


    Joe seemed puzzled by Yuga''s question. He replied, "The appearance of a Rainbow Hero has no set frequency. It depends on the purity and kindness of one''s heart. Such individuals are rare, and they may appear once in a thousand years or several times in a year. It''s not rted to time."


    "I see," Yuga said. He had thought there might be some rule like "once every decade" or "once every century," but now he understood there was no such pattern.


    But if that were the case, why hadn''t the Rainbow Feather responded to him? Was he not pure-hearted enough? It was frustrating.


    In this situation, Yuga felt he had no choice but to agree to Joe''s request. After all, Chatot can''t wait anymore!


    "I promise to help you find the Chosen One and assist them in bing the Rainbow Hero," Yuga agreed reluctantly.


    "Excellent. We''re counting on you," Joe said with a bright smile, nearly blinding Yuga with his radiant expression.


    "Goodness, this guy''s too much!" Yuga thought.


    Following Joe''s instructions, the novice monk holding the Rainbow Feather handed it to Yuga.


    As Yuga epted the Rainbow Feather, Joe continued, "Once you find the Chosen One, if they are not already a Pok��mon Trainer, we hope you can help them be one, providing them with a starter Pok��mon with a Blue potential. I know you can do it. During the trials of the Rainbow Hero, we also hope you can assist them in bing a qualified Trainer."


    Hearing these words, Yuga nearly wanted to smack Joe in the face with the Rainbow Feather. It felt like he was reduced to a mere tool. Where were his rights?


    But considering he needed to use their Rainbow Feather to find Ho-Oh, Yuga reluctantly agreed.

 Chapter 421: Morty

    <h4>Chapter 421: Morty</h4>


    Under the farewell of everyone at the Bell Tower, Yuga left the tower in a huff.


    "Is it really a good idea to have agreed to them like this?" Chatot asked, looking concerned. After all, Yuga had epted this troublesome task mainly for its sake, and Chatot couldn''t help feeling guilty.


    Yuga replied, "What''s wrong with it? We were nning to find Ho-oh ourselves, and who knows how long that would take. Now, we have a ready-made solution. We''re just helping each other out."


    "But..."


    Chatot was about to continue when Yuga interrupted, "But what? Lately, you''ve been acting like a nagging olddy. Did you take the wrong medicine?"


    "I''m just worried about you!" Chatot retorted before being cut off again.


    "Hey, Yuga!"


    Just then, Yuga heard a familiar voice calling his name from behind. When he turned around, he saw Eusine, the person he had met on the high-speed train.


    However, Eusine wasn''t alone; he was apanied by a man with yellow hair.


    "Eusine, what a coincidence! Who is this?" Yuga greeted them and inquired.


    "This is my good friend, Morty, and he''s a Gym Trainer at the Ecruteak Gym," Eusine introduced with a smile.


    "Nice to meet you. Do you happen to know Mr. Miltan?" Morty asked upon hearing Yuga''s name.


    "It seems that Mr. Miltan told you that I aming."


    Yuga realized that Mr. Miltan must have informed the Ecruteak Gym about his impending arrival. He couldn''t help but think that Mr. Miltan had gone to great lengths.


    However, if Mr. Miltan had already informed them, why did he still give me a letter of introduction? Yuga couldn''t help but find it a bit redundant.


    "It''s indeed you!" Morty eximed with recognition. "I thought you had decided not toe to Ecruteak City."


    "Well, what''s the situation? Do you two know each other?" Eusine asked, feeling left out of their conversation.


    Yuga exined the rtionship between himself and Mr. Miltan, as well as Mr. Miltan''s connection with Morty''s grandfather, the former Gym Trainer of Ecruteak Gym. Eusine soon understood the situation.


    "Haha, it''s a small world!" Eusineughed.


    Indeed, the more you want to avoid certain people, the more likely you are to run into them, Yuga thought.


    "I heard you and Chatot arguing earlier. What''s going on? Any conflicts?" Eusine inquired, a mischievous glint in his eye.


    "Nothing like that!" Yuga and Chatot replied simultaneously.


    "Haha, you two have great chemistry! Your rtionship seems excellent!" Eusine teased.


    "Of course!"


    "No way!"


    Once again, both the human and the Pok��mon chimed in simultaneously, but their expressions conveyed entirely different meanings. The former statement came from Chatot, while thetter was spoken by Yuga.


    "Haha, you guys are quite the pair," Eusine chuckled.


    Yuga nced at Chatot and remarked, "Who has a good rtionship with this annoying bird?"


    Hearing this, Chatot pped its wings and flew from Yuga''s shoulder to Eusine''s shoulder, wearing a sly expression. "Our dear one here is just a bit shy, you know!"


    Chatot raised an eyebrow in Eusine''s direction as it spoke.


    Eusine chuckled and said, "Haha, I understand. It''s called being tsundere, right?"


    Chatot exchanged a knowing look with Eusine, and both bird and trainer shared a smile.


    Yuga couldn''t be bothered with these two antics and shifted his gaze to Morty, relieved to see that Chatot had returned to its usual self.


    "I initially nned to seek help from Ecruteak Gym only if things could not be resolve. I didn''t expect Mr. Miltan to have already informed you in advance. I''m truly sorry about that," Yuga said, feeling apologetic for making them wait.


    Morty shook his head and replied, "No need to apologize. But I''ve heard that you intend to meet the Bell Tower''s head, and let me tell you, he''s not pushover!"


    Yuga''s visit to the Bell Tower was something Morty had heard from Mr. Miltan.


    Yuga smiled and reassured him, "Don''t worry about that. I''ve already met Abbot Joe, and things are progressing well."


    Upon hearing that Yuga had already met Joe, Morty was surprised. In his memory, Joe was not an easy person to deal with. He had known Joe since he was a child, despite Joe being over ten years older. They belonged to the same generation, although Joe appeared much younger.


    In Morty''s eyes, Joe, despite his handsome appearance, had always been someone who concealed his true intentions. When interacting with him, Morty always felt a chill down his spine, which was in stark contrast to Joe''s friendly demeanor.


    It wasn''t just Morty; his father felt the same way. However, since Joe had be the Abbot of the Bell Tower, they rarely crossed paths.


    One thing was certain: Joe was an exceptionally powerful trainer. However, Morty had never witnessed Joe''s true abilities himself; he had only heard about them from his grandfather.


    The Bell Tower and Ecruteak Gym had originally belonged to the same lineage, and despite their strained rtionship, there were still some connections between the two, much like how the Burned Tower had evolved into the Bell Tower.


    Joe had always been a hidden figure, quietly cultivated within the Bell Tower. He never revealed his true strength to outsiders. How he had be the Abbot of the Bell Tower was a mystery.


    "I didn''t expect him to agree to see you so easily," Morty remarked with a hint of awe.


    Yuga chuckled and said, "Hehe, it was actually a fortunate coincidence."


    It appeared that Morty was unaware of the details regarding the Rainbow Feather. Yuga thought to himself that Ecruteak Gym might not be privy to all the secrets of the Bell Tower.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Morty simply nodded in agreement without further inquiry. The details of what had transpired didn''t concern him; all that mattered was that Yuga was safe and sound. Otherwise, he would have difficulty exining to his own grandfather.


    "By the way, why are the two of you here at the Bell Tower?" Yuga suddenly asked, curious as to why they hade to find him.


    They couldn''t have predicted my presence here ande all this way just to meet me.


    Morty replied, "Eusine is quite interested in the legends of Ho-oh and Suicine, so I brought him here to take a look."


    Yuga nodded in understanding. "I see."

 Chapter 422: Golden Surprise

    <h4>Chapter 422: Golden Surprise</h4>


    After wandering around the vicinity of the Bell Tower with Morty and Eusine, Yuga returned to the Pok��mon Center.


    Morty had initially invited Yuga to visit Ecruteak Gym as a guest, but Yuga declined, citing his intention to leave Ecruteak City. He didn''t want to get involved too deeply in unnecessary adventures, especially considering the secrets connected to the Ghost World Origin Stone in his possession.


    He rested another night at the Pok��mon Center in Ecruteak City. The next morning, he received a message from Nurse Joy, informing him that a young monk was looking for him.


    Upon reaching the Pok��mon Center''s lobby, Yuga encountered the young monk he had seen near the entrance to the ninth floor of the Bell Tower. The monk handed him a letter from Abbot Joe and promptly departed.


    Yuga opened the envelope and found a message along with a map inside. Joe''s note instructed him to lead the chosen one to Raizen Mountain Range, where the trials of the Rainbow Hero wouldmence. The map provided detailed directions to Raizen Mountain Range.


    Upon examining the map, Yuga became infuriated. The location indicated on the map was in the Kanto region, far from the Johto region.


    Enraged by the inconvenience caused by Joe''s maniption, Yuga could hardly contain his frustration. He felt as if Joe were treating him like a mere errand boy rather than a respected trainer.


    Despite his anger, Yuga packed his belongings and decided to leave Ecruteak City that very day to find the so-called "chosen one." However, he had no idea how to locate this individual.


    Yuga took out the Rainbow Feather from his system''s backpack, inspecting it closely. Despite examining it multiple times, he found no clues or indications of its purpose.


    Feeling perplexed, Yuga decided to head to the Kanto region first since Raizen Mountain Range was undoubtedly located there. Perhaps he woulde across the chosen one in the vicinity.


    He boarded a flight to New Bark Town, as it was the closest town in the Kanto region. From there, he would follow Route 27, Tohjo Waterfall, Route 26, Champion Road, and Route 22 to reach the Viridian City in the Kanto region.


    The Johto and Kanto regions were previously part of the same area when the Pok��mon League was first established. They wereter divided into two regions with Mt. Silver serving as the boundary.


    As Yuga sat on the ne bound for New Bark Town, he recalled the rushed departure that morning, realizing that he hadn''t checked the Trainer Store in the system.


    Checking the daily refresh of the Trainer Store had be a daily ritual for Yuga, hoping for some unexpected surprises, perhaps even a golden item.


    With these thoughts in mind, Yuga opened the Trainer Store in the system.


    And then... just as he dared to hope... it happened!


    Seeing the dazzling golden light in one of the nine slots, Yuga couldn''t help but feel like shouting for joy. Finally, his luck seemed to be turning!


    It must be thepensation given by the system to see how badly he was abused by that bastard Joe, Yuga thought.


    However, the golden item came with a hefty price tag of 5 million Pok��dor.


    [ First golden item at half price! ] a voice from the system suddenly rang out in Yuga''s mind.


    Just this 5 million for half price? What is so valuable?


    Yuga didn''t hesitate and immediately exchanged for the item.


    In an instant, a substantial portion of his savings vanished. Yuga couldn''t help but feel that his money didn''tst long, even though he had earned quite a bit from the YoYo Day Care. Each time he spent money, it seemed to disappear in the blink of an eye.


    With the exchangeplete, Yuga''s attention shifted to the golden item now resting in his system''s backpack.


    "Seed of the Unknown?" he muttered to himself, puzzled by the item''s name.


    The item was roughly the size of a thumb, with a faint golden color and a subtle shimmer. While it appeared luxurious, its name left Yuga bewildered.


    Yuga asked, "System, what is the use of this item?"


    The system responded, [ Unknown, its function is unknown. ]


    "What on earth! So, the name ''Seed of the Unknown'' means we don''t know its purpose?" Yuga eximed.


    Yuga asked, "Is this thing meant for Pok��mon or for me?"


    The system replied, [ Unknown! ]


    Yuga couldn''t believe it. He felt like the system was being uncooperative and not providing any useful information about an item he had acquired.


    He decided to set the mystery aside for now and continue on to New Bark Town.


    Seeing Yuga''s expressions change repeatedly, the Chatot perched on Yuga''s shoulder curiously asked, "Is something bothering you? Are you feeling unwell?"


    Yuga quickly shook his head, not wanting to admit that he was frustrated by his own supposed "golden finger."


    The flights within the same region were quite fast, and by evening, Yuga had reached New Bark Town. He had traversed more than half of the Johto region, starting from Ecruteak City in the morning.


    New Bark Town was known as the "Origin of the Wind," and it was famous for Professor Elm''s Pok��mon Research Lab, simr in status to Littleroot Town in the Hoenn region.


    Upon arriving in New Bark Town, Yuga decided not to leave immediately as it was gettingte. Continuing to Kanto would mean camping out in the wilderness. It was better to rest and prepare in New Bark Town.


    Furthermore, Yuga had acquired a mysterious golden item, and he wanted to examine it closely.


    He hurriedly took Chatot with him to the Pok��mon Center in New Bark Town, had a simple meal, and then checked into a room.


    Once in his room, Yuga couldn''t wait any longer and took the "Seed of the Unknown" from his system''s backpack.


    Watching Yuga hold the item emitting a golden glow, Chatot asked curiously, "What''s that? It looks amazing!"


    Yuga replied, "I don''t know either; that''s what I''m trying to figure out."


    Chatot nodded in understanding and watched Yuga closely as he examined the "Seed of the Unknown." Yuga turned it around, trying to understand its purpose.


    In a moment of curiosity and frustration, he even tried biting and licking it, almost as if he were considering eating it.


    (_) For a moment, Chatot felt that its trainer was acting rather foolishly.


    "It''s not for me!" Yuga concluded as he spat the item out.


    Yuga deduced that it might be meant for Pok��mon. He decided to release Absol, who had been somewhat neglected recently.


    The reason why Yuga chose Absol is that Absol''s current situation among Yuga''s main Pok��mon is a bit pitiful.


    Therefore, Florges possesses a green gem; Vivillon has the Enchanted Honey of the Vespiqueen; Chimecho possesses half of a Legendary Pok��mon, Deoxys Energy Core; Bellossom, Ivysaur, and Shroomish can cultivate together with Yuga''s special abilities; Charmander has reserved a red gem; even Roserade can benefit from Florges''s special Grassy Terrain enhancement. Absol, on the other hand, has nothing.


    Thinking about it, Absol is indeed quite unfortunate. As the first Pok��mon that Yuga captured, Absol used to be the strongest member of the team. Later, due to the continuous power-ups of itspanions like Florges, Chimecho, Vivillon, it gradually fell from its position as the team''s powerhouse.


    Furthermore, the "Seed of the Unknown" didn''t seem to have any specific type or attribute associated with it, so it might work for any Pok��mon.

 Chapter 423: Appearance

    <h4>Chapter 423: Appearance</h4>


    Yuga handed the "Seed of the Unknown" to Absol, instructing it to try everything he had just tried.


    Chatot, observing this, couldn''t believe its eyes. Yuga seemed perfectly normal most of the time, but now he was acting rather foolishly. Why would he lick and bite it when testing it?


    Even Absol felt bewildered by Yuga''s actions. Was its trainer, Yuga, bing entric? What was happening here?


    After a while, Yuga didn''t see any reaction from the "Seed of the Unknown."


    Could it not be meant for Pok��mon use? Or perhaps it didn''t suit Absol?


    With a puzzled expression, Yuga held the "Seed of the Unknown" up to Absol''s face.


    As the unknown seed approached Absol''s forehead, it suddenly slipped from Yuga''s hand and "whooshed" into Absol''s head.


    Staring at his empty palm, Yuga felt like he had made aplete fool of himself. It had entered so easily? He couldn''t help but think how absurd it was to have bitten and licked it earlier.


    At the same time, Absol, who had suddenly be the host for the "Seed of the Unknown," wore a confused expression. Who was he? Where was he? What was he doing?


    Yuga asked, "Absol, are you okay? Do you feel anything unusual?"


    There was a dark armored bone-like structure protruding from Absol''s forehead, and that''s where the "Seed of the Unknown" had entered.


    Absol shook its head, indicating it didn''t feel anything out of the ordinary.


    Yuga was curious about the purpose of the "Seed of the Unknown." It couldn''t just be for decoration, could it? Generally, rewards from the system were beneficial. Unable to figure it out, Yuga decided to set the matter aside for now.


    After spending a restful night at the Pok��mon Center, Yuga decided to continue his journey to Kanto early in the morning.


    While having breakfast with his Pok��mon, Yuga suddenly said to Absol, "Absol, have you noticed that you ate quite a bit today?"


    Startled by Yuga''s remark, Absol realized that it had indeed eaten more than usual. Normally, it would consume two or three Pok��blocks for breakfast, but this morning, it had consumed six or seven.


    Yuga couldn''t help but ask, "Although I can afford to feed you, are you sure eating this much is okay?"


    Pok��blocks were highly concentrated Pok��mon food, rich in energy. Overindulgence could lead to an energy surplus and burden the Pok��mon''s body.


    Sitting down, Absol used one of its ws to rub its still-t belly and shook its head, indicating that it felt fine.


    Seeing that Absol was unaffected, Yuga was relieved.


    Yuga immediately suspected that this sudden change might be rted to the "Seed of the Unknown." However, since there was no conclusive evidence, he decided to observe the situation further.


    After breakfast, Yuga recalled his Pok��mon and, apanied by Chatot, continued his journey. They set off on Route 27, which marked the beginning of the wild area.


    Once on Route 27, it was officially the wild area. Yuga released Shroomish and Charmander, intending to train them along the way as they were both nearing their evolution stages.


    In contrast to the wild Pok��mon in the Hoenn region, like Wurmple, Zigzagoon, and Taillow, which were often encountered in the wild, the Johto region''s wild Pok��mon were quite different. It wasmon to find Pok��mon like Sentret, Spinarak, and Hoothoot.


    However, whenever Yuga tried to challenge Hoothoot with Shroomish and Charmander, Chatot would strongly object. It imed that Hoothoot reminded it too much of its big baby Hoothoot and didn''t want to see it get hurt. It was worried about Hoothoot''s safety.


    Yuga couldn''t help but find it amusing. Chatot never seemed to care that much about Hoothoot before, even when they were together in the Day Care. Now, it was suddenly being sentimental.


    Yuga didn''t argue with Chatot and continued on their way. There were plenty of other wild Pok��mon in the area.


    Chatot was indeed feeling uneasy. It realized that if their quest to find Ho-oh didn''t seed this time, it might never see its beloved Noctowl or Hoothoot again, which left a heavy feeling in its heart. It was genuinely afraid of losing them.


    As they journeyed, training their Pok��mon and advancing along Route 27, they eventually arrived at Tohjo Falls. Tohjo Falls was positioned at the same level as Mt. Silver and served as the border between Johto and Kanto regions. Once they crossed Tohjo Falls, they would officially enter the Kanto region.


    Watching the waterfall cascading down before them, Yuga and Chatot couldn''t help but pause their steps and admire the breathtaking scenery.


    Chatot sighed, "I wonder if we''ll ever see such beautiful sights again."


    Yuga responded by giving Chatot''s head a light smack. "Why are you being so pessimistic? We already have a lead!"


    Chatot, rubbing its head,ined, "But we haven''t even seen a glimpse of this ''Chosen One.''"


    Just as Yuga was about to respond, they heard the sound of an engine revving in the distance. It seemed intermittent, likely because it wasing from quite a distance away.


    Yuga wondered, "Why would there be car sounds in the middle of nowhere like this?"


    "Dear, look! Your chest is glowing!" Chatot eximed.


    Yuga nced down and indeed saw a rainbow-colored glow emanating from his chest, precisely where he kept the Rainbow Feather.


    As the Rainbow Feather was crucial in their quest to find the Chosen One, Yuga hadn''t put it back in the system''s backpack since leaving Ecruteak City. He feared losing this vital clue due to the system''s istion.


    Taking the Rainbow Feather out from his clothes, Yuga''s eyes filled with excitement. It was a case of a pleasant surprise when you least expect it.


    "The Chosen One is nearby!" Yuga and Chatot eximed in unison.


    Was this guidance from Ho-oh or the hand of fate? The fact that they were about to meet the Chosen One so quickly was incredible.


    Yuga dered, "Let''s go check it out!"


    Chatot nodded in agreement.


    Yuga recalled his Pok��mon, Charmander and Shroomish, back into their Pok�� Balls. With Chatot by his side, he headed in the direction of the sound.


    As they got closer to the source of the noise, the Rainbow Feather in their hands began to glow even brighter.


    Finally, they spotted the source of the noise��a car parked in front of a cliff. The car had emerged from a cave below the cliff and was now parked at the entrance, its engine running but not moving.


    Chatot questioned with a puzzled expression, "The people inside that car don''t seem like good folks. Are we sure the Chosen One we''re looking for is in there?"


    Yuga remained hidden in the bushes, keeping an eye on the vehicle. He replied, "Regardless, let''s investigate first."


    "Look, the car is about to leave!" Chatot suddenly pointed out.


    Yuga quickly ordered, "Let''s follow them, Gengar!"


    Following Yuga''smand, Gengar emerged from Yuga''s shadow, emitting a shroud of ck mist that concealed Yuga, Chatot, and itself, making them nearly invisible.

 Chapter 424: Old Acquaintances

    <h4>Chapter 424: Old Acquaintances</h4>


    When Yuga and Chatot reappeared, they were already on top of the car.


    It was arge truck, and the cargopartment was massive and appeared very well sealed. Yuga couldn''t tell what was being transported inside.


    "Gengar, let''s take a look inside," Yuga said while lying on the roof, addressing the Gengar behind him.


    "Gengar!" Gengar nodded in response and proceeded to pass through the cargopartment and into the truck.


    After about four or five minutes, Gengar emerged from the cargopartment and whispered a few words in Yuga''s ear.


    ording to Gengar''s description, there were two groups of people inside the cargopartment. One group consisted of children in a state of unconsciousness, while the other group seemed to be guarding them.


    It appeared that the people inside the truck were not likely to be good individuals, Yuga thought.


    Therge truck was moving at a very fast speed, with the wind rushing against them,bined with the rough terrain, making Yuga feel quite nauseous.


    "Gengar, do you have a way to deal with the people guarding the cargopartment?" Yuga asked while gripping the cargopartment tightly to avoid falling off.


    Gengar grinned and nodded at Yuga, then once again passed through the cargopartment, entering it.


    After more than ten minutes, the cargopartment''s door "click" sound indicated that it had been opened. Immediately afterward, Gengar floated out from inside.


    To prevent the cargopartment''s door from making any noise due to the bumps in the road, careful Gengar also used its psychic power to keep the door in ce.


    After Gengar emerged from the cargopartment, it led Yuga and Chatot into the interior.


    Seeing people lying haphazardly inside the cargopartment, Yuga was very surprised because without exception, all these people were wearing Team Rocket uniforms.


    Yuga hadn''t expected to stumble upon Team Rocket while searching for someone. This was already his second encounter with Team Rocket.


    There were about ten people in Team Rocket uniforms, and all of them had been put to sleep by Gengar''s hypnosis, snoring away in the cargopartment.


    In addition to these Team Rocket members, there were more than twenty children in blue uniforms, all around the age of ten.


    Why were there children in Team Rocket''s cargopartment? Yuga wondered.


    He believed that the person he was looking for must be among these children.


    Yuga took out the Rainbow Feather from his pocket and walked to the group of unconscious children. He began to test each of them one by one by holding the Rainbow Feather close to them.


    Finally, Yuga''s gaze settled on a child who appeared to be about eight or nine years old.


    As the Rainbow Feather approached, its seven-colored light radiated brightly; when the Rainbow Feather was removed, the seven-colored light dimmed.


    It seemed undoubtedly to be this child!


    However, this child was too young! How could he be the one they were looking for? It felt more like he was a babysitter than someone Yuga was supposed to find.


    The child had messy ck short hair that seemed to have not been washed for a long time, making it dirty.


    The small face, about the size of a palm, was dark and, like the hair, had probably not been cleaned in a long time, making it impossible to discern any facial features.


    He had a very slender and small figure. The blue single shirt draped on him looked more like a bedsheet and was quite ill-fitting.


    Looking at the child''s appearance, Yuga couldn''t even determine whether the child was a boy or a girl.


    "Is this really him?" Chatot flew to Yuga and whispered softly.


    Yuga replied, "There should be no mistake; the Rainbow Feather only reacted to him."


    After saying this, Yuga put the Rainbow Feather back into the system''s backpack to prevent its radiance from attracting attention.


    He hadn''t considered confronting the people driving the truck just yet because they had recently left the base beneath the cliff. Taking action now might draw their attention. It would be wiser to wait until the truck had traveled further.


    Yuga took a rope from his backpack and proceeded to tie up the Team Rocket members on the truck, confiscating their Pok�� Balls in the process.


    Afterpleting these tasks, Yuga approached the child who had reacted to the Rainbow Feather. He gently shook him, attempting to wake him up, but the child showed no response.


    "They must have been drugged to induce unconsciousness," Chatot remarked.


    "Seems likely," Yuga nodded gently.


    After approximately three to four hours of driving, the truck suddenly came to a halt, and Yuga heard voices.


    "Let''s take a break; there''s still a long way to go to our destination."


    "All right, I''ll get the guys down for a rest and some food."


    "They''reing!" Chatot whispered softly.


    Yuga nodded with a serious expression.


    Outside the cargopartment, the door at the front of the truck had been opened, and two middle-aged men were conversing. One of them walked toward the cargopartment.


    The middle-aged man walked up to the cargopartment and shouted inside, "Everyone,e out and take a break before we continue."


    After shouting several times without any response from inside the cargopartment, the middle-aged man began to sense that something was amiss.


    He gestured to another man not far away and whispered a few words in his ear. The second middle-aged man''s face showed surprise.


    Both of them cautiously approached the cargopartment from both sides and quietly opened the door.


    The cargopartment''s door, which should have been locked from the inside, opened all of a sudden, confirming their suspicions that something had gone wrong.


    As they cautiously peered into the cargopartment, they were met with a Shadow Ball heading straight for them.


    The Shadow Ball was incredibly fast and reached them in the blink of an eye. If it hit them, it would undoubtedly cause severe injuries.


    At a critical moment, one of the men''s Crobat suddenly shielded them, taking the hit and sacrificing itself to protect its trainer.


    What surprise both of the men is a single Shadow Ball had caused the strong Crobat incapable of fighting. Struck by the Shadow Ball, the Crobat was sent flying backward, eventually colliding with a nearby tree and falling to the ground.


    "Hello there!" a voice came from inside the cargopartment.


    Both men turned their attention to the interior of the cargopartment and saw a smiling young boy. By his side, a Gengar also wore a mischievous grin.


    "It''s you!" the trainer of the fallen Crobat eximed in surprise.


    "Yes, it''s me. We meet again, Tyson," the young boy replied.


    One of the two middle-aged men was none other than Tyson, a Team Rocket member whom Yuga had encountered before. Their previous encounter had been when Yuga visited Grandpa Milton, and Tyson had been involved in an attack on Whitney at that time.


    Tyson had never expected to encounter the young boy again, especially not in these circumstances. Judging by the mischievous Gengar by the boy''s side, Tyson realized that the odds were not in his favor.

 Chapter 425: The Chosen One

    <h4>Chapter 425: The Chosen One</h4>


    Yuga assessed the situation with the fallen Crobat and noticed that Tyson''s strength hadn''t changed significantly from their previous encounter.


    Tyson, on the other hand, couldn''t believe that in less than a year, he had be utterly powerless against the young boy before him. His once self-assured Crobat had fallen with just a single encounter.


    "What''s going on, Tyson? Do you know him?" the other middle-aged man asked, his expression serious.


    It was evident to him that neither he nor Tyson were a match for the young boy before them.


    Tyson didn''t respond to hispanion''s question but quietly released two identical Fearow, ready to fight. He knew that if they didn''t fight with all their might, they likely wouldn''t escape today.


    The other middle-aged man understood Tyson''s intention and, without further questions, also released a Weezing.


    They realized that their strength was insufficient, so they nned to use abination of Pok��mon to surround and attack Yuga and Gengar.


    Tyson''s two Fearow initiated an attack on Yuga. They had fought together many times before, disying remarkable coordination. Their bodies rapidly spun, and their sharp beaks resembled drills as they lunged towards Yuga.


    In an instant Chimecho appear, and she activated Reflect move formed an invisible wall in front of Yuga, where the two Fearow''s sharp beaks collided.


    On the other side, Arbok opened its enormous mouth, emanating dark energy waves. It employed Crunch and charged directly at Yuga.


    Simultaneously, Weezing also took the opportunity to spit out Slude Bomb toward Gengar.


    Gengar, floating by Yuga''s side, observed the attacking Pok��mon with a weird smile. It swiftly extended its plump right hand and rapidlyunched a Shadow Ball, knocking Arbok back. Following this, it used its Psychic power to control the iing sludge bombs, redirecting them back towards Weezing, smearing its face.


    Arbok''s strength wasparable to Tyson''s Crobat, but taking Gengar''s Shadow Ball head-on had left it incapacitated, following in Crobat''s footsteps.


    On the contrary, Weezing was only hit by its own sludge bomb, and it had a high resistance, so it barely held on.


    This momentary loss of confidence urred to the trainer of Arbok and Weezing, and was a little discouraged for a while.


    However, during this brief moment of discouraged, Weezing was once again hit by Gengar''s Psychic power and copsed.


    The battle had ended so quickly that the trainer couldn''t react in time.


    On the other side, After blocking the two Fearows'' direct attack with Reflect move, Chimecho swiftly unleashed a gravity field. The two Fearows were caught off guard and immediately overwhelmed by Chimecho''s gravity field. They struggled desperately on the ground, causing their feathers to scatter like weeds, flying in all directions.


    Yuga couldn''t help but feel a bit sorry for the Fearow. Their frantic struggles would likely leave them bald!


    The gravity field generated by Chimecho was overwhelmingly powerful, and the two Fearow couldn''t break free. They could only squirm helplessly on the ground, causing their feathers to fall in disarray.


    Yuga watched the two struggling Fearow, resembling Magikarp using Ssh, leaping and flopping around, but achieving nothing.


    In the end, probably because they were too tired, the two Fearows simplyy on the ground and stopped moving.


    These two Fearow were probably the only Pok��mon he had seen that lost their battle capabilities, with only their exhaustion as the cause.


    Having effortlessly resolved the two opponents, Chimecho came over to Yuga, seeking affectionate strokes.


    Observing his two Fearow lying motionless on the ground, Tyson''s expression turned extremely grim. He hadn''t imagined that the gap between him and Yuga would be so vast.


    At this point, Tyson had given up struggling. He knew that even if he released more Pok��mon, he wouldn''t stand a chance against Yuga. Besides, the two Fearow had been his strongest Pok��mon.


    On the other side, thepanion of Tyson seemed eager to release more Pok��mon, but Gengar quickly took control of the situation.


    After capturing both of them, Yuga confiscated their Pok��mon Balls and collected the Pok��mon that had lost their fighting spirit.


    Yuga took out two ropes and had Gengar tie up both of the captives.


    "Who are you exactly?" Tyson couldn''t help but ask as he was being carried past Yuga by Gengar.


    The young boy before him possessed formidable strength, yet he appeared exceptionally young. Tyson couldn''t fathom why he had never heard of such an individual before.


    Yuga merely smiled at him and didn''t respond, which left Tyson fuming.


    After tossing the two captives into the cargo hold, Yuga noticed a pair of eyes watching him intently.


    "When did you wake up?" Yuga asked the young child in front of him.


    "Just now," the child replied, their voice sounding very young and leaving Yuga unable to discern their gender.


    This awakened child was the "Chosen One" that Yuga and Chatot were searching for.


    Yuga asked, "Did you see everything just now?"


    The child nodded.


    Yuga continued, "Aren''t you afraid of me?"


    Once again, the child shook their head.


    Yuga: "Aren''t you afraid that I''m a bad person?"


    The child shook his head again.


    "Come here," Yuga beckoned to the child.


    The child obediently crawled out of the cargo hold and stood by the doorway, quietly observing Yuga.


    This child was exceptionally quiet, which made Yuga wonder if there was something wrong. Finding someone who met their requirements had been quite challenging, and he couldn''t afford any problems.


    Yuga nced inside the cargo hold and noticed that, apart from this child, the others were still unconscious.


    He instructed Gengar to watch over the Team Rocket members in the cargo hold and had Chatot take care of the unconscious children. Then, he gently picked up the child from the cargo hold.


    As he held the child, Yuga realized that they were incredibly light, with a bony frame and barely any flesh. It was ufortable to hold them because they felt so bony.


    Were all the children like this? Had they suffered some form of mistreatment?


    cing the child in the front passenger seat of the truck, Yuga started driving away from the location.


    Throughout the journey, the child remained remarkably well-behaved, neither crying nor making a fuss. They sat quietly in the front seat, asionally stealing nces at Yuga.


    While Yuga might have thought his actions were discreet, the child''s keen observation didn''t escape his notice.


    At least this child seemed normal! Seeing the child''s subtle actions, Yuga finally let go of any thoughts that the child might have intellectual problems.


    Just then, Yuga heard the sound of a growling stomach, and it wasing from the child sitting beside him.


    "Are you hungry?" Yuga asked.


    The child nervously clutched their shriveled little belly, appearing somewhat embarrassed. However, their dirty face made it difficult for Yuga to discern their expression.


    Seeing that the child remained silent, Yuga shook his head in understanding and took out some food, offering it to the child.


    "Go ahead and eat!"

 Chapter 426: A Pitiful Sight

    <h4>Chapter 426: A Pitiful Sight</h4>


    Yuga drove therge truck with the child toward the direction of Viridian City.


    During the journey, Gengar interrogated the awakened Team Rocket minions. Yuga learned that these children in the vehicle had been abducted from various ces. The Team Rocket intended to train them at their base to be future team members.


    Yuga was surprised to discover that the Team Rocket not only recruited trainers but also developed their reserve forces through such abductions.


    Rather than lingering in Viridian City, Yuga drove the truck directly to Pewter City. ording to his knowledge, the Gym Leaders in Viridian City were the Boss behind Team Rocket, implying that the city might be riddled with Team Rocket spies. It was unwise to stay there with these children and Team Rocket members.


    Upon arriving in Pewter City, Yuga handed over the Team Rocket members to the local Officer Jenny and turned the children over to the police.


    Unlike the recently emerging Team Aqua and Team Magma in the Hoenn region, the Team Rocket was an established power in the Kanto region. The Pok��mon League had been trying to suppress their growth, and trainers like Tyson, who frequently showed their faces, were on the League''s wanted list.


    Therefore, when Yuga delivered them to the police, it immediately drew the authorities'' attention.


    Yuga, however, didn''t reveal himself. Instead, he anonymously left the truck at the police station''s doorstep and then called the police.


    He also took the opportunity to report the Team Rocket''s secret base near the Tohjo Falls.


    Yuga''s motive behind these actions was to avoid attracting the Team Rocket''s attention. He still needed to stay in the Kanto region for some time and didn''t want unnecessary trouble.


    As for whether Tyson and the others would reveal his identity to the police, Yuga didn''t care. Even if there were Team Rocket spies within the Pok��mon League, it wouldn''t be easy for them to quickly transmit messages to the outside world.


    Moreover, Tyson didn''t know Yuga''s name or identity. He wasn''t a walking surveince camera, and even if he had seen Yuga''s face, he wouldn''t be able to provide an urate description of Yuga''s appearance.


    Perhaps in the future, the Team Rocket might investigate Yuga''s identity, but by then, he would have returned to the Hoenn region. No matyer how powerful the Team Rocket is, they are still powerless when theyes to Hoenn region.


    After reporting to the authorities without leaving his name, Yuga took the child and quietly went to the Pok��mon Center.


    He arranged for the child to take a warm bath and provided them with clean clothes.


    Observing the child sitting across from him after the bath, Yuga finally confirmed that the child was a boy. However, considering he was referred to as the "Chosen One," it was clear that he had to be a boy.


    (Note : the raw is "Holy Son" but i change it to "Chosen one")


    Joe had mentioned that the Chosen One had never been to Bell Tower in the future but left a hints. This meant that the child Yuga had found was undoubtedly the Chosen One when he was younger. Whether the future Chosen One''s hints led Yuga to find the current Chosen One or whether Yuga''s discovery of the current Chosen One shaped the future Chosen One was difficult to determine. These two events seemed interconnected.


    Nheless, this child appeared truly pitiful. He was incredibly thin, nearly skin and bones, and his small face was deathly pale.


    "What''s your name?" Yuga asked the child expressionlessly.


    "Gon," the child replied in a quiet voice.


    Yuga thought that name sounded somewhat perfunctory and didn''t quite match the title of "Chosen One."


    Yuga asked, "How old are you?"


    "Ten years old," Gon replied.


    Upon hearing this response, Yuga was surprised. Ten years old? That couldn''t be right! He looked at most eight years old, but ten years old? It seemed unbelievable!


    It seemed that Gon was a bit ufortable around the stranger Yuga, as he quickly lowered his head to his chest when Yuga continued to gaze at him, appearing somewhat nervous.


    Yuga asked, "Do you know where you live? I can take you home."


    Although Yuga had agreed to help Bell Tower find the Chosen One, he had no intention of engaging in human trafficking. He felt responsible for returning this child home to ease his family''s worries.


    "I don''t have a home," Gon replied, shaking his head.


    No home? Was he an orphan? It could exin his pitiful appearance, but even if he were an orphan, he was just ten years old. There was no reason for him to look like this right after leaving an orphanage.


    Moreover, most orphanages provided support for children like him, both in terms of work and daily life. Even if there were difficulties, it wouldn''t lead to such extreme malnutrition.


    "Where were you before? Don''t you have any rtives?" Yuga continued to ask.


    Gon simply shook his head in response and remained silent, making Yuga somewhat anxious.


    Seeing that he couldn''t get any more information, Yuga gave up, deciding to wait until Gon was ready to speak.


    "So, can you stay with me for now?" Yuga asked softly.


    Gon eagerly nodded, his eyes filled with joy.


    He''s so delighted to follow me? Yuga couldn''t quite understand the child''s thought process.


    Yuga said, "Let''s go eat something then."


    Apart from the dry rations he had given the child in the car, Gon hadn''t had a proper meal for a while. Yuga suspected he might be quite hungry by now.


    Gon silently nodded and then jumped off the bed. However, his body seemed weak, and he nearly stumbled, but Yuga quickly caught him.


    Seeing Gon struggle to maintain his bnce after getting off the bed, Yuga shook his head in helplessness and held his hand, leading him out of the room.


    In the Pok��mon Center''s restaurant, Yuga ordered some food for Gon. Considering he had likely gone without proper meals for a long time, Yuga chose mild and easily digestible items.


    Even though he was ravenous, Gon ate in a very polite manner, taking small bites like a little cat. It was heartwarming to watch.


    However, Yuga didn''t urge him to eat more since Gon wasn''t ready for arge meal yet. Everything needed to be taken one step at a time.


    After Gon gently put down his utensils, Yuga asked, "Are you done eating?"


    Gon nodded in response.


    Then, Yuga led Gon back to their room and took out the Rainbow Feather from the system''s inventory, handing it to him.


    "Keep this with you, always."


    Gon stared at the dazzling Rainbow Feather in Yuga''s hand with curiosity. Although he didn''t understand why Yuga was giving it to him, he silently epted it.


    Strangely, the moment Gon touched the Rainbow Feather, its radiance temporarily subsided.


    Seeing Gon carefully cing the Rainbow Feather inside his pocket, Yuga nodded in satisfaction.

 Chapter 427: Doubts

    <h4>Chapter 427: Doubts</h4>


    In Pewter City, Yuga bought a pile of supplies, and on the same day, he set out towards Raizen Mountain Range with Gon.


    Yuga had promised Joe that he would help Gon be a Pok��mon Trainer and guide him through the Rainbow Hero''s Trial. Therefore, they were headed to the Raizen Mountain Range, as Gon had mentioned.


    Yuga didn''t ask Gon whether he wanted to be a Trainer or not. Regardless of his wishes, Gon had to be one, as Chatot couldn''t wait any longer.


    While Gon''s body was still weak, making it hard for him to walk, Yuga had him ride on Absol''s back for the journey. Absol''s size, although not suitable for an adult like Yuga to ride, could easily carry the small and slender Gon without any strain.


    Yuga didn''t opt for public transportation to leave Pewter City because, on the way to the Raizen Mountain Range, he had to ensure Gon became apetent Trainer and prepared him for the Rainbow Hero''s Trial.


    The nearest city to the Raizen Mountain Range was Rainbow City, which was their final destination.


    Their next stop after leaving Pewter City was the well-known location in the Kanto region, Mt. Silver.


    Mt. Silver was treacherous to traverse, so most people chose to pass through the numerous caves that dotted the mountain. The mountain was filled with abyrinth of tunnels.


    While on the way to Mt. Silver, Yuga asked Gon, who was riding on Absol''s back, "Are you sure you don''t want to tell me anything about yourself? If there are people you want to see or ces you want to go, I can take you there."


    Gon pursed his lips, lowered his head, and remained silent.


    Seeing that Gon still didn''t want to talk, Yuga dropped the subject.


    Yuga then asked, "Have you thought about your future? Do you want to be a Pok��mon Trainer?"


    Even though Yuga had already decided that he would make Gon a Trainer whether he wanted it or not, he still wanted to ask. If Gon wanted to be one on his own, it would make things easier.


    "Trainer?" Gon questioned, looking confused.


    "Yes, a Trainer!" Yuga replied.


    After Yuga briefly exined what a Pok��mon Trainer was, Gon''s eyes sparkled with excitement.


    "I... I want to be a Trainer like you!" This was the longest sentence Gon had said so far.


    Hearing Gon''s words, Yuga nodded with satisfaction. It was good that he was willing; it spared Yuga from having to be the bad guy.


    And so, Yuga continued their journey towards Mt. Silver, asionally engaging in conversation with Gon. This helped them be more familiar with each other, making future interactions easier.


    The more Yuga spoke with Gon, the more doubts filled his mind. He noticed that Gon was incredibly "ignorant,"cking even the most basic life knowledge. He struggled toprehend the world around him, including fundamental concepts.


    Considering he was already ten years old, most children his age in the Pok��mon world were starting their journey as Trainers with their starter Pok��mon. Yet, Gon didn''t even know what a starter Pok��mon was, the purpose of a Pok�� Ball, or how Pok��mon were captured.


    Even in ancient societies, it seemed unlikely for someone to be so uninformed. While Rainbow Feathers selected individuals with pure hearts, Gon''s situation was moreplex than just naivety.


    With a heart full of questions, Yuga simultaneously educated Gon on basic knowledge, both regarding everyday life and the Trainer world.


    They traveled on, stopping asionally, until they finally reached the base of Mt. Silver.


    Because it was getting dark, Yuga decided not to rush up Mt. Silver with Gon but chose to spend the night at the base of the mountain.


    Gon''s body was incredibly weak, and the long journey had already taken a toll on him. Yuga was worried about pushing him too hard, but he also didn''t want to dy too much.


    In Pewter City, Yuga had bought various nutritional supplements suitable for helping Gon recover. He had even sought advice from Nurse Joy, all in an effort to improve Gon''s health during this period.


    Initially, Yuga had only taken care of Gon due to hismitment to Bell Tower''s request. But now, he genuinely felt empathy for the child.


    Gon''s docile nature touched Yuga''s heart. Even when he felt unwell due to his weakened condition during the journey, he refused to trouble Yuga and persevered, biting through the difort.


    Furthermore, it seemed that Gon''s condition wasn''t simply due to malnutrition. Yuga gradually realized that it was more akin to a congenital ailment.


    Fortunately, Yuga discovered that his unique Celebi Blessing ability could alleviate Gon''s physical difort. He would use his special ability to give Gon massages from time to time.


    Every time Yuga did this, he would see a genuinely happy smile on Gon''s face, a smile that came from the heart.


    Sometimes Yuga couldn''t help but wonder if it was right to choose Gon toplete the Rainbow Hero''s Trial. Was his fragile health suitable for bing a Trainer?


    Yuga didn''t consider himself a particrly kind person, but when he looked at Gon, he would asionally find himself immersed in self-doubt.


    However, whenever he felt the growing shadow within Chatot''s body, he had to firm up his resolve.


    The next morning, Yuga went to Gon''s tent to wake him up. To his surprise, when he opened the tent, he saw a miraculous scene.


    Beside Gon, who was still sleeping, there was a Abra with its eyes closed. The Abra was leaning against Gon, emitting a pale blue aura of psychic power, which intertwined with the faint purple aura of psychic power emanating from Gon.


    Gon was a Psychic!


    Yuga was taken aback by what he saw.


    Why hadn''t he noticed that Gon was a Psychic before? Given his Celebi Blessing ability, he should have been highly sensitive to supernatural power. Yet, despite spending so much time with Gon, he hadn''t noticed it at all.


    Moreover, the pale purple psychic aura emanating from Gon was incredibly strong, even surpassing that of a Psychic-type Pok��mon like Abra.


    It was important to note that psychic auras among Psychic-type Pok��mon had different grades, typically ssified as purple or blue, with the former being stronger. It was rare for blue auras to evolve into purple, and yet Gon possessed purple psychic power that even Abra didn''t have.


    As Yuga observed this astonishing scene, his doubts grew even deeper.


    Who was this child, and what secrets did he hold?

 Chapter 428: The Clone

    <h4>Chapter 428: The Clone</h4>


    Yuga''s entrance into the tent seemed to awaken Gon from his slumber. He slowly opened his eyes, and the pale purple psychic aura surrounding him suddenly disappeared.


    As Gon awoke, so did the Abra next to him. Of course, even when awake, Abra kept its eyes closed��it was their natural disposition, making it difficult for most people to distinguish whether they were awake or asleep.


    Awake but still nestled close to Gon, Abra appeared very fond of him.


    Gon, upon opening his eyes, found Abra in his arms and asked in confusion, "Who are you?"


    Abra remained silent but affectionately nuzzled against Gon, clearly showing its attachment to him.


    "This is a Psychic-type Pok��mon named Abra. It seems to like you very much!" Yuga exined.


    Upon hearing this, Gon ced his hands under Abra''s armpits and lifted it up, asking happily, "Would you like to be my starter Pok��mon?"


    Gon had learned the term "starter Pok��mon" from Yuga yesterday, and he used it now.


    Abra nodded eagerly in response, indicating its willingness.


    Yuga opened his Insight and looked at Abra in Gon''s hands. He had promised Joe that the Chosen one''s starter Pok��mon should have blue potential.


    He hadn''t argued at the time because if the Chosen Hero''s Pok��mon wasn''t strong enough, they wouldn''t be able toplete the trial, which would ultimately be his problem.


    ...


    <> </abra>


    Type: Psychic


    Ability: Magic Guard


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 15


    Moves: Psychic Terrain, Teleport, Psyshock, Calm Mind.


    ...


    This young Abra had exceptionally high potential, fully qualifying to be Gon''s starter Pok��mon. Not only did it inherit Psychic Terrain, but it also possessed the rare move Calm Mind and a hidden Ability.


    There was no doubt that this exceptionally talented Abra had been drawn to Gon''s unique psychic power. However, judging by Gon''s reaction, it seemed he waspletely unaware of his own psychic abilities.


    Although this development saved Yuga from many potential problems, it deepened his already growing doubts.


    "System, do you know what''s going on?" Unable toprehend the situation, Yuga turned to the system for answers.


    The system replied, [ This child isn''t entirely human; he carries genes of Pok��mon within him. ]


    Yuga was astonished by the revtion. A child with Pok��mon genes? Did this mean there were instances of humans and Pok��mon forming families?


    The system seemed to read Yuga''s thoughts and reminded him, [ This child is most likely a clone, not the result of a human and Pok��mon union. ]


    A clone! Yuga was shocked once again. It certainly fit the style of Team Rocket.


    Yuga couldn''t help but sigh; Team Rocket''s gic experiments were truly extensive.


    This revtion made Yuga understand why Gon was so ignorant of the outside world; he had been merely an experimental subject, and no one had taught him anything.


    But why had Team Rocket casually mixed him in with those kidnapped children?


    Yuga asked, "Is his physical weakness also due to being a clone?"


    The system replied, [ It''s likely due to iplete fusion of human and Pok��mon genes, resulting in side effects. ]


    Yuga asked, "Do you know which Pok��mon genes are in his body?"


    The system said, [ I don''t know, it''s aplex mixture, but they are mostly Psychic-type Pok��mon genes. ]


    Yuga was astonished and asked, "Are there multiple types of Pok��mon genes in his body?"


    The system confirmed, [ Yes, because the mixture of multiple Pok��mon genes causes conflicts. In his current condition, without intervention, he probably won''t live much longer. ]


    Won''t live much longer? How could this be? His mission still depended on Gon!


    Yuga suddenly remembered the Large Gene Repair Medicine he used to treat Vivillon.


    Desperately, Yuga asked, "Would the Large Gene Repair Medicine work on him?"


    The system replied, [ Yes, it would. ]


    Relieved to hear this, Yuga finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Luckily, he hadn''t squandered the few Large Gene Repair Medicines that the system had rewarded him with. Otherwise, he would have had no ce to cry today.


    No wonder Team Rocket handled Gon so casually; they probably knew he didn''t have much time left.


    At the same time, Yuga finally understood why the future Gon had designated him to find. In Gon''s condition, no one but Yuga, with the help of his Golden Finger, could assist him.


    With the sequence of events finally clear, Yuga felt a sense of relief.


    However, he suspected that Gon might be an early experiment for Team Rocket''s research into Mewtwo, considering the words "psychic," "genes," and "clone." These associations couldn''t be ignored.


    Watching Gon interact joyfully with Abra, Yuga let out a sigh. No wonder the child didn''t want to reveal his past; his unique identity was too sensitive.


    He had the appearance of a human but couldn''t be considered a human in the truest sense. This in-between status likely caused him immense suffering.


    "Alright, Gon, stop ying with Abra; let''s have breakfast," Yuga said.


    Now that he knew Gon''s true identity, Yuga''s attitude toward him involuntarily softened. Whether out of sympathy or affection, Yuga felt an overwhelming protectiveness toward the boy.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Gon obediently nodded. He put on his clothes and followed Yuga out of the tent.


    After breakfast, Yuga retrieved the Large Gene Repair Medicine from his system backpack and handed it to Gon.


    "Gon, drink this, and your illness will bepletely cured. You won''t have to suffer anymore."


    Gon looked at the test tube in astonishment, his eyes filled with disbelief.


    "Is it true?"


    Gon knew his condition, and he knew he didn''t have much time left. Being able to spend his final moments with Yuga had already been the happiest thing for him.


    But today, Yuga told him that his illness could be cured, that he could continue living. How could he not be surprised?


    Yuga smiled and said, "Of course it''s true! Try it, and you''ll see!"


    Gon carefully took the test tube containing the Large Gene Repair Medicine from Yuga''s hand, gently removed the stopper, and drank it all in one gulp.


    After drinking the Large Gene Repair Medicine, Gon soon felt his eyelids grow heavy, a drowsy sensation washing over him.


    Seeing Gon about to copse, Yuga quickly supported him. Gon gradually drifted into sleep.


    Abra, standing nearby, saw its owner fall asleep and began to panic, pointing and gesturing toward Yuga.


    Yuga smiled and reassured Abra, saying, "Don''t worry; Gon is just asleep. He''ll be fine."


    Just like with Vivillon before.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Abra finally settled down.


    Sleep, Gon. When you wake up, your life will begin anew.


    Yuga looked at Gon lying in his arms, silently uttering these words in his heart.

 Chapter 429: Nesting Shadows

    <h4>Chapter 429: Nesting Shadows</h4>


    Gon had slept for most of the day, starting from shortly after breakfast in the morning and continuing untilte afternoon.


    When he opened his eyes, he saw Yuga sitting quietly beside him, gazing at the setting sun in the evening sky.


    He tried to sit up, causing enough movement to draw Yuga''s attention.


    "Awake, huh? How do you feel?" Yuga asked with a smile.


    "Uh, veryfortable," Gon replied, his face breaking into a bright smile.


    He had never felt this rxed before, as if a heavy burden had suddenly been lifted from his entire being, both physically and mentally.


    Seeing Gon''s healthierplexion, Yuga rxed and said, "That''s good. After sleeping for so long, are you hungry?"


    Upon hearing this, Gon suddenly felt the emptiness in his stomach and was eager to have a hearty meal.


    Seeing Gon nod in agreement, Yuga said, "Just wait a moment; I''ll warm up some food for you."


    Anticipating that Gon would wake up hungry, Yuga had prepared some food in advance.


    With Gon''s physical condition improved, the two of them had to spend another night at the foot of Mt. Moon.


    In the evening, both of them found it difficult to sleep, so they sat up and chatted under the starry night sky.


    It was early summer, and the night sky was exceptionally bright and beautiful, despite the abundance of mosquitoes in the wilderness. Fortunately, Yuga hade prepared with effective insect repellent.


    "Now that your health is restored, as long as you take good care of yourself, you''ll gradually be as healthy as any other person. From now on, you''ll learn how to be a Trainer with me. Are you ready?" Yuga asked quietly, shifting his gaze from the night sky to Gon, who was sitting beside him.


    "Yes, I''ll do my best," Gon replied firmly, clutching his Abra tightly in his arms.


    Yuga nodded in acknowledgment. He could see that despite Gon''s quiet and obedient demeanor, he possessed inner strength. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have fought so hard to stay alive, knowing his impending fate.


    However, Yuga had confirmed with him that he seemed genuinely unaware of the immense psychic power hidden within his body.


    "Starting tomorrow, we''ll climb Mt. Moon. We won''t leave this ce for a few days. I n to train you here for a while, and you''ll also learn how to bond with Abra," Yuga exined his n to Gon.


    Yuga wasn''t in a rush to take Gon to the Mount Tensei. Given Gon''s current condition, he had no chance of passing the Trial of the Rainbow Hero. Without a reasonable certainty of sess, Yuga didn''t want to take unnecessary risks. This wasn''t a game where failure could be rectified with a retry; this mission was critical to Chatot''s life.


    Gon had no objections to Yuga''s n; he was determined to put in the effort.


    As Yuga was about to say more, he suddenly felt that something was amiss. There was a ghostly aura of a Ghost-type Pok��mon around them.


    "Gengar!"


    With Yuga''s exmation, Gengar swiftly emerged from his shadow, and without Yuga having to say anything, it understood his intentions. In an instant, a Shadow Ball was hurled towards a spot not far from Gon.


    The sudden appearance of the Shadow Ball startled Gon, and even his Abra trembled in fear.


    With Gengar''s attack, a small humanoid Pok��mon materialized near Gon, itsrge orange eyes shimmering as it observed Yuga and Gengar, who had just attacked.


    Following this, the Pok��mon conjured a Shadow Ball and rapidly directed it toward Gengar.


    Gengar attempted to evade but suddenly felt as though countless voices were whispering softly in his ear,pletely diverting his attention.


    Struck by the Shadow Ball, Gengar lost all ability to fight instantly.


    Seeing Gengar fall, Yuga refrained from any further actions, as he had recognized the identity of this Pok��mon.


    It was Marshadow, the Mythical Pok��mon! Marshadow acted as a guide for shadows, sealing and correcting things when the rainbow colors faded. It was a guardian, and it likely held no ill will towards Yuga and Gon.


    Just as Yuga thought Marshadow would return to the shadows, it suddenly appeared right in front of him, then swiftly entered Yuga''s own shadow.


    Yuga then saw the Clease Tag, sealed in his own shadow, floating out and being incinerated by a cluster of ghostly blue mes.


    This took Yuga by surprise. Wasn''t Marshadow supposed to stay with Gon, overseeing his actions? How had it ended up in Yuga''s shadow?


    What followed left Yuga even more astonished.


    "Mismagius!"


    With a cry, Mismagius, which had been concealed in Yuga''s shadow, was thrown out andnded on the ground.


    Mismagius looked confused as it nced at Yuga, then floated back up, attempting to re-enter Yuga''s shadow.


    No matter how hard it tried, Yuga''s shadow, like a frozen river in winter, refused to let it in. Instead, it left Mismagius feeling dizzy and disoriented.


    Yuga sighed and told Mismagius, "Forget it; return to your Pok�� Ball for now."


    "What''s going on? Can someone exin why I was thrown out for no reason?" Mismagius seemed a bit frustrated.


    And just like that, Mismagius was recalled into its Pok�� Ball, utterly bewildered.


    Yuga knew that Marshadow was behind all of this. Being a Ghost-type Pok��mon, and standing around the Ghost World Origin Stone in his body, Marshadow was naturally drawn to it.


    However, Marshadow was quite dominant and didn''t want to share with Mismagius, despite its reputation as a timid and weak Pok��mon.


    Knowing that Marshadow wouldn''t harm him or Gon, Yuga quickly tended to the injured Gengar. He released his Chimecho to heal Gengar''s injuries and then recalled Gengar to its Pok�� Ball.


    "What kind of Pok��mon was that? It was so strong that neither Gengar nor Mismagius could resist it," Chatot asked, looking surprised, with Gon also curious about the situation.


    Yuga exined, "That was Marshadow, the Mythical Pok��mon. It will apany us until we meet Ho-Oh. It acts as the overseer of the Rainbow Hero''s trial."


    "I see! You sure know a lot," Chatot eximed.


    Yuga just smiled without saying anything.


    Hearing Yuga mention Ho-Oh and the Rainbow Hero, Gon looked puzzled.


    Seeing Gon''s confused expression, Yuga smiled and said, "I''ll exin all of this to you in due time."


    Gon nodded in understanding and didn''t press for more information.

 Chapter 430: Special Training

    <h4>Chapter 430: Special Training</h4>


    After the incident with Marshadow, Yuga and hispanions spent the night peacefully, and Marshadow remained hidden within Yuga''s shadow, not making another appearance.


    In the morning, after breakfast, they packed their belongings and set off towards Mt. Moon.


    Upon reaching Mt. Moon, Yuga didn''t rush Gon and Abra into Pok��mon battles. Instead, he focused on teaching them how to meditate and train together, harnessing their psychic abilities.


    Gon possessed psychic powers, and the best way to train both him and Abra was through meditation together.


    However, Gon clearly didn''t know how to consciously release his psychic power or coordinate with Abra during meditation.


    Abra, while eager, couldn''t make much progress on its own.


    At this point, Yuga remembered that Gon had unconsciously released his psychic power while sleeping, which had attracted Abra and allowed them tomunicate psychically.


    Sleep was when a person was most rxed and defenseless, and Gon could release his psychic power during such moments. To regain that ability consciously, he needed to rx his body and let go of his defenses.


    Yuga shared this insight with Gon, encouraging him to trust Abrapletely and clear his mind when meditating together.


    Gon was naturally simple-minded, making it easy for him to achieve the rxed state Yuga described.


    Yuga was the person Gon trusted the most, and with Yuga by his side, Gon could easily let down all his defenses and focus his energy onmunicating with Abra.


    As it turned out, Yuga''s spection was correct.


    When Gon cast aside all his thoughts and concentrated solely onmunicating with Abra, a light purple aura gradually appeared around his body, blending with Abra''s light blue aura.


    Abra''s power was still rtively weak, and its psychic abilities were not as developed as Gon''s. However, this unique training method allowed Abra''s strength to grow rapidly.


    Gon also began to understand how to use his psychic abilities.


    After some basic training, he could already move small objects using psychic power and briefly enhance Abra''s abilities.


    Gon''s natural talent for psychic abilities reminded Yuga of the Psychic-type Gym Leader, Sabrina, from Saffron City in Kanto. She was also an exceptionally powerful psychic.


    Sabrina had disyed extraordinary psychic talents from a very young age, and her abilities had greatly boosted her Pok��mon''s growth. She had eventually reced her father as Saffron City''s Gym Leader.


    This talented young girl was famous throughout the Kanto region, and Saffron City''s Gym was considered one of the most challenging in the Indigo League.


    Yuga wondered how Gon''s psychic talentspared to Sabrina''s.


    Besides teaching Gon how to train his psychic abilities alongside Abra, Yuga also had his other Pok��mon take turns teaching Abra new moves.


    If Abra didn''t evolve, it could only learn moves through leveling up, and its naturally learned moves were limited to Teleport. Although Abra had surprisingly learned Calm Mind and Psychic through inheritance, its battle repertoire was still limited.


    Moreover, Abra''s Psychic attack was rather unskilled.


    Therefore, Yuga assigned Chimecho to teach Abra Light Screen and Reflect, which were two of Chimecho''s specialties alongside Gravity and healing moves.


    Gengar was tasked with teaching Abra Shadow Ball, Mismagius with Psybeam, and Bellossom with Energy Ball.


    Shadow Ball and Energy Ball would expand Abra''s offensive options, while Psybeam wouldplement its Psychic attack. Light Screen and Reflect would enhance Abra''s defensive capabilities.


    While Psychic and Psybeam both fall under special attack skills, they target different aspects of the opponent''s defense, namely physical defense and special defense, respectively.


    Despite Abra''s impressive potential, learning and mastering five different skills in a short span of time ced significant pressure on it.


    Fortunately, Abra was diligent and found great joy in daily training with Gon. With Gon''s assistance, its progress was visibly rapid.


    Apart from teaching Gon, Yuga took advantage of his free time to rigorously train the new Pok��mon in his team.


    Bellossom, having learned the crucial move Quiver Dance from Vivillon, practiced diligently each morning to achieve the same ease of using the technique at any moment, just like Vivillon.


    Every morning, dancing gracefully in front of the rising sun is a must-do activity for Bellossom.


    For Roserade, with its remarkable Poison-type abilities, Yuga prepared poisonous nts and venoms daily for it to try to absorb. Some of these nts were purchased, while others were collected in the wild. Thanks to the guidebook "Comprehensive Guide to Medicinal Herbs Cultivation" gifted by his mentor, Yuga had learned to identify numerous toxic nts.


    He even attempted to use toxins from Pok��mon like Beedrill, Arbok, and Ariados, but it became clear that Roserade, being a Grass-type Pok��mon, had a strong aversion to toxins from animal-type Pok��mon. However, it adapted well to toxins found in nt-type Pok��mon like Vileplume and Victreebel.


    Yet, the toxins within Pok��mon wereplex, so Yuga decided to have Roserade experiencemon poisonous flowers and nts before delving into Pok��mon toxins.


    Charmander''s training still revolved around guidance, and its whiny nature had not changed much even now. However, it had be more assertive during battles.


    Yuga entrusted its training to Absol, a Pok��mon with a "cold and unfeeling" demeanor, which was well-suited to dealing with Charmander''s temperament.


    However Charmander possessed outstanding talent, it was already showing signs of evolution. Yuga couldn''t help but wonder if Charmander''s personality would mature once it evolved into Charmaleon.


    Shroomish''s ability, Poison Heal,bined with the Toxic Orb it held, made its recovery capabilities excellent. Therefore, Yuga had it learn three skills: Absorb, Mega Drain, and Giga Drain.


    Once Shroomish evolved into Breloom, it would be a closebat Pok��mon, a type that demanded high stamina. Yuga''s idea was to have Shroomish benefit from the recovery provided by Poison Heal + the Toxic Orb and Absorbing skills, making it an unstoppable force during battles.


    However, the challengey in multitasking, as Breloom would need to utilize its Drain moves while engaged inbat. Yet, since Breloom hadn''t evolved yet, this discussion was still premature. Its current body wasn''t suitable for directbat, so Yuga focused on having it master Absorb, Mega Drain, and Giga Drain for now.

 Chapter 431: Weakness

    <h4>Chapter 431: Weakness</h4>


    Thest member of the team is Ivysaur.


    Yuga''s Ivysaur possesses the Hidden Ability Chlorophyll, which allows it to excel in defensive counterattacking tactics.


    The effect of Chlorophyll under sunny conditions influences Pok��mon in two ways: it impacts their physical capabilities and their skills.


    Regarding physical attributes, it enhances certain aspects of a Pok��mon''s body, granting them greater speed.


    As the saying goes, "speed is the essence of all martial arts," and Pok��mon with high speed often have a significant advantage in battles.


    In terms of skills, Chlorophyll heightens a Pok��mon''s perception of energy. With this enhanced perception, a Pok��mon''s reaction time, attack speed, and attack frequency all experience corresponding improvements.


    However, Ivysaur''s evolution into Venusaur results in a bulky physique, so even with the physical enhancements, it won''t be exceptionally fast.


    Therefore, the defensive counterattacking strategy for Ivysaur is somewhat unconventional �C a "speed boost" approach.


    Ivysaur''s inherited move is Power Whip, which manifests as countless energy-formed whips.


    When Ivysaur employs this move, green energy whips surround it, providing robust protection. Thanks to the Sunny Day and Chlorophyll''s effects, its reaction time and attack speed are significantly enhanced. These energy whips be its most formidable defense, capable of countering any attack swiftly and effectively.


    In its Ivysaur Tentacle form, Ivysaur can retaliate against opponents while maintaining an imprable defense.


    This training approach was rmended to Yuga by Mr. Kuni''o. Coupled with the inherent defensive and offensive capabilities of Ivysaur upon evolving into Venusaur, Ivysaur has a promising future.


    However, Ivysaur''s Power Whip move is not yet at a stage where it can be controlled effortlessly. Therefore, this strategy is still in development.


    Bellossom also possesses the Chlorophyll ability. However, its species traits and skillset differences mean it is better suited for a path focused on enhancing its physical abilities.


    Boosting its already impressive speed,plemented by the power of Quiver Dance, is the direction it should pursue. In this regard, it shares simrities with Vivillon, except that Chlorophyll doesn''t provide speed bonuses.


    And so, Yuga and Gon spent a whole week on Mt. Moon.


    During this week, both Gon and Abra, as well as Yuga''s Pok��mon, made significant progress.


    After their special training, Yuga started leading Gon in battling and training with wild Pok��mon on Mt. Moon.


    The mountain was filled with numerous caves, making it a habitat for Pok��mon like Diglet, Dugtrio, Sandshrew, Sandsh, Zubat, Golbat, etc. Which were generally of moderate strength. They were suitable opponents for Gon and Abra.


    ording to rumors, Mt. Moon had once been showered with arge number of meteorites, which led to its name. These meteorites had given rise to many Moon Stones, attracting numerous Clefairy and Clefable to inhabit the area.


    Initially, Yuga was quite interested by these legends. However, after a full week of exploration, he hadn''t spotted a single Clefairy or Clefable. He hadn''t even found a fragment of a Moon Stone. Gradually, his interest waned.


    During battles with Pok��mon, Yuga quickly identified a fatal weakness in Gon �C he was overly softhearted.


    Perhaps influenced by his past experiences, Gon seemed to cherish life immensely, whether it was his own or that of Pok��mon.


    Every time they battled, he couldn''t bring himself to deal a decisive blow to the opponent. He consistently missed critical opportunities during battles and, after the match, was immediately concerned about Abra and the opponent''s injuries.


    Yuga didn''t view having a kind heart as a negative trait; it was a beautiful quality. However, being excessivelypassionate to the extent of being a "Holy Mother" posed significant issues.


    And Gon showed a noticeable inclination toward being a "Holy Mother."


    Objectively speaking, Gon had an exceptional level ofprehension andbat proficiency, but hispassionate nature was holding him back.


    Yet, Yuga had a n to address this issue.


    One day, under Yuga''s guidance, Gon encountered a formidable Sandsh on Mt. Moon. Initially, Gon and Abra were capable of handling it, but Gon''s soft-hearted nature caused him to relent in the crucial moment, forfeiting his attack against Sandsh.


    Subsequently, both Gon and Abra fell victim to Sandsh''s ambush, resulting in varying degrees of injuries.


    Of course, Sandsh''s attack on them was orchestrated by Yuga. He had Gengar use Hypnosis to control Sandsh.


    Gengar''s controlled Sandsh, however, acted with restraint, causing no severe harm to either of them. They were more startled than anything.


    Though this method may seem underhanded, Yuga had no choice but to employ it to help Gon ovee his soft-heartedness.


    As the saying goes, old habits die hard. One setback wouldn''t immediately change Gon''s gentle nature, so Yuga repeated this process multiple times until Gon gradually regained his resolve.


    Over time, Gon realized that his soft-heartedness not only put himself at risk but also jeopardized Abra''s safety.


    Watching Gon gradually develop a more decisive attitude in battles, Yuga couldn''t help but smile with satisfaction.


    Being a father isn''t easy, after all!


    Finally, when Yuga and Gon were ready to leave Mt. Moon, Yuga''s Charmander evolved into Charmaleon, and Gon''s Abra evolved into Kadabra.


    ...


    <<charmaleon>> </charmaleon>


    Type: Fire


    Gender: Female


    Ability: ze


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 30


    Moves: Scratch, Ember, Hidden Power (Electric), Dragon Dance, Dragon Rage, Smokescreen, Iron Tail, methrower, Fire Fang, Scary Face, Sunny Day, Fire Punch.


    ...


    Thanks to the intensive training during this period, Charmaleon''s level sessfully increased to 30. It also learned a new move, Sunny Day, while training alongside Bellossom.


    ...


    <<kadabra>> </kadabra>


    Type: Psychic


    Ability: Magic Guard


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 21


    Moves: Psychic Terrain, Teleport, Psyshock, Calm Mind, Light Screen, Reflect, Psychic.


    ...


    Kadabra showed a clear talent for learning moves in the Psychic type category. Within just a week, it mastered Psychic Terrain, Teleport, and Psyshock. However, it made no progress in learning Shadow Ball from Gengar or Energy Ball from Bellossom.


    Despite being only level 21, Kadabra''s true strength went beyond its surface abilities, thanks to the influence of Gon''s psychic powers.


    Additionally, with Yuga''s diligent care, Gon''s physical condition improved significantly. He gradually put on some weight and was no longer as skinny as before.


    What surprised Yuga, however, was not just Gon''s weight gain but also the significant increase in the size of Absol.


    Yuga had noticed its increasing appetite a while ago, but in recent days, this trend had escted, causing its size to grow rapidly.


    Could that mysterious seed be a growth hormone? Yuga wondered.


    However, he soon realized that Absol''s substantial growth in size resulted in increased strength and destructiveness.

 Chapter 432: Suicune

    <h4>Chapter 432: Suicune</h4>


    Afterpleting their special training on Mt. Moon, Yuga brought Gon to Cerulean City.


    Cerulean City was a medium-sized city in the Kanto region, situated to the north of the Cerulean Strait. This geographical location made it a hub for Water-type Pok��mon, and many trainers in the city specialized in Water-types. The city''s gym, Cerulean Gym, was also known for its Water-type Pok��mon.


    Gon had spent most of his life at the Rocket Team''s base and had never seen the outside world. Since joining Yuga, they had only briefly stopped in Pewter City before heading to Mt. Moon. As a result, Cerulean City, bustling with people and Pok��mon, was a fascinating and novel experience for Gon.


    Seeing Gon''s keen interest, Yuga smiled and said, "How about we rest in Cerulean City for two days?"


    After spending over a week in the mountains, even Yuga, an adult, found it challenging. For a child like Gon, it was even more demanding. Therefore, Yuga decided to take a short break in Cerulean City before continuing their journey.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s suggestion, Gon nodded enthusiastically, clearly eager to stay.


    Since they nned to stay in Cerulean City for two days, Yuga took Gon to the Pok��mon Center to settle in. Gon was a ck household, so he couldn''t officially register as official Trainer or register his residence at the Pok��mon Center. Consequently, he had to stay with Yuga.


    After settling into the Pok��mon Center, Yuga took Gon to explore Cerulean City.


    Since it was summer, the most popr tourist attraction in Cerulean City was undoubtedly the famous Cerulean Strait. Yuga and Gon didn''t want to miss it either.


    When they arrived there, Yuga and Gon found the beach crowded with people and Pok��mon. The beach was teeming with both humans and Pok��mon enjoying the sunny weather.


    It was Gon''s first time at this location, and despite the crowded beach, he was having a great time.


    On the other hand, Yuga had lost interest in ying because of the vast number of people and Pok��mon on the beach. It seemed like there were more people and Pok��mon than grains of sand.


    However, watching Gon and Kadabra having fun, Yuga didn''t mind and decided to rx with his own Pok��mon while sunbathing.


    The sun is a bit too intense, though. It feels scorching!


    But Grass-type Pok��mon like Roserade, Bellossom, Ivysaur, and Shroomish were all enjoying this sunbathing session, showing great delight.


    Absol, covered in fur, showed no interest in sunbathing and refused toe out of its Pok�� Ball.


    Chatot also stayed in the Pok�� Ball and was unwilling toe out because of the increasing burden on his body


    Chimecho, on the other hand, rested on Yuga''s head, taking a nap. It didn''t mind where it was as long as it was with Yuga.


    As they soaked up the sun, Yuga suddenly noticed something amiss. The sky was gradually darkening, and clouds were covering the once sunny sky.


    "It looks like it''s going to rain. Let''s head back!" A girl beside Yuga said to her boyfriend.


    "Strange, it was so sunny just a moment ago," the boyined, though he wisely didn''t voice his true thoughts in front of his girlfriend.


    The couple quickly packed their belongings and left the beach.


    Observing the worsening weather, other tourists also started leaving the beach one after another.


    Seeing the thickening clouds and sensing the rain, Yuga hurriedly returned Charmaleon to its Pok�� Ball. He then called out to Gon and Kadabra, "Gon, Kadabra! It''s about to rain. Let''s go back!"


    Just as Yuga finished speaking, the sky opened up with heavy rain. Yuga rushed over to Gon and Kadabra to lead them away.


    However, as soon as Yuga turned to lead Gon away, he realized that there was no one else on the entire beach except for them.


    The rain poured down relentlessly, drenching both Yuga and Gon. The distant scenery had disappeared behind the curtains of rain, making it impossible to see anything clearly.


    Yuga felt like they were trapped within this small world enclosed by rain, and this finally made him realize that something was seriously wrong.


    Just as Yuga turned around again, he noticed that Marshadow had quietly emerged from his shadow and was now standing beside him, silently observing the turbulent sea through the rain.


    Gon nervously held onto Yuga''s hand, as if he sensed that something was about to happen.


    Finally, a graceful figure walked across the surface of the sea,ing through the pouring rain to stand before Yuga and Gon. The figure shielded them from the rain, preventing a single drop from touching them.


    "Suicune!" Yuga murmured softly.


    It seemed that the trial of the Rainbow Hero had begun. Yuga realized.


    The Suicune remained motionless, silently gazing at Yuga and Gon, while Yuga and Gon could do nothing but wait.


    Just as Yuga thought the Suicune would keep watching, it raised its head, and a thick water column shot towards them.


    "Chimecho, Light Screen!" Yuga widened his eyes and called out to Chimecho, who was perched on his head.


    "Kadabra, Light Screen!" Gon also reacted quickly.


    Chimecho abruptly took off from Yuga''s head and positioned itself in front of Yuga and Gon, instantly creating a transparent Light Screen.


    Behind Chimecho, Kadabra''s eyes glowed with blue light, and it extended an arm with a spoon-shaped appendage. Another Light Screen formed, merging with Chimecho''s.


    The Suicune''s Hydro Pump carried tremendous force as it collided with the two Light Screens, pushing Yuga, Gon, and their Pok��mon backward.


    Finally, the two Light Screens shattered, knocking down Yuga, Gon, and their Pok��mon. Fortunately, thanks to the protection of the Light Screens, they weren''t seriously injured.


    Yuga''s Ivysaur, Bellossom, and Roserade all responded to Yuga''s injuries by immediatelyunching energy balls at the Suicune. These attacks were thrown simultaneously.


    The Suicune emitted a violet light, and the three energy balls that hit it were deflected back with even greater force.


    The three Grass-type Pok��mon hit by the redirected energy balls were left immobilized instantly.


    Chimecho, seeing this situation, became furious. This was uneptable! Its beloved Yuga was hurt!


    Of course, it pretended not to notice the other fairy Pok��mon lying on the ground.


    Chimecho quickly used Calm Mind three times in session, then angrily employed Psychic to charge at the Suicune.


    Initially, the Suicune didn''t pay much attention to Chimecho charging at it. However, when Chimecho collided with the Suicune, it was sent flying in shock.


    Heh, how about that? See if you dare to bully our dear Yuga again!


    Chimecho had a triumphant look on its face.


    From the ground, the Suicune, seemingly unharmed, got up. It clearly hadn''t expected such a powerful attack from the seemingly small Pok��mon, which left it astonished for a moment.


    Chimecho, still feeling victorious, saw the Suicune standing up and ready to retaliate. Its eyes widened in surprise.


    What kind of Pok��mon is this? How can it be this powerful?


    The Suicune nced at Gon, who was lying on the ground, then at Yuga and Chimecho, and then it leaped onto the sea''s surface before vanishingpletely.


    Seeing the Suicune first appear on the sea''s surface, Marshadow, who had been quietly observing everything, returned to Yuga''s shadow.

 Chapter 433: Traveling Companions

    <h4>Chapter 433: Traveling Companions</h4>


    As Suicune departed, the pouring rain abruptly ceased, and the dark clouds in the sky gradually dispersed.


    Looking at the empty and damp beach, Yuga didn''t know what to say for a moment.


    "Chimecho, Chimecho!"


    Chimecho flew over to Yuga, anxiously checking on his injuries.


    Yuga gently shook his head and said to Chimecho, "Don''t worry; I''m fine. Go check on the condition of Roserade and the others."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Chimecho reluctantly used a Heal Pulse on each of the fairy Pok��mon lying on the ground.


    Seeing that the Pok��mon were not seriously hurt, Yuga returned them to their Pok�� Balls.


    Gon''s body was not as resilient as Yuga''s, and after the intense impact, he had fallen unconscious. Yuga quickly carried him to the Pok��mon Center.


    After receiving treatment from Nurse Joy, it was confirmed that Gon was fine, and Yuga finally felt relieved.


    Leaving Gon''s hospital room, Yuga entered the Pok��mon Center''s lobby and suddenly spotted a familiar face looking around.


    "Eusine?"


    Yuga eximed in surprise.


    Hearing his name called, Eusine turned around abruptly and saw Yuga, who was looking at him with astonishment.


    "Yuga! What are you doing here?"


    Yuga smiled and replied, "Shouldn''t I be asking you that? How did you suddenly end up in the Kanto region?"


    Eusine looked around, made sure nobody was watching, and then whispered in Yuga''s ear, "I followed Suicune."


    "Suicune!" Yuga was astonished.


    "Yeah, that''s right. Taming Suicune has been my lifelong dream. I came to the Kanto region chasing its traces. However, I lost its trail when I arrived here."


    After hearing Eusine''s words, Yuga looked at him as if he were a bit of a dreamer.


    Had this guy been sleeping too much during the day, even daydreaming?


    Suicune was an emissary of Ho-Oh, responsible for overseeing humans. Could it be captured so easily? It was quite a journey for him to chase Suicune all the way to the Kanto region.


    "By the way, why are you here in Kanto?" Eusine asked.


    "The Bell Tower asked me to handle some business in the Kanto region."


    Yuga replied with a half-truth.


    Eusine chuckled, "Bell Tower asked you to handle business in the Kanto region? That''s strange. What kind of business can''t they handle themselves and requires your assistance?"


    Yuga just smiled and didn''t say anything.


    After about half an hour, Gon woke up. Nurse Joy assured Yuga that Gon was fine, and Yuga then left the hospital room with him.


    Seeing Yuga carrying Gon out of the room, Eusine eximed in surprise, "Wow, it hasn''t been long since we met, and your son has grown so much."


    Yuga retorted somewhat irritably, "Can I have a son all by myself?"


    Eusineughed and introduced himself, saying, "Haha, I''m Eusine. What''s your little brother''s name?"


    "I''m Gon. Nice to meet you, big brother!"


    Gon greeted Eusine politely.


    "Ah, your name is Gon. You''re a great kid!"


    Eusine ruffled Gon''s hair and smiled.


    "What are your ns now? Are you staying in Cerulean City or going somewhere else?"


    Yuga thought for a moment and said, "I n to take Gon and leave Cerulean City for Saffron City."


    The appearance of Suicune made Yuga realize that the trial of the Rainbow Hero had begun. He needed to take Gon to the Mount Tensei as soon as possible.


    "Oh, what a coincidence! I''m heading to Saffron City too. Let''s go together!"


    Eusine eximed with delight.


    Saffron City was thergest and most prosperous city in the Kanto region, renowned throughout the Pok��mon world. Visiting Kanto without a trip to Saffron City would be a missed opportunity.


    Originally, Yuga had considered declining Eusine''s offer to travel together, given that he and Gon had important matters to attend to. However, he couldn''t find a reasonable excuse to refuse, so he reluctantly agreed.


    And so, the three of them embarked on their journey to Saffron City.


    On the way, Eusine noticed Gon''s Kadabra and eximed in surprise, "So Gon''s starter Pok��mon is Kadabra! Speaking of which, my starter Pok��mon was an Abra!"


    When it came to his starter Pok��mon, Eusine wore a nostalgic expression and a sense of pride that couldn''t be put into words.


    He then took out his Pok�� Ball and released an kazam.


    ...


    <<kazam>> </kazam>


    Type: Psychic


    Ability: Synchronize


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 48


    Moves: Teleport, Psychic, Disable, Reflect, Light Screen, Shadow Ball, Psychic, Focus st, Barrier.


    ...


    Indeed, it was a formidable kazam, but Yuga couldn''t help but think that taming Suicune with it would be quite challenging.


    "You intend to capture Suicune with this kazam?" Yuga asked, somewhat exasperated.


    Eusine, looking bewildered, asked, "Is there a problem with that?"


    Yuga, feeling that his intelligence had been insulted, couldn''t help but rub his forehead and said, "No, no problem at all! If it makes you happy, that''s what matters!"


    However, looking at kazam, Yuga suddenly had a new idea.


    "Hey, Eusine, considering how powerful your kazam is, could you have it teach Gon''s Kadabra a few moves?"


    Yuga asked with a "genuine" tone.


    As fellow members of the same evolutionary line, perhaps Kadabra could sessfully learn moves like Shadow Ball from kazam. If it could also learn the Fighting-type move Focus st, that would be a significant gain.


    Upon hearing Yuga praise his kazam, Eusine was delighted. He smiled and said, "Of course, leave it to me and kazam."


    "Thank you so much! You''re truly a kind-hearted person."


    Although he said this out loud, Yuga couldn''t help but feel that this guy was too gullible. He didn''t seem afraid of being taken advantage of by others.


    Even Gon, who hadn''t spoken, felt that Eusine had been easily tricked. However, he was still happy that his Kadabra could learn new skills from an experienced trainer.


    And so, on their way to Saffron City, Eusine''s kazam had a learning session with Gon''s Kadabra.


    It could be said that being part of the same evolutionary line was advantageous. With the selfless guidance of kazam and Kadabra''s existing foundation, Kadabra sessfully learned Shadow Ball in just half a day.


    Seeing Kadabra quickly master Shadow Ball, Eusine sighed, "Gon''s Kadabra has remarkable potential."


    But he quickly changed his tone and continued, "But it''s undoubtedly due to the excellent teaching from my kazam."


    Hearing this statement, Yuga almost stumbled and fell. This guy was incredibly confident in his kazam, almost to the point of being delusional. Had he never experienced life''s challenges? He was like a wide-eyed innocent!

 Chapter 434: Sabrina

    <h4>Chapter 434: Sabrina</h4>


    The three of them continued their journey, training their Pok��mon while heading towards Saffron City.


    From Cerulean City to Saffron City, there was only Route 5 in between. The distance was simr to the one from Pewter City to Cerulean City, but there were no mountain ranges like Mt. Moon to obstruct them, so Yuga and his group made much faster progress.


    About two dayster, they sessfully entered the territory of Saffron City.


    Saffron City was thergest city in the Kanto region and the most developed in terms of transportation. It was surrounded by four other cities: Cerulean City, Lavender Town, Cdon City, and Vermilion City.


    As a highly renowned mega-city in the Pok��mon world, Saffron City had two Pok��mon Gyms - one for Psychic-type Pok��mon and one for Fighting-type Pok��mon. This was quite unusual in the Pok��mon world.


    However, due to a dispute between the Gym Leaders, Sabrina, who led the Psychic-type Gym, and Kiyo, the Fighting-type Gym Leader, over the official Gym title, Kiyo voluntarily gave up his im. As a result, Sabrina''s Psychic-type Gym stood unchallenged as the sole official Gym in Saffron City.


    Apart from having two Pok��mon Gyms, the Silph Company''s headquarters, on par with the Devon Corporation in the Hoenn region, also stood tall in the city center of Saffron City.


    Before the rise of the Devon Corporation, the Silph Company had always been the leader in manufacturing technology in the Pok��mon world. They produced numerous Items for Trainers and were a vital pir of the Kanto region''s economy.


    However, as an established corporation, Silph Company had faced internal issues in recent years, and its growth had somewhatgged behind that of the Devon Corporation in the Hoenn region.


    Upon their arrival in Saffron City, Eusine insisted on taking them on a tour of the city. Seeing that Gon was also very interested, Yuga didn''t refuse and yed with them for a day.


    Saffron City had thergest and most bustling central business district in the entire Kanto region, making it an excellent ce for shopping.


    It was during this time that Yuga discovered that Eusine was, in fact, quite generous, not only buying many things for himself but also covering the expenses for Yuga and Gon.


    Saffron City also boasted the mostprehensive infrastructure in the Kanto region, making transportation convenient. During their tour, Yuga and hispanions encountered people from all over the region, which was truly eye-opening.


    While shopping, Yuga took the opportunity to purchase a Miracle Seed for Bellossom and Ivysaur, as well as a Poison Barb for Roserade. These items were all bought at the Silph Company''s store, where many Trainer items were on sale.


    However, special items like Miracle Seeds, which enhanced Grass-type moves, were quite expensive, even with the discount. Miracle Seeds were naturally urring items, and to this day, no one had figured out why they formed, keeping their prices consistently high.


    Nevertheless, Miracle Seeds were worth the investment as they not only boosted Grass-type moves but also helped Grass-type Pok��mon umte energy faster, making them a valuable asset.


    Inparison, the Poison Barb for Roserade was more affordable since it was a mass-produced item with no special effects apart from enhancing Poison-type moves.


    Yuga also bought a variety of daily necessities for Gon, such as clothes and shoes. He realized that he had been in a hurry when they were in Pewter City, and Goncked many essential items. This trip provided a chance to fill those gaps.


    Though spendingvishly was enjoyable, it was also exhausting. Eusine, being an adult, was fatigued, and Gon, in particr, was out of breath from all the running around.


    Yuga, who had a significantly higher physical endurance due to various special circumstances, wasn''t as exhausted. Seeing Gon and Eusine sitting wearily in the rest area, he said, "Eusine, could you please take care of Gon? I''ll go buy some drinks."


    Eusine dly epted, saying, "Sure, leave it to me. You can trust me with Gon!"


    Yuga turned to Gon and said, "Gon, wait here for a moment. I''ll be right back."


    Gon nodded, saying, "I understand, Big Brother Shimizu."


    About ten minutester, Yuga returned with two bottles of drinks. However, as he approached, he noticed Eusine running toward him with his kazam in tow, looking distressed.


    "Yuga, something''s wrong! Gon has been taken!"


    rmed, Yuga quickly asked, "What happened? Tell me everything."


    Eusine, looking panicked, said, "I don''t know what happened exactly. Suddenly, a little girl appeared in front of us, and she quickly snatched Gon away. I tried to stop her with my kazam, but I couldn''t do anything. Gon was gone in the blink of an eye."


    Listening to Eusine''s ount, Yuga furrowed his brow and continued to inquire, "Do you know anything about the girl''s identity?"


    Eusine shook hia head, indicating he had no idea.


    "I told you to look after Gon carefully when I left, didn''t I? How could you let this happen?"


    Due to his anxiety, Yuga''s tone unintentionally grew stern.


    "I''m... I''m sorry."


    Eusine hung his head, burdened with guilt.


    Yuga took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He had been too impatient earlier.


    "I''m sorry for the way I spoke just now. It''s not entirely your fault."


    Yuga apologized to Eusine, realizing that this situation wasn''t entirely his fault. He was the one who had been careless.


    "It''s my fault. I promised to take good care of Gon."


    Eusine''s tone was filled with self-me.


    Yuga said, "Now is not the time to assign me. Do you have any information about the person who took Gon?"


    After pondering for a moment, Eusine said, "The one who took Gon was a young girl, very small in size. But when she left with Gon, it seemed like she used Teleport."


    "A young girl? Teleport?"


    Upon hearing Eusine''s description, Yuga immediately had a suspicion about the identity of the person who took Gon.


    In a world where Psychic abilities were rare, there were very few individuals in Saffron City who could use Teleport, aside from Sabrina, the Gym Leader of the Saffron Gym. It was highly likely that Sabrina was involved. But why would Sabrina take Gon? Was it because Gon, like her, possessed Psychic abilities? Or was it something else, perhaps an attraction to Gon''s psychic energy, much like what had happened with Abra?


    "We''re heading to the Saffron Gym!"


    Yuga dered and began walking towards the exit of the mall.


    "The Saffron Gym?"


    Eusine, looking momentarily confused, seemed to recall something and quickly followed Yuga out of the mall.


    They arrived at the entrance of the renowned Saffron Gym in the Kanto region, following Yuga''s lead.

 Chapter 435: The Gym

    <h4>Chapter 435: The Gym</h4>


    Sabrina''s Psychic Gym, located in the northeastern part of Saffron City, had earned the title of the Saffron Gym due to her victory in the official Gym Leader battle against Kiyo, the Fighting-type Gym Leader.


    The Saffron Gym was renowned not for the strength of its Gym Trainers, but for the entricities of those who challenged it.


    While many Gyms boasted powerful Gym Trainers, even the most challenging Gyms like the Pewter Gym would still attract many challengers.


    The Saffron Gym was different.


    While its Gym Trainers were indeed formidable, it was known as the most challenging Gym in the Kanto region, but most Trainers refused to enter it. That was because failing a challenge here meant enduring Sabrina''s unique punishment, involving her Psychic powers.


    Earning a Gym Badge was already a difficult task, but coupled with the potential for failure and subsequent punishment, which couldst up to three days, it deterred all but the most confident challengers.


    Yuga and Eusine stood before the imposing doors of the Saffron Gym, contemting its reputation. As the official Gym of Saffron City, the Gym''s exterior was grand and luxurious, aptly described as vish."


    There were no guards at the Gym''s entrance. As Yuga and Eusine approached, the Gym''s massive doors automatically swung open.


    Inside the Gym, they found no one in sight, just golden pirs everywhere.


    "Is anyone here?" Eusine called out, but there was no response.


    "This ce gives me the creeps," Eusine remarked. "It feels so eerie."


    Yuga nodded in agreement. The deserted atmosphere was indeed unsettling, resembling a Ghost-type Gym more than a Psychic-type Gym.


    Suddenly, in one of the corridors, a room appeared, and a long-haired man in white clothing stepped out.


    Surprised to see Yuga and Eusine, he asked, "Who are you? Are you here to challenge the Gym? I advise you to turn back; you cannot possibly be a match for Lady Sabrina."


    Yuga shook his head and replied, "We''re not here to challenge the Gym. We have a matter to discuss with Gym Leader Sabrina."


    "Not here to challenge the Gym?" The man looked puzzled. "Well, then, you should really reconsider being here. This ce isn''t for casual visits."


    "We genuinely need to see Gym Leader Sabrina. Could you please guide us?" Yuga insisted.


    The man sighed and said, "Fine, fine. Since you''re insistent, follow me."


    With that, the man motioned for Yuga and Eusine to follow him.


    They followed him through abyrinthine maze of corridors, eventually reaching a massive door.


    The Saffron Gym was truly immense, and without their guide, Yuga and Eusine would have been hopelessly lost.


    With a forceful push, the man opened the door and said, "Lady Sabrina is inside. Go in."


    As Yuga and Eusine entered, they found the interior of the door even more luxurious than the exterior, resembling a temple more than a Gym.


    At the end of the battle arena was a giant bamboo curtain, and behind it, they could faintly see a figure seated on arge throne.


    As they approached, the enormous curtain was suddenly drawn back, revealing the obscured face of a girl.


    A girl with an aloof countenance, adorned with beautiful ck hair, a crimson top, a ck skirt, and tall ck boots.


    In her arms, she cradled an oddly peculiar little girl.


    "That''s the girl! She''s the one who took Gon!"


    Eusine suddenly pointed at the little girl in the arms of the teenage girl and said, "Hey, it''s you! You''re here too!"


    The little girl in the arms of the teenage girl grinned strangely at Eusine, causing her face to turn pale with fear.


    "Gym Leader Sabrina, I hope you can release Gon," Yuga said, ignoring the talking little girl.


    With Yuga''s King of Ghost and Celebi Blessing abilities granted him a keen sense of life force. He could feel that the little girl in Sabrina''s armscked any life essence; in other words, she was not a human but a puppet.


    "Hehe, you''re talking about him, right?" The little girl still spoke instead of Sabrina.


    As the little girl finished her sentence, Gon appeared next to Sabrina, bound by a psychic force.


    "Big Brother Shimizu!" Gon struggled to shout to Yuga.


    "He''s mine now, and no one can take him!" the little girl said, giggling.


    Gon attempted to use his psychic powers to counter Sabrina''s mental influence, but he had only recently encountered the concept of psychic abilities and was no match for Sabrina.


    "Gon belongs to himself, not to anyone else. Gym Leader Sabrina, please release him," Yuga continued.


    "I don''t care; he''s mine now. But can you tell me what this is? Why do I feel a terrifying powering from it? I asked this kid, but he doesn''t seem to know." The little girl looked troubled and produced a feather emitting a seven-colored glow.


    Rainbow Feather!


    Yuga narrowed his eyes as he saw the feather in Sabrina''s hand.


    "Rainbow Feather!"


    Suddenly, Eusine, standing next to Yuga, eximed in surprise. His tone was filled with an inexplicable excitement.


    "Yuga, Yuga, that''s the Rainbow Feather, right? Right?" Eusine grabbed Yuga''s arm, his expression nervous.


    Feeling his arm slightly sore from Eusine''s grip, Yuga turned to him and asked, "You know about the Rainbow Feather?"


    Eusine quickly nodded. "Yes, I''m friends with Morty, and his family has records about the Rainbow Feather."


    So, it was information he had obtained from Morty. It seemed that even though Morty and Ecruteak Gym didn''t know about the Rainbow Feather''s existence in the Bell Tower, they were familiar with its legend.


    "Well, now that you know it''s called the Rainbow Feather," the little girl said, although her voice sounded sweet, it felt strange inexplicably.


    Yuga was originally afraid of causing trouble and didn''t want too many people to know about Rainbow Feather, but now he might not be able to hide it because of Sabrina.


    "Gym Leader Sabrina, what will it take for you to return Gon and the Rainbow Feather to me?"

 Chapter 436: Rampage

    <h4>Chapter 436: Rampage</h4>


    The little girl tilted her head for a moment and then said, "How about we have a battle? If you win, I''ll give him back to you. If you lose, both of you will be mine. How does that sound?"


    Yuga objected, "That''s not fair. If you lose, you don''t give up anything, but if I lose, I have to give up the freedom of two people. There''s no such thing as a good deal."


    The little girl propped her chin on her hand, looking puzzled. "Then what should we do? I don''t have anything to offer you."


    "How about this? If you lose, you can teach Gon how to use psychic abilities. How does that sound?" Yuga suggested.


    Although the little girl remained silent, Yuga noticed a momentary change in Sabrina''s cold expression.


    "Alright, let''s do it your way. I won''t lose," the little girl finally spoke after some thought.


    Yuga didn''t say anything and just moved to one side of the battlefield.


    There''s something called a "g," and it''s better not to jinx it.


    Sabrina used her psychic powers to levitate herself from the throne behind the bamboo curtain andnded on the other side of the battlefield.


    "The rules of the match are one-on-one. Whoever falls first loses," the little girl stated.


    With those words, a red and white Pok�� Ball appeared in the little girl''s hand. With a sh of red light, an kazam appeared on the battlefield.


    ...


    <<kazam>> </kazam>


    Type: Psychic


    Ability: Synchronize


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 62


    Moves: Spoon Bending, Teleport, Psychic, Disable, Recover, Psychic, Shadow Ball, Signal Beam, Power Trick.


    ...


    Yuga realized that he had encountered these Abra family line recently. Gon had one, Eusine had one, and now Sabrina had one. However, this kazam was the most powerful among the three, it''s already reach pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, with a blue potential.


    But Yuga wasn''t afraid.


    After checking Sabrina''s kazam, Yuga summoned his Mismagius onto the battlefield. It was evident that, in terms of type advantage, Yuga had the upper hand.


    As soon as Mismagius appeared, it seemed eager to join the battle. These days, it had been restless and irritated, having been thrown out of the house for no apparent reason and unable to return. It was really pissed off.


    "kazam, use Shadow Ball!"


    kazam, with its speed advantage, quickly formed arge Shadow Ball upon Sabrina''smand andunched it towards Mismagius.


    However, Mismagius was no slouch either. With a slight tilt of its body, it gracefully dodged the massive Shadow Ball.


    "Mismagius, use Taunt!"


    For Yuga, kazam''s most annoying abilities were Teleport and Recover, so he decided to suppress those abilities from the start.


    Especially Teleport, as long as this skill can be mastered, then that Pok��mon is definitely very difficult to deal with.


    However, this skill itself consumes a lot, and few Pok��mon can use it frequently, but Sabrina can boost her kazam with her Psychic ability, so Yujia has to guard against it.


    Though Mismagius didn''t speak, it emitted a red light from its eyes and grinned tauntingly at kazam. kazam, upon seeing this, felt an inexplicable rage and sensed that its abilities had been sealed.


    "kazam, use Psychic!"


    "Mismagius, use Mystical Fire!"


    After one round of exchanges, both Yuga and Sabrinamanded their Pok��mon to attack.


    The energy beams formed by kazam''s Psychic shed fiercely with Mismagius''s Mystical Fire, resulting in a violent explosion.


    Thus, the two Pok��mon engaged in a back-and-forth battle on the battlefield.


    Both Pok��mon had nearly equal strength, and at this point, neither side could afford to make a mistake.


    Although kazam was swift, it relied on its Teleport ability to gain an advantage. With Teleport sealed, kazam gradually felt helpless, often grazed by Mismagius''s Mystical Fire.


    It should be noted that the Mystical Fire had special effects attached to it. While the damage wasn''t significant when just grazed, it caused kazam''s special attack to decrease over time.


    For Pok��mon like kazam and Mismagius, which relied heavily on special attacks, a decline in special attack power could be fatal.


    After several decreases in special attack power, kazam''s Psychic was finally suppressed during its sh with Mismagius''s Mystical Fire.


    Each time kazam was hit by Mystical Fire, it wanted to use Recover to heal itself, but under the influence of Taunt, it felt powerless.


    As the battle between Mismagius and kazam grew increasingly intense, Yuga could clearly sense a tinge of urgency on Sabrina''s otherwise cold expression. It was evident that both her and kazam were gradually falling behind in the battle.


    Were it not for Sabrina''s augmented psychic abilities, kazam would have likely sumbed much earlier.


    However, Yuga couldn''t help but admire the strength of Sabrina''s psychic powers. His King of Ghost ability could only suppress Ghost-type Pok��mon, and he was powerless against Psychic-type Pok��mon like kazam.


    Due to Sabrina''s psychic powers, even though kazam''s special attack had significantly decreased, there were several asions when Mismagius''s position became precarious.


    However, while Mismagius couldn''t use recovery-type moves, it could employ Pain Split to share some of its health if its opponent had less health. Sabrina and kazam found this rather frustrating.


    Finally, under Mismagius''s relentless assault, kazam reluctantly fell.


    Mismagius heaved a sigh of relief, its mood visibly improved. It seemed as if all the frustration it had experienced during these days of being thrown out of the house for no reason had dissipated in an instant.


    As Yuga looked at kazam lying on the ground, Sabrina wore an expression of disbelief. She had never expected to lose.


    Retracting Mismagius, Yuga turned to Sabrina and said, "Gym Leader Sabrina, now that I''ve won, you should keep your promise, shouldn''t you?"


    "How... how could this..." This time, it was Sabrina herself who spoke, not the puppet doll she had been using earlier.


    Compared to the sweet voice of the puppet girl, Sabrina''s original voice was cooler, more mature, and surprisingly pleasant. Itcked the eerie quality of the puppet.


    Seeing Sabrina''s astonished expression, Yuga thought to himself: Thisdy is probably another genius who hasn''t experienced the harsh realities of society; otherwise, she wouldn''t react like this after a single defeat.


    "Hey, Gym Leader Sabrina, are you listening to me?" Yuga called out when he received no response from her.


    At that moment, Sabrina suddenly dropped the puppet girl she was holding and stared at Yuga with intense purple eyes.


    Seeing this, Yuga immediately felt something was amiss and tried to seek shelter behind Mismagius. However, his reaction wasn''t as quick as Sabrina''s, and he was swiftly bound by her psychic powers.


    Sabrina had lost control of herself. Her psychic powers began to run rampant, and she relentlessly directed her mental energy towards Yuga. The sheer force of her psychic power made Yuga feel like his bones were about to shatter.


    Mismagius, standing by, wanted to intervene and save its trainer. But before it could act, it witnessed countless ck mists surging out from Yuga''s body, dispelling all the psychic energy that Sabrina had imposed on him.


    In the moment that Yuga''s body purged the psychic energy, Sabrina copsed unconscious on the ground.


    With Sabrina''s support gone, Yuga knelt on the ground, gasping for breath heavily. During that brief moment, he believed he was about to be torn apart by Sabrina.


    Fortunately, when it mattered most, he attempted tomunicate with the Ghost World Origin Stone in his mind''s, and inexplicably, it came to his rescue.


    Seeing Yuga''s crisis averted, Mismagius quickly flew over to check on Yuga''s condition. On the sidelines, Eusine was also visibly shaken and rushed into the arena to help Yuga to his feet.

 Chapter 437: Stay

    <h4>Chapter 437: Stay</h4>


    With Sabrina unconscious, Gon, who had been controlled on the throne, finally regained his freedom.


    He quickly ran down from the throne and reached Yuga''s side. When he saw Yuga injured, he couldn''t help but shed tears.


    "I''m sorry, Big Brother Shimizu, it''s all because of me. If it weren''t for me, you wouldn''t have gotten hurt."


    Seeing tears welling up in Gon''s eyes, Yuga gently patted his head andforted him, "It''s okay, don''t cry. I''m fine, and look, we''ve resolved the issue, haven''t we?"


    "Big Brother Shimizu, let''s leave here quickly!"


    Gon suppressed his tears and pleaded with Yuga.


    "Leave? That''s not an option. We haven''t collected our winnings yet! Once she wakes up, she still needs to teach you how to use psychic powers!" Yuga pointed at the unconscious Sabrina on the ground.


    Having won the bet, Yuga wasn''t keen on leaving without iming their reward, especially after he had been injured. Somepensation was in order.


    Just as Yuga and Gon were debating whether to leave immediately, a middle-aged man with a stubbled beard suddenly rushed in.


    "Sabrina!"


    Seeing Sabrina lying on the ground, the middle-aged man hurried over to help her up.


    "Who are you people? What happened to my daughter?"


    Holding Sabrina, the middle-aged man looked at Yuga''s group with suspicion.


    Yuga''s group was left speechless. They were the ones who had suffered, yet this man was acting as if they were the culprits!


    Fortunately, this uncle seemed to be reasonable. After hearing Yuga and the others exin the situation, he sincerely apologized to them.


    "I''m truly sorry. My daughter has caused you trouble!"


    It turned out he was Sabrina''s father.


    Looking at the bearded uncle in front of him, Yuga couldn''t help but marvel at the wonders of gics. How had he managed to father such a beautiful daughter as Sabrina?


    "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure Sabrina fulfills the bet she made with you. If she refuses, I''ll make it happen myself."


    Sabrina''s dad continued to speak.


    As it turned out, Sabrina''s father was also a psychic, and her psychic powers were inherited from him. Sabrina just happened to be exceptionally talented.


    Psychics were typically born with their abilities, and it was rare for them to awakenter in life. Sabrina had disyed extraordinary psychic talents from a very young age, but her obsession with honing these powers had gradually led to her bing reclusive, cold, and twisted in character.


    It was precisely this personality that had made countless Trainers who came to challenge the Saffron Gym suffer.


    However, Sabrina''s father had always believed that his daughter had a fundamentally good nature. He had been trying to change her personality over the years.


    Shortly after, Yuga''s group was invited to Sabrina''s home and received a warm wee from Sabrina''s parents.


    The fear that Gon had developed due to Sabrina''s actions began to subside in this warm and weing atmosphere.


    In fact, Sabrina''s family had a long lineage of psychic power inheritors, but the strength of their psychic abilities varied from generation to generation. Sabrina had simply outshone them all.


    Originally, Sabrina''s father was very happy about this, but as Sabrina''s character became increasingly twisted, he couldn''t find joy in it anymore. He would have preferred his daughter to be a normal person rather than a psychic with a twisted personality.


    Thanks to the timely intervention of the Ghost World Origin Stone of Yuga''s mind, his injuries from Sabrina''s psychic outburst were not severe. Under the Heal Pulse of Chimecho''s, he waspletely fine.


    Due to the chaotic state of her psychic powers caused by the psychic outburst, Sabrina had fallen into a state of confusion, leading to her prolonged unconsciousness. However, with the help of her father, who was an experienced psychic, Sabrina woke up after a while.


    Upon learning that Sabrina had awakened, Yuga''s group went to her room to visit her.


    Sabrina seemed very happy to see Gon but appeared to avoid eye contact with Yuga. It seemed like she was quite fearful of him.


    Yuga was puzzled by Sabrina''s frightened expression. Was it because I''m ugly? Or does she think I''m going to eat her?


    "Gym Leader Sabrina, you won''t go back on your promise, will you?" Yuga asked Sabrina.


    "Nn, I won''t," Sabrina replied curtly before quickly turning her head away, avoiding looking at Yuga.


    What in the world?


    Seeing Sabrina''s actions, Yuga was left half-exasperated!


    Upon Sabrina''s agreement, Gon seemed reluctant. He would have preferred her father to teach him instead.


    Sabrina smiled at Gon, which was a rare sight. However, her smile looked incredibly stiff, almost scary, and nearly frightened Gon half to death.


    Sabrina had a very positive impression of Gon. When she was with him, she felt as rxed as when she was with her kazam. It was the first time she had ever felt this way with a human, which was why she brought Gon back.


    Unfortunately, her actions had frightened Gon half to death.


    Besides, Gon wasn''t considered a human in the truest sense.


    So, Yuga ended up staying temporarily in Sabrina''s house with Gon. Gon would learn from Sabrina how to use psychic powers, including how to meditate to rapidly enhance his psychic power, how to maximize his Pok��mon''s strength, and various psychic techniques.


    One day, as Gon left the house to train with Sabrina, Yuga stayed in his room, reading a book, when he heard someone knocking on his door.


    Yuga: "Come in!"


    Since his door was not locked, the visitor pushed it open right away.


    "Eusine? What''s up?"


    Seeing that the visitor was Eusine, Yuga asked curiously.


    "Yuga, I want to discuss something with you." Eusine stammered.


    Yuga: "Go ahead."


    "Are you and Gon going to search for the Ho-oh? Can I join you?"


    "Join us?"


    Yuga knew that Eusine had already learned about his and Gon''s mission because of Sabrina.


    "Yes, my biggest dream is to tame Suicune. As long as I''m with you guys, I''m sure I''ll meet Suicune. Last time in Cerulean City, Suicune met you guys, right?"


    Eusine became more and more excited as he spoke. Meanwhile, Marshadow quietly peeked out from Yuga''s shadow, unnoticed by anyone.


    Yuga hadn''t expected Eusine to say something so absurd and felt a bit helpless.


    "Eusine, are you seriously saying you want to tame Suicune?"


    "Of course, I''m more serious than ever!"


    "It''s not that I underestimate you, but with your current strength, taming Suicune is impossible. Besides, Suicune has already appeared once; it''s not going to happen again."


    Yuga earnestly tried to persuade him.


    "No matter what, I have to give it a try. Otherwise, I''ll regret it. Please, I beg you."


    Seeing Eusine''s unwavering deterEusion, Yuga reluctantly said, "Fine, have it your way."


    Yuga figured that when Eusine realized he couldn''t meet Suicune, he would naturally give up.


    With Yuga''s agreement, Marshadow once again slipped quietly back into Yuga''s shadow, still unnoticed.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s agreement, Eusine said happily, "Thank you so much, Yuga."


    Just as Eusine finished speaking, the door to Yuga''s room opened with a "bang," and Sabrina and Gon stood at the doorway.


    "I want to go too!"


    This statement came from Sabrina, but she still avoided eye contact with Yuga, her expression showing fear.


    ...

 Chapter 438: Rumors

    <h4>Chapter 438: Rumors</h4>


    Yuga didn''t expect Sabrina to return with Gon at this moment and overhear his conversation with Eusine. He beckoned Gon over, signaling him toe closer, preparing to share with him the details about the Rainbow Feather and the trial of the Rainbow Hero.


    After all, Gon was the protagonist of this trial and had the right to know about the journey and their actions.


    Once Gon stood by Yuga''s side, Yuga exined everything: how he had been entrusted by Bell Tower to find the Chosen One, how they had coincidentally met Gon, and what their ns were for the journey, where they were going, and what they would be doing.


    "So, after weplete the trial, you''ll take me to Bell Tower?" After hearing Yuga''s exnation, Gon asked.


    Yuga nodded and replied, "Yes, you are the chosen Chosen One of Bell Tower, and you will inherit it in the future. You must go there."


    "But I''d rather stay with Big Brother Shimizu. I don''t want to be the Chosen One of Bell Tower."


    Gon wore a reluctant expression on his face.


    Yuga had been the best person to Gon since he could remember. Unconsciously, he hade to see Yuga as his closest person. Just the thought of parting ways with Yuga soon filled his heart with reluctance.


    Yuga chuckled and ruffled Gon''s hair. "I can''t be with you forever. You have to grow up and be stronger."


    Yuga felt like an old father, worrying about his child''s safety while also being concerned about his growth. It was truly heart-wrenching.


    After hearing Yuga''s words, Gon simply lowered his head and didn''t say anything. Yuga wasn''t sure if he had taken it to heart.


    Having exined the reasons behind their journey to Gon, Yuga turned his gaze to Sabrina and curiously asked, "We each have our own reasons for wanting to meet the Ho-oh. Why do you want to join us?"


    Sabrina replied, "I''m going because Gon is going. I want to help him."


    Sabrina was a very strong-willed person, but ever since she had been startled by the King of Ghost powers emanating from Yuga, she always appeared quite unsure when talking to him.


    "No!" Yuga opposed.


    "Why not? I''m going with Gon, it has nothing to do with you!"


    When Sabrina heard Yuga''s objection, her voice unintentionally raised, and her attitude became somewhat stubborn.


    "No means no. Gon has me by his side; you should stay in your gym."


    Yuga''s stance grew even more resolute.


    "Big Brother Shimizu, let''s let Sabrina Sistere with us. Sabrina Sister is very strong and will definitely be able to help."


    Surprisingly, Gon began pleading on Sabrina''s behalf, which left Yuga quite puzzled.


    In reality, Gon''s idea was straightforward: he wanted to provide Yuga with an extra helper, and Sabrina''s strength made her a suitable choice. Plus, she was willing to go.


    After the incident with Suicune, the clever Gon knew that their journey wouldn''t be smooth sailing, so the more help they had, the better.


    Yuga silently watched Gon''s plea for Sabrina, as if asking, "When did your rtionship be so close?"


    After locking eyes with Gon for two minutes, Yuga reluctantly agreed to his request. After all, Gon was the main character of the Rainbow Hero trial, and if he wanted Sabrina toe along, Yuga would ept it.


    And so, their journey through the Mount Tensei gained two more members with Sabrina''s inclusion.


    With Sabrina joining, there was no need for them to stay longer at Sabrina''s house. Teaching Gon how to use psychic powers could be done while traveling, and Sabrina temporarily entrusted her gym to her father.


    As they left the gym, Yuga suddenly noticed an extra Pok�� Ball on Gon''s belt. Upon inquiry, he learned that Sabrina had given him a Slowpoke.


    ...


    <<slowpoke>> </slowpoke>


    Type: Water, Psychic


    Ability: Oblivious


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Green


    Level: 15


    Moves: Curse, Yawn, Water Gun, Confusion, Disable, Sleep Talk


    ...


    Perhaps because of its "Oblivious" ability, the Slowpoke Sabrina gave Gon appeared to be quite slow and cute. Even when someone spoke to it, it would take a while to react.


    However, what was truly remarkable was that when Gon or Sabrinamunicated with it using psychic powers, it became remarkably clever.


    Yuga spected that this must be a special training method that psychics like Sabrina used to nurture Slowpoke.


    In summary, although this Slowpoke''s potential was not as high as Gon''s Kadabra, it was still quite good, and it even inherited a special move called Sleep Talk.


    Seeing how Sabrina treated Gon so gently, Yuga couldn''t help but feel a pang of jealousy. He wished he could also be affectionately cared for by a beautiful girl.


    After leaving Saffron City, their next destination was Vermilion City, thest city they would visit before reaching the Mount Tensei. Vermilion City was located very close to Saffron City, just a short distance away, much closer than the journey from Cerulean City to Saffron City.


    At their current pace, Yuga estimated that they could reach Vermilion City in less than a day.


    Vermilion City was the secondrgest city in the Kanto region, just behind Saffron City. It was also a bustling and lively city.


    ording to Eusine, Vermilion City was originally his hometown, but due to some special circumstances, he had moved to the Johto region with his family.


    Yuga found this quite surprising; he had initially thought that Eusine was a Johto native, but it turned out he was from the Kanto region.


    When the four of them arrived in Vermilion City, it was almost evening. They headed straight for the Pok��mon Center in Vermilion City, nning to stay overnight before setting off again.


    However, as soon as they arrived at the Pok��mon Center in Vermilion City, they heard astonishing news: someone had seen the legendary Pok��mon Entei in the nearby forest.


    Yuga and his group exchanged nces and immediately understood what this meant. Entei might being for them.


    After a brief rest at the Pok��mon Center, Yuga and his team inquired with the trainers here about the rumors surrounding Entei''s appearance.


    This matter was no longer a secret, and they easily gathered the information they needed.


    ording to eyewitnesses, Entei was spotted in a forest south of Vermilion City, and there was more than one person who had seen it.


    After gathering this information, Yuga decided to take Gon to the forest where Entei was sighted.


    If Entei was indeeding because of Gon, there was no way to avoid it. Entei was the messenger of the Ho-oh, and like Suicune, its purpose was to see if Gon, as the chosen Rainbow Feather, was qualified.


    Instead of trying to evade the situation, they would confront it head-on. As Rainbow Heroes, strength might not be the most critical factor; having the courage to face challenges was even more important.


    Moreover, Entei wasn''t here to harm them. If theycked the courage to confront it, how could they talk about finding the Ho-oh?

 Chapter 439: Entei

    <h4>Chapter 439: Entei</h4>


    Apart from Yuga''s group of four, there were many trainers heading to the forest south of Vermilion City to search for Entei.


    As trainers, it was impossible not to be excited when facing legendary Pok��mon. Of course, this excitement came with the prerequisite of having the corresponding strength; otherwise, it would remain a dream, just like Eusine''s situation.


    Even though it was gettingte, Yuga and his team left the Vermilion City Pok��mon Center, heading towards the southern forest.


    "We''re about to meet Entei. I''m so excited! I wonder when Suicune will appear," Eusine eximed with enthusiasm.


    Yuga sighed in resignation. "Didn''t I already say? Suicune has appeared in Cerulean City, so it won''t appear again."


    Eusine retorted, "There''s no rule saying Suicune can only appear once. Maybe it''s following us right now!"


    Yuga shook his head in exasperation. This guy was beyond help.


    After walking for a short while, Sabrina suddenly stopped in her tracks and pointed in a direction, saying, "I hear sounds of battleing from over there."


    Yuga and Eusine also halted and listened carefully, indeed hearing explosive noises.


    Yuga said, "It''s possible that Entei has appeared. Let''s go take a look."


    With that, the four of them hurried toward the source of the explosions.


    When they arrived, they saw that many trainers had found Entei and were engaging it in battle.


    At the scene, countless fainted Pok��mony on the ground, no longer able to battle. Many trainers had joined the fight against Entei.


    Unfortunately, these trainers were essentially cannon fodder. Entei could easily defeat several Pok��mon with a single st of its mes.


    However, there were a few skilled trainers who had maintained the battle for quite some time, thanks to their extraordinary efforts.


    Yuga asked Eusine, "Now that you''ve seen the power of Entei, do you still believe you can tame Suicune? Suicune''s strength is no less than that of Entei."


    Eusine remained silent, his gaze fixed on Entei surrounded by mes. Yuga couldn''t fathom what was going through his mind.


    While Eusine was lost in thought, Marshadow once again silently emerged from Yuga''s shadow and crept toward Eusine''s feet. Eusine suddenly felt like he had countless voices talking in his mind, incessantly, and just as he was about to speak, Marshadow swiftly retreated into Yuga''s shadow.


    Everything returned to normal as if nothing had happened, and no one noticed Marshadow''s appearance.


    However, it seemed that Entei no longer wanted to engage with these trainers. It raised its head and let out a deafening roar, and a surge of ck energy radiated outward, causing all the participating Pok��mon to transform into red light and return to their Pok�� Balls.


    With these pesky "Caterpies" dealt with, Entei turned its gaze toward its true target.


    Watching Entei steadily approach them step by step, Yuga and his team couldn''t help but gulp nervously. It felt as though Entei''s steps were crushing down on their chests.


    Thinking back to their encounter with Suicune, Yuga quietly released Chimecho from her Pok�� Ball.


    The reason he chose Chimecho over the stronger Gengar and Mismagius was that Chimecho was more adept at defense.


    If Entei were to attack them, Yuga believed that, apart from defense, their attacks would be meaningless.


    As Yuga released Chimecho, Gon also released his Kadabra. While Kadabra wasn''t very strong, it could assist Chimecho in defense.


    Seeing Gon release Kadabra, Sabrina took out a Pok�� Ball and summoned a Mr. Mime, quickly positioning it in front of Gon.


    Observing this gesture by Mr. Mime, Gon couldn''t help but smile slightly, feeling touched by Sabrina''s actions.


    Entei''s pace was not fast as it slowly walked out of the crowd surrounding it. Step by step, it approached Yuga''s group, with its gaze fixed firmly on Gon.


    Finally, Entei reached a point not far from Yuga''s group, gently leaped onto arge rock, and gazed down at them from a higher vantage point.


    Other trainers who hadn''t left the area yet were also curious about Entei''s actions. Their gazes were directed towards Yuga''s group, especially focused on Gon.


    They were all quite intrigued by Yuga''s group and wondered about their identity. They couldn''t understand why the legendary Pok��mon Entei was paying attention to them.


    Some trainers even recognized Sabrina''s identity, given her fame as a remarkable young trainer in the Kanto region. Not only was she renowned as a genius trainer, but she was also known for being the enigmatic Gym Leader of a nearby Gym.


    Even though many trainers hadn''t challenged the Saffron Gym or seen Sabrina in person, they were familiar with her appearance.


    Regardless, the presence of strong trainers often aroused curiosity, even if it was mixed with apprehension.


    Entei remained quietly focused on Yuga''s group, or more urately, it was only watching Gon. It didn''t make any moves and then turned around and left.


    When Suicune had appeared, it hadunched an attack against Yuga and Gon. However, it seemed that Entei, for some reason, hadn''t taken any action before departing. This puzzled both Yuga and Gon.


    While Entei''s arrival was far from low-key, it paled inparison to the previous encounter with Suicune, which had urred during a rainy and stormy weather.


    After Entei left, other trainers turned their attention to Yuga''s group, and they were very curious about why Entei was interested in them and their rtionship with the legendary Pok��mon.


    Some trainers had already begun to approach Yuga''s group, hoping to gather some clues since they failed to capture Entei. After all, one must continue to dream.


    However, the trainers who recognized Sabrina''s identity as the Gym Leader didn''t dare to get too close. They were well aware of the terrifying rumors surrounding her and didn''t want to stir up any trouble.


    "Sabrina, have Chimecho and your kazam use Teleport together. Let''s leave this ce," Yuga whispered to Sabrina, seeing more and more people gathering around them.


    Sabrina nodded gently in response, recalling her Mr. Mime. She then released her kazam. With a purple aura enveloping kazam and Chimecho, Yuga''s group disappeared from their original location, leaving behind bewildered onlookers.


    Unbeknownst to Yuga and the others, a member of Team Rocket, dressed in their uniform, had seen them. This Team Rocket member had assisted Professor in theb and had encountered Gon many times, making him quite familiar with Gon''s appearance.


    The Team Rocket member hade to investigate the news about Entei and was surprised to find Gon here.

 Chapter 440: Whispers

    <h4>Chapter 440: Whispers</h4>


    As soon as Yuga and his group departed, the Team Rocket member discreetly exited the crowd and found a secluded spot to call Dr. Fuji.


    "Hello, Dr. Fuji, I have something very important to report."


    Dr. Fuji, who was busy in hisboratory, halted his work upon hearing this.


    "What is it?"


    Compared to the other entric Pok��mon researchers within Team Rocket, Dr. Fuji had the best temperament and was the most normal.


    "I saw Gon near Vermilion City."


    "Impossible! By now, Gon should be dead!"


    Dr. Fuji found the words of the Team Rocket member very strange, but mostly he couldn''t believe it.


    Gon was his fifth cloned experiment using Pok��mon genes. The first four had already perished, and Gon had begun to exhibit the same gic rejection symptoms as the previous four. In his predictions, Gon wouldn''t survive for long.


    With the current technology in the Pok��mon world, the issue of gic rejection couldn''t be resolved. This was precisely why he had sent Gon out of theboratory, hoping that he would fend for himself.


    He had heard recently that the vehicle transporting Gon to the training facility had been hijacked, and Gon had gone missing. However, he hadn''t paid it much attention because, in his eyes, Gon was already a dead man.


    To think that someone was now telling him that Gon was still alive. This both surprised and delighted him. Did this mean that his experiment was about to seed? Could his daughter, Aika, have a chance at being revived?


    Dr. Fuji''s heart was filled with excitement.


    "Where is he now? Hurry and find someone to bring him back, no matter who he''s with or what rtions he has!"


    "But he''s currently apanied by a Gym Trainer from the Saffron Gym, and it seems he''s connected to Entei!"


    The Team Rocket member was somewhat hesitant about Dr. Fuji''s instructions.


    "I don''t care. I don''t care who he''s currently with or what connections he has. I just want to see him in front of me, unharmed."


    Dr. Fuji insisted with an unyielding tone.


    "Yes, understood. I will make the arrangements!"


    Their leader''s orders were absolute, and Dr. Fuji''s every request took top priority. This was rted to Team Rocket''s grand future ns.


    "Remember, I want Gon unharmed,pletely unharmed!"


    Dr. Fuji emphasized.


    "Yes, I understand!"


    Meanwhile, on Yuga''s side, Chimecho and kazam teamed up to use Teleport, carrying Yuga and the other four people away from the location where Entei had appeared. They arrived in another forested area.


    Surveying the surroundings and noticing no one else, Eusine patted her chest with lingering fear and said, "I was really scared just now. I thought we were going to be captured by those people!"


    Yuga looked at Chimecho and Kadabra, who seemed a bit exhausted, and said, "It''s getting dark. Let''s find a ce to spend the night."


    Using Teleport took a significant toll on the user''s energy, and even someone as close to a Elite level as kazam was now looking weary.


    The other three nodded in agreement after seeing Chimecho and kazam''s condition.


    With their joint efforts, they found a rtively spacious cave and settled in before nightfall.


    After enjoying the dinner prepared by Yuga, the four of them gathered around a campfire and began to chat.


    "Wow, Yuga, your cooking skills are really good. I never have to worry about going hungry when I''m with you," Eusine said, feeling satisfied after eating.


    In reality, Yuga''s cooking skills were only average, not causing anyints from those who ate his meals. However, thanks to spending time with Audino, he had picked up a thing or two.


    Yuga wasn''t a kitchen maestro, nor did he have a high IQ, but he could make one or two standout dishes.


    Gon and Sabrina, seated nearby, nodded in agreement.


    Yuga smiled and said, "The real culinary expert in my family is the head butler. If you ever get the chance to visit Hoenn, I''ll make sure to host you properly."


    As soon as he mentioned "returning to Hoenn," the smile vanished from Gon''s face.


    This made him realize that after this journey, he would part ways with his Big Brother Shimizu.


    "Hey, Yuga, do you think I''ll be able to see Suicune this time?" Eusine suddenly asked Yuga.


    "Chances are slim," Yuga pondered for a moment and honestly expressed his true thoughts. He believed it was better for Eusine to recognize the reality rather than indulge in fantasies.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Eusine fell silent instantly. There was an inexplicable gleam in his eyes, and it was unclear what he was thinking.


    At this moment, Marshadow once again peeked out of Yuga''s shadow, its eyes strangely fixed on Eusine.


    Marshadow''s appearance went unnoticed by anyone, and after a short while, it retreated back into Yuga''s shadow.


    Sensing the somber atmosphere, Yuga shifted the conversation to lighter topics, such as their experiences, strange urrences in Johto and Hoenn, and more. Gradually, the mood lightened, and everyone engaged in the conversation.


    The chat continued untilte into the night when they each crawled into their sleeping bags, drifting off to sleep groggily.


    In the middle of the night, Eusine, struggling to fall asleep, tossed and turned in his sleeping bag. His mind was filled with Yuga''s words, "Chances are slim."


    Suddenly, he began to hear countless voices whispering in his ears, as though they were urging him to do something.


    Clutching his head, he tried to drive these voices out of his mind. But the more agitated he became, the more these voices persisted. They buzzed around his head like annoying flies.


    Unable to bear it any longer, Eusine abruptly opened his eyes, staring at the crackling campfire in front of him. He didn''t realize that his actions had caught the attention of Marshadow, who had been lurking nearby.


    Marshadow, unnoticed by everyone, gazed strangely at Eusine.


    At that moment, Eusine had no idea that, as he sat up, Marshadow had silently slipped into the darkness and disappeared from sight.


    Staring at the flickering mes for a while, Eusine suddenly shifted his gaze to the sleeping figure of Gon, who was sound asleep. His unblinking eyes were fixed on Gon''s chest.


    Gon''s chest was where he kept the Rainbow Feather, and at this moment, the Rainbow Feather seemed to be responding, emitting a faint glow.


    As Eusine watched the gentle lighting from Gon''s chest, his eyes suddenly lost their luster, as if a precious gem had lost its brilliance.


    "What are you looking at?" At that moment, a clear, cold voice resonated in the darkness, immediately bringing Eusine''s wandering thoughts back. His gaze returned to normal in an instant.


    "Nothing... I wasn''t looking at anything," Eusine stammered nervously.


    The voice that had spoken belonged to Sabrina, who was still awake, practicing her psychic abilities before sleep.


    Seeing that Sabrina had stopped watching him, Eusine hastily retreated into his sleeping bag. His heart was pounding rapidly.

 Chapter 441: Joining Forces

    <h4>Chapter 441: Joining Forces</h4>


    The quiet night passed, and when Yuga and the others woke up the next day, they noticed that Eusine had dark circles under his sleepy eyes, which seemed quite unusual.


    Yuga asked, "Eusine, did you not sleep wellst night? Why do you have such heavy dark circles?"


    Eusine chuckled nervously, "Uh, maybe I didn''t adapt well to sleeping in the cave. Just had a bit of insomnia, nothing serious."


    After breakfast, the group of four prepared to set off towards the Mount Tensei officially.


    Although the name Mount Tensei sounded simr to the Indigo teau near the headquarters of the Kanto League, their geographical locations were entirely different.


    The Indigo teau was situated in the western part of the entire Kanto Region, housing the headquarters of both the Kanto and Johto Regions'' Leagues. It was also the birthce of the entire Pok��mon League.


    On the other hand, the Mount Tensei were located in the central part of the Kanto Region, within a vast and primitive area. Cities like Vermilion City, Viridian City, and Cdon City were all on its outskirts, surrounded by forests, mountains, and numerous wild Pok��mon.


    Before embarking on their journey to the Mount Tensei, Yuga turned to Sabrina and Eusine and asked, "From here on, we''ll be entering deep forests and mountains. It can be dangerous. Are you sure you still want to continue with us?"


    Sabrina nodded without hesitation. "Wherever Gon goes, I go."


    Although Sabrina spoke with a stoic expression, her straightforward words made Gon''s face turn somewhat unnatural.


    "Of course, aftering this far, giving up halfway isn''t my style," Eusine quickly added.


    So, the four of them began their journey towards the Mount Tensei.


    However, to reach the foothills of the Mount Tensei, they first had to traverse vast expanses of thick forests.


    Summer was the season when the forests were at their lushest and most vibrant, teeming with life and vitality.


    As Yuga and his group ventured deeper into the great forest, they encountered countless Pok��mon that lived there. These forest-dwelling Pok��mon were notably stronger than their counterparts near human towns, and they showed great curiosity about the unexpected visitors.


    Oddish hid in the grass, Pidgey perched on branches, Caterpie and Weedle rested on leaves, and pairs of Nidoran roamed the area, all observing Yuga and his group passing by with inquisitive eyes.


    Perhaps because they hadn''t ventured too far into the forest yet, these Pok��mon seemed very gentle and didn''t show any intention to attack Yuga and his group.


    For Gon, who had been confined to aboratory for most of his life, seeing so many Pok��mon along the way filled him with curiosity and interest.


    Under Yuga''s guidance, he even sessfully captured an Exeggcute, Grass-type and a Psychic-type Pok��mon, with good potential.


    Due to his status as a Psychic-type, Gon felt a strong affinity for Psychic-type Pok��mon and was more suited to training them. Therefore, both Yuga and Sabrina advised him to specialize in Psychic-types.


    As Yuga and his group ventured further into the forest, they encountered some forest Pok��mon that mistook them for intruders andunched attacks.


    Although these Pok��mon were reasonably strong within the forest, they still paled inparison to Yuga and his team of trained Pok��mon.


    Yuga mainly rotated his three Pok��mon: Shroomish, Charmeleo, and Ivysaur, to deal with these encounters. Along the way, these three Pok��mon gained valuable battle experience, and their strength grew ordingly.


    With Yuga''s three Pok��mon and Gon''s ability to handle situations, Sabrina and Eusine refrained from intervening. They understood that both Gon and Yuga needed the practical experience for their Pok��mon.


    So, as they continued through the forest, they spent a full three days walking, but they were still far from the Mount Tensei'' location shown on the map.


    This map was handed to Yuga by Joe throught a young monk and it was the most primitive paper map. It was quite different from the electronic maps with built-in navigation that Yuga usually used, making it a bit cumbersome to navigate.


    The map depicted the Mount Tensei as an extensive range of mountains, not only vast in territory but also filled with rugged peaks, making it quite challenging to climb.


    As they got closer to the Mount Tensei, the iridescent feather that Gon carried with him emitted a brighter and brighter glow.


    On this particr afternoon, after crossing a long, steep slope, the group arrived at the banks of a small river and decided to take a break and have lunch.


    The river sparkled under the sunlight, its waters crystal clear, winding its way out from the depths of the dense forest.


    Summer in the forest was still quite hot, and after their arduous journey, the one thing Yuga and his team wanted most was to cool off and refresh themselves by the river.


    Yuga, Gon, and Eusine all took off their shoes and socks, stepping onto the riverbank''s pebbles, enjoying the refreshing river water. Only Sabrina, sitting quietly in the shade of a tree, chose not to join them and watched the three of them.


    This section of the river had already been checked by Yuga''s Chimecho and Sabrina''s kazam with their psychic abilities. Besides some weaker Pok��mon like Magikarp and Poliwag, there weren''t any dangerous Pok��mon around.


    After cooling off in the river for a while, they made their way back to the shore to prepare lunch.


    However, just as they stepped onto the shore, they saw a panicked Tentacruel floating down from upstream.


    As Tentacruel passed by Yuga and his group, they initially thought it would continue downstream along the river. However, it suddenly extended its long tentacles, grabbing onto the riverbank rocks and leaped onto the shore.


    To their astonishment, Tentacruel immediately sprayed several globs of dissolving liquid, aiming directly at Gon.


    Fortunately, when ying in the water earlier, Gon had released his Slowpoke. He quicklymanded Slowpoke to use its Psychic abilities to control the dissolving liquid, preventing it from harming him.


    However, it was clear that Tentacruel was stronger than Slowpoke. Despite Psychic''s resistance to the liquid, Slowpoke could only barely defend against Tentacruel''s attacks.


    "Shroomish, use Leech Seed!" Yugamanded as he released his own Shroomish.


    Shroomish spewed small, nail-sized brown seeds from its mouth, which swiftlynded on Tentacruel before growing into thin vines.


    "Gon, strike now!" Yuga shouted when he saw Tentacruel''s movement restricted by the vines spawned by the Leech Seed.


    Gon immediately understood andmanded his Slowpoke, "Slowpoke, use Psychic!"


    Slowpoke''s expression remained unchanged, but its eyes quickly emitted a blue glow, forming a ray of Psychic energy that surged towards Tentacruel.


    Meanwhile, Yuga''s Shroomish had also released numerous Bullet Seeds, detonating them on Tentacruel''s body.


    With thebined efforts of the two Pok��mon, Tentacruel helplessly copsed.

 Chapter 442: Raikou

    <h4>Chapter 442: Raikou</h4>


    As Tentacruel fell, a milky-white light began to shimmer around Yuga''s Shroomish. When the white light dissipated, Shroomish had disappeared, reced by a tall, straw-hatted Pok��mon.


    ...


    <


    >


    Type: Grass


    Ability: Poison Heal


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 29


    Moves: Tackle, Stun Spore, Headbutt, Leech Seed, Bullet Seed, Drain Punch, Payback, Brick Break


    ...


    Before Yuga could fully appreciate the evolution, Eusine eximed, "Look, it''s Raikou!"


    Following Eusine''s pointed finger, Yuga''s group indeed spotted Raikou not far upstream from the river, watching them.


    Coincidence? They had just been attacked by Tentacruel, and now Raikou appeared, standing in the same direction as Tentacruel hade from.


    To im that Tentacruel''s attack had nothing to do with Raikou was hardly believable.


    As Raikou noticed them looking, it let out a roar and walked openly out of the forest upstream, gradually approaching Yuga''s group.


    Upon reaching them, Raikou made no sudden moves and simply stared silently at Gon.


    For about three minutes, Raikou scrutinized the situation before it approached the unconscious Tentacruel, raised one foreleg, and kicked Tentacruel into the river, then turned as if to leave.


    Seeing Raikou''s actions, Yuga and his team couldn''t help but feel bad for Tentacruel. Not only had it been used as freebor, but it had also received an unexpected kick. If it were awake now, it might burst into tears.


    However, just as Raikou was about to turn away, four ck metal balls suddenly descended from the sky, enclosing Raikou.


    Raikou immediately attempted to break free from the floating metal balls surrounding it, but the metal balls emitted a blue light and formed into a cube-shaped cage, trapping Raikou inside.


    "Hahaha, I never expected to encounter a rare Legendary Pok��mon like Raikou on this mission. I''m so lucky," a voice echoed as a tall middle-aged man with a mask appeared before Yuga''s group.


    "As long as I have Raikou, I won''t have to stay with Team Rocket anymore. I can go wherever I want! Hahaha!" the manughed.


    Team Rocket! Yuga sensed something familiar about this man''s words.


    On the other side, Raikou inside the cage began to struggle fiercely, continuously attacking the light cage with its Thunder Fang, causing it to sh with golden lightning.


    "Are you from Team Rocket?" Yuga asked the masked man.


    "That''s right, but not for long! Hahaha!" the masked manughed maniacally.


    Yuga suddenly felt that this man might have some issues. He didn''t seem very intelligent and was excessively arrogant.


    "I think you should release Raikou. Otherwise, it might get a little angry!" Yuga suddenly tried to reason with the masked man.


    "I..." The masked man was about to speak when he suddenly heard a loud explosion. He turned to see the metal balls shattered on the ground, and Raikou, now free.


    "No... this can''t be... This was specially designed to capture Legendary Pok��mon. How could it be destroyed so easily?" The middle-aged man was dumbfounded.


    Yuga realized that this man probably had some misconceptions about Legendary Pok��mon. If they were so easily captured, could they really be considered Legendary?


    Raikou, now free, looked at the middle-aged man with anger. It unleashed a powerful electric attack, leaving the man scorched all over. However, Raikou showed mercy and didn''t go for the kill, disappearing into the nearby forest.


    Yuga shook his head, thinking that Raikou was indeed the emissary of Ho-oh, too merciful. If it were him, he would have used a powerful Thunderbolt to finish the job. What was the point of leaving this man alive?


    Nheless, Yuga couldn''t help but think that this man had some audacious ambitions, aiming to capture Legendary Pok��mon and break free from Team Rocket''s control.


    The middle-aged man, covered in soot, climbed up from the ground, a wicked grin forming on his face. "Now that Raikou is gone, hand over that kid."


    Seeing the man pointing at Gon, Yuga thought to himself, "Just as I suspected."


    Their connection with Team Rocket was most likely through Gon. However, Yuga hadn''t expected Team Rocket to locate Gon and his group so easily.


    "I''m afraid that won''t be possible," Yuga said, taking a step forward, positioning himself in front of Gon. Sabrina also instinctively stood by Gon''s side.


    "Well, you won''t have a choice!" The middle-aged man grinned menacingly.


    The middle-aged man released a Weavile and a Scizor.


    Seeing Weavile and Scizor, Yuga thought, "No wonder he''s so confident; these Pok��mon are quite powerful."


    Both of these Pok��mon were close to the level of an Elite Pok��mon. However, with this level of strength, trying to capture Raikou and break free from Team Rocket was overly ambitious. Even Elite Trainers would hesitate to make such ims.


    Since Team Rocket had managed to operate in the Kanto region for so long, they certainly had some skilled members.


    "Sabrina, I''ll handle Scizor," Yuga said, turning to Sabrina.


    Bug-type Scizor and Dark-type Weavile both countered Sabrina''s psychic abilities, but Sabrina was stronger, and dealing with Scizor should pose no problem.


    Sabrina nodded in response and summoned her Mr. Mime.


    Simr to her kazam, Sabrina''s Mr. Mime was nearly at the level of an Elite Pok��mon and was one of her strongest Pok��mon besides kazam.


    Meanwhile, Yuga withdrew his Breloom and sent out his Absol.


    Yuga''s Absol had been growing tallertely. Originally, it only reached Yuga''s waist, but now it was up to his chest and continued to grow, taking on the appearance of a giant. Despite its increasing size, Absol''s body remained sleek, exuding a sense of strength in every detail.


    As soon as Absol appeared, its Intimidate ability activated, causing Weavile and Scizor to feel a stifling pressure, making it difficult for them to breathe.


    Weavile and Scizor exchanged wary nces, their attitudes toward Yuga and Sabrina suddenly shifting.


    While the middle-aged man had a boastful personality, he still possessed some degree of insight. He had heard about the formidable Gym Trainers of Saffron Gym, but he hadn''t expected that this young trainer would be just as strong.


    With four Pok��mon now confronting each other, the middle-aged man began to feel immense pressure. He contemted how to escape from this situation since it was clearly unfavorable for him. While the mission was important, he wasn''t the only one assigned to it. There was no need for him to stubbornly persist in a one-on-two battle.

 Chapter 443: Mount Tensei

    <h4>Chapter 443: Mount Tensei</h4>


    Seeing that Weavile and Scizor across from them hesitated to make a move, Yuga''s Absol forcefully pounded the ground with both of its front fists. Countless sharp rocks emerged from thin air and were hurled at Weavile, sending it flying.


    Rock-type Stone Edge attack had a double advantage over Weavile, causing it significant damage.


    Meanwhile, Sabrina''s Mr. Mime began use moves to enhancing itself, indicating that it was preparing for an attack.


    The middle-aged man on the other side quickly realized that this situation was unfavorable. He couldn''t win this battle and decided it was time to make a hasty retreat. He recalled both Weavile and Scizor and sent out a Fearow with the intention of escaping.


    However, was escaping that simple?


    The answer was no.


    Just as the middle-aged man grabbed Fearow''s w and ascended into the sky, he was knocked down by a sudden appearance of Gengar and crashed to the ground.


    Despite the fall, the middle-aged man didn''t give up on escaping. He quickly got back on his feet and attempted to mount Fearow once more.


    However, before he could do so, he was immobilized in ce by Gengar''s psychic abilities.


    Fearow, although struggling fiercely under the influence of psychic power, seemed as though it might break free at any moment. The surrounding trees were knocked down one after another during its struggles.


    At the same time, the middle-aged man that fallen to the ground, now covered in mud and with his fallen mask revealing his face, looked incredibly disheveled.


    At that moment, Fearow''s struggles were abruptly silenced when Gengar fixed it in ce with its Mean Look, causing the bird Pok��mon to lie on the ground in fear, screeching loudly.


    The middle-aged man, now quite desperate, continued to back away, pleading, "I''m sorry, spare me! I won''t do it again."


    Suddenly, he reached for another Pok�� Ball and released a Natu.


    Yuga initially thought the man intended to use Natu''s Teleport move to escape. He promptly instructed Gengar to block Natu''s actions with its Mean Look.


    However, just as Natu was about to be immobilized, Yuga noticed a sinister smile on the middle-aged man''s face. He realized that something was amiss.


    The middle-aged man had seen Gengar use its Mean Look to immobilize Fearow after it was released. Knowing that escape through Pok��mon was no longer an option, he cleverly threw out Natu, which he had been nurturing as his escape route.


    At that moment, while Yuga and Gengar were focused on the Teleport attempt of Natu, the middle-aged man stealthily made his way to the riverbank. As Yuga and Gengar were distracted by Natu''s actions, he plunged into the river and disappeared from sight.


    Seeing the middle-aged man vanish into the water, Yuga''s expression turned grim. He immediately instructed Gengar and Sabrina''s Mr. Mime to use their psychic powers to search the river.


    However, no matter how hard they searched, there was no trace of the middle-aged man in the water.


    Yuga had not anticipated that the viin''s tactics would be so cunning. He had initially underestimated the man''s intelligence, thinking he had used up all his resources.


    The middle-aged man had not only prepared Pok��mon for both a front and back escape, but he had alsoe up with an ingenious n during the crucial moment.


    Previously, Yuga had mocked the man for not using his brain effectively, but now he realized the man had cleverly outwitted them.


    Seeing the disheartened Fearow and Natu, Yuga sighed.


    It would be unfair to the Pok��mon to have them held captive in their Pok�� Balls. Since he couldn''t retrieve them into their Pok�� Balls, Yuga reluctantly decided to incapacitate them temporarily. He found a suitable spot and released both Pok��mon, allowing them to roam free.


    As long as they weren''t ruthless Pok��mon, Yuga had no intention of harming them. This was the only choice he had.


    Without Fearow and Natu, Yuga and his group continued their journey, leaving the scene behind. Yuga couldn''t help but feel that it was time to move on since Team Rocket was now aware of their whereabouts, making the area unsafe.


    "We should leave this ce quickly. Now that Team Rocket knows our whereabouts, it''s no longer safe here," Urged Yuga to the others.


    Although Sabrina and Eusine didn''t know why Team Rocket was trying to capture Gon, they were well aware that Team Rocket was up to no good. Therefore, they swiftly packed their belongings and departed, taking Gon with them.


    In order to avoid being tracked again, Yuga''s group decided not to linger. Three dayster, they arrived on the outskirts of the Mount Tensei.


    Looking at the endless expanse of peaks before them, Eusine eximed, "The Mount Tensei are vast. Where exactly are we going?"


    Just then, a rainbow feather from Gon''s clothing began to radiate intensely, illuminating his attire. Gon retrieved the rainbow feather from his clothes, and a rainbow bridge appeared on the feather, extending into the distance.


    "The rainbow feather is guiding us. That''s the highest peak of the Mount Tensei," Yuga said, pointing to it on a map.


    "So, we''ll meet the Ho-oh there?" Eusine asked excitedly.


    "Most likely," Yuga replied.


    "Then let''s get going!" Eusine eagerly headed towards the mountain.


    As they ascended, they could initially see lush vegetation, but the higher they climbed, the more the altitude increased, and the trees gradually disappeared. The mountain became covered with exposed rocks.


    In addition to the terrain shifting from grassy to rocky underfoot, a dense fog began to envelop the mountains, obscuring distant views and making everything seem ethereal.


    Through the mist, Yuga''s group could see one Pok��mon after another hiding within it, with most of them in their final evolved forms.


    Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Ratatta, Arbok, Sandsh, Venomoth, Victreebel, and many others, along with a multitude of pidgey circling in the sky, all followed Yuga''s group.


    "Big Brother Yuga, why do these Pok��mon seem so restless?" Gon asked, gripping Yuga''s arm with growing unease.


    As a psychic-type trainer, he could easily sense the emotions of Pok��mon, and Sabrina, with even stronger abilities, felt it too.


    "It''s because of the Ho-oh. They''ve sensed the presence of the rainbow feather and want to gain power from the uing encounter with the Ho-oh," Yuga exined.


    "Is it okay to let them follow us like this?" Eusine felt apprehensive, seeing the numerous Pok��mon trailing them.


    Yuga replied, "What can we do about it? Drive them away?"


    Eusine quickly shook his head. The number of these Pok��mon was too great, and they were all formidable. Picking a fight with them would be suicidal.


    Gon added, "I don''t think they have ill intentions."


    Yuga nodded in agreement. "You''re probably right."


    As Yuga''s group neared their destination, Mount Tensei Peak, the dense fog finally began to dissipate, allowing sunlight to prate directly from the sky, brightening the world around them.

 Chapter 444: Unexpected Turn of Events

    <h4>Chapter 444: Unexpected Turn of Events</h4>


    "Look, that''s Mount Tensei, the highest peak of the Raizen Mountain Range!"


    Standing at the foot of Mount Tensei, Eusine excitedly shouted to everyone.


    Seeing Mount Tensei so close, Yuga couldn''t help but smile. He released Chatot, which had been resting in its Pok�� Ball all this time.


    "Chatot, we''re about to reach Mount Tensei. We''ll meet Ho-oh soon."


    "Thank you, Yuga."


    Chatot perched on Yuga''s shoulder and expressed its gratitude, though it sounded weak.


    Yuga gently patted its head, assuring it that he would keep his promise to rescue it.


    While everyone else eagerly anticipated meeting Ho-oh, Gon furrowed his brow.


    Meeting Ho-oh was not as important to him as the fact that he would have to part ways with Yuga afterward, which weighed heavily on his heart.


    Just as they set foot on Mount Tensei, the Rainbow Feather that Gon had been holding in his hand once again formed a rainbow bridge, connecting to the mountaintop.


    Mount Tensei''s summit was covered in crystal-like rocks. When illuminated by the rainbow bridge, they transformed into a stunning array of colors.


    Guided by the rainbow bridge, the four of them ascended to the peak of Mount Tensei.


    Yuga patted Gon''s shoulder and said, "Go ahead, insert the Rainbow Feather into the crystal boulder at the summit. Ho-oh will sense it and fly over from the other side of the rainbow."


    Nervously clutching the Rainbow Feather, Gon nodded in response and made his way toward the highest crystal boulder.


    However, at that moment, on the other side of Gon, Eusine''s expression suddenly darkened. He swiftly snatched the Rainbow Feather from Gon''s hand and moved aside.


    "What are you trying to do?"


    Sabrina, the first to react, red at Eusine with a fierce look. Her eyes were filled with purple light as she attempted to use her psychic powers to retrieve the feather from him.


    But her psychic power was abruptly blocked by a figure that appeared beside Eusine - kazam.


    "Eusine, do you even know what you''re doing?" Yuga narrowed his eyes.


    "Of course, I do! I want to summon Ho-oh. If Gon can do it, so can I!" Eusine replied with a smile.


    "But the Rainbow Feather isn''t yours!" Yuga pointed out.


    "What does that matter? It''s in my hands now. Once I insert it into that boulder, Ho-oh will appear and grant me a wish. That way, I can see Suicune," Eusine said dreamily.


    Yuga took out a Pok�� Ball and released Absol.


    "What you''re doing is wrong. Even if you have the Rainbow Feather, you can''t summon Ho-oh."


    Sabrina, like Yuga, remained silent and released her own kazam from a Pok�� Ball.


    "Wrong? What''s wrong about it? I just want to tame Suicune. I''ve dreamt of it for so long. What''s wrong with pursuing my dream?"


    Eusine appeared maniacal in his speech.


    Watching Eusine''s unsettling demeanor, Yuga believed he had lost his sanity. He was no longer the person Yuga had known.


    "Since that''s the case, don''t me me for taking action! Absol, use Throat Chop!"


    Yuga didn''t want to waste words on someone who had lost themselves. Eusine, lost in his delusion, would be unresponsive to reason.


    At themand, Absol transformed into a streak of light. Both its front paws were wrapped in dark purple energy as it lunged at Eusine''s kazam.


    kazam swiftly attempted to use Teleport to evade, but before he could make a second attempt, he was immobilized by Sabrina''s kazam using Disable.


    kazam, with low defense and health, was particrly vulnerable to Dark-type moves, and Absol''s Throat Chop attack left him incapacitated.


    Seeing the towering and formidable Absol turn its gaze towards him, Eusine retreated in fear.


    Just as Absol was about to pounce on Eusine, a mechanical w suddenly appeared, snatching Eusine by the waist and lifting him into the sky. Absol missed its target as Eusine was lifted away.


    Yuga and the others looked up to see a middle-aged man flying in the air on a small flying device. He had a mechanical w extended behind him, carrying Eusine, who held the Rainbow Feather.


    "It''s you!"


    Yuga hadn''t expected so many interruptions at this crucial moment.


    The one who had captured Eusine was the middle-aged masked man who had previously escaped from Yuga and his group.


    "Hahaha, I didn''t expect you all toe here for this! Fate truly favors me. Lost a Raikou and gained ess to a Ho-oh! Does having that feather mean you can summon Ho-oh?"


    The middle-aged man was ecstatic, using his mechanical arm to pull Eusine closer to him.


    Yuga couldn''t help but think this person had lost his mind, first targeting Raikou and now Ho-oh. Was he under the influence of legendary Pok��mon? Did encountering legendary Pok��mon cause him to lose his sanity?


    At that moment, Yuga noticed that half of the color on the Rainbow Feather had already faded, and he had a sinking feeling that things were taking a turn for the worse.


    He quickly released Chimecho and told Sabrina and Gon, "Stop him! Don''t let him touch the Rainbow Feather!"


    Sabrina and Gon nodded and ordered their kazam and Kadabra tounch attacks against the middle-aged man.


    Chimecho, recognizing the seriousness of the situation from Yuga''s solemn expression, transformed into a purple light and charged towards the two in the sky.


    However, the middle-aged man was faster. He snatched the Rainbow Feather from Eusine''s hand just before their attacks could reach him andughed triumphantly.


    "Haha, Ho-oh is mine."


    At the moment he touched the Rainbow Feather, thest remaining glimmer of light on it vanished, turning it into a dull ck.


    Yuga muttered a worried "oh no" and turned to see Marshadow burst out of its own shadow and leap into the air.


    Marshadownded at the same altitude as the middle-aged man, its orange-red eyes fixed on him with an eerie expression as it stared at both the middle-aged man and Eusine.


    Startled by Marshadow''s sudden appearance, the middle-aged man tried to control the flying device to retreat. But then, two giant hands made of ck ghostly energy appeared behind Marshadow and mmed down towards him and Eusine.


    The middle-aged man couldn''t evade in time, and together with Eusine, he was struck by the powerful impact of Marshadow''s ck hands. The flying device they were on exploded violently, and both of them were caught in the explosion''s shockwave.

 Chapter 445: Manipulation

    <h4>Chapter 445: Maniption</h4>


    When Marshadow''s ck energy hands disappeared, the middle-aged man and Eusine both fell from the sky. The Rainbow Feather, now devoid of color, ended up in Marshadow''s grasp.


    Surrounding the Rainbow Feather in Marshadow''s hand, dark wisps of mist began to coil,pletely transforming its once sacred and radiant appearance.


    As the middle-aged man and Eusine crashed to the ground from their fall, the impact was so severe that they both cried out in pain.


    At this moment, Eusine''s kazam had regained consciousness. It used Teleport to appear by Eusine''s side, swiftly moving him away from the middle-aged man.


    The middle-aged man, meanwhile, gritted his teeth, rose from the ground, and released his Weavile. He red at Marshadow with resentment, realizing that his n had been foiled.


    "Weavile, get that feather back for me! Use Icy Wind!"


    Weavile nodded at its trainer, gracefully leaped forward, and expelled a frigid gust of icy wind carrying snowkes towards Marshadow.


    Marshadow''s eyes narrowed, and around it, faint blue Will-O-Wisps gathered, shielding it from the iing Icy Wind. Then, it retaliated by hurling several Focus sts at Weavile.


    Despite Weavile''s speed, it couldn''t evade the attacks from Marshadow, which was even faster. Weavile was hit by the consecutive Focus sts and fell to the ground.


    The middle-aged man, who had been relentlessly pursuing the idea of capturing legendary Pok��mon, only trulyprehended the terrifying nature of legendary Pok��mon when he saw Weavile defeated.


    "We need to get that Rainbow Feather back from Marshadow. Otherwise, things will only get worse," Yuga said to Sabrina and Gon.


    "But didn''t you say that Marshadow doesn''t mean us harm?" Gon asked, puzzled.


    "That was when the Rainbow Feather was normal. Now that it''s tainted by Eusine and that Team Rocket member''s evil intentions, Marshadow has started to remove those who have contaminated the feather. We will be affected as well," Yuga exined.


    Gon replied, "But this has nothing to do with us!"


    Yuga shook his head. "It does. You''re the Rainbow Hero''s trial taker, and protecting the Rainbow Feather is your responsibility." He then turned to Sabrina. "Sabrina, we''re counting on you this time."


    Sabrina didn''t speak but nodded solemnly.


    With that, Yuga, apanied by Absol, and Gon with Kadabra, ran toward Marshadow. Meanwhile, Sabrina, with her kazam, provided cover to prevent the middle-aged man and Eusine from causing further trouble.


    When they reached Marshadow, Gon said, "Marshadow, please return the Rainbow Feather to me!"


    Marshadow remained silent, took a slight step back, and jumped onto a nearby rock. It nced at Gon and then at Yuga, who was standing beside him.


    Suddenly, Eusine and his kazam teleported right in front of Marshadow. Eusine reached out his hand towards the Rainbow Feather.


    "Marshadow!"


    Marshadow let out a loud cry, dodging Eusine''s reaching hand. It immediately released several Shadow Balls, hitting both Eusine and his kazam.


    Eusine was sent flying and spat out a mouthful of blood uponnding. His kazam also looked weakened and defeated.


    Yuga couldn''t believe Eusine was still stubbornly pursuing the Rainbow Feather at this critical moment. He seemed oblivious to the potential dangers.


    On the other side, Sabrina and kazam were held back by the middle-aged man and his Scizor, leaving them unprepared for Eusine''s actions.


    "Marshadow!"


    Marshadow shouted once more,unching numerous Shadow Balls at everyone present.


    Yuga eximed, "Not good! Marshadow is now treating all of us as targets to eliminate!"


    Gon''s Kadabra use Light Screen to shield Yuga and himself from Marshadow''s Shadow Balls. Meanwhile, Absol unleashed Dark Pulses to intercept any Shadow Balls that managed to breach the Light Screen.


    Once all the Shadow Balls were repelled, Yuga''s Absol leaped high into the air with incredible jumping power, and used the shadow ws to pounce towards Marshadow, attempting to reim the Rainbow Feather from Marshadow, who was perched on a rocky outcrop.


    Seeing Absol approaching, Marshadow raised one arm andunched a Shadow Punch towards it.


    The sh between the huge pitch-ck ws and the dark fist was intense, and Absol, being overpowered, was sent flying and crashed hard onto the ground, creating a cloud of dust.


    "Absol, are you okay?" Yuga anxiously called out.


    Absol shook its head and, unsteadily, rose from the ground. It red at Marshadow with determination.


    "Absol, use Swords Dance!"


    Knowing that Absol was no match for the mythical Pok��mon Marshadow, Yuga decided to strengthen it. Absol lifted its head high, and several blue energy swords materialized around it. As these energy swords merged into Absol, its power and aura began to rise.


    Marshadow continued to watch in silence as Absol underwent its power boost. It showed no signs of intervening and appeared indifferent to Absol''s transformation until Absolpleted two rounds of Swords Dance.


    Afterpleting the dance, Absol used Throat Chop and lunged at Marshadow. However, Marshadow effortlessly dodged the attack. Absol, missing its target, collided with the rocks behind Marshadow, shattering them.


    Having evaded Absol''s attack, Marshadow leaped into the air, and dark energy ck mist emanated from its body, spreading in all directions. This ck mist contaminated the nearby Pok��mon, including those who had followed Yuga and the others up Mount Tensei.


    The Pok��mon, now with red eyes, turned to face Yuga''s group with hostile intent.


    Witnessing the surrounding Pok��mon gradually encircling them, Gon nervously asked Yuga, "Yuga, what''s happening to these Pok��mon?"


    Yuga responded, "Marshadow is controlling them, and now it intends to drive us away."


    Not only Yuga and Gon but also Sabrina, the middle-aged man, and Eusine found themselves surrounded by the Pok��mon under Marshadow''s control.


    Upon Marshadow''smand, these Pok��monunched coordinated attacks against Yuga''s group.


    Several Samdsh, which had encircled Yuga and Gon, unleashed Rock Slides, controlling massive rocks to descend upon them.


    Gon used Kadabra''s Teleport to evade the Rock Slide''s assault, while the rocks targeting Yuga were shattered into pieces by Absol''srge Psycho Cut.

 Chapter 446: Death

    <h4>Chapter 446: Death</h4>


    After mitigating Sandsh''s Rock Slide, several Pidgeot flew above Yuga''s group, hurling Razor Winds at them.


    Seeing the increasing number of encircling Pok��mon, Yuga released all of his own.


    Chimecho appeared above them and used Light Screen to deflect all the Razor Winds, then used Gravity to bring down the soaring Pidgeot.


    Bellossom, Roserade, and Ivysaur, three Grass-type Pok��mon, lined up andunched energy balls one after another, repelling the approaching Sandsh.


    Charmeleon used Fire Punch, while Breloom used Drain Punch, coborating to send an approaching Arbok flying.


    Among the three Pok��mon that Gon had, only Kadabra could still be join the battle. Slowpoke and Exeggcute were too weak to enter the battlefield.


    "What should we do? This can''t go on like this!" chirped Chatot, perched on top of Yuga''s shoulder.


    Yuga nced at it and noticed that its condition seemed even weaker. He smiled reassuringly, "Don''t worry, no matter what, this time we''ll definitely meet Ho-oh."


    Chatot wanted to tell Yuga to forget it; it didn''t want him to risk his life for its sake. However, when it saw Yuga''s determined eyes, it couldn''t bring itself to say a word.


    The ck mist in the air continued to grow thicker, and more and more Pok��mon joined the battlefield. Yuga''s Pok��mon were gradually overwhelmed by the continuous onught of wild Pok��mon.


    At this moment, Bellossom, Ivysaur, and Roserade had all activated their Grassy Terrain. They battled while providing support for their teammates.


    Marshadow stood at the highest point of Mount Tensei, holding the Rainbow Feather in his hand. He silently observed Yuga, Gon, Sabrina, the middle-aged man, and Eusine, who were surrounded by wild Pok��mon.


    The power of the Rainbow Feather continued to be absorbed by Marshadow, generating more and more ck mist. His control over the wild Pok��mon was bing stronger.


    Observing the escting numbers of Pok��mon and the siege they faced, Yuga''s Mismagius stood guard closely to protect him, while Gengar was instructed to safeguard Gon.


    Among the besieged, Eusine and the middle-aged man had it the worst since they had fewer Pok��mon, were injured from earlier battles, and were now relentlessly pursued by the wild Pok��mon.


    Sabrina''s situation wasparatively better. She had two Pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon protecting her and didn''t have to worry about guarding Gon, making her position more secure.


    She attempted several times to lend a hand to protect Gon alongside Yuga but was consistently hindered by the relentless attacks of the wild Pok��mon, leaving her feeling quite frustrated.


    Yuga''s Breloom, Charmeleon, and Ivysaur, not being particrly strong, gradually began to show signs of fatigue after a prolonged period of intensebat.


    If it weren''t for Chimecho''s extraordinary support abilities, providing them with defensive Light Screen and Reflect and continuously healing them with Heal Pulse, they would have fallen long ago.


    Absol emerged as the bravest among them, towering over the battlefield. It gave off an imposing aura, striking down any Pok��mon that dared approach with its Throat Chop.


    Despite counterattacking the approaching wild Pok��mon, Absol moved toward Marshadow, knowing that the current situation could only be resolved by reiming the Rainbow Feather from Marshadow. Otherwise, Marshadow would continue to control more and more Pok��mon with the feather''s power.


    However, the wild Pok��mon surrounding them were too numerous. The numerous Pidgeot, Pidgeotto, Fearow, and Golbat hovering in the sky made it incredibly challenging for Absol to approach Marshadow.


    As time passed, Yuga''s Charmeleon, Breloom, and Ivysaur fell one by one, their Pok��mon recalled into their respective Pok�� Balls. Chatot, unable to participate in the battle, watched the deteriorating situation with growing concern.


    Finally, amidst the horde of wild Pok��mon, Yuga spotted the first Pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, a robust Nidoking. Its eyes had turned crimson under the influence of Marshadow, and with a furious roar, it charged toward Yuga''s group.


    Along the way, many Pok��mon trying to block its path were sent tumbling by its powerful kicks.


    Just as it was about to reach Yuga, the hidden Mismagius suddenly appeared. A strong Psychic power was hurled at the approaching Nidoking.


    Nidoking used its powerful hind legs to stomp the ground heavily, causing pirs of rocks to rise, deflecting the psychic attack from Mismagius.


    With Mismagius restrained by the suddenly revealed Nidoking, Yuga''s group was left defenseless. Chimecho immediately tried toe to the rescue, but it was intercepted midway by the formidable Magnezone.


    At this moment, a Sandsh appeared beside Yuga by using its Dig ability. It raised its ws and unleashed a devastating sh attack aimed at Yuga''s abdomen.


    The closest Bellossom and Roserade, witnessing this, were filled with shock. They quickly shook off their opponents and used Magical Leaf and Sludge Bomb, respectively, to send the Sandsh attacking Yuga flying.


    However, this Sandsh''s strength was significantly greater than both Roserade and Bellossom. It evaded their attacks with a roll and utilized the momentum to charge at Yuga once more.


    Yuga managed to evade Sandsh''s rolling attack with a somersault but noticed the Sandsh abruptly changing direction anding at him again.


    The Chatot perched on Yuga''s shoulder flew up anxiously, and it used its Mimic moves against this Sandsh. Chatot that used Mimic turned into a round object identical to the Sandsh attack and collided with it.


    "Chatot, no!" Seeing Chatot taking the hit for him, Yuga''s eyes widened in despair.


    Being only level 18 and extremely weakened, Chatot couldn''t possibly contend with Sandsh. With just a light touch, Chatot was sent flying and crashed onto the ground.


    The Sandsh, which had knocked down Chatot, continued its charge towards Yuga without pausing. In a desperate attempt to save Yuga, Chatot fluttered its wings onest time and flew towards Yuga.


    But what it failed to notice was that an Arbok had quietly circled behind it. In the split second when Chatot took flight, Arbok opened its enormous mouth and mped down on the wavering Chatot in mid-air.


    Struggling against the excruciating pain, Yuga forced his eyes open and saw Chatot, bitten by Absol, tumbling through the air. Feathers of blue and green mixed with blood scattered, reflected in Yuga''s horrified pupils.


    Arbok shook its head, releasing Chatot from its mouth. Chatot fell right in front of Yuga, blood sttering on his face.

 Chapter 447: Outburst

    <h4>Chapter 447: Outburst</h4>


    The Chatoty there, eyes wide open, lifeless, right within Yuga''s reach, without a trace of breath.


    "Chatot!"


    Yuga reached out and nudged the Chatot, but there was no response whatsoever.


    "Chatot!"


    Yuga continued to nudge it in a desperate attempt to awaken it, but the Chatot remained motionless.


    "Chatot... Chatot... Chatot..."


    Yuga''s eyes widened as he repeatedly called out to the Chatot, unable to believe what he was witnessing.


    Struggling to support himself with his arms, Yuga slowly sat up, cradling the Chatot in his arms. Blood gushed from his mouth once more.


    The blood sttered onto the already bloodied Chatot, making it impossible to distinguish what was Chatot''s and what was Yuga''s.


    As Yuga touched the Chatot''s gradually cooling body, he made "whimpering" sounds in his throat. He wanted to shout, to scream, but apart from these incoherent sounds, nothing came out of his throat.


    His eyes felt ufortable, like he wanted to cry, but they remained dry and gritty, unable to shed tears.


    Once the Chatot''s body had grown cold, Yuga''s pupils suddenly shrank, and his pitch-ck irises became as tiny as pinpricks.


    At that moment, the Ghost World Origin Stone in Yuga''s mind began to tremble violently. Countless dark mists poured out of Yuga''s body.


    Compared to the ck mist emitted by Marshadow through the Raimbow Feather, the swirling ck mist around Yuga''s body was even darker and denser.


    On the other side, Chimecho saw her Yuga being struck and coughing up blood. Her entire body emitted a purple glow, and a widespread gravitational force burst forth, pinning down the nearby Pidgeots, Pidgeottos, Fearows, and Golbats. Only a few of the exceptionally strong Flying-type Pok��mon managed to escape.


    Absol, who had just repelled a Victreebel, turned to see Yuga sitting on the ground, cradling the Chatot and coughing up blood. In that instant, Absol felt immense difort.


    It had never seen Yuga in such a state, trembling all over, his entire body tainted in grayness.


    At this moment, Absol felt abination of anger and sadness, not just its own, but it seemed to be experiencing Yuga''s as well��the anger and sadness that Yuga couldn''t express, all of it was somehow transmitted to Absol through a mysterious medium.


    With crimson eyes wide open, Absol felt a changeing over its body. Its forehead began to emit a rainbow-colored light. When a blue and white spiral pattern appeared, Absol transformed into a different form.


    If Yuga could see Absol at this moment, he would recognize that it had undergone Mega Evolution, bing Mega Absol.


    Unfortunately, Yuga waspletely shrouded in the ck mist and could see nothing. He couldn''t hear anything either.


    However, strangely, Mega Absol seemed to faintly sense Yuga''s thoughts. It perceived Yuga''s hatred towards Marshadow, the wild Pok��mon attacking them, and the resentment towards Eusine and the middle-aged man, as they were the ones responsible for Chatot''s death.


    Mega Absol radiated an astonishing aura, causing all the Pok��mon around it to retreat. It then unleashed an Dark Pulse, knocking down all the nearby Pok��mon.


    Chimecho, who had been exerting her gravitational powers to confine the Flying-types, was left stunned after witnessing Mega Absol''s transformation.


    Was this the same Absol she knew? How had it suddenly be so powerful? Not only had its appearance changed, but its hairstyle was different, and it had even grown wings. It was incredibly impressive. Making him incredibly handsome.


    Under Chimecho''s astonished gaze, Mega Absol unleashed another Dark Pulse, dispelling all the Pok��mon trapped by Chimecho''s gravitational force.


    As Chimecho regained her freedom, she immediately flew to Yuga''s side, intending to protect him. However, she found Yugapletely enveloped in a ck mist formed by ghostly energy, preventing her from getting close.


    In Chimecho''s perception, this ck mist was simply too terrifying, and she felt that even a slight contact with it could spell trouble.


    On the other side, Mega Absol followed Yuga''s idea and unleashed a furious onught at the peak of Mount Tensei. Meanwhile, the ck mist continued to surge around Yuga.


    With the help of Mega Absol, Gengar and Mismagius, who had been freed up, flew back to Yuga''s side. They hovered over his head, exchanged a nce, and then plunged into the ck mist surrounding Yuga.


    As Gengar and Mismagius entered, the ck mist enveloping Yuga began to churn violently. Then it gradually diminished until it revealed Gengar and Mismagius inside.


    The reappeared Gengar and Mismagius had twisted expressions, as if they were enduring some kind of pain. Immediately after, an astonishing aura burst forth from them.


    As the ck mist disappeared, Yuga closed his eyes, unconscious, still cradling the lifeless Chatot.


    Leaving the unconscious Yuga in Chimecho''s care, Gengar and Mismagius ascended rapidly, flying toward Marshadow''s location.


    When the two Ghost-type Pok��mon drew near Marshadow, Marshadow became alert. It condensed two Shadow Balls and threw them at Gengar and Mismagius.


    Gengar and Mismagius eachunched a Mystic Fire and a Shadow Ball, intercepting the iing Shadow Balls. Then they countered with another Mystic Fire and Shadow Ball directed at Marshadow.


    Marshadow rapidlyunched two Shadow Punches, attempting to obliterate the Mystic Fire and Shadow Ball. To its surprise, these two attacks were far more powerful than it had anticipated, and it ended up getting struck by the Mystic Fire.


    Marshadow couldn''t believe that the two Pok��mon it had previously easily bested had now joined forces to challenge its might.


    Thus, Gengar, Mismagius, and Marshadow engaged in a fierce battle. Countless Shadow Balls and Mystic Fires shed back and forth.


    Meanwhile, the middle-aged man, who was also under siege, had all his Pok��mon incapacitated. He was covered in wounds, with one leg severely injured and multiple bones broken.


    As for Eusine, the weakest of the group besides Gon, his condition was even more pitiful. Hey motionless on the ground, his front leg, which had disappeared, still supporting him against the relentless onught of attacks.


    The middle-aged man, surrounded and retreating step by step, found himself backed into a corner. He gazed in terror at the wild Pok��mon closing in on him, his eyes filled with fear.

 Chapter 448: Conclusion

    <h4>Chapter 448: Conclusion</h4>


    Just at that moment, a Dark Pulse appeared out of nowhere, sweeping away all the wild Pok��mon surrounding the middle-aged man.


    The middle-aged man was about to rejoice when he looked up and saw Mega Absol standing on a high rock behind him, gazing down at him coldly with its crimson eyes devoid of emotion.


    A chilling sensation ran from the man''s feet to his head as he couldn''t help but sit down on the ground. He wanted to beg for mercy, but his voice refused to cooperate.


    Thest thing he saw was a sharp stone pir shooting up from the ground, piercing through his chest and abdomen.


    Without a nce backward, Mega Absol jumped down from the rock and continued to execute the feelings of hatred that Yuga had passed into its heart.


    Meanwhile, watching the wild Pok��mon that had been continuously controlled by Marshadow being defeated by Mega Absol, Gon felt extremely perplexed. How had thingse to this?


    Chatoty dead, Eusine was severely injured, Sabrina was fighting for her life, and Yuga remained unconscious. None of this should have happened.


    "Hey, Kadabra, what can I do to end this conflict?" Gon asked with a sorrowful expression, turning to his partner Kadabra.


    Kadabra gently shook his head, indicating that he didn''t know either.


    "I''m the Rainbow Hero, right? It should be up to me to stop this turmoil," Gon continued, addressing Kadabra.


    Kadabra didn''t understand what his Trainer needed to do to stop the chaotic situation.


    Suddenly, Gon closed his eyes gently. In this moment, he felt the hidden power within his bloodline, and a powerful psychic force began to swell within him.


    Under Kadabra''s astonished gaze, a deep purple aura suddenly appeared around Gon''s body and rapidly expanded.


    As this purple aura swept through Kadabra, she suddenly felt a gentle force passing through him, leaving him in a state of profound tranquility.


    Not only Kadabra but also the other Pok��mon touched by this aura experienced the same sensation. Wherever the aura passed, the ck mist released by Marshadow dissipated, and the controlled Pok��mon regained their rity.


    All the Pok��mon stopped fighting, looking at each other in confusion, as if they didn''t understand what had just urred.


    As for Marshadow, who had been engaged in a fierce battle with Gengar and Mismagius, it observed the newly awakened Pok��mon and then nced at its dim and lifeless Rainbow Feather. It suddenly ceased its attacks.


    Sabrina, kazam, and Mr. Mime, all panting heavily, watched the wild Pok��mon gradually withdraw. Relief washed over them.


    Eusine, with lifeless eyes,y on the ground. Beside him, kazam, who had lost a leg, looked at the Mega Absol as it raised its right forelimb toward him and seemed to silently ept its fate.


    When the purple aura swept over Mega Absol, its raised forelimb paused. It nced at Eusine''s who look like a corpes and then turned away, showing no emotion.


    As the purple aurapletely vanished, all the Pok��mon had regained their rity. They quietly left Mount Tensei because they sensed a strong intent to kill from that horrifying Mega Absol.


    Mega Absol approached Marshadow, keeping a close watch along with Gengar and Mismagius. Any sign of aggression, and the three Pok��mon wouldunch an attack.


    On the other side, after the purple aura erupted from Gon''s body, his aura noticeably weakened. At this moment, his head throbbed as if countless steel needles were piercing through it.


    Sabrina, brought by kazam, arrived at Gon''s side. She helped him up, then held his hand, closed her eyes, and sensed for a moment before saying, "Your psychic power has beenpletely depleted. You might not be able to use your psychic abilities in the future."


    With his remaining psychic power, Gon began to help alleviate the lingering mental strain on himself, making him feel a bit better.


    "It''s okay; as long as we can quell this senseless conflict, it''s all worth it," Gon said with a smile.


    On the other side, Marshadow, who had been observed closely by Mega Absol, Mismagius, and Gengar, suddenly burrowed into the ground and disappeared. When it resurfaced, it had moved right next to Gon.


    Seeing Marshadow''s appearance, Sabrina immediately assumed a defensive stance with kazam.


    "Sabrina, I don''t think it has any malicious intent," Gon said, pulling on Sabrina''s hand and smiling.


    "Marshadow..." Marshadow rapidly nodded in response to Gon''s words and handed him the Rainbow Feather that had lost its color.


    "You''re willing to give it back to me?" Gon asked in astonishment.


    Marshadow nodded gently, passing the Rainbow Feather into Gon''s hand before once again sinking into the ground and disappearing.


    The moment the Rainbow Feather was in Gon''s grasp, the dull ck faded away instantly, restoring its vibrant, multicolored appearance.


    Following this, a rainbow bridge reappeared, projecting directly to the highest point of Mount Tensei, onto the transparent crystal boulder.


    Observing the still-dazed Gon, Sabrina gently nudged him and said, "What are you waiting for? Quickly ce the Rainbow Feather into it, and we''ll be able to see Ho-oh."


    Gon nodded and was about to move forward, but he realized he couldn''t even stand due to his depleted psychic powers.


    Seeing this, Sabrina quickly supported him and, arm in arm, they slowly approached the crystal boulder.


    This time, no one came to disrupt them.


    The middle-aged man was dead, and Eusine stilly motionless on the ground. The wild Pok��mon had retreated due to their fear of Mega Absol.


    Now, at the top of Mount Tensei, only Gon and Sabrina remained mobile.


    Once Gon, apanied by Sabrina, climbed atop the crystal boulder, he inserted the Rainbow Feather into the center of the stone.


    After the Rainbow Feather was inserted into the crystal boulder, it suddenly burst with colorful radiance,plementing the countless crystal rocks on Mount Tensei, creating a magnificent sight.


    Several minutester, all the rainbow lights converged into one, and the Rainbow Feather shot a rainbow beam into the sky, piercing through the clouds over Mount Tensei.


    A massive rainbow arched from the horizon, reaching directly to the summit of Mount Tensei.


    "Skree!"


    At this moment, from the other end of the rainbow, a majestic cry resounded, apanied by a bird-shaped Pok��mon cloaked in seven-colored light.


    "Ho-oh has arrived!" Gon and Sabrina eximed simultaneously.


    At this time, Mega Absol, Marshadow, Mismagius, Gengar, and even Chimecho, all involuntarily lifted their heads and gazed towards the sky.


    Simultaneously, Mega Absol exited its Mega Evolution form, and the auras around Mismagius, and Gengar began to recede, swiftly returning to their pseudo-Elite level.

 Chapter 449: Flames

    <h4>Chapter 449: mes</h4>


    Under the gaze of everyone, Ho-oh flew over Mount Tensei along the Rainbow Bridge.


    With the arrival of Ho-oh, countless colorful sparkles rained down. Whether they were humans or Pok��mon, all their injuries were miraculously healed.


    Lying unconscious on the ground, Yuga slowly opened his eyes when touched by these sparkles. His gaze immediately fixed upon the radiant Ho-oh soaring in the sky.


    "Chimecho!"


    Seeing Yuga awake, Chimecho happily flew to his side and nuzzled his cheek with her small head.


    Observing the healing effect of Ho-oh''s sparkles, Yuga released all his Pok��mon that had lost the ability to fight. Soon, Charmeleon, Ivysaur, and Breloom regained their vitality. However, Chatot, who had already passed away, remained lifeless in Yuga''s arms.


    Not only Yuga but even the nearly lifeless Eusine benefited from Ho-oh''s healing. However, despite his injuries being healed, kazam, who had lost a leg, did not regain his limb.


    Yuga surmised that these sparkles Ho-oh scattered were likely the legendary Sacred Ash, known for their ability to heal any injuries.


    However, the Sacred Ash had no effect on the deceased Chatot or the lifeless body of the middle-aged man nearby.


    After all humans and Pok��mon had recovered from their injuries, Ho-ohnded on the crystal boulder with the Rainbow Feather and then, in the next moment, the Rainbow Feather transformed into a stream of light and disappeared.


    Ho-oh silently regarded Gon, who hadpleted the Trial of the Rainbow Hero. It seemed to be asking if he had any requests.


    Taking a few steps forward, Gon approached Ho-oh and said, "Ho-oh, can you save that Chatot?"


    Gon knew that Yuga''s purpose in this journey was to rescue Chatot. Now that Chatoty dead before him, he knew Yuga must be devastated, so he wanted Ho-oh to help him.


    Hearing Gon''s request, everyone, including Yuga and Sabrina, was surprised. No one had expected Gon to make this request here. Everyone knew how precious the opportunity to request something from Ho-oh was.


    Even Ho-oh''s eyes flickered with a barely perceptible sense of surprise.


    Ho-oh gently nodded at Gon''s request. Then, with a gentle p of its wings, a faint breeze swept over to Yuga, lifting Chatot from his embrace and bringing it closer to Ho-oh.


    Ho-oh exhaled a white me that enveloped Chatot''s body.


    After about ten minutes, the white mepletely disappeared, revealing Chatot inside.


    Chatot was now fully awake but utterly baffled. pping its wings and gazing around, it muttered, "Wait, I''m not dead, am I?"


    However, the Chatot before their eyes lookedpletely different from before. Its wing and abdominal feathers, once blue and green, now shone in vivid red, and the white feathers around its neck had transformed into a shade of blue. It appeared somewhat mismatched.


    When Chatot noticed Ho-oh observing it, it instantly realized that Ho-oh must have saved it. Consequently, it didn''t dare to act recklessly in front of Ho-oh and returned discreetly to Yuga''s shoulder.


    "Thank you, Yuga," Chatot whispered softly into Yuga''s ear.


    Yuga merely nodded without saying much. In truth, Chatot should be thanking Gon.


    As Chatot perched on Yuga''s shoulder, it felt invigorated, as if all the long-standing mise in its body had suddenly vanished.


    Observing Chatot fly to Yuga''s shoulder, Ho-oh stared at Yuga for a moment.


    As the God of Life, Ho-oh clearly sensed something unusual about Yuga. Apart from emitting a unique life force, Yuga also exuded a strong aura of death. In its perception, Yuga''s presence seemed entirely out of ce on Mount Tensei.


    However, as a deity once revered by humans, Ho-oh understood that whether it was ghostly energy or his unique fire attribute energy, they were merely parts of the world''s natural order, simr to light and shadow, with no inherent good or evil.


    Nevertheless, this ghostly energy was obviously unfriendly to living humans. It would gradually erode Yuga''s life force, weakening him over time.


    After pondering for a moment, Ho-oh suddenly breathed out a stream of mes, directing it towards Yuga.


    Upon seeing Ho-oh spewing fire at him, Yuga was momentarily perplexed, thinking that he had offended Ho-oh.


    Not only Yuga but also Yuga''s Pok��mon believed that Ho-oh intended to attack Yuga. Especially Charmeleon, a Fire-type Pok��mon, unhesitatingly positioned itself in front of Yuga.


    After all, Yuga appeared unharmed on the surface, and no one had anticipated that Ho-oh was trying to help him.


    The milky-white mes instantly engulfed Yuga and Charmeleon. However, Yuga and Charmeleon soon realized that the mes surrounding them were not scorching but rather incredibly warm and soothing.


    The mes permeated their skin, causing them to feel pleasantly warm and invigorated with newfound strength.


    Simultaneously, wisps of ck mist within Yuga''s body were gradually expelled by the white mes, dispersing into the air.


    Seeing the ck mist emanating from his body, Yuga was momentarily puzzled. Although he sensed that it belonged to the ghostly energy type, he did not understand its origin.


    Because the Ghost World Origin Stone was activated by Yuga''s intense emotions, it had shaken his mind, and he couldn''t remember what had transpired. He remained unaware of the battle between Gengar and Mismagius, powered by the ck mist, or the emotional connection formed with Mega Absol, leading to their mutual Bond Phenomon and subsequent rampage.


    Aside from the transformation within Yuga, Charmeleon also underwent significant changes.


    As the milky-white mes entered Charmeleon through its skin, all the mes surrounding it were drawn toward a red orb located in its abdomen.


    This red orb was one of the four gems Yuga had obtained��the Red Gem. Yuga had entrusted it to Charmeleon, encouraging it toprehend the gem''s power. However, Charmeleon had secretly swallowed the gem, concealing this action from Yuga, who remained unaware of it.


    As the mes dissipatedpletely, Charmeleon''s tail me, initially orange-red, turned milky-white, a stark contrast to its bright red body.

 Chapter 450: Descending the Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 450: Descending the Mountain</h4>


    Feeling the changes in himself, Yuga realized that Ho-oh had only intended to help him, not to attack. He looked at Ho-oh with gratitude in his eyes.


    With Yuga''s issues resolved, Ho-oh shifted its attention away from him. After all, Yuga was inconsequential in its eyes. Its intervention was an act of mercy as the God of Life.


    Ho-oh turned its gaze back to Gon, the Rainbow Hero chosen by the Rainbow Feather. It could sense Gon''s uniqueness, a being neither human nor Pok��mon.


    However, Gon''s psychic powers were drained, and he couldn''t currently use the special abilities inherited through his bloodline.


    With these thoughts in mind, Ho-oh released a red energy sphere towards Gon,nding it on his forehead and leaving a red me mark.


    Havingpleted its actions, Ho-oh stretched its long neck, let out a cry to the sky, and soared upward, gradually disappearing from view.


    After Ho-oh''s departure, Yuga shifted his attention to Charmeleon and Chatot, who had undergone significant changes in appearance.


    ...


    <<chatot>> </chatot>


    - Type: Normal/Flying


    - Gender: Male


    - Ability: Keen Eye


    - Potential: Indigo


    - Level: 18


    - Moves: Chatter, Whisper, Taunt, Mimic, Echoed Voice, Imitate, Hyper Voice, Sing, Torment, Steel Wing, Boomburst, Brave Bird, Defog, Sunny Day, Heat Wave, Air Cutter


    ...


    Yuga was astonished to find that Chatot''s potential had directly upgraded from yellow to Indigo. It was worth noting that even when it was at the pseudo-Elite level, Chatot''s potential was only Blue.


    Moreover, Chatot''s previously lost moves, which were due to its injuries, had reappeared. Although its dropped levels didn''t recover, Yuga was highly satisfied with the results.


    Upon inspection, the shadows inside Chatot hadpletely disappeared, reced by a surge of vitality. Regardless of how the mission had unfolded, the oue was positive.


    ...


    <<charmeleon>> </charmeleon>


    - Type: Fire


    - Gender: Female


    - Ability: ze


    - Potential: Indigo


    - Level: 30


    - Moves: Scratch, Ember, Hidden Power (Electric), Dragon Dance, Dragon Rage, Smokescreen, Iron Tail, methrower, Fire Fang, Scary Face, Sunny Day, Fire Punch, Fire st, Overheat, Heat Wave


    ...


    Inparison to Chatot, Charmeleon, who had absorbed Ho-oh''s mes, now boasted an entirely different appearance due to the milky-white mes engulfing her body. The most noticeable change was the awakening of three powerful Fire-type moves: Fire st, Heat Wave, and Overheat.


    As for any inner transformations within Charmeleon, Yuga couldn''t discern them for now.


    Yuga recalled all his Pok��mon into their Pok�� Balls, including Gengar and Mismagius, returning them to his shadows. He then turned to Gon, who had sacrificed his psychic powers to end the battle, and asked, "Gon, are you alright?"


    Yuga was still unaware that Gon had lost his psychic abilities in the process, but Gon and Sabrina both decided not to burden Yuga with that information.


    Gon smiled at Yuga and shook his head, replying, "I''m fine. Let''s head down the mountain."


    Everything had been settled, and it was time for them to leave this ce.


    What Yuga didn''t know was that Marshadow, who had been secretly observing from the sidelines, had entered his shadow without anyone noticing. This time, it didn''t expel Gengar and Mismagius, just lingered for a while and quietly departed.


    As they walked down the mountain, Yuga and his group acted in unison, ignoring Eusine who followed from a distance.


    They had once considered Eusine a friend during their travels, but they couldn''t forgive the betrayal at such a critical moment.


    Eusine trailed behind them, wanting to catch up, but also hesitant to do so. At his side was his kazam, who had lost a leg. His emotions at this moment were a mystery.


    kazam, a Psychic-type Pok��mon, was still able to move despite the missing leg. However, it looked quite grotesque, and this transformation was a result of his Trainer''s recklessness and greed.


    As they walked down the mountain, Chatot flew above Yuga''s head andined, "How did my beautiful feathers turn into this monstrosity? How am I going to face my kitty-chan when we get back?"


    Yuga replied without much patience, "Be content! You''re still able to chitchat like this; it''s a divine gift!"


    Yuga was still quite annoyed by Chatot''s reckless behavior back on the peak of Mount Tensei. If it weren''t for Gon''s plea to Ho-oh, Chatot might have met its end by now.


    Chatot had just learned from Yuga that it was Gon who had asked Ho-oh for help, and so it felt grateful towards him.


    The journey down the mountain was much easierpared to when they went up the mountain. The fog that had filled the mountain had dissipated, and it didn''t take long for them to reach the mountain''s base.


    During their descent, Yuga learned from Gon and the others what had transpired after he fell unconscious.


    Yuga quickly deduced that the ck mist that appeared on his body was rted to the Spirit World Origin Stone. He couldn''t help but be surprised by how powerful this seemingly insignificant piece of stone was. It had enabled Mismagius and Gengar, two ordinary Pok��mon, to hold their own against Marshadow, the Mythical Pok��mon, in such a short time.


    What puzzled him was Absol''s ability to undergo Mega Evolution. Neither he nor Sabrina, nor even Gon, recognized what Mega Evolution was. However, from their descriptions, Yuga deduced that Absol''s altered form was rted to Mega Evolution.


    What baffled Yuga the most was how Absol achieved this transformation. Hecked a Keystone, and there was no Absol Mega Evolution Stone. Yuga had always believed that both a Keystone and a Mega Evolution Stone were essential for a Pok��mon to undergo Mega Evolution.


    But what was the reason these stones enabled Pok��mon to Mega Evolve? Was it due to the bond between humans and Pok��mon, or perhaps it was tied to ancient gic elements within the Pok��mon themselves? Yuga had no answers to these questions.


    The only thing that stood out about Absolpared to other Pok��mon was the precious golden item, the "Seed of Unknown," that he had acquired through the system.


    Yuga was still unaware of the Seed of Unknown''s purpose, but he couldn''t ignore its connection to Absol''s sudden Mega Evolution. However, why this seed could trigger such a transformation remained a mystery.


    After a challenging journey, it took Yuga and his group about four to five days to finally exit the forest and return to Vermilion City.


    Due to their consecutive battles, everyone was physically and mentally exhausted. Upon reaching the Pok��mon Center in Vermilion City, they immediately copsed into deep slumber, leaving all other matters to be dealt with after they awoke.

 Chapter 451: Rent

    <h4>Chapter 451: Rent</h4>


    After resting for a night at the Pok��mon Center in Vermilion City, Yuga and his group gradually regained their energy and vitality. They were now prepared to leave Vermilion City and return to Saffron City.


    However, before Yuga and his group departed, Eusine came to find Yuga, expressing a desire to have a conversation. Yuga promptly refused, as none of them wanted to see this person at the moment.


    Upon returning to Saffron City from Vermilion City, Yuga and Gon stayed at Sabrina''s house for a few days. They intended to enjoy their time in this bustling metropolis before parting ways. After all, once they left the Kanto region, Yuga, Gon, and Sabrina would each be on their separate journeys.


    Yuga and Gon''s visit brought great joy to Sabrina''s parents. It was the first time in a long while that someone had been willing to spend time with their daughter. Yuga and Gon received excellent hospitality.


    However, during their stay in Saffron City, Yuga noticed something peculiar: Gengar''s and Mismagius''s potentials had both improved.


    Gengar''s potential had shifted from green to blue, while Mismagius''s, though not upgraded to Indigo, had reached the peak of Blue category.


    Upon inquiry, Yuga learned that when they left Mount Tensei, Marshadow had returned and given both Gengar and Mismagius a ck crystal each. Marshadow had instructed them to consume these crystals before departing again.


    Having experienced their time at Mount Tensei, both Mismagius and Gengar had mixed feelings towards Marshadow. Initially, they had been reluctant to ept what Marshadow offered, but in the end, Marshadow had forcefully ced the crystals in their mouths.


    Without the power of the Ghost World Origin Stone, they were no match for Marshadow, and it had swallowed all the energies that had previously resided in Yuga''s shadow.


    It was clear as day that Marshadow had devoured all those energies, and Mismagius and Gengar felt deeply aggrieved. However, they had no chance to retaliate, as they were far from being Marshadow''s equals.


    Listening to Mismagius''s and Gengar''s ount, Yuga understood the situation. He was also somewhat resentful of Marshadow because of the events on the peak of Mount Tensei. Marshadow''s actions had caused them significant hardship.


    While Yuga recognized that it was Marshadow''s duty to correct the contamination of the Rainbow Feather, he couldn''t help but harbor negative emotions due to the immense harm Marshadow had inflicted upon them. Furthermore, Marshadow had leached off Yuga''s shadow for such a long time without any mercy.


    However, what Yuga didn''t expect was that Marshadow had returned secretly to providepensation. Although he didn''t know the specific name or function of the ck crystals, they had clearly enhanced the potentials of Mismagius and Gengar. These were not ordinary items.


    Regardless of his mixed feelings towards Marshadow, Yuga was genuinely pleased with the potential improvements in Mismagius and Gengar.


    Yuga wasn''t foolish; he couldn''t possibly reject the benefits Marshadow had provided just because he didn''t like it. For Yuga, more good things were always wee.


    Moreover, Marshadow likely didn''t care about Yuga''s opinion of it. Its willingness topensate wasn''t out of guilt but rather the belief that it was only right to repay Yuga for hosting, feeding, and paying rent during its stay.


    Apart from noticing the change in Gengar''s and Mismagius''s potentials, Yuga also discovered another strange urrence. Since returning from the Raizen Mountain Ranges, he hadn''t seen Gon use his psychic powers at all.


    After some inquiry, he learned that Gon''s psychic powers hadpletely depleted, rendering him unable to use them anymore.


    Gon didn''t seem to mind this development; he consoled Yuga by saying that in this world, most people were ordinary and didn''t possess psychic powers. However, it didn''t stop them from living life to the fullest and striving for their goals. Having the ability or not wasn''t the most crucial thing for him.


    Gon, who had once believed that he wouldn''t live much longer, considered being able to lead a normal life a great blessing.


    Yuga had always thought of himself as having a good mindset, but he was pleasantly surprised to find that Gon''s philosophical outlook was equally high. Gon truly deserved to be the man who would eventually lead Bell Tower.


    After spending approximately five days in Saffron City, Yuga decided it was time to return to Johto with Gon.


    However, Sabrina also expressed her desire to apany Gon on his journey back, but her father dissuaded her. After all, she was a legitimate Gym Trainer, and constantly leaving for extended periods wouldn''t sit well.


    During this period of bonding with Gon, Sabrina''s personality had changed considerably. The aura of strangeness and aloofness had faded, making her seem almost indistinguishable from an ordinary person when she stood still and didn''t speak.


    When Yuga and Gon left Saffron City, they could sense the reluctance in Sabrina''s eyes, even though she didn''t voice it.


    This time, Yuga didn''t use the walking method to return to Johto with Gon. Instead, they took a direct route by boarding a maglev train in Saffron City.


    Saffron City, being thergest city in the Kanto region, possessed the most advanced infrastructure and was one of the few ces where transportation directly connected Kanto and Johto.


    With Gon by his side, Yuga sat on the maglev train and watched as they gradually left Saffron City behind, journeying away from the Kanto region. His heart was filled with a sense of nostalgia.


    He had never expected that this visit to Johto and the Kanto region would lead to so many experiences. If not for some stroke of luck, he might have met his end here.


    The maglev train sped along at a remarkable pace. Yuga felt like he could blink, and in the next moment, they would arrive at Goldenrod City.


    Upon reaching their destination, Yuga first visited Grandpa Milton. Despite the fact that the Ecruteak Gym couldn''t assist him directly, Grandpa Milton genuinely cared for him.


    Due to thete hour when Yuga arrived at MooMoo Ranch, he was persuaded to stay overnight by Grandpa Milton. Yuga spent the night at the ranch and only departed with Gon the next day, heading towards the Ecruteak City.

 Chapter 452: Gratitude

    <h4>Chapter 452: Gratitude</h4>


    As Yuga and Gon stood once more at the gates of Bell Tower, they received the warmest of wees. There were no traces of tourists around the tower now. The monks had formed two lines, standing on either side of the stone path leading to the tower''s entrance. The head monk, Joe, stood at the forefront, wearing a smiling expression as he watched Yuga and Gon approach.


    "Wee, Chosen One."


    When Yuga and Gon reached Joe, all the monks, including Joe, simultaneously bowed to Gon. Witnessing this extravagant scene, Yuga''s eyes widened in surprise. He hadn''t expected Bell Tower to arrange such a grand reception.


    "If I had known, I wouldn''t have told them about our return," Yuga thought, finding the whole affair overly borate.


    Next to Yuga, Gon was equally taken aback. "This is a bit too much!"


    Yuga addressed Joe, who replied, "It''s only fitting. The return of the Chosen One is the most significant event for Bell Tower and deserves special attention."


    Though he was talking to Yuga, Joe''s gaze remained fixed on Gon, especially when he noticed the crimson me mark on Gon''s forehead. His expression turned even more delighted.


    Seeing this, Yuga was certain he had made the right choice.


    "Thank you for Mr. Shimizu''s assistance. Bell Tower is immensely grateful," Joe finally shifted his focus away from Gon, bowing deeply to Yuga.


    "Oh, please, we merely exchanged what we each needed. There''s no need for such thanks," Yuga hurriedly responded.


    Joe didn''t insist and simply smiled, saying, "I invite the Chosen One and Mr. Shimizu to enter Bell Tower."


    And so, guided by Joe, Yuga and Gon entered Bell Tower.


    However, the moment they set foot inside, all thirty-two golden bells and four transparent chimes hanging within the tower began to chime in unison with a melodious "ding-ling, ding-ling." Involuntarily, every apanying monk knelt and shouted, "The Chosen One''s blessings!"


    Gon, who was the Chosen One, appeared bewildered, unsure of what was happening.


    Yuga also noticed that the crimson me mark on Gon''s forehead had started to flicker like real mes for a brief moment, as if it were about to detach itself from Gon''s forehead. However, it quickly ceased its movement, and the chimes inside the tower fell silent.


    It seemed being the Chosen One wasn''t a position for just anyone, Yuga thought. Without the approval of Ho-oh and the fiery mark bestowed by it, there was no guarantee that Bell Tower would recognize someone as the Chosen One, given that the Chosen One was destined to be the true ruler of Bell Tower.


    The sound of the bells traveled far, and not only were the monks within Bell Tower aware of it, but the citizens of Ecruteak City also looked in the direction of Bell Tower. The legend of Bell Tower and Ho-oh was well-known to the city''s residents, yet the transparent chimes had remained silent for hundreds of years. They were shocked to hear them chime again today.


    Simultaneously, in the Ecruteak Gym, an elderly man who had been meditating suddenly opened his eyes upon hearing the sound of the transparent chimes. He muttered in astonishment, "I didn''t expect them to actually achieve it."


    Due to Yuga''s help in finding the crucial Chosen One, he received an exceptionally warm wee from Bell Tower. In gratitude, Bell Tower had prepared avish feast for Yuga.


    After the banquet, Yuga was summoned by Joe to a private room.


    "I''m not sure why Abbot Joe has called me," Yuga said in puzzlement.


    Joe smiled and didn''t answer verbally. Instead, he presented a delicate wooden box before Yuga.


    "What is this?" Yuga asked, looking at the box with confusion.


    "A token of gratitude," Joe replied with a smile.


    "Gratitude?" Yuga was even more puzzled. "I recall there was no such item mentioned in our trade."


    "That''s correct, this is outside of our trade," Joe exined. "You may not fully grasp the significance of the Chosen One to Bell Tower."


    Three hundred years ago, when Ho-oh hadn''t left Bell Tower yet, there was always a Chosen One in each generation. They served as the only bridge ofmunication between Bell Tower and Ho-oh.


    However, after Ho-oh departed, Bell Tower couldn''t find a suitable candidate for the Chosen One anymore, even among those with the Rainbow Feather; they had never seeded.


    Now, the return of the Chosen One meant that Bell Tower had a chance to reestablish contact with Ho-oh."


    Listening to Joe''s words, Yuga nodded, indicating his understanding.


    "May I open and see what''s inside?" Yuga pointed at the wooden box and inquired.


    "Please, it''s yours now," Joe nodded with a smile.


    Yuga moved the box in front of him and gently opened it. Inside the box were three items: a sky-blue stone with icy patterns, a brown seed, and at the bottom, a sheet of paper covered in writing.


    Yuga recognized the top two items immediately �C a Supreme-grade Ice Stone and a Revival Herb seed, both extremely precious. From this, Yuga deduced that these influential organizations had extensive knowledge of the secret of Supreme-grade Evolution Stones, which was why they considered a simple Evolution Stone as a gift to him.


    As for the value of a Revival Herb seed, it went without saying.


    Yuga picked up the sheet of paper at the bottom and, upon opening it, was surprised.


    Instructions on how to make a Max Revive.


    This was an incredibly precious item, a long-lost legend. Yuga hadn''t expected Bell Tower to have it in their collection, let alone present him with a handwritten copy along with a Revival Herb seed.


    While Revival Herbs and Max Revives could both fully heal a Pok��mon''s injuries, Revival Herbs had side effects, causing the healed Pok��mon to lose some of its memories and potentially affecting the rtionship between a Trainer and their Pok��mon.


    However, making a Revival Herb into a Max Revive was an entirely different matter. Max Revives had no side effects and were genuine lifesavers.


    With it, Yuga could wake up Dragonair''s mother without any harm.


    Exhaling a long breath, Yuga said to Joe, "This gift is too precious."


    Joe responded with a smile, "It seems you recognize these items. I won''t go into detail about them, but this gift is indeed valuable, and you deserve it."


    "Thank you," Yuga replied.


    Following that, Yuga and Joe continued their conversation in the room. Yuga exined Gon''s background to Joe (mentioning that Gon came from Team Rocket but not disclosing that Gon was a half-human, half-Pok��mon clone). He hoped that Bell Tower could keep an eye on Team Rocket and ensure they wouldn''t harm Gon.


    Joe reassured Yuga not to worry about Team Rocket. While they were indeed a formidable organization, Bell Tower was no ordinary ce.


    With this assurance from Bell Tower, Yuga felt much more at ease. He would soon be returning to Hoenn region, and while he wasn''t too concerned about Team Rocket''s actions towards himself, Gon, who was in Johto, was a different story. Now, with Bell Tower''s protection, Yuga could rest a little easier.

 Chapter 453: Seeking Peace

    <h4>Chapter 453: Seeking Peace</h4>


    Yuga didn''t intend to stay in Ecruteak City for long. After delivering Gon to Bell Tower, he nned to return to Hoenn region.


    After all, it had been a long time since he left the YoYo Day Care, and this was his first extended trip.


    Before leaving, Morty, a Gym Trainer from the Ecruteak Gym, had visited him at the Pok��mon Center. Yuga didn''t need to guess why Morty hade.


    It was undoubtedly about Eusine.


    Inside Yuga''s room at the Pok��mon Center:


    "Eusine told you everything?" Yuga asked Morty.


    Although he wasn''t too keen on getting involved with Morty, Yuga had a favorable impression of him. Besides, Morty was well-regarded as a Gym Trainer in Ecruteak City.


    "Yes, I''ve heard all about it," Morty nodded.


    Morty had only learned about Yuga''s previous visit to Bell Tower and his encounter with Ho-oh through Eusine''s ount. Since the split between the Ecruteak Gym and Bell Tower, the Gym continued to believe in Ho-oh, but their actual pursuit of Ho-oh wasn''t as fervent as that of the monks at Bell Tower.


    The initial dispute between the two sides had centered around this issue.


    The concept of faith and belief had no absolute right or wrong. Therefore, neither side could im moral superiority over the other. Thus, for many years, Bell Tower and the Ecruteak Gym maintained a state of non-interference.


    The Ecruteak Gym was indeed surprised by the news that Bell Tower had found Ho-oh and weed back the Chosen One. However, their surprise was limited to just that �C surprise.


    As a subsidiary Gym under the Pok��mon League, they continued to hold faith in Ho-oh but were no longer actively seeking his return.


    This shift in attitude toward myth and divine worship was a significant characteristic of the modern Pok��mon world. Mythical and Legendary cultures that thrived in the past, such as the Sea God n''s worship of Lugia, Bell Tower''s devotion to Ho-oh, the Draconid People''s veneration of Rayquaza, the Temple of Sinnoh n''s belief in Arceus, and the People of the Vale''s reverence for Zekrom and Reshiram, had all gradually waned.


    The Sea God n retreated to the Whirl Inds in Johto, while the Bell Tower made great efforts to reestablish contact with the Ho-oh. The Draconid People have disappeared without a trace, and the People of the Vale are now struggling in the small town of Eindoak in the Unova.


    The only surviving cult was the Temple of Sinnoh n, and this was solely due to the pressence one of the four Masters among Trainers �C the Elder of the Temple of Sinnoh n.


    While it was true that Bell Tower had retrieved the Chosen One and now had an opportunity to reestablish contact with Ho-oh, the future remained uncertain. Nobody knew what the oue would be, and at best, one could only predict that it wouldn''t be worse than the current state of affairs.


    "So what''s your n now that you''ve heard about it?" Yuga asked Morty expressionlessly.


    Morty replied, "Indeed, Eusine didn''t do the right thing. He mentioned that he didn''t actually want to steal the Rainbow Feather but that there was always a voice in his head urging him to do so."


    Yuga knew that apart from Marshadow, no one else could make someone carry out such an act. It was a test set by Marshadow for the Rainbow Hero, magnifying the desires already present in a person''s heart. If someone didn''t truly have those desires, Marshadow''s influence wouldn''t seed. Otherwise, why hadn''t Yuga or Sabrina been affected by Marshadow''s maniption? Only Eusine had fallen under its influence.


    This can only indicate that deep down in Eusine''s heart, he truly harbored the desire to seize the Rainbow Feather. The words he spoke atop Mount Tensei were indeed his innermost thoughts.


    "Whether it was his own intention or he was influenced by something, his actions cannot be changed. We no longer have the responsibility to pursue him further. Isn''t it okay if we can just cut ties with him?" Uttered Yuga, his tone chilly.


    Sensing the displeasure in Yuga''s tone, Morty hastily exined, "Mr. Shimizu, I didn''t mean anything else. I genuinely wanted to apologize on Eusine''s behalf. He truly wants reconciliation with you. He said he doesn''t want to lose you as a friend. If it weren''t for your reluctance to meet him, he would havee by himself."


    "Friend?" Yuga sneered, "I genuinely considered him a friend. I even allowed him to apany me on the secretive mission to find Ho-oh. But how did he repay me?"


    Yuga''s words left Morty speechless. Indeed, no matter how you looked at it, Yuga had trusted Eusine as a friend back then, offering him substantial trust by involving him in the search for Ho-oh. However, the oue was disappointing.


    At the critical moment, Eusine betrayed him, regardless of the reasons. His actions were challenging to forgive.


    "I won''t and don''t wish to harm Eusine in any way. I simply hope he won''t appear before me in the future," Yuga continued.


    Realizing that any hope of reconciliation was futile, Morty reluctantly left the Pok��mon Center.


    To be honest, Morty had been very reluctant to make this visit. If he were in Yuga''s shoes, he wouldn''t be able to forgive his friend''s actions either.


    He had offered his genuine friendship, yet he had been repaid with betrayal. No one wanted to endure such a situation.


    But what could he do? His longstanding friendship with Eusine, nurtured since childhood, made it impossible for him to refuse Eusine''s earnest pleas.


    Yuga had been told to treat Yuga well because his grandfather and Mr. Milton from Goldenrod City had requested it. After this incident, he didn''t know how to exin things to them.


    After Morty left, Yuga packed his belongings and, with his noisy bird, left the Pok��mon Center. He boarded a ne bound for Hoenn.


    He didn''t say goodbye to the Bell Tower or Gon. He knew that Gon would be extremely reluctant to part with him. Rather than seeing Gon crying when they said their farewells, it was better not to meet at all.


    However, before leaving, he entrusted someone to deliver a letter to the Bell Tower for Gon. In the letter, he told Gon that if he had the chance, he could visit him in the Verdanturf Town of Hoenn. If he had time to return to Johto, he would alsoe back to the Bell Tower.


    The speed of nes in the Pok��mon world had always been very fast, and even cross-regional flights took only a few days.


    Three dayster, standing at the airport in Verdanturf Town, looking at the familiar scenery, Yuga breathed a long sigh of relief.


    Finally, he was back home!


    Indeed, this trip to Kanjoh (Kanto and Johto) had taken a very long time, but it was still within the timeframe Yuga had estimated. Without the guidance of the Rainbow Feather, finding legendary Pok��mon like Ho-oh was no easy task. It might have taken even more time than it did now.


    Walking on the path back home, neighbors along the way saw Yuga''s return and greeted him warmly. They hadn''t seen Yuga for a long time.

 Chapter 454: Visiting (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 454: Visiting (Part 1)</h4>


    As Yuga walked down the road, he noticed that many of his neighbors were apanied by Oddish or Hoppip. These Oddish and Hoppip were also helping them with their work.


    Oddish and Hoppip seemed to have be a unique sight in Verdanturf Town. asionally, Yuga could even see Oddish or Hoppip using the Grassy Terrains.


    It looks like my n has been very sessful! Yuga thought.


    The widespread use of Grassy Terrains in agriculture would undoubtedly increase the crop yield in Verdanturf Town. As a result, the town''s residents would gradually be more prosperous, which would in turn boost the business of the YoYo Day Care, a truly wonderful cycle.


    However, the number of Grass-type Pok��mon produced by the YoYo Day Care was still not enough to ensure that every household in Verdanturf Town had them. To further promote the development of agriculture in Verdanturf Town, the YoYo Day Care would need to continue its efforts.


    Inside the shop, Suzuki Koen, who was busy managing both small andrge businesses, saw his boss enter the shop with a Chatot on his shoulder and looked pleasantly surprised.


    "Boss, you''re finally back!"


    The business at the YoYo Day Care had been getting better and better, and Suzuki Koen, the manager responsible for the daily operations, was even busier than before.


    Yuga: "Yes, finally back. How''s everything at the shop?"


    Suzuki Koen smiled and said, "Everything''s normal, and the business is even better than before."


    "That''s good!"


    Yuga nodded.


    "Hmm? Chatot, why did your feathers change color?"


    Seeing the Chatot perched on Yuga''s shoulder, Suzuki Koen looked puzzled.


    "What change in color! I intentionally dyed it. It''s a fashion statement; you wouldn''t understand!"


    The Chatot pped its wings and said stubbornly.


    In reality, it didn''t like its new red feathers at all and thought they were nowhere near as attractive as its original blue ones. But since the change had already happened, it couldn''t do anything about it and could only lie to itself for some psychologicalfort.


    "Oh, I see."


    Suzuki Koen didn''t know whether the Chatot was telling the truth or not, so he nodded expressionlessly.


    "Hmph, I''m not telling you guys anymore. You don''t understand appreciation. I''m going to find my kitty-chan now."


    After saying that, the Chatot flew off in the direction of the Ecopark, looking rather proud.


    Watching the Chatot fly away, Yuga smiled and shook his head.


    Yuga didn''t chat with Suzuki Koen for long before Audino and Wigglytuff came out of the house and also saw him. The two Pok��mon were delighted to see him.


    After spending some time in the shop, Yuga went to the Ecopark to check on the conditions of the Pok��mon in his absence.


    He first went to the Shallow Seashore, where he saw that the witzer family was doing well as usual, and then he headed to the first Lake Ind.


    Here, he found Dragonair, Greninja, Gyarados, and Milotic living together, with Linoone and its mate Mightyena living on the shore.


    However, at this moment, Linoone and Mightyena were not here; they were inside the shop, serving as security.


    As soon as Yuga approached the first Lake Ind, Gyarados emerged from the water with ten Milotic following suit (Feebas had already evolved). Greninja also jumped down from a tree.


    It had been a very long time since they had seen Yuga, so they were all very excited.


    These Water-type Pok��mon had developed exceptionally well. They had been feeding on Water Hyacinth with rich Water-type energy for a long time, which not only greatly improved their strength but also their physical qualities far surpassed those of their kind.


    However, it seemed that Dragonair was not here; Yuga didn''t get to see it.


    Leaving the first Lake Ind, Yuga proceeded to the second Lake Ind to check on the conditions of the Oddish family and the Hoppip family.


    They were thriving here, living with plenty to eat and drink, carefree and content. The abundant sunlight and clear water sources contributed to their rapid growth and reproduction.


    In the Hoppip family, many of them inherited the ability to use Grassy Terrain without the need for Florges to teach them. The inheritance rate was quite high, which inadvertently reduced Florges''s workload.


    After leaving the Shallow Seashore, Yuga headed to the Desert Sub-Ecopark.


    However, as soon as he entered, he noticed thunder and lightning in the sky over the desert in the distance, with dark clouds looming. He could faintly see the silhouette of Dragonair rolling in the clouds.


    No wonder it wasn''t in the first Lake Ind; it hade to train in the Desert Sub-Ecopark. What a diligent little guy! Yuga thought.


    Most areas in the Shallow Seashore were water-based, making it easier to use Water-type moves like Rain Dance. Therefore, Dragonair didn''t usually train there because it felt too powerful in that environment.


    But this power was just an illusion created by environmental advantages.


    In the central oasis of the Desert Sub-Ecopark lived Snox, Ursaring, and a Shiny Ariados. However, these three Pok��mon didn''t interact much and went about their own business. Yuga saw that they were doing well and then proceeded to the area with Flygon.


    During Yuga''s absence, several Trapinch had evolved into Vibrava, and the number of Flygon had increased. Overall, this family was continuing to thrive.


    Leaving the Flygon''s territory, Yuga arrived at the territory of the Gligar family.


    Now, the number of Gligar had increased significantlypared to when they first arrived at the Ecopark. Although they still couldn''t match the Trapinch family, they were one of thergest families in the garden.


    Upon inspection, Yuga discovered that the Gliscor leader three queens were all pregnant again. This delighted him, as it meant that his n to cultivate blue potential Gligar was finally ready to be put into action.


    After visiting the Desert Sub-Ecopark, Yuga headed to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, where Florges and Vivillon resided.


    Upon arriving, Florges was thrilled to see Yuga return and brought arge group of Grass-type Pok��mon to wee him.


    This was the first time Yuga had been separated from Florges for so long, and he had missed her dearly.


    After some time apart, Yuga noticed that Florges had be even more elegant. Standing among the Grass-type Pok��mon, she looked dazzling and possessed a queenly aura. Even the renowned queenly Pok��mon among Grass-types, such as the Tsareena, paled inparison to Florges.


    Florges fell into the category of Garden Pok��mon. It was said that they could manipte the flowers they cultivated, turning the garden into their territory, absorbing the energy released by the flowers, and converting it for their own use.


    Now, the entire Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark belonged to Florges, and under the nourishment of the vast flower Sea, Florges was bing stronger. This, in turn, benefited all the Grass-type Pok��mon apanying her.


    During this time, Vivillon had also increased in power. Looking at the white energy streams swirling around its wings, it was evident that it had gained better control over Flying-type energy.


    Vivillon''s fine control over air currents not only improved its mastery of Flying-type moves but also allowed it to use the Quiver Dance skill with ease.


    In this regard, Vivillon''s Quiver Dance waspletely different from Bellossom''s Quiver Dance.


    Bellossom relied on its Ability, Chlorophyll, and the move Sunny Day to enhance its move speed and evasion. This enabled it to quicklyplete the Quiver Dance enhancement.


    Vivillon, on the other hand, achieved Quiver Dance by refining and enhancing its control over Flying-type energy. It practiced its flight skills to master the Quiver Dance technique.


    So, while both Pok��mon had the same core skill, their training directions were entirely distinct.

 Chapter 455: Visiting (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 455: Visiting (Part 2)</h4>


    In the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, aside from the Bug-type Vespiqueen and her Combee family, most of the inhabitants were Grass-type Pok��mon. Thanks to Florges, these Grass-types had the fastest growth rate among all the Pok��mon in the Ecopark.


    For instance, the pair of young Skiddo had evolved into two mature Rideable Gogoat during Yuga''s absence, and the two Sewaddle had evolved into two Swadloon.


    After leaving the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, Yuga''s final destination was the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark.


    The Grasnd Sub-Ecopark had always been a gathering ce for Quadrupedal and Flying-type Pok��mon, making it the most diverse in terms of Pok��mon species among all the Sub-Ecoparks.


    Upon entering the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, Yuga''s first sight was the busy Miltank.


    With the increasing number of Pok��mon in the Ecopark, the workload of the Miltank had grown considerably. However, thanks to Audino''s coordination, the Miltank were well-organized and had never caused any trouble.


    As Yuga introduced Tauros into the Ecopark, several new Miltank and Tauros had been born. Once the younger Miltank grew up, the workload for the older ones would likely be lighter.


    Several Pok��mon in other Sub-Ecoparks had also evolved, and the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark was no exception.


    First, the five Marshtomp had all evolved into Swampert.


    The Marshtomp had hatched from the same eggs as the three Starter Pok��mon: Treecko and Snivy. However, due to Florges''s presence, the others Starter Pok��mon had long since evolved into their final forms, Sceptile and Serperior. Therefore, the Swampert were thest to evolve.


    In addition to them, both of the Cyndaquil that Yuga brought from Illuma Ind had evolved into Quva and were currently napping beside their leader, Typhlosion.


    Yuga had expected the remaining three Lotad to evolve into Lombre, but to his surprise, they remained as Lotad. They were happily ying in the Grasnd Lake alongside the Swampert.


    The first to notice Yuga''s arrival were Nales and Houndoom, who excitedly ran towards him along with a group of other Pok��mon.


    Nales and Houndoom now led a group of Pok��mon in the Ecopark, including three Nales, five Houndoom, the Persian and its three Delcattys, the Eevee family, and four affy.


    Among them, the four affy had originallye from Motohara. They still had significant mental issues, but it had improved to a great extent, and at least they were willing to move with the rest of the group now.


    Apart from these four affy, those from Motohara also included three Murkrow, three Swablu, a pair of Kecleon, two Mr. Mime, a Ralts, a Kirlia, and a Gardevoir.


    Among them, the two Mr. Mime were in the best condition. Yuga had even seen them using Psychic powers to help the Miltank move items from the warehouse, as long as they weren''t startled. Now, they were hardly distinguishable from regr Pok��mon.


    The three Murkrow were in slightly better shape as well. With Yuga''s help, they had evolved into Honchkrow using a Dusk Stone. All this progress was thanks to their leader, Honchkrow.


    While it often appeared aloof, Honchkrow was a patient Pok��mon at heart. With its guidance and care, the three Honchkrow had integrated well with the other Flying-type Pok��mon in the Ecopark.


    Now, the entire Flying-typemunity was managed by Leader Honchkrow and Leader Swellow, including the Swablu family and the recently introduced Starly.


    The three Swablu, who had mental issues, were now living among the Swablumunity. They seemed to be in stable condition but remained reserved, unwilling to interact much with other Pok��mon.


    As for the couple of Kecleon, due to their reclusive nature and mastery of stealth, Yuga rarely saw them. Therefore, he wasn''t well-informed about their progress, but he doubted that their recovery was going very smoothly.


    Watching therge group of Pok��mon running toward him, Yuga happily picked up an adorable Vulpix, the child of Nales and Houndoom, and the only Vulpix in the Ecopark that hadn''t evolved yet.


    After Yuga held the Vulpix, it extended its tongue to yfully lick his face repeatedly, causing Yuga to burst intoughter.


    Seeing how lively and spirited all the Pok��mon were during his absence made Yuga extremely happy.


    With Vulpix in his arms, Yuga spotted Persian sitting with its three wives looking at him from a distance. Persian had a proud and aloof demeanor, with his head raised high, looking arrogant, just like before Yuga''s departure. Seeing this, Yuga couldn''t help but suppress a smile.


    However, Yuga acted as if he hadn''t noticed Persian''s presence and walked toward Noctowl and Chatot while carrying Vulpix. In that brief moment, he noticed a hint of frustration on Persian''s face.


    Noctowl was currently perched on a treetop with Chatot, listening to Chatot''s animated tales. Noctowl''s eyes were filled with tenderness.


    Now that the physical threat was resolved, Chatot no longer needed to constantly avoid Noctowl, and they could peacefully coexist.


    "Hey, Noctowl, Hoothoot long time no see!" Yuga greeted them with a smile.


    Noctowl nodded slightly in acknowledgment, expressing gratitude with its eyes.


    If it weren''t for Yuga bringing Chatot to find Ho-Oh, resolving Chatot''s lingering worries, this family wouldn''t be able to gather together as they did now.


    "Hoothoot," Hoothoot chirped.


    Seeing Yuga approach, Hoothoot flew down from the treetop andnded on Yuga''s shoulder. It then rubbed its round body against Yuga''s cheek, its soft feathers making Yuga feelfortable.


    Hoothoot''s potential wasn''t particrly high, and it didn''t train much, mainly due to its status as the child of an Elite Pok��mon and itsck of motivation. Despite having lived in the Ecopark for quite some time, it still wasn''t as strong as other Pok��mon of its age.


    In terms of raising their offspring, Noctowl and Chatot''s approach was quite different.


    Nales and Houndoom were usually very strict with Vulpix, ensuring that it had a rigorous training regimen with every second ounted for.


    This strictness extended to all of their Pok��mon, not just Vulpix.


    On the other hand, Noctowl was quite the opposite. Hoothoot was free-spirited and not restricted by training schedules. Noctowl never pressured it. Hoothoot had a rtively carefree personality.


    However, Yuga didn''t interfere in these matters. He believed that it was okay for Hoothoot to remain a mascot in the Ecopark, as it wasn''t expected to perform any particr tasks.

 Chapter 456: Changes

    <h4>Chapter 456: Changes</h4>


    Yuga didn''t spend too long in the Ecopark after returning. After all, he couldn''t stay cooped up there all the time, considering he had juste back.


    Upon learning of Yuga''s return, Arata Sena, Beidou, Anya, and Akihito came to greet him. Beidou also took the opportunity to report on the recent progress of Arata Sena and Akihito''s training.


    Arata Sena''s progress had been consistently stable, while Akihito didn''t disappoint Yuga''s expectations. He sessfully helped Shroomish evolve into Breloom and obtained a second Pok��mon, Teddiursa.


    Overall, during Yuga''s absence from YoYo Day Care, things remained stable. Business had improved slightly, and everything was running smoothly.


    After chatting with Beidou and the others for a while, Yuga went upstairs to find Windy. He informed him that starting next month, they would increase the sales of uncher from one per every three months to one per month. Windy was instructed to update this information on YoYo Day Care''s official website in advance.


    When Yuga checked the Pok��mon in the Ecopark earlier, he realized that after such a long period of reproduction, there were now enough uncher to meet monthly sales.


    The Ecopark provided them with the optimal living conditions, and the Pok��mon enjoyed good food and drink daily, making their reproduction rate impressive.


    Speaking of it, YoYo Day Care''s quick rise to fame was thanks not only to its high-quality Pok��mon resources and top-notch Pok��blocks but also Windy''s excellent online marketing skills.


    While he was generally quiet in real life, he was a social media guru online. Coupled with his strong technical skills, this helped spread the name of YoYo Day Care among trainers.


    Yuga had brought Windy on board by chance, and it was indeed a stroke of luck. Talented individuals like Windy could excel anywhere they went.


    However, Yuga noticed that Windy seemed quite content with his current life at YoYo Day Care, and he wasn''t eager to work elsewhere.


    The day after Yuga returned to YoYo Day Care, he began researching the changes in Absol after its recent journey. He was interested in both the unexined phenomenon of spontaneous Mega Evolution and the rapid increase in its size.


    He wanted to investigate these two aspects thoroughly.


    First, the issue of Mega Evolution.


    Although he had heard from Sabrina and Gon that Absol had undergone Mega Evolution at the summit of Mount Tensei, he hadn''t witnessed it personally.


    Now that he was back at YoYo Day Care, he wanted to determine if Absol, capable of Mega Evolution without Keystone or Mega Evolution Stone, could control this state freely.


    He also aimed to understand the basis of this unique Mega Evolution and the role yed by the Seed of Unknowns within Absol''s body.


    Then, there was the matter of Absol''s significant growth in size.


    The changes it had undergone upon returning from the Raizen Mountain Ranges had taken everyone by surprise.


    After returning from the Raizen Mountain Ranges, Absol''s size had increased significantly. In terms of height alone, it now stood at a towering two meters, much taller than Yuga. For reference, an average Absol''s height was only 1.2 meters, just reaching slightly above Yuga''s waist.


    Previously, Yuga couldn''t even consider riding Absol. Beyond whether Absol could carry him, the significant size difference alone would have made it awkward. However, things were different now. Absol had surpassed the size of Pok��mon like Rapidash. Yuga could easily ride on its back without any issues.


    Sometimes, Yuga couldn''t help but worry about the current rate of Absol''s growth. He wondered if there woulde a day when it would be an enormous behemoth that he couldn''t afford to sustain. After all, an increase in size also meant an increase in its appetite.


    Yuga had tested Absol''s enormous size and found that it brought a significant boost to its attack and defense capabilities. Additionally, it enhanced its ability, "Pressure," to its fullest extent.


    Whenever Absol actively triggered its Pressure ability, Yuga could feel a tremendous pressure bearing down on him. Unlike the gravitational pressure that Chimecho generated, Absol''s Pressure was not physical but rather a form of mental intimidation.


    Even if you stood still within Absol''s range of influence, you''d experience a sense of mental fatigue. Once engaged in battle, this oppressive feeling would intensify, potentially causing opponents to feel overwhelmed and fearful.


    This feeling of oppression and fear was somewhat simr to another Pok��mon ability called "Intimidate." However, the fear generated by "Intimidate" was momentary, and if a Pok��mon had a strong mental constitution, it wouldn''t pose a significant burden.


    Absol''s Pressure was different; it was continuous and unrelenting. As long as you remained within its ability''s range, it would relentlessly exert pressure on your mental state.


    To investigate Absol''s ability further, Yuga had arranged a practice battle between Absol and Florges.


    Florges was a Pok��mon specializing in endurance battles, which meant that the longer the battle went on, the more it favored her. On the other hand, Absol typically belonged to the category of strong attackers, favoring quick and decisive battles. Prolonged battles were less advantageous for Absol, as it would struggle to maintain its stamina and energy.


    However, during this practice battle, Florges found it impossible to stall Absol through endurance tactics. As the battle progressed, Florges experienced an increasing sense of exhaustion��not physical fatigue but mental fatigue.


    This mental fatigue made it challenging for Florges to concentrate, resulting in frequent mistakes. In the end, she struggled to maintain a prolonged battle, and Absol emerged victorious.


    Yuga was surprised by Florges''s loss in this practice battle. In terms of raw power, Florges had a significant advantage, but Absol managed to secure the victory.


    This oue showed how much Absol''s changes in size had transformed itsbat capabilities.


    Yuga had used his special abilities to examine Absol''s body and noticed that the Seed of Unknowns located in its forehead continually emitted a unique energy radiation that enveloped Absol''s entire body. Yuga spected that this unique energy radiation was responsible for Absol''s increased size.


    He could sense that this energy radiation contained an exceptionally potent life force. Yuga even wondered if, in hindsight, directly cing the Seed of Unknowns into Chatot''s body might have instantly healed its injuries.

 Chapter 457: Success

    <h4>Chapter 457: Sess</h4>


    Yuga understood that conventional evolution involved Pok��mon briefly releasing their ancient genes with the aid of a Keystone and Mega Evolution Stone. This unique form of evolution allowed them to revert to their ancestral forms.


    Since Absol could autonomously undergo Mega Evolution, it indicated that the ancient genes within its body were already activated. However, currently, it seemed that Absol couldn''t control the changes brought about by these genes.


    Yuga attempted to prompt Absol to undergo Mega Evolution once more, but it proved to be impossible. It could sense that something was different within its body, yet it couldn''t control these changes.


    If the release of these genes was indeed influenced by the Seed of Unknowns, Yuga spected that Absol''s inability to control them stemmed from the iplete activation of these genes.


    Based on his past memories, Yuga knew that some Legendary Pok��mon could autonomously undergo Mega Evolution without requiring Keystone. This might be the direction in which Absol''s changes were headed.


    At this moment, Yuga couldn''t help but marvel at the power of the golden items within the system. It wasn''t surprising that their drop rates were so low.


    Unable topletely unravel the secrets of the Seed of Unknowns within Absol''s body, Yuga shifted his focus to the cultivation of the blue potential Gligar.


    This task had taken quite a long time, and Yuga wanted toplete it quickly to enhance YoYo Day Care''s sales chain. With theplementary sale of Gligar and Razor Fangs, Yuga believed that YoYo Day Care''s business would undoubtedly thrive.


    Yuga allocated a portion of the potions made from mutated Jaboca Berries to the Pok��blocks of the three pregnant Gliscor Queens every day. This allowed the cumtive effects of these potions on them and their unborn offspring to grow.


    Joyka had assured Yuga that these potions would not have any adverse effects on the Pok��mon, so Yuga confidently allowed the Gliscor Queens to consume them.


    Additionally, the mutated Jaboca Berry trees that Yuga had newly cultivated had been well cared for by the Grass-type Pok��mon and the Lotad in his absence. They had also been regrly fertilized with meteorite-infused nutrients.


    Although these saplings hadn''t shown any significant changes so far, their growth was robust. Yuga suspected that it wouldn''t be long before they disyed mutations.


    After several months of nurturing, all three pregnant Gliscor Queens were in excellent condition. During his examinations, Yuga even discovered that their physical qualities had improved significantlypared to before their pregnancies.


    On one asion, Yuga inadvertently caught the Gliscor Leader secretly nibbling on her fellow wives'' "pregnancy meals," which left him both amused and exasperated.


    However, this indicated that the potions had a considerable allure to the Gligar, affirming the high likelihood of Yuga''s breeding n being a resounding sess.


    In this manner, two months and five days passed since Yuga began personally caring for the three Gliscor Queens.


    Perhaps due to the unique diet, the pregnancy periods of all three Gliscor Queens had been notably prolonged. Were it not for the health reports confirming the well-being of the queens and their unborn offspring, Yuga might have suspected that they were carrying stillborns.


    However, after two months of nurturing, Yuga observed that the three pregnant Gliscor Queens had grown increasingly robust, with their strength rising steadily. They were on the verge of surpassing the Gliscor Leader''s prowess. If not for the fact that the Gligar society typically had males as leaders, Yuga would have thought the Gliscor Leader was about to be dethroned.


    Finally, after two months and five days of care, the three pregnant Gliscor Queens simultaneouslyid three healthy Pok��mon eggs. What thrilled Yuga even more was that all of them were blue potential. This filled him with boundless joy.


    Once these three Pok��mon eggs hatched, Yuga''s long-pending task would be aplished.


    Because the task required nurturing blue potential Gligar, the mission wasn''t consideredplete with the mere hatching of Pok��mon eggs.


    Yuga nned to use all the fruits produced by the mutated Jaboca Berry trees in the future to cultivate the Gligar, enabling the Gligar family to grow faster until they could rival the Flygon family.


    In Yuga''s Ecopark, there were only these two Ground-type Pok��mon families, and they inevitablypeted with each other. However, thispetition wasn''t a bad thing. Reasonablepetition could promote the mutual progress of both families.


    However, the Gligar family was currently too weak,cking the qualifications topete with the Flygon family, whether in quantity or quality. The gap in high-endbat power was even more apparent.


    Nevertheless, Yuga was determined to elevate both families side by side.


    While living in the Desert Sub-Ecopark, they would inevitablypete with each other, but suchpetition wasn''t necessarily a bad thing. Healthypetition could stimte mutual progress.


    Despite the Gligar family''s tough situation, especially given the overwhelming strength of the Flygon family, the Gliscor Leader had always been dedicated to his family''s development. He harbored the constant desire for the Gligar family to surpass the Flygon family, even if his efforts seemed futile.


    The appearance of mutated Jaboca Berries had now given their family hope.


    However, the w of mutated Jaboca Berries was ring: they couldn''t be mass-produced. In one growth cycle, only one mutated Jaboca Berry could be produced from a single tree.


    So, even with the help of mutated Jaboca Berries, the Gligar family needed to work harder than the Flygon family to catch up.


    Once these three blue potential baby Gligar were born, they would undoubtedly be nurtured as future leaders of the Gligar family. After all, these three Gligar were the most outstanding in terms of qualifications the Gligar family had seen in years.


    Having sessfully cultivated blue potential Gligar, Yuga finally felt relieved. Now he only had to wait for the hatching of the baby Gligar.


    Yuga eagerly anticipated their arrival, and the Gliscor Leader shared this excitement.


    As Yuga prepared to leave the Ecopark, he witnessed the Chatot frantically flying toward him, shouting, "Something''s wrong, something''s wrong!"


    Puzzled, Yuga asked, "What''s happened that''s got you so agitated?"


    The Chatot gasped for breath and said, "That Kirlia is causing trouble. You need to go check it out!"


    As soon as the Chatot mentioned Kirlia, Yuga knew exactly who it was. In the entire Ecopark, the only troublemaker was the Kirlia he had taken from Butler and Diane.


    Originally, Yuga had contemted dealing with it, but with just one Kirlia, he couldn''t conveniently ask his master to contact the League''s breeding base for handling. Therefore, he had left it in the Ecopark, under the supervision of Medidite and the Natus.


    Despite the Kirlia''s persistent resistance, Yuga hadn''t considered killing it. After all, it hadn''t done anything wrong; it had merely chosen the wrong owner. Yuga wasn''t so bloodthirsty.

 Chapter 458: Communication

    <h4>Chapter 458: Communication</h4>


    Most Psychic-type Pok��mon and regr Pok��mon are quite different in their preferences. Psychic-types don''t like to wander around; instead, they prefer peaceful meditation, so they don''t require arge living space.


    That''s why Pok��mon like Medidite, the Natus, and Gardevoir, who are Psychic-types, usually reside in the main Ecopark. The mischievous Kirlia is also kept there under supervision.


    To keep an eye on Psychic-type Pok��mon, you have to rely on other Psychic-type Pok��mon, as their peculiar abilities make it difficult for regr Pok��mon to handle them.


    However, Yuga hadn''t granted Kirlia the freedom toe and go from the Ecopark. Hence, despite its exceptional Teleport abilities, it could only move around within the main Ecopark, under the watchful eyes of Medidite and the Natus.


    During the journey to the main Ecopark, Yuga learned from Chatot what had transpired with Kirlia''s recent antics.


    It turned out that the Bagon''s egg that Yuga had taken from Butler was about to hatch. Kirlia had discovered this and attempted to steal it quietly. Unfortunately, it was spotted by the Natus assigned to watch over it.


    Pok��mon of the Dragon-type, like Bagon, typically had longer incubation periodspared to other Pok��mon. Therefore, since Yuga had obtained it, there had been no signs of it hatching. Consequently, it had been ced under the weather tree in the main Ecopark, where Yuga usually kept his Pok��mon eggs.


    The Natus had built their nests in the weather tree of the main Ecopark. Having them as guardians, Yuga hadn''t been overly concerned.


    These Natus were specially trained to gather information and monitor enemy activities. Therefore, with them keeping an eye on Kirlia, Yuga hadn''t been particrly worried. It was just unexpected that even in the presence of these adept guardians, Kirlia, with its incredible Teleport skills, had managed to cause trouble.


    Upon arriving at the main Ecopark, Yuga witnessed Medidite and the Natus surrounding the mischievous Kirlia, collectively using their psychic abilities to block its Teleport.


    This Kirlia was actually more powerful than Medidite and the Natus in Yuga''s Ecopark. That''s why it had seeded in stealing the Bagon''s egg, even under close surveince.


    "Kirlia, what do you want? You should know you can''t leave this ce," Yuga said, standing behind Medidite and the others and addressing the cornered Kirlia.


    Seeing Yuga''s arrival, Kirlia tightened its grip on the Bagon''s egg, its eyes filled with anger.


    Seeing Kirlia silent, Yuga continued, "Causing trouble like this isn''t good for the Bagon. If something unexpected happens during the struggle, you''ll probably regret it more than I will."


    "Kirlia, Kirlia..."


    At this point, Kirlia began to cry out, but Yuga understood the meaning in its cries quite clearly.


    Its general meaning is that Yuga killed its owner, then sold the mother of the Bagon, so he doesn''t deserve to own the Bagon.


    Yuga was somewhat surprised that he could understand the meaning conveyed in Kirlia''s cries, and he could be certain that this Kirlia couldn''t have had telepathic abilities. Therefore, the reason he could do thisy clearly in his special ability.


    Mr. Kuni''o had told him that as his special ability grew stronger, he would naturallye to understand how to heal andmunicate with Pok��mon. So, he had never interrupted his training of his special ability.


    Today, the results of Yuga''s training were finally showing.


    This special method ofmunication didn''t mean that Yuga had suddenly learned thenguage of the Pok��mon. Instead, he acquired the approximate meaning of the Pok��mon''snguage through his special ability. Therefore, this kind ofmunication wasn''t linguistic but rather a form of spiritualmunication.


    Yuga guessed that the reason their special ability made it easy for Pok��mon to approach them was probably because Pok��mon could easily sense whether they harbored ill intentions. As long as their hearts held no ill will, Pok��mon would naturally be willing to approach them.


    "Do you think all the me for this lies with me?" Yuga asked in return.


    Of course not!


    After all, as a participant in these events, Kirlia was well aware that the main reason things had developed to this point was due to the actions of its two former owners. If they hadn''t repeatedly provoked Yuga, they wouldn''t be in this situation. Their deaths were a result of their own greed.


    However many faults its owners may have had, they were still its owners, the ones who had worked tirelessly to raise it from a mere Ralts to a Kirlia. Now, asking it to let go of all its hatred was something it couldn''t do.


    Seeing Kirlia remain silent, Yuga understood that it probably grasped the concept of right and wrong but was too fixated on the bond between itself and its trainers.


    Yet, Yuga was acutely aware that the bond Kirlia clung to was one-sided.


    Initially, Butler had easily abandoned his own Pok��mon, such as his Smence, Houndoom, and Dusclops. Even when Genos hade to retrieve his Groudon''s body fragment, he hadn''t considered reiming his three Pok��mon.


    So, Yuga didn''t believe that Kirlia was particrly special to Butler. If Kirlia found itself in a situation simr to that of Smence and the others, its fate would likely be the same.


    Just as Yuga''s words began to waver Kirlia''s determination, Gengar suddenly emerged from Yuga''s shadow. In an instant, it appeared above Kirlia''s head and used its psychic power to snatch the Bagon''s egg back from Kirlia''s grasp.


    With a triumphant grin, Gengar returned to Yuga''s side, clutching the Pok��mon egg.


    Seeing the egg taken from its arms, Kirlia trembled with anger, its eyes reddening. It red at Yuga with fury, and then, its body emitted the glow of evolution.


    Evolving?


    Observing the changes happening to Kirlia''s body, Yuga was left a bit bewildered.


    If he recalled correctly, this Kirlia was male, right? It had evolved without the use of an Awakening Stone, which meant it was about to be... a cross-dressing beauty.


    When the light of evolution dissipated, before Yuga stood a graceful male Gardevoir, with fair skin, a beautiful face, and long, slender legs.


    ...


    <<gardevoir>> </gardevoir>


    Type: Psychic/Fairy


    Ability: Synchronize


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 46


    Moves: Confusion, Double Team, Teleport, Magical Leaf, Psychic, Moonst, Wonder Room.


    ...


    Oh my! It really turned into a cross-dressing beauty!


    Looking at the stunning male Gardevoir before him, Yuga couldn''t help but marvel.


    Perhaps because it excelled so much at Teleport, this Gardevoir, who was already over level 40, didn''t know many moves.


    Immediately after evolving, Gardevoir attempted to use Teleport to escape from the encirclement andunch an attack on Yuga. However, it was quite evident that it couldn''t seed.


    Even though the Psychic-type Pok��mon surrounding it were weaker individually, they numbered nearly thirty, and when Gardevoir attempted to teleport, they were all repelled by thebined psychic barriers set up by Medidite and the Natus.

 Chapter 459: Provocation

    <h4>Chapter 459: Provocation</h4>


    Seeing that it couldn''t escape the encirclement with Teleport, Gardevoir directly used Magical Leaf against the psychic barrier, leaving ripples on the transparent barrier (it wasn''t a skill barrier, just a special use of psychic power by psychic-type Pok��mon).


    When Magical Leaf proved ineffective, it resorted to the more potent Moonst, but still, it failed to break through.


    While it was true that Medidite and the Natus individually weren''t as powerful as Gardevoir, the gap between them wasn''t as significant as one might imagine. Most of the Natus and Medidite were above level thirty.


    So, despite Gardevoir''s strength, it couldn''t make any headway against the coordinated efforts of nearly thirty Pok��mon.


    Seeing Gardevoir struggling to resist, Yuga said, "Why do you persist like this? You''ve served your master wholeheartedly, but do you truly believe he feels the same way about you?"


    "Gardevoir!"


    Gardevoir stopped its attacks and looked at Yuga, questioning what he meant.


    So, Yuga proceeded to recount everything he knew about Butler giving up on saving Smence and the others and choosing to collect Groudon''s body fragment instead.


    "With your Gardevoir family''s innate abilities, you should be able to sense that I''m not lying," Yuga said to the silent Gardevoir.


    Ralts, ssified as an Emotion Pok��mon, had red, horn-like protrusions on their heads that could sense the emotions of humans and Pok��mon alike. Thus, they could easily detect whether someone was telling a lie.


    Ralts''s unique talent didn''t diminish as they evolved; instead, it continued to strengthen. The red organs used to sense emotions wouldn''t disappear with evolution.


    For example, the two red spikes on Kirlia''s head; the red fin-like objects on the chests and backs of Gardevoir and Gade are all their sharp weapons for sensing the emotions of creatures.


    Yuga''s statement did indeed carry a hint of provocation, but he hadn''t lied. It was more of a calcted move.


    The bonds between humans and Pok��mon were never one-sided. If only one side invested in the rtionship, the results were usually unsatisfactory. Yuga was merely helping Gardevoir see the true nature of its "worthless" trainer.


    Listening to Yuga''s ount about Smence and the others, Gardevoir grew visibly quieter.


    Smence, Houndoom, and Dusclops had been itspanions, and they had trained and lived together. Gardevoir had always believed that their trainer''s decision to part with them was an unavoidable situation. But now, it realized that they meant less to their trainer than a mere stone.


    Seeing Gardevoir sitting on the ground with vacant eyes, Yuga signaled for Medidite and the Natus to remove the psychic barriers surrounding it. Then, he spoke to Gardevoir.


    "I don''t expect you to forgive me, but you can live peacefully here. I won''t harm you or the Bagon."


    "In the end, the feud between your trainer and me is our own business. If he chooses to provoke me, he should be prepared to face the consequences. You''ve been with him for a long time; surely, you understand such a simple truth? ''An eye for an eye.''"


    Yuga knew that his words were harsh and would severely impact the bond between Gardevoir and Butler. But this was the reality.


    He didn''t expect Gardevoir to submit to him; he was willing to provide for it, and as long as it didn''t cause any more trouble, Yuga would be content.


    Looking at Gardevoir, deeply affected by his words, Yuga suddenly felt that he had been quite ruthless.


    Pok��mon like Gardevoir were typically incredibly loyal to their trainers, even willing to sacrifice their lives for them.


    However, conversely, once they receive a blow from their own trainer, it can be devastating, potentially causing them to lose all spirit. It''s a reminder of the saying, "The deeper the love, the greater the pain."


    Seeing that Gardevoir hadpletely lost its fighting spirit, Yuga instructed Medidite and the Natus to continue watching over it. Then, he left with the Bagon''s egg.


    To prevent any further issues with the Bagon''s egg, Yuga nned to take it to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, where the Miltanks could care for it.


    On the way, Yuga nced at Chatot and noticed that in the two months since returning from Kanto, Chatot had risen from level 18 to over 30, showing significant progress in strength. This wasn''t surprising, considering Chatot''s potential had been upgraded to Indigo potential due to Ho-oh. Plus, it had once been a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, so rapid improvement was expected.


    In these past two months, Chatot had been working exceptionally hard,rgely because of the immense pressure brought by his spouse.


    Previously, both Chatot and Noctowl is pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, but due to injuries, Chatot''s strength regressed. As a result, he spiraled into despair and recklessness, knowing his remaining days were numbered.


    Although his injuries had now healed, and his strength was no longer stagnant, Chatot still felt immense pressure from his spouse''s advancement to Elite level. However, his prior experience as a pseudo-Elite level,bined with his improved potential, made it clear that he was well on his way to catching up.


    Upon arriving at the Ecopark, Yuga was about to hand the Bagon''s egg to the Miltank leader when the egg began to emit a radiant glow.


    "It''s about to hatch!" Chatot eximed in surprise.


    Both Yuga and the Miltank leader stared anxiously at the Bagon''s egg, hoping not to disturb its birth.


    After approximately ten minutes, they witnessed the radiance dissipating, and Yuga was holding a tiny, adorable Bagon in his hands.


    The Bagon emerged with round, innocent eyes and gazed at Yuga. Then, it nced at the flying Chatot and the Miltanks on the ground, sensing everyone''s attention. It pouted slightly, and it seemed like tears were about to well up.


    Upon seeing the Bagon on the verge of tears, Yuga and the Miltank leader hurriedly cooed andforted it until they managed to get a bottle of Moomoo Milk into its mouth, sessfully preventing the tears from falling.


    As the first pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon born in the Ecopark (excluding Dragonite and Dragonair), Yuga held a deep appreciation for Bagon. Its arrival meant that there would be a second, a third, and even a fourth pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon in the Ecopark in the future.


    Achieving this was undeniably challenging, but it wasn''t impossible. With determination, a substantial group of pseudo-Legendary would certainly emerge someday.

 Chapter 460: Romantic Affairs

    <h4>Chapter 460: Romantic Affairs</h4>


    After handing over Bagon to the Miltank leader, Yuga decided to test if he could trulymunicate with Pok��mon now. He approached various Pok��mon in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, confirming that his ability tomunicate with them was indeed a reality.


    With the ability tomunicate with Pok��mon, Yuga realized that in the near future, he might also be able to heal their injuries.


    Having resolved the matter of Bagon, Yuga left the Ecopark. However, shortly after exiting, he received a call from Flint.


    Seeing Flint''s caller ID, Yuga immediately suspected the reason for the call. It had to be because the two Eevee he had entrusted to Flint had sessfully evolved.


    When he answered the call, it was just as Yuga had guessed. The two Eevee he had given to Flint had recentlypleted their evolutions.


    Without wasting any time, Yuga went to the Pok��mon Center to retrieve the two evolved Pok��mon.


    As he held the Pok�� Balls containing the evolved Pok��mon, a system message rang out in his mind.


    [ Congrattions to the host forpleting the task perfectly. ]


    [ Reward: Universal Ice-type Pok��block Form. ]


    Hearing this prompt, Yuga''s heart swelled with joy. He had obtained yet another Pok��block form.


    Eagerly, he released ceon and Leafeon from their Pok�� Balls, saying, "ceon, Leafeon, wee home."


    ceon and Leafeon emerged and were visibly delighted to see Yuga. They gathered around his legs, nuzzling him affectionately.


    When ceon approached Yuga, he immediately felt a refreshing chill, providing relief from the scorching summer heat.


    He reached out to touch ceon''s back and noticed that the fur had transformed from the soft texture of an Eevee to a more rugged, icy feel.


    Leafeon, while nuzzling Yuga, emitted a fresh aroma of nt life, as if clearing his mind from chaos.


    At that moment, Yuga sensed that something was off with ceon and Leafeon. He quickly touched their bellies and realized that something wasn''t right.


    In a hurry, he recalled both ceon and Leafeon into their Pok�� Balls and sought out Joyka.


    "Joyka, please examine ceon and Leafeon for me."


    Yuga handed the Pok�� Balls containing ceon and Leafeon to Joyka.


    "What''s wrong? Do they have any issues?" Joyka asked, puzzled, observing Yuga''s grave expression.


    "Oh, don''t ask too many questions for now. Please check on them quickly!"


    Yuga handed Joyka the two Pok�� Balls and urged her to perform the examination.


    Observing Yuga''s anxious demeanor, Joyka shook her head in amusement, then took the Pok�� Balls and headed into the examination room.


    After about ten minutes, Joyka emerged from the room, holding the two Pok�� Balls. She smiled at Yuga and said, "I thought something was wrong! Both of them are incredibly healthy and, interestingly, both are pregnant. You should be happy! Why do you look so serious?"


    Of course! Yuga thought.


    How could I be happy? I sent them over as two youngdies, but now they''ve returned pregnant. Which darn rascal did this?


    Yuga''s heart ached, knowing that the cabbage he had carefully raised had been snatched away by an unknown pig.


    "Flint, this is all your fault!" Fuming with anger, Yuga immediately dialed Flint''s number and confronted him.


    "What? Pregnant?!" Hearing Yuga''s words, Flint was even more shocked than Yuga, almost cracking his voice.


    Flint was equally puzzled; the two Eevee he had received had been with him the whole time and had not interacted with any other Pok��mon. So...


    There was only one possibility.


    With this realization, Flint''s heart raced.


    Quickly, Flint released all of his Pok��mon and asked them sternly, "Come on, which one of you is responsible?"


    The Pok��mon exchanged nces, utterly confused about what their trainer was saying.


    "Don''t get it? ceon and Leafeon are pregnant!"


    Hearing this, the momentous revtion caused one of his Pok��mon, reon, to shudder, then lower its head and leave the group.


    Hearing the scolding on the other end of the phone, Yuga realized that Flint truly had no knowledge of what had transpired. This relieved Yuga to some extent.


    As Flint gaped at his reon, he asked incredulously, "You did this to both of them?"


    reon nodded, thinking, "I couldn''t help it! They''re both so cute! I couldn''t resist..."


    Flint red at his reon with a mix of frustration and disappointment. "You not only crossed the line once but twice! How am I going to exin this to others?"


    Reluctantly, Flint had to apologize repeatedly to Yuga over the phone.


    Yuga hadn''t expected that both of his Pok��mon had fallen victim to Flint''s reon. He distinctly remembered that Eevees and their evolutions were typically monogamous. How had Flint''s reon been so promiscuous, and why did his ceon and Leafeon agree to it?


    Thinking about this, Yuga couldn''t help but feel somewhat annoyed with ceon and Leafeon.


    "Why didn''t you protect yourselves when you were outside? Don''t you know that girls should learn to protect themselves? Now, look what''s happened! My precious cabbage has been stolen by someone else''s pig."


    With the situation already set in stone, Yuga decided not to press the matter further. However, the offspring of ceon and Leafeon would undoubtedly have Flint''s reon as their father.


    In the end, Yuga couldn''t resist giving a stern lecture to ceon and Leafeon when he released them, wondering why his two Pok��mon had behaved so recklessly.


    In Yuga''s Ecopark, Among the ten Eevee family Pok��mon, in addition ceon and Leafeon, were females. This included Vaporeon, Espeon, Sylveon, and reon were also females. However, Vaporeon paired with another Vaporeon, Espeon was with Umbreon, Sylveon with Jolteon, and one reon had been married to the other before entering the Ecopark. All of them practiced monogamy.


    Only ceon and Leafeon, after being taken outside by Flint''s reon, had deviated from this norm, and both had chosen the same reon. This left Yuga thoroughly exasperated.


    While Yuga didn''t find it strange that his Persian simultaneously courted three Delcattys, it was expected behavior for cats like them. Even courting ten wasn''t particrly surprising within the catmunity, given their species'' habits.


    However, Eevee family Pok��mon weren''t like that. They typically practiced monogamy, and this was why Yuga was so frustrated with ceon and Leafeon.


    Seeing that both of them were now pregnant, Yuga didn''t have the heart to scold them too harshly, so he let the matter slide.

 Chapter 461: Improvement

    <h4>Chapter 461: Improvement</h4>


    Upon returning to the Ecopark, ceon and Leafeon were overjoyed to reunite with their fellow brothers and sisters after long time, and any lingering frustration from Yuga''s scolding vanished.


    The other Eevee family members were also thrilled to see ceon and Leafeon safely back home. They excitedly gathered around them, their eyes filled with curiosity. It was the first time they had seen ceon and Leafeon, two unique evolutionary forms among their kind.


    However, what they didn''t know was that their two younger sisters had been taken away by "wolf pups" from the outside world and were already expecting offspring. These developments had happened much faster than the marriages of their elder siblings in the Ecopark.


    After delivering the Ice-type Eevee Universal Pok��block form to Misaki and Anya at the new store, Yuga hoped they could quickly produce the Pok��blocks. He had named the Ice-type Pok��blocks "Chilly." Once they were made, he sent the Pok��blocks to the old store, where Suzuki Koen and Windy arranged for their sale both in-store and online.


    To be honest, the profits from selling Pok��mon and Pok��mon Eggs in YoYo Day Care were not as high as those from Pok��blocks. Low-quality Pok��mon and Pok��mon Eggs were rtively inexpensive, but their sales volume couldn''t match that of Pok��blocks. Therefore, the profits were far lesspared to the Pok��blocks.


    While high-quality Pok��mon could yield substantial profits, their sales were limited. Additionally, the coboration between the Pok��blocks and Aroma Day Care and the Sootopolis Gym further solidified the Pok��blocks as the preferred choice.


    Especially in coboration with the Aroma Day Care, it truly made YoYo Day Care earn a substantial profit.


    As one of thergest private Day Cares in the Hoenn region, they house a vast number of Pok��mon.


    After recognizing the advantages of the Vitality Pok��blocks, they switched the food for nearly all Grass-type Pok��mon at their headquarters breeding facility to YoYo Day Care''s vitality.


    Despite the YoYo Day Care''s Pok��blocks being of superior qualitypared to other premium options on the market, their prices remainpetitive. This led Aroma Day Care to prefer YoYo Day Care''s Pok��blocks as their top choice.


    Note: Other Day Cares weren''t like YoYo Day Care. Most of them didn''t engage in businesses outside of Pok��mon, andpanies like Devon were typically responsible for Pok��blocks. YoYo Day Care was somewhat unique in this regard.


    The bulk orders from these coborations brought substantial profits to YoYo Day Care. They ounted for nearly 30% of the entire YoYo Day Care''s revenue.


    Although the price of one box of Pok��blocks was not as high as that of one Pok��mon (referring to low-quality Pok��mon), it was by no means as cheap asmon household items like tea, rice, oil, and salt.


    In the Trainer market, Pok��blocks were akin to cosmetics for women, though not as dispensable. As long as you were a Trainer, they were a necessity.


    Therefore, Pok��blocks were also high-profit items, especially in cases like YoYo Day Care where there were virtually no costs except forbor.


    So, at present, if YoYo Day Care didn''t continue listing new Pok��mon, the bulk of its profits would stille from Pok��blocks.


    After delivering the Chilly form to Misaki and the others, Yuga suddenly thought that the Kirlia from Motohara''s ce might also evolve into a Gardevoir, just like Butler''s Kirlia had evolved into a Gardevoir. The Kirlia he received from Motohara had already reached the level at which it could evolve; it justcked the opportunity. If another unexpected event urred, and he ended up with another cross-dressing beauty, Yuga wasn''t sure he could handle it.


    Moreover, this one already had children and a wife. The thought of two Gardevoirs giving birth to a Ralts made Yuga''s heart skip a beat.


    Although in the wild, two Gardevoirs forming a couple was the norm, Yuga still thought it would be better to have a group of handsome and beautiful Pok��mon in his Ecopark.


    Originally, Yuga thought it best to allow Kirlia''s evolution to proceed gradually, as Kirlia''s mental state didn''t seem quite stable. However, now it appeared that a gradual approach might lead to an undesirable oue.


    With this in mind, Yuga went ahead and ordered an Awakening Stone online. He intended to use it when the stone arrived to facilitate Kirlia''s evolution into Gade.


    As for Kirlia''s mental issues, Yuga believed that, following the example of the three Murkrow, if he refrained from intervening and left it to the care of Medidite and the others, things should turn out fine.


    Moreover, the situation of Gardevoir, Kirlia, and Ralts as a family had improved significantlypared to when they first arrived at the Ecopark.


    They now lived together with Medidite and her group in the main area of the Ecopark, and Yuga visited them daily. After a long period of observation, they hade to realize that Yuga wouldn''t harm them. As long as Yuga didn''t approach them, they no longer easily experienced emotional breakdowns as they did initially.


    This Gardevoir family was exceptionally skilled at sensing emotions, and their extensive emotional trauma from their past had left their psychic abilities damaged, causing them to shut off emotionally. Nevertheless, they could easily determine whether a person or Pok��mon was friend or foe.


    The League Store was known for its efficiency. Just a day after Yuga ordered the Awakening Stone, it was delivered to YoYo Day Care.


    After receiving the stone, Yuga headed to the Ecopark and handed it over to Medidite, who, in turn, gave it to Kirlia.


    That''s how Yuga watched from a distance as Kirlia smoothly evolved into Gade, feeling a sense of relief.


    Gade was evidently surprised by his new form and kept holding his wife, Gardevoir''s hand, as he tried to confirm his own condition.


    Note: Currently, in the Ecopark, there were two Gardevoirs, one male, and one female. The female was Gade''s wife and the mother of Ralts.


    Yuga could clearly see the expressions of surprise on both Gardevoir''s and Gade''s faces, which were entirely different from their initial bewildered and dazed appearance when they first arrived.


    These changes indicated that they were gradually improving. Yuga believed that one day they would be just like ordinary Pok��mon, capable of leading a normal life.


    Just as Yuga was about to leave, he suddenly noticed that there was a Ralts looking up at him from beneath him. It had one of its fingers in its mouth, a droplet of saliva hanging from its lips, and it stared at Yuga with a nk expression.


    Ralts''s eyes were concealed beneath the verdant "hood" on its head, so Yuga couldn''t make out its expression, but he could sense that it wasn''t afraid of him.


    Just as Yuga was preparing to squat down and exchange a few words with it, Gardevoir and Gade hurriedly arrived by Ralts''s side with anxious expressions and led Ralts away from Yuga.


    Seeing this scene, Yuga felt a sense of disappointment. Even though their situation had improved, they still couldn''t ept him.


    However, Ralts''s condition appeared to be much better than that of its parents, which brought some joy to Yuga.

 Chapter 462: The Brawl

    <h4>Chapter 462: The Brawl</h4>


    It was noon, just after lunch, and while others had returned to their workstations, Yuga sat alone at a dining table, watching Audino and Wigglytuff cleaning up the dishes.


    "Linoone! Linoone!"


    Suddenly, Linoone appeared in the cafeteria, grabbing Yuga''s clothing with an anxious look, urging him to follow.


    "What''s going on? Why the rush?" Yuga asked curiously.


    "Linoone! Linoone!" Linoone nodded vigorously.


    "Are you saying that Snox and Ursaring are fighting?" Yuga asked, furrowing his brows.


    "Linoone! Linoone!" Linoone nodded again.


    Linoone had recently realized that its owner could understand the meaning behind its words, which mademunication very convenient.


    "How did they end up in a fight?" Yuga questioned as he got up from his chair and followed Linoone towards the Ecopark, puzzled by the situation.


    In Oasis No.1 of the Desert Sub-Ecopark, there were only three Pok��mon: Snox, Shiny Ariados, and Ursaring. In theory, there was no reason for conflict between Snox and Ursaring.


    Pokemon disputes generally revolved around territory, food, or mates. Territory was ruled out as a cause; Oasis No.1 was quite extensive, and it easily amodated the three of them without any issues, including neighboring Oasis No.2 and Oasis No.3, which housedrge groups of Gligars and Flygons.


    Food was even less of a concern. The Ecopark was abundant with food, making any conflict over it unnecessary.


    As for mates, it wasn''t even a consideration; Snox was a male, and Ursaring was a female. There was no rivalry to be had between them since one was a Monster-type (Snox) and the other a Field-type (Ursaring).


    Furthermore, in Oasis No.1, there were no other potential partners for them. Were they fighting over Ariados? That would be downrightical.


    Thus, Yuga couldn''t fathom why they were at odds, and he arrived at Oasis No.1 with a heavy heart.


    From a distance, Yuga could already hear the two Pok��mon''s loud roars. It was unmistakably Snox and Ursaring.


    As he got closer, he witnessed the two massive creatures exchanging blows, one punch after another. Nearby, Linoone''s partner, the Mightyena, watched helplessly,cking the strength to intervene despite its worried expression.


    As for Shiny Ariados, it dangled from a tree branch with a rxed expression, as if afraid the brawl might not be exciting enough.


    Due to this Pok��mon battle, thekeside area had be a chaotic mess. The grassy ground was torn up, several fruit trees were snapped in half, and scattered leaves and fruit littered the area.


    The two Pok��mon were truly going at it without holding back.


    Fortunately, Yuga had brought along Florges, whose timely intervention was essential in stopping the brawl.


    With a wave of her hands, Florges released a green energy that caused thick vines to rapidly grow around Snox and Ursaring, binding them tightly.


    Snox and Ursaring attempted to break free using their formidable strength, but they soon realized that the vines were impervious to their efforts. These vines were created by Florges using her Grass Knot ability and were particrly effective against heavy Pok��mon like Snox and Ursaring.


    "Florges, please use Aromatherapy," Yuga requested, urging her to help calm the two agitated Pok��mon.


    Both Snox and Ursaring had be inmed with anger and were now confused due to their intense battle.


    Florges nodded in response and released a pink mist that wafted gently toward Snox and Ursaring, helping to soothe their agitated minds.


    A few minutester, the anger in the two Pok��mon''s eyes gradually subsided, and their minds began to calm down. When they saw Yuga standing not far away, they both felt somewhat embarrassed.


    Meanwhile, Shiny Ariados, who had run out of entertainment in the treetops, retracted its silk threads and leisurely climbed back up to its spiderweb.


    Seeing that both Snox and Ursaring had regained their senses, Yuga signaled for Florges to release them from the vines. He then approached them with a stern expression and asked, "Alright, spill the beans. Why were you fighting?"


    The two Pok��mon exchanged nces before Snox spoke up first, "Are you saying that Ursaring stole your Sweet Honey?"


    Upon hearing Snox''s ount, Yuga finally understood that their brawl had originated from Snox''s hidden stash of Sweet Honey being stolen.


    Because the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark had a high yield of Sweet Honey, Pok��mon like Snox and Ursaring, who enjoyed honey, received regr supplies from the Combee.


    However, to prevent overconsumption, Yuga had instructed the Combee to provide them with a fixed amount of Sweet Honey only once a week.


    So, whenever Snox wanted to satisfy his sweet tooth, he would dip into his stash, consuming a portion to curb his cravings.


    However, at lunchtime today, Snox was shocked to discover that his cherished Sweet Honey stash had dwindled significantly. This couldn''t help but infuriate him.


    As a result, Snox suspected that Ursaring had stolen his Sweet Honey.


    Snox''s suspicion wasn''t entirely unfounded:


    Firstly, there were only three Pok��mon in Oasis No.1, and Shiny Ariados didn''t consume honey, leaving only Ursaring, who had a penchant for Sweet Honey, as a potential culprit.


    Secondly, Ursaring had a habit of consuming honey without restraint, never saving any forter. In other words, Ursaring had likely finished all of his Sweet Honey, making him a more probable suspect.


    Listening to Snox''s reasoning, Yuga couldn''t help but gain newfound respect for him.


    Previously, he had considered Snox as somewhat simple, mainly focused on eating and sleeping. However, his logical analysis in this situation surprised him.


    Even the nearby Ursaring was taken aback by Snox''s rational exnation and began to question herself, wondering if she had indeed taken Snox''s Sweet Honey.


    However, as soon as Ursaring realized the implication, she vehemently protested her innocence. Why would she steal when she could just ask for some?


    Today, Ursaring found the situation bewildering. Without any prior warning, Snox had stormed into her territory, used her of theft, and attacked her without giving her a chance to exin. It was utterly unreasonable!


    Thus, the two Pok��mon were locked in a vehement argument, both refusing to ept the me for the missing Sweet Honey.

 Chapter 463: The Culprit

    <h4>Chapter 463: The Culprit</h4>


    Observing Ursaring''s self-assured demeanor, Yuga couldn''t help but think that Ursaring might not be lying, and perhaps it wasn''t her who stole the Sweet Honey.


    Considering the vast number of Pok��mon in the Ecopark, all freely moving between Sub-Ecoparks, it was possible that any Pok��mon had sneaked in and stolen Snox''s Sweet Honey.


    Although Snox''s analysis sounded logical, there was no concrete evidence to support his im. ming Ursaring without any substantial proof seemed unfair.


    However, given the multitude of Pok��mon in the Ecopark, finding the culprit wasn''t going to be an easy task.


    Nevertheless, both of them engaging in a fight without any restraint was uneptable. Yuga scolded them harshly.


    After reprimanding both Pok��mon, Yuga called over Shiny Ariados, who had been lounging on the spiderweb, and asked, "Ariados, you''re their neighbor. Do you know anything about this?"


    Shiny Ariados''s two antennae above its abdomen twitched involuntarily as it blinked its eyes. It then shook its head when facing Yuga.


    Yuga found Ariados''s hesitant gaze suspicious, especially considering its earlier gloating attitude.


    "Really, tell the truth, or..."


    Yuga continued to press for information.


    Faced with Yuga''s subtle threat, Ariados firmly shook its head again, staunchly iming ignorance.


    "If I find out you had anything to do with this, you''ll be in big trouble."


    Yuga''s words caused Ariados''s heart to skip a beat, and its eyes darted around nervously.


    Seeing Ariados''s reaction, Yuga became even more skeptical of its honesty. He then said, "Since you don''t know, you can go for now."


    In a sh, Ariados climbed up the tree and disappeared into the treetop''s canopy.


    However, what it didn''t realize was that as it left, Gengar, concealed in Yuga''s shadow, slipped out and quietly followed it.


    Seeing both Ariados and Gengar leave one after the other, Yuga turned to Snox and assured her, "Don''t worry; I''ll find the culprit who stole your Sweet Honey. If we can''t find them, I''ll have the Combee deliver some more to you."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s assurance, Snox''s eyes squinted with joy, and his mouth almost stretched from ear to ear.


    In truth, Snox didn''t care much about finding the culprit as long as he could recover his missing Sweet Honey.


    As for Ursaring on the side, who was watching Snox''s happy face reaction drew a disdainful expression. She thought, "Tsk, what''s so great about it!"


    But when Ursarig remembered the beating she had taken for no reason, she couldn''t help but feel a surge of anger.


    Seeing Ursaring''s discontent expression, Yuga knew she had felt wronged earlier. He smiled and said, "Don''t be upset. I''ll have the Combee bring some Sweet Honey for you too."


    Hearing this, Ursaring''s irritation disappeared, and she quickly expressed her gratitude, even performing a courteous gesture, which left Yuga amused and wondering where she had learned such manners.


    Meanwhile, in another part of the park, after Ariados disappeared into the trees, it followed the silk threads it had left behind, gradually making its way toward its nest in Oasis No. 1.


    Ariados''s nest was within a dense grove of trees, with snow-white silk threads hanging everywhere, forming intricate spiderwebs that securely enclosed the surroundings.


    Climbing onto the center of one web, Ariados scanned its surroundings for anything unusual. When it found nothing, it continued deeper into the forest.


    Before long, it stopped on a tree branch, where two Pok��mon were suspended, unconscious, caught in its silk threads.


    Ariados reached the end of the silk thread and gently touched one of the Pok��mon, seemingly attempting to wake them up.


    At that moment, Gengar suddenly emerged from the ground, making a scary face at Ariados. Startled, Ariados lost its grip on the silk thread and fell.


    Shaken and covered in dirt from the fall, Ariados managed to climb back up. It looked at Gengar, who was grinning and making faces at it, with extreme surprise.


    It was obviously very careful, so how did Gengar follow it without anyone noticing?


    Clearly, the inexperienced Ariados didn''t realize the vast gap in power between itself and Gengar, who was a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon.


    Ariados was a somewhat clever Pok��mon and would often look down on its two robust neighbors. asionally, it would y pranks on them, leaving them bewildered.


    Watching how these two stronger Pok��mon were sometimes left spinning in circles due to its antics gave Ariados a sense of smug satisfaction. However, today it hadn''t expected Gengar to catch it red-handed.


    Gengar, floating in the air, waved his hand lightly, releasing the two Pok��mon that had been hanging from the tree due to the silk threads. He then took them and Ariados to fly to Yuga direction.


    Ariados, who was controlled by Gengar with psychic powers, tried to struggle, but was restrained tightly by Gengar and could not move at all.


    At this time, Ariados understood a truth: cleverness has no effect in the front of absolute power.


    Flying above Yuga and the others, Gengar directly threw Ariados down, and then ced the two Pok��mon still tied by spider silk on the ground.


    Kecleon?


    Could these two Kecleon be the culprits who stole Snox''s Sweet Honey? Considering Kecleon''s unique concealment abilities, Yuga felt that the possibility was very high.


    Yuga was quite surprised to see these two still unconscious Pok��mon.


    Like Gardevoir and her family, these two Kecleon had originallye from Motohara with Yuga.


    However, their talent for concealment was incredibly strong,bined with theplex environment of the Ecopark, they had vanished as soon as they entered, rarely seen even by the Miltank, who usually cared for the Pok��mon.


    Yuga hadn''t seen them once since their arrival, and he hadn''t expected to encounter them in this manner.


    Yuga asked, "Ariados, tell me, what''s going on? Why did you tie them up?"


    To be honest, Ariados was quite afraid of Yuga, its master. When it was first captured on Illuma Ind, it had received quite a few beatings. Now, seeing Yuga''s odd demeanor, it trembled with fear.


    Terrified, Ariados realized it couldn''t hide the truth any longer and began to exin what had happened.


    It turned out that Kecleon couple had settled in Oasis No. 1 long ago. However, their innate invisibility had allowed them to go unnoticed by the other three Pok��mon living there.


    Butter, the female Kecleon identally became pregnant, and in order to nourish her, this couple set their sights on Snox''s Sweet Honey.


    This theft was witnessed by Ariados as it happened to pass by. Seizing the opportunity, Ariados captured the couple and hid both them and the stolen Sweet Honey.

 Chapter 464: Punishment

    <h4>Chapter 464: Punishment</h4>


    Ariados had captured the Kecleon couple that stolen the Sweet Honey with bad intentions.


    It knew the true nature of its two neighbors and wanted to see if they would fight over the Sweet Honey.


    As expected, Snox, thinking it was clever, used Ursaring of being the thief, leading to a violent confrontation.


    Ariados watched this drama with great satisfaction. Even when Yuga arrived, it had no intention of revealing the truth. Instead, it nned to keep the Kecleon couple captive, preventing them from being discovered as the real culprits by Snox.


    Only in this way could Ariados continue to enjoy the spectacle of the two giants fighting.


    However, Ariados hadn''t anticipated that its master would be so perceptive. He quickly caught on to its scheme upon their first meeting.


    Listening to Ariados''s ount, Yuga''s face turned livid. He red at Ariados, who trembled in fear.


    Yuga had never expected Ariados to have such a bad personality, orchestrating a duel between Ursaring and Snox just for its own amusement.


    Punishment was necessary! These two Kecleon, who had stolen Snox''s Sweet Honey, also bore responsibility. Yet Yuga couldn''t me them.


    Before they were caught, they had lived in the wild, enduring inhumane torture after capture, resulting in their reclusive and nonmunicative nature.


    Once they entered the Ecopark, they concealed themselves rapidly, ignorant of the environment and unaware that informing the Milktank Leader about the Kecleon''s pregnancy would lead to an abundance of Sweet Honey and Moomoo Milk without the need to steal from Snox.


    Other Pok��mon in such a situation could be quickly located, but the adeptly hidden Kecleon couple was difficult to find. That''s why Ariados managed to capture them.


    Following Ariados''s lead, Yuga found the Kecleon couple''s residence in Oasis No. 1 and released them from their silk restraints, returning them to their dwelling while unconscious.


    As for the stolen Sweet Honey, Yuga chose not to retrieve it, leaving it in their nest.


    To prevent further thefts, Yuga ordered Combee and Miltank to discreetly deliver Sweet Honey and Moomoo Milk to their home.


    Of course, Yuga had no intention of letting the Kecleon couple know about this. They were fearful and easily startled, and Yuga believed they should continue their normal lives. Eventually, they might be like regr Pok��mon.


    With the Kecleon couple settled, Yuga turned his attention to Ariados''s punishment. It needed a profound lesson to prevent future mischief.


    Observing Ariados''s fondness for spinning silk to restrain others, Yuga came up with an apt punishment. Ariados loved spinning silk, didn''t it? Then it would spin to its heart''s content.


    Yuga found a sturdy tree and ordered Ariados to continuously spin silk onto the tree trunk, without stopping unless instructed.


    Ariados had no choice but to obey Yuga''smand and began spinning silk onto the tree trunk.


    At first, Ariados felt rxed, but as time passed, it started to feel something was amiss.


    Layer uponyer, the tree trunk was covered in its snowy-white silk threads, gradually thickening. Ariados began to struggle to keep up.


    It wanted to stop and leave, but the sight of Yuga monitoring it and Gengar partially emerging from Yuga''s shadow quickly extinguished that thought.


    Ariados vividly remembered Gengar''s sinister grin when it was captured.


    And so, ten minutes passed, half an hour passed, an hour passed... Finally, in the third hour, Ariados couldn''t hold on any longer.


    It didn''t care whether Yuga was present or not. It quickly moved its four legs from its abdomen and climbed up the tree, attempting to escape.


    However, just as it climbed the tree, Gengar''s eyes flickered, and Ariados found itself frozen in ce, unable to move.


    Gengar emerged from Yuga''s shadow, grinning eerily as it floated towards Ariados. Ariados felt the pressure on itself increasing, and fear gripped its heart. After a sharp scream, it fell from the tree.


    "Continue spinning!"


    At this moment, Yuga''s chilling voice echoed in its mind. Trembling, Ariados resumed spinning silk. By now, its abdomen felt empty, as if all its internal organs were about to spill out.


    But it dared not defy Yuga''smand any longer. It could only squeeze out silk bit by bit, and another hour passed in this manner.


    At this point, Yuga had already left the Sub-Ecopark. If anyone were to see Ariados at this moment, they would surely be horrified.


    Its eyes were lifeless, its gaze vacant. Its once plump abdomen had shriveled, resembling a grape skin with its pulp squeezed out. It was even foaming at the mouth, and its limbsy powerless on the ground.


    Ariados had truly been drainedpletely, not a trace of energy left.


    At this moment, all that remained in Ariados''s heart were two words: a devil!


    After Ariados''s punishment, the residents of Oasis No. 1 in the Ecopark lived together more harmoniously. Ariados dared not entertain any more bad intentions.


    Time flew by, and over a month passed. Finally, the three children of the Gliscor leader were born, much to their father''s anticipation.


    At that time, Yuga was in his store discussing the monthly performance of the YoYo Day Care. Suddenly, a system notification sounded in his mind. The long-dyed task was finallypleted.


    Opening his system inventory, he found the method to craft Razor Fangs indeed resting inside. He realized that the three Gligar with blue potential had probably hatched.


    Rushing to the Gligarr''s territory in the Desert No. 2 Oasis, Yuga found the Gliscor leader joyfully ying with his newborn children. Seeing them happily at y, Yuga chose not to disturb them and quietly left the Desert Sub-Ecopark.


    Leaving the Desert Sub-Ecopark, he took a detour to visit the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark.


    In recent days, the berry trees he had rented had finally started to exhibit new changes, gradually transitioning towards bing Mutant Jaboca Berrys. This brought immense joy to Yuga, as it indicated that his breeding methods were indeed correct.


    The growth of each Mutant Jaboca Berry tree meant an increasing number of blue-potential Pok��mon for him.


    Unfortunately, the supply of those special meteorites was running low, which wouldn''t support his efforts to cultivate a third batch of Mutant Berry Trees. Otherwise, the value of his breeding method would be immeasurable.

 Chapter 465: Incense

    <h4>Chapter 465: Incense</h4>


    After inspecting the Mutant Jaboca Berry Trees, Yuga went to check on the growth of Revival Herbs.


    Ever since he obtained the method to create Max Revives from Bell Tower, Yuga had be increasingly devoted to caring for the Revival Herbs. Once it grew, he could craft it into Max Revives and use them to heal Dragonite''s injuries.


    With a champion-level Dragonite at the YoYo Day Care, he had little to fear.


    However, at times like these, Yuga couldn''t help but feel a pang of regret. When he was at the summit of Mount Tensei, Ho-Oh had scattered countless Sacred Ashes, which had the same effect as Max Revives. He deeply regretted not using a pouch to collect those Sacred Ashes. If he had, he would be wealthy now.


    Under Yuga''s meticulous care and the help of Grass-type Pok��mon, the Revival Herbs grew exceptionally well. Moreover, when Yuga returned, he nted a Revival Herbs seed he received from Bell Tower. Although it had just sprouted, it appeared even more vibrant than the first Revival Herbs.


    During this time, some of the herbs Yuga had nted matured and were processed into dried medicinal herbs, stored carefully in the warehouse. However, Yuga had only harvested a portion of them; the rest were left for seed production.


    Special herbs like White Herbs, Power Herb, and Mental Herb only required the mature leaves to be harvested, unlike Energy Herbs where the entire nt needed to be collected.


    Yuga had been pondering the use of these herbs. He shared his concerns with his mentor, and not long after, received a book sent by Ryuichi.


    After reading the book, Yuga was ecstatic. While it was more like a booklet due to its thinness, it was exquisitely bound, and its content was truly invaluable.


    The book contained methods for crafting nine types of incense: Wave Incense, Lax Incense, Odd Incense, Rock Incense, Full Incense, Sea Incense, Rose Incense, Luck Incense, and Pure Incense.


    These incenses were special items used for nurturing Pok��mon, each with its unique effect.


    For instance, Rose Incense, when lit, emitted a peculiar fragrance. Prolonged exposure to this scent elerated the energy umtion of Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Simr to Rose Incense were Wave Incense, Sea Incense, Odd Incense, and Rock Incense.


    Wave Incense and Sea Incense affected Water-type Pok��mon, with Sea Incense being more effective for freshwater types and Wave Incense for saltwater ones.


    Odd Incense enhanced the meditation efficiency of Psychic-type Pok��mon, aiding them in quickly entering deep meditation.


    Rock Incense expedited the energy umtion of Rock-type Pok��mon.


    Then there was Luck Incense. When ignited during training, bathing Pok��mon in its aroma, it could unlock their potential and improve their training efficiency.


    Lax Incense was designed to help Pok��mon calm their minds, serving as a soothing remedy for many irritable Pok��mon. Numerous Pok��mon, such as the Hydreigon, Ursaring, and Smence, had vtile temperaments that often made life difficult for their trainers. However, with the aid of Lax Incense, these issues could be readily resolved.


    This type of incense doesn''t just affect Pok��mon; its effects on humans are also quite remarkable, and it has gained widespread use in the field of medicine.


    Pure Incense is an incense used to repel wild Pok��mon, especially Ghost-type Pok��mon. It ismonly employed by adventurous trainers during outdoor expeditions.


    When camping at night and sleeping, lighting a Pure Incense greatly increases trainers'' safety.


    Thest type, Full Incense, has a rather unique effect. It''s a kind of Illusion-type incense that makes the actions of any Pok��mon that smells it slower and their reactions duller. It is often used by trainers to train their Pok��mon''s reaction speed.


    Each type of incense has a specific and valuable function that aids trainers in their Pok��mon training. Although the effects may not be very noticeable after a single use, over time, they significantly improve a trainer''s overall efficiencypared to others.


    Incense on the market is quite expensive. If Pok��blocks are essential resources for trainers, incense can be considered a luxury item.


    Among these nine types of incense, Pure Incense is the cheapest and the most efficient for regr trainers to use.


    Wilderness exploration and travel will always be essential themes for trainers. Pure Incense is a vital means for them to stay safe in dangerous forests and mountains.


    The other types of incense are genuine luxury items. Using incense is not a one or two-day affair; it requires long-term usage. Most regr trainers can''t afford them due to their high costs.


    Those who use incense for extended periods usuallye from wealthy families.


    Moreover, there are few stores selling incense on the market. The production methods for these items are closely guarded secrets, known to only a select few. Additionally, they can only be handmade, which contributes to their high prices.


    When ites to making money, the speed at which incense generates ie far surpasses that of Pok��blocks.


    Yuga had never expected that his mentor would possess such precious collections and would generously gift them to him.


    Why was Yuga ecstatic?


    Well, the main ingredient for making incense is various flowers, some rare and somemon. It even requires many special flowers with additional attribute energies. However, with Yuga''s Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, he had no shortage of all sorts of flowers. If he wanted them, he could find them.


    Furthermore, the flowers used to make incense must be fresh, which is one of the challenges in incense production.


    Normally, different flowerse from different ces, sometimes even different seasons. To have them all blooming simultaneously, you need a greenhouse that can amodate various types of flowers. The construction cost of such a greenhouse is not low.


    But Yuga''s conditions were exceptional, making it a cause for his ecstasy. He had every reason to be thrilled.


    As for the auxiliary materials for incense-making, they mainly consist of various herbs. Given the current scale of herb cultivation in Yuga''s Ecopark, it wasn''t enough to produce sufficient incense. He needed to expand the herb cultivation scale.

 Chapter 466: Introduction

    <h4>Chapter 466: Introduction</h4>


    Upon receiving the incense-making manual from his mentor, Yuga immediately settled down in his room to study it.


    The production of incense is a highly intricate craft, with all the processes relying on pure handwork. It''s not that industrial methods can''t be used, but doing so undoubtedly results in significantly lower quality incense products.


    The art of incense-making has always been passed down orally, and many precious methods have been lost to time. This is why authentic incense is scarce and expensive in the market.


    Seeing the detailed procedures for incense-making recorded in the manual, Yuga felt like his head was spinning.


    Yuga himself was not someone particrly skilled in hands-on work. While he wasn''t terrible at it, he certainly wasn''t exceptional either.


    Among those capable of making Pok��blocks at the YoYo Day Care �C which included Misaki, Audino, Anya, and Yuga himself �C Yuga''s skills were the weakest.


    Apart from the fact that Yuga practiced hands-on activities less frequently than the others, the main reason was that he had the lowest dexterity among them.


    Looking at the dense text in the manual, Yuga doubted whether he could sessfully produce incense.


    However, he eventually concluded that whether he personally could do it didn''t matter all that much.


    If the YoYo Day Care were to sell incense in the future, relying solely on him would be impossible.


    To sell incense to the outside world, he needed a sufficient quantity, and that quantity was something Yuga alone couldn''t produce.


    Incense production is different from Pok��block production; its intricate steps mean it can''t be mass-produced quickly.


    Moreover, as the owner of a Day Care, he couldn''t spend every day at home making incense!


    It seemed like he needed to train someone specifically for incense production.


    In the end, Yuga made a special call to inquire whether he could share the method of making incense with others, including his master.


    The incense-making manual was something Mr. Kuni''o had acquired unintentionally, not a closely guarded secret from his teaching. So when Yuga inquired, Mr. Kuni''o simply said it was up to him.


    With his master''s permission, Yuga breathed a sigh of relief and decided it would be better to train a dedicated incense-making employee who would bepletely loyal to YoYo Day Care.


    However, he didn''t have a suitable candidate at the moment. Also, since he needed to expand the scale of the herb fields in the Ecopark, he decided to put this matter aside for now.


    Expanding the herb field was a time-sensitive matter because herbs don''t grow overnight. So, the next day, Yuga brought a group of Trapinchs with digging skills and a batch of Grass-type Pok��mon with absorption skills to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark.


    The Grass-type Pok��mon were responsible for using their absorption skills to clear the part of the Grasnd that was to be expanded into herb fields. The Trapinchs assisted by digging holes, and, finally, Linoone used its Rototiller skill to prepare the tillednd.


    The Rototiller skill was notmon, and few Pok��mon had learned it. Throughout the Ecopark, only Linoone possessed this skill. Therefore, after clearing arge area, Linoone was indeed quite exhausted.


    Fortunately, Yuga wasn''t idle. He brought a bunch of Pok��mon who could use shovels, spades, and hoes, and they helped Linoone break up the soil, making the Linoone''s job much easier.


    As they say, many hands make light work. With the assistance of numerous Pok��mon, the expansion of the herb fields progressed smoothly and waspleted in no time.


    Yuga left the remaining tasks such as nting and fertilizing to the Grass-type Pok��mon; they had innate talents for this work.


    In addition to the original herb varieties in the Ecopark, Yuga also purchased manymon herb seeds from outside. After all, the materials for making incense were quiteplex, and the Ecopark''s existing herb varieties wouldn''t suffice.


    Upon learning of Yuga''s ns forrge-scale herb cultivation, Mr. Kuni''o directly had Ryuichi send him a considerable number of valuable herb seeds.


    The cultivation methods for these herbs were all detailed in the "Comprehensive Guide to Medical Herb Cultivation" that Mr. Kuni''o had sent to Yuga before, so Yuga wasn''t worried about not being able to grow them.


    In this manner, Yuga gradually collected most of the materials needed for making incense. Now, all he had to do was wait for the herbs to mature and find a suitable employee.


    It wasn''t just a worker for incense production that Yuga needed to find; he also had to prepare for hiring someone to make Razor Fangs.


    The method for making Razor Fangs, carrying items that enhanced a Pok��mon''s critical-hit ratio, was not simpler than incense-making; in fact, it might be even moreplex. Yuga couldn''t take on this task himself either. Simr to incense-making, he needed to find a reliable employee.


    However, Yuga hadn''t started recruiting yet when Ryuichi gave him a call.


    It turned out that, upon learning that Yuga intended to make incense a product for YoYo Day Care, Mr. Kuni''o had Ryuichi find a skilled incense-making employee for Yuga.


    ording to Ryuichi, this person had been like a daughter to him since childhood, and Yuga could fully entrust the task of incense-making to her.


    She, like Ryuichi, was an orphan but had risen through elementary and high school with excellent grades thanks to Ryuichi''s support. She had disyed a natural talent for incense-making from a young age and had even majored in it during her high school years.


    However, high schools, being public educational institutions, couldn''t teach advanced incense-making techniques. So, when she learned that she could study top-notch incense-making at Yuga''s ce, she enthusiastically epted Ryuichi''s rmendation.


    Yuga didn''t expect that his mentor and Ryuichi had quietly solved a problem for him. He couldn''t have been happier. Now, all he needed to do was find someone to help with the production of Razor Fangs.


    Ryuichi informed Yuga that the person he rmended had already set out for Verdanturf Town. She should arrive in about three days, so Yuga needed to get prepared. Ryuichi also sent Yuga the person''s name and photo, so he wouldn''t have trouble recognizing her when she arrived.


    To wee the new employee at YoYo Day Care, Yuga had already informed the others in advance and arranged amodation.


    Initially, there wouldn''t be enough materials for incense production, so the incense couldn''t be put on the shelves at YoYo Day Care yet. There was also no need for the new employee to arrive so early.


    However, incense-making required practice and refinement over time. Her early arrival was meant to give her the opportunity to familiarize herself with the production methods. By the time all preparations werepleted, her production skills should be reasonably proficient.

 Chapter 467: Playmate

    <h4>Chapter 467: ymate</h4>


    After ending the call with Ryuichi, Yuga went to the Ecopark to prepare for farming with the Pok��mon. However, just as he was about to enter the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, he noticed a Ralts peeking out cautiously from behind a tree, as if afraid of being spotted by Yuga.


    Yuga immediately recognized this as the child of Gardevoir and Gade. He gently asked, "Do you want to y with me?"


    Seeing Yuga speak to it, Ralts quickly pulled its head back behind the tree, then cautiously peeked out again, covering its mouth with its hand. After hesitating for a moment, it nodded slightly in response to Yuga''s question.


    "Come here."


    Yuga smiled and beckoned to the half-hidden Ralts behind the tree, inviting it toe closer.


    Ralts hesitantly shuffled out from behind therge tree, taking small steps until it reached Yuga''s feet.


    Yuga bent down and gently picked up Ralts. However, he noticed that as soon as his hand touched Ralts'' body, it became stiff, and its expression seemed very tense.


    Fortunately, Yuga used his special ability, emitting a gentle aura throughout his body, gradually rxing Ralts'' body.


    Once they arrived at the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, Grass-type Pok��mon had already begun working in the newly cultivated fields, and other Pok��mon were also helping out, making the whole ce lively.


    Ralts had always stayed in the main Ecopark with other Psychic-type Pok��mon''s, never having seen so many different Pok��mon before. It became stiff again and clung tightly to Yuga''s arm, its two hands gripping his bicep.


    Seeing this, Yuga gently rubbed Ralts'' head,forting it, "Don''t be afraid; no one here will harm you."


    At this moment, Vulpix (the child of Nales and Houndoom) approached Yuga''s feet and affectionately rubbed its furry head against Yuga''s calf.


    Yuga crouched down while holding Ralts and used one hand to pet Vulpix'' head. Then he said to Ralts, "See, everyone here is very friendly. No one will hurt you. You can make friends here."


    "Vulpix!"


    Seeing this, Vulpix nuzzled Yuga''s palm with its head and let out a gentle, soothing sound towards Ralts, which instantly eased Ralts'' nervousness.


    Ralts, mimicking Yuga''s actions, extended a short hand and ced it on the top of Vulpix'' head, gently patting the tuft of fur that resembled a crown.


    Ralts had quite short arms, initially struggling to reach, but Vulpix voluntarily leaned its head forward, allowing Ralts to sessfully make contact.


    Perhaps it was because Vulpix had such aforting tuft of fur on its head, Ralts couldn''t resist patting it again after the initial touch.


    "Vulpix, Vulpix."


    Vulpix responded with two soft calls, inviting Ralts toe down and y with it. Ralts, who had never made a friend before, felt a strong desire to join in the fun. It gently shifted in Yuga''s arms.


    Yuga understood that Ralts really wanted to go down and y with Vulpix, but its shy and timid Hoothootre made it hesitant to act on its feelings. So, Yuga carefully ced Ralts on the ground and gently nudged it in Vulpix'' direction, encouraging it, "Go ahead, you''ll definitely be great friends with Vulpix."


    Ralts nced back at Yuga, then took tiny, cautious steps toward Vulpix.


    "Vulpix, Vulpix!"


    Vulpix was overjoyed when it saw that Ralts wanted to y with it, so it lowered its body and called out to Ralts twice.


    Ralts hesitated for a moment at Vulpix'' invitation, then clung to Vulpix'' body and climbed onto its back.


    As soon as Ralts sessfully seated itself on Vulpix'' back, Vulpix suddenly jumped up and then started running wildly, its feet moving quickly.


    Ralts was initially startled by Vulpix'' sudden burst of energy, but soon, amidst Vulpix'' sprint, it began tough with pure delight.


    Ralts'' lower body was rtively heavy, and its feet resembled nt roots, making it Hoothootrally slow when walking. Today was the first time it moved so quickly, and it felt an exhrating rush it had never experienced before.


    Ralts'' cheerfulughter caught the attention of Hoothoot, who was quietly practicing psychic powers with its mother nearby in a tree.


    Hoothoot cautiously opened one eye, first ncing at its mother, who had her eyes closed next to it. It then looked at Vulpix and Ralts, who were ying happily beneath the tree. Feeling an itch of curiosity, Hoothoot slowly moved away from its mother.


    With each silent step, Hoothoot distanced itself further from its mother. Seeing that its mother hadn''t noticed, Hoothoot opened its eyes a bit wider, then took a couple more steps away.


    Hoothoot repeated this process several times, gradually increasing the distance from its mother. Seeing that its mother still hadn''t reacted, Hoothoot opened its eyespletely and gave a mischievous smile. It then pped its small wings and flew down toward the tree where Vulpix and Ralts were ying.


    However, just as Hoothoot descended, Noctowl, its mother, opened both of her eyes. She shook her head in resignation, closed her eyes once more, and continued her meditation.


    Hoothoot and Vulpix were the closest of friends. While Vulpix'' parents were strict with it, forcing it into rigorous training, Hoothoot was theplete opposite.


    Hoothoot had mediocre potential and had a significantly different training ouepared to Vulpix. Therefore, its mother, Noctowl, chose to be lenient, recognizing that bing outstanding as a yellow potential Pok��mon was exceptionally challenging.


    Now that Hoothoot was in YoYo Day Care and not facing any danger, Noctowl had minimal expectations for its training as long as it managed to maintain an eptable appearance.


    Once Hoothootnded under the tree, it settled right next to Vulpix. Startled by Hoothoot''s sudden descent from the sky, Ralts was briefly surprised and almost slipped off Vulpix'' back.


    "Vulpix, Vulpix."


    Vulpix, thrilled to see its dear friend, introduced Ralts to Hoothoot with joy.


    Hoothoot was a lively Pok��mon and felt equally delighted upon seeing Ralts. With Vulpix as a bridge between them, the three littlepanions quickly became entangled in yful antics.


    At times, Ralts sat on Vulpix'' back, pretending to be on a wild ride, and other times, it held onto Hoothoot''s feet, pretending to soar through the skies. Theirughter, as crisp as silver bells, echoed throughout the entire Grasnd Sub-Ecopark.


    Meanwhile, Yuga, who was busy tending to the fields, looked on from a distance at the three littlepanions having a st. A contented smile graced his face.

 Chapter 468: Lain

    <h4>Chapter 468: Lain</h4>


    Three dayster, at the Verdanturf Town Airport, a girl who appeared to be around twenty years old descended from the ne with a Whimsicott by her side.


    The girl wore a light green dress, a white sun hat, and had long, jet-ck hair. She scanned the crowd, looking left and right until she spotted a sign with her name, at which point she happily waved.


    On the other side, Yuga, who had been holding the sign and waiting, spotted the girl in the green dress and called out loudly, "Miss Lain, over here!"


    Lain, carrying her luggage and apanied by Whimsicott, hurried over to Yuga. She smoothed her slightly disheveled hair and apologized, "You must be Young Master Yuga, right? I''m sorry for keeping you waiting."


    Upon hearing her address him as "Young Master," Yuga knew that she must have learned this from Ryuichi. While taking her suitcase, he replied, "There''s no need for formalities; just call me Yuga. Don''t use the same titles as Ryuichi."


    Lain didn''t object and smiled, saying, "Alright, I''ll just call you Yuga, and you can call me Lain."


    Beforeing to Verdanturf Town, Lain had already contacted Yuga in advance. They had even had video calls, so this wasn''t their first meeting.


    Yuga said, "Very well, from now on, we''re work partners, and there''s no need to be too formal."


    "By the way, this is my most important partner, Whimsicott."


    Saying this, Lain pulled Whimsicott, floating by her side, and introduced it to Yuga.


    Whimsicott, with a pair of orange eyes half-closed, greeted Yuga with a cheerful expression.


    "Hello there, Whimsicott. It''s a pleasure to meet you," Yuga replied.


    It was Yuga''s first time encountering a Whimsicott, and he couldn''t deny that these creatures were incredibly cute. He almost felt his heart melting just looking at it.


    Unable to resist, Yuga used his Insight ability to examine Whimsicott''s details.


    ...


    <<whimsicott>> </whimsicott>


    Type: Grass, Fairy


    Ability: Prankster


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 49


    Moves: Absorb, Fairy Wind, Leech Seed, Cotton Spore, Energy Ball, Sunny Day, Cotton Guard, Tailwind, Hurricane, Toxic, Quick Return, Encore.


    ...


    Yuga was surprised by Whimsicott''s strength; it was only one level away from reaching level 50.


    As far as Yuga knew, Lain wasn''t a traditional Pok��mon trainer. She had pursued Breeder courses in both elementary and intermediate schools, and after reaching the advanced school level, she had focused on incense making.


    However, this might also be rted to the small number of Pok��mon she raised. Ryuichi was a genuine Elite-level Trainer and had been grooming Lain like his own daughter over the years. While Lain''s impressive strength was surprising, it was not entirely unexpected.


    It was safe to say that she was brought up by an Elite-level Trainer, and even though she didn''t specialize in Pok��mon battles, the strength of her Pok��mon couldn''t be underestimated.


    Yuga helped Lain with her luggage and led her towards YoYo Day Care. Through their conversation along the way, Yuga discovered that she was a lively girl with a personality that sharply contrasted with her initial appearance.


    With her long ck hair, standing at an impressive height of 1.7 meters, and her mature andposed face, Lain initially gave off an elegant and mature impression��a truedy.


    However, her lively personalitybined with her mature appearance created a striking contrast.


    On the other hand, Whimsicott had a personality that was theplete opposite of Lain''s, with its yful and adorable appearance contrasting with its mature andposed demeanor.


    Once they returned to YoYo Day Care, Yuga directly brought Lain to her new room on the second floor. Her room was right next to Misaki''s and across from Anya''s, providing a perfectpanionship for the three girls.


    After settling Lain''s luggage, Yuga took her around the store to help her get familiar with her future work environment.


    Lain''s workce was a room that Yuga had recently prepared, and it wasn''t situated in the same workshop as where Misaki and Anya made Pok��blocks.


    The process of making incense is quite intricate and requires numerous tools such as mortar and pestle, containers, stoves, stone bowls, and more, which can upy a significant amount of space.


    Before arriving in Verdanturf Town, Lain had sent a batch of her own incense-making tools to YoYo Day Care. However, these tools were only suitable for producing rtively inferior incense. To create the high-quality incense found in the "Incense Making Manual," many specialized tools needed to be custom-made.


    Prior to Lain''s arrival in Verdanturf Town, Yuga had already arranged for a ce to produce these tools. However, these tools had unique functions and would take some time toplete.


    While giving Lain a tour of YoYo Day Care, Yuga introduced her to the other staff members and exined some of the business aspects involved. After all, she would be working here in the future and needed to understand the store''s operations.


    Lain was highly satisfied with the situation at YoYo Day Care. She simply wanted a ce where she could focus on researching incense, and this location fulfilled all her requirements. Aside from researching and crafting incense, Yuga didn''t require her to handle any other tasks.


    After the tour, Yuga handed Lain the "Incense Making Manual" and encouraged her to study it thoroughly to be able to craft high-quality incense as soon as possible.


    Once she had the manual in her hands, Lain and her Whimsicott immediately retreated to her room. They immersed themselves in their studies, and by dinnertime, she hadn''t emerged. Yuga had to personally go and call her.


    Upon entering her room and seeing Lain researching and taking notes, Yuga couldn''t help but shake his head. It was clear that she was quite dedicated, and such dedication often led to great achievements.


    Finally, Yuga promised to provide her with materials the next day so that she could put her newfound knowledge into practice, and only then did she leave her room.


    Even though there weren''t many materials avable yet, and the tools weren''tplete, it was still fine to let Lain get a feel for the process.


    As expected, during dinner, Lain was amazed by Audino''s cooking skills, and herical eagerness to devour her te of food made everyone burst intoughter. This reminded them of their own initial days at YoYo Day Care.


    Not only did Lain fall in love with Audino''s culinary skills, but her Whimsicott also took a liking to YoYo Day Care''s Grass-type and Fairy-type Pok��blocks.


    In addition to her Whimsicott, Lain had a Vileplume and a Fomantis, all of which were Grass-type Pok��mon. These Pok��mon shared the same attributes as Ryuichi''s expertise. Furthermore, all three of her Pok��mon were exceptionally well cared for, indicating that Lain''s abilities as a Breeder were likely quite high.


    Vileplume''s strength was quite impressive, only slightly behind Whimsicott. However, the Fomantis seemed to have been recently captured, as its level was still quite low, and it hadn''tpleted its final evolution.


    Lain''s arrival was warmly weed by all the staff members at YoYo Day Care. Her lively and friendly personality,bined with her ability to engage in conversations, quickly made her fit in with everyone else.


    Once she settled into YoYo Day Care, Lain continued her research into the "Incense Making Manual." Although she had studied this subject in high school, she hadn''t been exposed to advanced incense-making techniques, so she was even more enthusiastic about delving into the manual and cherished this opportunity for learning.

 Chapter 469: The Proposal

    <h4>Chapter 469: The Proposal</h4>


    Since Lain arrived at YoYo Day Care, Yuga had been contemting the choice of an employee to craft the Razor Fangs. This decision was proving to be somewhat challenging.


    The method for crafting Razor Fangs, like that for making incense, must be kept highly confidential. Therefore, this employee must be trustworthy. However, finding a reliable person isn''t easy, as there is no one else to rmend from Ryuichi''s side.


    Mr. Kuni''o has always been a lone wolf, and as his steward, Ryuichi has fully embraced this habit. Over the years, aside from supporting and nurturing someone like Lain, there hasn''t been a second person by his side.


    Hence, if Yuga wanted a reliable employee, he would have to find a solution himself, without relying on anyone else.


    One clear morning, after finishing his breakfast, Yuga stood at the shop''s entrance, basking in the mild sun. He then noticed Uncle Kate from next door, carrying a bamboo sieve and cing it outside.


    The sieve contained golden-yellow beans, likely to be dried in the sun.


    "Good morning, Uncle Kate," Yuga cheerfully greeted him.


    "Morning, Little Yuga," Uncle Kate replied with a grin, lifting his head to acknowledge Yuga.


    After exchanging greetings, Uncle Kate continued bringing out several sieves filled with beans, all appearing to be handcrafted.


    It wasn''t the bean harvesting season, so these beans were not freshly harvested this year. Given Verdanturf Town''s rainy summers, they were likely from the previous year and had been stored before being brought out to dry.


    At that moment, Yuga''s attention was drawn to the sieves filled with beans, and he couldn''t help but approach.


    Yuga used his hand to shuffle the beans inside the sieve and discovered that these bean sieves were exceptionally exquisite. Each one looked like a fine piece of artwork.


    "What''s the matter, Little Yuga? Would you like some beans? If you want, I can give you some; my beans are quite delicious," Uncle Kate said, assuming Yuga was interested in the beans, with a cheerful smile.


    Uncle Kate was one of the typical farmers in Verdanturf Town, known for his agricultural skills. The produce he grew was exceptionally tasty. After Yuga''s parents passed away, he frequently sent Yuga various vegetables and rice, showing great care and concern for him.


    Yuga, seeing Uncle Kate''s misunderstanding, quickly shook his head. "No, it''s not that. I was admiring these sieves; they look exquisite, so I was just taking a closer look."


    Upon hearing this, Uncle Kate chuckled and said, "What''s so special about these sieves? They''re just cheap things. If you like them, I can make a few for you."


    "Did you make these sieves yourself? You''re really skilled!" Yuga was genuinely amazed. He hadn''t expected Uncle Kate, who appeared rough and burly, to create such fine and delicate pieces.


    Hearing Yuga''s praise, Uncle Kate couldn''t help but scratch the back of his head in embarrassment. "What''s so special about it? I learned it from Rand''s grandfather. I only weave these things for everyday farm work."


    Yuga thought that Uncle Kate was being too modest. These items could be considered craftsmanship. Not only were they intricately crafted, but each sieve also featured a Pok��mon pattern on the surface, such as Fearow, Foongus, or Scyther, all woven in vivid detail.


    Yuga had never known that Uncle Kate possessed such skill. This was a prime example of hidden expertise within themunity.


    "Uncle Kate, can you weave other things as well?" Yuga inquired with curiosity.


    "I can manage a few. Come, I''ll show you," Uncle Kate replied, grabbing Yuga''s hand and leading him inside. He rummaged through various boxes, bringing out a plethora of bamboo items such as baskets, buckets, hampers, containers, bamboo pillows, and mats. Yuga''s eyes widened in amazement.


    These items were all artistically crafted by Uncle Kate, showcasing his artistic touch. However, items like bamboo baskets, containers, and hampers, which weremonly used for farm work, appeared somewhat dirty due to their regr use.


    Yuga couldn''t help but praise, "Uncle Kate, your hands are truly skilled."


    Aside from "skillful hands," Yuga couldn''t find any other words to describe Uncle Kate''s talents.


    In fact, when Yuga was outside and saw those identical sieves, he suspected that Uncle Kate had crafted them himself. After all, no one would buy so many at once.


    Now, with these exquisite bamboo items before him, Yuga had a thought.


    The ability to create such intricate bamboo crafts showed that Uncle Kate was different from his rugged exterior. He was undoubtedly a meticulous and skilled person. So, why not entrust him with the task of crafting Razor Fangs?


    When it came to trust, no one made Yuga feel more secure than Uncle Kate. Their families had been neighbors for decades, and Yuga''s parents had known Uncle Kate since he was a child. The bond was deep.


    Uncle Kate had also been a supportive figure for Yuga, especially after Yuga''s parents passed away. Trusting Uncle Kate felt natural.


    As Yuga considered it further, he became more convinced of the feasibility of his idea. Crafting Razor Fangs didn''t require extensive specialized knowledge like Pok��blocks or incense. It relied on craftsmanship, and Uncle Kate had the dexterity for it.


    Compared to in farming, working for Yuga to craft Razor Fangs offered a significantly higher ie. Besides, the work wouldn''t conflict with his farming duties; Uncle Kate could easily do both.


    Currently, Rand was still young and had be a Pok��mon Trainer. His expenses would likely increase in the future, and Yuga believed that Uncle Kate wouldn''t refuse the job offer.


    With this in mind, Yuga shared his idea with Uncle Kate.


    "Let me work for you? But... am I qualified?" Uncle Kate had always believed that the jobs at the Day Care were meant for intellectuals, like Pok��mon Breeders, so he hesitated and expressed uncertainty in his tone.


    Yuga replied, "Whether you''re qualified or not, let''s give it a try. If you excel at it, you''ll have an additional source of ie, and life will be easier for you and Rand. If it doesn''t work out, you won''t lose anything."


    When Yuga mentioned Rand, Uncle Kate pondered for a moment and eventually agreed to Yuga''s proposal. He realized that Yuga was right��trying it out wouldn''t hurt, and there was nothing to lose.


    In this way, Yuga and Uncle Kate reached a consensus.


    In the following weeks, whenever Yuga had free time, he visited Uncle Kate''s home to study the crafting methods of Razor Fangs together.


    Although the process of crafting Razor Fangs was intricate, it wasn''t overlyplicated. They followed the documented method to extract thetent power from the fangs of Pok��mon. Eventually, they seeded in crafting their first Razor Fang.


    Although the final product didn''t look very appealing, Yuga took it and had a Gligar to test it. Miraculously, it sessfully triggered Gligar''s evolution into a Gliscor.

 Chapter 470: Doubts

    <h4>Chapter 470: Doubts</h4>


    After the sessful creation of the first Razor Fang, Uncle Kate no longer hesitated and agreed wholeheartedly to help Yuga with crafting Razor Fangs. He formally signed an employment contract with YoYo Day Care, bing one of its members.


    Uncle Kate''s work didn''t shift to YoYo Day Care. He set up a room in his own home, specifically as his workshop for crafting Razor Fangs. Yuga only needed to deliver the materials on time.


    As Uncle Kate became more skilled in his new role, Razor Fangs were crafted one after another.


    In the beginning, the techniques were unfamiliar, resulting in somewhat unattractive Razor Fangs. These weren''t suitable formercial purposes, so Yuga used them for evolving Gligar instead.


    Despite their appearance, these Razor Fangs served their purpose well. The Gligar family was overjoyed with their newfound abundance of Gliscors, and the Gliscor Leader, was practically beaming.


    Seeing Yuga fulfill his promise, Gliscor regarded Yuga more kindly with each passing day. It seemed like he might even start calling him "Dad" any moment now.


    Gliscor had developed a keen interest in collecting the teeth shed by their n members. These teeth made excellent materials for crafting Razor Fangs and were perfect for assisting Gligar in evolving.


    With the addition of the Razor Fangs business, YoYo Day Care received even higher ratings online.


    Previously, Pok��mon Trainers who bought Gligars from YoYo Day Care had to consider where to obtain Razor Fangs separately. Now, they could conveniently get everything they needed from YoYo Day Care, saving them a lot of trouble.


    Seeing YoYo Day Care thriving, Yuga was in exceptionally high spiritstely.


    To ensure that Uncle Kate could continue crafting Razor Fangs without hindrance to his farming work, Yuga gifted him a Hoppip and promised to find a Pok��mon suitable for physicalbor to help him with farming.


    Yuga had always been generous with employee benefits. As long as the employees worked diligently, he was amodating.


    Initially, Uncle Kate was reluctant to ept Yuga''s gift of Pok��mon. He believed that receiving a sry for his work was perfectly justified. However, Yuga exined that this was part of the employee benefits, aimed at preventing dys in Razor Fang production. Only then did Uncle Kate agree to ept the Pok��mon.


    Yuga had now be quite influential and wealthy, so he didn''t pay much attention to rewards that motivated his employees and improved their work efficiency.


    Regarding finding a Pok��mon suitable for physicalbor, it was a trivial task. Uncle Kate wasn''t a Pok��mon Trainer, so he didn''t need to consider a Pok��mon''s potentials. Whether it was Red or Orange, as long as it could performbor, it was suitable. Red and Orange potential Pok��mon were usually more affordable, making it easy for Yuga to obtain one or two.


    When thinking about Pok��mon suitable for physicalbor, Yuga initially considered Fighting-type Pok��mon. However, among themonly found Fighting-types, there was Primape from Kanto region, but its temperament was too aggressive, making it unsuitable for someone like Uncle Kate, who was a farmer.


    Fortunately, apart from Primape, the Hoenn region also had amonly found Fighting-type Pok��mon: Breloom.


    Shroomish was abundant in the wilds of the Hoenn region. While its evolved form, Breloom, was somewhat lessmon, it wasn''t too challenging to find either.


    The crucial point was that Breloom, with Grass as its primary type, was easier to care forpared to other Fighting-type Pok��mon. It was also more suitable for agricultural activities.


    In fact, Yuga''s first thought was the Machamp family and the Conkeldurr family, but these two types of Pok��mon were rare. Raising them would be less cost-effective than using Breloom.


    The day after Yuga gave Uncle Kate the Hoppip, he captured a robust Breloom outside of Verdanturf Town. Its potential was Orange, as it was challenging to find Red potential Pok��mon evolving into their final forms in the wild.


    Holding the Pok�� Ball containing the Breloom, Yuga rode his giant Great Flygon back to YoYo Day Care.


    However, as soon as Yuga descended from the Great Flygon''s back, he saw Suzuki Koen standing at the entrance, looking anxious. She hurried over to him and whispered, "The Mayor and Officer Jenny have been waiting for you in the store for quite some time."


    The Mayor and Officer Jenny?


    Yuga couldn''t help but wonder what he had done to get their attention. Had he somehow evaded taxes ormitted another offense?


    Yuga, filled with curiosity, followed Suzuki Koen into the meeting room. Upon entering, he spotted Officer Jenny and a middle-aged bald man seated inside. Audino was in the process of serving them Yuga''s specially crafted honey milk tea.


    Upon seeing Yuga''s arrival, the middle-aged bald man and Officer Jenny quickly stood up.


    Officer Jenny''s full name was Liliana Jenny, and Yuga had interacted with her on several asions before. They were fairly familiar with each other, and Liliana always showed great respect towards Yuga.


    As for the middle-aged bald man, he should be the Mayor of Verdanturf Town.


    This was Yuga''s first encounter with him, and he had no idea what the Mayor''s name was. Nevertheless, the Mayor had a round, genial face and appeared quite amiable, making him seem like a good person despite hisck of hair.


    "Mr. Shimizu, you''ve finally returned," the Mayor greeted Yuga with a warm smile upon his entrance.


    Yuga quickly apologized, "I''m sorry for the dy. I didn''t expect the Mayor''s visit, and I apologize for any inconvenience."


    The Mayor chuckled and said, "Don''t me yourself; we didn''t inform you beforehand. It''s rather presumptuous of us to visit like this. Please don''t be upset."


    Yuga asked, "May I know the reason for the Mayor''s visit?"


    The Mayor sighed deeply, sounding somewhat helpless as he exined, "In fact, Officer Jenny and I havee here today to ask for your help."


    "My help?" Yuga''s confusion deepened. Why would a Mayor need his assistance?


    "I''ll exin," Liliana, who had remained silent until now, spoke up. "The Mayor and I havee to seek your assistance regarding the future development of Verdanturf Town."


    Noting that Yuga was unfamiliar with the Mayor and didn''t know his name, Liliana deliberately mentioned the Mayor''s name.


    Yuga gave Liliana a grateful look for her thoughtfulness but remained perplexed. Why would the future development of Verdanturf Town involve a Day Care owner like him?


    Seeing Yuga''s puzzled expression, Liliana began to exin.


    The Mayor, Mr. Ishida, had served in Verdanturf Town for many years. Although he had aspirations and ideals, his capabilities were modest. Over the years, Verdanturf Town had remained rtively stagnant, neither thriving nor declining.


    While Verdanturf Town wasn''t entirely obscure due to its excellent recuperation facilities, there was ack of any distinct features beyond that.


    Liliana shared a simr vision with Mayor Ishida. She had recently taken on her role in Verdanturf Town and shared the desire to develop the town. For her, sessfully developing Verdanturf Town would be a way to prove her capabilities, earn recognition from her family, and secure her position.


    With their shared objectives in mind, the two hade to Yuga for assistance.

 Chapter 471: The Purpose

    <h4>Chapter 471: The Purpose</h4>


    Liliana and Mayor Ishida had pinned their hopes on a recent development in the Pok��mon League, which was the opening of Gym Leader positions.


    Gym Leaders in various cities were considered one of the most important branches of the Pok��mon League, and the League paid great attention to them. Consequently, regr audits were conducted, and any Gym that failed the audit would be disbanded.


    Each year, various Gyms,rge and small, declined for various reasons. To maintain a bnce in the number of Gyms, the League periodically allocated positions for establishing new Gyms.


    naturally, these positions weren''t handed out lightly to any town. Towns seeking these positions needed to apply and then participate in the Gym Leader positionpetition. Only after achieving a certain ranking could they earn the right to establish a Gym.


    However, not just anyone could represent their town in thepetition.


    First and foremost, they had to be a Trainer; this was the most fundamental requirement. Secondly, their family history had to be squeaky clean, with no criminal records within the past five generations in both the paternal and maternal lines. Additionally, they needed to hold local town citizenship, meaning they had to be locals. Lastly, they required joint rmendations from the local Mayor and the police department.


    Meeting a few of these conditions was easy, but meeting them all was quite challenging for most individuals. Being a Trainer was rtively straightforward, as was having local citizenship. Having an untarnished family history wasn''t too rare either. However, having no criminal records within the paternal and maternal lines for five generations was a rare feat.


    Calcting based on one generation every twenty years, that meant your family had to have a clean record for at least one hundred years. Even if people in the Pok��mon world married rtively early, assuming one generation every fifteen years, that would still require seventy-five years without a single family membermitting a crime.


    Many people themselves were upright and honest, but they couldn''t vouch for their ancestors.


    However, there were exceptions. The League''s Merit Points could clear criminal records from deceased ancestors, but this only applied to your ancestors and couldn''t cleanse your own record. Moreover, it couldn''t erase major crimes.


    Apart from the family history issue, gaining recognition from both the Mayor (or Town Mayor) and the police department wasn''t easy either. Gym Leaders held crucial positions in towns, so they wouldn''t simply entrust the role to an unreliable person.


    Coincidentally, Yuga met all these conditions.


    Yuga was an aplished Trainer, a native of Verdanturf Town, and had a spotless family history. Going back even further, his ancestors were honored heroes of the League. Although most people had forgotten, the League''s archives still held records of their aplishments.


    Thest condition was easy for Yuga as well. He had a close rtionship with Liliana, making it easy to secure a rmendation from her. As for Mayor Ishida, who had served in Verdanturf Town for decades and had witnessed the Gym Leaderpetition being held year after year without sess, he had initially given up. However, Liliana approached him and rmended Yuga.


    Despite differences in their age and perspectives, theirmon goal was to develop Verdanturf Town. Thus, this visit to YoYo Day Care took ce.


    Mayor Ishida had learned about Yuga''s aplishments and heard of his abilities from Liliana, which left him highly impressed.


    After listening to Liliana''s exnation of the reason for her and Mayor Ishida''s visit, Yuga furrowed his brows.


    Ever since he bound with the system, he had considered running YoYo Day Care as his primary mission and had never contemted getting involved in anything else. Even his role as a Trainer was more of a part-timemitment.


    Now, the proposition ofpeting for a Gym Leader position left Yuga perplexed. Could he wholeheartedly develop YoYo Day Care after bing a Gym Leader?


    Seeing Yuga''s furrowed brows, Liliana and Mayor Ishida found it strange.


    Bing a Gym Trainer wasn''t an extremely honorable thing to do? For anyone, it should be beneficial without harm! Why was Yuga hesitating?


    Just as Yuga was deep in thought, the voice of the system echoed in his mind.


    [ Congrattions, Host, on triggering the task: Complementing Each Other. ]


    [ Task Name: Complementing Each Other. ]


    [ Description: The Host and YoYo Day Care are intertwined; YoYo Day Care is the Host''s backing, and the Host''s achievements can elevate YoYo Day Care''s reputation. Therefore, the Host should strive to make a name for themselves. ]


    [ Reward: Eligibility to open two Sub-Ecoparks of your choice. ]


    The system''s task description suddenly cleared Yuga''s mind.


    Yes, if he could be famous in the Pok��mon world, it would elevate YoYo Day Care''s reputation as well. A Gym Leader was undoubtedly one of the most famous figures in any town, and their position in the League was significant. Once he became a Gym Leader, the fame of YoYo Day Care could spread more widely through Yuga''s status as a Gym Trainer. Additionally, anyone with ill intentions toward YoYo Day Care would think twice.


    Furthermore, the rewards for this task were exceptionally generous. It offered eligibility to open two Sub-Ecoparks, which was unprecedented. This tempting reward made Yuga agree to Liliana and Mayor Ishida.


    Yuga said, "I promise to participate in thepetition."


    At the very least, Yuga could tell that Mayor Ishida was genuinely dedicated to developing Verdanturf Town. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have worked diligently year after year for decades and even humbled himself to ask a younger generation like Yuga for help.


    Although Yuga had never met this Mayor before, he had also never heard a single bad word about him from his neighbors. This indicated that the Mayor wasn''t justmendable; at the very least, he was without fault.


    "Excellent!" Hearing Yuga''s agreement, both Liliana and Mayor Ishida disyed expressions of joy. When Yuga furrowed his brows earlier, they had begun to worry that he might refuse the proposition.

 Chapter 472: Status

    <h4>Chapter 472: Status</h4>


    Yuga waspletely unaware of the Gym Leaderpetition, and if it weren''t for Liliana and Mayor Ishida''s visit today, he wouldn''t have even known about it.


    ording to Mayor Ishida, the League had announced this news three days ago, and thepetition was scheduled for next month. It was open to all towns without a Gym, making it a rare and grand event organized by the League. Representatives from various regions and towns would participate.


    To ensure fairness, the event''s location had not been announced yet. It would only be revealed to all registered towns a week before thepetition.


    Furthermore, thispetition would be broadcasted live throughout the region. The performance of all participants would be showcased on television for the entire poption to see.


    Yuga hadn''t expected such a grand event for thispetition. In terms of scale, it seemed that regional League tournaments could hardlypare to this. Representing a town in such apetition meant that the participants had to be carefully selected, and their skills would undoubtedly be top-notch. League tournaments were nothing inparison.


    Thinking about it this way, Yuga suddenly felt the pressure. As Mayor Ishida had mentioned, the number of slots allocated to each region during thispetition averaged less than five. This number was minuscule whenpared to the number of participating towns, making thepetition fierce.


    Bing a Gym Trainer wasn''t limited to participating in thispetition.


    The most well-known method was inheritance, but this was only applicable to well-established Gyms. For instance, in the Hoenn region, Gyms like the Lavaridge Gym and the Sootopolis Gym had the privilege to choose their next Gym Leader once the previous one stepped down.


    However, the sessor had to be an internal member of the Gym. They could either be rted by blood (like nnery and Mr. Moore) or in a master-disciple rtionship (like Wace and Juan). This was the League''s way of entrusting well-established Gyms.


    Such well-established Gyms were those that had made significant contributions to the League and had never been dissolved for ten consecutive Gym evaluations. This qualified them to appoint their sessor.


    It was quitemon to find well-established Gyms in the Kanto and Johto regions, as they were the birthces of the League and had a higher number of these Gyms.


    Apart from participating in thepetition and inheritance, there was also the option of direct League assignment. In this case, Yuga was most familiar with Mr. Norman.


    Mr. Norman was originally from the Johto region but became the Trainer of the Petalburg Gym through League assignment.


    Examples like these were verymon, and the number of Gym Trainers obtained through League assignment was not much different from those who earned their position by participating in thepetition. Gym Trainers appointed by the League were widespread in regions like Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova.


    Many who gained the eligibility to establish a Gym through thepetition were from small towns like Verdanturf Town. However, those directly appointed by the League generally worked inrger cities or towns with a unique status.


    This was because the role of a Gym Trainer had immense significance in a town. Their status, authority, and influence were on par with that of a mayor or town leader. They also held control over the town''s armed forces. If a Gym Trainer had issues, it could be devastating for a town.


    For small towns like Verdanturf Town, problems might not be a significant concern. However, forrge cities like Sootopolis City, Rustboro City, and Petalburg City, any issue involving a Gym Trainer would keep the League busy. Therefore, the League had to be extremely cautious in selecting Gym Trainers.


    The role of a Gym in a town''s development is crucial. Its presence signifies that the League will allocate more resources to the town, making development more convenient. These opportunities are vital for a town''s rise.


    The existence of a Gym attracts numerous challengers and visitors to the town every year. These challengers and visitors stimte local poption movement, thereby boosting local economic growth. This is precisely why Mayor Ishida had been striving to establish a Gym in Verdanturf Town.


    Many towns have thrived due to the presence of a Gym, such as the neighboring Lavaridge Town.


    Lavaridge Town''s conditions weren''t much better than those of Verdanturf Town, but thanks to the existence of the Lavaridge Gym or, more precisely, Mr. Moore, Lavaridge Town was well-known in the Hoenn region. Despite being a small town, its reputation wasn''t any smaller than that ofrger cities like Sootopolis City.


    Of course, achieving such status for Verdanturf Town would be extremely difficult. That was because Verdanturf Towncked a Trainer with a reputation that could rival Mr. Moore''s. However, Mayor Ishida still had ambition, and whether they could achieve it or not, they would make the effort.


    Even though having another Gym Trainer would significantly reduce his influence in Verdanturf Town, Mayor Ishida wasn''t concerned. He genuinely wished for the town under his jurisdiction to experience better development. In this regard, he was quite pure in his intentions, even more so than Liliana, who shared the same goal.


    While Liliana also hoped for Verdanturf Town''s development, her ultimate goal was to prove herself and earn her family''s recognition. In terms of mindset, she couldn''tpare to Mayor Ishida.


    No one would have expected such a pure-hearted attitude from Mayor Ishida, a portly middle-aged man with a bald head. He had an unwavering and sincere desire to see Verdanturf Town seed.


    If Yuga had known about Mayor Ishida''s thoughts, he would have held him in great respect. At the very least, Yuga couldn''t match such purity. Like Liliana, his agreement to participate in thepetition was primarily aimed at helping YoYo Day Care develop, and aiding in Verdanturf Town''s development was a means to that end.


    Once he became Verdanturf Town''s Gym Trainer, it was equivalent to having half of the town under his control, making it his territory. YoYo Day Care''s development would also be more stable.


    Yuga and Mayor Ishida, along with Liliana, discussed thepetition for a long time, mainly focusing on information about pastpetitions. Mayor Ishida, who had participated in numerouspetitions, was very familiar with thepetition''s procedures, and he could be considered highly experienced.


    Yuga entrusted the registration process entirely to Mayor Ishida. After bidding farewell to Liliana and Mayor Ishida, he went to the Pok��mon Center to register as a Trainer. From today onward, he officially became a member of the League''s active Trainers.


    Apanying him in the registration were his ten main battle Pok��mon. This meant that from today onwards, no one else but him could use these ten Pok��mon in official battles.

 Chapter 473: Location

    <h4>Chapter 473: Location</h4>


    In preparation for thepetition a month from now, Yuga subjected his main battling Pok��mon to rigorous training.


    Even though, considering Yuga''s current strength, a month of training wouldn''t significantly enhance the Pok��mon''s abilities, the saying "sharpen the sword before going into battle" applies. It was good to get a feel for things.


    During these days, Yuga noticed a positive development in the behavior of Butler''s male Gardevoir. It seemed to have epted its life in the Ecopark.


    While it still blushed and grimaced whenever it saw Yuga, it got along well with its own kind and even cared for them. Even Gardevoir (female) and Gade couple, interacted with it warmly.


    Yuga naturally weed this development. He didn''t expect the male Gardevoir to ept him, as long as it remained content in the Ecopark, didn''t cause trouble, and didn''t attempt to escape.


    Ralts''s personality had be increasingly lively. Every day, it would y with Vulpix and Hoothoot in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark. Its parents didn''t interfere.


    Note: Here, Ralts refers to the child of the female Gardevoir and Gade. Besides this Ralts, there were four other Ralts in the main Ecopark.


    Yuga still remembered the day he brought Ralts to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark and returned to the main Ecopark. Gardevoir (female) and Gade were highly cautious, thinking Yuga might have abducted Ralts. Fortunately, Ralts exined the situation to them, and afterward, Gardevoir (female) and Gade didn''t feel as nervous.


    Apart from this, the main Ecopark''s Natu poption had started to reproduce. Several female Natus hadid Pok��mon eggs, and it wouldn''t be long before little Natus were born. The Natu poption would gradually grow.


    There were quite a few Psychic-type Pok��mon species, but when it came to learning Teleport, only a handful existed: the Abra line, the Gardevoir line, ydol, Elgyem, and the Natus.


    Teleport was an incredible skill when properly trained. It was beneficial both in battles and for escaping. As long as it wasn''t interrupted during execution, aside from its considerable energy consumption, it had almost no drawbacks.


    Yuga''s Natus had all undergone special training. Although they weren''t skilled inbat, each one was proficient in Teleport.


    Not all Pok��mon with the potential to learn Teleport could actually master it.


    Regarding the five Ralts, two Gardevoir, and one Gade in the main Ecopark, only Butler''s male Gardevoir was proficient in Teleport. The others didn''t possess this skill; otherwise, Gardevoir (female) and her family wouldn''t have fallen victim to Motohara hands.


    After all, Pok��mon with skill like Mean Look, Spirit Shackle, and Block were rare. As long as Teleport wasn''t interrupted during execution, it was an all-around skill.


    This batch of Natus was indeed valuable. In the future, after they learned Teleport through their parents'' guidance, they would be a significant asset for YoYo Day Care.


    In this month, Yuga asionally visited the Desert Sub-Ecopark to check on the Kecleon Couple.


    Currently, they had settledfortably in Oasis No. 1. With regr supplies of Sweet Honey and Moomoo Milk, it didn''t take long for the female Kecleon to sessfullyy a Pok��mon egg.


    The egg''s potential was simr to that of its parents, green potential. Although not particrly outstanding, it was still considered decent.


    Now that their lives were stable, they rarely used their innate ability to hide and sneak around. They also lived peacefully alongside their three neighbors, Snox, Ursaring, and Shiny Ariados.


    As for Yuga''s participation in the Gym Leader spotpetition, he had informed Mr. Kuni''o about it during their phone call. Mr. Kuni''o didn''t express many opinions, merely advising Yuga to follow his own judgment.


    Seven days before thepetition, the League announced the venue, which was none other than the renowned Castelia City in the Unova region.


    When ites to Castelia City, one cannot ignore its significant reputation in the Pok��mon world.


    The Unova and Kalos regions joined the League muchter than the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions, meaning they had a shorter history of development. Surprisingly, this didn''t make them weaker; instead, it became their advantage.


    Upon their integration into the League, it was a time of rapid growth for the League in terms of technological and urban development. These two regions adopted a plethora of high-tech and modern designs in their construction, resulting in a highly modernized environment.


    Whether it was town nning, infrastructure development, or economic progress, these regions embraced modernity in the most sensible ways possible.


    Because they started their developmentter and had more significant issues to address from the past, their transformations were thorough. As a result, they surpassed older regions like Hoenn and Sinnoh in terms of modernization.


    On the other hand, regions like Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, which had developed earlier, faced numerous historical and legacy issues. This was particrly true for Kanto and Johto, where these problems gave rise to conflicts that hindered modernization.


    The culmination of modernization in the Unova and Kalos regions was the city of Castelia in the Unova region and the city of Lumiose in the Kalos region. In a short period, these cities reached a level on par with Saffron City in Kanto and Goldenrod City in Johto.


    Castelia City, being the gship of the Unova region, also happened to be itsrgest city and the core of the Unova.


    Castelia City was situated on the mid-penins of the Unova, with a desert to the north and the ocean to the south. It was a vital port city, serving as the Unova''smercial and economic center. Skyscrapers dotted itsndscape.


    As a highly developed city, it possessed a unique trait �C inclusivity. Here, one could see various elements from different regionsing together, cultures intermingling.


    Castelia City''s Gym Leader, Burgh, was a rare Bug-type Pok��mon Trainer, much like Mr. Norman. He, too, was a Gym Leader directly appointed by the League.


    The fact that the League chose Castelia City as the venue for the Gym Leader spotpetition didn''t surprise Yuga at all. It felt like the natural choice, as only a city of this caliber was eligible to host such a nationally significant event.


    The Gym Leader spotpetition was second in magnitude only to the Champion''s Tournament. Furthermore, due to some special circumstances, the Champion''s Tournament was not entirely open to the public, whereas the Gym Leader spotpetition was broadcast in its entirety, garnering even more attention from the public.

 Chapter 474: Arrival

    <h4>Chapter 474: Arrival</h4>


    Yuga and his team departed for Castelia City shortly after thepetition venue was announced. Apart from the need to save time, they wanted to be familiar with thepetition environment as soon as possible.


    This time, not only were some officials from the Verdanturf Town government apanying them, but Mayor Ishida and Liliana were also personally escorting Yuga to Castelia City. This shows the significance they attached to thispetition.


    Yuga brought all ten of his main battling Pok��mon this time. Just to be safe, he also registered his Gengar and Mismagius in his own name, which means they could also be used as Yuga''s Pok��mon in official matches.


    It''s not that Yugacked confidence in his abilities, but this was his first time participating in an official Leaguepetition, and one of this grandeur, so he couldn''t help but feel a bit nervous.


    Apart from the Al region, which doesn''t have Gym Leaders, there are a total of six regions participating in this event. There are countless towns in these regions that don''t have Gym Leaders, so standing out from this crowd won''t be easy. These contestants have been carefully selected elites from various towns.


    Furthermore, Chatot is also traveling with them.


    Originally, Yuga didn''t n to bring it along, but Chatot is just too lively. It has been diligently training during this period and, being naturally fond of excitement, it had been getting restless. When it learned Yuga was heading to the Unova Regions, it insisted oning along to see the world.


    The Unova Regions are located in the western hemisphere of the Pok��mon world, quite far from the Hoenn Regions in the eastern hemisphere. This was Yuga''s first time venturing so far, and it took them three whole days by ne to reach Castelia City.


    As the host of thispetition, the Unova League had arranged uniform amodations for all participating towns from different regions. It''s simr to the athlete vige in League tournaments, where teams from the same region stay close to each other.


    When Yuga and his team arrived, many contestants from the Hoenn Regions were already there, looking confident and eager.


    However, Yuga didn''t know most of these people and couldn''t strike up a conversation with them, so he stayed back.


    But among them, there was one person Yuga remembered - Brawly from the Dewford Town. He was one of the Trainers from the original series'' Hoenn League Eight Official Gym Leaders. Yuga didn''t expect to encounter him here since it seemed that the Dewford Gym had not been established yet.


    Although the Hoenn Regions in the original series only had eight Gyms, in reality, there were far more Gyms in the Hoenn Regions. However, usually, only the top eight stood out and were easily remembered and passed down among Trainers.


    Yuga recalled that Brawly was a Trainer skilled in Fighting-type Pok��mon, and if he made it to the top eight Gym Leaders in the original series, he must have been quite formidable.


    Since Yuga and his team arrived in Castelia City several days before thepetition, they took the opportunity to gather information about the event. While the overall structure of thepetition is simr to past League tournaments, the finer details can differ, making it important to have any advantageous information.


    The main venue for thispetition is the Battle Company Building owned by the Battle Company in Castelia City.


    The Battle Company is arge private enterprise with a strong focus on researching battle items. They are renowned for their impressive Battle Company Building, specifically designed for Trainers to engage in battles. The facility boasts state-of-the-art equipment and is considered one of the most advanced in the Pok��mon world.


    The Battle Company generously offered this venue to the Unova League for thepetition, and they happen to be thergest sponsor for this event.


    The Unova League was more than happy to ept such an offer, saving them a substantial amount of money. They didn''t need to worry about any logistical aspects, as the Battle Company providedprehensive services for thepetition.


    However, the Battle Company is clearly not na?ve. While this sponsorship did cost them, they also took advantage of the League''s reach to broadcast theirpany''s name and reputation through televised broadcasts, reaching every household in the Pok��mon world. For them, this was a profitable deal.


    However, the Battle Company''s battle facility won''t be used until thetter part of thepetition. At the beginning of the tournament, it''s not about Pok��mon battles; the elimination rounds typically take ce in different locations each time.


    With so many towns from various regions participating in thepetition, it''s necessary to narrow down the contestants through the elimination rounds before the remaining ones can enter the Battle Company''s Building for the final Pok��mon battles.


    The specifics of the elimination rounds are usually only revealed on the day of thepetition, so contestants can''t gather much information beforehand.


    The leader for the Hoenn Regions this time, as Mayor Ishida mentioned, is Phoebe, one of the Elite Four Member who recently took office. However, as of now, this Ghost-type Elite Four member has not made an appearance, and it''s unclear if she has arrived in Castelia City.


    In reality, thispetition is also a form of regional rivalry.


    Among the official Leaguepetitions, there are few that are conducted on a regional basis. In other words, Trainers from different regions rarely interact. Events like the League Championships, where Trainers from various regions asionally participate, are considered minor by the League''s higher-ups.


    Therefore, this Gym Leader spotpetition, organized by region, serves as a grand stage for each region to showcase the strength of their Trainers. The leaders chosen to represent each region are individuals with significant influence within the League, such as Phoebe representing the Hoenn Regions.


    In thispetition, the better a region''s Trainers perform, the more prestige that region gains, thus demonstrating their strength.


    After exchanging greetings with Mayor Ishida and the others, Yuga wandered through the residential area with Chatot, attempting to gather information about the other contestants.


    Through these inquiries, Yuga managed to learn quite a bit of useful information.


    For instance, in the Sinnoh Regions, there''s Gardenia, a Grass-type Trainer from Eterna City, Roxie, a Poison-type Trainer from Virbank City in the Unova Regions, Marlon, a Water-type Trainer representing Humu City, Grant, a Rock-type Trainer from Cyge City in the Kalos region, and Vi, a Bug-type Trainer from Santalune City, among others. These Trainers have garnered high praise in their respective regions.


    Furthermore, Yuga encountered a familiar face: Sora.


    Although Yuga had never battled Sora, he had watched Sora''s battle against Robert in the Pok��mon Contest. Sora is undeniably strong.


    He came topete on behalf of the Cypress Town in the Johto region, a ce Yuga had never heard of before. It''s likely quite remote, possibly even less developed than Yuga''s Verdanturf Town.


    From the Pok��mon Sora used and his previous performances, Yuga could tell that he''s a genuinely self-made Trainer. His journey from humble beginnings to his current strength is truly admirable, a testament to the rise of the grassroots.

 Chapter 475: Tower Challenge

    <h4>Chapter 475: Tower Challenge</h4>


    Besides gathering information about some of the participating Trainers, Yuga also learned about the leaders from various regions who were apanying their teams. In the Kanto region, it was Lorelei, one of the Elite Four Member. The Johto region was represented by Gym Trainer Pryce from Mahogany Town, the Sinnoh Regions had Professor Carolina as their leader, and the host, the Unova Regions, was led by Gym Trainer Mr. Drayden from Opelucid City.


    Each leader here was a well-known figure in the Pok��mon world.


    However, Yuga couldn''t find any information about the leader for the Kalos region.


    Over the next few days, Yuga continued to explore Castelia City with Chatot. He asionally ventured out to gather information but didn''te across any significant findings. Nheless, he did manage to pick up some useful information.


    Finally, on the evening before thepetition began, Phoebe, the leader for the Hoenn Regions, made her appearance and summoned all the participants from her region.


    Yuga got to see this Ghost-type Elite Four member in person for the first time, not just through television.


    Although Phoebe appeared as a teenager, she was actually in her twenties.


    Phoebe briefly advised the participants from the Hoenn Regions to give their best and not bring shame to their region. Her speech left a somewhat unreliable impression as she departed in a carefree manner.


    Thepetition officially started the next day, with the opening ceremony taking ce inside the Battle Company''s Building.


    Once all the participants were inside, the Mayor of Castelia City and Gym Trainer Burgh delivered speeches. Following that, each region''s leader offered some words of encouragement to their respective participants. These speeches were mostly ceremonial.


    Yuga finally learned the leader for the Kalos region, Siebold, who represented the Water-type Elite Four, was leading the Kalos team. He wasn''t just a strong Trainer but also a renowned chef.


    After the leaders had spoken, the Mayor of Castelia City announced the rules and details of the elimination rounds.


    The rules for the elimination rounds were quite straightforward: it involved ascending the tower, a unique elimination format devised by the Unova Regions League due to the Battle Company''s special Battle Company Building.


    The tower consisted of 55 floors, each with 200 battle rooms. Contestants would attempt to ascend the tower in groups, earning points based on their performance. The top 100 contestants with the most points would advance to the officialpetition.


    In each battle room on each floor of the tower, Trainers would face off against specially selected Pok��mon from various regional League Day Care Centers. The Pok��mon''s strength in battle increased as contestants ascended to higher floors.


    The Pok��mon used for these battles were carefully chosen, ensuring that the strength of the Pok��mon in each room on the same floor was rtively equal.


    With over 300 participants in thispetition, they would be divided into two groups for the tower challenge, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.


    The first floor of the Battle Company Building served as the viewing area for all the judges. The central hall on the first floor was filled with numerousrge screens, each disying the battle of a contestant in the tower.


    Judges from various regions served as referees, and in addition to judges, there were dozens of recorders tasked with documenting the performance of each participant to prevent cheating.


    Due to thepetition''s format, the elimination rounds wouldn''t be broadcast live. Live broadcasting would onlymence when the officialpetition started, this is different from previous years.


    This decision by the Unova Regions League drew the ire of many citizens, but they remained steadfast in their choice. On the other hand, some citizens supported this decision, stating that the elimination rounds often resulted in chaotic incidents, and it was better to wait for the officialpetition.


    Yuga''s elimination round was scheduled for the second batch, which meant hispetition wouldn''t start until the afternoon.


    The order of participation for the contestants was randomized, and to maintain fairness, the second batch of participants, including Yuga, wasn''t allowed to watch the first batch of contestants tackle the tower. They had to remain in the waiting room until the first batch hadpleted their challenges.


    The wait was long and tedious. Yuga, along with the other participants, spent the morning in the waiting room. Even lunch was delivered to them by the staff. Except for restroom breaks, they weren''t allowed to leave the room, which gave them a sense of confinement.


    Around 2 o''clock in the afternoon, the first batch of participants finished their tower challenges. The staff escorted Yuga and the second batch of contestants to register for their battles. Subsequently, Yuga was led to a room entrance, signifying the start of his tower challenge.


    Yuga knew his tower challenge had officially begun.


    Upon entering the room, Yuga carefully observed his surroundings. It was empty, but spacious, providing an ideal setting for battles.


    Suddenly, the floor at the center of the room cracked open, and a centipede-like Pok��mon, Venipede, ascended slowly. Simultaneously, a voice echoed in the room, "Please use one Pok��mon to defeat the one in front of you."


    Yuga decided to send out his Charmeleon.


    The Venipede''s strength was not particrly formidable, and Charmeleon''s power was more than sufficient to handle it. As the Venipede released a barrage of purple Poison Sting upon Charmeleon''s face, Charmeleon responded with a methrower that incinerated the Poison Stingpletely.


    In response, the Venipede curled into a ball and attempted a rolling attack toward Charmeleon. However, it was swiftly thwarted by Charmeleon''s Fire Punch, sending it flying into a wall, incapacitating it.


    "Congrattions on clearing this stage. Please proceed to the next floor."


    As the Venipede lost its fighting ability, the voice from earlier echoed once more. A door in front of Yuga slowly opened, revealing a staircase.


    Recalling Charmeleon, Yuga ascended the stairs, progressing to the next level. The room on this level was arranged simrly to the previous one. However, this time, he encountered a Sandshrew.


    Facing the Sandshrew, Yuga silently released his Breloom.


    Breloom started with a move called Leech Seed, followed byunching Bullet Seeds one after another, which exploded like "pop pop pop" as they hit the Sandshrew. The Sandshrew quickly sumbed to the assault.


    The Pok��mon appearing on the early floors weren''t particrly strong, allowing Yuga to alternate between Charmeleon, Breloom, and Ivysaur to easily ovee them.


    These Pok��mon came in various types, ranging from the initial Venipede and Sandshrew toter encounters like Mankey, Raticate, Staravia, Kricketune, Buizel, and others. They not only differed in type but also hailed from various regions.


    Though their strength gradually increased, it wasn''t particrly formidable overall.


    However, when Yuga reached the eleventh floor, the Pok��mon''s strength suddenly escted significantly.


    The Pok��mon on the eleventh floor was a unique Ground-Dark type Pok��mon from the Unova Regions - Krokorok. Its strength far surpassed the previous ten Pok��mon encountered.

 Chapter 476: Taking the Spotlight

    <h4>Chapter 476: Taking the Spotlight</h4>


    ncing at the Krokorok for a moment, Yuga released his Bellossom.


    The Krokorok''s Intimidate ability seemed to startle Bellossom upon its appearance, but Bellossom quickly adjusted.


    Due to her prolongedpanionship with Absol, Bellossom had developed strong resistance to Intimidation. Furthermore, Bellossom primarily relied on special attacks, making Intimidate''s effects limited.


    After sending out Bellossom, the Krokorok forcefully lunged forward, using its Bite attack. It moved like a bullet, aiming directly for Bellossom.


    Bellossom was highly skilled in evasion due to her extensive training, especially to enhance her performance in moves like Quiver Dance.


    Faced with Krokorok''s Bite attack, Bellossom gracefully dodged to the side, brushing against Krokorok''s body. Then, she threw a bright yellow orb into the sky, and in an instant, the weather changed to Sunny Day.


    Under the influence of Sunny Day, Bellossom''s speed doubled, and Krokorok couldn''t keep up.


    Bellossom then danced gracefully, avoiding Krokorok''s attacks while using Quiver Dance to strengthen herself. In the end, Krokorok fell to the powerful energy ballsunched by Bellossom.


    Watching Krokorok lying on the ground, panting heavily, Yuga thought it might have exhausted itself chasing Bellossom.


    After defeating Krokorok, Yuga didn''t recall Bellossom. Instead, he continued through the tower with her. Floor by floor, Bellossom consistently executed Quiver Dance, and by the time she reached the limit of sixyers, her special attack, special defense, and speed had all reached their maximum potential. When her health was low, she used Giga Drain to recover from the opponent or relied on Grassy Terrain for continuous healing.


    Throughout the 55 floors of the tower, each participant could use a maximum of twelve Pok��mon, equivalent to two teams. Yuga had precisely twelve Pok��mon, including Gengar and Mismagius.


    During the challenge, participants could adjust the order of their Pok��mon strategically. However, except during battles, they couldn''t use recovery moves to heal their Pok��mon during intervals.


    For example, Yuga couldn''t use Chimecho''s Heal Pulse to recover Bellossom''s health as they moved from one floor to another. Still, if Chimecho participated in a battle, it could use healing moves on itself and its allies if they were allowed to be on the same team.


    Fortunately, Bellossom could create Grassy Terrain and utilize Giga Drain to recover her health during the transition periods, giving Yuga a significant advantage in a contest focused on attrition. Pok��mon with recovery moves had a substantial edge in this type of challenge, but they were rtively rare, leaving most participants without such luck.


    Because Bellossom grew stronger with each battle, Yuga''s progress through the tower was rapid. In no time, he had left most of the other participants behind, and his performance was clearly disyed on therge screens in the first-floor hall, catching the attention of the referees.


    "You folks from Hoenn have another promising talent," Lorelei remarked to Phoebe.


    In the previous batch of matches, Phoebe''s performance had also been impressive, and now, with Yuga''s performance, Hoenn stood out among the six regions.


    In contrast, the contestants from the Kanto region, although performing decently, didn''t have anyone particrly outstanding.


    Phoebe smiled in response to Lorelei''sment but didn''t say much.


    Siebold added, "It seems like this young trainer specializes in Grass-type Pok��mon. I wonder if he has a mentor or any background in this field. Do any of you know him?"


    Yuga had been using Grass-type Pok��mon since the beginning of the challenge, except for his initial use of Charmeleon, which was why Siebold raised this question.


    Drayden and Pryce, sitting beside Siebold, both shook their heads, indicating they didn''t know Yuga.


    At this moment, Professor Carolina spoke up, "When ites to Grass-type trainers, Hoenn has one..."


    Although Professor Carolina hadn''t finished her sentence, everyone present knew exactly who she was referring to: Mr. Kuni''o, the eldest among the four Masters.


    Professor Carolina was not only a renowned Pok��mon professor but also Cynthia''s grandmother, hailing from the Celestica People lineage, which had its share of prestigious individuals. With the wealth of knowledge about Master-level Trainers, she was well-informed.


    Drayden spoke up, "This child can''t be rted to Mr. Kuni''o. If they were, there would be no need for them to participate in apetition like this."


    The others nodded in agreement, finding Drayden''s logic quite sound.


    "You''re all mistaken," Phoebe chimed in suddenly. "This individual is indeed Mr. Kuni''o''s disciple, and in fact, his only disciple."


    While Mr. Kuni''o taking Yuga as his student hadn''t been publicly announced, he hadn''t concealed the fact either. Furthermore, Mr. Kuni''o often sent Yuga items and supplies, so this matter wasn''t exactly a secret among the Hoenn League''s higher-ups, including Phoebe, who was one of the Elite Four members.


    Although they all understood the situation, none of them had approached Yuga. Mr. Kuni''o was allowing Yuga to grow independently, and the others respected that.


    Phoebe''s revtion surprised the group.


    "I see," Sieboldmented.


    During their conversation, Yuga continued to progress through several more floors with Bellossom. Therge screen corresponding to Yuga disyed Bellossom''s radiant performance, easily defeating a Liepard with a single dazzling gleam move.


    At this point, no one was surprised by Yuga''s speed in clearing the tower. As the disciple of a Master-level Trainer, his excellence was expected, and even if he performed exceptionally, they wouldn''t be astonished.


    Pryce added, "It seems Mr. Kuni''o''s legacy will continue."


    Pryce was the oldest among this group, having previously served as the Ice-type Elite Four member in the Johto region. After retiring from that position, he became a Gym Leader in Mahogany Town. However, in the presence of Mr. Kuni''o, he remained a junior, considering Mr. Kuni''o''s advanced age.


    Gym Leader Pryce," Phoebe added with a smile, "the participant named Sora from your Johto region in the previous batch also performed admirably."


    Phoebe''sment was met with a simple nod from Pryce, who was known for his reserved demeanor.


    In the previous batch of matches, Johto''s Sora, Kalos''s Grant, Unova''s Roxie, and Hoenn''s Gardenia all showcased remarkable talents. In this batch, Kalos''s Vi, Unova''s Marlon, and Hoenn''s Yuga were currently leading the pack.


    Among these participants, Yuga was the youngest, which initially surprised the referees, but they soon realized that the overall performance of these Trainers was impressive.


    Only the Kanto and Sinnoh regions didn''t have any standout participants, but they were notgging behind the other regions. They simplycked exceptionally prominent contestants.

 Chapter 477: Plucking Feathers

    <h4>Chapter 477: Plucking Feathers</h4>


    Unbeknownst to Yuga, the conversations among the referees in the first-floor hall continued. At this moment, on the 21st floor, Yuga and his Bellossom were locked in a fierce battle.


    Upon reaching the 21st floor, the strength of the Pok��mon once again experienced a significant surge. Even though Bellossom had enhanced itself to its peak condition, it was still struggling against the opponent''s Pok��mon.


    During thepetition, a Trainer couldn''t afford any failures. Even a single defeat meant they would be halted on the floor where they failed.


    Currently, Bellossom was facing a proud Male Unfezant from the Unova region. Its magnificent crown feathers gave it an imposing appearance.


    Bellossom had already activated Sunny Day, boosting its speed to the maximum. While this allowed it to avoid immediate danger from the Male Unfezant, it was still unable to deal with the opponent effectively.


    Male Unfezant, with its flying advantage, agilely dodged Bellossom''s attacks and resisted the Grass-type moves that Bellossom excelled in.


    The strength of this Male Unfezant was not significantly lower than Bellossom''s, or else Yuga wouldn''t have sent Bellossom out despite knowing it would be at a disadvantage due to type matchups.


    The problemy in the Male Unfezant''s extensive battle experience. It even knew how to treat Bellossom as a "kite," using its extraordinary agility to make Bellossom helpless.


    In this situation, Yuga suddenly had an idea. Since Male Unfezant relied on its agility, why not make it lose this advantage?


    His mind raced, and Yuga''s inspiration struck.


    Yuga: "Bellossom, keep using Sweet Scent."


    Male Unfezant relied on its agility, and Yuga''s n was to deprive it of this agility.


    Following Yuga''smand, Bellossom began to dance gracefully. Subsequently, a series of pink smoke emanated from the two red flowers on its head.


    As Bellossom''s dance grew faster, the pink smoke in the battle room became denser. The air was filled with a sweet fragrance, making even Yuga feel a bit dizzy, struggling to concentrate.


    Male Unfezant faced the same situation. As it inhaled the sweet and thick aroma, its body began to slow down.


    It shook its head while flying and then attempted to use Gust to blow away the pink smoke, hoping to regain its mobility.


    In an open environment or outdoors, Male Unfezant''s approach would have been effective. Flying-type Pok��mon could easily disperse these kinds of mist or powder-based attacks just by pping their wings.


    However, they were in a battle room, a confined space. No matter how hard Male Unfezant tried to use Gust, the pink mist wouldn''t dissipate. Instead, it dispersed evenly throughout the air due to the rapid airflow.


    With every breath, Male Unfezant inhaled more of the sweet fragrance, causing its mind to grow hazier, and its movements became increasingly sluggish.


    "Bellossom, now''s the time! Use Petal Blizzard!" Yuga eximed.


    In response to Yuga''smand, Bellossom gathered numerous tiny leaves around its body, then manipted them like a colossal dragon, rolling towards Male Unfezant.


    Within this green tornado, flecks of brown powder were mixed in, enveloping the unsteady Male Unfezant, rolling it into the vortex of leaf des and powder.


    At this moment, the Male Unfezant seemed as if it had been tossed into a high-speed spinning washing machine. It was getting dizzy and disoriented. When it inhaled the brown powder mixed in with the green leaves, its body jolted as if it had been electrocuted, partially clearing its foggy mind.


    When the Petal Blizzard finally ceased, the Male Unfezant "thudded" to the ground. Yellow electric sparks continued to flicker across its body. Its wings and legs were twitching uncontrobly.


    As it turned out, Bellossom''s Petal Blizzard had contained a considerable amount of Stun Spore. While being tossed around in the storm, Male Unfezant inhaled an excessive amount of Stun Spore, causing it to fall into a paralyzed state.


    Due to the overdose of Stun Spore, Male Unfezant was nowpletely immobile, only ring angrily at Yuga and Bellossom.


    Observing the pitiful state of the Male Unfezant, Yuga couldn''t help but smirk.


    "Alright, Bellossom, give it a few more Magical Leaves right on its face," Yuga grinned maliciously. "Let''s see if it dares to re at me."


    The motionless Male Unfezant, unable to react, appeared on the verge of fainting from sheer frustration. It seemed to be thinking, "Who are these people? Is he a devil?"


    Even Bellossom seemed resigned as it nced at its Trainer and proceeded to generate a multicolored glow around its two hands. Then, it yfully swiped at the Male Unfezant''s face with the glowing hands, inundating its head with a dazzling radiance.


    One minuteter, the signal for clearing the level resounded.


    "Congrattions on clearing the level. Please proceed to the next floor immediately."


    Yuga, along with Bellossom, ascended the stairs to the next level. Meanwhile, the Male Unfezant left in the battle room hadpletely passed out. Its once splendid plumage was now in disarray, with scattered feathers strewn across the floor. Especially its elegant crown feathers had disappeared without a trace.


    The pitiable appearance of the Male Unfezant looked as if it had been... well, seen and heard, it left one heartbroken.


    Walking up the stairs to the next level, Yuga looked at his slightly panting Bellossom and said, "You''ve fought so many battles already. Let''s give other teammates a chance on the next floor."


    Bellossom nodded in agreement without trying to be overly assertive. The previous battle against the Male Unfezant had been quite challenging, and without Yuga''s clever strategy, it would have surely lost.


    Seeing Bellossom''s consent, Yuga retrieved it into its Pok�� Ball.


    After recalling Bellossom, Yuga looked at the two long, red feathers in his hand and thought, "Why did I even pluck these?"


    With that in mind, Yuga casually tossed the two red feathers aside.


    If the Male Unfezant were here, it would have definitely cried itself into oblivion. Those were its most prized crown feathers, crucial for securing a mate. And yet, they were plucked and thrown away so carelessly. Life was indeed tough.


    Leaving behind the defeated Male Unfezant, Yuga ascended to the next floor. To his surprise, he encountered a Water-type final evolution Pok��mon from the Hoenn region, Swampert.


    It just goes to show that this officially organized majorpetition, hosted by the League, did indeed bring out the starter Pok��mon. However, they appeared as tools.


    Staring at the Swampert before him, Yuga quietly released Roserade.


    This Swampert''s strength was significantly higher than the Male Unfezant on the previous floor. Even with a fourfold type advantage, Yuga doubted that Bellossom could defeat this Swampert.

 Chapter 478: The Mighty Swampert

    <h4>Chapter 478: The Mighty Swampert</h4>


    The Pok��mon that appear in the room have been given prior notice and won''t immediately attack challengers upon entering the battle room. Instead, they wait for the room''s prompt before taking action.


    Upon entering the room, a familiar prompt sounded, just like before.


    "Please use one Pok��mon to defeat your opponent."


    Without hesitation, Yuga released his Roserade.


    Swampert is a Water and Ground-type Pok��mon, and it''s quadruply weak to Grass-type Pok��mon. So, Yuga had a significant advantage.


    The moment Roserade was released, Swampert swung its fist, which was asrge as a cooking pot, towards Roserade.


    Seeing the ice-blue energy surrounding Swampert''s fist, Yuga was somewhat surprised. This was a Swampert capable of using Ice Punch.


    Yuga: "Roserade, use Grass Knot."


    Upon hearing themand, Roserade released a green seed from the flowers on its hands, whichnded right under the rapidly approaching Swampert''s feet.


    The green seed took root uponnding and quickly transformed into vines, entangling one of Swampert''s hind legs, causing the sprinting Swampert to tumble unceremoniously.


    Grass Knot was a move that Yuga taught Roserade after making it his primary battling Pok��mon. It was designed to prevent opponents from getting too close to Roserade.


    Roserade''s abilities and skills were distinct from Yuga''s other three Grass-type Pok��mon: Bellossom, Breloom, and Ivysaur.


    Bellossom had a different focus due to its signature move, Quiver Dance. It ced a strong emphasis on training its evasion during battles. Coupled with its ability, Chlorophyll, it had remarkable speed. When faced with enemy attacks, it could easily dodge them.


    Breloom followed a more battle-centric approach. Its Poison Heal ability, paired with a Toxic Orb, allowed for continuous recovery during battles. Inbat, it relied on close-quartersbat with moves like Drain Punch. It supplemented its health with moves like Leech Seed, making it a relentless brawler that didn''t rely on defense or evasion.


    Ivysaur took a defensive route. Its final evolution, Venusaur, possessed decent defensive capabilities. Utilizing abilities like Chlorophyll and Power Whip, it bnced defense with counterattacks. While it shared abilities with Roserade, the training methods were entirely different.


    However, Roserade was in a unique position. It couldn''tpete with the speed of Bellossom, which had Chlorophyll. It couldn''t match the defensive capabilities and sustainability of Ivysaur. It also couldn''t engage in close-quartersbat like Breloom. Its role was to prevent enemies from approaching and excel in rangedbat.


    "Roserade, take this opportunity and use Toxic," Yuga called out as Swampert was immobilized by Grass Knot.


    Roserade understood themand and rapidly secreted a substantial amount of venom from the two bright red flowers on its hands. It then sprinkled the venom onto Swampert''s body.


    Swampert was instantly afflicted by badly poisoned, and its skin turned purple inrge patches. Poisoning and badly poisoned were essentially the same here, with the only difference being the extent of venom erosion.


    Swampert endured the painful effects of the toxins, attempting to get up from the ground to approach Roserade. However, as soon as it took a step, it let out a miserable scream. It turned out that Roserade hadid a Toxic Spikes in front of it. For Swampert, already in a state of badly poisoned, stepping into the Toxic Spikes was akin to adding fuel to the fire.


    Terrified, Swampert retracted its left foot, feeling extreme difort all over its body, causing its movements to be sluggish. Even as a Ground-type Pok��mon, known for its resistance to Poison-type moves, Swampert recoiled in fear against Roserade''s badly poisoned and Toxic Spikess. It dared not approach further.


    Swampert resorted to using ranged attacks against Roserade, but Roserade had no fear of long-range battles. This was its forte.


    Swampert''s first move was to employ Mud Bomb. Clumps of muddy projectiles,den with moisture, spewed from Swampert''s mouth and shot towards Roserade.


    Roserade, with an expression of disdain, casually flicked several energy balls that promptly dispersed all the iing mud bombs.


    And so, the two Pok��mon engaged in an intense long-range battle.


    Swampert''s specialty wasn''t special attacks, but it was Roserade''s forte. Each had its own strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, under the constant erosion of toxins, Swampert quickly found itself falling behind.


    Finally, after enduring several energy balls, Swampert copsed.


    "Well done, Roserade," praised Yuga.


    Apart from their usual training battles in the ecological garden, this was Roserade''s first formalpetition, and it had performed exceptionally well.


    Receiving Yuga''s praise, Roserade felt quite pleased inside, although its calm demeanor didn''t disy its joy on the surface. It simply nodded in response to Yuga.


    Yuga had been with Roserade for quite some time, so he understood its personality well. He wasn''t bothered by its reserved attitude, and through his special ability to sense Roserade''s emotions, he knew it was feeling quite happy at the moment.


    With Swampert defeated, Yuga continued descending through the stairs that appeared, proceeding to the next challenge.


    In the subsequent challenges, the strength of the Pok��mon continued to increase, but there wasn''t another significant spike in difficulty like when transitioning from the 10th to the 11th floor or from the 20th to the 21st floor. Thus, Yuga continued to rely on Roserade to ovee them.


    What surprised Yuga was that on floors 21, 22, and 23, they encountered the Starter Pok��mon of Hoenn, starting with Swampert, followed by ziken and Sceptile.


    Immediately after, on floors 24, 25, and 26, they faced the Starter Pok��mon of Sinnoh: Empoleon, Infernape, and Torterra.


    Floors 27, 28, and 29 featured the Starter Pok��mon of Unova: Oshawot, Tepig, and Snivy.


    With these Pok��mon alternately appearing, Roserade found it increasingly challenging to cope. If it weren''t for its powerful Poison Point abilities, which allowed it to poison these Pok��mon one after another, it would likely have fallen. After all, aside from its Grassy Terrain move, Roseradecked the strength-draining capabilities like Bellossom, which can absorb their opponents'' power.


    As Yuga spected whether the 30th-floor Pok��mon would be the Starter Pok��mon of the Kalos region, what appeared before him was a petite Ribombee.


    Unlike the other Pok��mon they encountered, this Ribombee didn''t immediatelyunch an attack upon seeing Yuga and Roserade. Instead, it gracefully danced in the air.


    Yuga found this Ribombee''s behavior rather peculiar.


    Ribombee was native to the Al region, but there were no participants from Al in thispetition. Previously, he had only encountered Pok��mon from the six regions: Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos.


    ording to previous introductions, the guarding Pok��mon were sourced from various regional Pok��mon Day Care Center. Yuga hadn''t expected to encounter an Aln Pok��mon among them.

 Chapter 479: Truce

    <h4>Chapter 479: Truce</h4>


    Yuga didn''t underestimate this petite Ribombee because he could tell at first nce that this Ribombee was stronger than the nine starters that had appeared before.


    However, Ribombee showed no intention of attacking Yuga and Roserade. Even though the battle prompt had already sounded in the battle room, Ribombee remained unfazed.


    Ribombee flew over to Roserade''s head andnded there, squatting for a moment before dramatically falling to the ground.


    "Ribombee!"


    Ah, I can''t battle!


    Yuga deduced this meaning from the sound when Ribombee copsed.


    Yuga watched Ribombee lying motionless on the ground, asionally peeking at him and Roserade through half-closed eyes.


    What''s going on? Yuga''s face disyed a big "confused."


    After about three minutes, a notification sounded in the room.


    "Congrattions on passing the level. Please proceed to the next one."


    Generally, if a guarding Pok��mony on the ground without moving for three minutes, it would be automatically considered a defeat.


    (_) What''s happening?


    Yuga was happy that he didn''t have to battle to advance to the next level, but why? Winning a match without a clear reason left him puzzled.


    Not only was Yuga baffled, but the judges closely observing him in the first-floor hall were also perplexed.


    Lorelei: "What''s going on? Why didn''t that Ribombee want to battle?"


    "I don''t know."


    Other judges shook their heads, except for Professor Carolina, who looked at Yuga and Ribombee on the screen with a pensive expression.


    "Ribombee is a Pok��mon that can sense the emotions of Trainers and other Pok��mon."


    "You mean that Ribombee is unwilling to fight Shimizu Yuga and Roserade because it sensed their moods?"


    Dreydan asked in surprise.


    Professor Carolina thought for a moment and said, "What if Shimizu Yuga has a special ability, simr to Mr. Kuni''o''s power?"


    Lorelei: "You mean something like the Viridian Power?"


    Professor Carolina nodded.


    "Yes, this ability enhances a Trainer''s affinity. If this Shimizu Yuga has the same ability as Mr. Kuni''o, then Ribombee''s behavior makes sense."


    Mr. Kuni''o''s unique abilities had been known for quite some time, and it wasn''t a well-kept secret. Although people didn''t have a deep understanding of this ability, some of its effects were known.


    All four master-level trainers possessed special abilities. The Elder of the Dragon n had the power to control dragons, the Elder of Celestica People possessed extraordinary strength, and the Vige of Dragons Matriarch had the power of dragons within her. These abilities were well-known among the privileged and influential.


    Inparison, Mr. Kuni''o''s rtively unknown, his special ability was perhaps the most mysterious among the four masters.


    Drayden: "No wonder this young man was taken as a disciple by Mr. Kuni''o. It''s not just natural talent; there''s an inheritance of abilities involved."


    Drayden was an experienced Trainer from Vige of Dragons, despite serving as a Gym Leader in Opelucid City. He understood the concept of abilities very well.


    Others disyed knowing expressions, including Phoebe.


    Although Phoebe was one of the Elite Four of the Hoenn Region, besides knowing in advance that Yuga was Mr. Kuni''o''s disciple, she didn''t possess more information than the others. Therefore, after Professor Carolina revealed the reason, she was greatly surprised.


    Phoebe: "Professor Carolina, you truly deserve your reputation. You are far ahead of us juniors."


    Professor Carolina shook her head modestly.


    "Just lived a few decades more, that''s all. When you reach my age, you''ll naturally gain more knowledge."


    Everyone knew this was just Professor Carolina''s humble way of speaking. Except for her, the rest were all Trainers, and unlike Professor Carolina, they didn''t have extensive research into various Pok��mon. They specialized in their respective fields, and age didn''t matter; "professor" was not an empty title.


    Speaking of age, Gym Leader Siebold was only slightly younger than Professor Carolina, and Gym Leader Pryce was even older than Professor Carolina. None of them had expected the unique nature of Ribombee.


    Yuga still didn''t realize that his background was almostpletely exposed to these knowledgeable judges.


    Despite hearing the sess prompt for clearing the level, Yuga didn''t rush to leave the current battle room and head to the next level. Instead, he crouched down and stared at Ribombee lying on the ground.


    Feeling Yuga''s intense gaze, Ribombee couldn''t stay down any longer and suddenly leaped into the air.


    "Ribombee!"


    Why aren''t you leaving yet? Lying down is so ufortable!


    Ribombee pped its transparent wings, put its hands on its hips, and sulkily eximed to Yuga.


    "Sorry about that."


    Yuga smiled and apologized to Ribombee.


    "Ribombee!"


    Oh my, you can understand me?


    Ribombee was startled to hear Yuga''s words.


    Yuga: "Yes, I can understand."


    "Ribombee."


    You scared me.


    Ribombee patted its chest with a small hand, taking a long sigh of relief.


    "Why didn''t you battle me and just surrendered?"


    Yuga asked in confusion.


    "Ribombee."


    Of course, because you''re a good person!


    Ribombee quickly fluttered its wings and danced joyfully around Yuga''s head.


    "I''m a good person?" Yuga was amused by Ribombee''s antics. "How do you know I''m a good person?"


    "Ribombee, Ribombee."


    I just know!


    Ribombee stopped on top of Yuga''s head, raised its chin high, and had the expression of "I know everything."


    Although Yuga couldn''t see Ribombee''s face, he could guess its current expression from its tone.


    "Just because you think I''m a good person, you let me pass. Aren''t you afraid of punishment after thepetition ends?"


    "Ah... Ribombee..."


    No... no way...


    Ribombee looked horrified after hearing Yuga''s words, as if it was about to cry.


    "Alright, I won''t ask you anymore. I''m going to the next level. You stay here and be good. Anyway, thank you."


    Yuga turned and headed towards the stairs after saying this.


    "Ribombee, Ribombee."


    Don''t go, don''t go! Let''s have a battle first before you go!


    Ribombee shouted after Yuga.


    "But just now, you were already dered defeated. Even if we battle now, it won''t change anything."


    Yuga turned back and said helplessly to Ribombee.


    "Ribombee, Ribombee."


    Then what should I do? I don''t want to be punished.


    Ribombee''s antennae drooped, and it looked dejected.


    Yuga shrugged and said, "I don''t know either."


    ncing at Yuga, Ribombee made up its mind and flew straight to the top of Yuga''s head, sitting down.


    "Ribombee, Ribombee."


    I don''t care anymore. I''m following you now. You have to take responsibility; I didn''t battle because of you.

 Chapter 480: Offense and Defense

    <h4>Chapter 480: Offense and Defense</h4>


    Yuga found himself in an unexpected situation with Ribombee sitting on his head. Would it be considered cheating if the Guardian Pok��mon followed the challenger? Yuga couldn''t help but wonder.


    He shook his head vigorously and continued towards the next level. What''s there to fear? I haven''t cheated in any way.


    In the lobby on the first floor:


    Siebold asked uncertainly, "Does this count as clearing the level?"


    Lorelei replied, "Based on his performance with Ribombee just now, our assumptions should be correct."


    "He cleared it. He made Ribombee surrender through his own abilities, and he wasn''t aware of it in advance. There''s no reason not to count it as clearing," said Pryce, who hadn''t spoken much until now. As a veteran Elite-level trainer, the others held his opinion in high regard.


    "What about Ribombee that followed him?" Siebold hesitated to ask. This Ribombee was from their Kalos Region''s Day Care Center, and seeing it follow someone else was quite a delicate situation for Siebold.


    Drayden sighed and said, "Let''s leave it for now. We can decide after thepetition is over."


    ording to the patterns of the previous levels, Yuga knew that the strength of the Pok��mon on level 31 would have increased significantly. Relying on Roserade wouldn''t be enough, especially considering how tired Roserade already was. So, Yuga recalled Roserade back into its Pok�� Ball.


    On level 31, Yuga encountered a Leafeon, just as he had guessed earlier. This Leafeon was much stronger than the Pok��mon he had faced earlier.


    Without hesitation, Yuga released his Vivillon, who was much stronger than this Leafeon. Vivillon didn''t even need to use Quiver Dance to enhance its abilities; a few powerful Gust attacks were enough to defeat Leafeon.


    "Ribombee!"


    You''re so strong!


    Ribombee, sitting on Yuga''s head, looked at Vivillon with admiration.


    Both being Bug-type Pok��mon, Ribombee could easily sense Vivillon''s immense strength.


    "Vivillon."


    Thank you for thepliment.


    "Now you know that even if you battled against me, you wouldn''t stand a chance," Yuga said to Ribombee with a smile.


    "Ribombee, Ribombee."


    Yes, yes, I didn''t expect you to be this strong. You''re amazing!


    Although Ribombee''s words were directed at Yuga, its eyes were fixed on Vivillon, almost sparkling with admiration.


    Not only was Ribombee amazed by Vivillon''s strength, but the judges in the first-floor lobby, who had been keeping an eye on Yuga, were also astonished by Vivillon''s abilities.


    They hadn''t expected that the disciple of Mr. Kuni''o, who specialized in Grass-type Pok��mon, would have Non-Grass-type Pok��mon that surpassing even his own Grass-types Pok��mon.


    Among them, only Phoebe wasn''t too surprised. Although Yuga hadn''t participated in many publicpetitions, his name was known among many trainers in the Hoenn Region, especially due to the Zapdos incident.


    So, while Phoebe might not have known everything about Yuga, she was familiar with the basics.


    As Yuga progressed past level 30, he left most of the other participants far behind. The strength of the Pok��mon on levels 30 and above had already surpassed those encountered earlier. Most of the first batch of participants were stuck at level 30, and the second batch that continued the tower challenge now made up less than one-fifth of the initial number.


    While the Battle Company Building was said to have 55 floors, no one expected any participants to actually reach the 55th floor. For example, in the previous batch of participants, the top performer was Grant from the Kalos Region, but he only managed to reach the 42nd floor.


    Among Yuga''s group, Yuga was currently making the fastest progress, having reached the 34th floor. Following closely behind him were Unova''s Marlon, and Vi from the Kalos Region, who were on the 31st and 32nd floors respectively.


    However, once Yuga released Vivillon, his tower ascent speed increased significantly. After all, Vivillon''s strength was on apletely different levelpared to Bellossom and Roserade.


    Simr to Bellossom, Vivillon fought while using Quiver Dance to enhance its abilities, making its progress through the levels even faster. When Marlon and Vi were struggling below the 35th floor, Yuga had already reached the 38th floor with Vivillon.


    From the 31st to the 38th floor, Yuga encountered Leafeon, reon, ceon, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Espeon, Umbreon, and Sylveon.


    He wasn''t sure if other participants faced a simr pattern of Pok��mon, but if they did, Yuga had great admiration for the League''s meticulous nning.


    In the 38th floor, a Sylveon shimmering with iridescent light lunged forward at Vivillon, who was flying in mid-air.


    In front of Vivillon, a massive whirlwind quickly formed, chaotic gusts of Flying-type energy swirled within the vortex. It immediately sucked in the charging Sylveon, dispelling the Dazzling Gleam that had enveloped it.


    When the whirlwind formed by the raging move dissipated, the Sylveon was brutally thrown against the wall. The impact created a resounding crash that made Yuga wince.


    Seeing the adorable Sylveon being treated this way, Yuga felt a pang of guilt, but for the sake of thepetition, they couldn''t hold back.


    The Sylveon had decent Special Defense, and after enduring this fierce attack, it shook its head and struggled to its feet. However, its body was covered in painful-looking wounds.


    The Sylveon red at the unscathed Vivillon hovering in the air with indignation, vowing to make Vivillon pay for its audacity. How could someone face such a cute Pok��mon and use such heavy-handed tactics!


    The delicate ribbons on Sylveon''s head and neck suddenly extended, resembling ropes as they entwined toward Vivillon.


    Vivillon was highly agile. An invisible Light Screen instantly appeared in front of it, deflecting those pink ribbons.


    Vivillon rarely used defensive skills. Like Bellossom, it usually relied on evasion or counterattacks rather than defensive abilities. In this regard, it was entirely different from Chimecho and Florges.


    Chimecho and Florges typically relied on defensive skills to withstand their opponents'' attacks, supplemented by healing skills for recovery. Their physical attributes meant they couldn''t rely on agile evasion.


    Chimecho was somewhat better off since it could use Teleport, but Florges had no such capability.

 Chapter 481: Double Battle

    <h4>Chapter 481: Double Battle</h4>


    As the pink ribbons of Sylveon were repelled by the Light Screen, they were met with a golden Electro Web.


    The Electro Web crackled with golden electricity,pletely enveloping Sylveon. It was pinned to the ground, unable to rise for some time, while the electrical currents running through the made its body numb.


    Thest sight Sylveon saw before losing consciousness was the gigantic tornado that had been hurtling towards it.


    Seeing that Vivillon easily defeated a Sylveon with much greater strength, Ribombee''s eyes sparkled even brighter.


    "Ribombee, Ribombee!"


    Idol, idol, you''re so amazing!


    Ribombee, like a cheerful little bee, pped its dainty wings and circled around Vivillon, flying up and down.


    "Vivillon, Vivillon."


    Ah, it''s nothing special.


    Vivillon felt a bit embarrassed by Ribombee''s exaggerated expressions and theatrics, so it put on a stoic face.


    Once they reached the 30th floor and beyond, the strength of the defending Pok��mon was now on par with Vivillon. They all had excellent stats. However, they are not as good as Vivillon in terms of cultivation, so it is quite easy for Vivillon to deal with them.


    This is the biggest difference between Pok��mon with trainers and Pok��mon without trainers.


    These defending Pok��mon were bred by various breeding facilities, and they were known as "bred Pok��mon."


    Although these bred Pok��mon were trained to maintain their best condition, they couldn''tpete with the experience and battle skills of dedicated trained Pok��mon, like Vivillon.


    "Alright, let''s move on to the next floor quickly," Yuga said, shaking his head in resignation at Ribombee''s fervent admiration for Vivillon.


    On the 39th and 40th floors, Yuga encountered a Flying-type Scyther and a Pinsir. These two Pok��mon were slightly stronger than Sylveob, and they were now on par with Vivillon in terms of level.


    As Bug-type Pok��mon, the average Vivillon would have difficulty facing off against Scyther and Pinsir. However, Yuga''s Vivillon was different. Not only was it exceptionally talented, but it had also consumed the Enchanted Honey made by Vespiqueen. Its overall conditions were just as good as Scyther and Pinsir.


    Defeating Scyther and Pinsir wasn''t challenging for Vivillon. While the levels of these Pok��mon were simr, Vivillon had a significant advantage in terms of potential, skills, and type effectiveness.


    Originally, ording to Yuga''s estimate, the strength of the Pok��mon on the 41st floor and beyond should have seen a substantial increase. However, on the 41st floor, he was greeted by a Nidoking and a Nidoqueen.


    "Please use two Pok��mon to defeat the Pok��mon before you," a prompt sounded as Nidoking and Nidoqueen appeared.


    Yuga waspletely caught off guard as he hadn''t expected a double battle on the 41st floor. Both Nidoking and Nidoqueen had statistics that were on par with Sylveon on the 38th floor, and they were weaker than the Scyther and Pinsir on the 39th and 40th floors.


    However, double battles emphasized the coordination between two Pok��mon. Perhaps the Nidoking and Nidoqueen before him were a couple, and their strong bond could make their teamwork more effective.


    Upon hearing the prompt, Nidoking and Nidoqueen simultaneously roared angrily at Yuga, their intimidating appearances trying to unnerve him.


    Facing two Poison-type Pok��mon, Yuga immediately released his Chimecho. Chimecho was a Psychic-type Pok��mon and had a clear advantage against Poison-types. Additionally, its ability, Levitate, made it immune to Ground-type moves, further solidifying its position in this battle.


    Upon seeing that Yuga''s Chimecho and Vivillon were prepared, Nidoking and Nidoqueen opened their mouths and unleashed Ice Beam. These two beams quickly merged together and headed towards Vivillon, who was vulnerable due to her Flying type, which was weak against Ice type attacks.


    These two Pok��mon were well aware of type advantages and didn''t use Ground type moves against Vivillon and Chimecho, the first onw had a Flying type and the second one had Levitate ability. So, they opted for Ice type moves, exploiting Vivillon''s vulnerability towards Ice-type moves.


    In response, Chimecho swiftly moved in front of Vivillon as soon as she noticed the iing Ice-type beams. Countless transparent Light Screen instantly converged like shimmering fish scales, dividing the entire battle room into two sections. Vivillon and Chimecho were on one side, while Nidoking and Nidoqueen were on the other.


    The quality of the Light Screens used by Vivillon and Sylveon in their battles paled inparison to the professional-grade Light Screens created by Chimecho. Upon witnessing this scene, Vivillon couldn''t help but admire Chimecho''s incredible control. While Vivillon was also capable of creating Light Screens, she understood the level of mastery required for the situation at hand.


    Nidoking and Nidoqueen''s double Ice Beam attacks were easily blocked by Chimecho''s Light Screens and dissipated harmlessly.


    As Chimecho held up the Light Screens, Vivillon''s eyes gleamed with a deep Violet light. After the Light Screens were erected by Chimecho, two psychic beams shot toward Nidoking and Nidoqueen like sharp des.


    While the Light Screens in front of Chimecho continued to shimmer, they blocked the Ice Beam attacks from Nidoking and Nidoqueen but didn''t obstruct Vivillon''s psychic onught against them.


    Being Poison-type Pok��mon, Nidoking and Nidoqueen were weak to Psychic-type moves. Although they managed to raise their arms to block Vivillon''s psychic attack, they couldn''t escape unscathed. The injuries were unavoidable.


    Frustrated by their failed ranged attacks, Nidoking and Nidoqueen roared and lifted their sturdy hind legs, charging towards Vivillon and Chimecho for a physical confrontation.


    However, Vivillon had no intention of letting these two colossal beasts engage in closebat. She quickly released numerous Electro Web, which spread across the entire floor of the battle room in no time.


    While the Electro Web created by Vivillon couldn''t harm the Ground-type Nidoking and Nidoqueen, they effectively restricted their movements.


    Electric-type Pok��mon typically producedsposed of pure Electric-type energy. In contrast, Bug-type Pok��mon like Vivillon Electro Web with small amounts of Electric-type energy attached to their own silk threads. While the damage inflicted by Bug-type Pok��mon''ss was not as potent as those created by Electric-type Pok��mon, they could serve unique purposes in certain situations.


    Electro Web from Electric-type Pok��mon simply dissipated upon contact with Ground-type Pok��mon. In contrast, Bug-type Pok��mon''ss could stick to Ground-types, even though the Electric-type energy dissipated. In such cases, the function of Bug-types resembled that of Sticky Web.


    It''s worth noting that the Electro Web move was a technique rarely learned by any Pok��mon outside the Electric and Bug types.

 Chapter 482: A Tie Game

    <h4>Chapter 482: A Tie Game</h4>


    Nidoking and Nidoqueen stood on the Electro Webs, which didn''tpletely immobilize them but made their movements extremely difficult. In this situation, they couldn''t mount any counterattacks against the flying Vivillon and levitating Chimecho.


    Both Nidoking and Nidoqueen had notoriously short tempers. Feeling frustrated by their inability to move freely, the umted anger inside them drove them to want to tear Chimecho and Vivillon apart.


    Initially clear-headed, Nidoking and Nidoqueen became reckless. As if connected telepathically, they simultaneously opened their mouths, and countless ice and snow erupted from them. In no time, a violent blizzard engulfed the entire battle room.


    Yuga hadn''t anticipated that these two irritable Pok��mon were skilled in Ice-type moves. They not only knew Ice Beam but alsomands over Blizzard.


    "Vivillon, Hurricane! Chimecho, Psychic!" Yuga shouted loudly to his Pok��mon.


    Vivillon nodded, and numerous Flying-type energies surged within her. Shortly, a hollow whirlwind centered around Vivillon spread outward, creating a calm zone in the middle where Vivillon and Chimecho stood.


    Once the whirlwind formed, Chimecho emitted a vibrant purple light, and a powerful surge of psychic energy infused into the whirlwind. The whirlwind began emanating purple energy fluctuations.


    Under this coordinated action, all the blizzards were kept at bay by the whirlwind charged with Flying and Psychic energy. Vivillon and Chimecho remained unharmed.


    Thisbination of Hurricane and Psychic was a move Yuga adapted based on what he had seen in the anime of Ash Ketchum using it with Latias, Latios, and Rayquaza to battle Hoopa and Six Legendary Pok��mon.


    However, at that time, Rayquaza didn''t use Hurricane; it used Dragon Ascent. Of course, Rayquaza doesn''t learn Hurricane, even though it''s a Legendary Pok��mon.


    Although Vivillon and Chimecho''s versioncked the grandeur of that battle, they were facing only Nidoking and Nidoqueen, not Hoopa and six Legendaries.


    Driven by anger, Nidoking and Nidoqueen continued to unleash blizzards even when it became apparent that the attack was ineffective. Countless pale snowkes continued to rage in the battle room.


    If it weren''t for the protection provided by the Dream Eater within the shadow, Yuga would have likely frozen in the onught of this relentless blizzard.


    "Vivillon, Chimecho, expand the whirlwind!" Yugamanded.


    Within the whirlwind''s center, Vivillon and Chimecho began controlling it to expand outward continuously. Eventually, Nidoking and Nidoqueen were engulfed by the whirlwind.


    The two massive beasts were relentlessly sliced by the whirlwind infused with Flying and Psychic energy. Their once sturdy armor showed numerous cracks.


    By the time the whirlwind dissipated, Nidoking and Nidoqueen had already lost consciousness.


    This Hurricane and Psychicbination move proved to be both formidable defensively and offensively.


    However, it was clear that executing thisbination move required exceptional coordination and imposed a significant mental strain on the Pok��mon.


    While both Vivillon and Chimecho could use Hurricane and Psychic individually, neither of them could perform thisbined technique alone.


    With Nidoking and Nidoqueen resolved, Yuga continued forward to the next level.


    In the lobby on the ground floor, the judges, witnessing Yuga''s use of thisbination move to subdue the enraged Nidoking and Nidoqueen, gained a renewed appreciation for his skills.


    "This kid''s potential knows no bounds," Lorelei remarked with a sigh.


    The participants from the Kanto region have been performing rather unremarkably so far. Therefore, after witnessing Yuga''s impressive performance, Lorelei couldn''t help but feel a bit envious of the Hoenn region.


    Of course, the Kanto region''s currentckluster performance doesn''t mean they are inferior to others. It''s just that among the younger generation, they are currently falling slightly behind.


    Currently, the youngest Champion in the Kanto region is Lance, and no one doubts his future achievements. However, Lance hailed from the Johto region, creating a somewhat delicate situation.


    Upon hearing Lorelei''s words, the other judges nodded in agreement.


    However, the one who appeared to be the least concerned here was Professor Carolina. This was because she had a granddaughter, Cynthia, who had already gained fame throughout the Sinnoh region.


    Cynthia was not only a source of pride for Professor Carolina but also for the entire Celestica People lineage. She was regarded as a prodigious Trainer and the chosen sessor to the position of Celestica People Elder. In Professor Carolina''s eyes, although Yuga was undoubtedly exceptional, there was still a gap whenpared to her own granddaughter.


    At this point, Yuga continued to lead the second batch of contestants, trailing just one level behind the top performer from the first batch, Grant.


    As Yuga had spected, starting from the 41st level, all the Guardian Pok��mon came in pairs.


    The Guardians of the 42nd level consisted of an Arcanine and a kazam. These two Pok��mon were far stronger than the previous Nidoking and Nidoqueen, and they disyed excellent teamwork.


    One of them focused on offense while the other provided support. Their roles were clearly defined, and they emphasized tactical coordination during the battle.


    kazam, known for its high intelligence, had sacrificed its decent attack capabilities to function solely as a support Pok��mon, leaving the offensive role to Arcanine, which had impressive Special and Physical Attack stats. Even facing the Flying advantage of Vivillon and the levitating ability of Chimecho, Arcanine proved more than capable.


    kazam focused entirely on defending Arcanine, allowing it to unleash relentless attacks without concern. Crimson mes ravaged the battlefield, and the heatwave raised the room''s temperature several degrees. After several rounds of intense bombardment, scorch marks covered the walls.


    Yuga also noticed that this Arcanine knew moves like re Blitz and Wild Charge. If it weren''t for the fact that its physical attacks couldn''t reach Chimecho and Vivillon due to their positioning, Yuga suspected it might have fought even more recklessly.


    In the end, it was Chimecho who utilized her trump card, trapping Arcanine firmly within a Gravity Field, leading to the defeat of this fiery opponent.


    With Arcanine gone, kazam, which excelled only at support, lost its utility and, as expected, was defeated.


    At this point, Yuga''s performance officially tied with Grant, who had been the top performer among the first batch of contestants.


    Upon reaching the 43rd level, Yuga encountered a challenge that Grant had failed to ovee �C a pair of Pok��mon: a Swift Swim Ludicolo and a Drizzle Pelipper.


    This level had been where Grant''s journey hade to a halt, which wasn''t surprising.


    Grant specialized in Rock-type Pok��mon, most of which were heavyweight and often paired with Ground-types. When faced with agile Water-type Pok��mon, Grant''s team had struggled significantly due to type disadvantages.

 Chapter 483: The Menacing Hydreigon

    <h4>Chapter 483: The Menacing Hydreigon</h4>


    For Grant, encountering the level that proved to be his Waterloo was not as challenging for Yuga as he had anticipated.


    Undoubtedly, these two Rain Dance-boosted Pok��mon coordinated their efforts skillfully and demonstrated excellent teamwork. However, against Pok��mon that relied on tactics like Vivillon and Chimecho, dealing with them was rtively easier for both Vivillon and Chimecho.


    The Swift Swim Ludicolo, benefiting from its Swift Swim ability in the rain, exhibited remarkable speed and increased attack prowess. It posed a significant threat to most Pok��mon, but not to Chimecho, a Psychic-type Pok��mon with exceptional abilities.


    Confronted by the cheerful Ludicolo, which hopped around happily, Chimecho efficiently neutralized its advantage with a single Skill Swap, rendering it ineffective.


    This Skill Swap, learned by Chimecho and Mismagius, it was acquired after the fusion with Deoxys''s energy core. Following this fusion, Chimecho''s Psychic abilities became unparalleled among Psychic-types. Learning Psychic moves was a breeze for her, making her the most versatile Pok��mon in Yuga''s lineup.


    Chimecho didn''t exchange her Levitate ability for Swift Swim; it wouldn''t make sense since Levitate was essential for her aerial mobility. Instead, she swapped Ludicolo''s Swift Swim ability with Vivillon, allowing Vivillon to make the most benefit of Pelipper''s Drizzle ability.


    The trade left Ludicolo bewildered as the Drizzle ability served no purpose for it. There was no doubt that they were outmatched in the battle.


    As the journey through the tower continued, both Vivillon and Chimecho grew more confident and resilient. Being two of the Flower Field Sisters, their coordination was impable.


    Yuga sessfully passed 50 levels, reaching the 51st floor. By this point, the other contestant, Marlon, had been halted at the 44th floor, while Vi was still struggling on the 42nd.


    Marlon specialized in Water-type Pok��mon, which allowed him to easily defeat the level 41 and 42 Guardians, which consisted of Nidoking, Nidoqueen, and the Swift Swim Ludicolo. Facing Water-type Pok��mon was his strong suit, and it presented no significant challenge.


    However, on the 44th floor, he encountered a pair of Meowstic, Psychic-type Pok��mon known for their incredible teamwork. These twins, a male and a female, had an exceptional synergy, surpassing even the coordination seen between Gardevoir and Gade on the 50th floor.


    As for Vi, her situation was more unfortunate. She was a Bug-type Trainer and had no Pok��mon like Chimecho that could adapt to different situations effectively. Confronted with the aggressive onught of Arcanine on the 42nd floor, she found herself overwhelmed, unable to fight back.


    Among the remaining contestants, Marlon had long since exited thepetition as per the expected oue. Only Vi was still in the tower, enduring her challenging ordeal. This left Yuga as thest man standing.


    After facing more than ten consecutive challenges, Vivillon and Chimecho showed signs of fatigue. Therefore, before moving on from the 50th floor, Yuga decided to recall both Pok��mon to their Pok�� Balls. He was uncertain about the challenges that awaited on the 51st floor.


    Upon reaching the 51st floor, Yuga noticed the room''s floor splitting apart. Subsequently, a menacing Pok��mon emerged.


    As it entered the battle room, this Pok��mon spread its wings, hovering in mid-air with its six dark eyes fixated on Yuga.


    Only one Pok��mon appeared, and no second Guardian followed. Nevertheless, even the presence of this lone Pok��mon was enough to leave Yuga awestruck.


    ...


    <<hydreigon>> </hydreigon>


    Type: Dark/Dragon


    Ability: Levitate


    Potential: Blue


    Gender: Male


    Level: 59


    Moves: Outrage, Hyper Voice, Tri-Attack, Dragon Rage, Focus Energy, Dragon Breath, Bite, Dragon Pulse, Scary Face, methrower, Dark Pulse.


    ...


    Indeed, standing before Yuga was a Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon unique to the Unova Region, Hydreigon. Notably, this one had an Blue Potential, and one step away from pseudo-Elite level.


    Generally, the evolution level for a Hydreigon was quite high, typically at level 64. However, this particr one evolved before level 60. Yuga suspected that the League must have a special method to facilitate early evolutions for Hydreigon.


    However, this time Yuga''s guess was entirely off the mark. This Hydreigon originated from the Unova Region''s Vige of Dragon, the very ce where Master Matriarch resided. Its ability to evolve prematurely was attributed to the unique power of Vige of Dragon called Dragon Force.


    Seeing Yuga staring at it without taking any action for quite some time, Hydreigon, known for its impatience and true to its name, let out an angry roar.


    This time, the battle wasn''t a Double Battle. The recent hint suggested that Yuga should use one Pok��mon to defeat Hydreigon in front of him.


    Seeing Hydreigon growing impatient, Yuga quickly released his Pok��mon, Florges.


    When dealing with a Dark and Dragon-type Hydreigon, there was no better choice than a Fairy-type like Florges. Both of Hydreigon types was restrained by Florges type.


    As soon as Florges entered the field, Yuga''s firstmand was for her to create a Misty Terrain. Florges, often cast in the role of a Grass-type Pok��mon, was now reiming the dignity of a Fairy-type Pok��mon.


    The pink mist dispersed across the entire battle room, resembling dry ice on a stage, and soon covered the entire area. Hydreigon, sensing the ufortable presence of Fairy-type energy, snorted in annoyance. It then unleashed a Dark Pulse toward Florges.


    Indeed, Dark-type moves were not ideal for Florges. However, this Hydreigon was exceptionally proud, preferring to use its well-practiced Dark-type moves over other types. In the face of the iing ck, ring-shaped energy, Florges remainedposed. Suddenly, a silver crescent moon appeared behind her, and Fairy-type energy rapidly gathered. Subsequently, a silvery beam of energy collided with the Dark Pulse, with both moves appearing evenly matched.


    While Florges might have been outmatched in terms of level, the immunity of Fairy-types against Dragon-types held firm. Hydreigon was unable to utilize its Dragon-type moves due to Florges''s resistance,bined with the presence of the Misty Terrain.


    In the real world, attribute immunities do exist. Whether it''s Dark against Psychic, Steel against Poison, or Fairy against Dragon, if the difference in strength is too vast, these attribute immunities will broken.


    If Florges was facing an Elite level Hydreigon at this moment, let alone multipleyers of Misty Terrain, when confronted with Dragon-type moves from Hydreigon, Florges would still be at a severe disadvantage.


    The type immunities between Florges, with only a few level differences, and Hydreigon would remain unbreakable.


    Florges''s use of the Misty Terrain wasn''t intended to weaken Hydreigon''s Dragon-type moves, as it was naturally immune to them. Instead, it was meant to disrupt Hydreigon''s temperamental disposition.


    Hydreigons were inherently short-tempered, and when surrounded by the Fairy-type energy they detested, their emotions and thoughts would be disturbed, tipping the situation in favor of Florges.


    Of course, the Misty Terrain also effectively prevented Hydreigon from inflicting status conditions through moves like Tri-Attack.

 Chapter 484: Outrage

    <h4>Chapter 484: Outrage</h4>


    Seeing their attacks effortlessly blocked by Florges, Hydreigon grew increasingly displeased. Wave after wave of Dark Pulse surged towards Florges.


    However, Florges was no pushover. She concentrated colorful auras in her two hands, steadily expanding them into two colorful barriers that repelled all the Dark Pulse.


    This was a unique application of Dazzling Gleam by Florges, turning what was originally an offensive skill into a defensive one.


    Of course, this technique might not be effective against attacks of other attributes, but it was a perfect counter against dark and dragon-type abilities. Florges didn''tpletely block the attacks like a Light Screen; instead, she used her fairy-type energy to neutralize them.


    Passive defense wasn''t Florges''s style. After repelling all the Dark Pulse from Hydreigon, a pink whirlwind turned into razor-sharp des and sliced through them, catching it off guard and nearly knocking it to the ground.


    The power of the Fairy Wind was not overwhelming, even with type advantage. It didn''t inflict substantial damage on Hydreigon.


    It wasn''t that Florges didn''t want to use the more potent Moonst, but using that ability hastily was impossible.


    Taking advantage of Hydreigon'' momentary confusion, Florges rapidly conjured another burst of Fairy Wind, striking it on the heads. Causing Hydreigon howled in pain.


    Subsequently, two energy whips, formed from the Fairy Wind, were controlled by Florges''s left and right hands,shing repeatedly at Hydreigon'' heads��left, middle, right.


    Though the Fairy Wind''s power was not exceptional, being struck dozens of times left Hydreigon in disarray.


    Even Yuga was shaken by Florges''s aggressive disy. He realized he should think twice before provoking Florges; she could be quite formidable.


    Hydreigon were driven to the brink of madness by Florges''s relentless attacks. When Florges finally stopped, it activated Bite and charged recklessly.


    However, as it closed in on Florges, green vines appeared out of nowhere and tightly bound their three heads. With a forceful pull, Hydregion were sent crashing to the ground.


    Unknown to them, the misty terrain''s effect had dissipated at some point. Seeing the enraged state of Hydreigon, Florges changed the terrain to Grassy Terrain.


    Florges had precise control over the size of the Grassy Terrain. It formed a small circle around her feet, ensuring no idental healing for the evil dragons. The vines that restraining Hydregion extended from the Grassy Terrain beneath Florges.


    Florges had honed her ability to use Grass Knot,bined with her exceptional control over grass-type energy within the Grassy Terrain. This allowed her to create a unique binding skill. Roserade''s Grass Knot was inspired by Florges, but it could only scratch the surface of what she could achieve.


    At this point, Hydreigon felt like they were about to explode. They struggled to break free from the vines around their necks but found that no matter how many they snapped, more grew in their ce.


    Finally, Hydreigon couldn''t take it anymore. Their eyes turned crimson, and their power surged. In an instant, they broke free from the vines and flew into the air.


    Yuga recognized this state; it was the Outrages. His own Charmeleon possessed this ability, but he rarely allowed it to be used in battles. This was because when Charmeleon used this move, it would loseplete control over itself.


    While the move was indeed powerful, its side effects were equally substantial. Moreover, these side effects were unavoidable, and what trainers could do was help their Pok��mon minimize the duration of these side effects.


    Because after using this ability, Pok��mon not only lost their rationality but also disyed self-destructive behavior.


    For instance, Pok��mon with strong control might lose their rationality after two or three uses, while those with weaker control might lose it after just one. The difference was substantial.


    Yuga''s Charmeleon could only use it once.


    Seeing enraged Hydreigon charging straight at Florges, she attempted to halt it assault by using Moonst. However, the column of light formed by the Moonst was effortlessly dispersed by it.


    Though Moonst''s interception failed, it did leave wounds, though Hydreigon in their Outrages state were now devoid of sensation and couldn''t feel the pain.


    With Moonst ineffective, Hydreigon plowed into Florges, sending her flying. The Grassy Terrain she controlled at her feet vanished instantly.


    Normally, Outrages, a dragon-type move, wouldn''t harm Florges, a fairy-type Pok��mon. But Outrages was a physical attack, and the impact generated by Hydreigon'' high-speed movement still had an effect. That''s why Florges was sent flying.


    However, this purely physical impact without energy attached caused minimal damage to Florges. Afternding, she gracefully and promptly stood back up.


    Hydreigon, despite taking a direct hit, didn''t immediately descend into confusion. Instead, they turned and charged at Florges once more.


    Under normal circumstances, it wouldn''t have acted this way. Because it knew that even if it hit Florges, the damage from Outrages would be limited. Hydreigon had some semnce of reason. But in their current berserk state, rational thought eluded thempletely.


    Florges couldn''t tolerate Hydreigon'' audacity. As it charged towards her again, she summoned Moonst once more, delivering a direct Moonst to the middle head of Hydreigon.


    While Hydreigon were formidable in their attacks, their defenses werecking. After enduring numerous Fairy Winds and two Moonsts, it couldn''t hold on any longer and copsed to the ground.


    Seeing Hydreigon finally fall, both Yuga and Florges breathed a sigh of relief.


    Despite maintaining the upper hand, Florges had expended significant energy. Just controlling the Grass Knots that Hydreigon kept snapping consumed immense energy. At this point, Florges was panting lightly.


    Florges defeating Hydreigon left the first-floor judges astounded. Even with the type advantage, this was a remarkable feat. They had never anticipated anyone passing the 50th floor, and from the 51st-floor guardian alone, they could tell it was a pseudo-Elite level guardian.


    "Remarkable, absolutely remarkable,"mented Drayden, stroking his bearded chin. He was well aware of the strength of Hydreigon since he had brought them here.


    The other judges had to admit that Mr. Kuni''o certainly knew how to choose his apprentices.


    Leaving the 51st floor behind, Yuga ascended to the 52nd floor. However, when heid eyes on the guardian waiting there, he nearly uttered a curse. Before him stood an authentic pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, a Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon: Tyranitar.


    Without any surprises, Yuga was defeated by this green behemoth. Even though Yuga''s Pok��mon were capable of battling beyond their usual limits, they couldn''t ovee the Pseudo-Elite barrier.


    Yuga chose not to send out Gengar and Mismagius, not just because it might be impossible for them to win, but also because he didn''t want to reveal his trump cards too early. His performance on the 51st floor was probably sufficient to secure his advancement in the preliminary rounds.


    Yuga, unaware of his rankingpared to others of his age, but he didn''t realize that his performance had not only secured him the top spot in the preliminary rounds but also left the judges in disbelief.

 Chapter 485: Announcement

    <h4>Chapter 485: Announcement</h4>


    Exiting the battle room, Ribombee perched on Yuga''s head was still buzzing with excitement. Watching the battle between Florges and Hydreigon filled it with pride as a Fairy-type Pok��mon.


    "Ribombee, Ribombee," it eximed.


    It was so impressive, truly impressive.


    Ribombee tugged on Yuga''s hair and kept muttering. Perhaps due to its simple nature, it couldn''t articte its emotions beyond "impressive."


    Yuga had a bit of aint in his mind as he returned from the 52nd floor. He couldn''t help but remark on thest guardians, Hydreigon and Tyranitar. They were just too much to handle. It was easy to imagine that the next three floors would all feature pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon as guardians.


    When he returned to the waiting room, Liliana and Mayor Ishida were already waiting inside. After both batches of contestants had finished their matches, apanying personnel were allowed into the Battle Company Building.


    Because the preliminary rounds were conducted in a closed state, apart from the judges and staff, nobody knew the match results. So as Yuga entered, Mayor Ishida was nervously asking, "How''s the match going?"


    Yuga frowned and replied, "Entering the main tournament should be no problem."


    To be honest, he didn''t know his ranking among the contestants, but he believed that even if he didn''t rank at the top, he should have no trouble advancing to the main tournament.


    After all, the strength of thest guardians had reached pseudo-Elite level, and considering the age of these contestants, there couldn''t be many trainers who had achieved pseudo-Elite strength at this stage.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Mayor Ishida breathed a sigh of relief. He didn''t expect Yuga to achieve a high ranking. As long as he secured the ce allocated for the Gym, even if it was thest ce, Mayor Ishida would be satisfied.


    At this moment, Chatot on the side suddenly noticed Ribombee perched on Yuga''s head. pping its wings, it flew up to Ribombee and asked, "Where did this little onee from?"


    Because Chatot didn''t like staying inside the Pok�� Ball, it had followed Mayor Ishida and Liliana during Yuga''s matches.


    Ribombee, being an insect after all, was startled when it saw the approaching Chatot. However, upon hearing Chatot call it a little one, it immediately became unhappy.


    "Ribombee!"


    Who are you calling a little one!


    "Heh, not very big in size, but quite a temper," chuckled Chatot.


    Ribombee ced its hands on its hips, red at Chatot with big eyes, and then realized it probably couldn''t win against Chatot. It sighed and settled back into Yuga''s hair in a huff.


    After dedicating a considerable amount of time to rigorous training at home,bined with the double benefits of experience and potential, Chatot''s strength had not fully returned to its pseudo-Elite level. However, at the very least, in terms of levels, it was now on par with Florges and the others. So, in a matchup between Chatot and Ribombee, thetter would undoubtedly face certain defeat.


    After reaching level 50, Chatot''s leveling rate had slowed significantly. That''s why it had tagged along with Yuga this time to enjoy some leisure time. Now that it has no worries, Chator can live a very wanton life every day.


    Just then, a voice came through the speakers on the waiting room wall.


    "The preliminary round results have been announced. Contestants can check the results on therge screen outside the Battle Company Building or log in to the ���������� website for inquiries."


    The announcement repeated several times before Yuga turned to the others and said, "Let''s go check the match results."


    Mayor Ishida and Liliana nodded eagerly. They were already eager to go outside and see the results.


    And so, no one paid much attention to the sudden appearance of Ribombee.


    Outside the Battle Company Building''s main entrance, there was arge screen used for promoting and ying recordings of matches held inside. The screen covered an entire wall and was quite substantial. When Yuga and his group arrived, many contestants and onlookers had already gathered to check the match results.


    Yuga''s photo and name were prominently disyed at the top, followed closely by Marlon from the Unova Region and Grant from the Kalos Region.


    Next were Roxie and Sora, who had both reached the 42nd floor before being stopped at the 43rd. They shared the same number of floors cleared as Grant, but Grant had the advantage in terms ofpletion time, so they were ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.


    Vi, unfortunately, couldn''t make it past the 42nd floor and ended up in sixth ce, followed by Brawly in seventh.


    These were the contestants who had advanced past the 40th floor. The rest hadn''t made it beyond the 40th floor.


    The match results only revealed rankings without specifying the contestants'' exact scores. So, when Yuga saw his ranking, he was genuinely surprised. He had assumed someone would reach the final stage, but he didn''t expect that his achievement of reaching the 51st floor would be the best.


    Yuga usually didn''t pay much attention topetitions, and he had limited interaction with people his age. It was challenging for him to gauge his strength among his peers. Geniuses like Robert and Sabrina were not suitable benchmarks.


    The previous participants from Verdanturf Town hadn''t been able to pass the preliminaries, so Mayor Ishida didn''t know what level of strength was needed to advance in the preliminaries. That''s why Yuga had pushed so hard and ended up securing the first ce.


    In reality, being first in the preliminary round didn''t necessarily mean he was the strongest among these contestants. The rankings here weren''t important; it was merely a selection for the main tournament. It was difficult to guarantee that other contestants didn''t have hidden abilities, and Yuga hadn''t given his all either.


    So when Yuga saw that he was first in the preliminary round, he didn''t feel overly excited.


    "Hey, have you heard of this person named Shimizu Yuga?"


    "I haven''t heard of him. I''ve only heard of Marlon and Roxie from our Unova Region."


    "Me too, me too. By the way, how many floors did you clear? I made it to..."


    Regardless of Yuga''s actual circumstances, being in the first ce always attracted attention. Both spectators and participants were discussing Yuga, but they were from different regions, so they hadn''t heard of Shimizu Yuga''s name. On the other hand, the contestants from Hoenn region knew Yuga, even if they didn''t have much of a connection with him. After all, living in the same area, they were aware the name.


    They originally thought that Hoenn''s best performer would be Brawly, but unexpectedly, the suddenly emerged Shimizu Yuga came out of nowhere and snatched the first ce.


    Of course, there was no jealousy among them. They understood that whoever came in first was the first. They knew their own abilities, and regardless of who took the top spot, it didn''t concern them directly. After all, this was still a Hoenn person, so even if someone from their group came in first, it would still be a matter of pride for them.

 Chapter 486: Return

    <h4>Chapter 486: Return</h4>


    When Mayor Ishida learned that Yuga had taken first ce in the preliminary round, he was about to jump for joy. He knew thispetition was in the bag.


    While winning the overall championship wasn''t guaranteed, securing a spot was almost certain. The qualifying tournament had been held for many seasons, and it wasmon for the first-ce finisher in the preliminary round not to win the championship. However, not even securing a spot in the finals was unheard of.


    If the first-ce finisher in the preliminary round couldn''t secure a spot, it would be a massive joke!


    Mayor Ishida beamed with joy, and Liliana was equally thrilled. She had always believed in Yuga, but she didn''t expect him to bring her such a surprise.


    Many people at the scene recognized Yuga, and discussions about him spread. However, they didn''t approach him, and Yuga paid no attention to the whispers and curious nces.


    "Let''s go, I''ll treat you all. Let''s celebrate properly."


    Mayor Ishida waved his hand enthusiastically and invited Yuga and Liliana. His excited expression,bined with his bald head, was truly amusing.


    Yuga agreed without hesitation; he was genuinely hungry. After an afternoon of non-stop battles, both his physical and mental energy were depleted.


    So, Mayor Ishida chose a rtively upscale restaurant and led Yuga and Liliana inside.


    While Yuga was now considered well-off, he rarely dined in such high-end restaurants, so he looked around with curiosity.


    As they were about to enter a private dining room, a voice suddenly called out to Yuga. When Yuga turned around, he saw a blond youth looking at him.


    "Are you calling me?"


    Yuga immediately recognized the youth who had stopped him; they had met at the opening ceremony in the morning. It was Siebold, the Water-type Elite Four from the Kalos Region.


    Apanying Siebold was Phoebe, the Ghost-type Elite Four from the Hoenn Region. However, Phoebe didn''t speak; she merely nodded slightly as a form of greeting.


    "Of course."


    Siebold smiled and approached Yuga, with Phoebe following closely behind.


    Mayor Ishida and Liliana were astonished when they saw Siebold and Phoebe heading their way. They couldn''t fathom how Yuga had any connection to Siebold.


    Meanwhile, Ribombee, perched on Yuga''s head, tried to hide as much as possible upon seeing Siebold. It shrank into Yuga''s hair, attempting to minimize its presence.


    "Do you have something to discuss with me, Mr. Siebold?"


    Yuga asked, puzzled.


    In response, Siebold pointed to Yuga''s head. Yuga instantly understood Siebold''s intent. It was all about this Ribombee, the one Yuga had unintentionally "kidnapped."


    Yuga reached out to take Ribombee off his head, but he found that the Ribombee was clinging tightly to his hair, unwilling to let go. It almost pulled out some of Yuga''s hair.


    Siebold: "You''re noting back yet? How long are you nning to stick around!"


    Startled by Siebold''s reprimand, the Ribombee reluctantly let go, flew down, and approached Siebold.


    As it flew, the Ribombee nced back at Yuga with teary eyes, as if pleading for help. Yuga could only shrug, conveying his inability to intervene.


    After all, the Ribombee is not his own Pok��mon. Yuga has already vited the rules by taking it out of the battlepany building. How can he still have the right to plead for mercy now?


    Siebold hadn''t brought the Ribombee''s Pok�� Ball with him because he hadn''t expected to encounter Yuga at this restaurant. So, he allowed the Ribombee to perch on his shoulder, unfazed by its sobbing expression.


    After retrieving Ribombee, Siebold, the Water-type Elite Four, said to Yuga, "Alright, I won''t disturb your meal any longer. You go ahead and enjoy."


    Yuga nodded and, along with Mayor Ishida and Liliana, turned to leave.


    Phoebe, the Ghost-type Elite Four apanying Siebold, hadn''t uttered a word during the entire encounter. She continued to watch Yuga''s departure without saying a word.


    Siebold quipped, "What''s wrong? Not going to exchange a few words with the talented Trainers from your Hoenn region?"


    Phoebe remained silent, still fixated on Yuga''s retreating figure.


    Phoebe sensed a faint Ghost-type Pok��mon aura from Yuga, though it was extremely subtle. She found it peculiar and believed that this young Trainer might be hiding some unknown trump card.


    Yuga''s Shadow had indeed regained the Ghost World Origin Stone energy after it sucked clean by Marshadow before, but he was no longer worried about being detected by other Ghost-type Pok��mon or people.


    When Marshadow had departed, it not only improved the potential of Gengar and Mismagius but also ced a seal on Yuga''s Shadow. Now, no one could sense the abnormalities in Yuga''s Shadow.


    Despite Marshadow adding an extrayer of security, the prolonged exposure to Ghost-type Pok��mon left traces of Ghost-type attributes on Yuga. This was what Phoebe, the Ghost-type Elite Four, had detected.


    It was only when Yuga''s group hadpletely disappeared from sight that Phoebe, apanied by Siebold, entered a private room.


    Back in their own private room, Mayor Ishida and Liliana, out of curiosity, inquired about Ribombee. Yuga didn''t conceal anything and exined the whole situation.


    After hearing Yuga''s ount, Mayor Ishida and Liliana were utterly astounded. They couldn''t believe the strange turn of events. It wasn''t just about a Guarding Pok��mon not doing its duty; it actually ran off with a Trainer. It was truly unheard of.


    After enjoying a good meal, once they returned to their amodation, Yuga released all his Pok��mon from their Pok�� Balls.


    Except for Dragonair and Absol, all his Pok��mon had participated in battles today, leaving them quite tired. Yuga gave them Pok��blocks to recover, and then he used his special ability to give them all a thorough massage to relieve their fatigue.


    After finishing the massages for his Pok��mon, Yuga returned them to their Pok�� Balls, allowing them to rest. By now, the evening had descended.


    Yuga went to the balcony and spotted Brawly feeding a burly Hariyama in the small garden outside.


    Brawly looked up just as Yuga appeared on the balcony, and he greeted him with a smile. "Congrattions on winning the preliminary round."


    Yuga returned the smile. "Congrattions to you too for making it through the preliminaries. Best of luck in the main tournament."


    Although they knew each other, they weren''t particrly close, so their exchange remained brief. After Brawly finished feeding his Pok��mon, he retreated to his room.

 Chapter 487: Sisters

    <h4>Chapter 487: Sisters</h4>


    The day after the preliminary rounds concluded, there was a rest day before the official tournament began. This break was necessary because once the official matches began, they would be broadcasted worldwide, requiring thorough preparations by the Unova League organizers and the local battlepany.


    Additionally, the battles in the preliminary rounds had been intense, and many participating Trainers needed time to recuperate.


    With no matches to participate in, Yuga decided to explore Castelia City with Chatot. He felt that since he was in the Unova Region, he shouldn''t miss the chance to visit itsrgest city.


    Castelia City boasted numerous skyscrapers, making Verdanturf Town look like a remote countryside inparison.


    "Oh, isn''t this Mr. Shimizu?" As Yuga was heading to try the famous Castelia ice cream, he heard someone call his name from behind.


    Turning around, Yuga saw a girl with a camera in hand, riding a Gogoat towards him at a leisurely pace.


    "Who are you?" Yuga couldn''t recall her name, but he vaguely remembered her as Vi''s sister. The encounter with her was what had prompted Ash to travel to the Kalos Region.


    Seeing Yuga''s puzzled expression, Alexa introduced herself, "I''m Alexa, a journalist. By the way, my sister Vi is also participating in the Competition, just like you."


    Yuga, recalling her name, nodded and asked, "Hello. Is there something you wanted to discuss with me?"


    Alexa waved her hand dismissively, chuckling, "No, no, just didn''t expect to bump into the Champion of the preliminary rounds on the street. It''s a professional habit of mine."


    Yuga understood her role as a journalist, so he didn''t mind her approach and didn''t hold it against her.


    "By the way, my sister is visiting the Castelia Gym. Would you like to join us? Since you''re aiming to be a Gym Trainer too, it might be a good learning experience."


    Alexa suddenly remembered something and suggested this to Yuga.


    Vi and the Castelia Gym''s Gym Leader, Mr. Burgh, specialized in Bug-type Pok��mon, and Vi wouldn''t miss an opportunity to learn from an expert in her field.


    Yuga considered for a moment and then agreed to Alexa''s proposal. He hadn''t visited many Gyms besides Mr. Moore''s Lavaridge Gym, Mr. Norman''s Petalburg Gym, and Sabrina Saffron Gym. Exploring and learning from different Gyms was a valuable experience.


    Alexa said, "Great, let''s go together. Do you have a ride Pok��mon? If not, you can ride on my Gogoat. Walking there might take a while."


    Yuga replied, "I do."


    With that, Yuga released his giant Absol and signaled for it to lower itself so he could mount it.


    Seeing the colossal Absol, Alexa couldn''t hide her amazement. "How did you manage to raise an Absol this big? It must eat quite a lot, doesn''t it?"


    Indeed, Absol had grown significantly during this period. It now stood at nearly eight feet tall, a true behemoth. Luckily, its growth seemed to have halted recently; otherwise, Yuga would have faced some challenges.


    Despite itsrge size, Absol had a substantial appetite, consuming about three to four times more food than before. Fortunately, Yuga could afford to feed it.


    Riding on such a colossal Pok��mon drew the attention of many passersby, and Yuga received numerous admiring nces.


    The Castelia Gym was located in the city center. With Alexa guiding the way, Yuga arrived at the Gym''s entrance swiftly.


    After dismounting from the Gogoat, Alexa had a brief conversation with the staff at the Gym''s entrance. Then, she turned to Yuga and said, "Let''s go in. We''re allowed to enter now."


    Yuga recalled Absol into its Pok�� Ball and followed Alexa into the Castelia Gym.


    As Yuga entered the interior of the Gym, he realized that the entire Castelia Gym was built within an Ecopark.


    Inside this Ecopark, lush vegetation flourished, and various Bug-type Pok��mon inhabited the trees. There were not only the native Bug-type Pok��mon of the Unova Region, like the Sewaddle line and Venipede line, but also Bug-types from other regions, including Caterpie, Weedle, and Wurmple.


    Yuga even asionally spotted rarer Bug-type Pok��mon like Scyther and Heracross darting through the foliage.


    Yuga couldn''t help but marvel at the wealth of the Castelia Gym. Even though it was considered a rtively weak Bug-type Gym, it was beyondparison with regr Gyms. It was rare for any Gym to be built within an Ecopark like this.


    Moreover, Mr. Burgh, the Gym Leader, was a formidable Trainer in his own right, deserving of overseeing such an important Gym in Castelia City.


    Following Alexa deeper into the Ecopark, Yuga could hear sporadic sounds of battles from within.


    After traversingyers of lush nts, Yuga and Alexa arrived at a battle arena. In the arena, a Vivillon and a Leavanny were engaged in a fierce battle.


    The Vivillon belonged to Vi, while the Leavanny was owned by Mr. Burgh.


    Unlike Yuga''s Vivillon, which had a simple ck and white snowke pattern, Vi''s Vivillon hadrge purple-red wings, and it''s amon meadow pattern.


    Yuga quietly asked Alexa, "Tomorrow''spetition is about to start. Is it okay for your sister to engage in such intense battles right now?"


    Alexa, snapping a quick photo of the battling Pok��mon, shrugged helplessly. "If she''s willing, there''s nothing I can do."


    At this moment, Vi''s Vivillon found itself in an extremely unfavorable situation. The sh between Vivillon''s Gust move and Leavanny''s Silver Wind was intense. However, Leavanny''s Silver Wind quickly overwhelmed Vivillon, and the ensuing attack lifted Vivillon into the air. When the move subsided, Vivillon had lost its ability to continue the battle.


    Vi returned her Vivillon to its Pok�� Ball and sighed, saying to Mr. Burgh, "I lost."


    Mr. Burgh also recalled his Leavanny and smiled, "You did very well."


    Alexa, leading Yuga into the battle arena, saw her sister looking disheartened and said, "Come on, you chose to participate in these battles. Don''t look so gloomy after a loss."


    "Big sister, you''re here! Oh, and Shimizu Yuga, what are you doing here?" Vi eximed when she saw Yuga following behind Alexa.


    Vi was surprised to see Yuga, whose name and appearance were now well-known among all thepetitors. She hadn''t expected to meet him today.


    "It was a coincidence. I happened to meet Miss Alexa and decided toe along. Miss Vi, Mr. Burgh, hello. I apologize for this sudden visit," Yuga greeted them both.

 Chapter 488: Spider Web

    <h4>Chapter 488: Spider Web</h4>


    "Where''s the harm in that? This is a Gym, and you cane here anytime," smiled Mr. Burgh, responding to Yuga.


    Although he wasn''t a referee during yesterday''s preliminary matches, he had watched from start to finish. He greatly admired Yuga''s strength and even questioned if he himself could be a match for Yuga.


    "Oh, I remember, Mr. Shimizu, you also have a Vivillon, right? You and Vi can exchange experiences," Mr. Burgh suddenly mentioned, recalling yesterday''s match where Yuga''s Vivillon had performed exceptionally well.


    "Ah, you also have a Vivillon?" Vi asked in surprise.


    Yuga hadn''t expected Mr. Burgh to know about his Vivillon. Seeing Vi''s curious expression, Yuga nodded in confirmation.


    "Really? Want to have a battle with me?" Vi excitedly proposed.


    "But isn''t thepetition tomorrow? We might face each other then," Yuga reminded her.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s point, Vi paused, realizing that he was correct.


    "In that case, let''s save it for thepetition," she agreed.


    "How about a battle with me?" Mr. Burgh suddenly suggested. He was genuinely interested in Yuga''s Vivillon. While he had several Vivillon in his Gym, he admitted that he might not have raised them to the level of Yuga''s.


    Hearing Mr. Burgh''s proposal, Vi became enthusiastic as well. As a Bug-type Pok��mon Trainer, she had a deep passion for Bug-type Pok��mon and was always excited about anything rted to them.


    Seeing Mr. Burgh and Vi''s enthusiasm, Yuga felt a bit reluctant. Tomorrow was the officialpetition, and he wondered if it was appropriate to provide information about his own Pok��mon to his opponents.


    However, after some consideration, he agreed. After all, not everyone had Insight ability like him, so sharing some information wouldn''t hurt.


    Vi happily eximed, "Then I''ll be the referee!"


    During their previous impromptu battle with Mr. Burgh, there was no official referee present, so Vi volunteered herself.


    Yuga and Mr. Burgh stood on opposite sides of the battle arena, and since Yuga had already decided to use his Vivillon, there was no need to determine who would go first.


    Yuga released his Vivillon, while Mr. Burgh sent out an Electric/Bug-type Galvant.


    This Galvant wasrger than the average Galvant, covered in yellow fuzz, with asional shes of golden electricity running across its body.


    Yuga had found Galvant''s pre-evolved form, Joltik, cute, but once it evolved, its appearance became rather peculiar.


    With both sides ready, Vi shouted, "I now dere the battle has begun!"


    At this moment, Vi had somehow acquired a camera and began snapping pictures of Yuga''s Vivillon with enthusiasm. Both Vi and her sister Alexa were avid photographers, with Alexa''s journalism profession requiring it and Vi being a photography enthusiast.


    As Vi gave the signal for the battle to start, Mr. Burgh''s Galvant swiftly began moving around the battlefield, shooting one Electroweb after another onto the surrounding trees.


    Since the battle arena was surrounded by vegetation, Galvant aimed to restrict Vivillon''s movement by setting up these Electrowebs.


    This was a tactic Vivillon had once used to deal with other Pok��mon, but it was now facing it itself.


    Despite Vivillon''s ability to y with Electrowebs skillfully, it was still a Flying-type Pok��mon. Electrowebs were precisely the bane of its existence.


    If Vivillon were identally ensnared by these electrified webs, it would be in serious trouble.


    However, while Galvant was busy setting traps, Vivillon wasn''t idle. By the time Galvant finished its preparations, Vivillon had alreadypleted its Quiver Dance enhancement.


    Vivillon is not like Chimecho that leaned toward support moves, Although it has some interference skills, it is not proficient in it. its main power resided in this move, Quiver Dance.


    "Galvant, Thunder Wave!"


    This Galvant moved at an incredibly fast pace, climbing up the Electrowebs it had set like lightning, moving swiftly across them.


    Yuga realized that this Galvant was taking a disruption approach with its hard-to-track movements and control abilities like Electroweb, making it quite challenging for most Pok��mon.


    "Vivillon, use Safeguard," Yugamanded.


    A green energy shield appeared in front of Vivillon, intercepting the Thunder Wave attacks that came from seemingly nowhere.


    However, even though Vivillon managed to block the Thunder Wave, the Galvant''s movement on the webs was too rapid for Yuga''s eyes to follow. Even with Vivillon''s Compound Eyes ability helping to pinpoint the Galvant''s location, it couldn''tnd a hit.


    While Vivillon''s flying skills were excellent, allowing it to navigate through the webs with ease, this astonished Mr. Burgh. However, Vivillon still felt frustrated.


    Seeing that Vivillon was bing somewhat impatient with Galvant''s tactics, Yuga instructed, "Vivillon, don''t worry about where the Galvant is. Use Hurricane to tear down all the webs."


    Upon hearing Yuga''smand, Vivillon''s eyes sparkled, and it immediately harnessed its Flying-type energy to create slender Wind des. It shredded all the webs on the field, along with the branches and leaves entangled within them.


    Vivillon''s Hurricane had two forms: one in the shape of a whirlwind, which it often used during Gym challenges, and the other, the Wind de form, which it used less frequently.


    With no web support, Galvant ended up on the ground, helpless.


    Yuga felt a bit embarrassed as he gazed at the messy battlefield he had created.


    Vivillon had long infuriated Galvant with its hit-and-run tactics, and the moment it revealed itself, Vivillon vented its frustration by swiftly defeating Galvant with a Wind de.


    While Galvant was incredibly fast, its defense wascking. It couldn''t withstand thebination of Vivillon''s boosted speed from Quiver Dance and the Wind de attack. It went down instantly.


    Mr. Burgh hadn''t expected Yuga to be this aggressive, and this small section of his Gym had indeed taken a beating. He recognized that Yuga''s Vivillon excelled in two aspects: the speed from Quiver Dance and the precise control of Flying-type energy.


    Quiver Dance relied on Vivillon''s remarkable flying skills, while mastery of Flying-type energy control depended on instinct and natural talent.


    "No worries, Yuga. It''s fine," Mr. Burgh waved it off. Castelia Gym had the resources to handle such damage, and the Pok��mon League provided subsidies for Gym maintenance.

 Chapter 489: The Thief

    <h4>Chapter 489: The Thief</h4>


    If Vi had merely been curious about Yuga''s Vivillon before thepetition began, she now felt immense pressure. Mr. Burgh, who had put up a considerable fight, couldn''t win, yet Yuga and his Vivillon had won effortlessly. The difference was striking.


    "Impressive, indeed, to be the first in the preliminaries. You truly live up to your name," Vi praised Yuga, giving him a thumbs-up.


    "You''re too kind, Miss Vi," Yuga replied modestly.


    "My sister wasn''t exaggerating at all. With your skills, you''re definitely among the best in your age group," Alexa chimed in, holding her camera.


    As a journalist, she often dealt with various trainers and had a broad knowledge of talented trainers. Yuga''s abilities certainly ranked high among them.


    To be honest, Yuga wasn''t entirely aware of his own strength. While he had receivedpliments before, they mostly came from young admirers like Hikari, Haruki, and Anya. Now, receiving praise from peers like Alexa and Vi made him feel somewhat self-conscious.


    After the battle with Mr. Burgh concluded, Yuga, Alexa, and Vi were guided on a tour of the Castelia Gym by Mr. Burgh. Along the way, another guest arrived at the Gym, and it turned out to be Grant.


    Grant had been invited by Vi, and the two were good friends who had decided to participate in thepetition together.


    Although Yuga had heard of Grant, they had never met before. However, Grant''s friendly and outgoing nature made it easy for Yuga to get along with him.


    They didn''t linger too long at the Castelia Gym, as Mr. Burgh was understandably busy, especially with thepetition about to begin.


    After leaving the gym, Yuga parted ways with Vi and her group. They had just met, and they weren''t exactly close friends, so it made sense not to stick together all the time. Besides, Yuga and Chatot had ns to try the famous Casteliacone, so it was a good opportunity.


    Due to the uingpetition, Castelia City was bustling with visitors who hade to watch the matches. Consequently, the ce where the renowned Celestiacones was sold had long queues.


    Yuga and Chatot patiently waited in line to purchase the coveted Celestiacones. When they finally got their hands on it, Yuga ordered multiple vors: one for himself and another for Chatot.


    Although Yuga wasn''t particrly fond of sweets, the Celestiacones lived up to its reputation as a delicacy in the Pok��mon world. Even with a rtivelyrge order, Yuga had no trouble enjoying it.


    With ice cream in hand, Yuga and Chatot found a bench in a nearby park to sit down and savor their treats. However, their rxation was short-lived, as a Purrloin appeared behind them.


    The Purrloin casually licked its front paws, giving a sly grin. Then, with a graceful leap, itnded on arge tree to the right of Yuga, peering through theyers of leaves to observe Yuga and Chatot.


    Yuga held an Casteliacones in each hand, one for himself and one for Chatot. Just then, the shadowy figure swiftly descended from the tree and, in a sh, both of Yuga''s ice creams vanished.


    The speed of this shadow was astonishing, and Yuga couldn''t catch a glimpse of its true identity. However, Chatot, with its sharp vision thanks to its Keen Eye ability, managed to get a clear view of the Pok��mon responsible. Yuga recognized that the Pok��mon had used the move "Thief" to steal their ice creams.


    "It''s a cat, a cat-shaped Pok��mon that took our ice creams," Chatot eximed, clearly agitated.


    Chatot had been thoroughly enjoying its ice cream, so losing it was a source of frustration.


    A cat-shaped Pok��mon? Yuga''s mind raced. In the Unova region, there was only one cat-shaped Pok��mon known for its thieving tendencies: Purrloin.


    "Let''s go, we have to chase it," Yuga said, stowing the remaining ice creams in his bag and signaling for Chatot to follow.


    Without hesitation, Chatot pped its wings and zoomed off in pursuit of the fleeing thief.


    The shadow was incredibly fast, disappearing in the blink of an eye.


    However, Yuga quickly noticed traces of melted ice cream on the ground.


    He instructed Chatot to fly up and inspect the trail left by the shadow from a higher vantage point. Meanwhile, Yuga followed the ice cream trail on the ground.


    Soon enough, Yuga and Chatot spotted the thief, a sly Purrloin, happily licking the stolen ice cream on the roof of a house. It had already devoured one of the ice creams.


    "You cheeky cat! You dare steal from me? Are you tired of living?" Chatot shouted angrily.


    Having never encountered a Purrloin before in the Sinnoh and Hoenn region, so Chatot could only refer to it as a "cat."


    The Purrloin, upon seeing Yuga and Chatot approaching, didn''t show fear. Instead, it grinned provocatively, then finished thest bite of the ice cream and discarded the wrapper.


    Chatot, not known for its patience, couldn''t stand such taunting. It was visibly angered.


    Yuga, however, found himself surprised by this particr Purrloin.


    ...


    <


    >


    Type: Dark


    Ability: Prankster


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Green


    Level: 39


    Moves: Scratch, Pursuit, Torment, Fake Out, Hone ws, sh, Captivate, Night sh, Fake Tears, Charm, Thief, Taunt.


    ...


    Although this Purrloin was already at level 39, it hadn''t evolved. Nevertheless, it possessed a rare hidden ability and a wide range of moves, making it quite impressive.


    Seeing Chatot about to attack The Purrloin in a fit of rage, Yuga intervened to stop it.


    This was a residential area, and if Chatotunched an attack, it would cause unnecessary damage to people''s houses. Such behavior wasn''t eptable.


    The Purrloin, witnessing Yuga and Chatot''s hesitation, grew even more pleased with itself. It extended its paw and raised a defiant middle finger gesture towards Yuga and Chatot.


    This proved too much for Chatot to handle, and it unleashed a st of Heat Wave in The Purrloin''s direction.


    Yuga, resigned to Chatot''s impulsive actions, sighed and ran a hand through his hair.


    The red-hot st scorched the roof tiles where The Purrloin was perched, but the agile feline used nearby objects to cleverly evade the attack.


    There happened to be a chimney on the roof, and The Purrloin took advantage of it to shield itself from Chatot''s assault.


    The Purrloin didn''t expect that Chatot was so powerful despite its petite body. It immediately wanted to run away, but as soon as it turned around, it found that it couldn''t move.

 Chapter 490: Trailing

    <h4>Chapter 490: Trailing</h4>


    Finding themselves immobilized, The Purrloin was startled, attempting to struggle but realizing it was futile.


    Suddenly, from The Purrloin''s shadow, a Gengar emerged. Yuga''s Gengar had silently moved from Yuga''s shadow to The Purrloin''s.


    Gengar smirked and made a scary face at The Purrloin, which startled the thief. However, due to the Mean look from Gengar, The Purrloin shivered helplessly.


    In that moment, a Dark Pulse unexpectedly shot out from somewhere, hitting Gengar squarely. Caught off guard, Gengar''s Mean look was disrupted.


    Realizing it could move again, The Purrloin screamed and darted away at high speed.


    Yuga observed from a distance, spotting a sleek and elegant Liepard standing on another rooftop. Its eyes were cold as it watched Gengar and Chatot, showing a hint of warmth only when it looked at The Purrloin.


    It had apanion!


    Yuga saw The Purrloin quickly jump over to the Liepard, nuzzling it with its head, and they both leaped off the roof together.


    Gengar intended to keep both the Liepard and The Purrloin, but Yuga intervened.


    "Let''s follow them," Yuga suggested. He thought that observing where they were going might provide valuable information about their hideout.


    So, quietly, Yuga followed behind the Liepard and The Purrloin, with Chatot and Gengar. Gengar had excellent stealth abilities, and neither the Liepard nor The Purrloin detected Yuga trailing them.


    After escaping from Gengar, instead of returning to their nest immediately, the two Pok��mon wandered around the residential area of Castelia City.


    The Purrloin would asionally steal items from the passing residents, showcasing its well-practiced Thief skills. It was clear that this behavior was a regr urrence for it.


    Besides stealing from humans, The Purrloin used its cute appearance to feign vulnerability and beguile food and toys from other Pok��mon kept by humans, and it was surprisingly sessful at it. Yuga was genuinely impressed.


    On the other hand, the Liepard remained aloof throughout, following The Purrloin closely without participating in the thefts.


    This Liepard was a male Pok��mon and likely The Purrloin''s father. However, it had ordinary yellow potential, and lower level than The Purrloin by two levels. The fact that it had such a talented child was quite lucky for it.


    The Purrloin and Liepard appeared to bemon stray Pok��mon found in cities. Nevertheless, their skills and cunning made them thrive even in the urban environment.


    While The Purrloin had excellent potential, othrr people don''t have Yuga''s Insight ability, allowing The Purrloin to livefortably with its family in the corners of the city.


    However, the lives of stray Pok��mon in cities were usually harsher than those in the wild. Many of them had once been owned by humans and, when released, struggled to adapt to the wild or continued to live in the city but faced bullying and hardship.


    So, if someone were willing to offer shelter and care to these stray Pok��mon, they would usually be thrilled to leave and start anew.


    Unfortunately, very few people were willing to do so.


    Firstly, these Pok��mon were originally abandoned by others, and their potentials were likely not perfect, with at least 99% falling into the lower range.


    Secondly, in order to survive andpete for food, these Pok��mon often ended up getting dirty and unkempt. When others saw them, they would only feel repulsed and wouldn''t consider adopting them.


    However, The Purrloin and Liepard didn''t share the typical appearance of dirty stray Pok��mon. They didn''t look emaciated either, indicating that they might have been the ones who bullied others.


    The Liepard apanied The Purrloin through the residential area for nearly two hours, carrying a substantial amount of loot, and it seemed like they were heading home.


    After following these two Pok��mon for almost two hours, Yuga was beginning to regret this decision; he could have just captured them directly.


    Following The Purrloin and Liepard, they eventually arrived at the outskirts of Castelia City, where an abandoned factory came into view.


    Castelia City''s rapid development had been heavily reliant on industry, so there were many abandoned factories on the outskirts of the city. While the city government had been working on resolving these historical issues, it was not a problem that could be solved overnight.


    As they ventured deeper into the abandoned factory, Yuga saw other Pok��mon living here, including Venipede, Darumaka, Dwebble, and Trubbish, among others.


    Yuga noticed that The Purrloin would asionally share its loot with other Pok��mon they encountered along the way. While the Liepard didn''t participate, it didn''t stop The Purrloin from doing so. It was clear that they had good rtions with their neighbors here.


    Upon reaching the innermost part of the abandoned factory, Yuga saw another Liepard, apanied by a smaller Purrloin, approaching from a distance. The two Liepards came together and affectionately nuzzled each other. It was easy to tell that they were a married couple.


    The smaller Purrloin happily frolicked around therger Purrloin, and therger one gently patted the smaller one''s head, sharing its food with it.


    Yuga watched this heartwarming family scene with surprise because what he saw with his eyes differed from the data disyed in his discerning vision.


    ...


    <<zoroark>> </zoroark>


    Type: Dark


    Ability: Illusion


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Green


    Level: 36


    Moves: Night sh, Night Daze, Imprison, U-Turn, Hone w, Taunt, Calm Mind, Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse, Extrasensory.


    ...


    <<zorua>> </zorua>


    Type: Dark


    Ability: Illusion


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Yellow


    Level: 11


    Moves: Scratch, Leer, Fake Tears, Dark Pulse.


    ...


    It turned out that theter Purrloin and Liepard were disguises of Zoroark and Zorua, but this particr Zorua appeared to have been born recently, with a very low level.


    Yuga now understood where The Purrloin''s talents came from; they likely inherited them from their mother, Zoroark. Unfortunately, their little sister, Zorua, did not inherit their mother''s exceptional potential. Her abilities were quite ordinary, probably inherited from their father, Liepard.


    Zoroark and Zorua probably assumed the forms of Liepard and Purrloin to conceal their identities. Zoroark and Zorua were incredibly valuable, while Liepard and Purrloin were just twomon Pok��mon.

 Chapter 491: Mind Assault

    <h4>Chapter 491: Mind Assault</h4>


    Yuga never expected such a surprise when he followed the Liepard and Purrloin. Zoroark and Zorua, these two species of Pok��mon, were extremely rare in the Unova Regions, almost bing legendary Pok��mon.


    Moreover, within their species, Zoroark and Zorua were typically dominated by males, with females making up only about one-tenth of the poption. However, the two before him were both females.


    But what puzzled Yuga was that Zoroark and Zorua usually lived deep in the remote forests to conceal their presence, yet the two before him were living in the densely popted human city.


    Little did Yuga know that originally, Zoroark had been living in the primitive forests of the Unova Regions and was only brought to the city after being captured by humans.


    Later, Zoroark suffered significant injuries while fleeing and was rescued by a passing Liepard, eventually living together with the Liepard. Over time, they gave birth to Purrloin and Zoroark.


    Liepard had been living in Castelia City all along and was very familiar with various parts of the city. It brought the pursued Zoroark into the ranks of stray Pok��mon, using Zoroark''s Illusion ability to evade human pursuit.


    Illusion, an exclusive ability of Zoroark and Zorua''s family, allowed them to assume various forms. Whether it was a Pok��mon or a human, it was generally challenging to detect the deception.


    Of course, Illusion''s transformations were only superficial; it didn''t copy the target''s form, attributes, abilities, moves, weight, and so on, like Impostor ability from Ditto. Illusion''s primary function was to deceive.


    Just as the four Pok��mon were having a harmonious moment, Yuga and his party emerged from the shadows, including his Chatot and Gengar.


    Purrloin and Liepard immediately recognized Yuga and positioned themselves protectively in front of Zoroark and Zorua, wary of the sudden appearance of a human and two Pok��mon.


    Zoroark pulled the clueless Zorua behind her, her gaze showing some hesitation, likely due to negative experiences with humans in the past.


    Yuga smiled and said to Purrloin and Liepard, "You can''t me me for following you. After all, Purrloin was the one who stole my ice cream."


    At this point, Purrloin deeply regretted stealing Yuga''s ice cream. It didn''t expect that a mere moment of greed for ice cream would expose its mother and sister to danger. It was well aware of how valuable they were in the eyes of humans.


    Even a Zorua with a yellow potential, was considered more valuable than regr green potential Pok��mon due to its rare species.


    The family had always been careful to conceal the identities of Zoroark and Zorua. Even when they went out, Zoroark and Zorua always appeared in the forms of Liepard and Purrloin. However, today, it all fell apart due to Purrloin''s momentary indulgence.


    "Purrloin, Purrloin," Purrloin said, eyeing Yuga sharply.


    Purrloin and Liepard still didn''t know that Yuga had already figured out the true identities of Zoroark and Zorua. They just wanted to drive Yuga and his Pok��mon away as quickly as possible, preventing Yuga from discovering their true identities.


    "Want us to leave? That''s impossible. I think we need to have a nice chat," Yuga said with a smile to Purrloin and Liepard.


    "Purrloin, Purrloin!"


    We have nothing to talk about.


    Although Purrloin was amazed that Yuga could understand its speech, its mind was focused solely onforting its mother and sister. There was no room for further discussion.


    "Really? Aren''t you afraid that I''ll reveal your mother and sister''s identities to the outside world?" Yuga nced at Zoroark and Zorua behind Purrloin and Liepard, his tone smirking.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Purrloin and Liepard instantly realized that Yuga had uncovered Zoroark and Zorua''s true identities. Their eyes turned even colder.


    However, even though Purrloin was more powerful than its father, Liepard, it didn''t possess Liepard''s ability to stay calm. Without further ado, itunched an attack on Yuga.


    Dark energy enveloped its petite right forepaw, and it used Night sh directly toward Yuga''s heart.


    However, it was unfortunate that Purrloin''s unexpected attack was easily blocked by Gengar''s Shadow Punch beside Yuga.


    Purrloin, pushed back by the attack, tumbled and fell at Liepard''s feet. After getting back on its feet, it red fiercely at Gengar, whose body was only half-visible in the shadows. It didn''t show any signs of fear, despite being defeated moments ago.


    Liepard also narrowed its eyes, its expression uncertain, as it observed Gengar.


    Yuga: "I believe you may not be my match, and there''s no way you can escape from me."


    Although they were reluctant to admit it, both Purrloin and Liepard were acutely aware that Yuga was speaking the truth.


    Purrloin was the strongest among this family, but it couldn''t withstand a single strike from Gengar. The gap between them and Gengar was too significant, and they knew that Gengar could easily immobilize them with its shadowy gaze.


    Yuga: "I think you''ve been living in the shadows all this time because of Zoroark and Zorua''s identities, haven''t you? Don''t you want to live openly and honestly?"


    Living openly and honestly was something this family had always desired but never dared to hope for. Hearing Yuga say it out loud made them feel uneasy.


    Yuga continued, "How about we make a deal? You follow me, and I''ll provide you with protection, allowing you to live the life you''ve always dreamed of. You can also keep your family together forever. What do you say?"


    Yuga''s tone at this moment resembled that of a tempter, enticing someone tomit a crime or descend into darkness. His words sessfully shook Purrloin and Liepard to their core.


    After the brief confrontation, they had a clear understanding of Yuga''s strength. If Yuga truly wanted to shelter them, he had the power to fulfill that promise without much difficulty.


    However, despite being deeply tempted by Yuga''s proposal, Purrloin and Liepard hesitated. Their habitual cautiousness prevented them from easily trusting a stranger they had just met.


    Yuga didn''t rush them for an immediate answer but instead gave them time to think.


    Seeing the four Pok��mon still hesitating, Yuga continued, "You should know that I have no reason to deceive you. With my strength, I could easily subdue you without the need for negotiations."


    Yuga''s speech was slow and deliberate, with each word hitting them in the heart.


    Indeed, Yuga''s power was beyond their reach. He had silently followed them here and effortlessly neutralized Purrloin''s full-power attack with a single move. With these thoughts in mind, both Purrloin and Liepard felt a sense of powerlessness.


    "Zoroark..."


    Let''s go with him.


    At this moment, Zoroark''s voice from behind became the final straw that broke the camel''s back.


    Due to herself and her daughter, Zoroark had been living in hiding, causing guilt to weigh heavily on her husband and son. This guilt was the source of her deepest regret.

 Chapter 492: Changing Hearts

    <h4>Chapter 492: Changing Hearts</h4>


    Zoroark''s words left Liepard and Purrloin in disbelief. No one knew better than them how much their mother (wife) despised humans. However, the words she spoke nowcked the hesitation that had always been there.


    Upon hearing Zoroark''s voice, Yuga couldn''t help but curl his lips into a smile. His words had sessfully broken through a corner of this family''s hearts.


    With a puzzled expression, Zoroark brought the confused Zorua closer to Purrloin and Liepard. She whispered something to them, causing both Purrloin and Liepard to lower their ears in a somewhat dejected manner.


    "How about it? Have you made up your minds? I can assure you that your future will be much better if you follow me," Yuga continued to entice them with his words, seeing a softening in the expressions of Purrloin and Liepard.


    At this point, Liepard leaned in and whispered a few words into Purrloin''s ear. Then, Purrloin made a decision, taking a few steps forward.


    "Purrloin, Purrloin!"


    If you want us to follow you, you must defeat me in battle.


    Yuga looked surprised. "But you should know that you''re no match for Gengar."


    "Purrloin, Purrloin, Purrloin!"


    You''re not allowed to use Gengar. You''ll battle me with that bird.


    Purrloin arrogantly pointed at Chatot. Just like Chatot wasn''t familiar with Purrloin''s species, Purrloin didn''t recognize Chatot''s either.


    Chatot hadn''t expected to be challenged by Purrloin. It smiled and said, "Little one, are you sure you want to battle me?"


    Although Chatot had previously showcased its abilities in front of Purrloin, Purrloin hadn''t discerned Chatot''s true strength at the time, merely assuming that Chatot was much weaker than Gengar. However, what Purrloin didn''t anticipate was that,pared to its own level below 40, Chatot was significantly stronger.


    Yuga chuckled and said, "Since it''s your request, I have no reason to decline."


    "Haha, little one, today you''ll learn just how formidable your grandpa is."


    The Chatot rapidly pped its wings, provocatively addressing the Purrloin.


    Faced with the Chatot''s challenge, the Purrloin responded with a snarl, showing its intention to retaliate.


    With the Purrloin determined to battle the Chatot, both sides prepared on a patch of open ground within the abandoned factory.


    On the Chatot''s side, it gently pped its wings while observing the Purrloin across from it, refraining fromunching an immediate attack.


    After all, challenging the Purrloin to a fight was already a case of a stronger opponent taking on a weaker one, andunching a preemptive attack would have been considered excessive. In the future, they would be colleagues, so it wouldn''t be appropriate to go too far. As a senior figure in the YoYo Day Care, it didn''t want topromise its dignity.


    The Purrloin darted beneath the Chatot, lightly tapped it with both front paws, then leaped to a height equal to the Chatot and struck it with Fake Out move.


    Fake Out was a preemptive attack, and the Chatot didn''t have time to defend itself before being hit. However, the flinch effect that came with the Fake Out didn''t trigger.


    The flinch effect relied on the element of surprise, causing the opponent to feel fear, confusion, or nervousness, thereby inducing a momentary mentalpse. If Purrloin and Chatot were at simr levels, the flinch effect would undoubtedly trigger. However, since Chatot was much stronger than Purrloin, it had no fear of Purrloin, and thus the flinch effect naturally didn''t activate.


    Purrloin was quite pleased when it saw Chatot being hit. It had used the "Fake Out" move sessfully multiple times before, with remarkable results. It assumed this time would be no different.


    Just as Purrloin was feeling triumphant, Chatot, who had been knocked back, instantly halted its backward trajectory. It forcefully pped its wings, unleashing a powerful Hyper Voice,rger than its own body, hurtling toward Purrloin.


    Purrloin still had a look of triumph on its face when Chatot''s Hyper Voice hit it. Purrloin was like a meteor plummeting at high speed, mming into the crumbling wall behind it, sending debris and dust flying in all directions.


    Chatot''s attack proved to be too powerful for Purrloin to handle. After falling from the wall, Purrloin struggled to get back on its feet for quite some time.


    Onlookers like Liepard, Zoroark, and Zoroark were filled with worry as they watched Purrloin.


    Perhaps due to the loud noise created by the earlier Hyper Voice, many other Pok��mon living in the abandoned factory had been drawn to the scene. They hid in corners, quietly observing the battle between Chatot and Purrloin.


    Purrloin, gritting its teeth, finally managed to climb back up from the ground. It looked at Chatot with a perplexed expression, feeling like it had seriously underestimated its opponent. No wonder that human had agreed to its request so easily.


    With its two front paws extended, Purrloin revealed the sharp ws hidden within its paw pads. It quietly used Hone ws to enhance its attack power and uracy.


    Chatot had a keen sense thanks to its Keen Eye ability, allowing it to easily notice Purrloin''s subtle movements. However, Chatot didn''t stop Purrloin; it simply watched as Purrloinpleted its move.


    Havingpleted Hone ws, Purrloin extended its right front paw and lunged forward. Dark, sinister energy enveloped its w as it aimed a fierce strike at Chatot.


    This time, Purrloin used the Dark-type move Night sh.


    Watching Purrloin approaching rapidly, Chatot pped its wings, and a rolling Heat Wave engulfed the oing Purrloin.


    Since its revival by Ho-Oh, Chatot found that it had be even more proficient in using Flying-type moves, and its sensitivity to Fire-type energy was particrly heightened. This move, Heat Wave, was its signature Fire-type technique.


    Purrloin, caught within the fiery Heat Wave, let out a piercing scream as it was scalded. When the heat finally dissipated, Purrloiny unconscious on the ground.


    "Zorua."


    Big brother.


    Young Zoroark, seeing his brother injured, jumped over to his side, tears welling up in his eyes as he stared at the unconscious Purrloin.


    Behind Zorua were Liepard and Zoroark, who also approached Purrloin, their expressions filled with concern.


    "Don''t worry, Purrloin will be fine," Yuga said as he released Chimecho. He walked over to Purrloin and spoke to Zoroark''s family.


    Chatot hadn''t used excessive force, so Purrloin''s injuries, although appearing severe, weren''t actually life-threatening.


    Seeing the one responsible for Purrloin''s injury (Yuga) approaching, Zoroark''s family didn''t react strongly. Purrloin had initiated the battle on its own, and its defeat was due to its ownck of strength, not someone else''s wrongdoing.


    With Chimecho''s healing, Purrloin, whose injuries were not as severe as they seemed, woke up after a short while.


    Seeing the awakened Purrloin, Yuga smiled and said, "So, have you decided? You''ve lost, isn''t it time to fulfill your promise?"


    Saying this, Yuga took out a Pok�� Ball and ced it in front of Purrloin.


    Purrloin nced at Yuga, nodded, and then pressed the button on the Pok�� Ball, returning itself into the ball.


    As Purrloin was captured by Yuga, Liepard, Zoroark, and Zorua didn''t resist and allowed themselves to be captured into Pok�� Balls as well.

 Chapter 493: Camp Defense

    <h4>Chapter 493: Camp Defense</h4>


    After sessfully capturing The Purrloin family, Yuga released them and shared the Costeliacones he had purchased from his system backpack with them.


    Having enjoyed Yuga''s ice cream, these Pok��mon appeared much friendlier. However, Chatot seemed quite reluctant. Ultimately, Yuga promised to buy more for Chatot in the future, which finally eased Chatot''s displeasure.


    Yuga then took these four Pok��mon directly to the Pok��mon Center. He transfer them back to the YoYo Day Care and entrusted them to Audino, who was responsible for looking after them.


    During his stay in Castelia City, Yuga was upied with tournament preparations and had little time to care for these four Pok��mon, which is why he sent them back to the YoYo Day Care.


    One evening, the contents of the first round of the official tournament were finally announced.


    While the preliminary rounds were about climbing the tower, the first round of the official tournament was centered around camp defense.


    On the rooftop of the Battle Company Building, there would be a simtion space with different simted ecological environments. All participating trainers would be sent into this simtion space.


    Upon entering the space, the trainers would be assigned to different camps. Their task was to defend their camps, and during this defense phase, they would encounter various types of opponents. Trainers who lost control of their camps would be eliminated.


    However, unlike the preliminaries, trainers were allowed to form teams in this round. The maximum team size was two trainers, but teammates had to be from the same region; cross-region teams were not permitted.


    Of course, trainers who considered themselves strong could choose to defend their camps alone. Those who couldn''t find teammates would also have to defend their camps solo. Whether they could sessfully advance was their own responsibility.


    Some might find this setup unfair because a weaker trainer could partner with a strong one to progress more easily. However, the creators of this challenge had already considered this issue.


    A Gym Leader couldn''t be too weak in terms of strength, but they also needed skills beyond just battling. Good teamwork and interpersonal skills were equally vital for a Gym Leader''s role. This round aimed to assess not only the trainers'' strength but also their ability to cooperate effectively.


    Gym Leaders held significant authority within a city, equivalent to that of a mayor or town leader. If they faced issues and only relied on themselves, it could lead to major problems. Thus, teamwork was a crucial aspect of this evaluation.


    In a room, right after Yuga had finished discussing tomorrow''s match with Mayor Ishida and Liliana, there was a knock on the door.


    Yuga opened the door and was surprised to find Brawly standing there.


    "Good evening. Is it okay if Ie in?" Brawly asked.


    Yuga stepped aside, making way, and smiled, "Please,e in."


    Leading Brawly into the room, Yuga gestured for him to sit down and asked, "Is there something you need?"


    Actually, Yuga could already guess Brawly''s purpose foring.


    Brawly inquired, "Regarding tomorrow''s match, have you found a teammate?"


    Yuga shook his head, took a chair, and sat across from Brawly, saying, "Not yet."


    Brawly then asked, "How about teaming up with me?"


    Yuga chuckled in response, "It would be my pleasure to team up with you."


    Among the participating teams from the Hoenn region, aside from Yuga, Brawly had achieved the best results. Yuga had observed Brawly during these days, and he had also seen Brawly''s Pok��mon. His strength was indeed quite impressive, giving Yuga no reason to decline.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s reply, Brawly smiled and extended his right hand, saying, "Let''s work together."


    "Indeed, let''s work together," Yuga replied, shaking Brawly''s hand.


    Afterwards, Brawly didn''t leave Yuga''s room. Both of them exchanged information and their thoughts about tomorrow''spetition. They also gave each other a rough overview of their strengths to facilitate their cooperation on the following day.


    The next day, the official tournament arrived as scheduled.


    Under a backdrop of celebratory fireworks, numerous spectators, guided by the staff of the Battle Company Building, entered the top-tier seats of the tower.


    After all the participating trainers gradually arrived on the top floor of the Battle Company Building, the six regional judges arrived fashionablyte.


    Yuga observed all the participating trainers present and didn''t see any stragglers. They were all paired up, like Vi and Grant, who were good friends and decided to team up.


    It seemed they noticed Yuga looking at them, and Vi and Grant both nodded to Yuga as a form of greeting.


    There were a total of one hundred participants, forming fifty pairs. Guided by the host''s introduction, Yuga and the others learned that the environmental conditions inside the simtion space were genuine. Advanced technology was used to shrink an entire ecosystem, then recreate it artificially.


    All participants were not isted but ced together in a single simtion space. The space was quite vast, as the trainers had to stay in one ce to defend their camps, making it difficult to encounter each other.


    After a series of speeches and announcements, thepetition officially began.


    Yuga and Brawly were led to a Baheeyem. A staff member said, "Baheeyem will use Teleport to take you into the simtion space. Once you''re there, you''ll know what to do."


    Yuga and Brawly nodded simultaneously, and then, in the blink of an eye, their surroundings changed.


    They found themselves in a dense forest with a small stream gently flowing not far away. Behind them was a stone pir with a red g nted on it, bearing the words: "Without moving the g, protect it from being taken."


    Only then did Yuga and Brawly realize that this was their camp defense task.


    Meanwhile, Vi and Grant were transported to a deste desert. Their mission was to protect a water source in a small oasis.


    Marlon and a young girl were sent to a miniature volcanic crater with a magma pool. Their task was to guard a fiery red Pok��mon egg drifting on the magma''s surface.


    Sora and another participant found themselves in an open valley filled with various blooming flowers. Their duty was to protect a Apricorns treeden with fruits.


    Other participants received simr camp defense tasks.


    During the camp defense phase, each participating trainer could use up to six Pok��mon, and there were no restrictions on how many Pok��mon they could deploy at once. The total number of Pok��mon avable for each pair of teammates amounted to twelve.


    The entire simtion space was dotted with cameras, allowing the audience to clearly observe the trainers'' performances in the ecological park.

 Chapter 494: Ambush

    <h4>Chapter 494: Ambush</h4>


    Yuga and Brawly had just identified their mission objective when they saw a group of Krabby and Kingler emerging from a nearby stream, brandishing theirrge ws and heading straight for Yuga and Brawly in a show of aggression.


    Brawly: "The enemies are here."


    As he spoke, Brawly released a Medicham. After emerging, Medicham struck a handsome pose and prepared to engage the menacing Krabby and Kingler.


    On Yuga''s side, he released a Roserade.


    After Roserade appeared, Yuga nodded at it gently, and Roserade immediately understood.


    Roserade swiftly ran ahead, spreading toxic spikes on the path that the Krabby and Kingler would inevitably cross. As these toxic spikesnded on the ground, they quickly seeped into the topyer of the soil.


    After scattering the toxic spikes, Roserade returned to Yuga''s side. Brawly, who recognized the toxic spikes, apuded Yuga in admiration.


    Soon, Yuga and Brawly heard a chorus of screams up ahead. When the Krabby and Kingler, in their frenzied state, crossed the area with the toxic spikes, the spikes emerged from the ground, causing the Krabby and Kingler to foam at the mouth.


    By the time Yuga and Brawly rushed over, the Krabby and Kingler were already lying motionless on the ground. Taking advantage of their incapacitated state due to poisoning, Roserade shot energy balls one after another to deal with the remaining Krabby and Kingler.


    Brawly''s Medicham, on the other hand, used Shadow Ball to assist Roserade in the cleanup, but it kept its distance from the Krabby and Kingler, fearing that it might identally get poisoned by Roserade''s toxic spikes.


    With all the Krabby and Kingler taken care of, Yuga and Brawly hadn''t even had a chance to catch their breath when a colossal dragon-like creature emerged from the water. It opened its mouth and unleashed a powerful Hydro Pump, upheaving the soil in the process. The toxic spike field set up by Roserade was instantly scattered by the Hydro Pump.


    Note: Originally, Hydro Pump couldn''t clear Toxic Spikes (only Rapid Spin and Defog could remove Toxic Spikes), but this adaptation is based on the current situation.


    In an instant, as the Hydro Pump approached, Yuga and Brawly, along with Roserade and Medicham, hurriedly fled the scene. Otherwise, they would have been swiftly dealt with by the imposing creature before them.


    The gigantic creature let out a deafening roar as it confronted Yuga and Brawly. This was a Gyarados, muchrger than others of its kind.


    "Roserade, Energy Ball!"


    "Medicham, Thunder Punch!"


    Yuga and Brawly simultaneously gavemands to Roserade and Medicham to counterattack the Gyarados.


    Roseradeunched energy balls one after another, sessfully hitting the Gyarados, but when Medicham charged in with Thunder Punch, it was knocked away by a powerful Aqua Tail from the Gyarados.


    Struck by the energy balls, the Gyarados writhed in pain, violently thrashing its thick tail on the surface of the stream, churning the water into a muddy mess. Even some small Pok��mon resembling tadpoles were scared out of the water.


    Medicham, after being knocked away,nded on arge tree, then leaped off it, approaching the Gyarados once more. Itnded on the Gyarados''s head and delivered a punch.


    Gyarados, vulnerable to Electric-type moves due to its fourfold weakness, felt the surge of electricity from Medicham''s Thunder Punch coursing through its head. Its massive body copsed with a resounding ssh, creating a huge water fountain in the stream.


    However, Gyarados''s immense size provided it with substantial defense, so the Energy Balls from Roserade and Medicham''s Thunder Punch didn''t incapacitate it immediately.


    Struggling to stand, Gyarados let out a menacing roar and activated its Intimidate ability.


    In that moment, not only Medicham and Roserade, but even Yuga and Brawly, who faced the Gyarados head-on, felt a wave of panic.


    Brawly, a Fighting-type Trainer, relied heavily on physical attacks. His Medicham didn''t possess strong Special Attack capabilities, and being intimidated by Gyarados''s ability severely reduced its offensive power.


    However, Roserade quickly shook off the intimidation''s effects andunched several energy balls directly at the Gyarados.


    Confronting Roserade''s attacks, the Gyarados showed no signs of backing down. It raised its thick tail high and swiped it forward, sending all the energy balls flying away.


    While Roserade was keeping the Gyarados busy, Medicham used a strengthening move called Power-Up Punch. After several rounds of boosting its strength, it managed topensate for the attack it had lost due to Gyarados''s intimidation.


    During this time, under Roserade''s control, countless Magical Leaf shot towards the Gyarados. Taking advantage of the cover provided by the multitude of Leaf, Medicham sessfully closed the gap and delivered a Thunder Punch to Gyarados''s abdomen, eliciting a sharp cry of pain from the giant creature.


    Both the Thunder Punch from Medicham and the Magical Leaf from Roserade struck the Gyarados sessfully. Gyarados copsed onto the water''s surface, creating a massive ssh in the stream.


    Seeing the Gyarados finally fall, Yuga and Brawly breathed a sigh of relief. At this point, the entire stream was devoid of any creatures, with nothing but the muddy aftermath of the encounter.


    Just as they had settled the Gyarados and returned to the g, Yuga and Brawly noticed a Staraptor attempting to pluck the g from the stone pir with its talon, ready to fly away.


    Without hesitation, Yuga released his Vivillon and instructed it, "Vivillon, use Electroweb to block Staraptor''s escape route."


    Upon Yuga''smand, Vivillon immediately released electrified spider webs. Although they didn''t directly hit Staraptor, they blocked all of Staraptor''s potential escape routes.


    In a panic, Staraptor attempted to flee, but it kept colliding with the electric webs clinging to branches. Before long, its entire body was entangled in the electric webs and crashed to the ground.


    Watching the scene unfold, Brawly, who had been observing,manded his Medicham to deliver a Thunder Punch to Staraptor.


    This particr Staraptor was significantly weaker than the Gyarados, but its advantagey in its ability to fly. Without Yuga''s intervention, it would have been challenging for Brawly, who primarily specialized in Fighting-type Pok��mon, to stop Staraptor on his own. Fighting-type Pok��mon were generally ill-suited to dealing with Flying-types due to type disadvantages.


    After removing the g from Staraptor''s talon and reinserting it onto the stone pir, Brawly smiled at Yuga and said, "Thanks to you just now. If it were only me, I''d have had to watch Staraptor fly away."


    Yuga shook his head and replied, "We''re teammates; this is what we should do. Let''s continue working together."


    Brawly nodded, but shortly after, both of them heard a buzzing sound in the distance.

 Chapter 495: Taunting

    <h4>Chapter 495: Taunting</h4>


    As the buzzing sound grew closer, Yuga and Brawly saw a yellow cloud approaching in their direction.


    When the yellow cloud drew near, Yuga and Brawly could finally discern its true nature. It wasn''t just a cloud; it was arge group of Cutiefly and Ribombee.


    As these Cutiefly and Ribombee approached Yuga and Brawly, they began to p their petite wings, converging countless streams of Fairy Wind into a pink wind dragon, heading straight for Yuga and Brawly.


    Yuga''s Vivillon, at his side, pped its wings, intercepting the approaching wind with a powerful Hurricane. The wind dragon and the Hurricane collided, causing chaos in the surrounding trees and grass.


    The impact between the wind dragon and the Hurricane created shockwaves that scattered the diminutive Cutiefly and Ribombee. Many of them emitted shrill cries.


    At this moment, arger Ribombee than the others flew towards Yuga, circling around him ceaselessly.


    "Ribombee, Ribombee."


    Yuga, Yuga, we meet again.


    Yuga hadn''t expected to encounter the Ribombee he met during the tower challenge here.


    The Cutiefly and Ribombee that had been blown away by Vivillon''s Hurricane quickly regrouped. They pped their wings at a high frequency, and the Fairy Wind streams converged once more to form the wind dragon.


    The Ribombee next to Yuga attempted to stop itspanions'' attack, but they paid no heed to it. In the end, Yuga had tomand it to cease its assault.


    The battle was being broadcast live, and if a Pok��mon openly used moves to attack like that, even if Yuga won the battle, he would face criticism.


    The Ribombee could only watch helplessly as itspanions continued to attack Yuga.


    While the Wind Dragons created by Cutiefly and Ribombee were still forming, Yuga''s Vivillon took the opportunity to erect a Light Screen in front of both Yuga and Brawly.


    Vivillon couldn''t create a vast amount of Light Screen in an instant like Chimecho, so it prioritized protecting Yuga and Brawly.


    On the other hand, Brawly''s Medicham continuously used Psycho Cut to attack the Cutiefly and Ribombee. asionally, it managed to knock down some isted Cutiefly or Ribombee.


    Fighting-type Pok��mon have strong single-targetbat abilities, but their weakness lies in theirck of group attack skills. Therefore, when facing arge number of Cutiefly and Ribombee, Medicham had a hard time.


    After protecting the two trainers, Vivillon took to the sky and used the move Tailwind to raise a strong wind. It blew a multitude of powder particles towards the group of Cutiefly and Ribombee.


    Any Cutiefly or Ribombee touched by the powder in the Tailwind seemed to lose their rationality and turned their attacks towards Vivillon, driven by anger.


    This ability was known as Rage Powder, a recently awakened gic skill for Vivillon. It had a simr effect to Taunt, causing any affected Pok��mon to act irrationally out of anger.


    This was Vivillon''s only gic skill, and before it awakened, Yuga believed that Vivillon didn''t possess any gic skill. To Yuga''s surprise, it had awakened thistent ability not too long ago. (Most gic skill automatically awaken in Pok��mon when they are born, but a few require gradual training and have no set patterns.)


    Seeing that most of the Cutiefly and Ribombee had fallen under the influence of Rage Powder, Vivillon ascended rapidly. Behind it, a long, serpentine dragonposed of Cutiefly and Ribombee followed.


    Vivillon''s speed was very fast. It performed the Quiver Dance rhythmically while leading these Cutiefly and Ribombee in circles around it. Those Cutiefly and Ribombee couldn''t keep up with it and could only hang far behind.


    In this way, after about three or four minutes, Vivillon finallypleted several rounds of strengthening through its Quiver Dance. It abruptly halted, facing the pursuing Cutiefly and Ribombee, and with a mighty p of its wings, it sent a tremendously thick column of spinning Hurricane roaring toward them.


    The Cutiefly and Ribombee mindlessly pursued Vivillon, unable to brake in time. Combined with the swirling Hurricane''s strong suction, they collided directly with Vivillon''s tempest.


    As the entire yellow dragonposed of Cutiefly and Ribombee was drawn into the tempest, the originally pale blue tornado turned yellow, asionally ejecting a stray Cutiefly.


    However, those ejected Cutiefly had already lost their fighting capability due to the Flying-type energy inside the Hurricane.


    When the storm ceased its rotation and gradually dissipated, the Cutiefly and Ribombee began falling from the sky like dumplings, all renderedbat ineffective.


    As for the few Cutiefly and Ribombee that the Ribombee had missed with its Rage Powder, Brawly''s Medicham took care of them.


    The Ribombee that hadn''t lost its fighting capability among itspanions watched with increasing anxiety as Yuga and his team handled their allies.


    This Ribombee knew Yuga''s strength well. When it had arrived and saw Yuga among its opponents, it realized that their mission was likely to fail.


    The missions assigned to Yuga''s team were random, so the Ribombee ced in their group wouldn''t have known beforehand who their opponents would be.


    "What are you going to do?" Yuga asked the Ribombee beside him.


    "Ribombee."


    It doesn''t matter.


    Without another word, the Ribombee flew up to Yuga''s head and settled down, closing its eyes, seemingly taking on a resigned attitude.


    At this moment, Brawly, apanied by Medicham, approached Yuga. He looked curiously at the Ribombee on Yuga''s head and asked, "What''s going on with this Ribombee?"


    Yuga shook his head helplessly. "We''ve met before. I didn''t expect it to be assigned to our mission here."


    While Brawly still didn''t know the specific circumstances between Yuga and this Ribombee, he didn''t press further. As long as their mission proceeded without issues, he wasn''t overly curious.


    Yuga sighed and settled down, letting the Ribombee rest atop his head. He and Brawly continued to wait for the next wave of opponents.


    However, perhaps due to the intense attacks from Kingler, Krabby, Gyarados, Cutiefly, and Ribombee, Yuga and his team enjoyed a prolonged break. They had nearly half an hour of respite, during which time Roserade, Vivillon, and Brawly''s Medicham were able to recover their expended energy.

 Chapter 496: Spotlight

    <h4>Chapter 496: Spotlight</h4>


    In addition to Yuga''s team enduring three consecutive waves of attacks, other participants faced simr situations. Many teams had already lost their guarded mission objectives, consequently losing their eligibility to advance.


    However, exceptional pairs like Marlon and Roxie, Vi and Grant, easily weathered the initial onught. They, along with Yuga and Brawly, patiently awaited the next challenge.


    While Yuga and Brawly waited in silence, a massive Tropius descended gently, its four wings fluttering behind it,nding right in front of them.


    Yuga and Brawly immediately became vignt upon Tropius''s arrival. Roserade, Vivillon, and Medicham readied themselves for an imminent attack.


    Despite its enormous size, Tropius moved gracefully. Uponnding, it briefly nced at Yuga and Brawly, then at the red g nted behind them. Once it confirmed its objective, it opened its mouth, releasing a colossal Energy Ball that homed in on Medicham.


    Tropius''s attack was lightning-fast, catching Brawly and Medicham off guard. Medicham was struck by Tropius''s Energy Ball, sent flying far away, creating arge crater upon impact, rendering itbat ineffective.


    "Medicham!" Brawly cried out in distress. He rushed over to retrieve his incapacitated Medicham, returning it to its Pok�� Ball, and then sent out a Hitmonchan.


    Simultaneously, as Tropiusunched its attack on Medicham, Yuga''s team retaliated. Roserade''s Sludge Bomb and Vivillon''s Hurricane were directed at the unyielding Tropius.


    Tropius paid no heed to Roserade''s Sludge Bomb and Vivillon''s Hurricane, letting the attacks strike its body. Instead, it promptly used Sunny Day to create intensely clear weather and unleashed a Sr Beam that instantly obliterated Roserade, due to its overwhelming power. However, Vivillon, being of a higher level and erecting a Light Screen in time, narrowly escaped harm.


    It''s clear that this Tropius has the ability Sr Power, and the power of that Sr Beam was excessively strong. The thick golden beam instantly took down Roserade. However, Vivillon, being at a higher level and having raised a Light Screen in time, narrowly escaped harm.


    This Tropius was about to unleash Sr Beam once more when suddenly, Hitmonchan quickly lunged forward and punched it in the chin. The Sr Beam that was about to be released couldn''t escape in time and was forcefully swallowed back.


    The burning sensation from Hitmonchan''s Fire Punch on its chin and the explosive energy of the retracted Sr Beam in its mouth made Tropius scream out in pain.


    In its struggle, Tropius pped its four wings on its back and thrust itself into the sky, stirring up a massive gust of wind that carried debris and dust into the air.


    Despite its initially gentle appearance, Tropius now red down at Yuga and Brawly from above, eyes filled with rage. It began rapidly umting sr energy in its mouth, preparing for another Sr Beam.


    Typically, Sr Beam under Sunny Day required no charging time. However, this infuriated Tropius began gathering power for an even more devastating Sr Beam.


    Witnessing this, Yuga''s Vivillon swiftly extended its wings, positioning itself in front of Hitmonchan, and erected a Light Screen.


    As a Bug and Flying dual-type Pok��mon, the Grass-type Sr Beam would only inflict quarter damage on Vivillon. Coupled with the protective Light Screen, the damage dealt by the Sr Beam was minimal.


    Had Hitmonchan been in the front, even with its good Special Defense, it would have struggled against the attack.


    Once the Sr Beam concluded, both Vivillon and Hitmonchan remained unscathed. Brawly expressed gratitude towards Yuga and Vivillon with a thankful look.


    Tropius had expended a significant amount of energy executing the highly charged Sr Beam. Currently, it hovered in the air, its wings fluttering slightly as it recovered.


    Seeing Tropius in this state, Yuga promptlymanded Vivillon to counterattack.


    Vivillon''s wings retracted, and like an arrow, it shot up to match Tropius''s altitude. With a swift wing movement, two Air shes struck Tropius.


    These two Air shes hit Tropius''s wings precisely, and with a resounding "thud," Tropius crashed to the ground, emitting a spine-chilling scream.


    The sound of this scream was so mournful that it even startled the Ribombee, perched on Yuga''s head. It opened its eyes, nced around in confusion, and shivered involuntarily when its gaze fell upon Tropius.


    Through the cameras, the spectators gathered in the stadium''s top-floor audience seats, representing various regions, reacted simultaneously with gasps. The impact of Tropius''s fall seemed palpable through the screens, as if they could feel its organs shifting within.


    "He''s ruthless," the spectators thought in unison.


    No matter how much the audience sympathized with the beaten Tropius, it was clear that the Pok��mon had lost its ability to battle.


    After defeating Tropius, Yuga and Brawly noticed that all the Pok��mon they had defeated earlier had mysteriously disappeared. They had no idea how the organizers managed this.


    Yuga took advantage of the brief respite before the next wave of Pok��mon arrived to treat his defeated Roserade and Medicham with the help of Chimecho.


    He left Chimecho outside for now, recalling Vivillon and letting it rest after a series of battles. The recent Tropius had been the most formidable Pok��mon they had faced so far. If not for Yuga and Brawly''s exceptional skills, defeating it with just one or two Pok��mon would have proven challenging.


    Meanwhile, under this wave of attacks, many other teams in different mission zones were eliminated, leaving only four out of five pairs.


    The audience in the top-floor stands of the Battle Company Building included spectators from various regions, many of whom were experienced trainers. Throughout thepetition, they silently kept an eye on the outstanding participants, including Yuga.


    Besides the live audience, families in homes across various regions were watching thepetition via synchronized broadcasts.


    In Goldenrod City, Grandpa Milton from Goldenrod Market watched with his granddaughter Whitney. In Ecruteak City, Morty and Eusine followed the action.


    At Mauville City in Hoenn Region, Mr. Kuni''o and Ryuichi in the manor, the employees in YoYo Day Care in Verdanturf Town and Joyka in Pok��mon Center, Mr. Moore and nnery in Lavaridge Gym, Mr. Norman and his family in Petalburg Gym, Mr. Juan in Sootopolis Gym, and in the Training Instructors'' Office, Robert, watched attentively. In some unknown Pok��mon Center, Reggie and Paul were also among the viewers.


    In the Coastal City Gym of the Sinnoh region, there''s Volkner, in some unknown Pok��mon Center, there''s Flint, at the Sinnoh League headquarters, there''s Joyna, and Gardenia who is secretly Performing a secret mission somewhere.


    All of these individuals are sitting in front of their televisions, attentively watching Yuga''s battle.

 Chapter 497: Dragon Battle

    <h4>Chapter 497: Dragon Battle</h4>


    In the following hours, Yuga and Brawly faced various Pok��mon attacks, sometimes encountering them one by one, and other times dealing with groups of Pok��mon attacking simultaneously.


    The frequency of these Pok��mon attacks was exceptionally high.


    It wasn''t until around noon that Yuga and Brawly received notice that they could take a two-hour break.


    The organizers did this to give the spectators watching thepetition a chance to rest. However, for participants like Yuga and Brawly, even a sip of water or a bite of food was out of the question.


    By the time it was three or four in the afternoon, thepetition had gradually entered its final stage. The number of participating teams remaining on the field was now less than half of the original count.


    Brawly''s Hitmonlee delivered a powerful kick to a charging Infernape before returning to Brawly''s side, while Yuga''s Vivillon managed to handle thest Infernape.


    Looking at the fainted Infernapes scattered around, Brawly wiped the sweat from his forehead and said to Yuga, "I wonder what kind of Pok��mon we''ll encounter next."


    Yuga took a deep breath and shook his head. "I don''t know."


    From morning to afternoon, Yuga and Brawly faced numerous Pok��mon attacks. Brawly''s Hitmonchan had been exhausted long before, and the Hitmonlee currently on the field was a recement.


    Yuga''s Chimegcho had decent stamina and excelled in defense and support abilities, allowing it to endure for this long.


    After resting for about twenty minutes, Brawly suddenly perked up his ears, listening to the sounds around them. He then turned to Yuga and asked, "Did you hear that?"


    Yuga immediately quieted down and listened carefully. He could hear the heavy footstepsing from the right side of the forest.


    "We''ve got somethinging our way," Yuga said, going on high alert.


    Brawly nodded, signaling his Hitmonlee to prepare for battle.


    Before long, Yuga and Brawly saw a Pok��mon with crimson ws on its forelimbs pushing aside dense branches and Leaf. Soon, a Pok��mon d in olive-green armor stepped out from behind the trees.


    "It''s a Haxorus," Yuga said in a low voice upon seeing the emerging Pok��mon.


    This Haxorus was exceptionally tall, covered in tough armor. Its red ws on its limbs and the red axe des near its mouth gleamed ominously. Its thick tail dragged behind it, asionally sweeping the ground, sending dirt flying.


    After recognizing the red g behind Yuga and Brawly, the Haxorus''s eyes lit up. It identified its mission target for this round.


    Seeing the imposing Haxorus advancing towards them, Yuga immediately recalled Chimecho into Pok�� Ball and sent out Florges, a more suitable choice for dealing with Dragon-type Pok��mon than Chimecho.


    On Brawly''s side, he recalled Hitmonlee and chose to send out Hariyama, a burly Fighting-type Pok��mon, apparently prepared for a head-on confrontation with Haxorus.


    Upon seeing Yuga and Brawly and the red g behind them, the Haxorus''s forelimbs began to glow green as it prepared to use its Dragon w, a Dragon-type move.


    "Florges, set up Misty Terrain!" Yugamanded.


    As a field of Misty Terrain surrounded Florges'' feet, Haxorus''s Dragon w was intercepted mid-air by Hariyama''s powerful Ice Punch.


    Under the effects of the Misty Terrain, Haxorus''s Dragon w, already weakened due to the disadvantageous type matchup, lost even more power. The Haxorus reluctantly retracted its ws.


    As Hariyama and Haxorus separated, Florges was ready. It unleashed its Moonst, a Fairy-type move, directly at Haxorus''s belly.


    Haxorus''s ws had been firmly gripping the ground beneath its feet, but when struck by the Moonst under the Misty Terrain''s influence, it started sliding backward, leaving long furrows in the ground.


    This Haxorus had a determined personality. Despite taking damage from both the restraining Moonst and Hariyama''s Ice Punch, it didn''t utter a sound. Its initially sharp gaze grew even more frigid.


    The Haxorus, which had stopped retreating, rapidly advanced toward the simrly sized Hariyama with its powerful hind legs. This time, it unleashed its ultimate move, Normal-type Giga Impact.


    This Haxorus was a clever Pok��mon. It knew that its Dragon-type moves would be less effective in the Misty Terrain and that it wouldn''t gain an advantage against the Fairy-type Florges. Therefore, it targeted Hariyama and used the Normal-type Giga Impact.


    The airflow generated by the Giga Impact rustled the branches and Leaf it passed while the high-speed impact created tremendous inertia, putting immense pressure on Hariyama.


    "Hariyama, Focus Punch!" Brawly shouted to his Hariyama.


    Focus Punch was a Fighting-type move and a signature move of Hariyama. It had the drawback of requiring a charge-up time, but in terms of power, it was on par with Giga Impact.


    As the Haxorus drew closer and Hariyama''s charge-up was still ongoing, Yuga''s voice rang out.


    "Florges, use Grass Knot!"


    Suddenly, several green vines appeared in front of the Haxorus and entangled its legs. This slowed down the Haxorus''s charge just as Hariyama''s Focus Punchpleted its charge-up.


    Upon impact with the Haxorus, the vines around its legs began to break, but the Haxorus still relentlessly charged forward toward Hariyama.


    Hariyama''s right fist emitted a bright blue aura, a sign of rapidly gathering Fighting-type energy. At the moment of collision with the charging Haxorus, Hariyama''s right fist struck its body.


    The sh between the Normal-type Giga Impact and the Fighting-type Focus Punch created a massive shockwave. Nearby, smaller trees snapped and broke due to the force, prompting both Yuga and Brawly to close their eyes to avoid getting sand and debris in them.


    When everything finally settled down, Yuga and Brawly saw that the Haxorus and Hariyama were standing on opposite sides, both immobile.


    "Hariyama!" Brawly called out to his Hariyama. Shortly after, he heard a thud, and Hariyama fell backward.


    Clearly, in this collision, the Haxorus had a slight advantage. However, the Haxorus was now immobilized due to the aftereffects of the Giga Impact, resulting in a state of stiffness.


    As the stiffness gradually receded from the Haxorus, just as it was preparing to turn around, without Yuga needing to give amand, Florges aimed a Moonst directly at its face, and the Haxorus followed Hariyama''s lead and fell to the ground.


    This Haxorus was significantly stronger than Brawly''s Hariyama. If it hadn''t been for the constraints of the Misty Terrain created by Florges, preventing the Haxorus from using its Dragon-type moves, Hariyama would have been at a significant disadvantage against it.

 Chapter 498: Reversal

    <h4>Chapter 498: Reversal</h4>


    Yuga had Florges use Misty Terrain to provide some simple healing to Hariyama, who had lost the ability to battle. Once Hariyama regained some consciousness, Brawly recalled it into its Pok�� Ball.


    Just then, apuse echoed behind Yuga and Brawly.


    They turned around and saw a long-haired woman in a kimono and wooden clogs slowly approaching.


    Yuga: "Laverre City Gym Trainer, Valerie."


    "Oh my, our little genius recognizes me," the woman said with a Kyoto ent, smiling.


    Yuga was a bit puzzled to see Valerie slowly walking into their battle area. He couldn''t understand why the Gym Leader would enter their match.


    Seemingly aware of Yuga''s confusion, Valerie exined, "Your match has entered its final stage, and I am yourst test. Defeat me, and you''ll pass the first round of this official tournament."


    As Valerie had mentioned, all the remaining participants in the arena were now being challenged by Gym Trainers. These Gym Trainers represented various Gym Leaders from the six cities participating in the tournament. Yuga and Brawly happened to face Valerie, the Gym Trainer from Laverre City in the Kalos region.


    Yuga had some knowledge about Valerie. She was a specialist in Fairy-type Pok��mon, a rarity among Gym Trainers. Although she was not much older than Yuga and Brawly, she had be a Gym Trainer in a shorter time. Unlike Yuga and the others, who had topete to establish a Gym, Valerie, like Burgh from Castelia City, had been appointed by the Pok��mon League.


    Valerie''s hometown was in the Johto region, which was why she had a strong Johto regional characteristic in her clothing and ent. Besides being an excellent Pok��mon Trainer, she was also a well-known fashion designer.


    Brawly didn''t recognize the Gym Trainer standing before them. If it weren''t for Yuga''s reminder, he wouldn''t have realized that the final challenger was not a Pok��mon but a Gym Trainer.


    "So, how about it? Are you ready, little geniuses? If you''re prepared, let''s begin," Valerie said as she flicked her long sleeves and released two Pok�� Balls.


    Yuga and Brawly exchanged nces and nodded to each other. Yuga then asked, "We''re ready. Are there any rules?"


    Valerie walked to the opposite side of Yuga and Brawly, turned around slowly, and said, "The battle will be in a Double Battle format. I''ll use two Pok��mon simultaneously, while each of you will use one. If you win, you''ll sessfully pass the first round of the official tournament. If I win, I''ll be taking the red g behind you."


    After exining the rules, Valerie tossed her two Pok�� Balls into the air. It''s Aromatisse and Mawile.


    Seeing Valerie''s two Pok��mon, Yuga thought for a while and choose to recall Florges, who was outside the Pok�� Ball, and released Chimecho. Brawly, on the other hand, sent out his Breloom, which had both Grass and Fighting types.


    Valerie: "Now that we''re ready, let the battle begin. Aromatisse, use Trick Room. Mawile, Iron Defense."


    As Valerie issued hermands, Yuga suddenly remembered that this Gym Trainer was a master of spatial tactics, specializing in moves like Trick Room that had foiled numerous challengers.


    Aromatisse had an unusual Ability called Aroma Veil that protected it and its allies from mental attacks like Taunt, Disable, Attract and more. This made it challenging for Yuga and Brawly to counter the strategy.


    Following Valerie''s orders, a square-shaped spaceposed of blue transparent energy formed around Aromatisse, Mawile, Breloom, and Chimecho, creating a Trick Room.


    The move Trick Room had the ability to affect the movement speed of all Pok��mon on the field. Yuga''s Chimecho and Brawly''s Breloom both had faster movement speeds than Valerie''s Aromatisse and Mawile. In this situation, their movement speeds were reversed.


    As Trick Room formed, Yuga''s Chimecho and Brawly''s Breloom felt as though they were bound by an invisible force, making even the slightest movement incredibly difficult.


    Originally, Breloom had the fastest movement speed on the field. Being a Pok��mon with excellent physical attacks, its high speed allowed it to strike effectively. However, under the influence of Trick Room, its speed became a hindrance.


    "Mawile, y Rough!" Valeriemanded.


    Following her orders, Mawile, whose speed had been boosted, emitted a pink aura all over its body and charged towards Breloom.


    Breloom, a Grass and Fighting-type Pok��mon, was at a disadvantage against Fairy-types like Mawile If hit by y Rough, it would be severely weakened.


    In this critical moment, Yuga called out to his Chimecho, "Chimecho, use Reflect."


    While Trick Room did affect Yuga''s team''s movement speed, it didn''t have a significant impact on Chimecho, which focused on support moves. Being already close to Breloom, it didn''t need to change position. In an instant, it set up a purple barrier in front of Breloom, blocking y Rough from Mawile


    "Breloom, use Bullet Seed!" Brawly ordered.


    Seeing that Mawile was getting close to Breloom, Brawly immediatelymanded a counterattack. Arge seed was expelled from Breloom''s mouth and exploded upon hitting Mawile


    Mawile was thrown back a considerable distance by the explosion. However, being a Steel-type Pok��mon, it naturally resisted Grass-type moves. Additionally, Mawile had used Iron Defense earlier, further reducing the damage inflicted by Breloom''s Bullet Seed.


    Unnoticed by Yuga and Brawly, Aromatisse began to secretly use Aromatherapy, enhancing Mawile''s Special Defense.


    Clearly, this Aromatisse, much like Yuga''s Chimecho, focused on support abilities.


    Chimecho noticed that a pink mist was starting to surround Mawile and immediately spotted the covert actions of Aromatisse. Without hesitation, Chimechounched arge Shadow Ball.


    Although Chimecho leaned towards support moves, it didn''t mean that itcked offensive capabilities when needed. However, due to the effects of Trick Room, Aromatisse''s speed was impressive, and it effortlessly dodged Chimecho''s Shadow Ball.


    Seeing this, Chimecho was infuriated. It rarely found itself in such a disadvantageous situation, and the frustration fueled its battle spirit.

 Chapter 499: Gravity

    <h4>Chapter 499: Gravity</h4>


    Angry Chimecho vigorously shook its body, realizing it was still tightly restricted by the Trick Room. Its eyes began to emit a continuous stream of purple light, and the psychic energy in the air responded to Chimecho''s call, growing increasingly vtile.


    The purple radiance spread gradually from Chimecho''s eyes to its entire body. As Chimecho emitted a series of urgent chimes, a purple ring expanded within the Trick Room.


    The moment all the Pok��mon were caught within the purple ring, they felt as though a tremendous weight pressed them down, causing them to copse to the ground. Even the Aromatisse, which had been flying in the air, was forcefully brought to the ground.


    Not only the enemy Aromatisse and Mawile but even the friendly Breloom found themselves pinned down. Breloom seemed bewildered by the situation.


    As Aromatisse and Mawile struggled vigorously under the oppressive gravity, especially the physically robust Mawile, which used its powerful jaws to upheave chunks of soil from the ground.


    At this point, Chimecho had expanded its gravity field to the maximum extent, but even Chimecho couldn''t finely control its effects within this field, inadvertently affecting Breloom, its ally.


    Watching this scene unfold, Valerie was momentarily stunned. They had been in control just moments ago, but now the situation had abruptly shifted.


    "Mawile, Aromatisse, calm down," Valerie shouted, frowning as they watched the struggling Pok��mon within the gravitational field.


    Valerie was well aware that in this situation, struggling would only deplete their strength, and the exhaustion might ovee Aromatisse and Mawile before Chimecho and Breloom even had to intervene.


    Brawly, standing on the sidelines, couldn''t help but silently apud Chimecho''s ingenuity. Just a while ago, Brawly had been racking their brain trying to figure out how to deal with the Aromatisse and Mawile in the Trick Room, and now Chimecho had turned the tables on them.


    "Mawile, use Taunt," Valeriemanded once they saw that Aromatisse and Mawile were calming down. Valerie wanted to use Taunt to seal Chimecho''s gravity skill.


    Valerie''s Aromatisse possessed Magic Bounce, so they weren''t worried about counter-Trick Room tricks. In the beginning, Valerie hadn''t let Mawile use Taunt against Yuga''s Chimecho and Brawly''s Breloom, but she hadn''t anticipated the strength of Chimecho''s gravity field.


    However, Mawile''s Taunt skill wasn''t as proficient as Aromatisse''s Trick Room. Even if Mawile wanted to use it at the beginning, Yuga and Chimecho wouldn''t have let it happen.


    Of course, facing the overpowering gravity imposed by Chimecho, Yuga knew that his Chimecho could not grant such permission to Breloom now.


    "Chimecho, use Uproar," Yuga instructed. Previously, when Chimecho used the gravity field, it couldn''t smoothly execute other skills. However, it was no longer an issue.


    Following Yuga''smand, Chimecho swayed its lower body, opened its small mouth, and sent out rings of energy formed from sound waves, creating a deafening noise that assaulted Mawile.


    Just as Mawile was about to use Taunt, the noise pierced through its ears, disrupting its concentration and causing its Taunt ability to fizzle.


    "Aromatisse, Aromatherapy; Mawile, Iron Defense," Valerie ordered when they saw that Aromatisse and Mawile were no longer struggling. Aromatisse would enhance their team''s special defense, while Mawile would boost its physical defense.


    Meanwhile, Brawly''s Breloom, still immobilized by Chimecho''s gravity field, remained unable to make any significant impact on the situation.


    The audience watching from the sidelines could see Yuga and Chimecho''s valiant battle against Aromatisse and Mawile. Chimecho''s mastery of the gravity field showcased Yuga''s true strength.


    On this side, Aromatisse and Mawile continued to reinforce their special defense and physical defense. Yuga and Chimecho initiated a counterattack against them, directing shadow balls like projectiles towards Aromatisse and Mawile.


    Chimecho''s attack frequency was exceptionally high, and Aromatisse and Mawile couldn''t keep up with their defensive enhancements. Soon, both Pok��mon were covered in wounds.


    Seeing the situation escte, Valerie finally realized that maintaining the Trick Room offered no benefit to their side. So they quickly shouted to Aromatisse, "Aromatisse, use Sweet Kiss."


    At that moment, the time limit of the Trick Room expired. The blue space enveloping the battlefield shattered instantly, dissolving into sparkling particles in the air.


    Without paying attention to the vanishing Trick Room, Aromatisse struck a cute pose, and pink hearts flew towards Chimecho.


    Seeing the iing hearts, Chimecho tried to dodge, but there were too many Angel''s Kisses to evade, leaving Chimecho in a state of confusion.


    "Chimecho, use Safeguard," Yuga prompted at the crucial moment.


    Hearing Yuga''s voice, Chimecho quickly regained itsposure. A green arched barrier shielded them from the iing hearts. However, the time limit on the gravity ability finally expired, causing all the Pok��mon on the field to feel a sudden relief.


    At this point, the long-suppressed Mawile immediately used its y Rough skill and charged towards Chimecho. Chimecho, which had been guarding against Aromatisse, couldn''t react in time to defend itself.


    However, as Mawile regained its freedom, Brawly''s Breloom was also liberated. Itunched a powerful Sky Uppercut at the charging Mawile.


    After a brief sh, both Pok��mon retreated to their respective sides, ring at each other menacingly.


    Meanwhile, Chimecho, which had blocked Aromatisse''s Sweet Kisses, hurled numerous shadow balls at Aromatisse. Aromatisse, without the speed boost from the Trick Room, struggled to evade Chimecho''s attacks and resorted to using Light Screen to defend itself.


    However, Chimecho''s shadow balls were too numerous, and before long, Aromatisse couldn''t hold up any longer. Cracks began to appear in its Light Screen, and with a final explosive burst, it shattered into energy fragments. The overwhelmed Aromatisse descended gently from the sky, losing itsbat capability.


    Valerie never expected Chimecho, an auxiliary-type Pok��mon, to exhibit such formidable attacking power under Yuga''smand. Even with Aromatisse''s prior special defense enhancement from Aromatherapy, it was effortlessly defeated. Both Chimecho and Aromatisse followed simr support paths, but Chimecho possessed attacking capabilities that far exceeded Aromatisse''s.


    With Aromatisse''s support gone, Mawile found itself isted. Mawile, despite its excellent resistances,cked outstanding attributes in many other aspects. Without proper tactical support or sufficient training, it was challenging for Mawile to demonstrate its fullbat potential unless it underwent Mega Evolution.


    Soon, Mawile fell to the joint efforts of Chimecho and Breloom, unable to offer any resistance.


    Chimecho hardly needed to get involved physically, focusing on providing ample defense for Breloom, while Breloom engaged in close-quartersbat. Both were melee-type Pok��mon, and they resolved their issues with punches.


    However, Breloom had the additional support of Chimecho''s defense, making Mawile''s attacksrgely ineffective. It quickly sumbed to Breloom''s power.

 Chapter 500: Passing Through

    <h4>Chapter 500: Passing Through</h4>


    Upon seeing Aromatisse and Mawile both lying on the ground, Yuga and Brawly simultaneously let out a sigh of relief, thinking, "Finally, this match is over."


    Valerie recalled the two incapacitated Pok��mon on the field into their Pok�� Balls and then smiled at Brawly and Yuga, saying, "Congrattions on sessfully passing this round."


    "Thank you," Yuga and Brawly both expressed their gratitude to Valerie.


    After the congrattions, Valerie turned and left. In no time, she disappeared into the forest. Just like when she arrived, neither Yuga nor Brawly had any idea how she entered or exited the battle arena.


    After waiting for a while, Yuga and Brawly saw therge Baheeyem that had transported them in earlier reappear in front of them. Before they could say anything, Baheeyem used Teleport to send them back out.


    Yuga and Brawly found themselves teleported to the central tform on the top floor of the Battle Company Building. The area was surrounded by spectators, and not only were Yuga''s group here, but all the other participating trainers as well.


    This time, Yuga and hispanions officially made their appearance in front of all the spectators.


    Once all the participating trainers gathered, the judges also appeared. Afterward, they summarized and made speeches about the day''spetitions.


    When the speeches concluded, the names of the qualifiers for the day''s matches were announced on therge screen in front of Yuga and the others.


    Thispetition didn''t have rankings. Anyone who persevered until the end without being eliminated qualified for the next round.


    However, the performances of all the participants had been observed by the audience through cameras, and everyone had a rough idea of each other''s strengths and weaknesses.


    Surprisingly, out of all the participants, including Yuga''s group, only 16 teams had made it through this round. Considering that there were originally 50 teamspeting, less than one-fifth of the participants remained after the first round.


    However, teams like Marlon, Roxie, and Sora had all sessfully advanced.


    Perhaps due to the thunderous apuse from the audience, Ribombee, which had been sleeping on Yuga''s head throughout thepetition, finally opened its eyes.


    "Ribombee, Ribombee."


    Yuga, is thepetition over?


    Ribombee rubbed its sleepy eyes and called out to Yuga.


    However, when Ribombee''s gaze fell on Siebold, who was sitting at the top of the tform, its drowsiness disappeared instantly, and its mind became alert.


    At this moment, Siebold also sensed Ribombee''s gaze and cast a meaningful nce at Ribombee, causing Ribombee to shiver involuntarily.


    Feeling Ribombee''s unusual reaction, Yuga asked Ribombee in a hushed voice, "Ribombee, what''s wrong?"


    "Ribombee, Ribombee."


    Nothing''s wrong, nothing''s wrong.


    Ribombee quickly shook its head to indicate that there was no issue, then weakly returned to its spot on Yuga''s head.


    Not long after, the spectators began to leave, and the participating trainers were informed that they could also leave.


    By this time, it was already evening. Yuga and his group hadn''t had a proper meal since breakfast, and they had been engaged in high-intensity battles from morning until now. Both physically and mentally, they were quite exhausted.


    "Congrattions on making it to the next round."


    As Yuga and hispanions passed by, Vi and Grant greeted them with smiles.


    "You too," Yuga replied with a smile.


    Vi and Grant had also performed exceptionally well and, unsurprisingly, advanced to the next round.


    Since Yuga''s group didn''t know Vi and Grant, there wasn''t much interaction between the three parties.


    "Shimizu Yuga."


    At this moment, Yuga heard someone calling his name from behind and turned around to see Siebold approaching.


    Vi and Grant noticed that Siebold was approaching, understanding that he had something to discuss with Yuga. They nodded in Yuga''s direction and discreetly left.


    Seeing Vi and Grant depart, Brawly also exchanged greetings with Yuga before departing.


    "Is Siebold here for Ribombee?" Yuga asked as he carefully lifted Ribombee from his head and held it in his right hand, addressing Siebold.


    "Ribombee..."


    I don''t want to go back.


    Ribombee stood in Yuga''s palm and uttered a intive sound. However, Siebold couldn''t understand Ribombee''s vocalizations, and Yuga pretended not to grasp the meaning either. Eventually, Ribombee was dejectedly recalled into its Pok�� Ball by Siebold.


    During thepetition, when Siebold saw Ribombee rejoining Yuga, he had someone deliver its Pok�� Ball to him.


    Siebold shook the Pok�� Ball containing Ribombee and remarked to Yuga, "I didn''t expect it to like you so much."


    Yuga sighed, "Perhaps we''re just meant to be."


    Siebold chuckled, "It''s a pity. This Ribombee is from the Pok��mon Day Care Center of the Kalos League. If it were a personal Pok��mon of mine, I could''ve considered giving it to you."


    Yuga shook his head; he hadn''t intended to take ownership of Ribombee. Moreover, he didn''t want to trouble Siebold unnecessarily.


    After parting ways with Siebold and Ribombee, Yuga left the top floor of the Battle Company Building. Mayor Ishida and Liliana also waited below for him.


    Before returning to their amodations, Yuga made a stop at the Pok��mon Center. After a full day of intense battles, he felt it was prudent to have Nurse Joy check on his Pok��mon.


    After enjoying a hearty meal with Mayor Ishida and Liliana, Yuga headed back to his lodgings.


    On his way back, he coincidentally encountered Brawly in the small garden, tending to his Pok��mon.


    Upon seeing Yuga approach, Brawly said, "Thank you for your help during today''s match. If it weren''t for you, dealing with Valerie''s Aromatisse Trick Room would have been quite a challenge."


    Yuga waved his hand dismissively and replied, "Even without me, I''m confident you would have found a solution. Besides, since we''re a team, lending a hand is only natural. I should also thank you for helping Chimecho fend off Mawile''s attacks."


    In this match, Valerie didn''t give her all. She had selected her battle Pok��mon based on the participants'' previous performances. Brawly indeed had a contingency n to deal with Valerie''s Trick Room, though it wouldn''t have been as effortless as Chimecho had made it look when blocking Mawile''s attacks.


    However, Yuga and Brawly had disyed outstanding performances earlier, prompting Valerie to raise the difficulty level of their challenge. The tests set by other Gym Leaders for their respective participants weren''t asplex as what Yuga and Brawly faced.


    Of course, Yuga and Brawly were unaware of this fact.


    While thispetition didn''t have rankings, the performances of the participants were roughly estimated by the audience and judges.

 Chapter 501: Ruins

    <h4>Chapter 501: Ruins</h4>


    The official second round of the tournament didn''t immediately follow the first round, much like the preliminaries, there was a day''s gap between them.


    The first round of matches hadsted a full day, testing endurance and perseverance. To prepare the participants for the uing challenges, there was a one-day break between the first and second rounds, allowing them to adjust their condition.


    So, on the second day after the conclusion of the first round of the official tournament, Yuga found himself with some free time.


    After having breakfast, Yuga returned to his room, pondering how to pass the day. Just then, he heard a knock at his door.


    Opening the door, he found Roxie and Marlon standing there.


    Yuga was puzzled, as he couldn''t recall having any significant interactions with these two.


    "Do you need something? If not, you cane into my room," Yuga suggested.


    Marlon smiled and replied, "We do have something. You''ll find out when youe with us. Your teammate Brawly is there too."


    Upon hearing that Brawly was involved, Yuga grew curious about why Marlon and Roxie had sought him out.


    "All right, let''s go," Yuga said, closing his room door behind him before heading off with Marlon and Roxie.


    The living quarters of the participants from the Unova Region were separated from those of the participants from Hoenn Region by the residence area of the participants from the Sinnoh Region. Along the way, they encountered several people who found it rather odd to see Yuga walking alongside Marlon and Roxie.


    Currently, Yuga, Marlon, and Roxie were quite well-known among all the participants and were considered popr contenders in this tournament. People had some knowledge of their performances in the first two rounds.


    When Yuga, Marlon, Roxie, and Brawly entered Marlon''s room, they were surprised to find Sora from the Johto Region there as well.


    Brawly and Sora acknowledged Yuga with nods upon his arrival.


    While Yuga recognized Sora, they weren''t particrly acquainted, and they hadn''t exchanged many words before. Therefore, they simply nodded at each other without engaging in further conversation.


    Marlon said, "Feel free to make yourselvesfortable. Have a seat."


    "Okay," Yuga replied, nodding to Marlon, and he found a seat near Brawly.


    Once everyone was seated, Marlon exined, "Originally, I was nning to invite Miss Vi and Mr. Grant as well, but it seems they had some other matters to attend to and left early."


    Yuga and the others were curious about why Marlon and Roxie had gathered them here, and Brawly, being direct, voiced the question that was on their minds.


    "Could you please tell us the reason you''ve called us here?"


    Marlon responded, "Certainly. Roxie and I would like to invite you all to explore a set of ruins today, since there are no matches for you."


    Upon hearing Marlon''s words, Yuga and the others finally understood.


    The Pok��mon world had many ruins, including well-knownrge-scale ruins that had been discovered and preserved by the League. However, every year, numerous small or unknown ruins were also uncovered. For example, the underground world Yuga had previously encountered with the Gligar family and the Flygon family could be considered an unknown ruin.


    These ruins, if they don''t involve too many or significant secrets, are usually explored by their discoverers. If the discoverers decide not to explore them, they can simply report the discovery to the League.


    However, many discoverers of ruins prefer to explore them themselves. They explore the ruins until they find what they need or until they''re unable to proceed, then they report the ruins to the League. This practice is in ordance with Leaguews.


    As the initial discoverers of the ruins, they have the first right to explore them. After they finish their exploration, the League takes over the ruins, and they are no longer associated with individuals.


    In the Pok��mon world, where civilization has reached a high level, personal property is highly valued. What they discover belongs to them. This is quite different from the social norms of Yuga''s previous life, where historical and cultural artifacts were considered a shared heritage and were handed over to the state.


    In the Pok��mon world, many artifacts serve a practical purpose for trainers, such as the King''s Rock. Therefore, the focus is often on their practical value rather than their archaeological significance.


    These customs are shaped by the unique circumstances of different worlds.


    Speaking of ruins in the Pok��mon world, they are remnants of ancient civilizations. Despite the brutal and bloody nature of these ancient civilizations, they left behind many unknown artifacts that modern society can''tprehend. This is one reason why many trainers are passionate about exploring ruins.


    For example, the previous trainer of Chatot and his circus split up because of their exploration of the ruins of the People of the Water. They became obsessed with the mysterious connection between the People of the Water and the Mythical Pok��mon Manaphy and coveted the enigmatic power of the Sea Crown. These were powerful forces that modern humans couldn''t fathom.


    "Exploring ruins? But we have a match tomorrow. Won''t exploring the ruins potentially dy our return? What if we don''t make it back in time?" expressed Sora, voicing his concerns.


    "No need to worry. It''s not arge-scale ruin, and it''s not far from Castelia City. We''ll have enough time to return in a day," reassured Marlon.


    "That''s right. We discovered this ce a long time ago when we were not as strong. Back then, we couldn''t venture deep inside, so we just observed the outside and left," added Marlon.


    "But now that you''ve be more powerful, and it''s a small ruin, why don''t you explore it yourselves? Why invite us?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    Marlon sighed and exined, "While it''s a small ruin, the Pok��mon inside are quite formidable. When Roxie and I left, we saw a Volcarona shing by, and it looked incredibly strong. It might be challenging for just Roxie and me."


    Upon hearing Marlon''s exnation, Yuga and the others finally understood. However, Yuga was surprised that a small ruin like this would have a Pok��mon as powerful as Volcarona.


    In ancient times in the Unova Region, Volcarona had even been worshiped as a deity. This Pok��mon''s rarity and strength wereparable to Hydreigon, the Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon of the Unova Region. In modern times, information spread more quickly, and the mystique surrounding Volcarona gradually waned as more instances of its discovery were reported.

 Chapter 502: Pinwheel Forest

    <h4>Chapter 502: Pinwheel Forest</h4>


    After listening to Marlon''s exnation, Yuga and the others became very interested in this ruin. A ruin with the presence of a Volcarona should hold significant exploration value. Therefore, all three of them agreed to join Marlon and his group in exploring the ruin.


    "Where is this ruin located?" asked Sora.


    "In the Pinwheel Forest," replied Marlon.


    "Oh, it''s in that forest," Yuga remarked.


    The Pinwheel Forest was one of thergest forests in the Unova Region, situated between Castelia City and Nacrene City.


    The forest was abundant in Pok��mon resources, especially Grass-type and Bug-type Pok��mon. Legend had it that one of the Sword of Justice from the Unova Region, Virizion, lived deep within the Pinwheel Forest. However, no one had ever seen him in person.


    To facilitate trainers'' adventures in the Pinwheel Forest, a man-made road on the forest''s outskirts provided direct ess to the Skyarrow Bridge, with one end of the bridge located in Castelia City. As Marlon had mentioned, the Pinwheel Forest wasn''t far from Castelia City.


    After Marlon, Yuga, and their friends briefly discussed the situation of the ruins, they prepared to set off for the Pinwheel Forest. Dying their departure might prevent them from returning in time.


    However, before leaving, they passed by the Pok��mon Center in Castelia City. Yuga made a quick call to Verdanturf Town.


    The Skyarrow Bridge was located to the east of Castelia City. Upon reaching the bridge, they each released a ride Pok��mon to expedite their journey.


    Marlon''s ride Pok��mon was a rare Three Starter Pok��mon Samurott from the Unova Region, a Water-type.


    Yuga wasn''t familiar with Marlon''s background, so he didn''t know if Marlon had received the Samurott from the League or acquired it through other means.


    Roxie''s ride Pok��mon was a formidable and intimidating Bug/Poison-type Pok��mon, Scolipede.


    Sora''s Pok��mon, Stanler, had a distinct characteristic typical of the Johto Region. This Pok��mon wasn''t particrlymon in Johto, but it wasn''t exceptionally powerful either. Instead, it possessed unique abilities, akin to the Illusion abilities of Munna and Musharna, although its methods of employing these abilities differed.


    Contrary to expectations, Brawly''s ride Pok��mon wasn''t a Fighting-type, his specialty. Instead, it was an elegant Fire-type Pok��mon, Rapidash.


    This Rapidash had unremarkable potential and level, seemingly chosen for its suitability as a mode of transportation. After all, it was rare for Fighting-type Pok��mon to serve as suitable ride Pok��mon, even when meeting the size and strength criteria. Riding them was often an ufortable experience.


    The sight of Yuga''s massive Absol prompted expressions of awe from the others.


    Although the Skyarrow Bridge was quite long, they encountered no obstacles along the way. In no time, they crossed the bridge and entered the artificial passage leading to the outer rim of the Pinwheel Forest.


    Inside the Pinwheel Forest, the trees were incredibly dense, obscuring the sky above with lush foliage. Bug-type Pok��mon like Sewaddle and Swadloon were visible everywhere, feeding on leaves and cocooning.


    The Unova Region was the only region among several where it was difficult to spot Butterfly Pok��mon and Bee Pok��mon in the forests and grasnds.


    In Kanto and Johto, Butterfree and Beedrill were abundant. In the Hoenn Region, there ismon Bug-type Wurmple and its evolution line, Silcoon and Cascoon, Beautifly and Dustox. In the Sinnoh Region, Mothim line is quiet rare but thebee weremon (Vespiqueen is notmon). In Kalos region, there is Vivillon with its different wing patterns. Even in the Al Region boasted the Cutiefly and Ribombee.


    However, the Pinwheel Forest in the Unova Region hosted Bug-types that appeared unassuming in appearance, but they were indeed the strongest of their kind among the various Bug-types. Combined with their gentle and amiable nature, these Pok��mon were quite popr among civilian trainers in the Unova Region.


    Yuga followed the others along the narrow path in the forest. asionally, he used his Insight ability to observe the Sewaddle and Swadloon they encountered, hoping to find some with promising potential to add to his own Ecopark.


    However, the artificial passage had a fair number of people, and even though others couldn''t assess the Pok��mon''s potential like Yuga, many had already captured the most exceptional Pok��mon. So, Yuga''s journey didn''t yield much in terms of catches.


    Trainers who frequently ventured into the Pinwheel Forest were not umon. The Pok��mon living around the forest''s outskirts often saw all sorts of humans passing through, so when they saw Yuga and his group, their reactions were quite calm, and they continued with their activities.


    About halfway through the artificial passage, Marlon stopped and warned Yuga and the others, saying, "From here on, we''ll be deviating from the artificial passage. The environment inside the Pinwheel Forest is incrediblyplex, like a maze, especially for those visiting for the first time. So, please be careful not to wander off; it''s easy to get separated from the group."


    One of the reasons for constructing an artificial passage around the outskirts of the Pinwheel Forest was to facilitate trainers'' ess while avoiding the forest''splexity. Every year, numerous trainers would get lost inside due to the intricateyout.


    Upon hearing Marlon''s advice, Yuga, Brawly, and Sora, who were first-time visitors to the Pinwheel Forest, nodded in agreement.


    Once they left the artificial passage, the path became significantly more challenging to traverse. Everywhere they looked, there were overgrown bushes and thorns blocking their way. However, Marlon''s Samurott was adept at using its "swords." It sliced through the bushes and thorns with the sharp des on its segmented forearm guards.


    The reason Samurott were called Sword Masters was because of the segmented forearm guards with beige sections on all four limbs. They used these in battle, and these shell-de forearm guards were known as "Sword des." They were formidable weapons inbat.


    Being chosen as one of the initial Water-type starter Pok��mon in a region, Samurott and its evolutionary line possessed unique traits.


    Inside these maze-like surroundings, the behavior of the Pok��mon they encountered was no longer as docile as those near the artificial passage.


    Some Pok��mon continuously watched Yuga and his group with a wary eye.


    For example, a Mandibuzz kept circling above them, following them along the way. It was only frightened away by Yuga''s Absol, which activated its Intimidate ability.


    Mandibuzz were known for circling in the sky and targeting weaker Pok��mon as prey. The bones decorating their bodies were remnants from their hunts, and it was said that their favorite food was Cubone. Yuga couldn''t confirm if that was true.


    After walking for what seemed like a considerable time, Yuga and the others unknowingly stepped on a hidden Foongus in the undergrowth. The Foongus screamed in pain, and soon they found themselves surrounded by a group of Foongus and Amoonguss.


    Foongus and Amoonguss were amon type of Pok��mon found in the forests of the Unova Region.


    They had dual Grass and Poison types, and their appearance, with patterns resembling red-and-white Pok�� Balls, led to their nickname "Pokeball Mushrooms." This was due to the resemnce between their patterns and the old-style Pok�� Balls.

 Chapter 503: Facing It Head-On

    <h4>Chapter 503: Facing It Head-On</h4>


    The strength of the Foongus and Amoonguss surrounding Yuga and the others was rather weak. Yuga took this opportunity to return Absol and release his Charmeleon, allowing it to get some good training. Yuga''s Charmeleon had already reached the level required for evolution, but to reach its final form, it needed more rigorous training.


    Yuga''s switch of Pok��mon seemed to signal an attack from the Foongus and Amoonguss. They unleashed Poison Powder, sending waves of toxic spores toward Yuga and his group.


    Yuga''s Charmeleon and Brawly''s Rapidash immediately countered with methrower, engulfing the Foongus and Amoonguss in front of them in fire.


    On the other side, Marlon''s Samurott opened its mouth and unleashed an Ice-type advanced move, Blizzard. The pale snowstorm swept through most of the Foongus and Amoonguss. Roxie and Sora didn''t even need to get involved; all the Foongus and Amoonguss were quickly dealt with.


    Before leaving, Yuga made sure Charmeleon and Rapidash thawed the frozen Foongus and Amoonguss. They weren''t seriously injured and just needed some rest.


    However, among this group of Foongus and Amoonguss, Yuga spotted one with green potential. He casually used a Pok�� Ball to capture it.


    None of the others, except for Marlon and Roxie, who were locals, showed interest in the Foongus and Amoonguss. When they saw Yuga capture one, they didn''t object.


    This was the first high-potential Pok��mon Yuga had seen since entering the Pinwheel Forest after observing for a while.


    After walking for a while, Marlon suddenly said to Yuga and the others, "There''s a Moss Rock nearby that can induce Eevee to evolve into Leafeon. Would you like to take a look on the way?"


    Special environments like this, which could trigger Eevee''s evolution into Leafeon, were exceedingly rare. The conditions for their formation were also very stringent. Currently, the most famous locations for Moss Rocks were the Pinwheel Forest in the Unova Region and the Eterna Forest in the Sinnoh Region.


    Yuga and the others were quite interested in the Moss Rock. Except for Marlon and Roxie, the three of them had never seen such a Moss Rock before. Moreover, the location of the Moss Rock was on the way to the ruins, so they unanimously agreed to visit the rarely-seen Moss Rock first.


    Under the guidance of Marlon and Roxie, Yuga and the others headed towards the Moss Rock.


    The Moss Rock in the Pinwheel Forest was quite famous, so it couldn''t be considered a hidden location. The paths along the way had already been cleared by those who had visited the ce before.


    The area around the Moss Rock was unique due to the dense concentration of Grass-type energy. As they got closer, Yuga and his group encountered more Grass-type Pok��mon along the way.


    The mostmon Grass-type Pok��mon they saw on their journey were the Burmy line, the Deerling line, and the Foongus line. asionally, they spotted some rarer Pok��mon like Cottonee, Petilil, and Ferroseed.


    However, the potentials of these Pok��mon were all below green, and there were even few yellow-potential Pok��mon, so Yuga didn''t bother trying to capture them.


    Before long, they reached the Moss Rock.


    The area around the Moss Rock was different from the rest of the forest. It was a sparse, grassy area with thick, lush grass covering the ground. The Moss Rock itselfy there quietly, radiating vitality under the sunlight.


    The Moss Rock wasn''t particrlyrge or small, covered in vibrant green moss with a few pink flowers blooming on top. asionally, a gentle breeze would sway the flowers, giving the Moss Rock a lively charm.


    When Yuga and the others arrived, they saw an elegant Sawsbuck standing on the Moss Rock.


    The Sawsbuck had its eyes closed and its neck arched high. The lush leaves on its head were emitting a bright light, indicating that it was in the process of photosynthesis.


    Deerling and its evolutions, Sawsbuck, changed their forms with the seasons. The Sawsbuck before them was in its summer form, distinguished by the lush green leaves on its head.


    Their arrival seemed to startle the Sawsbuck, which abruptly opened its eyes, causing the photosynthesis process on its head to cease.


    As this Sawsbuck opened its eyes, Yuga and hispanions immediately felt a palpable pressure. Although it cast them a mere nce, and its gaze wasn''t hostile, they could tell that this Sawsbuck was anything but ordinary.


    ...


    <<sawsbuck>> </sawsbuck>


    Type: Normal, Grass


    Ability: Chlorophyll


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 75


    Moves: Tackle, Horn Leech, Mega Horn, Safeguard, Double Kick, Leech Seed, Faint Attack, Take Down, High Jump Kick, Energy Ball, Wild Charge, Shadow Clone, Iron Defense, Sr Beam, Photosynthesis, Grass Whistle, Protect, Bullet Seed.


    ...


    Yuga understood the source of the pressure he had felt only after using his Insight ability. This was a Elite level Pok��mon, and it had blue potential. None of them, individually orbined, would stand a chance against this Sawsbuck.


    Even Yuga''s Elite level Noctowl in his Ecopark might not be a match for this Sawsbuck, especially considering the type advantage it had.


    Upon spotting Yuga and his group, the Sawsbuck simply let out a call and, soon after, several Sawsbuck started appearing from the surrounding forest.


    After the Sawsbuck arrived, the Sawsbuck gracefully hopped down from the Moss Rock. With the Sawsbuck in tow, it leisurely strolled into the woods without paying any attention to Marlon''s group.


    However, as it departed, it cast a slight nce towards Yuga, and from its gaze, Yuga could tell that it had sensed his unique abilities.


    Once the Sawsbuck had left, Marlon and the others breathed a collective sigh of relief. The presence of the Sawsbuck had startled them considerably.


    Yuga, ustomed to interacting with Elite level Pok��mon like his Noctowl, took it rather well, but Marlon''s groupcked such experience, making the close encounter with a Elite level Pok��mon quite intimidating.


    "That was really frightening just now. Fortunately, Sawsbuck has a very gentle temperament. If we had encountered something like a Scolipede, it might not have been so easy to escape," Marlon said, with a look of relief on his face.


    The others nodded in agreement.


    Brawly: "Indeed, I never expected that we would encounter such a powerful Pok��mon just bying to see the Moss Rock. It''s quite unnerving."


    In this area near the Moss Rock, there were frequent visitors, and Grass-type Pok��mon living here weren''t unusual. However, encountering such a powerful Pok��mon was indeed a rare urrence.

 Chapter 504: Radiance

    <h4>Chapter 504: Radiance</h4>


    After the departure of Sawsbuck, Yuga and his group began to observe this Moss Rock with magical power more closely.


    In Yuga''s perception, there was abundant Grass-type energy all around, and many Grass-type Pok��mon in the vicinity were peeking out of the grass and trees, quietly observing Yuga and his group.


    Feeling the rich Grass-type energy around, Yuga released his Grass-type Pok��mon: Bellossom, Roserade, Breloom, and Ivysaur.


    The others, seeing Yuga release so many Grass-type Pok��mon, realized that Yuga was indeed a hidden Grass-type Pok��mon trainer.


    Previously, their battles were separate, so they had no idea that Yuga, in addition to his Absol and other Pok��mon, also had several Grass-type Pok��mon. Even Brawly, who fought with Yuga before, had only seen his Roserade.


    As Yuga''s Grass-type Pok��mon came out, they immediately sensed the rich Grass-type energy in the environment and involuntarily emitted cheerful cries. They then closed their eyes to sense their attributes.


    Yuga''s four Grass-type Pok��mon, except for Roserade, had undergone an Awakening Ritual by Celebi, making them particrly sensitive to Grass-type energy.


    At this moment, Yuga noticed that therge leaves on the back of his Ivysaur were inexplicably collecting sr energy under the sun. The red bud on its back started to emit a faint glow.


    Was this photosynthesis?


    Yuga didn''t expect Ivysaur to learn this skill by chance in this location. The others also noticed Ivysaur''s unusual behavior, but they tactfully didn''t disturb it.


    As time passed, Ivysaur collected more and more sr energy on its back. The intense white light spread from the leaves and bud all over Ivysaur''s body, soon enveloping its entire form.


    At this point, Ivysaur''s body began to grow under the sr energy''s influence. The leaves on its back continued to grow, and the petals on its bud gradually unfolded.


    Everyone realized that Ivysaur was about to evolve.


    On the side, Bellossom noticed Ivysaur''s impending evolution and called out to Roserade. Roserade nodded and, together with Bellossom, used Grassy Terrain. The verdant green light immediately surrounded Ivysaur, which was in the midst of evolving.


    Seeing Bellossom and Roserade''s actions, Yuga didn''t hesitate to release his more powerful Pok��mon, Florges. Without Yuga''smand, Florges also used Grassy Terrain, immediately covering Bellossom and Roserade''s Grassy Terrain.


    Ivysaur, surrounded by thebined Grassy Terrain, instinctively activated its own Grassy Terrain, and it gradually merged with Florges, Bellossom and Roserade''s.


    Perhaps because they were in the forest, the Grassy Terrain created by Bellossom, Roserade, and Florges was exceptionally grand.


    Countless grass sprouted, grew, and bloomed. The surrounding trees responded to Florges''s call, gently swaying, and glowing green dots floated from the trees andnded on Ivysaur, still enveloped in white light.


    As more green dots appeared, the white light surrounding Ivysaur gradually turned into a lush green color. When all the green dots were absorbed into Ivysaur''s body, its evolution reached its final stage.


    "Venusaur!"


    With a cry, the sr energy and the light of evolution that enveloped Ivysaur dissipated suddenly, revealing a massive Venusaur.


    This Venusaur was significantlyrger than the average one, standing at more than three meters tall, including the flower. Yuga, standing in front of it, only reached its nose. Its size and volume were nearly on par with Yuga''s colossal Absol.


    "Venusaur, Venusaur."


    Smelling the captivating fragrance, Yuga and his group immediately felt incredibly rxed, as if their minds were being soothed.


    Aftering to his senses, Yuga approached Venusaur, gently touching its chin, and said, "Congrattions, Venusaur."


    The average height of a typical Venusaur was two meters, including the flower. However, Yuga''s Venusaur was over three meters tall, making it nearly as colossal as his Absol.


    "Venusaur, Venusaur."


    The evolved Venusaur was in a very cheerful mood, squinting its eyes and rubbing its cheek against Yuga''s palm.


    Yuga opened his Insight ability to check Venusaur''s status.


    ...


    <<venusaur (miracle="" seed)="">> </venusaur>


    Attributes: Grass, Poison


    Ability: Chlorophyll


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 40


    Skills: Sweet Scent, Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Poison Powder, Sunny Day, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Power Whip, Grassy Terrain, Photosynthesis, Sr Beam, Frenzy nt.


    ...


    After evolution, Venusaur''s level had slightly increased, officially reaching level 40. Like the current Charmeleon, among Yuga''s main Pok��mon, aside from Breloom, the others were all above level 40.


    Due to its Potential limitations, Breloom''s progress remained slower than other Pok��mon, despite having undergone the Awakening Ceremony. It was still at a little over level 30.


    What pleased Yuga was that after evolution, Venusaur had not only learned the recovery skill Photosynthesis by pure chance but also awakened Sr Beam and Frenzy nt, two powerful Grass-type moves, due to the unique environment here. Coupled with the Power Whip it had inherited, Venusaur now possessed three powerful moves.


    However, both Sr Beam and Frenzy nt had their side effects. Sr Beam required charging without the aid of Sunny Day, and Frenzy nt would leave the Pok��mon in a stiff state, much like the side effects of ultimate moves in other types: Giga Impact, Hyper Beam, st Burn, Hydro Cannon, and Rock Wrecker.


    After Yuga celebrated, Florges, Roselia, Breloom, and Bellossom came over to congratte Venusaur.


    Venusaur responded to them with a happy smile.


    As for Marlon and the others, they looked at Yuga''s remarkable Venusaur with astonishment. They had seen Pok��mon evolve before, but Venusaur''s evolution had caused quite a stir, making it a unique and remarkable event. Just from its appearance, they could tell Venusaur was something extraordinary.


    As Venusaur''s evolutionpleted, the Grassy Terrain created by Florges and the others gradually dissipated. However, the grass energy remained visible in the area. The Moss Rocks and the grass field around them emitted a faint green glow, creating a beautiful scene.


    At this point, Grass-type Pok��mon hidden in the surrounding bushes and leaves began to emerge. They no longer seemed afraid of Yuga and the others. They gathered around the Moss Rocks andy down next to them.


    Yuga and his group finally got to witness the multitude of Grass-type Pok��mon that inhabited the Pinwheel Forest. There were Pok��mon like Pansage, Cottonee, Petilil, Ferroseed, and Maractus, among others. Some Grass-types from other regions, such as Oddish, Sunflora, and Tang, were also mixed among them.


    These Grass-type Pok��mon seemed to know that the remaining grass energy was beneficial to them. Theyid down on the grass and absorbed the grass energy that had fallen on the grass and Moss Rocks. It didn''t take long for Yuga and the others to witness the evolution lights once again.


    Spewpa evolved into Vivillon, Ferroseed evolved into Ferrothorn, Foongus evolved into Amoonguss, Cottonee evolved into Whimsicott, and Oddish evolved into Gloom...


    These Pok��mon had originally faced difficulties evolving due to their Potential limitations. Unless they encountered a trainer willing to help them, it might have taken them ages to evolve in the wild.


    Now, thanks to the unique environment here and the special grass energy generated by Florges and the others'' Grassy Terrain, they had finallypleted their evolution. Those Pok��mon that hadn''t evolved also received significant benefits.

 Chapter 505: Male and Female

    <h4>Chapter 505: Male and Female</h4>


    After witnessing the spectacr evolution ceremony, Marlon and his group marveled and left the scene. Several of them continued to move in the direction of the ruins.


    The Pinwheel Forest was vast, with Nacrenes City, Striaton City City, um Town, and Nuvema Town scattered along its edges. The outer and central regions were a paradise for most trainers to train in, while the inner areas were rarely ventured into.


    The location of the ruins that Yuga and his group were heading to was right where the Pinwheel Forest''s central and inner regions intersected. Passing by the Moss Rock, they weren''t far from their destination.


    Yuga and his group were led by Marlon and Roxie, arriving at a massive sinkhole. Gazing at the immense chasm, Sora asked, "Is the ruin you mentioned down there?"


    Marlon nodded and said, "That''s right. Initially, both Roxie and I stumbled upon the ruins down here. The location is well-hidden, making it hard for most people to find."


    Beneath the sinkholey a small-scale ecosystem. Looking down from above, they could see the dense forest, tranquilke, and yful Pok��mon inside the sinkhole.


    Vine: "Are we going down there now?"


    The sinkhole was enormous and deep, surrounded by cliffs on all sides. The only way down was by using Flying Pok��mon.


    Marlon nodded, saying, "Let''s go down. We don''t have time to waste."


    Everyone agreed and released their Flying mounts.


    After mounting their Flying Pok��mon, Yuga and his group followed behind Marlon''s Swanna and Roxie''s Crobat, flying directly to the location of the ruins beneath the sinkhole.


    Theynded near a pond beneath the sinkhole, and the surroundings were eerily quiet. Not a single wild Pok��mon was in sight, which puzzled them.


    "It seems like this ce might be upied by some Pok��mon. There used to be many wild Pok��mon here, but they seem to have disappeareds, Please be careful." Marlon cautioned while looking around vigntly.


    "Where is the ruin located?" Yuga also scanned the area but couldn''t identify any ce that seemed like a ruin unless it was beneath the pond.


    "It''s right beneath the pond," Marlon said. "But the Pok��mon that have taken over this ce might also be underwater."


    Sure enough, it is under the water pool, Yuga thought.


    Yuga suspected that the Pok��mon upying the area were indeed underwater, possibly Ghost-type Pok��mon. He could clearly sense Ghost-type energy emanating from the water''s surface.


    "Let me check the situation in the pond," Yuga suggested.


    He signaled to his Dragonair, which flew over the pond and stopped in mid-air. Blue water energy began to envelop Dragonair''s tail, and then it extended into the pond, creating a massive vortex.


    This was Dragonair''s Aqua Tail, which stirred up the water in the pond. Soon, arge whirlpool appeared on the surface.


    As the vortex''s rotation speed increased, Yuga felt the Ghost-type energy inside intensify. Subsequently, tworge shadowy orbs shot out of the water''s surface, heading towards Dragonair.


    Seeing the orbs approaching, Dragonair calmly lifted its tail that was surrounded by water energy, left and right, and pped the two shadowy orbs away in session.


    The two orbsnded on the rocks and grass beside the pond and exploded violently. After the explosions, two figures emerged from the pond.


    Jellicent!


    The two Pok��mon that emerged from the pond were a male and a female Jellicent, unique Water and Ghost-type Pok��mon native to the Union region.


    Seeing these two Jellicent, Yuga and his group finally understood why there were no other Pok��mon around. Jellicent, like many Ghost-type Pok��mon, possessed the ability to absorb life energy from other creatures to protect their territory.


    Absorbing life energy is an ability that many ghost-type Pok��mon have.


    The levels of these two Jellicent were 51 and 52, making them formidable beings in the central region of the Pinwheel Forest. It was no wonder no other Pok��mon dared to approach this area.


    Marlon said, "I didn''t expect two Jellicent to appear here out of nowhere. They weren''t here before."


    Marlon had a male Jellicent himself, so he was quite familiar with these Water-type Pok��mon.


    After emerging from the pond, the two Jellicent saw that their peace had been disturbed by Dragonair. Without hesitation, theybined their Omnious Winds, forming a ckish wind pir that blew towards Dragonair above the pond.


    Dragonair, upon seeing this, opened its mouth and released an Blizzard , colliding with the Omnious Winds. Dragonair''s mother, Dragonite, was skilled in using Ice-type moves. Likely due to gics, Dragonair was proficient in Ice-type moves as well.


    Dragonair used Blizzard not to attack the two Jellicent but to defend against their Omnious Winds. After all, Water-type Pok��mon had strong resistance to Ice-type moves, and Jellicent had good Special Defense. Therefore, Blizzard''s damage, even if it hit them, wouldn''t be significant.


    At level 50, Dragonair was on par with the two Jellicent in terms of levels, so even in a two-on-one situation, Yuga and Dragonair weren''t at a disadvantage.


    "Yuga, do you need any help?" Brawly called out from the back.


    Yuga shook his head. "Dragonair can handle this."


    "Dragonair, use Thunder Wave!"


    After Yuga''smand, a golden surge of electrical energy emanated from Dragonair. It morphed into an electric that enclosed both Jellicent. The had a grid pattern, making it more likely to hit the target.


    Dragonair''s ability to control electricity is extremely strong. It imitates the Electroweb skill of Vivillon, changing the Thunder Wave from the original spherical shape to a shape, making it easier to hit the enemy.


    The rtively slow Jellicent were easily caught in Dragonair''s Thunder Wave. As a result, both Pok��mon were paralyzed, and their movements were restricted by the electricity.


    After being struck by Dragonair''s Thunder Wave, the female Jellicent attempted to use Water Spout but failed due to her paralysis. Only the male Jellicent managed to execute Water Spout sessfully.


    Water Spout is a powerful Water-type move, equivalent to Fire-type Eruption. It deals tremendous damage when the Pok��mon is uninjured. Not many Water-type Pok��mon can learn this move, but conveniently, Jellicent, the type this Pok��mon belongs to, possesses the conditions to learn it upon evolution.


    The massive water column, controlled by the male Jellicent, rushed towards Dragonair, but it only struck Dragonair''s afterimage. Dragonair used its Swift skill to dodge the attack.


    Both Jellicent have the ability Water Absorb, not Cursed Body, so there''s no worry about being immobilized due to paralysis when attacking them.


    Evading the male Jellicent''s Water Spout, Dragonair counterattacked with a Thunderbolt. However, it didn''t target the male Jellicent; instead, it aimed at the female one, who was still paralyzed and unable to evade. The Thunderbolt hit her directly.


    Upon being hit, the female Jellicent screamed in pain as she plummeted from the sky.


    Seeing the injured female Jellicent, the male Jellicent panicked. It rushed frantically, intending to rescue her. Taking advantage of its disarray, Dragonair struck again with Thunderbolt, hitting the male Jellicent this time.


    Both Jellicent were already paralyzed, but the male Jellicent had not triggered the paralysis earlier. Now, however, it sumbed to the electric shock brought on by Thunderbolt.


    Electric currents flickered across the paralyzed Jellicent, their faces contorted in agony. Dragonair''s second Thunderbolt attack incapacitated them.


    Observing the incapacitated Jellicent, Yuga asked the others, "Does anyone want to capture these two Jellicent?"


    The other trainers shook their heads. None of them had any intention of capturing these Jellicent. While they recognized the Pok��mon''s potential based on their battle prowess, they weren''t Water-type or Ghost-type trainers. Additionally, Marlon already had a Jellicent, so there was no reason for them to capture them. Adult Pok��mon couldn''t be sold for profit, so capturing them served little purpose.


    Seeing that none of the others wanted the Jellicent, Yuga didn''t hesitate to throw two Pok�� Balls to capture them.


    Although the others didn''t understand why Yuga, primarily a Grass-type trainer, would capture two Water-type and Ghost-type Jellicent, they refrained from prying.


    Trainers rarely delved into each other''s secrets, even among close friends. Pok��mon and their training were personal matters, and curiosity about them was usually avoided.


    After storing the Jellicent in Pok�� Balls, Yuga asked Marlon, "What''s the situation below?"


    Marlon replied, "You''ll see when we go down."


    After his response, Marlon recalled his Flying mount and released his Samurott. ording to Marlon, the pond was quite deep, and Water-type Pok��mon were needed to descend. Marlon has many Water-type Pok��mon, enough to help everyone get down.


    However, Since Yuga had Dragonair, which was skilled at underwater navigation, he didn''t require a Water-type Pok��mon.


    Sora also had a Water-type Pok��mon, a powerful Feraligatr from his hometown. Despite not having a strong connection to the League, he had received support from his hometown''s mayor early on to secure a spot to establish a Gym. As a result, he had the assistance of a Feraligatr from his hometown.


    So, Roxie and Marlon, rode Samurott together, Yuga used Dragonair to carry Brawly, and Sora rode Feraligatr. Together, they dived into the depths of the pond.

 Chapter 506: The Stone Corridor

    <h4>Chapter 506: The Stone Corridor</h4>


    Just as Marlon had mentioned, the pond was indeed deep, with crystal-clear water. However, aside from the two Jellicent they had just captured, Yuga and his group didn''t see any other creatures within the pond, except for some swaying aquatic nts.


    It was only when they reached the bottom of the pond that Yuga and his group saw the entrance to the ancient relic that Marlon and Roxie had spoken of.


    It appeared as a pitch-ck opening, and in front of it was a blue barrier that kept the water at bay.


    As Yuga and his group approached the blue barrier, they realized that it prevented them from passing through as well. When they reached out to touch the barrier, it felt like touching ayer of ss.


    Observing this, Marlon took out a golden circr badge. The badge emitted blue beams of light that enveloped Yuga and hispanions.


    Now, when Yuga and his group touched the barrier again, they found it effortless to pass through the blue screen. As the blue light surrounding them merged with the barrier, Yuga and hispanions passed through.


    Inside the barrier, they found themselves in a corridor constructed of rocks. Although the air was quite humid, the barrier had prevented the pond water from seeping in.


    "It''s truly miraculous," Brawly marveled, brushing off the water from his clothes while looking at the golden circr badge in Marlon''s hand.


    Marlon adjusted her wet blue hair and said, "This circr badge is the key to this relic, which Roxie and I stumbled upon. We were quite startled the first time we entered."


    "The wisdom of ancient people is truly remarkable," Sora chimed in, equally impressed.


    Yuga suggested, "Let''s proceed and explore."


    The stone corridor ahead was pitch-ck, devoid of any light. It was impossible to see its end at first nce. However, Marlon and the others hade prepared with lighting tools in their backpacks due to the damp environment.


    Thanks to themps, Yuga and his group could clearly see that the corridor''s walls were covered in green moss, and there was a musty smell in the air.


    After walking a considerable distance, the light from theirmps seemed to attract some attention. Suddenly, they heard a cacophony of sounds, and a swarm of bats, including Woobat and Swoobat, flew towards them.


    Woobat and Swoobat were Psychic-type and Flying-type Pok��mon, and although their abilities weren''t particrly outstanding, they were rtively rare outside. Yuga recalled that someone named Touya owned one. Surprisingly, there was a whole group of them here.


    However, Yuga had no intention of capturing them, as they were incredibly fast fliers. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared into the dark corridor, making it challenging to locate them again.


    The sudden appearance and disappearance of the bats startled everyone, but fortunately, these Woobat and Swoobat didn''t seem to have hostile intentions. Given the narrow confines of the stone corridor, engaging in battle wouldn''t be convenient.


    Yuga wondered if this relic had other entrances or exits. Otherwise, how had these Woobat and Swoobat survived here? It didn''t seem like there would be a source of food in this environment.


    After walking past a flight of stairs, the stone corridor suddenly widened significantly. What was once a corridor barely wide enough for three people to walk side by side had now be spacious enough for a dozen people.


    Not only had the width increased, but the height of the corridor had also grown substantially. What was once a two-meter-high passage had now expanded to an impressive four to five meters in height.


    As soon as Yuga and his group stepped onto the widened corridor, a row of bright blue and purple candles on both sides of the walls ignited. The entire corridor was bathed in their light.


    Upon closer inspection, they realized that these candles were actually Litwick, Pok��mon of both Ghost and Fire types. They had mes on top of their heads resembling candles.


    On both sides of the stone corridor, rows of candleholders were ced. These candleholders didn''t contain regr candles or oilmps but were upied by Litwick.


    As Yuga and the others gazed at these Litwicks emitting eerie blue-purple mes, an involuntary shiver ran down their spines. The atmosphere here felt distinctly sinister.


    Despite the cute appearance of these petite Litwicks, they were not to be underestimated. With their tiny, bead-like eyes, they stared at Yuga and the others as they entered, giving off an unsettling vibe.


    "When we came herest time, it was the same," Marlon exined. "However, these Litwick didn''t attack us back then. We did see a Chandelure ahead, which seemed quite formidable. But fortunately, a Volcarona appeared at the time, so we decided to leave."


    Marlon whispered an exnation to Yuga and his group.


    Upon hearing this, they didn''t disturb the Litwick further. Just as Marlon had described, the Litwick didn''t attack them but rather observed them quietly as they continued deeper into the stone corridor.


    As they ventured deeper, the distance from the Litwick grew, and the brightness within the corridor began to diminish. Yuga and his group had no choice but to activate their lighting tools once again.


    However, as they walked out of the Litwick''s range, they encountered something unexpected. On both sides of the corridor, there were borately patterned golden coffins.


    Seeing these eerie coffins, Yuga found it very peculiar because he sensed a presence of life from them.


    "Why are there so many coffins here? We definitely didn''t see these during ourst visit," Marlon eximed in surprise.


    As Marlon finished speaking, these coffins suddenly emitted billowing ck mist. Subsequently, they started moving, and long, skeletal arms extended from each side of the coffins.


    When these coffins floated into the air and revealed their sinister eyes, Yuga and his group realized that these were not coffins at all; they were Cofagrigus, the Coffin Pok��mon.


    Unlike the passive Litwick they had encountered earlier, these awakened Cofagrigus immediatelyunched an attack on Yuga and his group. Clusters of eerie blue mes shot towards them like shooting stars.


    "Get ready for battle!" Yuga shouted from the front. He released Chimecho and instructed it to use Safeguard.


    Chimecho promptly created a green energy shield that blocked all the Will-O-Wisp attacks from the Cofagrigus.


    While Chimecho defended, the others released their Pok��mon and retaliated against the Cofagrigus with Water Spouts, Energy Balls, and Toxic attacks.


    There were a total of eight Cofagrigus, and since they were known for their high Special Defense and Defense, the initial assault didn''t do much harm. However, due to their sluggish speed, they made easy targets. Eventually, Yuga and his group managed to defeat them after a considerable effort.


    Observing the defeated Cofagrigus on the ground, Brawly wondered, "Did we stumble into a nest of Ghost-type Pok��mon? Why are there so many Ghost-types here?"


    Marlon shook her head and replied, "I don''t know either. Last time, we didn''t venture this far, so we''re not very familiar with the internal aspects of this relic."


    Just as Marlon finished her sentence, the dark stone corridor suddenly illuminated, even brighter than the Litwick-lit section.


    When Yuga and his group raised their heads, they saw a Chandelure hovering in the air. It had golden eyes and five ghostly blue mes on itsmp fixture, gently swaying, emitting an inexplicable eerie sensation.


    ��


    The evolution of Woobat into Swoobat is based on friendship. However, as seen in the Pok��mon Sword and Shield anime, where Pichu evolves into Pikachu through its rtionship with Kangaskhan and its baby, wild Woobat can also achieve the required friendship with other members of their species to undergo evolution, without the direct involvement of a trainer.

 Chapter 507: Supression

    <h4>Chapter 507: Supression</h4>


    Yuga and his group remained motionless, their gaze fixed on the Chandelure hovering in the air. The Chandelure, too, gazed back at them in silence. However, Yuga sensed a distinct aura of danger emanating from it.


    This Chandelure resembled an ornate chandelier. As a Ghost and Fire dual-type Pok��mon, the mes surrounding it gave off an eerie vibe.


    Compared to the Litwick and Cofagrigus they encountered earlier, this Chandelure was far more formidable. Its mere presence exerted immense psychological pressure on Yuga and his group, preventing them from making any rash moves.


    After a minute or two, Yuga suddenly noticed the mes atop Chandelure''s head surging. He quickly eximed, "Not good, it''s about to attack. Prepare to defend!"


    Before Yuga finished his sentence, the eerie blue mes formed a surging curtain of fire, engulfing them.


    This was Chandelure''s me Burst.


    Seeing the approaching fire curtain, Marlon''s Samurott, moved forward quickly, using Surf to create a towering wave of water that extinguished the mes.


    Observing that their initial attack had no effect, Chandelure remained expressionless. It thenunched its next offensive.


    mes vigorously churned atop its head and on its fourmp fixtures, and five fire pirs simultaneously spewed forth, targeting Yuga and his fourpanions.


    Controlling five simultaneous methrower was a remarkable feat. Yuga and his group couldn''t help but be amazed at Chandelure''s prowess, as such multitasking was not amon ability among most Pok��mon.


    Yuga''s Chimecho, released a massive Shadow Ball that dispersed Chandelure''s methrower. Other members of the group also had their Pok��mon block the iing mes, protecting their trainers.


    After defending against Chandelure''s attack, Yuga and his group immediatelyunched a counteroffensive.


    Marlon''s Samurott, took the lead, using Waterfall to ride a surge and charge toward Chandelure. Roxie''s Crobat, adapted well to the dim environment and followed closely behind Samurott.


    Sora''s Feraligatr, wasn''t proficient in ranged attacks and had no advantage against Chandelure in the air. Instead, it employed Scary Face to reduce Chandelure''s speed.


    Brawly''s Medicham, wasn''t suited for long-range attacks either, but it still unleashed a Shadow Ball at Chandelure since it wasn''t adept at support moves.


    Yuga''s Chimecho, erected multiple Light Screens in front of the group to protect them from Chandelure''s attacks.


    Chandelure, as a Ghost and Fire-type Pok��mon, possessed formidable Special Attack. It surpassed the likes of Gengar and Mismagius, who were also Ghost-types with strong Special Attacks, albeit with a disadvantage in speed.


    As their Pok��monunched an assault on Chandelure, it employed Protect. An energy shield materialized, deflecting all iing attacks.


    Marlon''s Samurott, after being repelled, was caught by Roxie''s Crobat.


    Brawly''s Medicham had its Shadow Ball repelled, and it fell at Medicham''s feet, inadvertently striking itself.


    After Chandelure''s Protect dissipated, Chimecho quickly seized the opportunity andunched a massive Shadow Ball at Chandelure. Chandelure couldn''t react in time and was struck.


    Upon being hit, Chandelure''s body wavered, and its two yellow eyes began to flicker intensely. Subsequently, a massive "Fire" shaped me descended towards Chimecho.


    When the "Fire" shaped attack descended, the multitude of Light Screens set up by Chimecho shimmered, sessfully blocking the attack. The remaining power was effortlessly deflected by Chimecho''s Barrier.


    Realizing that they were being suppressed and with all five of them unable to make much headway, Yuga''s group became aware that Chandelure was not an adversary to be taken lightly. Only Yuga understood that this Chandelure was a genuine pseudo-Elite Pok��mon.


    This group of individuals, although formidable, faced a daunting challenge when confronted with a pseudo-Elite Pok��mon.


    Initially, Marlon had described this as a small-scale ruin, but now, even a pseudo-Elite Pok��mon had emerged. It became evident that this ruin was far from simple.


    Fortunately, the Chandelure was a Ghost-type Pok��mon, and Yuga had a way to handle it. As long as the gap in power wasn''t too significant, his special ability, King of Ghost, was inherently advantageous against Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    Quietly, Yuga harnessed the power of the Ghost Realm Origin Stone Stone within his body. An intangible aura immediately emanated from him. Apart from the Chandelure hovering in mid-air, no one else noticed the changes in Yuga.


    Aplete Ghost Realm Origin Stone Stone was the aspiration of all Ghost-type Pok��mon, the origin of Ghost-type Pok��mon, and residing deep within the Ghost Realm.


    Although the Ghost Realm Origin Stone Stone fragment within Yuga was small, suppressing a pseudo-Elite Chandelure posed no problem.


    With Yuga''s aura manifested, the Chandelure sensed its own power being subdued. It immediately identified Yuga as the cause of this change.


    In its eyes, Yuga had transformed into a fearsome beast with an enormous maw, sending shivers down the Chandelure''s ethereal body. Yuga resembled a King of Ghost, and the Chandelure felt an overwhelming urge to submit.


    Under Yuga''s influence, Chandelure''s abilities, reaction speed, and more were all reduced to some extent.


    Having blocked Chandelure''s me Burst, Brawly eximed, "Did any of you notice that this Chandelure suddenly seems weaker?"


    The others had noticed as well, but to them, it was a fortunate turn of events, and they didn''t dwell on the reasons. They were uncertain about the cause anyway.


    "Let''s not dwell on that for now; let''s focus on dealing with this Chandelure," Marlon urged.


    Due to its suppressed strength, Chandelure was pushed back by Yuga and his team of five.


    Yuga''s team wasposed of talented individuals from various regions, and they were stronger than the average trainers. Faced with Chandelure, whose power was restricted, they didn''t feel intimidated.


    Seeing that it was on the verge of defeat, Chandelure was struck by Marlon''s Samurott, with an Aqua Tail and then collided with the wall. It promptly merged into the wall and disappeared.


    However, as it departed, it cast a peculiar look at Yuga, its two yellow eyes filled with an expression that was difficult to interpret.


    With Chandelure''s escape, Brawly and the others breathed sighs of relief. If it weren''t for Chandelure''s sudden weakening, they would have been unable to handle it. They had no idea when it might regain its full strength.


    Unbeknownst to them, as long as Yuga was present, Chandelure''s power would remain suppressed.


    "This ruin is much more dangerous than you described,"mented Sora, his brows furrowed.


    Marlon responded, "I didn''t expect it to be like this either. The information I and Roxie received earlier might not have been urate."


    "So, do we continue?" Brawly''s confidence wavered. As a Fighting-type trainer, he felt at a disadvantage in this ce filled with Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    "Since we''re already here, let''s keep moving forward," Yuga suggested after some thought.


    The others didn''t voice any objections. Although Brawly felt uneasy, the group reached a consensus to press on.

 Chapter 508: Hostile Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 508: Hostile Encounter</h4>


    With the Chandelure no longer impeding them, Yuga and his group continued to advance deeper into the ruins along the long stone corridor.


    As they ventured further inside, they encountered an increasing number of Ghost-type Pok��mon. While most of them weren''t very powerful individually, the air was thick with Ghost-type energy.


    However, most of the Pok��mon they encountered along the way were like Yamask, Shuppet, and Litwick, not even reaching their final evolved forms. Pok��mon like the Cofagrigus and Chandelure they had faced earlier were not encountered again.


    After what felt like a long journey, Yuga and his group finally passed through the lengthy stone corridor and arrived at the entrance of a stone chamber. The chamber''s walls were illuminated by bright candles, casting a radiant light throughout the room.


    However, these candles were different from Litwick; they were real candles, containing an unknown type of oil.


    Yuga and his team stood at the entrance of the stone chamber, observing the room. The walls of the chamber were adorned with mysterious totems, and in the center of the chamber stood arge Darmanitan and several Darumaka.


    Upon first nce, Yuga and his group noticed numerous Yamask and Shuppet engaged in battle with the Darmanitan and Darumaka.


    Although the number of Yamask and Shuppet was far greater than that of the Darmanitan and Darumaka, they were forming a siege against the tworger Pok��mon.


    However, Darmanitan''s strength was extraordinary. It sent the nearby Yamask and Shuppet flying with its Fire Punch. These Yamask and Shuppet were gradually forced into retreat.


    Even the few Darumaka, while not many in number, were notably stronger than the Yamask and Shuppet. It didn''t take long for the Yamask and Shuppet to retreatpletely.


    Behind Darmanitan and Darumaka, there was a stone door. Based on their observation, Yuga and his group deduced that Darmanitan and Darumaka were guarding that stone door.


    This puzzled Yuga and his team.


    Within this ruin, there were countless Ghost-type Pok��mon, aside from the Swoobat and Woobat that initially lived on the outermost fringes. However, the majority of them were Ghost-type Pok��mon. Even the surrounding energy was dominated by Ghost-type energy. Yet, the guardian Pok��mon deep within the ruins were Fire-type Pok��mon.


    As they approached the stone chamber, Yuga and his group felt the temperature gradually rise, and the humid mist in the air disappeared. The Fire-type energy in the air increased significantly, though it still had a long way to match the dense Ghost-type energy.


    Initially, they thought this Fire-type energy might be due to the presence of Chandelure and Litwick. Now it appeared that wasn''t the case.


    While Chandelure and Litwick were Fire-type Pok��mon, their primary type was Ghost, which meant that their Fire-type power had a cold aspect to it. However, the current Fire-type energy felt warm.


    This made Yuga and his team think of the Volcarona that Marlon had mentioned at the beginning.


    In the Unova region, Volcarona was referred to as the incarnation of the sun, which was in line with the warm power they were currently sensing. However, they had no idea where this Volcarona might be now.


    Fire-type Pok��mon were generally associated with heat and light, while Ghost-type Pok��mon gave the impression of coldness and darkness. It was difficult to imagine how these twopletely opposite attributes coexisted within the same ruin.


    From the recent battle between Darmanitan, Darumaka, Yamask, and Shuppet, it seemed that the Ghost-type and Fire-type Pok��mon in this ce were in a hostile state.


    Yuga and his team now stood at the entrance of the stone chamber, watching the imposing Darmanitan inside. They were unsure whether to enter, as Darmanitan appeared extremely formidable.


    "What should we do? Should we go in?" Brawly whispered.


    Yuga replied, "Let''s wait and observe a bit longer."


    Yuga had already figured out that the Darumaka inside were of a simr caliber to the previous Chandelure, both being pseudo-Elite-level Pok��mon. Charging in recklessly would likely lead to trouble, especially since Yuga didn''t possess the ability to suppress Fire-type Pok��mon. That would require revealing Gengar and Mismagius.


    Given that Fire-type Pok��mon and Ghost-type Pok��mon here seemed to be in opposition, perhaps they could wait for other Ghost-type Pok��mon to engage Darmanitan and Darumaka inbat, much like what had happened with the Chandelure earlier.


    However, as they waited, instead of the Chandelure, they were greeted by a Cofagrigus.


    There was more than one entrance to the chamber, and the Cofagrigus entered through the same exit where the Yamask and Shuppet had fled moments ago.


    This Cofagrigus was shrouded in dark mist and immediately confronted Darmanitan upon entering the chamber. The few Darumaka behind Darmanitan wisely stepped aside, not daring to interfere with their leader''s confrontation against Cofagrigus.


    The Darumaka''s step-back was well-practiced, indicating that this situation wasn''t their first encounter with Cofagrigus.


    Cofagrigus''s aura was on par with Darmanitan''s, suggesting their strength was evenly matched. Cofagrigus began the encounter by using Trick Room, a move that greatly slowed down the battle''s pace, which favored the slow-moving Cofagrigus.


    However, Darmanitan was a stubborn one. It swiftly retaliated by using Fire Punch, a fiery punch aimed at the energy barrier that formed Trick Room. With a single punch, the entire Trick Room shattered like ss, vanishing with a resounding crash.


    Darmanitan''s eyes then shot a provoking nce at Cofagrigus, almost as if saying, "Aren''t you going to learn your lesson?"


    Though Cofagrigus''s expression seemed angry, it remainedposed and unprovoked. This scenario appeared to have unfolded multiple times, as Cofagrigus calmlyunched Shadow Balls one after another.


    Confident in its own strength, Darmanitan nonchntly smashed each iing Shadow Ball with a left punch, then a right punch.


    After dealing with the Shadow Balls, Darmanitan prepared to use me Charge, transforming into a zing fireball and charging towards Cofagrigus.


    However, Cofagrigus''s speed was much too slow, and it had no way of evading Darmanitan''s full-powered attack. It could only watch helplessly as Darmanitan charged towards it.


    In the prolonged battles against Darmanitan, Cofagrigus had found its speed to be its greatest disadvantage.


    While it possessed Trick Room to slow down its opponents, this move was consistently nullified by Darmanitan''s sheer power, rendering it useless.


    This particr Darmanitan didn''t possess the Zen Mode ability unique to its species; instead, it had the typical Sheer Force ability. Combined with its innate tremendous strength, it had coincidentally be a nemesis to Cofagrigus''s Trick Room.


    After being struck by the Fire Punch, Cofagrigus collided with the wall behind it with a resounding thud. Realizing that it was in for another unfavorable situation, it immediately turned and fled, disappearing into the corridor it came from.


    The exhrated Darmanitan, who doesn''t want to let Cofagrigus escape easily, eagerly chased after it. Its enthusiasm was shared by itspanions, the Darumaka, who cheered and followed Darmanitan into the passage.


    The Darmanitan and Darumaka were guarding the stone door, facing off against the Ghost-type Pok��mon like Cofagrigus. Now that Cofagrigus had appeared, they chased it without reservation, not realizing that Yuga and his few humanpanions were lurking in the shadows.

 Chapter 509: Annihilation

    <h4>Chapter 509: Annihtion</h4>


    As they watched Darmanitan and Darumaka chasing after Cofagrigus, Brawly stared wide-eyed and said, "Are they just leaving like that?"


    Yuga gave him a pat on the back and replied, "Leaving is fine, isn''t it? Or do you want to confront them?"


    Brawly quickly shook his head and said, "No, no."


    Whether it was the earlier appearance of Darmanitan or theter arrival of Cofagrigus, neither of them was a Pok��mon he could handle.


    "Don''t you all think the Pok��mon''s strength here is too overwhelming? Is it really safe for us to continue further?"


    After witnessing the battle between Cofagrigus and Darmanitan just now, coupled with the appearance of Chandelure earlier, Sora''s heart was filled with deep concern. Could they handle these powerful Pok��mon that kept appearing in this ruins?


    Marlon chimed in, "But we''vee all this way. Are we just going to return empty-handed?"


    In truth, Marlon shared the same concerns, but he couldn''t bear the thought of returning without achieving anything.


    Upon hearing Marlon''s words, everyone fell silent. Going back like this wasn''t just a disappointment for Marlon; it was the same for everyone else.


    "Let''s go in. Since we''re here, we might as well."


    Finally, Yuga sighed.


    No one opposed this decision.


    The group approached the empty stone door, and Marlon pushed it gently. The seemingly heavy stone door opened effortlessly.


    The first thing that caught everyone''s eyes was a Volcarona enveloped in fiery red mes.


    This Volcaronay quietly on the ground, but the moment Marlon pushed open the stone door, it abruptly opened its piercing blue eyes and stared sharply at Yuga and his team.


    Yuga also noticed that beneath the Volcarona was aplex circr array inscribed with strange runes.


    However, Yuga knew that these runes weren''t really runes; they were Unown.


    As the stone door opened, the Unown on the array seemed to react to something, emitting sharp cries and transforming from mere symbols into tangible entities, hovering in the air.


    As the Unown left the array, the Volcarona''s expression turned unpleasant. In the instant the Unowns departed, cracks appeared on the array beneath it.


    Ignoring Yuga and his group''s sudden appearance, Volcarona shouted at the airborne Unowns, which began to panic, flying erratically.


    Just as the Unowns seemed poised to return to the array, cracks on the array expanded to the extreme. Countless dark mist emerged from the cracks.


    Yuga could feel a potent Ghost-type power emanating from that mist, much like the Ghost-type energy previously abundant in the ruins but significantly more intense.


    "Did...did we cause trouble?"


    Watching the mist gradually fill the entire space, Brawly stuttered.


    "It seems so."


    Yuga answered, his brow furrowing.


    Eventually, the mist reached its zenith. With a loud "boom," the entire array exploded. Volcarona and the Unown were all sted away.


    Following the explosion, a silhouette formed within the dark mist.


    "Hahaha, I''m finally free!"


    This was a talking Pok��mon, not using telepathy but genuine speech. However, it spoke not the modernnguage of Pok��mon but an ancient dialect. Yuga could only understand it thanks to the system''s trantion.


    It seems our arrival has indeed unleashed something terrible, Yuga thought.


    As the dark mist waspletely absorbed back into the body of that Pok��mon, Yuga and his team finally got a clear look at this creature��it was a shiny Cofagrigus.


    Ordinary Cofagrigus has blue patterns on its head, but this one had purple patterns.


    This Cofagrigus immediately spotted Yuga''s group standing by the stone door and grinned wickedly, extending its four long arms, tentacle-like, to snatch them up.


    "It''s you who set me free, isn''t it? I must express my gratitude," the Cofagrigus said.


    Cofagrigus had exactly four arms, just enough to grab Marlon, Yuga, Brawly, and Sora, leaving the only female, Roxie, behind.


    Not far away, when the Volcarona saw Cofagrigus capture the four of them, it immediately used its methrower against Cofagrigus.


    The searing mes hit Cofagrigus, but they were instantly dispersed.


    Cofagrigus turned its crimson eyes toward Volcarona and taunted, "Do you still want to interfere with me? Without my seal, there''s nothing you can do to harm me!"


    After this deration, Cofagrigus unleashed a massive Shadow Ball that shot towards Volcarona.


    Volcarona was struck by the Shadow Ball, crashing into a stone throne behind it and shattering the throne into pieces.


    "Now, it''s time to entertain my saviors."


    In the terrified eyes of Marlon and the others, Cofagrigus focused on them, and they could feel their life force gradually draining away.


    Only Yuga showed no reaction. When Cofagrigus attempted to absorb Yuga''s life force, the Ghost World Origin Stone in Yuga''s mind flickered, blocking Cofagrigus''s power.


    Yuga''s peculiar resistance quickly caught Cofagrigus''s attention. "What''s going on with you?"


    Before Yuga could answer, Roxie and her Pok��mon, along with the Pok��mon left below,unched an attack against Cofagrigus.


    Seeing this, Cofagrigus flung everyone except Yuga out of its grasp. Due to the life force drain, they had all fallen unconscious.


    The three flung out by Cofagrigus collided with their attacking Pok��mon, and Cofagrigus immediately fired several Shadow Balls, striking down Marlon''s Samurott, Roxie''s Crobat, Sora''s Feraligatr, Yuga''s Chimecho, and Brawly''s Medicham.


    With just one attack, all of them were rendered incapable of battling, including Roxie, who had also fallen unconscious.


    Having dealt with the Pok��mon below and Marlon''s group, Cofagrigus turned its gaze back to Yuga.


    "Tell me, what''s going on with you?"


    Cofagrigus''s voice was extremely unpleasant, as if something were lodged in its throat, making a sound like the friction of two objects rubbing together.


    Yuga stared at the Cofagrigus in front of him and realized that his Insight ability had no effect on it, somewhat reminiscent of his encounter with Muya (Dusknoir).


    Seeing that Yuga remained silent, Cofagrigus''s eyes grew even more sinister, and it tightened its grip on Yuga''s hand.


    "Speak! What''s happening?!"

 Chapter 510: Siege

    <h4>Chapter 510: Siege</h4>


    Yuga''s Ghost World Origin Stone bore the seal of the Mythical Pok��mon Marshadow. Even though this Cofagrigus was enigmatic and exceptionally powerful, it couldn''t prate Yuga''s secret.


    Just as Cofagrigus was pressuring Yuga with questions, the Volcarona, previously thrown aside by Cofagrigus,unched another assault.


    As for the Unown responsible for sealing Cofagrigus, they had disappeared long after Cofagrigus broke free.


    Fiery mes swirled around the orange-red wings of the Volcarona as methrower shot toward Cofagrigus.


    Yuga, through his Insight ability, could discern that this Volcarona was a formidable Elite level Pok��mon. Despite being unable to defeat Cofagrigus, this guardian of the seal had enough power to hold its ground.


    Controlled by Volcarona, the fire pirs spun and surged towards Cofagrigus. Even though Cofagrigus was immensely powerful, it winced in pain from the searing heat.


    Despite the intense attack, Cofagrigus did not release Yuga. It remained intrigued by Yuga''s ability to resist its life-absorbing powers.


    Just as Cofagrigus prepared to retaliate against Volcarona, Yuga suddenly activated the power of the King of Ghost. In an instant, Cofagrigus felt its own power being suppressed.


    Nevertheless, Cofagrigus was a Ghost-type Pok��mon, and Yuga''s King of Ghost ability had limited effect due to Cofagrigus''s overwhelming strength.


    In the moment of its power being suppressed, Cofagrigus''s attack paused. Seizing the opportunity, Volcarona unleashed another methrower, controlling several fire pirs to burn Cofagrigus.


    Sensing the anomaly on its body, Cofagrigus immediately suspected the human before it. It had known Volcarona for a long time and was aware that Volcarona did not possess such abilities.


    Ignoring Volcarona''s methrower, Cofagrigus turned its head towards Yuga, speaking harshly, "What have you done to me?"


    Yuga remained silent, which only served to irritate Cofagrigus further.


    Suddenly, a Shadow Ball appeared and struck Cofagrigus''s arm, causing it to release Yuga. Falling rapidly, Yuga was caught by a Psychic power, turning to see a Chandelure beside him.


    Yuga hadn''t expected this Chandelure to be his savior. He had initially thought it was an ally of Cofagrigus.


    Since he had learned about the sealed Cofagrigus, Yuga had realized that the Ghost-type Pok��mon attacking the Darmanitan outside were likely here to rescue it. Darmantian appeared to be Volcarona''s subordinate, protecting against other Ghost-type Pok��mon attempting to free Cofagrigus.


    After being rescued, Yuga quickly released a Pok�� Ball, summoning a Noctowl.


    "Noctowl, assist Volcarona in battling Cofagrigus."


    Hearing Yuga''smand, Noctowl nodded andunched a series of Air shes that formed into razor-sharp des, heading straight for Cofagrigus.


    When Yuga had gone to the Pok��mon Center earlier, it was to retrieve Noctowl. Originally intended to use it to battled with the Fire-type Volcarona, but it had unexpectedly be an ally against the even stronger Cofagrigus.


    While Cofagrigus had held Yuga captive, he hadn''t dared to release Noctowl, fearing that doing so would be like offering himself up to Cofagrigus.


    The strength of Noctowl isn''t on par with Volcarona, and if it were to be attacked by Cofagrigus at close range, Noctowl would undoubtedly meet its end prematurely.


    Under the constant suppression from Yuga''s the Ghost World Origin Stone, the two Elite level Pok��mon were finally able to engage with Cofagrigus on more equal footing.


    As Pok��mon belonging to the Ghost-type, Cofagrigus''s proficiency in Ghost-type skill had limited effects on Noctowl, who has Normal-type. However, Noctowl who is also a flying-type Pok��mon has no such effect when facing the purely ghost-type Cofagrigus trouble.


    "Chandelure, can you assist us?"


    Controlled by the Chandelure''s Psychic, Yuga was ced gently on the ground. Yuga turned to the Chandelure and inquired,


    Yuga believed that since the Chandelure had willingly rescued him, it must not be affiliated with Cofagrigus.


    Indeed, upon hearing Yuga''s request, the Chandelure readily nodded in agreement.


    As Yuga watched the Chandelure fly toward the direction of Noctowl and Volcarona, his Pok��mon in his Shadow, Gengar and Mismagius, also emerged. The five Pok��mon surrounded Cofagrigus.


    Gengar, Mismagius, Chandelure''s Shadow Balls, Noctowl''s Sky Attack, and Volcarona''s me Burst allunched attacks toward the central Cofagrigus.


    Previously, Volcarona had been restraining its attacks, using only smaller-scale methrower, due to Yuga being held captive by Cofagrigus. With Yuga now free, Volcarona unleashed its full power.


    Cofagrigus blinked and found itself overwhelmed by the skills of the five Pok��mon. It let out a pitiful roar.


    "How dare you! If I hadn''t been sealed for so long, there''s no way you could stand up to me!"


    Cofagrigus''s grating voice seemed to possess extreme prative force, making Yuga''s eardrums feel as though they might burst.


    The explosion of thebined attacks produced a smokescreen that concealed Cofagrigus''s form. However, Dark Pulse burst forth like fireworks, hitting each of the five surrounding Pok��mon.


    Fortunately, Cofagrigus excelled in defense,gging slightly behind in offensive abilities. Otherwise, the Dark Pulse attack would have seriously injured the five Pok��mon attempting to encircle it.


    The frenzied Cofagrigus intensified its attacks, once again suppressing the five Pok��mon. Before long, they were pushed back.


    "Master, this Cofagrigus is too powerful. We won''t be able to hold out for long," echoed Mismagius''s voice in Yuga''s mind.


    Seeing Yuga''s furrowed brow, Mismagius continued, "I have a n, but we need to subdue Cofagrigus first."


    Yuga inquired, "What''s the n?"


    Upon hearing Mismagius''s proposal, Yuga felt a surge of relief. His Mismagius and Gengar both hailed from the Ghost World and were Ghost-type Pok��mon, which meant they likely have more methods to deal with Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    Mismagius then shared its n with Yuga.


    Yuga hadn''t anticipated that Mismagius''s n would involve using the same method that had once harmed Muya �C seizing Cofagrigus''s Ghost-type essence using the technique passed down in Cecilia''s family.


    This technique had its origins in the Ghost World and was adapted by Cecilia''s family from iplete records. Even if sessfully executed, it would have significant side effects on the user.


    However, with the assistance of Yuga''s Ghost World Origin Stone and Mismagius''splete knowledge of the technique, the chances of this n seeding were very high, and even in the event of failure, there would be no adverse effects.

 Chapter 511: Breaking the Stalemate

    <h4>Chapter 511: Breaking the Stalemate</h4>


    After Mismagius exined the method to deal with Cofagrigus, Yuga shouted to Chandelure and Volcarona in the sky, "Chandelure, Volcarona, please help me suppress Cofagrigus."


    Both Chandelure and Volcarona turned to Yuga, nodding in agreement. They unleashed abined methrower, merging two mes into one, pushing Cofagrigus back into the encirclement formed by the five Pok��mon.


    Seeing the five Pok��mon surrounding it once again, Cofagrigus arrogantly eximed, "Do you think you can do anything to me with just a few of you? You''re too naive!"


    This Cofagrigus had existed for centuries, nearly a millennium, and its abilities were countless. If it weren''t for being sealed away for so long, it would have been impossible for two Elite level Pok��mon and three pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon to confront it on equal terms.


    Ignoring Cofagrigus''s fury, Gengar''s Dark Pulse, Mismagius''s Mystic Fire, Chandelure and Volcarona''s massive methrower, and Noctowl''s Hot Air all rushed toward the central Cofagrigus.


    Cofagrigus, with four elongated arms, pulled them together in front of itself and unleashed a Omnious Wind. A ck wind formed a colossal tornado centered on Cofagrigus, dispersing all iing mes and energy attacks.


    Once their attacks were thwarted, Cofagrigus''s eyes glowed blue, and five blue beams shot out from its eyes, rapidlynding on Chandelure and its allies. Immediately, Chandelure''s group felt their strength being drained.


    However, Yuga recognized that Cofagrigus was using a Power Split move, evenly distributing the base Special Attack power of all the Pok��mon on the field.


    Cofagrigus''s innate Special Attack wasn''t as high as Gengar''s, Mismagius''s, Chandelure''s, and Volcarona''s. Thetter were primarily attackers, while Cofagrigus was a defensive Pok��mon. Now that their base Special Attack power was equalized, they all had the same stat.


    But Cofagrigus had more level bonuses and other enhancementspared to Chandelure''s group. Originally, with a lower base Special Attack, Cofagrigus''s level bonuses already made its Special Attack stronger than the others. Now, after equalization, it meant that Cofagrigus, which was already formidable, became even stronger.


    Yuga hadn''t anticipated this move from Cofagrigus, and his Insight ability couldn''t decipher Cofagrigus''s situation. This made the task of dealing with Cofagrigus even more challenging.


    With enhanced Special Attack power, Cofagrigus was shrouded in ck mist. Dark Pulse burst from it, once again exploding like fireworks centered on Cofagrigus. Theyunched indiscriminate attacks against all the Pok��mon present, including Yuga.


    These Dark Pulse moved at an incredible speed. Except for the rtively strong Volcarona and Noctowl, who narrowly avoided them, Gengar, Mismagius, Chandelure, and even Yuga were instantly struck.


    Watching the approaching Dark Pulse about to hit him, Yuga quickly released Absol and Florges.


    As soon as Florges emerged, she positioned herself in front of Yuga. Extending her arms forward, she formed a multicolored barrier of Dazzling Gleam that absorbed all iing Dark Pulse.


    Meanwhile, Absol used its front legs to stomp the ground, causing blue rocky pirs to shoot up, blocking the remaining Dark Pulse. However, these stone pirs shattered upon impact.


    "Florges, Absol, thank you," Yuga expressed his gratitude as he watched the blocked attacks. Florges and Absol nodded in response, their expressions turning serious as they observed the frenzied Cofagrigus in the sky.


    After being struck down by Cofagrigus, Gengar, Mismagius, and Chandelure took flight again, struggling to evade the ongoing firework-like Dark Pulse.


    "Mismagius, Chandelure, use Pain Split," Yugamanded.


    Since Mismagius and Chandelure had been hit by Cofagrigus''s attacks, they were injured. Yuga considered the fact that Cofagrigus was still full of vitality and thought about this skill, which evenly distributed their health.


    Unfortunately, only Mismagius and Chandelure knew this technique. It was as challenging to learn as Cofagrigus''s Power Split move. Gengar had once attempted to learn it from Mismagius but with limited sess.


    Upon hearing Yuga''smand, Mismagius and Chandelure dodged Cofagrigus''s attacks while simultaneously casting a blue beam each, connecting them to Cofagrigus''s body.


    However, the anomalies on their bodies were quickly noticed by Cofagrigus. Its eyes glowed blue, and the two blue beams connecting to it shattered one by one, causing the Pain Split used by Mismagius and Chandelure to fail.


    Yuga hadn''t anticipated that Cofagrigus''s strength had grown to the point where it could unterally sever the Pain Split link.


    His heart sank.


    His mind raced, searching for a way to suppress Cofagrigus because without doing so, the method Mismagius had told him about wouldn''t work.


    Beside Yuga, Absol and Florges wore equally anxious expressions. They could only watch the intense battle in the sky unfold, feeling helpless.


    Facing the Cofagrigus currently in full rampage mode, Volcarona and itspanions could only dodge its attacks while trying to harass Cofagrigus. They couldn''t do much else, and Cofagrigus delighted in toying with them.


    Just as Yuga was brainstorming a solution, the Unown, who had disappeared earlier, reappeared.


    Seeing these Unown, Volcarona was overjoyed. Itmunicated something to the Unown, and they shuddered before flying above the shattered ritual circle.


    The central part of the damaged ritual circle waspletely shattered, with only two circles on the periphery still intact.


    The Unown had originally been embedded between these two circles.


    After reaching above the ritual circle, the Unown formed a circle themselves, emitting a blue glow. Following their lead, the two circles on the ritual circle also emitted blue light.


    The Unown then transformed back into runic symbols and re-embedded themselves within the two circles.


    Suddenly, the circles with the Unown released a massive beam of light, enveloping the hovering Cofagrigus.


    Sensing the suction force of the beam, Cofagrigus struggled frantically.


    "You fools! The seal has already been broken! You can''t contain me now! Do you want to die?" Cofagrigus shouted angrily at the Unown.


    Indeed, the shattered ritual circle could no longer confine the current Cofagrigus. However, their goal wasn''t to reseal Cofagrigus but merely to temporarily suppress it.

 Chapter 512: Counterattack

    <h4>Chapter 512: Counterattack</h4>


    When they saw Cofagrigus being continuously pulled towards the center of the ritual circle by the blue beam of light, Volcarona pped its three pairs of wings vigorously and swiftly flew directly above Cofagrigus. It unleashed a powerful me Burst on its back, sending it plummeting.


    Other Pok��mon on the scene also immediatelyunched attacks on the now-bound Cofagrigus, causing it to fall even faster.


    As Cofagrigusndedpletely in the center of the ritual circle, its resistance grew even more frantic.


    It bore a profound psychological trauma from being sealed within this ritual circle for hundreds of years. Even though it knew that the circle could no longer contain it, it still experienced waves of fear uponnding.


    Cofagrigus, now pinned to the ground, thrashed about with its four long arms, conjuring countless Omnious Winds that tore at the blue beam of light restraining it.


    Just when Yuga and the others were relieved to see Cofagrigus finally suppressed, they heard a "crack" sound. The entire ritual circle split in half, including the two circles emitting the blue beam of light.


    As the circles shattered, the blue beam of light explosively copsed into specks of light, and the Unown embedded within the circles were all sent flying, their eyes filled with terror as they stared at the Cofagrigus crouched in the center of the ritual circle.


    No one could have anticipated that the ritual circle, which had existed for such a long time, wouldpletely shatter under Cofagrigus''s struggle. The joyful expression on Yuga''s face froze instantly.


    "Hahaha, let''s see what you can do now," Cofagrigusughed maniacally and then shifted its gaze towards Yuga.


    "You humans make me very ufortable. I''ll start with you!" Cofagrigus extended its long arms towards Yuga, who wasn''t far from it.


    "Florges!"


    Yuga shouted to the Florges beside him. Thanks to Yuga''s special abilities, he could nowmunicate telepathically with Florges. Without explicitly saying anything, Florges understood Yuga''s intent.


    Florges moved to stand in front of Yuga, and with a wave of its two arms, a green halo appeared beneath Cofagrigus. Countless grass sprouted and grew rapidly, forming vines that tightly bound Cofagrigus as it was about to make its move.


    However, Cofagrigus''s power was overwhelming. The vines binding it quickly cracked under its struggle. Although the vines grew rapidly, they couldn''t match the speed of Cofagrigus''s violent resistance. It appeared that Cofagrigus was about to break free.


    Just then, on the other side, Absol began to emit a dazzling radiance. Soon after, it underwent a tremendous transformation, with a dazzling set of armor illuminated by a rainbow of colors.


    Absol had once again undergone Mega Evolution. This time, Yuga was able to witness the entire process. After a colossal spiral pattern appeared and disappeared, Mega Absol stood before Yuga.


    After Mega Evolution, Absol''s size had grown even taller, from just over two meters to three meters. Its four paws had be even sharper, and most strikingly, it had grown a magnificent pair of wings on its back.


    However, what stood out most on Mega Absol was the Seed of Unknown, which shone with a golden light, embedded in the ck armor on its forehead.


    Mega Absol, with its streamlined body, had increased speed, and while the wings on its back couldn''t make it fly, they granted it enhanced jumping abilities. It had just executed a high jump that was truly impressive.


    Soaring high and then descending heavily, Cofagrigus was seriously impacted by Mega Absol''snding. Being stomped on by Mega Absol, the colossal beast, was no small matter.


    Feeling humiliated by being pinned down by Mega Absol, Cofagrigus intensified its struggle. However, Mega Absol lifted its right front paw and used Throat Chop, pressing Cofagrigus back down to the ground.


    "Absol!"


    Absol stood on Cofagrigus''s back and shouted loudly at Yuga, urging him to take action.


    Yuga, snapping back to reality, hurriedly rushed to the Cofagrigus that was being jointly restrained by Mega Absol and Florges. He bit his finger and drew aplex pattern on Cofagrigus''s forehead with his own blood.


    Afterpleting the pattern, Yuga ced his palm on Cofagrigus''s body and channeled the power of the Ghost World Origin Stone in his mind. This power flowed into Cofagrigus through the pattern he had drawn.


    The blood-red patterns, drawn by Yuga, began to spread across Cofagrigus''s entire body as the life force of Cofagrigus seemed to solidify, and fear finally gripped its heart.


    "What have you done to me?" Cofagrigus roared, though its voice betrayed the inner panic it felt. It wanted to struggle, but all the strength in its body no longer obeyed itsmands, rendering it powerless, like a mere husk.


    At this moment, both Gengar and Mismagius descended from above,nding behind Yuga. They each extended a hand (Mismagius used the hem of its magical robe as a hand).


    As Gengar and Mismagius ced their hands on Yuga''s back, ck waves of energy began to emanate from their bodies. This energy covered Yuga''s body and then extended along his arms, epassing Cofagrigus''s body.


    Cofagrigus then felt its internal power draining away, its life energy flowing steadily toward Yuga. Yuga sensed this influx of life energy, making him feel as if he were basking in a warm spring field.


    However, this life energy didn''t linger in Yuga''s body for long. It merely acted as a conduit through Yuga''s body, passing on to Mismagius and Gengar positioned behind him.


    As this abundant life energy flowed into them, both Gengar and Mismagius''s auras began to soar, while Cofagrigus''s aura gradually waned.


    "What have you done to me? Stop it! Can''t you hear me? Stop it!" Cofagrigus,pletely immobilized, cried out in fear. It could feel that at this rate, it would soon be drainedpletely.


    But Yuga, Gengar, and Mismagius paid no attention to Cofagrigus''s pleas and continued to elerate their absorption of Cofagrigus''s life energy.


    And so, for nearly an hour, they continued this process. Strangely, even after such a long time, Yuga could still sense the vast life energy within Cofagrigus''s body. It left Yuga utterly puzzled.


    Although Yuga couldn''t gauge Cofagrigus''s true strength, based on its battle with Volcarona and the others, it still seemed to be within the realm of Elite level Pok��mon, not surpassing that level. However, the sheer quantity of life energy within Cofagrigus''s body appeared to exceed that of typical Elite level Pok��mon by a considerable margin, exining its incredible power.

 Chapter 513: The Throne

    <h4>Chapter 513: The Throne</h4>


    As time passed, Gengar and Mismagius behind Yuga gradually reached the pinnacle of the pseudo-Elite level, and their life energy began to saturate.


    Breaking through to the Elite level wasn''t a simple task, and relying solely on arge amount of life energy wouldn''t elevate Gengar and Mismagius to Elite status.


    Feeling that they couldn''t continue absorbing the life energy being passed to them, Mismagius suggested that Yuga redirect this surplus life energy into his Shadow Space.


    Initially, Yuga wanted to channel the remaining life energy into Chandelure as a gesture of gratitude for saving them and assisting in dealing with Cofagrigus.


    However, Mismagius exined that Chandelurecked the knowledge of the secrets of the Ghost Realm and couldn''t integrate with the technique for siphoning ghostly essence. There was no time to teach Chandelure now, so Yuga reluctantly abandoned that idea.


    Under the control of Gengar and Mismagius, Yuga''s shadow formed a pitch-ck mirror, and the surplus life energy transformed into a flow of energy directed into Yuga''s Shadow Space.


    The pitch-ck Shadow Space and the green life energy blended together, causing the entrance of Yuga''s Shadow Space to shift from inky ck to emerald green. The energies of the Ghost World Origin Stones and life energy within the Shadow Space merged, forming a new type of energy.


    After more than two hours passed, Cofagrigus''s life force had diminished to its utmost limits, leaving it on the brink of death.


    "Please spare me! If you spare me, I won''t oppose you anymore. If necessary, I''ll even acknowledge you as my master, just please let me go," Cofagrigus begged, knowing that its defeat was inevitable. However, Yuga paid it no more than half a nce, well aware of the principle that those who y with fire get burned.


    As the most fundamental power within its body was drained away, Cofagrigus suddenly transformed from a formidable Cofagrigus into a small and frail Yamask. Simultaneously, a grim skeleton tumbled out from within its body.


    It was unclear how long this skeleton had been concealed there, but upon hitting the ground, it shattered into a pile of powder. However, judging by its shape when it first fell, it appeared to be a human skeleton.


    Yuga looked at the human remains on the ground and then at the "pitiful" Yamask, feeling somewhat perplexed. At this moment, the weakened Yamask seemed fragile, far from the menacing Cofagrigus it once was.


    However, what puzzled Yuga the most was why a human skeleton was hidden within Cofagrigus''s body and for how long it had been there.


    With the threat of Cofagrigus resolved, the Pok��mon that had been airborne �C Volcarona, Noctowl, and Chandelure �Cnded around Yuga.


    By this point, Florges had removed the vines that had restrained Yamask, but Mega Absol''s paw still pressed firmly against it.


    Yuga looked at Volcarona, who stood before him, and asked, "Volcarona, can you tell me more about this Cofagrigus? You must have knowledge of its origins since you''ve guarded its seal."


    Volcarona was surprised that Yuga couldmunicate with Pok��mon, but it proceeded to recount the tale of Cofagrigus.


    Nine hundred years ago, in the verynd where Yuga and the others now stood, there existed a small kingdom. While notrge, the kingdom was incredibly prosperous, and its people enjoyed peace and prosperity. Everything changed when their penultimate king ascended the throne.


    Upon bing king, this ruler cared little about governing the kingdom. Instead, he obsessively pursued the secrets of eternal life. However, the world had no such secrets to offer, and even upon his death, he hadn''t achieved immortality.


    Initially, everyone thought that the history of this king would fade with his passing. However, one day, his tomb underwent a transformation, and an evil Cofagrigus emerged from it.


    This Cofagrigus was none other than the king himself.


    Unknown to many, before his death, the king had arranged for his own resurrection ritual. He instructed his trusted confidant to bury him ording to his specific instructions.


    As it is widely known, Ghost-type Pok��mon are among the longest-living creatures, with the potential to live for thousands of years under the right conditions. This is a feat that even the long-lived Dragon-type Pok��mon cannot achieve. The former king, it turns out, was a prodigy who managed to develop a viable resurrection n based on the characteristics of Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    He employed a method that remains unknown to this day to extinguish the soul of a Cofagrigus, converting it into his own coffin, and thenid his lifeless body inside it. Thus, he buried his own body alongside the Cofagrigus''s corpse within a tomb.


    Eventually, his resurrection ritual seeded. His soul sessfully upied the body of the Cofagrigus while retaining his original memories, resulting in a unique form of rebirth.


    However, this unconventional method of resurrection came with side effects. Even he was unaware of it. Over time, his character became increasingly tyrannical. Upon emerging from the tomb, he began a merciless ughter of the kingdom''s inhabitants.


    He struggled to quench his insatiable thirst for life energy, and this intense craving drove him tomit relentless acts of violence.


    As time passed, more and more people vanished. When they were eventually found, their life force had been entirely drained, leaving them as lifeless husks.


    Absorbing copious amounts of life energy, the Cofagrigus became increasingly powerful, and its character grew even more ruthless. Eventually, it became invulnerable to the entire kingdom, with none able to oppose it, including the kingdom''s citizens and the royal family.


    At the time, this was a small and remote kingdom, rarely visited by people from other nations. By the time outsiders discovered the situation, the entire kingdom had been wiped out, with not a single soul remaining.


    This Cofagrigus had be exceptionally resilient due to absorbing vast quantities of life energy.


    It was only the mightiest empire on the continent at the time that was able to intervene, sealing the former king, who now bore the Cofagrigus''s visage, away. However, the Cofagrigus''s life force was too stubborn to extinguish. It could not be killed. Thus, it was sealed, and the location chosen for the seal was the former king''s tomb.


    The empire also left behind a powerful Volcarona to guard the seal. This Volcarona was the ancestor of the current one.


    The sealed Cofagrigus never gave up on escaping. It released its Ghost-type energy into the surroundings, continuously luring Ghost-type Pok��mon from the outside in an attempt to break the seal.


    All the Cofagriguss, Yamasks, and Shuppets encountered earlier were attracted by it.


    However, the fire energy left behind by Volcarona also attracted numerous Fire-type Pok��mon. For instance, Darmanitan and Darumaka were among those lured to Volcarona''s side. These Pok��mon pledged allegiance to Volcarona and helped guard the Cofagrigus''s seal.


    Meanwhile, the neutral stance of Chandelure and Litwick, who were attracted by both Ghost-type and Fire-type energy, allowed them to grow in this unique environment.


    However, Yuga''s presence, along with his King of Ghost aura, attracted Chandelure, prompting it to assist Yuga.


    As for Marlon and Roxie, when they previously entered the ruins and encountered Volcarona, it was purely because Volcarona was trying to deter them from facing the onught of Ghost-type Pok��mon in this area.

 Chapter 514: Harvest

    <h4>Chapter 514: Harvest</h4>


    After listening to Volcarona''s exnation, Yuga finally understood why Cofagrigus contained such vast life energy and why there was a human skeleton within its body. He also realized why his Insight ability didn''t affect it. While its situation was different from Muya''s, there were simrities.


    "Now that Cofagrigus is gone, you don''t need to guard this ce anymore. Have you thought about what you''ll do next?" Yuga asked Volcarona.


    The Unown that responsible for sealing Cofagrigus had disappeared when the magic circle shattered.


    Volcarona shook its head, indicating that it didn''t know. It had been guarding Cofagrigus''s seal since its birth, and now that the task was over, it was unsure of its next steps.


    At this moment, Yuga heard the system''s voice in his mind.


    [ Congrattions, Host, on triggering the task: Taming Volcarona. ]


    [ Exnation: Powerful Pok��mon are every trainer''s desire, and a formidable Volcarona is right in front of you. What are you waiting for? ]


    [ Reward: A Fire Stone vein. ]


    Yuga was startled by the sudden task announcement and its extravagant reward. Could it be that taming an Elite level Pok��mon like Volcarona was that straightforward? And a Fire Stone vein as a reward? That seemed excessive.


    Seeing Volcarona''s uncertain gaze, Yuga cautiously asked, "Do you want to follow me? After all, you don''t know where to go now."


    To Yuga''s surprise, Volcarona tilted its head in thought and then nodded.


    Volcarona had rarely left this ruins since birth. While it was powerful, it had limited exposure to the world, making it easy for it to agree to Yuga''s proposal.


    Yuga had resolved Volcarona''s issue with Cofagrigus, granting it freedom. This act had earned Yuga significant goodwill from Volcarona. Moreover, Yuga possessed formidable strength, with powerful Pok��mon like Noctowl, Gengar, and Mismagius by his side, so joining him seemed like a reasonable choice for Volcarona.


    Seeing Volcarona''s nod, Yuga was overjoyed. He didn''t expect Volcarona was easy to be "abducted".


    Yuga took out a Pok�� Ball, and capturing Volcarona was surprisingly smooth. As soon as he tamed Volcarona, the system notified Yuga that he hadpleted the task.


    ...


    <<volcarona>> </volcarona>


    Type: Bug/Fire


    Ability: me Body


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 76


    Moves: Ember, me Charge, Double-Edge, me Wheel, me Burst, Bug Buzz, Sunny Day, methrower, Fire st, Quiver Dance, Fiery Dance, Hurricane, Rage Powder, Silver Wind, Hot Air, Signal Beam.


    ...


    While Volcarona''s move set consisted mainly of Bug and Fire-type moves, its strength was undeniable.


    With Volcarona now under control, Yuga turned his attention to Chandelure and asked, "What do you n to do?"


    Chandelure pointed towards Yuga''s Shadow Space, indicating its desire to enter. The energy that had leaked from Yuga''s Shadow Space had left Chandelure drooling.


    Yuga sighed, "To live inside my Shadow Space, you need to be one of my Pok��mon."


    Chandelure promptly nodded, showing no hesitation. But after nodding, it seemed conflicted.


    Seeing Chandelure''s change of demeanor, Yuga furrowed his brow and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Chandelure then expressed its concerns. It was worried about leaving its subordinates here without anyone to care for them.


    Yuga smiled, reassuring Chandelure that there was nothing to worry about. Chandelure''s subordinates could easily join it. If Yuga won the opportunity to establish a Gym, he would gain two new Sub-Ecopark. He could choose one suitable for Ghost-type Pok��mon and relocate them there.


    Yuga exined his ns to Chandelure, who no longer had any concerns and happily entered Yuga''s Shadow Space.


    Gengar and Mismagius, having absorbed a significant amount of life energy and leveled up, were now asleep within Yuga''s Shadow Space while Marlon and the others remained unconscious.


    Taking advantage of their unconsciousness, Yuga, along with Chandelure, transferred Chandelure''s subordinates into Yuga''s Shadow Space before Marlon and the others woke up.


    Yuga checked on Marlon and the group. Although they had absorbed some life force from Cofagrigus due to the brief encounter, it hadn''t caused significant harm. They needed some rest to recover fully.


    Chandelure''s subordinates were all Litwicks, there''s no Lampent itself, totaling over a hundred. Fortunately, Gengar and Mismagius were asleep; otherwise, they wouldn''t have allowed so many Pok��mon into Yuga''s Shadow Space.


    With Chandelure''s assistance, Yuga efficiently relocated all the Litwicks.


    Volcarona saw that after Yuga had taken away the subordinates of Chandelure, he asked Yuga to take away its subordinates, Darmanitan and Darumaka, as well.


    As for Cofagrigus minions that had been battling Darmanitan and Darumaka, Volcarona took care of them effortlessly. Yuga had no intention of taming them; even though they didn''t drain life energy from others, being under a Shiny Cofagrigus''smand made them unpredictable.


    Once everything was in order, Yuga used a Pok�� Ball to capture the weakened Yamask, who was on the brink of fading away due to its damaged core. Like Muya before, it would gradually dissipate.


    With everything settled, Yuga gathered Marlon and the group, including their Pok��mon, in one ce. Even the incapacitated Chimecho received treatment from Florges using a Grassy Terrain.


    Despite the perilous journey, Yuga''s gains were substantial: an Elite level Volcarona, a pseudo-Elite level Chandelure, Darmanitan, Darumaka, and many Litwicks.


    However, Marlon and the others didn''t fare as well. They had fainted shortly after entering the area. Yuga didn''t intend to tell them about defeating Cofagrigus and capturing Volcarona; they were best left unaware.


    Volcarona had informed Yuga that this location was originally the tomb of a small kingdom''s king, so it likely contained various burial treasures. When Marlon and the others woke up, they wouldn''t leave empty-handed.


    These burial treasures held significant value and would surely bring satisfaction to Marlon and the rest.


    With Florges'' healing, Marlon and the group woke up shortly.


    Brawly rubbed his head and sat up, ncing at Yuga and then around, puzzled. "What''s going on? Where''s Cofagrigus? What about Volcarona?"


    The others also looked at Yuga with confusion.


    Yuga patted his own head, pretending to have just awakened. "I don''t know either. I woke up not long ago, just like you. I assume that Volcarona dealt with Cofagrigus."


    Marlon and the others didn''t doubt him; after all, they didn''t believe Yuga had the capability to handle Cofagrigus and Volcarona. The most usible exnation was that Volcarona defeated Cofagrigus and left. If Cofagrigus had won, it wouldn''t have spared them.

 Chapter 515: King’s Rock

    <h4>Chapter 515: King''s Rock</h4>


    Once they ensured that Brawly and the others were in good health, they began exploring the ruins.


    Volcarona had previously informed Yuga about the burial artifacts'' hidden locations. With Yuga''s guidance, Brawly and the others easily found the burial treasures.


    These artifacts were buried beneath a stone throne that Volcarona had identally knocked down.


    Beneath the throne was a specially crafted stone chamber. It wasn''t deep, and its lid was a beautifully engraved stone b. Inside the chamber, dozens of wooden boxes were neatly arranged.


    However, due to the passage of time, the wooden boxes had rotted, and the carvings on them were damaged, revealing some of the burial items.


    Yuga and his team opened each decaying wooden box, revealing various items such as gemstones, artifacts, and antiques. While these items had collector''s value, they held limited utility for trainers.


    Of course, selling these gemstones, artifacts, and antiques could still fetch a considerable sum, which could be used for Pok��mon training.


    However, among the treasure boxes, a few contained items useful for trainers.


    One box held pitch-ck cloth, and Yuga could feel a strong Ghost-type energy emanating from them. Despite being buried for nearly a millennium, these ck cloths remained intact and incredibly resilient.


    Reaper Cloths were essential items for evolving Dusknoir from Dusclops. The method of creating Reaper Cloths had been lost to time, and the existing ones were valuable relics. Yuga''s group might not have Ghost-type Pok��mon or use for these cloths, but they could trade or sell them to other trainers for a good profit.


    This ruin''s owner, the king who had once ruled over this kingdom before its destruction, clearly had an interest in Ghost-type Pok��mon, exining the collection of Reaper Cloths.


    However, Yuga suspected that these Reaper Cloths weren''t for evolving Dusknoir but rather for conducting resurrection rituals.


    When the Shiny Cofagrigus devolved into Yamask, the human bones it dropped showed signs of having been wrapped in cloth. However, that cloth had long decayed into fragments.


    At first, Yuga hadn''t paid much attention to those fragments, but now he believed they were likely made from Reaper Cloths.


    Yuga spected that before cing his own corpse inside Cofagrigus, the owner might have wrapped it in Reaper Cloths. Over time, the Reaper Cloths would have gradually depleted their Ghost-type energy, eventually decaying.


    Another box should have contained paper-based materials, such as books and documents. However, due to their long existence, those materials had turned into ck, shapeless masses. They were nearly impossible to identify.


    The loss of these books deeply saddened Marlon and the others. Among them could have been valuable Pok��mon breeding information, which was now lost forever due to the damage to these documents.


    There was also a box containing Dusk Stones of good quality, although Yuga didn''t find any Supreme-grade Dusk Stones inside. This was expected; Supreme-grade Evolution Stones were rare treasures, not something one could easilye across.


    These Dusk Stones had been sitting in one ce for too long, covered in a thickyer of moss, appearing dirty. However, this didn''t diminish their value.


    Thest box contained a variety of items, including dozens of Spell Tags, as well as Mystic Waters, Light Balls, King''s Rocks, Hard Stones, and more.


    The king who owned these treasures had a particr fascination with Ghost-type Pok��mon, so many of the items were rted to Ghost-types. There were rtively fewer items unrted to Ghost-types.


    Yuga and his group sorted through these items and began to "divide the loot."


    Aside from the gemstones and antiques, they evenly split the Reaper Cloths and Dusk Stones into five shares, with each member receiving one.


    As for the misceneous items in the final box, Yuga chose three Spell Tags and the King''s Rock.


    Yuga nned to give one Spell Tag to Gengar, one to Mismagius, one to Chandelure, and the King''s Rock to Absol.


    Before, Yuga used to think that in the future, Absol could carry a Mega Evolution Stone. Now that Absol has gained the ability to Mega Evolve independently, although it can''t do it at will yet, its future potential is promising. Therefore, the Mega Evolution Stone is no longer needed.


    Yuga''s decision to give Absol the King''s Rock wasn''t solely based on the item''s 10% chance to trigger flinch. It was more aboutplementing its Pressure ability.


    The King''s Rock emitted an intimidating aura, simr to Absol''s Pressure ability. Both functions aimed to psychologically oppress opponents, increasing their mental strain. Such abilities weremonly found in Legendary and Mythical Pok��mon.


    The King''s Rock, as the name suggested, was believed to carry the aura of royalty, and the evolution of both Slowkong and Politoed while holding it would result in an undeniable regal presence within their respective species.


    Yuga hoped thatbining Absol''s Pressure with the King''s Rock''s royal aura might enhance its abilities further. It was merely a theory for now, and whether it would work remained uncertain.


    Regardless, selecting the King''s Rock was a safe choice.


    After distributing these trainer items, Yuga''s group turned their attention to the gemstones and other valuables.


    In the end, Marlon proposed that he would handle the sale of these items and then distribute the profits equally among everyone.


    Yuga and the others didn''t know Marlon''s specific n for selling these items, but they trusted him not to withhold their shares. This way, they could avoid the hassle of dealing with these valuable items themselves, believing that Marlon wouldn''t shortchange them for such a small amount.

 Chapter 516: Anxious

    <h4>Chapter 516: Anxious</h4>


    The Pok��mon items weren''t particrly heavy, so Yuga and his group could carry them with ease as they left. However, the jewelry and valuables posed a challenge to transport immediately.


    If Yuga were alone, he could have simply stashed them in his system backpack without any issues. But with others present, he faced a dilemma.


    Fortunately, Marlon assured them that someone wouldeter to retrieve the items, so Yuga and his group entrusted the valuables to him.


    As they exited the ruins, they encountered no further Pok��mon attacks. Yuga had already captured the Litwick and Chandelure, while the Cofagriguss and Yamasks had learned their lesson from their encounter with Volcarona. Now, they only fled upon seeing Yuga.


    Their exit from the ruins was smooth. After emerging from the water''s surface of the pond, they officially left the ruins behind.


    In reality, the ruins had other exits, which were typically used by Volcarona, Darmanitan, and the swarm of Woobat and Swoobat that inhabited the ruins for hunting.


    However, these exits were well-hidden, making it difficult for anyone unfamiliar with the area to find them. Even though Volcarona had revealed the exit''s location to Yuga, he couldn''t verbalize it. Instead, they retraced their steps, navigating through the water pool to leave.


    By the time Yuga and his group exited the water pool, night had fallenpletely. They realized they had to hurry back to Castelia City if they wanted to make it to tomorrow''s tournament in time.


    For their return journey, they decided against using their Land Pok��mon and instead opted for their Flying Pok��mon for a direct flight. The Pok��mon items were securely fastened to their Flying Pok��mon.


    Fortunately, the trip back was uneventful, and they encountered no nighttime Pok��mon ambushes.


    Upon arriving at their amodation, it was already midnight. Each of them parted ways to return to their respective dormitories. Yuga, while no one was watching, stowed away the Reaper Cloths and Dusk Stones into his system backpack.


    However, as Yuga reached the door of his own room, he spotted two people sitting on the ground outside. In the dim light of the streemp, he recognized them as Mayor Ishida and Liliana.


    Seeing Yuga return, Mayor Ishida appeared with a face full of tears and said, "My little ancentor, you''ve finally returned! You nearly gave us a heart attack waiting for you!"


    Yuga hadn''t realized it was already thiste. He had informed Mayor Ishida and Liliana of his departure from Castelia City, but he hadn''t disclosed his destination. He had no idea he had kept them waiting for so long.


    After leaving Castelia City, Mayor Ishida had been anxiously pacing like an ant on a hot pan. By nighttime, he had even contemted giving up on the tournament the next day.


    It had been an exhausting day for Mayor Ishida. After all, he had pinned his hopes on Yuga to bring honor to Verfanturf Town. The prospect of Yuga giving up the tournament aftering this far had nearly overwhelmed him with despair.


    Wasn''t it hard enough? Finally, there was a chance for Verfanturf Town to rise, but then this happened. It was truly heartbreaking.


    However, Liliana understood Yuga''s character well. She didn''t believe he would easily give up on the tournament. So, she had been providing encouragement to Mayor Ishida and had waited with him all this time, even until midnight.


    Fortunately, Yuga had returned, and Mayor Ishida and Liliana were on the verge of tears.


    Realizing the reason for their distress, Yuga felt guilty and said, "I''m sorry for making you worry."


    At this moment, Yuga began to think that he shouldn''t have easily agreed to explore with Marlon and the others. At the very least, he should have waited until after the tournament before making such decisions. Acting recklessly without considering others'' feelings didn''t seem like the right thing to do.


    It wasn''t just Yuga who was feeling this way; the others in the group were also facing criticism from their fellow teams. They deeply realized the rashness of their journey.


    Seeing Yuga apologize now, Mayor Ishida was in no mood to scold him. He was just relieved that Yuga had returned promptly. He even felt the need to thank his lucky stars, hoping that Yuga''s uing match wouldn''t face any unexpected setbacks.


    Mayor Ishida patted Yuga on the shoulder and said, "Whether you apologize or not isn''t important. What matters most now is that you get some rest and prepare yourself in the best condition for tomorrow''spetition."


    Facing Yuga, Mayor Ishida''s fatigue was evident on his face, and this made Yuga feel even more guilty.


    Yuga replied, "Don''t worry; I''ll do my best in thepetition tomorrow. You should go rest as well."


    Mayor Ishida chuckled, "That''s good to hear. I''ll leave you to rest then. Both Liliana and I are heading back."


    After bidding farewell to Mayor Ishida and Liliana, Yuga also felt extremely tired. He quickly washed up in his room and theny down to rest.


    It had been an exhausting day for Yuga. The battle with the Shiny Cofagrigus had taken a toll on both his mental and physical strength.


    However, the Pok��mon had endured even more hardship. Before resting himself, Yuga made sure they had a good meal.


    It was the first time Volcarona and Darmanitan had tasted human-made food, and they found it delicious. While the taste of Pok��blocks couldn''tpare to the diverse and vorful human cuisine, it was certainly better than the wild berrys they had been used to. Volcarona and Darmanitan thought it was heavenly, although this wasrgely due to their limited exposure to human food.


    Volcarona and Darmanitan believed that they had made the right choice by following Yuga. If they had chosen to return to the wild, they couldn''t be sure if they would have enough to eat every day.


    Volcarona, despite its considerable strength, wasn''t guaranteed to find a ce with abundant food. Moreover, it had Darmanitan with it.


    However, following Yuga meant they wouldn''t have to worry about their livelihoods anymore. This thought made Volcarona and Darmanitan quite excited.


    For wild Pok��mon, the two most basic needs were food and reproduction. Now, following Yuga, they no longer needed to worry about their sustenance. It was no wonder that Volcarona and Darmanitan felt this way.


    Having sleptte the previous night, Yuga woke up feeling a bit drowsy the next morning. However, the thought of the tournament today dispelled his sleepiness, and he got out of bed.


    Today''spetition was crucial for Yuga and his group because it would determine whether they could obtain a Gym Leader position.


    In the previous round, there were a total of 32 participants, and today''spetition would decide the top 16 who would earn the right to be Gym Leaders.


    While this number might seem fewerpared to previous years, the slots for thepetition weren''t fixed. It depended on the number of Gyms disbanded in the past years.


    The Gym Leader qualification tournament was held every four years. The reason for the fewer slots this time was that there had been a minimal number of disbanded Gyms in the past four years.


    This was seen as a positive development for the Pok��mon League, indicating an overall improvement in Gym quality across different regions.

 Chapter 517: Pursuit

    <h4>Chapter 517: Pursuit</h4>


    After getting ready, Yuga, apanied by Mayor Ishida and Liliana, headed to thepetition venue, which was the Battle Company Building.


    Upon arriving at the Battle Company Building, Yuga went to the contestants'' rest area, while Mayor Ishida and Liliana took their seats in the audience, ready to watch today''s matches in person.


    Unlike the previous rounds where they watched battles on screens using cameras, today''s matches allowed the audience to witness the battles face to face.


    The rules for today''s matches were simr to regr league battles, with random pairings for one-on-one battles.


    Although the top 16 contestants had already been determined, the ultimate goal was to decide the champion and runner-up, making this an important showcase of talent from various regions.


    Soon, therge screen above thepetition venue disyed the results of the random pairings for all the spectators to see. Yuga was surprised to find himself ced in the first group topete, and his opponent was a girl from the Kalos region who appeared to be older than him.


    As their names were called over the stadium''s loudspeakers, Yuga and the girl made their way to opposite ends of the battlefield, ready to face off.


    The rules of the match were three-on-three battles, consistent throughout the tournament. There were no full-team six-on-six battles, as most gym battles were conducted as three-on-three matches.


    The on-field referees at the Battle Company Building were highly advanced electronic referees, not humans. They hovered in the sky above the battlefield, able to observe both Pok��mon and trainers from all angles.


    As Yuga and the girl took the stage, thementators introduced their backgrounds, including their performances in the previous rounds.


    The girl''s name was Tomoka, and she hailed from a ce called Clearfield Town in the Kalos region.


    "Little brother, I never expected you to be my opponent. It seems like my journey ends here today," Tomoka said, looking at Yuga with a cheerful smile. It was evident that she knew Yuga and understood the significance of facing the Pre-League Champion.


    Contestants participating in the Pre-League were generally not too old, with most being under thirty years old, as per the league''s explicit age requirements.


    Tomoka was one of the older contestants in this group, making it quite normal for her to refer to Yuga as "little brother" since he was indeed younger.


    Yuga responded with a smile but didn''t say much. As the electronic referee above announced the start of the match, both Yuga and Tomoka released their Pok��mon.


    Yuga sent out his recently evolved Venusaur, while Tomoka''s choice was a Kalos-native Fire and Flying-type, Talonme.


    Talonme held a type advantage against Grass-type Venusaur, but as Venusaur stepped onto the battlefield, it firmly stamped its right front foot on the ground, letting out a resounding cry, disying unwavering confidence, and showing no signs of fear.


    "Talonme, gather me Charge!"


    Tomoka took the initiative and ordered her Talonme to attack. Talonme enveloped itself in mes, turning into a fiery projectile heading straight for Venusaur.


    "Venusaur, use Sludge Bomb!"


    Yuga, not concerned about the type disadvantage, believed that his specially selected Pok��mon would not lose to this Talonme. Hemanded Venusaur to counter with Sludge Bomb.


    "Venusaur!"


    As Yuga gave themand, Venusaur opened its enormous mouth andunched clusters of deep purple mud bombs towards the charging Talonme.


    Venusaur''s Sludge Bomb precisely hit the approaching Talonme, forcing it to halt in mid-air and covering its eyes with the mud, causing it to panic and flutter in the air.


    "Venusaur, now''s your chance, bring out Sunny Day!"


    Taking advantage of Talonme''s disarray, Yuga ordered Venusaur to use the weather move Sunny Day. In an instant, the temperature on the battlefield rose significantly.


    Tomoka said, "Talonme, calm down and shake off the mud from your head."


    Hearing her trainer''s voice, Talonme finally regained itsposure and vigorously shook its head to clear its vision.


    "Venusaur, Power Whip."


    Just as Talonme was preparing to charge at Venusaur, dozens of green tendrils formed from Grass-type energy extended from Venusaur and rapidly entwined around the airborne Talonme.


    Under the influence of Sunny Day, Venusaur''s Chlorophyll ability activated sessfully. The Power Whip was incredibly fast and flexible, resembling Venusaur''s own arms. Talonme panicked as it tried to evade the energetic tendrils pursuing it.


    The match continued with Venusaur''s Power Whip and Talonme''s evasive maneuvers. As Tomoka saw her Talonme being suppressed, her anxiety grew.


    As time passed, Tomoka believed that maintaining a high-level move like Power Whip for an extended period would quickly drain Venusaur''s energy. However, she was surprised to find that Venusaur remained lively and showed no signs of exhaustion.


    Unknown to Tomoka, while using Power Whip, Venusaur simultaneously employed photosynthesis, using it to recover the energy expended by using the powerful move.


    This ability to perform photosynthesis while using other techniques was gained by Venusaur during a unique evolution process.


    Talonme was a remarkably fast Pok��mon, and catching it with Venusaur''s Power Whip wasn''t easy, but in the end, Talonme sumbed to exhaustion.


    It had been entirely worn out, and when it lost its battling capabilities, it was still panting with its mouth wide open.


    While being closely pursued by the tendrils, Talonme couldn''t find a moment to counterattack against Venusaur. Even when it asionally tried to retaliate, it was quickly subdued by the Power Whip, eventually sumbing to exhaustion, and Venusaur''s Sludge Bomb ended the battle.


    Talonme''s most frequently used move was me Charge. It didn''t intend to use this move to attack Venusaur; instead, it aimed to use the speed-boosting property of me Charge to evade the pursuing tendrils of energy.


    However, this strategy only elerated its energy consumption, pushing it further into a dire situation.


    Realizing that her Talonme had lost its fighting capability, Tomoka''s face turned pale, and she reluctantly recalled her Pok��mon.


    Not just Tomoka, but the spectators in the audience were also at a loss for words as they watched Yuga and Venusaur. Even thementators forgot to providementary on the match.


    In the end, Yuga managed to achieve a 1v3 victory with only Venusaur, sessfully defeating all three of Tomoka''s Pok��mon.


    Tomoka''s second and third Pok��mon, Pelipper and Yanmega, met the same fate as their "predecessor," Talonme. Tomoka couldn''te up with a way to break through Venusaur''s Power Whip.


    Based on the Pok��mon Tomoka used, it was clear she specialized in Flying-type Pok��mon training. However, her Flying-type Pok��mon couldn''t counter Venusaur''s tactics effectively. Losing was somewhat expected in this scenario.


    As Tomoka exited the battlefield, her face was grim, a far cry from the smile she had when she first entered.


    She knew her chances of winning were slim, but being defeated by a Venusaur that wasn''t significantly stronger than her own Pok��mon was beyond her expectations.


    Even though Yuga won, the apuse from the audience was sparse. The way he won was... unconventional, leaving the spectators unsure whether to apud or not.

 Chapter 518: Advancement

    <h4>Chapter 518: Advancement</h4>


    Yuga''s victory over Tomoka signified his official qualification to establish a Gym in the Verdanturf Town. Simultaneously, the system congratted him onpleting a task and awarded him the privilege to unlock two additional Sub-Ecopark.


    Regardless of how other spectators reacted, Mayor Ishida and Liliana in the audience seats wore delighted expressions, vigorously apuding Yuga''s achievement.


    Watching Tomoka depart, Yuga shook his head in resignation and spoke to Venusaur, "Venusaur, you did great."


    Venusaur, with its fist-sized eyes narrowed, smiled contentedly at Yuga. It was thrilled to have helped Yuga secure the victory.


    After Yuga''s match, it was time for the matches of Brawly, Marlon, Roxie, Sora, Vi and Grant. As expected, these formidable trainers advanced, securing their qualifications to establish Gyms.


    Among the sixteen who earned the right to build Gyms, the real excitement was yet toe. Regr spectators cared less about which trainers qualified and were more interested in the intense battles between the skilled trainers. These sixteen were undoubtedly the strongest among the hundreds of participants in thispetition, making their battles a spectacle that satisfied the audience''s visual cravings.


    Shortly after the conclusion of the first round of today''s matches, the next roundmenced, giving the participants minimal time for rest��a test of endurance for the trainers.


    Therge screen above the arena quickly revealed the groupings and match sequence. Yuga was ced in the middle position this time, and the first match featured Sora and a trainer from the Kanto region.


    Sora''s first Pok��mon was Bellossom, a Pok��mon Yuga had seen him use in the Pok��mon Contest��a remarkably powerful Pok��mon that easily defeated opponents like Voltrob.


    Sora, known for his coordination training background, showcased exquisite and elegant moves with Bellossom. His mastery over techniques left the opponents'' Voltrob amazed.


    Next, Bellossom defeated an opponent''s Pikachu and waster ovee by an Electivire. Eventually, Electivire fell to Sora''s second Pok��mon, Weavile, securing Sora''s victory.


    The opposing trainer specialized in Electric-type Pok��mon, whereas Sora had no specific type specialization, making it challenging to predict his next Pok��mon.


    After Sora''s match, Brawly, Marlon, Yuga, Vi, Grant, and Roxie''s matches unfolded one after another, with each of them securing their advancement.


    However, what surprised Yuga the most was Roxie''s performance.


    Roxie was friends with Marlon, and when the two were together, Roxie often remained silent, leaving most decisions to Marlon. However, today, Roxie disyed remarkable strength, and Yuga felt that her abilities might even surpass those of Marlon.


    In this match, Roxie used an oversized Poison-type Pok��mon called Arbok from the Kanto region. This Arbok was nearly twice the size of a typical Arbok, appearing imposing and intimidating.


    It began with a re to Onyx, followed by a sweeping Iron Tail, disying extraordinary power that seemed almost unbeatable. Combined with its Intimidate ability, the opponent''s Pok��mon were frightened upon entry, hardlysting more than a few rounds.


    This became another instance of a one-on-three victory, following Yuga''s earlier feat.


    However, unlike the sparse apuse Yuga received, Roxie earned enthusiastic cheers and apuse from the audience. The spectators loved Roxie''s spirited battles, in contrast to Yuga''s method of wearing opponents down.


    Coincidentally, Yuga''s next opponent was from the Hoenn region, just like him. However, this trainer hailed from a small city in Hoenn, with significantly better conditionspared to Yuga''s thate from small town.


    The situation in the city where this trainer resides is rather unique. They once had a Gym, but it was disbanded because the Gym trainers at that time vited the rules, using their Gym leader status for personal gain. Hence, they needed to participate in thepetition again.


    This trainer''s name is Cardinal, a specialist in Steel-type Pok��mon training, much stronger than the Flying-type trainer Tomoka whom Yuga faced in the first round.


    Perhaps aware of Yuga''s previous one-on-three "heroic feat," Cardinal didn''t hold back. His first Pok��mon was the colossal monster Aggron.


    Looking at the roaring Aggron, with its gigantic mouth wide open, Yuga wondered if Cardinal had struck gold somewhere, as it was no easy task to raise such a massive creature. Only wealthy trainers like Steven would own several of them.


    In fact, the cost of raising most Steel-type Pok��mon was quite high because they usually required regr consumption of specific minerals to maintain their attribute bnce.


    To make them stronger, trainers needed top-quality minerals, which came at a steep price. However, trainers like Yuga, specializing in Grass-type Pok��mon, had a more budget-friendly and hassle-free career.


    Confronting this behemoth, Yuga sent out Chimecho.


    Chimecho, relying on its agility and outstanding defense, managed to wear down Aggron.


    When Aggron finally fell, the expressions on the faces of the spectators turned bizarre.


    "We want to see heated battles, Pok��mon going head-to-head in fiercebat! What are you showing us? In the first round, you wore them out, and now in the second round, you dragged them down like kites. This is toxic!"


    Unsurprisingly, Yuga once again failed to earn the apuse of the audience. The only ones apuding him wholeheartedly were Mayor Ishida and Liliana, their faces flushed with excitement. Yuga had won the match, and no one was more thrilled than them.


    On the other side, Cardinal''s expression underwent several changes. He was very concerned about ending up in a miserable situation simr to Tomoka''s.


    Fortunately, Yuga didn''t go overboard. After Chimecho defeated another of his Pok��mon, a massive Steelix, Yuga reced it with Vivillon.


    Cardinal''sst Pok��mon was a Magnezone, which had a type advantage against Yuga''s Vivillon, making it his strongest Pok��mon.


    Initially, Cardinal thought that this time he might regain some dignity by winning against at least one of Yuga''s Pok��mon. However, Yuga and Vivillon demonstrated that type advantage didn''t guarantee a stable victory.


    Vivillon, with its Speed and Special Attack boosted to the maximum through Quiver Dance, was simply too fast for the ordinarily sluggish Maon. It could only trail behind Vivillon and face its "Sleep Powder."


    The oue for Cardinal was inevitable��a decisive loss.

 Chapter 519: Top Eight

    <h4>Chapter 519: Top Eight</h4>


    After two rounds of battles, it was time for the Top Eight.


    The remaining contestants included Yuga, Brawly, Sora, Marlon, Roxie, Vi, Grant, and a trainer from the Sinnoh region named Christine.


    Among the Top Eight, Yuga knew everyone except for the girl named Christine.


    This girl, Christine, hailed from the Crown City in the Sinnoh region, just like Yuga, she specialized in Grass-type Pok��mon training. However, in the previous matches, she hadn''t shown any exceptional performance.


    Crown City, despite being a rtivelyrge city in the Sinnoh region, wasn''t considered crucial in terms of economics or geography. Consequently, the Pok��mon League hadn''t appointed Gym trainers for the city.


    However, this city experienced a peculiar event seventeen years ago when all its nts mysteriously withered away. The incident had made headlines at the time and caused quite a stir online. Still, the cause remained undiscovered, and the matter eventually faded away.


    Now, thanks to the collective efforts of its citizens and Pok��mon, the city had recovered, allowing them to participate in thispetition.


    Once the groups were decided, Yuga found himself in the first group, facing Vi. The other matchups included Sora against Grant, and Brawly against Christine. Meanwhile, Marlon and Roxie, two close friends, were pitted against each other.


    With the enthusiasticmentary of the announcer, Yuga and Vi stepped onto the battlefield.


    Vi''s first Pok��mon was Vivillon, a Bug and Flying-type, while Yuga chose Bellossom, a Grass-type. In terms of type advantage, there was no clear winner.


    Yuga was nning to establish a Grass-type Gym in the future, so he aimed to use Grass-type Pok��mon as much as possible to build his reputation as a Grass-type trainer.


    Among Yuga''s four Grass-type Pok��mon, Roserade was the strongest, currently at level 46. Next was Bellossom at level 45, Venusaur at level 40, while Breloom''s strength didn''t yet meet the standards forpetitive battles.


    As soon as Vivillon and Bellossom entered the field, they began a graceful dance, both using the move "Quiver Dance."


    In a disy of mutual understanding, neither Yuga nor Vi ordered their Pok��mon to interrupt the opponent''s move. It was a test of which trainer''s Pok��mon had a better grasp of the move.


    Clearly, as a Bug-type Pok��mon, Vivillon had the upper hand in using Quiver Dance from its own type. Yuga''s Bellossom quickly fell behind in the speed of the dance.


    However, what left Vi dumbfounded was that while Bellossom danced, it also held a bright yellow orb in both hands and tossed it into the sky. Suddenly, the weather on the battlefield turned extraordinarily clear and sunny.


    As the sunlight activated, Bellossom''s Chlorophyll ability came into y. In the blink of an eye, Bellossompleted its Quiver Dance, just slightly faster than Vivillon.


    After performing Quiver Dance twice, Bellossom didn''t immediately attack Vivillon. Instead, it continued to dance at an incredible speed, intending to maximize its Speed, Special Attack, and Special Defense.


    Seeing Bellossom''s rapid dance, Vi panicked and quickly ordered her Vivillon, which had justpleted a round of Quiver Dance, to stop Bellossom''s actions.


    Vivillon quickly gathered a yellow light sphere in its mouth and shot a beam of light toward Bellossom.


    As the signal beam from Vivillon approached, Bellossom had to halt its dance, following Yuga''smand, and used Sludge Bomb.


    When Bellossom lump of sludge collided with the yellow beam, an explosion urred. However, one piece of sludge sessfully broke through the beam, hitting Vivillon in the air.


    Bellossom hadpleted two rounds of strengthening its stats when it was interrupted by the signal beam. Additionally, Sludge Bomb was more powerful than the Signal Beam, so Vivillon, which had only undergone one round of strengthening, was no match for Bellossom.


    Vivillon''s elegant wings were instantly stained with small Marlon toxic spots. There was a 30% chance, and Vivillon got poisoned.


    Seeing the pained expression on Vivillon''s face, Yuga''s expression brightened, while Vi''s face turned unpleasant.


    Bellossom was a pure Grass-type Pok��mon and didn''t possess the same level of toxicity as its evolved counterpart, Vileplume. Therefore, the probability of inducing poisoning with a move like Sludge Bomb was actually less than 30%.


    Skills thate with negative status effects tend to have a higher probability of triggering those effects when used by Pok��mon of the same type. Yuga also didn''t expect Bellossom to be so fortunate with its move.


    Taking advantage of Vivillon being distracted due to poisoning, Bellossomunched one Sludge Bomb after another at Vivillon.


    Vivillon desperately tried to evade, but under the bright sunlight and the influence of Chlorophyll, Bellossom''s speed was overwhelming. Vivillon couldn''t even take off before getting bombarded by Sludge Bombs.


    Vivillon wasn''t a Pok��mon known for high endurance or defense. Under thebined effects of poisoning and Sludge Bomb, it quickly sumbed.


    However, Yuga didn''t anticipate that Vi''s second Pok��mon would be another Vivillon, and while he was surprised, he understood that many trainers specializing in a particr type of Pok��mon would raise multiple of the same species, simr to how Steven''s Aggrons were.


    (Steven: Why am I brought up forparison again(��.��)?)


    This Vivillon was slightly stronger than the previous one, but Bellossom had already taken the initiative,pleting two rounds of Quiver Dance. The second Vivillon didn''tst long against Bellossom''s Sludge Bomb and was quickly taken out of the battle.


    Vi held herst Pok�� Ball with an unpleasant expression. She wasn''t someone who couldn''t handle losing and was aware of the gap between her and Yuga. Nevertheless, she hadn''t expected to lose so decisively.


    To prevent Yuga from finishing her with just one Pok��mon, Vi decided to reveal her trump card. After all, her participation in thepetition would end after this match, so there was no need to hold back anymore.


    Yuga also didn''t anticipate that Vi''s final Pok��mon would be a Level 50 Scizor with Blue potential.


    Vi had started her journey with this Scizor and had focused on raising it, keeping it as her secret weapon.


    Scizor had a clear advantage against Grass-type Pok��mon.


    While Yuga''s Bellossom was highly trained, its main drawback was its narrow range of attack moves. Apart from Grass-type moves, it only knew Sludge Bomb, making it highly susceptible to Bug and Steel-type Pok��mon like Scizor.


    Even with the boost from Quiver Dance, Bellossom couldn''t deal effective damage to Scizor, which was why it was quickly defeated by Scizor''s Bullet Punch.


    Scizor''s ability, Technician, made its basic move, Bullet Punch, quite powerful.


    Scizor''s strength far exceeded Bellossom''s, andbined with its type advantage, Bellossom''s defeat was justified.


    Ultimately, Scizor was defeated by Yuga''s Chimecho, which excelled in defense.


    Facing a Pok��mon like Scizor, which excelled in strong and fast attacks, Chimecho''s defensive skills made it quite easy to handle.


    Defensive Pok��mon could generally be divided into two types: those that relied on their inherent defenses, like Steelix; and those, like Chimecho, which excelled at using moves to defend themselves.


    The field was filled with countless Reflect barriers, making it nearly impossible for Scizor to make any progress.


    Chimecho''s ability to create this field of Reflect barriers amazed the audience. Except for Chimecho, a Pok��mon with a mutated psychic power due to Deoxys''s energy core, no other Pok��mon could achieve this.


    Finally, Scizor fell to Chimecho''s Shadow Ball attack, like a cannonball.

 Chapter 520: Upset

    <h4>Chapter 520: Upset</h4>


    Due to Yuga''s intense performance in thispetition, especially Chimecho''s final field of Reflect barriers, which had a significant visual impact, the atmosphere in the arena became highly charged. The audience finally let loose with their apuse and cheers.


    Next up was the match between Sora and Grant.


    Most trainers aspiring to be Gym Leaders specialize in a specific Pok��mon type. Even Yuga was a semi-specialist in Grass-type Pok��mon. However, Sora was different because he had a diverse range of Pok��mon types in his lineup.


    While the Pok��mon League didn''t strictly require Gym Leaders to have a single-type Gym, some Gyms with specific types sometimes included Pok��mon of other types in their battles.


    The most famous example was the ckthorn Gym in Johto, known for its Dragon-type Gym, yet often featuring Pok��mon like Gyarados and Charizard.


    However, the general trend remained constant. Many challengers assumed that Gyms would be single-type, making trainers like Sora, who used Pok��mon of multiple types, stand out.


    Sora''s three Pok��mon on the field were Weavile (Dark/Ice), Bellossom (Grass), and Feraligatr (Water), all capable of countering Rock-types, except for Weavile.


    These three Pok��mon were all known to Yuga and possessed impressive strength, giving Grant no clear advantage.


    Grant''s team consisted of Rhyperior, Barbaracle, and Carbink, none of which were known for agility.


    So, when Sora''s Weavile took the stage, it took advantage of its agility.


    It first used Swords Dance to maximize its Attack stat and then continuously harassed Rhyperior with Ice Punch. Eventually, it defeated Rhyperior.


    Grant''s Barbaracle, while sessfully defeated Weavile''s Ice-type moves due to its dual Rock and water typing, fell to Bellossom, which had a fourfold advantage.


    Grant''s best Pok��mon, Carbink, had high defenses and excelled in defensive moves like Reflect and Light Screen. While it couldn''t match Chimecho''splete defensive skillset, but it was still proficient.


    At first, Feraligatr had a headache because of Carbink''s defense. However, in the end, Sora''s Feraligatr managed to defeat Carbink as Feraligatr''s health decreased. Its Torrent ability was activated, and a powerful Aqua Tail turned the tide, defeating Carbink.


    Apart from the Panpour line from Unova Region, the Torrent ability was considered an exclusive trait among the water-tupe starter Pok��mon of various regions and It is a characteristic that can make aeback against the wind.


    Sora and Grant were quite evenly matched, engaging in a fierce battle. If it weren''t for Sora''s type advantage, the oue could have been different.


    However, both seeded yers from the Kalos Region, Vi and Grant, were defeated in session, failing to reach the final four. This left Elite Four Siebold looking displeased.


    Compared to Siebold, Elite Four Lorelei was much more rxed. Becaus the Kanto Region didn''t have any challengers who made it close to the final eight, so Lorelei seems like she''s just going along for the ride. She''s decided to take it easy with a carefree attitude.


    By the time the match between Brawly and Christine concluded, the biggest upset of thepetition had urred. Christine, who had previously shown mediocre performances, surprisingly defeated Brawly.


    As a trainer specializing in Grass-type Pok��mon, Christine had previously used gentle and calm Pok��mon like Cottonee, Leafeon, and Sunflora, maintaining a mild battle tempo.


    However, when facing Brawly, her first Pok��mon was a Abomasnow, a Pok��mon she hadn''t used before, and it had an exceptionally aggressive nature.


    It''s rare to find Grass and Ice-type Pok��mon with such a fierce temperament, but Abomasnow was an exception, evident from its name.


    (Note: Abomasnow chinese name is Blizzard King)


    Clearly, Christine had been concealing her strength in previous matches. Her Abomasnow, surprisingly, won two consecutive battles against Brawly''s Fighting-type Pok��mon, only to be defeated in the end by Brawly''s Poliwrath due to the Water-type''s resistance to Abomasnow''s Ice Punch.


    Christine''s second Pok��mon, Tsareena, had a fighting style quite simr to Abomasnow''s and excelled in martial arts with its strong legs.


    Yuga was rtively familiar with Tsareena; he had over ten of them in his Ecopark. Due to their abilities, most of them had strong-willed personalities, and their long legs were their most formidable weapons.


    This particr Tsareena was even stronger than Abomasnow. With a move like Trop Kick, it brutally defeated Poliwrath. Adding the type advantage, Poliwrath couldn''t hold out for long and was swiftly defeated.


    Christine''s advancement to the final four delighted Professor Carolina greatly. She had mentally prepared herself for stop at top eight, and even if Christine lost now, it was a significant improvementpared to the challengers from the Kanto Region. Christine''s performance was indeed a pleasant surprise.


    However, Elite Four Phoebe felt a bit uneasy. She had initially expected both of their representatives from the Hoenn Region to advance, but a dark horse had emerged.


    Nheless, she maintained a cheerful demeanor and congratted Professor Carolina.


    Brawly, who lost the match, took it in stride. He continued to smile warmly at Yuga''s group, showing no signs of disappointment.


    For Brawly, securing the Gym Leader position had been the primary goal of this journey, and the final victory didn''t hold as much importance.


    Thest match of the top eight featured a showdown between two friends.


    As Yuga had suspected, Roxie''s strength greatly surpassed Marlon, and it was a decisive victory.


    Roxie only used two Pok��mon: the previously seen Giant Arbok and a Garbodor.


    Giant Arbok easily defeated Marlon''s Jellicent with a single strike, almost turning the male Jellicent''s blue face Marlon due to its powerful physical attack. Yuga spected that Roxie''s Giant Arbok was likely a naturally gifted Pok��mon, possessing much greater strength than ordinary Pok��mon, thus granting a hidden power boost, somewhat akin to Yuga''s Absoluro.


    After defeating Jellicent, Giant Arbok went on to effortlessly defeat Marlon''s Samurott. Finally, when Marlon sent out herst Pok��mon, Roxie decided to recall Giant Arbok.


    Marlon''s final Pok��mon was a Mantine, different from the Mantine he had used when exploring ruins with Yuga''s group, and it was significantly more powerful.


    However, this Mantine was eventually defeated by Roxie''s Garbodor.


    The Garbodor had Stench ability. When activated, not only did it overwhelm Mantine with a foul odor, but the audience also had to cover their noses and mouths.


    Aside from having a low probability of causing the opponent to flinch, Stench''s most significant effect was disrupting the opponent''s mental state. In an environment filled with this nauseating stench, it was nearly impossible for anyone to maintain theirposure.

 Chapter 521: Reputation

    <h4>Chapter 521: Reputation</h4>


    The Mantine, still reeling from the overwhelming stench, was defeated.


    However, Marlon probably had a clear understanding of Roxie''s true strength. There was no surprise in his expression when he was defeated. It seemed as though he was ustomed to it.


    But then again, they were good friends, so naturally, they were well aware of each other''s capabilities.


    Roxie and Marlon''s match was thest one of the day. The semifinals and finals were scheduled for the following day.


    As soon as Yuga left the arena, he saw Mayor Ishida and Liliana waiting for him at the entrance. Both of them were ecstatic and congratted Yuga, with Mayor Ishida''s face almost creased from smiling so much.


    Since there weren''t many matches scheduled for the day, the games ended quite early. After exchanging pleasantries with Mayor Ishida and Liliana, Yuga headed to the Pok��mon Center.


    After contacting his family, Yuga used Trade Machine to send back his two Jellicents, Noctowl, Charmeleon, and Breloom.


    In the uing matches, Charmeleon and Breloom wouldn''t be much help due to their limited abilities. It was better for them to return and undergo further training.


    As for the Litwicks, since they were numerous and didn''t have Pok�� Balls for transport, Yuga decided to let them stay in his Shadow Space. They seemed to enjoy it there, with Chandelure watching over them. Yuga had no concerns about them causing any trouble. He nned to deal with them once he returned to Verdanturf Town and opened his new Sub-Ecopark.


    As for keeping the Elite level Volcarona with him, it was mainly for self-protection. With Mismagius and Gengar asleep, make Yuga doesn''t personal protection, which made Yuga feel somewhat uneasy.


    Yuga wasn''t sure if these two Pok��mon would reach the Elite level when they woke up. He believed the likelihood was slim, as achieving the Elite level was no easy feat. Otherwise, there would be far more Elite Trainers in the world.


    As Yuga was heading back after transporting his Pok��mon, he encountered Alexa riding her mount, a Gogoat. She strongly criticized Yuga.


    Alexa had watched Yuga''s battle with Vi, and seeing her sister lose so badly deeply pained her.


    However, ording to her, Vi quickly came to terms with her defeat after returning home. She was satisfied with reaching the top eight and securing the Gym Leader spot.


    Her Bug-type Pok��mon were at a disadvantage against others, and if it weren''t for her decent talent, she wouldn''t have made it this far.


    The Vi and Alexa families were rtively affluent, allowing them to obtain a precious Blue potential Bug-type Pok��mon like Scizor for Vi as her starter.


    Vi had a particr fondness for butterfly-like Pok��mon, so she focused on breeding Pok��mon like Vivillon and Masquerainter on. These Pok��mon were more challenging to breed due to theplexity of their characteristics. After all not everyone could obtain the Enchanted Honey produced by Vespiqueen like Yuga did.


    Speaking of which, Alexa had also been a Trainer for a while. Her starter was a Dragon-type Pok��mon called Noivern, which was even rarer than her sister''s Scizor.


    Unfortunately, Alexa realized that she didn''t particrly enjoy Pok��mon battles, so she gave up on further training. Now, apart from her starter Noivern, she only had her Gogoat, which she raised specifically for her journalist work.


    "By the way, can I interview you? You''re one of the hot contenders for the championship this time."


    Alexa dismounted her Gogoat and leaned over towards Yuga with a cheerful smile, getting so close that her forehead nearly touched his chin.


    Yuga took a discreet step back, finding the youngdy quite uninhibited. Why was she standing so close for no reason?


    "Don''t say that," Yuga replied.


    "There are plenty of people better than me. I haven''t heard anyone calling me a hot favorite for the championship."


    Alexa rolled her eyes at Yuga. "Why do you sound so insincere? You''ve made it to the top four, after all."


    Yuga chuckled awkwardly and rubbed his nose. He knew that he had been considered a top contender for the championship from the beginning, especially since the preliminary rounds. He had garnered quite a bit of attention online. However, hearing it directly from someone else felt a bit embarrassing for him.


    The Gym Leader Tournament was arge-scalepetition, even bigger than the annual League Championships held in different regions. It was televised across various regions, and so Yuga had be quite well-known. Especially in the Hoenn region, he had brought honor to the region.


    Speaking of which, one of the reasons Yuga had participated in thispetition was to increase his own fame and indirectly boost the reputation of YoYo Day Care. To some extent, he had achieved that goal.


    Many people who learned about Yuga through thispetition had also indirectly learned about YoYo Day Care. What Yuga didn''t know was that during his absence, YoYo Day Care''s business had boomed many times over.


    In the end, Yuga politely declined Alexa''s interview request. He felt it would be somewhat arrogant to ept an interview as if he had already won the championship.


    As Alexa was about to leave, she said to Yuga, "By the way, my sister mentioned that she''d like to meet you sometime. She''s interested in discussing the breeding methods for Vivillon with you."


    Vi was very interested in Yuga''s Vivillon. She had noticed a significant gap between her own Vivillon and Yuga''s. Not only in terms of strength but also in appearance. Yuga''s Vivillon exuded elegance, grandeur, and agility, qualities that Vi greatly admired.


    Hearing Alexa''s words, Yuga shook his head in resignation. He didn''t think he had any exceptional knowledge in Vivillon breeding. The strength of his Vivillon was due to various external factors.


    Undoubtedly, Yuga had provided the best growth environment, top-quality food, and a well-thought-out training regimen for his Vivillon. However, more importantly, Yuga''s Vivillon was a rare Indigo potential Pok��mon. In terms of growth rate and intelligence, it outperformed other Pok��mon.


    Furthermore, having the Enchanted Honey produced by Vespiqueen was the biggest advantage that allowed it to surpass the limits of its species.


    All of these factors were beyond the control of Vivillon Trainers. What could Yuga possibly share in a discussion?


    When Yuga returned to his amodation, he found Brawly training with his Pok��mon. There was no sign of discouragement despite his loss in thepetition.


    This kind of resilience was essential for a Trainer. Yuga hadn''t expected Brawly to be so determined. It was no wonder that he would be one of the most renowned Gym Leaders in the Hoenn region.

 Chapter 522: Togetherness

    <h4>Chapter 522: Togetherness</h4>


    After seeing Brawly''s diligent training, Yuga found a secluded spot and released his Pok��mon.


    However, Yuga wasn''t nning to train his Pok��mon at the moment, as he had a match scheduled for the next day, and additional training would not be suitable. Brawly, on the other hand, had no more matches to prepare for.


    Yuga merely wanted to reward his Pok��mon for their hard work over the past few days. They had apanied him during thepetition and explored ruins together, which had been quite exhausting.


    When Yuga''s Pok��mon emerged, the Chandelure from his shadow also came into view.


    The life energy within Yuga''s shadow had merged with the power of the Ghost Realm Origin Stone, creating a unique force. After days of being nourished by this special energy, the Chandelure looked radiant.


    The image of the Chandelure was that of a magnificentntern frame adorned with ethereal blue mes. It was challenging for most people to imagine what a radiant Chandelure would look like.


    However, Yuga''s Chandelure managed to convey that feeling.


    Firstly, its previously ckntern frame now gleamed brilliantly, with asional shes of light.


    Secondly, itsntern-like blue-and-white body had a translucent, crystalline quality. Even its bright orange eyes sparkled.


    Finally, the most significant change was in the mes it bore. They not only became brighter but also lost their chilling aura, emanating a warm and inviting sensation.


    As the Chandelure emerged, a tiny Litwick timidly poked its head out, its me atop its head gently swaying, giving it a yful appearance.


    With its pea-sized eyes, the Litwick nced around and, seeing that Yuga''s Pok��mon were gathered joyfully, it slid out, using its short arms to push itself.


    As this Litwick appeared, more and more Litwicks from Yuga''s shadow followed suit, joining in and gathering together. Their faces were filled with cheerful smiles.


    Seeing his subordinates acting so unrestrained, the Chandelure initially considered scolding them and sending them back. However, Yuga stopped it.


    The location Yuga had chosen was quite secluded, so there was no need to worry about anyone observing them. These lively Litwicks had probably been feeling pent up in the Shadow Space, so letting theme out and rx was a good idea.


    With over a hundred Litwicks out, they filled the surrounding area. Unlike their evolved forms, the Lampent and Chandelure, which could fly, these Litwicks added an air of warmth to the atmosphere.


    Just like the Chandelure, they appeared to be in excellent spirits, and their cute appearances made them seem less like Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    Seeing the flickering mes and the lively atmosphere, Yuga''s mood also rxed significantly, and even the tension brought on by the uing match faded away.


    Volcarona, who had recently joined the team, was a bit overwhelmed by suddenly having so many newpanions. Although it was already an Elite level Pok��mon in terms of strength, it hadn''t experienced much of the outside world. The sudden addition of so manypanions left it feeling a bit overwhelmed.


    However, with Yuga there to reassure it, Volcarona quickly got along well with the other Pok��mon, especially with the Fire-type Chandelure and Litwicks.


    Most Pok��mon with the me Body ability enjoyed the nurturing warmth of mes. They loved living among mes, which was why people often saw Fire-type Pok��mon swimming in the magma near volcanoes.


    However, Litwicks, being primarily Ghost-type Pok��mon, preferred dimmer environments where Ghost-type energy was more active. So, a situation like today, basking in mes, was a first for them, making it feel quite novel.


    For Fire-type Pok��mon with the me Body ability, living in mes for extended periods could elerate their growth and make it easier.


    Hence, the me Body ability held significant importance not only in battles but also in a Pok��mon''s overall development.


    Volcarona, ssified as a Sun Pok��mon, was considered an embodiment of the sun in ancient times. Consequently, the mes on its body were unique and distinct from the ordinary mes seen on most Fire-type Pok��mon.


    This uniqueness was why Volcarona had been chosen to suppress and guard the seal of the Cofagrigus. The sun symbolized justice and light, making it a fitting choice to contain such a malevolent entity.


    Litwicks, on the other hand, had Ghost-type as their primary typing, giving their mes a chilly and eerie quality. However, as Fire-type Pok��mon, they yearned for the warmth and intensity of regr mes. This was why they were drawn to Volcarona, alongside the Chandelure, to explore the ruins.


    Now that they were truly under the care of Volcarona''s mes, they were jubnt.


    Litwicks grouped in twos and threes around Volcarona, forming a harmonious bond.


    After ying with his Pok��mon for a while and feeding them some Pok��blocks, Yuga recalled them and returned to his amodations.


    The next day, the tournament proceeded as nned, with the semi-finals and finals scheduled for morning and afternoon sessions, respectively.


    The four remaining contestants were Yuga, Roxie, Sora, and Christine. Amidst the cheering of the audience, the pairings for the battles were announced on therge screen: Sora versus Christine and Yuga versus Roxie.


    In response to the enthusiastic apuse from the audience, both Sora and Christine walked onto the battlefield at the same time.


    Although Sora and Christine were strangers to each other, when Christine stepped onto the field, she smiled friendly at Sora, who nodded in response.


    At the electronic referee''smand, both Sora and Christine released their Pok��mon.


    Sora''s first Pok��mon was Weavile, a deliberate choice to counter Christine''s Grass-type Pok��mon, considering her reputation as a Grass-type Pok��mon Trainer.


    However, Sora appeared to have forgotten that Christine also had a Grass and Ice-type Pok��mon, Abomasnow, which wasn''t weak to Ice-types, unlike most Grass-type Pok��mon. It seemed that Christine had done her homework on Sora''s team, so she sent out Abomasnow as her starting Pok��mon.


    Abomasnow had the Snow Warning ability, which Christine had showcased in previous battles. However, she chose not to activate it in this battle against Weavile because it didn''t affect it, as both were Ice-types. Instead, she reserved it for the next Pok��mon, opting to save it for a more advantageous situation.

 Chapter 523: Flash

    <h4>Chapter 523: sh</h4>


    Weavile, a swift attacker among Pok��mon, closed in rapidly on Abomasnow as it entered the battlefield.


    Observing Weavile''s swift approach, Abomasnow paid no attention to it and instead used a continuous recovery move, Ingrain.


    As Weavile neared Abomasnow, it initiated a Night sh with a swift and precise strike using its sharp ws, gleaming with an icy sheen, targeting Abomasnow''s legs.


    However, Abomasnow lifted its robust thigh and stamped forcefully on the ground, causing it to crack and create fissures. Weavile, poised with its ws raised, had no choice but to abandon its attack and retreat to the side.


    Abomasnow utilized a Ground-type move called Stomp. While this move was considered intermediate, it could unleash a more powerful effect if the previous move had failed, which was the case here. Abomasnow didn''t intend to harm Weavile with Stomp; its goal was to repel Weavile''s advances.


    With thepletion of the Ingrain move and Weavile''s retreat, Abomasnow expelled Bullet seeds that exploded like bombs, forcing Weavile to retreat further.


    Abomasnow possessed bnced physical and special attack abilities, depending on how a Trainer nurtured it. Christine''s Abomasnow excelled in physical attacks, as evident from the previous battle where it defeated Brawly''s two Fighting-type Pok��mon with Ice Punch.


    However, when it came to closebat, Weavile''s agility trumped Abomasnow''s bulkiness. Abomasnow, due to its massive size, couldn''t move as nimbly as Weavile. Hence, Abomasnow resorted to long-range attacks to deal with Weavile.


    Abomasnow specialized in direct, head-on battles, whereas Weavile excelled at surprise attacks using its speed. Their roles were distinctly different.


    One of the most renowned physical Grass-type moves that could be used for long-range attacks was Bullet Seed, and it packed quite a punch. Christine had deliberately taught Abomasnow this move topensate for itsck of ranged attacks.


    Yuga''s Breloom had also naturally learned this move, saving Yuga quite a bit of effort.


    Sora''s Weavile was forced to retreat by Abomasnow''s Bullet Seeds. The distance between them continued to widen, causing both Weavile and Sora to be increasingly uneasy.


    "Weavile, use Icicle Crash!"


    Unable to approach for a close-range attack, Sora had no choice but tomand Weavile to engage Abomasnow from a distance.


    Interestingly, Sora''s Weavile had inherited the Icicle Crash move. This was a powerful long-range Ice-type physical attack move and one of the best in its category.


    Massive ice shards, under Weavile''s control, hurtled towards Abomasnow.


    Although Abomasnow resisted Weavile''s Ice-type attacks due to its own Ice typing, Weavile''s Ice-type moves still inflicted normal damage on Abomasnow because of its secondary Grass typing, which had a weakness to Ice.


    Undaunted, Abomasnow watched as the ice shards approached. It raised its fists, each nearly as big as an adult''s head, and with a left-right motion, shattered all the iing ice shards with a move called Hammer Arm.


    However, as Abomasnow dealt with the iing ice shards, Weavile seized the opportunity to close in once more. But Abomasnow quickly responded by stomping its foot once again, driving Weavile back.


    And so, the two Pok��mon gradually became entangled in a tug-of-war, but it was ultimately Weavile that couldn''t hold out any longer.


    Weavile fell short of Abomasnow in both defense and stamina, and Abomasnow was further reinforced by its earlier use of Ingrain to continuously restore its health. Thus, Weavile''s defeat was to be expected.


    With a sigh, Sora recalled Weavile and released his second Pok��mon.


    Yuga was taken aback by Sora''s choice for his second Pok��mon, as it was a remarkably rare Shiny Pok��mon he hadn''t seen Sora use before��a snowy-white Nales.


    This Nales is not an Aln variant with Ice typing but its Fire-type Nales.


    Unlike the blue and white-furred Ice-type Nales, this Nales has pure snow-white fur without a hint of other colors, and it also possesses blue potential.


    Upon entering the battlefield, the Shiny Nales changed the weather to bright sunshine, clearly showcasing its rare Ability, Drought.


    Unlike Weavile, which excels in physical attacks and needs to get close, most Nales are specialists in special attacks, and this Nales is no exception.


    Under the effects of the sunny weather provided by Nales, countless mes surged toward Abomasnow. However, Abomasnow, which had used Ingrain, couldn''t move nimbly and couldn''t be switched out.


    Abomasnow forcefully endured this fiery onught from Nales, its entire body turning charred and constantly releasing steam. As an Ice and Grass type, it was four times weak to Fire-type moves. If it hadn''t used Ingrain to recover some health, it might have already sumbed to Nales'' mes.


    It could be said that Abomasnow''s victory was secured by its use of Ingrain, and its defeat was due to the same move.


    This Shiny Nales was Sora''s most powerful Pok��mon, standing at level 55, two levels higher than Yuga''s highest-leveled main Pok��mon. Sora had originally intended to use it in the finals, but Christine''s performance had put tremendous pressure on him, causing him to reveal his trump card prematurely.


    Yuga wasn''t surprised that Sora had hidden his true strength. With Christine setting an example, he wouldn''t be surprised even if Roxie concealed her abilities. After all, he had also hidden his strength.


    Seeing Sora''s Nales disying such dominance, Christine''s eyes widened in surprise. She then ordered Abomasnow to activate its Snow Warning Ability.


    The sunny weather that Nales had brought to the field had created a clear, sunny day. Christine''s intention was evidently to engage in a weather control battle with Abomasnow, challenging for control of the weather.


    As Abomasnow activated its Snow Warning Ability, the previously bright sky seemed to darken suddenly. A myriad of dark clouds appeared overhead on the battlefield.


    However, these clouds dissipated almost instantly, in less than a moment, and the weather once again became sunny and clear.


    Christine found it hard to believe that her Abomasnow, which had trained extensively in weather control, would lose control of the weather to the opponent. For Abomasnow with Snow Warning, mastering weather control had always been a top priority in its training.


    While Christine was momentarily stunned, the Nales across the field raised its nine long tails high behind it. A scorching hot wave of wind swept over Abomasnow.


    Abomasnow, already weakened, was struck head-on by this Heat Wave from Nales. It copsed immediately.


    Christine''s Abomasnow was one of the best among all participating trainers'' Pok��mon. The fact that it fell to Sora''s Nales illustrated just how powerful Sora''s Pok��mon was. It could easilypete with Yuga''s main Pok��mon like Florges and the others.


    Christine calmly withdrew Abomasnow and then released Tsareena.


    Christine had no confidence that Tsareena could match up against this Nales, considering the attribute disadvantages and the obvious disparity in strength.

 Chapter 524: Transition

    <h4>Chapter 524: Transition</h4>


    Upon Tsareena''s entrance, it immediately closed the distance to Nales at a rapid pace. Nales remained still, watching Tsareena''s swift movements with a cold gaze.


    As Tsareena drew closer to Nales, methrower were unleashed towards Tsareena under Nales'' control.


    The quality of this particr Tsareena was indeed exceptional. With its exceptional speed and those long legs, brimming with incredible springiness, it easily evaded the fiery onught.


    It''s important to note that this Nales'' attack speed was not slow, and its rate of fire was high, with one methrower following another.


    Given the substantial power difference, the fact that Tsareena could calmly evade Nales'' attacks was quite remarkable.


    Observing Tsareena effortlessly dodging so many of her attacks, Nales snorted in dissatisfaction. It vigorously swept all nine of its tails, causing a Heat Wave to fill the area.


    Heat Wave was an area-of-effect attack, unlike the concentrated methrower. Even with Tsareena''s incredible speed, she couldn''t avoid such an attack.


    Caught in the fiery gusts produced by the Heat Wave, Tsareena was forced to halt her steps and knelt on the ground in pain.


    Seeing Tsareena in distress, this Nales raised its head in satisfaction. With its proud gaze, its imposing demeanor, and its wless white fur, it exuded an air of beauty.


    Clearly, this Nales possessed a highly arrogant disposition. However, its strength undeniably justified that arrogance.


    Observing Nales'' expression, which conveyed disdain for Tsareena, Sora could only shake his head in resignation. Evidently, he was well aware of his Nales'' temperamental nature.


    Nevertheless, despite its arrogance, this Nales took battles seriously. It belonged to the category of Pok��mon that despised opponents tactically but took their personalities into ount strategically.


    After Tsareena was hit by the Heat Wave, Nales promptly directed another methrower toward her.


    Tsareena gracefully leaped to the side, avoiding Nales'' methrower, and thenunched a long-range magical leaf attack at Nales.


    Forced by Nales'' fiery breath not to approach closely, Tsareena had no choice but to employ a special attack it wasn''t particrly skilled in to deal with Nales.


    However, this less intense magical leaf attack wouldn''t cause significant damage to Nales. It simply caused Nales to lift its nine tailed like fans and use its Steel-type move, Iron Tail, to swat away all the magical leaves that came its way.


    Seeing Tsareena struggling on the field, frustration built up between Christine''s eyebrows like a small mountain.


    "Tsareena, Leaf Storm!"


    Upon Christine''smand, Tsareena raised her hands, and countless green leaves gathered around her, quickly forming into a swirling tornado of foliage.


    Under Tsareena''s control, the Leaf Storm rushed aggressively towards Nales.


    As a Grass-type move, even though Tsareena''s special attack power wasn''t exceptionally high, using this move still inflicted substantial damage.


    However, after using it, due to the side effects of Leaf Storm, Tsareena, whose special attack wasn''t strong to begin with, would now face even more worse.


    "Nales, Fire st!" Sora promptly ordered Nales to counter the strong gusts from Tsareena''s magical leaf attack with a powerful Fire st.


    When the mes collided with the green leaves, numerous charred leaf fragments scattered across the battlefield, apanied by ck ashes drifting down from the sky.


    When all the green leaves had fallen to the ground, Nales was astonished to find that Tsareena had disappeared into the distance.


    "Nales, behind you!" Sora shouted loudly behind Nales.


    Nales quickly turned around but it was already toote. All it saw was Tsareena''s long, slender leg.


    Unbeknownst to Nales, Tsareena had silently approached its rear during the chaos caused by the magical leaf attack, as Nales had beenpletely focused on the swirling leaves.


    Tsareena''s long leg delivered a Trop Kick to Nales'' chin, sending Nales tumbling and rolling. Its pristine white fur was now covered in the ck ash left behind by the scorched leaves.


    Due to the chin hit, Nales'' throat was damaged, causing it to emit a wheezing, snoring sound of difort.


    Tsareena''s Trop Kick was their signature move. Despite being an intermediate skill, due to the perfect synergy with their species, Trop Kick could unleash extraordinary power when used by Tsareena.


    Nales, rising from the ground, shook off the dust on its body. It was filled with anger. Nales detested getting its pristine white fur dirty; it was a source of pride.


    Nales opened its mouth andunched a beam of light into the sky, using the weather skill Sunny Day. At this time, the sunny weather caused by its ability Drought had already dissipated.


    After using Sunny Day, Nales vigorously swayed its Nales. Streams of mes surged from its body, forming waves of scorching heat that swept towards Tsareena not far away.


    The fury within Nales allowed it to seamlessly transition between Sunny Day and Heat Wave without pause. Tsareena had no chance to react and was submerged in an endless sea of heatwaves.


    Once the heatwaves receded, Tsareenay on the ground,pletely red from the intense heat. Nales, too, was breathing heavily. The surging heatwaves had consumed a significant amount of its energy.


    Seeing the heavily injured Tsareena, Christine couldn''t help but feel pity as she recalled it.


    Observing Nales on the battlefield, Christine contemted silently and then quietly took out a special Pok�� Ball she had never showcased before.


    It was a Luxury Ball.


    As a sh of red light burst forth, a green, humanoid Pok��mon appeared on the battlefield.


    It was a Cacturne.


    Upon the arrival of Cacturne, whether it was Yuga or the judges in the referee''s box, they all widened their eyes.


    Yuga possessed a Insight ability, and the six judges were all seasoned individuals. They instantly recognized that this Cacturne was a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon.


    ...


    <<cacturne>> </cacturne>


    Type: Grass/Dark


    Ability: Sand Veil


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 63


    Moves: Poison Sting, Growth, Leech Seed, Needle Arm, Ingrain, Sucker Punch, Pin Missile, Energy Ball, Sandstorm, Spiky Shield, Brick Break, Dark Pulse, Drain Punch.


    ...


    Pok��mon had much stronger perception abilities than humans. The mere presence of Cacturne exerted immense pressure on Nales. Despite its face being covered in dust but still maintaining its prideful expression, Nales disyed a sense of solemnity.


    Under this enormous pressure, Nales decided to take the initiative. It unleashed a powerful Fire st aimed at Cacturne.


    Facing such a fierce attack, Cacturne casually flung a Dark Pulse, effortlessly shattering the iing fire.


    Cacturne was the kind of Pok��mon with strong physical and special attack capabilities. Therefore, when confronted with Nales'' ranged assault, it remained undaunted. It wouldn''t find itself in the awkward situation that Abomasnow and Tsareena faced.


    The Pok��mon at the pseudo-Elite level are no longer on the same level as the ordinary Pok��mon. Even if the Shiny Nales is very good, he can only bow his head obediently when facing Cacturne at the pseudo-Elite level.


    Pok��mon have varying degrees of racial advantages and disadvantages, but once they reach the Elite level, their life levels undergo evolution, and this kind of racial advantages or disadvantages is to some extent greatly diminished.


    And the pseudo-Elite level represents the transition before this life level evolution, symbolizing that they are about to be powerful beings in another life level.

 Chapter 525: Showdown

    <h4>Chapter 525: Showdown</h4>


    After Christine''s Cacturne took the stage, despite Nales'' desperate efforts to turn the tide, its mes couldn''t even touch Cacturne. In the end, Nales had no choice but to withdraw.


    Due to the gap in their strength, when Nales attempted to use Fire st against Tsareena, she could only evade. However, Cacturne effortlessly shattered any of Nales'' Fire st, including the area-of-effect technique Heat Wave, with its Spiky Shield.


    Sora''sst Pok��mon was the Electric-type Ampharos. However, the previous Nales was already his strongest Pok��mon. If Nales couldn''tpete with Cacturne, Ampharos naturally fell to Cacturne''s hands as well.


    With a pseudo-Elite level Cacturne, Christine sessfully advanced to the finals. If it weren''t for this pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, Christine''s other Pok��mon would likely have struggled against Sora''s Nales.


    But even though Sora was defeated, he still received apuse and cheers from the audience. The match had been incredibly intense, with unexpected moments. The appearance of Shiny Nales and the pseudo-Elite level Cacturne were surprises for everyone.


    Following Sora and Christine''s match, there was almost no halftime break, as the next match was between Yuga and Roxie.


    Yuga''s dazzling performance in previous matches had garnered him immense poprity. As the favorite to win the championship, he received the warmest cheers from the audience when he stepped onto the stage.


    Roxie''s strong performance in previous matches had also earned her high poprity, butpared to Yuga, who had always been a championship favorite, she fell slightly short in terms of poprity.


    If Roxie were a great beauty, her poprity might have been higher. After all, this world valued appearances, but unfortunately, Roxie, while not ugly, couldn''t be considered a beauty.


    Because they knew each other, when Yuga and Roxie took the stage, they politely exchanged greetings.


    Yuga''s first Pok��mon was Bellossom, while Roxie sent out her giant Arbok. In terms of type advantage, Yuga was at a disadvantage, but he didn''t think his Bellossom would lose.


    Upon receivingmands from the electronic referee, the giant Arbok, as swift as purple lightning, closed in on Bellossom, attempting to strangle the Bellossom tightly.


    However, Bellossom was no pushover. It swiftly dodged and simultaneously released a Shiny of light to the sky, invoking a Sunny Day.


    Arbok squinted its triangr eyes and it kept spitting out snake letters, menacingly fixating on Bellossom not far away. Soon after, it activated its ability, Intimidate.


    Bellossom couldn''t help but feel a hint of fear in the presence of Arbok due to its Intimidate ability. However, it quickly shook off this fear.


    Thanks to Arbok''s Intimidate, Bellossom''s physical attack power was reduced. Yet, Yuga didn''t mind. Instead, he directed Bellossom, saying, "Sweet Scent."


    Bellossom joyfully danced upon hearing themand, emitting pink fragrant mists from the two red flowers on its head.


    The sweet scent of Bellossom quickly filled the entire battlefield. Even the cold and aloof Arbok couldn''t help but appear somewhat dazed, its concentration wavering.


    "Arbok, snap out of it! Use Wrap and then Fire Fang!" Upon seeing her Arbok affected by Sweet Scent, Roxie quickly gavemands.


    Hearing its Trainer''s voice, Arbok''s mind cleared up significantly. It gently shook its giant head, then swung its tail, swiftly approaching Bellossom, intending to use Wrap.


    Arbok''s giant size and strong physique were its greatest weapons. Whenever it ensnared prey, it was challenging to break free from its tremendous Wraping force. Yuga had already experienced the incredible strength of this Arbok in previous matches.


    Under the bright sunlight, Bellossom''s speed became its greatest weapon. As Arbok steadily approached, Bellossom gracefully spun its body, dancing while evading Arbok''s attacks.


    Being delicate in build, Bellossom wouldn''t allow Arbok to get close. With its lightning-fast agility, Bellossom both dodged and itpleted performed its Quiver Dance.


    As Arbok made another attempt to close in, Bellossom directly unleashed Sr Beam, striking Arbok''s head with force.


    Under the sunny skies, Bellossom''s Sr Beam was almost instant. Caught in a high-speed charge, Arbok couldn''t evade and was sent flying.


    Although Arbok, a Poison-type, resisted Grass-type moves, Sr Beam, as the ultimate Grass-type move, still carried considerable power when directed at it.


    Sr Beam''s move gathered sr energy and released it in one breath. Despite being a Grass-type move, it had a high temperature, akin to being scorched by mes.


    Arbok''s head, struck by Sr Beam, turned charred, emitting wisps of hot air. This hit genuinely left Arbok in a dazed state.


    Capitalizing on the opportunity while Arbok was still somewhat disoriented, Bellossom began gathering sr energy with its left and right hands and fired two beams at once, striking Arbok again and knocking it to the ground.


    Due to simultaneously concentrating energy into two Sr Beams, these two attacks were less powerful than the initial one but managed to bring Arbok down once more.


    As her Pok��mon repeatedly found themselves in a disadvantageous position, Roxie remained calm, though she felt a hint of frustration. She hadn''t expected Yuga''s strength to surpass her expectations. Truly, one could only gauge it through actual battles.


    Arbok was already one of Roxie''s top Pok��mon, approaching level 50, yet it couldn''t gain any advantage over Yuga''s Bellossom.


    The level of Bellossom was even a few levels lower, but the differencey in the battle power gained from their respective potentials.


    Bellossom had a Blue-level potential, while despite Arbok''s exceptional physical qualities, it only had a Green potential.


    "Arbok, Sludge Bomb!"


    Seeing that Arbok couldn''t get close to Bellossom, Roxie had no choice but to opt for a secondary approach and ordered Arbok to use a special attack.


    Unlike Christine''s Tsareena, which excelled in physical attacks, Arbok''s special and physical attack stats weren''t that different. Trainers often tend to develop their Pok��mon''s special attacks slightly topensate for any physical attack shorings. Roxie''s Arbok was one such case.


    Roxie''smand prompted this highly skilled Arbok to react swiftly. With a flick of its tail, it sent forth a wave of purple sludge surging toward Bellossom, who was in the midst of gathering energy for its next attack.

 Chapter 526: Acceleration

    <h4>Chapter 526: eleration</h4>


    Arbok''s Sludge Bomb created a vast wave, forcing Bellossom to continuously retreat to avoid the Sludge Bomb attacks.


    Grass-type Pok��mon are weak to Poison-type moves, and even with decent Special Defense, Bellossom wouldn''t fare well against these purple sludges.


    "Bellossom, use Leaf Storm."


    With no other options, Yuga had Bellossom unleash the powerful but side-effectden Leaf Storm. Using Leaf Storm meant sacrificing two stages of Bellossom''s Special Attack, a choice Yuga seldom made.


    This was primarily because using Leaf Storm once would drop a Pok��mon''s Special Attack by two levels, whereas a single Quiver Dance could raise it by one level. Bellossom''s limit was four consecutive Quiver Dances; beyond that, its body couldn''t handle it, just like Yuga''s Vivillon.


    Under Bellossom''s control, a giant leafy tornado stirred up the earth on the battlefield, instantly shattering the Sludge Bomb that clung to the ground.


    Seeing that the Leafy Tornado remained powerful after dispersing the Sludge Bomb, Arbok, under Roxie''smand, surprisingly plunged into the center of the Leaf Storm.


    The eye of a typical storm is usually the calmest ce, and Leaf Storms were no different. Arbok took advantage of this and started to approach Bellossom from the heart of the Leaf Storm.


    However, Yuga had already noticed this and warned Bellossom, so as soon as Arbok emerged from the storm, it was met with a Razor Leaf attack from Bellossom.


    Due to the Razor Leaf assault, Arbok lost its bnce in the midst of the storm, tumbling back into the Leaf Storm. It was continuously cut by theyered leaves.


    When the Leaf Storm finally subsided, Arbok fell like a ragged cloth, battered and incapacitated.


    Roxie''s surprise at Arbok''s failed ambush was minimal. She calmly recalled her unconscious Arbok.


    Her choice to recall it was purely strategic. She anticipated that if the battle continued, Arbok would be the first to fall.


    Roxie had observed in previous battles that Yuga was skilled in attrition battles. Whenever the battle dragged on, Yuga''s advantage would grow infinitely, especially with a Grass-type Pok��mon like Bellossom. Most Grass-types excelled at recovery.


    After withdrawing Arbok, Roxie sent out Scolipede, a Bug and Poison-type, which was a natural counter to Grass-types.


    Yuga had seen this Scolipede when he and Roxie explored ruins together. At that time, it served as Roxie''snd mount.


    As soon as Scolipede appeared, it used its Bug-type move, Megahorn, against Bellossom. Its two giant horns gleamed with a cold light as they struck toward Bellossom.


    Bellossom easily dodged at first, but as time passed, avoiding the attacks became increasingly challenging.


    Yuga understood why. Scolipede''s ability was Speed Boost, which meant its speed would continually increase over time, eventually reaching a six-stage boost.


    Scolipede was inherently fast, and with the Speed Boost ability, its speed became truly formidable. While Bellossom was speedy thanks to Quiver Dance and the Sunny Day (already the second round of Sunny Day, as the time limit of the first round had passed), its base speed was lower than Scolipede''s. It struggled to keep up with Scolipede''s attack rhythm.


    In the end, Bellossom fell to Scolipede''s powerful Megahorn. The move''s sheer force,bined with the type advantage against Grass-types, meant that Bellossom went down almost instantly. While Bellossom had decent Special Defense, its physical defense was average.


    After recalling Bellossom, Yuga contemted but decided not to continue with Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Among his four Grass-types, Bellossom and Roserade had simr strength, and Venusaur was slightly behind. Breloom had been sent back to the Day Care, so Yuga had no desire to push himself.


    Yuga''s final choice of Pok��mon was Chimecho. When dealing with a fast physical attacker like Scolipede, the best strategy is to use a Special Attack-focused Pok��mon with the ability to fly. Regardless of how strong your attacks are or how fast you are, it''s futile if you can''t hit me.


    As expected, no matter how provocatively Chimecho taunted, Scolipede couldn''t touch it.


    Scolipede was a pure physical attacker with moves like Swords Dance, Megahorn, Smart Strike, Take Down, and Throat Chop �C all physical moves.


    With no other choice, Roxie recalled Scolipede and sent out Crobat.


    Yuga had seen this Crobat before, but he recognized that it wasn''t particrly strong, not as strong as the Garbodor Roxie had used previously.


    However, Yuga understood why Roxie chose Crobat. She likely feared falling into the same situation as with Scolipede.


    But Yuga thought she was being overly cautious. Scolipede''s loss was purely due to its one-dimensional training style,cking long-range attacking options, while Garbodor didn''t have this limitation.


    Perhaps she was stuck in a fixed mindset for some reason.


    Of course, there could be other considerations at y.


    As soon as Crobat entered the battle, it used Supersonic to try and confuse Chimecho. Supersonic was a move that Crobat excelled in; it was easy to learn and use.


    However, a Pok��mon with Chimecho''s support role was not easily confused. It effortlessly blocked the Supersonic attack with its move, Safeguard.


    "Crobat, Cross Poison!"


    Seeing that Supersonic had no effect due to Chimecho''s Safeguard, Roxie shifted to using offensive moves.


    Crobat''s two wings shed, sending two purple Poison des crossing toward Chimecho, but Chimecho used Reflect to block them.


    Seeing Chimecho''s Reflect, Roxie recalled Yuga''s use of a full-field Reflect when battling Vi''s Scizor. She didn''t think her Crobat was stronger than Vi''s Scizor.


    Fortunately, Chimecho had used a localized Reflect, only defending against Crobat''s attacks in a smaller area.


    However, Psychic-type Pok��mon inherently countered Poison-types, and Chimecho''s strength surpassed Crobat''s. Despite Crobat''s inability tond any attacks on Chimecho, Chimecho eventually forced its retreat through a few Psybeams, which Crobat, with its low Defense, couldn''t withstand.


    Roxie realized that she was on the verge of defeat. Scolipede, a one-dimensional physical attacker, couldn''t touch Chimecho, especially one with the ability to fly. Unless it could grow a pair of legs like ziken or Lopunny, it had no chance.


    When Scolipede returned to the field, it was toyed with by Chimecho for a while, following in Crobat''s footsteps. Despite its greater strengthpared to Crobat, it couldn''t perform better.


    Defeating the final Scolipede meant Yuga had defeated Roxie and secured his spot in the finals.


    In the afternoon, the championship match between Yuga and Christine, as well as the third-ce match between Roxie and Sora, would take ce.


    After the matches, the closing ceremony for this tournament would mark its conclusion.

 Chapter 527: Unexpected Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 527: Unexpected Encounter</h4>


    After Yuga''s match, he left the arena under the guidance of the tournament staff.


    The afternoon matches were scheduled to start at two o''clock, and before that, Yuga and his team had some free time to rest. Yuga chose to have lunch, as directing battles was quite physically demanding.


    As Yuga approached the exit of the Battle Company Building, Mayor Ishida and Liliana were already waiting there, prepared to have lunch with him.


    Seeing Yuga, who was full of vitality as he exited the Battle Company Building, Mayor Ishida couldn''t help but feel deeply moved.


    Initially, he had only hoped that Yuga would secure a Gym Leader position sessfully, and he would have been grateful for that. However, Yuga had repeatedly surprised him, and now he had reached the finals.


    If Verdanturf Town produced a Gym Leader who won the Gym Leader Tournament, the prestige of the Verdanturf Town Gym would be greatly enhanced, surpassing any ordinary Gym.


    Mayor Ishida was extremely grateful to Liliana. If she hadn''t strongly rmended Yuga, he wouldn''t have thought of participating in the tournament again.


    Years of consecutive defeats had made Mayor Ishida contemte giving up on establishing a Gym in Verdanturf Town.


    Mayor Ishida: I''m d I didn''t give up!


    Under thepany of Mayor Ishida and Liliana, Yuga was taken to an upscale restaurant, where they enjoyed a hearty meal.


    During the tournament, Yuga had been living a luxurious life, dining at renowned restaurants in Castelia City, and Mayor Ishida covered all the expenses.


    The official tournament cafeteria was avable, but Mayor Ishida found the food there unappealing, so they went out for every meal.


    It could be said that Mayor Ishida had spared no effort to ensure Yuga''s best possible performance in the tournament. He treated Yuga almost like an ancentor, taking care of him in every possible way.


    After lunch, Yuga parted ways with Mayor Ishida and the others, who were returning to the spectator seats. Feeling quite full, he decided to go for a walk and digest his meal, heading towards a nearby artificialke near the Battle Company Building.


    This area was adorned with many trees and had a pleasant environment, perfect for a leisurely stroll and digestion.


    However, Yuga hadn''t walked far when he suddenly heard voicesing from nearby, piquing his curiosity.


    "stoise, are you ready?"


    Shortly after these words reached his ears, Yuga saw a dazzling light emanating from the woods. As he approached, he noticed a recentlypleted Mega stoise standing by the edge of the artificialke.


    "Who goes there!"


    Yuga was about to express his amazement when he heard a stern voice. A young man with blond hair, dressed in a white uniform, emerged from the woods and noticed Yuga.


    "So, it''s Challenger Shimizu. What brings you here?"


    Upon seeing Yuga, the neer''s expression softened, and he wore a friendly smile.


    "Mr. Siebold," Yuga replied respectfully, offering his respects.


    "Did you just witness that?" Siebold, pointing towards the Mega stoise by theke, asked Yuga.


    "This is..."


    Yuga pretended not to know anything, allowing Siebold to continue exining.


    Siebold chuckled and said, "This is a special evolution of stoise known as Mega stoise."


    "But wasn''t stoise already in its final evolution stage? How can it evolve further?" Yuga asked, feigning surprise.


    "Come,e, let''s sit and chat."


    Siebold gestured for Yuga to join him on the grass by theke. Nearby, Mega stoise ceased its Mega Evolution and returned to its regr stoise form.


    Yuga widened his eyes in mock astonishment. "It turned back into a regr stoise."


    Mega stoise, upon hearing this conversation, felt a bit embarrassed and scratched the back of its head. It then leaped into the artificialke, immersing its body in the water, with only its head above the surface, observing the Trainer sitting by theke.


    Seeing Yuga taking a seat next to him, Mr. Siebold exined, "Mega Evolution is a temporary form of evolution. After the battle ends, the Pok��mon will revert to its original form; it won''t maintain the Mega Evolution indefinitely."


    Yuga, with an expression of sudden realization, nodded, saying, "That''s truly fascinating."


    Siebold continued, "Mega Evolution is a mysterious evolutionary method that has been passed down in the Kalos region for a long time. The League is currently conducting research on this form of evolution, and Professor Sycamore from our Kalos region is an expert in this field."


    Yuga hadn''t expected that the League was already researching Mega Evolution, and it seemed that they had made some progress.


    "Is it alright for you to share such important information with me? Isn''t this League confidential?" Yuga asked in response.


    Siebold shook his head, saying, "In the Kalos region, this isn''t considered an especially concealed secret, and the League isn''t conducting secret research. The research findings will be made public sooner orter."


    Yuga thought about it and realized it was reasonable. The most precious aspect of Mega Evolution wasn''t the method of evolution itself but the rarity of Keystone and Mega Evolution Stones. Most Trainers might never obtain one in their entire lives, so whether or not it was disclosed wasn''t the most crucial issue.


    Furthermore, since this method of evolution would be used sooner orter, it would eventually be revealed to the public. It was better to disclose it proactively than to be constantly questioned about it.


    Yuga then proceeded to inquire about the conditions for Mega Evolution, and Siebold didn''t hide anything, providing all the information. He even showed Yuga his own Keystone and stoise''s Mega Evolution Stone.


    As it turned out, Siebold had only recently acquired stoise''s Mega Evolution Stone, and he wasn''t yet very proficient in coordinating with stoise for Mega Evolution. Their practice session by theke had been aimed at improving their coordination.


    Seeing Siebold''s Keystone sparkling in his hand, Yuga couldn''t help but envy it. He possessed two Mega Evolution Stones, one for Mega Gyarados and the other for Mega Metagross, but hecked the corresponding Keystone to activate them.


    The Gyarados Mega Evolution Stone had been found during his trip to Lilycove City, inside a wrecked ship''s cabin, in thepany of Robert. On the other hand, the Metagross Mega Evolution Stone had been a gift from Florges, which she had received after helping rescue the forest during his time in the Sinnoh region.


    Now that Yuga''s Absol had gained the ability to Mega Evolve with the help of the Seed of Unknown, but these two Mega Evolution Stones had turned into mere decorations without their corresponding Keystone.


    Observing Yuga''s keen interest in his Keystone, Siebold consoled him, saying, "Keep working hard. You are an exceptionally talented Trainer. Perhaps, one day, you will obtain your own Keystone."


    The reason Siebold shared all this information with Yuga was twofold. Firstly, he knew that Yuga was a disciple of Mr. kuni''o, and Yuga would eventually learn about these matters. Secondly, he had developed a fondness for Yuga, who had already secured a Gym Leader position and was now essentially part of the League.


    Afterward, Yuga asked Siebold various detailed questions about Mega Evolution, and Siebold, for the sake of Yuga''s curiosity, shared all the details.


    Yuga realized that the Pok��mon world had been researching Mega Evolution for much longer than he had known, and there were far more people who possessed Keystone than he had thought.


    Satisfied with the answers that quenched his curiosity, Yuga eventually parted ways with Siebold. Yuga had the finals to prepare for in the afternoon, while Siebold had duties as a referee for the matches.

 Chapter 528: Tocix Grass

    <h4>Chapter 528: Tocix Grass</h4>


    At two o''clock in the afternoon, the match officially began, with cheers and shouts from the audience as both Yuga and Christine stepped onto opposite sides of the arena.


    The upper half of the finals was the championship match, while the lower half featured the third-ce match between Sora and Roxie. This arrangement took into ount the heightened emotions of the audience.


    "Hey, Little Brother, be gentleter," Christine yfully said to Yuga.


    Yuga replied, "Giving your best is the greatest respect for your opponent."


    Christine pouted, "You''re no fun!"


    "Competitors, get ready, the match is about to begin," announced the electronic referee''s cold voice from above.


    Both participants quickly entered their battle stances. Christine''s smiling expression vanished instantly, reced by a serious demeanor.


    Following the electronic referee''smand, Yuga and Christine simultaneously released their Pok��mon.


    Yuga''s lead Pok��mon was still a Grass-type, but this time it was Roserade, not Bellossom.


    Christine released a Leafeon, a Pok��mon she had used in previous matches but hadn''t used since the quarter-finals. It was a surprise move to bring it back for the finals.


    In previous matches, this Leafeon had performed rather conventionally, not as aggressively dominant as Abomasnow or Tsareena. However, Yuga, with his Insight ability, could tell that this Leafeon was at least on par with Abomasnow and Tsareena in terms of level and abilities.


    "Leafeon, use Leaf de!" Immediately upon entering the battle, Christine swiftly issued amand to Leafeon.


    This Leafeon, unlike in previous battles, now disyed a different side. It dashed forward with lightning speed, leaving a trail behind, and transformed into a sharp arrow heading straight for Roserade.


    Clearly, this Leafeon had been hiding its true speed.


    The level of a Pok��mon can only reflect its approximate strength. Trainers often conduct various targeted training sessions based on their Pok��mon''s unique talents, and these efforts contribute to their hidden strength.


    Obviously this Leafeon is far faster than its peers.


    Roserade had no idea that Leafeon was this fast. Yuga quicklymanded Roserade to use Grass Knot, attempting to stop Leafeon from approaching further.


    However, Leafeon''s speed was truly astonishing. It easily evaded all the vines created by Grass Knot, leaving them futile.


    With its long tail turned into a sharp de, Leafeon struck Roserade''s abdomen forcefully. Roserade was sent flying by this Leaf de.


    Fortunately, Roserade was a Grass and Poison type Pok��mon, so Grass-type moves only dealt a quarter of their usual damage to it. Otherwise, given Roserade''s weak defenses, it might have already been defeated.


    Seeing her Leafeonnding a direct hit, Christine couldn''t help but curl her lips into a slight smile.


    "Leafeon, keep up the pressure, continue with Leaf de!"


    "Roserade, Toxic Spikes!"


    Roserade couldn''t engage in closebat with Leafeon, who excelled in physical attacks. Yuga had to find a way to prevent Leafeon from getting closer.


    Seeing Leafeon charging toward him again, Roserade endured the dull pain in its abdomen and quickly got back on its feet. It waved its arms around, spreadingrge amounts of toxic liquid all around its position.


    The purple poison began to seep into the soil, creating a hazardous area around Roserade.


    Leafeon, in its high-speed sprint, stepped on the hidden Toxic Spikes needles scattered by Roserade. Suddenly, its body was covered in small purple poison spots, and it became poisoned.


    Roserade''s poison had been specially cultivated by Yuga, and its toxicity was incredibly potent. Leafeon, in pain, retreated and dared not approach Roserade any further.


    Christine said, "Leafeon, use Sunny Day."


    However, Yuga had already prepared for Christine''s move. Following Yuga''s instructions, Roserade used Sludge Bomb. Clumps of toxic purple sludge swiftly shot toward Leafeon, who was attempting to use Sunny Day.


    Leafeon''s ability was Leaf Guard, which made it immune to status conditions in Sunny or Sunny Day. Yuga, with his Insight ability, he had naturally taken this into consideration.


    Leafeon, in the midst of using Sunny Day, was hit directly by Roserade''s Sludge Bomb. Not only was Sunny Day disrupted, but Leafeon was also sent flying.


    This Leafeon clearly couldn''t perform like Yuga''s Bellossom, using Sunny Day while doing other move.


    Using a move like Sunny Day required precise timing, as its effects had a limited duration. Using it too early would waste the effects, while using it toote wouldn''t be advantageous.


    However, Grass-type Pok��mon with the Chlorophyll ability didn''t need to worry much about timing when using Sunny Day. Since they began with Sunny Day to boost their speed, the speed increase also applied to the speed of using their skills. When Sunny Day''s effects faded, they could quickly start another round.


    Unfortunately, this Leafeon''s ability was Leaf Guard. Otherwise, in Sunny Day,bined with its already impressive speed, it would have been even more formidable.


    Leafeon didn''t have strong Special Defense, and with Grass being weak to Poison, it suffered quite a bit from the Sludge Bomb''s impact.


    Christine clearly hadn''t expected the battle''s situation to change so rapidly. The Leafeon, which had an advantage just moments ago, was now heavily injured.


    "Leafeon, use Wish, then follow up with Bullet Seed."


    The battered Leafeon got up from the ground, quickly moved away from Roserade, and used Wish. Afterward, itunched Bullet Seeds rapidly toward Roserade.


    Bullet Seed was a move that almost all physical Grass-type Pok��mon learned because there weren''t many long-range physical Grass-type moves beyond intermediate levels. It was the mostmonly learned move of this type.


    However, these Bullet Seeds were intercepted halfway by Roserade''s Sludge Bomb. Roserade, with its high Special Attack, wasn''t afraid of exchanging long-range moves with others.


    Once both Pok��mon entered this long-range exchange state, the battle would turn into a tug of war. Both Yuga and Christine felt anxious, wanting to find a way to break the stalemate quickly, and the audience and referees outside the arena were getting impatient.


    Despite being poisoned, Leafeon used Wish to prolong the battle, dragging it into a battle of attrition.


    In the end, Yuga took advantage of the moment when Leafeon was using Wish and had Roserade use Toxic on it, causing Leafeon to be badly poisoned.


    Under badly poisoned, Leafeon''s health would decline rapidly over time. Eventually, its Wish ability couldn''t keep up, and the battle of attrition became a burden for it, leading to its downfall.


    ��


    Toxic Spikes is a move that affects Pok��mon switched in, and here, it was adapted to work like a trap, simr to but distinct from Venom Drench..

 Chapter 529: Head-to-head

    <h4>Chapter 529: Head-to-head</h4>


    Retrieving the poisoned Leafeon and handing it over to the staff for treatment, Christine couldn''t help butin to Yuga with a wry smile, "Little Brother, we''re both Grass-type Trainers, why do you keep using Poison-type moves? It''s a bit unfair."


    Yuga knew that Christine was saying this intentionally. Judging by her demeanor during battles, this sweet-looking girl wasn''t as friendly as she appeared on the surface.


    Seeing Yuga remain silent with a stern expression, Christine puckered her lips and added, "Little Brother, it''s hard to find a girlfriend if you act like this, you know."


    Christine was about to say more, but the electronic referee interjected, "Please release your next Pok��mon promptly."


    In response to this, Christine could only close her mouth, casting a brief re at the floating electronic referee. Unfortunately, it was just an emotionless machine.


    Christine''s second Pok��mon was a Ludicolo, a Pok��mon that hadn''t made an appearance in previous battles. Furthermore, its level far exceeded her previous Leafeon.


    As soon as Ludicolo entered the arena, it began dancing cheerfully, almost appearingical.


    Upon seeing Ludicolo, Yuga immediately recalled his Roserade and sent out Vivillon.


    Water and Grass dual-type Ludicolo had only three weaknesses: Bug, Flying, and Poison. Although Roserade was a Poison-type Pok��mon, there was still a gap in strengthpared to Ludicolo.


    Ever since the Top 8 battles, Christine had disyed strength far above the other contestants. This Ludicolo''s surface strength was already on par with Sora''s Nales she had previously used, and she also had a pseudo-Elite level Cacturne.


    The moment her Pok��mon was released, Christine seemed like a different person. She issued orders to her Pok��mon with a serious expression.


    Following Christine''smand, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and soon, a light rain began to fall.


    Ludicolo''s ability was Swift Swim, which increased its speed during rainy weather. Therefore, it was no surprise that Ludicolo''s first move was to summon rain, a move called "Rain Dance."


    However, Yuga didn''t instruct Vivillon to stop Ludicolo''s actions. Instead, he had Vivillon perform its graceful and mysterious Quiver Dance.


    While dancing in the air, Vivillon enveloped itself in concentric circles of flying-type energy, shielding itself from the rain,pletely unaffected by the weather.


    Vivillon''s most outstanding talent was its precise control of elemental energy and moves. As its strength continued to grow, Yuga was confident that, in terms of move control, Vivillon could easily match the Elite Pok��mon carefully trained by experienced Trainers.


    Vuvillon danced while simultaneously controlling its Flying-type energy to shield itself from the rain, relying on its precise control of Flying-type energy.


    Vivillon''s Quiver Dance and Ludicolo''s Rain Dance werepleted almost simultaneously, and as soon as both Pok��mon stopped their movements, they began their attacks.


    Ludicolo used an Ice Beam, while Vivillon employed Bug Buzz.


    While dancing gracefully, Vivillon, without any hindrance from the rain, let out a sound wave attack, Bug Buzz.


    Bug Buzz was a sound-based move originally with an area of effect. However, under Vivillon''s control, those sound waves condensed into a focused beam and shot directly at Ludicolo.


    The collision of yellow-green bug-type energy and ice-blue water-type energy resulted in a violent explosion.


    In their first sh, neither Pok��mon gained the upper hand.


    In terms of level, the two Pok��mon were closely matched, with Vivillon at level 53 and Ludicolo at level 54.


    Vivillon''s advantagey in higher potential and a favorable type matchup. However, Ludicolo held a superior position within its race valuepared to Vivillon.


    Even with the Enchantes Honey it received, Vivillon had only slightly surpassed the race limit of Bug-type Pok��mon. Compared to Ludicolo, it still had some way to go.


    Breaking a race limit for Pok��mon was incredibly challenging, and it could typically only be achieved through evolution or reaching the Elite level of strength. Achieving this through external means was quite rare, making Vivillon''s progress all the more remarkable.


    In the sky, Vivillon continuouslyunched Bug Buzz attacks towards Ludicolo, but Ludicolo, with its speed advantage in the rainy weather, kept dodging them effortlessly. Not a single Bug Buzz hit its mark.


    Although Vivillon''s Quiver Dance also increased its speed, it had justpleted one cycle of enhancement, so it couldn''t match Ludicolo''s speed boost in the rain.


    However, Vivillon had a solution for dealing with speedy opponents like Ludicolo: Electroweb.


    Under Yuga''s guidance, electric webs crackling with currents wereid across the battlefield. Many of these currents even extended into the puddles on the ground, making Ludicolo''s movements extremely restricted.


    Electroweb was one of Vivillon''s mostmonly used moves, and its proficiency in using this move was beyond question.


    "Ludicolo, Icy Wind!" In response to the widespread Electroweb, Christine furrowed her brow and presented a solution for Ludicolo.


    A chilling gust, apanied by ice and snow, quickly swept through the field, turning it into an icyndscape thanks to the umted puddles and scattered moisture in the air.


    The electrified webs were all frozen beneath the ice, and the electrical currents dissipated.


    However, by this time, the Rain Dance effect had ended. The dark clouds dispersed, and the sky became bright again. When Ludicolo attempted to initiate another Rain Dance, it was disrupted by Vivillon''s Hurricane move that not only interrupted the skill but also threw Ludicolo into disarray.


    After the Hurricane subsided, Ludicolo descended from the sky, bearing numerous injuries, clearly having suffered greatly. After all, Flying-type moves had an advantage over Grass-types.


    Seeing Ludicolo at a disadvantage, Christine''s expression turned fierce. She shouted at Ludicolo, "Ludicolo, Blizzard!"


    Following Christine''smand, Ludicolo got back on its feet and conjured a colossal wind pir, nearly two meters in diameter, filled with an abundance of ice and snow, directed at the airborne Vivillon.


    Obviously, Christine didn''t intend to tangle with Yuga any longer, and directly let Ludicolo and Vivillon fight head-on.


    "Vivillon, Hurricane."


    Christine nned to fight head-on, and Yuga wasn''t one to shy away. He promptly ordered Vivillon to use its most potent move.


    The white wind pir and the blue-white blizzard wind pir were on the brink of colliding. Surprisingly, the blizzard wind pir, under Ludicolo''s control, slightly shifted its course at thest moment. As a result, Ludicolo and Vivillon were both hit by each other''s moves, rendering them unable to battle.


    Watching Vivillon plummet from the sky, Yuga couldn''tprehend why Christine had chosen to sacrifice both Ludicolo and Vivillon in this manner.


    Initially, with their attacks colliding head-on, they should have neutralized each other. However, Christine''s decision to have Ludicolo and Vivillon die together caught him off guard.

 Chapter 530: Sandstorm

    <h4>Chapter 530: Sandstorm</h4>


    However, after Christine released her Cacturne, Yuga suddenly understood her intentions.


    ording to Christine''s n, once Ludicolo and Vivillon perished, Yuga would be left with only Roserade and his final Pok��mon.


    With the Cacturne in y, Roserade posed no significant threat. If Yuga''s final Pok��mon couldn''t withstand the Cacturne''s power, then Yuga would undoubtedly lose.


    Christine was taking a gamble, betting that Yuga''s third Pok��mon couldn''t match up against the pseudo-Elite Cacturne.


    However, it was clear she had made the wrong bet. Yuga also possessed pseudo-Elite Pok��mon, even though Gengar and Mismagius were currently dormant. Yuga also had a Chandelure by his aide.


    Back when Christine had revealed her pseudo-Elite Cacturne in a previous match, Yuga had already taken his Chandelure to the Pok��mon Center, registering it under his name.


    Because he knew Christine wouldn''t leave her pseudo-Elite Cacturne unused in the finals.


    As Chandelure emerged, it twirled happily, mes atop its head burning brightly, appearing quite content.


    Having grown within Yuga''s Shadow Space, Chandelure was thrilled to be able to help Yuga.


    The current Chandelure looked drastically different from its initial form. Even spectators like Marlon and the others, watching from the stands, couldn''t recognize it as the same Pok��mon they had encountered in the ruins. They simply believed it to be Yuga''s hidden ace.


    Seeing Yuga''s Chandelure, Elite Four Phoebe disyed a knowing expression. It was no wonder she had always sensed a faint Ghost-type aura from Yuga.


    However, she hadn''t expected Yuga to have such a hidden ace. She and the other judges also recognized that the Chandelure Yuga had just sent out was another pseudo-Elite Pok��mon.


    Still, they couldn''t help but wonder; Yuga was perhaps the most unconventional Grass-type Trainer. Despite being the disciple of a Grass-type Master, none of his powerful Pok��mon were Grass-type.


    On the battlefield, Christine gazed at Chandelure, which exuded an aura simr to the Cacturne. She inwardlymented her miscalction, her expression showing frustration.


    Yuga having a pseudo-Elite Pok��mon was one thing, but it also had the type advantage over Cacturne.


    In terms of type matchups, Yuga didn''t give it much thought. Chandelure''s Fire-type countered Cacturne''s Grass type, but Cacturne''s Dark type also countered Chandelure''s Ghost type.


    Two pseudo-Elite Pok��mon stood on the battlefield, their auras building up, creating immense pressure.


    Finally, Chandelure made its move. The four mes on itsmp frame shot out in unison, forming columns of fire aimed directly at Cacturne.


    This was Chandelure''s innate ability, the power to control multiple methrower simultaneously. In the ruins, it had managed to manipte up to five fire columns at once.


    Watching the approaching columns of fire, Cacturne sprinted across the field. The fire columns closely trailed it, but they failed to strike Cacturne.


    Although Chandelure had a higher level than Cacturne, it was a green potential Pok��mon, and its prior existence as a wild Pok��mon meant itgged behind in terms of training depth and skill coordinationpared to the Cacturne, which had undergone specialized training.


    But Yuga possessed unique abilities. His King of Ghost Ability not only suppressed Ghost-type Pok��mon but also amplified their powers. This was the confidence that allowed Yuga to bring a recently captured Pok��mon to the finals.


    When Yuga invoked his King of Ghost Ability, a subtle bond seemed to connect him and Chandelure. Chandelure once again felt the aura from Yuga that made it want to serve.


    With Yuga''s support, Chandelure felt as if it had an endless reserve of power, making it believe it could even challenge a Champion level Pok��mon.


    Of course, this newfound strength was merely an illusion brought about by the sudden power surge. In reality, Chandelure couldn''t contend with even a Elite Pok��mon, let alone a Champion level one.


    Gradually, the Cacturne, which had been dodging attacks, noticed a change in Chandelure''s offensive. Chandelure''s attacks were bing increasingly fierce, leaving the Cacturne perplexed about this sudden transformation.


    Had it just consumed some kind of fiery boost?


    Not only did the Cacturne observe this change, but Christine also noticed Chandelure''s change. However, she remained unaware of the cause.


    "Cacturne, Sandstorm."


    The Cacturne had been evading attacks, and Christine realized that continuing this way wouldn''t work. She needed to shift from defense to offense.


    Upon hearing its Trainer''smand, the Cacturne abruptly stopped evading and began whipping up a sandstorm centered around itself. Soon, the sandstorm spread across the entire battlefield.


    Thanks to the Sand Veil ability, the Cacturne quickly disappeared into the swirling sandstorm, vanishing from Chandelure''s sight, causing thetter feel a little anxious.


    "Chandelure, calm down, and be vignt of your surroundings," Yuga reminded Chandelure.


    In this situation, the Cacturne was likely nning a sneak attack, and Chandelure needed to remain aware of any movement around it.


    Sand grains pelted Chandelure one by one, steadily sapping its strength. Just then, a Dark Pulse broke through theyers of yellow sand and struck Chandelure, catching it off guard and causing it to wobble.


    Subsequently, more Dark Pulses sporadically pierced the yellow sand, targeting Chandelure.


    Each time, Chandelure retaliated byunching a methrower, but there was no response from behind theyers of sand. It was clear that all these attacks had missed their mark.


    "Chandelure, use Psychic power to scatter Will-O-Wisp throughout the battlefield."


    Upon hearing Yuga''smand, Chandelure''s candle mes radiated eerie blue Will-O-Wisp. Controlled by its Psychic power, these mes drifted towards the surroundings.


    The Psychic power shielded the Will-O-Wisp from being extinguished by the sandstorm. These mes filled the entire battlefield, resembling small, glowingnterns within the sandstorm, creating a mesmerizing sight.


    Before long, Yuga and Chandelure heard agonized criesing from within the sandstorm. Yuga hurriedly shouted to Chandelure, "Chandelure, quickly, use Hex."


    In response, Chandelure released a pitch-ck beam toward the source of the cries, followed by another round of agonized screams.


    As these cries subsided, the sandstorm on the battlefield dissipated, revealing the injured Cacturne lying not far away.


    The sandstorm''s duration had ended.


    Due to the Will-O-Wisp, the Cacturne had been inflicted with a Burn status, causing Yuga''s Hex move to deal twice the damage. As a result, the Cacturne was heavily damaged.


    The Cacturne now disyed a pained expression, its Burn status continually draining its strength.


    With injuries covering its body and the Burn status in effect, the Cacturne looked worse for wear. Christine tightly furrowed her brows.


    It was truly a series of misjudgments; if she hadn''t underestimated Yuga''s abilities, she wouldn''t be in such a precarious situation now.

 Chapter 531: The Champion

    <h4>Chapter 531: The Champion</h4>


    Cacturne struggled to get back on its feet, but it was struck by a methrower, causing it to fall once more, this time it not getting up again.


    The fall of Cacturne marked the end of the championship match between Yuga and Christine. Thementators on the field excitedly announced Yuga''s victory, and the audience outside couldn''t help but cheer. Mayor Ishida and Liliana were particrly thrilled, embracing each other in celebration.


    Retrieving Cacturne, Christine approached Yuga with a smile and said, "Little brother, you really didn''t hold back, did you? You made me lose so miserably."


    Yuga helplessly stretched out a hand to her: "Give in."


    Christine held Yuga''s right hand and said yfully: "No way, you are still giving in to me? Then if you tried your best, how miserable would I be!" Yujia


    Yuga couldn''t help but find this yful youngdy quite mischievous, despite her being slightly older than him. She kept calling him "little brother" with every other sentence.


    Although Christine was joking, Yuga had indeed held back. If he had released Volcarona, Christine''s Cacturne would have fallen long ago.


    However, Yuga''s current strength wasn''t up to par. Even if he released Volcarona, hecked the ability tomand it and could only let it fight on its own.


    Amidst the cheers of the audience, both Yuga and Christine left the arena simultaneously because the next match was between Sora and Roxie.


    Sora and Roxie''s matchsted even longer than Yuga and Christine''s. In the end, Sora emerged victorious, bing third-ce finisher in thispetition.


    Sora''s Shiny Nales was truly powerful. If it hadn''t encountered pseudo-Elite level Cacturne, it would have made it to the finals.


    The emotions of the audience remained high during Sora and Roxie''s match. Perhaps it was influenced by Yuga and Christine''s previous battle, as the spectators'' enthusiasm showed no signs of waning.


    After the match concluded, it was time for the closing ceremony of thepetition. The first event of the closing ceremony was the award presentation for Yuga, Christine, and Sora.


    After all, it was a majorpetition, and the proper ceremonies needed to be observed.


    Each of the three received a medal �C gold for the champion, silver for the runner-up, and bronze for the third-ce finisher. This made Yuga felt as if he had participated in an Olympic event.


    However, what surprised Yuga was that the one presenting their awards was none other than Mr. Alder, the champion of the Unova Region. He had speciallye to present the awards to Yuga and the others.


    This was the first time Yuga had met a League Champion face to face since he arrived in the Pok��mon world.


    As Mr. Alder hung the gold medal around Yuga''s neck, he smiled warmly and said, "Well done, well done. You are all the future of the League. Keep up the good work."


    Mr. Alder had a very amiable and gentle smile, appearing as a kind uncle rather than the lecherous old man rumored in some tales.


    However, when he presented the award to Christine, his true nature surfaced. He couldn''t help but wear a foolish expression and muttered under his breath, "Well done, well done. In a few more years, you''ll be a remarkable beauty."


    Although his voice was low, Yuga and Christine, who were close by, heard it clearly. Christine''s expression immediately soured, and she gave this lecherous old man a fierce re.


    Mr. Alder didn''t react to Christine''s re, but his assistant standing beside him discreetly poked him, signaling him to mind his behavior.


    Yuga and Christine rolled their eyes simultaneously.


    This Mr. Alder was indeed just as rumored.


    After the awards ceremony, it was Mr. Alder''s turn to give a speech on stage. During his speech, he appeared quite serious, delivering words of encouragement to the young trainers, portraying a rather normal League Champion.


    After everything was concluded, Yuga, Christine, and Sora were preparing to leave the Battle Company Building when they were informed by the staff that Mr. Alder wanted to meet with them.


    All three of them were puzzled, unsure of Mr. Alder''s purpose in summoning them at this moment.


    Guided by the staff, Yuga''s group was led into a room.


    As they entered, they saw not only Mr. Alder sitting inside but also Elite Four Lorelei, Mr. Prycee, Phoebe, Professor Carolina, Mr. Drayden, and Siebold, all seated in a row.


    These six individuals, apart from Professor Carolina, were all Elite Four Member Trainers. Seeing that they were waiting for them, Yuga and his group were truly taken aback.


    Upon seeing Yuga''s group enter, the seven elders inside all greeted them warmly.


    "Come on in,e on in. Why are you all standing by the door?"


    Professor Carolina was the happiest among them. She had almost given up, but Christine''s determination had earned her some face.


    Phoebe also said with a smile, "Come on in and have a seat."


    She gestured towards the three chairs ced opposite them.


    Phoebe was in a very good mood. Among those present, she represented the Hoenn Region and held the most prestige. Although she didn''t care much about these des, she still preferred having a good reputationpared to someone like Elite Four Lorelei, who had be infamous for his reckless behavior.


    Yuga''s group took their seats opposite the elders, and Mr. Alder said, "Do you know why we''ve called you here?"


    "We have no idea," all three of them shook their heads involuntarily.


    Mr. Alder chuckled, "Haha, do you think the reward for the top three in thepetition is just that useless medal?"


    Upon hearing this, Yuga''s group felt a sense of joy. Did this mean there were additional rewards?


    Seeing their happy expressions, Mr. Alder continued, "This is not only a reward for you but also a test."


    Yuga''s group was even more puzzled now. Why would a reward also be a test?


    Seeing their confusion, Mr. Alder smiled and exined, "Let me exin."


    "The reason the League opens up opportunities for ordinary trainers to establish gyms is to nurture talent. Therefore, for the top three in thepetition, the League provides a different level of supportpared to other participants."


    "However, to receive this kind of support, you must firstplete the League''s pre-set test. If you can''t pass the test, you don''t deserve the League''s strong backing."


    "This is a hidden benefit for the top three in thepetition, and it''s been a tradition for every tournament. It''s just that it has never been publicly disclosed, so the public is unaware."


    "So, what is this test?" Yuga couldn''t help but ask.

 Chapter 532: The Mission

    <h4>Chapter 532: The Mission</h4>


    "The Unova League recently discovered an underground world within the Pinwheel Forest. It''s inhabited by numerous ancient Pok��mon. The League wants to take control of this underground world, but they need the advance team to go in and assess the situation."


    "An underground world?" Sora asked in astonishment.


    Mr. Alder replied, "Yes, an underground world. It houses aplete ancient ecosystem with many Pok��mon that existed in ancient times."


    "Are you referring to Pok��mon like the Carracosta and the Archeops?" Yuga inquired.


    Mr. Alder looked surprised at Yuga''s knowledge and said with a smile, "I didn''t expect you to be so knowledgeable."


    Yuga rolled his eyes at thement. Pok��mon like Archen and Archeops were a bit troublesome due to their abilities, which held them backpared to other Pok��mon. It was a bit of a shame given their excellent species.


    "What do we need to do once we''re inside?" Christine, who had been silent until now, asked.


    "You just need to map out the distribution of different Pok��mon species inside and record the general terrain. You don''t have to do anything else," Mr. Alder exined.


    With that said, at Mr. Alder''s signal, a staff member ced three devices resembling smartphones in front of Yuga and the others.


    "These are custom devices. When activated, they will automatically record the terrain and environment of the ces you pass through."


    Mr. Alder pointed at the three devices and introduced them to Yuga''s group.


    Yuga picked up one of the devices and examined it but couldn''t quite understand the principle behind it. He could only marvel, "The power of science is truly amazing!"


    Then Mr. Alder distributed a map showing the location of the underground world to Yuga and hispanions, along with a brief overview of the situation.


    Normally, this reconnaissance mission would be handled by more specialized League trainers. However, since Yuga and his team had just finished apetition, they were tasked with this mission, which served as their test.


    The mission carried a considerable degree of danger. While their task was primarily to map terrain and observe Pok��mon poptions, ancient Pok��mon were known to be more aggressive, and the underground world''s inhabitants were an unknown factor.


    Although some League trainers had explored the outskirts, the deeper regions remained uncharted.


    Mr. Alder gave Yuga and his team the choice to ept or decline the mission. However, if they declined, their gym''s level of support would be reduced to that of other trainers.


    Yuga and his team didn''t hesitate to ept the mission. They saw it as an opportunity and couldn''t justify turning it down. This was a valuable opportunity for them.


    Yuga spected that if they did refuse, their gym would likely receive less support in the future. In the eyes of the League, trainers who couldn''t ept even this level of challengecked the spirit of adventure and resilience, which were considered essential for trainers.


    "When should we depart?" Christine asked.


    "You can decide that yourselves. There''s a one-week time limit. As long as youplete the mission within a week, I have no objections even if you leave on thest day," Mr. Alder said with a sly grin, revealing his flirtatious nature, earning a poke from his assistant.


    Christine was visibly annoyed by Mr. Alder''s behavior, her face turning ashen. She shot him a fierce re, finding it difficult to respect the League Champion in front of her.


    Not only Christine, but Sora, who had witnessed Mr. Alder''s flirting during the award ceremony, wore an expression of awkwardness. However, none of the Elite Four behind him said anything, clearly familiar with Mr. Alder''s behavior.


    Seeing the expressions on the faces of Lorelei and Phoebe, Yuga strongly suspected that Mr. Alder had flirted with them too.


    Yuga: "That underground world sounds a bit dangerous. Doesn''t the League provide any support?"


    Mr. Alder: "Support? What kind of support are you looking for?"


    Yuga hesitated and said, "For example, some powerful Pok��mon to apany us."


    Mr. Alder chuckled and shrugged, "Unfortunately, no."


    Yuga rolled his eyes in exasperation, thinking, ''If there''s no support, why even ask what kind we want?''


    "But!" Mr. Alder paused and continued, "You can each choose two Pok��mon from the underground world as your reward. However, whether they are good or bad depends entirely on your abilities."


    The faces of Yuga and his twopanions lit up at the unexpected bonus. They knew that once the League took control of the underground world, it would be designated as a protected area, making it much harder to capture Pok��mon from there in the future.


    "But remember, you can only capture two Pok��mon, whether they''re good or bad is up to you. Don''t count on luck," Mr. Alder warned as he watched the three of them with pleased expressions.


    The League possesses specialized equipment capable of detecting the number of Pok��mon a trainer carries, even if the Pok��mon are concealed within a spatial backpack.


    In the Pok��mon world, there exist spatial backpacks, which are high-tech devices. They vary in size, with the smallest being justrge enough to hold a person''s head and thergest reaching up to two or three cubic meters.


    These spatial backpacks are not designed to hold living creatures; even Pok��mon eggs cannot be stored within them. Additionally, if you ce nt seeds inside, they''ll lose their vitality and cannot germinate.


    Yuga''s system backpack, while unable to directly store living creatures, has no issues with Pok��mon eggs, nt seeds, or even Pok��mon stored in Pok�� Balls. It''s highly versatile in this regard.


    Space backpacks are quite expensive, so unless necessary, few people tend to use them. However, trainers who venture outside often find them invaluable, as they significantly enhance safety. Many trainers are willing to invest extra money for this added security.


    As for the Leagus''s Pok��mon count detection device, Yuga isn''t particrly worried. He doesn''t believe that such a device can breach the advanced technology of his system backpack to detect its contents.


    However, Yuga does have some concerns regarding his Shadow Space. He''s unsure about the reliability of Marshadow''s seal. While Ghost-type Pok��mon have life forms simr to ghosts, they still emit life energy. If this energy were detected, it could pose a problem.

 Chapter 533: Second Rounds

    <h4>Chapter 533: Second Rounds</h4>


    Following Mr. Alder''s instructions, Yuga, Christine, and Sora left. ording to Mr. Alder, there were League-appointed trainers guarding the entrance to the Underground World, and they would receive assistance upon arrival.


    After exiting the Battle Company Building''s entrance, Sora asked, "Should we move together or separately?"


    Christine replied with a seemingly helpless expression, "Of course, we should stick together. Can you bear to let a weak woman like me go alone to such a dangerous ce?"


    Christine''s tone and mannerisms made Yuga and Sora involuntarily shiver. Weak woman? Especially after losing to Christine in thepetition, Sora couldn''t help but roll his eyes.


    However, in the end, they decided to go together because safety in numbers was essential in that environment.


    Yuga, Sora, and Christine agreed to meet in front of the Pok��mon Center in Castelia City the next day before departing for the Pinwheel Forest. Before that, each of them needed to make preparations, as they might be staying in the forest for several days.


    They didn''t consider this task simple; given the seven-day time frame, it indicated that the mission would require this much time. taking it lightly would only lead to one oue: failure.


    After Yuga and Sora parted ways, they saw Mayor Ishida and Liliana still waiting at the entrance. They seemed a bit anxious, possibly due to the extended wait.


    When they saw Yuga emerge, Mayor Ishida and Liliana quickly approached.


    "How did it go? What did Mr. Alder want with you?" Mayor Ishida asked Yuga anxiously, fearing something might have gone wrong.


    When Yuga was informed that he would meet Mr. Alder, he had sent a message to Mayor Ishida in advance. That''s why Mayor Ishida and Liliana were waiting here; otherwise, they would have gone in to look for him if he hadn''te out for so long.


    With a smile, Yuga told Mayor Ishida, "It''s not a bad thing. Let''s talk while we walk."


    Mayor Ishida said, "Sure, sure, let''s talk while we walk."


    Hearing Yuga say it wasn''t a bad thing, Mayor Ishida finally felt relieved. Together with Yuga and Liliana, they headed back to their residence.


    On the way, Yuga exined to them about the hidden benefits for the top three in thepetition, but he didn''t reveal the specifics of the test. Mayor Ishida and Liliana tactfully didn''t ask for further details.


    Mr. Alder had instructed Yuga, Christine, and Sora to keep the details about the Underground World confidential for the time being.


    "That''s wonderful news! Wonderful!" Mayor Ishida was overjoyed. In his view, the League''s increased support for the Verdanturf Gym indirectly supported the development of the entire Verdanturf Town.


    As for the test task that Yuga mentioned, Mayor Ishida couldn''t care less. At this point, Yuga was seen as an all-capable figure in his heart. Whatever test task it was, it wasn''t a problem. Having it or not made no difference.


    Seeing Mayor Ishida''s excited expression, Yuga shook his head helplessly. The Mayor had truly worked hard to ensure the development of Verdanturf Town.


    Liliana also wore a delighted expression. The better Verdanturf Town developed, the greater her contribution would be. In the Jenny family, arge n that valued achievements, individual status and position were determined by one''s achievements.


    The Jenny family, like the Joy family, shares a simr ethos. For example, Yuga once encountered Joyna, the Chief Prosecutor of the Sinnoh Prosecutor Bureau. Her position was earned through relentless effort and determination.


    Speaking of which, the League has two special departments: the Prosecutor Bureau and the Investigation Bureau. These two departments are among the most dangerous and rewarding within the League.


    The Prosecutor Bureau, where Joyna and Steven serve, wields considerable authority. It supervises all League departments, clearing out internal troublemakers while quietly maintaining League order.


    For instance, during the recent chaos caused by Zapdos in Verdanturf Town, the role yed by the Prosecutor Bureau cannot be underestimated.


    They even extended an invitation to Yuga, which he declined. Such behind-the-scenes work wasn''t suitable for someone like him, who runs a Pok��mon Day Care.


    If the Prosecutor Bureau deals with internal affairs of the League, then the Investigation Bureau deals with external matters, maintaining League order as its public face.


    Handling external criminal cases and dealing with uwful organizations are part of the Investigation Bureau''s responsibilities. The most famous investigator of the Investigation Bureau is Kanto''s Dragon-type Elite Four, Lance.


    Currently, Lance not only serves as Kanto Dragon-type Elite Four but also holds the position of Chief Investigator in both Kanto and Johto regions. While his strength might fall slightly shortpared to Joyna, the Chief Prosecutor of the Sinnoh Prosecutor Bureau, his aplishments are unquestionable. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have gained such fame at a young age.


    Prosecutor Steven, who was currently enjoying his leisure and had no idea about these developments. (He''s being called out again! ����(��|||)��)


    However,pared to the Investigation Bureau, which continuously operates on the frontlines, the Prosecutor Bureau is indeed less likely to be famous.


    The League may celebrate the capture of an international criminal by the Investigation Bureau, but it won''t publicize when the Prosecutor Bureau deals with a League traitor. This is a realistic issue.


    However, in terms of achievements, there''s no difference between the two. The League remains fair in this regard.


    Once Yuga and the others returned to their residence with Mayor Ishida and Liliana, Yuga discussed the uing itinerary with them.


    Yuga needed to remain in the Unova region to continue with the forting test task, while Mayor Ishida and Liliana didn''t have much to do. They couldn''t leave them waiting in Castelia City for two days. Verdanturf Town still had many government affairs and cases to handle.


    So, Yuga suggested that Mayor Ishida and Liliana return to Verdanturf Town tomorrow, while he would return to Verdanturf Town afterpleting the test task.


    Although they were concerned about Yuga, when they considered his abilities, Mayor Ishida and Liliana eventually epted Yuga''s suggestion and nned to depart for Verdanturf Town tomorrow.


    After discussing with Mayor Ishida and Liliana, Yuga''s next task was to prepare equipment for the journey to Pinwheel Forest. Whether it was food or water, he needed to prepare everything in advance. He couldn''t rely solely on wild berrys and stream water for the next seven days in the forest.

 Chapter 534: Peril

    <h4>Chapter 534: Peril</h4>


    Early the next morning, Yuga arrived at the entrance of the Pok��mon Center in Castelia City at the agreed-upon time with Sora and Christine.


    Because they had arrived quite early, although the Pok��mon Center was open, there weren''t many people inside, only Nurse Joy and Audino.


    Although the three of them were not natives of the Unova region, Yuga and Sora had been to Pinwheel Forest once before. So, after each of them mounted their Flying Pok��mon, they flew directly towards the entrance of Pinwheel Forest.


    ording to the map provided by Mr. Alder, the Underground World was located deep within Pinwheel Forest, a ce that Yuga and the others had not ventured into before. The ruins they had previously visited were only in the area where the central and inner parts intersected, and the level of danger there couldn''tpare to the innermost region.


    As soon as they entered Pinwheel Forest, each of them released a Pok��mon to protect themselves. This wasmon knowledge in the wilderness; otherwise, you wouldn''t even know how you''d meet your end in such a perilous environment.


    Sora released a Bellossom, Christine released a Tsareena, and Yuga released another Bellossom, just like Sora.


    However, the moment Yuga released his Bellossom, a Sawsbuck deep within Pinwheel Forest suddenly raised its head, ignoring the several Deerling around it, and began walking towards the center of the forest.


    To reach the depths of Pinwheel Forest, Yuga and the others had to pass through the man-made passages built on the outskirts of the forest.


    Pinwheel Forest was vast, and the direction of the Underground World was not the same as the ruins they had visited before. So, Yuga and the others didn''t need to deviate from the man-made passage like they did previously; they just had to follow it to the end.


    The man-made passage was very safe, even though there were Pok��mon all around. However, these Pok��mon simply watched quietly as Yuga and his group passed by, withoutunching any attacks.


    After passing through the man-made passage, more and more Pok��mon began to appear around Yuga and the others. Although they still didn''t encounter any Pok��mon that attacked them, scenes of Pok��mon squabbling with each other became moremon.


    When they encountered such situations, Yuga and his group always chose to steer clear from a distance. After all, their purpose on this journey was toplete the test task, and if they could avoid wasting time, they preferred to do so.


    However, just as Yuga and his group were slowly advancing towards the depths of Pinwheel Forest, the Sawsbuck from the forest''s depths was also gradually moving towards the central area.


    But just as it was about to approach the central area, it was blocked by a Krookodile.


    This Krookodile was in a state of confusion while practicing its move, Outrage. As a result, it began attacking the creatures around it, just as it coincidentally encountered the approaching Sawsbuck.


    The Sawsbuck was in a hurry and had no intention of dealing with the Krookodile. It delivered a quick Double Kick to the Krookodile, sending it tumbling to the side.


    This Krookodile was a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon. The Sawsbuck, in a hurry, so it didn''t go all out, and the Double Kick didn''t do much damage. So, although the Krookodile didn''t snap out of its confusion, it didn''t lose its ability to battle either.


    After kicking the Krookodile, the Sawsbuck leaped over it and continued running towards the outside.


    Meanwhile, Yuga and the others had been cautious throughout their journey, and they hadn''t encountered any significant dangers until they arrived at a clearing ording to the map.


    Suddenly, they heard a rustling sounding from the nearby bushes. Following that, a Pok��mon leaped out of the undergrowth, soared over Yuga and the others'' heads, andnded on the opposite side.


    Upon seeing this Pok��mon, Yuga''s heart skipped a beat. He hadn''t expected to encounter this Elite level Sawsbuck once again.


    Not only Yuga but also Sora, who was next to Yuga, shared the same thought.


    The Sawsbuck stared fixedly at Yuga with its unblinking eyes but made no move.


    "What should we do?" Sora asked the others in a low voice.


    Although the Sawsbuck didn''t seem to be looking at Christine, she felt the pressure emanating from it.


    Christine may not have an Elite level Pok��mon, but she did possess a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon. Feeling the overwhelming auraing from the Sawsbuck in front of her, she immediately realized it was an Elite level Pok��mon.


    Both Christine''s Tsareena and Sora''s Bellossom tensed up, watchful of the Sawsbuck across from them.


    Neither of them considered fleeing, as they didn''t believe their two legs could outrun a quadrupedal Pok��mon like Sawsbuck.


    Meanwhile, Yuga was about to tell Christine and Sora not to make any sudden moves when he saw Christine''s Tsareena suddenly rush forward, and Sora''s Bellossom unleashed a Magical Leaf, all aimed at the Sawsbuck.


    Yuga sighed in exasperation, thinking, "Are these two trying to court disaster?"


    The rushing Tsareena was swiftly kicked back by the Sawsbuck, losing its ability to battle instantly. The Magical Leaf from Bellossom had no effect on the Sawsbuck.


    Christine recalled her Tsareena and was about to send out her Cacturne when Yuga intervened.


    "You two, leave this to me," Yuga turned to them and said.


    "But..." Sora hesitated.


    Yuga reassured them, "Don''t worry; I have a way to handle it."


    Yuga''s intention was not a selfless act of bravery; he simply wanted to get Christine and Sora out from here so he could send out his Volcarona. If they stayed, facing an Elite level Pok��mon with their three Pok��mon would be a futile endeavor.


    Seeing that Yuga was serious and not joking, Christine said, "Alright, we''ll meet up at the entrance to the Underground World."


    Though Christine didn''t know what method Yuga had to deal with the Sawsbuck, she could tell that Yuga was not someone who made jokes in situations like this.


    And so, Christine pulled the reluctant Sora away swiftly, with his Bellossom closely following.


    What puzzled Yuga, however, was that the Sawsbuck seemed entirely unconcerned about Christine and Sora''s departure. It continued to fix its gaze on Yuga, making his scalp tingle with unease.


    Anyone being stared down by an Elite level Pok��mon would feel overwhelmed.


    The Sawsbuck took a step toward Yuga, and Yuga thought it was about to attack. He immediately pulled his Bellossom aside and released his Volcarona.


    As soon as Volcarona emerged, without a word, it unleashed a burst of mes that struck the Sawsbuck directly. The Sawsbuck was sent flying by the methrower.


    In that instant, the Sawsbuck''s eyes held a look of disbelief. Yuga assumed it was astonished by Volcarona''s power and paid it no further attention. Instead, he ordered Volcarona to pursue the Sawsbuck while it was still recovering from the attack.

 Chapter 535: Coincidence

    <h4>Chapter 535: Coincidence</h4>


    The Sawsbuck didn''t expect to be attacked by Yuga and was caught off guard by Volcarona''s assault.


    It tried to say something to Yuga after getting back on its feet but was once again hit by a methrower.


    As a Grass-type Pok��mon, being hit by two consecutive mes was excruciatingly painful, and its eyes instantly turned red.


    It was an Elite level Pok��mon, and being attacked like this was a major blow to its pride.


    In its current state of anger and confusion, it had forgotten why it had sought Yuga out in the first ce.


    The Sawsbuck''s body started emitting a golden aura, as if it had donned a suit of golden armor, and it charged relentlessly towards Volcarona.


    Seeing this, Volcarona effortlessly ascended into the sky, using its three pairs of fiery wings. The Sawsbuck''s reckless Wild Charge missed, causing it to crash into a tree, snapping it in half at the point of impact, and leaving the tree scorched due to the electric shock.


    With Volcarona now airborne, the Sawsbuck spat out green seeds at it.


    However, the agile Fire Moth easily dodged the Bullet Seedsunched by the Sawsbuck and responded with a methrower.


    Round after round, the Sawsbuck relentlessly used Bullet Seeds against Volcarona but failed tond a single hit. Instead, it repeatedly suffered burns from Volcarona''s mes.


    Watching the Sawsbuck''s relentless determination, Yuga couldn''t help but wonder if there was something wrong with its mind.


    Even after being burned so many times, the Sawsbuck continued to seek confrontation, leaving Yuga puzzled.


    After a few rounds, Volcarona unleashed a move called Fiery Dance. The spinning crimson mes not only incinerated the Bullet Seeds but also continued to burn towards the Sawsbuck.


    The Sawsbuck leaped to avoid the spinning ring of mes, but it was immediately met with a massive Fire st.


    The Sawsbuck was knocked to the ground and lost consciousness.


    As a Grass-type Pok��mon, after enduring numerous Fire-type attacks, it was impossible for the Sawsbuck to withstand another powerful explosion, especially from another Elite level Pok��mon.


    In itsst moments of consciousness, the Sawsbuck wondered, "Why is this happening to me? I just wanted to ask for help. Why am I being burned like this for no reason?"


    Watching the scorched Sawsbuck, Yuga retrieved a Pok�� Ball from his bag and captured it.


    Unfortunately, the Sawsbuck didn''t know that Yuga could understand Pok��monnguage; otherwise, it would not have encountered such a situation if it had spoken to Yuga as soon as it appeared.


    Picking up the Pok�� Ball containing the Sawsbuck and storing it in his system''s backpack, Yuga then recalled Volcarona with another Pok�� Ball before continuing toward their destination with his Bellossom.


    Meanwhile, Sora, Christine, and Yuga had split up upon entering the inner area, and they were soon attacked by arge horde of Venipedes and Whirlipede.


    Due to the overwhelming number of Pok��mon attacking them, Sora and Christine were forced apart.


    Sora, apanied by his Bellossom, had just shaken off pursuit from the Venipedes and Whirlipede when he encountered a rampaging Krookodile that was wreaking havoc on the surrounding trees.


    The Krookodile, upon noticing Sora and Bellossom, immediately charged towards them. After only a few rounds of battle, Sora''s Bellossom was defeated.


    Recalling his Bellossom, Sora initially tried to avoid the Krookodile. However, it seemed determined to pursue him relentlessly.


    In a desperate situation, Sora had no choice but to release his Nales and engage in battle with the Krookodile.


    Sora could tell that the Krookodile was a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, but it appeared to be injured and disoriented. He believed he had a chance to defeat it.


    Instead of being entangled by this Krookodile, he decided to give it his all.


    His Nales activated its ability Drought upon entering the battle, and the sun''s rays instantly intensified. The scorching heat aggravated the already agitated Krookodile, and it charged recklessly towards Sora and Nales.


    Nales swiftly unleashed a powerful move, Fire st, directly at the Krookodile''s face. However, the Krookodile didn''t even attempt to dodge; it collided with the Fire st and shattered it.


    The Krookodile''s charging speed was astonishing. Despite the Fire st''s obstruction, Nales narrowly avoided being hit, but a nearby tree was pulverized upon impact. Countless green leaves scattered in all directions, and a few Pidove perched in the tree hastily took flight.


    Immediately after evading the Krookodile''s assault, Nales used a Grass-type move, Sr Beam. A bright and robust beam of light struck the Krookodile directly.


    Sr Beam, which didn''t require charging, was exceptionally fast. The Krookodile, with its eyes inmed, was hit directly. With its pre-existing injuries, the attack only worsened its condition.


    This Krookodile, a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, disyed incredible resilience. Most Pok��mon, after suffering such severe injuries and being struck by a Grass-type move that countered them, would have been rendered unable to battle. However, this Krookodile managed to stand up.


    But at this point, the Krookodile''s eyes gradually cleared, surprising Sora. The Krookodile had somehow emerged from its state of confusion.


    The Krookodile moved its injured body, realizing it was in pain all over. A bewildered expression appeared in its eyes, and upon seeing Sora and Nales not too far away, it stared at them for quite some time.


    The Krookodile had wanted to move forward but, due to its severe injuries, it stumbled and fell. Sora hurriedly approached, intending to help it.


    However, as Sora drew closer, the Krookodile became cautious, watching him closely. Sora had no choice but to step back a few paces.


    Sora: "I mean no harm; I just want to help you. You appear to be severely injured."


    Sora thought that if this Krookodile hadn''t been attacking him recklessly, he would have left. But seeing how injured it was, he decided to help.


    The Krookodile continued to eye Sora for a while, as if trying to read him. Eventually, it nodded in agreement to let Sora assist since it couldn''t move.


    Sora helped the Krookodile sit under a tree and took out some medicine from his bag to tend to its wounds.


    As Sora carefully tended to its injuries, the Krookodile''s gaze softened. Its memories only extended to the moment it entered a state of confusion during practicing Outrage, and it couldn''t remember anything else.


    Despite having experienced injuries from practicing Outrage before, this was the first time someone had treated its wounds with such gentleness.


    Meanwhile, Christine, after being separated from Sora, rushed towards the location of the underground world with her Cacturne. She believed that if Sora was safe and sound, he would eventually meet her there.

 Chapter 536: A Brief Respite

    <h4>Chapter 536: A Brief Respite</h4>


    After dealing with the Sawsbuck, Yuga proceeded quickly toward the location of the underground world with his Bellossom, aiming to reunite with Sora and the others as soon as possible.


    In the central region of Pinwheel Forest, the Pok��mon didn''t pose much trouble for Yuga. However, upon entering the inner area, their attitude toward outsiders changed significantly.


    Throughout the journey, Yuga''s Bellossom faced numerous Pok��mon attacks. However, due to the urgency of his mission, Yuga avoided engaging them unnecessarily. When he couldn''t avoid a battle, he aimed for swift victories.


    Pinwheel Forest, being one of thergest forests in the Unova Region, housed Pok��mon with formidable strength. Especially within the inner regions, Yuga encountered several pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon.


    Under normal circumstances, with his Volcarona, Yuga wouldn''t mind capturing a few of them to bring back to Verdanturf Town. Pok��mon with the potential to reach pseudo-Elite level in the wild were usually quite exceptional.


    However, he was currently pressed for time, with the mission taking precedence. If he were to dy the mission for the sake of capturing Pok��mon, it would be counterproductive.


    Pinwheel Forest was abundant with Bug-type and Grass-type Pok��mon, primarily living in groups. Yuga encounteredrge swarms of Pok��mon several times, which required considerable effort to bypass.


    It wasn''t just Yuga; Sora and Christine, who had preceded him, also faced their share of challenges. However, both of them were strong trainers, and their journey had been rtively uneventful.


    By the time Yuga arrived at the destination with Bellossom, Sora and Christine were already there, engaged in a conversation with a young man wearing a green uniform.


    Upon seeing Yuga and Bellossom approaching, Christine''s eyes lit up. "You finally made it! We were starting to worry you''d met with trouble on the way."


    Upon seeing Yuga, her heart finally settled, and her tone became more rxed. Although Yuga had assured them that he had a way to extricate himself during their separation, Christine couldn''t help but feel somewhat empty after leaving.


    To say she felt guilty might be an overstatement. After all, deep down, she believed that Yuga had a solution. However, she couldn''t quite find peace of mind, so her heart was always on edge, feeling neither uplifted nor settled.


    Simrly, Sora shared the same sentiment. If it hadn''t been for Christine pulling him away back then, he might not have left at all. He had feared the worst for Yuga, and the uncertainty had weighed heavily on him. Fortunately, Yuga had arrived safely.


    Upon reaching this location, Yuga was surprised to find that the League had stationed numerous personnel to guard the entrance to the underground world. Green tents were scattered all around, and many people in green uniforms were patrolling with their Pok��mon.


    After recalling Bellossom, Yuga asked Sora and Christine, "Did you encounter any unexpected incidents on the way?"


    Sora shook his head. "Our journey was quite smooth. How about you?"


    Yuga replied, "I managed fine, no issues."


    At that moment, the young man who had been talking to Christine and Sora approached.


    "You must be Shimizu Yuga. Wee," he said.


    Yuga nodded. "Thank you."


    The young man introduced himself, "I''m Lloyd, and I''m in charge here."


    Yuga was surprised by Lloyd''s young age but respected his position. "It''s good to meet you. We''re here to explore the deeper parts of the underground world."


    Lloyd smiled and exined, "Most of us here were temporarily reassigned from the Investigator Bureau to handle the outer perimeter of the underground world. As for venturing deeper, we''ll rely on you to explore and gather information."


    Yuga nodded in understanding. The situation in the deeper parts of the underground world remained unknown. If it weren''t for their scheduledpetition, the League would have already sent others to investigate and assess the situation before proceeding further.


    Lloyd: "Let''s start by taking you to rest. After we brief you on the situation here, you canmence your mission. It''s also an opportunity for your Pok��mon to rest."


    Yuga: "Thank you for your assistance."


    Under Lloyd''s guidance, Yuga, along with Sora and Christine, were led to a makeshift building. Once they were seated, Lloyd had someone pour them sses of tap water.


    Lloyd remarked, "Conditions here are quite basic, so we can only offer you tap water. I hope you don''t mind."


    Sora replied, "No need to worry; tap water is perfectly fine."


    Lloyd then unfolded a simple map in front of them and began to provide an overview of the underground world.


    "This underground world appears to have existed for a long time, and the flora here consists of ancient species that haven''t been seen for ages. These nts are extraordinarilyrge, making movement inside quite challenging.


    Additionally, we''ve identified several species of Pok��mon within this area. Apart from the ones we''ve detected at the entrance, such as Tirtouga, Omanyte, Omastar, Kabuto, Kabutops, and numerous modern Pok��mon species coexist within. These include Roggenr, Dwebble, Drillbur, and more.


    We''ve gathered preliminary information about the peripheral areas, and many sections have already been cleared. Your task is to venture deeper and gather information from there."


    Lloyd marked the known areas on the makeshift map, which resembled a fan-shaped region, highlighting areas whererge numbers of Pok��mon were known to reside.


    He continued, "I suggest that you don''t move together as a group. Firstly, having all three of you together makes you more conspicuous, and you''re here to gather intelligence, not to engage other Pok��mon inbat.


    This ce is teeming with hostile Pok��mon, far more than you might imagine, and once detected, conflict is inevitable.


    Secondly, you''re on a tight schedule. Although the exact dimensions remain unknown, the underground world likely covers a substantial area. Staying together would impede the efficiency of your mission."


    After listening to Lloyd''s advice, Yuga and the others fell into a contemtive silence. They couldn''t help but acknowledge the logic behind Lloyd''s words.


    Lloyd continued, "If you decide to split up, I rmend three separate routes��one from here, another from here, and thest from here. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I believe you''ll be able toplete the mission sessfully."


    As he spoke, Lloyd pointed out the suggested routes on the map, following the fan-shapedyout of the known regions.


    Yuga turned to look at Sora and Christine. "What do you think? Personally, I''m inclined to follow Mr. Lloyd''s advice."


    Sora replied, "I have no objections."


    Christine waved her hand and said, "If you guys are okay with it, then I''m fine too. Well, I was hoping totch onto some big brothers, but I guess that''s not happening now."


    With that somewhat exaggerated "I''m so weak" tone, Christine made Yuga and Sora roll their eyes once again. Yuga couldn''t help but think that Christine''s way of speaking resembled what they called a "green tea b****" in legends...

 Chapter 537: Entering

    <h4>Chapter 537: Entering</h4>


    Yuga and his team rested at the camp for half a day before being led by Lloyd to the entrance of the underground world.


    The entrance to the underground world was exceptionally well-hidden; without guidance, Yuga''s group would never have found it. It was a massive withered tree covered in moss and various types of vines, beneath which these nt vines concealed arge tree hollow.


    "Through this tree hollow, you''ll enter the underground world. Currently, some of our personnel are still executing tasks in the outer periphery of the underground world. If you encounter them, just act as if you haven''t seen them. They''ve been informed about your situation and won''t interfere with your mission," Lloyd said to Yuga''s group as he pushed aside the nt vines covering the tree hollow.


    Yuga''s group nodded in understanding. The task of clearing the outer periphery of the underground world was not something that could bepleted in a day or two, so it was not surprising that others were still inside.


    Before entering the tree hollow, Lloyd handed each of them a spatial backpack, approximately half a cubic meter in size, filled with various emergency supplies.


    Lloyd added, "Even though the League won''t provide you with any support during this trial, we''ve prepared these supplies for you. We hope your mission goes smoothly."


    Yuga hadn''t expected them to provide these supplies, as he had already prepared many items in his own system backpack. It wasn''t just Yuga; Sora and Christine also had their own spatial backpacks, and they had made thorough preparations before departing. They were not new Trainers and had plenty of experience in field adventures. They couldn''t afford to ignore such basic knowledge.


    However, all three of them epted Lloyd''s offer of the spatial backpack without hesitation. After all, an extra bag wouldn''t weigh them down, and it mighte in handy in the unpredictable underground world where unexpected situations could arise.


    With the spatial backpacks in tow, Yuga and his group entered the tree hollow under Lloyd''s watchful gaze.


    Upon entering the tree hollow, Yuga suddenly lost gravity and began to fall straight down. This startled Yuga, as Lloyd hadn''t mentioned that the tree hollow led directly downward.


    However, this falling sensation was brief, and Yuga soonnded on a pile of dried grass. By the time he regained his senses, he found himself inside a cave.


    When Yuga looked up, he realized that the tree hollow they descended through connected to the top of this cave. Fortunately, the cave wasn''t very deep, and there was plenty of soft dried grass covering the floor. Without it, falling from such a height would have been painful at best.


    Yuga climbed up from the grass pile, while Sora and Christine were busy removing bits of dried grass clinging to their clothing. Clearly, they had also been caught off guard by the sudden descent.


    The cave appeared to be regrly frequented by Inspectors, as many areas were polished to a smooth finish.


    "This passage should lead us into the underground world," Christine said, pointing to the cave''s sole exit.


    Sora agreed, "Time is of the essence; we should proceed immediately."


    The passage leading outside wasn''t long. In just over a minute, they reached its end. The other side of the passage was filled with a radiant green.


    As Yuga and his group emerged from the passage, they were greeted by towering trees. Each tree trunk was so thick that it would require the embrace of four or five people to encircle it. The height of these trees was beyond imagination.


    "It''s truly a magnificent sight," Sora eximed as he looked up at one of the trees, which seemed to reach the sky.


    The leaves of these trees were extraordinarilyrge, with each leaf being roughly the size of Yuga and his team.


    "Is this the underground world? It''s hard to imagine how these trees survive, and where is this lighting from?" Christine asked, puzzled, as she gazed at the endless forest of giant trees.


    Yuga and Sora both shook their heads, indicating they didn''t know the answers to her questions.


    Yuga sighed, "This world is vast, filled with miracles that are beyond humanprehension."


    This ce reminded Yuga of the miraculous location where he had encountered the Guardian Orb and Trapinchs, but this ce appeared to be even more expansive and mysterious.


    Yuga continued, "Let''s follow Mr. Lloyd''s suggested routes and split up."


    Christine and Sora released their own Pok��mon and chose different directions to head off in. Christine went to the right, while Sora took the middle path, leaving the left path for Yuga.


    As Yuga watched Christine and Sora head off, he released his Chatot and set off as well.


    Chatot had been cooped up in its Pok�� Ball for the duration of theirpetition, and it was thrilled to finally be out. However, upon entering the dense forest, its demeanor turned cautious as it couldn''t predict where danger might emerge.


    After walking for a while, they encountered only a few weaker Pok��mon; there was no other sign of danger. Yuga believed that the Inspectors who had been clearing the outer periphery of the underground world had yed a significant role in removing hazardous Pok��mon and maintaining the paths, saving them considerable effort.


    As Yuga observed the nts along the way, he noticed that they were markedly different from those outside. The most obvious characteristic was their size; not only were the trees towering, but even the grass and flowers were exceptionallyrge.


    Deeper into the forest, Yuga finally spotted ancient Pok��mon that lived in this environment. The first ones he noticed were a few Archens.


    These Archens had not evolved to their final forms yet, and their wings were not fully developed, preventing them from achieving free flight. Instead, they relied on gliding through the air.


    When Yuga saw them, they were hopping and pping their wings on the gigantic leaves, seemingly collecting tree berrys.


    The tree berrys here were different from modern ones, and Yuga couldn''t name them. However, they all had vibrant and attractive appearances, though it was uncertain whether they were safe to eat.


    It was no wonder that Lloyd had prepared a spatial backpack filled with food for them. In such an environment of unknowns, running out of food could be extremely dangerous, as they had no way of knowing what was edible and what was not.


    Although these Archens appeared young, they were quite aggressive. Upon spotting Yuga and Chatot, they immediately began squawking and baring their sharp teeth.

 Chapter 538: Surprise

    <h4>Chapter 538: Surprise</h4>


    Yuga and Chatot quickly retreated when they noticed that the Archens were attempting to chase them. Yuga had no intention of capturing these Archens, so he didn''t want to waste time engaging with them.


    Surprisingly, the Archens didn''t pursue Yuga and Chatot, which relieved him.


    As they ventured deeper, the number of Pok��mon they encountered increased. Despite the efforts of the inspectors to clear the area, some Pok��mon still found their way here. It was challenging topletely eradicate them, especiallyrge poptions of species that were left untouched.


    ording to Mr. Lloyd''s information, the most powerful Pok��mon species in the direction Yuga was heading were a massivemunityposed of Purrloin and Liepard.


    Yuga had no intention of provoking this group of cunning and ferocious Pok��mon, especially in this unique environment.


    After walking for a while, just as Yuga was about to exit the outer periphery, he noticed a middle-aged man dressed in a green uniform and a Leavanny standing there, seemingly watching him.


    This man should be one of the inspectors from the Investigator Bureau, as mentioned by Mr. Lloyd.


    Yuga recalled Mr. Lloyd''s advice and intended to bypass the man, heading to the side. However, the Leavanny suddenly blocked his path, moving swiftly in front of Yuga.


    This situation puzzled Yuga. ording to Mr. Lloyd, these inspectors shouldn''t interfere with their mission. So, what was happening now?


    Seeing the aggressive Leavanny, Chatot instinctively positioned itself in front of Yuga, ready for battle.


    With the middle-aged man approaching, Yuga inquired with a stern expression, "May I ask why you''re stopping me?"


    The middle-aged man, standing in front of Yuga, responded, "Shimizu Yuga, I''ve been wanting to meet you for a long time."


    The middle-aged man had a tall, slender figure, a handsome face, and neatlybed ck hair that hinted at his youth, he must have been a handsome guy who fascinated thousands of girls. though the slight wrinkles at the corners of his eyes revealed his age.


    "You are?" Yuga asked, puzzled. He couldn''t recall ever meeting this person before, but there was something vaguely familiar about him.


    Could this be someone from his previous life whom he didn''t remember clearly?


    "You haven''t seen me, and you don''t know me. But you should be familiar with my younger brother and son," the middle-aged man exined.


    Younger brother? Son? What''s going on?


    As Yuga still struggled to remember, the man continued, "I''m Tokiwa. My younger brother is Kiryu, and my son is Touya."


    Upon hearing these names, Yuga suddenly had an epiphany. No wonder this person seemed familiar; he bore a resemnce to his brother and son, albeit perhaps not as handsome.


    "Are you here for revenge?" Yuga inquired coldly.


    Tokiwa''s brother Kiryu had conspired with Edward to obtain the Pok��block form rom YoYo''s Day Care, and Yuga had personally sent him to prison. Touya, Tokiwa''s son, had also faced Yuga''s wrath due to their previous conflicts.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s question, Tokiwa shook his head. "Yes and no."


    Yuga was utterly baffled by Tokiwa''s contradictory statement. "Yes and no" didn''t make any sense to him.


    "You wanted to have a Pok��mon battle with me just to resolve the issues with Kiryu and Touya, and you won''t pursue the matter any further?" Yuga questioned with skepticism, still trying to grasp the situation.


    Tokiwa confirmed, "Yes, that''s correct. I want to challenge you to a Pok��mon battle. Regardless of the oue, I won''t hold any grudges regarding what happened with Kiryu and Touya."


    Yuga couldn''t believe his ears. It wasn''t a typical scenario where the younger generation provoked the older one, and the older one fought back. Was he not the protagonist of this story?


    "You won''t hold any grudges?" Yuga repeated, still uncertain.


    Tokiwa reaffirmed his stance, "That''s right, no grudges."


    "But I sent your brother to prison, and I defeated your son," Yuga pointed out.


    Tokiwa calmly responded, "That''s why I suggested we settle this with a Pok��mon battle."


    Yuga couldn''tprehend Tokiwa''s thought process. Could a Pok��mon battle really resolve theplex family issues involving his own brother and son?


    Seeing Yuga''s puzzled expression, Tokiwa added, "Don''t doubt it. They are indeed my younger brother and son."


    "Then, you..." Yuga hesitated to speak further.


    Tokiwa sighed and exined, "You did nothing wrong. My brother vited the league''sws, so there''s no me in you sending him to prison. It''s his own wrongdoing. As for my son, I know him better than anyone. To be honest, I''m relieved that you taught him a lesson; he needed it. He was getting too arrogant."


    Tokiwa''s unexpected understanding and perspective left Yuga stunned. He hadn''t expected Tokiwa to be so reasonable. Was this a case of finding a good person among the bad apples?


    "You don''t have to be surprised," Tokiwa continued. "I''m a member of the League''s Investigator Bureau, and maintaining the League''s order is my duty and mission. For years, due to my job, I''ve spent 350 out of 365 days outside, handling official business. I left the responsibility of raising Touya to his mother, never expecting that he would turn out this way. I feel deeply guilty."


    Yuga understood Tokiwa very well after hearing this. The people in the Inveatigation Bureau are all heroes living behind the League. Although their status is indeed very high, they are really busy.


    "Touya recently came home and told me everything about you. He even begged me to use my authority within the Prosecutor Bureau to deal with you. That angered me, so I had him detained. However, they are my brother and son, and I couldn''t just stand by and do nothing. That''s why I''m here today, waiting for you. I''ve investigated you a long time ago. You''re truly exceptional, and I believe you''ll be a pir of the League. Regardless of the oue today, I will make the decision to resolve the issues between you, Touya, and Kiryu."


    Yuga was taken aback by Tokiwa''s level-headedness. He hadn''t expected to encounter such a rational person today, especially considering the circumstances.


    However, a serious question crossed Yuga''s mind. How had Tokiwa known that he would be here and deliberately waited for him? It dawned on him that he might have been manipted into this situation.

 Chapter 539: Resolving Grudges

    <h4>Chapter 539: Resolving Grudges</h4>


    "Did you and Lloyd conspire against me?" Yuga asked, squinting his eyes.


    "Indeed," Tokiwa admitted without hesitation.


    "We''re good friends, and I asked him for help. Please don''t me him," Tokiwa continued.


    Yuga had been angry initially, but Tokiwa''s straightforward admission left him unsure of where to direct his anger. They had conspired against him, but their intentions didn''t seem malicious.


    Recalling Lloyd''s advice to split up and the suggested routes, Yuga realized that Lloyd had indirectly influenced their choices. He had subtly hinted at the routes to each of them, even though the rmendations were sensible and advantageous for their mission.


    Tokiwa had not only influenced Yuga but also Christine and Sora with his suggestions. He had hinted at Christine with a look when pointing to the right route, indicated the middle route to Sora, and suggested the left route to Yuga. Each hint was a subtle maniption, leading them to follow Lloyd''s guidance without suspicion.


    What made it even more convincing was that Lloyd''s rmendations were genuinely helpful for their mission, so nobody had reason to doubt him.


    Yuga couldn''t help but feel perplexed. He had expected a confrontation with Lloyd, but now it seemed that Lloyd had orchestrated this meeting to bring Tokiwa and him face to face. It was bing less clear who was the protagonist in this scenario.


    Tokiwa asked, "Are you ready for our battle, then?"


    Yuga hesitated, concerned about the potential trouble a battle might cause. "Fighting here might attract unwanted attention."


    "Don''t worry. Before you arrived, I cleared out all nearby Pok��mon. There won''t be any interference," Tokiwa assured, pointing to the sky where a majestic Braviary circled above, likely his own Pok��mon.


    "In that case, let''s begin," Yuga agreed, sending out Chatot.


    It had been a while since Chatot had stretched its wings, and it eagerly took its ce opposite Tokiwa''s Leavanny with wicked smile.


    "Today, I''ll show you how awesome I am," dered Chatot.


    Chatot''s strength was recovering rapidly, and with its potential now evolved into indigo, there was no doubt about its power.


    "It''s actually a talking Chatot," eximed Tokiwa, feeling very surprised.


    Although he had heard that Chatots is a type of Pok��mon that could learn humannguages, not many could truly achieve it, especially to the extent of fluency disyed in front of him.


    Yuga just smiled in response without saying a word.


    "Our battle rule are only one-on-one battle. We don''t want to dy your mission too much," Tokiwa suggested, understanding Yuga''s concerns.


    The two trainers readied themselves for the battle.


    Yuga instructed, "Chatot, let''s take the initiative. Use Heat Wave."


    Chatot screeched and pped its wings rapidly, sending waves of fiery heat toward Leavanny.


    Thanks to Ho-oh blessing, Chatot controlled Fire-type moves with finesse. The Heat Wave it unleashed was impressive despite its small size, and it posed a real threat.


    However, to Yuga''s surprise, Leavanny remained calm in the face of Chatot''s fiery assault. It swiftly stepped back two paces and swung its sharp, de-like arms, conjuring a series of silver whirlwinds to block the Heat Wave.


    What astonished Yuga even more was that after using Silver Wind, Leavanny''s aura intensified significantly.


    Yuga suddenly remembered that Silver Wind had a ten percent chance to boost all of the user''s stats. Despite the low probability, Leavanny had triggered this effect effortlessly.


    "Chatot, continue with Heat Wave!" Yugamanded.


    "Alright! Watch me burn this pesky bug!" Chatot replied enthusiastically.


    Chatot darted forward and ascended above Leavanny,unching another barrage of scorching Heat Waves.


    The Leavanny rolled on the ground to evade the Heat Wave attack, leaving behind scorched earth in its wake.


    "I''ve been working at the Investigator Bureau for many years. My talent might not be exceptional, but given my age, I''ve gained a wealth of battle experience. So, please don''t underestimate me," Tokiwa said to Yuga with a smile as he watched Chatot''s fierce approach.


    Speaking of which, Tokiwa was also from the Hoenn region, but his work cement was in Unova. Therefore, he mainly used Pok��mon from the Unova region and rarely had the chance to return home. His wife and children lived in the Hoenn region.


    Tokiwa was the Deputy Commander of the Investigators stationed here and a close friend of Lloyd''s. Despite the significant age and rank difference, Lloyd held great respect for Tokiwa. When Lloyd had first joined the Investigator Bureau, Tokiwa had taken him under his wing, perhaps because he missed his own family due to his long absences. He had treated Lloyd almost like a son, and his straightforward and honest nature had endeared him to Lloyd. Even after Lloyd had risen to a higher rank, his attitude towards Tokiwa hadn''t changed much.


    Tokiwa was both a mentor and a friend to Lloyd, which was why Lloyd had willingly helped him.


    In fact, just by looking at the appearance and demeanor of the Leavanny before him, Yuga could tell it was an experienced Pok��mon. Facing a widespread attack like Heat Wave, the Leavanny skillfully dodged it, disying its battle-hardened skills.


    Battle experience was an invisible strength for a Pok��mon, one that couldn''t be measured by potential or level.


    After evading another Heat Wave attack from Chatot by rolling, Leavanny immediately countered by using its Silk Shot to bind Chatot tightly, leaving it grounded. Chatot''s impact with the ground echoed heavily.


    Yuga hadn''t expected to find himself at a disadvantage so quickly in the battle. Even worse, Chatot had stumbled by basic move like Silk Shot.


    "Chatot, use Heat Wave to burn through Leavanny''s Silk Shot," Yugamanded.


    Chatot''s body was enveloped in crimson mes, swiftly incinerating the silk threads.


    However, as Chatot was about to take flight again, Leavanny had already seized the opportunity to close the gap. Its scissor-like arms glittered menacingly as it sliced ruthlessly into Chatot''s belly.


    The pain made Chatot cry out and use its Hyper Voice, forcing Leavanny to retreat.


    Perhaps due to the close-range encounter with Chatot''s powerful Hyper Voice, Leavanny seemed slightly disoriented, swaying and struggling to maintain its bnce.


    "Ouch, that hurt! You pesky bug, you''re so despicable!" Chatot eximed, its bird-like instincts disliking Bug-type Pok��mon. Leavanny, in particr, had now earned its ire for injuring it.


    Yuga hadn''t expected that his first "strong enemy" he encountered in the underground world wouldn''t be with ancient Pok��mon but rather an Investigator. He couldn''t help but feel a bit bemused by the situation.

 Chapter 540: Halt

    <h4>Chapter 540: Halt</h4>


    Yuga observed as Chatot grew increasingly irritable due to being suppressed by Leavanny. He knew he needed to end this battle quickly; otherwise, victory would slip through his fingers.


    "Chatot, use Hyper Voice," Yugamanded.


    As a Melodic Pok��mon, Chatot possessed innate talent for sound-based moves. When it unleashed its Hyper Voice, the air around Yuga and Chatot began to vibrate intensely.


    The shockwaves from the Hyper Voice surged toward Leavanny, but the agile Bug-type leaped to a nearby tree, avoiding the attack. It left behind a massive crater where the soundwaves had struck the ground.


    Leavanny swiftly hopped between the tree branches, concealing its emerald body among the leaves. It utilized the refraction of light to seemingly vanish from both Yuga and Chatot''s view.


    "Leavanny, use Steel Wing," Tokiwamanded.


    Following Tokiwa''s orders, Leavanny emerged from behind Chatot''s position, its arms extending with des gleaming like polished metal. With precision, it struck towards Chatot with its Steel Wing.


    "Chatot, watch your back!" Yuga shouted, but it was toote. Leavanny''s Steel Wing made contact with Chatot''s back, sending the bird Pok��mon crashing to the ground, creating a deep depression.


    Leavanny''s movements were both nimble and swift. After delivering its blow to Chatot, it gracefullynded on a nearby tree branch, blinking out of sight once more.


    Yuga had already recognized the exceptional skills with which Leavanny wielded its arm des. Whether it was cutting through normal-type moves, grass-type leaves, or steel-type attacks, Leavanny disyed remarkable finesse. This gap in experience was something Yuga couldn''t replicate.


    Chatot shook off the dirt that clung to its body and took to the air again. It concentrated on scanning the surrounding trees, attempting to locate the elusive Leavanny.


    Chatot''s Keen Eye ability, boosted its vision, making it particrly adept at sight. Yet, it struggled to find any trace of Leavanny.


    "Because we Investigators frequently embark on missions in the field, our Pok��mon often develop abilities that others may not possess. Leavanny''s ability to hide is one of them," Tokiwa exined to Yuga.


    Yuga responded with seriousness, saying, "You truly live up to being a member of the Investigator Bureau. You''re quite formidable."


    Despite being father and son, Tokiwa''s son, Touya, had strikingly different personalities.


    Touya had a fiery temperament, ack of humility, andnor does he understand what qualities a trainer should have.


    In contrast, Tokiwa was a true Trainer, modest, honest, and diligent.


    His talent might not be exceptional, as evident from his age and Pok��mon''s strength inparison, but hepensated for it with dedication, slowly bridging the gap with experience��a respectable opponent in Yuga''s eyes.


    Chatot could detect the subtle movements of Leavanny among the tree leaves, but it couldn''t pinpoint Leavanny''s exact path.


    Seeing Chatot struggling, Yuga shouted, "Since we can''t find it, let''s stop searching. Chatot, use Hyper Voice to destroy all the leaves on the trees around us."


    Therge tree leaves were Leavanny''s means of concealment. Eliminating them would expose its location.


    Chatot responded by unleashing wave after wave of Hyper Voice, shattering the tree leaves into powder. With its cover gone, Leavanny was forced to reveal itself.


    Chatot continued to fire Hyper Voice at a high frequency, while Leavanny desperately leaped between tree branches, evading the soundwaves.


    However, Chatot itself was also under strain. Using Hyper Voice, an advanced Normal-type move, at such a high frequency was extremely exhausting for Chatot.


    Tokiwa said, "Leavanny, eleeate with Silver Wind."


    Thismand left Yuga puzzled. Wasn''t Silver Wind an attacking move? How could it be used for eleration? However, Leavanny quickly enlightened Yuga.


    Surprisingly, the leaves on Leavanny''s abdomen unfolded like wings, and then, under Leavanny''s control, they wrapped around a silver cyclone. These cyclones were quite small and rapidly extended from Leavanny''s abdomen to its legs.


    In an instant, Leavanny''s speed surged, and it quickly evaded Chatot''s attacks, leaving Chatot''s range of attack.


    At that moment, Yuga realized that he had been too fixated on theoretical knowledge about Pok��mon moves and hadn''t realized the true versatility of these abilities. This Leavanny, in terms of both attacking power and speed, was outstanding, pushing the capabilities of a Leavanny Pok��mon to the limit.


    It was fortunate that Leavanny possessed the ability Swarm, which heightened Bug-type moves, rather than Chlorophyll. Otherwise, if it had taken the opportunity toe on a Sunny Day, Yuga believed Chatot might have been unable to even see its shadow.


    Yugamanded, "Chatot, catch up and use Sing."


    Sing was a move with a low uracy rate, generally ineffective without closing the distance between the Pok��mon.


    Upon hearing Yuga''smand, Chatot dashed like an arrow, rapidly approaching Leavanny while singing a tune. However, Chatot''s singing voice couldn''t be ssified as melodious; it sounded more like a chorus of ducks quacking. Yuga began to doubt if this kind of singing could truly induce sleep or if it was intended to keep them alert.


    However, Yuga''s concerns were unfounded.


    As Chatot''s song transformed into musical notes and drifted towards Leavanny, the Bug-type Pok��mon''s movements gradually slowed down. Even the silver cyclone wrapped around it dissipated.


    Yuga knew that Sing had taken effect.


    Tokiwa noticed Leavanny''s decreasing focus, with its eyelids drooping. He hurriedly tried to snap Leavanny back to attention, but his voice had little impact. Leavanny continued to close its eyes, falling into a deep slumber.


    "Chatot, seize the opportunity and use Hyper Voice."


    Seeing that Leavanny had fallen into a deep sleep, Yuga promptly issued themand.


    Under the influence of the Sleep status, Leavanny had no way to dodge. Despite Tokiwa''s attempts to wake it, Leavanny remained asleep and wasunched by Chatot''s Hyper Voice.


    However, Leavanny didn''t fall into a deep slumber. It was only attacked once by Chatot before regaining consciousness. Feeling the intense pain, it instantly understood what had happened.


    Just when the battle was about to continue, a sharp cry from a Braviary echoed overhead, catching both Yuga and Tokiwa''s attention.

 Chapter 541: Bloodshed

    <h4>Chapter 541: Bloodshed</h4>


    Upon hearing the cry of the Braviary, Tokiwa promptly recalled his Leavanny into its Pok�� Ball.


    "Looks like something''s gone wrong. Let''s call it a day for our battle today. From now on, there''s no need for any grudges between our families," Tokiwa said before following the Braviary''s departure.


    Yuga, curious about Tokiwa''s haste, decided to follow along with Chatot.


    While flying, Chatot grumbled, "He must be scared of losing, that''s why he said that. If he didn''t run, I would have given that little bug quite a show."


    Yuga shook his head in resignation upon hearing this. He believed that if the battle had continued, it was likely that both he and Chatot would be the ones to lose. However, he chose not to voice this thought to avoid demoralizing Chatot.


    Seeing Yuga and Chatot trailing behind, Tokiwa had something to say, but the words never left his lips. He continued onward without uttering a word.


    After a short distance, Yuga heard piercing, eerie screams that sent shivers down his spine.


    Chatot, startled by the horrifying sounds, was about to voice itsints but observed Tokiwa making a hush gesture. Chatot promptly closed its beak, remembering that this ce wasn''t somewhere to make a fuss.


    Tokiwa quietly moved behind arge rock and then cautiously peeked around its other side.


    Yuga followed Tokiwa''s lead, positioning himself near the rock and peering out to see what was happening.


    However, the scene on the other side of the rock nearly scared the soul out of him.


    What Yuga saw was a colossal Archeops, standing at a towering height of two and a half meters. Its brilliant feathers gleamed brightly in the sunlight, but beneath its feety a scene of carnage.


    Underneath its sharp ws was a Liepard, a Pok��mon with a body nearly the size of a young calf, but the portion of the Liepard above its neck was missing, leaving behind a pool of blood.


    Under the gaze of Yuga and Tokiwa, the Archeops lowered its head, opened its mouth, filled with sharp teeth, and tore a blood-drenched chunk of flesh from the headless Liepard. It then gruesomely devoured it, with blood trickling down its neck, creating a particrly gruesome sight.


    In the modern Pok��mon world, apart from a few naturally antagonistic species, most Pok��mon no longer prey on each other. Wild berries tree have be their primary source of sustenance.


    Of course, this wasn''t an absolute rule. Species like Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Spearow, Fearow still prey on each other asionally. Swellow would asionally hunt Wurmple, and Seviper would prey on Zangoose.


    However, except for these inherently conflicting species, violent hunting scenes like this were now a rarity in the Pok��mon world.


    Seeing this gruesome scene in front of him, Yuga realized why both Mr. Alder and Mr. LIoyd had repeatedly warned them that the underground world of Pok��mon was far more brutal than the outside world.


    These Pok��mon maintained their ancient hunting habits.


    ...


    <> </archeops>


    Type: Rock/Flying


    Ability: Defeatist


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 79


    Moves: Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Rock Throw, Scary Face, Peck, Ancient Power, Agility, Acrobatics, Thrash, Crunch, Rock Slide, Earthquake, Steel Wing, Head Smash, Iron Tail, Uproar, Sky Attack


    ...


    Yuga wondered how long this Archeops had lived, given that it had managed to push itself to pseudo-champion level power with only green potential.


    Although green potential Pok��mon were considered high-quality, achieving the status of Elite level was already challenging. It is not known how long it will take to break through to the peak of the Elite level.


    With this peak pseudo-Elite level Archeops before him, Yuga doubted if both his Volcarona and Sawsbuck together could defeat it.


    However, possibly due to its limited potential, this Archeops didn''t have an extravagant number or variety of moves, appearing rtively ordinary.


    When Yuga nced upward, he realized that Chatot had crept up behind him without him noticing. Seeing such a gruesome scene, Chatot nearly let out a scream. Fortunately, Yuga acted quickly, pulling it down and covering its beak.


    If this ferocious Archeops had noticed their presence, these small fry might have be its meal.


    The hefty headless Liepard didn''tst long, swiftly devoured by the colossal Archeops.


    After finishing its meal, the Archeops yawned, took a wobbly flight, and leisurely disappeared into the sky.


    Once the Archeops departed, Liepard and Purrloin gradually emerged from the forest, silently gazing at the pool of blood left behind by the Archeops, emitting mournful cries.


    Yuga was holding Chatot and lost in thought when Tokiwa quietly pulled him away from the vicinity of the rock.


    It was only after leaving the area that Yuga gradually snapped back to reality.


    "Do you know why I didn''t stop you from following me?" Tokiwa asked abruptly, as Yuga regained his senses.


    However, without waiting for Yuga''s response, Tokiwa continued, "I just wanted you to witness what happened earlier."


    "Why did you do that?" Yuga asked after a moment of thought.


    "Scenes like the one we witnessed are not umon in this underground world. Did you feel sorry for those Liepard and Purrloin just now?" Tokiwa asked.


    Yuga fell into silence, realizing that he had indeed felt that way for a brief moment.


    Seeing Yuga''s silence, Tokiwa continued, "Although those Liepard and Purrloin may look pitiable in front of the Archeops, they are also predators in this underground world, at the top of the food chain. Countless other Pok��mon lose their lives at their ws every day."


    "Why are you telling me all of this?" Yuga asked.


    "I want you to survive and leave this underground world. Only if you are aware of its dangers in advance, can you prepare yourself mentally and increase your chances of survival. You need to survive to grow into a pir of the League," Tokiwa replied.


    Yuga was surprised by Tokiwa''s words. He hadn''t expected Tokiwa to be so loyal to the League, considering all the conflicts between their families and him. Tokiwa was willing to give well-intentioned advice even to someone like him, driven by a desire for the League''s future.


    Seeing Yuga''s surprised expression, Tokiwa sighed.


    In the past, he had hoped that his son would grow into an outstanding individual, just like himself, contributing to the League''s development. However, he had never imagined that his son would deviate so drastically from that path. That''s why he had developed an affection for Yuga, who appeared to be both excellent and promising.


    "I know the details of your mission well. So when you encounter Pok��mon like that Archeops, you don''t have to provoke them. With your abilities, you should be able to return safely. Now, go on your way. Staying too long here will affect your mission," Tokiwa advised.


    "Thank you," Yuga sincerely expressed his gratitude to Tokiwa and then continued on his journey with Chatot.


    On the way, Chatot perched on Yuga''s shoulder, sounding a bit shaken as it said, "I was really scared just now. You didn''t tell me that this ce is so dangerous. Maybe you should put me back in my Pok�� Ball."


    Yuga, speechless, gave it a light p on the beak. "Shut up and stay outside to keep watch."


    Chatot pouted and flew into the air, responsible for keeping a lookout.

 Chapter 542: Territory

    <h4>Chapter 542: Territory</h4>


    Not long after parting ways with Tokiwa, Yuga ventured out of the peripheral area cleared by the inspectors. The path ahead became increasingly challenging as it hadn''t been cleared, with vines and wild grass obstructing his way.


    Since the ground was covered with these obstacles, Yuga had to release his Bellossom and have it use Razor Leaf to clear a path ahead.


    Along the way, Yuga finally witnessed the kind ofmonce predator-prey scenes that Tokiwa had mentioned. Here, scenes of Pok��mon preying on each other were indeed verymon.


    As Yuga left the peripheral area, he activated the terrain recorder device that Mr. Alder had given him.


    Just as Mr. Alder had described, the terrain recorder urately documented the terrain of the areas Yuga passed through, allowing Yuga himself to worry less about it.


    Yuga, of course, didn''t forget his mission: documenting the various Pok��mon species and groups he encountered along the way.


    However, Yuga hadn''t traveled far, and the variety of Pok��mon species he encountered was limited. Thergest group he encountered wasn''t ancient Pok��mon but rather amunityposed of Crustle and Dwebble.


    To avoid unnecessary trouble, Yuga merely nced at this group from a distance and quietly moved on.


    Along the way, Yuga sporadically spotted a few other types of Pok��mon, but the number of each species was small, preventing them from forming significant poptions. Nevertheless, Yuga still made note of them.


    As Yuga continued on his way, he suddenly heard the sound of water not far ahead. Soon after, a Chatot flew over and informed him of a stream up ahead. So, Yuga quietly made his way there with Bellossom.


    Yuga''s caution was understandable, as ces with water were usually gathering spots for Water-type Pok��mon, and an inadvertent approach could provoke them.


    As Yuga suspected, when he looked in the direction of the stream through the gaps in the leaves, he saw countless Omanyte and Omastar in the water, wildly waving their tentacles. The sight was somewhat intimidating.


    The Omanyte and Omastar, with their pale blue skin, were mostly submerged in the water. Apart from the waving tentacles, only their pale gray shells floated on the water''s surface.


    The sheer number of Omanyte and Omastar made the surface look crowded. Fortunately, Yuga didn''t suffer from a fear of crowds; otherwise, this would have been a nightmare.


    However, Yuga quickly noticed that these Omanyte and Omastar were slowly moving. They were all drifting upstream in the direction of the creek.


    Could they be migrating? Yuga wondered.


    So, Yuga quietly followed behind these Omanyte and Omastar, hoping to discover their destination. His mission was to investigate the distribution of Pok��mon in this area, and if these Pok��mon were migrating, finding out their destination was part of that task.


    As he progressed upstream along the creek, Yuga observed that the water was gradually widening, and the terrain was bing gentler. The other Pok��mon he encountered along the way began to disappear gradually.


    Before long, Yuga saw the destination of the Omanyte and Omastar: a clearke.


    Above theke, a small river was slowly pouring water into it, and below, the same creek along which Yuga had been traveling.


    The slow flow of the river above theke meant that theke''s surface remained undisturbed, appearing serene.


    The surroundings of theke were filled with the sounds of birds, lush green grass, and treesden with colorful berrys. It was evident that this was a perfect habitat for Water-type Pok��mon.


    Crossing the creek, the densely packed Omanyte and Omastar joyfully leaped into theke, creating ripples on its previously calm surface.


    Just when Yuga thought this was a routine migration, he noticed something amiss. Theke''s center suddenly saw the emergence of brown-shelled creatures with ck spots, quietly floating on the water''s surface.


    Yuga quickly realized that things were not as they seemed. These brown-shelled creatures were none other than Kabuto.


    Yuga initially believed that the Omanyte and Omastar would be caught off guard by a surprise attack from the Kabuto. However, to his surprise, the Omanyte and Omastar abruptly halted their yful activities and swiftly counterattacked the approaching Kabuto as if they were well-prepared.


    The Kabuto that jetted toward them with Aqua Jets were swiftly taken down by the Omanyte''s Mud Shot.


    As the Kabuto plunged back into the water, numerous pale blue tentacles suddenly surged from the surface, ensnaring and dragging the submerged Kabuto beneath. In no time, the water turned red with blood.


    The Omanyte handled the counterattack, while the Omastar ambushed and hunted down the Kabuto. Their coordination was impable, and it dawned on Yuga that this was a territorial dispute that had been meticulously nned.


    The Omanyte and Omastar hade here well-prepared, knowing that this territory belonged to the Kabuto.


    As the Omastar re-emerged after dragging the Kabuto underwater, their sharp teeth chewed on the torn flesh from the Kabuto''s bodies. Only the Omastar''s sharp teeth could break through the tough shells of the Kabuto, which was why they were responsible for the ambush and kills.


    As the Kabuto were hunted and killed, the Omanyte and Omastar began to enjoy their spoils, quickly devouring the fallen Kabuto.


    Yuga, who had witnessed several bloody scenes before, remained unfazed by the sight. He had to thank Tokiwa for giving him his first lesson; otherwise, if he had seen such brutality for the first time, he wouldn''t know how he''d react.


    However, the conflict was far from over, contrary to what Yuga initially thought.


    Just as the Omanyte and Omastar were savoring their hunt, sharp scythes suddenly sliced through the water from below. Some unprepared Omanyte were swiftly cut in half, and blood sprayed into the air, creating a gruesome rain of blood.


    In the face of this horrifying scene, the Omastar showed no signs of panic. They seemed to have foreseen this, extending their long tentacles and harnessing the power of the Water Wave. They vigorously stirred theke water, and in no time, the Kabutops were flung out of the water.


    What followed was a battlefield between the Kabutops and the Omastar. The weaker Omanyte and some surviving Kabuto hid one after another.


    Despite the exceptional ferocity of the Kabuto, the Omastar, with their overwhelming numbers, forced the Kabuto to retreat. In a short time, their numbers dwindled by half, and the entireke turned crimson with the blood of the Kabutops.


    The surviving Kabutops and Kabuto left theke, and in this territorial dispute, the Omanyte and Omastar emerged victorious. While there were casualties, it did not significantly affect the overall strength of theirmunities.

 Chapter 543: Survival

    <h4>Chapter 543: Survival</h4>


    After observing the territorial dispute, Yuga quietly followed behind the remaining Kabuto and Kabutops.


    Since Omanyte and Omastar had settled in theke, Yuga needed to figure out where the disced Kabuto and Kabutops were headed.


    As he followed the group of Kabuto and Kabutops, Yuga noticed that some of them, severely wounded, were gradually falling behind because they couldn''t receive any treatment, and their injuries were worsening.


    Finally, one Kabuto couldn''t hold on any longer and copsed.


    However, the group of Kabuto and Kabutops didn''t pay any attention to the fallen Kabuto. Instead, they chose to keep moving forward. In such circumstances, attempting to aid those unable to move would only burden the rest and worsen their situation.


    After therge group passed by, Yuga hurried to check on the fallen Kabuto, but it had already sumbed.


    Originally, the poption of Kabuto and Kabutops in this area was a dominant force, and few Pok��mon dared to provoke them. However, their strength had diminished significantly, and many hunters had set their sights on them, resulting in numerous battles along the way.


    But in the cruel underground world, where thew of survival of the fittest reigns. Yuga had no right to interfere.


    Soon, Yuga encountered several severely injured Kabuto and Kabutops who couldn''t be saved. Along the way, despite their pitiful appearance, Yuga had no intention of intervening.


    Nature was a realm of survival, and he had no right to interfere.


    A whileter, Yuga saw another Kabutops lying on the ground. After the main group of Kabuto and Kabutops had passed, he went over to inspect as usual.


    This Kabutops had a long crack on its back, nearly splitting it in two, and it was bleeding profusely. Moreover, its two legs and both of its des were filled with cracks, with its flesh and blood clearly visible. Its ability to endure until now was already a remarkable feat.


    As Yuga turned to continue tracking the main group, he suddenly heard a cry from behind. When he turned around, he saw the injured Kabutops staring at him with resolute survival in its eyes, even though it could hardly move its eyelids.


    Yuga didn''t expect this Kabutops to still be alive at this point and was momentarily moved.


    "Do you want me to save you?" Yuga asked the Kabutops.


    Although the Kabutops wanted to respond with a yes, it couldn''t even move its eyelids, let alone make a sound.


    While its own kind had abandoned it, it still wanted to live.


    Though it had never encountered a strange two-legged creature like Yuga before, it used everyst ounce of its strength to seek help.


    It didn''t know what the oue would be, but it was certain that it couldn''t be worse than its current situation. If it missed this opportunity, it would face being torn apart by other predators.


    Watching the Kabutops in this state, Yuga was filled with emotion. This was the tenacity of life.


    However, Yuga wasn''t one to do futile things. So, he told the Kabutops, "I can save you, but you must pledge your loyalty to me."


    Yuga naturally wouldn''t say anything like making friends and getting along well with Kabutops in such a naive manner.


    Born and raised in a ce like the underground world, the concept of submission was what Kabuto and Kabutops couldprehend. Concepts like friends andpanions did not exist in their consciousness; otherwise, they wouldn''t have been left behind by their own kind without any help.


    Clearly, concepts like friendship andpanionship were absent in the minds of these predators; they only recognized their own kind and the strong.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, the Kabutops agreed without hesitation, but it couldn''t respond.


    Yuga understood that it currently had no capacity to answer him, so he continued, "Since you have no response, I''ll take it as your eptance."


    Yuga said this because he wasn''t afraid of the Kabutops turning against him once it recovered. This particr Kabutops had a green potential, and while it had good strength, there was still a gap between it and Yuga''s main Pok��mon.


    Having reached an agreement with the Kabutops, Yuga released Florges and Chimecho to jointly treat the Kabutops, while he applied healing medicine to its wounds.


    After receiving treatment from Florges and Chimecho, the Kabutops finally escaped from the brink of death. However, with such severe injuries, it needed proper care to be able to move freely again.


    Yuga recalled the Kabutops into a Pok�� Ball and continued to follow therge group of Kabuto and Kabutops.


    After walking for an unknown duration, the group finally stopped. They had chosen a new habitat, a vast shallow-water swamp. Although the water area was quite extensive, most of it was shallow, covered in various sturdy water nts, unlike their previous home.


    This ce used to be inhabited by a small group of Ducklett and Swanna, but they were driven away by this domineering group of Kabuto and Kabutops.


    As expected, just like what Tokiwa had mentioned, no matter how pitiful they appeared, in this underground world, they were all predators and plunderers. They couldn''t be shown sympathy.


    This expansive shallow-water swamp, although not the best environment, had more than enough space for Kabuto and Kabutops.


    The Ducklett and Swanna that used to live here didn''t fly too far away but settled nearby with the Kabuto and Kabutops. It remained to be seen whether these two groups would peacefully coexist.


    After noting the locations and situations of both the Kabuto and Ducklett groups, Yuga quietly turned and left the area with Bellossom and Chatot, continuing deeper into the underground world.


    As Yuga ventured deeper into the underground world, in a cave high up on the cliffs at its deepest point, a Green Pok��mon woke up, perplexed, and opened its eyes.


    It got up and gracefully walked to the cave entrance, gazing into the distant forest, wondering what it was thinking for a while.


    Meanwhile, not long after Yuga left the area, the sky suddenly started drizzling, and with time, the rain intensified. This puzzled Yuga since the weather had been fine just moments ago.


    The weather was obviously very nice just now, but why did it suddenly start raining?

 Chapter 544: Overnight

    <h4>Chapter 544: Overnight</h4>


    Yuga quickly realized that something was amiss with this rain. He noticed that the cloud formation above them was moving, as if intentionally guiding them in a specific direction.


    They weren''t the only ones seeking shelter from the rain; a group of Pidoves, Woobats, and a few Drilbur were also affected.


    Once Yuga took cover under arge tree, he realized that this wasn''t a natural rain but rather the work of Pok��mon using the Rain Dance technique. It seemed they were using it to drive away other Pok��mon, including himself, who had unintentionally joined the mix.


    Though Yuga had stopped, the Pidoves, Woobats, and Drilbur continued to be driven forward by the rain clouds, clearly in a state of panic.


    What Yuga witnessed next was unforgettable.


    The Pidoves, Woobats, and Drilbur were pushed into a small grove. The Pidoves and Woobats perched on trees, preening their feathers, while the Drilbur huddled under the trees, trembling to escape the rain.


    The treetops of this grove were covered in vines, and the ground was littered with thick green vines.


    As the Pidoves, Woobats, and Drilbur waited patiently for the rain to stop, the vines hanging from the trees and covering the ground began to move slowly.


    In an instant, all the Pidoves, Woobats, and Drilbur were tightly bound by the writhing vines. They cried out and struggled to escape, but the vines only constricted further.


    These bound Pok��mon were all delivered to a giant mouth hidden amid the vines, a mouth lined with sharp teeth. It was a Victreebel.


    Victreebel slowly chewed its prey, blood spurting like a fountain from its mouth, staining its pale yellow body a vivid crimson.


    This gruesome scene sent shivers down Yuga''s spine. This silent method of predation was even more terrifying than the fiercest of predators.


    The vines that ensnared the Pidoves, Woobats, and Drilbur didn''t belong to this ruthless Victreebel, as Victreebel couldn''t produce such an abundance of vines. They belonged to a massive Tang that had emerged quietly from the surroundings.


    This Tang acted as an aplice to the Victreebel. However, Yuga knew that the Victreebel had more than one aplice, as both Victreebel and Tang were incapable of using the Rain Dance technique.


    As expected, not long after Tang emerged, a Skuntank with four brisk paws sprinted out.


    After observing for a while, Yuga quickly understood the dynamic among these three Pok��mon.


    Skuntank and Tang coborated to aid Victreebel in hunting. Victreebel provided its excrement to Tang, while it gave Skuntank the nectar it produced within its body. The three Pok��mon had formed a mutually beneficial alliance.


    One couldn''t deny their intelligence; they had learned to use tactics for hunting.


    Judging by their seamless cooperation, they had probably carried out countless hunts like this, and countless Pok��mon had likely ended up as meals for Victreebel.


    However, despite the ferocity of these three Pok��mon, Yuga had no intention of getting involved and chose to quietly retreat.


    The strength of these three Pok��mon was formidable, and provoking them would undoubtedly attract other Pok��mon. This would be detrimental to Yuga''s mission. Besides, such incidents were likely to ur countless times every day in the underground world, making it impossible to intervene in everytime.


    After leaving the area, Chatot, still jittery, eximed, "Oh my, this ce is incredibly brutal! Can we even make it back home now?"


    "Bellossom, bellossom," replied Bellossom.


    Upon hearing Chatot''s words, the Bellossom began to scold it.


    "What? You think I''m holding us back? Without me, could you have navigated through so many dangers with such precision?"


    Chatot became immediately disgruntled.


    "Bellossom, Bellossom."


    Bellossom dismissed it with a disdainful pout.


    "You said Vivillon! Could it have been as reliable as I am? You really have no sense at all."


    Regarding Bellossom''s self remark about being him inferior to Vivillon, Chatot felt it had lost face.


    "Alright, alright, you two, stop arguing. Let''s focus onpleting our mission as quickly as possible," Yuga intervened, feeling somewhat helpless about their bickering.


    "Bellossom, Bellossom."


    Yuga, we should find a ce to rest. It''s getting dark, and it''s very dangerous to move at night.


    After hearing what Bellossom said, Yuga and Chatot both nodded in agreement. After a tense day of travel, Yuga felt a sense of fatigue settling in.


    Finally, after following Chatot''s guidance, Yuga''s group found a cave to temporarily stay in. There were signs that Pok��mon had inhabited the cave before, but for some reason, it had been abandoned.


    The previous upants might have found better amodations or had perished outside, but Yuga believed it was likely thetter, as the cave conditions were decent.


    As night fell, the absence of external light in the cave didn''t pose a threat of attracting other Pok��mon. Yuga lit a fire, taking materials from his backpack to prepare a warm meal for himself.


    After feeding the other Pok��mon Pok��blocks, Yuga tended to Kabutops''s wounds once again.


    Pok��mon had remarkable regenerative abilities, and with thebination of Heal Pulses, Grassy Terrain, and medicinal treatment, Kabutops''s condition improved significantly. It had regained some strength and could move and make simple sounds.


    Kabutops''s injuries were caused by ordinary Pok��mon, unlike Dragonair''s mother''s injury inflicted by a Legendary Pok��mon. Hence, recovery wouldn''t be too challenging.


    However, due to multiple bone fractures, Kabutops couldn''t feed itself, and Yuga had initially intended to do it himself. But Chimecho vehemently opposed the idea.


    It''s a joke! Yuga hasn''t even fed me yet, and now you want him to give you his first feeding? Look at you, you''re such an ugly big bug.


    Ultimately, it was Chimecho who volunteered to feed Kabutops.


    Chimecho proved to be quite capable, using its psychic powers to control the Pok��blocks and feeding them to Kabutops one by one. It executed the task remarkably well, earning praise from Yuga.


    Kabutops, due to its severe injuries, required a substantial amount of food to aid its recovery. As it tasted Pok��blocks for the first time, it found them quite novel. Previous meals had consisted of raw, fresh prey, a far cry from the taste of Pok��blocks.


    "From now on, your food will be these Pok��blocks. No need to hunt other Pok��mon anymore. Understand?" Yuga told Kabutops.


    Since it had chosen to follow Yuga, Kabutops naturally acknowledged Yuga as its master. Moreover, it found these delicious Pok��blocks preferable to the bloody, raw meals it had been ustomed to.


    Kabutops nodded in agreement. Now that it had submitted to Yuga, Yuga became its master, and it would obey Yuga''smands.


    Furthermore, it realized that these convenient Pok��blocks were more filling than its previous diet, ensuring it wouldn''t go hungry in the future.

 Chapter 545: Adventure

    <h4>Chapter 545: Adventure</h4>


    The night passed in the blink of an eye, and the crisp cooing of Pidove in the early morning acted as Yuga''s wake-up call.


    As Yuga opened his eyes, most of his Pok��mon were already awake. They had taken turns keeping watch during the night, and fortunately, it had been uneventful.


    After a night of rest, Kabutops''s condition had improved significantly. It was no longer as lifeless as the previous day, but the fractures in its exoskeleton still needed more time to heal.


    Pok��mon generally had a strong ability to recover from injuries, but there were limits to their regenerative abilities. Once those limits were exceeded, rapid recovery became challenging. Kabutops''s injuries, obtained from a life-or-death battle, were far from minor injury.


    After breakfast with his Pok��mon, Yuga recalled them and continued with his mission.


    Following a day of travel, Yuga had lost track of his location in this underground world. He noticed that ancient Pok��mon species were bing more prevalent, recing modern species as he ventured deeper.


    Yuga encountered arge colony of Archens and Archeops, a small group of Shieldon and Bastiodon, and a massive gathering of Gigalith along the way.


    These colonies were not only vast in number but also had formidable members. Yuga decided not to provoke them, choosing to discreetly note down their species and locations.


    Despite having Elite level Pok��mon by his side, Yuga knew that challenging these colonies could be a grave mistake. In such cases, retreating was the best option to avoid unnecessary danger.


    The terrain recording device provided by Mr. LIoyd was highly advanced. It not only automatically recorded the topography but also allowed manual input of the types of Pok��mon living in specific areas.


    After encountering several Pok��mon colonies, Yuga couldn''t help but marvel at the overall strength of the Pok��mon living in this underground world. Almost every established colony had pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon guarding them. Without the protection of pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, these colonies would merely be sources of prey for higher-ranking species.


    Many Pok��mon with poor potential relied umtion on time to do evolution and increase their strength. If they had to be developed through training, their trainers would be too old by the time they reached their full potential.


    Sometimes, age could be an advantage.


    Yuga continued his journey for an unspecified duration until he sensed the terrain ahead sloping downward. Soon, he spotted a massive cliff in his path.


    The cliff was incredibly high and steep, with stout trees growing on its face.


    On the thick branches of these trees hung ck bird nests, with the edges adorned by rows of gleaming white bones. Some nests held squawking nestlings, the baby birds are stretching their necks and waiting for feeding. Unmistakably the offspring of Dark-type and Flying-type Pok��mon, Vuby.


    As if feeling something, Yuga raised his head to observe, only to notice a flock of imposing Mandibuzz circling the area. He instinctively shrunk back, avoiding exposing himself too much, as these birds had sharp eyesight.


    Bird Pok��mon typically had excellent vision, particrly beneficial when hunting or searching for food during their frequent flights.


    As Yuga stealthily recorded information about the Mandibuzz and Vuby, he was about to leave when a massive Tropius suddenly charged towards the cliff.


    The Tropius was heading straight for the nests of the Mandibuzz. Yuga wondered why a Tropius would intrude into the territory of these Dark/Flying-type Pok��mon. Then, he saw the Tropius extract a palm-sized, radiant green object from a massive nest.


    It was evident that the Tropius''s objective was the green item.


    Though Yuga couldn''t discern the exact shape of the object from a distance, the radiant green light emanating from it indicated its extraordinary nature. To emit such a beautiful light during daylight was indeed rare.


    However, the Mandibuzz would not tolerate a Tropius robbing them under their watchful eyes. It was a matter of pride.


    The Mandibuzz, who had lost their belongings to the Tropius many times before, swiftly surrounded it. They were unfamiliar with the specific nature of the item stolen, as they had picked it up during nest construction. Nevertheless, they had no intention of letting it go without a fight.


    This wasn''t the first time the Tropius had attempted to steal this object; it had simply failed in previous attempts.


    These Mandibuzz refused to give away their belongings for nothing. Even if they couldn''t use it, they wouldn''t let others benefit from it without a struggle.


    A battle was on the brink of erupting, and it was clear that the Tropius was considerably stronger than the Mandibuzz. However, even with its strength, the Tropius was outnumbered and surrounded by the Mandibuzz, and these Dark/Flying-type Pok��mon were not to be underestimated. After all, this flock had dealt with the Tropius''s theft attempts before, albeit unsessfully.


    Swiftly, Razor Wind attacks started swirling through the air, intensifying the battle between the Tropius and the Mandibuzz.


    Even the generally gentle Tropius had be exceptionally bold and valiant since living in this underground world.


    "Can you make out what the Tropius is holding in its mouth?" Yuga whispered to the Chatot beside him.


    "It... it seems to be some sort of Miracle Seed, but the color isn''t right," Chatot responded, a bit uncertain.


    Chatot''s vision was significantly superior to Yuga''s, so he trusted its judgment.


    Yuga Bellossom and Roserade all carried Miracle Seeds, and Chatot had seen them many times. It wouldn''t make a mistake in recognizing one.


    The green, glowing Miracle Seed piqued Yuga''s interest.


    Miracle Seeds are naturally urring items, and due to their strict conditions for growth, each one is highly valuable. They have significant effects on Grass-type Pok��mon, and someone as financially well-off as Yuga frequently buys them one after another.


    However, regr Miracle Seeds are typically yellow in color. This one, on the other hand, was evidently more unique �C not only did it have a different color, but it also emitted light.


    As a semi-specialized Grass-type Trainer, Yuga felt an itch of curiosity upon seeing this special Miracle Seed.


    Having spent quite some time with Yuga, Chatot quickly deduced what was going through his Trainer''s mind as he watched the ever-changing expressions on Yuga''s face.


    "Do you want that thing?" Yuga nodded gently in response.


    "Then let''s snatch it!" Chatot dered boldly.


    Yuga looked at Chatot with surprise, not expecting such a response.


    "Why are you... looking at me like that?" Chatot stammered nervously when Yuga continued to gaze at it.


    "I''m just a bit surprised. I didn''t expect you to say something like that," Yuga replied.


    Yesterday, Chatot was still yelling at Yuga to take him back to his Pok�� Ball. He was unwilling to stay in this dangerous ce any longer, and even thought about going home. Now he took the initiative to go out for an adventure, how could Yuga not be surprised.


    "Ha, do you underestimate me? I''m not a cowardly Pok��mon," Chatot retorted defiantly.


    "Is that so?" Yuga gave Chatot a half-smile.


    Chatot became increasingly flustered and said, "Hmph, what''s there to fear? We can always run away if we can''t win. Why overthink it?"


    Yuga rolled his eyes in resignation upon hearing this, escaping from this ce wouldn''t be easy but eventually he still agreed, saying, "Fine, I''ll go with your n."


    Under normal circumstances, Yuga would be reluctant to take such risks, but just moments ago, he sensed some activity in his Shadow Space, prompting him to change his mind.


    This particr group of Madibuzz was just a small group, so he thought escaping from them shouldn''t pose too much of a problem.

 Chapter 546: Theft

    <h4>Chapter 546: Theft</h4>


    Although he had decided to go for the special Miracle Seed, he didn''t act immediately. Instead, he intended to continue "watching the tigers fight on the mountain," waiting for the oue between Tropius and Mandibuzz.


    Mandibuzz is a Bone Vulture Pok��mon. Despite being smaller in sizepared to Tropius, its sharp beak and ws were formidable weapons against Tropius.


    Inparison to the agile and nimble Mandibuzz, the massive size of the Tropius became a burden. In just a short span of battle, the Tropius''s body was covered in scratches and wounds, even its wings formed by two pairs of green leaves were torn and tattered.


    Seeing blood, the Mandibuzz became even more frenzied in their attacks. The Tropius''s injuries worsened visibly, and eventually, with a resounding crash, it fell to the ground, dropping the special Miracle Seed it had been carrying in its mouth.


    As Yuga and Chatot watched the severely wounded Tropius about to meet its end, a trace ofpassion flickered within them. After all, they both hailed from a rtively peaceful modern society, and though they had gradually adapted to such bloody scenes, they couldn''t im to bepletely desensitized.


    However, they had no real connection to Tropius, and Yuga wasn''t the kind of person to risk his life to save it. All he could do was silently apologize to the fallen Pok��mon.


    Seeing Tropius critically injured on the ground, Mandibuzz opened its sharp beak, ready to deliver the final blow.


    Just when Yuga believed Tropius was on the brink of death, Tropius suddenly gave a fierce re and unleashed a Grass-type move, Leaf Storm. Countless green leaves formed a massive vortex, swirling towards the descending Mandibuzz.


    Unable to match Tropius''s power, the Mandibuzz was hit by this unexpected Leaf Storm and scrambled into the sky in a panic. Seizing the opportunity, Tropius broke free from the encirclement of Mandibuzz and fled.


    By the time the Mandibuzz regained their senses, Tropius had flown far away. Although it was seriously injured, the Tropius tried its best to escape.


    Watching the wobbly departure of Tropius, the Mandibuzz stared at its retreating figure for a while but ultimately decided not to pursue further.


    One of the Mandibuzznded on the ground, picked up the special Miracle Seed dropped by Tropius, and returned it to their nest. While they didn''t know its purpose, it would serve as a nice decoration for their nest.


    Seeing the Mandibuzz return to their usual calm state, a wave of energy fluctuations emanated from Yuga''s shadow, and then, Gengar quietly emerged. It grinned at Yuga.


    Seeing half of Gengar''s body appearing within Yuga''s shadow, Chatot asked with widened eyes, "Has Gengar and Mismagius awakened?"


    Yuga whispered, "Mismagius hasn''t awakened yet, but it should be soon."


    It was because Gengar had awakened earlier, giving Yuga the unusual consent to follow Chatot''s suggestion to go after the Miracle Seed. More urately, it was not a robbery, but a theft.


    When it came to stealing, no one was better at it than Ghost-type Pok��mon, masters of stealth. Yuga couldn''t afford to recklessly confront the Mandibuzz like what happened with Tropius. The lessons from Tropius''s ordeal were still fresh.


    Seeing Gengar''s appearance, Chatot secretly breathed a sigh of relief. While it was willing to charge into action alongside Yuga, having Gengar in the front, it would bezy as long as it could.


    After awakening, Gengar''s level hadn''t changed; it remained at the peak of pseudo-Elite level. However, its aura had be moreposed and eerie, indicating that it had fully absorbed the life energy it had consumed.


    Yuga and Gengar discussed their n and then watched as Gengar dove underground like a pro. Yuga shifted his attention to the nest where the Miracle Seed was ced.


    However, at that very moment, the owner of the nest, a Mandibuzz,nded gracefully in its home and closed its eyes to rest. This development caused Yuga''s expression to change; this was not good.


    This particr Mandibuzz seemed to be a lone ranger. Its nest had no Pok��mon eggs or Vuby. (Mandibuzz are all female. And in this story, belong to a group that reproduces through cross-fertilization, and they don''t live with the fathers of their children.)


    However, its strength was remarkable. While not on the same level as Gengar, who was at the peak of pseudo-Elite level, it was still a formidable pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon.


    Yuga had observed that within this group, there were two pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon. One was the leader of the group, while the other was the one guarding the nest with the Miracle Seed.


    Yuga hadn''t expected his luck to be this bad. The special Miracle Seed had fallen into the nest of this Mandibuzz, and this Mandibuzz had returned at this precise moment, making Gengar''s thieving mission considerably more challenging.


    While the Mandibuzz rested with its eyes closed in its nest, a dark purple chubby hand unexpectedly emerged near the nest''s edge. The two pudgy fingers of this hand silently inched towards the location of the Miracle Seed.


    Just as those chubby fingers were about to touch the emerald Miracle Seed, the closed-eyed Mandibuzz suddenly snapped its eyes open. It locked onto the mischievous chubby hand.


    The Mandibuzz immediately raised one of its talons and unleashed a Night sh, shing viciously at the chubby hand. The branches forming the nest were scattered into pieces.


    Upon realizing that it had been detected, the chubby hand swiftly retreated, narrowly avoiding the Mandibuzz''s attack.


    Then, Gengar burst out of hiding. With a quick move, it snatched the Miracle Seed and disappeared into the rocky wall near the nest.


    Seeing this situation, the Mandibuzz screeched sharply, and the entire Mandibuzz group became restless.


    Having something stolen right under its nose was uneptable. Despite being the second-inmand within the group, the Mandibuzz was still quite furious.


    Ghost-type Pok��mon like Gengar were extremely rare in this underground world, and the "rural" Mandibuzz was unfamiliar with them. However, this didn''t diminish its anger towards the thief who dared to steal from them.


    Alerted by the Mandibuzz''s screech, other Mandibuzz began circling in the air, scanning for the audacious thief who had infiltrated their territory.


    Having sessfully acquired the stolen item, Gengar swiftly navigated the underground, returning to Yuga''s side. It handed the Miracle Seed over to Yuga.


    The moment Yuga touched this special Miracle Seed, he felt a gentle and refreshing energy flowing through his palm, resonating even with the special abilities flowing within him.


    However, Yuga knew that this wasn''t the time to delve into the nature of this Miracle Seed. He said to Gengar and Chatot, "Let''s get out of here quickly."


    Gengar nodded, and it dived back into Yuga''s shadow. Yuga immediately led Chatot to make a hasty retreat.

 Chapter 547: Mass Brawl

    <h4>Chapter 547: Mass Brawl</h4>


    However, when Yuga remained still, it was fine. As soon as he moved, with his excellent eyesight, the numerous Mandibuzz noticed him.


    Yugacked experience in dealing with situations like this and had no idea that fleeing would lead to such a problem. He could only lower his head and rush to escape the area.


    "If only I had stayed hidden a bit longer before running!" This was Yuga''s thought when he saw the ce where he had originally hidden shattered by the Mandibuzz'' Air sh and Gust


    As Yuga turned to escape, Chatot unleashed a Hyper Beam. Countless trees and nts were shattered, and the attacks from the Mandibuzz were repelled.


    "Good job!" While running, Yuga gave a thumbs-up to Chatot.


    Chatot caught up with Yuga rapidly, looking proud. "Of course! You can rely on me in critical moments."


    At this moment, the Mandibuzz chasing them were like a squadron of bombers, relentlessly bombarding Yuga as he fled.


    While flying, Chatot not only defended against the attacks from the Mandibuzz but also helped Yuga withstand them. asionally, Gengar and Chandelure would emerge from Yuga''s shadow to assist Chatot.


    Yuga had been running for some time, and surprisingly, the Mandibuzz showed no intention of giving up the chase. This frustrated him. "When the Tropius was running, you didn''t chase. Why do you hound me like flies as soon as I run?"


    Yuga didn''t anticipate that the reason the Mandibuzz hadn''t pursued the Tropius was because the dragon failed to steal anything, whereas he had sessfully stolen something. These situations were fundamentally different, and the Mandibuzz had strong pride. They wouldn''t let Yuga off easily, even if he had only stolen decorations for their nests.


    After running for an unknown distance, where everything along the way was destroyed, Yuga''s patience wore thin. "Damn it, if I don''t show my strength, do you think I''m a sick cat?"


    Previously, Yuga didn''t want to engage in a direct confrontation with the Mandibuzz group, not only because of theirrge numbers but also because he feared that a fierce battle would attract more powerful predators. However, given the currentmotion, he didn''t need to worry about such consequences anymore.


    Yuga clenched his teeth and released all his Pok��mon from their Pok�� Balls. With his Pok��mon out, he pointed towards the Mandibuzz in the sky who were still bombarding them and shouted, "Guys, hit them hard for me!"


    Immediately, Absol, Florges, Chimecho, Vivillon, Roserade, Dragonair, Bellossom, Chandelure, Venusaur, Volcarona, and Chatot all began to counterattack the Mandibuzz group. mes and razor-sharp winds filled the air.


    The Elite level Volcarona took on the two pseudo-Elite level leaders and second-inmans of the Mandibuzz group, and disorienting them.


    Florges, apanied by her Grass-typepanions Roserade, Venusaur, and Bellossom, turned the leaves and petals into deadly des that danced in the air.


    Chandelure, Vivillon, and Chatotbined their Flying-type and Fire-type abilities, making it impossible for the Mandibuzz to get close.


    Absol disyed incredible strength, it easily handling multiple Mandibuzz that came within range. Those who attacked from a distance were also hit by its Dark Pulse.


    It is even easier for Dragonair to fight against Mandibuzz. It is good at electric-type and ice-type skills and can easily deal with several Mandibuzz alone.


    Gengar, with his ability to appear and disappear at will, continued to harass the Mandibuzz, often catching them off guard.


    Chimecho, staying close to Yuga, provided all-around protection for their team. Its Light Screen and Reflect reached every corner of the battlefield, offeringprehensive defense.


    Initially, Yuga''s side had the upper hand. However, as more Mandibuzz joined the chase, Yuga''s Pok��mon began to struggle under the increasing numbers.


    "There are too many of them!" Every one of Yuga''s Pok��mon found themselves surrounded by several, and then dozens, of Mandibuzz. Yuga watched this situation unfold, feeling his forehead break out in a cold sweat.


    In the air, Chandelure was bing increasingly irritated by this situation. As a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, when had it ever been bullied by Pok��mon with lower power levels?


    "Chandelure, Chandelure!"


    Yuga, release my little brothers!


    Chandelure temporarily escaped from the encirclement of the Mandibuzz and shouted at Yuga.


    Hearing this, Yuga''s eyes lit up. "Right! If it''s about quantity, I''m notcking. I have over a hundred Litwick!"


    These little Litwick, although still in their initial forms, didn''t have low levels. To evolve into the second stage as Lampent, they needed to reach level 41. Some of the Litwick had already exceeded that level; they just hadn''t triggered their evolution yet.


    These cute little Litwick possessed significant power.


    Yuga immediately opened his Shadow Space. Following Chandelure''s call, one Litwick after another happily emerged from his shadow, led by Chandelure. Theyunched an attack on the Mandibuzz, forming fireballs that shot toward the Mandibuzz surrounding Absol and the others.


    The Ghost-type move of the Litwick were not very effective against the Dark-type Mandibuzz, so they all used the Fire-type skill, "me Burst."


    This move was easy for creatures like Litwick to learn, and all the over one hundred of them could use it. When they unleashed it together, it was truly a spectacr sight.


    However, the consequence of using Fire-type skills on such arge scale was the risk of causing a forest fire. Not only did the Mandibuzz scream in agony, but the flowers, grass, and trees in the area also suffered.


    Fortunately, Yuga was relieved because the nts here were quite tall, and the environment was humid. The fires caused by the Litwick weren''t too fierce and didn''t lead to a widespread ze.


    With the Litwick relieving the pressure, Absol and the others could finally go all out. It didn''t take long for the Mandibuzz to fall into a state of decline again, especially after the Elite level Volcarona had just dealt with the Mandibuzz leaders and the second-inmand. It was like a wolf in a sheep''s pen.


    To prevent the situation from worsening, Volcarona refrained from using Fire-type skills and instead opted for Bug-type skills to "ughter" the Mandibuzz.


    The Fire-type abilities of Elite level Pok��mon and the Litwick were quite different. If Volcarona had unleashed its Fire-type skills without restraint, the entire forest would have been destroyed.


    Yuga was anxious as they battled;rge-scale battles like this could easily attract other Pok��mon.


    Dealing with the Mandibuzz was already quite challenging, and introducing more Pok��mon would make things even moreplicated.


    Fortunately, with the assistance of the Litwick, the Mandibuzz lost two pseudo-Elite level leaders, and their defeat came swiftly.


    However, these Mandibuzz were exceptionally fierce. Normally, when Pok��mon saw that the battle was lost, they would flee immediately. However, they fought to the end and didn''t retreat until only one Mandibuzz remained, lying unconscious on the ground.


    Seeing the Mandibuzz strewn across the forest floor, Yuga knew that his Ecopark would have new residents soon.


    However, he believed it was essential to discipline these Mandibuzz. Otherwise, they might harm all the babies in his Ecopark.


    Yuga captured the high potential Mandibuzz, including the two pseudo-Elite level Mandibuzzs, into Pok�� Balls and stored them in his system backpack. Yuga quickly left with his own.


    Before leaving, Yugaa had Vivillon use its Gust move to toss all the unconscious Mandibuzz into the bushes, preventing them from being eaten by passing predators.


    This was the most Yuga could do, and he didn''t consider himself particrly kind-hearted. As for the future of these Mandibuzz who had lost their leaders, Yuga couldn''t control it.


    As for the mes still burning, Dragonair used its Rain Dance skill to extinguish them.


    After leaving the battlefield, Yuga returned to the Mandibuzz'' territory once more, thoroughly searching their habitat. He collected high potential Pok��mon eggs into his system backpack and ced the high potential Vuby into a Pok�� Ball, which also went into his system backpack.


    As for Mr. Alder''s statement about only being able to capture two Pok��mon, Yuga pretended not to hear it. He had already noticed that upon entering, his system backpack and shadow space were not detectable by such instruments.


    He choose to take advantage this loophole.


    Without the protection of their skilled members, the future of the Mandibuzz tribe in this crisisden underground world was uncertain. Whether they could continue to exist was an unknown.


    Bringing their exceptional offspring with him was a way to provide them with some future, and Yuga didn''t deny that this thought felt somewhat hypocritical, but it was the reality.


    Mandibuzz typically fed on other Pok��mon, as evident from the countless white bones in their nests. So, Yuga didn''t consider his actions as particrly cruel towards the Mandibuzz tribe. He merely yed his part in this brutal food chain, even though he had inserted himself into it.


    Some Mandibuzz were left behind to defend their territory, but dealing with them was a trivial matter for Yuga''s group.


    Besides the Mandibuzz eggs and subordinates, Yuga''s Absol uncovered a ck stone from the Mandibuzz leader''s nest, a stone that seemed to captivate Absol greatly.


    Naturally, Yuga dly epted such a valuable item, storing it in his system backpack. He promised Absol that he would return the stone after they left, despite Absol''s reluctance.


    ��


    The Vubys needed to reach level 54 to evolve into Mandibuzz, but due to plot requirements, the book lowered this to around level 30. The author acknowledges that this deviation from the original may not align with canon and hopes for your understanding.

 Chapter 548: Entrusment

    <h4>Chapter 548: Entrusment</h4>


    Leaving the territory of the Mandibuzz, Yuga promptly recalled his Pok��mon and hurriedly continued his journey. Along the way, Yuga held the special Miracle Seed and asked the system, "System, do you know what''s unique about this Miracle Seed?"


    The system remained silent for a moment before responding, [ This Miracle Seed contains a potent vitality, but I don''t know its specific function. ]


    Yuga could also sense the vigorous vitality emanating from the Miracle Seed. However, this vitality seemed to be perceivable only by Grass-type Pok��mon and individuals with special abilities like him. Otherwise, the Mandibuzz wouldn''t have treated it as a mere decoration in their nest.


    Typical Miracle Seeds only emitted a rich Grass-type energy,cking the vibrant sense of life.


    Although it contained abundant Grass-type energy, a Miracle Seed was ultimately just a carried item for Pok��mon and didn''t possess life.


    However, this special Miracle Seed gave Yuga the feeling that it was still alive, ready to sprout at any moment.


    After storing the Miracle Seed away, Chatot continued to scout from the sky, while Yuga cautiously resumed his journey.


    After an unknown amount of time had passed, Yuga suddenly heard intermittent groaning sounds.


    "Chatot, what''s going on?" Yuga asked, looking up at Chatot, who was flying above.


    "I''m not sure, but this sound seems somewhat familiar," Chatot responded with uncertainty.


    Yuga said, "Let''s go check it out."


    The sound was incredibly mournful, and it had affected Yuga so much that he feltpelled to investigate.


    Having made up his mind, Yuga followed the direction from which the sound wasing. Chatot pped its wings and kept pace with Yuga.


    Yuga pushed asideyers of branches and grass, peering inside. To his astonishment, the source of the groaning was none other than the Tropius he had encountered earlier.


    Unbeknownst to him, he had unknowingly ventured into the Tropius''s territory. This appeared to be the Tropius''s nest, constructed from a plethora of green grass. The Tropiusy inside, covered in blood, and appeared to be on the brink of death.


    The Tropius had numerous w marks and wounds all over its body, but the most fatal injury was undoubtedly the massive hole in its abdomen,rge enough to amodate half a person''s head.


    Those Mandibuzz had been ruthless, digging a bloody hole in the Tropius''s belly with sheer brutality, leaving it with no chance of survival.


    Seeing the pitiable state of the Tropius, Yuga felt helpless. Even if he wanted to save it, the hole in its belly was beyond his abilities. Only Nurse Joy could possibly heal such an injury.


    Yuga''s special ability also has the ability to heal, but he is not able to use it skillfully. Even if he uses it on the Tropius, it will not have a significant effect. The injury has exceeded the normal category.


    While contemting the situation, Yuga suddenly noticed a green and brown-patterned Pok��mon egg beneath the Tropius''s belly. Astonishingly, this egg was covered in fine cracks.


    Could it be that the Tropius had snatched the Miracle Seed for this Pok��mon egg''s sake?


    Yuga could sense that, despite the numerous cracks, the little one inside the egg was struggling desperately to survive, tenaciously holding onto itsst thread of life.


    Yuga thought that if the Tropius had indeed retrieved the Miracle Seed, this Pok��mon egg might still have a chance.


    While Yuga was observing the egg, the Tropius suddenly noticed him peering inside. Even though it was on the brink of death, its eyes remained sharp, ring fiercely at Yuga.


    Realizing he had been discovered, Yuga didn''t attempt to hide any longer. He boldly stepped out, knowing that the Tropius, in its current condition, couldn''t harm him.


    As Yuga approached the Tropius, the dragon''s eyes widened, filled with a mix of anger and suspicion. It seemed like it wanted to devour Yuga and protect the precious Pok��mon egg it had hidden beneath its body.


    Yuga stood his ground not far from the injured Tropius and said, "I have no intention of harming you or your child. Besides, in your current condition, I could deal with you easily."


    While the Tropius acknowledged the logic behind Yuga''s words, it regarded him with a skeptical gaze. Strangers weren''t to be trusted.


    The Tropius, like Yuga''s Gengar, was a peak pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon. So the look he res at Yuga is quite imposing.


    "You snatched this Miracle Seed for your child, didn''t you?" Yuga said as he revealed the Miracle Seed he had taken from the Mandibuzz.


    The Tropius''s eyes widened even further upon seeing the Miracle Seed, emitting a gentle green glow. This item, which it had tried so hard to obtain despite suffering severe injuries, was now casually presented by the stranger.


    Yuga''s willingness to disy the special Miracle Seed was mainly due to his interest in the Tropius''s child. He sensed that the Pok��mon egg possessed a blue potential. If this Miracle Seed could save the egg, he was willing to make the exchange.


    After all, the Tropius was on the brink of death, and it wouldn''t make sense to let a valuable blue potential Pok��mon egg go to waste, especially in such a perilous ce.


    "Tropius, Tropius"


    Please give me that Miracle Seed.


    To save its child, the Tropius lowered its proud head to Yuga.


    Yuga responded, "I''ll give it to you, but after you''ve healed your child, what will happen to it? In this perilous ce, without your protection, it''s nearly impossible for it to survive. You should be able to feel that you''re about to die."


    Although Yuga had understood the Tropius''s words, the Tropius wasn''t surprised by thisprehension. It had never encountered humans and didn''t know that they couldn''t understand Pok��monnguage. After all, Pok��mon couldmunicate with each other. Therefore, it assumed Yuga could too.


    Yuga''s words made the Tropius fall into silence. Indeed, it was nearing death, but what would happen to its child afterward?


    Seeing the Tropius remain silent, Yuga continued, "If you trust me, you can entrust your child to me. I''ll take good care of it."


    Not surprisingly, Tropius''s child should be a Grass-type Pok��mon. As a semi Grass-type Trainer, he can train a few more Grass-type Pok��mon. After all, he only has four Grass-type Pok��mon, which is not a lot. It is time to raise a few more.


    Hearing Yuga''s proposal, Tropius nced at Yuga in surprise, but it had no other choice but to ept Yuga''s proposal.


    "Tropius, Tropius."


    Please be kind to my child.


    For the sake of its own children, Tropius has put its attitude to the lowest level. As a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon this is already very difficult. If it were not really helpless, it would not easily entrust its children to a strangers.


    Under Yuga''s gaze, Tropius pushed his child, the cracked Pok��mon egg in front of Yuga.

 Chapter 549: Scared to Death

    <h4>Chapter 549: Scared to Death</h4>


    "Tropius, Tropius."


    Please ce the Miracle Seed on my child.


    Following the instructions of the Tropius, Yuga gentlyid the Miracle Seed onto the Pok��mon egg. He then witnessed the Tropius opening its mouth and emitting a green light, transferring all of its Grass-type energy into the Miracle Seed.


    Soon after, Yuga witnessed a miraculous scene unfold.


    The green Miracle Seed, nurtured by the Tropius, gradually cracked and sprouted. A tender green shoot emerged, extending its leaves as it grew.


    Once the seed had fully sprouted, its roots embedded themselves into the cracked Pok��mon egg. As the entire egg was enveloped by the lush roots, Yuga noticed that the egg started to emit a radiant light.


    Was it about to hatch?


    Yuga was deeply astonished.


    The Miracle Seed had not only revived the almost lifeless egg but also caused it to hatch directly.


    "Turtwig."


    As the white light dissipated from the egg, a small Grass-type Turtwig appeared.


    It was a Turtwig!


    Yuga hadn''t expected the Tropius''s offspring to be a Grass-type starter Turtwig from the Sinnoh region. This suggested that the Tropius''s other half might be a Grotle or a Torterra.


    But they were in the Unova region. Why was a Sinnoh starter here? Yuga found this very surprising.


    However, after some thought, Yuga epted it. This ce must have existed since ancient times, and who knew what had happened back then.


    The newly born Turtwig gazed at its heavily injured mother, clearly aware that something had happened to her.


    "Tropius, Tropius."


    The Tropius gently nudged its newborn child with its head, affectionately.


    Due to using all its energy to stimte the Miracle Seed''s growth, the Tropius became even weaker and gradually lost the light in its eyes.


    This Turtwig had some differences in appearancepared to a typical one.


    Firstly, the color of its skin was deeper green than usual. In regr Turtwig, the skin beneath the shell is light green, but this one was dark green.


    Secondly, the sprout on its head was distinct. In ordinary Turtwig, the sprout is a small twig with two symmetrical leaves. However, this Turtwig''s head sprout was a tiny sapling, clearly the same one that had grown from the Miracle Seed.


    The miraculous seedling had directly integrated with the Turtwig, forming a symbiotic rtionship.


    "Tropius, Tropius, Tropius, Tropius."


    Please take care of my child. After I die, please bury me together with my husband.


    It turned out that the Tropius''s husband, a Torterra, had also recently passed away due to an ident. It was this ident that had caused cracks to appear in the Turtwig''s Pok��mon egg. Now, the Grotle''s bodyy hidden behind the nest.


    Yuga hadn''t expected the deep affection between the Tropius and its husband, even in death. He nodded in admiration and agreed to its request.


    The Tropius closed its eyes in peace.


    "Turtwig, Turtwig."


    With its mother''s passing, the Turtwig whimpered softly, tears streaming down its cheeks.


    Yuga gently picked up the Turtwig andforted it, saying, "We''ll bury your mother and father together so they can rest in peace. They would want you to live on safely."


    The Turtwig sniffled and wiped its tears and mucus onto Yuga''s face, looking incredibly pitiful.


    Behind the Tropius''s nest, Yuga easily found the body of the Turtwig''s father.


    It was also a peak Pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon. Its demise was as tragic as the Tropius''s, with the tree on its shell now reduced to a thick branch.


    Due to the Tropius''s hasty departure, it hadn''t had the chance to exin the events to Yuga. Consequently, Yuga remained unaware of what had transpired with the Torterra.


    After burying the Tropius and Torterra side by side near their nest, Yuga reluctantly left the area. He realized that he couldn''t afford to linger in one ce for too long.


    Shortly after leaving the Tropius''s nest, darkness began to fall. Yuga decided to find a safe ce to spend the night.


    In this underground world, abandoned caves were plentiful. Guided by Chatot, Yuga easily located a temporary shelter.


    The cave was remarkably spacious, indicating that it had once belonged to arge Pok��mon. Scattered bones on the cave floor suggested that its previous upant had been a carnivorous Pok��mon.


    Due to the loss of its parents, the Turtwig wasn''t in a good mood. Yuga hadn''t rushed to put it into its Pok�� Ball, but choosing to carry it andfort its emotions throughout their journey.


    This newborn Turtwig was incredibly small, only slightlyrger than Yuga''s palm, making it easy for him to carry.


    After feeding the Turtwig some Pok��blocks, Yuga managed to lull it to sleep. Although Pok��mon possessed innate abilities from birth, the day''s events had taken a toll on the young Turtwig, not only physically but also emotionally.


    Once the Turtwig was peacefully asleep, Yuga released his Kabutops, allowing Florges and Chimecho to treat its injuries once more and administer medication.


    After a day of rest, Kabutops, while not fit for strenuous activity, could now sit up and eat by itself. Its recovery was progressing well.


    During the night, Yuga had the Litwicks in Shadow Spacee out to guard the cave entrance. Being Ghost-type Pok��mon, they naturally preferred the darkness and had no qualms about keeping watch.


    In the primeval forest, the Litwicks stood in a row, their blue mes casting an eerie glow. It sent shivers down Yuga''s spine.


    In the middle of the night, Yuga woke up groggily, noticing the flickering candlelight mes at the cave entrance. For a moment, he had forgotten about the Litwicks and was frightened. As he recalled their presence, he realized he was quite urgent.


    He had been "scared to death to the point he want to peeing," Yuga couldn''t help but jest at himself.


    Rubbing his eyes, Yuga got up, intending to step outside for a moment. The Litwicks greeted him enthusiastically as they followed him, eager to protect him.


    Originally, Yuga had considered declining their assistance, fearing that he wouldn''t be able to urinate with so many little beings following him. However, given the dangerous nature of this underground world, he decided to let them apany him.


    While he didn''t believe that he would encounter any misfortune just while going for a bathroom break, it was better to be cautious. "Better safe than sorry," as the saying goes.


    Although Yuga didn''t consider himself an unlucky person, misfortunes had a way of finding him.


    As he finished his business and returned to the cave, he noticed a dark figure slowly climbing up a nearby tree branch. This figure emitted an electric blue light, and its gleaming blue eyes were fixed on Yuga.

 Chapter 550: Spider Swarm

    <h4>Chapter 550: Spider Swarm</h4>


    Just as Yuga was about to head back to continue sleeping, a white silk thread entwined around his hand, tightly gripping him.


    Even in the darkness of the night, this white silk thread was incredibly conspicuous. Yuga soon spotted the other end of the thread, attached to a spider-like Pok��mon.


    However, due to the darkness, Yuga couldn''t discern the exact species of this spider-like Pok��mon.


    This Pok��mon rapidly closed the distance between them, simultaneously pulling the silk thread attached to Yuga''s hand in an attempt to bring him closer.


    However, the row of Litwicks behind Yuga wasn''t to be underestimated. Seeing Yuga in danger, one of them shot a me beam that severed the silk thread, freeing Yuga.


    Benefiting from the Litwicks'' Will-O-Wisp, Yuga finally managed to see the true appearance of this Pok��mon: it was an Electric-type Galvant.


    With the silk thread burnt, the Galvant revealed a menacing presence in the darkness. It moved swiftly on its four spider legs, closing in on Yuga in the blink of an eye.


    However, just as it opened its mouth to attack Yuga, it was struck by Shadow Balls one after another, causing it to be knocked backward.


    As it was about tond, the Galvant spewed silk once more, using it to swing back up onto a tree. The relentless assault of Shadow Balls from the Litwicks kept it on the defensive.


    Yuga had instructed the Litwicks not to use Fire-type moves, as mes could easily spark forest fires and attract the attention of other Pok��mon, especially in the pitch-ck night.


    So, although Fire-type moves had a type advantage against Galvant, the Litwicks refrained from using them and instead employed Ghost-type moves.


    The Galvant, scurrying around, didn''t expect that shortly after emerging to hunt, it would encounter a tough challenge. Those creatures with mes on their heads, what were they? It had never seen anything like them before!


    There''s no way the speed of one Galvant couldpete with the simultaneous skill attacks from dozens of Litwicks. In no time, it was exhausted and hit by dozens of Shadow Balls from the Litwicks, falling from the tree.


    ...


    <<galvant>> </galvant>


    Type: Bug/Electric


    Ability: Compound Eyes


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 45


    Moves: Spider Web, String Shot, Thunder Wave, Bug Bite, Electro Ball, Signal Beam, Agility, Electroweb, Thunderbolt, Cross Poison.


    ...


    Yuga hadn''t expected to encounter a Pok��mon with green potential at random. He decided to catch it by tossing a Pok�� Ball, securing this male Galvant.


    It seemed like a good match for the shiny Ariados he had back at his Ecopark.


    However, this Galvant disyed noticeably higher strengthpared to the shiny Ariados in Yuga''s Ecopark.


    In spider Pok��mon species, the females typically dominated and led the pack, whether it was Ariados or Galvant. The females usually possessed greater strength than their male counterparts.


    The shiny Ariados in Yuga''s Ecopark had been the leader of its group.


    Yuga wondered whether the shiny Ariados could subdue this Galvant when he returned. If not, he could resort to using its unique appearance as a means of attraction.


    The shiny Ariados was undeniably more visually appealing than regr Ariados, although he couldn''t be sure if spiders shared his sense of aesthetics.


    Despite the minor scare, Yuga considered it a worthwhile gain to have captured a Galvant with green potential. He proceeded back to his sleeping quarters in high spirits.


    The first thing Yuga did upon waking up the next day was to release the newly captured Galvant and have a proper conversation with it.


    The Galvant that had been subdued through a group beating naturally didn''t take kindly to Yuga''s authority. As soon as it was released, it red at Yuga with anger, even considering an attack. Being captured by its prey was a huge blow to its pride.


    However, after Yuga''s Pok��mon took turns giving it a severe pummeling, the Galvant understood that the bipedal creature before it was not to be trifled with.


    Now, when the Galvant saw Yuga, it trembled in fear, careful and cautious, dreading another beating.


    Yuga proceeded to question the Galvant about its group, aiming to gather information about the size and location of the Galvant colony in the vicinity.


    Just like Ariados, Galvant weremunal creatures. The presence of this Galvant indicated the presence of a nearby colony.


    However, whenever the subject of its own group came up, this particr Galvant remained stubborn. No matter how much Yuga tried to coax or threaten it, it refused to divulge any information about its colony.


    In this underground world, the inhabitants held their groups in high regard. They were willing to protect their groups at any cost, even if it meant their own sacrifice, as was evident from Kabutops''sck ofints despite being abandoned by its group.


    Yuga could understand this group-first mentality. In this underground world, thew of the jungle was prominently disyed, where survival of the fittest was the fundamental rule.


    Many Pok��mon groups couldn''t ensure their survival unless they banded together. Over time, the concept of prioritizing one''s group over everything else became deeply ingrained.


    Eventually, after repeated assurances from Yuga that he had no ill intentions towards its colony, the Galvant reluctantly allowed itself to be led to its group''s territory, still wary and skeptical.


    While most Pok��mon had intelligence that rivaled humans, creatures like the Galvant, who lived solely in the wild, were easily deceived.


    Despite their fearsome appearance, these creatures were quite simple-minded. Their thoughts were driven more by instinct than reason.


    Yuga, however, wasn''t deceiving the Galvant. He genuinely had no intentions of harming its colony, primarily because he believed he might not stand a chance.


    Galvant possessed strong reproductive abilities, and Yuga could anticipate that what he was about to witness was no small colony.


    Upon reaching the location, Yuga''s suspicions were confirmed. The Galvant colony was not onlyrge but also intimidating, with both Galvant and Joltik congregating together, sending shivers down his spine.


    Within the Galvant''s territory, golden electrical currents were omnipresent, the primary food source for the newly hatched Joltik.


    Without these currents, the newly hatched Joltik couldn''t survive because they couldn''t generate electrical currents themselves. Instead, they relied on their parents to feed them.


    Yuga believed that if he stepped foot into the Galvant''s territory, he would likely be reduced to ashes by those sparkling electrical currents.


    Carefully noting the geographical location and information about the Galvant colony, Yuga promptly left, realizing that he couldn''t afford to offend this group.

 Chapter 551: The Twin Guardians

    <h4>Chapter 551: The Twin Guardians</h4>


    After leaving the territory of the Galvant, Yuga continued on his journey for most of the day. This time, he identally stumbled upon the territory of Carracosta and Tirtouga.


    The territory of the Tirtouga and Carracosta was a vast aquaticke with a small ind at its center. The ind was lush with vegetation, clearly a rich and fertile ce.


    On the sandy shores of the ind, numerous Tirtouga and Carracosta were enjoying themselves without a care in the world. The atmosphere was serene and peaceful, a stark contrast to thepetitive scenes Yuga had witnessed in the underground world.


    However, Yuga wasn''t deceived by this tranquil atmosphere. Among this seemingly harmless group of Tirtouga and Carracosta, he immediately spotted an Elite level Carracosta, guarding a group of young Tirtouga.


    In the past three days, in anyrge n he encountered, he had seen at least one Elite level Pok��mon living among them.


    Staying in such a perilous environment for a few days had made Yuga extremely cautious. A small mistake here, and there would be no way out �C trapped with no escape.


    The number of Pok��mon inrge ns was noughing matter. The Mandibuzz in the underground world were only a small n, yet Yuga had barely managed to survive. Dealing withrge ns was another league altogether. If he rmed even a medium-sized n, his chances of survival would be questionable.


    Sometimes Yuga wondered if the League''s ambition to control this underground world was overly simplistic. The resources and manpower required for such an endeavor were undoubtedly substantial.


    Just as Yuga finished recording the information about the Tirtouga and Carracosta ns and prepared to leave, he suddenly noticed a tall and imposing figure appearing above the central ind in theke.


    It was Landorus!


    Upon closer inspection, Yuga realized that the Pok��mon that had appeared above the ind was none other than the legendary Pok��mon Landorus from the Unova region.


    The Tirtouga and Carracosta ns also noticed Landorus''s presence, but instead of fear, they greeted Landorus, and some even waved their fins and flippers. Landorus responded with a dignified and aloof demeanor.


    Seeing Landorus, Yuga finally understood why this underground world teemed with life and continued to thrive.


    Landorus, known as the Abundance Pok��mon, had the ability to absorb wind and thunder, transforming them into energy to nourish thend, making the earth fertile.


    In legends, Landorus was the hero who prevented the Tornadus and Thundurus from causing excessive havoc.


    Unlike the just and benevolent Landorus, the myth depicted Tornadus and Thundurus as symbols of chaos, often manipting storms and thunderstorms. When their destructive forces became too great, Landorus would appear to stop them.


    In the ancient beliefs of the Unova Region, Landorus was revered as the God of Harvest.


    After Landorus''s appearance, four Carracosta, muchrger than the average, slowly emerged from the jungle on the ind.


    Yuga used his Insight ability to assess the strength of these four Carracosta. He was taken aback because their strengths were respectively Elite level, Elite level, Elite level peak, and Champion level.


    This Champion level Carracosta was the first Champion level Pok��mon Yuga had encountered in the underground world. It was also the first Pok��mon with an Indigo potential that Yuga had encountered here.


    However, Yuga could only look at these Pok��mon from afar and sigh. These Pok��mon were beyond his reach.


    The leading Champion level Tirtouga called out to Landorus in the sky several times. Landorus slowly descended, exchanged words with the Champion level Tirtouga �C though Yuga couldn''t hear what was said �C then took off into the sky again and disappeared.


    Observing their interaction, Yuga had a hunch that these Carracosta were probably Landorus''s subordinates in this underground world.


    After Landorus left, the four Carracosta returned to the jungle on the ind. Yuga didn''t dare make a sound throughout the entire encounter. The pressure from the Legendary Pok��mon was immense, and it was no exaggeration that ancient humans revered them as gods.


    While the legends depicted Landorus as a just and benevolent Pok��mon, Yuga had no way of knowing the true nature of these Legendary Pok��mon. If he identally provoked it along the way, Yuga doubted he could defeat a Legendary Pok��mon.


    Fully grown Legendary Pok��mon were unbeatable without the skills of a Master level Trainer, and Yuga was far from that level.


    The presence of these four Carracosta only served to emphasize the formidable strength of the Pok��mon in the underground world.


    After the four Carracosta left, including the Champion level, Yuga finally breathed a sigh of relief. The presence of these Carracosta alone made them one of the most significant ns in the entire underground world.


    However, having the protection of the Legendary Pok��mon Landorus, it was not surprising that they possessed such power.


    Leaving the territory of the Tirtouga, Yuga felt that he must have ventured into the deepest part of the underground world. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have encountered the underground world''s controller, Landorus. So, he became even more cautious on his journey.


    After walking for an unknown amount of time, Yuga noticed that the surrounding trees were bing shorter, and some of them even resembled modern nts in size.


    Pushing through a thicket of green grass, Yuga was about to continue forward when he saw a bright green quadrupedal Pok��mon standing right in front of him.


    This Pok��mon appeared suddenly and unexpectedly in Yuga''s path. If Yuga hadn''t quickly pulled his foot back, he might have collided directly with this Pok��mon.


    "Virizion!"


    Yuga blurted out.


    "Oh, you know me," a clear voice echoed in Yuga''s mind.


    Telepathy!


    It wasn''t Yuga''s special ability that was in y here, but rather this Virizion''s ability tomunicate using telepathy.


    Even though this Virizion was standing there calmly, Yuga couldn''t help but take a step back.


    Encountering two Legendary Pok��mon in one day was starting to take a toll on Yuga.


    Not only Yuga but Chatot also held back from speaking when it saw Virizion. While it didn''t recognize Virizion, its natural sensing abilities allowed it to sense a "divine aura" emanating from Virizion.


    This "divine aura" was a form of "presence," simr to what Chatot felt with Ho-oh, although not as intense. Nevertheless, it was enough to instill reverence in Chatot.


    "I smell the scent of summer on you," Virizion''s voice resounded in Yuga''s mind once again, but his words left Yuga puzzled.


    The scent of summer? Was he referring to the climate outside? In the underground world, one couldn''t discern seasons, but indeed, it was currently summer on the surface world, more precisely, the transition from summer to autumn.


    But did summer have a scent?


    Yuga asked, "What do you mean?"


    Seemingly recognizing Yuga''s confusion, Virizion exined, "Summer is a Sawsbuck."


    Sawsbuck!


    Yuga suddenly realized that Summer was the name of the Pok��mon.


    He remembered the helpless Sawsbuck that had been incapacitated by Volcarona andter tamed by him.


    Yuga asked, "You mean this one?"


    With that, Yuga took a Pok��mon Ball containing Summer out of his system backpack and released the Sawsbuck.


    Regr Sawsbuck had four seasonal forms that changed with the seasons, and the Sawsbuck before him was in its summer form.


    However, considering that it was currently summer on the surface, it wasn''t surprising for Sawsbuck to take on this form. Yuga wondered where this name for the Pok��mon came from, though.


    After taming Sawsbuck, Yuga had refrained from releasing it. This Elite level Pok��mon wouldn''t easily submit to him, and releasing it would only cause trouble.


    Upon being released, Sawsbuck''s first sight was its arch-nemesis �C Yuga. It stared angrily at him, adopting an offensive posture, as if it intended tounch an attack.


    During the few days it had spent in the Pok�� Ball, the Sawsbuck, which had already had only minor injuries, hadpletely recovered thanks to its Grass-type Pok��mon''s exceptional regenerative abilities.

 Chapter 552: Cause and Effect

    <h4>Chapter 552: Cause and Effect</h4>


    "Stop!"


    Just as Sawsbuck was about tounch an attack, Virizion''s voice rang out.


    Hearing Virizion''s voice, Sawsbuck shuddered and turned around in surprise, finding Virizion gazing at it. Calming down, Sawsbuck respectfully lowered its head.


    "What happened to you?" Virizion asked the bewildered Sawsbuck. Why had a majestic Elite level Sawsbuck like this been tamed by a human?


    Sawsbuck approached and exined the entire situation, from start to finish. Yuga, standing nearby, also listened intently, learning the full story.


    It turned out that Sawsbuck was originally a resident of the underground world and one of Virizion''s subordinates. As such, it would often venture into Pinwheel Forest based on Virizion''s orders to gather information about the outside world.


    Despite living in the underground world, Virizion still had connections to the surface world. This was why there were rumors of Virizion residing in Pinwheel Forest.


    However, during its most recent outing, the entrance to the underground world was discovered and guarded by humans. To avoid conflict with them, Sawsbuck had no choice but to stay outside.


    Even though it could have taken on the human Trainers guarding the entrance, Sawsbuck didn''t want to resort to violence due to its long-standingpanionship with the gentle Virizion.


    The longer it stayed outside, the more anxious Sawsbuck became, as it couldn''t remain in the outside world forever.


    Then, Yuga appeared in Pinwheel Forest.


    Initially, Sawsbuck hadn''t noticed Yuga. It was onlyter, when Florges was released during Ivysaur''s evolution, that Sawsbuck sensed a connection between Celebi''s power and the Yuga. This piqued Sawsbuck''s curiosity.


    However, at that time, Sawsbuck had already wandered off. By the time it returned to the spot where Yuga was, Yuga had moved on.


    When Yuga returned to Pinwheel Forest once more, Sawsbuck sought him out again, believing that someone favored by the Forest God Celebi, like Yuga, must be a kind-hearted human who could help it return to the underground world.


    Virizion and Celebi, both being Grass-type Legendary Pok��mon, knew each other, as Celebi had also visited Pinwheel Forest. The Sawsbuck, who had followed Virizion for countless ages, could naturally sense Celebi''s aura.


    The reason Sawsbuck hadn''t initially sensed Celebi''s aura around Yuga was because, as Yuga''s powers gradually grew, his own energy became more contained. Sawsbuck, being an ordinary Pok��mon, couldn''t sense it. It was only when Florges used her abilities that Sawsbuck could detect it.


    However, Sawsbuck was quite proud.


    It was an Elite level Pok��mon and, furthermore, one of Virizion''s subordinates. Naturally, it considered itself superior. Therefore, when it sought out Yuga, it didn''t actively ask for help but rather waited for Yuga to initiate the conversation.


    In its imagination, the scene should have yed out like this:


    Yuga: "Your Highness Sawsbuck, may I be of any assistance to you?"


    However, reality had taken a different turn. Yuga had been nervously unprepared when faced with a sudden appearance of an Elite level Pok��mon. And this is wild Elite level Pok��mon, not a Trainer''s Pok��mon, had simply stared at him without any movement, making anyone uneasy.


    So, when Sawsbuck tried to approach Yuga, he instinctively believed it was about to attack. That''s why he had his Volcarona counterattack without thinking.


    Understanding the cause and effect, Yuga awkwardly chuckled and said, "Ahem, it wasn''t intentional."


    After hearing Yuga''s words, Sawsbuck, in its summer form, red fiercely at Yuga once again.


    "Show some respect!"


    Virizion scolded Summer Sawsbuck. Reluctantly, Summer Sawsbuck moved back behind Virizion.


    "You don''t need to be nervous, You''re favored by Celebi, and we won''t harm you. Besides, this situation isn''t entirely your fault. Summer has some responsibility as well."


    Yuga nodded in agreement but hesitated, "This Sawsbuck... um... Summer, has already been tamed by me. You see..."


    A once-majestic Elite level Pok��mon being taken away by Virizion made Yuga feel a bit uneasy.


    Yuga''s words once again provoked the Summer Sawsbuck. It shot another fierce re at Yuga, but it restrained itself due to Virizion''s presence.


    Virizion fell silent after hearing Yuga''s exnation.


    The human was right; he had genuinely defeated Summer Sawsbuck before taming it, without using any foul y. However, Summer was his trustedpanion, and he couldn''t just let it go.


    "May I know your name?" Virizion asked Yuga kindly after a moment of silence.


    "My name is Shimizu Yuga. You can call me Yuga," he replied. Yuga was pleasantly surprised by Virizion''s friendly demeanor. It seemed Celebi had quite a reputation.


    Yuga reflected on the benefits he had gained from Celebi''s favor. If he ever got the chance to meet Celebi in person, he would be sure to express his gratitude.


    Although Celebi wasn''t the most powerful Legendary Pok��mon, its unique abilities and connections with many other Pok��mon, including Virizion, made it highly regarded in the Pok��mon world.


    Virizion continued, "Yuga, if you''re willing to relinquish ownership of Summer, I''m prepared to offer youpensation."


    Compensation!


    Virizion''s words brightened Yuga''s eyes. Legendary Pok��mon offeringpensation was certainly a rare urrence. Yuga thought it might be better to trade Summer, a Pok��mon he wasn''t particrly fond of, for something valuable.


    "Well, um... that''s... it''s not quite... right," Yuga stammered, pretending to hesitate while secretly delighted.


    Virizion felt a pang of worry. He believed that he might have to make some concessions to retain an Elite level Pok��mon.


    "Very well,e with me," Virizion said, turning and heading deeper into the forest, signaling for Yuga to follow.


    Yuga eagerly followed Virizion, and Summer Sawsbuck, trailing behind Virizion, couldn''t help but re at Yuga for the fourth time.


    Hmph, this detestable human! Summer Sawsbuck felt deeply humiliated by the idea of Virizion having to redeem it from this human, and it couldn''t do anything about it because of Celebi''s influence. It turned its head away from Yuga, refusing to look at him any longer, to avoid getting even more irritated.

 Chapter 553: The Four Seasons

    <h4>Chapter 553: The Four Seasons</h4>


    Following behind Virizion, Yuga couldn''t resist his curiosity and asked, "In this underground world, who has the authority, you or Landorus?"


    Virizion stopped in his tracks, looking surprised, and replied, "You''ve seen Landorus?"


    Yuga nodded, "I caught a glimpse from afar."


    Virizion turned to continue walking, saying, "This ce was created by Landorus. I''m just a resident here, and we are good friends."


    That makes sense! Yuga nodded in understanding. Without Landorus''s special abilities, this vast underground world wouldn''t be able to thrive.


    "But this ce has already been discovered by us humans," Yuga spoke up again.


    "I know," Virizion replied calmly, showing no signs of concern.


    "Aren''t you worried?" Yuga asked, curious.


    Yuga''s question earned him a scornful look from Summer Sawsbuck. "You ignorant human, do you know who you''re talking to? This is Virizion!"


    Virizion replied, "The people guarding the outside are from your League, right?"


    Yuga was surprised, "You know about that?"


    Virizion nodded. Yuga asked, "Is there a connection between the League and your concerns?"


    Virizion thought for a moment and exined, "There are things you don''t know. Legendary Pok��mon like us have agreements with your League. Humans won''t encroach on our territory, and once they realize that this is Landorus''s domain, they''ll retreat. Your League not only refrains from encroaching here but also helps to keep the existence of this ce hidden."


    Yuga was astonished by this revtion. He hadn''t realized how powerful and influential the League was. The world was far moreplex than he had imagined.


    "Does the League have agreements with all Legendary Pok��mon?" Yuga asked with curiosity.


    Virizion rified, "Not all Legendary Pok��mon participate in such agreements. Some Legendary Pok��mon, those who rarely appear or are unfriendly to humans, don''t engage in these agreements. For example, Pok��mon like Kyurem aren''t part of such agreements."


    Yuga nodded, gaining insight into this world''s intricacies.


    Virizion continued, "In recent times, Legendary Pok��mon like us have rarely shown themselves, and even the League doesn''t know where we''ve gone. This ce has been Landorus''s hidden residence for a very long time."


    Yuga asked, "Aren''t you concerned that humans might break this agreement?"


    Being a human himself, Yuga was well aware of humanity''s ws, particrly their greed.


    Virizion replied, "The agreement is not with humans but with your League. We understand this distinction clearly. The League doesn''t represent all humans. On the matter of the agreement, your League has done well over the centuries, never breaking our agreements."


    Yuga was now puzzled. Should he report his encounter with Virizion and Landorus to the League when he returns?


    Following Virizion''s lead, Yuga journeyed throughyers of forest. Along the way, he encountered numerous Pok��mon, but upon seeing Virizion, they all kept their distance.


    When Yuga finally arrived at their destination with Virizion, the environment had undergone a significant change. The nts here were entirely different from before, resembling modern-day forests.


    "I nted these ntster. I prefer this environment," Virizion exined to Yuga.


    It all makes sense now! Yuga nodded in understanding.


    Back in its territory, Sawsbuck began to joyfully frolic around, and soon, many Sawsbuck and Deerling emerged from the forest.


    The three leading Sawsbuck took Yuga by surprise, as they represented Sawsbuck''s other three seasonal forms, alongside Summer Sawsbuck. With Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, Sawsbuck now had all four of its forms together.


    "Their names are Spring, Autumn, and Winter," Virizion introduced the leading three Sawsbuck.


    "Their appearances..."


    Yuga originally thought that Summer''s name had little to do with its appearance, but he didn''t expect that it was really named after its summer form.


    Virizion shook his head and said, "I can''t tell you that."


    Understanding, Yuga nodded and used his Insight skill to examine the three Sawsbuck.


    The Spring-form Sawsbuck was a Elite level Pok��mon, the Autumn-form was at the peak of Elite level, and the Winter-form was a Champion level Pok��mon. Combined with the Summer Sawsbuck, these four Sawsbuck were a formidable team, rivaling Landorus''s four Carracosta.


    The only difference was that the Sawsbuck and Deerling poption wasn''t as extensive as that of Carracosta and Tirtouga''s under Landorus''smand.


    Upon seeing theirpanions, Summer Sawsbuck immediately ran happily to them, and Spring, Autumn, and Winter disyed expressions of surprise.


    It was a heartwarming reunion.


    The four Sawsbuck, all Elite level or above in strength, gathered affectionately, showing a close bond, especially between Summer and Autumn.


    "Autumn is Summer''s mate," Virizion exined.


    Yuga was very, very surprised by this revtion. While he had noticed that Summer and Autumn were male and female, he hadn''t realized they were a couple.


    Fortunately, he hadn''t insisted on keeping Summer. As the saying goes, it''s better to destroy ten temples than break one marriage. It would have been a great injustice if he had caused this couple to be separated.


    "Aspensation for reiming Summer, you can choose one Pok��mon from the Sawsbuck poption to be yourpanion," Virizion said to Yuga as he watched Summer and Autumn being affectionate.


    Virizion had no objections to Pok��mon being captured by humans. It understood the rtionship between human trainers and their Pok��mon. Pok��mon in the hands of trainers often lived better lives and became stronger.


    The Pok��mon League promoted and upheld the philosophy of harmonious coexistence between humans and Pok��mon, and Legendary Pok��mon didn''t oppose or prevent humans from capturing Pok��mon; this was one of the most important agreements between the League and Legendary Pok��mon.


    If it weren''t for the fact that Summer was his valuable assistant, Virizion wouldn''t have insisted on having Summer return.


    Yuga turned his gaze towards the entire Sawsbuck Deerling poption.


    Although their poption wasn''t as vast as Carracosta and Tirtouga''s under Landorus''smand, it was still arge group, with Pok��mon densely spread out as far as the eye could see.


    Yuga wondered if Virizion was trying to trick him. Not only was Summer a Elite level Pok��mon, but it also had a blue potential. To choose a Pok��mon with equal or greater value than Summer, Yuga would need a Pok��mon with at least an indigo potential, which was incredibly rare.


    In this underground world, besides the Champion-level Carracosta, Yuga hadn''t seen a second Pok��mon, even the Champion level Winter Sawsbuck just a Pok��mon with blue potential.

 Chapter 554: Blue Halo

    <h4>Chapter 554: Blue Halo</h4>


    Seeing Yuga''s puzzled expression, Virizion naturally understood what was on his mind.


    "This Pok��mon is one of yourpensations. After you make your selection, I''ll provide you with the otherpensations," Virizion knew the value of an Elite level Pok��mon like this and wouldn''t set an obvious trap for Yuga.


    Yuga nodded happily at the words and then activated his Insight skill, turning his gaze towards the herds of Sawsbuck and Deerling.


    Luckily, he possessed the Insight skill; otherwise, with so many Sawsbuck and Deerling around, he might have had a hard time choosing.


    No matter how he thought about it, Yuga felt that Virizion might be setting him up. It didn''t know Yuga had the Insight skill, and for an ordinary person, it would be impossible to gain any advantage.


    Yuga scanned through the Sawsbuck and Deerling one by one, noticing that there were indeed many high potential Pok��mon in this poption. Perhaps because they had lived with Legendary Pok��mon for years, the overall potential of the Pok��mon in this group was higher than that of typical Pok��mon poptions.


    Yuga had witnessed Legendary Pok��mon like Ho-oh, Marshadow, and Celebi help other Pok��mon improve their potential. It didn''t make sense that Virizion couldn''t do the same.


    However, despite the abundance of high potential Pok��mon, Yuga couldn''t find any with indigo potential, and the ones with blue potential were also quite rare.


    After searching for a while, he did spot a few Sawsbuck and Deerling with blue potential, but he wasn''t entirely satisfied.


    Two of the Deerling looked good, but their potential had just reached the blue level. The Sawsbuck emitted a strong blue light, but Yuga didn''t particrly want to capture a Sawsbuck.


    Yuga was about to be a Gym Trainer, and to truly live up to his title as a Grass-type Trainer, he nned to raise several Grass-type Pok��mon as his main team. Four Grass-type Pok��mon alone wouldn''t be enough to establish his reputation as a Grass-type Trainer.


    Compared to fully developed Pok��mon like Sawsbuck, Yuga was more interested in raising a Deerling step by step from the scratch. It wasn''t about being picky; Yuga simply wanted the sense of aplishment that came from nurturing his own Pok��mon.


    It wasn''t that Yugacked strong Pok��mon; he had a roster of powerful ones, including pseydo-Elite level Pok��mon like Audino, Great Flygon, Gengar, Mismagius, Chandelure, Vespiquen, the Elite level Pok��mon like Noctowl and Volcarona and even a Champion level Dragonite sleeping in his Ecopark whose strength isparable to those Legendary Pok��mon.


    If he neededbat power, these Pok��mon could easily meet his requirements. Since he didn''tck strong Pok��mon, Yuga wanted to train his main team from the ground up, a feeling of achievement that came from using Pok��mon he raised himself.


    Using pre-trained Pok��mon and using ones he personally raised gave him entirely different senses of aplishment. This was why Yuga didn''t include Gengar and Mismagius in his main team despite their formidable strength.


    Although he knew that he was being a bit particr, Yuga couldn''t help but follow his own preferences.


    Unable to find a satisfactory Pok��mon, Yuga looked at Virizion with a troubled expression.


    "May I go and see where the Pok��mon eggs are stored?" Yuga asked.


    Virizion looked puzzled, "Aren''t any of these Sawsbuck and Deerling satisfactory to you?"


    Yuga shook his head.


    "You humans are truly strange," Virizion remarked, unaware that Yuga possessed the Insight skill.


    Virizion called out to Spring, who was standing nearby, and instructed Spring to lead Yuga to where the Sawsbuck herd stored their unhatched Pok��mon eggs.


    Spring walked over from Winter''s side and signaled for Yuga to follow. Together, they went to the ce where the Pok��mon eggs were kept.


    The eggs of Sawsbuck and Deerling were ced in nests woven from twigs, leaves, and grass. There were a great many eggs, and many Deerling stood guard nearby. They were there to protect their offspring from any potential threats, as Pok��mon eggs represented the future of their herd.


    Spring and the guarding Deerling muttered a few words, and the leading guard nodded, clearing a path for Yuga to enter.


    Yuga''s gaze fell upon the haphazardly arranged Pok��mon eggs, and as soon as he activated his Insight skill, a rainbow of colors greeted his eyes.


    These eggs came in various colors, including red, orange, yellow, green, and blue, with red and orange being the most numerous, followed by yellow and green. However, there were only three or four eggs with blue potential, and none with indigo potential.


    However, there was one blue potential Pok��mon egg ced in a corner that stood out among all the eggs. Yuga noticed it immediately, especially the indigo halo that surrounded the edge of the blue light.


    This was an egg with potentialparable to the one that once belonged to Roserade.


    (Note : Roserade potential is pseudo-Indigo)


    This egg was likely the one with the best potential among all these eggs.


    The eggs of Sawsbuck and Deerling in the herd were managed collectively, so when these eggs were mixed together, not even they themselves knew which egg belonged to which pair of Deerling or Sawsbuck.


    When Yuga picked up this egg radiating the blue halo, neither the guarding Deerling nor Spring, who was waiting nearby, reacted specially. It seemed they were unaware of the egg''s uniqueness.


    After selecting the Pok��mon egg that met his requirements, Yuga followed Spring away from the egg storage area, cradling the egg gently in his hands, feeling very satisfied.


    At this moment, a tiny head with a sapling sprout on its head poked out from Yuga''s chest. It gazed at the Pok��mon egg in Yuga''s hands with curious, wide eyes, and then it licked the egg with its tongue before looking up at Yuga with a joyful expression.


    Because Turtwig was still very young, Yuga didn''t rush to put it into a Pok�� Ball. Its size was petite, so Yuga simply carried it with him.


    Seeing the adorable sight of Turtwig, Yuga introduced, "This is a Deerling baby. Once it hatches, you two can be good friends."


    "Turtwig, Turtwig!"


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Turtwig was extremely delighted, and its eyes shone even brighter when it looked at the Deerling egg.


    Seeing Yuga return with the egg in his arms, Virizion spoke up, "After all that time, you chose an egg like this?"


    Yuga''s actions puzzled Virizion greatly because the egg Yuga had chosen was inconspicuous. Without Yuga''s Insight skill, it looked no different from the ordinary red, orange, and yellow-green potential eggs.


    "Yes, this egg is very good, and I like it," Yuga replied with a smile.


    Virizion nodded in response to Yuga''s words, deciding not to inquire further. If Yuga was satisfied with it, that was what mattered.


    "Follow me; I''ll show you the otherpensations," Virizion said, and Yuga nodded, carrying the egg and following behind Virizion.


    They walked together to a cliffside covered in caves, and Yuga saw an Aerodactyls flying around in the sky.


    Upon spotting Yuga, these Aerodactyls immediately revealed menacing expressions, but when they saw Virizion by Yuga''s side, they abruptly stopped their aerial movements and nervously flew away.


    "This is where I reside," Virizion indicated with its head towards the cliffside.


    Yuga looked ahead and saw countless caves on the cliffside, some with Aerodactyls poking their heads out curiously, looking at Yuga and Virizion.


    This was Virizion''s residence? Wasn''t it supposed to be the Aerodactyls'' dwelling ce?

 Chapter 555: Selection

    <h4>Chapter 555: Selection</h4>


    Yuga couldn''t discern where Virizion''s dwelling was, so he heard Virizion ask, "Do you have Flying-type Pok��mon?"


    Yuga nodded in response and released his Dragonair. While Dragonair wasn''t a Flying-type Pok��mon, it was capable of flight, making it a suitable choice.


    Upon seeing Dragonair, Virizion said, "Ride on it and follow me."


    With that, Virizion made a sudden leap, leaving Yuga dumbfounded as it jumped onto the cliffside.


    On the steep cliff, Virizion agilely leaped and climbed, disying remarkable agility.


    Only after Virizion entered a cave did Yuga notice what Virizion referred to as its dwelling, amidst many simr caves.


    It was a cave simr to the Aerodactyls'' nest, but muchrger and situated at the highest point on the cliffside.


    Looking at the towering cliff, Yuga couldn''t fathom how Virizion had managed to jump up there. Truly, it was a Legendary Pok��mon, with great jumpings power.


    It was said that the legs of ziken, the Fire-type Pok��mon, could effortlessly leap over thirty-story buildings. Although this im was likely exaggerated, Yuga had no doubt that Virizion could aplish such feats.


    Taking his gaze away from the awe-inspiring sight, Yuga mounted Dragonair and flew towards the cave where Virizion was located.


    After dismounting from Dragonair and entering the cave, a refreshing scent filled the air, apanied by a distinct aroma of grass. It was a scent perfectly suited for a Grass-type Pok��mon''s dwelling.


    The cave was remarkably dry, with many shiny stones embedded in the walls, illuminating the interior brightly.


    Yuga retracted Dragonair and proceeded further into the cave. Virizion, who had already arrived in the depths of the cave, was waiting for him.


    "Come here. You can choose three items from here aspensation from me. What you pick depends on your judgment," Virizion said, lifting its front right paw and gesturing toward the items scattered around.


    Yuga nced in the direction pointed out by Virizion and saw a trove of treasures. There were over a dozen brilliantly colored Miracle Seeds, a heap of Evolution Stones, with Leaf Stones and Sun Stones being the most numerous, various precious herbs, and many other items he didn''t recognize. Everything that had caught Virizion''s eye must have been extraordinary.


    Perhaps because Virizion was a Grass-type Legendary Pok��mon, most of these items were rted to Grass-type Pok��mon. Yuga even noticed several Pok��mon eggs among them.


    "These Pok��mon eggs are...?" Yuga didn''t understand why Virizion was collecting these eggs.


    Virizion exined, "These were all picked up from the forest. They''ve lost their parents, and I felt sorry for them, so I brought them here. Interested? You can choose one if you like."


    Yuga was indeed very interested in one of the Pok��mon eggs, especially the one emitting a dazzling indigo light almost blinded his titanium aloy eyes.


    It''s truly a case of every cloud having a silver lining. Although Yuga didn''t encounter a Deerling with a indigo potential, he stumbled upon a Pok��mon egg with a indigo potential.


    Indeed, it''s a Legendary Pok��mon with an exceptional eye for talent, effortlessly picking up a Pok��mon egg with Indigo potential! Yuga thought to himself.


    With Virizion''s permission, Yuga cradled the indigo potential Pok��mon egg in his arms. The egg had three different colored patterns: dark green, light green, and pale green. These three colors formed three circles around the egg, with the dark green circle in the center, and the light green circles on either side, while the top and bottom of the egg were pale green.


    Just by these patterns, Yuga could tell it was a Grass-type Pok��mon, but he couldn''t determine the specific species.


    After obtaining the Pok��mon egg, Yuga shifted his gaze back to the pile of treasures.


    However, at that moment, Turtwig in Yuga''s arms suddenly emerged from its hiding ce. It struggled to jump down to the ground and then scuttled into the pile of treasures, using its small head to nudge and poke around.


    "Turtwig!"


    Yuga tried to stop it, but Turtwig picked up an irregrly shaped, earthy yellow crystal and swallowed it with a "gulp."


    Seeing this, Yuga hurriedly rushed over, picked up Turtwig anxiously, and touched its belly, asking, "Turtwig, are you okay?"


    Turtwig stared back with its innocent, wide eyes, seemingly unaware of what had happened. Seeing Yuga continuously touching its belly, it thought Yuga was ying with it and began to wriggle yfully in Yuga''s arms.


    Yuga hadn''t figured out anything yet when he felt a strange energy fluctuation emanating from Turtwig''s body.


    Especially the tiny sapling on its head continuously emitted green dots of light.


    When Yuga looked again, he felt like that little sapling had grown a bit.


    "This little thing has quite the eye for treasures. It''s a gift from the Landorus, something that promotes the growth of Ground-type Pok��mon and improves their potential. It''s something only Legendary Pok��mon like us can nurture," Virizion said with a smile, observing the unusual change in Turtwig.


    Hearing Virizion''s exnation, Yuga''s anxious heart finally rxed.


    Then Yuga remembered that Gengar and Mismagius had mentioned something simr. When Marshadow left, it gave them each a ck crystal, which improved their potential. Could this be the same type of item?


    ...


    <<turtwig>> </turtwig>


    Type: Grass


    Ability: Overgrow


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 5


    Moves: Tackle, Withdraw, Growth, Take Down.


    ...


    Under his Insight ability, Turtwig''s potential had indeed shifted from blue to indigo, and it had also passed the infant stage. It''s worth noting that during the infant stage, specific data was hidden from Yuga''s Insight ability.


    But this crystal from the Landorus seemed to be of higher quality than the one given by Marshadow. Mismagius also had blue potential, but it only improved slightly, not reaching the indigo level like Turtwig. Could it be due to the tiny sapling on its head?


    Yuga stared at Turtwig''s small sapling for a while but couldn''t discern anything, so he withdrew his gaze.


    That earthy yellow crystal was something that affected Ground-type Pok��mon. Although Turtwig wasn''t a Ground-type Pok��mon, its final evolution, Torterra, belonged to the Ground type. That''s why the crystal had an effect on it.


    "What a fantastic item!" Yuga thought to himself and then shifted his gaze to another crystal nearby, its has green color which resembled the earthy yellow one.


    Noticing Yuga''s interest, Virizion said, "This is something I''ve nurtured, simr in function to what the little one just consumed. It benefits Grass-type and Fighting-type Pok��mon. You can take it if you want; it doesn''t hold any special significance for me."


    Previously, Virizion had provided these items to its subordinates and their tribes. Otherwise, it wouldn''t have been able to nurture three Elite level and one Champion level Sawsbuck.


    Yuga''s eyes lit up upon hearing this. "Thank you so much!"


    After expressing his gratitude, Yuga quickly stashed the item in his pocket. It woulde in handyter for Breloom, who was both a Grass and Fighting type.


    With the three items selected, Yuga reluctantly nced at the remaining treasures.


    He couldn''t help but covet the high quality Leaf Stone and Sun Stone hidden among the pile of Evolution Stones.


    These two were also exceptionally rare items, capable of altering the potential of specific Pok��mon. However, their effects weren''t as potent as the crystals nurtured by Legendary Pok��mon and weren''t as universally applicable. After all, not all Pok��mon needed Evolution Stones to evolve.


    Yet Yuga already had one Supreme grade Leaf Stone and Sun Stone in his system''s inventory. Furthermore, he possessed a supreme grade Moon Stone and Awakening Stone, so he felt less regretful.

 Chapter 556: Defeatist

    <h4>Chapter 556: Defeatist</h4>


    Virizion said, "I''ve given you thepensation you deserve. Let''s head back."


    Yuga nodded, carefully cing Turtwig back into his arms and cradling the two Pok��mon eggs he had with him. He followed behind Virizion.


    As they descended the cliff and reached the base, Yuga turned to Virizion and asked, "May I inquire about our current location in this underground world?"


    Virizion replied, "Calcting from the entrance to here, we''re already at the deepest part of the underground world. See that cliff over there? It marks the edge of the underground world."


    Ah, that exins it! Yuga thought. No wonder he had encountered Virizion and Landorus here. He had unintentionally reached the farthest reaches of this underground world. It was time to head back.


    Virizion, looking down, asked Yuga, "Why did youe here?"


    Seeing Yuga momentarily lost in thought, Virizion continued, "I mean, what brought you here?"


    Yuga regained his focus and replied, "I''m a member of the League now. My purpose foring here was to investigate the situation."


    Yuga felt that Virizion had a favorable impression of the League, so he didn''t hide his mission.


    Virizion nodded after hearing this. "Then it''s time for you to leave. Once you return, you can report the information about me and Landorus. I believe the League will send someone to establish contact with us soon."


    Yuga thought this was perfect. With information about Virizion and Landorus, his mission was essentiallyplete.


    After bidding farewell to Virizion, Yuga began nning his journey back. He retraced his steps, avoiding the Pok��mon groups he had encountered earlier by referring to his prior notes, aiming to reach the surface as quickly as possible.


    By the time the fifth day arrived, Yuga had covered nearly half the distance back. It seemed likely he would make it out before the seventh day.


    As night fell, Yuga, with the help of Chatot, found an abandoned cave to take shelter in, just like when he arrived. He used his special abilities to incubate the Pok��mon eggs of Deerling and the unidentified Grass-type Pok��mon. Yuga could sense that under the influence of his abilities, the life within these eggs was growing stronger, and they would likely hatch soon.


    The next morning, as was his habit, Yuga refreshed the Trainer''s Store in his system. Although today didn''t bring any extraordinary surprises like the Seed of Unknown, he did manage to refresh a batch of custom Pok�� Balls that his system had initially rewarded him.


    Yuga had always used these custom Pok�� Balls for his main team. Initially, the system had only granted him ten of these special Pok�� Balls. Surprisingly, now that he was about to capture new Pok��mon, the system''s store had restocked them.


    This system was quite considerate!


    This was the first time Yuga had seen these custom Pok�� Balls refresh. However, their rarity was the same as regr Special Pok�� Balls, categorized as green items. Yuga could exchange five of them at once.


    Yuga exchanged five of the custom Pok�� Balls and used one to capture Turtwig. After spending these two days with Yuga, the young Turtwig had grown incredibly fond of him, making the capturing process very smooth.


    After having breakfast with his Pok��mon, Yuga continued his journey back. However, he hadn''t gone far before a massive figure descended from the sky.


    Yuga quickly retreated with Chatot, moving to the side, and then heard a loud thud as the figure crashed to the ground. He narrowly avoided the impact, and Chatot hid in a nearby thicket.


    It was an Archeops, the same one Yuga had seen with Tokiwa, that brutally eat Liepard.


    The Archeopsy on the ground in a disheveled state. Its once vibrant feathers were scattered, and many parts of its wings were bald. This was a far cry from the majestic and fearsome creature Yuga had witnessed earlier.


    Hiding in the underbrush, Yuga and Chatot dared not make a sound. It was difficult to fathom who could have beaten such a formidable Elite level Pok��mon to this state.


    Fortunately, he hadn''t been holding Turtwig in his arms, and the Pok��mon eggs were safely stored in his system''s backpack. Otherwise, he might not have been able to escape in time and would have been pinned beneath the Archeops.


    The Archeops struggled to spread its wings in an attempt to take flight once more. That''s when Yuga identified the "culprit" responsible for the Archeops''s sorry state.


    A rocky gray figure descended from the sky, and its sharp ws pressed firmly against the Archeops''s neck, forcing it back to the ground. The Archeops''s body immediately spewed fresh blood.


    The bright red blood seemed to arouse the ferocity of the te-gray figure. It opened its huge mouth and bit the Archeops''s neck.


    This rocky gray figure was a colossal Aerodactyl, simr in size and rank to the Archeops. Both were at the peak of the Elite level.


    Just as the Aerodactyl was about to sink its teeth into the Archeops''s neck, the Archeops''s long tail whipped back and sent the Aerodactyl flying. In a state of panic, the Archeops tried to flee, but it forgot to open its wings for flight.


    Observing this frantic Archeops, Yuga found it quite peculiar. After all, both of these Pok��mon were at the peak of the Elite level. It seemed unreasonable that the Archeops would be beaten so badly by the Aerodactyl.


    However, when Yuga noticed the Archeops''s timid eyes, he immediately understood the reason.


    It was the Defeatist ability! This ability likely not only lowered the Archeops''s Attack and Special Attack but also affected its originally fierce personality.


    Imagine two Pok��mon in battle, one charging fearlessly while the other cowered. The timid one would undoubtedly be defeated, and this was evident.


    The Archeops, halfway through its escape, was once again pinned down by the returning Aerodactyl. Countless trees and nts were ttened under the Archeops''s weight, and the earth was scattered in all directions, revealing the immense force the Aerodactyl exerted.


    The more aggressive the Aerodactyl appeared, the more timidity the Archeops disyed. In the end, the Archeops even began to whimper.


    Yuga found it hard to believe that this was the same Archeops he had seen earlier, the one that had fiercely tearing apart Liepard.


    This was the negative impact of the Defeatist ability. It not only affected the Archeops''sbat abilities but also influenced its character.


    In normal circumstances, even with reducedbat abilities, the Archeops should have had no problem escaping because Defeatist didn''t affect its speed. However, when Defeatist influenced the Archeops''s character, it affected its ability to think rationally. The panicked Archeops even forgot how to fly when trying to escape.


    The more distressed it became, the more disadvantaged it was in the battle against the Aerodactyl.


    Most Pok��mon abilities have a positive impact on them, but the Defeatist ability was one of the few that had a detrimental effect on a Pok��mon. Yuga used to think that this ability only affected a Pok��mon''s Attack and Special Attack, based on its description, but now he had witnessed firsthand that the name "Defeatist" was fitting.

 Chapter 557: Seeking Help

    <h4>Chapter 557: Seeking Help</h4>


    The Archeops, once again caught by the Aerodactyl, was now even more severely wounded. Most parts of its body had be bald.


    Not only that, butrge chunks of scales from its head and tail had fallen off, giving it a bloody appearance.


    This particr Pok��mon, the Archeops, had its entire body covered in feathers of three colors: blue, green, and yellow. However, its neck and tail were usually protected by green and red scales.


    But at this moment, all those sturdy scales had fallen off one by one under the sharp ws and teeth of the Aerodactyl.


    Facing imminent death, the Archeops finally went berserk. It instinctively unleashed a Normal-type moves Thrash, using its wings, tail, and ws to randomly strike the Aerodactyl that was pressing it down.


    This haphazard and uncoordinated assault caused significant trouble for the Aerodactyl. The Archeops was no longer using specific moves; it was controlled by its moves.


    The unprepared Aerodactyl was left scrambling, sustaining numerous injuries in the process. It seemed to be seriously wounded, ultimately having no choice but to reluctantly loosen its grip on the Archeops and retreat back into the sky.


    The Archeops fell into confusion state after using Thrash move, it finally forgot about its inner cowardice. It vented its frustration and anger, destroying all the surrounding nts. Even the Aerodactyl dared not approach the Archeops due to its erratic attacks.


    Fortunately, Yuga and his Chatot had already kept a safe distance; otherwise, they would have been caught up in the Archeops''s frenzied assault.


    The Archeops was already in a severe condition, and now its wounds had torn further due to its rampage. Yuga believed that it wouldn''t be long before this Archeops sumbed to excessive blood loss.


    The Aerodactyl hovered in the air, patiently observing the frenzied Archeops below for over half an hour. Despite the continued onught, the Archeops showed no signs of stopping.


    However, Yuga could sense that despite its current energetic appearance, the Archeops''s strength was gradually waning. It probably wouldn''t hold out much longer.


    But the Aerodactyl''s patience was wearing thin. Seeing the relentless attacks of the Archeops, it finally decided to leave. Although it had conflicted with the Archeops due to hunting, engaging in a life-or-death struggle wasn''t worth it. They were evenly matched, and if the Archeops went all out, the Aerodactyl wouldn''t fare well either.


    A few minutes after the Aerodactyl departed, the Archeops, now looking deted, copsed to the ground with a thud. If it weren''t for the visible rise and fall of its chest, Yuga might have thought that this Archeops had already perished.


    Despite this, Yuga didn''t dare to approach yet. Instead, he continued to quietly observe the heavily injured Archeops. Just in case, he didn''t want to risk the Archeops making ast-ditch attack when he ventured closer.


    After waiting for about half an hour and seeing that the Archeops now seemed to be running out of energy, Yuga cautiously approached.


    To be on the safe side, he recalled his Chatot and sent out his Volcarona for protection.


    Both being Elite level Pok��mon, although the Volcarona couldn''t defeat the Archeops in its prime, dealing with an Archeops on the brink of death was entirely manageable.


    With the protection of the Volcarona, Yuga finally approached the Archeops with confidence.


    At this moment, the Archeops had its eyes tightly shut, and its chest was gently rising and falling. Some of its wounds were still oozing fresh blood, while others had dried and turned ck. As for the once vibrant feathers on its body, only a few sparse remnants remained.


    Yuga lightly kicked the Archeops''s side, and it abruptly opened its eyes, fixing its intense gaze on him, startling Yuga.


    But at this moment, the Archeops could only manage one action: staring.


    Seeing no other reaction from it, Yuga breathed a sigh of relief. He then gently kicked the Archeops once more, and it still didn''t react except for intensifying its stare.


    However, no matter how he looked at it, Yuga felt that the gaze it gave off was more of a baleful expression rather than one filled with intent. Its Defeatist ability seemed to still be in effect, especially since it was still in a severely injured state.


    "Should I save you?" Yuga pondered.


    Allowing a Peak Elite level Pok��mon to die like this would be a tremendous waste. Although it looked quite old, its Elite level strength was undeniable.


    "Do you want me save you?" Yuga spoke aloud.


    Upon hearing this, the Archeops''s expression visibly rxed. Its intense gaze shifted, reced by a pleading look with a hint of submission, disying a touch of subservience.


    Heh, this Archeops is indeed interesting. The influence of its Defeatist ability is remarkably pronounced. If it were any other Peak Elite level Pok��mon, it might prefer death over showing such weakness.


    This Defeatist ability had magnified the Archeops''s inherent vulnerability to the extreme, making it willing to submit even to the weak in order to survive.


    Compared to the Peak Elite level Archeops, Yuga was the weaker party.


    However, Yuga didn''t consider the Archeops''s submission as shameful. Survival is an instinct shared by all living creatures. Faced with a simr situation, he might make the same choice.


    The smarter the creature, the more likely it is to make the choice that benefits itself the most.


    "If you want me to save you, just blink."


    The Archeops''s injuries were too severe, and apart from its eyelids, it probably couldn''t move any other part of its body.


    Upon hearing this, the Archeops rapidly blinked its eyes, brimming with the will to survive.


    The Archeops, relying on its green potential, had reached the Peak Elite level with not just outstanding potential but also through years of umtion. Achieving a breakthrough to Peak Elite level from Elite level was extremely challenging for Pok��mon with green potential. Back when the Noctowl managed to break through, it had the help of Celebi, demonstrating that the Archeops''s breakthrough must have taken a considerable amount of time.


    A Pok��mon''s power breakthrough to the Peak Elite level granted it a significant leap in its life level and greatly extended its lifespan. It was this prolonged lifespan that allowed the Archeops to climb from Elite to Peak Elite level step by step. However, without external assistance, the Archeops wouldn''t have much hope of breaking through to the Peak Elite level during its lifetime.


    Having lived for so long, the Archeops naturally understood that its life was more valuable than anything else. Thus, things like dignity were of little importance now.


    Furthermore, once its injuries healed, it could do whatever it wanted to this two-legged creature! The Archeops schemed silently.

 Chapter 558: Lenora

    <h4>Chapter 558: Lenora</h4>


    With the consent of the Archeops, Yuga released Florges and Chimecho to assist in treating the Archeops''s injuries.


    The Archeops had numerous wounds on its body, but the most severe were the w marks on its neck. If its neck were as slender as a Swanna''s, the Aerodactyl could have easily crushed it.


    As for the bald spots on its body, Yuga was powerless to do anything about them.


    The Archeops''s injuries were slightly less severe than those of the Kabutops earlier. After applying the medicine, it seemed temporarily safe.


    Yuga felt quite adept at rescuing Pok��mon. He had previously saved an injured Kabutops and now a wounded Archeops.


    After treatment, the Archeops settled into a peaceful slumber. It had no worries that Yuga would harm it because that would serve no purpose. Otherwise, Yuga wouldn''t have saved it in the first ce. Right now, the most crucial thing for the Archeops was to recover from its injuries.


    Observing the Archeops, which had closed its eyes defenselessly, Yuga took out a Pok�� Ball. With remarkable ease, he captured the Archeops inside and locked the Pok�� Ball.


    Yuga had used a Healing Ball to capture the Archeops, an item he had obtained from his previous shopping in the Trainer Store. Since the system''s store had opened, he hadn''t acquired many items, but he had bought several types of Pok�� Balls.


    Yuga had locked the Archeops inside a Pok�� Ball to prevent it from causing trouble once its injuries had healed. He wasn''t na?ve enough to believe that the Archeops would easily submit.


    After all, it was still an Elite level Pok��mon. While its dignity was lost, its pride remained intact. There were countless examples of wild Pok��mon turning on their trainers after being captured. This was one of the reasons why many trainers preferred raising Pok��mon from a young age themselves rather than capturing already-formedbat power in the wild.


    Apart from the risk of counter-attacks, there was also the issue of understanding each other. Fully-formed Pok��mon were harder to train andmand like Pok��mon raised from a young age.


    Trainers valued the bond they built with their Pok��mon.


    The Archeops, which had spent its entire life in the underground world, couldn''t have known about Pok�� Balls in human hands. It wasn''t like Virizion, who had ventured outside and gained knowledge of the human world. To the Archeops, human matters were aplete mystery.


    Low-quality Pok�� Balls might not hold it, but the special Pok�� Balls in the system''s green item category should do the trick.


    Of course, if the Archeops were in a clear-headed state, it would be impossible for Yuga to capture it. The number of Pok�� Balls he possessed wouldn''t be enough.


    After sealing the Archeops''s Pok�� Ball and cing it in his system backpack, Yuga continued on his way back. He took a slightly detoured path to avoid encountering the Aerodactyl, which was in the direction of his return. Running into it would make him its prey.


    The rest of the journey proceeded smoothly without any further surprises. Finally, on the afternoon of the sixth day, Yuga emerged from the underground world.


    As soon as he returned to the surface, Yuga underwent an examination by the security personnel. After being scanned, it was revealed that the two Pok��mon he had exposed were Turtwig and Kabutops.


    Since Mr. Alder had granted them permission to capture two Pok��mon inside, it would have seemed suspicious if Yuga had returned without exposing any Pok��mon.


    Afterpleting the inspection, Lloyd and Tokiwa simultaneously came to meet Yuga because he was the only one among the three who had sessfully returned.


    After being taken to a makeshift room, Lloyd, excited, said to Yuga, "Finally, someone has returned! We''ve had no news from you guys these past few days, and I''ve been terribly worried."


    The underground world has no signal reception, so Yuga and the others would be imunicado once they entered it.


    Yuga smiled and replied, "I''m here safe and sound. By the way, has Sora and Christine returned yet?"


    Yuga''s tone was calm as he spoke, as if he hadpletely forgotten about the incident where Lloyd and Tokiwa had teamed up to deceive him. This made Tokiwa, who had been standing quietly without saying a word, quietly breathe a sigh of relief.


    Tokiwa was genuinely afraid that Yuga would confront Lloyd when he emerged from the underground world. After all, Lloyd had done what he did because of Tokiwa''s request.


    Although Lloyd wasn''t afraid of Yuga, a confrontation would be a loss of face for both parties.


    Seeing Yuga''s attitude in speaking was the same as when they had first met, Lloyd also breathed a sigh of relief and continued to ask, "They haven''t returned yet. How did your mission go?"


    Yuga replied, "Ipleted the mission without any problems. But who should I report the mission details to?"


    Lloyd said, "Just wait a moment. I''ve already sent someone to bring the person in charge of your mission here. They should arrive shortly."


    Yuga nodded in response and remained silent.


    After waiting for about two or three minutes, Yuga saw a middle-aged woman enter the room under the guidance of an Investigation.


    Upon seeing Yuga, she smiled and said, "Shimizu Yuga, your name is quite famous!"


    This middle-aged woman was Lenora, the Gym Leader of the Nacrene City Gym in the Unova Region. In addition to being a Gym Leader, she was also a veteran researcher of ancient Pok��mon fossils, earning her the title of the "Mother of Ancient Bones" in the field of ancient fossil archaeology.


    Furthermore, her husband was the curator of the Nacrene City Museum, which housed a vast collection of ancient Pok��mon fossils.


    So, it wasn''t surprising for Yuga to see her here.


    "Gym Leader Lenora, it''s an honor to meet you," Yuga greeted her politely.


    Lenora said, "You two can continue the discussion. We''ll leave."


    Upon Lenora''s arrival, Lloyd and Tokiwa left the room, as their Investigation Bureau''s responsibility was mainly to oversee and investigate, not to handle specific matters.


    Once they were alone, Lenora smiled and said, "Please, have a seat. Tell me everything you know about the underground world. I''m extremely curious about it."


    Lenora was now very interested in the underground world, her expression filled with anticipation.


    Yuga sighed and said, "Gym Leader Lenora, there''s something even more important that I need to report to you."


    "Something more important?" Lenora''s interest was piqued even further.


    "It''s about Virizion and Landorus in the underground world," Yuga said in a hushed tone.


    At the mention of these two names, Lenora''s smile vanished, and her expression became extremely serious.


    "You mean there are Virizion and Landorus in the underground world?" she asked.


    Yuga nodded.


    Lenora said, "I see. It seems that the situation here can''t be resolved by us alone."

 Chapter 559: Apology

    <h4>Chapter 559: Apology</h4>


    "I''ll need you to stay here for a while. I have to report what''s happened here to higher-ups. When they arrive, I''ll trouble you to provide them with the details," Aloe said hurriedly and then left the room, leaving Yuga alone.


    Yuga sighed and left the room, only to find Lloyd standing at the door.


    When Lloyd saw Yugaing out, he said, "Yuga, can we talk?"


    Yuga remained silent for a moment and then replied, "Sure, where do you want to talk?"


    Yuga knew why Lloyd hade to see him, and although he didn''t hold too much resentment, there was still a bit of unease in his heart.


    Yuga was led into Lloyd''s tent, and Lloyd said, "Please have a seat."


    The tents where the inspectors lived were quite high-end, and the interior space was quite spacious, not much different from a small room, and they had everything one might need inside.


    After Yuga sat down, Lloyd said: "I think you should know why I called you here."


    Yuga nodded, but did not speak.


    Lloyd began, "I sincerely apologize for what happened earlier. But if I had the chance to do it over, I would make the same choice."


    Yuga couldn''t help but smile inwardly. Wasn''t this the ssic "I know I was wrong, but I wouldn''t change a thing" scenario?


    Seeing that Yuga didn''t respond, Lloyd continued, "My parents were originally part of the League, but they sacrificed themselves during a mission. While the Leaguepensated me well and ensured I had afortable life afterward, I still became an orphan. Later, through my own efforts, I joined the League and became an honorable Investigator. However, as someone with no connections, entering such an important department made me a target for bullying. That''s when Uncle Tokiwa helped me. To me, he was like a father, so no matter what he ask, I always helped him in any way I could."


    "So what?" Yuga asked. "Are you trying to y the sympathy card? Is your way of repaying a debt to target someonepletely unrted to you?"


    Originally, although Yuga had some resentment towards Lloyd, he didn''t me him. After all, Tokiwa hadn''t done anything to harm him and had even helped him a bit.


    Lloyd wanted to repay a debt and assist Tokiwa, which was understandable because he had a connection with Tokiwa.


    But he could have done it quietly, kept whatever reasons he had in his heart, especially since those reasons were for Tokiwa and not for Yuga. It would have been meaningless even if Yuga knew about it.


    Did Yuga have to overlook this because Lloyd was orphaned or because of gratitude? It was just too strange.


    "What does the matter between him and Tokiwa have to do with me?" Yuga thought.


    He had no interest in the affairs between Lloyd and Tokiwa, nor did he care about Lloyd''s past.


    Using this as an exnation for himself, wasn''t it simr to acting like a sinner and then trying to regain a virtuous image? It meant saying, "I''m sorry for what I did, but I had reasons I couldn''t avoid, so you must forgive me."


    If he had just admitted his mistake without all the exnations, Yuga would have held him in higher regard. He did it, so what''s the need for so many justifications?


    Seeing Yuga''s expression change and his tone turn cold, Lloyd also felt a bit uneasy, not knowing where he had misspoken.


    "Alright, I ept your apology. Let''s not let this issue affect our rtionship going forward. It''s settled," Yuga concluded, leaving behind Lloyd who still didn''t know what happened.


    As Yuga stepped outside, he saw Tokiwa approaching. Yuga nodded in acknowledgment; his impression of Tokiwa was still quite favorable.


    Before anyone from higher-ups arrived, Yuga was assigned to a separate tent and awaited the return of Sora and Christine, who hadn''te back yet.


    However, during the evening, Yuga noticed a figure outside his tent and asked, "Who''s there?"


    "It''s me. May Ie in?" It was Tokiwa.


    It turned out to be Tokiwa.


    Yuga recognized the voice immediately.


    "Do i disturb your rest?"


    Tokiwa walked in and said apologetically.


    Yuga shook his head and said, "It''s still early, I''m not used to sleeping too early. So, what brings you here?"


    Tokiwa replied, "I noticed that you had a bit of a disagreement with Lloyd during the day, and I wanted to apologize on his behalf."


    Tokiwa actually didn''t know exactly what had happened, but he was aware that the conflict between Yuga and Lloyd had something to do with him. He felt it was necessary to make this visit.


    The exact reason for Yuga''s anger was probably known only to him, and talking about it might make Yuga seem a bit melodramatic. However, Yuga didn''t deny his own melodramatic tendencies.


    Everyone had their own thoughts, and if someone wasn''t feeling right about something, there was no need to consider how others perceived it. If it felt like being dramatic, so be it.


    Yugamented, "You''re quite the kind-hearted person, but he''s not your son."


    Tokiwa gave a faint smile.


    "Regardless, Lloyd is a good kid. While I don''t know what he did to upset you, ultimately, it''s our fault. An apology is necessary," Tokiwa stated.


    Afterward, Tokiwa ced three Pok�� Balls on the table.


    "What does this mean?" Yuga asked, puzzled, as he nced at the three Pok�� Balls on the table.


    Tokiwa exined, "I know you''re a Grass-type trainer. Inside these Pok�� Balls are three Grass-type Pok��mon recently captured by Lloyd and me. They all have promising potential. You can choose one as our way of making amends."


    Yuga thought to himself, "The older folks sure know how to handle things. Apologize when needed, make amends when necessary. No need for unnecessary words."


    "May I open the Pok�� Balls to see them?" Yuga pointed at the three Pok�� Balls.


    "Of course," Tokiwa replied.


    Hearing Yuga''s response, Tokiwa felt relieved. If Yuga agreed to this gesture of reconciliation, it meant that this matter could be put behind them.


    Tokiwa''s willingness to lower his stance in this situation was partly influenced by inside information from the Investigation Bureau, indicating that Yuga had significant backing and should not be trifled with.


    Reality could be harsh, and one''s background mattered. Even someone as upright as Tokiwa had to bow his head when necessary.


    With Tokiwa''s approval, Yuga proceeded to open the three Pok�� Balls, releasing the three Grass-type Pok��mon.


    From left to right, the three Pok��mon were Pansage, Cottonee, and Petilil, all rtively rare species.


    However, to Yuga''s disappointment, all three of these Pok��mon had green potential, with no blue in sight.


    But considering the scarcity of blue potential Pok��mon, it wasn''t surprising. Others wouldn''t easily give away such valuable assets.


    Yuga didn''t intend to train a green potential Pok��mon as a primary team member. Instead, he nned to ce it in his Ecopark. Thus, he immediately ruled out Petilil, as he already had one in the park.


    Between Pansage and Cottonee, Yuga naturally chose Cottonee. Ignoring their battle prowess for a moment, in terms of appearance, Cottonee outshone Pansage by a considerable margin.


    "I''ll choose this Cottonee," Yuga dered, pointing to the little Cotton Puff Pok��mon.


    Tokiwa nodded, handed Yuga the Cottonee''s Pok�� Ball, and retrieved the Pok�� Balls of the other two Pok��mon.


    epting the Pok�� Ball from Tokiwa, Yuga said, "Let''s consider this matter resolved, and after this, I doubt there will be any opportunity for us to meet again, you, me, and Lloyd."

 Chapter 560: Plesant Surprise

    <h4>Chapter 560: Plesant Surprise</h4>


    The next day, Yuga didn''t wait for the person mentioned by the Lerona Gym Leader but instead waited for the return of Sora and Christine.


    The time gap between their returns wasn''t long, but Christine came back with severe injuries. As soon as they arrived at the camp, she was rushed to the camp''s doctor for treatment.


    When Yuga saw Christine, she was still unconscious. She had been brought back by her Ludicolo and Abomasnow.


    These two Pok��mon seemed to have also sustained some injuries, but Pok��mon possess greater physical resilience and recovery capabilitiespared to humans, so they didn''t appear to be in significant distress.


    While others were frantically tending to Christine''s injuries, Yuga had Chimecho assist Ludicolo and Abomasnow with some basic treatment.


    Feeling the relief of their pain, both Pok��mon cast grateful nces toward Yuga and Chimecho. However, they were deeply concerned about their Trainer, so after ensuring their own well-being, they went to watch over her.


    In the midst of all this, Yuga couldn''t help but think about the events that had transpired underground. It was clear that they had encountered something quite dangerous, considering the injuries sustained by Christine and her Pok��mon.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Sora appeared to be uninjured, but he looked disheveled, and weariness was evident in his demeanor.


    Completing this mission had been a formidable challenge. Despite it being an intelligence-gathering mission, the underground world proved to be exceptionally dangerous.


    Had it not been for the presence of Elite level Pok��mon by Yuga''s side and the protection of arge group of Litwicks, Yuga''s situation would not have fared better than Christine or Sora.


    Yuga couldn''t help but wonder if the difficulty of the top three in the previous year was simr to what they had just experienced.


    Afterward, Yuga spent another day at the camp. The individual mentioned by the Lerona Gym Leader, who could handle the situation with Virizion and Landorus, finally arrived. It was none other than the Unova Champion, Mr. Alder.


    Upon Mr. Alder''s arrival, he immediately called Yuga and Sora into a room. As for Christine, though she had moved out of a life-threatening condition, she was still unconscious.


    Due to the confidential nature of the matter, only a select few were present in the room, including Yuga, Sora, the Gym Leader Lerona who was already informed, Mr. Alder, and his assistant.


    Mr. Alder, unlike his usual demeanor, was now quite serious. He extensively inquired about the situation in the underground world from both Yuga and Sora.


    Before discussing Virizion and Landorus, Yuga and Sora provided detailed reports on everything they had seen and heard in the underground world. Simultaneously, they handed over their terrain recording devices to Mr. Alder''s assistant.


    Once the debriefing wasplete, Sora left the room, leaving Yuga behind for further discussion with Mr. Alder.


    Mr. Alder meticulously inquired about Yuga''s encounter with Virizion and Landorus. Yuga modified the details slightly while exining the sequence of events. Apart from Virizion being drawn to him due to his capturing of Sawsbuck earlier, there was nothing particrly sensitive to disclose.


    "You''ve done a great job in handling this matter. The League will provide you with additional rewards, and if you have any requests, feel free to mention them. Tomorrow, someone will arrange for your departure from Pinwheel Forest, and further instructions will be provided," Mr. Alder said briefly.


    With these words, Mr. Alder left the room with his assistant and the Gym Leader Lerona.


    The following morning, a massive aircraftnded at the camp. Yuga, Sora, and the still unconscious Christine were all transported onto this aircraft.


    On board, a Nurse Joy was assigned to take care of Christine, ensuring that her injuries wouldn''t worsen during the journey back.


    Upon arriving in the city center of Castelia, Christine was promptly taken to the hospital for treatment, while Yuga and Sora were once again amodated in the dormitories designated thepetitions participants.


    Shortly after their arrival, Yuga met Mr. Charles and Mr. Reggie, who hade to offer rewards for his role in bringing information about Virizion and Landorus.


    While they hade to give rewards, they were unaware of the specific reasons behind Yuga''smendation. The situation involving Virizion and Landorus had been ssified as a top-secret event, with information sealed inside the Pinwheel Forest. No one outside Pinwheel Forest has received the information yet.


    The League has always been extremely secretive about information regarding Legendary Pok��mon because there are far too many individuals who have ulterior motives when ites to these Pok��mon. So, whether they were aware or unaware of this, the League has always maintained absolute silence.


    This secrecy isn''t only to protect the safety of Legendary Pok��mon but also to uphold the agreements between the League and the various Legendary Pok��mon.


    Mr. Reggie presented Yuga with his first reward: a Pok�� Ball. When opened, a yellow Bug-type Pok��mon emerged, buzzing excitedly around Yuga''s head.


    "Ribombee! Ribombee!"


    Yuga! I missed you so much!


    It was a Ribombee.


    "This Ribombee belongs to the Kalos League. We noticed how well you interacted with it previously, so we arranged a trade with the Kalos League to bring it here," Mr. Reggie exined with a smile.


    Seeing Ribombee again brought great joy to Yuga; it was an unexpected delight.


    "Thank you, Mr. Reggie," Yuga said sincerely. This reward was considerate and thoughtful.


    Mr. Reggie waved it off, smiling. "It''s not entirely my doing; Elite Four Siebold mentioned it, and the Unova League arranged it. Unfortunately, Elite Four Siebold has already returned to Kalos; otherwise, you could have met him."


    Yuga realized that Elite Four Siebold had been quite thoughtful, and he made a note to express his gratitude if they ever meet again.


    After appeasing Ribombee, Yuga returned it to its Pok�� Ball and turned his attention to Mr. Charles.


    Mr. Charles was a solemn elderly gentleman. Even in good spirits, his face remained impassive. When he saw Yuga looking at him, he calmly retrieved a Pok�� Ball and released a Pok��mon that left Yuga utterly surprised.


    It was a Deino!


    Yuga hadn''t expected the Unova League to be so generous as to offer him a pseudo-legendary Pok��mon like Deino. However, considering the importance of the information he had brought about Virizion and Landorus, it made sense.


    The lowest potential that all pseudo-legendary Pok��mon had are green potential. Coupled with their excellent final evolutions, pseudo-legendaries with green potential could even rival regr Pok��mon with blue potential.


    Yuga used his Insight ability to assess the Deino''s condition but found that he couldn''t view its specific data, likely because it had just been born. Nevertheless, he could discern its base potential, which were simply green.


    Yuga was more than satisfied. Having a pseudo-legendary Pok��mon like Deino was already a difficult. This Deino would be a perfectpanion for his Bagon.


    Mr. Charles spoke, "This Deino was recently transported from the Vige of the Dragon. It''s just hatched, and I hope you will take good care of it."


    Yuga assured him, saying, "You can count on me; I''ll take excellent care of it."


    Yuga''s favorite pastime was finding potential partners for his Pok��mon, and Deino and Bagon seemed like a perfect match. They could be childhood sweetheart and grow together, which he found delightful.


    Mr. Reggie added, "In addition to these two Pok��mon rewards, the League has also credited 10,000 Merit Points to your personal ount. You''re on your way to bing a Gym Leader, and Merit Points are essential for your advancement."


    Yuga nodded in acknowledgment. Merit Points were indeed vital for League members, often influencing their promotions within the organization.

 Chapter 561: Returning Home

    <h4>Chapter 561: Returning Home</h4>


    "After receiving my rewards, may I know when I can return to Hoenn?" Yuga inquired, addressing Mr. Reggie and Mr. Charles.


    "You can return anytime you wish. We have arranged a ne specifically for your journey back to Hoenn," replied Mr. Charles.


    Yuga was pleasantly surprised by the Unova League''s thoughtful consideration. "I''d like to return as soon as possible; I''m sure there are many matters that need my attention back home."


    Mr. Charles responded, "Shall we arrange for your departure flight tomorrow?"


    Yuga nodded appreciatively. "Thank you very much."


    Mr. Charles shook his head. "It''s the least we can do. We''ve heard that your assessment mission was quite challenging, and it was due to our oversight. This is also our way ofpensating you."


    After Mr. Charles and Mr. Reggie left, Yuga made a call to his aunt and uncle, informing them of his return schedule.


    His aunt was overjoyed upon receiving Yuga''s call. She had learned from the television about Yuga''s Championship victory and his impending career as a Gym Leader. She felt immense pride for her nephew.


    In her eyes, Gym Leaders were esteemed individuals, and she never imagined that her own nephew would one day be one of them.


    The next day, Yuga boarded a small private ne arranged by the Unova League. To his surprise, Sora was also on the same flight.


    This ne had been specially arranged to transport both Yuga and Sora, as their route back to Hoenn passed through the Johto region.


    As for Christine, she was reportedly still recuperating at a hospital in Castelia. While she had regained consciousness and her physical condition was improving, long-distance travel wasn''t advisable for her at the moment. She would have to wait a little longer before returning to Sinnoh region.


    Since it was a private ne, Yuga quickly arrived back in Hoenn. When the nended at the Verdanturf Town Airport, Yuga gazed out of the window and felt a surge of emotions.


    Initially, he had thought he would only be away for a few days to participate inpetition at Unova region. However, he ended up spending nearly half a month and went through quite a lot of experiences. Fortunately, the oues had all been positive.


    As soon as he disembarked from the ne, Yuga saw his aunt and uncle waiting for him outside, along with everyone from the YoYo Daycare.


    They all rushed to him, showering him with questions and excitement. In particr, Akihito and his younger siblings were eager to hear about thepetition.


    These youngsters held Yuga in such high regard, and their admiration for him was boundless.


    His aunt, on the other hand, held Yuga''s hand and couldn''t stop remarking about how he had lost weight and gotten tanned. Yuga couldn''t help but feel amused by her concern, which warmed his heart.


    However, Yuga was surprised not to see Audino among the weing party. Audino, being the mischievous and adventurous Pok��mon it was, rarely missed such events, especially when even Wigglytuff hade to greet him.


    "Where''s Audino? Why haven''t I seen it?" Yuga asked Suzuki Koen with a puzzled expression.


    Suzuki Koen chuckled and yfully covered her mouth. "You''ll find out when you get home."


    Yuga couldn''t help but roll his eyes. "What it''s so mystery."


    With joy in their hearts, Yuga and his family and friends returned to the YoYo Daycare.


    On the way, they encountered many townspeople who, upon seeing Yuga, showered him with praise and des.


    Yuga, who was already well-known in Verdanturf Town, he had be a household name and a source of pride for the entire town.


    The Gym Leader Challenges were broadcast worldwide, so the townspeople had watched Yuga''s matches and were aware of his impending career as a Gym Leader.


    The warmth and enthusiasm of his fellow townsfolk overwhelmed Yuga. By the time he reached home, his face was sore from smiling.


    When Yuga arrived home, he was greeted by an extravagant disy. Banners reading "Wee Home, Yuga" were draped across the front gate, and the entire entrance was adorned with colorful flowers, most of which were special products from the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    However, what surprised Yuga even more was the lineup of seven Flygon perched on the rooftop, with a Great Flygon in the center.


    As Yuga approached the entrance, they simultaneously released a massive Fire st into the sky, forming a fiery "��" character in vibrant red mes. Even in broad daylight, it was more spectacr than fireworks at night.


    After the fiery disy, each of them flew into the air, holding a flower basket in their ws. Countless petals drifted down below.


    When this was done, Audino walked out of the shop, holding a bouquet of flowers and wearing a cheerful smile. It handed the flowers to Yuga.


    "Audino!"


    Wee back, Yuga!


    Yuga, grinning, asked Audino, "Did you arrange all of this?"


    "Audino, Audino!"


    Yes, it was me. Do you like it?


    Audino nodded enthusiastically.


    Yuga replied with gratitude, "Thank you, I love it."


    "As soon as we heard you wereing back, Audino started preparing all of this. It worked hard on this for quite a while! Did you see the banner? It specifically asked the townspeople to make it, and it wouldn''t even let us help," Suzuki Koen exined with a smile.


    Through over ten days of getting to know each other, Suzuki Koen had sessfully integrated into the YoYo Daycare''s big family with her lively and outgoing personality.


    Yuga was touched by this and gave Audino a big hug.


    "You''ve done great."


    "Audino."


    Audino waved its hand modestly, indicating that it wasn''t a big deal.


    In addition to this warm wee, Audino led Yuga to the dining area, where Yuga was met with a table full of carefully prepared dishes.


    After everyone had gathered, Yuga invited everyone to sit down and enjoy the hearty meal.


    Audino''s culinary skills had improved significantly, and having not tasted its cooking for several days, Yuga found himself overindulging.


    After lunch, Yuga sat with a cup of tea, massaging his overfilled stomach.


    After some cheerful moments, everyone returned to their respective duties since business still had to be conducted at the daycare. Since Yuga''s championship victory had been televised and brought YoYo Daycare into the spotlight, business was booming, and they sometimes found themselves overwhelmed.


    Only Yuga''s aunt and uncle stayed behind to assist Audino and Wigglytuff in clearing the tables. In celebration of Yuga''s triumphant return, the couple had taken the day off from work.


    Yuga had initially wanted to help, but his aunt and Audino insisted on handling everything, leaving Yuga with nothing to do but rest.


    However, Yuga''s respite was short-lived. The mayor, Ishida, and Liliana soon arrived, having received news of Yuga''s return. They came by just to see Yuga, with no other business in mind, as they intended to discuss the establishment of the Gym on another day. They didn''t want to disturb Yuga''s rest right after his return.

 Chapter 562: Arrangements

    <h4>Chapter 562: Arrangements</h4>


    After Yuga''s aunt and uncle left, Yuga took Audino and went to the Ecopark.


    Upon returning, there were still several matters in the Ecopark that required Yuga''s attention.


    Entering the main Ecopark, the first thing Yuga noticed was Gardevoir (Male), who was teaching five Ralts about the ways of training. Gardevoir had a brilliant smile on its face, indicating that its life in the Ecopark had finally settled down.


    However, as soon as it saw Yuga, its smile vanished, and it left a few Ralts behind, using its Teleport move to hide beneath the Weather Tree.


    Yuga shrugged it off; regardless of Gardevoir''s attitude towards him, as long as it was happy here and didn''t cause trouble, Yuga didn''t mind.


    Leaving the main Ecopark, Yuga visited several Sub-Ecopark to check on the other Pok��mon. They were thrilled to see Yuga return after not seeing him for over ten days.


    Yuga was pleasantly surprised to find that the Charmeleon he had teleported home earlier hadpleted its evolution on its own, bing a mighty Charizard. However, upon seeing Yuga, Charizard rushed over, embraced him, nuzzled him, and tears welled up in its eyes.


    This was the first time Charizard had been separated from Yuga for such a long period, and it retained its emotional nature despite evolving into a powerful Charizard.


    Yugaforted Charizard for a while, and it managed to hold back its tears.


    ...


    <<charizard>> </charizard>


    Type: Fire


    Gender: Female


    Ability: ze


    Nature: Modest


    Level: 42


    Moves: Scratch, Ember, Hidden Power (Electric), Dragon Dance, Outrage, Smokescreen, Iron Tail, methrower, Fire Fang, Scary Face, Sunny Day, Fire Punch, Fire st, Dragon Pulse.


    ...


    Yuga used his Insight ability to assess Charizard''s training progress and discovered that not only had its level increased, but it had also learned two rare moves: Fire st and Dragon Pulse. He praised Charizard for its dedication despite his absence.


    Next, Yuga found Purrloin and Zoroark''s family in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark. Thanks to Audino and Wigglytuff''s arrangements, they were livingfortably in the Ecopark and seemed to get along well with Persian and the three Delcatty.


    In addition to Charizard''s evolution, the Swabblu with blue potential had also evolved into a Altaria, bing the leader of their small group, gracefully soaring in the sky over the grasnds with over ten other Swabblu.


    All the Lotads had evolved into Lombre, and Yuga noticed them diligently patrolling the herb fields in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, taking their responsibilities for tending to the fields seriously.


    In the ten-plus days that Yuga had been away, the herb fields in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark had expanded many times over and were now nted with numerousmon and useful herbs. These were the tasks Yuga had assigned to the Grass-type Pok��mon before he left, preparing materials for crafting Incense. The Grass-type Pok��mon had performed exceptionally well inpleting this task.


    The Revival Herbs growing in the fields were thriving, and it wouldn''t be long before they matured. Then Yuga could start making Max Revive, which would help Dragonair''s mother, Dragonite, wake up.


    Moreover, the Revival Herb seed that Bell Tower had given Yuga had sessfully sprouted.


    Yuga also encountered the lively Bagon in Miltank Leader''s care. It hade to regard Miltank Leader as its mother. Wherever Miltank Leader went, the little one followed, taking small steps behind.


    After introducing the Bagon to the Deino he had obtained from Mr. Charles, the two little ones quickly hit it off and began ying together. Both of them had only recently hatched, making them simple-minded and easily able to enjoy each other''spany.


    Continuing on, Yuga headed to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark to entrust the recently acquired Cottonee to the care of the Grass-type Pok��mon there. He also decided to leave Florges, Chimecho, and Vivillon in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    He entrusted Turtwig to Florges.


    He sent Kabutops to the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark to recover from its injuries.


    Yuga had been spending time with Kabutops over the past few days, and its injuries were almost fully healed now. It just needed some rest.


    Near the centralke of the first ind in the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark, Yuga met Breloom.


    It was sparring with Greninja in the forest on the ind. Yuga noticed that itsbat abilities had improved significantly. While it still wasn''t a match for Greninja, it could hold its own in a battle.


    After seeing Yuga, Breloom received the Green Crystal he had obtained from Virizion. Upon using it, as expected, its potential changed from green to blue.


    ...


    <


    >


    Type: Grass/Fighting


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 36


    Moves: Tackle, Stun Spore, Headbutt, Leech Seed, Bullet Seed, Drain Punch, Payback, Stone Edge, Mach Punch.


    ...


    Breloom used to be at a simr level to Charizard when it was still a Shroomish. However, Charizard had already reached level 42, while Breloom was still at level 36 due to differences in their potential.


    Furthermore, Breloom had the fewest moves among Yuga''s main Pok��mon. Potential also affected a Pok��mon''s ability toprehend and awaken new moves.


    However, upon its potential upgrade, Breloom awakened Mach Punch move, With its potential now in the blue range, Yuga expected its progress to be faster in the future.


    As for Archeops and the Mandibuzzs, Yuga had no ns to release them yet. They had not been properly trained, and releasing them into the Ecopark would only cause trouble.


    However, Yuga intended to assign Archeops and the Mandibuzzs to the third ind in the centralke of the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark.


    Currently, the first ind''s centralke was inhabited by Milotic, Gyarados, Linoone, and Mightyena. The second ind''s centralke was home to the Oddish family and the Hoppip family. The third ind''s centralke was currently unupied.


    Yuga''s n was to first properly tame Archeops and then appoint it as the guardian of the Mandibuzz family. This way, he wouldn''t have to worry about the fierce Mandibuzzs causing trouble.


    However, Yuga still didn''t know how to make Archeops obedient.


    Before releasing the Mandibuzzs onto the third ind, Yuga nned to ce them in the Desert Sub-Ecopark first. This would allow them to battle the Gligars and Flygons living there. Once they were convinced through battle, it would be easier to manage them.


    Yuga had only selected the Mandibuzzs with good potential from the Mandibuzz family group. Their numbers were not particrlyrge, and Yuga was confident in taming them all.


    Meanwhile, the Shiny Ariados living in the oasis forest of the Desert Sub-Ecopark had met its potential partner, Galvant.

 Chapter 563: The Volcano

    <h4>Chapter 563: The Volcano</h4>


    After checking the conditions of the Pok��mon in the Ecological Park, Yuga began to deal with the rewards the system had given him: eligibility to open two Sub-Ecopark and a Fire Stone vein.


    The first Sub-Ecopark Yuga opened was the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, a suitable habitat for Fire-type Pok��mon.


    Under Yuga''s watchful eye, another blue portal appeared in the main Ecopark, signaling the sessful opening of the Volcano Sub-Ecopark.


    Upon entering the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, Yuga immediately felt a wave of heat hit him.


    The entrance of the Volcano Sub-Ecopark was situated right on the edge of a volcanic crater. As soon as Yuga stepped in, he saw a bubbling pool of fiery-red magma below.


    The entire crater had a concave shape, but the terrain sloped gently downward, forming what appeared to be a magma pool, more like a magmake, as it was quite extensive and filled with scorching magma.


    However, there were many tforms protruding from the magmake, likely designed for Fire-type Pok��mon to rest or train on, as it would be challenging for them to stay in the scorching magma for long.


    Due to the high temperatures in the vicinity, there were no nts around the volcano. It was barren, with nothing but red molten rock visible.


    However, although the volcano itself was barren, the entire Volcano Sub-Ecopark was not.


    Standing on the volcano and looking down, Yuga saw that half of the volcano''s base was covered in dense forests, while the other half was a t grasnd, with a smallke at the junction of the two.


    Yuga thought that theyout of the Volcano Sub-Ecopark had been carefully designed to amodate Pok��mon like Rapidash, which needed both the fiery volcano environment and a spacious area to roam.


    On the other side of the forest was a grove of Tamato Berry trees, allden with bright red Tamato Berries.


    Tamato Berries were extremely spicy for humans, but they were a favorite of Fire-type Pok��mon.


    After thoroughly understanding the environment of the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, Yuga released his Volcarona from its Pok�� Ball.


    "Volcarona, this will be your new home from now on," Yuga said to Volcarona.


    Volcarona nced around at its surroundings, then excitedly pped its wings and hovered above the magmake. Itnded on thergest tform in the middle of the magmake.


    Volcaronay on the tform, its three pairs of orange-red wings spreading out. Threads of mes were drawn from the magmake by its wings, forming a fiery halo around Volcarona. The Pok��mon had a content expression on its face.


    "Volcarona, how do you like your new home?" Yuga called out to it.


    Volcarona raised its head, nodding in excitement.


    This ce was indeed perfect for Fire-type Pok��mon, with pure Fire energy permeating the air.


    For Volcarona, which had lived in ruins for many years, this was the first time it had experienced such afortable ce. It felt like it had wasted many years of its life.


    After settling Volcarona, Yuga went to inform the Fire-type Pok��mon about their move.


    Under Yuga''s guidance, the Fire-type Pok��mon lined up and left the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark. At the front were Nales and Houndoom, with their offspring, Vulpix and Houndour, following closely behind.


    Originally, the two reon had no intention of moving to the Volcano Sub-Ecopark. Because they were the only two reon in the Eevee family, they preferred to stay with their friends in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark.


    In the end, Yuga made the decision, and the entire Eevee family moved to the Volcano Sub-Ecopark.


    While the other Eevee family members may not be suited for living on the volcano itself, they could reside in the forest at the base of the volcano.


    The environment in that forest was not inferior to that of the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark.


    Although there is only one tomato berry tree, they don''t usually eat tree berry. What they eat are the Pok��blocks prepared by the Miltank, so it does not affect their living there.


    Yuga didn''t have many Fire-type Pok��mon, just Nales, Houndoom, and their respective offspring, Typhlosion and two Cyndaquil, Rapidash, and a few Ponyta. So, the relocation process was swift.


    Upon arriving at their new home, the Fire-type Pok��mon were excitedly frolicking around. They found the environment extremelyfortable.


    Although Fire-type Pok��mon were fine in a typical environment, a ce saturated with Fire energy like a volcano was more suitable for them.


    The League didn''t raise Charmander in traditional Ecological Parks. One of the most famous examples was the Charicific Valley in the Johto region, the League''srgest Charmander breeding base.


    After reaching the edge of the magmake, Nales and Houndoomy down, closing their eyes and enjoying the warmth.


    They extended their tails into the magma, gently swaying them, asionally sshing drops of magma onto their fur, but they didn''t mind at all.


    Most of the Nales and Houndoom in Yuga''s Ecological Park had the ability sh Fire, so when the magma touched them, it not only didn''t harm them but actually made them feel quitefortable.


    It had to be said that Pok��mon were truly remarkable creatures.


    Yuga also brought his Charizard into the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, and it followed suit, dipping its tail into the magma pool, imitating what Nales and Houndoom were doing.


    However, it didn''t take long for its face to turn bright red, and it quickly pulled its tail out of the magma.


    Charizard clutched its burnt tail, looking at Yuga with a pitiful expression, tears welling up in its eyes once again.


    Unlike Nales and Houndoom, Charizard didn''t possess the sh Fire ability. The mes on its tail weren''t real fire but rather its life force, so regr mes could still cause it harm.


    Yuga reminded Charizard that it could learn from Volcarona''s method of absorbing mes, so it eagerly hopped over to the tform next to Volcarona.


    Seeing Volcarona fan its wings to draw mes from the magmake, Charizard imitated it by lying on the tform and pping its wings continuously.


    Unfortunately, it didn''t manage to absorb the mes but instead caused the magma to stter all over, earning disapproving nces from nearby Typhlosion and Cydaquil.


    Seeing that Charizard was struggling with me absorption, Volcarona voluntarily stepped in to teach it. Charizard listened attentively as Volcarona exined.


    Charizard, being a Pok��mon with Indigo potential, quickly grasped the correct method of harnessing the power of magma for training under Volcarona''s guidance.


    However, Yuga couldn''t help but feel that Charizard''s attempt to emte Volcarona''s method of using its wings to manipte the mes was rather inefficient. He suggested that Charizard try using its own tail.


    Charizard took the advice and gently waved its tail on the surface of the magmake, copying Volcarona''s movements. It sessfully drew the mes from the magma and utilized them more effectively.


    Meanwhile, Rapidash and the Ponyta quickly ran to the grassy area at the base of the volcano to frolic around.


    Seeing that the Fire-type Pok��mon had settled in, Yuga took the Eevee family to the adjacent forest to make their new home.

 Chapter 564: The Haunted Manor

    <h4>Chapter 564: The Haunted Manor</h4>


    After arranging the Fire-type Pok��mon, Yuga turned his attention to the cement of the Fire Stone vein.


    ording to the system''s rmendation, the best location for the Fire Stone vein was near the volcano. Not only could it utilize the volcano to sustain the Fire Stone vein''s sustainable development, but the presence of the Fire Stone vein also benefited the growth of Fire-type Pok��mon.


    Naturally, Yuga adopted this advice from the "professional" system.


    Once Yuga imed the rewards for the Fire Stone vein, the entire volcano experienced a brief tremor, startling the Fire-type Pok��mon who were resting.


    However, the tremorsted only a moment before subsiding, and Yuga received a notification from the system that the Fire Stone vein had been sessfully ced.


    With Yuga''s reassurance, the emotions of the Fire-type Pok��mon quickly settled down.


    The system informed Yuga that this Fire Stone vein was arge one, capable of yielding Supreme-grade Fire Stones, which excited Yuga greatly.


    Under the system''s guidance, Yuga located the spot closest to the surface for the Fire Stone vein. He then enlisted the help of a few Trapinch that known dig move, to excavate a cave in the ground. It didn''t take long before Yuga unearthed several high-grade Fire Stones.


    Afterward, Yuga assigned the task of mining Fire Stones to the Fire-type Pok��mon. They only needed to dig when they had free time, and it wouldn''t consume much of their time.


    Leaving the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, Yuga returned to the main Ecopark because he still had the eligibility to open another sub-Ecopark.


    This time, Yuga chose the Haunted Manor, an exclusive sub-Ecopark for Ghost-type Pok��mon, as there were too many Litwicks the Haunted Manor will be the good ce for them.


    Yuga was now quite experienced in opening sub-Ecoparks, and a beam of light gradually took shape within his field of vision. In no time, the Haunted Manor sub-Ecopark was sessfully opened.


    Initially, Yuga had assumed that the Haunted Manor sub-Ecopark would be a house, but reality proved him wrong.


    Upon entering, the first thing Yuga noticed was an endless expanse of water, its surface a ghostly shade of blue, somewhat resembling the color of will-o-wisp. Yet, it appeared strangely beautiful and not at all eerie.


    The water''s surface shimmered, asionally emitting faint star-like glimmers.


    Taking his gaze away from the expanse of water, Yuga realized he was standing in an ancient castle.


    Looking at this eerie castle, Yuga realized that this was likely the origin of the name "Haunted Manor" for the sub-Ecopark.


    The entire castle was constructed with dark gray stones, but whether due to the erosion of time or its original rough construction, the castle had a gloomy appearance.


    It wasn''t just the castle; even the entire sub-Ecopark''s sky was gloomy. Although there wasn''t a single dark cloud in the sky, it always gave the impression of being under a heavy, oppressive overcast sky. Combined with the castle''s ambiance, it truly lived up to the name "Haunted Manor."


    Beautiful waters and a creepy castle �C the juxtaposition of these two extremendscapes made it exceptionally eerie.


    Following a long flight of steps, Yuga entered the castle.


    The interior of the castle was vast but incredibly empty. Apart from the stone that constructed it, there was nothing else, and a cold breeze periodically swept through, sending shivers down Yuga''s spine.


    The castle had three levels, and the lowest level led directly to a long set of stairs that disappeared into the beautiful sea.


    One side of the second level connected to a lengthy bridge, with the other end of the bridge attached to another identical castle.


    ording to the system''s exnation, there were a total of three such castles, connected in a "Ʒ" shape across the Ghost Sea.


    The Ghost Sea was precisely what Yuga had seen initially �C the vast expanse of water. ording to the system, the entire Ghost Sea was the core of the Haunted Manor sub-Ecopark.


    The water in the Ghost Sea wasn''t actual water but a unique substance, one capable of containing and storing life energy.


    This substance connected all of Yuga''s sub-Ecoparks and the main Ecopark, and the life energy in the Ghost Sea was the source of this connection.


    All living creatures continually emit life energy while they are alive.


    The metabolism of animals, the shedding of leaves and withering of branches in nts, and the wilting of flowers are all processes through which life energy dissipates outward.


    The waters of the Ghost Sea, however, gather and store this dispersed life energy, preventing it from being wasted meaninglessly in the natural world.


    Those shimmering dots that Yuga initially saw in the seawater were actually the collected life energy.


    In Yuga''s Ecological Park, numerous nts grew, and the life energy they emitted daily was countless. These nts originated from the system, and their generated life energy was effectively recycled by the Ghost Sea, significantly reducing the impact of Yuga''s Ecological Park on the external environment.


    Energy is conserved, and if the biological energy generated by the system were to leak extensively into the outside world, it could potentially lead to adverse chain reactions. The Ghost Sea, to arge extent, resolved this issue.


    This life energy would be the best food for the Ghost-type Pok��mon living here.


    Ghost-type Pok��mon have long lifespans, and once they absorb this life energy, it remains locked within their bodies, preventing any unnecessary leakage.


    Listening to the system''s exnation, Yuga couldn''t help but admire itsprehensive approach. It truly deserved the title of a "golden finger."


    Following this, Yuga eagerly released the Litwicks and Chandelure.


    As soon as they emerged, they showed great fondness for this ce, especially the Ghost Sea, which seemed to have an inexplicable attraction for them.


    In no time, Yuga saw the Litwicks lining up and leaping into the Ghost Sea, which startled him. After all, they were Fire-type Pok��mon; were they attempting suicide by jumping into the sea?


    However, Yuga quickly changed his mind when he saw the Litwicks swimming on their backs in the sea and even starting a swimmingpetition.


    It was then that Yuga remembered that the seawater in the Ghost Sea wasn''t actual water but a unique substance that was highly beneficial to Ghost-type Pok��mon. It merely appeared to be water on the surface.


    Yuga walked down to the bottom of the long staircase and scooped up a handful of seawater. He found that, in addition to resembling water visually, it also felt like water when touched.


    However,pared to real water, the seawater in the Ghost Sea had a gentler touch, simr to the sensation of touching a silk fabric that woven bt the Weaver Girl in the Heaven.


    Of course, Yuga had never touched the silk fabric woven by the Weaver Girl in the heavens; those were just his imaginings.


    The Chandelures, on the other hand, didn''t make as much of a fuss as the Litwicks did. Instead, they quietly floated on the sea''s surface. Yuga saw countless points of light emerging from the sea and merging into the mes above their heads.


    Yuga''s Gengar and Mismagius didn''t join the festivities, as they seemed to prefer Yuga''s Shadow Space than the Ghost Sea.


    The Ghost Sea and Yuga''s Shadow Space each had their own unique qualities.


    After settling the Litwicks and Chandelures, Yuga couldn''t wait to retrieve the two Jellicent from the Shallow Seashore. Compared to the Shallow Seashore, the Ghost Sea was much more suitable for their lifestyle.

 Chapter 565: The Dark Stone

    <h4>Chapter 565: The Dark Stone</h4>


    After dealing with the matters in the new Sub-Ecopark, Yuga noticed that it was gettingte, so he left the Ecopark along with Audino.


    However, after leaving the Ecopark, Yuga and Audino went to the Pok��mon Center to retrieve the Darumaka, Darmanitan, and five Swampert that had been temporarily ced there.


    In the morning, before Yuga reached the Verdanturf Town, Darmanitan and Darumaka had somehow gotten into a fight with the five Swampert living in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark''ske, resulting in injuries for many of them.


    To prevent any further idents, Audino had taken them all to Joyka''s ce for treatment. As Audino was in a hurry to return to wee Yuga, it temporarily left Darmanitan, Darumaka, and Swampert in Joyka''s care.


    After retrieving them all, Yuga sternly reprimanded them and then sent them back separately to the Grasnd and Volcano Sub-Ecoparks.


    In the future, they would live in different Sub-Ecoparks, and it wouldn''t be easy for them to meet and fight again.


    In the evening, after dinner, Yuga released Absol and ced a pitch-ck stone in front of it.


    This stone had been discovered by Absol in the nest of a Mandibuzz, and it emitted a strong Dark-type energy fluctuation.


    Yuga had promised Absol that he would return this item to it upon returning, and if it weren''t for Absol''s reminder, he might have forgotten about it.


    Since Mandibuzz was also a Dark-type Pok��mon, finding such an item in their nest wasn''t particrly surprising.


    Yuga ced the stone in front of Absol and asked, "Do you know what this thing is for?"


    Absol nodded, then lowered its head, revealing the Seed of Unknown hidden on its forehead.


    The Seed of Unknown gradually appeared on the bone armor on Absol''s forehead, then stuck to the ck stone. The stone seemed to melt as if it were a dark ooze, and it flowed into Absol''s forehead like a dark stream of light. The Seed of Unknown once again hid within Absol''s forehead.


    Excitement filled Absol as it raised its head and let out a long howl. Countless ck mists began to surge from its body, like ck mes burning intensely.


    Following that, a blue light appeared on Absol''s forehead, and colorful spiral patterns flickered. Absol entered its Mega Evolution form.


    Seeing the majestic Mega Absol, Yuga was greatly surprised.


    "Absol! Can you control Mega Evolution on your own?"


    Absol nodded, then exited its Mega Evolution form and, to Yuga''s astonishment,pleted Mega Evolution once again. The process was incredibly smooth, without any hesitation.


    Yuga hadn''t expected the ck stone to have such a significant effect. It was truly an unexpected delight.


    Absol''s original level was 52. After bing Mega Absol, its strength steadily entered the pseudo-Elite level range, which was a noticeable increase.


    Satisfied, Yuga patted Mega Absol, but it was so tall that Yuga could only settle for patting its thigh.


    The original Absol was already quite tall, but Mega Absol was even taller, making it appear like a small mountain in front of Yuga.


    Following that, Yuga conducted an experiment with Mega Absol to determine how long it could maintain its Mega Evolution.


    Practical testing showed that, as long as Mega Absol didn''t sustain too heavy injuries, it could maintain its Mega Evolution state continuously. This was quite different from ordinary Mega Evolutions.


    As exined by Elite Four Siebold, regr Mega Evolutions had a time limit, and Pok��mon would revert from their Mega Evolution state once that time was up. Severe injuries or losing their ability to battle could also force them out of that state.


    When Mega Absol exited its Mega Evolution, Yuga used his Insight ability to observe it. He found that the ck stone had brought more than just the ability for Absol to control Mega Evolution freely.


    ...


    <<mega absol="" (king''s="" rock)="">> </mega>


    Type: Dark


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Pressure


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 52


    Moves: Quick Attack, Swords Dance, Psycho Cut, Future Sight, Snarl, Sucker Punch, Dark Pulse, Stone Edge, Shadow w, Throat Chop, Perish Song, Night sh.


    ...


    Absol''s potential changed from blue to indigo without Yuga''s knowledge.


    Absol was Yuga''s first captured Pok��mon and the first one with a blue potential Yuga had ever obtained. Since following Yuga, its potential hadn''t undergone any changes. However, today, its potential finally upgraded.


    With this potential upgrade, Absol became the strongest member among Yuga''s main Pok��mon.


    Previously, Florges might have had a fair chance against it, but now, that would be highly unlikely.


    And this was without even considering its Mega Evolution.


    Besides the potential upgrade, Absol also awakened two new moves: an intermediate-level move called "Night sh" and a rare category move called "Perish Song."


    Speaking of Perish Song, it was a move that could rival Future Sight in terms of its difficulty to learn and rarity.


    Let''s start with Future Sight.


    Yuga had been a Pok��mon Trainer for quite some time, encountered many Pok��mon, but apart from his own Chimecho and Absol, he had never seen a third Pok��mon capable of using Future Sight.


    Especially Chimecho, it had only learned it thanks to Deoxys''s Energy Core. Absol, on the other hand, had genuinely grasped it himself.


    One of the most famous ces for Future Sight was the Anystar City Gym in the Kalos region.


    It was an old-style Gym, and its Gym Leaders, from generation to generation, were Psychic-type trainers. Both the Gym Leaders and their Pok��mon could use Future Sight.


    Especially in cases of impending major threats in the Kalos region, Gym Leaders from Anystar Gym could issue warnings through Future Sight.


    While Yuga''s Absol could asionally catch glimpses of the future with Future Sight, it was far from reaching the level of those Gym Leaders.


    The current Gym Leader of Anystar Gym was Olympia, and she held significant prestige in the Kalos region.


    Now, about Perish Song.


    Yuga''s Gengar also knew this move. ording to Gengar, it had learned this move while in the Ghost World, and it couldn''t be used as a reference for regr Pok��mon learning it.


    This move''s effect was to make all Pok��mon or humans who heard it fall into a near-death state after some time.


    This wasn''t just a fainting like when losing a battle, but a true near-death state, simr to Dragonite''s condition when it was severely injured and untreated, rather than aa-like state from losing the ability to battle.


    In other words, this move was a double-edged sword. It could destroy both enemies and the user itself.


    So, even though Gengar knew this move, it had never used it.


    However, this move wasn''t invincible. Its effectiveness depended on the user''s strength.


    For example, if Absol tried to use this move to die together with a Legendary Pok��mon, it would be simply a fantasy.


    ��


    The author did indeed forget about Darmanitan and Darumaka, thanks to a reader''s reminder, I''ve added a brief exnation of what happened to them. Although it might seem a bit forced, I hope you can forgive this adjustment.

 Chapter 566: Dispute

    <h4>Chapter 566: Dispute</h4>


    Early the next morning, when Yuga arrived at the Ecopark, he saw the Pok��mon inside bustling about their morning training routine, which filled him with great satisfaction.


    Now, the training of the Pok��mon in the Ecopark had developed into a fixed pattern, so Yuga usually didn''t need to worry about it.


    Yuga''s purpose for entering the Ecopark early today was to deal with the issues concerning Mandibuzz and its Vuby.


    Heading to the Desert Sub-Ecopark, Yuga summoned Pok��mon with considerablebat capabilities, such as Gliscor, Gliscor Leader, Vibrava, and Flygon, from Oasis Two and Oasis Three.


    "I''ll be handling some newly arrived Pok��mon shortly. If they misbehave, make sure to give them a firm lesson. Understand?" Yuga shouted to the Vibrava, Flygon, Gliscor, and Gliscor Leader flying in the air. They obediently nodded, indicating their understanding.


    With the agreement from his Pok��mon, Yuga released the Mandibuzz and Vuby from their Pok�� Balls.


    As Yuga had anticipated, this group of Vuby was indeed very irritable. They harbored deep resentment toward Yuga''s face, as it was the face of the one who had shattered theirmunity.


    Having pent-up frustration while confined in their Pok�� Balls had worsened their already vtile emotions, causing them to forget that they were no match for the person standing before them.


    Just as they were about tounch a coordinated attack on Yuga, numerous stone des shot forth, striking down the Mandibuzz one after another, leaving behind a series of cries of pain.


    Yuga had brought back fewer than a hundred Mandibuzz, and they were utterly incapable of contending with thebined strength of the Gliscor family and Flygon family, which numbered in the hundreds.


    After being beaten repeatedly, the Mandibuzz'' expressions of anger finally shifted to fear when they looked at Yuga.


    However, Yuga knew that these initial reactions were just superficial, and deep down, these Mandibuzz were still cursing him.


    Nheless, Yuga paid no heed to their initial resistance. Time would gradually wear down their sharp edges.


    Yuga had asked Audino to find the Miltanks and stay here, specifically for treating the Mandibuzz'' injuries. If they misbehaved, they would continue to be disciplined, and only after they ceased causing trouble would they receive treatment.


    Food and water were in abundance here. Aside from the Gliscor family and Flygon family, there were not many other types of Pok��mon. With vast stretches of desert and a wide-open sky, it was an ideal ce for these Mandibuzz to roam about aimlessly.


    Yuga instructed the Gliscor family and Flygon family to monitor the Mandibuzz closely. If the Mandibuzz dared to target the Shiny Ariados and Galvant living in Oasis One for their hunting needs, they would be dealt with harshly.


    As for the still-innocent Vuby, Yuga entrusted their upbringing to the Swellow family. Growing up in this environment, they would not be as irritable and aggressive as their mothers.


    This was a Day Care, and the Pok��mon in the Ecopark were meant to be sold to the outside world. Furthermore, many of their potential customers were children, so excessively aggressive Pok��mon were not suitable.


    For example, Ghost-type Pok��mon like Yuga''s would not be put up for sale in the shop for the time being. Ghost-type Pok��mon were not very friendly to novice trainers and were prone to idents.


    There were also some Pok��mon Eggs that Yuga ced under the Weather Tree in the main Ecopark. That area was designated for storing Pok��mon Eggs.


    Now, Yuga''s primary concern was how to subdue the Archeops. Otherwise, keeping the Mandibuzz in the Desert Sub-Ecopark would not be a viable solution.


    Just as Yuga pondered this problem, the system issued a new task.


    [ Congrattions, Host, on the mission ''Gathering Them In'': ]


    [ Description: Resolving the Mandibuzz issue is a top priority. Make the Archeops genuinely submit to you, and then have the Archeops appointed as the leader of the Mandibuzz. ]


    [ Rewards: Flying-type Pok��mon Universal Pok��block Form, Rock-type Pok��mon Universal Pok��block Form. ]


    Hearing the system''s voice, Yuga wasn''t surprised at all, as he had grown ustomed to the system issuing tasks ording to his needs.


    Although the system had provided a mission, Yuga was still at a loss for a suitable approach.


    His strongest Pok��mon was the Elite level Volcarona (Dragonite was currently asleep), but it was apparent that Volcarona couldn''t defeat the Peak Elite level Archeops.


    Once Pok��mon reached the Elite level, each level-up became exceedingly difficult, and the power gap became even more pronounced.


    Moreover, in terms ofbat experience, there was no telling how much stronger the Archeops waspared to Volcarona.


    The Archeops had not only lived many more years than Volcarona but had also grown up in the perilous underground world, an environment far more challenging than the rtively tranquil ruins where Volcarona resided.


    If a direct confrontation was impossible, then a strategy or enticement would be necessary.


    Unable toe up with a solution, Yuga left the Ecopark. However, he took Turtwig with him.


    Turtwig had just hatched and was still highly dependent on Yuga. Yuga wanted to take this opportunity to nurture a strong bond with Turtwig, so he brought it along.


    Turtwig happily followed behind Yuga, its head adorned with a tender green sprout, swaying as it took each step, looking utterly endearing.


    After having breakfast together, Yuga sat in the dining area and retrieved two Grass-type Pok��mon Eggs. He used his unique ability to incubate them.


    While sitting in the dining area, Yuga suddenly heard the sounds of an argument outside. He furrowed his brow and, with Turtwig by his side, walked out.


    "What''s going on?"


    As Yuga stepped outside, he saw Suzuki Koen standing with a stern expression, facing an agitated young man.


    Upon seeing Yuga approach, Suzuki Koen let out a small sigh of relief, as she was finding it challenging to deal with such a belligerent individual.


    Before she could say anything, the young man shouted, "You must be the owner, right? You''re the one who''s been making a name for yourself online recently, something like Clear Water... or Dirty Water... whatever it is. Are you trying to bully people in your shop or something?"


    (Note : Yuga surname is Shimizu mean clear water)


    Due to the recent poprity of the tournament, Yuga''s online presence had risen significantly, and many people had be aware of him.


    It was clear that this young man had heard of Yuga as well, but his choice of words and tone were extremely unpleasant.


    The young man''s words managed to anger many of the customers currently shopping in the store.


    Most of these customers were locals from Verdanturf Town, and Yuga had be a source of pride for the town. Hearing someone disrespect Yuga like this made them very upset.


    "What''s going on here?"


    Yuga asked Suzuki Koen with a furrowed brow, speaking in a low voice.


    Suzuki Koen quietly exined the situation, detailing the events leading up to this confrontation. Yuga cast a surprised nce at the irate young man.


    "I apologize, but we can''t allow you to take the Cea with you," Yuga calmly apologized, his tone devoid of any remorse.


    "Is this how your Day Care treats customers? I reserved that Cea and followed your requirements to spend a month getting acquainted with it. Why are you now telling me I can''t take the Cea? Are you discriminating against me?"


    The young man red angrily at Yuga, clearly dissatisfied with how Yuga was handling the situation.

 Chapter 567: Misdeeds

    <h4>Chapter 567: Misdeeds</h4>


    As the young man, Harrold, had stated, he was the first person to fail in taking a Pok��mon from YoYo Day Care since they began their high-grade Pok��mon limited purchase service. However, the reason he couldn''t take the Pok��mon wasn''t due to YoYo Day Care but rather his own actions.


    Harrold was the trainer who had sessfully reserved a green potential Grass-type Pok��mon for this month. The Grass-type Pok��mon being offered by YoYo Day Care this month was the Cea, which had spent almost a week with Harrold.


    YoYo Day Care had a rule that all trainers who obtained the right to purchase a Pok��mon needed to personally spend a month with the Pok��mon they intended to acquire. Only when the Pok��mon acknowledged them could they take it away, finalizing the transaction with YoYo Day Care.


    This rule was clearly stated on YoYo Day Care''s official website and in the agreements signed by customers who visited. Bying to YoYo Day Care, it was assumed that customers had agreed to these terms.


    While Yuga sold Pok��mon, he also aimed to find reliable trainers for them. He didn''t expect them to achieve great feats, but at the very least, he wanted them to receive gentle treatment. However, low-grade Pok��mon couldn''t achieve this yet.


    High-grade Pok��mon were precious, and trainers were willing to spend a month to bond with them. However, if the same rule applied to low-grade Pok��mon, customers might not be as interested. After all, low-grade Pok��mon were widely avable in various Day Care and didn''t warrant such effort.


    Yuga currently didn''t have a good solution to this problem. Suzuki Koen was now refusing to let Harrold take the Cea, even before the one-month period had passed. It was clear that the Cea didn''t want to continue staying with Harrold.


    Watching the agitated Harrold, Yuga exined, "We don''t mean to disrespect you, but since you''ve obtained the right to purchase a Pok��mon, you should have already signed an agreement with the Day Care. We have the right to suspend our transaction."


    Harrold naturally understood that Yuga was right, but he felt deeply resentful. Why should his transaction be suspended? If others found out, he''d be utterly humiliated!


    "Why? Why? If you don''t give me a satisfactory exnation today, I won''t let this go!" Harrold was furious.


    Seeing Harrold causing amotion in the store, Yuga felt annoyed, but he politely said, "Our agreement is quite clear. If we suspend our transaction, it means the Pok��mon itself doesn''t want to leave with you. Please, keep it down; you''re disturbing our business."


    Pok��mon sold by YoYo Day Care were taught from birth that they would be assigned trainers in the future. They were also taught that if they had any issues with the assigned trainers, they could voice their concerns.


    This was why Pok��mon parents trusted Yuga to arrange for their children. Of course, they didn''t oppose their offspring having trainers.


    Harroldpletely ignored Yuga''s advice and continued to shout, "Doesn''t want to stay with me? Why? Isn''t it just an excuse because you guys look down on me? Don''t use these excuses to deceive me! If you don''t tell me the reason today, we''re not finished!"


    "Do you really want me to announce the reason in front of everyone?" Yuga asked.


    When Pok��mon refused to apany trainers, it was usually because the trainers had mistreated them. Yuga couldn''t think of any other reason. And trainers who mistreated Pok��mon were highly disliked; the concept of "harmonious coexistence between humans and Pok��mon" had been deeply ingrained by the Pok��mon League.


    "Announce it, you must announce it! Today, I want to see what excuses you cane up with," Harrold replied defiantly.


    Yuga said, "Very well, please wait a moment."


    Yuga then whispered a few words to Wigglytuff beside him, and Wigglytuff subsequently walked away.


    At this moment, the attention of everyone in the store was drawn to Harrold''s loud voice, and even several onlookers had gathered at the entrance.


    Just as Harrold was acting smug, the voice of Chatot rang out.


    "Darlings, is there something that requires my assistance?" Chatot asked.


    "A talking Chatot?" Harrold eximed.


    Seeing Chatot perched on Yuga''s shoulder, Harrold''s heart sank, sensing that something was wrong.


    "What''s the matter? Haven''t you seen a dashing Chatot like me before? You bumpkin!" Chatot gave Harrold a disdainful look.


    Laughter erupted from the onlookers in the store upon hearing Chatot''s words. It wasn''t a novelty for Chatot to speak in Verdanturf Town; after all, Chatot often roamed around the town, and everyone knew it.


    "You... You... You..." Harrold stammered, his face turning bright red. He pointed at Chatot, struggling to form a coherent sentence.


    Chatot continued to speak, unfazed by themotion. "So, dear, is there something you need me to do for you today?"


    After the Cea arrived next to Yuga, he crouched down and softly asked it, "Cea, do you want to choose this person as your trainer?"


    The Cea immediately welled up with tears and shook its head vigorously, indicating that it did not want to.


    "You see? It''s genuinely that the Cea doesn''t want to," Yuga stood up and said to Harrold.


    "Nonsense! I bought it with my money. How can it refuse? Does it have the right to refuse? There must be a reason!" Harrold''s voice grew even louder, and he asionally nced at the Chatot perched on Yuga''s shoulder.


    However, Yuga could sense a hidden anger in Harrold''s increasingly loud voice, so he reluctantly said, "Since you want a reason so badly, we''ll give you one. Chatot! Ask the Cea why it doesn''t want to choose this customer as its trainer."


    Yuga could understand Pok��monnguage to some extent, but he couldn''t provide evidence, so itcked credibility.


    Yuga''s words made Harrold panic, and his eyes started darting around. He never expected that there would be a talking Chatot here.


    "Alright, watch me." Chatot flew up from Yuga''s shoulder andnded in front of the Cea. The two Pok��mon began chattering.


    After a while, Chatot flew up angrily, pointed its wing at Harrold, and scolded, "You despicable scoundrel! How dare you mistreat the Cea! The Cea says you secretly pluck its spines every time you visit!"


    The spines on the Cea''s body were essential, simr to their organs. They were crucial for processes like photosynthesis and maintaining their body''s water content. Removing these spines would weaken the Cea, especially for young ones, which might even lead to their death.


    "You''re talking nonsense; I''ve never done such a thing!" Harrold''s face turned pale upon hearing Chatot''s words, and he hurriedly denied it. But anyone with discerning eyes could tell he was lying from his expression.


    "You''re trying to nder me because you don''t want to sell me the Pok��mon. Don''t try to tarnish my reputation! I won''t ept this!" Harrold protested.


    "Can you exin to us then? Do you think we did this ourselves? We have no reason to treat our own Pok��mon this way. In these past few days, aside from you, the Cea hasn''t interacted with anyone else," Yuga said. He then turned the Cea around to reveal the bald area on its back.


    Seeing the Cea''s condition, the onlookers in the store began to voice their anger.


    "Oh my! This is too much!"


    "So cruel, it''s unbearable to watch."


    "I didn''t expect someone who looks decent to have such a dark heart!"


    "He''s really a bad guy!"


    Facing the condemnation of the crowd, Harrold''s face changed color, and he attempted to deny the usations. However, he realized he couldn''te up with a convincing defense.


    "You... you... you''re ndering me!"


    Panicking, Harrold pointed at Yuga.


    Yuga replied, "Regardless of whether I''m ndering you or not, we have an agreement, and we have the right to refuse the transaction with you."


    "Yes, don''t hand the Cea over to such a heartless guy!"


    "Kick him out; he doesn''t deserve to stay here! This scoundrel!"


    "Get out! Get out!"


    ...


    As everyone joined in the condemnation, Harrold, with a red face, fled from the store. The situation was too overwhelming for anyone, even those with thick skin.


    "You... you... you wait for me!" He shouted as he ran out.


    Watching Harrold run away, Yuga shook his head in resignation.


    There are always inexplicable people in the world.


    Afterward, Yuga had Suzuki Koen report the incident to Officer Jenny. Senselessly mistreating Pok��mon was against thew, especially when it involved Pok��mon carefully nurtured by the Day Care.

 Chapter 568: Site Selection

    <h4>Chapter 568: Site Selection</h4>


    After Harrold left, Yugaforted the customers in the shop and then returned to the restaurant to continue caring for his Pok��mon eggs. However, he had barely sat down in the restaurant when Mayor Ishida, wearing a cheerful smile, came to visit.


    Mayor Ishida wasn''t alone; he was apanied by a middle-aged man with a mustache.


    In the reception room:


    "Yuga, this is Mr. Sasaki Makoto. Mr. Sasaki is responsible for overseeing the construction of the Verdanturf Town Gym."


    Mayor Ishida introduced the smiling middle-aged man to Yuga.


    "Hello, Mr. Sasaki!"


    Yuga smiled and extended his right hand.


    "Hello, hello! It''s a pleasure to meet you. Mr. Shimizu, you truly are a talented young man!"


    Seeing Yuga offering his hand, Makoto Sasaki quickly shook it and praised Yuga even more.


    Yuga modestly replied, "You''re too kind. Let''s discuss the Gym matters first."


    Mayor Ishida chimed in, "Yes, yes, let''s focus on the Gym."


    So, at Yuga''s invitation, the three of them sat down in the reception room and began discussing the establishment of the Gym.


    Establishing a Gym was aplex task, involving considerations such as the Gym''s location, architectural style, staffing, badge design, and Gym battle rules. These were all matters for Yuga to ponder.


    Makoto Sasaki had arrived in Verdanturf Town earlier, where Mayor Ishida had received him. During Yuga''s absence, Makoto, under Mayor Ishida''s guidance, had conducted a survey of the town and prepared suggestions for Gym locations.


    While the final decision on the Gym''s location rested with Yuga, Makoto''s role was to provide reasonable suggestions and valuable reference points.


    "Well, Mr. Shimizu, Verdanturf Town isn''t veryrge, so there aren''t many suitable ces to establish the Gym. I''ve chosen a few locations based on my own ideas, which you can consider."


    Saying this, Makoto took out a map of Verdanturf Town and spread it out in front of Yuga.


    "Sure, I appreciate your help."


    Yuga nodded and said.


    Yuga wasn''t very knowledgeable about selecting building sites, so having a professional provide suggestions was a great help.


    "First, there''s the town center. It''s the residential andmercial hub of the town, with arge poption. If the Gym is established here, challengers will find it rtively easily. However, the drawback is that many buildings are already upied, so the avable space for the Gym won''t be veryrge."


    Makoto used a pen to draw a circle on the map, marking the town center. Then, he marked a few ces he thought were suitable for the Gym. As he had mentioned, these areas had limited space avable.


    Yuga nodded in understanding and then asked, "What are the other options?"


    Makoto Sasaki smiled and continued, "If we don''t establish the Gym in a crowded area, we have more options. Verdanturf Town has a lot of undevelopednd around it, making it suitable for Gym construction."


    As he spoke, Makoto used his pen to encircle areas around the town that were suitable for the Gym.


    "However, among these options, I''d rmend this location."


    Makoto eventually pointed to a rtivelyrge area on the map and said to Yuga, "Please share your thoughts."


    In truth, Yuga was also quite interested in this particr location, but since Makoto had suggested it, he wanted to hear Makoto''s opinion.


    Makoto nodded and continued his exnation, "This location is very close to your Pok��mon Day Care, practically adjacent. Choosing this spot for the Gym would be very convenient for you. It would allow you to oversee both the Gym and the Day Care effectively."


    Indeed, one of the reasons Yuga liked this location was its proximity to his Day Care.


    The YoYo Day Care is located on the outskirts of Verdanturf Town, surrounded by vast opennd. Establishing a Day Care requires a considerable amount of space and a rtively quiet environment, which is why the YoYo Day Care chose to set up shop on the town''s outskirts.


    The location chosen by Sasaki is an area where Yuga often trained his Pok��mon before opening his secondary Day Care, and it offers arge space for this purpose.


    Yuga: "Please continue."


    Sasaki: "The environment here is also the best among the options I''ve presented. I believe your initial choice of location for your Day Care considered factors like serenity, beauty, and ample water supply. Moreover, the most crucial point is that the League has allocated a very generous budget for this project."


    Speaking of this, Sasaki paused for a moment.


    This is not the first time that Sasaki has been tasked with helping a new gym trainer build a gym. He is very aware that there are hidden benefits for the top three in the gym selecrion tourmament.


    Sasaki''s words made Yuga slightly surprised. "What do you mean?"


    Sasaki continued, "Ahem. Some things are often understood but left unsaid within our ''big family,'' the League. Since you have a bright future ahead of you, I''m willing to give you some inside information."


    "Being part of the League family involvesworking, and your connections can be very valuable. Knowing that you have a promising future, I''m willing to make things easier for you."


    "As the Champion of the gym selecrion tourmament and having sessfullypleted the assessment tasks, the League''s support for the construction of the Verdanturf Gym is different from that of other Gyms. In terms of the construction budget, your Gym will receive significantly more funds."


    Yuga suddenly understood. The basic infrastructure of a Gym involved various aspects such as the battle arena, the Gym Leader''s residence, amodations for referees and apprentices, training facilities, and more. All of these required funding, and there was a clear distinction between Gyms built on a tight budget and those with ample financial resources.


    For instance, Gyms like the Castelia Gym, which was luxuriously established in an Ecopark, were vastly different from typical Gyms found in small towns.


    As Sasaki Makoto had suggested, since the League was providing the funds, they could go all out in building the Gym. If they fell short, the League would make up the difference.


    Sasaki''s rmendation for Yuga to choose arger location for the Gym was based on these considerations.


    Had it been someone unaware of these behind-the-scenes aspects and who was timid in the Gym''s construction, even thinking of saving the League''s money, they would have been at a significant disadvantage.

 Chapter 569: Discussion

    <h4>Chapter 569: Discussion</h4>


    After determining the Gym''s location, Yuga, Mayor Ishida, and Sasaki Makoto discussed some finer details before seeing them off.


    The specific construction matters of the Gym would be discussed by Yuga personally with the head of the construction team. Sasaki Makoto was overseeing the entire project.


    In the afternoon, Sasaki arrived again, apanied by a middle-aged man and a woman who appeared to be about Suzuki''s age.


    The middle-aged man, Ando, was the head of the construction team for the Gym''s construction. He hade to discuss the specific arrangements for the construction with Yuga.


    With the Gym''s location now settled, the construction of the Gym was on the agenda.


    The woman, named Hoshina, was a designer specializing in creating badges for new Gyms. She hade to discuss the badge design with Yuga, or if Yuga had any ideas, he could directly share them with her.


    Once the badge style was decided, it would be submitted and manufactured by the League. League-made badges featured special anti-counterfeiting marks, making them difficult to replicate.


    After everyone sat down, Ando took out several design drawings, all of which were existing Gym designs for Yuga to choose from.


    "If Mr. Shimizu has his own ideas and would like to design the Gym himself, we can discuss that as well," Ando said to Yuga as he looked through the drawings.


    "I''m not very knowledgeable in this area, so I''ll defer to your expertise," Yuga replied. He had no particr preferences in this regard and knew that he wasn''t an architect. Making arbitrary demands would onlyplicate the construction.


    In his previous life, Yuga had admired protagonists in novels who could design and build houses ording to their own blueprints when transported to ancient viges. He wondered if those protagonists were all architects before their time-travel adventures.


    Architectural design was aplex field, especially forrge-scale projects involving various areas of expertise.


    For instance, ancient wooden structures, without modern tools like nails, made construction even moreplicated. Randomly designing blueprints would cause significant issues for the construction workers.


    Yuga couldn''t remember ore up with anything specific himself. If he had general preferences regarding architectural style or broad requirements, he was willing to express them. However, he didn''t want to interfere with the details.


    Listening to the advice of professionals was better than causing unnecessary trouble.


    Compared to other time travelers, Yuga felt like aplete novice who knew nothing.


    In the end, Yuga chose a design drawing with a traditional Japanese architectural style, simr to his master''s manor in Mauville City, which he greatly admired.


    After selecting the design drawing, Yuga and Ando discussed the internal construction of the Gym. They removed unnecessary structures from the original drawings and added some other buildings.


    Yuga also tentatively asked Ando if it would be possible to build a small Ecopark within the Gym. To his surprise, Ando readily agreed.


    Yuga''s idea was to provide apprentices at the Gym with a ce to house their own Pok��mon. Without a convenient facility for that purpose, it would be inconvenient for them. Hence, he brought up the suggestion.


    Unexpectedly, Ando agreed without hesitation, even though building an Ecopark would be quite expensive.


    This aligned with what Sasaki Makoto had mentioned earlier �C the League''s budget for this project was indeed very ample.


    The area chosen by Yuga and Sasaki Makoto for the Gym construction was quiterge. Building the entire Gym to its full scale would require a significant amount of money, let alone adding an Ecopark.


    At this moment, Yuga realized that the hidden benefits of being in the top three of the Gym selection tournament were not to be taken lightly. They were tangible advantages.


    After concluding their discussion with Mr. Ando, it was Ms. Hoshina''s turn to talk about badge design.


    The badge design discussion was rtively simpler but took some extra time to finalize.


    While Yuga may not have a design background, badges, unlike buildings, didn''t pose any safety concerns if designed poorly; they might simply not look as appealing. So, when it came to designing the badge for his Gym, Yuga wanted to be more involved.


    Yuga''s Gym was a Grass-type Gym, a decision made long ago, and this was taken into ount during the badge design. Yuga had some ideas, and Ms. Hoshina was a strong-willed person. Combining their ideas, they designed the badge for Verdanturf Gym.


    The badge for Verdanturf Gym, named the "Verdant Badge," had a rtively simple design. Due to being a Grass-type Gym, the badge took on the overall shape of a leaf.


    After concluding discussions about Gym construction and badge design, Mr. Ando and Ms. Hoshina hastily left. They had many preparations ahead of them.


    Once they left, Sasaki Makoto brought up another topic. "Apart from Gym construction and badge issues, I''d like to discuss the personnel arrangement for Verdanturf Gym."


    A Gym could not function with only one Gym Trainer; it required specialized referees, Gym apprentices, maintenance staff, and more.


    Yuga asked, "Are there any specific requirements for Gym personnel?"


    Sasaki Makoto replied, "Other than referees, there are no special requirements. You can either request the League''s assistance or recruit your own staff.


    The League will arrange for professional referees if you don''t have any candidates, and they will handle their sries. If you have suitable candidates, they need to undergo the League''s professional referee assessment to obtain certification.


    Once certified, they will be considered League employees, and the League will handle their sries. If someonecks League certification, they can still work as referees in the Gym, but you''ll need to handle their pay.


    For up to ten Gym apprentices, the League provides basic training funds, and they arrange for initial Pok��mon. This is a benefit for those who finish in the top three of the Gym selection tournament. For apprentices beyond ten, it''s your responsibility.


    Additionally, there''s a chef, and the League covers the sries of three Gym cleaners and maintenance personnel. You can recruit the chef and cleaning staff yourself, but I rmend epting the League''s arrangement for maintenance personnel; they are more professionally trained."


    Yuga sighed, "The League is truly well-funded."


    Yuga already had a candidate in mind for the referee role, none other than Beidou. Beidou was not only suitable as a referee but could also instruct Gym apprentices. Yuga felt it would be more convenient to have someone he knew rather than an unfamiliar League-assigned referee.


    Now, the focus was on getting Beidou the professional referee certification. Since the Gym was not yet constructed, there was likely enough time.


    As for Gym apprentices, Yuga had candidates at hand��Arata Shin, Akihito, and even Akihito''s younger siblings��all seemed suitable. Though they didn''t meet the ten-apprentice quota, Yuga preferred to avoid recruiting outsiders hastily.


    Yuga shared his ns with Sasaki Makoto, indicating that he would handle the referees, apprentices, chef, and cleaning staff himself, while the League could arrange the maintenance personnel.


    Sasaki Makoto assured Yuga that he would help with the arrangements. After discussing this, Yuga escorted Sasaki Makoto out of the YoYo Day Care.

 Chapter 570: Ecological Park Pokémon Groups Arrangement

    <h4>Chapter 570: Ecological Park Pok��mon Groups Arrangement</h4>


    Main Ecopark:


    - Audino (pseudo-Elite)


    - Great Flygon (pseudo-Elite)


    - Wigglytuff


    - Medidite x 11


    - Natu x 18


    - Mr. Mime x 2


    - Gardevoir (Female)


    - Gade


    - Ralts x 5 (including one offspring of Gardevoir and Gade)


    - Gardevoir (Male)


    Desert Sub-Ecopark:


    - Oasis 1:


    - Snox


    - Shiny Ariados


    - Galvant


    - Ursaring


    - Kecleon family (including baby Kecleon)


    - Oasis 2:


    - Gligars and Gliscors family


    - Oasis 3:


    - Trapinches, Vibrava, and Flygon family


    Shallow Sea Shore:


    - In the Sea:


    - Cradily


    - Cloyster


    - Kabutops


    - uncer and witzer family


    - Ind 1:


    - Linoone and Mightyena


    - Greninja


    - Milotic (Blue)


    - Gyarados (Blue)


    - Milotic (5 Green, 4 Yellow)


    - Ind 2:


    - Oddish, Gloom, Vileplume, Bellossom family


    - Hoppip, Skiploom, Jumpluff family


    - Ind 3:


    - Archeops


    - Vuby and Mandibuzz family


    Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark:


    - Dragonite (Champion Level)


    - Vespiquen (pseudo-Elite) �� Combee (Reversed)


    - Masquerain x 2


    - Sceptile (1 Blue, 5 Green)


    - Serperior (1 Blue, 2 Green)


    - Lilligant x 8


    - Tsareena x 10


    - Bellossom x 5


    - Cacturne x 5


    - Exeggutor x 5


    - Lurantis x 5


    - Gogoat x 2


    - Shroomish x 5


    - Swadloon x2


    - Amoonguss


    - Cottonee


    - Ribombee


    ...


    Grasnd Sub-Ecopark:


    - Noctowl (Elite) & Chatot (Hoothoot)


    - Honchkrow (Initial) & Swellow (Initial)


    - Murkrow x 3


    - Swellow x 6


    - Crobat


    - Golbat x 2


    - Altaria (Blue)


    - Swabblu x 14


    - Starly, Staravia, Staraptor family x 8


    - Miltank family


    - Tauros family


    - Persian and Delcatty x 3


    - Liepard and Zoroak (Purrloin and Zorua)


    - Swampert (1 Blue, 4 Green)


    - Lombre x 4


    - Bagon


    - Deino


    ...


    Volcano Sub-Ecopark:


    - Volcarona (Elite)


    - Nales (Initial: Blue) - Houndoom (Initial) - (Vulpix x 3)


    - Nales x 3


    - Houndoom x 5


    - Rapidash (Leader)


    - Ponyta x 9


    - Typhlosion


    - Cyndaquil x 2


    - Darmanitan


    - Darumaka


    - Umbreon (Male) - Espeon (Female)


    - Jolteon (Male) - Sylveon (Female)


    - Vaporeon (Male) - Vaporeon (Female)


    - Leafeon (Female)


    - ceon (Female)


    - reon (Male) - reon (Female)


    ...


    Haunted Manor Sub-Ecopark:


    - Ghost Sea:


    - Jellicent (Blue) - Jellicent (Pink)


    - Room 1:


    - Chandelure


    - Litwick family


    - Room 2:


    - None


    - Room 3:


    - None

 Chapter 571: Ribombee’s Journey (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 571: Ribombee''s Journey (Part 1)</h4>


    "Ribombee."


    Where am I?


    In the early morning, Ribombee woke up on a bright flower, propped itself up with its arms, sat on the petal, and rubbed its eyes with its tiny fists, still feeling a bit drowsy.


    At this moment, two beautiful Masquerain flew over from not too far away.


    "Little one, good morning, you''re awake!"


    Seeing the two Masquerain it had never met before, Ribombee suddenly remembered that it had been brought home by Yuga, and this ce was now its new home.


    "Ribombee!"


    Good morning, Masquerain brother, Masquerain sister.


    Haha, this ce is my new home! It''s so beautiful!


    Thinking like this, Ribombee shook its tiny fists and flew past the two Masquerain, fluttering in the endless sea of flowers.


    Brother, sister?


    Watching Ribombee sh past them, the two Masquerain were a bit confused.


    Even though they called Ribombee "little one" due to its small size, Ribombee was actually older than them! Why did it call them brother and sister?


    Unable to figure it out, the two Masquerain could only shake their heads and fly away.


    Ribombee, with the wind on its side, flew past Grass-type Pok��mon, greeting each one with an enthusiastic "good morning."


    Because of its high speed, the gusts of wind it generated identally flipped over a hardworking Combee collecting honey. All the pollen on its body was scattered.


    "Ribombee! Ribombee!"


    I''m sorry! I''m sorry!


    Ribombee quickly applied the brakes and stopped, apologizing to the Combee.


    The Combee looked at the scattered pollen, very angry that its hard work in the early morning had gone to waste. It wasn''t willing to let it go.


    "Combee, Combee..."


    The Combee rapidly vibrated its wings, sending out waves of sound. Soon, one Combee after another emerged from the flowers. Responding to the first Combee''s call, they started "chasing" Ribombee.


    "Ribombee!"


    Oh no! Didn''t I already apologize?


    Seeing the situation wasn''t good, Ribombee immediately turned and flew (ran), apologizing while fleeing. However, the Combees all ignored it.


    Just when Ribombee was being chased and feeling dizzy, it suddenly crashed into someone and was caught by a pair of "hands."


    "What''s going on?"


    Seeing the figure holding Ribombee, the Combees that were chasing it all stopped "chasing" and began to talk excitedly.


    Turns out, Ribombee had crashed into the Vespiquen, who was gathering nectar with Vivillon.


    Since Vivillon had returned yesterday, the Vespiquen had approached Vivillon, preparing to brew Enchanted Honey together.


    Having tasted the benefits of Enchanted Honey once, Vivillon knew its advantages. So, early in the morning, it was already helping the Vespiquen prepare for the second batch of Enchanted Honey.


    "Ribombee!"


    Idol! Save me! I''m about to be torn apart by them.


    Seeing Vivillon by her side, Ribombee immediately felt like she had seen a savior and began to plead for help.


    Ever since she witnessed Vivillon''s abilities during the Battle Company Building challenge, she had be Vivillon''s fan.


    "Are you the little one who just arrived yesterday? You look quite tasty!"


    The Vespiquen held Ribombee in front of her eyes, pretending to be fierce.


    "Ri... Bom... Bee."


    Yes...Yes...Yes...


    Looking at the somewhat fierce Vespiquen and sensing her intimidating aura, Ribombee shivered, unable to help but shift her gaze towards her idol.


    "Ribombee..."


    I... I''m not tasty.


    Seeing the Vespiquen so close, with her gleaming teeth, Ribombee had tears in her eyes and felt extremely scared.


    "Vivillon, Vivillon, Vivillon..."


    Alright, stop teasing it.


    Vivillon flew in front of the Vespiquen, helplessly saying.


    "Vivillon, Vivillon, Vivillon..."


    This is the little one who just arrived at the Flower Sea. You two should get along.


    Vivillon turned to the Combees and said.


    "Combee, Combee..."


    Understood...


    The Combees lowered their heads.


    "Alright, the misunderstanding is cleared up. You can go y now."


    After saying that, the Vespiquen continued with Vivillon, continuing their honey-collecting mission.


    "Combee, Combee..."


    Sorry about earlier!


    The initial group of Combees apologized to Ribombee.


    "Ribombee."


    No, no, it was my fault.


    Ribombee felt even more embarrassed as the Combees apologized, rubbing its small head with a blush.


    Two Pok��mon who hadn''t known each other became good friends instead of enemies.


    "Combee, Combee."


    Let me take you to my home and treat you to some delicious sweet honey.


    One of the Combees said to Ribombee.


    "Ribombee."


    Sure, sure!


    Ribombee nodded eagerly.


    Seeing that the situation had settled and that they were on good terms, the other Combees dispersed, continuing their honey-collecting mission.


    Guided by the Combees, Ribombee was led to the entrance of Amber Castle.


    "Ribombee!"


    Wow, it''s so impressive!


    Seeing the magnificent golden castle in front of it, Ribombee eximed.


    "Combee!"


    Of course!


    Seeing Ribombee''s admiration, the Combees were very proud.


    Following behind the Combees, Ribombee entered Amber Castle and was once again dazzled by the sweet scent wafting through the air. It was almost drooling.


    Led by the Combees, Ribombee arrived at the front of a honey pool.


    "Combee, Combee."


    Try it, try it!


    Ribombee quickly scooped up some and put it in its mouth. Then it closed its eyes and smacked its lips, thoroughly enjoying it.


    "Ribombee..."


    So... delicious...


    After finishing the sweet honey, Ribombee took out a green pollen ball and handed it to the Combees.


    "Ribombee, Ribombee."


    Try my pollen ball, it''s my treasure.


    The Combees came over and took a bite of the pollen ball.


    Ribombee''s pollen balls not only tasted delicious but also had healing effects.


    Because of sweet honey and the pollen ball, the two little ones quickly became even better friends.


    "Combee, Combee."


    Since you''re new here, let me show you around.


    "Ribombee, Ribombee!"


    Okay, okay!


    Ribombee was very fond of this ce, filled with flowers everywhere, and was delighted that the Combees were willing to show it around.


    The two little ones happily danced in the sea of flowers, constantly admiring various types of blossoms.


    But after flying for a while, they suddenly felt a wave of pressureing from a certain direction.


    "Ribombee."


    Do you know who''s in that direction? They seem powerful!


    "Combee!"


    I don''t know!


    The Combees shook their heads, indicating that they didn''t know.


    "Combee, Combee!"


    But I heard it might be Dragonair-sama''s mother!


    After thinking for a moment, one of the Combees said.


    "Ribombee!"


    Oh, Dragonair''s mother is that powerful?


    Ribombee covered its small mouth in surprise.


    Dragonair was already strong, but it seemed like his mother might be even stronger.


    "Combee, Combee!"


    Oh well, let''s not worry about it. Let''s go y somewhere else quickly.


    Saying that, the Combees pulled Ribombee away.


    After flying for a while, they suddenly heard strange rustling soundsing from a nearby thicket.


    "Ribombee."


    What''s that sound?


    Ribombee tugged the Combees and flew over.


    The two of them quietly pulled apart the grass and looked inside. They heard a scream, followed by a frantic Tsareena and a Cacturne jumping out.


    The blushing Tsareena lifted her foot and kicked towards Ribombee and Combees.


    "Ribombee!"


    Run, quick!


    Ribombee grabbed Combees and quickly pped its wings, flying away. Tsareena, who could only walk on two legs, and the Cacturne couldn''t keep up with them.


    After flying for a while, Ribombee and the Combees noticed that Tsareena hadn''t caught up. They slowed down and caught their breath.


    "Ribombee!"


    That scared me! What were they doing?


    "Combee...Combee..."


    Th-they... might... driving...


    Combees blushed and stammered.


    "Ribombee? Ribombee?"


    Driving? What kind of car do you drive?


    Ribombee looked puzzled.


    "Combee! Combee!"


    Oh well, let''s not think about that. Let''s explore other Parks. You''ve only been in the Flower Sea, haven''t seen the other Parks yet! It''s a good opportunity to show you around.


    To prevent Ribombee from asking more questions, Combees rushed out of the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, passed through the light gate, and entered the main Ecopark.


    In the main Ecopark, Natus were resting on weather trees with closed eyes. Gardevoir (male) was teaching four Raltss along with Gade, and a group of Medidite surrounded in meditation.


    Not far away, a little Ralts was riding on the back of Vulpix, while Hoothoot hopped around on the ground.


    Just then, a gust of wind rushed out of the light gate, carrying the little Ralts on Vulpix'' back and causing Vulpix to stumble and fall, knocking into Hoothoot in front.


    All three little ones fell t on their faces, and when they tried to find the culprit, they saw two yellow figures darting into the Shallow Sea Shore Sub-Ecopark.


    Ribombee and Combees,ing out of the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, found themselves in a beautiful blue ocean with sparkling waves, a breathtaking sight.


    "Ribombee!"


    Wow! Where is this ce?


    Ribombee joyfully pped its wings over the water''s surface, using its finger to create ripples.


    Just then, two pink tentacles emerged from the water and wrapped around Ribombee.


    "Combee!"


    Seeing Ribombee in danger, Combees shouted and swiftly flew over.


    At this moment, a Cradily slowly emerged from the water, its tentacles dripping with water.


    "Little one, I haven''t seen you before."


    "Combee!"


    Let it go!


    Combees shouted.


    "I won''t let go. What can you, little one, do to me?"


    Cradily didn''t take Combees'' warning seriously. It was just curious when it saw a new face.


    Combees immediately used it Gust move to attack Cradily. However, Combees'' level was much lower, and Gust was only a basic move, which had no effective effect on Cradily.


    Cradily watched the futile attack with an amused look.


    But just then, a Water Shuriken flew towards it, cutting off one of Cradily''s tentacles.


    At an unknown time, the Heroic Greninja, had already stood on the beach. It was now looking coldly at Cradily.


    Cradily''s heart trembled as it saw Greninja, and it silently withdrew into the water, casting a resentful nce at Greninja before leaving.


    Greninja and Cradily had known each other for a while, and it knew Cradily''s mischievous nature. Cradily didn''t mean any harm; it was just feeling yful.


    Without a word, Greninja walked towards the forest above the beach.


    "Ribombee! Ribombee!"


    Wait Benefactor! Don''t go! I haven''t thanked you yet!


    Seeing Greninja about to leave, Ribombee immediately called out and, along with Combees, chased after it.


    Despite its small size, Ribombee''s strength wasparable to Cradily''s. Even without Greninja''s help, it could have escaped Cradily''s grasp easily. However, it appreciated Greninja''s assistance and wanted to express its gratitude.


    As they walked through the forest, they passed by a small stream where a Cloyster was resting with its shell closed.


    But as Greninja walked by, the Cloyster opened its shell, spat out a small stream of water, and stared at Ribombee and Combees with big eyes. However, Ribombee just made a funny face at it and giggled as it flew away.


    On their way, Ribombee bombarded Greninja with questions, asking where Greninja lived, if they could be friends, why Greninja wasn''t talking...


    But Greninja didn''t utter a single word to this little chatterbox.


    As they got closer to the depths of the forest, Ribombee could faintly see ake covered with blossoms and smell the fragrance in the air.


    Just then, a figure bathed in pink light dashed towards them, heading straight for Greninja.


    Greninja immediately leaped onto a tree, throwing a Water Shuriken at the approaching figure, but it swiftly dodged.


    The figurended on a tree branch and engaged in a fast-paced battle with Greninja, neither giving an inch.


    Meanwhile, a Mightyena watched the battle with starry eyes, filled with admiration.


    "Ribombee, Ribombee!"


    Who is that? How dare they attack my savior? I have to help my savior!


    Ribombee was about to step in to assist Greninja but was promptly stopped by Combees.


    "Combee, Combee!"


    No, don''t! That''s Linoone, and it''s sparring with Greninja! Don''t disturb them!


    Greninja was well-known in the entire Ecological Park, thanks to its regr challenges to other Pok��mon in different Sub-Ecoparks. It had even visited the Flower Sea, so Combees recognized it.


    As for Linoone, it was a long-time resident of the Ecological Park and currently the head of the patrol team, responsible for monitoring the entire YoYo Day Care, along with the Natus. They had special psychic abilities that allowed them to sense everything happening in the Day Care.


    "Ribombee!"


    What''s wrong with that infatuated one over there?


    Ribombee pointed to the big Mightyena, which was gazing at Linoone with an affectionate expression.


    Infatuated...


    Upon hearing the words of Ribombee, Combee was dumbfounded.


    Mightyena''s reputation was just as significant as its partner, but its notoriety came from its infatuation with its partner, Linoone.


    Indeed, every Pok��mon in the entire Ecopark knew this fact, but no one dared to mention it in front of Mightyena.


    Recently, it was that mean Milotic who had been taunting Mightyena, and even its three wives had fled to different Sub-Ecoparks just to avoid its relentless pursuit.


    When Greninja and Linoone finished their sparring session, Linoone warmly weed the neer, Ribombee. Compared to Greninja''s aloofness, Linoone had a much more outgoing personality.


    However, with this warmth came disdainful nces from other Pokemon, resembling the expressions of a primary wife towards a mistress.


    "Rimobee, Ribombee."


    Che, not only is she a nymphomaniac, she is also a jealous woman, and she is also ugly!


    Ribombee whispered to the side.


    Combee watched the exchange, astounded by its partner''s behavior.


    Best friend, do you want to experience being pursued across several Ecopark as well? Combee pondered.


    Following Greninja, they returned to the Heart Lake, where Ribombee was captivated by the water hyacinth blossoms scattered across the surface, filling the air with a pleasant fragrance.


    "Milotic!"


    Suddenly, a long, slender figure emerged from the water, shook its head vigorously, and sprayed countless water droplets, startling Ribombee.


    Soon, more and more figures surfaced, and they all began to greet Greninja and Linoone on the shore. However, the lead Pokemon quickly noticed Ribombee.


    "Milotic, Milotic!"


    Hey, is this the new little guy? I''ve never seen them before!


    These Pokemon were the Melotic that had been living at the bottom of Heart Lake.


    "Ribombee, Ribombee!"


    Hey, don''t call me ''the little guy''! Ribombee protested.


    "Milotic, Milotic."


    Alright, my mistake, you''re not the little guy! The leader of Melotic apologized gently, trying to make amends.


    "Ah, that''s better!" Ribombee crossed its arms triumphantly, clearly impressed with the leader of Melotic.


    Yes, this one''s quite the character! Ribombee nodded in satisfaction.


    Just as Ribombee was basking in its newfound poprity, a massive blue figure burst out of the water, creating a tremendous ssh that soaked Ribombee to the core.


    However, upon seeing the fierce expression on the other Pokemon''s face, Ribombee swallowed the angry words it had been about to utter.


    Terrifying! Ribombee patted its chest in relief, reflecting on its close call.


    Unfortunately, the colossal figure paid no attention to Ribombee and immediately started bonding with the leader of Melotic. Ribombee was left standing alone in bewilderment.


    What''s going on in this world? How does such a terrifying Pok��mon end up with such a gentle and beautiful spouse?


    Ribombee felt disheartened.


    I hope that someday, my idol will love me, and then I can die without regrets!


    Ribombee made a wish.


    Watching its friend''s mood swing from cheerful to despondent, Combee shook its head in amusement.


    Combee thought, I never knew you were this kind of friend.


    Disheartened, Ribombee left the Shallow Sea Beach Sub-Ecopark with Combee and ventured into the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark.


    One moment, Ribombee was downcast, but upon entering the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, it was instantly reinvigorated by the picturesque scenery.


    However, when it looked up and saw flying-type Pokemon soaring above, Ribombee''s enthusiasm waned.


    It seems this ce isn''t very friendly to bug-type Pokemon!


    The flying-type Pokemon hadn''t noticed Ribombee and Combee yet, as they were engrossed in their own activities. But the lounging Persian, perched in a tree, had spotted them.


    Persian licked its lips, then used its ws to groom its whiskers. It watched Ribombee and Combee with great interest as they surveyed their surroundings.


    "Hello there!"


    Persian approached Ribombee, looking up at it and Combee. Its voice waszy, and it appeared quite amiable.


    "Ribombee!"


    Ribombee cheerfully greeted it.


    "You seem rather unfamiliar," one of the Delcattys remarked.


    Delcattys had a graceful and friendly appearance, but unfortunately, they were the wives of Persian. Their elegant looks were just a facade; they were, in fact, quite cunning.


    "Yes, I was brought here by Yuga yesterday," Ribombee replied.


    "Oh, so Yuga brought you here?" The moment Ribombee mentioned Yuga, Persian squinted its eyes and seemed to feel uneasy. Its tone subtly changed when it continued speaking, deliberately emphasizing the word "Yuga."


    Combee was the only one who sensed Persian''s sour undertone, while Ribombee, blissfully unaware, continued chatting with the Delcattys.

 Chapter 572: Ribombee’s Journey (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 572: Ribombee''s Journey (Part 2)</h4>


    Ribombee and Combee followed Persian and the three Delcattys towards the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark.


    During the journey, Persian frequently and casually inquired about Ribombee''s rtionship with Yuga, such as how they met and how Ribombee came to be under Yuga''smand.


    The straightforward Ribombee had nothing to hide and shared all the details of its rtionship with Yuga with Persian.


    Upon hearing this, Persian inwardly scoffed, thinking, "So, it''s just a hand-me-down."


    When they arrived beneath the Milk Tree, Ribombee nced up and noticed a Honchkrow perched on a treetop, gazing into the distance.


    As the long-time leader of the Flying-type Pok��mon,bined with the natural aura of authority from its family, Honchkrow exuded an aura of invincibility.


    Honchkrow was considerably stronger than Ribombee, and not only Ribombee but also Combee and even Persian, who had spent a long time in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, felt somewhat intimidated in its presence.


    As one of the two leaders of the Flying-type Pok��mon, Honchkrow''s prestige was deeply ingrained in the hearts of all the Pok��mon in the Ecopark.


    However, after briefly noticing them, Honchkrow paid no further attention to Ribombee and itspanions.


    At that moment, Swellow swooped down from the sky andnded gracefully next to Honchkrow. It affectionately nuzzled Honchkrow, disying a dog-legged demeanor.


    Although Honchkrow tolerated Swellow''s affectionate behavior, it did not reciprocate, maintaining its aloof demeanor.


    After seeing Ribombee and Persian together, Swellow descended from the treetop andnded on Persian''s opposite side.


    "Swellow, Swellow!"


    Hey, this must be the neer! Persian, don''t bully them.


    Most of the Pok��mon in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark knew about Persian''s nasty temperament and its penchant for teasing other Pok��mon. While these pranks were usually harmless, Persian had still earned a reputation as a bit of a bully.


    Hearing Swellow''s words, Persian shot it an annoyed look.


    Despite Persian''s lower strengthpared to Swellow, it wasn''t afraid of it. After all, the entire Grasnd Sub-Ecopark knew that Swellow had a somewhat unpredictable personality and was a bit of a wife control freak.


    ring at Swellow, Persian turned to Ribombee and said, "Let me take you somewhere else, just ignore this idiot."


    Although Ribombee and Combee found Swellow''s words odd, they happily followed Persian.


    Left behind, Swellow sighed and then flew back to the treetop to continue its interaction with Honchkrow.


    Swellow thought, "Can''t argue with stubborn old folks. Oh well, I''ll go back to my wife and try to have a little Swellow or Murkrow."


    When Combee and Ribombee reached the shore of the Grasnd Lake, several Swampert were leisurely bathing in theke.


    One of the Delcattys was engaged in conversation with Combee, capturing its attention.


    Meanwhile, Persian, taking advantage of Ribombee and Persian dancing and sshing on theke''s surface, picked up a small stone and aimed it at Ribombee. Inadvertently, it hit Ribombee right on the head, causing Ribombee to fall "plink" onto the head of one of the Swampert.


    Ribombee climbed up from the Swampert''s head with a bewildered expression, while the Swampert simply held Ribombee gently, looking at the unfamiliar face with curiosity.


    "Swampert?"


    Who are you?


    Regarding the incident of Ribombee hitting its head, the gentle-natured Swampert felt no anger at all. Instead, it looked at the new face before it with great curiosity.


    "Ribombee, Ribombee!"


    Ah, I''m so sorry! I''m so sorry!


    Ribombee repeatedly apologized to the Swampert.


    "Swampert, Swampert."


    No problem, little one. Just be more careful next time.


    Swampert released its hold on Ribombee.


    "Ribombee, Ribombee!"


    "Thank you, thank you!"


    Ribombee expressed its gratitude and even offered a pollen ball for Swampert to taste.


    After enjoying the delicious pollen ball, Swampert quickly became friends with Ribombee.


    As they watched Ribombee and Swampert getting along harmoniously by the shore, Persian secretly grumbled, "Hmph, you''re lucky!"


    When Ribombee returned, it was quite perplexed as it recounted the recent events to Persian and Combee.


    "Ribombee, Ribombee."


    It''s really strange; I feel like something hit me.


    "Delcatty, Delcatty, Delcatty."


    That''s definitely just your imagination.


    One of the Delcattys gestured with its right paw.


    "Delcatty, Delcatty, Delcatty."


    Yes, yes, just your imagination. Let''s have some juice to calm down.


    Another Delcatty added, magically producing two sses of crimson juice and cing them in front of Ribombee and Combee.


    The innocent Ribombee immediately believed the Delcattys and looked at the offered juice with deep gratitude, its eyes welling up with tears of appreciation.


    "Ribombee, Ribombee."


    Persian is working so hard to show us around; as a thank-you, we should let it drink first.


    Saying this, Ribombee pushed the ss of juice towards Persian.


    "Combee, Combee!"


    You''re right. They''ve been so kind. You should drink first.


    Combee mimicked the gesture, pushing their sses towards the three Delcattys.


    Seeing this, Persian and the Delcattys had bewildered expressions.


    Darn it! Are these two pretending to be naive?


    "Ribombee!"


    Come on, drink up!


    Ribombee looked at Persian with hopeful eyes.


    "Combee, Combee!"


    Yes, please drink, drink!


    Combee also looked appreciative as they gazed at the Delcattys.


    Seeing the sincere innocence of Ribombee and Combee, Persian and the Delcattys really wanted to refuse the two sses of juice. However, declining would be embarrassing.


    With no other choice, Persian and the three Delcattys reluctantly drank the juice, their faces turning red in embarrassment.


    "Combee, Combee, Combee."


    Oh, by the way, we have to go now. We have other Ecopark to visit! We''lle back to y with you another day.


    After saying this, Combee pulled Ribombee away from the Sub-Ecopark, leaving a displeased Persian and the Delcattys behind.


    As soon as Ribombee and Combee left, Persian and the Delcattys'' faces turned even redder, and they rushed to theke, drinking water voraciously.


    It turns out that the juice brought by the Delcattys was made from Tamato Berriesbined with some peculiar-tasting tree berrys, and it was incredibly spicy. Most Pok��mon, except for Fire-types, couldn''t handle this kind of vor.


    "Combee, Combee."


    Don''t you think Persian and the Delcattys are acting a bit strange?


    Once they left the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, Combee asked theirpanion.


    "Ribombee?"


    Do you think so? They seemed very friendly!


    Ribombee responded with a puzzled expression.


    Combee thought for a moment and realized that it might be true. After all, such warm-hearted Pok��mon must have good intentions.


    Without dwelling on it further, the two Pok��mon continued on to the next Ecopark.


    In the main Ecopark, Vulpix, Ralts, and Hoothoot, who were originally angry and ready to confront Ribombee and Combee, noticed their departure. Before they could approach, the two Pok��mon disappeared through the light gate.

 Chapter 573: The Adventures of Ribombee and the Combees (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 573: The Adventures of Ribombee and the Combees (Part 3)</h4>


    Ribombee and the Combees had just entered the light gate when Vulpix, Ralts, and Hoothoot followed suit.


    Emerging from the light gate, Ribombee and the Combees found themselves facing a sinister ancient castle.


    "Combee, Combee,"


    I heard thr owner had recently created two new Sub-Ecopark, and this appeared to be one of them, known as the Haunted Manor.


    Feeling the chilly breeze on their bodies, the Combees couldn''t help but feel a bit scared.


    "Ribombee, Ribombee," Ribombee eximed.


    Look down below, the sea is so beautiful!


    Ribombee excitedly pointed towards the Ghost Sea below the castle and then quickly flew above it, pping its wings.


    Ribombee cupped a small cluster of seawater in its hands, finding it surprisingly warm as the water didn''t cling to it but slipped back into the sea.


    "Ribombee, Ribombee,"


    Come down quickly! It''s so much fun here!


    The Combees, upon hearing this, happily descended, eager to join Ribombee in the water.


    However, as soon as they arrived by Ribombee''s side, eerie blue mes began to float on the surface of the sea, looking both beautiful and mysterious.


    As Ribombee and the Combees reached the Ghost Sea, Vulpix, Hoothoot, and Ralts also entered the Haunted Manor through the light gate.


    Staring at the towering, majestic, and eerie castle, all three of them couldn''t help but shiver involuntarily.


    Due to their small stature, they couldn''t see Ribombee and the Combees, who were in the Ghost Sea below the castle. Even Hoothoot, who could fly, chose to stay on the ground out of consideration for Vulpix and Ralts.


    "Vulpix, Vulpix!"


    Those two must have gone inside. Let''s go find them quickly!


    Vulpix pointed towards the towering castle as it shivered.


    "Ralts, Ralts."


    Is it really necessary? It looks quite frightening up there.


    With teary eyes, Ralts bit her delicate little finger, trembling slightly.


    "Hoothoot, Hoothoot, Hoothoot!"


    Don''t worry, I''ll protect you if anything happens!


    Hoothoot came forward, tapping its tiny chest in a brave yet slightly trembling manner. Of course, it did so while trying not to look at its own shivering feet.


    "Vulpix, Vulpix!"


    That''s right! If anything happens, we''ll be there to protect you!


    Vulpix also stepped forward, showing off her proud demeanor in front of Ralts.


    Compared to Hoothoot''s braveness, Vulpix was truly fearless. Even though she felt a tiny bit of fear deep down, she refused to admit it rationally.


    As a Fire-type Pok��mon, Vulpix possessed an inherent aura of fearlessness, and her parents had always been strict with her, making her stronger than other Pok��mon her age. These factors contributed to her self-confidence.


    Perhaps influenced by Vulpix'' courage, Ralts hesitated for a moment before summoning her own courage and nodding.


    So, Vulpix crouched down and carried Ralts on her back, while Hoothoot, despite his fear, boldly dered, "Let''s go inside!"


    As they ventured further into the castle, the chilly wind blowing from all directions grew stronger, as if it was seeping into their bones.


    Even Vulpix, usually so confident, couldn''t help but shiver in the relentless cold.


    "Ralts, Ralts!" Ralts eximed, her eyes filled with tears, "Shouldn''t we go back?"


    Vulpix'' back was stiff with tension, and her fur bristled, but she tried to remain resolute.


    Vulpix thought, "We can''t be scaredy-cats. I''m a Fire-type Pok��mon, after all."


    Hearing Vulpix use the word "scaredy-cats," Hoothoot gulped down the words he was about to say.


    Hoothoot thought, "I may be small, but I have my pride. I can''t let myself lose face!"


    So, the three of them persevered, braving the chilling winds as they continued deeper into the castle.


    After an unknown amount of time, they reached the second floor of the castle. In the center of the second floor was an abandoned garden, filled with withered flowers, dead trees, and an overall sense of decay.


    Standing on the corridor beside the abandoned garden, Hoothoot said, "Where could they have gone? We can''t find them anywhere."


    "Vulpix!" Vulpix eximed in frustration, "I''m so annoyed!"


    Vulpix, seething with anger, began hopping up and down, her sparks flickering wildly.


    Just then, clusters of eerie blue mes ndle lit up within the abandoned garden.


    Upon seeing these candle mes, Hoothoot was so scared that it sprinted away, and Ralts was even more terrified, falling off Vulpix'' back.


    "Vulpix, Vulpix!"


    Wh-what is this ghostly thing!


    Vulpix eximed, her voice trembling with fear, though herpetitive spirit overpowered her dread. She opened her mouth and unleashed a methrower, targeting the swaying candle mes.


    The crimson fire consumed the dried grass and trees along the way, but the candle mes showed no reaction. Vulpix hadn''t yet remembered the concept of fire-resistant creatures.


    Seeing that those candles didn''t react at all under his own methrower, she suddenly started to murmur in her hearth : Could there really be ghosts here?


    This thought sent shivers down Vulpix'' spine. He decided to pick up Ralts and make a run for it, and Hoothoot, no longer hopping around, pped its wings to follow Vulpix.


    As they fled, the Litwicks from the abandoned garden emerged one after another, bouncing and chasing after them. Ghost-type Pok��mon often enjoyed teasing others, and these Litwicks were no different.


    With the cold wind at their heels, Vulpix andpany rushed towards the third floor of the castle. Meanwhile, Chandelure led Ribombee and Combee down a corridor in the opposite direction. They coincidentally met the fleeing group of Vulpix, Hoothoot, and Ralts.


    "Vulpix!"


    It''s you!


    Vulpix eximed angrily upon seeing Ribombee and Combee. As they ran, Vulpix continued to shoot mes, this time towards the two neers.


    Vulpix and the others were followed by arge number of Litwicks, running all the way towards the third floor of the castle.


    Ribombee and Combee were baffled by the situation but instinctively used their Dazzling Gleam to deflect the iing methrower.


    "Chandelure?"


    What''s going on?


    Chandelure questioned upon noticing therge number of Litwicks behind Vulpix and the others.


    Seeing their boss appear, the Litwicks quickly stopped their chase.


    Vulpix and the others were startled again when they saw the Chandelure. They were neither able to move forward nor to retreat.


    It was only after Ribombee exined the situation that Vulpix and the others realized that the Litwicks were not ghosts but living Pok��mon like themselves.


    Once they were escorted out of the Haunted Manor by Chandelure and the others, Ribombee, Combee, Vulpix, Ralts, Hoothoot had became good friends.


    Children''s emotions are truly simple. After Ribombee''s exnation, Vulpix and his group understood that Ribombee and Combee didn''t intend to scare them.


    "Hoothoot!"


    It''s so exciting!


    After leaving the Haunted Manor Sub-Ecopark, Hoothoot be energetic and lively again, revealing its yful nature.


    "Phew, that was thrilling!" Vulpix eximed, his heart racing as he looked back on their adventure.


    "Hoothoot, Hoothoot, Hoothoot."


    Yes, yes! By the Way Don''t we still have the Desert Sub-Ecopark that we haven''t visited yet? Let''s go on adventures!


    "Are we really going there?" asked Ralts, her voice trembling with anxiety.


    "Why not? It sounds like a fun idea!" Ribombee enthusiastically suggested, pping its wings in delight.


    Combee reluctantly agreed to join their friends on this new adventure, figuring they would stick together no matter what.


    So, following the majority vote, the five little creatures passed through the portal and entered the Desert Sub-Ecopark.


    The entrance to the Desert Sub-Ecopark was located by theke in Oasis No. 1. As they entered, they spotted a sleeping Snox by theke, resting beneath arge tree.


    "Ralts, Ralts."


    That white belly looks sofy.


    Ralts mused, absentmindedly voicing her thoughts. She blushed when she realized everyone was looking at her.


    "Hoothoot, Hoothoot?"


    Shall we give it a try?


    Hoothoot suggested.


    The idea got everyone''s approval, and they approached the sleeping Snox.


    Ribombee and Hoothoot used their appendages to poke Snox''s belly, which had an extremely stic texture, making them all eager to y on it.


    "Vulpix, Vulpix, Vulpix."


    Vulpix yelled as he poked Snox''s ears, then extended his ws to push Snox. Seeing there was no reaction from Snox, which excited everyone further, and they began bouncing on Snox''s belly.


    Once Snox was well-fed and fast asleep, it would be challenging to wake it up. So, the yful creatures used its belly as a springy trampoline, jumping up and down.


    As they had their fun, they didn''t notice a small Kecleon that look like just born hiding in the treetops nearby, watching them with envy.


    However, when Combee started to bounce energetically, a white thread suddenly shot from the treetops above, catching Combee.


    Luckily, Vulpix reacted swiftly, releasing a methrower that burned the thread, freeing Combee.


    The group then noticed the Shiny Ariados hiding in the treetops. When Shiny Ariados realized it had been spotted, it withdrew into the foliage.


    Shiny Ariados didn''t intend to harm Combee; it simply couldn''t resist the urge to yfully entangle them in its web. Perhaps it had a touch ofpulsive behavior.


    Seeing Shiny Ariados retreat, Ribombee and the others lost interest in the trampoline and decided to leave for the desert outside. Together, the five Pok��mon exited Oasis No. 1.

 Chapter 574: Unfounded (End)

    <h4>Chapter 574: Unfounded (End)</h4>


    Five littlepanions, including Ribombee, stepped out of Oasis No. 1 and found themselves in a vast desert, with rolling yellow sands.


    "Ralts, Ralts."


    Look, there are many Pok��mon flying in the sky! What kind of Pok��mon are they?


    At this moment, Ralts noticed many flying Pok��mon circling in the distant sky and pointed at them, asking.


    "Hoothoot, Hoothoot."


    I don''t know, but they seem quite formidable.


    Hoothoot stared with big eyes.


    Indeed, these flying Pok��mon were the Mandibuzz that Yuga had sent earlier in the morning for the Gligar n and the Flygon n to look after. After being severely reprimanded by these ns, they dared not approach the oasis easily and could only hover in the desert from afar.


    However, there were still some bold ones among them who didn''t seem to mind the risk and attempted to approach. After all, Pok��mon like Mandibuzz had a dominant and unruly nature.


    Before the littlepanions could realize, they had already attracted the attention of a hungry Mandibuzz.


    "Vulpix, Vulpix."


    Do you feel like we''re being watched by something?


    Vulpix, who had excellentbat instincts, wagged her tail and shook her fur, feeling a sudden chill.


    Being the eldest and the strongest among them, Ribombee also had this uneasy feeling. Just as it was about to speak up, it saw a ck figure diving from high above, aiming directly for them.


    "Ribombee!"


    Get out of the way!


    Ribombee shouted loudly.


    The otherpanions, due to their young age and inexperience with danger, were left stunned.


    The only one who had faced danger before, Ralts, was paralyzed by fear due to past traumatic experiences.


    As the looming ck shadow was about to grab Ralts, Ribombee swiftly moved in front of her, using a Dazzling Gleam to block the attack.


    The attack that didn''t hit its mark left the dark shadow hovering in mid-air, pping its powerful wings, looking down at the delicious little guys below, it mouth watered.


    The littlepanions soon realized that their attacker was a Mandibuzz, much like the ones circling in the distant sky. They understood that these Pok��mon were formidable adversaries.


    Vulpix was the first to react. It opened its mouth and unleashed a methrower, intending to give this creature a lesson it wouldn''t forget.


    However, the methrower was easily dispersed by the Mandibuzz''s wings.


    "Ribombee!"


    Everyone, run! Don''t fight!


    Ribombee was well aware that they couldn''t handle this flying Pok��mon, let alone the four young ones.


    Hearing Ribombee''s words, Vulpix immediately swung Ralts onto its back and sprinted away. Although Vulpix had a fearless personality, it wasn''t foolish; it quickly realized that it was no match for the Mandibuzz.


    Combee and Hoothoot pped their wings and followed closely behind.


    "Combee, Combee!"


    You should run too!


    Combee shouted anxiously at their dear friend as they ran.


    However, the Mandibuzz, which had already considered them a potential meal, had no intention of letting them escape. It activated its Steel Wings and charged in the direction of the fleeingpanions.


    Ribombee knew it couldn''t let the Mandibuzz seed. It once again used its Dazzling Gleam to try to stop the Mandibuzz''s charge.


    However, Ribombee''s strength was no match for the Mandibuzz''s, and it was knocked out of the way and mmed hard onto the ground.


    Seeing their injured friend on the ground, the Mandibuzz''s eyes gleamed with hunger.


    "Perhaps a little appetizer wouldn''t hurt!"


    Meanwhile, as Combee continued to flee, they saw their injured friend and, unable to leave them behind, returned to Ribombee''s side and stood in front of the approaching Mandibuzz.


    Combee had very few skills at their disposal. In desperation, it used its Gust skill to counterattack the Mandibuzz. However, the power gap between them was immense, and Combee'' Gust was only a basic skill, easily deflected by the Mandibuzz''s wing.


    As Combee was sent flying by the Mandibuzz''s wing, a red me and two blue beams of light struck the Mandibuzz.


    It turned out that Vulpix and the others had returned. Vulpix unleashed a methrower attack on the Mandibuzz, while Hoothoot and Ralts simultaneously used their psychic abilities against it.


    Unfortunately, the attacks from these three youngpanions, whose levels were lower than Combee, were like tickles to the Mandibuzz.


    In an instant, the Mandibuzz reached the three youngpanions and gave each of them a thrashing with its bone club, rendering them incapacitated.


    With the sight of the tender youngpanions before it, the Mandibuzz''s appetite grew, and it extended its sharp beak toward them.


    Naturally, Ribombee and Combee couldn''t stand by and watch their friends be someone else''s meal. They immediately took flight again to intercept the Mandibuzz.


    The Mandibuzz had grown impatient with these two tiny Pok��mon. It found Vulpix, Ralts, and Hoothoot more appetizing than the two insects, as it rarely had insect-type Pok��mon in its diet.


    Charging ahead, Ribombee was sent flying by the Mandibuzz''s Steel Wings.


    ncing at Ribombee, who was knocked backward, and seeing Vulpix, Hoothoot, and Ralts lying on the ground, Combee felt a deep anger. It realized, for the first time, how truly weak it was.


    This anger triggered an evolution within Combee. Its size increased continuously, and in the blink of an eye, it evolved into a Vespiquen.


    A female Combee was an exceedingly rare urrence among the Combee poption. Only female Combee could evolve into Vespiquen, and not only were female Combee scarce, but their evolution was also much more challenging than that of regr Pok��mon.


    To evolve into a Vespiquen, a female Combee needed to reach level 21. However, the evolutionary factors within them were far more stable than those of ordinary Pok��mon, making Vespiquen particrly rare.


    This Combee had evolved by chance, under unique circumstances.


    However, within a Combee colony, typically only one Vespiquen existed.


    After evolution, the Vespiquen had either return to her colony, defeat the existing Vespiquen and im the throne, or establish her own colony.


    However, she only had one choose because even after evolving, she couldn''t hope to defeat an existing pseudo-Elite level Queen.


    Confronted with the nearly looming Mandibuzz, the newly Evolved Vespiquen unleashed a Power Gem attack. The Mandibuzz, taken by surprise, was sent flying.


    Seizing the opportunity, the Vespiquen scooped up Ribombee and the others and made a run for it.


    Despite her evolution, the Vespiquen still couldn''t contend with the much higher-level Mandibuzz.


    Having justpleted her evolution and not yet fully mastering control over her new form, the Vespiquen was quickly caught up by the Mandibuzz.


    However, just as the Mandibuzz was about tounch an attack against the Vespiquen, a massive figure descended from the sky and pinned the Mandibuzz to the ground.


    Seeing the Flygon leader, who had arrived just in time, the Vespiquen breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Flygon, Flygon!!"


    Why are you all here? This is a special time, not suitable for young ones like you to be here!


    The Flygon leader said to the Vespiquen, ncing at the unconscious youngpanions in her arms.


    The Vespiquen could only shake her head, indicating she wasn''t aware of the situation.


    After exining the situation to the Vespiquen, the Flygon leader knocked out the Mandibuzz and instructed the Vespiquen to leave with Ribombee and the others. Then, she took the unconscious Mandibuzz and left as well.


    It seems those Mandibuzz need some discipline! The Flygon leader thought to itself as it departed.

 Chapter 575: A New Queen

    <h4>Chapter 575: A New Queen</h4>


    After seeing off Sasaki Makoto, Yuga realized it was gettingte and decided to prepare lunch with the Audino.


    At the dining table, Yuga shared his n with Beidou to have him be the referee at the gym, and Beidou dly agreed.


    Beidou had initially worked at the Day Care Center in Ever Grande City, hoping to secure a official position within the Pok��mon League. Surprisingly, after leaving there, he managed to achieve that goal here in Verdanturf Town.


    For trainers like Beidou, who came from civilian backgrounds, obtaining an official position within the Pok��mon League was quite a challenging feat. It was unlike Steven, who effortlessly joined the Prosecutor''s Bureau.


    After Beidou''s eptance, Yuga advised him to study the necessary knowledge for refereeing and provided him with relevant materials and reference points for the referee exam. These resources were rmended by Sasaki Makoto, who, being a seasoned member of the Pok��mon League, had valuable connections and was willing to help Yuga.


    In the evening, Audino hurriedly emerged from the Ecopark and approached Yuga. They whispered a few words to him, leaving him surprised.


    An additional Vespiquen?


    Without dy, Yuga followed Audino to the Ecopark and indeed spotted a Vespiquen ying with Ribombee in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    ...


    <<vespiquen>> </vespiquen>


    Type: Bug/Flying


    Ability: Pressure


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Green


    Level: 28


    Moves: Gust, Pin Missile, Fury Cutter, Defense Order, Power Gem


    ...


    This Vespiquen, not yet reaching level thirty, was clearly not the same as the previous pseudo-Elite level Vespiquen. The original Vespiquen was currently residing with Vivillon.


    Yuga approached Vespiquen No. 2 to inquire about the situation. Seeing him, Ribombee showed great excitement and flew tond on Yuga''s head.


    As Yuga asked Vespiquen No. 2 about what had happened, Ribombee volunteered to provide an exnation. Despite stumbling through the narrative, it managed to convey the main points.


    Understanding the sequence of events, Yuga realized his negligence in warning the other Pok��mon about the dangers they might face in the Desert Sub-Ecopark. He should have advised them to avoid the desert temporarily.


    However, Ribombee, despite its brave disposition, felt deeply regretful for not being able to visit the final Volcano Sub-Ecopark due to injuries today.


    "What are your ns now?" Yuga inquired, well aware of the customs within the Combee family.


    Havingpleted her evolution, it would be challenging for Vespiquen No. 2 to continue living within her original colony.


    Vespiquen No. 2 responded, "I n to construct a new Amber Castle myself and gradually form my own colony."


    Yuga had the ability to converse directly with Pok��mon like the Combee family, so there was no need to use his Celebi blessing tomunicate.


    "However, building an Amber Castle on your own may be quite challenging," Yuga expressed his concern.


    The original Amber Castle had been constructed collectively by Vespiquen and numerous Combee. With only Vespiquen No. 2 avable now, building a new castle might prove difficult.


    In the Combee family, all Combee were descendants of Vespiquen and would only leave their original colony once they defeated the reigning Vespiquen to inherit the throne. Unless they defeated the existing Vespiquen, Combee wouldn''t follow a new Queen.


    So, if the new Queen wanted to establish her own colony, she would have to produce offspring and gradually grow the colony.


    Vespiquen No. 2 replied, "I n to first build a smaller Amber Castle on my own and then start forming my own colony. Once the colony is established and growing, I will consider expanding the Amber Castle."


    Like Mandibuzz, Vespiquen is an Pok��mon that reproduces by borrowing seeds. She does not live with the father of her child, nor does she care who the father of her child is.


    Vespiquen No. 2: "I n to build a smaller Amber Castle first, and then slowly start to form my own group. After the group grows, I will consider expanding the Amber Castle."


    After evolving, Vespiquen''s personality matured considerably, and she started considering things moreprehensively. However, Yuga couldn''t help but notice that she often gazed at Ribombee, whether intentionally or unintentionally, which surprised him.


    "Could she be interested in pursuing Ribombee?" Yuga wondered.


    While there was no issue with Vespiquen and Ribombee being together, there seemed to be something... unconventional about it. Moreover, Vespiquen''s approach to potential mates wasplicated.


    They didn''t believe in having spouses; for them, a mate was a practical tool Pok��mon.


    Listening to Ribombee chattering in his ear, Yuga couldn''t help but feel sorry for Ribombee, who seemed to have attracted Vespiquen''s attention.


    "I consider you a dear friend, and you''re thinking about... well, you know," Yuga mused silently. What''s more, it seemed Ribombee wasn''t keen on taking responsibility, which might be Ribombee''s mindset once it learned the truth.


    Yuga thought to himself, "I might have some suspicions, but I won''t say a word! Ribombee, take care."


    Seeing that Vespiquen No. 2 had everything well-nned for the future, Yuga had no further worries (except perhaps for Ribombee''s chastity).


    After parting ways with Vespiquen No. 2 and Ribombee, Yuga, apanied by the Audino, informed other Pok��mon not to venture into the Desert Sub-Ecopark temporarily to avoid confrontation with the unruly Mandibuzz.


    Three days passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Yuga and Ando had discussed the construction of the gym repeatedly.


    Yesterday morning marked the official start of construction at the Verdanturf Town Gym. Construction crews and materials arrived in town one after another.


    Yuga''s task was to supervise the construction progress along with Ando.


    However, just when the gym''s construction was progressing smoothly, they received word that there was a disturbance at YoYo Day Care.


    Hastening back to YoYo Day Care, Yuga found a crowd gathered at the entrance.


    "Who''s looking for me?" Yuga broke through the crowd and asked at the entrance, and his eyes immediatelynded on a familiar face, Harrold.


    The customer who had been turned away by YoYo Day Care.


    "I''m the one looking for you! My name is Harris, and I''m Harrold''s older brother."


    Harris?


    Yuga wanted to burst intoughter upon hearing that name but restrained himself when he saw that no one else seemed to react to it.


    "Cough, Harris, right? Are you here to stand up for your brother?" Yuga cleared his throat, suppressing his urge tough, and asked seriously.


    "Exactly!"


    Harris was not only muscr but also had a booming voice.


    "However, I''m a reasonable person. You signed an agreement with my brother, and we can''t make trouble for you or forcibly buy the services. So, we''vee up with another way to resolve this matter."

 Chapter 576: Gem

    <h4>Chapter 576: Gem</h4>


    Harris''s younger brother, Harrold, had been detained by Officer Jenny for a few days due to mistreating Pok��mon infants. He had only been released today. As soon as he was out, he came with his older brother to cause trouble at the YoYo Day Care Center.


    His older brother was a somewhat renowned Pok��mon Trainer with considerable strength. However,pared to Harrold, Harris was much more sensible. He knew that picking fights for no reason would onlynd him back in the police station, and that wouldn''t end well.


    "What''s this ''other way to resolve the problem''? What do you have in mind?" Yuga asked curiously, looking at Harris.


    "Since you''re going to be the Gym Leader of Verdanturf Town, ept my challenge. If I win, I won''t even take your badge; just give me that Cea," Harrold proposed.


    Harris had heard of Yuga''s reputation, but he didn''t believe he was inferior. He simply just didn''t meet the criteria to participate in official Gym Challenges.


    Yuga promptly declined the offer.


    Harrold hadn''t expected Yuga to refuse so decisively, and he felt a twinge of anger.


    "As a Gym Leader, it''s your duty to ept challenges. How can you refuse my challenge? Aren''t you ashamed?" Harrold used Yuga, his tone firm.


    Yuga raised an eyebrow, unbothered, and replied, "As you mentioned yourself, I''m just about to be a Gym Leader. I''m not obligated to ept challenges at this moment, nor do I feel ashamed."


    "You coward!" Harris''s younger brother, Harrold, chimed in before Harris could speak.


    "How about I spar with you instead?" Yuga looked at Harrold with a smirk.


    "Wh-who wants to spar with you?" Harrold''s face turned bright red, and he stammered before quietly retreating behind his brother.


    He knew his own abilities and had seen Yuga''s battles. He knew he wasn''t Yuga''s match.


    Watching his little brother act like a coward made Harris furious.


    "This unlucky fellow only knows how to make a fool of himself!"


    After swallowing his frustration, Harris adjusted his mood and turned to Yuga, asking, "What exactly would it take for you to ept my challenge?"


    "Do you think I should ept your challenge?" Yuga countered.


    "Shouldn''t you?" Harris questioned.


    "Of course, I shouldn''t. Even if you win, and I give you my Gym Badge, I won''t gain anything in return. What''s in it for me?" Yuga responded.


    "But I''m not asking for your Gym Badge!" Harris protested.


    "But I''m not a Gym Leader yet!" Yuga pointed out.


    Harris paused, realizing the truth in Yuga''s words.


    "Brother, don''t listen to this guy''s nonsense! He''s trying to deceive you!" Harrold interjected, rmed.


    "Shut up!" Harris scolded his younger brother.


    Harrold shrunk back, red-faced and subdued.


    "How about this, as long as you ept my challenge, consider this Fire Gem as the stake," Harris suggested, taking out a Fire Gem and showing it to Yuga.


    Yuga nced at the Fire Gem and shook his head. "I''m sorry, but I don''t need a Fire Gem."


    Yuga possessed an entire Fire Gem vein; he had no interest in a single small Fire Gem. It wasn''t a valuable evolutionary Gem like some others.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s refusal, Harris hesitated for a moment, then put the Fire Gem away and presented five beautiful pink Gem.


    "If you ept my challenge and win, you''ll receive these five Fairy Gem."


    These few Fairy Gem hade into Harris''s possession through a stroke of luck, and they were worth much more than an Evolution Gem. The reason Harris was willing to offer even more valuable Attribute Gem was simply because he believed Yuga couldn''t possibly win.


    Attribute Gem had the ability to enhance a Pok��mon''s move power as a held item, but rarely were they used this way. This was because, as held items, Attribute Gem could only be used once. When a Pok��mon used one, it would extract all the energy from the Gem at once, boosting the power of its moves but also make the Gem useless.


    The true purpose of Attribute Gem was to nurture Pok��mon and harmonize the energy of their attributes within their bodies.


    However, this method required long-term usage and a significant quantity of Attribute Gem. Over time, a Pok��mon''s move power would permanently increase as a result.


    Attributes Gem are valuable items, and if you want to use them for an extended period, the expenses can be countless, not to mention needing a way to acquire them.


    Each type of Attribute Gem can only be used by a Pok��mon that corresponds to its attribute. For example, a Fairy Gem can only be used by Fairy-type Pok��mon.


    If a Pok��mon uses an Attribute Gem that doesn''t match its own attribute, it might not be an issue with one or two Gem. However, prolonged use can disrupt the energy within the Pok��mon''s body. Instead of enhancing their skills, they may end up harmed.


    The reason why Yuga knows all this is because of his master, Mr. Kuni''o. Before that, Yuga had no idea that Attribute Gem had these effects.


    However, Mr. Kuni''o also mentioned that Yuga''s Pok��mon currently don''t need Attribute Gem. Pok��mon need to reach the level of pseudo-Elite level before they can gradually adapt to the energy within Attribute Gem. Using them too early is not a wise choice, as Pok��mon below this level may not have the capacity to handle the energy and could harm themselves.


    Attribute Gem were considered precious items, not only due to their significant effects but also because they were a monopoly of the Pok��mon League. Their status was somewhat akin to the importance of oil in Yuga''s previous world. However, unlike the regr sale of oil to the public, Attribute Gem were not avable for purchase by individuals.


    Although private transactions of a small quantity of Attribute Gem were permitted,rge-scale trading was prohibited and even illegal. The control over Attribute Gem mines was tightly held by the Pok��mon League. If private individuals were found to be illegally mining Attribute Gem, it was considered a serious crime.


    Attribute Gem could be purchased from the Pok��mon League store using Merit Points, but their prices were exorbitant. Yuga''s meager Merit Points would not be enough to buy even a few Gem.


    However, now that someone was delivering them right to his doorstep, Yuga saw no reason to refuse. Even though he couldn''t use them at the moment, they would be a valuable asset for Florges.


    "Alright, since you''re willing to go to such lengths, I have no reason to decline," Yuga agreed.


    Harris nodded satisfactorily in response.

 Chapter 577: Showndown

    <h4>Chapter 577: Showndown</h4>


    Under Yuga''s lead, Harris and his group were brought to the location where the Verdanturf Gym was under construction. There was an open area specifically designated for building Gym battle arena, and using it temporarily was no issue, as it would need to be renovated anyway.


    "What are the rules for this match?" Yuga asked, positioning themselves on opposite sides of the open space.


    "Let''s go with a standard 3-on-3 match. You''re a pseudo-Gym Leader, and using the regr Gym battle format saves me from usations of bullying," Harris replied, feigning magnanimity.


    Yuga rolled his eyes at Harris''s response. What a hypocrite!


    "Fine, you''re the challenger, so I''ll defer to you," Yuga said, releasing his first Pok��mon, a formidable Absol.


    Upon seeing the massive Absol before him, Harris couldn''t help but swallow hard.


    "Is this really an Absol?" he asked, displeased. "I heard your Gym is a Grass-type Gym, so why did you release a Dark-type Pok��mon?"


    "Am I battling you in my capacity as a Gym Leader now?" Yuga retorted, questioning Harris.


    Harris was taken aback by Yuga''s words, and he chose to remain silent instead of responding. He released his own Pok��mon.


    Harris''s first Pok��mon was a Magmar.


    ...


    <<magmar>> </magmar>


    Type: Fire


    Ability: me Body


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 55


    Moves: Smog, Ember, Fire Spin, me Burst, Confuse Ray, Fire Punch, methrower, Belch, Fire st, Iron Tail.


    ...


    Observing the Magmar''s details with his Insight ability, Yuga finally understood where Harris''s confidence stemmed from.


    This Magmar was three levels higher than Yuga''s Absol and was not far from reaching the rank of a pseudo-Elite. Against an average Trainer, Harris might have the upper hand.


    However, considering Harris''s age, having such strength wasn''t that surprising. Although he wasn''t particrly young, he could still be considered a prodigy of sorts.


    "Shall we begin?" Yuga asked.


    Since there were many spectators, and Yuga was not afraid of this person defaulting on his ount, so he didn''t bother arranging a referee.


    With Yuga''s prompt, Absol activated its Pressure ability, where its imposing physique and the aura of a King''s Rock mutually reinforced each other, causing Harris''s Magmar to freeze momentarily.


    "Absol, use Quick Attack and then Throat Chop!" Yuga ordered.


    Taking advantage of that brief hesitation, Absol swiftly approached the Magmar using Quick Attack and, in an instant, was by its side, raising its w to send the Magmar flying.


    But just as Absol was about to press its advantage, Harris urgently shouted, "Magmar, use Smog!"


    The Magmar, lying on the ground, raised its head and spewed forth a thick, purple-ck fog at Absol.


    Absol, although a powerful Pok��mon, found itself unable to react in time, and the fog began enveloping it. Smog, while only a basic move, had a 40% chance of poisoning the target, making things troublesome for Absol, whichcked any support moves.


    As the haze enveloped Absol, several blue light des appeared around it. These rapidly spinning des generated a whirlwind that blew the mist back towards the Magmar.


    Seeing this, the Magmar opened its mouth and released a methrower, igniting the fogced with poison. The resulting explosion obscured everyone''s vision.


    Because both Absol and the Magmar were close to the fog, both Pok��mon were affected.


    As the smoke gradually cleared, Absol emerged rtively unscathed, with only a few areas of its body ckened but no significant injuries.


    In contrast, the Magmary on the ground, incapacitated and unable to continue the battle.


    Witnessing this scene, the onlookers erupted into a chorus of astonishment, marveling at Absol''s exceptional strength.


    Absol''s size wasn''t just for show; due to its Seed of Unknown, both its attack and defense had been greatly enhanced. The explosion from Smog hadn''t done much to it, and it took the opportunity to give a few blows to Magmar.


    Seeing Magmar lose its fighting ability, Harris''s expression turn very ugly.


    Though Magmar wasn''t his strongest Pok��mon, it was certainly among the top, and he didn''t expect it to be defeated so easily by this peculiar Absol.


    He had underestimated him! Harris shot Yuga a nce and released his second Pok��mon.


    Harris''s second Pok��mon was a typical Pok��mon from the Hoenn region.


    ...


    <<swellow>> </swellow>


    Type: Normal, Flying


    Ability: Guts


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 50


    Moves: Brave Bird, Air sh, Peck, Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Double Team, Steel Wing, Aerial Ace, Tailwind.


    ...


    This Swellow was slightly weaker than Magmar but excelled in speed and maneuverability.


    Harris likely thought that since Absol wasrge, using a flying Pok��mon would give him an advantage.


    As soon as Swellow appeared, it utilized its flying advantage andbined it with Double Team to continuously disrupt Absol.


    Seeing this, Absol lifted one of its front legs and stomped the ground. Numerous rock pirs sprang up, forming a stones forest with Absol in the center.


    This stones forest was created by Absol using the second form of its Stone Edge.


    Stone Edge typically had two forms: one that turned rock energy into de-like projectiles and another that generated stone pirs on the ground to assault opponents.


    This stones forest was made using the second form of Stone Edge, intended to limit Swellow''s mobility. Inside the stones forest, Swellow couldn''t move freely, unless it had undergone specific training.


    With its movements restricted in the stones forest, Swellow had to use Air sh to try to cut down the stone pirs while also avoiding the continuous barrage of Stone Edge from Absol.


    However, the resilience of these stone pirs far exceeded what Swellow had expected. Its Air shes had little effect, and due to frequent mistakes in its movements, it was repeatedly hit by Absol''s Stone Edge. In the end, it reluctantly fell.


    Harris''s final Pok��mon was his strongest one, and it surprised Yuga.


    ...


    <<gade>> </gade>


    Type: Psychic, Fighting


    Ability: Steadfast


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 59


    Moves: sh, Close Combat, Leaf de, Night sh, Psychic, Double Team, Aerial Ace, Swords Dance, Psycho Cut, Dual Chop, Drain Punch, Thunder Punch.


    ...


    This was a rare Gade, nearly reaching pseudo-Elite level, with a blue potential. It had a considerable number of moves, making it a formidable opponent.


    Harris''s mood had taken a downturn. He had initially thought he could easily handle Yuga, but he had almost lost three to one.


    So, he couldn''t afford to lose now!

 Chapter 578: Admitting Defeat

    <h4>Chapter 578: Admitting Defeat</h4>


    With an imposing presence, Gade appeared on the battlefield and swiftly charged toward Absol, leaving a trail of afterimages.


    Absol, seeing this, also charged toward Gade, releasing its Dark-type energy along the way, leaving behind a trail of ck mist.


    Gade''s Leaf de shed with Absol''s Night sh, but surprisingly, Gade was sent flying.


    As a Fighting-type Pok��mon, Gade excelled in physical strength, but even so, it was outmatched by Absol in terms of raw power.


    Seeing this situation, Harris''s expression changed.


    His Gade was on the verge of reaching the pseudo-Elite level, yet it was falling behind after a single exchange, especially considering that Absol had already been through two battles.


    Gade quickly flipped and adjusted its posture after being knocked back,unching another attack against Absol.


    This time, it employed the disruptive move, Double Team, and a dozen Gades simultaneously appeared on the battlefield, charging towards Absol again.


    Absol, being more straightforward, didn''t overthink it. It unleashed a Dark Pulse, shattering the illusory clones as Gade approached.


    Just as the Dark Pulse was about to hit the real Gade, it abruptly halted its charge, swiftly swung the de-like protrusions on its arms, and dispersed the iing Dark Pulses.


    Absol''s special attack power wasn''t as potent as its physical attacks, especially after its enhancement by the Seed of Unknown, making it rtively easy for Gade to deflect the Dark Pulses.


    Seizing the moment while Gade was busy dealing with the Dark Pulses, Absol suddenly charged at Gade.


    Being a Psychic-type Pok��mon, Gade had highly acute senses and instantly detected Absol''s attack trajectory. It used its Leaf de to block Absol''s charge.


    However, Absol''s strength was quite astonishing. It forced Gade to continuously step back, leaving deep marks on the ground with each movement.


    As Gade was about to be pushed to its limit by Absol, it continued to lower itself to face Absol, drawing upon its remaining strength. With one hand still supporting itself, it unleashed Thunder Punch with the other,nding a punch on Absol''s forehead, causing Absol to stagger backward.


    Even though Gade managed to push Absol back, it was already heavily fatigued, panting heavily.


    Gade''s strength was inferior to Absol''s, and engaging in a direct confrontation had taken a toll on its stamina. Additionally, due to Absol''s ability, it felt mentally exhausted.


    At this point, Harris''s expression became even more ugly. Underestimating Yuga had been his biggest mistake.


    In contrast to Harris, the onlookers were apuding and cheering fervently for the valiant Absol. This was especially true for the children in the crowd, who looked up to Absol with admiration.


    Most of these spectators were locals from the Verdanturf Town, and many were even neighbors of the YoYo Day Care.


    In this match, unlike the outsider Harris, they hoped that Yuga, whom they had watched grow up since childhood, would win. Furthermore, Yuga represented the honor of Verdanturf Town as its future Gym Leader.


    Harris wasn''t foolish; he knew that winning was bing increasingly unlikely at this point. However, he was reluctant to give up and hand over five precious Attribute Gems for nothing.


    Seeing Harris distracted, Yuga took the opportunity tomand Absol to attack.


    Absol first used an Uproar, and the shockwaves it generated sent Gade flying. Following that, it employed Stone Edge, causing stone pirs to rise from the ground and forcefully strike Gade''s slender waist.


    Gade''s Special Defense was strong, much like that of a Gardevoir, but its Physical Defense was weak. Additionally, the Stone Edge struck its vulnerable waist. Gade dropped to its knees, unable to stand.


    The soft and slender waist was Gade''s weak point.


    Gade couldn''t match Absol in closebat, and its only two ranged attacks, Psychic and Psycho Cut, had no effect on Absol due to being Psychic-type moves. Gade was truly caught in a dilemma at this point.


    As the Trainer of Gade, Harris deeply understood this.


    With no other choice, Harris loudly dered to Yuga, "Stop, I admit defeat."


    Unlike his younger brother, Harrold, Harris cherishes his Pok��mon deeply. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have achieved what he has today.


    Even though he knew winning was impossible, Harris would never let his Pok��mon get hurt in vain. Compared to the well-being of his Pok��mon, his pride and face were less important.


    Yuga could hear Harris''s reluctance in his voice, but Yuga didn''t care. It wasn''t him who had initiated the battle.


    "Brother! Why..."


    Seeing his brother admit defeat, Harrold''s expression changed. He was about to intervene but was silenced by Harris.


    "Shut up! I''ll deal with youter when we get back!"


    Harris shot a stern re at Harrold, who quickly shrank back, not daring to speak up. Instead, he shot a resentful re at Yuga.


    Yuga, on the other hand, didn''t back down. He raised an eyebrow, giving Harrold a look of disdain and provocation, making Harrold clench his teeth in frustration.


    Yuga recalled Absol into its Pok�� Ball and approached Harris with a smile. He extended his right hand.


    "My spoils of victory, thank you."


    Harris, true to his word, took out five Fairy Gems and ced them heavily into Yuga''s hand.


    "I hope we''ll have a chance to spar again in the future."


    Yuga pocketed the Fairy Gems and replied with a half-smile, "You better prepare your wager in advance."


    Harris''s face stiffened at his words, then he snorted and turned to leave. Harrold, seeing this, hurriedly followed but not before shooting a re at Yuga.


    Yuga didn''t care about the childish behavior of Harris and Harrold.


    "Alright, the show''s over. Everyone, back to work."


    After Harris and Harrold left, Yuga called out to the surrounding crowd, which included many construction workers.


    "Mr. Shimizu, well done!"


    Mr. Ando somehow joined the crowd at some point and now gave Yuga a thumbs-up.


    "Yeah, Yuga! Impressive! You''ve done our Verdanturf Town proud!"


    Encouraged by Mr. Ando, another neighbor cheered, "Indeed, great job!"


    "Count on you to represent Verdanturf Town in the future!"


    "You truly are our Town''s Gym Leader!"


    ...


    The praise continued, with everyoneuding Yuga, practically elevating him to legendary status.


    Even though Yuga had a rtively thick skin, thepliments made him feel a bit embarrassed.


    On their way back to the Pok��mon Day Care, Akihito and her four younger siblings trailed behind Yuga like a small tail, their eyes filled with admiration when they looked at him.


    They rarely got to see Yuga battle with others, and thest time was on TV, which couldn''tpare to witnessing it live.

 Chapter 579: Apprentices

    <h4>Chapter 579: Apprentices</h4>


    "When did you guys arrive?" Yuga asked the young ones.


    With therge crowd watching, Yuga hadn''t noticed their presence until now.


    "We''ve been here from the start!" Akihito replied obediently.


    Yuga nodded and said, "Come with me for a moment. I have something to discuss with you."


    Although the young ones were unsure of why Yuga wanted to talk to them, they followed him obediently.


    Yuga didn''t return to the old shop but took them to the new shop, and he also brought Arata Sena along. They all entered the new shop''s meeting room.


    Yuga gestured for them to sit down and said, "I have something important to discuss with you that concerns your future. I hope you''ll consider it carefully."


    The young ones nodded, their faces filled with curiosity.


    Yuga continued, "Soon, I''ll take up the position of Verdanturf Town''s Gym Leader, as you know."


    The older ones, Arata Sena, and Akihito had an inkling that Yuga''s discussion would be rted to the Gym.


    "The League has granted my Gym ten Gym Apprentice slots. The League will provide these apprentices with their initial Pok��mon and some training expenses. I want to offer each of you one of these slots. If you have no objections, I''ll submit your names."


    Yuga exined further.


    While Akihito''s younger siblings were too young to fully understand the implications, Akihito and Arata Sena, who were in their teens, grasped the significance. Yuga was offering them a tremendous opportunity, so they nodded enthusiastically, agreeing to Yuga''s proposal.


    As for the four younger kids, they let their older brother, Akihito, make the decision for them.


    The League officially doesn''t allow children under ten to register as trainers. However, Gym Apprentices are an exception. As long as they are five years or older, they can be recruited as Gym Apprentices. However, there are significant restrictions for Gym Apprentices aged between five and ten.


    Firstly, they can only have one Pok��mon, which must be their initial Pok��mon. Secondly, they are not allowed to participate in any official battles. Gym Apprentices exist mainly to be nurtured into trainers by Gym Leaders, so Gym Leaders must closely supervise and guide them until they turn ten.


    "What about Sister Anya?" one of the twins asked when Yuga didn''t mention their sister.


    Yuga smiled and replied, "Don''t worry about Sister Anya. I have other ns for her."


    Yuga intended to train Anya as an exclusive breeder for the YoYo Day Care, so he didn''t n on having her be a Gym Apprentice. After all, there were only ten slots avable for Gym Apprentices, and he might need to recruit more in the future.


    Relieved that Yuga hadn''t forgotten their sister, the young ones collectively breathed a sigh of relief.


    They were all orphans who had relied on each other for support. They were terrified that they might be separated, which was why they were so anxious to ask about their sister.


    Yuga continued, "Since none of you have objections, I''ll submit your names. After everything is arranged, Anrin, Anmu, Ayagiri, and Ayato can leave the Trainer School. I''ll enroll you in a regr school where you can learn normal subjects. As for the knowledge rted to being trainers, you can learn that from Beidou in the future."


    Yuga hadn''t known how to arrange things for Anya and Akihito''s younger siblings, so he had initially sent them to the Trainer School in town.


    Now, with a better n in ce, there was no need for them to attend the Trainer School. After all, the Trainer School offered limited knowledge, which was why Luna and Rand had chosen to withdraw from it and attend the Prep Camp instead.


    As for enrolling in a regr school, it was essential to ensure that the children wouldn''t grow up without basic literacy skills. Learning general knowledge in a regr school wouldn''t be as time-consuming. This would allow them to spend more time learning from Beidou to be qualified Gym Apprentices.


    Though they were a bit reluctant to leave the Trainer School where they had made friends, the young ones were obedient and nodded in agreement. They trusted Yuga''s judgment.


    With these arrangements settled, Yuga returned to the old shop.


    Upon seeing Yuga''s return, Suzuki Koen, looking anxious, rushed over and asked, "How did it go? What about that troublemaker?"


    Yuga smiled and reassured her, "It''s all fine now. You don''t need to worry. The issue with the troublemaker has been resolved."


    Suzuki Koen breathed a sigh of relief. She had been unable to attend Yuga''s battle with Harris due to store responsibilities and had been anxiously waiting for his return to hear what happened.


    Yuga briefly exined the situation to Suzuki Koen, and then Audino approached them and spoke a few words to Yuga. Following this, Yuga hurriedly left with Audino.


    Suzuki Koen was used to Yuga''s frequent conversations with Pok��mon and had a general idea that Yuga could understand Pok��monnguage.


    Yuga followed Audino and arrived at the grove in the foothills of the volcano within the Volcano Sub-Ecopark. Several Eevees were already waiting there, and they eagerly led Yuga towards their newly constructed nest.


    Audino had brought Yuga here urgently because Leafon and ceon were about to give birth. They had conceived around the same time, and their due dates had coincided.


    As soon as Yuga arrived, he began using his unique abilities to alleviate the pain and difort of Leafon and ceon duringbor.


    With Yuga''s assistance, Leafon and ceon managed to ease their suffering considerably, and their energy levels improved.


    While Yuga wasn''t skilled in midwifery, but his unique abilities can acted as a soothing remedy, reducing their pain and exhaustion.


    With Yuga''s help, Leafon and ceon sessfully gave birth to two healthy Pok��mon eggs.


    Both of these eggs were light brown in color with many dark brown spots, indicating that they would hatch into Eevees.


    The father of these two eggs was the same Pok��mon, That is Flint''s reon. Therefore, whether they took after their father or mother, they would both be Eevees.


    Although Leafon and ceon had sessfullyid the eggs, they were both physically exhausted. Yuga asked Audino to bring over pre-prepared Moomoo Milk and Sweet Honey to help them recover their strength.

 Chapter 580: New Beginnings

    <h4>Chapter 580: New Beginnings</h4>


    In the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed, and Verdanturf Town had officially transitioned from summer to autumn.


    Through Sasaki Makoto, Yuga submitted the names of Akihito, Arata Sena, and their group of six to the League and sessfully passed the review.


    As soon as Yuga took up his position, they would automatically be apprentices at the Verdanturf Gym.


    The construction of the Verdanturf Gym was progressing smoothly. Mr. Ando was very dedicated, putting great effort into every aspect of the construction, striving for perfection. It was believed that the Gym would bepleted officially in just a few days.


    Beidou''s referee knowledge training was also going well. Passing the exam should not be a problem when the time came.


    This exam was not tooplex because Gym referees were not as strict as those in various majorpetitions.


    Furthermore, the League Conference in the Hoenn Region had ended a week ago, and Reggie participated in this Leaguepetition.


    Unfortunately, due to his busy schedule with the Gym, Yuga couldn''t go to cheer for Reggie in person; he had to watch his matches on TV.


    Reggie performed exceptionally well in this Hoenn League Conference and secured the final victory.


    Given Reggie''s strength, winning the Hoenn League Conference wasn''t surprising. The previous Sinnoh League was a bit abnormal with many unusual contestants like Flint, Volkner, and even Cynthia. Encountering such opponents, it was normal for Reggie to face challenges.


    Yuga and his batch of newly established Gyms wouldn''t be able to catch up with this League Conference, but they would open their doors before the next League Conference began.


    During this month, Yuga, in addition to overseeing the Gym''s construction, managed the shop, tended to the Ecopark, and trained his two newly acquired Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Yes, he had two now.


    In addition to his original Turtwig, Yuga''s Deerling Pok��mon egg had sessfully hatched.


    Over this month, Yuga''s training had yielded results with these two Pok��mon.


    ...


    <<turtwig>> </turtwig>


    Type: Grass/Poison


    Ability: Overgrow


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 16


    Moves: Tackle, Withdraw, Growth, Double-Edge, Razor Leaf.


    ...


    <<deerling>> </deerling>


    Type: Normal/Grass


    Ability: Chlorophyll


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 14


    Moves: Tackle, Camouge, Double Kick, Agility, Odor Sleuth.


    ...


    These were the training results of the two Pok��mon over the past month.


    As they were still young, Yuga didn''t rush their level advancement. Instead, he continued to use his special abilities to aid their training, allowing them to establish a strong foundation.


    Turtwig showed more obvious improvements under the influence of Yuga''s special abilities. The most significant change was in its size, which had grown significantly in just one month.


    When it was born, Turtwig was norger than Yuga''s palm. Now, it was roughly the size of two adult heads, especially the small sapling on its back, which had grown lush and healthy.


    This small tree was highly sensitive to Yuga''s special abilities. Whenever Yuga employed his abilities on Turtwig, the little tree would sway vigorously, absorbing energy from Yuga''s body and then channeling it back to Turtwig.


    Fortunately, Yuga''s abilities had improved considerably over this period. If this had happened earlier, Yuga might have beenpletely drained!


    However, the small tree''s effect was significant. Turtwig had made remarkable progress in growth, skill development, and the power of its movespared to ordinary Pok��mon.


    In conclusion, Yuga''s diligent training and unique abilities were making a notable difference in the development of his Pok��mon.


    Deerling and Turtwig are slightly inferior inparison, but what sets this young one apart is its docility, attentiveness, and diligent nature.


    Having a rapidly progressingpanion by its side, Deerling feels a great sense of urgency and trains diligently.


    So, even though Turtwig possesses many advantages that Deerlingcks, thetter hasn''t fallen too far behind.


    Turtwig is still quite young, and despite Yuga''s guidance, it can be a bit mischievous. Surprisingly, Deerling, though even younger, appears more mature and steady.


    So, even if Deerling''s innate qualities aren''t on par with Turtwig, Yuga has a deep fondness for it.


    In its autumn form, Deerling has orange fur on its back and wears a small yellow flower on its head, making it both yful and adorable.


    Perhaps due to Deerling''s unique ability to change its appearance with the seasons, it possesses an extraordinary talent for the skill of camouge.


    Camouge is a skill that Deerling is born with, and it seems to have a natural aptitude for it, using it with great proficiency.


    Even Yuga''s Florges, knows this trick, but when ites to the application of this skill, itgs behind Deerling, which has only recently been born.


    This skill is like an instinct for young Deerling. It can rapidly change the color of its fur to blend into its surroundings, instantly deceiving the vision of others.


    Yuga believes that Deerling''s camouge is no longer just camouge; it''s somewhat simr to the color-changing talent of a Kecleon.


    This skill not only alters the appearance of the Pok��mon but also its attributes.


    Yuga thinks that if Deerling were ced in a terrain withplex and ever-changing conditions, it could continually modify its attributes using camouge, gaining an advantage in battle.


    Deerling also possesses an excellent speed talent. By constantly moving in different terrains, it has a significant range of application for its camouge skill.


    Apart from these two Pok��mon, there is also some good news.


    Over the past month, the Mandibuzzes that Yuga had ced in the Desert Sub-Ecopark finally couldn''t withstand thebined onught of the Flygon family and the Gligar family. They began to yield to Yuga, temporarily restraining their ferocity, and peacefully moved to the central ind of Lake No. 3 in the Shallow Seashore, refraining from causing any trouble.


    However, Yuga remained uneasy and believed that he needed to tame the Archeops as soon as possible to manage these Mandibuzzes.


    Yet, even after thinking for more than a month, Yuga hadn''te up with a good n to tame this peak Elite level Pok��mon. Archeops had spent over a month inside its Pok�� Ball.


    Fortunately, this peak Elite level Pok��mon was enduring hunger. However, this situation couldn''t persist indefinitely.


    peak Elite level Pok��mon could endure hunger for a month or two, at most bing weaker but not beyond recovery. But one couldn''t starve them forever!


    Currently, the most reliable solution was to figure out a way to revive Dragonite. With Dragonite''s around, taming Archeops would be a matter of minutes.


    However, the maturation of the Revival Herbs wasn''t a quick process, and without their help, it was challenging to heal the injuries inflicted by the Legendary Beasts.


    If not for the Guardian Orb''s presence, Yuga wouldn''t have been able to maintain Dragonite''s condition and prevent further deterioration.


    Yuga had also contemted keeping Archeops confined until it became too weak to resist Volcarona and Noctowl.


    However, upon further reflection, he realized that even if he temporarily tamed it this way, there was a high possibility that Archeops would turn hostile in the future, a consequence Yuga might not be able to handle.

 Chapter 581: Aunt

    <h4>Chapter 581: Aunt</h4>


    In the morning, after finishing training with Turtwig and Deerling Pok��mon in the Ecopark, Yuga made a trip to the Volcano Sub-Ecopark.


    Over the past month, many Fire Stones had been gradually mined by the Fire-type Pok��mon. Yuga collected these Fire Stones and handed them over to Suzuki Koen to be sold in the shop.


    Suzuki Koen, curious about why her boss had so many Fire Stones, decided not to inquire. It was simr to when the shop suddenly started supplying Razor Fangs a while back.


    As long as YoYo Day Care continued to prosper, it was a good thing for her. She understood that her boss was a person with secrets, and their rtionship required maintaining a certain distance and air of mystery.


    If the boss didn''t say, she wouldn''t ask or dwell on it.


    Due to Yuga''s growing reputation, business at YoYo Day Care had also been thriving.


    Especially after the online cirction of Yuga and Harris''s battles, it had caused quite a sensation. Harris was a formidable Trainer with a significant presence in the Trainermunity. Yuga''s Absol defeated him in a three-on-one battle, which brought even more attention to Yuga and YoYo Day Care.


    The items sold at YoYo Day Care were already superior to the average, and now, with their reputation spreading, business had experienced a sudden and explosive growth.


    All the employees at the shop had received substantial raises recently, and they were working even harder.


    However, Yuga felt that he might need to hire someone else soon.


    Once the Verdanturf Gym waspleted, Arata Sena would transfer there to be a Gym apprentice. It wouldn''t be practical for him to manage both responsibilities simultaneously, as it would only hinder his progress.


    But this matter required careful consideration.


    Now that YoYo Day Care''s business was expanding, and more secrets were involved, Yuga had raised his standards for hiring. After all, they were no longer the small and inconspicuous Day Care they used to be.


    While Yuga was discussing the sale of Fire Stones with Suzuki Koen, Aunt Hisako arrived with a basket filled to the brim.


    "Yuga, I''ve brought some vegetables for all of you."


    These vegetables had been sent over from Luna''s grandfather''s ce. Aunt Hisako and her husband were the only ones living in their household, and they couldn''t possibly consume all of it, so she decided to share some with Yuga''s group, considering there were more people here.


    Seeing Aunt Hisako, Yuga''s eyes lit up.


    Right! He could ask Aunt Hisako for help! Who else could he trust more than her?


    "Aunt,e over here. I have something to discuss with you."


    With a cheerful smile, Yuga took the basket from Aunt Hisako and linked arms with her, leading her inside the shop.


    "You, kid! Why are you rushing me like this?" Aunt Hisako said with a helpless look, following Yuga into the kitchen.


    Once in the kitchen, Yuga put down the basket filled with vegetables and said to Aunt Hisako, "Aunt, the thing is, my shop is currently understaffed, and I''m thinking about having you help out."


    Yuga had a reason for thinking of asking Aunt Hisako.


    Yuga''s grandparents had passed away at an early age, and Aunt Hisako had helped raise him along with his father. Later, when his father married his mother, Aunt Hisako came to live with them, and she used to work at the Day Care before. She handled sales at the shop.


    However, after getting married and moving away, Aunt Hisako had found a different job. The shop''s responsibilities had shifted to his parents.


    Now, Yuga wanted Aunt Hisako toe back because she had experience in this field.


    After hearing Yuga''s words, Aunt Hisako fell silent for a moment and said, "I''m not sure if I can still do it well."


    She was aware of the business at YoYo Day Care and was happy to help if she could, but it had been a long time since she worked in this line of business, and she wasn''t certain if she could still perform her duties effectively.


    Yugaforted her, saying, "You don''t have to worry. Take it slow, you have experience, and I believe you''ll pick it up quickly."


    "But... what about my current job?" Aunt Hisako still had some hesitation.


    Yuga replied, "Of course, you should resign from your current job! Your current job doesn''t pay well, and it''s not as good as working here."


    Aunt Hisako''s current job was just an ordinary position in a smallpany in town, and her sry was far lower than that of any employee at YoYo Day Care.


    YoYo Day Care was making a considerable amount of money, and with a small staff, the sries were continually raised by Yuga, reaching a level close to those elite employees in bigpanies.


    As the saying goes, why look for talent outside when the best resources are inside? Instead of hiring someone unfamiliar, Yuga thought it was better to have Aunt Hisako help.


    After some consideration, Aunt Hisako bit her lip and agreed, "Alright, I''lle and help you here!"


    Yuga, feeling relieved, said, "Great! Please resign from your job as soon as possible, thene to the shop to help me."


    With one matter resolved, Yuga''s mood improved significantly. He sent Aunt Hisako off with a smile.


    Right after bidding farewell to Aunt Hisako, Yuga saw Lain approaching.


    "Yuga, I''ve already be quite familiar with the incense-making process. When do you n to let me start working?" Lain''s tone held some annoyance. She had been in Verdanturf Town for nearly two months, and besides studying the incense manual Yuga gave her, she had been idle most of the time.


    The reason Yuga hadn''t allowed Lain to start making incense yet was mainly because most of the materials he nted in the Ecopark hadn''t matured yet.


    Yuga replied, "How about this? Let''s start by making one type of incense. Once you be proficient with that, we can move on to the next one."


    Although materials for the other incenses weren''t ready yet, the ones for the Sea Incense were mostly matured, especially the main ingredient, the Water Hyacinth, which had grown abundantly.


    Lain was delighted to hear this. "Really? That''s great!"


    Yuga said, "I''ll bring the materials to you this afternoon, and you can start working."


    With that, Lain left happily.


    After sending Lain off, Yuga went to the Ecopark with Grass-type Pok��mon to gather materials for the Sea Incense. He entrusted the preparation of the main ingredient, the Water Hyacinth, to the Melotic living there.


    In the afternoon, several Tauros walked out of the Ecopark, carrying arge pile of materials to the new shop''s studio, where they handed them over to Lain.


    With work to do, Lain rarely left the studio. She was immersed in her work all afternoon, and her dedication put her colleague, Misaki, to shame.


    When she sessfully made her first batch of incense, Lain excitedly ran up to Yuga.


    "Come and see how the incense I made turned out!"


    The incense she made was in a small porcin dish, consisting of blue granules.


    Yuga gently pinched the granules with his fingers, and they turned into powder, emitting a faint and pleasant fragrance.

 Chapter 582: New Merchandise

    <h4>Chapter 582: New Merchandise</h4>


    This fragrance was remarkably simr to the scent of Water Hyacinth butcked its slightly fishy undertone.


    Water Hyacinth, being an aquatic nt, naturally carried a faint fishy odor due to prolonged immersion in water. However, the Sea Incense had a pure, refreshing aroma without any unpleasant fishiness.


    "Let''s test the effectiveness of the incense," Yuga suggested, producing a palm-sized incense burner.


    This burner was specifically designed for incense, purchased by Yuga on the day he obtained the incense-making manual and had been kept in the store ever since.


    Lain nodded and took the burner from Yuga. She opened its lid and ced some Sea Incense inside.


    The structure of this incense burner, designed for heating incense, was quite unique. Its lid was hollowed out, and its body was round with a small space about half the size of a fist reserved for cing incense.


    At the bottom of the burner was a switch. Once activated, the burner would start heating automatically. Under high temperature, the incense ced inside would release its aroma.


    This type of incense burner was a modern invention. It used a new type of fuel for heating, which was efficient, longsting, and pollution-free.


    In contrast, early incense burners were quite primitive, where incense was directly ignited inside a stove. However, this method was wasteful, considering the high cost of incense. Hence, modern incense burners gradually reced the primitive ones due to their convenience and higher efficiency.


    Opening the bottom switch of the burner, Lain ced it on the table. In no time, wisps of pale blue smoke began to waft from the burner''s lid.


    As these light tendrils of smoke dispersed, the entire shop was filled with a faint, refreshing fragrance. It made people feel rxed and clear-headed, as if their minds had been refreshed.


    "It''s a sess!" Lain eximed in excitement.


    She had specialized in incense-making during her high school years and possessed a professional ability to discern the quality of finished incense.


    "Congrattions!" Yuga smiled and congratted Lain.


    "Shouldn''t I be congratting you instead? You have another source of ie now, while I''m just a simple part-timer," Lain said yfully.


    Because of her good mood, Lain exchanged jokes with Yuga.


    "Well then, part-time worker Lain, you should work diligently for the boss from now on!" Yuga joined in the yful banter.


    Currently, Lain was the highest-paid employee in YoYo Day Care. Being an incense maker was a prestigious upation, much more popr than being an ordinary Pok��mon Breeder, and it brought in significantly more money.


    After achieving sess in their career, most incense makers would eventually open their own shops. If it weren''t for Yuga''s incense-making manual, Lain would also follow that path in the future. However, without Yuga''s manual and mentorship, she would likely have a long way to go to achieve sess.


    Lain genuinely loved the art of incense making. Therefore, when faced with the temptation of Yuga''s incense-making manual, she didn''t hesitate to "sell her soul" to him, a decision partly influenced by Ryuichi.


    As the scent of the Sea Incense continued to spread, customers in the shop began to notice this unique fragrance and inquired with Yuga and Suzuki Koen about it.


    Seeing this, Yuga thought, why not take advantage of this opportunity to promote the incense?


    YoYo Day Care had quite a few wealthy customers. Although incense was primarily intended for Trainers, many affluent non-Trainers also bought it.


    Incense had benefits beyond enhancing a Pok��mon''s training efficiency and speed. Its inherent fragrance had a refreshing and awakening effect.


    In the past, nobles had used incense as a substitute for perfume. Even today, many prestigious old families still maintained this tradition.


    High-quality incense''s aroma was on par, if not superior, to that of luxury perfumes. So, despite its exorbitant price, premium incense always sold well because one could never fathom just how many wealthy individuals existed in the world.


    Taking advantage of the increased customer traffic in the shop, Yuga announced, "In the near future, we will be introducing premium Sea Incense to our store. We hope that everyone cane and support us. We will also be graduallyunching other types of incense, so please stay tuned."


    Initially, many customers were curious about the unique fragrance in the store. However, when they heard it was incense, most of them shook their heads in disappointment.


    Luxury items like incense were only affordable for the wealthy, and it wasn''t something that worked instantly; it relied on continuous use over time.


    Nevertheless, there were still quite a few people interested in Yuga''s mention of incense. YoYo Day Care was known as a "boutique store," and the quality of their incense was naturally expected to be top-notch.


    Seeing that most customerscked interest, Yuga wasn''t discouraged. After all, incense was a luxury item targeting high-end customers, quite different from the sales of Pok��blocks.


    Yuga''s current promotion was just a minor step in getting the word out. The real promotion would rely on Windy''s expertise.


    Historically, the majority of YoYo Day Care''s business didn''te from physical customers but from online customers. To reach customers in a world as vast as this one, a physical presence alone wouldn''t suffice.


    When it came to online sales, Yuga was truly grateful to have hired someone as reliable and capable as Windy.


    Windy''s personality was indeed very introverted, but his online persona was entirely different from his real self. He had made YoYo Day Care''s online business thrive.


    After announcing the uing release of Sea Incense, several customers approached Yuga with inquiries about it, and he patiently answered their questions one by one.


    Once these customers left, Yuga turned to Lain and said, "The next phase will be all on you. I''ll prepare the materials for the other types of incense as soon as possible."


    For incense to go on sale, there needed to be enough inventory, so Lain would be quite busy in the short term.


    Lain patted her chest and replied, "Don''t worry, leave it all to me. Please prepare the other materials as quickly as you can. My 40-meter-long knife has been itching for action."


    For Lain, making incense wasn''t just work; it was a form of entertainment. She had been eager to get started for a while now.


    After saying that, Lain swiftly returned to the new store''s workshop, eager to continue making Sea Incense. Now that she could finally start, she didn''t want to waste a single minute.


    Watching Lain''s hasty departure, Yuga shook his head in amusement.


    Later, Yuga paid another visit to Uncle Kate''s home, delivering a batch of materials for making Razor Fangs.


    Razor Fangs weren''tmonly used items, so most of the ones Uncle Kate made, apart from a few sold, had been used by the Gligars in Yuga''s Ecological Park.

 Chapter 583: Completion

    <h4>Chapter 583: Completion</h4>


    Four days after Sea Incense was ced on the shelves, the Verdanturf Gym was officiallypleted.


    The entire gym had an enormous footprint, giving it an imposing presence from the outside.


    Above the gym''s entrance hung a signboard that read "Verdanturf Gym" in bold letters, adding a touch of grandeur.


    Upon entering, there was a spacious courtyard devoid of any nts, but instead, there were eight neatly arranged battle arena.


    These eight battle arena were divided into two rows, aligned in an east-west direction.


    The size of the courtyard, which could amodate eight battle arena, was truly vast.


    In the future, this courtyard would serve as a training ground for gym apprentices and as the ce where Yuga would ept challenges from challengers.


    One could say that Mr. Ando had indeed made the most of the budget provided by the League.


    Going further inside led to the gym''s main hall, where guests would be received.


    The entire gym was oriented with its back to the north and facing south, with the reception hall located at the very center. On both the east and west sides, there were long corridors with rows of rooms.


    The rooms on the east side were designated for gym apprentices or other staff to reside in.


    The rooms on the west side served as ces for gym apprentices to study and engage in indoor training.


    The materials used to construct the rooms on the west side were exceptionally sturdy, ensuring that intense battles inside would pose no problems.


    Continuing along a north-south corridor, there were two small gardens on either side filled with flowers and nts. Adjacent to the gardens was the gym''s kitchen.


    Moving further inward, one would find the living quarters of the gym''s trainers and a small-scale ecological park that Yuga had requested.


    The trainers'' living quarters were situated on the east side of the long corridor, while the ecological park was on the west side.


    This was a small-scale ecological park, not asrge as Yuga''s original main Ecopark, with rtively lower construction costs and future maintenance expenses.


    The reason Yuga had requested the construction of such a park was to divert attention from its true purpose.


    In the future, the Pok��mon of gym apprentices, including Beidou, Luna, and Lant, could be kept here. After all, others couldn''t enter YoYo Day Care''s ecological park.


    After touring the gym, Mr. Ando asked Yuga, "How do you like it? Are you satisfied? If there''s anything that doesn''t meet your expectations, let me know while we''re still here, and we can make changes."


    Yuga shook his head and replied, "I''m very satisfied; there''s no need for further changes."


    Yuga and Mr. Ando chatted for a while before Sasaki Makoto arrived.


    "Mr. Sasaki, why are you here?" Yuga asked Masaru.


    With that, Yuga led Sasaki Makoto into the reception hall and they both took a seat.


    Sasaki Makoto looked around the gym and remarked, "It''s really well-built."


    Yuga smiled but didn''t say anything. The gym had reached its current level ofpletionrgely thanks to Sasaki Makoto''s reminders. Otherwise, Yuga might not have been so careful with the League''s funds.


    "I came today to share some news with you," Sasaki Makoto said to Yuga.


    Yuga asked, "What news?"


    Sasaki Makoto continued, "Firstly, the League Gym referee exam is scheduled for one month from now. Your selected referees should prepare in advance."


    Yuga nodded upon hearing this.


    Beidou''s progress in learning referee knowledge was proceeding smoothly, so there shouldn''t be any major issues with the exam in a month.


    "Secondly, there''s the matter of your gym apprentices'' initial Pok��mon. This requires an early application, so I''ve brought you a list of candidate Pok��mon."


    Saying this, Sasaki Makoto produced a sheet of paper with numerous Pok��mon names written on it.


    As Yuga''s Gym was a Grass-type Gym, most of Pok��mon on the list had a variety of Grass-type Pok��mon on it.


    Oddish, Lotad, Seedot, Cea, Budew, Eevee, Trecko, Staryu, Rhyhorn, Vulpix.


    While there were somemon Pok��mon species on the list, it also included some rare ones, including Vulpix and even the three starters. However, since the initial Pok��mon provided by the League were all Green potential, the options for Yuga were somewhat limited.


    Yuga originally considered letting Arata Sena and Akihito choose for themselves. However, he realized that he wouldn''t have a full team of ten apprentices yet, so he decided to make the choices himself.


    In the end, Yuga chose Eevee for all of them. While there were other options, Eevee''s diverse evolution paths allowed his apprentices to shape their teams to their preferences, avoiding any potential discontent.


    Yuga had no intention of interfering with his apprentices'' choices when it came to their Pok��mon. He believed that the journey of a Pok��mon Trainer should be a personal one.


    As Yuga had only chosen six apprentices, the League would send over the Pok��mon in batches. The remaining Pok��mon would arrive once the other apprentices were selected.


    To ensure there were no dys when the time came, Yuga submitted his choices in advance. ording to Mr. Sasaki, the Pok��mon would be delivered in about a week.


    Yuga nodded in acknowledgment and saw Mr. Sasaki off from the Gym.


    Due to the progress in the construction of the Gym and the curiosity of the townsfolk, many residents gathered around the Gym area in small groups, wanting to know when it would officially open.


    However, Yuga couldn''t provide an opening date as he needed to await further instructions from the League.


    Mr. Sasaki assured him that he would be informed in advance of the Gym''s opening, and on that day, representatives from the League would visit to present him with his official Gym Leader appointment and badge.


    Although he couldn''t give the townsfolk a definite opening date, Yuga did promise to invite them for the grand opening ceremony when the time came. This news brought excitement to the residents, and they left with high spirits.


    In the following days, Yuga assisted Lain in procuring materials from the outside for the production of other incenses.


    While some of the materials in the Ecopark were not yet fully matured, Yuga decided to buy a batch of materials from outside first, allowing Lain to use them. After all, the local materials would be ready soon.


    Over the next three to four days, after the sessfulunch of the Sea Incense, other varieties of incense gradually made their way onto the shelves.


    Due to the shortage of manpower, Lain was swamped with work during this period, so Yuga frequently lent a helping hand.


    Yuga had also studied the incense-making manual, but he couldn''t match Lain''s expertise as a professional incense maker. His role was mainly to assist.


    However, they found it challenging to stock enough inventory in such a short time. As a result, the quantity of each type of incense avable in the shop was limited.


    To promote the newlyunched incenses, Yuga instructed Suzuki Koen to light a different incense in the shop every day, filling the air with the unique fragrances of each variety.


    The incenses from YoYo Day Care soon gained favor among customers due to their high quality

 Chapter 584: Purchase

    <h4>Chapter 584: Purchase</h4>


    On this day, Yuga was in the shop, categorizing the incense that Lain had brought, cing them neatly on the counter when a beautifully dressed young girl walked in.


    The girl entered the shop, initially looking puzzled, then closed her eyes and took a sniff. She then opened her eyes, clearly surprised, and followed the scent into the shop, stopping at the incense burner ced on the counter by Yuga.


    She leaned closer to the incense burner and sniffed carefully. "It smells so wonderful!"


    "Thank you for thepliment," Yuga said with a smile, standing nearby.


    The girl hadn''t noticed that Yuga was right next to her. When she heard Yuga''s voice, she startled and then apologized, "I''m sorry."


    "Are you interested in incense?" Yuga asked the girl.


    The girl nodded and replied, "Yes, I heard that the incense here is of excellent quality, and now it seems even better than I imagined."


    Apart from various medicinal herbs, the materials used in YoYo Day Care''s incense production, especially the flowers from the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, were of much higher quality than those found elsewhere.


    Combined with skilled craftsmanship, it was impossible for the incense produced here not to be of high quality.


    "Thank you for the praise; it''s our aim to satisfy our customers," Yuga said, delighted by the girl''spliments.


    The girl then leaned closer to the incense burner again andmented, "Is this flower incense? It has a very pure scent, rich but not overpowering. The quality is truly top-notch."


    The girl could discern that this flower incense definitely contained a variety of rare and exotic flowers, although, apart from a few, she couldn''t identify the rest.


    If one had to find a word to describe this incense, "exquisite" would be the most fitting.


    Yuga, surprised by her knowledge, remarked, "It seems like you''re quite knowledgeable about incense."


    The girl shook her head, saying, "I wouldn''t say I''m knowledgeable, but I''ve smelled a lot of incense, so I''ve be somewhat familiar with it."


    She must be someone who frequently uses incense; she seems affluent, Yuga thought.


    "By the way, I forgot to introduce myself. I''m Suzuye."


    Saying this, the girl seemed to recall something suddenly and pped her forehead.


    Suzuye?


    At first mention of this name, Yuga found it vaguely familiar. After a closer look at the girl''s appearance, he remembered who she was.


    Seeing Yuga staring at her, Suzuye touched her cheek and asked, "Is there something strange on my face?"


    Only then did Yuga realize that he had been staring impolitely and hurriedly apologized, "I''m sorry; I suddenly remembered that I''ve seen you before. You were the runner-up atst year''s Grand Festival of Pok��mon Contest, right?"


    The girl before him was none other than the one who hadpeted with Robert for victory atst year''s Grand Festival of Pok��mon Contest, a memory Yuga had just recalled.


    Yuga''s words left Suzuye momentarily stunned. She hadn''t expected that this person had watched herpetition. She quickly responded with a hint of embarrassment, "Oh, I see. I must havee across as quite arrogant. I never expected to lose to Robert back then."


    During that Grand Festival of Pok��mon Contest, Suzuye had entered with confidence in winning, but she ended up losing to Robert. In retrospect, she felt a bit embarrassed about her previous arrogance.


    "No, no, not at all," Yuga reassured her. "I think you''re really talented. Being the runner-up at The Hoenn Grand Festival of Pok��mon Contest is no small feat."


    Yuga was not exaggerating; as a Coordinator Trainer, Suzuye was undoubtedly excellent. After all, Robert had only narrowly won at the time.


    The Hoenn Grand Festival of Pok��mon Contest, as a rtively newpetition, was still not fully matured in various aspects, withpetitions of this scale rtively small. When Mr. Juan, the current owner of the Sootopolis Gym, was still a Coordinator Trainer, The Hoenn Grand Festival of Pok��mon Contest was just a nichepetition.


    Although it had gradually developed over time, the number of Coordinator Trainers participating was still far fewerpared to traditional Trainers. Therefore, individuals like Robert and Suzuye were truly outstanding, and Wace, in particr, had reached the pinnacle of the profession in the current stage.


    Yuga: "Miss Suzuye, may I introduce you to the different types of incense we have here?"


    Suzuye thought for a moment and replied, "I''d like some Sea Incense, Odd Incense, Luck Incense, Rose Incense, and a bit of Full Incense."


    Yuga hadn''t expected Suzuye to want so many different types of incense, which surprised him. Sea Incense and Rose Incense were effective for Water-type and Grass-type Pok��mon, respectively, so he deduced that she probably had these types in her team.


    However, Yuga remembered that she had a Clefable and a Gade. The Odd Incense she wanted was likely for her Gade, as it was known to enhance meditation abilities and was often used by Psychic-type or Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    Luck Incense and Full Incense were universal and could be used by Pok��mon of any type, so Yuga couldn''t guess which Pok��mon she intended them for.


    Guiding Suzuye to the disy of Sea Incense, Rose Incense, Luck Incense, Odd Incense, and Full Incense, Yuga picked out several boxes.


    Since the incense was rtively expensive, YoYo Day Care packaged it in special porcin boxes, which were beautifully designed. The packaging for different types of incense looked simr, with variations in patterns and colors on the porcin boxes.


    Yuga picked up one box of incense and offered it to Suzuye. "Would you like to try it?"


    Suzuye, pleasantly surprised, asked, "Can I?"


    "Of course!" Yuga replied.


    With that, Yuga took out a small burner and opened the box of Odd Incense. Using the provided porcin spoon, he scooped a small amount of incense into the burner and lit it.


    In the shop, the Rose Incense was already burning, so Yuga chose to demonstrate the Odd Incense this time.


    As the Odd Incense ignited, wisps of delicate smoke wafted from the burner. Suzuye leaned in to get a closer sniff.


    If the characteristic of Rose Incense was described as "exquisite," then Odd Incense could be described as "ethereal." Inhaling its scent felt like ascending to another world, a truly enchanting experience.


    "Mr. Shimizu, the incense here is indeed delightful. This Odd Incense is of the same high quality as the Rose Incense I tried earlier," Suzuye praised.


    "As long as you''re satisfied," Yuga replied. He extinguished the Odd Incense in the burner, as it wouldn''t mix well with the lingering aroma of the Rose Incense in the store.


    "Do you want to try any of the others?" Yuga continued to inquire.


    Suzuye''spliments about the incense made Yuga quite pleased, so he didn''t mind going the extra mile to let Suzuye try all the types she wanted.


    After trying them, Suzuye was indeed very satisfied with each one. She bought more than a dozen boxes of each type, spending a considerable amount of money.


    With one substantial sale, Yuga was in high spirits. He sent Suzuye off with a smile.


    "Please doe back to do business with us next time!"


    Standing at the door, Yuga shouted to Suzuye.


    "Don''t worry, Mr. Shimizu! I''ll help promote your shop," Suzuye replied with a big smile, clearly very pleased with YoYo Day Care''s incense.

 Chapter 585: Vacation

    <h4>Chapter 585: Vacation</h4>


    Apart from the single business deal with Suzuye, YoYo Day Care''s incense business had been quite sessful in the past few days, nearly catching up to the sales of Pok��blocks.


    YoYo Day Care had been selling Pok��blocks for a while, umting a significant number of loyal customers. However, the incense, which had only been on sale for a few days, was already proving to be quite profitable, surpassing the sales of Pok��blocks.


    Just a day after Suzuye''s purchase of incense, Yuga received a call from Sasaki Makoto. His five Gym apprentices'' starter Pok��mon had arrived.


    Yuga had already installed a Pok��mon Trade Machine in his new Gym, so there was no need to go to the Pok��mon Center for transfers or retrievals.


    The Trade Machine was located in the Gym''s lobby.


    Upon receiving the Pok�� Balls sent by Sasaki Makoto, Yuga called Arata Sena and the others to the Gym and handed over the six Eevees to them.


    Anrin, Anmu, Ayagiri, and Ayato were all received Pok��mon for the first time and were extremely excited. They treated their newly acquired Eevees with great care.


    In the past two days, these four had transferred from the Trainer School to regr schools.


    After receiving the Eevees, Yuga asked Akihiro and the others to start moving out.


    The Gym was alreadypleted, and as Gym apprentices, they no longer needed to stay at YoYo Day Care.


    Even Arata Sena moved to the Gym at Yuga''s request.


    Initially, Arata Sena''s mother, Aunt Aoba, had objections to Arata Sena bing a Trainer. But since Yuga chose Arata Sena as a Gym apprentice, Aunt Aoba had stopped objecting.


    Arata Sena''s future was uncertain when he followed Yuga, but now, things had changed. Yuga had be a Gym Leader in Verdanturf Town, and the Pok��mon League was his support. Aunt Aoba had silently epted Arata Sena''s decision to be a Trainer.


    This showed that the Pok��mon League held a respectable position in the minds of ordinary people.


    In the afternoon, Yuga went to help at Lain''s shop. However, he soon heard someone calling his name from outside.


    As the voice got closer, Yuga realized that the loud voice could only belong to Luna!


    When he stepped outside, he indeed saw Luna standing there, craning her neck to peer inside.


    In addition to Luna, Yuga also spotted Rand and Robert.


    "Why are you all back?" Yuga eximed in surprise upon seeing the three of them.


    "Big Brother Yuga, I missed you so much!" Luna blinked and then jumped into Yuga''s arms.


    Yuga pulled Luna out of his embrace, looking disbelieving. "You missed me?"


    "Hey, why can''t I miss you!" Luna retorted.


    Seeing Yuga''s incredulous expression, Luna yfully gave him a punch.


    Feeling the pain in his arm, Yuga thought, "This troublesome girl, after not seeing her for so long, she''s lost all her manners. When did she get so strong?"


    Luna''s Mother, Aunt Hisako, disapproved of her daughter''s decision to be a Trainer at first. But since Yuga selected Luna as a Gym apprentice, Aunt Hisako had stopped opposing it.


    Aunt Hisako had resigned from her previous job and was currently learning the ropes of the new shop. She gradually took over Arata Sena''s responsibilities.


    "Are you all on vacation this time?" Yuga turned his gaze to Robert, as Trainers from the Preparation Camp rarely had vacations, and he wondered what had brought them here today.


    Robert nodded and said with a smile, "Yes, both of them have some time off, so I decided to apany them and pay you a visit."


    Yuga considered it and realized that he hadn''t seen Robert in a long time.


    Long time no see, both Luna and Rand had grown taller, but their personalities remained rtively unchanged. Luna was still lively and cheerful, while Rand was still reserved and quiet.


    If we must talk about changes, both Luna and Rand seem to have be more stable, rtively speaking, of course, especially Luna.


    Yuga led the three of them into the reception room and chatted about recent developments. Yuga was quite interested in Luna and Rand''s school studies, while Luna and Rand were curious about Yuga bing a Gym Leader.


    Rand specifically expressed his gratitude to Yuga, thanking him for providing his father with a high-paying job opportunity.


    After chatting for a while, Luna pestered Yuga to visit the newly constructed Gym. Yuga couldn''t refuse her, and seeing that Rand and Robert were also interested, he agreed.


    When they arrived at the Gym, Luna, excited by the spacious battle arena, eximed, "Big Brother Yuga, let me show you my Pok��mon!"


    Yuga''s eyes lit up. "Sure!"


    He was very interested in Luna''s progress at school during this time and wanted to see how well she had trained her Pok��mon.


    ording to Robert, Luna''s school performance was excellent, but Yuga hadn''t witnessed it personally.


    "Come out, my darlings!" Luna took out several Pok�� Balls, shouted, and threw them into the sky.


    With shes of red light, four Pok��mon appeared outside.


    Altaria, Maon, Combusken, and Seviper.


    Altaria is the Swablu Yuga had given to her, now is already evolved. The Maon, which Luna and Rand had captured when it still magnemite. A strong-looking Combusken, likely one of the rewards from joining the Prep Camp. However, that Seviper seems a bit excessive!


    "Where did you get this Seviper from, Luna?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    "Of course, I caught it myself! What do you think? Isn''t Seviper super cool?" Luna said with pride, her face beaming.


    "Well, you''re quite amazing!" Yuga conceded.


    Indeed, Luna had a unique sense of aesthetics.


    But could a young girl capture such a formidable Seviper without any issues? Yuga wondered.


    However, seeing that the Seviper listened to Luna''smands, he felt somewhat reassured.


    This Seviper had excellent potential, possessing a blue potential. Yuga could tell it was still young, but in terms of size, it was thicker andrger than the typical fully grown Seviper. It must have been born with exceptional potential.


    Among Luna''s four Pok��mon, Altaria had green potential, the Maon also had green potrntial probably gained it due to the influence of Zapdos, the Combusken from the League also had green potential, and now, a blue potential Seviper. Luna''s lineup was surpassing many experienced Trainers in terms of potential.


    "How about it, Big Brother Yuga, am I amazing? Do you want to have a battle with me?" Luna asked proudly.


    Yuga rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, you''re doing great, but you''re still a bit early if you want to battle me."


    Yuga now believed Robert''s words; Luna''s school performance was indeed impressive. Looking at her Pok��mon''s conditions, they had been trained quite well.

 Chapter 586: A Friendly Battle

    <h4>Chapter 586: A Friendly Battle</h4>


    When Luna''s request for a battle was declined by Yuga, she pouted in dissatisfaction and recalled her Pok��mon.


    "Rand, let me see your Pok��mon as well," Yuga turned to Rand after observing Luna''s Pok��mon.


    Yuga had heard from Robert that Rand had exceptional results in the Prep Camp, which piqued Yuga''s curiosity.


    Rand nodded in response and released five Pok��mon from their Pok�� Balls.


    Blitzle, Psyduck, Maon, Jolteon, and Pikachu.


    "Hey, didn''t the Prep Camp give you guys one of the Pok��mon starters? Where''s yours?" Yuga asked, surprised to see that none of Rand''s team included a Unova starter.


    "He requested to trade the Pok��mon starter for an Eevee," Luna interjected.


    Ah, that exined it! Yuga suddenly understood.


    "So, you''re a fan of Electric-type Pok��mon," Yuga noted.


    Among Rand''s five Pok��mon, four of them were Electric-types, and the only non-Electric type, Psyduck, was one he had caught while fishing with Yuga.


    Rand nodded but remained silent, confirming Yuga''s observation.


    Rand''s Blitzle had a yellow potential, Maon had a blue potential, and the other three were green, not far behind Luna''s Pok��mon in terms of potential.


    However, despite Rand''s Pok��mon not reaching their final evolutions except for Jolteon, Rand''s Pok��mon generally had higher levels.


    From this perspective, Rand seemed to work harder than Luna.


    "Very good, very good," Yuga patted Rand''s head with satisfaction. Rand dodged, but Yuga noticed his ears turning red, a sign of shyness.


    "How about it? Would you like to have a battle with me?" Robert suddenly asked Yuga after Rand recalled his Pok��mon.


    "A battle? You and me?" Yuga pointed at himself and then at Robert, surprised.


    Robert chuckled, "Of course! You''re about to be a Gym Leader. It''s better to practice now thanter."


    Yuga considered it and agreed. After all, Robert didn''t need to challenge the Gym.


    "Alright, but let''s make it a one-round match," Yuga suggested.


    "Agreed," Robert said.


    So, the two of them took their positions on opposite sides of a battle arena.


    "Let''s not waste time; I''ll go first with my Pok��mon," Robert said with a smile as he released his Pok��mon.


    ...


    <<mismagius>> </mismagius>


    Type: Ghost


    Ability: Levitate


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 52


    Moves: Growl, Psywave, Hex, Shadow Ball, Magical Leaf, Mystical Fire, Calm Mind, Thunderbolt, Dark Pulse, Dazzling Gleam, Icy Wind.


    ...


    "This Pok��mon is the one I sent to you, right?" Yuga asked, having observed Mismagius''s stats.


    "You guessed it! How does it look? Pretty good, right?" Robert replied with a smile.


    Yuga thought, "More than just ''pretty good,'' it''s incredibly talented, reaching level 52 so quickly."


    Without further hesitation, Yuga released his Pok��mon, Chimecho.


    "Let''s begin!" Yuga said.


    Robert nodded, and both of them issuedmands to their Pok��mon.


    "Mismagius, use Shadow Ball!"


    "Chimecho, use Shadow Ball!"


    Massive dark purple Pok��balls formed in front of both Mismagius and Chimecho and were swiftlyunched towards each other.


    Mismagius''s speed allowed it to easily dodge Chimecho''s Shadow Ball.


    However, when Mismagius''s Shadow Ball was about to hit Chimecho, several light screens appeared in front of Chimecho.


    The light screens appeared one after another in front of Chimecho, creating a protective barrier. As Mismagius''s Shadow Ball dissipated, it didn''t evene close to touching Chimecho.


    "Light screens? When did you set those up?" Robert was utterly astonished by the numerousyers of light screens.


    Seeing Robert''s surprised expression, Yuga felt a sense of triumph. He thought, "You didn''t expect that, did you? My Chimecho can create Light Screen and Reflect almost effortlessly. Now, let''s see if you can break through."


    Robert said, "Mismagius, use Mystical Fire!"


    Mismagius nodded and conjured a fiery ring of mes that shot towards Chimecho.


    However, each time Mismagius''s Mystical Fire got close to Chimecho, the concealed light screens in the air would shimmer and deflect the attack.


    Robert was left dumbfounded, staring at the shimmering, transparent light screens in the sky. How was he supposed to fight this? He couldn''t even prate Chimecho''s defenses. Was this what a regr Chimecho could do?


    Robert had his own Chimecho, but he had never realized that a Chimecho could possess such powerful defensive abilities.


    The battle between Yuga and Robert soon caught the attention of Akihito and the others who were moving into the gym. Several young trainers stopped their work, gathered around the battle arena, and watched the match.


    "Wow, the Gym Leader is amazing!" Akihito''s younger brother, Anmu, pped his hands and cheered when he saw the dazzling light screens illuminated by the sunlight.


    "Go, Gym Leader, go!"


    "Go, Gym Leader, go!"


    The young trainers quickly started chanting in support.


    Hearing the voices of the young trainers, Yuga shook his head helplessly and then said to Robert, "It''s my turn to attack now."


    "Let''s not waste any time. Chimecho, use Shadow Ball!" Yugamanded.


    Unlike the initial testing, Chimecho now unleashed a powerful attack. Several Shadow Balls, each the size of a human head, floated around Chimecho, gradually increasing in number.


    Controlled by Chimecho, these Shadow Balls wereunched towards Mismagius with tremendous force.


    "Quick, Mismagius, dodge!" Robert initially nned to have Mismagius and Chimecho engage in a direct showdown, but when he saw the sheer number of Shadow Balls, he had to change tactics. Mismagius swiftly evaded, zigzagging to avoid the iing Shadow Balls.


    However, while Mismagius''s speed was impressive, Chimecho''s attacks were even faster. Mismagius couldn''t evade one of the Shadow Balls, and it was struck by a massive one.


    Typically, Chimecho wasn''t known for its offensive capabilities, but Yuga''s Chimecho was different. It had been modified with Deoxys''s energy core, and Deoxys was an exceptionally skilled attacker.


    Due to thebined effects of the light screens'' defense, Robert''s Mismagius couldn''t even reach Yuga''s Chimecho. Meanwhile, Chimecho was bombarding Mismagius relentlessly, and it quickly sumbed to the assault.


    Robert recalled his injured Mismagius with a sigh and said, "You''ve improved so quickly that I''m no match for you in the blink of an eye."


    Yuga, feeling a bit embarrassed, scratched the back of his head. "Heh, it was just an unexpected turn of events."


    Robert rolled his eyes silently, thinking, "Unexpected, indeed! I hope you bring more ''unexpected'' challenges next time."


    "You''re a Coordination Trainer, after all! It''s normal to have weaknesses in battle," Yuga consoled him.


    Robert retorted, "Go tell that to my senior brother."


    Yuga decided it was best to stay quiet after thatment.

 Chapter 587: Exchange

    <h4>Chapter 587: Exchange</h4>


    After their practice battle, Luna and Rand were pulled away by Akihito and the others to exchange experiences. Meanwhile, Robert, with an air of mystery, took Yuga to the living room, iming he had something to show him.


    Seated in the living room, Yuga couldn''t help but ask, "What''s this mysterious thing you want to show me?"


    Robert replied, "You''ll see once I show it to you. I promise it''ll be quite surprising."


    With that, Robert carefully opened a palm-sized velvet box, revealing that the contents inside were likely very valuable.


    It turns out to be a Mega Evolution Stone.


    As Yuga raised an eyebrow upon seeing what was inside, Robert said, "Don''t underestimate this inconspicuous stone; it''s a Mega Evolution Stone that can trigger another evolution for Venusaur."


    Upon hearing this, Yuga''s eyes lit up. A Venusaur Mega Evolution Stone! He remembered that Robert didn''t have a Venusaur.


    "I recall you don''t have a Venusaur, right?" Yuga inquired.


    "Oh!" Robert seemed momentarily stunned.


    "Aren''t you more surprised that Venusaur''s final evolution can go even further?"


    With a smile, Yuga retrieved a stone simr to the Venusaur Mega Evolution Stone Robert had just shown him.


    Seeing the second Mega Evolution Stone, Robert widened his eyes in disbelief.


    "You know about Mega Evolution?" he asked.


    Yuga nodded. "During thepetition, I met Kalos''s Elite Four Siebold, and he informed me about it. I also happened toe across this Mega Evolution Stone by chance."


    In fact, when Yuga had obtained this Mega Evolution Stone, Robert was present, but the stone had been stored alongside some Evolution Stones in a box, and Robert wasn''t aware of its significance at the time.


    "No wonder you weren''t surprised. So, which Pok��mon is this Mega Evolution Stone for?" Robert was quite curious.


    Yuga smiled and said, "I think you''ll be interested."


    Hearing this, Robert''s excitement grew, and he urged impatiently, "Come on, don''t keep me waiting!"


    "This is a Gyarados Mega Evolution Stone."


    "Really?" Robert''s eyes widened.


    Robert had a Gyarados of his own and had considered catching a Bulbasaur to raise, but now, he had an even better option.


    "So... does that mean...?" Robert was so excited that he stuttered.


    "Would you like to make a trade? You have a Gyarados, and I have a Venusaur," Yuga suggested.


    At this moment, Yuga was equally thrilled. He had left the Gyarados Mega Evolution Stone to gather dust for a long time. If not for theck of a Key Stone, he would have already developed the Gyarados in his Ecopark into his main Pok��mon.


    Although Gyarados was formidable, Yuga primarily specialized in Grass-types and didn''t have a strong affinity for Water-types, making it a tough decision.


    "Trade? Absolutely! There''s no reason not to," Robert replied with enthusiasm. He pushed the velvet box containing the Venusaur Mega Evolution Stone toward Yuga and eagerly grabbed the Gyarados Mega Evolution Stone from Yuga''s hand.


    With the Gyarados Mega Evolution Stone in his grasp, Robert stepped into the sunlight. Under its direct rays, the Mega Evolution Stone radiated a dazzling light.


    "It''s truly beautiful," Robert eximed, then suddenly turned to Yuga and said, "Let''s find a ce to see the power of these Mega Evolution Stones."


    Yuga was puzzled. "Do you have a Key Stone?"


    "Of course! Look!" Robert said as he pulled out a ne from his clothing, hanging from which was none other than a Key Stone.


    Seeing Robert''s Key Stone, Yuga couldn''t help but feel a very sour taste in his mouth, almost as if he were turning into a Lemonade.


    "The Venusaur Mega Evolution Stone and Key Stone were both gifts from my Senior Brother. He''s a Water-type specialist Trainer, and the Venusaur Mega Evolution Stone was of no use to him, so he gave it to me.


    He also told me about Mega Evolution. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have known about this amazing phenomenon in the world," Robert exined.


    Yuga had a sudden realization. If Wace had extra Key Stones and Mega Evolution Stones to give to Robert, then he might also have other Mega Evolution Stones and Key Stones.


    The Venusaur Mega Evolution Stone might not be useful to him, but the Key Stone was different. It could be used with any Mega Evolution Stone. The prevalence of Mega Evolution in this world was far more widespread than Yuga had imagined.


    "Follow me," Yuga said somewhat sourly.


    With that, Yuga led Robert down the central corridor of the gym towards its depths and arrived at the entrance to the Ecopark.


    Opening the Ecopark gate, Yuga gestured for Robert to enter.


    Seeing the Ecopark, Robert eximed, "You even have an Ecopark here!"


    However, Robert was only slightly surprised. After all, the Sootopolis Gym had its own Ecopark, which was muchrger than the one before him. There was no need for him to be overly astonished.


    However, Robert was unaware that the League provided special amodations for the top three winners of thepetition.


    But then again, he had no reason to know, and even if Wace and the Gym Leader knew, they wouldn''t have thought to inform him. After all, he wasn''t going to participate in thepetition.


    The Ecopark in the Verdanturf Gym had a small pond. It was the perfect ce for Robert to test the Mega Evolution of his Gyarados.


    Robert ced his Gyarados into the pond, and the Gyarados affectionately rubbed against him. It was clear that they had a close rtionship.


    "Gyarados, let''s try Mega Evolution," Robert said, taking out the Gyarados Mega Evolution Stone.


    The Gyarados looked surprised but nodded in agreement. It knew about Mega Evolution, but it only knew that its Trainer had a Venusaur Mega Evolution Stone. So, where did this Gyarados Mega Evolution Stonee from?


    Despite the confusion, the Gyarados was happy and ready for the transformation.


    "Are you ready?" Robert asked the Gyarados.


    The Gyarados nodded, indicating that it was prepared. However, Yuga sensed a hint of nervousness deep within the Gyarados through his special abilities.


    Robert didn''t say any dramatic lines; he simply closed his eyes and focused on the connection formed between him, the Gyarados, the Mega Evolution Stone, and the Key Stone.


    Standing by and watching quietly, Yuga soon noticed that the Key Stone in Robert''s hand and the Mega Evolution Stone in the Gyarados''s mouth emitted beams of light that connected them, leading to a sessful Mega Evolution.


    Robert opened his eyes and excitedly eximed, "It worked!"


    He was about to approach the newly transformed Mega Gyarados and give it a pat on the jaw, as he usually did.

 Chapter 588: Arch-Nemesis

    <h4>Chapter 588: Arch-Nemesis</h4>


    Just as Robert was about to approach his Mega Gyarados, Yuga suddenly noticed something was amiss. The Gyarados''s eyes had turned a deep crimson.


    Seeing this, Yuga knew trouble was brewing. He understood that if a Pok��mon undergoing Mega Evolution couldn''t adapt to its new form, the sudden surge in power, or didn''t have a strong enough bond with its Trainer, it could lose its sanity.


    "Roar!"


    The previously quiet Mega Gyarados suddenly let out a deafening roar directed at Robert, who was taken aback by this unexpected change.


    "Quick, get out of the way!" Yuga shouted. Seeing that Robert was frozen in fear, Yuga lunged at him, grabbing him and rolling to the side.


    As Robert and Yuga moved away from their original spot, Mega Gyarados unleashed a powerful Hydro Pump, creating a massive crater in the ground.


    After the initial Hydro Pump, Mega Gyarados showed no signs of calming down. It continued to unleash Hydro Pump in all directions.


    Confused and rmed, Robert asked, "What''s going on?"


    Yuga exined, "It seems that Mega Gyarados couldn''t handle the sudden increase in power and has lost its sanity."


    Robert immediately tried to recall Mega Gyarados into its Pok�� Ball, but he found that it was impossible. Mega Gyarados refused to return.


    Yuga added, "It looks like we''ll have to use force to subdue it."


    Robert nodded and released his Milotic from another Pok�� Ball.


    As soon as Milotic emerged, it let out a calming aura that spread throughout the area. While this unique soothing power briefly paused the rampaging Mega Gyarados, it quickly resumed its chaotic behavior.


    Seeing his Ecopark being torn apart by the enraged Pok��mon, Yuga winced, realizing the costly repairs that would be needed.


    As Milotic''s calming effect proved insufficient, itunched a Dragon Pulse directly at Mega Gyarados''s head.


    ...


    <<milotic>> </milotic>


    Type: Water


    Ability: Cute Charm


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 55


    Moves: Dragon Pulse, Water Gun, Refresh, Disarming Voice, Aqua Ring, Dragon Tail, Recover, Ice Beam, Twister, Safeguard, Blizzard, Hydro Pump, Scald, Dragon Pulse, Magic Coat.


    ...


    Compared to their first encounter, this Milotic had made significant progress, with substantial improvements in all aspects. It was no less powerful than Yuga''s primary Pok��mon.


    Milotic''s Dragon Pulse sent Mega Gyarados crashing onto the edge of the small pond, crushing numerous flowers and nts in the process. Despite Mega Gyarados lying motionless on the ground, Milotic continued with an Ice Beam, freezing Mega Gyarados in ce.


    The power gap between Mega Gyarados and Milotic was vast, especially considering Mega Gyarados''s inability to control its newfound strength after Mega Evolution. It was easily defeated by Milotic.


    With Mega Gyarados defeated, it reverted to its pre-Mega Evolution state.


    "What should I do in this situation?" Robert asked, staring at Mega Gyarados, now encased in ice.


    Yuga reassured him, "Mega Gyarados couldn''t adapt to the sudden increase in power; it just needs more training. When I met Elite Four Siebold, he was also training his stoise to use Mega Evolution. So, Mega Gyarados''s situation isn''t umon."


    Robert rxed his furrowed brow. "You''re right. If gaining such incredible power were easy, it wouldn''t make sense. I''ll go consult my senior brother when I return."


    Yuga suggested, "First, let''s take Mega Gyarados to the Pok��mon Center to check for any unexpected injuries."


    After notifying Luna and the others at the gym, Yuga apanied Robert to the Pok��mon Center.


    Upon returning from the Pok��mon Center, Yuga and Robert headed back to YoYo''s Breeding House. However, as they approached the entrance, they bumped into Suzuye.


    "Miss Suzuye, you haven''t left Verdanturf Town yet?" Yuga asked in surprise upon seeing Suzuye.


    "I still have some matters to attend to in Verdanturf Town. I came here today to buy some Pok��blocks, but I didn''t expect Mr. Shimizu to know Mr. Robert."


    While Suzuye conversed with Yuga, her gaze remained fixed on Robert, who, upon seeing her, greeted her with a nonchnd smile, as if he had encountered an ordinary acquaintance.


    "It''s been a while, Miss Suzuye," he said.


    "We shouldn''t block the entrance; let''s head inside," Yuga suggested, aware that the rtionship between these two formerpetitors from the Grand Festival was far from amicable.


    Guided by Yuga, the three entered the store.


    As soon as they stepped inside, Robert caught a whiff of a distinct fragrance lingering in the store.


    "Are you burning incense in here?" he inquired.


    Yuga replied, "Yes, we''ve just added some new incense to our inventory and wanted to promote it."


    Robert nodded and said, "It smells great."


    While Robert explored the store on his own, Yuga apanied Suzuye to find Suzuki Koen, asking him to introduce the Pok��blocks avable in the shop to her.


    When Yuga returned, Robert was examining a box of Sea Incense and a box of Wave Incense, sniffing their scents with interest.


    "Your incense here is of exceptional quality; I''ll take a few boxes," he remarked.


    Hearing this, Yuga smiled and said, "That''s thanks to your support; it''s boosting my business."


    With Yuga''s guidance, Robert purchased several boxes of incense, nning to share them with his mentor and senior.


    As Yuga was packaging Robert''s purchases, Suzuye approached with Pok��blocks in hand.


    "Do you have a moment, Mr. Robert?" she asked.


    "Me?" Robert replied, surprised.


    Suzuye nodded and exined, "Since the Grand Festival where I lost to you, I haven''t participated in any contests. Today, I happened to run into you, and I wanted to test my training progress."


    Robert hesitated, a bit unsure. "I''m not really interested in having battles with others right now."


    Yuga felt somewhat awkward about the situation.


    Is that the best excuse he coulde up with?


    "You..." Finding her request turned down after mustering up the courage to ask, Suzuye felt embarrassed and somewhat indignant.


    "I apologize, Miss Suzuye. Robert just had a battle with me today, and his Pok��mon haven''t fully recovered yet," Yuga exined, trying to smooth things over.


    "Is that so?" Suzuye said skeptically, then turned and left, appearing a bit upset.


    Watching Suzuye walk away, Yuga couldn''t help but shake his head in exasperation.


    Is he really okay with turning down a girl like this?


    "What''s the problem? She just wanted a training partner. I didn''t feel like epting such a challenge," Robert replied nonchndly, showing little concern about rejecting Suzuye.


    Yuga rolled his eyes in speechless frustration.


    Well, whether this kid will ever get married is starting to look like a real question.

 Chapter 589: Grand Opening

    <h4>Chapter 589: Grand Opening</h4>


    After spending three days with Luna and the others in Verdanturf Town, Robert returned to Sootopolis City to continue their studies.


    Shortly thereafter, Yuga received a call from Sasaki Makoto.


    On the phone, Sasaki Makoto informed Yuga that the opening ceremony of the Verdanturf Gym was scheduled for one monthter. During the ceremony, Mr. Norman, a Gym Leader from the Petalburg Gym, would present Yuga with the Gym Badge.


    It wasn''t surprising that Mr. Norman was chosen for this role, considering his esteemed status among Gym Leaders. He was more than capable of presenting Yuga with the Gym Badge.


    Another piece of good news was that the Indigo potential Pok��mon Egg Yuga had received from Virizion had finally hatched.


    The egg''s appearance had been quite ordinary, and Yuga had been unable to determine the species inside until it hatched into a Snivy.


    Not only was it a Indigo potential Snivy, but it also had a hidden ability, Contrary.


    Hidden ability Snivies were quite rare, and this was the first time Yuga had encountered one.


    The training value of a Snivy with a hidden ability was higher than that of one with a regr ability, especially considering its Indigo potential.


    Yuga couldn''t help but be delighted by this Snivy, and shortly after, he received a call from his master.


    Mr. Kuni''o requested that Yugae to Mauville City for special training.


    Mr. Kuni''o had watched the televised match from the Gym Challengers, and he wasn''t entirely satisfied with Yuga''s performance, leading to the special training n.


    Yuga hadn''t immediately rushed to Mauville City upon his return, as he had many matters to attend to.


    With the Gym now built and only the final appointment ceremony remaining, Yuga finally had some free time, prompting Mr. Kuni''o to call him.


    Yuga naturally couldn''t defy his master''s orders. After briefing Beidou on the various matters at the shop, Yuga headed to Mauville City the next day.


    Since he was going to Mauville City for special training, Yuga brought all his main Pok��mon with him, including his Gengar and Mismagius for protection.


    Yuga remained in Mauville City for an entire month until the day before the Gym''s grand opening. During this time, Yuga coordinated the preparations for the Gym''s opening via phone calls with Beidou.


    Beidou sessfully passed the referee exam for the Gym one week before the opening ceremony.


    On the day of the Verdanturf Gym''s grand opening, Verdanturf Town was bustling with excitement. The entire town was abuzz with activity, and not only were the local residents present, but many Trainers had alsoe from elsewhere.


    Yuga, being the champion of the Gym''s Challengers, was a center of attention.


    At 9:30 in the morning, the opening ceremony of the Verdanturf Gym officially began. Fireworks burst into the sky, and the residents of Verdanturf Town and the visiting Trainers gathered at the Gym''s entrance raised their heads to watch.


    Most of these fireworks had been prepared by the local residents of Verdanturf Town themselves, demonstrating their strong desire for the town to have its own Gym.


    As the fireworks disy concluded, a group of robust Flygon suddenly flew into the sky. They formed two rows over the Verdanturf Gym and then simultaneously exhaled crimson spheres of light into the air.


    These spheres of light exploded like fireworks, creating a disy even more magnificent than the earlier ones.


    "Those Flygon just used Draco Meteor, didn''t they?" remarked one of the observing Trainers in amazement.


    "Absolutely, that was definitely Draco Meteor. Gathering so many Flygon and having them all perform Draco Meteor is no small feat. These Gym Leaders are truly wealthy and influential," sarcasticallymented another nearby person.


    At this moment, another person nearby chimed in, saying, "They have these Flygon because they run a Pok��mon Day Care. What does that have to do with Gym Leaders? Look at you, all sour-faced! How embarrassing!"


    "You..."


    Having their sour attitude called out so bluntly, the person who had spoken first turned red in the face and seemed like they wanted to argue but was restrained by theirpanion.


    This minor conflict between the two individuals didn''t draw the attention of others, and the Gym''s opening ceremony continued in a lively manner.


    Apart from the Flygon performance, other Pok��mon disys were equally spectacr. For instance, a joint performance by Grass-type Pok��mon called the Dance of Flowers, a flying formation disy by Flying-type Pok��mon, and a fiery dance performance by Fire-type Pok��mon.


    Among them, what left the audience most impressed was Chimecho''s Aurora Performances. When a dazzling aurora appeared in the sky above the Verdanturf Gym, the spectators were awestruck.


    Chimecho''s ability to trigger auroras was inherited from Deoxys, although not as potent as Deoxys''.


    However, this aurora-inducing ability was purely for spectacle and didn''t hold much practical value. Chimecho rarely used it.


    Inside the Gym, Beidou and the Gym''s children were busily receiving the guests who hade to witness the ceremony.


    Meanwhile, Yuga''s aunt and uncle, watching the continuous flow of people inside the Gym, couldn''t have been happier. Seeing Yuga achieve sess had always been their wish.


    In contrast to the bustle outside, deep within the Gym, Yuga was receiving Mr. Norman, who had speciallye to present him with the Gym Badge.


    Not only had Mr. Normane, but also his wife Caroline, along with May and Max, although they were currently outside the Gym, mingling with the crowd.


    "The appointment ceremony will begin shortly. Let''s head out," Mr. Norman suggested.


    During the conversation with Yuga, Mr. Norman had already exined the basic procedure of the appointment ceremony.


    The appointment ceremony was an essential part of the opening ceremony. It signified not only the instation of a Gym Leader but also the League entrusting the management of the town to the Gym Leader. Moreover, it represented the Gym Leader''smitment and responsibility to the town.


    A Gym served as a symbol of a town, bearing the responsibility of protecting the town.


    When Yuga exited the Gym, the area around the Gym''s entrance was packed with people. Officer Jenny, apanied by officers from the police department, was doing her best to maintain order.


    As Yuga and Mr. Norman emerged, the crowd initially stirred, but then it quieted down.


    The mayor of Verdanturf Town, Mayor Ishida, was naturally present as well. He was on a raised tform in front of the Gym, holding a microphone and coordinating with Officer Jenny to maintain order.


    Just as Mayor Ishida was about to announce the beginning of the appointment ceremony, the crowd suddenly became noisy. Following that, a Charizard descended from the sky andnded on the tform.


    "Isn''t that an Elite Four Moore riding on the Charizard?"


    "What an Elite Four Moore! It''s Gym Leader Moore!"


    "I didn''t expect this newly appointed Gym Leader to know such a prominent figure like Mr. Moore."


    ...


    After a briefmotion in the crowd, Gym Leader Moore and his granddaughter nnery descended from the Charizard.

 Chapter 590: The Challenge

    <h4>Chapter 590: The Challenge</h4>


    ."How''s it going? I didn''t arrive toote, did I?"


    Mr. Moore walked cheerfully toward Yuga.


    Yuga smiled and replied, "You''re notte at all. I''m delighted that you could make it, sir."


    Yuga hadn''t expected Mr. Moore to attend the appointment ceremony for a small Gym Leader. After all, he hadn''t informed Mr. Moore in advance. However, Verdanturf Town was close to Lavaridge Town, so it wasn''t surprising that Mr. Moore and nnery woulde.


    "Haha, carry on with your business. Don''t mind me and nnery," Mr. Moore said before moving to the side and striking up a conversation with Mr. Norman.


    As nnery passed by Yuga, she yfully winked at him, making aical expression.


    Apart from Mr. Moore, as the opening ceremony began, Wace, Steven, Ryuichi, Reggie, Flint, and Volkner all arrived.


    Wace''s arrival caused a stir in the crowd as he was the most famous among the attendees.


    Steven rarely appeared in public due to his position in the Supervisory Bureau.


    Ryuichi, despite being an Elite Trainer, he only served as Mr. Kuni''o''s steward and had no fame.


    While Reggie had won the recent Hoenn League Conference, only a few people knew him.


    As for Flint and Volkner, being genius trainers from the Sinnoh Region, they were rtively unknown in Hoenn.


    Nevertheless, Yuga was pleased that Flint and Volkner had traveled all the way from the Sinnoh Region to attend his appointment ceremony. He had casually mentioned it to them, not expecting them to actuallye.


    Wace''s presence was entirely due to Robert''s request. Robert, upied with his teaching duties at the preparatory camp, couldn''t attend and asked his senior to represent him. Steven, in this case, yed a supporting role.


    The friendships between Steven, Wace, and Yuga were not particrly deep, so their attendance was inconsequential.


    After Mr. Norman handed the gym badge to Yuga, he delivered his appointment deration, outlining his responsibilities as the Verdanturf Gym''s Leader. The entire appointment ceremony gradually drew to a close.


    Overall, in the eyes of Verdanturf Town''s residents, Yuga''s appointment ceremony was grand and well-organized. Mr. Moore and Wace''s presence added luster to the event.


    Next came the final stage of the appointment ceremony: challenging the new gym leader.


    This phase was a test of the new Gym Leader''s strength, and everyone in attendance had the opportunity to challenge the new gym leader. However, the limit for the gym leader to ept challenges was ten times.


    Regardless of whether the challengers were strong or weak, once the gym leader reached the limit of ten challenges, the challenge phase would conclude.


    As the challenge phase began, the spectators on the raised tform began to disperse, leaving only Yuga and Beidou, who acted as the referee.


    "The challenge phase has begun. Anyone who wishes to challenge the new Gym Leader can step up," Beidou announced to the audience.


    As soon as Beidou''s words fell, a young male trainer jumped onto the tform.


    "I''d like to learn from the new Verdanturf Gym Leader," he dered.


    Yuga didn''t bother asking for his full name, merely gesturing to the other side of the stage and saying, "Please."


    The challenger stood on the opposite side of the stage, facing Yuga, and announced loudly, "I''m Mokuseki. Nice to meet you."


    Yuga didn''t mind the act of self-introduction by his opponent. Their goal was clear: to gain recognition by defeating Yuga.


    Typically, League Gym Leaders were carefully selected and highly skilled, but during Gym battles, they often held back a bit. However, in the initiation ceremony challenges, Gym Leaders gave their all, as losing here would be embarrassing. Many Trainers aspired to defeat Gym Leaders in this setting to gain recognition.


    Yuga proactively sent out his Pok��mon, which was a Venusaur.


    Mokuseki, on the other hand, sent out a Flying-type Pok��mon, a Swellow, which had a type advantage against Yuga''s Venusaur.


    Seeing Swellow gracefully flying around the battlefield, Mokuseki wore a smug expression, thinking that Yuga was at a disadvantage for sending out his Pok��mon first.


    However, Yuga paid no heed to Mokuseki''s expression and immediately ordered Venusaur to use Sunny Day.


    Under the effects of Sunny Day and Chlorophyll, Venusaur transformed into a massive artillery piece,unching volleys of Sludge Bombs thatpletely blocked Swellow''s movement paths. Swellow was easily taken down.


    Witnessing Swellow fall to the ground, trailing smoke, Mokuseki''s jaw dropped, nearly wide enough to fit a whole egg inside.


    Mokuseki hadn''t expected to lose so decisively.


    "Next challenger, please," announced Beidou, after dering Mokuseki''s defeat.


    As he watched Mokuseki retrieve his Swellow and leave the stage, Yuga shook his head. A Swellow of this caliber could have been easily defeated by Venusaur before its special training, let alone now.


    During the month in Mauville City, Yuga and his Pok��mon had undergone intense training specially tailored by Mr. Kuni''o. All of his Pok��mon had made significant progress, particrly the Grass-types.


    Yuga had never experienced systematic trainer knowledge and training before this month. This special training made him realize the importance of a skilled teacher, and it marked a significant leap in his abilities.


    ...


    <<venusaur (miracle="" seed)="">> </venusaur>


    Type: Grass/Poison


    Ability: Chlorophyll


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 48


    Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Poison Powder, Sunny Day, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Power Whip, Grassy Terrain, Photosynthesis, Sr Beam, Petal Dance, Earthquake, Frenzy nt, Grass Pledge.


    ...


    This was the result of Venusaur''s special training during the month, with substantial improvements in both level and movespared to before.


    After Mokuseki, several more trainers took the stage one by one, and Venusaur easily defeated them all.


    Venusaur had be more proficient in its defensive counterattacks, especially after learning Frenzy nt. It had reced Power Whip in its defensive counterattack strategy.


    Compared to Power Whip, which wasposed solely of Grass-type energy, Venusaur favored using Frenzy nt, derived from its own sturdy roots. When Frenzy nt was unleashed, it covered almost half of the battlefield with thick, brown, robust roots, capable of both defense and offense.


    Initially, Yuga had no idea how Venusaur had learned Frenzy nt, but Ryuichiter exined that Venusaur was actually the offspring of Mr. Kuni''o''s main Pok��mon, and Frenzy nt was a move passed down by its mother.


    With this exnation, Yuga understood that with guidance from a Master level Pok��mon, learning new moves was a breeze.


    Before, Yuga had been puzzled about his seemingly slow progress despite the numerous adventures and advantages he had encountered. Now he realized that the difference between him and Robert was simply the presence of a mentor.

 Chapter 591: Suzuye

    <h4>Chapter 591: Suzuye</h4>


    Thinking about the first five trainers he easily defeated, Yuga shook his head in disappointment. The trainers near Verdanturf Town, and even those who came from other ces, didn''t seem to pose much of a challenge.


    However, the sixth challenger surprised Yuga greatly.


    "Suzuye, you haven''t left Verdanturf Town yet?" Yuga eximed in surprise.


    Suzuye, wearing a smile, responded, "If I left, I wouldn''t have the chance to witness the interesting appointment of new Gym Leader, Mr. Shimizu."


    Despite her smiling demeanor, Yuga couldn''t help but feel that her attitude wasn''t very friendly, giving off an insincere vibe.


    Could it be because Robert rejected her challenge? But that had nothing to do with Yuga! Was she implementing collective punishment for some reason? Yuga couldn''t fathom why a coordinator trainer like her would attend an event meant for challengers, not coordinators.


    Unable toprehend her motives, Yuga reluctantly withdrew Venusaur and sent out Bellossom.


    On Suzuye''s side was a Clefable.


    If it had been the previous Bellossom against the current Clefable, Yuga might have been concerned. However, that was no longer the case.


    ...


    <<bellossom (miracle="" seed)="">> </bellossom>


    Type: Grass


    Ability: Chlorophyll


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 53


    Moves: Absorb, Mega Drain, Giga Drain, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Sweet Scent, Magical Leaf, Leaf Storm, Leaf de, Sunny Day, Sr Beam, Strength Sap, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Dazzling Gleam, Grassy Terrain.


    ...


    Bellossom''s move set hadn''t changed much, but its level had seen a significant increase, now matching the strength of Yuga''s previous main team.


    ...


    <<clefable>> </clefable>


    Type: Fairy


    Ability: Magic Guard


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 50


    Moves: Spotlight, Sing, Singing, Double p, Wake-Up p, Metronome, Moonlight, Moonst, Comet Punch, Ice Beam, Light Screen, Dazzling Gleam, Misty Terrain, Safeguard.


    ...


    Seeing Clefable, Yuga thought, finally, here''s someone with strength.


    Judging from Clefable''s strength, Suzuye''s abilities didn''t seem far off from Robert''s. However, the requirements for victory between coordinator trainers weren''t as demanding in terms of Pok��mon strength as those of traditional trainers.


    "The match begins."


    With Beidou''smand, Yuga and Suzuye simultaneously issued orders to their Pok��mon.


    Yuga and Bellossom had perfect synergy. Bellossom immediately used Sunny Day while performing a Quiver Dance, boosting her speed. This made Bellossom even more agile on the battlefield.


    On Suzuye''s side, Clefable used the offensive move Ice Beam, but Bellossom gracefully danced around it, avoiding the attack.


    Perhaps because Suzuye was a coordinator, Clefable''s Ice Beam had a dazzling, visually pleasing effect.


    After dodging Clefable''s Ice Beam, Bellossom concluded her first round of Quiver Dance and thenunched clusters of Sludge Bombs.


    The Poison-type Sludge Bomb was effective against the Fairy-type Clefable, causing Clefable to panic and evade frantically.


    However, with thebined effects of Sunny Day and Chlorophyll, Bellossom''s Sludge Bomb attacked at a high frequency. Clefable suddenly found itself in hurry.


    Seeing that her Clefable couldn''t keep up with Bellossom''s rhythm, Suzuye clenched her teeth in frustration. She wasn''t a traditional trainer, after all.


    Coordinator trainers indeed excel in skill control, but ordinary coordinators often fall short in terms of battle prowesspared to traditional trainers. Not everyone is a seasoned trainer like Wace, after all.


    As Bellossom was about to trap Clefable, Suzuye quickly had Clefable use Ice Beam to turn the battlefield into an icy terrain, attempting to limit Bellossom''s speed.


    However, Bellossom easily countered the Ice Terrain with Grassy Terrain, which allowed her to move freely by covering the icy ground with grass.


    Despite Clefable''s lower level and battle skillspared to Bellossom, the only advantage Clefable possessed in technique usage was effectively neutralized by Bellossom. In the end, Clefable was defeated.


    Suzuye retrieved her incapacitated Clefable with an irritated expression, then hastily left the stage, leaving Yuga to shake his head helplessly.


    This girl was truly unreasonable.


    After Suzuye, Yuga effortlessly defeated three more trainers. The challenge phase was nearing its end, and suddenly, a pseudo-Elite level Trainer stepped onto the stage.


    This seasoned challenger didn''t seem to be around Yuga''s age; he was a middle-aged man, almost as old as Yuga''s father.


    The challenger appeared rugged, didn''t say a word when he came on stage, and didn''t even introduce himself. He immediately released his Pok��mon, a pseudo-Elite level Crawdaunt, with green potential and impressive strength.


    However, Yuga''s Absol eventually defeated the Crawdaunt, thanks to his Absol breaking into a pseudo-Elite level during this special training. Absol''s Seed of Unknown also yed a crucial role in securing the victory. If that Crawdaunt had held on just a bit longer, it would have defeated Yuga''s Absol.


    After being defeated, the Crawdaunt''s trainer didn''t utter a single word. He silently recalled his incapacitated Crawdaunt and left the stage, disappearing into the crowd.


    No one paid much attention to this peculiar trainer, and neither did Yuga. However, Aunt Aoba in the audience seemed excited and chased after the trainer. Regrettably, the unnamed trainer was too fast for her to catch up to. Since then, Aunt Aoba often seemed absentminded, and no one knew what was on her mind.


    After defeating the final challenger, Yuga heaved a sigh of relief. He hade dangerously close to losing, and if he had, it would have been an embarrassing ordeal.


    The opening ceremony of the Verdanturf Gym continued until evening, and the spectators gradually dispersed.


    Once the ceremony concluded, Mr. Moore, along with nnery, returned to Lavaridge Town. Wace and Steven also departed, leaving Reggie, Flint, and Volkner to temporarily reside in the gym.


    The inauguration ceremony marked Yuga''s official status as a Gym Leader. From this day onward, he was not just the owner of YoYo''s Day Care but also a Gym Leader at the Verdanturf Gym.


    In the evening, Yuga warmly hosted Flint and the others at the gym, thanking them for making the long journey to witness this special asion.

 Chapter 592: Aunt Aoba

    <h4>Chapter 592: Aunt Aoba</h4>


    Due to the opening of Verdanturf Gym, Verdanturf Town had been bustling for several days. Flint and his group had also stayed in Verdanturf Town for a while before returning to Sinnoh.


    However, even though the gym had been constructed, Yuga hadn''t moved from his original house. He still preferred his home.


    On the other hand, Beidou, Anya, Misaki, Lain, and Windy had all moved into the gym, as it had plenty of rooms to amodate everyone.


    The second floor of the new building was now vacant, and Yuga nned to convert these rooms into individual studios for Anya, Misaki, Lain, and the others. This way, they wouldn''t have to cram into a single studio.


    As for the first-floor studio from before, it was transformed into a storage room for materials. Anya and the others used it for creating Pok��blocks and incense. Yuga intended to have the Pok��mon deliver materials there in advance.


    The room that originally belonged to Windy was rearranged by Yuga and turned into a bedroom for Audino and Wigglytuff. Since Audino and Wigglytuff usually helped in the store, Yuga allowed them to stay upstairs.


    With the gym officially open, Yuga began considering the recruitment of gym staff. On the second day of the Verdanturf Gym''s opening ceremony, the maintenance staff assigned by the Pok��mon League arrived.


    ording to Yuga''s arrangement, the maintenance staff officially moved into the Verdanturf Gym. There were two of them, a man named Himuro and a woman named Akane. Coincidentally, they were a couple. Himuro partnered with a Graveler, specializing in Rock and Ground types, while Akane''s partner was a Donphan, focused on Ground types. Both had been trained specifically for their maintenance duties.


    In addition to the Pok��mon League-assigned maintenance staff, Yuga''s gym also needed to hire a chef and two janitors.


    With the increasing number of people living in the gym, and Audino and Wigglytuff helping out at the Pok��mon Day Care, there simply wasn''t enough time to prepare meals for everyone.


    Yuga posted his job recruitment requirements on the gym''s entrance, and to his surprise, the first person to apply was someone he knew, Arata Sena''s mother, Aunt Aoba.


    Yuga led Aunt Aoba into the gym''s lobby and invited her to take a seat.


    "Aunt Aoba, if youe to work here, what about your job at the vegetable market?" Yuga asked.


    Aunt Aoba''s family ran a vegetable market, and currently, the daycare bought vegetables from her.


    Aunt Aoba waved it off, saying, "No worries, we still have my husband back home. Besides, our little Arata is living here now, so I feel better if I''m around."


    However, although Aunt Aoba said this on the surface, her decision to work here wasn''t solely because of Arata, or at least not entirely.


    Yuga nodded after hearing Aunt Aoba''s words. Her family had been selling vegetables at the market for years, and they were all familiar with each other. There was no doubt about her reliability while working in the gym.


    "Aunt Aoba, since you want to apply for the chef position, can you show me your skills?" Yuga inquired. There still needed to be an assessment, and he couldn''t just hire her because she was an acquaintance.


    "No problem, you can count on me," Aunt Aoba replied confidently. She was very self-assured about her culinary skills and agreed without hesitation.


    Following this, Yuga took Aunt Aoba to the gym''s kitchen, where they had all the necessary tools and ingredients.


    Yuga: "Aunt Aoba, just use these ingredients and make something casually for me to taste your cooking skills."


    Aunt Aoba: "Alright, just wait."


    After saying that, Aunt Aoba began to work diligently in the kitchen.


    About an hourter, Aunt Aoba had prepared a table full of dishes that made Yuga''s mouth water just by smelling them.


    Judging by the appearance of these dishes alone, Yuga could tell that Aunt Aoba''s culinary skills were exceptional.


    After tasting them, Yuga gave Aunt Aoba a thumbs up, genuinely impressed by the taste of the dishes. They not only looked good but also tasted fantastic.


    "Aunt Aoba, I didn''t expect your cooking skills to be this amazing," Yuga praised sincerely.


    Aunt Aoba''s culinary skills wereparable to Audino''s, but they excelled in different aspects. Audino learned its skills mostly through self-study, often referring to online recipes, which made its dishes visually appealing.


    On the other hand, Aunt Aoba''s culinary skills had been honed over the years, specializing in home-cooked dishes that provided a warm andforting feeling when eaten.


    Yuga believed that the gym''s chef should be someone like Aunt Aoba. Everyone living in the gym, apart from Arata Sena, had left their hometowns toe to Verdanturf Town. Having a taste of home-cooked meals every day could provide much-neededfort.


    Inparison, Audino''s culinary skills, while excellent, might not be the best fit for the gym''s chef position.


    Putting down his chopsticks, Yuga smiled at Aunt Aoba and said, "Aunt Aoba, wee to work at the gym."


    Upon her sessful application, Aunt Aoba was delighted. "Yuga... oh, I should call you Gym Leader now. Don''t worry; I''ll do my best."


    Yuga responded, "Aunt Aoba, you don''t need to tease me like that. We''re so close; you can still call me Yuga. I''m not used to being called Gym Leader."


    Aunt Aobaughed heartily. "Alright, then I''ll keep calling you Yuga."


    After thinking for a moment, Yuga suddenly asked, "By the way, did you let Arata Sena know that you''re applying to work here?"


    Aunt Aoba rolled her eyes at his question. "Why should I tell him? He didn''t inform me when he started working at your store either!"


    Yuga nearly burst intoughter at her response. These mother and son sure knew how to hold grudges, still remembering something from a long time ago.


    And so, Aunt Aoba officially became the gym''s chef. When Arata Sena found out about this, he was almost dumbfounded, but he didn''t object.


    Following Aunt Aoba, the gym''s two janitors were also hired, both of whom were local residents of Verdanturf Town. They didn''t live in the gym butmuted back home after work each day.


    With the gym staff in ce, the gym started operating smoothly. While the Verdanturf Gym thrived, a mysterious middle-aged man quietly checked into a local inn in Verdanturf Town.


    This middle-aged man was thest challenger, a pseudo-Elite Trainer, who had challenged Yuga during the gym''s opening ceremony. After booking his room, he wandered around town with a nostalgic look in his eyes.

 Chapter 593: Espionage

    <h4>Chapter 593: Espionage</h4>


    After the opening of the Verdanturf Gym, Yuga gradually became busier due to the influx of challengers at the Gym.


    The initial challengers were naturally local trainers from Verdanturf Town.


    However, the local trainers from Verdanturf Town had limited skills. To establish his reputation, Yuga had initially raised the badge-earning standards, making it challenging for trainers to obtain a Gym Badge. Consequently, only a few trainers managed to earn badges.


    Later on, trainers from other cities also arrived in Verdanturf Town.


    As a new Gym, the Verdanturf Gym was perceived as an easy target by trainers, resulting in a substantial number of challengers in a short period.


    However, these challengers quickly realized that the new Gym Leader wasn''t the pushover they had anticipated. Yuga disyed remarkable strength, and only a few trainers managed to secure Gym Badges from him.


    The reputation of the Verdanturf Gym and Yuga''s YoYo Day Care gradually spread throughout the region.


    On this particr day, with challengers momentarily reduced in number, Yuga leisurely sat in the shop, assisting Suzuki Koen with the business.


    It was at this moment that a wild Natu suddenly appeared next to Yuga.


    The Natu murmured a few words softly into Yuga''s ear and then disappeared once more.


    Upon hearing the report from the Natu, Yuga furrowed his brow.


    A suspicious individual?


    With that thought in mind, Yuga stood up from his chair, briefly informed Suzuki Koen, and exited the shop.


    As soon as Yuga stepped out of the shop, a Gengar materialized from his shadow.


    Gengar yfully patted Yuga''s shoulder, and Yuga''s body gradually became transparent, eventually disappearing.


    This invisibility was a recently developed application of Yuga''s King of Ghost abilities after enhancing them. However, it required Yuga to coborate with Gengar or Mismagius to use it effectively.


    Before, when Muya was still alive, she could achieve this alone, but Yuga, not being native to the Ghost World, needed the assistance of Gengar or Mismagius to employ this ability.


    Invisible, Yuga was led into the air by Gengar, heading towards the area above the Verdanturf Gym.


    From this vantage point, looking down, Yuga could see Beidou, busy training with the little guys in the Gym''s courtyard, creating quite a lively scene.


    However, what concerned Yuga was the middle-aged man hiding outside the Gym''s walls.


    Yuga had a vivid memory of this voyeur since he had nearly embarrassed himself during the Gym''s opening ceremony.


    Yuga wasn''t a petty person, and even though this individual had almost caused him embarrassed, he had no intention of causing trouble. After all, a Gym battle was all about skill, and the oue depended solely on one''s abilities.


    But now, this surreptitious individual had taken the initiative to approach him, which raised concerns.


    Yuga had many secrets, and the YoYo Day Care was like his headquarters. Consequently, Yuga took the safety of the Day Care and the Gym very seriously.


    The Natus acted as his eyes. These Natus were originally bred by the Hunter Organization for surveince and reconnaissance purposes. Yuga had now skillfully harnessed their abilities to closely monitor the surroundings of the Pok��mon Day Care and the Gym.


    Today, the Natus had finally fulfilled their intended purpose.


    Yuga took another look at the surroundings of the Gym, and indeed, he saw two Natus concealed, carefully observing the voyeur''s every move.


    The voyeur was using a Camouge-empowered Starmie, which blended him into the surroundings, making him appear as an integral part of the Gym''s walls. This clever disguise had prevented him from being noticed until the Natus detected the subtle psychic waves emanating from him.


    This particr Starmie was likely adept at hiding. If not for the inadvertent psychic fluctuations it emitted, it would have been a challenging task for the Natus to spot him.


    The Camouge ability allowed one to blend into the environment, but it didn''t grant true invisibility. Once detected, it became noticeable. Therefore, the Natus could continue monitoring the voyeur.


    Yuga instructed Gengar to descend gently towards the direction of the voyeur, finallynding beside him.


    The voyeur, still focused on observing the Gym, remainedpletely unaware that Yuga was now standing right behind him.


    However, the Starmie attached to his back seemed to sense something and grew restless.


    As a Psychic-type Pok��mon, the Starmie had superior sensory abilitiespared to ordinary Pok��mon, especially since it was a pseudo-Elite level Starmie.


    Seeing that the man waspletely unaware of his presence, Yuga yfully patted the man''s shoulder.


    Startled by Yuga''s sudden touch, the middle-aged man jumped off the Gym''s wall, rmed, and eximed, "Who''s there?"


    The Starmie on his back also hopped to the ground, shielding him.


    "Isn''t it supposed to be me asking you that question?"


    The middle-aged man, unable to see Yuga, but could hear his voiceing from all directions, which added to the eerie atmosphere.


    Seeing the visibly agitated middle-aged man, Yuga couldn''t help but think, "This invisibility ability is quite fun for showing off."


    However, the middle-aged man soon recognized Yuga''s voice. "So, it''s Gym Leader Shimizu."


    Upon realizing that he was dealing with Yuga, the middle-aged man thought he had miscalcted.


    He had tested Yuga''s strength during the Verdanturf Gym''s opening ceremony and had thoroughly investigated him recently. However, he still underestimated him.


    Next to Yuga, Gengar continued to grin and make faces at the middle-aged man, who was perplexed. The information he had gathered had never indicated that Yuga possessed such a peculiar Gengar with extraordinary abilities.


    "I was just looking around out of curiosity, no malicious intent. I hope Gym Leader Shimizu won''t take offense."


    Caught red-handed while peeping, the middle-aged man could only attempt to bluff his way out.


    "Do you really think you can fool me?" Yuga raised an eyebrow.


    The middle-aged man hadn''t expected Yuga to believe his story anyway.


    "Well, then we have no choice but to take action! Starmie, use Water Gun!"


    At the middle-aged man''smand, a massive stream of water surged toward Yuga.


    Florges appeared directly in front of Yuga, using her Dazzling Gleam to block all the water effortlessly.


    While the Starmieunched an attack, Mismagius emerged from Yuga''s shadow alongside Gengar. Their eyes emitted blue light, and shortly afterward, a pink and purple energy field enveloped Yuga and the middle-aged man.


    The pink and purple fields slowly merged, isting Yuga and the middle-aged man from the outside world. They could no longer hear any external sounds or see the surrounding environment.


    Witnessing this scene, the middle-aged man was deeply rmed.


    Initially, he had used Starmie''s Water Gun as a diversion to cover his escape because he knew that his chances of defeating Yuga in a battle were slim. However, the energy barrier that now enclosed the entire space blocked all his escape routes.

 Chapter 594: Spatial Barrier

    <h4>Chapter 594: Spatial Barrier</h4>


    The abilities used by Gengar and Mismagius were Wonder Room and Magic Room, respectively. It was these two abilities that isted the location of Yuga and the others from the outside world and blocked all escape routes for the middle-aged man.


    Space move were quite rare, but each had its unique utility.


    The mostmonly used was Trick Room, which reversed the speed of the two Pok��mon inside the space.


    During the Gym Leader selection tournament''s second round, Yuga had faced the final opponent, Gym Leader Valerie from Laverre City, who was particrly skilled in this ability.


    Wonder Room and Magic Room were rarely applied in battles, not only due to their high learning difficulty but also because they were challenging to use effectively.


    The effect of Wonder Room was to invert the physical defense and special defense stats of Pok��mon inside the space. However, it wasn''t an exchange of defense between the two Pok��mon but rather the individual Pok��mon''s physical and special defense that swapped.


    The effect of Magic Room was that the effects of held items for Pok��mon inside the space (most of them, not all, such as Mega Evolution Stones) would disappear for a certain duration.


    Gengar and Mismagius had only gradually mastered these two abilities after reaching the peak of pseudo-Elite level.


    However, not long after this discovery, Yuga found that bybining any two space skill, they could iste the internal space from the outside world, creating an independent space.


    While a single space skill created a space, it was still closely connected to the outside world, only appearing as independent in form. But when two space skill werebined, the space became entirely separate from the outside.


    However, this space was not very stable, and its duration depended on the strength of the Pok��mon using the abilities.


    At this moment, Yuga and the middle-aged man were enveloped by such a special space.


    It could be said that as long as this unique space wasn''t broken, nothing that happened inside would transmit to the outside.


    However,bining two space skill was not easy. Yuga, Gengar, and Mismagius had faced many difficulties in the initial stages of experimenting with the fusion.


    The unstable nature of the space often led to explosions. Numerous times, these explosions had left them all heavily injured. This was how the current unified spatial technique was born.


    However, after the fusion of space abilities, another characteristic emerged. This characteristic could be seen as both a disadvantage and an advantage��the original effects of space skill disappeared entirely.


    Inside this space, because it was entirely cut off from the outside world, it seemed eerily quiet. The middle-aged man wore an uneasy expression as he looked at Yuga, Gengar, and Mismagius on both sides.


    "Can you tell me who you are and what your purpose is foring here?" Yuga asked the middle-aged man.


    The middle-aged man just pressed his lips together and didn''t utter a word, but Yuga could see that he was under immense pressure.


    What the middle-aged man didn''t know was that to maintain an independent space, Gengar and Mismagius couldn''t afford to be distracted by fighting.


    The reason Yuga had them create this separate space was to prevent potential damage to the gym''s buildings and the surrounding environment in case of a battle.


    The man before them was a pseudo-Elite Trainer, and battles at this level could easily wreak havoc on Verdanturf Town.


    So it was better to resolve this discreetly.


    "Since you''re not speaking, let''s settle this the hard way," Yuga dered. He then gave instructions to Florges to attack. Countless Magical Leaf transformed into des, slicing toward the Starmie standing in front of the middle-aged man.


    The Starmie on the opposite side swiftly erected a Light Screen in front of itself, blocking the Magical Leaf that were flying towards it.


    The Starmie before Yuga seemed quite peculiar.


    Even though it emitted the aura of a pseudo-Elite level, Yuga''s Insight ability indicated that its level was disyed as pseudo-Elite, but its strength was noticeably weaker than the typical pseudo-Elite-level Pok��mon.


    Yuga had experienced this kind of situation before when battling the other pseudo-Elite level Crawdaunt. If it hadn''t been for this situation, Yuga''s Absol wouldn''t have stood a chance against Crawdaunt.


    After all, pseudo-Elite-level Pok��mon were still pseudo-Elite-level Pok��mon.


    However, Yuga had assumed it was an exception or special situation, perhaps due to some special circumstances. He didn''t expect to encounter another case with this Starmie.


    Having two Pok��mon in a row disying this unusual characteristic left Yuga quite puzzled.


    After sessfully blocking Florges''s Magical Leaf, the Starmie retaliated against her. However, as it was about to unleash its Hydro Pump, it found itself surrounded by countless des of grass.


    These des of grass grew taller in the blink of an eye, extending numerous vines that securely bound the Starmie. Even the Hydro Pump it was preparing was interrupted.


    The Starmie struggled desperately to break free from the grasp of the grass but found itself tightly restrained by Florges''s two long vines.


    By the time the Starmie had wrestled free from the grass, it was already toote. Florges''s vines had choked the life out of it.


    With her deep understanding of Grass-type energy and her mastery of the Grassy Terrain, Florges''s control over the terrain was iparable. Her derived vines had be incredibly resilient, thanks to the miraculousbination of the green gem and Celebi''s blessing.


    Seeing that his Starmie was trapped, the middle-aged man immediately attempted to release another Pok��mon for support. However, Florges, quick on her feet, noticed this and swiftly used a vine to knock the Pok��mon ball out of his hand.


    Once the middle-aged man''s Pok��mon ball was knocked away, countless vines sprouted once again from Florges''s Grassy Terrain, binding the middle-aged man securely.


    The middle-aged man, unlike the Starmie, couldn''t escape Florges''s bindings. He could only struggle fruitlessly.


    After freeing itself, the Starmie didn''t retaliate against Florges but instead used Water Gun to strike at the spatial barrier that shrouded them. It was evident that the Starmie was trying to break the unified spatial technique created by Gengar and Mismagius, likely to allow its Trainer to escape.

 Chapter 595: Capture

    <h4>Chapter 595: Capture</h4>


    The Water Gun from Starmie struck the spatial barrier, shattering into sshes of water that dampened the entire space. However, the spatial barrier appeared to be undamaged.


    Nevertheless, Starmie seemed relentless, growing increasingly frenzied. Shot after shot of Water Gun was fired, scattering water sshes throughout the entire space, saturating the air with moisture.


    Although Starmie couldn''t break the space, it was putting significant pressure on Mismagius and Gengar.


    This type of space was inherently unstable, and facing a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon gone berserk inside it was draining Mismagius and Gengar physically and mentally.


    Naturally, Yuga couldn''t allow Starmie to continue its rampage. He continued tomand Florges to attack Starmie, with numerous pink petals transforming into a storm and heading for Starmie.


    To stop Starmie, Florges also became resolute, employing the advanced Grass-type move, Petal Dance.


    Starmie''s Water Gun and Florges'' Petal Dance shed violently within the space, causing the entire area to tremble as if it might copse at any moment.


    At some point, the collision of petals and water reached a Pok�� Ball on the ground, which happened to be identally opened.


    A red light shed, and a Crawdaunt appeared in the space.


    This Pok�� Ball was the same one that had been knocked away by Florges earlier.


    Seeing Crawdaunt emerge, the middle-aged man eximed with excitement, "Crawdaunt,e to my rescue!"


    Crawdaunt quickly assessed the situation on the battlefield, brandishing its massive ws, ready to rescue the middle-aged man.


    Yuga hadn''t expected Crawdaunt to be released so conveniently. He promptly released Absol as well to stop Crawdaunt.


    Absol''s speed was remarkable, leaping beside Crawdaunt in an instant and raising its front paws to use a sh attack on Crawdaunt.


    Crawdaunt countered Absol''s sh with a Harden, simultaneously lifting its enormous ws and use a Crabhammer move against Absol.


    If the sh between Crawdaunt and Absol was a direct physical confrontation, then the battle between Florges and Starmie was a battle of attrition.


    Florges could use recovery moves like Wish, while Starmie had its use Recover move.


    Both Pok��mon were skilled in special attacks, essentially recovering while engaging in long-range bombardments.


    In the end, it was Starmie that fell first.


    Starmie''s recovery capabilities were inferior to Florges, especially when Florges used Wish in conjunction with the Grassy Terrain. Starmie''s special defense couldn''t match up either, ultimately sumbing to exhaustion.


    While Florges and Starmie settled their battle, Crawdaunt found itself at a disadvantage in its fight against Absol.


    However, Florges didn''t have the luxury of waiting for the Crawdaunt vs. Absol match to conclude. She directly joined the fray, teaming up with Absol to defeat Crawdaunt.


    Seeing both of his Pok��mon defeated, the middle-aged man red at Yuga with resentment in his eyes.


    Life was so unfair. He had paid such a high price to be a Trainer, achieving the rank of pseudo-Elite, only to be easily defeated by a youngster not even twenty years old!


    Was talent really that crucial?


    If Yuga had heard these thoughts, he would have shaken his head and said, "No, what youck isn''t talent; it''s Golden Finger."


    With the oues clear, Gengar and Mismagius dispelled the independent space and exchanged nces before returning to Yuga''s shadow.


    Yuga recalled Absol, leaving Florges by his side, and approached the middle-aged man. "Still unwilling to reveal your purpose for being here?"


    The middle-aged man shot Yuga a fierce re, turned his head away, and refused to utter a word.


    "Very well, if you won''t talk now, don''t regret itter."


    With those words, Yuga retrieved the Pok�� Balls of Starmie and Crawdaunt, both of which were no longer battle-ready.


    "Give me back my Pok��mon!"


    Upon seeing Yuga confiscate his Pok��mon, the middle-aged man''s eyes turned red with madness. He appeared as if he wanted to tear a piece of flesh from Yuga''s body, but he was firmly bound by Florges and couldn''t move. He could only shout furiously at Yuga.


    "Want your Pok��mon back? Try it in your next life!"


    Yuga intentionally waved the two Pok�� Balls in front of the middle-aged man''s eyes, almost making him spit blood in frustration.


    Apart from the Pok�� Balls of Starmie and Crawdaunt, Yuga had found several other Pok�� Balls on the middle-aged man, but the Pok��mon inside had poorl quality in terms of both potential and strength, so Yuga didn''t pay them much mind.


    Yuga thought for a while and decided it was time to pay a visit to the Pok��mon Center, especially due to the strange situation surrounding Starmie and Crawdaunt. Now that he was the Gym Trainer of Verdanturf Town, he felt a responsibility to protect his territory. It was evident that the middle-aged man hade prepared, and Yuga needed to investigate his motives thoroughly.


    With these thoughts in mind, Yuga summoned Gengar.


    "You take this guy back to the Gym, hang him on a post in the yard, and keep a close eye on him. I''ll be back shortly."


    Gengar nodded in response and used its Psychic abilities to control the middle-aged man, helping him cross over the Gym''s courtyard walls and entering the Gym''s yard.


    As Yuga watched Gengar depart, he nced around. The independent space created by Gengar and Mismagius had proven remarkably effective. Their intense battle with the middle-aged man had not left a trace once the space was removed. However, the stability of this independent space still needed improvement.


    After a quick assessment, Yuga headed to the Pok��mon Center, where he found Joyka.


    He waited in the Pok��mon Center''s lobby for about an hour before Joyka emerged, holding a stack of examination reports, her brows furrowed.


    Seeing Yuga approach, Joyka exined, "The condition of those two Pok��mon is extremely dire. I found some unknown substances in their bodies, and these substances are rapidly elerating their physical deterioration."


    "Deterioration?" Yuga asked, furrowing his brows.


    Joyka continued, "Yes, these two Pok��mon should have significantly longer lifespans than ordinary humans. However, based on the examination results, their lifespans appear to be less than half of that of an average human. At their current state, they are prematurely entering old age."


    Yuga contemted this information.


    It exined why these two Pok��mon were weakerpared to other pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon. Their bodies were already aging.


    "Where did you obtain these two Pok��mon?" Joyka couldn''t help but ask.


    "I confiscated them from a criminal. I found it suspicious at the time, so I brought them here for examination."


    Yuga didn''t hide the circumstances. As a Gym Trainer, dealing with criminals was part of his responsibility.


    "I see," Joyka nodded in understanding.


    She wasn''t sheltered from the darker aspects of the world. Such incidents were not within her purview to manage.


    After spending some time at the Pok��mon Center, Yuga returned to the Gym, prepared to deal with the peeping middle-aged man.

 Chapter 596: Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 596: Reunion</h4>


    While Yuga was handling the issue with the two Pok��mon, the Gym became quite lively due to Gengar''s unexpected arrival with a loudly protesting middle-aged man. Gengar had hung the man on a wooden post at the edge of the Gym''s yard.


    The appearance of Gengar and the man immediately drew the attention of a group of young trainers, who were diligently training their Pok��mon under Beidou''s supervision. They started murmuring among themselves.


    Anmu: "Who is that man?"


    Anrin shook his head, indicating he didn''t know.


    Ayagiri: "Why is he hanging there?"


    None of them had the answers they sought.


    Ayato: "Is that Gengar the Gym Leader''s Pok��mon? It looks really powerful."


    Akihito added, "I''m not sure, I''ve never seen the Gym Leader with that Pok��mon before."


    ...


    Only Arata Sena, who had a keen eye for detail, found something vaguely familiar about the man.


    Beidou recognized Yuga''s Gengar, even though he didn''t see it often. He wondered why Gengar had brought this person and hung him in the Gym''s yard.


    However, the man hanging there, who appeared somewhat deranged, was not unfamiliar to Beidou. He was the challenger from the Gym''s opening ceremony.


    Could Yuga be seeking revenge? Beidou couldn''t help but wonder, but he quickly dismissed those strange thoughts. Based on his understanding of Yuga, he knew Yuga wouldn''t engage in such unsavory actions.


    Unable toprehend the situation any further, Beidou decided not to dwell on it and instead shouted to the young trainers, "Quiet down and focus on your training! What''s all this noise andmotion about!"


    His stern words made the children shrink back, and they continued their training in silence.


    Meanwhile, at this moment, Aunt Aoba, carrying a basket of fresh vegetables, cheerfully entered the Gym. She had brought some extra food for the children at the Gym, as they were in the midst of their growth spurt and needed proper nutrition.


    As she entered the Gym, Aunt Aoba couldn''t help but wonder why there was a person hanging from a wooden post in the yard. However, when she took a closer look at the person''s face, her expression changed dramatically. She was so shocked that she dropped her basket without even realizing it, stumbling towards the man hanging from the post.


    "Arata Yuuto! It''s you!"


    Aunt Aoba approached the base of the wooden post, gritting her teeth as she shouted.


    Despite more than a decade having passed, she recognized this man at a nce. Countless nights and days, her husband hadmented over a photo of this man, and she had etched his face deeply into her memory.


    Comparing his current appearance with the past, although he had changed significantly, there was still a hint of his former self in that weathered face.


    A few days ago, when she had seen this face at the Gym''s opening ceremony, she had hurriedly followed, but somehow lost track of him.


    Her husband and son knew nothing about these matters. They simply believed she was worried about her son.


    The middle-aged man hanging from the wooden post, who had been shouting vigorously, was now too exhausted to speak. However, when he heard someone call his name, he suddenly raised his head.


    "A-Aoba..."


    The middle-aged man, or rather, Arata Yuuto, widened his eyes and stammered.


    "Is it really you? Recognizing me after all these years is no easy feat! I thought you might have forgotten even your own name!"


    As she spoke, Aunt Aoba''s whole body trembled, her eyes turning redder by the second, but she fought back tears with all her might.


    Down below, Arata Sena, who was in the middle of training, couldn''t believe his ears when he heard his mother say "Arata Yuuto." He stared in disbelief.


    Ever since his mother had revealed his true life experience, he had firmly etched the name Arata Yuuto into his memory��a name associated with the tragedy that had befallen his family.


    Seeing his sister-inw once again, Arata Yuuto''s eyes flickered, but he remained silent, not uttering another word.


    "Why have you returned after all these years? Do you have any idea how long it took us to remove you from our lives?" Aunt Aoba, her voice trembling, covered her eyes with her hands. Between her fingers, tears glistened, and despite her efforts, she couldn''t hold them back any longer.


    This man, standing before her, had caused the death of their parents due to his selfishness, and then he had abandoned his wife and child.


    "Mom, who is this man?"


    At that moment, Arata Sena, who hade out of the training group, approached his mother. His lips trembled as he looked at her, his gaze filled with questions.


    Hearing Arata Sena''s voice, Aunt Aoba sobbed softly, then raised her head and said, "Sena..."


    Meeting Arata Sena''s gaze, Aunt Aoba instantly understood what he was asking. When she had first entered the Gym, her shock and anger at seeing Arata Yuuto had made her forget about the others present, including Arata Sena, who was in the training group.


    The people in the room were perplexed by Aunt Aoba''s words. Did Aunt Aoba know the disheveled man hanging there? They were oblivious to Arata Sena''s true life experience, so naturally they don''t know about it. Yuga and Aunt Aoba were privy to that information.


    However, Aunt Aoba soon grasped the situation. She had already disclosed all of Arata Sena''s background to him. Now that his biological father had appeared, there was no need to keep it a secret from him. She nodded toward Arata Sena, confirming his suspicions.


    With his mother''s affirmation, Arata Sena''s eyes filled with anger and resentment as he looked back at Arata Yuuto. No wonder he had found this man familiar; he bore a striking resemnce to both his adopted father (uncle) and even had some of Arata Sena''s own features.


    "Aoba, this child..."


    Arata Yuuto licked his lips and whispered to Aunt Aoba.


    "This is my son! He has nothing to do with you!"


    Aunt Aoba''s tone was icy.


    Hearing Aunt Aoba''s words, Arata Yuuto''s pupils constricted. Although Aunt Aoba refused to acknowledge it, he had already guessed that the child before him was his son.


    With this realization, Arata Yuuto then asked, "What happened to Yoko?"


    Yoko was Arata Sena''s birth mother and Arata Yuuto''s wife''s name.


    Since Arata Yuuto had left home years ago and never returned, he had no emotional attachment to his wife anymore. His inquiry was merely casual. However, he had a vague sense that his wife might no longer be alive. Otherwise, why would his son refer to his sister-inw as his mother?


    "Shut up! You''re not allowed to mention that name."


    Arata Sena yelled at Arata Yuuto.


    In this family, if there was one person Arata Yuuto had wronged the most, it wasn''t Arata Sena, his nephew, or his sister-inw. It was his wife, the woman who had passed away without ever seeing her husband onest time.

 Chapter 597: Investigation

    <h4>Chapter 597: Investigation</h4>


    When his son shouted at him so loudly, Arata Yuuto was taken aback. He hadn''t expected his own child to harbor such resentment towards him. However, at this point, he didn''t care anymore. Whether it was his wife, his son, his younger brother, or sister-inw, so many years had passed, and he had almost forgotten that he had a family.


    "Sena, go and bring your father here," Aunt Aoba turned to Arata Sena and instructed him.


    Aunt Aoba had witnessed how her husband had spent these years, and it had be a major issue for him, so she felt it was necessary to inform him.


    Arata Sena nodded reluctantly and rushed out of the gym.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, after leaving the Pok��mon Center, Yuga went to the police station. Since the middle-aged man was not cooperating, the quickest way to find out his identity was through the authorities.


    Regardless of whether he had been a wanted criminal or a hero in the past, as long as he was still alive, the police should be able to identify him.


    After arriving at the police station, Yuga exined the situation to Liliana and then hurried back to the gym with her.


    Just as Yuga and Liliana arrived at the gym''s entrance, they saw Arata Sena and his father approaching.


    "Uncle Arata, what brings you here?" Yuga asked with curiosity.


    The expressions on Arata Sena''s and his father''s faces were both grim.


    "Wee back, Gym Leader," Arata Sena managed to force a somewhat awkward smile.


    "What''s going on?" Yuga inquired, puzzled by the odd atmosphere.


    Arata Sena''s father simply exchanged a brief greeting with Yuga before hastily entering the gym. Such behavior was quite impolite, but he couldn''t be bothered with etiquette at this moment.


    "You''ll find out when you go inside," Arata Sena awkwardly replied to Yuga before hurrying into the gym''s entrance, closely followed by Yuga and Liliana.


    Once inside, Yuga noticed a crowd gathered around the peeping tom he had captured earlier. Arata Sena and his father were heading in that direction.


    "What''s happening? Why is everyone acting so strangely?" Yuga wondered aloud.


    It was at this moment that Arata Sena''s father, named Arata Hayato, spoke with trembling voice, "It''s really you!"


    "It''s me, Hayato. It''s been a long time," Arata Yuuto, who hadn''t seen his brother for over a decade, responded calmly.


    More than ten years had passed, and Arata Yuuto had never thought about reconnecting with his family. Even when he had returned to the Verdanturf Town, it was for a different purpose, and he hadn''t considered visiting his rtives. His heart had long let go of these family ties, just as he had envisioned.


    Hayato struggled to find the right words after reuniting with his brother after such a long time. In contrast, Yuga, who was standing nearby, waspletely bewildered by the situation. He couldn''t even remember Arata Sena''s biological father''s name at this moment.


    In the current circumstances, the only word that came to Yuga''s mind to describe the situation was "dramatic."


    No wonder Arata Sena and Arata Hayato had looked so troubled when they entered the gym.


    Originally, Yuga had considered having Liliana help investigate this man''s identity, but he hadn''t expected it toe to light before the investigation even began.


    However, the investigation still needed to take ce because the appearance of Arata Sena''s biological father was too peculiar. ording to Aunt Aoba''s initial ount, their elder brothercked talent as a Pok��mon Trainer, but now he had returned as a pseudo-Elite Trainer with two Pok��mon in a special condition. This was highly abnormal.


    "Alright, alright, these matters don''t concern you all. Why are you standing around here? Beido, lead them away," Yuga addressed the children and Beido.


    Beido nodded and ushered the curious children away, leaving only Arata Sena''s family, Liliana, and Yuga at the scene.


    "Although this person has a connection to you, his purpose ining to Verdanturf Town is unclear and requires investigation. Therefore, I can''t release him temporarily," Yuga informed Arata Sena''s family.


    Arata Hayato opened his mouth as if to say something but ultimately remained silent. Arata Sena and Aunt Aoba wore conflicted expressions. Even though they despised the man before them, he was still their brother-inw and father. Pretending to be entirely indifferent was difficult.


    "Aren''t you going to say something? If you honestly exin your purpose foring to Verdanturf Town and the issues with your two Pok��mon, I might consider being lenient," Yuga said to Arata Yuuto.


    Judging by Arata Yuuto''s current attitude, his visit to Verdanturf Town was definitely not a good thing. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have acted so furtively and kept silent.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Arata Yuuto only nced at him before turning his head away, refusing to say anything.


    "What have you been doing all these years? Is there something you can''t tell us?" Arata Hayato couldn''t help but express his frustration.


    "It''s none of your business!" Arata Yuuto replied coldly.


    Arata Hayato and Arata Sena''s expressions soured further, and Aunt Aoba also looked very ugly. Their goodwill had been taken for granted.


    Seeing that Arata Yuuto was unyielding, Yuga told Arata Sena''s family, "Stay here and try to talk to him. Encourage him to reveal the purpose of his visit. I have some other matters to attend to."


    Arata Sena''s family nodded in response.


    "Gengar, keep an eye on this man. If he escapes, see how I deal with you!"!" Before leaving, Yuga warned Gengar with a stern expression.


    Gengar chuckled and patted his round belly, making a gesture to assure Yuga that he wouldplete the task.


    After leaving the gym, Yuga apanied Liliana to the police station to investigate Arata Yuuto''s whereabouts over the years. Since Arata Yuuto was a local resident of Verdanturf Town, Yuga and Liliana intended to ess his records and files. However, they discovered that his records and files had already been deleted.


    When Arata Yuuto disappeared all those years ago and was missing for so long, he had been presumed dead, and Aunt Aoba''s family had epted this, leading to the erasure of his identity.


    Since Liliana hadn''t been in Verdanturf Town for long, she was unaware of these details. With both his records and files deleted, they couldn''t find any clues.


    Seeing that their lead hade to a dead end, Liliana hesitantly said, "There''s actually another way to investigate this person."


    Yuga, intrigued, asked, "Tell me, quickly."


    Liliana exined, "We can make him reveal it himself."


    "Reveal it himself? You mean... but..." Yuga instantly understood what she meant.


    "In fact, our police department often uses this method to interrogate suspects in special circumstances."

 Chapter 598: Hypnosis

    <h4>Chapter 598: Hypnosis</h4>


    Liliana''s suggestion was to use hypnosis on Arata Yuuto, forcing him to confess everything once he sumbed to it.


    However, hypnosis, to some extent, could harm humans, especially their brains. Excessive use could even cause irreversible damage to one''s mental well-being. This was the reason behind Liliana''s hesitancy.


    Typically, within the police force, this method was reserved for dealing with heinous criminals. While Arata Yuuto had his issues, his current status didn''t ssify him as a heinous criminal; at most, he had moral shorings.


    "Let''s see if his family can persuade him first. If they can, we won''t have to resort to this method," Yuga suggested to Liliana.


    Liliana nodded in agreement. She preferred not to use this method if there was an alternative, as it was somewhat inhumane.


    When Yuga returned to the gym, the Arata Sena family sat silently in the gym''s reception area, with Arata Yuuto still securely bound to a wooden post, watched over by Gengar.


    Seeing Yuga''s return, the Arata Sena family of three stood up.


    "Sorry, Gym Leader, he still refuses to say anything," said Arata Sena with an apologetic expression.


    "I''m sorry for causing you trouble, Yuga." said Arata Hayato with a serious tone.


    Yuga shook his head and replied, "I should be the one apologizing. This man is suspected of a crime, and I must uphold thew without favoritism. I hope you understand."


    Arata Hayato quickly shook his head, "It''s not your fault. It''s all his doing. You''re following thew; we don''t hold it against you."


    Years of concern for his younger brother had been shattered in a day, and Arata Hayato was no longer interested in Arata Yuuto''s affairs.


    Yuga couldn''t help but wonder what the Arata Sena family and Arata Yuuto had discussed. At this moment, they all appeared defeated, as if something had greatly affected them.


    After escorting the Arata Sena family away, Yuga approached Arata Yuuto.


    "Are you really not going to say anything? If you persist, I''ll have to resort to extreme measures. With hypnosis at my disposal, you won''t be able to hide any secrets."


    Arata Yuuto looked at Yuga with a displeased expression, and there was a hint of resentment in his eyes.


    "Where have you taken my Pok��mon? Give them back to me!" Arata Yuuto shouted, his eyes wide, at Yuga.


    Yuga chuckled, saying, "Ah, you care about your Pok��mon now? If you truly cared, you shouldn''t have let them suffer like that."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Arata Yuuto shut his mouth, and his eyes seemed to be filled with turmoil. He understood the implication in Yuga''s words.


    Seeing this reaction, Yuga couldn''t help but sneer.


    However, Yuga''s scoff seemed to anger Arata Yuuto further. He shouted, "Do you look down on me?"


    Yuga was taken aback by this sudden outburst, and he raised an eyebrow, honestly nodding his head, though his expression made it even more infuriating.


    Arata Yuuto, upon hearing Yuga admit it, grew even redder in the face, his expression bing more sinister.


    "Do you understand anything? What qualifications do you have to look down on me? Do you know how much effort I''ve put in for today? You, with your so-called talent, what do you understand?"


    Perhaps his yelling was too intense, but Arata Yuuto couldn''t hold back a severe fit of coughing, veins bulging on his face and neck, making him appear terrifying.


    Yuga pursed his lips. "The world is full of hardworking people, many more diligent than you. Hard work doesn''t always hold great value."


    Yuga had one more thing to say, which he didn''t voice: "I''m not a genius; I just have one more golden finger than you."


    "You..." Arata Yuuto was so enraged by Yuga''s words that he fainted. Yuga didn''t expect him to have such a fiery temper and could only shake his head helplessly.


    "Gengar, let''s go to the police station," Yuga said.


    Gengar nodded and used his psychic powers to control Arata Yuuto, following Yuga.


    Upon their arrival at the police station, Yuga instructed Liliana to detain Arata Yuuto. He remained in custody for over a week without revealing anything.


    During this week, the Arata Sena family, had visited him, but Arata Yuuto remained almost lifeless, showing a hint of hostility only when he saw Yuga.


    Yuga''s words had deeply affected Arata Yuuto. He had sacrificed his family and identity to be an outstanding Pok��mon trainer, but in Yuga''s eyes, it seemed insignificant.


    Especially since Yuga, at such a young age, effortlessly defeated him, it fueled not just resentment but also jealousy in Arata Yuuto''s heart.


    However, Yuga didn''t truly belittle Arata Yuuto''s efforts but rather disapproved of hisck of responsibility. His belief that hard work didn''t equate to everything was his honest opinion.


    As Arata Yuuto failed to provide any useful information, Yuga and Liliana decided to use hypnosis on him. They had already given him a chance.


    Yuga informed the Arata Sena family about the decision to use hypnosis on Arata Yuuto, as they deserved to know, being his rtives.


    Although the Arata Sena family hesitated, they didn''t oppose it. They had lost faith in Arata Yuuto, and using hypnosis only once wouldn''t pose significant harm.


    Yuga''s main Pok��mon didn''t possess the hypnosis skill, so they obtained a Pok��mon skilled in hypnosis from the police station. Liliana exined that police stations often kept Pok��mon with hypnosis abilities for dealing with special cases.


    Guided by Liliana, a Hypno was brought into the interrogation room.


    When it came to hypnosis, the Hypno species were the best at it.


    Bound to a chair, Arata Yuuto''s face changed drastically when he saw Hypno, and he struggled, shouting:


    "What are you nning? Your actions are a vition of human rights! And to think one of you is a gym leader, and the other is a police chief, how hypocritical."


    Two police officers at the side had to restrain Arata Yuuto, who was struggling excessively, holding him firmly in his chair, but he continued to curse.


    "I gave you a chance, but you squandered it," Yuga told Arata Yuuto firmly.


    Arata Yuuto spat out, "Hypocrites!"


    Driven by jealousy towards Yuga, he couldn''t stand the sight of him anymore.


    Yuga nodded at Liliana, who directed Hypno to approach Arata Yuuto.


    Hypno presented a swinging pendulum in front of Arata Yuuto''s eyes and emitted a blue aura from its eyes, beginning to use hypnosis on him.


    Arata Yuuto struggled to turn away from the pendulum, but his efforts were in vain. Hypno''s potent hypnotic abilities quickly invaded his mind, and he was soon under its control.


    Since this Hypno was specifically trained for interrogations, its strength wasn''t extraordinary, but its hypnosis was more potent than that of most Pok��mon. Arata Yuuto was swiftly brought under its influence.


    With Arata Yuuto now under hypnosis, Yuga proceeded to interrogate him about his activities over the past years, his travels, his purpose in Verdanturf Town, and whether he had any aplices, among other questions.

 Chapter 599: Banned Substance

    <h4>Chapter 599: Banned Substance</h4>


    After interrogating Arata Yuuto, Yuga was genuinely surprised.


    Arata Yuuto turned out to be a member of the Team Aqua and held a significant position within it.


    Years ago, when he had left home to search for treasure in Sea Mauvile, he had an altercation with other trainers who had also embarked on the treasure hunt. At that time, Arata Yuuto''s strength was poor, barely reaching the level of a novice trainer, making him an easy target in fights.


    Unfortunately, Arata Yuuto''s weak abilities were coupled with a stubborn nature; he refused to yield even when outmatched. In the deste wilderness, the others took advantage of this and severely beat him.


    This incident left Arata Yuuto deeply resentful, not just of his ownck of strength but also of those who had bullied him. It further fueled his belief that the world was unjust.


    Due to these events, Arata Yuuto''s personality took a significant hit.


    Later, he was found and rescued by members of the Team Aqua. They didn''t rescue him out of kindness but with the intent to recruit him.


    In the environment dominated by the Pok��mon League, organizations like the Team Aqua thrived on recruiting individuals like Arata Yuuto, who were easily swayed.


    The person who found Arata Yuuto held a prominent position within the Team Aqua and was even a captain.


    To convince Arata Yuuto to join the Team Aqua, this captain, after nursing him back to health, took Arata Yuuto to confront the individuals who had previously harmed him.


    Arata Yuuto had initially intended to reim his Pok��mon from those individuals, but they had no interest in his weak Pok��mon and had released them carelessly.


    Days had passed since the incident, and with the vast world outside, Arata Yuuto''s Pok��mon couldn''t be traced. This had infuriated Arata Yuuto greatly.


    At that time, Arata Yuuto''s mentality had already shifted drastically. In a fit of rage, he not only sought revenge against the captain who saved him but also killed the bullies.


    Trainers going missing during adventures wasmon, so the disappearance of those individuals didn''t raise any suspicions.


    The reason Arata Yuuto reacted so strongly when Yuga confiscated his Pok��mon was due to his past experience of having Pok��mon stolen.


    Knowing that he had taken a life, Arata Yuuto realized there was no turning back and joined the Team Aqua without hesitation.


    With the help of the Team Aqua, Arata Yuuto regained control of his Pok��mon. Despite his mediocre training talents, the uwful organization provided various illegitimate means to enhance his Pok��mon''s power.


    This marked the beginning of Arata Yuuto''s ascent within the Team Aqua.


    Initially, the Team Aqua had prospered, but over a year ago, Yuga and Mr. Norman in Lilycove City had undertaken actions that exposed them to the watchful eye of the Pok��mon League.


    The League''s relentless pursuit had inflicted heavy losses on the Team Aqua, significantly reducing its influence.


    As a result, the Team Aqua developed a strong animosity towards Yuga and Mr. Norman.


    However, Mr. Norman had been established for a long time, with deep connections to the League and formidable strength, making him untouchable. Consequently, the Team Aqua turned its attention to Yuga, the easier target.


    Around four months ago, the Team Aqua had suddenly developed a new type of drug. This drug could enhance a Pok��mon''s power significantly by sacrificing its potential.


    This drug wasn''t entirely new; the Team Aqua had been researching it for years. However, initially, it only provided a short-lived boost to a Pok��mon''s strength. After the drug''s effects wore off, not only would the Pok��mon''s power plummet, but it would also die due to the exhaustion of all its life force.


    It was only about four months ago that they improved the drug, enabling it to permanently boost a Pok��mon''s strength, albeit at the cost of sacrificing most of its lifespan. The strength gained through this method was still inferior to the conventional means of training, but it was remarkably effective.


    When this drug was initially developed, most people were hesitant to use it. However, Arata Yuuto, with his unyielding determination, became the first to take the plunge.


    It was precisely because of his "decisiveness" that Arata Yuuto not only received a rapid promotion to the position of captain but also sessfully elevated his Pok��mon to the pseudo-Elite level.


    Of course, this drug wasn''t a one-size-fits-all solution to elevate all Pok��mon to the pseudo-Elite level; the effectiveness of the enhancement was closely tied to the Pok��mon''s initial strength.


    Arata Yuuto had spent over a decade with the Team Aqua, and although his strength didn''t reach the pseudo-Elite level naturally, it was still formidable, allowing him to achieve that rank.


    Arata Yuuto''s first mission as a captain was to eliminate Yuga in Verdanturf Town.


    Ever since Yuga had be a Gym Leader in Verdanturf Town, the Team Aqua had been wary of him.


    Yuga''s rapid growth was a cause for concern. If they didn''t deal with him swiftly, his increasing connection with the Pok��mon League would make it much harder to take action.


    During this period, the Team Aqua had been relentlessly pursued by the League.


    Considering that Arata Yuuto was a local resident of Verdanturf Town, this task was assigned to him. However, the Team Aqua greatly underestimated Yuga''s capabilities.


    Yuga had publicly used his pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, with Chandelure being the most visible one. This led them to believe that Arata Yuuto alone would be enough to handle the situation. Little did they know that Arata Yuuto would be defeated so swiftly.


    In reality, Arata Yuuto wasn''t the only one sent by the Team Aqua for this mission. As a captain-level figure, he wasn''t expected to act alone and had brought several subordinates with him.


    However, when Arata Yuuto arrived in Verdanturf Town to gather intelligence, he had ordered his subordinates to wait outside the town.


    Now, after a week of Arata Yuuto''s capture, his subordinates had shown no response, leaving Yuga, who knew the full story, bewildered.


    With their captain captured, shouldn''t they being to rescue him?


    Arata Yuuto, having regained consciousness from the hypnotic trance, was panting heavily, sweat streaming down his forehead. It was evident that the mental strain caused by the hypnosis was substantial.


    "I never expected you to be part of the Team Aqua. Does this mean I''ve caught a big fish?" Yuga remarked, looking at Arata Yuuto with a smile.


    However, what surprised Yuga even more was that he had be the target of the Team Aqua, and they were eager to eliminate him.


    "You... despicable..." Arata Yuuto gritted his teeth and growled with reddened eyes. He wished nothing more than to dismantle the person before him.


    "Do you think I can find your aplices if I go outside the town right now?" Yuga threatened.


    In reality, Yuga knew that Arata Yuuto''s subordinates had likely fled long ago, and he was merely trying to intimidate him.


    And indeed, as Yuga suspected, Arata Yuuto''s subordinates had disappeared as soon as he was captured. Arata Yuuto had assumed the role of a captain through unconventional means, leading to resentment among his subordinates. However, he still had some higher-ups supporting him, which had kept his subordinates in check.


    Now, with his failed mission and capture, the individuals who had never truly respected him saw this as an opportunity to let him face the consequences. Moreover, they knew they stood no chance against Yuga.

 Chapter 600: Steven

    <h4>Chapter 600: Steven</h4>


    After the interrogation of Arata Yuuto was concluded, Yuga instructed Liliana to imprison him again.


    Now, it was certain that Arata Yuuto was definitly going to prison.


    While previously, there was a possibility of his release due to the unclear circumstances, that possibility had vanished.


    Though over the years, he hadmitted morally reprehensible acts such as abandoning his family, those actions fell within the realm of ethics, and others could only condemn him; thew couldn''t truly punish him.


    However, once it involved criminal organizations like the Team Aqua, there was only one path: imprisonment. Moreover, in these years, he had taken several lives.


    "Gather a few people ande with me to the outskirts of town. Even though his subordinates are no longer around, it''s better to be cautious and check," Yuga instructed Liliana.


    Liliana nodded in response to the order.


    "I''ll arrange the personnel, and I''ll go with you."


    And so, Yuga and Liliana, apanied by a few police officers, discreetly made their way towards the outskirts of Verdanturf Town.


    ording to Arata Yuuto, his subordinates were located in the forest north of Verdanturf Town.


    When Yuga and Liliana arrived at the location Arata Yuuto had mentioned, it was already deserted.


    From the traces left behind, it was evident they had left several days ago. In other words, they had stayed here for a very short time and had made no efforts to rescue Arata Yuuto.


    Although they hadn''t captured Arata Yuuto''s subordinates, Yuga did manage to extract information about a branch of the Team Aqua, the one where the researcher who developed the banned substance was located. This researcher was even more critical than Arata Yuuto, and capturing him would be a significant achievement.


    In any organization, researchers held vital importance.


    With no results to show for their efforts, Yuga and Liliana returned to town to discuss how to deal with this Team Aqua branch.


    Both Yuga and Liliana believed it was best to resolve this matter as soon as possible, especially since their side already knew that Arata Yuuto had been captured. If these individuals became wary and fled prematurely, it would pose a problem.


    However, this was not a minor branch. ording to the information obtained from Arata Yuuto, there were several captains of his rank there, and even a high-ranking officer who personally protected the researcher. This indicated the researcher''s significance.


    Captains were already close to the level of Elite Trainers, so higher-ranking officers might be actual Elite Trainers.


    While Yuga could handle slightly weaker Elite Trainers, the power bnce among Elite Trainers was extremely prized. Who knew if this officer had a team of six Elite Pok��mon or just one? If it was thetter, Yuga would be truly outmatched, not to mention the other pseudo-Elite ranked captains.


    After pondering the situation, Yuga realized he needed to enlist the help of someone else.


    Thus, Yuga shared his thoughts with Liliana, who naturally agreed, as she was also concerned that the police force alone might not be enough to handle this situation.


    The two of them discussed the details of their n, and Yuga instructed Liliana to prepare for the operation.


    Afterward, Yuga returned to his gym and informed Arata Sena about Arata Yuuto''s situation. As his biological father, Arata Sena had the right to know.


    Arata Sena was silent for a moment upon hearing the news, then epted that Arata Yuuto would spend the rest of his life in prison. Although he was his biological father, their separation from an early age had prevented any deep emotional connection, but there was certainly no shortage of resentment.


    After settling Arata Sena''s situation, Yuga dialed Steven''s number.


    Indeed, the person Yuga had in mind was Steven.


    Speaking ofbating criminal organizations, it was not within the jurisdiction of the Procesutor Bureau but rather the responsibility of the investigators in the Investigation Bureau.


    However, Yuga didn''t know anyone in the Investigation Bureau, and the only one who met the requirements in terms of strength was Steven. So, he had no choice but to seek Steven''s assistance.


    Yuga wasn''t sure if Steven would be avable at this moment, so he made the call with a trial-and-error attitude.


    After the call was connected, Steven readily epted Yuga''s request and was willing to apany Yuga on this mission.


    While this matter wasn''t within his official responsibilities, if sessful, the League wouldn''t overlook his contribution.


    This was an unspoken rule within the League �C achievements spoke louder than anything else. Having achievements meant everything.


    It was precisely due to this rule that the League could win over trainers, one after another.


    Steven''s response was swift, and Yuga received Steven''s visit the day after notifying him. Steven arrived at the entrance of the Verdanturf Gym riding his ace Pok��mon.


    This was the first time Yuga had seen Steven''s ace.


    ...


    <<metagross>> </metagross>


    Type: Steel/Psychic


    Ability: Clear Body


    Gender: None


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 78


    Moves: Meteor Mash, Psychic, Metal w, Ma Rise, Bullet Punch, Zen Headbutt, Psychic Terrain, Agility, Meteor Punch, Iron Defense, Hyper Beam, Psyshock, Protect, Earthquake, Return, Gyro Ball, Rock Slide, Zap Cannon, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch.


    ...


    Steven''s ace, Metagross, was indeed remarkable. It had already reached the peak of Elite level, with impressive potential, level, and a wide array of moves.


    Apart from his own Pok��mon, this was only the second Indigo potential Pok��mon captured by a trainer that Yuga had seen.


    As Steven dismounted, he said to Yuga, "So, are all the preparations for the operation ready?"


    Yuga smiled and replied, "Everything is ready; we''re just waiting for you."


    In reality, Yuga and Steven didn''t share a particrly deep friendship. Their rtionship had grown closer only after Steven attended the opening ceremony of the Verdanturf Gym. That''s why Yuga thought of him for this mission.


    Yuga had considered asking Wace, but Wace was evidently even busier than Steven. Wace had recently taken over the position of the Gym Leader at the Sootopolis Gym from his mentor, Mr. Juan, and was swamped with Grand Festival promotional activities.


    Once Steven arrived, Yuga and Liliana made final preparations to depart.


    This was a situation where acting sooner rather thanter was advisable. The Team Aqua branch wasn''t far from Verdanturf Town, or else they wouldn''t have been assigned the task of eliminating Yuga in the first ce.


    The group discreetly departed without drawing attention, choosing not to use flying Pok��mon but instead traveling onnd Pok��mon.


    Criminal organizations tended to be as elusive as mice, and any slightest sign could make them scatter and flee. Yuga and his team couldn''t afford to be careless.

 Chapter 601: Nigra

    <h4>Chapter 601: Nigra</h4>


    The Team Aqua''s branch they were dealing with wasn''t onnd but hidden near the sea. Yuga''s team traveled through towns like Lavaridge and Farbor, eventually reaching the coastal area.


    Following Arata Yuuto''s description, Yuga''s group quickly located an entrance near the waterfront, guarded by two soldiers wearing Team Aqua uniforms.


    "How do we get in?" Liliana asked, frowning as she looked at the two guards by the entrance.


    Yuga pondered for a moment before saying, "Leave it to me."


    As Yuga spoke, a Gengar appeared by his side, and then he disappeared before everyone''s eyes.


    Witnessing Yuga vanish into thin air, both Liliana and Steven were greatly surprised.


    Steven remarked, "Hey, are you still here?"


    Yuga replied, "I''m right here!"


    Steven clicked his tongue, "Such a miraculous ability. I''ve said it before; you should have joined our Procesutor Bureau. Your ability is incredibly convenient."


    Steven had never seen Yuga''s Gengar before and was intrigued by its unique ability, prompting his admiration.


    Yuga said, "Let''s not dwell on that. I''ll go ahead; you two follow."


    In no time, Liliana and Steven saw the two guards at the entrance slump over.


    With a quick exchange of nces, Liliana and Steven led the other officers stealthily toward the entrance of the Team Aqua branch.


    After incapacitating the guards, Yuga continued to advance deeper into the facility.


    Upon careful observation, it was evident that this Team Aqua branch was built underwater. Beyond the entrance was a long underwater corridor, and from inside, one could see Water-type Pok��mon swimming about.


    From the construction of this branch, it was clear that Team Aqua had invested significant effort into it.


    The security force within the branch was quite formidable. Yuga took care several guards to allow the others to sneak in unnoticed.


    Yuga, thanks to his invisibility ability, didn''t apany the main group. Instead, he ventured deeper into the facility on his own.


    The entrance to this branch was separate from the corridor leading further inside. After dealing with the guards who couldn''t see him, the facility became eerily quiet.


    However, this Team Aqua branch was equipped with many detection devices and rms. Fortunately, Gengar was very sharp and alert, spotting them all.


    Once they were inside, they entered arge door, and Steven''s Metagross, with its superior processing power, opened it. This indicated how tight the security was here.


    Upon entering the heart of the branch, Yuga separated from the main group, and the others disguised themselves as Team Aqua soldiers, each taking their own path.


    Traveling together as a group would have made them too conspicuous and prone to exposure.


    Yuga hadn''t gone far when he encountered a burly man with a stubble beard, berating a Team Aqua soldier at a corner.


    "So, you just abandoned your captain and slinked back?" The burly man''s voice boomed, causing the trembling soldier to shiver.


    "He acted recklessly on his own. It''s not our fault!" The soldier murmured softly.


    "You fool! Who gave you the courage to criticize your superior? And you dare to argue at a time like this!"


    After the bearded man finished speaking, he raised his hand and pped the soldier with a palm the size of a fan, smacking the soldier''s face so hard that he saw stars. Stumbling, the soldier fell to the ground.


    When the fallen soldier raised his head, one side of his face was swollen, the palm imprint visible in vivid red. Blood trickled from his mouth, and his eyes held a fierce and vengeful re.


    The bearded man, furious that the soldier didn''t bow down, kicked him in the stomach, sending the soldier flying until he crashed into a wall. The impact left the soldier writhing on the ground, clutching his abdomen, enduring waves of excruciating pain. He eventually coughed up a considerable amount of blood, indicating the severity of his injuries.


    This time, the soldier didn''t dare to lift his head, keeping it buried in his chest as he writhed on the ground.


    "If Yuuto doesn''t return, none of you will escape punishment!" The bearded man dered before leaving, his tone cold.


    Hearing the name "Yuuto," Yuga couldn''t help but guess: Could this soldier be one of those who abandoned Arata Yuuto and fled?


    Not long after the bearded man departed, a group of individuals emerged from somewhere, helping the injured soldier to his feet with concern.


    "Mr. Nigra was truly excessive, resorting to such violence against you," one of them scolded the bearded man with gritted teeth.


    Coughing and wincing due to the pain, the injured soldier weakly responded, "Cough... Cough... Please, don''t say that. He''s a superior, and we can''t criticize him."


    Although he spoke those words, his eyes burned with hatred.


    "But..."


    "Enough, let''s not talk about it! In the end, it''s all Yuuto''s fault. If he hadn''t obstructed us, Takeshi would have be the captain, and we wouldn''t be in this predicament today."


    At this point, another person spoke indignantly.


    These individuals angrily departed from Yuga''s view.


    Listening to their conversation, Yuga pieced together the sequence of events. These individuals were likely the ones who had abandoned Arata Yuuto. The person referred to as "Mr. Nigra" must be the superior mentioned by Arata Yuuto.


    However, Yuga was puzzled as to why these individuals, who had failed their mission and returned days ago, were only now being held ountable by Mr. Nigra.


    Unbeknownst to Yuga, Nigra had been away from the branch for the past few days, visiting headquarters. He had only recently learned about Arata Yuuto''s arrest.


    Nigra was the captain who had rescued Arata Yuuto all those years ago, and over the past decade, he had risen to a high-ranking position in Team Aqua. His influence and support had yed a significant role in Arata Yuuto bing the captain.


    Yuga pondered for a moment and then followed in the direction Nigra had left.


    As Nigra held such a prominent position within the branch, following him could potentially yield valuable information.


    Yuga didn''t go far before catching up to Nigra. At this point, Nigra was proceeding deeper into the Team Aqua branch.


    The deeper they ventured, the tighter the security became. Along the way, Yuga encountered numerous Team Aqua members on patrol, but fortunately, his invisibility went unnoticed.


    Yuga followed Nigra until they reached the innermost part of the branch.


    Based on his observations along the way, Yuga realized that this Team Aqua branch was indeed a crucial location. The sheer number of troops stationed here, likely hundreds, indicated its significance. Such a massive force couldn''t be justified for just ordinary location.

 Chapter 602: Alarm

    <h4>Chapter 602: rm</h4>


    Finally, Yuga saw that Nigra had stopped at a heavily guarded entrance.


    The two Team Aqua soldiers guarding the door saluted respectfully when they saw Nigra. He then stood in front of an identification device next to the door, and the door promptly opened.


    As the door swung open, Nigra stepped inside. Yuga, quick to follow, rushed in as well. Entrances like this, relying on facial recognition, were opportunities not to be missed.


    However, the moment Yuga entered through the door, Nigra abruptly turned and cast a sharp, scrutinizing gaze in Yuga''s direction.


    Witnessing this, Yuga immediately held his breath, frozen in ce, fearing that he might draw Nigra''s attention.


    After a while of tense silence without any signs of discovery, Nigra furrowed his brow, turned away, and looked elsewhere.


    At this moment, a young man in a whiteb coat turned to Nigra, curiosity in his voice, "What''s wrong, Mr. Nigra?"


    "Nothing," Nigra shook his head. "How is Dr. Jonathan''s experiment progressing?"


    Yuga, who initially thought Nigra had let his guard down, rxed slightly. However, his interest was piqued again when he heard the mention of "Dr. Jonathan" and "experiment."


    "The experiment has been challenging, and the doctor has been in a bad moodtely," the young man in theb coat replied.


    Upon hearing this, Nigra nodded and proceeded into the room.


    Seeing Nigra move farther away, Yuga nced around the room and noticed that it resembled aboratory. However, his concern grew when he heard faint cries of distress from deep within theb.


    It was another Pok��mon experiment! Yuga couldn''t help but wonder why these antagonists had such a penchant for conducting experiments on Pok��mon.


    "Dr. Jonathan, how is the experiment progressing?" Nigra approached an elderly man with white hair, who was holding a test tube and focused on observing the blue liquid within, seemingly oblivious to Nigra''s presence.


    "Dr. Jonathan, I intend to step out for a moment," Nigra spoke again.


    This time, Dr. Jonathan stopped his work, but he still didn''t turn around. "Is there something you need outside?"


    Nigra replied, "Yuuto has been captured by the League, and I n to rescue him."


    To Yuga''s surprise, Nigra was willing to take the risk of rescuing Arata Yuuto, disying a sense of loyalty and obligation.


    Dr. Jonathan furrowed his brows upon hearing this but didn''t look back, continuing his work. "If he''s been captured, let him be. What''s the point of rescuing him?"


    His tone was cold and unfeeling, making Nigra ufortable.


    "But I''m afraid that the League might extract information from him about this ce, and that would create problems for us," Nigra added.


    This time, Dr. Jonathan reluctantly nodded but still didn''t turn around.


    Nigra was about to express his gratitude when suddenly, rm bells rang outside, their urgent and rapid sound echoing as if urging swift action.


    Hearing the rm, Yuga immediately knew that either Steven or Liliana had been exposed.


    Upon hearing the rm, Dr. Jonathan, showing impatience, halted his work and asked, "What''s happening?"


    Nigra, irritated by the interruption, replied, "I''ll check outside."


    He hurriedly left the room.


    Nigra wasn''t concerned about any issues in theb because entering it required facial recognition. Only Dr. Jonathan, his assistant, and himself could ess it. Even the guards outside couldn''t enter.


    However, what he didn''t anticipate was that Yuga, with his invisibility ability, had infiltrated theb and was following him.


    Seeing Nigra leave theb, Yuga was delighted; the opportunity hade!


    While Nigra was gone, Yuga quietly moved behind Dr. Jonathan''s assistant and promptly knocked him unconscious.


    Witnessing his assistant suddenly copsing without warning, Dr. Jonathan quickly grabbed a Pok�� Ball, alertly asking, "Who''s there?"


    Although he uttered the words "Who''s there," Dr. Jonathan didn''t believe someone could sneak into thisb without a trace. He suspected a Pok��mon might have infiltrated.


    Because there are many Pok��mon who can be invisible, but I have never heard of humans being able to be invisible.


    Just when Yuga wanted to knock Dr. Jonathan unconscious, Dr. Jonathan opened the Poke Ball in his hand and released a Floatzel.


    This Floatzel is also a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon.


    But it''s not surprising that Jonathan has a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon in his hands. As a researcher of that kind of forbidden medicine, it''s impossible for him to not use it himself.


    As Pok��mon had far superior sensory abilities than humans, once released, the Floatzel immediately used its scent detection to pinpoint Yuga and Gengar''s location. It swiftly unleashed a Water Pulse attack toward Yuga''s position.


    In response to the attack, Yuga and Gengar had to evade. This evasion led to their invisibility abilities being deactivated.


    Seeing Yuga and Gengar revealed, Dr. Jonathan widened his eyes, demanding, "Who are you, and how did you get in?"


    Yuga didn''t answer Dr. Jonathan''s question. Instead, he ordered Gengar tounch an attack on the Floatzel.


    However, the Floatzel, which had been artificially enhanced to the pseudo-Elite level, stood no chance against Gengar, a peak pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon. It was swiftly defeated.


    The intense battle between Gengar and Floatzel caused many of the cultivation chambers in theb to shatter, enraging Dr. Jonathan.


    "Damn you, you brat! I won''t spare you!" The results of Dr. Jonathan''s sleepless efforts were now shattered before his eyes, fuelling his hatred.


    The Pok��mon that had emerged from the shattered chambers slowly opened their eyes but soon closed them again. Yuga, who possessed special abilities, could sense that their life force had extinguished.


    Seeing this, Yuga felt a tinge of guilt. He hadn''t anticipated that these Pok��mon would perish upon leaving their chambers. He had no idea what Dr. Jonathan had done to them.


    However, on second thought, perhaps death wasn''t such a bad fate for them. It was better than enduring torture in this ce.


    At this moment, only one massive cultivation chamber remained in theb, housing a gigantic Lapras. But from the Lapras''s furrowed brow, Yuga could tell its condition was far from optimistic.

 Chapter 603: Lapras

    <h4>Chapter 603: Lapras</h4>


    When Dr. Jonathan saw Yuga looking at the cultivation chamber containing a Lapras, he thought Yuga intended to destroy it and shouted in terror, "You wicked child!"


    Seeing Dr. Jonathan so nervous, Yuga became curious about what kind of Pok��mon experiment he was conducting.


    Dr. Jonathan, being a Pok��mon researcher and not a trainer, only had a Floatzel with him. After Floatzel was defeated, Gengar quickly took control of him.


    Dr. Jonathan, once captured, became extremely agitated. He feared that Yuga might destroy hisb, shouting loudly at Yuga. Yuga had Gengar knock him unconscious.


    Afterward, Yuga began to examine the information Dr. Jonathan had left in theb. Soon, he discovered the purpose of thisboratory.


    The Pok��mon trapped in those water tanks had been injected with a forbidden drug designed to enhance their abilities. However, they had only recently been injected, and the full effects of the drug had not yet taken hold.


    As for the Pok��mon confined in the cultivation chambers, they were part of a Pok��mon experiment rted to Kyogre.


    Yuga wasn''t sure if the Team Aqua had located Kyogre by now, but they seemed to have acquired a portion of Kyogre''s genes. Using these genes as a temte, they aimed to replicate some of Kyogre''s abilities.


    All the Water-type Pok��mon in the cultivation chambers had been infused with a portion of Kyogre''s genes.


    However, Kyogre''s genes were incredibly potent. Any Pok��mon infused with its genes would experience rapid cellr degradation, leading to a quick death.


    The Pok��mon suffered immensely during this process.


    Later, Dr. Jonathan developed a special cultivation solution that could slow down the rate of cellr degradation in these Pok��mon. However, as soon as the Pok��mon were removed from the solution, they would immediately die.


    This was why, during the battle between Gengar and Floatzel, the Pok��mon in the cultivation chambers died as their chambers were damaged.


    The Lapras in the middle was the Pok��mon with the highest gicpatibility with Kyogre among all of Dr. Jonathan''s experimental subjects. Its cellr degradation was also the slowest, which exined his nervousness earlier.


    This particr Lapras was the key to Dr. Jonathan''s experiments.


    After briefly reviewing Dr. Jonathan''s research data, Yuga turned his attention to a test tube containing blue liquid on theb table.


    This test tube was the same one Yuga had seen Dr. Jonathan holding when he first entered theb, and it represented the final stage of Dr. Jonathan''s experiment.


    Perhaps this test tube could save the Lapras! Yuga thought.


    So, Yuga opened the cultivation chamber containing the Lapras, intending to feed the liquid from the test tube to the Lapras.


    The cultivation chambers were equipped with sedation mechanisms because the process of cellr invasion was incredibly painful. If the test subjects were kept conscious throughout the process, they would suffer from physical agony, potentially leading to a mental breakdown.


    As Lapras woke up and saw Yuga, it became extremely wary, as it considered Yuga an ally of Dr. Jonathan, responsible for its current suffering.


    "Don''t be afraid. I''m here to save you. Look, those people are already down," Yuga reassured the Lapras and pointed at the unconscious Dr. Jonathan nearby.


    Seeing the fainted Dr. Jonathan, the Lapras reluctantly began to believe Yuga.


    "Here, drink this. It might make you feel better," Yuga said, offering the test tube to the Lapras''s mouth.


    Dr. Jonathan''s research notes indicated that this liquid was meant for direct ingestion.


    However, the research on this liquid appeared iplete, and Yuga had to resort to this option as ast-ditch effort.


    The Lapras hesitated for a moment, then opened its mouth and swallowed the liquid. It was in so much pain that it couldn''t afford to think too much.


    This particr Lapras looked different from the typical Lapras, not only being muchrger but also having a slightly different coloration.


    Compared to a typical Lapras, the blue skin on this Lapras''s body was deeper, and its belly was not white but light blue. Its four fins were especially wide, resembling wings.


    It''s unclear whether this appearance was natural or influenced by the Kyogre genes inside.


    After drinking the blue liquid, the Lapras''s expression of pain became even more pronounced. It began rolling on the ground, showing that the blue liquid hadn''t alleviated its suffering.


    "What''s happening? How are you, Lapras?"


    Yuga became deeply concerned as he witnessed the Lapras''s condition deteriorating rather than improving after drinking the blue liquid.


    "System, do you know what''s wrong with Lapras?"


    With no other options, Yuga turned to his trusty system for guidance.


    The system replied, [ That liquid was notplete. Unfortunately, it seems that instead of easing Lapras''s cellr invasion, it''s elerating the process. If this continues, Lapras may not be able to endure. ]


    The true purpose of this blue liquid was to fully activate the Kyogre genes within Lapras, intending to rece its original genes. This was why the cellr invasion on Lapras was worsening.


    "What should I do?"


    Anxious, Yuga asked; he initially wanted to help Lapras but ended up causing it more suffering.


    [ You can try the Large Gene Restoration Potion. The source of Lapras''s suffering is rted to gic issues, and this potion might help. However, I can''t be certain. ]


    The system suggested.


    At this point, Lapras''s genes were in chaos, with cells derived from Kyogre''s genes rapidly multiplying while Lapras''s cells were rapidly deteriorating. Whether the Large Gene Restoration Potion would work or not was uncertain, even for the system.


    The Large Gene Restoration Potion was a very precious item. Yuga had only obtained five so far, used two, and had three remaining.


    However, seeing Lapras''s life force diminishing rapidly and knowing that his own recklessness yed a significant role in this, Yuga couldn''t bear to hesitate. He clenched his teeth and administered a dose of the Large Gene Restoration Potion into Lapras''s mouth.


    At this point, Lapras was too weak to even whimper, but it gazed at Yuga withrge, determined eyes. The will to survive in its eyes touched Yuga deeply.


    The Large Gene Restoration Potion acted very quickly, and Lapras''s condition visibly improved.


    [ Host, one dose of the potion might not be enough; Lapras''s cells are still deteriorating. ]


    Just when Yuga thought Lapras was safe, the system reminded him.


    Yuga''s face paled momentarily, then he gritted his teeth and administered another dose of the Large Gene Restoration Potion to Lapras.


    Having already used one dose, if this didn''t work, it would mean he had wasted the previous one!

 Chapter 604: Ecstasy

    <h4>Chapter 604: Ecstasy</h4>


    [ Not enough! ]


    As Yuga fed the Lapras the second dose of the medicine, the system continued to remind him.


    Yuga was exasperated; this was like emptying his pockets.


    Although he felt the pinch, Yuga took out thest Large Gene Restoration Potion. With two already used, one more wouldn''t make a significant difference at this point.


    After administering the final dose of the Large Gene Restoration Potion, the system finally confirmed that Lapras waspletely fine. Yuga breathed a long sigh of relief. If it hadn''t worked, he couldn''t imagine how regretful he would be.


    With all the Large Gene Restoration Potions used, Lapras''s aura started rapidly strengthening. It was enveloped in a thin blue mist.


    As time passed, Yuga could feel unprecedented waves of pressure emanating from Lapras. It was even more ufortable than when Absol''s Pressure ability were activated.


    "What''s going on?" Yuga stared in astonishment as he witnessed Lapras undergoing a transformation.


    [ Because the Kyogre genes proliferated too quickly, they havepletely merged with Lapras''s original genes. Right now, a special gene is forming inside Lapras. ]


    The system exined as it sensed Yuga''s confusion.


    Yuga asked, "So, is this still Lapras?"


    The system hesitated for a moment and replied, [ It probably shouldn''t be considered... anymore. ]


    In its heart, the system silently thought that this might turn into a low-grade version of Kyogre wearing Lapras''s skin.


    When the mist on Lapras was absorbed into its body, Yuga noticed another change in its appearance. Its originally gray back turned into bluish-gray. The upper blue skin became even deeper and glossier, almost shining.


    Its light blue belly reverted to white, and its four fins became evenrger, resembling true wings.


    "Lapras..."


    After reopening its eyes, Lapras let out a clear and melodious cry, as if trying to release all its past burdens.


    Once it had vented, Lapras squinted at Yuga and then affectionately rubbed its savior''s cheek with its massive head.


    A typical adult Lapras averaged 2.5 meters in height, making it quiterge among Pok��mon. However, the Lapras before Yuga was at least 3 meters tall, even taller than his Absol.


    Yuga gently touched Lapras''s smooth chin and asked, "Lapras, do you want to stay with me from now on?"


    "Lapras!" Lapras let out a gentle cry and nodded in agreement.


    Seeing Lapras''s consent, Yuga was overjoyed and once again used Insight to examine Lapras.


    ...


    >


    Type: Water, Ice


    Gender: Male


    Abilities: Hydration, Drizzle


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 75


    Moves: Sing, Water Gun, Mist, Water Pulse, Rain Dance, Hail, Ice Beam, Safeguard, Hydro Pump, Sheer Cold, Blizzard, Refresh, Waterfall, Surf, Avnche, Dragon Dance, Foresight, Body m, Dragon Pulse, Icy Wind, Aqua Tail.


    ...


    The first thing that caught Yuga''s eye was the ring word "Purple." He even suspected his eyes were ying tricks on him.


    After shaking his head and repeatedly checking, he confirmed he wasn''t mistaken. Then, he fell into a state of ecstasy.


    It was indeed a Pok��mon with a purple potential!


    This was the first Pok��mon with a purple potential that Yuga had obtained, and it was the first one he had ever seen.


    While rumor about Pok��mon with purple potential had always circted in this world, Yuga had never heard of anyone actually obtaining one.


    Could Pok��mon with purple potential be rted to Legendary Pok��mon? Yuga couldn''t help but wonder.


    Lapras had originally been a Pok��mon with blue potential. Still, because it merged with Kyogre''s genes, it leaped into the realm of the most mysterious purple potential Pok��mon. This was something Yuga couldn''t help but think about.


    However, most regr Pok��mon couldn''t withstand the genes of Legendary Pok��mon, especially ancient ones like Kyogre. Even Lapras had consumed three precious Large Gene Restoration Potions from Yuga.


    Yuga wondered if he would ever get a chance to obtain more of these potions in the future.


    Not only did Lapras''s potential transform, but its level, abilities, and skills also underwent significant changes.


    Originally, Lapras was just a pseudo-Elite Pok��mon, but now it had ascended to the intermediate Elite level, just one level below his Volcarona.


    Then, there was its ability.


    Lapras originally didn''t have the Drizzle ability. It had Water Absorb, Shell Body, and its hidden ability, Hydration.


    But now it had gained the Drizzle ability! This was likely inherited from Kyogre.


    And when it came to skills, Yuga''s main Pok��mon, Chimecho, had the most skills, thanks to residual effects from Deoxy''s Engery Core. However, Lapras had now surpassed Chimecho.


    Originally, Lapras didn''t have this many skills; they were all awakened just moments ago.


    But what disappointed Yuga was that while Chimecho inherited Deoxys''s exclusive skill, Psycho Boost, Lapras didn''t inherit Kyogre''s exclusive skill, Origin Pulse.


    However, Yuga wasn''t greedy. Lapras''s transformation into a Pok��mon with purple potential and its willingness to follow him out of gratitude were more than enough to make Yuga ecstatic.


    He wondered, though, what the difference was between Pok��mon with purple potential and those with regr potential.


    Lapras belonged to the category of artificially purple potential Pok��mon, but Yuga didn''t know if there were naturally urring purple potential Pok��mon.


    Though Yuga typically didn''t include fully developed Pok��mon in his main team, but Pok��mon with purple potential were an exception. These were creatures living in legends.


    Now that he thought about it, he had encountered several Legendary Pok��mon, but this was the first time he had seen one with purple potential.


    After Yuga used his exclusive Pok�� Ball to capture Lapras and then released it again, he introduced himself, "I''m Shimizu Yuga. Nice to meet you."


    Lapras lowered its head and nuzzled Yuga affectionately.


    "Lapras, would you like to cause some chaos here with me?" Yuga suddenly asked Lapras.


    "Lapras!" Lapras nodded in delight.


    Since its illness had been cured, Lapras felt like it had been reborn. That''s why it readily followed Yuga. It also despised this ce filled with wickedness.


    "It''s not just us; we need some helpers. Lapras, Gengar! Let''s destroy those pools containing many Water-type Pok��mon."


    Yuga''s eyes twinkled as he pointed towards the pools holding numerous Water-type Pok��mon.


    Both Lapras and Gengar nodded in agreement and began to wreck the pools.


    Lapras, freshly promoted to Elite level Pok��mon, had yet to control its newfound power. When itunched a Hydro Pump at its target, it didn''t hit the intended pool but instead sted a hole through theboratory wall.


    The reason Yuga wanted to have some fun with Lapras was to allow it to familiarize itself with the power it had just gained.

 Chapter 605: Encirclement

    <h4>Chapter 605: Encirclement</h4>


    On the other side of theboratory, several team captains from the Team Aqua Branch were in a meeting. Suddenly, they heard a loud "bang," and arge hole was torn through the wall behind them.


    Everyone was startled by the loud noise and then saw a young man and a Lapras standing on the other side of the wall.


    Theboratory''s meeting room was directly opposite the most crucial area of the entire Team Aqua Branch and the reason for its existence.


    Through the hole in the wall, they could clearly see the chaotic state of theboratory and Dr. Jonathan lying on the ground.


    The expressions on everyone''s faces changed instantly.


    "Who are you?" one of the captains demanded.


    Before Yuga could answer, a Team Aqua soldier rushed into the meeting room in a hurry.


    "Bad news! Someone has broken in! We can''t hold them back!"


    The faces of the captains turned grim.


    "What about Mr. Nigra?" another captain asked the soldier.


    "Mr... Mr. Nigra is currently... engaged with the enemy. But the intruders are incredibly strong; Mr. Nigra can only handle one of them."


    The soldier was panting heavily, likely from his rushed arrival.


    Yuga understood from the soldier''s words that Steven and Nigra were facing each other.


    The captains were well aware of Nigra''s strength; he was a genuine Elite Trainer. It was unexpected that the invaders were so powerful that they could challenge Nigra.


    "We''ll go support Mr. Nigra; you stay here."


    One of the apparent leading captains instructed another captain, and then they left the meeting room with the soldier.


    The captain who was left behind nodded and turned his gaze towards Yuga and the Lapras on the other side of the wall.


    Meanwhile, Gengar had already destroyed most of the water pools, causing the Water-type Pok��mon inside to emerge.


    There were quite a few of these Pok��mon, at least forty or fifty, and they were not weak.


    Under themand of the Lapras infused with the genes of Kyogre, these Pok��mon rushed towards the captain left behind, ready for action.


    The captain had initially thought that dealing with Yuga wouldn''t be much trouble, but he hadn''t anticipated that his Pok��mon would be overwhelmed by a swarm of Water-type Pok��mon as soon as they were released.


    Seeing the captain and his Pok��mon being pummeled by the Water-type Pok��mon''s attack, Yuga lost interest and prepared to leave to pursue the others.


    While Steven could hold back Nigra, Liliana and the police officers might not be able to handle the other captains, who were pseudo-Elite level Trainers.


    Yuga had initially considered recalling the Lapras into its Pok�� Ball because it was not very agile onnd. However, he soon realized it was unnecessary.


    The Lapras''s fourrge fins emitted white mists, and it began to glide like it was using wings.


    Yuga was dumbfounded by the Lapras''s remarkable aerial performance. Could a Lapras that could fly be any more astonishing?


    Yuga quickly realized that this ability was likely inherited from Kyogre, as Kyogre could use Water-type energy for flight.


    As the Lapras, propelled by the mist, soared into the sky, Yuga felt the air around him bing humid.


    At first, the Lapras''s use of this ability was somewhat unsteady, wobbling in mid-air. After a while, it stabilized and could move freely.


    However, the Lapras''s unique "flight" speed was not particrly fast, far from the speed of normal Flying-type Pok��mon.


    Yuga gestured to Gengar, and Gengar returned to his shadow. Yuga, apanied by the Lapras, left theboratory.


    Theboratory''s main entrance was initially sturdy, but it was effortlessly sted open by a single Hydro Pump from the Lapras.


    Two guards stationed outside the main gate, unaware of what had transpired inside, were caught in the Lapras''s Hydro Pump attack and copsed unconscious.


    Theboratory had strong soundproofing, so the guards outside had no idea what was happening inside. They didn''t even realize Yuga had infiltrated until they lost consciousness.


    As a Pok��mon with extraordinary potential, the Lapras quickly adapted to its power. After a few adjustments, it had full control, and Yuga proceeded to exit theboratory.


    Any Team Aqua members and their Pok��mon encountered along the way were effortlessly dealt with by the Lapras''s Hydro Pump.


    With the Lapras''s Elite level strength, no one Yuga encountered posed any real threat to him.


    Even though the Lapras wasn''t fully ustomed to its newfound power, dealing with these individuals was not a problem. However, the Lapras''s attacks caused catastrophic damage to the surrounding structures.


    Not long after departing, Yuga heard the sounds of Pok��mon battles nearby. Soon, he saw several police officersmanding their Pok��mon and engaging in battles with the Team Aqua soldiers.


    Liliana was also locked in battle with a captain level Team Aqua member, but she was clearly being pushed back, as she was not on the level of a pseudo-Elite Trainer.


    Upon seeing this, Yuga immediately ordered the Lapras to attack the captain.


    The captain''s Pok��mon was a Water and Dark type, a Crawdaunt. It was sent flying by the Lapras''s Dragon Pulse attack and crashed into a wall.


    Yuga suspected that the Team Aqua had specifically raised a batch of Crawdaunt and Corphish, as almost every member seemed to have one.


    However, these types of Pok��mon were not rare; they were widely distributed in the oceans and rivers of the Hoenn region. Breeding them inrge numbers was not difficult.


    The captain was taken by surprise at Yuga''s sudden appearance and was left stunned.


    Upon seeing Yuga''s arrival, Liliana breathed a sigh of relief. Her Pok��mon was a Fire-type, Arcanine, and facing Water-type Pok��mon users from the Team Aqua was a challenge, especially considering her lesser strength.


    The first time Yuga met Liliana, her Arcanine was just a Growlithe, and it had evolved into Arcanine after the incident with Cecilia.


    Yuga took over the battle with Liliana''s opponent, and Liliana turned to deal with the other Team Aqua members.


    With the Elite level Lapras by his side, dealing with a pseudo-Elite Trainer was not difficult for Yuga. He swiftly defeated the captain.


    As Yuga finished dealing with this opponent, he heard a loud crash. A wall copsed, and another Crawdaunt was sent flying from the other side of the wall. Following it was a Aggron, Steven''s Aggron.


    Yuga recognized the Aggron immediately.


    He had seen this Pok��mon before, but at that time, it was just a Lairon, far from the level of a pseudo-Elite level. Now it had evolved into a Aggron and even reached the Elite level.


    Nevertheless, an Elite level Aggron against a pseudo-Elite Crawdaunt was an easy match.


    Upon seeing Yuga, Aggron nodded in acknowledgment, clearly remembering him.


    But Yuga quickly noticed that Aggron was dragging a Sharpedo.


    However, the Sharpedo had lost its fighting spirit and appeared in a pitiful state.


    Aggron looked at the Sharpedo, then casually tossed it aside, and another wall crumbled.


    Yuga thought to himself, "Truly Steven''s Pok��mon, quite brutal."


    Through the hole in the wall, Yuga could see the other side.


    Apart from Aggron, Steven''s Skarmory, ydol, and Audino were all released. Each Pok��mon had engaged a captain level Team Aqua member and had the upper hand.


    Steven himself was locked in a fierce battle with Nigra, and Metagross was single-handedly holding off both a Pelipper and a Swampert, clearly not at a disadvantage.


    Yuga saw Steven fight for the first time and was truly impressed by his fierceness. Compared to Steven, Yuga felt like a child. No wonder Steven kept rising through the ranks in the Prosecutor Bureau; his battle strength had undoubtedly been honed through countless challenges.

 Chapter 606: Reversal

    <h4>Chapter 606: Reversal</h4>


    Seeing Steven single-handedly facing four pseudo-Elite Trainers and an Elite level captain, Yuga quickly rushed in with the Lapras to assist.


    Steven nodded at Yuga upon his arrival, showing no signs of feeling overwhelmed by having his Metagross in a two-on-one situation. However, he looked surprised when he noticed the Lapras by Yuga''s side.


    "A flying Lapras?" Steven thought in astonishment.


    Yuga nodded to Steven and then led the Lapras to confront Steven''s opponent, who happened fighting Audino.


    This was the first time Yuga had seen Steven''s Audino, and he couldn''t help but be surprised. Was this still a Steel-type Trainer? Having a ydol was one thing, but now he had a Audino too?


    Yuga didn''t know when Steven had obtained this Audino, but it was undoubtedly an Elite level Pok��mon.


    Steven had released a total of five Pok��mon for this battle, all at the Elite level. Besides the peak Elite strength of his Metagross, his ydol and Skarmory were roughly at the Intermediate Elite level, while his Audino and Aggron were just entering the Elite level.


    In other words, as long as Steven had one more Elite level Pok��mon in reserve, he would meet the basic requirement to participate in the Elite Challenge.


    Yuga knew that Steven undoubtedly possessed more than just five Elite level Pok��mon because he was aware of Steven''s Elite level Aggron. This Aggron was raisedter and was not his initial partner, but Yuga was certain that Steven''s first Pok��mon, the Lairon, had evolved into Aggron even earlier than his Metagross.


    This Aggron was Steven''s true starter Pok��mon and should have already reached the Elite level. However, it had not been involved in this battle yet.


    As the Initial Pok��mon of the Devon Corporation''s master, the qualifications of that Aggron cannot be bad.


    It seems that it is not far away from Steven bing the champion.


    With Yuga helping to share the pressure, the Audino cast a grateful look at Yuga, and then abandoned his current opponent and turned to help Daigo deal with Nigra''s two Pok��mon.


    The battle between the Elite level Pok��mon cannot be decided in a short period of time.


    As the battle continued, Nigra probaly only have two Elite level Pok��mon in his hand, So even thought his Pelipper and Swampert force to retreat by Steven''s Metagross. Nigra didn''t seem inclined to release any other Pok��mon, understanding that non-Elite Pok��mon entering an Elite level battle were practically offering themselves as easy prey.


    Just like Aggron, ydol, Skarmory, and Audino, they all faced these pseudo-Elite level captains in battles where it was often one against many.


    Without them, Liliana and the police officers she brought with her would have been unable to withstand these pseudo-Elite level captains.


    With the assistance of Audino, Nigra''s defeat came even faster, and at this point, his forehead was covered in sweat.


    On Yuga side, he faced Steven''s Audino original opponent, a female Team Aqua member, who was the only female among the group of captains. She had four pseudo-Elite Pok��mon: Crawdaunt, Slowbro, Dewgong, and Gorebyss. Their strength far surpassed that of Yugo''s allies among the captains.


    These four Pok��mon quickly surrounded Yuga and the Lapras.


    While Gorebyss wasn''t particrly suited fornd battles, she had still been sent out, which indicated the pressure Steven''s Audino had exerted on her earlier.


    Yuga didn''t release any more of his Pok��mon for help. The Lapras was still getting ustomed to its powers, and besides, Yuga''s Pok��mon in the shadows, Mismagius and Gengar, were on standby, so he wasn''t worried about handling these four Pok��mon.


    The four Pok��mon surrounding Yuga and the Lapras simultaneouslyunched their attacks: Crawdaunt used Crabhammer, Slowbro unleashed Psychic, Dewgong fired Signal Beam, and Gorebyss shot Shadow Ball.


    "Lapras..."


    Upon witnessing this, the Lapras let out a crisp cry, and after a surge of Water-type energy emanated from its body, a towering wave formed around Yuga and the Lapras, acting as a watery barrier that engulfed all the attacksing from the four directions without causing any sshes.


    The visible gap in strength between pseudo-Elite and Elite level Pok��mon was apparent as the Surf technique, typically used as an offensive move, served as a defensive shield against the four pseudo-Elite Pok��mon, rendering their attacks ineffective.


    Initially, when Steven''s Audino left the battle, this female captain had a moment of relief because Steven''s Audino had ced considerable pressure on her. However, the young man before her, who was not much older, had presented her with an equally daunting challenge, causing her expression to turn sour.


    "What kind of misfortune has befallen our branch? Why do we keep encountering monsters?" the female captainined inwardly.


    Little did she know that if it weren''t for their Team Aqua headquarters issuing a mission to eliminate Yuga, they wouldn''t have attracted such formidable adversaries.


    After repelling the attacks with the wave, the Lapras opened its mouth and exhaled a Blizzard. The roaring storm, apanied by biting cold, submerged all four Pok��mon simultaneously.


    When the blizzard subsided, all four Pok��mon had been frozen solid, and both the female captain and Yuga were astonished.


    The Lapras''s power exceeded Yuga''s expectations. It was even stronger than Steven''s Audino, as evidenced by how easily it dispatched the opponents. It truly lived up to its purple potential.


    After defeating this female captain, Yuga and the Lapras suddenly heard two cries of distress. Turning their heads, they saw Nigra''s Pelipper and Swampert, both looking anguished but experiencing a continuous surge in their auras.


    Nigra''s Pelipper and Swampert were initially at the Intermediate of Elite, but in the blink of an eye, they had reached the peak of the Elite level.


    Pelipper, with a pained expression, released a Hurricane. The Audino, caught in the Hurricane, lost its fighting capabilities instantly. However, Audino was merely a Junior Elite level Pok��mon and couldn''tpare to Pelipper, who had reached the peak of the Elite level.


    Seeing this situation, Nigra gleefully threw two bottles he held onto the ground,manding Pelipper and Swampert to attack Steven''s Metagross with all their might.


    "Is he using some kind of drug?" Yuga wondered as he noticed the two bottles.


    Yuga suddenly remembered that the original form of that banned substance seemed to have a temporary power-enhancing effect on Pok��mon. But had Nigra lost his mind? Was he giving up on his Pelipper and Swampert?


    Through Arata Yuuto, Yuga was well aware of the side effects of such a banned substance. He never expected the Team Aqua to still possess it; they seemed to have no regard for the well-being of their Pok��mon.


    After losing Audino, facing thebined assault of two peak-Elite level Pok��mon, even Steven''s Metagross was in disarray.


    Yuga promptly ordered the Lapras to assist Steven and his Metagross. Just as Swampert''s Muddy Water was about to engulf Metagross, the Lapras fired an Ice Beam, freezing the mudflow into chunks of ice.

 Chapter 607: Annihilation

    <h4>Chapter 607: Annihtion</h4>


    When Nigra saw Yuga and the Lapras, he was greatly surprised. The Lapras next to Yuga looked very familiar to him.


    This Lapras resembled the one in Dr. Jonathan''sboratory, but its strength was nowhere near as formidable. Besides, Dr. Jonathan''sboratory was inessible to ordinary people.


    With these thoughts, Nigra dismissed his doubts.


    He had no idea that the Lapras before him was the same one from Dr. Jonathan''sboratory. After fusing with Kyogre''s genes, not only had its appearance changed, but its power had also undergone a tremendous transformation.


    When Steven saw Yuga and the Laprasing to their aid, he felt a mixture of relief and astonishment.


    "This Lapras is incredibly strong!" This was something Steven hadn''t expected at all; Yuga''s strength was far greater than he had imagined.


    After Yuga arrived, he willingly took Nigra''s Swampert from him, allowing Steven and his Metagross to focus on dealing with Nigra''s Pelipper.


    Although the Lapras was only at the Intermediate of Elite, its purple potential and the influence of Kyogre''s genes provided it with the ability to contend with peak Elite level Pok��mon.


    As the battle progressed, the Lapras continued to grow with each passing moment,unching Water-type attacks at Swampert.


    Swampert was a Pok��mon with well-rounded stats but no specific strengths, relying on its excellent type matchups. Faced with the relentless assault from the Lapras, Swampert felt overwhelmed.


    Luckily, this particr Swampert had the Damp ability rather than Torrent; otherwise, it wouldn''t be as easy for the Lapras to deal with it.


    Due to the influence of Kyogre''s genes, the Lapras had the highest affinity for Water-type moves and exceptional control over Water-type energy. If its Water-type moves were sealed, its power would be greatly diminished.


    With Yuga and the Lapras sharing the pressure, Steven and his Metagross found it rtively easy to handle Nigra''s Pelipper. Nigra was once again in a difficult situation.


    At this point, Nigra''s face had turned almost as dark as ink. He had gone all-in, sacrificing two of his own peak Elite level Pok��mon for this oue, which left him feeling extremely frustrated.


    He couldn''t afford to lose; losing would mean falling into the hands of the League.


    As a peak Elite level viin Trainer, the League would undoubtedly take his capture seriously. Given the current situation with the Team Aqua, it was nearly impossible for him to escape from the League''s grasp.


    While Nigra was lost in thought, Steven''s Metagross suddenly rushed into the air and struck Pelipper down with a Thunder Punch. The major weakness of Water- and Flying-type Pok��mon was Electric-type moves, and Thunder Punch had stripped Pelipper of its ability to fly, leaving it grounded and struggling on the ground.


    Due to the excruciating pain from taking the banned substance,bined with the damage from Metagross''s attack, Pelipper was now struggling to endure.


    Swampert noticed the dire situation of itspanion. Though its wooden face disyed little emotion, a hint of sadness flickered in its eyes.


    The current situation was unwinnable for them, and if they lost, Swampert''s fate wouldn''t be any better than Pelipper''s.


    With these thoughts in mind, Swampert''s fighting spirit waned, and it slowed down its battle tempo, losing all will to fight.


    Nigra, on the other hand, had not personally nurtured these two Pok��mon; they were given to him when he joined the Team Aqua. He had no deep attachment to them, and he felt no remorse or reluctance in abandoning Pelipper and Swampert.


    While Swampert became passive in battle, the Lapras continued to fight valiantly. As a result, Swampert was quickly defeated.


    As Swampert fell, Pelipper also lost all ability to battle.


    Seeing his two peak Elite level Pok��mon defeated, Nigra knew the tide had turned. He released his remaining Pok��mon in an attempt to create a distraction and escape.


    However, Yuga''s Gengar and Mismagius, along with their Mean Look, had been keeping an eye on him. When he attempted to flee, they used Hypnosis in unison, immobilizing him and his Pok��mon in ce.


    Nigra''s remaining Pok��mon were not particrly strong, and it was easy for Gengar and Mismagius to immobilize them.


    With Nigra captured, it meant that this Team Aqua Branch had essentially beenpletely eliminated. Yuga and Steven exchanged smiles.


    Soon after, Steven''s Pok��mon defeated the remaining captain level Team Aqua members. With the assistance of Yuga and Steven, Liliana and the police officers managed to eliminate all of the Team Aqua grunts as well.


    Of course, those Water-type Pok��mon released by Yuga also yed a significant role.


    This Team Aqua Branch had a considerable force, numbering in the hundreds, far more than Yuga''s group. These Water-type Pok��mon helped bridge the numerical gap.


    However, it was important to note that all these Water-type Pok��mon had been injected with the banned substance and had little future ahead of them.


    With all the Team Aqua members captured, the next step was to clean up the entire base.


    This Branch had been established by the Team Aqua for Dr. Jonathan''s research, so most of the things here were rted to his experiments.


    However, deep within the base, Yuga''s team found several water prisons connected to the outside ocean. These prisons held many Water-type Pok��mon, which had been captured by the Team Aqua to serve as materials for Dr. Jonathan''s experiments.


    Seeing these Pok��mon, Yuga was delighted.


    As the leader of this operation, Yuga had the authority to select his spoils from these Pok��mon.


    The first to catch Yuga''s attention were more than ten Lapras, which had been kept separately in one prison.


    These Lapras were all of the same species as Yuga''s Lapras, and they were captured as a whole group by the Team Aqua.


    At Yuga''s request, these Lapras were all taken into his Pok�� Balls.


    Their individual potentials weren''t remarkable; they all had uniformly yellow potential. Still, being of the same species as Yuga''s Lapras, Yuga didn''t mind, as he could afford to care for them.


    Apart from these Lapras, Yuga also chose two Slowpoke, two Cors, one Cloyster, one Seel, and one Sharpedo, all of which were Pok��mon with green potential.


    No one was surprised that Yuga chose so many Pok��mon because everyone present knew that Yuga ran a Pok��mon Day Care.


    Neither Steven nor Liliana was interested in these Water-type Pok��mon. They were both from wealthy families and had no interest in Pok��mon with uncertain potential. They weren''t inclined to pick and choose like this.


    However, a few police officers decided to select some of the stronger Pok��mon from the group.


    The remaining Pok��mon, including those injected with the banned substance, would be handed over to the League. From there, they would be sent to nature reserves to live out their lives peacefully.


    Besides these Pok��mon, the most crucial assets within the base were Dr. Jonathan''s research data. All of it would be organized and handed over to the League.


    As Yuga and Steven were cleaning up the base, a police officer rushed over and informed them that Nigra''s two Pok��mon were in critical condition.


    Yuga, Steven, and Liliana rushed to the scene, where the two Pok��mon were barely clinging to life.


    However, when Yuga saw these two Pok��mon, he furrowed his brow. Howe their condition was identical to that Chatot?


    With his special ability continuously growing stronger, Yuga could now sense the life states of Pok��mon even without physical contact.


    Could Chatot'' previous owner be connected to the Team Aqua? Yuga couldn''t help but wonder.

 Chapter 608: Healing

    <h4>Chapter 608: Healing</h4>


    Although the conditions of that Pelipper and Swampert resembled what Chatot had experienced initially, their bodies deteriorated much more rapidly.


    Chatot''s decline was a long process, starting with a gradual loss of strength, followed by the gradual depletion of its life force, eventually leading to its impending death. This process spanned several years.


    However, Pelipper and Swampert had deteriorated to the brink of death within an extremely short time. This indicated that the potions they were fed were different from what Chatot had ingested, with enhanced strengthening effects and side effects.


    In this situation, Yuga had no way to save them. It had been quite a feat to rescue Chatot in the first ce, and the cost was substantial.


    Soon after, both of these Pok��mon sumbed to their conditions. Yuga found this extremely regrettable, considering they were Elite level Pok��mon. Trading them with the League might have yielded valuable returns, but now they were wasted.


    That Nigra was truly despicable!


    Not only did Yuga feel this way, but both Steven and Liliana shared the sentiment.


    Under Liliana''s organization, the rescued Pok��mon from Team Aqua Branch were being ced into Pok�� Balls and would be handed over to the League. However, the most valuable assets in this location were Dr. Jonathan''s research materials.


    Despite significant ws in this research, it indirectly led to the creation of powerful Pok��mon like Lapras, which had its merits. Yuga also possessed a piece of Groudon''s body tissue that could extract Groudon''s genes, making him covet these materials.


    However, Yuga was not a researcher, nor did he n to conduct cruel Pok��mon gic experiments. He just wanted to find a way to utilize this Groudon tissue. He couldn''t let it go to waste.


    This might be challenging, but it was worth a try.


    However, all these materials had to be handed over to the League. Yuga couldn''t appropriate them for himself, and the League prohibited the unauthorized sharing of such research data due to its potentially disastrous consequences.


    Yet, in the end, his system surprised him.


    The system secretly helped Yuga copy all the data stored in theputers without anyone noticing. Such a powerful hidden feature was something Yuga had never discovered before.


    However, Yuga''s "golden finger" fell under the category of "unreliable," as it couldmunicate with the host but wouldn''t actively reveal its existence unless summoned.


    After cleaning up the battlefield, Yuga''s team returned to Verdanturf Town with their spoils of war and prisoners.


    While their journey to the Team Aqua Branch was swift, the return trip was notably slower. The captives had to be transported by vehicles since they couldn''t use rideable Pok��mon to cut through shortcuts.


    This was particrly true for important individuals like Nigra, Dr. Jonathan, and the other captains, who were sedated during transportation to prevent any unexpected incidents.


    Strong individuals and special figures needed "special attention!"


    Upon their return to Verdanturf Town, Yuga left the subsequent tasks to Liliana, as she was a police officer and more adept at handling these matters.


    Interestingly, Steven didn''t rush to leave after the operation but chose to stay at the Verdanturf Town Gym.


    Once Yuga returned to the YoYo Day Care, he immediately headed to the Ecopark. He needed to settle the newly acquired Pok��mon, especially the Lapras''s kin.


    These Pok��mon had been imprisoned by the Team Aqua Branch for days, enduring hunger and various injuries. Among them, the Lapras suffered the most significant injuries, so Yuga wanted to provide swift care and shelter for them.


    Laprass, gentle in nature but somewhat stubborn, proved challenging to persuade for those they didn''t recognize, which was why they suffered so terribly.


    Once inside the Ecopark, Yuga called upon Chimecho, Audino, and several skilled healers like Miltanks and headed to the Shallow seashore Sub-Ecopark.


    The injuries of the Cloyster and two Cors weren''t severe. After Chimecho''s treatment, they quickly sprang to life and dove into the sea, seemingly content with their new environment. The original Cloyster in the sea gave them a warm wee.


    However, the other Pok��mon had more severe injuries.


    Although the two Slowpokes appeared a bit slow and silly, the scars on their pink skin were very prominent, and the exposed flesh in those wounds was a pallid white.


    After the treatment, Yuga notified Greninja to take them to Lake Ind, where the Melotics lived. The Melotics there would assist in taking care of these two Slowpokes, and the Water Hyacinth that grew there would also aid in their healing process.


    Seel''s injuries were also substantial, but its lively nature was evident after treatment. It joyfully swam into the sea, expressing gratitude for Yuga''s help.


    Sharpedo was the most tenacious of the lot. Probably due to its fierce and untamed nature, it had experienced its fair share of "care" under the Team Aqua Branch''s custody, but it hadn''t made a sound the entire time. Despite maintaining its ferocious appearance after treatment, Yuga could sense gratitude in its eyes.


    The injuries on the over a dozen Laprass were severe, but thanks to Audino and the Miltanks'' extensive experience in caring for Pok��mon, they made it through safely.


    With Yuga''s Lapras calming them, these Laprass soon settled into the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark.


    Fused with Kyogre''s genes, Yuga''s Lapras possessed absolute leadership over its kin. Most other Water-type Pok��mon were willing to follow its lead.


    The neers quickly established themselves as the new rulers of the Shallow Seashore.


    After Chimecho and the others finished treating these Pok��mon, Yuga used his unique ability to give them a thorough physical examination. His special ability had developed some rudimentary healing capabilities by now.


    Thanks to this ability, these Pok��mon were exceptionally friendly towards Yuga, despite having suffered harm at human hands.


    Once the healing treatments werepleted, Yuga had the Miltanks prepare plenty of Pok��blocks for them. At this point, they all needed to replenish their strength.


    The Water-type Pok��blocks from the YoYo Day Care were of exceptionally high quality and had gained poprity among trainers. Those who had used them had nothing but praise.


    With these Pok��blocks to restore their vitality, these Pok��mon quickly regained their spirits.


    However, Yuga decided to wait a few more days until their injuries werepletely healed before taking them to see Joyka, just to ensure no hidden injuries remained. Although Yuga possessed a unique ability, Joyka''s expertise was unparalleled.

 Chapter 609: Keystone

    <h4>Chapter 609: Keystone</h4>


    After leaving the Ecopark, Yuga went to the Gym to meet Steven.


    When Yuga arrived, he found Steven sitting leisurely in the lobby, sipping tea.


    "You seem quite rxed. I really appreciate your help this time," Yuga said as he took a seat across from Steven and poured himself a cup of tea.


    "No need to thank me. When should we have dinner?" Steven smacked his lips, seemingly reminiscing about the cooking skills of Audino, which he missed.


    Although Steven had trained a Audino of his own, it seemed like his skill tree had gone awry. The food he prepared always turned out to be a disaster, but when it came to battling, his Audino was fierce and upromising.


    Sometimes, Steven even wondered if he had tamed not a Audino but a disguised Ursaring.


    He couldn''t help but envy Yuga''s Audino.


    The operation to besiege the Team Aqua Branch had taken two days in total��one day to get there, one day for the operation, and another day to return. It was already quitete when they came back, making it an appropriate time for dinner.


    Upon hearing Steven''s words, Yuga chuckled and said, "Are you here just to eat? You seem quite idle."


    Steven shrugged. "Well, it''s a side benefit, isn''t it? I''m on vacation at the moment, so staying here for a few days won''t hurt. You wouldn''t kick me out, would you? That wouldn''t be very nice!"


    Yuga waved his hand dismissively. "It''s up to you. Stay as long as you like. But I contacted you for another reason."


    Steven raised an eyebrow. "What''s the matter?"


    Before, Steven had regarded Yuga as a junior due to Yuga''s younger age and lower strength. However, after this operation, his perception of Yuga hadpletely changed. Yuga''s flying Lapras had impressed him greatly.


    "I want to talk about Mega Evolution," Yuga said.


    "Do you know about Mega Evolution?" Steven asked in return, though he didn''t appear too surprised.


    Knowledge of Mega Evolution was rare nowadays, but it was entirely normal for Yuga to be aware of it because he was Mr. Kuni''o''s disciple. This fact wasn''t a secret to Steven.


    However, what surprised Steven was that Yuga knew about Mega Evolution but had no connection to Mr. Kuni''o, who had never mentioned Mega Evolution to him.


    "Yes, I know about it. I even traded a Gyarados Mega Evolution Stone with Venusaur Mega Evolution Stone from Robert," Yuga continued.


    Trading Mega Evolution Stones with Robert wasn''t something Yuga needed to keep a secret anymore. He had acquired enough self-preservation capabilities by now.


    "Robert''s Gyaradosite came from you?" Steven was genuinely surprised this time.


    He knew about the trade where Robert exchanged a Gyaradosite for a Venusaurite, thanks to Wace informing him.


    Steven felt envious because both Robert and Wace, now had Mega Evolution Stones corresponding to their Pok��mon. Meanwhile, he didn''t have any. He did own Mega Evolution Stones, but none of them were suitable for his Pok��mon, which was quite frustrating.


    The Mega Evolution Stones he desired the most were those for Metagross and Aggron, but these were hard toe by, even though he was the heir to the Devon Corporation.


    "Yes," Yuga nodded.


    "Do you want to trade Mega Evolution Stones with me, too?" Steven asked.


    Yuga shook his head. "I want Keystone."


    Steven realized that he didn''t need Mega Evolution Stones; he needed a Keystone.


    Steven paused for a moment, then nodded. "I understand. Do you have Mega Evolution Stones for Metagross and Aggron?"


    Steven didn''t think Yuga would have these two specific Mega Evolution Stones, but other Mega Evolution Stones would be of no use to him. What he was looking for were those specific Mega Evolution Stones.


    Of course, if Yuga were willing to give them to him as a gift, that would be a different story. After all, Mega Evolution Stones were valuable collectibles in their own right.


    Upon hearing this, Yuga silently took out a Mega Evolution Stone with white and brown spiral patterns and ced it on the table.


    "What''s this?" Steven asked, his pupils contracting as he saw the Mega Evolution Stone. He didn''t know which Pok��mon this Mega Evolution Stone corresponded to, but since Yuga knew his request and brought it out, Steven had an idea.


    At present, people didn''t fully understand Mega Evolution, including which Mega Evolution Stones corresponded to which Pok��mon. Although Steven knew that both Metagross and Aggron could Mega Evolve, he had never seen the specific Mega Evolution Stones for these two.


    "This is for Metagross," Yuga exined.


    "Really?" Steven''s heart involuntarily skipped a beat upon receiving a confirmation from Yuga. Still, his strongposure prevented any visible emotions from showing on his face.


    "Of course, I have no reason to deceive you," Yuga replied with a smile.


    In fact, Yuga had wanted to discuss this matter with Steven during the recent opening ceremony of the Verdanturf Gym. However, he had been too busy at the time, and Steven''s departure had been hasty, so Yuga had momentarily forgotten.


    Steven nodded, acknowledging the situation.


    "But are you sure about trading a Keystone? Mega Evolution Stones are much more valuable than Keystones," Steven cautioned.


    While he coveted the Mega Evolution Stone for Metagross, he didn''t want to take advantage of someone he had a good rtionship with, especially since Steven had spare Keystones.


    Keystones could correspond to any Mega Evolution Stone, making them versatile, and, as of now, Keystones were more abundant in numberpared to Mega Evolution Stones.


    "Then, how about offering something in return?" Yuga suggested. While he was unaware of the value of Mega Evolution Stonespared to Keystones, he knew Steven to be an honest individual.


    Steven pondered for a moment before responding, "How about this: I''ll give you full credit for the sess of the operation to besiege the Team Aqua Branch. When you report it, don''t mention my involvement at all. You can take all the credit."


    Even though this operation had significant achievements, Steven had no need for additional recognition. Trading for a Mega Evolution Stone for Metagross, especially one for a Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon, was a great deal for him.


    "Alright, let''s go with that," Yuga agreed. At this point, he wanted to earn more Merit Points, as he had recently acquired a Lapras as his main team, and it''s an Elite level Pok��mon. Providing it with Water Gem and Ice Gem would help it grow faster, ensuring it wouldn''t be overshadowed by others.


    Steven added, "However, my Keystones aren''t with me right now. I''ll call someone to bring them here immediately."


    "Sure, let''s wait for you to bring the Keystones before finalizing the trade," Yuga said, casting a yful nce at Steven, who was trying to seize the opportunity.


    Steven extended his hand, "Ah,e on..."


    This guy! He can''t stand even the slightest disadvantage. Can I even take advantage of him?


    Seeing the almost-secured Mega Evolution Stone for Metagross slipping away, Steven felt his blood boil with frustration.

 Chapter 610: Practice

    <h4>Chapter 610: Practice</h4>


    On Steven''s side, things progressed swiftly. The next day, the Keystone for the exchange with Yuga were promptly delivered to Verdanturf Town.


    As soon as Steven received the Keystone, he sought out Yuga, and the exchange waspleted.


    Simultaneously, the events at the Team Aqua Branch were reported to the Hoenn League by Liliana, with Steven''s name kept hidden as agreed upon. Most of the credit for the sess fell upon Yuga''s shoulders.


    Because of this, Yuga''s name officially gained the attention of the League''s higher-ups.


    While Yuga had previously been known to only a small faction within the League as Mr. Kuni''o''s disciple, this significant achievement was Yuga''s stepping stone into the League''s spotlight.


    Yuga was only seventeen years old, yet he had captured an Elite level Trainer, Nigra. This led many to specte about Yuga''s true strength.


    However, Yuga had never revealed his full power to the outside world, leaving others to guess.


    Clearly, the strength Yuga had shown so far wasn''t enough to capture Nigra.


    Yet, most people found it hard to believe that Yuga possessed Elite level abilities. They suspected he had used some special means, given his young age.


    On the other hand, some believed in Yuga''s abilities because of his connection to Mr. Kuni''o, one of the four remaining Master level Trainer. This connection made it reasonable to assume that Yuga was exceptionally powerful.


    However, assessing Yuga''s achievements would take some time. The Team Aqua was not an ordinary criminal organization, and Yuga had managed to dismantle their entire branch, which was no small feat.


    Furthermore, he had captured a Elite level executive and a Pok��mon professor. Regr Team Aqua branches didn''t have executives or Pok��mon professors.


    Hence, the evaluation of Yuga''s contribution would require some time.


    Leaving aside Yuga''s aplishments, as soon as Steven got his hands on Mega Evolution Stone for Metagross, he insisted that Yuga apany him to test his Metagross''s Mega Evolution.


    Considering that Steven had giving him a considerable merit, Yuga reluctantly agreed. He still remembered the disastrous oue of Robert''s Mega Evolution experiment.


    This time, Yuga wisely chose not to bring Steven into the Ecopark, as the repairs after theirst visit had cost him a substantial sum.


    Steven requested Yuga to engage in a battle with his newly Mega Metagross. So, Yuga and Steven headed to the Gym''s training grounds.


    Originally, Yuga had been adamantly against this idea, but after Steven repeatedly assured him that his Metagross wouldn''t turn out like Robert''s Gyarados during its Mega Evolution, Yuga reluctantly acquiesced.


    This battle caught the attention of the children at the Gym. After Yuga and Steven had prepared on opposite sides of the battlefield, they gathered around to watch.


    Yuga sent out his Lapras, Ordinary Pok��mon are not qualified to fight against Steven''s Metagross, let alone one after Mega Evolution.


    Upon seeing Yuga''s Lapras, Beidou, who was observing the battle, became perplexed. Beidou knew all of Yuga''s Pok��mon, but this Lapras was something new.


    "Wow, is this a Lapras? It looks so strange!" eximed Anrin, Akihito''s little brother. This Lapras was quite different from the one he had seen in books.


    "Really? It can even fly!" added Anmu.


    "Wait, Lapras can fly?" eximed Ayagiri, Ayato''s older sister. She seemed thrilled, as if she had discovered something extraordinary.


    Arata Sena, who overheard the children''s conversation, couldn''t help but shake his head. Not all Lapras could fly! Well, at least, this was the only one.


    After the incident with the Team Aqua Branch, Arata Sena''s biological father, Sena Yuuto, had been sentenced to death for his role in the organization, as well as for taking multiple lives. There was no other possible oue, given his prominent position within the Team Aqua Branch and the numerous lives he had taken.


    After the Arata family learned about this matter, their reaction was surprisingly calm, as they had long anticipated such an oue.


    Subsequently, Arata Hayato and Arata Sena visited Arata Yuuto a few times, but he didn''t meet with them. It was unclear whether he resented them or was too ashamed to face them.


    Aunt Aoba, on the other hand, was carefree. She went about her daily activities as if Arata Yuuto had never existed. In the past, when Arata Yuuto was absent, he was like a thorn in her heart. Now that she knew his fate, she felt a sense of relief.


    Once Steven was ready, the radiance of Mega Evolution appeared, and apletely new Pok��mon materialized on the battlefield.


    Beidou, who was watching in astonishment, opened his mouth wide. Metagross had undergone Evolution once again! Was the Metagross he knew different from others?


    At present, very few people knew about Mega Evolution, and Yuga hadn''t informed the people at the Gym. So, Beidou''sck of knowledge was understandable.


    Aside from Beidou, Arata Sena, and Akihito, the reactions of the other children were milder because they didn''t fully understand what was happening.


    Upon seeing the clear gaze of Mega Metagross, Yuga felt relieved. Mega Metagross seemed perfectly normal, without any uncontroble tendencies.


    "Let''s stop here, alright? Otherwise, my side might not withstand your enthusiasm," Yuga said with a smile, fixing his gaze on Mega Metagross once again.


    ...


    <<mega metagross="">> </mega>


    Type: Steel, Psychic


    Ability: Iron Fist


    Gender: None


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 81


    Moves: Meteor Mash, Psychic, Metal w, Ma Rise, Bullet Punch, Zen Headbutt, Psychic Terrain, Agility, Comet Punch, Iron Defense, Hyper Beam, Psyshock, Protect, Earthquake, Return, Gyro Ball, Rock Slide, sh Cannon, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch.


    ...


    After Mega Evolution, Metagross not only underwent a significant external transformation but also experienced a substantial increase in power.


    Its ability changed from Clear Body to Iron Fist, and its level went from 78 to 81, officially reaching the Champion level. Although it was just entering this tier, it was already a remarkable achievement.


    The difference between Champion level and Elite level was vast.


    How could they battle like this? A Champion level against a Elite level was simply a joke! Yuga rolled his eyes.


    "Well, I think we don''t really need to spar," Yuga chuckled.


    "Ah, let''s just have a few moves for fun!" Steven also noticed the tremendous change in his Metagross''s aura. He was eager to test Mega Metagross''s strength, and Yuga was the only one around who could manage a few rounds.


    "Alright, alright, but let''s keep it to just a few moves! My Lapras can''tpete with your Mega Metagross now."


    If Lapras had a 50-50 chance against Metagross before, it was now close to zero.


    "Okay, okay, let''s get started," Steven urged eagerly.


    With their spirits adjusted, Yuga had his Lapras make the first move!


    Originally, Lapras stood no chance, so it was essential to seize the initiative.

 Chapter 611: Reward

    <h4>Chapter 611: Reward</h4>


    Under Yuga''smand, Lapras opened its mouth and unleashed a powerful Hydro Pump. The massive and sturdy blue water jet rushed towards Mega Metagross with a roaring sound.


    Mega Metagross responded by using Agility, swiftly dodging the Hydro Pump''s attack by moving several times. Then, it used Agility again to close the gap with Lapras.


    Even though Lapras had mastered the ability to fly using water vapor, its movement speed couldn''tpare to Metagross''s. So, its goal was not to evade but to prevent Metagross from getting close.


    After Mega Evolution, Mega Metagross''s closebat abilities were further enhanced due to its Iron Fist ability. Lapras, which wasn''t proficient in closebat, would be in dire straits if Metagross got too close.


    "Lapras, use Blizzard!" Seeing that Lapras'' attempts to stop Mega Metagross with Hydro Pump had failed, Yuga ordered Lapras to use a wide-area attack move, Blizzard.


    Within the extensive coverage of the raging snowstorm, Mega Metagross had nowhere to hide. The biting winds and snow roared out of Lapras''s mouth, quickly covering Mega Metagross in ice and snow, naturally slowing down its movements.


    For Pok��mon like Metagross, whose bodies were entirely made of iron lumps, smooth joints in their bodies were crucial. Currently, Mega Metagross''s body was covered in ice and snow, immobilizing its joints and limiting its movements.


    "Metagross, use Psychic!" Seeing Mega Metagross''s situation, Steven quickly reminded it.


    Purple psychic energy floated around Metagross''s body, and all the ice and snow that had clung to it were flung away by psychic energy. Mega Metagross once again charged toward Lapras at high speed.


    Yuga: "Lapras, Surf!"


    As Mega Metagross was about to collide with Lapras, Lapras manipted a massive wave to meet Mega Metagross head-on.


    At this moment, Mega Metagross used the move Thunder Punch. Its four massive fists, crackling with electricity, struck the surging wave. Electric currents spread along the wave and soon reached Lapras, which was controlling it.


    Lapras, hit by the electric currents, let out a sharp cry. The massive wave beneath it dissipated, and it wobbled in mid-air, almost falling to the ground.


    At this point, Steven immediately wanted to press the advantage and issued anothermand to Mega Metagross.


    "Metagross, charge in, Thunder Punch!"


    Lapras had far less battle experiencepared to Mega Metagross, which had apanied Steven on countless adventures. When Lapras saw Mega Metagross charging again, it began to feel a bit panicked.


    When Pok��mon panicked, their coordination with their Trainer naturally suffered.


    Yuga wanted Lapras to use Mist, which would affect Mega Metagross''s vision and disrupt its attacks. However, Lapras instinctively closed its eyes and used Sheer Cold.


    (Note: In the games, Sheer Cold fails when the user''s level is lower than the opponent''s. This book doesn''t have this mechanic.)


    Sheer Cold was a challenging move to learn and execute. Its principle was that the user released all its internal ice-type energy in a single burst, requiring an immense explosive force.


    In other words, it was a one-hit-kill move, and if it failed, the Pok��mon would be rendered unable to battle.


    Many ice-type Pok��mon, when using this move, did release their ice-type energy, but itcked the explosive force needed to freeze the opponent.


    Ice-type energy without the freezing effect was no different from the cold air in a refrigerator.


    This was why Sheer Cold was often considered to have a low hit rate, but in reality, it was challenging to make the ice-type energy instantly freeze the opponent.


    However, it was clear that Lapras had used Sheer Cold very sessfully this time.


    In just an instant, countless ice crystals bloomed across the entire battlefield.


    The entire arena was frozen, and the closest Mega Metagross was directly encased in an ice pir.


    At this time, Lapras was lying in the middle of all the ice flowers, panting heavily. The Sheer Cold move had overdrawn all the power in its body, which was no different from losing its ability to fight.


    Just when Yuga thought the game was going to be a draw, the icicle sealing Mega Metagross shattered, and Mega Metagross came out safe and sound.


    Seeing this, Yuga shook his head helplessly.


    It was too challenging for an Elite level Pok��mon to defeat a Champion level Pok��mon. Even having a purple potential wasn''t enough!


    The gap between Elite and Champion levels was like a chasm.


    "I give up, I give up, I concede," Yuga said reluctantly. At the moment, evenmanding an Elite level Pok��mon was somewhat challenging for him, as evidenced by Lapras''s earlier mistake.


    "Alright, let''s call it quits for now!"


    By now, Steven had a good understanding of his Mega Metagross''s strength after its Mega Evolution and agreed to Yuga''s proposal for a ceasefire.


    "Did the Gym Leader lose?" Anrin raised her little head and asked her teacher.


    Hearing this, Beidou lowered his head and nodded.


    "Really?"


    "Why did it happen like this?"


    "This person is so amazing!"


    "The Gym Leader will win next time!"


    "Yeah, the Gym Leader is younger!"


    ...


    Several children were surprised and covered their mouths in disbelief, then they began discussing animatedly.


    In their hearts, the Gym Leader was the most formidable Trainer, and they couldn''t believe that someone could defeat him. However, this didn''t shake the Gym Leader''s position in their hearts.


    Listening to the children''s discussions, Beidou smiled wryly and shook his head in resignation.


    Today, watching Yuga and Steven''s match, he fully realized the gap between a genius and an ordinary person.


    He was about the same age as Steven, and older than Yuga by quite a bit, but both of them were Elite level Trainer. And what about himself?


    However, he quickly came to terms with it. He was who he was, and there was no point inparing himself to others, especially when the gap was so significant.


    Afterward, Steven stayed at the Verdanturf Gym for about a week before leaving, mainly because he received a mission. Otherwise, he would probably have stayed and enjoyed various delicious dishes that Audino would have prepared for him.


    During this week, Yuga would take Lapras to fight against Noctowl, and Volcarona, helping Lapras be familiar with its newfound strength and umte battle experience.


    Lapras progressed very quickly. In just a few days, even when Noctowl and Volcarona teamed up, they couldn''t match Lapras anymore. While part of this was due to type advantages, the main reason was Lapras''s purple potential and the Kyogre genes within its body.


    The reason Yuga was so actively improving Lapras''s abilities was to subdue the Archeops.


    This mission had been dragging on for quite some time, and since Noctowl and Volcarona couldn''t handle Archeops, Lapras was the clear choice, even if Archeops was a Peak Elite level Pok��mon.


    In addition to that, the League''s rewards for Yuga had finally arrived.


    Firstly, there were 50,000 Merit Points.


    Earning Merit Points wasn''t easy; it was amon belief among League Trainers. Even amassing a thousand Merit Points was something to be envied, let alone 50,000.


    Secondly, he was granted the status of a direct-lineage Trainer of the League.


    This equated to an increase in Yuga''s status within the League, different from the status he held as a Gym Leader, which had its own evaluation system within the League.


    Gym Leader status had varying weight and importance within the League, ranging from highly respected figures like Mr. Moore, Gym Leader Juan, and Mr. Norman, to rtively unknown Gym Leaders.


    Being a direct-lineage Trainer added a bonus to the Gym Leader status within the League, and with further progress, Yuga might even be a Trainer like Mr. Norman, Mr. Moore, or Mr. Juan.


    Furthermore, if Yuga were to have children in the future, they would be entitled to receive Starter Pok��mon (the three starter types) from the League.


    The advancement in Trainer status was closely rted to their Merit Points, but with Yuga''s 50,000 Merit Points, he still wasn''t enough to be a direct-lineage Trainer. However, the League had decided to grant him this status regardless.


    The final reward was an Items.


    Three hundred Attribute Gems, with the choice of attribute left to his discretion.


    This reward was equally generous, both in terms of value and Yuga''s specific needs.

 Chapter 612: Earned Respect

    <h4>Chapter 612: Earned Respect</h4>


    The rewards in the form of merit points were promptly credited to Yuga''s identity ount. The Attribute Gems, once Yuga selected the corresponding attribute, were sent to the Verdanturf Gym.


    Yuga decided to allocate all these Attribute Gems to Lapras, specifically opting for Water Gems.


    As for the ceremony to confer the status of a Direct-lineage Trainer, it was more of a symbol of one''s identity. Officially, these trainers were known as Direct-lineage Trainers, not simply "heirs" as the term was colloquially used.


    In the league''s system, anyone who registered as a trainer, met the age requirements, and upheld the league''s rules could be a registered trainer, an off-roster member of the league.


    Beyond that were the official trainers, recognized by the league, which indicated a formal entry into the league''s ranks. Apprentice trainers acknowledged by the official gyms fell into this category.


    However, bing a Direct-lineage Trainer, colloquially known as an heir, required either significant merit or specific circumstances. Unlike other ranks, bing a Direct-lineage Trainer relied primarily on one''s merit.


    Subsequently, the hierarchy extended to Senior Trainer, Honored Trainer, and Hall of Fame Trainer.


    Example the Gym Leader Wattson of Mauville City, and Grandpa Milton currently hold the title of Senior Trainer within the League.


    Mr. Norman and Gym Leader Juan, on the other hand, are Honorary Trainers.


    At the pinnacle of this ranking system, Hall of Fame Trainers held a position on par with the Elite Four, albeit primarily in terms of recognition and treatment rather than actual power.


    Few individuals reached this echelon. In the league''s official gyms, only Kanto''s Cinnabar Gym Leader, ine, Johto''s Mahogany Gym Leader, Prycee, Hoenn''s Lavaridge Gym Leader, Mr. Moore, and Unova''s Opelucid Gym Leader, Drayden, had achieved this status. Each of them had made tremendous contributions to the league, resulting in unique circumstances.


    The most direct route to advancing one''s rank was through merit points. All official trainers and above had a merit points ount. This ount was divided into two categories: earned merit points and spent merit points.


    When trainers umted a certain amount of earned merit points, an equivalent amount was transferred to their spent merit points ount. Spent merit points functioned as currency, used for various transactions within the league''s shop.


    Earned merit points, on the other hand, were never expended. They served as a record of one''s contributions and could lead to an elevation in trainer status.


    With each promotion, trainers received increased recognition within the league, resulting in improved treatment. However, in the event that a trainermitted a crime, no amount of earned merit points could absolve them. Legal matters were handled impartially.


    The ceremony to appoint a Direct-lineage Trainer was not a grand affair and remained discreet. A representative from the league would typically preside, ensuring the proceedings concluded swiftly. Yuga, aware of this, did not attach much importance to the event.


    Once Yuga felt that Lapras had undergone sufficient training, he decided it was time to capture Archeops.


    The choice of the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark was primarily due to the environment, which favored Lapras''s strengths. Moreover, the spacious seascape provided ample room for the forting battle.


    Upon arrival, Yuga released Lapras first, followed by Archeops. The Archeops appeared ratherckluster, disying signs of exhaustion. However, as soon as it spotted Yuga, it became visibly agitated.


    This person had kept it imprisoned and hungry for so long!


    Despite its weakened state, Archeops red menacingly at Yuga. Yet, owing to lingering gratitude and sheer fatigue, it refrained fromunching an attack.


    Witnessing Archeops''s re, Lapras reciprocated with an equally fierce stare.


    Feeling Lapras''s gaze, Archeops looked at Lapras with caution. It sensed immense pressure from Lapras.


    "Archeops, I saved your life. How about you pledge your allegiance to me?" Yuga didn''t say ''capture''; he used the term ''allegiance.''


    As creatures raised in a savage environment, ''allegiance'' was a term that Archeops couldprehend. However, Yuga didn''t expect it to agree readily. As a creature ingrained with thew of survival of the fittest, it wouldn''t easily submit to others.


    Indeed! Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Archeops grew furious. It let out an angry roar, disying its sharp teeth menacingly, which almost came dangerously close to Yuga''s face, creating a truly intimidating sight.


    "What if I win against you? Will you pledge your allegiance to me then? Think carefully before you answer. If I defeat you and you still refuse to submit to me, you might be someone else''s prey," Yuga bluffed. Of course, he had no intention of letting Archeops be anyone''s meal, but given Archeops''s unique background, it might take his words seriously.


    Yuga''s threat did indeedpel Archeops to agree. It didn''t mind submitting to a stronger entity, but it felt a slight annoyance due to Yuga''s tactics.


    After reaching an agreement with Archeops, Yuga didn''t rush into a battle. Instead, he allowed Archeops to eat, drink, and rest to regain its strength.


    Since he intended to capture it, he needed Archeops to submit willingly, and Yuga had confidence in Lapras''s abilities.


    Yuga''s considerate actions made Archeops feelfortable, and any lingering resentment from Yuga''s earlier threat dissipated.


    Once Archeops had fully recovered its spirits, they began their duel.


    To prevent environmental damage and the idental harm of other Pok��mon, Yuga chose a location far from Lake Ind.


    Since there was nond in the vicinity, Yuga had to fly on his Charizard, nning tomand Lapras from its back.


    Archeops was a Flying-type Pok��mon, so a battle over the sea posed no issues for it.


    Lapras calmly floated on the sea''s surface, refraining from using its flying abilities. In this watery environment, it had greater freedom of movementpared to the air.


    "Let''s begin," Yuga said, seated on Charizard''s back, addressing Archeops.


    Archeops nodded. However, when it turned to look at Lapras again, its gaze turned piercing.


    This battle would decide its future!


    Oh, right, if this human wins against me and I''m supposed to submit to him, what if I win against him? Did he mention releasing me? Archeops suddenly thought.


    But just as it was about to ponder further, Lapras''s attack was already upon it. At that moment, Archeops had no room for contemtion.


    With a sweep of its two fins against the sea''s surface, Lapras created a colossal wave that surged towards Archeops in the sky.


    The force of this Surf far exceeded what it had used against the Mega Metagross.


    Seeing the immense wave created by Lapras, Archeops was taken aback. This was a bit exaggerated, wasn''t it? It hastily ascended into the air, intending to evade the wave''s attack.


    As Archeops ascended, the colossal wave created by Lapras continued to rise, relentlessly pursuing its target.

 Chapter 613: Subjugation

    <h4>Chapter 613: Subjugation</h4>


    Lapras''s Surf ultimately couldn''t reach Archeops, which continued to ascend. The massive waves crashed back into the sea, churning the water''s surface.


    Seeing that the Surf had no effect, Lapras activated one of its abilities, Drizzle.


    Lapras had two abilities: a passive one, Hydration, and an active one, Drizzle. This Drizzle ability was inherited from Kyogre.


    As Lapras initiated Drizzle, the sky started rain gently. Over time, the rain gradually intensified. The calm sea surface was dotted with raindrops creating ripples.


    Compared to the typical rain ability of most Pok��mon, Lapras''s Drizzle, inherited from Kyogre, seemed more dominant, covering a vast area.


    As raindrops fell, various Pok��mon quietly emerged from the sea nearby. uncher, witzer, Seel, Cors, Sharpedo, and others watched the battle with awe in their eyes.


    The Mandibuzz that had been flying over the sea quickly left the raincloud''s range after feeling their feathers getting wet. They also observing the contest from a distance.


    Archeops, sensing its previously dry feathers getting soaked, shook its wings discontentedly, attempting to shake off the rain. However, the rainfall persisted, rendering its efforts futile.


    As a Rock-type Pok��mon, Archeops despised rainy weather.


    Suppressing its annoyance, Archeops used Rock Slide, controlling severalrge rocks to pummel Lapras.


    Observing the massive rocks hurtling toward it, Lapras dived into the water. When it resurfaced, it had moved out of the range of the Rock Slide. The colossal rocks created huge sshes on the sea''s surface but didn''t harm Lapras.


    In the water, Lapras was far more agile than onnd, and the battlefield was no longer a hindrance to its movements.


    Emerging from the water once more, Lapras opened its mouth and fired a Hydro Pump at Archeops.


    Due to thebination of rainfall and the Hydro Pump''s force, the attack appeared as if it aimed to shatter Archeops into pieces.


    Witnessing this, Archeops swiftly shed a metallic gleam on its wings and then folded them in front of its body to shield against Lapras''s Hydro Pump.


    Archeops had entered the rank of the Elite level long ago and had umted extensive battle experience over the years. Knowing it couldn''t dodge Lapras''s attack, it used Steel Wing as defensive move.


    However, despite withstanding Lapras''s Hydro Pump with its wings, Archeops''s wings still felt sore from the impact. The rain-soaked feathers made its body feel unusually heavy.


    Archeops, which often found itself at a disadvantage, felt quite annoyed. It pped its wings vigorously and flew above Lapras, lifting its long tail and attempting to strike Lapras''s head.


    The tails of Pok��mon like Archeops were exceptionally long and strong. Using moves like Iron Tail was second nature to them.


    Yuga had doubts about what might happen if Archeops''s metallic tail struck Lapras''s seemingly fragile head.


    Seeing Archeops''s tail swinging toward it, Lapras didn''t back down. A thick, watery tailposed of seawater suddenly appeared behind it. It met Archeops''s Iron Tail head-on.


    Aqua Tail versus Iron Tail.


    The tail formed from seawater was crushed by the Iron Tail. However, Lapras quickly retreated under the cover of the sshing water, moving out of Archeops''s attack range.


    Just as Archeops was about to pursue its advantage, countless "boulders" formed from ice and snow suddenly appeared in its airspace. They crashed thunderously onto its back.


    Caught off guard by Lapras''s unexpected avnche of snow, Archeops was mmed directly into the sea.


    Struggling in the water, Archeops pped its wings, attempting to take flight once more. However, before it could lift its head, a deluge of ice and snow rained down on it again, forcing it back into the water.


    As a Rock-type Pok��mon, Archeops had no fondness for water whatsoever. It had grown thisrge without ever experiencing water up close, and the situation was making it increasingly anxious. Unexpectedly, it even swallowed several mouthfuls of seawater.


    Naturally, Lapras didn''t let this opportunity to taunt the "fallen bird" slip away. It fired several consecutive Ice Beam attacks at the struggling Archeops, freezing it solid while it remained submerged.


    Both Lapras''s Ice-type and Water-type moves had the upper hand against Archeops, and after this series of attacks, Archeops bore numerous wounds.


    With its body frozen in the ice, Archeops still had a pair of terrified eyes wide open, but its panicked expression was frozen in ce.


    After waiting for a while without Archeops breaking free, Yuga knew it had given up.


    As a peak Elite level Pok��mon, Archeops couldn''t have lost itsbat capabilities so easily. Still, it triggered its Defeatist ability, which meant that it voluntarily forfeited the battle.


    With a sigh of resignation, Yuga instructed Lapras to drag the frozen Archeops back to the beach, where Charizard melted the ice.


    Yuga: "I''ve won. From now on, you''ll listen to me, right?"


    As expected, even after being frozen, Archeops had not lost itsbat capabilities. After the ice melted, it remained conscious.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Archeops covered its head with its wings, nodding timidly. It cast surreptitious nces toward Yuga and Lapras, disying a submissive demeanor.


    Clearly, Archeops was severely affected by its Defeatist ability.


    Indeed, as Archeops agreed with a nod, the system issued apletion notice for the mission. Yuga had been concerned that Archeops might turn hostile once it recovered from its Defeatist ability, but after hearing the system notification, he felt relieved.


    The system''s mission was titled "Subdue," and since the system indicated the mission wasplete, it meant that Archeops had genuinely submitted.


    Half an hourter, after receiving treatment from Chimecho and Florges, Archeops''s injuries were mostly healed. However, when it looked at Yuga, its expression was somewhat embarrassed.


    It felt terribly embarrassed about its performance under the influence of its Defeatist ability. Archeops knew very well what it was like under such conditions, as this wasn''t the first time it had experienced it. However, it was still mortified to be seen in such a state.


    Afterward, Yuga took Archeops to Lake Heart Ind No. 3, where the Mandibuzz lived.


    During this period, the Mandibuzz on the ind had remained rtively peaceful. However, upon seeing Yuga arrive with Archeops, they couldn''t help but feel apprehensive.


    The Mandibuzz were very familiar with Archeops who was renowned apex predator in the underground world. But the Mandibuzz hadn''t expected such big boss to fall into Yuga''s hands just like them.

 Chapter 614: Phoebe

    <h4>Chapter 614: Phoebe</h4>


    Seeing Archeops, the Mandibuzz leaders immediately became more obedient.


    "From now on, you''ll live here and help me keep an eye on these Mandibuzz. Don''t let them cause trouble, and don''t let them harm other Pok��mon," Yuga said to Archeops.


    Archeops reluctantly nodded at Yuga''s words.


    "Other than that, you can do whatever you want in your free time. I won''t interfere with you. Just remember, like the Mandibuzz, you can''t harm other Pok��mon," Yuga added.


    Hearing this, Archeops''s mood improved. It seemed this kid knew his ce!


    The environment here was quite pleasant, and Archeops was satisfied with its new home. However, the Mandibuzz were still nervous, fearing they might be Archeops''s next meal by ident.


    Yuga signaled to the Mandibuzz leader, who was observing Archeops from a distance, toe over. Reluctantly, the Mandibuzz leader flew to Yuga''s side, trembling slightly as it nced at Archeops.


    "Archeops will be living with you from now on. Don''t provoke it, and don''t cause any trouble," Yuga told the Mandibuzz leader.


    The Mandibuzz leader almost rolled its eyes at the statement. Who would willingly provoke Archeops? Did they want to shorten their lifespan? Despite these thoughts, it maintained a respectful demeanor towards Yuga.


    "This guy is getting more ruthless. He even caught a big shot like Archeops. What can we little guys do?" the Mandibuzz leader thought to itself.


    From then on, the Mandibuzz became well-behaved and didn''t cause any trouble.


    With Archeops''s situation resolved, Yuga felt relieved.


    Before leaving the Ecopark, Yuga visited the Herbs field in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark. He had noticed that the first nted Revival Grass was about to mature, and he was eager to proceed with making Max Revive to help Dragonair''s mother recover.


    Upon arriving at the field, Yuga found several Lombre taking care of the Revival Grass. They had gained significant experience in tending the field, especially when Grass-type Pok��mon from the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark were absent.


    Additionally, Yuga spotted several Combee collecting nectar here. As the Herbs field expanded, more types of Herbs herbs began to bloom, attracting asional visits from Combee.


    Yuga carefully examined the growth of the Revival Grass, which appeared to be in excellent condition. It was likely that it would mature in another two or three days.


    After leaving the Ecopark, Yuga found Anya and Misaki and handed them the recently acquired Flying-type Pok��block form and Rock-type Pok��block form, hoping they could start producing these new Pok��blocks soon.


    Yuga named the Flying-type Pok��block "Levitate" and the Rock-type Pok��block "Resilience."


    Anya and Misaki were ustomed to Yuga asionally presenting them with new Pok��block forms, so they calmly epted what Yuga handed them and headed to the workshop to begin their research.


    Two dayster, when Yuga was preparing to harvest the mature Revival Grass, an unexpected guest arrived at the Yoyo Nursery.


    "Elite Four Phoebe?"


    Upon entering the shop, Yuga saw Elite Four Phoebe lying sprawled on one of the tables, lookingpletely out of sorts.


    Several customers in the shop noticed Phoebe and began whispering among themselves.


    Hearing Yuga''s voice, Phoebe propped herself up on the table, then waved her right hand to greet Yuga with a smile.


    "Hey, big shot, we meet again," Phoebe said.


    Nowadays, Yuga''s name carried significant weight within the League, which was why Phoebe addressed him this way.


    "Why are you here?" Yuga asked, looking puzzled as he approached Phoebe.


    "The Direct-lineage Trainer title bestowal, that''s why!" Phoebe replied, exasperated.


    Yuga suddenly remembered. Oh right, that!


    These past few days, Yuga had been quite busy with the matters involving Lapras and Archeops. On top of that, the Direct-lineage Trainer title was not a particrly significant issue for him, so he naturally forgot about it.


    "Why did you go through the trouble ofing here?" Yuga couldn''t help but ask.


    Normally, this kind of task would be assigned to anyone from the League, but why did it have to be an Elite Four like Phoebe?


    Phoebe chuckled, "I had other matters in this area, so I thought I''d drop by. But should we find a quieter ce to talk? Look at all these people..."


    As he spoke, Phoebe gestured to the customers in the shop who were engaged in animated discussions.


    Upon hearing this, Yuga nced around and then pped his forehead, saying, "You''re right, I almost forgot. Please follow me."


    Yuga then led Phoebe to a private meeting room.


    As Yuga and Phoebe left, the discussions in the shop grew even louder.


    "Did you hear that just now?"


    "Did Phoebe mention the title of Direct-lineage Trainer being bestowed? I didn''t mishear, did I?"


    "Gym Leader Shimizu became a Direct-lineage Trainer so quickly? It''s only been a few days since he became a Gym Leader!"


    "This doesn''t have anything to do with being a Gym Leader. Maybe he was already close to bing one before?"


    ...


    Soon, news about Yuga receiving the title of Direct-lineage Trainer spread throughout the area.


    After reaching the meeting room, Yuga pointed to a chair and said, "Please have a seat. I''ll pour you some tea."


    Phoebe waved his hand in response. "No need for tea; let''s discuss the matter at hand first."


    With that, Phoebe took out a document and a small, ornate box. The document was the official certificate of Yuga''s Direct-lineage Trainer title. Phoebe read it aloud, praising Yuga for his contributions to the League.


    Once the document was read, Yuga recited an oath as guided by Phoebe, expressing loyalty to the League and amitment to protect it.


    These were merely formalities aimed at creating a sense of ceremony, without much inherent significance.


    After the oath waspleted, Phoebe handed over the document and the box to Yuga.


    Upon opening the box, Yuga found a silver badge inside, engraved with the words "Direct-lineage Trainer," symbolizing his new status.


    "Your status in the League system has been updated to Direct-lineage Trainer. Keep up the good work, and aim to be a Honorary Trainer or even a Hall of Fame Trainer," encouraged Phoebe.


    "I will continue to work hard!" Yuga promised earnestly.


    And so, the entire conferment ceremony came to an end. It was indeed a straightforward ceremony, which exined why Yuga had forgotten about it in the first ce.


    Phoebe bid farewell to Yuga and left.

 Chapter 615: Healing

    <h4>Chapter 615: Healing</h4>


    As soon as Phoebo departed, Yuga eagerly returned to the Ecopark, carefully harvesting the mature Revival Grass he had been waiting for so long. Yuga had indeed been waiting for this day for quite some time, but cultivating Revival Grass was no easy task. It required meticulous care and constant use of special abilities, which exined the dy.


    Once the Revival Grass was harvested, Yuga carefully stored it and began preparing other auxiliary materials. While Revival Grass was the main ingredient for crafting Max Revives, there were several auxiliary materials to prepare. Fortunately, Yuga had already prepared most of these materials in advance, with only a few difficult-to-store ones left.


    Apart from Revival Grass, the other auxiliary materials were not particrly rare, and even the slightly precious ones were within Yuga''s financial reach. Because Yuga had only matured one Revival Grass, he feared he might not seed on his first attempt, so he enlisted the help of Joyka.


    Being a member of the Joy family, Joyka had some expertise in pharmaceuticals. As a reward for her assistance, Yuga shared the Max Revive crafting form with her.


    Originally, Joyka had no intention of epting any reward, considering her long-standing friendship with Yuga. Helping him out with a small favor didn''t warrantpensation. However, when she heard that Yuga''s reward was the form for crafting Max Revives, she couldn''t refuse.


    The Joy family had been seeking this long-lost recipe for a while, and with Yuga''s promise, Joyka readily agreed. While Revival Grass was precious, the Joy family''s resources and connections made it rtively easy for them to acquire some. It was essentially a win-win situation, and Joyka found it hard to decline.


    This form had been given to Yuga by the host of the Bell Tower, Joe, and he had no intention of hoarding it. Sharing it with Joyka was not a concern, as it wasn''t a consumable item.


    With Joyka''s assistance, the crafting of Max Revives went smoothly. Yuga was grateful for her help because the process was moreplicated than he had anticipated. Without Joyka, the chances of Yuga, a novice in this field, seeding would have been almost zero.


    To Yuga''s surprise, crafting one Revival Grass yielded not just one Max Revive but three, along with five Revives. This crafting turned out to be highly profitable, which exined why the recipe existed in the first ce.


    The effect of just five Revives alone equaled that of using five Revival Grass directly, not to mention the three side-effect-free Max Revives. Using Revival Grass directly was indeed a tremendous waste as its effect was equivalent to a single Revive.


    Thrilled with the unexpected oue, Yuga intended to give one Revive to Joyka as a token of appreciation. However, Joyka declined the offer, stating that the recipe itself was already more than enough of a benefit.


    Yuga respected her decision, as he was not one to insist on his generosity. Revival Grass was not easy toe by, and he now had only one nt left to grow.


    While Yuga and Joyka worked on crafting Max Revives, Dragonair anxiously waited outside the workshop. This process was crucial as it determined whether or not his mother could awaken, making him the most anxious of them all.


    Once Yuga and Joyka emerged from the workshop and reassured Dragonair with their expressions, his anxiety began to subside.


    After exchanging a few words of gratitude with Joyka, Yuga hurriedly left the new shop and headed back to the Ecopark, eager to use the newly crafted Max Revives to help Dragonair''s mother recover.


    Watching Yuga''s impatience as if he had a fire under his seat, Joyka chuckled and shook her head, then left the new shop and returned to the Pok��mon Center.


    In the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, Yuga gathered several Pok��mon proficient in healing, including Chimecho, Florges, Audino and called them to Dragonite''s side to prevent any unexpected incidents during the healing process.


    Dragonitey quietly in the Flower Sea, its eyes closed, while a Guardian Orb emitted a soft green light, hovering above it, suppressing its injuries.


    "Dragonair..."


    Seeing his mother about to awaken, Dragonair anxiously called out. Yugaforted it by gently patting its smooth back.


    Yuga took out a Max Revive and attempted to feed it to Dragonite. However, as his hand touched Dragonite''s lips, a strong electric current surged and wrapped around Yuga''s hand.


    The electric shock ran through his arm, causing Yuga to shudder involuntarily, and he quickly withdrew his hand.


    "Dragonair..."


    Dragonair watched Yuga with concern.


    "I''m fine, don''t worry," Yuga reassured.


    "Audino!"


    Let me handle it! Audino suggested.


    "Chimecho, Chimecho..."


    Let me do it; I can use my psychic powers to feed it, unafraid of the electric shock.


    Chimecho also mored, believing that there was no way it could be left out of helping Yuga.


    However, in the end, Florges was chosen for the task.


    While Chimecho was unafraid of electric shocks thanks to its psychic powers, it realized that using its powers to feed the medicine while prying open Dragonite''s mouth would be more convenient with Florges''s vine whip.


    Grumbling that it didn''t get the spotlight, Chimecho red at Florges. After all, Florges was Yuga''s starter Pok��mon, and Chimecho couldn''t help but feel a bit jealous.


    Ignoring Chimecho''s "jealousy," Florges proceeded with the task. Grass-type vine whips were not afraid to electric shocks.


    If Vivillon were present, she would surely roll her eyes at this moment, thinking that their sisterhood seemed to "fracture" easily when it came to being in the spotlight.


    After sessfully ingesting the Max Revive, Dragonite''s body began to flicker with countless golden electrical currents. Its facial expression twisted in pain.


    Dragonite''s injuries were primarily internal, and to recover, it needed to expel the residual Electric-type energy within it. However, that energy was resisting vehemently, causing intense pain.


    Seeing this, Chimecho and Audino simultaneously used Heal Bell, while Florges employed Aromatherapy, attempting to alleviate Dragonite''s pain and neutralize the effects of the electric currents.


    Although Heal Bell and Aromatherapy managed to suppress the rebellious electric currents, Dragonite''s face still showed signs of suffering. Yuga and Dragonair both looked extremely worried.


    Seeing that Heal Bell and Aromatherapy were struggling, Dragonair suddenly ced its tail on its mother''s body, redirecting all the disruptive electrical currents onto itself.


    Dragonair''s actions startled Yuga.

 Chapter 616: Dragonite

    <h4>Chapter 616: Dragonite</h4>


    Initially, Yuga was concerned that the residual Electric-type energy from Zapdos on Dragonite''s body might harm Dragonair. However, when he noticed the slight glimmer from the golden gem on Dragonair''s neck, he put his worries to rest.


    Those Electric-type energies flowed along Dragonair''s tail towards the gem on its neck, where the gem absorbed all of it. Not only did it not harm Dragonair, but it also made its golden gem even brighter.


    As those currents vanished, Dragonite''s previously dim skin gradually brightened, and its declining condition slowly improved over time.


    When thest trace of electricity was absorbed by Dragonair, Yuga and the others witnessed a radiance of evolution on Dragonair''s body.


    Yuga hadn''t expected Dragonair to undergo an evolution at this moment.


    Within the white light of evolution, Dragonair''s originally slender form began to change, gradually developing limbs and growing taller and more robust.


    After the white light dissipated, a majestic Dragonite appeared before Yuga and his Pok��mon.


    ...


    <<dragonite>> </dragonite>


    Type: Dragon/Flying


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Multiscale


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 59


    Moves: Rain Dance, Twister, Thunder Wave, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Extreme Speed, Fire Punch, Brick Break, Roost, and Outrage.


    ...


    After evolving, Dragonite gained the Flying type and awakened two new moves, Roost and Outrage.


    Both of these moves were useful, with Roost being a special healing move and Outrage being a powerful setup move.


    However, Outrage, while potent, was challenging to control. Even Yuga''s Charizard, after extensive training, struggled to use it effectively, often injuring itself in the process.


    After evolution, Dragonite, like Absol, was just half a step away from entering the pseudo-Elite level, a significant breakthrough.


    After Mr. Kuni''o''s special training, Dragonair''s level had stabilized at 58. After absorbing the energy left by Zapdos in its mother''s body, it had increased by one level.


    Normally, Yuga and the other Pok��mon should have congratted Dragonair on its evolution. However, everyone''s attention was focused on Dragonite''s mother at this crucial moment.


    Dragonite had justpleted its evolution and couldn''t spare a thought for its own changes. Instead, it anxiously looked at its mother.


    About two or three minutester, the Guardian Orb, which had been emitting a soft green light to protect Dragonite''s mother, suddenly dimmed and fell to the ground with a soft "thud."


    At the same time, Dragonite''s mother gently opened her eyes.


    "Dragonite!"


    Upon opening her eyes, Dragonite''s mother saw everyone gathered around her, and she quickly noticed the Dragonite standing out from the rest.


    With her mother''s sessful awakening, Dragonite''s eyes welled up with tears.


    "Dragonite!"


    The usuallyposed Dragonite rushed into its mother''s arms, crying bitterly.


    All this time, its mother''s injuries had been a constant pain in its heart. It was all because him she had been injured so severely while trying to save it from Zapdos.


    Despite Dratini evolving into Dragonite, Dragonite''s mother recognized her child instantly. She extended a hand and gently patted her son, feeling immenselyforted.


    My son has finally grown up!


    While consoling her son, Dragonite''s mother also cast a grateful nce at Yuga.


    Even though she had been in a deep slumber, she wasn''tpletely oblivious to the outside world.


    During this time, Yuga took great care of Dragonite. The Pok��mon in the Ecopark also tended to its slumber. Yuga put significant effort into cultivating Revival Herbs for his own needs, and Dragonite was aware of all this.


    Especially under Yuga''s nurturing, the exceptional growth of his son, Dragonite, was beyond what Dragonite''s mother had expected.


    Dratini''s journey to evolving into its final form, Dragonite, would have been challenging without enough time and attention.


    When she entrusted Dratini to Yuga, she thought she wouldn''t survive but wanted to find a safe haven for her young son. Now, she was grateful to have encountered Yuga, who not only excellently trained her child but also healed her, allowing mother and son to reunite.


    Seeing the friendly look Dragonite''s mother gave him, Yuga smiled and nodded in response, not wanting to disturb this rare moment of mother and son reunion.


    After venting for a while, Dragonite finally regained control of its emotions. It broke free from its mother''s embrace, aware that its friends were all watching. It shyly wiped its cheeks, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    Seeing her son''s embarrassment, Dragonite''s mother sat up, patting his head with her palm, a gesture that made Dragonite feel like he was about to catch fire from embarrassment.


    Yuga, Chimecho, and the others, upon seeing Dragonite''s red cheeks and shy expression, couldn''t help but burst intoughter.


    Dragonite''s mother, now standing up, was incredibly tall. Dragonite, next to her, looked like a little child.


    The Revival Herb truly lived up to its reputation as a healing wonder. Dragonite''s mother no longer showed any signs of the severe injuries she once had.


    With her awakening, Dragonite''s mother had perfectly concealed the imposing aura of a Champion level Pok��mon. At first nce, she appeared like an ordinary Pok��mon.


    This was likely a return to her true self.


    When Dragonite''s mother was still unconscious, this area had been filled with a powerful aura. Even the Pok��mon in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark dared not approach.


    "Dragonite, your child has be my Pok��mon now. I hope you don''t hold it against me," Yuga apologized sincerely.


    "Dragonite!" Dragonite''s mother waved her paw, indicating that it was okay.


    When she entrusted Dratini to Yuga, she had already tacitly epted him as Dratini''s trainer. She was well aware of how highly prized their n was in the eyes of humans, so she would have found it strange if Yuga hadn''t taken an interest. In fact, Yuga''s current attitude was rather endearing to her.


    Seeing Dragonite''s mother''s response, Yuga breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that Dragonite''s mother might take Dragonite back, and he knew he couldn''t win against her.


    With Dragonite''s mother''s power, wiping out Yuga''s Ecopark would have been a walk in the park.


    Yuga asked, "So, do you have any ns for the future? Are you going back to the Petalburg Forest, or..."


    Dragonite''s mother directly pointed to the ground and then sat down, making her intentions clear.


    "You mean you want to stay here?" Yuga''s heart leaped with joy! Goal achieved!


    Dragonite''s mother nodded. She liked it here��a ce with food, water, pleasant scenery, and the chance to be with her son. It was all good, plus Yuga was a reliable person. So, staying was the logical choice.


    Dragonite was also thrilled with his mother''s decision because he didn''t want to be separated from Yuga, and he didn''t want his mother to leave either.

 Chapter 617: Mischievous

    <h4>Chapter 617: Mischievous</h4>


    While Dragonite and its mother were sharing their feelings of longing, Yuga picked up the fallen Guardian Orb.


    Yuga couldn''t help but wonder if he had a momentary illusion when he picked up the Guardian Orb. It seemed like he saw a fleeting transparent figure pass by.


    Given that Dragonite and its mother hadn''t seen each other for a long time, Yuga decided to leave them together. He held the Guardian Orb and gestured for the Audino to leave the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    Back in the main Ecopark, Yuga repositioned the Guardian Orb on the Weather Tree.


    The Guardian Orb had been upied by Dragonite''s mother for several days, and other Pok��mon hadn''t benefited from it. The Gliscor Leader, hadined to Yuga for quite some time.


    Fortunately, now that they had enough Razor Fangs, the Gligar n''s members who met the evolution requirements had evolved. Gradually, Gliscor Leader forgot about the Guardian Orb.


    As the Guardian Orb was ced back on the Weather Tree, the Weather Tree seemed to react and swayed its branches and leaves. An invisible force spread throughout the main Ecopark.


    With this force spreading, the Pok��mon in the main Ecopark simultaneously raised their heads, looking toward the direction of the Weather Tree.


    Most of the Pok��mon living in the main Ecopark were Psychic-types, and they were highly sensitive to energy fluctuations, especially psychic energy fluctuations.


    Yuga also sensed this energy fluctuation. He had a lingering feeling that something about the Guardian Orb had changed since the appearance of Spectral Celebi that saved Dragonite''s mother.


    After staring at the Guardian Orb for a while without noticing anything unusual, Yuga left the Ecopark.


    Once Yuga left the main Ecopark, the Pok��mon quietly gathered around the Guardian Orb, curiously observing it.


    Many of the Pok��mon here knew about the existence of the Guardian Orb. For instance, Pok��mon like Medidite, which had lived in the Ecopark for a long time, were aware of it. Of course, there were also some newer Pok��mon like Gardevoir (male), who didn''t know about it.


    After the other Pok��mon had left, Gardevoir (male), too, approached the Guardian Orb.


    It used its hand to touch the Guardian Orb but didn''t find anything particrly special about it. Then, it leaned in closer with its eyes to get a better look.


    The crystal-clear Guardian Orb reflected Gardevoir (male)''s image, and the distorted reflection on the curved surface piqued Gardevoir (male)''s curiosity. It used one of its fingers to tap the surface.


    Just at that moment, Gardevoir (male) felt like its own reflection had suddenly disappeared, and a small, delicate, green arm had touched its own finger from the other side of the surface.


    Startled by this sudden change, Gardevoir (male) quickly retracted its arm, and the small, transparent arm withdrew into the Guardian Orb.


    As the tiny arm retracted, Gardevoir (male) seemed to hear a series of clear and pleasantughter echoing in its ears.


    Gardevoir (male) looked around at the other Pok��mon in confusion, but they were all busy with their own activities and hadn''t reacted to theughter.


    Perplexed, Gardevoir (male) once again used its finger to poke the Guardian Orb, but this time, the Guardian Orb didn''t respond.


    "Gardevoir?"


    Is it just my imagination?


    Gardevoir (male) tilted its head, its eyes filled with doubt.


    What Gardevoir (male) didn''t know was that, as it turned to leave, a petite green transparent figure emerged from the Guardian Orb.


    The transparent figure watched as Gardevoir (male) walked away, covering its mouth and giggling mischievously. Its face was filled with the satisfaction of a sessful prank. Then it pouted, looking displeased, and returned inside the Orb.


    Yuga left the Ecopark and headed to the gym, but as he arrived at the gym''s entrance, he saw Beidou walking out.


    Seeing Yuga, Beidou said, "You''vee at the right time. There''s a challenger waiting for you."


    Yuga nodded in response and entered the gym.


    In general, gym challenges were either scheduled in advance or impromptu. Today''s challenger seemed to fall into the impromptu category.


    Impromptu challenges were eptable when the gym wasn''t too busy. However, the gym had be busiertely.


    With the recent conclusion of the League Conference, many trainers who hadn''t participated were now preparing for the next one. As a result, there had been an increase in challengers at the gym.


    As Yuga stepped inside, he spotted a familiar face chatting with Akihito on the battle grounds in the gym''s courtyard.


    The person excitedly called out when they saw Yuga, "Yuga, you''re here!"


    "Isn''t this Glenn? So, Beidou mentioned that the challenger was you?" Yuga hadn''t expected his challenger to be none other than his enthusiastic fan, Glenn.


    "Yes, yes! It''s me! I''ve been wanting toe here for a while, but some things kept me upied," Glenn replied with great excitement.


    "I remember you mentioning your desire to participate in the League Conference earlier. But I don''t recall seeing you in the recent League Conference. What happened?" Yuga inquired. Even though he hadn''t attended thepetition in person, he had followed it closely on television.


    Listening to Yuga''s question, Glenn scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Hehe, I did n to participate, but I missed the chance. Back then, I hadn''t collected all eight badges yet."


    Admitting this in front of his idol made Glenn feel somewhat embarrassed.


    Yuga reassured him, "That''s okay. If you missed itst time, you can put in more effort this time. I believe you can seed."


    ted by the encouragement from his idol, Glenn said, "Yeah, that''s right! I even timed it perfectly to challenge your gym in its first year of opening. It would be a memorable achievement to win the first Verdanturf Gym badge, even if I didn''t get a chance for the League Conference."


    Glenn expressed his regret at not getting the first gym badge here.


    Yuga chuckled and replied, "Well, then, give it your all. I won''t be going easy on you."


    With confidence, Glenn patted his chest and dered, "Bring it on!"


    Yuga and Glenn positioned themselves on opposite sides of a battlefield in the gym. Beidou, acting as the referee, waved a small red g and blew a whistle, announcing, "The battle between challenger Glenn and Verdanturf Gym Leader Yuga begins. The rules are 3-on-3. The first side to defeat all of the opponent''s Pok��mon wins. The challenger has the right to switch Pok��mon."


    The battle rules at Verdanturf Gym were simr to most other gyms, without any particr distinctions.


    After Beidou dered the start of the battle, Yuga was the first to release a Pok�� Ball. A red light shed, and a Pok��mon appeared on the battlefield.

 Chapter 618: Debut

    <h4>Chapter 618: Debut</h4>


    Yuga''s Pok��mon was a Snivy, and this was the first time Snivy had made an appearance in front of outsiders.


    ...


    <>


    Type: Grass


    Ability: Contrary


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 30


    Moves: Leer, Vine Whip, Leaf Tornado, Grassy Terrain, Grass Pledge, re, Mean Look.


    ...


    Snivy had been brought to Mauville City by Yuga shortly after it was born and received training from Mr. Kuni''o. With its exceptional potential and guidance from Mr. Kuni''o, its level had increased rapidly.


    Under Mr. Kuni''o''s tutge, Snivy had even learned Grass Pledge, a special move exclusive to the Grass-type starter Pok��mon.


    Training methods for special moves like Grass Pledge, Water Pledge, and Fire Pledge were typically monopolized by the League, and they were hard to acquire without connections. Snivy''s level had actually reached the point where it could evolve, but it hadn''t had the opportunity yet due to its limited battle experience.


    Snivy wasn''t the only one in this situation; Yuga''s Turtwig and Deerling had slightly higher levels.


    When Yuga released Snivy, it stood there with its arms crossed, half-opening itsrge eyes to gaze at Glenn''s Pok��mon.


    Snivy naturally had an arrogant personality, often showing dissatisfaction with its trainers and abandoning them.


    However, Yuga''s Snivy was somewhat different. Despite its current appearance of arrogance, it was actually quite fond of being spoiled, often acting shamelessly when alone.


    In Yuga''s Ecopark, there were several Serperiors, all of them having a haughty demeanor. After spending some time with them, Snivy had learned to mimic their aloofness.


    So, for its debut in front of outsiders, Snivy unintentionally put on airs to maintain its image. However, its true personality remained unchanged in private.


    It believed that carrying itself with dignity was quite impressive, but Yuga found it rather amusing, especially when it often acted childishly.


    Of course, the Serperiors did indeed look very majestic while acting aloof.


    Seeing Yuga release Snivy, Glenn had an expression that seemed to say, "Just as I expected, a Grass-type Pok��mon. Good thing I came prepared."


    Saying this, he took out a Pok�� Ball and released his own Pok��mon.


    Yuga was surprised to see that Glenn''s Pok��mon was also a starter Pok��mon, specifically a Hoenn region native Fire-type starter, Combusken.


    Glenn''s family owned a restaurant and had some wealth, so whether they had connections in the League or not was unknown to Yuga. Still, obtaining a starter Pok��mon wasn''t too difficult, even outside the League. Some Pok��mon Day Cares also bred a limited number of starter Pok��mon, although they were usually quite expensive and had limited avability.


    Simrly, some starter Pok��mon could be encountered in the wild. For example, Yuga''s Charizard had been captured in the wild (on the Illuma Ind).


    ...


    <>


    Type: Fire/Fighting


    Ability: ze


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 35


    Moves: Double Kick, Tackle, Quick Attack, Ember, methrower, Crush w.


    ...


    In Yuga''s discerning eyes, Combusken''s strength was clear at a nce. Although its level was higher than Snivy''s, its overall strength might not necessarily surpass Snivy''s.


    Combusken adopted abat stance as soon as it entered the battlefield, wearing a serious expression as if it were about to face a life-or-death situation.


    The reason for Combusken''s nervousness was mainly due to Glenn''s influence. Beforeing here, Glenn had repeatedly told Combusken that Yuga was very strong, urging it to give its all. Unknowingly, Combusken had be excessively anxious.


    This was an unexpected consequence.


    "The challenger will make the first move," bellowed Beidou when both sides were ready.


    "Combusken, use Quick Attack!"


    At Glenn''smand, Combusken''s body emitted a white light as it dashed swiftly towards Snivy.


    Snivy appeared calm on the surface but was quite anxious. After all, it was still just a child!


    "Snivy, use Leer!"


    Yuga''s voice, like heavenly music, reached Snivy''s ears, prompting it to use the move asmanded. Snivy suddenly widened its half-open eyes, which,bined with its pretendedposure, looked ratherical.


    However, despite theical appearance, Leer did have an effect. In that moment, Combusken''s charge was interrupted, affecting both its speed and momentum.


    Leer lowered the opponent''s defense, but it also had a psychological effect, making the opponent uneasy. In Snivy''s case, though, Yuga suspected that Combusken might have been startled by its amusing gaze.


    Yuga rarely used such minor techniques in battles before, but after a month under Mr. Kuni''o''s guidance, he hade to understand the value of these small moves.


    While evading the attacks, Snivy alsoshed out with two Vine Whip, crackling and hitting Combusken''s face, forcing Combusken to retreat from Snivy.


    It must be acknowledged that Snivy, despite her limited battle experience, receivedprehensive training, and her timing and decision-making in battle were on point.


    "Combusken, use methrower!" Seeing that close-quartersbat wasn''t working, Glenn immediately issued anothermand, a move he had specifically learned for challenging the Verdanturf Gym. However, methrower, being a rtively unfamiliar move,cked the pration and impact needed to hit Snivy, who easily dodged it.


    Using unfamiliar moves in battle was generally not advisable, as it could backfire, as it did here.


    Meanwhile, Yuga''s Snivy also had ess to two disruptive moves, re and Mean Look, but Yuga chose to use Leer because she wasn''t proficient with the others. While not as effective as re and Mean Look, it was still better than risking a failed move.


    Yuga thought that with Snivy''s adorable eyes, mastering re and Mean Look in a short time would be challenging.


    The key to using these two moves is that the eye expression needs to be sharp, fierce, and imposing. Snivy may pull it off casually, but when it needs to be truly menacing, it struggles.


    Having dodged the methrower, Snivy promptly showered Combusken''s face with numerous green leaves, she used the basic form of Leaf Storm, Leaf Tornado.


    The Leaf Storm is the signature move of the Contrary Ability Serperior (Snivy). She has already mastered its basic form, Leaf Tornado. Mastering this core move was her goal for the future.


    Combusken, covered in a face full of leaves, had just opened its eyes when it was engulfed by a pir of green me. Once the green mes dissipated, Combuskeny unconscious on the ground.


    The move that defeated Combusken was Snivy''s Grass Pledge, its most powerful move to she had mastered.


    As he recalled Combusken, Glenn sighed, "As expected from my idol, taking advantage of type matchups, but I still couldn''t win."


    He then released his second Pok��mon, which, like Combusken, had a type advantage against Grass types �C Dodrio.


    Yuga wasn''t aware of all of Glenn''s Pok��mon, but he did remember the Spoink Glenn showed him when they first met. He wasn''t sure if it had evolved into Grumpig by now.


    But having two Pok��mon with type advantages against Grass types showed Glenn had put considerable effort into preparing for this challenge.


    Dodrio''s power wasparable to Combusken''s, and its Speed, thanks to its ability, Ran Away, was remarkable.


    Dodrio started with its signature move, Tri Attack.


    Simr to the Hydreigon, Dodrio excelled in using Tri Attack. However, unlike the Hydregion, which excelled in Special Attack, Dodrio''s natural talenty in physical attacks.


    Even though Dodrio put its best effort into using Tri Attack, it couldn''t match Snivy''s speed. Snivy swiftly countered by using Vine Whip, ensnaring Dodrio''s head in its vines and mming it to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.


    Dodrio''s three heads symbolized happiness, anger, and sadness. The head representing anger, enraged by the rough treatment, "growled" andunched another attack at Serperior.


    Driven by its fury, Dodrio unleashed its ultimate move, Sky Attack.


    This move was Dodrio''s inherited ability, and Snivy couldn''t evade it. Snivy was sent flying by the blue-med impact.


    This hit left Snivy incapacitated; No matter how you say it, Snivy is still in its primary form, its abilities are not strong, and it is restrained by the Flying-type move of Sky Attack.


    Yuga''s second Pok��mon was Dodrio''s opponent, Breloom.


    ...


    <>


    Type: Grass/Fighting


    Ability: Poison Heal


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 45


    Moves: Headbutt, Stun Spore, Hammer Arm, Leech Seed, Bullet Seed, Drain Punch, Counter, Brick Break, Marc Punch


    ...


    Compared to Snivy, Breloom was significantly stronger in both level and battle experience. Upon its entry, Breloom promptly approached Dodrio, showing its submission almost shockingly.


    Under the astonished gazes of Dodrio and Glenn, Breloom used its powerful move, Hammer Arm, directly striking Dodrio''s neck. With a resounding "thud," Dodrio fell to the ground, incapacitated.


    That''s the difference in strength.


    Breloom had improved significantly after the special training in Mauville City, and its potential was upgraded to blue thanks to the gift from Virizion. Training efficiently under the guidance of a Grass-type Master Trainer allowed it to progress rapidly.


    Glenn went from being happy about Dodrio defeating Snivy to feeling frustrated.


    Lastly, there was Glenn''s starter Pok��mon, Spoink that now is already evolved into Grumpig.


    ...


    <>


    Type: Psychic


    Ability: Thick Fat


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 44


    Moves: Psywave, Confuse Ray, Power Gem, Rest, Psyshock, Calm Mind, Shadow Ball


    ...


    With this Psychic-type Grumpig in the lineup, all three Pok��mon used by Guangquan were perfectly suited to counter Yuga''s Pok��mon.


    Unfortunately, Grumpig''s defeat was swift and decisive.


    Being a Psychic-type Pok��mon, Grumpig''s major issue was its inability to grasp the rhythm of the battle.


    For a closebat Pok��mon like Breloom, maintaining a high-paced battle rhythm was crucial for executing Yuga''smands effectively, increasing attack frequency, and reacting promptly. However, Grumpig couldn''t keep up with the rapid onught from Breloom. In fact, it struggled to even respond to Guangquan''smands under Breloom''s relentless attack.


    Failing to earn the Verdanturf Gym badge was a source of deep frustration for Glen. Yuga tried to console him while also pointing out areas where he could improve.


    Firstly, Combusken had shown clear signs of nervousness during the match, likely influenced by its Trainer. Additionally, using an unfamiliar move in battle was unwise.


    Secondly, regarding Dodrio, Glenn needed to pay attention to managing its three independent heads. Dodrio''s anger had taken control easily. While it had ultimately defeated Snivy due to Snivy''s type disadvantage, in different circumstances, Dodrio might have gone berserk.


    This was why Yuga had Breloom swiftly defeat Dodrio with impable timing, capitalizing on Dodrio''s inability to keep up with the fast-paced battle rhythm.


    Finally, there is Grumpig.


    Although its level is very high, it obviouslycks enough training. I am afraid that as an initial Pok��mon, it has received too much favor.


    As a trainer, it is very undesirable to pamper your Pok��mon too much.


    Taking Yuga''s advice into ount, Glenn decided to stay in Verdanturf Town for further training before challenging the Verdanturf Gym again.

 Chapter 619: Druddigon

    <h4>Chapter 619: Druddigon</h4>


    After Glenn left the Verdanturf Gym, nobody knew where he had disappeared to, and Yuga hadn''t seen him for several days.


    One day, Dragonite''s mother suddenly found Yuga and asked him to apany her on a trip to the Petalburg Forest. She exined that she wanted to retrieve something from her former home in the forest since she had initially left the forest while chasing after Zapdos.


    Yuga naturally couldn''t refuse Dragonite''s mother''s request. After all, he had been staying at the YoYo Day Care, and it was inevitable that he would move at some point.


    So, Yuga made arrangements with Suzuki Garden and Beidou and set off for the Petalburg Forest with Dragonite''s mother and Dragonite.


    Since Dragonite''s mother wasn''t one of Yuga''s Pok��mon and hadn''t been captured in a Pok�� Ball, Yuga rode on Dragonite while following closely behind her.


    The Petalburg Forest was vast, with a forested area that was just as impressive as the Pinwheel Forest. Without Dragonite''s mother guiding the way, it would have been challenging for Yuga to find the right location.


    Having Dragonite''s mother by their side meant that they didn''t encounter any Pok��mon during their journey. The forest''s Pok��mon sensed Dragonite''s mother''s imposing presence and chose to steer clear.


    Dragonite''s mother''s original home was deep within the Petalburg Forest, an area known for being the most dangerous part of the forest, with high-level Pok��mon roaming freely.


    Zapdos had also lived nearby initially, but after its battle with Dragonite''s mother, it had disappeared without a trace and left the area.


    If Dragonite''s mother hadn''t known that Zapdos had already left the Petalburg Forest, she wouldn''t have dared to return.


    Although Dragonite''s mother had fought Zapdos due to Dratini''s influence, there was still a significant gap in strength between them.


    Dragonite and its family preferred to live near theke in the center of the forest. Dratini and Dragonair both enjoyed living in the water, and even Dragonite liked being close to the water. As a result, theke had be their territory.


    The scenery around theke was beautiful, with lush green grass along the shore, and many Zigzagoon and Linoone frolicked and yed.


    When these Pok��mon saw Dragonite''s mother return, they were surprised but not frightened, indicating that things had been like this when she was around.


    As soon as Yuga dismounted from Dragonite, he saw a yful Linoone rushing over to Dragonite''s mother, muttering a few words in a flustered manner.


    Dragonite''s mother, upon hearing Linoone''s words, became furious, and Yuga suddenly understood.


    No wonder the forest Pok��mon were astonished when Dragonite''s mother returned. During her absence, other Pok��mon had taken over her territory.


    Although it wasmon for a Pok��mon to leave its territory in the wild and have it taken over by others, things were different now that Dragonite''s mother had returned.


    Even though Dragonite''s mother had only intended to retrieve something, hearing that her home had been upied by other Pok��mon filled her with righteous anger.


    Dragonite''s mother pped her wings angrily and flew toward her nest. Seeing her so upset, Yuga and Dragonite exchanged a nce and quickly followed behind her.


    upying Dragonite''s nest was a sturdy-looking Druddigon.


    When Yuga and Dragonite arrived, the Druddigon was snoozing in the nest, drooling while clutching two shiny Dragon Gem. It seemed to be in a daze, not quiteprehending what had happened.


    Seeing the Druddigon sleeping like a dead pig, Dragonite''s mother was almost furious. The dragon gem it was holding in its hand was still her own.


    Extremely angry, Dragonite''s mother directly hit him with a Dragon Pulse. The Druddigon was awakened by the explosion and looked confused as to what happened.


    "Who am I? Where am I? What''s going on?" the Druddigon seemed to ponder, drooling even more, and it was utterly oblivious that the Dragon Gem it had been clutching had fallen to the ground.


    Initially, Dragonite''s mother hadn''t intended to use excessive force, but seeing the foolish expression on Dragonite''s face made her even angrier. She unleashed another Dragon Pulse, finally waking up the Druddigon.


    Seeing the furious Dragonite''s mother, the Druddigon shook itself awake. It wondered, "Why is thisdy back? Didn''t she already leave?"


    Since Dragonite''s mother had been absent for quite some time, the residents of the Petalburg Forest had assumed she had left for good.


    To gain control of this nest, the Druddigon had fought numerous battles with other Pok��mon in the forest, showcasing its strength.


    However, itsfortable days had been short-lived as thedy of the house returned sooner than expected.


    The Druddigon dared noty a finger on her and immediately began pleading. Still, Dragonite''s mother wasn''t about to offer it an opportunity to exin.


    In her eyes, the Druddigon wasn''t even deserving of an exnation before her, let alone a chance to speak.


    Dragonite''s mother rapidly shed in front of the Druddigon and delivered a punch filled with icy aura straight to its head, leaving the Druddigon seeing stars.


    A few more punches, and the Druddigon was down for the count.


    Dragonite''s mother was still quitepassionate and hadn''t gone all out. Otherwise, under the Ice Punch of a Champion level Dragonite, the Druddigon''s skull might have cracked.


    Speaking of which, this Druddigon was undeniably powerful.


    Think about it, it had thrived in the deep recesses of the Petalburg Forest, established itselffortably, and won the right to live in Dragonite''s nest amidst fiercepetition. Its strength was unquestionable.


    ...


    <<druddigon>> </druddigon>


    Type: Dragon


    Ability: Rough Skin


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 77


    Moves: Scratch, Hone ws, Scary Face, Dragon Rage, sh, Crunch, Dragon w, Retaliate, Night sh, Dragon Tail, Rock Tomb, Superpower, Roar, Taunt, Rock Climb, Earthquake, Rockslide, Iron Tail.


    ...


    Although it was a Dragon-type Pok��mon, it had a meager number of Dragon-type moves. Nheless, its strength was undeniable, reaching Elite level, and also had blue potential.


    Reflecting on it, breaking through to Elite level in the harsh wild environment was no easy feat, requiring significant talent.


    Elite level Pok��mon with green potential like Archeops had taken countless years and consumed vast resources to break through to Elite level.


    Currently, Archeops was beginning to show signs of aging. Without breaking through to the Champion level within a limited timeframe and undergoing another life level leap, it would be practically impossible for it to survive.


    As for Noctowl, it was an unexpected urrence. Not just any Pok��mon could receive help from a Legendary Pok��mon.


    After giving the Druddigon a good beating, Dragonite''s mother felt much better. She signaled to Yuga to enter the nest.


    Dragonite''s nest was located by thekeside, a spacious cave that wasn''t very deep, but it had excellent venttion and plenty of natural light, making it a clean andfortable dwelling.


    Seeing that her home hadn''t been ruined by the Druddigon, Dragonite''s mother felt a sense of relief and nostalgia. It was truly heartwarming to be back.


    While Dragonite had been born here, it hadn''t lived here long enough to develop strong emotional ties to the ce.

 Chapter 620: Creating a Deity

    <h4>Chapter 620: Creating a Deity</h4>


    Due to Dragonite''s mother''s recent anger, some parts of the cave had been copsed by her powerful Dragon Pulse.


    However, Dragonite''s mother didn''t seem to mind, as she was about to move out of the nest soon anyway.


    Yuga noticed that there was a small pile of Dragon Gems where Druddigon used to lie down. It was just that they had been hidden under Druddigon, and he hadn''t noticed them before.


    It was quite extravagant for Druddigon to use these valuable gems as cushions for sleeping.


    Druddigon''s tough skin and its ability, Rough Skin, allowed it to sleep on these gemsfortably. Most other Pok��mon would find it ufortable.


    Next, Yuga saw Dragonite''s mother bring out arge, somewhat battered box from inside the cave. It wasn''t clear where she had found the box.


    After opening the box, Dragonite''s mother started picking up the scattered Dragon Gems and Flying Gems one by one and cing them inside.


    Yuga noticed that the box was filled with Dragon Gems and Flying Gems, mostly the ones that Druddigon didn''t need, which exined why he hadn''t taken out the Flying Gems.


    Unlike the neatly cut and polished attribute gems sold in the League store, Dragonite''s mother''s gems were irregr in shape, varying in size and shape.


    However, the irregrity of these gems didn''t affect their usage. These irregr gems represented their truest form when they were mined.


    The gems in the League store were cut and polished to look aesthetically pleasing and for easier pricing and selling.


    Yuga estimated that the gems in this box were equivalent to thousands of neatly cut attribute gems.


    It was normal for a Champion level Pok��mon to have such a vast collection. Attribute gems were valuable, but they were consumables, so collecting them while using them was necessary.


    "Dragonite!?"


    After cing all the Dragon Gems in the somewhat battered box, Dragonite''s mother pushed the box in front of Yuga and pointed at him.


    "For me?" Yuga pointed at himself in surprise.


    Dragonite''s mother shook her head in response and then pointed at Yuga''s side where Dragonite was, and then back at Yuga.


    Ah, she wants me to keep them for Dragonite! Yuga suddenly realized.


    Dragonite''s mother then exined why she wanted Dragonite to have these gems. She felt a significant amount of Electric-type energy within Dragonite''s body, and it was quite potent.


    If Dragonite were an Electric-type Pok��mon, it would have been fine, but Dragonite was a Dragon- and Flying-type Pok��mon.


    While this Electric-type energy was helping Dragonite achieve more in its Electric-type moves now, it could pose a significant threat to its future development.


    Why did different Pok��mon have different attributes? Why were their moves more powerful when they matched their own attributes?


    It was because these attributes made up the essence of a Pok��mon''s body. If Pok��mon could freely absorb energy from other attributes, what would be the point of having attributes in the first ce?


    Ordinary Pok��mon did have traces of other attributes within them, but these traces were minimal and allowed them to use moves from other types without affecting their core strength.


    A Pok��mon was always most proficient in its own attribute moves.


    Currently, there were no apparent issues, but when Dragonite reached Elite level, the excess Electric-type energy within it would merge further due to the Life Level Leap, and that excess Electric energy would be a potential problem.


    Dragonite''s mother believed that the best way to eliminate this potential issue was to strengthen Dragonite''s original attributes, hence the need for Dragon Gems and Flying Gems.


    Listening to Dragonite''s mother''s exnation, Yuga was surprised to learn about this potential issue with Dragonite.


    Did this mean that Florges, with her Grass-type energy absorption, could also face simr issues?


    Just when Yuga was concerned about both Dragonite and Florges, the system assured him that he didn''t need to worry.


    Dragonite''s mother wasn''t aware that Dragonite had a Yellow Gem, and the system exined that Dragonite''s ability to absorb Electric-type energy and Florges''s ability to absorb Grass-type energy were both safely stored in their respective Yellow and Green Gems.


    The Yellow and Green Gems were like organs in their bodies now, much like Pikachu''s Red Cheeks for storing electricity, and they didn''t pose any threat.


    The system spected that these four Gems might have a significant history, possibly rted to an ancient human project to create deities.


    In ancient times, humans didn''t have the gic and cloning technology of modern humans, but they had equally crazy ideas.


    The era in which ancient humans lived was much closer to divinity than modern times. They worshipped, revered, sacrificed to, and feared deities. They also desired to be deities themselves. Their era was less advanced in terms of technology, but it was incredibly mysterious due to its closeness to the divine.


    Hence, the creation of deity projects wasn''t surprising.


    The system made this spection because it sensed a divine aura in these Gems as they merged more closely with Dragonite and Florges.


    The simplest example was Florges''s ability to awaken Grassy Terrain, a capability that regr Pok��mon couldn''t possess.


    The system believed that these Gems needed the power of Legendary Pok��mon as a catalyst to nurture this still weak power into a new divine essence that would merge with their host and create a new deity.


    Listening to the system''s exnation, Yuga was astounded. Were these four Gems really that powerful?


    However, this was just the system''s spection, and Yuga didn''t have concrete information.


    What the system could confirm was that absorbing Electric-type energy and Grass-type energy didn''t pose a threat to Dragonite and Florges.


    The system also noted that these Gems were mostpatible with Pok��mon of the same type. For example, Charizard and the Red Gem were an excellent match.


    Yuga still had a Blue Gem in his possession that he had intended for Lapras, who had met the conditions to use it. However, in the rush of events, he had forgotten about it.


    Regardless of whether these Gems were rted to an ancient human project or not, their impact on Pok��mon was indeed significant.


    Now that he knew Dragonite and Florges were not in danger, Yuga breathed a sigh of relief.


    Seeing Yuga''s stunned expression, Dragonite''s mother once again pushed the box filled with Dragon Gems and Flying Gems toward him.


    Regaining hisposure, Yuga smiled at Dragonite''s mother, waved his hand, and stored the attribute gems and the box in his system backpack.


    Seeing such a big box disappearing in front of her eyes, Dragonite''s mother circled around Yuga, Curious, but she didn''t find anything unusual. Eventually, she continued organizing her nest.


    Dragonite was quite used to seeing this, as Yuga had used the system backpack in front of them before.


    Dragonite''s mother had a rich collection, including many herbs gathered from the forest, which she used as snacks.


    However, some of them had been secretly eaten by Druddigon, which irritated Dragonite''s mother.


    Knowing that Yuga had storage capabilities, Dragonite''s mother generously gave him all the herbs. After Yuga sorted them neatly, he also stored them in the system backpack.


    ording to Dragonite''s mother, chewing on these herbs regrly would promote the growth of Dragon-type Pok��mon. This was an experience passed down in their family,monly known as "Earthwork."


    Yuga thought that if these herbs


    were indeed effective, he could nt some in the Ecopark. It would be a suitable snack for his Bagon and Deino to help them grow faster.

 Chapter 621: Gathering the Remains

    <h4>Chapter 621: Gathering the Remains</h4>


    In addition to her own belongings, Dragonite''s mother discovered some unfamiliar items, which were likely brought by Druddigon.


    Following the principle of "what''s in my house is mine," Dragonite''s mother allowed Yuga to collect all of them.


    Druddigon''s collection also had some valuable items, not to mention Dragon Scales and Dragon Fangs. Yuga even found a King''s Rock among the items.


    The King''s Rock didn''t hold much significance for Yuga as he already had one for Absol. However, he contemted whether he should raise a Slowking since there were currently two Slowpokes in the Ecopark.


    After some consideration, Yuga decided to let the Slowpokes decide for themselves.


    Wild Slowkings were quite rare, and even if they obtained a King''s Rock, it wasn''t clear if they would use it for evolution.


    (Note: In this story, most Pok��mon''s evolution methods, including Slowking''s, have been researched and documented.)


    After sorting through various misceneous items, Dragonite''s mother finally brought out an irregr stone, roughly the size of a small basin.


    What surprised Yuga was the item embedded in the stone �C a Mega Evolution Stone, specifically for Mega Smence.


    Yuga felt like he was unbelievably lucky. He had just traded away a Mega Metagross Evolution Stone and now encountered a Mega Smence Evolution Stone.


    ording to Dragonite''s mother, this stone was an heirloom passed down through many generations of Dragonite''s father family, though its exact purpose was unknown.


    Yes, Dragonite''s father was a Smence.


    The main reason Dragonite''s mother returned is to take this stone and to retrieve the Smence''s remains.


    Under Dragonite''s mother''s guidance, Yuga and the group went to the back of the Dragonite''s nest. There, they found a gently sloping hill with a massive set of Pok��mon bones lying atop it.


    In terms of volume, these bones were evenrger than Dragonite''s mother. The long tailbone, thick limbs, and wings hanging on the ground all testified to the fact that these bones once belonged to a Sky Dominator during his lifetime.


    Dragonite''s father, Smence, was once the ruler of the Petalburg Forest. His strength far surpassed the Dragonite''s mother, and he was not afraid even when encountering Zapdos, which used to live in the forest.


    However, something happenedter, and Smence returned to the Petalburg Forest severely wounded. Not long after, he passed away.


    During his final moments, Dragonite''s mother asked him what had happened, but he remained silent. It was only after this incident that Dragonite''s mother discovered she was pregnant.


    Yuga believed that, given the aura emanating from these remains, this was definitely a Master level Pok��mon.


    Yuga had encountered his master''s Pok��mon before and knew what it felt like to face Master level Pok��mon.


    Although Smence had already passed away, his imposing presence still lingered.


    "ept my condolences. Would it be alright if I help you gather his remains and bury them in the Ecopark?" Yuga offered to Dragonite''s mother.


    Dragonite''s mother nodded in agreement.


    In fact, Pok��mon didn''t have a tradition of burial, but she was aware of human customs and thought it was a nice gesture.


    After Yuga collected Smence''s remains, Dragonite''s mother extended her hand and offered Yuga a few items.


    In the palm of her handy a crimson scale and fourrge, pure-white teeth, all of which came from her husband.


    The crimson scale, as red as blood, was the scale beneath Smence''s lower jaw, extending upward to his neck. It wasmonly referred to as the "Reverse Scale," and each Dragon-type Pok��mon had only one.


    The four pure white teeth were thergest upper and lower teeth from Mega Smence''s jaws, distinct from regr Dragon Fangs.


    Yuga: "Are you really giving these to me this time?"


    Dragonite''s mother nodded.


    Happily, Yuga received the items from Dragonite''s mother and stored them in his system backpack.


    The only item not entrusted to Yuga for safekeeping was the Smence Mega Evolution Stone, which Dragonite''s mother held carefully in her arms.


    Yuga had no intention of using this Mega Evolution Stone; it was an heirloom of Dragonite''s father, and he didn''t want to interfere with it.


    At this moment, Yuga couldn''t help but feel a little regretful. Why didn''t Dragonite''s mother give birth to a Bagon back then, instead of a Dratini?


    If Dragonite had been a Smence now, it would have beenpletely appropriate for it to use its father''s heirlooms!


    However, regret was pointless, and Yuga thought Dragonite was just fine as it was now, making everyone envious.


    Upon their return to the entrance of the Dragonite''s nest, Druddigon was still lying there. Yuga turned to Dragonite''s mother and asked, "Is it okay if I tame it now?"


    Dragonite''s mother nodded. She couldn''t help but feel heartbroken whenever she saw that foolish Druddigon. It had upied her home and stolen her food.


    Yuga didn''t capture Druddigon with his Pok�� Ball when it was unconscious. He waited for it to wake up.


    Being an Elite level Pok��mon, it wasn''t wise to engage it in battle deep within the Petalburg Forest, as it would waste time and potentially cause trouble.


    Once Druddigon woke up, it opened its eyes and saw Dragonite''s mother''s imposing figure. It immediately clutched its head, afraid that she would continue beating it. It appeared extremely submissive.


    Yuga: "Druddigon, you''ve been quite audacious!."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s voice, Druddigon raised its head and stared at him. It wondered where this two-legged creature came from, why did it have such a big attitude, and why was it speaking to it in this tone?


    In the years it had lived in the Petalburg Forest, Druddigon had encountered many human explorers. They had always been scared stiff upon seeing it and dared not speak to it in this manner.


    Druddigon nced at Yuga, and Dragonite''s mother gave it a stern look. This immediately made Druddigon tremble. It thought, "What''s the rtionship between this two-legged creature and that Dragonite Lady?"


    Yuga: "Druddigon, not only did you take Dragonite''s home, but you also stole her food. Now, we''re going to ask you to leave and serve Dragonite as her errand boy to atone for your actions. How does that sound?"


    Yuga pretended to act sternly.


    Druddigon hesitated for a moment but ultimately nodded. What could it do now? It had already provoked this powerhouse, Dragonite''s mother, and now even this two-legged creature seemed to be herckey.


    In Druddigon''s eyes, Yuga, just like it, was another errand boy serving Dragonite''s Lady.


    Yuga: "Druddigon, I''m going to capture you in this Pok�� Ball now. Don''t resist."


    After a moment of contemtion, Druddigon reluctantly nodded. What could it do? It had stirred up trouble with a big boss!


    Taming Druddigon was quite sessful. Yuga held the Pok�� Ball containing Druddigon and felt extremely satisfied.


    In reality, Yuga could have subdued Druddigon through force as well. With Lapras, dealing with Druddigon wouldn''t have been a problem. However, it wouldn''t have been wise to engage in a battle deep within the Petalburg Forest. It would have been a waste of time and could have attracted unwanted attention.


    After capturing Druddigon, Yuga once again mounted Dragonite and followed Dragonite''s mother as they flew out of the forest.

 Chapter 622: Resentment

    <h4>Chapter 622: Resentment</h4>


    Just like when they arrived, Yuga and his group had a smooth journey back. However, as they were about to exit the Petalburg Forest, Yuga suddenly noticed two people engaged in battle. One was an elderly person, while the other was a young woman, and both were using Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    Yuga recognized both of these individuals. One was Phoebe, the current Ghost-type Elite Four who had recently visited the Verdanturf Gym. The other was Bridges, the former Ghost-type Elite Four.


    Yuga couldn''t understand why these two were in conflict. Phoebe had seeded Bridges as one of the Elite Four, and both held the title of Ghost-type Elite Four. There should have been no reason for them to be at odds.


    Could it be that Phoebe''s im ofing to Verdanturf Town for a reason was actually rted to Bridges?


    The reason Yuga knew Bridges was due to his connection to C��cilia, who entrusted Yuga with the task of resolving certain matters before her passing.


    Bridges was a ruthless character who would stop at nothing to climb the ranks. His actions included killing his wife and daughter, which was truly horrifying.


    What made it even scarier was that Bridges had a perfect public image �C high status, a good upbringing, a mild temperament, devoted to his family, and harmonious family rtionships.


    Everyone outside saw him as an outstanding person, which was truly terrifying.


    Moreover, after the death of C��cilia''s mother, Bridges took a long time (for the sake of his perfect persona) before marrying his second wife and having a son. His son had even married and had grandchildren.


    This was probably what people meant when they said that a curse couldst for a thousand years. Bridges was inherently wicked, yet his family life was blissful and happy.


    In recent years, Bridges and his wife gave off the impression of a harmonious, model couple.


    However, Yuga wondered if Bridges'' wife, son, and grandchildren were aware of the dark secrets he had hidden.


    Phoebe''s Pok��mon was a Drifblim, and she skillfully used the move Ominous Wind.


    Although Ominous Wind was only an intermediate-level move, it disyed power no less than an advanced move in the hands of Drifblim.


    Bridges'' Pok��mon was a Sableye, and it had undergone Mega Evolution.


    Bridges came from a prestigious family with a long lineage, so having a Mega Evolution Stone was not surprising.


    After Mega Evolving, Sableye''srge red gem became its natural shield, making it impervious to Ominous Wind, no matter how skillfully Drifblim used it.


    Ghost-type Pok��mon were known for their abilities to disrupt and debuff opponents, but Mega Sableye possessed the ability "Magic Bounce," which rendered Drifblim''s Ominous Wind ineffective.


    Mega Sableye''s strength far exceeded that of Drifblim, and soon, Drifblim was unable to hold its ground.


    The Power Gem of Mega Sableye formed a yellow column of light, sending Drifblim flying.


    As Drifblim was injured, Phoebe also coughed up arge amount of blood, indicating that she was seriously hurt.


    As a fellow Ghost-type Pok��mon trainer, Yuga understood why Phoebe was injured.


    Phoebe must have formed a mental link with Drifblim, allowing her to control it more freely, but at the cost of making her more vulnerable to bacsh.


    Such mental links were moremon among Psychic-type trainers, but some special Ghost-type trainers could achieve the same. Many Ghost-type Pok��mon were skilled in using psychic powers.


    Phoebe''s possession of special abilities was widely known among the members of the Verdanturf League.


    While Yuga was contemting whether to intervene, Gengar and Mismagius had already rushed out andnded in front of Phoebe and Drifblim. Together, they blocked the impending attacks from Mega Sableye.


    Bridges and his Mega Sableye had intended to deliver a fatal blow, and if it hadn''t been for Mismagius and Gengar''s interference, Mega Sableye''s Shadow w would have been merciless.


    Due to the mental bacsh, Phoebe had an excruciating headache. She covered her head and looked in amazement at Gengar and Mismagius, who had suddenly appeared and saved her from Bridges and his Mega Sableye.


    Though she had endured this bacsh, Phoebe now realized just how formidable this old man was.


    Sometimes, being older could be an advantage, and she realized that she was still too young.


    Seeing Mismagius and Gengar intervene without hesitation, Yuga could only shake his head in helplessness. He knew that his two Pok��mon would not be able to calm down when they see Bridges.


    Yuga wasn''t as angry about his Pok��mon taking action without hismand in this situation. First of all, Pok��mon were partners of trainers, not just tools for battle, and they had the right to act independently.


    At least, that''s how Yuga saw it in his case.


    Furthermore, these were originally C��cilia''s Pok��mon. It was natural for them to want to avenge their former trainer, given the circumstances. Yuga understood that.


    He appreciated Pok��mon who were loyal to their trainers, even after they were gone.


    For example, Gardevoir (male) had always been at odds with Yuga, but as long as it didn''t cause trouble in the Ecopark, Yuga was tolerant of its behavior.


    Besides, this Gardevoir was not unreasonable.


    It understood that its former trainer had been in the wrong, so despite its asional disagreements with Yuga, it hadn''t done anything out of line and hadn''t sought revenge on him.


    Yuga considered this to be quite good.


    Gengar and Mismagius were in a simr situation.


    Although C��cilia had been ruthless and even unkind, once she became a Ghost Realm Specter, Gengar and Mismagius had stayed by her side.


    Yuga was sometimes a bit melodramatic, but he wasn''t the type to hold grudges against his Pok��mon. He believed that since they were now his Pok��mon, they should forget their previous trainer.


    If it had been Vivillon, Yuga would certainly have thought differently, but in the case of Gengar and Mismagius, he didn''t mind.


    After all, no matter how ruthless C��cilia was, she had never thought of harming Gengar and Mismagius. Even in the case of Dusknoir, it was an ident.


    C��cilia had wanted to escape the Ghost Realm and needed many Ghost-type Pok��mon as sacrifices. The Specter in the Ghost Realm was sacrificed because she couldn''t bear to sacrifice those Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    This was also why Mu Ya was born.


    C��cilia was wicked, but she had never thought of harming Gengar and Mismagius. Even if she was ruthless, she considered them her support.


    So, even though Gengar and Mismagius were loyal to C��cilia, Yuga didn''t hold it against them.


    Changing positions, if Yuga were in C��cilia''s ce, he wouldn''t want his Pok��mon to easily forget him either.


    Moreover, Bridges not only killed C��cilia but also indirectly caused the death of Mu Ya, which was indirectly killed the Dusknoir.


    Bridges was the root cause of C��cilia''s tragedy and the beginning of all these evils.


    One of Gengar''spanions, Chandelure, also died at Bridges'' hands.


    So, it was entirely natural for Gengar and Mismagius to hate Bridges.

 Chapter 623: Taking Action

    <h4>Chapter 623: Taking Action</h4>


    Bridges didn''t expect to encounter a Gengar and Mismagius interfering at a crucial moment. However, he quickly assessed the strength of these two Pok��mon and found that they weren''t even reach Elite level, so he didn''t pay them much attention.


    "Mega Sableye, deal with them," Bridges calmlymanded.


    Seeing Bridges preparing to take action against Gengar and Mismagius, Yuga couldn''t just stand by and watch. He gave a signal to his Dragonite mother and rode it as they descended toward the battlefield.


    Just as the Power Gem from Mega Sableye was about to hit Gengar and Mismagius, Dragonite mothernded heavily on the ground, her massive feet causing the withered grass to be trampled. She positioned herself in front of Gengar and Mismagius, blocking the iing attack.


    With a wave of Dragonite mother''srge hand, the Power Gem was effortlessly dispersed.


    After climbing down from Dragonite''s body, Yuga recalled it into Poke Ball. It wasn''t even reach pseudo-Elite level so it couldn''t participate in this battle.


    "Master Shimizu, what are you doing here?" Phoebe asked in astonishment, clutching her throbbing head.


    "Just passing by," Yuga replied with a sigh.


    Back when Mu Ya asked whether Yuga would help her seek revenge, Yuga had hesitated, but he hadn''t expected to encounter Bridges like this. It seemed that he had no choice but to get involved now.


    Gengar and Mismagius, who stood behind Dragonite mother, breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Yuga. If Yuga hadn''t intervened, they wouldn''t have known what to do. They understood that their impulsive actions had been inappropriate, but facing their enemy right in front of them, they couldn''t control their emotions.


    "Who are you?" Bridges looked at Yuga and Dragonite mother with suspicion and surprise.


    Dragonite mother''s casual action dispersing Mega Sableye''s Power Gem had made Bridges cautious, and he began to specte about Yuga''s identity.


    With such formidable power, can only be achieved by Champion level Pokemon! Bridges thought to himself.


    Bridges looked around but couldn''t recall ever hearing about Yuga. This young and powerful Trainer should have been well-known.


    However, it was understandable that Bridges didn''t recognize Yuga. Yuga had only recently be prominent among the top executives of the League. Moreover, Bridges hadn''t held any official position in the League since stepping down as an Elite Four, so he wasn''t well-informed about Yuga..


    Mr. Kuni''o had recently taken on a new disciple, and Bridges had heard the name but didn''t know what he looked like. However, the primary reason for Bridges'' informationg was his own ambition.


    After stepping down from the position of Elite Four, Bridges had been focused on improving his strength, hoping to advance even further. He had stopped paying attention to events outside of his training.


    Surprisingly, not only Bridges but also Phoebe was dumbfounded.


    Bridges'' strength was something she knew well due to her past experiences, but Dragonite mother''s strength was beyond her expectations. This young Gym Leader had already performed exceptionally well in the Gym Leader Challenge, but she had no idea it was to this extent.


    Just how many trump cards did he have left?


    Yuga turned his gaze toward the Mega Sableye that was still ring at Dragonite mother.


    ...


    <<mega sableye="">> </mega>


    Type: Dark/Ghost


    Ability: Magic Bounce


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 79


    Moves: Scratch, Foresight, Night Shade, Shadow Sneak, Shadow w, Power Gem, Shadow Ball, Mean Look, Calm Mind, Taunt, Psychic, Will-O-Wisp, Dark Pulse, Trick.


    ...


    Even at Peak of Elite level, Mega Sableye was still not Dragonite mother''s match. This implied that an unevolved Mega Sableye would be in the intermediate of Elite level at best, making it an easy opponent for Dragonite mother.


    As Dragonite mother prepared to attack Mega Sableye, a Dusknoir suddenly materialized out of nowhere andunched a Shadow Punch at Dragonite mother.


    Dragonite mother was caught off guard but wasn''t injured, thanks to her thick Dragon-type skin.


    Seeing this Dusknoir, Phoebe''s face changed dramatically. "Beware of this Dusknoir; it''s a Champion level Pok��mon!"


    It was this Champion level Dusknoir that had nearly wipe out all of Phoebe''s Pok��mon. Otherwise, as one of the League''s Elite Four, she wouldn''t have lost so badly.


    This elderly man, who had sat in the League''s Ghost-type Elite Four seat for decades, had been hiding his true strength all along. She had no idea when he had cultivated a Champion level Pok��mon.


    Upon hearing Phoebe''s warning, Yuga used his Insight to examine the Dusknoir that was confronting Dragonite mother.


    ....


    <<dusknoir>> </dusknoir>


    Type: Ghost


    Ability: Bad Dreams


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 81


    Moves: Shadow Punch, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Night Shade, Disable, Foresight, Will-O-Wisp, Curse, Shadow Ball, Mean Look, Brick Break, Rock Tomb, Dream Eater, Imprison, Focus Punch.


    ...


    This was indeed a Champion level Dusknoir, but it was still at the Junior of the Champion level. Yuga didn''t believe it would pose a significant threat to Dragonite mother.


    However, what surprised Yuga was that this Dusknoir able to breaking through to the Champion level with only blue potential.


    Simr to how Pok��mon with green potential were not easily able to reach Elite level, it was likewise challenging for Pok��mon with blue potential to advance to Champion level.


    Mr. Moore, who is the same generation as Bridges, also has blue potential Pokemon as his main team, but no one has heard that he has broken through to the Champion level.


    If it were easy, Champion level Pok��mon wouldn''t be so rare.


    However, just because it was difficult didn''t mean it was impossible. Perhaps this Dusknoir had encountered some extraordinary opportunities. Yuga decided to put aside his doubts for now.


    Dragonite mother wasn''t one to be underestimated. After being attacked by Dusknoir, she observed the opponent for a moment and then lifted a fistrger than Yuga''s head, using Ice Punch to strike at Dusknoir.


    However, as a Junior Champion level Pok��mon, Dusknoir couldn''t possibly be a match for Dragonite mother. She was sent flying by Dragonite mother''s Ice Punch.


    Seeing this scene, Bridges'' face turned extremely ugly. Was this the strength a teenager had?


    The thought that he had spent decades striving to reach the Champion level while a teenager could achieve such power was infuriating to Bridges.


    Today, he must keep these two individuals here, no matter the cost! Bridges was determined.


    Under the watchful eyes of Yuga and Phoebe, Bridges took out another Pok�� Ball.

 Chapter 624: Shattered

    <h4>Chapter 624: Shattered</h4>


    When Bridges released his third Pok��mon, both Yuga and Phoebe were surprised because it was also a Champion level Pok��mon.


    ...


    <<spiritomb>> </spiritomb>


    Attributes: Ghost, Dark


    Ability: Infiltrator


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 81


    Skills: Curse, Pursuit, Confuse Ray, Shadow Sneak, Hypnosis, Omnious Wind, Sucker Punch, Nasty Plot, Dark Pulse, Taunt, Psychic, Snarl, Shadow Ball, Disable


    ...


    The Spiritomb is a species of Pok��mon that often appears in the Sinnoh region. It shares a simr attribute with Sableye, except that the main attribute of Sableye is Dark, and the secondary attribute is Ghost; while Spiritomb''s main attribute is Ghost, and the secondary attribute is Dark.


    Seeing this Spiritomb emitting the same aura as Dusknoir, Phoebe''s face turned pale. Two champion level Pok��mon, is Dragonite going to be okay?


    While Yuga was examining Spiritomb''s strength, Gengar suddenly spoke to Yuga, "Bridges helped this Pok��mon steal Muya''s essence and caused Muya''s death."


    Upon hearing this, Yuga realized the situation. Over the years, Bridges had only managed to cultivate Dusknoir as a Champion level Pok��mon. However, after obtaining Muya''s essence, he had sessfully make Spiritomb break through into a Champion level as well. This was all part of Bridges'' n to im the Hoenn Champion position.


    As soon as Spiritomb appeared, it joined forces with Dusknoir to confront Dragonite''s mother. However, Dragonite''s mother showed no fear.


    While directing Dusknoir and Spiritomb to battle Dragonite''s mother, Bridges thought to himself, "All of my trump cards have been revealed. Today, he must ensure nothing unexpected happens."


    "Mega Sableye, go and deal with those two!" Bridges shouted at Mega Sableye who was idling nearby.


    At this point, Bridges suspected that the overwhelmingly powerful Dragonite was likely not the young man''s Pok��mon. It could even be a protector sent by his family, or else the young man wouldn''t be just watching their battle without intervening.


    It is very normal for some big families to have some trump card Pokemon.


    The more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed to Bridges.


    Without Dragonite (Dragonite''s mother), those two people have nothing to fear, Bridges thought.


    Upon hearing its trainer''smand, Mega Sableye''s eyes gleamed with a sinister light, just like its owner.


    This Pok��mon was as ruthless as its master.


    Seeing Mega Sableye charging towards them, Phoebe anxiously said, "What should we do?"


    At this moment, Phoebe''s thoughts were simr to Bridges. She knew that Yuga was a disciple of Mr. Kuni''o, and she believed that this Dragonite was sent by Mr. Kuni''o to protect Yuga.


    As for why a Grass-type Master would send a Dragon-type Pok��mon, Phoebe didn''t have the mental capacity to delve into that question at this moment.


    Yuga, on the other hand, remained calm and released his own Lapras.


    Although Yuga''s Lapras wasn''t at the Peak Elite level, it had no problem dealing with Peak Elite level Pok��mon. Yuga didn''t think this Mega Sableye could be stronger than Steven''s Mega Metagross.


    As soon as Lapras emerged, it unleashed a powerful Hydro Pump towards the oing Mega Sableye.


    Mega Sableye, upon seeing this, thrust its massive gemstone shield into the ground in front of it, sessfully blocking Lapras''s Hydro Pump. However, despite its defensive efforts, the force of Lapras''s attack pushed Mega Sableye backward, leaving a long trace on the ground where its red gemstone shield had been lodged.


    "Sableye!"


    Mega Sableye, pushed back by Lapras''s attack, roared in anger. Radiant light shimmered on the massive gemstone in front of it, and a yellow beam shot out from the gemstone, aimed at Lapras.


    Seeing this, Lapras''s fourrge fins underneath it stirred the air, generating countless water vapors that rolled in the atmosphere. A massive wave formed right in front of Lapras.


    The rolling wave not only absorbed the power emanating from Mega Sableye''s gemstone but also continued to surge forward, as if it intended to crush Mega Sableye.


    Lapras''s Surf move overwhelmed Mega Sableye, uprooting numerous trees in its path.


    Witnessing this scene, Phoebe, involuntarily opened her mouth wide in astonishment, momentarily forgetting her own headache.


    This strange Lapras seemed to be overly strong.


    The battle between Lapras and Mega Sableye also drew Bridges'' attention. He shouted at Mega Sableye, "What are you doing? Hurry up and deal with those two!"


    Bridges hadn''t anticipated that even with his two Champion-level Pok��mon, they would still struggle against the Dragonite. The Dusknour and Spiritomb were being battered mercilessly by Dragonite''s mother.


    As time passed, seeing the Duksnoir and Spiritomb getting pummeled relentlessly by Dragonite''s mother, Bridges grew increasingly impatient. He couldn''t stand the fact that Yuga and Phoebe were still unscathed.


    Bridges'' impatience was shared by Mega Sableye. It initially thought they were up against a mere novice trainer but unexpectedly faced a formidable opponent.


    Faced with the relentless attacks from Lapras''s uninterrupted onught, Mega Sableye could only focus on passive defense. Fortunately, its defensive abilities were robust; otherwise, it would have copsed long ago.


    Through this battle with Mega Sableye and the previous battle with Mega Metagross, Yuga realized that the power gained from Mega Evolution didn''t quite strongpare to power earned through hard work and dedication.


    Mega Sableye was slightly weaker than a typical Peak Elite level, and Mega Metagross was slightly weaker than a true Champion level Pok��mon.


    It made sense, though. After all, this power was obtained through external means and couldn''t rival the reliability of hard-earned strength.


    By now, the area of the forest where they were battling had turned into a watery battlefield. The air was not only humid but also carried a sea-like scent.


    It had to be said that battles between Peak Elite level Pok��mon caused tremendous destruction. If this battle took ce in a town, the entire town would likely have been reduced to rubble.


    Yuga continued tomand Lapras to concentrate and refine its Hydro Pump. Although the Hydro Pump were bing thinner, their impact and pration were growing stronger.


    As the Hydro Pump attacks relentlessly hit Mega Sableye''s gemstone, Yuga suddenly heard a cracking sound, and then he saw a crack appear on the massive red gemstone.


    Seeing this crack, Mega Sableye was also astonished. It had never expected its sturdy gemstone to be damaged.


    Mega Sableye wanted to give up using its gemstone as a shield, but the relentless assault from Lapras left it with no choice. It was caught in a dilemma.


    Finally, unable to withstand Lapras''s attacks any longer, the gemstone shattered with a loud crash, breaking into countless red dots that vanished into thin air.


    As therge gemstone shattered, Mega Sableye reverted from its Mega Evolution state.


    In its regr state, Sableye anxiously inspected its limbs, trembling as it picked up the small gemstone, roughly the size of a fingernail, which had fallen to the ground.


    Therge gemstone''s original form was this small gemstone, which had been embedded in Sableye''s belly.

 Chapter 625: Breakthrough

    <h4>Chapter 625: Breakthrough</h4>


    Exiting its Mega Evolution state, Sableye, now a Intermediate Elite level, struggled to contend with Lapras''s assault, whose strength rivaled peak Elite level.


    As Sableye reverted from Mega Evolution, Bridges, engaged in battle with Dragonite''s mother, sensed it immediately.


    He never anticipated that without Dragonite''s protection, this young trainer could still put his Sableye at a disadvantage.


    Upon seeing the imposing Lapras, Bridges had a sudden realization �C another Elite level Pok��mon!


    Who was this young trainer, really?


    Bridges had never been so eager to uncover someone''s identity.


    With this thought in mind, he retrieved two more Pok�� Balls, releasing Fross and Bte, who is a Junior Elite level Pok��mon.


    "You two, go help Sableye."


    Fross and Bte nodded and floated toward Sableye''s location.


    These two Pok��mon were thest ones Bridges had with him. He hadn''t expected such a challenging situation on this outing.


    Both the earlier encounter with Phoebe and now this unknown young trainer had caught him off guard.


    As he watched Dusknoir and Spiritomb continue to struggle against Dragonite''s mother, Bridges clenched his teeth in frustration.


    The world was truly unfair!


    He had worked so hard and desperately to reach the level he was at, yet a teenager effortlessly achieved it.


    And Phoebe!


    Back then, he had paid such a heavy price to break into the Elite level �C his wife, daughter, even his humanity and conscience �C yet this brash girl achieved it just as easily.


    Meanwhile, Gengar and Mismagius, who had been observing the battle alongside Yuga and Lapras, noticed Fross and Bte''s rapid approach toward Sableye. They exchanged nces and vanished into the ground.


    When they reappeared, they stood in front of Fross and Bte.


    Suddenly, Gengar and Mismagius eachunched a Shadow Ball and a Mystical Fire at Fross and Bte.


    However, being Elite level Pok��mon, Fross and Bte had extremely sharp instincts and easily evaded the attacks based on intuition alone.


    After dodging the strikes, Fross and Bte found themselves facing two pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon and felt a wave of disdain.


    Gengar and Mismagius, on the other hand, after a quick look at Yuga and Lapras battling ahead and the distant one-on-two battle in the sky of Dragonite''s mother, didn''t show any fear. Instead, they were full of fighting spirit.


    The reason theirpanions hade here was because of them, and they didn''t want to be mere bystanders in this battle.


    Yuga, who had been focusing onmanding Lapras''s battle, shook his head in resignation when he sensed Gengar and Mismagius''s departure.


    He could feel their determination and understood their feelings at this moment.


    At this moment, Yuga seemed to establish an unprecedented strong connection with Gengar and Mismagius.


    His King of Ghost ability was enhanched without Yuga realizing it, and Yuga, who was focused on fighting, failed to notice this in time.


    Feeling the supporting from Yuga, Gengar and Mismagius''s confidence soared. Once again, theyunched Shadow Balls and Mystical Fire, now evenrger and more intense, toward Fross and Bte.


    Sensing the threat emanating from the Shadow Balls and Mystical Fire, Fross and Bte grew uncertain.


    What had suddenly gotten into these two? They seemed to be on fire, as if they had consumed the blood of a me Chicken.


    Seeing Gengar and Mismagius go all out, Fross and Bte put aside their initial arrogance and began to take the battle seriously, simultaneously using Shadow Balls.


    Two massive Shadow Balls, along with Gengar''s and Mismagius''s, collided, causing a powerful explosion that toppled all the trees and grass around them.


    The destructive force of Elite level Pok��mon was terrifying indeed.


    The four Pok��mon quickly found their respective opponents: Mismagius faced Fross, while Gengar took on Bte.


    Mismagius swiftly ascended into the air, looking down upon Fross. Although it was not as powerful as Fross, it disyed an equal level of confidence.


    Around Mismagius, waves of heat churned, forming rings of mes that converged to create a sea of fire, surging towards Fross.


    Fross, with its primary Ice attribute, naturally feared Fire-type moves. Sensing the heat emanating from Bte''s Mystical Fire, it retreated rapidly, countering with a Blizzard.


    Despite the type disadvantage of Fire against Ice, Fross''s Blizzard managed to suppress Mismagius''s Mystical Fire due to its superior overall strength.


    The intery of the red mes and the blue-white snow created an unexpected beauty in the battle.


    In contrast to the head-on confrontation between Mismgius and Fross, Gengar and Bte adopted a typical Ghost-type Pok��mon battle style.


    Bte used its skilled move, Shadow Sneak.


    Unlike typical charged moves, Shadow Sneak allowed the user to conceal its form while charging, making it difficult to predict even if the opponent expected a sneak attack.


    Shadow Sneak was indeed a mysterious yet powerful move.


    Furthermore, Bte excelled in using status-affecting movesmonly associated with Ghost-types, such as Curse, Grudge, and Will-O-Wisp.


    However, Yuga''s Gengar was no ordinary opponent. Unlike most Ghost-type Pok��mon, Gengar hailed from the Ghost World, granting it exceptional invisibility. Combined with Gengar''s remarkable speed, it proved challenging for Bte tond its various moves.


    Gengar''s weaknessy in its fragility, so training its invisibility and speed was paramount to avoid being a liability.


    However, even with the added strength from Yuga''s King of Ghost abilities, Gengar and Mismagius still struggled against the Elite level Pok��mon.


    First to suffer was Mismagius, locked in a battle of attrition against Fross.


    After experiencing a Life Evolution, Fross, though it potential is much lower than Mismagius, it still possessed superior capabilities than Mismagius. It began by covering the battlefield with a localized hailstorm and then used its Snow Cloak ability to disappear from Bte''s view,unching an attack.


    Initially, Mismagius froze under the onught of Fross''s Ice Beam, which lowered its speed, followed by sessive hits from Shadow Balls.


    When the hailstorm finally subsided, Mismagius is still standing, albeit battered and lying on the ground. Fortunately, unlike the fragile Gengar, Mismagius had decent Special Defense. Otherwise, the situation could have been dire.


    Gengar was distracted for a moment when he saw his partner being knocked down. And he was attacked by Bte, who had been watching from the dark for a sneak attack, and Gengar also fell down.


    At this time, Gengar and Mismagius felt a sense of guilt and self-me. They believed themselves useless, unable to avenge their previous trainers or support their current one.


    In the midst of their remorse and frustration, the energies emanating from Gengar and Mismagius, lying side by side, suddenly intertwined. They both emitted strong energy fluctuations.


    They were about to break through to the Elite level!


    Fross and Bte exchanged a determined nce, they were extremely sure, because they were both also experienced it once.


    They couldn''t allow them to break through!


    This is themon thought in the hearts of Fross and Bte.

 Chapter 626: Transformation

    <h4>Chapter 626: Transformation</h4>


    Once a Pok��mon breaks through to the Elite level, it undergoes a life leap, and thus, Gengar and Mismagius in their breakthrough state cannot be disturbed.


    Just as Fross and Bte were preparing to attack Gengar and Mismagius, Phoebe''s Drifblim suddenly positioned itself in front of them, taking the attacks meant for Gengar and Mismagius.


    Although Drifblim had been severely injured by Mega Sableye, it hadn''t lost its ability to fight. After resting for a moment, it was ready to act.


    However, Drifblim was still in a heavily damaged state, and facing thebined assault of two Elite level Pok��mon proved challenging. Its injuries continued to worsen.


    At the same time, Yuga noticed the situation with Mismagius and Gengar. He hadn''t expected them to break through at this moment.


    But thinking about it, their umted power had long been sufficient. They were usually nourished by the Ghost World Origin Stones and had absorbed arge amount of life energy in Pinwheel Forest. It wasn''t surprising when they would break through.


    Seeing the heavily wounded Drifblim being pushed back, Yuga thought, "I need to act quickly."


    "Lapras, hurry up and deal with it," hemanded.


    Lapras nodded in response. Cold air enveloped its body, and the entire space seemed to freeze as the already battered Sableye turned into an ice block.


    Meanwhile, as Drifblim was about to sumb to the relentless attacks, a Hydro Pump intercepted the two Shadow Balls aimed at it.


    Seeing Yuga and Lapras arrive just in time, Phoebe breathed a sigh of relief. She wouldn''t have held out much longer.


    Lapras unfurled its four wings, creating countless water vapor, and appeared in front of Fross and Bte.


    Sensing Lapras''s overwhelming presence, Fross and Bte took a few steps back in silence, watching Lapras warily, not daring to attack lightly.


    This was a Pok��mon that had defeated Sableye in almost no damage, and Sableye is stronger than both of thembined.


    Just as Yuga arrived at Mismagius and Gengar''s side, a massive rift suddenly appeared in his Shadow Space, and countless emerald energies surged out.


    In the instant the rift appeared, the seals ced on Yuga''s Shadow Space by Marshadow were shattered.


    The emerald energies split into two streams, flowing into Mismagius and Gengar respectively.


    Yuga was taken aback by this sudden turn of events, utterly baffled.


    As the emerald energy poured out, not far away, Phoebe, had a sudden change in expression. She looked at Yuga with a mixture of surprise and suspicion, her eyes filled with doubt.


    The emerald energy from Yuga''s Shadow Space continued to increase, gradually forming two emerald dragons that poured into Mismagius and Gengar''s bodies.


    As time passed, the aura around Mismagius and Gengar began to rise, and Lapras, Fross, Bte, and Drifblim were also locked in their respective battles.


    The rolling emerald energy caused all the nearby vegetation and leaves to be swept up. The tremendous energy surge startled the Pok��mon living in the vicinity, causing them to flee.


    Bridges, who was currently battling Dragonite''s mother in the distance, also noticed the situation with Yuga. Greed filled his eyes as he looked at the two emerald dragons and Mismagius and Gengar.


    If it weren''t for Dragonite''s mother pressing him in battle, Bridges would have considered seizing those emerald energies from Mismagius and Gengar immediately.


    Meanwhile, Yuga was growing concerned. With so much energy flooding into Mismagius and Gengar, could they withstand it?


    Yuga recognized this energy.


    The emerald energy was a fusion of the energy radiating from the Ghost World Origin Stones and the life energy from Cofagrigus.


    This mutated energy had been imprinted on Mismagius and Gengar long ago.


    Mismagius and Gengar practically spent twenty-four hours a day in Yuga''s Shadow Space, living in this energy every day. Over time, this energy had absorbed their essence and been assimted by them, as if they shared the same origin.


    Gengar and Mismagius were currently undergoing a transformation of life, subconsciously summoning those energies, leading to the scene unfolding before them.


    Gradually, Yuga noticed that arge gathering of Ghost-type Pok��mon had silently amassed around him, fixating their unwavering gazes on Gengar and Mismagius, who were undergoing this transformation.


    Their eyes held a greedy gleam when they looked at the emerald energies. However, when they looked at Gengar and Mismagius, their eyes were filled with fear and trepidation, and they dared not approach.


    It was unclear how much time had passed when Lapras finally defeated Fross and Bte, bringing Gengar and Mismagius'' breakthrough close to its end.


    When thest trace of emerald energy was absorbed, Gengar and Mismagius simultaneously opened their eyes. The Ghost-type Pok��mon that had gathered to watch seemed to be startled and screamed as they hastily fled.


    After the breakthrough, Yuga noticed that both Gengar and Mismagius had undergone significant changes in their appearances.


    The most noticeable change was in their eyes.


    Gengar''s originally crimson eyes had be even redder, or rather, blood-red, as if blood was flowing within them, giving them a highly intimidating look.


    In addition to those unsettling eyes, Gengar''s formerly deep purple-ck body had turned pitch-ck, with countless wisps of ck mist seemingly swirling inside.


    Mismagius, which previously had golden eye whites and orange irises, now had entirely golden eyes, seemingly without pupils, giving them an eerie appearance.


    The color of Mismagius'' body remained unchanged, but the three orange-red gems embedded in its body had turned emerald green. Yuga could even see the tremendous energy surging within these gems.


    ...


    <<gengar (spell="" tag)="">> </gengar>


    Type: Ghost, Poison


    Ability: Cursed Body


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 71


    Moves: Shadow Punch, Lick, Mean Look, Curse, Shadow Ball, Dream Eater, Hypnosis, Dark Pulse, Psychic, Perish Song, Wonder Room, Hex, Nightmare, Will-O-Wisp, Sludge Bomb, Poison Jab.


    ...


    <<mismagius (spell="" tag)="">> </mismagius>


    Type: Ghost


    Ability: Levitate


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 71


    Moves: Growl, Spite, Astonish, Confuse Ray, Mean Look, Pain Split, Mystical Fire, Phantom Force, Power Gem, Lucky Chant, Magical Leaf, Thunderbolt, Psychic, Double Team, Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, Skill Swap, Magic Room.


    ...


    Through careful observation, Yuga noted that apart from the surprising changes in their potentials, there didn''t seem to be anything out of the ordinary in the transformations of Gengar and Mismagius.


    However, what surprised Yuga the most was his perception of them.


    Yuga couldn''t quite fathom what had changed in them, but under his perception, these two Pok��mon didn''t seem like Ghost-types anymore. Instead, they radiated an intense life force simr to Grass or Fairy-type Pok��mon.


    Both these Pok��mon had only recently entered the Elite level, yet the way their auras seemed to merge gave off an impression that wasparable to a single Pok��mon. The pressure they exerted felt no less than that of a peak Elite level Pok��mon.


    Minutes after the breakthrough, Yuga felt that the auras emanating from Gengar and Mismagius were rapidly being concealed, as if they had transformed into two inconspicuous Pok��mon that one could see with their eyes but not feel their presence, rendering even Yuga''s special abilities ineffective.


    This was simr to the feeling given by Dragonite''s mother.


    But Dragonite''s mother was a Champion level Pok��mon, while Gengar and Mismagius had only recently entered the Elite level. Could they really possess the same level of control over their bodies?

 Chapter 627: Interception

    <h4>Chapter 627: Interception</h4>


    After their breakthrough, Gengar and Mismagius didn''t disy any change in their attitude towards Yuga. Instead, they nodded approvingly at him.


    Meanwhile, with Gengar and Mismagius sessfully breaking through and defeating Sableye, Fross, and Bte, the battle involving Dragonite''s mother was alsoing to an end.


    Bridges, who had witnessed his three Pok��mon being defeated by Yuga, widened his eyes in astonishment, then red at Yuga with malice.


    "It''s all because of this kid! If it weren''t for him, things wouldn''t have turned out this way!"


    However, his gaze towards Gengar and Mismagius was filled with greed. He recognized the exceptional potential in these two Pok��mon.


    "If I could obtain these two Pok��mon, it would be almost like having Cecilia back!" Bridges thought.


    Losing Cecilia had been his greatest regret. Otherwise, he might have progressed to higher levels, possibly even reaching the rank of a Master Trainer.


    However, as he nced at Dragonite before him, Bridges knew that no matter what, he couldn''t harm that kid today.


    With that in mind, Bridges discreetly signaled Dusknoir and Spiritomb to prepare for an escape.


    He understood that he couldn''t match Dragonite''s mother in a battle. As a Champion level Ghost-type Trainer, even the Master level Trainer can''t stop him.


    Just as Dragonite''s mother was about to deliver a fatal blow to Dusknoir and Spiritomb, the two Pok��mon descended from the sky at an incredible speed and positioned themselves on either side of Bridges.


    Bridges, realizing he was outmatched, intended to flee, abandoning Sableye, Fross, and Bte. The current situation didn''t allow him to recall them; while an Elite level Pok��mon were precious, his own life was even more valuable.


    Faced with a Champion level Trainer who was determined to escape, Yuga knew he couldn''t stop him. Moves like Mean Look or Hypnosis might work on ordinary people, but preventing a Champion level Trainer from leaving was nearly impossible. They could easily break free from such effects unless Dragonite''s mother used them.


    Unfortunately, Dragonite''s mother was primarily abat-oriented Pok��mon and not skilled in using status-altering moves.


    As Bridges was about to make his escape, he and his Pok��mon, Dusknoir and Spiritomb, suddenly froze. They transformed into shadows and vanished underground.


    It was at this moment that Gengar and Mismagius, beside Yuga, took action. They moved at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, appearing directly above Bridges. Intense purple light emanated from their eyes, and, to Bridges'' astonished gaze, theybined the abilities of Wonder Room and Magic Room.


    The two spatial abilities merged with a resounding "bang," forming a transparent space that enveloped Dragonite''s mother, Bridges, Dusknoir, and Spiritomb.


    Dusknoir and Spiritomb''s escape attempt was thus thwarted midway, and they could no longer descend underground.


    While these two Pok��mon reacted swiftly, they immediately employed Shadow Ball and Ominous Wind to try to break the spatial prison created by Gengar and Mismagius. However, their moves merely created ripples on the surface of the space, with no effect on the spatial barrier.


    Bridges was astonished, as was Yuga, and even outside the space, Dragonite''s mother looked surprised.


    When Dragonite''s mother finally reacted, itnded with a resounding thud in front of Dusknoir and Spiritomb. It used Ice Punch on both Pok��mon simultaneously, causing them to copse.


    Bridges'' escape n had failed.


    Bridges was about to say something, but Gengar promptly used Hypnosis on him. His eyes closed, his head tilted, and he fell unconscious.


    Even when Gengar and Mismagius withdrew the spatial barrier, Yuga and Phoebe outside the space didn''t hear any soundsing from within.


    Gengar carried Bridges over to where Yuga was standing, promptly dropping Bridges to the ground. Then, together with Mismagius, they merged back into Yuga''s shadow.


    While Gengar and Mismagius had the urge to interact with Bridges, they refrained from revealing themselves in the presence of outsiders.


    "Today, I am truly grateful to you, Mr. Shimizu," said Phoebe, who had many questions at this point but understood that it wasn''t the right time to ask.


    "No need to thank me. I was just passing by," replied Yuga with a wave of his hand, retracting his Lapras.


    Just as Phoebe was about to say more, Yuga noticed something regarding Bridges and addressed her, "Phoebe, please wait here for me. I''ll be back shortly."


    With that, Yuga instructed Dragonite''s mother to protect Phoebe and left on his own Lapras.


    Suddenly, Yuga recalled that this ce was where he had buried Mu Ya. Could Bridges'' appearance here be rted to the deceased Mu Ya?


    Quickly, Yuga found the grave he had prepared for Mu Ya. It was a small mound of earth, but there were no remains of Mu Ya inside.


    Inside the moundy only the girl whom Mu Ya had possessed, as her Dusknoir''s body had already dissipated.


    Seeing the empty grave, Yuga was certain that Bridges was somehow involved in this matter. He just didn''t know how Bridges had found this ce.


    As Yuga hurried back, Phoebe was in the midst of tending to her injured Pok��mon.


    Seeing Yuga''s return, Phoebe raised her head and asked, "Did something happen?"


    Yuga shook his head and replied, "Nothing significant. Your Pok��mon are injured, so let''s return to Verdanturf Town first. We can discuss everything else when we get there."


    Phoebe nodded, recalling her Pok��mon into their respective Pok�� Balls.


    Yuga offered his Dragonite to Phoebe to ride, and he nned to use his Charizard. However, to his surprise, Dragonite''s mother volunteered to carry him. It was unusual for a Champion level Pok��mon, known for their pride, to be so willing. It indicated that Dragonite''s mother held favorable impression toward Yuga.


    Yuga confiscated the Pok�� Balls containing Bridges'' Pok��mon from Bridges himself, tying him up with some vines and hanging him from Dragonite''s ws.


    Yuga had no intention of treating such a viin kindly.


    Upon their return to Verdanturf Town, Yuga escorted Phoebe to the Pok��mon Center. He quickly informed Liliana, securing Bridges in confinement.


    Bridges, being a former Elite Four member of the Pok��mon League, held a special status. Yuga couldn''t take unteral action against him. However, after Phoebe''s treatment waspleted, there would be many questions to ask this person.

 Chapter 628: A Conversation

    <h4>Chapter 628: A Conversation</h4>


    Originally, Yuga thought that after Phoebe, finished treating her injuries, she would first go to see Bridges. However, to his surprise, the first person she sought out was Yuga himself.


    In the reception room of the Verdanturf Gym,


    Phoebe gazed at the young man sitting across from her with mixed emotions. The first time they had met, she had seen him as a junior trainer. The most recent encounter had her appearing as the Elite Four of the Pok��mon League. But now, she found herself in front of him with her most embarassed state, and owing him a life-debt.


    Having seen Yuga''s true strength, Phoebe could no longer view him as a junior trainer.


    After the destruction of the Team Aqua Branch, there had been much spection about Yuga''s strength in the outside world. However, most people remained skeptical about whether he truly possessed Elite level abilities.


    Now, Phoebe had witnessed it firsthand. Regardless of whether that Champion level Dragonite was Yuga''s Pok��mon, there was no denying the power his Lapras wielded. Moreover, his Gengar and Mismagius had broken through to new heights.


    Phoebe scrutinized Yuga, and then she asked, "Why has Ms. Phoebe,e to see me?"


    Phoebe, after a brief moment of introspection, hesitated and replied, "I have some matters I''d like to discuss with you."


    "What kind of matters?" Yuga asked in surprise, wondering why she would seek him out instead of Bridges.


    "Have you ever heard of Ghost World Envoys?" Phoebe asked after some thought.


    Upon hearing those four words, Yuga looked at Phoebe with astonishment. So, she knew about Ghost World Envoys. It all made sense now. Her special abilities and deep knowledge of Ghost-type Pok��mon aligned with what he had learned about Ghost World Envoys.


    Acell had said to Yuga that there are countless Envoys from the Ghost World, and there will be at least one on each region. The purpose is to bnce the Material World and the Ghost World.


    But Yujia didn''t expect that Phoebe, one of the famous Elite Four, was also a Ghost World Envoy.


    Compared to Acer, this Phoebe is obviously stronger.


    Ghost World Envoys are simr to a different kind of reincarnation. It is normal for them to have such strong strength at such a young age.


    "Your expression confirms that you''re familiar with Ghost World Envoys," Phoebe stated with certainty. She had her answers now.


    When Yuga''s Shadow Realm was sealed by Marshadow, there had been no sign of any residual energy escaping. However, when the emerald energy broke the seal, the power of the Ghost World Origin Stone had naturally diffused.


    Others might not recognize it, but as a Ghost World Envoy, Phoebe couldn''t remain ignorant. She hade to confirm her suspicions.


    As far as she knew, she was the only Ghost World Envoy on the Hoenn region. So, how did Yuga fit into this equation?


    "You''re a Ghost World Envoy?" Yuga inquired, his tone carrying a sense of certainty despite the question.


    Phoebe nodded in agreement, admitting it straightforwardly. While this was a secretive matter, there was no need to hide it from someone who was clearly connected to the Ghost World.


    "I want to know about your Gengar and Mismagius, and how you came to know about Ghost World Envoys," Phoebe asked, her tone serious.


    Those two Pok��mon were undoubtedly connected to the Ghost World. Phoebe couldn''t afford to overlook this, especially considering that knowledge of Ghost World Envoys had always remained hidden.


    "Since you''re a Ghost World Envoys you should also know about Acelora and Cecilia," After thinking about it, Yuga decided to tell the truth. Cecilia is dead, and those things should not let passed, but the matter about the Ghost World Origin Stone must be kept secret.


    "Do you know them?" Phoebe asked in surprise.


    There are very few Ghost World Envoys, so it was natural for Phoebe to recognize her colleague, Acer.


    As for Cecilia, that was a different story.


    Cecilia''s betrayal was the most sensational event to ur in the Ghost World in the past few centuries.


    For all specters in the Ghost World, being chosen as a Ghost World Envoy was the highest honor. Yet, Cecilia had chosen to defect, a decision that was difficult for them toprehend.


    "It''s Acer who informed me about Cecilia when she was pursuing her. Gengar and Mismagius were originally Cecilia''s Pok��mon, and after her death, they were entrusted to me."


    In the Ghost World, it was widely believed that Cecilia had perished at the hands of the Ghost World consciousness. However, they remained unaware that Cecilia had escaped the Ghost World by taking on the identity of Muya.


    Of course, Muya wasn''t entirely Cecilia; her soul mostly inhabited the kind-hearted Dusknoir.


    To conceal Muya''s existence, Yuga had imed that Gengar and Mismagius had left the Ghost World after Cecilia''s death and sought him out.


    As for why Cecilia had entrusted her Pok��mon to him, Yuga exined that he had once saved her during her escape.


    Yuga''s reason for concealing Muya''s existence was to prevent others from suspecting the presence of the Ghost World Origin Stone in him. This precious artifact held immense value, even if it was just a fragment.


    Yuga spected that the Ghost World consciousness might be aware of Muya''s presence but, being aloof andcking human-like thoughts, would likely not share this knowledge with other Ghost World entities.


    However, it was always wise to be cautious.


    After hearing Yuga''s exnation, Phoebe nodded and said, "I see."


    She wasn''t entirely convinced by Yuga''s words, but Cecilia was now deceased, and there was no point in pursuing the matter further.


    "Regardless, I must thank you for saving me," Phoebe said sincerely.


    "In truth, I didn''t confront Bridges to save you," Yuga admitted. "I intervened because Gengar and Mismagius wanted to avenge Cecilia."


    "Avenge Cecilia? What feud does Cecilia have with Bridges?" Phoebe asked in astonishment.


    Yuga proceeded to exin Cecilia''s connection to Bridges, the circumstances of Cecilia''s mother''s death, why Cecilia had defected from the Ghost World, and more, providing Phoebe with a detailed ount.


    Bridges was the former Pok��mon League Elite Four who had made significant contributions to the League. Yuga didn''t have the authority to execute him, but he could increase his crimes in the eyes of thew.


    After hearing Yuga''s narrative, Phoebe wore a horrified expression. "This... this is utterly depraved!"


    It was unimaginable that Bridges had not only killed his own biological daughter but also used her flesh and blood to feed Ghost-type Pok��mon. He had even killed his own wife to cover up this horrific secret.


    All those years, he had presented himself as a loving family man, but his actions were truly heinous and unforgivable.

 Chapter 629: Combination

    <h4>Chapter 629: Combination</h4>


    "By the way, why did Bridges target you?" Yuga suddenly inquired.


    Phoebe replied, "Since you are aware of the existence of Ghost World Envoys, you should also be familiar with our duties."


    Yuga nodded in response.


    The duty of Ghost World Envoys was to assist certain departed souls who couldn''t enter the Ghost World under normal circumstances.


    "Some time ago, I received news that the number of departed souls in Verdanturf Town had been abnormally increasing. So, I took the opportunity of granting you the title toe and investigate. That''s when I encountered Bridges in the forest," Phoebe exined.


    Yuga furrowed his brow. "Is his involvement rted to the abnormal increase in departed souls?"


    Phoebe took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, he was boosting his power by having his Ghost-type Pok��mon absorb the life energy of other Pok��mon. I suspect that''s how he managed to raise his Pok��mon to Champion level. The Petalburg Forest is densely popted with Pok��mon, so the disappearance of a few wouldn''t attract much attention. This is likely the reason he concealed his true strength."


    Yuga agreed with her exnation, but he believed that Bridges breaking through to the Champion level probably involved more than just absorbing the life energy of other Pok��mon.


    However, due to his need to keep Muya''s existence a secret, Yuga couldn''t tell Phoebe that Bridges'' presence in Verdanturf Town might be rted to Muya.


    Ghost-type Trainers were often the most susceptible to going astray, leading most people to have an unfavorable impression of Ghost-type Pok��mon. For instance, Ghost-type Elite Four Agatha in the Kanto region, despite her high standing in the League, couldn''t escape the eerie and frightening image associated with Ghost-types.


    In reality, the majority of Ghost-type Pok��mon were kind-hearted, and their strange abilities were what made them seem terrifying.


    Take Agatha for example. She is a bit strict at best, and her character is definitely not as bad as outsiders imagine.


    Likewise, Phoebe, as the Ghost World Envoy, might havee across as aloof and cold to the outside world. Yuga suspected this was rted to her identity as a Ghost World Envoy.


    After chatting with Phoebe for a while, Yuga escorted her out of the gym, entrusting the matter of Bridges to her and the League.


    Once Phoebe had left, Yuga headed to the Ecopark.


    On a hill in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, Yuga had built a nest for Dragonite''s mother, modeled after the one in Petalburg Forest.


    With Pok��mon that had Rock and Ground abilities in the Ecopark, constructing nests was an effortless task.


    Dragonite''s mother was very satisfied with her new home. She moved her belongings into the nest and settled infortably.


    As for Duddrigon, following their agreement, it stayed behind to assist Dragonite''s mother as her errand runner.


    Initially, Duddrigon felt a bit reluctant, but the thought of afortable environment and abundant food and drink in the Ecopark put its mind at ease.


    Staying here was much morefortable than in Petalburg Forest.


    Once Dragonite''s mother and Duddrigon had settled, Yuga went to the Ghost Sea and called forth Gengar and Mismagius.


    Back in the forest, the rushed circumstances had prevented Yuga from thoroughly examining their changes after their breakthrough.


    Yuga noticed that after their recent breakthrough, all traces of the mutated energy within his Shadow Space had vanished, leaving only a faint lingering energy from the Ghost World Origin Stone.


    Just as Gengar had imed before, after reaching Elite level, they were indeed capable of locking away the issue of energy leakage from the Shadow Space.


    So now, even if Mashadow''s seal has been broken, Yuga doesn''t have to worry about when some Ghost-type Pok��mon will appear inexplicably around him.


    When Gengar and Mismagius floated side by side above the Ghost Sea, Yuga felt as though they had merged into one.


    When Yuga closed his eyes and used his special ability to sense them, he could only feel the presence of a single Pok��mon in front of him, a truly peculiar sensation.


    After Gengar and Mismagius emerged, the spirits in the Ghost Sea and the Haunted Manor, including the Litwicks and Lampents, seemed to sense something. They appeared around Gengar and Mismagius, gazing at them with a mixture of fear and longing.


    (Note: After living in the Ghost Sea for some time, some of the Litwicks had evolved into Lampents.)


    Yuga then noticed something unusual. Gengar and Mismagius''s eyes briefly emitted a purple light, and an inexplicable pressure enveloped them, causing the Litwicks and Lampents to submit to their presence.


    Yuga quickly realized that this was an enhanced version of some of his King of Ghost abilities.


    One of the King of Ghost abilities was the power to suppress andmand certain Ghost-type Pok��mon. However, the effects of this power were generally limited, and themanding ability was weak, so Yuga rarely used it. But today, he witnessed an upgraded version of this ability in Gengar and Mismagius.


    Gengar and Mismagius effortlessly suppressed andmanded numerous Litwicks and Lampents.


    It wasn''t surprising that Gengar and Mismagius gained such abilities after their breakthroughs, as their advancements were closely linked to the Ghost World Origin Stone.


    At this moment, the Chandelure, residing in the uppermost part of the manor, also appeared in the Ghost Sea. When it saw Gengar and Mismagius, its golden eyes flickered intensely but ultimately chose to submit.


    Seeing how Gengar and Mismagius could easily suppress even pseudo-Elite level Chandelure, Yuga realized that they were indeed very powerful.


    Subsequently, Yuga tested their strength.


    While in the forest, Yuga had witnessed them performing abination technique, but he hadn''t thoroughly assessed theirbat capabilities.


    Their opponent was naturally Lapras.


    Yuga didn''t have them battle Lapras separately; instead, he had them team up against one Lapras.


    A single Gengar or Mismagius couldn''t match Lapras with purple potential and Kyogre''s genes on it body. Although Lapras was in the Intermediate Elite level Pok��mon, its practicalbat abilities were far superior to most peak Elite level Pok��mon.


    The oue of the battle surprised Yuga.


    Neither side emerged as the clear victor; it was a draw.


    During the battle, Gengar and Mismagius seemed to merge into one, just as Yuga had sensed with his special abilities. Together, they exhibited an aura that was no less intimidating than Lapras''s.


    Considering that Lapras had never lost a battle against Pok��mon below Champion level since its breakthrough, even when it facing opponents like Mega Metagross.


    The fact that Gengar and Mismagius, who had just entered the Elite level, held their ground was astonishing.


    Bridges'' two Pok��mon, the Frosss and Bte, who had also just entered the Champion level, couldn''tst long against Lapras.


    Gengar and Mismagius''bined space-altering abilities were formidable, and even Lapras''s peak Elite level strength couldn''t break through it.


    Yuga couldn''tprehend the changes that had urred during the battle, but since it was a positive development, he didn''t dwell on it.


    With this pair of Pok��mon protecting him up close, what more could he worry about?

 Chapter 630: Failure

    <h4>Chapter 630: Failure</h4>


    The next day, Phoebe returned to the Verdanturf gym and found Yuga.


    She told Yuga that she was nning to take Bridges back to the League headquarters. Before leaving, she left two items for Yuga: a Gengar Mega Evolution Stone and a Key Stone.


    Phoebe''s Gengar Mega Evolution Stone was her own, while the Key Stone belonged to Bridges.


    Originally, Yuga''s spoils should have included Bridges'' Sableye Mega Evolution Stone, but Phoebe knew that Yuga didn''t have a Sableye, so she decided to rece it with her own Gengar Mega Evolution Stone.


    Phoebe had just acquired her Gengar Mega Evolution Stone, but she didn''t have a Gengar herself and hadn''t had the opportunity to raise one, so giving it to Yuga worked out perfectly.


    Of course, besides repaying Yuga for saving her life, Phoebe had her own selfish reasons.


    Because she happened to have a Sableye, swapping her Gengar Mega Evolution Stone for Yuga''s Sableye Mega Evolution Stone was a win-win situation for both of them.


    After Phoebe left, Yuga looked at the Gengar Mega Evolution Stone and the Key Stone lying side by side in the box. He was happy about receiving the Gengar Mega Evolution Stone, but he couldn''t help but feel troubled about what to do with the Key Stone. After all, he already had one.


    If only he had known about this sooner he woulnd''t trade the Metagross Mega Evolution Stone For Key Stone with Steven! Yuga sighed.


    Then, Yuga left the gym and went to a jewelry store.


    After obtaining the Key Stone from Steven, Yuga had visited this jewelry store to custom-make two pieces of jewelry for embedding the Venusaur Mega Evolution Stone and the Key Stone.


    When Yuga arrived at the jewelry store, the owner had been waiting for him for a while. As a Gym Leader in Verdanturf Town, Yuga received a warm wee from the store owner.


    Yuga had only been in the store for a short while when an employee approached him, carrying a wooden tray.


    The employee ced the tray on the table, and the store owner, smiling, pointed to the two items in the tray, saying, "Gym Leader Yuga, these two items were crafted ording to your specifications. Please have a look, and if there''s anything unsatisfactory, we can make further adjustments."


    Yuga picked up one of the items and examined it.


    It was arge earring designed to embed the Venusaur Mega Evolution Stone.


    The other item was a ne meant for embedding the Key Stone.


    Seeing that both items had been crafted ording to his specifications, Yuga nodded in satisfaction and said, "They''re both excellent."


    The store owner breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That''s great to hear."


    Then, Yuga took out the Venusaur Mega Evolution Stone and the Key Stone and ced them on the tray, saying, "Please go ahead and embed these two stones."


    The store owner nodded and said, "Certainly, please wait a moment. We''ll have it done quickly."


    The embedding of the Key Stone and Mega Evolution Stone was a swift process. In less than half an hour, the employee returned with the tray, and the two stones were perfectly embedded in the jewelry.


    With the two pieces of jewelry in hand, Yuga eagerly returned to the gym and released Venusaur.


    Venusaur''s right ear had already been pierced in preparation for wearing the Mega Evolution Stone earring.


    Yuga had considered directly attaching the Mega Evolution Stone ring to Venusaur, but his Venusaur was muchrger than the average Venusaur, making it awkward to wear. So, he had opted for the earring.


    As a Grass-type Pok��mon with strong regenerative abilities, having an ear pierced was a minor inconvenience for Venusaur.


    Venusaur hadrge ears, and the earring was hidden within its ear canal. Unless you looked closely, it was difficult to notice that Venusaur had something on its ear.


    But this arrangement was ideal since Mega Evolution was a hidden trump card that could be concealed.


    Yuga nned to embed the Key Stone in a simr manner with a ne, making it easy to hide under his clothing when needed.


    While at the jewelry store, Yuga had considered custom-making a special piece of jewelry for Gengar''s Mega Evolution Stone, but Gengar outright refused.


    It took the Gengar Mega Evolution Stone from Yuga''s hand, much to Yuga''s surprise, and swallowed it before patting its round belly.


    Well, if that works for you, then so be it.


    Yuga shrugged and let it be.


    After fitting Venusaur with the Mega Evolution Stone earring, Yuga wanted to test if it could undergo Mega Evolution. However, he had concerns about potential incidents, simr to Robert''s rampaging Gyarados.


    Venusaur''s strength was not on par with Robert''s Gyarados, making Yuga unsure about what might happen during Mega Evolution. However, Yuga knew that whether a Pok��mon would go berserk during Mega Evolution depended more on the bond between the Pok��mon and its trainer rather than its innate strength.


    If it were Pok��mon like Florges, Absol, or Chimecho, Yuga wouldn''t worry at all. But with Venusaur, he couldn''t be entirely sure. After all, his time with Venusaur hadn''t been as long, and he hadn''t raised it from a young age.


    The same reasoning applied to Gengar.


    Nevertheless, Yuga decided to give it a try, and he knew he could intervene if anything went awry. Before attempting Mega Evolution, Yuga released Florges. In case of an emergency, Florges could intervene.


    However, when Florges looked at Yuga, it seemed like it had something to say but ultimately kept silent.


    Yuga patted Venusaur''s head and asked, "Venusaur, are you ready?"


    With a determined look in its eyes, Venusaur nodded in response.


    Yuga retrieved the Key Stone ne from around his neck, held the Key Stone in his hand, and said, "Let''s Mega Evolve, Venusaur."


    At that moment, colorful energy tendrils extended from Yuga''s hand and intertwined with the white energy tendrils extending from the Venusaur Mega Evolution Stone.


    Yuga could feel the strange emotional fluctuations transmitted through those tendrils��trust, affection, determination, joy, and more��all intense and passionate.


    Yuga realized that these emotions wereing from Venusaur, and suddenly, he felt a deep sense of guilt.


    Did he truly deserve such strong feelings from Venusaur?


    As these emotions surged, the intertwined tendrils of colored and white light suddenly shattered, disappearingpletely. The Mega Evolution attempt had failed.


    The intense emotions that Venusaur had been transmitting abruptly stopped, and Yuga returned from the state of attempting Mega Evolution.


    Both Venusaur and Yuga stared wide-eyed, not understanding what had just happened. Only Florges, standing nearby, let out a resigned sigh.


    "Florges..."


    I knew it would turn out this way.


    Florges patted Yuga on the back.


    "What just happened?" Yuga''s head was spinning.


    He had been worried about Venusaur going berserk, but now, he couldn''t even initiate Mega Evolution. It was almostical.


    Seeing Venusaur''s dejected expression, Yuga felt a pang of guilt.


    "Don''t be sad; it''s not your fault," Yuga reassured it.


    Indeed, Yuga knew that the failure to Mega Evolve was not Venusaur''s fault. The emotions transmitted by Venusaur had been so vivid and wholehearted.


    Yuga had never experienced such emotions before��the feeling of being unconditionally trusted, the sensation of being wholeheartedly entrusted.


    Faced with these emotions, Yuga couldn''t ce the me for the failed Mega Evolution attempt on Venusaur.


    Yuga reflected on his own feelings: Did he reciprocate Venusaur''s emotions in the same way?


    Yes, he realized he had doubted Venusaur''s capabilities even before attempting Mega Evolution because he believed their bond wasn''t strong enough. However, theck of connection wasn''t on Venusaur''s part; it was on his own. Otherwise, why would he have been so skeptical about Venusaur''s abilities even before they began?

 Chapter 631: Medicham

    <h4>Chapter 631: Medicham</h4>


    Florges had long noticed that their trainer, Yuga, had some issues with his mindset, although it wasn''t as deep as he imagined.


    Florges simply believed that if Yuga wanted Venusaur to undergo Mega Evolution, he needed to have at least some trust in it. He shouldn''t be so anxious and hesitant even before trying it.


    As expected, the Mega Evolution attempt ultimately failed.


    Having identified his own shorings, Yuga didn''t rush to experiment with Mega Evolution on Venusaur anymore, and Gengar''s Mega Evolution was put on hold as well.


    This situation weighed heavily on Venusaur, as it med itself for the failed attempt. Yuga spent a long timeforting it, emphasizing that it wasn''t at fault, until its emotions returned to normal.


    Starting from that day, Yuga rxed his training of the Pok��mon and began trying to understand them better, learning how to bond with them.


    This applied not only to Venusaur but also to all his main Pok��mon, including Gengar and Mismagius. Yuga was seeking better ways to connect with them.


    They weren''t just his pets, bodyguards, or fighters; they were his closestpanions, beings he could entrust his life to.


    Yuga felt that his Pok��mon''s strength had improved quickly enough, and taking a little break wouldn''t hurt.


    Recently, the newly evolved Vespiquen in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark had been busy constructing a new Amber Castle. Whenever Yuga had spare time, he would visit and lend a hand.


    Since Vespiquen had only recently evolved and hadn''t produced the Combees under hermand yet, there was a shortage ofbor while building Amber Castle. Yuga would assist whenever he visited.


    However, Yuga believed Vespiquen had done an excellent job in persuading Ribombee. He was confident that they would soon see the birth of new Combee.


    Upon leaving the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, Yuga suddenly heard sounds of battleing from the main Ecopark. Curious, he went to investigate and was pleasantly surprised to find that a Medicham was sparring with a Gade.


    These Medidite had been living in the Ecopark for a long time without evolving. Unexpectedly, one of them had just evolved today.


    Yuga counted the remaining Medidite and confirmed that one was missing. After evolving into Medicham, its strength was now on par with Gade, and the two were engaged in an intense battle.


    Meanwhile, Gardevoir (female) stood by with her child, watching the battle between her mate and Medicham. Other Medidite observed from the sidelines.


    Currently, Gade, Gardevoir (female), Gardevoir (male), and five Ralts including their offspring were living together. They trained together daily, and their bonds were extremely strong.


    Gade'' family had sessfully emerged from their past shadows, and Medidite yed a significant role in it.


    The Medicham and Gade'' spar ended with no clear winner.


    After the sparring, Medicham gathered the other Medidite and began to "teach" them. In no time, Yuga witnessed the evolution light enveloping four of them.


    When the evolution light dissipated, four brand-new Medicham stood in their ce.


    Yuga hadn''t expected five Medidite to evolve all at once today, but he also noticed that these five evolving Medidite were the first ones to enter the Ecopark.


    As the first group of Pok��mon to enter the Ecopark, it had taken them a long time to evolve. It was a testament to their perseverance.


    The remaining six Medidite, seeing their predecessors evolve one by one, couldn''t help but feel envious. Gade, along with his family, approached to congratte them.


    During the daytime, there weren''t many Pok��mon in the main Ecopark.


    Audino and Wigglytuff had already moved to the room next to Yuga''s. Great Flygon usually spent its free time sunbathing on the roof. The Linoone and Mightyena pair was responsible for patrolling around the Day Care and the gym during the day. The two Mr. Mime often mingled with the Miltanks.


    On regr days, the main Ecopark was upied by Medidite, Gade'' family, Ralts and Gardevoir (male), making their bonds the closest.


    However, the Gardevoir (male) was currently nestled by the weather tree, and Yuga didn''t know what it was up to. Yuga assumed it didn''t want to see him and didn''t pay it much attention.


    When Yuga approached, Gade'' family happily greeted him.


    Gade'' family was immensely grateful to Yuga. It was Yuga who had helped them escape their past, allowing them to lead the peaceful and happy lives they enjoyed now.


    The Medicham group noticed Yuga''s arrival and eagerly demonstrated their newly acquired skills from evolving.


    Yuga noticed that all five Medicham had learned the Meditate move while evolving.


    Meditate was a strengthening move that enhanced a Pok��mon''s physical attacks.


    Excluding inherited moves, there were few Pok��mon that could naturally learn this move through leveling up. It included Hitmonlee, Drowzee line, Mime Jr. line, Medidite line, and the Mienfoo line.


    However, Hitmonlee had a much harder time grasping the Meditate movepared to the Medidite and Mienfoo lines. When it came to using it in battles, the Medicham group''s progress was quite slow. In normal battles, this slow strengthening pace wouldn''t suffice.


    But all of that could be improved through training.


    Just like the Quiver Dance of Vivillon and Bellossom, or the Sword Dance of Absol, these skills weren''t easy to master from the start.


    This was Yuga''s first time encountering Medicham, and he realized the remarkable synergy between Medicham and the Meditate move, especially whenbined with their Pure Power ability. It significantly boosted Medicham''s attack capabilities.


    Yuga was only now realizing the potential of Medicham, especially whenbined with the Meditate move, which they learned immediately upon evolution.


    The number of Medidite and Medicham in the Ecopark was still rtively low, but Yuga believed that once their numbers increased, the Medidite line would undoubtedly be a highlight of the YoYo Day Care.


    Yuga wasn''t in a hurry to let the Medidite reproduce before they evolved. He believed that Pok��mon, when evolved to their final forms, would produce healthier offspring with the potential for greater talents.


    The evolution of Pok��mon is the sublimation of life. The higher the life level of Pok��mon, the offspring they give birth to may have higher potential.


    Yuga''s spection was primarily based on the talents of pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon.


    pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon, with their lowest potential being in the green category, were known for having the highest life level among ordinary Pok��mon.


    ��


    Note: In the new version of Sword and Shield, Ralts, Kirlia, Gardevoir, and Gade have been added to the Human-Like group, ovepping with Medidite and Medicham in the Egg group. The author is unsure whether to include Ralts and Medidite in future breeding.


    Hitmonlee naturally learns the Meditate move upon evolving. However, it was mentioned earlier in this book that learning moves would be more challenging, not just a matter of reaching a certain level or evolving. Some Pok��mon might acquire them naturally, while others might require training. There''s no specific rule.


    Additionally, the book doesn''t often mention the use of TM (Technical Machine) moves, as Pok��mon can learn these moves through other Pok��mon teaching them. This setting remains unchanged by default.

 Chapter 632: Matchmaking

    <h4>Chapter 632: Matchmaking</h4>


    Before leaving the Ecopark, Yuga instructed the Medicham to practice yoga poses diligently and, in the process, teach Medidite the skill as well.


    Although Medidite could learn this skill through leveling up, none of Yuga''s Medidite had grasped it until they evolved into Medicham.


    Not long after Yuga departed from the Ecopark, he received a call from Steven. It was unclear what Steven had said during the call, but Yuga''s expression shifted from surprise to delight.


    After ending the call with Steven, Yuga headed to the new store.


    With time, Auntie Hisako had be exceptionally adept at handling her current job.


    Upon Yuga''s arrival at the store, Auntie Hisako was greeting customers with a cheerful smile.


    The Pok��mon and Pok��mon Eggs at the new store were low potential Pok��mon, so most of the customers were local residents of the Verdanturf Town. This made Auntie Hisako''s work rtively easy.


    After all, it was rare for someone from afar to travel all the way to Verdanturf Town just to purchase a low potential Pok��mon.


    Now that the Verdanturf Gym had its own Pok��mon Trade Machine, he didn''t need to go to the Pok��mon Center to transport their Pok��mon. Many customers who purchased Pok��mon at the new store made it through online orders.


    As the store''s reputation gradually spread, Grass-type Pok��mon from the new store with a proficiency in Grassy Terrain moves became popr. The customer base expanded beyond just local residents of Verdanturf Town.


    These Grass-type Pok��mon, despite their low potential, were affordable and easy to raise, making them a preferred choice for many ordinary families.


    However, the new store had its own rules.


    While purchasing Pok��mon at the new store didn''t require customers to be physically present like the old store, it still necessitated the presentation of valid identification through video verification.


    Only after verifying their identity would YoYo Day Care sell Pok��mon to customers and register them.


    This process ensured that Pok��mon sold by YoYo Day Care would find good homes, to a great extent.


    Of course, this was rtive.


    This procedure wasn''t cumbersome, so most customers were willing to cooperate. Up to this point, YoYo Day Care hadn''t encountered any troublesome customers in this regard.


    With the growing reputation of YoYo Day Care and the fact that the owner was a legitimate Gym Leader, many people felt that purchasing Pok��mon from YoYo Day Care was safe and trustworthy, leading to a thriving business.


    Gym Leader were among the most familiar League officials to ordinary citizens, after the Elite Four. They were also more readily epted by the public.


    However, Yuga wasn''t here today to see Auntie Hisako; he was here to meet Lain.


    This was because just now, Steven had informed Yuga that he had introduced a business deal rted to incense to YoYo Day Care.


    Although the Devon Corporation was arge enterprise, it had no industry rted to incense.


    There was simply no connection between the Devon Corporation, a modern andprehensivepany, and traditional incense crafting.


    Devon Corporation was rtively young, and it was evident that traditional craftsmanship wasn''t their forte.


    For instance, even though they sold Pok�� Balls, they didn''t offer handcrafted Pok�� Balls like Mr. Kurt from Johto region do.


    However, whether it was handcrafted Pok�� Balls or incense craftsmanship, both were highly profitable industries.


    As a result, typical incense was produced in specialized incense-making factories and sold through dedicated retail stores. Their owners seldom coborated with others, as incense crafting was their pride.


    In contrast, YoYo Day Care''s incense seemed quite unusual because it wasn''t a specialized incense-making ce; their primary business was Pok��mon sales.


    Steven''s business deal was connected to an aristocratic school.


    This school shared its location with the Devon Corporation''s headquarters, both situated in Rustboro City. It was a specialized Trainer school that trained the children of wealthy families.


    The school had a facility dedicated to Pok��mon training for its students called the "Incense Training Room."


    In different Incense Training Rooms, various types of incense were burned year-round to cater to the different needs of the students when they trained with their Pok��mon.


    This implied that the aristocratic school consumed a significant amount of incense annually and monthly.


    Of course, the school didn''t offer this training room for free, but the students attending were from wealthy families and could generally afford it.


    It had to be acknowledged that this was a substantial business deal.


    Steven''s father, Joseph Stone, was good friends with the school''s principal. A few days ago, the principal had invited Steven to give a performance for the school''s students, and Steven had taken the opportunity to connect Yuga with them.


    However, the school originally had its own supplier, so for Yuga to secure this business, the quality of his incense had to surpass that of the current supplier.


    Fortunately, when Steven had left Verdanturf Town earlier, he had bought some incense and introduced it to the school. They had tried it out, and they were very satisfied with the quality of YoYo Day Care''s incense.


    Still, they couldn''t make a decision solely based on Steven''s rmendation. After all, this was a significant deal, and the school''s annual expenditure on incense was not a small sum.


    Therefore, they requested a visit to YoYo Day Care to inspect the incense themselves before making a decision. If the quality of all of YoYo Day Care''s incense met the standard demonstrated by Steven, they would enter into a supply agreement with YoYo Day Care.


    Yuga hadn''t expected Steven to be so helpful, but he knew that the reason Steven had gone to such lengths was because of their exchange involving the Metagross Mega Evolution Stone.


    Just a few days ago, when Yuga had obtained the Key Stone from Bridges, he had beenining about how he losing money in the deal with Steven.


    Now, in hindsight, Yuga felt like he had profited immensely. After all, he had no use for a Metagross Mega Evolution Stone, and rather than letting it gather dust, converting it into tangible benefits made more sense.


    Moreover, Steven hadpensated him earlier, covering the price difference between the Key Stone and the pseudo-Legendary Mega Evolution Stone with his own credit.


    Reflecting on it now, Yuga realized that if this business deal went through, he would be at a significant advantage.


    When Yuga entered Lain''s personal workspace, she waspletely absorbed in figuring out ways to improve the efficiency of incense production and hadn''t noticed Yuga''s arrival.


    Over this period, the medicinal herbs cultivated in the Ecopark had gradually matured, essentially meeting the material requirements for incense production, achieving self-sufficiency.


    Lain herself was an incense enthusiast. With an ample supply of materials, she spent most of her day working in her studio. Consequently, in recent days, the store had umted a substantial stock of finished incense products.


    Incense was a high-endmodity, so it couldn''t be sold in the same manner as Pok��blocks, for example, where you could simply sell as much as you had.


    Sometimes, Yuga even wondered if, at this rate, the incense stock in his store might pile up like a mountain.


    If it weren''t for the fact that these materials were grown by himself, with little cost involved, another shop might find themselves in a difficult situation if incense didn''t sell well and they had topensate for their losses.


    It had to be said that Steven''s introduction of this business deal was indeed a timely blessing.

 Chapter 633: Models

    <h4>Chapter 633: Models</h4>


    Yuga approached Lain from behind and gave her shoulder a tap, startling her as she was deeply engrossed in her work.


    "Why are you here? You just gave me a fright," Lain eximed, patting her chest and exhaling.


    By her side, the Whimsicott and Lilligant, who were assisting her, mimicked her actions, patting their chests and exhaling.


    Since Lain was Ryuuichi''s adopted daughter, her Pok��mon were all Grass-types. However, she wasn''t a Pok��mon Trainer, so she didn''t have many Pok��mon, only the Whimsicott and Lilligant.


    Both of these Pok��mon had good levels and potential, but since they didn''t often battle and didn''t have many training opportunities, theirbat abilities and alertness were rtively low. If they had been different Pok��mon focused on battles, Yuga''s quiet arrival would have already raised their guard.


    "I''ve told you before, there''s no need for you to stay in the workshop all the time. It''s nice to take a break asionally," Yuga said helplessly.


    Lain waved her hand nonchntly. "No need, I like it here."


    Yuga sighed; he had said this multiple times, but it had no effect. "Can''t you two persuade her asionally?" Yuga turned his gaze to the Whimsicott and Lilligant.


    The Whimsicott and Lilligant both shrugged in response, shaking their heads with an expression of helplessness. Clearly, they understood their owner''s temperament all too well.


    Recently, Lain had discovered that she could extract a special fragrance from her Pok��mon''s aromatherapy, which could enhance the quality of her incense. However, extracting this fragrance was challenging, and Lain was trying to improve the efficiency of this extraction process, which made her even more absorbed in her work than usual.


    "Ah..." Being overly diligent as an employee was something that worried the boss; they might work themselves to death! Yuga thought to himself, feeling like he couldn''t exin this to Ryuuichi.


    Yuga changed the topic, "By the way, I''ve taken on a significant business deal, and the clients will being soon to inspect the quality of our incense. Please prepare in advance."


    Lain nodded indifferently; she had full confidence in the quality of the incense she created and wasn''t afraid of anyone''s inspection.


    "Oh, and try these new incense models I''ve recently developed. See how they differ from the previous ones."


    Lain casually pushed several small porcin boxes of different colors in front of Yuga.


    Yuga, intrigued, picked up a pink porcin box and used his fingers to take a whiff. Inside was Rose incense. The scent of this Rose incense was even more distant and lingering than the previous version, though it was somewhat lighter, it smelled even better.


    Seeing Yuga''s expression, Lain knew that the new incense was a sess.


    Without waiting for Yuga to react, she picked up another pink box. "Try this one."


    Yuga took the porcin box and opened it; it contained Rose incense as well. Outwardly, it didn''t appear any different from the previous version.


    Yuga again picked up a bit and smelled it. This version had a richer scentpared to the previous one, with a Sweet Scent that gave off an enchanting feeling.


    Seeing that Yuga had finished sampling it, Lain picked up the one he had just smelled. "For this version, I''ve added extracts with a Sweet Scent inspired by the previous one. I haven''t fully tested its specific effects yet, but it won''tpromise the incense''s original efficacy."


    Yuga''s eyes lit up. "So, will this effect affect the incense''s original function?"


    Lain gave Yuga a sly look. "If it were to affect the incense''s primary function, what would be the point of researching these? "


    "Cough, cough... You''re right," Yuga replied awkwardly, feeling overly excited. With these new incense variations, he had no doubt that business would thrive even more.


    "What about this one?"


    Yuga raised the one he was holding in his hand.


    This one tastes different from the one just now, and it also tastes different from the original version. I think it was newly developed by Lain.


    "The effects of the Rose incense, I''ve actually tested them. They enhance the training efficiency of Grass-type Pok��mon by about twenty percentpared to the previous version," Lain exined.


    Yuga, upon hearing this, was pleasantly surprised. "That''s quite impressive! You''re indeed a genius."


    Lain, who was passionate about her incense research, paid no heed to Yuga''s ttery. Instead, she pointed to several other boxes of incense and continued, "These are all incenses infused with extracts from Aromatherapy. Besides the changes in scent, they all have the effect of healing abnormal statuses in Pok��mon."


    Yuga took a look at the boxes, which included Sea Incense, Wave Incense, Rock Incense, Odd Incense, Full Incense, Luck Incense, and Lax Incense. There was one notable absence: Pure Incense.


    Seeing Yuga''s curiosity, Lain exined, "Pure Incense is meant for repelling Pok��mon, so adding this type of fragrance doesn''t make much sense."


    Yuga nodded in agreement; it made sense.


    Lain then pointed to several other boxes of incense that contained extracts with a Sweet Scent, saying, "These are newly developed incense variations. Their specific effects haven''t been fully tested yet, so I''d appreciate your help."


    Yuga patted his chest, saying confidently, "You can count on me."


    With that, Yuga left Lain''s workshop with the incense samples.


    He took these incenses directly to the Ecopark, the best ce to test the new incense''s effects.


    And so, the experiment to test the effects of these new incenses continued for a whole week. With arge number of Pok��mon as test subjects, Yuga was able to gain a good understanding of the effects of these incenses.


    Unlike the incense infused with Aromatherapy extracts, the incenses with Sweet Scent extracts didn''t change the core effects of most of the incenses. In fact, they improved the effects, except for Full Incense, which had an increase in side effects.


    Full Incense originally relied on the illusions generated by incense to train a Pok��mon''s reaction speed. However, the version with Sweet Scent extracts was so potent that it caused Pok��mon to be disoriented, rendering it ineffective for training and even detrimental in some cases.


    Yuga attempted to reduce the quantity of Sweet Scent extracts in Full Incense, but it was still ineffective. Even a tiny amount of the extract significantly intensified the incense''s effects.


    However, the remaining incenses had their effects optimized.


    Lax Incense, in particr, had a calming effect on Pok��mon. Even enraged Pok��mon would have their emotions soothed. In specific situations, this incense''s effect was exceptionally potent.


    The effects of the Odd Incense were simr to those of the Rose incense, enhancing the efficiency of Psychic-type Pok��mon''s meditation by approximately twenty percent.


    After understanding the effects of these new incenses, Yuga couldn''t help but admire Lain''s talent.


    The process of optimizing incense with the Sweet Scent extracts and Aromatherapy extracts wasn''t as simple as adding them directly. It involvedplex steps, subtle changes within the incense, and adjustments in the quantity of incense materials.

 Chapter 634: Presentation

    <h4>Chapter 634: Presentation</h4>


    On the third day after confirming the effectiveness of the new incense, Steven called Yuga to inform him that the representatives from the school were already on the way to Verdanturf Town.


    This noble Pok��mon Trainer school, known as the Trust Comprehensive Trainer Academy, was located in Rustboro City. It was a specialized institution that epassed everything from beginner to advanced Trainer education. Whether one was a traditional Trainer, a Coordinator, a Breeder, a Pok��mon Doctor, or a professional Referee, this school weed students of all specialties. Overall, thisprehensive academy had gained a good reputation within the Hoenn region.


    Naturally, such a prestigious school came with exorbitant tuition fees, earning it the reputation of a school for the elite.


    On the morning of the second day after receiving Steven''s call, a young man and woman from the Trust Academy arrived at the YoYo Day Care. After verifying their identities, Yuga weed them into a meeting room within the Day Care.


    The man, who appeared to be in his early thirties, was the one in charge. His name was Ferreira, and he served as the head of the Academy''s Logistics Department.


    Ferreira was tall and well-built, dressed in a ck suit with a tie. His neatlybed hair was swept back, and he had a stern expression, giving him an air of precision.


    Despite his serious appearance, Ferreira was not difficult to get along with. He was polite and carried himself with a demeanor befitting a representative of a prestigious school, exuding a teacher-like quality.


    The woman thate with him was much younger, around twenty years old. ording to Ferreira''s introduction, she was his assistant named Isa. However, Yuga suspected that Isa was rtively new to her role. She appeared extremely nervous, following closely behind Ferreira and rarely speaking.


    Upon entering the meeting room, Yuga invited both of them to take a seat. Almost immediately, Audino, brought in some tea. Ferreira got straight to the point, saying, "Let''s skip the formalities. Let''s see what you have."


    Yuga nodded in agreement and gestured to Audino, who, after understanding the cue, left the meeting room.


    Before long, Audino and Wigglytuff each entered with a tray. On the trays were neatly arranged porcin boxes of various colors, each containing a different type of incense.


    Audino ced the tray in front of Ferreira, while Wigglytuff set the tray in front of Isa.


    Yuga made a gesture, saying, "Feel free to look. We hope that the quality of our incense here at the YoYo Day Care will meet the Trust Academy''s satisfaction."


    Ferreira nodded in acknowledgment to both Yuga and Audino, saying, "Thank you."


    Isa, who was sitting beside him, noticed their exchange and hurriedly whispered a thank you to Wigglytuff.


    Ferreira picked up one of the incense boxes and carefully smelled it. As the Head of Logistics at the Trust Academy, he had experience with a wide variety of incenses and could easily discern the quality of each.


    Without a doubt, the incense before him was of top-notch quality. Whether it was the materials used or the craftsmanship, there was nothing to fault.


    Setting down the box he had examined, Ferreira turned to Isa, who was still daydreaming. He shot her a reproachful look, clearly frustrated with herck of attentiveness.


    Isa blushed when she snapped back to reality and hastily followed Ferreira''s example, picking up one of the incense boxes and taking a sniff.


    However, it was apparent that Isacked Ferreira''s discerning eye. Other than finding the contents of the box pleasantly fragrant, she couldn''t differentiate much else.


    Seeing Isa''s response, Ferreira shook his head in resignation, no longer paying her much attention. He proceeded to pick up the next type of incense.


    After conducting their examination, Ferreira was confident that the incenses before him were no different from those shown to them by Steven. Nevertheless, he remained cautious and asked, "May I light one to try it out?"


    Yuga smiled and replied, "Of course."


    After speaking, Yuga instructed Audino to bring two incense burners and ced them in front of Ferreira and Isa.


    Yuga, though aware that the youngdy across from him was pretending to be knowledgeable, chose to ignore it. He had Audino prepare a burner for her as well. Yuga had everything prepared; he saw no reason to let the youngdy lose face.


    Ferreira opened the blue porcin box, took a small wooden spoon from the tray, and ced some incense into the burner. He then lit it. Before long, a gentle wisp of smoke filled the room, carrying a unique and refreshing fragrance.


    Ferreira had chosen the Wave Incense, which had a subtle scent of seaweed that was not fishy but rather natural and fresh. Soon, the air in the meeting room began to feel slightly humid, a result of the Wave Incense''s gathering of water-type energy.


    Impressed by the special aroma filling the room, Ferreira was highly satisfied with the incense from the YoYo Day Care.


    After Ferreira tried the Wave Incense, Isa used her burner to test the Rock Incense. Ferreira, too, was pleased with its quality.


    Ferreira didn''t test the remaining types of incense one by one, as using one incense burner would interfere with the effects of another. Mixing scents would not only nullify their effects but also produce unpleasant odors.


    Yuga asked, "How is it, Mr. Ferreira? Are you satisfied?"


    Ferreira took a deep breath and nodded. "Very satisfied. Can Mr. Shimzu guarantee that the goods provided to us will always be of this quality?"


    Yuga smiled and replied, "Of course. Honesty is crucial in business, and I have no reason to deceive you. I rely on you to make a profit."


    Ferreira, rarely showing a smile, was appreciative of Yuga''s honesty. "In that case, we can proceed to sign the supply agreement."


    As long as the quality of the goods was good, everything else was manageable for Ferreira.


    Yuga agreed, "Signing the supply agreement is not a problem. However, we have even higher-quality incense avable. Would Mr. Ferreira like to take a look?"


    Yuga didn''t rush to ept their offer but instead dangled a tempting offer.


    "Higher-quality incense?" Ferreira eximed in surprise. He had just seen one of the best batches of incense among those he had encountered. He couldn''t believe they had something even better.


    Yuga nodded, saying, "Not only is it of higher quality, but it also has unique effects that ordinary incensecks."


    "Oh?" Ferreira''s interest was piqued. "If that''s the case, we certainly wouldn''t want to miss out."


    Ferreira was genuinely interested in the incense with special effects that Yuga mentioned.


    Yuga felt a sense of satisfaction hearing this. The reason he didn''t immediately present the new incense was to create aparison with the regr incense, allowing him to sell the new incense at a higher price. The incense from the YoYo Day Care was already of better quality than what was avable elsewhere, so the newer, superior incense deserved an even higher price.

 Chapter 635: Decline

    <h4>Chapter 635: Decline</h4>


    Under Yuga''s arrangement, he presented various types of new incense to Ferreira one by one and exined the differences between each type of new incense and regr incense.


    After confirming that the new incense''s effects were indeed as Yuga had described, Ferreira didn''t hesitate to decide and signed a supply agreement for the new incense with Yuga without further word.


    The price for the regr incense provided to the Trust Academy was set by Yuga and matched the selling price in the store.


    YoYo Day Care''s incense quality surpassed most others in the market, yet Yuga''s pricing remainedpetitive. This was YoYo Day Care''s pricing advantage and a key reason for its incense rapidly gaining market share.


    The primary reason Yuga could offer these prices was that the production cost of incense at YoYo Day Care was rtively low, although Ferreira was unaware of this. He found Yuga''s pricing fair and didn''t negotiate.


    However, the pricing for the new incense provided to the Trust Academy was 30% higher than that of regr incense.


    Ferreira considered it expensive and wanted to negotiate, but Yuga didn''t budge.


    Currently, Lain''s Sweet Scent and Aromatherapy extraction technology were not yet mature. The production speed of the new incense was far slower than that of regr incense. Considering the technical andbor costs, Yuga was firm on the pricing, leaving Ferreira with no choice but to agree.


    YoYo Day Care''s new incense was currently the only one of its kind in the market, which justified Yuga''s pricing.


    In summary, both parties were quite satisfied with the final oue of the agreement.


    After signing the agreement, Yuga promptly arranged for the delivery to the Trust Academy.


    YoYo Day Care had a sufficient stock of regr incense, allowing Yuga to ship them directly.


    However, the new incense had just been developed, and Lain needed time to produce more. Therefore, Yuga and Ferreira scheduled the delivery for one weekter.


    During this time, Lain needed to focus on producing the new incense.


    Ferreira and Isa didn''t stay long in Verdanturf Town; they returned to Rustboro City the day after negotiations concluded.


    Two days after Ferreira and Isa left Verdanturf Town, Yuga received a call from Phoebe.


    Phoebe informed Yuga of the final disposition of Bridges by the Pok��mon League��revoking his Trainer status and sentencing him to lifelong imprisonment.


    All of Bridges'' Pok��mon, both those in his possession and those at his home, were confiscated by the League. He himself was incarcerated in a special prison.


    Normally, a personmitting the same crimes as Bridges would receive a death penalty, but not in his case.


    He was one of the former Elite Four members, having held the position of Ghost-type Elite Four Member for decades, contributing significantly to the League. The League couldn''t simply execute him.


    The handling of Bridges'' case was kept secret, with strict confidentiality within the League. Soon, the League would announce that Bridges had passed away due to illness.


    As a former Elite Four member, Bridges was still respected among the general public, even admired by many. Many people chose the path of bing Trainers because of him.


    To avoid unnecessary panic, the League had no choice but to handle his disappearance as "passing away due to illness."


    Currently, besides the League''s top officials and Bridges'' family, Yuga was the only one who knew the final oue of this matter.


    Yuga''s qualification to know this information primarily stemmed from his involvement in Bridges'' capture.


    Thanks to this, Yuga had another significant achievement to his name.


    ording to Elite Four Member Phoebe''s revtion, this achievement was about to elevate Yuga''s status as an elite Trainer to that of a senior Trainer, though he still fell a bit short. However, the reward in the form of Merit Points was substantial.


    Merit Points served a dual purpose: they recorded achievements and functioned as currency, often the most direct reward from the League for meritorious members.


    It''s said that after learning of the League''s final decision regarding him, Bridges made ast attempt to escape with his Champion level Pok��mon.


    In fact, he came close to seeding.


    Being a cautious old man, Bridges couldn''t have left things to chance. Astonishingly, his two Champion level Pok��mon escaped under the League''s strict surveince and returned to him.


    In the end, it was Yuga''s master, Mr. Kuni''o, who finally brought him down.


    The Hoenn League was currently in a challenging phase, and finding someone capable of suppressing Champion level Trainers within the League was a difficult task. Ultimately, they had to request Mr. Kuni''o''s intervention.


    The Bridges incident didn''t only affect him personally but also his family and loved ones.


    Most members of the Bridges family, who had held positions within the League, were either dismissed or demoted.


    It could be said that they once greatly respected this old man, but now they harbored strong resentment toward him.


    The truth was cruel.


    Many in their family had reached high positions thanks to Bridges'' protection, and now, due to his downfall, they fell into the dust.


    In the end, although this family had a long-standing heritage, it had declined.


    If it were the Dragon Temple family or the Celestica People n, they would not have suffered so much due to the fall of just one individual unless it was their Master level Trainer.


    However, the most unfortunate were Bridges'' wife, children, and rtives.


    It''s said that his wife and son were unaware of his actions, and they had no idea that Bridges'' former wife and daughter had met their demise at his hands.


    Bridges'' son once held a high position within the League, with a promising future. Now, due to his father''s involvement, he not only lost his job but also faced condemnation from his own conscience and ridicule from those people that know the inside story.


    It wasn''t just his son; Bridges had a highly talented grandson, a pseudo- Elite level Trainer at a young age. After joining the Investigation Bureau, he had achieved remarkable feats and was highly regarded.


    This promising young man, due to his grandfather''s implication, was forced to leave the Bureau. All his previous efforts had turned into nothing.


    Although Bridges'' family members were not at fault themselves, the problem was that they held significant positions within the League.


    The League couldn''t possibly allow the family members of a major criminal to remain in important positions. That would be too risky!


    After learning all these details from Phoebe, Yuga couldn''t help but sigh. Such a prestigious family had fallen into ruin because of one man.


    Yuga knew that this family was already on the path of decline, and from now on, it would likely never recover.


    However, these matters had little to do with Yuga. What truly pleased him was that, after Steven''s introduction to a significant business deal, Phoebe had now introduced an evenrger business opportunity.

 Chapter 636: Bidding

    <h4>Chapter 636: Bidding</h4>


    The business that Phoebe introduced this time wasn''t a coboration with a private organization or individual but directly rted to the League itself.


    The League had an online League Store, something all League Trainers were familiar with.


    In the League Store, various products were avable, from Pok��blocks, held items, incense, evolution stones, attribute gems, and more. If you had Merit Points, there was nothing you couldn''t purchase (a bit exaggerated).


    The business that Phoebe introduced to Yuga this time was supplying the League Store, bing one of the League''s partner merchants.


    Except for monopolized items like attribute gems, many of the products in the League Store weren''t produced by the League itself; they came from League partner businesses, including Pok��blocks and incense.


    However, the League had high standards for such partner businesses. The quality of their products not only had to be top-tier in the market but also required a rmendation from someone within the League.


    Now it was time for the League Store to issue an external bidding, and to repay Yuga for saving her, Phoebe used her authority to rmend YoYo Day Care to the League.


    Yuga had a clean background, was one of the Gym Leaders in the League, and had repeatedly contributed to the League. Now, with the rmendation of Phoebe, a person of real influence, YoYo Day Care easily passed the screening and gained the qualification to participate in the bidding.


    However, this was only the qualification to participate in the bidding. Whether YoYo Day Care''s products could win the League''s favor depended on their own efforts.


    Yet Yuga had always been confident in his own products. He didn''t believe that his merchandise would lose to others, whether it was Pok��blocks or incense.


    Obtaining this bidding opportunity made Yuga very happy.


    As long as the bidding seeded, it meant that through this League-backed tform, YoYo Day Care''s products could truly reach the entire Pok��mon world.


    It had to be said, Phoebe was reallying through.


    However, Phoebe''s willingness to rmend Yuga wasn''t solely because of his life-saving favor. The products from YoYo Day Care were genuinely good.


    When Phoebe left Verdanturf Town, as a token of gratitude to her savior, she purchased many Pok��blocks and incense from YoYo Day Care.


    YoYo Day Care didn''t have Ghost-type Pok��blocks, which Phoebe herself didn''t need, so she gifted the Pok��blocks she bought as presents to others.


    In her view, YoYo Day Care was just a small shop, and she only bought things there out of courtesy to Yuga.


    However, she didn''t expect that after her friends used those Pok��blocks, they all inquired where she had purchased them.


    Phoebe truly didn''t anticipate that YoYo Day Care, this seemingly inconspicuous shop, actually had high quality products. This realization prompted her to try the remaining incense that she hadn''t given away.


    The results once again surprised her; the incense had remarkable effects.


    This made her understand that, like Yuga, YoYo Day Care itself was a hidden gem.


    It was precisely because of this that the rmendation from her to Yuga and YoYo Day Care happened.


    Phoebe wasn''t responsible for the review of the bidding products herself. If YoYo Day Care''s product quality didn''t meet the mark, her rmendation would ultimately be in vain.


    However, after using YoYo Day Care''s products, she had great confidence in both YoYo Day Care and Yuga.


    After ending the call with Yuga, Phoebe sent him the registration form and instructions for League Store partner merchants.


    The registration form was quite simple, requiring only basic information such as the business name, owner, products participating in the bidding, and the rmender.


    Thanks to Phoebe''s earlier rmendation, the League had already registered YoYo Day Care''s information. Now, submitting the registration form was merely a formality to confirm whether the business would participate in the final bidding.


    YoYo Day Care would be bidding with two products: Pok��blocks and incense.


    However, in the end, Yuga thought about it and added Razor Fangs to the list. Regardless of whether it would be sessful or not, participating wouldn''t hurt.


    Originally, Yuga wanted to include Fire Stones with the Razor Fangs, but he decided against it. There was no way to exin their source.


    The Fire Stones extracted from the Volcano Sub-Ecopark had already umted quite a lot. They would probably be sufficient for sale as products. However, once such arge quantity of Fire Stones entered the market, Yuga couldn''t exin their origin.


    He couldn''t just tell people that he had a rich Fire Stone vein. That would be a disaster waiting to happen.


    The bidding for the League Store was still a month away from the current date. During that time, Yuga would need to take the participating products to Lilycove City for the final bidding.


    If the products submitted by YoYo Day Care for bidding were chosen, then from that point forward, the quality of the goods supplied by YoYo Day Care to the League Store must not fall below the quality demonstrated during the bidding.


    The League Store conducted a substantial amount of trade every year, and no single merchant could handle the entire supply. So, for each product, more than one merchant would be sessful in the bidding.


    Because there were many participating merchants, each League Store partner merchant bidding event turned out to be a grand affair.


    Yuga and YoYo Day Care had never participated in such a grand bidding event before, so Phoebe carefully exined many things to him one by one, ensuring that Yuga wouldn''t be left bewildered.


    Bing a partner merchant of the League Store was a great honor for all businesspeople.


    This meant not only recognition of the quality of your products but also that you could use the League''s influence to make more people aware of your products.


    In business, besides the quality of your products, what was the most important thing? Naturally, it was publicity.


    Even if your products were excellent, they would be useless if no one knew about them.


    And the League''s recognition was the best advertisement.


    After submitting the registration form, Yuga went to inform Lain, Misaki, and Anya about this good news. Ultimately, whether YoYo Day Care''s products would be selected depended on them.


    The League Store''s bidding event wasn''t held every year, but only once every five years.


    In other words, once you seeded in the bidding, you gained the qualification to supply the League Store for five consecutive years.


    Of course, if during this period your supplied goods were found to have decreased in quality, the League Store administrators had the authority to terminate the supply agreement immediately.


    This practice might seem harsh, but it ensured the quality of goods in the League Store to the greatest extent.


    Upon receiving Yuga''s notification, Lain and Misaki were equally delighted. They pledged to Yuga that they would give their all.


    If the Pok��blocks and incense they produced could be chosen as products for the League Store, it would be a great honor for them as well.

 Chapter 637: Oversight

    <h4>Chapter 637: Oversight</h4>


    In preparation for the bidding event that would take ce a monthter, everyone at YoYo Day Care was actively getting ready.


    This event marked the first step for YoYo Day Care to step onto the world stage.


    One day, Yuga received a message from the Miltank and went to the dense forest in the Volcano Sub-Ecopark. The reason was that ceon and Leafeon offspring had hatched.


    The two Eevee were lively and adorable as soon as they hatched.


    Perhaps it was because their father was the excellent reon with superior potential and strength. Both Eevee also had outstanding green potential.


    As the first additions to the Eevee family, these two little Eevee were weed by the entire family. Leafeon and ceon, who were their mothers, also received great treatment from their n members.


    Apart from the newly hatched Eevee, the other Pok��mon in the Volcano Sub-Ecopark were also thriving.


    Due to the favorable environment, the two Cyndaquil that lived here had sessfully evolved into Typhlosion. Additionally, the one that had already evolved meant there were now three Typhlosion in total.


    In the family of Ponyta and Rapidash, the earliest Ponytaes, had also evolved into Rapidash. And new Ponyta offspring had also been born, and the poption was growing.


    It was believed that soon, YoYo Day Care''s Fire-type main signature Pok��mon would be ready.


    Perhaps because they had left the ruins and didn''t need to participate in conflicts with Ghost-type Pok��mon, the group of Darumaka were also pregnant after evolving, preparing to raise their offspring.


    It was expected that new Darumaka would be born soon.


    Then there were the three Nales and five Houndoom.


    Because the Nales leader and the Houndoom leader were married, the other Nales and Houndoom usually lived together, just like members of the same n.


    Later, they naturally coupled up, and now they were also preparing to have offspring.


    After leaving the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, Yuga went to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark to gather some materials together with Grass-type Pok��mon to send to Lain. She was running low on backup materials.


    However, as soon as he entered the area, he saw Honchkrow and the Swellow couple flying toward him with great enthusiasm.


    Especially the Swellow, Yuga felt that if it were a human, its mouth should have stretched to the back of its ears by now.


    "What''s the matter? Why are you so happy?" Yuga couldn''t help but wonder.


    However, as the two Pok��mon approached, Yuga was surprised to find that there was a small Murkrow perched on Honchkrow''s broad back.


    This Murkrow was much smaller than the average Murkrow. At the moment, it had a pair of bewildered eyes, looking around while standing on Honchkrow''s back.


    When Honchkrow and the Swellow couplended in front of Yuga, Honchkrow turned its head and gently called out to the small Murkrow on its back.


    Upon hearing this, the small Murkrow pped its wings gently a couple of times and unsteadily jumped down from Honchkrow''s back. It then staggered uponnding but managed to stay upright.


    Yuga could tell that this small Murkrow had just been born. It hadn''t even learned to fly yet, as its previous attempts to p its wings didn''t get it off the ground; it only managed tond unsteadily.


    On the side, the Swellow was watching the small Murkrow with wide eyes, extremely worried. It was afraid that the small Murkrow might fall.


    The doting type, same form, same taste.


    "Is this your child?" Yuga pointed at the casually standing small Murkrow on the ground and asked.


    "Swellow!"


    Yes!


    In response, the Swellow proudly raised its head as if what Yuga was pointing at was not a Murkrow but a mountain of gold. It was acting quite smug.


    Of course, this disy of arrogance from the Swellow once again earned it a re from its wife.


    Upon learning that the small Murkrow was indeed the offspring of Honchkrow and the Swellow, Yuga was genuinely surprised.


    "When was this child born? Why do I know nothing about it? The egg? The Pok��mon egg? Did it skip the Pok��mon egg stage and hatch directly into a Murkrow?" Yuga was filled with questions.


    Naturally, the small Murkrow wasn''t born directly. Like other Pok��mon, it also hatched from a Pok��mon egg.


    The Murkrow''s Pok��mon egg had naturally been there for a while, but as the number of Pok��mon in the Ecopark increased, Yuga had more and more to take care of.


    So when the Murkrow Pok��mon egg hatched, Honchkrow didn''t bother to have Audino and the Miltank inform Yuga.


    As one of the first group of Pok��mon that had followed Yuga, he had a deep affection for Honchkrow and the Swellow.


    But Yuga''s energy was limited, and as the number of Pok��mon in the Ecopark grew, he had less energy to spare for each one.


    Plus, apart from the Ecopark, he had his duties to attend to at the Gym, so things that went unnoticed naturally piled up.


    Feeling thefortable aura from Yuga''s hand, the small Murkrow squinted its eyes and enjoyed being petted by Yuga.


    "I''m sorry; I haven''t been paying enough attention to you all these days," Yuga apologized sincerely to Honchkrow and the Swellow.


    Honchkrow and the Swellow didn''t think much of it. Unlike many Pok��mon that were born in the Ecopark, they both had experienced life in the wild.


    Compared to the uncertainties and challenges of life in the wild, living in the Ecopark was like heaven.


    Now that they were both married and even had children, their offspring would grow up in a safe and secure environment without the worries they faced when they were young. They were more than satisfied with their current life.

 Chapter 638: Dilemma

    <h4>Chapter 638: Dilemma</h4>


    Carrying a sense of guilt, Yuga yed with the small Murkrow for a while before heading to gather the medicinal herbs needed by Lain.


    After collecting the herbs, Yuga had several Tauros carry them to deliver to Lain.


    As he left the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark and entered the main Ecopark, Yuga suddenly heard bursts of unfamiliarughter.


    Theughter was crisp and pleasant, but Yuga couldn''t recall having any Pok��mon in his Ecopark capable of suchughter.


    Just as Yuga was puzzled, he suddenly felt his shoulder being tapped by someone. Turning around, he saw a Gardevoir standing behind him, a slender green arm resting on his shoulder.


    Yuga took a closer look, and who else could it be but Gardevoir (male)?


    In the entire Ecopark, Gardevoir (male) had the most extraordinary Teleport abilities, capable of silently appearing behind Yuga.


    However, Gardevoir (male) had always had a cold attitude toward Yuga. So, why was it acting differently today?


    Just as Yuga was wondering, a voice sounded in his mind, "Hello there!"


    Yuga was startled by this sudden voice and nervously looked around. "Who''s there?"


    "It''s me, it''s me," the Gardevoir (male) in front of him eagerly pointed to itself.


    Now Yuga''s attention was on the Gardevoir (male) before him. Something was off; Gardevoir (male) shouldn''t treat him this way.


    Furthermore, Gardevoir (male) wasn''t capable of telepathy.


    "Who are you?" Realizing that this Gardevoir (male) wasn''t the Gardevoir (male) he knew, Yuga remained surprisingly calm, though his expression was serious.


    How did this Gardevoir (male) manage to get into the Ecopark?


    Yuga remembered that ess to and from the Ecopark required his authorization.


    Unconsciously, Yuga opened his Insight ability and looked at the Unknown Gardevoir in front of him.


    ...


    <<gardevoir>> </gardevoir>


    Type: Psychic, Fairy


    Ability: Synchronize


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Unknown


    Level: Unknown


    Skills: Confusion, Double Team, Teleport, Magical Leaf, Psychic, Moonst, Wonder Room, Stored Power, Misty Terrain, Wish, Healing Wish, Calm Mind, Imprison, Future Sight, Hypnosis, Dream Eater, Sunny Day, Safeguard, Shadow Ball, Reflect, Attract, Energy Ball, Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, Trick Room, Heal Bell, Signal Beam, Heal Pulse.


    ...


    After examining Gardevoir''s condition, Yuga couldn''t help but shiver involuntarily.


    Is this really Gardevoir? Not something else disguised as Gardevoir?


    Yuga had seen Legendary Pok��mon, even more than one, and he knew what the data of Legendary Pok��mon looked like. The current Gardevoir was an exact match.


    While the Potential and level were unknown, the skill slots remained the same. Could an ordinary Pok��mon really reach this level?


    However, ording to his Insight ability, this was indeed an authentic Gardevoir. Its attributes and traits were identical to a regr Gardevoir. The only anomalies were its potential, level, and skills.


    Coincidentally, this was also a male Gardevoir.


    "Who are you, really?" Yuga nced around but didn''t see Gardevoir (male) anywhere. Gardevoir (male) was never supposed to leave the main Ecopark.


    So, what was the rtionship between the Gardevoir before him and Gardevoir (male)?


    "Hehe, why don''t you guess?"


    Gardevoir (male) chuckled, covering its mouth with its hand. Theughter was identical to theughter Yuga had heard when he first entered the main Ecopark.


    The current Gardevoir gives Yuga a strong sense of dissonance.


    Setting aside the special nature of data observed with his Insight ability, her personality is also very strange.


    Once the Ralts evolves to its final form, whether it''s Gade or Gardevoir, their personalities typically be quite mature.


    However, this Gardevoir before him? Its personality was nearly indistinguishable from that of a mischievous Ralts.


    "Who are you exactly? How did you get in here? If you don''t speak up, I''ll take action," Yuga warned as he released his Lapras, a clear tone of caution in his voice.


    "Why so serious? I just wanted to have some fun with you," Gardevoir (male) responded with an unhappy pout after hearing Yuga''s words.


    A mature Gardevoir acting cute made Yuga feel even more uneasy, especially considering it was a male Gardevoir.


    Watching the Lapras poised for action, Gardevoir tilted its head and said, "Alright, I''ve had a good time today. Let''s meet again next time."


    After saying this, Yuga suddenly felt the aura of Gardevoir be different, and it slumped to the ground.


    Yuga, still vignt, continued to watch the unconscious Gardevoir. However, after a short moment of unconsciousness, Gardevoir opened its eyes again.


    Upon waking up, all the difort that had been present moments ago seemed to vanish, reced by a sharp, focused gaze.


    The Gardevoir wake up and immediately used its Teleport ability to put some distance between itself and Yuga, leaving eight yards between them.


    Yuga furrowed his brows upon recognizing the familiar voice, attitude, and tone. It was undoubtedly the Gardevoir he knew, the male Gardevoir.


    But what had just happened? Yuga was puzzled and decided to use his Insight ability once again.


    ...


    <<gardevoir>> </gardevoir>


    Type: Psychic, Fairy


    Ability: Synchronize


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 50


    Moves: Confusion, Shadow Sneak, Teleport, Magical Leaf, Psychic, Moonst, Wonder Space, Calm Mind, Hypnosis, Dream Eater


    ...


    The poential, level, and moves had returned to normal. This Gardevoir (male) was undoubtedly the same one Yuga knew.


    "What just happened? How did you transform like that?" Yuga couldn''t help but ask, looking at his vignt Gardevoir (male).


    Hearing Yuga''s question, Gardevoir (male) initially looked confused but then seemed to understand. However, it pursed its lips and appeared unwilling to exin.


    "I just wanted to know if anything had happened and if you were in danger," Yuga continued.


    Gardevoir (male) remained silent, simply gazing at Yuga.


    Since it wouldn''t answer, Yuga waited in silence. Eventually, seemingly impatient with Yuga''s questioning, Gardevoir (male) used its Teleport ability and disappeared right in front of him.


    Yuga spotted it in the canopy of the Weather Tree. Realizing he wouldn''t get answers, he turned his gaze to the other Pok��mon in the main Ecopark.


    However, after a series of inquiries, including with Medidite, Medicham, Gardevoir (female), and Gade about Gardevoir (male), none of them knew what had happened to Gardevoir (male) (male) and insisted it had been acting normal.


    Split personality? Mutation? Yuga was left with more questions than answers as he left the Ecopark, filled with concern.

 Chapter 639: Symbiosis

    <h4>Chapter 639: Symbiosis</h4>


    Ever since discovering the abnormality in Gardevoir (male), Yuga had been secretly observing its behavior.


    Through his observations, Yuga noticed that Gardevoir (male) was mostly normal, except for asional strange behavior when ying with the Gardevoir family.


    Yuga also observed that several times, this peculiar Gardevoir (male) attempted to leave the main Ecopark but was stopped due to ack of ess permissions.


    When stopped, the odd Gardevoir (male) would be quite upset, but it didn''t exhibit any aggressive behavior. Instead, it often guided the Ralts and Medidite in their psychic training.


    Yuga could tell that this peculiar Gardevoir (male) had exceptional psychic abilities. Thanks to its influence, five Ralts evolved into Kirlia simultaneously.


    Initially curious about this Gardevoir ''s situation, Yuga''s curiosity peaked when he realized that his Guardian Orb, ced on the weather Tree, had disappeared.


    The identity of the strange Gardevoir became apparent.


    One day, Yuga came as usual to observe Gardevoir (male). However, Gardevoir (male) noticed him and appeared next to him in an instant using Teleport.


    In reality, Gardevoir (male) had always been aware that Yuga was secretly observing it; it just hadn''t mentioned it.


    "Hey, why do you always keep me here? I want to explore other ces too!" Gardevoir (male)ined when Yuga spoke.


    Judging from the tone, Yuga knew that this wasn''t Gardevoir (male) but rather the peculiar Gardevoir (male).


    "Are you Celebi?" Yuga squinted his eyes, asking Gardevoir (male) in an odd tone.


    "Hehe, you found out," Gardevoir (male) admitted, giggling with its hands covering its mouth.


    "You''ve taken over Gardevoir (male)''s body?" Yuga inquired.


    "I had no choice; I don''t have a body of my own," Gardevoir (male) replied with a slightly pitiful tone.


    "How did you get out of the Guardian Orb?" Yuga continued to ask.


    "Oh, that thing? I dismantled it," Gardevoir (male) said proudly.


    Upon hearing this, Yuga nearly lost his bnce. His precious possession had been dismantled by Gardevoir (male).


    This Orb had indirectly contributed to the downfall of a once-great ancient empire. Now, it was simply gone. Yuga''s heart ached, and he could barely breathe.


    "How... how did you do it?" Yuga asked with a trembling voice and a hand on his forehead, still in shock.


    In theory, it shouldn''t have been possible. Celebi had been trapped inside the Guardian Orb for over a thousand years; there was no reason it would suddenly have the ability to destroy it. If it had, it wouldn''t have suffered under the rule of King Arus for so long.


    "Well, I have you to thank for that," Gardevoir (male) replied, blushing and speaking somewhat shyly.


    Yuga watched Gardevoir (male)''s reddened face and couldn''t help but shiver. What''s going on? You''re a male Gardevoir; why are you blushing?


    But how does it rte to me that you dismantled the Orb? Yuga wondered.


    "What exactly happened?" It turned out that King Arus had wanted to kill Celebi, but due to Celebi''s powerful psychic and Grass-type abilities, it had an extremely resilient life force.


    After its body was destroyed, Celebi''s spiritual strength survived, sleeping within its essence. It was then sealed inside the Guardian Orb.


    Normally, Celebi''s spiritual strength should have been very weak, and it wouldn''t have been able to wake up under ordinary circumstances.


    However, it encountered Yuga and Florges, both blessed by another Celebi.


    That Celebi is standing at the pinnacle of all Celebi. Therefore, the power in the bodies of Yuga and Florges awakened the dormant spiritual strength left by Celebi.


    Once awakened, Celebi''s consciousness helped Yuga cure Dragonite''s mother. Then, with Gardevoir (male) as its vessel, it separated from the Guardian Orb.


    Once it regained a body, Celebi summoned its own original powers from the Orb.


    Without the support power of Celebi power, the Guardian Orb would naturally be dismantled.


    Listening to this exnation, Yuga watched as Gardevoir ced its hands over its chest, extracting a vibrant green sphere of vitality.


    "You see, this is my original power. It has now merged with this body," Gardevoir exined.


    Yuga hadn''t expected that the reason behind all of this was the mysterious Celebi, which had blessed him and Florges. Thanks to Celebi''s blessing, Yuga had gained numerous advantages.


    Having gained the goodwill of many wild Pok��mon, be Mr. Kuni''o''s disciple, awakened special abilities, received the favor of several Legendary Pok��mon, and captured several highly talented Pok��mon.


    Now by a chance, Yuga found himself in a situation where Celebi''s consciousness had awakened through a fortunate turn of events.


    However, Yuga had never actually met the mysterious Celebi that had blessed him.


    Yuga pondered for a moment before asking, "So, can you still leave this body?"


    After retracting its original power, Celebi replied dejectedly, "No, I can''t. I can only maintain the current state. This body is much weaker than my original form. I''ve even lost my ability to travel through time and space."


    As Celebi spoke, there was a palpable sense of disappointment in its tone. It had transitioned from being a Legendary Pok��mon to an ordinary Pok��mon the contrast weighed heavily on its heart.


    "What about the original Gardevoir (male)? You haven''t harmed it in any way, have you?" Yuga inquired, his emotions bing quiteplex.


    Although Gardevoir (male) wasn''t particrly fond of him, its true nature wasn''t malicious. Yuga didn''t wish for any harm toe to it.


    Based on the novels Yuga had read in his previous life, when a powerful entity took over the body of a weaker being, it often suppressed the original consciousness.


    "What should we do?" Yuga asked, feeling torn.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s question, Celebi seemed momentarily puzzled. "What do you mean, what should we do? Of course, we''ll share this body! Besides, I''ve actually done you a favor. This body now has my original power, and who knows how much stronger it will be in the future!"


    Celebi''s expression turned rather smug as it continued, "In fact, this body got quite a bargain. It received my original power. From now on, it might be even more formidable than it used to be."


    Celebi''s choice to inhabit Gardevoir (male)''s body was a matter of necessity. Yuga''s Ecopark didn''t have a suitable body for it, and it had to make do with the next best option. Although the secondary attributes of Gardevoir were Fairy and Celebi is Grass, its primary attribute, Psychic, aligned with Celebi''s.


    The decision for Celebi''s consciousness to coexist with Gardevoir (male)''s body had been made with the full agreement of both parties. Celebi hadn''t taken over recklessly.


    This arrangement was a win-win situation for both Celebi and Gardevoir (male).


    Celebi regained its physical form and freedom, while Gardevoir (male) acquired significantly enhanced power. Yet, Gardevoir (male)''s decision to share its body with Celebi was primarily motivated by reverence for Celebi, the Forest God.


    Before being captured by Butler, Gardevoir (male) had also been a wild Pok��mon, and like all wild Pok��mon, it held varying degrees of respect for the Forest God, Celebi. Celebi''s legacy could be found throughout the Pok��mon world, as its blessings had touched many lives.


    "That''s good to know," Yuga sighed in relief, hearing that Gardevoir (male) wouldn''t be harmed. It would simply share its body with Celebi.


    Yuga finally understood why, when he used his Insight, Gardevoir (male) sometimes exhibited two different states. In its normal state, the dominant consciousness should be that of Gardevoir (male). In the special state, it should be the consciousness of Celebi.


    However, the transition between these states remained a fascinating mystery to Yuga. Nevertheless, he had a guess:


    When Celebi''s consciousness took control of the body, it could manage the original power within it, giving it a form close to that of a Legendary Pok��mon. Conversely, when Gardevoir (male)''s consciousness was dominant, it struggled to control Celebi''s original power, resulting in a moremon appearance.


    Seeing Yuga''s expression, Gardevoir felt more favorable toward him and understood the reason behind his earlier question.

 Chapter 640: Four Element Balls

    <h4>Chapter 640: Four Element Balls</h4>


    Gardevoir, in a good mood, said to Yuga, "How about I give you a few gifts?"


    "Gifts? What kind of gifts?" Yuga asked curiously.


    "But you have to agree to a request of mine," Gardevoir teased.


    Yuga replied, "You can tell me, if it''s something I can do."


    "You have to allow me to explore other ces here. I don''t want to stay cooped up here every day; it''s too boring. While other Pok��mon can freely enter and exit the Sub-Ecopark, I''m stuck in the main Ecopark," Gardevoirined.


    Yuga pondered for a moment and said, "I''d like to know what your ns are for the future. You''ve regained your freedom, and if you want to leave, I can make that happen."


    Yuga held many secrets within the main Ecopark, and if Gardevoir intended to leave, he didn''t want it to discover what was in the Sub-Ecopark.


    Gardevoir patted Yuga''s shoulder yfully and said, "What are you talking about? Of course, I''ll stay with you. I''m no longer Celebi, but just an ordinary Gardevoir now."


    Not only had Celebi lost its Gardevoir appearance, but it had also lost its ability to traverse time and space. So Gardevoir had no intention of leaving Yuga or the Ecopark.


    Yuga nodded in response, epting the situation. However, he remained skeptical of Gardevoir''s im to be an "ordinary Gardevoir."


    "Alright, if that''s the case, then it''s not a problem. But you both need to promise not to cause trouble while you''re here," Yuga said.


    "Sure, sure, I promise!" Gardevoir replied eagerly.


    So, silently within his mind, Yuga granted Gardevoir permission to freely enter and exit the Sub-Ecopark using the system.


    "What about the gifts you mentioned?" Yuga asked, extending his hand towards Gardevoir.


    Yuga couldn''t help but wonder what kind of treasure Celebi would give him. However, he hadn''t considered that Celebi had lost its physical form, so what kind of treasure could it offer?


    "Hehe, just wait and see," Gardevoir said with a mischievous smile. Without any hesitation, Gardevoir reached into its skirt.


    Yuga''s eyes widened in shock. He thought, "What on earth is Gardevoir doing? Even if it''s a male Gardevoir, it''s not appropriate to reach into its skirt like that!"


    Yuga stared at Gardevoir with a strange expression, and Gardevoir, noticing his gaze, stopped and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    "What''s wrong? What else could be wrong? Can you please take your hand out of your skirt before talking to me?" Yuga thought in frustration.


    Yuga was worried that Gardevoir might pull out something indescribable from its skirt.


    "It''s nothing, nothing at all. Please continue," Yuga replied awkwardly, shaking his head.


    Don''t think about it, don''t think about it. We need to be understanding of Celebi. Celebi has no gender, and it''s not ustomed to the concept of gender, Yuga tried to convince himself.


    Unaware of Yuga''s inner turmoil, Gardevoir eventually pulled out four energy balls emitting a terrifying energy fluctuation.


    Yuga looked at the blue, green, brown, and gold energy balls and asked Gardevoir, "What are these?"


    "These are the remnants of the energy from the Guardian Orb I dismantled," Gardevoir exined.


    Yuga suddenly remembered that King Arus had sacrificed Celebi to merge the powers represented by these four energy types �C Water, Grass, Ground, and Dragon. These powers had originated from four powerful Pok��mon, Swampert, Sceptile, Gliscor, and Smence, the guardians of the ancient Arus Empire.


    "These belong to me as well since the Guardian Orb was mine. You''re essentially giving me my own belongings," Yuga thought but didn''t say aloud.


    "What are they used for?" Yuga asked, somewhat annoyed.


    Feeling the terrifying energy emanating from the four balls, Yuga doubted his ability to use them.


    "These are valuable items! When absorbed by Pok��mon of the same type, they bring great benefits,"


    Gardevoir looked at Yuga with a "clueless" expression.


    "Do you really think any of my Pok��mon can make use of these treasures?"


    Yuga rolled his eyes in silence.


    "Well, you have a point," Gardevoir chuckled innocently.


    Yuga''s Pok��mon were indeed not strong enough to utilize these four valuable items.


    "How about this, I''ll seal them within your Pok��mon, and they can gradually absorb them," Gardevoir suggested, suddenly hitting its forehead as if struck by an idea.


    "Are you sure it''s safe? I wouldn''t want anything to happen to my Pok��mon while they''re in your care," Yuga said with a skeptical tone, as Gardevoir had given him quite an unreliable impression so far.


    "What are you implying? Why would there be any issues?" Gardevoir responded, clearly displeased with Yuga''s suspicion.


    Yuga attempted to convince himself that as a Psychic-type Pok��mon, Gardevoir''s sealing abilities were entirely normal. "Alright then, but please be careful," Yuga reluctantly agreed.


    Gardevoir nearly felt faint at Yuga''s hesitance. "What a coward!"


    Soon, Yuga called forth several of his Pok��mon. Although he had many powerful Pok��mon, he only had four treasures, so he had to choose wisely.


    For the Water-type, Lapras was the obvious choice. Yuga had recently given it the Blue Orb, and it was still adapting to the changes it brought.


    Among his Grass-types, Yuga faced a tough decision, but he ultimately selected Venusaur. Venusaur possessed the Mega Evolution stone, and Yuga hoped it would grow stronger with time, despite its current shorings.


    For the Dragon-type, Dragonite was the clear choice. Dragonite''s Dragon and Flying-type abilities were being suppressed by the Golden Orb''s Electric-type powers, and adding Dragon-type strength would bnce it out.


    Lastly, for the Ground-type, Turtwig was the only suitable option. While not inherently a Ground-type, its final evolution was.


    Yuga had initially worried that Turtwig might not be a good fit, but Gardevoir reassured him.


    The fusion process began with Lapras. As the strongest among the four, it willingly volunteered to be the first "guinea pig," deeply moving everyone present.


    Gardevoir couldn''t believe it. "Am I really this unreliable?"


    Fortunately, the sealing process went smoothly. Under Gardevoir''s guidance, the four types of energy entered the bodies of the chosen Pok��mon without issue.


    The Pok��mon didn''t undergo significant changes immediately, but the only surprise is that Turtwig has finally evolved.


    ording to Gardevoir, because of the seal, the influence of these four powers on the Pok��mon is subtle, and the effects can be seen slowly.

 Chapter 641: Aura User

    <h4>Chapter 641: Aura User</h4>


    ...


    <<grotle>> </grotle>


    Species: Grass


    Ability: Overgrow


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 35


    Skills: Tackle, Withdraw, Growth, Double-Edge, Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Energy Ball, Sunny Day, Stealth Rock, Leech Seed, Grass Pledge.


    ...


    Yuga''s Grotle was somewhat different in appearance from other Grotles.


    After a regr Grotle evolves, the small saplings on their heads move to their backs, forming two dense clusters of trees symmetrically distributed on their shells.


    However, Yuga''s Grotle had a single, vigorously growing tree on its back, without the usual tree clusters.


    This small tree was much like the sapling on a Grotle''s head butrger and more vibrant.


    As Yuga''s Grotle moved, he could even see tiny green lights falling from the tree on its back, resembling fireflies. These lights were exceptionally beautiful and mesmerizing, even in broad daylight.


    They looked like fireflies, but they were incredibly conspicuous, even in bright sunlight.


    To everyone''s astonishment, these green lights fell onto the Grotle''s back and seemed to enter its body as if homing in.


    "Wow, your little tree is so amazing!" Gardevoir noticed the difference on the Grotle''s back, approached it curiously, and examined the small tree.


    "Do you know where this treees from?" Yuga had been curious about the tree for a long time but hadn''t found any information about it despite extensive research.


    "Well, this should be something from a powerful Torterra," Gardevoir replied after some thought, hesitating slightly.


    "Something from a Torterra?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    "How can a Torterra have a seed on its back?"


    Yuga was sure that this tree was originally just a seed.


    "Why are you so clueless? Torterras don''t have seeds on their backs, but they have trees," Gardevoir responded, giving Yuga a disdainful look.


    "This seed should have formed on the back of a powerful Torterra," Gardevoir continued to exin to the "ignorant" Yuga.


    Only now did Yuga recall that Torterra and Grotles bore fruit on their backs.


    It was said that many Pok��mon living with Torterra or Grotles considered the fruits on their backs as food.


    "Is this seed on the back of a Torterra really that special?" Yuga couldn''t help but ask.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s question, Gardevoir rolled its eyes once again.


    "Do you think just any Torterra can produce a seed like this?"


    Yuga felt like he was being pierced by Gardevoir''s disdainful gaze and gestured for Gardevoir to continue.


    "Regr Torterras with trees on their backs only bloom and bear fruit, but they can''t produceplete seeds. Any Torterra capable of producing perfect seeds must be extremely powerful."


    Gardevoir cleared its throat and exined in a pretentious manner, as if Yuga''s ignorance gave it a great sense of superiority.


    Watching Gardevoir''s childish and affected behavior, Yuga couldn''t help but think he was wasting his time. After all, this creature had once been a Legendary Pok��mon, and yet its maturity seemed surpassed by even young children.


    Seeing Gardevoir looking over, Yuga smiled and said, "Please, continue."


    Yuga''s attitude satisfied Gardevoir, and it continued:


    "Since the tree on the back of the Grotle can sprout, it indicates that its owner must be someone who has reached the pinnacle of regr Pok��mon. Moreover, this little tree is so extraordinary that the Torterra must have invested all its power into nurturing this seed before its death. Your little turtle is quite lucky."


    After saying this, Gardevoir even smacked its lips, expressing its amazement.


    Even as the once well-traveled Grass-type Legendary Pok��mon, Gardevoir, this was the first time it had encountered such a miraculous little tree.


    Its ability to make this guess primarily stemmed from sensing the power within this small tree, which was of the same source as Grotle''s power.


    Lucky?


    After listening to Gardevoir''s exnation, Yuga didn''t think Grotle had been lucky at all.


    To obtain the seed of this tree, Grotle had lost its own mother.


    Could a single seed bepared to the life of one''s mother?


    However, why would a Torterra go through the trouble of nurturing this seed? Yuga couldn''tprehend.


    Selfless dedication?


    Yuga couldn''t be certain if Gardevoir''s words were true or not.


    Regardless, Yuga was very pleased with Grotle''s evolution.


    Subsequently, Yuga recalled his Pok��mon, and Gardevoir happily left the main Ecopark to y in other areas of the Sub-Ecopark.


    Once outside the main Ecopark and in the shop, Yuga spotted Arata Sena inside.


    Upon seeing Yuga, Arata Sena cheerfully eximed, "Gym Leader, you''vee out! There''s a challenger waiting for you in the gym."


    A challenger?


    Yuga nodded in response to Arata Sena''s words and said, "Let''s go."


    Saying that, he walked out of the shop, with Arata Sena closely following.


    When Yuga arrived in the gym''s reception area, Beidou was already entertaining the challenger.


    "I''ve kept you waiting. I am a Gym Leader from the Verdanturf Gym, Shimizu Yuga. You must be the challenger,"


    Seeing Yuga''s arrival, Beidou and the challenger both stood up.


    "Hello, Master Shimizu. I am Riley, from Sinnoh region. I look forward to our battle."


    Riley?


    Yuga was somewhat surprised at the mention of this name.


    He had an impression of this person because Riley was the Aura user.


    This Aura Guardian Riley appeared to be about the same age as Yuga, wearing a blue coat and a blue hat, making him look rather handsome. Of course, Yuga believed he fell slightly short whenpared to himself.


    "Well then, Mr. Riley, please follow me."


    Saying this, Yuga led Riley to the battle arena in the courtyard.


    Yuga and Riley took their positions on opposite sides of the battle arena. Beidou stood in the role of referee and announced the rules of the gym battle.


    Beidou: "Please, Gym Leader Shimizu, present your Pok��mon first."


    Just as Yuga was about to release his Pok��mon, Riley suddenly spoke up, "Gym Leader Shimizu, may I make a request?"


    Yuga responded, "Please go ahead."


    "I hope that in this battle, you will give it your all," Riley said firmly.


    He hade to challenge the gym not for the Hoenn League Conference but solely for training purposes. He had heard that the Gym Leader at the Verdanturf Gym was a formidable opponent and hade specifically to challenge him.


    Give it your all?


    Upon hearing Riley''s words, Yuga hesitated for a moment.


    Does that mean I should release my Lapras and the others?


    After some thought, although he switched the Pok�� Ball in his hand, Yuga ultimately chose not to release Lapras. It would be unfair to go all out against an inexperienced challenger.


    Even though Lapras remained in its Pok�� Ball, Yuga replied to Riley, "Very well, I ept your request."


    With that said, Yuga released his first Pok��mon.

 Chapter 642: Absol

    <h4>Chapter 642: Absol</h4>


    Yuga''s first Pok��mon was a Bellossom.


    ...


    <<bellossom (miracle="" seed)="">> </bellossom>


    Type: Grass


    Ability: Chlorophyll


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 53


    Moves: Absorb, Mega Drain, Giga Drain, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Sweet Scent, Magical Leaf, Leaf Storm, Razor Leaf, Sunny Day, Sr Beam, Strength Sap, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Dazzling Gleam, Grassy Terrain.


    ...


    Bellossom''s progress was rapid, and its strength had significantly improvedpared to before.


    After Yuga released his Pok��mon, Riley also released his.


    ...


    <<ursaring>> </ursaring>


    Type: Normal


    Ability: Guts


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 58


    Moves: Hammer Arm, Scratch, Leer, Lick, Fury Swipes, Scary Face, Rest, Bulk Up, Earthquake, Shadow w, Close Combat, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Stone Edge.


    ...


    This Pok��mon was close to the pseudo-Elite level, and it''s no wonder Riley asked Yuga to go all out. In a regr Gym Leader''s perspective, it would be quite challenging.


    However, Gym Leaders didn''t exist solely to defeat challengers. Inparison, Riley''s request seemed more like he wasn''t here to challenge the Gym.


    Nevertheless, since Riley asked, Yuga had no reason to refuse. After all, he came all the way from a distant Sinnoh region. A guest was a guest, and agreeing to some minor requests wouldn''t hurt.


    Yuga spected that since Riley was an Aura user, he probably had a more powerful Lucario than the one before him. The only Pok��mon stronger than Ursaring would likely be a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon.


    "Challenger goes first," Beidou, standing in the referee position, shouted.


    "Ursaring, Bulk Up," Riley didn''t attack directly but chose to enhance Ursaring.


    Bellossom didn''t need Yuga''smand; it was a standard strategy.


    While Ursaring used Bulk Up, Bellossom initiated Sunny Day and then started dancing to strengthen itself.


    Bellossom''s Quiver Dance was fast, but Ursaring''s Bulk Up was no slouch either. Just as Bellossompleted one round of dancing, Ursaring had already finished two rounds of Bulk Up.


    After Ursaring''s Bulk Up, it quickly approached Bellossom with heavy strides, raising its frost-covered fist towards Bellossom''s head without any hint of mercy.


    Bellossom was terrified by the gigantic fist, and its agile body twisted just enough to narrowly avoid Ursaring''s punch.


    Ursaring''s punch hit the ground, instantly creating cracks on the previously t battlefield, spreading frost everywhere.


    "Bellossom, Dazzling Gleam," Yuga ordered after Bellossom narrowly escaped Ursaring''s attack.


    Now that Bellossom had distanced itself from Ursaring, it responded to Yuga''smand. Bellossom sped its hands together, creating a colorful disc about the size of a grindstone. It struck Ursaring''s back.


    Ursaring, struck by Dazzling Gleam, staggered forward but managed to regain its bnce.


    However, there was no trace of Bellossom behind it.


    Taking advantage of its speed, Bellossom put some distance between itself and Ursaring once again.


    Yuga: "Bellossom, Sweet Scent."


    Bellossom, far from Ursaring, started dancing. Along with its dance came a fragrant and sweet pink gas.


    Upon inhaling this scent, Ursaring wobbled as if it were intoxicated, swaying unsteadily.


    In Yuga''s Ecopark, there was also an Ursaring, so he was well aware that Ursaring, a Pok��mon of this kind, had a strong sweet tooth and was particrly susceptible to the sweet scent.


    "Ursaring, wake up!" Upon seeing Ursaring affected, Riley immediately shouted loudly.


    However, Ursaring still had a foolish expression, constantly sniffing the air as if it had caught a whiff of something delicious,pletely oblivious to Riley''s voice.


    Sometimes, small tactics could catch opponents off guard. This was something Yuga had learned from Mr. Kuni''o.


    With Ursaring unable to regain consciousness after being affected, it naturally couldn''t escape defeat.


    It must be said that in this battle against Ursaring, Bellossom won quite easily.


    What surprised Yuga, though, was Riley''s second Pok��mon, which turned out to be an Absol.


    This was the first time Yuga had seen someone else with this kind of Pok��mon, except for himself.


    ...


    <> </absol>


    Type: Dark


    Ability: Super Luck


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 62


    Moves: Scratch, Fling, Quick Attack, Taunt, Fury Swipes, Double Team, Feint Attack, Razor Wind, Hail, Hidden Power, Ice Beam, y Rough, Dark Pulse, Icy Wind.


    ...


    These Absols were rare, and seeing one was extremely umon. Apart from being a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, Yuga also noticed a move it knew��y Rough.


    This made Yuga very envious.


    y Rough was a physical Fairy-type move, a rarity among Fairy-type moves, and Absol had to inherit it as there was no other way to learn it.


    Unfortunately, Yuga''s Absol didn''t have this move in its skill set, and there was no way for it to learn it.


    The Ursaring in the Ecopark also knew this move, so Yuga stubbornly tried to have Absol learn it from the Ursaring, but Absol just couldn''t master it.


    Riley: "Absol, use Double Team, followed by Quick Attack."


    The snowy-white Absol on the field suddenly disappeared after hearing themand, and over a dozen identical Absols appeared out of thin air. These Absols then simultaneously sprinted towards Bellossom.


    Bellossom, standing there, was momentarily perplexed, not knowing which one was the real Absol. Its expression showed confusion.


    Yuga didn''t expect Riley''s Absol to use this technique.


    Using Double Team and Quick Attack simultaneously was already abination move, which was not easy to execute.


    Under the boost of Quick Attack, the over a dozen Absols closed in on Bellossom rapidly.


    "Bellossom, use Leaf Storm."


    With no other choice, Yuga had to let Bellossom use this powerful move, even though it had side effects.


    After this move, Bellossom''s previous Quiver Dance would be in vain.


    The attack range of Leaf Storm was vast, and the tornado of green leaves swept towards those approaching Absols.


    The Absols formed by Double Team were shattered one by one under the onught of Leaf Storm.


    However, when Leaf Storm hit the real Absol, it showed no sign of retreat and still rushed towards Bellossom under the violent tornado of green leaves.


    With a loud "bang," Bellossom was sent flying, and the tornado of green leaves dissipated instantly. The leaves, once as sharp as des, fluttered down lightly.


    As Bellossom was knocked back by Absol''s Feint Attack, it struggled to get up. But before it could recover, an Icy Wind descended upon it, freezing almost half its body. Immediately after, Absol''s sharp ws were ready to greet Bellossom.


    Bellossom was defeated!

 Chapter 643: Narrow Victory

    <h4>Chapter 643: Narrow Victory</h4>


    Although Bellossom had been making rapid progress, it was still far from pseudo-Elite level level. Even with its potential advantage, it was challenging to face a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon head-on.


    Yuga''s second Pok��mon was Absol. and naturally, use Absol to deal with Absol.


    While Yuga''s Absol hadn''t reached pseudo-Elite level level yet, it was one of Yuga''s closest Pok��mon to pseudo-Elite level level aside from Lapras. Moreover, Absol had experience defeating pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, so Yuga believed this battle was still worth a try.


    Originally, as a Grass-type Gym Leader, Yuga should have used Grass-type Pok��mon. However, since others had asked him to give his best, he had no choice but to go all out. Besides, his Grass-type Pok��mon hadn''t fully grown yet, and using them against pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon would be unfair.


    As Yuga''s Absol appeared on the battlefield, the imposing presence brought by its massive size sent shivers down the spines of Riley and his Absol on the opposite side.


    Yuga''s Absol stared at Riley''s Absol without a word. Its Pressure ability activated, and Riley''s Absol felt a sudden surge of pressure, making it mentally ufortable.


    Riley could sense that the Absol on the other side, despite not reaching pseudo-Elite level level, exuded an indescribable aura.


    Most Dark-type Pok��mon had proud personalities, even those with cunning natures like Purrloin or Liepard had a deep sense of pride.


    Absol was one of the best in this regard.


    Riley''s Absol felt that it was being oppressed in terms of aura by the opposing Absol, which looked somewhat intimidating but was not yet at pseudo-Elite level level. It felt challenged.


    Two Absol, both brimming with energy, were ready to fight. Finally, upon themands of Yuga and Riley, they charged at each other simultaneously.


    Yuga''s Absol used X-Scissor, a Bug-type move it had learned from Gliscor.


    Riley''s Absol used the Fairy-type move y Rough, which made Yuga envious.


    The collision between the two Pok��mon created shockwaves that rustled the clothing of the three people on the battlefield.


    In this test attack, neither Absol emerged as the clear winner.


    Yuga''s Absol had a huge attack power boosted by its potential and size. Riley''s Absol, on the other hand, had an advantage in level.


    The result of the exchange surprised Riley greatly.


    He didn''t expect that the Absol on the other side, which hadn''t even reached pseudo-Elite level, would have almost equal attacking power as his own Absol.


    Yuga: "Absol, use Swords Dance."


    Upon hearing Yuga''smand, Riley''s eyes sharpened. He couldn''t allow the opponent''s attacks to be any stronger.


    He could imagine that after being empowered by Swords Dance, the opponent''s Absol would surely surpass his Absol in attack power, putting them at a disadvantage.


    "Absol, use Taunt."


    Riley''s Absol couldn''t use the enhancing move Swords Dance, but it could prevent the opponent from using it too by using Taunt.


    Yuga''s Absol had blue light swords rapidly spinning around its body, and it was about toplete the power-up when these light swords were abruptly dissipated by Riley''s Absol''s Taunt.


    "Absol, use y Rough again."


    Having sessfully stopped Yuga''s Absol from boosting its attacks, Riley gave themand for his Absol to attack again.


    A pink glow enveloped Riley''s Absol, making it look bizarre, but its aura remained strong as it charged forward.


    "Absol, use Stone Edge."


    Seeing the opponent charging at him, Yuga calmly issued amand to his Absol.


    Yuga''s Absol suddenly raised its upper body high, lifted its two front legs, and then stomped the ground heavily. Instantly, blue stone pirs rose from the ground.


    Riley''s Absol, rushing forward recklessly, didn''t anticipate any unexpected events and was directly struck by the stone pirs that suddenly shot up from below. It was knocked off course as it tumbled away from its original attack trajectory.


    However, Riley''s Absol reacted swiftly. In the moment it rolled away, it used Double Team. Yuga''s Absol''s Stone Edge attack missed its intended target.


    (Note: As mentioned earlier, Stone Edge has two types��razor-like and pir-like��depending on how the user employs it.)


    Watching over a dozen identical Absol simultaneously appear on the field, Yuga said, "Absol, Snarl."


    Yuga''s Absol opened its mouth and let out a deafening roar, emitting visible waves of ck sound that spread out in all directions. The sound, which was usually intangible, had taken on a tangible form due to the influence of Dark-type energy, wiping out all the illusory Absol.


    "Absol, use X-Scissor!"


    "Absol, use y Rough!"


    Yuga and Riley simultaneously issued attackmands to their respective Absol. The two Pok��mon collided like two cannonballs, creating an even greater spectacle than before.


    After separating again, both Pok��mon were panting heavily, indicating considerable energy expenditure.


    However, Yuga''s Absol was noticeably in better shape.


    The mysterious Seed of the Unknown endowed Absol with not only increased attack and defense but also greater stamina and energy.


    If the opponent weren''t a pseudo-Elite level level Absol, Pok��mon of the same level wouldn''tst more than a few moves against Yuga''s Absol.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, let''s decide the oue with one final move," Riley said to Yuga.


    He knew that his Absol, in its current state, couldn''t hold out much longer.


    In this battle against Yuga''s Absol, the Pok��mon had to endure not only physical exhaustion but also mental fatigue. Yuga''s Absol''s Pressure ability was exerting its effect constantly.


    The Pok��mon on the battlefield were in a state of intense concentration during the battle, but with the influence of the Pressure ability, their energy consumption had reached a frightening level almost inadvertently.


    Riley didn''t know what the Pressure ability of ordinary Pok��mon was like, but the Pressure ability of the Absol before him was already terrifying.


    Even Riley, who was outside the battlefield, could feel the subtle pressure emanating from the opposing Absol. What made it even more ufortable was that this pressure couldn''t be eliminated; it had to be endured unless the opposing ability was nullified.


    Several moves could change the opponent''s ability, such as moves like Skill Swap, Worry Seed, Gastro Acid, and so on, but unfortunately, Absol didn''t learn any of them.


    "Alright, let''s go as you suggested."


    Yuga agreed to Riley''s proposal.


    "Absol, use Giga Impact!"


    "Absol, use y Rough!"


    This time, Yuga''s Absol didn''t use X-Scissor but rather a powerful Normal-type move��Giga Impact.


    Since it was a move to decide the oue in one shot, it had to be matched with an appropriate move.


    Giga Impact was one of Absol''s two ultimate moves, in addition to Future Sight.


    Speaking of which, one advantage of having many trained Pok��mon was that it was very convenient to teach them new moves.


    With Absol''s talent now having turned Indigo, its ability to learn moves had reached a whole new level.


    The two Pok��mon collided forcefully once again, creating an even more spectacr sh than before.


    After separating, both Pok��mony motionless on the ground. Their snow-white fur had be disheveled and ckened.


    "Both Absol have lost their fighting capabilities simultaneously. Gym Leaders and Challengers, please release your next Pok��mon..."


    However, before the referee''s words could finish, Yuga''s Absol trembled and unsteadily rose to its feet again. Despite its unstable stance and heavy panting, all three individuals on the field felt that it stood tall.

 Chapter 644: Sea of Flowers

    <h4>Chapter 644: Sea of Flowers</h4>


    After recalling the Absol that had lost its battle capability into its Pok�� Ball, Riley turned to Yuga and said, "Gym Leader Shimizu, your reputation certainly precedes you."


    Yuga''s true strength had always been a mystery. In official battles, Yuga''s highest demonstrated strength was pseudo-Elite level. Still, he managed to capture a Top Executive of Team Aqua, who was an Elite level Trainer.


    As Yuga''s fame grew, spections about his true strength abounded. Some believed he was an Elite level Trainer, while others imed he was pseudo-Elite level. There was never a definitive answer.


    However, Riley felt that regardless of whether Yuga was an Elite or pseudo-Elite level, considering his age and the strength he disyed, he was already someone many aspired to be like.


    Coming to the Verdanturf Town was not in vain.


    Challenging strong opponents was where Riley found his joy.


    With these thoughts in mind, Riley released his final Pok��mon.


    ...


    <<lucario>> </lucario>


    Type: Fighting, Steel


    Ability: Inner Focus


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 68


    Moves: Foresight, Counter, Force Palm, Bulk Up, Double Team, Rock Tomb, ze Kick, Drain Punch, Focus Punch, Ice Punch, Aura Sphere, Bone Rush, Metal w, Close Combat, sh Cannon, Iron Defense.


    ...


    As Yuga had guessed, the final Pok��mon of the Aura user was indeed Lucario, and it was a Lucario that was extremely close to the peak of pseudo-Elite level.


    This should be Riley''s trump card.


    Seeing Lucario enter the field, Yuga recalled his exhausted Absol. It was practically no different from losing its fighting ability.


    Yuga wanted to deal with Lucario easily. Whether it was Gengar, Mismagius, or Lapras, they could easily overpower it.


    However, Yuga hesitated and chose to send out Florges.


    Yuga''s team of Pok��mon was currently transitioning to pseudo-Elite level. They needed training more than anything else.


    As a Gym Leader, Yuga didn''t care about winning or losing. He just wanted his Pok��mon and the opponent''s Pok��mon to both grow, achieving a win-win situation.


    Crushing Lucario with Pok��mon like Lapras would serve no purpose.


    Seeing Yuga release another Pok��mon below the pseudo-Elite level, Riley frowned.


    Riley didn''t believe that Yuga couldn''t see Lucario''s strength.


    Since Yuga chose to send out Florges after assessing the situation, maybe this Florges had something special, just like the previous Absol.


    However, what followed allowed Riley to witness the uniqueness of Florges.


    Florges stood gracefully opposite Lucario, resembling a queen in the midst of a blooming flower garden.


    "Lucario, use sh Cannon."


    Without knowledge of the situation, Riley decided to test Florges''s capabilities with Lucario''s long-range attack. As a Pok��mon with exceptional physical and special stats, even if it was just a test, Lucario''s attack couldn''t be underestimated.


    Under Lucario''s control, a silver beam shot towards Florges.


    Florges, a single Fairy-type Pok��mon, was naturally weak to Steel-type moves, and taking a direct hit wouldn''t be pleasant.


    However, Florges extended two vines, smacking them into the ground. A huge clump of soil was lifted, blocking the sh Cannon and protecting Florges.


    The silver beam scattered the earth into the air, and dust obstructed both Florges and Lucario''s vision.


    Then, Lucario saw a scene that he would never forget.


    In the midst of the smoke and dust, Lucario couldn''t see whaty ahead but looked down at its feet.


    One by one, green sprouts broke through the earth, grew, and bloomed into flowers. In the blink of an eye, Lucario found itself surrounded by a riot of colorful flowers.


    After all the dust had cleared, Lucario and Riley were shocked to find that the battlefield before them had turned into a sea of flowers.


    Countless vibrant flowers swayed gently, and those on the field could almost smell the wafts of floral fragrance in the air.


    Everything felt incredibly real.


    When Riley looked at Florges again, he noticed a change in its aura.


    Standing silently in the center of the floral sea, Florges showed no expression. It was like a regal queen, seeming to hold no regard for Lucario or Riley whatsoever.


    Riley suddenly recalled Florges''s ssification: Garden Pok��mon.


    This was a Pok��mon whose natural habitat was a garden, and within that garden, it was a queen, it was everything.


    Lucario gazed at Florges, and Florges gazed back calmly.


    At this moment, a gentle pink breeze swept through the flower sea, lifting petals into the air. Suddenly, the sky was filled with a dreamlike petal shower.


    However, this petal shower concealed a strong threat.


    Under the astonished gaze of Lucario and Riley, those beautiful petals abruptly transformed into sharp des, shing towards Lucario.


    This flower sea was the secret technique that Florges had been researching all along.


    Florges, who spent its days in the garden, wasn''t idle. It controlled this territory��the garden��entirely.


    The deadly flower sea before them was an extension of Florges''s dominion.


    Creating such a flower sea was extremely challenging, far more than just a skill. It was aplexbination of 4 different moves. It''s foundation is from Grassy Terrain, Misty Terrain, The wind blowing inside is from Fairy Wind, and the flower inside are from Petal Dance. Gigaly, it was Florges''s species as a Garden Pok��mon and Floral Veil ability that allowed it to control this floral domain.


    This level of control wasn''t just about manipting elemental powers; it extended to species-specific abilities as well.


    Theplexity of this flower sea was beyond imagination.


    This was why Yuga dared to pit Florges against Lucario with confidence.


    As Yuga Starter Pok��mon, Florges currently was the only Pok��mon in Yuga''s team with a Blue Potential. However, if you thought Florges was weak, you couldn''t be more wrong.


    Florges was definitely not weaker than any of Yuga''s main Pok��mon, excluding Lapras.


    This was the pride of being the Eldest Sisters.


    Could an ordinary Florges achieve such feats?


    Certainly not.


    Now Yuga believed that the system''s statement about the four gems being relics of an ancient artificial deity might be true.


    Present-day Florges seemed to be harnessing the abilities left behind by Celebi and nurturing its unique powers.


    The special Grassy Terrain, the mastery of this mystical floral sea��these were abilities ordinary Pok��mon didn''t possess.


    It was almost as if... it possessed godlike powers.


    Perhaps Dragonite and Charizard couldn''t reach the same level as Florges because the divine power they absorbed was fundamentally different from what Florges had.


    However, Lapras''s future was promising.


    As petals danced through the air, Lucario sensed that these petals carried not only the Grass-type power of Petal Dance but also the Fairy Wind''s influence.


    Fairy Wind was propelling the petals'' movements.


    Lucario crossed its arms in front of its chest and activated Iron Defense, blocking the iing petals. Its body was pushed back continuously upon impact.


    The petals struck Lucario using Iron Defense, producing a harsh "ding-ding" sound that made one''s teeth ache.


    Thankfully, Iron Defense was a Steel-type move, granting resistance to both Grass and Fairy-type moves; otherwise, Lucario would have been in dire straits.


    ��


    Note:


    Here, the reference is to resistance between skills, not the inherent type resistance of the Pok��mon itself.


    Fairy-type is weak to Steel-type, but it''s also strong against Fighting-type, so Fairy-type skills can still deal regr damage to Lucario.

 Chapter 645: Main Character’s Pokémon Data (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 645: Main Character''s Pok��mon Data (Part 1)</h4>


    1. Florges


    Type: Fairy


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Flower Veil


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 59


    Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Fairy Wind, Safeguard, Magical Leaf, Moonst, Misty Terrain, Grassy Terrain, Flower Shield, Petal Dance, Petal Blizzard, Wish, Psychic, Aromatherapy, Grass Knot, Dazzling Gleam.


    ...


    2. Absol (King''s Rock)


    Type: Dark


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Pressure


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 59


    Moves: Thunderbolt, Swords Dance, Psycho Cut, Future Sight, Sucker Punch, Roar, Dark Pulse, Stone Edge, Shadow w, Night sh, Perish Song, Nasty Plot, sh, X-Scissor, Giga Impact.


    ...


    3. Vivillon


    Type: Bug, Flying


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Compound Eyes


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 57


    Moves: Protect, Stun Spore, Gust, Psybeam, Electroweb, Safeguard, Bug Buzz, Quiver Dance, Hurricane, Light Screen, Supersonic, Sleep Powder, Psychic, Powder, Rage Powder.


    ...


    4. Charizard


    Type: Fire, Flying


    Gender: Female


    Ability: ze


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 55


    Moves: Scratch, Ember, Hidden Power (Electric), Dragon Dance, Outrage, Smokescreen, Iron Tail, methrower, Fire Fang, Scary Face, Sunny Day, Fire Punch, Fire st, Dragon Pulse.


    ...


    5. Dragonite


    Type: Dragon, Flying


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Multiscale


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 59


    Moves: Rain Dance, Twister, Hurricane, Thunder Wave, Dragon Tail, Dragon Rage, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Extreme Speed, Fire Punch, Brick Break, Roost, Outrage.


    ...


    6. Chimecho (Light y)


    Type: Psychic


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Levitate


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 58


    Moves: Psychic, Gravity, Heal Pulse, Heal Bell, Synchronoise, Shadow Ball, Safeguard, Disarming Voice, Extrasensory, Calm Mind, Light Screen, Psychic, Reflect, Healing Wish, Future Sight, Teleport, Psycho Boost, Skill Swap.


    ...


    7. Lapras (Mutation)


    Type: Water, Ice


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Hydration, Drizzle


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 75


    Moves: Sing, Water Gun, Mist, Hydro Pump, Rain Dance, Hail, Ice Beam, Safeguard, Water Pulse, Sheer Cold, Blizzard, Refresh, Waterfall, Surf, Avnche, Dragon Dance, Foresight, Body m, Dragon Pulse, Icy Wind, Aqua Tail.

 Chapter 646: Main Character’s Pokémon Data (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 646: Main Character''s Pok��mon Data (Part 2)</h4>


    1. Bellossom (Miracle Seed)


    Type: Grass


    Ability: Chlorophyll


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 53


    Moves: Absorb, Mega Drain, Giga Drain, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Sweet Scent, Magical Leaf, Leaf Storm, Leaf de, Sunny Day, Sr Beam, Strength Sap, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Dazzling Gleam, Grassy Terrain.


    ...


    2. Venusaur (Miracle Seed)


    Type: Grass, Poison


    Ability: Chlorophyll


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 48


    Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Venoshock, Sunny Day, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Power Whip, Grassy Terrain, Synthesis, Sr Beam, Petal Dance, Earthquake, Frenzy nt, Grass Pledge.


    ...


    3. Roserade (Poison Sting)


    Type: Grass, Poison


    Ability: Natural Cure


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 53


    Moves: Absorb, Growth, Water Sport, Stun Spore, Magical Leaf, Leech Seed, Poison Sting, Grass Whistle, Poison Jab, Toxic, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Grassy Terrain, Grass Knot, Toxic Spikes.


    ...


    4. Breloom (Toxic Orb)


    Type: Grass, Fighting


    Ability: Poison Heal


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 45


    Moves: Tackle, Stun Spore, Headbutt, Leech Seed, Seed Bomb, Drain Punch, Counter, Brick Break, Mach Punch.


    ...


    5. Grotle


    Type: Grass, Ground


    Ability: Overgrow


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 35


    Moves: Tackle, Withdraw, Growth, Double-Edge, Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Energy Ball, Sunny Day, Stealth Rock, Leech Seed, Grass Pledge.


    ...


    6. Deerling


    Type: Normal, Grass


    Ability: Chlorophyll


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 32


    Moves: Tackle, Protect, Double Kick, Quick Attack, Odor Sleuth, Aromatherapy, Jump Kick.


    ...


    7. Serperior


    Type: Grass


    Ability: Contrary


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 30


    Moves: Leer, Vine Whip, Leaf Tornado, Grassy Terrain, Grass Pledge, re, Mean Look.

 Chapter 647: Mist

    <h4>Chapter 647: Mist</h4>


    Due to Florges''s fierce onught, the stronger Lucario found itself being suppressed, with those petals carrying the power of two attributes relentlessly assaulting Lucario.


    However, only Yuga himself knew that Florges wasn''t having an easy time at this moment.


    Controlling theplex floral sea and sustaining such an intense attack took a toll on Florges.


    Fortunately, the floral sea itself retained the effects of Grassy Terrain, alleviating Florges''s exhaustion to some extent, making her appear nonchnt.


    At this moment, Yuga was the only one aware of this.


    This Florges was indeed extraordinary, turning this vibrant floral sea before them into something magnificent. In fact, if you were topare, Yuga''s Florges was even stronger than Absol, just that Absol possessed the ability to do Mega Evolvolution, hence Absol Alwasy had an Upper hand over Florges.


    Defeating a pseudo-Elite level Absol without Mega Evolution, it wasn''t strange for the more potent Florges to suppress Lucario.


    However, Yuga knew that Lucario was not as simple as it appeared.


    Because it was an Aura Pok��mon, and its Trainer was an Aura user.


    Just as Yuga''s King of Ghost Ability enhanced the strength of Ghost-type Pok��mon, Riley''s Aura Ability could simrly enhance Aura Pok��mon''s power.


    As Florges continued controlling the petal attacks, Lucario countered by constantly reinforcing its defenses with Iron Defense. Neither side could seem to gain an upper hand.


    Seeing both sides stuck in a stalemate, Yuga and Riley''s minds raced, trying to find a way to break the deadlock.


    "Lucario, use Bone Rush!" Riley spoke up at this moment.


    Lucario, upon hearing this, swiftly pulled its two fists apart, conjuring a white bone club out of thin air, twirling it vigorously in its hands.


    The rapidly spinning bone club formed a shield, keeping all the petals at bay. Meanwhile, Lucario, while brandishing the bone club, charged toward Florges at high speed.


    "Florges, use Grass Knot."


    Naturally, Yuga couldn''t afford to give Lucario a chance to get close. Florges had no prowess in closebat, and once Lucario closed the distance, it would be at a significant disadvantage.


    As Lucario sprinted forward, it suddenly noticed several vivid green vines extending from the lush flowerbed, directly binding its limbs, forcing it toe to a halt.


    As a Fighting-type Pok��mon, Lucario possessed great strength. The vines restraining it snapped with a blink of an eye.


    But Florges''s Grass Knot wasn''t that simple.


    The moment Lucario broke free from the restraints, it discovered more vines coiling around its limbs, and these ones were getting tighter.


    The vines multiplied continuously, regardless of Lucario''s strength; it couldn''t break free. Even the bone club it wielded halted.


    Without the bone club for defense, the airborne petals transformed once more into a fierce storm, and Lucario''s body resounded with a "ding-ding" sound.


    Seeing this scene on the field, Riley was on the verge of frustration.


    Was this still Florges? It seemed more like a monster!


    Riley couldn''t help but imagine what it would be like if Florges were to reach pseudo-Elite level, or even Elite level in the future.


    With this in mind, Riley finally began to use his own Aura Ability.


    He closed his eyes and, in his heart, called out to Lucario. An instant connection formed between them.


    As lifelongpanions who had grown up together, Riley and Lucario had an unparalleled level of understanding.


    While Yuga focused on the battlefield, he suddenly noticed a blue energy emanating from Riley''s body, which directly fell upon Lucario.


    It''s here! The power of Aura!


    Yuga thought to himself.


    In an instant, the amplification from Aura surged through Lucario. Vines that had bound it swiftly snapped apart, and Lucario regained its freedom.


    With newfound freedom, Lucario unleashed an Aura Sphere, a blue energy sphere that reached Florges in the blink of an eye, striking her.


    This attack was potent!


    However, Florges didn''t copse under this assault. She merely staggered for a moment but quickly steadied herself.


    This was the dignity of a queen.


    The entire floral sea was her domain, and as long as she willed it, she would never falter.


    Lucario charged toward Florges once more, knowing that if it could get close to her, victory would be within its grasp.


    Seeing Lucario approaching, Florges''s expression turned cold, and suddenly, a pink mist enveloped her body.


    But it wasn''t just around Florges; Lucario and Riley soon noticed that a mist began to form above the entire floral sea, enhancing the dreamlike appearance of the surroundings.


    Lucario quickly realized that a thick mist now hung over the floral sea. Simultaneously, it lost sight of Florges.


    Yet, Lucario didn''t fret about Florges''s disappearance because it was an Aura Pok��mon. Even without eyes, it could sense its surroundings through the power of Aura. Finding Florges should be easy.


    However, Lucario soon realized something was amiss.


    Its Aura inexplicably couldn''t prate the mist and spread outward. Even its connection with Riley was weakened.


    The dense mist that had arisen within the floral sea turned out to be the Misty Terrain, one of the two foundational abilities thatposed this floral sea. The substantial Fairy-type energy present in the mist obstructed the diffusion of Aura.


    Yuga had once contemted making Misty Terrain or Grassy Terrain a special domain that repelled other energies. But the difficulty of realizing this idea was immense. The world was filled with various energies, making it nearly impossible to exclude them all. Even the extraordinary Florges couldn''t aplish such a feat.


    However, while excluding external energies might be impossible, inhibiting the spread of a particr type of energy was manageable for Florges.


    Outside the battlefield, Riley lost track of Lucario due to the mist''s concealment. His connection with Lucario weakened, and his eyes reflected his anxiety.


    Above the entire floral sea, the mist drifted in a magical, dreamlike manner. Interestingly, the mist remained contained above the flowers, never spilling beyond the floral sea''s boundaries.


    In the mist-shrouded floral sea, everything fell silent. The petals that had danced in the air descended back into the floral sea, as if they had never been there.


    Within the battlefield, Lucario attempted to expand its Aura, but the mist ahead suddenly churned, and a beam of light struck it.


    It turned out Florges, concealed within the mist, had used Moonst to ambush Lucario.

 Chapter 648: Mutual Opposition

    <h4>Chapter 648: Mutual Opposition</h4>


    Lucario, now standing up from the ground, vigntly observed its surroundings. Unable to use the power of Aura, it had to rely on its own eyes.


    Just then, in front of it on the right, the mist churned once more. Lucario agilely evaded, sessfully avoiding another Moonst attack, and retaliated byunching an Aura Sphere.


    Lucario wasn''t sure if the Aura Sphere hit its target, as the mist returned to a calm state.


    Time passed slowly, and Lucario repeatedly fell victim to Florges''s Moonst, hidden within the mist, almost to the point of overindulgence.


    Satiated but unyielding, Lucario unleashed one Aura Sphere after another into the mist, regardless of whether they hit or not.


    Florges, who had narrowly dodged an Aura Sphere, was now drenched in sweat. Maintaining the floral sea''s mist for an extended period proved to be exceedingly draining. It appeared she was on the verge of exhaustion.


    Despite the strength of the Misty Terrain within the floral sea, Florges''s excessive expenditure rendered her unable to endure for much longer.


    Misty Terrain had a significant weakness��it was susceptible to provocation.


    The foundation of the entire floral sea and its mist wasprised of the Terrain moves��Grassy Terrain and Misty Terrain.


    If provoked, Florges might not even have the chance to unleash this floral sea.


    Whether the opponent would recognize this weakness depended on their abilities.


    Due to Lucario''s relentless counterattacks and several sessful ambushes by Florges, who remained concealed in the mist, she was finally unable to maintain the floral sea''s mist any longer.


    In an instant, the colorful flowersposing the floral sea and the enchanting mist vanished.


    Observing the flowers transform into specks of light, Lucario suddenly felt like it had survived a cmity.


    Lucario bore numerous injuries from multiple Moonst hits, but it could still continue to fight. However, Florges was in a worse state. Her excessive expenditure left herpletely immobilized.


    The Florges, once adept at battles of attrition, now couldn''t move a muscle due to her extensive depletion��a truly dramatic twist.


    "We concede this battle," Yuga said with a wry smile to Riley.


    Although Lucario was injured, it could still fight. However, with Florges immobilized due to excessive energy consumption, Yuga had no choice but to surrender.


    Topletely control this floral sea and mist, Florges needed to be even stronger.


    Hearing Yuga''s concession, Riley wasn''t pleased. This wasn''t the oue he had hoped for.


    He knew that Yuga and Florges hadn''t lost to Lucario but rather to themselves.


    If only Florges could have held out a little longer, it would have been Lucario on the losing side.


    Retrieving the exhausted Florges, Yuga epted the Leaf Badge handed to him by Riley and said, "This Leaf Badge is yours."


    Riley nced at the badge but didn''t take it. "I don''t feel deserving of this badge."


    Yuga was puzzled. "Why not? You won, didn''t you?"


    Riley shook his head. "In my eyes, this doesn''t count as a win."


    The opponent had sent out Pok��mon with lower levels, and, most importantly, Riley hadn''t gained any advantage. How could this be considered a victory?


    "But I believe you deserve this badge," Yuga insisted, extending the badge once more.


    Riley continued to gaze at it for a moment but still didn''t ept it. "I will challenge you again when I feel more deserving. You can give it to me then."


    With that, Riley departed the gym, apanied by Lucario.


    Watching Riley and Lucario''s departing figures, Yuga thought to himself, "He''s truly an odd one."


    Yuga had no idea that Riley''s purpose in challenging the gym wasn''t to obtain a badge, so the badge''s significance was inconsequential to him.


    What mattered was the lessons Riley had learned from this battle. However, the battle''s oue didn''t satisfy Riley, so he decided to return and challenge again when he felt stronger.


    Beneath a Great Reputation Lies No Falsehoods; Yuga''s Might, which he had heard about, was indeed impressive, although somewhat different from the rumors.


    Inside the Ecopark:


    While Yuga had gone to the gym to face challengers, Gardevoir caused a bit of trouble in the Ecopark.


    Despite being a Legendary Pok��mon once, Gardevoir had never encountered such a magical ce before. Various environments had converged in one ce, making it truly fascinating.


    Filled with curiosity, Gardevoir began exploring the different Sub-Ecopark. Originally, Gardevoir (male) was quite skilled in using Teleport. With the added psychic power of Celebi''s consciousness, it could now use Teleport even more skillfully, allowing it to appear wherever it wished in an instant.


    However, when it arrived at the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, it encountered a Bagon.


    Normally, Gardevoir would not have had much reaction upon seeing a Bagon. However, the other consciousness residing within its body was very interested in the Bagon.


    It was the child of Gardevoir''s formerpanion.


    When Celebi''s consciousness dominated the body, Gardevoir (male)''s consciousness was notpletely cut off from the outside world.


    Gardevoir and Gardevoir (male) shared the same body now, so Gardevoir wouldn''t disregard Gardevoir (male)''s thoughts. Thus, it followed Gardevoir (male)''s intentions to see the Bagon.


    However, it was unaware that there was a Deino beside the Bagon.


    Deino, Zweilous, and Hydreigon, these Pok��mon all shared amon trait: they had bad tempers.


    The reason why Hydreigon was considered ill-tempered was that it would perceive any moving object as its enemy andunch an attack.


    So, it was best for strangers to stay quiet in the front od Hydreigon.


    Zweilous were irritable because they had two brains.


    Although Hydreigon had three heads, it had only one consciousness, unlike Zweilous. The two minds of Zweilous often quarreled for dominance over the body.


    It was said that only when one of the two mindspletely dominated the body would they evolve into a Hydreigon.


    When they were still Deino, their eyes were invisible.


    Because of their young age andck of understanding of their surroundings, Deino had a habit of gnawing on things and liked to charge around, often injuring themselves in the process, making them highly dangerous.


    Especially to strangers.


    The Deino in Yuga''s Ecopark rarely interacted with other Pok��mon precisely because of this. Besides its caretaker the Milktanks, it only had Bagon forpany.


    Other Pok��mon knew about the situation with the Deino, so they rarely approached it casually.


    But Gardevoir didn''t know!


    If it were any other type of Pok��mon, they might have sensed Gardevoir''s peaceful aura, which belonged to Celebi, and held some goodwill toward it.


    But not Deino.


    Thebination of Dark-type and Dragon-type of Deino and the Psychic-type and Fairy-type in Gardevoir was a recipe for a fiery sh.


    When these two Pok��mon met, it was like a spark igniting a powder keg.

 Chapter 649: Shellgon

    <h4>Chapter 649: Shellgon</h4>


    Originally, even though Deino had a strong offensive nature and an ipatible type with Gardevoir, the two of them shouldn''t have caused too much trouble.


    But Gardevoir underestimated the highly mmable and explosive nature of Deino.


    When Gardevoir tried to approach Bagon, Deino, out of caution, stood in front of Gardevoir.


    But would Gardevoir really pay much attention to a small Deino?


    Clearly not!


    A st of psychic power casually froze Deino in ce.


    Even though Deino was a Dark-type Pok��mon, given the difference between it and Gardevoir, type immunity was simply nonexistent.


    Deino''s nature was naturally aggressive, and being restrained by Gardevoir was intolerable to it.


    So, it writhed its body, attempting to break free from Gardevoir''s psychic restraint.


    Feeling Deino''s struggle, Gardevoir exerted a bit more pressure on it.


    Without knowing Deino''s temperament, seeing it struggle, Gardevoir developed a yful intent to tease it.


    It must be said that Gardevoir, with its mischievous personality, had both kindness and malice within its nature.


    Although it wasn''t anything malicious, it was enough to stir up a strong sense of rebellion deep within Deino.


    Deino could be said to be the most desire-driven of all Pseudo-Legendary infants.


    So, Deino went berserk.


    It continuously used the Dark Pulse to attack Gardevoir, each attack more violent than thest.


    Even unable to break free from Gardevoir''s psychic restraints, it began to harm itself.


    Gardevoir even heard it��the sound of bones breaking as Deino writhed in madness.


    This was too insane!


    Gardevoir hadn''t expected Deino to be so uncontroble.


    Even though it wasn''t afraid of the attacks from Deino, it was momentarily at a loss due to Deino''s frenzied behavior.


    Seeing Deino injured due to the psychic restraints, Gardevoir had no choice but to release it.


    But without the restraints, Deino was like a wild horse unleashed, charging towards Gardevoir without hesitation.


    On the side, Bagon saw that Deino and Gardevoir were in conflict, and it became very anxious.


    It wanted to stop Deino but couldn''t approach it due to Deino''s erratic behavior.


    It wanted to call out to Deino, but it couldn''t have any effect since Deino had lost its rationality.


    Gardevoir didn''t intend to harm Deino; it was afraid that if it used psychic power again to restrain Deino, Deino would be injured again due to its struggles. Therefore, it could only keep evading through Teleport.


    But Gardevoir couldn''t directly use Teleport to leave this ce either. It was the one who had stirred up this situation; it couldn''t just leave Deino here to go crazy.


    It remembered what Yuga had said before leaving, not to cause any trouble here, but what was happening now?


    Did this count as causing trouble?


    Gardevoir was somewhat afraid that Yuga would revoke its permission to enter and exit the sub-Ecopark. It didn''t want to be confined to the main Ecopark again.


    Gardevoir didn''t think it had done anything excessive; why was this little guy in front of it being so relentless?


    Deino, devoid of reason, didn''t care about anything, didn''t feel tired, didn''t feel pain; it just wanted to attack Gardevoir relentlessly.


    No matter what, I have to seed at least once.


    That''s Deino''s only thought at this moment.


    Slowly, when Deino realized it couldn''t harm itself, Gardevoir also stopped being anxious. It casually evaded Deino, which kept charging at it.


    When Deino rushed over, Gardevoir just dodged. Handling a Deino of this level was no different from ying house for it.


    But Gardevoir wasn''t in a hurry, and Bagon was. Could it watch its little buddy go crazy like this?


    Bagon, unable to intervene, was getting very anxious.


    Very anxious! Very anxious!


    In its anxiety, its body emitted the light of evolution.


    The evolution light came suddenly, and Bagon was a bit dazed. By the time it reacted, it had alreadypleted its evolution.


    Both Gardevoir, busy dealing with Deino, and Deino itself didn''t notice Bagon''s evolution.


    The evolved Shellgon moved its limbs awkwardly and then looked at the still-rampaging Deino.


    When Deino once again charged recklessly towards Gardevoir, Shellgon spread its limbs and rushed towards Deino.


    Then there was a "bang" as Deino collided with Shellgon.


    Seeing Shellgon standing in front of it, Gardevoir was momentarily baffled.


    How did this little guy evolve so suddenly?


    Seeing Bagon evolve into Shellgon, Gardevoir even felt a sense of joy transmitted from another consciousness within itself.


    Naturally, Shellgon was stronger in terms of physical strength than Deino. Due to this collision, Deino couldn''t help but step back.


    Originally, because it had lost its rationality, it didn''t recognize Bagon. Now, Bagon had transformed into Shellgon, and Deino was even less likely to recognize its little buddy.


    Deino didn''t use any other moves; it simply used Tackle and charged at its little buddy again.


    At this moment, in the eyes of Deino, Shellgon and Gardevoir were no different.


    Shellgon, afraid of hurting Deino, also didn''t counterattack with any moves. Instead, it used Iron Defense to defend against Deino''s charges.


    Gardevoir, who had been momentarily dazed, thought for a moment, then spread its hands, and a pleasant ringing sound emanated from its body.


    The ringing sound turned into tangible sound waves that spread out in all directions. All the Pok��mon in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark heard this sound simultaneously.


    The ringing sound seemed to carry a calming force. When the sound waves passed through the bodies of the Pok��mon, they all feltforted both physically and mentally.


    In an instant, it had an effect on all the Pok��mon in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark. This showed the strength of Gardevoir''s Heal Bell.


    However, even so, when the sound waves of the Heal Bell reached Deino, it only paused for a moment before charging at Shellgon again.


    Seeing this situation, Gardevoir was stunned.


    Was its Heal Bell not working?


    Gardevoir pouted in frustration, increasing the effectiveness of its Heal Bell. In an instant, the cheerful ringing sound echoed throughout the entire Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, and the Pok��mon were left feeling dizzy.


    There was no choice; Gardevoir''s Heal Bell, used at full power, was too strong. The Pok��mon were all left "feeling overwhelmed."

 Chapter 650: Escape

    <h4>Chapter 650: Escape</h4>


    Gardevoir, having been a Legendary Pok��mon, couldn''t possibly be seriously threatened by a small Deino.


    With the enhanced Heal Bell, Deino finally regained consciousness.


    It looked dazedly at the somewhat unfamiliar Shellgon in front of it, then copsed due to pain and exhaustion.


    However, its gaze towards Gardevoir remained very unfriendly.


    Gardevoir, somewhat speechless, touched its nose. "Did I steal your girlfriend or something? Is this necessary?"


    After a moment of confirmation, Deino finally realized that the unfamiliar figure in front of it, who looked at it with concern, was indeed its buddy. Its heart calmed down considerably.


    Meanwhile, the consciousness belonging to Gardevoir (male) within Gardevoir''s body urged Gardevoir to help treat the injured Deino.


    Gardevoir (male) was also sympathetic. It didn''t want to see its friend Shellgon get hurt, nor did it want to see Shellgon sad.


    "Alright, alright, I''ll treat you. Who asked us to share the same body?" Gardevoir rolled its eyes and reluctantly agreed to Gardevoir (male)''s request in its mind.


    It''s really unreasonable. Someone wants to fight me, and after the fight, I have to be responsible for healing them!


    With these thoughts, Gardevoir reluctantly used Heal Pulse on Deino.


    Gardevoir''s Heal Pulse was even stronger than Yuga''s Chimecho. In an instant, Deino was fully restored.


    After using Heal Pulse, Gardevoir handed control of its body over to Gardevoir (male).


    The main reason Gardevoir came here was that Gardevoir (male) wanted to see how Bagon was doing. Now it should be Shellgon.


    Different from the strong-willed and trouble-making Gardevoir, Gardevoir (male) patiently exined to Deino why it hade here, dispelling their misunderstandings.


    However, Deino''s attitude towards Gardevoir (male) didn''t be friendly as a result. It didn''t attack Gardevoir (male) further, though, probably out of consideration for Shellgon.


    In Deino''s eyes, the previous Gardevoir and the current Gardevoir (male) were no different.


    The conflict between Gardevoir and Deino quietly drifted away with the wind.


    In the center of Verdanturf Town''s alleyway.


    A petite figure hiding in the shadows cautiously peered out from the wall, watching the peopleing and going on the street. Then, it suddenly dashed toward a nearby trash bin. With a light leap, it jumped into the bin.


    After this little guy jumped out of the trash bin, it was holding a dried-up cookie bag in its hand.


    It opened the cookie bag and found a perfectly preserved cookie inside, causing it to gleefully grin. It then darted back into the alleyway.


    After making sure no one was following, the little one walked along the wall''s shadow, heading deeper into the alley.


    "Buneary, Buneary, Buneary."


    In the depths of the alley, there was a pile of misceneous items. The little one approached it and called out to a battered Pachirisu inside an old crate.


    "Risu."


    This Pachirisu''s once snowy-white fur had turned greasy, and its voice sounded very weak.


    Pachirisu crawled out of the crate and, upon seeing the little one holding the cookie bag, identally rolled out of the crate.


    The little one quickly ran over, nervously helping Pachirisu up. It became evident that one of Pachirisu''s legs was twisted at an unnatural angle, clearly broken, with traces of blood on its fur.


    Pachirisu endured the pain in its leg and shook its head at the little one, indicating that it was okay.


    The little one, relieved, raised the cookie bag it was holding and poured out the cookies to offer one to Pachirisu.


    "Pachirisu."


    Pachirisu looked at the cookie in the little one''s hand and pointed to it, asking if it had eaten.


    "Buneary, Buneary."


    With shining eyes half-closed, the little one nodded repeatedly, indicating it had already eaten.


    Knowing the little one''s personality well, Pachirisu didn''t believe it. It took the cookie from the little one, broke it in half, and handed one part back to the little one.


    "Buneary, Buneary, Buneary."


    Seeing this, the little one immediately shook its head, signaling that it had truly eaten already. It then pointed to Pachirisu''s injured leg, suggesting that Pachirisu needed the nutrition more.


    Unfazed by the little one''s refusal, Pachirisu quietly held out the half-cookie with an expression that didn''t allow for any objections.


    The little one couldn''t refuse anymore, so it silently epted the half-cookie, its eyes welling up with tears.


    "Pachirisu."


    Seeing the little one take the cookie, Pachirisu nodded with satisfaction and began to savor its hard-earned piece of the treat.


    As the little one wiped its cheek with its hand, some of the dirt on its face was removed, revealing that it was a young Buneary.


    However, this Buneary was covered in grime, with its originally brown fur turned entirely ck, and areas with more fur, like its belly and ears, even had knots.


    If you didn''t look carefully, it was challenging to recognize this little one as an Buneary.


    Just as the two little ones were peacefully enjoying their cookies, arge Mightyena approached the alley.


    The Mightyena kept sniffing, as if searching for something. When it stuck its head into the alley, its eyes instantly lit up.


    "Mightyena!"


    The Mightyena barked excitedly into the alley.


    Pachirisu and Buneary, who were eating cookies in the depths of the alley, stopped their actions cautiously upon hearing this howl.


    "Pachirisu."


    Pachirisu called out to Buneary.


    Buneary suddenly looked very flustered, hastily stuffed the remaining cookie into its mouth without savoring it properly, then picked up Pachirisu, who couldn''t move well due to the injury, and leaped onto the high wall of the alley.


    Despite Buneary''s small size and stature, it had remarkable jumping abilities. Carrying Pachirisu on its back, it effortlessly vaulted onto the high wall.


    When the Mightyena ran into the alley, it witnessed Buneary and Pachirisu leaping over to the other side of the wall.


    "Mightyena!"


    The Mightyena, growling menacingly, barked at Buneary and Pachirisu. Startled, Buneary fell from the wall onto the other side.

 Chapter 651: Chance Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 651: Chance Encounter</h4>


    It didn''t take long after the arrival of Mightyena, a man in dark gray clothing arrieved on the scene in hurry.


    "How''s it going? Did they manage to escape again?" the man asked Mightyena.


    The man appeared to be around twenty years old, tall, with a long scar running from his forehead vertically down through his eye, ending on his right cheek, giving him a fierce and terrifying appearance.


    Mightyena, still focused on the high wall, turned back to nce at the man and nodded.


    The wall in front of them was just too high for Mightyena. It didn''t possess the exceptional jumping ability of Buneary, so it couldn''t leap over.


    "Keep searching. We can''t let them get away," the man said after some thought and then headed out of the alley.


    Mightyena silently followed behind him.


    On the other side of the high wall, After Buneary fell from the wall while carrying Pachirisu, itnded gracefully on the ground thanks to its remarkable jumping ability, once again catching Pachirisu in the process.


    Aware that someone was pursuing them, Buneary didn''t waste any time. It held Pachirisu and began to run, not daring to stay in one ce.


    They ran through streets and alleys for what seemed like a long time until they reached the outskirts of the small town, near an abandoned factory.


    Passing through the abandoned factory, Buneary found an uninhabited shack and took refuge inside with Pachirisu.


    If Yuga were here now, he would surely recognize that the shack where Buneary and Pachirisu were hiding was the same ce where Anya and Akihiro used to live. However, after Anya and Akihiro moved to the YoYo Day Care, this ce became an abandoned shack.


    And so, Buneary and Pachirisu settled down in the small shack.


    On the seventh day after Yuga''s Gym Challenge:


    On this day, Yuga was attending to customers in the shop when she noticed Liliana patrolling outside with her Herdier.


    This Herdier was a reward given to Liliana by her family after the incident involving the destruction of the Team Aqua Branch.


    This Herdier, meticulously raised by Jenny''s family, had outstanding talent, and it was specially transferred from the Unova Region.


    After the incident with the Team Aqua Branch, Liliana received dual rewards from both the League and her family, reaping many benefits in the process.


    "Miss Jenny, has anything unusual happened recently?" Yuga called out to Liliana while standing at the shop''s entrance.


    Liliana, being the police chief, rarely roamed the streets without good reason.


    Seeing that even Liliana was mobilized, it indicated that something indeed was amiss.


    As a Gym Leader for the Verdanturf Gym now, Yuga had a responsibility and duty to keep an eye on the town''s public safety.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s question, Liliana contemted for a moment and then approached him.


    "Recently, some suspicious individuals have been wandering around town. I''m a bit concerned and wanted to see who these people are," she replied in a hushed tone, clearly not wanting others to overhear.


    Originally, she hadn''t intended to inform Yuga directly about this matter, as she only had a vague sense that something was off, and nothing had actually happened.


    "Well, now that you mention it..."


    Upon hearing Liliana''s words, Yuga also found it strange.


    ording to reports from the Natus, there had been frequent sightings of unfamiliar people loitering near the YoYo Day Care and the Verdanturf Gymtely. Moreover, these individuals appeared to be acting suspiciously.


    However, they were merely suspicious, as they hadn''t actually done anything wrong, so Yuga couldn''t take any action against them.


    These people were all unfamiliar faces and not local residents of Verdanturf Town.


    Yuga decided to share his findings with Liliana.


    Liliana did not expect that Yuga also noticed the abnormality and continued, "I''ll keep a close watch on this matter. Please do the same, Gym Leade Shimizu."


    Yuga nodded in response. "I will keep a close eye on it as well. If there''s anything you need assistance with, please inform me immediately."


    Liliana nodded and bid farewell to Yuga before continuing her patrol with her Herdier.


    Yuga had been quite busy these days, preparing for the uing bidding, and he hadn''t expected this addedplication.


    Shaking his head, Yuga was about to enter the shop when he suddenly caught sight of a man with a long scar on his face.


    The man nced at Yuga briefly and then averted his gaze, but Yuga pretended not to notice him.


    Yuga had been aware of this man''s presence for a while; he had been lingering nearby, and the Natus had spotted him more than once.


    After the scarred man left, Yuga signaled to a Natu perched on his roof. The bird instantly appeared before him.


    "Keep an eye on him. If you notice anything unusual, let me know," Yuga whispered to the Natu.


    The Natu nodded and then disappeared using Teleport.


    After helping a few more customers in the shop, Yuga suddenly remembered that he hadn''t collected the mutated Jaboca Berry potion he had requested from the Pok��mon Center. He had just cultivated the second batch of mutated Jaboca Berries, and it had matured the day before.


    Yesterday, at the Pok��mon Center, he and Joyka had worked together to create the potion. Joyka had expressed a desire to further study the potion''s ingredients, so Yuga had left it with her.


    This second batch of mutated Jaboca Berries had produced only one berry and, subsequently, one potion. Still, Yuga was quite satisfied with the results.


    Good things were always hard toe by. With this potion, a Gligar with the Blue potential could be born into the Gligar family.


    Having obtained the potion, Yuga happily made his way back. However, as he passed an intersection, he noticed something ck wriggling on the ground, sparking his curiosity.


    Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was a dirty Pachirisu, and it didn''t seem to be in good shape.


    "How did a Pachirisu end up here?" Yuga wondered aloud.


    Pachirisu was a Pok��mon native to the Sinnoh region, so it was quite unusual to find one in the Hoenn region.


    Yuga was about to approach the weakened Pachirisu when it suddenly stood up, looking wary, and focused its gaze on him.


    Yuga finally got a clear look at the Pachirisu. It was indeed in poor condition, and he couldn''t help but wonder if it had been abandoned.


    This situation reminded Yuga of the time he had encountered the abandoned Vivillon.


    Looking at the weak Pachirisu, Yuga extended his hand and said, "It seems you''re injured. Let me take a look and see if I can help."


    Yuga had developed some basic healing abilities thanks to his special powers. He wanted to provide some initial treatment to the Pachirisu before taking it to the Pok��mon Center to see Joyka.


    However, the Pachirisu was highly alert.


    Before Yuga''s hand could reach it, a blue electric discharge quickly shot out and struck Yuga''s arm, causing a tingling sensation.


    Reacting instinctively, Yuga withdrew his hand and felt the numbing sensation in his arm. He looked at the Pachirisu and said, "I mean no harm; I just want to help."


    With the unique energy surrounding his hand, Yuga cautiously approached the weakened Pachirisu once more.


    The Pachirisu appeared extremely frail, and Yuga feared it could copse at any moment.

 Chapter 652: Shelter

    <h4>Chapter 652: Shelter</h4>


    It wasn''t clear whether it was due to extreme weakness or sensing Yuga''s goodwill, but Pachirisu finally stopped struggling.


    Feeling theforting energy transmitted through Yuga''s hand on its body, Pachirisu''s vignt expression rxed.


    Yuga quickly noticed the wound on Pachirisu''s leg.


    "No wonder you can''t walk properly and have to ''slither'' on the ground," Yuga thought.


    "How did you sustain such a serious injury?" Yuga couldn''t help but frown, although he knew his healing abilities wouldn''t suffice for Pachirisu''s severe condition.


    Examining the wound on Pachirisu''s leg, Yuga found that the bones were broken and beyond his ability to heal. He would need to take it to Nurse Joy.


    "Let me take you to the Pok��mon Center," Yuga said as he gently cradled Pachirisu, intending to bring it to Joyka.


    In truth, Pachirisu was filthy, covered in dirt, with damp and greasy fur. But when he thought of its injury, Yuga suppressed the nausea in his heart and continued to hold Pachirisu in his hands.


    "Pachirisu, Pachirisu," the creature protested vehemently as Yuga attempted to move it.


    "Do you want to wait for your friend? What kind of friend is it? After we return from the Pok��mon Center, we can help you look for them together. Considering your condition, your friend might not have waited and is now worried about you," Yuga reasoned.


    Friend? Could this Pachirisu truly have been abandoned? Were its references to friends merely about its trainer?


    Thinking this, Yuga gazed at Pachirisu with sympathy.


    Poor little thing.


    After Yuga''s persuasion, Pachirisu reluctantly agreed to go to the Pok��mon Center for treatment, with the condition that Yuga would help find its friend.


    Yuga silently decided that once they found Pachirisu''s trainer, he must let Liliana to capture them.


    It''s illegal to mistreatment or abadondon a Pok��mon.


    Hastily arriving at the Pok��mon Center, Yuga handed Pachirisu over to Joyka.


    Noticing the dire state of Pachirisu, Joyka didn''t ask many questions. She, along with her Chansey, took Pachirisu to the emergency room.


    After two or three hours, Joyka and Chansey emerged with Pachirisu, who appeared much improved after treatment.


    Joyka seemed to have bathed Pachirisu, restoring its formerly darkened fur to a pristine white. However, due to the long neglect, some of its fur had be matted, leading Joyka to decide to give it a full trim. Thus, Pachirisu now bore patches of missing fur, making it look rather unsightly.


    But fur would grow back quickly, and Pachirisu''s appearance was the least of their concerns. The main thing was that Pachirisu was now out of danger.


    "This Pachirisu was suffering from malnutrition. I''ve given it a nutrient injection, but it will need ongoing nutritional support. Take good care of it," Joyka advised as she returned Pachirisu to Yuga.


    "Thank you; I appreciate your help," Yuga replied, carefully epting Pachirisu, being mindful of the bandaged wound on its leg. While the broken bone had been mended, it still required careful care.


    "It''s no trouble at all. It''s what I''m here for," Joyka said with a smile.


    She could surmise that Yuga had likely found this Pachirisu, given that he had returned to the Pok��mon Center so soon after leaving, now holding an injured Pachirisu in his arms. She could imagine what had happend.


    As they left the Pok��mon Center, Pachirisu urged Yuga to return to the intersection. It was determined to find its friend.


    "All right, all right. We''ll go find your friend," Yuga assured Pachirisu.


    Yuga said helplessly.


    After returning to the intersection, Yuga looked around but saw no one in sight.


    "Do you know where your friend went?" Yuga still assumed that Pachirisu''s friend was a human.


    "Pachirisu, Pachirishu." Pachirisu wore a distressed expression and shook its head, indicating it didn''t know.


    How were they supposed to find its friend now? Yuga was quite puzzled.


    Suddenly, Yuga spotted a dark mass charging towards him. He quickly released his Snivy.


    Snivy flicked its two vines, suspending the assant, which turned out to be a ck, fluffy creature.


    Yuga thought to himself, "Hmm, a bit weak."


    "Buneary, Buneary, Buneary."


    The frustrated attacker, unable to break free, began angrily berating Yuga and demanded that he release Pachirisu.


    (_)_


    Yuga, who was scolded for no reason, was confused.


    What had he done wrong?


    At this moment, Pachirisu in Yuga''s arms finally reacted, excitedly exining things to the ck, fluffy assant.


    Listening to the exchange between Pachirisu and the ck creature, Yuga finally understood.


    So, Pachirisu''s friend was this ck dumpling?


    What happened to being abandoned? What happened to the trainer?


    Yuga felt embarrassed by his own assumptions.


    Understanding that Yuga had saved Pachirisu, the ck creature changed its attitude and expressed gratitude towards Yuga.


    ...


    <<buneary>> </buneary>


    Type: Normal


    Ability: Run Away


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Yellow


    Level: 12


    Moves: Ssh, Pound, Foresight


    ...


    So, it was a Buneary!


    Yuga observed the ck creature with his Insight ability.


    This was indeed an extremely weak Pok��mon, which exined why it couldn''t even handle a move from Snivy.


    Its only advantage was probably the Run Away ability, which granted it superior escape skills.


    This Buneary looks even dirtier than the previous Pachirisu, and it''s hard to distinguish its species with just the naked eye.


    Fortunately, this Buneary doesn''t have any major physical issues. Well, it appears to be a bit malnourished but doesn''t have any external injuries.


    These two clearly look like homeless wandering Pok��mon. So, Yuga said to them, "Why don''t youe with me? Pachirisu''s injuries aren''t fully healed yet, and it''s not good for it to keep wandering outside."


    Buneary hesitated upon hearing this, as it didn''t fully trust Yuga and maintained some basic caution.


    Pachirisu, on the other hand, didn''t think too much about it and encouraged Buneary to agree, thinking Yuga was a good person.


    Pachirisu didn''t want Buneary to continue carrying the burden of taking care of it while wandering. Without Pachirisu, Buneary wouldn''t have had to endure such hardships.


    Buneary looked at Pachirisu''s injuries, which hadn''t fully healed yet, and, after Pachirisu''s persuasion, finally bit the bullet and agreed to go back with Yuga.


    There was no other choice; if they continued to wander, both Buneary and Pachirisu would struggle to survive.

 Chapter 653: Smuggling

    <h4>Chapter 653: Smuggling</h4>


    After bringing Buneary and Pachirisu back home, Yuga gave the still-dirty Buneary a bath.


    Buneary initially resisted Yuga''s attempt to bathe it, but when it caught a whiff of its own foul odor, it reluctantly allowed Yuga to clean it up.


    Buneary looked much cuter after the bath, although Yuga had to trim the matted fur around its belly because it was too dirty to clean properly.


    After the bath, Yuga prepared some Pok��blocks for them, and they ate heartily, tears nearly welling up in their eyes.


    It was the first time in days they had eaten their fill, and they felt immense happiness in being able to do so.


    Now, even if Yuga turned out to be a bad person, they would have no regrets, having enjoyed a satisfying meal before their demise.


    "By the way, as far as I know, both of you are Pok��mon from the Sinnoh region. How did you end up in Verdanturf Town?" Yuga asked curiously, watching Buneary and Pachirisu lying on the ground after their meal.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s question, Buneary and Pachirisu exchanged nces and fell silent for a moment.


    "What''s wrong? Is there something you can''t tell me? Or have you encountered some difficulties? You can talk to me; perhaps I can help you," Yuga inquired, puzzled by the silence of the two little creatures.


    Listening to Yuga''s words, the two small creatures seemed even more conflicted, unsure whether to speak up or not.


    In the end, Pachirisu tugged at Buneary, seemingly wanting Buneary to say something to Yuga, but Buneary appeared reluctant.


    Yuga could tell that despite Buneary''s petite and adorable appearance, it was quite wary, much more so than Pachirisu.


    Both Pachirisu and Buneary were not particrly rare Pok��mon in the Sinnoh region; they were quitemon, and their potential was only rated as yellow.


    Yuga found it hard to imagine what kind of trouble they could be in, and it certainly couldn''t be someone trying to capture them; that wouldn''t make sense.


    Capturing them would be a waste of time; it would be easier to buy two new Pok��mon from a Pok��mon Day Care directly, especiallymon ones like these with yellow potential. They cost less than twenty thousand Pok��dors.


    "If you have a problem, feel free to tell me. Don''t let my appearance fool you; I''m a legitimate Gym Leader and Trainer of the League," Yuga reassured Buneary, sensing its distrust.


    "Buneary?"


    Hearing Yuga mention that he was a Gym Leader, Buneary''s eyes lit up.


    While it had lived in a Pok��mon Day Care before, Buneary didn''t know much about the outside world. However, it had heard about Gym Leaders in the League.


    ording to what it had heard, seeking their help when in trouble was the right thing to do.


    "Really, I''m not lying. If you don''t believe me, I can take you outside and ask around. Everyone knows me," Yuga quickly added when he sensed Buneary''s doubt.


    Buneary finally believed Yuga and proceeded to exin their situation.


    As it turned out, Buneary and Pachirisu were both specially bred Pok��mon from a Sinnoh League Pok��mon Day Care Center.


    However, not long ago, their Pok��mon Day Care Center was infiltrated, and some Pok��mon, including members of their group, were smuggled out of the League Pok��mon Day Care Center by a group of outsiders.


    Buneary and Pachirisu were part of that group.


    Although they were ordinary Pok��mon and had yellow potential, many of the other Pok��mon in their group had much higher potential.


    That''s why those individuals had taken the risk of infiltrating the League''s facility.


    Even if they were just ordinary Pok��mon, once they had high potential, they became valuable.


    After being smuggled out, they were transported by ship from the Sinnoh region to the Hoenn region, eventually ending up in Verdanturf Town.


    While they were just ordinary Pok��mon in Sinnoh, things were different in Hoenn, and their value had significantly increased.


    That was because Hoenn didn''t produce these two species of Pok��mon.


    This is precisely the added value of regional differences, much like the uncher currently being sold at YoYo Day Care.


    Of course, uncher are much rarerpared to Buneary and Pachirisu.


    ording to the individuals who were looking after Buneary and Pachirisu, they were supposed to be taken to a Pok��mon Day Care.


    However, they didn''t know the specifics of which Pok��mon Day Care it was supposed to be.


    Hearing this, Yuga found it rather odd.


    To his knowledge, there was only one Pok��mon Day Care in Verdanturf Town, which was YoYo Day Care. Could it be that these people were just passing through Verdanturf Town?


    Thinking about it this way, Yuga felt like he might be missing something.


    But no matter what, this was not a trivial matter.


    Those people had quite the audacity to reach out to the League. Did they really think they could get away with smuggling Pok��mon from Sinnoh to Hoenn without consequences?


    As a member of the League, Yuga couldn''t simply stand by and do nothing. Buneary and Pachirisu had escaped with the help of their fellow Pok��mon, hoping to find someone to aid them.


    However, they had spent their entire lives in the League''s Pok��mon Day Care Center and werepletely unaware of the outside world, let alone the unfamiliar Hoenn region.


    They had no idea whom to seek help from.


    As time passed, the individuals pursuing them never gave up. Pachirisu had also been injured during their escape, making their lives increasingly difficult.


    Forget seeking help; they struggled just to survive peacefully day by day. Meeting Yuga today was a stroke of luck for them.


    "Wait a moment, did you say that someone has been pursuing you all these days?" Yuga suddenly noticed this detail in Buneary''s words.


    Buneary nodded. Wasn''t that obvious? Those people weremitting a crime, and not capturing them could potentially lead to their actions being exposed, which would be disastrous.


    In this world, although people who couldmunicate with Pok��mon were rtively rare, they did exist. The mostmon were Psychic-type Trainers.


    People like Riley who is an Aura user can also do it.


    Not to mention Pok��mon with abilities like Telepathy.


    Those individuals wouldn''t dare to take unnecessary risks.


    Could it be that those people who had been wandering around Verdanturf Town recently were trying to capture Buneary and Pachirisu?


    This was the only reasonable exnation, otherwise, it would be too coincidental, Yuga thought.


    Yuga: "Don''t worry; I will definitely help you rescue your fellow Pok��mon. Do you remember where the ce was that held you captive?"


    At this question from Yuga, Buneary and Pachirisu were stumped.


    Buneary furrowed its brow, tugging at its long ears, trying hard to remember, but it couldn''t recall the exact location they had escaped from.


    When they were fleeing, they were in such a state of panic that they hadn''t thought about it or had time to memorize the route.


    Pachirisu, simrly, shook its head in confusion.


    Seeing this, Yuga was spechlesss.


    Did their fellow tribe members seriously send these two on such a difficult mission to seek help?


    Waiting for them to find reinforcements would take forever.


    Buneary and Pachirisu hung their heads low, looking utterly dejected.


    These past few days, they had been so hungry that they could hardly think straight, and they never anticipated such a situation.


    "Alright, alright, don''t be sad. Leave this to me; I''ll definitely help you rescue your tribe members," Yuka said, gently patting the heads of the two small Pok��mon, trying tofort them.

 Chapter 654: Investigation

    <h4>Chapter 654: Investigation</h4>


    Yuga believed that even if Buneary and Pachirisu couldn''t remember the location of the strangers in town, it wouldn''t be a problem. He was confident he could find out where those people were hiding.


    Yuga: "This is Verdanturf Town, as long as those people are still in Verdanturf Town, there''s no reason for me not to find them."


    After settling Buneary and Pachirisu, Yuga sought out the Natus he had instructed to keep an eye on the scar-faced individual.


    Yuga was convinced that the scar-faced person was connected to those people.


    "I asked you to follow that person, how''s it going?" Yuga inquired of the Natus.


    The Natus nodded and let out a few calls in response to Yuga.


    "Did you find out where that person lives?" Yuga''s heart leaped with joy. It seemed they had found a breakthrough.


    The Natus nodded again.


    Yuga: "Take me there."


    Yuga decided to first investigate the ce and determine whether it had any connection to Buneary and Pachirisu, and then decide on his course of action.


    The Natus nodded in agreement and flew back into the sky, left YoYo Day Care with Yuga followed behind.


    As he followed the Natus further, Yuga eventually noticed that they had stopped in front of a closed shop.


    "Is this the ce you''re talking about?" Yuga asked in amazement.


    The Natus nodded once more.


    Staring at the closed shop''s door, Yuga didn''t know what to say for a moment.


    That shop belonged to the Truly Adorable Day Care. Since the manager, Paulo, had been arrested for breeding Pok��mon with drugs, the shop had remained closed.


    Yuga had always believed that Edward had some involvement in that incident, but since Paulo had confessed and there was no evidence to the contrary, there was little that could be done to him.


    Thinking about this, Yuga squinted at the Truly Adorable Day Care and then turned to speak to the Natus:


    "You can go back now; I''ll handle the rest."


    The Natus nodded and disappeared from Yuga''s sight in an instant.


    Originally, Yuga had thought that Edward had given up on the Verdanturf Town branch, but now it seemed that wasn''t the case.


    "Gengar!"


    Yuga called out softly to his shadow, and Gengar emerged from it. With a touch of his hand, both he and Gengar disappeared into thin air.


    Invisibility cloaked Yuga as he approached the front of Truly Adorable Day Care, peering inside through the window.


    The shop''s interior remained as empty as before, with no sign of anyone living there.


    If it weren''t for the Natus''s guidance, no one would have guessed that this ce still had upants.


    Both Truly Adorable Day Care and YoYo Day Care had been established at the outskirts of Verdanturf Town, which had low foot traffic. So even if something happened there, it was difficult to be noticed.


    Yuga suspected that the Pok��mon Day Care mentioned by Buneary was most likely Truly Adorable Day Care.


    Yuga couldn''t help but marvel at Edward''s audacity.


    Just as Yuga was about to bypass the shop and investigate further, several individuals with Mightyena emerged from the shop''s right side.


    "I don''t know where those two little things ran off to. We''ve been searching for days and still haven''t found them," one of them grumbled.


    "Who can understand what those two Pok��mon are saying anyway? We''re wasting our time," another person chimed in.


    "You all know our boss''s personality. He''s naturally cautious. Besides, it''s precisely because of that trait that we''ve had such a long period without trouble," thest person added.


    "Ah, forget it, forget it. Whatever happens, happens. After we finish this job, we''ll have enough money tost for quite some time."


    The first person grew impatient, but when the topic of money came up, his eyes lit up with greed.


    As soon as he spoke, another person with a Mightyena emerged from the corner, and it was the scar-faced individual that Yuga had seen earlier.


    Seeing the scar-faced man stare at him expressionlessly, the first person gave him a re.


    Without uttering a word, the scar-faced man turned and walked away.


    "Ah, what''s with the attitude? He''s just a young kid. When I was out on the streets, he was probably still in his mother''s womb. Acting all high and mighty," the second person muttered under his breath, spitting on the ground.


    "Keep your voice down. After all, he''s the boss''s nephew. Besides, you can''t take him in a fight," the third person said, pulling the second one back.


    Hearing the third person''s words, the second one looked embarrassed, pursed his lips, and eventually said nothing.


    Yuga thought, "It seems that these people are indeed rted to Buneary and Pachirisu. The two little things they mentioned are most likely Buneary and Pachirisu."


    Once these people had left, Yuga waited for a moment and then made his way to the backyard of Truly Adorable Day Care.


    There were more guards here, and Yuga could see people patrolling with Mightyenas and Poochyena.


    Even though Yuga was invisible, he remained cautious and maintained a safe distance from these individuals because the Mightyenas could easily detect his scent.


    Finally, near the entrance to the Pok��mon Day Care''s former nursery, Yuga spotted the key figure in this situation, Edward.


    Edward was currently talking to a towering middle-aged man. However, they were too far away for Yuga to hear their conversation.


    Once Edward and the tall man left, Yuga sneaked up to the entrance of the nursery, following a soldier who went inside to check the situation.


    Inside Truly Adorable Day Care''s nursery, which had now fallen into disuse, Yuga saw rows of iron cages.


    (Note: Here, when it mentions a nursery, it''s not an ecological park but a simplified version, low-cost, without the ability to control the environment or provide aplete ecosystem for the Pok��mon to live.)


    These cages held Pachirisu, Buneary, and Lopunny, one by one. They appeared to be in poor spirits, most likely due to prolonged captivity and the hardships they faced on their journey from the Sinnoh to Hoenn.


    While Yuga couldn''t help but feel sorry for these Pok��mon, he didn''t rush to take action. Instead, he quietly retreated.


    This was a matter that required careful consideration.


    Rescuing these Pok��mon was a straightforward task, but if he startled the criminals, they might escape. Edward, in particr, had a knack for finding ways to avoid punishment.


    Given the precedent of Paulo''s case, Yuga believed that Edward might manipte the situation again if he wasn''t directly caught. If he imed ignorance about what was happening here, there might not be any evidence to prove otherwise.


    Yuga realized he needed Liliana''s assistance in this matter.


    With that in mind, Yuga left the Verdanturf Town branch of Truly Adorable Day Care.

 Chapter 655: Siege

    <h4>Chapter 655: Siege</h4>


    Upon returning to the YoYo Day Care, Yuga''s first action was to dispatch all of his Natuss to the vicinity of the Truly Adorable Day Care to closely monitor the area.


    He then sought out Liliana and together they devised a capture n, making all necessary preparations.


    Yuga''s goal was to apprehend Edward on the spot, leaving no room for evasion or self-exoneration.


    The next day around noon, a Natusnded near Yuga, delivering a quiet message. Following this, Yuga dialed Liliana''s number.


    All the undercover officers hidden near the Truly Adorable Day Care received Liliana''smand andpletely encircled the establishment, ensuring that no one inside could escape.


    Simultaneously, Yuga''s Gardevoir, capable of Teleport, appeared in the backyard of the Truly Adorable Day Care branch, with Yuga at her side.


    Indeed, Gardevoir was also part of this capture operation.


    Gardevoir had not explored the outside world for over a thousand years and was filled with curiosity about it.


    Upon learning of Yuga''s n, Gardevoir eagerly expressed her desire to participate, and Yuga couldn''t refuse her, agreeing reluctantly.


    Currently, Gardevoir was the strongest in Yuga''s Ecopark after Dragonite''s mother, and with her assistance, the sess rate of the capture n would significantly increase.


    As for who was stronger between Dragonite''s mother and Gardevoir at this moment, Yuga didn''t know because they hadn''tpeted.


    In the past, when she was still a Celebi, Gardevoir would undoubtedly have been unbeatable against Dragonite''s mother.


    However, Gardevoir was no longer a Celebi, and her power had diminished significantly.


    So, it was hard to say who was stronger between her and Dragonite''s mother at the moment.


    In any case, Yuga''s Lapras currently couldn''t defeat Gardevoir.


    Gardevoir''sbat power remained at the level of a champion or higher, and it continued to grow stronger over time.


    However, Gardevoir had a somewhatzy personality, and Yuga believed that if she put in more effort into her training, her strength could be even greater.


    In the backyard of the Truly Adorable Day Care,


    Edward, who was in the middle of discussing something with a tall man, was absolutely horrified when he suddenly saw Yuga appear not far away.


    Since the vicinity of the Truly Adorable Day Care had already been surrounded by Liliana and her team, Yuga didn''t attempt to hide anymore and confronted Edward directly.


    In this situation, if he let Edward escape again, it would be a serious loss of face.


    "How...how did you end up here?" Edward stammered, pointing at Yuga, his voice trembling.


    He knew that Yuga''s status had changed significantly, and he had the support of the League. He was also aware that if Yuga found out about his actions, he would be in mortal danger.


    "Why am I here? Shouldn''t Mr. Edward be the one who knows best?" Yuga squinted and retorted.


    Looking at Edward''s pathetic appearance, Yuga couldn''t fathom where he had found the courage to get involved with the League.


    The truth was exposed!


    Knowing that there was no way to salvage the situation today, Edward turned to the tall man next to him and said, "Boss Bear, today it''s up to you. If I fall into his hands, none of us will have a good ending."


    Boss Bear, the tall man, kept his eyes fixed on Yuga.


    As an ouw, Boss Bear and his gang dared to take on any business.


    Their current job was hired by Edward to transport a batch of Pok��mon from the Sinnoh to the Verdanturf Town of the Hoenn region.


    After arriving in Verdanturf Town, the cautious Boss Bear naturally investigated the most important figure here��Verdanturf Gym Leader, Shimizu Yuga.


    Yuga''s true strength outside was a mystery, but it is certain that he at least has pseudo-Elite levelbat power.


    But Boss Bear wasn''t concerned at all.


    As for the rumors that Yuga possessed the strength of an Elite level, Boss Bear scoffed at them.


    Just a kid with no hair, and he dared to im had an Elite level strength? It was tooughable. Was reaching the Elite level that easy?


    It''s just that Boss Bear didn''t expect that he would encounter the legendary Gym Leader whose strength was mystery so quickly.


    After examining Yuga, Boss Bear shifted his gaze to the Gardevoir standing next to Yuga, his brow slightly furrowed.


    The Gardevoir before him appeared exceedingly ordinary,cking any trace of the aura of a strong Pok��mon on her delicate appearance.


    However, if she wasn''t strong, how could one exin that silent Teleport she had just executed?


    Could an ordinary Pok��mon use Teleport so effortlessly and seamlessly? Using Teleport was known to consume a considerable amount of energy, and doing it with another person made it even more taxing.


    This was why many trainers with Pok��mon capable of Teleport only used it as ast resort for escape, not in battles, due to the immense energy cost.


    Boss Bear kept his eyes on Yuga, while Yuga did the same.


    Yuga knew that this person had to be the boss referred to by the man from the previous day.


    Apart from Boss Bear, all the others who had been patrolling around there showed up and surrounded Yuga.


    However, they were still unaware that they had already been encircled by the police.


    Boss Bear didn''t find it inappropriate that they had the numbers advantage against Yuga. In fact, he smiled and addressed Yuga, "Gym Leader Shimizu, I''ve heard of your name for a long time. It''s truly an honor to meet you today."


    Yuga remained expressionless and replied, "Skip the honorifics. I''m in the shop every day, and the people in town see me regrly. There''s nothing remarkable about this."


    Boss Bear was momentarily at a loss for words after Yuga''s response.


    "What are you being so arrogant about? You won''t leave here today!" Edward shouted angrily at Yuga from the side.


    Both Edward and Boss Bear knew that if Yuga wasn''t detained today, things would take a dire turn for them.


    Edward then turned to Boss Bear and said, "I''ll leave this to you. I''ll make my exit first."


    Boss Bear was well aware of Edward''s character; he knew Edward just wanted to escape. However, he didn''t say anything, as his current focus was on the young man before him.


    Killing was not something new for Boss Bear, but killing a League Gym Leader was an entirely different level of achievement. With that thought in mind, Boss Bear felt a tiny rush of excitement.


    Seeing Edward about to run away, Yuga quietly said to Gardevoir by his side, "I''m entrusting that person and the others to you. Is that okay?"


    The person Yuga referred to was Edward, while the others referred to the grunts surrounding him.


    "No problem, count on me," Gardevoir replied excitedly, finding the situation quite enjoyable.


    Yuga and Boss Bear simultaneously released their Pok��mon.


    Boss Bear''s Pok��mon consisted of a Mightyena and an Jolteon, both of which were at the Elite level.


    These two Pok��mon had always been the foundation of Boss Bear''s strength and the source of his confidence in not taking Yuga''s abilities seriously.


    Edward had paid a considerable price to hire someone as strong as Boss Bear.


    As for Yuga''s side, his Pok��mon were Gengar and Mismagius, an unbeatablebination in terms of synergy.

 Chapter 656: Escape

    <h4>Chapter 656: Escape</h4>


    "Attack!" Boss Bearmanded his subordinates upon seeing Yuga release his Pok��mon.


    However, just as they were about to make their move against Yuga, they mysteriously found themselves unable to move, and the same went for their Pok��mon.


    Witnessing this unbelievable scene, Boss Bear''s pupils shrank, feeling as though his heart might stop.


    His gaze shifted to Gardevoir, whose eyes were emitting a deep purple light. Boss Bear realized he was in trouble today.


    It must take incredibly terrifying psychic power to freeze so many people simultaneously in an instant!


    "Boss Bear, right? Don''t just stand there. It''s our turn," Yuga said with a smile to the bewildered Boss Bear.


    During Boss Bear''s momentary shock, one after another of his subordinates disappeared right before his eyes, as Gardevoir employed Teleport to transport them away.


    It was terrifying! Absolutely terrifying!


    The ability to use Teleport without contact, simply making opponents vanish with it, was truly frightening.


    In Boss Bear''s perception, Gardevoir''s power existed on an entirely unknown level.


    Meanwhile, outside of the Truly Adorable Day Care, the police who had been guarding the area suddenly saw numerous people descending from the sky, like dumplings falling.


    "What are you standing around for? Hurry up and capture them!" Liliana shouted to her subordinates.


    She, too, had a brief moment of confusion earlier. She couldn''t help but feel that her role as the police chief was somewhat diminished with Yuga, the excessively powerful Gym Leader, around.


    Sometimes, having a god-like teammate made her contributions seem negligible, a happy predicament indeed.


    With these thoughts in mind, Liliana joined the arrest operation.


    As Liliana''s team rushed to capture the criminals, the battle between Yuga and Boss Bear officially began.


    Boss Bear had lived on the edge for years, so even if he knew today''s situation was grim, he couldn''t just surrender quietly.


    Jolteon''s Thunderbolt attacks created a dense electric web that descended upon Gengar and Mismagius like a cage.


    Gengar and Mismagius were exceptionally fast, their ghostly forms weaving through the cage of lightning like true phantoms, avoiding any damage.


    Jolteon that Yuga facing was only recently promoted to the Elite level, but its strength was considerable. The Thunderbolt cage it conjured was quite devastating.


    The Mightyena stood silently beside Jolteon, ready to prevent any close-quarter attacks on its teammate.


    Jolteon was not suited for meleebat.


    This allowed Jolteon to use its electric powers freely and obliterate its opponents without restraint.


    Unfortunately, it faced the even stronger Gengar and Mismagius.


    Gengar and Mismagius held hands, their eyes glowing with intense purple light, simultaneously using psychic powers.


    An indigo-colored barrier instantly formed, blocking all of Jolteon''s Thunderbolts.


    Seeing Gengar and Mismagius''sbined strength, Boss Bear''s face turned extremely unsightly, his heart sinking to the depths.


    He had indeed overestimated himself and underestimated Yuga.


    Fame doesn''te without merit. It was only now that he truly understood this principle.


    Then, under Boss Bear''s close watch, Mismagius within the Thunderbolt cage suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind the Mightyena.


    "Watch out!" Boss Bear hastily warned, but it was already toote.


    Mismagius''s eyes emitted twin blue lights, striking fiercely at the Mightyena''s waist. The Mightyena''s attempt to counterattack with a bite missed its mark.


    Mismagius''s ability was not Teleport but "Shadow Sneak," which allowed her to lurk in another dimension, waiting for the right moment tounch a surprise attack. It was impossible to defend against.


    After being hit by Mismagius''s sneak attack, the Mightyena was sent flying backward, creating some distance between it and Jolteon.


    Gengar''s movement, noticing the situation with the Mightyena, momentarily stalled. Simultaneously, Gengar, who was inside the Thunderbolt cage, appeared above Jolteon.


    "Hehehe..."


    Gengar smirked mischievously, raising a massive Shadow Ball and smashing it onto Jolteon''s forehead.


    Jolteon had no idea how Gengar had appeared right in front of it. When the Shadow Ball came crashing down, it could only widen its eyes in shock and do nothing else.


    Jolteon was sent rolling on the ground after being struck by the Shadow Ball, and Gengar closed in once more.


    On the other side, the Mightyena that had been thrown back was also in a difficult situation. Mismagius''s Mystical Fire formed a ring on the ground, trapping it inside.


    Raging crimson mes burned, preventing the Mightyena from leaping out in any direction. The mes were under Mismagius''s control, intensifying from all sides.


    The air was filled with the smell of burning fur, as the Mightyena''s coat was licked by the mes over and over.


    The Mightyena was trapped by Mismagius''s Mystical Fire, while Jolteon was disoriented by Gengar''s Shadow Ball, desperately trying to escape in all directions.


    It wasn''t easy for Jolteon to utilize the Thunderbolt cage, and once it was broken, using it again would be very difficult.


    In this way, the Mightyena and Jolteon were overwhelmed by Gengar and Mismagius. And Boss Bear was sessfully captured.


    Meanwhile, Edward, who had hidden and tried to escape, was captured by undercover officers.


    This time, there was no way for him to escape me, even if he had eight mouths to exin.


    Boss Bear and his subordinates were taken into custody by the police, and their Pok��mon were confiscated.


    In reality, many of Boss Bear''s subordinates were quite powerful, but they had encountered the extraordinary Gardevoir, rendering thempletely useless.


    However, as Yuga watched the people taken away by Liliana, he frowned.


    He hadn''t seen the scar-faced man mentioned by the thugs he encountered yesterday, who appeared to be Boss Bear''s nephew.


    Unbeknownst to Yuga, as Boss Bear and his group were being loaded onto a police car, the scar-faced man was hiding not far from the Truly Adorable Day Care, observing the scene.


    Today, he had gone out to continue the search for the escaped Buneary and Pachirisu. Unexpectedly, when he returned, he witnessed his uncle''s arrest.


    The scar-faced man knew his uncle''s strength, and since his uncle had been captured, he thought it pointless to go outside. He chose to remain hidden.


    Next came the rescue operation for the Pok��mon held in the nursery of the Truly Adorable Day Care.


    Once rescued, these Pok��mon were taken to the Pok��mon Center for a thorough examination by Nurse Joy.


    Yuga even made sure to send Buneary and Pachirisu to the Pok��mon Center to reunite with their kin.


    Buneary and Pachirisu couldn''t believe their eyes when they saw their family right before them, all in just two short days.


    After the criminals were captured, there were still many tasks to handle.


    The suspects needed to be interrogated, and contact needed to be made with the authorities in Sinnoh. In any case, there was plenty of work to be done.


    However, Yuga typically didn''t get involved in these matters, leaving it to Liliana to handle.


    Note: The events in this Chapter reference events from Chapter 397.

 Chapter 657: Gaining Fame

    <h4>Chapter 657: Gaining Fame</h4>


    The incident in the Verdanturf Town was quickly reported to the Pok��mon League and drew their attention.


    At the same time, Yuga learned the identities of the individuals hired by Edward through the League.


    This group of people was known as the Viinous Gang, and they lived up to their name, each one being a notorious criminal with a history of taking lives.


    The leader of the gang was the imposing man known as Boss Bear, who had been captured by Yuga.


    Boss Bear, real name Bearnard, had been on the League''s wanted list for many years, and his name was known in various League institutions. Many League trainers were aware of his existence.


    However, Bearnard was an Elite level trainer, sly and elusive, making it difficult to locate him, let alone capture him.


    The League had even sent Elite level trainers to pursue him, but he had always managed to escape.


    Ironically, he had originallye from a small town under the jurisdiction of Fortree City. He joined a local gang, and it was through this gang that Bearnard became a trainer.


    However, this gang was eventually wiped out by localw enforcement due to their criminal activities.


    Through a stroke of luck, Bearnard evaded capture and began a life on the run.


    After several years of living on the outside, Bearnard''s strength grew, and he formed his own team.


    Initially, this team operated discreetly, handling tasks that some individuals found inconvenient to handle themselves, often engaging in various shady dealings.


    Gradually, Bearnard''s ambitions grew, and he and his team transitioned from the shadows to the spotlight, taking on tasks such as assassination, arson, robbery, and more, as long as it paid well.


    As theymitted more crimes, their reputation grew, attracting more clients, and the League had a headache dealing with them.


    Originally, their team was not called the Viinous Gang, but Bearnard probably felt that aftermitting so many crimes, the name suited them.


    However, as theymitted more crimes, they also made more enemies.


    Since others couldn''t get to Bearnard, they found his hometown.


    Bearnard wasn''t an orphan; he had parents and an older brother. When he disappeared, his family suffered greatly.


    In one night, his parents and brother were killed by vengeful enemies, but his nephew, who was away for studies, managed to survive.


    Bearnard had never intended to harm his own family, and when he learned that they had been killed because of him, he took his nephew under his wing.


    The League didn''t know much about Bearnard''s nephew because he was taken away by Bearnard and rarely appeared in public.


    Bearnard''s nephew was named Deryn, and most of the information the League had about him was from when he was still in school, so there wasn''t much avable.


    However, could Deryn and Bearnard truly get along?


    Yuga had his doubts.


    From Deryn''s perspective, the reason he became homeless and a fugitive was because of his uncle.


    Did he not hold any resentment in his heart?


    Yuga found it unlikely.


    If it were him, he probably would have harbored deep hatred for Bearnard, even if he was his uncle.


    Regarding Deryn''s escape, Yuga wasn''t too concerned. As long as he didn''te looking for trouble, Yuga had no intention of seeking him out either.


    If he trulyes seeking revenge, Yuga isn''t afraid. He''s confident that he can handle even someone as insignificant as Deryn.


    Now that he has grown in strength, he needs to have the confidence to match.


    Regarding the capture of Bearnard, Yuga received des from the Pok��mon League once again.


    Along with the previous incident involving the elimination of the Team Aqua Branch, Yuga''s achievements were showcased on the League''s official website and served as an example for all League trainers.


    Of course, the matter concerning Bridges was not disclosed by the League; it was a scandalous affair not meant for public knowledge.


    Having captured two Elite level trainers in session, most people now considered Yuga to be at the Elite level, and his fame soared.


    Even though a few skeptics remained, their voices were drowned out by the majority.


    People admire strength, and Yuga became a star trainer as a result.


    Some even startedparing him to the widely renowned Wace in recent years. (Although Steven, who was in the Prosecutor Bureau, was powerful and held a high position, he stillcked fame.)


    This newfound fame significantly boosted business at the YoYo Day Care. Almost everyone in Verdanturf Town now knew about the existence of this Day Care run by an Elite level trainer.


    Some spected that a Pok��mon Day Care run by an Elite level trainer might hold the secret to bing an Elite.


    Many held this kind of belief, to varying degrees.


    However, the products and services at YoYo Day Care were genuinely excellent. Even those with special reasons for purchasing their goods had noints after using them.


    But with famees its downsides. An increasing number of challengers flocked to the Verdanturf Gym, and Yuga found himself overwhelmed at times.


    To address this, Yuga imposed certain conditions for Gym challenges.


    First, challengers had to make appointments in advance; walk-in challengers were not epted.


    Second, a maximum of five challengers would be epted per day, and any remaining slots would not roll over to the next day.


    Third, challengers needed to possess three Gym Badges or more to challenge the Verdanturf Gym.


    These three rules eased the pressure on Yuga considerably.


    While some individuals were discontented with these rules, no one dared to protest; after all, Yuga was a formidable figure.


    If trainers could challenge the Elite level Gym Leader at will, it would diminish the value of bing an Elite.


    Those trainers who had already earned Gym Badges felt fortunate. If these conditions were in ce earlier, they might not have had the chance to challenge the Verdanturf Gym.


    However, regardless of how popr something bes, with time, its poprity naturally wanes.


    About a weekter, the number of challengers seeking the Verdanturf Gym gradually decreased. Yuga even raised the difficulty of Gym challenges, causing many to return empty-handed.


    Gym Badges were not easily earned, and fewer people sought challenges.


    Meanwhile, the interrogations and trial results for Edward and Bearnard were finally announced.


    First and foremost, the notorious criminal Bearnard faced the death penalty.


    Given the crimes he hadmitted over the years, even if he had ten lives, the League would still have to exact his punishment tenfold.


    Edward''s fate was also grim.


    Firstly, his Pok��mon Day Care was confiscated by the League.


    It had been passed down to him from his father, and it had now met its demise under his stewardship.


    Secondly, although his crimes didn''t warrant the death penalty, he faced decades of imprisonment with no chance of escape.

 Chapter 658: Taking Over

    <h4>Chapter 658: Taking Over</h4>


    Regarding Edward''s trial, Yuga was involved because his recent criminal activities were somewhat rted to Yuga.


    Earlier, Edward and Yuga had their conflicts, and it wasn''t a secret; most people knew about it.


    Even the closure of Edward''s branch store in Verdanturf Town was connected to Yuga.


    Yuga had be a thorn in Edward''s side, and Edward couldn''t feel at ease until he brought Yuga down.


    Some time ago, when Yuga became the Gym Leader of Verdanturf Town, Edward realized that conventional methods wouldn''t work against him.


    Therefore, he shifted his focus to the branch store in Verdanturf Town, aiming to crush YoYo Day Care''s business.


    Butpeting with YoYo Day Care in Verdanturf Town was no easy task, right? It certainly wasn''t easy; otherwise, he would have seededst time.


    So, he came up with a devious n.


    As long as Truly Adorable Day Care in Verdanturf Town had high potential Pok��mon, what did he have to fear from YoYo Day Care?


    Hence, the n to steal Pok��mon from Sinnoh was conceived.


    Edward believed that by bringing Pok��mon from Sinnoh to Verdanturf Town, utilizing regional differences, he could make a significant profit.


    That was Edward''s n.


    Conveniently, one of Edward''s rtives worked at the Sinnoh League Pok��mon Day Care Center, responsible for caring for Pok��mon. Their position in the Day Care Center was quite high, and they easily helped Edward smuggle a batch of Pok��mon.


    For this favor, Edward rewarded that rtive handsomely.


    Otherwise, even though they were family, no one would take such a huge risk for him.


    Now that this incident had been exposed, that rtive of Edward''s had already been apprehended by Sinnoh Authorities, and their fate probably wouldn''t be much better than Edward''s.


    Yuga never expected that Edward would go to such lengths to deal with him.


    What on earth did I do to him? Is this really necessary? Yuga couldn''t fathom it.


    Well, now it had backfired on him.


    After the trial concluded and Edward was taken away, he passed by Yuga. The resentful look in his eyes seemed as if he wanted to devour Yuga.


    Unfortunately, no matter how much he hated Yuga, he couldn''t do anything to him. Instead, he was facing decades of imprisonment.


    Next up was the issue of those Pok��mon.


    Originally, Sinnoh League was nning to send someone to retrieve these Pok��mon, but Yuga proposed buying all of them.


    After careful consideration, they are agreed to Yuga''s proposal.


    There were several reasons for this decision.


    Firstly, Yuga had helped recover these Pok��mon. Coupled with his capture of the infamous Bearnard, epting this proposal was the League''s way of indirectly rewarding Yuga.


    Secondly, Yuga paid for them in full, so the League profited from the deal.


    Finally, and most importantly, the condition of these Pok��mon was not good, making them unsuitable for the long journey back to Sinnoh.


    Yuga''s idea for buying these Pok��mon stemmed from his belief that the main Ecopark''s Pok��mon, including Medidite and Medicham, would benefit from newpanions.


    Buneary and Lopunny would be the right partner for them.


    Besides, he wasn''t short on funds now; it was time to introduce some new Pok��mon.


    Capturing Bearnard and retrieving the lost Pok��mon had smoothly transitioned Yuga from an elite trainer to a senior trainer.


    Setting aside his status as a Gym Leader, Yuga had now be someone of significance within the League.


    One had to admit that Yuga''s progression in titles was rather rapid.


    This time, the person conducting the award ceremony for Yuga didn''t hold a high position like Phoebe; they were just an ordinary League staff member.


    However, this League staff member brought good news to Yuga. The League allowed him to acquire a portion of the Pok��mon from Truly Adorable Day Care.


    After Edward''s arrest, Truly Adorable Day Care was confiscated by the League, which meant that the League gained ownership of all the Pok��mon in the Day Care.


    The League decided to distribute these Pok��mon in batches to the League''s Pok��mon Day Care Centers in various cities.


    However, considering Yuga''s contributions in this operation and the reputation he had gained with the Sinnoh League, YoYo Day Care was also taken into consideration.


    As long as Yuga was willing, YoYo Day Care would have the opportunity to obtain these Pok��mon on a priority basis.


    Truly Adorable Day Care specialized in breeding Water-type Pok��mon, with mperl being the most famous among them.


    After the League confiscated Truly Adorable Day Care, the most abundant Pok��mon they acquired were mperls and their evolutions, Huntail and Gorebyss.


    These mperl had the unique ability to produce extraordinary Pearls with mysterious energy.


    While it sounded mystical, the actual use of these mperls was rather straightforward. They could enhance the psychic abilities of Psychic-type Pok��mon, aiding in their training.


    As a result, the Pearls produced by mperl were highly sought after by Psychic-type trainers.


    Given this opportunity, Yuga naturally didn''t want to miss out and epted the League''s offer.


    He owned a Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark, which featured vast shallow sea areas, making it an ideal habitat for mperl.


    Yuga had long coveted these mperl, especially since they weren''tmonly found in the wild.


    However, the League''s Pok��mon Day Care Centers can get these Pok��mon for free, whereas Yuga would have to pay for them since YoYo Day Care was his private property.


    Nevertheless, considering this as a kind of reward for Yuga, the League provided him with a substantial discount on the price, almost like a half-gift, half-sale arrangement.


    Originally, acquiring these Pok��mon wouldn''t have required much effort, and the League didn''t mind offering them as a goodwill gesture.


    As a result, Yuga selected two hundred mperl from that batch.


    Most of these mperl had yellow potential, with only a small number possessing green potential, and none of them had potential higher than green.


    In addition to these mperl, Yuga also selected some of their evolved forms, Huntail and Gorebyss.


    Yuga didn''t choose many of these two types of Pok��mon, with only about twenty or thirty in total.


    The potential of these Pok��mon had been pre-assessed, so Yuga didn''t need to pick them in person.


    He simply provided his requirements, and the League sent the selected Pok��mon to YoYo Day Care.


    Upon receiving these Pok��mon, Yuga transferred them to the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark.


    Initially, he was concerned that the Pok��mon might have trouble adjusting to their new environment, but it turned out he was worrying needlessly.


    Both the mperls and the Huntail and Gorebyss were incredibly calm when they moved into their new home.


    They didn''t disy much reaction to having a new owner, behaving as if it were a routine change.


    Sometimes, Yuga would observe the mperls sunbathing on the beach, and he could see an incrediblyposed and rxed expression on their faces,pletely unlike the typical attitude expected from Pok��mon that had changed hands.

 Chapter 659: The Garden

    <h4>Chapter 659: The Garden</h4>


    Apart from the mperls thriving in the Ecopark, Bunearys, Lopunnys, and the Pachirisu family were gradually getting ustomed to their new environment.


    Bunearys and Lopunnys, Yuga intended them to be partners for Medidite and Medicham.


    As a result, they were ced in the main Ecopark to foster rtionships with Medidite and Medicham.


    It must be said that Medidite and Medicham, as seniors in the Ecopark, took good care of Bunearys and Lopunnys.


    It was due to this care that Bunearys and Lopunnys quickly settled into the Ecopark and recovered from the torment they suffered under Edward and Boss Bear.


    The Pachirisu family, on the other hand, went to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark.


    There were a lot of Pok��mon in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, especially the overseers of the entire Ecopark��the Miltanks��they lived there, so the Pachirisu family received excellent care.


    With thepany of other Pok��mon, the Pachirisu family naturally forgot about their previous unpleasant experiences.


    Speaking of which, the Pachirisu family were the first Electric-type Pok��mon in the Ecopark.


    On this morning, after Yuga got up and had the breakfast that Audino had carefully prepared for him, he went to the Ecopark.


    Because of recent events involving failed Mega Evolution, Yuga had reduced the training time for his main Pok��mon. Instead, he often spent more time with them.


    Gradually, Yuga discovered many things about his Pok��mon that he had never noticed before.


    For example, the tearful Charizard would often secretly ask other Pok��mon to help it train its courage, without letting Yuga know, in an effort to ovee its personality ws.


    Although Yuga hadn''t noticed any changes so far.


    For example, Chimecho would often get jealous because of Yuga''s closeness to other Pok��mon.


    Especially whenever Yuga captured a new main Pok��mon, it would secretly sulk for several days.


    And for example,


    Absol, whose demeanor seemed cold and ruthless, would actually never refuse the pleading looks from other Pok��mon; it was a "kind-hearted" Pok��mon hiding behind a cold exterior.


    Therefore, Yuga''s Absol, who thought of himself as a proud lone wolf, was actually quite popr among the other Pok��mon in the Ecopark.


    Furthermore,


    Florges, who appeared to spend her days tending to flowers, was actually engaged in training through the flowers in the Flower Sea.


    ...


    In short, the more Yuga interacted with his Pok��mon, the more he realized that there were many aspects of their personalities and behaviors he didn''t understand.


    How to get along with Pok��mon was indeed a significant study.


    Most of Yuga''s main Pok��mon usually stayed in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    Vivillon, Florges, Chimecho, and the Grass-type Pok��mon were all here.


    Absol originally stayed in the main Ecopark, butter moved here.


    There was no way; all his buddies were here, and it didn''t want to be left out.


    Dragonite also moved to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark from the ind heartke of the Shallow Seashore after Dragonite''s mother woke up, and they lived together.


    Currently, Dragonite''s mother was practicing with Dragonite every day.


    When Yuga arrived at the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark today, the first thing he saw was Florges, standing quietly amidst a cluster of flowers.


    Today, Florges seemed exceptionally gentle, shedding the usual imposing queenly aura.


    It stood there quietly, as if it were a painting, and Yuga was momentarily captivated, not making a sound, just silently observing.


    Florges had its eyes closed, arms spread wide, seemingly trying to embrace all the flowers in the Flower Sea.


    And those flowers seemed to be responding to it, swaying gently and making a "rustling" sound, as if whispering andughing.


    Clearly, there was no wind in the Ecopark.


    These scenes didn''t seem particrly strange.


    But in Yuga''s perception, he found that there was a strange force gathering throughout the entire Flower Sea.


    This was a very unfamiliar force to Yuga, not belonging to any specific type of energy, neither Grass nor Fairy.


    This was also an invisible force, but strangely, Yuga could sense it.


    It came from every flower and de of grass in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, gathering like grains of sand forming a tower, growing stronger as it converged toward Florges.


    Florges, in turn, extended her arms to receive them.


    Yuga suddenly recalled the records about Florges in the Pok��mon world.


    Florges, the Garden Pok��mon, would collect flowers to create her own garden and manipte the energy released by the flowers and nts as her own power.


    Now it seemed:


    Florges considered the entire Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark as her territory.


    For an ordinary Florges to have a small flower field was already quite remarkable, but Yuga''s Florges had a world made up of flowers.


    So how terrifying would a Florges that could harness the power of this flower sea be in the future?


    Yuga didn''t dare to imagine.


    Ordinary Florgess were said to live for hundreds of years once they obtained the power of flowers, so what about his?


    Right now, Yuga was witnessing an incredible scene.


    It seemed that within this boundless flower sea, Florges was cultivating a miraculous power, a power unique to the Florges family but never seen before.


    All this power was converging towards the green gem embedded in Florges''s chest.


    ...


    <<florges>> </florges>


    Type: Fairy


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Flower Veil


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 61


    Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Fairy Wind, Safeguard, Magical Leaf, Moonst, Misty Terrain, Grassy Terrain, Flower Shield, Petal Dance, Petal Blizzard, Wish, Psychic, Aromatherapy, Grass Knot, Dazzling Gleam, Disarming Voice, Heal Bell, Giga Drain.


    ...


    On such an ordinary and yet extraordinary morning, Yuga witnessed with his own eyes as Florges broke through to the pseudo-Elite level.


    This was the first pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon in Yuga''s main team.


    (Lapras was already an Elite when it was captured.)


    Yuga had always thought that Absol would be the first to break through, but it turned out that, sometimes, appearances could be deceiving.


    Among Yuga''s team, Florges''s potential wasn''t outstanding.


    But her uniqueness was unparalleled, and she never fell shortpared to any other Pok��mon.


    Florges''s race itself was special.


    And this uniqueness, amplified by the green gem and Celebi''s blessing, resulted in the extraordinary Florges before him.


    Florges''s breakthrough went unnoticed by everyone except Yuga.


    Because the surging power was concealed beneath the boundless sea of flowers, something ordinary Pok��mon couldn''t perceive.


    "Florges!"


    Afterpleting her breakthrough, Florges opened her eyes and saw Yuga standing not far away, watching her. She smiled and greeted Yuga just like in previous mornings.


    "Congrattions, Florges."

 Chapter 660: Setting Sail

    <h4>Chapter 660: Setting Sail</h4>


    As the deadline for January approaches, the bidding time for the League Store in Lilycove City is also getting closer.


    Therefore, Yuga finally set off for Lilycove City.


    Joining him on this trip were Misaki, Lain, and Anya.


    Due to the bidding''s requirements, Yuga had to bring Misaki and Lain along.


    As for Anya, Yuga simply wanted her to gain some worldly experience.


    After all, Anya wasn''t yet ready to handle the production of Pok��blocks on her own.


    Uncle Kate, the one who crafted Razor Fangs, didn''t need to be there in person.


    Yuga didn''t bring all of his Pok��mon on this trip.


    Aside from Lapras, Florges, Absol, Gengar and Mismagius in his shadow, he only brought Venusaur, Grotle, Deerling, and Snivy.


    The rest of his Pok��mon were left at home to continue their training.


    This arrangement caused quite a bit of dissatisfaction from Chimecho, who was quite reluctant to stay home.


    In the end, Yuga gave it a bunch of Pearls from his collection as a gift, and Chimecho reluctantly agreed to remain at home.


    These Pearls were those he hadn''t collected before the closure of the Truly Adorable Day Care and were left within the mperl. The League had delivered them along with the mperl.


    Yuga decided to keep them, andter he transferred them to Chimecho.


    Chimecho cherished these Pearls and ced them in its nest, intending to sleep on them in the future.


    These Pearls from mperl were indeed beautiful, transparent shades of pink. It was no wonder Chimecho liked them, as they not only matched its body color but also assisted in its training.


    Apart from Yuga''s main Pok��mon, Gardevoir also stubbornly wanted to apany Yuga on this trip.


    Current Gardevoir was extremely curious about the Pok��mon world over a thousand yearster and wanted to explore it.


    What could Yuga do?


    He agreed, after all, she was the boss.


    Without a Pok�� Ball and unwilling to go into one, Gardevoir could only follow Yuga''s side.


    After entrusting the YoYo Day Care to Suzuki Koen and Audino, and the Gym to Beidou, Yuga could finally set off with peace of mind.


    The journey to Lilycove City went smoothly, except with only Gardevoir by his side, Yuga drawing quite a bit of attention.


    There was no helping it, Gardevoir was a rare Pok��mon after all.


    However, once they arrived, Yuga and the others didn''t check into the Pok��mon Center but instead stayed at Kris''s family''s seaside inn.


    If Yuga were alone, he would have chosen the convenience of the Pok��mon Center, but with three girls apanying him, staying at an inn was a safer and morefortable option.


    Kris''s family''s inn had better amodations than the Pok��mon Center and was more secure.


    One had to be cautious when traveling, especially girls, or so they said.


    Kris''s parents remembered Yuga and knew he was Robert''s friend, so they warmly weed Yuga and his group.


    However, Yuga didn''t see Kris at home. ording to her mother, she had gone on a trip.


    Yuga didn''t know where she was now. When she left Verdanturf Town, she didn''t know where she was going or have any specific goal in mind.


    However, Yuga knew about her frequent online shopping from YoYo Day Care for Pok��blocks, so her journey should be going smoothly.


    He just didn''t know how well she was doing with the Milotic she had raised.


    Because there were still several days left until the bidding event started, Yuga told Misaki and the others to enjoy their time in the area.


    The beaches in Lilycove City were quite famous, and since they were staying by the sea, it was convenient for them to have some fun.


    Speaking of which, none of them had been to YoYo Day Care for team-building events thest time.


    This time, it could be considered an all-expenses-paid trip for them.


    During their time in Lilycove City, all their expenses were covered by Yuga.


    There was nothing to be done; he had the money, so he could be a bit extravagant.


    After settling into the inn, Yuga went to the beach and released his Lapras.


    Although there was also a sea in the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark, when Lapras once again touched the seawater outside, its mood and mentality were quite different.


    Lapras had also experienced hardships and had finallye through it all.


    "Lapras..."


    Lapras let out a soft cry and swam over to Yuga.


    "Are you inviting me to ride on your back?"


    Yuga asked in surprise.


    "Lapras..."


    Lapras nodded and moved closer to Yuga.


    "Alright, then, I''ll trouble you!"


    Yuga patted Lapras''s neck.


    In fact, he wanted to pat Lapras''s head, but Lapras was too tall for him to reach.


    Lapras was ssified as a Transport Pok��mon and loved carrying people while swimming, making it a very gentle and affectionate Pok��mon.


    Unless pushed to its limit, Lapras seldom attacked humans.


    Even during the time when Lapras and Yuga went on a rampage together at the Team Aqua Branch, it was because Lapras was truly pushed to its limit.


    It seemed that even though it had undergone mutations, its species nature hadn''t changed much.


    Climbing onto Lapras''s back, Yuga stroked its uneven shell and thought.


    The uneven protrusions on Lapras''s back were designed to provide a stable tform for passengers. Due to Yuga''s Lapras being significantlyrger than the average Lapras, there was no issue amodating not only one but several passengers.


    Gardevoir, who had been following Yuga all along, watched as Yuga climbed onto Lapras''s back and in an instant, teleported herself to sit beside Yuga.


    Lapras didn''t mind at all; it had a good temperament and enjoyed carrying people, and Gardevoir was no exception.


    Once Yuga and Gardevoir were seatedfortably, Lapras slowly began swimming out to sea.


    It was the first time for both Yuga and Gardevoir to ride on Lapras, and the experience felt quite refreshing.


    Lapras swam steadily, and Yuga, sitting on its back, felt no bumps or fluctuations.


    The sea was calm at that moment, without any waves or wind. Sunlight danced on the water''s surface, creating a sparkling effect.


    Yuga dipped his feet into the sea, enjoying the refreshing sensation of the cool water. He closed his eyes and breathed in the salty air, savoring this rare moment of leisure.


    However, what slightly dampened his mood was the presence of a male Gardevoir sitting beside him.


    If only it were a female Gardevoir, Yuga thought.


    With this in mind, he nced at Gardevoir sitting next to him.


    Gardevoir mimicked Yuga, dipping its legs into the water, yfully sshing the surface with its feet.


    "What''s wrong? Is there something on my face, or do you find me displeasing?" Gardevoir said discontentedly, noticing Yuga''s strange expression.


    "Nothing, nothing at all, just looking around casually," Yuga hastily replied, shifting his gaze away.


    He couldn''t exactly tell it that he wished it could change its gender, could he? Besides, he wasn''t even sure if Legendary Pok��mon possessed that ability.


    Speaking of which, Celebi didn''t have gender, right?


    My apologies, my apologies! Yuga realized he was letting his thoughts wander and quickly stopped the train of thought.


    Why not go fishing instead?


    Yuga suddenly had the idea.


    With such good weather, it would be a waste not to try fishing.


    With this thought in mind, Yuga retrieved a fishing rod from his system backpack, let Lapras choose a suitable spot, and began the leisurely activity of fishing.


    Yuga wasn''t expecting to catch any specific Pok��mon this time; it was all for the fun of it. After all, finding high potential Pok��mon wasn''t something that happened every day.


    It seemed like the heavens understood Yuga''s intention as one Pok��mon after another was reeled in, including Staryu, Magikarp, Tentacool, Shellder, and Krabby, among others.


    Many Pok��mon were caught, but none had potential higher than yellow, which didn''t interest Yuga. He released them back into the sea.


    After casting the fishing line into the sea once more, Yuga basked in the sun, closing his eyes, and rxed.


    Not long after, he suddenly felt a tug on his fishing rod, a strong pull from underwater. Yuga immediately opened his eyes, steadied the fishing rod, and mumbled to himself.


    "It seems like we''ve got a big one this time."


    Lapras cheered loudly, adding to Yuga''s excitement.


    Gardevoir, also intrigued by this new experience, cheered Yuga on together with Lapras.


    Yuga could feel the Pok��mon underwater was incredibly strong. If it weren''t for the fact that this fishing rod was bought from the system store, he would have thought it might snap any moment.


    As he felt the Pok��mon getting closer to the surface, Yuga exerted all his strength, pulling the fishing rod back. Finally, the Pok��mon leaped out of the water.


    It wagged its tail, creating sparkling sshes in the sunlight, and its snowy white body shimmered.


    "So white! So big!" Yuga eximed, his eyes gleaming with excitement.


    It was a graceful and beautiful Dewgong.


    ...


    <<dewgong>> </dewgong>


    Type: Water, Ice


    Ability: Hydration


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Green


    Level: 48


    Moves: Growl, Water Sport, Icy Wind, Ice Shard, Rest, Aqua Ring, Aurora Beam, Aqua Jet, Dive, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam.


    ...

 Chapter 661: Unexpexted Turn

    <h4>Chapter 661: Unexpexted Turn</h4>


    "Lapras, don''t let it escape!" Yuga shouted excitedly.


    "Lapras..." It seemed that Yuga''s excitement had infected Lapras, as it also shouted along.


    However, just as Lapras was about to attack the Dewgong, Gardevoir yelled loudly, "Let me handle this!"


    She immediately unleashed a Psychic attack. Even though the Dewgong was just an average Pok��mon, it couldn''t withstand Gardevoir''s Psychic power. With just a basic move, the ordinary Dewgong lost its ability to battle and floated on the water''s surface.


    "Nice!" Yuga gave Gardevoir a thumbs-up.


    Gardevoir proudly raised she head in response. However, Yuga''s praise was more of a casual remark; he wasn''t truly impressed. It was hard to fathom why a former Legendary Pok��mon would take pride in defeating a Dewgong.


    Something seemed off about this Legendary Pok��mon''s brain.


    Yuga took out a Pok�� Ball from his bag and attempted to catch the Dewgong. However, the Pok�� Ball was immediately deflected back.


    "Huh? What''s going on?" Yuga began to suspect something.


    Could it be that this Dewgong already has an owner? Upon further thought, it was usible. This was a tourist area, and many visitors could have identally released their Pok��mon into the water.


    Yuga hesitated, looking at the now incapacitated Dewgong.


    What should he do now that he had attacked someone else''s Pok��mon? Perhaps he should heal it, and the owner might not even notice.


    "What''s wrong?" Gardevoir asked Yuga, puzzled by his hesitation.


    "It''s nothing. This Dewgong probably has an owner, and we... should maybe help it," Yuga suggested.


    He was about to ask Gardevoir to use a Heal Pulse move on the Dewgong when a Slowpoke and a pink bikini-d and long haired youngdy emerged from the water nearby.


    "Excuse me, have you seen my Dewgong?" the youngdy inquired.


    ... (_)


    The plot twist was too sudden!


    "Are you talking about this one?" Yuga pointed at the unconscious Dewgong.


    "Dewgong!" The youngdy turned her head, gasping in surprise. She then swiftly swam over to the Dewgong with her Slowpoke.


    "Gardevoir, heal it for them. After all, you were the one who knocked it out," Yuga whispered to Gardevoir.


    "Why do you make it sound like it''s my fault!" Gardevoir rolled her eyes at Yuga but obediently used a Heal Pulse.


    Gardevoir''s Heal Pulse worked wonders, and the Dewgong woke up instantly.


    Seeing the Dewgong regain consciousness, the youngdy directed grateful nces toward Yuga and Gardevoir.


    For some reason, Yuga felt that he recognized this youngdy.


    As the Dewgong woke up, it began scolding Yuga and Gardevoir in an angry, chattering manner.


    "Dewgong, what''s gotten into you? Others helped you, and you''re being so impolite!" The youngdy was surprised by Dewgong''s behavior; she knew her Pok��mon well, and this wasn''t like her at all.


    "Cough, actually... your Dewgong got hurt because of us," Yuga awkwardly confessed, and Gardevoir also looked embarrassed.


    "Eh... how could..." The youngdy was baffled.


    "Don''t get me wrong; it was unintentional. We thought it was a wild Pok��mon," Yuga hurriedly exined, with Gardevoir nodding in agreement.


    The youngdy heaved a sigh of relief. "I knew it; a Gym Leader like you wouldn''t do such things on purpose."


    The youngdy''s words left Yuga momentarily stunned.


    This youngdy knew him? Floating in the water while cradling the Dewgong, she could tell from Yuga''s expression that he had forgotten her.


    "I''m Solidad. I once tried to purchase a Pok��mon from your Pok��mon Day Care but got turned down," the youngdy reminded him.


    "Oh..." Yuga had a vague recollection, but the memory wasn''t very vivid. It seemed she had wanted to buy a Pok��mon, but there were no avable appointments, so he had to refuse.


    In the bustling environment of the current YoYo Day Care, where tourists came and went daily, remembering such interactions was a challenge.


    However, Solidad didn''t seem too concerned about Yuga forgetting her. They didn''t have much of a connection, so it was understandable.


    "At that time, I really felt embarrassed," Yuga said, scratching his head awkwardly.


    Solidad shook her head. "It''s okay. Everyone has their own rules."


    Looking at the young man in front of her, Solidad felt quite emotional. When they first met, Yuga was just an unknown figure, and YoYo Day Care was just a small and newly established Pok��mon Day Care.


    Now, Yuga had be the Gym Leader of the League and a Senior Trainer, while YoYo Day Care had gained fame and reputation.


    Although Solidad wasn''t directly involved with YoYo Day Care, she had been around it enough to know about Yuga''s and the Day Care''s journey to sess.


    "By the way, would you like toe up?" Yuga asked, gesturing to his Lapras that had taken her Dewgong for a ride. He wanted to express his remorse for the earlier incident.


    Solidad looked at the Lapras, which had a somewhat peculiar appearance, and shook her head slightly. "Thank you, but it''s unnecessary. Look."


    As she pointed, Yuga noticed another Lapras approaching them from a distance.


    "I see!" Yuga nodded, realizing that she already had a Lapras of her own.


    Solidad then flipped onto her Lapras''s back. Therge Pidgeot and Butterfree, which had been perched on her Lapras''s back, took flight into the air.


    "I''m heading back now. Gym Leader Shimizu, would you like to join me?" she asked.


    "Sure, let''s go," Yuga agreed after considering that it was gettingte, and hispanions like Misaki and the others should be returning soon.


    The two of them, each riding a Lapras, headed back towards the beach. Solidad''s Dewgong and Slowpoke followed in the water, while her Pidgeot and Butterfree soared overhead.


    During their conversation, Yuga learned that Solidad was a coordinator from the Kanto region. She had been staying in the Hoenn region because Pok��mon Contest weren''t as popr in Kanto. This was information she had actually shared during their first meeting, but Yuga had forgotten it.


    Upon their return to the hotel, Yuga was surprised to discover that Solidad and his group were staying in the same hotel.


    It truly was a small world.

 Chapter 662: Request

    <h4>Chapter 662: Request</h4>


    Early the next morning, when Yuga woke up, he saw Gardevoir lying in the bed beside him, sleeping soundly and lookingpletely unaware of the world, just like a log. He shook his head in amusement.


    After getting up on his own, Yuga headed to the beach and released his Pok��mon to prepare their breakfast.


    The morning beach was incredibly quiet, devoid of any human presence. Only a gentle breeze and the sound of the sea could be heard.


    Once his Pok��mon finished their breakfast, Yuga returned them to their Pok�� Balls, ready to head back to the hotel for his own breakfast.


    However, as he approached the hotel entrance, he saw Solidad returning from outside, bathed in the morning sunlight.


    "Good morning, Gym Leader Shimizu," she greeted Yuga with a cheerful smile.


    "Good morning, Ms. Solidad," Yuga replied. He instantly knew what she had been up to when he saw her drenched in sweat.


    She was quite the diligent youngdy.


    "Did you go for some training, Ms. Solidad?" he inquired.


    "Yes, I did. I may not have the natural talent, but hard work can make up for it," Solidad shrugged yfully.


    "By the way, Gym Leader Shimizu, would you like to have a battleter?" Solidad suddenly turned to Yuga as they entered the hotel.


    Yuga blinked in surprise. "Huh? Aren''t you a coordinator and not a trainer? Why would you want to battle me?"


    "Well, it''s not every day I run into a legendary figure like you. I thought a battle would be a fitting way tomemorate our meeting," Solidad said with a mischievous grin, as if not battling Yuga would be a missed opportunity.


    "Legendary figure? That''s a bit exaggerated..." Yuga felt somewhat awkward. While he was aware of the online rumors andments about himself, it still felt strange to hear someone refer to him like that.


    Nevertheless, Yuga didn''t refuse her proposal. After all, it was just a friendly battle, and he had some free time before the tournament began.


    When Yuga returned to the hotel, Misaki and the others were already having breakfast, and Gardevoir was still peacefully asleep in her room.


    This fellow, he never knew what hard work and diligence meant; his formidable strength relied entirely on his heritage.


    As time passed and they got to know each other better, Yuga gradually learned the true nature of Gardevoir, who never even thought about waking up early.


    If it had been in the past, Yuga might have still harbored a trace of reverence for the former Celebi, but now, it was just a sarcastic "heh."


    This is actually a second-hand product.


    In reality, Gardevoir was quite a goofball. Sometimes, being born with certain abilities was a kind of strength.


    After breakfast, the sun had risen high in the sky, casting warm sunlight onto the beach. More people wereing to enjoy the beach �C adults, children, and even Pok��mon, and soon the beach became bustling and lively.


    Yuga stood not far from the hotel entrance, observing the cheerful crowd on the beach. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder.


    Turning around, he saw Solidad smiling at him. "Oh, it''s you, Ms. Solidad."


    "Who else would it be?" Solidad chuckled. "Gym Leader Shimizu, you haven''t forgotten about our battle, have you?"


    Yuga shook his head. "Of course not. Are we starting now?"


    It seemed even female coordinator trainers like Solidad were eager for a battle. Yuga couldn''t help but marvel at her enthusiasm.


    "Definitely," Solidad replied with enthusiasm.


    Having spent some time in the area, Solidad knew the surroundings well and quickly found a secluded spot.


    "Well then, please enlighten me, Gym Leader Shimizu," she said as she released her Pok��mon.


    Solidad wasn''t releasing her Pok��mon first out of arrogance. She was well aware that her chances of winning against Yuga were slim. However, she had been going through a rough patchtely, facing multiple losses in Pok��mon Contests. She wanted to challenge a strong trainer to rekindle her fighting spirit.


    Meeting Yuga seemed like the perfect opportunity.


    "Let''s have a good battle," Yuga said, releasing his Pok��mon in response.


    Yuga was familiar with the Pok��mon Solidad had used yesterday. Her first choice was Butterfree.


    Among Solidad''s Pok��mon, her Lapras was the strongest, followed by this Butterfree, which didn''t excel in terms of species advantages.


    ...


    <<butterfree>> </butterfree>


    Type: Bug, Flying


    Ability: Compound Eyes


    Gender: Female


    Nature: Docile


    Level: 50


    Moves: Gust, Psychic, Poison Powder, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Psybeam, Silver Wind, Bug Buzz, Air sh, Quiver Dance


    ...


    Yuga found it somewhat surprising that this Butterfree knew the move Quiver Dance.


    In theory, Pok��mon like Butterfree, Venomoth, Beautifly, Dustox, Masquerain, and Vivillon��all of these butterfly-like Pok��mon��have the potential to learn Quiver Dance.


    However, reality could be cruel.


    Most butterfly-like Pok��mon struggled to naturally acquire this move through leveling up, and even learning it from other Pok��mon proved challenging.


    Therefore, Pok��mon that could learn Quiver Dance usually possessed above-average intelligence.


    Simrly, any trainer who excelled at using butterfly-like Pok��mon would have a team where every member knew Quiver Dance.


    In Yuga''s case, it was his Venusaur.


    Among the Pok��mon he had with him this time, Venusaur was the most suitable for battle.


    Grotle, Deerling, Snivy were too weak, while Florges and Absol were a bit too strong for this kind of match.


    It wouldn''t be right to overpower a youngdy.


    "Venusaur!"


    As the massive Venusaurnded, it let out a loud roar that created fourrge craters in the ground.


    Compared to the agile Vivillon, Venusaur appeared exceptionally bulky.


    "Shall we begin?" Yuga suggested.


    Since it was just a friendly match and there was no referee, they could keep it informal.


    Solidad nodded in agreement.


    "Butterfree, use Quiver Dance," shemanded.


    Solidad''s battle strategy was straightforward and logical.


    For Butterfree, which didn''t excel in any particr stat, using Quiver Dance as the opening move wasmon.


    Butterfree''s entire body became surrounded by swirling energy as it started to dance at an incredibly fast pace. The energy seemed to clothe it in a silvery armor.


    This sight surprised Yuga.


    This Butterfree, with its Docile nature and green potential, seemed to have impressive learning ability. It manipted the energy of its flying-type moves to create an eleration effect during Quiver Dance.


    It was a testament to the skills of a coordinator trainer.


    Ordinary Butterfree couldn''t achieve this.


    Yuga didn''t know much about coordinator trainers as a profession.


    However, he guessed that Solidad wasn''t just an unknown figure. Achieving such a ster performance with Quiver Dance was something most trainers couldn''t aplish.


    "Venusaur, set up Sunny Day!"


    Yuga issued hismand promptly.


    As Venusaur used Sunny Day, the temperature in the air noticeably increased.


    At this point, the first round of Quiver Dance for Butterfree had concluded.


    Next, Yuga didn''t issue amand, but Solidad observed the ground. She noticed that the soil was rising and cracking, and then thick brown roots burst from the ground, wildly dancing in the air.


    These roots looked fierce and terrifying.


    Solidad: Frenzy nt!


    "Butterfree, quickly, ascend into the air, and then use Air sh!" Solidad reacted quickly when she saw those brown roots turning into swords anding toward her Butterfree.


    Fortunately, after Quiver Dance, Butterfree''s speed had significantly increased, allowing it to dodge the Frenzy nt''s initial attack. It then used Air sh to cut through the following onught of Frenzy nt roots. Finally, it took the opportunity to ascend into the sky.


    In the air, Butterfree pped its wings and observed the ground below. The menacing brown roots down there left it with a lingering sense of danger, as if it had narrowly escaped being devoured.

 Chapter 663: Relentless Assault

    <h4>Chapter 663: Relentless Assault</h4>


    "Use Air sh, Butterfree, to cut through those Frenzy nt!" Solidad shouted to her Butterfree.


    Butterfree, upon hearing hermand, transformed the flight energy swirling around its wings into sharp, spinning disks. As it moved, all the brown roots shattered in its path.


    Seeing these elegant white wind wheels gracefully twirling in the air, Yuga marveled at the coordinator''s ability to use Air sh with such artistic ir. It was clear that she possessed great skill.


    However, despite the Frenzy nt being cut down, more and more roots continued to emerge from the soil as if an endless supply.


    This was inexplicable!


    Solidad couldn''t believe it.


    Frenzy nt was the ultimate Grass-type move, and maintaining it for so long��could her Venusaur withstand the drain?


    The answer was yes!


    If Solidad observed carefully, she would notice that while Venusaur used Frenzy nt, the beautiful flower on Venusaur''s back glowed brightly in the sunlight.


    This was performance of Synthesis move.


    Usually, Venusaur would use Grassy Terrain to recover at this point.


    But it had discovered that Synthesis was more suitable.


    On a sunny day, the recovery capability of Synthesis was much stronger than Grassy Terrain, and it was less likely to inadvertently heal the opponent.


    Many Pok��mon with poorly executed Grassy Terrains identally benefited their opponents.


    Only a recovery move of this magnitude, like Synthesis, could truly support Venusaur through the massive energy consumption brought about by Frenzy nt.


    Once Frenzy nt ended, the user would be stiff.


    At this point, the airborne Butterfree, having expended a lot of energy cutting the roots, appeared weary and sluggish.


    Butterfree wasn''t a Pok��mon known for its stamina.


    Was this Yuga''s true strength?


    Watching Yuga, who remainedposed, Solidad couldn''t help but feel impressed.


    The Venusaur seemed unimpressive at first nce, but in the hands of its trainer, it was formidable.


    One might even say it was ferocious.


    In a battle like this, where one side attacked while simultaneously recovering health, what could one do except feel overwhelmed? You needed exceptionally high offensive power tond a one-hit KO; you couldn''t afford topete in terms of endurance because you''d lose.


    Clearly, Butterfree wasn''t in that category.


    Its attack power was average, even with the boost from Quiver Dance. Just one round of Quiver Dance wasn''t enough to achieve the desired effect.


    "Butterfree, use Silver Wind."


    As time passed, Butterfree''s energy depletion worsened, and its speed began to decline gradually.


    Realizing that even with Air sh, there was no way to cut down the endless roots, Solidad abandoned the aggressive strategy. Instead, she directed Butterfree to evade while attacking.


    As evasion increased, the intensity of the attacks decreased.


    The continuous use of Silver Wind increased the likelihood of Butterfree''s stat boosts (Silver Wind had a 10% chance to increase all of the user''s stats).


    In the wind, Butterfree, assisted by the boost in evasion, demonstrated how high intelligence benefited a Pok��mon. Such Pok��mon usually had a better understanding of energy and skills.


    Like this Butterfree, which showed exceptional control over both Bug-type and Flying-type energy.


    This was why it could quickly perform Quiver Dance and use Silver Wind for eleration.


    A Pok��mon''s intelligence typically corrted with its potential; the higher the potential, the greater the intelligence.


    However, there were exceptions, such as the Butterfree before Yuga, whose intelligence was certainly on par with Pok��mon of higher potential grades like the typical blue potential.


    Now, Butterfree chose to use Silver Wind, giving up the rapid stat boosts from Quiver Dance.


    Unfortunately, under the intensive assault of Venusaur''s attacks, Butterfree couldn''t perform Quiver Dance. Even though its Quiver Dance speed was impressive, the strain on its stamina was severe. Unlike Venusaur, it couldn''t use two moves simultaneously, so its hope rested on the slim probability of boosting its stats with Silver Wind.


    Yuga''s Pok��mon often aplished things that were seemingly impossible for others, thanks to their outstanding potential and exceptional intelligence, enabling them to multitask.


    cing hope in the tiny probability of Silver Wind was, in reality, quite irrational. Solidad was aware of this, but she had no other choice.


    Under normal circumstances, it was already challenging for Butterfree to evade Venusaur''s attacks, let alone counterattack. At this moment, Solidad suddenly noticed that the audacious brown roots were retracting into the soil, disappearing from sight. She quickly shouted to Butterfree, "Butterfree, use Air sh!"


    What an excellent opportunity for an offensive move!


    Frenzy nt, being the ultimate Grass-type technique, led to temporary stiffness after use. To bring Venusaur into range, Butterfree had purposely closed the distance between them to ensure Air sh hit.


    As expected, Air sh hit Venusaur urately. However, Venusaur had high defenses and a substantial amount of health, so although it was injured, it wasn''t a fatal blow.


    Just when Butterfree was about to retreat after the attack, a green pir of light rose from directly below it. In the blink of an eye, it enveloped Butterfree.


    This was Venusaur''s Grass Pledge.


    Seeing this Grass Pledge, Solidad''s face turned pale. It shouldn''t be possible! Had Venusaur ovee the stiffness caused by Frenzy nt?


    However, in reality, every trainer knew that the side effects of such ultimate moves couldn''t bepletely eliminated; at best, training could shorten the duration of the stiffness. So what was going on with Venusaur?


    Before withdrawing Frenzy nt, it had already secretly prepared Grass Pledge. Since the effectiveness of Synthesis and Frenzy nt diminished after a while due to the sunny weather''s duration, using both moves simultaneously at this point would increase consumption, reduce recovery, and weaken attack power.


    When Frenzy nt was withdrawn, Venusaur''s Grass Pledge was ready. As soon as Venusaur''s stiffness ended, it was hit.


    Inside the green light pir, Butterfree let out a cry of pain. Venusaur capitalized on its advantage, and two flexible vines shot out, quickly binding Butterfree tightly.


    In terms of strength, Butterfree was no match for Venusaur. Unable to break free, it was mmed to the ground. Once grounded, Butterfree lost its Flying-type attribute. Venusaur immediately followed with Earthquake, rendering Butterfree incapacitated.


    Observing the chaotic temporary battle scene and the unconscious Butterfree lying on the ground, Solidad fell silent.


    This was downright cruel! Butterfree was so cute, how could they!


    "Erm..." Yuga suddenly realized that they might have gone a bit too far, getting carried away with the battle and forgetting to hold back...


    This Butterfree seemed, well, maybe just a tad worse for wear.

 Chapter 664: Little Drew

    <h4>Chapter 664: Little Drew</h4>


    "Um, Gym Leader Shimizu, do we have any grievances?" Solidad asked timidly.


    Oh my god, we were just having a friendly match, and youpletely overwhelmed my Butterfree!


    "No, no, it was just a momentary slip," Yuga quickly waved his hand, feeling quite embarrassed.


    "That''s good, that''s good," Solidad breathed a sigh of relief. It''s not like Iined a bit about you not selling me any Pok��mon, and you held a grudge against me, right?


    "Gym Leader Shimizu is indeed formidable," Solidad sincerely praised.


    "I''m not that good, not that good at all," Yuga remained humble, feeling ufortable under the gaze that implied, "You''re a master."


    Just then, Yuga suddenly heard a noiseing from a nearby thicket.


    "Who''s there?" Yuga swiftly turned around, looking in the direction of the noise.


    Seeing no response, Gengar appeared out of thin air with its chubby arms pointing, and its purple eyes shimmering. It grabbed the "thing" hidden in the bushes.


    Seeing Gengar appear out of nowhere right in front of her, Solidad was surprised. But when she felt the aura emanating from Gengar, she thought it was only natural.


    This must be why others outside consider him a Elite level Trainer.


    Comparing Gengar to the Venusaur from before, it was like night and day.


    She didn''t know exactly how strong a Elite level Trainer was, but it felt like it should be like Gengar.


    With these thoughts in mind, Solidad felt that the way her Butterfree was defeated earlier was quite reasonable.


    "Let me go, let me go!" Yuga saw that it was a little boy holding a Budew.


    The little boy, clutching a Budew, was gently ced in front of Yuga by Gengar. After sitting down with a dissatisfied look, he red at Gengar.


    The boy appeared to be eight or nine years old, with hair so green it was almost startling. He was currently staring intently at Yuga.


    Hmm? Why does this child seem somewhat familiar? Yuga wondered.


    "Kid, why were you hiding?" Yuga tried to make his expression as friendly as possible.


    "I''m not a kid!" The boy was a bit indignant at being called a kid.


    "Uh... I''m sorry about that. What''s your name? Why were you hiding over there?" Yuga thought about it and realized that in the Pok��mon world, an eight or nine-year-old wouldn''t really be considered a kid.


    "I''m Drew. I was watching your battle," the boy replied sinctly. Although his expression seemed a bit cool, he probably had a good-natured personality.


    Drew, huh?


    Could this be the Drew I know? Yuga was puzzled.


    Upon closer inspection, the hair color matched; in terms of age, it was about the same age with May and the Budew he was holding...


    It was quite close.


    Just that his personality seemed somewhat different from what Yuga remembered, probably because he was younger.


    "You were watching the battle, so why hide? You can watch without hiding," Yuga said, realizing that they didn''t look like viins.


    "Yeah! We wouldn''t stop you from watching!" Solidad added, obviously thinking the same as Yuga.


    "I don''t know you guys, and Mom said I should be careful outside," Drew replied earnestly.


    Alright, he''s indeed a well-behaved child.


    Drew had actuallye to Lilycove City for a vacation with his family. In the morning, while ying around in the vicinity, he heard the sounds of a battle and decided to hide and watch the match between the two trainers.


    This big brother is really amazing!


    That''s what Drew truly thought.


    "By the way, Gym Leader Shimizu, I''d like to ask you for a favor."


    Solidad suddenly blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed as she said, "Um, could you help me with something?"


    "Help? Please, go on," Yuga replied with a puzzled expression.


    "Well, earlier, I saw a Pok��mon nearby that I wanted to capture, but there was another strong Pok��mon in the vicinity, and I couldn''t handle both of them. So... so..." Solidad stammered, feeling very awkward about asking Yuga for help.


    Initially, she had given up on the idea of capturing that Pok��mon. But after witnessing Yuga''s strength today, her hope had been rekindled. Finding a Pok��mon that clicked with her was a rare opportunity.


    Yuga thought for a moment and saw no harm in helping. It was a simple task, a way to make amends for the earlier battle. Sometimes, fateful encounters led to positive connections.


    "That''s great. Thank you, Gym Leader Shimizu," Solidad said happily when Yuga agreed.


    "Can Ie along?" Suddenly, the boy named Drew spoke up.


    Before Yuga could respond, Solidad quickly shook her head and said, "No, no, you''re too young. It''s not safe for you."


    Capturing wild Pok��mon could be dangerous, and this child probably wasn''t even a Trainer. If anything went wrong, they wouldn''t know how to contact his family.


    Yuga nced at Drew, holding a shy Budew, and wholeheartedly agreed with Solidad''s caution.


    "I''ll just watch from the sidelines, and I won''t cause any trouble," Drew said with stars in his eyes, eager to witness a Pok��mon capture.


    "It''s not about causing trouble. It''s just not safe. If something happens to you, and we don''t know your family, how would we exin?" Solidad''s tone was firm.


    Seeing that Solidad didn''t agree, Drew turned his hopeful gaze toward Yuga, his eyes shining. Yuga was tempted to agree, but he ultimately shook his head.


    Seeing Yuga''s refusal, Drew felt a bit disappointed and disheartened.


    He was about to reach the age to be a Trainer and was very eager to see what it was like to capture a Pok��mon himself. Budew was given to him by his family, not caught by him.


    Seeing Drew''s disappointment, Yuga couldn''t help but say, "You really want to go? Well, capturing Pok��mon isn''t all that fun."


    "But I''ve never seen it before," Drew replied in a subdued voice.


    "Well... How about this?" Yuga hesitated for a moment, then sighed and said, "Alright, you cane, but you must stay close to me at all times."


    He thought to himself that he should be able to protect a child like him.


    "Okay, I promise to be good," Drew''s voice was filled with joy.


    Seeing Yuga''s agreement, Solidad didn''t object. After all, she was the one asking for help.


    "Is the Pok��mon you want to capture far from here?" Yuga asked Solidad.


    Solidad shook her head and said, "No, it''s not far, just a short walk from here."


    So Yuga, apanied by Drew, followed Solidad towards their destination.


    As they walked, Yuga couldn''t shake the feeling that this ce looked somewhat familiar.


    After thinking for a while, he realized that it wasn''t far from where he had captured uncher, witzer, and Greninja.


    ��


    Drew had started his journey earlier than May, so in this story, he''s assumed to be older than her, though not by much.

 Chapter 665: The Bait

    <h4>Chapter 665: The Bait</h4>


    Solidad, apanied by Yuga and Drew, arrived at a beach strewn with scattered rocks. Among these rocks, Yuga could spot various Pok��mon like Krabby, Cors, and Corphish taking shelter.


    Upon seeing Yuga and the others, these timid Pok��mon immediately hid among the rocks.


    "The Pok��mon I want to capture is inside that cave over there," Solidad pointed towards a dark cavern at the far end of the rocky area.


    "However, inside, there''s not just one type of Pok��mon, and some are stronger than what I can handle," Yuga nodded in acknowledgment.


    "Got it, let''s go in," Yuga said as he released his Lapras.


    The cave was at the end of the rocky terrain, with the sea cliffs standing by the shoreline. To reach the cave, they had to travel over the water.


    Seeing Yuga release his Lapras, Solidad also summoned her own Lapras.


    After Yuga climbed onto his Lapras''s back, he extended his hand to help Drew up. Then, he rode his Lapras towards the cave, with Drew holding onto his clothes tightly with one hand and clutching the Budew in his other arm.


    "Don''t worry, Lapras is very stable in the water. You won''t fall," Yuga reassured Drew, who appeared a bit nervous about this water journey.


    Drew nodded but didn''t loosen his grip on Yuga''s clothes.


    Seeing Drew''s reaction, Yuga found it somewhat amusing. The Drew he remembered wasn''t like this at all. It seemed that time had changed him from being cute and innocent to a sassy and sharp-tongued teenager.


    Arriving at the entrance of the cave, Solidad took out a Pok�� Ball and released a smallntern-like Pok��mon, Chinchou.


    "The cave is very dark inside, so we''ll need the light from Chinchou to see what''s going on," Solidad exined.


    Yuga nodded, and he noticed that Chinchou climbed up Solidad''s Lapras''s neck and settled on its head. Meanwhile, Chinchou''s two antennae above its head emitted a bright glow.


    "Alright, let''s go in," Solidad said as she led the way, riding on her Lapras.


    Before entering the cave, Yuga''s Mismagius appeared beside him, startling Drew, who was unprepared for its sudden appearance.


    "This is my Pok��mon, no need to be scared," Yuga reassured Drew as he gently patted Drew''s head.


    "I''m not scared," Drew nodded, though Yuga couldn''t tell if he was genuinely unafraid or just trying to appear brave.


    The reason Yuga summoned Mismagius was that Lapras was currently serving as their mode of transportation, and it wasn''t convenient for battles, especially with a child on board.


    Solidad''s Chinchou emitted a very bright sh, illuminating the entire cave''s interior, startling some Zubat that were roosting inside.


    As he headed into the cave, Yuga could see ripples appearing on the water from time to time, and knew that they were Water-type Pok��mon living in the cave.


    It''s just that these Pok��mon ran away in panic as soon as they saw Yuga and the others, they didn''t even see their appearance clearly.


    As they ventured deeper into the cave, the number of Water-type Pok��mon decreased. Soon, their path was blocked by a massive creature.


    With blue scales, enormous eyes, and a menacing horn, it was unmistakably a Water tyrant, Gyarados.


    "This is the Pok��mon you mentioned, blocking your way?" Yuga inquired.


    Solidad nodded, "Yes, that''s it."


    It''s no wonder, with that enormous head, it''s practically blocking half of the cave''s passage. It''spletely normal that we can''t get past it, let alone capture the Pok��mon deeper inside the cave.


    "Later, I''ll restrain it with my Mismagius, and you can slip past from the side."


    "Alright, got it."


    Their arrival quickly caught the attention of the Gyarados. It opened its menacing eyes, lifting half of its head out of the water, and let out a deafening roar.


    Yuga, Drew, and Solidad were caught off guard and ended up getting sprayed with Gyarados saliva, which had a rather unpleasant odor. This wild Pok��mon was certainly not concerned about hygiene.


    "Mismagius, Taunt it," Yugamanded his Mismagius, then pointed towards the deeper parts of the cave, indicating that the rest was up to Solidad.


    Upon hearing Yuga''smand, Mismagius generated a small red fireball about the size of a fist and provocatively threw it at Gyarados''s forehead. Gyarados instantly became infuriated and roared at Mismagius before chasing it.


    And so, Yuga and Mismagius lured the blocking Gyarados out of the cave. The passageway inside the cave was too narrow for a battle with a massive Pok��mon like Gyarados, as it could potentially cause the cave to copse.


    Mismagius was faster than Gyarados, leading it out of the cave beforeing to a halt.


    As soon as Gyarados saw Mismagius stop, it opened its mouth and released a powerful Hydro Pump. Lapras, concerned for Yuga''s safety, quickly retreated, moving out of Gyarados''s attack range.


    Gyarados''s Hydro Pump hit Mismagius, and Mismagius responded with Power Gem.


    ...


    <<gyarados>> </gyarados>


    Type: Water/Flying


    Ability: Intimidate


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 60


    Moves: Bite, Thrash, Aqua Tail, Scary Face, Dragon Rage, Hydro Pump, Roar, Hyper Beam, Swagger


    ...


    It wasn''t surprising that Solidad couldn''t handle this Gyarados. Although it was only pseudo-Elite Pok��mon. Given Solidad''s strength, it was already fortunate that she hadn''t lost her life when facing this Gyarados.


    However, Yuga was surprised by the Gyarados''s strength. In theory, this area was very close to human settlements, and such a high level Pok��mon shouldn''t appear here. It was quite unusual.


    Nevertheless, regardless of the circumstances, since they had encountered it, Yuga decided that it was time for Milotic at home to find a partner, and his gaze toward Gyarados suddenly became different.


    Gyarados''s Hydro Pump was intercepted by Mismagius''s Power Gem, which made Gyarados extremely angry.


    This seemingly oblivious Gyarados still hadn''t realized the huge gap in strength between itself and Mismagius.


    Its massive body rolled in the seawater continuously, and its long tail stirred the water, creating a thick, powerful water pir that headed straight for Mismagius.


    Mismagius swiftly evaded by using Double Team, and dozens of identical Mismagiuss appeared in the sky. Gyarados''s Aqua Tail missed them entirely.


    Over a dozen Mismagiuss merged back into one and stood still. Looking at the rolling Gyarados in the water, its golden eye sockets emitted a dark radiance. A pair of colossal ck pupils locked onto Gyarados, and the once-restless Gyarados was suddenly immobilized.

 Chapter 666: As Wished

    <h4>Chapter 666: As Wished</h4>


    The Mean Look move was quite effective for higher level Pok��mon to suppress lower level ones.


    Even the fierce Gyarados, under the influence of Mismagius''s Mean Look, couldn''t move a muscle.


    Gyarados roared, attempting to break free from the effects of the Mean Look, but it was futile. Mismagius''s Thunderbolt then struck Gyarados.


    As a Water and Flying-type Pok��mon, Gyarados''s major weakness was Electric-type moves. After being hit by Thunderbolt, it let out a painful cry, smoked, and convulsed before tumbling into the sea.


    The sea churned and swayed, transitioning from rough waters to gradually calm ones as Gyarados sank into the depths.


    Just as Yuga was about to instruct Mismagius to retrieve it using telekinesis, Gyarados suddenly burst out of the water again, its eyes red, charging frantically towards Mismagius.


    Yuga immediately recognized this as Gyarados''s "Thrash" move and was somewhat surprised by Gyarados''s resilience. After enduring Mismagius''s Thunderbolt, it was still standing.


    Thrash was a desperate move, simr to the Dragon-type move "Outrage." Pok��mon like Gyarados and Ursaring used these moves recklessly, disregarding potential harm to themselves. Other Pok��mon would think twice before using such moves due to their significant drawbacks.


    Although Mismagius was surprised that Gyarados hadn''t been knocked out yet, it remained calm in the face of Gyarados''s Thrash.


    Mismagius calmly used Double Team again to evade Gyarados''s reckless charge. Following that, its Will-O-Wispnded on Gyarados, causing it to be afflicted with a burn.


    Under the influence of Will-O-Wisp, Gyarados''s momentum waned, and its physical moves were significantly weakened.


    Due to the burn, all of Gyarados''s physical moves would now deal half as much damage.


    With Gyarados''s vulnerability exposed, Mismagius unleashed another Thunderbolt, and this time, Gyarados truly went down.


    No matter how resilient it was, it couldn''t withstand two Thunderbolts from Yuga''s Elite Pok��mon, not to mention that the side effects of its Thrash had yet to kick in.


    After defeating Gyarados, Yuga tossed a Pok�� Ball to capture it. Then he turned to Drew and said, "You see, capturing Pok��mon is like this, not as exciting as it may seem."


    Drew gazed at Yuga for a moment and replied, "You''re amazing! And Mismagius is amazing too."


    A simple yet heartfeltpliment.


    Yuga was taken aback by this unexpected praise. He chuckled awkwardly, "Well... I guess."


    Jokes aside, he felt a bit embarrassed to earnestly ept thepliment.


    After capturing Gyarados, Yuga noticed that Solidad hadn''t emerged from the cave yet. He said to Drew, "Let''s go inside and check."


    Drew nodded in agreement.


    Once back inside the cave, since they didn''t have Solidad''s Chinchou''s sh to illuminate their path, Yuga''s Mismagius conjured a small fireball with Mystical Fire, controlled it with psychic power, and let it float in the air for lighting.


    Though it appeared eerie, there were no issues with their illumination.


    With no Gyarados blocking their way this time, Yuga and Drew smoothly advanced deeper into the cave. Before long, they could hear sounds of a battle echoing from inside.


    It was likely themotion caused by Solidad while trying to capture Pok��mon.


    Upon reaching the deep end of the cave on Lapras''s back, Yuga was surprised to find the interior quite spacious.


    Solidad was currently engaged in battle with two Luvdiscs. These were the Pok��mon she had set her sights on.


    Initially, she had thought there was only one Luvdisc, but upon entering the cave, she discovered another, clearly thepanion of the first one.


    This was why she hadn''t been able to capture the Luvdisc she desired earlier.


    However, it wasn''t surprising since Luvdisc, when mature, typically appeared in pairs and were known for showcasing affection and love, making them quite affectionate Pok��mon.


    Yuga observed Solidad simultaneously dealing with two Luvdiscs and inquired aloud, "Need any help?"


    "No, I''ve got this," Solidad replied, shaking her head. When it came to capturing Pok��mon, she preferred handling it herself.


    Taking advantage of the time Solidad spent battling the pair of Luvdiscs, Yuga surveyed the dark cave. He noticed that, apart from the two Luvdiscs, there were several other Pok��mon within, though they appeared rather weak and kept their distance to avoid getting caught up in the battles.


    However, Yuga''s attention was suddenly drawn to two uncher huddled in a corner.


    "Why would uncher be here?" Yuga wondered. As far as he recalled, uncher and witzer should be inhabited in that underground caverns, so it was strange to find them in this location.


    Although it wasn''t too far from their usual habitat, it didn''t make sense for them to leave their established homes and seek refuge in this ce.


    Yuga remembered that the location of the cave was very secluded, and uncher and witzer had no natural enemies. Logically speaking, there was no need to go outside to find such a ce to live.


    Could it be that these two were kicked out of the n?


    Yuga could only think of this reason.


    Eventually, Solidad seeded in capturing both Luvdiscs, as she didn''t want to separate the loving couple.


    Since the two Luvdiscs had such excellent cooperation, they might surprise everyone in the Pok��mon Contest.


    After securing the Luvdiscs in Pok�� Balls, Solidad called out to Yuga, "Let''s go."


    Due to the cave''s dim environment, Solidad didn''t notice the two inconspicuous uncher hiding in the corner.


    Having achieved their goals, Yuga and the others left the cave together and returned to their inn.


    Drew stayed in a different inn from Yuga and Solidad, so there was a somewhat reluctant parting.


    However, Yuga assured him that he could visit them anytime for a get-together. Drew then left without much fuss.


    Upon Yuga''s return to the inn, he found that Gardevoir had finally woken up. Gardevoir was sitting at the entrance, surrounded by onlookers who marveled at its appearance. Gardevoir remained unfazed, even as people pointed and whispered about it.


    Seeing Yuga return, Gardevoir expressed its dissatisfaction, "Where did you go? You didn''t even think to invite me!"


    The surrounding tourists were amazed to hear Gardevoirmunicate telepathically; it wasn''t amon ability among Pok��mon.


    Yuga sighed, rubbing his forehead in exasperation. This Pok��mon sure had a thick skin and didn''t mind the attention.


    This was also the first time Solidad learned that the Gardevoir apanying Yuga had telepathic abilities. Although she had seen Gardevoir the previous day, it had remained silent, so she was unaware of this ability.


    Nevertheless, she wasn''t overly surprised. In her understanding, Yuga, as an Elite level Trainer, having a Gardevoir with telepathic abilities seemed quite reasonable.


    In Solidad''s eyes, Yuga was an exceptionally skilled and aplished Trainer. Having a Gardevoir with telepathic abilities wasn''t out of the ordinary for someone of his caliber.

 Chapter 667: Misunderstanding

    <h4>Chapter 667: Misunderstanding</h4>


    Yuga discreetly pulled Gardevoir aside and whispered, "Can we tone it down a bit?"


    Gardevoir looked puzzled and asked, "Have I done something wrong?"


    Yuga replied, "It''s not that you''ve done something wrong. You see, Psychic-type Pok��mon with telepathic abilities are quite rare. Acting this way in front of so many people attracts attention."


    "Is it bad to attract attention?" Gardevoir still couldn''t understand.


    "It''s not that it''s bad, it''s just not very safe," Yuga exined, though he felt like he couldn''t quite get through to Gardevoir. If he exined why it wasn''t safe, Gardevoir might respond with something like, "I''ll just beat them all up."


    Yuga couldn''t help but think that Gardevoir''s past dealings with the King of the Arus Empire might be due to itsck ofmon sense.


    Yuga decided not to exin further. "Okay, okay, no matter the reason, just try not to be so conspicuous in the future."


    "Got it, got it. Humans are so troublesome. I didn''t have to do this before," Gardevoir grumbled.


    Back when Gardevoir was Celebi, it was the guardian of the Arus Empire, and people treated it with great respect. If Yuga found out about Gardevoir''s thoughts, he might retort, "Yes, yes, everyone treated you with the utmost respect and even turned you into an Orb for worship."


    Seeing that their "master" had returned, the onlookers dispersed quickly.


    Just as Yuga and Gardevoir were about to return to their hotel, they were suddenly stopped by someone.


    "Hello, sir."


    This person spoke politely.


    "Hello, is there something you need?" Yuga replied politely since the person was courteous.


    "Um... um... mydy would like to meet with you."


    This person stammered while speaking.


    Yuga thought, "Well, a youngdy is looking for me today? Could it be thay my luck is finally turning around today?" However, he found the person''s tone a bit odd.


    Although he didn''t know why thisdy was looking for him, Yuga didn''t mind going to meet her, given the person''s politeness.


    Anyway he won''t be robbed.


    "Ms. Solidad, you can go back first," Yuga said, turning to the person behind him.


    Solidad understood that Yuga had business to attend to, so she nodded and went into the hotel.


    Yuga, apanied by Gardevoir, followed the person to a nearby beach. There, he saw a young girl in a bikini lying under a beach umbre.


    "The gentleman has arrived," the person leading Yuga said, bowing to the girl on the sun lounger.


    The young girl sat up, removed her ck sunsses, and looked Yuga up and down.


    "Is this the person?" she asked.


    Yuga thought, "The way she''s talking doesn''t sound right. Why does she sound so condescending?"


    "Yes, ma''am," the person leading Yuga replied with another bow.


    "Have you told him?" the young girl asked, putting her sunsses back on and lying down again.


    "Not... not yet," the person stammered.


    "Then you talk to him," the young girl said.


    Listening to the conversation between the two of them, Yuga was getting impatient, especially with the young girl''s attitude. If she had invited him here, why was she acting like he didn''t exist at all? how disguting.


    "I say, if you don''t have anything for me, I''ll be on my way," Yuga said, though the person leading him was polite, the girl''s haughty demeanor made him lose interest.


    Where is the romance? It''s more like wasting of time!


    "This, sir! Please wait, please wait," the person leading him hastily spoke up.


    "We... we actually want to discuss something with you," he said, clearlycking confidence.


    Discussion? I don''t think your youngdy has the right attitude for a discussion.


    "Go ahead, what''s the matter?" Yuga''s tone was dismissive; he couldn''t be bothered.


    "Our youngdy wants to acquire your Gardevoir," the guide said through gritted teeth, clearly aware that their request was unreasonable.


    "What?" Yuga eximed.


    "What!" Gardevoir echoed.


    Yuga and Gardevoir both responded in shock, with Yuga thinking he might have misheard, and Gardevoir expressing surprise, if not anger.


    "Don''t get me wrong, we are willing to pay!" The guide wiped the sweat off his forehead, feeling like he''d just been on a rollercoaster.


    "Do you know that buying and selling adult Pok��mon privately is illegal?" Yuga asked, confirming that he hadn''t misheard, and also addressing the youngdy behind the guide.


    This was aw known to anyone in the League, even though some still engaged in such transactions discreetly. Yuga himself had done so on asion, even buying adult Pok��mon from the League, such as the batch of Lopunny and Pachirisu. However, those were under special circumstances.


    The League had thisw in ce to prevent the disruption of the bond between Trainers and their Pok��mon.


    But the young girl in front of him seemed to be quite familiar with this practice, and she wasn''t hiding it.


    Before anyone could respond, Gardevoir jumped in, "You think you can buy me just like that? Have you even considered the price? Dream on!"


    The guide''s forehead was now even sweatier; this young man didn''t look easy to deal with, and Gardevoir wasn''t exactly cooperative either.


    "Yes, a Gardevoir with personality, I like it," the young girl said, sitting up again, taking off her sunsses, and looking very satisfied with Gardevoir.


    Seeing this, Yuga felt like his IQ had been thrown on the ground and stomped on. This girl might be a few cards short of a deck; otherwise, she wouldn''t say or act like this.


    "Sorry, but I have no intention of selling Gardevoir. Goodbye," Yuga said, feeling that if he talked to someone with such limited intellect any longer, his own intelligence might suffer.


    Gardevoir was quite pleased with Yuga''s attitude, thinking, "This guy understands."


    However, as Yuga and Gardevoir turned to leave, they were stopped by the girl''s bodyguards, not just one but several of them, surrounding them from all sides.


    The beach was now attracting attention due to themotion, with people pointing and whispering, but the young girl seemedpletely unbothered.


    Yuga was seething inside.


    "Are you..." thinking of using force?


    Yuga began to ask, but before he could finish his sentence, Gardevoir used its psychic power to fling all four bodyguards away, as effortlessly as plucking onions.


    The young girl''s eyes sparkled even more at this point, clearly even more satisfied with Gardevoir. Only the guide was left feeling utterly drained.


    What to do? What to do? He felt like they had provoked a big shot, and he had known all along that his youngdy was bound to get into trouble sooner orter.


    "Speak up, what would it take for you to part with this Gardevoir?" the girl asked Yuga.


    Yuga looked at this haughty and domineering girl and couldn''t help but think she needed a dose of reality, something she clearlycked.


    With her attitude, did she really think she could just use force to do a sale?

 Chapter 668: Ando

    <h4>Chapter 668: Ando</h4>


    "little girl, do you realize that I can report you to the authorities for this?" The young girl in front of Yuga looked to be about a year or two younger than him, with neat short hair, and she appeared rather cute. However, her arrogance reduced her cuteness from seven or eight points to just three or four.


    "little girl? You''re calling me ''little girl'' when we''re practically the same age!" The girl was quite displeased with Yuga for addressing her that way.


    "But my mental age is much older than yours! You''re just a little girl," Yuga thought to himself.


    "Names and titles don''t matter; I''ll be on my way," Yuga said impatiently, wanting to leave as there were many tourists around, and he didn''t want to cause a scene.


    "Stop!" The girl shouted loudly as Yuga attempted to leave. She then released a formidable Aggron, blocking Yuga''s path.


    The spectators who had been watching the drama suddenly scattered upon seeing Aggron; they didn''t want to get caught in a battle.


    "Today, if you don''t leave Gardevoir behind, none of you will be allowed to leave!" Aggron roared, and its thick tail heavily pounded the sand, looking very intimidating.


    ...


    <> </aggron>


    Type: Steel/Rock


    Ability: Rock Head


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 55


    Moves: Impact, Iron Defense, Metal w, Rock Tomb, Iron Head, Rock Slide, Metal Sound, Iron Tail, Double-Edge, Water Pulse, Uproar.


    ...


    ncing at the powerful Aggron, Yuga asked, "Is this your trump card?"


    The girl sneered, "More than enough to deal with someone like you."


    Before Yuga could respond, Gardevoir couldn''t hold back its anger and was about to attack Aggron. However, Yuga stopped it.


    Using Gardevoir''s power to confront a Aggron was a significant waste.


    Yuga summoned his Absol, a tall and imposing Pok��mon thatpletely overshadowed Aggron in terms of presence.


    Absol looked at Aggron with disdain, not taking it seriously at all.


    Enraged by Absol''s dismissive attitude, Aggron roared and swung itsrge, heavy tail at Absol.


    Absol, however, didn''t dodge or evade. Instead, it raised its right front paw and effortlessly intercepted the Iron Tail move using Shadow w. Then, with a countermove, it performed a Throat Chop, knocking Aggron to the ground.


    Although Aggron was known for its strength, Yuga''s Absol was more than a match for it in this regard.


    Strength, it''s also our strong suit!


    When Yugha summoned Absol, the guide standing behind the girl began sweating profusely.


    It''s trouble, it''s big trouble!


    Just by looking at the appearance, it was evident that this Absol was no ordinary Pok��mon, not to mention its owner.


    What kind of karma did I bring upon myself, getting involved with such a little ancentor!


    "You... you really brave!"


    Seeing her Aggron defeated so swiftly, the girl pointed at Yuga, trembling with anger.


    "I have even more courage sometimes. Want to test it?" Yuga retorted.


    The girl had the nerve to talk about courage when she dared to pick a fight with anyone she pleased. If she continued to provoke him, he wouldn''t hesitate to defeat not only her Aggron but also her.


    Leaving aside Yuga''s status in the League, just his identity as an Elite level Trainer alone wouldmand respect from most people.


    This is the confidence that strength brings; if you don''t have the strength, there''s no need to boast.


    Yuga used to keep a low profile when he didn''t have much strength himself. Even his teacher, who was a Master level Trainer, never acted arrogantly. Modesty in developing abilities was the way to go.


    The girl in front of him seemed like a spoiled rich kid, pampered by her family, as evident from her Aggron.


    If it were Steven''s Aggron, Yuga might have given it some thought, but the current situation didn''t merit that.


    "Aggron, get up and teach him a lesson!"


    The girlpletely disregarded her image, and she was so angry at Yuga..


    However, before Aggron had time to get up, Yuga''s Absol stepped forward and pped it on the head with Throat Chop again. This time, it really fainted.


    "Ando, what are you waiting for? Can''t you see yourdy is being bullied? Are you a coward?"


    The girl yelled at Ando, her guide and protector, she roared in anger..


    The girl''s attitude toward others made Yuga frown.


    "Alright, alright, Miss, I''ming," Ando said apologetically to Yuga.


    Although the girl was infuriating, Ando knew he had a job to do, and he was stuck with her.


    In fact, her previous bodyguards were just for show. Ando was the real protector.


    Yuga initially had a good impression of the polite guide, but unexpectedly he turned out to be an aplice.


    "Don''t waste your breath on nonsense; if you''re going to fight, do it already," Yuga said coldly.


    Ando sighed and released his Pok��mon.


    ...


    <<umbreon>> </umbreon>


    Type: Dark


    Ability: Synchronize


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Green


    Level: 64


    Moves: Pursuit, Helping Hand, Tackle, Quick Attack, Feint Attack, Fling, Mean Look, Toxic, Shadow Ball, Rest, Moonlight, Dream Eater, Dark Pulse, Iron Tail, Heal Bell.


    ...


    Yuga nced at Umbreon and then at Ando.


    Unexpectedly, Ando was a pseudo-Elite level Trainer. No wonder the girl dared to be so arrogant; she had the money to hire someone of his caliber.


    Moreover, this pseudo-Elite level Trainer was following her orders like apdog.


    "Absol, X-Scissor!" Yuga wasted no time and attacked first. After all, Umbreon was at a higher level, and Yuga didn''t want to risk losing.


    "Umbreon, Iron Tail!" Ando reacted quickly andmanded Umbreon to counter.


    Absol''s w and Umbreon''s tail shed, but the higher level Umbreon was sent flying backward.


    Umbreon excelled at defense but was not known for its offense. Additionally, the situation favored Absol, which was why Umbreon was losing.


    However, this oue seemed strange to Ando.


    Even though Umbreon wasn''t skilled in offense, it was genuinely an pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon. Losing like this didn''t make sense to Ando.


    As he thought about it, Ando realized he was stuck in a difficult situation.


    Hemented his bad luck; why did he have to deal with such a troublesome little girl? What he wouldn''t give for her to cause a little less trouble and save a couple of years of his life.


    Unfortunately, he could only keep these thoughts to himself and not dare to voice them out loud.

 Chapter 669: The Limit

    <h4>Chapter 669: The Limit</h4>


    Both pure Dark-type Pok��mon, Absol and Umbreon found themselves at odds, especially Absol, who pushed its Pressure abity to the extreme.


    Even though Umbreon was a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, it felt the immense pressure emanating from Absol''s aura.


    Yuga: "Absol, use X-Scissor."


    Absol exerted force with its hind legs, causing a shower of sand to erupt as it charged fiercely towards Umbreon, creating a profound sense of pressure.


    "Umbreon, evade and use Toxic."


    Compared to the bulky Absol, Umbreon appeared more agile, effortlessly leaping to avoid Absol''s X-Scissor. Simultaneously, it released a burst of toxic liquid that sshed onto Absol.


    The dark purple poison sizzled with strong corrosiveness as it tainted Absol''s pristine fur, resembling patches of mud on pure white snow, a rather unsightly sight.


    Absol fell into a poisoned state, and purple toxic mist emanated from its body, corroding its flesh and causing considerable difort.


    "Absol!"


    The torment from the poison intensified Absol''s gaze, which turned even more fierce and ruthless as it locked onto Umbreon.


    Seeing Absol poisoned, Gardevoir, who was watching, raised its hand as if to use a Heal Bell on it. In Gardevoir''s eyes, there were no battle rules, but Yuga''s stern gaze stopped it.


    Yuga believed in Absol''s resilience; it wouldn''t be easily defeated by poison.


    At the very least, Absol had an ace up its sleeve.


    Absol initiated Sword Dance, aiming to boost its attack power and swiftly deal with Umbreon.


    Numerous blue energy swords swiftly rotated around Absol, forming a blooming blue lotus that enveloped the Pok��mon. Absol''s aura started to rise.


    Umbreon attempted to intervene to halt Absol, but Absol responded with a Snarl.


    The ck soundwave materialized into substance, pushing Umbreon far away.


    Unable to get close, Umbreon immediately hurled several Shadow Balls towards Absol.


    At this point, Absol hadpleted one round of enchanment and raised its ws, smashing each iing Shadow Ball one by one. Then, itunched countless Stone Edge towards Umbreon.


    The Stone Edge sessfully hit Umbreon, making it appear somewhat distressed, although the injuries weren''t severe.


    Umbreon''s defense was remarkably high.


    Slightly injured, Umbreon raised its head, and the golden halo on its forehead emitted a bright light, rapidly restoring Umbreon''s condition.


    Although it wasn''t a sunny day, moonlight was sufficient to heal Umbreon''s minor injuries.


    The attack power still isn''t enough!


    Yuga and Absol both thought simultaneously.


    Umbreon, being a higher level Pok��mon than Absol with exceptionally high defenses, seemed to be Absol''s current nemesis.


    "Absol, continue with Sword Dance!"


    Absol obeyed and once again surrounded itself with energy swords.


    This time, Umbreon acted more cunningly, avoiding getting close to Absol and instead employing Dark Pulse from a distance.


    The ck ring-like energy struck Absol, but it clenched its teeth and didn''t interrupt Sword Dance.


    Under the influence of the Seed of Unknown, Absol''s physical defense exceeded that of its kind. It resisted the Dark Pulse, and Umbreon''s limited offensive capabilities,bined with the other factors, allowed Absol to withstand the attack.


    Another round of Sword Dance waspleted, but Absol didn''t stop; it continued to use Sword Dance.


    The maximum number of times a Pok��mon can use Sword Dance is three, and Yuga''s Absol had always been able to achieve only two rounds.


    But at this very moment, it was actually attempting to break throught.


    Ando and Umbreon certainly didn''t want this to happen and quicklyunched attacks to stop it, sending wave after wave of Dark Pulse at Absol, all of which it gritted its teeth to endure.


    Already suffering from the torment of deadly poison, its stamina was decreasing by the moment. After enduring so many waves of Dark Pulse, Absol was covered in wounds and appeared as though it could copse at any moment.


    However, its determination showed no signs of weakening.


    Finally, Absol''s aura reached a critical point. A surge of energy enveloped its body, and all the energy swords were absorbed into its body in an instant, causing its aura to soar.


    "Absol!"


    Absol tilted its head back and roared.


    It had seeded! Yuga thought.


    ...


    <> </absol>


    Type: Dark


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Pressure


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 61


    Moves: Quick Attack, Swords Dance, Psycho Cut, Future Sight, Sucker Punch, Snarl, Dark Pulse, Stone Edge, Shadow w, Throat Chop, Perish Song, Sucker Punch, sh, X-Scissor, Giga Impact.


    ...


    Not only did Absol sessfullyplete the third round of Sword Dance enhancement, but it also ascended to the pseudo-Elite level.


    Despite its numerous injuries, Absol''s spirit was high, and its eyes shone brightly.


    Feeling the pressure emanating from Absol, Ando and Umbreon both paled. However, Absol was already charging towards them.


    During its charge, Absol was surrounded by swirling energy, and Umbreon, caught off guard, was struck directly by Giga Impact. It was sent flying andy unconscious in the distance.


    Even though Umbreon had strong defenses, it couldn''t withstand a full-powered strike from Absol, who had undergone three rounds of Sword Dance enhancement and ascended to the pseudo-Elite level.


    "You..."


    Watching Umbreon lying in the distance, Ando tried to say something but found herself at a loss for words. The girl who had directed Ando was equally shocked.


    Ando had been with her for quite some time, and she was well aware of Ando''s abilities. He had resolved many crises, and she had never seen him fail before.


    She knew that Ando didn''t particrly like her, but what did that matter? He was supposed to obediently follow her orders, right?


    But today''s situation seemed different. Ando had been defeated by someone else.


    In the end, it seemed like thest move, Giga Impact, had exhausted all of Absol''s energy. Ity motionless on the ground, panting heavily.


    Yuga quickly had Gardevoir use Heal Bell to cure Absol of its poisoning. Then, he used Heal Pulse to treat its physical injuries.


    "What''s happening? What are you all doing?" Just as Yuga was recalling Absol into its Pok�� Ball and was about to said something, but he saw an Officer Jenny with a Growlithe rushed over to them, full of energy.

 Chapter 670: Will-O-Wisp

    <h4>Chapter 670: Will-O-Wisp</h4>


    It turned out that when Yuga and Ando were fighting, some tourists had called the police, which was why Officer Jenny arrived.


    This beach was a famous tourist spot in Lilycove City, and the police station wasn''t far away for a significant reason��to maintainw and order here.


    "Why are you fighting here?" Officer Jenny asked, her demeanor fierce.


    "Officer Jenny, they were trying to steal my Pok��mon, and so many people ganged up on me. I was just defending myself," Yuga quickly exined.


    "Is that so?" Officer Jenny turned to Ando and the girl, asking for their side of the story.


    "Are you blind? Can''t you see how badly we''ve been beaten?" The girl immediately became indignant and pointed to the beaten bodyguards and Pok��mon on the ground as she argued with Officer Jenny.


    Ando, hearing his little girl''s words, felt a headacheing on. Couldn''t she just keep quiet for once? He had nned to y the victim in front of Officer Jenny, hoping to gain sympathy and a more lenient resolution, but now that was unlikely to happen.


    It''s true that one should fear teammates who act like pigs rather than god-like opponents.


    Unlike Yuga, who was trying his best to cooperate, the girl''s unreasonable and tough attitude only made Officer Jenny tilt her favor towards Yuga.


    "You got beaten up badly because you simplycked the skills. Robbery is still robbery, and if you get beaten for it, you deserve it. Did I do anything wrong by defending myself?" Yuga disdainfully remarked.


    Yuga''s words were nothing but the truth, and with many witnesses around, the truth was quickly uncovered. Officer Jenny soon learned the facts and Yuga''s words were validated.


    When the girl was taken away by Officer Jenny, she even attempted to threaten her. But was Officer Jenny someone easily intimidated?


    In the end, the girl could only leave grumbling, and Ando followed behind, looking utterly defeated.


    Back at the hotel, when Yuga saw Solidad talking to thendy in the lobby, it seemed she had been waiting for him.


    Seeing Yuga return safely, Solidad breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged a few words with Yuga, and then returned to her room.


    The next morning, Yuga woke up and, after greeting Misaki, Lain, and Anya, he headed out. This time, to ensure Yuga didn''t leave her behind, Gardevoir relinquished control of her body to Gardevoir (male), enabling her to get up smoothly and leave with Yuga.


    The reason Yuga had left so early that day was to check on the underground cave where the uncher and witzer families lived.


    In theory, living in such a secluded ce, they shouldn''t encounter any problems. However, after seeing those two uncher in the Cliffside Cave yesterday, Yuga couldn''t help but worry.


    After all, the location where the uncher families lived was the homnd of the uncher families in his Ecopark, so Yuga didn''t want anything to happen here.


    When Yuga and Gardevoir arrived at the beach, he released Lapras and climbed onto its neck. Together, they dived underwater.


    Yuga vividly remembered the suffocating feeling when he and Robert had exited through this underwater passage. However, now, with Lapras by his side, that short underwater passage was no challenge at all.


    Once they entered the water, Lapras controlled its Water-type powers, creating a bubble that enveloped Yuga''s head, instantly eliminating the sensation of suffocation.


    Lapras''s diving speed was impressive. Yuga felt like they had arrived at the end of the underwater passage in the blink of an eye.


    When they emerged from the water, they had entered the interior of the underground cave.


    The cave''s environment remained dark, but one noticeable difference was theplete absence of any noise. There should have been the usual sounds of water movement, considering this was a habitat for Water-type Pok��mon, but here, everything was eerily silent.


    Finding it too unsettling, Yuga recalled Lapras and summoned Mismagius.


    Mismagius ignited Mystical Fire, instantly illuminating the cave''s space.


    This was the deepest part of the cave, the very ce where the uncher and witzer families used to live.


    However, at this moment, the water surface inside the cave was as smooth as a mirror, showing no signs of Pok��mon activity.


    Had something gone wrong here after all?


    Yuga looked around and suddenly felt a familiar aura permeating the entire cave.


    Thump, thump, thump...


    Yuga didn''t have time to ponder further before blue "flowers" began appearing out of thin air, floating gently in mid-air, radiantly blossoming.


    "Giggle... giggle..."


    Simultaneously, eerieughter echoed, and those blue "flowers" started to dance through the air.


    Yuga was very familiar with this scene to the point that he felt no fear.


    Who else but Ghost-type Pok��mon could create such a spectacle? Those blue "flowers" were simply Will-O-Wisp.


    No wonder the atmosphere here felt so familiar; it was Ghost-type Pok��mon. Yuga thought to himself.


    Thanks to his King of Ghost ability and daily interactions with Ghost-type Pok��mon, Yuga was quite familiar with the aura of Ghost-types and wasn''t afraid of their mischief.


    At that moment, a voice from the system suddenly resounded in Yuga''s mind.


    [ Congrattions to the host for receiving the mission: Reiming Home. ]


    [ Exnation: Due to the arrival of special Pok��mon, the habitat of the uncher and witzer families has been taken over. The host once took away some of their fellow n members, and now, as they face difficulties, they cannot stand idly by. ]


    [ Reward: Universal Pok��block Form for Ghost-type Pok��mon. ]


    A long-awaited system mission.


    Yuga''s "golden finger" had a very low profile most of the time, rarely showing any activity. Apart from pretending to dead from time to time.


    When he first got the system, he was worried that there would be too many tasks and the difficulty of the tasks would be too great. Now that he looks at it, it is almost a salted fish system.


    However, despite being a salted fish system, it had helped him significantly. The YoYo Day Care had reached its current level mainly due to the system''s assistance.


    As for Yuga himself, he was a bit of a salted fish too.


    It seemed that the culprits who had taken over the uncher family''s home were the yet-to-be-seen Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    In the case of system missions, the final reward typically rted to the mission''s content.


    This time, they were aiding Water-type Pok��mon, yet the reward was the form for Ghost-type Pok��mon''s Pok��blocks.


    That could only mean that the malefactors were Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    Seeing that Yuga didn''t react to their performance, these hidden Ghost-type Pok��mon grew increasingly agitated. More and more Will-O-Wisp began to appear in the air, swirling around Yuga and Mismagius.


    At the same time, theughter within the cave disappeared, reced by shrill screamsing from various directions, incredibly piercing and almost rupturing eardrums.


    Hearing these screams, Yuga could finally identify some of the Ghost-type Pok��mon''s species.


    The Pok��mon emitting these screams were undoubtedly Misdreavus, specifically the pre-evolution of Miamagius. Misdreavus is Screech Pok��mon were known for their love of pranks, often using their haunting cries to frighten passing humans and Pok��mon, absorbing the fear that emanated from them.


    Among these Ghost-type Pok��mon, if not all of them, there was undoubtedly a substantial number of Misdreavus.

 Chapter 671: Welcome

    <h4>Chapter 671: Wee</h4>


    "Mismagius, teach them a lesson," Yugamanded while observing the Will-O-Wisps lingering around him.


    Mismagius nodded, and its Mystical Fire turned into waves of fire, sweeping through the entire cave. Soon, Yuga heard cries of agony as ghost-type Pok��mon were forced to materialize.


    As Yuga had suspected, many of these Pok��mon were Misdreavus.


    Their fiery hair burned like Will-O-Wisps, and they wore red beads around their necks, subtly controlling the Will-O-Wisps still drifting in the air.


    In addition to Misdreavus, there were a few Gastly, Haunter, and Shuppet among the ghost-type Pok��mon.


    Seeing this many ghost-type Pok��mon puzzled Yuga.


    When he had firste here, he had indeed seen some ghost-type Pok��mon, but there weren''t nearly as many.


    These ghost-type Pok��mon had been coerced into appearing. They snarled and shrieked at Yuga when they were first revealed, but with a single nce from Mismagius, they all shrank back, cowed into silence.


    However, despite their numbers, these ghost-type Pok��mon weren''t particrly strong. Logically speaking, they don''t had the ability im to the territory inhabited by the uncher and wizter.


    Yuga had Mismagius capture a Misdreavus to inquire about the situation here. The Misdreavus was trembling in front of the powerful Mismagius, and it quickly spilled the beans about what was happening.


    Originally, there weren''t this many ghost-type Pok��mon here.


    At some point, a few powerful Mismagius had arrived unexpectedly.


    Upon their arrival, they had taken control of the few ghost-type Pok��mon that were here.


    They seemed to love the environment and had decided to make it their own.


    However, this was the territory of the uncher and wizter, and conflicts naturally arose.


    But the uncher and wizter had been living peacefully here for many years, and they weren''t particrly strong in battles. Moreover, the powerful Mismagius were fiercer than the other, and they cannot defeat them at all.


    As a result, the uncher and wizter were driven to the edge of the cave, while the Mismagius and theirpanions upied the central area.


    These Mismagius asionally went outside to bring in more ghost-type Pok��mon since they found the numbers here insufficient.


    However, because they were Mismagius themselves, the ghost-type Pok��mon they brought in were mostly Misdreavus, with only a few others.


    Currently, the powerful Mismagius were not here because they had gone outside to capture more Pok��mon.


    After hearing the full story, Yuga decided to wait for the powerful Mismagius to return and deal with them.


    However, he grew impatient after waiting for a long time without their return. So, he had one of the Misdreavus guide him to find the uncher and wizter.


    Inside the cave, aside from the massive central area, there were numerous branching passages with a variety of different Pok��mon species, such as the Corphish Yuga had encountered when he first entered.


    In truth, Misdreavus wasn''t entirely sure where the uncher and wizter had been driven to. It only had a rough idea of the direction because it didn''t really care about those uncher and wizter.


    Fortunately, the location of the uncher and wizter wasn''t difficult to find.


    Misdreavus led Yuga through a tunnel with no forks, reaching a small pond at the end. This was where the uncher family now lived.


    Looking at the small pond and thinking about their original habitat, which connected to the ocean and had arge wrecked ship for shelter, the current situation for the uncher and wizter was undoubtedly miserable.


    Most of the uncher and wizter still remembered Yuga, though not with fondness.


    After all, Yuga had beaten them soundly and taken away a significant number of their kin.


    Upon seeing Yuga apanied by a Midreavus and a Mismagius, the uncher and wizter initially believed he hade to eliminate them. They were on the brink of confrontation, feeling cornered by these apparitions. They thought it was audacious for these ghostly entities to bother them when they were already pushed to the edge.


    After their downfall, many of the uncher and wizter had chosen to seek a better life elsewhere, unable to tolerate their current situation. The pair of uncher Yuga had encountered outside were two of them.


    When the uncher and wizter saw Yuga, they immediately adopted defensive stances, but Yuga quickly exined his intentions.


    Initially, they didn''t trust Yuga, but his repeated assurances, coupled with the testimony of the Mismagius and Misdreavus, reluctantly convinced them.


    In this manner, the uncher and wizter, along with their families, followed Yuga, embarking on the journey to reim their homes.


    At first, theycked confidence in Yuga because they had witnessed the power of those Mismagius.


    It wasn''t until Yuga showcased the abilities of his Mismagius and Gengar that they dropped their doubts.


    However, when Yuga, along with the uncher and wizter, returned to the central area of the cave, the previously disciplined ghost-type Pok��mon suddenly surged forward,unching an attack on Yuga.


    Yuga''s Gengar and Mismagiusbined their psychic powers to force these approaching spirits to retreat.


    With the ghost-type Pok��mon pushed back, Yuga saw the Mismagius clustered at the center, along with a Gengar and a Dusclops.


    It turned out their backup had returned, which emboldened the ghost-type Pok��mon to act arrogantly again, snarling and menacing Yuga, along with the uncher and wizter behind him.


    The uncher and wizter were still traumatized by their previous encounters with these ghost-type Pok��mon, and they quivered in fear.


    Only the little Misdreavus that guiding Yuga couldn''t decide what to do. It looked at its leaders, then at Yuga''s Mismagius and Gengar, torn between betraying its former allies and joining the more powerful group. It wondered if aligning with the human would lead to suffering if he lost.


    As Yuga''s Gengar and Mismagius demonstrated their strength to the uncher and wizter, the small Mismagius observed with uncertainty. It had a vague sense that these two might be slightly more formidable than its own leaders.


    So, what should it do? It was torn between the desire to switch sides and the fear of potential repercussions after the fact.


    Not knowing how to make a decision, this little misdreavus danced around frantically by Yuga''s side, leaving Yuga somewhat puzzled, unable to understand its erratic behavior.


    Yuga counted them all. There were eight Mismagius, the same ones that had initially seized the uncher and wizter''s territory. The Gengar and Dusclops apanying them were brought inter.


    Seeing the potential for a brighter future with the Mismagius, the Gengar and Dusclops had joined their ranks.

 Chapter 672: Releasing

    <h4>Chapter 672: Releasing</h4>


    Upon witnessing their younger siblings being bullied, the Mismagius couldn''t stand idly by.


    Surrounded by other ghost-type Pok��mon, they floated to the front of the group, casting cold res at Yuga.


    Yuga inspected the lead ghost-type Pok��mon using his Insight ability and noticed that their levels ranged from 50 to 60. The foremost Mismagius was a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, exining their formidable leadership.


    It wasn''t surprising that the uncher and witzer couldn''t match up, as their levels generally didn''t exceed 50.


    Seeing the ghost-type Pok��mon approach, Yuga''s Mismagius and Gengar acted swiftly to protect him, darting into the midst of the ghost-type Pok��mon, drawing them away from Yuga.


    As Yuga''s Mismagius and Gengar intervened, the wild Mismagius immediatelyunched an attack, hurling numerous Shadow Balls at them.


    Yuga''s Mismagius and Gengar disyed remarkable agility, effortlessly evading the barrage of Shadow Balls.


    After dodging the attack, Yuga''s Mismagius swiftly ascended to the sky, looking down at the Mismagius, Dusclops, and Gengar below. It surrounded by mes and cast a scorching curtain of fire towards them.


    Yuga''s Gengar floated across to the opposite side, both his chubby hands raised high above its head, conjuring Shadow Balls and flinging them at the Mismagius, Gengar, and Dusclops below.


    Even though they were outnumbered, Yuga''s Mismagius and Gengar, working together, left the opposing forces in disarray.


    Watching the Mismagius and Gengar''s victory, Gardevoir, standing beside Yuga, felt eager to join the fight. Without waiting for Yuga''s response, Gardevoir said, "Leave these small fry to me."


    Before Yuga could answer, Gardevoir utilized Psychic power to form a massive, transparent Psychic hand that swiped at the small fry spectating on the sidelines.


    Due to the intense energy fluctuations generated by the Mismagius and Gengar during their battle was to big, the small fry spectating on the sidelines were unable to intervene and could only watch helplessly.


    However, misfortune befell them as a giant hand materialized out of nowhere, knocking them all out of the sky. In the blink of an eye, they were incapacitated.


    Left and right, the airborne legion of ghost-type Pok��mon was reduced to a mere handful.


    Gardevoir, seeing the defeated ghost-type Pok��mon on the ground, expressed satisfaction, saying, "Delightful, truly delightful."


    Gardevoir had been itching to join the battle since Yuga refrained from letting it fight yesterday.


    The little Misdreavus that had guided Yuga looked at Gardevoir with eyes full of astonishment.


    It''s turn out the real boss is here!


    At this moment, it felt extremely lucky that it hadn''t rashly engaged in battle. Otherwise, it would have suffered just like those poor souls lying on the ground.


    In fact, this little Misdreavus was different from most of the other Misdreavus. It wasn''t brought here from outside by the Mismagius. Instead, it was born in this underground cave, and it had no prior conflicts with the uncher and witzer that resided here.


    Before the Mismagius arrived, it had lived a peaceful life, so there was no need to fight over territory.


    However, when the Mismagius appeared, it simply followed the crowd, doing what everyone else did, and ended up tagging along with the Mismagius without much thought.


    After Gardevoir dealt with the small fry, it didn''t take long for the battle between the Mismagius and Gengar to conclude.


    Among those wild ghost-type Pok��mon, the most powerful was a pseudo-Elite level Mismagius, but facing thebined might of Yuga''s Mismagius and Gengar, they could only be described as routed.


    After being defeated, the leaders among the ten ghost-type Pok��mon were controlled by Yuga''s Mismagius and Gengar using Psychic powers and were ced in front of Yuga, barely conscious and in a pitiful state.


    Yuga didn''t bother to capture them with Pok�� Balls since there was no need. Instead, he had Gengar and Mismagius toss them, along with their subordinates, into his Shadow Space.


    This served the dual purpose of allowing Gengar and Mismagius to educate them on obedience within his Shadow Space.


    Yuga''s Shadow Space wasn''t a real dimension; it could only amodate ghost-type Pok��mon like Mismagius and Gengar, which could be invisible and intangible, so there were no issues with capacity.


    After resolving the situation with the ghost-type Pok��mon, Yuga turned to the gathered uncher and witzer and said, "Alright, this ce will be yours again from now on."


    The uncher and witzer expressed their gratitude with appreciative nces at Yuga, then cheered and jumped back into the water.


    To them, this ce, which they had lost once before, was now an invaluable treasure.


    With the uncher and witzer regaining their homnd, Yuga received a system notification in his mind, indicating thepletion of the mission and the acquisition of the ghost-type Pok��block form.


    However, ghost-type Trainers were scarce, and Yuga himself had little use for it. He had doubts about whether this form could be sold once it was crafted. Nevertheless, having it was better than not having it at all.


    With his mission aplished, Yuga initially intended to leave immediately. However, after some thought, he took out the Pok�� Ball containing the Gyarados he had captured the previous day.


    With a ssh, the massive Gyarados descended into the water, startling the uncher and witzer already present.


    "Gyarados, I have a request for you. If you agree, I''ll release you. How about it?" Yuga addressed the Gyarados.


    The Gyarados paused for a moment, wondering what was going on. Wasn''t it decided yesterday that it would be joining Yuga from now on? Did Yuga no longer want it today? Ugh, what a fickle guy!


    Nevertheless, despite these thoughts, the Gyarados nodded in agreement. It was in awe of Yuga''s strength, and while it didn''t mind serving under him, it was equally fine with being set free. After all, a life of freedom wasn''t a bad option.


    "From now on, stay here and protect the uncher and witzer," Yuga told it.


    The Gyarados turned to nce at the uncher and witzer in the water, hesitated briefly, then nodded in agreement.


    The living conditions here were better than where it came from, secluded and safe, with easy ess in and out. Looking at the uncher and witzer, this seemed like a convenient arrangement.


    Touched by Yuga''s decision to leave such a powerful Pok��mon to protect them, the uncher and witzer were moved to tears, and any lingering resentment they had towards Yuga taking their fellow kin disappearedpletely.


    Having reached an agreement with the Gyarados, Yuga pressed the release button on its Pok�� Ball, leaving it in the underground cave.


    Yuga''s reason for doing this was to prevent simr incidents from happening in the future, and it could be considered an act of generosity.


    In the past, Yuga would never have released a pseudo-Elite Pok��mon like Gyarados. But now, with his changed status and perspective, and notck pseudo-Elite Pok��mo.


    Besides, he has a big reason for the decline of the witzer n.


    Their original guardian, Greninja, was also taken away by him, and now giving them a stronger one is a kind ofpensation.


    Furthermore, the decline of the uncher and witzer was not solely due to Yuga''s actions. Even if they had all been present, along with Greninja, their defeat by the Mismagius and the others would likely have been inevitable.


    Nevertheless, Yuga wasn''t at a loss; he had gained a whole ghost-type army in exchange for a single Gyarados, it''s a profitable deal.

 Chapter 673: Greetings

    <h4>Chapter 673: Greetings</h4>


    Two dayster, the auction event hosted by the League Store began at the venue of the Lilycove City Pok��mon Contest.


    The bidding event was scheduled to start at 9:00 AM, but when Yuga arrived with Misaki and the others, the ce was already bustling with activity.


    YoYo Day Care was participating in such an event for the first time, and Yuga didn''t know anyone, so he had to wander around the venue with Misaki and the others.


    Most of the participants in this kind of bidding event were various stores, department stores, and workshops. YoYo Day Care was the only Day Care participating.


    Unlike other Day Cares, YoYo Day Care had a wide range of products for sale, including Pok��blocks, incense, and held items.


    The venue was divided into different areas for the examination of different products. For example, the examination of Pok��blocks took ce in the Pok��block Area, and the examination of incense took ce in the Incense Area.


    All held items were examined in one area and not separated by type.


    The reason for this difference in examination systems was because the time required to make Pok��blocks, incense, and held items varied.


    Pok��blocks and incense could be made in a short amount of time and needed the breeders from each store to make them on the spot and undergo examination.


    held items, on the other hand, could take quite a long time to make, ranging from a few days to several months. To facilitate examination, all held items were changed to a system where finished products were directly submitted for inspection.


    This was why Yuga brought Misaki and the others this time instead of Uncle Kate.


    Since the inspection had not yet begun, Yuga took Misaki and the others to roam the venue and gather intelligence.


    Each participating group in each area had been assigned a fixed location. Since YoYo Day Care was participating in three categories, they had their own location in each of the three areas.


    Once the bidding event started, Yuga and Misaki''s group would split up.


    Misaki would go to the Pok��block Area for inspection on her own, Lain would go to the Incense Area by herself, and Yuga would take Anya to the held Items Area.


    Compared to Misaki and Lain, who needed to make Pok��blocks and incense on-site, Yuga''s task was much easier.


    He only needed to submit the finished Razor Fang products he had brought in advance to the inspection personnel and wait for the results.


    Therefore, taking care of Anya''s needs would fall to him.


    Compared to other groups with dozens or even hundreds of people, their small group stood out.


    Even if some groups only had one bidding category, they had brought their entire families with them, while YoYo Day Care had participated in three categories but only had four people, one of whom was a child.


    However, others would only mutter a few words in their hearts and wouldn''t say much about it.


    Some even recognized Yuga''s identity, and they definitely didn''t want to provoke someone like a Gym Leader and Elite Trainer.


    All of those present were businessmen who knew whom to provoke and whom to avoid; they were well aware of it.


    Compared to that, Yuga''s status as a Master level Trainer''s disciple was quite unfamiliar to people.


    However, what surprised Yuga was that when he took Lain to the Incense Area, he unexpectedly encountered "acquaintances" there.


    Yes, it was the girl who had tried to forcibly take a Gardevoir and her bodyguard, Ando.


    Yuga had never expected to encounter them here, nor did he anticipate that they would be from a well-known incense shop. YoYo Day Care had incense, but Yuga himself wasn''t familiar with the world of incense or who the prominent figures were.


    However, observing the enthusiastic attitude of the people around the girl and the group with Ando, it was clear that this was a well-established incense shop; otherwise, there was no need for others to fawn over them.


    The group with the girl and Ando was quiterge, but the leaders were an elderly man with graying hair and an attractive woman who appeared to be around twenty-five.


    Although the girl who had attempted to forcibly take a Gardevoir seemed restless and impatient, a mere stern look from the attractive woman made her fall silent. She sat obediently and appeared quite fearful of the attractive woman.


    Yuga spotted Ando and the girl, and naturally, Ando also noticed Yuga.


    However, when Ando saw Yuga, a trace of surprise shed in his eyes.


    Subsequently, Yuga saw Ando whisper something to the attractive woman''s ear. The attractive woman blinked slightly and gave Yuga a nce, as if recognizing him.


    Then, Yuga noticed the attractive woman whispering something to the elderly man with gray hair, who, in turn, made an apologetic gesture to the people he was conversing with and led his group toward Yuga''s direction.


    Not only did the elderly man approach, but the attractive woman, Ando, and the girl also followed.


    However, the girl''s gaze towards Yuga was anything but friendly; if looks could kill, Yuga would have doubted his survival.


    Yet, the fact that the girl and Ando had managed to break free from Officer Jenny so quickly surprised Yuga.


    "I never expected to meet Gym Leader Shimizu here. It''s truly an honor," the elderly man greeted Yuga with a smile as he led the group.


    Yuga wasn''t surprised at all that the others knew his identity.


    Clearly, after Ando and the others returned, they had conducted a thorough investigation into his background.


    And that was indeed the case.


    After Ando was released from the police station, he immediately started looking into Yuga''s background. When he shed with Yuga, he knew that Yuga''s identity was far from ordinary.


    And his assumptions were correct.


    As the Gym Leader of the League, holding the title of a Senior Trainer, and being an Elite Trainer, these were all Yuga''s publicly known identities, which were easy to investigate. However, none of these identities were easy to mess with.


    Knowing that his Lady had been involved in a conflict with such a person, Ando realized the seriousness of the situation and understood that he couldn''t bear this responsibility alone. So, he reported the entire incident to his true boss.


    The same elderly man standing before Yuga now.


    It was precisely because of this that this scene unfolded today, with the elderly man leading a group of people to greet Yuga.


    "Hello!" Yuga''s impression of these people wasn''t good, so his attitude was quite cold, and he had no intention of socializing with them.


    The elderly man didn''t mind Yuga''s distant demeanor and continued to smile.


    However, the girl beside him, who had shed with Yuga, didn''t appreciate his attitude. She opened her mouth as if to scold Yuga, but a stern nce from the attractive woman silenced her.


    This surprised Yuga considerably. The arrogant and overbearing girl apparently had someone she feared as well.

 Chapter 674: Slapping

    <h4>Chapter 674: pping</h4>


    "The unreasonable behavior of my granddaughter a few days ago, on her behalf, I apologize to you," the old man said sincerely to Yuga.


    However, a fleeting gleam in his eyes made Yuga feel that this old man was far from ordinary and couldn''t possibly be as affable as he appeared.


    "Old man, you can''t apologize for her forever," Yuga''s attitude remained very cold, and he didn''t change it despite the old man''s sincere apology.


    Many people were present in the venue, and quite a few had noticed the situation with Yuga''s group. Yuga''s attitude toward the old man quickly became a topic of discussion among those unfamiliar with the situation. Yuga overheard some of it, but he didn''t care.


    However, some of the onlookers recognized Yuga''s identity. Although they felt that Yuga''s attitude was unfriendly, they didn''t dare to use him of anything. Nobody wanted to offend a League Gym Leader for no reason.


    "What kind of person do you think you are? My grandpa has already bowed down to you, and you''re still acting arrogant!" The girl couldn''t hold back any longer. Ignoring the stern gaze of the attractive woman, she criticized Yuga.


    Upon hearing his granddaughter''s voice, the old man''s gaze turned cold for a moment, but he quickly regained hisposure.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu makes a valid point," he said, ignoring his granddaughter as if he hadn''t heard anything.


    Yuga''s previousck of courtesy hadn''t made the old man appear embarrassed or ufortable in the slightest.


    "Yuki,e over and apologize to Gym Leader Shimizu," the old man turned and smiled at his granddaughter.


    "I won''t, Grandpa! Who does he think he is? Why should I apologize to him?" The girl, named Yuki, had a very unpleasant expression on her face, filled withints.


    "Yuki,e quickly!" Finally, the attractive woman spoke up, her voice icy. Yuki involuntarily shuddered.


    "I''m... I''m sorry," Yuki gritted her teeth and uttered those words, no longer defying the attractive woman''s wishes.


    Yuga didn''t speak or even look at her. He had no interest in whether someone like Yuki apologized or not. He wanted to keep his distance from such individuals, and her apology held no meaning for him.


    Seeing Yuga''s attitude, the old man narrowed his eyes slightly but maintained his smile. He waved his hand, signaling for Yuki to step back, and then addressed Yuga again.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, are you here to participate in the Incense Bidding as well? It seems we''ll bepetitors. Oh, by the way, this is my eldest granddaughter, Miyuki, who is the incense maker participating in this bidding."


    An incense maker is the exclusive title for incense producers.


    "Hello, Gym Leader Shimizu, I''ve heard of your name for a long time," Miyuki, the attractive woman, said with a sweet smile when her grandfather mentioned her.


    Yuga nced at her. She was indeed a rare beauty, but he could tell she wasn''t to be underestimated.


    The old man was about to say something else but was interrupted by Yuga.


    "If there''s nothing else, old man, I''ll be on my way. I have other matters to attend to."


    Yuga was growing impatient with the insincere pleasantries.


    The old man smiled and said, "Gym Leader Shimizu, please go ahead with your business. You needn''t worry about us."


    Yuga nodded and whispered to his apanying Gardevoir, "Stay here with Lain."


    Although Gardevoir was reluctant, it agreed to Yuga''s request. Yuga arranged this because he was concerned that these people might have ulterior motives.


    While not personally involved, Lain wasn''tfortable being around them either.


    At this moment, the old man turned his gaze to Gardevoir, who had been talking to Yuga.


    Having lived for so many years, the old man still had sharp eyes. The seemingly ordinary Gardevoir before him was definitely not simple. Despite Yuga being publicly recognized as a Gym Leader, apart from those like Steven and Solidad who had close contact with him, no one knew which Pok��mon Yuga relied on to reach the Elite level Trainer.


    Now, the old man was highly suspicious that it might be the Gardevoir before him. However, his granddaughter, Yuki, had set her sights on this Gardevoir. This situation wasn''t easy to handle.


    Upon seeing Yuga and his group leave, the old man shook his head and calmly said to those around him, "Let''s go."


    After leaving the incense area, Yuga took Misaki to the Pok��block section. However, as he was preparing to head to the held item area, he suddenly felt the need to use the restroom, so he asked Anya to wait for him nearby.


    When he came out of the restroom and passed by a corner, he suddenly heard a "smack." What was that? Someone was pping someone else here!


    Yuga couldn''t resist and stopped in his tracks. "Sis! You pped me!" Another sound of a p followed. "Sis!" And another one. This was the sound of someone named Yuki pping someone. Yuga thought to himself.


    "Do you understand what you did wrong?" This time, it was the voice of the beautiful woman, Miyuki.


    Faced with her sister''s question, Yuki remained silent and didn''t speak up. Yuga, hiding in the corner, couldn''t see their expressions.


    Is it bad to eavesdrop like this? But if I step out now, won''t it be awkward? Yuga wondered. However, the sound of those ps was oddly satisfying.


    But wait, were these two sisters really rted? They were pping each other without hesitation.


    "Speak!" Miyuki sternly demanded.


    "I... I shouldn''t have... shouldn''t have treated that person that way... I shouldn''t have refused to apologize... I shouldn''t have caused trouble at home," Yuki said with a trembling voice, struggling to hold back her tears.


    "Smack!" Yuga heard the sound of another p, and his face felt hot and stinging.


    "Wrong! That''s not the most important thing!" Miyuki''s voice grew even colder.


    "That... that is..." Yuki stammered, unable to exin herself, and fell into silence again.


    "You''re really so foolish!" Miyuki''s icy voice echoed.


    "Your biggest mistake was not listening to me, not obeying me, do you understand?" Oh my, Yuga was surprised!


    So this woman had this kind of personality. She had such a strong desire to control her younger sister, and it wasn''t evident at all.


    Then Yuga heard Yuki sobbing intermittently.


    "Do you understand? You''re so foolish that you should listen to everything I say. Whatever I ask you to do, you should do it, understand?" Miyuki''s tone now held a warning.


    "Yeah... I understand..." Yuki''s voice sounded as weak as a mosquito.


    "That''s right. You should only listen to everything I say. Only then can you continue to live the life you want and continue to do whatever you please."


    This time, Miyuki''s tone changed, gentle and loving, like a truly caring older sister.


    Once these two sisters left, Yuga finally stepped out. These two sisters are really something! Yuga couldn''t help but sigh.


    The younger sister was unruly, unreasonable, and seemed tockmon sense, while the older sister appeared gentle and beautiful on the outside but was quite cunning and ruthless in private. She had an extremely strong desire to control her younger sister.


    Women, oh women! You can''t mess with them, you really can''t!

 Chapter 675: Rules

    <h4>Chapter 675: Rules</h4>


    After returning from the restroom, Yuga took Anya to the held item area.


    The held item area was the most crowded section among all the areas, as there were many types of held items, and numerous businesses operated in this category.


    However, not all held items carrying the same value; items like Razor Fangs were considered rtively low in value.


    Inside the held item area, there were several smaller sections, each with its own inspectors responsible for reviewing different types of held items.


    All the items submitted for review were marked with a sequence number. When a merchant''s number was called, they would submit their items to the staff.


    Here, everyone was busy with their own tasks. Once they handed over their items for review, they would leave without lingering.


    Unlike the Pok��block area or the Incense area, where on-site crafting was required and tension ran high between participants, the review process here was faster.


    However, despite the speed, the results of the review were not announced on the same day, unlike in other areas. Instead, they had to wait until the following day.


    When it was Yuga''s turn, he followed the instructions of the staff, submitted his items, filled out forms and documents, and then left with Anya.


    The results of the review in the held item area would be announced the next morning. If a product was selected, the merchant would sign a supply agreement with the league on the spot.


    For other items with same-day review announcements, supply agreements would also be signed the next day.


    After submitting the Razor Fangs for review, Yuga saw no reason to stay any longer. He took Anya to the Incense area where Lain was.


    He didn''t feelfortable leaving Lain alone with those old ghost and little ghost In incense area.


    When Yuga arrived there, the review process in the Incense area was heating up.


    Compared to the held item area or the Pok��block area, the Incense area had very few participants. The incense tradition itself was rare, and there were even fewer who excelled at it.


    During thepetition, the incense makers were arranged in separatepartments, making it impossible for outsiders to see what was happening inside.


    This was done to prevent the leakage of any family''s secret incense-making techniques.


    However, havingpartments did not mean there was a chance to cheat; that was impossible.


    All participating incense makers were thoroughly searched before entering thepartments. The materials and tools for making incense were provided free of charge by the league.


    In other words, apart from themselves, they couldn''t bring anything in.


    The rules in the Pok��block area were simr to those in the Incense area.


    Yuga sat down next to Lain and, after asking, found out that it wasn''t her turn yet.


    The incense maker named Miyuki hadn''t taken the stage either.


    But Yuga noticed that Miyuki''s sister, Yuki, and his bodyguard, Ando, were not present at the scene.


    However, it was understandable. Anyone who had been pped four times would not want to show their face, at least not immediately. Everyone had their pride, or at least they pretended to, and couldn''t afford to lose it.


    Seeing Yuga approach, Miyuki, who was not far from him, smiled sweetly at him.


    It had to be said that Miyuki was indeed a very beautiful woman. If someone who didn''t know better saw her, they might be genuinely entranced by her charm. However, Yuga could only feel a chill down his spine at the moment.


    Lain was in a great mood and showed no signs of prepetition nerves. Upon seeing Miyuki give Yuga a "bewitching" smile, she yfully elbowed him and said with a mischievous smile:


    "Is she eyeing you? You really are quite lucky! She''s a real beauty!"


    Yuga''s skin crawled at Lain''s words, and he quickly shook his head, saying:


    "No, please, don''t say that. If she were interested in me, I''d rather have you interested in me. I honestly think she''s not as beautiful as you are. Don''t let her exterior deceive you."


    Yuga''s words reflected his true feelings.


    Indeed, purely based on appearance, Lain could be considered a beauty. However,pared to Miyuki, there was quite a gap.


    But one should not judge people solely by their looks. No matter how Yuga looked at it, Lain was the more pleasant one to his eyes.


    "What are you talking about? I wouldn''t be interested in you!"


    Hearing Yuga''s remark, Lain''s face disyed a suspicious blush, and she yfully punched Yuga''s shoulder in shyness.


    Soon, it was Lain''s turn to take the stage. Coincidentally, Miyuki was also scheduled to go up in the same batch.


    "Go for it!"


    Yuga encouraged Lain.


    "Don''t worry!"


    Lain made an okay gesture toward Yuga, exuding confidence as she took the stage and entered her designatedpartment.


    When Miyuki went on stage, she deliberately smiled at Yuga once again, but Yugapletely pretended not to see it.


    After Lain and the others entered theirpartments, the materials they needed were provided. About thirty minutester, some participants had already sessfully produced their incense.


    However, Yuga wasn''t in a hurry.


    Because thispetition only assessed the quality of the final incense products, not the speed of making them. Merchants like Yuga who supplied the league''s shops didn''t need to worry about whether they made incense quickly or slowly at home, as long as they regrly provided a sufficient quantity of high quality incense. Speed of production was irrelevant; quality was key.


    There were nine types of incense, but not all participating merchants could produce all nine. Some only mastered one or two types.


    YoYo Day Care was one of the few participants capable of producing all nine types of incense.


    By the way, the incense house where Miyuki belonged also knew how to make all nine types of incense, showing significant strength and depth.


    However, the league''s shops didn''t choose suppliers individually; they selected the top five from all participating merchants.


    But each type of incense had its own ranking.


    For example, YoYo Day Care''s Rose Incense ranked in the top five among all merchants, while Sea Incense didn''t make the cut. So, Rose Incense would be chosen, and Sea Incense would be left out.


    The same rule applied to the Pok��blocks.


    Different attribute Pok��blocks had separate rankings, with only the top five in each category being selected.


    After more than an hour, Yuga finally saw Lain emerging from herpartment with the finished incense in hand.


    However, Miyuki came out about three minutes earlier than Lain, making her slightly faster.


    Just like Lain, she had also managed to produce all nine types of incense.


    YoYo Day Care participated in the bidding with regr versions of the incense; they didn''t have any enhanced versions.


    After submitting the finished incense to the inspectors, Lain returned to sit beside Yuga, waiting for the inspection results together.

 Chapter 676: Thank You

    <h4>Chapter 676: Thank You</h4>


    The incense inspection mechanism operates on a scoring system. After inspectors score all the participating products, the top five with the highest scores are selected.


    Soon, Lain''s score was revealed, and her crafted incense received an excellent score, currently ranking her second among all the participants who had undergone inspection.


    Moreover, in each respective category of incense, she held the second position!


    This result was quite unexpected and pleasing for Yuga.


    Judging by this situation, it seemed highly likely that YoYo Day Care''s incense would secure a spot in the top five.


    The number of participating merchants in the incense inspection was already limited, and as the inspection neared its end, even if a dark horse emerged, it was unlikely to disce YoYo Day Care.


    However, what surprised Yuga was that the person who had scored higher than Lain in all incense categories on the incense rankings was none other than Miyuki.


    Yuga didn''t think highly of her character, but he had to admit that her incense making skills were exceptional.


    Here, everyone participating in such bidding events was an elite in the incense world. Except for Yuga and YoYo Day Care, they were mostly familiar with each other. After all, in amunity as small as theirs, they werepetitors and couldn''t avoid knowing each other.


    At this moment, other merchants who had been confirmed to be excluded congratted Miyuki and her grandfather. It was evident that their family had quite a reputation in the incense world.


    Yuga also learned about Miyuki''s background from the bits and pieces of information provided by these people. They belonged to the Ancient Incense House, a well-established and centuries-old brand, highly renowned in the Hoenn region.


    Even Yuga, who wasn''t well-versed in the incense world, had heard of the Ancient Incense House. However, he hadn''t realized that Miyuki was from this family.


    Nevertheless, Yuga''s knowledge about this incense house was limited to this extent, and he didn''t know much more.


    Compared to the highly-priced, high-end branded incense of the Ancient Incense House, YoYo Day Care''s incense was of excellent quality and reasonably priced. It remained to be seen if there would be any conflicts between the two in the future.


    The pricing of YoYo Day Care''s incense was determined by production costs. Since they produced their own materials, the prices naturally remained lower. This was a significant difference from other professional incense houses.


    The most significant cost in incense production was the various flowers and spices. Each incense house spent an astronomical amount of money on these annually.


    The generally high prices of incense were influenced not only by tradition but also by these factors.


    "So, she''s from that family. No wonder."


    After learning her own score and Miyuki''s score, Lain muttered.


    Yuga asked, "You know about their family?"


    Lain replied, "Of course. There isn''t a single incense maker who doesn''t know about them. Their status in the incense world is equivalent to the Elite Four in the Trainer world. Shouldn''t I know about them?"


    Yuga, being an outsider, only had a rough idea about the Ancient Incense House. But Lain, an industry insider, was well-informed about them.


    "So, they''re that powerful?"


    Yuga expressed his surprise.


    "It''s very powerful!"


    Lain said as she nced at Miyuki who was surrounded by the crowd.


    "They are indeed. I think you''re not any less than her. You didn''te from an incense family, but reaching your current level shows your talent. Besides, she''s not much older than you."


    Yuga tried tofort Lain, but he genuinely believed that Lain was on par with Miyuki, and with time, she would surpass her.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Lain smiled and said, "Are you trying to console me? Actually, losing to her doesn''t make me sad. But I still want to thank the boss."


    Lain genuinely wasn''t feeling down; achieving such a score today was already a pleasant surprise for her.


    The incense makers participating in this bidding event today could be considered the top-notch incense makers in the entire Hoenn.


    For her to secure a ce among these experts was an incredibly honorable achievement, something she wouldn''t have dared to dream of in the past.


    When she thanked Yuga, it wasn''t because he hadforted her. It was because Yuga had given her an opportunity.


    Without Yuga, she wouldn''t have achieved the results she did today.


    For incense makers, the most crucial element was the form. This had been the reason why various incense houses monopolized the incense business for so long.


    Obtaining aplete form was exceptionally challenging for ordinary incense makers.


    The gap between inherited incense makers and non-inherited ones was like night and day.


    Yet Yuga had given her theplete incense heritage.


    Although she was the adopted daughter of Ryuichi, she hadn''t had any contact with Mr. kuni''o.


    Therefore, while Yuga had obtained the incense making manual from Mr. kuni''o, Lain hadn''t. To her, Mr. kuni''o was still a legendary figure.


    Furthermore, she had received an unlimited supply of materials at YoYo Day Care, and it was this abundance of materials that allowed her skills to improve by leaps and bounds.


    "Thank you, Yuga."


    With these thoughts in mind, Lain spontaneously uttered those words to Yuga.


    "Huh? Thank you for what?" Yuga looked at her in puzzlement.


    "It''s nothing, hahaha..."


    Lain patted Yuga on the back,ughing heartily.


    Yuga didn''t mind at all. After spending so much time with her, he understood Lain''s carefree and lively nature.


    Some people who knew about Yuga''s identity came over to congratte both him and Lain upon learning of her achievement. Yuga, despite disliking this, still put on a smiling face and exchanged pleasantries with them. He had no reason to offend people for no cause, and they hadn''t offended him either.


    However, there were many who didn''t favor Yuga and Lain. After all, only the top five would be chosen for each type of incense, and YoYo Day Care''s selection meant that other businesses would be excluded. Naturally, others weren''t pleased.


    Once Yuga had managed to politely send those people away with a cold sweat, he saw Miyuki approaching, her expressionposed.


    Miyuki: "Congrattions to Gym Leader Shimizu and this little girl. May I know your name?"


    Miyuki was genuinely surprised that Lain had achieved a score that was just below hers. She had never heard of such a figure in the incense world.


    Now, when Yuga heard Miyuki''s melodious voice, he couldn''t help but shiver from head to toe.


    Calling Lain a "little girl"? Although Lain was younger than Miyuki, she was already twenty years old this year. Miyuki was only a few years older, yet she referred to Lain as a "little girl," which was simply unbelievable.


    "Congrattions. This is our family''s incense maker, Lain."


    Yuga stated indifferently.


    "Hello, Miss Miyuki."


    After the introduction by Yuga, Lain greeted Miyuki.


    Not knowing Miyuki''s true face, she treated Miyuki with a rtively normal attitude, not as cold as Yuga. Besides, she naturally had a more warm-hearted personality and couldn''t be too cold to others.


    Miyuki: "Hello!"

 Chapter 677: Results

    <h4>Chapter 677: Results</h4>


    "Miss Miyuki, we still have some matters to attend to, so we won''t linger here. Goodbye."


    After saying this to Miyuki, Yuga and Lain added, "Let''s go check on Misaki''s situation."


    Lain nodded in response.


    Even though the final rankings hadn''t been announced yet, Lain''s performance virtually guaranteed her a spot, making it unnecessary for her to wait here.


    With that, Yuga, apanied by Lain, Anya, and Gadevoir, left the incense area and headed to the Pok��block area.


    Watching Yuga''s hurried departure, Miyuki''s expression darkened briefly. In a ce where no one could see, she wore a ugly look on her face.


    "Shimizu Yuga..."


    She softly whispered the name to herself before turning to leave.


    On their way to the Pok��block area:


    "Why do I feel like you''re somewhat afraid of Miss Miyuki?" Lain asked Yuga, looking puzzled.


    Yuga let out a deep sigh and replied, "I''m not afraid of her, I just prefer not to interact with her."


    Although Miyuki didn''t have any personal conflicts or grievances with him, Yuga found her dark personality hidden beneath her beautiful exterior something to avoid. It wasn''t about fear; it was about dislike.


    Lainmented, "Well, it''s strange that you wouldn''t be interested when such a beautifuldy is showing you attention."


    Yuga retorted, "Who cares about being interested or not? I''m simply not interested."


    With that, Yuga quickly moved ahead.


    When Yuga and Lain''s group arrived at the Pok��block area, the inspection was only halfway through. While crafting Pok��blocks was faster than incense, there were a lot more types of Pok��blocks��eighteen to be exact. Moreover, the number of participating merchants here was several times more than in the incense area, so the progress was reasonable.


    Before Yuga''s group arrived, Misaki had alreadypleted her inspection and was currently leading the rankings.


    Her performance was indeed impressive.


    YoYo Day Care was participating in ten types of Pok��blocks bidding.


    The solidity of Ground-type, the vitality of Grass-type, the fierceness of Dark-type, the extender of Water-type, the enigma of Poison-type, the chilliness of Ice-type, the imagination of Psychic-type, the innocence of Fairy-type, the resilience of Rock-type, and the levitation of Flying-type.


    They had a special agreement with Aroma Day Care to exclusively supply Grass-type Pok��blocks to them. Before entering this bidding event, Yuga had negotiated with them, and they understood the rarity of this opportunity. They had agreed to modify the agreement, and Yuga had even lowered the price of the Grass-type Pok��blocks they would supply, making it cheaper than the future selling price in the League Store.


    As for the Ghost-type Pok��block form, Yuga had only recently acquired it, and Misaki hadn''t had time to practice, so it wasn''t included in this bidding event.


    The Beauty-enhancing and Improved Extender Pok��blocks were also not part of this bidding.


    Nevertheless, with ten types of Pok��block forms in their possession, YoYo Day Care already outshone the majority of businesses.


    Even those with more varieties than YoYo Day Care ranked lower in the same types of Pok��blocks. Achieving this result owed much to Misaki''s exceptional crafting skills and the miraculous forms rewarded by the system.


    "Boss! And Lain! You''re here!"


    Seeing Yuga and his group, Misaki was overjoyed. Her face had turned rosy due to the excitement.


    Despite being a year older than Lain, Misaki didn''t possess the same level ofposure.


    "It''s been hard work for you," Yuga said with a smile.


    "Not at all, not at all!" Misaki quickly waved her hands.


    For Misaki, having her crafted Pok��blocks sold in League Store was a tremendous honor. Her background was ordinary, and without being recruited into YoYo Day Care, she might never have had this opportunity in her lifetime.


    At this moment, she couldn''t help but feel fortunate that she hadn''t betrayed YoYo Day Care to the Kiryu (uncle and cousin).


    Now, with YoYo Day Care''s business booming, their employees'' sries kept increasing, and even though their workload had grown, the boss treated them well.


    Most importantly, they were learning knowledge that couldn''t be acquired elsewhere.


    Misaki: "By the way, how is Lain''s situation over there?"


    Lain replied with an OK gesture, "Everything''s going smoothly! Barring any surprises, she''s definitely in."


    "That''s great, really great," Misaki said with joy. The glory achieved by YoYo Day Care was her own as well. It instilled in her a sense of belonging and pride to be part of YoYo Day Care.


    Due to therge number of participating merchants and the variety of Pok��blocks to be reviewed in the Pok��block area, waiting for the final inspection results was time-consuming.


    Yuga observed batch after batch of breeders entering and exiting the smallpartments where they crafted Pok��blocks, a process that took a significant amount of time.


    By the time the results for the Pok��blocks were finally released, it was already dark outside.


    The results held no surprises. Misaki had maintained her top position throughout, for all ten types of Pok��blocks.


    The results were disyed on electronic screens in the lobby, and as soon as they were out, YoYo Day Care''s reputation spread rapidly among their peers.


    In the incense area, the results were simrly uneventful, with no significant fluctuations or unexpected dark horses. Miyuki''s scores remained at the top, followed closely by Lain.


    Miyuki and her grandfather received congrattions from their fellow participants in the crowd.


    Miyuki wore a polite smile, concealing her true emotions. Only her asional icy nces at her grandfather, who was engaged in conversations, revealed a hint of coldness.


    However, her grandfather, while engaging with others, didn''t disy much joy on his face. He remained remarkablyposed.


    This was in stark contrast to his friendly demeanor when dealing with Yuga.


    Others didn''t find this odd. In their eyes, Miyuki''s grandfather was a highly respected figure in the incense world, and a more aloof attitude suited his image.


    Of course, there were quite a few people who came to congratte Yuga as well.


    But since the results were already out, Yuga had no intention of staying longer. He promptly left with Misaki and Lain.


    This left many people disappointed who had hoped to make connections with Yuga.


    Most people understood Yuga''s actions, though. He was a young, Elite level Trainer, and a promising future awaited him. Many wanted to befriend him.

 Chapter 678: Hostage

    <h4>Chapter 678: Hostage</h4>


    Due to the lengthy inspection process, by the time Yuga and his group exited the Lilycove City Pok��mon Contest venue, the sky was already dotted with sparse stars.


    They had originally nned to take a taxi back to their seaside inn, but there were many others leaving at the same time, and they couldn''t find a cab immediately.


    "How about we walk ahead a bit? It might be easier to find a taxi that way," Misaki suggested.


    "That''s a good idea. Let''s walk ahead," Yuga agreed.


    As the formerrgest city of the Hoenn Region, Lilycove City was bustling even at night, with brightly lit streets and a lively atmosphere, in stark contrast to the quiet nighttime scenery of Verdanturf Town.


    After walking for a while, when they reached a dimly lit corner without streetlights, two shadows suddenly descended from the sky, grabbing Lain who was next to Yuga, and swiftly ascended into the darkness of the night.


    The air was filled with Lain''s screams, but amidst the bustling night of Lilycove City, her cries didn''t carry far and were drowned out by other noisy sounds.


    "Ah..."


    Misaki was startled by this sudden turn of events and couldn''t help but scream.


    Yuga hadn''t anticipated something like this happening, and his expression turned equally grim.


    At the moment Lain was seized, Gardevoir contemted attacking the figures holding Lain, but she feared identally harming Lain and decided to refrain.


    "Hello!"


    Then, Yuga heard a casual male voice.


    Yuga finally noticed that not far from them, a masked man was standing on a shadowy wall.


    Subsequently, the two figures that had captured Lain reappeared, slowly descending near the man. Yuga could now clearly see their identities��two Golbat.


    Only creatures like Golbats could silently approach Yuga and Gardevoir.


    "Yuga!" Lain, held by the shoulders by the two Golbats, couldn''t help but shout.


    "Who are you, and what do you want?" Yuga asked the man coldly.


    "Let me introduce myself first. I am Brodie, Brodie the Phantom Thief.


    As for my purpose, it''s merely to get to know Gym Leader Shimizu."


    The man said with a cheerful smile.


    Brodie?


    Yuga had heard of this person. Like that Boss Bear, he was someone who consistently appeared on the Pok��mon League''s wanted list.


    Before Yuga could respond, Lain''s body suddenly emitted a red light, and her Whimsicott appeared on the wall,unching a surprise attack on the two Golbats.


    Two Shadow Balls were quickly condensed and shot towards the Golbats.


    However, Lain''s Whimsicottckedbat ability and was of a lower level than the two Golbats. It was directly hit by the Golbats'' multiple Air shes and lost itsbat capability.


    "Whimsicott!"


    Watching the Whimsicott fall from the wall, Lain panicked and shouted, her eyes filled with worry.


    "Youngdy, you''re not behaving."


    Brodie walked up to Lain, holding her chin.


    With her shoulders held by the Golbats, Lain couldn''t move, and she could only re at Brodie fiercely.


    Brodie didn''t mind Lain''s hostile gaze and smiled, saying, "Don''t look at me like that. I don''t want to hurt you; I just want to meet Gym Leader Shimizu. So, you better behave."


    Yuga inquired, "Since you''re looking for me, why don''t you let the girl go?"


    "No, no, no! If I release her, and Gym Leader Shimizu changes his mind and leaves, I won''t be able to stop him."


    "In that case, what do you want?"


    "Hehe, if you want to save her, follow me."


    With that, Yuga saw a Ditto appear next to Brodie.


    This Ditto blinked and transformed into a massive Pelipper, carrying Brodie into the sky, followed closely by the two Golbats still holding Lain.


    "Ah... Yuga... Save me!" Lain, held captive by the Golbats, let out another scream.


    Watching Brodie gradually fly away, Yuga said to Misaki, "You take Whimsicott and go back first. I''ll catch up."


    "Gym Leader, please be careful and make sure to bring Lain back," Misaki said with concern.


    "Don''t worry."


    After saying this, Yuga summoned Gengar and had Gengar use Psychic to carry him towards Brodie.


    Before leaving, Yuga left Mismagius behind to protect Misaki and Whimsicott. It was quitete, and Yuga was concerned about Misaki traveling alone with a Whimsicott that had lost its fighting ability.


    Gardevoir followed closely behind Yuga and Gengar.


    Gardevoir, originally a Celebi, had retained her psychic flying ability even after transforming into Gardevoir.


    "Let''s hope everything goes smoothly," Misaki whispered a prayer as she watched Yuga and Gardevoir disappear into the night. She then helped Whimsicott, who had fallen to the ground.


    Gengar''s speed was impressive, and it didn''t take long for them to catch up with Brodie, who was riding on a Pelipper (Ditto in disguise).


    However, Yuga was cautious about attacking, as he could identally cause Lain to fall from a great height.


    Seeing Yuga catching up so quickly, Brodie remained calm, smiling casually, and urged the Pelipper to increase its speed.


    The two continued this chase, soon leaving the bustling city center of Lilycove City and arriving near an abandoned and dpidated building.


    Upon reaching this location, Brodie directed the Pelipper tond, and the two Golbats threw Lain onto the ground.


    "You scoundrel! You viin!" Lain, who had been thrown to the ground, sat rubbing her sore buttocks and couldn''t help but mutter curses at Brodie.


    Brodie heard Lain''s muttered curses but simply chuckled, not taking them to heart.


    "What do you intend to do? Since I''ve followed you, Lain should be able to go now, right?" Yuga and Gardevoirnded on the opposite side of Brodie.


    "Of course, I''m a man of my word. Youngdy, you''re free to go," Brodie replied, surprising Yuga. He hadn''t expected Brodie to agree to release Lain so easily.


    "Can I really leave?" Lain asked in disbelief.


    "Please, go ahead," Brodie gestured politely.


    "Gengar!"


    Yuga softly instructed the Gengar by his side.


    Gengar nodded in understanding and used Psychic to lift Lain off the ground, controlling her flight back to Yuga''s side.


    Brodie watched without intervening, seemingly genuinely keeping his promise.


    As Lain was safely rescued and controlled by Gengar, Yuga breathed a sigh of relief.


    After being held by two Golbats and flown through the sky, it had been quite an exhrating experience for her.


    Yuga asked, "I''m curious, what does the infamous Brodie the Phantom Thief want with me?"

 Chapter 679: Mysterious Thief

    <h4>Chapter 679: Mysterious Thief</h4>


    "There''s nothing urgent. However, I''ve heard that Gym Leader Shimizu is an Elite level Trainer. I wonder if I''ll have the honor of meeting him today," Brodie''s voice remained casual, but Yuga sensed a hint of seriousness in it.


    "Do you want to battle me?" Yuga asked, squinting his eyes.


    Brodie replied, "That''s the general idea."


    "Do we have a grudge?" Yuga continued to inquire.


    "Not really," Brodie shook his head.


    "Do I have a grudge with your family, rtives, or friends?" Yuga asked again, considering that he might have offended someone recently and Brodie could be seeking revenge.


    "Sort of, but I''m not here for revenge. Other people''s grudges are their own, and they don''t concern me," Brodie replied after a moment of thought, leaving it somewhat ambiguous.


    "Sort of?" Yuga found this response puzzling. It could either be a yes or a no, but Brodie''s answer left room for interpretation.


    "You''re quite bold, considering you know I''m an Elite level Trainer, and yet you dared to approach me," Yuga remarked.


    "People often say that about me. I''m somewhat of a celebrity, but not in a good way. You need to have courage in this line of work," Brodie replied nonchntly. With that, a Pok��mon appeared by Brodie''s side.


    "Let me test if Gym Leader Shimizu is truly an Elite level Trainer," Brodie said, raising the question that many had wondered about. While the Pok��mon League''s records suggested Yuga''s Elite level strength, no one had witnessed it firsthand.


    Therefore, Yuga''s true strength remained a mystery.


    However, the Pok��mon League had achieved its purpose.


    Their goal was to shape Yuga into the second Norman.


    Now, Yuga''s name had spread widely among the trainers in the Hoenn region, and this air of mystery and ambiguity suited him perfectly.


    The Pok��mon that appeared beside Brodie was a Seviper. It blended into the dark night with its dusky skin, and Yuga hadn''t even noticed it until it slowly slithered out and climbed Brodie''s body.


    It nuzzled Brodie''s neck With its head and it stretched out its long tongue, licked Brodie''s hand, before swiftly unwinding from around Brodie and leaping forward, locking eyes with Yuga, exuding an air of danger.


    ...


    Seviper


    Type: Poison


    Ability: Infiltrator


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 77


    Moves: Wrap, Swagger, Bite, Lick, Poison Tail, Feint, Haze, re, Night sh, Poison Jab, Crunch, Coil, Wring Out, Sludge Wave, Dark Pulse, Iron Tail.


    ...


    This was an extremely dangerous Poison-type Pok��mon. Though Brodie was a frequent guest on the Pok��mon League''s wanted list, his true strength had always been a mystery due to his exceptional evasion skills. Most people couldn''ty a hand on him before he escaped.


    Today, Yuga realized that this infamous thief, just like Boss Bear, was also an Elite level Trainer, perhaps even stronger.


    No wonder he dared to challenge me, Yuga thought.


    "You''ve gone to such great lengths just to test me?" Yuga asked.


    "Well, it''s quite important, isn''t it?"


    Yuga retrieved his own Pok�� Ball and released his Pok��mon. Instantly, the air seemed to drop a few degrees as the atmosphere became tense.


    "If you want to test me, then go ahead!"


    Looking at Yuga unusual Lapras hovered in mid-air, pping its four wings. Brodie said excitedly :


    "It seems everyone underestimated you. You''re even stronger than I imagined! That''s excellent, just excellent. It looks like my efforts weren''t in vain," Brodie said with an entric grin.


    Is this guy insane? Yuga couldn''t help but wonder as he observed Brodie''s weird smile.


    Speaking of their Pok��mon, Brodie''s Seviper and Yuga''s Lapras had a minimal level difference��77 and 75, respectively. However, their actual battle strength was hard to gauge.


    "Seviper, let''s start with a re to greet our esteemed Gym Leader Shimizu," Brodiemanded.


    Upon hearing this, Seviper raised its snake head high, and its two intimidating eyes emitted a strange energy, ring at Lapras.


    The expected paralysis status did not ur. Lapras opened its mouth and unleashed a Hydro Pump, directly hitting Seviper''s head, sending it rolling.


    If you looked closely, you could see a faint green glow on Lapras''s skin, but it was so subtle that it was hard to notice.


    Safeguard!


    Brodie, being a thief, had sharp perception.


    "Indeed, you are Gym Leader Shimizu, incredibly strong," Brodie remarked excitedly, not minding Seviper getting injured, filled with admiration.


    Seviper quickly slithered back up, coiling its muscr yet slender body and extended its long tongue, staring coldly at Lapras, equally unconcerned about its own injuries.


    At this moment, Yuga felt that both the snake and its trainer shared a certain madness deep within them.


    "Seviper, use Sludge Wave!"


    "Lapras, go for Surf!"


    Yuga and Brodie eximed simultaneously.


    The Sludge Wave formed by purple venom collided with the enormous wave generated by Surf. The mixture of water and poison struck the surrounding buildings, shattering them.


    Initially, there seemed to be a standoff between the poison and the wave, but soon, the poison was overpowered. Surf dispersed the venom and surged towards Seviper, who swiftly evaded the powerful attack.


    Surf was a widespread move, covering arge area, but Seviper''s speed allowed it to dodge effortlessly.


    "Seviper, use Poison Jab!"


    After dodging Surf, Seviper transformed into a lightning bolt and rapidly approached Lapras.


    Lapras ascended into the air, raising its four wings and creating a refreshing mist. It flew out of the range of Seviper''s deadly attack.


    In mid-air, Lapras swung its tail, forming a column of water that crashed down onto the wounded Seviper, sending it flying once more.


    "Ah, I haven''t gained any advantage from you at all!" Brodie eximed, appearing somewhat distressed as he faced Yuga.


    However, he quickly changed his tone and said, "Well, I''ve achieved my goal for today. I won''t keep bothering you. Goodbye!"


    As Brodie finished speaking, Yuga saw Seviper in front of him exhale a dense cloud of ck smoke.


    The thick smoke quickly obscured Yuga''s vision. He knew Brodie was trying to escape, so he asked Gardevoir directly, "Can you sense his location?"


    "No, he''s gone. I can''t detect any traces," Gardevoir''s voice came from within the ck fog.


    Indeed, Brodie, being a skilled thief, was incredibly fast in escaping. He even evaded Gardevoir''s psychic senses. Yuga sighed in amazement.


    It was because of this exceptional escape ability that Brodie''s true strength had remained a mystery all these years.


    Even after he had left, Yuga still couldn''t figure out why Brodie hade to find him. Was it really just a test?


    He was a thief, and there were no rumors about hispetitiveness or love for challenges.


    So, what was the point of testing his strength? Yuga remained puzzled.


    Back in the center of Lilycove City, Brodie removed his mask, revealing a face that began to morph, and on his shoulder appeared two Ditto, one purple and one pink.


    It turned out that Brodie''s face under the mask wasn''t his true appearance, which showing his level of caution.

 Chapter 680: Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 680: Meeting</h4>


    After Brodie left, Yuga turned to Lain and asked, "Are you okay? No injuries?"


    Lain shook her head and inquired, "What about my Whimshicott? Is it okay?"


    "Don''t worry, I had Misaki take it back with her, and Mismagius is with them too. They''ll be fine," Yuga reassured her.


    Lain breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you, Yuga."


    Yuga sighed and said, "I should be the one apologizing to you. It''s because of me that you got caught up in this senseless trouble."


    Lain looked puzzled and replied, "Oh, you have a point there. Well, you''ll have to make it up to me then."


    "Alright, alright, I''ll make it up to you. Will that do?" Yuga agreed.


    On the other side of town, Brodie returned to the city center, once again using his Ditto''s transformation abilities to change his appearance. He then entered a hotel.


    This time, he didn''t wear a mask, but his disguised face looked different from the one he wore under the mask.


    His title as the "Man of a Thousand Faces" was well-deserved.


    Inside the hotel, he made his way to the tenth floor and knocked lightly on a room door three times, followed by three heavier knocks.


    After a moment, the room''s door cracked open slightly, revealing a face.


    "It''s you! Come in quickly," the person inside the room said.


    Brodie entered the room, and someone immediately asked eagerly, "How did it go? Did you meet Yuga Shimizu? Did you retrieve Absol?"


    If Yuga had been present, he would have recognized that all four people in the room, aside from Brodie, were members of the Team Magma, as they were all dressed in the Team Magma''s uniforms.


    Unlike the Team Aqua, which had been openly targeted by the Pok��mon League, the Team Magma was still operating covertly as a civilian organization under the League''s nose.


    Their purpose foring to Lilycove City was specifically for Yuga, or more urately, for Yuga''s Absol.


    Yuga had acquired this Absol from the Team Magma in the past. Initially, those who had pursued Yuga were already solved by him, so this incident should have remained a secret.


    However, the critical point was that Yuga used Absol in the Gym Leader Challenge, which was broadcast worldwide, and had a very high viewership.


    As a result, the Absol''s original owner noticed it.


    Despite the significant changes in Absol''s appearance, its original owner still recognized it.


    Yuga''s Absol had a unique ability, a weak form of Future Sight, though it was faint. It was this ability that led to the Team Magma capturing it.


    They wanted to study Absol''s ability and enhance it to help them locate Groudon.


    Of course, this was only a theory, and whether or not it would seed remained uncertain.


    Unfortunately, they hadn''t even begun their research when Absol escaped.


    Knowing about Yuga''s uing journey to Lilycove City, they nned this operation.


    Since the outside world already knew Yuga was an Elite level Trainer, the person in charge of this operation was Brodie, another Elite level Trainer.


    However, very few people, even within the Team Magma, knew Brodie''s true strength.


    For instance, the four individuals currently in the room werepletely unaware. They also didn''t understand why Brodie, a mere thief, was their leader, and they were quite unhappy about it.


    Furthermore, Brodie''s role within the Team Magma was highly mysterious. He wasn''t a Captain, not an officer, and didn''t have a specific boss.


    Therefore, he was easily underestimated.


    Brodie walked over to the sofa and casually said, "I did meet him, but I didn''t retrieve Absol."


    The four of them had already harbored resentment towards Brodie for a while, and his nonchnt attitude further infuriated them.


    "What''s the matter with you? You''ve been out all these days, and you didn''t aplish anything?" one of them angrily questioned.


    Brodie raised an eyebrow and coldly nced at him. "Mind your tone when you speak. Do you know who you''re talking to?"


    At the same time, a pink Ditto suddenly emerged from Brodie''s clothing.


    The Ditto transformed into a fierce-looking Persian, with sharp ws hidden within its paw pads. It fixed its icy gaze on the person who had questioned Brodie.


    The individual targeted by the Persian (Ditto) was drenched in cold sweat and, swallowing hard, chose not to speak further.


    The other three people were also drenched in sweat. At this moment, they realized they had better not mess with Brodie.


    Brodie was indeed a master of disguise and transformation. His Ditto was no ordinary Pok��mon; it was an Elite level Pok��mon.


    "That person is a genuine Elite level Trainer. It might be better to keep a low profile when trying to retrieve Absol," Brodie advised the three individuals.


    "What... what should we do next?" one of them asked nervously.


    "Should we report back that the mission is too challenging and beyond our capabilities?" suggested another person with a half-joking tone.


    "I don''t think that''s a good idea," another one said anxiously. They all knew that failing the mission would have dire consequences.


    "Even Brodie himself couldn''t handle that person?" The tone of this person changed significantly after being frightened by the Persian (Ditto).


    "Me? You''re giving me too much credit. Even if there were another me, sess wouldn''t be guaranteed," Brodie chuckled.


    "Then... what should we..." The four of them were trembling, unsure of what to say or do next.


    "Alright, I won''t bother with you anymore. Do as you please. I''m leaving now. Oh, and remember, don''t contact me unless it''s absolutely necessary."


    After saying this, Brodie stood up and left the room.


    Although Brodie was the leader of this operation, he didn''t stay with them and rarely appeared in person, not even at the Team Magma.


    He was truly a mysterious figure.


    As they watched Brodie''s departing figure, the four people exchanged nces, uncertain about their next course of action.


    Could they really ignore the mission as easily as the boss did? What were they, mere pawns in this dangerous game?


    "How about we go back too?" one of them suggested timidly.


    The others remained silent.


    Brodie, after leaving the hotel, entered a dark alley. When he emerged again, he had transformed into a breathtakingly beautiful woman.


    Now, she took a taxi to a quaint and elegant small estate.


    The two gatekeepers at the estate''s entrance, upon seeing Brodie exit the vehicle, both bowed respectfully and said, "Wee back, Second Lady"


    Brodie, with a sweet smile, replied, "I''m back. Thank you for your hard work."


    With those words, she entered the estate, leaving behind two gatekeepers with infatuated expressions.

 Chapter 681: A Turn

    <h4>Chapter 681: A Turn</h4>


    The next day, Yuga arrived at the Pok��mon Contest venue in Lilycove City early in the morning. On one hand, he was there to finalize a supply agreement, and on the other, to check the results of the bidding for the Razor Fangs.


    Since he didn''t need Misaki and the others this time, Yuga had not invited them along. They had experienced quite a fright the previous night, and Yuga felt it was better for them to rest.


    Gardevoir was still refusing to get out of bed, but Yuga chose not to bother with it.


    Upon reaching the Pok��mon Contest venue, Yuga arrived a bit before nine o''clock, and he waited there for a while.


    "Hello, Gym Leader Shimizu, nice to see you again."


    While Yuga was waiting for the results, he suddenly heard someone calling his name from behind. He turned around and saw Miyuki standing there, greeting him with a charming smile.


    It was her again, the woman who just wouldn''t give up! Yuga frowned, feeling somewhat annoyed.


    "Hello, Miss Miyuki."


    She greeted him with a smile, so Yuga responded with a polite but distant greeting. He figured she must be here to finalize a supply agreement as well.


    What puzzled Yuga, however, was that shouldn''t the one with the authority to sign such agreements be Miyuki''s grandfather? Or had Miyuki taken over the Ancient Incense House?


    But Yuga didn''t dwell on it; it wasn''t his concern.


    Miyuki sensed Yuga''s reluctance to engage with her but chose to ignore it, continuing the conversation as if nothing were amiss.


    Yet, Miyuki couldn''t help but wonder what had caused the young Gym Leader to be so distant. Was it rted to the recent incident?


    In the past, men who saw Miyuki were often captivated by her beauty, even if they didn''t like her. Yuga''s indifference was a first.


    When the clock struck nine, therge screen disyed the bidding results for thest set of items.


    In the category of held items, the name "YoYo Day Care" was prominently disyed, indicating that YoYo Day Care had sessfully secured the Razor Fangs.


    This wasn''t surprising, considering that the method for creating Razor Fangs was a system reward, making it amon choice.


    YoYo Day Care had truly excelled in this bidding event, with none of their items failing to secure a contract.


    Seeing this, Miyuki also followed Yuga''s gaze to therge screen and congratted him sincerely.


    "Congrattions, Gym Leader Shimizu."


    "Thank you. I need to go sign the agreement now, so please excuse me."


    Apologizing to Miyuki, Yuga quickly left the hall.


    Finally, he had escaped that woman!


    Yuga let out a sigh of relief and headed towards the Pok��block area.


    To avoid encountering Miyuki again, Yuga decided not to visit the Incense area immediately. He would go therest.


    The agreement signing process was swift, with no need to wait in line. Each supplier was assigned a dedicated staff member for the signing, and oncepleted, they were free to leave.


    Yuga finished signing for the Pok��block area and then proceeded to the Held Items area. Finally, he headed to the Incense area.


    As expected, when Yuga arrived at the Incense area, Miyuki had alreadypleted her agreement signing and left.


    When ites to people like her, Yuga just couldn''t do anything about it. Even if he ignored her, she would persist, and she hadn''t done anything to him or offended him in any way. Her attitude had always been gentle. So, what could he really do?


    Back at the hotel, Yuga spotted Drew and his Budew not far from the entrance, engaged in some activity. He went over to greet them.


    Since their parting that day, Drew often came to the hotel where Yuga and Solidad were staying to visit and y with them.


    "Drew, what are you doing here?"


    Yuga asked with a smile.


    "Training!"


    Drew nced at Yuga and replied.


    "That''s impressive! By the way, I have a Roserade too. You know about Roserade, right? It''s the final evolution of Budew."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Drew''s eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly, saying, "Can I see your Roserade?"


    Yuga regretfully replied, "Unfortunately, that won''t be possible right now. My Roserade is back at home; I didn''t bring it with me. How about I introduce you to it another time when we have the chance?"


    Although Drew was a bit disappointed, he obediently nodded and said, "That sounds good. We have a deal then."


    "Of course, I promise!"


    Yuga smiled as he spoke. He knew that Drew was destined to be a Coordinator Trainer in the future, and Verdanturf Town had the Pok��mon Contest venue. Perhaps one day, Drew would participate inpetitions there.


    With this thought in mind, Yuga asked Drew, "Have you thought about what you want to do in the future? Like bing an elegant Coordinator Trainer, simr to your sister Solidad?"


    Drew pondered for a moment and replied, "I want to be as skilled a Trainer as you."


    Yuga was horrified when he heard this.


    Could this child have been misled by me?


    "Well, um... It''s not... Don''t you find Coordinator Trainers like your sister more charming?" Yuga tried to redirect Drew''s aspirations.


    Yuga was sweating a bit; he didn''t want this child to change his life''s path because of him. The responsibility was too great, and he couldn''t bear it.


    Drew insisted seriously, "I think you''re more amazing."


    Yuga was bing increasingly worried.


    "No, you''re still young and don''t understand. Trainers like me aren''t as fun as Coordinator Trainers."


    "As long as you''re strong."


    "It''s just that you haven''t met anyone stronger. I''m not that great."


    "You''re the most amazing I''ve seen."


    Yuga was running out of arguments. He didn''t know if there was any hope left for this child.


    He knew Drew had the potential to be a Coordinator Trainer, but he wasn''t sure if Drew wanted to be a regr Trainer like himself.


    What if Drew''s path went astray, and he didn''t achieve anything in the future? What would Yuga do then?


    It''s okay, Yuga reassured himself. Drew was still young and hadn''t defined his interests or life direction yet. He would figure it out in due time. Yes, he definitely would.


    Yuga, unable to sessfully steer Drew back onto the "right path," decided to train with him for a while and offer some advice. After all, he was now a Gym Leader, and nurturing talent for the League was part of his responsibility.


    After receiving Yuga''s guidance, Drew and his Budew made significant progress. Drew then dered, "My decision was right. I''ll definitely be a Trainer as amazing as you."


    Upon hearing this, Yuga was nearly at a loss.


    Wait, all the advice I gave him was what my mentor told me! It''s not because I''m amazing myself.


    Could this child still be saved?

 Chapter 682: The Bloodied Stranger

    <h4>Chapter 682: The Bloodied Stranger</h4>


    The bidding event had concluded sessfully, but Yuga and his group had no immediate ns to leave Lilycove City. Instead, they intended to stay here for a few days.


    Misaki and Lain had worked tirelessly at the YoYo Day Care, so Yuga wanted them to rx and enjoy their time in Lilycove City.


    Especially Lain, who had be deeply immersed in her fragrance research.


    Solidad had bid farewell to Yuga and the others the day after they participated in the bidding event. She stayed in Lilycove City for a vacation because she had encountered a creative block in her work.


    After much contemtion during her stay, the creative block hadn''t entirely dissipated, but she had developed more ideas. So, she decided to embark on a new journey to refresh her mind.


    Drew, on the other hand, had to end his vacation as his parents'' leave came to an end. He left Lilycove City with his parents.


    Before leaving, he informed Yuga that he wanted to visit Yuga in Verdanturf Town.


    Yuga was nearly startled by this revtion. It seemed this kid hadn''t given up on his dream of bing a Trainer.


    That evening, Yuga, Misaki, Lain, and others held a beachside bonfire party. They also invited Kris''s parents as a token of appreciation for their care during their stay.


    The night was exceptionally beautiful, with arge, full moon and countless stars illuminating the sky. The moonlight reflected on the ocean, creating a mesmerizing scene.


    Since there were very few tourists on the beach that night, they had it all to themselves, and they enjoyed themselves to the fullest.


    Their happiness led them to yte into the night.


    As they prepared to wrap up and head back, they noticed they still had a considerable amount of food left. They decided to finish the remaining food before leaving.


    As Yuga was devouring a skewer of grilled meat, he suddenly heard Anya calling for him.


    "Gym Leader,e quickly! I found someone."


    Hearing Anya''s voice, everyone stopped what they were doing.


    Yuga tossed his half-eaten skewer onto a te and followed Anya''s voice. In the distance, he saw Anya standing next to a dark figure lying on the beach.


    Approaching the scene, Yuga turned the person over and saw a young man who appeared to be in his twenties to early thirties. The man had severe injuries, and the scent of blood was overpowering.


    Misaki and Lain were taken aback upon seeing the injured man. However, Kris''s mother furrowed her brows and remarked, "How did this young man get such serious injuries?"


    "It seems like he''s been in some kind of ident," Yuga replied, uncertain of the circumstances. The injuries resembled those inflicted by Pok��mon, but it was unclear if he had been attacked by wild Pok��mon or other Trainers.


    "We should bring him back with us. At this rate, he might not make it," suggested Kris''s father.


    Everyone agreed. Despite not knowing the man''s origins, they couldn''t just leave him bleeding and injured on the beach.


    Yuga asked Gardevoir to use its psychic powers to transport the injured man back to their hotel.


    Gardevoir was not pleased with Yuga''s casual use of its abilities to move people around, but it reluctantly agreed, considering Yuga was the reason it had awakened in the first ce.


    However, if Gardevoir knew that Yuga was doing this simply to avoid getting Absol''s white fur dirty, it would have been furious.


    After Yuga and the others had left, a tall figure emerged from the darkness of the night, apanied by a Honchkrow.


    "Meeting him here of all ces, what incredible luck," the person murmured to themselves before disappearing into the night with the Honchkrow.


    Because the night was so dark outside, Yuga and his group hadn''t been able to see the injured man''s condition clearly.


    It was only when they returned to the hotel that they realized the man''s injuries were more severe than they had initially thought.


    He bore many scratches on his body, especially on his back, with a massive wound running from his left shoulder down to his right waist, from which most of the blood had flowed.


    Yuga could discern that these injuries were likely inflicted by Flying-type Pok��mon.


    Seeing the severity of his injuries, Yuga and the others initially thought about taking him to the hospital. However, considering thete hour, they abandoned the idea.


    Fortunately, Yuga had Gardevoir with him.


    After several Heal Pulse from Gardevoir, the man''s condition stabilized.


    Yuga and Kris''s father helped bandage the man''s wounds, cleaned the bloodstains off him, and gave him a fresh set of clothes.


    His original attire had been stained with blood and dirt and was in tatters, beyond wear.


    The clothes belonged to Kris''s father, as their heights and body sizes were quite simr.


    To ensure someone was avable to care for the man in case his condition worsened during the night, Yuga asked Gardevoir to stay behind and keep an eye on him to provide immediate treatment if needed.


    "Hmph! Always bossing others around!" Gardevoir expressed its displeasure but reluctantly agreed.


    Despite its somewhat bratty attitude, Gardevoir had a good heart. Otherwise, it wouldn''t have helped Yuga protect Dragonite''s mother.


    Although Gardevoir agreed to stay, in reality, its presence made little difference.


    After Yuga and the others had left, Gardevoir fell fast asleep.


    The next morning, when the injured man woke up, Gardevoir was sound asleep at the edge of the bed.


    Thankfully, the man had made it through the night without any issues, and his condition had improved significantly.


    When Yasushi opened his eyes, he saw Gardevoir lying beside him, drooling and grinning foolishly.


    His mind nked for a moment before he recalled that he had been rescued by someone.


    The previous night, as he was being chased, he had spotted a group of campfires and stumbled toward them, seeking help. However, he copsed from exhaustion before reaching them, losing consciousness.


    It seemed that someone had saved him. Yasushi couldn''t help but wonder why that person had allowed someone else to rescue him.


    Why hadn''t the person taken him themselves? Yasushi stared at the pristine white walls, lost in thought.


    Due to the severity of his back injuries, Yasushi had to sleep face down.


    "Ah, you''re awake!" Just then, the sound of a door opening snapped Yasushi back to reality. He struggled to turn his head and saw a young man entering the room with a tray.


    It was Yuga.


    Because Kris''s parents were busy taking care of their guests in the morning, the task of looking after the injured man fell to Yuga.


    Misaki and Lain, being girls, found it somewhat awkward to care for a grown man at times.


    "How do you feel?" Yuga ced the tray on the table beside the bed and asked Yasushi.


    "Nothing much. You saved me... Hiss..." Yasushi tried to sit up, but it seemed he had pulled at his wound, causing him to gasp in pain.

 Chapter 683: Shelter

    <h4>Chapter 683: Shelter</h4>


    Yuga felt that he had been lying down for a whole night, and it must have been ufortable. So he quickly helped him roll over and sit up.


    "It was me and the innkeeper who saved you. Luckily, you''re okay. But I''ll take you to the hospitalter. Your injuries seem quite serious, and it''s safer to get them checked," Yuga said. He handed over a bowl of porridge he had prepared. "Have something to eat."


    "Thank you," Yasushi epted the bowl of porridge, "But going to the hospital isn''t necessary. I should be fine."


    Yasushi''s injuries had improved significantly since yesterday, thanks to Gardevoir''s powerful milking volume.


    Yuga, seeing that Yasushi didn''t want to go to the hospital, didn''t insist further. He wasn''t one to meddle unnecessarily in other people''s affairs. If Yasushi had his reasons, Yuga respected that.


    He walked over to Gardevoir, noticed the drool hanging from its mouth, and gave it a gentle push. "Gardevoir, wake up, wake up."


    "Hehe..."


    Gardevoir giggled, slurped the drool from its mouth, and turned its head to the other side, adjusting its sleeping position as if it had no intention of waking up.


    "Gardevoir, Gardevoir, it''s time to get up!"


    "Gardevoir! The sun is shining on your butt!"


    "Gardevoir..."


    ...


    Yuga called out multiple times, but Gardevoir remained unresponsive.


    This was too much for Yuga. He was getting embarrassed in front of Yasushi.


    Yasushi, however, smiled at Yuga''s predicament and didn''t seem bothered by Gardevoir''s deep slumber.


    "By the way, I still don''t know your name," Yuga quickly changed the topic to ease the awkwardness. "I''m Yasushi. How should I address benefactor?"


    "I''m Shimizu Yuga. You''re probably older than me, so just call me Yuga. Benefactor sounds a bit awkward," Yuga replied. He only asked for Yasushi''s name and didn''t inquire about his background. It would have been impolite to pry too much.


    In the following days, Yasushi stayed at the inn to recover from his injuries. Thanks to Gardevoir''s assistance, he made a swift recovery. After two days, he could walk again, and after four days, he could perform daily activities without much trouble.


    Initially, Yuga and his group had nned to continue their journey to Verdanturf Town. However, they decided to stay longer because Yasushi was reluctant to go to the hospital and preferred Gardevoir''s care.


    Although there was curiosity about Yasushi''s background, no one pressed him for information. It was clear from his demeanor that he came from a respectable background.


    But there was one nagging question that Yasushi couldn''t shake off during his stay.


    Why hadn''t the person who was after hime looking for him yet?


    Unless...


    Yasushi wasn''t foolish; in fact, he was quite intelligent. Someone highly powerful and influential must be watching him closely, preventing any direct action against him. That exined why the person allowed the local people to save him and why they hadn''te to find him even though they knew he was here.


    Due to certain circumstances, Yasushi wasn''t aware of recent events outside. Therefore, he didn''t know about Yuga''s recent fame.


    But finding out about these things wasn''t difficult for someone like him.


    Now, Yuga''s online presence has surged, and it''s easy to find information about him, especially in the past two days. A post iming to be from a person named "Brodie the Man of a Thousand Faces" suddenly appeared online. It stated that he had shed with Shimizu Yuga, the Gym Leader of Verdanturf Town, confirming Yuga''s status as an Elite Trainer.


    While some people were skeptical, most believed it. Brodie the Man of a Thousand Faces was known for his ability to disappear, and the Pok��mon League had even sent Elite Trainers after him, only for him to elude capture. So, the fact that he could walk away from a confrontation with Verdanturf Town''s Gym Leader wasn''t too surprising.


    As a result, Yuga''s online poprity remained consistently high, and more people became familiar with him. Admiration for strong trainers was a natural tendency, especially in the world of Pok��mon.


    However, what others didn''t know, Yuga was quite aware of. He suspected that the person behind that post might indeed be Brodie. Still, he couldn''t fathom the purpose behind Brodie''s actions.


    Upon realizing this, Yasushi, who now knew about Yuga''s true identity, had an epiphany. The Gym Leader, an Elite Trainer! No wonder that person hadn''t dared to approach.


    With this knowledge in mind, Yasushi approached Yuga privately.


    Yuga: "Do you need something from me?"


    Yasushi: "Gym Leader Shimizu, I''d like to apany you to Verdanturf Town."


    Yuga, puzzled by the sudden formal address, asked, "Return to Verdanturf Town? Why?"


    Yasushi hesitated but eventually spoke up, "I was pursued by someone before, but they seem to be wary of your identity and strength. So, I want to seek your protection."


    Yasushi felt a bit embarrassed, but he had no choice but to say these ufortable words to ensure his safety.


    Yuga was surprised by Yasushi''s straightforwardness and asked further, "You''re quite direct. But why was someone after you? Why didn''t you report it to the authorities? You''re not a criminal, are you?"


    "No, no, the person chasing me has personal grudges. I can assure you I''m not a bad person. If you let me stay in Verdanturf Town, I''m willing to work for you without pay, as long as you can provide me shelter," Yasushi exined.


    Faced with Yuga''s three consecutive questions, Yasushi quickly rified.


    Yuga then asked, "If that''s the case, you''ll have to tell me who''s after you."


    Yasushi hesitated, looking quite conflicted. While that person had wanted to harm him, Yasushi didn''t hold much hatred towards them. He mainly wanted to keep a safe distance from them in the future. Plus, Yuga was a Gym Leader and part of the Pok��mon League''s armed force. Yasushi was concerned that if Yuga knew the identity of the person chasing him, he might seek retribution.


    Seeing Yasushi''s difort, Yuga sighed and said, "Never mind, you don''t have to tell me."


    Through their days of interaction, Yuga had gained some understanding of Yasushi''s character. He realized that Yasushi wasn''t a bad person, and he seemed intelligent. Yasushi''s willingness to seek shelter here showed that he had good judgment and manners. But at the same time, Yasushi was somewhat soft-spoken and polite, always smiling.


    Yasushi: "Well..."


    Yuga: "If you want toe with me to Verdanturf Town, you can."


    Yuga believed in helping others in need. After all, he was a Gym Leader and had a sense of responsibility, and he couldn''t just turn a blind eye to someone seeking shelter.

 Chapter 684: Travel

    <h4>Chapter 684: Travel</h4>


    Yuga and the others quickly returned to Verdanturf Town, with Yasushi apanying them. Yasushi had proper identification, so he wasn''t an unidentified person. This assurance put Yuga''s mind at ease since obtaining a flight ticket to Verdanturf Town required valid identification, something not easily forged.


    League-issued identification couldn''t be faked by just anyone.


    Furthermore, Yuga knew that YoYo Day Care had Pok��mon patrolling around the clock, monitored by Psychic-type Natus. He had no worries about security.


    Besides, Yasushi didn''t even have a Pok��mon of his own.


    However, Yuga turned down Yasushi''s offer to work for free at YoYo Day Care. Instead, he agreed to provide Yasushi with basic shelter.


    What surprised Yuga was that, after learning more about YoYo Day Care, Yasushi expressed his desire to interview for a job and be an official employee, particrly as an Incense Maker.


    Yuga didn''t expect Yasushi to be an Incense Maker, and one with abilities surpassing Lain. He''s even not far behind that Miyuki.


    Yasushi had aplete Incense Maker legacy of his own, so he didn''t need to learn from Yuga''s Incense Makery manual. He could produce high quality Incense independently.


    In the end, Yuga agreed to let him stay at YoYo Day Care as an Incense Maker and offered him properpensation.


    Yuga''s reason for keeping Yasushi was because Lain was going to focus on producing goods for the Pok��mon League store. However, YoYo Day Care also had its own products to sell, and they were currently understaffed.


    Yasushi''s arrival filled that gap.


    Misaki, on the other hand, had Anya''s assistance, so she didn''t face significant issues.


    Yuga also shared the form for Ghost-type Pok��blocks with her, naming them "Phantom."


    However, there wasn''t a huge demand for Ghost-type Pok��block in the market. Yuga advised Misaki and Anya to be mindful of quantities when producing them.


    One day, Arata Sena and Akihito approached Yuga together and expressed their desire to go on a journey.


    "You want to go on a journey? Arata Sena, has Auntie Aoba agreed?" Yuga asked.


    Akihito was an orphan and could make his own decisions. However, Arata Sena''s parents were alive, and given their past experiences with Arata Yuuto, Yuga thought it might be challenging to obtain Auntie Aoba''s consent.


    "My mom doesn''t object. She said as long as Gym Leader Yuga agrees, she has no objections," Arata Sena replied, surprising Yuga.


    It turned out that Auntie Aoba had changed her perspective after what happened with Arata Yuuto.


    If Arata Sena enjoyed being a Trainer and wanted to pursue it as a career, there was no point in keeping her at home.


    Isn''t that what Sena Yuuto''s parents did back then? What was the result? Counterproductive.


    Arata Sena and Yuga are about the same age, but Yuga is already a Gym Leaderr and very famous in town, but Arata Sena is still a flower in the greenManor.


    Aunt Aoba felt that instead of caring for him carefully and spoiling him in the end, it would be better to let him grow up on his own.


    Yuga and Auntie Aoba had a heart-to-heart conversation after learning her thoughts, so Yuga approved Arata Sena and Akihito''s journey.


    Arata Sena and Akihito were already around the age of ten, and they had been receiving training from Beidou, so their skills were decent. Yuga wasn''t particrly worried as long as they didn''t get into trouble.


    Yuga was generally supportive of people from his Gym going on journeys. When they gained recognition outside, YoYo Day Care''s reputation will also improved.


    Currently, the significant reputation of YoYo Day Care wasrgely thanks to Yuga. When Yuga''s parents were running it, the business was small, with minimal recognition beyond Verdanturf Town.


    After Yuga took over, the conditions improved across the board, including Pok��mon, Pok��blocks, Incense, and more. The quality was top-notch. However, it wasn''t easy to expand their recognition.


    Now, the Pok��mon League was nning to promote Yuga as a star Trainer. As Yuga''s fame spread, so would YoYo Day Care''s reputation.


    With high quality products and a marketing channel, YoYo Day Care''s business would naturally flourish.


    But Yuga hoped that those who could represent YoYo Day Care and promote it wouldn''t be just him but others as well.


    As the saying goes, "A single tree does not make a forest; a hundred flowers in full bloom bring spring to the garden." Only when everyone contributed could they truly demonstrate the excellence of YoYo Day Care.


    With Yuga''s approval, Arata Sena and Akihito were delighted. They had longed for the opportunity to travel like other kids.


    Yuga even prepared backpacks for the two of them, making their journey more convenient.


    Theirpanionship during their travels eased Yuga''s concerns.


    After three or four days of preparation, the two bid farewell to their families and set off. Their departure left Anya and Akihito''s younger siblings in tears.


    These years, they had never been separated from their older siblings.


    Yuga even noticed Auntie Aoba discreetly wiping away tears.


    Both Arata Sena and Akihito aimed to participate in the next year''s Pok��mon League Conference. They nned to challenge Gym Leaders from various locations.


    However, the League Conference was scheduled for the year after, so they would return before New Year''s. Their time away wasn''t too long, so there was no need for excessive sorrow.


    They both pledged that when they returned for New Year''s, they would have earned three badges and would challenge Yuga for the Verdanturf Gym badge.


    Yuga just smiled and shook his head, not saying much.


    In reality, with their current abilities, they were already qualified to receive the Verdant Badge from the Verdanturf Gym. Yuga watched them train in the Gym every day, so he was well aware of their progress.


    However, the rules of the Verdanturf Gym were set, and even though they were Gym apprentices, they had to abide by them.


    Apart from this, the Ghost-type Pok��mon Yuga had captured in Lilycove City had settled into the Ecopark.


    The environment in the Haunted Manor Sub-Ecopark was much better than outside, and the Ghost-type Pok��mon didn''t have any objections.


    However, when these Ghost-type Pok��mon first arrived, they had conflicts with the Chandelure, Lampent, and Litwick that originally lived there.


    This was a struggle for dominance within the Pok��monmunity.


    In Pok��mon groups, it was normal to have a leadership struggle, and the most typical example was Yuga''s two Vespiquen.


    In most cases, if a Pok��mon group had two Vespiquen, it would inevitably lead to a confrontation.


    However, the second Vespiquen in Yuga''s case was quite self-aware and knew that she couldn''tpete with the original Vespiquen. So, she moved away and established her own colony.


    But making Mismagius and the Chandelure, Lampent, and Litwickpromise wasn''t as easy.


    Both sides had Pok��mon of simr strength, and their leaders were both at the pseudo-Elite level.


    However, to avoid unnecessary casualties, Yuga suggested that the leaders of both sides engage in a one-on-one duel. The winner''s decision would be followed.


    Given that they were all currently living under Yuga''s care, they naturally didn''t disregard his opinion and agreed to his suggestion.


    The duel between the Mismagius leader and the Chandelure leader was conducted under Yuga''s supervision.


    While the Mismagius leader was indeed powerful, the Chandelure, which had been nourished by life energy in the Haunted Manor Sub-Ecopark for some time, had gained a significant advantage. Ultimately, the Chandelure emerged victorious.


    With this victory, the Chandelure became the leader of all the Ghost-type Pok��mon in the Haunted Manor Sub-Ecopark.

 Chapter 685: Fire Type

    <h4>Chapter 685: Fire Type</h4>


    On this day, Yuga ordered three Dawn Stone from the League store with the intention of evolving several male Ralts in his main Ecopark into Gade. This would prevent them from identally evolving into Gardevoir.


    Originally, there were five Ralts in Yuga''s main Ecopark. Four of them were exchanged from the League''s breeding facility, and one was the child of Gardevoir (female) and Gade.


    The Ralts he obtained from the League''s facility consisted of two males and two females, while Gardevoir (female) and Gade''s child was a male Ralts.


    With the help of Gardevoir, all these Ralts had sessfully evolved into Kirlia.


    Yuga happened to possess a Supreme-grade Dawn Stone, and he intended to use it on one of the Kirlia. Within their group of Gardevoir and Gade, they needed a leader, and the Gade that would use the Supreme-grade Dawn Stone would be their leader.


    Not many Pok��mon could evolve using Dawn Stone; only Kirlia and Snorunt were capable of doing so. Yuga had no ns to specialize in raising these two types of Pok��mon, so he didn''t hesitate to use the Dawn Stone on one of the Kirlia.


    Once the League store delivered the four Dawn Stone he had ordered, Yuga took them to the Ecopark.


    Upon learning that Yuga was there to help them evolve, the little guys were overjoyed. They had long admired the majestic form of Gade.


    The evolution process went smoothly. They each received an Dawn Stone from Yuga, and the white light of evolution shone brightly as the three Kirlia evolved into handsome Gade.


    The other two female Kirlia watched theirpanions evolve with envy. Unfortunately, they couldn''t use Evolution Stones, and their evolution had toe through rigorous training.


    However, now and then, Gardevoir would offer guidance when she had free time, and Yuga believed that their evolution day was not too far off.


    Gardevoir had top-notch skills when it came to training.


    The Gade that used the Supreme-grade Dawn Stone was the child of Gardevoir (female) and Gade.


    The four Kirlia from the League''s breeding facility had a closer bond, so Yuga chose not to have them use the Dawn Stone to avoid affecting their rtionships.


    As the saying goes, "It''s better to have something than nothing."


    Compared to them, the child of Gardevoir (female) and Gade had a more distant rtionship with them. It usually yed with Hoothoot and Vulpix.


    However, now that it had evolved into Gade, standing tall and imposing, while its two littlepanions remained small, the three of them together gave off a vibe of "Left Holding Yellow (Vulpix), Right Raising Blue (Hoothoot)."


    Even though Vulpix wasn''t yellow, and Hoothoot was far from being a blue eagle, if they both evolved, it might actually resemble that description.


    As for why Vulpix hadn''t evolved yet, it wasn''t due to its poor potential orck of effort. On the contrary, Vulpix had excellent potential, and it trained diligently.


    But Vulpix''s evolution required a Fire Stone.


    Was it difficult to obtain a Fire Stone?


    Not at all. For Pok��mon living in the Ecopark, it was readily avable because there was an entire vein of Fire Stones here.


    It was precisely because Fire Stones were so readily avable that Vulpix''s parents weren''t in a hurry to have it evolve into Nales. Instead, they chose to let it build a solid foundation first.


    With an abundance of Fire Stones, it didn''t matter when it evolved.


    Aside from the joyous asion of the Kirlia evolving, there was another significant event��the introduction of Fire-type Pok��mon to YoYo Day Care.


    Among the Water, Fire, and Grass-type Pok��mon, the other two types had been avable for a long time, and they were constantly in high demand.


    The Fire-type Pok��mon introduced to YoYo Day Care this time was the Ponyta that Yuga had been preparing for a while.


    After all this time of breeding, the poption of Ponyta and Rapidash in YoYo Day Care had finally grown to a point where they could be offered for sale regrly. However, they still couldn''t reach the scale of species like the Gligar or Flygon families, so for now, it was decided to offer them for sale every two months.


    The fact that YoYo Day Care had be a supplier for the League had been announced on the official website by Yuga through Windy a long time ago. Unexpectedly, this led to a surge in business for YoYo Day Care once again.


    Having Yasushi around was fortunate, as without her, relying solely on Lain''s efforts to supply both the store and the League store would have been quite challenging. After all, making an Incense wasn''t as straightforward as it seemed, and every step had to be executed meticulously.


    Yuga hadn''t anticipated that this opportunity to supply the League store would boost YoYo Day Care''s business to such an extent. It could only be said that the League''s reputation was truly unparalleled.


    At noon, precisely at twelve o''clock, Windy published the news on YoYo Day Care''s official website about the Fire-type Pok��mon Ponyta being avable for sale and opened the reservation channel for Ponyta.


    Simultaneously, the basic data and pictures of the first Ponyta avable for external purchase were also posted online. The first Ponyta avable for external purchase had been carefully selected by Yuga and possessed outstanding potential in every aspect.


    YoYo Day Care now had a substantial number of loyal customers, and they eagerly awaited the opening of the reservation channel for new Pok��mon every month.


    Aiko was one of YoYo Day Care''s long-standing customers. She lived in the distant city of Ever Grande, far from the Verdanturf Town.


    Initially, when YoYo Day Care established its official website and announced the first batch of Pok��mon avable for external purchase, Aiko had been skeptical about the idea of such an unknown little Day Care having high potential Pok��mon offspring.


    However, reality had a knack for proving people wrong.


    Many individuals had sessfully purchased their desired Pok��mon from this Day Care she initially considered insignificant.


    Each such example had made her gradually believe.


    So, she too wanted to purchase a Pok��mon from this Day Care. Whether it was a Trapinch or a Gligar, both were excellent Pok��mon that she liked.


    However, her liking alone didn''t matter because she simply couldn''t secure a reservation spot for a YoYo Day Care Pok��mon.


    Despite her disappointment at not securing a reservation spot, Aiko noticed that the range of products offered by YoYo Day Care was continually expanding.

 Chapter 686: Aiko

    <h4>Chapter 686: Aiko</h4>


    When YoYo Day Care first started offering non-Pok��mon products, it was the Pok��blocks, and the variety was quite limited.


    Aiko, who had learned her lesson, would no longer underestimate YoYo Day Care. So, for the first time, she decided to purchase a YoYo Day Care product online �C the Pok��blocks.


    As expected, the items from YoYo Day Care didn''t disappoint. The quality of the Pok��blocks was outstanding, and her Pok��mon loved them. Thanks to this, their training efficiency improved significantly.


    From that moment on, Aiko became a devoted fan of YoYo Day Care.


    Later, YoYo Day Care''s reputation grew, and their product range expanded, especially in the variety of Pok��blocks, with new ones added periodically.


    Eventually, YoYo Day Care introduced its own high-end product �C Incense.


    Aiko was equally a steadfast supporter of this new venture. She had witnessed YoYo Day Care''s growth from the beginning.


    Today was another day when YoYo Day Care''s official website opened its Pok��mon reservation channel.


    However, Aiko had now be quite indifferent to it. Though she continued to diligently wait in front of herputer at the designated time, she had lost hope of securing a reservation.


    Thepetition was fierce, and her reaction time couldn''t keep up.


    Indeed, as soon as the time came, people online fought for reservation spots as if they had gone mad. Aiko was just one of many waiting for this day.


    She watched the images representing Gligar, Trapinch, uncher, and Petilil dim as they became fully reserved. But she felt no emotion.


    Although her determination remained, it had been repeatedly beaten down. Hope and enthusiasm had long deserted her.


    It was then that Aiko noticed a bright red icon, very conspicuous, and she clicked on it casually.


    Suddenly, fireworks erupted on herputer screen, and a colorful "Congrattions" message popped up.


    "I... did I... sessfully reserve?"


    Aiko stared at the shing "Congrattions" on herputer screen, her eyes wide, murmuring to herself.


    As a long-time fan of YoYo Day Care, she was well aware of what the screen looked like after a sessful reservation, as many people liked to share screenshots online.


    But... hadn''t she witnessed Gligar, Trapinch, uncher, and Petilil all being fully reserved?


    So, what was happening?


    Aiko was momentarily bewildered.


    Right! A red icon! Had there ever been a red icon on YoYo Day Care''s reservation page?


    Definitely not! Aiko was sure of this.


    Gligar had a purple icon, Trapinch was brown, uncher blue, and all Grass-type Pok��mon had a green icon. So, why was there a red one now?


    With these thoughts, Aiko returned to the reservation page and finally noticed the red icon.


    In the center of the icon was a spirited little Ponyta, and below it was a brief introduction.


    Ponyta? When did YoYo Day Care add Ponyta?


    Aiko quickly found the notice about Ponyta being avable for reservation on YoYo Day Care''s main page, which she had previously overlooked.


    Was this her stroke of luck?


    Aiko couldn''t help but think so.


    She returned to the reservation page, gazing at the spirited little Ponyta on the icon, and her heart soared.


    While she hadn''t managed to reserve Gligar, Trapinch, uncher, or Petilil, Ponyta was a wonderful addition.


    Looking at its bright, energetic eyes, flowing red mane, and strong limbs, it was just too adorable.


    Since the icons on YoYo Day Care''s official website represented the actual Pok��mon that would be reserved, Aiko was looking at the very Ponyta she had reserved.


    This particr Ponyta, captured so dynamically in the photo taken by Windy, enchanted Aiko. The more she looked at it, the more she loved it, and any thoughts of Gligar, Trapinch, and the others faded away.


    At that moment, Aiko couldn''t wait to visit YoYo Day Care and be with her beloved Ponyta.


    And that''s exactly what she did.


    After YoYo Day Care added Ponyta to its lineup, it immediately sparked lively discussions among trainers on thements section of the official website.


    Many expressed great interest in Ponyta.


    However, most people wereining that the reservation spots were taken too quickly, and they couldn''t react in time, only able to envy the lucky person who seeded in reserving.


    This was the first Fire-type Pok��mon sold by YoYo Day Care, which held significant meaning.


    However, YoYo Day Care excelled in maintaining the confidentiality of customer information, so no one knew who the fortunate individual was who had sessfully reserved it.


    On the third day after Ponyta was made avable, YoYo Day Care weed a female customer who happened to be Aiko, the one who had reserved Ponyta.


    She was personally received by Yuga.


    Coming from the distant city of Ever Grande, Aiko had rushed here in just two days.


    As a long-time fan of YoYo Day Care, getting the chance to visit the legendary owner of YoYo Day Care filled Aiko with excitement.


    "Miss Aiko, please wait for a moment. We''ll bring the Ponyta you reserved to you shortly," Yuga said with a smile, leading Aiko to a meeting room.


    "Oh... alright..."


    Aiko was somewhat dazed as she looked at Yuga.


    This was the renowned Gym Leader of the Verdanturf Gym, an Elite level Trainer!


    Aiko hadn''t anticipated that she would be received by such a famous figure.


    Soon, a well-behaved Ponyta, guided by a staff member who was Audino, entered the meeting room. Aiko finallyid eyes on her long-awaited Ponyta.


    "Miss Aiko, as per our Day Care''s rules, you''ll need to spend some time with this Ponyta and gain its trust before you can take it with you," Yuga exined to Aiko.


    "Yes, I understand, no problem."


    Having followed YoYo Day Care for so long, Aiko was aware of this rule. Therefore, she agreed without hesitation, her eyes fixed on the Ponyta.


    Ponyta was not afraid either and stared back at Aiko with its big eyes.


    Watching this interaction between trainer and Pok��mon, Yuga couldn''t help but feel that they were a good match.


    Next came the paperwork.


    Because YoYo Day Care had some peculiar rules, there were several procedures toplete and contracts to sign when purchasing a Pok��mon. Aiko didn''t find it troublesome at all. For the sake of her long-awaited Ponyta, these matters were insignificant.


    Subsequently, it was arranged for Aiko to stay at YoYo Day Care, apanied by Audino.


    Yes, from now on, customers who wanted to bond with their newly acquired Pok��mon would stay at YoYo Day Care.


    This was Suzuki Koen''s suggestion to Yuga.


    These customers visited every month, and instead of having them seek external amodation, it was more convenient to have them stay at YoYo Day Care. It also facilitated further observation of them.


    The new building of YoYo Day Care had many vacant rooms, all of which had been converted into guest rooms, specifically for customers needing to bond with their Pok��mon.


    Of course, Yuga wouldn''t let them stay for free. There would be an appropriate amodation fee.


    Even if they wanted to dine at YoYo Day Care, Yuga would provide meals as long as they paid for them.

 Chapter 687: Fake Crying

    <h4>Chapter 687: Fake Crying</h4>


    After Audino taken away the baby Pok��mon, Yuga suddenly noticed a Chatot flying towards him, looking quite pleased with itself.


    "Can you guess what good news I have to tell you?" Chatotnded gently on Yuga''s shoulder, proudly lifting its head and addressing Yuga.


    Yuga was relieved that Chatot''s nose was quite different from a human''s, or it might have poked a hole in the sky with its beak.


    "Are you pregnant?" Yuga asked, giving it a sidelong nce.


    "What?! Who is Pregnant?! You''re the one who''s pregnant! I''m a male bird! A male bird! What nonsense are you talking about!" Chatot fluffed up its feathers and angrily stomped on Yuga''s shoulder.


    "If it''s not you, then is it your wife who''s pregnant?" Yuga remained unfazed by its ruffled feathers.


    "Kitty-chan isn''t pregnant either! What are you thinking?" Chatot pped its wings in Yuga''s face, lightly scratching him as if to tickle him.


    Yuga brushed it off his shoulder with his hand. "If you have something to say, just say it. Don''t beat around the bush; I don''t have time for this."


    Finally unable to contain itself, Chatot released the restrained energy it had been holding back and said to Yuga, "Look, just look at yourself!"


    Only then did Yuga notice the changes in Chatot.


    ...


    <<chatot>> </chatot>


    Type: Normal/Flying


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Keen Eye


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 61


    Moves: Chatter, Confide, Taunt, Mirror Move, Growl, Mimic, Hyper Voice, Taunt, Sing, Torment, Steel Wing, Boomburst, Sky Attack, Defog, Sunny Day, Heat Wave, Feather Dance, Roost.


    ...


    So, it had regained its pseudo-Elite level. No wonder it was so full of itself, Yuga thought.


    Yuga usually didn''t keep his Insight ability active all the time, and Chatot had intentionally restrained its aura, so he hadn''t noticed immediately.


    Chatot had been missing lot during this time, likely preparing to regain its former strength.


    "So, you''ve broken through your limits. Congrattions," Yuga said in a rather nonchnt tone.


    Chatot''s head, which had been tilted back, froze in ce. It slowly turned to face Yuga. "Just... just like that? Is that all?"


    Excitement? Praise? Encouragement? A reward, perhaps? None of that?


    Chatot looked a bit dumbfounded.


    "What else do you want?" Yuga started focusing on his work, not even bothering to look at Chatot.


    "Nothing... never mind. You... you''re busy. I''ll go now." Chatot pped its wings in disappointment and flew away.


    Seeing Chatot''s retreating figure, Yuga thought, Did I go too far? Chatot had been overly arrogant, and Yuga couldn''t resist wanting to dete its ego a bit, or its tail might have ended up in the clouds.


    He knew Chatot''s temperament very well. If it got carried away, it would destroy the entire YoYo Day Care.


    Yuga pondered for a moment and then beckoned to Wigglytuff nearby.


    Wigglytuff, who was wearing an apron and holding a cloth, was cleaning the counter.


    Seeing Yuga calling her, she hurried over.


    "Wigglytuff?"


    What''s up, Yuga?


    Yuga pulled out a Sharp Beak from his pocket and whispered a few words to Wigglytuff.


    "Wigglytuff, Wigglytuff!"


    Got it! Leave it to me!


    With that, Wigglytuff took the Sharp Beak from Yuga and headed to the Ecopark.


    Yuga had just obtained this Sharp Beak from the system store a couple of days ago. It had been sitting there unused until today.


    With the Sharp Beak in tow, Wigglytuff crossed the Light Gate from the main Ecopark to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark and, after a moment''s consideration, headed in the direction of the Milk Tree.


    Not far away, a Purrloin and a Zorua watched as Wigglytuff walked away, and they exchanged a sly look before covering their mouths and chuckling.


    Wigglytuff, holding the Sharp Beak, was following Yuga''s orders to find Chatot.


    However, it suddenly noticed in front of it, a limping Purrloin was heading in its direction.


    "Wigglytuff, Wigglytuff!"


    How are you? Are you okay?


    Seeing the pained expression on Purrloin''s face, Wigglytuff rushed over to support it, her tone filled with concern.


    "Purrloin, Purrloin!"


    I identally hurt my leg while training.


    Purrloin sat down, holding one of its front paws with the other, and when it looked at Wigglytuff, it immediately used its Fake Crying skill, its eyes welling up with tears, looking pitiful.


    Seeing Purrloin''s adorable disy, Wigglytuff''s maternal instincts kicked in, and she wanted to examine Purrloin''s injury with a worried expression.


    At this moment, Wigglytuff regretted not having the Heal Pulse move. Heal Pulse was an inherited move for Wigglytuff''s species, and it was clear that Wigglytuff couldn''t learn it. Learning Heal Bell would already be quite a stretch for her.


    But there was no helping it; her potential wasn''t great, and she wasn''t very smart.


    Seeing the genuine concern in Wigglytuff''s eyes, Purrloin couldn''t help but reveal a victorious expression. It didn''t stop Wigglytuff from examining its "injury."


    Just when Wigglytuff was wondering why Purrloin''s leg didn''t look like it was injured at all, she suddenly realized that the Sharp Beak she had been holding was gone.


    At that moment, Purrloin had used its Pickup ability to snatch the Sharp Beak and made a quick getaway.


    Wigglytuff was kind-hearted, but she wasn''t foolish. She immediately realized that she had been fooled.


    "Wigglytuff!"


    Halt! That wasn''t for you!


    Wigglytuff shouted and chased after Purrloin.


    Purrloin was fast, leaping into a dense thicket in the distance.


    Just as Wigglytuff was about to pounce, Purrloin sprang out of the thicket again.


    "Purrloin, Purrloin!"


    Re-emerging from the thicket, Purrloin sat on the ground, waving to Wigglytuff, raising an eyebrow, and even sticking out its tongue, making a mischievous face.


    All those provocative actions were incredibly slick.


    Purrloib''s demeanor was just too much, and Wigglytuff, unable to contain her anger, pounced on it.


    As Wigglytuff lunged at Purrloin, the agile Pok��mon leaped away and transformed into a streak of shadow, darting into the distance.


    Wigglytuff couldn''t run faster with her short legspared to Purrloin''s agile body.


    Meanwhile, Chatot was in its nest on the Milk Tree,ining to its wife about how Yuga didn''t care about it and didn''t appreciate its achievements.


    Noctowl remained silent, listening quietly to Chatot''sints, with a contented smile on its face.


    In a nearby branch not far from the nest, Chatot''s offspring, Hoothoot, also heard its father''sints but only rolled its eyes in response.


    After all, Hoothoot knew the true nature of its esteemed father. If it ever ended up with such a troublesome partner in the future, it would be really irritated.


    Thinking about it, if it ever found a mate like that, it would be annoyed to no end.

 Chapter 688: Brawl

    <h4>Chapter 688: Brawl</h4>


    On this side, Wigglytuff chased Purrloin all the way to the vicinity of the Milk Tree.


    Chatot, who was talking to its wife in the nest, noticed Wigglytuff chasing after Purrloin withbored breath from below.


    Wigglytuff wasn''t particrly strong, and dealing with the agile Purrloin was proving to be a challenge.


    Seeing Wigglytuff being bullied by Purrloin, Chatot couldn''t stand it any longer and flew down from its nest.


    In fact, Chatot wasn''t very fond of the Purrloin family because it still remembered the time when Purrloin had stolen its Ice Cream back in Castelia City.


    Besides, cats and birds were natural rivals, making it challenging for them to get along.


    As Purrloin was making faces at Wigglytuff, there was suddenly an explosion beside it.


    A shockwave knocked Purrloin off its feet, and its cheerful demeanor came to a halt.


    It turned out that Chatot had used Hyper Voice on Purrloin.


    However, Chatot didn''t intend to harm Purrloin, so the Hyper Voice didn''t actually hit Purrloin; it only caused an explosion around it.


    Purrloin''s head was left spinning from the soundwaves. It shook its head and got up from the ground, only to see a pair of bird talons descending from above.


    Chatot grabbed Purrloin by the back of its neck with its talons and flew into the air. Startled, Purrloin suddenly shed its disguise and revealed itself as a Zorua.


    It turns out that it was Purrloin''s sister, Zorua, who had lured Wigglytuff away, while Purrloin escaped with the Sharp Beak.


    Chatot, holding Zorua, came over to Wigglytuff and inquired about what had happened.


    When Chatot learned that Yuga had prepared a Sharp Beak as a gift for it, it was initially very happy. However, upon finding out that the Sharp Beak had been swindled by Purrloin and Zorua, Chatot''s face contorted in anger.


    This was uneptable!


    Just as Chatot was about to question Zorua, a yellow beam of light shot over from somewhere, and Chatot instinctively let go of Zorua, dodging the yellow beam.


    By the time Chatot realized what happened, there was no sign of Zorua around!


    Chatot turned its head and saw that Persian and three Delcatty were provocatively staring at it, with Zorua standing among them.


    The yellow beam of light hade from Persian''s Power Gem.


    Persian, along with its three Delcatty, were generally disliked in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, but there was one exception - the Purrloin and Zorua family.


    You see, Persian and his wife got along quite well with Purrloin, Zorua, and their family. They all had a penchant for pranks, and the young Purrloin and Zorua especially got along splendidly.


    Despite Persian''s strength is not good, he was quite loyal. When he saw that Zorua was in trouble, he immediately took his wives and came to help.


    Persian gave Chatot a mischievous smile and, along with his wives and Zorua, turned and fled.


    Persian knew he couldn''tpete with Chatot in a direct confrontation, so he made a quick escape.


    Chatot, incensed by Persian''s provocation, exploded in anger and chased after them.


    Left behind, Wigglytuff looked bewildered. "They all ran away... What should I do now? Is my mission consideredplete?"


    On the other side,


    With Zorua leading Wigglytuff away, Purrloin was happily nning to return home with the newly acquired Sharp Beak.


    Purrloin didn''t have a strong liking for Wigglytuff''s Sharp Beak; it was just its natural instinct at y, and it simply couldn''t resist swiping something shiny.


    Otherwise, it wouldn''t be called "Purrloin."


    (Note: Purrloin chinese name is Picpocket Cat)


    However, the Sharp Beak produced by Yuga''s system was indeed of high quality, with a shiny, golden hue. It even emitted a noticeable aura of Flying-type energy.


    In short, the appearance of this Sharp Beak was top-notch, especially with the distinct Flying-type energy emanating from it.


    Just as Purrloin was walking home, admiring its spoils, a dark figure descended from the sky and snatched the Sharp Beak from its hand with a swift w.


    Purrloin looked up and saw three Honchkrow, each with a smug expression, and they let out a strange "caw" ofughter.


    Murkrow and the Honchkrow were Pok��mon that naturally liked shiny things.


    These three Honchkrow spotted the shiny Sharp Beak in Purrloin''s hand while in the sky, and they couldn''t resist, so they decided to snatch it.


    Shiny and glimmering with a distinct Flying-type energy aura, the Honchkrow felt that this item was destined for them.


    Purrloin became furious. It had always been the one to bully others, and it couldn''t ept being bullied itself. Without a second thought, it unleashed three waves of Dark Pulses.


    Despite Purrloin''s small size and not having reached its final evolution stage, it was quite powerful. Among its family of four, it was the strongest, even stronger than its mother, Zoroark.


    One of the Honchkrow was instantly hit by Purrloin''s Dark Pulse and let out a painful cry.


    Seeing theirrade injured, the other two Honchkrow couldn''t just stand by. They immediatelyunched an attack on Purrloin.


    Although Purrloin was strong, the Honchkrow were no pushovers, especially in a three-on-one situation.


    Purrloin quickly found itself at a disadvantage.


    At this point, Purrloin wasn''t far from home.


    Liepard and Zoroark, who were resting at home, heard themotion and immediately came out to see what was happening.


    As soon as they saw their eldest daughter being bullied, they couldn''t stand it. Without a word, they joined the battle.


    Now the battle had turned into a three-on-three.


    The average strength of the three Honchkrow was not as high as Purrloin''s, but Liepard and Zorua were slightly weaker than the Honchkrow, making it an even match for the moment.


    Just then, Persian arrived with his Delcatty and Zorua, followed closely by the relentless Chatot.


    Seeing their friends in a brawl, Persian had no reason not to join. He charged towards the battlefield, followed by the three Delcatty and Zorua.


    Now, with Persian and his wives joining in, the situation became even more chaotic.


    Purrloin''s family was initially delighted to see their good friends, Persian and his wives,ing to their aid.


    However, their happiness didn''tst long because at this moment, Chatot also arrived at the battlefield.


    Although the Purrloin family and the Persian family were the "Bullies" of the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, Chatot was too! Usually, the Purrloin family tried to avoid Chatot as much as possible. In the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, everyone knew Chatot was a bit of a scatterbrain, not to mention a powerful one at that.


    Now, thanks to a Sharp Beak, these two normally separate groups found themselves gathered together.

 Chapter 689: Leader

    <h4>Chapter 689: Leader</h4>


    After Chatot arrived at the battlefield, it saw that the Purrloin family, the Persian couple, and the Honchkrow were all engaged in a battle and immediately joined the Honchkrow'' side.


    The enemy of my enemy is my friend, especially when everyone is a bird-like creature.


    With the addition of the pseudo-Elite-level Chatot, the situation immediately took a turn.


    After the Persian and his group joined, it was clear that the three Honchkrow were at a disadvantage since they were outnumbered seven to three, and their individual strengths were not that different. But with Chatot''s arrival, the normal numerical advantage couldn''t y out effectively.


    However, the Purrloin family wasn''t suffering too badly because Chatot didn''t dare to use deadly force. They weren''t true enemies, and though they fought, if things got too serious, Yuga wouldn''t spare Chatot.


    In this somewhat restrained situation, the battle reached a stalemate.


    With such amotion happening on their turf, other Pok��mon in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark couldn''t possibly remain ignorant.


    In this case, the Honchkrow (the first generation), who was training his family inside, suddenly heard themotion outside. He called his husband, Swellow, and went out to see what was happening.


    Currently, in terms of groups, the flying type Pok��mon were one of thergest in the entire Grasnd Sub-Ecopark. This group included the Honchkrow, Swellow, the Staraptor, the Crobat, and the Swabblu, among others.


    Apart from the big family like the Tauros family, the Miltank, and the newly arrived Pachirisu family, the flying-type Pok��mon were thergest group.


    Other individual Pok��mon species were fewer in number and didn''t formmunities like the flying-type Pok��mon, so it was challenging for them to establish a presence.


    Apart from the regal Noctowl and the quirky Chatot, all flying-type Pok��mon in the Grasnd Sub-park were led and governed by the Honchkrow leader and the Swellow leader


    With various Pok��mon in the group, various contradictions were unavoidable, and they required the Honchkrow leader and Swellow leader to deal with.


    So, now they thought it was just another one of those problems.


    When they went out to check, they saw Chatot leading the Honchkrow in an aerial battle against the Purrloin family and the Persian couple.


    The scene was extremely chaotic.


    "Swellow, Swellow!"


    Swellow called out to the Honchkrow several times. When the Honchkrow heard their leader''s voice, they immediately stopped their actions.


    Seeing the opening in the Honchkrow'' defense, the Purrloin and the Persian didn''t n to let them off easily. They jointlyunched an attack.


    The Power Gem and the Dark Pulse were sent simultaneously towards the three Honchkrow.


    In their moment of panic, the three Honchkrow saw their leader, the Honchkrow, instantly appear in front of them. With a spread of his wings, he used the Steel Wings skill, effortlessly dispersing the Persian''s Power Gem and the Purrloin''s Dark Pulse.


    "Honchkrow, Honchkrow!"


    The Honchkrow called out to the Purrloin and the Persian, warning them to stop.


    Although the Honchkrow wasn''t at the pseudo-Elite level, he was still not someone the Purrloin and the Persian could contend with. Moreover, the Honchkrow had a reputation for being cool and collected in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, unlike Chatot, who was a bit of an oddball.


    Thinking about it, both the Persian and the Purrloin looked at the Honchkrow with great caution, even letting go of their attacks.


    The Honchkrow watched the Purrloin family and the Persian couple and felt that they really weren''t behaving properly.


    In the past, when the Nales leader and the Houndoom leader were still in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, these Quadrupedal Pok��mon were restrained by them and had some rules to follow.


    Now that they had left, these guys were running wild.


    The reputation of the Purrloin family and the Persian couple in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark was somewhat known to the Honchkrow.


    Ah, the leader is so handsome!


    Looking at their leader''s dignified figure, the three Honchkrow had stars in their eyes.


    Ah, my wife is still so charming!


    Not far away, Swellow leader, watching the Honchkrow, had the look of an infatuated man.


    Swellow and the Honchkrow have been a couple for so long, and they even have children, but Swellow''s infatuation hasn''t diminished in the slightest.


    Although they thought the Purrloin family wasn''t behaving properly, as tribe leaders, the Honchkrow had to reprimand their subordinates. No matter what, group fights were not eptable.


    After scolding their own subordinates, the Honchkrow first inquired about the situation. Combining the information from the Honchkrow and Chatot''s ount, the situation was quickly rified.


    To be honest, even though Chatot was stronger than the Honchkrow, it was secretly afraid of them. Perhaps it was because they had been leading their tribe for a long time make Honchkrow developed a strong leadership''s aura, putting pressure on bird-like Pok��mon when facing them.


    After all, Honchkrow were ssified as "Big Boss Pok��mon" in their category.


    Comparatively, Swellow leader, didn''t exude that kind of aura.


    The Honchkrow leader ordered the three Honchkrow to return the Sharp Beak to Chatot. Although they were somewhat reluctant, they didn''t dare to disobey their leader''smand and had toply.


    Then, the Honchkrow leader warned Chatot to behave more calmly in the future, and together with their three subordinates and Swellow, they left. They didn''t spare a second nce at the Purrloin family, the Persian couple.


    The Chatot was quite considerate to the Honchkrow leader and Swellow leader but he left without giving the purrloin a good look.


    While the Purrloin family and the Persian couple weren''t pleased with the Honchkrow and Chatot''s attitude, they didn''t care how they were perceived by them and left together.


    Not long after, Yuga, who was busy in the shop, suddenly saw a Starly flying over to inform him that the Honchkrow leader was looking for him.


    This puzzled Yuga. The Honchkrow leader usually managed the flying-type Pok��mon tribe efficiently and was very reliable. So, why would he suddenly want to see him?


    Following the Starly, Yuga went to meet the Honchkrow leader in the Ecopark.


    The Honchkrow leader exined the situation between Chatot and the Purrloin to Yuga, emphasizing that they couldn''t allow the Purrloin and the Persian to continue causing trouble.


    The Honchkrow leader suggested that Yuga find a Pok��mon among the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark''s Quadrupedal Pok��mon who could control the situation as a leader.


    Yuga hadn''t expected such a situation to arise. Although the Purrloin family had a penchant for mischief, going too far was not eptable. He had heard some rumors about the Purrloin and the Persian, but he hadn''t imagined things would escte to this extent.


    Yuga thought that what the Honchkrow leader said made a lot of sense. When the Nales leader and the Houndoom leader were in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, the Pok��mon here were more well-behaved, and the Persian and his family didn''t cause much trouble.


    One couldn''t deny that managing a group of Pok��mon was challenging. A good tribe leader was truly reassuring, just like the Honchkrow leader.

 Chapter 690: Patrol

    <h4>Chapter 690: Patrol</h4>


    Yuga couldn''t find a suitable Pok��mon to serve as the leader of the grasnd Sub-Ecopark''s Quadrupedal Pok��mon for the time being. So, he thought for a while and decided to meet with Linoone.


    Yuga and Linoone discussed the situation and asked it to move to the grasnd Sub-Ecopark temporarily, taking on the role of leader for the Quadrupedal Pok��mon.


    Since the Fire-type Pok��mon had moved away, the number of Quadrupedal Pok��mon in the grasnd Sub-Ecopark had dwindled. Among them, the Pachirisu n, the Tauros n, and the Miltank n all had their own leaders and didn''t need other Pok��mon to manage them. Their own leaders had plenty of experience in management.


    There were also some Pok��mon that couldn''t be ssified as Quadrupedal.


    Pok��mon like Deino and Kabutops usually had Miltank taking care of them. The Swampert and Lombre were also well-behaved, so there was no need to worry about them.


    The ones that needed management and could be categorized as Quadrupedal were actually not many.


    This included Persian and his three wives (Delcatty), the Purrloin family (Purrloin, Liepard, Zorua, Zoroark), and four affy.


    The four affy, aside from leisurely grazing, weren''t interested in anything else, and their lifestyle was very simr to the two Gogoat in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    Among them, only Persian and the Purrloin family were known for causing trouble.


    Temporarily entrusting Linoone to manage them shouldn''t be a problem this time.


    In the world of Pok��mon, strength was highly respected. As one of the earliest Pok��mon to arrive at the Ecopark, Linoone''s strength was unquestionable.


    Aside from the big shots who were already Elite or pseudo-Elite, Linoone, Honchkrow Leader, Swallow Leader, Nales Leader, and Houndoom Leader were all among the top in terms of strength within the Ecopark.


    Among them, Honchkrow Leader and Nales Leader were the strongest.


    This wasn''t just because of their outstanding potential and hard work; Yuga also gave them special attention. As one of the earliest Pok��mon to follow him, Yuga had deep feelings for them and was willing to invest in them. He always tried to provide them with various resources.


    Actually, the potential of Swallow, Linoone, and Houndoom were not outstanding in Yuga''s Ecopark. They were average, to say the least. However, Yuga was willing to spare no effort, and their strength grew rapidly.


    Of course, their own efforts couldn''t be ignored.


    Especially Linoone.


    The reason it lived with Mightyena at the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark was to spar with thebat-loving Greninja.


    Before following Yuga, Linoone was just a yellow potential Pok��mon. With Yuga''s help, its potential improved, and it deeply understood that its current opportunities were hard toe by. Therefore, it worked harder than ordinary Pok��mon.


    After discussing with Yuga, Linoone readily agreed to Yuga''s request and moved with Mightyena to the grasnd Sub-Ecopark.


    However, Linoone and Mightyena were responsible for patrolling around the Pok��mon Day Care and the Gym. Linoone was a bit worried that it might not be able to handle the additional responsibilities.


    But in the end, Yuga gave it a great suggestion.


    During patrols, they could take Persian and the Purrloin family with them.


    After all, didn''t they enjoy causing trouble? They could assign them some work to keep them from getting bored (though they were always covered in fur).


    However, for Ourrloin''s mother, Zoroark, and sister, Zorua, Yuga decided to exempt them from this duty due to their identities, which could easily lead to trouble. Even though they had the ability to transform, the risks of exposure were still significant.


    But Purrloin and his dad, Liepard, had no way to escape.


    When Yuga notified Purrloin and Persian of this news, their expressions were very unsightly. Still, they didn''t dare to disobey Yuga''s orders.


    There was no choice. After all, they were now making a living under someone else''s house. At this point, having them experience life as wild Pok��mon again wasn''t an option.


    Wild Pok��mon might be free, but their current lives were much more enjoyable.


    Especially for Purrloin and Liepard.


    Because of their mother (wife) and sister (youngest daughter), they had had enough of days filled with constant anxiety in the past.


    Even though Purrloin and his father, Liepard, had somewhat rough personalities, they still had a basic sense of gratitude. So, even if they were unwilling, they would follow Yuga''s orders.


    From then on, a new patrol team was born in the YoYo Day Care.


    In the air, Great Flygon asionally led a few Flygon on patrol.


    In the shadows, Psychic-type Natus were monitoring.


    On the ground, Linoone and Mightyena couple, along with Purrloin, Liepard, Persian, and the three Delcatty, strolled through the streets and alleys.


    Purrloin and Persian had thought about ying some tricks during the patrol, but they were suppressed by Linoone and Mightyena.


    They couldn''t beat Linoone, nor could they beat its wife, Mightyena.


    Gradually, Purrloin and Persian epted their fate and obediently followed Linoone and his wife as they roamed the streets.


    Surprisingly, as cat-type Pok��mon, whether it was Purrloin, Liepard, Persian, or the Delcatty, they were all agile and light-footed Pok��mon. They moved silently and were very skilled at "walking on roofs and walls," making them well-suited for patrol and surveince work.


    The residents living near the YoYo Day Care and the Verdanturf Gymter found that there were often cat-like Pok��mon wandering around their yard walls, rooftops, and front yards.


    Gradually, they learned that these were Pok��mon from the YoYo Day Care on patrol.


    The security in the vicinity improved considerably.


    Once, a resident''s house was broken into by a thief and was seen by Purrloin, who happened to pass by. Without a word, Purrloin pounced on the thief, scratching his face so badly that it was a gruesome sight.


    However, even though Purrloin looked fierce, the nearby residents weren''t afraid of it.


    To thank these little guardians, they asionally fed them some food.


    However, these Pok��mon were quite aloof and paid no attention to the food, being very alert.


    This was all thanks to Linoone and Mightyena''s excellent guidance. They had instilled the idea that outside food should not be consumed, no matter who provided it.


    Purrloin, Liepard, and Persian were all former wandering Pok��mon. Linoone was afraid that they might be tempted by food and unable to move, so he specifically strengthened their training in this aspect.


    The news of YoYo Day Care using cat-type Pok��mon for patrols even reached the ears of Liliana. Inspired by this, Liliana also recruited a Persian.


    As a police officer, Liliana deeply understood that in some situations, agile cat-type Pok��mon were more useful than bulky dog-type Pok��mon.


    Liliana''s Arcanine and Herdier''s and it''s final evolution form, Stound, were both typicalrge dog-type Pok��mon.


    With Purrloin and Persian having jobs, the grasnd Sub-Ecopark finally returned to tranquility.

 Chapter 691: Slowpoke

    <h4>Chapter 691: Slowpoke</h4>


    On this day, a Miltank came to inform Yuga that a pair of Milotic living in the Lake Ind had startedying eggs. So, Yuga eagerly headed there.


    By the time Yuga arrived, the Milotic had finishedying their eggs, and the female Milotic was carefully protecting her offspring.


    There''s a significant difference in the way artificially bred Milotic and wild Milotic treat their offspring.


    Wild Milotic tend to abandon their offspring after birth, allowing them to fend for themselves without parental care.


    However, Feebas, due to their incredibly tenacious vitality, can survive quite well even without parental care.


    This is why people often see Feebas in the wild but rarely encounter Milotic nearby.


    Of course, wild Milotic are exceedingly rare, and most Feebas are born from other Feebas. This is one of the important reasons why it''s challenging to spot Milotic and Feebas together.


    Wild Milotic''s treatment of their offspring isn''t because they''re cruel or vicious by nature.


    It''s because they know that by doing so, the chances of their offspring evolving into Milotic will be greater.


    Even so, the chances of Feebas evolving still don''t increase significantly.


    However, artificially bred Milotic don''t exhibit this behavior.


    Since they''ve never been abandoned by their parents, they don''t abandon their own offspring. Instead, they mimic the attitudes and behaviors of other Pok��mon parents, nurturing their own offspring.


    Yuga''s Milotic were all evolved from Feebas bred long ago, so their attitude toward offspring is no different from regr Pok��mon.


    The pair of Miloticying eggs were both of yellow potential, and their offspring would also have yellow potential.


    green potential Milotic have faster growth in strengthpared to the yellow potential ones. So, when choosing partners, it''s rare for them to be interested in yellow potential Milotic.


    Therefore, this pair of yellow potential Milotic paired up on their own.


    Thisrgely avoided the issue Yuga worried about: failed gic selection.


    In Pok��mon Day Care, they always avoid pairing low potential Pok��mon with high potential ones because it''s detrimental to the gic selection of Pok��mon.


    Only after many generations of gic selection do the excellent genes of Pok��mon gradually be fixed, and the potential of the Pok��mon offspring increases and stabilizes.


    This is also why emerging Pok��mon Day Care can neverpete with the well-established ones.


    After years of operation, the Pok��mon Day Care have Pok��mon seeds that have undergone many rounds of gic selection, which neers can''t match.


    Yuga usually pays close attention to training the Pok��mon in the Ecopark, so the green or higher potential Pok��mon grow quickly in strength.


    By the time they choose their partners, the stronger, high potential Pok��mon naturally find it hard to be interested in the yellow potential ones who can''t keep up with them.


    This can be seen as Yuga''s strategy.


    He doesn''t want to overly influence the Pok��mon''s choice of partners, but he does want to optimize their genes. So, he can only raise their standards when selecting partners.


    However, this method isn''t absolute. Sometimes, a few high potential Pok��mon just happen to like lower potential ones, and Yuga can''t do anything about it. He has to let it happen naturally.


    But, overall, this method is very effective. Most Pok��mon select their partners based on their own strengths.


    This method isn''t very evident in small groups like Milotic but bes quite clear inrge groups like Gligar, Flygon, and uncher.


    After visiting the Milotic thatid eggs, Yuga suddenly noticed two Slowpoke lying leisurely by theke,zily swishing their tails.


    He suddenly became interested.


    How about breeding these two Slowpoke into a Slowking and a Slowbro, respectively?


    Saying it, Yuga started preparing as soon as he left the Ecopark.


    Cultivating a Slowking and a Slowbro just by two Slowpoke isn''t enough.


    To Evolve Slowpoke to Slowking and Slowbro, he will need Shellder as well as a King''s Rock. Shellder can be use to make Slowpoke evolve into Slowbro, while King''s Rock paired with Shellder can make it Evolve into Slowking.


    In the Ecopark, there were two Cloyster, but there were no Shellder.


    Obtaining the King''s Rock wasn''t a challenge for Yuga; he could easily buy it from the League Store despite its high price, thanks to his ample merit points.


    But obtaining two Shellder was proving to be a headache for Yuga.


    He didn''t want to randomly capture two Shellder with ordinary potential.


    Yuga didn''t have experience breeding Slowking and Slowbro, but based on the information he had researched, the potential of the Shellder paired with Slowpoke could influence the final potential of Slowking and Slowbro.


    However, the extent of this influence remained unclear to Pok��mon Professor.


    Two Pok��mon might both have green potential but possess different talent, even though they share the same potential. There could still be subtle differences.


    Unlike Yuga''s Insight ability, which could gauge the strength of same potential Pok��mon by their aura, the Pok��mon world''s potential assessment devices couldn''t reveal the nuances in the potential of Pok��mon.


    This wasn''t to say that researchers in the Pok��mon world were unaware of this. The profession of Trainer had existed for a long time, and this sort of thing was noticed.


    Although the impact of the Shellder''s potential on Slowking and Slowbro wasn''t obvious on potential assessment devices, differences could still be detected in unseen areas.


    So, Pok��mon potential were truly mysterious, an area that Pok��mon professor had been diligently researching.


    Yuga intended to do it right and not be irresponsible with the two Slowpoke.


    Finally, he thought of a ce where he could seek help: the Sootopolis Gym, one of YoYo Day Care''s current partners.


    As a well-known Water-type Gym in Hoenn, and even in the entire Pok��mon world, acquiring two Shellder with decent potential shouldn''t be a problem.


    YoYo Day Care had a very close rtionship with Sootopolis Gym now, thanks to their cooperation involving the Beautie and Extender Pok��blocks. YoYo Day Care had provided significant assistance to Sootopolis Gym.


    Furthermore, YoYo Day Care hadn''t publicly disclosed the existence of the Beautie Pok��block yet. They only cooperated with Sootopolis Gym, which earned Mr. Juan''s profound gratitude.


    Now, Sootopolis Gym''s Gym Leader was Wace, who had taken over the business-rted coborations with YoYo Day Care after the transition, so Yuga was quite familiar with him.


    Yuga called Wace and expressed his desire to acquire two Shellder through Sootopolis Gym''s channels, and Wace readily agreed to his request.


    ��


    Note: The descriptions of Milotic''s behavior in this story are fictional and do not necessarily reflect the official Pok��mon lore. Additionally, in this story, the breeding and evolution of Slowking and Slowbro are portrayed with certain liberties and do not align with the established Pok��mon lore.

 Chapter 692: Gains and Lossea

    <h4>Chapter 692: Gains and Lossea</h4>


    Not long after Yuga contacted Wace, Wace used a Pok��mon Trade Machine to send two Pok�� Balls to Yuga.


    Inside these Pok�� Balls were two Shellder with green potential, both bred by the Sootopolis Gym. They had just been born and were still very young.


    Yuga had initially intended to pay for these two Shellder, but Wace refused to ept any payment.


    ording to the rules, such Pok��mon transactions required going through official procedures, but Wace found it troublesome and decided to gift them to YoYo Day Care on behalf of the Sootopolis Gym.


    This way, they could avoid the hassle of paperwork.


    The market price for two Shellder with green potential was approximately 300,000 Pok��dor each, so Wace didn''t mind giving them away for free.


    Wace''s decision wasn''t solely based on having excess money but also stemmed from the close and friendly cooperation between the Sootopolis Gym and YoYo Day Care.


    He was benefiting from the coboration as well.


    Selling a favor to Yuga at this moment was worth more than 300,000 Pok��dor.


    With the two Shellder in his possession and the King''s Rock delivered from his order a couple of days ago, Yuga headed to the Ecopark to prepare for the evolutions of the two Slowpoke.


    Yuga had never cultivating these two Pok��mon before, but luckily, there were instructional videos avable online with sessful evolution cases to reference.


    Such videos were typically behind a paywall, but Yuga had no shortage of money. He purchased several instructional videos and spent a lot of time studying them.


    Upon arriving at the heart of Lake Isle on the Shallow Seashore, Yuga decided to evolve one of the Slowpoke into Slowbro first.


    The process of evolving Slowpoke into Slowbro was rtively simpler.


    The key to this evolution was for Slowpoke to use its tail to fish for a Shellder.


    The reason Shellder would bite onto Slowpoke''s tail was because it found Slowpoke''s tail incredibly delicious. In Shellder''s sensory perception, it could even detect the sweet scent emitted from Slowpoke''s tail.


    This was a conclusion drawn by Pok��mon Professor.


    Yuga even attempted to smell the Slowpoke''s tail but couldn''t detect any scent. It appeared that the human olfactory senses were quite different from those of Pok��mon.


    However, it was indeed true that Slowpoke''s tail was considered delicious.


    Although Yuga had never tasted it, he was aware of this fact.


    Slowpoke''s tails were a highly prized ingredient, found in some upscale restaurants. They were renowned not only for their exquisite taste but also for their nutritional value.


    In the Pok��mon world, there were dedicated Slowpoke tail farms specifically for producing Slowpoke tails as a delicacy.


    Slowpoke''s tails had a remarkable self-regeneration ability, and theycked any pain receptors, allowing them to grow back quickly after being cut. This process did not harm the Slowpoke''s health.


    However, Slowpoke could not have its tail removed too frequently, as each regeneration required a long period of rest.


    This was the reason why Slowpoke tails could not be mass-produced for the market.


    Hence, while legitimate Slowpoke tail farms were allowed in the Pok��mon League, unscrupulous businesses were severely penalized.


    In addition to Slowpoke tail farms, there was another simr ce known as the Leek Duck Cultivation Base.


    Contrary to its name, the Leek Duck Cultivation Base didn''t grow leeks but raised Farfetch''d to cultivate leeks.


    It was said that the leeks produced by the Leek Duck Cultivation Base were incredibly delicious, just like Shellder tails. They were considered top-tier ingredients.


    Of course, Yuga had never tasted them either.


    Both of these ingredients seemed quite expensive.


    Thinking about this, Yuga suddenly felt that despite being wealthy, he was still leading a rtively ordinary life.


    Yuga: How about we start breeding a group of Slowpoke in the Ecopark and catch some Farfetch''d to grow leeks in the future?


    Yuga released the Shellder into the heart of theke, near the area where the Slowpoke would evolve.


    Slowpoke had a natural instinct to fish with their tails in the water, and it was one of their favorite activities.


    However, even though Slowpoke''s tails were highly attractive to Shellder, getting Slowpoke to fish up Shellder andplete the evolution was not easy.


    In this process, Yuga couldn''t directly intervene, or he''d end up forcing Slowpoke''s tail into Shellder''s mouth.


    The Slowpoke had a nk expression, and its tail hung in the water, gently swaying, but Shellder showed no interest, making Yuga a bit anxious.


    Both of Yuga''s Slowpoke had met the conditions for evolution, so theoretically, they should evolve as long as they could catch a Shellder. However, these Shellder seemed slow-witted, and Shellder didn''t appear very intelligent either.


    Yuga scratched his head, unsure of what to do.


    At this moment, Yuga suddenly remembered something from the instructional videos he had watched. Although trainers couldn''t directly interfere, they could use some inducement.


    If Shellder, which was so close, wasn''t biting onto Slowpoke''s tail, maybe it felt that Slowpoke''s tail wasn''t tasty enough? Perhaps it didn''t smell sweet enough?


    With this thought in mind, Yuga went to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, found some Combee, and obtained some Sweet Honey. Then, he applied the Sweet Honey to the Slowpoke''s tails.


    After doing this, it didn''t take long for Shellder to react.


    Shellder gently opened its tightly closed shell, revealing its dark face and tender tongue hidden inside. Silently, it began to move towards Slowpoke.


    Slowpoke showed no reaction to this, still gazing nkly upward.


    Finally, Shellder couldn''t resist the enticing scent of Sweet Honey on Slowpoke''s tail. It suddenly lunged forward, gripping Slowpoke''s tail with its shell.


    At the moment when Shellder mped onto Slowpoke''s tail, a change finally appeared on Slowpoke''s previously stupid face.


    Its eyes widened abruptly, then squinted slightly, and it disyed an extremely content expression on its face, as if...


    As if...


    Then, Yuga witnessed the light of evolution.


    A milky white light enveloped Slowpoke and Shellder, and the forms of both Pok��mon began to change.


    Shellder became rounder and more robust, while Shellder elongated and securely fastened itself onto Slowpoke''s tail.


    When the light of evolution dissipated:


    ...


    <<slowbro>> </slowbro>


    Type: Water/Psychic


    Ability: Own Tempo


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Green


    Level: 39


    Moves: Curse, Yawn, Confusion, Water Gun, Disable, Water Pulse, Withdraw, Heal Pulse, Psyshock, Calm Mind, Block.


    ...


    Yuga observed Slowbro after evolution carefully and noticed that its potential had improved slightly, although not dramatically.


    Trading one green potential Slowpoke and one green potential Shellder for another green potential Slowbro, Yuga wasn''t sure if he had gained or lost in this exchange.


    Ignoring the potential aspect, Yuga was satisfied with the awakened moveset of this Slowbro. It had Heal Pulse for recovery and Calm Mind for strengthening, which was quite valuable.


    ��


    The Pok��dex mentioned that Farfetch''d was exceptionally delicious when eaten with a specific nt, which should be the leek it carried. However, this book won''t follow that setting; it''s more humane to just eat the leek.

 Chapter 693: Slowking

    <h4>Chapter 693: Slowking</h4>


    After the evolution of Slowbro wasplete, Yuga prepared to help another Slowpoke evolve into a Slowking.


    To evolve into a Slowking, the Slowpoke needed to wear the King''s Rock and then trade with a Shellder.


    So, Yuga handed the King''s Rock to the Slowpoke and went to the Pok��mon Center to ask for Joyka''s help, giving her the Pok�� Ball containing the Shellder.


    Yuga returned to the Gym and stood in front of the Gym''s Pok��mon Trade Machine.


    Yuga and Joyka ced the Pok�� Balls containing Slowpoke and Shellder respectively on the Trade Machine simultaneously.


    After the transfer wasplete, if sessful, Joyka would receive an empty Pok�� Ball, and Yuga would receive the Slowpoke wearing Shellder on it head.


    After a burst of light on the Trade Machine, Yuga received a new Pok�� Ball.


    Carefully, he opened the Pok�� Ball, and a red light shed as the Pok��mon inside was released.


    It was a Slowpoke with a Shellder mped onto its head.


    Soon after, both Pok��mon emitted a light of evolution, and the evolution process began.


    Slowpoke, which was on all fours, transformed into a bipedal stance. Shellder''s body gradually formed into a crown, firmly resting on Shellder''s head.


    When the light of evolution dissipated, a lively Slowking stood before Yuga.


    Throughout the entire evolution process, Yuga followed the instructional video meticulously, and the evolution was a great sess.


    ...


    <<slowking>> </slowking>


    Type: Water/Psychic


    Ability: Own Tempo


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 40


    Moves: Heal Pulse, Power Gem, Hidden Power (Ice), Curse, Yawn, Water Gun, Confusion, Disable, Water Pulse, Trick, Calm Mind, Psyshock, Psychic, Scald, Block.


    ...


    Just like Slowbro, after fusion evolution, Slowking''s potential improved slightly, but not significantly.


    However, Yuga felt that his Slowking''s expression seemed even more intelligent than the Slowking shown in the instructional videos.


    During Slowbro''s evolution, it was hard to tell due to its inherently drowsy appearance. However, Slowking, which appeared more intelligent, made it evident.


    Yuga''s Slowking stood with its hands behind its back, looking at him with intelligent eyes, exuding an air of calm confidence.


    Slowking belongs to the category of Royal Pok��mon.


    It is said that within a Slowpoke group, there can only be one Slowking, and Slowking holds an absolute leadership position within the group.


    This is quite simr to the status of a Vespiquen within a Combee colony.


    The difference is that a Combee''s group is mostlyposed of her offspring, while a Slowpoke group consists solely of other Slowpoke.


    Could it be that after a high potential Slowpoke and a high potential Shellder fuse and evolve, their greatest enhancement is their intelligence?


    The more Yuga thought about it, the more he felt this might be the case.


    Higher intelligence implies greater understanding, although a Pok��mon''s understanding is greatly influenced by its potential. Still, there are exceptions.


    For example, Solidad''s Butterfree, despite having a green potential, it possesses intelligence far superior to its peers.


    Yuga believed that his Slowbro and Slowking might have a simr situation.


    Of course, it was difficult to discern from Slowbro''s appearance alone.


    However, the definition of intelligence here was not equivalent to IQ, but rather closer to perceptiveness.


    Because Psychic-type Pok��mon generally had high intelligence, like Metagross, kazam, Oranguru, and Slowking, their intelligence was higher than that of ordinary humans.


    Especially Slowking, which had the title "the Sage of the Sea."


    Even Slowbro, though it appeared sluggish, wasn''t truly slow; it''s like Payduck who was simply suppressed by the overwhelming psychic power within its brain.


    This fact was evident in how precisely they executed a Trainer''smands during battles.


    So, intelligence and understanding were distinct, much like a physics genius not necessarily being proficient in philosophy.


    After the sessful evolution of Slowking, Yuga returned it to the Ecopark.


    Lying by the shore of Lake Verity, the Slowbro, lost in thought, finally showed a hint of emotion on its typically nk face when it saw itspanion return. It was a feeling of joy.


    Even after the evolution into Slowking, its appearance had changed, but Slowbro could still recognize its close friend, who it had spent so much time with.


    Yuga thought to himself that perhaps he could indeed raise a group of Slowpoke, with Slowking as their leader. It should be manageable.


    Moreover, Slowpoke, as Water and Psychic-types, were quite versatile.


    However, Yuga knew that daily training for Slowpoke would require careful nning. As far as he knew, there were only two trainers who excelled at training Slowpoke.


    One was Lorelei, one of the Elite Four in the Kanto region, and the other was Will, one of the Elite Four in the Johto region. Both of them had Slowbro in their main teams.


    Lorelei specialized in Water-type Pok��mon, while Will focused on Psychic-type Pok��mon, so their strengths were different.


    However, Yuga found Slowpoke quite adorable. Its nk expression, plump and soft body, exuded a unique cuteness.


    But for now, Yuga could only think about it. While Slowpoke wasn''t particrly rare, it wasn''t something you could find everywhere.


    Especially Slowpoke with good potential were even rarer.


    Most Slowpoke in the Slowpoke breeding farms weren''t of high potential. After all, high potential Slowpoke''s Tail no more delocious than the low potential Slowpoke''s tail. On the contrary, the cost cultivating high potential Slowpoke is much higher.


    If they were bred solely for food production, those breeding farms would have gone bankrupt long ago.


    Furthermore, who would be willing to send high potential Slowpoke to a breeding farm? Wouldn''t it be better to evolve them into Slowking or Slowbro, which were more prestigious?


    So, Yuga''s idea of introducing Slowpoke would have to be put on hold for now.


    After leaving the Ecopark and returning to his Store, Yuga was preparing for something when he saw the Persian walking in with a dirty Meowth in its mouth. Behind it were its three wives.


    It seemed like they had just returned from patrolling outside.


    The Persian ced the Mewoth it was carrying right in front of Yuga and let out a series of "Persian, Persian, Persian" sounds, as if telling Yuga something.


    "Is it injured?" Yuga asked the Persian.


    The Persian nodded and pushed the Meowth closer to Yuga, as if asking him to take care of it.


    Yuga chuckled, "I never thought the Persian, who usually acts like a thug, would be so caring."


    Could it be that it saw this Meowth and was reminded of its past self?


    He picked up the Meowth from the ground, ready to examine it. However, the Meowth seemed a bit frightened of him, both in its eyes and actions, trying to avoid him. But with a stern gaze from the Persian, it immediately settled down.

 Chapter 694: Taking In

    <h4>Chapter 694: Taking In</h4>


    .This Meowth was very dirty and emitted an unpleasant odor, indicating that it had a rough past.


    Yuga had dealt with many Pok��mon and encountered various situations, so he didn''t mind the smell and dirt on the Meowth.


    After a thorough examination, Yuga discovered that the issue with Meowth was a broken leg.


    This posed a bit of a challenge for Yuga.


    For minor burns, cuts, and injuries, he could use his special abilities or ask Audino, Chimecho, or Gardevoir for assistance, and it wouldn''t be a problem.


    But a broken leg was beyond his capabilities. If not properly set and treated, it would lead to a deformed and disabled leg once it healed.


    Yuga wasn''t a doctor and had no knowledge of bone setting, so he felt helpless in this situation.


    "We should go to the Pok��mon Center and find Nurse Joy," Yuga said to the Persian in frustration.


    The Persian nodded in agreement and followed Yuga to the Pok��mon Center.


    When it came to injuries like a broken bone, Yuga couldn''t help, but Joyka had dealt with simr cases before and would be able to heal Meowth''s leg in no time.


    After Joyka finished treating Meowth''s leg and handed it over to Yuga, she said, "You''re quite kind, always bringing Pok��mon home."


    Most stray Pok��mon in the town were abandoned by humans, usually due to poor potential. So, very few people bothered to rescue them.


    This was the third time Yuga had brought a Pok��mon to Joyka for treatment, so she already had a good idea of what was going on.


    Yuga shook his head and said, "This time it wasn''t me who brought it home. It was our little boss here."


    Yuga pointed to the Persian standing beside him.


    In response, the Persian turned its head away with an air of arrogance and even gave Yuga a little nudge.


    Joyka smiled at their interaction.


    "It''s quitemon for Persians and Honchkrow to share some simrities in their habits. They gather the Meowth living around them and lead them."


    Hearing Joyka''s words, Yuga suddenly recalled that it was indeed the case.


    Wild Persians never lived alone; they were always surrounded by a group of Meowth, following them closely.


    Just by hearing the name "Persian," one could tell that it shared some characteristics with Honchkrow.


    (Note: Persian Chinese name is Cat Boss while Honchkrow chinese name is Crow Chief)


    Moreover, there was usually only one Persian in a Meowth group, and if another one appeared, it would lead to intensepetition.


    Wild Persians weren''t verymon, and most Meowth groups didn''t have a Persian. Those with a Persian were usually the dominant ones in the vicinity.


    Thinking about it, Meowth, Persians, Murkrow, and Honchkrow did share many simrities in their behavior.


    For example, they all preferred nighttime activities, enjoyed collecting shiny objects, and even their group dynamics were quite simr.


    The biggest conflict between Meowth groups and Murkrow groups usually revolved around thepetition for shiny, glittering objects.


    It was no wonder that the Honchkrow leader in Yuga''s Ecopark didn''t get along with the Persian.


    Yuga brought Meowth back home and gave it a refreshing bath with warm water.


    Cats, in general, didn''t like water, and they certainly didn''t like baths. Fortunately, with the Persian overseeing, this Meowth behaved well during its bath.


    Yuga asked, "Now that you''ve brought it home, how do you n to arrange things?" as he spoke to the Persian and set a te of Pok��mon food in front of Meowth for it to eat.


    Meowth initially devoured the Pok��block but slowed down upon hearing Yuga''s question. It perked up its two ears, eager to know its fate. Would it be taken in or continue wandering the streets?


    Yuga had no intention of rejecting Meowth. Although its potential were quite ordinary, just typical orange potential, Yuga had no trouble providing food for a Meowth.


    However, since Meowth was brought back by the Persian and the Delcattys, Yuga hoped that they would take responsibility for it.


    He didn''t want the Persian to think it could get away with bringing home stray Pok��mon without contributing to their care.


    The Persian seemed puzzled by Yuga''s suggestion. It was already eating Yuga''s food and living in Yuga''s ce. It had no extra capacity to take care of another Meowth.


    It couldn''t let Meowth continue roaming the streets while it patrolled and scavenged for food, right?


    The three Delcattys looked at Yuga with hope, unsure of how to handle the situation.


    Meowth was even more anxious. It truly wanted to stay here, in this warm and clean ce.


    Yuga had anticipated this and said reluctantly, "Let me give you a suggestion."


    The Persian nodded in agreement, and the Delcattys watched Yuga eagerly.


    "You''ve been patrolling with the Linoone for a while now, and you''ve been diligent during this time. I''m satisfied with your work. How about you continue patrolling with this Meowth? It can be considered as working for me, and I''ll provide food for it. As for where it can stay, it can live in the Ecopark at the Gym."


    After the Gym''s Ecopark waspleted, it remained mostly vacant, except for Beidou and a few apprentices'' Pok��mon. Housing a Meowth wouldn''t be an issue.


    After hearing Yuga''s words, the Persian nodded repeatedly, looking quite pleased.


    Meowth, on the other hand, continued to make cry sound incessantly, expressing its joy through its cries.


    "Alright, alright. Since you''re not always so well-behaved, from now on, try not to cause any trouble for me, and I''ll thank you for it."


    Seeing the Persian and the Delcattys so happy, Yuga helplessly added.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, the Persian''s expression stiffened, and its face disappeared once again. It gave Yuga another nudge with its head in a haughty manner.


    Yuga didn''t mind the Persian''s attitude; he understood its personality. It didn''t really have any grievances against him.


    "Well then, take Meowth and settle down in the Gym''s Ecopark for now. You''ll be responsible for it from now on."


    Yuga smiled and ruffled the Persian''s soft fur on its head.


    It had to be said that the Persian''s fur felt quite pleasant to touch. It was no wonder the Pok��dex mentioned that the Persian''s fur was as smooth as top-grade silk.


    Yuga could now understand why Giovanni of Team Rocket doted on his Persian so much.


    After Yuga stroked it, the Persian''s expression was quite unnatural. It made a soft sound of disapproval and then quickly gathered Meowth and its three wives before dashing outside.


    At that moment, Yuga still didn''t know that he had set a precedent, and from this point on, the Persian would be quite uncontroble.

 Chapter 695: Anxiety

    <h4>Chapter 695: Anxiety</h4>


    On this day, Yuga received four Water Stone he had ordered from the League Store. He took them with him to the Ecopark.


    After helping two Slowpokes evolve, Yuga noticed that four Lombre were also at the stage where they could evolve. So, he had ordered four Water Stone a few days ago for this purpose.


    With the assistance of the Water Stone, the evolution of the Lombre went smoothly, and they all evolved into Ludicolo.


    Compared to the quiet Lombre, Ludicolo were much more outgoing. Besides helping with tending to the herb fields, they sang and danced joyfully.


    The entire Grasnd Sub-Ecopark seemed toe alive because of these four.


    When Yuga left the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark and returned to the main Ecopark, he was suddenly engulfed in a bear hug from a Dragonite that had leaped out from behind the Light Gate in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    "What''s got you so excited?" Yuga asked as he pushed Dragonite away, barely escaping being crushed. If it weren''t for his decent physical condition, that hug might have suffocated him.


    "Dragonite..." Dragonite pointed to itself and struck a bodybuilding pose.


    "You''ve broken through?" Yuga inquired, his eyes lighting up with excitement.


    Dragonite nodded happily.


    ...


    <<dragonite>> </dragonite>


    Type: Dragon/Flying


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Multiscale


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 61


    Moves: Rain Dance, Twister, Dragon Dance, Thunder Wave, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Extreme Speed, Fire Punch, Brick Break, Roost, Outrage, Dragon Rush, Hurricane, Dragon w, Stone Edge, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch.


    ...


    Yuga used his Insight Ability to confirm it; indeed, Dragonite had sessfully broken through to the pseudo-Elite level.


    During this time, Dragonite had been training diligently under the guidance Dragonite''s Mother, and had barely left the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    Dragonite''s mother was truly a Champion level Pok��mon. In such a short time, she had sessfully helped Dragonite break through to the pseudo-Elite level.


    Apart from leveling up, Dragonite had also learned three practical moves from its mother: Dragon Dance, Dragon Rush, and Ice Punch.


    Coupled with the Fire Punch and Thunder Punch it had learned on its own, Dragonite had finallypleted its "Farmer''s Three Punches," even though it had initially started slower than Chimecho and Vivillon. Now it had caught up and more than lived up to its repution as Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon.


    potential was essential, but being born into the right family was crucial too!


    Sometimes, it was all about the experience.


    As Dragonite''s breakthrough was so smooth, its recent training task was consideredpleted. Its mother was satisfied with Dragonite''s progress and gave it some time off to rest.


    With Dragonite''s mother assisting in teaching Dragonite, Yuga saved a lot of effort and avoided many detours.


    Even though Dragonite''s mother was proficient in Ice-type moves and Dragonite excelled in Electric-type moves, there were still manymonalities in their energy and skill usage.


    In addition to this, Dragonite was currently attempting toprehend the red Dragon Scale left behind by its father with the help of its mother.


    This Dragon Scale contained a vast amount of Dragon-type power, which would greatly benefit Dragonite''s growth.


    At this moment, the red Dragon Scale was attached to Dragonite''s chin, making it quite conspicuous against its yellow scales.


    To celebrate Dragonite''s sessful breakthrough, Yuga had Audino cook a delicious meal for all his main Pok��mon. It was a reward for their hard work and dedication during this period of training.


    Florges and Absol sessfully broke through their limits one after another. Even their junior, Dragonite, had surpassed them. Vivillon and Chimecho were feeling a bit anxious because of this.


    As they returned to their training, Vivillon and Chimecho put even more effort into their practice. At this stage of their development, it was not just about physical training and skill improvement; it was more aboutprehension.


    Only when they fully understood their own attributes could they break through smoothly. The deeper their understanding of their elemental strengths, the more adept they would be at using their skills, ultimately advancing their power.


    This was one of the reasons why many trainers emphasized the importance of a Pok��mon''s innate potential because without it, they might struggle toprehend their true potential.


    Yuga sometimes wanted to tell Vivillon and Chimecho not to rush, as impatience could hinder their growth. However, it seemed that Vivillon and Chimecho weren''t very receptive to this advice.


    Yuga probably understood their feelings. The order in which his main Pok��mon were captured was: Florges, Absol, Vivillon, and Chimecho. All other Pok��mon were capturedter. These four had been with Yuga the longest.


    However, the neer, Dragonite, achieved pseudo-Elite level right away. Even Gengar and Mismagius is already reach Elite level due to their unique experiences.


    Then came the breakthroughs of Florges and Absol, who got along day and night.


    The Grass-type Pok��mon didn''t bother Vivillon and Chimecho much because they were considered the seniors in that group.


    But seeing Florges and Absol in front of them and Dragonite and Lapras behind them, easily breaking through while they remained stuck was adding psychological pressure.


    As a result, Vivillon started frequently visiting Vespiquen No. 1 in Amber Castle, and Chimecho could often be seen near Gardevoir.


    Yuga observed both of them spending a lot of time on training daily, and he could see their progress. However, he felt like something was still missing for them to break through to pseudo-Elite level.


    Often, the more anxious you be, the harder it is to achieve what you desire, and this was the situation Vivillon and Chimecho had found themselves in.


    In theory, as Pok��mon with Indigo potential, breaking through to pseudo-Elite level shouldn''t be too difficult for them. Especially since Chimecho was learning from Gardevoir, who was once considered a Legendary Pok��mon.


    Yet, for some reason, they were stuck.


    Yuga knew it was a mental block, and he wanted to guide them, but he didn''t know where to start.


    One day, while Yuga was working at the store, he suddenly felt like there was a voice calling out to him, which was quite strange.


    Could it be that he was about to experience something like the protagonists in fantasy novels, where a unique encounter awaited him?


    Regardless, Yuga feltpelled to investigate.


    So, he mounted his Charizard and followed the calling voice.


    The voice was noting from within Verdanturf Town but from the outskirts.


    Yuga rode his Charizard until he arrived at a forest on the outskirts of Verdanturf Town.


    Although the season was approachingte autumn, the leaves in the woods had not yet fully fallen due to the climate.

 Chapter 696: Temporary Farewell

    <h4>Chapter 696: Temporary Farewell</h4>


    Yuganded on a slightly yellowed grassy field, riding his Charizard. He jumped off the Charizard, feeling that the calling voice was nearby but unsure of its exact location.


    "Human, you''vee!"


    As Yuga looked around, trying to find the source of the call, a voice sounded from above him. To his surprise, he saw a Deoxys floating in the air.


    "You... you are..."


    Yuga stammered, not expecting Deoxys to be the one calling him. The only Deoxys he had encountered before was in the Mount Cor.


    "Don''t you remember me?" Deoxys asked in return.


    "Yes, yes, we met in the Mount Cor," Yuga replied, recalling their encounter when Deoxys had just awakened and couldn''tmunicate with humans, using a psychic link to convey its thoughts.


    Now it seemed that Deoxys had be proficient in using its psychic abilities to understand human speech without needing a direct link.


    Deoxys nodded gently in response to Yuga''s recognition and slowly descended from the sky.


    "I''ve been traveling since leaving the Mount Cor and wanted to visit Verdanturf Town and see you," Deoxys exined.


    Roughly speaking, it could be considered asing all the way to see him! Yuga thought with some amusement. Having a Legendary Pok��mon visit was quite a big deal.


    Yuga could tell that Deoxys had adapted well to the Pok��mon world during its travels, learning a lot about this world''s knowledge andmon sense.


    However, Yuga believed that Deoxys hade to see not him but rather its "mother."


    Back when the meteorite that birthed Deoxys emitted a strong maic field that disrupted the maic field around the Mount Cor, even Deoxys itself was helpless. Now, that same meteoritey quietly in Yuga''s system backpack.


    "By the way, I want to thank you," Deoxys suddenly said.


    "Huh? Th-thank me?" Yuga was puzzled, not sure what Deoxys was referring to. Was it about him safeguarding the meteorite?


    "When we parted ways, you warned me not to approach high altitudes. When I arrived in Verdanturf, I was curious and tried it. I encountered a very strong Pok��mon, and I knew I couldn''t defeat it, so I sneaked away."


    Deoxys exined, reminding Yuga of that casual remark he had made.


    Well, even a Legendary Pok��mon couldn''t resist fleeing from such an embarrassing situation as running away. Yuga had casually mentioned it, not expecting Deoxys to take it so seriously.


    "Hehe, I''m d you''re okay. That Pok��mon you encountered is called Rayquaza, the guardian of the atmosphere in the Pok��mon world. Since youe from an unknown universe, it wouldn''t allow you to appear in its territory, high above the atmosphere."


    Yuga exined with a chuckle.


    "I see," Deoxys realized, "I''ll try to avoid contact with it in the future."


    After living in the Pok��mon world for some time, Deoxys had grown fond of this colorful worldpared to the cold, dark universe. So, it had no intention of returning.


    Just as they were conversing, Deoxys suddenly approached Yuga closely. "Why do I feel a simr aura from you?"


    Yuga was startled by Deoxys''s sudden movement but then understood what it meant.


    The "simr aura" Deoxys mentioned was likely referring to Chimecho.


    So, Yuga took out Chimecho''s Pok�� Ball and released it.


    "This Pok��mon..."


    Looking at Chimecho before it, Deoxys seemed puzzled. While it didn''t share any physical resemnce with it self, but it did emit a simr psychic energy fluctuation.


    "Let me exin," Yuga took the initiative to rify the situation.


    He exined how he had acquired half of Deoxys''s core, and how Chimecho had absorbed that energy core, sharing the same psychic connection as a result.


    It wasn''t a particrly significant secret.


    "I see, I didn''t expect us to have such destiny," Deoxys said, understanding the situation better.


    After listening to Yuga''s exnation, Deoxys spoke with a sense of nostalgia.


    Yuga was surprised to find that Deoxys had learned quite well, even using the word "destiny." He could only chuckle awkwardly.


    "Well, how about you let me take care of Chimecho for a while?" Deoxys suggested after thinking for a moment.


    "Are you nning to take Chimecho for training?" Yuga asked in astonishment.


    Deoxys nodded and said, "ording to your exnation, it''s like a half-rtive to me now. I can see it''s facing some trouble, so I thought I''d help it out."


    Upon hearing Deoxys''s proposal, Yuga was about to agree, and Chimecho seemed thrilled, eagerly looking at Yuga. Although it would be hard to part ways for a while, the opportunity to be personally taught by a Legendary Pok��mon was priceless.


    Yuga had already intended to agree when he realized Chimecho''s excitement.


    "You should give me my meteorite as well," Deoxys added.


    Although Yuga was puzzled, he retrieved the enormous meteorite from his system backpack.


    After settling in Yuga''s system backpack for some time, the massive meteorite had lost its connection to the outside world, and its maic field had stabilized. While it couldn''t guarantee the meteorite''s safety in the future, at least for now, it posed no threat.


    Seeing his meteorite, Deoxys reached out, and Chimecho flew toward it. Then, Deoxys''s eyes glowed purple, and Chimecho suddenly fainted.


    "What are you..." Yuga began to question, puzzled by Deoxys''s actions. He couldn''t fathom why Deoxys would harm Chimecho, especially when there was no need for such a disy of force.


    However, Deoxys didn''t answer directly. Its purple eyes grew even brighter as it reached out and pushed Chimecho, who disappeared into the meteorite.


    After Chimecho vanished, Deoxys breathed a sigh of relief. "The energy core inside the meteorite wasn''t fully developed. I''m helping itplete its development."


    Yuga nodded, finally understanding Deoxys''s intention.


    "However, it''s just a hypothesis, and I can''t guarantee sess. But the meteorite''s maic field can be suppressed with Chimecho inside."


    Deoxys continued to exin, and Yuga realized there was an unspoken part: if Chimecho''s development seeded, the meteorite would be obsolete, and its maic field would cease to exist.


    "Are you taking the meteorite with you?" Yuga asked.


    "Yes," Deoxys replied, nodding. It then created a spatial portal with a hand gesture and stored the meteorite inside.


    Yuga had seen Deoxys''s subspace during their time in the Mount Cor, so he didn''t find this disy surprising.


    Although Yuga felt a great sense of attachment to Chimecho and didn''t want to part with it, he understood that this separation was necessary for Chimecho''s growth. He concealed his feelings of reluctance and epted the decision.


    ��


    Note: The concept of Deoxys having ess to subspace is not something the author created but is based on events from the original Pok��mon anime series. The encounter with Deoxys in the Mount Cor is adapted from that storyline, although the specific episode number is not remembered.

 Chapter 697: Migration

    <h4>Chapter 697: Migration</h4>


    One week after parting ways with Chimecho, Yuga was arranging a ce for a Skitty in the gym''s Ecopark.


    Yes, this Skitty was another one of the stray Pok��mon that Persian and the Delcattys had brought home.


    Ever since Yuga had agreed to let that Meowth help with his work, it seemed like Persian and the Delcattys had found some kind of switch to open, as they were constantly bringing back stray Pok��mon.


    And they seemed to have a preference for cat Pok��mon.


    In the town of Hoenn, the cat Pok��mon that could appear were mainly Meowth and Skitty.


    So, they alternated between bringing back a Meowth one day and a Skitty the next.


    Meowth and Skitty weren''t particrly rare Pok��mon and weremonly found in most towns, so over this period, Persian and the Delcattys had brought back over ten Meowth and Skitty.


    Stray Pok��mon without Persian''s leadership and Skitty Pok��mon, which didn''t particrly like living in groups, were generally in a disadvantaged position among the stray Pok��mon.


    So, these Pok��mon they brought back had various issues.


    Yuga wasn''t a professional Doctor, at most, he could treat minor injuries, so he gradually became a regr at the Pok��mon Center.


    Joyka had gotten used to this.


    Most of the Pok��mon that were abandoned or roamed outside were Pok��mon with poor potential.


    So, the Meowth and Skitty brought back by Persian and the Delcattys were mainly red and orange in potential.


    Yellow potential ones were few and far between.


    But what could Yuga do?


    Persian and the Delcattys had already brought them back, and Yuga had set a precedent for taking in Meowth, so he couldn''t just be selective or show favoritism!


    So, he had to keep those Meowth and Skitty.


    Especially for Skitty, there was an additional problem.


    That was, apart from the humans who hatched them from eggs, they were very difficult to get close to other humans.


    So, although these Skitty they had brought back looked cute and lively, they weren''t particrly close to Yuga.


    At most, they saw Yuga as a caregiver and only obeyed Persian and the Delcattys who brought them back.


    But Yuga didn''t mind that. As long as they were well-behaved and obedient, he didn''t see any problems with that.


    Fortunately, Yuga had a high affinity for Pok��mon, so although these Skitty weren''t particrly close to him, they didn''t dislike him.


    Yuga felt like he had dug himself a huge hole.


    One could imagine that in the future, Persian and the Delcattys would definitely bring back more stray cats.


    In the end, all these Meowth and Skitty were hired by Yuga to follow Persian and the Delcattys to patrol around YoYo Day Care.


    Taking in these stray Pok��mon, Yuga considered it an act of kindness.


    He had earned quite a bit of money, and it was time to give back to society.


    These Pok��mon weren''t meant for battle, they didn''t participate in training either, and they didn''t need high energy food like Pok��blocks, so they were rtively easy to take care of.


    Because of this, Persian and the Delcattys'' patrols becamerger andrger.


    The range they patrolled gradually expanded, from the vicinity of the YoYo Day Care and the Verdanturf Gym to the surrounding neighborhoods, and even towards other parts of Verdanturf Town.


    Yuga could understand what the Pok��mon were saying since he could understand Pok��monnguage, so they often told him about trivial things happening in Verdanturf Town.


    This made Yuga almost a town gossip.


    Who lost a patch of vegetables today, and who had a fight with their spouse tomorrow, Yuga knew it all.


    On the other hand, Linoone, Mightyena, Purrloin, and Liepard continued to guard around the YoYo Day Care and the Verdanturf Gym, never going anywhere else.


    After arranging things for Skitty, Yuga returned to the YoYo Day Care and happened to see Liliana with a young man waiting for him in the shop.


    Observing the man''s attire, Yuga thought, "A forest ranger?"


    Yuga had seen forest rangers before and knew their distinctive clothing.


    Seeing Yuga return, Liliana took a step forward and said, "You''re finally back."


    Yuga smiled and asked, "What can I do for you? And who is this?"


    Yuga and Liliana had known each other for a while and had coborated many times, so their interactions were quite casual.


    Liliana replied, "Oh, right, let me introduce you. This is a forest ranger from the Petalburg Forest. He''s here today to request your assistance."


    "Sure, let''s go inside and talk about it."


    With that, Yuga led the two of them to the meeting room inside.


    It didn''t take long for Yuga to learn the reason why this forest ranger, whose name was Zaden, hade to seek his help.


    Zaden''s work area was within the Petalburg Forest, but given the forest''s vastness, he wasn''t the only forest ranger there. In total, there were four of them.


    Now, in the deep autumn season, arge number of Beautifly and Dustox were migrating in the Petalburg Forest.


    Every year at this time, Beautifly and Dustox in the forest would form pairs and migrate to warmer regions.


    By the following spring, they would return to the Petalburg Forest toy eggs and raise the next generation of Wurmple.


    However, during this time, the Swellow and Taillow in the Petalburg Forest would take the opportunity tounch attacks on the mating Beautifly and Dustox.


    In nature, such rtionships of predator and prey were not meant to be interfered with by humans.


    But the Beautifly and Dustox in the Petalburg Forest faced a unique situation��they suffered significant losses during their annual migration.


    If the Swellow and Taillow were allowed to continue their attacks, there would be very few Beautifly and Dustox able to return next year.


    This would be detrimental to the ecological bnce of the Petalburg Forest.


    So, Zaden''s purpose ining here was to request Yuga''s assistance.


    In previous years, matters like these were handled by the trainers from the Petalburg Gym and the Rustboro Gym.


    Rustboro City, Petalburg City, Oldale Town, and Verdanturf Town were the fourrgest towns and citys around the Petalburg Forest.


    Previously, like Oldale Town, Verdanturf Town didn''t have a gym, but this year, Mr. Norman from the Petalburg Gym rmended Verdanturf Gym to take over this responsibility.


    "I see," Yuga said after hearing Zaden''s exnation. "I understand, and I''ll help. It''s the right thing to do."


    "That''s wonderful, thank you, Gym Leader Shimizu!" Zaden was relieved after hearing Yuga''s assurance.


    Zaden had heard about Yuga, an Elite level trainer that currently in the limelight, and getting his help made him much more confident.


    He hadn''t been a forest ranger for long, and this was the first time he encountered the migration of Beautifly and Dustox in the Petalburg Forest, so he had some worries.


    The reason he came to Yuga for help was that his area was closest to Verdanturf Town. Another forest ranger, closer to Rustboro City, had gone to seek assistance there.

 Chapter 698: Deep Affection

    <h4>Chapter 698: Deep Affection</h4>


    Three dayster, at the request of forest ranger Zaden, Yuga arrived at the edge of the Petalburg Forest, where Zaden was already waiting for him.


    This time, Yuga didn''t bring many other Pok��mon with him; he had brought Absol, Vivillon, Dragonite, Charizard, Gengar, and a Mismagius.


    There is also Chatot who wants to follow him for nothing.


    Yuga had brought Absol to serve as and mount.


    As for bringing other Pok��mon, the reason was straightforward. Since they needed to prevent Swellow and Taillow from attacking Beautifly and Dustox, Yuga felt it would be more convenient to have some flying Pok��mon along.


    Sometimes, Yuga had the illusion that he was a Flying-type Trainer considering how many Flying-type Pok��mon he had.


    He left Lapras behind because it was too slow and couldn''t catch up with Flying-type Pok��mon. Gardevoir didn''t apany him either because it had been dominantting the body in the past few days, so it decided to give control of the body back to Gardevoir (male) again.


    Gardevoir (male) probably didn''t want to go with Yuga either; it preferred staying in the Ecopark with Shellgon.


    Yuga dismounted from Charizard and addressed Zaden, who had been waiting for him. "I''m sorry for keeping you waiting."


    Zaden quickly shook his head and said, "It''s okay, I just got here as well."


    He showed great respect towards Yuga.


    While there were still people outside who questioned Yuga''s true strength as an Elite level Trainer, within the Pok��mon League, his abilities had been confirmed beyond a doubt.


    This was because both Steven and Phoebe knew the extent of Yuga''s true power, and they held influential positions within the League. They couldn''t possibly fail to report Yuga''s actual capabilities.


    It was precisely for this reason that the League had chosen Yuga to groom him into a star Trainer.


    The presence of star Trainers was crucial for the League as they could help establish a positive image and influence social trends.


    The Elite Four of the League were essentially star Trainers at the pinnacle, although there were significant differences between them and regr star Trainers like Yuga.


    The Elite Four held official League positions, which were not easily attained.


    "Where are we headed now?" Yuga asked as he released Absol and mounted it. Chatot naturally perched on his shoulder.


    Seeing Chatot following Yuga, Zaden didn''t find it strange at all, so he replied, "Every year, Beautifly and Dustox gather in a specific location for their courtship. We''ll go directly there. Swellow and Taillow usuallyunch their final attacks at that spot."


    "Alright, you know the area better than I do. If you need anything from me, just let me know. Let''s get going," Yuga said.


    With that, they set off.


    Chatot flew up from the Yuga shoulder andnded on Absol''s head, looking very proud.


    While Zaden rode on his sturdy Luxray, amon choice for forest rangers.


    The profession of a forest ranger was unique, and they didn''t raiserge numbers of Pok��mon like other Trainers. However, there were two types of Pok��mon that forest rangers often trained:nd mounts and flying mounts. These two types ofpanions yed a crucial role in their missions.


    Therefore, forest rangers were quite selective when choosing these partners. Those who worked near rivers,kes, and seas would also train Water-type mounts.


    As it was already deep autumn, most of the leaves in the Petalburg Forest had turned yellow, giving it a somewhat deste appearance.


    Yuga nced up and asionally spotted scattered Beautifly and Dustox flying in the same direction.


    "We haven''t reached the time when Beautifly and Dustox gather inrge numbers yet. Just wait for a couple more days; their courtship event will be truly spectacr," Zaden exined.


    Yuga nced up at a Beautifly flying across the sky, Zaden remarked.


    Yuga nodded in response.


    "However, I''ve heard about it from other forest rangers. This is my first year in the Petalburg Forest, so I haven''t actually witnessed that spectacle," Zaden added, scratching the back of his head with a somewhat silly grin.


    Yuga smiled and said, "I haven''t seen it either, but it should be quite beautiful."


    "Ha, what''s so appealing about a bunch of bugs? Am I not good-looking enough?" Chatot suddenly chimed in, puffing up its chest and proudly disying its colorful feathers when it heard Yuga praise the Beautifly.


    While Chatot did have colorful feathers, it wasn''t necessarily good-looking.


    Startled by Chatot suddenly speaking, Zaden looked at it in surprise.


    "Pay no mind to it; that''s just how it is," Yuga said, giving Chatot a stern look, then turned to Zaden with a smile.


    Afterwards, Yuga released his Vivillon, which flew over to Chatot and chatted with it in chirpy sounds. Chatot quickly surrendered.


    "Miss, I didn''t mean you! You''re beautiful, much prettier than me!" Chatot said, and once Vivillon left, it returned to perching on Absol, muttering under its breath, "Hmph, having connections sure makes a difference!"


    As Yuga and Zaden chatted idly, time passed unnoticed, and they had covered quite a distance.


    Suddenly, they witnessed a Swellow chasing a Beautifly in their direction.


    The Beautifly panicked, evading Swellow''s attacks, but it was repeatedly pecked by Swellow''s sharp beak and sustained considerable injuries, swaying unsteadily in the air.


    Vivillon, another butterfly Pok��mon like Beautifly, immediately took action, firing a powerful Psychic that hit the arrogant Swellow.


    Swellow was knocked back but quickly regained itsposure and, upon seeing Vivillon,unched an angry counterattack.


    Several transparent Razor Winds were sent toward Vivillon, but it easily deflected them using a Light Screen.


    How could a wild Swellow that had appeared out of nowherepete with Yuga''s well-trained Vivillon?


    Soon, Vivillon defeated Swellow, which flew away dejectedly.


    From Swellow''s perspective, it hadn''t done anything wrong. Under normal circumstances, Yuga and the others wouldn''t have interfered to help Beautifly. In the natural world, there were no absolute concepts of right or wrong in battles; it was just that Beautifly was in a disadvantaged position, making it more sympathetic to people.


    However, the situation in the Petalburg Forest was unique. Yuga and his group were here specifically to assist Beautifly and Dustox.


    When the saved Beautifly finally rxed, it took a sigh of relief and plummeted from the sky. However, Vivillon caught it with a Psychic.


    With the care provided by Yuga and his group, the Beautifly quickly regained consciousness.


    But surprisingly, this Beautifly had fallen in love with Yuga''s Vivillon and began joyfully performing a courtship dance in front of it.


    Yuga''s Vivillon was female, and this Beautifly was unquestionably male.

 Chapter 699: Harsh Winter

    <h4>Chapter 699: Harsh Winter</h4>


    Yuga''s Vivillon fluttered gracefully in the air, while a rather ordinary-looking Beautifly danced around it in an attempt to court the Vivillon. However, Yuga''s Vivillon showed no interest in the persistent Beautifly and decisively rejected its advances.


    Initially, the Beautifly refused to give up, thinking that perhaps its courtship dance wasn''t beautiful enough. So, it danced even more vigorously, performing increasingly intricate and captivating moves.


    But Yuga''s Vivillon remained unswayed.


    Having been with Yuga for a long time, it had encountered numerous Elite, Champion, and Legendary Pok��mon. Its discerning eyes were different from those of ordinary Pok��mon, and it couldn''t be easily won over by wild Pok��mon from outside.


    In the end, the Beautifly had no choice but to fly sadly towards the gathering ce for Beautifly and Dustox looking for mates.


    On their way, Yuga and his Pok��mon encountered several more Beautifly and Dustox with simr intentions, all of whom were coldly dismissed by Vivillon.


    Today, Yuga and his team were simply exploring the territory under the jurisdiction of the Zaden.


    Because it would still take three to five days until Beautifly and Dustox gathered inrge numbers in a specific area.


    By that time, they would rendezvous with other forest rangers.


    As evening approached and darkness fell, Zaden led Yuga to a wooden cabin. This cabin was specifically built for the forest rangers working in the area.


    Since Zaden was no longer the first owner of this ce, the cabin still bore the atmosphere of its previous residents, and all the necessary daily items were readily avable.


    Besides Zaden, there was also an Electivire living in the cabin.


    This Electivire wasn''t one of Zaden''s Pok��mon; it had originally been a wild Pok��mon in the Petalburg Forest.


    However, starting from an unknown generation of forest rangers, this Electivire had begun assisting the rangers in their work, rendering invaluable help to sessive generations of forest rangers.


    Over the years, the Electivire had grown older, and it had now been designated to spend its retirement here.


    All the forest rangers who came to work in this area were instructed to take good care of it.


    At night, while Yuga was peacefully sleeping, Gengar quietly woke him up. Gengar pointed outside, and Yuga could hear the voices of Electivire and Zaden''s Luxray.


    Was something happening?


    Yuga immediately woke up Zaden, who had been sleeping next to him.


    Upon hearing the alert calls of the two Pok��mon, Zaden quickly regained consciousness and, with Yuga, went outside in the cover of darkness.


    Zaden shone a shlight around but didn''t notice anything unusual. Instead, they saw Electivire and Luxray surrounding three or four severely injured Wurmple.


    Zaden sighed and, after a moment of hesitation, decided to bring the injured Wurmple inside the cabin.


    Inside the cabin, Yuga assisted in treating the injured Wurmple while asking Zaden, "Why did these Wurmplee here sote at night?"


    Zaden replied, "They must have been attacked by something and sought refuge here."


    The Wurmple n in the Petalburg Forest knew that when this time of year arrived, the forest rangers would be their protectors. In times of danger, they instinctively sought help from the rangers.


    "But even if we save them, their fate may still be difficult to change," Zaden added with a slight pause.


    Yuga was puzzled and didn''t understand the meaning behind Zaden''s words.


    "Why do you say that?" Yuga inquired, seeking rification.


    "Well, think about it," Zaden began. "In just a few days, the Beautifly and Dustox in the Petalburg Forest will engage in a massive mating ritual, followed by migration. Yet, these Wurmple are still just Wurmple."


    Yuga''s confusion deepened. He didn''t grasp the significance of Zaden''s statement.


    "You see," Zaden continued, "even if we save them, they may struggle to adapt to the changes brought about by the uing events. Their fate might remain challenging."


    Yuga still couldn''t fullyprehend Zaden''s words, but he nodded, acknowledging the uncertainty of the situation.


    The night continued, and Yuga remained by the injured Wurmple''s side, tending to their wounds and silently pondering the mysteries of the Pok��mon world.


    "Even though Bug-type Pok��mon evolve quickly, it''s challenging for them toplete the transformation from Wurmple to Beautifly in just a few days," Zaden exined, sighing again.


    Yuga frowned as he understood the implications. Wurmple unable to keep up with the majority would be left behind in the Petalburg Forest, and their numbers wouldn''t be sufficient to organize another migration.


    After the onset of winter, even if these Wurmple eventually evolved into either Beautifly or Dustox, they would still face the harsh cold and might not survive. Even if they managed to endure the low temperatures of winter, they could be reserves for starving Taillow or Swellow during the winter season.


    Of course, these Wurmple would also struggle with food shortages themselves.


    Despite the warmer climate in the Hoenn regionpared to other areas, the Petalburg Forest was ind. Warm sea breezes couldn''t reach this ce, resulting in more distinct seasonal changes in the forest. Therefore, the winter temperatures in the Petalburg Forest weren''t much higher than in other regions.


    Thinking about this, Yuga looked at the injured Wurmple with sympathy. He realized that Zaden must have been conflicted about whether or not to save these Wurmple earlier. Regardless of whether they were saved or not, their ultimate fate seemed grim.


    For these Wurmple, the Pok��mon League couldn''t execute a rescue operation. The reason was straightforward. If they were saved and left in the Petalburg Forest, the poption of Wurmple there would explode, and the forest wouldn''t be able to sustain such arge Wurmple poption.


    Furthermore, the challenge was to help them survive the winter.


    And there were also the Taillow and Swellow, which relied on Wurmple as a food source during the winter, to consider.


    In the eyes of the Pok��mon League, maintaining a bnce between the Taillow and Swellow families and the Wurmple family was crucial. Preventing Taillow and Swellow from attacking Beautifly and Dustox already went against the natural order. Intervening Taillow and Swellow overwinter would agitate them even further.


    If it weren''t for the fact that the Petalburg Forest was quite far from the coastal areas, Beautifly and Dustox would suffer significant losses during migration.


    The forest rangers were not supposed to interfere with the behavior of Taillow and Swellow attacking Beautifly and Dustox. And settling these Wurmple in other areas wouldn''t make sense either.


    Not to mention whether Taillow and Swellow would agree, the capacity of a regional ecosystem was limited, and an excess poption could cause overloading.


    Wurmple, unlike other species, it had a strong reproductive ability and could easily cause ecological damage.


    That''s why, even though the Beautifly and Dustox from the Petalburg Forest migrated to warmer coastal areas, they still had to return to the Petalburg Forest the following year. The local environment couldn''t sustain them for extended periods.


    The next day, Zaden and Yuga went out together to check the gathering situation of Beautifly and Dustox. Yuga selectively captured some Wurmple, Silcoon, and Cascoon.

 Chapter 700: The Beginning

    <h4>Chapter 700: The Beginning</h4>


    Seeing Zaden''s puzzled expression, Yuga smiled and said, "You know, besides being a Gym Trainer, I also run a Pok��mon Day Care, so I''m capturing some Wurmple to breed."


    Zaden nodded in response.


    Although Wurmple wasn''t a rare or powerful Pok��mon, its final evolution, Beautifly, was quite popr among Coordinators due to its stunning appearance.


    However, Dustox, with its less appealing appearance, didn''t enjoy the same poprity since most people preferred beautiful Pok��mon.


    Of course, finding an exceptional Beautifly was a rare urrence. Nevertheless, there weren''t many Day Cares that specialized in breeding Wurmple.


    While some of the Pok��mon League''s breeding facilities might focus on Wurmple breeding, private Day Cares usually didn''t bother because breeding Wurmple didn''t offer muchpetitive advantage.


    Yuga only considered breeding Wurmple after learning about the impending fate of these abandoned Wurmple. He had a considerable area in his Floral Sea Sub-Ecopark where he could amodate several Wurmple, but it wouldn''t affect Taillow and Swellow''s winter survival.


    So, he thought, why not bring back some Wurmple? It wasn''t out of charity for the Wurmple; after all, this was a natural urrence. He just felt that having more Pok��mon species in his Ecopark would be a good thing.


    Although Wurmple with good potential weren''t as expensive as other Pok��mon, they still cost more than those with lower potential. Since the number of Wurmple he could take back was limited, he had to focus on capturing those with decent potential.


    However, due to the constraints of their species, most Wurmple had poor potential, with the majority being red or orange in color. Yuga was already doing his best to capture those that were yellow or higher in potential.


    His Ecopark had an excellent environment, and Wurmple had strong breeding capabilities, but Yuga was concerned that having too many Wurmple might put a strain on the park. Wurmple and Combee were different in this regard.


    Combee fed on nectar and honey from birth, whereas Wurmple, before evolving into Beautifly or Dustox, relied on trees and nts for food. So, Yuga wasn''t worried about having too many Combee, but he couldn''t handle an excess of Wurmple.


    Although Yuga had been capturing some Wurmple along the way, he hadn''t captured a single Beautifly or Dustox, even if he encountered some with decent potential. He didn''t want to disrupt their courtship and migration activities.


    These Beautifly and Dustox were different from the Trapinch and Flygon colonies they had encountered in the desert. Trapinch had no natural predators, and there was no hunting or being hunted rtionship with other Pok��mon. Even if there were, it was the Flygon hunting others.


    They lived in a world deep beneath the desert, isted from the outside world. Besides themselves, there were very few other species of Pok��mon, so there was hardly any danger.


    However, the vulnerable Wurmple faced numerous challenges during their migration and were constantly at risk of being preyed upon. As time passed, Yuga and his team noticed not only Beautifly and Dustox gathering in one direction but also groups of Taillow and Swellow forming.


    "Let''s head out and meet up with the others," Zaden suggested after assessing the forest''s situation.


    Yuga agreed with a nod, and the two of them mounted their respectivend mounts, heading toward the usual gathering spot for Beautifly and Dustox during their courtship and migration.


    As Yuga and Zaden continued their journey, they noticed an increasing number of Beautifly and Dustox gathering and flying in the same direction. Some of them couldn''t even wait to reach their destination and began performing their courtship dances mid-flight.


    Among Beautifly and Dustox, it was the males who performed these courtship dances, making it easy for Yuga and Zaden to distinguish between the genders within the swarms.


    Petalburg Forest was vast, and it housed countless Beautifly and Dustox.


    Although Yuga found the scene impressive, Zaden informed him that this was just the beginning of the spectacle.


    After two more days of travel, Yuga and Zaden finally arrived at their destination, the ce where Beautifly and Dustox gathered during their courtship and migration. Along the way, they encountered several waves ofrge scale attacks by Taillow and Swellow on Beautifly and Dustox, which they managed to repel.


    Despite therge numbers of Beautifly and Dustox in Petalburg Forest, there were also plenty of Taillow and Swellow, exining why the forest''s rangers sought assistance from nearby towns.


    The spot Yuga and Zaden arrived at resembled a canyon, with high terrain surrounding it, while a long river flowed at the bottom. By this time, arge number of Beautifly and Dustox had already gathered around the canyon.


    Some were eagerly searching for their partners, while others rested with closed eyes on tree branches, presenting a picturesque scene. What surprised Yuga was that Beautifly and Dustox were not intermingled; they were clearly separated on either side of the canyon.


    This arrangement puzzled Yuga. Technically, these two species should belong to the same family. However, Zaden quickly exined the reason behind this.


    It turned out that Beautifly and Dustox had different aesthetics. In the eyes of Beautifly, Dustox appeared very ugly. Simrly, from the perspective of Dustox, Beautifly was simply unattractive. Naturally, they would choose good-looking partners over less appealing ones.


    This phenomenon was indeed quite remarkable, and it wasn''t limited to just the Wurmple family; even Bellossom and Vileplume had simr preferences.


    Bellossom found Vileplune too casual in appearance, while Vileplune didn''t think Bellossom was handsome enough.


    This was the first time Yuga had heard of such a thing, and after Zaden''s exnation, he realized how much he had to learn as the owner of a Pok��mon Day Care.


    About half a day after Yuga and Zaden had arrived at the canyon, other forest rangers began to arrive one by one, apanied by a significant number of Beautifly and Dustox. There were four forest rangers in total, three men and one woman. The female forest ranger had someone from the Rustboro Gym apanying her.

 Chapter 701: Nightfall

    <h4>Chapter 701: Nightfall</h4>


    Joining them from the Rustboro Gym was another Gym Leader named Roxanne.


    Roxanne was around the same age as Yuga and had recently taken over the Rustboro Gym. However, unlike Yuga, who had be a Gym Leader through selection, Roxanne''s position at the Rustboro Gym was based on inheritance.


    She inherited her Gym Leader status from the former Gym Leader of the Rustboro Gym.


    This time, she hade to the Petalburg Forest to assist the Forest Rangers, likely as a form of training under the guidance of the former Gym Leader.


    However, to hold the position of a Gym Leader sessor, her skills must have been exceptional.


    After the group of them met, they introduced themselves to each other, and Yuga learned the names of the other Forest Rangers.


    The female Forest Ranger who hade with Roxanne was named Zinnia. She appeared to be the oldest among the four Forest Rangers and was effectively their leader.


    The other two male Forest Rangers were named Zoltan and Liam, and they were both Zaden''s seniors.


    They had been working as Forest Rangers in the Petalburg Forest for several years, and this was not their first experience dealing with the mating and migration behaviors of Beautifly and Dustox. They were experienced Forest Rangers.


    Zoltan, in particr, had been working in the Petalburg Forest alongside Zinnia for a long time.


    Forest Rangers came in various types.


    There were resident Forest Rangers who worked in a fixed location year-round, and there were roaming Forest Rangers who traveled to handle emergencies in different areas.


    For example, the Forest Ranger Jack Walker that Yuga had met at the Sinnoh was a typical roaming Forest Ranger.


    Zinnia and her team were resident Forest Rangers.


    After getting acquainted with each other, the six of them began discussing their action n.


    "Based on the current gathering patterns of the Beautifly and Dustox, they should finish mating and start migrating noter than the day after tomorrow. So, therge-scale attacks by Taillow and Swellow should ur tomorrow or the day after. However, before that, they are likely to have continuous small-scale attacks, so we should not let our guard down," said Zinnia, the most experienced among them, as they watched the countless Beautifly and Dustox in the sky.


    "Are Taillow and Swellow the only ones that attack the Beautifly and Dustox? Are there no other Pok��mon? As far as I know, apart from Taillow and Swellow, there are also a few other bird Pok��mon in the Petalburg Forest, like Pidgey, Pidgeotto, and Pidgeot," Roxanne suddenly inquired.


    Roxanne was not very familiar with the rtionships between bird Pok��mon and bug Pok��mon, which led to her question.


    "Indeed, besides Taillow and Swellow, there are also some other bird Pok��mon in the Petalburg Forest, such as Pidgey, Pidgeotto, and Pidgeot; Spearow and Fearow; Murkrow and Honchkrow, among others. However, only a portion of them would attack Beautifly and Dustox, and their numbers won''t be toorge. Most of them do not engage in such behavior. Many of them attack Beautifly and Dustox because they share territories with the Taillow and Swellowmunities. Pidgey group, Spearow group, Murkrow group, for example, doesn''t attack the Beautifly and Dustox," exined Zoltan beside Roxanne.


    Everyone nodded in understanding, and even Yuga, as a neer, began taking notes.


    Afterward, they discussed their respective roles and decided to monitor different positions around the canyon, preventing Taillow and Swellow fromunching attacks from different directions.


    In the end, Yuga and Zaden were assigned to the south bank of the canyon, while Roxanne and Liam went to the north bank. Zinnia and Zoltan, the two most experienced Forest Rangers, each went to one end of the river at the bottom of the canyon.


    With their roles determined, the group that had just gathered split up once again.


    Yuga and Zaden each rode on their Charizard and Skarmory to reach the south bank of the canyon, where they found a spot with a clear view and t terrain tond.


    After arriving at their designated location, their first task was to set up their tents because they were going to spend the night there.


    By the time their tents were ready, it was already evening, and the remaining sunlight bathed the calm and peaceful canyon in a golden hue.


    In the deep autumn of the Petalburg Forest, the river''s water level had significantly dropped, and the once turbulent waters now flowed smoothly.


    In the evening sun, numerous Beautifly continued their courtship dances, their wingbeats creating a constant rustling sound.


    On the south bank, where Yuga and his team were stationed, there were mostly Beautifly, while on the north bank where Roxanne and her team were, it was the gathering ce for Dustox.


    Yuga''s Vivillon had be the star of the Beautiflymunity, with countless Beautiflying to court it, only to be relentlessly rejected.


    If any became overly persistent, Vivillon would send them packing with a powerful Gust attack.


    During their time on the south bank, Yuga and his team hadn''t encountered any bird flocks attacking. Everything had been calm.


    As night fell, Yuga noticed that many of the Beautifly had found their mates as well.


    By deep into the night, Yuga couldn''t sleep, so he sat on the edge of the cliff by the river, enjoying the nighttime scenery.


    The autumn sky seemed exceptionally vast, even at night. The stars that dotted the sky appeared distant and unreachable.


    At this hour, many Beautifly, like Yuga, were still wide awake, energetically performing their courtship dances.


    It seemed that butterflies in their mating season were full of energy.


    The night was exceptionally clear, with the moonlight casting a radiant glow. Some of it fell onto the river''s surface, while somended on the wings of the Beautifly.


    Butterfly Pok��mon had phosphorescent scales on their wings, and the moonlight made these scales shimmer like stars, decorating the pitch-ck night.


    Vivillon Apanied Yuga looked at such the beautiful night and couldn''t help to dance in the moonlight.


    However, just at that moment, the otherwise quiet canyon was suddenly filled with a chaotic and unpleasant chirping. Countless slumbering Beautifly were startled and flew into the sky in a panic.


    It was the cry of Murkrow, a sound Yuga was very familiar with.


    However, these cries were noting from the south bank where they were located, but from the north bank where Roxanne and her team were stationed.


    At this point, the slumbering Zaden was also awakened.


    "What''s happening?" Zaden hurriedly put on his coat and ran over to Yuga.


    "It seems that the north bank is being attacked by Murkrow."


    Yuga faced the north bank and exined to Zaden.


    "Do we need to go help?"


    "No need. After all, there''s a Gym Leader and an experienced Forest Ranger over there. They should be able to handle a few Murkrow."


    "Oh, I see."


    "You go back to sleep for now. I''ll watch over for the first half of the night, and you can take over for the second half."


    After listening to Yuga''s words, Zaden nodded, then returned to his sleep.


    Soon, the north bank became quiet again.

 Chapter 702: Repelling the Attack

    <h4>Chapter 702: Repelling the Attack</h4>


    Early the next morning, Yuga woke up in a state of panic.


    He opened his tent and saw numerous Swellow and Taillow circling in the sky, while below them, countless panicked Beautifly were fleeing in all directions.


    It turned out that as soon as the morning sun had risen, arge number of Taillow, led by the Swellow, quietlyunched an attack on the south bank of the canyon.


    At that moment, all the Beautifly were still asleep, even the male Beautifly that had been excited all night were now fast asleep.


    The Swellow and Taillow hade without any warning.


    By Yuga''s estimation, there were probably hundreds of Swellow and Taillow that hadunched the attack early in the morning.


    At this point, Zaden''s Skarmory was already outside, confronting the attackers, and Zaden himself was organizing the Beautifly for a counterattack.


    Yuga grabbed his Chatot, who was still half-asleep in his arms, and shouted, "Chatot, wake up and get to work!"


    Without being fully awake, Chatot was unceremoniously thrown into the midst of the Taillow group. As soon as the Taillow noticed this unexpected guest, they immediately began to swarm and attack Chatot.


    With its eyes wide open now, Chatot instinctively used its Heat Wave on the Taillow that were attacking it. The scorching heat made the Taillow scatter in panic, and Chatot realized what was happening.


    Muttering a low curse at Yuga for his actions, Chatot began its counterattack against the Taillow.


    Despite being fellow avian Pok��mon like the Swellow and Taillow, this time Chatot couldn''t stand on the same side as them.


    On one side, Chatot, with its extraordinary strength as a pseudo-Elite level, intercepted arge group of Taillow, while on the other side, Vivillon engaged several Swellow in battle.


    As a Pok��mon that had once been abandoned due to its weakness, Vivillon understood the sorrow that came with being weak.


    So, for these fellow members of its kind (however reluctantly), it empathized with them and was filled with sympathy.


    It didn''t share the human perspective of might makes right. Just because they were weak, did that mean they had to be prey for others?


    Facing the Swellow that naturally countered it, Vivillon showed no fear. With a p of its wings, a powerful Gust formed a tornado and rushed toward the Swellow.


    One of the Swellow used its Tailwind ability, significantly boosting its speed, and swiftly dodged Vivillon''s Gust attack. At the same time, it used Air sh on Vivillon.


    Several Wind des came at Vivillon from all directions, leaving it with no choice but to use Protect.


    Having sessfully defended against the Swellow''s onught, Vivillon pped its wings, creating numerous air currents that sent the surrounding Swellow tumbling.


    High in the sky, Vivillon looked down at the several Swellow below. It let out a rapid and loud cry, and then its wings began to vibrate rapidly, sending out shockwaves towards the Swellow.


    This time, Vivillon used Supersonic.


    Vivillon''s Supersonic was extremely fast, and several Swellow were immediately hit and fell into a state of confusion. In their confused state, the Swellow began to attack indiscriminately, some targeting their ownrades, and none of them were clear-headed.


    At this point, Vivillon finally began its own Quiver Dance. It had been swarmed as soon as it arrived and hadn''t had a chance to perform its dance.


    This wasn''t a one-on-one battle. Faced with several Swellow attacking it, Vivillon felt somewhat overwhelmed.


    Yuga didn''t rush to release other Pok��mon to assist Chatot and Vivillon.


    Because it wasn''t the climax yet, and if all their Pok��mon were revealed too early, it might arouse the suspicion of the Swellow and Taillow.


    The migration of the Beautifly and Dustox was still two days away. It wasn''t a good idea to reveal their full strength prematurely. Yuga also believed that Vivillon and Chatot could handle the situation for now.


    Moreover, under the organization of Zaden, the previously panicked Beautifly began to organize themselves systematically andunched a counterattack.


    Individually, a single Beautifly might not be a match for Swellow and Taillow, but they had the advantage of numbers and could overwhelm their opponents with sheer quantity.


    Without the organization led by Zaden, these Beautifly, in their state of panic, wouldn''t have known what organization or counterattack meant.


    Meanwhile, Vivillon''s enhanced Quiver Dance finally came to an end, and some of the Swellow had recovered from their state of confusion.


    Vivillon''s Quiver Dance enhanced all aspects of its abilities. After the enhancement, Vivillon was at the peak of its condition, and its aura was even more intimidating.


    On the other hand, the Swellow were in disarray, attacking each other or themselves due to their confusion.


    Vivillon once again used Gust, but this time it was iparable to the previous one.


    The transparent Wind des were all absorbed by the Gust, torn into pieces, and the Gust continued to move forward with undiminished force, colliding with the Swellow.


    The tremendous tearing force generated by the Gust continuously pulled the Swellow inside, and soon they couldn''t hold on and were sucked in.


    The Swellow inside the Gust were like clothes thrown into a washing machine, constantly spinning and tugging.


    When they were thrown out again, they were already in a sorry state, with ruffled feathers and numerous wounds. They could hardly maintain stable flight.


    Gasping for breath, the terrified Swellow looked at Vivillon, and then they hurriedly gathered their subordinates, the Taillow, preparing to retreat.


    The state of being disoriented and powerless that they had just experienced was too terrifying.


    The Taillow on the other side had long wanted to retreat. They were almost roasted to a crisp by Chatot.


    Chatot was highly skilled at using the Heat Wave technique, and since Heat Wave was an area attack, it could roast arge group of Taillow at once, almost turning them into roast pigeons.


    If it weren''t for their leaders still fighting hard, they would have fled long ago. Who would willingly endure such suffering?


    Watching the retreating Taillow and Swellow, Yuga''s group did not pursue them.


    Their purpose in this journey was solely to protect the Beautifly and Dustox from harm, not to exterminate the Swellow and Taillow.


    Apart from Yuga''s group on the south bank, the group of Roxanne on the north bank and the group of Zinnia at the eastern end had also faced attacks from Swellow and Taillow of varying sizes.


    Only the river''s western end where Zoltan''s group was located remained peaceful.


    After Yuga''s group sessfully repelled the attacking Taillow and Swellow, the other three groups also managed to drive away their attackers.


    However, this attack didn''te without casualties.


    Many of the unprepared Beautifly at the beginning were injured, and some had even died.

 Chapter 703: Butterfly Storm

    <h4>Chapter 703: Butterfly Storm</h4>


    After defeating the Taillow and Swellow group, both Zaden and Yuga helped calm down some of the startled Beautifly.


    Yuga possessed the ability tomunicate with Pok��mon, and it was quite convenient for him tomunicate with the Beautifly. He didn''t hide this ability from Zaden, which made Zaden quite envious.


    For a forest ranger, the ability tomunicate with Pok��mon could solve many problems.


    Although there weren''t many people in the Pok��mon world with special abilities, it wasn''t an extraordinarily rare urrence either.


    There were random superpowers that appeared in ordinary people, powers of aura, powers of viridian, inherited Dragon Power, power of psychic, and the unknown special abilities.


    These abilities weren''t exactly a secret, even to ordinary people.


    Starting from today, the courtship activities of the Beautifly would enter their climax. It would also be a high frequency period for the Taillow and Swellows to attack them, so Yuga and the others needed to be extra cautious.


    During this time, Yuga also captured some Wurmple or Silcoon he encountered.


    ording to Zinnian, who had the most experience, the Beautifly and the Dustox group would finish their courtship tomorrow and then begin their migration. The remaining Wurmple, Silcoon, and Cascoon wouldn''t be able to catch up with the main group.


    In the sky, vast groups of Beautifly gathered together. A significant portion of them had already found their partners and began disying affectionate behaviors.


    The remaining ones were engaged in passionate courtship actions, creating a lively scene in the canyon.


    By this time, the sun had risen high in the sky. Under the sunlight, the magnificent wings of the Beautifly sprinkledrge amounts of scales, creating a beautiful sight.


    Seeing this grand event, Yuga''s Vivillon couldn''t contain its excitement and flew into the group of butterflies, dancing gracefully.


    In the morning, Vivillon had disyed its strength, boldly fighting against several Swellow. Its valiant performance was witnessed by other Beautifly.


    They now knew that Vivillon wouldn''t be interested in them, and its bravery left them feeling ashamed.


    To express their gratitude for Vivillon, who looked different from their kind, the Beautifly simultaneously performed a special dance towards Yuga''s Vivillon.


    The actions of the Beautifly were uniform, graceful, and exuded a mysterious beauty in every movement.


    Yuga''s Vivillon couldn''t help but mimic the dance of the Beautifly, aligning its movements with theirs.


    As time passed, more and more Beautifly joined the dance, forming a massive funnel-shaped butterfly storm centered around Vivillon.


    In the butterfly storm, all the Beautifly moved in perfect harmony, as if they were not dancing but participating in a mysterious ceremonial event.


    Both Yuga and Zaden were stunned by the spectacle before their eyes because it was truly spectacr.


    The movements of the Beautifly pping their wings became increasingly coordinated, and eventually, they achieved a delicate bnce. Slowly, beneath their wings, a series of white vortices formed along the path of the butterfly storm, gradually converging towards the central Vivillon.


    Soon, Vivillon was engulfed in the white swirls.


    Heading toward Vivillon weren''t just those wisps of white airflow but also the phosphorescent scales sprinkled from the wings of thousands of Beautifly.


    Under the sunlight, the scales shimmered brightly, and the massive butterfly storm also shone brilliantly, with the white airflow radiating even more intensely.


    On the southern bank of the canyon, themotion caused by the Beautifly grew louder and louder.


    Gradually, Zinnian, Zoltan, and Roxanne, stationed at the other three locations, also noticed something unusual.


    Worried about unexpected incidents, they all contacted Yuga and Zaden using theirmunicators.


    Yuga and Zaden, who didn''t fully understand the meaning behind the Beautifly'' behavior, could only provide ambiguous answers.


    For over an hour, the Beautifly gradually began to withdraw from the butterfly storm, and the Vivillon that had been engulfed in the white waves finally reappeared.


    However, Vivillon had undergone significant changes.


    "Has it be Totem Pok��mon?"


    Upon seeing the reappearance of Vivillon, Zaden eximed in astonishment.


    Before bing forest rangers, they had to attend a specialized ranger school, and one of the mandatory courses was Pok��mon Ecology.


    In Pok��mon Ecology, there was a mention of a special Pok��mon unique to the Al region, the Totem Pok��mon.


    Totem Pok��mon were not onlyrger in sizepared to their kin but also possessed greater strength, making them the cream of the crop among their species.


    Yuga''s Vivillon was now more than twice its original size.


    Yuga and Zaden could even see, when Vivillon pped its wings, the white vortices that were constantly spinning beneath its exceptionally wide wing.


    The fact that Vivillon could control these vortices so precisely under its wings, without dispersing them, showcased its mastery over air currents.


    The original Vivillon couldn''t achieve such precision.


    Moreover, the luminescent scales on Vivillon''s wings were exceptionally conspicuous. With these scales shining brightly, it became even more magnificent.


    "It shouldn''t be a Totem Pok��mon," Yuga stated, shaking his head upon hearing Zaden''s words.


    The reason for Totem Pok��mon''s existence in the Al region was unclear, but it was limited to that region for a reason. It couldn''t just appear in the Hoenn region or on Vivillon.


    Furthermore, ording to what Yuga knew, Totem Pok��mon emitted a unique aura, which he hadn''t sensed from Vivillon.


    As for why Vivillon''s size had increased, Yuga didn''t know the specific principles behind it.


    However, within a group, the leader often had arger sizepared to the others.


    It was possible that Vivillon''s change in size was due to this reason.


    Looking at Vivillon flying towards them, Yuga activated his Insight ability.


    ...


    <<vivillon>> </vivillon>


    Type: Bug/Flying


    Gender: Female


    Abilities: Compound Eyes, Scale Powder


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 61


    Moves: Protect, Stun Spore, Gust, Psybeam, Electroweb, Safeguard, Bug Buzz, Quiver Dance, Hurricane, Light Screen, Supersonic, Sleep Powder, Psychic, Powder, Rage Powder, U-Turn, Roost, Sr Beam.


    ...


    Vivillon had finally broken through, doing so in a very special way.


    And it had gained an additional ability: Scale Powder.


    Vivillon had three possible abilities: Compound Eyes, Scale Powder, and Friend Guard, with Friend Guard being a hidden ability and quite rare.


    Yuga''s Vivillon originally only had the Compound Eyes ability.


    However, now it had acquired Scale Powder. The interesting part was that the Beautifly that granted it this ability didn''t possess Scale Powder themselves.


    The abilities of the Beautifly were limited to Bug Resistance and Competitive Spirit.


    This change was indeed quite peculiar.


    However, their evolutionary branch, the Dustox, did possess this ability. So, it wasn''t entirely unexpected for such a thing to ur.


    All butterfly-like Pok��mon had Scale Powder on their bodies, but those with the Scale Powder ability produced more of it, making their wings appear more magnificent.


    It was precisely because they could produce arge amount of phosphorescent scales that they could resist additional effects from moves.


    There was even research indicating that Pok��mon with the Scale Powder ability had a stronger resistance to control-type movespared to ordinary Pok��mon.

 Chapter 704: Love Rival

    <h4>Chapter 704: Love Rival</h4>


    The increase in Vivillon''s size didn''t slow down its speed. On the contrary, due to a better understanding and utilization of flying-type powers, its speed had increased.


    In the blink of an eye, it had flown right in front of Yuga.


    "Vivillon..."


    Vivillon happily chirped towards Yuga.


    "Well, congrattions to you," Yuga said, genuinely pleased for Vivillon.


    Yuga had witnessed Vivillon''s efforts and anxiety in its pursuit of this breakthrough, so he was genuinely happy that it had seeded.


    "Pok��mon are truly amazing!" Zaden eximed, witnessing Vivillon''s transformation.


    "Yes, there''s still so much we humans don''t understand about Pok��mon," Yuga added.


    Vivillon''s changes were beyond their current knowledge to exin.


    "Also, congrattions to the Gym Leader Shimizu," Zaden remarked, noticing that Yuga''s Vivillon had improved its strength. Vivillon''s aura had undergone significant changes after the breakthrough.


    "Thank you," Yuga replied.


    Around noon, while Yuga and Zaden were having lunch, they suddenly heard Chatot on alert outside emit a sharp and unpleasant cry.


    "Dear,e over here quickly! The troublemaker is back again," Yuga eximed upon hearing Chatot''s voice, and both of them rushed outside.


    As expected, the canyon had once again descended into chaos. Numerous Taillow and Swellow were darting through the butterfly swarm, relentlessly attacking the Beautifly.


    However, what surprised Yuga was that this time, the leader of the Swellow and Taillow wasn''t the Swellow, but rather a majestic Pidgeot.


    This Pidgeot was incrediblyrge, with vibrant plumage and a proud demeanor, resembling a fighter jet.


    The first one to confront this Pidgeot was Chatot, who had been on guard duty outside.


    However, Chatot quickly fled in fear because this Pidgeot turned out to be a female, and she had set her sights on Chatot. During their battle, she even initiated mating requests.


    This behavior was indeed quite bold.


    Chatot was frightened to the point of fleeing, leaving the scene.


    Yuga was also astonished by Pidgeot''s audacious actions.


    Luckily, Noctowl wasn''t around; otherwise, this would have been a full-fledged battlefield, wouldn''t it?


    However, within the world of bird Pok��mon, was Chatot really that handsome? Did it not usually tell lies?


    Yuga was left with a question mark on his face.


    Otherwise, why were all these female birds so smitten with him, one after another?


    Both Noctowl and this Pidgeot seemed to be captivated by him.


    In Yuga''s eyes, whether it was their Noctowl at home or this Pidgeot, they were all outstanding individuals.


    Compared to them, Chatot seemed rather unimpressive, neither imposing norrge.


    Come to think of it, Yuga had often seen wild bird Pok��mon outside showing signs of attraction to Chatot.


    Chatot simply couldn''t bring itself to harm a female Pok��mon that was showing interest, so it would just flee.


    In Yuga''s view, Chatot''s behavior was a textbook example of a scoundrel''s actions. Why not just stand your ground straightforwardly instead of putting Noctowl in an awkward situation?


    "Vivillon!"


    Yuga called out to Vivillon, who was currently chasing after several Swellow engaged in battle.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s call, Vivillon instantly understood and pped its wings, intercepting Pidgeot mid-flight.


    "Chatot, go deal with those Swellow, and leave Pidgeot to Vivillon!" Yuga instructed Chatot.


    Seeing Pidgeot being intercepted by Vivillon halfway, Chatot cast a grateful nce in their direction.


    Pidgeot, on the other hand, looked increasingly irritated as her beloved one continued to distance himself from her.


    This Pidgeot was quite formidable, with a green potential and not far from reaching pseudo-Elite level. She was the most outstanding bird Pok��mon Yuga had seen in these past few days.


    "Vivillon, keep it here," Yuga ordered.


    Yuga called out to Vivillon, determined not to let such an outstanding Pok��mon slip away.


    Vivillon nodded in response to Yuga''s call and raised one of its wings, sending forth a wind de.


    The Pidgeot had no time to react and was struck by the attack. Its vibrant feathers scattered as it plummeted toward the ground.


    The Pidgeot waspletely caught off guard and hadn''t expected Vivillon to be so powerful. After regaining itsposure, it spread itsrge wings and stabilized itself mid-air.


    In mid-air, the Pidgeot ignited a blue "me" all over its body and charged angrily toward Vivillon. This was Pidgeot''s innate ability: Brave Bird.


    Seeing the approaching Pidgeot, Vivillon unleashed a flurry of sparks with its Electroweb. However, the Electroweb was shattered by Pidgeot, leaving a gaping hole, and it continued its charge toward Vivillon.


    Vivillon reacted by casting another Electroweb, which was again torn apart by Pidgeot, and then Vivillon cast a third one. This continued until five Electrowebs were broken, at which point Pidgeot''s momentum began to dissipate.


    The saying goes, "One thrust strengthens the next, two weaken the third." The consecutive collisions with the Electroweb gradually depleted Pidgeot''s energy.


    Pidgeot''s strength had not yet reached a point where it could maintain the state of Brave Bird for a prolonged period. It was frustrated that its attacks were hindered before reaching their target.


    Brave Bird had a recoil effect, but since Pidgeot hadn''t managed to attack its target, the recoil damage didn''t ur. However, the damage from Vivillon''s Electroweb attacks still lingered.


    Feeling the tingling sensation throughout its body, Pidgeot''s muscles tensed up. While catching its breath, it was hit by Vivillon''s wind de again.


    After a mournful cry, Pidgeot fell to the ground.


    The wind de Vivillon used was a derivative application of its Hurricane move. It couldn''t do this before its breakthrough; its Hurricane attacks were always in the form of a tornado.


    After the breakthrough, Vivillon had a more precise control over its flying abilities, which improved the concentration and power of its Hurricane-based move.


    Vivillon pursued its advantage and, before Pidgeot could recover from the attacks, unleashed another wind de.


    This time, Pidgeot lost itsbat ability.


    With Pidgeot down, the remaining Taillow and Swellow lost their fighting spirit and were soon driven away by Yuga and Zaden, who worked together.


    These Taillow and Swellow seemed quite loyal to each other. Even as they fled, they attempted to rescue Pidgeot, who had lost its fighting capabilities.


    However, with Vivillon guarding Pidgeot, it released a Hurricane attack that kept the other Pok��mon at bay.


    The Beautifly also performed well this time. Perhaps they had all found their partners, as they put in a lot of effort during the confrontation.


    Yuga wondered if his Noctowl would be furious when he realized he had brought home a love rival.


    Yuga silently thought as he looked at the Pok�� Ball containing Pidgeot.

 Chapter 705: Morning Sun

    <h4>Chapter 705: Morning Sun</h4>


    After Yuga and Zaden repelled the attacks from the Taillow led by Pidgeot and the Swellow flock, they encountered several waves of attacks, and the Taillow poptioning to attack grewrger andrger.


    Later on, not only Yuga''s Beautifly and Chatot joined the battle, but Dragonite and Charizard also joined the battlefield.


    Yuga''s Charizard was the weakest among the Pok��mon he brought this time, and it had never seen such arge-scale battle before, so it initially felt a bit nervous.


    Fortunately, even if it was a bit of a crybaby, Charizard still had its fiery temperament. It showed no mercy when it came to roasting the annoying Swellow.


    By the evening, the Taillow that came to attack had finally decreased in numbers.


    Originally, Yuga had wanted to capture some Taillow or Swellow with good potential during this battle and bring them back to enrich his Ecopark.


    However, once the battle started, because of the sheer number of Pok��mon in the battlefield, Yuga couldn''t even get a chance to make a move.


    When the entire sky turned orange due to the setting sun, most of the Beautifly had found their mates.


    Although some Beautifly had been attacked during the daytime battle, the overall losses were not significant.


    The current situation was quite simr to what Zinnia had predicted. Tomorrow, the Beautifly would likely begin their formal migration.


    Yuga had also captured dozens of Wurmple, Silcoon, and Cascoon, with most of them having yellow potential, and only three with green potential, and none with higher potential.


    But Yuga felt satisfied with his haul. The Wurmple family and the Pseudo-Legendary family were pr opposites. The Pseudo-Legendary family was rare, with very few individuals and the lowest potential being green. The Wurmple family was widespread throughout the entire Hoenn region, with most individuals having red or orange potential.


    Speaking of which, if Yuga could cultivate arge number of high potential Wurmple, he might actually be quite popr.


    After all, high potential Wurmple were much cheaper than high potential Pok��mon like Gligar or Trapinch, making them affordable even for trainers with less financial means.


    And their breeding costs were rtively low as well.


    But for now, Yuga was just thinking about it.


    With just dozens of yellow potential and three green potential Wurmple, trying to cultivate arge number of high potential Wurmple was something to be done in dreams.


    After a day of battle, both Yuga and Zaden''s Pok��mon were very tired.


    Zinnia and the others were experienced forest rangers, so they had prepared more than enough healing and stamina-recovery potions for Yuga and his team in advance.


    Otherwise, with such high-intensity battles, no one would be able to hold out.


    This was also the reason why Yuga didn''t bring Pok��mon with healing skills like Audino or Gardevoir.


    After an early dinner, Yuga and his group enjoyed a rare leisurely evening, bathed in thest rays of the sunset, admiring the pairs of Beautifly in the canyon.


    Such a sight could only be seen once a year at most.


    As night fell, the Beautifly, exhausted from a day of seeking mates, ceased their courtship dances and rested quietly on the branches along the canyon''s edge. The entire canyon suddenly became unusually quiet.


    To prevent any surprises, Yuga continued to keep watch during the first half of the night, with Vivillon staying by his side, while Chatot snuggled up in his arms, sound asleep.


    As the night approached midnight, Yuga, feeling drowsy, suddenly sensed a gentle breeze sweeping through the peaceful canyon.


    Vivillon, with a much sharper perception than Yuga, flew into the air, emitting a series of soft chirping sounds, alert and cautious.


    Following that, Yuga heard a series of "squeak, squeak, squeak" chirping sounds and faint wing ps.


    He quickly took out Dragonite''s Pok�� Ball and threw it into the air, calling out, "Dragonite, release a methrower!"


    Upon being released, Dragonite, upon hearing Yuga''s voice, didn''t hesitate and opened its mouth, spewing out a powerful stream of mes into the pitch-ck night sky.


    The bright mes instantly illuminated half of the canyon, and by the light of the fire, Yuga could see the dense swarm of Zubat, Golbat, and several Crobat in the sky.


    Stimted by the firelight, the Zubat began screeching loudly, and the entire canyon became lively. The sleeping Beautifly were rmed and took off into the night sky.


    Ordinary Zubat and their evolutions would never attack the Beautifly.


    ording to what Zinnia had said earlier, these Zubat, Golbat, and Crobat had obviously banded together with other Swellow and were being driven by them.


    "Vivillon! Use Supersonic!"


    Vivillon''s antennae trembled, and it emitted a powerful Supersonic wave, which swept through the sky like a wave of sound.


    Under the influence of the Supersonic wave, the Zubat, Golbat, and Crobat were disoriented and began flying in erratic patterns, colliding with each other.


    This chaos disrupted their formation and temporarily halted their coordinated attacks.


    At this moment, Yuga yelled, "Dragonite, Dragon Breath!"


    Dragonite released a dragon-like breath attack that struck a group of Zubat, causing them to fall from the sky.


    With thebined efforts of Vivillon and Dragonite, the swarm of Zubat and their evolutions was thrown into disarray. Although they outnumbered Yuga''s Pok��mon, they were no match for the synergy and coordination between his team members.


    As the chaos ensued in the night sky, Yuga realized that the situation had be moreplex. The presence of Zubat, Golbat, and Crobat in alliance with the Taillow and Swellow suggested that the conflict was escting.


    But Yuga was determined to protect the Beautifly and ensure their safe migration. He knew that this battle was far from over, and he needed to remain vignt throughout the night to defend against any further attacks from the Swellow and their allies.


    At Yuga''smand, Vivillon rapidly vibrated its wings, sending out supersonic waves into the night, spreading towards the Zubat swarm.


    Zubat had extremely poor eyesight, but their hearing was exceptional inparison.


    Even the faintest of sounds could be clearly heard by them.


    They were adept at using supersonic waves, but supersonic waves were also their bane; strong supersonic waves could disrupt their hearing.


    Different Pok��mon emitted supersonic waves at different frequencies. Zubat''s own supersonic waves didn''t affect them, but Beautifly''s supersonic waves were different.


    Soon, the Zubat felt the influence of Vivillon''s supersonic waves, and in the sky, they started flying erratically, while Dragonite followed them, breathing out fire.


    Being under the influence of the Swellow indicated that their inherent strength wasn''t strong, so the Zubat were quickly dealt with by Yuga.


    Those defeated Zubat, Golbat, and Crobat fled under the cover of night, and Yuga didn''t bother to pursue them.


    After the Zubat were driven away, the startled Beautifly settled down once more, slowly returning to their slumber.


    Due to themotion, Zaden had been awakened, but the battle had already ended, so he took the opportunity to switch ces with Yuga, allowing Yuga to rest.


    The next day, Yuga was awakened by Zaden''s call.


    The reason Zaden hurriedly woke Yuga up was that the Beautifly''s migration activity had finally begun.


    As the first rays of sunlight descended, pairs of Beautifly began to awaken. They ascended into the sky, their wings scattering glittering scales that glistened in the morning sun.


    The Beautifly that woke up first didn''t leave immediately; instead, they circled in the sky, waiting for the others who had yet to awaken.


    As the sun rose higher, more and more Beautifly began to awaken.


    A gentle breeze swept through the canyon, causing the trees to sway gently, as if bidding farewell to the departing Beautifly.


    Finally, when the sun was fully risen, the first pair of Beautifly started flying toward the sun.


    The others seemed to have been summoned and followed behind that pair, one pair after another.


    The wings of countless pairs of Beautifly ovepped one another, forming a rainbow bridge extending toward the sun. Their iridescent scales shimmered in the sunlight.


    On the other side of the canyon, numerous Dustox also formed a green bridge and flew towards the morning sun.


    ��


    Speaking of which, thetest episode of the anime''s original series happened to mention the Beautifly migration. Although it was quite different from the description here, the author also used creative liberties. Let''s enjoy the differences in storytelling.

 Chapter 706: Dispelling the Clouds

    <h4>Chapter 706: Dispelling the Clouds</h4>


    Two long bridges formed by Beautifly and Dustox stretched far into the sky, creating a spectacr scene that left Yuga and Zaden in awe.


    Just when they thought that the migration of Beautifly and Dustox was about to conclude peacefully, a dark serpent suddenly appeared out of nowhere, charging aggressively towards the swarm of butterflies.


    Upon closer inspection, Yuga and Zaden realized that this dark serpent wasposed of Taillow and Swellow.


    The number of Taillow and Swellow that hadunched this surprise attack was staggering. Yuga suspected that almost all the Taillow and Swellow in the entire Petalburg Forest had gathered together.


    This serpent lunged towards the butterfly swarm, abruptly severing the bridge formed by the Beautifly and Dustox.


    The startled butterfly swarm scattered in all directions, shattering the beautiful and harmonious scene.


    Zaden, who had little experience, was left dumbfounded by this sudden turn of events.


    "Don''t just stand there, act quickly!" Yuga nudged the still-stunned Zaden, snapping him back to reality.


    Yuga sent out all of his Pok��mon, while Zaden used Capture Mark to soothe the leaders within the butterfly swarm, aiming to calm the entire startled swarm.


    However, the number of Taillow and Swellow in this surprise attack was simply overwhelming. Yuga and Zaden''s Pok��mon couldn''t handle them all.


    Yuga noticed that the other forest rangers in three different directions were also locked in a fierce battle.


    This couldn''t continue; the dispersion of the butterfly swarm was only a matter of time!


    Watching the sky darkening with the Taillow and Swellow, Yuga recalled his Dragonite and Vivillon.


    Once the two Pok��mon returned, Yuga whispered a few words to them, and they nodded before flying back into the battlefield.


    At this point, due to the efforts of the forest rangers in various directions, the startled butterfly swarm had calmed down and begun to counterattack the Taillow and Swellow, led by the leading Beautifly and Dustox.


    However, the individualbat abilities of the Beautifly and Dustox were far inferior to those of the Taillow and Swellow, so they were still being pushed back.


    Yuga''s Dragonite returned to the scene and soared into the sky.


    It closed its eyes and threw a blue light ball into the sky, causing dark clouds to quickly gather.


    Meanwhile, Vivillon scattered a sparkling powder over itself and rushed towards the Taillow and Swellow.


    Adorned with this glittering powder, Vivillon looked like the most dazzling presence on the battlefield.


    Any Taillow and Swellow that saw Vivillob seemed to be filled with hatred and abandoned the Beautifly and Dustox, charging angrily towards Beautifly.


    Vivillob used its inherited ability, "Rage Powder." This skill allowed it to attract the attention of all enemies on the field, drawing their attacks towards itself.


    Before using "Rage Powder," Vivillon had already maximized its stats with "Quiver Dance." At this moment, its speed was exceptionally fast, effortlessly darting among the Taillow and Swellow.


    The Taillow and Swellow, under Vivillon''s influence, gathered behind it. They couldn''t catch up with Vivillon, gradually forming a long line trailing behind it.


    While the Taillow and Swellow wanted to attack Vivillon, they were constantly eluded by its agile movements.


    With Vivillon''s diversion, the attacks on the Beautifly and Dustox were significantly reduced. Yuga then had Zaden inform the other forest rangers to continue organizing their migration.


    On the other side, Dragonite, which was using "Rain Dance," continued to gather dark clouds in the sky.


    The clusters of dark clouds grew denser, gradually covering the entire sky above the canyon.


    The oppressive atmosphere created by those pitch-ck clouds made everyone feel a heavy sense of foreboding.


    At that moment, Dragonite suddenly rushed into the dark clouds. The entire cloud mass seemed to boil as it started to churn violently.


    Even the Vivillon below, which was keeping countless Taillow and Swellow in check, looked at the overwhelmingly oppressive cloud cover with a hint of fear in their eyes.


    Within the butterfly swarm, there was a moment of unrest, but the forest rangers managed to calm them down, continuing to organize their migration.


    The dark clouds gradually began to converge, the cloud cover decreasing in size but growing more oppressive in feeling.


    Eventually, the entire cloud cover shrank to only epass the central area of the canyon, while the butterfly swarm remained outside of it.


    The dark clouds transformed into ck clouds, absorbing the surrounding light, causing the entire canyon to dim.


    Within the tumultuous ck clouds, a golden lightning bolt suddenly appeared, followed by countless electrical currents coursing through the cloud mass, intensifying its turmoil.


    Vivillon knew it was time and, with the massive swarm of Taillow and Swellow behind it, charged directly beneath the ck cloud.


    Suddenly, a light rain began to fall from the sky.


    Vivillon, which was leading the Taillow and Swellow, erected a purple energy shield formed by its strong Psychic power, keeping the raindrops at bay.


    Despite being soaked by the heavy rain, the Taillow and Swellow remained undeterred, continuing to chase Vivillon angrily, resembling a scene of "moths to a me."


    At this moment, Yuga appeared near Vivillon riding on his Charizard. He recalled Vivillon with a Pok��mon ball and swiftly left the area within the cloud cover.


    With the loss of Vivillon''s trail, the anger in the Taillow and Swellow suddenly dissipated, leaving them momentarily bewildered.


    Before they could make sense of the situation, a thick, golden lightning bolt descended from the sky, piercing through the entire Taillow and Swellow group.


    Struck by the lightning, the Taillow and Swellow emitted piercing cries of agony, and then one by one, they fell from the sky, trailing smoke.


    The enormous lightning bolt sted a massive crater into the ground, and the descending Taillow and Swellownded within this smoky pit.


    However, many of the Taillow and Swellow proved true to their name, "Swellow," and persisted in the sky.


    (Note: Taillow chinese name is proud swallow and Swellow is king swallow)


    Although the golden lightning bolt appeared formidable, the sheer number of Taillow and Swellow was too great. The electrical current was distributed among each Pok��mon, lessening its impact.


    Otherwise, Yuga wouldn''t have employed this tactic. If the lightning struck a single Taillow or Swellow, even the most resilient of them would have turned to ashes.


    At this point, Yuga''s Dragonite emerged once again from the clouds, poking its round head out. It extended its hand, summoning another wave of electrical currents to cover the remaining Taillow and Swellow.


    This time, the electrical current was significantly weaker.


    However, the remaining Taillow and Swellow could no longer endure. They, too, fell like dumplings into the massive pit below.


    With the main force of Swellow defeated by Dragonite and Vivillon''sbined efforts, the scattered Swellow were no longer a problem.


    The migration of Beautifly and Dustox could finally resume.


    The ck cloud cover gradually dissipated as Dragonite dispersed it. Brilliant sunlight once again illuminated the earth, shining upon the Beautifly and Dustox.


    The life journey of the Beautifly and Dustox was about to begin.

 Chapter 707: The Giant Sepent

    <h4>Chapter 707: The Giant Sepent</h4>


    Yuga and the others watched as the Beautifly and Dustox gradually moved away, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.


    The mission was finallypleted!


    Just as Yuga received a notification from Zinnian to tell him to meet up, they suddenly felt the ground tremble.


    An earthquake?


    That was their immediate thought.


    At the same time, Yuga and his group felt the strong vibrations beneath the ground.


    "Boom..."


    With a loud noise, Yuga and Zaden simultaneously looked towards the bottom of the canyon.


    The ground there began to rise and roll, and the trees on the ground started to topple.


    "What''s happening?"


    Zaden held onto arge tree, swaying unsteadily, and shouted to Yuga.


    Before Yuga could respond, they saw the answer.


    Suddenly, a massive rock head emerged from the giant pit that Dragonite had struck with lightning.


    The awakened Taillow and Swellow in the pit, after seeing that massive rock head, all screamed and fled.


    "This is an Onix..."


    Yuga couldn''t help but say as he looked at the massive head.


    The head did belong to an Onix, but it was enormous,parable to a small mountain.


    "Onix..."


    Onix, upon seeing Yuga and Zaden, let out an angry roar, and the ground shook once again.


    This time, Onix emerged its entire body from the ground, and its bunched-up body was no different from a small mountain.


    At this moment, a message suddenly rang in Yuga''s mind.


    ...


    [ Congrattions, Host, you have triggered a mission: Capture Onix. ]


    [ Exnation: Onix, which was awakened by Dragonite''s lightning while in slumber, is filled with uncontroble anger. This is a Pok��mon with Elite potential. Capture it; your Ecological Park needs it. ]


    [ Reward: Unlock the qualification for the Mine Sub-Ecopark. ]


    ...


    Listening to the system''s exnation, Yuga finally understood why this Giant Onix was so furious at him and Zaden.


    Upon closer inspection, there was indeed a ckened spot on the Onix''s forehead.


    Clearly, it was the result of Dragonite''s lightning strike.


    Researcher in the Pok��mon world generally believed that Onix had two ways of evolving.


    One way was:


    Wild Onix would find a ce rich in mineral resources, bury their bodies deep underground, endure the pressure from the earth, and absorb minerals from the soil.


    After years of this process, their bodies would be harder and harder, eventually evolving into Steelix.


    This process was extremely lengthy, so Onix raised by human trainers couldn''t use this method to evolve.


    The way humans got Onix to evolve was inspired by the natural evolution of wild Onix.


    This was the second way:


    Humans created a tool called a Metal Coat, made from highly concentrated rare metals.


    When Onix absorbed the Metal Coat, the umtion of minerals in their bodies elerated, leading to natural evolution.


    However, researcher generally believed that naturally evolved Onix, shaped by years of endurance, had sturdier bodies than those evolved with the Metal Coat.


    This Giant Onix had clearly been slumbering underground, waiting to umte enough minerals for its final evolution.


    Unfortunately, it was awakened by Dragonite.


    ...


    <<onix>> </onix>


    Type: Rock/Ground


    Ability: Rock Head


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 69


    Moves: Tackle, Harden, Bind, Rock Throw, Rock Tomb, Stealth Rock, Dragon Breath, Rock Polish, Rock Slide, Iron Tail, Dig, Take Down, Sandstorm, Earthquake, Double-Edge, Stone Edge, Facade, Wide Guard, Rototiller.


    ...


    This Giant Onix''s potential was indeed outstanding, no wonder the system said it had Elite potential.


    Setting aside its blue potential, just the number of moves this Pok��mon possesses is beyond what most Pok��mon canpare to.


    Learning so many moves isn''t achievable through potential alone, especially for a wild Pok��mon like this.


    Yuga believed that this Giant Onix must have lived for a very long time, and its extensive move list was a result of umted experience over time.


    Generally, Onix that live longer tend to be stronger. It''s said that Onix that have lived for over a hundred years develop bodies as hard as diamonds.


    Its gigantic body was solid, dense, and dark, asionally gleaming with a metallic sheen.


    Yuga suspected that this Onix wasn''t far from reaching its hundredth year of life.


    Once it evolved into a Steelix, it would easily break through to be an Elite level Pok��mon, and dominates this area.


    While Yuga observed Onix, it felt ignored by the small creatures in front of it and grew angry.


    It raised its head and used the move Tackle to charge towards the cliff where Yuga and Zaden were.


    Given the size of Onix, even when using a basic move like Tackle, it was as powerful as using a Double-Edge move.


    Seeing Yuga about to be attacked, Dragonite used Dragon Rush and collided with Onix.


    Compared to the massive head of Onix, Dragonite, despite beingrger than its species average, was still dwarfed by it.


    This Giant Onix could already be considered an anomalous Pok��mon, with its immense size granting itbat prowess far beyond its kind.


    After being struck by Onix''s tackle, Dragonite was sent flying like a cannonball and crashed into the cliff behind, taking a while to recover.


    "Dragonite!"


    Seeing Dragonite sent flying, Yuga shouted in concern.


    Both Dragonite and Onix were pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, with Dragonite being at the junior stage, while Onix was at its peak.


    However, even so, Onix''s disyed power was extremely exaggerated.


    Dragonite''sbat power is far superior to that of its kind. But it''s still lose on frontal confrotation.


    No wonder it can be praised by the system. The actualbat power of this Onix, which is at the peak of the Elite level, may have broken through the boundaries of the Elite level.


    It was worth noting that Elite level Pok��mon had undergone a life transformation, and the gap between them and ordinary Pok��mon was vast.


    But this Giant Onix seemed to have broken through this limit.


    The increase in power brought about by its gigantic body far exceeded that of Yuga''s Absol.


    After sending Dragonite flying, Onix stared at Yuga and Zaden with its massive eyes, and Zaden was on the verge of trembling with fear.


    Earlier, his Skarmory attempted to attack Onix but was swatted away by the Onix''s tail.


    Compared to this Giant Onix, Yuga''s height was barely a tenth of the horn on its head, showcasing just how massive Onix truly was.


    As it rose from the bottom of the canyon, its height matched that of the cliff where Yuga and Zaden stood. During its movement, countless trees were toppled by its sheer size, making it an environmental menace.


    Yuga''s Chatot and Vivillon rushed over at this moment. However, before they could make a move, they were swatted aside by Onix''s tail, suffering the same fate as Dragonite.


    Both Chatot and Vivillon were not far behind Dragonite in terms of strength, so if Dragonite couldn''t stand up against Onix, neither could they.


    Onix red at Yuga and Zaden, and green energy began rapidly umting in its mouth, a prelude to using the move Dragon Breath.

 Chapter 708: Restoration

    <h4>Chapter 708: Restoration</h4>


    Just as Onix was about to unleash its Dragon Breath, Yuga''s Gengar and Mismagius appeared in front of him and simultaneously used Shadow Ball, interrupting Onix''s Dragon Breath attack.


    "Zaden, you go and join Zinnian and the others first. Leave this to me," Yuga said, turning to Zaden, who was trembling with fear.


    "But..."


    Watching the colossal serpent before them, Zaden was worried that Yuga might not be able to handle it.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll catch up soon."


    Although this Giant Onix was formidable, it was still only at the pseudo-Elite level. Yuga didn''t believe that Gengar and Mismagius, both Elite level Pok��mon, would lose to it when working together.


    Thinking about his status as a Elite level Trainer, Zaden reluctantly nodded and found his Skarmory. He then swiftly left the southern bank of the canyon riding on his Luxray.


    The Shadow Balls unleashed by Gengar and Mismagius exploded in Onix''s mouth, causing it to emit a mournful cry. Its massive head tilted to one side, toppling numerous trees in the process.


    Onix twisted its enormous body and swung its sturdy tail, using Iron Tail against Gengar and Mismagius.


    While Onix could sense the dominance of Gengar and Mismagius, which were Elite level Pok��mon, it felt no fear. Its sole focus was to tear apart the small creatures before it.


    Yuga knew that if he allowed this Giant Onix to rampage, the entire canyon would soon be leveled. Next year, when the hunting Butterfree wanted to migrate through here, it would be impossible.


    Under Yuga''smand, Gengar and Mismagius joined forces to use a spatial technique.


    Onix''s massive body was immediately trapped within a transparent energy space. It continuously raised its colossal tail and pounded the spatial barrier, causing it to tremble incessantly.


    Since Gengar and Mismagius had broken through to the Elite level, the spatial technique they jointly executed was already quite stable. Ordinary Elite level Pok��mon would find it challenging to disrupt it.


    However, Onix''s immense size meant that Gengar and Mismagius had to expand the spatial area to contain it. As the volume of the space increased, the power of the spatial technique became diluted, and its stability waspromised.


    Inside the space, Onix rampaged, while Gengar and Mismagius evaded its attacks and simultaneously used Shadow Ball to strike at it.


    Onix had strong physical defense but weaker special defense. Faced with thebined assault of two Elite level Pok��mon, the colossal serpent grew increasingly irritated.


    Gengar and Mismagius were both agile Pok��mon, but Onix''s size made its movements clumsy within the confines of the spatial field. Consequently, it found it almost impossible to attack Gengar and Mismagius.


    If it were outside, Onix could move freely, and even the wind generated by its body movements would be powerful. Gengar and Mismagius would have a much harder time dealing with it.


    Inside the spatial field, Onix''s body was covered in injuries from the frequent attacks. Furthermore, it had been using brute force to continuously crash against the spatial barrier, which was draining its stamina rapidly.


    As it watched the two small creatures darting around before its eyes, Onix felt increasingly frustrated.


    So, after giving it some thought, it stopped attacking Gengar and Mismagius and, with red eyes, used Double-Edge. It disregarded the consequences and mmed into the spatial barrier.


    Not content with just one strike, it used its tail and head alternately, continuously battering the spatial barrier. The spatial field began to shake violently.


    Onix had the ability "Rock Head," so it wasn''t afraid of the recoil damage from Double-Edge move. So It used this ultimate move like Double-Edge fearlessly.


    The vibrations within the spatial barrier became more and more intense, and maintaining the stability of the space became increasingly challenging for Gengar and Mismagius.


    Finally, with a resounding "boom," the transparent spatial barrier shattered abruptly, turning into sparkling energy fragments that dispersed into the air.


    As the space copsed, Onix delivered one final blow that cleaved a gaping hole through the air. Its enormous tail struck the river at the bottom of the valley, instantly cutting it in half.


    Seeing the space rupture, Onix seemed to lose all its strength in an instant, crashing down to the ground.


    Although it had sessfully broken through Gengar and Mismagius''s spatial barrier, it had exhausted all its energy due to the frequent use of Double-Edge.


    The more powerful the move, the more energy it consumed.


    Half of Onix''s bodyy across the river, blocking the water flow. The river redirected itself along the embankment, soaking Onix''s body.


    Gengar and Mismagius slowly descended from the sky,nding on Onix''s head to examine its condition.


    Onix had truly lost its ability to fight.


    As Yuga looked at the chaotic scene in the canyon, he felt somewhat helpless. Although he had done his best to protect the canyon, Onix''s destructive power was simply too great, and every move it made caused massive devastation.


    Within the canyon, many trees and terrain had been destroyed by Onix, not to mention the river that had been abruptly cut off.


    Seeing Onix fall, Yuga rode on his Charizard and found his Dragonite, Chatot, and Vivillon, who had been thrown aside by Onix. He provided them with some basic healing and recalled them into their Pok�� Balls.


    Fortunately, they had only suffered a single blow from Onix, and their injuries were not severe. With some rest, they would recover without any major issues.


    After tending to his Pok��mon, Yuga rode on Charizard andnded beside Onix. He then threw a Heavy Ball, sessfully capturing Onix.


    Since Onix hadpletely lost its ability to battle, it offered no resistance when being captured in the Pok�� Ball.


    The moment Yuga sessfully captured Onix, he received a notification from the system that the mission wasplete.


    After capturing Onix, Yuga didn''t rush to leave. Instead, he released Onix and used his special abilities to provide it with some healing.


    Although still somewhat angry, Onix understood that it had been captured by the human before it and refrained from attacking Yuga again.


    Therefore, Yuga made an agreement with Onix. He would help Onix evolve and provide it with the minerals and nutrients it needed, and in return, Onix would apany him.


    Onix wasn''t a fool. If someone was willing to take care of it, it had no objections.


    After reaching an agreement with Onix, Yuga had it restore the canyon''s terrain, including the river that had been interrupted.


    For a massive Rock and Ground-type Pok��mon like Onix, this task was not difficult.


    Yuga didn''t want such a ce, used by Beautifly and Dustox for courting and migration every year, to be destroyed.


    As for the trees that had been knocked over, Yuga and Onix were powerless to do anything about them. If Florges were here, perhaps she could find a solution.


    So, the issue of vegetation would have to rely on the self-healing abilities of the Petalburg Forest.

 Chapter 709: Ripples

    <h4>Chapter 709: Ripples</h4>


    After reuniting with Zinnian and the others, Zaden anxiously paced back and forth, waiting for Yuga to return, but there was no sign of him.


    "Senior Zinnian, do you think Gym Leader Shimizu will be okay?" Zaden asked.


    "It should be fine. After all, Gym Leader Shimizu is an Elite level Trainer," Zinnian reassured Zaden.


    She had been working in the Petalburg Forest for years and had no idea that a terrifying Onix was sleeping in that canyon. It was fortunate that Yuga was with them on this journey; otherwise, they might not have been able to handle the Onix that Zaden had described.


    "But that Onix was incredibly strong. I felt weak just looking at it," Zaden recalled, still shaken by the memory.


    "Now, let''s wait here patiently. If the Gym Leader Shimizu can''t handle the Onix, even if we go back, it won''t help. We might even get in his way, or else he wouldn''t have let you leave first," Roxanne said.


    Zaden thought about it carefully and realized that it made sense. So, he reluctantly agreed.


    After about half an hour, the five of them finally saw Yuga returning unharmed, with the chattering Chatot still perched on his shoulder.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, you''re back! I was so worried!" Zaden breathed a sigh of relief at Yuga''s safe return.


    "I''m sorry for making you worry," Yuga said apologetically.


    He and the Onix had spent some time restoring the canyon''s terrain, and he hadn''t expected Zaden and the others to be so concerned.


    "I should thank you too. If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t have been able to leave," Zaden scratched the back of his head, feeling embarrassed.


    "You''re making a fuss over nothing. What could happen to us?" Chatot looked at Zaden disdainfully,pletely forgetting that it had been knocked out by the Onix''s tail.


    Zaden didn''t mind Chatot''s words. After spending a few days together, he had figured out that the bird was just talkative.


    However, Yuga gave Chatot a smack on the beak, silencing it.


    After the six of them reunited, they each reported on their respective situations and then went their separate ways. The forest rangers returned to their own areas, while the Gym Leader returned to his Gym.


    Originally, Zaden had nned to apany Yuga back to Verdanturf Town, but Yuga refused. He wanted to explore the Petalburg Forest a bit more and see if he could capture some good potrnyial Wurmole, Silcoon, or Cascoon.


    After understanding the situation, Zaden agreed, and he returned to his own area alone.


    And so, Yuga wandered through the Petalburg Forest with Chatot.


    ording to the forest rangers, there were still many Wurmple left behind. However, it was already this season, and the forest was vast, so even though there were many Wurmple, they were not easy to find.


    After spending another day in the forest, Yuga managed to capture a few Wurmple, but only one of them had a green potential.


    Afterward, Yuga prepared to return. However, just as he took a few steps, he suddenly felt a strange fluctuation in the forest. Before his eyes, a transparent ripple appeared, and four people and four Pok��mon were thrown out of it.


    Right after that, another Celebi leaped out of the ripples.


    This Celebi also gave Yuga a quick nce before swiftly diving back into the ripples and disappearing.


    With just that one nce, Yuga felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity. This was the Celebi that had blessed him and Florges!


    Yuga''s inner certainty surged at that moment.


    Although the Celebi disappeared, the four individuals and their four Pok��mon who were thrown out of the Celebi''s time ripples remained in ce.


    Once ejected, the four individuals were briefly disoriented but then quickly split into two groups.


    Among them, two individuals were dressed in all ck, each apanied by a Gliscor and an Aggron, giving them the appearance of typical antagonists from novels and TV shows.


    The other two individuals were a young man and a boy, dressed elegantly, and each apanied by a Dusknoir and a Sceptile.


    The Gliscor and Aggron with the individuals in ck were both pseudo-Elite level.


    While the Dusknoir with the young man was at the pseudo-Elite level, the Sceptile with the boy was almost approaching pseudo-Elite level.


    At this moment, Yuga and the boy''s eyes met, and they both showed surprised expressions because they felt a familiar power emanating from each other.


    However, this eye contact was interrupted within just two or three seconds.


    This interruption happened because the boy and the young man came under attack from the Gliscor and Aggron on the opposing side.


    Both the young man and the Dusknoir and the boy and the Sceptile were injured at this point and were no match for the individuals in ck.


    But this was when Yuga decided to intervene!


    He released his Onix, and with a sweep of its massive tail, sent the Gliscor and Aggron flying.


    The Gliscor and Aggron, although not small Pok��mon, were no match for Onix.


    The reason Yuga chose to help the young man and the boy was that he felt a special power in the boy, a power derived from the Celebi''s Blessing.


    The boy''s body didn''t just carry Celebi''s blessing; it already harbored an awakened special power.


    Yuga believed that anyone chosen by Celebi wouldn''t be a bad person.


    Even if the boy were a bad person, with this power within him, Yuga felt it necessary to find out.


    Moreover, he thought that Celebi had sent this boy with a special ability to him for a reason.


    After seeing their Gliscor and Aggron being sent flying, the two individuals in ck looked bewildered as they faced Yuga and his Giant Onix.


    "����������..."


    The two individuals in ck muttered iprehensibly to Yuga, who couldn''t understand a word.


    What was going on? Whatnguage was this?


    Aren''t thenguages in the Pok��mon world supposed to be standardized? Where were these two from?


    Yuga was just as puzzled.


    Meanwhile, the Onix, irritated by the arrogance of the two individuals, swung its tail without hesitation. Yuga didn''t even have time to stop it.


    The two individuals in ck didn''t have the strong defenses of Gliscor and Aggron and were sent flying by the Onix''s tail, spraying blood.


    This Onix had been dormant for a long time and was untamed, which Yuga hadn''t expected, resulting in the sudden violent attack.


    However, the young man with the Dusknoir reacted swiftly. The Dusknoir materialized directly beside the two individuals in ck and delivered a methrower to each, obliterating them.


    The Gliscor and Aggron not far away saw their trainers turn into piles of flesh right in front of them and charged at the furious Onix.


    The Onix showed no mercy to these two Pok��mon either, and with another sweep of its tail, sent them flying. The two severely injured Pok��mon soon met their end at the hands of the young man''s Dusknoir.


    While Yuga had intended to rescue the boy and the young man, he hadn''t expected the young man with the Dusknoir to be so decisive, directly taking the lives of the two individuals in ck.


    Yuga wasn''t particrly concerned about the fate of those two individuals, but he hadn''t yet figured out the identities of the four neers.

 Chapter 710: Visitors

    <h4>Chapter 710: Visitors</h4>


    After being rescued by Yuga, the young man and the boy approached him and spoke rapidly in anguage he couldn''t understand.


    Thenguage spoken by the young man and the boy was the same as the one used by the two individuals in ck.


    Whatnguage is this, and why can''t I understand it? Yuga was puzzled.


    At this moment, the system provided an exnation to Yuga.


    It turned out that these four people were speaking an ancientnguage of the Pok��mon world.


    Yuga''s system had interacted with this world when he entered it, allowing him to understand the ancientnguage of the Pok��mon world.


    With the system''s trantion, Yuga could finally understand what these two were saying.


    However, they couldn''t understand what Yuga was saying in response.


    So, Yuga had to follow the system''s guidance and trante his words into anguage they could understand, despite the inconvenience. This way, they couldmunicate.


    But why were these two individuals using the ancientnguage of the Pok��mon world?


    Yuga quickly found the answer during their conversation.


    Among these two individuals, the young man was named Hubert, and he was the guardian of the boy named Shadowsong.


    Hearing the name Shadowsong, Yuga felt a sense of familiarity and became frightened when he thought about it carefully.


    He remembered that when his master took him to the temple to awaken his abilities, there were ques dedicated to the ancestors, and the name Shadowsong was the first and most prominent among them.


    Because of its prominent cement and distinct name, Yuga had remembered it.


    Of course, the names on the ques were written in the modernnguage of the Pok��mon world, which is why Yuga remembered them so vividly.


    Connecting the dots between the boy with the power simr to his own, thenguage they spoke, and the appearance of Celebi earlier, Yuga couldn''t help but think that there might not be so many coincidences in the world.


    It made sense that Celebi had brought these two individuals here from ancient times.


    So, how should this be calcted? Ancestor?


    Looking at the young boy who was younger than himself, Yuga felt a headacheing on.


    "Are you saying we''ve traveled to a future world?" The boy''s face showed disbelief.


    "Yes, thenguage you''re speaking is ancient and different from the one we use now," Yuga replied.


    "Then... how many years into the future have wee?" The boy looked anxious.


    "I don''t know..." Yuga admitted, realizing that he wasn''t well-versed in the history of the Pok��mon world, especially its ancient history.


    "Have you heard of the Arus Empire?" The boy asked, his unfamiliar surroundings making him anxious, causing him to stutter.


    "Ar... Arus..." Hearing this name, Yuga was taken aback.


    Could it really be such a coincidence?


    Suddenly, the ancestor came to mind, and it was from the Arus Empire, which he had a deep connection.


    This is a country that existed in the Hoenn region thousands of years ago.


    Yuga had once researched the history of the Arus Empire, It''s unclear whether it was because the king at that time was excessively cruel or if parts of history have been lost.


    In any case, within the historical records of Hoenn region, there are only scattered mentions of the Arus Empire, and there is no useful information avable.


    In the field of archaeology, the Arus Empire remains a mysterious presence.


    "Yes, what''s wrong with the Arus Empire?" Confused by Yuga''s strange expression, Shadowsong asked.


    "Are you truly from the period when the Arus Empire existed?" Yuga couldn''t help but ask again.


    "Y-yes... Is there a problem?" Shadowsong was puzzled.


    "Arus... That was a kingdom that existed over a thousand years ago," Yuga exined.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Shadowsong was shocked. He hadn''t expected to have arrived in a future over a thousand yearster.


    "Don''t worry; I will find a way to send you back," Yuga assured them.


    Yugaforted Shadowsong, feeling that it was his duty, especially since this boy might be rted to his ancestor lineage. Yuga thought he should help them, as Celebi had brought them together for a reason.


    To send Shadowsong back, Yuga needed to find Celebi, and the only clue to his whereabouts was in the temple connected to their lineage. Yuga''s master had mentioned that their lineage was the only one with a close connection to Legendary Pok��mon. Celebi had appeared when Yuga awakened his abilities, but the Celebi he encountered today seemed much more powerful.


    Yuga decided that he should take Shadowsong to see his master; it seemed like the best course of action.


    "Thank you, Yuga. If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t know what to do," Shadowsong expressed his gratitude, seeing Yuga as a genuinely helpful person despite their first meeting.


    On the other hand, Hubert, the guardian, remained cautious and didn''t quite understand why Yuga was being so helpful to strangers.


    "I''m not helping you for no reason. You must have felt the power within us that connects us. Since Celebi brought you to me, he must have wanted me to assist you," Yuga exined.


    However, Yuga refrained from mentioning that he recognized Shadowsong as their ancestor; he couldn''t bring himself to say those words.


    In truth, Yuga''s master hadn''t lied. Their lineage did trace back a long way, perhaps even a thousand years.


    "I see, that exins why I felt so familiar with you," Shadowsong said excitedly, and even Hubert''s wariness seemed to fade away.


    "By the way, how did you encounter Celebi, and who were those two individuals in ck?" Yuga finally remembered to ask.


    "Well..."


    Shadowsong briefly recounted their story.


    They had been pursued and had taken refuge in a forest. Somehow, they had ended up here with those two individuals in ck.


    Shadowsong didn''t borate on why they were being pursued, but Yuga guessed it might be due to family conflicts.


    Judging from Shadowsong''s attire and demeanor, it was clear he came from a well-off family, and he had a personal guardian.


    "Here''s what we''ll do: you bothe with me back to my home, and I''ll help you find a way to return," Yuga suggested.


    "Thank you so much, Yuga. If it weren''t for you, we wouldn''t even know where to go," Shadowsong expressed his gratitude.


    With only a Dusknoir and Sceptile as theirpanions, Shadowsong and Hubert couldn''t easily make the journey back to Verdanturf Town.


    So, Yuga released his Dragonite and Charizard to transport them. Shadowsong and Hubert would ride on Dragonite, while Yuga would take Charizard.


    Shadowsong and Hubert were amazed by Yuga''s ability to store Pok��mon in Pok�� Balls, a convenience they didn''t have in their time over a thousand years ago.


    To make it easier for them to carry Dusknoir and Sceptile, Yuga gave each of them a Pok�� Ball as a gift, which they cherished.


    During the journey back to Verdanturf Town, Yuga did his best to educate them on somemon knowledge of this era to prevent them from making jokes.


    He also advised them to avoid speaking or interacting with others to avoid appearing too out of ce.

 Chapter 711: New Sub-Ecopark

    <h4>Chapter 711: New Sub-Ecopark</h4>


    In this way, Yuga returned to the YoYo Day Care with Shadowsong and Hubert.


    The modern Pok��mon world is very different from the ancient Pok��mon world.


    Shadowsong and Hubert were amazed by the bustling streets and vehicles they saw, but Yuga had warned them in advance not to ask too many questions.


    The employees at the Day Care found it strange that Yuga had brought back two people dressed so differently, but Yuga exined that they were friends staying temporarily, and they didn''t inquire further.


    So, Shadowsong and Hubert settled into the YoYo Day Care.


    After settling Shadowsong and Hubert in rooms next to his own, Yuga headed to the Ecopark.


    Upon arriving at the park, Yuga first went to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark and left therge Pidgeot there to be trained by the Honchkrow leader.


    Then, he went to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark and arranged the captured Wurmple, Silcoon, and Cascoon.


    Finally, it was time to open the new Sub-Ecopark and ce the Onix.


    Yuga was well aware of the steps to open a new Sub-Ecopark.


    Soon, a new light gate appeared in the main park, leading to the new Sub-Ecopark��the Mine Sub-Ecopark.


    Upon entering the Mine Sub-Ecopark, Yuga saw barren, rocky hills and giant stones everywhere. The entire Sub-Ecopark was monotonous and gray, devoid of any pRands or greenery.


    Unlike the previously opened Sub-Ecoparks, there were no trees or flowers here. Even the Volcano Sub-Ecopark looked vibrant inparison, while the Mine Sub-Ecopark seemed lifeless.


    As the name implied, the Mine Sub-Ecopark was essentially a vast range of rocky mountains. However, the terrain here was rtively t and had a low slope, likely due to the sheer size of the Mines.


    ording to the system, the rocks and soil in the entire mountain range were rich in mineral elements, making it suitable for Rock-type and Steel-type Pok��mon to feed on.


    Deep within the Minesy numerous rare metals, which could be used by Steel-type Pok��mon to purify and polish their bodies.


    the Mine Sub-Ecopark contained a significant amount of rare precious metals, and Yuga even thought that, if not for the system''s limitations, he could make a fortune by mining them alone. Unfortunately, the system restricted these metals for use in cultivating Pok��mon and nothing else.


    the Mine Sub-Ecopark was called a mountain range for a reason; it wasn''t just one mountain but a series of connected peaks. The highest peak among them had a special maic field that allowed specific Pok��mon to evolve, simr to Mount Cor in the Sinnoh region.


    However, the entire mountain range was so vast that Yuga couldn''t explore it all, especially since the entrance to the Sub-Ecopark was only halfway up the Mineside.


    After a brief tour, Yuga released the Giant Onix and let it make itself at home in the Mine Sub-Ecopark.


    While the Sub-Ecopark seemed dull and lifeless to Yuga, it held a different allure for Onix. As a Rock-type and future Steel-type Pok��mon, it could feel the Sub-Ecopark''s call and the earth''s longing for its presence.


    Onix believed that as long as it stayed here, it wouldn''t be long before itpleted its final evolution and became a perfect Steelix.


    Under Yuga''s watchful eye, Onix used its Dig ability to burrow into the ground and continued its slumber, umting strength for its ultimate evolution.


    In the moment when Onix disappeared, Yuga heard a notification for a new task from the system.


    ...


    [ Congrattions, Host, on triggering the ''Enrich Species'' task. ]


    [ Description: The vast Mountain Sub-Ecopark has only one Pok��mon, the Onix. What happened to the Elite potential of Onix? Go capture more Rock-type and Steel-type Pok��mon and make Onix a true Elite that dominate the area. ]


    [ Requirements: Total number of Rock-type and Steel-type Pok��mon exceeds twenty. ]


    [ Reward: Universal Pok��block form for Rock-type Pok��mon and Universal Pok��block form for Steel-type Pok��mon. ]


    ...


    Upon hearing the system''s voice, Yuga was momentarily surprised. After all, his system rarely issued consecutive tasks, and this one came with a "requirement," which was something new.


    However, Yuga felt that he needed to postpone this task of capturing Rock-type and Steel-type Pok��mon. Suddenly demanding that he capture them was difficult, as he didn''t know where to find them.


    He did recall that on Illuma Ind, where he captured Charizard, there was a group of Aggron. However, the area had been sealed off by the League due to the presence of Fire Stone veins, making it challenging to enter, let alone capture Pok��mon there.


    However, capturing Rock-type and Steel-type Pok��mon for now wasn''t feasible. But there was something else that could be done.


    After leaving the Ecopark, Yuga found Windy and asked him to post a message on the official website of the YoYo Day Care:


    [ At the YoYo Day Care, customers can pay to request assistance in helping Pok��mon like Nosepass, Maon, and Charjabug evolve ]


    The evolution of these three type of Pok��mon required a special maic field.


    However, ces with special maic fields are scarce. Some well-known ones include the in the Mount Cor in the Sinnoh region, the Chargestone Cave in the Unova region, and the Vast Poni Canyon in Al region.


    These locations are all in the wild, and trainers who want to help their Pok��mon evolve have to make a special trip, which can be quite inconvenient. Some areas might not even have the necessary maic fields, requiring trainers to travel across regions.


    Now, the YoYo Day Care offers this service. Trainers can simply pay, send their Pok��mon to the YoYo Day Care, help them evolve, and then have the evolved Pok��mon returned to them. This is much more convenient than making the journey themselves.


    This operation won''t raise any suspicions because all it requires is having a dedicated staff member stationed in ces like the Mount Cor or Vast Poni Canyon. Whether or not the YoYo Day Care has staff members in these locations, who knows?"


    After leaving Windy, Yuga thought about Luna and Rand, both of whom had a Maon. It was a perfect opportunity to test the service.


    So, Yuga called both of them.


    Although students at the Trainer School couldn''t go home frequently, making phone calls was still no problem.


    Soon, Yuga received the Pok�� Balls sent by Luna and Rand.


    Holding the Pok�� Balls, he headed to the Mine Sub-Ecopark. Yuga rode on his Charizard and flew to the Mountain peak.


    the Mine Sub-Ecopark was vast, and walking all the way to the Mountain peak on foot would have been exhausting. So, Yuga had to rely on his Charizard for transportation.


    In the future, he nned to delegate this task to Wigglytuff and provide it with a Flygon as a mount.


    Speaking of which, Yuga wondered if pairing a Fairy-type Pok��mon with a Dragon-type Pok��mon as partners might lead to conflicts.


    But given that Wigglytuff was usually busy, Yuga couldn''t hand everything over to it.


    the Mountain peak where the special maic field was located had a massive crater, perfectly circr and embedded in the Mountaintop, creating a spectacr sight.


    The bowl-shaped crater was the strongest point of the special maic field, making it the ideal ce for Pok��mon to evolve.


    However, even though the maic field was strongest here, it wasn''t like the Mount Cor, where maic storms asionally urred.


    It also didn''t pose any harm to the Pok��mon. Some ces with excessively strong maic fields could cause maic storms. If Pok��mon evolved in such conditions, their evolution might be iplete, and they could even get injured.


    The maic field required for Pok��mon evolution wasn''t a case of "stronger is better." It needed to be just right.


    Both Maon seemed to enjoy this ce. From their names, it was evident that Maon loved maic field environments.


    However, even if there was a suitable maic field, Pok��mon didn''t evolve instantly.


    They needed time to adapt to the maic field, interact with it, and gradually change their body''s form beforepleting their evolution.


    Leaving both Maon in the bowl-shaped crater to slowly adapt to the maic field, Yuga left the Ecopark.

 Chapter 712: Seeking Help

    <h4>Chapter 712: Seeking Help</h4>


    On the second day after opening the new Sub-Ecopark, Yuga prepared to take Shadowsong and Hubert to Mauville City to meet his master.


    He felt it was best to resolve this matter promptly.


    Before departing, Yuga called his master and informed him about Shadowsong and Hubert''s situation.


    Mr. Kuni''o attached great importance to this matter and expressed a desire to meet Shadowsong, who appeared to be the ancestor.


    However, an unexpected event urred before their departure.


    Gardevoir had been given the control of its body to Gardevoir (Male) during this period, effectively entering a state of deep sleep, with little interaction with the outside world. This had caused Yuga to forget about it.


    But yesterday, when it suddenly awakened and heard that Yuga was going to Mauville City, Gardevoir expressed a desire to apany them.


    As a Pok��mon that had once lived in ancient times, Gardevoir found the highly developed world of technology fascinating and was enthusiastic about going out with Yuga.


    Yuga had never considered restricting Gardevoir''s actions, so when it expressed its wish, Yuga naturally agreed.


    So, Gardevoir and Shadowsong met.


    Although Yuga had told Gardevoir that he was going to Mauville City, he hadn''t mentioned the purpose of the trip and had forgotten to inform Gardevoir about encountering Shadowsong.


    After Gardevoir and Shadowsong met, Gardevoir''s expression turned very strange, and it pulled Yuga aside, asking in a low voice, "Who is this kid? Why does he have the exact same aura as Rode''s son?"


    "Rode? Who''s Rode?" Yuga was puzzled.


    "Who else could it be? It''s the old guy who schemed against me, the King of Arus! Besides that old man, who else is called Rode!" Gardevoir became very agitated when mentioning Rode''s name.


    Yuga was incredulous. Although he had read records about thest King of the Arus Empire, he genuinely didn''t know that his name was Rode because all the documentscked his name. Even the stone tablets in the underground world in the desert didn''t mention it; they used titles like "king" or "emperor" instead.


    "Are you serious? Exactly the same?" Gardevoir scrutinized Yuga''s strange expression and asked, "Are you hiding something from me?"


    "Cough... I didn''t hide it intentionally; I just forgot to tell you," Yuga said awkwardly. He then proceeded to tell Gardevoir everything about encountering Shadowsong in Petalburg Forest.


    "In that case, this kid can''t be Rode''s son. Who else could he be?" Gardevoir shouted angrily.


    Gardevoir remembered Shadowsong''s appearance so clearly because the blessing on Shadowsong''s body belonged to it.


    As the guardian deity of the Arus Empire, Gardevoir had never expected to be schemed against by the King of Arus.


    Back then, it had blessed Shadowsong and helped him awaken his special abilities because it sensed the purity in Shadowsong''s heart.


    However, since it was tricked by Shadowsong''s father afterward, Gardevoir no longer felt any connection to anyone from the Arus Empire and didn''t bear any grudges. Considering the circumstances, Gardevoir couldn''t let go of its resentment.


    Yuga hadn''t expected such a coincidence in the world.


    Seeing Gardevoir''s angry expression, Yuga consoled, "Don''t be angry for now. Let''s assess the situation first and decide what to do after meeting my master, okay?"


    Although Yuga had a good impression of Shadowsong, he couldn''t persuade Gardevoir to let go of its hatred; it was a deep-seated grudge.


    Even a benevolent Gardevoir wouldn''t easily forget such hatred.


    After Yuga''s reassurance, Gardevoir finally calmed down, but its gaze toward Shadowsong remained unfriendly.


    Shadowsong sensed Gardevoir''s disapproval, and while he found it inexplicable, he chose not to say anything.


    Since Shadowsong and Hubert didn''t have identification documents, they couldn''t use public transportation to get to Mauville City.


    Yuga had no choice but to have Dragonite and Charizard carry them there.


    Compared to using public transportation, riding Pok��mon was much slower. Yuga and the others spent several days on the road before finally arriving in Mauville City.


    On this visit to Mauville City, apart from Dragonite and Charizard, his two flying mounts, Yuga only brought Grass-type Pok��mon like Roserade, Bellossom, Breloom, Venusaur, Deerling, Grotle, and Snivy.


    Yuga hadn''t seen his master for a long time, so he took this opportunity to have him assess the progress of the Grass-type Pok��mon''s training.


    After Yuga, brought along with Shadowsong, Hubert, and Mr. Kuni''o to meet, they temporarily stayed at Mr. Kuni''o''s manor.


    Yuga, Shadowsong, and Mr. Kuni''o spent a long time chatting that night, and the next day, Mr. Kuni''o decided to take them to the temple.


    Only by going to the temple could they contact Celebi, and only then would Shadowsong and Hubert have a chance to return to their own time.


    Shadowsong and Hubert sincerely expressed their gratitude for Yuga and Mr. Kuni''o''s selfless help.


    The reason Yuga and Mr. Kuni''o were so devoted to helping Shadowsong was that he was the beginning of their lineage.


    If something happened to Shadowsong in this era, it would mean the end of their lineage.


    When they arrived at the temple, they were greeted by Shiftry, and the one who served them was still the Cacturne.


    With a Cacturne guarding it, the temple remained spotless.


    Yuga and Mr. Kuni''o even went to the back of the temple to see the tablets of their ancestors.


    Yuga remembered correctly; Shadowsong''s name was prominently disyed at the top.


    Yuga, Mr. Kuni''o, Shadowsong, and Hubert then proceeded to the wooden statue of Celebi in the temple.


    Mr. Kuni''o began, "This is the ce passed down through generations in our lineage, and outsiders can''t easily enter."


    Shadowsong and Hubert immediately showed their respect upon hearing this.


    Mr. Kuni''o continued, "However, your situation is exceptional, so we''ll make an exception."


    Shadowsong and Hubert were filled with gratitude once again.


    Seeing this scene, Yuga suddenly wanted tough. Shadowsong was clearly their ancestor, but his master was deceiving him here.


    Yuga and Mr. Kuni''o didn''t tell Shadowsong about his rtionship with them because they couldn''t even pronounce the words "ancestor."


    In any case, no one would know once Shadowsong left.


    "But you two need to be mentally prepared. I can''t guarantee that I can help you a hundred percent," Mr. Kuni''o added as a precaution.


    "Don''t worry; no matter what the oue is, we won''t me you," Shadowsong sincerely reassured him.


    Yuga served as their trantor while standing to the side.


    Although Mr. Kuni''o was knowledgeable, he hadn''t reached the point of mastering anguage from a thousand years ago, and Shadowsong and Hubert couldn''t learn the modernnguage in just a few days.


    As for why Yuga knew all of this, Mr. Kuni''o didn''t ask too many questions.


    He had always been rtively lenient in teaching his disciple, and if Yuga could acquire additional knowledge, he would only feel gratified.

 Chapter 713: Celebi

    <h4>Chapter 713: Celebi</h4>


    After their conversation with Shadowsong and the others, Mr. Kuni''o opened the shrine containing the somewhat unattractive Celebi statue.


    Then, Mr. Kuni''o took out a green leaf-shaped object. This leaf wasn''t an actual leaf; it was crafted from a material Yuga didn''t recognize, crystal clear and quite beautiful.


    Mr. Kuni''o muttered a few words, cing the leaf in front of the Celebi statue. The leaf began emitting a soft green light.


    Gradually, the green light spread onto the Celebi statue, and suddenly, the statue emitted a bright white light. Before Yuga''s eyes, a rift in time appeared, and a Celebi emerged from it.


    Yuga was astonished when he saw Celebi because it wasn''t the one that had helped awaken his abilities; it was the one that had blessed him and allowed Shadowsong to travel through time.


    Although the two Celebi looked identical, those who had received Celebi''s blessing, like Yuga, could easily distinguish between them.


    Mr. Kuni''o had also noticed the difference, leaving Yuga with just one question: What was the rtionship between these two Celebi?


    Once the Celebi emerged, its first action was to circle around Gardevoir, who was standing beside Yuga.


    Before Mr. Kuni''o and Shadowsong could make any requests, another space-time rift appeared next to Celebi, enveloping not only Shadowsong and Hubert but also Yuga and Gardevoir.


    Seeing this unexpected turn of events, Mr. Kuni''o tried to grab Yuga, but Celebi was too fast, and Yuga vanished before him.


    As Yuga was pulled into the time rift, his mind went nk. After a dizzying moment, he was thrown out of the rift, along with Gardevoir, Shadowsong, and Hubert.


    Before Yuga could grasp what had happened, a relentless barrage of attacks descended upon them. At that moment, Gengar and Mismagius, hidden within Yuga''s shadow, appeared to shield them from the iing onught.


    With no time to think, Yuga realized they were surrounded. The people surrounding them spoke in a rapid, unfamiliarnguage, the samenguage Shadowsong and the others used. The system didn''t have a chance to trante for Yuga, so he understood none of it.


    "We...we''ve returned..." Shadowsong finally managed to say after a moment of confusion.


    Seeing their surroundings, Yuga asked Shadowsong, "Can you exin what''s going on?"


    "This is where Celebi took us. These are the people who are after me and Hubert," Shadowsong exined in a hushed tone, as he and Hubert released their Dusknoir and Sceptile from their Pok�� Balls.


    The sight of Pokemon emerging from the Pok�� Balls astonished the people around them. These people still referred to them as "monsters."


    Yuga finally began to piece together the situation. He and Gardevoir had been brought here a thousand years into the past by Celebi. But why?


    Yuga couldn''t help but feel frustrated with Celebi for putting them in this predicament. There was no time for further contemtion as the group of people and their Pokemonunched another assault.


    Their attire and the two distinct Pokemon species among them, Gligar and Vibrava, resembled the two mysterious figures in ck Yuga had encountered initially. However, their strength was considerably weaker.


    Hubert wasted no time and disyed a deadly efficiency inbat, quickly dispatching several of them along with his Dusknoir.


    Even Shadowsong, typically gentle, showed no mercy. His Sceptile''s Leaf de resembled the scythe of the Grim Reaper.


    Yuga initially struggled to adapt because the fighting style of these people was entirely different from modern times, ruthless and vicious.


    Eventually, Yuga also threw caution to the wind and fought alongside Gengar and Mismagius, defeating dozens of ck-d individuals and their Pok��mon.


    As Yuga looked at the lifeless bodies and crimson blood covering the ground, he felt nauseated.


    In contrast, Shadowsong and Hubert remained remarkablyposed, as if they were ustomed to such violence.


    "Let''s leave this ce quickly," Shadowsong suggested to Yuga.


    Yuga nodded in agreement. At this point, he had no choice but to follow Shadowsong and Hubert, the locals.


    Gengar and Mismagius returned to Yuga''s shadow, and he followed Shadowsong out of the forest with Gardevoir.


    During their journey, Yuga learned some details from Shadowsong, although even Shadowsong seemed somewhat unclear about the situation.


    Shadowsong and Hubert had embarked on a training journey, but they had been pursued, which meant they didn''t know who was after them.


    On the way, Gardevoir secretly spoke to Yuga, saying, "Now that we''re in the past, should I go and kill that old man, Rode?"


    Gardevoir appeared dead serious, not like she was joking at all.


    "We should take things one step at a time for now. Perhaps, in this time, you''re still alive, and we might have a chance to rescue you," Yuga replied.


    Listening to Yuga, a thought crossed his mind. Did Celebi bring him and Gardevoir to the past to save Celebi, who had been killed by Rode? But wouldn''t that change history?


    Upon hearing Yuga''s response, Gardevoir shook her head and said, "It''s impossible. If my past self is already dead, then there''s no way our present selves can save my past self. History corrects itself. If my past self is saved, the future we know will no longer exist."


    As a former Celebi, Gardevoir was well aware that altering history was challenging. Even though they could traverse time, they couldn''t easily disrupt the timeline.


    "But you just said you wanted to kill Rode!" Yuga retorted, exasperated.


    "That''s because there''s no Rode in the future. I don''t know what ultimately happened to him. Maybe I, from the future, killed him," Gardevoir cunningly argued.


    Yuga rolled his eyes; that possibility seemed highly unlikely.


    "By the way, Shadowsong, how is our country''s guardian deity, Celebi, doing now?" Yuga asked Shadowsong directly.


    Yuga figured that asking Shadowsong was the quickest way to learn about Celebi''s current situation.


    "How did you know that our guardian deity is Celebi?" Shadowsong was taken aback. He hadn''t told Yuga this information.


    "Never mind how I know. Just tell me about Celebi," Yuga insisted.

 Chapter 714: Current Situation

    <h4>Chapter 714: Current Situation</h4>


    Upon hearing Yuga''s question, Shadowsong fell into a brief silence.


    Seeing Shadowsong''s expression, Yuga''s heart sank. "Is he dead?"


    Shadowsong nodded silently.


    Not only was Celebi dead, but he had also been killed by his own father.


    It seemed that the purpose of the Celebi send them to the past wasn''t to save the former Gardevoir, but rather something else entirely.


    However, Yuga couldn''t help but wonder how a human like Rode had managed to kill a Legendary Pok��mon like Celebi.


    Fearing that it might upset Gardevoir, Yuga refrained from asking about the details.


    "How... how do you know all this?" Shadowsong hesitated for a moment before speaking, appearing unsure and somewhat guilty. He understood the deep connection between Yuga''s lineage and Celebi, which left him feeling apologetic.


    After a moment of thought, Yuga replied, "I not only know about Celebi, but I also know that you are the prince of Arus, and your father is named Rode."


    At this point, Yuga felt that there was little reason to conceal the truth. After all, he had been brought to the era of the Arus Empire.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Shadowsong''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    "How... how did you know?" Shadowsong had never disclosed his identity to Yuga.


    "I told him!" Gardevoir spoke up at this moment.


    Throughout the journey, Gardevoir hadn''t spoken to Shadowsong and Hubert, so they were unaware of her telepathic abilities.


    While Yuga and Gardevoir asionallymunicated in hushed tones, they believed it was due to their unique abilities tomunicate with Pok��mon. Shadowsong assumed this was how Yuga knew.


    "How could you possibly know..." Shadowsong began to voice his questions, bewildered by how Gardevoir could have such knowledge.


    "Because I am the Celebi that your father killed!" Gardevoir red at Shadowsong fiercely, though it face was too gentle to convey the true extent of it anger.


    Upon learning Gardevoir''s true identity, Shadowsong entered a state of bewilderment.


    Subsequently, he shared everything he knew with Yuga and Gardevoir, tracing the events back over a decade.


    It all began with the return of Minister Ralf, who had been on a journey. He returned to the capital and became an advisor to Emperor Rode.


    After that, Emperor Rode started acting strangely, amassing various treasures, and his intentions remained shrouded in mystery.


    However, there was more to the oddities. The four guardian Pok��mon of the pce disappeared one after another.


    Some quietly suspected that Emperor Rode had a hand in their vanishing. After all, the guardian Pok��mon were immensely powerful and only answered to the king. No one else couldmand them.


    Yet, no one had witnessed the disappearances, and there was no concrete evidence. Although the incidents had shaken the entire capital, they were ultimately left unresolved.


    The situation escted with the beginning of Emperor Rode''s oppressive rule.


    A year after Ralf''s return, the Arus Empire held its once-every-three-years Guardian Deity Festival. Celebi, who was rarely seen otherwise, would visit the capital during this event.


    The Celebi''s blessing on Shadowsong urred during this particr festival. At that time, Shadowsong had just turned one year old.


    It was this blessing that allowed Gardevoir to remember Shadowsong''s aura and recognize his identity a thousand yearster.


    On the day of the festival, in front of all the people of the capital, Emperor Rode killed Celebi during the Guardian Deity Festival.


    ording to rumors, the method Rode used to kill Celebi was brought back by Minister Ralf from his travels.


    The death of the guardian deity Celebi sent shockwaves throughout the entire nation.


    In the following years, the Arus Empire descended into turmoil. Celebi''s death had sparked resistance among many of its people, leading to numerous uprisings throughout thend.


    However, Emperor Rode remained unyielding and suppressed all the revolts with his powerful military forces.


    Under Rode''s rule, the empire grew increasingly tyrannical. His military forces became stronger, and he began encroaching on neighboring nations.


    As the years passed, countless small nations vanished under the iron grip of Emperor Rode''s armies.


    Shadowsong continued to grow older, carrying the burden of being the son of a tyrant. Though discussions of the past events were forbidden within the pce, there were no secrets that remained hidden from the world.


    By the time Shadowsong reached his teenage years, the Arus Empire had grown immensely powerful through years of warfare.


    From his infancy to his understanding of the world, Shadowsong had never witnessed any loving or fatherly gestures from Rode. His father''s demeanor toward him had always been distant.


    Six months ago, Shadowsong''s mother passed away, and Emperor Rode embarked on campaigns to conquer neighboringnds.


    The small nations surrounding Arus had gradually fallen in the wake of Emperor Rode''s relentless campaigns.


    Only one nation, the Vante Empire, remained, and it wasparable in strength to Arus.


    Yuga was aware of the Vante Empire since he had previously studied information about it while researching Arus.


    Unlike Arus, which had scarce historical records, the Vante Empire had a prominent history in the Hoenn region. They ruled over the regional interior for six hundred years.


    It was only three hundred years after Arus vanished from the Hoenn map that the Vante Empire finally met its downfall.


    In fact, ording to inscriptions on ancient stone tablets, Arus''s demise wasn''t due to losing a war; it was the result of someone seeking revenge.


    After listening to Shadowsong''s description of the current state of the Arus Empire, Yuga asked, "Is your country currently at war with neighboring nations?"


    Shadowsong nodded. "Yes, my father is currently at the border leading our troops against the Vante Empire."


    Yuga fell silent for a moment.


    Based on the inscriptions on the stone tablets, Arus had fallen about twenty years after Minister Ralf''s return.


    Calcting from Shadowsong''s age, Arus''s fall must be imminent, possibly within the next couple of years.


    This realization made Yuga feel utterly betrayed by the Celebi that had transported them to this time. If Arus were to fall, there would be no ce for him to return to.


    He felt that the Celebi had set him up for a disastrous fate.


    "We should go to the capital now," Shadowsong suggested. "Join us on our journey."


    After some consideration, Yuga agreed. At this point, he needed to gather as much information about the current era as possible. Arus''s capital would be their first destination.


    (Note: The text mentions discrepancies in the previous description of how Gardevoir recognized Shadowsong, rifying that it was through sensing his aura, not by appearance.)

 Chapter 715: Courtier

    <h4>Chapter 715: Courtier</h4>


    And so, Yuga followed Shadowsong and Hubert to the capital of Arus.


    Shadowsong and Hubert had only gone out to gain experience, so the forest they were in wasn''t far from the capital, and they quickly returned.


    As one of the only two great nations in the interior of the Hoenn region, the capital of Arus was built magnificently, with its pitch-ck walls bearing the marks of history.


    Being the sole prince of Arus, the guards easily recognized Shadowsong and weed him into the capital.


    However, despite the grandeur of the capital, the spirits of the people were very low.


    The streets of the entire capital seemed lifeless and far from prosperous, giving off a rather oppressive feeling.


    It was supposed to be the capital of a great nation.


    Shadowsong exined that despite the continuous wars making the Arus Empire increasingly powerful, only the nobles and generals had be wealthy. Themon people suffered due to the constant turmoil, and their lives grew poorer.


    Because the wars consumed everything, and it was themon people who bore the brunt of it.


    This was also the reason for the frequent uprisings in Arus in recent years.


    But how could those suffering people possibly match the well-trained soldiers?


    No matter how many uprisings urred, Arus''s army could easily suppress them.


    The streets of Arus''s capital were wide and clean, but Yuga felt uneasy walking on them.


    Because all the passing citizens looked at Arus Empire''s prince, Shadowsong, with eyes full of hatred and anger.


    As the son of the tyrant Emperor Rode, Shadowsong was also despised by the people due to his father''s actions.


    It could be said that Emperor Rode, relying on his royal authority, had be an enemy of the entire Arus Empire''s popce.


    But unfortunately, the people couldn''t do anything against Emperor Rode.


    Because Emperor Rodemanded a vast legion of monsters, while themon people were defenseless.


    Though Emperor Rode extorted the people through constant warfare, he also protected the interests of the nobles and military officers, garnering the support of the entire noble ss.


    Looking at the resentful gazes of the people, Shadowsong could only shake his head with a bitter smile, unable to me them.


    After all, he was Emperor Rode''s son!


    He had to bear the sins his father hadmitted.


    However, while the people in the capital looked at Yuga''s group with hostility, they dared not take any actions against them.


    Because if they were discovered by the patrolling soldiers, the result would be destruction and devastation.


    Under Emperor Rode''s oppressive and bloody rule, the people of Arus had gradually learned to endure.


    When Yuga and his group arrived at the entrance of the royal pce, they saw a young man in magnificent attire with a group of pce guards waiting for them.


    "Wee back, Prince Shadowsong."


    The young man and the guards bowed to Shadowsong.


    "Hmm, you''ve worked hard, Nns."


    Shadowsong nodded at the young man.


    "And who is this?"


    At this moment, Nns turned his gaze towards Yuga.


    "This is Yuga, he saved me when I was in danger during my journey," Shadowsong exined, but he didn''t mention that he had traveled to the future.


    "Saved? Who dares to chase after our Arus Empire''s only prince? This matter must be thoroughly investigated!"


    After hearing Shadowsong''s words, Nns said angrily.


    "But thanks to this young man, our Arus royal family will be sure to reward you. From today, you are an honored guest of the Arus royal family."


    Nns, who had just been angry, suddenly wore a smile when addressing Yuga.


    However, Yuga remained silent.


    After all, he was not from this era, and he couldn''t understand thenguage of this era. He relied on the system''s trantion, which mademunication cumbersome.


    Speaking too much would lead to misunderstandings, so Yuga just smiled and didn''t say much.


    In response to Yuga''s silence, Nns'' smile faltered for a moment but then returned to normal.


    "Yuga''s voice isn''t great, so he doesn''t speak easily. Don''t mind it," Shadowsong exined quickly, knowing that Yuga''s inability to speak was due toing from the future and not understanding thenguage.


    "I see, that''s a pity. But let''s head back to the pce for now," Nns said with a hearty smile.


    Yuga and his group followed Nns and the guards into the Arus royal pce.


    During the journey, Shadowsong quietly informed Yuga about Nns'' identity.


    Nns was actually the son of Minister Ralf. Minister Ralf had sacrificed his life in a battle with Emperor Rode over ten years ago. The Emperor, in gratitude for Ralf''s loyalty, had taken great care of Ralf''s family.


    In particr, Ralf''s son Nns had reced his father and be one of the most trusted courtiers by Emperor Rode''s side.


    For the past half-year while Emperor Rode was away at war, Nns had been handling all the major and minor affairs in the capital.


    Yuga was surprised to learn that Ralf had already passed away. He had assumed that Ralf was still in Emperor Rode''s favor.


    But was Emperor Rode truly such a generous person? Just because of Ralf''s loyalty, he had taken such good care of his family and promoted his son Nns.


    Considering that Emperor Rode rarely showed affection even to his own son Shadowsong, it was puzzling.


    And speaking of which, shouldn''t it be the king''s son, with no rtion to the nobility, who handled affairs in the king''s absence?


    Why entrust it to an outsider with no royal blood?


    Was Emperor Rode truly so magnanimous? Yuga couldn''t fathom the Emperor''s intentions.


    There was also another mystery.


    With these questions in mind, Yuga and his group entered the inner chambers of the pce.


    The Arus royal pce was extravagantly built, with exquisite pces and exotic nts everywhere.


    Later, Yuga was settled in a side pce within Shadowsong''s residence.


    Originally, Nns had intended to ce Yuga in a pce specially designated for guests.


    However, Yuga was unfamiliar with this world and didn''t want to be too far from Shadowsong. So Shadowsong decided to have Yuga stay in his own pce.


    Moreover, Yuga had a feeling that something was peculiar about this pce, and even Nns himself struck him as odd.


    Although he couldn''t pinpoint exactly what was strange.


    Afterward, Shadowsong had other matters to attend to, so he left, and Yuga was left alone with Gardevoir in his room.


    "By the way, Gardevoir, do you recognize the Celebi that brought us here?" Yuga asked suddenly while lying on the bed.


    Gardevoir shook her head and replied, "No, but it''s much more powerful than I am. While we both have the ability to travel through time, if it were me from my time, I wouldn''t be able to move back and forth across thousands of years like that."


    Yuga nodded, realizing that there were varying degrees of power even among Celebis.

 Chapter 716: Th Palace

    <h4>Chapter 716: Th Pce</h4>


    The next day, when Yuga woke up, he experienced the treatment that Nns had mentioned, being treated as an esteemed guest of the Arus royal family.


    There were maids to assist him in dressing.


    Yuga''s original clothes had been damaged during the battle in the forest. Moreover, in Nns'' eyes, Yuga''s attire was likely considered quite unusual.


    Nns had already shown remarkable restraint in not questioning Yuga''s origins, which surprised Yuga.


    The clothes Nns had prepared for Yuga were incredibly extravagant and perfectly matched the style of clothing worn by the Arus Empire''s nobility.


    Next came a sumptuous breakfast.


    Although Yuga was staying in a side pce within Shadowsong''s residence, Shadowsong and Hubert had already left early, so Yuga ate breakfast alone.


    Even though he was dining alone, it felt like a feast for ten people with a wide variety of dishes.


    Nns had even arranged a personal maid to attend to Yuga''s needs.


    This maid, named Vira, was the one who had prepared Yuga''s clothes. She appeared to be around twenty-five years old with shoulder-length brown hair and wore a maid''s uniform. She might not be considered exceptionally beautiful, but her presence was pleasant.


    However, all of this made Yuga feel strange once again.


    If he was being treated as a guest, shouldn''t it have been Shadowsong who hosted him? Why was Nns responsible for everything?


    Yuga should have been a guest of Shadowsong, right?


    After finishing breakfast, Vira respectfully asked Yuga, "Master Shimizu, would you like me to show you around the pce?"


    "Um, can I?" Yuga asked, surprised.


    Wasn''t the pce a highly confidential ce for a country? Would it really be okay for an outsider like him to wander around freely?


    Vira nodded and said, "Lord Nns has given permission for you to explore."


    Yuga didn''t expect Nns to be so amodating and agreed, "In that case, please lead the way."


    He was unfamiliar with this ce and was eager to learn about his surroundings.


    So, Yuga followed Vira out of Shadowsong''s pce, with Gardevoir quietly trailing behind him.


    Since entering the pce, Gardevoir had behaved like an ordinary Pok��mon, not uttering a word and suppressing her presencepletely.


    Except for Yuga, Shadowsong, and Hubert, everyone who had seen Gardevoir treated her as a regr Pok��mon.


    The Arus royal pce was magnificent, filled with various pces and exotic nts.


    Without Vira guiding him, Yuga felt he might easily get lost in this grandeur.


    As a "country bumpkin," Yuga couldn''t help but be impressed.


    Although the ancient technology from a thousand years ago wasn''t as advanced as in the modern Pok��mon world, the wisdom of the people from this era was not to be underestimated.


    Just in terms of architecture, Yuga felt they were not far behind modern times.


    "Is Master Shimizu a Monster Trainer?" Vira asked cautiously as they strolled through the pce, asionally ncing at Gardevoir.


    In ancient times, they referred to Pok��mon Trainers as "Monster Trainer."


    However, during this era, there were no handy items like Pok�� Balls, and Pok��mon couldn''t be carried around. So the prevalence of Monster Trainers was quite low, and they were mostly exclusive to the nobility.


    That was also why Emperor Rode''s army was always able to suppress rebellions.


    "Well... sort of," Yuga replied vaguely.


    Even though Vira found Yuga''s response odd, she interpreted it as an affirmative answer.


    "Your ent doesn''t sound like someone from around the capital," Viramented.


    Because Yuga was essentially relying on the system''s trantion, his way of speaking was somewhat different from the locals.


    Yuga couldn''t understand his own words, so he didn''t feel strange about it.


    However, when Vira mentioned it, Yuga realized the issue at hand. Although he had been consciously learning the Arusnguage, bing fluent in a foreignnguage wasn''t something that could be achieved quickly.


    However, because Yuga needed to rely on the system''s trantion to speak, his speech rate was quite slow, which conveniently aligned with the excuse given by Shadowsong and Nns that his throat was not in good condition, hence he rarely spoke.


    While conversing with Vira, Yuga was unconsciously led to the pce gardens.


    The garden in the Arus royal pce was vast, covered in lush greenery, vibrant flowers, and exotic nts. It was a ce of natural beauty.


    Yuga had barely begun to appreciate the breathtaking scenery when he saw a group of men and women approaching him.


    Just as Vira was about to guide Yuga away, an elegantly dressed man in blue stepped forward.


    "This must be Mr. Shimizu who saved Prince Shadowsong. On behalf of the entire Arus Empire, I would like to express our gratitude," the man in blue said sincerely.


    Yuga was still wondering who this man was when Vira whispered softly in his ear, "This is Lord Leon, Nns'' younger brother."


    It all made sense now. No wonder he knew Yuga''s identity.


    "Hello," Yuga replied simply once he knew Leon''s identity.


    Leon had heard about Yuga''s existence from his brother yesterday, so he didn''t mind Yuga''s reserved manner.


    "I''m hosting a garden party with some people around your age, and Mr. Shimizu here seems to be of a simr age. Would you like to join us?" Leon extended an invitation to Yuga.


    Yuga didn''t say much and simply shook his head, declining Leon''s offer. He had a strange feeling about Nns and Leon''s family and didn''t want to get too involved with them.


    "Oh, that''s a pity. I was hoping to get to know Mr. Shimizu better," Leon expressed his regret.


    Leon didn''t seem upset about Yuga''s refusal, but the same couldn''t be said for the people behind him.


    "Who is this person? How dare he refuse Lord Leon''s invitation!"


    "Yeah, who does he think he is!"


    "Doesn''t he realize how honored he should be to receive an invitation from Lord Leon?"


    "He''s just some wild kid who came out of nowhere, and yet he acts so arrogantly!"


    "Lord Leon tried to talk to him, and he didn''t even respond. So disrespectful!"


    ...


    The crowd quickly became noisy with variousints.


    Since there were too many people talking, the system didn''t provide trantions for Yuga, so he had no idea what they were saying. But even if he had known, he probably wouldn''t have cared.


    Leon heard the usations from the people behind him but chose to ignore them, maintaining a friendly smile as he continued to look at Yuga.


    "Hey, kid, what''s your problem? How can you treat Lord Leon like this?" One of the men who was particrly displeased with Yuga''s arrogance stepped forward and confronted him.


    These nobles were used to giving orders and couldn''t tolerate Yuga''s indifference.

 Chapter 717: Severed Finger

    <h4>Chapter 717: Severed Finger</h4>


    This time, the system tranted what the person said, but Yuga looked at him with a puzzled expression.


    Because of the difference in perception, Yuga didn''t feel that he had offended anyone or that his actions were wrong in any way.


    "You... you brat..."


    Feeling ignored, the man who had used Yuga jumped forward, his face turning red, and his finger trembling as he pointed at Yuga.


    The guards beside him even seemed ready to act against Yuga.


    In the man''s eyes, Yuga, a meremoner, dared to treat him, a nobleman, like this, which waspletely uneptable.


    As for whether Yuga was the savior of Prince Shadowsong, it didn''t matter to him at all.


    However, before the guard could get close to Yuga, he suddenly flew backward, crashing into arge tree and spitting out blood as he fainted.


    The man who had used Yuga had his finger snap audibly in front of everyone.


    Seeing this scene, Leon, who had been smiling moments ago, narrowed his eyes.


    At this moment, Gardevoir''s eyes still emitted a conspicuous purple light, and it was evident to anyone with keen eyes that everything that had just happened was the work of Gardevoir.


    The scene became strangely quiet for a moment, with only the man who had lost his finger groaning in pain on the ground.


    Yuga hadn''t expected Gardevoir to act so decisively.


    But since Gardevoir had taken action, Yuga didn''t find fault with it. He wouldn''t me his Gardevoir for dealing with someone who had treated him poorly.


    Evildoers often needed evildoers to deal with them.


    However, was Gardevoir''s behavior a bit off from its usual demeanor? Wasn''t a Celebi originally a kind and cute Pok��mon?


    Now, it was acting so violently. Could the changes in its body gradually affect its personality?


    Yuga was a bit bewildered for a moment...


    In truth, Gardevoir had been restraining itself for a long time.


    It had no positive feelings toward anyone in the entire Arus Empire, and after learning about Arus'' current state through Shadowsong''s words, its loathing for Emperor Rode and the nobility had intensified.


    Pok��mon are creatures easily swayed by emotions.


    Whether it''s gratitude, happiness, anger, or hatred, these emotions can easily influence their actions.


    Excessively strong emotions can even lead them to lose control and go berserk.


    So, to some extent, Gardevoir''s personality had indeed changed from before.


    A thousand years of hatred couldn''t be without its effects on Gardevoir.


    "Get him! Get him! Seize this man!"


    While the man with the severed finger groaned in pain, he loudly called for the guards, his facial expression distorted due to the agony.


    Ten fingers are connected, and the pain of a severed finger was no small matter.


    The guards rushed to the scene, quickly surrounding Yuga and Gardevoir.


    These guards were all apanied by Pok��mon, and they were uniformed Mightyenas, their fangs bared as if they were ready to pounce at any moment.


    "Back off!"


    At this moment, Leon suddenly scolded the guards.


    "Lord Leon!"


    The man with the severed finger looked at Leon resentfully.


    "This gentleman is Prince Shadowsong''s savior, and he is a distinguished guest of the pce. Pay attention to your words and actions."


    Leon stared coldly at the man with the severed finger.


    The man with the severed finger stammered, unable to say anything more, and gave Yuga a resentful nce before shivering and silently retreating into the crowd.


    "Step back, all of you!"


    Leon once againmanded the guards.


    The guards respectfully stepped back.


    "I apologize, Mr. Shimizu. You''ve been offended, and I hope you can forgive us. You are a distinguished guest of our pce, and no one should show disrespect to you," Leon said apologetically after the guards had withdrawn.


    Meanwhile, the man who had retreated into the crowd faced ridicule from hispanions.


    "Look at him, with his behavior, he''s still trying to stand up for Lord Leon."


    "Yeah, look at him, how dare he speak up for Lord Leon."


    "Do you see him? Acting all high and mighty."


    The crowd ridiculed him relentlessly.


    A stunningly beautiful young girl whispered to a nearby servant.


    "That''s right, he doesn''t even consider his status. Does Lord Leon need him to speak up for him?"


    Another girl nearby chuckled quietly in agreement.


    "He''s just trying to tter Lord Leon. That''s why he''s so eager to defend him," a man said mockingly, looking at the man with the severed finger.


    "You... You all were just as excited earlier. Are you pretending now?" Another man sneered, and his words silenced the others.


    These people were not discreet in their conversation, so the man with the severed finger heard everything clearly. He harbored intense hatred in his heart, not only for those making sarcastic remarks but also for his injured guard and Yuga, who had severed his finger.


    In response to Leon''s apology, Yuga remained expressionless and didn''t speak.


    Leon wasn''t angered by this and smiled as he said to Yuga, "I won''t disturb your garden stroll any longer. Please excuse me."


    After Leon and his group left, Yuga couldn''t help but think to himself, " This Leon is hostile towards me!"


    Turning to Vira, Yuga asked, "Is Leon, like Nns, also living in the pce?"


    "Yes," Vira replied respectfully.


    "I can''t help but feel that Nns and Leon seem more like the masters of this pce," Yuga casually remarked.


    Vira''s expression changed slightly, and she cautioned, "Lord Yuga, please be careful with your words. Such statements should not be made lightly."


    Yuga gave a faint smile and said, "I was just speaking my mind. Besides, it''s just the two of us here. If we don''t say it, who will know?"


    With that, Yuga continued to walk ahead, leisurely enjoying the sights in the garden.


    Vira pursed her lips and silently followed behind Yuga.


    When Yuga returned to Shadowsong''s pce, Shadowsong and Hubert had already returned.


    He instructed Vira to go back first and then went to see Shadowsong.


    Seeing Yuga approach, Shadowsong greeted him with a smile, "I heard you went for a stroll in the pce. How was it? Did you have a good time?"


    Yuga didn''t answer Shadowsong''s question directly but asked another, "Don''t you find your pce and this whole situation rather strange?"


    The pce wasn''t the only strange thing; even those who had been chasing Shadowsong seemed suspicious.


    The Pok��mon they used included two types: Gligar and Vibrava. ording to what Yuga had read on the stone tablet, these were the three series of Pok��mon used by the Arus Empire''s army: Gligar, Vibrava, and Aggron.


    The fact that the pursuers used Gliscor and Aggron was too coincidental.


    The Arus Empire''s army was under the control of Emperor Rode, and it wouldn''t make sense for him to want to kill his only son, would it?


    Even a venomous snake doesn''t harm its own offspring!


    Nns and Leon, the brothers, were also peculiar in their own right.

 Chapter 718: Going Out

    <h4>Chapter 718: Going Out</h4>


    "What''s strange about the pce?" Shadowsong asked with confusion.


    "Are youpletely unaware of your status as a prince? Look at Nns; he looks more like a prince than you do. He''s the one calling the shots in the pce!" Yuga expressed his frustration, finding Shadowsong quite oblivious.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Shadowsong felt embarrassed. "Well... It''s not exactly as you see it. It''s not just Nns handling pce affairs; there are other members of our royal family involved too."


    "But Nns is the one in charge, right?" Yuga countered.


    Shadowsong nodded in agreement. "Yes..."


    Sighing, Yuga said, "Never mind. Let''s not talk about this anymore. How is the war between the Arus Empire and the Vante Empire going?"


    "I don''t have specific information, but the strength of the Vante Empire isparable to ours. From what I know, both sides have had their victories and losses, but it seems that Arus has a slight advantage at the moment."


    "Currently, they may be at a disadvantage, but in the end, it will be your people who conquer them!" Yuga couldn''t help but think to himself but wasn''t sure if he should tell Shadowsong about it.


    Yuga decided not to reveal this information. ording to Celebi''s statement, the fall of the Arus Empire was inevitable. So even if he told Shadowsong, it would only add to his worries.


    Yuga: "It seems your father won''t being back anytime soon."


    Shadowsong: "That''s about right."


    Yuga was feeling somewhat lost and didn''t know where to start looking for Celebi. Should he just wait for Celebi toe to him?


    "Can I go outside the pce tomorrow?" Yuga asked Shadowsong.


    He couldn''t remain confined within the pce walls, waiting for information. He needed to explore outside for possible clues.


    "Of course, you can," Shadowsong replied, then signaled to Hubert, who produced a metal badge and ced it in front of Yuga. "With this badge, you''ll have the freedom toe and go from the pce. But why do you want to go outside the pce?" Shadowsong inquired with curiosity.


    Yuga replied, "Just to explore. Staying within the pce all the time isn''t productive."


    Shadowsong considered Yuga''s request. After all, Yuga was not from this era and would eventually have to return to his own time.


    The next day, Yuga changed into the clothes provided by Shadowsong before leaving the pce. Wearing noble attire would attract too much attention, especially sincemoners in the Arus Empire held disdain for the nobility.


    Yuga also recalled Gardevoir into her Pok�� Ball. In the royal capital of Arus, people who brought Pok��mon with them were seen as nobility. Gardevoir didn''t want to be seen by the people here, and Yuga agreed, preferring to keep a low profile.


    Initially, Vira, the maid, wanted to apany Yuga, but he declined. Yuga couldn''t fully trust Vira, as she had been sent by Nns. He decided to explore on his own.


    The royal capital of Arus was divided into two areas: the noble district near the pce and themoner district on the outskirts.


    The nobles lived in extravagant luxury. Despite the ongoing war with a neighboring country, they seemed oblivious, focused only on their own pleasures.


    Yuga wandered through the noble district, observing the nobles walking with their heads held high. In some areas, Yuga, dressed as amoner, couldn''t even get close.


    Continuing, Yuga proceeded to themoner district. Compared to the opulent and luxurious life in the noble district, themoner district had a much more bleak atmosphere, and the few people seen smiling were mostly children.


    Yuga noticed that the people in themoner district seemed to idolize Celebi. Many wore wooden carvings of Celebi as nes and would pray with them whenever they had the chance, as if such actions could improve their impoverished lives.


    This was a phenomenon Yuga hadn''t observed in the noble district. It was no wonder that after Celebi''s death, uprisings had urred throughout the Arus Empire. Celebi, as the guardian Pok��mon of the Arus Empire, held high prestige among themon folk.


    As Yuga walked through the streets, he carefully observed the lives of themoners and felt that there was a reason Celebi had sent him here. The admiration themoners had for Celebi was evident.


    Suddenly, Yuga had the feeling of being followed. He discreetly quickened his pace as the sensation grew stronger.


    As he moved farther away from the crowd and reached a riverside, a Pok��mon descended from the sky andnded on the opposite side, revealing itself as a Shiftry.


    Without hesitation, the Shiftryunched an attack on Yuga. Its emerald wing leaf elongated into a sharp de aimed at Yuga''s neck.


    Yuga had discreetly retrieved a Pok�� Ball upon realizing he was being followed. As the Shiftry charged towards him, he released his Charizard.


    The Charizard opened its mouth and unleashed a Fire st at the approaching Shiftry, engulfing it in mes. The Shiftry let out a cry of pain and emerged from the fire, countering with a gust of wind that swiftly extinguished Charizard''s mes.


    Yuga watched the battle between Charizard and Shiftry, feeling his skin crawl. He instinctively moved to the side to avoid the oing danger.


    Just as Yuga left his original position, a massive Razor Wind sliced deeply into the ground where he had been standing moments before.


    Looking up, Yuga saw a Swellow in the sky, gazing down at him with a cold expression. It appeared surprised that its attack had missed Yuga.


    However, its surprise quickly turned into determination as it prepared to strike at Yuga once more. This time, it used Aerial Ace to charge directly at him.


    At that moment, Breloom appeared in front of Yuga. With its two hands, Breloom grasped Swellow''s wings and used Counter, sending Swellow tumbling away.


    The battered Swellow rolled on the ground, churning up soil and leaving its feathers disheveled.


    Breloom wasted no time. While Swellow was still recovering from the attack, Breloom dashed forward, grabbed Swellow''s neck with one hand, and struck it with the other using Focus Punch.


    Swellow lost allbat capability and was now held by Breloom by its wingtips, dragged in front of Yuga.


    Its neck was twisted, its tongue hanging out, and its eyes rolled back, presenting a pitiable sight.


    In fact, Swellow had a slightly higher level than Breloom. However, it had ventured too close to Breloom and had consumed by Counter move.

 Chapter 719: Framed

    <h4>Chapter 719: Framed</h4>


    On the other side, Charizard and Shiftry quickly determined the victor in their battle.


    Charizard and Shiftry were of simr levels, but Shiftry''s strength was slightly inferior to that of Charizard.


    However, this particr Shiftry seemed to have undergone some unique training, making it fierce and deadly inbat, which caused some difficulties for Charizard.


    Nevertheless, Charizard eventually emerged victorious, defeating Shiftry.


    After dealing with the two Pok��mon, Yuga had Gengar and Mismagius search the surroundings but found no suspicious individuals.


    However, Yuga was certain that these two Pok��mon had been instructed by someone.


    This wasn''t the modern world where wild Pok��mon could wander into human settlements. The chances of that happening here were extremely slim.


    Yuga recalled Charizard and Breloom and had Gengar bring the two Pok��mon along as they prepared to find a secluded spot for questioning.


    In a wooded area, the two Pok��mon awoke, bound by Gengar''s Mean Look.


    Yuga began questioning them about their owner''s identity.


    However, these two Pok��mon were incredibly stubborn and refused to speak, even being tortured under Gengar''s Curses move.


    Just as Yuga was considering having Gengar use hypnosis for interrogation, both Pok��mon simultaneously took their own lives.


    Yuga couldn''t fathom how they did it, but in the blink of an eye, their bodies turned cold.


    Encountering this, Yuga decided not to linger any longer and returned to the royal pce.


    As for the bodies of Shiftry and Swellow, Yuga casually dug a hole and buried them.


    Yuga believed that the owner of Shiftry and Swellow was undoubtedly connected to the people who had been pursuing Shadowsong.


    He had just arrived in this era and didn''t know anyone. The most widely known thing he had done was save Prince Shadowsong.


    However, as Yuga reached the gates of Shadowsong''s pce, he suddenly felt that something was very wrong.


    It was unnaturally quiet.


    The usual guards and servants were all missing.


    Just as he was about to step inside, a group of soldiers rushed out and surrounded him.


    Leon emerged from behind the soldiers, apanied by a Swampert, dragging a bloodied Hubert.


    "Quick... get away..." Hubert weakly told Yuga.


    "Get away? Where do you think you can go today? None of you will escape!" Leon sneered, then shouted to the soldiers, "This unknown person, Shimizu Yuga, together with Prince Shadowsong''s guard, Hubert, conspired to harm Prince Shadowsong. Prince Shadowsong is now unconscious from poison. Seize him!"


    "Yes, sir!" The soldiers'' war hounds began rushing toward Yuga.


    To be honest, Yuga hadn''t yet figured out the situation, but it was clear he was being falsely used.


    Dragonite appeared by Yuga''s side, and a burst of lightning swept over the approaching war hounds, causing them to convulse and copse.


    Seeing Dragonite suddenly appear, Leon and the soldiers all widened their eyes.


    Where did this Pok��mone from?


    What kind of Pok��mon was it? They had never seen one like it before.


    These people, including Yuga, had never publicly used Pok�� Balls, so the others were unaware of their existence.


    In this ancient Pok��mon world,munication between regions was scarce, and foreign Pok��mon like Dragonite hadn''t made their way here yet.


    At the same time, from the shadow of Leon''s Swampert, Gengar suddenly emerged.


    Gengarunched a Shadow Punch at Swampert''s abdomen, sending it flying.


    The moment Swampert was sent flying, Hubert was also thrown into the air, but Gengar caught him.


    Gengar swiftly appeared beside Yuga, cradling the bloodied Hubert.


    "Sa... save... save... Your Highness..." Hubert weakly implored Yuga, then slumped into unconsciousness.


    Naturally, Yuga had to save Shadowsong. If something happened to Shadowsong, their lineage would be in jeopardy.


    Gengar and Dragonite stood on either side of Yuga, their intimidating presence causing the surrounding soldiers to hesitate and stay back.


    "Where is Shadowsong?" Yuga asked Leon in a cold voice.


    There was no doubt that these people were behind the attack on him and the pursuit of Shadowsong.


    "You two traitors, do you think you can continue to harm Prince Shadowsong while refusing to surrender peacefully and reveal Shadowsong''s whereabouts?" Leon used them with feigned righteousness, though greed was evident in his eyes.


    He wanted Yuga''s Pok�� Balls!


    "The truth is clear to you! Speak now, where is Shadowsong, or don''t me me for being less than polite!" Yuga responded sternly.


    Their false usations against him and Hubert were poorly thought out, but Yuga believed these people didn''t care.


    They only needed an excuse to eliminate both him and Shadowsong.


    After all, they had control of the entire pce.


    What Yuga couldn''t understand was why they had turned against Shadowsong after so many years.


    What role had Shadowsong''s father yed in this? Yuga doubted that Emperor Rode was unaware of Nns and Leon''s actions.


    There was only one exnation:plicity.


    "What are you waiting for? Seize those two traitors!" Ignoring Yuga, Leon ordered his soldiers.


    The soldiers, reluctant but obedient,manded their Mightyena to charge at Yuga again.


    Seeing this, Gengar''s crimson eyes emitted a ck light, freezing all the Mightyena in their tracks by Gengar''a Mean Look.


    These Mightyena were nothing more than small fries to Gengar, easily immobilized.


    Simultaneously, while Gengar took action, so did Dragonite.


    With a p of its wings, Dragonite appeared next to Leon and reached out to grab him.


    However, just as Dragonite was about to catch Leon, Leon''s Swampert interposed itself, countering Dragonite with an Ice Punch.


    This Swampert was tasked with protecting Leon and was also a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, slightly higher in level than Dragonite.


    Both Pok��mon took a step back, then exchanged punches again.


    Dragonite used Fire Punch, while Swampert countered with Ice Punch, and they traded blow for blow, evenly matched.


    While Dragonite and Swampert shed, Mismagius emerged from Yuga''s shadow and blinked next to Leon.


    Yuga was determined to capture Leon, or else they would never willingly release Prince Shadowsong.


    If Prince Shadowsong remained in their hands, they would likely spread news of his and Hubert''s supposed plot to harm him the day after their escape.


    However, just as Mismagius was about to capture Leon, sharp stone des shot out from nowhere, striking Mismagius.


    Mismagius was injured and quickly retreated from Leon.


    Leon didn''t expect that there were so many Pok��mon with Yuga side. When he saw Mismagius, he broke out in a cold sweat.


    He thought, "I underestimated this guy!"


    Fortunately, Mismagius was forced to retreat.


    In ancient times, there were no Pok�� Balls, and it was inconvenient to carry Pok��mon. Therefore, most Monster Trainers would only have one or two Pok��mon with them.


    This is also why Leon was envious of Yuga Pok�� Balls.

 Chapter 720: Departure

    <h4>Chapter 720: Departure</h4>


    After Mismagius was forced to retreat, a Gliscor appeared on the battlefield.


    Behind Gliscor stood a middle-aged man d in armor.


    A Gliscor at the Elite level! Yuga looked at the Gliscor in surprise.


    "General Moro, it''s you! Hurry, capture these two; they are the ones responsible for Prince Shadowsong''s unconsciousness," Leon said to the middle-aged man.


    The middle-aged man nodded andmanded Gliscor to attack Mismagius.


    Countless stone des rained down on the floating Mismagius.


    General Moro was amander of the elite royal guards dedicated to protecting Arus City. His strength was formidable, and the Gliscor alone was more powerful than Yuga''s Mismagius.


    Mismagius''s Mystical Fire shed with Gliscor''s Stone Edges, and the mes were quickly dispersed.


    Watching Mismagius falling behind, Leon gloated, "You''d better surrender peacefully; it''s better than sufferingter. General Moro isn''t someone you can handle."


    Yuga paid no attention to Leon and continued tomand Mismagius to confront Gliscor.


    At this moment, Gengar had defeated all of the small fries under itsmand. It disappeared from Yuga''s side in an instant and reappeared next to Mismagius.


    Seeing Mismagius and Gengar joining forces, Yuga smiled.


    Mismagius and Gengar exchanged a nce and nodded to each other, simultaneously using Shadow Balls.


    Two enormous Shadow Balls formed in front of them, merged into one, and emitted a terrifying energy aura.


    Upon seeing thebined Shadow Ball, General Moro couldn''t help but furrow his brow.


    These two Pok��mon were teaming up, and they seemed overly strong.


    "Gliscor, use Sandstorm!" With General Moro''smand, a violent sandstorm swept across the battlefield, and at the same time, Gliscor''s figure disappeared into the dust cloud.


    This Gliscor had the Sand Veil ability.


    However, Mismagius and Gengar remained calm despite losing sight of their target and closed their eyes.


    Ghost-type Pok��mon had strong psychic powers, simr to Psychic-type Pok��mon, so they didn''t always rely on their eyes to perceive the world.


    On the other side, Dragonite, who was battling Swampert, had the upper hand. But due to the sudden sandstorm, it was affected.


    As a Ground-type Pok��mon, Swampert was unaffected by the Sandstorm.


    In the midst of the sandstorm, Gliscor saw that Gengar and Mismagius had closed their eyes, thinking it was an opportunity. It quickly approached them andunched numerous stone des.


    However, just as Gliscor got close to Gengar and Mismagius, they simultaneously opened their eyes and urately threw the two-in-one Shadow Ball they were holding.


    The surface of the dark purple Shadow Ball warped due to the intense energy fluctuations, and the stone des shot by Gliscor were devoured by the Shadow Ball.


    The massive Shadow Ball collided with Gliscor, resulting in a violent explosion. In just an instant, the raging sandstorm on the battlefield came to a sudden halt.


    With the disappearance of the sandstorm, it meant that Gliscor, who controlled it, had fallen.


    The moment the Sandstorm disappeared, Dragonite used Dragon Rush and struck Swampert. Already injured, Swampert immediately lost its fighting ability.


    With Gliscor down, Gengar appeared in front of General Moro and took him hostage.


    Simultaneously, Mismagius appeared next to Leon, restraining him.


    Yuga had Gengar take General Moro hostage because he sensed that there was another Ghost-type Pok��mon apanying General Moro. However, this Pok��mon was hidden.


    Indeed, when General Moro was captured by Gengar, a Sableye appeared on a nearby wall.


    This Sableye was also at the Elite level, slightly weaker than the previous Gliscor.


    However, Ghost-type Pok��mon were inherently challenging to deal with.


    As a general, General Moro, like Yuga, had a Ghost-type Pok��mon secretly protecting him.


    However, Sableye couldn''t enter its owner''s shadow like Gengar. It could only lurk in the surrounding shadows unnoticed. Additionally, General Moro didn''t have Yuga''s Shadow Space.


    Therefore, it was not as fast as Gengar, and Yuga easily detected its position. Sableye couldn''t stop Gengar''s actions.


    General Moro, once captured, the Sableye dared not make any rash moves.


    "All right, Leon, hand over Shadowsong!" Yuga supported the unconscious Hubert and said to Leon.


    Before Leon could respond, General Moro asked Yuga, "What do you intend to do with Prince Shadowsong?"


    Yuga didn''t answer General Moro''s question but kept his gaze on Leon.


    "Quickly, or don''t me me for being ruthless," Yuga warned.


    Mismagius intensified its mental hold on Leon, causing him to groan in pain.


    Leon didn''t want to listen to Yuga and didn''t care about General Moro''s fate, At this time, he even hoped that Yuga would kill Moro quickly, otherwise Moro would definitely settle the score with him afterwards.


    "Guards, bring Prince Shadowsong here!" Leon shouted to a few guards.


    "You dare!" General Moro roared angrily at Leon.


    Seeing General Moro''s reaction, Yuga was genuinely surprised. Could it be that this guy wasn''t on the same side as Leon and the others? He genuinely seemed concerned about Shadowsong. However, Leon paid no attention to General Moro.


    Shadowsong was soon carried over by the guards, but his face turned purple, obviously he was poisoned.


    At this point, Yuga sighed and had Mismagius use its psychic power to control Shadowsong, bringing him to Yuga''s side.


    He watched Shadowsong, still breathing but with a purplishplexion, and breathed a sigh of relief.


    As long as he was alive!


    Yuga recalled Dragonite and took out Gardevoir''s Pok�� Ball, releasing Gardevoir. He said, "Take us out of the pce."


    Gardevoir nodded in response. Her eyes emitted a purple glow as her psychic powers enveloped Yuga, Hubert, and Shadowsong.


    Before Gardevoir could initiate her teleportation, Gengar released General Moro, swiftly returning to Yuga''s shadow.


    Mismagius used its psychic powers to control Leon, hurling him into the distance before also retreating into Yuga''s shadow.


    Following that, Yuga, along with the other three and Gardevoir, disappeared from the pce.


    After Yuga left, Leon found himself hurled into a stone pir at the pce gate, resulting in a painful "crack" sound.


    His spine was broken!


    After Yuga and his group had left, General Moro angrily rushed toward Leon, grabbing him by the cor and lifting him up.


    "Crack" sounded again.


    With such an injury, Leon might never be able to stand again in his lifetime.


    "How dare you!" General Moro roared, raising his fist to strike Leon''s head.


    As a military general, General Moro''s fist was no joke. A single blow could have split Leon''s head open.


    At that moment, Nn arrived with a group of guards, apanied by a Sceptile.


    Seeing Sceptile, General Moro hesitated and then reluctantly released Leon, throwing him to the ground.


    Another "crack" echoed.


    Leon, now awakened by the pain, groaned, "If you don''t give me an exnation for this, I won''t let it slide."


    Having said that, General Moro left in a huff with his Gliscor and Sableye.

 Chapter 721: Life and Death

    <h4>Chapter 721: Life and Death</h4>


    Gardevoir (male) was originally adept at Teleport, and now with Celebi''s vast psychic power, Yuga and the others were easily brought outside the capital of Arus.


    They found a secluded spot, and Yuga prepared to detoxify Shadowsong and treat Hubert''s injuries.


    He started by feeding a Sitrus Berry to Shadowsong, then gave him an antidote, and finally had Gardevoir use a Heal Bell.


    With this tripleyer of protection, the toxins in Shadowsong''s body began to slowly recede, and his purplishplexion gradually returned to a healthier hue.


    It was fortunate that Yuga had the habit of storing healing items, antidotes, and berries in his system''s backpack, as this unexpected journey to the past had presented them with dire circumstances.


    Dealing with the poison in Shadowsong''s system was rtively straightforward for the modern-era antidote, even though it posed a challenge for the people of this time.


    However, Hubert''s injuries were much more severe than Yuga had imagined. It was evident that Leon and his group had no intention of letting Hubert survive.


    Although Yuga had healing items and Gardevoir''s Heal Pulse were potent, they could only elerate Hubert''s wound healing, not counteract the rapid loss of his life force.


    Hubert had extensive internal injuries, with bleeding contusions on his chest and back, severe organ damage, and multiple fractured bones throughout his body.


    It was clear that these injuries were inflicted by Leon''s Swampert.


    Despite Yuga continuously administering healing items and Gardevoir sending Heal Pulse, they couldn''t stop Hubert''s breathing from weakening.


    Yuga wasn''t a trained medical professional, and he could only tell that Hubert was severely injured, unable to gauge the exact extent of his injuries.


    What Yuga didn''t know was that Hubert''s already damaged internal organs had been punctured by fractured bones, especially his lungs, which were riddled with holes.


    "No... don''t... waste... any more... effort..." Hubert gasped, speaking intermittently. Each word he uttered seemed to tear at his lungs.


    After speaking, arge gush of blood flowed from Hubert''s mouth and onto Yuga''s hands.


    Finally, Hubert couldn''t swallow the healing item that Yuga offered.


    Yuga suddenly felt powerless, helplessly watching a life slip away before his eyes.


    Although Hubert was usually quiet and unobtrusive, he always followed Shadowsong silently.


    Yuga found it hard to imagine how Shadowsong would feel when he learned of Hubert''s death.


    Gardevoir continued to send Heal Pulse to Hubert, and Yuga tried to alleviate his pain, but it was in vain.


    Shadowsong remained unconscious, unaware that his closestpanion was slipping away.


    Using hisst ounce of strength, Hubert retrieved his Poke Ball and released his Dusknoir, saying to it, "Protect... Protect... His Highness..."


    Dusknoir looked at his trainer and emitted mournful cries.


    When Hubert was captured by Leon, he hadn''t had the chance to release Dusknoir. He didn''t anticipate that Leon would turn against him so suddenly.


    Later on, he didn''t dare to release Dusknoir, fearing that it would only lead to Dusknoir''s demise.


    Although Dusknoir was reasonably powerful, it was outnumbered.


    Moreover, Dusknoir was no match for Leon''s Swampert.


    After speaking with Dusknoir, Hubert spat out another mouthful of dark blood, which was even more ck than before.


    "Shi... please... Mr. Shimizu... help... help... His Highness..."


    Hubert knew that, in this situation, only Yuga could help Shadowsong.


    Although the request was demanding, he had no other option.


    Yuga, despite the bitterness in his heart, nodded, "Don''t worry."


    Even without Hubert''s request, he would have helped Shadowsong. For the sake of his own future and his mentor, he had to do this favor.


    Seeing Yuga''s nod, a smile finally appeared on Hubert''s face before his eyes closed, and he drifted into unconsciousness once more.


    Ten minutester, despite Yuga''s best efforts, he couldn''t prevent Hubert from slipping away.


    Staring at Hubert''s gradually stiffening body, Yuga felt a sense of numbness.


    This was the first time he had been so close to someone close to him passing away.


    Gardevoir gently patted Yuga''s shoulder andforted him, saying, "Don''t be too sad; you did your best."


    It took Yuga a while to nod in response. "Yes, I did my best."


    Yuga and Gardevoir didn''t rush to bury Hubert. After all, Shadowsong needed to see him onest time.


    Night fell quickly, and Shadowsong still hadn''t awakened. Yuga and Gardevoir found a cave and moved Shadowsong and Hubert''s bodies inside, preparing to spend the night there.


    In the middle of the night, Yuga couldn''t sleep and silently watched over Shadowsong and Hubert''s bodies.


    At this moment, Shadowsong slowly opened his eyes.


    Through the flickering firelight, Shadowsong saw Yuga and Gardevoir sitting nearby.


    "What happened? Where are we?" Shadowsong looked at Yuga in confusion.


    He tried to sit up, but his body felt weak.


    Seeing this, Yuga quickly supported him and said, "You were poisoned, and your body is still weak. Lie down for now."


    "Poisoned?" Shadowsong was even more puzzled. He only remembered seeing his mother''s personal maid, who seemed to have something to tell him.


    But before she could speak, Leon had approached him. After that, he lost consciousness and couldn''t recall anything else.


    "Leon poisoned you; he wanted to kill you. I''ve taken you away from the pce," Yuga exined slowly.


    "Why... Why would he?" Shadowsong was shocked. He then asked anxiously, "Where''s Hubert? Why isn''t he here?"


    When Shadowsong mentioned Hubert, both Yuga and Gardevoir fell silent, finding it difficult to tell him the cruel truth.


    "Why... Why aren''t you saying anything? Hubert should be with me. Where is he?" Shadowsong''s unease grew, and his voice trembled.


    He struggled to sit up several times butcked the strength and fell back each time.


    Yuga took out Dusknoir''s Poke Ball and handed it to Shadowsong, saying, "This is what Hubert left for you."


    "What... What does that mean?" Shadowsong didn''t take the Poke Ball, but his eyes widened, and even in the dimly lit cave, Yuga could see the bloodshot whites of his eyes.


    Deep down, Shadowsong already knew the answer.


    Yuga didn''t know how to console Shadowsong at this moment and could only silently ce the Poke Ball in his hand, saying, "Tomorrow, you can see him onest time."


    Hearing those words, Shadowsong''s heart raced, and he felt his blood flow in reverse. Unable to bear it, he fainted once again.

 Chapter 722: Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 722: Reunion</h4>


    The next day, as soon as dawn broke, Yuga noticed that Shadowsong had awakened. However, Shadowsongy on the ground, staring nkly at the cave''s ceiling, not saying a word.


    "Do you want to eat something?" Yuga asked Shadowsong.


    Shadowsong remained unresponsive, still lost in thought.


    With a sigh, Yuga helped him up and handed him a piece of bread and a bottle of milk. Shadowsong''s body was weakened, and he hadn''t eaten anything the previous day, so he needed nourishment.


    Although Shadowsong seemed absent-minded, he quietly began to eat the food Yuga had given him.


    "Finish your meal, and then I''ll take you to see Hubert. We need to leave this ce; it''s not safe," Yuga said.


    Upon hearing the name "Hubert," Shadowsong''s eyes finally showed some signs of life, and he hastened his eating.


    After finishing their meal, Yuga took him to see Hubert. Hubert''s body had been ced in the deepest part of the cave. Yuga had dug a hole andid Hubert''s body to rest inside.


    The moment Shadowsong saw Hubert''s lifeless body, all the emotions he had been holding back burst forth. He jumped into the grave, embraced Hubert''s body, and crying bitterly.


    No matter how he called out, Hubert remained unresponsive.


    Hubert had been sent to be Shadowsong''s ymate since Shadowsong was a child.


    He was a few years older and hadter be Shadowsong''s protector.


    They had practically grown up together, and even blood brothers couldn''t have shared as much time together.


    With his mother''s death and now Hubert''s passing, Shadowsong''s closestpanions were gone.


    Seeing Shadowsong''s sorrow, Yuga didn''t know how tofort him. At this moment, any words felt utterly powerless.


    After Hubert''s burial, Yuga asked Shadowsong with red-rimmed eyes, "What do you n to do next?"


    "Of course, I''ll seek revenge for Hubert!" Shadowsong''s eyes were filled with anger and hatred.


    Yuga replied, "I don''t oppose seeking revenge, but what''s your specific n? You can''t just rely on hot-blooded determination alone, right?"


    "I want to go to the border and find my father, the king," Shadowsong said after a moment of silence.


    Hearing this, Yuga couldn''t help but roll his eyes mentally. Going to find the king wouldn''t likely yield any positive results.


    "Don''t you realize that your king has a problem? Leon and Nns have been running rampant in the pce, even able to control the guards and army at will. If you think your king isn''t involved in this, I won''t believe it even if you beat me to death," Yuga said, hoping to make Shadowsong more aware of the situation.


    "I know," Shadowsong replied softly, a bitter expression on his face.


    At this point, if he couldn''t see the problems with his own father, he would truly be blind.


    "You know, yet..." Yuga was taken aback when he heard Shadowsong say those three words.


    "I just want to find answers. I want to know what happened to my father," Shadowsong told Yuga.


    Yuga sighed and said, "All right, if that''s what you want, I''ll apany you."


    In fact he also want to meet Emperor Rode, the mastermind responsible for the downfall of the Arus Empire due to his personal desires.


    He alsonwant to understand Celebi''s intentions and why he was brought here.


    All the clues might lead us to Emperor Rode.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Shadowsong expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Yuga. If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t know what to do. I''m also sorry; it''s because of me that you''ve encountered so much trouble."


    Yuga shook his head and replied, "It''s not your fault. You didn''t ask for any of this."


    Yuga and Shadowsong rested for half a day before embarking on their journey to the border in search of Emperor Rode.


    The ancient continent of Hoenn was quite different from what Yuga remembered, so he was unfamiliar with the terrain.


    Fortunately, as a prince, Shadowsong had a clear understanding of his kingdom''s geography, making it easier to locate Emperor Rode.


    Riding on Dragonite and Charizard, they traveled for approximately half a month until they finally found the location of Emperor Rode''s army.


    During this half-month journey, they had taken many detours due to their unfamiliarity with thend, but they also witnessed the harsh reality of life for the people of the Arus Empire.


    Poverty and death loomed over everymon citizen of Arus, yet Emperor Rode continued to levy heavy taxes while waging wars across thend.


    Seeing the emaciated faces of the people, Shadowsong felt a deep sorrow.


    As a prince living infort, he had never realized that his subjects were enduring such hardships.


    Compared to themon people they had encountered, the citizens near the capital were already living in a kind of paradise.


    While Arus encouraged its people to develop agriculture, the harvests were never sufficient to cover the taxes. No matter how much they produced, it never reached their own granaries.


    Upon arriving at the main camp of the Arus Empire''s army, Shadowsong requested an audience with his father.


    Many of the generals in the army knew Shadowsong, so news of his arrival quickly reached Emperor Rode. Apparently, the events in the capital had not yet reached the border.


    Soon, Shadowsong and Yuga were granted an audience with Emperor Rode. In the main tent, Emperor Rode sat high above, apanied by a man in his thirties to forties.


    "Why have youe?" Emperor Rode asked, his tone cold and distant, far from the voice of a father addressing his only son.


    "Father, I was poisoned by Leon and Nns in the capital," Shadowsong replied, lifting his head to look at Emperor Rode. He seemed to be searching for something in his father''s expression.


    However, Emperor Rode''s face remained unchanged.


    At no moment did Shadowsong feel so distant and estranged from his own father.


    They were like strangers who knew nothing about each other.


    "That''s impossible! Leon and Nns couldn''t have done such a thing!" A man named Craig, standing next to Emperor Rode, interjected coldly.


    Craig was Leon and Nns'' older brother, and he was also the eldest son of the deceased minister Ralf. After Ralf''s death, Craig had be the most trusted person by Emperor Rode, acting as his advisor and overseeing Emperor Rode''s army.


    "You all can leave; no one else should approach here without being summoned," Emperor Rode ordered the soldiers in the tent when they were alone.


    The soldiers saluted and left the tent, leaving only Emperor Rode, Craig, Yuga, and Shadowsong.


    "I''ve said it before, this little guy can''t stay here," Emperor Rode said casually to Craig, as if referring to a casual matter.


    Craig, now that they were alone, shifted his gaze to Yuga. "You''re the mysterious Monster Trainer who injured Leon, right? I heard you have a small ball that can contain Monsters. I''m quite interested in that."


    In fact, Craig and Emperor Rode had known about the events in the capital long before Yuga and Shadowsong reached the border. Nns had sent word through flying Pok��mon.

 Chapter 723: Malice

    <h4>Chapter 723: Malice</h4>


    Upon hearing the conversation between Craig and Emperor Rode, both Yuga and Shadowsong became alert and stood up.


    "You''re not my father! Who are you?" Shadowsong asked sharply.


    Emperor Rode burst intoughter and said, "Of course, I''m not your father! Well, I can''tpletely say I''m not. This body does belong to him."


    Emperor Rode was tall, had a booming voice, and exuded an imposing presence when heughed.


    "Who are you, then?" Shadowsong demanded with a glint of anger in his eyes.


    Emperor Rode''s words left Shadowsong seething. If this body belonged to Emperor Rode, it meant that the real Emperor Rode was dead.


    At that moment, a blue light shed in Emperor Rode''s eyes, and Shadowsong felt as if he were being bound by something.


    "Psychic abilities?" Yuga eximed in surprise upon seeing the blue light in Emperor Rode''s eyes.


    Simultaneously, Yuga''s Gardevoir emerged from his shadow and positioned herself in front of Shadowsong.


    With a sh of purple light in her eyes, Gardevoir dispelled the psychic power Emperor Rode had attached to Shadowsong''s body.


    "Tch, it seems this body is still too weak," Emperor Rode muttered as the psychic power was broken, causing him slight bacsh. He clutched his throbbing head and sneered with a gloomy expression.


    "Since you''vee today, it won''t be easy to leave. I wonder if this mysterious Pok��mon Trainer can save our Prince Shadowsong again," Craig said as he pped his hands, summoning a powerful Medicham.


    An Elite level Pok��mon!


    Yuga quickly recognized the level of this Medicham, which was much stronger than General Moro''s Gliscor.


    As the Medicham appeared, the Mismagius from Yuga''s shadow also emerged.


    "I want to know who this Emperor Rode before us truly is," Yuga stated calmly.


    However, when he looked at Emperor Rode, he couldn''t shake the strange feeling that had been growing since he entered the camp.


    Ever since Yuga entered the camp, his unique abilities had started to resonate with Emperor Rode, bing increasingly apparent.


    Shadowsong also sensed it, but he had felt this way since he was young, so he didn''t find it unusual.


    After all, it''s known to everyone that Emperor Rode''s abilities were a result of killing the Guardian Deity, Celebi.


    But who knew what Emperor Rode had gained from the Guardian Deity?


    "Hehe, at this point, there''s nothing we can''t tell you," Craig chuckled.


    "In truth, our Emperor is the guardian deity that your people know as Celebi!" Craig dered.


    "That''s impossible!" Yuga and Shadowsong eximed in unison.


    Celebi was the guardian deity, and It''s consciousness is in Gardevoir body now. Both Yuga and Shadowsong were certain.


    But the consciousness of Celebi in this era should still be imprisoned in the Guardian Orb!


    "Impossible? Why is it impossible? If it weren''t for your father killing me for his own selfish desires, how could I have ended up in this state?" Emperor Rode shouted angrily, his face contorted.


    "Yes, what he''s saying is true. He is indeed our guardian deity, and I witnessed his rebirth," Craig added with a smile, exining the events of the past.


    It turned out that Emperor Rode and Minister Ralf had indeed killed Celebi, the guardian deity, and used Celebi''s body to create the Guardian Orb.


    However, the resentment within the Guardian Orb was so strong that it contaminated it.


    When Ralf attempted to purify the Guardian Orb with dark magic he had learned from the outside world, it went berserk.


    The Guardian Orb''s contaminated energy broke free from the orb and entered Emperor Rode''s body.


    Emperor Rode, being no match for a Psychic-type like Celebi, had his consciousness instantly wiped out and reced by Celebi''s.


    The revtion left Yuga and Shadowsong in shock, struggling to grasp the gravity of the situation.


    When the enraged Celebi, now corrupted and evil, sought to kill Ralf, clever Craig managed to calm it down.


    At that time, Craig was with his father and witnessed the entire sequence of events.


    Corrupted Celebi was nothing like the benevolent guardian Celebi used to be. It had be malevolent, filled with a desire for destruction.


    After a series of negotiations, Craig and the evil Celebi reached an agreement: Celebi would help Craig conquer the continent, and in return, Celebi would use Emperor Rode''s identity to control Arus.


    Due to the change in bodies, the evil Celebi no longer possessed its immense power and thus agreed to the terms with Craig.


    Minister Ralf''s life was spared temporarily as a result.


    However, the evil Celebi''s hatred for Ralf remained too strong, and before long, due to an inability to control its emotions, it identally killed him.


    They then imed to the outside world that Ralf had died in battle while apanying the Emperor.


    The death of Craig''s father did not stop Craig and the evil Celebi''s coboration, as in Craig''s eyes, his father held little importance.


    The truth of Ralf''s death remained a secret even to Nns and Leon.


    At that time, Shadowsong had just been born.


    Initially, the evil Celebi wanted to kill Shadowsong and his mother to eliminate any potential threats, but Craig intervened.


    They needed the support of the Arus royal family and nobles, so killing Shadowsong and the Queen would raise too many suspicions.


    Craig and the evil Celebi joined forces to control Arus for over a decade. To satisfy the evil Celebi''s destructive desires, it led its army in constant warfare, showing no concern for the lives of the Imperial citizens.


    Because of the constant turmoil, Shadowsong''s mother became suspicious after overhearing a conversation between them about six months ago.


    Before she could reveal their secret, they secretly killed her.


    Eliminating someone without raising suspicion was effortless for the evil Celebi, given its mastery of psychic abilities.


    Although its psychic powers were currently weaker than those of an average Psychic-type Pok��mon due to the limitations of its current body, it was still more than enough to dispatch an ordinary person.


    "So, you''re saying that you''re responsible for my mother''s death?" Shadowsong shouted in anger at Craig and Emperor Rode.


    Now, upon reflection, Shadowsong realized that his mother''s maid likely knew something and intended to inform him.


    This also exined why Leon and the others had acted so quickly against him, as they were likely motivated by the same reason.


    The attempts on his life that led to his time-travel might also have been orchestrated because of his mother''s knowledge.


    "Don''t worry; you''ll be reunited with your mother soon," Emperor Rode said with a twisted expression.


    Saying this, he pped his hands, and a Pok��mon materialized beside him.


    A Champion level Gardevoir.


    While the Arus military predominantly used Pok��mon from three specific families��Gligar, Flygon, and Aggron��Emperor Rode and Craig employed Psychic-type Pok��mon.


    Celebi was originally a Psychic-type Legendary Pok��mon, and both the Gardevoir and Craig''s Medicham they used had been cultivated by the evil Celebi personally during the past decade.

 Chapter 724: Battle

    <h4>Chapter 724: Battle</h4>


    Regarding Craig''s im that the current Emperor Rode was once Celebi, Yuga held a skeptical attitude.


    This skepticism stemmed from the fact that Gardevoir was currently safe inside its Pok�� Ball.


    Furthermore,pared to the gloomy Emperor Rode, Gardevoir''s personality, although somewhat resolute, was closer to the old kind-hearted Celebi.


    As Yuga observed Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir, he knew that if Gardevoir didn''t intervene, they might be stuck here today. So, he took out his Pok�� Ball and released Gardevoir.


    As soon as Gardevoir emerged, Emperor Rode eximed, "Who are you!"


    Gardevoir, upon seeing Emperor Rode, disyed a peculiar expression and responded, "Who are you?"


    Feeling the presence of a power within Gardevoir simr to his own, Emperor Rode''s face turned extremely fearful.


    He thought of the biggest secret he had hidden within himself.


    But that couldn''t be possible! He had concealed the Guardian Orb underground, and he hadn''t revealed its location to anyone, not even Craig.


    But now, in front of him, there was Gardevoir with the same Aura as him!


    The more he thought about it, the more terrified Emperor Rode became.


    "It''s impossible, impossible! How did youe out?" he shouted in panic.


    Though Gardevoir also sensed a psychic power wave from Emperor Rode that matched its own, it had no idea what was happening.


    Craig was equally baffled by Emperor Rode''s behavior. He couldn''t understand why the usually fearless Emperor Rode was so afraid of the Gardevoir before him.


    Yuga and Shadowsong shared the same confusion.


    They couldn''tprehend the connection between Gardevoir and Emperor Rode.


    "Kill it for me!" Emperor Rode pointed at Gardevoir and shouted at his own Gardevoir.


    In an instant, Emperor Rode established a psychic link with his Gardevoir, greatly amplifying its Psychic-type abilities.


    Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir''s eyes gleamed with purple light, and under its control, countless Magical Leaf shot towards Gardevoir.


    Gardevoir mimicked the attack, releasing countless Magical Leaf of its own.


    The two dragons made of green Leaves collided with a powerful explosion, and the strength of their abilities was evenly matched.


    Once the Magical Leaf exchange ended in a stalemate, a mental battle ensued between Gardevoir and Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir.


    Their psychic energies shed violently, creating a psychic storm within the tent that soon overturned it.


    Outside the main camp, soldiers quickly noticed themotion and surrounded the area.


    "Prince Shadowsong, in collusion with outsiders, attempted to harm His Majesty. Their crimes deserve death. Capture Prince Shadowsong and his aplices, and execute them without mercy," Craig shouted at the soldiers.


    The soldiers exchanged uncertain nces.


    They faced a dilemma, torn between the prince and their respected Emperor. They didn''t know how to proceed.


    "Have you forgotten His Majesty''s orders already?" Craig yelled at the soldiers.


    Seeing that Emperor Rode hadn''t intervened to stop Craig, the soldiers reluctantly decided to follow Emperor Rode''s longstanding authority and the considerable influence of Craig.


    In response to the soldiers advancing toward him, Shadowsong quickly released his Sceptile and Hubert''s Dusknoir to defend himself.


    Meanwhile, Yuga, keeping an eye on the battle between Gengar, Mismagius, and Medicham, and choose to sent out his Dragonite, Charizard, Roserade, Bellossom, Venusaur, and Breloom to assist Shadowsong.


    The number of soldiers was overwhelming, and it was impossible for Shadowsong to handle them alone.


    Gardevoir was currently constrained by Emperor Rode and couldn''t use Teleport to get them out of there. Besides, Gardevoir wasn''t willing to leave; it wanted to figure out what was happening with Emperor Rode.


    Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir, although inherently less powerful than Gardevoir, managed to match its strength through the psychic power amplification by Emperor Rode.


    Sensing Gardevoir''s immense power, jealousy filled Emperor Rode''s face. He didn''t want to be in this weak human body but craved the body of a Psychic-type Pok��mon like Gardevoir.


    However, when he possessed this body, there were no Pok��mon nearby!


    The entire camp was now in ruins due to the psychic storm created by Gardevoir and Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir. The two Gardevoir floated in the air, engaging in an intense battle.


    Gardevoir effortlessly conjured numerous green energy balls around it, and its eyes glowed with a faint purple light as it quietly used its signature move, Future Sight.


    Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir was surrounded by small, ck and purple Shadow Balls that densely covered its body.


    The green energy balls and the ck and purple Shadow Balls turned into projectiles, firing at each other. The explosions generated shockwaves, causing many soldiers and their Pok��mon to fall unconscious due to the impact.


    The battle between Champion level Pok��mon was terrifying.


    As the exchange of energy balls and Shadow Balls reached another standstill, Gardevoir used Double Team, creating numerous identical copies of itself in the air to surround Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir.


    With eyes glowing intensely purple, Gardevoir unleashed its psychic power, targeting Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir with Hypnosis.


    Psychic waves surged towards Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir, but it quickly erected a green light barrier around itself, shielding against the Hypnosis.


    After Gardevoir''s Hypnosis wave subsided, Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir retaliated byunching Shadow Balls in all directions. Gardevoir''s illusory copies shattered one by one, and Gardevoir itself was hit by a Shadow Ball.


    Before Emperor Rode could celebrate, Gardevoir''s previously activated Future Sight took effect. Two transparent rings descended from the sky,nding directly on Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir.


    Affected by Future Sight, Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir let out a miserable cry, falling from the sky and creating arge crater upon impact.


    Gardevoir, enduring the pain from being struck by the Shadow Ball, flew over Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir and began tossing energy balls down below.


    The crater was still filled with dust and smoke, obscuring the view inside.


    However, as Gardevoir''s energy balls entered the crater, an invisible barrier formed above it, blocking all the projectiles.


    Gardevoir paid no heed to the barrier and continued hurling energy balls downward.


    After countless throws, a cracking sound echoed, and fine cracks appeared on the invisible barrier.

 Chapter 725: Farewell

    <h4>Chapter 725: Farewell</h4>


    Under the onught of Gardevoir''s fierce attacks, the Light Screen finally shattered with a loud "bang," turning into scattered specks of light that dissipated into the air.


    The moment the Light Screen broke, Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir soared into the sky from therge crater, radiating a dazzling light as it rushed towards the other Gardevoir in the air.


    Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir was using a Fairy-type skill, Dazzling Gleam.


    Gardevoir hovered in mid-air, its expression calm, and its eyes glowed with a purple light.


    As Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir charged forward, Gardevoir shot two purple beams from its eyes, hitting Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir directly.


    Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir was once again knocked back into the massive crater, causing dust and debris to fly everywhere.


    Gardevoir had used Psyshock.


    Psyahock was a unique skill; although it was a special attack skill, it targeted the opponent''s physical defense.


    Despite having excellent Special Defense, this type of Pok��mon, like Gardevoir, had weaker physical defenses. So, the attack had taken a toll on Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir.


    Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir''s injuries caused great bacsh on Emperor Rode, who was connected to it through a psychic link. He clutched his head in agony, screaming in pain.


    To gain an increase in psychic power, one had to bear the consequences of the heightened strength.


    Trainers and their Pok��mon shared both glory and suffering; that was the cost.


    As Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir fell back into the crater, the Gardevoir entered the crater. Using its psychic powers, it lifted the weakened Emperor Rode And his Gardevoir into the sky.


    At this time, Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir had already fallen into unconsciousness.


    "Tell me, what''s the connection between you and me!" Gardevoir controlled the "hostage" in its grasp and threatened Emperor Rode.


    Emperor Rode, looking at the Gardevoir in the sky, twisted his face and said, "Hehe... Do you think I''ll tell you? You''ll never know. Even though I don''t know how you managed to escape, if you want answers, find them on your own."


    "You!!!"


    Hearing Emperor Rode''s words, Gardevoir was furious. It controlled the Gardevoir in its grasp and hurled it towards Emperor Rode.


    The unconscious Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir was used as a weapon by Gardevoir.


    Just as Emperor Rode''s Gardevoir was about to strike Emperor Rode, another Pok��mon appeared in front of Emperor Rode, blocking the iing Gardevoir.


    It was a Solrock, a Rock and Psychic-type Pok��mon, and it was a Champion level Pok��mon.


    "Haha... Haha... Did you think I spent over a decade raising just any Pok��mon? Though I''m quite surprised by your strength! You shouldn''t be this powerful, theoretically!" Emperor Rode paid no attention to his own Gardevoir and instead looked at Gardevoir in front of him with jealousy.


    Meanwhile, the battle between Yuga and Craig continued to escte.


    Despite Craig''s Medicham being outstanding among Elite level Pok��mon, when faced with thebined efforts of Gengar and Mismagius, it began to struggle.


    Furthermore, Medicham''s type matchups were unfavorable against Gengar and Mismagius.


    Gengar and Mismagius were both high-speed, long-range attackers, while Medicham excelled in closebat.


    Facing two ghostly Pok��mon that constantly floated in the air, Medicham had no way to get close to them.


    It couldn''t reach them in closebat, nor could it deal damage from a distance. Medicham found itself in a very awkward situation.


    Ultimately, Medicham was thrown around like a ragdoll and was defeated.


    Once Medicham fell, Yuga immediately seized Craig.


    Gengar used Psychic to restrain Craig, allowing it to float next to Yuga. Yuga shouted to everyone, "Stop! Otherwise, I''ll crush this person."


    Solrock and Gardevoir had dueled, with each retreating a significant distance after their sh. Solrocknded beside Emperor Rode, but it didn''t make another move.


    The other soldiers also stopped their actions.


    "Gardevoir,e back. Let''s stop this!" Yuga shouted. The priority now was to get away from this ce as quickly as possible.


    Here, there are too many soldiers, and they will eventually be overwhelmed.


    At this point, Shadowsong, who had been surrounded, had already suffered many injuries, and the Pok��mon were exhausted.


    Even though Yuga''s Pok��mon were strong, they couldn''t withstand the siege of thousands of soldiers.


    Gardevoir, although eager to get the answers it sought from Emperor Rode, ultimately obeyed Yuga''smand and used Teleport to appear by Yuga''s side, realizing the dire situation.


    Shadowsong, along with his and Yuga''s Pok��mon, slowly gathered around Yuga.


    "Let''s leave this ce for now; we can deal with the restter," Yuga whispered to Gardevoir.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Craig shouted to Emperor Rode, "Don''t mind me, Your Majesty, capture these traitors!"


    Craig''s statement wasn''t out of true loyalty to Emperor Rode; he simply hoped that Emperor Rode would take pity on him and save him.


    But did Emperor Rode have suchpassion? Clearly not.


    "Since you put it that way, then I shall grant your wish. Attack them all; kill every single one of them," Emperor Rode ordered the soldiers surrounding Yuga and directed the Solrock by his side to continue attacking Gardevoir.


    Hearing Emperor Rode''smand, Craig paused for a moment, a look of hatred fleeting across his face.


    Gardevoir, seeing the soldiers closing in, decided to obey Yuga''s order and use Teleport to escape the situation.


    However, it quickly realized that it couldn''t use Teleport.


    "If you''re thinking of using Teleport to escape, I''m afraid you won''t have the chance!" Emperor Rode''s eyes shimmered with blue light, and the Solrock beside him emitted a matching blue glow.


    They had used psychic power to block Gardevoir''s ability to Teleport.


    This was something that most people or Pok��mon couldn''t aplish, but Emperor Rode''s psychic abilities were in harmony with Gardevoir''s, making it effortless.


    Yuga hadn''t anticipated that Emperor Rode could do this.


    He had dared toe here despite knowing that Emperor Rode was acting strangely because he believed that with Gardevoir''s Teleport, they could escape even if they couldn''t win the battle.


    But now, it seemed like a disaster in the making.


    Just as the soldiers were about to charge towards them, something unexpected happened. Everyone, including Emperor Rode and his Solrock, suddenly stopped in their tracks, as if someone had pressed the pause button.


    This included Emperor Rode and his Solrock.


    Then, a Celebi appeared out of thin air, circled around Yuga and the others, and then disappeared with them.


    Apanying them in their disappearance was Craig, who had been held by Gengar.


    As Celebi vanished with Yuga and the others, Emperor Rode and his soldiers regained their freedom.


    What just happened? Where did that Celebie from?


    Emperor Rode was filled with anger! He was so close to sess! And now, an unexpected Celebi had disrupted everything!


    To his knowledge, there should only be one Celebi on this continent! Or rather, there used to be! This Celebi that appeared out of nowhere waspletely unfamiliar to him.

 Chapter 726: Explanation

    <h4>Chapter 726: Exnation</h4>


    Yuga and the others watched in astonishment as Celebi appeared in front of them and, when they regained their senses, found themselves far from the Arus army''s camp.


    Craig, who had been thrown to the ground, looked at Celebi floating in the air, his face filled with fear, and stammered, "G-g-guardian... deity..."


    Yuga impatiently kicked him. "This isn''t your Arus Empire''s guardian deity. You killed your own guardian deity. Don''t you feel any remorse?"


    After saying this, Yuga had Gardevoir seal his mouth shut.


    "You finally show up. Now, please take me and Gardevoir back!" Yuga said to Celebi.


    Celebi looked silently at Yuga and then shook its head.


    Yuga asked, "Why not?"


    Celebi remained silent, continuing to gaze at him.


    "In that case, you have to tell us what''s going on with Emperor Rode!" Yuga finally asked, sounding exasperated.


    "He and the little one are one."


    This time, Celebi finally spoke.


    Its voice was mature and gentle, quite contrasting with its cute appearance. It was clear that this Celebi had lived much longer than Gardevoir.


    The "little one" in its mouth referred to Gardevoir.


    "We are one? I don''t understand," Gardevoir said,pletely unaware of anything that was supposed to be one with itself.


    "What do you mean?" Yuga asked.


    "More urately, he is one with the little one from this era. His situation is simr to what you humans call ''split personality.'' Due to intense stimuli, the little one''s spiritual form split into two��one filled with resentment broke free, while the other, still kind-hearted, fell into a deep slumber. Otherwise, do you think a Celebi who held resentment for over a thousand years would peacefully coexist with you now? It''s just that all its resentment was carried away by the other spiritual form. Only the slumbering little one remains,pletely unaware, giving you the Gardevoir you see now."


    After listening to Celebi''s exnation, Yuga suddenly understood.


    No wonder Emperor Rode was shocked by Gardevoir''s presence; he clearly recognized that Gardevoir was the other half of his spiritual form.


    The slumbering half of Celebi''s consciousness had no knowledge of this situation, but Emperor Rode must be well aware of each other''s existence.


    He just didn''t expect that Gardevoir came from the future, and his true other half''s spiritual form was still bound within the Guardian Orb.


    And Emperor Rode had hidden the Guardian Orb.


    "Then do you know the situation of the past Gardevoir? Why didn''t you intervene to save it? You should have been able to save it, right?" Yuga asked in confusion.


    "I cannot interfere with history; that is our Celebi''s rule. Moreover, if I had saved it now, you two would never have met. Would you be willing to ept missing out on each other?" Celebi replied.


    After hearing these words, Yuga and Gardevoir fell into silence.


    They had developed a deep friendship, and they truly couldn''t ept missing out on each other.


    "What should we do next?" Yuga finally asked.


    "There are two things you must do. First, find an opportunity to eliminate the evil spiritual form of the little one. It should not exist in this world. Second, do your best to help the people of the Arus Empire."


    "Help the people of the Arus Empire?"


    "Yes, you, who know the history, should be aware that Arus is on the brink of destruction. When the timees, thend will be barren, and life will be extinguished. What you need to do is, together with this human prince, do your best to assist the people of the Arus Empire and prevent them from perishing in that catastrophe."


    "What? Arus is going to be destroyed?" Shadowsong asked, shocked by Celebi''s words.


    "I''ll exin all of this to you in a moment. Let''s hear Celebi out first," Yuga whispered to Shadowsong.


    Shadowsong nodded, still somewhat dazed.


    Although his parents were both dead, and he had be an orphan, the people were innocent, and he didn''t want any disasters to befall his country.


    "Even though I understand that the people of the Arus Empire are innocent, isn''t this task too difficult? I''m afraid I can''t do it."


    Yuga really didn''t want to take on this task. He had no connection to the Arus Empire, and, most importantly, the one responsible for the destruction of Arus was a Legendary Pok��mon.


    ording to the inscriptions on the stone tablet, that Legendary Pok��mon was an even higher-ranking existence than Celebi and was likely to be Groudon.


    "I''m not forcing you to do these things, but if you want history to progress in the direction you know, this is the only way. I will provide you with a little assistance as well. And I can reveal one thing to you: if you help them, they will repay you in the future."


    "Repay? What kind of repayment?" Yuga asked.


    Celebi replied, "I can''t say any more than that. You will find out in the future. So, how will you choose?"


    Yuga pondered for a moment. "Alright, I''ll do my best."


    Celebi truly had a kind heart, unlike them ordinary people.


    Celebi responded, "Just do your best! And now, let me do a little something as well."


    As it spoke, Celebi gently touched the back of Yuga''s right hand, creating a green leaf-shaped pattern on it.


    Then, it flew over to Shadowsong and handed him a piece of transparent, unidentified green leaf-like material.


    Yuga and Shadowsong were quite surprised to see this material, as it was the same one used by Mr. Kuni''o in the temple to summon Celebi.


    It turned out that this leaf had been passed down from Shadowsong, and one of its functions was undoubtedly to establish a connection with Celebi.


    It seemed that Shadowsong was indeed the founder of their lineage.


    "What are these two items for?" Yuga raised his right hand, examining the green leaf pattern on it, and asked.


    "You''ll figure it out as you go along," Celebi replied cryptically, leaving them with a little mystery.


    "Now, I''m going to do onest favor for you."


    Yuga was surprised and asked, "There''s more?"


    Celebi nodded. "Release all your Grass-type Pok��mon."


    Though Yuga didn''t understand, he followed Celebi''s instructions and released all his Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Soon, he understood what Celebi intended to do. Celebi conducted an awakening ceremony for Yuga.


    The previous awakening ceremony was not performed by this Celebi, and not all the Grass-type Pok��mon were present at the time.


    This time, Yuga had all his Grass-type Pok��mon gathered.


    After the awakening ceremony, Yuga felt a significant enhancement of his special abilities, and his Grass-type Pok��mon received numerous benefits.


    Most importantly, Yuga could now practice with all his Grass-type Pok��mon, significantly increasing the speed of their progress.


    However, the potential of Yuga''s Grass-type Pok��mon were all in above blue range. Even after this slight improvement, they had not reached the level to break throught to Indigo.


    The only one to break throught it potential was Deerling. Deerling''s potential were already very close to Indigo, and after this minor boost, it finally entered the Indigo range. Additionally, his Snivy evolved into Servine during this process.

 Chapter 727: The Plan

    <h4>Chapter 727: The n</h4>


    "Well, I can only help you with this much. Once everything is done, I will send you back to your own time," said Celebi to Yuga.


    "May I ask where youe from?" Gardevoir asked at this moment, wanting to know Celebi''s origin and why it hadn''t seen it before.


    Celebi thought for a moment and decided to share its origin with Gardevoir.


    The Forest Guardian of the Pok��mon world was unique, and the title of "Celebi" wasn''t limited to just one. It was simr to the trio of Legendary Birds��Zapdos, Moltres, and Articuno��where there might be multiple individuals of the same kind, but there was only one true Thunder God, Fire God, and Ice God.


    The title held great significance for each Celebi. Unlike the other Legendary Pok��mon, there was a "Forest Guardian" Celebi on every continent.


    When one of them perished, the forests of that continent would give birth to a new Forest Guardian Celebi, or an existing Celebi without a title would be chosen to be the new Forest Guardian.


    The Celebi that Yuga and his lineage worshipped was the one that emerged after Gardevoir''s passing, reborn in the forests of the Hoenn Continent.


    However, because Hoenn had only hosted one Celebi before this.


    Because of this the strength of different Celebi was varies.


    Those with titles are stronger than those without titles, and those born earlier are stronger than those bornter.


    The current Celebi of the Hoenn region is considered the weakest among all the forest gods on the continent because they were born veryte.


    The most powerful Celebi was the one that ruled over the Kanto and Johto region, as it had lived the longest and governed thergest territory.


    These two region were connected and effectively counted as onergendmass, which is why they had only one Celebi. Consequently, it was the most potent of them all.


    This Celebi resided in the Viridian Forest, which exined the many legends surrounding that ce.


    Among all Mythical Pok��mon, aside from the mysterious Mew, Celebi was the most exceptional presence.


    Yet, the Celebi before Yuga was even more extraordinary.


    It was the first Celebi to be born in the entire Pok��mon world, and it no longer held the title of Forest Guardian for any continent.


    Despite this, its power was equal to or even greater than any titled Celebi. For all Celebi, it was like an elder sibling.


    This was why the leaf given to Shadowsong by Celebi had been passed down through Yuga''s lineage and used to establish contact with the Forest Guardian of the Hoenn Continent.


    Gardevoir didn''t recognize Celebi because it was also not the first Forest Guardian of the Hoenn Continent. It was rtively young and hadn''t had a chance to meet this particr Celebi.


    It must be said that the forest gods of the Hoenn region have faced many hardships, with one after another passing away.


    Upon learning of Celebi''s origin, Yuga and Gardevoir couldn''t help but feel a sense of awe. They hadn''t expected Celebi to have such a significant background.


    After sharing its origin, Celebi disappeared. The next time they would meet would be when Celebi sent Yuga and the others back to their modern time.


    Once Celebi left, Shadowsong couldn''t contain his curiosity any longer and asked Yuga about the impending doom of the Arus Empire.


    At this point, Yuga felt there was no need to keep it a secret from him. He shared everything he had discovered in the desert about the underground world and the inscriptions on the stone tablet.


    In fact, the stone tablet nowy in Yuga''s system backpack; he just didn''t find it convenient to take it out.


    Listening to Yuga''s ount, Shadowsong struggled to ept the reality of their situation. Too much had happened in such a short span, leaving him somewhat overwhelmed.


    His parents were gone, his childhood friends were gone, his identity as a prince was gone, and now even his country was on the verge of destruction.


    "What are we going to do about this?" Shadowsong asked, his voice filled with concern.


    Yuga gave Craig a nudge and asked Shadowsong, "What do you think we should do with him?"


    Craig had been listening to Yuga and the others'' conversation and was shocked by Yuga''s background and the impending doom of the Arus Empire.


    "Kill him. We can''t let him live," Shadowsong said coldly.


    Yuga agreed with a nod. He knew too much.


    Struggling desperately, Craig tried to break free, but he was restrained by Gardevoir''s psychic power and couldn''t escape.


    Yuga didn''t take action himself; instead, he allowed Shadowsong to carry out the execution. Shadowsong''s Sceptile swiftly ended Craig''s life.


    Craig was an aplice in the murder of Shadowsong''s mother, so it was only fitting that Shadowsong delivered the final blow.


    "What''s your n now?" Yuga asked Shadowsong.


    "I n to do my best to help some of the people before the fall of Arus," Shadowsong said with determination.


    His father bore a significant responsibility for all that had transpired, so he felt obligated to make amends.


    In that moment, Shadowsong seemed to have matured considerably.


    Seeing Shadowsong''s resilience in the face of adversity, Yuga nodded approvingly. While he had agreed to help Shadowsong assist the people of Arus, he knew that if Shadowsong didn''t step up, their efforts would be in vain.


    "Oh, by the way, Gardevoir!" Yuga suddenly pped his forehead, recalling something. "The inscriptions on the stone tablet mention that the deity responsible for destroying the continent is your friend. It did it for vengeance. Can''t you talk to your friend and ask them not to do this?"


    Gardevoir rolled its eyes. "You believe that? I didn''t even know I had such a loyal friend! The deity destroying the Arus Empire must have its reasons, and it''s certainly not for my sake."


    Yuga felt a bit disappointed, thinking he had found a shortcut.


    Shadowsong chimed in, "The inscriptions on the stone tablet are likely not entirely urate. The person who recorded them probably didn''t have a full understanding of the real situation."


    "Let''s discuss our next steps," Gardevoir reminded them.


    The longer they dyed, the longer they would be stuck in this time period. Gardevoir had grown ustomed to modern life and didn''t like the current state of Arus.


    Yuga and hispanions quickly reached a decision. They decided to gather some of the people, provide them shelter, help them capture Pok��mon, and gradually form an armed force.


    In simpler terms, they were nning a rebellion.


    However, their goal wasn''t to overthrow Emperor Rode, as that wasn''t necessary with the impending doom of Arus. Their true objective was to use this excuse to gather those who needed protection, so they could better survive the impending disaster.


    Though this n sounded challenging, given the current living conditions of the Arus people, it wasn''t as difficult as it might seem. There were already rebel groups scattered throughout the Arus Empire.


    They had limited capabilities and couldn''t save everyone in the Arus Empire, but they would do their best.


    Yuga and his group, who were aware of history, didn''t intend to prevent the disaster from happening. They knew that history couldn''t be changed, as confirmed by Celebi.


    Shadowsong, no longer a prince of Arus, felt no psychological burden in organizing a rebellion.

 Chapter 728: Two Years

    <h4>Chapter 728: Two Years</h4>


    Two yearster.


    Yuga was sitting in a chair, dozing off, when suddenly a teenager of around fifteen or sixteen rushed in, shouting as he ran:


    "Bad news, Second Master! Our people have spotted the military''s tracks down the mountain!"


    "What''s with the panic? They''ve been here before; is there a need for such fuss?" Yuga said with some exasperation as he opened his eyes.


    Yuga hadn''t anticipated that he would spend two years in the past.


    During these two years, Yuga''s appearance had undergone significant changes. Firstly, he had grown much taller, at least 185 centimeters, given that adolescence is a period of rapid growth. It seemed like he could still grow taller.


    His face was no longer as youthful. Calcting the time, he was now around twenty years old. As time passed, his once fair skin had tanned considerably, giving it a rougher texture. This transformation had added a more masculine touch to his overall appearance.


    However, Yuga sometimes worried about how he would exin his sudden maturity when he returned to his time.


    Two years ago, after making their n with Shadowsong, they had left the forest guided by Celebi.


    While passing through a vige, they witnessed Arus''s military plundering the vige''s food supplies. Many vigers were killed in the process.


    The young boy who had just rushed in was the son of the vige chief, whose parents had been the first to fall victim to the soldiers.


    When he and the vigers resisted, they were about to be killed, but Yuga and Shadowsong intervened just in time, saving them.


    At that time, Celebi hadn''t taken them very far from the army camp, so Arus soldiers remained active in the vicinity of nearby viges.


    Given the dire circumstances of the vigers and nowhere else to turn, they became the first followers of Yuga and his group.


    With this initial group, Yuga and his team began to train their armed forces.


    Yuga possessed the Insight ability, which allowed him to capture various high potential Pok��mon, and he utilized this advantage to help his followers capture Pok��mon.


    Since there were no Potential Assessment Devices in this era, they couldn''t assess the potential of their Pok��mon. However, they believed Yuga had an exceptional eye for strong Pok��mon.


    In addition to capturing Pok��mon, Yuga also taught them to make basic Pok��mon food. Since making Pok��blocks required a specialized Berry Mixer, which was not avable here due to the technological limitations, they had to settle for simpler Pok��mon food.


    In reality, advanced Pok��mon food wasn''t necessarily inferior to Pok��blocks. For instance, in modern regions like Kanto and Chengdu, Pok��mon food was more popr than Pok��blocks.


    However, Yuga''s knowledge of Pok��mon food recipes was limited, and they were all basic recipes he had learned online.


    Over the following two years, Yuga and Shadowsong kept a low profile. They discreetly gathered more followers, primarily on the outskirts of Arus, where people faced the harshest conditions and were more easily swayed.


    But as their group grew, so did the risk of being discovered.


    Therefore, about a year ago, they had decided to leave the border regions of Arus.


    After a long journey, they had settled in the current location. This area was the closest part of Arus to the ocean and had a favorable environment. It had once belonged to a small kingdom neighboring Arus but was absorbed into Arus''s territory after Emperor Rode''s conquest.


    The people here also deeply resented Arus''s military presence, making it a fertile ground for Yuga and his group''s activities.


    They had established their base on top of a hill and had been living here since then.


    After settling down, Yuga and his group not only continued to train as Trainers but also started their own production activities, including animal husbandry and farming. Life in themunity became more stable.


    Gradually, this ce developed into a sizable vige.


    With the protection and guidance of Yuga and his team, the Trainers in the vige began to grow, and the quality of life improved. More people sought refuge here.


    As the conflict between Arus and Vante escted over the past two years, the lives of Arus citizens became increasingly difficult.


    Unbeknownst to them, this location led by Yuga had be a haven away from the turmoil.


    However, as more people found their way here, troubles also increased.


    Once Arus authorities learned about Yuga and his group''s presence, they set their sights on this ce. Since Yuga''s group did not pay taxes, they werebeled as rebels.


    In essence, Yuga and his group were indeed rebels, though they hadn''t done anything particrly rebellious before.


    Another issue was that not long after leaving Arus''s military camp, Yuga and Shadowsong had been wanted nationwide by Arus authorities. However, theck of advancedmunication technology in this era made it challenging for Arus officials to locate them in the mountainous terrain.


    Now that they were categorized as rebels, they faced the threat of military suppression. However, Arus''s regr army was upied at the borders, dealing with Vante, and couldn''t spare any resources.


    The local militias were just a group of low-level soldiers who could handle ordinary citizens but were ill-equipped to deal with armed forces like Yuga''s.


    Furthermore, with Yuga present, anyone who ventured here from Arus except for Emperor Rode who personally took action, was essentially offering themselves as targets.


    But could Emperor Rode personallye to deal with them? He was already preupied by Vante''s military, which was no less powerful than Arus.


    Arus had lost its guardian Pok��mon, and the guardian Pok��mon of the capital city had also perished, whereas Vante still had all of its guardian Pok��mon. Although Emperor Rode was indeed powerful, he was kept busy dealing with Vante''s guardian Pok��mon.


    ording to information Yuga had gathered, Vante''s guardian Pok��mon was a Heatran. While it might not have been as strong as Arus''s former guardian Pok��mon, Celebi, it was more than a match for Emperor Rode in his current state.


    Without Emperor Rode''s interference, Yuga and his group were safe within Arus territory. Yuga believed that if they wanted to eliminate Emperor Rode, they would need to enlist the aid of the Vante Empire.


    From the current situation, the Vante Empire possessed the capability to defeat Emperor Rode. However, Emperor Rode likely had some secret weapons, or else Heatran would have dealt with him a long time ago.


    Over the past year, Yuga and his group had experienced frequent incursions from Arus''s military, to the point that Yuga felt like they were living as bandits.


    As a result, they jokingly referred to Shadowsong as the "Eldest," with Yuga himself as the "Second." This title spread among their followers.


    ��


    Recognizing that many readers might not be too interested in this part of the storyline, and due to a need to maintain pacing, this section has been summarized. The plot may appear somewhat rough, so please bear with any noticeable gaps in the narrative. Your understanding is appreciated.

 Chapter 729: The Scream

    <h4>Chapter 729: The Scream</h4>


    "Hmm... Where are those people now?" Yuga paused for a moment and asked the young boy.


    The boy''s name was Ruby, and since being saved by Yuga and Shadowsong, he had be their devoted fan. However, his greatest admiration was reserved for Yuga, whom he saw as the strongest.


    "They''re in the forest outside the vige, sneaking around like a bunch of rats that can''t stand the light," Ruby said angrily.


    Ruby''s family had all died at the hands of Arus soldiers, so he harbored deep resentment toward the Arus Empire''s military and wished for their demise.


    "Let''s go, we''ll pay them a visit. It''s been a while since we''ve been active," Yuga said, rising from his chair and walking outside with determined strides.


    Yuga and Shadowsong were currently the nominal leaders of the vige, which is why they lived in thergest and most luxurious house, located right in the center of the vige.


    "All right, Second Master!" Ruby eagerly followed Yuga outside.


    Once they left the vige, Yuga didn''t immediately call for others to help. Instead, he nned to assess the situation in the forest outside the vige with Ruby.


    Currently, there weren''t many trainers left in the vige as most of them had been sent by Shadowsong on various missions.


    Most of the external missions were handled by Shadowsong, as Yuga''s intention was to give him more training. After all, Yuga would eventually leave, and Shadowsong would be responsible for protecting the vige.


    Over the past two years, Shadowsong had grown significantly and was no longer the inexperienced youth he once was.


    As Yuga and Ruby arrived at the edge of the forest outside the vige, they saw several Taillow flying out of the woods and perching on Yuga''s shoulder. They chirped and chattered, conveying some information to Yuga.


    Yuga scratched the Taillow gently, and they flew back into the forest.


    When they first established the vige, Yuga intentionally left the peripheral forest untouched to ensure the vige''s concealment. Later, he started raising some Taillow and Swellow for the specific purpose of monitoring the surroundings.


    Both Yuga and Shadowsong couldmunicate with Pok��mon, making these Taillow and Swellow very useful.


    Sometimes, when wild Pok��mon attacked the vige, these Taillow and Swellow would drive them away without the need for any orders.


    After listening to the reports from the Taillow, Yuga fell into deep thought. He then took out a Pok�� Ball and released a Pok��mon.


    ...


    <<sawsbuck>> </sawsbuck>


    Type: Normal, Grass


    Ability: Chlorophyll


    Gender: Female


    Quality: Indigo


    Level: 69


    Moves: Tackle, Camuge, Double Kick, Quick Attack, Odor Sleuth, Aromatherapy, Jump Kick, Horn Leech, Megahorn, Double-Edge, Sr Beam, Sunny Day, Shadow Ball, Return, Energy Ball, Swords Dance, Wild Charge, Last Resort, Stomping Tantrum, Seed Bomb.


    ...


    In two years, the once little Deerling had evolved into a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon.


    After the awakening ceremony performed by Celebi, Sawsbuck''s potential had reached the Indigo level, and she could train in synergy with Yuga''s special abilities.


    In addition, Yuga had experienced numerous battlesrge and small over in the past two years, which not only allowed Sawsbuck to advanced to the peak pseudo-Elite level but also greatly improved Yuga''s special abilities.


    Yuga gestured to Sawsbuck, and she nodded in understanding before disappearing into the forest with a leap.


    Watching his Sawsbuck, Ruby couldn''t help but feel envious. He had always dreamed of bing a Monster Trainer as strong as the Second Master someday.


    As Sawsbuck entered the forest, her fur subtly shimmered, blending seamlessly with the surroundings. If one didn''t look closely, they wouldn''t even notice her presence.


    She was using the move "Camuge."


    Sawsbuck had an extraordinary talent for this Camuge move, allowing her to change her body''s color at will and seamlessly blend into any environment, all without making a sound.


    At this moment, a group of soldiers wearing light armor was advancing cautiously through the forest. Each of them had a Houndour or Mightyena by their side.


    Only the leader, a tall and robust figure, had a Flygon apanying him.


    This Flygon was his pride and joy. You see, only the regr Arus military would have standard-issue Pok��mon like Gligar, Trapinch, and Aron. This Flygon had evolved from a Trapinch as a reward for his significant achievements, and it made him feel superior within the local military.


    Regr Arus soldiers typically had Houndour and Mightyena by their side.


    At this moment, these soldiers were unaware that a hidden Pok��mon had silently approached them.


    "Leader, do we really need to be so cautious? These are just a bunch of rebels, right? We''ve already captured countless of them," a young soldier beside the leader questioned his superior''s behavior.


    The young soldier had recently joined the military and had participated in several sessful operations against the rebels, making him believe that the rebels were no match for them.


    "What do you know? Do you understand where we are? Many Empire soldiers who came here didn''t return. Do you think you''re the only skilled one?" the leader scolded the young soldier in a hushed voice.


    However, as soon as his words left his mouth, a chilling scream echoed from behind the group.


    "What... What''s going on?" The sudden, eerie scream startled the young soldier.


    As a result of this scream, chaos erupted within the group. They quickly discovered that one of the soldiers, who had been hanging at the rear, was now writhing in pain and had copsed to the ground.


    The scream hade from this fallen soldier.


    "What''s happening?" someone in the group nervously asked.


    At this moment, a gentle breeze passed through the forest, causing the trees to sway slightly. The soldiers couldn''t help but feel a shiver down their spines.


    "Stay calm, everyone. The enemy has found us. They justunched an attack on us. Stay focused and vignt," the leader shouted to his subordinates.


    This group of soldiers was notrge, consisting of only around forty individuals. Their main purpose was to gather information. However, the situation here turned out to be more challenging than the leader had initially anticipated.


    This ce had be a sore spot for the local lord, and even though he had sought help from the capital, every support wave sent here had disappeared without a trace, achieving nothing.


    "Ah-oo..."


    Another scream echoed, but this time it didn''te from a soldier; it came from one of theirrge wolves.


    With just one strike, the wolfy motionless on the ground.


    The leader, who had been observing their surroundings, had only glimpsed a fleeting shadow and couldn''t make out anything else.


    Screams continued to echo as both soldiers and their Pok��mon fell one after another. However, the leader had not yet seen the perpetrator.


    He was now drenched in cold sweat but dared not let his guard down.


    Meanwhile, the young soldier behind him had lost strength in his legs. Witnessing hisrades fall one by one, he finally understood the gravity of his superior''s words.


    When most of the soldiers and their Pok��mon had fallen, the shadow that had been attacking them seemed to grow bored. It voluntarily revealed itself in front of them.


    Its appearance was utterly unfamiliar to the leader, a Pok��mon species he had never seen before. It had a sleek and agile body, powerful and sturdy legs, and two horns adorned with lush green leaves on its head.


    What left the deepest impression were its eyes, gleaming with a cold light as they stared straight at him.


    The Pok��mon that had appeared before the leader was none other than Yuga''s Sawsbuck.

 Chapter 730: First Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 730: First Encounter</h4>


    The leader and the Sawsbuck locked eyes for a few seconds before he shouted at his trembling subordinates behind him, "Attack!"


    Although his subordinates were afraid, they understood the situation and bravelymanded their Houndooms and Mightyenas to charge at the Sawsbuck on the opposite side.


    However, just as the Houndooms and Mightyenas were about to reach the Sawsbuck, a series of Razor Wind attacks shot out from the trees. The Houndooms and Mightyenas were caught off guard and were knocked to the ground.


    When the leader realized what was happening, he saw dozens of Taillow and Swellow hovering above the Sawsbuck.


    These Razor Wind attacks were all unleashed by these Taillow and Swellow.


    Yuga had carefully selected these Taillow and Swellow, and their strength and potential were quite impressive.


    Seeing these Taillow and Swellow, the leader''s face turned even paler. He now understood that they had been targeted by the enemy as soon as they entered this forest.


    The Houndooms and Mightyenas, despite their trembling owners, were fearless. They snarled menacingly and pounced on the Sawsbuck again.


    Unlike their anxious trainers, the Houndooms and Mightyenas were ruthless, showing their fangs and ws with ferocious intent.


    As the Houndooms and Mightyenas attacked, the Taillow and Swellow in the air were not about to be outdone.


    Seeing that his subordinates were struggling, the leader had no choice but to take matters into his own hands.


    "Flygon, Dragon w!"


    Hearing his orders, the Flygon spread its wings, flew into the air, and raised a w emitting green light towards the Sawsbuck.


    The Sawsbuck remained calm, quietly watching the Flygon''s w approach.


    Just as the Flygon''s w was about to make contact with the Sawsbuck, the Sawsbuck''s powerful hind legs pushed off, and in the blink of an eye, it jumped into the air.


    The Sawsbuck''s jumping ability was astounding, effortlessly leaping over the Flygon.


    Uponnding, the Sawsbuck''s two front legs emitted a dazzling white light, and it stomped heavily on the Flygon''s back.


    With a loud "bang," the Flygon crashed to the ground like a projectile, leaving arge pit in its wake.


    In the pit, the Flygon, enduring the excruciating pain in its back, frantically pped its wings, attempting to take flight once more.


    The Sawsbuck had used the Fighting-type move, High Jump Kick, twice.


    The Sawsbuck''s most powerful weapons were its four hooves and two antlers. Combined with the advanced Fighting-type move, High Jump Kick, it was clear that the Flygon was in agonizing pain.


    Luckily, Dragon-type Pok��mon had excellent physical resilience. Otherwise, after being stomped on twice by the Sawsbuck, the Flygon''s spine might not have remained intact.


    Seeing the mysterious Pok��mon across from him defeat his prized Flygon in a single exchange, the leader''s face turned white, and he copsed to the ground, his hands and feet ice-cold.


    Before long, the Taillow and Swellow had also taken care of the Houndooms and Mightyenas.


    Outside the forest, Yuga and the others had waited for a while. When they saw that it was time, Yuga turned to Ruby and said, "Go back to the vige and get everyone out here. Bring some ropes with you; we need to tie them up."


    Ruby immediately understood that the group of soldiers in the forest had been dealt with. This wasn''t the first time such a thing had happened, so he wasn''t surprised.


    "Alright, I''ll be right back."


    After saying this, Ruby sprinted away.


    When he returned, he was followed by a group of burly men carrying ropes.


    Soon, the group of soldiers from the forest was bound and brought out of the forest. Their unconscious Pok��mon were carried by the strong vigers.


    After Sawsbuck returned, Yuga praised it and recalled it into its Pok�� Ball.


    As for handling the prisoners, it was quite straightforward: confiscate their Pok��mon, remove their armor, and assign them tobor, primarily clearingnd.


    Yuga and his group had only settled here for a year, and as their numbers grew, so did their food requirements and the need for more cultivatednd.


    These prisoners were their best and most cost-effectivebor force.


    Now, any captured soldiers from the Arus Empire would be arranged to work on clearingnd or perform other manual tasks.


    The prisoners held a low status in the vige. Apart from providing them with basic sustenance, they were expected to work diligently.


    Unfortunately, most of the vigers in the vige had lost their homes due to the Arus Empire''s soldiers. Allowing the prisoners to survive was already a testament to their kindness. Expecting them to treat the prisoners well was nearly impossible, and Yuga didn''t push for it either.


    Of course, not all prisoners could survive.


    Some of the invading soldiers were nobles from the Arus Empire. How could they willingly work for what they considered lower-ss people? So they often caused trouble.


    In this ce, any prisoners causing trouble only had one fate: death.


    In this era, human life wasn''t valued much, and countless lives were lost every day.


    The vigers were quite skilled at assigning prisoners to work, and the more than forty prisoners were quickly dispersed to various tasks.


    As for the injured soldiers, Yuga simply had Gardevoir use a Heal Pulse on each of them. Their injuries were not life-threatening.


    "Second Master, the First Master has been gone for over ten days. When will he return?" Ruby asked Yuga with some concern.


    "Let me calcte. He should be returning soon."


    This time, Shadowsong had gone out to bring back a group of people.


    As time passed, Yuga knew that the date of Arus''s recorded downfall was drawing closer, and time was bing more critical.


    In these two years, he and Shadowsong had been doing their best to gather the innocent civilians of Arus.


    However, their abilities were limited, and transportation in this area was not well-developed. The number of people they could bring back was not significant. Compared to the total poption of Arus, the people they could save were just a drop in the ocean.


    Nevertheless, they did their best, and they couldn''t do more than that.


    At the border between Arus and the Vante Empire.


    Inside the Vante Emperor''s main camp.


    The Vante Emperor sat high on the throne, exuding an aura of authority.


    At this moment, a senior officer in armor hurriedly entered and knelt before the Vante Emperor, excitedly saying, "Your Majesty, the legendary Pok��mon we''ve been searching for has finally been found!"


    The Vante Emperor, upon hearing this, stood up in excitement and asked the officer, "Is it true?"


    The officer raised his head, filled with excitement. "Absolutely!"


    "That''s Fantastic! With this legendary Pok��mon, conquering Arus is just a matter of time!"


    Saying that, the Vante Emperor took out a crimson orb from his clothes and carefully rubbed it with his fingers.


    "With this legendary Pok��mon, that guy, Rode, will be nothing."

 Chapter 731: Beginning

    <h4>Chapter 731: Beginning</h4>


    Three days after the vige was attacked, Shadowsong returned to the vige with a group of refugees and settled down.


    The number of refugees within the Arus Empire''s territory was increasing.


    A monthter, Yuga and Shadowsong received news that the Emperor of the Vante Empire had gained control of the Ultra Ancient Pok��mon andunched an attack on the Arus Empire''s army.


    The Arus army, along with Emperor Rode, was defeated by the Ultra Ancient Pok��mon, and Emperor Rode had retreated from the border.


    Based on the information received, Yuga finally confirmed that the Ultra Ancient Pok��mon controlled by the Emperor of Vante was indeed Groudon.


    It was also confirmed that the mastermind behind the destruction of Arus was Groudon.


    The fact that they could control the legendary Pok��mon Groudon, who was said to have created the Hoenn region, indicated that the Red Orb was in the hands of the Emperor of Vante.


    Even Celebi himself would not stand a chance against Groudon, let alone Emperor Rode, who possessed only half of Celebi''s spiritual form.


    His defeat was inevitable.


    The reason the inscriptions on the stone tablet were vague might have been because Emperor Rode feared revealing the location of the Guardian Orb, so he prohibited ess to the undergroundbyrinth.


    With limited ess, information naturally wouldn''t be widely known, and recorded details might have deviated from the truth.


    Yuga had never considered searching for the Guardian Orb of this era because it would be meaningless. In any case, it would eventuallye into his possession, and if he were to seek it now, unforeseen trouble might arise.


    In the vige''s council chamber, Yuga, Shadowsong, and some vige leaders gathered.


    "It''s time for us to visit the capital."


    Yuga held a sealed letter from the capital and spoke to Shadowsong.


    Although they had been staying in this remote vige, they were notpletely cut off from the outside world. They had connections both in the capital and on the border.


    Shadowsong asked, "What''s the current situation in the Arus Empire?"


    "ording to the news from the capital, Emperor Rode has been retreating steadily in the previous battles. It won''t be long before the Vante Empire''s army reaches the vicinity of the capital, and at that point, Emperor Rode should also retreat to the capital."


    Yuga''s implication was straightforward: they could seize this opportunity to capture Emperor Rode, and if necessary, they could use the Vante Empire''s help.


    Initially, Celebi had given them two tasks: to rescue themon people of the Arus Empire and to eliminate Emperor Rode.


    Now that Groudon''s destructive actions had begun, its power was too overwhelming. Even if Emperor Vante didn''t intend it, Groudon, controlled by the Red Orb, had lost its sanity.


    Wherever Groudon went, it turned thend into a barren wastnd, transforming forests, grasnds, towns, and viges into deserts.


    If Emperor Vante''s forces continued their advance from the Arus border all the way to the capital, it would effectively signal the end of the Arus Empire.


    But at this time, the Emperor Vante may not be able to care so much anymore.


    This war hassted for too long. If it continues like this, the Vante Empire will be the same as the Arus Empire.


    Emperor Arus probably didn''t care much about the innocent people within Arus''s borders, but Emperor Vante did care.


    So, even if it meant sacrificing all the innocent people within Arus''s borders, he would end this war.


    As for the message on the stone tablet iming that Groudon was destroying Arus to avenge Celebi, it was pure nonsense.


    "It seems we should prepare to go to the capital. Given the distance from here to the capital, by the time we arrive, the Vante Empire''s main army should be close."


    Shadowsong pondered for a moment before responding.


    "First Master, Second Master, are you going to the capital? Can Ie with you?"


    Upon hearing that Yuga and Shadowsong were leaving the vige, young Ruby expressed his desire to join them.


    "No, it''s too dangerous. With your current strength, you can''t protect yourself. It''s better to stay here and guard the vige."


    Yuga firmly rejected the idea.


    The vige where Yuga and the others were located was far from the Arus capital and close to the ocean. It seemed unlikely that the Vante Empire would easily advance to their location, and the possibility of Groudon arriving there was even smaller.


    "Okay... okay."


    Ruby was obedient to Yuga, so when he saw Yuga''s opposition, he could only reluctantly agree.


    "During our absence from the vige, please make sure to take good care of it."


    Shadowsong addressed the other leaders in the hall, saying, "Rest assured, First Master. We will wait for your return in one piece. Be careful on your journey."


    "Yes, indeed. You can trust us to take care of the vige."


    "First Master and Second Master, have a safe journey."


    ...


    The next day, Yuga and Shadowsong quietly left the vige and headed for the capital.


    Yuga rode his own Charizard, while Shadowsong rode a Tropius.


    This Tropius had been tamed by Shadowsong under Yuga''s guidance and had developed considerable strength over two years.


    The green leaf Celebi had givent to Shadowsong before had the ability to enhance Shadowsong''s special abilities, which had led to rapid progress over the past two years.


    As for the green leaf pattern on Yuga''s right hand, he had discovered one of its functions.


    It allowed him to establish a strong mental connection with Grass-type Pok��mon, making it easier for him tomunicate with them.


    Thanks to this pattern, Yuga and Venusaur were finally able to achieve Mega Evolution.


    Using their sessful experience with Mega Venusaur, he and Gengar also achieved Mega Evolution.


    Furthermore, not long ago, Yuga''s Charizard and Dragonite both reached the Elite level.


    All of this was made possible by their extremely rare indigo potential. Without it, breaking through in such a harsh environment would have been impossible.


    ...


    <<charizard>> </charizard>


    Type: Fire, Flying


    Gender: Female


    Ability: ze


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 71


    Moves: Scratch, Ember, Hidden Power (Electric), Dragon Dance, Outrage, Smokescreen, Iron Tail, methrower, Fire Fang, Scary Face, Sunny Day, Fire Punch, Fire st, Dragon Pulse, Dragon w, Steel Wing, Shadow w, Iron Tail, Overheat, Inferno, Heat Wave, re Blitz.


    ...


    <<dragonite>> </dragonite>


    Type: Dragon, Flying


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Multiscale


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 71


    Moves: Rain Dance, Twister, Thunder Wave, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Extreme Speed, Fire Punch, Brick Break, Roost, Outrage, Dragon Dance, Dragon Rush, Hurricane, Dragon w, Stone Edge, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch.


    ...


    Breaking through to the Elite level was not easy, and even with Yuga''s Pok��mon having indigo potential, it took two years for Charizard and Dragonite to achieve it.


    In this remote location, Yuga''s Pok��mon received less attention and even ran out of Pok��blocks they had brought with them.


    There were no conditions to produce more.


    If they were in the modern world, Yuga wouldn''t becking in high quality Pok��blocks, Incense, and Attribute Gem. With these resources, his Pok��mon''s progress would likely have been even faster.


    The sess of Charizard and Dragonite in achieving their Elite level was closely rted to the Red and Yellow Gems they had on them.


    After two years of nurturing, the effects of the Gems on them were unimaginable.


    ��


    In the Pok��mon anime, the Red Orb controlled Groudon, while the Blue Orb controlled Kyogre, but in the games, the Red Orb corresponds to Groudon, which is the approach taken in this book, following the game''s logic.

 Chapter 732: Moro

    <h4>Chapter 732: Moro</h4>


    Eight dayster, Yuga and Shadowsong rode their Charizard and Tropius, hurrying to Arus'' capital.


    During these eight days, Yuga and his group heard news of Arus'' defeats everywhere they went. Due to Groudon''s rampage alongside the Vante army throughout Arus'' territory, many ces had suffered, leading to an increasing number of disced people.


    With such arge number of refugees, even Yuga and Shadowsong couldn''t take care of them all.


    It was said that many people chose to leave Arus and go to the enemy nation, Vante Empire. The citizens of Arus no longer felt a sense of belonging to their own nation. Even if theymitted treason, they did so without psychological pressure.


    Returning to Arus'' capital after two years, Yuga and Shadowsong couldn''t help but feel deeply moved. They had once been the prince and an honored guest at the royal pce, but now they were both wanted criminals.


    Yuga and Shadowsong were still on Arus'' wanted list. So, they didn''t enter the city through the main gates but instead used the powers of Gengar and Mismagius to sneak in.


    Speaking of which, Shadowsong''s Dusknoir had made rapid progress over these two years. Perhaps the death of its previous owner had motivated it to train rigorously.


    Seeing its dedication, Yuga also brought it into his own shadow space, allowing it to absorb the power of the Ghost World Origin Stone, together with Gengar and the others.


    With Yuga''s help, Dusknoir was now just one step away from Elite level. If its potential were slightly better, it might have already broken through.


    Dusknoir was very grateful for Yuga''s assistance.


    After entering the city, Yuga and Shadowsong discreetly entered a mansion. This mansion had been funded by them and arranged through their connections.


    However, Arus'' capital was currently in turmoil. Many nobles were secretly attempting to flee as news of the Vante army''s impending attack spread.


    ording to informants, General Nns was taking a heavy handed approach in the capital, executing any nobles who attempted to flee.


    Things had escted to the point where Nns acted more ruthlessly than before. At present, he no longer showed the same gentleness as in the past.


    At night, with the help of Gengar and Mismagius, Yuga and Shadowsong quietly infiltrated arge mansion.


    Just as the night hadpletely fallen and General Moro, who had just finished dinner, was about to read a book, he suddenly felt something was amiss.


    "Who''s there?" Moro cautiously shouted.


    Immediately after, the study was filled with ck mist, and Yuga and Shadowsong appeared before Moro.


    "Your Highness Shadowsong!"


    Seeing Shadowsong, Moro was both surprised and excited.


    "General Moro, it''s been a while!"


    Shadowsong smiled faintly.


    "To be able to see Your Highness again safely, this old servant is truly overjoyed."


    Moro''s voice trembled with excitement.


    "Don''t call me Your Highness; I am no longer the prince of Arus."


    Shadowsong shook his head and said helplessly.


    Moro could tell that Shadowsong had be even more resolute andposed over these two years, which meant he must have endured many hardships.


    "Regarding what happened back then..."


    Even to this day, Moro wanted to uncover the truth.


    "I came here today to tell you the truth about what happened back then and to ask for your help."


    "You say it, Your Highness, and I''ll do it without hesitation."


    Over these two years, Moro''s involvement with Shadowsong''s case had taken a toll on him. Although he was just over fifty years old, he had grayed hair and couldn''t hide the signs of aging on his face.


    Seeing this, Shadowsong felt a pang of sadness.


    So, Shadowsong recounted the events of that time to Moro, including the fact that the current Emperor Rode was not the original one.


    Moro was furious after hearing this.


    "I must not spare those rebels and evildoers!"


    Arus'' Empire had reached this point due to the responsibility of those individuals.


    "General, please calm down. At this point, pursuing these matters further is meaningless. Moreover, the root cause of all this lies with my father. If he hadn''t killed the guardian deity for his selfish desires, none of this would have happened today."


    After hearing Shadowsong''s words, Moro fell silent.


    Yes, the root cause of everythingy with Emperor Rode, who had killed the guardian deity.


    "Your Highness, why did youe to me today?"


    A calmer Moro asked Shadowsong.


    "Now that Arus is on the brink of copse, the Vante army will soon invade the capital. However, themon people here are innocent. So, I hope you can use your influence in the army to persuade a group of soldiers and quietly lead a group of citizens out of the capital."


    The citizens of the capital wanted to escape to save their lives, but the current situation forbade anyone from leaving. Even though there was widespread discontent, no one could do anything about it.


    Upon hearing Shadowsong''s request, Moro sighed. "I am no longer a general now. I''m afraid my influence may not be enough."


    "General, your influence in the army is irreceable. Everyone remembers the great service you''ve done for Arus. As long as you''re willing, there will be people willing to follow you. When necessary, you can even use my name to persuade them."


    After all, Shadowsong was still Arus'' prince, and despite being wanted for rebellion, his royal bloodline couldn''t be faked.


    "Well then, I will do my best."


    Moro firmly agreed.


    "Thank you for your efforts."


    Seeing Moro agree, Shadowsong was very pleased.


    "This is what I should do! But, Your Highness, what will you do after I lead the people away?"


    Moro looked at Shadowsong with concern.


    "Don''t worry, I can make a safe escape, and I have Yuga by my side."


    Shadowsong gestured to Yuga beside him.


    "Well, with this young gentleman here, I can rest assured."


    Moro had great respect for Yuga''s strength, and he had no more worries, especially after witnessing Yuga and Shadowsong escape Emperor Rode two years ago.


    "Speaking of which, I owe you an apology, young sir. I misunderstood you two years ago and even fought with you."


    Moro sincerely apologized, as respect for the strong came from the heart, regardless of age.


    Yuga waved his hand and said, "You''re too kind. You were only concerned for Shadowsong."


    Afterward, the three of them discussed some details of their n, and then Yuga and Shadowsong quietly left Moro''s mansion.

 Chapter 733: The Fist

    <h4>Chapter 733: The Fist</h4>


    On this day, Yuga and Shadowsong disguised themselves slightly and sat downstairs in the inn, sipping tea. Soon, they heard amotioning from the street.


    Because they wanted to gather information about the capital city, they chose seats near the window, which offered an easy view of the street.


    They saw a luxurious carriage being escorted by a group of fierce guards slowly moving down the main street.


    Any pedestrians who caught sight of this carriage hurriedly avoided it, not daring to approach.


    "Who is inside that carriage?" Shadowsong asked a nearby inn staff member.


    The inn''s staff were their own people, as they were involved in activities that were best kept hidden from outsiders.


    "It''s Leon. He became paralyzed for some unknown reason two years ago, and ever since then, his travels have been apanied by such a show of force," the staff member replied in a hushed tone.


    "I see," Shadowsong said.


    Leon was the one responsible for Hubert''s death.


    "Do you intend to confront him?" Yuga asked quietly when he noticed Shadowsong''s intent expression.


    "Stirring up more chaos in the capital would make our job easier, wouldn''t it?" Shadowsong replied with a sly smile.


    "That''s true," Yuga agreed, and they exchanged knowing nces.


    Leon still resided in the pce, and despite the pce''s tight security, it wouldn''t be difficult for Yuga and Shadowsong to infiltrate.


    After nightfall, Yuga and Shadowsong changed into attire suitable for stealth and, with the aid of Gengar and Mismagius, quietly entered the pce.


    Two years had passed, but theyout of this magnificent pce remained unchanged. Shadowsong, who had spent almost twenty years living here, knew every detail, from the nts to the bricks.


    After some investigation, Yuga and Shadowsong learned that Leon''s residence in the pce had not changed; it was the same as two years ago.


    The situation in the capital had grown increasingly chaotic, leading to tighter security in the pce.


    However, with the help of Gengar and Mismagius, Yuga and Shadowsong effortlessly blended into the darkness of the night.


    They avoided patrolling guards and sessfully reached the entrance of the pce where Leon lived.


    Guarding the pce entrance was the same Swampert that had killed Hubert.


    "I''ll handle this one. You go inside," Yuga whispered to Shadowsong.


    Shadowsong knew that avenging Hubert was something he had to do on his own. While Swampert had physically carried out the act, the one who had given the order was Leon.


    Shadowsong nodded and, along with Dusknoir, swiftly vanished, entering the pce.


    As soon as Yuga and Shadowsong entered the pce, the Swampert on the ground lifted its head, alertly eyeing the pce''s entrance.


    But before it could make any move, it was enveloped in a spatial barrier created by Yuga''s Gengar and Mismagius. In this space, no sound could escape, and as long as no one approached, no one would detect what was happening.


    Yuga only needed to deal with Swampert before Shadowsong emerged.


    Two years had passed, and the Swampert''s strength remained at the pseudo-Elite level, having improved only slightly.


    "Big guy, want to have some fun with me?" Yuga''s voice rang out beside Swampert.


    Upon seeing Yuga appear out of nowhere, Swampert roared in anger, recognizing him as a formidable adversary.


    A Pok��mon''s vision was much superior to that of humans, and even in the pitch-ck night, Swampert could clearly see Yuga''s face.


    Two years ago, it was this person who had injured it and left its master crippled!


    Facing a pseudo-Elite Swampert, Yuga chose not to release his Elite level Dragonite and Charizard. After all, there was no benefit in having his Pok��mon face off against those significantly weaker than them.


    After tossing a Pok�� Ball, a Pok��mon appeared in front of Swampert.


    ...


    <


    >


    Type: Grass/Fighting


    Ability: Poison Heal


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 69


    Moves: Mach Punch, Stun Spore, Tackle, Leech Seed, Seed Bomb, Drain Punch, Counter, Stone Edge, Sky Uppercut, Focus Punch, Headbutt, High Jump Kick, Swords Dance, Rock Slide, Thunder Punch, Iron Tail, Rock Tomb.


    ...


    Yuga wanted to see if his Breloom or Swampert was stronger.


    Upon seeing Breloom suddenly appear, Swampert roared angrily and raised its fist to strike Breloom.


    Breloom didn''t back down either. It exerted force with its legs, raising its right fist and mming it towards Swampert. Even the stone tiles beneath its feet shattered upon impact.


    The collision between Breloom''s Sky Uppercut and Swampert''s Ice Punch created shockwaves that rustled Yuga''s clothes. After the sh, both Pok��mon retreated.


    In a sh, they closed the distance again, their Sky Uppercuts and Ice Punches alternating rapidly, creating a dazzling spectacle.


    Swampert had a substantial amount of health, but Breloom periodically healed itself thanks to its Toxic Orb and Poison Heal ability. For a moment, it seemed like neither had the upper hand.


    As Breloom once again raised its fist to charge at Swampert, this time, Swampert chose to step back. It then opened its mouth and exhaled a frigid wind.


    The strong wind carried a piercing chill, quickly covering the stone tiles with ayer of ice. As Breloom charged forward, its legs froze along with the ground, leaving it immobilized.


    Seeing Breloom in a vulnerable state, Swampert, with a cunning grin, raised its fist to strike Breloom.


    If Breloom, unable to move, were hit by Swampert''s Ice Punch, it would be in serious trouble.


    Observing Breloom''s apparent distress, Yuga spoke sternly, "Stay calm! Use Rock Tomb on the ground!"


    The moment Breloom heard Yuga''smand, it regained itsposure. It mmed its right palm onto the ground, causing a ring of enormous rocks to descend and encase Swampert within.


    "Use Focus Punch on the ground!" Yuga instructed once more.


    Breloom obediently followed themand. It struck the ground with both fists, causing the ice that bound it to shatter into fragments. Breloom was free again.


    As Breloom regained its freedom, Swampert broke free from the encasing rocks.


    However, the moment it emerged, Breloom''s fists were already in front of it.


    With a single punch, Swampert was sent arcing backward.


    While Swampert was still in mid-air, Breloom propelled itself forward, delivering another punch. This time, it aimed for Swampert''s belly, causing the Swampert to be thrown up into the air once more.


    With a resounding crash, Swampert hit the ground, leaving cracks in the hard stone tiles. It waspletely incapacitated.


    Seeing the motionless Swampert, Breloom let out a sigh of relief and then walked over to Yuga somewhat dejectedly.


    Seeing Breloom''s downcast demeanor, Yuga knew it was berating itself for not maintainingposure during the battle.


    Yuga praised it with a smile and said, "Next time, don''t panic. The calmer you are, the better we can find solutions."


    After hearing Yuga''s words, Breloom clenched its fists with determination, showing that it wouldn''t make the same mistake again.

 Chapter 734: Siege

    <h4>Chapter 734: Siege</h4>


    Shortly after Breloom defeated Swampert, Shadowsong and Dusknoir walked out of the pce, carrying a lifeless body.


    Of course, Shadowsong was dragging a corpse this time.


    The next day, shocking news spread through the royal pce: Leon was dead, and his body, along with his Swampert, had been hung at the gates of his own pce.


    As the acting ruler of the Arus Empire, Nns was furious about his brother''s death and ordered a city-wide manhunt for the culprits.


    However, this pursuit didn''tst long as another major event overshadowed it.


    Emperor Rode was returning with his massive army!


    In reality, Emperor Rode had been defeated and forced to retreat by the Vante Empire.


    The day of Emperor Rode''s return to the capital was marked by deserted streets. The citizens wanted nothing to do with a ruler who was about to lead the nation to its downfall.


    The only one who weed Emperor Rode and his army at the pce gates was Nns, along with a group of followers.


    Yuga and Shadowsong observed from the shadows, witnessing Emperor Rode two years after theirst encounter. He hadn''t changed much, even though he had been suffering defeat after defeat. His spirit remained unbroken.


    As Emperor Rode returned to the city, there was a temporary calm in the Arus capital. However, everyone knew this was the calm before the storm, as the Vante Empire''s armies and their controlled Ultra Ancient Pok��mon were closing in on the city.


    Emperor Rode stationed his troops within the capital and forbade bothmoners and nobility from fleeing.


    During these days, Shadowsong and General Moro discreetly operated among the city guards and the popce.


    The city guards, responsible for protecting the capital, were different from Emperor Rode''s personal army, which was mainly focused on external conquests.


    General Moro, who had held the position for over twenty years, had earned great respect. Many soldiers and officers within the city guard were disillusioned with Emperor Rode, and after General Moro''s persuasion, they quickly switched allegiances to Shadowsong.


    However, the city guard couldn''t match the numbers of Emperor Rode''s personal army. Their best chance was to find opportunities to lead a group ofmoners out of the city.


    So, this continued for over a month.


    During this time, news about the Vante Empire''s invasion reached the city.


    Wherever the Vante Empire''s army went, thend turned into scorched earth. Once-fertile territories of the Arus Empire became lifeless wastnds, and countless civilians suffered.


    One night, Yuga quietly appeared near the eastern gate of the capital, apanied by Gengar and Mismagius.


    Yuga nodded at the two Pok��mon, and they vanished in a shimmering disy. Soon, mysterious psychic waves swept through the soldiers guarding the city walls and gates, causing them to yawn and fall into deep slumber.


    With the soldiers asleep, the eastern gate of the capital slowly creaked open.


    Following Yuga''s arrangements, arge group of people quietly left the city under the cover of night.


    The next day, the guards who had fallen asleep woke up with splitting headaches, unaware of how they had dozed off. But no one dared to speak up, as discovery meant certain death.


    The departure of themoners went unnoticed among the city''s poption because the people of the capital had long stopped venturing outside. The streets remained eerily empty.


    However, the significant disappearance of city guards did catch the attention of the royal pce.


    Yet, due to Yuga and his team''s excellent secrecy, the departures went unnoticed, and the matter was eventually dismissed.


    Even though Emperor Rode had forbidden anyone from leaving the capital, at this critical juncture, who had the time or inclination to worry about a group of people who had vanished without a trace?


    Seven dayster, the Arus capital was surrounded by the Vante Empire''s massive army, with the Legendary Pok��mon Groudon blocking the northern gate of the city.


    On the day the capital was besieged, the Emperor of Vante, had someone outside the city gates announce that Emperor Rode should surrender willingly.


    But was Emperor Rode the kind of person to bow down to anyone? Clearly not.


    If he were, he would have abandoned the city long before the Vante army reached it.


    As half of the spiritual form of the Forest God Celebi, Emperor Rode possessed an unimagined level of pride and self-esteem.


    Three dayster, since the Vante Empire''s Emperor didn''t receive the answer he wanted, he finally took action against the capital.


    Early one morning, while Yuga and Shadowsong were still having breakfast at their inn, they felt the entire capital shake violently.


    All the buildings in the line between the city and the northwest gate were reduced to rubble.


    Groudon had used a single Sr Beam to split the city into two, with the north and south gates as the dividing line.


    The royal pce was affected as well.


    A significant portion of the Arus Royal Pce had been destroyed.


    Fortunately, Arus'' capital wasn''t built right at the center of the city; otherwise, the entire pce would have disappeared with that single attack.


    The searing heat generated by the Sr Beam melted buildings, the city''s ground, and the flowingva created deep chasms, a terrifying sight.


    Before long, Emperor Rode appeared outside the north gate with his army.


    He rode atop a Metagross, apanied by a Gardevoir on his left and an imposing Gade on his right, with a Solrock floating above.


    Among them, Gardevoir and Solrock were the ones Yuga and Shadowsong had seen two years ago, while Gade and Metagross were very unfamiliar.


    And the most powerful Among these four Pok��mon were the unfamiliar Gade and Metagross.


    These were clearly Emperor Rode''s hidden aces.


    Consider this: if it weren''t for Celebi''s intervention two years ago, they might have been in serious trouble.


    After Emperor Rode appeared at the front of his army, it didn''t take long for the Vante Empire''s Emperor to descend from the sky on a Smence.


    Yuga and Shadowsong watched from a distance as the two armies faced off, witnessing the legendary Vante Emperor for the first time.


    The Vante Emperor was much younger than Emperor Rode, appearing in silver-white armor, emanating an air of martial prowess.


    However, what surprised them were the peculiar red patterns on his face.


    Yuga knew very well that those red patterns were the result of him fusing with the Red Orb.


    From his memory, if someone fused with the Red Orb, they would lose consciousness, and their actions would be controlled by Groudon.


    But this Vante Emperor appeared clear-minded and nothing like someone under control. In contrast, Groudon seemed more like a puppet.


    Besides that, Yuga and Shadowsong also spotted the Vante Emperor''s guardian Pok��mon��Heatran.


    Even though they had Groudon, Vante''s Emperor still sent Heatran into battle, leaving no room for the Arus Empire.


    As soon as the Vante Emperor arrived, he began to speak to Emperor Rode, but Yuga and Shadowsong were too far away to hear what they were saying.


    However, it was clear that they couldn''t reach an agreement, as the Vante Emperor appeared very angry.

 Chapter 735: Dark Clouds

    <h4>Chapter 735: Dark Clouds</h4>


    Yuga and Shadowsong could both see that Emperor Vante was very angry. Then, Groudon opened its mouth, and a Sr Beam shot towards the Arus army.


    Seeing the massive beam of light approaching, the entire Arus army began to stir.


    But they soon saw that Gardevoir and Gade, who were next to Emperor Rode, used Teleport to appear right in front of the army.


    Together, they erected a huge Light Screen that blocked the golden beam of light.


    The golden beam of light collided with the Light Screen, creating a brilliant disy of fiery light that almost painted half the sky in gold.


    The temperature in the air rose several notches, and of course, Groudon''s ability, Drought, contributed to this.


    Groudon''s Sr Beam was longsting, and just when the Light Screen was about to crack, Solrock, took action.


    It flew above Gardevoir and Gade, its body emitting a blue glow. The swaying barrier instantly stabilized.


    Before long, Groudon''s Sr Beam slowly dissipated, and the Light Screen turned into energy points that disappeared into the air.


    Although they sessfully blocked Groudon''s first wave of attacks, Emperor Rode''s expression became even more serious.


    Blocking the first wave of attacks was already a challenge. When the second and third waves of attacks arrived, it would be even more terrifying.


    Knowing that they were no match for Groudon, Emperor Rode unexpectedlyunched a counterattack.


    Suddenly, from his army, thousands of Flygon took flight.


    The Flygon formed a densely packed and orderly formation, their emerald bodies nearly covering half the sky. They then tilted their heads upward and released red dots of light into the sky.


    As the dots of light ascended, the sky rumbled with thunderous noises, and countless meteorites with fiery tails descended from the heavens, heading straight for Groudon.


    Yuga had never witnessed such a breathtaking scene. Only Emperor Rode, with the Guardian Orb, could muster a force like this, with thousands of Flygon who capable using Draco Meteor creating a meteor shower.


    It took a full twenty years to cultivate and organize these Flygon formations.


    Emperor Vante was also astonished by Emperor Rode''s actions. Even if it were Groudon being hit by such a massive meteor shower, it would likely suffer.


    Faced with this scale of Draco Meteor, not only did Groudon intervene, but Vante''s own Guardian Pok��mon, Heatran, had to take action as well.


    Groudon used its Sr Beam once again. Its ability, Drought, allowed it to produce the beam without charging, and a thicker, more powerful golden beam of light formed in an instant, rushing toward the meteorites in the sky.


    Heatran, on the other hand, used its signature move, Magma Storm.


    Bright orange-red spots appeared all over its body, emitting mes. Then, one by one, torrents of moltenva erupted from these spots, forming a fiery tornado that swept toward the meteorites in the sky.


    Thebination of Sr Beam and Magma Storm overwhelmed the meteorites, and not a single one sessfullynded.


    If it weren''t for Groudon and Heatran''s intervention just now, the army of the Vante Empire would have suffered heavy casualties from the meteor shower.


    Thinking about this, Emperor Vante broke out in a cold sweat. If they hadn''t found a way to control the Ultra Ancient Pok��mon, it might have been the end of the Vante Empire.


    Emperor Vante gave a cold nce at the Flygon that were still fighting Groudon and called out to his army behind him, "Attack!"


    With Emperor Vante''smand, the army of the Vante Empire charged toward the Arus army.


    Emperor Vante himself rode on a Smence and rushed toward Emperor Rode.


    As the battle unfolded, the Flygon formations that had blocked Groudon''s attacks now swarmed toward Groudon like mosquitoes.


    Although the Draco Meteor was powerful, it couldn''t be used frequently, and Flygon weren''t known for their special attack capabilities.


    Otherwise, even if Groudon and Heatran had acted simultaneously, it would have been extremely difficult to stop thousands of Pok��mon from using the Draco Meteor at the same time.


    The Flygon flew above Groudon in a circr formation,unching another attack on Groudon.


    This time, Heatran didn''t assist Groudon but quickly followed Emperor Vante, attacking Emperor Rode.


    This is the n to capture the thief first and then the king.


    In addition to the Legendary Pok��mon Heatran and the Smence beneath his feet, Emperor Vante was apanied by a ziken and a Camerupt.


    The Smence, ziken, and Camerupt were also Champion level Pok��mon.


    The Vante royal family make good use of it Fire-type Pok��mon, and under Groudon''s Drought, Fire-types Pok��mon thrived.


    ziken and Camerupt quickly engaged in battle with Gardevoir and Gade. Emperor Vante, on the other hand, confronted Emperor Rode alongside Smence and Heatran.


    Because the armies of Vante and Arus shed, there were no longer any allies under Groudon''s feet, and it no longer needed to hold back.


    It raised its foot and stomped on the ground, causing countless rifts to appear, with moltenva flowing within. These rifts transformed into countless sharp swords, engulfing the desert Flygon flying erratically in the sky.


    This was the first time Groudon had used its exclusive move, "Precipice des," since arriving here. It hadn''t used it before because this move had a wide destructive range and could easily harm allies. (Groudon''s awareness was no longer its own; it was under the control of Emperor Vante.)


    The swords formed from the fieryva struck down the Flygon one by one, and in the face of Groudon''s onught, the number advantage of the Flygon was no longer significant.


    Countless soldiers and Pok��mon fought each other, and the area outside the Arus capital quickly turned into a battlefield.


    Despite having experienced many battles over the past two years, both Yuga and Shadowsong felt a bit queasy at this sight.


    However, they couldn''t leave because the matter of Emperor Rode had not been resolved yet.


    If the people of the Vante Empire couldn''t defeat Emperor Rode in the end, then the two of them would have to take action.


    Emperor Rode was the embodiment of Celebi''s evil thoughts, and if left unchecked, he would surely cause great cmity in the future.


    However, Emperor Rode was indeed not a match for Emperor Vante.


    While Gardevoir and Gade together were stronger than Emperor Vante''s ziken and Camerupt, Emperor Rode and his Metagross and Solrock were a formidable force, even with the psychic amplification provided by Emperor Rode.


    Soon, under the relentless assault of Heatran, Emperor Rode''s Solrock fell.


    Without Solrock, Emperor Rode and his Metagross appeared somewhat isted.


    Just when Yuga and Shadowsong thought that Emperor Rode was about to be defeated, a dark cloud suddenly appeared above Emperor Vante''s head.


    Seeing this dark cloud, Yuga realized that Emperor Rode was hiding an even greater trump card.


    This was why, even before Groudon appeared, Emperor Rode could still stand undefeated against Emperor Vante''s Gardevoir.

 Chapter 736: Escape

    <h4>Chapter 736: Escape</h4>


    Just as Heatran''s Magma Storm was about to hit Emperor Rode''s Metagross, a thick bolt of golden lightning descended from the sky, intercepting Heatran''s attack.


    Following that, a Pok��mon d in "Electric Armor" slowly materialized from the dark clouds.


    It was another Legendary Pok��mon.


    "Zapdos!" Yuga couldn''t help but exim in surprise.


    This war felt like a sh of gods indeed!


    With Champion level Pok��mon on both sides, considering it was a battle between two empires where they had staked their lives and fortunes, now add thousands of Flygon, Groudon, Heatran, Zapdos...


    Yuga felt like he might be watching a movie.


    However, Yuga also noticed that this Zapdos was not yet fully grown and was definitely not as powerful as the Vante Empire''s Guardian Deity, Heatran. Otherwise, it wouldn''t have been tamed by Emperor Rode.


    As soon as Zapdos appeared, it confronted Heatran, and once again, Emperor Rode and Emperor Vante were in a one-on-one situation.


    The Pseudo-Legendary Metagross faced the Pseudo-Legendary Smence.


    Originally, Arus had a stronger Smence, but it had been ruined by the Prodigal Emperor Rode.


    Overall, Emperor Rode''s Metagross had a slight disadvantage against Emperor Vante''s Smence, as this Smence, while not a Fire-type Pok��mon, was skilled in Fire-type moves.


    After dozens of rounds ofbat, Emperor Rode''s Metagross was struck by a Fire st from Emperor Vante''s Smence and began to emit smoke, falling from the sky.


    Even Emperor Rode, who was standing on it, tumbled down in a sorry state.


    At the same time, Zapdos gradually fell behind Heatran, quickly being knocked out of the sky by Heatran.


    After taking several consecutive sts of Magma Storm from Heatran, Zapdos was charred all over, and its once magnificent golden feathers had turned into ck curls.


    Although this Zapdos was a Legendary Pok��mon, it was still not fully grown and was far from matching a fully mature Heatran in its peak state.


    Emperor Rode fell into a decline, affecting the morale of other soldiers to some extent.


    Overall, the Pok��mon used by the Arus army were far superior to those of the Vante army, but when morale weakened, the overall strength of the army plummeted.


    Not only on Emperor Rode and Zapdos'' side but also on the Flygon''s side against Groudon, the situation was not optimistic. Now that Groudon had freed up, the Arus army was undoubtedly doomed.


    As expected, not long after, Groudon was the first to take action.


    No matter how numerous the Flygon were, they were just regr Pok��mon. Under Groudon''s full-powered Precipice des, they couldn''t hold on for long.


    The reason why gods were called gods was because they possessed unimaginable power, like Heatran and Zapdos. We referred to them as Legendary Pok��mon, but they were not gods, as the level was different.


    Under Groudon''s rampage, half of the battlefield was now flowing with scorching magma. It was easy to imagine that after this battle, this ce would be a wastnd.


    After dealing with the Flygon formation, Groudon opened its mouth and unleashed a Sr Beam. A huge golden beam of light instantly engulfed the two warring armies.


    Not only did many of Arus'' soldiers die under this Sr Beam, but some of Vante Empire''s soldiers were also affected.


    Obviously, although Emperor Vante controlled Groudon, he couldn''t control it like a puppet, so inadvertently hurting his own soldiers was unavoidable.


    After one Sr Beam attack, Groudon didn''t stop. Instead, it turned its gaze toward Gardevoir and Gade, who were still battling ziken and Camerupt.


    This time, it used something different from Sr Beam; it unleashed a methrower.


    A crimson pir of fire condensed into a thin line, shooting straight toward Gardevoir and Gade.


    Sensing the danger, Gardevoir and Gade immediately tried to use Teleport to escape from their location, but they were a step too slow. Gardevoir''s half of the body instantly melted in the line of fire.


    When Gade, holding Gardevoir''s hand, appeared not far from Emperor Rode, he realized that he had only brought back half of Gardevoir''s body, while the other half had disappeared.


    Looking at Gardevoir with wide-open but lifeless eyes, Gade''s eyes turned red. He nced at Groudon with resentment, then finally used Teleport to appear beside Emperor Rode.


    By this point, Emperor Rode''s Metagross had beenpletely defeated, and Zapdos was severely injured, barely able to stay airborne.


    Emperor Rode himself was also injured.


    Although he harbored intense hatred for Groudon, Gade did not lose hisposure due to hatred and anger. He knew that Arus was undoubtedly going to lose, and if they continued like this, both he and his master would die here. In any case, he couldn''t let his master die before his eyes.


    So, he came to stand behind Emperor Rode, intending to use Teleport to take him away.


    However, Emperor Rode, such a proud person, was unwilling to flee willingly. He red fiercely at Gade, attempting to stop his actions.


    But Gadepletely ignored him. In the face of Emperor Rode''s scolding, it would rather see him survive.


    Both Gardevoir and Gade were among the most loyal Pok��mon to their trainers in this world. For their trainers, they could sacrifice themselves without hesitation.


    Emperor Rode''s Gade was no exception.


    The heavily wounded Emperor Rode couldn''t stop Gade at all. He could only watch himself disappear from the battlefield.


    Seeing Emperor Rode escape, Emperor Vante did not pursue. Pursuing Pok��mon with Teleport abilities was a challenging task, especially when it came to Psychic-type Pok��mon like Gardevoir and Gade.


    Moreover, Emperor Rode, who was now a defeated dog, couldn''t pose a threat in his eyes anymore.


    Once Emperor Rode left the battlefield, the Arus army immediately fell into chaos, subjected to a massacre by Emperor Vante and his soldiers.


    Emperor Vante had no sympathy for the soldiers of the Arus army.


    This was war!


    If it weren''t for Arus provoking this war themselves, today''s events would not have happened. Besides, had Arus'' soldiers killed any fewer of the Vante Empire''s soldiers?


    Not only the Vante Empire, but countless souls from neighboring countries,rge and small, had fallen under the hooves of Arus soldiers, including even Arus'' own citizens.


    Seeing Emperor Rode disappear from the battlefield, Yuga released Gardevoir from its Pok�� Ball.


    "Gardevoir, let''s follow them!"


    This was the best opportunity to deal with Emperor Rode.


    Gardevoir and Emperor Rode were originally connected as one form, so they could sense each other at close range.


    Previously, because of the interference from the Pok�� Ball, Emperor Rode had been unaware.


    After Gardevoir appeared, it closed its eyes for a moment, sensing its surroundings. Then, with Yuga and Shadowsong''s presence, it left the battlefield using Teleport.

 Chapter 737: Resolution

    <h4>Chapter 737: Resolution</h4>


    Yuga and Shadowsong didn''t pay much attention to the final oue of the battle between the Arus Empire and the Vante Empire''s armies. At this moment, their top priority was to deal with Emperor Rode.


    However, the eventual result of the Arus army was almost predictable.


    Guided by Gardevoir''s psychic senses, Yuga and his team quickly located Emperor Rode''s whereabouts.


    Gade had fled to a deste mountain far from the capital city with Emperor Rode. Gardevoir could sense Emperor Rode, and Emperor Rode could sense it as well.


    But Emperor Rode didn''t inform Gade of this fact; he was specifically waiting for Yuga and his team toe to him.


    For Emperor Rode, running away once was already hard to ept, let alone a second time.


    So, when Gardevoir appeared with Yuga and Shadowsong in front of Emperor Rode and Gade, Gade was very surprised.


    Gade silently nced at Emperor Rode, his expression changing, but he ultimately said nothing.


    "Didn''t expect to find you here! You''re as sneaky as a rat! You''ve been hiding for two years, and now you dare to show up," Emperor Rode said mockingly, pushing Gade aside.


    "I think the real rat here is you. How does it feel to run with your tail between your legs?" Yuga retorted.


    "You!" Emperor Rode''s forehead veins bulged with anger.


    This situation was incredibly humiliating for Emperor Rode.


    Gade wanted to continue fleeing with Emperor Rode, but just as Emperor Rode had the power to stop Gardevoir''s Teleport two years ago, Gardevoir had the power to prevent Gade''s Teleport now.


    Seeing this, Gade had no intention of running anymore. If it wasn''t for wanting to save Emperor Rode''s life, Gade was not the type to run away.


    If they couldn''t escape, they would have to face this head-on!


    Gade instantly appeared near Gardevoir, and the des on his arms glowed green as he lunged straight at Gardevoir''s head.


    Gardevoir''s reaction was swift. The moment Gade''s leaf des descended, a curved shield appeared in front of it.


    Gade''s attack failed, and he couldn''t evade in time. Gardevoir emitted countless colorful beams of light, instantly sending Gade flying.


    Fairy-type Dazzling Gleam shone brightly and was particrly effective against Fighting-type Pok��mon like Gade.


    As Gadended on the ground, Gardevoir''s next attack was imminent.


    This time, Gardevoir used Moonst!


    A silvery-white pir of light instantly engulfed Gade.


    Gade was already exhausted from battling the Vante Emperor''s ziken and Camerupt, so his reaction speed and stamina were not what they used to be.


    However, even in this condition, Gade gritted his teeth and endured.


    This Gade had the ability "Justified," and this ability influenced its personality. To protect Emperor Rode, Gade could remain unbowed and unbroken.


    Seeing Gade stand up, Emperor Rode''s expression changed several times, and his gaze flickered as he looked at him.


    Gade suddenly felt a surge of strength throughout his body, and when he turned around, he saw Emperor Rode''s eyes shining with blue light, fixed on him.


    Emperor Rode and Gade had established a mental link.


    With greatly increased power, Gade''s form flickered rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared beside Gardevoir once again.


    His arm des extended instantly, transforming into two long swords emitting sinister Dark-type energy, and he swung them at Gardevoir''s waist.


    Gardevoir quickly retreated, using Teleport to evade on the battlefield, attempting to create distance between itself and Gade.


    However, the Gade that had established a mental link with Emperor Rode was like a fly drawn to meat, sticking closely to Gardevoir, impossible to shake off.


    In desperation, Gardevoir raised its hand and conjured a colorful light screen with Dazzling Gleam move in front of itself.


    The light screen formed by the Dazzling Gleam and the deadly attacks shed, causing shockwaves that made the surrounding trees and leaves tremble. Many of the Pok��mon residing here were startled and scattered in all directions.


    Compared to two years ago, Gardevoir''s strength had improved significantly.


    However, this Gade was stronger than the Gardevoir from back then.


    Gade''s attacks were agile. It relentlessly hacked at Gardevoir''s Dazzling Gleam light screen, and eventually, the light screen couldn''t withstand the pressure and shattered.


    At the moment the light screen shattered, Gade swung its long de heavily against Gardevoir''s slender waist.


    But as Gardevoir was sent flying, the gazes of Gade and Gardevoir met.


    Gade only saw Gardevoir give it a faint smile, and a bright purple light shot into its eyes.


    Gade suddenly felt a shock throughout its body, as if something had imprisoned it.


    The skill Gardevoir used was Seal!


    The moment Gade''s des made contact with it, this skill was activated. At such close range, Gade couldn''t avoid it.


    Under the Seal status, all of Gade''s abilities, just like Gardevoir''s, would be rendered unusable, including Teleport.


    For Gade, which relied heavily on its speed, losing Teleport was like losing an arm.


    Gardevoir controlled its body with psychic power tond steadily on the ground. The Moonst turned into a silvery pir of light and shot towards Gade.


    Gade was terrified to find that it couldn''t use Teleport to get closer to Gardevoir or evade its attacks.


    This feeling left itpletely at a loss.


    In a daze, Gade was directly hit by Gardevoir''s Moonst.


    Although establishing a mental link with Emperor Rode had increased Gade''s attack power and reaction capabilities, it hadn''t improved its stamina or healed the injuries it had previously sustained.


    So, this Moonst became the final straw that broke the camel''s back.


    With Gade defeated, Emperor Rode could only surrender, as his other Pok��mon were left on the battlefield, and their fate was likely grim.


    Facing death, Emperor Rode remained calm, as if he had foreseen the oue the moment he saw Gardevoir.


    He didn''t struggle or show anger.


    While on the battlefield, Emperor Rode had suffered severe injuries, and now he sat on the ground in a sorry state, but his expression still held a trace of arrogance.


    In front of Gardevoir, he was especially unwilling to lose hisposure.


    "Leave it alive!"


    Before his death, Emperor Rode said this to Yuga and Gardevoir while looking at Gade, who had copsed not far away.


    Perhaps Gade''s determination to protect him had stirred a hint ofpassion thaty deep within him, originally part of his character as a Trainer.


    Yuga and his team agreed to Emperor Rode''s final request.


    After today, they would leave this ce, and they would likely never see this Gade again.


    Yuga wasn''t sure if continuing to live was a blessing or a punishment for this Gade.


    It was still alive, but itspanions and its Trainer had all perished.

 Chapter 738: Cycle

    <h4>Chapter 738: Cycle</h4>


    After dealing with Emperor Rode, Yuga and Shadowsong looked in the direction of the capital city, where mes were soaring, and knew that the capital had fallen.


    However, this was no longer their concern. So, the two of them silently rode on their Pok��mon, preparing to return to the vige.


    After flying for about half a day, Yuga''s Dragonite suddenly became restless.


    Just as Yuga was about to ask what had happened to Dragonite, a Pok��mon suddenly flew out from the woods beneath them.


    This Pok��mon was charred all over, looking severely wounded. It was none other than the Zapdos that had suffered greatly at the hands of Heatran.


    This Zapdos should have escaped the battlefield after sustaining heavy injuries, and it had just happened to encounter Yuga and Shadowsong on the way.


    The Zapdos was fixated on Dragonite under Yuga, its eyes filled with longing and greed.


    Yuga knew that this Zapdos had likely sensed the special divinity incubating within the yellow gem on Dragonite''s body.


    Being severely wounded, it must have been eager to obtain Dragonite''s power to heal itself.


    Yuga was about to instruct Gardevoir to deal with the Zapdos when Dragonite stopped him.


    Dragonite said it wanted to handle the Zapdos itself.


    Seeing this heavily injured Zapdos, Yuga was concerned, but after some thought, he agreed to Dragonite''s request.


    Dragonite must have had its own reasons for making this request, and with Gardevoir watching, nothing should go wrong.


    Gardevoir used its psychic powers to guide Yuga away from Dragonite. Dragonite confronted the Zapdos.


    The Zapdos was surrounded by crackling lightning, and golden electric currents transformed into arrows, flying towards Dragonite.


    But when those electric currents were about to hit Dragonite, a golden light shone near Dragonite''s throat, where the yellow gem was located. All the electric currents were drawn towards that golden light and absorbed into it.


    That location was where the yellow gem was situated.


    Remnants of electricity swirled around Dragonite, making crackling sounds, but it didn''t harm Dragonite in any way.


    Not only was Zapdos dumbfounded, but Yuga was also amazed.


    That was a Legendary Zapdos using a full-power Thunderbolt! Yet, Dragonite had absorbed it effortlessly.


    Although this Zapdos was still young and heavily wounded, Dragonite had only recently reached the Elite level.


    Unconvinced, Zapdosunched another Thunderbolt at Dragonite.


    However, the result remained the same.


    After enduring two Thunderbolts from Zapdos, Dragonite began to counterattack.


    It soared into the sky and then dived down, generating a white spiral of air that resembled a drill. It rotated rapidly and thrust towards Zapdos.


    The ground shook violently as Zapdos was mmed into the ground. The tremendous impact not only created a massive crater in the ground but also caused the surrounding trees to topple in a circr pattern.


    Zapdos, in a sorry state, flew out of the pit it had created, staring at Dragonite with red eyes, wishing it could punch a hole in Dragonite.


    This tiny creature!


    In Zapdos'' eyes, Dragonite was no different from an ordinary insect, but today, this insect had caused it so much trouble.


    Zapdos was a Legendary Pok��mon, far beyond ordinary Pok��mon in terms of stamina and defense. Dragonite''s Dragon Rush had made it look miserable, but the actual damage wasn''t significant.


    The enraged Zapdos pped its wings and charged into the sky. Dark clouds began to gather in the sky, apanied by drizzling rain.


    Looking at the thickening clouds, still shing with lightning, Yuga felt an overwhelming sense of d��j�� vu.


    It was the same as the rainstorm and thunder attack Dragonite had used before.


    Clearly, Zapdos was preparing a powerful move.


    The Dragonite nced up at the pitch-ck, roiling storm clouds overhead, and with a determined look in its eyes, it charged into them, much like Zapdos.


    Seeing Dragonite behavior, Yuga was worried that it might get carried away. Even though Dragonite had the yellow gem, that cloud was undoubtedly a thunderstorm created by Zapdos, and Dragonite was at risk.


    After Dragonite entered the cloud, Yuga could only hear the sharp cries of Zapdos from within. The sound was filled with extreme anger.


    Although Yuga couldn''t see the specific situation inside the cloud, the cloud''s rolling speed continued to increase, like boiling hot water.


    asionally, thick lightning bolts shot out from the cloud, destroying numerous trees below. Yuga and Shadowsong had to constantly dodge these lightning bolts to avoid being hit.


    After about an hour, when Yuga was bing impatient, the cloud suddenly contracted. Zapdos, covered in ck smoke and devoid of any electrical energy, fell from the cloud.


    At this moment, Zapdos was entirely drained of its electric power, and its body waspletely exhausted.


    With a muffled thud, Zapdos fell to the ground and let out a weak, pitiful cry.


    The dark cloud in the sky gradually shrank until it condensed into a ck sphere. With a series of crackling explosions, Dragonite emerged from the ck sphere.


    At this point, it was surrounded by flickering lightning, like a mighty general d in golden armor, exuding immense power.


    At the same time, the light rain that had been falling disappeared.


    Zapdos stood up from the ground, stretched its wings, and looked up at Dragonite, which was full of vigor. It finally realized that its electric abilities were ineffective against this opponent and would only be absorbed.


    Feeling theplete depletion of electrical energy in its body, Zapdos felt that its injuries had worsened.


    Its electric attacks had never been humiliated like this before, not even Ground-type Pok��mon could resist it, let alone today, when it waspletely drained.


    This was a ssic case of stealing a chicken only to lose the rice.


    Zapdos no longer insisted on using its electric abilities. It flew back into the sky, reached the same altitude as Dragonite, and then pped its wings. A surge of red-hot air rushed toward Dragonite.


    This time, it was a Fire-type move, Heat Wave.


    Aside from electric abilities, Zapdos rarely used moves of other types, so its proficiency with Fire-type moves couldn''tpare to its Thunderbolt.


    However, despite this, Dragonite still felt an intense sense of danger from the Heat Wave.


    It knew it couldn''t withstand this Heat Wave.


    Dragonite''s previous advantage over Zapdos was entirely due to the help of the yellow gem. But now that Zapdos had stopped using electric-type moves, Dragonite wouldn''t gain the upper hand anymore, even though Zapdos was heavily wounded.


    Dragonite swiftly dodged the first Heat Wave, but before it could catch its breath, Zapdos unleashed another one.


    Dragonite evaded once again!


    However, Dragonite''s stamina was limited, and it quickly couldn''t keep up with Zapdos''s frequent attacks.


    Finally, when Dragonite couldn''t hold on any longer, another Heat Wave came. Seeing the fiery waves expanding in its field of vision, Dragonite realized it couldn''t escape this time.


    At the critical moment, Dragonite saw Gardevoir using Teleport and position itself in front of him. Gardevoir used a powerful psychic force to intercept the iing Heat Wave.


    After blocking the attack, Gardevoir once again use Teleport and appeared above Zapdos. With a powerful psychic, it mmed Zapdos into the ground.


    Gardevoir''s attack strength was on apletely different level from Dragonite''s, and it inflicted massive damage on the already injured Zapdos.


    Before being heavily wounded, Zapdos might have been slightly stronger than Gardevoir. However, in its injured state, it was no match for Gardevoir.


    Controlled by Gardevoir''s psychic power, Zapdos struggled on the ground, not willing to give in.


    After a dozen or so strikes directed by Gardevoir''s psychic power, Zapdos reluctantly closed its eyes.


    When Dragonite returned, Yuga scolded it sternly for its recklessness. He also reflected on himself, acknowledging that he shouldn''t have let Dragonite face a much stronger Zapdos without knowing the full situation.


    "What should we do with this Zapdos?" Yuga found himself in a dilemma.


    If this were the future, Yuga would have undoubtedly captured it without hesitation. After all, it was a genuine Legendary Pok��mon!


    But this was the past, and he couldn''t bring back any Pok��mon from here. Entrusting it to Shadowsong wasn''t an option either, as Shadowsong''s strength was limited. Once this Zapdos recovered and turned hostile, it might easily harm Shadowsong.


    While Yuga was contemting, Dragonite directlynded on Zapdos.


    "What are you doing?" Yuga watched in horror as Dragonite did this.


    Then he saw the yellow gem on Dragonite''s body shing intensely. Countless golden energies flowed out from Zapdos and were absorbed into the yellow gem.


    About ten minutester, Yuga urgently shouted, "Alright, Dragonite, stop! If you keep absorbing, it will die!"


    Although he knew that these golden energies from Zapdos were beneficial to Dragonite, he couldn''t let it absorb to the point of killing Zapdos.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Dragonite reluctantly stopped absorbing and dismounted from Zapdos.


    Looking at the pitiful Zapdos, Yuga felt a great deal of sympathy.


    This time, it was truly drained!


    However, Yuga quickly understood why Dragonite had taken matters into its own hands and absorbed Zapdos to the point of exhaustion.


    It turned out this Zapdos was the same one from a thousand years in the future��the one that had captured a Dratini, harmed Dragonite''s mother.


    Yuga had seen that Zapdos before, but from a distance. He couldn''t identify Zapdos''s aura due to the distance, and since all Zapdos looked alike, he couldn''t recognize it.


    However, Dragonite had interacted with it and could easily recognize it.


    Yuga looked at Dragonite, then back at Zapdos, suddenly realizing why that Zapdos had randomly captured a Dratini. It had likely mistaken the Dratini''s aura for Dragonite''s and believed it was capturing the offspring of the Dragonite it had drained a thousand years ago.


    But this was a case of karmaing full circle.


    Dragonite had been captured by Zapdos in the past, which had also harmed Dragonite''s mother. So, it had drained Zapdos in return.


    A thousand yearster, Zapdos, thinking it was capturing Dragonite''s descendant (by mistake), wanted revenge. It didn''t realize it had caught the wrong Pok��mon.


    Fortunately, Yuga had stayed away at that time, avoiding getting involved out of curiosity. Otherwise, if Zapdos had recognized him, he might have been torn to shreds.


    Knowing that this Zapdos was the one from a thousand years in the future, Yuga decided to release it.


    After all, it had been the turning point that led him to meet Dragonite. Without it, he might never have obtained Dragonite, and the course of events would have been different.


    Before leaving, Yuga kindly asked Gardevoir to heal Zapdos''s injuries and found a safe ce for it to recover, preventing it from encountering any danger.


    Although Dragonite was somewhat dissatisfied with Yuga''s actions, it eventually calmed down after Yuga''s reassurance.

 Chapter 739: Return

    <h4>Chapter 739: Return</h4>


    On their way back to the vige, Yuga and Shadowsong encountered General Moro and others who were also heading to the vige with a group of people.


    Due to theirrger group, Yuga and Shadowsong, who were traveling on Pok��mon, couldn''t move as fast.


    So, Yuga and his group decided to travel back to the vige together with General Moro and his team.


    After over a month of long and arduous journey, Yuga and hispanions safely returned to the vige with the people they had rescued.


    Because a significant number of new residents had joined the vige, they immediately started contributing to the vige''s development upon their arrival.


    Later, Yuga received news that the Vante Empire had emerged victorious,pletely conquering the entire Arus Empire. The capital of Arus had been destroyed, reduced to a lifeless city.


    However, the Vante Empire didn''t invest much effort in governing the region. Due to the influence of Groudon, arge part of Arus had turned into a desert, making it unsuitable for human habitation.


    The Vante Empire wasn''t interested in dealing with such a challenging situation.


    Thisck of attention from the Vante Empire meant that Yuga''s remote vige remained undisturbed, nestled in peace.


    A month and a halfter, Celebi appeared before Yuga and told him it was time to leave.


    Only Shadowsong and Ruby knew that Yuga came from the future, so when Yuga left, these two were the only ones who came to bid him farewell.


    Honestly, Yuga was reluctant to leave this ce. After all, he and Shadowsong had built it from scratch, together with every brick and soldier.


    He had spent over two years in this era, which was longer than the time he had spent in the modern world after his time travel. He had also formed a deep friendship with Shadowsong.


    This parting meant that they might never see each other again, and there was also Ruby, who always followed him around, calling him "Second Master."


    But he had to leave; he didn''t belong to this time. In the future, he had loved ones, friends, andrades waiting for him, not to mention the Pok��mon Day Care that he had worked so hard to build.


    "Farewell. Take care of yourselves!"


    Yuga hugged Shadowsong tightly. Shadowsong nodded gently, not uttering a word, but Yuga saw a glimmer of tears in his eyes.


    "Ruby, too!"


    Yuga patted Ruby''s messy head and forced a smile.


    Unlike the reserved Shadowsong, Ruby''s emotions were on full disy. While wiping away tears, Ruby sobbed loudly.


    "S-S-Sec... Second M-Master, you... you... take care! I''ll... I''ll always remember... remember you!"


    Ruby managed to say through sobs.


    "Yeah, I''ll remember you all too. After I''m gone, train hard and be a great help for the First Master!"


    Yuga advised Ruby.


    "Yeah... I will... I definitely will."


    Ruby wiped away a tear and nodded vigorously.


    "After I leave, you can tell others that I''ve gone on a journey."


    Yuga told Shadowsong. Though he was trying to hold back his emotions, Yuga could still hear the choked voice in Shadowsong''s reply.


    "Alright."


    "We should go!"


    At this moment, Celebi urged Yuga from above.


    "Take care!"


    Yuga waved a sorrowful goodbye to Shadowsong and Ruby, then he was enveloped in Celebi''s time-traveling energy. A white light shed, and Yuga disappeared before Shadowsong and Ruby''s eyes.


    Inside the time-space corridor, Yuga seemed to faintly hear Shadowsong and Ruby loudly shouting their farewells to him.


    However, in just a momentary distraction, Yuga tumbled out of it!


    "Little Yuga?"


    Yuga raised his head and saw his master, who initially looked surprised and then confused.


    "Master!"


    Yuga called out joyfully. After more than two years, he had finally returned, and the sadness of parting had lessened.


    Compared to ancient life, he indeed preferred the modern world.


    "How did you..."


    Mr. Kuni''o was the first to notice Yuga''s matured face and increased height.


    After Yuga came out, Celebi also emerged from the time-space ripple.


    Yuga exined to Mr. Kuni''o, "Master, things are quiteplicated. I''ll exin it to you in detailter."


    Mr. Kuni''o nced at Celebi, then back at Yuga, suppressing his curiosity, and nodded.


    Celebi said, "You''ve safely returned, and my mission isplete."


    "Thank you," Yuga replied.


    "You''re leaving now?" Yuga asked.


    Celebi nodded, "Yes."


    "Then... could you find a way to change my appearance a bit?" Yuga said somewhat hesitantly.


    Celebi quickly realized what Yuga meant.


    Although Yuga had spent over two years in the past, in the modern world, only a short time had passed, making his sudden growth in appearance quite noticeable.


    "Actually, after receiving my blessing, your lifespan is much longer than that of an ordinary person, so you don''t need to worry about these things," Celebi said after some thought.


    Yuga was momentarily stunned. "I''m not concerned about my lifespan! I''ve known about that for a while! Just look at Mr. Kuni''o; he''s over a hundred years old and still quite healthy. He even mentioned it to me."


    So, two years of extra age weren''t a big deal for someone blessed by Celebi. However, the sudden change in his appearance might still make people raise their eyebrows.


    Yuga expressed his concerns to Celebi.


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t do that," Celebi regretfully replied.


    Although Celebi could traverse time and space, it couldn''t reverse a person''s aging independently.


    Seeing Yuga''s disappointment, Celebi offered some constion, "Actually, it''s not a big deal. Miracles happen all the time in this world. Something strange happening to you won''t be a major event."


    Yuga had to reluctantly ept Celebi''s reassurance.


    After bidding farewell to Yuga, Celebi disappeared back into the time-space ripple.


    Then, Yuga exined to Mr. Kuni''o in detail everything that had transpired during his time in the past, including the connection between Celebi and the lineage they served.


    "I never thought that in just a moment, you would experience so many extraordinary things," Mr. Kuni''o marveled, even though he was a well-traveled and knowledgeable person.

 Chapter 740: Returning Home

    <h4>Chapter 740: Returning Home</h4>


    After returning, Yuga didn''t rush to leave the temple with Mr. Kuni''o; instead, he stayed at the temple for a few more days.


    During his two years in Arus, Yuga''s strength had improved significantly, but he had many questions that he needed to consult with his master.


    After all, during these two years, he had mostly been figuring things out on his own, and the only person he couldmunicate with was Shadowsong. As a result, he had umted quite a few questions.


    His Grass-type Pok��mon had all reached a bottleneck, or more urately, they had reached the stage where normal Pok��mon would undergo a life transformation. It would take a long time to umte the energy needed for this transformation.


    Among Yuga''s main Pok��mon, some had already reached the Elite level, but their situations were unique. Whether it was his Dragonite and Charizard or the previous Lapras, they required much less time to umte power than regr Pok��mon.


    Yuga and Mr. Kuni''o spent a full seven days in the temple. During this time, Yuga learned a lot from Mr. Kuni''o, and Mr. Kuni''o also got a rough idea of Yuga''s strength.


    Regardless of how you looked at it, the rumors about Yuga''s Elite level strength were now well-founded.


    Afterward, they returned to Mr. Kuni''o''s manor in Mauville City.


    The first thing Yuga did upon returning to Mauville City was to buy himself some new clothes. When he returned, he was still dressed in ancient attire from a thousand years ago, which lookedpletely out of ce in the modern world.


    It wasn''t just the clothes; Yuga felt somewhat out of ce in modern life after his time in Arus.


    He then went to a barber shop to tidy up his hairstyle. It was only after this that Yuga truly felt like he hade back.


    Yuga didn''t stay long in Mauville City. After making himself presentable, he bid farewell to Mr. Kuni''o and took a train back to Verdanturf Town.


    He had a strong feeling of returning home.


    As he gazed upon the familiar sights of Verdanturf Town, Yuga had an overwhelming urge to shed tears.


    Although only a little less than half a month had passed in the real world, over two years had psed for him.


    On the way back to the YoYo Day Care, Yuga coincidentally met Audino returning from grocery shopping. Without thinking, he shouted, "Audino!"


    Yuga''s voice trembled, a feeling he hadn''t even realized himself.


    "Audino," Audino said as she looked at Yuga, her expression puzzled.


    His aura was unmistakably Yuga''s, but his appearance seemed to have matured.


    As Audino was still trying to make sense of it, Yuga had already takenrge strides and given Audino a tight hug.


    "It''s me! I''m back!"


    Sniffing Yuga''s familiar scent, Audino finally confirmed that this was indeed Yuga.


    Although she had no idea what had happened, Audino could feel the strong emotions surging within Yuga. She gently patted his back.


    After hugging for quite some time, Yuga finally released Audino with a somewhat embarrassed smile and said, "Let''s go back."


    "Audino!"


    Audino smiled and nodded, carrying her basket of groceries, she leisurely followed behind Yuga.


    She didn''t ask Yuga what had happened; she knew that when Yuga wanted to tell her, he would.


    Back at the YoYo Day Care, everyone was greatly shocked by Yuga''s changed appearance and wondered what had happened to him.


    Fortunately, they still recognized Yuga. Although his appearance had changed significantly, it was due to natural growth and maturity, not cosmetic changes.


    After much consideration, Yuga decided to be honest with everyone about his journey with Celebi to a thousand years ago.


    He couldn''te up with a decent excuse, and he didn''t want to deceive them.


    Besides, once you told one lie, you had to weave countless more to cover it up, and he didn''t have the energy for that.


    Since Mr. Kuni''o already knew, Yuga felt there was no need to keep it from these people and Pok��mon who were his closestpanions.


    After Yuga finished sharing his experiences, everyone was filled with amazement. They had only been apart from their boss for a little over ten days, but their boss had been away for over two years. It wasn''t surprising that their boss had disyed such strong emotions and looked so different when he first returned.


    On this day, Audino had prepared a sumptuous dinner specifically for Yuga. After two years, tasting Audino''s cooking again nearly moved Yuga to tears.


    Yuga''s Pok��mon felt the same way when they once again savored the Pok��blocks from home. Compared to their life in Arus for the past two years, it was like living like kings.


    Over the next few days, everyone noticed a peculiar phenomenon: their boss liked to wander between the YoYo Day Care and the Gym for no apparent reason.


    This behavior continued for over ten days before Yuga gradually returned to normal.


    After two years apart, just watching everyone busy with their daily lives made Yuga feel a unique sense of happiness.


    Having experienced the trials and tribtions in Arus for two years, Yuga now truly appreciated the value of a peaceful life.


    The Pok��mon that had been apanying Yuga during his journey had stayed in the Ecopark during this time, sharing their experiences with their fellow Pok��mon friends.


    Their friends were shocked by the rapid growth in Dragonite and the others strength. Learning that they had spent an additional two years with Yuga in the past only intensified their jealousy.


    Fortunately, Chimecho had not been home during this time; otherwise, he would have caused chaos in the Ecopark.


    Dragonite, who had spent over two years away from her mother, stayed close to her mother since her return. She proudly demonstrated the results of her two years of training.


    The speed at which she had advanced from pseudo-Elite level to Elite level in just a little over two years was remarkable, even with the benefit as Indigo potential Pok��mon, it''s still remarkable achievement.


    During this period, Dragonite''s mother provided Dragonite with valuable guidance on what to expect and how to progress as she transitioned into the Elite level. Dragonite benefited greatly from her mother''s teachings.


    In addition to Dragonite, Dragonite''s mother also answered questions from Charizard, who had also recently reached the Elite level.


    Both of them were rtively new to this special stage of Elite level Pok��mon.


    As a human, Yuga couldn''t directly convey the characteristics of this stage to his Pok��mon, so having a powerful elder like Dragonite''s mother was crucial.


    Dragonite''s mother, despite not a Fire-type Pok��mon, shared many simrities with Charizard, both aree from Dragon egg group also have Dragon bloodline and could provide valuable insights into their shared lineage.


    Everyone was immersed in the joy of their boss''s return, standing amidst the sea of flowers. However, Florges''s gaze dimmed for a moment, and then she turned back to tend to her beautiful garden.

 Chapter 741: The Evil Land

    <h4>Chapter 741: The Evil Land</h4>


    On this day, Yuga was excited to visit the Ecopark to see the Pok��mon, but as soon as he entered the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, he felt that something was very wrong.


    Before he could even contemte the reason, countless flower petals flew towards him like sharp knives.


    Startled, Yuga Dragonitely rolled on the ground to evade the petal attacks and looked up to see that all the flowers in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark were emitting a strange red glow.


    This red light seemed to drape a thin crimson veil over the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, but the beautiful veil gave off a feeling of danger and unease.


    Next, he saw Grass-type Pok��mon fleeing in panic from deep within the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, screaming as they ran.


    As a young Petilil passed by Yuga, it was once again attacked by numerous flower petals.


    The little Petilil was so scared that it forgot to run and stared nkly at the knife-like petals flying towards it. Fortunately, Yuga acted swiftly, scooping it into his arms, saving it from harm.


    It was only when Yuga gently called its name that the Petilil regained its senses, and with a startled cry, it jumped out of Yuga''s embrace, joining the other Pok��mon in their escape from the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    After the Grass-type Pok��mon, Yuga also saw Combee carrying the unconscious Vespiquen, Vivillon, Vespiquen No. 2, Ribombee, and two Masquerain flying out of the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark in a panicked frenzy.


    Their flight speed was so fast that Yuga couldn''t even stop them to ask what had happened.


    With no other choice, Yuga had to brave the strange flowers and run deeper into the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    Just as Yuga had taken a few steps, the flowerbeds emitting red light suddenly began to stir, and many long, brown roots emerged.


    Sensing that someone was trying to intrude, these roots transformed into ethereal snakes and twisted their bodies towards Yuga.


    However, when these roots touched Yuga''s skin, they hesitated briefly and then retracted into the flowerbeds.


    At first, when the roots came towards him, Yuga was quite frightened, but when they withdrew, he couldn''t help but feel puzzled.


    What on earth had happened in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark?


    "System! What''s going on? Is the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark in rebellion?" Yuga couldn''t help but ask the system.


    [ It has nothing to do with the system itself, and the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark is functioning normally. The specific reason is unknown to the system. Please investigate it yourself, Host ] replied the system.


    Not a system issue? Then what had urred in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark?


    After Yuga walked a bit further, he saw in the sky that Dragonite, Charizard, and Dragonite''s mother were also under attack by the flowers.


    However, these Elite level Dragonite, Charizard, and the Champion level Dragonite''s mother, seemed utterly powerless, allowing the flower petals to cut into their bodies, leaving behind numerous scratches.


    "Dragonite! Charizard! What''s happening?" Yuga shouted to them in the sky.


    It seemed like overnight, the entire Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark had turned against them. Except for himself, all the Pok��mon were under attack.


    Hearing Yuga''s voice, Dragonite, Charizard, and Dragonite''s mother suddenly dove down, trying to protect Yuga. However, they realized that Yuga hadn''t been attacked at all.


    Even when the three of them got close to Yuga, the flower petals stopped their attacks, as if they were afraid of identally harming him.


    Yuga used his unique ability to heal them, and their wounds Dragonitely healed.


    "What on earth is happening?" Yuga anxiously asked as soon as he finished healing them.


    "Dragonite, Dragonite, Dragonite!"


    Florges has gone mad! The entire Flower Sea is out of control.


    Dragonite hurriedly informed Yuga.


    All of this chaos was because of Florges? Yuga was stunned.


    But Florges had only recently reached the pseudo-Elite level. Could she really make Elite level Dragonite and Charizard, even the Champion-level Dragonite''s mother, look so helpless?


    "Dragonite, Dragonite, Dragonite!"


    I knowing what happened, but all energy types except Grass have disappeared here. We can''t use any skills.


    Dragonite''s mother''s mother sinctly exined the reason they were in their current state.


    I see!


    Yuga: "You all should leave this ce for now. Are there other Pok��mon inside?"


    Charizard: "Charizard..."


    Sawsbuck, Bellossom, Roserade, Breloom, Venusaur, Grotle, and Servine were all there, trying to stop Florges. Currently, aside from them, the other Pok��mon were powerless.


    "Dragonite, Dragonite!"


    And it there, too!


    Dragonite urgently pointed to a nearby location.


    Yuga immediately spotted Druddigon that had been tightly entangled by numerous brown roots.


    These brown roots seemed thin, but even the Elite level Druddigon that known for it strength, was unable to break free from them by sheer force.


    The Druddigon, which couldn''t fly, was helped Dragonite drawing most of the firepower to itself on the ground.


    When Druddigon finally caught Yuga''s attention, its eyes welled up with tears.


    Once, it had been the ruler of the Petalburg Forest, but now, it had fallen into such a miserable state.


    These days, it had been constantly demanded by Dragonite''s mother''s to serve as a target for Dragonite and Charizard''s training. It endured daily beatings, and when something went wrong, it suffered the most.


    It resented itself for having wings on its back but being unable to fly, making it no different from two lumps of flesh.


    Yuga approached Druddigon, and the brown roots that had bound it automatically retreated. The Drurddigon finally regained its freedom.


    "You all take Druddigom and leave this ce. I''ll handle the rest!" Yuga told Dragonite and the others.


    Knowing that the flowers wouldn''t attack Yuga, Dragonite and Charizard nodded in agreement.


    Dragonite and Charizard each held one of Druddigon''s ws and carried it into the sky, together with Dragonite''s mother they quickly leave the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    Yuga looked up at the deep center of the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark and noticed a massive green beam of light. From a distance, it looked like a towering pir, as if it aimed to pierce through the entire Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    Seeing this green beam of light, Yuga knew that Florges must be there. So, he sprinted towards it.


    Even now, with other Pok��mon finding it impossible to move around in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, Yuga moved forward without hindrance.


    When Yuga was getting close to the green beam of light, he saw that the ground was covered in green and red lines extending from the flowers. Both colors of lines ultimately led to the base of that beam of light.


    Only when he approached the beam did Yuga realize that it wasn''t just in green; the bottom of the beam emitted a strange red light, identical to the red glow on the flowers.


    And Florges was currently at the very center of the red light, attacking the Venusaur below frantically.


    "Florges!"


    Yuga shouted loudly.


    Florges''s movements paused, and she turned to look at Yuga.

 Chapter 742: Overwhelmed

    <h4>Chapter 742: Overwhelmed</h4>


    Florges''s eyes, unlike their usual deep ck brilliance, were now gleaming with dazzling red light.


    She cast a fierce nce at Yuga, hesitated for a moment with a slight change in her fierce expression, and then returned to her previous state.


    She ignored Yuga''s calls and continued to attack the Venusaur.


    All the flower petals in the Sea of Flower had turned into Florges''s weapons, radiating beautiful yet dangerous light, one wave after another, shing against the Venusaur.


    Yuga''s Grass-type Pok��mon were mostly at the peak of the pseudo-Elite level. However, facing Florges, who had just entered the Elite level, they seemed powerless.


    They appeared as if they were confronting the entire Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, struggling in vain against the overwhelming natural power that filled the space.


    The six Grass-type Pok��mon formed a circle, surrounding the red and green beam of light where Florges was.


    In the current Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, apart from Grass-type moves, no other moves could be used, including Bellossom''s Quiver Dance.


    The first tounch an attack was Breloom.


    It swiftly moved, rapidly closing in on Florges.


    Grotle''s massive tree on its back swayed gently, and any petals aimed at Breloom were deflected by the countless Razor Leaf it threw out.


    Once Breloom got close to Florges, it opened its mouth and spewed numerous Seed Bombs.


    The emerald seeds were like bullets, apanied by a swooshing sound as they shot toward Florges.


    Florges didn''t even nce at the green seeds heading her way. Instead, countless multicolored petals gathered together to form a thick floral barrier.


    Once the green seeds entered the floral barrier, they disappeared without a sound.


    After repelling Breloom''s Seed Bombs, the floral barrier transformed back into a giant petal sword, thrusting straight toward Breloom, who was still suspended in mid-air.


    At the critical moment, a thick and powerful Leaf Storm turned into a green tornado, blocking the giant petal sword, and Breloom safelynded with its straw hat.


    After the Leaf Storm dissipated, the giant petal sword didn''t disappear and swung towards Breloom on the ground.


    The green leaves thatposed the Leaf Storm were formed from grass-type energy, but the petals and leaves controlled by Florges were tangible physical objects.


    At this moment, a sturdy, serpentine creature swiftly swam to Breloom. With a flick of its tail, it coiled around Breloom''s waist and pulled Breloom away to a safe distance.


    After safely cing Breloom down, it shot a grateful look at Servine.


    Breloom silently nodded in response, and with a twist of its body, Servine vanished into the flower thicket.


    The Frenzy nt of Venusaur resembled brown pythons, swiftly weaving through the flower beds. asionally, they thrust sharp giant logs toward the red and green beam of light.


    When the hard logs struck the beam, it was as if they hit solid steel tes, producing a series of "ng ng ng" sounds. They couldn''t make any progress, let alone touch Florges within the light beam.


    Roserade and Bellossom, two petite Pok��mon, were bound around the waist by Venusaur''s vines. They dodged countless petal des and were then hurled toward Florges by Venusaur.


    With Florges just inches away, Roserade and Bellossom simultaneously extended their hands and released numerous Energy Balls.


    However, with a casual wave of her hand, Florges sliced all the Energy Balls into two pieces with her Magical Leaf, just like cutting through watermelons.


    After shattering all the Energy Ball they didn''t dissapead, instead the Magical Leaf transformed once again and rapidly shed toward Roserade and Bellossom, who were still suspended in mid-air.


    At this moment, on those thick and wild Venusaur Frenzy nt, Sawsbuck was rapidly running. In the instant that the Magical Leaf was about to strike Bellossom and Roserade, it suddenly leaped, gliding past both of them.


    With exceptional leaping ability, Sawsbuck effortlessly jumped to the same height as Roserade and Bellossom.


    Roserade and Bellossom had quick reactions. As Sawsbuck leaped past them, they each extended a hand to grasp one of Sawsbuck''s horns. Then, Sawsbuck carried them away from their original positions, avoiding the shing leaves.


    Bellossom quickly flipped over, pulling Roserade along, and elegantly mounted Sawsbuck''s back.


    The attacks were evaded, but those Magical Leaf seemed to have eyes as they rapidly chased after Sawsbuck.


    Venusaur''s Frenzy nt extended rapidly, forming the perfect runway for Sawsbuck. They helped block the Magical Leaf and provided an escape route.


    Sawsbuck was incredibly fast; whenever it stretched its legs and ran, few Pok��mon could catch up with it, including Florges''s Magical Leaf.


    Seeing that the Magical Leaf couldn''t catch Sawsbuck, who was carrying Roserade and Bellossom, Florges shifted her focus to the obstructing Venusaur.


    A massive wave of Magical Leaf was released, but this time, Florges targeted Venusaur, and there were even more Magical Leaf than those pursuing Sawsbuck.


    Seeing the iing Magical Leaf, Venusaur hastily controlled its Frenzy nt to defend. Countless brown giant trees formed a wooden wall, blocking the Magical Leaf on the outside.


    However, Venusaur''s wooden wall had limited strength and couldn''t withstand Florges''s Magical Leaf. It was quickly cut into pieces.


    At this moment, Sawsbuck leaped from Venusaur''s Frenzy nt, and the Magical Leaf behind it were dispersed by the Leaf Storm that followed.


    It turned out that Servine hade to assist.


    Afternding, Sawsbuck allowed Roserade and Bellossom to gracefully jump down from its back. They turned around just in time to see numerous Magical Leaf slicing toward the unprepared Venusaur.


    At that moment, Breloom jumped forward in front of Venusaur and it opened it mouth, spat out seed bombs, shattering all the iing Magical Leaf. Bellossom and Roserade let out a long sigh of relief.


    However, before they could rxpletely, countless colorful petals formed a tidal wave of petals that submerged Venusaur and Breloom in the blink of an eye.


    Roserade, Serperior, and Servine, who couldn''t react in time, stared in disbelief.


    When the petal wave receded, the three of them were astonished to find that Venusaur and Breloom werepletely unharmed.


    It turns out that at the critical moment, Grotle arrived. Using its Wood Hammer skill, it created a green energy wooden barrier, firmly protecting Venusaur and Breloom.


    The six Pok��mon watched the frenzied Florges in the pir of red and green light with solemn expressions.


    They didn''t know what had happened to Florges, but at this moment, besides being able to restrain it slightly, they were powerless.


    Clearly, Florges''s level couldn''tpare to any one of them.


    And they still didn''t know that their resistance against Florges had finally enraged itpletely.

 Chapter 743: Leap

    <h4>Chapter 743: Leap</h4>


    "Florges!"


    As Yuga approached Roserade and Venusaur, he heard a sharp screaming from Florges inside the red and green pir of light.


    Florges'' voice, which was usually elegant, sounded as if she had screamed so loudly that her throat had been torn, exceptionally sharp.


    Following that, to the astonishment of Yuga and Venusaur, all the flowers in the entire flower field stretched out a red and green beam of light, each one entering the red and green pir of light enveloping Florges.


    Florges inside the pir of light twisted and contorted, and every flower that had sent a red or green beam of light into the pir withered within moments, turning yellow and lifeless.


    Several minutester, the entire Flower Sea Sub-Ecoparky barren. All the flowers had died, leaving only heaps of dried grass and bare earth.


    Then, the red and green pir of light violently contracted, and all its radiance poured into Florges'' body.


    Her originally emerald-green body became even more verdant, and the blue flowers around her neck were gradually tainted by eerie red light, turning bright red.


    The final destination of the red and green pir of light was the green gem on Florges'' chest.


    When all the radiance disappeared, the entire Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark dimmed.


    With a distorted expression, Florges gazed at Venusaur beside Yuga, revealing a cruel smile.


    She gently waved her hand, and a massive magical leaf,parable in size to an adult, appeared out of thin air, shing towards the nearest Roserade and Bellossom.


    "Florges, no!"


    Yuga shouted, but Florges showed no response whatsoever, as if she didn''t recognize Yuga.


    With just one strike, the peak pseudo-Elite level Roserade and Bellossom were sent flying, unable to get back up.


    The closest Sawsbuck, previously near Roserade and Bellossom, leaped into the air with all four hooves, and the double horns on its head emitted a rich green light as it used the move "Wood Horn" to charge towards Florges.


    "No!"


    Yuga tried to stop Sawsbuck, but it was toote. Florges quickly swung out two thick vines, and with a heavy pull, Sawsbuck followed in the footsteps of Roserade and Bellossom.


    What had happened to Florges?


    Yuga activated his Insight, but what he saw was:


    ...


    <<florges>> </florges>


    Type: Fairy


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Flower Veil


    Potential: Unknown


    Level: Unknown


    Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Fairy Wind, Safeguard, Magical Leaf, Moonst, Misty Terrain, Grassy Terrain, Flower Shield, Petal Dance, Heal Pulse, Wish, Psychic, Aromatherapy, Grass Knot, Dazzling Gleam, Healing Wish, Giga Drain.


    ...


    This situation was just like what he had seen with Gardevoir earlier.


    [ Your Florges seems to be affected by a divine rampage! ] The voice of the system resonated in Yuga''s mind.


    "A divine rampage? What''s going on?" Yuga hurriedly asked the system.


    [ Let''s not discuss that for now. The host should first calm down Florges, and we can exin the restter. ]


    Indeed, now was not the time to discuss the cause of this event. The most important thing was to calm Florges down.


    Just as Yuga was lost in thought, Servine and Grotle were also knocked out by Florges'' vines.


    As Florges'' massive magical leaf approached Venusaur, Yuga shouted loudly, "Venusaur, Mega Evolve!"


    Venusaur nodded at Yuga, and the Mega Evolution Stone on its ear emitted a dazzling light, resonating with the Key Stone on Yuga''s neck.


    ...


    <<mega venusaur="" (miracle="" seed)="">> </mega>


    Type: Grass, Poison


    Ability: Thick Fat


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 71


    Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Venoshock, Sunny Day, Sludge Bomb, Energy Drain, Power Whip, Grassy Terrain, Synthesis, Sr Beam, Petal Dance, Earthquake, Frenzy nt, Grass Pledge, Petal Blizzard, Stomping Tantrum.


    ...


    Although Mega Evolution greatly enhanced the power of Pok��mon, Venusaur whose at peak pseudo-Elite level, had just been raised to the Elite Level.


    Mega Venusaur mmed its two front feet onto the ground, and countless brown giant trees sprang up from the earth, forming a sturdy wooden wall that blocked Florges'' Magical Leaf.


    After reaching the Elite level, the toughness of Mega Venusaur''s Frenzy nt had already be iparable than before. It easily defended against Florges'' attacks.


    At the same time, Florges'' Magical Leaf began to sh towards the remaining Breloom, but Mega Venusaur, quick on its feet, controlled the Frenzy nt and intercepted the Magical Leaf.


    Yuga watched the situation with great anxiety, knowing that even with Mega Evolution, Venusaur might not hold out for long.


    At this point, he deeply regretted not letting his Dragonite and the others inform Gardevoir toe and help.


    Finally, Yuga gritted his teeth and said to Mega Venusaur, "Venusaur, use Vine Whip to throw me over, just like you did with Roserade and Bellossom earlier."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Mega Venusaur hesitated greatly. It was too dangerous; if one of Florges'' Magical Leaf came his way, Yuga might get cut in half.


    Seeing Mega Venusaur''s hesitation, Yuga smiled and said, "Trust me, and trust Florges; she won''t hurt me."


    Yuga was now taking a gamble, a gamble on the trust and bond he shared with Florges. Hadn''t she spared him any harm since he entered the flower garden?


    Thinking of Florges'' usual care for him, thinking of her gentleness, Mega Venusaur finally nodded firmly.


    Since Yuga believed it would be okay, it, too, chose to believe in Florges and in Yuga.


    Mega Venusaur extended a thick Vine Whip, wrapped it around Yuga''s waist, and then swiftly rose into the air, throwing Yuga straight towards Florges.


    Florges had just been preparing to shoot out a Magical Leaf in front of her when she saw Yuga flying towards her. In the red-glowing eyes, a moment of fear appeared, and the Magical Leaf in front of her dispersed.


    As Yuga was about to crash into Florges, she instantly extended two Vine Whips, binding Yuga. Yuga was suspended in mid-air not far from Florges.


    "Florges, are you okay? Please wake up and tell me what happened, okay?" Yuga called out softly to Florges.


    There must have been a reason for Florges to change like this.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s call, Florges'' eyes, filled with red light, flickered intensely.


    She stared at Yuga''s face for a while, then slowly lowered her head, and her expression became more and more distorted, looking very painful.


    "Flor...Florges...Flor..."


    Florges clutched her head with both hands, continuously emitting sharp screams.


    "Florges, how are you feeling?" Seeing Florges in pain, Yuga was extremely anxious. He kept calling out to her, trying to wake her up.


    However, the more Yuga called, the tighter the Vine Whips that bound him tightened. He could even hear his own bones making "cracking" sounds due to the intense pressure.

 Chapter 744: The Beginning

    <h4>Chapter 744: The Beginning</h4>


    The more Florges suffered, the tighter the Vine Whips that bound Yuga became.


    "Flo... Flo... Florges..."


    Finally, Yuga found it difficult to speak, feeling his chest constricted and struggling to breathe.


    Florges lifted her head and saw the fresh bloodstain at the corner of Yuga''s mouth. Her pupils contracted violently, and she instinctively released Yuga.


    Yuga fell to the ground, gasping for air, then slowly climbed to his feet, step by step, approaching Florges.


    "Flo... Florges..."


    As Yuga approached, Florges'' expression grew more anxious, and the red light in her eyes flickered intensely.


    She ferociously swung her two Vine Whips to stop Yuga from getting closer, but at the same time, she was afraid of hurting him, appearing somewhat hesitant andpletely different from her previous aura when battling the six pseudo-Elite Level Pok��mon.


    Seeing Florges in this state, Yuga elerated and pounced on her, hugging her tightly.


    Yuga''s embrace made Florges'' body stiffen, and her expression suddenly contorted. She raised her Vine Whips, intending to strike Yuga''s back.


    "Florges, I''m here. Don''t be afraid. Let''s go back, okay?"


    Yuga reached out and gently patted Florges'' back while calling her name with a slightly trembling voice.


    Florges'' Vine Whips paused in mid-air, and her twisted expression seemed frozen.


    At this moment, the green leaf pattern left by Gardevoir on Yuga''s right hand suddenly radiated light, enveloping both him and Florges.


    Yuga felt a strange sensation, as if he were having a dream. In this dream, he had be a Pok��mon, a small b��b��.


    When she was very young, she met his Trainer, a simple and ordinary encounter that led to a happy and mundane life together.


    Though their days werezy, she loved this ordinary life.


    Later, her Trainer changed. She became stronger and more determined, training tirelessly every day with him, even though it was hard work.


    But as long as she was with him, b��b�� was happy. She loved her Trainer more with each passing day.


    As time went on, she grew up.


    She evolved from b��b�� to Floette and then to Florges. She was delighted to have been with her Trainer throughout his growth.


    But then, her Trainer started having more and morepanions. She wasn''t just her Trainer only Pok��mon anymore.


    She felt a bit lost. She wished her Trainer would always be her alone.


    But she couldn''t think like that. She was her Trainer''s Starter Pok��mon, right? It was natural to embrace otherpanions and take care of them.


    But it was so hard for her. She wanted to be with her Trainer forever, to have him all to herself.


    No, she couldn''t think like that! Her Trainer belonged to everyone! She reminded herself of this every day.


    "I''m my Trainer''s Starter Pok��mon. I must help everyone integrate into this big family, right?"


    Yes, that''s right! She was the strongest Pok��mon of her Trainer. She could always help him!


    Florges was proud of her extraordinary strength. She was her Trainer''s Starter Pok��mon, and that made her unique.


    But why is it that after my trainer went away for some time and came back, Dragonite and Charizard became stronger than her?


    Even those little ones she had always looked after had surpassed her.


    Her Trainer told her that he and his other Pok��mon had gone on a journey and spent two years away.


    She listened with envy.


    She wanted to apany her Trainer for two years too. Why didn''t he go with her when he left?


    Looking at her returning Trainer, she felt both joy and sadness, with a hint of regret.


    Seeing the excited faces of hispanions who had been away for more than two years, she felt a deep sense of loss, realizing she was no longer one of them.


    Ah! She was no longer her Trainer''s strongest Pok��mon!


    Florges suddenly realized this.


    But she couldn''t show it because she was her Trainer''s Starter Pok��mon, right? she had to unite everyone!


    She needed to be mature and understanding.


    Sometimes, she envied Chimecho, who could express all her emotions to her Trainer at any time, whether happy, upset, or even possessive of the Trainer.


    But it couldn''t. She was her Trainer''s Starter Pok��mon, after all!


    Why the one who gone on a journey with her Trainer is not her?


    Why the one who spent those extra two years together in the past is not her?


    Regret, so much regret!


    She yearned to be stronger! If she became stronger, then maybe those extra two years wouldn''t matter so much! Lately, she often had these thoughts unintentionally.


    She wanted to be stronger, to be her Trainer''s most powerful Pok��mon.


    As time passed with her Trainer''s return, her desire grew stronger.


    Though she was sad, she continued to care for herpanions, for all the nts and flowers, as if nothing had happened.


    Yet her inner longing only intensified, bing more and more overwhelming.


    But one day, as she watched Dragonite and Charizard practice battling, she couldn''t contain her sadness any longer.


    She wanted to be stronger so badly!


    Then, she heard voices in her mind, the voices of all the nts and flowers.


    "Queen! We''ll help you be stronger!"


    "Yes, yes! You have us!"


    "Right, for the Queen, we''ll do anything."


    "Willingly, willingly!"


    "Willing! Willing!"


    "We really want to make the Queen''s wishe true!"


    ...


    The voices of the nts and flowers chattered excitedly, creating a noisy cacophony. But she knew, they would defly able to help her.


    So, she responded to her subjects.


    Then, she lost consciousness, feeling an intense heat throughout her body, as if something was about to burst out.


    She struggled to restrain herself, to endure, but she couldn''t.


    Seeing the bright smiles on the faces of the Pok��mon in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, She had an overwhelming desire to tear them apart!


    They were the ones who took her Trainer away!


    But she couldn''t. They werepanions! she couldn''t harm them! She fought to restrain herself. The more she resisted, the stronger this desire became, as if it would erupt from her chest.


    Then, she felt an infinite and boundless power surging into her body. she felt like she was about to explode.


    And then, she knew nothing more.


    Was that Florges'' memory just now?


    Yuga suddenly felt a headache, and he abruptly regained consciousness, with remnants of Florges'' regretful thoughts lingering in his mind.

 Chapter 745: Guilt

    <h4>Chapter 745: Guilt</h4>


    "I''m sorry, Florges!"


    Yuga held Florges tightly, tears in his eyes as he spoke to her.


    "I''m sorry!"


    "I''m sorry!"


    "I''m sorry!"


    ...


    Yuga kept murmuring in his mouth, never realizing how much Florges had suffered and how many emotions she had suppressed.


    As Yuga''s voice reached her ears, Florges''s expression kept changing, and the red glow in her eyes flickered faster and faster.


    She turned to look at Yuga''s moist profile, and the red glow in her eyes suddenly disappeared, and her expression no longer contorted.


    The green leaf patterns on Yuga''s hand continued to emit a soft light, connecting Yuga and Florges, conveying their most sincere emotions to each other.


    It was as if Yuga could sense Florges''s suppressed thoughts, and at this moment, Florges also felt Yuga''s regret for her and his value for her.


    Ah, I have always been the most important Pok��mon to my trainer!


    Such a thought shed through Florges''s consciousness.


    In that instant, the red glow in her eyes, her contorted expression, and her fierce aura all vanished.


    Then Yuga felt Florges''s body go limp, copsing into his arms.


    "Florges, are you okay?"


    Sensing Florges fainting, Yuga anxiously called out to her.


    Venusaur and Breloom felt the terrifying aura from Florges disappear, and they both breathed a sigh of relief. Venusaur also reverted from its Mega Evolution form.


    But as they looked at the once-beautiful Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, now reduced to a barrenndscape, they could only sigh helplessly.


    Even the Amber Castle of the Vespiquen and her Combees had not been spared; it hadpletely copsed by now, including the simplified version of Amber Castle belong to Vespiquen No. 2.


    As Florges fainted, the red flower tuft around her neck turned blue again, returning to its original appearance.


    "System, how is Florges?"


    Yuga silently called upon his "golden finger."


    [ It should be the aftermath of the imbnce in her attributes and the divine rampage. There shouldn''t be any major problems. Just prepare some Fairy Gems to bnce the Fairy-type energy inside her, and she should recover soon ] the system exined.


    Yuga asked, "What exactly is this divine rampage you mentioned?"


    The system paused before responding:


    Florges, Charizard, Dragonite, and Lapras all have ancient human-made divine artifacts within their bodies.


    These four gems can help their trainers cultivate divinity.


    And divinity is the sign of a Pok��mon being called a Legendary Pok��mon. The reason Legendary Pok��mon are considered legendary is because they possess divinity.


    However, the process of cultivating divinity is lengthy and requires umtion, or else ordinary Pok��mon can''t withstand the divinity possessed by Legendary Pok��mon.


    Among the four Pok��mon, Florges currently possesses the most powerful and mature divinity within her.


    Her divinityes from the ancient Forest God, Celebi.


    So it''s very special, and Florges has developed some unique abilities because of it.


    Besides, Florges''s species as Garden Pok��mon are also special. They can control flowers, gardens, and Sea of Flowers, and therger the territory they control, the stronger they be.


    When these abilities originating from divinity and species merge, Florges bes truly unique.


    At some point, Florges had unconsciously takenplete control of all the flowers in Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, bing the ruler of the entire Sea of Flower, just like the Forest God is to the forest.


    When Florges''s inner desire to be stronger became too intense, the flowers in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark would respond to her, wanting to help their Queen achieve her wish.


    To fulfill the Queen''s wish, all the flowers in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark began to offer themselves��their flowers, leaves, roots, and even theirst traces of life��all were devoted to their Queen.


    The divinity within Florges''s body had long merged with this Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, even though it was still weak. However, because the Flower in The Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark wanted to assist its Queen, it pushed her divinity to grow rapidly.


    The weak divinity was forcefully elerated, leading to a rampage, and Florges, unable to control this divine rampage, lost her rationality.


    Originally, Florges''s divinity and the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark should haveplemented each other.


    Through the offerings of the Sea of Flowers, Florges''s divinity would have grown stronger over time. In return, the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, nourished by the divinity, would have be more vibrant and lush.


    However, the one-sided devotion of the Sea of Flowers prematurely elerated Florges''s divinity. While there was some "malnourishment," she had indeed be much more powerful at the cost of the Sea of Flowers''s demise.


    Due to the growth of her divinity, when Yuga used his Insight ability to look at Florges, the results were simr to what happened with Gardevoir.


    Although Gardevoir lost its status as a Legendary Pok��mon, the remnants of divinity in its spiritual form were still present, which exined its considerable strength.


    With the divine rampage, Florges was able to render her six pseudo-Elite levelpanionspletely powerless.


    After listening to the system''s exnation, Yuga felt that he was truly an inadequate trainer. He had never seriously understood Florges''s inner thoughts.


    Florges was usually so well-behaved that Yuga unintentionally overlooked her.


    Now, when he thought back, Florges was so innocent and lively when she was still b��b�� and Floette, always seeking attention and yfully acting spoiled.


    Although she had matured through evolution, her inner desires remained unchanged. She still wished to be carefree and joyful by Yuga''s side.


    However, she was Yuga''s first Pok��mon, bearing the title of the "Big Sister" of the team, and she believed that she needed to set an example for the others. So, she couldn''t express her true feelings freely.


    But the more she suppressed her emotions, the more painful they became, and the more they built up, the more vicious her outbursts became.


    Yuga gently touched Florges''s cheek, filled with guilt.


    She was Yuga''s very first Pok��mon, his longestpanion, and the one he had nurtured step by step.


    Although Yuga had never said it aloud, Florges was undeniably the partner he cherished most, both among his Pok��mon and in his heart.


    Yuga used his special abilities to help Florges alleviate her physical fatigue while asking the system, "Now that the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark has turned into this, what should we do?"


    The Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark was now reduced to nothing but soil and rubble.


    [ Rest assured, Host. This system will conduct renting, and it will be restored to its original state by tomorrow. [


    "That''s great?" Yuga was surprised.


    [ The system promised that it would be responsible for maintaining, caring for, and managing the Sub-Ecopark, including the replenishment of vegetation. ]


    Yuga sighed in relief. He had been worried about the future of Grass-type Pok��mon, but now he didn''t need to be concerned.

 Chapter 746: Love

    <h4>Chapter 746: Love</h4>


    As expected, just like the system had mentioned, when Yuga entered the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark once again the next day, the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark had already returned to its original state.


    However, Yuga couldn''t help but feel that the newly rented flowers didn''t appear as beautiful and vibrant as the ones before.


    The system provided an exnation for this, revealing that the flowers in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark had been meticulously cultivated by Florges and were not exactly the same as the ones originally nted by the system.


    The Pok��mon that had been forced to flee the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark had also gradually returned, but when they saw Florges, they couldn''t help but feel a bit fearful.


    They were bewildered, unable to understand what had happened to the caring Florges, who had been fighting against everyone just the day before.


    Fortunately, Florges had not awakened yet; otherwise, Yuga believed that seeing the Pok��mon looking at her with such caution would surely sadden her.


    Yuga spent quite some time reassuring the Pok��mon, making them stop casting odd nces at Florges.


    In order to help Florges recover as soon as possible, Yuga exchanged all his merits for Fairy Gems to bnce the excessive Grass-type energy in her body.


    Although Florges had been endowed with additional Grass-type attributes by the green orb, her primary attribute was still Fairy. Excessive Grass-type energy in her body wouldn''t be conducive to her growth.


    Even Lapras and Charizard felt a bit aggrieved.


    Attribute Gems yed a significant role on assiting Elite level Pok��mon training.


    Dragonite had the Dragon Gem left by its father, but Yuga didn''t have any Fire or Water Gems for Charizard and Lapras.


    All of Yuga''s merits added up, he used it to exchange thousands of Fairy Gems in the League store, and Florges absorbed them all within less than a week.


    To put it into perspective, if a regr Elite level Pok��mon used Attribute Gems to assist in their training, a thousand Attribute Gems would be sufficient for an entire year.


    After absorbing so many Fairy Gems, Florges finally woke up.


    ording to the system''s estimation, though Florges couldn''t have her potential and level checked now, once her strength stabilized, she should have reached the Elite level Pok��mon, surpassing Dragonite and Charizard but still a bit weaker than Lapras.


    Even after waking up, Florges still remembered what she had done, and she felt deeply guilty. She felt remorse toward Yuga and the other Pok��mon, as well as toward all the flowers and nts she had unintentionally harmed.


    Back when she was in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, she could always hear the flowers whispering to her, and she could feel their subtle closeness to her.


    But now, all of that was gone.


    In order to fulfill her wish, all those flowers had perished.


    Yuga didn''t know how to console her. All he could do was spend more time with her every day, chatting with her, training with her, and nurturing flowers and nts together.


    Thanks to Florges, after some time, Yuga felt that his gardening skills had improved significantly, and he could now be considered a qualified horticulturist.


    In the days that followed, Yuga paid more attention to how he interacted with his Pok��mon. Whenever he had spare time, he would stay in the Ecopark, trying to understand and observe them.


    With the increasing number of Pok��mon, Yuga gradually realized that building a close bond with them was quite aplex art.


    He needed to make them feel neither unfairly treated nor too lonely��a bit like raising children.


    Yuga even enrolled in specific courses online for this purpose and frequently called his mentor for advice. In the end, he benefited greatly from these efforts.


    Through such close interaction, Yuga felt that his Pok��mon trusted him even more than he had initially imagined.


    However,pared to them, his trust in himself as a Pok��mon Trainer had diminished somewhat, possibly due to not being a native of the Pok��mon world.


    But after the incident with Florges, Yuga began to open up to his Pok��mon, forging an even deeper bond of trust, depended on each other.


    Since Florges had shared her inner thoughts with Yuga, she had undergone significant changes. She was no longer the type to suppress her emotions and feelings like before.


    Although she still presented herself as mature, she began to express her happiness byughing heartily and voiced her dissatisfaction with Yuga when she was unhappy.


    Sometimes, when the Bellossom or Servine got too close to Yuga, she would even subtly show her possessiveness.


    This new Florges made Yuga feel even more intrigued.


    As for the growth of his otherpanions, both Absol and Vivillon were advancing steadily.


    Originally, Vivillon was somewhat anxious, but after Florges''s incident, it became more patient.


    Everything takes time, and it''s better to progress step by step��there''s no need to rush! Haste makes waste!


    On the other hand, Absol was truly in no hurry!


    That''s just its nature. It had always been steady and didn''t rush things. Although it desired to be stronger and trained diligently, it didn''t force the issue.


    After talking to them several times about Florges''s incident, Yuga finally realized that they had truly adjusted their mindset, which put his mind at ease.


    Once their mindset was stable, Yuga noticed that Vivillon seemed to be in love.


    Well, Yuga had yed the role of matchmaker for many of his Pok��mon, so he had developed a keen eye for these things. With Vivillon oozing pink bubbles every day, it was hard not to notice.


    Vivillon was the first of Yuga''s main Pok��mon to be in love, probably because Bug-type Pok��mon mature early.


    When Yuga first discovered this, he had mixed feelings. His daughter was getting married, so wouldn''t her old father feelplicated?


    However, even with aplex heart, a father couldn''t stop his daughter from seeking her happiness.


    So Yuga began to discreetly observe who the lucky one was, the one who had captured his daughter''s heart.


    Then he noticed that Vivillon had been frequently visiting the Volcano Sub-Ecoparktely.


    In the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, the only butterfly Pok��mon that could match up with Vivillon was Volcarona.


    It had to be said that Vivillon had excellent taste. Volcarona was exceptional in terms of potential and strength, with no apparent ws.


    Luckily, Vivillon didn''t choose Pok��mon like Masquerain, Beautifly, and Dustox as her partner. (Beautifly and Dustox were the evolved forms of Silcoon and Cascoon that Yuga had brought back from the Petalburg Forest.) Otherwise, the old father would be sad.


    Although it might seem unfair to the likes of Masquerain, Beautifly and Dustox, it was natural for any father to want the best for his daughter when it came to marriage.


    After discovering that Vivillon''s interest was in Volcarona, Yuga decided to turn a blind eye and pretended not to have noticed.


    However, one day, Vivillon unexpectedly brought her partner to meet Yuga, openly revealing their underground romance to the world.


    Yuga was unexpectedly fed a mouthful of dog food, but still reluctantly agreed to let them be together.

 Chapter 747: Four Evolutions

    <h4>Chapter 747: Four Evolutions</h4>


    On this day, Yuga brought out several Potential Evolution Potions and arrived at the Ecopark. He called over Hoothoot, Zorua, and Liepard.


    These Potential Evolution Potions were obtained by Yuga over the past two years from the System''s Trainer Store.


    In addition to these Potions, Yuga had also acquired various items, special Pok�� Balls, and more from the store, though most of them weren''t particrly valuable and had been left unused in the System''s space.


    During the initial period after returning, Yuga''s emotions were a bit off, and then the incident with Florges happened, causing him to forget about the Potential Evolution Potions.


    The reason he had called Hoothoot, Zorua, and Liepard was to help them undergo Potential Evolution.


    Hoothoot''s mother was an Elite level Pok��mon, and his father had an Indigo Potential. It was only a matter of time before he broke through to Elite level. It wouldn''t look good if hegged behind.


    Although Hoothoot had azy personality, but no matter how worst he would be in the future he could always have Noctowl keep an eye on him like how Nales and Houndoom treated Vulpix.


    As for Zorua, it would be a pity if such a precious Pok��mon only had a yellow Potential.


    However, if Zorua evolved its Potential, then in the entire Zorua family only Liepars that would have yellow Potentials, which wouldn''t be conducive to family harmony.


    After much thought, Yuga decided to go ahead and evolve Liepard''s Potential as well.


    When these three Pok��mon arrived, they brought their families along.


    Hoothoot''s parents both came, and Zorua''s mother and sister (Liepard''s wife and daughter) also joined them.


    Potential evolution was a big deal, so both families took it seriously.


    The Potential evolution process for these three Pok��mon went smoothly, especially for Liepard. As soon as its Potential evolution waspleted, its level increased by several stages, finally giving it some father authority.


    After the Potential evolution of Zorua and Liepard, both Purrloin and Zoroark cast grateful looks at Yuga, especially Purrloin, who looked at Yuga with sincere gratitude.


    Due to Hoothoot''szy nature, even after its Potential evolved, its strength didn''t change significantly.


    Noctowl and Chatot were naturally happy about Hoothoot''s Potential evolution, but their emotional changes didn''t changes much.


    Unlike Zorua, Liepard, and their families, Noctowl and Chatot had a stronger sense of belonging to YoYo Day Care and considered themselves true members of the Day Care. They could ept Yuga''s kindness more genuinely and keep it in their hearts.


    Zorua and Purrloin family are worst in these regard. Although they have integrated into the big family of YoYo Day Care, they cannot treat Yugapletely sincerely.


    Even the Persian was a bit better off than Zorua and the others.


    Although Persian usually loved to cause trouble and acted coldly towards Yuga, it actually genuinely recognized Yuga and Day Care.


    Most of its mischievous behavior was due to habit and species traits.


    The why Zorua and the others acted this way might be rted to their previous experiences as wanderers.


    Yuga understood their attitude, but he didn''t pay too much attention to it. With time, everyone would naturallye to understand each other.


    Unfortunately, Potential Evolution Potions could only be used to evolve the Potentials of Pok��mon below the green level. If a Pok��mon had green Potentials or higher, the Potions wouldn''t work.


    Otherwise, Yuga can use the remaining potions in his hand to push Zorua and Zoroark''s qualifications directly to blue.


    ording to the System, there were items avable in the Trainer Store that could help green potential Pok��monplete their potential evolution.


    However, Yuga had never managed to obtain one so far.


    Potential Evolution Potions were blue quality items, and Yuga hade across them a few times. Higher quality items start with purple quality at the lowest, and Yuga never found it yet.


    Althought he had found items with gold quality that more advanced than purple quality but he only found it once.


    Yuga''s luck in this regard had not been the best. If he were truly lucky, he would have found purple quality items easily, and even gold quality items wouldn''t be a problem.


    However, Yuga hade to ept this. Even without purple or gold items, white quality items like Berries and Pok�� Balls were quite valuable.


    Yuga had lost count of how many times they had helped him in the wild, and the best part was that they were infinitely renewable.


    Zorua and the others underwent potential evolution in the main Ecopark, so after it wasplete, they each went their separate ways.


    Just as Yuga was about to leave as well, Vulpix appeared in front of him.


    It bit onto Yuga''s pant leg and led him to the gateway to the Volcano Sub-Ecopark.


    "What''s going on? Did your parents give you a little brother or sister?" Yuga jokingly said to Vulpix.


    Vulpix released Yuga''s pant leg and gave him a re, as if saying, "Stop fooling around!"


    "Alright, alright, just a joke, don''t be mad. So, what''s going on?" Yuga crouched down and gently patted Vulpix smooth fur.


    "Vulpix..."


    You''ll know when you get there!


    Vulpix howled at Yuga, then stuck out its tongue and made a funny face before dashing off.


    Yuga shook his head in amusement and followed Vulpix to the Volcano Sub-Ecopark.


    However, the first thing Yuga saw upon arriving there was the affectionate disy of Vivillon and Volcarona not too far away.


    The two of them were dancing in a beautiful, eye-catching double Quiver Dance that left Yuga feeling a bit overwhelmed.


    So high profile! Why are these two making their love affair so public?


    Out of sight, out of mind! Yuga grumbled as he finally found Vulpix.


    As it turned out, it wasn''t Vulpix who wanted to see Yuga, but rather its parents, Houndoom and Nales.


    When Yuga saw Houndoom and Nales, Nales gently pushed out a bright red Fire Stone.


    "A Supreme-grade Fire Stone?" Yuga eximed in surprise.


    Nales nodded slightly.


    Yuga knew that in the vein of Fire Stones rewarded by the system, there was bound to be a Supreme-grade Fire Stone. However, he hadn''t expected it to appear so soon.


    After some thought, Yuga picked up the Supreme-grade Fire Stone from the ground and beckoned to Vulpix. "Come here!"


    Vulpix moved sluggishly over to Yuga''s feet, gazing at the Supreme-grade Fire Stone in Yuga''s hand with eager anticipation.


    "How about it, do you want it?" Yuga asked as he waved the Supreme-grade Fire Stone in front of Vulpix.


    "Vulpix, Vulpix!"


    I want it! want it!


    Vulpix vigorously nodded, clearly excited.


    "Next time, will you still stick your tongue out and make faces at me?" Yuga teased.


    Vulpix vigorously shook its head, no more tricks!


    Yuga didn''t make things difficult for Vulpix and simply tossed the Supreme-grade Fire Stone to it.


    The moment Vulpix mped down on the Supreme-grade Fire Stone with its mouth, the evolution process began.


    Unlike thezy Hoothoot, Nales had always been one of the most diligent and hardworking among the new generation of Pok��mon in the Ecopark, so receiving this Supreme-grade Fire Stone as a reward was well-deserved.


    After the evolution light dissipated, a Nales with shiny fur stood before Yuga, its eyes filled with gratitude as it looked at him.


    "Nales!"


    "Houndoom!"


    Nales and Houndoom were also delighted that their child hadpleted its evolution and potential transformation. They too gave Yuga grateful looks.

 Chapter 748: Buying Lands

    <h4>Chapter 748: Buying Lands</h4>


    One day, the YoYo Day Care weed a customer who had reserved a Trapinch.


    Watching the customer y with the Trapinch inside the shop, Yuga fell into deep thought.


    It wasn''t ideal to have customers and Pok��mon ying inside the shop all the time. After all, the YoYo Day Care had limited space, and both customers and young Pok��mon might feel constrained here.


    Most young Pok��mon were lively and loved to move around, and the shop''s space was simply insufficient for them to unleash their natural instincts.


    With these considerations in mind, Yuga thought it would be best to open a dedicated area where customers and their reserved Pok��mon could interact morefortably, making it easier for them to get to know each other.


    The YoYo Day Care had ns for expansion and growth, so having the necessary facilities in ce was important.


    At the moment, the YoYo Day Care had a limited variety of Pok��mon avable for sale, and customers came in small groups, so there were no apparent issues.


    However, once the Day Care expanded its selection of Pok��mon avable for sale, and customers started arriving inrger numbers, the shop''s current space would undoubtedly be insufficient.


    With this in mind, Yuga contacted Mayor Ishida and conveyed his desire to purchase a piece ofnd.


    In the Pok��mon world, citizens had certain rights to buynd, which was quite different from Yuga''s previous life.


    Unimednd here belonged to the League, but one could apply to purchasend from the League for a fee. This purchase could include not onlynd usage rights but alsond ownership.


    Of course, it was also possible to purchase only the usage rights to thend. After the usage rights expired, thend would automatically return to the League.


    Compared to purchasingnd ownership, the process was much moreplex, involving various approvals and procedures, along with various restrictions on the buyer''s identity.


    After all, even though the Pok��mon world had vast, sparsely popted areas,nd couldn''t be bought and sold recklessly. Strict review systems were necessary.


    Moreover, once ownership ofnd is acquired, it can be inherited by everyone''s next generation, but the owners and their descendants are not allowed to buy and sell thend they own at will.


    Overall,nd in the Pok��mon world can be bought and sold, but itsplexity should not be underestimated.


    Fortunately, Yuga didn''t have to deal with all thoseplicated issues.


    Due to his status as a Gym Leader and the title of a Senior Trainer, he could easily purchase a significant amount ofnd through his privileges.


    Thanks to Yuga''s help, Mayor Ishida had received high praise for his performance this year. As a result, he efficiently processed Yuga''snd purchase application in less than three days.


    Thend Yuga bought was the abandoned factory area very close to the YoYo Day Care, which was the same area where Akihito and the others had lived before.


    Yuga was quite wealthy now, so he bought the entire area, including the abandoned factories and residences.


    Those abandoned factories and homes had been sitting idle for years. However, Verdanturf Town had historically struggled with development, and its finances were tight, so the area remained undeveloped.


    Mayor Ishida was delighted that Yuga was willing to take on this significant responsibility. Regardless of what Yuga intended to do with it, it was better than leaving the area to deteriorate, negatively affecting the town''s appearance and reputation.


    It was also because of this reason that thend''s price was much lower than what Yuga had expected.


    The reason Yuga chose this location was not only because of its size but also because of the abandoned factories and residences.


    He intended to create a ce where young Pok��mon could y freely. Those abandoned factories and homes could be repurposed with a little modification into a paradise for young Pok��mon to y in, saving construction costs. Why not make good use of them?


    As soon as he received thend ownership certificate, Yuga contacted a construction team.


    The construction team Yuga contacted was the same one that had built the Ecopark. The head of the team was Kurosawa Daichi, a friend of Yuga''s uncle.


    Kurosawa Daichi was a straightforward and efficient person, so Yuga was quite satisfied with their construction team.


    This time, building a Pok��mon Paradise was quite a significant project, and Kurosawa Daichi was pleased to have received such arge job.


    One morning, Kurosawa Daichi came to the YoYo Day Care to discuss the details of constructing the Pok��mon Paradise with Yuga.


    "Long time no see, Mr. Kurosawa," Yuga greeted Kurosawa Daichi with a smile and weed him into the shop, leading him to a meeting room.


    "Yeah, I didn''t expect you to turn your family''s Day Care into such a thriving business in such a short time, and even be a Gym Leader," Kurosawa Daichi couldn''t help but feel amazed upon seeing Yuga again.


    As the only Day Care in Verdanturf Town, Kurosawa Daichi had known about its existence for a long time, and he was well aware of its business situation.


    Initially, when Yuga''s parents passed away and Yuga wanted to build an Ecopark, Kurosawa Daichi wasn''t optimistic about Yuga''s prospects.


    In his view, the business model of YoYo Day Care at the time,bined with the massive maintenance costs of building an Ecopark, would not lead to a turnaround for the Day Care but would rather drag it down.


    However, reality had proven him wrong.


    Now, with Yuga nning to build a Pok��mon Paradise, Kurosawa Daichi was once again unable toprehend it. He couldn''t understand why a Pok��mon Day Care would want to construct a Pok��mon Paradise. Just looking at the size of thend, it would cost a lot of money to build.


    But what he didn''t know was that YoYo Day Care had a different business modelpared to other Day Cares. Other ces didn''t have the requirement for customers to spend time with their reserved Pok��mon before taking them home.


    Constructing a reasonablyrge Pok��mon Paradise was indeed expensive, but Yuga didn''t mind. He had plenty of money now, and he believed that such expenses should be invested in something useful rather than left unused. In Yuga''s view, the Pok��mon Paradise would make the unique business model of YoYo Day Care even more rational.


    Yuga had considered starting small with the Pok��mon Paradise, but upon further thought, he realized that he had enough money. So, why not get everything done at once?


    "Please, have a seat," Yuga said to Kurosawa Daichi and then unfolded a simple topographical map that he had drawn himself.


    The map depicted the shape of thend he had purchased, including the abandoned factories and old residences in the area, all of which he had marked.


    After spreading out the map, Yuga began, "Let me share my ideas with you."


    Kurosawa Daichi nodded, "Go ahead."


    "We''ll start by fencing off this area, and then I''d like you to construct two roads��one leading to our Day Care and the other to my Gym."


    YoYo Day Care and Verdanturf Gym were adjacent to each other, and thend Yuga purchased was situated directly north of both establishments, forming a "Ʒ" shapedyout with the Pok��mon Day Care and Gym.


    However, that area was currently quite barren, so Yuga wanted to build two roads to connect the three locations. Since they were all rtively close and under Yuga''s jurisdiction, he could make these decisions freely.

 Chapter 749: Negotiation

    <h4>Chapter 749: Negotiation</h4>


    Kurosawa Daichi thought for a moment about the distance between the three locations and then said:


    "No problem, it''s not far, and it won''t cost much."


    Yuga continued:


    "I don''t intend to demolish all the abandoned factories and old residences here. Instead, I want to refurbish them into something like a maze or a haunted house, as part of the Pok��mon Paradise''s facilities.


    Of course, not all of them will be preserved; a considerable portion needs to be demolished since they are no longer structurally sound."


    As he spoke, Yuga pointed to certain areas.


    Kurosawa Daichi thought Yuga''s idea was excellent.


    With so many factory buildings and residences, tearing them all down would not only be a massive project but would also generate a lot of waste that would be challenging to dispose of.


    However, by preserving a significant portion, their work would be much easier, saving both costs and time. Many of these buildings were still sturdy, having once been factories. With some repairs, they could still be used.


    Moreover, Yuga''s Pok��mon Paradise was designed for his own Pok��mon''s use, and the design could be more casual, without the need for perfection.


    "I''d like to build a training field in the central area, not toorge, maybe... about this size."


    Yuga roughly sketched a circle in the center of the map with his pen.


    After all, this Pok��mon Paradise was meant to amodate guests from his Pok��mon Day Care, and most of these guests were trainers. They would stay in Verdanturf Town for at least ten days, during which they couldn''t neglect training their Pok��mon.


    So, the training field was specifically for their regr Pok��mon training.


    Kurosawa Daichi nodded in agreement.


    "Also, here and here, I''d like to build a dormitory and a cafeteria."


    Yuga pointed to the area next to the training field and the Pok��mon Paradise''s entrance.


    Currently, guests of the YoYo Day Care usually stayed in the new shop''s guest rooms. However, this arrangement couldn''t go on forever, as the shop was primarily for business and couldn''t allow guests to wander freely inside.


    Since the Pok��mon Paradise was already being built, adding a dormitory seemed like a logical step. If there was a ce to stay, there should also be a ce to eat, hence the cafeteria is needed.


    However, Yuga wouldn''t provide these for free. The prices would be the same as outside; it was merely a convenience for the guests.


    Although he had money, Yuga wasn''t a phnthropist. He offered what he could, and the guests had to pay for their needs.


    After listening to Yuga''s descriptions, Kurosawa Daichi confirmed that there were no issues.


    Then, the two of them continued to discuss the Pok��mon Paradise''s internal construction details for a long time. They discussed the Pok��mon Paradise''s division into various zones, what facilities should be in which areas, the required green space, and more.


    Kurosawa Daichi had rich experience and was a professional, providing Yuga with valuable insights. They also had their own designers who could offer suggestions on many details.


    After multiple discussions with Yuga, the construction of the Pok��mon Paradise began.


    However, on the fifth day of construction, Kurosawa Daichi encountered difficulties and sought out Yuga again.


    When Yuga arrived at the construction site, he saw arge group of Pok��mon confronting the workers with hostility.


    These Pok��mon were all stray Pok��mon from Verdanturf Town.


    Seeing these Pok��mon, Yuga understood what was happening. He had been busytely and had temporarily forgotten about this issue.


    This area had many abandoned factories and uninhabited old residences, making it a gathering ce for many stray Pok��mon in Verdanturf Town.


    However, once construction started, these Pok��mon would lose their shelter.


    The leader of these Pok��mon was a rtively high level Manectric. When Yuga arrived, it was leading a few Poochyena in a menacing charge towards the workers.


    "Florges!"


    Yuga called out Florges, and with a gentle nod, a green light appeared under the feet of those stray Pok��mon, creating a lush grassy area.


    In the depths of the grassy area, countless slender vines swiftly bound the Manectric and the Poochyenas that had lunged at the workers.


    The Manectric and Poochyenas struggled fiercely, but the vines conjured by Florges were too strong for these small fry to break free from.


    Seeing Yuga arrive, the workers breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Mr. Shimizu..."


    "Mr. Shimizu..."


    ...


    The workers respectfully greeted Yuga as he approached. His status had certainly changed from before.


    Yuga nodded in acknowledgment of the workers and then stepped forward to address the stray Pok��mon.


    "Shall we talk about this?"


    Yuga said to the Manectric, the leader of the group.


    "Manectric...Manectric..."


    The Manectric, aware that Yuga was the one behind the construction of the Pok��mon Paradise, red at him angrily and refused to cooperate.


    "If you don''t cooperate, we can''t resolve this situation. Besides, do you think you can resist me?"


    Yuga said in frustration.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, the Manectric hesitated and then made low, intive sounds.


    "Florges, release them."


    Seeing that the Manectric and Poochyenas were no longer agitated, Yuga instructed Florges.


    Florges nodded in response, and a green light vanished from under their feet, freeing the Manectric and Poochyenas.


    "Now, can we talk?"


    Yuga asked the Manectric.


    The Manectric stared at Yuga for a moment, then reluctantly nodded. It realized that it couldn''t resist the human before it.


    So, the Manectric led the group of stray Pok��mon, following Yuga to an open area.


    Among this group of Pok��mon, Yuga could see various species, including Wurmple, Shroomish, Zigzagoon, Seedot, Poochyenas, Lombre, as well as Rattatas, Raticates, Oddishes, Sandshrews, and Marills, among others. In short, it was a diverse group with a variety of Pok��mon.


    Taking a nce at this sizable group of stray Pok��mon, Yuga spoke to the Manectric.


    "You should know that I''ve purchased thisnd, and I have the right to drive all of you out."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, the Manectric and the other Pok��mon behind it growled lowly at Yuga, while the other Pok��mon red at him.


    This detestable human! The evil capitalist!


    Seeing these angry expressions from the Pok��mon, Yuga rubbed his nose.


    What''s this? Have I unwittingly be the viin here? I bought thisnd with my money; shouldn''t I have a say in it?


    "I can leave a separate ce for all of you, but you''ll have to follow my rules."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, the Manectric and the other Pok��mon hesitated. While having a ce to stay was good, they were reluctant to obey humans. Many of them in this group had been abandoned by people and held no love for humans.


    "What''s the matter? Do you want to take advantage of the situation?"


    Seeing the hesitation among the stray Pok��mon, Yuga was also displeased.


    He wasn''t really intending to do anything to these Pok��mon. But since this ce was his, there had to be some discipline. In case they caused chaos or disrupted the Pok��mon Paradise''s environment, he needed to have some say in it!

 Chapter 750: Shelter

    <h4>Chapter 750: Shelter</h4>


    Yuga negotiated with the stray Pok��mon for a long time and eventually reached an agreement.


    He would designate a specific area to shelter these stray Pok��mon and open this part of the Pok��mon Paradise to the public. This area would be constructed closest to the Pok��mon Paradise''s entrance and offer much better amodation conditions than they were used to.


    The stray Pok��mon could freely move within this designated area, and Yuga wouldn''t restrict their ess to the Pok��mon Paradise, allowing them to roam freely within it.


    Residents of Verdanturf Town or the visitor from outside could enter this area to interact with the stray Pok��mon, essentially forming a bond with them.


    If anyone became attached to one of these stray Pok��mon and wanted to adopt them, they could apply to the YoYo Daycare. If the conditions were met, they could adopt the Pok��mon.


    Since the potentials of these stray Pok��mon weren''t particrly good, Yuga stipted that Trainers couldn''t adopt them to prevent the possibility of them being abandoned again.


    Adopting them as regr pets didn''t require high potentials, reducing the possibility of abandonment.


    Initially, the stray Pok��mon strongly opposed this idea because some of them didn''t like humans.


    Yuga then said, "I''m not forcing you to stay with humans. Whether you stay or not is your decision. Who knows, you might find someone you get along with? It''s uncertain, and not everyone in this world is bad!"


    Hearing Yuga''s words, they found it quite reasonable, so they ultimately agreed.


    Yuga also proposed that whether they were abandoned again or suffered mistreatment, they could return to the Pok��mon Paradise anytime they wanted. the Pok��mon Paradise''s gates would always be open to them.


    Yuga hoped that these Pok��mon could find good homes because life on the streets was undoubtedly harsher.


    In this world, there were many people, and those who would abandon Pok��mon were a minority.


    Furthermore, with so many stray Pok��mon in the Pok��mon Paradise, it was bing a burden for Yuga.


    He wasn''t concerned about their food; although he couldn''t provide them with Pok��blocks every day, they could eat Tree Berry every meal, and he had plenty of them in his Ecopark.


    However, it wasn''t just about feeding them; what theycked was human care.


    With theirrge number, Yuga couldn''t personally attend to every need, especially because he was often busy. If they were feeling cold, sick, or facing any other issues, Yuga might not notice.


    In the Ecopark, there were Pok��mon like Audino, Wigglytuff and the Milktank who specialized in taking care of others, and Yuga wasn''t worried about that.


    But he couldn''t separate these Pok��mon from the Ecopark! The number of the Miltank in the Ecopark was already limited.


    So, the best solution was to have someone adopt them.


    Although this move would have some impact on the lower potential Pok��mon sales at the YoYo Day Care, it was an unavoidable decision.


    While Yuga might not be a particrly kind person, he did want to do something meaningful when he had the ability to do so.


    After making this decision, Yuga organized a team to give these stray Pok��mon baths and clean them thoroughly.


    Most of the stray Pok��mon were quite dirty, and without proper grooming, it would be challenging to find them adoptive homes.


    Afterward, Yuga invited Joyka to perform detailed physical examinations on them, ensuring that each one was in good health.


    Joyka wasn''t particrly surprised by Yuga''s actions since he had brought Pok��mon to her for care on several asions. In her eyes, Yuga was a kind-hearted person.


    Although this was all based on a misunderstanding.


    In response, Joyka even volunteered toe periodically and provide free health check-ups for these Pok��mon, showing her support for Yuga''s initiative.


    With Joyka''spassionate offer, Yuga weed it wholeheartedly. He was already concerned about the long-term health of these Pok��mon.


    Although Yuga wanted these Pok��mon to be adopted, adoption was a matter ofpatibility. It wasn''t something to be decided casually.


    Pok��mon are sentient beings with emotions and thoughts; they aren''t just ordinary pets. Yuga couldn''t let them go to just anyone.


    Joyka proved to be a member of the Joy family in more ways than one; she was truly kind-hearted and greatly assisted Yuga.


    After resolving the hygiene and health issues of these Pok��mon, Yuga temporarily housed them in the Gym''s Ecopark since the Pok��mon Paradise wasn''t ready yet.


    To repay Yuga, Manectric and the group of Poochyenas would join the YoYo Day Care and Gym patrols along with Linoone and Mightyena.


    Yuga had already decided that once the Pok��mon Paradise waspleted, he would assign Linoone and Mightyena there, leaving the Gym and YoYo Day Care patrols to Persian and Purrloin''s team.


    After all, parts of the Pok��mon Paradise would be open to the public, and with various people visiting, it was essential to maintain security.


    Lately, Persian''s team had grown in numbers. Even though it exclusively recruited cat-type Pok��mon, it was now sufficient to handle the patrol duties for both the Gym and the YoYo Day Care.


    Yuga also suggested to Persian that his cat Pok��mon could participate in the adoption program at the Pok��mon Paradise. While Persian little relucant, it ultimately agreed. Persian knew that this was for the best for its Pok��mon.


    Even if adoption was on the table, Yuga knew that it might not yield immediate results. He would likely have to care for these Pok��mon for quite some time. Promoting the program was crucial.


    So, he approached Liliana for assistance. He hoped to leverage the police force''s resources to help with the program''s promotion.


    This experience taught Yuga the importance of interpersonal rtionships. Fortunately, his rtionships with both Jenny and Joy were solid.


    Liliana enthusiastically supported Yuga''s request. She knew that stray Pok��mon had long been a security challenge for the city, and Verdanturf Town was no exception.


    These Pok��mon often resorted to theft, robbery, and even violence due to their struggles for food and shelter. They posed a significant security threat to the city.


    However, there were no easy solutions. Even if they were caught and detained, they would often return to their old ways once released. It was aplex problem.


    Beyond the security issues, stray Pok��mon also affected the city''s aesthetics. Having dirty, unkempt Pok��mon roaming the city streets did little for its appearance.


    This was especially concerning for tourist cities, where appearances mattered greatly.


    Yet, in tourist cities, the poption of stray Pok��mon tended to be higher, causing significant challenges for city management.


    Comparatively, Verdanturf Town was fortunate. Having Yuga assist in solving this major issue was not only appreciated by Liliana but also by Mayor Ishida when he learned about it. They praised Yuga for being a Gym Leader with a strong sense of social responsibility.

 Chapter 751: Education

    <h4>Chapter 751: Education</h4>


    Lately, Yuga''s Charizard and Dragonite, under the guidance of Dragonite''s mother, have made significant progress in their abilities. They''ve reached a point where they can hold their own against Druddigon in battles.


    However, constantly facing off against Druddigon became monotonous for them, so they''ve been avoiding battles with Druddigon recently.


    Seeing Druddigon idle and bored every day, Yuga decided to bring Shellgon and Deino from the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark to be trained by Druddigon for a while.


    As these two youngsters grew, Yuga couldn''t afford to let them waste their potential. Education for the next generation of Pok��mon was vital, after all. They were the future!


    In the current ecosystem, aside from Dragonite''s mother, Druddigon was the most suitable candidate to educate them. Dragonite''s mother had her hands full with teaching Dragonite and Charizard, so the responsibility fell on Druddigon.


    Originally content with its carefree life, Druddigon wasn''t pleased with Yuga suddenly assigning it two apprentices. So It didn''t put much effort into teaching Shellgon and Deino.


    Then, it faced Gardevoir''s "Hammer of Justice."


    When it came to caring for Shellgon, no one in the Ecopark cared more than Gardevoir (male). Druddigon couldn''t be careless with Shellgon''s education, and Gardevoir (male) made sure of that.


    Even though Gardevoir (male) can''t defeat Duddrigon, Gardevoir can.


    Because Gardevoir has taken over the body of Gardevoir (male), under normal circumstances, it will agree to any request Gardevoir (male) makes as long as it is not too excessive.


    So Druddigon got a taste of its medicine.


    After Gardevoir taught Druddigon a lesson, Druddigon couldn''t afford to bex anymore. It started earnestly teaching Shellgon and Deino.


    Because life had be somewhat boringtely, Gardevoir even began giving lessons to Psychic-type Pok��mon in the main Ecopark.


    Thanks to its efforts, all the Medidite in the main Ecopark evolved into Medicham and even started dating the Lopunny, the first Medicham who evolved already beginning their love lives with the Lopunny.


    Thest two Kirlia also sessfully evolved into Gardevoir.


    Speaking of education for the next generation, there was an interesting incident rted to Chatot in the Ecopark recently.


    Yuga had previously brought a Pidgeot from the Petalburg Forest, and this Pidgeot happened to be a suitor of Chatot.


    After Yuga brought it in, he ced it in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark and didn''t pay much attention to it and even he had forgotten about Pidgeot being a suitor.


    So this Pidgeot started following Chatot around. Wherever Chatot went, it went. Even when Chatot tried to avoid it, it would somehow find Chatot''s location, paying no mind to Noctowl.


    Chatot had a history of flirting around when it was injured in the past, so when Noctowl saw Pidgeot sticking to Chatot, it assumed that Chatot had brought back a troublemaker.


    But Noctowl, being such a cool Pok��mon, wouldn''t make a fuss over such matters.


    However, it quietly went out for a bit.


    The day after it returned, Pidgeot and Staraptor became a couple. (The Staraptor evolved from Staravia, which Yuga exchanged with the Blue Sky Day Care.)


    The reason was evident.


    Staraptor was clueless about it all, but it suddenly had a wife. Of course, it was happy about it. Its otherpanions were still single.


    As for what happened between Noctowl and Pidgeot, no one knew. But after that incident, whenever Pidgeot saw Noctowl, it would keep its distance and quietly be Staraptor''s partner.


    Afterward, everyone learned that despite Noctowl''s usual silence, it was actually a ruthless character. So don''t provoke it lightly.


    Although the matter was resolved, Noctowl didn''t easily forgive Chatot.


    When Chatot tried to talk to it, it acted as if it didn''t hear a word, leaving Chatot clueless.


    In reality, Chatot was quite wronged! It didn''t pursue Pidgeot at all; it was all because Yuga didn''t handle the situation properly.


    Misunderstood and treated coldly by Noctowl, Chatot couldn''t ept it. So, it began causing a ruckus around Noctowl''s all day long, which make Noctowl''s annoyed.


    Since Hoothoot''s potential improved, Noctowl began addressing its training issues.


    In the past, when Hoothoot''s potential werecking, Noctowl thought it was fine for it to take it easy. However, now that its potential had improved, as a mother, Noctowl naturally hoped for Hoothoot to achieve more.


    But Hoothoot had grown ustomed toziness. It would often ck off during training, and its personality was entirely different from its good friend, Nales (who had recently evolved from Vulpix).


    Speaking of Hoothoot, Vulpix, and Ralts, Ralts had evolved into Gade long ago, and Vulpix recently evolved into Nales with the help of a Fire Stone. Yet, Hoothoot was stillgging behind.


    What made matters worse was that Hoothoot not onlygged in evolution but also refused to put in effort.


    When Ralts evolved into Gade, its potential turned blue because it used a Supreme-grade Dawn Stone. When Vulpix evolved into Nales, its abilities also turned blue because it used a Supreme-grade Fire Stone.


    But Hoothoot''s potential were still green.


    Seeing their child fall behind in every aspect, Noctowl was concerned and thus became stricter with Hoothoot''s training.


    Originally, Noctowl was on the brink of losing patience, and with Chatot pestering it constantly, even with its high tolerance for Chatot, it was close to exploding.


    So, without a second thought, Noctowl decided to teach Chatot a lesson.


    After Chatot was disciplined, it ran to Yuga toin, saying that Noctowl didn''t like it anymore.


    Once Yuga understood the situation, he couldn''t help but mock Chatot!


    However, Yuga was also aware that Noctowl had been getting frustratedtely due to Hoothoot''s behavior. He learned this from Honchkrow, who had been the leader of the Bird Pok��mon for a long time and was very observant, noticing Noctowl''s agitation.


    Noctowl wasn''t the type to openly disy its emotions, making it challenging for anyone, including Pok��mon, to notice its distress. If it weren''t for Honchkrow pointing it out, Yuga might not have realized it either.


    Yuga couldn''t interfere directly because hecked experience in handling such situations and hadn''t thought of a good solution yet.


    After teasing Chatot, Yuga said to it, "Noctowl has been quite annoyedtely because of Hoothoot. If you can''t help, at least don''t bother it."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Chatot wiped away its "tears" (which it didn''t actually have) and asked, "What''s wrong with Hoothoot?"


    Yuga instantly felt like Chatot was beyond help. Could you believe it? Could a husband and father say something like that?


    Chatot''s bewildered expression revealed that it truly had no clue about anything!


    What a ke!


    Yuga raised his hand and gave it a pat on the head, saying, "You don''t know? Go figure it out yourself!"


    So Chatot flew back, utterly confused.

 Chapter 752: Food Competition

    <h4>Chapter 752: Food Competition</h4>


    After leaving Yuga, Chatot returned home and saw its wife patiently teaching Hoothoot during training. However, when it noticed Hoothoot''s careless expression, it suddenly became very angry.


    Chatot had a carefree personality, just like its mother, but when it came to training, it was usually very diligent. That''s why it had quickly regained its pseudo-Elite level strength.


    But Hoothoot was different. It only wanted to y all the time.


    Hoothoot''s upbringing had been too much privileged.


    Its mother was an Elite level Pok��mon, and its father was a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon. Nobody in the Ecopark dared to bully it.


    Plus, it had always eaten and used the best of everything, making itpletely unaware of the hardships of the world.


    Of course, this also had something to do with Noctowl''s indulgence in the past. But Vulpix and Hoothoot had simr backgrounds, yet Vulpix was more diligent and hardworking than Hoothoot.


    Chatot approached Noctowl and gave it a silly smile, but Noctowl ignored it and she was Chatot turned its head, its expression stern, and said to Hoothoot, "Come with me!"


    Without another word, Chatot pped its wings and flew away.


    Hoothoot had never seen its dad lose his temper like this, and it was taken aback. It nced at its mother, who seemed a bit stunned, but resignedly pped its small wings and followed its father.


    As father and son flew away, Noctowl felt somewhat dazed and wondered what had gotten into Chatot today.


    However, Noctowl didn''t say anything in the end. It had always been patient with Chatot, even in this cold war. It wasn''t truly mad at it. After thinking it over, Noctowl quietly followed the father and son.


    Feeling the pressureing from its father, Hoothoot silently followed, not daring to speak. In this way, the father and son flew out of the Ecopark.


    Hoothoot rarely left the Ecopark because it thought the outside world wasn''t as fun. It was vast, and there were fewer friends, so when its father took it out, it had no idea where they were headed.


    Chatot led Hoothoot to the backyard of the Gym and then flew into a small Ecopark within the Gym.


    "You''ll stay here for a few days, and you''ll do what they do. Don''te home," Chatot instructed Hoothoot, pointing to the stray Pok��mon gathered in the small Ecopark.


    When the Gym''s small Ecopark was built, Yuga hadn''t demanded arge one. So, since the stray Pok��mon moved in, it had be a bit crowded.


    Moreover, these stray Pok��mon had spent a long time in the harsh outside world, so they naturally didn''t have the same spirit as the Pok��mon in the Ecopark.


    Hoothoot nced at the shabby amodation and the scruffy inhabitants and felt somewhat disgusted.


    After giving these instructions, Chatot didn''t pay any further attention to Hoothoot. Instead, it flew over to Manectric and whispered a few words to it.


    Manectric nced at Hoothoot, nodded in agreement, and then watched as Chatot flew away.


    As Hoothoot stood there, feeling lost, Chatot had already returned to the YoYo Day Care. It greeted Yuga and the other Pok��mon before telling them not to let Hoothoot return to the Ecopark for a few days and not to feed it casually.


    Although Yuga was surprised by Chatot''s actions, he agreed.


    Quietly following behind, Noctowl returned to the Ecopark. It acted as if nothing had happened. It had spent so much effort on Hoothoot over the past few days, and now that Hoothoot was willing to listen, it was a relief.


    Left in the small Ecopark, Hoothoot didn''t want to get involved with the stray Pok��mon below. It flew to a branch and closed its eyes to rest.


    The Pok��mon below were ying and frolicking together, their joyfulughter and chatter reaching Hoothoot''s ears, making it feel a bit restless.


    It wanted to fly back to the Ecopark, but when it thought of its father''s stern expression just now, it held back.


    The Manectric below nced up at Hoohoot perched on the tree branch, seeing the imposing aura emanating from it intimidating Hoothoot, he decided not to bother it.


    The stray Pok��mon were cautious by nature, having spent years wandering outside. They were wary of humans and other Pok��mon, so they preferred sticking together.


    When it was time for lunch, Aunt Aoba walked in carrying arge basket filled with Tree Berry. These Tree Berry were naturally the food for the stray Pok��mon.


    Seeing Aunt Aobaing in, the stray Pok��mon were very excited and immediately crowded around her.


    Over these days, Aunt Aoba had been responsible for their meals, and gradually, they had be familiar with her.


    Aunt Aoba smiled and distributed the Tree Berry to each Pok��mon. However, when she saw Hoothoot, she was a bit surprised. She didn''t remember having a Hoothoot. Was it a neer?


    With that thought in mind, Aunt Aoba ced two berrys under the tree where Hoothoot was.


    After Aunt Aoba left, the Pok��mon happily began eating the Tree Berry. For these stray Pok��mon who had struggled to find three meals a day, being able to eat Tree Berry to their heart''s content was a great happiness.


    However, Hoothoot was not at all interested in those Tree Berry.


    Hmph, just a few Tree Berry. What''s so delicious about them? I eat high grade Pok��blocks! Hoothoot thought to itself.


    But as it watched the Pok��mon below enjoying the berrys, Hoothoot unconsciously swallowed and its stomach made a "gurgling" sound.


    They actually looked quite tasty.


    However, due to its pride, Hoothoot ultimately couldn''t bring itself to eat the Tree Berry.


    Soon, the Pok��mon finished their meal, and the Tree Berry were all gone. A few Nuzleaf, having finished their own berrys, looked up at Hoothoot perched in the tree, then nced at the remaining berrys on the ground, unable to resist licking their lips.


    A few Nuzleaf gathered together and chatted for a moment. Then, the smallest one casually walked out, took three steps, reached the berrys, grabbed them, and ran.


    Seeing this scene from the tree, Hoothoot suddenly became furious. Those were mine! Although it looked down on those Tree Berry, it couldn''t stand someone taking them without asking.


    Hoothoot "whooshed" down from the tree, like a round little ball, and charged toward the Nuzleaf holding the berrys.


    The Nuzleaf had already nned their escape route. The moment Hoothoot rushed down, the other tworger Nuzleaf stepped forward. Simultaneously, they extended their hands emitting dark light and heavily pped Hoothoot as it approached, sending Hoothoot flying.


    Both Nuzleaf had used their moves, "Fake Out." The moment Hoothoot was hit, it entered a flinch state and inexplicably felt a wave of fear. It didn''t dare to continue its charge.


    As a wandering Pok��mon, these Nuzleaf had done such things many times before. Hoothoot, who didn''t know much about the world, was no match for them.


    When Hoothoot regained its senses, the Nuzleaf had neatly finished eating the berrys. Hoothoot was extremely angry, but without a word, it once again charged at the Nuzleaf.


    The Nuzleaf looked at Hoothoot charging toward them with disdain.


    The tworger Nuzleaf took a step forward, one using Fake Out again, and the other using a Feint Attack.


    These Nuzleaf, who had been around the block for many years, could clearly see that Hoothoot was just a pushover.


    With Fake Out and a Feint Attack, they hit Hoothoot consecutively, causing Hoothoot to tumble to the ground, rolling several times and getting covered in dirt.


    Having suffered defeat twice in a row, Hoothoot became disheartened.

 Chapter 753: Exclusion

    <h4>Chapter 753: Exclusion</h4>


    Muddy and teary-eyed, Hoothoot flew back to the Ecopark. However, when it tried to enter the Ecopark, it found itself blocked.


    Hoothoot felt as though it had been struck by lightning. "My parents don''t love me anymore!"


    Yuga watched the disheveled Hoothoot fly back out of the Ecopark and felt a bit sorry for it. He wondered if Chatot''s way of teaching was too harsh.


    When Yuga mentioned this to Chatot, he was used of being "overindulgent." Yuga touched his nose and decided not toment further.


    The child''s parents didn''t seem to mind, so Yuga didn''t interfere.


    When Hoothoot returned to the small Ecopark, it felt that it whole body was sore from its battle with the Nuzf. It touched its empty stomach and felt disheartened.


    Hungry, Hoothoot perched on a branch, lost in thought. Just then, a small Spinarak approached, hesitated for a moment, and then offered a cherished small Berry shyly.


    Hoothoot looked at Spinarak in surprise, then at the Berry offered to it, and suddenly grew furious. "Are you here to mock me?"


    It believed that Spinarak and the Nuzf were in cahoots.


    In a way, this perception was correct. Spinarak was indeed friends with the Nuzf, but it had a softer heart and couldn''t bear to see Hoothoot hungry, having experienced hunger itself in the past.


    An angry Hoothoot kicked the Berry away and pecked at Spinarak, causing it to fall from the tree.


    Fortunately, Spinarak was a Spinarak and used its silk to hang in mid-air.


    Hoothoot''s bullying of Spinarak was witnessed by the Nuzf hopping around in the tree, and they were furious.


    These stray Pok��mon usually stuck together for protection, fearing being bullied. While they might appear guarded and have a somewhat hostile attitude towards outsiders, they were quite loyal to their little friends. Seeing Spinarak being bullied was too much for them to tolerate.


    The agile Nuzf leaped from the tree to surround Hoothoot.


    Faced with their fierce demeanor, Hoothoot trembled in fear. It regretted not training seriously in the past, as it now had to endure being beaten by the stronger Nuzf.


    It wasn''t just the Nuzf; even the other Pok��mon below the tree red at Hoothoot.


    Spinarak was still very young, having recently hatched, so everyone had been looking after it, unable to stand by when it was being mistreated.


    Just when the Nuzf were about to teach Hoothoot a lesson, Spinarak, hanging from its silk, crawled back up and intervened.


    Although the Nuzf stopped at Spinarak''s request, they still gave Hoothoot a fierce re.


    In their view, Spinarak was too soft-hearted, and someone like Hoothoot, who didn''t know better, needed to be taught a lesson.


    Manectric observed the entire scene but chose not to intervene.


    As a result, Hoothoot was ostracized.


    While the stray Pok��mon had previously ignored it, they hadn''t bullied it. However, after Hoothoot''s mistreatment of Spinarak, their attitudes changed, and they all gave it hostile looks.


    Hoothoot felt very wronged.


    This situation continued into the evening, and Hoothoot erupted.


    Because of the tree berry Aunt Aoba had sent in the evening, Hoothoot''s share was once again taken by the Nuzleaf.


    If during the noon incident, the Nuzleaf just thought Hoothoot was wasting food, this time it was intentional.


    They were taking it out on Spinarak.


    A battle ensued between the enraged Hoothoot and the Nuzleaf.


    As they say, even a rabbit will bite when it''s cornered.


    Enraged Hoothoot still had some fighting ability, after all, its mother was an Elite level Pok��mon. Even though it usually yed around a lot, it had still picked up a few tricks.


    After the Nuzleaf used their Fake Out, Hoothoot, endured the flinching and used Supersonic. While the Nuzleaf were disoriented by the Supersonic and couldn''t tell which way was which, Hoothoot managed to clumsily use a not-so-proficient Heat Wave.


    Although Hoothoot''s Heat Wave was not very skilled, it was enough to send the Nuzleaf running with burnt bottoms.


    Heat Wave was the only advanced attack skill that Hoothoot knew, and it was inherited from its Chatot father.


    Although the Nuzleaf suffered a bit due to this Heat Wave, in the end, they sessfully reprimanded Hoothoot.


    In the end,pared to using the stuttering Heat Wave move, the Hoothoot that trained with its mother mainly excelled in Psychic-type abilities. However, when Psychic-type abilities met a Grass-type Pok��mon like Nuzleaf, they would be at a disadvantage.


    In the end, Manectric decided it was best not to escte the situation further and separated them.


    Hoothoot, who had been beaten up, found itself hungry again that night.


    In the middle of the night, unable to sleep due to hunger, Hoothoot quietly got up and took a couple of sips of water. It felt the water sloshing in its stomach, but it still felt hungry, so it left the small ecological park and flew to the rooftop to gaze at the moon.


    Drinking water didn''t really curb its hunger, and before long, Hoothoot''s stomach rumbled once again.


    Just at that moment, it felt a poke on its back, which startled it on thiste night.


    When it turned around and saw by the moonlight, it realized it was Spinarak.


    "Hoothoot..."


    What are you doing? Making fun of me?


    This time, Hoothoot didn''t get too worked up; it just had a somewhat unfriendly tone.


    Spinarak hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a berry and ced it in front of Hoothoot.


    Hoothoot didn''t initially want to show any gratitude, but as it gazed at the tree berry illuminated by the moonlight, the berry''s skin reflecting a sparkling color, it couldn''t help but swallow its saliva.


    It seemed to be a delicious tree berry.


    If someone had told Hoothoot before that tree berry was very tasty, it would have scoffed: "Can tree berry be tastier than highenergy Pok��block?"


    But now, Hoothoot would definitely answer: "Yes, tree berry does seem really delicious."


    Hoothoot, who had never experienced hunger before, today got a taste of what it means to be hungry.


    Finally, under the expectant gaze of Spinarak, Hoothoot devoured the tree berry in no time.


    It felt like the tastiest tree berry it had ever eaten.


    People might change their minds, and after eating Spinarak''s tree berry, Hoothoot no longer treated it with hostility; its attitude improved significantly.


    The next day, Hoothoot still faced exclusion from the stray Pok��mon, but this time they didn''t snatch its breakfast.


    Although they didn''t like Hoothoot, they understood that they couldn''t go too far with their actions.


    But despite everyone''s dislike for Hoothoot, the kind-hearted orb-weaver Spinarak never excluded it and sometimes even went over to chat with it.


    Although everyone advised Spinarak to ignore Hoothoot, it still believed Hoothoot wasn''t a bad person and didn''t change its attitude toward Hoothoot.


    Seeing that they couldn''t convince Spinarak, everyone gave up.


    The stray Pok��mon wouldn''t stay in the small Ecopark forever. During the day, they sometimes went out for a walk, inspected the progress of their new home''s construction, or reminisced about their hard past. This included Spinarak as well.


    Yuga didn''t restrict the freedom of these Pok��mon; they coulde and go from the small Ecopark and the Verdanturf Gym as they pleased.


    Today, when everyone was out, Spinarak also left.


    Hoothoot watched as the Spinarak walked out of the small Ecopark''s gate and decided to follow it.


    The Spinarak strolled around aimlessly, sometimes crawling on the roofs of neighboring houses and asionally stopping to look at the garbage cans by the street. In the past, the Nuzleaf, along with Shroomish, Zigzagoon and others, used to scavenge for food in the trash cans on the streets. Sometimes they would even go to the human areas to steal or snatch some food for them.


    Survival for these weaker and less powerful Pok��mon like them would be extremely difficult without the protection of the Nuzleaf or Manectric.


    Despite the Nuzleaf'' somewhat bad temperament and tendency to bully others, they were genuinely caring towards Spinaraks, Shroomishs, and Zigzagoons. Sometimes, they would even sacrifice their own meals to feed them.


    As Spinarak stared nkly at the trash can by the roadside, a Spearow suddenly appeared not far away.


    This Spearow had malicious intentions and was fixated on Spinarak.


    In the Verdanturf Town, the stray Pok��mon weren''t just limited to Pok��mon like Spinarak that roamed the ground; there were also many "wanderers" like the Taillow, Murkrow, and the Spearow that soared in the sky.


    Those that soared in the sky and those that roamed the ground were generallypetitors.


    However, these avian stray Pok��mon have a much better life than the ground-walking stray Pok��mon like Spinarak. Even when they can''t find food in town, sometimes they venture into the forests outside of town to find some wild berry to satisfy their hunger, especially during the autumn and winter seasons when their days are tougher.


    Just like right now.


    Wild Pok��mon in the wilderness have a habit of storing food for the winter, but the stray Pok��mon in town don''t, because even without wild berry, they can find scraps and leftovers left behind by humans.


    Different living environments lead to significant differences in the habits of these Pok��mon.


    Taking advantage of Spinarak''s distraction, Spearow swooped down and grabbed it.


    Hoothoot had intended to warn the Spinarak, but it was toote.


    The Spearow grabbed the Spinarak and attempted to fly away with it. However, the Spinarak reacted swiftly. This was not its first encounter with such situations.


    In the instant the Spearow grabbed it, the Spinarak spat out a strand of silk and tightly adhered itself to the roof. The Spearow, trying to carry the Spinarak away, was abruptly halted by the sticky silk thread.


    Luckily, this particr Spearow didn''t possess long range attack move, so once ensnared by the silk thread, it couldn''t break free. This gave Hoothoot ample time toe to the rescue.


    This Spearow wasn''t strong at all, in fact, it was quite weak, certainly weaker than the Spinarak. So Hoothoot quickly took care of it with just three moves.


    Just when Hoothoot felt proud of its skills and believed it could repay the Spinarak for its act of kindness, the Spinarak sensed impending danger. It was about to warn Hoothoot to flee when it heard the wounded Spearow screeching loudly.


    Hoothoot was ready for sending another attack, wanting to silence the Spearow, but then it noticed seven or eight more Spearow flying towards them from a short distance away.


    The Spinarak knew that Spearow usually lived inrge groups, but Hoothoot, being somewhat ignorant about the society outside, was unaware of this.


    Seeing theirrade being bullied, these Spearows aggressively swooped down on Hoothoot.


    These Spearows not only liked to live in groups but also held grudges and enjoyed outnumbering their opponents.


    These seven or eight Spearow, unlike the first one, were considerably stronger. Even three or four of them would have been more than Hoothoot could handle.


    Seeing Hoothoot surrounded, the Spinarak became extremely anxious. However, due to its own limited abilities, all it could do was hinder the actions of the Spearow with its String Shot.


    Knowing Hoothoot have jumped out and saved itself, the Spinarak felt touched. It didn''t want to leave and abandon its savior.


    These Spearow'' primary weapon was their sharp beaks, and their preferred skill was tounch a flurry of rapid attacks, known as "Fury Attack."


    Although Fury Attack were considered basic skills, they became quite formidable when performed by a group of Spearow. Hoothoot was soon covered in bruises from their pecks.


    The Spinarak''s String Shot were insignificant to the Spearow. Seeing Hoothoot unable to escape, the Spinarak felt deeply distressed.


    Seeing this group of Spearow, Hoothoot was extremely angry. It remembered that back in the Ecopark, it was a respected figure (not really, but not just relying on connections). It couldn''t believe that as soon as it came out, everyone was trying to bully it.


    Hoothoot, filled with rage, squawked loudly, wanting to confront these Spearows, but they pinned it to the ground and rubbed it harshly.


    With a series of Fury Attacks from the Spearow, Hoothoot became battered and bloody. It was immobilized, lying next to the Spinarak, feeling utterly hopeless.


    Hoothoot thought bitterly that it wished it were as strong as its mother or even its father. It pondered that maybe it should have trained seriously in the past instead of being so carefree.


    Just as the Spearows were about tounch a final attack on the Spinarak and Hoohoot, Razor Leaf suddenly shot through the air, blocking their advance.


    It turned out that the Nuzleaf, who had been wandering nearby, noticed the situation and arrived just in time.


    The Nuzleaf were much stronger than these Spearows and quickly drove them away.


    After looking at the unconscious Hoohoot and the crying Spinarak, two Nuzleaf came forward, picked them up, and brought them back to the Ecopark.


    After the incident where Hoohoot yed the role of a hero, it was no longer ostracized by the stray Pok��mon, and it even became good friends with the Spinarak.


    After spending some time with the stray Pok��mon, Hoohoot gradually learned about their past and the hardships they had endured in life. It realized that there were many Pok��mon in the world living in such difficult conditions.


    Compared to them, Hoothoot''s life was incredibly fortunate, It had both parents, never worrying about food or shelter. Yet, it had never truly appreciated its good fortune, taking everything for granted.


    Thingking about its childhood friend, Nales, who worked so diligently, Hoothoot felt ashamed of its ownziness.


    Hoothoot also knew that its otherpanion, Gade, was also undergoing intense training under Gardevoir''s guidance. It became evident that the only one not putting in effort and striving for self-improvement was itself.


    All these events in the small Ecopark were ryed in detail to Yuga by the Natus. After learning about Hoothoot''s transformation, Yuga realized that Chatot still had its merit. He might not be reliable most of the time, but he could still get the job done when it counted.

 Chapter 754: Searching

    <h4>Chapter 754: Searching</h4>


    Hoothoot stayed in the small Ecopark for a week in total before being picked up by the Chatot and taken back to the Ecopark.


    Upon returning to the Ecopark, Hoothoot''szy demeanorpletely changed, and it became very diligent. The Noctowl was delighted by this transformation.


    Furthermore, Hoothoot would often leave the Ecopark to visit the Spinarak and y together. Sometimes, it even brought small gifts like Pok��blocks to the Spinarak.


    The Pok��blocks it gave to the Spinarak were obtained from Ariados within the Ecopark. Ariados, currently pregnant with Galvant child, and curently was overflowing with maternal love and readily agreed to Hoothoot''s requests. Who knows, there might be a little Spinarak egg inside Ariados''s belly as well.


    A month passed quickly. Yuga''s Pok��mon Paradise construction was nearingpletion, and the region was gradually transitioning into winter, approaching the end of the year.


    Yuga felt fortunate that the Pok��mon Paradise would be finished before the year-end, allowing the workers to return home for the holidays without dy.


    As for the stray Pok��mon, they had already moved into their new homes. Although the Pok��mon Paradise wasn''tpleted yet, the living quarters for the stray Pok��mon were one of the first parts to be finished and were already fully constructed. The stray Pok��mon were quite content with their new homes; even during winter, they wouldn''t be cold.


    Yuga had also hired several workers in town specifically for maintaining cleanliness in the Pok��mon Paradise.


    Once the stray Pok��mon had settled into the Pok��mon Paradise, Liliana began assisting Yuga in promoting the adoption of these stray Pok��mon. The official website of YoYo Day Care also promoted this. Even Nurse Joy put up a simple promotional poster in the Pok��mon Center.


    However, after some time had passed, there were peopleing to see the Pok��mon, but none had been adopted yet. Yuga wasn''t in a hurry, though; she understood that this was a long-term endeavor that couldn''t be rushed.


    In reality, there were still many people who loved Pok��mon. In the world of Pok��mon, not everyone was a Trainer, and the number of non-Trainers far exceeded the number of Trainers.


    There were also quite a few amateur Trainers who treated Trainer just as a hobby rather than a profession, bncing it with their other jobs.


    The world''s functioning depended on production, and without production, human activities couldn''t continue. Apart from Trainers, most humans had their own jobs and responsibilities.


    Some people, in their leisure time, with the capability and time, chose to raise a Pok��mon aspanion.


    For Pok��mon who primarily served aspanions, ordinary people didn''t demand much in terms of Potentials (excluding some wealthy individuals).


    Many of the lower potential Pok��mon at YoYo Day Care were intended for this type of audience.


    Yuga and the others were searching for potential adopters among this group of people.


    Mr. Yasu and his wife, Keiko, hade to Verdanturf Town amidst their busy schedules to visit their parents. While Verdanturf Town wasn''t economically prosperous, its environment was excellent, and many elderly people from well-off families chose to stay in the local nursing home.


    Mr. Yasu''s parents were among them. Of course, Mr. Yasu''s family wasn''t exceptionally wealthy, justfortably middle-ss.


    After visiting their parents, the couple left the nursing home, intending to find a ce to stay in Verdanturf Town.


    Their visit coincided with the uing New Year, and, being busy with work most of the time, they hadn''t had the chance to visit their parents properly. They couldn''t possibly leave their parents here for the holiday season.


    As they parked their car near a hotel and were about to leave the parking lot, they passed by a tall building. Suddenly, a billboard on top of the building seemed to fall straight toward them.


    The incident happened so suddenly that the couple didn''t know how to react. They could only watch in shock as the billboard descended towards them.


    Just when the couple thought they were doomed, several blue water pirs suddenly appeared and shattered the falling billboard, saving both of them.


    Turning around, the couple saw two Marill and one Azumarill standing not far away, and the water gun move they had just used came from these three Pok��mon.


    Yasu and Keiko wanted to call out to the three Pok��mon, but as soon as the Pok��mon noticed that the couple had seen them, they panicked and rushed into a nearby corner, disappearing in the blink of an eye. The couple didn''t know what to do.


    Passersby who witnessed this scene were equally shocked, realizing that if they had been in that spot instead of the couple, it wouldn''t have been a yful ident; it could have been fatal.


    The owner of the billboard, upon hearing themotion, immediately came out to apologize to Yasu and Keiko. When he heard about the incident, he broke into a cold sweat, relieved that no lives were lost. Otherwise, he would have been held ountable.


    The couple wasn''t too concerned about the owner''s apology as they were more intrigued by Marill and Azumarill''s actions. Misinterpreting theirck of interest in the apology, the billboard owner generouslypensated them.


    Afterward, the couple wanted to find Marill and Azumarill to express their gratitude, but Verdanturf Town was neither too big nor too small, making it challenging to locate the three Pok��mon without any clues.


    So, the couple decided to visit the Pok��mon Center to see if Nurse Joy had any information.


    After hearing the couple''s description, Nurse Joy smiled and said, "I see. You can check with YoYo Day Care."


    "YoYo Day Care?"


    The couple was puzzled.


    Even though they weren''t Trainers, they knew that Pok��mon Day Care were ces where Pok��mon were sold. Could Pok��mon from an Ecopark freely wander around?


    "Regardless, you should go and inquire. You might get some results."


    Nurse Joy yfully teased them.


    She remembered that among the batch of stray Pok��mon she had checked, there were indeed two Marill and one Azumarill. However, she couldn''t guarantee it was the same group.


    Although the couple was curious, they trusted Nurse Joy and didn''t think she would deceive them. So, they left the Pok��mon Center and headed to YoYo Day Care.


    YoYo Day Care was quite famous in Verdanturf Town and easy to find. The couple simply asked someone and quickly located it.


    Yuga had just returned from his Gym to ept a Challenger''s challenge when he heard that someone wanted to see him.


    "Are you looking for me?" Yuga asked with a puzzled expression.


    "Are you... the owner of YoYo Day Care?" the couple inquired.


    Yuga had matured quite a bit by now, and people were no longer surprised by his youth when they learned he was the owner.


    "That''s me. What can I do for you?" Yuga replied.


    The couple proceeded to exin their experience to Yuga.


    "I see," Yuga said after a moment of silence. "In that case,e with me."


    With that, Yuga led the couple to the Pok��mon Paradise.


    I wonder if anyone will argue with the author about whether people in the Pok��mon world can survive getting hit by a billboard, thinking Marill and Azumarill were interfering unnecessarily.

 Chapter 755: Adoption

    <h4>Chapter 755: Adoption</h4>


    After arriving at the Pok��mon Paradise, Yuga walked in and asked Manectric a few questions. In no time, Manectric led out two Marill and one Azumarill.


    These three Pok��mon were a family of three, the ones who had saved Yasu and Keiko.


    Yuga walked out with Marill and Azumarill and asked Yasu and Keiko, "Are these the ones you were talking about?"


    "Yes, it''s them, it''s them!" Yasu and Keiko said happily, immediately recognizing their saviors.


    The two Marill and Azumarill, seeing Yasu and Keiko looking excited, hid behind Yuga in fear.


    "I''m sorry, but some of the Pok��mon here have had some bad experiences, so they might be a bit wary of humans," Yuga said apologetically.


    "Oh, we should be the ones apologizing, then. We''re sorry, little ones," Yasu and Keiko quickly apologized to Marill and Azumarill.


    Hearing Keiko''s gentle voice, Azumarill curiously peeked out from behind Yuga, quietly observing Yasu and Keiko.


    "It''s like this..." Seeing that Yasu and Keiko were treating Marill and Azumarill kindly, Yuga took the opportunity to exin their adoption n.


    "Oh, I see!" Hearing Yuga''s words, the couple marveled at his kindness, willing to take in so many stray Pok��mon.


    "Darling, let''s adopt them," Keiko suddenly said to Yasu.


    Their family was well-off, and raising three Pok��mon was no problem at all. Although they weren''t Trainers themselves, their son was. In the past two years, their son had been traveling, and they usually stayed in Verdanturf Town. With just the two of them at home most of the time, having these three little ones to keep thempany would surely make things livelier.


    Yasu thought Keiko''s suggestion was a good one. He had a good job at a bigpany, and Keiko ran a flower shop by herself. While he was at work, she managed the shop alone. If these three little ones could apany her, he would feel much more at ease.


    "All right, let''s adopt them," Yasu smiled gently at Keiko.


    "I wonder, how do we go about adopting them?" Yasu asked Yuga.


    Yuga hadn''t expected the couple to make a decision so quickly, so he smiled and replied, "First, we need to get the consent of these three little ones."


    Keiko nodded in agreement. "Of course, of course."


    "Little ones, would you like toe home with us? We promise to take good care of you," Keiko crouched down and asked Marill and Azumarill gently.


    The Marill and Azumarill, who had just peeked out, immediately withdrew their heads when they saw Keiko crouching down.


    "It seems like things might not be going smoothly," Yasu hugged Keiko''s shoulder andforted her.


    "I wonder if we cane here to visit them in the next few days? Because of our parents, we have to stay in Verdanturf Town for a few days. I''d like to see if there''s a chance for Marill and Azumarill to ept us," Yasu asked Yuga.


    "Of course, you''re wee toe anytime. We''re open to the public, and everyone in town knows. You cane whenever you like," Yuga said happily.


    From the words and actions of this couple, Yuga could tell that they were both very kind-hearted people. If Marill''s family could be adopted by them, it would undoubtedly be a good thing for them.


    However, Yuga also respected Marill''s family''s decision. If they ultimately didn''t want to leave, he wouldn''t force them.


    Afterward, the couple indeed visited Marill''s family every day. Sometimes, when Marill and the others were not at home, the couple patiently waited for their return.


    Every time they came, they would bring small gifts for Marill''s family, sometimes food, and sometimes toys.


    Gradually, Marill''s family was genuinely touched by them, especially Azumarill, who liked Yasu and Keiko very much.


    In fact, while Marill''s family was cautious around humans, they didn''t really dislike them, or else they wouldn''t have saved the strangers, Yasu and Keiko.


    After obtaining Marill''s family''s consent, with the witness of Yuga, Liliana, and Joyka, Yasu and Keiko formally adopted Marill''s family.


    On the day they left, all the stray Pok��mon came out to bid them farewell.


    Although there were still many stray Pok��mon who didn''t particrly like humans, they were willing to respect Marill''s family''s choice.


    For Marill''s family to find a good home, both Yuga and Liliana, and Joyka were happy for them.


    The next day, Yuga took in the stray Pok��mon in town, and Yasu and Keiko adopted Marill''s family. This news made it to the local newspaper of Verdanturf Town.


    This report was arranged by Mayor Ishida with the aim of promoting Yuga, so that more people coulde to adopt stray Pok��mon.


    Not long after this news came out, the official media of the Pok��mon League came to interview Yuga.


    The League was currently working hard to turn Yuga into a star Trainer, so such an event had to be well publicized.


    In this way, Yuga not only made it into the newspaper but also appeared on television.


    Yuga didn''t particrly aspire to fame, but reputation was essential for the operation of the YoYo Day Care.


    Time flew by, and by the end of the year, Akihito and Arata Sena, who had been traveling, returned. After not seeing each other for a while, these two seemed to have matured quite a bit.


    After spending so much time training in seclusion, going on a journey for a while would indeed help with their growth.


    Shortly after Arata Sena and Akihito returned, Luna and Rand also came back on vacation.


    Considering it, Yuga had not seen them for a long time, except for phone calls.


    They had visited a couple of times during their holidays, but Yuga was always out, so Luna and Rand can''t meet him.


    The Maon that they had left with Yuga had long since evolved into Maon, but they had never asked Yuga for them, so Yuga left them in the Mine Sub-Ecopark.


    The special maic field in the Mine Sub-Ecopark was very beneficial for the growth of these two Pok��mon.


    This time, when the two of them saw their evolved Magnezone, they were delighted.


    The two Magnezone had benefited greatly in the Mine Sub-Ecopark, and their progress was evident. Luna and Rand were both pleasantly surprised.


    They even challenged Akihito and Arata Sena to a few battles. Overall, Akihito and Arata Sena were slightly stronger.


    After all, Luna and Rand were a bit younger, and in terms of training Pok��mon, Akihito and Arata Sena were more mature.

 Chapter 756: Celebration

    <h4>Chapter 756: Celebration</h4>


    Not long after Yuga''s Pok��mon Paradise was fully established, it was time for the New Year''s celebration.


    This year marked Yuga''s second New Year since arriving in the Pok��mon world, and there were more family members than in previous years, making the atmosphere even livelier.


    Just likest year, Yuga invited his aunt''s family to celebrate the New Year together.


    This year, Yuga''s aunt had be an employee in his store, and she had been a great help.


    In addition to them, Yuga also invited Uncle Kate and Rand.


    Uncle Kate could be considered half of Yuga''s employee now, and the father and son were alone at home during the New Year. Since there were already so many people in Yuga''s house, he decided to invite them along.


    Those who stayed at the YoYo Day Care for the New Year included Beidou, Akihito, and Anya, the brothers and sisters, Windy, Suzuki Koen and her son. Along with Yuga, his aunt, uncle, Luna, and Uncle Kate and Rand, there were a total of 17 people celebrating together.


    Misaki and Arata Sena had returned to their own homes, and Lain had gone back to Mauville City to be with Ryuichi.


    Yuga had thought about inviting his mentor and Ryuichi to celebrate the New Year in Verdanturf Town, but his mentor wasn''t willing.


    Before the New Year, he had gone to the temple alone, leaving Ryuichi and Lain in Mauville City to take care of the manor.


    The temple still housed some of the older Pok��mon from their lineage, and ording to Ryuichi, his mentor visited them every year.


    Most Grass-type Pok��mon were long-lived, so there were quite a few living on the ind where the temple was located. However, they rarely appeared in public.


    Because there were so many people celebrating together, Yuga decided to have the New Year''s Eve dinner at the Gym. The Gym had plenty of space, and it could easily amodate over a dozen people for a meal.


    During the New Year, there were no challenges at the Gym, so the Gym staff had all gone home to celebrate.


    Preparing the New Year''s Eve dinner was done mainly by Audino, Yuga, and his aunt.


    Of course, Yuga and his aunt were just helping Audino; he was the main chef. Yuga and his aunt could only make some home-cooked dishes, while the feast relied on Audino''s expertise.


    Everyone had dinner together and stayed upte ying games until the early hours of the morning.


    During the New Year, Yuga had a lot of free time because the YoYo Day Care was temporarily closed for business. The Pok��mon didn''t need to train during the New Year, and there were no challengers at the Gym, so this was the most leisurely time of the year for him.


    However, on the first day of the New Year, Verdanturf Town held its own event. Every year on this day, the town would host a celebration to pray for peace in theing year.


    In previous years, the event had been organized and hosted by Mayor Ishida. This year, Verdanturf Town had its own Gym Leader, so Mayor Ishida invited Yuga to participate as one of the hosts of the celebration.


    Verdanturf Town was considered an agricultural town. While it couldn''tpete with the more famous Farbor Town in terms of agricultural production, it still primarily relied on agriculture.


    Thanks to the Grass-type Pok��mon from YoYo Day Care, Verdanturf Town had a bountiful harvest in agricultural production this year. Everyone was grateful to Yuga and the YoYo Day Care.


    The lower potential Grass-type Pok��mon from YoYo Day Care weren''t expensive, costing only a few thousand Pok��dor each. As a result, almost everyone involved in agricultural production in Verdanturf Town had a Grass-type Pok��mon purchased from YoYo Day Care.


    Furthermore, due to the establishment of the Gym, Verdanturf Town had seen an increase in the influx of outsiders, leading to improved business in the town.


    Thanks to Yuga and YoYo Day Care, Verdanturf Town had be more prosperous.


    Verdanturf Town''s celebration could be considered amunity event. Yuga had also participatedst year, but he hadn''t been very involved, so he didn''t feel much about it.


    However, after actively participating this year, Yuga truly felt like a part of Verdanturf Town.


    The celebration included arge parade, dance and acrobatics performances, New Year''s wishes, early-year shrine visits, and an evening fireworks disy, among other things. In addition to these major activities, there were also many lively smaller events.


    As one of the hosts of the celebration, Yuga was quite busy, so he didn''t have much time to rx. Nevertheless, he found the experience very fulfilling.


    During the New Year''s celebration in Verdanturf Town, many trainers who had traveled outside the town had returned. This year, Mayor Ishida organized a special battlepetition as an additional event for the celebration, open to all young trainers in Verdanturf Town.


    As YoYo Day Care had developed, more children in Verdanturf Town had begun their journeys as trainers this year. Mayor Ishida arranged thispetition with the hope that these young trainers would persist in their path. The growth of a ce''s trainer poption was a sign of its true development.


    The judges for thepetition were Yuga, Liliana, and Joyka. Mayor Ishida wished that the children of Verdanturf Town could follow Yuga''s example and be strong and responsible trainers.


    Before thepetition, Mayor Ishida praised Yuga extensively during his speech, making Yuga, who was sitting in the judges'' seats, want to turn and leave, much to the amusement of Joyka and Liliana.


    The overall skill level of trainers in Verdanturf Town wasn''t very high, especially among the young participants in thispetition.


    Yuga also saw Kazuma, who had once applied for a deferred payment n at their Day Care, along with his brother, Shin.


    Kazuma had paid off his debt to YoYo Day Care a long time ago, and his Trapinch had evolved into a Flygon, making him stand out among the participants.


    His brother Shin also had decent skills. While he didn''t have high potential Pok��mon in his hands, his Pok��mon had a solid foundation.


    Besides Kazuma and his brother, Yuga also saw his former ssmate, Eisuke.


    Eisuke was now considered an old customer of YoYo Day Care, as he regrly bought Pok��blocks from them.


    After buying an Pok��block from YoYo Day Care once, he realized that the quality of the Pok��blocks here was outstanding, and the prices were reasonable. So, he became a member of YoYo Day Care''s fan base.


    Like Yuga, Eisuke had also started his journey as a trainer midway. However, he had started earlier than Yuga.


    Yuga had only heard that he had be a trainer but didn''t know the specifics of his strength until now. He was quite impressive!


    No wonder he chose to be a trainer midway; his talent was indeed remarkable. He had a powerful Starmie.


    To be honest, it was a bit awkward for Yuga to serve as a judge for apetition where his former ssmate was participating, but he had no choice since he had agreed to it, and he was quite well-known now.


    The first-ce prize for thispetition was a green potential Hoppip, sponsored for free by Yuga on behalf of YoYo Day Care.


    Verdanturf Town rarely had such activities, and Yuga, like Mayor Ishida, hoped to stimte the energy of the trainers in Verdanturf Town.


    In YoYo Day Care''s sales of Grass-type Pok��mon, green potential Hoppips or Oddishs were seldom avable because, although the Ecopark had many of these two species, most of them had yellow potential.


    Most of the lower potential Pok��mon avable at YoYo Day Care were these two species. The better ones were kept for breeding. Yuga''s willingness to provide one for free was also part of promoting YoYo Day Care.


    Only one Chapter today; I apologize as I have some family matters to attend to and haven''t had the time and focus to update in the past few days.

 Chapter 757: Recruitment

    <h4>Chapter 757: Recruitment</h4>


    In addition to Kazuma, Shin, and Eisuke, Akihito and Arata Sena also participated in thispetition.


    Luna and Rand also wanted to participate, but they were not yet ten years old, so they couldn''t join any officialpetitions, leaving them feeling quite frustrated.


    In the end, Eisuke emerged as the champion.


    Actually, during thepetition, Yuga could already predict the oue, as Eisuke''s strength surpassed the others by a considerable margin.


    Yuga awarded Eisuke the championship, considering that the prize was sponsored by YoYo Day Care.


    On the day after thepetition, Yuga, in his capacity as a Gym Leader, invited Kazuma, Shin, and Eisuke to visit Verdanturf Gym.


    Yuga''s decision to invite them to Verdanturf Gym was a spur-of-the-moment idea.


    After watching theirpetition, Yuga thought highly of their skills and realized that his Gym still had four apprentice positions avable.


    Yuga valued talent greatly and hoped to cultivate more outstanding trainers.


    Once they arrived at the Gym, Yuga didn''t beat around the bush. He directly expressed his invitation, wanting to recruit them as apprentices of Verdanturf Gym.


    Kazuma and Shin were both pleasantly surprised by the offer. They hadn''t expected such a good opportunity toe their way. After some brief consideration, they epted Yuga''s invitation.


    Bing a Gym apprentice came with numerous benefits, including ess to high potential Pok��mon and a prestigious status. They would also receive regr resources from the Pok��mon League, essentially securing their futures.


    The Pok��mon League provided more than just material resources and high potential Pok��mon; they also offered knowledge. The League had its own extensive knowledge database, open to trainers under its umbre.


    Once recognized as Gym apprentices by the League, they would gain ess to this knowledge database, allowing them to ess various information on raising and training Pok��mon.


    This information included valuable experiences shared by exceptional trainers throughout the League''s history.


    The League''s knowledge database even contained summaries of past Elite Four members and Champions'' experiences. However, as Gym apprentices, they wouldn''t have ess to such privileged information.


    Unexpectedly, Eisuke declined Yuga''s offer.


    He exined to Yuga that he didn''t want to align himself with any organization. He simply wished to be an adventurous trainer without any affiliations.


    Yuga didn''t push the matter further. Although he was surprised by Eisuke''s decision, he respected it. After all, everyone had their own aspirations.


    In the profession of a trainer, it was quite challenging for individuals from ordinary backgrounds to stand out on their own.


    Ensuring basic necessities was straightforward, and most trainers could achieve that by taking on private or League-assigned tasks, which paid well.


    However, merely covering one''s own living expenses wasn''t enough to progress. Trainers also had to budget for obtaining new Pok��mon, buying Pok��block, acquiring held items, evolution-inducing items, teaching new moves to Pok��mon, and more��all of which required significant funds.


    In the Pok��mon world, knowledge was highly protected, so essing better methods of raising Pok��mon or teaching them new moves, whether through consultation or online research, often came with a price tag.


    The rarer the information, the costlier it became.


    Furthermore, aplished trainers could afford luxuries like incense, evolution stones, and other extravagant items for their Pok��mon. Once introduced, maintaining these items became a long-termmitment, incurring ongoing expenses that were difficult to estimate.


    The Pok��mon that undergo ordinary training and those trained with incense, attribute gems, and other luxuries undoubtedly have a significant difference, and this gap only widens over time.


    Apart from these luxuries, sometimes, in order to raise the upper limits of their Pok��mon''s growth, trainers need to use rate items. These items are mostly purchased and not obtained through adventures.


    Only a few lucky individuals can experience such adventures.


    The expenses for buying these items are much higher than purchasing any luxury items, and some trainers even go to great lengths to afford them.


    The rtionship between trainers and their Pok��mon isplex. Some trainers may retire their early Pok��mon due to their poor potential, but there''s a special bond with their initial Pok��mon. A few trainers seek rate items to enhance the potential of their starter Pok��mon to continue their journey together.


    While these rate items are rare, in such a vast Pok��mon world with numerous trainers, a portion of fortunate individuals manages to acquire them.


    However, no matter which rate item it is, buying onees at an exorbitant cost.


    This highlights that having money is essential to seed in the profession of a trainer unless one is content with remaining a bottom-tier trainer forever.


    In such circumstances, most trainers opt to align themselves with a particr faction.


    Among these, Gym apprentices are highly sought after. They not only receive support and training from the Pok��mon League but also enjoy a guaranteed status.


    In the face of such temptation, Eisuke''s ability to decline Yuga''s recruitment showcases his strong convictions.


    If Yuga were in Eisuke''s shoes without the advantage of a system like his golden finger when he first arrived in this world and had the opportunity to be recruited under such favorable conditions, he would have epted without hesitation.


    After discussions with Kazuma and Shin, Yuga allowed them to return home for now.


    It''s still the New Year period, and Yuga ns to assist them in registering their identities with the League and applying for the starter Pok��mon given to Gym apprentices after the New Year celebrations.


    Although Kazuma and Shin are slightly older, their strong foundations as locals from Verdanturf Town make them well-suited for this.


    However, when talking about age, Kazuma is the older of the two. He just turned sixteen this year, making him older than Akihito but younger than Arata Sena.


    Shin, on the other hand, is eight years older than Shin, at twenty-four. He''s even older than Yuga himself, and his age in the trainer world is quite significant.


    However, his training foundation is exceptionally solid. With a few yellow potential Pok��mon in his hands, he managed to win against Akihito in the festival''spetition. He almost defeated Arata Sena as well.


    It''s worth noting that Yuga continuously provided Akihito and Arata Sena with high potential Pok��block, incense, and other resources. The Pok��mon they have all possess green potential, giving them a significant head startpared to others.


    When Yuga listened to Akihito, he learned that Kazuma had been traveling outside for these years and earned his strength through hard work and dedication.

 Chapter 758: New Arrrivals

    <h4>Chapter 758: New Arrrivals</h4>


    The joyful times always seem fleeting, and the New Year festivities with family and friends passed by in the blink of an eye.


    During the New Year period, Yuga didn''t go anywhere else and only visited the temple on the third day of the new year to see his mentor, spending two days with him on the ind.


    Apart from his aunt and uncle, his mentor was the only elder he had. Since they couldn''t celebrate the New Year together, he could only visit him afterward to spend some time together.


    Although Mr. Kuni''o had said not toe, when Yuga did visit, he could tell that his mentor was very happy.


    Once the holiday season ended, Yuga helped Kazuma and Shin register as Gym apprentices and applied for their starter Pok��mon.


    The types of starter Pok��mon for Gym apprentices at Verdanturf Gym were predetermined, and they were all Eevee.


    Apprentices could choose to train their Eevee ording to their preferences and ideal directions.


    Although Verdanturf Gym was a Grass-type Gym, Yuga didn''t want to restrict the apprentices'' preferences. What mattered most was what suited them. One of Eevee''s evolution options is Leafeon, which is a Grass-type Pok��mon, so apprentices interested in Grass-types can still go in that direction.


    After sorting out their identities, Kazuma and Shin, like other apprentices, began daily training at the Gym.


    The most time-consuming aspect of their daily routine was making full use of the League''swork knowledge database to enrich themselves. Having this learning opportunity was quite valuable to them.


    Although Gym apprentices had limited ess in the League''s knowledge database, it was still an incredible privilege for them.


    Sometimes, Yuga would lend them his own ess to the database, allowing them to ess even more knowledge.


    Whether as a Gym Leader or a Senior trainer, Yuga had high level permissions in the League''s knowledge database.


    Yuga''s ount was often used by Beidou, Akihito, Arata Sena, and others. Now, it was the same for Kazuma and Shin.


    Akihito and Arata Sena, as soon as the New Year ended, embarked on another journey. Unlike Kazuma and Shin, they are both trainers who travel year-round, so they have plenty of travel experience. What theyck is systematic training and theoretical knowledge of trainers.


    Whenever they encountered something they didn''t understand, they would humbly consult Beidou, and Yuga would asionally provide guidance as well.


    Both Kazuma and Shin were locals from Verdanturf Town, and the Gym was close to their homes, making it convenient for them. So they didn''t reside at the Gym.


    Furthermore, the staff that had left the Day Care gradually returned, and the Day Care resumed its operations.


    Shortly after the New Year, Yuga added new Pok��mon on the shelves.


    This time, he introduced Ghost-type Pok��mon. There were two varieties: Misdreavus and Litwick. However, they weren''t both avable for purchase each month; they alternated, with only one of them being avable in any given month.


    Earlier, Ghost-type Pok��block had already been made and avable on the store. Now, with Ghost-type Pok��mon in stock, it was aplementary addition.


    Yuga made a slight change to how he sold these Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    Previously, for high potential Pok��mon at YoYo Day Care, Yuga sold them directly as baby Pok��mon.


    However, when it came to Ghost-type Pok��mon, Yuga decided to sell only unhatched Pok��mon Eggs, not baby Pok��mon.


    The reason was straightforward.


    Compared to most other types of Pok��mon, many Ghost-type Pok��mon have unpredictable personalities, even as babies. They tend to be mischievous, sometimes scaring or pranking others, including their trainers.


    A significant portion of those who buy baby Pok��mon are novice trainers. Yuga was concerned that novice trainers would struggle to handle Ghost-type Pok��mon as their starter Pok��mon.


    However, if trainers personally hatched these Pok��mon from Eggs, it would be different. The bond formed from birth would make it easier for trainers to get along with Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    Of course, this approach had its advantages and disadvantages.


    When selling baby Pok��mon, YoYo Day Care would often observe the buyers and assess their character to ensure the Pok��mon would be in good hands.


    However, if they sold only Pok��mon Eggs, this method wouldn''t be suitable anymore. They couldn''t expect trainers to buy the Eggs and then leave them at the Day Care until they hatched.


    That approach wouldn''t be reasonable.


    However, in the world, many things cannot be achieved perfectly andprehensively; that''s just the way it is.


    Ghost-type Pok��mon are rare, and high potential Ghost-type Pok��mon are even rarer, so the newly introduced Misdreavus and Litwick at YoYo Day Care continued to be very popr.


    Many trainers, even if they don''t specialize in Ghost-types, recognize the undeniable strength of Ghost-type Pok��mon and are willing to have one.


    Moreover, YoYo Day Care had recently added Ghost-type Pok��block like Phantom, making it much simpler to train Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    In fact, YoYo Day Care was currently the only private Day Care that sold Ghost-type Pok��mon, besides the League''s Pok��mon Day Care Centers.


    Ghost-type Pok��mon are not only challenging to breed but also difficult to manage. Most Day Cares couldn''t handle these two issues.


    Ghost-type Pok��mon have a unique habitat, and ordinary Ecopark not only fail to provide them with an ideal living environment but also struggle to keep them within their confines. Ghost-type Pok��mon can easily disappear and leave the Ecopark unnoticed.


    So, except for a fewrge families specializing in Ghost-type Pok��mon, breeding and managing Ghost-type Pok��mon was difficult for most Day Cares.


    However, for Yuga, who had the Ghost Sea, it was quiet simple. The Ghost Sea could not only win over the hearts of Ghost-type Pok��mon but also help them reproduce more high potential offspring.


    Scarcity increases value, and as one of the few Day Cares selling Ghost-type Pok��mon, YoYo Day Care could easily seize a significant market share while expanding its reputation.


    The two Ghost-type Pok��mon offered by YoYo Day Care, Misdreavus and Litwick, were both outstanding species, rare and powerful. Consequently, their reputation quickly spread among the trainermunity.


    In particr, Litwick was not just a Ghost-type Pok��mon but also a Fire-type. Many Fire-type trainers were equally interested in it.


    Among them was nnery.


    nnery really wanted to buy a Litwick from YoYo Day Care, but she couldn''t secure an appointment, so she called Yuga toin.


    In the end, Yuga sold her one privately.


    The reason Yuga did this wasn''t just because he and nnery were friends, but also because he remembered the favor from Mr. Moore, who had given him a Green potential Vulpix for free in the past. That Vulpix had be an excellent manager in his Ecopark, and he was grateful for it.


    It wasn''t just the gift of the green potential Vulpix, but Mr. Moore had also helped him several times, speaking highly of him in the League and lending his support multiple times. These favors were precious to Yuga.


    So, selling a Litwick privately to Mr. Moore''s only granddaughter was nothing significant for Yuga.


    Originally, Yuga nned to give the Litwick to nnery directly, but when Mr. Moore learned of this, he insisted on paying, saying that they had already broken YoYo Day Care''s rules and couldn''t ept it for free.


    In the end, Yugapromised and gave nnery a discount.


    This could be considered apromise on both sides, and Yuga was somewhat helpless about Mr. Moore''s unexpected stubbornness.

 Chapter 759: Commission

    <h4>Chapter 759: Commission</h4>


    After the New Year, Yuga clearly felt that business at the YoYo Day Care had improvedpared to before.


    Originally, Yuga had spent arge sum of money to build the Pok��mon Paradise, and he could see his funds gradually increasing.


    At present, the bulk of YoYo Day Care''s profits didn''te from selling Pok��mon but from selling Pok��block and incense, with incense being the most profitable.


    Currently, there were two employees at YoYo Day Care who made incense: one was the long-time employee, Lain, and the other was the affordable assistant they had hired, Yasushi.


    Yasushi and Lain had different methods for making incense, resulting in different end products, but Yasushi''s skill was truly remarkable. In terms of incense quality, he was no less than Lain, which piqued Yuga''s curiosity about his background.


    However, Yasushi wasn''t willing to talk about it, and Yuga didn''t push him. As long as he worked diligently and obediently, Yuga had modest expectations.


    These two individuals usually made incense without interfering with each other, and they had no intention of learning from each other.


    Fortunately, having Yasushi around was a blessing because, with YoYo Day Care''s business booming, relying solely on Lain would have been quite challenging.


    In addition to supplying their store, Lain also had to produce extra stock for the league stores.


    Initially, Yuga had some concerns about Yasushi, given that he had been hired without much background information.


    However, since Yasushi arrived at YoYo Day Care, he had been well-behaved, hardworking, and got along well with other employees, which eased Yuga''s worries.


    On this day, Yuga and Audino were preparing to deliver a batch of incense and Pok��block ordered by customers to the Pidgey Express in town. However, they realized that the quantity of goods was a bit much for just the two of them to handle.


    Hmm... it might be time to buy a truck, Yuga thought, looking at the pile of goods.


    However, even if he nned to buy a truck, he would still have to deliver the current goods himself.


    Other staff in the store were busy, and Yuga didn''t want to burden the girls with delivery tasks, so he decided to call Windy from upstairs to help.


    Windy often helped with deliveries to the Pidgey Express, so when Yuga called, he promptly came.


    With Windy''s assistance, Yuga and Audino finally delivered the goods to the Pidgey Express.


    The employees at Pidgey Express were delighted to see Yuga and his group, treating them warmly. YoYo Day Care had be a regr partner of Pidgey Express''s Verdanturf Town branch and theirrgest customer in town. Referring to Yuga as their lucky charm wasn''t an exaggeration, so they naturally treated him with great care.


    "Why did the Gym Leader himselfe to deliver today?" Manager Abe of Pidgey Express asked Yuga with some surprise and excitement.


    Since YoYo Day Care''s business had improved, he and Yuga had frequent interactions. He had been nning to visit Yuga personally to ask for a favor, but he didn''t expect Yuga to show up on his own.


    As YoYo Day Care''s business continued to grow, Yuga''s status had risen, making Manager Abe treat him with increasing caution.


    As the performance of the Pidgey Express Branch in Verdanturf Town gradually improved, Anbu''s treatment and status also received corresponding improvement. So, Yuga and YoYo Day Care can currently be considered his cash cows.


    "Just had some free time, so decided to lend a hand," Yuga replied with a smile.


    Pidgey Express was the leadingpany in the transportation industry of the Pok��mon world. They had branches in various regions and cities, and their influence was significant.


    Its founder was a Flying-type Pok��mon Trainer who excelled in training Pok��mon like Pidgey, Pidgeotto, and Pidgeot, hence the name Pidgey Express.


    However, if you thought Pidgey Express was just a transportationpany, you were greatly mistaken.


    Transportationpanies like them often encountered idents or incidents during the transportation of goods, so when it came to handlingrge or long-distance shipments, the strength of the Flying-type Pok��mon responsible for the transportation exceeded imagination.


    It was said that as long as you could pay the price, they could even dispatch Elite level Pok��mon to ensure the safety of your goods.


    Suchrgepanies usually trained numerous Trainers.


    Taking Manager Abe as an example, Yuga knew that he wasn''t just the manager of Pidgey Express''s Verdanturf Town branch; he was also a Trainer with strength almost reaching pseudo-Elite levem. His Pidgeot was just one step away from reaching pseudo-Elite level, and sometimes he helped the delivery service himself.


    Perhaps his strength alone wasn''t terrifying, but when you considered the entire Hoenn region, or even the entire Pok��mon world, how many towns were there like Verdanturf Town? When you did the math, the number of Trainers affiliated with Pidgey Express was indeed staggering.


    "In that case, we at Pidgey Express have a request, and we were hoping that Gym Leader Shimizu could lend a hand. I had actually nned to visit you in person, but I didn''t expect you toe on your own," Manager Abe said with a smile.


    "A request?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    "Yes, to be precise, it''s not just a request from Pidgey Express; it''s also rted to the Joy family."


    Upon hearing this, Yuga became even more curious.


    "Tell me more."


    Yuga said to Manager Abe.


    "Here''s what happened..."


    Manager Abe exined the cause of the incident.


    It turned out that the Joy family of Hoenn hadmissioned Pidgey Express to transport a batch of Pok��mon Eggs to Kanto, which would pass through Verdanturf Town on the way.


    Because this involved the Joy family, it was a rare and significant business deal, so the higher-ups at Pidgey Express attached great importance to it, and their young boss was in charge of this mission.


    Pidgey Express''s young boss was a highly skilled Trainer, responsible for escorting manyrge shipments in the past, and he was highly respected within thepany. Therefore, they entrusted this mission to the young boss with full confidence.


    However, shortly after the transport team set off, the Joy family received a message that someone was nning to interfere with the shipment in Verdanturf Town.


    Initially, Pidgey Express didn''t pay much attention to this matter, believing that with their young boss in charge, there would be no problems with the transport team.


    But the Joy family insisted and repeatedly reminded them that relying solely on Pidgey Express''s young boss was not enough. They requested additional manpower to ensure the safety of this batch of Pok��mon Eggs.


    The Joy family had a strong informationwork, so their repeated warnings left Pidgey Express with no choice but to take the matter seriously.


    However, at this point, it was nearly impossible for them to allocate enough personnel on such short notice, especially personnel more capable than their young boss.


    They were in a dilemma. If anything went wrong with this business deal, their reputation would be tarnished, and there was even a chance of offending the Joy family.


    It was said that the Joy family attached great importance to this batch of Pok��mon Eggs.


    During this difficult time, the Joy family offered a solution.


    Since the opposing party nned to act in Verdanturf Town, they suggested seeking help from Verdanturf Town. All that was required was to offer sufficientpensation.


    Now, when it came to Verdanturf Town, everyone knew there was a strong Gym Leader here.


    Setting aside thepensation, this was a criminal case, and as a Gym Leader affiliated with the League, Yuga had an obligation to assist in capturing the criminals.


    The higher-ups at Pidgey Express also thought this was an excellent solution, so they assigned the task of seeking help from Verdanturf Town to their Verdanturf Town branch and promised Yuga amplepensation.


    ��


    Some readers have been hoping for YoYo Day Care to introduce Chansey, and now the opportunity has arrived.

 Chapter 760: Younger Cousin

    <h4>Chapter 760: Younger Cousin</h4>


    After listening to Abe''s words, Yuga fell silent for a moment.


    He thought that epting thismission would be a good idea. It would allow both Pidgey Express and the Joy family to owe him a favor, which was quite advantageous. Moreover, there would be a reward involved.


    "Alright, I agree."


    Yuga didn''t rush to discuss the reward with Abe. Firstly, he believed that argepany like Pidgey Express wouldn''t engage in dishonest practices, and secondly, he felt that Abe, in his current position, might not have the authority to decide such matters.


    "That''s great!"


    Hearing Yuga''s response, Abe looked pleasantly surprised. Seeking assistance from the Verdanturf Gym was a crucial matter, as it concerned the reputation of Pidgey Express. If they could sessfully handle this task, Abe would gain significant credit.


    "I''ll visit your Gymter to discuss the details of thismission with you."


    With joy, Abe told Yuga after their agreement.


    "Sure, you can send my goods first. I''ll be waiting for you at the Gym."


    Having said that, Yuga gestured for Windy to leave.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure your goods are delivered. Take care."


    Abe followed Yuga and Windy to see them off at the entrance of Pidgey Express.


    "Brother Windy?"


    Yuga and Windy had not gone far from the Pidgey Express when they suddenly heard a voice calling from behind.


    Yuga and Windy instinctively turned their heads when they heard the voice. They saw a young man with purple hair standing behind them, looking at Windy with surprise.


    "It''s really you, Brother Windy!"


    After his initial surprise, the young man with purple hair was filled with joy and eximed.


    Windy was also very surprised at this moment, not expecting to see his own cousin here.


    Not only Windy but Yuga was also surprised!


    Isn''t this James? He actually knows Windy, what a small world! But James should be in Kanto, right? How did he end up in Hoenn?


    Yuga noticed that James was wearing a Team Rocket uniform at the moment, which meant that he had joined Team Rocket.


    "James, how did you end up here?"


    Windy asked in confusion. Unlike James, who was initially surprised and then filled with joy, Windy''s expression quickly returned to calm.


    Upon hearing Windy''s question, James''s face looked a bit unnatural. "I... I have some business."


    "Oh, I see."


    Windy didn''t ask further and just responded quietly.


    Yuga nced at Windy and then at James, feeling that there was something strange in the atmosphere between them.


    Their rtionship might not be simple.


    "Windy, is this someone you know?"


    Yuga had to pretend not to recognize the young man, deliberately feigning confusion and directing his question to Windy.


    "Well, sort of."


    Windy seemed reluctant to borate.


    Only after Yuga spoke that James notice the presence of another person beside Windy. He had been so overwhelmed with joy upon seeing Windy that he hadn''t noticed anyone else around.


    "I''m James."


    Before Windy could speak, James eagerly introduced himself to Yuga.


    "Are you a friend of Windy''s?"


    "Sort of. Are you his friend too?"


    Yuga had never heard about Windy''s past, his friends, or his family. He didn''t know about any of Windy''s acquaintances or rtives.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s question, James''s expression turned somewhat unnatural. "I... I''m... um... Windy''s younger brother."


    "Younger brother?"


    Now it was Yuga''s turn to be surprised.


    As far as Yuga knew, James came from a prominent family in the Kanto region. They used to be nobles in the region, but as the aristocracy declined in the Pok��mon League, their family had transitioned into a business dynasty, and they were quite wealthy. Their family''s influence was nothing to be underestimated and was on par with major corporations like Pidgey Express.


    Yuga knew that Windy''s surname was Sasaki, but he had never imagined that Windy and James were actually brothers.


    Upon closer inspection, Yuga thought they did share some resemnce, perhaps about two or three simrities out of ten.


    But if Windy and James were brothers, it meant they both belonged to the Sasaki family. Yuga couldn''t help but wonder why Windy hade to work here if he was a member of such a prestigious family.


    So, do the Sasaki family''s children have a tradition of leaving home? First, there was James joining Team Rocket, and now Windy working at YoYo Day Care.


    "We''re... we''re cousins," James exined further, a bit nervously when he noticed that Windy didn''t respond to his words.


    So, they were cousins.


    "I see. Windy, do you want to invite your cousin to visit?"


    This was Yuga''s first time meeting one of the members of the Team Rocket Trio, and he felt quite pleased. Inviting James to visit wouldn''t hurt.


    "Maybe not."


    "Are you sure?"


    Both Windy and James spoke up, but Windy seemed reluctant, while James appeared excited.


    Observing the different reactions of these two, Yuga became more convinced that there was something unusual between them.


    James''s attitude was quite normal. He hadn''t seen his cousin in a long time, and he was excited to meet him again, which was reasonable.


    However, Windy''s attitude was strange. He seemed cold towards James, not unweing, but clearly not eager to meet him either.


    "Windy, could you take me with you? It''s been so many years since we''ve seen each other," James pleaded with Windy, recalling the good rtionship they had when they were younger.


    Yuga refrained from encouraging Windy to take James with them. If there was any hidden conflict or if Windy genuinely didn''t want to see James, he didn''t want to interfere.


    Although Yuga was delighted by the unexpected encounter with James, he was more closely associated with Windy, and his loyalty leaned toward Windy.


    After hearing James''s plea, Windy hesitated for a while. Eventually, under James''s hopeful gaze, he nodded reluctantly. "Alright."


    "That''s great! Let''s go quickly!"


    Delighted by Windy''s agreement, James jumped with excitement and followed Yuga and Windy back to YoYo Day Care.


    When they arrived at YoYo Day Care''s entrance, Windy exined to James, "I live and work here now. And this is actually my boss."


    Windy pointed at Yuga.


    "Oh, I see!" James looked at Yuga, and seeing Yuga smile at him, he turned to look at the sign above the entrance. "YoYo Pok��mon Day Care. So, Windy, you work here."


    Suddenly, James''s mood seemed to darken as he thought of something. "Well, let''s go inside. No point standing around here."


    Saying this, he grabbed James''s arm and led him inside.


    "Boss, you''re back!"


    Seeing Yuga return, Suzuki Koen walked over from behind the counter.


    "Who''s this?"


    Seeing James beside Yuga, Suzuki Koen assumed he was a customer and wanted to assist.


    "Oh, this is Windy''s cousin. He came to visit him. You can go on with your work; Windy will take care of him."


    Suzuki Koen understood instantly, but then she remembered something and said to Yuga, "By the way, there''s a guest waiting at Yasushi''s ce. She said she''s his sister, but from the look on Yasushi''s face, it doesn''t seem quite right. Do you want to check on them?"


    "Sister? I see. I''ll go have a look."


    It seemed that siblings were gathering here one after another.

 Chapter 761: Little Sister

    <h4>Chapter 761: Little Sister</h4>


    With these thoughts in mind, Yuga said to Windy, "You take James to your room. I''ll go see Yasushi."


    Windy nodded in response, "Alright."


    Windy''s room had already been moved to the new store, and he currently lived with Yasushi and the others there. So, when they arrived at the new store, Windy took James to the second floor to his room, while Yuga went to the guest room.


    At the door of the guest room, Yuga knocked and asked, "I heard there''s a guest. May Ie in?"


    "It''s the boss. Pleasee in," replied Yasushi from inside.


    Yuga entered the guest room and was surprised to see an unexpected person inside.


    "Miss Miyuki?"


    "Mr. Shimizu, we meet again!"


    Miyuki stood up from her chair and greeted Yuga politely. Her voice was soft and gentle, and if Yuga hadn''t witnessed her pping her own sister, he might have believed that she was a gentle girl.


    "So, Yasushi''s little sister is Miss Miyuki?" Yuga asked Yasushi, surprised.


    Yasushi looked at Yuga and nodded slowly, but his expression was somewhat grim.


    "Yes, I didn''t expect such a coincidence in the world. My brother is working at Mr. Shimizu''s store. It''s just that my brother has been away for so long without contacting home, and both Grandfather and my sister were very worried about him."


    Miyuki spoke in a slightly teasing tone as if she were doting on her brother, giving the impression that they had a very close sibling rtionship.


    However, as Yuga listened to Miyuki''s words, he noticed that Yasushi''s expression became increasingly unpleasant. He didn''t say a word.


    No wonder Yasushi was so skilled in making incense; he had a family background in it, Yuga finally understood.


    "Is Miss Miyuki here to persuade Yasushi to go back home?" Yuga looked at Miyuki and then at Yasushi, feeling that the rtionship between these two wasn''t as simple as it appeared.


    Miyuki chuckled, "Why would I? My brother has his own ideas, and he can go wherever he wants. But he should asionally contact home, or we''ll worry."


    After speaking, she cast a "meful" look at Yasushi.


    But Yasushi''s face grew darker and darker.


    Sensing the increasingly awkward atmosphere, Yuga was about to speak when Miyuki said, "Now that I''ve seen my brother safe and sound, I can rest easy. I''ll take my leave today. Goodbye, Mr. Shimizu."


    With that, Miyuki turned and bowed politely to Yuga before heading outside.


    Watching Miyuki''s retreating figure, Yuga found this girl was weird.


    After Miyuki left, Yasushi, who had been tense, seemed to rx all at once. He slumped into a chair.


    "What''s wrong? Your sister came to visit you, but you don''t seem too happy about it," Yuga asked.


    In fact, Yuga could guess the reason to some extent. If she wasn''t a good sister, she probably wasn''t a good sibling either.


    Yasushi, catching his breath, sat up straight in the chair and took a deep breath. Then he said to Yuga, "Boss, I''m thinking of leaving this ce."


    "Because of your sister?" Yuga inquired.


    Yasushi nodded.


    "Tell me the reasons."


    Actually, Yasushi was quite important to YoYo Day Care at the moment. Without him, they couldn''t handle the incense business alone, especially since it was thriving. So, unless there was apelling reason, Yuga didn''t want Yasushi to leave.


    With this sudden need, it wasn''t feasible to hire or train an incense maker quickly. Besides, whether a hired or trained incense maker would meet Yasushi''s standards was uncertain.


    "I was injured because of her," Yasushi said, and as he spoke, he seemed to recall some unpleasant memories, causing his face to pale considerably.


    Hearing this, Yuga was surprised. He remembered that Yasushi had been injured by a Pok��mon''s attack in the past.


    So, if Yasushi''s injury was connected to this Miyuki, she must not only be a skilled incense maker but also a formidable Pok��mon trainer.


    "Are you saying that you sought my protection initially because of her?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    Yasushi silently nodded.


    "Well, now that I''ve agreed to provide you with protection, what are you worried about?" Yuga didn''t quite understand.


    "She''s very skilled, and if I stay here, she''ll likelye after me again. If that happens, it could affect the business here, and if anyone gets hurt, it would be troublesome. She doesn''t care about hurting others when she gets involved."


    Yasushi spoke with urgency, expressing his gratitude for Yuga''s long-term hospitality. He didn''t want YoYo Day Care to suffer because of his troubles.


    "She seems quite ruthless!" Yuga thought. Still, he didn''t believe that this Miyuki could cause much trouble at YoYo Day Care, especially with the presence of Dragonite''s mother and Gardevoir.


    "Alright, alright, just stay here and work diligently for me. I promise no one can harm you!" Yuga waved it off, not concerned about Miyuki causing any issues here.


    "But..." Yasushi wanted to say more, but Yuga interrupted him.


    "I said it''s fine. Instead, why don''t you tell me more about what''s going on between you two?"


    With a slightly bitter expression, Yasushi began to recount theplex rtionship between him and Miyuki.


    In their family, there were three children: Yasushi, the eldest; Miyuki, the middle child; and the youngest, Yukino. However, they didn''t share the same mother.


    Yasushi was the child of their father''s first wife, while Miyuki and Yukino were born to Yasushi''s stepmother.


    Yasushi''s biological mother had passed away when he was very young, and his father remarried shortly afterward, subsequently having Miyuki and Yukino with his new wife.


    However, Yasushi''s grandfather favored him the most and didn''t pay much attention to Miyuki and Yukino.


    The root cause of this situation was their family''s tradition of prioritizing males over females, a tradition that had been ingrained in their family for generations.


    Their family had a long lineage of incense makers, excellent incense makers have appeared from generation to generation. His grandfather is also a famous incense maker today.


    But there is a rule in their family, and that is the true art of incense-making was traditionally only passed down to males. Females were at most allowed to learn the basics and sometimes were prohibited from even touching incense materials.


    Yasushi''s grandfather, in particr, was very strict and traditional in this regard.


    The reason behind this rule was simple.


    The art of incense-making was a closely guarded family secret, and any family that possessed this knowledge was unlikely to share it outside. If females were allowed to learn andter married into other families, it could potentially lead to the secret being revealed to outsiders.


    Yasushi''s family was not alone in having this rule; most long-standing incense maker families had simr customs. However, Yasushi''s grandfather was especially stringent.q

 Chapter 762: Past

    <h4>Chapter 762: Past</h4>


    Although Yasushi''s grandfather was highly respected in the world of incense, his son, who is also Yasushi''s father, was aplete failure when it came to incense making.


    Yasushi''s grandfather had only one son, Yasushi''s father, so he had high hopes for him, wanting him to inherit the family''s legacy. Therefore, from a very young age, he began teaching him the art of incense making.


    However, Yasushi''s father had no talent in this regard. No matter how hard Yasushi''s grandfather tried to teach him, he couldn''t grasp the essence of incense making.


    Yasushi''s father initially had no great ambitions, and he didn''t mind inheriting the family business as his father wished. However, after countless failures, he lost all interest in incense making.


    With the family''s wealth, Yasushi''s father soon became a wastrel.


    After being disappointed by his son repeatedly, Yasushi''s grandfather gave up on the idea of his son inheriting the family business. Instead, he single-handedly upheld the family''s reputation in the incense world.


    Then, Yasushi was born.


    With Yasushi''s birth, all of Yasushi''s grandfather''s hopes were ced on his grandson.


    As Yasushi grew up, he didn''t disappoint his grandfather. Unlike his inept father, Yasushi showed great talent in incense making.


    Because of his deep affection for Yasushi, Yasushi''s grandfather didn''t have strong feelings for the two granddaughters bornter. He even had a certain dislike for the mother of the two girls.


    The mother of Miyuki and Yukino came from a humble background and was married into the family primarily because of her exceptional beauty, especially evident in Miyuki, who was the most beautiful woman Yuga had ever seen.


    Despite hisck of fondness, Yasushi''s grandfather didn''t oppose his son''s decision to marry the mother of Miyuki and Yukino. He already had an outstanding sessor in Yasushi, so he didn''t care what his son did or whom he married.


    From a young age, Miyuki developed a strong interest in incense making. Whenever her ssmates praised the fame of her family''s incense, she felt immensely proud.


    Therefore, she expressed her desire to learn incense making alongside her brother Yasushi several times. However, her grandfather firmly refused her every time, even ordering her not to go near the incense making workshop.


    Unlike her strict grandfather, Yasushi had a deep affection for his delicate little sister. He secretly taught Miyuki some basic incense making techniques and knowledge behind their grandfather''s back.


    At that time, Miyuki really admired her gentle brother.


    Miyuki always thought that her grandfather''s refusal to let her learn incense making was due to herck of excellence. So, she studied diligently, always showing her best side to her grandfather.


    Miyuki was indeed outstanding. At school, she was the most praised child.


    However, her grandfather never gave her more than a passing nce.


    Miyuki felt frustrated. She believed that she wasn''t good enough and that if she could be more like her brother, her grandfather would surely allow her to learn incense making.


    Miyuki had a genuine passion for incense, and she considered herself fortunate to be born into such a prestigious incense making family.


    Later on, tragedy struck when Miyuki''s parents had an ident and both passed away. Miyuki and her younger sister, Yukino, had no choice but to be raised by their grandfather.


    Even though their grandfather took charge of their upbringing, he rarely paid any attention to the sisters. They mostly lived with the family''s servants and sometimes went for days without seeing their brother or grandfather.


    Despite this, Miyuki''s love for incense remained strong. She studied the ssifications of nts and flowers needed for incense making, learned about the different types of incense and their uses, and so on.


    However, she could only touch the surface, even the knowledge Yasushi secretly shared with her was quite basic.


    She yearned to learn the family''s incense making techniques, so she worked even harder to impress her grandfather.


    But her grandfather had grown impatient with her.


    Once, Miyuki brought a rare book on exotic nts and herbs to ask her grandfather for advice, but he angrily knocked the book to the ground and scolded her harshly.


    Her grandfather told her that she could never be like her brother and learn the family''s true legacy of incense making.


    At that moment, young Miyuki, looking at her grandfather with his stern gaze, didn''t know how to describe her feelings. She simply picked up her book quietly and left her grandfather''s study.


    From that day onwards, all the servants in the house and her sister, Yukino, knew that Miyuki never touched anything rted to incense again.


    Miyuki remained the same cheerful and lovely girl.


    No longer touching incense, Miyuki began to study and train in matters rted to being a Pok��mon Trainer. She told the people in the house that she wanted to be a Pok��mon Trainer.


    The servants and her sister, Yukino, thought this was quite normal. If one couldn''t be an incense maker, bing a Trainer was a good alternative.


    Although her grandfather didn''t allow her to pursue incense making, he never deprived the sisters of financial resources. Their family was wealthy.


    With enough money, Miyuki could obtain excellent Pok��mon and abundant resources.


    What surprised everyone was that Miyuki had a natural talent for being a Trainer. Her strength continued to grow, and she became a renowned Pok��mon Trainer prodigy, even at school.


    However, one day, her grandfather suddenly told her that she was not allowed to continue being a Trainer.


    Miyuki was shocked, but she obediently followed her grandfather''smand. Deep down, she knew her grandfather was afraid she would threaten her brother''s position.


    The influence of a powerful Trainer could be terrifying.


    From that day on, Miyuki remained the same cheerful Miyuki, but her brother, Yasushi, felt that her smile toward him had changed somehow.


    He believed that his grandfather was in the wrong and tried to persuade him, but his grandfather scolded him. He couldn''t change his grandfather''s mind or stop his actions, and he felt guilty for what was happening to Miyuki.


    It wasn''t until Miyuki was ten years old that she disappeared from home with the few Pok��mon her grandfather had kept hidden.


    No one knew where Miyuki had gone. Yasushi tried to find her, using his family''s connections, but there were no leads.


    Their grandfather had also searched, but Yasushi knew he wasn''t putting much effort into it. He disliked Miyuki and even saw her as a threat because she was exceptionally talented for a girl.


    Later, Yasushi discovered that his grandfather had intentionally raised Yukino to be a wastrel, fearing that she might be another Miyuki.


    Yukino didn''t know what had happened to her sister specifically but felt that after Miyuki left, their grandfather had be much kinder to her.


    For a girl who had lost both parents, her grandfather''s care was something she couldn''t refuse.


    It''s unclear if Yukino inherited her father''s penchant for idleness, but she quickly became a reckless fool.


    Yasushi had warned Yukino in secret, but she had everything she wanted: food, drink, and endless spending money. She was content with her life and paid no attention to Yasushi''s warnings.


    Yasushi knew that everything his grandfather did was for him, but he couldn''t agree with his grandfather''s methods. He felt deeply sorry for his two sisters.


    When Miyuki returned home at the age of sixteen, six years after she had left, their family underwent earth-shaking changes.

 Chapter 763: Leaving Home

    <h4>Chapter 763: Leaving Home</h4>


    No one knew where Miyuki had been for these six years, and when Yasushi saw her again, she had grown into a graceful youngdy.


    Despite the passing of six years, Yasushi could still see glimpses of Miyuki''s childhood in her face.


    Yasushi was delighted that Miyuki had returned, hoping to make up for the years of neglect and correct their grandfather''s mistakes.


    Yukino, Miyuki''s sister, was also happy about her return, although her memories of Miyuki had faded due to her young age when Miyuki left.


    However, Miyuki''s attitude towards everyone was strange. She immediately noticed that her sister had grown up to be weak-willed, but she seemed unconcerned. Her attitude toward Yasushi, her once-close brother, was also peculiar.


    Their grandfather still disapproved of her and even wanted to drive her away, iming that the family didn''t need her.


    Miyuki didn''t get angry. Instead, she smiled warmly at their grandfather, calling him "grandpa" affectionately, and confidently decided to stay in the family.


    Soon, their grandfather realized that something was amiss in the household.


    The family and their workshop were gradually slipping out of his control. By the time he realized it, the entire family was under Miyuki''s control.


    Miyuki obtained all the family''s books rted to incense making and began to learn incense making on her own. Yasushi, feeling indebted to his sister, also began teaching her.


    Miyuki had a natural talent for incense making, surpassing not only their grandfather but also Yasushi. In less than three years, she had surpassed Yasushi in incense making skills.


    After mastering the essence of incense making, Miyuki''s first act was to imprison Yasushi, the one who had taught her all she knew.


    In her eyes, Yasushi was partly responsible for the injustices she had suffered.


    It was then that Yasushi and their grandfather realized that Miyuki had be a powerful Pok��mon Trainer, to the point where they had no chance of resisting her.


    Yasushi was imprisoned in his own room and couldn''t step outside. Their grandfather waspletely sidelined, like a puppet controlled by Miyuki.


    His sister Yukino doesn''t care at all about what happens at home. As long as she can have a good life, she doesn''t have a problem with whoever makes the decision in the family.


    Compared with his rigid grandfather, Yukino hopes that her sister can take charge of the family.


    "In fact, since Miyuki took charge of the family, Yukino lived a more carefree life, as long as she didn''t offend Miyuki or cause trouble for her.


    For example, when Yukino offended Yugua in the past, it was unforgivable in Miyuki''s eyes, and it would bring her a lot of trouble.


    Since then, their entire family and the family''s incense industry have all been controlled by Miyuki, while their grandfather serves as her puppet, helping her maintain the facade of family harmony.


    Although his grandfather wanted to resist, every time he did, Miyuki would bring him, battered and bruised, in front of their grandfather. After repeated incidents, their grandfather dared not resist anymore.


    Yasushi was their grandfather''s favorite grandson, so their grandfather couldn''t risk his safety any longer.


    During a period when Miyuki was often absent from home, their grandfather helped Yasushi escape.


    Yasushi knew that Miyuki still needed their grandfather and wouldn''t harm him, so he escaped alone. It was only when he encountered Yuga and the others that he was safe from Miyuki''s pursuit.


    Yasushi always felt indebted to Miyuki. He knew that Miyuki''s current personality and the family''s unfair treatment were closely rted, and he bore a significant responsibility for it.


    After escaping, he never thought about seeking revenge against Miyuki orpeting with her for control of the family business. Instead, he chose to follow Yuga to YoYo Day Care and never revealed who had harmed him.


    He believed that staying at YoYo Day Care as an ordinary employee was a good choice.


    While Miyuki was imprisoned him, Yasushi realized that her temperament was unpredictable. Despite her beautiful and kind appearance in public, she was ruthless and cunning behind closed doors. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have tortured him repeatedly in the past.


    She harbored resentment, not only towards their grandfather but also towards him, her ipetent brother.


    So that''s why he tell Yuga that he wanted to leave YoYo Day Care.


    After listening to Yasushi''s story, Yuga couldn''t help but feel that their grandfather had gone too far. Not only did he prevent Miyuki from bing an incense maker, but he also stripped her of her qualifications as a Pok��mon Trainer. It was no wonder that Miyuki had be twisted and extreme.


    Being grandchildren, the stark difference in treatment was hard for Miyuki to ept, and she harbored deep resentment.


    Yuga believed that if you didn''t stand up when needed, you would be extinguished in silence. Miyuki had given their grandfather a vivid lesson.


    "You can rest assured staying here. I promise you won''t have any trouble," Yuga assured Yasushi.


    Although this was originally their family''s business, and Miyuki''s actions might be twisted and extreme, Yuga couldn''t afford to be indifferent, given the importance of his business.


    "But..."


    Yasushi hesitated.


    "Oh, no ''buts.'' I told you to stay, so stay. Why worry about this and that? I''m not afraid, so what are you afraid of!" Yuga impatiently interrupted Yasushi, who could only nod in agreement.


    "All right, go back to work. Don''t stand around here foolishly," Yuga waved his hand dismissively to Yasushi.


    Meanwhile, in another part of the building, Windy had brought James to his own room. James looked around curiously.


    "Is this your room, Windy?"


    Windy nodded silently.


    "Yeah... it''s really nice."


    James used to live in a mansion as well, but ever since he left home to join Team Rocket, his living conditions had taken a nosedive. Now, seeing Windy''s room, he genuinely felt that it was much better than what he had in Team Rocket.


    "Windy, are you taking care of the Pok��mon here as part of your job?"


    James was curious about Windy''s job and was interested in the Pok��mon at YoYo Day Care.


    "No, my job doesn''t have much to do with the Pok��mon. It''s more rted to thework," Windy replied casually.


    "Oh, I see. Well, you''ve always been interested in these things."


    Hearing that Windy''s job didn''t involve Pok��mon, James felt a bit disappointed. He was quite interested in Pok��mon and had hoped Windy could show him around.


    "What about you? Why did youe to the Hoenn region?" Windy asked.


    "I... I ran away from home," James answered hesitantly, deliberately not mentioning that he had joined Team Rocket.


    Although James was currently wearing a Team Rocket uniform, Windy had no knowledge of Team Rocket, so he couldn''t guess that James had joined an uwful organization.


    "Why would you run away from home all of a sudden?" Windy was surprised to hear this.


    Unlike Windy''s awkward situation, James was the legitimate heir of the Sasaki family, so it was hard to imagine why he would run away from home.


    "Um, it''s a long story," James said vaguely, not wanting to exin the whole situation.


    James was wearing a Team Rocket uniform, but Windy was unaware of Team Rocket''s existence, so he couldn''t have guessed that James had joined an illegal organization.


    "Why would you suddenly run away from home?" Windy was surprised to hear this.


    Unlike Windy''s situation, James was the legitimate heir of the Sasaki family, so it was difficult to understand why he would leave home like this.


    "Well, it''s a long story," James replied vaguely, not wanting to go into details.

 Chapter 764: Illegitimate Child

    <h4>Chapter 764: Illegitimate Child</h4>


    Upon hearing Windy''s question, James hesitated and avoided answering.


    Seeing that James didn''t want to share, Windy didn''t press further and casually chatted with him about other topics.


    After a while, Windy took James downstairs to meet Yuga.


    Once their reunion conversation was over, Yuga asked James if he wanted amodation arranged for him. James wanted to spend more time with his cousin Windy and reluctantly nodded, under Windy''s somewhat reluctant gaze.


    Yuga then had Windy take James to the dormitories at the Pok��mon Paradise to settle in. Some customers were already staying there, so everything was readily avable.


    The cafeteria at the Pok��mon Paradise was also open for business, and Aunt Aoba was the chef. To facilitate matters, employees from the Pok��mon Day Care and apprentices and staff from the Gym all ate at the Pok��mon Paradise''s cafeteria.


    Since they had to cater to both Gym staff and the Pok��mon Paradise''s guests, Yuga provided additional wages to Aunt Aoba, on top of what the Pok��mon League paid her. After all, her responsibilities extended beyond just cooking for the Gym staff and apprentices, so additionalpensation was justified.


    Originally, Aunt Aoba was reluctant to ept extra pay. She was satisfied with her current job, and the Pok��mon League''s sry was already decent. Cooking for a few more people was easy for her.


    However, Yuga insisted that she ept it. Currently, not many people were dining at the Pok��mon Paradise, but as the YoYo Day Care''s business grew, more guests and staff woulde in the future. If Aunt Aoba ever found herself overwhelmed, Yuga even considered hiring a couple of assistants for her.


    After settling in at the Pok��mon Paradise, James was quickly captivated by the stray Pok��mon there. He enthusiastically yed with them, even though some of the stray Pok��mon were aloof and didn''t want to interact with humans.


    But James remained undeterred, continuing to approach them with enthusiasm.


    After ensuring James wasfortable, Windy went to find Yuga.


    "Boss, I want to talk to you about something," Windy said in a low voice.


    Yuga, who was counting the newly ced incense on the counter, was startled by Windy''s sudden words.


    He turned to see Windy and let out a sigh of relief. "What''s going on? Your expression looks so serious."


    "I want to talk to you about my past," Windy said quietly.


    Yuga was somewhat surprised to hear this. Windy had been at YoYo Day Care for almost two years now, and during holidays and breaks, Yuga hadn''t seen him go home, nor had any family members visited him or received any contact from him.


    He didn''t inquire about Windy''s past, and the others at the shop didn''t ask either. Everyone could guess that Windy must have had something in his past he didn''t want to discuss.


    Over these two years, Windy had been diligent and hardworking at YoYo Day Care. He had managed the YoYo Day Care''s website effectively, and he was willing to do any task orbor that needed to be done. Yuga had been quite satisfied with him.


    However, Windy was introverted. He stayed in his room most of the time, working on the inte, and only came out when necessary to perform his tasks. He rarely engaged in conversation or socialized with others.


    Yuga hade to regard him as family by now.


    Like Suzuki Koen, Windy was one of the first two employees at YoYo Day Care when it was still rtively unknown. He had witnessed Yuga''s and YoYo Day Care''s growth over the years.


    "Come with me," Yuga said after a brief pause, leading Windy to his room.


    "Have a seat."


    Once they were in the room, Yuga pointed to a chair behind his desk and sat down on the bed opposite to Windy.


    After Windy took a seat, Yuga asked, "Why suddenly decide to talk about this? Your expression looks quite serious."


    Windy pursed his lips and hesitated to speak. He felt insecure about his past because he believed it was something to be ashamed of. He feared that Yuga and the others wouldn''t look at him the same way if they knew the truth.


    If previously he didn''t want to talk about his past simply because he wasn''t close to everyone, now he was afraid of not being epted.


    During these two years, he had received meticulous care at YoYo Day Care. Whether it was the boss, the Pok��mon in the shop, or the employees, everyone treated him kindly, and he had truly be a part of this ce.


    He wanted to connect with everyone, but at the same time, he feared that people would look down on him because of his background, or even ask him to leave.


    Seeing Windy remaining silent, Yuga softly asked, "Is it because of James?"


    Windy shook his head.


    His connection with James wasn''t significant. However, James''s arrival made him realize that he didn''t want to keep things hidden from the boss and the others.


    Seeing Windy shaking his head without speaking, Yuga sighed and said, "Well then, if you want to talk about it, go ahead. I''m listening."


    Windy nodded and began to recount his past.


    The current head of the Sasaki family was Windy''s uncle, who was also James''s father. However, more than twenty years ago, the heir to the Sasaki family wasn''t James''s father but Windy''s father, who was James''s great uncle.


    Speaking of which, It was another tale ofplex family entanglements and drama among the wealthy.


    Windy had been living in the Hoenn region with his mother since he could remember.


    Although he didn''t have a father, he was happy.


    The Pok��mon world, unlike Yuga''s past life, didn''t scrutinize single mothers much. As long as they didn''t go against morality, no one cared whether you were giving birth as an unmarried mother or a widow.


    So, even without a father, Windy felt he was leading a very fortunate life because his mother treated him well.


    Until one day, a luxurious woman came to their home. It was then that Windy found out he was a child born out of wedlock, and this woman was his biological father''s wife.


    Windy''s father had married this woman due to a political alliance. Initially, his father''s wife had no grievances, as she was beautiful, graceful, came from a good family, and although their emotional connection wasn''t deep, such marriages weremon inrge families. He wasn''t the first example, nor would he be thest.


    However, this satisfaction didn''tst long. While on a business trip to the Hoenn region, Windy''s father met Windy''s mother and instantly fell in love with her. He believed that this was true love.


    So, he ardently pursued Windy''s mother.


    The father was extraordinarily handsome, educated, and a perfect gentleman. If he decided to show his charming side to a woman, very few would resist.


    Subsequently, Windy''s father starteding to the Hoenn region frequently for business, where he would romance and court Windy''s mother.


    The more he got to know Windy''s mother, the less satisfied he became with his own wife. He felt that life would be better without her.


    At that time, Windy''s mother was unaware that Windy''s father was already married. Each time she brought up the topic of marriage, Windy''s father would say that she came from a less prestigious background, and he needed tomunicate more with his parents to convince them.


    Knowing her humble origins and being in love with a man from a wealthy and influential family, Windy''s mother believed his words. After a while, Windy was born.

 Chapter 765: Criticism

    <h4>Chapter 765: Criticism</h4>


    Windy''s father''s wife soon sensed something amiss in her husband''s unusual behavior towards her and became aware of the existence of Windy''s mother and the newborn Windy.


    She secretly visited Hoenn and met Windy''s mother once. It was during that encounter that Windy''s mother found out she had be the third party in their love triangle, deceived by her lover.


    Although Windy''s mother didn''te from a high social background, she had her pride, so she cut off all contact with Windy''s father directly.


    Windy''s father''s wife was understanding and knew that Windy''s mother hadn''t intentionally wrecked their family. She not only didn''t me Windy''s mother but also sympathized with them, mother and son alike.


    Before leaving, Windy''s father''s wife wanted to leave some money for Windy''s mother to ensure she could raise Windy in peace. However, Windy''s mother declined.


    Faced with this woman before her, she was already in an embarassed situation. How could she ept her money?


    Windy''s mother''s request for a breakup faced strong opposition from Windy''s father, but he was far away in Kanto and couldn''t stay in Hoenn indefinitely. As long as Windy''s mother avoided him, he was powerless.


    However, it didn''t take long for Windy''s mother to receive shocking news: Windy''s father had passed away in an ident.


    Later, his wife visited Windy''s mother again, wanting to provide her with money, but Windy''s mother still refused.


    And so, Windy and his mother lived happily in Hoenn until he turned four.


    The first time Windy saw that elegantly dressed woman, she took him back to the Sasaki family.


    As it turned out, Windy''s father and his wife had been married for several years but hadn''t been able to have children.


    After Windy''s father''s death, and upon learning that there was a grandson living outside, Windy''s grandfather decided to have his eldest daughter-inw bring the child back.


    Windy''s father''s wife didn''t object to her father-inw''s request. Her husband was already deceased, and the child was meless. Since he carried the Sasaki family''s bloodline, there was nothing wrong with raising him in the Sasaki household.


    And so, Windy had his first meeting with his father''s wife.


    He didn''t know what the Sasaki family had told his mother, but all he knew was that his mother had eventually agreed to let the Sasaki family take him away.


    By then, the heir of the Sasaki family had shifted from Windy''s deceased father to his younger brother, who was also James''s father.


    After arriving at the Sasaki family, Windy was entrusted to his father''s wife for care.


    She was genuinely kind to Windy, treating him as if he were her own son. In Windy''s memory, she was an extremely gentle woman, the kindest person to him besides his mother.


    Thanks to her protection, Windy had a good life in the Sasaki family.


    However, one day, this woman was taken away by Windy''s grandfather and his people. The reason was that Windy''s father''s death was not an ident; it was premeditated murder, and the murderer was this seemingly gentle woman.


    It turned out that beneath her gentle facade, she was an extremely tough woman.


    After her husband''s affair, she didn''t harbor any resentment towards the unfortunate woman who had been deceived by her husband or the innocent child. She solely harbored a deep hatred for her husband, who had hypocritically preached about "true love."


    She couldn''t tolerate her husband''s betrayal.


    So, she wanted her husband dead.


    Using the family''s influence, she orchestrated the ident that led to her husband''s death. She just hadn''t expected that yearster, her father-inw would uncover the truth.


    Since then, Windy never saw that woman again. Sometimes, he wondered where she had gone, but his search yielded no results.


    Having lived with that gentle woman for three years, Windy grew fond of her, as she had taken meticulous care of him.


    After she was gone, Windy''s life in the Sasaki family underwent a dramatic change. It was as if the protective walls around him had suddenly copsed.


    Everyone knew he was a illegitimate child.


    Without that woman''s protection, people secretly ridiculed and bullied Windy.


    Within the family, be it the servants or distant rtives, none of them regarded Windy as the true heir of the Sasaki family. In their eyes, Windy was nothing more than a hidden illegitimate child.


    It was during this time that Windy realized the significance of that woman''s disappearance and what his identity as an illegitimate child meant.


    Later, Windy''s grandfather passed away, and Windy''s situation within the Sasaki family became increasingly difficult.


    After the disappearance of that woman, Windy was taken in by his uncle and aunt, who were James''s parents.


    It was during this time that Windy first met his cousin, James.


    Windy''s uncle and aunt were rtively kind to him and didn''t look down on him just because he was his brother''s illegitimate child.


    However, after Windy''s father and grandfather passed away, the entire burden of the Sasaki family fell on the shoulders of his uncle and aunt. They were busy day and night, so their care for Windy naturally became neglectful.


    The criticism and disapproval Windy faced didn''t decrease just because he lived with his uncle. The only one in the Sasaki family who looked at him with normal eyes was his younger cousin, James, who was several years his junior and didn''t understand much.


    In such an environment, Windy''s personality became increasingly introverted. He didn''t want to go out, nor did he want to interact with others. He felt extremely self-conscious, believing that everyone looked down on him because of his status as an illegitimate child.


    The reason Windy became skilled in the online world was that he spent his days indoors, immersed in the online realm.


    Windy had always thought that he would spend his entire life in the Sasaki family, hiding and shrinking away. This continued until he turned neen, and his uncle told him that his biological mother had passed away.


    As it turned out, not long after Windy was taken in by the Sasaki family, news of him being an illegitimate child born from an affair had somehow leaked out.


    While society had no issue with single mothers, there was strong disapproval for home-wrecking third parties.


    As a result, Windy''s mother endured over a decade of criticism in her hometown.


    During these more than ten years, Windy could onlymunicate with his mother through video calls and phone conversations. He knew nothing about his mother''s real situation, and she did her best to keep it from him.


    In this environment of constant criticism, Windy''s mother''s health deteriorated, and she eventually couldn''t hold on, passing away when Windy was neen.


    After his mother''s death, Windy realized that he couldn''t continue living in the oppressive atmosphere of the Sasaki family. He wanted to leave this ce that weighed heavily on him.


    So, he secretly left the Sasaki family and returned to his ce of birth��Hoenn.


    The Sasaki family''s main stronghold was in Kanto, and they didn''t have much influence in Hoenn, making it difficult for them to find Windy in Hoenn.


    And thus, Windy began his life in Hoenn, moving from one city to another.


    However, Windy didn''t possess exceptional survival skills, and his introverted nature made it challenging for him to adapt to life in Hoenn. He lived a mediocre life for several years, until Yuga found him.


    His life at the YoYo Day Care marked the beginning of his new life.

 Chapter 766: Hayate

    <h4>Chapter 766: Hayate</h4>


    After listening to Windy''s story, Yuga finally understood why Windy, who was clearly a member of the Sasaki family, came to work at his YoYo Day Care.


    Having shared his past with Yuga, Windy looked extremely nervous. He feared that Yuga, too, would look down on him because of his status as an illegitimate child. For over two decades of his life, he had lived through years of mockery and ridicule.


    Seeing Windy''s tense expression, Yuga smiled and said, "As long as you''re willing to stay here, YoYo Day Care is your forever home. Forget about your status and what''s right or wrong; leave it all behind in the past. Don''t overthink it. In my eyes, you''re just Windy, and none of the rest matters."


    "Um... Thank you, boss..." Windy replied in a subdued tone, and Yuga could even hear a hint of tears in his voice. It was as if all the pent-up emotions inside Windy had surged out all at once because of Yuga''s words.


    From that day, after pouring his heart out to Yuga, Windy seemed to have opened up. Although he remained shy and spoke less, he gradually became willing to interact with the people in the store.


    The next day, Abe came to visit Yuga, spending most of the day at the YoYo Day Care, discussing many details about assisting Pidgey Express.


    James, on the other hand, settled into the Pok��mon Paradise and spent his days mingling with stray Pok��mon. Surprisingly, one of the Nuzleaf expressed a desire to follow him.


    It had to be said that James had a high affinity for Pok��mon and genuinely liked them.


    This particr Nuzleaf had ordinary yellow potential. It was willing to follow James, and he was willing to adopt it.


    In the end, after James repeatedly assured Yuga that he wouldn''t abandon the Nuzleaf, Yuga agreed to let him adopt it. He was well aware that James was someone who treated Pok��mon kindly.


    Currently, James was with the Team Rocket, and Yuga was a bit worried that he might not have full control over the Pok��mon he had obtained, hence Yuga asked for James''s assurance.


    As for Yasushi''s younger sister, Miyuki, she hadn''t visited the YoYo Day Care again. Yuga and Yasushi didn''t know why she hade to Verdanturf Town, but it was certain that she hadn''te specifically to see Yasushi; otherwise, she wouldn''t have made just one brief visit.


    On the fourth day of Abe''s visit to the Verdanturf Gym, the convoy escorted by Pidgey Express was about to arrive in Verdanturf Town. Yuga, apanied by Beidou, Kazuma, and Shin, followed the convoy to the outskirts of Verdanturf Town to meet the escort team.


    Unbeknownst to Yuga, shortly after he left the YoYo Day Care, James also left, taking the newly acquired Nuzleaf with him.


    At the same time, in a hotel in Verdanturf Town, Miyuki changed her clothes and disappeared into her room.


    The escort team of Pidgey Express departed with a convoy of vehicles. The escort team consisted of over twenty experienced and powerful trainers, indicating the importance they attached to this escort mission.


    Given the likelihood that these trainers might attempt to steal the Pok��mon eggs, the outskirts of Verdanturf Town was the most likely ce for them to make a move. It was also the least conspicuous and easiest ce to hide.


    On the road to the outskirts of Verdanturf Town, it didn''t take long before Yuga saw a convoy of fiverge trucks approaching.


    The convoy slowed down as it neared, and a group of people wearing uniform gray attire alighted from the vehicles. These individuals were the escort team for Pidgey Express, and their leader was Hayate, the young boss of Pidgey Express.


    "This must be Gym Leader Shimizu, I have long admired your name." Hayate, the young boss of Pidgey Express, stepped forward and greeted Yuga warmly.


    "Mr. Hayate, I have heard your name for a long time," Yuga replied politely.


    Hayate, the young boss of Pidgey Express, was twenty-five years old, a pseudo-Elite level trainer. While not as exceptional as a genius like Steven or Wace, he had indeed made a name for himself.


    The Pidgey Express had always hoped that their young boss would break through to the Elite level, which would elevate the power of their organization.


    Their industry, such as Pidgey Express, ces great importance on training trainers. Some important shipments require trainers with strong skills to transport them.


    "Alright, let''s not be courteous here. Let''s get back to Verdanturf Town quickly to avoid any trouble," Hayate said to Yuga. He was concerned that something might go wrong with this batch of goods.


    Even though he was the young boss of Pidgey Express, it would be difficult for him to bear the responsibility if anything happened.


    However, as they say, "fear invites danger." Just as Hayate finished saying this, before Yuga could respond, arge purple fog suddenly began to drift around them. In the blink of an eye, it engulfed the convoy and the escort team.


    "Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Prepare for battle!" Hayate reacted quickly and shouted loudly into the fog.


    "Yes!" The escort team responded in unison from within the fog. It was clear that they were a well-trained and coordinated team.


    "You three, prepare for battle as well," Yuga said, turning to Beidou, Kazuma, and Shin, who were following behind him.


    Beidou: "Understood."


    Kazuma and Shin: "Got it, Gym Leader."


    The three of them immediately went on guard.


    Following that, more than twenty Pidgeots flew out of the fog, with Hayate''s ace Pok��mon leading the charge.


    These twenty-plus Pidgeots ascended into the sky and simultaneously used Gust to disperse all the fog in a matter of moments.


    After the fog cleared, Yuga saw that they were surrounded by people wearing ck uniforms with ck round hats on their heads. The emblem on their chests was arge orange-red "R," indicating that they were all members of Team Rocket.


    Yuga hadn''t expected Team Rocket toe all the way to Hoenn to hijack the Pok��mon eggs that the Joy family was sending to Kanto. The smoke they had released earlier was created by Weezing and Koffing, the Pok��mon apanying this group of Team Rocket members.


    All of these Team Rocket members wore ck masks to conceal their identities.


    However, Yuga still recognized James among the crowd, despite him also wearing a mask. His distinctive purple hair made him stand out.


    That''s when Yuga realized why James had appeared in Hoenn. It turned out that he was also part of the mission to intercept the Joy family''s Pok��mon eggs.


    In addition to James, Yuga spotted someone he recognized from Team Rocket: Tyson, the one who had tried to capture Whitney in Goldenrod City. He now had his two Fearows flying proudly above his head, confronting therge Pidgeots.


    Hayate: "Attack!"

 Chapter 767: Cadres

    <h4>Chapter 767: Cadres</h4>


    At themand of Hayate, the members of the escort team confronted the Team Rocket.


    "Three of you, focus on protecting the Pok��mon eggs in the car," Yuga said to Beidou and the other two.


    "Yes!" The three of them responded in unison, then quickly ran towards the vehicle.


    At this moment, Yuga summoned his Florges, "Florges!"


    Florges understood instantly. Several vines emerged from the ground and swiftly bound the nearby Team Rocket members who were attempting to tamper with the Pok��mon eggs in the vehicle.


    Meanwhile, Hayate and Tyson faced off.


    Tyson''s two Fearows were fierce, with sharp beaks resembling drills, attacking Hayate''s Pidgeot.


    However, Tyson''s strength still fell shortpared to Hayate''s. Even though it hadn''t reached the level of a pseudo-Elite. As soon as Tyson''s two Fearows rushed forward, they were quickly blown away by the powerful gusts created by Hayate''s Pidgeot.


    The two Fearows were sent tumbling, feathers scattered, struggling to get back on their feet.


    Not one to show mercy, Hayate saw that Tyson''s Fearows had fallen, and he immediately ordered his Pidgeot to capture Tyson.


    Just as Pidgeot was about to seize Tyson, a purple figure shot out from the nearby woods,nding on Pidgeot''s back, causing it to crash to the ground.


    As Pidgeot screeched andnded, Hayate finally saw that the purple figure was a sturdy Arbok.


    At this time, Arbok was tightly wrapped around the neck of Pidgeot. Pidgeot''s eyes were bulging due to the strangtion, its mouth was wide open, and it was panting hard. Its two wings kept pping the ground. But he just couldn''t break free from the shackles of the Abo monster.


    After that, a young man with long, deep blue hair emerged from the woods, giving Tyson a stern look.


    "No use! Don''t be a hindrance here," the young man said firmly.


    Tyson''s face stiffened, "Yes, Captain Pierce." He then took his two Fearows and went to help other Team Rocket members.


    While the Team Rocket grunts wore ck masks to hide their identities, the leaders like Captain Pierce had no need to conceal themselves. They were well-known figures on the League''s wanted list.


    "You''re from Team Rocket!" Hayate stated firmly as he looked at Captain Pierce.


    Although Team Rocket wasn''t a known presence in the Hoenn, the staff at the Pidgey Express worldwide knew about various evil organizations worldwide because these organizations might target them someday.


    Just like today!


    Team Rocket was well-known in Johto and Kanto, and even the League couldn''t deal with them. They were indeed a powerful criminal organization, the true rulers of darkness.


    Compared to Team Rocket, the Team Aqua and the Team Magma in the Hoenn region were like a mere small fry.


    "Correct! Impressive, as expected of the young boss of Pidgey Express, you are well-informed," Captain Pierce said with a smile.


    "But shouldn''t you be more concerned about your Pidgeot first?" Captain Pierce pointed at the struggling Pidgeot on the ground, which was still bound by Arbok''s vines.


    This Arbok was also a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, and it seemed even stronger than Hayate''s Pidgeot.


    "Pidgeot, Uproar!" Hayate ordered.


    Upon hearing its trainer''smand, Pidgeot opened its mouth and emitted a series of loud, piercing cries. The close-range sound waves tortured Arbok''s ears, forcing it to release its grip on Pidgeot''s neck.


    Upon regaining its freedom, Pidgeot quickly ascended into the air. After stabilizing itself, itunched Razor Wind attacks towards the Arbok on the ground, but the Arbok agilely evaded them all.


    The Arbok''s body was incredibly flexible, allowing it to effortlessly dodge Pidgeot''s Razor Wind by twisting its body.


    Meanwhile, Yuga, having thrown the Team Rocket members near the vehicle out of the battle, assessed the situation on the battlefield. He decided to assist Hayate by taking down the pseudo-Elite level Team Rocket member on the opposite side.


    Team Rocket had a significantlyrger number of memberspared to the escort team. If they didn''t quickly eliminate the leader, Yuga feared their rescue mission would fail.


    Just as Yuga took a step forward, intending to bring Florges to Hayate''s aid, a Dark Pulse descended from the sky and struck the ground beneath Yuga''s feet, halting his progress.


    "Oh my, I didn''t expect the Verdanturf Gym Leader to get involved in this mess," a crisp female voice sounded in Yuga''s ears.


    Yuga looked up and saw a woman dressed in a white uniform, holding the foot of a Honchkrow, descending from the sky andnding on the roof of a nearby vehicle.


    The white uniform was reserved for high-ranking Team Rocket officers.


    "Ariana?" Yuga muttered the name quietly.


    Yuga had never known Ariana personally, not in his past life nor his current one. He only became aware of her from the League''s wanted list after bing a Gym Leader.


    Ariana was one of Team Rocket''s Four Executives and one of the top-ranking individuals on the League''s wanted list.


    "Ah, am I really that famous? Even the Gym Trainers from Verdanturf recognize me?" Ariana chuckled while covering her mouth.


    Ariana had fiery red semi-long hair and a voluptuous figure, giving off a somewhat seductive vibe.


    "But even if you recognize me, you can''t pass through today," she continued, taking out a Pok�� Ball and releasing an Arbok. Then, together with her Honchkrow, they advanced towards Yuga.


    As one of Team Rocket''s most formidable Four Executives, Ariana was undoubtedly a Pok��mon Trainer of Elite level.


    The Honchkrow had wings radiating with dark energy and used Feint Attack, diving straight from the sky towards Yuga''s head.


    If this Honchkrow''s wing made contact, Yuga''s head and neck would be separated.


    Before the Honchkrow could approach Yuga, however, Gengar emerged from Yuga''s shadow. With both hands grabbing Yuga''s armpits, Gengar swiftly moved him, narrowly avoiding the Honchkrow''s attack.


    With the Honchkrow''s attack missing, Ariana''s other Pok��mon, Arbok, like a guided missile, leaped from the roof and charged at Yuga, who was being held by Gengar.


    Ariana''s attacks were ruthless, nearly lethal every time. All of her moves were directed at Yuga, the Pok��mon Trainer.


    The Arbok employed the move Poison Jab, its body radiating a dense purple glow. It seemed as though touching it would cause instant corrosion.


    Gengar, however, was incredibly fast. With Yuga in its grasp, it swiftlynded on the ground, and at Yuga''s side, Florges positioned herself,unching a strong Psychic attack.


    Before Arbok could get near Yuga, it was blown away by Florges''s powerful Psychic force.

 Chapter 768: Melee

    <h4>Chapter 768: Melee</h4>


    After being knocked away, Arbok crashed into a Team Rocket grunt who was engaged in battle not far away. It rolled on the ground for a few rounds before adjusting its posture, raising itself halfway up with its slender eyes ring coldly at Florges, who had hit it.


    "Oh my! No wonder you''re the Verdanturf Gym Leader. At this rate, our mission is going to be in jeopardy," Ariana said with frustration as she looked at Yuga, who was heavily guarded by Gengar and Florges.


    Listening to Ariana''s tone, Yuga couldn''t help but feel that she seemed to know him, even though this was their first meeting.


    While Yuga was observing Ariana, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine and an indescribable sense of danger washed over him. However, Florges reacted faster than him.


    Florges''s two vine whips grabbed Yuga''s arms, pulling him behind her. Then, she raised her hands forward, and Dazzling Gleam shimmered as Yuga saw a ck shadow being flung away.


    After the ck shadownded, Yuga could finally see that it was a Weavile that had attempted to ambush him. This cunning Ariana had diverted his attention to create an opportunity for Weavile''s sneak attack.


    "Tsk, quite vignt!" Ariana muttered in dissatisfaction as her Weavile''s ambush failed.


    Once on the ground, Weavile quickly jumped next to Arbok, and together with the Honchkrow that was flying above them, confronted Yuga''s Florges and Gengar.


    Tensions immediately rose.


    Seeing the situation, Yuga silently released his Charizard.


    As soon as Charizard appeared, without hesitation, it unleashed a bright orange Sunny Day weather ball into the sky. At the same time, Florges silently activated the Grassy Terrain.


    Florges''s Grassy Terrain blended seamlessly with the surrounding natural grass, making it nearly impossible to detect its presence.


    Spring had already arrived in Verdanturf Town, and the lush grass on the outskirts of the town greatly facilitated Florges in creating the Grassy Terrain.


    Seeing Yuga''s actions, Weavile from the opposing side sprang into action. It turned into a high-speed projectile, ws glowing with dark energy, and fiercely lunged at Gengar.


    However, halfway into its charge, countless vines burst from the ground, one of which wrapped around its hind leg and yanked it backward, sending it flying.


    Yet, Weavile hadn''t even hit the ground before the Honchkrow that was still in the air grabbed its arm and hurled it back towards Yuga''s group.


    As Weavile was tossed, it adjusted its posture and once again used Sucker Punch, aiming for Gengar.


    Seeing Weavile charging at him, Gengar conjured eerie blue mes around itself. The mes emitted a ghostly, chilling light as they drifted towards Weavile,nding on it as it approached Gengar.


    At this time, Charizard appeared in the sky above Weavile. At the same time that Weavile was hit by Gengar''s Will-O-Wisp, it delivered a powerful Fire Punch to its midsection.


    Weavile let out a miserable cry as it crashed heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.


    Weavile was a ss cannon; if it weren''t for its status as a Elite level Pok��mon that had beed undergone life transformation, it would have been knocked out to death by Charizard''s punch.


    Under the Sunny Day, the power of Fire-type moves was greatly enhanced, and Fire Punch also had the advantage over the Ice-type Weavile.


    Enduring the intense pain, Weavile climbed to its feet, and small blue mes dotted its fur, burning and tormenting its body while diminishing its abilities.


    Due to the influence of Gengar''s Will-O-Wisp, any physical-type moves Weavile used would have their power halved. This was particrly disadvantageous for Weavile, which excelled in physical attacks.


    Furthermore, while in a burnt state, the Will-O-Wisp continued to consume Weavile''s stamina.


    Just as Charizard was about to deliver another powerful blow to Weavile, a Dark Pulse approached. However, Gengar quickly neutralized it with a Sludge Bomb, and Charizard managed to evade it in time.


    It turned out that, at this critical moment, the Honchkrow appeared next to Weavile.


    Charizard, with mes raging on its body, red at the Honchkrow that blocking its path. The mes on its body burned even brighter. It used re Blitz and rushed toward Honchkrow.


    In response, Honchkrow also emitted a blue glow and used Brave Bird to charg towards Charizard.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, the Arbok that had been stealthily lurking in the tall grass was looking for an opportunity to ambush Yuga, who was being closely protected by Florges.


    However, what Arbok didn''t know was that all the grass around them was an extension of Florges''s senses. She could clearly perceive Arbok''s movements.


    Just as Arbok was about to dart out of the tall grass tounch an attack, the seemingly harmless vines that had been clinging to its body suddenly sprang to life. They twisted and turned like serpents, swiftly entwining Arbok, effectively immobilizing it.


    The vines grew longer and thicker, lifting Arbok high into the air. Arbok struggled violently to break free, but the vines only became stronger and more resilient with every attempt.


    These vines were incredibly pliable and tough, resisting all of Arbok''s efforts to snap them.


    With a green glint in Florges''s eyes, the surrounding grass began to wither slowly. The released green light merged into the vines that bound Arbok, making them thicker and tighter.


    Although Arbok was a snake-like Pok��mon with a flexible body, the binding force of the vines grew stronger, causing its bones to emit a cracking sound as it struggled.


    Witnessing this incredible scene, Ariana widened her eyes in astonishment. She knew the power of her Arbok; it could easily strangle a robust Machoke with its body alone.


    However, at this moment, it was screaming in agony while being ensnared by the mysterious vines.


    As Arbok was immobilized, Florges used Psychic repeatedly,unching wave after wave of mental attacks at Arbok.


    After several painful cries, Arbok lost its fighting spirit.


    With Arbok immobilized and incapacitated, the vines that held it were nonchntly tossed aside by Florges, and they withered away into dust.


    However, it was not easy for Florges either. She had only recently undergone her transformation, so this effort took a toll on her as well.


    Ariana was even more surprised that her Arbok had been defeated so quickly.


    "Verdanturf Gym Leader, you''re bing more formidable!" shemented sarcastically.


    "Don''t tter me too much. After all, this is my territory. If I let you seed easily, I''d lose face," Yuga replied calmly.

 Chapter 769: Disguise

    <h4>Chapter 769: Disguise</h4>


    As soon as Yuga finished speaking, screams erupted from within the escort team.


    The escort team was outnumbered by Team Rocket, and they were already struggling. However, Team Rocket primarily used Poison-type Pok��mon, causing more and more members of the escort team and their Pok��mon to be poisoned.


    Hayate, who was battling with Pierce, saw that the situation was deteriorating rapidly among his subordinates. He felt a deep sense of urgency, but Pierce, like a bone maggot, clung to him, preventing him from assisting others.


    "Florges! Use Aromatherapy!"


    At this moment, Yuga instructed Florges.


    "Florges!"


    Florges nodded, and with a wave of her hands, she released pink mist that spread throughout the area. Soon, the air was filled with a soothing aroma.


    Under the effects of Aromatherapy, the poisoned members of the escort team and their Pok��mon quickly recovered andunched a counterattack against Team Rocket.


    Hayate, who had been closely monitoring the situation, was relieved that the crisis was averted and could now focus on dealing with Pierce.


    "I didn''t expect Gym Leader Shimizu to be so preupied with our battle that he neglected others. Quite arrogant!" Ariana sneered and took out another Pok�� Ball.


    Yuga replied with confidence, "Arrogance is not the right word, Miss Ariana. After all you can''f make me go all out."


    In a battle of wits, words yed their part too.


    "Then I''ll see how many people Gym Leader Shimizu can protect."


    After saying this, Yuga watched as Ariana tossed several more Pok�� Balls onto the field. Once released, four new Pok��mon appeared: Seviper, Vileplume, Victreebel, and Muk.


    Judging by the aura exuded by these four Pok��mon, they were all of the Elite level.


    Yuga couldn''t help but sigh in admiration. She was really worth the tittle as the Team Rocket Executives, along with their previous Pok��mon, Arbok, Weavile, and Honchkrow, gave Ariana a total of seven Elite level Pok��mon.


    These were genuine Elite level Trainers. Unlike those pheasant Elite level Trainers Yuga had encountered before, who only had one or two Elite level Pok��mon, Ariana''s strength was unquestionable.


    The fact that Team Rocket had been able to contend with the League for so long was no empty boast. Each of their Executives was likely on par with Ariana.


    No wonder the Joy family had repeatedly emphasized that Pidgey Express needed extra help and even proposed seeking assistance from Yuga himself. If he weren''t present, the members of Pidgey Express would probably not be able to stand up against Ariana.


    However, Yuga was surprised that Team Rocket attached so much importance to this batch of Pok��mon eggs from the Joy family. They had even deployed their highestbat power��the Executives. Yuga wondered if there was something special about these Pok��mon eggs.


    The four Elite level Pok��mon paid no attention to Yuga and headed straight for the escort team.


    "I wonder how many people Gym Leader Shimizu can save this time," Ariana said with a malicious smile. Yuga could sense the malevolence in her words.


    The members of the escort team were not even close to being pseudo-Elite Trainers, let alone four Elite level Pok��mon, Even one Elite level Pok��mon could easily wipe them out.


    Yuga gave Ariana a cold nce but didn''t say a word. Instead, he took out his own Pok�� Balls and released Dragonite, Lapras, and Mismagius from the Shadow Space.


    Yuga had six Elite level Pok��mon, the same number as Ariana remaining Pok��mon.


    Ariana hadn''t anticipated that Yuga''s strength exceeded her knowledge.


    "I underestimated you."


    "Go save them."


    Yuga instructed Dragonite, Lapras, and Florges.


    The three Pok��mon nodded and rushed towards the escort team.


    Yuga activated his Insight ability, scanning the information of Ariana''s Pok��mon. However, when he saw Seviper''s information, his brows furrowed, and he seemed to recall something unbelievable.


    ...


    <<seviper>> </seviper>


    Type: Poison


    Ability: Infiltrator


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 77


    Moves: Wrap, Swagger, Bite, Lick, Poison Tail, Feint Attack, Smog, re, Sucker Punch, Poison Jab, Crunch, Wrap, Wring Out, Sludge Wave, Dark Pulse, Iron Tail.


    ...


    Ability, Potential, and Level, all the same. Thinking about it, and then looking at its body shape and patterns, everything seemed incredibly familiar.


    Coincidences did happen, but not to this extent.


    "Are you Brodie?" Yuga asked, although his tone was incredibly certain.


    That Seviper before him was almost identical to the one he had battled against as Brodie.


    Brodie and Ariana, one male, one female. One renowned in Hoenn, the other in Kanto. But Yuga had never imagined that they were the same person.


    Ariana paused for a moment upon hearing Yuga''s words, then her expression shifted slightly before returning to normal.


    "How did you figure it out?" Ariana didn''t deny it, but she was genuinely puzzled. Her true identity was a well-guarded secret, known only to her Boss, Giovanni, and not even her fellow Executive ��Proton, Petral, or Archer��were aware of it.


    But now, this person before her had confidently revealed anotheryer of her identity. Where had her disguise faltered? Transformation and disguise were her specialties, and even Boss Giovanni himself would have a hard time recognizing her if he were unaware.


    She was Ariana, and Brodie was just a false identity she had used to infiltrate Team Magma. Since she had to remain in Kanto most of the time, rumors of her in Hoenn were scarce.


    Ariana couldn''t have imagined that Yuga possessed the Insight ability.


    Most Seviper in the world looked simr, and humans would have a hard time distinguishing them from each other without careful observation and attention to detail.


    However, if their ability, level, potential, and even the moves they knew were all identical, then the matter became quite simple.


    Yuga merely stared at Ariana without answering her question.


    Seeing Yuga''s silence, Ariana became slightly irritated.


    "Now that your Pok��mon aren''t by your side, I wonder if you have any tricks left to protect yourself."


    After a moment''s thought, Ariana smiled, and a pink Ditto crawled onto her shoulder.


    Ariana had two Dittos, one for transformation and one for personal protection. Both of her Dittos were exceptionally strong.


    As Yuga looked at the Ditto on Ariana''s shoulder, he couldn''t help but wonder if her current appearance was her true one. However, he could at least be certain that her gender was female..


    "Want to find out? Come and try."


    Yuga said with a smile,pletely unconcerned about Ariana''s threat.


    "If you won''t ept a friendly offer, then don''t me me for not holding back."


    After speaking, the Ditto on Ariana''s shoulder transformed into an Ariados. Swift and agile, it leaped from the roof of a car and pounced toward Yuga.


    One of Ariana''s Dittos had a Elite level strength, and the other was pseudo-Elite level.


    When she was Brodie, the Ditto on her face was the pseudo-Elite level one, and the one used for personal protection was the Ditto with Elite level.


    But when she became Ariana, the one on her face was the Elite level one, and the personal protection one was the pseudo-Elite level.


    To hide her identity from the cunning foxes like Proton, Petrel, and the others, she had to employ even more rigorous methods to conceal her true self. After all, there were power struggles even within Team Rocket, and she trusted no one except Boss Giovanni.


    As for Team Magma, she had always looked down on those people.

 Chapter 770: The Ring

    <h4>Chapter 770: The Ring</h4>


    Just as Ariados leaped toward Yuga, a Serperior appeared by Yuga''s side.


    Serperior coiled its body tightly, protecting Yuga securely. Ariados''s attack was "Fell Stinger," but it was deflected by Serperior''s "Dragon Tail."


    Seeing Yuga''s Serperior, Ariana suddenly remembered that the person before her was a Grass-type Gym Trainer. She had momentarily forgotten because he had used non-Grass-type Pok��mon earlier.


    Initially, Ariana thought it was impressive that Yuga, at such a young age, had cultivated six Elite level Pok��mon. She hadn''t expected his Grass-type Pok��mon to be equally powerful.


    On Yuga''s side, Serperior engaged in a battle with Ariados, and the rest of Yuga''s Pok��mon confronted Ariana''s.


    Yuga''s every Pok��mon was on par with Ariana''s. Especially when Lapras faced Seviper once more, Lapras, strengthened by the Blue Gem, was even more powerful. Seviper stood no chance.


    Florges and Mismagius faced Victreebel and Vileplume. While Victreebel and Vileplume''s Poison-type attacks had an advantage against Fairy-type Florges, they couldn''t harm Mismagius. Additionally, Mismagius used Mystical Fire to assist, forcing Victreebel and Vileplume to retreat step by step.


    The only Pok��mon on Yuga''s side that encountered some trouble was Dragonite. Dragonite faced Muk, which had a very soft body that easily absorbed Dragonite''s physical attacks, causing significant trouble.


    However, Yuga''s Dragonite wasn''t only skilled in physical attacks but also had a strong special attack ability. It used a series of Electric-type moves against Muk, which was incredibly effective.


    While Yuga was gaining the upper hand in his battle against Ariana, Hayate was struggling against Pierce.


    When Ariana dispatched her four Elite level Pok��mon to attack the escort team, Hayate was already extremely anxious. Fortunately, Yuga was able to respond in time, which allowed Hayate to breathe a sigh of relief.


    However, in a moment of distraction, Arbok, one of Pierce''s Pok��mon, seized a moment of vulnerability and bit down on Pidgeot''s neck with Thunder Fang. Pidgeot let out agonizing cries.


    Despite Pidgeot''s vigorous struggles, Arbok refused to release its grip. It even used its body to wrap around Pidgeot''s neck, strangling it.


    Snake-like Pok��mon were exceptionally skilled at strangling their prey, whether it was Arbok, Serperior, or Seviper; they all possessed this ability.


    Seeing Pidgeot''s dire situation, Hayate knew he couldn''t afford to lose. While Yuga''s side was in an advantageous position, it would be embarrassing if his Pok��mon were defeated.


    With that thought in mind, Hayate clenched his teeth and pulled up his right sleeve, revealing a bracelet studded with Key Stone.


    "Pidgeot, Mega Evolution!"


    The Key Stone on Hayate''s wrist emitted a dazzling rainbow light, resonating with the Key Stone hidden in Pidgeot''s feathers. In an instant, Pidgeotpleted its Mega Evolution.


    After Mega Evolving, Pidgeot''s strength underwent a tremendous leap. Intense Flying-type energy erupted from its body, lifting Arbok into the air as soon as itnded.


    Perhaps due to being bullied too much by Arbok, Mega Pidgeot appeared furious. As soon as Arbok hit the ground, Mega Pidgeot pounced on it, grabbing its weak spot with one w and pressing down on its head with the other, executing an Aerial Ace attack on its head.


    The sudden turn of events in Hayate''s battle attracted the attention of both Yuga and Ariana. Ariana looked angrily at Pierce and muttered, "Useless."


    Yuga, on the other hand, was somewhat surprised by Hayate''s ability to Mega Evolve his Pidgeot.


    However, after some thought, it wasn''t entirely unexpected. Despite Mega Evolution not being widely publicized, Yuga knew that people with connections were aware of it.


    Seeing Hayate''s determination, Yuga felt it was time to conclude the battle. Otherwise, the escort team might not withstand Team Rocket''s overwhelming numbers.


    "Gengar!"


    Yuga called out loudly.


    Gengar, who was cooperating with Charizard to face Honchkrow and Weavile, turned to look at Yuga upon hearing his shout, immediately understanding Yuga''s intention.


    Yuga took a pendant from beneath his clothing, and hanging from it was a Key Stone.


    When Ariana saw that Key Stone, she knew the situation was dire, but she was powerless to stop it.


    After a burst of seven-colored light, Gengar sessfullypleted Mega Evolution, and Ariana''s expression turned exceptionally ugly.


    Mega Gengar''s power was on par with Lapras''s. With several rounds of Thunderbolt, they sessfully took down Honchkrow.


    Without Honchkrow''s protection, Weavile, who was already injured, was instantly engulfed in Charizard''s Fire st.


    After dealing with Honchkrow and Weavile, Charizard swiftly flew over to assist Mismagius and Florges, while Gengar went to help Lapras against Muk.


    Seeing Honchkrow and Weavile defeated, Ariana immediately realized that today''s mission couldn''t bepleted. She rapidly recalled her incapacitated Weavile and Honchkrow and shouted to Pierce, "Pierce, retreat!"


    After Ariana''smand, her Victreebel, Vileplume, Muk, and Seviper were recalled into their Pok�� Balls. The Ariados, transformed from Ditto, blinked and turned into an kazam,nding beside Ariana.


    Pierce, upon hearing Ariana''s orders, quickly retrieved Arbok, intending to signal the rest of the Team Rocket members to withdraw.


    However, Yuga could never agree to let these Team Rocket members escape like this! Mega Gengar and Mismagius joined forces, and space instantly expanded. All of the Team Rocket members, including Ariana and Pierce, were enveloped in this space.


    Seeing this space, Ariana''splexion changed, and her kazam made a full-power attack but had no effect on the space.


    "Impressive abilities, Gym Leader Shimizu!" Ariana remarked calmly, showing no concern about being trapped.


    "Thank you," Yuga replied.


    "But to keep me here, your abilities are insufficient."


    Afterward, Ariana looked at Pierce, who wasn''t far away. She extended her right hand, wearing a ring embedded with a purple gemstone.


    This ring emitted a purple beam of light, which shed through the spatial wall, creating a circr hole in the space, allowing Ariana to pass through.


    Team Rocket had long been researching and manufacturing Mewtwo. The ring on Ariana''s hand was a technological marvel developed by Team Rocket after researching Mewtwo, designed to resist Mewtwo'' psychic powers.


    After the sessful research of this technology, high-ranking Team Rocket members like Giovanni, the Executives, and the Elite Officer each received a simr ring.


    With this ring, no Psychic-type Pok��mon''s abilities could restrict their movements, and they couldn''t be detected through psychic powers, unless the Psychic-type Pok��mon''s mental power surpassed the level of a First level God like Mewtwo.


    Ariana felt a bit regretful for Pierce. He was one of her direct subordinates, and he was going to fall here today.

 Chapter 771: Captured

    <h4>Chapter 771: Captured</h4>


    Yuga watched as Ditto, by Ariana''s side, use Teleport and disappeared, evading Serperior''s Leaf Storm attack.


    Seeing the ring in Ariana''s hand, Yuga realized why Gardevoir''s psychic powers cannot detect her that day. He sensed a strong psychic repellent aura from the ring.


    Yuga''s unique abilitye from Celebi, making him sensitive to psychic powers.


    Team Rocket was known for their advanced technology, and witnessing the ring''s effect, Yuga couldn''t help but be impressed, even though he had missed a big catch.


    However, when Ariana left, she didn''t notice a small green dot that discreetly remained on her.


    Seeing their boss Ariana leave, the Team Rocket members, including Pierce and Tyson, appeared defeated, knowing they had been abandoned, including James in the crowd.


    Yuga quickly spotted James among the Team Rocket members and signaled to Gengar. Gengar immediately understood, sneaked over to James, grabbed his cor, and tossed him out of the space.


    Jamesnded in a small grove outside, a bit dazed. However, he knew the Gengar that had just carried him out belonged to his cousin''s boss.


    To be honest, when he first saw his cousin''s boss, he was surprised. He hadn''t expected things to turn out this way. He was just here to carry out a mission and had unexpectedly encountered his cousin''s boss.


    But considering that his cousin''s boss appeared to be a Gym Leader here, he understood. After all, they were Team Rocket, an evil organization, and opposing Gym Leaders was par for the course.


    Yet James wasn''t a fool. Since his cousin''s boss had willingly let him go, he must have recognized him.


    But he thought his cousin''s boss was pretty cool. None of their officers could beat him.


    In James''s eyes, Team Rocket''s officers were all formidable individuals.


    James got up from the ground and quickly ran deeper into the forest. He was worried about how to exin this when he got back. Everyone else had been caught, and he was the only one who had managed to escape.


    But James decided to take things one step at a time and get away from this dangerous ce first.


    After being thrown out, Yuga paid no more attention to James. He had to fend for himself now; Yuga had done what he could.


    Aside from the hole created by Ariana''s ring in the space, everything else remained intact. None of the other Team Rocket members had escaped.


    Confiscating their Pok��mon, tying them up, Yuga contacted Liliana, and before long, Liliana arrived with a group of people and took the Team Rocket members away.


    Seeing this batch of criminals, Liliana couldn''t help but feel amazed. She noticed that since getting to know Yuga, she often didn''t have to do much but still got credit.


    She felt like she needed to find an opportunity to thank Yuga, the "wealth-bringing boy."


    When Pierce was taken away, he red fiercely at Hayate. Hayate just rolled his eyes in response, then cheerfully came over to Yuga.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, I can''t thank you enough for today. If it weren''t for you, I''d be in big trouble."


    "Doing a favor for someone in need is only natural."


    As long as the reward was substantial, everything was negotiable.


    Hayate patted his chest and assured, "Rest assured, our Pidgey Express won''t mistreat our benefactor."


    After dealing with the Team Rocket members, Hayate checked the Pok��mon eggs in the vehicles. Seeing that they were all safe, he sighed in relief.


    Yuga also nced at the Pok��mon eggs discreetly. After seeing them, he understood why Team Rocket had sent high-ranking officers like Ariana.


    These Pok��mon eggs were all of high potential. Surprisingly, there were over ten of them with blue potential. Yuga also saw two Pok��mon eggs with Indigo potential.


    After inspecting this batch of Pok��mon eggs, Yuga couldn''t help but feel tempted by their quality. With such powerful eggs, he wouldn''t agree to hand them over to both Pidgey Express and the Joy family unless they offered something substantial in return.


    However, the Joy family''s status as one of the oldest families in the Pok��mon world was truly remarkable. They had an unimaginable heritage, capable of producing even two Indigo potential Pok��mon eggs without breaking a sweat.


    But thinking about someone like Joyna, who had a Legendary Pok��mon like Latias, Yuga suddenly felt that two Indigo potential Pok��mon eggs might not be that significant for the Joy family.


    However, Indigo potential Pok��mon were incredibly precious to any faction or organization. Currently, in the Pok��mon world, purple potential Pok��mon were only the realm of Legendary Pok��mon, and blue potential was the highest known potential that could be bred.


    Yuga believed that the birth of purple potential Pok��mon was likely linked to Legendary Pok��mon, but that was just his spection. The specifics were unknown, and purple potential Pok��mon were incredibly rare.


    After checking the Pok��mon eggs, Hayate and the escort team, with Yuga and Beidou, headed back to Verdanturf Town.


    Upon arrival in Verdanturf Town, Hayate nned to settle down with the escort team at the Pidgey Express branch in Verdanturf Town before visiting Yuga.


    Yuga didn''t mind and just told Hayate that the Verdanturf Gym would wee him anytime.


    On the way back to the Gym, Yuga asked Beidou, Kazuma, and Shin, "What were your feelings about today''s events?"


    "It was so exhrating!" said Kazuma enthusiastically.


    He had been traveling outside for a while, experiencing numerous battles of varying scales. However, he had never felt such a thrilling, blood-pumping tension as he did today. Especially during the intense battle between the Gym Leader and the Team Rocket Executives, it was truly awe-inspiring.


    "Yeah, I was so excited!" echoed Shin, sharing his brother''s sentiments.


    "Both of you did really well today. When we get back, I''ll reward you," Yuga promised.


    "Really, Gym Leader? What''s the reward?" asked Kazuma with excitement, while Shin, though not speaking, appeared equally interested.


    "I can''t tell you that! It wouldn''t be a surprise anymore," Yuga teased.


    "Aw,e on!"


    While Shin didn''tin verbally, he was brimming with anticipation.


    "Of course, Beidou, you''re included," Yuga added, turning to Beidou.


    "I''ll be looking forward to it," Beidou responded with a smile.


    Yuga had known Beidou for quite some time, and Yuga treated him well. Even if there were no rewards, Beidou didn''t mind. However, he also understood Yuga well enough to know that if Yuga promised a reward, he would deliver.


    "But regardless of the rewards, you all need to keep improving. If you be stronger, today''s battle will be even easier," Yuga emphasized.


    "Yes, Gym Leader! We won''t let you down!" eximed Kazuma, and Shin nodded in agreement.


    "Indeed, we will work hard," Beidou added.


    "Great, I have high hopes for all of you."


    Feeling content with his team''s performance, Yuga looked forward to their future growth as trainers.

 Chapter 772: The Mission

    <h4>Chapter 772: The Mission</h4>


    When Yuga returned to the YoYo Day Care, he noticed that James was there as well. It was evident that James had secretlye back earlier and was currently talking to Windy.


    "Boss, you''re back! How did the mission go? Was it sessful?" Windy asked with excitement upon seeing Yuga.


    "It went quite smoothly," Yuga replied with a smile.


    James''s gaze seemed a bit restless upon seeing Yuga, but he didn''t say anything. He felt relieved that Yuga didn''t bring up the incident.


    "James is here?" Yuga casually asked.


    "Y-Yes, I came to... to say goodbye to Windy before heading back to the Kanto region," James stammered, avoiding eye contact with Yuga.


    Yuga understood the reason but didn''t mind. He smiled and said, "I see. Well, I wish you a safe journey. Feel free to visit anytime you have a chance."


    "Thank you, Boss. I will. Take care, and, uh, Windy, make sure youe home sometime," James said quickly before darting out of the room.


    Watching James''s hasty exit, Windy looked puzzled but didn''t dwell on it. He shrugged it off, thinking that the YoYo Day Care was a great ce to be.


    The next day, Hayate arrived at the Verdanturf Gym with a group of people, and Joyka was among them.


    Joyka didn''t visit as a friend of Yuga but as a representative of the Joy family.


    Yuga led them into the reception area of the Verdanturf Gym, and Hayate got straight to the point without much ado. He said, "Thanks to the help of Gym Leader Shimizu, this mission went smoothly. I''m here to fulfill the promise of our Pidgey Express reward to you."


    After speaking, he gestured to a few people behind him. They approached Yuga with two boxes and opened them.


    When the boxes were opened, Yuga was almost dazzled by what he saw inside��both boxes were filled with Flying Gems.


    Yuga couldn''t help but marvel at the generosity of Pidgey Express. These items were incredibly valuable and hard toe by. Yet, they had provided tworge boxes full of them in one go.


    For any faction or organization, Attribute Gems were precious resources. Pidgey Express had gone all out with this gift, not only as a token of gratitude but also to build a good rtionship with Yuga.


    They had learned from the Joy family that Yuga had the only Master level Trainer in Hoenn as his backer. Putting Yuga''s background aside, he was a young Gym Leader with incredible potential, and he could potentially be a Master level Trainer in the future.


    In every aspect, building a good rtionship with Yuga was a win-win situation.


    Seeing Yuga''s slightly surprised expression, Hayate knew that Yuga was satisfied with their reward, and it eased his own worries.


    Even for an organization as influential as Pidgey Express, providing so many Flying Gems at once was a considerable expense. Attribute Gems were strictly regted by the Pok��mon League, and each one was precious.


    "Pidgey Express is really generous!" Yuga eximed.


    He had used up all his Merit Points to exchange for Fairy Gems earlier, and now he was concerned about the supply of Dragon Gems and Fire Gems for his Dragonite and Charizard. Little did he expect that Pidgey Express would provide a solution for both.


    While Flying Gems might not be the most optimal for Dragonite and Charizard, they were still indispensable.


    Dual-type Pok��mon had both primary and secondary attributes, and while they emphasized their primary attribute, the secondary attribute couldn''t be ignored. Some Pok��mon, due to their innate tendencies, might even focus on their secondary attribute.


    Seeing Yuga satisfied, Hayate was also pleased. He continued, "This is nothingpared to the help you provided us. And there''s something else we''d like to give you."


    Saying that, Hayate nodded to a person beside him. The individual stepped forward and ced an Incubator with a Pok��mon Egg on the table.


    Yuga looked at it curiously and asked, "What''s this?"


    This Pok��mon Egg had a light purple color with dark purple patterns scattered across its surface. In Yuga''s discerning eyes, this Pok��mon Egg emitted a rich green glow, just a step away from turning into a shade of blue.


    "This is a Noibat''s Pok��mon Egg that we obtained by chance, and now we''d like to gift it to you," Hayate exined.


    While Pidgey Express excelled in nurturing various bird-type Pok��mon, their expertise in raising Dragon-type Pok��mon was somewhatcking. That''s why they decided to present this Noibat''s Pok��mon Egg to Yuga.


    Yuga was slightly surprised at this revtion, not expecting it to be a Dragon-type Pok��mon Egg.


    Just as Yuga was about to reach for the Incubator, a message from the system suddenly echoed in his mind.


    ...


    [ Congrattions to the host for collecting seven Dragon-type Pok��mon, triggering the Dragon n Collection mission. ]


    [ Description: Dragon-type Pok��mon are powerful and rare. Please collect seven different Dragon-type Pok��mon and nurture one of each to its final form. ]


    [ Reward: Qualification to open the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark. ]


    ...


    The system''s voice in his mind made Yuga pause for a moment. He hadn''t realized that collecting these seven Dragon-type Pok��mon had triggered such a specific mission.


    Unbeknownst to him, his Ecopark had already gathered seven different Dragon-type Pok��mon: Flygon, Altaria, Dragonite, Duddrigon, Shellgon, Deino, and now Noibat''s Egg, making it a total of seven.


    Among these seven Dragon-type Pok��mon, Flygon, Altaria, Dragonite, and Duddrigon had already reached their final forms. Only Shellgon, Deino, and Noibat needed to be nurtured further.


    This Sub-Ecopark mission was quite specialpared to the previous ones. The activation conditions were hidden, and this mission''spletion difficulty was not straightforward.


    The system has said that the Sub-Ecopark is a basic benefit of the system, so it is not very difficult to open, but this time the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark is a little different.


    At first nce, it seemed simple to Yuga: nurture Shellgon, Deino, and Noibat to their final forms, and the mission would bepleted.


    But upon closer consideration, Yuga realized that it might not be so easy. First of all, there was an activation condition for this mission, the hidden requirement of collecting seven different Dragon-type Pok��mon.


    If Yuga hadn''t collected them, would he have ever triggered this mission? Would the system have reminded him? This meant that opening the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark depended on luck to some extent since Dragon-type Pok��mon were notmon.


    Additionally, nurturing each Dragon-type Pok��mon to their final form was a challenging task. While Flygon and Altaria weremon Dragon-type Pok��mon, Shellgon and Deino were considered pseudo-legendaries and had long growth periods.


    Shellgon and Deino have been in the Ecopark for some time now, and they are still receiving guidance from the Elite level Druddigon. Yuga hasn''t stopped providing resources for them, but currently, only Shellgon has evolved to the second stage.


    When Yuga thought about how his initial Dratini had evolved into Dragonite so quickly due to the influence of the Yellow Gem and the divine energy within it, he realized that such circumstances were not easily replicated.


    So, while the task might seem quiet simple to Yuga now, it was not without its unique challenges. Why was this Sub-Ecopark mission so specialpared to the others?

 Chapter 773: Sweet Honey

    <h4>Chapter 773: Sweet Honey</h4>


    With questions in his mind, Yuga asked the system.


    The system remained silent for a moment before responding:


    [ Some of the Sub-Ecopark are very special and fall into the category of special Sub-Ecopark, such as the Dragon''s Den, Fairy Forest, and so on. Therefore, the activation conditions are quite different, and the difficulty is correspondingly higher. ]


    "Special? What makes them special?" Yuga was puzzled.


    [ Regr Sub-Ecopark are considered low level Sub-Ecopark, differing mainly in their ecological environments. Special Sub-Ecopark are ssified as high level Sub-Ecopark and have unique functions. The current activation conditions are already quite simple, and the host has gained a significant advantage. ]


    The system exined.


    "Unique functions? What kind of functions?" Yuga asked, both surprised and intrigued.


    [ You''ll know when the hostpletes the task and sees it with your own eyes. ]


    "Ah, always keeping me in suspense," Yuga muttered in frustration.


    Just as Yuga was lost in thought, the voice of Hayate suddenly sounded in his ear.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, is something wrong? Is there anything unusual?"


    "Oh, nothing. I just really like this Pok��mon Egg," Yuga replied with Joyka.


    He realized that he had to thank this Pok��mon Egg for revealing the activation conditions of the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark.


    While Yuga was known for collecting high potential Pok��mon, he hadn''t actively sought out Dragon-type Pok��mon.


    The presence of six different Dragon-type Pok��mon in his Ecopark was mostly due to his luck. If he had to rely on his own efforts to collect them, it might have taken him a very long time.


    "As long as you like it," Hayate said with a sincere smile. Yuga''s eptance of their many gifts signified their growing friendship, and Hayate was pleased with that oue.


    Yuga could sense that Pidgey Express had an hidden motive behind their generosity, but he was willing to go along with it. Building rtionships in the business world was crucial.


    Originally, Hayate had considered keeping the Noibat Pok��mon Egg for himself. However, upon reflection, he decided against it.


    They had extensive experience in raising bird-type Pok��mon, and there was no need to invest extra effort in raising a Dragon-type Pok��mon, even if it was also a Flying-type.


    Watching Yuga and Hayate exchange pleasantries, Joyka remained quiet, sipping the Sweet Honey Tea from YoYo Day Care.


    It wasn''t until Yuga escorted Hayate and his team out of the gym''s gates that Joyka smiled and asked, "All done?"


    "Yes, it''s all done. I''m sorry for making you wait," Yuga replied.


    Yuga and Joyka had a close rtionship, so their conversation was rxed, with little need for formalities.


    "It''s fine. By the way, this Honey Tea is really good," Joykamented, savoring a sip. The taste was pure and authentic, even better than the Sweet Honey she had tried before.


    "If you like it, I''ll give you some to take with youter. You can enjoy it at your own pace," Yuga said with a smile. Joyka had helped him a lot, so a bit of Sweet Honey was a small token of appreciation.


    Currently, in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, there were already two Combee colony. The Combee poption had increased significantly, especially in the area ruled by Vespiquen No. 2. With thepletion of her Amber Castle, she had resumed breeding and her offspring had already formed a substantial new colony.


    If it weren''t for Vespiquen No. 1 focusing on improving her strength, Yuga suspected that there would be even more Combee in the Ecopark.


    Despite the incident caused by Florges''s rampage in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, which resulted in the destruction of two Amber Castle, many Combee were rescued, and there were no significant casualties.


    As more Sweet Honey was produced, YoYo Day Care consumption couldn''t keep up with the Combee''s production rate. It was both a blessing and a challenge.


    Although Yuga and his team used Sweet Honey for various purposes, including personal consumption, Pok��blocks, employee benefits, and selling some in their store, there was still an abundance left.


    Yuga had also sent a considerable amount to Mr. Norman, Grandpa Miltan, Mr. Moore, and other elders as a gesture of goodwill. However, their consumption was not particrly high.


    "Well, thank you very much. Sweet Honey is a preciousmodity, and your supply is quite generous, especially with such authentic vors," Joyka expressed her gratitude.


    "You''re wee. I''m d you like it. Sweet Honey is indeed a special treat, and I''m fortunate to have ess to such a rich source," Yuga replied, appreciating the abundance of resources in his Ecopark.


    Their conversation continued, and Yuga and Joyka enjoyed their time together, sipping Honey Tea and discussing various topics, including the beauty of Verdanturf Town and the joys of raising Pok��mon.


    Joyka''s face lit up with joy.


    As a member of the Joy family, she was well aware of the benefits of Sweet Honey. Not only did it taste sweet, but it also had significant benefits for both humans and Pok��mon.


    Long-term consumption by humans promoted health and beauty, while for young Pok��mon, it aided in their growth and development. Adult Pok��mon benefited from it by elerating their energy umtion.


    In short, Sweet Honey was a preciousmodity, surpassing even the MooMoo Milk from Miltank or the Grass-Goat Milk from Gogoat.


    Vespiquen, the kind of Pok��mon capable of producing high quality, energy-rich Sweet Honey, was exceedingly rare. Most Combee poptions in the wildcked a Vespiquen.


    Yet Yuga not only had one Vespiquen but two.


    If Joyka were to find out, she would undoubtedly be envious.


    What Joyka didn''t know was that, in addition to the surplus Sweet Honey, Yuga also had ess to MooMoo Milk and Grass-Goat Milk. However, thetter two items were of little use to him.


    The MooMoo Milk produced by the Miltank in the Ecopark was primarily used to feed young Pok��mon. Yuga rarely consumed it himself, and given the multitude of Pok��mon in his park, the quantity of MooMoo Milk was insufficient.


    Since the introduction of Tauros, the Ecopark''s MooMoo Milk production had increased, but it still couldn''t keep up with demand.


    As for Grass-Goat Milk, there was even less of it.


    Yuga had a pair of Gogoat, one male and one female, but there were no signs of them breeding yet. So, the milk production was limited and only enough to satisfy Yuga and a few of the children at the gym when they had a craving.


    "If you like it, we sell it at our store. After you finish the one I''m giving you, you can alwayse to my store to buy more," Yuga seized the opportunity to promote his business.


    Joyka pretended to be annoyed and said, "With our rtionship, I have to buy it?"


    "Of course! Business is business!" Yuga chuckled.


    "Look at you, bing more and more business-minded," Joyka teased.


    "Can''t help it. I have a big family to support," Yuga shrugged.


    Joyka suddenly paused and asked, "Do you have a lot of Sweet Honey at home?"


    "A bit, why?" Yuga was curious.


    "I''ll check with my family to see if they''d be interested in cing an order with you. Would that be okay?" Joyka offered. The Joy family had a significant demand for Sweet Honey, and she wanted to help her friend Yuga.


    "That would be fantastic!" Yuga had been concerned about Sweet Honey sales.


    While he had some customers buying it, they were mostly small-scale buyers. Having a high consumption household like the Joy family as a customer would be a tremendous boost.


    "Great, I''ll inquire about it when I get back," Joyka said with a smile.


    "If it works out, I''ll be sure to thank you properly," Yuga expressed his gratitude.


    "Don''t mention it. I didn''t help you just for this," Joyka waved her hand.


    "But I''ll still willing to ept some extra Sweet Honey."


    Girls were Executively interested in sweet and beauty-enhancing foods, and Joyka was no exception.


    "Sure, I''ll dly give you some extra. But did youe here today just for Sweet Honey?"


    "Oh, right, Ipletely forgot about the main reason," Joyka said, tapping her head in realization.

 Chapter 774: Assistants

    <h4>Chapter 774: Assistants</h4>


    Joyka pulled out six Pok�� Balls from her pocket and lined them up neatly on the table.


    "What''s this?" Yuga asked, puzzled, as he looked at the six Pok�� Balls.


    "It''s a thank-you gift from our family to you," Joyka said with a grin.


    After saying that, she opened each of the six Pok�� Balls, releasing six round and chubby Chansey.


    "These are Mei Mei, Yuan Yuan, Qiu Qiu, Tuan Tuan, Ai Ai, and Pang Pang. They''re assistant Pok��mon who have officially graduated from our family''s training facility, and they now belong to you," Joyka introduced each of the Chansey one by one, pointing at them.


    "Chansey!"


    "Chansey!"


    ...


    With each introduction, the Chansey happily greeted Yuga.


    Yuga was surprised by the names Joyka had given these Chansey �C Mei Mei, Yuan Yuan, Qiu Qiu, Pang Pang... Really? Were those the names you came up with for Chansey?


    He was even more astonished that the Joy family had given him six carefully trained Chansey. These Chansey were ready to start working at a Pok��mon Center right away.


    But when Yuga saw the six Chansey, the first thing he did was observe them closely with his Insight ability.


    All six Chansey had green potential. It was worth noting that the Joy family had gone all out, gifting Yuga six Chansey with green potential. Chansey, as a species, were already rare, and it was unusual to encounter them in the wild. Those who could capture a Chansey in the wild were considered lucky.


    These Chansey had potential that were neither too high nor too low, all at around level 40, which was just the right level for them to learn the Heal Pulse move and the Egg Move, in this case, Egg Bomb.


    Chansey''s eggs were a delicious and highly nutritious food item, far more precious and nutritious than the tail of a Slowpoke or the leek of a Farfetch''d.


    Chansey''s Egg Bomb move couldn''t be learned by Chansey without the ability to pass down Egg Moves, so these Chansey were indeed qualified assistants.


    It was worth noting that all of them had the Natural Cure ability.


    Chansey had three possible abilities: Natural Cure, Serene Grace, and Healer. Natural Cure and Serene Grace weremon abilities, while Healer was the hidden ability.


    For assistant Pok��mon like Chansey, the best ability was Healer, followed by Natural Cure, while Serene Grace was the least suitable.


    However, Healer was a hidden ability and was notmonly found in Chansey. Therefore, most Chansey at Pok��mon Centers had the Natural Cure ability.


    Joyka exined, "Yes, they''re all for you. Since you run a Pok��mon Day Care, these six Chansey should be a great help to you."


    Yuga asked, just to confirm, "All six of them?"


    Typically, Pok��mon with green potential were valued at around 300,000 Pok�� dors each, and Chansey, being extremely rare, could sell for up to 500,000 Pok�� dors for eggs and young Pok��mon. These six Chansey were adults and had received professional training, making their value incalcble.


    Joyka nodded and said, "Of course, they''re all yours. You run a Pok��mon Day Care, so these six Chansey should be a great help to you."


    The batch of Pok��mon eggs that Yuga had helped the Joy family protect was of great importance to them.


    It was the result of their hard work and was intended to be sent to the family''s headquarters in Kanto as part of the family''s heritage.


    Large families ced great importance on umting heritage because it was the key to their long-term prosperity.


    For the Joy family, the value of that batch of Pok��mon eggs far exceeded that of the six Chansey with green potential.


    They had carefully considered and decided to give Yuga these six Chansey as a token of gratitude, as well as a way to strengthen their rtionship with a potential asset. It was a win-win situation.


    Looking at the six Chansey, Yuga''s mouth almost watered.


    With these six Chansey, he could continuously breed more Chansey, and these Chansey could also serve as teachers for the Miltank in his Ecopark, teaching them how to better care for other Pok��mon.


    Although Audino spent some time training at the Joy family, it was impossible for Audino to learn as much as these six specially trained Chansey in such a short period. Their experience undoubtedly surpassed her.


    Seeing Yuga''s starry-eyed expression, Joyka asked with a yful smile, "Are you satisfied with this gift?"


    "Very satisfied, extremely satisfied," Yuga replied. He couldn''t be happier. Given the rarity of Chansey, if the Joy family hadn''t given them to him, he wouldn''t have had a chance to obtain them, especially not ones that had received specialized training.


    "But I have to remind you of one thing. Now that the Chansey are yours, besides taking good care of them, there''s one more crucial point: you are not allowed to sell them or give them away to others without the Joy family''s permission," Joyka added.


    Yuga was initially taken aback by this rule but quickly understood its significance. Chansey was the signature Pok��mon of the Joy family, and if he were to use them for business without their consent, it would tarnish their reputation.


    Moreover, he had no intention of giving away such valuable Pok��mon.


    Assistant Pok��mon in his Ecopark were already in short supply, and sending them away would mean he''d have to take care of a multitude of Pok��mon in the park by himself, which would be a nightmare.


    With these thoughts in mind, Yuga readily assured Joyka, "Don''t worry, the Chansey will never leave my hands."


    Hearing Yuga''s assurance, Joyka smiled and said, "Alright then, I''ve delivered the gift. I''ll take my leave now."


    Afterward, she turned to the six Chansey and said, "From now on, this gentleman here will be your new owner. He''s a good person and will take good care of you. Just follow him and rx."


    "Chansey!"


    "Chansey!"


    ...


    The Chansey nodded in agreement. They had only spent a short time with Joyka and were not particrly attached to her.


    Besides, they had known from the beginning that they would be assigned to different locations after graduating from the Joy family''s training facility. Being with Yuga wasn''t much different from being assigned to a Pok��mon Center.


    Besides, they had sixpanions here, which was better than being alone or with just one partner.


    With the "good person" card issued by Joyka, Yuga addressed the six Chansey, saying, "Please teach me a lot in the future."


    "Chansey!"


    "Chansey!"


    ...


    The Chansey nodded in response and extended their right hands toward Yuga, indicating a favorable first impression.


    Yuga looked at the Chansey offering handshakes with surprise, wondering if he had been epted. It was undeniable that Yuga, with his special ability, had a high affinity for regr Pok��mon.


    "Come on, I''ll get you some Sweet Honey," Yuga said, collecting the Chansey back into their Pok�� Balls. He cheerfully gestured for Joyka to follow him to the Pok��mon Day Care.

 Chapter 775: Exposed

    <h4>Chapter 775: Exposed</h4>


    Yuga, apanied by Joyka, arrived at the YoYo Day Care and saw that Miyuki was talking to Yasushi.


    "Why is she here again?" Yuga wondered to himself.


    When Miyuki saw Yuga approaching, her eyes glinted for a moment, and then she smiled and greeted him.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, we meet again!"


    Just as Yuga was about to respond to her, his expression suddenly changed. He pulled out a Pok�� Ball and released Florges.


    "Florges, catch her!"


    Florges didn''t hesitate and swiftly bound Miyuki tightly with her thick vines.


    Miyuki''s face changed upon being restrained. Though she didn''t know what was happening, she sensed that Yuga was about to take action against her.


    She had a bad feeling about it.


    Suddenly, a Ditto emerged from her cor and transformed into a Sceptile. Its leaf de glowed green and severed Florges''s vines.


    Yuga narrowed his eyes as he saw the Ditto.


    "As I suspected, you''re Ariana."


    Yasushi had no idea what was happening, but Joyka''s face turned pale when he heard the name "Ariana."


    After freeing Miyuki, Ditto transformed into a Pidgeot and grabbed Miyuki by the shoulder, lifting her into the air.


    "I knew you''d find out!" Miyuki''s premonition hade true.


    "I don''t understand how you discovered my identity," Miyuki said, puzzled. She believed her disguise was wless and couldn''t understand how Yuga had seen through her disguise.


    In reality, it was thanks to Florges''s cleverness. When Ariana escaped, Florges marked her with Grass-type energy, allowing Yuga to recognize Ariana''s expertise in disguise whenever she was near him.


    Yuga had an exceptional sensitivity to Grass-type energy, so whenever Ariana was close, she stood out like a beacon in his perception.


    "It doesn''t matter how I recognized you. What surprises me is that Miss Miyuki has so many identities��infamous thief Brodie and the renowned Team Rocket Executive, Ariana."


    As Yuga revealed her identities, a cold glint shed in Miyuki''s eyes.


    This would likely expose her true identity within Team Magma. She had hoped to gather information about Groudon from Team Magma, but that n seemed impossible now.


    Yasushi was utterly confused. While he knew about Brodie, he had be quite famous in Hoenn region in recent years, but he couldn''t fathom the connection to his sister.


    Not only Yasushi but also the people on the street and the customers at the YoYo Day Care had stopped what they were doing and gathered to watch themotion.


    Miyuki realized that she was no match for Yuga and tried to escape bymanding her Pidgeot (Ditto).


    Yuga, seeing her attempt to flee, shouted, "Gardevoir!" Gardevoir swiftly emerged from the YoYo Day Care.


    "Gardevoir, catch her!"


    Gardevoir''s eyes glowed with a purple light as she extended her psychic power towards Miyuki. However, as soon as Gardevoir''s psychic power touched Miyuki''s body, it disappeared without a trace.


    "My psychic power can''t hold her," Gardevoir reported.


    Yuga suspected that the mysterious ring was at y again. He didn''t know that the ring was developed by Team Rocket to deal with Mewtwo, so he couldn''t grasp its true power.


    Last time Ariana escaped from the space barrier created Gengar and Mismagius, Yuga spected that the Psychic power might be offset by the ring in her hand. Today Gardevoir confirmed his guess.


    Miyuki, seeing her chance, taunted Yuga with a smirk and waved the ring in her hand.


    "Just knowing my identity won''t help you catch me!"


    Yuga felt frustrated as he watched the defiant Miyuki, realizing that using Mean Look moves or Disable wouldn''t be very effective against an Elite level Pok��mon. It was simply unrealistic to rely on these two Pok��mon to keep Miyuki.


    Now that Psychic power are ineffective against her, catching her now seemed extremely challenging.


    As for the ring that could silently counteract even Gardevoir''s psychic power, Yuga was momentarily at a loss for how to deal with it.


    Seeing Miyuki taunting Yuga, Florges felt infuriated. Her eyes emitted a green light, and she extended her hand, pointing it towards Miyuki from a distance. Miyuki suddenly frowned and clutched her chest.


    Her chest started to emit a continuous green light, synchronizing with the green light in Florges''s eyes. In no time, a verdant vine emerged from Miyuki''s body.


    Miyuki felt excruciating pain in her chest, her strength draining away, and she couldn''t help but spit out a mouthful of blood.


    "What have you done to me?" Miyuki looked down at Yuga from above, her ugly expression.


    Yuga was just as bewildered as Miyuki, feeling the Grass-type energy left by Florges spreading and growing within Miyuki''s body.


    When he turned to look at Florges, he knew it was her doing.


    The green vines grew longer and longer, threatening to parasitize half of Miyuki''s body, looking incredibly ominous.


    In unbearable pain, Miyuki realized she couldn''t stay here any longer, or she might die with these eerie vines attached to her.


    "Ditto, let''s go."


    Miyukimanded, and the Ditto (Pidgeot) transformed into a kazam, and disappear in front Yuga''s and the others sight.


    Seeing Miyuki escape, Yuga, while somewhat regretful, felt a sense of satisfaction when he see her suffer.


    "What will those vines do to her?" Yuga asked Florges.


    Florges indicated that as long as Miyuki couldn''t remove the parasitic vines from her body, she would eventually be consumed by them and die. If she could remove them, she would be unharmed.


    As for whether Miyuki had the ability to remove them, Florges admitted she didn''t know.


    "That person just now was Ariana," Joyka, who had remained silent, couldn''t help but ask after the confrontation between Yuga and Miyuki ended.


    "That''s right, she is not only Ariana but also the infamous thief known as Brodie, which you must have heard of Its name," Yuga exined.


    "Really!" As a native of Hoenn region, Joyka had certainly heard of Brodie name, but he hadn''t expected that she and the Team Rocket Executive, Ariana, were the same person. It was beyond surprising.


    Upon hearing Yuga and Joyka''s conversation, Yasushi couldn''t contain his curiosity any longer and asked, "What''s going on? How can Miyuki be Brodie, and who is this Ariana?"


    Concerned for his sister, Yasushi wanted to ensure her safety despite their strained rtionship.


    Yuga nced at Yasushi and said, "I''ll exin it to youter. I have matters to attend to right now. Joyka, I''ll give you Sweet Honeyter."


    With that, Yuga hastily left.


    He needed to contact Steven; capturing Miyuki was a task beyond his capabilities. They needed someone more skilled for this mission. They also had to station people at Miyuki''s house to prevent her from returning.


    Joyka understood the seriousness of the situation and nodded at Yuga, indicating that he should prioritize dealing with Ariana''s matter.

 Chapter 776: Aftermath

    <h4>Chapter 776: Aftermath</h4>


    After contacting Steven, Yuga informed him about Miyuki''s identity as Ariana and the infamous thief Brodie. He instructed Steven to station people at Miyuki''s home to see if they could capture her.


    Yuga knew that capturing someone as cautious as Miyuki would be challenging, but it was better to be safe than sorry.


    Upon receiving Yuga''s message, Steven swiftly led his team to stake out Miyuki''s home. However, they ultimately couldn''t apprehend her.


    Miyuki''s grandfather and sister had no idea what was happening at the time and were held under Steven and the people from Prosecutor Bureau supervision.


    It wasn''t until the situation was resolved that they learned their granddaughter (sister) had secretly been a member of an Illegal organization.


    During the six years Miyuki had been away from home, Yuga and the others believed she had gone to Kanto to join Team Rocket.


    Miyuki had exceptional talent as a Trainer, and Team Rocket was the most significant dark force in Kanto and Johto. Combining the two, it wouldn''t have been difficult for Miyuki to be an Elite level Trainer.


    Considering Ariana''s active presence in Kanto, this theory seemed highly usible to Yuga and his team.


    Inside Miyuki''s home, the League apprehended several Team Rocket infiltrators whom Miyuki had ced in the incense workshop. After capturing these infiltrators, Miyuki remained elusive.


    These Team Rocket members were part of Miyuki''s team she had infiltrated into Hoenn region. Their n to infiltrate Hoenn region was disrupted before it could be put into action.


    However, this incident revealed the grand ambitions of Team Rocket. After taking control of the dark forces in Kanto and Johto, they aimed to expand their influence into Hoenn region.


    From the captured Team Rocket members, the League learned that Team Rocket intended to use Miyuki''s family''s incense workshop as a base of operations in Hoenn region.


    Miyuki had long heldplete control over the family''s incense business, which provided the opportunity for Team Rocket''s ns.


    Miyuki had infiltrated Team Magma as an undercover agent, with the same goal in mind: preparing for Team Rocket''s eventual invasion of Hoenn region.


    To fully invade the Hoenn region region, Team Rocket had to consider the existing forces there: Team Magma and Team Aqua. The League''s sensitivity to dark forces was not as high as Team Rocket''s.


    While the League believed Team Magma to be a harmless civilian organization, Team Rocket had already investigated their true intentions.


    Now, the League finally understood that the organization they believed to be a civilian group, Team Magma, was of the same nature as the wanted Team Aqua.


    Yuga only learned recently that Brodie was also a member of Team Magma. Miyuki yed the role of a spy within a spy.


    Yuga had to admire Miyuki''s extraordinary transformation abilities and her profound scheming. She had deceived both Team Magma and everyone else, truly living up to her title as one of the Executives of Team Rocket.


    As for Miyuki''s wanted status, her sister, Yukino, couldn''t care less. She was only concerned about whether she could continue to enjoy her life as a wealthy heiress.


    Miyuki''s grandfather, on the other hand, secretly rejoiced. With Miyuki gone, the control of the family would return to his hands, and his grandson, Yasushi, would once again be the heir to the incense workshop.


    However, Miyuki''s grandfather''s happiness didn''tst long.


    After Miyuki''s identity was revealed and she became a wanted criminal by the League, their family business was severely affected, almost crumbling. The title of being the No. 1 incense workshop was shattered.


    Miyuki, the genius girl, had been well-known in the incense industry for years. But no one had expected her to be even more formidable than they had imagined.


    Due to the League''s wanted status and investigation, Miyuki''s past experiences were dug up. This exposed her grandfather to much ridicule in the shadows, with many mocking him for failing to see her true nature.


    From Miyuki''s experiences, there''s no doubt that she was an exceptionally talented individual. Whether it was in the art of crafting incense or her talent as a Trainer, her achievements were impressive.


    Everyone believed that even if the family tradition restricted her from pursuing incense-making, there would have been no problem supporting her in bing a Trainer.


    If Miyuki''s grandfather hadn''t been so suspicious and biased, perhaps their family would have had an Elite level Trainer in the family now.


    Having an Elite level Trainer in charge made a significant differencepared to not having one.


    Unfortunately, this possibility was extinguished.


    Because of this, not only did Miyuki''s grandfather face ridicule from his peers, but many other factions also mocked him for his narrow-mindedness.


    During the years when Miyuki was in control of the family business, Team Rocket had infiltrated it thoroughly.


    Now that Team Rocket was arrested, the repercussions were felt, and the incense workshop couldn''t operate as usual.


    Furthermore, Miyuki''s wanted status became a stain on their family''s reputation, causing their incense business to lose credibility. Many partners terminated their coborations.


    To make matters worse, the League Store also terminated their contracts with their family.


    Businesses with a tarnished reputation were not eligible to coborate with League Store. While Miyuki had participated in the bidding process as an incense maker, she was now a wanted criminal.


    After learning about the events, Yasushi went back home briefly, but soon he returned to the YoYo Day Care. However, he seemed emotionally affected and didn''t appear in high spirits.


    Regarding Yasushi''s family''s future developments, Yuga didn''t have clear information. He only heard that Yasushi had returned home and had a heated argument with his grandfather, indicating a disagreement on certain matters.


    Yasushi didn''t seem inclined to return home, and Yuga didn''t press him further. He simply started nning to train new incense makers.


    Although Yasushi currently had no intention of taking over the family business, Yuga knew that day would eventuallye.


    His grandfather, while far from perfect, had been good to Yasushi. Yuga believed that Yasushi wouldn''t abandon his grandfather to handle the family''s troubles alone, especially with an unreliable sister at home.


    Yuga suspected that Yasushi''s grandfather might redirect his anger towards Yukino because they were sisters.


    After all, Miyuki and Yukino are biological sisters, and his grandfather''s character was questionable, the possibility such a scenario happend was high.


    Their family was now truly in disarray, holding onto the title of a hundred-year-old incense maker family, but the business was declining day by day.


    To be prepared for any situation, Yuga decided to nurture new incense makers while Yasushi was still around.


    YoYo Day Care had expanded its business significantly, and relying solely on Lain, an incense maker, was no longer sufficient.


    While Yasushi was still in the area, Yuga thought he could acquire some knowledge and skills from him.

 Chapter 777: The Orphan

    <h4>Chapter 777: The Orphan</h4>


    The League rewarded Yuga with more Merit Points this time than before, partly because of his significant contributions and also as a sign of their appreciation for him.


    All these Merit Points were exchanged by Yuga for arge number of Fairy Gems and a small quantity of Dragon Gems and Fire Gems.


    The Fairy Gems were intended for Florges. While the ones he exchanged forst time were not entirely used up, their supply was running low, and Florges had a considerable demand for them at the moment.


    The Dragon Gems and Fire Gems were for his Dragonite and Charizard.


    Although the Flying Gems delivered by the Pidgey Express had solved an immediate problem for Yuga, the optimal growth for Dragonite and Charizard required abination of Dragon Gems, Fire Gems, and some Flying Gems.


    Ideally, they needed a significant amount of Dragon Gems and Fire Gems to develop to their full potential, but Yuga''s current resources fell short of that, so he had to make do.


    Dragonite was in a slightly better position as it had inherited Dragon Gems from its father, Smence, and had a good supply of Dragon Gems for the near future. Charizard, on the other hand, would have to rely more on Flying Gems.


    What made Yuga''s life easier in this regard were Gengar and Mismagius. Thanks to the presence of the Ghost World Origin Stone, they could continue to grow steadily without relying on Ghost Gems.


    However, despite his substantial contributions, Yuga''s title remained unchanged; he was still a Senior Trainer.


    Within the League''s hierarchy for Trainers, the titles ranged from Regr Trainer, Elite Trainer, Senior Trainer, Honor Trainer, to Hall of Fame Trainer. Yuga was currently at the third tier.


    This title already surpassed the majority of Gym Leaders in terms of recognition.


    The ranking of titles had nothing to do with a Trainer''s position within the League or their strength. It solely depended on a Trainer''s contributions to the League. The Elite Four member like Phoebe and the others were Hall of Fame Trainers.


    The "Elite Four" title was derived from this system.


    Bing an Elite Four wasn''t solely about strength; it required achieving the proper title rank. In other words, if your title rank didn''t reach Hall of Fame Trainer, you weren''t eligible topete for the title of Elite Four..


    While the number of Elite Trainers in the entire Pok��mon world wasn''trge, the number of Trainers forming the base was substantial.


    Not to mention the hidden ones, just considering the prominent League Trainers, the total number of Elite level across the seven regions approached three digits. (Note: The book does not include the new region Gr.)


    Don''t be frightened by the nearly a hundred Elite level Trainers; think about how many League Trainers there are across the seven regions, far exceeding millions. So having that many Elite level Trainers wasn''t unusual.


    Of course, among these Elite level Trainer were some with only one or two Elite level Pok��mon, and even though they achieved the rank of Hall of Fame Trainer, they still weren''t eligible topete for the title of Elite Four.


    Having six Elite level Pok��mon was the basic requirement for the tittle of Elite Four.


    The League Elite Four served as the face of the League and held great influence within it.


    So, bing an Elite Four was no easy task. Just having the strength to participate in the Elite Four Tournament wasn''t enough; you also needed the qualifications.


    Why did Steven join the Prosecutor Bureau? It wasn''t just for the power; it was for the "title." Simr to him, Lance, who was about as strong as Steven, followed a simr path in the Investigation Bureau.


    However, Lance joined the Investigation Bureau, and while he had already achieved the title of Elite Four, he still held the position of Chief Inspector in the Kanto Investigation Bureau, on par with Joyna''s position as Chief Inspector of Sinnoh Investigation Bureau.


    Earning Merit Points from the League wasn''t easy. For Yuga to progress from Senior Trainer to Honor Trainer, he would need an enormous amount of Merit Points. To reach Hall of Fame Trainer, an even more substantial contribution would be necessary.


    It could be said that the higher you aimed in title progression, the more challenging it became.


    Regarding the aftermath of the Miyuki incident, Yuga, who was a Gym Leader, wasn''t responsible for handling it. The League had fully entrusted the case to Steven, the second person with knowledge of it.


    In principle, handling tasks rted to illegal organizations fell under the jurisdiction of the Investigation Bureau, not the Prosecutor Bureau. However, the Investigation Bureau in the Hoenn region was somewhatcking and didn''t have the same level of capability as Lance and Joyna.


    Yuga remembered that in his previous life, when he watched the original animated series, it was Steven who assisted in dealing with Team Magma and Team Aqua, not a Investigation Bureau member. Now it made sense why.


    Yuga didn''t personally know anyone from the Investigation Bureau, so when faced with a situation like this, he naturally thought of Steven from the Prosecutor Bureau. Following the principle of "one thing at a time," the League ultimately handed over the Miyuki incident to Steven.


    The Hoenn League was aware of the Investigation Bureau''s capabilities and thus felt justified in entrusting the matter to Steven of the Prosecutor Bureau.


    While the Investigation Bureau typically handled external affairs for the League and the Prosecutor Bureau managed internal matters, there were often oveps in their responsibilities. They frequently coborated on cases, so having the Prosecutor Bureau handle this incident didn''t seem out of ce.


    "Do you want to recruit apprentices for the Incense Maker?" Yuga was in the process of posting a notice at the door when suddenly a voice came from behind, startling him.


    Yuga turned around to see Steven wearing the Prosecutor Bureau''s uniform, apanied by two subordinates standing behind him. However, Steven''s expression appeared fatigued, possibly due to the recent increase in responsibilities.


    "It''s you. You walk so quietly. Do you have something to discuss?" Yuga greeted Steven and his two subordinates, ushering them into the shop.


    Steven''s current position within the Prosecutor Bureau was quite high, and Yuga spected that it wouldn''t be long before he participated in the League''s Elite Fourpetition.


    "If you''re looking to recruit apprentices, you could visit the League''s orphanage," Steven suggested after settling into the shop.


    "Orphanage?" Yuga was taken aback; he wasn''t familiar with the League''s orphanages.


    "That''s right. Every year, various organizations visit the League''s orphanages to select some of the older orphans for training. The League coborates with many reputablepanies for this purpose. The goal is to provide these orphans, who are about to leave the orphanage, with opportunities for a livelihood. These orphans have no attachments, and they are trained by the League itself, so their loyalty is quite high."


    With Steven''s exnation, Yuga finally understood what the League''s orphanages were like.


    In the Pok��mon world, the human mortality rate was much higher than in Yuga''s previous life, thanks in part to the presence of Pok��mon, which increased the risk of crime and consequently deaths. This led to a significant number of orphans.


    Of course, besides criminal incidents, various idents also contributed to the orphan poption.


    League orphanages would take in homeless orphans whocked the means to support themselves and didn''t possess any particr abilities. These orphans were typically under ten years old.


    In the Pok��mon world, children over ten years old were considered to have basic survival skills. Orphanages didn''t ept them for this reason, which was why Akihito and others who were over ten weren''t initially epted.


    Orphanages would care for these children until they reached the age of ten and provide them with basic knowledge. Afterward, the children could choose their specialties based on their interests, such as bing Trainers, Breeders, or pursuing general education.


    Once they turned ten, the orphanages encouraged them to venture out and make a living on their own. However, they weren''t forced to leave the orphanage.


    In order to provide children with a ce to make a living, the League will cooperate with somepanies or forces and hand over children to them for training. In the future, these children will join thesepanies or forces.


    This is also not mandatory and the children can decide their own future path or remain in the orphanage.


    Staying at the orphanage had a time limit.


    Once the children reached adulthood, meaning sixteen years old, and if they hadn''t found a path for themselves, the orphanage would no longer support them. They would be required to fend for themselves, and the orphanage wouldn''t provide employment opportunities. Their future development would depend entirely on their own efforts.


    The League had done well in caring for orphans, providing the necessary help. However, what these children would make of their lives in the future was up to them.


    Companies like Steven''s Devon Corporation visited the League''s orphanages every year to select children and train them for specialized positions.


    In essence, this process was simr to a job interview and recruitment. Both parties, the organizations, and the children had a say in the selection. Companies could choose suitable children for training, and children could decide which organization they wanted to join. Once mutual consent was reached, the selection was finalized.


    ��


    Regarding the Gr region, it won''t be included in this book because the story had already progressed significantly when the eighth generation was introduced. Suddenly introducing a region like Gr, which hadn''t been mentioned previously, would feel abrupt, so I hope you understand.

 Chapter 778: Rock And Steel

    <h4>Chapter 778: Rock And Steel</h4>


    Of course, the League''s adoption system couldn''t guarantee that everything would always be clean within the system. One of the most famous incidents was the orphanage massacre that shocked the world twelve years ago.


    The incident urred in the Rainbow City of the Kanto region.


    At the time, the director and high-ranking members of arge orphanage in Rainbow City colluded with an illegal organization. They used their positions to secretly sell the orphanage''s children to the illegal organization.


    These children suffered inhumane treatment within the illegal organization.


    This matter came to light when one of the children who had been sold to the illegal organization managed to climb the ranks of the organization through great effort and, with others, killed all the high-ranking members of the orphanage, including the director.


    After the killings, this child voluntarily turned himself in. Before doing so, he recorded his experiences as a video and posted it online, providing clear evidence of the orphanage director''s collusion with the illegal organization. This revtion gained worldwide attention.


    Evidently, at the time, this child didn''t trust the League. The purpose of exposing this matter was to pressure the League to take action against the illegal organization.


    In the end, the organization was indeed dismantled by the League, but the child managed to escape from the League''s prison. To be precise, he was rescued by someone.


    This incident led to the downfall of many League personnel at the time.


    The fact that the orphanage had been able to coborate with the illegal organization for so many years without being discovered was impossible without assistance from within the League.


    This childter became one of the Team Rocket'' Executive, which is the current known as Proton.


    This incident from twelve years ago was very well-known, and it greatly damaged the League''s reputation at the time.


    While many people might not be aware that the child from this incidentter became Proton, one of the Team Rocket'' famous Executive, they did know about the case itself.


    Yuga only learned about this incident after encountering Ariana and specifically investigating the background of the Team Rocket'' Executive.


    The Executive of the Team Rocket were significant figures on the League''s wanted list, so obtaining information rted to them wasn''t particrly difficult.


    It had to be said that, despite being an illegal organization, the Team Rocket'' Bosses, Giovanni, had a charismatic personality and great vision. Otherwise, the Team Rocket wouldn''t have been able to hold its own against the League for so many years.


    At the time, Proton was still quite young, but Giovanni recognized his potential and invested the effort to rescue him from the League''s prison, ultimately grooming him into one of the Team Rocket'' Executive. This showed how shrewd Giovanni''s judgment was.


    Despite incidents like this one, the existence of orphanages indeed had more benefits than drawbacks. They solved the survival problems of many orphans. That''s why, even after this incident, orphanages continued to exist for an important reason.


    Furthermore, over the years, the League had implemented various effective reforms in orphanages. The current orphanages were significantly different from those twelve years ago.


    After listening to Steven''s suggestion, Yuga found it reasonable. Recruiting incense makers'' apprentices from orphanages would not only reduce conflicts of interest but also help orphans find employment, making it a win-win solution.


    "You didn''te here today just to tell me where to recruit apprentices, did you?" Yuga asked Steven as he epted a doll-like teapot and ced it in front of Steven and his subordinates.


    "That''s not it. I was passing by and thought I''d ask if you''ve decided on the rewards you want for this case," Steven replied.


    In this current case, Yuga would receive rewards beyond just merit points. However, Yuga hadn''t decided on what he wanted yet, so he left it aside.


    "Well... if possible, I''d like a batch of Rock-type and Steel-type Pok��mon," Yuga said after some thought.


    He had been given the task of capturing Rock-type and Steel-type Pok��mon for a while now, and the Mine Sub-Ecopark had been empty. That''s why he mentioned it now.


    Yuga, as the owner of a Pok��mon Day Care, truly didn''t have the time to travel around capturing Rock and Steel types. The Hoenn region had few Pok��mon of these types, so it was challenging to find suitable ones.


    "Rock and Steel-type Pok��mon? These types are challenging to raise, you know. Are you sure about this?" Steven looked surprised. He personally had many Steel-type Pok��mon and knew how expensive it was to raise them.


    Yuga owned a Pok��mon Day Care and likely intended to breed these Pok��mon. If that was the case, a significant number of Pok��mon would be required for breeding, and it will be expensive to raise them.


    Even the League rarely breeds Pok��mon of these two types, especially Steel-types.


    Yuga: "Is there a problem?"


    Steven: "Not really, but if you truly want Rock-type and Steel-type Pok��mon, there happens to be a group of such Pok��mon that need relocation."


    "Tell me more," Yuga said, growing interested.


    Steven continued, "You know about Dewford Town, right?"


    Yuga nodded, "I do."


    Brawly, who became a Gym Leader at the same time as Yuga, was currently working as a Gym Leader on that town. Yuga had a good rtionship with Brawly, and they asionally stayed in touch.


    "There''s a gathering ce for Aron, Lairon, and Aggron there. However, over the years, the numbers of Aron and Lairon have been increasing annually, and they have hefty appetites. So, the ecological bnce on Dewford Town is bing strained. The League is looking to relocate some of the Aron and Lairon."


    Steven took a sip of tea, feeling a bit parched. He found the tea''s taste quite enjoyable and couldn''t resist taking another sip before continuing.


    "However, you know that these Pok��mon have a significant impact on the environment. The League currently can''t find a ce to relocate them to, and even the League Pok��mon Day Care Centers in various regions are reluctant to take them in. So, they''re quite troubled by this.


    If you''re truly willing to take over, it would indeed be a great help to them. However, you need to think it through carefully. Aron and Lairon are not easy to raise, and one misstep could lead to bankruptcy. Otherwise, the League''s Pok��mon Day Care Center wouldn''t hesitate to take them in, as there are still many high potential Pok��mon there."


    Steven was concerned that Yuga might not have experience in raising these Pok��mon, so he gave Yuga a heads-up.


    Yuga thought for a moment and replied, "I can take care of it on my end. However, I want this batch of Pok��mon to serve as breeding stock, so I don''t want low potential Pok��mon. Are there not many high potential Aron and Lairon among them?"


    Steven realized that Yuga had a point. While there were high potential Pok��mon among these Pok��mon, the quantity wouldn''t be significant. He thought for a moment before continuing.


    "How about this? You can consider taking some low potential Pok��mon. I''ll instruct them to select the best ones for you, including the high potential ones."


    Since this was a reward for Yuga anyway, Steven had the authority to make this decision. Originally, the League intended to distribute the high potential Aron and Lairon from this batch as rewards to the Trainers below. However, since Yuga was willing to take on some of the trouble, these high potential Pok��mon would be an extra benefit for him.


    Yuga considered for a moment and said, "That''s eptable. However, even the lowest potential should be at least yellow in terms of potential. I have my standards; I don''t want to break them."


    YoYo Day Care was currently involved in dealing with low potential Pok��mon, and having a minimum yellow potential was a rule set when Yuga''s parents were still alive. Yuga didn''t want to deviate from that.


    Steven nodded in agreement, "Alright, I''ll make the arrangements ordingly."


    "Great, I''ll be waiting for your good news," Yuga said with a smile.


    "I''ll get it sorted out as soon as possible. It''s gettingte, and I have other matters to attend to, so I''ll take my leave now. The Pok��mon will be sent to you through the Trade Machine when the timees. Rest assured."


    With that, Steven left the YoYo Day Care. He had been quite busytely, so he departed with hurried steps.


    After Steven left, Yuga went to find Windy and asked him to look into the situation regarding the orphanages. After gaining a better understanding of the specific circumstances, Yuga would decide whether to recruit new apprentices from the orphanages.

 Chapter 779: Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 779: Encounter</h4>


    Three dayster, Steven, as agreed, delivered the batch of Aron and Lairon to Yuga.


    The total number of Aron and Lairon in this batch was one hundred and fifty, quite a substantial quantity.


    If all these Aron and Lairon were ced in one location, it wouldn''t take long to clear out a mountain.


    The gathering ce for Aron, Lairon, and Aggron on Dewford Town was said to be underground, under strict supervision by the League Forest Rangers. The purpose was to control their numbers and prevent them from devouring Dewford Town.


    Among the Aron and Lairon that Yuga received, only four had green potential,prising two Aeon and two Lairon. There was none with potential of blue or higher, while the rest had yellow potential.


    It''s no wonder that no one besides Yuga wanted to take on this group of Pok��mon; it simply didn''t make sense. The value of four green potential Pok��mon couldn''t even cover the cost of feeding these one hundred and fifty gluttons.


    It''s said that the number of Aron and Lairon to be relocated was much higher than this, but theypressed the number to one hundred and fifty, fearing Yuga wouldn''t be able to care for them all, relocating the rest elsewhere.


    Even so, Yuga lightened their burden significantly.


    In truth, Yuga could handle more Aron and Lairon, but he didn''t want to take on too many, both to avoid suspicion and because it would be too much work.


    The potential of the remaining Aron and Lairon weren''t great, and if Yuga took them all, it would raise problems for their future management.


    The League had decided to relocate those Aron and Lairon to the wild and allow other trainers to catch them. Although their potential weren''t great, they were still valuable due to their species. Besides, most Pok��mon in the wild area didn''t have excellent potential, and everyone knew that.


    Considering that Yuga had helped them share a significant burden, they also specially gifted Yuga a green potential Aggron as the leader of this group of Pok��mon. So it would make it easier for Yuga to manage Aron and Lairon.


    This gesture was quite considerate because there were no fully evolved Aggron among the Pok��mon that needed relocation; this one had been specially selected from the Dewford Town gathering ce.


    Carrying the Pok�� Balls containing Aron and Lairon, Yuga entered the Ecopark.


    Before heading to the Mine Sub-Ecopark, Yuga first hired a bodyguard for himself.


    These Aron and Lairon had been caught in the wild, and if Yuga wanted them to behave, he might have to use force.


    As expected, when he arrived at the Mine Sub-Ecopark and released the leading Aggron, it immediatelyunched an attack on Yuga.


    The Pok��mon at Yuga''s side was a Breloom. When it saw that the Aggron was about to attack Yuga, it rushed forward and began pummeling the Aggron with its fists until the Aggron begged for mercy.


    This Aggron wasn''t high level or low level; it was around level forty. Faced with a pseudo-Elite level Breloom, it had no power to resist.


    Once the Aggron was subdued, the other Aron and Lairon were easy to handle. Since their leader had submitted, they wouldn''t dare to challenge their trainer recklessly.


    This was the advantage of having a leader; as long as you managed the leader well, you could effectively control the entire Pok��mon group. Otherwise, Yuga would have had to subdue them one by one.


    "From now on, you will live here. You can freely eat the minerals and rocks here."


    Yuga said to the Aggron and itspanions.


    The Aggron that had just been beaten was originally rubbing its head in a pitiful manner. However, when it heard Yuga''s words, its eyes lit up, and it stopped rubbing its head, looking excited as it crawled along the ground.


    As Steel and Rock-type Pok��mon, Aggron could sense the abundant mineral content in this mine. Living in a ce with such arge and plentiful supply, they would be very happy in the future.


    When they were in the gathering ce on Dewford Town, these Aron, Lairon, and Aggron had their food intake restricted.


    Excessive consumption of minerals would elerate their reproduction, leading to ecological imbnces on Dewford Town. It could also damage the underground structure of Dewford Town, and in severe cases, even lead to the ind sinking.


    So, despite their imposing appearance, they were actually malnourished, including the Aron and Lairon.


    Pok��mon like them, of Steel type, and Rock type, if they couldn''t find a suitable habitat and didn''t have enough food, were prone to malnutrition. The most obvious sign was that their armorcked luster, and their hardness was insufficient.


    Now, the Aggron looked at Yuga with joy and gratitude in its eyes, and it started to eat happily, joined by the Aron and Lairon. The whole Mine Sub-Ecopark was filled with the unpleasant sound of steel and rocks grinding, "crunch, crunch," which was quite harsh.


    "Remember, there''s also an Onix here. It will be your leader in the future, so you must listen to it." Yuga didn''t say thetter part out loud, to avoid hurting the Aggron''s pride, as it had just been defeated.


    This particr Aggron was quite young, ording to Steven, it had recently evolved into its final form, so its temperament wasn''t fully mature yet.


    While Aggron and itspanions were busy eating, Yuga wasn''t sure if they were paying attention to his words. After emphasizing a few times and seeing that they still didn''t seem to care, Yuga let it be.


    Perhaps Aggron and its crew needed a good beating.


    Not long after Yuga left the Mine Sub-Ecopark, Aggron met the Onix.


    Before this, Onix had been sleeping in the Mine''s Sub-Ecopark. It needed to umte strength to evolve into Steelix.


    Yuga didn''t using Metal Coat to help Onix evolve into Steelix. It was already on the verge of evolving, and with the abundant mineral resources in the Mine Sub-Ecopark, it could naturally achieve natural evolution.


    A Steelix evolved naturally would be much stronger than one forced through artificial means. Yuga had no intention of wasting his efforts on thetter.


    This Giant Onix, which Yuga had captured in the Petalburg Forest, had been alive for a long time to umte its natural evolution. Otherwise, Yuga didn''t want to waste time waiting for it.


    The Onix buried itself underground in a location rich in minerals. However, Aggron found its way there and, in excitement, began to feast. Before long, arge pit had been gnawed out of the ground, revealing the buried Onix.


    The Aggron that was busy biting into the earth had yet to realize what had happened. It seemed confused as to why it couldn''t chew through the rock.


    The Onix, which had been rudely awakened, hadn''t opened its eyes yet and instinctively swept its tail.


    Yuga''s Onix was an exceptional specimen, an extraordinary Giant among Onix. Evenpared to Aggron, it was enormous. The Onix'' tail effortlessly knocked the Aggron aside, causing it to tumble.


    The Onix had fully regained its consciousness now, and it looked at the tumbling little Aggron, not knowing what had just urred.


    But Aggron got angry. It had been beaten by a Breloom not long ago, and now someone else had given it a swipe without warning. Its temper, which wasn''t great to begin with, couldn''t take it.


    After getting back on its feet, Aggron charged towards therge pit it had created, wanting to confront whoever had dared to bully the "Dewford Town Little King."


    At this point, the Onix had fully woken up and was observing the approaching little creature with confusion. It seemed to be wondering what was going on.


    After Aggron charged over, it noticed a gigantic creature standing there, casually striking the ground with its tail, creating waves of dust. Next to it, a massive rock was reduced to rubble by the tail''s impact.


    Do you need something?


    Aggron seemed to read the Onix'' intentions from its enormous, perplexing eyes.


    No, no, I was just passing by.


    Aggron quickly backed down, its head shaking like a rattle.


    The imposing presence of the gigantic creature was overwhelming, and Aggron suddenly felt the urge to urinate.


    The Giant Onix watched the bewildered little creature shaking its head in confusion and decided to dig a hole and return underground to continue its slumber.


    From start to finish, the Onix remained oblivious to the situation, while Aggron had managed to scare itself out of its wits.


    Oh my! That was terrifying! Where did that monstere from?


    Aggron sat down on the ground, wearing an expression of fear that waspletely at odds with its fierce appearance. It hadpletely forgotten Yuga''s warning before he left.


    From that point on, Aggron knew that there was a formidable figure here that it couldn''t mess with. Even if it couldn''t see the imposing figure of this boss, it would behave itself obediently.


    It''s unclear whether Aggron was being timid or just showing good judgment.

 Chapter 780: Pearls

    <h4>Chapter 780: Pearls</h4>


    After leaving the Mine Sub-Ecopark, Yuga took the opportunity to visit the Chansey.


    The Chansey are now living together with the Miltank. During this time, the Miltank have been sharing their knowledge of the familiar ecosystem of the Ecopark and the Pok��mon that live here with the Chansey, while the Chansey are teaching the Miltank more knowledge.


    With both practical experience and theoretical knowledge, theyplemented each other perfectly.


    When Yuga arrived at the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, Chansey was busy treating a wound on Purrloin''s hand.


    Purrloin had sustained the injury while patrolling, engaging in a skirmish with neighboring Pok��mon. It was minor, and Chansey handled it easily.


    In the presence of Chansey, even the mischievous Purrloin behaved obediently, putting aside its usual yful antics.


    After the treatment, Chansey gently rubbed Purrloin''s head, and Purrloin, feeling a bit uneasy, turned its head away, looking somewhat shy.


    Purrloin''s younger sister, Zorua, watched with concern as Chansey helped her sister with the wound. When she learned that her sister''s injury wasn''t severe, she looked at Chansey with gratitude.


    Compared to the mischievous Purrloin, Zorua was livelier and more well-behaved.


    However, since Purrloin and their father, Liepard, had taken on patrol duties, Purrloin had be more responsible and mature, which pleased Yuga.


    It indicated that Purrloin truly considered itself part of the Day Care and was taking practical steps to protect it.


    As Purrloin was about to say something to Chansey, it saw Yuga approaching and quickly whisked Zorua away, afraid of Yuga witnessing its embarrassment.


    "Chansey! Chansey!"


    Seeing Yuga approaching, Chansey happily waved to him.


    Mei Mei was the leader among the six Chansey and the most powerful among them. Besides being slightly weaker than Yuga''s Audino, her abilities as a Pok��mon assistant were superior to Audino.


    The Chansey selected for Yuga by the Joy family were not chosen randomly. Among the Pok��mon assistants that graduated in their batch, Mei Mei was one of the top performers.


    Yuga asked, "Mei Mei, how have you all been here these days?"


    The other Chansey were out working with the Miltank, so only Mei Mei remained in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    "Chansey! Chansey!"


    We''ve been doing great here! I really love it!


    Mei Mei had a round, chubby face that looked adorable, and Yuga couldn''t resist the urge to reach out and pinch her cheeks. However, he refrained, fearing it might startle the Chansey.


    In their current living conditions, all six Chansey were quite content. They weren''t the type of Pok��mon to thrive in solitude; they preferred a lively group environment.


    Until they graduated from the Joy family''s Pok��mon Nurse School, they had always lived in a group. Their trainingpanions included not only other Chansey but also Pok��mon like Kirlia, Wigglytuff, and Clefable.


    Originally, they were supposed to be assigned to Nurse Joy as her assistants. However, since they hadn''t met their future partner in person yet, they were naturally anxious. The thought of being separated from theirpanions whom they would spend every day with made them even more uneasy.


    But the actual situation turned out to be much better than they had anticipated.


    Given to Yuga, they were ced together with sixpanions, which greatly alleviated their initial anxieties.


    "That''s good. If you need anything, just ask me." Yuga said with a smile.


    In faxt, At Yuga''s Ecopark, the assistant Pok��mon had a substantial workload. Besides taking care of the daily needs of the Pok��mon, they were responsible for treating injuries, as the Pok��mon at the Ecopark underwent daily training and variousbat exercises, often resulting in injuries. That''s why Yuga felt he needed more Miltank.


    Yuga''s Miltank didn''t have excellent potential, and the healing move they knew only Milk Drink. But the healing effect of Milk Drink is not as good as Heal Pulse.


    Even the ones that could use Heal Bell were in the minority.


    Now, with six Chansey that could use Heal Pulse joining them, the workload for the Miltank had significantly lightened.


    Due to the substantial workload, Yuga was initially concerned about whether the Chansey would adapt to their new life. However, based on his current observations, the Chansey were doing quite well.


    While Yuga was discussing their life in the Ecopark with Mei Mei, the leader of the Miltank herd returned with Yuan Yuan, Qiu Qiu, Tuan Tuan, Ai Ai, and Pang Pang.


    Currently, the Chansey'' internship work was mainly led by the Miltank leader, and the interaction between the Chansey and Miltank had been harmonious.


    After chatting with the Chansey for a while, Yuga headed to the Shallow Sea Sub-Ecopark with the purpose of checking on the mperl living there.


    The mperl had made their habitat on a coral reef north of the central ind of Lake 1. They lived a rxed life, spending their days either soaking in the sea or basking in the sun on the coral reef.


    This group of mperl had been at the Ecopark for quite some time and had produced many pearls intermittently.


    At first, they were somewhat unstable in their pearl production, possibly due to adjusting to the new environment and mood swings.


    As time passed, Yuga had taken good care of them, and their deep blue shells shone brilliantly. The pale blue flesh inside the shells was clear and translucent, while their pink bodies were plump and gleaming.


    Recently, the mperl''s pearl production had be stable.


    Yuga had already reached an agreement with a pharmaceuticalpany. The pearls produced by his mperl would be sold to them as materials for making medicines.


    The pearls produced by mperl were precious pharmaceutical materials. Depending on the prescription, the medicines made from these pearls were suitable for Water-type Pok��mon and Psychic-type Pok��mon, greatly assisting in their growth.


    Yuga had also ordered a batch of such medicines from this pharmaceuticalpany, which he mixed into the Pok��blocks of Psychic-type and Water-type Pok��mon in the Ecopark for them to consume.


    This pharmaceuticalpany was introduced to Yuga by Joyka. It was a reputable andrgepany and one of Joy''s family''s partners in the pharmaceutical business.


    Yuga''s pearls were of high quality, and with the Joy family''s guarantee, it was easy to reach a supply agreement with the pharmaceuticalpany.


    The fact that mperl was chosen as the signature Pok��mon of Truly Adorable Day Care was not without reason��it was precisely due to the high quality pearls they produced.


    In reality, many Day Cares had coborations with variouspanies, including pharmaceuticalpanies, jewelrypanies, and itempanies.


    The production of Pok��mon varied greatly, with valuable materials like Dustox''s powder, Vileplume''s saliva, Lilligant''s fragrance, and Arbok''s venom, among others.


    Day Cares housed arge number of Pok��mon, leading to substantial material production. Since the Day Cares couldn''t utilize these materials themselves, they formed supply agreements with otherpanies, creating a mutually beneficial situation.


    Currently, the mperl, along with the Huntail and Gorebyss, had bred several more mperl. Yuga''s mperl poption had grown to a considerable size.


    Yuga didn''t intend to sell mperl; he wanted to keep them solely for pearl production. The value of the pearls produced by mperl was high, and there was no need to consider selling mperl for profit.


    When Yuga arrived at the mperl''s habitat, they were all on the coral reef, with their shells wide open, basking in the sun with their eyes closed. Several Huntail and Gorebyss were swimming in the water nearby.


    These Huntail and Gorebyss were the ones Yuga had when he took over the mperl habitat initially. He hadn''t acquired any new Huntail or Gorebyss since then.


    To be precise, Yuga didn''t n to let his mperl evolve into Huntail or Gorebyss because once mperl evolved, they would lose their ability to produce pearls, which was highly unprofitable.


    mperl could still reproduce without evolving into Huntail or Gorebyss, while evolving would result in losing the pearl production ability, which Yuga wouldn''t consider doing.


    He also didn''t intend to sell his mperl.


    In addition, evolving mperl into Huntail and Gorebyss requires Deep Sea Tooth and Deep Sea Scale, which can be quite expensive and doesn''t seem cost-effective.


    Yuga''s arrival caught the attention of Huntail and Gorebyss in the water, causing them to poke their heads out and softly call out to Yuga.


    The mperl basking in the sun were awakened by the cries of Huntail and Gorebyss, and they opened their eyes simultaneously.


    Also among those who opened their eyes were the two Cloyster mixed in with the mperl.


    These two Cloyster must have been quite lonely, considering mperl as their own kin, even though they are both shellfish-like Pok��mon, their species is entirely different.


    The Egg Group of Cloyster is "Water 3," and the Egg Group of mperl is "Water 1." They don''t even have a chance to breed together.


    However, the two Cloyster are willing to be with the mperl, and the mperl doesn''t reject the Cloyster, so Yuga just goes along with them.


    In addition to Cloyster, Slowbro and Slowking, which live in the center of the indke, sometimese to the coral reef here along the river and blend in with the groups of mperl, standing on the coral reef, facing the sea, and sunbathing with their eyes closed.


    Yuga suspected the reason for their behavior was that being with mperl, the pearls inside mperl''s bodies could aid them in meditation.


    However, the true reason was never revealed to him, and he didn''t inquire.


    Every time he saw Slowking, Yuga felt like he was looking at a magic stick and thought it was entric. On the other hand, when he saw Slowbro, he considered it rather dim-witted and impossible tomunicate with.


    Perhaps both of them considered a mortal humans like Yuga unworthy ofmunication.


    Anyway, these two were quite headache-inducing.


    However, when Yuga arrived today, he didn''t see either of them.

 Chapter 781: Selection

    <h4>Chapter 781: Selection</h4>


    After much consideration, Yuga decided to follow Steven''s suggestion and recruit two incense maker apprentices from the orphanage.


    There was an orphanage in the Verdanturf Town, founded and supported by the League. It wasn''t veryrge, but it had been in existence for a long time.


    Yuga didn''t know much about this orphanage. He only knew it was located on the other side of the town, far from the YoYo Day Care, and he had never been there.


    However, after Windy''s investigation, Yuga now had some understanding of this orphanage.


    The orphanage was called Forest Home, and it had even extended an invitation to Akihito''s younger siblings, but they had declined.


    Forest Home was founded sixty years ago, and over the years, most of the orphans from Verdanturf Town had been taken in there, nurturing many homeless children.


    The town''s economic situation wasn''t great, so the orphanage was rtively modest and financially tight.


    It was only after Mayor Ishida took office that the situation improved.


    Mayor Ishida had been in office for nearly twenty years, and during that time, he had allocated funds to Forest Home. However, Verdanturf Town''s finances were still tight, and no matter how much funding they received, the situation at Forest Home didn''t improve much.


    But this year, things had gotten better, thanks to Yuga. Verdanturf Town''s economic situation had improved significantly due to Yuga''s efforts, and Forest Home had also benefited from increased attention and support from the League.


    On this day, Yuga contacted the director of Forest Home and went there with Lain.


    Lain was quite concerned about recruiting incense maker apprentices and was interested in the idea of mentoring them.


    Having a capable assistant when making incense was essential for an incense maker, especially when apprentices were still learning the craft. Lain had previously relied on her Whimsicott and Lilligant as assistants.


    Forest Home''s director was delighted by Yuga''s visit. If the children here could be selected by Yuga, their future would be secure.


    Yuga had be a legendary figure in Verdanturf Town, and not only the director but even the children were eager to be chosen by him.


    When Yuga arrived at the entrance of Forest Home, Director Kawahara was already waiting there.


    Director Kawahara was a middle-aged woman in her fifties with long, thick hair piled on top of her head. She wore sses and appeared gentle and approachable.


    Before Yuga''s visit, he had contacted Mayor Ishida. ording to Mayor Ishida''s introduction, Director Kawahara had taken over Forest Home when she was under thirty and had been serving as the director for over twenty years, longer than Mayor Ishida''s tenure in Verdanturf Town.


    She had tirelessly dedicated herself to the well-being of the children at the orphanage. She was a highly admirable person.


    "Sorry for the wait, Director Kawahara," Yuga said politely, greeting her. He held deep respect for someone like her, who selflessly dedicated her youth to Forest Home.


    Due to her position as the director of an orphanage, Director Kawahara had never married and had devoted almost all her youth to Forest Home.


    She was originally an orphan herself but not from Verdanturf Town. She had settled in Verdanturf Town only after taking over Forest Home.


    Perhaps due to her simr background, Director Kawahara could empathize with the homeless and parentless children, and that''s why she had dedicated so many years of her youth to Forest Home.


    "It''s no problem at all, I''m delighted that you coulde," Director Kawahara said with a smile, her voice somewhat colder and sharper than her appearance would suggest. Yet, it carried an inexplicable sense of security.


    In addition to Director Kawahara, Yuga noticed a girl of about eighteen or neen standing beside her.


    Seeing Yuga''s gaze on the girl, Director Kawahara introduced her with a smile, "This is Ichigo, another former resident of Forest Home. She works in town now and asionally helps me when she''s free. She happened to be free today and came over to see."


    Ichigo had left Forest Home to make her own way in the world. She hadn''t been chosen for individual training by anypany or organization.


    "Hello," Yuga greeted Ichigo with a smile. The girl nodded slightly in response but didn''t say much. She seemed somewhat reserved.


    "Let''s go inside first, and we can chat more inside," Director Kawahara suggested.


    Yuga agreed, "Sure, let''s go."


    Director Kawahara led Yuga and Lain into Forest Home. Lain followed Yuga silently, her heart likely filled with emotions as she revisited an orphanage, even though her own upbringing had been rtivelyfortable.


    As they entered the courtyard of Forest Home, Yuga began to assess the environment. The orphanage was not small in terms ofnd area, which was expected given that it was founded with the League''s support, and Verdanturf Town had plenty ofnd.


    However, the buildings and facilities here were quite old.


    Based on Yuga''s observation, the building directly in front of the entrance should be the teaching building where the children attended sses. He even heard the cheerfulughter of children from inside.


    Forest Home had teachers from several schools in Verdanturf Town who volunteered to teach the children every week. This practice had started during Mayor Ishida''s tenure.


    Mayor Ishida had indeed aplished many practical things during his time in Verdanturf Town, but due to his limited personal abilities and the challenging conditions of Verdanturf Town, he hadn''t achieved significant results.


    The teaching building had two floors, but it appeared a bit worn-out. The paint and colors were fading.


    To the right of the teaching building was the Forest Home cafeteria, a one-story building that was slightly newer but still not in great condition.


    To the left of the teaching building was a two-story structure, and Yuga could see white bedsheets fluttering in the wind on its rooftop. This should be where the children slept.


    In front of the dormitory building, there was an open area that seemed to serve as the children''s y area. There were some old slides, seesaws, and other toys.


    Overall, Forest Home had argend area, few buildings, and a spacious, dpidated environment. The conditions were not great.


    "The ce is a bit simple. I hope Mr. Shimizu doesn''t mind," Director Kawahara said apologetically.


    Yuga shook his head and replied, "It''s not a problem at all. Let''s first meet the children."


    "Great, follow me."


    Director Kawahara nodded and led Yuga and Lain into the teaching building. Since the children didn''t have sses today, they were gathered in a ssroom, ying games. When they saw Director Kawahara enter with guests, they happily surrounded her, calling her "Mom Director."


    These children had good spirits, and it was evident they were well taken care of. However, their clothes were quite old. ording to Director Kawahara, the children wore donated secondhand clothes.


    After chatting with the children for a while, Director Kawahara instructed some of the older ones to take the children under ten years old out of the ssroom. Yuga wouldn''t be selecting apprentices younger than ten,


    unless their circumstances were exceptional, as children under ten couldn''t leave the orphanage.


    "I wonder if Mr. Shimizu has any specific requirements for selecting apprentices?" Director Kawahara asked, now that the children had been taken care of.


    The children had just been informed of Yuga''s identity, and they were all looking curiously at Yuga and Lain. Even the children who had been taken out of the ssroom were peering through the windows, eager to see what was happening.


    Yuga observed these children, and those who met his gaze straightened their backs, hoping to be chosen. However, some of them remained timid.


    The remaining children were mostly between the ages of ten and thirteen, with a few older ones who seemed to be around fourteen or fifteen.


    "As long as they are diligent and honest, I think they should be fine. It''s best if they have an interest in making incense. I don''t know the children well, so Director Kawahara, could you rmend two suitable candidates?" Yuga asked.


    He was confident that Director Kawahara knew the children at Forest Home better than he did. If she could rmend two suitable candidates, it would save Yuga a lot of trouble.


    Yuga listened as Director Kawahara introduced two children, a boy named Sean, twelve years old, and a girl named Kano, fifteen years old. Both children were described as hardworking and honest. Their interest in incense-making was uncertain, but Sean was noted to have talent in nurturing nts.


    When Sean heard Director Kawahara call his name, his eyes lit up with enthusiasm, indicating his sharpness. He seemed genuinely happy at the prospect of being selected.


    However, Yuga couldn''t help but notice something odd when he looked at the girl named Kano. At fifteen, she was considered quite old for an orphanage, as children typically couldn''t stay beyond sixteen. Her face didn''t show much joy; in fact, she seemed reluctant to be chosen.


    Sensing Yuga''s gaze, Kano hesitated and then, turning to Director Kawahara, asked in a stammering voice, "Dean, can I not go?"


    Director Kawahara became very agitated upon hearing what Kano had to say.


    "You''re not going? Do you want to wait until you''re forced to leaveter? How stubborn can you be?" she eximed.


    "But... but..." Kano''s voice quivered as she responded to the Director Kawahara''s scolding.


    "There''s no ''but.'' As long as Kiko is staying here, what do you have to worry about? Do you think I would mistreat him? If you keep procrastinating like this, you''re not just ruining your own future. When Kiko finds out it''s because of him that his sister achieved nothing, what do you think he''ll feel?" the headmistress sternly replied.


    Director Kawahara''s conversation with Kano left Yuga and Lain bewildered, but judging by the expressions of the headmistress and the other children, it seemed like they were all aware of Kano''s situation.


    Fortunately, Director Kawahara promptly exined the circumstances to Yuga and Lain.


    It turned out that Kano had a younger brother named Kiko, who also resided at Forest Home. Kano was fifteen, and Kiko was eight. When their parents had passed away, Kano was still young, and Kiko had just been born.


    Although they did have rtives, the closest ones were their uncles. When their parents passed away, the uncle wasn''t initially willing to adopt both Kano and Kiko. After negotiations, he agreed to take in one of them, and Kano sacrificed her chance to stay behind to care for her younger brother, who was still a baby at the time.


    However, Kanoter visited her uncle''s home and discovered that he mistreated Kiko, both physically and verbally. This led to a falling out, and her uncle dered that he would no longer take care of Kiko and intended to cast him out.


    Not willing to see her brother mistreated, Kano returned to Forest Home with Kiko in tow. At the time, she was already eleven years old, and the prospect of leaving the orphanage was approaching. Her exemry qualities caught the attention of variouspanies looking to recruit, but she gave up those opportunities to take care of Kiko.


    As the years passed, she missed many opportunities, and now, at fifteen, she had already surpassed the ideal age for recruitment by mostpanies. Companies typically recruited and trained individuals from a very young age to ensure loyalty and confidentiality, such as with the secret recipe for YoYo''s Pok��blocks.


    Yuga understood that Kano''s life had been significantly affected due to her devotion to her brother. She had sacrificed her own opportunities and was now at a disadvantageous age for recruitment.


    While Yuga pondered this, he noticed a young boy outside the ssroom who bore a striking resemnce to Kano, and he appeared anxious.


    "Kano, you must understand that Kiko will grow up eventually. You can''t protect him forever. Moreover, this job is located in Verdanturf Town, so you cane back to visit him anytime,"


    Director Kawahara earnestly advised Kano, but Kano remained tight-lipped, tears welling up in her eyes.


    Just then, Kiko suddenly pushed open the ssroom door and rushed in, shouting at Kano:


    "Sister, please agree! I can take care of myself; I''ve grown up."


    Kiko looked anxious, fearing that his sister might miss this rare opportunity.


    "Big brother, please ept my sister. She''s really talented."


    Seeing Kano''s silence, Kiko turned to Yuga with a pleading expression.


    Yuga was about to say something, but before he could, Kano spoke up.


    "Do you just want to watch your little brother worry and plead for you? Do you really think this is for his own good?"


    When Lain looked at Kano, there was a hint of frustration in her tone.


    In truth, ording to Yuga''s thinking, if Kano didn''t want to go, he didn''t want to force her. He didn''t like Kano''s style of doing things either. But since Lain had spoken, he didn''t feel the need to say more.


    "Have you ever thought that if you continue like this, you''ll be a burden to your little brother in the future? Do you want him to carry the guilt of the burden of his sister for the rest of his life?"


    Seeing Kano''s silence, Lain''s words became sharper, cutting into Kano''s heart like a knife.


    "I didn''t... I didn''t..."


    Kano clenched her lips, looking stubborn.


    Seeing Lain act this way, Yuga found it quite strange, thinking it shouldn''t be like this. If someone doesn''t want to, forcing them won''t lead to anything good.


    Anyway, Yuga didn''t consider himself a particrly kind person, nor did he have a strong inclination to save others. Life just didn''t interest him.


    Director Kawahara said, "Don''t worry, Kano. I''ll take good care of Kiko. He''s almost ten now, and you can take him back whenever you want. We''re all in the same town, after all."


    Under Lain'' encouragement and Kawahara''s persuasion, Kano finally agreed to be an apprentice at the YoYo Day Care.


    The decision was made by Lain herself, and although Yuga wasn''t entirely satisfied with Kano, he didn''t say much since it was Lain taking on an apprentice.


    For the other apprentice, Yuga took the lead in choosing a boy named Sean, who had been rmended by Director Kawahara.


    Yuga was quite pleased with this child, as he was clever, lively, and seemed genuinely straightforward.


    After selecting the apprentices, Yuga didn''t immediately take them with him. Instead, he allowed them to stay at the Forest House to attend to their personal matters, bid farewell to their families, pack their belongings, and then return in a few days to join him.


    On the way back, Yuga sensed that Lain'' mood was off. He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but he saw her furrow her brow and hold back her words.

 Chapter 782: Harrison

    <h4>Chapter 782: Harrison</h4>


    Lain, seeing Yuga''s hesitation to speak, smiled and said, "Don''t you find it strange why I decided to keep Kano."


    Yuga nodded in agreement, saying, "It is a bit unusual."


    "It''s nothing significant, really. She just reminded me of some things from my past, when i''m still at the orphanage," Lain replied, her expression turning somber, hinting at unpleasant memories. Yuga could tell that these memories were far from pleasant.


    Seeing that Lain had no intention of borating, Yuga refrained from pressing further. If those memories were painful, he saw no reason to bring them up; he had no interest in reopening old wounds.


    Two dayster, Yuga returned to Forest Home to pick up Kano and Sean and bring them to the YoYo Day Care. Taking children from an orphanage involved some paperwork, signifying that the children were now independent and start a new life.


    Thanks to Mayor Ishida''s arrangements, the procedures for Kano and Sean leaving the orphanage were swift.


    Yuga assigned Kano to Lain''s care and Sean to Yasushi''s. Yuga nned to "Squeeze" Yasushi before he left.


    However, Yuga didn''t intend for Sean to learn Yasushi''s incense making techniques, as those were closely guarded family secrets. Notably, Yasushi''s grandfather had driven his granddaughter away due to these secrets.


    Yuga merely wanted Sean to gain experience in incense making under Yasushi''s guidance, as it would be too demanding for Lain to teach both apprentices simultaneously.


    It was also the first time for Lain to lead an apprentice, she had little experience. So she needed to take her time.


    Despite this, it was still Lain who would teach Sean in the art of incense making.


    And so, Kano and Sean settled into the YoYo Day Care. Like Anya, Misaki, and Fururo, they resided on the second floor of the new shop, which now served as the staff dormitory.


    While apprentices at the YoYo Day Care, Yuga provided room and board, along with a rtively modest sry. Once they became proficient in making incense independently, their sries would increase.


    After bringing back Kano and Sean, Yuga made a point to visit Mayor Ishida again. On behalf of the YoYo Day Care, he donated a sum of money to Forest Home, hoping to assist more homeless children.


    Yuga was financially secure at this point and took satisfaction in being able to help those in need. It wasn''t just about contributing to society; it was a form of self-fulfillment and inner peace for him. He chose to keep this act of kindness anonymous, as he didn''t seek recognition for his deeds.


    One day, while Yuga was assisting customers in the shop, Beidou suddenly rushed in to inform him that someone wanted to challenge the Gym.


    Curious, Yuga followed Beidou back to the Gym and was surprised to see a familiar face among the challengers.


    "Are you... Harrison?" Yuga asked in astonishment.


    "Big brother, we meet again!" Harrison greeted Yuga with a cheerful smile.


    Their first encounter had been on the outskirts of Littleroot Town. At the time, Harrison had been a bit clumsy and even fell into the water while riding a bicycle. Now, after traveling for some time, he seemed moreposed and had grown taller.


    "Yes, I never expected that you''d be the one challenging the Gym today," Yuga replied, still taken aback by the unexpected reunion.


    Yuga was quite surprised by Harrison''s arrival. He hadn''t expected to see him again over a yearter.


    "Hehe, I heard that you''re the Gym Leader here, so I came to check it out," Harrison said somewhat bashfully.


    After bing a Trainer, Harrison had heard of Yuga''s name. He couldn''t believe that the person who had once helped him out of the water turned out to be so formidable.


    Yuga chuckled and replied, "Alright, you came to challenge the Gym, didn''t you? Let''s get started then."


    "Ah, thank you," Harrison said with a cheerful bow.


    Both of them took their positions on opposite sides of the battle arena, with Beidou serving as the referee. Several apprentices from the Gym stood by to observe Yuga''s battle with the challenger.


    Whenever Yuga had a Gym battle, Ayato, Ayagiri, Anrin, and Anmu, the four younger children of the Gym, would watch closely. Since they were still quite young and hadn''t embarked on their journeys yet, they didn''t have many opportunities for battles. Watching Gym battles helped them gain valuable experience.


    As for Kazuma and Shin, the two brothers, they didn''t attend these Gym battles because they already had ample battle experience. What theycked were strong Pok��mon.


    After receiving Eevee as their standard Pok��mon from the Verdanturf Gym, Yuga had also given them each an additional Pok��mon. Kazuma received a Gligar, while Shin received a Trapinch.


    When Arata Sena and Akihito had joined Yuga, they received Pok��mon from him as well, including Beidou. Kazuma and Shin were no exceptions.


    After receiving their new Pok��mon, the brothers were attached to them, focusing their energy on raising and training their newpanions.


    Yuga used Pok��mon other than his main Pok��mon in Gym battles, because his main Pok��mon had changed too much since returning from Arus Empire. His old main team was no longer suitable for Gym battles.


    So he used Pok��mon from the Ecopark and rotated them during Gym challenges or used them for practice battles with the younger children.


    For the Gym battle, Yuga chose to send out his Whimsicott.


    This Whimsicott was the only one of its kind in the Day Care, evolved from the Cottonee he had brought back from Unova.


    Seeing Yuga''s Whimsicott, Harrison was surprised because it was rare to encounter Whimsicott in the Hoenn region.


    The Whimsicott Yuga had was quite lively and had a different personalitypared to Lain''s Whimsicott. It floated in the air happily and emitted a melodious, tinklingughter.


    Harrison''s first Pok��mon was a Houndoom. Although Whimsicott resisted Dark-type moves, it was vulnerable to Fire-type attacks, so Harrison had prepared well for this Gym battle.


    Yuga still remembers that Harrison received a starter Pok��mon, Torchic, from Professor Birch, so it''s highly likely that he will use it in this battle.

 Chapter 783: Fling

    <h4>Chapter 783: Fling</h4>


    Yuga''s Whimsicott immediately used Tailwind as soon as Harrison''s Houndoom appeared on the scene.


    Due to Whimsicott had Prankster ability, before Houndoom could react, its Tailwind move had already been executed.


    Riding the gentle breeze, the Whimsicott''s speed suddenly increased dramatically as it floated in the air, leaving behind a trail of joyfulughter.


    Yuga''s Whimsicott was naturally fast, but with the added boost from Tailwind, its movements became even more unpredictable.


    Harrison appeared tense. After the Whimsicottpleted its Tailwind, he knew trouble was brewing. Houndoom kept a close eye on the Whimsicott, which continuously changed positions in the air, never letting its guard down.


    Yuga''s Whimsicott was at a level just over forty, slightly higher than Harrison''s Houndoom but not by much. Their abilities were also quite simr, so in terms of overallbat power, there wasn''t a significant gap between them.


    However, Yuga typically nurtured his Pok��mon with the best resources, so overall, the Whimsicott''s strength was slightly superior to Houndoom''s.


    "Houndoom, use Nasty Plot and watch the Whimsicott''s movements," Harrison said calmly. He didn''t rush Houndoom into attacking but instead had it strengthen itself while waiting for the right moment.


    Harrison''s choice made it seem like he was being rational. With the Whimsicott moving at high speed, it was difficult for Houndoom to effectively target it with an attack. Observing the situation was the best option.


    However, Yuga''s mission was to assess the Trainer, and he didn''t want to engage in a prolonged battle with the challenger. So, he decided to initiate an attack and shouted to the Whimsicott, "Whimsicott, use Dazzling Gleam."


    Yuga''s Whimsicott, despite its decent strength, had a somewhat limited range of attack skills. Despite being over level forty, it hadn''t reached the point where it could learn powerful moves like Hurricane and Moonst.


    It could use moves like Shadow Ball and Psychic, but theycked the power of Hurricane and didn''t provide the same type effectiveness as Moonst. Furthermore, one was resisted, and the other was immune.


    It could also use Energy Ball, which had the type bonuses, but it was resisted by Harrison''s Fire-type Houndoom.


    So, the only attacking move that the Whimsicott could use was Dazzling Gleam, which was actually taught to it by Florges.


    However, Dazzling Gleam had a drawback; its range was limited. To sessfully hit an opponent, the Whimsicott needed to get slightly closer.


    Seeing the Whimsicott, enveloped in a seven-colored glow, charging towards him, Harrison quickly shouted to Houndoom, "Houndoom, use Inferno."


    Inferno was a powerful move with a 100% burn chance, but its drawback was its low uracy.


    However, Harrison was clever. Instead of having Houndoom use Inferno to attack the Whimsicott, which was about to approach him, he had Houndoom control Inferno to form a ring of fire around himself, creating a fiery defense.


    Under Houndoom''s control, the mes in the ring grew taller, eventually forming a wall of red mes.


    Harrison''s Houndoom had the ze ability, so not only was it not harmed by the mes of Inferno, but it also felt right at home within the fiery enclosure.


    The Whimsicott was extremely fast, and because of its speed, it couldn''t stop in time when it saw the ring of fire. It ended up crashing into the ring.


    Houndoom knew that it couldn''t evade the Whimsicott''s attack with its speed, so it didn''t try to dodge and allowed the Whimsicott to collide with it.


    Both the Whimsicott, burned by the mes, and Houndoom, hit by Dazzling Gleam, let out painful groans.


    Despite Houndoom''s Fire typing, it was weak to Fairy-type moves, so Dazzling Gleam dealt substantial damage to it. When the Whimsicott collided with Houndoom, it stumbled, nearly falling down.


    But in the instant it steadied itself, it opened its mouth and used Fire Fang on the Whimsicott, which was still close.


    However, under the effects of Tailwind, the Whimsicott swiftly dodged out of the range of the Fire Fang attack and escaped the circle of Houndoom''s assault.


    As it emerged from the ring of fire, the Whimsicott looked slightly worse for wear. Its fluffy, cotton-like fur was ckened and curled, and it emitted a faint red glow, clearly suffering from a burn.


    However, its expression remained calm, showing no signs of panic or distress.


    The Whimsicott, aside from frequent battles with various Pok��mon in the Ecopark, also often served at the Gym battle, so its battle experience was quite rich. It had gradually be ustomed to the various injuries sustained during battles.


    Both Pok��mon had low defenses and were hit by moves that were super effective against themselves, so after a match, neither had gained the upper hand.


    Yuga watched the slightly disheveled Whimsicott and shook his head in resignation.


    Ultimately, the Whimsicott was more suited for support, and it excelled in group battles. Solobat was a bit challenging for it.


    "You both did very well, and Houndoom''s adaptability is impressive," Yuga praised Harrison.


    "Thank you," Harrison blushed upon hearing Yuga''spliment. Being praised by a legendary Trainer like Yuga made him feel honored.


    "Let''s continue the match," Yuga said.


    Harrison nodded, and his shyness instantly disappeared as he re-entered the battle mode.


    "Houndoom, Smog."


    As Harrison gave themand, Houndoom opened its mouth and released a cloud of ck and purple smoke, quickly covering the entire arena.


    Smog was a Poison-type move with low power, but it had a chance to poison the opponent. However, Harrison''s intention was not to poison the Whimsicott, as it was already in a burn status. Multiple status conditions couldn''t stack together.


    "Whimsicott, Fairy Wind!"


    Almost as soon as the Smog appeared, gusts of pink wind blew, dispersing all the Smog in the arena.


    But the moment the Smog disappeared, Harrison''s Houndoom had already approached the Whimsicott without them noticing. It leaped high into the air, and its mouth, filled with mes, went for a bite on the Whimsicott.


    The purpose of the Smog was merely to conceal Houndoom''s movements. Being a canine Pok��mon, Houndoom could move freely even within the Smog.


    "Whimsicott, use Fling!"


    Seeing that Houndoom was about to bite the Whimsicott, it followed Yuga''smand and shifted its body slightly to the side, evading Houndoom''s Fire Fang. Then, with lightning speed, it grabbed the curved horns on top of Houndoom''s head with both hands and forcefully threw Houndoom away.


    Thanks to the boost from Tailwind, the Whimsicott swiftly dodged Houndoom''s Fire Fang attack.


    In the air, Houndoom had no foothold to evade the Whimsicott''s attack, so it was thrown to the ground, creating cracks on impact.


    Fortunately, the Whimsicott wasn''t a Pok��mon known for its strength, and it was already weakened by the burn status, so it didn''t cause severe harm to Houndoom.


    The move "Fling" was originally meant to throw held items, but since the Whimsicott didn''t have any held items, it had to throw the nearest Pok��mon, which happened to be Houndoom. This was a rather unconventional use of the move.


    In the real world, unlike in animations and games, "Fling" moves could not only be used to throw held items but also other objects. The effectiveness of the move would depend on what was thrown, but throwing ordinary objects like rocks wouldn''t have any special effects.


    Houndoom had good speed and attack capabilities, but its defenses were weak, so it was knocked out by the Whimsicott''s Fling, losing its ability to battle.


    After losing the first round, Harrison felt a bit down and withdrew Houndoom with a somewhat gloomy expression.


    Yuga also recalled his Whimsicott, with no intention of continuing to use it. The Whimsicott had already been burned and couldn''t stay on the battlefield for long. It was more suitable for fast-paced battles.


    However, itcked a one-hit KO move and excelled in disruption and attrition, so instead of keeping it in a suffering state, it was better to switch it out.

 Chapter 784: Double Battle

    <h4>Chapter 784: Double Battle</h4>


    Yuga looked at the Pok�� Ball holding the Whimsicott in his hand and then looked up at Harrison.


    "How about webine the next two battles into one double battle?" he proposed.


    Seeing that the Whimsicott, which had a slightly stronger overall strength, almost got into trouble, Yuga thought about having a double battle to test the synergy between Harrison''s Pok��mon.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s suggestion, Harrison hesitated for a moment. He remembered that there were no double battles in the rules of the Verdanturf Gym, but he still agreed.


    "Sure, I''m fine with that," he said.


    "Great, then I''ll send out my Pok��mon first," Yuga said with approval.


    Yuga handed the Pok�� Ball containing the Whimsicott to Anmu, who was nearby, to receive treatment and then released two Grass-type Pok��mon.


    One was the offensive Lurantis, and the other was the disruptive Amoonguss.


    Seeing the two Grass-type Pok��mon that Yuga sent out, Harrison couldn''t help but marvel at the diversity of Grass-type Pok��mon in the Verdanturf Gym.


    Before challenging the gym in Verdanturf Town, Harrison had investigated the challenges of other trainers and knew that the types of Pok��mon used by the gym had been quite variable recently, with the only fixed attribute being Grass-type.


    This made it challenging for challengers to counter the gym''s Pok��mon, as the type of Grass Pok��mon used was constantly changing.


    There were official league websites designed for trainers to exchange experiences challenging gyms, and each region had one. These websites ensured that information about various gyms was updated promptly, providing convenience to challengers.


    So, it wasn''t difficult for trainers who wanted to investigate a gym''s Pok��mon lineup.


    After some thought, Harrison took out two Pok�� Balls and released his own Pok��mon. One was ziken as expected by Yuga, and the other was the adorable Milktank.


    Compared to the rtively slow Pok��mon on Yuga''s side, both ziken and Milktank were quite agile.


    As themand "Begin the match" was issued by Beidou, Harrison''s ziken immediately rushed towards Yuga''s Lurantis and Amoonguss.


    "ziken, use ze Kick! Milktank, start with Rollout."


    With its high speed, ziken swiftly approached Lurantis and aimed a kick at it.


    "Lurantis, brace yourself," Yuga said. Faced with ziken''s attack, Lurantis had no intention of dodging, nor could it due to its slow speed. Lurantis raised its arms, and itsrge scythes suddenly opened, emitting a bright and sharp green light. It used Leaf de to repel ziken''s powerful legs.


    Despite itsck of speed, Lurantis matched ziken in terms of strength.


    While Lurantis and ziken shed, Amoonguss quietly moved behind Lurantis and used Sunny Day.


    Sunny Day was a move that could benefit ziken, but under these circumstances, it was crucial for Lurantis.


    Almost immediately after Amoonguss used Sunny Day, Milktank, which had transformed into a rolling shape, charged towards Lurantis.


    The tactic used by Milktank was amon but effective strategy often found in many trainers'' teams, especially those who used Pok��mon from the Geodude family.


    However, before Milktank could get close to Lurantis, Lurantis swung itsrge scythes,unching two giant golden des��one targeting Milktank and the other headed for ziken.


    Thanks to Amoonguss''s Sunny Day, Lurantis''s Sr de was virtually instant and extremely fast.


    ziken, with its nimble movements, managed to evade Lurantis''s Sr de, but Milktank, in the midst of its rolling, couldn''t escape and was sent flying by Sr de, causing considerable damage.


    ziken quickly moved away from Lurantis, its gaze filled with caution after the previous encounter with Lurantis''s Sr de. The attack had sent chills down its spine, making it aware of the imminent danger. Fortunately, it had reacted quickly, or it would have ended up like Milktank.


    Harrison''s Milktank had themon ability Thick Fat, not the hidden ability Sap Sipper, which would bring headache for Yuga.


    After being hit by Lurantis''s Leaf de, Milktank, under Harrison''smand, used Milk Drink to recover from its injuries.


    "Lurantis, continue using Sr de."


    As Milktank recovered, Yuga issued anothermand, and two giant des of light struck towards ziken and Milktank once again.


    The Miltank whovunable to move while using Drink Milk move, found itself in a tricky situation. Meanwhile, ziken leaped into action, carrying Miltank, sessfully evading the Sr de attack from Lurantis.


    Avoiding the Sr de, Miltank''s Drink Milk move came to an end, and allowing it to recover from its injuries.


    "Quick reflexes, well done, but it''s not over yet. Amoonguss, protect Lurantis. Lurantis, release your Sweet Scent."


    Yuga praised Harrison''s ziken and then gave orders to Amoonguss and Lurantis.


    Upon hearing themand, Amoonguss immediately jumped in front of Lurantis, while Lurantis, behind Amoonguss, unfurled its elegant gesture, spreading waves of romantic and charming pink aroma.


    "Not good, ziken, stop Lurantis."


    Seeing the bewitching pink aroma, Harrison realized the danger and quickly warned ziken.


    In response, ziken opened its mouth and breathed out a methrower, directed at Amoonguss and the Lurantis behind it.


    "Amoonguss, Bide."


    Amoonguss excels more at disruption than direct attacks. Therefore, with Amoonguss''s abilities, it couldn''t counter ziken''s methrower with an attacking move. Moreover, with Lurantis behind it, it couldn''t evade the attack either. So, it had to resort to using the move "Bide."


    Thanks to Amoonguss''s sturdy constitution, ziken''s methrower didn''t manage to knock it down. At this point, Lurantis''s Sweet Scent had already permeated the battlefield.


    Wild Lurantis rely on their gorgeous appearance and enchanting fragrance to hunt.


    So, once ziken and Miltank caught a whiff of the Sweet Scent, they immediately experienced symptoms of confusion and disorientation.


    Different Grass-type Pok��mon have varying levels of potency with their Sweet Scents, and it''s clear that Lurantis''s falls into the highly confusing category.


    "Lurantis, use Sr de."


    As Yuga''smand was issued, two massive Sr des struck ziken and Miltank.


    Both Sr des sessfully hit ziken and Miltank.


    Though Leaf de was a powerful Grass-type move, its effectiveness was reduced against Fire-type Pok��mon like ziken. So, it still couldn''t take ziken down in one hit.


    Milktank, on the other hand, with its high HP and Thick Fat, managed to withstand Lurantis''s Sr de, although it still took some damage.


    "ziken, Milktank, are you okay?" Harrison asked nervously as he looked at his two Pok��mon.


    Under the intense attacks and after being hit by Lurantis''s Sr de earlier, ziken and Milktank were temporarily shaken. However, they shook their heads, indicating that they were not seriously injured.


    "Don''t panic. This is the moment when you need to stay calm the most. Otherwise, getting the Verdant Badge from me won''t be easy," Yuga reminded Harrison.


    Harrison finally calmed down and expressed his gratitude. "Thank you."


    "Now, let the match continue," Yuga said.


    Awakened from their temporary confusion by the Sweet Scent of Lurantis, ziken and Milktank were now difficult to be confused by it again. At most, it would distract their attention and slow down their movements.


    However, that was enough for Yuga, who was troubled by their rapid speed.


    Watching Lurantis and Amoonguss on the opposite side, Harrison''s mind raced as he tried to find an effective way to attack.


    Seeing Harrison hesitating, Yugamanded Amoonguss, "Amoonguss, use Stun Spore."


    Upon Yuga''smand, countless pale yellow spores sprayed out from Amoonguss''s mushroom cap, scattering towards Harrison''s Milktank and ziken.


    "Milktank, use Heal Bell."


    As the paralyzing spores approached, Milktank grabbed its own tail and began to shake it gently, emitting a series of clear bell-like chimes.


    While ziken still felt numbness in their bodies due to the intense battle, they quickly recovered after hearing Milktank''s Heal Bell.


    With its two long legs, ziken rapidly charged toward Lurantis and Amoonguss once more.


    It needs to resolve the battle quickly; otherwise, once the Heal Bell of Miltank stops, it will be paralyzed due to the field''s full of Stun Spore.


    Getting close to Lurantis, ziken''s two legs quickly alternate, and it continuously uses ze Kick, engaging in an intense battle with Lurantis.


    Lurantis''s most powerful attack is the two giant sickle arms it contracts, and ziken''s every ze Kick is blocked by these leaf de arms.


    Theplex body structure of Lurantis destined it to have more offense than agility, so facing ziken''s frequent attacks, it will eventually struggle to keep up.


    However, at this point, Amoonguss will seize the opportunity to assist, sometimes even acting as a meat shield for Lurantis, blocking ziken''s attacks.


    While acting as a meat shield, Amoonguss uses the move "Bide." Unfortunately, the damage reflected by Bide was dodged by ziken.


    Yuga''s Amoonguss has the ability "Effect Spore." If it weren''t for the Heal Bell of Miltank continuously shaking, ziken would have already been paralyzed after so many contacts with Amoonguss.


    Thanks to Amoonguss''s assistance, the weather on the field remained sunny throughout, and the temperature kept rising with time.


    Lurantis swung its arms,unching colorful petals like des, forming a flurry of fallen blossoms, forcing ziken to retreat.


    At this point, both Lurantis and ziken were heavily damaged.


    "Amoonguss, use Synthesis," Yugamanded.


    Under Yuga''smand, Amoonguss''s body emitted a white light, and its injuries began to slowly heal.


    "ziken, stop it," Harrison maintained hisposure on the surface, but he was getting anxious inside. How could he continue like this? His Miltank was restricted by the scattered Stun Spore on the field and couldn''t help ziken.


    This was supposed to be a double battle, but it had been turned into a double-one by Amoonguss. Whether it was its Stun Spore or its "Effect Spore" ability, it was tricky.


    Harrison had focused on training ziken in closebat, and it wasn''t good at long-range attacks. Otherwise, it might have been better equipped to deal with thebined assault of Lurantis and Amoonguss.


    Actually, Yuga was already surprised by ziken''s strength. It had held on for so long against coorporation Lurantis and Amoonguss. Although the type advantage yed a role, it was still quite impressive.


    To stop Amoonguss''s Synthesis, ziken was once again forced back by Lurantis''s Sr de. If ziken took another Sr de now, it wouldn''t be able to get back up.


    "ziken, use methrower, burn the whole field!" Suddenly, Harrison thought of a way to deal with the scattered Stun Spore on the field. He had to make Miltank free up its hands, or there was no chance of turning the tide.


    As ziken''s methrower swept across the entire field, the scattered Stun Spore turned into ashes, and Miltank finally freed up its hands.


    Lurantis guarding Amoonguss didn''t stop ziken''s actions.


    However, at this moment, Amoonguss''s Synthesis ended, and it was back to full health.


    "Lurantis, it''s your turn. Use Synthesis too."


    Lurantis opened its arms to better receive the sunlight''s rays, just like Amoonguss, using a healing move, Synthesis.


    Seeing this scene, Harrison knew that he couldn''t let Lurantis recover, or he would be defeated for sure.


    "ziken, Miltank, attack!"


    Harrison didn''t even bother to let Miltank help the injured ziken recover. He directly ordered both Pok��mon tounch an attack on Lurantis, which was using Synthesis.


    ziken, heavily injured, used its Fire-type ultimate move, re Blitz, while Miltank didn''t use Rollout this time. There was no time for abo; it used Fire Punch instead.


    Facing the simultaneous charge of two Pok��mon, Amoonguss used Sludge Bomb to try and stop their attacks.


    Although it didn''t use Bide this time, it knew that even if it had thick HP, it couldn''t withstand the simultaneous attacks of two Pok��mon.


    However, ziken and Miltank were much faster than the sluggish Amoonguss. They easily dodged Amoonguss''s Sludge Bomb.


    Amoonguss knew it couldn''t evade anymore, so it directly took ziken and Miltank''s moves.


    ziken''s re Blitz and Miltank''s Fire Punch both hit Amoonguss. Amoonguss was sent flying and lost the ability to battle.


    As Amoonguss fell, Lurantis''s Synthesis also ended, and two Sr des swung from its arms,nding on the now-close ziken and Miltank.


    The already-injured ziken immediately fell, and the slightly less injured Miltank rolled a few times on the ground before also losing the ability to battle.


    Looking at the unconscious ziken and Miltank, Harrison shook his head in disappointment.


    The intensity of this battle had exceeded Yuga''s expectations. He had to admit that Harrison, who had been on a journey for just over a year, was already quite strong.


    Once Yuga regained hisposure, he saw Audinoe and she still held the Whimsicott''s Pok�� Ball in her hand, indicating that the Whimsicott was fine.


    "I''ll leave Amoonguss to you," Yuga pointed to the unconscious Amoonguss and said to Audino.


    "Audino."


    Leave it to me.


    Audino quickly approached Amoonguss and took care of it with a cheerful expression.


    "If you don''t mind, let Audino help heal your three Pok��mon too," Yuga approached Harrison and said.


    "Thank you."


    Harrison thanked him, but his mood didn''t seem high.


    After all the Pok��mon were healed, Yuga took out the Verdant Badge and handed it to Harrison.


    "But... but... I lost the match," Harrison stammered, feeling like he shouldn''t take the badge just because he knew Yuga.


    Seeing his conflicted expression, Yuga stuffed the badge into his hand and said, "Take it, you deserve it. I didn''t give you any special treatment."


    "Why?" Harrison widened his eyes.


    "We Gym Leaders ept challenges from Trainers not to beat you but to test your strength. Winning against you doesn''t mean much to us. I think you''ve passed the test, so I''m giving you this badge, regardless of whether we know each other or not. Besides, am I the kind of person who easily gives people special treatment?"


    "Oh..." Harrison nodded, somewhat dazed, and it was unclear if he truly understood.


    After the Gym challenge, Yuga wanted Harrison to stay at the Gym for a while, but he was declined, and he set off on his journey again.

 Chapter 785: Pokémon Paradise

    <h4>Chapter 785: Pok��mon Paradise</h4>


    In the blink of an eye, it was March in Hoenn, and the whole town was filled with the scent of spring.


    During springtime, the Verdanturf Town was bustling with agricultural activity. There were farmers busy tending to their crops and tourists enjoying their visits.


    Because more and more people wereing to YoYo Day Care to purchase Pok��mon, Yuga''s Pok��mon Paradise was gradually bing lively.


    However, Yuga couldn''t help but notice that the number of stray Pok��mon in the Paradise seemed to be increasing. It was as if all the town''s strays Pok��mon hade to seek refuge there.


    With no other choice, Yuga had to take a Chansey from the Ecopark to stay at Pok��mon Paradise every day and help take care of these stray Pok��mon.


    They were wee toe, and Yuga was willing to keep them, but he had a deal with them: if they came to Pok��mon Paradise, they had to follow Yuga''s arrangements in exchange for food and shelter.


    Because some facilities at Pok��mon Paradise were open to the public for free, it had now be a tourist attraction for residents of Verdanturf and some visitors.


    As more and more people came to visit, the rtionship between stray Pok��mon and humans gradually improved. Many stray Pok��mon found homes, and Yuga was happy for them.


    Due to the increasing number of people at Pok��mon Paradise, Yuga specifically hired a manager for the dormitories or rather the Hotel within the Pok��mon Paradise to help manage it.


    Now, with the flow of people at the Hotel, Yuga was making a small profit, so he generously hired a manager and a few temporary workers to help manage the small Hotel.


    But the most popr spot was Aunt Aoba''s restaurant.


    The Pok��mon Paradise Hotel was only for customers of YoYo Day Care, and while it made a few bucks, the number of guests was not high, and the staff inside was not busy.


    On the other hand, the restaurant near the entrance of Pok��mon Paradise was open to everyone who came to visit, and its daily ie was quite substantial.


    Aunt Aoba was a skilled chef, so more and more people came to eat her food.


    Many stray Pok��mon also liked to stay in the restaurant, so guests not only enjoyed delicious meals but also had the opportunity to interact with Pok��mon for free.


    People who came to visit Pok��mon Paradise were all Pok��mon enthusiasts, and the ce was famous for sheltering stray Pok��mon, so those who disliked Pok��mon would note here.


    In this world, people who disliked Pok��mon were a minority. Most people, even if they didn''t like Pok��mon, wouldn''t hate them.


    But as business got busier, Aunt Aoba came toin to Yuga, saying that the restaurant was too busy for her to handle alone.


    Finally, after some consideration, Yuga brought her six Lopunny and two Mr. Mime.


    The Lopunny dressed up in beautiful maid outfits and served as waitresses in the restaurant.


    The Mr. Mime wore white aprons and worked as assistants in the kitchen for Aunt Aoba.


    The Lopunny had a good image and gentle personalities, making them very popr in the restaurant. They even became a topic of conversation, spreading the word about Pok��mon Paradise on a small scale.


    These six Lopunny didn''t have high potential and had nothing to do in the Ecopark, so they were delighted toe out and work as waitresses in the Pok��mon Paradise restaurant.


    The two Mr. Mime had suffered from mental trauma in the past and were not too keen on close contact with humans.


    However, their situation had improved considerably, and Yuga wanted them to have a normal life like other Pok��mon, so he arranged for them to work in the kitchen. Whether it was chopping vegetables, washing dishes, or cleaning, they excelled at their tasks.


    Aunt Aoba was very fond of these two quiet but hardworking Mr. Mime. When Arata Sena was not around, she even treated them as her own sons and daughters.


    These two Mr. Mime used to help out the Miltank in the Ecopark quite often, so they were very diligent and found daily chores easy, thanks to their psychic powers.


    As the business at the Pok��mon Paradise restaurant continued to thrive, Aunt Aoba surprisingly became very motivated and aspired to run the restaurant with great sess.


    In the Pok��mon Paradise, the stray Pok��mon who appeared menacing helped Yuga patrol the area, maintaining order in the Pok��mon Paradise. The cute ones went to the restaurant to act charming and attract customers, assisting the restaurant traffic.


    The entire Pok��mon Paradise was a peaceful ce, where humans and Pok��mon coexisted harmoniously.


    Sometimes when Yuga felt tired from work, he woulde to the Pok��mon Paradise and witness the heartwarming scene of stray Pok��mon and people living together.


    There were elderly folks feeding Lotads, Marill, and Surskit by the pond.


    Parents yed with their children in the sandy area, apanied by Sandshrew and Geodude.


    Couples cuddled under the trees, where Nuzleaf yed.


    Students picked on the grass with Zigzagoon and Shroomish.


    ...


    On this day, another Zigzagoon appeared in the Pok��mon Paradise, and Yuga could tell from its dirty appearance that it was another stray Pok��mon seeking refuge with him.


    So Yuga took it and prepared to go to the Pok��mon Center to have its health checked by Joyka.


    Any stray Pok��mon that settled in the Pok��mon Paradise had to go through this process; health and hygiene were not to be overlooked.


    Joyka was a special consultant for the Pok��mon Paradise and regrly came to the park to provide free health checks for stray Pok��mon.


    With just one Pok��mon to be examined this time, Yuga felt it would be inappropriate to trouble her to make a special trip. So, he decided to take the Zigzagoon to the Pok��mon Center himself.


    Joyka was very skilled in her work, and when she saw Yuga bringing the Zigzagoon, she finished the examination in just a few minutes.


    "By the way, I mentioned before that I would help you find a buyer for those mperl''s Pearls from our family. But I''m not in charge of this matter, my cousin wille to see me in a few days, and we can discuss it further."


    After taking the Zigzagoon out of the examination room and handing it to Yuga, Joyka casually mentioned this.


    Hearing Joyka''s words, Yuga was a bit surprised. It had been a while since Joyka brought up this matter, and he had thought she had forgotten about it. It was unexpected that she still remembered.


    Seeing Yuga''s hesitation, Joyka added, "Our family is quiterge andplicated, so it''s not easy to make decisions on such matters."


    Yuga understood that Joyka was exining why it had taken so long to make progress on this matter.


    He sincerely expressed his gratitude, saying, "Well, thank you very much. I haven''t had the chance to thank you for helping me find buyers for the mperl''s Pearlsst time, and now I''m bothering you again."


    Having a friend like Joyka was truly valuable.


    Thinking about it, Joyka had helped him a lot. She helped him analyze theposition of meteorites, assisted in making potions, allowed him to use the equipment at the Pok��mon Center for free, and volunteered to conduct health checks for stray Pok��mon in the Pok��mon Paradise.


    Recently, she had also helped with the sales of mperl''s Pearls and Sweet Honey.


    Yuga didn''t know how to repay these favors.


    "If you really want to thank me, just send me more Sweet Honey and mperl''s Pearls."


    Joyka said nonchntly.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t forget you."


    Yuga smiled and replied. Compared to all the help Joyka had provided, a bit of Sweet Honey and some mperl''s Pearls was really nothing.


    Whether it was Sweet Honey or mperl''s Pearls, they were both excellent for beauty and skincare. It wasn''t surprising that Joyka liked them.

 Chapter 786: Slander

    <h4>Chapter 786: nder</h4>


    While on his way back to the YoYo Day Care, Yuga passed by the Kainos Hotel and suddenly recognized someone he had seen at the Forest House, a girl named Strawberry.


    The Kainos Hotel was thergest hotel in Verdanturf Town and was the biggest local enterprise apart from the Devon Corporation.


    However, unlike arge corporation like Devon, the Kainos Hotel only had one branch in Verdanturf Town and was considered a local business.


    But Yuga had heard from Director Kawahara that Strawberry worked at the Kainos Hotel, and it seemed that she had a good sry and benefits. Director Kawahara spoke proudly of Strawberry when she mentioned her.


    However, it appeared that Strawberry was in trouble now. She was engaged in an argument with two middle-aged men, one of whom was holding her hand tightly, and anger was evident on Strawberry''s face.


    "Strawberry, what''s happening?"


    Since he had met her before, Yuga couldn''t just ignore her trouble. He walked over to Strawberry and asked her.


    Although he didn''t know the details of the situation, it didn''t look good when two grown men were ganging up on a young girl.


    "Who''s this brat? It''s none of your business. Don''t meddle."


    As soon as Yuga asked, one of the middle-aged men pointed rudely at Yuga''s nose and cursed at him with a bad attitude.


    Upon hearing these words, Yuga furrowed his brows. He had only asked casually, did it warrant such a reaction?


    The other middle-aged man, seeing Yuga approaching and hearing the foulnguage from hispanion, realized that the situation might turn bad.


    Others might not recognize the young man in front of them, but he, a native of Verdanturf Town, certainly did. This young man was one of the most influential figures in Verdanturf Town, second only to the mayor.


    When did Strawberry be acquainted with such a prominent figure? If he had known about this earlier, he wouldn''t have used Strawberry so easily.


    "Oh, it''s Mr. Shimizu. It''s all a misunderstanding."


    The middle-aged man who had been holding onto Strawberry quickly let go of her hand and wore a smile as he spoke.


    Looking at the man who smiled like a blooming chrysanthemum, Yuga finally remembered who he was.


    This man was the owner of the Kainos Hotel. When the Verdanturf Gym was first established, he had attended the opening ceremony and even presented the Gym with a pair ofrge stone-carved Mightyena statues, intended to be ced at the entrance of the Gym.


    However, Yuga thought the statues didn''t quite match the theme of the Grass-type Gym, so he never used them. Now, those Mightyena statues were collecting dust in the Gym''s storage.


    The situation was not veryplicated. The middle-aged man who had insulted Yuga was a customer of the Kainos Hotel.


    Early in the morning, this customer had brought Strawberry toin to the Kainos Hotel''s owner, alleging that she had stolen his belongings.


    Indeed, the owner had found a diamond ring on Strawberry that didn''t belong to her, leading to this conflict.


    Strawberry imed that she was being falsely used, and the owner knew that a more detailed investigation was required before concluding. However, due to the customer''s status, the owner feltpelled to follow his instructions.


    The Kainos Hotel had been struggling for a while. Despite maintaining the title of thergest hotel in Verdanturf, only the owner knew that the business was on the verge of copse.


    This particr customer was the one who had invested in the hotel. If the owner offended him, the hotel might not survive.


    The owner of the Kanos Hotel also knew that the situation was definitely not as simple as Strawberry stealing things, as customers had been signaling to him frequently. He had no choice but to reluctantly follow the customer''s instructions.


    However, he never expected that Strawberry, who had always been inconspicuous in the hotel, would actually know a Gym Leader from Verdanturf Town''s gym.


    Strawberry was a bit taken aback when she saw Yuuga approaching her.


    She and this young Gym Leader were only acquaintances, not really close, so she didn''t expect him toe and say hello.


    At this moment, Strawberry was angry. She had never stolen anything from the customers.


    She worked as a lead waitress at the Kanos Hotel and had been working here for several years, making her one of the veteran employees in Kanos Hotel.


    This morning, when she went to clean a customer''s room, the customer made inappropriate behavior toward her, and she couldn''t help but retort. Little did she know that the customer would use her of theftter.


    When the owner found the ring on her, she was surprised, but quickly realized that the customer must have slipped it into her clothes while making advances.


    What disappointed her was that when she exined the situation to her boss, he not only didn''t support her but also hinted that she should admit to stealing, or else she''d be fired.


    Strawberry was understandably furious.


    Hearing the owner mention "Gym Leader Shimizu," the customer quickly recognized who this young man was.


    Currently, many people whoe to Verdanturf Town don''t know the name "Shimizu Yuga," but even though he may not be the best person and sometimes abuses his power, it doesn''t mean he''s foolish. He knows he can''t afford to offend the young man in front of him.


    "Oh, it''s Gym Leader Shimizu. My apologies, my apologies. It''s all a misunderstanding."


    The customer grinned and apologized to Yuga.


    "Yes, yes, it''s all a misunderstanding, right, Strawberry?"


    The owner of the Kainos Hotel also wore a smile and gave Strawberry''s arm a tug, continuously signaling her with his eyes. However, Strawberry remained stubborn, clenching her teeth and refusing to speak.


    Yuga noticed Strawberry''s frustration and the owner''s subtle gestures, which made his impression of the owner and customer even worse.


    "Strawberry, what happened? Tell me."


    Ignoring the owner and the customer, Yuga asked Strawberry. This left both the owner and the customer looking furious.


    Strawberry nced at the owner and the customer, then back at Yuga. She decided to bravely recount the entire incident.


    As soon as Strawberry finished speaking, the customer''s expression changed several times, then he smiled and said to Yuga, "I still have a few green potential Zubat in my possession. I see that Gym Leader Shimizu and I get along well. How about I give them to Gym Leader Shimizu?"


    Yuga was somewhat surprised by this offer. It seemed this rotund middle-aged man had quite the background, offering green potential Zubat so casually. It was a tant attempt at bribery.


    However, while Yuga enjoyed collecting high potential Pok��mon, he hadn''t reached the point of epting bribes so easily.


    Strawberry, on the other hand, was initially shocked but became nervous upon hearing the customer''s offer. She feared that Yuga mightpromise his integrity.


    Although Yuga had a good reputation in town, she didn''t know him well and was worried that he might ept the bribe. However, Yuga''s next words relieved her.


    "More than the Zubats, I''m interested in finding out the truth."


    "She''s just ndering people! I think she''s trying to climb the socialdder by implicating me. With my status, there''s no shortage of women. Do I need to take advantage of a country bumpkin like her?"


    The customer looked disdainfully at Strawberry.


    Strawberry was furious at this baseless usation and didn''t expect the customer to twist the truth in this way.


    Hearing this, Yuga shook his head and said, "I won''t easily believe either of your words. Let''s have Officer Jenny handle this. With hypnosis, I believe no one can lie. Strawberry, are you willing to undergo a hypnosis interrogation?"


    Strawberry firmly replied, "I''m willing."


    People in the Pok��mon world knew that hypnosis could cause damage to a human''s brain. However, as long as it wasn''t used frequently, asional exposure wasn''t too harmful, at most causing severe headaches.


    Strawberry prioritized discovering the truth over potential temporary difort.


    "Very well, with you agreeing to the interrogation, we''ll uncover the truth."


    Saying this, Yuga took out hismunicator and contacted Liliana.


    Seeing that Yuga was unyielding, the customer''s face turned pale, and he couldn''t help but say, "Gym Leader Shimizu, I advise you to leave some leeway in your actions."


    In reality, this customer was just azy person at home. If he were arrested and his troublesome nephew found out, he would have a hard time.


    The owner of the Kainos Hotel had been silent the entire time, and by now, he was sweating profusely.


    When he saw the customer''s frantic demeanor, Yuga knew that the customer had lied. Still, he paid no attention to the customer''s words and notified Liliana toe quickly.


    After Liliana arrived, she took the customer, the hotel owner, and Strawberry away. Yuga didn''t follow. The matter had nothing to do with him, and he trusted Liliana to handle it fairly.


    Before being taken away, the customer had intended to make threats, but then he realized that both Yuga, who had reported him, and Officer Jenny, who was arresting him, were not afraid of trouble.


    As for Strawberry, she had decided to face the consequences and wasn''t afraid either.

 Chapter 787: The Hotel

    <h4>Chapter 787: The Hotel</h4>


    The day after the incident, Strawberry came to the Verdanturf Gym with a gift to thank Yuga for his help.


    Yuga politely weed her into the gym and was reluctant to ept her gratitude.


    "I''m helping you because I want to, not for your thanks."


    Strawberry was a grateful person. Despite being born at the Forest House, she often returned to help Director Kawahara.


    Her individual efforts might seem insignificant for the entire orphanage, but it was her way of repaying the kindness of the Forest House.


    That was the reason why Yuga was willing to assist her.


    "Anyway, you helped me, so thank you."


    Knowing Yuga didn''t want gifts, Strawberry eventually didn''t insist further.


    "How''s your job at the Kainos Hotel?"


    Yuga poured a cup of honey tea for Strawberry and casually asked.


    "I quit."


    Strawberry took a deep breath, paused for a moment, and then spoke.


    "You quit?"


    Yuga was somewhat surprised.


    As far as he knew, the job at the Kainos Hotel should have been important to Strawberry. Whenever Director Kawahara mentioned Strawberry''s job, she always did so with a smile.


    "Did your boss give you a hard time?"


    Strawberry shook her head, indicating that wasn''t the case.


    Not only had her boss not caused her trouble, but after learning that Strawberry knew Yuga, he even wanted to promote and raise her sry.


    However, Strawberry had her pride. Despite her financial struggles and humble background, Director Kawahara had taught her to stand tall once she left the Forest House.


    The boss sacrificing his principles for profit disappointed her. She felt that even if she stayed and got a promotion, there would be no promising future for her there.


    Before quitting, she had hesitated. Kainos was a "big corporation" in Verdanturf Town with good pay and benefits, but she couldn''t get past the moral dilemma.


    Yesterday at the police station, Lilliana easily uncovered the truth. The customer was a pushover, and as soon as Lilliana applied some pressure, he confessed everything without the need for hypnosis.


    The customer was eventually detained on false usation charges and was required topensate Strawberry for her reputation damages.


    The hotel owner, on the other hand, was not detained. He insisted he was unaware of the situation, and Lilliana couldn''t do much about it for this minor offense.


    Although he avoided prison, he was still fined, and he couldn''t deny being an aplice to the customer''s scheme.


    "What are your ns for the future?"


    Workers like Strawberry, at the bottom of the employmentdder, couldn''t survive without a job for long.


    "I''ll take it one step at a time. Verdanturf Town is big; I should be able to find work again."


    She didn''t drink a sip of the Honey Tea that Yuga poured for Strawberry. At this time, she just stared at the light yellow tea in the teacup in a daze.


    Yuga could see the worry in her eyes. Losing her job, which was essential for her livelihood, wasn''t as simple as she made it sound.


    "Well, you cane work here."


    Yuga thought for a moment and then suggested.


    "But...," Strawberry hesitated. She knew Yuga wasn''t just the Gym Leader of the Verdanturf Gym; he was also the owner of the YoYo Day Care.


    But she couldn''t imagine what she could do there. She was skilled in hotel services, but she didn''t see how those skills would help her work at a Day Care.


    As she thought about Yuga going out of his way to help her, she wanted to refuse. Yuga had already done her a great favor, and she didn''t want to burden him further.


    "I can''t do the work at the Day Care, so let''s forget about it. Thank you for considering me, though."


    Upon hearing Strawberry''s misunderstanding, Yuga chuckled and waved his hand, saying:


    "No, no, I didn''t intend for you to work at the Day Care. In my Pok��mon Paradise, there''s a small hotel, and it doesn''t have a formal staff yet. But if youe on board, you might have to handle most of the work by yourself."


    Currently, the staff at the Paradise Hotel, aside from the manager, were all temporary workers. If Strawberry joined, she''d be one of the only two employees there.


    Yuga had ns to emte the Paradise Restaurant and deploy a few Pok��mon to assist at the Hotel.


    Considering the current state of the Hotel''s business, hiring a full staff wasn''t cost-effective. If Strawberry was willing to work as a headwaiter and had a few Pok��mon as helpers, the workload would be manageable, cost-effective, and convenient.


    Thinking about it, Yuga believed this was a brilliant idea.


    Strawberry blushed deeply upon realizing her mistake, and Yuga, seeing her shyness, didn''t mention it but exined his n.


    "So, what do you say? Would you like to help me? While the wages here might not initially match what you earned at Kainos Hotel, if you do well, I''ll increase your pay."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s n, Strawberry found it highly feasible.


    The entire Pok��mon Paradise was centered around Pok��mon, with a Pok��mon Restaurant and a Pok��mon Hotel. It had a unique and appealing theme.


    "Great! I promise I''ll do my best to help you run the Hotel smoothly."


    Finding a job and being able to repay Yuga for his help was exactly what Strawberry needed. She had no reason to refuse.


    Upon hearing Strawberry''s eptance, Yuga was delighted.


    As long as Pok��mon Paradise thrived, the YoYo Day Care''s business model would be moreprehensive.


    From customers reserving Pok��mon to staying in Verdanturf Town and dining to interacting with the Pok��mon they booked at Pok��mon Paradise, YoYo Day Care could offer an all-inclusive service.


    After discussing and finalizing the details with Strawberry, Yuga promptly handled her hiring paperwork and introduced her to the current inn manager.


    The current manager only oversaw general inn affairs and wasn''t in a higher position than Strawberry.


    At present, the Hotel only had two official staff members, and Yuga didn''t want to grant too much authority to any one person. If he knew the ins and outs of inn management, he wouldn''t even hire a manager.


    After introducing Strawberry to the Hotel manager, Yuga took her on a tour of Pok��mon Paradise to familiarize her with her future work environment.


    Along the way, they encountered wandering stray Pok��mon, and Yuga introduced Strawberry to them, letting them know that she would also be an employee here, preventing any unnecessary misunderstandings.


    Strawberry was an efficient worker, and on her second day of employment, she arrived at Pok��mon Paradise early in the morning to start her new job.


    Unlike other YoYo Day Care employees who lived in the staff dormitory, Strawberry, being a local from Verdanturf Town who had saved up some money over the years, owned her own house. Shemuted to work daily, allowing her to return home after her shift.

 Chapter 788: Naming

    <h4>Chapter 788: Naming</h4>


    On this day, Yuga strolled through the Ecopark, intending to select a few Pok��mon for the Paradise Hotel and entrust them to Strawberry for training.


    After some contemtion, Yuga decided to choose six Bellossom and brought them out of the Ecopark.


    These six Bellossom were part of the group that Ryuichi had originally sent to Yuga. They had been living on the No. 2 ind of Heart Lake Ind in the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark.


    Among this group of Pok��mon, there were very few with high potential, and most of them had yellow potentials, including the six Bellossom Yuga selected.


    However, despite their modest potentials, the Bellossom were beautiful in appearance and had gentle personalities, making them suitable for working as attendants in the Paradise Hotel.


    Initially, Yuga had thought of choosing Gardevoir for the role of Pok��mon attendants, but there weren''t many Gardevoir in the Ecopark, and it was impossible to spare any for the Hotel.


    However, Bellossom was a good choice, especially since there were quite a few of them in the Ecopark.


    As Yuga led the six Bellossom out, he happened to see Gardevoir instructing some Psychic-type Pok��mon in the main Ecopark. He greeted Gardevoir with a smile.


    However, Gardevoir just gave him a sidelong nce and remained silent, his cold gaze immediately making Yuga realize that this wasn''t Gardevoir but rather Gardevoir (male).


    Yuga''s eyes flickered as he smiled and said to Gardevoir (male), "Calling both of you by the same name every time isn''t convenient. How about I give each of you a name?"


    Gardevoir (male) was momentarily stunned upon hearing this proposal, and his actions paused. He turned to look at Yuga with a fixed gaze.


    In his understanding, only the most intimate partners would give each other names. However, his rtionship with this man across from him was not onlycking in intimacy but also somewhat contradictory.


    At this point, he couldn''t muster any hatred towards Yuga, who provided him with food and shelter. He couldn''t even bring himself to dislike Yuga. Sometimes, he couldn''t help but think that if he had met Yuga first instead of Butler, he would have liked this Trainer very much.


    Although Butler was his Trainer, Gardevoir (male) had to admit that Butler''s character wasn''t as good as Yuga''s. Even with his emotional bias, he couldn''t refute the fact that Butler had behaved poorly.


    Originally, Butler was a scientist for Team Magma, and after obtaining fragments of Groudon''s body, he sought to resurrect Groudon through technology. However, his experiments failed, leading to his expulsion from Team Magma.


    In his pursuit of Groudon''s revival, Butler had almost descended into madness.


    He had once been friendly to the Pok��mon in his care, but due to his insane experiments, they received increasingly less attention, and their status in his heart dwindled.


    Whether it was Smence or Gardevoir (male), both had long realized that Butler was no longer the Butler he used to be. They stubbornly refused to acknowledge this.


    Compared to a life of upheaval alongside Butler, Gardevoir (male) preferred his current life with Yuga��peaceful and harmonious.


    Thinking this over, Gardevoir (male) responded to Yuga''s proposal with an unexpected "Sure."


    Upon hearing Gardevoir (male)''s voice, Yuga was slightly taken aback. He had only mentioned it casually and didn''t expect Gardevoir (male) to agree.


    Gardevoir''s voice sounded too young and didn''t match this mature body; Gardevoir (Male)''s voice, on the other hand, was too masculine and didn''t suit this beautiful form.


    At least, that''s how Yuga saw it.


    "Do you really want me to give you names?" Yuga asked Gardevoir (Male) in surprise.


    "W-what? Is it...is it not okay?" Despite feeling somewhat embarrassed, Gardevoir (Male) had already spoken, and there was no taking back his words. He replied nervously.


    Yuga chuckled, "Well then, I''ll think of a name for you seriously."


    Watching Yuga concentrate oning up with a name, Gardevoir (Male)''s feelings wereplex. It hadn''t crossed his mind that his formal Trainer would forget to give him a name but would now have an "enemy" assign one.


    "If you don''t want one, I''ll just call you ShaSha."


    Yuga suddenly lifted his head, excitedly proposing the name as though he had thought of something extraordinary.


    Upon hearing "ShaSha," Gardevoir (Male) almost couldn''t hold back a reaction, and his facial expression almost gave him away.


    Gardevoir (Male): Did you really spend all that time thinking only toe up with this name? Did I jump the gun with myplex thoughts earlier?


    "So, do you think this name works?" Yuga asked again when Gardevoir (Male) didn''t respond.


    "If you think it''s fine...then it''s fine." Gardevoir (Male) couldn''t bring himself to refuse.


    "Great, I''ll call you ShaSha from now on."


    Yuga didn''t seem to think there was any issue with the name he had chosen.


    "Now, what about the other one? What name do you n to give it?"


    Gardevoir (Male) �C no, he should be called ShaSha now �C asked Yuga.


    "Right, right. What name you would give me?"


    As soon as ShaSha''s finished speaking, Gardevoir''s voice resounded, and the facial expression of the Gardevoir in front of Yuga suddenly became vivid.


    Yuga could tell that the one currently in control of the body was Gardevoir, not ShaSha. ShaSha couldn''t produce such expressive facial expressions.


    Yuga said, "ShaSha is ShaSha, so you''ll naturally be called Nana."


    "Nana! Nana! That''s a really nice name!" Gardevoir repeated "Nana" a couple of times in his mouth, thinking that the name sounded lovely and suited him perfectly. He didn''t realize that their names, ShaSha and Nana, were derived from their species'' names.


    (Note : Gardevoir chinese name is Sh��n��idu��)


    "From now on, I''ll be Nana."


    Gardevoir, no, he should be called Nana now, jumped up in excitement.


    And that''s how it went. Yuga casually assigned names to Gardevoir (Male) and Gardevoir, now known as ShaSha and Nana, respectively.

 Chapter 789: Apology

    <h4>Chapter 789: Apology</h4>


    The naming of Gardevoir (male) and Gardevoir turned out to be a turning point in Yuga and ShaSha''s rtionship. From that day onwards, Yuga could sense a subtle change in ShaSha''s attitude towards him.


    On this particr day, YoYo Breeding House received a special guest - Genos, the owner of Luminescent Jewelry Store and the White Light Intelligence Agency.


    "What brings you here?" Yuga didn''t greet Genos too warmly, as his impression of Genos wasn''t great due to Butler incident.


    Genos scratched his nose and said, "I''vee to apologize on behalf of my uncle."


    Genos wasn''t upset about Yuga''s somewhat disrespectful attitude regarding his facial features; he understood the situation.


    As for Butler, he knew that his uncle had acted unfairly, and now that Genos was a rising star highly regarded by the Hoenn League, he couldn''t afford to offend anyone.


    "Uncle?" Yuga raised his head in confusion upon hearing this.


    "I don''t recall knowing your uncle."


    Yuga couldn''t recall having any dealings with Genos'' uncle, and the concept of an apology didn''t make sense to him.


    "It''s the one you sent to the police station not too long ago."


    Genos felt a bit embarrassed as he mentioned it, realizing how troublesome his uncle could be.


    His main reason foring to Verdant Shade Town was to get his uncle out of jail, and he was quite angry about his uncle''s repeated incarcerations.


    Considering his uncle''s current situation, apologizing to Yuga was merely a side note.


    Thinking about his troublesome uncle, Genos couldn''t help but feel frustrated. His unclecked skills and often got into trouble.


    But what could Genos do? He couldn''t just abandon his own family, especially since his sister was the only other rtive he had left.


    Back in the day, their family was influential within the Hoenn League, but after their grandfather and father passed away, their status declined significantly.


    Now, they had even withdrawn from the political system of the League and focused solely on running Luminescent Jewelry Store and the White Light Intelligence Agency as legitimate businessmen. They had lost their political influence.


    Fortunately, they still had some connections within the aristocratic families, allowing them to maintain a decent reputation. Otherwise, they wouldn''t be able to run the intelligence agency effectively without solid connections.


    From the age of fifteen, Genos had been supporting the family. Dealing with family matters was already exhausting, and having an uncle who caused trouble only added to his burdens.


    Genos'' reminder made Yuga recall that he had indeed sent a short, chubby, and awkward-looking older man to the police station recently.


    He hadn''t realized that this man was Genos'' uncle; it was quite a coincidence.


    With such an uncle, Yuga couldn''t help but sympathize with Genos. He must have faced a lot of challenges, and seeing his uncle''s foolish actions, he could imagine the daily headaches Genos had to endure.


    "Oh, you mean him."


    Yuga pretended to have a sudden realization.


    "My uncle can be a handful. I''ll make sure to ''educate'' him properly in the future. I hope you won''t mind the incident from before."


    Genos tried to sound sincere in his apology, genuinely hoping not to offend Yuga.


    In response, Yuga remained silent, focusing on the herbs and berrys he was handling.


    He nned to use these materials to create a small gene repair potion.


    A few days ago, Yuga had visited Lavaridge Town and met Director Mond. However, the news he heard from Director Mond left him feeling uneasy.


    The Pok��mon Day Care Center in Lavaridge Town was going to be closed.


    In the past two years, the Pok��mon Day Care Center in Lavaridge Town had been consistently running at a deficit, with expenses exceeding ie. This led the higher-ups at the Day Care Center to decide to shut it down.


    It was a result of careful consideration by the Day Care Center.


    Director Mond, as the head of a local Pok��mon Day Care Center, didn''t have much say in the matter. He alsocked the ability to save the Pok��mon Day Care Center from closure, so he had no choice but to agree to it.


    Director Mond had helped Yuga in many ways, and Yuga didn''t want the Pok��mon Day Care Center in Lavaridge Town to close either.


    However, the fact remained that the Pok��mon Day Care Center in Lavaridge Town had been running at a deficit, and Yuga didn''t have the authority to interfere.


    Because the Pok��mon Day Care Center was closing down, there were many unsold Pok��mon eggs left in the facility. Director Mond thought of Yuga when it came to handling these eggs due to their good rtionship.


    These eggs consisted of both low potential and high potential Pok��mon, with the majority being low potential. Director Mond couldn''t immediately find a suitable person to take them off his hands.


    Upon hearing this news, Yuga didn''t hesitate and agreed to take over these eggs, paying a significant sum of money.


    Yuga nned to sell the low potential Pok��mon eggs directly in his new store. Any unsold eggs would be kept in the Ecopark.


    As for the few high potential eggs, Yuga intended to hatch them and keep them in the Ecopark as breeding seeds.


    The Lavaridge Town Pok��mon Day Care Center was rtively small, and it didn''t have many rare Pok��mon species. Most of the eggs were frommon species like Surkrit, Taillow, Poochyena, Skitty, Nuzleaf, Shroomish, Lotad, Zigzagoon, and others, providing a wide variety.


    Besides the eggs suitable for direct sales, there was also a batch of eggs with gic defects. Yuga decided to take those as well. With the form for his small gene repair potion, he could treat these eggs the same as the others.


    Once the eggs with defects hatched, Yuga nned to keep the high potential ones as breeding seeds and sell the low potential ones. Any unsold low potential Pok��mon would find a home in the Pok��mon Paradise, adding some life to the ce. Fortunately, the Pok��mon Paradise is big, it had plenty of space to amodate them.


    Originally, Yuga had hesitated to put the low potential Pok��mon in the Ecopark because it could potentially disrupt the gene pool of high potential Pok��mon, which wasn''t desirable.


    However, he also felt it wasn''t right to do so, hence his idea to create a separate environment suitable for most Pok��mon to live in. This way, the low potential Pok��mon wouldn''t interact with the high potential ones, solving the issue.


    In the Ecopark, while some Pok��mon enjoyed visiting different areas, most preferred to stay in their own territories, possibly due to their innate territorial instincts.


    All these ns were for the future; for now, Yuga couldn''t provide a separate environment for the low potential Pok��mon in the Ecopark.


    After a while, Yuga finally spoke up, saying, "Actually, you didn''t need toe and apologize to me. He offended someone else, not me. He ended up in the police station because he insulted and ndered a girl. What''s the point of apologizing to me just because of my higher status?"


    Yuga knew that if Genos had appeared here, it meant his uncle had already been released from the police station. Offering an apology without even showing up in person didn''t demonstrate genuine remorse.


    Genos'' uncle hadmitted a crime, and whether it was significant or not, given Genos'' connections, he could have easily gotten him out of jail.


    In this regard, Yuga had misunderstood Genos. The reason he hadn''t let his unclee in person was because he knew his uncle''s character well. His uncle might have ended up causing more trouble if he hade here.


    However, Yuga''s words hit a chord with Genos. He realized that he indeed had been neglecting the importance of acknowledging and apologizing to ordinary people, despite his good upbringing. His subconscious sense of superiority had led him astray.


    Upon having his thoughts exposed by Yuga, Genos'' expression turned rather unsightly.


    "You... you''re right. We should apologize to the girl."


    Seeing Genos reflecting on his actions, Yuga couldn''t help but appreciate his honesty.


    Genos also realized that his mindset was wed. As a leader in his organization, having such a mindset was wrong. He needed to broaden his perspective and not underestimate the importance of ordinary individuals.


    Genos asked, "Could I meet that girl?"


    With Genos'' well-informedwork, he had known that the girl his uncle had mistreated was now working under Yuga. This is why he sought Yuga''s opinion.


    Yuga: "This guy certainly thinks quickly."


    After neatly organizing the herbs and materials, Yuga dusted off his hands and said, "Meeting her is fine, but forgiveness or not, I won''t decide now. Also, what about your uncle? Shouldn''t it be him who apologizes?"


    Genos: "Given what he did, I was worried he might upset you if he came along. Did you need him toe in person? I can have him visit."


    Yuga nodded in understanding. While a personal apology would be more sincere, Genos had a valid point, and Yuga didn''t want to see that person anyway.


    "Never mind, let''s not have hime," Yuga said, avoiding the potential headache.


    Soon, Strawberry was summoned from the Pok��mon Paradise.


    These days, Strawberry had been enjoying her work in the Pok��mon Paradise. The six Bellossom that Yuga had given her were intelligent and easy to manage, making her job smooth and well-organized.


    She found Pok��mon easier to deal with than humans, who often hadplex motives. Strawberry had grown fond of the six obedient Bellossom she worked with. If they weren''t from the Ecopark and instead a stray Pok��mon, she would have considered adopting them.


    After Genos'' apology, Strawberry remained silent for a moment before agreeing to reconcile with Genos'' uncle. She hadn''t expected someone as influential as Genos to personally apologize to her.


    However, she understood the reasons behind it �C her boss had given her dignity, and she didn''t want to cause him any trouble. So, ultimately, she chose to reconcile.


    While she knew her boss wasn''t afraid of trouble, she still wanted to be considerate.


    After Strawberry''s forgiveness, Genospensated her with a sum of money on behalf of his uncle.


    Initially, Strawberry hesitated to ept, but Yuga decided on her behalf. She deserved thispensation; after all, she had suffered enough from the mistreatment.


    With these twopensations, Yuga believed Strawberry wouldn''t have to worry about money for quite some time.


    What Yuga didn''t know was that Strawberry had sent all the money to the Forest Home.


    But that''s a story for another time.


    After Strawberry forgave Genos, he ced three Pok�� Balls in front of Yuga.


    "What''s this?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    "This is to make amends for the trouble I caused," Genos said through clenched teeth. He felt the loss of giving away three high potential Pok��mon acutely.


    The primary business of Genos'' family was the White Light Intelligence Agency, and they excelled in raising Pok��mon like Zubat, Golbat, and Crobat. Most family members had a Golbat, Crobat, or Zubat as apanion.


    Pok��mon like Zubat, Golbat, and Crobat had a natural talent for gathering information.


    High potential Pok��mon were always wee, and even though it hurt to give away three of them at once, Genos considered it worth it to repair his rtionship with Yuga.


    "In that case, I won''t refuse," Yuga said, understanding Genos'' intention after seeing the three Pok�� Balls.


    Opening the Pok�� Balls, Yuga recognized the three high potential Zubats inside. They were excellent specimens.


    In Yuga''s Ecopark, there were already three Crobat. Initially, he had tried to evolve Golbat into Crobat by increasing their affection towards him. However, it turned out that two of them evolved into Crobat because of their affection for each other, bing a couple and stuffed Yuga with mouthful of dog food.


    (One of the three Crobat was snatched from Butler and It also came from Genos. It was in its final form when it entered the Ecopark.)


    Genos left YoYo Day Care with a smile on his face. He had brought three valuable Zubat but left with the possibility of a better rtionship with Yuga, which he considered a win.

 Chapter 790: Quiver Dance

    <h4>Chapter 790: Quiver Dance</h4>


    After Genos left, Yuga took three Zubat and headed to the Ecopark.


    Upon reaching the Ecopark, he directly handed the Zubat over to the Crobat, asking them to assist the three Zubat.


    These three Zubat had just been born not long ago and were in a new living environment, surrounded by unfamiliar people and Pok��mon, making their emotions seem quite unstable.


    Among the three Crobat in the Ecopark, there was a pair that were a couple, but they hadn''t been together for long and didn''t have their own children yet, so they treated the three young Zubat very friendly.


    After taking care of the Zubat, Yuga thought he would also visit the Volcano Sub-Ecopark to see the Vivillon and Volcarona.


    Arriving at the volcano, Yuga indeed saw Vivillon and Volcarona together.


    However, they weren''t just together for romantic purposes; Yuga knew they had been practicing abination move recently.


    At this moment, Volcarona was gracefully dancing above the magmake, with three pairs of orange-red wings fluttering lightly behind it, disying exceptionally agile movements.


    Unlike the slender figure of Vivillon, Volcarona had a somewhat bulky body, so its dance wasn''t as elegant and beautiful as Vivillon''s.


    However, its dazzling wings and the sparks of me that lingered on them made its dance look incredibly spectacr.


    As Volcarona gracefully pped its wings, threads of crimson me energy were drawn from the magmake by it, forming dazzling me patterns that constantly spiraled along its wings.


    Volcarona, with its me Body ability, had extremely strong resistance to me burns. The mes on its body and wings not only didn''t harm it but also continually enhanced its aura.


    The Fire-type Pok��mon living here were all sitting on the tforms in the magmake, looking at Volcarona''s performance with reverence.


    This performance by Volcarona involved not just one move but abination of Quiver Dance and Fiery Dance.


    For a Pok��mon to execute such abination move, it needed to multitask effectively.


    However, for Pok��mon with lower potential, achieving this kind of multitasking was extremely difficult. Volcarona had only reached this level of skill after putting in effort since arriving at the Ecopark.


    Both Quiver Dance and Fiery Dance were unique moves; one was a stat-boosting move, and the other was an attacking move. Combining them wasn''t an easy feat.


    However, Fiery Dance could also be considered a partial stat-boosting move, as when it was used in battle, there was a chance it would boost the user''s Special Attack, with the probability being around fifty percent.


    The principle behind this boost was that, when Volcarona used Fiery Dance, its body absorbed arge amount of me energy generated by the dance, which temporarily enhanced its energy reserves and, subsequently, its Special Attack.


    Yuga had observed this when Volcarona used Fiery Dance before, noticing that the way it gained a boost in Special Attack during Fiery Dance was quite simr to how it enhanced its stats during Quiver Dance.


    So, Yuga had tried to encourage Volcarona tobine Fiery Dance and Quiver Dance. As expected, thisbination significantly elerated the power-up of Volcarona''s Fiery Dance during the dance routine.


    The mes gathered by Fiery Dance seemed to be recharging Volcarona for its Quiver Dance.


    The maximum limit for Quiver Dance''s enhancement is sixyers, which means that beyond sixyers, continuing to use Quiver Dance would be ineffective.


    However, achieving the maximum sixyers of Quiver Dance in a short period is challenging and time-consuming, which can be fatal in fast-paced battles.


    Yuga''s Vivillon typically struggles toplete three rounds of enhancement when using the Quiver Dance move in battles; going beyond that can disrupt the battle flow.


    However, when Volcaronabines Quiver Dance and Fiery Dance, it can quickly stack Quiver Dance to its maximum of sixyers within a very short time.


    Yuga observed this carefully and noticed that when Quiver Dance and Fiery Dance were used together, it took only the time it would normally take to stack threeyers of Quiver Dance to reach the maximum sixyers. This discovery greatly excited Yuga.


    This effect holds significant importance in battles.


    Furthermore, when Volcarona simultaneously uses Quiver Dance and Fiery Dance, it no longer remains defenseless against iing attacks as it did when using Quiver Dance alone.


    It can strengthen itself while simultaneously projecting the mes swirling around its body, achieving both offensive and defensive purposes.


    It''s important to note that when using Quiver Dance alone, Volcarona had limited options when faced with attacks from opponents; it could either dodge or interrupt the Quiver Dance.


    However, Yuga, having observed Quiver Dance from both Volcarona and Vivillon, realized that although the enhancement principle of their Quiver Dance was the same, the means of enhancement were different.


    When Volcarona performs Quiver Dance, the me energy around its body quickly gathers and is then absorbed by Volcarona, enhancing its various abilities.


    The reason why Fiery Dance can shorten the time required for Quiver Dance enhancement is because of this.


    In contrast, when Vivillon uses Quiver Dance, it gathers and absorbs Flying-type energy. By absorbing Flying-type energy, Vivillon achieves its enhancement.


    In other words, while Quiver Dance is a Bug-type move, the method of enhancing the target varies depending on the user.


    For instance, Fire-type Volcarona enhances itself using Fire-type energy, while Flying-type Vivillon uses Flying-type energy for its enhancement.


    To validate this hypothesis, Yuga specifically observed other Pok��mon using Quiver Dance in the Ecopark.


    In addition to Yuga''s Bellossom, there were other Pok��mon in the Ecopark that had learned Quiver Dance, including Masquerain, Lilligant, and Ribombee.


    As Yuga suspected:


    - Bellossom and Lilligant absorb Grass-type energy when using Quiver Dance.


    - Masquerain, just like Vivillon, absorbs Flying-type energy.


    - Ribombee, on the other hand, absorbs Fairy-type energy.


    This discovery deepened Yuga''s understanding of the Quiver Dance move.


    Quiver Dance had always been a core move for Vivillon and Bellossom, two of Yuga''s main Pok��mon. Thebination move of Quiver Dance and Fiery Dance by Volcarona had significant implications for Bellossom and Vivillon.


    However, neither Vivillon nor Bellossom had simr moves to Fiery Dance, making it very challenging for them to perform abination move like Volcarona.


    Yet, Yuga wasn''t the type to back down when faced with difficulties.


    After numerous experiments, he finally found that Bellossom, when using Grassy Terrain before Quiver Dance, exhibited simrities to Volcarona''s Quiver Dance and Fiery Dancebination technique.


    Although Bellossom couldn''t counterattack opponents within Grassy Terrain while using Quiver Dance, it could achieve the maximum sixyers of enhancement extremely quickly, even faster than Volcarona''s Fiery Dance and Quiver Dancebination.


    This was a case of gaining something while losing something.


    Solving Bellossom''s issue was rtively straightforward, but the problem with Vivillon was more challenging.


    Vivillon didn''t possess an attack move simr to Fiery Dance or a terrain move like Grassy Terrain.


    Vivillon''sbination move for Quiver Dance seemed to be stuck, but Yuga believed thatpleting thisbination move was crucial because Quiver Dance was a core move for Pok��mon like Vivillon.

 Chapter 791: Seeking Advice

    <h4>Chapter 791: Seeking Advice</h4>


    The Volcarona, enveloped in mes, dragged its fiery tail and rapidly pped its wings, soaring into the sky until it reached the same altitude as the Vivillon.


    As Volcarona ascended, Vivillon spun its body and began an elegant dance, with its aura gradually rising.


    Unlike the dazzling Quiver Dance of Volcarona, Vivillon was surrounded by simple Flying-type energy, yet it exhibited grace and agile movements, possessing a different charm from Volcarona.


    Afterpleting a round of enhanced Quiver Dance, Volcarona''s six wings vibrated, releasing a torrent of scorching mes apanied by countless fiery streaks that fell from the sky like a meteor shower.


    Following Volcarona''s use of Fiery Dance, Vivillon''s wings suddenly surged with Flying-type energy. White lines formed by Flying-type energy, controlled by Vivillon, entwined around the mes shot by Volcarona.


    The moment these white threads of wind wrapped around the mes, it was as if gasoline had been poured on them, causing the mes to surge and the flickering tongues of fire to distort the air, greatly amplifying the power of Fiery Dance.


    These white wind threads were created by Vivillon''s Gust move.


    During this time, although Vivillon hadn''t found apatible move to pair with its Quiver Dance, continuous experimentation with various Flying-type moves had allowed it to gain precise control over Flying-type energy.


    Through its basic Gust move, Vivillon could convert Flying-type energy into various forms for maniption, whether it be wind lines or razor winds, Vivillon could handle them effortlessly.


    While Gust was a basic move, under Vivillon''s precise control, it could still unleash formidable power.


    Just now, Vivillon had used Gust to fuel Volcarona''s Fiery Dance, showcasing the formidable synergy between Vivillon''s Gust and Volcarona''s Fiery Dance.


    Vivillon trained with Volcarona daily, hoping to discover a move thatplemented its Quiver Dance. Unexpectedly, they had inadvertently developed thisbination move together.


    Among Yuga''s main Pok��mon, Vivillon''s strength was currently the weakest. Although its mindset was excellent, it worked tirelessly, hoping to catch up with the rest of the team.


    Apart from Chimecho, whose current strength was unknown as it had been taken by Deoxys, Vivillon in its early pseudo-Elite level was the lowest level among Yuga''s main Pok��mon.


    Although Absol''s level wasn''t much higher than Vivillon''s, it had ability to Mega Evolve, making it a formidable opponent even against peak pseudo-Elite Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Topensate for its lower level, Vivillon was actively developing its unique abilities.


    In its quest to find a Flying-type move thatplemented its Quiver Dance, Vivillon had sought advice from Dragonite''s mother in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, observed the flight patterns of Beautifly and Dustox in the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark, and trained alongside Honchkrow leader and Swellow leader in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark. However, the results were less than satisfactory.


    Yuga also apanied Vivillon to observe the training of Bellossom.


    Although it had found a suitable move that matched its Quiver Dance, both Yuga and Vivillon had realized that, in terms of enhancement principles, Volcarona''s Fiery Dance and Bellossom'' Grassy Terrain were different.


    Volcarona''s rapid enhancement principle involved swiftly gathering and absorbing freely floating Fire-type energy from the air while using Fiery Dance, then inhaling it into its body.


    On the other hand, the enhancement principle of Bellossom'' Grassy Terrain was not about gathering freely floating Grass-type energy from the air.


    Terrain moves were unique in that they generated attribute energy within the terrain itself, and sometimes, their strength could be weakened or enhanced depending on the environment in which they were used.


    So, what Bellossom swiftly absorbed was the Grass-type energy inherent to the Grassy Terrain itself.


    The terrain moves inherently contain much more attribute energy than the freely floating attribute energy in the air, which is why Bellossom''s use of Quiver Dance to enhance its power is faster than Volcarona''s Quiver Dance.


    Through theparison of Volcarona and Bellossom''s Quiver Dance, Yuga and Vivillon both realized that the key to thisbination move wasn''t the specific move itself but rather how to quickly absorb the corresponding attribute energy.


    This means that Yuga and Vivillon shouldn''t limit their thinking to just moves; they should focus on finding methods to rapidly absorb Flying-type energy.


    However, even with this newfound perspective, finding such a method wasn''t going to be easy.


    After witnessing the impressivebination move of Vivillon and Volcarona, Yuga apuded them, pping his hands together.


    "Well done, well done! Your synergy with your moves is bing more and more seamless."


    "Vivillon..."


    Hearing Yuga''s yfulment, Vivillon bashfully hid behind Volcarona''srge wings for a while before finally flying in front of Yuga with a flushed face.


    "Vivillon, how about we pay a visit to some other Flying-type Pok��mon today?" Yuga suggested.


    In order to help Vivillon break through with its Quiver Dance, Yuga decided to take Vivillon to seek advice from other Flying-type Pok��mon.


    He knew that while Vivillon had independently visited other Flying-type Pok��mon before, its ability to think independently wasn''t as advanced as his own, so there might have been some oversights.


    Yuga hoped that by observing how other Flying-type Pok��mon used their moves, they could find inspiration.


    "Vivillon..."


    Vivillon nodded happily. Lately, it had been spending more time with Yuga than with the other Pok��mon, and it was quite pleased with that.


    Yuga and Vivillon first headed to the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark, where they encountered the Jumpluff family - Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff.


    While Skiploom, Jumpluff, and Hoppip were all Flying Pok��mon like Vivillon, they had significant differences in their attributebinations.


    However, Yuga didn''t want to miss any opportunities.


    On the Second Ind Heart Lake, not only did the Jumpluff family reside, but there were also Oddish, Gloom, and a few Bellossom and Vileplume, as well as the Beautifly and the Dustox.


    These Beautifly and Dustox were the evolved forms of the Wurmple, Silcoon, and Cascoon that Yuga had tamed in the Petalburg Forest.


    They coexisted harmoniously with the Grass-type Pok��mon here due to the excellent living conditions, and their numbers had increased significantly.


    As bottom tier Pok��mon in the world of Pok��mon, Beautifly and Dustox had a much faster rate of reproductionpared to typical Pok��mon.


    As soon as Yuga and Vivillon arrived at the Second Ind Heart Lake and before they even spotted Skiploom, Jumpluff, and Hoppip, the Beautifly and Dustox surrounded Vivillon, gracefully dancing around it.


    The Beautifly and Dustox here had great respect for the powerful Vivillon, disying a demeanor as if they regarded it as a Butterfly King.


    Unfortunately, Vivillon didn''t particrly like their presence. It suddenly unleashed a burst of Flying-type energy around it, creating a swirling circr airflow. The Beautifly and Dustox were swept away like fallen leaves, unable to approach Vivillon.


    Although these Beautifly and Dustox asionally participated in training, their time in the Ecopark was rtively short, and their levels were quite low. Therefore, when the airflow surrounded Vivillon, they couldn''t get anywhere near it.


    However, the Beautifly and Dustox didn''t give up on getting closer to Vivillon. They pped their wings and danced along the circr airflow, steadily rising along with it, resembling a pir made of butterflies.


    In fact, it wasn''t surprising that these Beautifly and Dustox were so enthusiastic about Vivillon. Ever since Vivillon obtained countless scales and the Compound Eyes ability in the Petalburg Forest, it seemed to be highly favored by various butterfly-like Pok��mon.


    This favor wasn''t about these butterfly-like Pok��mon seeking to mate with Vivillon; it was a genuine respect and admiration they held for it.


    Yuga couldn''t fully understand how this change would benefit Vivillon, but Vivillon itself was quite unappreciative of the constant presence of these butterfly-like Pok��mon flocking to it.

 Chapter 792: Scale Powder

    <h4>Chapter 792: Scale Powder</h4>


    In the butterfly pir formed by Beautifly and Dustox, every time Beautifly and Dustox pped their wings, shimmering scale powder would detach from their wings and merge into the circr airflow surrounding Vivillon.


    As Vivillon were increasingly impatient with being surrounded by Beautifly and Dustox, they suddenly pped their wings vigorously, creating strong gusts of wind within the circr airflow, blowing all the Beautifly and Dustox away.


    These Beautifly and Dustox weren''t particrly strong and couldn''t resist the powerful winds created by Vivillon, so they were scattered in the blink of an eye.


    With no more Beautifly and Dustox to shield them, the true form of Vivillon was revealed. Yuga seemed to see the glistening scale powder being drawn towards Vivillon, floating towards them.


    Scale powder was very fine, and if you didn''t look closely, it was hard to see them clearly. Yuga rubbed his eyes and confirmed that he wasn''t mistaken.


    All those scale powders floated towards Vivillon and settled on their wings.


    Yuga could tell that as these scale powders gathered more and more, Vivillon'' wings became increasingly radiant and magnificent. Whenever Vivillon pped their wings, Yuga could see them sparkling.


    After shaking off the Beautifly and Dustox, Vivillon flew to Yuga''s side unhappily, seemingly seekingfort.


    "Vivillon..."


    Once Vivillon arrived in front of Yuga, he gently touched their wings and observed the scale powders up close.


    Scale powders on butterfly-like Pok��mon wings served a significant purpose. Not only did they make their wings more beautiful, but they also yed a crucial role in protecting them.


    Yuga looked closely, touched the scale powders, and realized that although Vivillon'' wings were bing more beautiful, their scale powders hadn''t increased due to the Beautifly and Dustox'' scale powdersnding on them.


    So, where did those scale powders thatnded on Vivillon'' wings go?


    Yuga stubbornly checked again but couldn''t find those scale powders.


    The scale powders on Beautifly and Dustox were different from those on Vivillon, not only in color but also in texture.


    The scale powders scattered on Beautifly'' wings were mostly bright yellow, mixed with a small amount of rose-red and light blue hues, and felt grainy to the touch.


    The scale powders on Dustox were all green, delicate, and felt somewhat like the texture of high-quality flour, with a stronger adhesive quality.


    On the other hand, the scale powders on Vivillon came in various colors, depending on the pattern on their wings. Yuga''s Vivillon had an ice and snow pattern, so their scale powders were mainly white and ck, giving them a subtle yet mysterious appearance.


    Compared to the scale powders on Beautifly and Dustox, the scale powders on Vivillon were lighter. Yuga could tell that, judging by the frequency at which the three butterfly-like Pok��mon pped their wings, Vivillon had a higher wing pping rate.


    Comparing the scale powders on his Vivillon with those on Beautifly and Dustox, Yuga could see that the scale powders from Beautifly and Dustox were more vibrant. Under normal circumstances, he would have been able to detect their presence if they hadnded on Vivillon'' wings.


    However, reality was that those scale powders had inexplicably disappeared. Yuga had witnessed them drifting towards Vivillon, but where had they gone?


    Apart from the ck and white scale powders on his Vivillon, Yuga couldn''t see or feel the presence of any other scale powders.


    Yuga furrowed his brow, deep in thought, while Vivillon danced gracefully around him.


    Huh? Did Vivillon'' aura be a bit stronger? At this moment, Yuga suddenly noticed a slight change in Vivillon'' aurapared to before they arrived here.


    Could it be because of those scale powders?


    The change in Vivillon'' aura was indeed very subtle, so subtle that Yuga couldn''t be entirely sure if his perception was urate.


    Just then, a voice from the system sounded in Yuga''s mind.


    ...


    [ Congrattions, host, you''ve triggered the task: The Mystery of Vivillon''s Scale Powder.


    [ Description: Something strange has urred with Vivillon, and as their trainer, you have a responsibility and obligation to fully understand the secrets of Vivillon. ]


    [ Rewards: Special Sub-Ecopark Insect Paradise ess qualification and the universal Pok��block form for Bug-type Pok��mon. ]


    ...


    Upon hearing the system''s voice, Yuga was extremely surprised. He hadn''t expected that the scale powder on Vivillon would trigger a Sub-Ecopark mission.


    Furthermore, this mission was rted to a special Sub-Ecopark, which added to itsplexity.


    Yuga remembered that the system had mentioned that special Sub-Ecoparks had different functionspared to regr ones, making them rtively more challenging to unlock.


    In this light, uncovering the mystery of Vivillon'' scale powder might not be an easy task.


    Vivillon had undergone a strange change.


    These were the words of the system, and Yuga was certain that this peculiar change in Vivillon was rted to the events that had urred in the Petalburg Forest earlier.


    After that incident, Vivillon not only experienced a significant change in their physical appearance but also gained an additional scale powder ability.


    This scale powder ability must be connected to the current mission and could be the reason behind the changes in Vivillon.


    Previously, Yuga had merely considered this new ability as a regr one, but now it seemed that it was not.


    However, to verify this conjecture, he would need a significant amount of scale powder for experimentation.


    Yuga looked at the Beautifly and Dustox fluttering not far away and felt that the number and variety of these Pok��mon were insufficient.


    Many Pok��mon possessed scale powder, andmon types included Butterfree, Venomoth, Beautifly, Dustox, Vivillon, Ribombee, and even the rare one like Volcarona and Aln Guardian Deities Tapu Lele.


    Not all butterfly-like Pok��mon had scale powder, though, such as Mothim and Masquerain.


    The quantity of scale powder on butterfly-like Pok��mon could also vary. For example, while Butterfree, Beautifly, and Volcarona had scale powder, it was not as abundant as that on Venomoth, Dustox, and Vivillon.


    This could be determined by whether the base species ability included the scale powder feature.


    In the world of Pok��mon, extensive research had already been conducted on various species, and butterfly-like Pok��mon were one of the significant branches of Bug-Types. Therefore, the ability of scale powder was an important research topic for Pok��mon schrs.


    After arriving in the Pok��mon world, Yuga had read numerous books rted to Pok��mon topensate for hisck of knowledge, especially those rted to his main Pok��mon.


    Regarding butterfly-like Pok��mon and their scale powder, Yuga had started researching them only after capturing Vivillon.


    Inparison to the extensive research findings of schrs in this world, Yuga''s shallow knowledge about Pok��mon was almost negligible.


    Yuga decided that after leaving this ce, he would need to find more books rted to scale powder ability and butterfly-like Pok��mon.


    Moreover, to uncover the secret of Vivillon'' scale powder, Yuga decided to collect more butterfly-like Pok��mon.


    Apart from the rare Pok��mon like Volcarona, other butterfly-like Pok��mon were quitemon in various regions (specifically those with scale powder). So, collecting them shouldn''t be too difficult.


    The rarest among them was probably the Venomoth, but whether he could collect one wouldn''t have a significant impact.


    Of course, in a way, some Vivillon were also considered rare.


    As it was well-known, Vivillon had twenty different patterns, with the mostmon being the Garden pattern. The others were rtively rare, and some of the special patterns were nearly as rare as the League''s Trio Starter Pok��mon.


    Some collectors even took pride in collecting all twenty different patterns of Vivillon. Therefore, in the Kalos region, there was a specialized Pok��mon Poacher for Vivillon, mainly focusing on capturing those with unique patterns.


    However, in the Kalos region, some rare-patterned Vivillon were protected, and not even normal capture was allowed.


    Yuga''s Ice and Snow pattern Vivillon were not particrly rare among the twenty patterns but were still not verymon, with a rarity ranking somewhere in the upper-middle range.


    He had seen Vi''s collection of Vivillon, and they were all the mostmon Garden pattern.


    Anyway, even though he hadn''t found a move toplement Vivillon'' Quiver Dance yet, discovering the unusual nature of their scale powder was already a significant gain.


    However, the investigation into the secret of Vivillon'' scale powder couldn''t be started immediately, and the quest for the Quiver Dancebination move couldn''t be neglected either.


    Originally, Yuga had intended to take Vivillon to see the Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff. However, since they had encountered Beautifly and Dustox, Yuga thought it might be worthwhile to observe these two species first.


    As both are butterfly-like Pok��mon, there are many simrities between Vivillon and Beautifly and Dustox. Perhaps by observing them, he could find a breakthrough


    .

 Chapter 793: No Results

    <h4>Chapter 793: No Results</h4>


    Setting aside the new tasks issued by the system, Yuga had the Beautifly and Dustox on the ind demonstrate their flying-type abilities.


    These Beautifly and Dustox weren''t of high level and didn''t have a wide range of flying-type moves. The basics included moves like Gust and Air sh, with only a few of the more intelligent ones having learned moves like Tailwind and Aerial Ace from other Pok��mon.


    Yuga and Vivillon observed their usage of these moves closely but didn''t gain any useful insights.


    After consulting with Vivillon, Yuga immediately took it to the area with Hoppips, Skiplooms, Jumpluffs.


    Yuga''s Hoppips, Skiplooms, Jumpluffs didn''t have high potentials, and their repertoire of flying-type moves was even more limited. Aside from a few that knew Aerial Ace, the mostmon move they knew was Acrobat.


    Acrobat was a special move and, while potent when used correctly, didn''t offer much assistance to Vivillon.


    Acrobat was a physical-type move, and Vivillon excelled in special attacks, so learning Acrobat was somewhat redundant.


    Leaving the second ind in theke, Yuga headed to the third ind where he found the Mandibuzz and Archeops.


    After Yuga''s "taming" and Archeops''s supervision, the Mandibuzz had be less wild, and they were quite well-behaved while residing on the third ind.


    However, all of them were female, and it had been a long time since they had found suitable "tools" for reproduction, which had made them increasingly irritable recently. (Female Mandibuzz didn''t have mates; they used male Pok��mon solely for reproduction.)


    Mandibuzz had fierce personalities, and their desire for reproduction was high. If they couldn''t satisfy this desire for an extended period, problems could arise.


    Regarding the matter of suitable mates for the Mandibuzz, Yuga had considered it for a while. In the end, he decided to explore the possibility of introducing a group of Rufflets and Braviary from the Unova region.


    Rufflets and Braviary had the opposite gender distribution to Vulturna and Mandibuzz �C they were all male. By introducing them to live on the third ind with the Mandibuzz, Yuga hoped to avoid conflicts.


    YoYo''s Day Care was no longer an obscure ce. It had the capability to acquire Rufflets and Braviary from Unova, and the feasibility of this n was not out of reach.


    When Yuga arrived at the third ind in theke, he heard the harsh cries of the Mandibuzz echoing throughout the forest. Their voices carried a sense of impatience, as if they were on the verge of losing their temper.


    Before entering the Ecopark, these Mandibuzz used to live on cliff edges. After settling on the third ind in theke, they had built their nests at the very top of the trees.


    The trees on the ind were exceptionally tall, and the nests built by the Mandibuzz were quite spacious. Even an adult could lie downfortably inside without feeling cramped. These numerous nests looked like a dark cloud against the sky.


    Upon seeing Yuga and Vivillon approaching, the Mandibuzz began to emerge from their nests in pairs. They circled in the sky above, emitting hoarse cries, clearly expressing their unwee attitude toward Yuga.


    Yuga had gone through considerable effort to tame this group of Mandibuzz, so in their eyes, he was a sort of demon king, one who tormented them.


    They harbored a deep hatred and fear towards Yuga. Under normal circumstances, they would prefer not to see him at all.


    However, Yuga hadn''t visited this ce in a long time. The Miltank were responsible for their meals, and Archeops supervised their training. Yuga''s involvement had been minimal, and now, the only thing he had to worry about was their "life-changing event."


    Sensing Yuga''s presence, the Archeops living near Lake Ind pped its wings, ascended into the sky, and after locating Yuga,nded beside him.


    Compared to when they first arrived at the Ecopark, Archeops was in much better condition now. Its feathers and scales had be more vibrant, a clear sign that it had been well taken care of by the Miltank.


    Its level remained at the peak of the Elite level, with no apparent changes. It was evident that Archeops was still eager to achieve its goal.


    Unlike other Pok��mon, Archeops was quite elderly. If it couldn''t break through to the Champion level and undergo a second life transformation soon, it would age rapidly and die.


    Yuga was well aware of Archeops''s situation. He had been helping it adjust its state ever since it submitted, even spending a considerable amount of money to acquire rare items and precious resources, all in the hope of aiding its breakthrough.


    However, despite Archeops''s umted experience, it still fell slightly short of breaking through, and the more urgent Yuga felt, the more perplexed he became.


    Because of Archeops''s breakthrough challenge, Yuga had even sought advice from Dragonite''s mother, but conveying the sensation of a breakthrough proved to be quite challenging for her.


    In truth, Yuga understood that for elderly Pok��mon like Archeops, theter stages of life made it increasingly difficult to find opportunities for breakthroughs.


    However, Archeops had not given up, and Yuga was determined to help it as much as possible. His genuine care for Archeops had made the Pok��mon quite friendly towards him.


    Standing tall, Archeops was much taller than Yuga, with Yuga''s hand reaching up to its neck, where there was a ring of brownish-yellow feathers.


    "Archeops, I would like to ask you and the Mandibuzz for a favor."


    Archeops readily agreed, then inquired about the nature of the task.


    Yuga proceeded to exin his request.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Archeops lifted its head and let out a loud cry towards the sky. Soon after, the Mandibuzz reluctantly descended from their nests.


    The Mandibuzz knew a far wider array of flying-type movespared to Beautifly, Dustoxes, Hoppips, Skiplooms, and Jumpluffs.


    Their moves ranged from basic ones like Gust, Peck, Defog, Tailwind, Air sh, Mimicry, Brave Bird, Roost, Aerial Ace, Fly, and Sky Attack, epassing both basic and advanced moves, with variations in both style and function. Several Mandibuzz knew each of these moves.


    After observing move by move, Yuga finally noticed that there were three moves that gathered flying-type energy extensively when used: Brave Bird, Sky Attack, and Roost.


    Among them, Brave Bird and Sky Attack had simr energy-gathering methods, creating a mantle of energy on the Pok��mon''s surface, which they then used to strike their opponents fiercely.


    However, Brave Bird umted energy rapidly and violently, which often resulted in recoil damage to the user.


    In contrast, Sky Attack gathered energy slowly and gently, requiring a charging period before use.


    Users of these two moves didn''t absorb the gathered energy into their bodies, unlike Vivillon''s Quiver Dance, which was different in application.


    Unfortunately, neither Brave Bird nor Sky Attack were moves that Vivillon, a Bug/Flying-type Pok��mon, could learn.


    As for the third move, Roost, while Vivillon could learn it, it couldn''t be used inbination with Quiver Dance.


    Yuga''s Vivillon already knew Roost, a move that temporarily grounded a flying-type Pok��mon and restored its health. This move prevented the simultaneous use of Quiver Dance, as Vivillon had to be in the air to perform the mysterious dance.


    Moreover, Roost had an extremely slow energy-gathering rate, taking so long to umte energy that it could practically be considered useless.


    Unable to find a breakthrough from the Mandibuzz, Yuga felt disappointed. He proceeded to seek advice from Honchkrow, Staraptor, Altaria, Swellow, Pidgeot, Crobat, Noctowl, Chatot, Natu, Gliscor, Masquerain, and Vespiquen.


    Yuga spent an entire day shuttling between various flying-type Pok��mon, hoping to discover a path to a breakthrough.


    Ultimately, Yuga''s focus shifted from the individual moves known by various flying-type Pok��mon to a deeper contemtion of the principles behind the Quiver Dancebination move.


    Yuga realized that he might not necessarily need to find a move that perfectlyplemented Quiver Dance. Instead, he needed to discover a method or item that could help Vivillon rapidly gather flying-type energy.


    This method or item should gather flying-type energy efficiently without being as violent as Brave Bird, which would prevent Vivillon from absorbing the gathered energy into its body. It also shouldn''t be as slow as Roost, which would render it ineffective.


    In the end, Yuga sought advice from the knowledgeable Dragonite''s mother, hoping to learn about methods or items for rapid energy gathering.


    Dragonite''s mother did indeed introduce him to a simple solution: the Flying Gem.


    The Flying Gem contained a substantial amount of flying-type energy that Vivillon could directly absorb during Quiver Dance.


    However, this solution didn''t align with Yuga''s expectations. Each Flying Gem could only support Vivillon''s battle once, as it would be depleted of energy after one use.


    Flying Gems were already rare, and their quantity was insufficient for training, let alone having extras to be consumed by Vivillon.


    When others used Flying Gems for training, their abilities could improve, but when Vivillon used them as disposable items, the gems were rendered useless, and Vivillon didn''t gain any benefit.


    Clearly, this usage of Flying Gems was highly wasteful.


    After understanding the specific situation, Dragonite''s mother mentioned another magical item: the Source of Flight.


    The Source of Flight was a relic left behind by Champion level or higher flying-type Pok��mon after their demise.


    The creation of such a relic was highly fortuitous and didn''t ur when every Champion level or higher flying-type Pok��mon passed away. It could be said that it was an exceedingly rare urrence.


    Champion level or higher Pok��mon were already rare, let alone those leaving behind a Source of Flight. Even Dragonite''s mother had only heard of it but had never seen one in person.


    Each Source of Flight was a powerful source of energy derived from the flying-type Pok��mon''s entire body, serving as a focal point for their energy during their lifetime. Its significance was akin to the heart of a living being.


    Obtaining a Source of Flight would essentially provide Vivillon with an infinitely reusable Flying Gem because the energy within the Source of Flight could be replenished in a short time after use.


    However, after hearing Dragonite''s mother''s description, Yuga faced a dilemma. Such a precious item would be incredibly hard to find. He hadn''t even heard of it before, let alone know where to start looking.


    Upon leaving the Ecopark, Yuga immediately began searching for information about the Source of Flight. However, whether in physical books or online resources, there was no record of the Source of Flight.


    In desperation, Yuga decided to call his mentor.


    Someone of Mr. Kuni''o''s caliber knew many obscure pieces of information. While he had heard of the Source of Flight, he had never seen one. Nheless, he agreed to help Yuga look for it, which touched Yuga deeply.


    However, Mr. Kuni''o also cautioned Yuga that the Source of Flight was exceedingly rare, and he couldn''t guarantee they would find one. He advised Yuga to prepare himself mentally for the possibility of not locating it.


    In reality, Yuga didn''t have high hopes of finding the Source of Flight. If it were that easy to find, its rarity wouldn''t be so well-known.

 Chapter 794: The Butterfly King

    <h4>Chapter 794: The Butterfly King</h4>


    Although Yuga''s expectations for the Source of Flight weren''t high, he still contacted Genos to see if the White Light Intelligence Agency could gather any information about it.


    Upon receiving Yuga''s request, Genos immediately agreed without hesitation. He believed that if they could find this so-called Source of Flight, it might earn him a favor from Yuga, an Elite level Trainer.


    Favors were valuable assets.


    Genos also had his own Elite level Trainer in his family. However, within their family, they knew their own limitations, and their Elite level Trainer was considered Junior, unable to gather a full team of six Elite level Pok��mon. Hoping to Meet a true Elite level Trainer like that would only lead to disappointment.


    As the head of an intelligence agency, Genos could deduce Yuga''s true strength based on the known information. He spected that Yuga wouldn''t be weaker than those Trainers with six Elite level Pok��mon, which was why he was eager to be on good terms with him.


    If Yuga were just a mediocre Trainer, there would be no reason for him to take this task.


    However, prior to this, Genos had never heard of this thing called the Source of Flight.


    Nevertheless, their family had a rich collection of books, and he managed to find records rted to the Source of Flight. He realized that this thing was hard toe by.


    But perhaps it fell on his shoulders precisely because it was hard to find?


    Genos was aware of Yuga''s rtionship with Mr. Kuni''o, and if it weren''t for the extreme rarity of the Source of Flight, Mr. Kuni''o had the capability to help Yuga obtain it.


    As for what Genos thought, Yuga had no idea. After entrusting Genos with the task of finding the Source of Flight, Yuga began to contemte the system''s tasks.


    He searched through various sources and studied numerous research findings about the scale powder ability but found no records simr to how the scale powder of Vivillon worked, especially with regards to its effect on Vivillon.


    To unravel the mystery of Vivillon'' scale powder, Yuga would have to explore it himself. If it were easy, it wouldn''t have been designated as a special Sub-Ecopark mission by the system.


    Furthermore, Yuga was already trying to establish connections to bring in some Butterfly Pok��mon from other regions.


    However, he had few acquaintances in those regions, making it somewhat challenging.


    Since there was no clear lead on importing other Butterfly Pok��mon for now, Yuga decided to frequently visit the Petalburg Forest with his Vivillon.


    Currently, the forest was in its spring season, filled with the sounds of birds and the fragrance of flowers. Many Beautifly and Dustox had migrated back to the Petalburg Forest toy their eggs.


    As a result, the forest was bustling with activity.


    Yuga and his Vivillon went to the Petalburg Forest to confirm whether the Vivillon''s scale powder could indeed be stronger by absorbing the scale powder of other Butterfly Pok��mon.


    Many Beautifly and Dustox remembered Yuga, knowing that he and his Vivillon had once protected them. As a result, they treated Yuga and his Vivillon very friendly.


    In truth, the Vivillon wasn''t particrly keen on interacting with Beautifly and Dustox. Being one of Yuga''s main Pok��mon and a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, it had a small sense of pride.


    But Yuga thought differently.


    People could have self-respect, but they shouldn''t have arrogance, and the same should apply to Pok��mon. So, Yuga hoped that the Vivillon would get along well with Beautifly and Dustox.


    In the Pok��mon world, Bug-type Pok��mon and Dragon-type Pok��mon were at opposite ends of the spectrum.


    In the Pok��mon world, Bug-type Pok��mon are numerous but generally have lower overall strength, while Dragon-type Pok��mon are rare but tend to be powerful.


    Yuga believed that his Vivillon shouldn''t look down upon other Bug-type Pok��mon just because they were weaker. To him, this was no different from looking down upon itself. Despite having a higher starting point than other Bug-type Pok��mon, it couldn''t escape the fact that it belonged to the Bug-type category.


    After Yuga''s advice, the Vivillon deeply reflected on itself and realized that it had be somewhat arrogant. It finally corrected its attitude towards Beautifly and Dustox.


    The longer Yuga spent in the Petalburg Forest, the better his rtionship became with the Beautifly and Dustox there.


    Gradually, Yuga noticed that his Vivillon seemed to have gained a special aura simr to a "Butterfly King." Whenever other Butterfly Pok��mon saw it, they couldn''t help but disy a submissive attitude.


    Yuga tested this aura and found that it didn''t affect other Bug-type Pok��mon, only Butterfly Pok��mon.


    The reason for the appearance of this "Butterfly King" aura was the same as the appearance of the scale powder ability.


    After the Butterfly Outburst, Yuga had no idea what changes had urred to his Vivillon, and he couldn''tprehend the principles behind these changes.


    To understand this "Butterfly King" aura better, Yuga even conducted experiments with Ribombee. When Ribombee faced the Vivillon, they exhibited a simr feeling.


    However, the effect on Ribombee was not as pronounced as it was on Beautifly and Dustox, leading Yuga to specte that this might be rted to the Ribombee''s strength.


    Compared to Beautifly and Dustox, Ribombee was considerably stronger.


    Schrs in the Pok��mon world had long debated whether Ribombee was truly a Butterfly Pok��mon. Without a doubt, their behavior and habits were identical to Butterfly Pok��mon, but their appearance differed significantly.


    Categorically, Ribombee was ssified as a Moth Pok��mon and not included among Butterfly Pok��mon.


    However, based on the experiments with the "Butterfly King" aura, Yuga began to consider that Ribombee might be an alternative form of Butterfly Pok��mon.


    Aside from the slightly stronger Ribombee, Yuga didn''t have any pseudo-Elite level Butterfly Pok��mon in his possession. Therefore, it was challenging to determine to what extent the "Butterfly King" aura would weaken based on the opponent''s strength.


    Nevertheless, based on the strength of Ribombee, Yuga believed that the "Butterfly King" aura might have a limited effect on pseudo-Elite level Butterfly Pok��mon.


    Butterfly Pok��mon were considered a disadvantaged group among Pok��mon, with generally lower potential than other species. Thus, finding a pseudo-Elite level Butterfly Pok��mon was a difficult task.


    However, Yuga didn''t have a pseudo-Elite level Butterfly Pok��mon, but he had the Elite level one.


    As Yuga''s spection suggested, the "Butterfly King" aura of Vivillon did not have any effect on Elite level Volcarona, and he didnt know whether it was because they were together for a long time or not.


    However, regardless of the reasons, Yuga still couldn''t determine if Vivillon''s "Butterfly King" aura would affect an Elite level Pok��mon.


    But with frequent visits to the Petalburg Forest, Vivillon, relying on its "Butterfly King" aura, helped Yuga tame quite a few Beautifly and Dustox.


    Yuga only chose the ones with green potentials and outstanding moves among the Beautifly and Dustox that wanted to follow Vivillon. He brought them back to the Ecopark, and as a result, the poption of Beautifly and Dustox in the Ecopark gradually increased.


    Through extensive contact with Beautifly and Dustox, Yuga finally confirmed that Vivillon could enhance itself by absorbing the scale powder of other Butterfly Pok��mon through its scale powder ability.


    By consulting with Joyka, Yuga also confirmed that the scale powder of Butterfly Pok��mon contained a very special Bug-type power.


    However, this special power was challenging to utilize with current technology in the Pok��mon world. Despite its purity, the power within the scale powder was incredibly tiny, making it impossible to be extracted.


    Vivillon''s unique ability had not been discovered in other Pok��mon thus far.


    Through continuous research, Yuga finally found a clue. ording to Pok��mon schrs, unlike other species, Butterfly Pok��mon, despite havingmunities, did not have the habit of electing a leader. In other words, naturally, there was no existence like a "Butterfly King" among Butterfly Pok��mon.


    However, Yuga''s Vivillon, because it had rescued numerous Beautifly and participated in the special ceremony of Beautifly, had unknowingly been bestowed with the special title of "Butterfly King" and thus gained a unique ability.


    Of course, this was just Yuga''s spection based on extensive research. The actual truth remained unknown, and the system had not prompted him that the task wasplete. It seemed that there were still many secrets waiting for him to uncover on Vivillon.


    ��


    Regarding the mention of Ribombee as a Moth Pok��mon, it appears to be an author''s creative element in the story, and the author acknowledges that it may not fit conventional Pok��mon lore. Sometimes, for the sake of the plot, creative liberties are taken.

 Chapter 795: The Invitation

    <h4>Chapter 795: The Invitation</h4>


    In order to understand the changes on Vivillon rted to its scale powder, Yuga spent over a month researching and conducting experiments.


    However, Pok��mon, these magical creatures, are incrediblyplex, and understanding them isn''t easy, especially when dealing with unique individuals like Vivillon.


    Yuga isn''t a professional Pok��mon researcher and isn''t skilled in schrly work, so despite his efforts, he couldn''t make much progress in his research.


    But when he thought of Pok��mon researchers, Yuga remembered Professor Birch. Perhaps Professor Birch would be interested in the changes on Vivillon.


    With this in mind, Yuga thought it was a great idea.


    He had met Professor Birch through Mr. Norman and had resolved the issue of his Magikarp not evolving with the professor''s help.


    To thoroughly uncover the secrets of Vivillon''s changes, Professor Birch might be more knowledgeable.


    However, before Yuga could contact Professor Birch, he received an invitation letter from the Aroma Day Care.


    The Aroma Day Care is a partner of the YoYo Day Care and thergest customer for Vitality Pok��block.


    This Day Care primarily focuses on nurturing Grass-type Pok��mon and has maintained a good and stable rtionship with the YoYo Day Care.


    The sender of the invitation letter was a familiar figure from the YoYo Day Care, Hatsuki. Hatsuki is responsible for overseeing the coboration between the YoYo Day Care and the Aroma Day Care.


    The purpose of the Aroma Day Care''s invitation was for a Day Care Pok��mon Exchange Conference.


    This is an unofficial event and operates on a membership basis, with participation limited to well-known Day Cares from various regions.


    Day Cares like Reggie''s Grandpa Blue Sky Day Care or the now-closed Truly Adorable Day Care do not qualify to attend this conference.


    All the participatingrge Day Cares in this conference are private ones, and they do not invite Day Care, Nurseries, or Pok��mon Day Care Centers affiliated with the League.


    If the Day Care Exchange Conference held every three years is an official League event, open to all Day Cares, then the Day Care Pok��mon Exchange Conference is an event exclusively for private Day Cares.


    Both League-affiliated Day Cares and private Day Cares can sign up for the Day Care Exchange Conference.


    When ites to the Day Care Pok��mon Exchange Conference, only private Day Cares, particrly those that are well-known from various regions, are eligible to participate. This is what is known as a membership system.


    It''s evident that private Day Cares are more exclusivepared to the League-affiliated ones. They not only exclude League-affiliated Day Cares but also smaller ones.


    However, this exclusivity can be understood to some extent.


    Compared to the Day Cares operated by the League, private Day Cares have rtively lowerpetitiveness, which is why they tend to form alliances.


    Yuga had heard about this Day Care Pok��mon Exchange Conference a long time ago, but he felt that YoYo Day Care wasn''t at the level to participate in such an event. Unexpectedly, he now received an invitation from the Aroma Day Care.


    To be a member of the Day Care Pok��mon Exchange Conference and be invited, one of the conditions is to receive an invitation from one of the longstanding member and gain recognition from the other three member.


    The Aroma Day Care is one of the oldest member with a rich history, making them eligible to invite YoYo Day Care.


    Before sending the invitation to YoYo Day Care, they also secured the support of the other three major Day Cares.


    On the invitation letter sent to YoYo Day Care, Yuga saw the names and emblems of the other three Day Cares that supported YoYo Day Care''s participation in the Pok��mon Exchange Conference.


    These three Day Cares are the Frosty Shine Day Care from Sinnoh, the Aurora Day Care from Kalos, and the Meow Meow Day Care, also from Kalos.


    To be honest, although these three Day Cares are well-known, Yuga isn''t familiar with any of them, and he can''t quite figure out why they would support YoYo Day Care.


    However, Yuga quickly discovered the answer.


    Both Frosty Shine and Meowth Day Cares are partners of the Aroma Day Care. Aroma Day Care wanted to invite YoYo Day Care, and out of goodwill, both of these Day Cares expressed their support.


    But as for why Aurora Day Care did this, not even Aroma Day Care knows.


    ording to what Hatsuki revealed, Aurora Day Care, upon learning about Aroma Day Care''s intention to invite YoYo Day Care, proactively contacted Aroma Day Care and expressed their willingness to support YoYo Day Care.


    Aurora Day Care''s scale and reputation even surpass Aroma Day Care in the Hoenn region, making their proactive support for YoYo Day Care somewhat perplexing.


    Regardless of their motives, as long as it served their purpose, Aroma Day Care had no reason to refuse their support.


    Although Yuga was curious, he soon put this matter aside. Whether they had good intentions or ill intentions, YoYo Day Care was not to be underestimated.


    Speaking of the Day Care Pok��mon Exchange Conference, the name itself suggests that it''s an event where major Day Cares exchange resources.


    When ites to Day Cares, the core focus is always on nurturing Pok��mon.


    But breeding Pok��mon requires breeding seeds, so the Day Care Pok��mon Exchange Conference serves as a ce for Day Cares to exchange what they have.


    All major Day Cares have their signature Pok��mon, such as Aroma Day Care''s Cacturne and Lotad, and YoYo Day Care''s Trapinch and Gligar.


    Even with their own signature Pok��mon, major Day Cares still make efforts to nurture other Pok��mon.


    Private Day Caresck the deep resources of League Day Care Centers, so if they want to nurture other Pok��mon, they have to coborate with other Day Cares, leading to the creation of the Day Care Pok��mon Exchange Conference.


    However, it''s rare for a Day Care to exchange their own signature Pok��mon since these are their trump cards for survival.


    Yuga was delighted to have the opportunity to participate in this Pok��mon Exchange Conference.


    Perhaps at this conference, he could find partners for his Vulturna and Mandibuzz, or even introduce some new Pok��mon to YoYo Day Care.


    So, upon receiving the invitation, Yuga promptly replied to Hatsuki, confirming that YoYo Day Care would participate in the Pok��mon Exchange Conference.


    ording to the invitation letter, this Pok��mon Exchange Conference is to be held in the central city of Lumiose in the Kalos region.


    The Day Care Pok��mon Exchange Conference is arge-scale event for major private Day Cares from the entire Pok��mon world, so the choice of location in Lumiose, one of the top cities in the Pok��mon world, is fitting.


    Kalos is quite far from Hoenn, and Yuga has never been there before, so he''s looking forward to this trip to Kalos.


    Due to this uing conference, Yuga temporarily set aside the matter of contacting Professor Birch and focused on preparing for the conference.

 Chapter 796: The Selection

    <h4>Chapter 796: The Selection</h4>


    Yuga has been preparing for the Pok��mon Exchange Conference ever since he received the invitation from the Aroma Day Care.


    Fortunately, all the registration and rted matters for the Conference were taken care of by the Aroma Day Care, so Yuga could focus on preparing the Pok��mon he would use in the Conference.


    Yuga spent a long time deciding which Pok��mon to use for the Pok��mon Exchange Conference. Currently, the most famous Pok��mon from the YoYo Day Care were Trapinch, Gligar, and uncher. Following them were Grass-type Pok��mon known for their prowess in Grassy Terrain battles.


    The Grass-type Pok��mon offered for sale by the YoYo Day Care could be divided into two categories.


    One category consisted of high potential green potential Pok��mon like Bounsweet, Petilil, Cea, and Fomantis.


    The other category included yellow potential Pok��mon like Hoppip and Oddish, which were more budget-friendly options for battles on Grassy Terrain.


    Behind the Grass-type Pok��mon came Fire-type Ponyta and Ghost-type Misdreavus. These two species had not been on sale for long and were less well-knownpared to Gligar, Trapinch, uncher, and the Grass-types Pok��mon.


    In the end, Yuga selected two Pok��mon: Trapinch and Hoppip. These two Pok��mon best represented the YoYo Day Care.


    First, there was Trapinch.


    This Pok��mon was high-end and wouldn''t let the YoYo Day Care down at the Pok��mon Exchange Conference, which was attended by variousrge Day Cares.


    Furthermore, as a representative of the Hoenn region''s Day Cares, Trapinch was the most suitable choice.


    Neither Gligar, Misdreavus, or Ponyta were exclusive to the Hoenn region. Furthermore, uncher was unique to the host region, Kalos. After careful consideration, Yuga decided that Trapinch was the most suitable choice.


    There was also a crucial reason for this choice��currently, the YoYo Day Care had the highest number of Trapinch avable for breeding among all the Pok��mon they offered.


    Not to mention Gligar and uncher, even Ponyta''s quantity was barely sufficient to maintain monthly sales.


    Then, there was Hoppip.


    Among the Grass-type Pok��mon offered by the YoYo Day Care, Hoppip was not particrly outstanding.


    However, Pok��mon like Bounsweet, Petilil, and Fomantis were rtively rare, and high potential Grass-types were rotated monthly for sale. Yuga was hesitant to use these rare Pok��mon for the Conference, as he didn''t want to risk their well-being.


    Additionally, Pok��mon like Bounsweet, Petilil, and Fomantis had strong regional ties and weren''t as widespread as Hoppip or Oddish.


    These region-specific ties made them less suitable forpetitions that might involve regional biases.


    During exchanges between Day Cares, participants came from different regions, and rivalry often arose from regional pride. This could lead to apetitive environment that favored region-specific Pok��mon.


    As for why Yuga chose Hoppip over Oddish, one major factor was Hoppip''s appearance. In terms of aesthetics, Hoppip was slightly more appealing than Oddish.


    The two Pok��mon Yuga selected��Trapinch, a high-end Pok��mon that represented the YoYo Day Care, and Hoppip, a unique and distinctive Pok��mon with its own charm��were both excellent choices.


    However, Yuga had no intention of using Hoppip with its yellow potential in the Conference.


    The Pok��mon Exchange Conference is meant for trading Pok��mon, and since it''s about exchanging Pok��mon, their values must be roughly equal.


    Yuga had no intention of bringing back low potential Pok��mon, so the Hoppip he brought with him had to have green potentials.


    Although the Hoppip in Yuga''s Ecopark were mainly had low potential, they were bred by Mr. kuni''o, so they could still produce some high potential ones.


    ording to Hatsuki, most of therge Day Cares participating in the Pok��mon Exchange Conference would bring high potential Pok��mon.


    Low potential Pok��mon were easy to obtain, and people had confidence in their own Pok��mon, so there was no need to go to great lengths to trade low potential Pok��mon from other regions.


    Moreover, the Pok��mon traded back were meant for breeding purposes, so what was the point of bringing back low potential Pok��mon?


    Large Day Cares had their own established low potential Pok��mon markets. To continue growing, they naturally had to expand into the high potential Pok��mon market.


    Just like the YoYo Day Care, no matter how much they tried, their low potential Pok��mon market was limited to a few cities, including Verdanturf Town, in the surrounding area. Even if they made money, how much could they really earn?


    It was far more profitable to enter the high potential Pok��mon market.


    After all, low potential Pok��mon were generally low-priced. Even if they were rare species, unless they were Pok��mon like Ralts, Riolu, or Zorua, they couldn''t fetch high prices, and the profits were not worth mentioning.


    Other Day Cares didn''t have the advantages that Yuga had, such as the Ecopark''s annual maintenance, the sries of breeding experts, and the expenses for Pok��block, among others.


    After spending money and effort to breed Pok��mon, if they couldn''t sell them at a good price, it would be a loss.


    Although Yuga''s Hoppip might not be remarkable in terms of species, and their rarity was quitemon, they could create Grassy Terrains. Maybe they could be traded for some rare species of Pok��mon.


    You see, Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff were the only three Pok��mon capable of learning Grassy Terrain through breeding. They couldn''t learn it on their own.


    While Hoppip might bemon, it was undeniably popr.


    Aside from their adorable appearance, in terms of practicality, Hoppip''s final evolution, Jumpluff, was a very useful Pok��mon.


    The Hoppip evolutionary line could learn many disruption-type moves like Stun Spore, Poison Powder, and Sleep Powder, making them versatile.


    Their final evolution, Jumpluff, was also fast, and whenbined with disruption-type moves, they often surprised opponents.


    Furthermore, their abilities were practical as well. Whether it was Chlorophyll, Leaf Guard, or their hidden ability, Infiltrator, if used correctly, they were all very effective.


    This was the real world, and in terms of skills and abilities, as long as they were used well, they could be strong. It was not like the limitations seen in the games or animations that Yuga knew from his previous life.


    However, despite Hoppip''s poprity, it was rarely bred byrge Day Cares.


    Because bulk breeding of high potential Hoppip was not easy, and low potential Hoppip didn''t meet their standards, they were left with Hoppip bred by small-scale Day Cares.


    These small Day Cares had produced arge quantity of Hoppip, and Hoppip were easy to raise.


    If Yuga hadn''t had the privilege of having a great mentor, acquiring a sufficient number of high potential Hoppip would have been challenging.


    Yuga''s Oddish and Hoppip are the result of Mr. Kuni''o''s decades of hard work.


    Among Mr. Kuni''o''s main Pok��mon is a Jumpluff, which was born from the group of Hoppip he gifted to Yuga.


    For decades, Mr. Kuni''o has dedicated himself to cultivating arge number of Hopipp, all with the goal of nurturing one that could match his high potential Jumpluff.


    Among Yuga''s Hoppip, there was one that was different. They all had Grassy Terrain, a skill that would surely interest other Day Cares.


    With Hoppip that had Grassy Terrain, they could breed more Pok��mon with this rare and hard-to-learn skill.


    Hoppip''s Grassy Terrain had the potential to double its value, or at the very least, match the value of rare Pok��mon like Gligar.


    However, the Pok��mon used for the Pok��mon Exchange Conference had to be juveniles, not adults. Yuga needed to carefully select them.


    Adult Pok��mon had their own thoughts and choices and couldn''t be used for trading.


    Juvenile Pok��mon, on the other hand, hadn''t fully developed their thinking abilities, and participating in the exchange Conference wouldn''t have a significant impact on their future physical and mental development.


    Although the Pok��mon Exchange Conference didn''t invite League Day Cares, Nurseries, or Day Care Centers, it did invite members of the Breeder Association.


    Since all Day Cares were under the management of the Breeder Association, it was impossible for them not to participate in such a significant event.


    ��


    The rtionships between League Day Cares, Nurseries, and breeding centers.


    League Day Cares and breeding centers operate like a front store and factory model. Breeding centers focus solely on breeding Pok��mon, while Day Cares are responsible for selling. This is different from private Day Cares thatbine both functions.


    Nurseries, on the other hand, act as intermediaries between League Day Cares and breeding centers. They are also responsible for selling some of the Pok��mon or Pok��mon eggs bred by League breeding centers to smaller Day Cares.


    Most of the Pok��mon or Pok��mon eggs sold by Nurseries are not rare in species, and there are not too many high potential ones. They are usually the leftovers from the League Day Cares.


    Nevertheless, the existence of Nurseries has supported many small private Day Cares that do not have the capability to breed Pok��mon on their own, simr to Yuga''s Aroma Day Care in the past.

 Chapter 797: Wealth

    <h4>Chapter 797: Wealth</h4>


    The day to depart for Kalos came in the blink of an eye, and Yuga set off with the people from Aroma Day Care.


    Aroma Day Care had its own aircraft, so there was no need for them to squeeze onto a regr ne.


    When Yuga saw the luxurious aircraft of Aroma Day Care, he couldn''t help but envy them. He wondered when YoYo Day Care would also have such a private luxury aircraft.


    First, Yuga went to meet up with the people from Aroma Day Care in teport City, and then in teport City, he boarded Aroma Day Care''s aircraft.


    Yuga didn''t go to Kalos alone; he brought Kazuma and Shin, with him. After all, he was now the owner of a well-known Day Care, and he couldn''t attend an event without even a "follower."


    Beidou had to stay at the gym as a substitute Gym Leader, so the only ones apanying Yuga to Kalos were Kazuma and Shin.


    The brothers were also looking forward to their trip to Kalos. Although they had traveled extensively before, they had never been to Kalos.


    Inside Aroma Day Care''s aircraft, they were on their way to Kalos.


    Yuga was in his room packing when he suddenly heard a knock on the door. When he opened it, he saw the familiar face of Mr. Hatsuki.


    "How''s everything going? Are you settled in?"


    Hatsuki was the person responsible for liaising with YoYo Day Care, and he handled all the arrangements for Yuga on the aircraft.


    Yuga put thest piece of clothing into the closet and then said to Hatsuki, "Everything''s ready. Thanks for your hospitality."


    "No need to thank us. We''re partners, so it''s only natural. Now that you''re settled, how about I show you around the aircraft?"


    Hatsuki said with a smile.


    "That would be great. I was actually curious to explore."


    Yuga was very interested in this aircraft, and as soon as he got on board, he wanted to take a look around. However, he didn''t want to be too presumptuous since this wasn''t his own territory.


    ording to Hatsuki, they wouldn''t need to find a hotel when they arrived in Lumiose City. During the duration of the conference, they would be staying on the aircraft itself, which served as a mobile hotel.


    After Yuga was given a tour of the aircraft, he couldn''t help but be impressed. Regr hotels couldn''tpare to the luxury and grandeur of this aircraft. It was no wonder people preferred to stay on the aircraft rather than going out.


    Speaking of which, Aroma Day Care was really wealthy. It seemed that an aircraft of this scale couldn''t be built with just money alone.


    Inside this massive aircraft, there was everything one could desire, like a flying city. It was hard to imagine how much this aircraft was worth.


    Yuga was now considered a wealthy person, but if he wanted an aircraft like this, it would probably deplete his entire fortune.


    After Kazuma and Shin followed Yuga around the aircraft for a while, they were already dumbfounded. The joy of wealthy people was beyond their imagination.


    During lunchtime, after Yuga, Kazuma, and Shin had eaten in the luxurious restaurant on the aircraft, Hatsuki suddenly said to Yuga:


    "I''ll take you to see the Ecopark here. A designated area has been set aside for YoYo Day Care. During your time on the aircraft, the Pok��mon you brought for the conference can be kept there."


    "We have an Ecopark here?"


    Upon hearing Hatsuki''s words, Yuga was astonished. Even with money, this level of luxury was unexpected. They had an Ecopark inside the aircraft.


    "It''s only natural. This aircraft is the face of our Aroma Day Care."


    Saying this, Hatsuki couldn''t help but wear a proud expression.


    "Well then, I really want to take a look."


    After calming his amazement, Yuga began to look forward to visiting the Ecopark here.


    The Ecopark inside the aircraft was built in the central and uppermost part of the aircraft. The top was covered with a transparent material that separated it from the outside, allowing them to see the blue sky and clouds continuously retreating through thisyer of material.


    Guided by Hatsuki, Yuga and hispanions walked along a long corridor and arrived at an automatic door.


    Aser scanned Yuga, Hatsuki, and the others, and the door opened automatically, looking very high-tech.


    Upon entering the Ecopark, Yuga realized that it was indeed quite spacious, with a well-designed ecosystem.


    Thergest area in this Ecopark was the grasnd, with a small pond in the center of the green grass, connected to a stream, and at the end of the stream was an artificial waterfall.


    In addition to the grasnd, the edges of the Ecopark were nted with some low trees, some of which were regr trees, and others were berry trees.


    "How do you like it? Our Ecopark here is pretty good, isn''t it?"


    Hatsuki said with satisfaction.


    Yuga nodded, "Indeed."


    Maintaining an Ecopark like this, built inside an aircraft without the support of a natural environment, must incur significant costs that were probably hard to count. Yuga appreciated his own Ecopark, which was bothrge and cost-effective.


    Seeing Yuga''s stunned expression, Hatsuki thought that Yuga was impressed by the Ecopark. So, he smiled and said, "Let me show you the area designated for you."


    Yuga nodded at Hatsuki''s words and followed behind with Kazuma and Shin.


    Aroma Day Care had thoughtfully prepared the designated area for Yuga and his Pok��mon in this Ecopark. They knew that among the Pok��mon Yuga brought along, there was a Trapinch, so they had dug a small sandpit specifically for it.


    It''s worth noting that Aroma Day Care primarily dealt with Grass-type Pok��mon, and the Ecopark''s environment was designed to suit the living habits of Grass-type Pok��mon.


    The fact that they went out of their way to provide a sandpit for Trapinch showed their dedication, even though Trapinch didn''t necessarily require a sandpit.


    On the other hand, the cement for Hoppip was well thought out. Just like the Grass-type Pok��mon of Aroma Day Care, this Ecopark had areas suitable for Hoppip''s habitat everywhere.


    As soon as the Trapinch were released from their Pok�� Balls, they quickly burrowed into the sand, asionally peeking out with their small heads, looking nervously at Yuga. This was understandable as they were still quite young and suddenly found themselves in an unfamiliar ce.


    Hoppip, on the other hand, adapted quickly, flying around energetically as soon as they were released from their Pok�� Balls.


    After the Pok��mon were ced in the Ecopark, dedicated breeders would take care of them until they reached Lumiose City.


    "Thank you for your efforts," Yuga expressed his gratitude to the young breeder who had been called over by Hatsuki.


    This breeder knew Yuga''s identity and, seeing how approachable Yuga was, smiled and said, "You''re wee. You''re our guest; it''s only natural."


    After dealing with Aroma Day Care for a while, Yuga had noticed that their staff members were all humble and down-to-earth. It was no wonder their business had grown sorge; they had a greatpany culture.

 Chapter 798: Invitation to Battle

    <h4>Chapter 798: Invitation to Battle</h4>


    After leaving the Ecopark, Yuga followed Hatsuki and headed back to his own room.


    However, as they were passing through a corridor, Yuga noticed a tall and slender youngdy in a red dress standing ahead, gazing through the ss at the yful Pok��mon in the Ecopark.


    The youngdy in the red dress turned her head to look at Hatsuki, and when she spotted Yuga, her dark eyes lit up, and she took three or four steps toward Yuga.


    "Is this young man the rumored Gym Leader Shimizu?"


    Upon closer inspection, Yuga realized that this youngdy in the red dress was very beautiful, around the same age as Suzuki Koen, in her thirties, with long flowing waves of hair, fiery red lips, and a very curvaceous figure.


    Apart from the wanted criminal, Miyuki, Yuga had never seen such a beautiful woman before.


    However, the beauty of the youngdy in the red dress was different from Miyuki''s; Miyuki was as delicate as a white lotus flower, while this youngdy in the red dress seemed to exude a fiery aura.


    Strictly speaking, the youngdy in the red dress''s temperament was somewhat simr to Miyuki''s other identity - Ariana. However, Ariana fell short in terms of lookspared to the youngdy in the red dress.


    Yuga didn''t know this youngdy in the red dress, but he felt that she looked somewhat familiar.


    Before Yuga could ask, Hatsuki revealed the identity of the youngdy in the red dress.


    "Boss, what are you doing here?"


    That''s right; the youngdy in the red dress was the owner of the Aroma Day Care, and Yuga had seen her photos before. After all, she was a partner of YoYo Day Care. However, her current attire was quite different from the photos.


    "Can''t I be here?"


    The youngdy in the red dress red at Hatsuki displeased.


    "Hello, Ms. Momiji."


    Knowing the identity of the youngdy in the red dress, Yuga greeted her proactively. After all, he had received a lot of help from her, and being able to participate in the Pok��mon Exchange Conference this time was also thanks to her.


    "Not bad, not bad, you''re quite the young man. Big sis has wanted to meet you for a long time."


    Ms. Momiji patted Yuga''s shoulder with joy.


    How should I put it, Ms. Momiji was somewhat different from what Yuga had imagined.


    In the photos he had seen earlier, Ms. Momiji had straight ck hair, wearing a white suit, with a neat ponytail. Herposed and calm demeanor waspletely different from the fiery red lips and long brown waves she had now.


    Upon closer inspection, it was the same face, but the difference in temperament was quite significant.


    Seeing Yuga staring at her intently, Ms. Momiji teased, "What''s the matter, young man, have you fallen in love with big sis?"


    Upon hearing Ms. Momiji''s yful words, Hatsuki pulled her away, saying, "Boss, please be serious!"


    "Tsk! You can''t even make a joke."


    Ms. Momiji pouted, looking quite displeased.


    Hatsuki knew what kind of person their boss was. Normally, she would put on a front when outside, but now she wasn''t even willing to pretend, which was quite exasperating.


    "Ms. Momiji, what are you doing here?" Yuga asked, puzzled by her earlier focus on the Ecopark.


    Ms. Momiji sighed and replied, "Oh, it''s nothing. I was just feeling a bit bored, so I came to see my little darlings in the Ecopark."


    "I see!" Yuga nodded, "In that case, I''ll take my leave now."


    Yuga intended to leave with Kazuma and Shin. However, as they hadn''t walked far, they suddenly heard Ms. Momiji''s voice from behind.


    "Wait, don''t go! How about we have a battle for fun?"


    Yuga turned around and pointed at himself, asking, "You mean a battle with me?"


    Ms. Momiji smiled and nodded, "Yes, exactly, you."


    "Ms. Momiji, are you a Pok��mon Trainer too?" Yuga was curious, as he hadn''t heard about this before.


    Ms. Momiji replied, "Not exactly. I''m a Pok��mon Breeder, but I do have a few trained Pok��mon."


    Aroma Day Care had been operating for many generations, and the owners were usually Pok��mon Breeders, including Ms. Momiji.


    Yuga suddenly realized, "I see."


    "Since Ms. Momiji suggested it..."


    Yuga didn''t refuse; after all, Aroma Day Care had helped YoYo Day Care a lot, and he didn''t want to decline a friendly challenge.


    High-level Pok��mon Breeders were quite formidable. They could raise Pok��mon of high levels, and top-tier Breeders could even raise Elite level Pok��mon, showcasing significant battle prowess.


    However, Yuga wondered about Ms. Momiji''s skill level.


    "Agreed? That''s great! I''ve never had the chance to battle a strong Trainer like you seriously. Please don''t make fun of me," Ms. Momiji said with excitement.


    Yuga reassured her, saying, "I won''t."


    Guided by Ms. Momiji, Yuga was taken to a designated battle area.


    This ce was where Trainers trained their Pok��mon under the care of Aroma Day Care. When Yuga and Ms. Momiji arrived, several Trainers were already in the middle of their training sessions.


    Seeing Yuga and Ms. Momiji approach, the Trainers put down their activities.


    Most of the Trainers here knew Yuga''s celebrity status, but they didn''t underestimate him due to his age. Yuga had gained significant fame, and the League supported him, indicating his exceptional skills.


    "Is the boss going to battle Mr. Shizumi?"


    "It seems like it..."


    "This should be interesting."


    "Yeah, it''s not often we get to see a battle between Elite level Trainers."


    "I think our boss might be in trouble; she''s not a Elite level Trainer."


    "Don''t be so serious; it''s just a friendly match."


    "True, you''re right."


    ...


    After Yuga and Ms. Momiji took their positions on the battle field, the others started whispering and discussing among themselves. They stopped their training and gathered around to watch the battle.


    "I''m a Grass-type Trainer, so I''ll be using Grass-type Pok��mon," Ms. Momiji said as she raised a couple of Pok�� Balls.


    "That''s a coincidence, I''m a Grass-type Trainer too," Yuga replied, following her lead.


    Ms. Momiji''s eyes sparkled with excitement as she suggested, "How about a double battle? It would be more interesting. We''ll each use six Pok��mon, and the first one to have all their Pok��mon defeated is the loser."


    "Sure," Yuga agreed, and they settled on this rule.


    Once the rules were set, both Yuga and Ms. Momiji released their Pok��mon.


    On Ms. Momiji''s side, she had the Grass-type fully evolved starter Pok��mon, Meganium, known for its supportive capabilities, and their signature Pok��mon, Cacturne.


    Meganium was well-suited for support, while Cacturne was an offensive powerhouse, a typicalbination.


    On Yuga''s side, he had Breloom, known for its offensive capabilities, and Torterra known for its defensive prowess.


    As soon as Yuga''s Breloom appeared, it hopped onto Torterra''s back and stood under the massive tree on its back, using Swords Dance.


    Torterra, on the other hand, rapidly deployed Stealth Rocks on the ground with great speed.


    Initially, Ms. Momiji''s Cacturne seemed eager to charge forward and engage in closebat with Breloom. However, after witnessing the coordinated actions of Breloom and Torterra, it hesitated and didn''t dare to advance.


    In this situation, Cacturne and Meganium had no choice but to resort to long-range attacks like Dark Pulse and Magical Leaf.


    Both Meganium and Cacturne were pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, not far behind in terms of level whenpared to Breloom and Torterra.


    However, Yuga''s Torterra was specialized in defense. It stomped its two front feet, using Rock Tomb, not as an offensive move, but as a defensive measure.


    Gigantic stone bs appeared out of thin air, blocking the Dark Pulse and Magical Leaf attacks, and then slowly vanished, providing support for Breloom''s Swords Dance.

 Chapter 799: Vine

    <h4>Chapter 799: Vine</h4>


    With the help of Torterra, Breloom quicklypleted its Swords Dance enhancement, significantly boosting its attack power.


    Torterra formed arge green wooden hammer beside it. At the same time, Breloom jumped from Torterra''s back onto the wooden hammer, and together with the hammer, Torterra threw Breloom toward Cacturne.


    Breloom, holding the wooden hammer, resembled a high-speed moving projectile. Cacturne and Meganium couldn''t react in time, and Breloom reached Cacturne in an instant.


    Quick on its feet, Cacturne dodged the hammer''s strike, but Breloomnded a powerful Focus Punch right in its belly, causing Cacturne to bend over and fly backward.


    Breloom had been charging its Focus Punch for a while, putting all its strength into the blow. As a result, Cacturne was left incapacitated on the ground.


    Cacturne was at a disadvantage due to its vulnerability to Fighting-type moves, and Breloom''s punch had dealt it a severe blow.


    Seeing Cacturne down, the onlookers of trainers couldn''t help but murmur, acknowledging that this was indeed a battle between Elite trainers. Even though both Pok��mon were of simr levels, the actual power gap was quite significant.


    Yuga, on the other hand, considered this oue normal. After all, Ms. Momiji wasn''t a full-time trainer, and Breloom had umted extensive battle experience from numerous past fights, making the difference inbat experience quite evident.


    Cacturne struggled to get back on its feet, but without hesitation, Breloom took arge stride forward, reaching Cacturne and lifting its fist, ready to use its Brick Break move.


    "Meganium, quick, save Cacturne!" Seeing Breloom''s intentions, Ms. Momiji''s face turned pale as she urgentlymanded Meganium to intervene.


    Upon hearing themand, Meganium immediately used Reflect in front of Cacturne, creating a transparent crystal wall, attempting to block Breloom''s attack.


    However, after two rounds of Swords Dance, Breloom''s attack had be incredibly potent, and the Reflect barrier shattered at Breloom''s powerful Brick Break.


    Before Meganium could use another Reflect, Torterraunched its attack. Stone Edge rained down on Meganium, striking her body. Meganium cried out in pain and fell to the ground. The Reflect barrier she was attempting to create dissipated halfway.


    Meganium''s rescue attempt couldn''t make it in time, and Cacturne had to exit the battle directly.


    It could be said that when Cacturne entered the battle, it didn''t achieve much before exiting.


    "This is too strong, it''s not even on the same level. Our boss often spars with us, but we''ve never seen her in such a sorry state."


    "Can you evenpare yourself to her?"


    "So pitiful, really, facing such a beautiful boss, shouldn''t there be some chivalry?"


    "Will the boss cry?"


    "Do you think the boss is you?"


    "It''s just the beginning, why are you in such a hurry!"


    ...


    Momiji hadn''t expected her Cacturne to be defeated so quickly. She had confidence in her Cacturne since it was her starter Pok��mon.


    However, before Momiji could dwell on it, Yuga''s next wave of attacks came, prompting her to release her third Pok��mon.


    Momiji''s third Pok��mon was Tangrowth, another pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon.


    Seeing Momiji send out three pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon in session, Yuga knew her breeding expertise was undoubtedly high, likely at an advanced breeder level at the very least.


    For wealthy individuals like Momiji, breeding pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon was much easier as long as they had the money and resourcespared to regr trainers.


    This Tangrowth had the Chlorophyll ability, so as soon as it entered the battle, Meganium used Sunny Day.


    With the sharply increased speed, Tangrowth''s numerous vines wrapped around it suddenly extended, turning into eerie tentacles reaching out toward Breloom and Torterra.


    Torterra, with itsrge size, managed to resist the vines; they seemed troublesome but didn''t pose a significant threat.


    Breloom, on the other hand, was in a dire situation.


    Yuga''s Breloom, despite its formidable strength, had a petite physique. It was even shorter than Yuga''s chin, and facing these vines, it was utterly helpless, instantly being caught.


    Tangrowth''s vines were quite flexible, and Yuga''s Breloom didn''t have moves like Leaf de. When its punchesnded on the vines, they were ineffective.


    Yuga noticed that this Tangrowth was quite impressive. As long as it had enough energy, Tangrowth''s vines could grow indefinitely. By skillfully utilizing Tangrowth''s vines, it had formed an effective means of attack and control.


    Thinking this, Yuga also noticed that Tangrowth was using the Ingrain move while extending its vines, continuously drawing energy from the ground.


    Although they were on an aircraft, their current battlefield was made of soil.


    At this point, Tangrowth had already controlled Breloom and brought it to Meganium, intending to have Meganium help deal with Breloom.


    The Tangrowth itself was already multitasking and didn''t have extra energy to deal with Breloom.


    "Torterra, use Earth Power beneath Tangrowth''s feet."


    If they were outside, Yuga would have instructed Torterra to use Earthquake. However, Earthquake''s destructive power was too strong, and using it would ruin the battlefield.


    Torterraplied, stomping its front right foot on the ground. A yellowish beam of light shot along the ground towards Tangrowth.


    Although the effect of Torterra''s Earth Power wasn''t visible on the surface, the underground shook for a moment, causing Tangrowth''s root system buried in the ground to break one by one.


    Without its rooting ability to provide energy to the vines, Tangrowth''s entangling vines immediately withered at a visible rate.


    Even the vines'' original softness disappeared, greatly reducing their flexibility.


    However, Breloom had still been delivered to Meganium''s vicinity and was struck by Meganiun''s Petal Dance.


    The Tangrowth vines lost their previous flexibility and softness. Suddenly, they were hit by Meganium''s Petal Dance, the vines that bound Breloom broke, and Breloom regained its freedom.


    Despite the reduced damage of Meganium''s Petal Dance against Breloom, which was also a Grass-type Pok��mon, and considering Meganium''s rtively low attack power, Breloom appeared to be heavily damaged.


    The fallen Breloom quickly seized a broken vine and, using it as a makeshift weapon, swung the other end at Tangrowth.


    Breloom had a significant advantage in strength due to the leverage it gained from the broken vine. Tangrowth was thrown around in the air, turning several times before being heavily mmed onto the ground.


    During this time, Meganium attempted to rescue Tangrowth, but Torterra intervened. Whenever Meganium attempted to take a step forward, Torterra''s Stone Edgended precisely at its feet.


    Both of these Pok��mon were not specialized in directbat, and for a moment, neither could prevail over the other.


    Meganium is a Herb Pok��mon, naturally emitted a sweet aroma, butpared to the other Pok��mon, its fragrance was more captivating.


    Seeing that Tangrowth was about to be utterly defeated by Breloom and unable to approach herself, Meganium used Sweet Scent.


    This alluring fragrance affected not only Breloom and Torterra but even Yuga felt slightly dizzy from it.

 Chapter 800: Ferrothorn

    <h4>Chapter 800: Ferrothorn</h4>


    In fact, Yuga didn''t know that the sweet fragrance on Momiji''s Meganium had been specially cultivated by her. Even other Meganium couldn''tpare to this one.


    This is the difference between trainers and breeders.


    Breeders don''t rely on training to strengthen their Pok��mon; it''s all about their breeding knowledge. Trainers, on the other hand, focus more on training and battles, using breeding techniques as a supplement.


    Under the influence of the Sweet Scent, the actions of Breloom and Torterra slowed down.


    Without Torterra''s influence, Meganium swung two vines and entangled Tangrowth, engaging in a tug-of-war with Breloom.


    Meganium wasn''t as powerful as Breloom in terms of strength, but itpensated with its weight.


    With its remarkable size, Meganium and Breloom engaged in a fierce struggle, making the Tangrowth in the middle almost deformed.


    Seeing this situation, Yuga shouted to Torterra on the field:


    "Torterra, use Leaf Storm to disperse the Sweet Scent."


    Torterra''s special attack wasn''t impressive, and even though Leaf Storm was a powerful move, it wouldn''t deal much damage in its hands.


    But what Yuga wanted wasn''t Leaf Storm''s attacking power, and he wasn''t concerned about its side effects.


    Torterra was currently confused by the Sweet Scent, its mind a bit foggy, but it still heard Yuga''smand. Though its reaction was much slower, it managed to use the move.


    The giant tree on Torterra''s back swayed gently, and then green light continuously flickered as leaves fell from the tree.


    The fallen leaves, centered around Torterra, spun continuously, creating a storm of green leaves that absorbed all the pink mist in the area.


    The battlefield, previously shrouded in the Sweet Scent, suddenly cleared up.


    The dazed Breloom and Torterra, who had been engaged in a tug-of-war, also regained their rity.


    Without the confusion caused by the Sweet Scent, there was no way Meganium''s strength couldpare to Breloom''s.


    Breloom tightened its legs, lowered its waist slightly, and exerted force on the vine of Tangrowth with both hands. It not only pulled the Tangrowth but also sent Meganium flying, taking Meganium and the vine along with it.


    When Breloom released the vine, both Meganium and Tangrowth were affected by centrifugal force, and they were thrown out,nding right under Torterra''s feet.


    However, the area around Torterra was covered with Stealth Rock. As soon as these two Pok��monnded, they were attacked by countless unseen Stealth Rock.


    Meganium managed to escape, enduring the pain as it rushed away, trying to get out of the range of the Stealth Rock'' attacks.


    But for Tangrowth, it was a different story. It had been thrown around earlier and was now feeling dizzy and disoriented. Its head was throbbing, its vision blurred, and its body was unresponsive, forced to endure the relentless attacks of the Stealth Rock.


    Meganium wanted to take Tangrowth with it while escaping, but it looked at Tangrowth''s condition, didn''t pull it along, and had no choice but to abandon it and make a run for it.


    Seeing Tangrowth so close, Torterra didn''t hesitate. Itunched a Stone Edge, and Tangrowth had no choice but to exit the battle.


    Meganium, battered and bruised, ran out of the range of the Stealth Rock'' attacks, panting heavily and beginning to recover its strength through Synthesis.


    However, Breloom and Torterra wouldn''t allow it to do so. They both prepared to attack Meganium, trying to prevent it from using Synthesis.


    But just as Breloom was about to use its Brick Break and Torterra was readying its Stone Edge, a Ferrothorn suddenly appeared out of nowhere and intercepted both Pok��mon''s attacks.


    Yuga was seeing a Ferrothorn in action for the first time. This Ferrothorn used Iron Defense just before intercepting the attacks from Breloom and Torterra. Its entire body now gleamed with a bright metallic sheen.


    This Ferrothorn had been bred exceptionally well. After taking thebined attacks from Breloom and Torterra, it emergedpletely unscathed, calmly looking at both of them with a pair of cool and collected eyes.


    When Breloom''s fist made contact with Ferrothorn''s body, it felt as if it had been pricked by something sharp. After a moment of pain, Breloom retreated in surprise.


    Ferrothorn had the Iron Barbs ability, which inflicted damage on any Pok��mon that made physical contact with it.


    Meanwhile, Meganium''s Synthesis had concluded. Its battered body regained vitality, and the faint fragrance it naturally emitted began to spread through the air.


    Since the Sunny Day Meganium had used earlier had worn off, if it weren''t for Ferrothorn protecting it, Meganium wouldn''t have been able toplete its Synthesis.


    Ferrothorn''s eyes scanned the field, and the three metal ws on its head swung, releasing Spikes one after another.


    After the Spikes appeared, as soon as Breloom''s feet moved slightly, it felt the painful pricks from the Spikes beneath its feet. Helplessly, it quickly jumped out of the area covered by the Spikes.


    At this point, half of the battlefield was upied by Torterra''s Stealth Rock, and the other half was covered with Ferrothorn''s Spikes.


    Under the influence of the Spikes, Breloom, skilled in closebat, couldn''t advance any further. The massive Torterra excelled in defense but not in offense, which left Yuga somewhat perplexed.


    Although Ferrothorn didn''t have a Flying type or Levitate ability, it could float in the air,pletely unaffected by the Stealth Rock. It directly used Gyro Ball to attack Breloom.


    Breloom was already injured due to the Spikes and Iron Barbs. If it was hit by Gyro Ball now, it would surely be defeated.


    "Breloom, Torterra, use Dual Stone Edge."


    In this critical situation, Torterra and Breloom simultaneously unleashed countless stone des in an attempt to stop Ferrothorn''s attack.


    Ferrothorn, with its Steel type, have outstanding defenses, and few weaknesses, was only slightly affected by the Rock type Stone Edges, which didn''t seed in stopping the Gyro Ball.


    Thanks to its excellent defense, Ferrothorn deflected all the stone des shot at it and, to make matters even better, Meganium behind it sent Heal Pulse towards Ferrothorn.


    Ferrothorn remained unscathed.


    To injure Ferrothorn, which was covered in thorns, one would have to collide with it. Breloom had to dodge.


    The thorns on Ferrothorn''s body not only harmed those who attacked it up close but also harmed Ferrothorn''s attackers in closebat.


    Breloom rolled on the ground, thinking it had avoided Ferrothorn''s Gyro Ball. Little did it know that the Gyro Ball changed direction with a spin and collided directly with the unresponsive Breloom.


    Although the weakened Gyro Ball didn''t incapacitate Breloom, Ferrothorn, with its ws on its head now in an upright position, delivered a blow to Breloom''s head, causing it to copse.

 Chapter 801: Feint

    <h4>Chapter 801: Feint</h4>


    Yuga had to admit that Momiji''s Ferrothorn was exceptionally well-bred. It surpassed the Cacturne and Tangrowth Momiji had used earlier.


    Of course, Meganium was exceptional as well. Its outstanding support abilities had allowed it to stay in the battle even after Momiji had switched out three Pok��mon.


    Facing a Steel-type Pok��mon, Grass-types were at a significant disadvantage. Yuga pondered for a moment and then threw out a Pok�� Ball.


    Appearing on the field was a graceful and agile Sawsbuck.


    Facing a Pok��mon like Ferrothorn, which floated in the air and had incredible defense, and with Torterra providing ground support, it was better to use Special Attack-based Pok��mon for ranged attacks.


    However, Grass-type Pok��mon, even with strong Special Attacks, struggled against the dual type Grass-Steel of Ferrothorn.


    But Yuga''s Sawsbuck was different. Despite being a Grass-type, it excelled at attacking other types, such as Fighting moves.


    Additionally, while Sawsbuck was a melee Pok��mon, it wasn''t entirely defenseless against an airborne foe like Ferrothorn.


    It was spring, and Sawsbuck''s antler-like branches were adorned with small, pink, and tender flowers, giving it a yful and adorable appearance.


    Upon entering the battlefield, Sawsbuck raised its front hoof, constantly flicking the soil beneath its feet, appearing rxed but secretly building up power.


    The impatient Ferrothorn used Gyro Ball once again to charge at Sawsbuck.


    However, before it could get close to Sawsbuck, Sawsbuck leaped effortlessly onto Ferrothorn''s head, performing a Double Kick.


    Sawsbuck''s impressive jumping ability left Momiji in awe, her mouth agape.


    Yuga had tested this Sawsbuck, and when it came to jumping ability, it was no weaker than the legendary ziken, known for leaping over thirty-story buildings.


    So, even if it faced an airborne Pok��mon like Ferrothorn, Sawsbuck wasn''t necessarily helpless.


    Seeing Sawsbuck''s hooves about tond on Ferrothorn''s head, Meganium hurriedly intervened. A Reflect wall appeared beneath Sawsbuck''s feet, and Sawsbuck stood solidly on the crystalline barrier.


    Sawsbuck seemed unfazed by missing Ferrothorn. It cast a brief nce at Ferrothorn below the Reflect wall. Then, with a powerful push from its hind legs, it leaped over Ferrothorn''s head andnded on the other side of the battlefield where Meganium was stationed.


    It turned out that Sawsbuck''s target wasn''t the airborne Ferrothorn, but rather Meganium, which was shielded byyers of Spikes.


    With its superb jumping ability, Sawsbuck effortlesslynded on Meganium''s back, using it as a stepping stone.


    Meganium waspletely caught off guard and had no time to react.


    Sawsbuck descended with a tremendous impact, ttening Meganium on the ground.


    Before Meganium could get back up, Sawsbuck''s next attack was ready. This time, it used Bug-type move, Megahorn.


    Megahorn was a powerful move, but it had low uracy. However, with Meganium right beneath Sawsbuck, there was no way to avoid it. The attacknded squarely.


    With this, Meganium, which had seen three teammates reced, finally exited the battle.


    With no Meganium to contend with, Sawsbuck looked around at the scattered Spikes on the ground. Its four hooves tapped the earth, causing ripples on the ground.


    The subtle tremors lifted the soil slightly and unearthed the Spikes buried beneath.


    Sawsbuck had just used the Ground-type move Stomping Tantrum. With the Spikes out of the way, Sawsbuck started to dash around the battlefield freely. Ferrothorn chased after Sawsbuck in frustration, and at this moment, Torterra used Sunny Day, increasing Sawsbuck''s speed as it ran.


    At this point, Momiji''s fifth Pok��mon made its appearance, a cute Leafeon.


    Momiji''s fifth Pok��mon had just reached the Pseudo-Elite level, and this stage was her limit in thepetition.


    After Leafeon came onto the field, Ferrothorn realized it couldn''t catch Sawsbuck and decided to halt, flying over to Leafeon''s side.


    After all, no matter how strong Ferrothorn was, its role was primarily defensive, and it made no sense for it to keep an eye on Sawsbuck.


    With Leafeon on the field, Sawsbuck stopped its sprint and confronted Leafeon not far away.


    Compared to Sawsbuck''s graceful figure, Leafeon appeared petite.


    However, although its strength wasn''t on par with Sawsbuck, its personality seemed somewhat stubborn. Faced with Sawsbuck''s imposing presence, it didn''t lower its head.


    The area where Sawsbuck and Torterra were located was dotted with Stealth Rocks. Leafeon didn''t dare to act recklessly.


    At this moment, Momiji suddenlymanded Leafeon, saying, "Jump onto Ferrothorn''s back."


    Leafeon''s eyes lit up at themand, and it effortlessly hopped onto the descending Ferrothorn.


    To prevent Leafeon from falling off, Ferrothorn used its iron ws on its head to secure Leafeon in ce.


    Ferrothorn, with Leafeon, then flew towards Torterra''s position.


    At this moment, both Yuga and Sawsbuck and Torterra realized that Ferrothorn and Leafeon''s target was Torterra.


    Sawsbuck''s sturdy hind legs suddenly exerted tremendous force, creating two deep circr holes in the ground, and then it leaped into the sky towards Ferrothorn and Leafeon.


    Sawsbuck''s jumping ability was outstanding, instantly reaching the same height as Ferrothorn. Ferrothorn''s flying advantage didn''te into y at this moment.


    However, just as it seemed Sawsbuck''s Megahorn was about to hit Leafeon, Leafeon countered with Leaf de.


    The collision between Megahorn and Leaf de generated tremendous force. Sawsbuck plummeted to the ground, while Leafeon and Ferrothorn were sent higher into the air, swaying unsteadily.


    Creating distance from Sawsbuck, Ferrothorn grabbed Leafeon with its iron ws and tossed it down towards Torterra.


    While soaring downwards, Leafeon performed a round of Swords Dance, then used Tackle tounch itself at Torterra.


    As Leafeon approached, a wooden hammer materialized near Torterra. Upon collision with Leafeon, the hammer absorbed the impact, and Leafeon, agile as ever,nded on Torterra''s back.


    It turned out that Leafeon had no intention of directly confronting Torterra''s wooden hammer. Instead, it chose to use a basic move, Tackle, to counter Torterra''s advanced move, the wooden hammer, to prevent being pushed away by the hammer''s recoil.


    Leafeon didn''t use its full strength in the basic move; it aimed to leverage it tond on Torterra''s back.


    Torterra''s colossal size made it challenging for Leafeon to bounce around on its back, and so, Leafeonpleted another round of Swords Dance on Torterra''s back.


    Sawsbuck attempted to rush over to support Torterra, but Ferrothorn intercepted it.

 Chapter 802: Roots

    <h4>Chapter 802: Roots</h4>


    Afterpleting two rounds of Swords Dance, Leafeon unleashed its most powerful move against Torterra - Last Resort.


    Last Resort is a unique move that requires the user to have used three different moves previously, and Leafeon had already used Leaf de, Swords Dance, and Tackle.


    The immense force of Last Resort made it difficult for Torterra to remain standing, causing it to copse to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.


    However, Leafeon didn''t halt its attack and used Last Resort once more against Torterra.


    Torterra''s giant tree on its back swayed and released a barrage of Razor Leaf, attempting to stop Leafeon''s assault, but Leafeon agilely dodged them.


    In the end, Torterra had no choice but to exit the battle.


    After recalling Torterra, Yuga immediately sent out his fourth Pok��mon - Venusaur.


    Venusaur, like Torterra, had a defensive role, but unlike Torterra, it relied on its substantial endurance rather than innate defensive abilities.


    Defensive Pok��mone in various forms, some rely on their moves for defense, like Yuga''s Chimecho, some rely on their physical strength, like Steelix and Aggron, and some, like Yuga''s Venusaur, rely on their endurance and energy consumption for defense.


    The direction in which a Pok��mon trained depends on the trainer''s own considerations and searches.


    Yuga''s Venusaur was evenrger than Torterra. As it touched the ground, it seemed as if an earthquake had urred, which was the capital it needed to sustain its high energy consumption.


    Upon stabilizing itself, Venusaur''s first action was to clear the path ahead, where Leafeon was entangled by countless emerald vines that sprouted from the flowers on its back.


    Venusaur''s flower was incredibly vivid, with crimson petals adorned with pink spots. However, unlike the pale yellow and green of Leafeon, its skin was a deep emerald green, with small toxic bumps scattered across it.


    This Venusaur looked more menacing and frighteningpared to its Bulbasaur and Ivysaur stages, devoid of the cuteness associated with those earlier stages.


    The darker the color of Venusaur''s skin, the more energy it had umted, as its type is Grass and Poison.


    Seeing Venusaur on the battlefield, Sawsbuck, which had been struggling against Ferrothorn, decisively disengaged from its opponent, quickly ran and then used Sunny Day.


    Ferrothorn, who wasn''t particrly fast, couldn''t catch up to the full-speed Sawsbuck.


    Sunny Day was a crucial skill for Yuga''s Grass-type Pok��mon since it had a significant impact on them.


    As Sunny Day sessfully activated, Venusaur initiated Synthesis. Stars of light appeared on the petals and leaves on its back, collecting sr energy.


    With the support of sr energy, Venusaur''s vines extended even faster, quickly surrounding the fleeing Leafeon, leaving it with no escape.


    Caught in the vines, Leafeon was thrown towards Ferrothorn.


    Ferrothorn, who had been chasing after Sawsbuck, was directly toppled by Leafeon.


    As Leafeon was thrown out, Venusaur retracted its vines, and the ground began to tremble. Thick, gigantic roots started tearing through the earth''s surface, emerging from below.


    These brown roots were so massive that they quickly blocked Venusaur''s line of sight. However, as the brown roots appeared, Torterra''s Stealth Rocks werepletely destroyed.


    At the moment the brown roots emerged, Sawsbuck leaped lightly andnded on one of the roots, raising its head proudly, exuding confidence in its gaze towards Leafeon and Ferrothorn.


    This confidence stemmed from Venusaur''s powerful field control.


    Whether it was Momiji or the other onlooking trainers, they were all taken aback by the sudden appearance of these dominating roots.


    "What in the world is this?"


    "Is this all caused by that Venusaur?"


    "This... This... This is just too exaggerated, isn''t it?"


    "How can we evenpete with this? Maybe the boss should just admit defeat."


    "Is this a move? What kind of move is it?"


    "I don''t know, it looks like Frenzy nt, but is Frenzy nt supposed to exaggerated as this?"


    ...


    The audience below the stage was filled with discussions about Venusaur''s Frenzy nt. Although they couldn''t see Venusaur itself, they could witness the continuous collection of sr energy, which was radiating dazzling light as it converged in one direction.


    Maintaining such an extensive Frenzy nt ced a significant burden on Venusaur, which was why it needed to continuously gather sr energy under the Sunny Day.


    Once the Frenzy nt ability ceased, Venusaur would fall victim to its side effects, entering a stiffened state and bing an easy target.


    Venusaur''s Frenzy nt was more potent than that of other Pok��mon, and consequently, the side effects were more intense.


    Hence, whenever Venusaur used Frenzy nt, it would persist until the end without interruption.


    Under normal weather conditions, Venusaur could still employ this move, but it would be a diluted version. Rainy weather, however, made it impossible for Venusaur to execute this ability.


    Seeing those brown roots on the field thicker than her entire body, Momiji silently muttered to herself:


    "So, these are the Pok��mon trained by an Elite Trainer? Truly living up to their reputation."


    If Momiji previously thought that the difference between her and Yuga was merely a level gap, now she realized there was also a massive gap in skill between them.


    The Aroma Day Care had been so supportive of Yuga and YoYo Day Care because they saw potential in Yuga''s development within the League. Momiji challenging Yuga today was also her way of testing Yuga''s strength.


    For someone like Yuga, who was rtively isted, to achieve better development within the League, he needed substantial strength, just like Mr. Kuni''o.


    Mr. Kuni''o didn''t have a Trainer affiliation of his own, but no one in the League disrespected him. That''s what strength was.


    Organizations like the Aroma Day Care had many Breeders under their care, but Trainers were rarer, and the number of strong Trainers was even scarcer.


    Furthermore, the Aroma Day Care had limited involvement with the League, making it a rtively straightforward business organization.


    As the signal for Sawsbuck''s battle was given, the roots controlled by Venusaur began to move. Wherever Sawsbuck went, roots would pave the way for it.


    However, these roots became obstacles for Leafeon and Ferrothorn, hindering their movement and attacks. No matter which direction they moved, they would be targeted by the roots.


    These roots seemed tireless, constantly wriggling, and soon, the weakest Leafeon was knocked down by Sawsbuck''s High Jump Kick and couldn''t get back up.


    The moment Leafeon lost its ability to battle, Momiji raised her hand in surrender. Facing this Venusaur, there was no need to send out herst Pok��mon.


    But that was also the reality. Yuga''s Venusaur, while not yet reach an Elite level, it was the strongest among his Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Although its potential was only blue, its skill development and training core were the mostplete. If you added Mega Evolution to the equation, it could evenpete with the Elite level Pok��mon.

 Chapter 803: Petal

    <h4>Chapter 803: Petal</h4>


    After Momiji conceded, Venusaur''s Frenzy nt instantly retreated into the ground, disappearing in the blink of an eye.


    As soon as the match ended, the onlooking trainers crowded around, showering Yuga with praise. They were so effusive in theirpliments that Yuga felt embarrassed.


    "Alright, alright, don''t you all have training to do? You''re all strong enough? Instead of hanging around here, why don''t you go train! Scatter!" Momiji scolded her cheering subordinates.


    With their boss''smand, these people dared not approach any further and sheepishly withdrew.


    Once her subordinates had left, Momiji patted Yuga on the back and said, "Come on, I''ll take you to the infirmary to treat your injured Pok��mon."


    On the way to the infirmary, Momiji couldn''t help but praise Yuga. "You''re really impressive. You don''t look very old, but your strength is off the charts."


    Listening to Momiji''s words, Yuga was left speechless. Just moments ago, he had driven away her subordinates who were praising him excessively, and now she was doing the same.


    Although he thought this, Yuga modestly replied, "You''re too kind, really."


    "I''m not exaggerating. Strong is strong. Who knows, maybe in a few years, you''ll be able to vie for one of the League''s Elite Four titles," Momiji said, even though in her heart, she believed that bing an Elite Four wasn''t as easy as simply having the strength. After all, those titles were hard-earned.


    But even if Yuga couldn''t be an Elite Four, with his current strength and potential, he would be treated well wherever he went. He was certainly worth getting to know and having on one''s side.


    Hearing Momiji''s words, Yuga was momentarily stunned. He had never considered bing one of the League''s Elite Fours. Protecting the Day Care and being a Gym Leader was already satisfying enough for him.


    His initial decision to be a Gym Leader was rooted in his desire to help the Day Care grow, rather than pursuing personal glory. He had been reluctant topete for the position of Gym Leader in the first ce.


    Inside the infirmary within the aircraft, Yuga was introduced to the person in charge, a female Pok��mon doctor named Petal. She wore a long white coat and had chestnut-colored hair that formed a long braid trailing down her back. She also worerge ck-framed sses.


    Because of the sses, Yuga couldn''t see Petal''s full face, but he could tell that she was likely a beautiful woman, albeit dressed somewhat casually, unlike the more refined Momiji.


    ording to Momiji''s introduction, both Petal and his father were Pok��mon doctors at the Aroma Day Care, and they had been close friends since childhood.


    "Give me your Pok��mon," Petal said coolly.


    After Yuga and Momiji were led into the infirmary, Petal began operating aplex set of machines that Yuga couldn''tprehend.


    Compared to the enthusiastic Momiji, Petal had a rather cold demeanor, giving off the impression of a dedicated Pok��mon Scientist, even though she was a Pok��mon doctor.


    "That''s just her personality, don''t mind her," Momiji whispered to Yuga, leaning closer.


    However, Petal''s hearing was sharp, and she turned to give Momiji a look��Yuga couldn''t see clearly as she was wearing sses.


    Being stared at by Petal, Momiji didn''t seem to mind and instead changed the topic with a cheerful smile. It was clear that their rtionship was quite good.


    Petal''s Pok��mon assistants included a Clefable, a Comfey, and a Roserade.


    Seeing these three Pok��mon, Yuga couldn''t help but activate his Insight ability.


    Among these three Pok��mon, Clefable could use Heal Pulse and Wish, Comfey could use Aromatherapy, Grassy Terrain, and Heal Bell, and Roserade could use Aromatherapy as well. They were all excellent support Pok��mon.


    From these three Pok��mon, it was clear that Petal specialized in treating and healing Pok��mon.


    Petal''s Clefable carried a round tray over to Yuga and Momiji. After Momiji ced her Pok�� Balls on the tray, Yuga also ced the Pok�� Balls of Breloom and Torterra.


    In reality, Yuga could have healed Breloom and Torterra''s minor injuries with his special abilities, and if needed, Florges could help too. However, since Petal was willing to use more advanced equipment to assist, Yuga didn''t want to refuse.


    The equipment in Petal''s infirmary was extremely advanced. While Yuga wasn''t a specialist in this field, he had spent some time with Joyka and had developed some discerning skills.


    Petal''s treatment of the Pok��mon was swift. She didn''t use her assistant Pok��mon, instead operating the machinery beneath her hands. Holographic projections of Pok��mon asionally appeared before her, but Yuga couldn''t decipher what they meant.


    Momiji''s Pok��mon were quickly treated, and then it was Yuga''s Breloom and Torterra''s turn.


    While treating Torterra, a holographic projection of Torterra appeared before Petal, and she began making adjustments.


    Just when Yuga thought the treatment was about to finish, he heard Petal muttering under her breath, "Strange, strange..."


    "What''s wrong, Dr. Petal? Is there something wrong with my Torterra?" Yuga suddenly felt nervous. Could there be something wrong with his Torterra?


    However, it seemed like Petal hadn''t heard Yuga''s voice. She continued to mutter, "Strange, Torterra isn''t like this... not like this... strange..."


    As she continued muttering, her hands didn''t stop moving; her nimble fingers rapidly tapped the holographic screen.


    In the end, Momiji couldn''t bear it any longer and shouted at Petal, "Petal, Mr. Shimizu is trying to talk to you!"


    Petal, who had been deeply focused, finally snapped out of it when she was shouted at by Momiji. She apologized to Yuga somewhat nervously, "I''m... I''m sorry."


    Yuga understood that Petal hadn''t done it intentionally; he was only concerned about his Torterra now.


    "Dr. Petal, is there something wrong with my Torterra?"


    "Yes, there is an issue. There''s something very unusual about the tree on its back. The tree on a Torterra''s back shouldn''t look like this."


    Just as she said this one sentence to Yuga, Petal went back to her muttering. She didn''t look directly at Yuga while speaking; it was more like she was talking to herself.


    Being a Grass-type Day Care, Aroma Day Care had extensive knowledge of Grass-type Pok��mon, and as the exclusive Pok��mon doctor of Aroma Day Care, Petal was particrly knowledgeable about Grass-type Pok��mon, including the famous Sinnoh starters��the Turtwig evolutionary line.


    So, Petal easily noticed the difference on Yuga''s Torterra.


    When Yuga heard Petal mention the tree on Torterra''s back, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    "She''s always like this, please don''t mind her," Momiji said, feeling embarrassed. Well, what could she do? Petal was her childhood friend, after all.


    Yuga shook his head to indicate that he didn''t mind. "It''s okay; I can see that Dr. Petal is a very skilled Pok��mon doctor."


    Many renowned Scientists had entric personalities like Petal, and it only showed her passion for her work.


    "However, Dr. Petal, can you tell me what''s going on with the tree on my Torterra''s back?"


    Although Yuga knew that the tree on Torterra''s back had only benefited it, he was also curious about what exactly was happening with this tree.


    "I''ll think... I''ll think..."


    Petal didn''t seem to hear Yuga''s question, and she started muttering again while making adjustments on the machinery.

 Chapter 804: The Harvest Tree

    <h4>Chapter 804: The Harvest Tree</h4>


    Yuga and Momiji watched quietly as Petal focused on her work, not wanting to disturb her.


    It seemed like Petal had forgotten Yuga and Momiji''s presence as she repeatedly examined Torterra''s condition with her instruments.


    After nearly half an hour had passed, Petal suddenly stopped her work and eximed, "I''ve found it, I''ve found it."


    "Found what? What is it?" Yuga asked eagerly, his curiosity piqued about the mysterious tree on Torterra''s back.


    "It''s the Harvest Tree of Landorus," Petal muttered quietly, as if she were speaking to herself or answering Yuga''s question.


    "What? The Harvest Tree of Landorus?" Yuga knew about Landorus, one of the Force of Nature in the Unova Region, but he had never heard of a Harvest Tree.


    Momoji was equally curious. She had heard of Landorus, but like Yuga, she was unfamiliar with the concept of a Harvest Tree.


    Among the Unova Region''s Force of Nature Trio, Landorus was the only one with a benevolent reputation. The other two, Thundurus and Tornadus, were associated with chaos and destruction.


    Landorus was known as the God of Abundance and was often referred to as the God of Harvest due to its role in absorbing the power of wind and lightning to enrich thend, preventing the devastation caused by Thundurus and Tornadus.


    The Harvest Tree''s name might have been derived from Landorus''s reputation as the God of Abundance.


    "What is the Harvest Tree?" Momoji asked directly, voicing the question that was on both her and Yuga''s minds.


    "Oh..." It was as if Petal had suddenly snapped out of her trance. She looked somewhat embarrassed as she nced at Yuga, then operated the holographic screen in front of her to disy some information, exining the origin of the Harvest Tree to Yuga and Momoji.


    Landorus''s title as the God of Abundance was well-deserved, as it had the unique ability to absorb the power of wind and lightning and transform it into energy that enriched thend.


    This was why, whenever Thundurus and Tornadus shed, Landorus could sessfully intervene, revitalizing the devastated earth.


    In a sense, Landorus existed to bnce the powers of Thundurus and Tornadus.


    Because of its constant absorption of the energy from wind and lightning, any ce where Landorus resided was lush and teeming with life.


    Seeing this, Yuga couldn''t help but think of the underground world he had discovered in the Unova Region. It was likely born from this energy.


    Yuga and Momiji watched quietly as Petal focused on her work, not wanting to disturb her.


    Because the area where Landorus resided was so abundant with life, there was a high chance of a magical seed being born there, which would eventually sprout and grow into a Harvest Tree.


    "A magical seed? What''s so magical about the Harvest Tree?" Yuga asked curiously.


    Petal shook her head and said, "I don''t know. What I''ve shown you is all excerpted from ancient texts. The texts describe the Harvest Tree, but they don''t provide details about its magical properties because the records are iplete."


    As she spoke, Petal''s tone was filled with regret. She continued, "Although there are records, no one has actually seen a Harvest Tree."


    Petal then disyed an image of a tree on the holographic screen. While the tree''s shape was different from the one on Torterra''s back, the shape of the leaves was identical, making it clear that these were the same type of tree.


    Hearing Petal''s exnation, Yuga felt somewhat disappointed. He now knew the identity of the tree, but it didn''t seem to serve any practical purpose.


    Just as Yuga was feeling disheartened, Petal turned to the next page of the holographic screen and continued, "ording to some Scientists'' spections, the Harvest Tree is actually a miraculous nt born from thebined energies of Landorus, Thundurus, and Tornadus, the Trio Legendary Pok��mon. It must have some incredible properties."


    However, since no one had ever seen this nt, its specific miraculous qualities remained unknown.


    As Petal continued to scroll through the holographic screen, she finally reached a section that piqued Yuga''s interest.


    ording to ancient texts, the Harvest Tree bore a type of Berry. However, the texts didn''t describe what the Berry looked like, whether it was edible, how it tasted, or its potential effects, as this part of the texts was damaged.


    "You mean the Harvest Tree bears Berry?" Yuga was quite surprised, as he had never seen the tree on his Torterra''s back produce flowers or Berry.


    Not to mention the Harvest Tree; even regr Torterra trees bore Berry on their backs, and many Pok��mon enjoyed the nutritious and delicious Berry produced by Torterra or Grotle.


    For Pok��mon, the Berry from Torterra or Grotle''s back was both nutritious and tasty.


    However, Yuga''s Torterra had never once produced flowers or Berry. He had always found this strange but hadn''t been able to determine the reason. He had assumed it was because the tree on its back was unique, not an original feature.


    Petal nodded and said, "Yes, it does bear Berry. However, I can''t say for sure about the tree on your Torterra''s back. The texts don''t record any instances of a Harvest Tree growing on other Pok��mon."


    She had just finished speaking and before Yuga could inquire further, she quickly added, "The reason your tree might not bear Berry could also be because it didn''t grow in Landorus''s habitat."


    Yuga swallowed the words he was about to say. Well, now it was entirely uncertain whether his Harvest Tree could bear Berry or not.


    "Since you have the Harvest Tree, does that mean you''ve been to Landorus''s habitat?" Momoji suddenly realized the crucial point and asked Yuga with astonishment.


    Petal also grasped the importance of this question, eagerly looking at Yuga.


    "Tell us quickly, where is Landorus''s habitat?"


    Landorus''s ability to make Grass-type Pok��mon flourish greatly interested Momoji. Of course, she had no intention of trying to capture Landorus; she knew that was beyond her capabilities. But as a breeder specializing in Grass-type Pok��mon, she couldn''t help but be curious.


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t answer that question," Yuga said apologetically to both of them.


    The underground world where Landorus and Virizion lived had already been taken over by the League, and Yuga couldn''t disclose information about it.


    Agreements existed between the League and orderly Legendary Pok��mon like Landorus and Virizion. The League couldn''t interfere with their lives, disclose their information, and had the responsibility to protect them.


    Momoji and Petal, despite being intelligent, understood the intricacies of the situation. Seeing Yuga''s troubled expression, they knew he had his reasons and didn''t press further.


    "Let me tell you about the results of my examination of your Torterra," Petal said naturally, steering the conversation away from the sensitive topic.


    Due to the uniqueness of Yuga''s Torterra with the Harvest Tree, its body structure differed significantly from a typical Torterra. Through this detailed examination, Yuga gained a deeper understanding of his Torterra.

 Chapter 805: Chance Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 805: Chance Encounter</h4>


    Chapter 799: Chance Encounter


    After three days of flying, the aircraft from the Aroma Day Care finally entered the range of Lumiose City on the fourth day in the early morning.


    Lumiose City had a designated aircraft docking area, so as soon as the Aroma Day Care''s aircraft arrived in Lumiose City, itnded in the outskirts of the city.


    The aircraft docking area was located in the outskirts of Lumiose City.


    The early morning outskirts of Lumiose City were exceptionally quiet, and as soon as Yuga stepped out of the aircraft, he could smell the fresh air.


    Compared to the rtively warm climate of the Hoenn Region, the climate in the Kalos region was more distinct, and the scent of spring was even stronger. Fletchlings were seen flying in the sky everywhere.


    Because Yuga had been in the aircraft for three days, he immediately stepped out after itnded. Despite the Aroma Day Care''s aircraft being quite spacious, Yuga still felt a bit stifled.


    However, as soon as Yuga stepped out of the aircraft and took a few steps onto the nearby grass, he saw a model airne plummeting rapidly, emitting thick smoke, heading straight towards him.


    At the same time, he heard cries of frustration and panic.


    In the nick of time, Yuga released his Vivillon. Under Vivillon''s control, a transparent Razor Wind sliced the model airne in half.


    "Ah... Ah... my airne..."


    Yuga turned his head and saw a boy running towards him, panting heavily. From his backpack, a mechanical arm extended, dragging a girl who appeared to be around four or five years old.


    "Ah... how could this happen..."


    The boy ran to the wreckage of the model airne, circled around it, muttering continuously.


    "Is this yours?"


    Yuga pointed somewhat embarrassedly at the pile of model airne wreckage. In fact, he could have easily dodged it, but he instinctively took out a Pok�� Ball, so now he felt a bit sorry for the boy.


    Only now did the boy remember that his model airne had nearly hit someone.


    "Ah, big brother, are you okay? I''m so sorry, it almost hit you."


    The boy had golden hair and wore oversized sses. He looked at Yuga with a face full of apology, and behind him, the little girl he was dragging still seemed half-asleep.


    Yuga looked at the apologizing boy and the drowsy girl and suddenly felt that they looked somewhat familiar.


    ...Aren''t these the siblings, Clemont and Bonnie? Yuga hadn''t expected to encounter them just after arriving in the Kalos region.


    "I''m fine; you don''t need to apologize. I should have avoided it," Yuga said with a shake of his head.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Clemont became dejected. He kept muttering to himself:


    "It''s okay, it''s okay. Even if you hadn''t damaged it, it was already broken."


    Just then, Bonnie, who had been dozing off, rubbed her eyes, opened them, and asked Clemont:


    "Big brother, how did it go? Did your Soaring Wind Lord seed?"


    ...


    "Soaring Wind Lord... Is that referring to that pile of wreckage?"


    Yuga looked at the wreckage and didn''t know what to say for a moment.


    Before Clemont could respond, Bonnie chimed in, "It probably failed again."


    "Uh... Bonnie..."


    Clemont felt like he had been shot in the knee.


    "Did you twoe out to y so early?" Yuga couldn''t help but ask.


    The drowsy Bonnie finally noticed Yuga and the Vivillon perched on Yuga''s shoulder.


    "Wow! Big brother, it''s Vivillon! It''s so pretty!"


    Bonnie grabbed Clemont''s arm, instantly awake, and looked at Yuga''s Vivillon with sparkling eyes.


    Under the influence of its Scale Powder, even though Vivillon''s patterns were only in ck and white, Yuga''s Vivillon was undeniably beautiful.


    Of course, Clemont also noticed Yuga''s unique Vivillon, and while he was quite surprised, his calm demeanor kept him from saying too much.


    "Big brother, are you a Pok��mon Trainer? Can I touch your Vivillon?"


    Bonnie''s eyes rolled around, and she looked at Yuga with eager anticipation.


    "Bonnie!"


    Clemont called out to Bonnie, finding his sister''s behavior impolite.


    "What? It''s just a little touch."


    Bonnie pouted, feeling offended by her brother''s disapproval.


    "It''s okay; you''re Bonnie, right? Come say hello to Vivillon."


    Yuga could tell that Bonnie really liked Pok��mon, and he didn''t see anything impolite about her behavior��kids will be kids.


    "Vivillon..."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Vivillon fluttered its wings andnded on top of Bonnie''s head. Bonnie reached out and touched Vivillon''s lowered wing, giggling with a clear, joyfulughter.


    "Thank you."


    Seeing Bonnie''s happy expression, Clemont smiled and then thanked Yuga.


    "Don''t mention it; it''s no big deal. Vivillon seems to like Bonnie," Yuga said with a smile to Clemont.


    "Oh, by the way, I''m Clemont. You''re not from around here, are you? I haven''t seen you before," Clemont introduced himself, although Yuga already knew his name.


    "I''m Shimizu Yuga, and I came from the Hoenn Region. But are you and Bonnie from around here?"


    "I see. We do live nearby."


    Clemont gestured to a small residential area not far from the aircraft docking site, which Yuga had just noticed. Clemont''s home was there.


    Clemont''s dad had gone to the city center of Lumiose City to visit an electronics store, leaving only him and his little sister, Bonnie, at home.


    Clemont had a strong passion for invention and often conducted experiments with his creations in the vicinity.


    Watching the delighted Bonnie ying with the peculiar Vivillon, Clemont asked, "Are you a Pok��mon Trainer, big brother?"


    Yuga smiled and nodded, saying, "Yes. Why do you ask?"


    "You seem really skilled," Clemont replied in a hushed tone.


    In non-battle situations, Pok��mon didn''t reveal their levels, and most people couldn''t discern a Pok��mon''s strength. However, those with a keen eye could still get a sense of it.


    Though Clemont was young, he was quite knowledgeable. He was a well-known child prodigy inventor in Lumiose City and had already been designated as the Gym Leader for the uing Lumiose City Gym.


    Despite his talent, Clemont was still quite young, and being assigned such an important Gym Leader role in Lumiose City made him nervous. He worried about whether he could handle the responsibility.


    "Are you a Trainer too, Clemont?" Yuga asked casually.


    "Well... sort of," Clemont answered hesitantly. He had only recently be a Gym Leader and wasn''t exceptionally strong.


    "Sort of?" What an unusual response.


    ��


    Just to rify the timeline, this story takes ce two years before Ash''s journey, so by default, May and Ash are the same age. Clemont, being older than Ash, has be a Gym Leader at a young age, which is a personal interpretation and not canonical. The characters in this story are Bonnie and Clemont.

 Chapter 806: Scouting

    <h4>Chapter 806: Scouting</h4>


    While Yuga was talking with Clemont, he heard Hatsuki calling him from not far away. He then said to Clemont, "I have to go. Hopefully, we''ll have a chance to meet again."


    "Alright, take care," Clemont nodded.


    "Hey, big brother, are you leaving?" Upon hearing that Yuga was leaving, Bonnie, holding hands with Vivillon, seemed very reluctant.


    "Yeah, I have some things to attend to, but Bonnie cane and y with me and Vivillon next time. I live over there," Yuga said, pointing to a massive aircraft not far away.


    "Really? That''s great! Vivillon, I''lle to y with you again next time. Goodbye, big brother!" With that, Bonnie''s sadness disappeared, and she hugged Vivillon, then waved cheerfully to Yuga.


    "Vivillon..." Vivillon nodded at Bonnie, then flew over to Yuga''s side, where he recalled it into its Pok�� Ball.


    "Who are those two kids? Do you know them?" Curious, Hatsuki asked as Yuga approached.


    "I just met them. Are we ready to go?" When Yuga said "ready to go," he meant they were prepared to head to the city center of Lumiose City, where the Pok��mon Exchange Conference was being held to scout it out.


    "Yes, we''re all set. We''re just waiting for you," Hatsuki urged Yuga to hurry.


    By the time Yuga returned to the aircraft, Momiji and her employees were already prepared to depart, waiting for him.


    Once Yuga and Hatsuki were in the car, the Aroma Day Care''s convoy set off toward the city center of Lumiose City.


    As the car drove through the suburbs, Yuga looked out the window and saw the splendor of Lumiose City, which served as the heart of Kalos,bining the essence of technology and art.


    Yuga had visited several metropolitan areas in different Pok��mon worlds, such as the lively Goldenrod City in Johto, the nature-filled Rainbow City in Kanto, the joyous and vibrant Mauville City in Hoenn, and the ultra-modern metropolis of Castelia City in Unova, each with its own unique characteristics.


    Goldenrod City was filled with the unique human sentiments of Johto; Rainbow City was saturated with natural and dreamy vibes; Mauville City was known as the City of Joy and Light, giving a feeling of the past and present intertwined due to its peculiar development; Castelia City was a typical modern metropolis with skyscrapers and a high-tech atmosphere.


    In Lumiose City, the streets were paved with cobblestones, typical Parisian-style buildings lined the streets, and various office buildings stood on the outskirts.


    It could be said that Lumiose City possessed a strong modernization simr to Castelia City but also had an artistic atmosphere that Castelia Citycked.


    Through the window, Yuga saw Espurr sitting in a caf�� with its owner, Furfrou apanying its owner on a walk, and Helioptile yfully frolicking with its owner...


    In short, this was a lively city even in the early morning. Yuga could even spot Prism Tower, thendmark of Lumiose City, despite its distance from his current location.


    When Mr. Wyatt, the executor of the renovation n for Mauville City, revamped Mauville City, he took inspiration from Lumiose City and even built a replica of Prism Tower, which is why Mauville City gave people a feeling of the past and present intertwined.


    However, the urban nning andyout of Lumiose City were indeed very rational and well-regted.


    The city''s history was not as ancient as cities like Goldenrod City or Rainbow City, so it was designed and nned well during its construction.


    The destination Yuga and his group were heading to was not in the city center of Lumiose City but in a forest park in the northeast of Lumiose City.


    This forest park did not belong to the public domain of Lumiose City; it was said to be privately owned, and the Pok��mon Exchange Conference was being held there.


    The owner of the forest park was the sponsor of this event, reportedly a well-known phnthropist.


    After about an hour''s drive, the Aroma Day Care''s convoy stopped at the entrance to the forest park that Hatsuki had introduced to Yuga.


    Even before entering, Yuga could see the lush trees and yful Pok��mon inside the park through the gate and railing.


    After showing their identification to the park''s gatekeeper, a park staff member came out to guide Yuga, Momiji, and the others on a tour of the forest park.


    "Hello, everyone. My name is Moriki. I''ll be responsible for guiding you and introducing the exhibition areas assigned for this event."


    Moriki, a tall young man with a polite smile on his face, gave a very friendly impression.


    Momiji: "Thank you."


    Once they were outside, Momiji, the head of the Aroma Day Care, finally restrained her friendly demeanor when she was with Yuga. Her every move exuded the aura of a powerful woman, andbined with her stunning appearance, she gave off a strongmanding presence.


    This version of Momiji reminded Yuga of the photos he had seen of her before.


    Before meeting Momiji in person, the image Yuga had of her was pretty much what he was experiencing now.


    Moriki: "Follow me, everyone."


    Guided by Moriki, Yuga, Kazuma, and Shin followed Momiji into the forest park.


    As they entered the forest park, the first thing they saw was a shaded pathway, surrounded by trees and grasnds. Yuga even spotted a group of Dwebble and Crustle, Pok��mon that were typically found only in Harmony, in the grasnds.


    Surrounded by the dense forest and breathing in the fresh air, it was hard for Yuga to believe that he was in the city center of a super metropolis.


    Yuga guessed that to have such an extensive forest park in a ce like Lumiose City, the owner of this park must be an incredibly influential individual.


    Despite the natural ambiance of the forest park, Yuga could still see bio-mimeticmpposts along the paths.


    Walking along the long shaded path, Yuga and his group encountered various Pok��mon from different regions that living in this ce.


    "These Pok��mon originally lived in areas that were affected by natural disasters. After losing their homes, they were brought here," Moriki exined as he led Yuga and Momiji''s group.


    Upon hearing Moriki''s words, Yuga and the others couldn''t help but feel admiration for the owner of the forest park.


    Caring for and providing shelter for such arge number of Pok��mon was an undertaking of immeasurable scale, and they could tell that the Pok��mon living here were well taken care of.


    Seeing these Pok��mon reminded Yuga of the stray Pok��mon living in his own Pok��mon Paradise, but inparison to this forest park, his Paradise seemed like a miniature version.


    The forest park covered a vast area, nearly equivalent to one-fifth of Verdanturf Town''s size. The park''s terrain included forests,kes, sandy areas, and artificial rock formations.


    Of course, these terrains were all man-made and on a miniature scale, designed to simte the natural habitats of the Pok��mon, essentially serving as a semi-open Ecopark built on the foundation of Lumiose''s natural environment and climate.

 Chapter 807: Visit

    <h4>Chapter 807: Visit</h4>


    At the end of the tree-lined path is the destination of Yuga and his group''s journey.


    If the entire forest park can be described as a huge semi-open Ecopark, what Yuga and his group are currently facing is a fully enclosed Ecopark.


    Semi-open Ecoparks rely on the original ecosystem of the location to maintain themselves, with no climate or temperature regtion systems inside the park. The environment mostly changes in ordance with external environmental changes.


    Of course, the entire forest park isn''t built entirely ording to the semi-open Ecopark model. This forest park is just toorge, and there are too many Pok��mon living in it. If it were entirely built as an Ecopark, even a semi-open one, the cost would be prohibitively high.


    This forest park only applies some of the Ecopark technologies. Nevertheless, even in this state, it is still remarkable.


    On the other hand, fully enclosed Ecoparks rely on technology to simte ecosystemspletely different from the local climate and environment.


    The environment inside the park doesn''t change with external changes; even if it''s snowing heavily outside, it can be as warm as spring inside, or if it''s a scorching summer outside, it can be covered in snow inside.


    It can be said that fully enclosed Ecoparks rely entirely on money to maintain their operation, and the system that built the Ecopark for Yuga belongs to the fully enclosed Ecopark category.


    From this, you can see that the fully enclosed Ecopark in front of Yuga and his group is built on a small mountain, with the outer wall of the Ecopark made of a special transparent material that looks like ss but is much stronger.


    The materials used to construct this Ecopark are clearly much more advanced than what Yuga used when building his main Ecopark initially.


    The top of the Ecopark can be opened, and when Yuga and his group arrived here, they just happened to see the top of the Ecopark slowly opening.


    Several brightly feathered Talonme were flying out with arge group of Fletchinder and Fletchling in a noisy manner.


    ording to Moriki''s exnation, this Ecopark simtes the climate of the Kalos region in spring. So every year when spring arrives in Lumiose City, they often open the Ecopark and shut down the climate maintenance system inside, saving a lot of resources.


    Kalos is a region with distinct seasons, so its spring is entirely different from other seasons, unlike Hoenn, where there''s little difference between the coastal summer and the ind spring.


    Through the transparent outer wall of this Ecopark, Yuga could see lush green trees on the high hill inside, along with small artificial waterfalls flowing down.


    The exterior of this fully enclosed Ecopark is a wide circrke, with pink water lilies nted in it. The water from the artificial waterfalls inside the park eventually flows into thiske.


    Walking across a bridge on the circrke, Yuga and his group finally entered the interior of the Ecopark.


    Inside the Ecopark, they found that there wasn''t much of a high-tech feel; it was entirely designed to simte a natural environment. Even the pathways they walked on were paved with round, smooth stones.


    Because this Ecopark was built into the mountainside, there was a long circr mountain path inside. The areas they passed through would be allocated to various Day Caresing here for the Pok��mon Exchange Conference to showcase the Pok��mon they brought.


    As they walked, Moriki introduced them to the environments of different areas, including crystal-clear ponds, lush grassy meadows, and barren rocky areas.


    In addition to that, Yuga and his group also saw many Pok��mon that originally lived here, such as Wooper and Lotad ying in the water, Deerling leaping quickly on the mountain walls, and Buautifly, Vivillon, and Masquerain dancing in the meadows, and so on.


    Pok��mon from various regions were present.


    Compared to the Pok��mon living in the forest park, the Pok��mon in this Ecopark had higher potential. Yuga had already seen several Pok��mon with green auras along the way, which wasn''t visible outside.


    The scale of this Ecopark was beyond Yuga''s imagination, and he wondered how much money was spent to construct it.


    Both the YoYo Day Care and the Aroma Day Care were assigned exhibition areas halfway up the mountainside. It wasn''t clear if it was because YoYo Day Care was rmended by Aroma Day Care, but the exhibition areas of the two Day Cares were right next to each other.


    Aroma Day Care''s exhibition area was a small forest adjacent to a flowerbed.


    Aroma Day Care didn''t bring their signature Pok��mon, Cacturne and Lotad, this time. Instead, they showcased Seedot, Shroomish, and Exeggcute.


    Compared to YoYo Day Care, Aroma Day Care had one additional type of Pok��mon in their exhibition.


    While Seedot and Shroomish weremon in the Hoenn region, they were still quite popr in other regions.


    There were very few Grass/Dark-type Pok��mon, with only Cacturne and Shiftry from the Hoenn region. In other regions, they were considered rare.


    Grass/Psychic-type Pok��mon were also rare, and while Exeggcute and Exeggutor were distributed in various regions, they were scarce, and there weren''t many Day Cares that could breed them.


    ording to Moriki''s exnation, the forest park allocated a small grove to Aroma Day Care for amodating their Seedot and Shroomish, while the adjacent flowerbed was shared with YoYo Day Care and used for housing Exeggcute and YoYo Day Care''s Hoppip.


    Apart from the flowerbed, YoYo Day Care was also assigned a small sandy area for amodating their Trapinch.


    All the participating Day Cares had already reported the types of Pok��mon they would be exhibiting, so the forest park was able to n and allocate suitable spaces ordingly.


    The arrangements in the forest park were well thought out, and Yuga and Momiji were quite satisfied with their allocated spaces.


    After inspecting their exhibition area, Yuga and Momiji didn''t rush to leave. Instead, they, along with Moriki''s guidance, began to explore other parts of the Ecopark.


    Besides Yuga and Momiji, there were other Day Care representatives visiting as well.


    Yuga wasn''t particrly familiar with Day Care representatives from various regions and didn''t react much when he saw them.


    On the other hand, Momiji and Aroma Day Care were quite renowned, and Momiji was well-versed in social interactions. When she encountered acquaintances, she greeted them warmly.


    Among these other Day Care representatives, some were checking their exhibition areas, while others, like Yuga''s group, were touring the Ecopark with their guides.


    There weren''t many representatives from YoYo Day Care, and they were mixed in with the Aroma Day Care group. Other Day Care representatives assumed that Yuga and his group were also from Aroma Day Care.


    However, a few did recognize Yuga''s identity, as he had be somewhat of a celebrity. Still, since Yuga didn''t initiate conversations with them, they didn''t want toe across as trying too hard to establish connections, even though they were indeed interested in doing so. Maintaining one''s reputation was important.


    While the representatives participating in this conference had substantial resources due to the scale of their Day Cares, there was a distinction in status. Yuga, despite being a rtive neer in the Day Care industry, had a legitimate position within the Pok��mon League, which set him apart from the moners" in the industry.


    For instance, Aroma Day Care, considered a Day Care industry giant, hadplexworks within the Pok��mon League, but their influence within the League was an external force, as they were primarily amercial organization.


    In contrast, Yuga held a more direct and official position within the League, making his status distinct.

 Chapter 808: Discussion

    <h4>Chapter 808: Discussion</h4>


    Yuga and his group, including Momiji, spent most of the day touring the entire Ecopark.


    Because this Ecopark was sorge, primarily consisting of a small mountain, Yuga and his group had to ride on The Gogoat within the park toplete the tour. Otherwise, with their stamina, Momiji and her group probably wouldn''t even make it halfway.


    Momiji was quite interested in riding Pok��mon, a unique feature of the Kalos region. She specifically asked Moriki if it was possible to trade for some here.


    Gogoat are Grass-type Pok��mon, which align perfectly with the goals of the Aroma Day Care for this exchange conference.


    Moreover, the grass goat milk produced by Gogoat had high nutritional value, rivaling even the Moomoo Milk produced by Miltank, and possessed a unique vor.


    Yuga was also intrigued by Gogoat; he already had a pair in his Ecopark, which was obtained through the help of Director Mond. He had been hoping that this couple would produce some offspring, but so far, there had been no sign of that.


    Unfortunately, Moriki, just a regr guide for the forest park, couldn''t answer Momiji''s questions, leaving her disappointed.


    However, when Yuga and his group were leaving the Ecopark, they unexpectedly encountered someone at the park''s entrance �C Mr. Lysandre. From Moriki, they learned that the owner of this forest park was, in fact, Mr. Lysandre.


    What surprised Yuga the most was that Mr. Lysandre actually recognized him. When they were leaving the Ecopark, they were walking straight toward Mr. Lysandre, and he seemed to have noticed Yuga in the crowd, his eyes revealing his surprise at meeting Yuga.


    "Isn''t this Mr. Shimizu? I''m honored to meet you here."


    These were Mr. Lysandre''s first words upon seeing Yuga,pletely ignoring Momiji, who was walking in front.


    "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Lysandre. I''m delighted to meet Mr. Shimizu here."


    Lysandre extended his right hand towards Yuga. Lysandre was quite tall, imposing even, and Yuga was nearly half a head shorter than him, despite Yuga already being over 1.8 meters tall.


    "Hello, Mr. Lysandre," Yuga pretended to meet Lysandre for the first time and shook his hand.


    "So, this is the legendary Mr. Shimizu? Pleasure to meet you!"


    At this moment, a plump middle-aged man walked out from behind Lysandre. This middle-aged man had two shallow dimples on his face and a cheerful smile. However, Yuga didn''t recognize him.


    Momiji timely whispered to Yuga, "This is Nick, the owner of Aurora Day Care."


    Upon hearing Momiji''s words, Yuga looked at this Mr. Nick with some surprise.


    Apart from the Aroma Day Care, three other day cares supported YoYo Day Care''s participation in the Pok��mon Exchange Conference: Frosty Shine Day Care from Sinnoh, Aurora Day Care and and Meowth Day Care from Kalos.


    Frosty Shine and Meowth were partners of the Aroma Day Care, so it was natural for them to support Aroma Day Care''s rmendation. Only Aurora Day Care''s motives were unclear.


    Yuga hadn''t expected to meet the owner of Aurora Day Care on the first day in Kalos.


    "It''s an honor to meet you, Mr. Nick. I haven''t thanked you yet for providing us with the opportunity to participate in this conference."


    Yuga greeted Nick warmly. Regardless of Nick''s reasons for supporting YoYo Day Care, as long as he had no ulterior motives, Yuga was grateful.


    Nick noticed the subtle exchange between Yuga and Momiji and guessed that Yuga probably didn''t recognize him earlier. However, he didn''t point it out. Instead, he smiled and said, "Not at all, Mr. Shimizu. Your day care is fully qualified to participate in this conference. I just lent a helping hand."


    Nick was skilled in conversation, making it difficult for people to forget his favors.


    "I wonder if Mr. Shimizu will have some timeter? I have something I''d like to discuss with you."


    Nick spoke up again.


    Upon hearing Nick''s words, Yuga''s sses narrowed slightly. Could it be that he supported YoYo Day Care''s participation in the conference for the purpose of this discussion?


    "Of course, I have no other ns right now."


    Although Yuga didn''t know what Nick wanted to discuss, he didn''t refuse. He was curious about what Nick wanted to talk about, especially since he had never met this person before.


    With Yuga''s agreement, Nick said happily, "Please wait a moment, Mr. Shimizu. I''ll finish up some matters on my end ande back to find you immediately."


    Saying that, he called someone from behind to attend to Yuga and then left with Lysandre.


    However, as Lysandre passed by Yuga, he said, "See youter."


    This statement raised another suspicion in Yuga''s mind.


    "Momiji, you and the others can go back for now. I''ll find youter."


    After Nick and Lysandre left, Yuga said to Momiji.


    "Alright, take care of yourself," Momiji nodded, not pressing further about Nick''s business.


    When Momiji left, Yuga had Shin and Kazuma leave with her.


    After Momiji left, Yuga waited quietly in a building within the forest park under the guidance of the person Nick left behind.


    After waiting in a room for about twenty minutes, the person attending to Yuga received a phone call and then said to Yuga, "Mr. Shimizu, Mr. Nick has finished his business. Let me take you to see him."


    "Okay, thank you."


    Yuga nodded and followed the person out of the room.


    Navigating through the dense forest, Yuga was led to a battle facility.


    Yuga hadn''t expected to find such arge battle facility in this nature-filled forest park.


    Upon reaching the main battle arena of the facility, Yuga saw Nick standing there, but next to Nick was Lysandre.


    Yuga instantly knew that his suspicion was correct; it was probably not Nick who had invited him here but Lysandre.


    "Nice to see you again, Mr. Lysandre."


    Yuga said as he walked to the opposite side of Lysandre.


    "Yes, nice to see you again."


    Lysandre smiled.


    "I guess Mr. Lysandre, you''re probably the one behind Aurora Day Care, right?"


    Yuga cautiously asked.


    "Mr. Shimizu is a very clever person."


    Lysandre didn''t deny it.


    "I wonder, Mr. Lysandre, what''s the reason for all this borate setup to invite me here?"


    Yuga asked curiously.


    "Mr. Shimizu, have you heard of Mega Evolution?"


    Instead of directly answering Yuga''s question, Lysandre asked another cryptic question.

 Chapter 809: Invitatiton to Battle

    <h4>Chapter 809: Invitatiton to Battle</h4>


    "Mega Evolution? I''ve heard of it."


    Yuga didn''t mention that he had Pok��mon capable of Mega Evolution, as he was aware that Lysandre was the leader of Team re, and caution was necessary.


    "It''s good that you''ve heard of it."


    Lysandre wasn''t surprised that Yuga was familiar with Mega Evolution, given Yuga''s status.


    Before Yuga could say anything, Lysandre continued, "How about we have a battle? I''ll show you the power of Mega Evolution."


    "Sure, I ept your challenge willingly."


    Yuga found Lysandre''s actions rather perplexing, but he didn''t decline the battle invitation. He was curious to witness the true strength of the leader of Team re and to understand why he had been invited here.


    Yuga and Lysandre stood on opposite sides of the battle arena. Lysandre asked Yuga, "What kind of battlefield would you like, Mr. Shimizu?"


    Yuga didn''t choose but replied, "Mr. Lysandre, please decide."


    Lysandre was surprised by Yuga''s response but didn''t refuse his polite offer. He didn''t believe that being older meant he should go easy on Yuga.


    Following Lysandre''s instructions, the battlefield in front of Yuga transformed into a water-themed arena.


    "Since I chose the battlefield, I''ll send out my Pok��mon first."


    Saying this, Lysandre released his Pok��mon. As water sshed around in the water-themed arena, a fearsome behemoth emerged from the pool - a Shiny Gyarados.


    This Shiny Gyarados was d in red armor, its jaws wide open, and it red menacingly at Yuga.


    However, Yuga wasn''t intimidated by the Gyarados''s presence. Looking at this Elite level Pok��mon, Yuga contemted for a moment and then released his own Pok��mon, Lapras.


    Based on Lysandre''s earlier words, Yuga spected that this Gyarados might have the potential to Mega Evolve. To test its strength, Lapras was the ideal choice. Although Lapras was at a slight disadvantage in terms of type advantages when facing a Mega Gyarados due to its Water and Ice-type moves being resisted, the impact was minimal.


    As Yuga''s Lapras entered the arena, a fine mist began to envelop its body, partially concealing it.


    In that instant, the Gyarados activated its Intimidate ability.


    However, Lapras, shrouded in the mist, calmly flicked its blue fins as if unaffected.


    However, Yuga''s Lapras didn''t activate its ability.


    Lapras has two abilities, which are Hydration and Drizzle.


    Hydration''s effect is that it won''t be afflicted by status conditions during rainy weather, but Gyarados is not a Pok��mon like Gengar or Crobat that excels at inflicting status conditions on opponents, so Hydration''s effect wasn''t significant.


    If it had been Water Absorb, it might have had a slight advantage against Gyarados, but that wasn''t the case.


    Under rainy weather conditions, both Gyarados and Lapras received the same boost, so there was no need to activate it.


    However, Lapras would decide on its own whether to activate its ability based on the battle situation.


    "Gyarados, use Hurricane."


    After Yuga sent out Lapras, Lysandre took the initiative. Under Gyarados''s control, a whirlwind mixed with water rushed toward Lapras.


    However, Yuga knew that this Hurricane was just Lysandre''s probing move.


    Compared to special attack moves, Gyarados was more proficient in physical attacks, evident from its robust physique. So, although this Hurricane looked imposing, its power wasn''t as high as one might imagine.


    "Lapras, use Aqua Tail."


    Yuga responded quickly. After Lysandre''smand, Yuga''s voice immediately rang in Lapras''s ears.


    Lapras''s body swayed slightly, and its short tail curled up a massive column of water, forming a water pir nearly the same size as Gyarados''s Hurricane. The two columns collided with each other, resulting in an explosion. Air currents mixed with water sshed in all directions, drenching the water-themed arena.


    Even Yuga and Lysandre were both affected simultaneously, their clothes bing soaked. However, neither of them paid it any mind, remaining fully focused on the battle.


    After a preliminary exchange, Lysandre felt that Yuga''s strength far exceeded his initial estimate, while Yuga was equally impressed by the leader of Team re.


    "Greetings are over; now, I''ll go all out," Lysandre said to Yuga.


    "I wouldn''t have it any other way," Yuga replied with a smile.


    "Gyarados, Iron Tail."


    "Lapras, Dragon Pulse."


    Yuga and Lysandre issuedmands simultaneously.


    Gyarados raised its thick tail, and after a shimmer of metallic luster, it swung it fiercely toward the water''s surface.


    Under the tremendous impact, the water''s surface seemed as though it would split in two, and a powerful rush of water surged toward Lapras.


    Inside Lapras''s mouth, a massive bluish-purple orb was forming, and as the rushing water approached, the orb transformed into a beam, shooting towards the oing torrent.


    The beam had significant piercing power, and upon contact with the rushing water, it pierced through it like ice meeting mes. Then, it struck Gyarados.


    Hit by Lapras''s Dragon Pulse, even with its thick armor, Gyarados let out a painful roar.


    It was evident that in terms of attack power, Lysandre''s Gyarados was falling behind.


    A regr Lapras would be no match for a powerhouse like Gyarados in terms of attack power. Furthermore, Lapras doesn''t have a clear preference for physical or special attacks; it usually depends on the trainer''s training style.


    However, Yuga''s Lapras was unique, inheriting some of Kyogre''s abilities. Its attack power not only matched but also leaned towards special attacks whenpared to strong physical attackers like Gyarados.


    Losing the attack powerparison to the opponent''s Lapras was something Lysandre had not anticipated. Trainer Shimizu Yuga was once again challenging his understanding.


    It should be difficult for anyone in the younger generation to surpass him! Lysandre quietly thought to himself, at the same time, he became more determined in his thoughts.


    Gyarados, having been hit by Dragon Pulse, quickly regained itsposure and prepared tounch another attack at Lapras.


    Yuga had to admit that this Shiny Gyarados was very powerful. If Lapras weren''t its opponent, Yuga would have a difficult time gaining the upper hand, especially considering it hadn''t undergone Mega Evolution yet.


    Gyarados assumed its attack posture, but Lysandre didn''t issue anymands. He looked at Yuga and said, "Mr. Shimizu, your strength has amazed me."


    Yuga modestly replied, "You''re too kind."


    "I''m going all out now. I hope you and Lapras can defeat me and Gyarados."


    Saying this, he took out the Mega Stone, allowing Gyarados to undergo Mega Evolution.

 Chapter 810: Stalemate

    <h4>Chapter 810: Stalemate</h4>


    After Mega Evolution, Gyarados became even more ferocious, with its type changing from Water and Flying to Water and Dark.


    Yuga had previously seen Robert''s Mega Gyarados, but back then, Robert''s Gyarados was in a rampage. However, even under those circumstances, Robert''s Gyarados couldn''t match the imposing presence of the Shiny Mega Gyarados before him.


    As long as Shiny Pok��mon can sessfully survive the survival of the fittest in nature, they are generally quite strong.


    Yuga''s Shiny Roserade hadn''t been born in the wild and hadn''t experienced such selective pressures, so he didn''t have a deep understanding of it in that regard. However, in terms of innate potential, Roserade was indeed quite remarkable.


    This Mega Gyarados was no different; its potential was only slightly inferior to what Roserade had when it was first born, making it one of the top-notch Pok��mon in the Blue category.


    "See this? This is the charm of Mega Evolution," Lysandre said, his words filled with temptation, as if conveying something to Yuga.


    "It does look quite remarkable," Yuga replied, feigning a bit of naivety, pretending he wasn''t particrly knowledgeable about Mega Evolution.


    The Mega-Evolved Gyarados had now reached a level almost on par with Champion level Pok��mon. Although it lost the Intimidate ability that boosted its presence, it exuded an even stronger aura of intimidation.


    "In that case, let''s show Mr. Shimizu what makes it even more remarkable in battle," Lysandre said as he issued an attackmand to Mega Gyarados.


    Following Lysandre''smand, Mega Gyarados unleashed another Iron Tail attack. Its massive tail fin, akin to a folding fan, raised a colossal wave, and a water column with an aura of destruction rushed towards Lapras.


    Facing this water column, Lapras opened its mouth and fired a blue-white beam, instantly freezing the water column into ice. However, the impact force of the water column was so strong that even as ice, it continued to speed towards Lapras.


    In the face of this situation, Lapras remained unfazed. It used Surf, and with a powerful flick of its broad fins, it created a towering water wall from the pool. The ice column collided with the water wall, experiencing a cushioning effect, and then fell back into the pool as the water wall receded.


    The towering water wall blocked Mega Gyarados''s line of sight. When it finally settled, Mega Gyarados saw a yellow-green beam rapidly approaching, almost at the speed of lightning.


    In this critical moment, Mega Gyarados didn''t have time to think. It instinctively used Protect to block the iing beam.


    The yellow-green beam was Lapras''s Signal Beam, a move that had gathered all of its power. If Mega Gyarados had been hit by it, it wouldn''t have been child''s y.


    After evolving into the Water and Dark type, Gyarados was now vulnerable to Bug-type moves.


    As the Signal Beam, which held Lapras''s full power, shattered with a resounding impact, the protective barrier that Mega Gyarados had created using Protect also vanished. However, Mega Gyarados was still feeling a bit rattled; the recent encounter had been extremely close.


    Despite its fierce appearance, Mega Gyarados had a calm temperament, having battled alongside Lysandre for a long time. It wasn''t easy to rattle its emotions.


    Mega Gyarados waspetitive by nature, and the slight unease it felt made it harbor some ill feelings towards Lapras. It didn''t like being intimidated by Lapras''s previous move.


    With itsposure regained, Mega Gyarados burst through the water surface, its immense jaws wide open as it lunged towards Lapras. Simultaneously, it used the move Crunch, and its massive teeth glistened with an icy gleam, as if it intended to tear Lapras apart.


    In response to this situation, Lapras, previously floating in the pool, pped the water''s surface heavily with its four long fins, then quickly retracted them to its sides, surging into the sky.


    In this way, Mega Gyarados missed its target as Lapras ascended into the air.


    From its elevated position, Lapras looked down at Mega Gyarados as if to say, "Do You Surprise? I can fly!"


    Mega Gyarados, still in mid-air and bewildered, hadn''t even processed what had just happened when Lapras, from above, unleashed a Dragon Pulse directly at Mega Gyarados''s head.


    The impact of the Dragon Pulse sent Mega Gyarados sinking into the water, and the pool''s waters churned violently, a testament to the intensity of the battle.


    After some time had passed, Mega Gyarados slowly resurfaced, swimming to the other side of the pool while panting heavily. Its red eyes were fixed on the airborne Lapras.


    Lysandre watched as his Mega Gyarados, despite its Mega Evolution, failed to gain any advantage against Lapras. His brow furrowed in frustration.


    The young man''s strength before him seemed to exceed his initial estimations by a considerable margin.


    And that peculiar Lapras, it was simply too powerful.


    In that moment, Lysandre began to doubt whether his decision to invite Yuga here had been the right one.


    Lapras, still surrounded by a faint blue mist, slowly descended from the sky back into the pool. Although it could fly, it wasn''t as agile in the water.


    After assessing Mega Gyarados'' condition, Lysandre knew it was time to bring this battle to a close.


    "Gyarados, Thrash," hemanded.


    The move "Thrash" belonged to a category of moves associated with desperation, simr to the Dragon-type move "Outrage," and it had strong side effects.


    While Gyarados could potentially learn the move "Outrage," it was exceptionally difficult to do so, with significant bloodline restrictions. It is often easier for Pok��mon with stronger dragon bloodlines to learn it.


    Although Pok��mon like Arcanine, Kangaskhan, or Krookodile were theoretically can learn it, but even then, it was quite rare. Learning "Outrage" was even more challenging than Gyarados learning it.


    Although Gyarados wasn''t a Dragon-type, it still had some Dragon-type lineage (there are Dragons in its egg group).


    However, although it is not easy for Gyarados to learn Outrage, learning "Thrash" was rtively easy for most Gyarados.


    Upon hearing Lysandre''smand, Mega Gyarados'' eyes gleamed with a fiery intensity, and its facial expression twisted into a fearsome visage. Then, with a swift tail flick, it charged towards Lapras, radiating a menacing aura.


    Mega Gyarados, driven by desperation, moved at an incredible speed, and Lapras was sent flying by its impact.


    However, Mega Gyarados didn''t stop there, as the side effects of "Thrash" began to manifest, causing it to gradually lose its rationality.


    Just as Mega Gyarados was about to charge at Lapras again, Yuga shouted, "Lapras, Sheer Cold!"


    Mega Gyarados collided with Lapras once more, but this time, Lapras sessfully executed "Sheer Cold." In such close quarters, Mega Gyarados had no way to avoid it.


    A bone-chilling coldness erupted instantly, and the entire pool was frozen in an instant, including Mega Gyarados still submerged within it.


    Lapras, after being sent flying by Mega Gyarados,nded outside the frozen pool, unconscious.


    Yuga looked at the frozen Mega Gyarados in the pool and his fainted Lapras, smiling as he said, "It seems to be a draw."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Lysandre''s brows furrowed tightly, clearly dissatisfied with the oue. It wasn''t what he had expected.


    After a moment of contemtion and several changes in expression, Lysandre finally sighed : Perhaps this is for the best.


    "Yes, a draw..."

 Chapter 811: Invitation

    <h4>Chapter 811: Invitation</h4>


    After the battle, a few people arrived with Fire-type Pok��mon to clear the frozen pool created by Yuga''s Lapras. They also took Lysandre''s Mega Gyarados for treatment.


    Initially, Lysandre wanted to help Yuga''s Lapras with the treatment, but he refused. As he still harbored some caution toward Lysandre.


    Even though Chimecho was not with Yuga at the moment, having Florges by his side made up for her absence.


    Since Florges underwent a transformation, her healing abilities through her Wish Move were now on par with Chimecho''s Heal Pulse.


    However, Wish''s healing speed was not as fast as Heal Pulse, requiring some waiting time for each treatment. While this could be inconvenient during battles, it didn''t have much impact outside the battle.


    Although Heal Pulse provided quick healing, it had the drawback of being less effective when used on oneself.


    So, each had its pros and cons.


    Lysandre, after his offer of help was declined, didn''t get angry but instead praised Yuga with a smile, saying, "The strength of the Gym Leader Shimizu is truly astounding."


    Yuga recalled Lapras, who had been mostly healed, into its Pok�� Ball and replied with a smile, "You tter me, but Mr. Lysandre, you still haven''t told me the purpose of your invitation."


    At this point, Lysandre''s expression suddenly became very serious, and he said sincerely, "I earnestly invite you, Gym Leader Shimizu, to join my Team re."


    His tone was earnest, giving Yuga the impression that he was desperately seeking capable individuals.


    But the truth was that Team re was actually an illegal organization with the goal of world destruction! Yuga felt content with his current life and had no grievances with the world.


    Maybe he could try being an undercover agent? It seemed like a viable option, being a low-effort undercover agent who could keep a close eye on Team re''s activities.


    "Team re? What is that?" Yuga had no choice but to continue acting and pretend he was clueless.


    Lysandre had many public identities in the outside world, like a phnthropist, businessman, and more, but his true identity as the leader of Team re was not known to the public. In fact, Team re itself was a secret organization.


    And now, he was inviting Yuga to join this secret organization with the intention of world destruction.


    Lysandre: "Team re is an organization that strives to make the world a better ce."


    Yuga rolled his eyes inwardly: I don''t believe you! You want to make the world a better ce? Why don''t you just go to heaven then? The world is fine as it is; there''s no need for your meddling.


    Listening to Lysandre describe his vision of a better world, Yuga felt like he was being brainwashed by the leader of a MLM organization.


    Quite early on, after Lysandre introduced Team re, Yuga pretended to be interested in the idea of a better world, but he didn''t overdo it. If he had acted overly enthusiastic and gullible, Lysandre would have likely be suspicious, as nobody is that naive.


    Yuga asked Lysandre numerous questions, showing that he was intrigued by Lysandre''s vision of a better world while maintaining a certain level of caution.


    Lysandre patiently answered Yuga''s questions, genuinely hoping that Yuga would join their cause.


    Lysandre''s brainwashing abilities were indeed strong, and if Yuga didn''t know what Team re truly was, he might have fallen for it.


    As far as Yuga knew, one of the Elite Four members in Kalos, Malva, was a member of Team re. He wondered if she had joined them yet.


    "So, what would I be expected to do if I joined Team re?" Yuga inquired, pretending to be eager to join.


    "I would like you to assist us in collecting information about Mega Evolution," Lysandre said with great seriousness. "Through our research, we have discovered that when Pok��mon Mega Evolve, they generate a unique energy, and this ability is the key to changing the world."


    Lysandre was cautious in his tone.


    Hoenn region was quite far from Kalos, which was why he considered recruiting Yuga to assist Team re.


    "Changing the world? I see, so Mega Evolution is that powerful?" Yuga widened his eyes appropriately, feigning amazement.


    "Yes, indeed," Lysandre replied, a bit uncertain due to the failed attempt to impress Yuga with Mega Gyarados earlier. "You witnessed the power of Mega Evolution when Mega Gyarados evolved. It''s... very... powerful."


    At this point, Lysandre was slightly less confident than he initially intended. He had hoped to use Mega Gyarados to overwhelm Yuga and demonstrate the strength of Mega Evolution, but things hadn''t gone as nned. However, he still tried to maintain control of the situation.


    "It''s truly remarkable," Yugamented, resting his chin on his hand and looking thoughtful, praising the concept of Mega Evolution.


    Later, in order to solidify the image of Mega Evolution in Yuga''s mind, Lysandre brought some of his subordinates to showcase the Mega Evolution forms of other Pok��mon.


    Lysandre didn''t have many Mega Evolution Stones in his possession; otherwise, he wouldn''t have needed to invite Yuga to assist Team re.


    In Lysandre''s presence, Yuga witnessed the Mega Evolution forms of other Pok��mon, including Mega kazam, Mega Sharpedo, and Mega Heracross.


    Lysandre also showed Yuga a device that detected energy fluctuations during Mega Evolution. When a Pok��mon Mega Evolved, it caused a unique energy wave that this device could detect.


    Finally, Lysandre presented Yuga with a Mega Evolution wristband embedded with a Mega Charizard Y Stone and said, "This is a wristband capable of collecting information on Pok��mon Mega Evolution. It''s embedded with a Charizard Mega Evolution Stone. Once you join Team re, this Mega Evolution Stone will be yours."


    Seeing this Mega Evolution wristband, Yuga suddenly felt a bit uneasy. It looked so familiar��wasn''t it simr to the one in had? Did he just steal in''s gig? What Lysandre wanted him to do seemed exactly like what in had been doing.


    Looking at the Mega Charizard Y Stone on the wristband, Yuga realized that this was a Charizard Y Mega Evolution Stone, whereas in had Charizard X one.


    It wasn''t a secret that Yuga had a Charizard on his team, so Lysandre''s interest in obtaining this Stone wasn''t surprising. It exined why he used a Charizard Y Mega Evolution Stone to try and sway Yuga.


    However, despite deciding to y along with Lysandre, Yuga didn''t immediately ept the offered Mega Evolution wristband.


    "Could I have some time to think it over?" Yuga inquired. Although he was interested in the Mega Charizard Y Stone, he wasn''t one to make hasty decisions.


    Joining an organization was a significantmitment, and anyone would want to carefully consider such a decision. If he were to agree too readily, it might make him appear gullible. Sometimes, seeming hesitant added credibility.


    "Of course, take all the time you need," Lysandre replied. He was pleased to see that Yuga was already intrigued, but he understood the importance of careful consideration.


    If Yuga had immediately epted his invitation, Lysandre would have had to reconsider whether he really wanted to recruit him.

 Chapter 812: Going Back

    <h4>Chapter 812: Going Back</h4>


    Without agreeing to Lysandre''s proposal or epting the Mega Evolution wristband, Yuga decided to let things simmer for a few days. After all, during the Pok��mon Exchange Conference, he would have the opportunity to meet Lysandre, who was hosting the event.


    Lysandre was quite content with Yuga''s attitude and the oue of their conversation. He understood that it would take more than a few words and unverified promises to persuade someone as powerful as Yuga to join their cause. So, he was patient.


    Wasn''t this the case with Malva as well? She had ended up joining Team re, and now she was a member of Team re, wasn''t she?


    After both parties were satisfied, Lysandre had someone politely escort Yuga out of the forest park.


    Once outside the forest park, Yuga checked the time and realized that the sun was about to set, painting the sky in shades of orange.


    While the forest park was situated in the city of Lumiose, it was on the outskirts of the city. Otherwise, it wouldn''t have had such a vast expanse ofnd. Consequently, it was quite far from the aircraft docking station.


    Yuga pondered for a moment, then took out a Pok�� Ball and released his Dragonite before hopping onto its back.


    Mid-flight, Yuga suddenly spotted Bonnie and Clemont siblings down below. They both seemed anxious, so he urged his Dragonite to descend.


    Bonnie and Clemont were startled when they saw a Dragonite descending from the sky out of nowhere.


    When they realized that it was Yuga on the Dragonite''s back, Bonnie eximed, "Big brother!"


    Yuga dismounted from the Dragonite and smiled at Bonnie and Clemont. "What are you two doing here?"


    Clemont stammered and looked embarrassed, but Bonnie blurted out, "We''re trying to find a way to get back home!"


    Their father worked in the city and they hade to visit him during lunch. However, when they tried to return home in the afternoon, Clemont had spotted a Magnemite he wanted to catch.


    But this Magnemite was too cunning, they had spent most of the afternoon chasing it around the city for a long time, but they couldn''t catch if. Which had dyed their journey back.


    Normally, there should have been a train back to the suburbs at this time, but for some unknown reason, they hadn''t seen any trainsing. So, they were starting to get worried.


    "How about I give you a lift?" Yuga offered, pointing to his Dragonite.


    "Sure, that would be great!"


    Clemont had yet to say anything, but Bonnie eagerly agreed. Ever since Yuga had arrived, Bonnie''s gaze had been glued to the Dragonite, and she couldn''t take her eyes off it.


    "Isn''t this a bit tricky? There are three of us," Clemont hesitated, ncing at the Dragonite, which, despite its impressive size, didn''t seem like it couldfortably carry three people.


    "Oh, right, what should we do?" Bonnie said disappointedly, even shooting a reluctant nce at the Dragonite.


    Yuga chuckled and ruffled Bonnie''s hair. "Don''t worry; this should work."


    With that, he released his Charizard.


    "Big brother, it''s a Charizard! It''s my first time seeing one!" Bonnie eximed excitedly when she saw Yuga''s Charizard.


    Clemont, on the other hand, looked both exasperated and indulgent as he watched his younger sister''s enthusiasm.


    "Clemont, you can ride on Charizard, and I''ll take Bonnie on Dragonite. Is that okay?" Yuga pointed to Charizard and asked Clemont.


    Bonnie was quite young, and whether she followed Clemont or rode a Pok��mon on her own, it was a bit concerning for Yuga''s peace of mind. So, he decided to have her ride with him on Dragonite.


    "Yeah, that''s fine with me. Bonnie, you''ll be in good hands with Big Brother Yuga," Clemont nodded, agreeing to Yuga''s proposal.


    And so, Yuga safely transported Bonnie and Clemont all the way to their doorstep. When they arrived home, their father had not yet returned from the city.


    By the time they reached the suburbs, it was already getting dark. Bonnie and Clemont''s house stood out in the residential area because it was significantlyrger than the neighboring houses.


    "Big brother, thank you for bringing us home," Clemont thanked Yuga politely as they parted ways.


    Yuga waved his hand dismissively. "No problem at all. It was on the way, and I''ll be heading back anyway."


    "Big brother, can Ie and visit you tomorrow?" Bonnie asked excitedly, tugging at her brother''s sleeve.


    "Of course! You like Pok��mon, right? I''ll show you some of my Pok��mon from the Pok��mon Exchange Conference," Yuga replied warmly.


    Yuga appreciated Bonnie''s lively personality, and despite only recently getting to know them, he didn''t feel like strangers with them. Perhaps it was because he had known about Bonnie and Clemont''s connection to him for some time.


    "Really? That''s great! We''re set then. Goodbye, Big Brother, and goodbye to Dragonite and Charizard too!" Bonnie said happily.


    Bonnie was so excited that she practically leaped three feet high and dashed into the house. The lights in their home were already on, indicating that someone was inside.


    Watching the spirited little girl, Yuga shook his head and said to Clemont, "Clemont, it''s getting dark. You should head inside too."


    "Okay, Big Brother, goodbye for now."


    Clemont nodded and then entered the house. Yuga faintly heard a gentle female voice from inside, likely the mother of Bonnie and Clemont.


    When Yuga returned to the aircraft docking station, he found Momiji waiting for him.


    "Why did it take you so long toe back? Did that Nick from Aurora have any business with you?" Momiji asked, concerned about Yuga. She worried that Aurora might have ulterior motives involving Yuga.


    Shaking his head, Yuga replied, "Don''t worry, Ms. Momiji. They just wanted to coborate with me. Nothing serious."


    Yuga couldn''t reveal the actual situation to Momiji because he didn''t want to involve her and the Aroma Day Care in thisplicated matter. After all, he received a sry from the Pok��mon League and had their protection, whereas Aroma Day Care didn''t.


    Relieved, Momiji sighed and patted Yuga''s shoulder. "That''s good to hear. If you ever need anything, just let me know. In our line of work at the Day Care, we have some reputation, after all."


    Hearing Momiji''s words, Yuga felt touched.


    YoYo Day Care and Aroma Day Care had a simple business rtionship, usually conducted on a "quid pro quo" basis, with neither party owing the other. However, Aroma Day Care had helped YoYo Day Care on several asions, and now Momiji was extending her support willingly.


    "You said it, Ms. Momiji. If I ever need anything, I won''t hold back," Yuga replied yfully.


    "Now you''re taking advantage of my kindness," Momiji teased.


    "All right, you caught me," Yugaughed. "Well, I haven''t had dinner yet. Let''s go to the cafeteria and grab something to eat. It''s been a long day."


    With that, Momiji led Yuga to the aircraft docking station''s cafeteria for a well-deserved meal.


    ��


    The mention of Clemont and Bonnie''s mother is an addition made by the author, as it wasn''t present in the original work.

 Chapter 813: Captured

    <h4>Chapter 813: Captured</h4>


    After finishing his meal in the cafeteria, Yuga headed to the Aircraft Ecopark to check on the condition of his Trapinch and Hoppip.


    During their time at the Aircraft Ecopark, Yuga''s Trapinch and Hoppip had been taken care of by a breeder from Aroma Day Care.


    The breeder assigned to Yuga was rtively young, but their breeding skills were quite good, and Trapinch and Hoppip had adapted well to their care.


    Once the Pok��mon Exchange Conference started, Trapinch and Hoppip would have to move back and forth between the Aircraft and the Forest Park. This would be a challenge for the still-young Pok��mon, so keeping them in good condition was crucial.


    When Yuga returned to his room, he found that both Shin and Kazuma were nowhere to be seen. After asking Hatsuki, he learned that they had gone to the training grounds to train with the trainers from Aroma Day Care.


    They had been worried about Yuga while he was away, but upon hearing that he had returned safely, they eagerly headed to the training grounds.


    Seeing that it was gettingte, Yuga had initially nned to rest since they had to visit the Forest Park the next day.


    Although the Forest Park had already allocated spaces for each Day Care, adjustments were still needed ording to specific requirements from each Day Care.


    However, just as Yuga was about to close his eyes, Hatsuki informed him that Petal wanted to see him.


    Yuga didn''t need to guess what Petal wanted; it was definitely about Torterra.


    Petal was very interested in the Harvest Tree on Torterra''s back. Not only did he ask Yuga for leaves and bark from the Harvest Tree, but he also tried to borrow Torterra to uncover the secret of the Harvest Tree.


    Although Yuga was curious about the secret of the Harvest Tree himself, he only gave Petal the leaves and bark and refused to lend Torterra.


    Since Yuga wouldn''t lend him Torterra, Petal had to ask Yuga to assist with his research.


    Petal was a very focused individual, and Yuga stayed with him in the treatment room untilte at night. When he woke up the next morning, he had panda eyes.


    After breakfast, Yuga decided to take a walk before heading to the Forest Park to clear his mind.


    The scenery in the suburbs of Lumiose City was quite nice, especially during spring. The green grass and colorful flowers made it perfect for a morning stroll.


    Shin and Kazuma insisted on following Yuga when they saw him heading out, so he took them along.


    After walking on the grassy field not far from the Aircraft, Yuga took Shin and Kazuma to a nearby small forest. He released his main Pok��mon to let them enjoy the fresh morning air of Lumiose City.


    Following Yuga''s lead, Shin and Kazuma also released their Pok��mon.


    Yuga yed with his Pok��mon for a while, but then he noticed Bonnie rushing past the edge of the forest, crying and looking panicked.


    Probably because she was in a hurry, Bonnie did not see Yuga and the others in the forest.


    What could be wrong?


    "Bonnie!"


    Yuga called out loudly to Bonnie.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s voice, Bonnie finally saw him. Her eyes lit up, but she quickly ran to Yuga, still in tears.


    "Big brother, please, you have to save my brother. He''s been captured."


    "Clemont has been captured? Bonnie, calm down. Tell me what happened."


    Yuga was very surprised to hear that Clemont had been captured. Whileforting Bonnie, he asked for the details of what had happened.


    Because Bonnie had been crying heavily, her words came out in fragments, but Yuga managed to piece together the rough sequence of events.


    In the morning, after they had sent their father to the city, Clemont and Bonnie were on their way back home. Clemont spotted the same Magnemite he had seen in the city yesterday.


    In his eagerness to capture it, Clemont immediately grabbed Bonnie''s hand and chased after it.


    As they chased the Magnemite, they ended up getting farther and farther from home. Then they encountered three powerful Pok��mon.


    These three Pok��mon wasted no time andunched an attack on Clemont. He tried to protect Bonnie while battling the three Pok��mon, but in the end, he couldn''t withstand theirbined strength and was captured.


    Interestingly, these three Pok��mon didn''t harm Bonnie and only took Clemont, the one they had knocked out.


    After listening to Bonnie''s ount, Yuga found it highly suspicious that they had encountered the same Magnemite two days in a row, once in the city and once in the suburbs. It raised questions about the Magnemite''s behavior and its range of activity.


    "A small Magnemite like that having such a wide range of activity? Lumiose City isn''t a small ce like Verdanturf Town," Yuga thought to himself.


    "Come on, I''ll help you find your brother."


    Yuga released his Absol. He couldn''t ignore Clemont''s danger, especially since he knew about it.


    "But, Gym Leader! What about the Forest Park?"


    Seeing Yuga preparing to leave, Shin furrowed his brow and asked.


    "I''m entrusting that to both of you."


    Yuga believed that Shin and Kazuma could handle the task of adjusting the park without any issues.


    "But..."


    "I trust you both. If Momiji asks about me, just tell her I had an urgent matter to attend to."


    Yuga understood the urgency of the situation, andpared to the matters at the Forest Park, Clemont''s safety was paramount.


    "I understand, Gym Leader. You go with confidence," Kazuma assured Yuga that they would handle the situation at the Forest Park.


    Yuga lifted Bonnie onto Absol''s back and mounted it himself.


    "Bonnie, show me the way to where your brother was captured."


    Bonnie nodded and pointed Absol in the right direction.


    Once the direction was clear, Absol began to gallop towards their destination.


    "Big brother, will this cause you trouble, helping my brother?"


    From Yuga and Shin''s earlier conversation, Bonnie sensed that Yuga had other matters to attend to.


    "Don''t worry, there''s nothing important going on. Rescuing your brother is the top priority," Yuga reassured her with a smile as he gently patted Bonnie''s head.


    Bonnie felt relieved after hearing Yuga''s words.


    Absol''s speed was impressive, and it didn''t take long for Yuga and Bonnie to arrive at the location where Clemont had been captured.


    It was an open grassy field with clear signs of a battle. Some areas were scorched ck and there were long scratches in the ground, as if it had been cut by a massive de.


    The scorched areas were probably caused by Electric-type attacks, which was Clemont''s specialty.


    As for the scratches, it was harder to determine. Many types of moves, such as Normal, Flying, Grass, and even Psychic, could have simr effects.


    However, Yuga couldn''t help but wonder why someone would capture Clemont. Even though Clemont was the designated future Gym Leader for Lumiose City, he hadn''t officially taken up the position yet.


    Was there some hidden reason behind Clemont''s capture?

 Chapter 814: Tracking

    <h4>Chapter 814: Tracking</h4>


    Relying solely on the battle traces left at the scene, Yuga and his group found it challenging to discover any useful clues.


    "Absol, it''s up to you," Yuga suddenly turned to Absol and said.


    Absol nodded in response. It closed its eyes, and a faint blue light appeared on its crescent-shaped horn.


    Under the influence of the pale blue light, fragments of time materialized around Absol. Each fragment existed for only a few seconds, then rapidly faded, only to reappear quickly in a continuous cycle.


    From these fragments, Yuga could see the figures of Bonnie, Clemont, and a Heliolisk battling against a Mmar.


    Without a doubt, the Heliolisk was Clemont''s Pok��mon, and the Mmar was the one that had taken Clemont captive.


    From the time fragments, it was clear that three Mmar had besieged Clemont. Although they all looked quite simr, there were subtle differences in their shades of color that Yuga could easily distinguish.


    However, due to the rapid flickering of these time fragments, Yuga couldn''t determine the direction in which the three Mmar had taken Clemont.


    Absol''s ability to manipte time like this was a recent development, a derivative power of Future Sight.


    Absol''s Future Sight was quite different from that of other Pok��mon capable of Future Sight. In the past, it could only enhance itsbat instincts through this ability.


    But after more than two years of training, it had gained the ability to see small snippets of time��some from the past and others from the future.


    This unique ability had been the reason it was pursued by the Team Magma in the first ce.


    However, Absol''s ability was still quite weak. It could only see fragments from the past within a span of 24 hours, and future fragments were limited to just a few seconds ahead.


    As far as Yuga knew, when it came to predicting the future, Olympia from the Anistar City, Anistar Gym, was much stronger.


    She was a bona fide psychic, capable of foreseeing the future even without the assistance of Pok��mon.


    If Sabrina''s psychic abilities were geared toward attack, then Olympia''s psychic talents were all about prophecy.


    Although Absol''s Future Sight couldn''tpare to Olympia''s, it was still impressive.


    About two to three minutester, Absol opened its eyes again, and Yuga quickly asked, "Did you find any clues?"


    "Absol!"


    Absol nodded and signaled for Yuga and Bonnie to get on its back.


    Based on the clues seen in the time fragments, Absol carried Yuga and Bonnie as it raced forward. It knew Bonnie was deeply concerned about her brother, so it ran at an incredible speed.


    Because it had been some time since the three Mmar had taken Clemont, Absol had to constantly use its time maniption ability along the way.


    Despite the ability to glimpse only small fragments of the past, using this power was quite draining for Absol.


    After what seemed like a considerable distance, Yuga and his group had moved far from Lumiose City, and Absol was visibly exhausted.


    Whenever Yuga thought about letting Absol rest, the bone armor iid with Seed of Unknown on Absol''s forehead will emitted a soft, pale blue light, sustaining Absol.


    Before long, they entered a vast forest.


    Yuga was unfamiliar with the Kalos region and had not prepared for this journey, so he had no idea where they were in the forest.


    What Yuga and hispanions didn''t realize was that when they entered the forest, they passed through an invisible energy barrier that covered a significant portion of the forest.


    Without Absol''s unique abilities, they would have had no way of finding this special area within the forest.


    Seeing the towering trees and rare Pok��mon around, Yuga was certain that this wasn''t just any random ce. Absol also informed him that they were closing in on Clemont.


    Clemont was somewhere in this forest.


    The dense, tall trees blocked most of the sunlight, creating an eerie atmosphere.


    Sitting on Absol''s back, Bonnie was affected by this eerie feeling, trembling slightly as she nestled into Yuga''s embrace.


    "Bonnie, don''t be afraid. Big brother will protect you," Yuga reassured the nervous Bonnie.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Bonnie rxed a bit and tilted her head up to ask, "Big brother, my brother will be okay, right?"


    "Don''t worry, he''ll be fine."


    Since those three Pok��mon had captured Clemont, it meant they had some task in mind for him and wouldn''t easily harm him.


    Yuga''s reassuring tone seemed to give Bonnie some strength, and her worried expression rxed a bit.


    After a brief pause, Yuga turned to Absol and said, "Absol, please set Bonnie and me down."


    Absol nodded in response, lowered its body, and allowed Yuga and Bonnie to dismount.


    Once Yuga was on the ground, he released Florges. He then said to Absol, "We''ll leave the rest to Florges. You should rest now."


    Absol, clearly fatigued, and understanding that the forest was Florges''s domain, didn''t object and nodded in agreement.


    After retrieving Absol, Yuga turned to Florges and said, "Florges, please inquire about the situation with the forest''s Pok��mon."


    "Florges."


    Florges nodded and emanated waves of green energy that spread outward from her. Soon, several Pok��mon surrounded Yuga and his group.


    These Pok��mon were primarily Grass-type, including Pok��mon like Phantump, Trevenant, Gourgeist, and Pumpkaboo. There were also a few Ride Pok��mon like Skiddo and Gogoat mixed in.


    Apart from the Grass-types, a few Fairy-type Pok��mon were also drawn to Florges, including Pok��mon like Spritze, Swirlix and Dendene.


    "Florges, Florges, Florges."


    Florges, with a dignified expression, began tomunicate with these Pok��mon. The Pok��mon looked at her with respectful gazes.


    Florges possessed a divinity within her, simr to Nana''s situation. When Yuga used his Insight ability to examine Florges, it was the same as when he examined Nana.


    Yuga had noticed that whenever a Pok��mon had a divinity, his Insight became ineffective.


    Common Pok��mon could sense the divinity within Florges, especially the Grass-types, causing them to instinctively lower their postures when in her presence.

 Chapter 815: Leading the Way

    <h4>Chapter 815: Leading the Way</h4>


    After Florges questioned the Pok��mon, they engaged in a lively discussion, and eventually, a tall Trevenant stepped forward to exin the situation.


    This Trevenant seemed quite authoritative, and the other Pok��mon subtly followed its lead.


    They indeed knew the whereabouts of the Mmar and had witnessed the capture of Clemont.


    Upon Florges''smand, the Pok��mon finally introduced a Dedenne to lead Yuga and his group.


    Yuga could tell that the Pok��mon were evidently afraid of the Mmar.


    However, as they set off, two Ride Pok��mon, both Gogoats, voluntarily approached and offered to serve as mounts for Yuga and Florges.


    This surprised Yuga. Had his affinity with Grass-type Pok��mon reached the point where wild Pok��mon would willingly follow him?


    Both Gogoats were quiterge, easily amodating Yuga and Florges.


    Yuga could tell that these two Ride Pok��mon were a pair, as they were apanied by two smaller Skiddos��one slightlyrger than the other, likely their offspring.


    Yuga, with Clemont''s sister, Bonnie, mounted the male Gogoat, while Florges rode the female Gogoat solo.


    The Gogoats lived up to their reputation as Ride Pok��mon, offering afortable ride that surpassed Absol.


    Sittingfortably on the back of the Gogoat, Yuga silently decided that when they left, he would make an effort to take this whole family with him.


    It was said that Ride Pok��mon could sense the emotions of the riders on their backs. Yuga wasn''t sure if it was true or not. He did have two Gogoats in his own Ecopark, but he hadn''t ridden them.


    He had, however, ridden the Gogoat that belonged to Alexa. But that didn''t give him enough experience to determine if these creatures could indeed sense emotions.


    Nevertheless, if Pok��mon Scientists had confirmed it, then there must be some truth to it.


    Bonnie was experiencing riding a Gogoat for the first time, and she found it quite exhrating. She gently stroked the Gogoat''s back, her previously mncholic expression lightening.


    Grass-type Ride Pok��mon emitted a subtle aroma of fresh grass. While it couldn''tpare to the fragrance of a Meganium, it provided a refreshing sensation.


    Guided by Dedenne, Yuga and his group embarked on their quest to find Clemont.


    This Dedenne was exceptionally fast, switching between running on the ground and leaping through the trees, disying remarkable agility.


    However, the Ride Gogoats were also skilled runners, matching the Dedenne in speed. Even the two young Gogoats following their parents didn''tg behind.


    Dedenne was extremely timid, and whenever they encountered other Pok��mon on the way, it would swiftly leap into the underbrush, only emerging once those Pok��mon had moved away.


    Yuga learned the reason for this behavior from the Ride Gogoats. It turned out that the three Mmars who had taken Clemont were not, as Yuga had initially suspected, acting under someone''s orders. They were native Pok��mon of this forest, wild Pok��mon.


    However, these three Mmars were exceptionally malevolent, using their formidable powers to impose a reign of terror on the entire forest. As a result, most of the Pok��mon in the forest lived in fear of the Mmars.


    Aside from the Mmars, the resident Pok��mon of this forest had no means of leaving, so they had no choice but to endure the brutal rule of the Mmars.


    The Pok��mon''s willingness to assist Yuga was not only out of respect for Florges but also stemmed from their hope that Yuga could break the Mmars'' dominance, considering Florges''s perceived strength.


    While Dedenne was inherently timid, its fear of other Pok��mon was primarily due to the risk of being discovered by the Mmars for guiding Yuga and his group.


    There were many spies of the Mmars within this forest.


    The revtion that Mmars were wild Pok��mon left Yuga profoundly shocked. What could wild Pok��mon possibly want with capturing Clemont?


    Yuga asked the Ride Gogoats and Dedenne, but none of them knew the answer.


    As for why the Ride Gogoats were so willing to help Yuga and his group, Yuga inquired, but they remained tight-lipped.


    Throughout the journey, Yuga could indeed sense faint, unrelenting eyes scrutinizing them, leading him to believe that they had already attracted the Mmars'' attention.


    As they ventured deeper into the forest, that feeling of being watched only grew stronger.


    When they reached the forest''s deepest part, the timid Dedenne refused to continue guiding Yuga and his group.


    The Ride Gogoats didn''t know the exact location of the Mmars, and without Dedenne''s guidance, they would be unable to find the Mmars''ir.


    Fortunately, Dedenne informed them that they were not far from the Mmars''ir if they continued straight ahead.


    Since Dedenne was unwilling to lead the way any longer, Yuga didn''t force it. After Yuga agreed to let Dedenne go, it swiftly darted into the undergrowth and disappeared as if its tail were on fire.


    After Dedenne left, Yuga, along with Bonnie and Florges, continued riding the Ride Gogoats towards the Mmars''ir.


    As expected, just as Dedenne had mentioned, it didn''t take them long to spot a ck structure hidden within the woods.


    Yuga couldn''tprehend why the Mmars, being wild Pok��mon, would have air that resembled human-made buildings. Could it be that the Ride Gogoats and Dedenne had deceived them?


    In Yuga''s perspective, this newly constructed and tidy building didn''t seem like an abandoned relic but rather something recently built.


    What exactly was this ce?


    As Yuga and Florges were preparing to approach the ck structure using the Ride Gogoats, a group of Inkay suddenly emerged from somewhere and blocked their path.


    It seemed they had indeed been under surveince.


    When Yuga sensed they were being observed, he contemted hiding their tracks. However, he wasn''t as naive as Dedenne, thinking they could truly remain concealed.


    In a forest filled with such awork of spies, hiding was simply impossible. It was better to let them rx their guard openly.


    As soon as the Inkay appeared, they simultaneously used Psybeam, unleashing a chaotic array of colorful beams toward Yuga and his group.


    Before Florges or Yuga could react, both Ride Gogoats simultaneously employed their Bounce ability, propelling Yuga and Florges high into the air, narrowly avoiding the Inkay''s Psybeam attacks.


    Bounce was a Flying-type move that granted brief levitation.


    While suspended in mid-air, Florges activated her Moonst, and silver beams of light rained down, causing the Inkay to fall to the ground as if they were dumplings in a basket.


    These Inkay were of low level and couldn''t withstand Florges''s attack.


    Once the Ride Gogoats safelynded on the ground again, all the Inkay had already fallen.


    Yuga, looking at the two Skiddos, which had disappeared and then reappeared unharmed, inquired with amazement, "Where did you two go just now?"


    "Skiddo, Skiddo..."


    We were hiding...


    Upon hearing this response, Yuga couldn''t help but marvel at how adept these two young Skiddos were at concealing themselves. Their speed was also astonishing. They had clearly inherited their parents'' skills. Their use of the Bounce ability during the confrontation had been perfectly timed, saving Florges a considerable amount of energy.

 Chapter 816: Manipulaton

    <h4>Chapter 816: Manipton</h4>


    After defeating the Inkay, Yuga and his group continued toward the ck building.


    However, they hadn''t taken many steps when they were blocked by a Pangoro and two Pancham.


    But to think about it, It made sense; the leader of the forest was controlling this territory, so it wouldn''t rely solely on the useless Inkay to guard itsir.


    The Pangoro before them was much stronger than the Inkay they had faced.


    ...


    Type: Fighting/Dark


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Iron Fist


    Potential: Green


    Level: 52


    Moves: Bullet Punch, Hammer Arm, Low Sweep, Leer, Vital Throw, Karate Chop, Sky Uppercut, Fire Punch, Dark Pulse.


    ...


    This was the first green potential Pok��mon Yuga had encountered on his journey, and aside from the towering Trevenant, it had the highest level among the Pok��mon they''d seen.


    The Pangoro roared at Yuga and his group, baring its teeth, raising its massive fists, and red at them menacingly.


    The two Pancham followed suit, each holding a fresh green bamboo leaf in its mouth, with hands on their hips, trying to "intimidate" Yuga and his group.


    However, the two Pancham were just too cute, and their attempts at looking fierce only melted Yuga''s heart.


    Capture them, they must be captured.


    Seeing the adorable Pancham, Yuga''s eyes practically lit up; they were too cute.


    Compared to the Pangoro, the two Pancham had lower potential and less strength.


    ...


    Type: Fighting


    Ability: Iron Fist


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Yellow


    Level: 18


    Moves: Tackle, Leer, Karate Chop, Storm Throw.


    ...


    Type: Fighting


    Ability: Mold Breaker


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Yellow


    Level: 35


    Moves: Tackle, Leer, Comet Punch, Arm Thrust, Vital Throw, Foul ce, Dark se.


    ...


    Yuga encountered real Pangoro and Pancham for the first time, and he felt a mysterious fondness for them. Despite Pancham''s less-than-ideal potential, he was determined to capture them.


    Observing the situation of these three Pok��mon, Yuga deduced that they likely had no direct familial rtionship. The two Pancham appeared to be the henchmen of the Pangoro.


    The Pangoro on the other side, noticing Yuga''s unwavering gaze, felt slighted and grew furious. It clenched its fists and charged aggressively at Yuga and his group.


    The two Pancham followed suit, running with their small fists raised and making yful gestures.


    However, the level 18 Pancham tripped over a vine while running, falling t on the ground with its bamboo leaf flying out of its mouth.


    Seeing this, the Pancham at the back of the group nced at its leader and older brother, who hadn''t noticed, then hastily got up, patted its belly, quickly retrieved the bamboo leaf, and nonchntly continued "charging."


    Wasn''t that just too cute?


    Watching the small actions of the Pancham, Yuga nearly burst intoughter. Were they really here to fight?


    Although their potential wasn''t outstanding and the level 18 Pancham was quite young, the Inkay they had encountered earlier averaged levels of around thirty.


    As the Pangoro charged, Florges immediately unleashed two vine whips, rendering the Pangoro immobilized.


    As for the two Pancham, they were kicked aside by the two Skiddos that had charged forward from behind Yuga''s group.


    Seeing the Pancham being kicked away, Yuga felt a pang of guilt. The Skiddos didn''t seem to hold back at all.


    While the two Skiddos weren''t particrly strong, they had no trouble dealing with the Pancham.


    Despite its fierce appearance, the Pangoro was very protective of its henchmen. Witnessing its two youngerrades defeated, it grew extremely angry and roared in an attempt to break free from Florges'' vine whips.


    However, the Pangoro was not the protagonist of a TV show or a novel, and its furious efforts couldn''t overpower Florges'' vine whips. In the end, it was knocked out cold by the breeze of Florges'' Fairy Wind.


    With the resistance gone, Yuga captured both the Pangoro and the Pancham into Pok�� Balls.


    What Yuga didn''t know was that their battles with Mmar and these Pok��mon had all been observed by three Mmar inside the ck structure.


    "Mmar, Mmar."


    The leading Mmar extended a tentacle and beckoned toward the darkness. Two Pok��mon emerged, a Heliolisk and a Gogoat.


    "Mmar, Mmar, Mmar, Mmar."


    The Mmar conveyed a series of instructions to the two Pok��mon. The Heliolisk and Gogoat nodded mechanically, then proceeded outside.


    Defeating the Pangoro and Pancham made Yuga realize that the situation was far from over. As their of the Mmar, which controlled the entire forest, its defenses couldn''t be this weak.


    As expected, just as Yuga and his group reached the entrance of the ck structure, the doors automatically opened, and a Heliolisk and a Gogoat slowly stepped out.


    "That... that''s my brother''s Heliolisk!"


    Bonnie immediately recognized her brother''s Pok��mon.


    "Heliolisk! Where''s my brother? How is he?"


    Bonnie waved excitedly at the Heliolisk, and even the Skiddos and Gogoats they were riding showed signs of joy as they looked in the direction of the Heliolisk.


    Yuga noticed the excitement of the Skiddos and Gogoats. He realized something when he looked at the opposing Skiddos.


    But before Bonnie, the Skiddos, and the Gogoats could enjoy their happiness for more than a few seconds, a golden beam and green seeds were fired at them.


    The golden beam was Heliolisk''s Charge Beam, and the green seeds were Gogoat''s Seed Bomb.


    Under the attacks from Heliolisk and Gogoat, Bonnie screamed, and the Skiddos and Gogoats on Yuga''s side also changed their expressions.


    "Heliolisk, what''s wrong with you? It''s me, Bonnie!"


    Bonnie anxiously called out to Heliolisk, while the Skiddos and Gogoats became increasingly restless.


    Fortunately, Florges reacted quickly, using the power of Moonst to intercept the attacks from the two Pok��mon.


    "They must be under some form of control. They can''t hear our voices."


    Looking at the vacant expressions of Heliolisk and Gogoat on the opposite side, what more did Yuga need to understand?


    When it came to hypnotism, the most famous were the Hypno and Mmar, with Mmar''s abilities even surpassing those of Hypno.


    ording to Pok��mon Scientist, Mmar possessed the strongest hypnotic abilities in the Pok��mon world. They could manipte opponents at will.


    "So... what should we do?"


    Bonnie looked worriedly at the controlled Heliolisk.


    Yuga replied, "Defeat them and then find the Mmar controlling them. We have no other choice."


    While Yuga and Bonnie were talking, Heliolisk and Gogoatunched another attack. However, Yuga had been keeping a close eye on them and reacted swiftly.

 Chapter 817: Entry

    <h4>Chapter 817: Entry</h4>


    The charging beam of the Heliolisk and the Seed Bomb from the Gogoat arrived in an instant, and Florges had already dismounted from the back of the Gogoat.


    A sharp gust of Fairy Wind roared by, shattering the charging beam of the Heliolisk and the Seed Bomb of the Gogoat into pieces.


    While Florges was dealing with the enemy, Yuga had already observed the two opposing Pok��mon with Insight skill.


    ...


    Type: Electric/Normal


    Ability: Dry Skin


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 55


    Moves: p, Tickle, Charge, Electro Ball, Parabolic Charge, Volt Switch, Light Screen, Rain Dance, Thunderbolt, Charge Beam, Dragon Tail, Electric Terrain, Electroweb, Signal Beam, Dragon Pulse.


    ...


    Type: Grass


    Ability: Sap Sipper


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 59


    Moves: Tackle, Growth, Vine Whip, Leaf de, Take Down, Bulldoze, Horn Leech, Seed Bomb, Double-Edge, Sunny Day.


    ...


    Clemont was indeed the designated future Gym Leader, and although he was young, his Heliolisk disyed formidable strength.


    With Clemont''s talent, it wouldn''t be long before this Heliolisk reached the pseudo-Elite level. When that happened, he would be fully qualified to be the Gym Leader in Lumiose City.


    The other Gogoat had an even higher levelpared to Clemont''s Heliolisk.


    However, because it was a wild Pok��mon, it had far fewer moves in its move poolpared to the carefully nurtured Heliolisk. So, it was hard to determine which of the two was stronger.


    This Gogoat, on the verge of reaching the pseudo-Elite level, was probably captured and used as a workforce by the Mmar, even against its will, thanks to their hypnotic abilities.


    Since Gogoat''s ability was Sap Sipper, Florges refrained from using Grass-type moves throughout the battle, relying on the skills of Fairy Wind, Moonst, and Dazzling Gleam.


    Thebined strength of Heliolisk and Gogoat wasn''t enough to harm Florges.


    After a single Dazzling Gleam attack, both Heliolisk and Gogoat were sent flying and collided with the ck building behind them, rendering them unconscious.


    "Heliolisk!"


    Once Yuga had safely taken Bonnie down from the Gogoat''s back, Bonnie anxiously ran towards Heliolisk.


    "Big brother, is Heliolisk okay?"


    Bonnie hugged the Heliolisk neck and looked at Yuga with a distressed face.


    "Don''t worry, Heliolisk just fainted, once we deal with the Mmar, it''ll wake up safely," Yuga reassured Bonnie.


    Bonnie nodded, tears still glistening in his eyes.


    "Do you recognize this Gogoat?" Afterforting Bonnie, Yuga turned to his temporary mount and asked.


    "Gogoat, Gogoat..." Both Gogoats and their offspring Skiddos nodded and exined to Yuga.


    It turned out that the Gogoat, defeated by Florges, was the older brother of Yuga''s temporary mount, the male Gogoat, and the most powerful member of their family.


    They could survive in the forest without being bullied by other Pok��mon, thanks to this Gogoat''s protection. This Gogoat was like the head of their family.


    Butter, they fell into the hands of a Mmar, and their family head was taken away.


    They had thought of many ways to rescue their brother, but they couldn''t even get close to the ck building. When they saw Yuga and Florges, they saw hope, which was why they helped Yuga with all their might.


    The Pok��mon in this forest couldn''t leave, and outsiders couldn''t find their way in, but Yuga and Florges had boldly entered, making them the only hope to rescue their brother.


    After listening to their exnation, Yuga told the Gogoats, "You stay here and guard them. I''ll go in by myself."


    The mounts nodded in agreement.


    "Bonnie, you stay here and take care of Heliolisk. I''ll go in and save your brother, okay?" Instructing the Gogoats, Yuga turned to Bonnie.


    Bonnie knew that going with Yuga wouldn''t be helpful and might even hinder him, so he obediently nodded.


    "Alright, big brother, be careful."


    "Don''t worry."


    Yuga smiled and patted Bonnie''s back, reassuring him. This made Bonnie feel more at ease, and he believed that Yuga would definitely rescue her brother.


    After Heliolisk and Gogoat came out, the doors of the ck building closed again, but with a burst of Moonst from Florges, the doors shattered.


    "Mmar, Mmar..."


    Inside the building, the Mmar had been monitoring Yuga and his group through surveince cameras.


    When they saw the defeat of Heliolisk and Gogoat and witnessed the shattering of the door to theirir, their faces turned a grim shade of anger. They swung their menacing tentacles furiously.


    "Mmar, Mmar."


    The lead Mmar called out a few times, and several Pok��mon with vacant expressions emerged from the shadows. These Pok��mon, without exception, were all under the control of hypnosis.


    After issuing a fewmands, these Pok��mon began to walk out.


    As Yuga and Florges entered the ck building, they were immediately attacked by a group of small Magnemite. These Magnemite weren''t very powerful and were swiftly defeated by Florges in just a few moves.


    Yuga observed the interior structure of this ck building as he walked. Even though he wasn''t tech-savvy, he could see traces of high technology all over the ce. It was hard to believe that this was their of wild Pok��mon.


    Rather than considering this ce a Pok��monir, Yuga felt that it resembled aboratory more.


    If he had to guess, Yuga was inclined to believe that the Mmar here were being manipted by humans.


    However, ording to the Pok��mon in the forest, they had never seen any human traces here before Yuga''s arrival.


    The interior of the ck building was dimly lit, and Yuga spected that the group of small Magnemite, along with other Electric-type Pok��mon, provided the energy to run this ce.


    After passing through a long corridor, Yuga and Florges entered a hall where a Trevenant was waiting for them.


    This Trevenant had simr strength to the previous Gogoat and was quickly defeated by Florges.


    Then, they encountered a Furfrou, a Diggersby, a Sudowoodo, and a Azumarill, one after the other.


    Without exception, all these Pok��mon were under the control of hypnosis.


    After defeating these Pok��mon, Yuga and Florges finally reached the deepest part of the building.


    As Florges was about to break down the automatic door in front of them, a group of Maon appeared.


    This group of Maon was the main source of energy for the entire building and served as thest line of defense for the ck building.

 Chapter 818: The Strangeness

    <h4>Chapter 818: The Strangeness</h4>


    Probably because there was no special maic field, this group of Maon did not have any Magnezone.


    Since there were too many Maon in this group, Yuga didn''t hesitate to recall Florges and released his Dragonite.


    As soon as Dragonite appeared, it positioned itself in front of Yuga. At the same time, the electric currents sparkling on the Maon began to shoot towards Yuga and Dragonite with crackling intensity.


    Facing the powerful electric currents, Dragonite showed no fear. It wasn''t afraid of even Zapdos''s lightning, let alone a group of Maon.


    Thanks to Dragonite''s cover, the electric currents didn''t touch Yuga at all.


    The electric currentsnded on Dragonite, as if they were being drawn by some force, flowing into Dragonite''s body through the two antennae on its head.


    Dragonite let out afortable groan, as if it had just experienced a rejuvenating session.


    Refreshing!


    Although Dragonite didn''t give birth to divinity like Florges through a the yellow gem, it wasn''t easy for Electric-type moves to harm it. If you are not careful, it was essentially charging itself up.


    Seeing that Dragonite remained unharmed even after being surrounded by electric currents, the group of Maon was bewildered.


    While their individual levels might not be high, when gathered together, theirbined attack power was terrifying. Most Pok��mon wouldn''t be able to withstand their electric currents.


    Unlike the Pok��mon they encountered earlier, the Maon group didn''t seem to be under the influence of hypnosis. Their minds were clear.


    Before the Maon could react to their own surprise, Dragoniteunched its methrower.


    After several of the Maon were "ttened" by Dragonite''s mes, the remaining Maon with electric currents shing on them started to panic and flee.


    However, they soon discovered that the electric currents on their bodies were uncontrobly flowing towards Dragonite.


    Some of the Maon were actually directly drained of their electricity, crashing to the ground like a pile of scrap metal.


    After about five or six minutes, Dragonite hadpletely drained all the Maon dry. It felt incredibly invigorated, its entire body revitalized.


    With the Maon problem resolved, Dragonite raised its fist, the size of a sandbag, and used Thunder Punch. The punch struck the automatic door, and with a loud crash, the door shattered into pieces.


    On the other side of the door, three Mmar stared in shock at Yuga and Dragonite,pletely surprised by how quickly they had reached this point.


    The Mmars were looking at Yuga, and Yuga was looking at them.


    ...


    Type: Dark/Psychic


    Ability: Infiltrator


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 68


    Moves: Tackle, Reflect, Psywave, Foul y, Topsy-Turvy, Hypnosis, Psybeam, Psycho Cut, sh, Night sh, Calm Mind, Light Screen, Psychic, Dark Pulse.


    ...


    Type: Dark/Psychic


    Ability: Suction Cups


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Yellow


    Level: 61


    Moves: Tackle, Foul y, Hypnosis, Psybeam, Psycho Cut, sh, Night sh, Dark Pulse.


    ...


    Type: Dark/Psychic


    Ability: Contrary


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Yellow


    Level: 61


    Moves: Tackle, Foul y, Hypnosis, Psybeam, Psycho Cut, sh, Night sh, Dark Pulse.


    ...


    Seeing the data of these three Mmars, Yuga''s brows furrowed tightly.


    Something''s not right!


    Yuga could understand the leading green potential Mmar advancing to pseudo-Elite level, but what''s the deal with those two yellow potential ones? Not every Pok��mon can have an encounter like Noctowl''s.


    The three Mmars, now regaining their senses, angrily unleashed Psychic Cut simultaneously towards Yuga and Dragonite.


    Three enormous transparent des, apanied by howling winds, seemed intent on slicing Yuga and Dragonite into pieces.


    Dragonite, holding Yuga, used its Extreme Speed move. In a sh, it dodged the three Psychic Cuts, and the shattered door frames and walls disappeared in the wake of the de.


    Seeing the power of these three Psychic Cuts, Yuga was somewhat dumbfounded.


    Psychic Cuts from pseudo-Elite Pok��mon are this powerful? That can''t be! Even Elite level Pok��mon don''t pack this much punch.


    Something''s definitely off here!


    The fact that the yellow potential Mmars broke through to pseudo-Elite level and their move''s power rivalled that of Elite level Pok��mon was highly unusual.


    In response to the attack, Dragonite immediately counterattacked the three Mmars. It transformed Thunderbolt move into an electric dragon, roaring towards the Mmars.


    The leading Mmar, unperturbed by the imposing Thunderbolt, calmly used Light Screen to block Dragonite''s Thunderbolt.


    Dragonite was an Elite level Pok��mon, even if it had just entered that level. It shouldn''t be matched by pseudo-Elite Pok��mon, especially when using its specialty Electric-type move.


    However, the leading Mmar easily blocked Dragonite''s Thunderbolt with Light Screen.


    While Thunderbolt didn''t manage to hit the three Mmars, the released electric currents damaged many devices in the room.


    Seeing the equipment malfunctioning and emitting electrical sparks, the three Mmars showed pained expressions, intensifying their hatred for Yuga and Dragonite.


    It was at this point that Yuga noticed the room of the Mmars. It seemed to be aboratory. In addition to the three Mmars, there were several Maon and two Meowstic huddled in a corner, looking fearful as they observed the Mmars and Dragonite.


    However, Yuga did not see any sign of Clemont.


    What drew Yuga''s attention the most was behind the three Mmars. There was a pale blue transparent crystal emitting a soft light, and the surface of the crystal was surrounded by a faint ck mist.


    The transparent crystal was ced in a groove with light blue patterns flowing on the surface.


    Yuga couldn''t help but feel that this pale blue crystal was crucial to the Mmars.


    He need to find a way to snatch that thing. It might hold the key to understanding what''s so strange about this ce! Yuga thought to himself.


    Dragonite continued to use Extreme Speed to dodge the relentless Psychic Cuts from the three Mmars. The entrance wall of the room had long disappeared under the assault of the Mmars'' Psychic Cuts.


    The Mmars had sharp tentacles, which were their ideal weapons for using Psychic Cut. The Psychic Cuts theyunched from there could easily tear through opponents.


    At this moment, Dragonite was feeling extremely frustrated. It was a powerful Elite level Pok��mon, yet it was being cornered by three pseudo-Elite Mmars.


    The indoor environment wasn''t conducive for Dragonite, a Flying-type Pok��mon, to fully exert itself.


    Seeing the ferocious power of the Mmars, Yuga finally understood why the forest''s Pok��mon were enved by them.


    Evil-spirited Pok��mon were a rare sight, and these three Mmars seemed to be naturally malevolent, not only enving other Pok��mon but also capturing humans.


    Seeing Dragonite struggling, Yuga summoned Gengar and Mmar.


    "You all like to gang up on the weak, right? Let''s see who bullies whom!"

 Chapter 819: The Crystal

    <h4>Chapter 819: The Crystal</h4>


    Gengar and Mismagius''s sudden appearance caught the three Mmar off guard. They had no idea how these tworge Shadow Balls had appeared on the battlefield until they saw them heading straight for them.


    The two Mmar with slightly lower strength couldn''t react in time and were immediately struck by Gengar and Mismagius''s Shadow Balls.


    For some unknown reason, these three Mmar, despite having only the strength of pseudo-Elite level, were disying the power of Elite level, but their defensive capabilities remained unchanged.


    When a Pok��mon undergoes a life transformation, both its attack and defense power increase significantly. However, the defensive power of the two Mmar seemed to have remained at the pseudo-Elite level stage.


    Being attacked by Elite level Pok��mon, the two Mmar instantly lost nearly half of their health.


    Having spent two years in Arus, Gengar and Mismagius had greatly improved their strength. They had not only reached the intermediate level of Elite level but also surpassed others of their rank.


    Especially Gengar, afterpleting a Mega Evolution with Yuga, its strength had approached that of a Champion level Pok��mon. It was almost on par with the Metagross Steven used to defeat the Team Aqua Branch back in the day.


    The two Mmar hit by the Shadow Balls screamed in pain and fell to the ground, writhing in agony. Many instruments in the room suffered damage due to their chaotic movements.


    Seeing theirrades injured, the Mmar leader became extremely angry. Its eyes, which were half-closed before, widened abruptly. It swiftly waved its two thick tentacles andunched two enormous Psycho Cut directly at Gengar and Mismagius.


    Compared to the other two Mmar, this Mmar leader was even more powerful, and even Gengar and Mismagius didn''t dare to take its Psycho Cut head-on.


    Taking advantage of the moment when Gengar and Mismagius were under attack, the Mmar leader jumped to the side of the other two Mmar. It used its two tentacles to lift them up and quickly moved in front of a blue crystal.


    As they approached the blue crystal, it immediately emitted a soft light that enveloped them. Then, the faint yellow patterns on the bellies of the Mmar suddenly emitted a dazzling glow.


    Seeing this situation, Yuga couldn''t help but exim involuntarily, "It''s Hypnosis, everyone be cautious."


    The Mmar clearly had the intention of controlling Gengar, Mismagius, and Dragonite.


    The Hypnosis of the Mmar was incredibly powerful. Just one nce at their bellies made Yuga feel dizzy, with a strong desire to fall asleep.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s call, Gengar and Mismagius quickly pulled their hands, and a burst of white light enveloped them, along with Yuga and Dragonite, creating their unique spatial move.


    The light emitted from the bellies of the three Mmar created ripples on the spatial barrier of Gengar and Mismagius, but it couldn''t break through to affect Yuga and Gengar''s group.


    Gengar and Mismagius''s spatial abilities had a strong istion effect; external forces couldn''t reach inside, and those inside couldn''t interfere with the outside.


    Seeing their Hypnosis failing to work on Yuga''s group, the Mmar were disheartened and withdrew their Hypnosis.


    Seeing this, Gengar and Mismagius quickly dispersed the space. Before the Mmar could take their next action, Mismagius swiftly used a Taunt move.


    The provoked Mmar felt an irresistible surge of anger. When they tried to use Hypnosis again, they found that they couldn''t no matter how hard they tried.


    Seeing the Mmar in a panicked state, Gengar smirked, its eyes forming crescent moons. Then, it appeared out of thin air not far from the Mmar.


    Seeing Gengar appear out of nowhere, the Mmar were greatly surprised. They raised their tentacles to use Psychic Cut in defense.


    However, their reaction was too slow. Gengar had already surrounded itself with a circle of ghostly blue mes. The ethereal mes lightlynded on the bodies of the three Mmar.


    At such close range, the three Mmar couldn''t evade Gengar''s Will-O-Wisp.


    "Mmar! Mmar! Mmar!"


    The burning sensation from the Will-O-Wisp made the three Mmar let out painful screams. The Psychic Cut they were preparing was interrupted.


    The blue mes clung to them like relentless parasites. No matter how they tried to shake them off, they couldn''t extinguish the mes attached to their bodies.


    After using the Will-O-Wisp, Gengar swiftly distanced itself from the three Mmar. Then, Mismagius''s Mystical Fire, glowing crimson, quickly engulfed the Mmar.


    After the Mystical Fire dissipated, the two Mmar that had been struck by the Shadow Ballsy lifeless. Only the Mmar leader continued to writhe on the ground, waving its thick tentacles vigorously.


    As its tentacles inadvertently struck a device embedded with a pale blue crystal, there was a crisp sound, and the device shattered into several pieces. The crystal fell to the ground, emitting a clear clinking sound.


    With the crystal''s detachment, the blue patterns on the device disappeared, and the radiance emitted by the crystal vanishedpletely.


    The crystal was a regr oval shape and, after rolling once on the ground, came to rest at Yuga''s feet. He casually picked it up.


    This pale blue crystal was quite beautiful, somewhat translucent, with a hint of drifting smoke inside, continuously shifting.


    Yuga could sense a tremendous power within the crystal.


    In the instant the crystal detached from the groove, Yuga noticed subtle changes in the surrounding aura, as if a repressive feeling had diminished.


    What Yuga didn''t know was that at the moment the crystal fell, the invisible energy barrier enveloping half of the forest disappeared as well. The Pok��mon living on the edge of the barrier were pleasantly surprised; they could finally leave the forest.


    Seeing the crystal in Yuga''s hand, the still-screaming Mmar leader suddenly widened its eyes and, disregarding the pain, lunged at Yuga, trying to snatch the crystal from him.


    "Mmar!"


    Give it back! Give it back!


    They could do as they pleased in the forest, all thanks to this crystal. Without it, the Mmar could imagine what awaited them.


    However, before the Mmar could get close to Yuga, Dragonite, Gengar, and Mismagius unleashed a triple Thunderbolt.


    The Mmar fell, smoking.


    As the Mmar lunged towards him, Yuga keenly noticed that their aura had reverted to that of ordinary pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon.


    It seemed that the Mmar''s mutation was indeed rted to the crystal.


    Looking at the pale blue crystal in his hand, Yuga silently pondered.

 Chapter 820: The Portal

    <h4>Chapter 820: The Portal</h4>


    As the leader, Yuga watched the fallen Mmar leader and shook the blue crystal in his hand. He turned to the trembling Maon and two Meowstic nearby and asked, "Do any of you know what this is?"


    Several Pok��mon quickly shook their heads, indicating they had no idea.


    They were all recruited by the Mmar as grunts, so they wouldn''t be privy to important information, and the Mmars wouldn''t have shared this knowledge with them.


    "Do any of you know where the person captured by the Mmars is?"


    Several Maons exchanged nces but hesitated to speak.


    Finally, two Meowstic stepped forward, gesturing for Yuga to follow them.


    Yuga recalled his Dragonite and Mismagius, keeping Gengar by his side. He couldn''t be certain that there were no other dangers here.


    Even towards seemingly harmless Meowstic, Yuga remained vignt.


    Under the guidance of the two Meowstic, Yuga arrived at arge door simr to the room where the Mmars had been.


    The male Meowstic levitated using its psychic power and pressed a few times on the keypad lock beside the door. With a click, therge door opened.


    Through the open door, Yuga immediately saw Clemont sleeping inside. Unlike the previous dimly lit room, this one was well-lit, and Clemont appeared healthy and peaceful, relieving Yuga.


    Seems like he''s okay.


    Seeing that Clemont was fine, Yuga began to inspect this peculiar room.


    This room was very simr to the one where the Mmars had been, resembling aboratory in itsyout.


    There were even some sophisticated instruments in this room that weren''t present in the other one.


    The walls of the room had a centralputer screen, apanied by various consoles beneath it. Theplexity of these devices left Yuga feeling dizzy.


    Surveying these instruments, Yuga realized they were all high-end scientific equipment. It was hard to imagine how the Mmars had acquired such advanced technology.


    The most conspicuous objects in the room were four pyramidal-shaped objects standing in the center. They were ck in color with light blue patterns covering their surfaces, and asional blue energy lines flowed across them.


    Four pyramidal pirs surrounded a strange device, and on the device, there was a pure white flower with multiple petals. The petals of the flower continuously emitted red, blue, and ck energies, which flowed towards the four pyramidal pirs.


    As Yuga approached the four pyramidal pirs and the flower, he felt a palpable wave of energy emanating from them.


    What is this?


    Yuga looked at the pyramidal pirs and the flower in disbelief, unable to fathom what the Mmars were researching.


    The flower didn''t appear to be of natural origin; otherwise, it wouldn''t have been able to withstand so much energy and would have withered long ago.


    "Do any of you know what these are?"


    Yuga turned to the two Meowstic and asked.


    The two Meowstic shook their heads, but the female Meowstic ran up to Yuga and tugged at his hand.


    Gengar had initially wanted to stop the female Meowstic from getting too close, but when he saw Yuga shaking his head, he let the female Meowstic lead Yuga.


    The female Meowstic guided Yuga to a corner of the room, with the male Meowstic following closely behind.


    Staring at the gray wall in front of him, Yuga didn''t understand why the Meowstic had brought him here. Could there be a secret in this ce?


    The female Meowstic then let go of Yuga''s hand and made a beckoning gesture towards the male Meowstic.


    The male Meowstic nodded, walked up to the female Meowstic, and held her outstretched right hand.


    With their hands joined, the two Meowstic simultaneously ced their other hand against the wall, emitting a blue psychic energy from their eyes.


    Ripples resembling water patterns appeared on the wall where the Meowstic pressed their hands.


    Then, Yuga heard a click, and in front of him, the wall split open, revealing a long stone staircase on the other side of the doorway.


    It seemed that opening this door had consumed a considerable amount of energy from the two Meowstic, as they sat on the ground, panting.


    "Are you both alright?"


    Yuga asked with a furrowed brow.


    The two Meowstic shook their heads and exined the situation.


    They were among the first Pok��mon forced to follow the Mmars, essentially serving as their henchmen. They were familiar with the inside of this ck structure, but the Mmars hadn''t disclosed specific details about what it was used for.


    The three Mmars were not originally native to this forest; they appeared here decades ago. Initially, they kept a low profile, but soon they began nning to take control of the forest and gradually constructed the ck structure over the following years.


    As a result, the Pok��mon in the forest suffered under their rule. Some wanted to leave the forest but found themselves unable to do so, not even the native Pok��mon could escape.


    The Pok��mon often witnessed the Mmars leaving the forest and returning with various items, but they had no idea what the Mmars were up to.


    This ck structure, including theboratories inside, had been constructed over decades using items brought back by the Mmars each time they left the forest.


    The door that Yuga faced was constructedter by the three Mmars. Although the Meowstic knew how to open it, they had never ventured inside and didn''t know what was within, except that it was rted to theboratory.


    Opening the door was straightforward for the Mmars, but it would require significant effort for the weaker two Meowstic.


    Yuga had Gengar hold the exhausted Meowstic in his arms and continued down the stone staircase towards the door.


    As they descended the stairs, Yuga heard numerous cries of pain and anguish from ahead, causing his expression to change. He quickened his pace and soon witnessed a shocking and infuriating scene.


    This undergroundboratory was simr to the one above, but it held imprisoned Pok��mon, their cries of agony echoing throughout. These Pok��mon were confined in cages that were not ordinary; they continuously drained energy from the captive Pok��mon, causing their suffering.


    Most of the Pok��mon Yuga had encountered were kind-hearted, and he had never imagined that there could be evil Pok��mon like the three Mmars in this world.

 Chapter 821: The Notes

    <h4>Chapter 821: The Notes</h4>


    Upon seeing these imprisoned Pok��mon, the two Meowstic''s expressions changed. They recognized that these Pok��mon were originally inhabitants of the forest.


    However, they never expected that Mmar would imprison so many of these Pok��mon and subject them to torture.


    In the center of the undergroundboratory was a cylindrical device connected to the iron cages imprisoning the Pok��mon. The energy extracted from the Pok��mon was all being transported to this device.


    On top of the cylindrical device was an energy beam that extended to the top of the undergroundboratory, where all the extracted energy was being sent.


    Yuga guessed that the energy on the flower in the upperboratory was likelying from here.


    "Gengar, destroy all of this," Yuga said firmly.


    Gengar nodded, cing the two Meowstic on the ground and releasing several Shadow Balls. The iron cages imprisoning the Pok��mon shattered into pieces.


    Gengar''s energy control was precise, destroying the cages without harming the Pok��mon inside.


    The rescued Pok��mon were all very weak, and before they could fully rejoice, they began to faint one by one.


    Seeing this, Yuga immediately released Florges and had her use Grassy Terrain to heal the Pok��mon.


    While Florges tended to the Pok��mon, Yuga discovered two notebooks in the room, one of which was new, and the other was yellowed with age.


    Yuga opened the yellowed, old notebook first and was surprised to find that it was written in Ancient Pok��mon script.


    Yuga had spent two years in Arus, so he could still read Ancient Pok��mon script without difficulty.


    However, the further he read, the more astonished he became.


    The author of this notebook was signed as AZ, and the recorded time could be traced back over three thousand years.


    To mention AZ was to delve into the history of Kalos three thousand years ago, a history Yuga knew little about but was renowned throughout Kalos.


    AZ was a special king of Kalos three thousand years ago, leaving a significant mark on Kalos'' history.


    He was the creator of the Ultimate Weapon and yed a crucial role in the birth of a unique Pok��mon, the Eternal Flower Floette.


    The Ultimate Weapon possessed a terrifying power capable of destroying everything, but where its ended up, no one knows up to this day.


    In the historical records of Kalos, due to the war, the whereabouts of the Ultimate Weapon became a mystery, and AZ and Floette''s lives and deaths remained unknown.


    However, Yuga knew that under the influence of the Ultimate Weapon, AZ and Floette had gained eternal life; they hadn''t died. The notes he held confirmed this.


    AZ''s story wasn''t the focus; what was crucial was that this notebook contained the manufacturing method of the Ultimate Weapon.


    It was hard to imagine that AZ had recorded the creation of something so terrifying, but it was unclear how this notebook had fallen into the hands of the three Mmar.


    Thinking about this, Yuga couldn''t help but specte that the contents of the upperboratory were likely a replica of the Ultimate Weapon created by the three Mmar.


    And that pure white flower, it resembled the Eternal Flower mentioned in AZ''s notes.


    After a brief look through AZ''s notes, Yuga picked up the other new notebook and discovered that it was the experiment records of the three Mmar.


    Just as Yuga had suspected, the three Mmar had indeed attempted to replicate the Ultimate Weapon.


    Not only did they decipher AZ''s notes written in Ancient Pok��mon script, but they could also use modern Pok��monnguage.


    Yuga had always known that Psychic-type Pok��mon were intelligent, but he hadn''t realized until today that the intelligence of some Psychic-types could rival that of humans.


    In their experiment records, the three Mmar aimed to replicate the Ultimate Weapon and throught Ultimate Weapon, they could obtain eternal life, just like AZ, and then dominate the entire Pok��mon world.


    Seeing this, Yuga couldn''t help but think that the three Mmar might have some serious mental issues. He believe there''s must be something wrong with their brain.


    However, the three Mmarcked the abilities and resources. The Ultimate Weapon they ultimately created was a far cry from the real thing.


    Everything in theseboratories had been collected by the three Mmar over several decades from the human world. Some items were stolen, some were seized, and some were obtained through deception.


    They possessed a powerful Hypnosis ability, making it easy for them to collect these items covertly.


    The three Mmar were brothers, closely rted. They had lived in the human world for a while, and after experiencing the prosperity of the human world, they became immensely envious of the colorful human life.


    Hence, after obtaining AZ''s notes, their wild ambitions grew. They wanted to conquer the world and enve humans.


    However, the manufacturing of the Ultimate Weapon proved much more challenging than they had imagined.


    Furthermore, the activation of the Ultimate Weapon required the sacrifice of a significant number of Pok��mon lives, a feat they were incapable of achieving.


    It wasn''t because they were inherently kind-hearted; it was because if they did this, it would not only attract human attention but also draw the attention of other powerful Pok��mon.


    After all, they were only pseudo-Elite Pok��mon, unable to act recklessly. They could only resort to secretive and sinister methods.


    Without life energy, they resorted to capturing other Pok��mon from the forest and extracting their energy as a substitute for life energy.


    The energy within Pok��mon can regenerate, and although the Pok��mon from which energy is extracted may suffer, they won''t die as long as it''s not taken to an extreme. This allowed for a continuous and inconspicuous cycle of energy usage.


    While the energy within Pok��mon wasn''t as powerful as life energy, it had the advantage of being umtive without drawing attention.


    These three Mmar were patient, collecting energy gradually over several decades, yet they still couldn''t create a replica of the Ultimate Weapon.


    Because the energy attributes within different Pok��mon were diverse, the collected energy became increasingly mixed, resulting in the replica of the Ultimate Weapon appearing more and more distorted.


    They realized their research had hit a dead end and decided to capture a human inventor to help them. After careful consideration, they chose Clemont.


    It could only be said that Clemont, the genius inventor, had an exceedingly high reputation, even reaching the ears of the Mmar.


    As for that white flower, it was indeed an imitation of the Eternal Flower.


    The Fairy Flower on AZ''s Floette underwent a transformation influenced by the Ultimate Weapon, and with Floette''s mutation, it mutated into Eternal Flower Floette.


    This type of mutation wasn''t unique; it was sporadic, and the Mmar''s attempts to create a second Eternal Flower Floette were evidently unsessful.


    They captured a Floette for experimentation, but it ultimately perished under the strain of the pseudo-Ultimate Weapon''s energy.


    However, the experiment yielded some results for the Mmar.


    Although the Floette was lost, its Fairy Flower underwent a mutation, acquiring some characteristics of the Eternal Flower, which remained intact.


    Without a Floette to utilize it, the Mmar couldn''t make use of this semi-finished Eternal Flower.


    In the end, this semi-finished Eternal Flower became a converter for energy.


    They discovered that energy filtered through the semi-finished Eternal Flower became pure, including the attribute energy extracted from Pok��mon.


    This exined the scenes Yuga witnessed in the upperboratory.


    ��


    This part of the storyline involving the three Mmar has appeared in the animated series when they were kidnapped Officer Jenny and had control James''s Inkay. Other content has been added by the author.

 Chapter 822: Nightmare

    <h4>Chapter 822: Nightmare</h4>


    What puzzled Yuga was that, after reading AZ''s notes and the three Mmar''s experiment records, he didn''t find any traces rted to the blue crystal.


    Yuga took out the blue crystal once again and discovered that it indeed contained powerful energy, although not as potent as the semi-finished Eternal Flower and pseudo-Ultimate Weapon above, it was clearly something extraordinary.


    After storing the blue crystal away, Yuga decided it was time to interrogate the three Mmar.


    Soon, under the care of Florges, the imprisoned Pok��mon began to wake up, their eyes filled with gratitude as they looked at Yuga, Florges, and Gengar.


    In thisboratory, they had suffered daily torment at the hands of the Mmar, and today, they were finally rescued. They could hardly believe it was real.


    "You should leave this ce as soon as possible. The Mmar have been defeated, and you won''t have to worry about them bothering you anymore," Yuga told the Pok��mon.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, the Pok��mon were initially stunned, but then their faces lit up with joy. Were they finally free from the Mmar''s control?


    Some of the Pok��mon even had tears of relief in their eyes.


    Seeing the joy on the Pok��mon''s faces, the two Meowstic couldn''t help but feel a pang of sadness.


    While they had also been captured by the Mmar for a long time, they hadn''t suffered much because the Mmar needed them.


    Apart from not being able to leave the dark building, they hadn''t endured as much hardship as these Pok��mon.


    After shedding tears of sorrow for a while, the Pok��mon began to leave the undergroundboratory one by one.


    Yuga collected the experiment records of the three Mmar and AZ''s notes, deciding to interrogate the Mmarter and deal with theboratory first.


    The energy transfer device in the center of the undergroundboratory had stopped working due to theck of energy from the Pok��mon. The energy beam above it had disappeared as well.


    Returning to the upperboratory, Yuga noticed that the pulsating energy on the semi-finished Eternal Flower had vanished. The pure white flower now sat quietly on the central device.


    At this moment, the Eternal Flower resembled an ordinary flower, devoid of the previously unsettling energy fluctuations.


    However, the four conical pirs (the pseudo-Ultimate Weapon) still radiated a blue light, indicating that they had indeed stored a significant amount of energy.


    This energy had been filtered through the semi-finished Eternal Flower, making it pure. While it might not possess the world-destroying power the three Mmar had believed in, it was still a force to be reckoned with, especially after decades of umtion.


    After some consideration, Yuga ced the four conical pirs along with the semi-finished Eternal Flower into his system backpack.


    Yuga summoned Mismagius and said to it, "Mismagius, take Clemont outside for now. Comfort Bonnie and let her know not to worry, to wait outside peacefully for me."


    "Mismagius!" Mismagius nodded and used its psychic powers to guide Clemont out of theboratory.


    Once Mismagius and Clemont had left, Yuga noticed that the two Meowstic were still following him. He asked, "Why aren''t you leaving? You''re free now, aren''t you?"


    "Meowstic."


    The female Meowstic poked the male Meowstic with her hand, and the male Meowstic awkwardly stepped forward.


    "Meowstic, meowstic..."


    Can we, um, follow you...


    Yuga was surprised by their request. Had his charisma reached such heights already?


    After a moment of thought, Yuga nodded and agreed. While he cared about a Pok��mon''s potential when capturing them, if they were willing to follow him voluntarily, that was a different matter. He couldn''t refuse someone''s heartfelt wishes.


    Although Meowstic was a rare Pok��mon, these two had quite ordinary potential and were rtively weak.


    ording to the Meowstic''s exnation, the Mmar had prevented them from improving their strength to prevent them from escaping or causing trouble. As a result, even though they were Yellow potential Pok��mon, their levels were only around thirty.


    Typically, Pok��mon could easily reach level thirty before evolving, especially with diligent training. Even Yellow potential Pok��mon would usually reach level thirty within two or three months.


    Yellow potential might not be as good as Green, but it still didn''t take too long.


    Of course, Red and Orange potential Pok��mon were a different story, and Yellow potential was generally the minimum requirement that trainers looked for in Pok��mon.


    Seeing Yuga''s agreement, the two Meowstic happily held hands and followed Yuga to where the Mmar were.


    When Yuga returned to the previousboratory, the Mmar were still unconscious, and several Maon were guarding them.


    Approaching the three Mmar, Yuga said to Gengar, "Gengar, use Nightmare."


    "Gengar..."


    Gengar grinned, clearly pleased with Yuga''smand.


    It floated lightly above the heads of the three Mmar, and dark energy emanated from its eyes.


    The dark energy fell upon the three Mmar, causing their expressions to contort in agony. They even let out terrified screams, involuntarily writhing their massive bodies, trembling, and convulsing.


    The more tormented the Mmar appeared, the more Gengar seemed to relish it. It even emitted pleased moans involuntarily.


    Under Gengar''s Nightmare move, the three Mmar began to have terrible nightmares. In their dreams, countless Pok��mon they had persecuted were seeking revenge on them.


    Simultaneously with the use of Nightmare, Gengar also employed Dream Eater, deriving utmost satisfaction from this horrifying dream world.


    As they heard the twisted, pained screams of the Mmar, several Maon were so frightened that they fell to the ground with a tter, bing a heap of scrap metal.


    The two Meowstic clung to Yuga''s legs, shivering and closing their eyes in fear, unwilling to look at Gengar and Mmar.


    After about ten minutes or so, Yuga said to Gengar, "Alright, stop."


    The Nightmare and Dream Eater moves would harm the Mmar, and although Gengar had restrained its power, the Mmar were already injured, and any longer could be fatal.


    Gengar, reluctantly ending its enjoyment, ceased the Nightmare and Dream Eater moves and returned to Yuga''s side.


    "Mmar! Mmar!"


    "Mmar! Mmar!"


    "Mmar! Mmar!"


    As soon as Gengar''s nightmare skill stopped, the Mmar, who had been in the throes of terror, stopped their screaming and opened their eyes, their faces still showing signs of fear.


    Upon waking, their aura rapidly weakened, leaving them extremely feeble. However, when they saw Yuga and Gengar, they immediately became furious.


    But they soon realized that they were suddenly powerless, unable even to stand, let alone attack Yuga and Gengar.


    "It seems that the nightmare just now didn''t teach you a lesson," Yuga said with a cold sneer.


    Hearing Yuga mention the nightmare, the three Mmar''s faces turned pale. Nightmares and this human had a connection?


    Thinking about their experiences in the dream world, the Mmar were filled with fear, and they wanted to scream. They never wanted to experience that horrifying scene again.

 Chapter 823: The Crystal

    <h4>Chapter 823: The Crystal</h4>


    "If you don''t want to experience that nightmare again, you''d better cooperate with me," Yuga threatened the three Mmar.


    Yuga actually wanted to use Hypnosis to interrogate the Mmar directly, but Pok��mon as skilled in Hypnosis as Mmar were difficult to influence with such techniques.


    Although the three Mmar were cunning and clever, theycked integrity as Pok��mon. Threatened by Yuga and reminded of the recent nightmare, they immediately surrendered.


    "Now, tell me what this is." Yuga took out the blue crystal and held it up in front of them.


    Seeing the blue crystal in Yuga''s hand, the expressions of the three Mmar changed multiple times. Their attitude towards Yuga lost its previous deference.


    The leader among them even reached out its tentacles, attempting to grab the crystal until Gengar smacked it with a Shadow Ball several times to make it behave.


    "It seems this thing is quite important to you. So, spill the beans," Yuga urged.


    The other two Mmar were fearful of Yuga and Gengar and appeared hesitant to speak. However, they were silenced by the menacing re from the leader.


    Seeing that the Mmar leader still wasn''t cooperative, Yuga exchanged a knowing nce with Gengar.


    "Gengar... Gengar..."


    Knowing that someone else was about to be tormented, Gengarughed with excitement.


    Gengar''s eyes shot two ck beams at the Mmar leader, causing it to immediately feel weakened, as if all its strength was being drained away.


    Under Gengar''s curse, the Mmar leader writhed in agony on the ground, feeling that if this continued, it might die.


    Compared to treasures, one''s own life was of paramount importance, and in its terrified state, the Mmar leader yielded.


    "M-Mmar... Mmar..."


    I said, I said, Please, spare me...


    The Mmar leader, once so proud, nowy on the ground, crying and begging.


    So, the three Mmaa started sharing their experiences.


    When they were still Inkay, they had their own tribe. They lived in the deepest part of the great forest of Kalos, the Santalune Forest.


    The Inkay tribe there, like the ordinary Pok��mon tribe, live carefree and freely in the depths of the Santalune Forest.


    But it seemed that they were born at odds with their tribe. They were always full of bad thought and scheming all day long, most of theirpanions in the tribe disliked them.


    One day, they discovered a forbidden area in their tribe that none of the other tribe members were allowed to approach except for the leader.


    The three mischievous Inkay followed their leader and sneaked into the forbidden area.


    Despite beingbeled as forbidden, the ce wasn''t particrly extraordinary. It housed a small stone shrine, inside which rested the same blue crystal that Yuga now held. This crystal wouldter be the catalyst for the three Inkay''s departure from the Santalune Forest.


    From the leader''s muttering, the three Inkay learned that this blue crystal was, in fact, one of their ancestors'' eyeballs.


    Whether their ancestor was powerful or not, the three Inkay didn''t know, but the crystal held incredible power within it, which deeply attracts the three of them.


    They also noticed some carvings on the stone shrine, depicting a bird-like creature. Just by looking at it, the three Inkay could sense an overwhelming sense of pressure.


    Later as they expanded their horizons outside the forest, they learned that the carving on the shrine represented one of Kalos''s legendary Pok��mon, Yveltal.


    What connection their ancestor had with Yveltal remained a mystery, but they knew that their ancestor''s eyeball contained unimaginable power.


    On a dark and stormy night, the three Inkay stole the crystal from the forbidden area and left the Santalune Forest.


    Once free from their tribe, the three Inkay roamed all over Kalos, from the deep mountains and rivers to the bustling human cities. They became quite knowledgeable, broadening their horizons significantly.


    The more they saw the beauty of the outside world, the stronger their inner restlessness grew.


    Through their research on the crystal, they discovered that it could help them level up rapidly. This was especially true for the two Inkay with Yellow potential, as their leveling speed was on par with most Green potential Pok��mon.


    As they evolved into Mmar, their strength continued to grow, and their hypnotic abilities became even more potent.


    Their increasing power fueled their ambitions. They began using hypnosis to trick and kidnap humans, learning from them and absorbing knowledge.


    The three Mmar were exceptionally intelligent, surpassing most Psychic-type Pok��mon. They quickly absorbed any knowledge they came across.


    As they became aware of their uniqueness, their ambitions swelled. They fantasized about living like a human one day.


    When they stumbled upon AZ''s notes by chance, they finally put their desires into action.


    With increased enthusiasm, they actively learned human knowledge and secretly gathered various materials, they have been preparing for this for more than a decade.


    Later, they discreetly chose a remote forest that was not far from the human world as their base and built aboratory for studying AZ''s notes.


    It took the three Mmar several decades to build this advancedboratory and create replicas of the ultimate weapon described in AZ''s notes.


    With the ultimate weapon mentioned in AZ''s notes, they believed they could control the world, enve humans, and live the lives they desired.


    To protect their base, the three Mmar also created a special device. When the blue crystal was ced on this device, its power would be amplified, creating a field.


    Under the field''s influence, the forest''s inhabitants couldn''t leave, and outsiders couldn''t enter. The forest itself would be concealed from view.


    If it weren''t for Yuga''s Absol''s unique abilities, most people would never find this ce.


    Most importantly, within this field, the three Mmar received the crystal''s protection, leading to a significant boost in their power.


    This is why the forest''s inhabitants were unable to resist the Mmar, as there were no Elite level Pok��mon in this forest.


    This crystal was the foundation of the Mmar''s rule over the forest and the guarantee of their progress over the years.


    So, when the crystal fell into Yuga''s hands, the three Mmar were so excited.


    These three Mmar were indeed prodigies, not only managing to replicate the ultimate weapon (even though it was a pseudo-version) but also inventing a device to amplify the power of the blue crystal.


    If they were integrated into the human world, they would undoubtedly be considered high-tech talents.


    However, sometimes, the most terrifying individuals are the high-tech ones.


    If these three Mmar had chosen to coborate with certain humans instead of going solo when they first obtained AZ''s notes, such as with Team re, who knows how far they could have gone?


    Thinking about this, Yuga couldn''t help but shiver. The world could have been in real danger.


    But then again, Team re was already quite dangerous in itself.


    Looking at the crystal in his hand and knowing it was one of the eyes of the Mmar''s ancestor, Yuga couldn''t help but feel ufortable.

 Chapter 824: Awaken

    <h4>Chapter 824: Awaken</h4>


    After interrogating the Mmar leader, Yuga decided it was time to deal with the three Mmar. Leaving these three evil Mmar free wasn''t a good idea, whether for humans or other Pok��mon.


    However, just as Yuga was about to take action, he was stopped by the system.


    The system suggested that Yuga should bring the Mmar and theirboratory back and let them work for him.


    To prevent any mischief from the Mmar, he could simply seal their abilities since Yuga only needed their intelligence.


    It''s not easy to seal the powers of Mmar, who possess both Psychic and Dark abilities, but perhaps Nana, who was once a Legendary Pok��mon, could aplish it.


    Given the many years these Mmar had imprisoned and exploited other Pok��mon, it seemed fair to let them experience what it was like to be confined and exploited. Rather than killing them in vain, it''s better to make the best use of them.


    Yuga found himself agreeing with the system''s suggestion. Getting these three Mmar to cooperate might require some effort, but he had time to train them.


    As he looked at the three severely weakened Mmar, Yuga couldn''t help but smirk, much like Gengar had earlier, sending shivers down the Mmar''s spines.


    With his decision made, Yuga began dismantling the Mmar''sboratory.


    The high-precisionputers, power generators, crystal amplification devices, and the energy conversion equipment from the secondboratory were all taken apart.


    These were valuable items that could be repaired and put to good use back home. Yuga didn''t intend to continue researching the ultimate weapon, but these instruments could be repurposed for other studies.


    One particrly valuable find was the immense energy stored within the four pyramidal columns. This energy had been extracted over several decades from hundreds of captured Pok��mon. It would be a shame to waste it.


    As Yuga disassembled theirboratory, the three Mmar watched in frustration but dared not do anything, as Gengar was there watching them with evil smile, eagerly anticipating any mischief from them so it can torture them again.


    Seeing Gengar''s eagerness, the Mmar refrained from any actions, knowing they would be ying right into Gengar''s hands.


    Soon, the entire ck building''sboratory was dismantled by Yuga, including the underground section. If Yuga weren''t such a resourceful individual, he might not have been able to take all these items with him.


    As the three Mmar gazed at the empty rooms, they were ofainted with anger, and their decades of their efforts hade to nothing.


    Observing the unconscious Mmar, Yuga retrieved three Pok�� Balls and sealed them inside, locking the Balls securely.


    Yuga also decided to capture the Magnemite and Maon from the ck building since he would need a source of energy for the Mmar''s work.


    In fact, providing energy for the ck building relied not only on Magnemite and Maon; even though they were Electric-type Pok��mon, supplying energy to such argeboratory would have been a struggle for them.


    These Pok��mon also needed their electric power for their daily activities. If they supplied all their energy to theboratory, they would have be useless.


    So, Magnemite and Maon usually absorbed natural lightning, especially during thunderstorms, stored the energy, and then provided it to theboratory.


    With everything packed up, Yuga left the ck building with his two Meowstic.


    The thought of leaving this ce filled the Meowstic siblings with anticipation. It was a hope for leaving the forest that had imprisoned them and a hope for a new life.


    These two Meowstic were siblings who had been inseparable since they were young, up until they were captured by the Mmar. They hadn''t left this forest until now.


    When Yuga and the Meowstic emerged from the building, they saw a crowd of Pok��mon gathered in front of the building''s gate. Some were captives, while others were from the forest, seeking information.


    "Big brother!"


    Seeing Yugae out, Bonnie, who was among the crowd, waved excitedly. Mismagius stood beside her.


    Yuga quickly walked up to Bonnie and asked, "How are you all doing? Are you okay?"


    Bonnie shook her head and said with a troubled expression, "I''m fine, but my brother and Heliolisk haven''t woken up yet."


    Yuga nced at Clemont and Helioptile, who were resting on the back of Gogoat. He smiled and reassured her, "Don''t worry; both of them are fine."


    After saying that, Yuga released the Mmar leader from its Pok�� Ball and kicked it hard.


    The Mmar slowly opened its eyes and, upon seeing Yuga, couldn''t help but flinch.


    "Don''t dawdle; release your Hypnosis on them," Yuga ordered the Mmar in a cold voice, kicking it again.


    Perhaps due to being kicked on a wound, the Mmar gasped but didn''t dare to disobey Yuga''smand.


    It must be said that the Mmar''s Hypnosis was truly potent. Even though it had lost its ability to battle earlier, Clemont and the others were not able to wake up.


    Seeing the massive Mmar, Bonnie timidly hid behind Yuga. She eximed, "It''s the one that took my brother!"


    Bonnie loved Pok��mon, but the Mmar''s fierce appearance startled her.


    Once the Hypnosis was lifted, Clemont''s Heliolisk and Gogoat, were the first to wake up, with Clemont being thest.


    "Yuga!" Clemont shouted as he sat up abruptly and then looked around in confusion when he saw Yuga, Bonnie, and the surrounding Pok��mon.


    "Wow... big brother!" Bonnie eximed with joy upon seeing Clemont finally waking up. She couldn''t contain her emotions and burst into tears, then rushed into Clemont''s arms.


    Unprepared for this, Clemont was knocked backward, but fortunately, Gogoat was behind him to cushion the fall.


    Seeing Bonnie cry in Clemont''s arms, Yuga realized that the little girl had been frightened. He couldn''t resist kicking the main culprit, the Mmar, once again.


    "M-Bonnie..." Clemont stammered, feeling overwhelmed as he tried to console her by gently patting her back.


    But what is the situation now? Wasn''t he arrested?


    Clemont still couldn''t figure out the situation.


    Despite the emotional outburst, Bonnie eventuallyposed herself enough to exin the situation to Clemont. However, she didn''t know about theboratory and only mentioned that Yuga had saved her.


    "Thank you, big brother," Clemont expressed his gratitude to Yuga, recognizing that he had saved him. But he did not ask about things in theboratory, and Yuga did not mention it to him.


    He was not fool. On the contrary, he was quite intelligent, and he sensed that Yuga didn''t want to discuss what had happened in theboratory. So, he wisely chose not to ask.


    Clemont could tell that Yuga had his reasons for keeping silent, and he respected that decision.

 Chapter 825: Going Home

    <h4>Chapter 825: Going Home</h4>


    After Clemont''s awaken, Yuga looked at the gathering of Pok��mon around him and asked, "Why are you all gathered here?"


    In response to Yuga''s question, the Travenant he had encountered earlier stepped forward.


    It told Yuga that they hade to thank him for helping them deal with the Mmar leader. They had decided to leave this forest and start a new life elsewhere.


    Yuga understood their decision. They had been confined in this forest for decades, and now that they were finally free, it was only natural that they didn''t want to stay here any longer.


    "Well, take care of yourselves in the future," Yuga said.


    Yuga nodded to the Pok��mon and bid them farewell.


    Travenant turned to the other Pok��mon and called out to them. The Pok��mon approached Yuga one by one and left various items in front of him.


    These items included parts of their bodies that had fallen off, tree berrys, stones, and herbs they had gathered. Some of these items seemed worthless to Yuga, but they were treasures to the Pok��mon.


    Travenant exined that these offerings were their way of thanking Yuga for getting rid of the Mmar leader. However, after being oppressed by the Mmar for so many years, they didn''t have much to offer.


    Yuga didn''t dislike these. They were tokens of appreciation from the Pok��mon, and there were still some valuable items among them, like a few evolution stones.


    After expressing their gratitude to Yuga, the Pok��mon began to leave one by one, except for a family of Gogoat who remained.


    "Why haven''t you all left yet?"


    Although considering the idea of taking them with him. He had not yet taken action.


    "Gogoat..."


    The Gogoat that had just woken up approached Yuga and bleated softly, calling the attention of the others.


    "Are you saying you want to follow me?" Yuga asked, surprised by their decision. He looked at the Gogoat family and saw them nodding in agreement.


    In fact, the Gogoat family had already decided when they served as Yuga''s mounts. Whether or not they could rescue their brother, they were determined to leave with Yuga.


    They had suffered for so many years in the forest, and they didn''t want their children to continue living a life without hope.


    Indeed! Maybe I''ve be even more handsome, which is why Pok��mon keep wanting to follow me!


    With these thoughts in mind, Yuga cleared his throat and said in a somewhat theatrical manner, "Well then, since you all have expressed your wishes, I can''t refuse."


    Although four of these five Pok��mon had poor potentials, But what Yuga interested was primarily in the milk-producing ability of the Gogoat. Their potentials were not the most critical factor.


    With these Gogoat, the pressure on the Miltanks would be significantly reduced.


    "Alright, now that everything is resolved, let''s hurry back to Lumiose City," Yuga said to Clemont and Bonnie, who were beside him.


    Clemont nodded; it was gettingte.


    From morning until now, nearly a day had passed. With such a long absence, he was worried that his family might have noticed that both he and Bonnie were missing.


    The Pok�� Balls containing Heliolisk had been destroyed during the battle with the Mmar leader, and Clemont''s belongings were lost in the fight as well.


    So, he had to reluctantly borrow a new Pok�� Ball from Yuga to re-capture Heliolisk.


    In order to return to Lumiose City as quickly as possible, Yuga recalled the Gogoats and Skiddos into the Pok�� Balls, and then released his Dragonite and Charizard, inviting Clemont and Bonnie to ride them.


    Initially, Yuga wanted Bonnie to ride with him, but Bonnie seemed to be quite frightened. She was very dependent on Clemont at the moment and she didn''t want to be too far from him.


    So, Yuga had no choice but to let the two siblings ride on Dragonite together, while he rode on Charizard.


    Despite the impressive flight speed of Dragonite and Charizard, by the time they returned to Lumiose City, it was already dark.


    At this moment, Clemont and Bonnie''s family was in a state of panic due to their disappearance.


    Clemont''s father had been searching for his son and daughter the entire day, utilizing every resource at his disposal.


    Clemont''s identity was not ordinary; he was a renowned genius inventor in all of Lumiose City and was also the designated future Gym Leader of Lumiose City''s Gym.


    So, Clemont''s disappearance had caused quite amotion, even alerting the Mayor of Lumiose City.


    Yuga had no idea about themotion caused by Clemont''s disappearance. At this moment, he was escorting Clemont and Bonnie to the front door of their home.


    Their house was brightly lit.


    As soon as Bonnie climbed down from Dragonite''s back, she shouted towards the front door, "Mom, we''re back!"


    Then Yuga heard a flurry of footsteps, and the front door swung open. A middle-aged woman with tears in her eyes rushed out.


    "Bonnie, Clemont! It''s really you! Where have you two been?"


    The woman immediately embraced Bonnie, crying.


    Seeing her mother in distress, Bonnie looked to her brother for help, clearly not knowing how to handle the situation. She turned to her brother for support.


    Clemont approached his mother and gently embraced her, saying, "It''s okay, Mom. Both Bonnie and I are fine."


    "Where have you two been? Why didn''t you tell your mom and dad? We''ve been so worried!" Clemont''s mother said, tears still in her eyes as she held onto her son''s hand.


    Seeing that her children were safe, she couldn''t bring herself to scold them for not informing her. Their well-being was more important than anything else.


    "I''m sorry, Mom, for making you worry," Clemont said apologetically.


    "It''s not like that at all! It was because big brother was captured by the Mmar. We didn''t run off without telling you," Bonnie said indignantly.


    "Captured?" Clemont''s mother eximed in surprise, looking at Bonnie.


    "What exactly happened?" she asked.


    "It was big brother who saved my brother," Bonnie exined.


    Only now did Clemont''s mother notice Yuga''s presence.


    Finally, she noticed me!


    Yuga breathed a sigh of relief when he realized she had acknowledged him.


    Earlier, he was in a dilemma, neither leaving nor staying. Walking away without saying goodbye would have seemed impolite, while staying here without anyone noticing him was awkward.


    It''s really awkward!


    "Oh... I''m so sorry!" Clemont''s mother realized she had been impolite after noticing Yuga''s presence.


    Although she didn''t yet understand the full story, she knew from Bonnie''s words that it seemed like this young man had saved her son.


    She understood that there must have been a reason for her children''s disappearance. Her son was usually so well-behaved; he wouldn''t do something as reckless as running off without a word.


    "It''s okay, it''s okay," Yuga waved his hand, knowing that Clemont''s mother was just worried about her children. Although being left aside was a bit embarrassing.


    "Clemont and Bonnie have returned safely now. I''ll take my leave."


    With that, Yuga recalled his Dragonite and mounted his Charizard, then swiftly departed.


    "Wait..." Clemont''s mother wanted to say more, but Yuga and his Charizard had already disappeared into the night.


    "Goodbye, big brother," Bonnie called out loudly as the echoes of her farewell filled the surroundings.


    Trantionplete.

 Chapter 826: A Guest

    <h4>Chapter 826: A Guest</h4>


    Watching Yuga depart, Clemont''s mother held Bonnie in one hand and Clemont in the other as she walked toward their house, saying, "Come on, let''s go inside and you can tell me everything that happened!"


    She also needed to let the children''s father know they were back! Clemont''s mother thought to herself.


    "Mom, you won''t believe what happened..."


    Perhaps it was being safely back home and seeing her mother, but Bonnie''s lively personality returned, and she chattered away, exining the events.


    Yuga, after leaving Clemont''s house, hurried back to the aircraft. He had no idea how well Shin and Kazuma, had handled the task he assigned to them �C a simple inspection of the exhibition site, but he felt like he had let Momiji down by cancelling their visit to the Forest Park.


    Though it was just an inspection, and nothing major, it was still like breaking a promise, and he wondered if Momiji would be upset.


    Indeed, as soon as Yuga returned to his aircraft, Momiji stormed in to find him.


    "I mean, seriously! You ditched me early in the morning. What''s going on?" Momiji''s angry expression was quite intimidating.


    "I had some unexpected business to attend to. I''m really sorry," Yuga replied, his face full of apologies.


    They had nned to visit the Forest Park together, and even though Yuga had a legitimate reason, cancelling was still cancelling.


    "Well, I heard you were saving someone?" Momiji''s tone softened a bit as she noted Yuga''s sincerity. She wasn''t the type to make a fuss for no reason, and she had heard the basic details from Shin and Kazuma.


    "Yes, a friend of mine was in trouble," Yuga nodded in confirmation.


    "Let me tell you, it''s been quite a buzz in Lumiose City today. The sessor Gym Leader of Lumiose City has gone missing, and the whole Lumiose City Police Department is in an uproar," Momiji said, her tone now filled with gossip.


    The sessor Gym Leader? That must be Clemont, right?


    Yuga was surprised to hear that Clemont''s disappearance had caused such amotion. But then again, considering Clemont''s special status, it made sense. Losing such an important figure would naturally lead to a big stir.


    "Where did you hear this news?" Yuga inquired, a bit intrigued by Momiji''s sources.


    "Don''t worry about it. I have my ways of getting information. And that friend you mentioned, is it the missing sessor Gym Leader?" Momiji asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.


    "Why do you want to know so much? It''s not really your concern," Yuga replied, slightly surprised by Momiji''s inquisitiveness.


    However, he knew that news of Clemont''s disappearance shouldn''t have been leaked so easily. Even if the police were involved in the search, the identity of the missing person, especially someone like Clemont, would likely be kept confidential.


    "Forget it. I was just curious. After all, you Gym Leaders tend to know each other, right?" Momiji shrugged.


    "Alright, let''s drop this topic. Is there still food in the cafeteria? I haven''t eaten all day, and I''m starving," Yuga changed the subject.


    Yuga''s encounter with Clemont''s mother had made him realize that he was quite an outsider in the situation, and he decided it was best to keep his distance from the ongoing family matters for now. So, he shifted the conversation to something more mundane �C food.


    Yuga didn''t want to discuss the matter further, and it was true he was quite hungry after a whole day without food. He needed nourishment.


    Seeing that Yuga wasn''t interested in pursuing the topic, Momiji decided not to press further and led Yuga to the cafeteria.


    After filling their stomachs, Yuga took the three Mmar he had rescued to Petal''s ce. These three Pok��mon had been injured quite seriously, and Yuga was concerned that if they weren''t treated, they might not make it. If they died wouldn''t it be a waste of effort for him to bring them back?


    The next morning, Yuga contacted Audino, intending to send back three Gogoat, two Skiddo, two Meowstic, a Pangoro, two Pancham, and the Magnemite family, along with Maon, to Audino''s care.


    It is inconvenient for him to carry these Pok��mon with him. He believed Audino could find suitable ces for them in the Ecopark.


    As for the three Mmar, Yuga intended to keep them with him for training; sending them back would only bring chaos to the Ecopark.


    The aircraft from the Aroma Day Care didn''t have a Trade Machine, so Yuga had to visit the local Pok��mon Center to send the Pok��mon back.


    Although the Aroma Day Care had the means to afford a Trade Machine on their aircraft, it wasn''t installed because mobile aircraft couldn''t support such a device. All Trade Machines needed a fixed location for instation.


    Fortunately, a ce like Lumiose City had several Pok��mon Centers, including one in this suburban area, so Yuga didn''t have to make a special trip to the city center.


    Once Yuga returned from the Pok��mon Center, Hatsuki came over and informed him that someone named Meyer wanted to visit him.


    Meyer? The name sounded unfamiliar to Yuga; he couldn''t recall ever meeting someone by that name.


    Nevertheless, Yuga decided to meet with this Mr. Meyer.


    "Hello, are you Mr. Shimizu?" Meyer inquired upon seeing Yuga.


    "Hello, and who are you?" Yuga asked, feeling like he should recognize this person but couldn''t quite ce him.


    "I''m the father of Clemont and Bonnie. I heard about what happened yesterday from them. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for rescuing them."


    Clemont and Bonnie''s father!


    Yuga suddenly remembered why this man seemed familiar. He had a vague memory of his face, but names and other details eluded him. He knew this person had a hidden identity as the ziken Mask.


    An indescribable name...


    He owns a ziken that can Mega Evolve, Yuga remembers this very clearly.


    "Ah, I see now. I''m Yuga. Meeting Clemont and Bonnie was a pleasure, and helping them was the right thing to do. You don''t need to thank me," Yuga replied, somewhat taken aback by the man''s politeness.


    Meyer was significantly older than Yuga, and his courteous demeanor caught Yuga off guard.


    Meyer was tall and muscr, with brown hair and a full beard, giving him apletely different appearance from Clemont and Bonnie.


    However, it seemed that the siblings had inherited their mother''s appearance, both having golden hair.


    "Regardless, the fact remains that you saved them. I came here today to thank you," Meyer shook Yuga''s hand, genuinely grateful.


    "No need to thank me," Yuga replied. "And you don''t have to address me so formally. Just call me Yuga. Clemont and Bonnie call me ''big brother,'' so I can call you ''uncle'' without any hesitation."


    Being addressed with such formality by someone nearly his father''s age felt a bit awkward for Yuga.


    While Yuga used formalnguage out of respect for elders, he knew that to Meyer, he was just a younger person.


    "Very well, I''ll call you Yuga then. I came here today mainly to invite you to visit my home so that Clemont''s mother and i, can properly thank you."


    Yuga''s polite manner had improved Meyer''s impression of him significantly.


    The shift in how Meyer addressed him made Yuga feel more at ease.


    "Visit your home? That''s really not necessary. I didn''t do anything extraordinary," Yuga said, surprised that Meyer hade here to invite him to his home.


    "Why not necessary? Saving lives is a significant act, isn''t it? Both Bonnie and Clemont hope you cane. Besides, you''vee all the way to Kalos, so let me extend my hospitality properly," Meyer insisted.


    Meyer had already learned from Clemont and Bonnie that Yuga wasn''t from Kalos, and he had even done some online research on Yuga''s background. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have casually invited someone he didn''t know into his home.


    Yuga was a Gym Leader and a rising star in the Hoenn League, so at least there were no major character issues.


    Clemont would soon be taking on the role of Gym Leader, and spending time with someone like Yuga could be beneficial.


    Seeing Meyer''s enthusiasm, Yuga reluctantly agreed to his invitation.


    "Alright, let''s do that then. I''lle over to your ce. I appreciate your hospitality," Yuga replied.


    "Great! We''ll be waiting for you at home. I have some matters to attend to today, so I''ll take my leave now," Meyer said as he left in a hurry.


    Yesterday, in order to find Clemont and Bonnie, Meyer had used a lot of connections, and even the mayor was rmed, so Meyer still had a lot to deal with when he returned to the city today.


    Watching Meyer''s departing figure, Yuga shook his head helplessly. He was going to have to go back and continue training the three Mmar. If not for them, he wouldn''t have gotten involved in so much trouble.

 Chapter 827: Whipping

    <h4>Chapter 827: Whipping</h4>


    Yuga didn''t fully heal the injuries of the three Mmar; otherwise, these troublemakers might cause even more trouble. As long as they didn''t die, it was enough.


    Yuga ced them in a corner of the aircraft Ecopark, where Absol kept an eye on them, preventing other Pok��mon in the park from getting close to them and falling under their influence.


    Yuga had tried, but among his Pok��mon, only Absol was immune to Mmar''s hypnotic abilities.


    Absol seemed to be a natural nemesis for these three troublemakers. The energy shield formed by blue crystals had no effect on it, and Mmar''s hypnotic abilities didn''t work either.


    Without the amplification of blue crystals, the three Mmar were among the weakest of pseudo-Elite Pok��mon. Moreover, they were injured and could only let Absol squash them t.


    When Yuga arrived at the aircraft Ecopark, he saw Absolzily lying on the ground, looking at the three Mmar with half-closed eyes.


    Meanwhile, Florges was using her whip, mercilesslyshing the Mmar one after another. Her strikes were fierce and unrelenting.


    The Mmar shuddered and huddled together, filled with fear.


    "Florges! Florges! Florges..."


    Watching Florges whip the Mmar with a stern expression, Yuga was astonished.


    Florges, have you awakened some strange attribute?


    When Florges saw Yuga approaching, she expressionlessly retracted her vine whip. However, Yuga couldn''t help but feel that there was a sense of unfulfillment in her demeanor.


    "Mmar... Mmar..."


    Seeing Yuga approaching, the three Mmar seemed to view him as their savior, tears streaming down their faces as they looked at him with pleading eyes.


    They were truly terrified by Florges''s whip.


    In truth, Florges''s vine whip was nothingpared to what she had used before Yuga arrived. Previously, she had used a whip made of Fairy Wind condensed into a wind whip.


    The sensation of that whip against their bodies was truly exhrating.


    However, fearing that they couldn''t endure it, Florges switched to the vine whip.


    Yugapletely ignored their pleas. Compared to the misdeeds they hadmitted, this bit of whipping was nothing.


    Yuga took out the blue crystal and asked the three Mmar, "You said earlier that you could cultivate using this crystal. Could you demonstrate it for me?"


    This blue crystal was the eye of the Mmar ancentors and had attributes of Psychic and Dark types.


    Since the Mmar could use it, Absol should be able to use it too.


    Although Absol wasn''t a Psychic-type Pok��mon, it had a talent for Psychic abilities, just not the versatile abilities that typical Psychic-type Pok��mon possessed.


    Yuga didn''t doubt that the ancestor of the Mmar was not a Mmar. If it were any other Pok��mon, these three Mmar probably wouldn''t be able to use this eye.


    When they saw the crystal, the three Mmar, who had been shedding tears, immediately changed their attitude towards Yuga and looked at him with a fierce expression.


    Especially the leader among them, taking advantage of Yuga''s inattention, extended its long tentacles and lunged towards the blue crystal in Yuga''s hand.


    Although Absol had been lying quietly, its attention had always been on the three Mmar.


    In the instant the leading Mmar made its move, Absol''s w swiped, and the sharp w cut through half of the tentacle, severing it.


    Watching the severed tentacle twitching and writhing on the ground, Absol calmly retracted its paw, exuding an air of mastery.


    Half of its tentacles were broken off, and the Mmar leader fell to the ground and rolled and howled. The other two Mmars were frightened by the boss''s moans and their hearts shrank, and the little thoughts in their hearts disappeared instantly.


    Even though the tentacle could regrow quickly, it didn''t change the fact that it hurt!


    Yuga thought to himself, "I knew these three troublemakers wouldn''t behave!"


    Yuga cast a nce at the Mmar leader, who was writhing in pain. Then he turned to the other two Mmar and said, "If it won''t talk, you two will."


    Hearing Yuga''s cold voice, the bodies of the other two Mmar shivered, and within half a second, they couldn''t hold back any longer and spilled everything they knew.


    Seeing that their big brother was not putting up a fight, the Mmar leader, despite the pain of losing its arm, shot a re at its two younger brothers.


    Although the Mmar leader was the one who orchestrated most of their actions, it was actually the youngest of the three Mmar brothers. It was just stronger and smarter than the other two, so the other two followed its lead.


    However, the Mmar leader''s re only earned it another whip from Florges. It couldn''t care less about the other two Mmar now and began wailing again.


    Yuga watched Florges''s readiness to use her whip with some concern.


    "Oh no, my Florges seems to have be strange. Is there any hope left?"


    As Yuga heard the sound of the whip cracking, the two other Mmar''s hearts raced, and they spilled every bit of information they had.


    By the time the two Mmar finished confessing, the Mmar leader had already passed out.


    Florges shook her whip and felt a bit unsatisfied. She used Wish move to treat the Mmar leader''s wounds. After all, it wouldn''t be good if she beat it to death.


    But in Florges''s hands, it wasn''t easy to die. She''d will give you a Grassy Terrain while educating you on love!


    After questioning the two remaining Mmar, Yuga handed the blue crystal to Absol and said to it:


    "Give it a try, see if you can use this."


    Absol took the blue crystal from Yuga, closed its eyes, and followed the method exined by the Mmar to sense and control the crystal.


    Soon, bright blue threads and wisps of dark mist flowed out of the blue crystal, moving towards the bone armor on Absol''s forehead.


    The blue threads and dark mist remained distinct, representing Psychic-type and Dark-type energy respectively. Yuga could sense that these energies were separate.


    Seeing this, Yuga understood that the blue crystal had an effect on Absol''s training.


    After about four or five minutes, Absol slowly opened its eyes.


    "How does it feel?" Yuga asked eagerly.


    "Absol!"


    Absol nodded, indicating that the blue crystal was indeed beneficial to it.


    The other two Mmar, seeing that Absol could truly use their ancestor''s treasure, felt resentful deep down but didn''t dare show it on their faces, given the lesson their younger brother had received.


    "That''s good then."


    Yuga patted Absol''s soft, white fur, but due to Absol''s tall stature, even though it was currently lying down, Yuga could only reach its neck.


    "Then, this thing is entrusted to you. Make good use of it."


    Absol nodded and directly took the blue crystal into its mouth, swallowing it in front of the astonished gazes of the two Mmar.


    The two Mmar, who had originally nned to find an opportunity to steal the blue crystal back from Absol, were left dumbfounded.


    It''s over, the treasure of our ancestors will be lost in their hands.


    Yuga instructed Absol and Florges to keep a close watch on the Mmar, asionally giving them some loving discipline, and then he left the aircraft Ecopark.

 Chapter 828: Patterns

    <h4>Chapter 828: Patterns</h4>


    Leaving the aircraft, Yuga brought his Vivillon outside with him.


    In the suburbs of Lumiose City, the vegetation was lush, and flowers were in full bloom, attracting numerous Vivillon, making it an ideal time for Yuga to collect the scales from his Vivillon.


    Not far from the aircraft, Yuga quickly found a cluster of wildflowers. Within the cluster, Vivillon of various colors were dancing gracefully, sipping nectar from the blossoms.


    Among these congregated Vivillon, the Garden Pattern Vivillon in shades of purple and pink dominated, with asional sightings of Continental Pattern Vivillon in yellow and Garden Pattern Vivillon in deep green.


    Other patterned Vivillon were notmonly seen in the vicinity of Lumiose City, so encountering one or two was considered fortunate.


    Yuga''s Vivillon hadn''t seen so many of its kind before, so it joyfully pped its wings and joined the Vivillon group.


    Yuga''s Vivillon was quite eye-catching, immediately attracting the attention of the other Vivillon.


    In the eyes of the Vivillon, Yuga''s Vivillon was an unequivocal beauty.


    However, they were wary of the imposing aura emanating from Yuga''s Vivillon and dared not approach too closely. They could only dance around Yuga''s Vivillon from a distance.


    With each p of their wings, these Vivillon released a trace of scales that wafted towards Yuga''s Vivillon on the wind. The multicolored scales shimmered brilliantly in the reflected sunlight, looking exceptionally beautiful.


    Each time Yuga''s Vivillon absorbed a wisp of scales, its wings became even more radiant, as if it had been given a sparkling special effect.


    However, this special effect didn''tst long, fading after a brief moment, only to be renewed when the next wave of scales arrived.


    The scales of butterfly Pok��mon were not limitless; they served as a protectiveyer, so they couldn''t dedicate all their scales to Yuga''s Vivillon. Each Vivillon only contributed a tiny amount of scales.


    The saying "little by little" applied here, which was why Yuga had decided to collect scales from butterfly Pok��mon. With a sufficient number of them in his Ecopark, the growth rate of Vivillon would elerate.


    After ying with these Vivillon for a while and collecting a substantial amount of scales, Yuga felt it was time to leave.


    He had no intention of subduing the Vivillon in this area.


    The potentials of the Vivillon here are all quite poor. Besides the red and orange, there isn''t even one with a yellow potential.


    Even if Yuga nned to collect butterfly Pok��mon, he couldn''t bepletely indiscriminate; otherwise, there would be too many butterfly Pok��mon to handle.


    The mostmon species in various regions are Butterfree, Beautifly, and Vivillon.


    When Yuga left with his Vivillon, the other Vivillon seemed reluctant to see them go. Some even followed closely behind Yuga and his Vivillon.


    Yuga noticed but paid them no mind. Butterfly Pok��mon were generally loose groups; they didn''t have a true society. They often gathered together, but it didn''t mean they wanted to live as a group.


    It was just that their individual strength was quite weak, so staying together provided some safety.


    Yuga strolled around with his Vivillon among the flowers and grass. Whenever he encountered a group of Vivillon, he approached them to gather some scales. This resulted in arge group of Vivillon following him, creating a spectacr sight.


    As Yuga walked further, he suddenly came across a square field of flowers. Above the field, a group of Vivillon was flying, with the most conspicuous one being a Vivillon with a rare Sun Pattern, disying abination of red and yellow.


    A Sun Pattern Vivillon?


    Yuga was surprised to see such a rare Sun Pattern Vivillon in this ce.


    Among the twenty patterns of Vivillon, the Sun Pattern was among the top three in terms of rarity, much rarer than Yuga''s own Icy Snow Pattern Vivillon.


    Furthermore, Sun Pattern Vivillon didn''t have a fixed habitat in the Kalos region; they could potentially be found anywhere, but the chances were extremely slim.


    The four wings of the Sun Pattern Vivillon had a bright red color at the edges, transitioning to a golden yellow in the middle. The red formed a regr circle around the Vivillon''s body, resembling a rising sun.


    It could be said that the Sun Pattern Vivillon had the most dazzling colors among all Vivillon.


    ...


    Type: Bug/Flying


    Ability: Friend Guard


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 56


    Moves: String Shot, Tackle, Protect, Powder, Gust, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Poison Powder, Bug Bite, Light Screen, Psybeam, Supersonic, Bug Buzz, Aromatherapy, Quiver Dance, Roost, and Safeguard.


    ...


    What surprised Yuga the most was the potential of this Sun Pattern Vivillon, which was unexpectedly the rare Blue potential.


    For a Pok��mon like Vivillon, obtaining a high potential Pok��mon was no easy task, especially in the wild. Even Yuga''s own Vivillon was cultivated by humans.


    Seeing such a Vivillon, Yuga had no reason to leave it unimed.


    Just as Yuga was preparing to make his move, he suddenly saw apletely blue Vivillon flying out of the nearby woods.


    A Marine Pattern Vivillon?


    Before Yuga could even react, one Vivillon after another emerged from the woods.


    Modern Pattern, Archipgo Pattern, Elegant Pattern, Icy Snow Pattern, Meadow Pattern, River Pattern...


    Vivillon with various patterns flew out and gradually gathered around the Sun Pattern Vivillon. There was a faint indication that the Sun Pattern Vivillon was their leader.


    It seemed these Vivillon had an owner.


    Encountering one Sun Pattern Vivillon, Yuga could consider it luck, but having numerous Vivillon with different patterns gathering together was beyond mere coincidence.


    If these Vivillon truly had an owner, that would exin things.


    In the wild, it was not so easy to stumble upon a Vivillon with such a unique pattern and outstanding potentials. Moreover, this Vivillon''s level and moves didn''t resemble those of a typical wild Pok��mon.


    It was just that Yuga had been momentarily excited and subconsciously overlooked these details.


    He was being too greedy...


    In Kalos, people who collected Vivillon with different patterns as a hobby were not umon, and many of them were wealthy individuals.


    Seeing so many Vivillon with different patterns, Yuga couldn''t help but develop some interest in the owners of these Vivillon.


    Among these Vivillon, quite a few had impressive potentials, indicating that a considerable amount of money had been spent to collect these different Vivillon.


    While Yuga observed the Vivillon, the Vivillon also noticed him and his Vivillon standing outside the flower field.


    They curiously inspected Yuga and his Vivillon.


    These Vivillon were not wild Pok��mon, so they were more cautious towards strangerspared to the wild Vivillon Yuga had encountered earlier.


    Even though they sensed the attraction of Yuga''s Vivillon, they didn''t approach recklessly. However, there was a subtlemotion within the group of Vivillon.


    But while they remained still, Yuga''s Vivillon took action.


    It rapidly pped its wings and darted into the group of Vivillon.


    Yuga''s Vivillon''s behavior initially caused a bit of panic among the group of Vivillon. It was only after they realized that Yuga''s Vivillon had no ill intentions that they settled down once more.


    The uniqueness of Yuga''s Vivillon made it challenging for other Vivillon to exclude it. Soon, they all danced around Yuga''s Vivillon, performing a vibrant and colorful dance.


    As they joyfully danced, tiny scales floated onto Yuga''s Vivillon.

 Chapter 829: The Girl

    <h4>Chapter 829: The Girl</h4>


    After getting along well with his Vivillon and the other Vivillon, Yuga walked up to the Sun Pattern Vivillon and said, "Can you take me to meet your owner?"


    The Sun Pattern Vivillon thought for a moment and nodded in response.


    It felt something peculiar about this human in front of it, sensing goodwill from him.


    "Vivillon... Vivillon..."


    The Sun Pattern Vivillon turned to the other Vivillon and chirped a few times, prompting them to disperse. It remained along with Yuga and his Vivillon.


    "Vivillon..."


    pping its wings, the Sun Pattern Vivillon signaled Yuga and his Vivillon to follow it.


    Following behind the Sun Pattern Vivillon, Yuga noticed a secluded path in the woods.


    Walking along the long path, Yuga was greeted by a vi surrounded by countless blooming flowers.


    In the flowerbed in front of the vi, a young girl was watering the flowers. She was apanied by an adorable Floette and an Fancy Pattern Vivillon.


    Yuga was about to approach and greet the girl when a Furfrou rushed out from the flowerbed, barking loudly at him.


    In Yuga''s experience, most Furfrous, being Poodle Pok��mon known for their gentle nature, were not as aggressive as this one. He had never heard of one like this before, with a temperament simr to that of a Houndoom.


    "Furfrou... Furfrou... Furfrou Furfrou..."


    Seeing this, the Sun Pattern Vivillon, which had been guiding Yuga, approached the Furfrou and exchanged a few words with it.


    After a haughty nce at Yuga, the Furfrou disappeared back into the flowerbed.


    At this moment, the girl also noticed Yuga''s presence. She set down her watering can and, apanied by Floette and the Fancy Pattern Vivillon, came to the vi''s entrance.


    "May I help you?" the girl asked Yuga with a hint of hesitation, as she didn''t recognize him.


    "Hello, I saw many Vivillon in the nearby flower field and got curious. I wanted to meet the owner of these Vivillon," Yuga politely exined.


    "I see. You like Vivillon too?"


    The girl suddenly realized and at this time, shs noticed Vivillon next to Yuga.


    "Is this your Vivillon? It''s so beautiful," sheplimented.


    Yuga nodded and replied, "Thank you. Your Vivillon is beautiful as well."


    As he spoke, Yuga gestured toward the Fancy Pattern Vivillon by the girl''s side.


    The Fancy Pattern Vivillon had green edges on its wings with white, red, and dark green spots scattered across it, and the inner part of its wings was transparent, giving it a dreamy appearance.


    "Thank you," the girl responded with a smile.


    Upon hearing someone praise her Pok��mon, the girl felt a mixture of joy and shyness.


    Her initial Pok��mon, like her father''s and grandfather''s, was a Vivillon. They shared amon love for Vivillon, perhaps due to a hereditary appreciation and shared hobby.


    However, she wasn''t as passionate about collecting Vivillon as her father and grandfather.


    The Fancy Pattern Vivillon, hearing Yuga''spliment, blushed shyly, resembling its owner in this regard.


    "By the way, those Vivillon you mentioned belong to my father. If you want to meet him, I can ask him for you," the girl said, her shyness slowly giving way to determination.


    "That would be very kind of you," Yuga replied.


    "Wait here; I''ll be right back."


    With that, the girl dashed off, and her Floette and Fancy Pattern Vivillon yfully followed her.


    As soon as the girl left, the Furfrou reappeared, eyeing Yuga with a stern gaze, as if to say, "Behave yourself."


    It seemed this Furfrou was the guardian Pok��mon of this ce, exining its protective demeanor.


    After about seven to eight minutes, the girl returned, out of breath but excited, and said to Yuga, "My dad... agreed to meet you... meet you... follow me."


    Watching the flushed girl, Yuga wanted to say that she needn''t rush so much, but he held back.


    "Thank you for guiding me."


    "Come...e with me."


    After catching her breath, the girl''s breathing steadied.


    As Yuga followed the girl into the vi, the Furfrou pretended to follow suit, but it seemed to keep a close eye on Yuga.


    Inside the vi, Yuga noticed that the garden in front, filled with vibrant flowers, was teeming with various Vivillon.


    The owner of this ce was indeed an avid Vivillon enthusiast.


    "By the way, I still don''t know your name," the girl said as they walked.


    "I''m Shimizu Yuga. And you?" Yuga found the girl rather innocent, asking her father to meet him without even knowing his name. What if he were a bad person?


    "I''m Mina. Your ent doesn''t sound like you''re from Kalos. Are you from another region?" Though not particrly outgoing, Mina was lively, and after a few conversations with Yuga, she had be morefortable with him.


    "Yes, I''m from the Hoenn region."


    In the Pok��mon world, although there''s amonnguage, people from different regions may have subtle differences in pronunciation, which aren''t too hard to distinguish.


    "Hoenn, huh? Sounds like it''s quite far away. I''ve never even been out of Lumiose City," the girl said, her tone filled with longing when she mentioned Hoenn.


    A sense of disappointment overcame her, and her Floette and Fancy Pattern Vivillon immediatelyforted her.


    "If you want to go out, you can travel," Yuga suggested.


    Observing the girl, who appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, at an age when many Trainers start their Pok��mon journeys, and with her Floette and Vivillon, which were decent Pok��monpanions, he wondered why she hadn''t be a Trainer.


    "Ah..." The girl sighed.


    "I''m not a Trainer, and I haven''t really thought about bing one. My dad is worried it''s too dangerous for me to go out..."


    Yuga suddenly understood. The girl came from a well-off family, had Pok��mon, but hadn''t considered bing a Trainer. Her family was likely concerned about her safety if she were go to travel.


    Walking through the long garden, Yuga and the girl reached the front gate of the vi.


    A well-dressed butler-like elderly man stood at the entrance, indicating that he was likely the steward of this ce.


    Seeing Yuga and Mina approach, the butler disappeared for a moment, then addressed Mina with a "Miss," before turning to Yuga and saying, "Please follow me, sir."


    "Thank you," Yuga nodded in acknowledgment and quickly followed the butler into the vi, apanied by his Vivillon.


    However, as soon as Yuga stepped into the living room of the vi, the first one to receive attention was his Vivillon.


    "So beautiful... absolutely stunning..."


    Before Yuga could even greet the people in the room, this person rushed to his Vivillon and marveled at it.


    This person was presumably the owner of the vi, Mina''s father.


    He appeared to be in his early thirties, with a refined appearance that made it hard to gauge his exact age.


    Considering Mina''s age, it was usible to think he was only in his early thirties, but well-maintained enough to seem a bit younger.


    "Um... hello..."


    Seeing that this person waspletely engrossed with his Vivillon, muttering to himself, and not paying attention to him, Yuga couldn''t help but speak up.

 Chapter 830: The Flower House

    <h4>Chapter 830: The Flower House</h4>


    However, it seemed like this person hadn''t heard Yuga''s voice at all.


    "Dad!"


    At this moment, Mina, who was standing beside them, couldn''t bear it any longer and shouted loudly at the man.


    The middle-aged man shuddered, finallying back to his senses.


    "Ah... Ah, right... the guest. I apologize. I am Tsuruta. Young man, did youe to discuss Vivillon with me? It''s a pleasure to meet you. Your Vivillon, it''s simply perfect. We must have a thorough exchange..."


    Yuga hadn''t even started speaking, and Mr. Tsuruta began rambling on, not even introducing himself properly.


    He was indeed an entric person.


    "Come,e, young man, let''s sit down and talk."


    Saying this, Mr. Tsuruta pulled Yuga into a seat, while Mina followed along, clearly unhappy with her father''s less-than-graceful hosting.


    "Oh... young man... By the way, I haven''t asked for your name yet?"


    After a long pause, Mr. Tsuruta finally remembered that he didn''t know Yuga''s name.


    "I''m Shimizu Yuga."


    Yuga replied, feeling a bit awkward but polite.


    "Shimizu Yuga, what a nice name."


    That name sounded somewhat familiar to Mr. Tsuruta, but the thought was quickly dismissed.


    "Yuga, my friend, are you also a Vivillon enthusiast?"


    Yuga shook his head. "Not exactly. I''m a Vivillon Trainer. I saw many Vivillon in the nearby flower field, which piqued my interest, so I came to visit the owner of these Vivillon."


    "I see..."


    Hearing that Yuga wasn''t a Vivillon enthusiast, Mr. Tsuruta felt a bit disappointed, thinking he had found a fellow enthusiast.


    "Well, Shimizu Yuga, it doesn''t matter. You''ve raised such a beautiful Vivillon. You must have valuable insights into Vivillon training."


    Mr. Tsuruta''s initial disappointment was fleeting, and seeing Yuga''s Vivillon resting on his head, he became excited once again.


    "Did you raise all these Vivillon by yourself?"


    Yuga asked with curiosity. It was quite challenging to raise such arge number of Vivillon.


    "Not exactly. These Vivillon here were raised by me and my father together."


    Speaking of his father, Mr. Tsuruta''s face was filled with nostalgia.


    "And your father?"


    "He''s passed away."


    When Yuga mentioned Mr. Tsuruta''ste father, he could sense the deep longing and affection Mr. Tsuruta had for him. Their father-son rtionship must have been very strong.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t realize..."


    Hearing that Mr. Tsuruta''s father had passed away, Yuga felt apologetic, thinking that he shouldn''t have brought up the topic.


    "It''s okay, really. When I look at these Vivillon, it reminds me of my father every day. There''s nothing I can''t talk about."


    Mr. Tsuruta was a very open-minded person.


    "By the way, would you like to see the flower house that my father and I built? It''s where we cultivate Vivillon."


    Mr. Tsuruta enthusiastically invited Yuga.


    Yuga was genuinely interested in seeing where Mr. Tsuruta cultivated Vivillon and replied with a smile, "I''d be honored."


    "Would you like toe along, Mina?"


    After standing up, Mr. Tsuruta turned to his daughter, who was sitting beside him.


    "Of course, I''ming!"


    Otherwise, how can I keep an eye on you, Dad?


    Mina shot her father an annoyed look and then said to Yuga, "Mr. Shimizu, I''ll show you the way."


    Mr. Tsuruta awkwardly rubbed his nose, not quite sure what had irked his beloved daughter.


    Seeing through the situation, Yuga smiled and shook his head, saying, "Thank you, Mina."


    Mr. Tsuruta''s flower house was located behind the vi, and although it was called a flower house, it was actually a special ecological garden designed specifically for Vivillon.


    ording to Mr. Tsuruta, his father had built this flower house when he was young. His father had a lifelong passion for Vivillon, collecting a wide variety of wing patterns and constructing this facility for their cultivation.


    Mr. Tsuruta had witnessed his father''s dedication to raising Vivillon since he was a child, and he, too, had developed a love for these Pok��mon under his father''s influence.


    His father had told him that Vivillon, despite their small size, had a strong determination to live, and the beautiful patterns on their wings were a reflection of their tenacious life spirit.


    His father''s greatest wish had been to collect all twenty different wing patterns of Vivillon, but sadly, he had never fulfilled that dream before he passed away.


    Afterward, Mr. Tsuruta continued the pursuit of his father''s dream and eventually managed to collect all twenty patterns. Strictly speaking, neither Mr. Tsuruta nor his father were Trainers or breeders; they were simply individuals with a deep understanding of raising Vivillon.


    Their family ran a sessful restaurant business in Kalos, which provided them with the financial means to collect and cultivate arge number of Vivillon.


    Mr. Tsuruta had a younger brother, a talented Trainer and renowned chef. However, unlike his brother and father, he had no interest in Vivillon as Pok��mon and did not inherit his father''s legacy.


    Initially, Yuga thought that the number of Vivillon he had seen in the flower field and garden was impressive, but when he arrived at Mr. Tsuruta''s flower house, he realized he had been mistaken.


    While Mr. Tsuruta''s flower house couldn''t match the size of the ecological garden in the forest park, it was still substantial, muchrger than Yuga''s main Ecopark area, which had been systematically expanded over time.


    Yuga couldn''t help but marvel at the fact that there were always wealthy individuals in the world.


    Inside Mr. Tsuruta''s flower house, there was a profusion of exotic nts, and butterflies, both in their caterpir and pupa stages, were everywhere. Vivillon with different wing patterns were also flying all around.


    As soon as Yuga''s Vivillon entered the flower house, it excitedly joined the swarm of butterflies. While there were other Icy Snow Pattern Vivillon in the area, Yuga wasn''t worried about not recognizing his own Pok��mon.


    His Vivillon stood out prominently, both in size and the dazzling brilliance of its scales, surpassing all other Vivillon in the area.


    Once Yuga''s Vivillon entered the swarm, it became the center of attention, with other Vivillon flying around it in reverence, creating a mesmerizing sight.


    Mr. Tsuruta gazed at Yuga''s Vivillon with envy and eximed, "Young man, your Vivillon is truly outstanding."


    Observing the multitude of Vivillon fluttering in the flower house, Yuga inquired, "Mr. Tsuruta, with so many Vivillon in this flower house, it must be quite challenging to manage, isn''t it?"


    With a sigh, Mr. Tsuruta replied, "Indeed. You see, Vivillon reproduce quite rapidly. Over the years, my father and I continued to collect them, and now, the number of Vivillon has exceeded my capacity to care for them."


    While the flower house was quiterge, the number of Vivillon was evenrger. And outside, there were even more Vivillon.


    It was hard to imagine what it would be like when all the Vivillon eventually entered the flower house. The harsh cold of autumn and winter wouldn''t be suitable for Vivillon to live outside for extended periods.

 Chapter 831: Legend

    <h4>Chapter 831: Legend</h4>


    Since Mr. Tsuruta''s Vivillon seemed to have bing a burden, how about...


    Just as Yuga was about to say something, Mr. Tsuruta looked at Yuga''s Vivillon in astonishment and said:


    "Your Vivillon..."


    It turned out that Yuga''s Vivillon, which had been dancing gracefully among the swarm of butterflies, had emitted a dazzling radiance due to the absorption of arge amount of scale powder, making it appear as if it had adorned itself with a splendid cloak.


    This conspicuous change couldn''t escape Mr. Tsuruta''s notice. Even his daughter, Mina, stood there with her mouth wide open, her face filled with amazement.


    Yuga hadn''t expected such a obvious transformation in his Vivillon''s wings due to the simultaneous absorption of scale powder.


    "Your Vivillon... seems like..."


    Mr. Tsuruta furrowed his brow and began pondering.


    Could it be that Mr. Tsuruta knew something about the special properties of Vivillon''s scale powder? The thought excited Yuga; if that were the case, it could save him a lot of effort.


    Although he knew that the unique properties of scale powder could make Vivillon stronger, the tasks issued by the system hadn''t indicatedpletion, suggesting that there was something he didn''t know.


    "As for the changes in my Vivillon, Mr. Tsuruta, do you know anything about it?"


    "Oh, I see, I see. So that''s it. No wonder, no wonder..."


    Lost in thought, Mr. Tsuruta began muttering to himself.


    "Dad!"


    Mina, too, was curious about the mysterious transformation of Yuga''s Vivillon and was far from pleased to see her father acting so strangely.


    "Do you not know what''s happening with your Vivillon?"


    After hearing Mina''s call, Mr. Tsuruta snapped out of his reverie and turned to Yuga with a question.


    Yuga shook his head. "The change in my Vivillon today was a coincidence. I don''t know the exact reason."


    "Could you tell me about what happened with your Vivillon?"


    Mr. Tsuruta still harbored his suspicions.


    Yuga nodded and proceeded to tell Mr. Tsuruta about what had happend with his Vivillon in the Petalburg Forest.


    "It seems my guess was correct."


    Mr. Tsuruta said with an envious look in his eyes.


    Yuga asked, "Mr. Tsuruta, can you provide more details about what''s happening with my Vivillon?"


    Mr. Tsuruta replied, "There''s nothing I can''t tell you. Leave your Vivillon here, and youe with me."


    Saying this, Mr. Tsuruta led Mina outside the flower house.


    Yuga also wanted his Vivillon to take advantage of the opportunity to collect more scale powder, so he agreed to Mr. Tsuruta''s proposal and followed him out of the flower house.


    Under Mr. Tsuruta''s guidance, Yuga arrived at his study.


    Yuga nced at the bookshelves, which were filled with books about Bug-type Pok��mon, butterfly Pok��mon, and Vivillon.


    Indicating for Yuga to take a seat, Mr. Tsuruta began searching through the shelves, taking a while before he pulled out a specific book from a corner.


    "Finally found it!"


    Sitting across from Yuga with the book in hand, Mr. Tsuruta opened it.


    "It''s been so long, I can barely remember. My father told me this legend when he was still alive."


    "A legend?" Yuga looked puzzled.


    "Yes, your Vivillon is connected to a legend that is passed down among butterfly Pok��mon."


    Flipping through a few pages, Mr. Tsuruta continued, "This book belongs to my father, it contains the story of the Butterfly King."


    The pattern in the book clearly resembles a butterfly Pok��mon, but it''s not Vivillon; instead, it looks like a Venomoth. Both the wing patterns and the body shape are quite simr to Venomoth.


    "This book recounts the story of a Venomoth known as the Butterfly King."


    Mr. Tsuruta flipped through a few pages and continued.


    "Butterfly King? Are you saying that my Vivillon is like this Venomoth, the Butterfly King?" Yuga felt a surge of excitement; no wonder his Vivillonmanded the respect and awe of all butterfly Pok��mon.


    Mr. Tsuruta shook his head in response. "It''s not that simple. As far as I know, this legend of the Butterfly King is only recorded in this book. While there are simrities between what''s in this book and your Vivillon, there are also differences."


    "Differences?"


    "Yes, but I suspect that the book may not have theplete story."


    Mr. Tsuruta nodded.


    "The Venomoth described in the book probably existed in the Kanto region a long time ago, but back then, there wasn''t much interregional exchange like we have now, where you can see Pok��mon from various regions everywhere."


    Yuga nodded in agreement; that was indeed the case.


    "So, the Venomoth described in the book could only attract two types of butterfly Pok��mon, Venomoth and Butterfree. However, as you mentioned, your Vivillon can attract Vivillon, Beautifly, and Dustox."


    "Could it be that my Vivillon is more powerful?" Yuga asked eagerly.


    Mr. Tsuruta gave Yuga a wry smile. "That''s highly unlikely. ording to the book, that Venomoth was already the ruler of the forest at the time. Your Vivillon has a long way to go if it wants to achieve that level."


    "This ability should work on all butterfly Pok��mon, so I believe the book''s records are iplete. Besides, I don''t think your Vivillon is the Butterfly King."


    Mr. Tsuruta flipped to another page of the book and pointed to a passage as he spoke to Yuga:


    "Take a look here. The birth of the Butterfly King begins with a ritual performed by the butterfly swarm, and it proims itself king upon the ''Insect''s Heart.''


    Now, look at the section regarding the butterfly swarm ritual and the ''Insect''s Heart.'' The butterfly swarm ritual matches your description, but itcks a mention of the ''Insect''s Heart.''


    The ''Insect''s Heart'' is the embodiment of the Butterfly King and the Insect King. Besides the conditions for the birth of the Butterfly King, it also rtes to the abilities of the Butterfly King.


    The Butterfly King canmand its kindred, and by that, I mean Venomoth and Butterfree in this context. However, I believe it should apply to all butterfly Pok��mon.


    The more kindred the Butterfly Kingmands, the faster its strength grows.


    When ites tomanding kindred, your Vivillon surpasses the Butterfly King by far, based on what''s described here.


    Moreover, the Butterfly King and regr kindred are also different in terms of their life essence.


    Although your Vivillon looks quite distinct, its life essence doesn''t seem to exceed that of an ordinary Vivillon by much.


    And..."


    After delivering this lengthy exnation, Mr. Tsuruta cleared his throat softly.


    "So, you mean to say that in order to fully awaken as the Butterfly King, one needs the ''Insect''s Heart''?"


    Mr. Tsuruta nodded.


    "That''s the challenge. The Butterfly King is an incredibly rare existence. It mentions here that the ''Insect''s Heart'' is the embodiment of the Butterfly King. I suspect that the birth of a new Butterfly King might require the transfer of the ''Insect''s Heart'' from one to another, allowing a sessor who has undergone the ritual to awaken.


    The term ''Insect King'' mentioned here should be an equivalent entity to the Butterfly King. The details, I''m not entirely sure of."


    "So, does that mean my Vivillon has no chance of awakening?"


    Yuga eximed in astonishment, wondering where he could find the "Insect''s Heart" of a Butterfly King or Insect King. Until now, he had no idea that the Butterfly King existed, and even someone as knowledgeable as Mr. Kuni''o hadn''t noticed anything special about his Vivillon.


    "In reality, having a Vivillon that has undergone the butterfly swarm ritual is already quite rare. I''ve lived for so long, and this is the first time I''ve encountered such a Pok��mon. The butterfly swarm ritual is a highly mysterious ceremony, and ording to this book, the probability of it urring is no higher than the probability of finding the ''Insect''s Heart.''"


    Mr. Tsuruta reassured Yuga.


    "But isn''t the Butterfly King a legend? Why is this book so detailed in its description?"


    Yuga asked curiously.


    "The author of this book is said to be the one who tamed the Butterfly King. That''s why the descriptions are so detailed. Moreover, this is a unique copy that can''t be found anywhere else."


    The book narrated the story of an ordinary Venomoth''s journey to be a generation''s Butterfly King, then embarking on adventures with an ordinary young man.


    After finishing the story, Yuga couldn''t help but think, "Isn''t this just a story of an underdog''s rise to glory? Is this story even believable? Isn''t it just the author''s imagination?"


    Despite Mr. Tsuruta''s serious tone, Yuga felt like his own intelligence had been insulted.


    "Why are you looking at me like that? The contents of this book are all true! Just look at your Vivillon; isn''t it proof enough?"


    Seeing Yuga rolling his eyes at him, Mr. Tsuruta felt frustrated!


    Although he had also thought that such books were an insult to intelligence in the past, after seeing Yuga''s Vivillon, he believed there was a high probability that the book''s descriptions were true.

 Chapter 832: Request

    <h4>Chapter 832: Request</h4>


    In reality, it''s not that Yuga doesn''t trust Mr. Tsuruta; considering the situation with the Vivillon and what the book says, it''s entirely possible that it''s true.


    It''s just that the story recorded in this book is too absurd, not much different from those fanciful novels. It''s really hard to believe.


    But regardless, that "Insect''s Heart" mentioned in the book is quite troublesome! Maybe I should ask Genos about it? Speaking of which, it''s been such a long time, and there''s been no news from Genos about finding the source of flight. And Mr. Kuni''o hasn''t made any progress either.


    Just as Yuga was pondering this, the voice of the system echoed in his mind.


    [ To be honest, if you want to find the Insect''s Heart, there''s something you have in your possession that can serve as a substitute. ]


    Yuga''s face lit up at this revtion. "What is it? Please, tell me."


    [ Should we discuss this when you get back? It''s not very convenient to talk here. ]


    Yuga agreed with the system''s suggestion. After all, he was currently in someone else''s house, and chatting with the system here wasn''t ideal.


    Although he didn''t press for more information, Yuga couldn''t help but be curious about what the system meant by a substitute.


    Putting the matter of the Insect''s Heart aside for the moment, Yuga turned to Mr. Tsuruta and said, "Mr. Tsuruta, there''s something I''d like to ask for your help with."


    Mr. Tsuruta replied, "Go ahead, I''ll help if I can."


    Yuga continued, "You mentioned earlier that you have a burden with the number of Vivillon you have, especially the Vivillon. I was wondering if you could consider transferring some of your Vivillon to me, as well the Scatterbugs and the Spewpas. Of course, I''llpensate you generously."


    Wild Vivillon in the area often didn''t meet Yuga''s standards in terms of potential, but the ones carefully bred by Mr. Tsuruta were different.


    Mr. Tsuruta, though surprised by Yuga''s request, quickly understood Yuga''s intentions. "Are you looking to use the scale powder from other Vivillon to nurture your own Vivillon?"


    Yuga nodded. "Yes, exactly. But rest assured, if your Vivillone to me, I''ll take good care of them."


    He knew that these Vivillon were Mr. Tsuruta''s pride and joy, and he was afraid Mr. Tsuruta might be hesitant to part with them.


    "I''ll need some time to think about it. Could you leave me your contact information, and I''ll get back to you in a while?" Mr. Tsuruta suggested.


    In reality, Mr. Tsuruta was quite willing to find a suitable home for his Vivillon. With their numbers, even if he had hired dedicated caretakers, it was challenging to provide proper care to each one. Finding a good home for them was the best choice.


    However, Yuga had only recently met Mr. Tsuruta, and even though he had a good first impression of Yuga, he couldn''t simply hand over his beloved Vivillon.


    Vivillon weren''t rare Pok��mon, and while those who liked them really liked them, but most people didn''t have a fondness for these inherently fragile Pok��mon.


    So finding a suitable home for the Vivillon wasn''t an easy task.


    Mr. Tsuruta knew that in the Kalos region, there were many collectors who were enthusiastic about collecting Vivillon with different wing patterns. However, most of them were driven by curiosity rather than a genuine love for Vivillon.


    Some collectors even went to extreme lengths, turning Vivillon with beautiful patterns into specimens to satisfy their collecting desires.


    Although Vivillon weren''t considered rare, some wing patterns were genuinely umon, such as the Sun Pattern and Fancy Pattern, which could satisfy the curiosity of certain individuals.


    Upon hearing Mr. Tsuruta''s response, Yuga knew that there was hope for his request and said excitedly, "Of course, I''ll be waiting for your reply."


    Afterward, Yuga didn''t stay at Mr. Tsuruta''s mansion for long. He discussed Vivillon breeding insights with Mr. Tsuruta for a while and then took his leave.


    Mr. Tsuruta was truly experienced in breeding Vivillon, and he provided Yuga with valuable advice and inspiration. Their time together was enjoyable.


    Once Yuga left Mr. Tsuruta''s mansion, Mr. Tsuruta immediately instructed someone to investigate Yuga''s background.


    Although the name Yuga Shimizu sounded somewhat familiar, after thinking for a while, Mr. Tsuruta couldn''t recall who he really was.


    As for whether he should transfer some of his Vivillon to Yuga, he decided to make that decision after the investigation results were avable.


    Mr. Tsuruta''s house and the Clemont family''s residence weren''t too far apart, as this suburban residential area was rtively concentrated.


    Since Mr. Tsuruta''s mansion upied arger plot ofnd in the vi area, it was separate from the other houses. Otherwise, they would have been even closer.


    When Yuga arrived at the Clemont family''s residence, Bonnie was sitting on the front steps, lost in thought. Beside her sat Clemont''s Heliolisk.


    Upon spotting Yuga, Bonnie''s eyes lit up, and she leaped up from the steps, dashing over to him like a small cannonball.


    "Big brother, you''re here! I''ve been waiting for you for so long."


    Yuga smiled and gently patted Bonnie''s head. "Have you been waiting for a long time?"


    Clemont''s Heliolisk was also happily following behind Bonnie, and it reached Yuga''s side, trotting in aical manner. For a moment, Yuga felt like he was looking at a monkey rather than a lizard.


    Speaking of Heliolisk, it was a species with dragon lineage (Egg Group: Dragon, Monster), which made it naturally inclined to learn Dragon-type moves like Dragon Tail and Dragon Rush. It had nothing inmon with monkeys, of course.


    Seeing Heliolisk equally delighted to see Yuga, it knew that Yuga was the one who had saved it and Clemont.


    Heliolisk ran around Yuga in circles, then excitedly unfurled the cor-like organ around its neck.


    The cor resembled blooming flowers and unfolded instantly, evenrger in diameter than the thickest part of Heliolisk''s body.


    Of course, Heliolisk was naturally slender, so its neck''s cor appeared exceptionallyrge after unfolding.


    The cor-like organ around Heliolisk''s neck was used for charging.


    When they basked in the sun, this extended organ would collect sr energy and convert it into electricity stored within Heliolisk''s body.


    It was said that the power generation device in Prism Tower in Lumiose City was invented based on Heliolisk''s cor, and the genius inventor behind this creation was none other than Clemont.


    The birth of the power generation system in Prism Tower solved the energy problem for the entire Lumiose City, and currently, most of the city''s facilities were powered by Prism Tower.


    This was why Clemont''s disappearance had caused such a stir in Lumiose City.


    In the eyes of Lumiose City, Clemont''s importance was self-evident.


    Yuga gave Heliolisk a pat, and the cor-like organ on Heliolisk''s neck instantly retracted.


    Heliolisk not only extended this organ when collecting energy or getting excited, but it would also unfurl it to intimidate enemies when it felt threatened or rmed.


    Inside the house, Clemont probably heard themotion outside and peeked its head out from behind the door. Upon seeing Yuga, it immediately walked to the entrance and weed Yuga inside.

 Chapter 833: Guest

    <h4>Chapter 833: Guest</h4>


    Yuga was led into the house by Bonnie, and Clemont''s mother, who was busy in the kitchen, stuck her head out.


    "Guests have arrived! Bonnie, make sure to treat them well. Mom is quite busy!" She said and nodded towards Yuga with a smile.


    "Alright, Mom, I got it!" Bonnie happily eximed.


    Yuga looked around the house and didn''t see Clemont''s father, which meant he hadn''t returned yet.


    "Clemont, don''t we need to help your mom?" Yuga asked Clemont, smelling the delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen.


    Clemont motioned for Yuga to sit down, poured him a ss of juice, and said, "Dad''s ziken is in the kitchen, it''ll help Mom."


    Yuga nodded in understanding. He assumed the ziken was the Pok��mon capable of Mega Evolution, though the Clemont family appeared unaware of its father''s secret.


    Things like ziken Mask sounded rather like the antics of a teenager who hadn''t grown up.


    Yuga chatted with Clemont and Bonnie for a while until they heard the sound of a motorcycle outside. Shortly after, Clemont''s father entered the house.


    Apanying him was a tall, golden-furred Ampharos, which served as Clemont''s father''s assistant in the electric appliance store.


    "Ah! Dad and Ampharos are back!" Bonnie leaped off the couch and ran cheerfully to Clemont''s father''s side.


    Clemont''s father lifted his daughter and greeted Yuga, saying, "Yuga, wee, wee."


    Seeing the homeowner return, Yuga stood up and smiled, saying, "Thank you for having me."


    As for the Ampharos, it exchanged a brief greeting with Yuga upon entering but headed straight for the kitchen to help.


    The lunch prepared by Clemont''s mother was exceptionallyvish, and Yuga finally got to see the ziken that was assisting in the kitchen.


    ...


    Type: Fire, Fighting


    Ability: ze


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 66


    Moves: Agility, Fire st, methrower, Peck, Fire Spin, ze Kick, Sky Uppercut, me Burst, Fire Punch, Bounce, Fire Kick, Bulk Up, Brick Break, Crush w, Quick Attack.


    ...


    This was an pseudo-Elite level ziken.


    Mr. Meyer may have his quirks, but he certainly has the ir for it.


    Speaking of ziken, Yuga thought about the Hoenn Trio Starter Pok��mon in his own Ecopark. There''s Sceptile and Swampert. Butcked a ziken.


    It was a small regret.


    As the final dish was ced on the table, Clemont''s mother expressed her apologies to Yuga, saying, "Last night when you arrived, I didn''t realize it was necessary to treat you properly. I feel terribly rude."


    Yuga quickly waved his hand and replied, "Not at all, not at all. You were worried about Clemont and Bonnie, so there''s no need to be too concerned."


    Given Clemont and Bonnie''s disappearance, their family must have been in turmoil yesterday. Yuga could empathize with Clemont''s mother''s frantic state.


    "Well, that''s true," Clemont''s mother began to say, but Clemont''s father interrupted, saying, "Alright, alright, let''s not dwell on the past. Let''s enjoy the meal; otherwise, the dishes we''ve prepared with such effort will go to waste."


    The lunch was a delightful gathering, and the Clemont family was warm and hospitable. Yuga got along well with them.


    Through their conversation, the Clemont family learned about Yuga''s identity and the reason for his visit to Kalos.


    Of course, Meyer had already known about Yuga''s background; otherwise, he wouldn''t have invited someone without proper knowledge into his home. However, Bonnie and Clemont were still in the dark.


    "Big brother runs a Pok��mon Day Care? Does that mean you have a lot of Pok��mon at home? That''s amazing; I want to have many Pok��mon too!" Bonnie eximed, her face filled with envy upon hearing that Yuga ran a Pok��mon Day Care.


    She wish she could open a Pok��mon Day Care by herself.


    "That''s not all," Meyer chimed in with a smile. "Your big brother is also a Gym Leader!"


    "Really?! Big brother is a Gym Leader too? That''s so cool! No wonder he''s so amazing!"


    Clemont''s intention to seed as the Gym Leader of Lumiose City was something Bonnie was aware of. So when she heard that Yuga was also a Gym Leader, she instantly felt a sense of camaraderie.


    It had to be said that Bonnie was essentially a fan of her older brother. Being quite young, she didn''t fully grasp how skilled Gym Leaders could be, but she believed her brother was amazing, so Gym Leaders must be amazing too.


    Seeing Bonnie gazing at him with admiration, Yuga cleared his throat and asked, "Bonnie, do you really like Pok��mon a lot?"


    "Yes, yes! I want to be a Trainer like my big brother. Someday, I want to be a Gym Leader too!" Bonnie earnestly nodded, then hopped off her chair, sped her hands behind her back, and tilted her head, walking back and forth with a serious expression.


    Yuga watched Bonnie''s actions with a puzzled expression, not quite sure what she was doing.


    At that moment, Clemont softly reminded Yuga, "The Gym Leaders of Lumiose City walk like that."


    As the designated next Gym Leader for Lumiose City''s Gym, Clemont naturally knew the current Gym Leader. Bonnie was aware of him too.


    When Bonnie thought of Gym Leaders, the first one that came to her mind was the current Gym Leader of Lumiose City. Besides Yuga, he was the only Gym Leader she had ever seen, and her impression of him was quite deep, so she involuntarily started imitating him.


    Although Yuga was also a Gym Leader, Bonnie''s awareness of him wasn''t very deep at the moment.


    The current Gym Leader of Lumiose City, while not a bad person, was known by those who knew him for his habit of speaking condescendingly and giving off a pretentious vibe.


    Bonnie''s most vivid impression of the Gym Leader was indeed that very attitude.


    Upon hearing Clemont''s reminder, Yuga couldn''t help but chuckle, and soon, Clemont, his father, and his mother joined in theughter.


    Frustrated by everyoneughing at her, Bonnie eximed, "Why are youughing? Why are youughing? I''m serious! Noughing! Noughing!"


    But everyone continued tough even harder.


    Once theughter died down, Yuga turned to the irate Bonnie and said, "Bonnie, if you want to see Pok��mon, you can go to the aircraft over there and find me. There are many Pok��mon inside."


    Bonnie''s eyes lit up at his words. "Really? Can I really go?"


    Yuga nodded, saying, "Of course, you''re wee anytime."


    While he wasn''t the owner of the aircraft, inviting a child toe and y should pose no problem.


    Clemont''s mother hesitated and said, "Our Bonnie can be quite mischievous. Won''t she be a trouble for you?"


    "Mom!" Bonnie shot her mother an annoyed look.


    "It''s alright; Bonnie is well-behaved. She loves Pok��mon so much, how could she be a bother to me?" Yuga reassured them with a smile.


    "Yeah, that''s right!" Bonnie chimed in.


    "Great! Thank you for amodating her," Clemont''s mother said with gratitude.

 Chapter 834: Practice

    <h4>Chapter 834: Practice</h4>


    After lunch, Mr. Meyer had to return to the city to attend to his shop, so he didn''t stay at home for long.


    Yuga, on the other hand, was led by Clemont''s sister, Bonnie, to their backyard to see Clemont''s Pok��mon.


    Clemont specialized in training Electric-type Pok��mon, but he didn''t have arge number of them. When Yuga arrived, he saw only seven Pok��mon.


    Among them were the familiar Heliolisk, a Helioptile, a Emolga, a Maon, a Plusle, a Minun, and a affy.


    When Yuga and Bonnie entered the yard, the Pok��mon had just finished eating lunch and were resting.


    Heliolisk was leading Helioptile on a walk, while the Maon was hovering in the air. Plusle, Minun, and Emolga were ying and chasing each other on the grass.


    As Minun was running, it identally bumped into Bonnie, resulting in aical fall. Bonnie quickly picked it up.


    "Aw, you little rascal!"


    Bonnie gave Minun a kiss on its face and turned to Yuga, asking, "Big brother, isn''t Minun adorable?"


    Minun, being held by Bonnie, nuzzled her cheek and looked quite happy.


    "Yes, indeed, very adorable."


    Yuga nodded and agreed. Both Plusle and Minun were undeniably cute Electric-type Pok��mon.


    Despite their small stature, they had cheerful and lively personalities, making them particrly appealing to children.


    However, in terms of battling, they weren''t particrly powerful, and not many Trainers chose to use them. Yuga was surprised that Clemont had both Plusle and Minun.


    Bonnie quickly joined in ying with Plusle, Minun, and Emolga.


    While the other Pok��mon were resting, Yuga noticed that affy seemed to be practicing a move.


    In front of affy, there was a wooden post, and affy clenched its fists, repeatedly striking the post with powerful punches.


    Seeing Yuga watching the affy practicing in the distance, Clemont sighed with a hint of frustration and said, "My affy has been trying to learn the Thunder Punch move recently, but it''s been struggling, and we haven''t made much progress."


    Yuga suddenly understood. Pok��mon like affy or Ampharos tend to have a higher talent for learning Special Attack moves, and they might find it more challenging to learn physical moves.


    This is inevitable; different Pok��mon have different tendencies when ites to their innate abilities.


    Some excel in physical attacks, some in special attacks, some can do well in both areas, and others are more focused on support moves.


    Clearly, affy falls into the second category.


    However, it doesn''t mean that if a Pok��mon excels in one aspect, they shouldpletely ignore the other.


    Take affy, for example. Usually, it relies on long-range attacks to bombard opponents, but what if someone gets too close? It can''t just use special attacks up close, right?


    (Note: In Pok��mon moves, special attacks don''t necessarily correspond to long-range attacks, and physical attacks don''t necessarily mean closebat. Most special moves tend to be long-range, and most physical moves tend to be closebat, but there are exceptions.)


    In terms of flexibility, this approach isn''t practical; it might even identally hurt itself.


    So, having a few closebat moves for such situations is crucial. It doesn''t require them to deal a lot of damage, but at least they won''t be defenseless.


    For example, Yuga''s Gengar primarily relies on special attacks, but it also knows moves like Shadow Punch for closebat.


    Shadow Punch may not be very powerful when used by Gengar, but if an opponent gets too close, it can still retaliate.


    Yuga rarely faces difficulties in teaching Pok��mon moves since his Ecopark has a diverse range of Pok��mon. If one can''t teach a particr move, he can always turn to another Pok��mon for guidance. If one teacher isn''t good enough, there''s always another one.


    Others clearly don''t have this advantage.


    Seeing the exhausted ffy, Clemont couldn''t help but walk over and insist that it take a break.


    "Effort is crucial, but rest is equally important, isn''t it?"


    Clemont crouched down, patted ffy''s back, and said to it.


    This ffy was quite petite, and even when Clemont crouched down, he was still taller than it.


    "affy..."


    ffy felt somewhat clumsy, having been trying to learn a move for so long without sess.


    In its quest to learn Thunder Punch, ffy even sought advice from Meyer''s ziken. While ziken didn''t know Thunder Punch, it did know Fire Punch, and ffy hoped that watching Fire Punch might give it some inspiration.


    But despite its efforts, it hadn''t made any progress.


    Yuga approached and noticed the red marks on ffy''s hands from practicing punches, with faint traces of blood. He reached out and gently held ffy''s hands.


    Startled by the touch of a stranger holding its hands, ffy instinctively tried to pull away. However, before it could react, it felt a warm sensation enveloping its hands, which was incrediblyforting.


    As the warmth spread throughout its body, ffy felt all the pain and fatigue vanish.


    "How does that feel? Much better?" Yuga asked as he released ffy''s hands.


    ffy stared at its unharmed hands in astonishment.


    It was truly miraculous!


    Clemont, too, was taken aback by Yuga''s actions.


    "Just a little trick, don''t be surprised," Yuga said, making no effort to conceal his special ability.


    It was well-known that his mentor, Mr. Kuni''o, possessed such abilities, and as Mr. Kuni''o''s disciple, having simr abilities was only natural.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Clemont nodded and refrained from asking further questions. He suddenly felt that his big brother was a very mysterious person.


    It had been this way in the Mmar Laboratory, and now with these special abilities.


    ffy, on the other hand, stared at Yuga with its curious, round eyes.


    "ffy, would you like to learn Thunder Punch? How about I find you a mentor?" Yuga suggested.


    "Does Big Brother have a Pok��mon that knows Thunder Punch?" Clemont asked excitedly.


    Yuga nodded. His Dragonite not only knew Thunder Punch but also Thunder, Thunderbolt, and Thunder Wave.


    "Then let Dragonite teach you Thunder Punch. Whether you can learn it or not depends on your own efforts," Yuga said, releasing his Dragonite.


    "It''s Dragonite!" Clemont eximed with realization. He had ridden on Dragonite before but had no idea it knew Thunder Punch.


    As soon as Dragonite emerged, it lifted its head and let out a roar towards the sky. Thin streaks of lightning radiated from its yellow scales, giving it a truly imposing presence.


    The electricity on Dragonite''s body was different from that of ordinary Electric-type Pok��mon. It originated from Zapdos and had been nurtured by the Yellow Gem, containing a hint of divinity and exerting strong suppression on ordinary Electric-type Pok��mon.

 Chapter 835: Professor

    <h4>Chapter 835: Professor</h4>


    With the appearance of Dragonite, free-floating ions in the air began to converge towards Dragonite, and crackling electric currents intermittently appeared in the air.


    The Maon that roamed the air, as well as Plusle, Minun, and Emolga ying with Bonnie, and the leisurely Helioptile and Heliolisk on their walk, all turned their gaze towards Dragonite.


    Under the influence of the electric currents around Dragonite, the bodies of these Pok��mon also uncontrobly flickered with crackling electricity.


    Seeing this situation, Clemont''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    As a Trainer specializing in Electric-type Pok��mon and a knowledgeable inventor, he naturally understood that this phenomenon urred because Dragonite possessed an incredibly powerful Electric-type energy.


    This Electric-type energy surpassed that of the other Pok��mon here, causing them to be involuntarily drawn to it.


    It was truly incredible that a Dragon-type Pok��mon like Dragonite possessed such formidable Electric-type power.


    On the woolly neck of the ffy in front of Yuga, that circle of pristine fur was also flickering with golden electricity.


    However, ffy was currently gazing at Dragonite in admiration,pletely unaware of the erratic electrical currents on its own body.


    Seeing this situation, Dragonite scratched its head awkwardly, extended its ws, and lightly grasped the air. A sh of golden electricity emanated from its palm.


    Sizzle...


    All the anomalies vanished.


    Yuga gave Dragonite a sideways nce, feeling that it had been a bit too cockytely.


    Dragonite grinned at Yuga, disying a mouthful ofrge, white teeth, looking incredibly goofy, living up to its reputation of being hefty.


    As the gathered electric currents dissipated, the Electric-type Pok��mon influenced by Dragonite''s presence gradually returned to normal.


    "Dragonite, why don''t you teach ffy how to use Thunder Punch?" Yuga suggested.


    "Draginite!"


    Sure!


    Dragonite nodded and beckoned ffy with its w. Excitedly, ffy skipped over to Dragonite''s side.


    Dragonite and ffy approached a wooden post together. Dragonite raised its right fist, and lightning gathered around its clenched fist, emitting a bright light.


    Boom!


    When Dragonite delivered a punch, the wooden post, with a diameter of a full meter, instantly shattered into five pieces, leaving a charred area where it broke. Even the ground where the post was firmly ced was sted into arge pit due to the impact of Dragonite''s Thunder Punch.


    Seeing the post broken by its own strike, Dragonite scratched the back of its head apologetically and then pointed at Clemont, and then at the post, indicating that it didn''t do it intentionally.


    "It''s alright, don''t worry," Clemont quickly waved his hand, assuring Dragonite that it didn''t need to feel bad.


    "Dragonite, Dragonite, Dragonite!"


    Do you see clearly?


    Dragonite lowered its head and asked ffy, who was not even as tall as its thigh.


    "affy, affy... affy..."


    ffy, who had initially been marveling at the power of Dragonite''s Thunder Punch, immediately lowered its head in embarrassment upon hearing Dragonite''s question.


    "Dragonite! How can ffy learn like this if you teach it this way?" Yuga reminded Dragonite upon seeing this.


    Hmm... Is that not how you teach it? Then how should it be done?


    Dragonite was quick-witted and learned skills rapidly, so it hadn''t encountered a situation like ffy''s before. Moreover, it was usually the one seeking advice from others, not the one acting as a teacher.


    "Think about how your mother taught you to learn Ice Punch. You need to exin to ffy how the Electric-type energy flows within its body, how to gather that energy into its fist, and how to release it from its fist..."


    After Yuga''s exnation, Dragonite pped its forehead in realization and chuckled goofily at Yuga. It then pulled ffy aside and began exining earnestly.


    Dragonite would point at its belly, then at its arm, and then it would wave its fist toward the ground...


    ffy listened attentively, sometimes nodding, sometimes shaking its head, sometimes having a eureka moment, and sometimes looking puzzled.


    Seeing that Dragonite and ffy weremunicating smoothly, Yuga was drawn into a discussion with the curious Clemont about training Electric-type Pok��mon.


    While Yuga''s primary Pok��mon team didn''t include Electric-type Pok��mon, Dragonite and Electric-types had a lot inmon. After their exchange, Clemont gained valuable insights.


    Three hourster, ffy ran excitedly to Clemont, proudly raising its tiny, chubby fist for him to see. On its small, rosy fist, a faint golden electric current sparkled.


    Although it couldn''t quite be called Thunder Punch yet, it had definitely found the way.


    "Congrattions, ffy! With continued practice, you will surely master the use of Thunder Punch," Clemont congratted ffy with a smile.


    ffy confidently nodded, brimming with confidence in its future. It raised its still-glowing fist for Clemont to see, switching hands when one got tired.


    Clemont watched ffy demonstrating its "Thunder Punch" with a mixture of helplessness and delight. He gently stroked ffy''s plush head.


    "Training a skill doesn''t happen overnight. How about, for the next few mornings, you take ffy to the grassy field where we first met? I''ll have Dragonite give it some extra guidance. I believe it won''t be long before ffy fully masters Thunder Punch."


    Yuga couldn''t help but suggest when he saw how happy ffy was for making progress.


    "Really? Won''t that be too much trouble for you?" Clemont asked with joy.


    Yuga shook his head and said, "It''s no problem; I usually go for a walk in the morning anyway."


    "Thank you so much, big brother! ffy, did you hear that? You have to keep working hard!" Clemont eximed.


    "affy, affy!" ffy squeezed its chubby little fists, signaling its determination to do its best.


    Yuga spent most of the afternoon at Clemont''s house before finally leaving. Clemont''s mother even invited Yuga for dinner, but he politely declined.


    He was eager to return to his aircraft and inquire with the system about what could rece the Insect Heart.


    Since leaving Mr. Meyer''s house, Yuga had been pondering what he might have that could substitute for the Insect Heart.


    However, no matter how hard he thought, he couldn''te up with anything. He trulycked any item that could establish a connection with Bug-type Pok��mon.


    Upon returning to his aircraft, Yuga was about to head to his room when he bumped into Momiji.


    "Oh! You''re back! You''re living quitefortably here, even in Kalos, someone invites you to dinner. Leaving your sister to eat in food all alone!" Yuga had already informed Momiji about his visit to Clemont''s house earlier in the day.


    "Well, ''sister'' can find someone to invite her to dinner too. I''m sure there are plenty of people interested!" Yuga teased Momiji and then quickly dashed away, leaving Momiji fuming and stamping her feet.


    "You little brat! Don''t run if you have the guts!"

 Chapter 836: Cocoon

    <h4>Chapter 836: Cocoon</h4>


    Before entering the room, Yuga instructed Shin and Kazuma not to disturb him unless it was absolutely necessary. He also postponed any pending appointments.


    As soon as he closed the door, Yuga couldn''t contain his eagerness and immediately asked the system, "System, please tell me, what is the thing you mentioned that can rece the Insect Heart?"


    [ Do you still remember what you obtained in the Ruins of Oldale Town? ]


    "The Ruins of Oldale Town? Oh, you mean the ancient Pok��mon, Cradily?"


    The key to the Ruins of Oldale Town was indeed the four mysterious gems. Yuga had initially hoped to find some valuable treasures inside. However, apart from fossils, there were only a few ancient Pok��mon.


    Fossils could revive ancient Pok��mon, which was valuable to some extent, butpared to the four gems, they seemed insignificant.


    [ Yes, there were ancient Pok��mon, but you forgot about a special fossil. ]


    With the system''s reminder, Yuga did recall. In the ruins, there was an altar with an unfamiliar fossil ced on it.


    Even now, the technology to revive fossils had not been developed, so those fossils had piled up in the system''s backpack, including the unidentified one.


    If the system hadn''t reminded him today, Yuga might have forgotten about these fossils.


    "Are you referring to this one?"


    Yuga rummaged through the system''s backpack and finally found the unidentified fossil.


    This fossil was a pale purple color, slightly translucent, unlike the other fossils.


    [ Yes, that''s the one. ]


    The system''s voice echoed in Yuga''s mind.


    "Do you know what kind of Pok��mon this fossil belongs to?"


    Yuga asked curiously.


    [ It''s a Genesect fossil. ]


    "Genesect?!"


    Yuga couldn''t help but exim, surprised to the point of almost shouting. Fortunately, the room had excellent soundproofing.


    [ Yes! ]


    "Why didn''t you tell me about this before?"


    Yuga was genuinely annoyed. Such crucial information had been withheld from him.


    [ You didn''t ask, Host. ]


    "So if I don''t ask, you won''t say anything?"


    For the first time, Yuga felt that the system was unreliable. It hadn''t shared such important information with him.


    [ Even if i''d tell the Host, what can the Host do now? ]


    Yuga paused for a moment, realizing that even if he knew about it, what could he do with a Genesect fossil?


    Revive it?


    The technology to revive fossils hadn''t been developed yet, so it was like having rice but no way to cook it.


    "I can''t possibly figure it out myself! I don''t have that talent," Yuga eximed.


    Even if he managed to figure it out, there was no guarantee that he could revive a special Pok��mon like Genesect.


    With these thoughts in mind, Yuga sighed deeply.


    [ Furthermore, I must remind the Host that even if a fossil revival device bes avable, this Genesect fossil cannot be used as a resurrection material. ]


    "Why not?" Yuga asked, astonished. He had just been thinking that when the fossil revival device became avable, he could obtain a Legendary Pok��mon for free!


    [ Because the gic sequence in this fossil is iplete. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have kept silent about it, and I wouldn''t have suggested using it as a recement for the Insect Heart. ]


    After the system''s exnation, Yuga learned that Genesect had lived in the Pok��mon world three hundred million years ago, and after bing a fossil, it had drifted from the Unova region to the Hoenn region due to continental drift.


    Over such a long time, as Genesect fossilized, its gic sequence had suffered losses.


    "How could this happen?"


    Yuga was heartbroken. A magnificent Legendary Pok��mon had been lost in this way.


    He remembered in the original story that Genesect had been sessfully revived, and it seemed that others could do it, but when it came to him, the fossil was iplete! It was truly frustrating.


    "Is there no other remedy?" Yuga asked hopefully, looking at the system.


    [ There isn''t, unless... ]


    "Unless what?"


    [ Unless the Host can obtain a specific golden item. ]


    The system replied hesitantly.


    "A golden item? Are you joking with me? If I could randomly obtain a golden item, I might as well go and capture a Legendary Pok��mon myself; it would be more convenient."


    He had been with the system for over two years, and with the additional two years spent in Arus, it had been nearly five years in total. In all that time, he had only obtained one golden item, the Seed of Unknown.


    Having hope for a golden item was like hoping that one day Jynx would be as sexy as Tsareena.


    "No other options?" Yuga inquired.


    [ No... none... ]


    Even the system felt guilty about the drop rate of golden items.


    [ Actually, using the Genesect fossil as a recement for the Insect Heart is worthwhile. Not only can Vivillon undergo a transformation, but also the Host''s mission can bepleted. ]


    "Mission? You mean the mission rted to Vivillon''s Scale Powder Mystery?"


    [ Yes, thepletion method for this mission is to have Vivillon fully transform into Butterfly King. ]


    Perhaps feeling too guilty, the system went against its usual policy and detailed thepletion method for Yuga.


    "Well, it seems that''s the only way."


    Yuga sighed in resignation.


    "But, what exactly is the Insect Heart? Why rece it with Genesect''s fossil?"


    [ Actually, the Insect Heart is the Amber of the Insect King, containing the power of the Insect King''s life. Butterfly King is a special branch of the Insect King, but it''s much more challenging to evolve into than a typical Insect King because butterfly groups usuallyck a king.


    However, in the end, the Insect King or Butterfly King is just an ordinary Pok��mon. Genesect, on the other hand, is on par with Legendary Pok��mon. Using its fossil as a substitute for the Insect Heart is more than sufficient.


    The transformation of Butterfly King only requires the power left by the Insect King in the amber. So even if Genesect''s genes are iplete, the power inside is still intact, and it won''t have any special effect. ]


    "I see! So how should Vivillon use this?"


    [ You just give it to Vivillon, and it will naturally know what to do. ]


    Yuga nodded, summoned Vivillon from its Pok�� Ball, and said to it, "Vivillon, this is for you."


    Vivillon looked at Yuga with confusion, not understanding why he was giving it a piece of stone, even though the stone looked quite pretty.


    However, despite its puzzlement, Vivillon obediently took the fossil from Yuga''s hand.


    The moment it touched the fossil, a strong reaction urred between Vivillon and the fossil.


    From the pale purple fossil, countless threads of yellow-green color suddenly extended, emitting a faint fluorescence as they wrapped around Vivillon.


    Vivillon didn''t resist these threads attempting to wrap around it; it felt a strong connection to them.


    As more and more yellow-green threads umted, Vivillon involuntarily folded its wings, encasing the entire fossil within them.


    When Vivillon folded its wings, it appeared as if it had transformed into a cocoon.


    The yellow-green threads didn''t stop; they continued to multiply. Soon, Vivillon had be a genuine cocoon.


    The entire cocoon emitted a soft glow. The yellow-green light wasn''t too bright, and it seemed to be pulsating, expanding and contracting like a living heart.

 Chapter 837: Metamorphosis

    <h4>Chapter 837: Metamorphosis</h4>


    As Yuga gazed at the slowly pulsating cocoon, he felt as though his own heartbeat mighte to a halt.


    While he mourned the loss of the Genesect fossil, he couldn''t help but worry more about Vivillon, the Pok��mon he had been living with day in and day out, than an elusive Legendary Pok��mon.


    Yuga had been in the room for about four hours. Shin and Kazuma had been instructed not to disturb him, so even when Momiji came to call him for dinner, she was turned away for no apparent reason, leaving her quite frustrated.


    Inside the room at this moment, Yuga was watching the yellow-green cocoon enveloping Vivillon as a crack slowly formed in its middle.


    Through the crack, a pair of wings shimmering with white light slowly unfurled, resembling flowers blossoming in spring, exuding an exquisite beauty.


    Once the wings were fully spread, the yellow-green cocoon shatteredpletely, and Vivillon emerged upright from the luminous cocoon.


    With a gentle p of its wings, the white light on them dispersed into the air, and the yellow-green cocoon vanished.


    "Vivillon..."


    Vivillon pped its wings twice, effortlessly ascending into the air.


    After its metamorphosis, Vivillon had undergone significant changes in appearance.


    Firstly, there was a change in size. Yuga''s Vivillon had originally been muchrger in sizepared to ordinary Vivillon, nearly asrge as a Noctowl when its wings were spread. However, after the metamorphosis, its size had shrunk considerably, bing almost indistinguishable from a typical Vivillon. But its wing movements now appeared much more agile.


    Secondly, there was a change in patterns. All Vivillon had amon feature on their wing edges: they were ck. Yuga''s Vivillon was no exception.


    However, after the metamorphosis, the ck edges of its wings had transformed into a pale purple color, nearly identical to the color of the Genesect fossil.


    The color on Vivillon''s wings, which had ice and snow patterns, was quite monotonous. Aside from the ck edges, the rest of the wings were white, with only a few scattered light gray spots.


    With these pale purple patterns, Yuga''s Vivillon became even more Bellossomful.


    However, beyond the changes in appearance, Yuga was more concerned about Vivillon''s physical condition.


    ...


    Type: Bug, Flying


    Gender: Female


    Abilities: Compound Eyes, Shield Dust


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 69


    Moves: Tackle, Stun Spore, Gust, Psybeam, Electroweb, Safeguard, Bug Buzz, Quiver Dance, Hurricane, Light Screen, Supersonic, Sleep Powder, Psychic, Powder, Rage Powder, U-turn, Roost, Sr Beam, Endeavor, Infestation.


    ...


    The first thing Yuga noticed was the striking purple potential.


    This marked his second purple potential Pok��mon after Lapras.


    Yuga had wondered about his second purple potential Pok��mon before. He had made predictions about Florges, about Chimecho taken by Deoxys...


    But he never thought it would be Vivillon.


    Compared to the purple potential, the level, which had reached peak of pseudo-Elite level, seemed insignificant.


    With Vivillon''s original Indigo potential, not to mention reaching peak of pseudo-Elite level, even breaking through to Elite level, it was only a matter of time.


    Was the transformation of Butterfly King really this powerful? Or was it influenced by the Genesect fossil? Yuga wondered.


    Besides the potential change, Yuga also sensed a strong vitality in Vivillon,pletely different from what an ordinary Bug-type Pok��mon should possess.


    Instead, it felt like a life transition that urred when a Pok��mon broke through from pseudo-Elite level to Elite level...


    Yuga remembered Mr. Tsuruta''s words about Butterfly King''s life form beingpletely different from its kin; perhaps this is what he had meant.


    "Vivillon..."


    Vivillon now felt that its entire body was filled with strength.


    "Vivillon, how do you feel now?" Yuga asked the Vivillon perched on top of his head.


    When Vivillon used to be outside, it liked to perch on Yuga''s head. However, Yuga used to think it was too heavy back then. Now, it felt much lighter.


    "Vivillon..."


    Feeling great!


    Hearing Vivillon''s response, Yuga''s previous worries faded away.


    "Vivillon, let''s go and test your current strength!"


    Yuga was now curious about how powerful Vivillon had be after its metamorphosis.


    "Vivillon... Vivillon..."


    Sure, let''s go! Let''s go test it out!


    Filled with power, Vivillon felt like it could take on ten opponents at once!


    When Yuga opened the door, he found Shin and Kazuma still waiting outside.


    "You two have been waiting here the whole time?" It''s been about four hours!


    Yuga asked in surprise.


    Shin and Kazuma both nodded.


    "Ms. Momiji came looking for you, but we told her you were busy, and she left."


    Shin said, conveniently leaving out the part about Momiji inviting Yuga to dinner.


    Yuga didn''t need to guess why Momiji hade looking for him.


    "Alright, I understand. You two can go back and rest. You''ve worked hard."


    The two brothers nodded and returned to their rooms.


    After leaving the room, Yuga, with Vivillon in tow, headed straight to the training grounds.


    It was now past nine in the evening, and most of the people on the training grounds had already left. Only a few exceptionally diligent individuals remained, training with their Pok��mon.


    When they saw Yuga arrive at the training grounds, those people only gave him a brief nce before continuing with their own training.


    Standing on the edge of a battle arena, Yuga released his Bellossom and Roserade.


    "Vivillon, how about facing both Bellossom and Roserade at once?"


    Vivillon''s level was now on par with Roserade and Bellossom, and its individual battle strength was definitely higher than theirs.


    However, Yuga wasn''t sure if it could handle both of them simultaneously.


    As for Elite level battle strength, Yuga didn''t even dare to think about it. The gap between pseudo-Elite level and Elite level was immense, not easily bridged, even with Vivillon''s purple potential.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Vivillon ced its hands on its hips and confidently raised its head: "I can take on ten, two are no problem."


    "Bellossom... Bellossom..."


    "Roserade! Roserade!"


    Seeing Vivillon''s "invincible" attitude, both Bellossom and Roserade were very angry.


    "Vivillon!"


    Seeing that Bellossom and Roserade were not convinced, Vivillon quickly flew to the other side of the battle arena, provoking the two of them.


    "Bellossom! Bellossom!"


    "Roserade! Roserade!"


    Provoked by Vivillon, Bellossom and Roserade angrily called out, indicating they wanted to teach the overconfident Vivillon a lesson.


    "I won''t interfere in your three-way battle. You can go all out. How about that?"


    Bellossom: Couldn''t ask for more!


    Roserade: Suits me just fine!


    Vivillon: That''s the way to go!


    All three of them nodded simultaneously.


    We''re just two Chapters away from the end, but I won''t make it tonight. I''ll catch up tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 838: Defeat

    <h4>Chapter 838: Defeat</h4>


    At Yuga''smand, the three Pok��mon took their positions on opposite sides of the battle arena: Bellossom and Roserade on one side, and Vivillon on the other.


    The first to act were Bellossom and Roserade.


    Roserade emitted a green light that quickly transformed the battlefield into lush, grassy field. Meanwhile, Bellossom began to use Quiver Dance and dance gracefully on the Grassy Terrain.


    Vivillon appeared quite rxed as it observed the actions of the two starting Pok��mon. However, Yuga noticed miniature whirlwinds gathering on Vivillon''s wings.


    Just as Roserade prepared tounch an attack on Vivillon, Vivillon''s assault was already upon it.


    Several giant des formed from the Gust movd sliced through the air, heading straight for Roserade and Bellossom.


    While Bellossom''s dance didn''t hinder its mobility or evasion, allowing it to swiftly move amidst the grass, Roserade wasn''t as agile. As the razor winds approached, Roserade used its Dazzling Gleam to defend against the attack.


    However, Dazzling Gleam wasn''t a defensive move, and Roserade still suffered considerable damage, especially from the impact force, nearly pushing it out of the arena.


    Watching Roserade retreat, Yuga gained a newfound appreciation for Vivillon''s attack power.


    Due to inherent race disadvantages, Pok��mon like Vivillon often had lower attack powerpared to Pok��mon like Roserade. That''s why moves like Quiver Dance were typically included in their move pool.


    But the current razor wind from Vivillon had disyed attack powerparable to its previous state while using Quiver Dance.


    Supporting itself with one hand, Roserade knelt on the ground, visibly in pain. Threads of green energy from the Grassy Terrain seeped into its body, alleviating the difort caused by the razor winds.


    Seeing Roserade struggling, Vivillon couldn''t help but feel triumphant, thinking, "Underestimated me, didn''t you? Now you know how powerful I am!"


    With this thought in mind, Vivillon began gathering razor winds on its wings once again, preparing to take advantage of Roserade''s weakened state.


    Flying-type Pok��mon like Vivillon had a significant advantage in terms of type matchups, which exined Roserade''s initial disadvantage in the battle.


    Vivillon''s Hurricane was much faster than Roserade had anticipated. As the enormous des sliced vertically towards it, Roserade managed to conjure a few Energy Balls to counterattack, but these were quickly extinguished by the ferocity of Vivillon''s Hurricane.


    Clearly, Roserade couldn''t gain the upper hand in terms of offense against Vivillon.


    As the razor winds cut through the air with a sharp "swish," it seemed like they would strike Roserade imminently. At the critical moment, Bellossompleted its Quiver Dance on the Grassy Terrain, umting sixyers of the dance.


    In a state of full-powered Quiver Dance, Bellossom experienced a significant boost in both speed and attack power.


    Bellossom swiftly positioned itself in front of Roserade, manipting countless pink petals that spun and collided with Vivillon''s razor winds.


    The beautiful and dreamlike petals shed with the chillingly sharp des, creating a tug-of-war effect.


    In the end, with a resounding "boom," both the des and petals exploded simultaneously, resulting in a massive explosion.


    As Yuga observed the smoke cloud formed by the explosion over the battlefield, he confirmed Vivillon''s attack capabilities in its normal state.


    In terms of sheer attack power, Vivillon had likely surpassed Roserade, Serperior, and Deerling in their normal states.


    This change was likely due to Vivillon''s race metamorphosis.


    In the world of Pok��mon, there were differences in race abilities, but there were no strict race value boundaries. Clearly, Vivillon''s transformation stemmed from an increase in race values.


    After defending against Vivillon''s attack, Bellossom gently lifted Roserade, which was still on the ground.


    Seeing that Bellossom easily handled its Hurricane, Vivillon felt a bit annoyed. It thought, "Are you trying to bully me? I can dance like a butterfly too!"


    Annoyed, Vivillon swiftly ascended to the skies and began its own Quiver Dance.


    However,pared to Bellossom, which benefited from the Grassy Terrain for energy umtion, Vivillon''s Quiver Dance was significantly slower.


    As Vivillon gracefully danced in the air, Bellossom couldn''t help but think, "How naive!"


    Bellossom and Roserade exchanged a knowing nce, their close bond allowing them to easily understand each other''s intentions.


    Simultaneously, they ced their hands over their chests, slowly condensing two golden Energy Orbs.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The two golden orbs were simultaneouslyunched into the sky.


    Rising rapidly, the two orbs seemed to transform into dazzling suns, shining brightly in the sky and raising the temperature in the air, making it feel dry and parched.


    Double Sunny Day.


    Although it was nighttime, the Double Sunny Day created by Roserade and Bellossom illuminated the entire training field as if it were daytime.


    The trainers who were still training couldn''t help but be influenced by Yuga''s side and turned their attention to Bellossom and Roserade.


    Vivillon''s Quiver Dance speed was not as fast as Bellossom''s. By the time the Double Sunny Day performed by Bellossom and Roserade ended, Vivillon had only managed to reach half of the thirdyer of its Quiver Dance.


    Seeing that Vivillon was still gracefully dancing, Bellossom extended its right hand, and Roserade extended its left hand towards each other.


    The petals on Roserade''s right hand faced the two golden Energy Balls in the sky, fervently gathering sr energy.


    The two vibrant flowers on Bellossom''s head emitted a radiant white light as they too rapidly collected sr energy.


    Vivillon, in the midst of its Quiver Dance, suddenly felt a pounding sensation in its chest, as if something had locked onto it.


    When it lowered its gaze, it was horrified to discover a robust golden beam of light coalescing upon the left and right hands held by Bellossom and Roserade.


    In a state of crisis, Vivillon immediately halted its Quiver Dance, attempting to break free from this feeling of being locked on.


    However, the speed of the beam was astonishingly fast, almost in the blink of an eye, Vivillon was engulfed by the light.


    Inside the beam of light, Vivillon felt extremely ufortable. The surrounding air seemed to be boiling and burning. It felt as though it would be reduced to ashes.


    This was the heat generated by the Sr Beam.


    Under the Double Sunny Day, Grass-type Sr Beam could be fired instantaneously. However, Bellossom and Roserade had spent time charging it, indicating the immense power behind it.


    The golden beam dissolved into specks of light and slowly dissipated into the air, revealing Vivillon within.


    At this moment, Vivillon appeared quite miserable, with its body charred and emitting smoke.


    Did we go too far?


    Both Bellossom and Roserade thought simultaneously, realizing they had only wanted to teach Vivillon, who had be overly arrogant, a lesson.


    Vivillon''s strength had indeed undergone a dramatic transformation, but Bellossom and Roserade had not idled away their two years with Yuga in Arus.


    They had apanied Yuga during his escape in Arus, endured pursuit, and umtedbat experience in blood and tears. This was something Vivillon couldn''tpare to.

 Chapter 839: Bug Buzz

    <h4>Chapter 839: Bug Buzz</h4>


    The airborne Vivillon fell to the ground like a crashing ne, smoke billowing from its body.


    Although Grass-type moves didn''t deal much damage to the Bug and Flying-type Vivillon, the Sr Beam from Bellossom and Roserade was incredibly powerful!


    Vivillon wasn''t a particrly defensive Pok��mon, so facing such an attack, taking damage was inevitable.


    It seemed that Vivillon''s ability changes didn''t include an improvement in its defensive capabilities; there wasn''t much difference from its previous state.


    Lying on the ground, Vivillon weakly pped its wings a couple of times, unable to take flight. The pain coursing through its body caused it to emit a hissing sound.


    Observing the pitiful state of Vivillon, Bellossom and Roserade realized they might have gone too far. They had only intended to spar, but it seemed they hadn''t held back, resulting in Vivillon''s suffering.


    Unlike the guilty feelings of Bellossom and Roserade, Vivillon, at this moment, was solely focused on winning. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing for it to go back on its previous boasts!


    It felt deeply embarrassed.


    Vivillon, lying on the ground, silently gathered its four butterfly wings and emitted a milky-white glow, as if adorning itself with a magnificent cloak.


    Yuga recognized that Vivillon was using a Flying-type recovery move called "Roost." After using Roost, Flying-type Pok��mon temporarily lose their Flying type and, in Vivillon''s case, be solely Bug-type.


    Of course, losing the Flying type didn''t mean this Pok��mon couldn''t fly anymore. Just like Venomoth, whichcked a Flying type but could still glide gracefully.


    As long as the wings were intact.


    The radiance emitted by Roost made Vivillon look less battered.


    Seeing Vivillon''s momentum gradually recovering, Bellossom and Roserade set aside their lingering guilt.


    In battle, it was a battle, even if it was just a practice match. They couldn''t go easy on their opponent due to sympathy.


    The Vivillon using Roost remained motionless on the ground, resembling an easy target.


    Bellossom and Roserade repeated their previous tactics, unleashing the golden beams of light once more, surging and crashing towards Vivillon.


    At this moment, Vivillon suddenly lifted its head, which had been lowered, and its ck eyes momentarily turned bright red.


    Immediately after, a yellow-green halo appeared around Vivillon.


    The halo kept expanding, and as it swept across the dual Sr Beams from Bellossom and Roserade, the massive golden beams suddenly sputtered and vanished halfway.


    Just as Yuga and Bellossom and Roserade were perplexed by what was happening, Vivillon lightly fluttered its wings a few times.


    However, it didn''t take flight with its wing ps; instead, the white light attached to its wings dissipated with these slight flutters.


    Vivillon''s use of Roost had ended!


    All the injuries on Vivillon''s body from earlier disappeared without a trace. Although it hadn''t fully recovered to its prime, it was no longer significantly affected.


    Vivillon didn''t take to the skies again due to its wounds healing. It stood up from the ground, itsrge butterfly wings trailing behind it.


    Buzz, buzz, buzz...


    In the astonished gaze of Yuga, Vivillon rapidly vibrated its wings.


    The speed of Vivillon''s wing vibrations was incredibly fast. At this moment, it no longer looked like a butterfly but more like a buzzing bee.


    With the vibrations of Vivillon''s wings, the entire training field filled with intense Bug Buzz, and concentric waves of sound began spreading from Vivillon''s location.


    The deafening Bug Buzz seemed as though it could rupture eardrums, causing a pounding headache.


    Not only Yuga but also Bellossom, Roserade, and the trainers who were training their Pok��mon here instinctively covered their ears.


    For Bellossom and Roserade within the range of the Bug Buzz, the sensation was most pronounced.


    They felt like their bodies were being torn apart by the sound, their heads spinning, and their movements bing unnaturally sluggish.


    They wanted tounch an attack on Vivillon, but every time they tried to gather energy for a move, it dissipated within Vivillon''s Bug Buzz.


    Pain! It was incredibly painful!


    Bellossom and Roserade held their heads in agony, crouching on the ground. The grassy terrain created by Roserade on the battlefield slowly receded and vanished in the blink of an eye.


    Is there anything specific you''d like to know or discuss about this part of the text?


    At this moment, Yuga truly realized that Vivillon, having metamorphosed into the Butterfly King, had seen its Bug-type powers greatly enhanced.


    Previously, Vivillon primarily used Flying-type moves, and rtively rarely employed its Bug-type moves, despite its main attribute being Bug.


    As the Bug Buzz continued, Yuga felt not only dizzy but also struggled to think clearly. Breathing itself became a challenge.


    For Yuga, it was difficult, but for Bellossom and Roserade on the battlefield, it was even worse.


    Both of them were Grass-type Pok��mon, vulnerable to Bug-type moves, and they felt like their strength was draining away.


    Roserade fared slightly better because of its Poison type, which gave it some resistance to Bug-type moves.


    But for the pure Grass-type Bellossom, it was grim. It felt like its very blood was resonating with Vivillon''s Bug Buzz, ready to burst out of its body at any moment.


    "That''s enough, Vivillon! Stop it!" Yuga couldn''t help but cover his head and shouted at Vivillon.


    The Bug Buzz abruptly ceased, and Yuga suddenly felt the world bing much clearer. He had never experienced anything quite like it; the Bug Buzz was oppressively intense.


    Bellossom and Roserade, on the ground, felt like they had been given a new lease on life.


    Vivillon, having halted the Bug Buzz, flew up into the air and looked down at Bellossom and Roserade below. It had initially intended to unt its power but was greeted with Yuga''s expression of relief.


    "Vivillon! Vivillon! Vivillon..."


    Vivillon had no time to show off; it quickly flew to Yuga''s side, disying a concerned expression.


    As for its two partners on the battlefield, Vivillon simply ignored them; after all, they had looked down on it earlier.


    "I''m fine, but let''s use these indiscriminate area-of-effect moves sparingly from now on. At least until you can control them better," Yuga advised Vivillon.


    At this moment, Yuga''splexion was still somewhat pale, and he didn''t look quite well.


    "Vivillon... Vivillon..."


    Vivillon nodded apologetically, realizing it had been too impulsive.


    Yuga released Florges from her Pok�� Ball and said to her, "Florges, use Heal Bell."


    Seeing Yuga''s pale face, Florges felt deep concern and shot a stern look at her little sister.


    Vivillon, feeling guilty, took a step back.


    Florges opened her small mouth, and a gentle and enchanting melody flowed from it.


    Everyone on the field, both humans and Pok��mon, felt their spirits being healed by Florges''s Heal Bell. The dizziness and ringing in their ears caused by the Bug Buzz dissipated.


    Meanwhile, Mr. Tsuruta went through all the information he had gathered about Yuga.


    After some contemtion, he decided to make a call to his younger brother.


    "Is it Shimizu Yuga? Hmm, if you think it''s okay, you can leave it to him. It should be fine."


    The voice of Mr. Tsuruta''s younger brother came from the other end of the phone.


    Elder Brother: "You know him?"


    Younger Brother: "Sort of."


    "I''ll think it over some more."


    Mr. Tsuruta remained silent for a moment, then hung up the phone.


    Apologies for the dy in updating, here are the two Chapters from yesterday.

 Chapter 840: Aggrement

    <h4>Chapter 840: Aggrement</h4>


    After the battle between the Vivillons, it was already veryte in the evening. Yuga checked the system''s notification and indeed found that the mission regarding the Vivillon had been marked aspleted.


    He received rewards: a special Sub-Ecopark Insect Paradise and a form for a universal Bug-type Pok��block.


    Currently, Yuga had two missions rted to the special Sub-Ecopark. One was the mission about the Dragon''s Den that he had epted earlier, and the other was the mission rted to the Insect Paradise Sub-Ecopark, which he would undertaketer. It was unexpected that thetter mission waspleted first.


    Yuga was looking forward to the opening of the Insect Paradise Sub-Ecopark. A ce referred to as a special Sub-Ecopark alongside the Dragon''s Den surely held some unique features.


    The system had mentioned that special Sub-Ecoparks had functions not found in regr Sub-Ecoparks.


    If Mr. Tsuruta was willing to transfer some of the Vivillons to him after this, it would be perfect. The newly opened Insect Paradise Sub-Ecopark would be an ideal ce to amodate these Vivillons.


    However, convincing Mr. Tsuruta was proving to be a headache. After all, Vivillon was Mr. Tsuruta''s beloved Pok��mon, and while their numbers had exceeded his capacity, convincing him to casually hand them over to an outsider was not an easy task.


    The next day, as promised, Yuga arrived at the grassy field where he had first met Clemont. Clemont was there with affy.


    Dragonite practiced Thunder Punch with affy for a while, after that Yuga and Clemont parted ways and Yuga headed to Mr. Tsuruta''s vi.


    On one hand, he wanted to bring his Vivillon to collect some scales from Mr. Tsuruta''s Vivillon, and on the other hand, he intended to continue persuading Mr. Tsuruta to transfer some of his Vivillons to him.


    Mr. Tsuruta was genuinely pleased to see Yuga.


    Although he hadn''t decided whether or not to give Yuga his Vivillon, it didn''t prevent him from forming a friendly bond with Yuga. It was rare to encounter someone who loved Vivillon as much as he did, and Mr. Tsuruta believed he could learn a lot from Yuga about raising Vivillon.


    "Haha, I knew you''de back today! Come, I''ll take you to my flower room," Mr. Tsuruta said to Yuga with a heartyugh. After their pleasant interaction yesterday, they had be more familiar with each other.


    Yuga''s intention to bring his Vivillon to collect scales was not lost on Mr. Tsuruta. However, he was open to the idea. Yuga''s Vivillon, though not yet fully transformed into a Butterfly King (something Mr. Tsuruta was unaware of), still held a special status as a rare Vivillon.


    Helping a Vivillon like this grow was an honor for Mr. Tsuruta, even though he couldn''t help but envy Yuga''s Vivillon.


    "Thank you very much, Mr. Tsuruta," Yuga said graciously when he saw that Mr. Tsuruta had guessed his intention. He had no intention of hiding his purpose.


    After arriving at the flower room, Mr. Tsuruta said, "Alright, you can leave your Vivillon here, and we can chat in the study."


    Yuga nodded and said, "Okay."


    With that, he released his Vivillon.


    However, when Yuga''s Vivillon appeared, Mr. Tsuruta''s eyes widened in astonishment.


    "Your... your Vivillon... has itpleted its final transformation?" He stammered in excitement.


    It was no wonder Mr. Tsuruta could immediately recognize the transformation. After Vivillon''s evolution, it not only changed in appearance and strength but also had a unique aura.


    Among thousands of Vivillon, you could always spot it at a nce.


    When Yuga''s Vivillon appeared in the flower room, the yful swarm of butterflies momentarily froze in their movements. They all sensed the birth of a king! Then the swarm began to stir, countless Vivillon gathered around Yuga''s Vivillon, slowly forming a spiral storm, reminiscent of the butterfly storm Yuga had witnessed in the Petalburg Forest.


    Countless shimmering scales were offered by the swarm of butterflies to their newly crowned king. Yuga''s Vivillon enjoyed the submission, admiration, and dedication of the other Vivillon!


    It had to be said that Vivillon was feeling a bit lofty. After defeating Bellossom and Roserade with ease yesterday, it couldn''t help but feel proud.


    Ever since Yuga returned from Arus, his Grass-type Pok��mon, who had significantly increased in strength, had been overshadowing it.


    Florges the big sister couldn''t beat it, and if Absol evolved into Mega Absol, it wouldn''t stand a chance. The little sisters Chimecho were taken away by Deoxys.


    Former little siblings, Dragonite and Charizard, had leaped to be Elite level Pok��mon, making it even lesspetitive!


    It had been a tough time for it.


    "Luckily, I havepleted the transformation by a stroke of luck," Yuga said with a smile to Mr. Tsuruta.


    "But how did you find the Insect Heart?" Mr. Tsuruta grumbled, feeling that Yuga''s luck was too good.


    "My mentor happened to have one," Yuga replied, telling a small lie by saying that his mentor had one. After all, Mr. Tsuruta couldn''t go confront Mr. Kuni''o.


    "Your mentor? Who is your mentor?" Mr. Tsuruta asked, puzzled.


    Although he had investigated Yuga''s background, he had only gathered the most basic information in a day, and there was no information about Yuga''s mentor among them.


    Yuga shook his head and didn''t reveal Mr. Kuni''o''s identity. It wasn''t that Yuga wanted to hide something; it was just that directly stating it would be a bit too boastful.


    Mr. Kuni''o''s identity was indeed extraordinary.


    Mr. Tsuruta saw that Yuga wasn''t disclosing it further and didn''t press for more information. He was more concerned about the birth of the Butterfly King than Yuga''s mentor.


    After all, the Butterfly King was a creature that only existed in legends.


    "That''s really amazing! You''re so lucky..."


    Mr. Tsuruta felt like he had eaten a thousand lemons.


    Yuga replied, "I feel very lucky too!"


    Mr. Tsuruta remained silent for a moment and then suddenly said, "I agreed to your request to transfer some of the Vivillons to you."


    Yuga was taken aback by this statement and asked, "What did you say?"


    "I said I agree to transfer some of the Vivillons to you! Are you pretending not to understand, trying to y hard to get after getting a good deal?" Mr. Tsuruta said irritably.


    Although he agreed to the transfer himself, he felt a bit uneasy, as if he were giving away his own daughters.


    Yuga finally confirmed that he didn''t mishear and said with joy, "Really? Thank you so much. You can rest assured; I will take good care of them."


    Although he hade here with this purpose, achieving his wish so easily caught him off guard. He had even prepared himself for a prolonged negotiation, but it turned out to be unnecessary.


    "Alright, let''s not talk about these formalities anymore. Although I can''t have the Butterfly King, being able to contribute to its growth is satisfying enough for me," Mr. Tsuruta said, looking at the Butterfly King in the midst of the swarm with envy.


    Yuga knew that Mr. Tsuruta was someone who genuinely loved Vivillon, unlike collectors who simply collected them for the sake of their collection.


    He admired Mr. Tsuruta for this.


    "Just take good care of the Vivillons, and I don''t need any additionalpensation from you. As long as you treat them well," Mr. Tsuruta didn''t want to exchange his Vivillons for anything. His love for them was pure, without any material gain.


    Thinking about saying goodbye to some of his Vivillons, Mr. Tsuruta suddenly felt a bit sentimental.


    "You can rest assured! I will," Yuga assured him.


    If you need further trantion or have more questions, feel free to ask!

 Chapter 841: Persuasion

    <h4>Chapter 841: Persuasion</h4>


    Yuga didn''t stay long at Mr. Tsuruta''s house. Once Vivillon had absorbed the scales, he left with Vivillon.


    As Yuga and Vivillon were leaving, Mr. Tsuruta seemed reluctant to part with them and walked alongside them.


    Yuga had agreed with Mr. Tsuruta that the portion of Vivillon he was acquiring would remain here until Yuga left the Kalos region, at which point he would take them with him.


    While walking back to his aircraft, Yuga was suddenly stopped by a man in a red suit.


    Team re?


    The red-suited attire was indeed the emblem of the Team re.


    "Mr. Shimizu, our boss would like to see you."


    The man in the red suit was polite and respectful in his speech.


    "Mr. Lysandre?"


    Yuga asked, maintaining hisposure.


    The man in the red suit nodded.


    Yuga hadn''t expected the Team re to be so impatient. He had only left Lysandre two days ago, and now Lysandre had sent someone to invite him.


    Originally, ording to the original n, Yuga was supposed to meet Lysandre the day before yesterday when he was inspecting the exhibition area. However, he didn''t anticipate the incident with Clemont, so he didn''t go to the forest park and consequently missed meeting Lysandre.


    "Let''s go."


    Yuga followed the man in the red suit to a ck car.


    After the man in the red suit opened the car door, he respectfully said to Yuga, "Mr. Shimizu, please."


    Yuga nodded and got into the car.


    However, as soon as he put his head inside the car, he saw someone sitting inside.


    "Hey!"


    The person inside waved at Yuga.


    Malva!


    Yuga squinted his eyes slightly.


    As expected! Malva had joined the Team re!


    "Mr. Shimizu, please take a seat."


    The voice of Lysandre came from the front passenger seat of the car.


    After Yuga got in, the car started up with a low rumble, and he had no idea where they were heading.


    "Hello, Malva. I''ve heard a lot about you! The Gym Leader Shimizu from Hoenn."


    Sitting next to Yuga, Malva take initiative to introduced herself.


    "I''m the one who''s heard a lot about you. I didn''t expect to meet one of Kalos''s Elite Four," Yuga replied.


    Compared to Yuga, Kalos''s Fire-type Elite Four member, Malva, had gained fame much earlier.


    In addition to her role as one of Kalos''s Elite Four, Malva was also a well-known news broadcaster on the Kalos Holo Castermunicationwork.


    Compared to the prestigious title of Elite Four, her role as a news broadcaster gave Malva a stronger connection with the people of Kalos.


    Among the Elite Four and the Champion, aside from the mega-star Diantha, Malva had the most prominent reputation.


    "Why is Ms. Malva here with Mr. Lysandre?" Yuga asked knowingly.


    Malva smiled and replied, "Mr. Lysandre and I are good friends. What''s so strange about us being together?"


    Everyone was clever enough to understand the meaning behind Malva''s words, which was that she and Mr. Lysandre were on the same side.


    However, whether it was Yuga, Mr. Lysandre, or Malva herself, they all chose not to reveal the underlying truth.


    Yuga could also guess Mr. Lysandre''s intention. By arranging a meeting with Malva, he was essentially conveying the message, "Even Elite Four member Malva has joined us; you should join us too."


    "Where are we going?" Yuga casually asked.


    "You''ll find out when we get there," replied Mr. Lysandre.


    Yuga nodded and didn''t press further. Instead, he engaged in light conversation with Malva and Mr. Lysandre.


    After about half an hour of driving, they stopped in front of a building on the outskirts of Miare.


    "What is this ce?" Yuga asked, puzzled, after getting out of the car and looking at the building.


    "This is my research facility," said Mr. Lysandre. "Bringing you here today is to let you see our research."


    Yuga hadn''t expected Mr. Lysandre to take him to visit the Team re''s research facility. Could it be an attempt to reveal some information and persuade him to join?


    Upon entering theboratory, Yuga saw that it was bustling with members of the Team re, all of whom were dressed in shy red suits.


    However, Yuga quickly realized that this research facility was different from what he had imagined.


    It wasn''t a secretboratory of the Team re as Yuga had thought, but rather a research institute focused on holographic imaging.


    Mr. Lysandre''s organization had advanced holographic imaging technology under its name, which was highly renowned in the Kalos region. Malva served as the spokesperson for this technology.


    This was a legitimate profit-making venture under Mr. Lysandre''s name, with no connection to secret experiments or the like.


    Of course, Mr. Lysandre''s holographic imaging technology was not solely for making money. This technology was gradually infiltrating various industries in Kalos, and through Holo Caster, the Team re could quickly gather information from all over Kalos.


    After visiting Mr. Lysandre''s holographic imaging research institute, Yuga understood that Mr. Lysandre was showcasing his financial power and team to him.


    Mr. Lysandre had gone to great lengths to attract Yuga to join the Team re, but he had not revealed the core research of the team to Yuga.


    It was understandable since Yuga hadn''t officially joined the Team re yet, and even if he did, as a neer, he might not be fully trusted.


    The question was whether the "senior" Malva knew the full truth.


    "I wonder, Mr. Shimizu, have you considered my previous proposal?" Mr. Lysandre went straight to the point.


    While Yuga had already decided in his mind to be an undercover agent for the Team re, he needed to maintain hisposure as a Gym Leader.


    Things that are obtained too easily are often not valued.


    Seeing that Yuga was still silent, Mr. Lysandre took out the Mega Evolution Bracelet he had given to Yuga earlier, along with Charizard''s Mega Evolution Stone. He said to Yuga:


    "The power generated when Pok��mon Mega Evolve is incredibly strong. As long as we can uncover its secrets, we can undoubtedly benefit the world and all of humanity."


    Hearing Mr. Lysandre''s words, Yuga mentally rolled his eyes. He thought, "Yeah right, like I believe you."


    "How about this, Mr. Shimizu? Why don''t you have a battle with me using this Mega Evolution Stone? You can experience the power of Mega Evolution firsthand. What do you say?" Malva chimed in.


    "Not a bad idea! I''m notcking Mega Evolution Stones and Key Stones, you know," Yuga thought to himself.


    "Sure! I''ll dly ept," Yuga replied aloud.


    Internally, he didn''t want to agree, but he had to y along; otherwise, he might blow his cover. Right now, he was just a "country bumpkin" when it came to Mega Evolution.


    epting the Mega Evolution Bracelet and Charizard''s Mega Evolution Stone handed to him by Mr. Lysandre, Yuga pretended to examine them, with an envious look in his eyes.


    Of course, he couldn''t overdo it. After all, he was a Gym Leader and an Elite level Trainer, so he had to maintain a certain level of dignity. Acting too starstruck would make him appear insincere.

 Chapter 842: Flames

    <h4>Chapter 842: mes</h4>


    Led by Lysandre, Yuga and Malva arrived at an open space outside the research institute.


    Looking at Malva across from him, Yuga spected that she must have some understanding of the Team re''s core, but he didn''t know to what extent.


    Releasing his Charizard, Yuga put the Mega Evolution Bracelet on his wrist, while handing the Charizard''s Mega Evolution Stone to Charizard.


    As soon as the Mega Evolution Bracelet was worn, a system alert sounded in Yuga''s mind.


    [ Reminder to the host, a monitor has been installed on the host''s equipment. ]


    So, they were waiting for me here! Yuga thought to himself.


    He knew Lysandre wouldn''t easily trust him.


    With the holographic imagemunication technology at his disposal, it was too easy to install a monitor on the Mega Evolution Bracelet.


    "Can you deal with this monitor?" Yuga calmly asked the system.


    [ No problem, I can conceal the monitor and even send false information to the other party. ]


    "Very well!"


    Hearing this, Yuga felt reassured. His golden finger truly lived up to its reputation.


    But it seemed that being an undercover agent wasn''t easy.


    At the same time, Malva across from them released her Pok��mon, a Houndoom.


    ...


    Type: Dark, Fire


    Ability: sh Fire


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 73


    Moves: Leer, Ember, Roar, Howl, Smog, Odor Sleuth, methrower, Faint Attack, Foul y, Fire Spin, Crunch, Nasty y, Inferno, Sunny Day, Taunt, Shadow Ball, Double Team, Fire st, Overheat, Snarl, Dark Pulse, Sludge Bomb, Sunny Day.


    ...


    For Charizard, this Houndoom was truly a formidable opponent.


    Just its sh Fire ability alone made Charizard helpless.


    The Mega Evolution Stone for Charizard that Lysandre gave Yuga was Y, resulting in Mega Charizard Y, which excelled in fire attacks, rather than the Dragon-type X.


    Fire attacks were just a source of power for Pok��mon with the sh Fire ability.


    Moreover, Mega Charizard Y''s ability Drought would also be useless.


    Under sunny weather, the power of fire moves increased, but this posed no threat to Houndoom with its sh Fire ability.


    Furthermore, the opponent was also a Fire-type Pok��mon.


    However, Yuga''s Charizard wasn''tcking in confidence either, and it was hard to say who would win or lose.


    Moreover, Houndoom''s ability would change after it Mega Evolved.


    Yuga had not failed to notice the dazzling Mega Evolution Stone hanging around Malva''s Houndoom''s neck.


    Upon seeing the Houndoom across from them, Charizard let out a roar and slowly ascended into the air, pping its wings.


    Having spent over two years in Arus, the Charizard that used to cry easily was no longer quick to shed tears, at least not in front of strangers.


    The Charizard that had been baptized in blood had aplete advantage in terms of aurapared to the Houndoom in front of it.


    "Charizard, say hello with Dragon Pulse."


    Once both sides were prepared, Yuga and Charizardunched their attack first.


    Charizard opened its mouth and released a blue, dragon-shaped energy down towards the Houndoom below.


    "Houndoom, let''s greet them with Dark Pulse."


    Malva appearedposed and leisurely gave hermand to Houndoom.


    Both were Fire-type Pok��mon, and they had the mutual understanding not to use Fire-type moves.


    The collision between the ck ring-shaped energy and the blue dragon-shaped energy resulted in a fierce explosion, with neither side gaining an advantage.


    Charizard was level 71, while the opposing Houndoom was level 73; Charizard had a Indigo potential, while the Houndoom had blue potential.


    Simply from a data perspective, their strengths were almost evenly matched, so their sh of skills ended in a draw.


    Through this skill exchange, both sides roughly gauged the strength of Charizard.


    "Let''s stop probing and move on to the main course," Malva shouted loudly, brandishing a Key Stone towards Yuga.


    Yuga was eager to see Charizard''s strength after Mega Evolution, so he nodded and extended his wrist with the Mega Evolution Bracelet containing the Key Stone.


    A dazzling light simultaneously illuminated both sides of the battlefield as Houndoom and Charizard began their Mega Evolutions.


    Lysandre watched with keen interest as the Mega Evolution light filled the arena, finding it rather exhrating.


    When the Mega Evolution light dissipated, the appearance of both Pok��mon underwent significant changes.


    The originally fierce-looking Houndoom became even more menacing, with sharp bone armor encasing its shoulders, chest, and back, and two curved horns jutting high from its head.


    Houndoom, which was initially shorter than Malva''s chest, now stood a full head taller than her, exuding an intimidating presence.


    In contrast to the menacing Houndoom, Mega Charizard Y looked much more elegant.


    Compared to before, Charizard''s body had be more slender, and its head now sported three horns instead of two. While its height hadn''t changed significantly, it gave off an inexplicable sense of security.


    Charizard silently pped its elongated, broader wings, its gaze sharp, and the temperature of its body began to rise rapidly.


    Unnoticed by others, a faint light shed on Charizard''s belly, and the crimson mes on its tail turned milky white, to Yuga''s astonishment.


    Seeing this milky white me, Yuga thought of Ho-Oh.


    Charizard activated the power of the Red Gem, simr to the mes of Ho-Oh.


    However, the Red Gem had been swallowed whole by Charizard, and Yuga had no idea to what extent it had developed.


    As Charizard quietly gathered power, Houndoom on the opposite side activated Sunny Day.


    Its ability was Sr Power, which required sunny weather to take effect.


    When Sr Power was active, attacks from this Pok��mon would be more ferocious, as they received a special attack boost. However, they would also continuously lose HP. If the battle didn''t end quickly, they would eventually deplete their own health.


    Although abilities could be activated voluntarily, they couldn''t be immediately turned off during battle.


    As expected, with Sr Power in effect, Houndoom opened its mouth and unleashed a series of Dark Pulses.


    Empowered by the special attack boost, Houndoom''s Dark Pulses were in a league of their own.


    Charizard was agile, pping its wings gracefully to easily evade one Dark Pulse after another.


    Houndoom sought a swift resolution, while Charizard opted for a more deliberate approach.


    High-frequency movement was energy-consuming, but Charizard, while evading effortlessly, seemed entirely unfazed and not at all fatigued.


    Yuga knew that Ho-Oh''s mes were known as "Sacred mes." Charizard inherited some of this characteristic as it drew upon Ho-Oh''s mes.


    While itcked the ability to resurrect the dead like Ho-Oh, Charizard''s physical stamina and recovery abilities had been greatly enhanced. It paid little heed to this minor expenditure of energy.


    Another Dark Pulse was unleashed head-on, and this time, Charizard chose to confront it directly.


    The sh between Dark Pulse and Dragon Pulse sent shockwaves through the area, rustling the nearby vegetation.


    Despite the frequent release of numerous Dark Pulses, Houndoom on the opposite side showed no signs of exhaustion.

 Chapter 843: Heat Wave

    <h4>Chapter 843: Heat Wave</h4>


    After the collision of the dark energy and dragon energy in the sky, there was an explosion, and the scattered ck and blue energy resembled dazzling fireworks.


    Charizard pped vigorously, creating a strong wind mixed with these energy fragments, heading towards Houndoom.


    Seeing the sharp and cutting wind approaching, Houndoom opened its mouth, full of sharp teeth, and let out a mighty roar, sending forth rolling ck soundwaves.


    Air sh vs. Snarl


    Strong wind against loud roar, flying-type energy against dark-type energy.


    Under the intense energy impact, Charizard involuntarily pped its wings and flew to a higher altitude, while Houndoom also quickly retreated a considerable distance.


    Even Yuga and Malva couldn''t help but step back two paces, fearing the terrifying energy shock.


    Watching Houndoom, who never fell behind, Yuga couldn''t help but admire the Elite Four member''s Pok��mon.


    His Charizard could use moves recklessly without fearing exhaustion because it had the support of special mes nurtured by the Red Gem.


    But Malva''s Houndoom, after enduring such frequent move bombardments, still remained unfazed.


    "The Gym Leader Shimizu indeed lives up to his reputation!"


    Watching Charizard, which was evenly matched with her Houndoom, Malva sincerely eximed.


    It''s truly the younger generation surpassing the older one!


    Suddenly, Malva, who was not that old herself, felt like she was aging.


    Her formidable strength was the result of umted time, but Yuga was so young. ording to the information, he''s only eighteen years old. (If you count the two years in Arus, he''s almost twenty-one.)


    Lysandre''s mood at this moment was simr to Malva''s.


    Although he had seen Yuga''s Lapras before, today Yuga''s disyed strength still surprised Lysandre.


    He felt that inviting Yuga to join his Team re was a very correct decision, even though Yuga was unaware of Team re''s existence (or so he thought).


    In the new world, only outstanding individuals could survive, and all the rest should disappear.


    Yuga: "You tter me! Ms. Malva, as the Elite Four member you''re the true powerhouse."


    Malva: "A powerhouse? I like your choice of words, but you should be careful; I might have to get serious."


    After saying this, Malva shouted toward her Houndoom in front of her: "Houndoom!"


    Houndoom understood and nodded at its trainer.


    It couldn''t afford to drag on with Charizard any longer; with its ability activated, it needed a quick resolution.


    "Houndoom!"


    Houndoom tilted its head and let out a loud howl. With this piercing howl, its momentum began to skyrocket rapidly.


    The ck fur of Houndoom gradually turned bright red, and with every breath it took, hot sparks spewed from its mouth and nose.


    "Houndoom..."


    Houndoom howled again, but this time, it was apanied by countless mes erupting from its mouth. Soon, the ground beneath it turned into a sea of fire.


    This process seemed lengthy but urred in an instant.


    While Houndoom''s primary type was dark, dark-type moves were more effective against Charizard''s fire type than fire-type moves. However, Malva was a genuine Fire-type Elite Four member.


    Fire was her specialty.


    The entire ground was aze with roaring mes, and Mega Houndoom''s menacing face resembled a demon emerging from a fiery hell.


    Charizard, watching the fiery field below, was extremely puzzled.


    What was Houndoom nning to do? Those mes couldn''t reach Charizard in the high sky.


    Houndoom gazed at the airborne Charizard, then suddenly opened its mouth, and its eyes emitted ominous red light.


    The puzzled Charizard suddenly saw a pir of fire shooting out from the burning ground, heading straight towards it.


    Reacting swiftly, Charizard pped its wings, tilted its body, and narrowly avoided the pir of fire''s impact. But before it could catch its breath, another pir of fire came toward it.


    Followed by the third, fourth, fifth...


    By the time Charizard regained its senses, it was surrounded by countless pirs of fire. Flying in the sky, it now resembled a bright target suspended in the air.


    Watching the scene on the battlefield, Yuga was left dumbfounded.


    Was this a special application of inferno moves?


    Yuga could tell that Houndoom was definitely using Inferno, but this grandiose attack method couldn''t be achieved with a single move.


    However, the principles behind it weren''t something that could be understood just by looking; otherwise, she wouldn''t have be the Fire-type Elite Four member in Kalos.


    Never underestimate the heroes of the world! If it were any other Pok��mon on the field, they probably would have already been defeated; only Charizard could endure for this long.


    The frequent attacks of the pirs of fire forced Charizard to constantly evade, leaving it with no opportunity to counterattack.


    The faster a Pok��mon''s movement, the greater the energy consumption. Without the special mes supported by the Red Gem, Charizard would have been defeated already.


    Charizard belonged to the category of strong attackers, which meant it wasn''t particrly adept at prolonged battles. Malva''s Houndoom was a prime example of this.


    Yuga''s Charizard was an exception.


    Seeing Charizard in the sky movefully dodging Houndoom''s attacks, Malva widened her eyes in amazement.


    The move Houndoom was using was her specialty, and very few Pok��mon could withstand it. Many Elite Four members and Champions in Kalos had suffered losses against this move.


    "Charizard! Heat Wave!"


    Seeing Charizard in a difficult situation, Yuga called out.


    Hearing Yuga''s voice, Charizard abruptly braked, stabilizing its position in the air, though it was hit by one of the pirs of fire in the process.


    However, Charizard was ultimately a Fire-type Pok��mon, and with the protection of the Red Gem, it couldn''tpletely negate fire damage like Dragonite did with most Electric-type attacks. But it significantly boosted its resistance to fire.


    Seeing Charizard only slightly injured by one of Houndoom''s pirs of fire, Malva was astonished. This Charizard''s fire resistance was much stronger than she had imagined.


    As Charizard stabilized its position in the air, its massive wings spread wide, and with the sun behind it, it created the sensation of covering the entire sky.


    Of course, as Charizard stopped evading, it was struck by several pirs of fire, but it seemedpletely indifferent.


    With Charizard rapidly pping its wings, a crimson hurricane began to form around it, spreading outwards like a storm. When the pirs of fire approached it again, they were torn apart by the crimson hurricane.


    Simr to Houndoom''s all-field pirs of fire, Charizard''s Heat Wave was also abination move.


    While a typical Heat Wave was a straightforward Fire-type move, Charizard''s Heat Wave was abination of Fire-type and Flying-type moves. It not only had a burning effect but also a strong force that could blow away and cut through.


    As the hurricane formed by the Heat Wave spread, the area where Charizard was located became a vacuum devoid of mes.


    With each expansion of the hurricane, the mes on the field disappeared bit by bit. The fire-controlled by Houndoom on the ground was eroded by the hurricane.


    Seeing the shrinking fire field controlled by Houndoom and the gradual disappearance of the pirs of fire on the field, Malva was stunned.


    Houndoom was entirely focused on controlling the pirs of fire to attack Charizard, but its control over the mes on the field was diminishing.


    Fire-type and Flying-type energies in the air began to gather around Charizard.


    A tug of war was unfolding between the fiery field and the crimson hurricane.


    As time passed, Houndoom felt its condition deteriorating, and its Sr Power ability was bing a hindrance rather than a help.


    When it was in a dominant position, this ability was its powerful ally. But when it was in a disadvantaged state, it became thest straw that broke the camel''s back.


    Unnoticed by others, a faint light shed on Charizard''s belly, and arge amount of fiery energy converged on it. The crimson hurricane suddenly expanded, tearing apart all the mes and pirs of fire on the field.


    Impacted by the hurricane, Houndoom, weakened to the extreme, was sent flying, and the fiery field disappeared in an instant.


    Houndoom attempted to get back up but failed.


    Maintaining the fiery field, controlling the pirs of fire, and activating the Sr Power ability were all extremely draining tasks.


    Charizard, with blue energy gathering in its mouth, was preparing to deliver the final blow to Houndoom when Malva shouted, "I concede! I concede!"


    "Charizard!"


    Upon hearing this, Yuga hastily stopped Charizard fromunching the next attack.


    Phew...


    Charizard dispelled the Dragon Pulse it had gathered in its mouth andnded beside Yuga. Yuga noticed that its chest was breathing heavily, knowing that the recent Heat Wave had taken a toll on it.


    Buzz...


    With the battle over, Charizard reverted from its Mega Evolution form.


    Yuga patted its head gently and said, "Rest well."


    Afterwards, he recalled Charizard into its Pok�� Ball.

 Chapter 844: Beginning

    <h4>Chapter 844: Beginning</h4>


    Malva quickly administered a bottle of stamina recovery potion to the exhausted Houndoom and then recalled the now-restored Houndoom into a Pok�� Ball.


    "How was it? The power of Mega Evolution is impressive, isn''t it?"


    "Indeed! Very powerful!" Yuga nodded, pretending to be impressed as he replied to Malva.


    "Has Gym Leader Shimizu decided whether he wants to join us? I believe our research will change the world," Lysandre also approached Yuga and inquired.


    It''s about destroying the world, right...


    "Alright, I agree to join. I will assist Mr. Lysandre in his research and help collect Mega Evolution energy," Yuga said cautiously.


    He understood the importance of not overying his hand. Being too eager could backfire.


    Satisfied with Yuga''s response, Lysandre smiled, "Then this Key Stone and Charizard Mega Evolution Stone belong to you, Gym Leader Shimizu."


    "Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Lysandre."


    At this moment, Yuga felt fortunate that he hadn''t prematurely revealed that he possessed a Mega Evolution Stone. Otherwise, he wouldn''t know how to cover up the lie now.


    "Happy cooperation!"


    Lysandre extended his right hand.


    Yuga and Lysandre shook hands lightly, marking their official coboration.


    "Happy cooperation!"


    After reaching an agreement, Lysandre had someone escort Yuga back.


    Before parting ways, he also provided Yuga with a secret means of contact for easymunication between them.


    From then until the Pok��mon Exchange Conference began, Yuga enjoyed a rtively rxed period.


    Every day, Yuga''s routine includes working with the breeders at the Aroma Day Care to help prepare his soon-to-be-exhibited Pok��mon, Trapinch and Hoppip, adjust their conditions.


    In the mornings, he will apany Clemont''s affy to train it moves with Dragonite. asionally, he visits Mr. Tsuruta''s Flower House to collect scale powder from Vivillon...


    Finally, the highly anticipated Pok��mon Exchange Conference begins.


    Early on that day, Yuga, along with Shin and Kazuma, as well as the majority of the Aroma Day Care''s team, heads to the Forest Park to set up their respective areas.


    Upon arriving at the Ecopark in the Forest Park, Yuga notices that many other Day Cares had arrived even earlier. The entire Ecopark is bustling with activity.


    As Yuga walks through one of the Day Care''s exhibition areas, he receives a fierce re from someone inside.


    ncing at the signboard of this Day Care''s booth, it reads "Midnight Day Care."


    Yuga has a distinct memory of this Day Care. During a previous Day Care Exchange Conference, their signature Pok��mon, Houndour, left asting impression on him.


    Midnight Day Care, headquartered in Johto, specializes in breeding Dark-type Pok��mon. In addition to Houndour, their signature Pok��mon includes Murkrow.


    If Aroma Day Care is considered a leader among the Day Cares in the Hoenn region, then Midnight Day Care holds the title for thergest Day Care in the Johto region.


    Simr to Aroma Day Care, Midnight Day Care is one of the five major Day Cares under the Day Care Union Council.


    The Day Care Union Council is the official organization for private Day Cares. Its founding members were the fivergest Day Cares, who still hold significant influence in the Day Care world.


    Whenever private Day Cares organize major events, you can expect the presence of the Day Care Union Council. The Pok��mon Exchange Conference is no exception.


    However, the Day Care Union Council is ultimately a voluntary organization of private Day Cares, still under the jurisdiction of the League Breeder, Association.


    Seeing their own Sneasel''s impolite behavior, the staff from the Midnight Day Care, who were setting up their area, offered a friendly but apologetic smile to Yuga.


    Yuga responded with a smile and a shake of his head, indicating that he wasn''t bothered by it.


    Inside the ss enclosure, Sneasel, having failed to intimidate Yuga, left the edge of the ss enclosure in a bored manner. Before leaving, it waved its w at Yuga.


    There was a cold glint on its w, which made one''s eyelids twitch.


    Watching Sneasel''s behavior, Yuga suddenly remembered that Pok��mon bred by Midnight Day Care seemed to have somewhat fierce personalities.


    However, Sneasel''s species naturally had a cunning and fierce disposition, so it might not necessarily be due to Midnight Day Care''s breeding methods.


    Compared to the YoYo Day Care''s exhibition area, Midnight Day Care''s area was noticeablyrger and designed to simte a unique environment��icy and snowy, giving it a sophisticated feel.


    Among the Day Cares located at the foothills of this Ecopark was the host of the event, the Aurora Day Care.


    As Yuga and his group passed by the Aurora Day Care''s exhibition area, their owner, Nick, warmly greeted Yuga.


    "Oh, isn''t this Gym Leader Shimizu? How''s everything on your end? Need any help?"


    Seeing Nick''s overly friendly smile, Momiji questioned, "What did you give him to make him to be so enthusiastic about you?"


    What else could it be? He probably learned something from Lysandre, treating Yuga as one of their own.


    "I don''t know; maybe he''s just a naturally enthusiastic person," Yuga replied casually.


    Momiji gave Yuga an expression that clearly said, "I don''t believe you," and then left with her group.


    "No need to trouble you, Mr. Nick. My Day Care is quite small, and there''s nothing much to do," Yuga said with a smile.


    "Anything you need help with, just let me know. Don''t be shy. By the way, Gym Leader Shimizu, would you like to take a look at my Pok��mon? If you see any you like, feel free to say so."


    Yuga''s eyes brightened at the offer. Was there such a good opportunity? Did Lysandre start sending benefits his way?


    Behind the scenes of the Aurora Day Care stood the true owner, Lysandre. While they were not one of the five major yers in the Day Care Union Council, in terms of financial strength, they were not afraid of any other Day Care.


    With this in mind, Yuga leaned forward to take a look at the exhibit behind Nick.


    The first thing he saw was a group of flying Spiritzee everywhere. A swarm of pink Spiritzee gathered together, giving off a heartwarming aura.


    Spiritzee wasn''t considered particrly rare in the Kalos region, but it also wasn''t amon Pok��mon. It was quite popr among trainers.


    As a pure Fairy-type Pok��mon, Spiritzee had few weaknesses, and its evolved form, Aromatisse, was proficient in various Fairy and Psychic-type moves. Moreover, due to the Anistar Gym''s influence, Aromatisse was highly sought after among trainers in Kalos.


    Seeing Yuga''s interest in the Pok��mon behind him, Nick stepped back a bit to give Yuga a clearer view.


    Noticing that Yuga had noticed his actions, Nick chuckled a bit.


    Apart from Spiritzee, the second Pok��mon Yuga noticed was the pre-evolution of Pyroar, Litleo.


    Pyroar had gender differences; males had a mane that encircled their entire face, while females only had a mane on the top of their heads, but it was much longer than the males''.


    However, their pre-evolution, Litleo, did not exhibit gender differences.


    Some Litleo were yfully fighting with each other, while others were sitting head to head, purring contentedly. They all appeared to be in excellent health.


    "I think I''lle back to take a closer look after the Exchange Conference starts. I have something to attend to right now, so I won''t disturb you, Mr. Nick," Yuga said, waving to Nick, preparing to leave.


    "That''s fine. You''re wee anytime!" Nick waved back as he bid farewell to Yuga.

 Chapter 845: Soaring

    <h4>Chapter 845: Soaring</h4>


    After leaving the Aurora Day Care''s exhibition area, Yuga returned to the YoYo Day Care and the Aroma Day Care''s location.


    At this moment, the people from Aroma Day Care were busy setting up their own exhibition area. Shin and Kazuma had ced Trapinch and Hoppip in the sandy area and the garden, respectively.


    In this unfamiliar environment, both Trapinch and Hoppip seemed a bit shy and less lively than usual.


    Trapinch handled it better; their natural appearance was somewhat goofy, and once they entered the sandy area, they calmly buried their heads in the sand.


    Hoppip, on the other hand, was more timid. They huddled in the flowerbed, asionally peeking out, but they didn''t dare to venture out to meet people.


    Yuga, along with Shin and Kazuma, entered the sandy area and the garden to soothe the emotions of Trapinch and Hoppip, making them appear at least somewhat less anxious.


    On the Aroma Day Care side, the situation was simr, with the apanying breeders busyforting their Pok��mon.


    For breeders, ensuring the psychological well-being of their Pok��mon was an essential part of their training.


    While Yuga and his group were busy setting up their exhibition area andforting their Pok��mon, some Day Cares that had arrived early at the Forest Park Ecopark afterpleting their booth setups began exploring the park, hoping to find interesting Pok��mon.


    Many Day Cares passing by the YoYo Day Care area couldn''t help but be drawn to the sight of Trapinch in the sandy area.


    Both the evolved form of Trapinch, Vibrava and Flygon, belonged to the pure Dragon-type category. Day Cares that could breed Dragon-type Pok��mon were rtively rare.


    However, since the Pok��mon Exchange Conference had not officially started yet, many Day Cares were merely observing and not taking further action, even though they were interested in Trapinch.


    After all, Pok��mon exchange required mutual interest. If they were interested in Trapinch, it would only work if the YoYo Day Care was also interested in their Pok��mon.


    Of course, in the world of Pok��mon exchange, mary transactions were quitemon when trades couldn''t be agreed upon.


    The Pok��mon appearing at the Pok��mon Exchange Conference are all in their juvenile stages, and buying them with money ispletely legitimate.


    Afterpleting the setup of their exhibition area, Yuga instructed Shin and Kazuma to watch over the Pok��mon, while he went to explore the exhibition areas of other Day Cares.


    He hadn''t forgotten the main purpose of his visit to the Pok��mon Exchange Conference this time. The selection of partners for Vuby and Mandibuzz was of utmost importance, as it was crucial to ensure the continued reproduction of their species.


    The Forest Park Ecopark was built on the slope of a small hill, and the exhibition areas of the YoYo Day Care and Aroma Day Care were conveniently located halfway up the hill.


    When Yuga arrived, he had already taken a quick look at the Day Cares at the foot of the hill, so this time he headed in the direction of the summit.


    During his casual exploration, not far from the Aroma Day Care''s exhibition area, Yuga noticed the exhibition area of the Meow Meow Day Care.


    Meow Meow Day Care, along with Frosty Shine Day Care and Aurora Day Care, were the three Day Cares that had invited YoYo Day Care to participate in the Pok��mon Exchange Conference in coboration with Aroma Day Care.


    Yuga''s knowledge of Meow Meow Day Care was limited, and he had only heard about them after they assisted YoYo Day Care.


    From the name "Meow Meow," it was evident that this Day Care specialized in breeding Cat-type Pok��mon, with their signature Pok��mon being Meowth.


    The fact that they could produce arge number of Meowth indicated that this Day Care was no ordinary one.


    However, the Pok��mon they were exhibiting this time wasn''t Meowth but the rare Pok��mon of Kalos, Espurr.


    Apart from Aroma Day Care''s Exeggcute, Meow Meow Day Care''s Espurr was the first Psychic-type Pok��mon Yuga had seen at this Pok��mon Exchange Conference.


    Espurr and its evolved form, Male and Female Meowstic, typically lived in pairs.


    During their juvenile years, they lived with their siblings, and when they matured, they formed pairs with their mates. It was rare to find solitary Espurr or Male and Female Meowstic.


    The two Meowstic that Yuga had just acquired were indeed a brother-sister pair.


    Breeding Espurr was quite a challenging task.


    Since the Meow Meow Day Care had assisted them, Yuga felt obliged to show his gratitude. When he saw their representative, he proactively greeted them, conveying YoYo Day Care''s appreciation.


    After leaving the Meow Meow Day Care''s exhibition area, Yuga found his target in the summit area.


    The Pok��mon that Yuga had set his sights on was the perfect candidate for Mandibuzz''s mate, the pre-evolution of Braviary, Rufflet.


    Rufflet hailed from a Day Care called "Flying Sky," located in the Unova Regions. Just from its name, it was evident that this Day Care specialized in breeding Flying-type Pok��mon.


    Apart from Rufflet, the Pok��mon showcased by Flying Sky Day Care included Vuby and Ducklett, all of which were exclusive to the Unova Regions.


    While other Day Cares exhibited Pok��mon that included both region-exclusive species and those from other regions, Flying Sky Day Care only disyed Pok��mon from the Unova Regions.


    However, this wasn''t surprising, considering that the Unova Regions had a considerable variety of Flying-type Pok��mon, from themon Pidove and Ducklett, Woobat, Emolga, to the rarer Rufflet and Vuby.


    Yuga himself wasn''t very familiar with this Day Care and didn''t know what their signature Pok��mon was. Still, being able to participate in the Pok��mon Exchange Conference meant they were a well-known and reputable Day Care.


    Flying Sky Day Care was likely no exception.


    "Are you interested in our Pok��mon, sir?" The representative of Flying Sky Day Care approached Yuga, noticing his continuous gaze on their Pok��mon.


    "Hello, I''m very interested in Rufflet and would like to acquire some," Yuga nodded and said with a smile.


    The representative of Flying Sky Day Care was somewhat surprised by Yuga''s request. In previous years, Day Cares that acquired Rufflet from them would usually also acquire Vuby at the same time because breeding these two species together saved a lot of effort.


    The evolved form of Vuby, Mandibuzz, preferred not to find a mate and would only use male Pok��mon as a breeding tools. On the other hand, the evolved form of Rufflet, Braviary, although all males, enjoyed hatching eggs themselves.


    So, when breeding these two species together, if Mandibuzz produced Vuby eggs, she would keep them, and if she produced Rufflet eggs, she would let Braviary incubate them. The eggs of Vuby and Rufflet were significantly different, making it easy to distinguish between them.


    Importing only Rufflet or Vuby separately and pairing them with other Flying-type Pok��mon could lead to an imbnce in gender ratios, which was detrimental to the development of a species since Rufflet was exclusively male, and Vuby was exclusively female.


    "I see. I hope we canplete the exchange when the timees," the representative said with a smile. Although he found it odd that Yuga was only interested in Rufflet, it was ultimately their decision, and he couldn''t dictate it.


    "Our YoYo Day Care''s exhibition area is halfway up the hill. I hope you cane and visit when the timees."


    "Definitely, we can discuss the detailster."


    Just like Yuga wasn''t very familiar with Flying Sky Day Care, the representative of Flying Sky Day Care wasn''t very familiar with YoYo Day Care either. However, they were both exploring the area, so checking out YoYo Day Care''s exhibition areater wouldn''t be a problem.

 Chapter 846: Five Giants

    <h4>Chapter 846: Five Giants</h4>


    Chapter 840: The Five Giants


    After leaving the exhibition area of the Flying Sky Day Care, Yuga wandered around and got to see various Pok��mon from other Day Cares.


    Around 9 o''clock, he returned to his own exhibition area and went with Momiji to the lowest level of this Ecopark.


    Because at 9:30, the opening ceremony of the Pok��mon Exchange Conference would be held, and after the ceremony, the official start of the conference would follow.


    The opening ceremony was hosted by the five giants of private Day Cares, so as the head of the Aroma Day Care, Momiji also went on stage.


    Apart from the five giants, the president of the Kalos Breeder Association was also present.


    Although this Pok��mon Exchange Conference was organized by private Day Cares, all Day Cares fell under the jurisdiction of the Breeder Association. For such a significant event, their presence was indispensable.


    It was Yuga''s first time seeing the leaders of the entire private Day Care industry - the behind-the-scenes bosses of the five major private Day Cares.


    In previous Pok��mon Exchange Conferences, not all the bosses of the five giants would attend; having one or two was considered a big deal.


    However, today, whether it was a coincidence or for some special reason, all five bosses hade.


    Yuga wasn''t originally familiar with these people, but with Hatsuki''s introduction, he learned that among the people sitting above, five of them were the bosses of the five major Day Cares.


    He asked Hatsuki if she knew the reason why all five bosses of the giants were present, but she shook her head, indicating that she didn''t know.


    What about Momiji? Does she know?


    Among these five, besides the Aroma Day Care (Hoenn) and the Midnight Day Care (Johto), which Yuga was more familiar with, there were also the Green me Day Care from the Kanto region, the Sinnoh Sea Day Care, and the Unova Bug Day Care.


    The Green me Day Care was the most influential andrgest of the five Day Cares, and it was the true big brother in the world of private Day Cares.


    The name Green me originated from the two Pok��mon that this Day Care excelled in breeding - Bulbasaur and Vulpix.


    Yes, you read that right, Bulbasaur.


    The Green me Day Care was the only Day Care in the entire private Day Care industry that had broken the monopoly of the Starter Pok��mon Trio.


    The ability to break the Kanto League''s monopoly on Bulbasaur with their own efforts demonstrated the strength of the Green me Day Care.


    In addition to Bulbasaur, their breeding of Vulpix was also highly popr among trainers.


    This Day Care followed a business model focused on high potential, much like YoYo Day Care''s business model, where the sale of low potential Pok��mon was merely a supplementary aspect.


    Unlike opportunistic approaches like Yuga''s, their sess relied entirely on their heritage.


    Breeding high potential Pok��mon requires generation after generation of selective breeding, much like high quality rice.


    Rice grown from wild rice in the fields is mostly of inferior quality, but rice grown from cultivated strains developed through continuous gene selection by humans is different.


    Breeding Pok��mon is no different.


    To stabilize the superior genes of Pok��mon and pass them on to the next generation, it requires generation after generation of selective breeding.


    The Green me Day Care was one of the earliest private Day Cares to appear, possessing the most excellent breeding methods. By continuously fixing the genes of outstanding Pok��mon, they could obtain high potential Pok��mon to the greatest extent.


    YoYo Day Care didn''t have this kind of heritage. Their ability to maintain the sale of high potential Pok��mon relied on quantity.


    As long as they had a sufficient number of high potential Pok��mon, even if most of their offspring were of low potential, Yuga could still obtain enough high potential Pok��mon.


    Therefore, whether a Day Care could thrive in the long term depended on whether their breeding seed genes were outstanding enough.


    This is also the reason why all Day Cares emphasize continuous breeding of breeding seeds and why events like the Pok��mon Exchange Conference exist.


    The Sinnoh Sea Day Care is a Day Care specializing in Water-type Pok��mon breeding. Their specialty lies in being able to breed both forms of Shellos and Gastrodon, with different colors, without relying on geographical environments.


    In the Sinnoh region, Shellos and Gastrodone in two color forms, pink for the west sea and blue for the east sea, with slight differences in appearance. This is due to different geographical environments.


    However, the Sea Day Care has the ability to breed both pink and blue Shellos and Gastrodon in their own Ecopark simultaneously, despite their distinct coloration.


    Apart from this unique feature of breeding Shellos and Gastrodon, there is another saying in the private Day Care industry that the most outstanding Water-type Pok��mone from the Sea Day Care.


    This saying alone is enough to prove the Sea Day Care''s position in the breeding industry.


    Among the five giants, the most inconspicuous one is the Unova Bug Day Care.


    As the name suggests, this Day Care specializes in breeding Bug-type Pok��mon.


    This Day Care earned its status as one of the five giants not by focusing on powerful Bug-type Pok��mon like Scyther, Heracross, or Volcarona, but rather on Karrast and Shelmet.


    These two Pok��mon have a unique evolution method that involves trading with each other.


    It''s said that the founder of the Unova Bug Day Care was the first to discover this special evolution method.


    The evolved form of Karrast, Escavalier, has a knightly demeanor, while the evolved form of Shelmet, elgor, is known for its agility.


    These two unique Pok��mon are quite popr in the Unova Bug Day Care.


    The fact that they can breed these two rtively less powerful Bug-type Pok��mon exceptionally well is a testament to their skill.


    It''s said that to increase the sales of these two Pok��mon, the Unova Bug Day Care even published the training methods for both species.


    With readily avable training methods, many trainers naturally choose to breed these two Pok��mon, showcasing their business acumen.


    Among the bosses of the five giants, apart from Momiji, who is a stunning beauty, the other four are middle-aged gentlemen.


    The boss of the Green me Day Care looks very serious, giving off a solemn vibe. He sits there, seemingly ignoring everyone else, exuding the air of a leader.


    The boss of the Midnight Day Care is a burly man with a fierce appearance. Just by his looks, one can guess that he''s the boss of the Midnight Day Care. With such an intimidating appearance, most people would find it difficult to strike up a conversation with him.


    The boss of the Sea Day Care seems more approachable and is quite talkative. Even before the opening ceremony began, he seemed to be having a pleasant conversation with Momiji, who was sitting beside him. They must be acquaintances.


    The boss of the Unova Bug Day Care is thin in appearance but has a sharp glint in his eyes, making no one underestimate him.


    In addition to the bosses of the five giants and the Kalos Breeder Association''s President, Yuga spotted an unexpected figure on stage, Siebold.


    Siebold, one of the Elite Four, had been invited as a guest to witness the event.


    While Yuga was observing Siebold, Siebold also noticed Yuga in the audience and gave him a friendly smile, clearly remembering him.


    The opening ceremony didn''tst long, and it was hosted by the current host of the Pok��mon Exchange Conference, Nick, the owner of the Aurora Day Care.


    Yuga didn''t see the boss behind the scenes, Lysandre, during the ceremony and wasn''t sure if he was present.


    After the prominent figures on stage took turns speaking, the Pok��mon Exchange Conference officially began.

 Chapter 847: Dragon Shadow Day Care

    <h4>Chapter 847: Dragon Shadow Day Care</h4>


    After the opening ceremony, the entire Forest Park Ecopark came to life, with various Pok��mon Day Cares visiting each other''s exhibits.


    By the end of the opening ceremony, each Day Care received ayout map of the Forest Park Ecopark, indicating the locations of all the Day Cares, making it easier for others to find their destinations.


    When Yuga returned to his own exhibition area, they had quite a few Day Cares gathering around, all with their sights set on the Trapinch.


    What surprised Yuga the most was the arrival of the Dragon Shadow Day Care.


    The owner behind the Dragon Shadow Day Care was from the prominent Johto-based family, the Dragon Tamer family. Dragon Shadow Day Care was considered one of the family''s ancestral businesses.


    Although the Day Cares supported by the Dragon Tamer family were not among the private Day Care giants, they were certainly not to be underestimated.


    Their Day Care primarily served members within their family, so its scale couldn''t possibly match that of the top five giants.


    The Dragon Tamer family had been breeding Dragon-type Pok��mon for generations, and it was said that they had a dedicated Dragon Den that housed exclusively Dragon-type Pok��mon. This time, they seemed to be interested in Trapinch.


    However, while Vibrava and Flygon were indeed pure Dragon-types, their egg groups did not include Dragon; they belonged solely to the Bug group.


    As a family that bred Dragon-type Pok��mon, it might not be easy for the Dragon Tamer family to efficiently breed Dragon-types from Bug egg groups, as all the Pok��mon in those egg groups that possessed the Dragon type couldn''t mate with them.


    In such a situation, the efficiency of breeding Dragon-type Pok��mon would be significantly reduced.


    "Is this Mr. Shimizu? I''m Belindo, a pleasure to meet you!"


    The person in charge of Dragon Shadow Day Care, Belindo, greeted Yuga warmly upon his return.


    Yuga: "Nice to meet you too!"


    As far as Yuga knew, the owner of the Dragon Shadow Day Care didn''t attend this exchange conference. Belindo was the highest-ranking representative for Dragon Shadow at this event.


    "Oh my, you''ve done an excellent job breeding Trapinch," Belindo eximed while observing the Trapinch busily burrowing in the sand.


    Of course! Yuga thought to himself.


    After the YoYo Day Care''s young Pok��mon were born, high quality Pok��blocks, Moomoo Milk, and Sweet Honey kepting in without interruption.


    With so much high quality food, it would be strange if the Pok��mon didn''t grow well.


    Yuga: "Mr. Belindo, are you interested in our Trapinch?"


    For Trapinch, which belongs to the Bug egg group, using it as breeding stock for Bug-type Pok��mon would undoubtedly be excellent. However, if you wanted to breed Dragon-type Pok��mon with them, it wouldn''t be easy.


    If used to breed Dragon-types, they could only mate within their own species.


    This was because offspring from mating with Pok��mon from different egg groups had a 50% chance of not being Trapinch, and the Dragon lineage would diminish, reducing the probability of awakening Dragon-type moves.


    But Yuga couldn''t provide arge quantity of Trapinch.


    In the absence of a sufficient number of Trapinch, trying to reproduce within the same species would be highly inefficient, something Belindo probably knew, so Yuga was curious about their intentions.


    Of course, within the Bug group, there were non-Bug-type Pok��mon like Skorupi and Drapion (Note: Drapion''s pre-evolution, Skorupi, has the Poison and Bug types, while Drapion has the Posion and Darl types), and Pok��mon bred from pairing Flygon with these two would also be excellent.


    However, Yuga didn''t believe that the Dragon Tamer family had Skorupi and Drapion.


    To facilitate the breeding of Dragon-type Pok��mon, he thought the Dragon Tamer family''s should primarily cultivated Pok��mon within the Dragon egg groups, like Arbok.


    "We are indeed interested. We recently acquired a batch of exceptional Yanmega. If we could have Flygon, their offspring would undoubtedly be outstanding."


    Belindo replied with a cheerful smile.


    Yanmega?


    I see, if it''s for pairing with Yanmega, then it makes sense.


    Although Yanmega is a Bug-type Pok��mon, its stats are quite impressive, and what is a rare hidden ability in other Pok��mon, "Speed Boost," is just a regr ability for them.


    The Speed Boost ability is excellent, as it periodically boosts the Pok��mon''s Speed during battles.


    Yanmega already had decent Speed to begin with, and when paired with the Speed Boost ability, it bes quite formidable.


    However, Yuga didn''t expect the Dragon Tamer family, who primarily bred Dragon-type Pok��mon, to be interested in Bug-type Pok��mon.


    Even at Dragon Shadow Day Care, the Pok��mon they sold were mostly Dragon-types or Pok��mon with Dragon-type bloodlines, all under the control of the Dragon Tamer family.


    "If you''re truly interested in Trapinch, how about you tell me which Pok��mon you have avable for exchange?"


    Yuga didn''t mind the idea of the Dragon Tamer family introducing their Pok��mon to him as long as they met his standards.


    "Our exhibit area is not far from here. Mr. Shimizu, would you like toe and take a look?"


    Belindo extended an invitation to Yuga.


    Yuga thought it over and agreed. Hearing from others was one thing, but seeing things for himself would provide a more urate assessment.


    When exchanging Pok��mon, it''s not just about knowing the species; the health condition of the Pok��mon is also crucial.


    Dragon Shadow Day Care''s exhibit area was close to the artificial waterfall and river in the Ecopark because they disyed Water-type Pok��mon.


    Standing outside the railing, the first thing Yuga saw was the Horsea in the water pool in Dragon Shadow Day Care''s exhibit area. They were small and light blue, and the way they blew bubbles on the water surface was incredibly adorable.


    Yuga was surprised to find Horsea among the Pok��mon avable for exchange at Dragon Shadow Day Care.


    Among the Dragon-type Pok��mon bred by the Dragon Tamer family, aside from the well-known but rarely seen Dratini, the most famous was undoubtedly Kingdra.


    Wild Horsea, Seadra, and Kingdra all inhabited deep-sea areas, making them challenging to capture. Furthermore, for Seadra to evolve into Kingdra, it required Dragon Scales, making wild Kingdra even rarer than the wild starter Pok��mon trio.


    While Seadra had Dragon-type blood, it wasn''t considered a Dragon-type Pok��mon, so the Horsea born from them wouldn''t be as strong as those born from Kingdra and their innate talents would be significantly reduced.


    If one wanted Horsea with the purest Dragon-type blood, they would have to look to the ones bred by the Dragon Tamer family.


    The Dragon Tamer family ced great importance on the Dragon-type bloodline in Dragon-type Pok��mon, which was rted to their unique ability, Dragon Force. Therefore, most of their Horsea were descendants of Kingdra.


    "How about it? Our Horsea is pretty impressive, right? They won''t be inferior to your Trapinch."


    When it came to their own Horsea, Belindo couldn''t help but feel a bit proud.


    "It''s indeed an excellent Pok��mon," Yuga sincerely praised.


    He thought that once his system tasks werepleted, the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark would open, and at this point, importing some Dragon-type Pok��mon seemed like a good choice.


    Whether paired with Gyarados or Milotic, Kingdra could produce offspring, so there should be no problem using them as breeding stock.

 Chapter 848: Value

    <h4>Chapter 848: Value</h4>


    Due to his satisfaction with Dragon Shadow Day Care''s Horsea, Yuga quickly reached an exchange agreement with them.


    The exchange of Pok��mon was witnessed by official representatives from the Breeder''s Association, and both parties signed an exchange contract simultaneously.


    The value of Horsea and Trapinch was considered equal, so each side provided an equal number of Pok��mon. YoYo Day Care offered ten Trapinch, while Dragon Shadow Day Care provided ten Horsea, all with green potentials.


    Large-scale Day Cares typically sought Pok��mon with potentials in the green or higher range for breeding purposes, as Pok��mon with potentials below green held little significance to them.


    It was only the smaller Day Cares with limited resources that used Pok��mon with yellow potentials as breeding stock.


    The value of the Pok��mon exchanged between YoYo and Dragon Shadow Day Care was estimated to be around five million, which was a rtively modest sum forrge Day Cares and not considered a significant deal.


    For these major Day Cares, investing in new breeding stock was one of the areas where they were most willing to spend money.


    After the exchange with Dragon Shadow Day Care, several other Day Cares approached Yuga to inquire about Trapinch, but he wasn''t particrly interested in their Pok��mon.


    In contrast, Yuga''s Hoppip didn''t attract much attention; only a few Day Cares inquired about them.


    This was normal since Hoppip was a rather ordinary Pok��mon without the advantages of a specific habitat, making it less appealing torge Day Cares for breeding purposes.


    However, Yuga wasn''t interested in the Pok��mon that these Day Cares had to offer for exchange. Therefore, he didn''t boast about his Hoppip having an advantage on learning Grassy Terrain move. He was eagerly waiting for Flying Sky Day Care to arrive.


    His main goal now was Flying Sky Day Care''s Rufflet.


    Flying Sky Day Care specialized in breeding Flying-type Pok��mon, and Hoppip happened to be a Flying-type.


    If they weren''t interested in Hoppip, the worst is he could spend money to buy t. If that didn''t work out, Yuga would have to settle for other Flying-type Pok��mon for his Vuby.


    There''re actually many Day Cares who breeding Flying-type Pok��mon, because Flying-type Pok��mon was amon category among Pok��mon, and often included in many trainers'' teams.


    It had a low difficulty level and a significant market demand, so there were quite a few Day Cares specializing in breeding Flying-type Pok��mon.


    However, Day Cares like Flying Sky, which focused solely on Flying-type Pok��mon, were lessmon, and there were even fewer in the exhibition area at the conference.


    Most Day Cares tended to produce their own Pok��mon for their needs.


    The Pok��mon exchange conferencested for a week, and Yuga had been waiting for Flying Sky Day Care for the entire first and second days without any sign of them.


    He even began to wonder if they had forgotten their promise to visit.


    On the third day, just when Yuga was about to lose patience and head over to inquire about their absence, the head of Flying Sky Day Care appeared in front of YoYo Day Care''s exhibit area.


    "Hello, Mr. Shimizu. Your reputation precedes you," the person said, showing that they were aware of Yuga''s status and treated him with great respect.


    "Hello, wee to our exhibit," Yuga replied.


    The head of Flying Sky Day Care was a young person in their twenties named Abel.


    After the introduction, Yuga learned that the person was the young boss of Flying Sky Day Care, who was quite renowned breeder and specializing in Flying-type Pok��mon.


    "Mr. Shimizu, you want to exchange Rufflet for these Hoppip, correct?" Abel looked at the Hoppip in the flowerbed with a somewhat hesitant tone, as they weren''t particrly interested in Hoppip.


    Yuga had anticipated this situation and replied with a smile, "Mr. Abel, please don''t rush. Take a look at what makes our Hoppip unique before making a decision."


    Although Yuga desired Flying Sky''s Rufflet, he didn''t want to appear overly eager. Otherwise, even if they reached an exchange agreement, they could be at a disadvantage.


    The value of Hoppip and Rufflet wasn''t equivalent, even with the added advantage of the Grassy Terrain. There was a significant amount of flexibility.


    Rufflet''s evolution line, particrly its final form, Braviary, was considered highly valuable among Flying-type Pok��mon and was quite popr amongrge Day Cares.


    To prevent the other party from negotiating for a lower exchange rate, Yuga couldn''t afford to make Rufflet seem like the only option. Presenting it as one of several alternatives was the best strategy.


    "Oh? What makes them unique?" Abel showed a curious expression upon hearing Yuga''s words.


    Yuga walked into the flowerbed and pped his hands. The Hoppip quickly flew into the air, forming a neat formation.


    Seeing the Hoppip ready, Yuga waved his hand, and the Hoppip skillfully moved to the edge and center of the flowerbed, emitting a sparkling green light.


    The green light, centered around the Hoppip, spread rapidly in all directions, forming a continuous expanse of Grassy Terrain that covered the entire flowerbed.


    The flowers in the flowerbed were nourished by the Grassy Terrain, and they extended their branches and leaves, blossoming with even more vibrant and colorful flowers.


    The Exeggcutes of Aroma Day Care that shared the flowerbed with the Hoppip closed their eyes, showing expressions of pure enjoyment as they basked in the Grassy Terrain.


    Themotion in the flowerbed quickly attracted the attention of others, who gathered around to watch.


    "This... this is the Grassy Terrain? And all the Hoppip have it?" Abel''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    "Mr. Shimizu! How about we exchange for some Hoppip?"


    Now, the Day Cares that initially showed little interest in Hoppip had changed their minds. The one asking about Hoppip was a Day Care interested in exchanging for Yuga''s Trapinch.


    However, apart from Dragon Shadow Day Care, Yuga hadn''t exchanged Trapinch with any other Day Cares yet.


    This Day Care realized that the chances of obtaining Trapinch were slim and thought that getting some Hoppip with the Grassy Terrain move would also be a good choice.


    There aren''t many Pok��mon that can learn field-type moves, especially one like Grassy Terrain, which has a group healing effect. For trainers, there''s no such thing as an injury-free Pok��mon. Having a Pok��mon with healing moves can be incredibly convenient.


    During outdoor journeys or adventures, there''s no Pok��mon Center readily avable. In such situations, having a Pok��mon that can create Grassy Terrain could be a lifesaver.


    All these Hoppip had the Grassy Terrain move, meaning that with them, it would be possible to breed even more Hoppip with the same move or other Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Compared to many other Pok��mon, breeding Hoppip was much easier.


    Following this person, other Day Cares that were observing also began inquiring about Hoppip, all interested in exchanging for them.


    "Yuga, you''re not being very considerate! Having such excellent Hoppip, and you never thought of me!" At this moment, Momiji chimed in, winking at Yuga and joining in the act.


    The more Day Cares showed interest in Hoppip, the higher their value would be. If heavyweights like Aroma Day Care joined thepetition, it would make Hoppip even more valuable.


    Hearing Momiji''s voice, Abel looked surprised.


    As one of the Five Giants �� Aroma Day Care''s reputation was well-known, and he hadn''t expected them to be petitors."

 Chapter 849: News

    <h4>Chapter 849: News</h4>


    If the visitors had previously shown no interest in Hoppip, the situation was entirely different for the Grassy Terrain Hoppip, especially when all Hoppip possessed this move.


    Yuga was not foolish; the more people were interested in Hoppip, the less advantageous the situation would be for him.


    "I wonder, Mr. Shimizu, how do you intend to exchange your Hoppip?"


    To be honest, Yuga couldn''t urately gauge the value of these Hoppip, all of them possessing Grassy Terrain.


    "My Hoppip are intended for an exchange with your Rufflet, so the value of Rufflet should be determined by your side, of course."


    Yuga kicked the ball back, only willing to name a price after probing the other''s bottom line.


    "How about trading one Rufflet for two Hoppip?"


    Yuga contemted for a moment before responding.


    "Mr. Abel, you''recking sincerity in your offer. While the value of regr Hoppip may indeed be only half of a Rufflet, our situation is different."


    "Yes, this gentleman is quite skilled at bargaining. Yuga, are you interested in our Pok��mon? Let''s trade one-on-one with you!"


    Momiji continued to y along on the side.


    "Mr. Shimizu, are you looking to exchange for Flying-type Pok��mon? How about a Skarmory? We''ll trade one-on-one with you."


    "Our Mantyke is also a good option..."


    ...


    People from other Day Cares couldn''t resist joining thepetition.


    Hoppip with Grassy Terrain move were rare, and if it were just one or two, that would be one thing, but with so many appearing simultaneously, it was truly a rare opportunity. Missing out on this chance would mean no more opportunities.


    Seeing the growing number ofpetitors around, Abel''s expression grew increasingly grim.


    As a breeder specializing in Flying-type Pok��mon, encountering high potential breeding Pok��mon like Grassy Terrain Hoppip was something Abel couldn''t pass up. Missing this opportunity would mean missing out on a rare find.


    Seeing Abel''s increasingly serious expression, Yuga silently chuckled to himself.


    Luckily, he hadn''t revealed that all his Hoppip had Grassy Terrain before. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have achieved this effect now.


    After some negotiations, Flying Sky Day Care eventually agreed to a one-to-one trade, using Rufflet and YoYo Day Care''s Hoppip.


    With his goal achieved, Yuga finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    In truth, he hadn''t taken advantage of Flying Sky Day Care. Given the value of Hoppip, trading one-for-one for Rufflet was a fair deal for both parties. Abel wasn''t foolish; if it had been an unfair trade, he wouldn''t have agreed.


    Yuga exchanged fifteen Hoppip for fifteen Rufflet from Flying Sky Day Care, and the transaction was officially certified by representatives from the Breeder''s Association.


    After obtaining Rufflet, Yuga didn''t continue to exchange for other Pok��mon. While he had a decent number of Hoppip, it wasn''t so many that he could trade them indiscriminately.


    Seeing Yuga''s cheerful expression after obtaining Rufflet, Momiji couldn''t help but say, "Did I just help you a bit?"


    "Sure... sure, you did. What do you want in return?"


    Yuga looked at her expression and wondered what kind crooked idea she had in mind.


    "What''s with that expression? I helped you, shouldn''t you thank me?"


    Momiji said, sounding a bit annoyed.


    Yuga responded, "So are we friends or not?"


    "Well, yes, what''s the matter?"


    Momiji was puzzled by his question.


    "So many people helped me just now, and they didn''t ask for my thanks! Howe my friend is worse than them?"


    Momiji was quite annoyed. "How can it be the same? They don''t know the situation!"


    Yuga shrugged. "In terms of results, it''s the same."


    Momiji pointed at Yuga in exasperation. "You... you''re something else!" With that, she huffily walked away.


    Momiji had her eye on a Kalos Day Care''s Skiddo , but she hadn''t reached an agreement with them yet. Her anger was feigned; she had negotiations to attend to.


    Watching Momiji walk away, Yuga smiled and shook his head, only to realize that Siebold was standing not far away, looking at him with a smile.


    "Mr. Siebold, howe you''re here?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    Siebold smiled and said, "What? Not happy to see me?"


    "Of course not, I''m delighted to see you! I just didn''t expect you toe," Yuga replied.


    Although Yuga''s time spent with Siebold was brief, he had a very favorable impression of him. Generally speaking, anyone who held the position of Elite Four in various regional leagues had to have a decent character. Apart from Cecilia''s terrible father, all the Elite Four Yuga had met were nice people.


    "I''ve been in Lumiose for the past few days, and my brother mentioned you quite a bit. If he praises you so much, I couldn''t help bute see for myself."


    Brother?


    Yuga was momentarily stunned, then widened his eyes in disbelief.


    "Could it be? Your brother..."


    Siebold nodded. "That''s right, my dear brother."


    Yuga had heard from Mr. Tsuruta that he had a genius Trainer brother, but he never imagined it would be Mr. Siebold. It was truly a remarkable coincidence.


    "My brother told me that you''ve bred a Butterfly King."


    Like Mr. Tsuruta, Siebold had grown up hearing the story of the Butterfly King from their father. However, unlike his brother, he had always treated that story as just that �C a story to listen to and forget about. He had never imagined that someone would actually breed the legendary creature.


    Yuga replied, "Yes, that''s true, but it was also a matter of fortunate circumstances."


    Siebold shook his head and said, "Whether it''s fortunate or coincidental doesn''t matter. If you managed to breed it, it''s a testament to your skill. Can I see your Butterfly King?"


    He was equally curious about the Butterfly King that had always been on his father and brother''s minds.


    "Of course."


    Yuga smiled and nodded before releasing his Vivillon.


    As soon as Vivillon emerged from its Pok�� Ball, it perched on Yuga''s head.


    "It''s truly a unique Vivillon."


    As a native of Kalos and influenced by his father and brother''s passion for Vivillon, Siebold had developed a keen eye for them.


    Remembering Vivillon''s performance during the Gym Challenge, he couldn''t help but admire its progress. Back then, while Vivillon was impressive, it hadn''t reached a point where it turned heads.


    Now, feeling the aura emanating from Vivillon, it possessed all the qualities of a true powerhouse.


    "Take good care of it," he advised Yuga.


    "By the way, do you happen to know about the rumor that there will be Pok��mon with indigo potential appearing at this Conference?"


    Siebold suddenly changed the topic, sharing some news with Yuga.


    "Indigo potential Pok��mon? Is this news true?" Yuga was astonished. If this news were urate, it would exin why the bosses of the Five Giants had all appeared at the Conference''s opening ceremony.


    He had considered asking Momiji about it before, but she hadn''t revealed anything, and he didn''t want to press further. Now, though...


    "It should be true. I don''t have all the details. I happened toe across this information, but the news has been tightly sealed by the Five Giant Day Cares. Otherwise, the situation wouldn''t be so calm right now."


    Yuga agreed with this assessment. Pok��mon with blue potential were already considered suitable for use by Elite Four. Under normal circumstances, no Day Care would sell Pok��mon of that caliber, let alone ones with indigo potential, which could rival the ace Pok��mon of Champion level Trainers.

 Chapter 850: Mutual Assistance

    <h4>Chapter 850: Mutual Assistance</h4>


    Siebold chatted with Yuga for a while before leaving.


    However, the news brought by Siebold seemed to be true, and the Exchange Conference was proceeding smoothly.


    Apart from obtaining a Horsea and a Rufflet, Yuga didn''t exchange for any other Pok��mon. It wasn''t until the sixth day that he was summoned by the staff of the Aurora Day Care.


    Judging by the staff''s attitude, Yuga could tell that it wasn''t Nick, the chubby man, who had summoned him.


    As expected, under the guidance of that staff member, Yuga was taken to a special room within the Forest Park, where he met Lysandre and Malva.


    "Mr. Lysandre."


    Yuga greeted his "boss."


    "Mr. Shimizu, I''m sure you''re curious about why I''ve summoned you."


    After Yuga took a seat, Lysandre spoke.


    Indeed, he was curious. Not only had Lysandree, but Malva was also present. Yuga couldn''t help but specte.


    Anything that could trouble two trainers of their caliber was definitely not a trivial matter.


    "There have been reports of Pok��mon with Indigo potential appearing at this conference. Mr. Shimizu, are you aware of this?"


    Just as Yuga had suspected!


    Lysandre had called him here to discuss Pok��mon with Indigo potential. Yuga''s spections were confirmed.


    "Pok��mon with Indigo potential? Is that true?"


    Yuga asked, feigning surprise. He had learned to keep his acting skills sharp when dealing with Lysandre.


    "The information is indeed urate."


    As the true host of this conference, Lysandre had undoubtedly received early information.


    Yuga asked, "Mr. Lysandre, are you interested in these Pok��mon with Indigo potential?"


    "Of course, no one can resist the allure of Pok��mon with Indigo potential. However, this matter will require your assistance, as well as Malva''s."


    That''s it!


    Even Yuga himself was tempted by Pok��mon with Indigo potential. No one would turn down the opportunity to obtain them.


    "Mr. Lysandre, please go on. I will do my best to assist you."


    "Pok��mon with Indigo potential are extraordinary, and there will undoubtedly be individuals who will try to obtain them in secret. When that happens, I will need you and Malva to assist discreetly."


    Lysandre is the mastermind behind the Aurora Day Care, and this time, he couldn''t personally get involved. Nick would handle everything on his behalf.


    Yuga nodded in understanding. Pok��mon with Indigo potential would indeed attract trouble, and this world had its fair share of opportunists. Otherwise, the Five Giants wouldn''t be keeping this information under wraps.


    "These three Pok��mon will serve as your reward for this operation," Lysandre said.


    As Lysandre spoke, images of three Pok��mon appeared on therge screen in the room: Spiritzee, Litleo, and b��b��.


    "After the operation ispleted, I will provide you with twenty of each of these three Pok��mon."


    Yuga was astonished by Lysandre''s generous offer. These three Pok��mon were all rare, and with twenty of each, even at Green potential, their total value would be around twenty million.


    Was his assistance really worth that much? Even as a member of the Elite Four, his appearance fee shouldn''t be this high.


    Seeing Yuga stunned by the amount of money Lysandre was offering, Malva couldn''t help but smile. She knew that when it came to money, Lysandre was unmatched.


    Yuga soon realized the reason behind this. These three Pok��mon weren''t just his reward for the operation; they also included his sry for joining Lysandre''s team.


    Yuga was not only a Day Care owner but also a Gym Leader for the Pok��mon League. If Lysandre had given him arge sum of money directly, it would have drawn too much attention.


    It had to be said, Lysandre was a thoughtful nner.


    Compared to money, the source of Pok��mon was much easier to exin. No matter the Pok��mon, they could always be found in the wild.


    As an undercover agent, Yuga didn''t feel guilty about taking advantage of Lysandre''s generosity. He epted Lysandre''s reward without any qualms.


    When there''s an opportunity, one should seize it.


    Speaking of which, Yuga''s Florges has yet to interact with her own kind. If he could get his hands on these b��b�� from Lysandre, Florges would have a fewpanions to keep herpany.


    From Lysandre, Yuga learned the origin of this indigo potential Pok��mon.


    This indigo potential Pok��mon was discovered by a Pok��mon Poacher in the wild, but this Poacher was reckless and cowardly.


    He didn''t dare to keep the indigo potential Pok��mon and wanted to sell it off.


    However, before this Poacher could make a move, news of him possessing a indigo potential Pok��mon leaked.


    As a result, both the underworld and the legitimate world set their sights on him.


    This Poacher was a lone operator without any organization backing him, and his own strength wascking. With so many people watching him, he didn''t dare to wait any longer. He went straight to Midnight Day Care, one of the Five Giants, to try and sell the Pok��mon to them.


    However, it wasn''t just Midnight Day Care who received the information; the other four giants Day Cares got wind of it too.


    Midnight Day Care had topromise and, together with the other four giant Day Cares, paid the Poacher to acquire the Pok��mon and secretly helped him escape.


    Some of the other goods the Poacher had were also acquired by the Five Giants.


    While the Five Giants held significant power, they still conducted their business dealings with integrity. When purchasing the Pok��mon, they didn''t exploit the Poacher.


    However, there was only one indigo potential Pok��mon, and all five giants had contributed money. Giving it to just one Day Care was not eptable to the others. So, they reached an agreement to present the Pok��mon at this Exchange Conference.


    The Five Giants did an excellent job of keeping this information secret, and only a few insiders were aware of it.


    However, the information that Lysandre received wasn''t particrly detailed, and at least the specific species of this indigo potential Pok��mon hadn''t been leaked yet.


    While Yuga was interested in this Pok��mon as well, he knew deep down that with his financial resources, he couldn''t acquire this Pok��mon. Moreover, this particr Pok��mon came with its own set of troubles, and ensuring its safety would be a challenge.


    Therefore,pared to the unknown indigo potential Pok��mon, Yuga felt that the three Pok��mon Lysandre offered him were a more reliable option.


    Yuga already possessed Pok��mon with Indigo potential, including two of the legendary purple potential Pok��mon. It didn''t make sense for him to put himself in a precarious position just for an unknown Pok��mon.


    As long as he focused on being Lysandre''s enforcer, he didn''t concern himself with the rest.


    As for whether Lysandre could truly obtain that Pok��mon, it was Lysandre''s business.


    Yuga wondered about Siebold''s stance on this matter. His appearance here, did it signify his interest in this Pok��mon as well?


    What if he shed with Siebold? Yuga suddenly felt a headacheing on. He was here as an undercover agent for Lysandre, not to defect to another side.


    After discussing the matter in detail with Lysandre and Malva, Yuga left the room and returned to his own exhibition area.

 Chapter 851: Auction

    <h4>Chapter 851: Auction</h4>


    On the final day of the Pok��mon Exchange Conference, Yuga arrived early at the Forest Park Ecopark.


    Through observation, Yuga clearly felt that the security in the entire Ecopark had been significantly strengthened today. Security personnel were visible every few steps.


    ording to the information obtained from Lysandre, today was the day when the indigo potential Pok��mon would make an appearance.


    These security personnel were apanied by Pok��mon, and the Pok��mon were not stored in Pok�� Balls, all in preparation for any unexpected events. It was evident that Lysandre attached great importance to the indigo potential Pok��mon.


    However, Lysandre himself did not intend to appear today. He had entrusted the matter of the Pok��mon to Nick, while Yuga and Malva were there to assist and ensure Nick''s safety after obtaining the Pok��mon.


    Lysandre''s actions were evidently cautious, and he had no intention of revealing his identity as the mastermind behind the Aurora Day Care.


    Through their previous encounters, Yuga knew that Lysandre was a formidable Pok��mon Trainer.


    However, there was no information about this outside; in the eyes of the public, his most prominent identity was that of a sessful entrepreneur.


    Otherwise, with his abilities, he wouldn''t need Yuga and Malva to assist simultaneously.


    Yuga and Malva''s assistance to Nick would, at most, make people think they were employed by Nick.


    No one would link the absent Lysandre and Nick, along with Yuga and Malva, together.


    Even if Nick did obtain the indigo potential Pok��mon, Lysandre''s true identity would remain a secret.


    He truly was cunning...


    Even on the final day of the Exchange Conference, the Pok��mon exchange activities proceeded smoothly, and most people were unaware of the impending appearance of the indigo potential Pok��mon.


    In the afternoon, Yuga noticed that Momiji from the neighboring exhibition area discreetly left with someone, but he pretended not to see.


    Not long after, a staff member from Aurora Day Care also came to escort Yuga.


    Handing over the matters in his exhibition area to Kazuma and Shin, Yuga followed the Aurora Day Care staff member to the lower level of the Ecopark.


    If it weren''t for the staff member guiding him, Yuga wouldn''t have known that there was a hidden area within this Ecopark.


    The Ecopark was built into the mountainside, and the interior of the entire hill was surprisingly hollowed out, transformed into arge conference venue.


    Because the Five Giants intended to showcase the indigo potential Pok��mon in this conference venue, it had been rearranged for the asion.


    The indigo potential Pok��mon had been jointly purchased by the five giants, and none of them could acquire it individually, so they decided to present it together.


    This event was conducted in the form of an auction, with the indigo potential Pok��mon as the grand finale. The highest bidder among those attending the auction would win it.


    This way, the five giants wouldn''t engage in disputes over this particr Pok��mon.


    To ensure the sess of this auction, the five giants had also brought out other high potential Pok��mon, and it was rumored that several blue potential Pok��mon would appear as well.


    indigo potential Pok��mon were exceptionally rare.


    As far as Yuga knew, in the past decade, no major Day Care, including those under the Pok��mon League''s banner, had records of selling indigo potential Pok��mon.


    Even blue potential Pok��mon were rarely offered by major Day Cares.


    The most recent blue potential Pok��mon was a Poliwag that had leaked from a Pok��mon League Day Care six months ago.


    Those participating in this auction were well aware that even if they couldn''t secure the coveted indigo potential Pok��mon, obtaining a blue potential Pok��mon would still be a significant win.


    It had to be said that the Five Giants were making a substantial contribution this time.


    Yuga was unaware that outside the Forest Park, many prominent figures who were seldom seen had started to arrive.


    In order to ensure the sess of the auction for the indigo potential Pok��mon, the invitations for this auction were extended to individuals with both financial means and status.


    This is also why the Five Giants have kept it a secret from the outside world. Their target has never been ordinary people, and sometimes, not even wealthy individuals. To be considered, one needs wealth and status.


    Through the rare indigo potential Pok��mon, participants could not only make a substantial profit but also build rtionships with influential figures, a win-win situation.


    The Five Giants were willing to offer the indigo potential Pok��mon and even brought out several blue potential Pok��mon after careful consideration.


    Yuga and Malva met at the entrance to the main venue. Since Nick was the nominal host of the event, he had already gone inside to wee the "distinguished guests."


    Malva: "Mr. Shimizu, I wish us a pleasant cooperation today."


    Yuga: "Pleasant cooperation!"


    Guided by the Aurora staff member, who showed an invitation to the guards at the entrance, Yuga and Malva were allowed in.


    The auction for the indigo potential Pok��mon was a secret event, and as Lysandre had mentioned, those without invitations wouldn''t be able to enter the venue.


    When Yuga and Malva entered, they saw that many people were already seated in the lower section of the venue.


    As expected, Yuga spotted Siebold.


    Yuga had already guessed that if Siebold knew about the appearance of the indigo potential Pok��mon, he wouldn''t miss such an event.


    Seeing Yuga and Malva walking together, Siebold looked surprised and nodded at them from a distance.


    Although Siebold and Malva were both members of the Elite Four in Kalos, they couldn''t be considered close. They were more like colleagues.


    "Do you know Siebold?"


    Malva initially thought that Siebold had nodded at her, but she noticed his gaze directed at Yuga, indicating that they knew each other.


    "Siebold was one of the examiners in the Gym Leader Challenge I participated in. I had the privilege of speaking with him a few times," Yuga replied with a nod.


    "I see," Malva thought for a moment, remembering that this was indeed the case. If she hadn''t had an unexpected situation at the time, she might have been the one attending.


    Each organization present had been assigned to arge round table, where members of the same faction sat together.


    Since Aurora Day Care was the host of the auction venue, Yuga and Malva had prime seating.


    Momiji, seated at the main podium overseeing the auction, was very surprised to see Yuga here. She hadn''t expected Yuga, who hadn''t received an invitation, to be present.


    The five giants, as the organizers of the auction, naturally knew who had been invited and who hadn''t.


    However, when Momiji saw Yuga seated in the position representing Aurora Day Care, everything became clear.


    Thinking back to Nick''s attentiveness to Yuga before, she didn''t find it strange anymore.


    Now Yuga represented Aurora Day Care, not his YoYo Day Care.


    She had a good rtionship with Yuga in the past, so she felt a bit guilty about keeping this secret from him.


    However, there was an agreement among the five giants, and she couldn''t unterally break that rule.


    Inviting Yuga as a representative of Aroma Day Care to attend the auction hadn''t crossed her mind.


    Aroma Day Care was one of the organizers of the auction, and ording to the agreement among the five giants, the organizers didn''t have the right to participate in the auction. Even if she had brought Yuga along, it wouldn''t have made sense.


    Seeing her friend representing another Day Care at the auction she hosted, Momiji suddenly felt a bit awkward.


    Remaining text not tranted yet, feel free to ask for further trantion if needed.

 Chapter 852: Arrival

    <h4>Chapter 852: Arrival</h4>


    After Yuga and Malva had taken their seats, they noticed that the person sitting next to them was from the Dragon Shadow Day Care.


    Upon seeing Yuga, the Dragon Keeper, a young man sitting beside him, whispered something to him. Then, the young man smiled and approached Yuga.


    "Is this Gym Leader Shimizu? I''m Diaval. I''ve heard of your name for a long time. It''s a pleasure to meet you!"


    So, he was the boss of Dragon Shadow!


    Afterpleting the Pok��mon exchange with Dragon Shadow, Yuga had done some research on them. Diaval was the current owner of Dragon Shadow and was said to be a cousin of the famous Lance.


    Unlike his cousin Lance, Diaval didn''t have much talent as a Trainer. The initial Pok��mon he received, Horsea, had only evolved into Seadra so far.


    Perhaps aware of hisck of talent, he didn''t even want to waste a single Dragon Scale on Seadra''s evolution.


    Being a Trainer or not, whether Seadra evolved into Kingdra made no difference to him.


    But he had a knack for business. Before the age of thirty, he hadpletely taken over the management of Dragon Shadow.


    "Mr. Diaval, I''ve heard great things about you."


    Yuga politely greeted Diaval.


    "Is this the Elite Four Ms. Malva? I didn''t expect Gym Leader Shimizu and Ms. Malva to be acquainted."


    Diaval greeted Malva with a smile, but his tone held some hidden meaning.


    Malva replied, "Mr. Diaval."


    Malva only exchanged brief greetings with Diaval and didn''t say much, but Diaval didn''t mind. While his background was good, he was, after all, just a businessman, not a major figure.


    "It''s been a pleasant coboration with Gym Leader Shimizu this time. I hope we''ll have more opportunities to work together in the future."


    Diaval turned to Yuga and said cheerfully.


    Yuga was indeed satisfied with the Horsea he had exchanged for this time. The Pok��mon bred by the Dragon Tamer family was indeed as good as its reputation. So he smiled and said, "Looking forward to future coborations."


    "Well then, I won''t disturb you two any longer."


    Diaval bid farewell and returned to his seat with Belindo.


    Diaval''s appearance was just a minor incident. Soon, more and more people filled the venue, some of whom Yuga recognized, and some he didn''t. However, they were all influential figures.


    Yuga even spotted Kalos'' Champion, Diantha, appearing at the venue.


    Diantha and Malva seemed quite familiar and greeted each other warmly upon meeting.


    Through Malva''s introduction, Yuga learned that Diantha and Lysandre were actually good friends.


    However, Diantha probably didn''t know about the existence and true purpose of Team re; it could be said that Lysandre''s public image was quite positive.


    Yuga and Diantha weren''t acquainted, and they exchanged brief greetings under Malva''s introduction, trying to appear somewhat familiar.


    Although Diantha had heard of Yuga''s name, she wasn''t the type to be overly friendly, so they didn''t have an extensive conversation.


    Diantha was from Kalos, and Yuga wasn''t particrly surprised to see her here. After all, when opportunity knocks, one should answer. However, what surprised Yuga were the people who arrived next.


    The Kanto Elite Four member Bruno, the Fuchsia City Gym Leader Koga, the Hoenn Elite Four member Drake, the Gym Leader Wace, the Sinnoh Elite Four member Lucian, the genius Trainer Cynthia, the Unova Elite Four member Marshal, and many others...


    Especially Cynthia, when she saw Yuga, she unexpectedly nodded and greeted him, leaving him puzzled.


    He didn''t know Cynthia! In his recollection, he had only seen Cynthia once, and that was at a League conference in Sinnoh.


    At that time, he had gone to support Reggie''s match and happened to witness Cynthia''s battle by chance. But back then, he recognized Cynthia, but she didn''t recognize him, and they never exchanged a word.


    Logically speaking, they didn''t know each other; they didn''t even have any interaction. So why was Cynthia greeting him now?


    Or... could it be that he had be so handsome that he attracted the attention of a beauty like Cynthia? With that thought in mind, Yuga couldn''t help but touch his handsome face.


    Maybe I''ve really be handsome! Otherwise, the Gogoats family and the two Meowstics wouldn''t voluntarily follow me.


    Compared to a year ago, Cynthia has be more mature, and her presence is much stronger, making it hard to ignore her.


    Robert, who came along with Wace, didn''t find it strange when he saw Yuga.


    Although Yuga and Robert hadn''t seen each other for some time, they stayed in touch regrly. So, Robert was aware that Yuga was attending the Pok��mon Exchange Conference. Yuga''s presence at the conference wasn''t surprising.


    However, Robert''s decision to attend the auction was ast-minute notification from Wace, so Yuga didn''t know about it, and Robert hadn''t had the chance to inform him.


    "I didn''t expect you to be here. When I first arrived, I actually went to look for you, nning to bring you along to experience this auction!"


    Robert saw Yuga and let his senior go to their position at the Sootopolis Gym. He then pulled Yuga aside to chat.


    "I didn''t know you wereing here either. I''m here because someone asked for my help."


    Yuga replied with a helpless tone. Regardless, seeing Robert in Kalos made him happy.


    "I was brought here by my senior at thest minute too. I was actually nning to surprise you bying here!"


    "Are you and Wace here for that indigo potential Pok��mon too?"


    "Yes, we are. But my senior said our chances of getting it are slim. It''s much better to secure a suitable blue potential Pok��mon instead."


    High potential Pok��mon are never too many, especially in a ce as big as the Sootopolis Gym. They could always use more high potential Pok��mon, no amount would be enough.


    Yuga nodded in agreement; that was indeed the case.


    There were so many wealthy attendees this time: the Dragon Tamer family, the Temple n, various Elite Four, and Even Champion. The Sootopolis Gym didn''t have a significant financial advantage in this situation.


    Only major capitalists like Lysandre were truly confident about obtaining the indigo potential Pok��mon this time.


    However, Robert and Wace both is already had indigo potential Melotic in their possession, making them unattainable for other Trainers.


    "Do you have any information? Do you know what kind of indigo potential Pok��mon it is this time?"


    Robert asked Yuga in a hushed tone.


    Yuga shook his head. "The Five Giants have kept their secrecy measures quite tight. There hasn''t been any information leak so far."


    Robert sighed softly. "They sure know how to build anticipation."


    Yuga chuckled. "That''s just how it is. They''re in it for the business, so they''ll do whatever benefits them the most."


    As fellow businessmen, Yuga naturally understood the Five Giants'' strategy.


    They had to keep everyone''s anticipation high to get the best price for that indigo potential Pok��mon.


    After chatting for a while, Robert was called back by his senior, Wace, and Yuga returned to his seat, patiently waiting for the auction to begin.

 Chapter 853: Appetizer

    <h4>Chapter 853: Appetizer</h4>


    It was around the time when the auction was about to begin that the busy Nick finally returned to where Yuga and Malva were seated.


    After all, he was the one participating in the bidding on behalf of Lysandre in this auction, while Yuga and Malva were merely serving as bodyguards.


    Amid the anticipation of the crowd, the auction''s host calmly took the stage.


    "Good afternoon, everyone. I am Joseph, honored to be the host of this auction. I hope that each of you will acquire the Pok��mon you desire today."


    The host, Joseph, was a man in his fifties. However, ording to Nick''s introduction, he was a senior breeder from the Green me Day Care, and he even held some prestige within the Breeder''s Association.


    "Well, I''m sure nobody wants to hear me ramble on, so I hereby announce that this auction is officially underway."


    With a gentle tap of Joseph''s small hammer, the auction began.


    The first Pok��mon to kick off the auction was a Bellsprout with a green potential.


    As Joseph introduced this Bellsprout, its photo and relevant data appeared on therge screen behind him.


    The photo disyed the health and growth status of this young Bellsprout clearly, while the data showcased its traits, potential, and acquired moves, among other details.


    As the opening Pok��mon, this green potential Bellsprout was fairly ordinary. Many people joined the bidding, but those with true stature, like Diaval, Cynthia, and Diantha, remained silent.


    "Mr. Shimizu seems to be a Grass-type Trainer as well. This Bellsprout looks decent. Won''t you join in the bidding for some fun?" Malva casually asked Yuga, listening to the bidding voices.


    Yuga shook his head. "Does Ms. Malva think I need another green potential Pok��mon?"


    Malva replied, "You run a Day Care. High potential Pok��mon should never be in short supply, right?"


    Yuga said, "Today, I''m not here representing myself. I won''t get involved in this matter. What do you think, Mr. Nick?"


    Nick, hearing this, replied, "Indeed, it''s better to avoid unnecessary trouble. It''s just a green potential Pok��mon, not worth it."


    In the end, the Bellsprout was sold to someone Yuga didn''t recognize for 400,000.


    For Pok��mon like Bellsprout, the price, while not low, wasn''t too high either. If market prices fluctuated, it could still be considered a reasonable deal. However, within the context of the auction, it wasn''t considered significant.


    Following Bellsprout, there was a Pok��mon Egg, belonging to the Zubat species.


    The final price for this Zubat Pok��mon Egg was slightly higher than the Bellsprout, but not by much.


    Zubat had a better species potential than Bellsprout, but the prices for young Pok��mon were generally higher than Pok��mon Eggs, so the difference in value wasn''t significant.


    Many people had their eyes on the blue and indigo potential Pok��mon that were toeter, so the bidding for the green potential Pok��mon in the beginning wasn''t particrly fierce, and the prices remained reasonable.


    This auction had a high standard, only featuring Pok��mon with green potential or higher. Common Pok��mon like Rattata and Caterpie, even if they met the potential criteria, weren''t considered worthy of inclusion in the auction list.


    Following the auction of green potential Pok��mon and Pok��mon Eggs, Pok��mon like Tang, Paras, Murkrow, Zigzagoon, and Wurmple were auctioned off. Most of these Pok��mon originated from the Five Giants'' Day Cares.


    During the auction of green potential Pok��mon, there was a small climax when Green me Day Care presented a green potential Bulbasaur and Bug Day Care offered a Scyther.


    The appearance of one of the Kanto starter Pok��mon, Bulbasaur, attracted a lot of attention and ultimately sold for 850,000.


    In terms of the Pok��mon''s intrinsic value, this price was undoubtedly high. Yuga''s signature Pok��mon, Trapinch, was only worth around 500,000 each.


    In terms of battle strength, Trapinch was certainly on par with Bulbasaur.


    However, Pok��mon like Bulbasaur brought with them the aura of being a member of the Kanto starter trio, adding extra value. Coupled with the fact that this was an auction, the price was naturally driven up.


    Of course, for those who loved Bulbasaur, 850,000 was not considered high at all.


    Although Bulbasaur was one of Green me''s signature Pok��mon, it was clear that they couldn''t sell many each year, and they couldn''t make much impact on the market.


    With a price slightly higher than Bulbasaur, Scyther reached nearly 900,000. The two bidders seemed determined not to let the price fall behind Bulbasaur, although Scyther''s inherent strength didn''t necessarily surpass Bulbasaur.


    It was more about rarity.


    Rare Pok��mon alwaysmanded higher prices. It was a rule in the Pok��mon world.


    Luckily, both bidders had some restraint, realizing the price was getting too high. Otherwise, Scyther might have sold for a million.


    Outside, a green potential pseudo-legendary Pok��mon probably went for just one or two million.


    Of course, having the money was one thing, being able to purchase it was another.


    The green potential Pok��mon were just the appetizer for this auction. After selling more than fifty green potential Pok��mon, it was finally time for the eagerly awaited blue potential Pok��mon to make their appearance.


    There was only one indigo potential Pok��mon, so those who knew they couldn''tpete for it naturally shifted their attention to the blue potential Pok��mon.


    "All right, the auction for green potential Pok��mon has concluded. Next up is the auction for blue potential Pok��mon."


    "The quantity of blue potential Pok��mon is not as abundant as the green potential ones. So, for those of you who wish to acquire your desired Pok��mon, don''t easily give up. After all, opportunitiese and go in the blink of an eye."


    Before the auction of blue potential Pok��mon began, Joseph motivated thepetitors with these words.


    The first blue potential Pok��mon was the aesthetically pleasing Finneon, a Water-type Pok��mon. Finneon was known for its ability to emit bright light from the patterns on its dorsal fin after absorbing sunlight, making it visually stunning.


    Finneon wasn''t particrly strong in battles, but its rarity and aesthetics made it desirable. The bidder for Finneon wasn''t one of the Five Giants but someone they had invited to participate, a private owner.


    The first to ce a bid was, unsurprisingly, Wace. As a Water-type Coordinator who had reached the Grand Festival, Finneon suited his preferences. Although Finneon wasn''t exceptionally strong, a blue potential Pok��mon naturallymanded a high price.


    Compared to the bidding for green potential Pok��mon, thepetition for blue potential Pok��mon was much more intense. Despite Wace''s strong bid, there were still several other contenders vying for Finneon.


    In the end, Wace secured Finneon for 4.35 million.


    While the price might be considered high, blue potential Finneon was only slightly more valuable than a typical green potential pseudo-Legendary.


    However, Wace was willing to pay, and no one could stop him.


    Thepetition for the second Pok��mon was even fiercer, as it was a rarer Absol. Even Yuga hadn''t expected to see Absol in this auction. The bidder was Midnight Day Care.


    Both Cynthia and Diantha joined the bidding for Absol, but in the end, it was a middle-aged man who secured Absol for 7 million.


    ording to Nick, the man who won Absol was a high-ranking member of the Kalos League, wealthy and influential.


    The third Pok��mon was a dual Grass/Poison-type Pok��mon, Roselia, and it was auctioned by Aroma Day Care. The bidding for Roselia was just as intense as Absol, and it sold for 6.3 million.


    The fourth Pok��mon was a hidden ability Speed Boost Scyther auctioned by Bug Day Care, which reached a final price of 8 million.


    The fifth blue potential Pok��mon, offered by Sea Day Care, was their signature Pok��mon, a pink Shellos, which sold for 7.2 million.


    As the auction progressed, emotions ran high among the bidders, and prices soared.


    The final blue potential Pok��mon was provided by Green me Day Care, and it was a Growlithe.


    Green me Day Care, with its reputation, managed to outshine the other four Day Cares. They gained attention for their green potential Bulbasaur and now the blue potential Growlithe.


    Unsurprisingly, the appearance of Growlithe brought the auction to another climax.


    After Absol, Cynthia and Diantha once again entered the bidding, and even Dialva and Bruno joined in.


    As a Pok��mon monopolized by the Jenny family, the rare, handsome, and powerful Growlithe, one can imagine how fierce thepetition must have been.


    Yuga looked at the adorable picture of Growlithe and felt tempted, but despite his interest, he didn''t have the financial power topete with the others.


    Everyone here was a big shot, andpared to their financial strength, Yuga was just a little brother.


    The bidding escted rapidly.


    "9.1 million!"


    To everyone''s surprise, Malva, who was sitting next to Yuga, ced a bid.


    Growlithe was indeed attractive, and even the Fire-type Malva couldn''t resist its charm.


    9 million! Yuga couldn''t help but sigh in his heart: rich.


    "Mr. Nick, are you not bidding? This Growlithe is really good," Yuga turned to Nick and asked.


    Nick shook his head, "Let''s skip on the Growlithe; our target is the grand finale." Besides, Malva had already ced a bid, and he didn''t want topete.


    Of course, Nick didn''t mention thatst part.


    Yuga nodded in agreement and continued to watch as the price continued to rise.


    As the price kept climbing, individuals like Diantha, Cynthia, and Dialva, who aimed for blue potential Pok��mon, eventually stopped bidding. If they continued, they would miss out on the Indigo potential Pok��monter.


    "10 million!"


    Malva continued to bid fearlessly.


    Others needed to consider the uing Indigo potential Pok��mon, but Malva didn''t. He was quite determined.


    In the end, Malva secured the Growlithe for 13 million.


    Seeing this price, Yuga couldn''t help but marvel: the world of the wealthy is truly exciting.


    However, Yuga had a nagging question in his mind.


    Weren''t the other Pok��mon in this auction meant to set the stage for the final Indigo potential Pok��mon? Yet, a Pok��mon like Growlithe appeared and stole the spotlight. Wouldn''t this be detrimental to the auction of the ultimate Indigo potential Pok��mon?


    Or was there another reason...


    Thinking about this, Yuga couldn''t help but shudder.


    Having sessfully won Growlithe, Malva took a deep breath. She had been quite nervous when she first ced her bid, mainly because there were so many wealthy individuals here.


    "Congrattions, you got what you wanted," Yuga said.


    "Congrattions, Malva," Nick added.


    Malva responded with gratitude, "Thank you."

 Chapter 854: Hatchling

    <h4>Chapter 854: Hatchling</h4>


    "Alright, now that all the green and blue potential Pok��mon auctions have concluded, our grand finale is finally about to begin," said Joseph excitedly to the guests below, his two mustaches under his nose quivering with anticipation.


    Joseph''s voice seemed to stir the atmosphere in the room, as the attendees below appeared to be holding their breaths in anticipation.


    "The main course is finally here," Nick said with a serious expression. Mr. Lysandre had set his sights on this indigo potential Pok��mon, and there was no doubt about his determination.


    Initially, Yuga felt quite rxed, as he was just a spectator, and Indigo potential Pok��mon had no direct rtion to him. His job was simply to perform his duty as a bodyguard.


    However, as the tension in the room continued to rise, Yuga couldn''t help but feel nervous.


    "Now, allow me to introduce this Pok��mon to you all with great solemnity," Joseph announced, and as his words fell, a clear picture appeared on therge screen behind him. Next to the picture were the Pok��mon''s statistics.


    "So, this is the Pok��mon..."


    "No wonder..."


    "Oh my goodness..."


    ...


    Seeing the image on the big screen, the attendees below erupted into a buzz of conversation, discussing and whispering among themselves.


    The picture showed a small bipedal reptilian Pok��mon with gray-green skin reminiscent of rock. It had a long, blunt horn on its head, red eyes, short arms, single-toed feet, a diamond-shaped red scale covering its belly, and four diamond-shaped ck holes on its waist. Its tail had a conical shape with a ring of te-like structures surrounding it.


    Nickmented, "So, it''s this Pok��mon. No wonder they kept it hidden until now."


    Larvitar!


    Upon seeing the picture of this Pok��mon, Yuga finally understood why none of the Five Giants willing to let one of them im this Pok��mon as their own. He also grasped why a indigo potential Larvitar could steal the spotlight from a blue potential Growlithe.


    A Pseudo-Legendary cub with blue potential, let alone blue potential Growlithe, even the blue potential Arcanine cannot steal its limelight.


    "As you can see, this is a young Larvitar, standing at 0.4 meters tall, recently hatched, weighing 70 kilograms, and in good health..."


    Joseph enthusiastically introduced the young Larvitar, stirring up the atmosphere in the venue.


    "I won''t waste any words. You all understand the preciousness of a Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon. The bidding officially begins at a starting price of 5 million, with increments of no less than 100,000."


    "5.5 million!"


    "6 million!"


    "6.5 million!"


    ...


    As Joseph lightly tapped the gavel, the attendees below couldn''t wait any longer and began to ce their bids.


    As the price continued to climb, Yuga finally realized just how valuable a indigo potential Pseudo-Legendary hatchling could be. He couldn''t help but wonder about the worth of his own Dragonite.


    Larvitar, Pupitar, and Tyranitar, these three Pok��mon were known to inhabit only the Mt. Silver in Johto.


    The Mt. Silver were a protected area for Pok��mon by the League, where capturing Pok��mon was strictly prohibited, let alone capturing a Pseudo-Legendary hatchling like Larvitar.


    ording to information obtained by Lysandre, this Larvitar had been brought to the Midnight Day Care by a Poacher, raising suspicions that it might have been poached from the Mt. Silver.


    However, the Five Giants had maintained excellent secrecy, and even if this Larvitar dide from the Mt. Silver, there was no concrete evidence, so the matter would likely be left unresolved.


    Bidding for Larvitar quickly surpassed 10 million, but the people with true confidence hadn''t made their moves yet, as everyone knew it was still early!


    "Everyone, what are you hesitating for? Take a look at this Larvitar; it has a rare hidden ability. With proper nurturing, it could be an Elite or even a Champion!."


    Joseph continued to encourage the bidders with all his might, his lips smacking, making Yuga think that this old man had a natural talent for auctioneering, better than bing a breeder!


    "20 million!"


    This time, it was Fuchsia Gym''s Koga who spoke up. He might not have as much wealth as others, but he couldn''t afford to wait any longer.


    "25 million!"


    Koga was followed by Bruno!


    The big shots finally started to speak up one by one.


    "30 million!" The Unova Elite Four''s Marshal.


    "35 million!" The Hoenn Elite Four''s Drake.


    ...


    None of the big shots dared to raise the price too high, fearing that they wouldn''t be able to hold out in the end.


    ...


    "50 million!"


    The wealthy Dialva made an offer.


    Yuga, Malva, and Nick watched silently as others ced their bids. Nick remained quiet, while Yuga and Malva sat still.


    ...


    "500 million!"


    The wealthy Dialva bid a staggering amount.


    Yuga, Malva, and Nick continued to watch as others ced their bids. Nick stayed silent, while Yuga and Malva remained calm.


    ...


    "60 million!"


    A crisp voice rang out.


    Yuga turned to see that it was Diantha, the Champion of Kalos, who had made the bid.


    In addition to being the Champion of Kalos, Diantha was also a well-known actress and extremely wealthy.


    "65 million!"


    Following Diantha, Siebold, one of the Elite Four of Kalos, also joined in. Diantha, the famous star, had no shortage of funds, and the wealthy Siebold was no exception.


    Yuga took the opportunity to nce at Wace and Robert on the other side. Wace seemed to have truly given up on bidding. Since winning the Finneon, Yuga hadn''t seen him make any more bids.


    On the other hand, Robert seemed to sense something, turned to Yuga, smiled, and then shook his head.


    Yuga instantly understood Robert''s meaning; it seemed that both he and Wace had indeed given up.


    "80 million!"


    At this point, Cynthia finally joined thepetition.


    Cynthia came from the Temple n, and with a Master-level Trainer in her family, she naturally had confidence.


    Yuga had seen her Garchomp before, which was also a indigo potential Pok��mon. Compared to this young Larvitar that had yet to fully grow, Cynthia''s Garchomp was a bona fide Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon.


    "85 million!" Dialva held on tightly.


    The Temple n was formidable, and the Dialva''s family was no pushover either.


    Thinking about it, of the four Masters, the first three - one was from the Dialva''s family, one was from the Temple n, and one was from the Vige of Dragons. They were all wealthy, and only Mr. Kokoro, who was a solitary figure, was the poorest.


    With the price reaching this point, there were only a few bidders left in thepetition.


    "90 million!" Nick finally spoke up.


    With Nick suddenly entering the fray, the gazes of Dialva, Diantha, Cynthia, and others involuntarily turned towards him.


    Diantha: "95 million!"


    After some thought, Dialva announced, "100 million!"


    The price finally soared to 100 million, but no one was surprised anymore, except for Yuga, who kept calcting in his mind how much his Dragonite might be worth.


    It was true that as Pok��mon went higher in terms of potential and species, their prices became increasingly exorbitant!


    Cynthia: "101 million!"


    Cynthia wasn''t intimidated by Dialva''s 100 million.


    "101.5 million!"


    Backed by the wealthy Lysandre, Nick showed no hesitation.


    Diantha nced back at Nick, bit her lip, and ultimately gave up on bidding. 100 million was already her limit.


    Now, only threepetitors remained: Cynthia, Dialva, and Nick.


    Cynthia: "102 million!"


    Dialva: "102.5 million!"


    Nick: "103 million!"


    ...


    The venue was now very quiet, with only the three bidders'' voices echoing back and forth.


    When bidding reached 150 million, Cynthia hesitated and withdrew from thepetition. She was here on her own behalf, not representing the Temple n, and she couldn''t go on any longer.


    It wasn''t until Nick''s bid reached 200 million that Dialva cast a deep nce at Nick and chose not to bid further.


    "Bang!"


    Joseph lightly tapped his small hammer.


    "200 million once! 200 million twice! 200 million three times! Sold! Congrattions to Mr. Nick, this blue potential Larvitar is now yours!"

 Chapter 855: Sealed

    <h4>Chapter 855: Sealed</h4>


    After Joseph announced Nick''s Sessful bidding, Yuga and their group immediately became the center of attention, truly "under the spotlight."


    "As we conclude this auction here, I want to offer my heartfelt congrattions to all of you who have acquired your desired Pok��mon..."


    After a passionate speech by Joseph, the auction officially ended. Nick, apanied by Yuga and Malva, followed the instructions of a staff member to im the young Larvitar they had won.


    All the Pok��mon auctioned at the event had been tightly secured by the Five Giants, and not even Nick, the host, knew their exact locations.


    Once they were led into a small room, the staff member produced a Pok�� Ball and released the young Larvitar.


    "Mr. Nick, this is the young Larvitar you''ve won. Please inspect it, and if everything''s in order, we''ll hand the Pok��mon over to you."


    The young Larvitar, still trembling slightly upon seeing so many strangers suddenly appear, looked around with timid eyes.


    After confirming that this was indeed the Larvitar he had won, Nick signed the transfer agreement under the supervision of the staff member.


    Meanwhile, in other small rooms, guests who had won Pok��mon at the auction, just like Nick, were alsopleting their transfers.


    As soon as the transfer agreements were signed, Nick had barely returned the young Larvitar to its Pok�� Ball when rms started ringing throughout the entire venue.


    Upon hearing the rms, both Nick and the Five Giants'' staff members immediately understood what it meant.


    "I can''t believe someone managed to breach our security!"


    Nick cursed under his breath and then apologized to the Five Giants'' staff members before leaving the small room with Yuga and Malva.


    "It appears there has been an intrusion here. It''s up to the two of you now," Nick said as they walked. He was just a businessman and had nobat abilities, so he had to rely on Yuga and Malva.


    Yuga: "Of course, we''ll do our best."


    Malva: "Don''t worry."


    Both Yuga and Malva had received benefits from Mr. Lysandre, so they were determined to fulfill their duties.


    With two Elite level Trainers providing protection, Nick felt considerably reassured.


    The venue had already descended into chaos, with hurried footsteps echoing everywhere.


    Nick''s immediate priority was to quickly leave the area with the young Larvitar. As long as he handed it over to Mr. Lysandre, they would be safe.


    However, as they were halfway to their destination, a staff member dressed in Aurora Day Care attire rushed over in a panic and whispered a few words in Nick''s ear, causing his expression to darken.


    "Damn it!" Nick became increasingly agitated.


    "What''s wrong?" Malva asked.


    "The security system of the venue has been breached, and all the exit doors have been sealed shut. It''s going to be difficult for us toe and go now," Nick replied.


    Yuga and Malva both had worried expressions upon hearing this news.


    The security system here was not weak, and infiltrating it was no easy task. It seemed that someone had already nted an insider among the Aurora Day Care or the Five Giants'' staff.


    Nick was now realizing the gravity of the situation.


    It appeared that the intruders had nned for this.


    "However, they probably didn''t expect that we were prepared. The venue''s doors have likely been sealed shut by now. Even though we can''t get out, those people won''t be able to leave either," Nick said determinedly.


    "But what if they have Pok��mon capable of using Teleport?" Yuga furrowed his brow as he asked.


    "Indeed, if the other party has Pok��mon with the ability to use Teleport, it may be impossible to stop them here. We just don''t know how many of them there are," Malva added, her expression growing more serious.


    Yuga and Malva''s words only fueled Nick''s agitation further. Indeed, this sealed venue wouldn''t be able to contain Pok��mon capable of Teleport.


    They had considered installing devices to suppress Psychic-type Pok��mon within the venue, but since the attendees were all influential figures with their own Psychic-type Pok��mon, such instations were impossible.


    Just then, from an unknown location, there was a sudden explosion, followed by a golden beam of light appearing out of thin air, heading straight for Nick.


    In the nick of time, Yuga''s Gengar materialized in front of Nick, intercepted the energy gem, and sent a Daek Pulse back in response.


    Nick had just been startled nearly out of his wits, but upon seeing the Gengar in front of him, hisplexion returned to normal, and he shot a grateful look toward Yuga.


    Under the attack, the hidden Pok��mon in the corner revealed its form, which turned out to be a Persian.


    The Persian moved stealthily, its steps soundless, only its sharp gaze fixed on Nick, Yuga, and their group.


    "The one hiding shoulde out now," Yuga said in a low voice toward the direction of the Persian. Following his words, a person dressed in a tight ck suit, with an attractive figure, walked out without saying a word.


    "Persian, Power Gem," this person ordered as soon as they appeared, and the Persianunched an attack on Gengar without hesitation.


    A golden beam of light approached Gengar, but Gengar''s eyes flickered with a blue light. Under the influence of its psychic power, the Power Gem from Persian instantly dissipated.


    Because the person was wearing a mask, Yuga couldn''t see their facial expression.


    However, seeing that Persian''s Power Gem had no effect on Gengar, both the person in ck and Persian involuntarily stepped back, clearly astonished by Gengar''s strength.


    "Who are you, sir?" Yuga inquired.


    But before Yuga could finish his question, a thread shot from the ceiling, targeting Nick once again.


    "We''ve been waiting for you!" Malva sneered, summoning a Chandelure beside her.


    A scorching pir of fire erupted, incinerating the thread and causing the lurking Ariados on the ceiling to fall.


    Apanying the smoking Ariados was another person dressed in ck, with a simr build to the previous one, both of them being women.


    In this world, even women are turning to thievery.


    The smoky Ariados didn''tpletely lose itsbat ability; it struggled for a moment and managed to get back on its feet.


    Seeing Ariados still able to stand, both Yuga and Malva were somewhat surprised. Malva''s Chandelure was a true Elite level Pok��mon, skilled in the attacking type, while Ariados seemed to have just reached the pseudo-Elite level.


    "So, they sent just the two of you to deal with us? It seems they underestimated us!" Malva said icily.


    The two ck-d individuals on the other side exchanged nces upon hearing this and simultaneouslymanded Ariados and Persian tounch an attack once again.


    However, before those two Pok��mon could strike, they were both simultaneously knocked aside by the twin columns of fire unleashed by Malva''s Chandelure.


    At the same time, Gengar''s psychic power took hold of the two ck-d individuals.


    Bang, Bang!


    The two individuals were flung against the wall, producing two muffled impacts.

 Chapter 856: Reinforcements

    <h4>Chapter 856: Reinforcements</h4>


    Two ck-d individuals fell from the wall, groaning in pain as they knelt on the ground.


    Persian and Ariados, thrown out by Chandelure''s methrower, had lost theirbat capabilities.


    Yuga''s group was under attack, and the buyers who had obtained the blue potential Pok��mon, including Wace and Robert, were also being attacked.


    At this moment, Wace and Robert were surrounded by a group of Crobat, and two Melotic by their side unleashed a blizzard, freezing the Crobat one by one.


    "Senior, are these people here for the Pok��mon from the auction?" Robert asked Wace, looking at the ck-d individuals who had suddenly appeared.


    Wace frowned and replied, "It seems so, but their primary objective should be that Larvitar. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have caused such amotion for the other Pok��mon."


    "In that case, isn''t Yuga''s situation troublesome?" Robert voiced his concerns.


    "You''d better focus on dealing with these people instead of worrying about others. After all, he''s an Elite level Trainer, and it''s not your turn to worry about him," Wace said, directing his Melotic tounch another attack on the ck-d individuals.


    Robert found Wace''s words reasonable andmanded his own Melotic to cooperate with Wace in attacking the ck-d individuals.


    Meanwhile, the two ck-d individuals on Yuga''s side, seeing their Persian and Ariados defeated, stood up unsteadily and recalled their Persian and Ariados. Then, they released a Starmie and an Octillery.


    Seeing the newly released Octillery and Starmie, Yuga pulled Nick behind him and Malva frowned, saying, "They never learn. These Pok��mon won''t make much of a difference."


    Octillery and Starmie both used their Hydro Pumps simultaneously,bining them into a massive spiral water column.


    Yuga''s Gengar and Malva''s Chandelure both shed forward, and two Dark Pulse were unleashed, instantly dispersing thebined Hydro Pump.


    Octillery and Starmie were about to make another move, but Gengar''s Thunderbolt struck first. Under Gengar''s Thunderbolt, the two Water-type Pok��mon instantly lost theirbat capabilities.


    Just as Gengar was about to deal with the two ck-d individuals, a Espeon shot out and used psychic power to pull the two ck-d individuals away.


    "Oh dear, little brother, no need to be so aggressive," one of the women said.


    Two women emerged from the corner, also dressed in tight ck clothing, but unlike the previous two ck-d individuals, these two were not wearing masks.


    The speaking woman had golden curly hair, while the other had short blue-gray hair.


    With the appearance of the two women, a more formidable Ariados appeared on the ceiling, ring down at Nick.


    Espeon tossed the injured ck-d individuals aside and stood in front of the two women.


    Yuga was not pleased with how he addressed the woman with golden curly hair. "So you''re the ones who were stalling for time to wait for these two!"


    "Oh dear! You''re quite perceptive, little brother!" the woman with golden curly hair responded.


    Malva stared at the two women for a moment and then said in a deep voice, "Are you... Annie and Oakley?"


    "So, the Elite Four Malva knows us!" the woman with short blue-gray hair, who was Oakley, said in surprise.


    Annie and Oakley? Were they well-known?


    Listening to these unfamiliar names, Yuga couldn''t recall who these two women were. However, he knew this wasn''t the time to ask questions.


    Malva continued, "I''ve heard of both of you, but I never expected you to dare to appear before me. After all, I am an Elite Four."


    Annie: "Well said! We sisters haven''t had a chance to face off against the Elite Four yet."


    Malva snorted, "You have no idea how high the heavens are, but with a pair of wings, you think you can soar to the sky."


    Oakley: "Malva, you have quite a sharp tongue. Seems like you''ve been living toofortably."


    Listening to these three women converse, Yuga felt like they were bickering.


    "Chandelure, Shadow Ball!"


    A ring-shaped energy was unleashed by Malva''s Chandelure, swiftly heading towards Annie''s Espeon.


    Espeon agilely leaped to the side, evading Chandelure''s attack, and quickly retaliated with a massive Shadow Ball.


    At the same time, the Ariados on the ceiling started to move as well. It jumped down, and its four sharp legs moved swiftly, approaching Nick behind Yuga in the blink of an eye.


    In the air, Gengar noticed this and threw several Shadow Balls to drive the approaching Ariados away.


    Nick, who had been calmly hiding behind Yuga, remainedposed.


    While Chandelure was dealing with Espeon and Gengar was handling Ariados, a Vileplume quietly approached Yuga and Nick. Yuga, with his sensitive Grass-type Pok��mon instincts, barely detected it.


    Before Vileplume couldunch an attack, a Charizard appeared beside Yuga and Nick, opening its mouth to release a Fire st.


    In a panic, the under attack Vileplume used Petal Dance to counter the Fire st from Charizard, but it still got scorched.


    The wounded Vileplume retreated quickly to Oakley''s side and didn''t dare to attack again.


    Oakley teased, "Little brother, you really don''t know how to cherish beauty. You won''t find a wife with that attitude."


    Hearing Annie''s scolding, Malva felt like he could see a string of ck lines above her head. The battle between Malva and Chandelure against Annie and Espeon intensified, filling the corridor with surging heatwaves.


    Seeing Espeon once again thrown back by Chandelure''s methrower, Malva snorted, "How did someone as stupid as you survive till now?"


    "Stupid?"


    Enraged by Malva''s words, Annie took out a Pok�� Ball and released a Jynx.


    The corridor they were in wasn''t very wide, and with so many Pok��mon and people present, it quickly became crowded.


    Jynx, with its "charming" appearance, immediately began blowing a fierce Blizzard down the corridor.


    In the narrow space, the power of Blizzard seemed to have been amplified. The previously warm corridor instantly turned icy and bone-chilling.


    Yuga, witnessing Jynx "charming" appearance for the first time, was struck by the contrast between it and Gardevoir, making Jynx''s looming figure amidst the Blizzard was indescribable.


    Yuga: "Charizard, methrower!"


    Malva: "Chandelure, methrower!"


    Two streams of fire shot out,bining into one, and swept toward Jynx, who was stirring the Blizzard.


    ��


    Annie and Oakley made their debut in the Pok��mon movie "Pok��mon Heroes: Latios & Latias"

 Chapter 857: Strength

    <h4>Chapter 857: Strength</h4>


    Thebined methrower attack from Charizard and Chandelure was too powerful, and Jynx''s Blizzard couldn''t stop it at all.


    "Why are you standing there? Have Vileplumee over and help!"


    Annie shouted to her sister, who was frozen in ce, and her Vileplume.


    Oakley quickly snapped out of it and had her Vileplume join the fight.


    Petal Dance and Blizzard vs. Double methrowers


    Both Grass-type Vileplume and Ice-type Jynx were overwhelmed by the Fire-type Charizard and Chandelure.


    In the midst of the intense explosion, Annie shielded her Espeon and waited for the dust to settle. Afterward, both Vileplume and Jynxy on the ground, charred and defeated.


    Watching Annie and Oakley emerge unscathed from the explosion, Malva sarcastically remarked, "You''ve got some moves, but you''re just too foolish!"


    Meanwhile, Oakley''s Ariados was also taken down by Yuga''s Gengar and was unceremoniously tossed in front of Oakley.


    Annie and Oakley were about to retort angrily when an explosion urred behind them. The wall ruptured, and a Rhyperior crashed through, stumbling out from the other side.


    Following Rhyperior was a massive Garchomp.


    Garchomp''s body emitted a golden glow, and its fierce Dragon-type energy surged as its sharp front limbs struck Rhyperior relentlessly.


    Rhyperior had no choice but to defend itself passively, with no chance for a counterattack.


    After Garchomp and Rhyperior emerged, a disheveled middle-aged man in ck attire leaped out from the broken wall.


    Seeing this middle-aged man, Annie angrily shouted, "Mohn, you bastard! Didn''t you say our side would have an easy time? Why did we run into two tough nuts?"


    Mohn turned his head and saw the charred Annie and Oakley on the side. His expression was hard to describe: How could I have known? Didn''t you see I''m in a tough spot too?


    He had only intended to rob someone who didn''t have any skilled bodyguards. Why did he have to encounter that overly powerful woman?


    Under Yuga and Malva''s watchful eyes, a golden-haired girl slowly walked out from where Mohn had appeared.


    Cynthia? Yuga was momentarily stunned.


    No wonder that Rhyperior was beaten up so badly.


    Originally, Cynthia hadn''t been attacked because she hadn''t purchased any Pok��mon at the auction this time. The Absol, Growlithe, and Larvitar she had bid on all ended up going to others.


    However, she had crossed paths with Mohn, who was trying to steal from the customer who had bought the Shellos.


    As a girl with a strong sense of justice, Cynthia couldn''t just stand by and watch. So Mohn and his Rhyperior had a tough time.


    Mohn and his Rhyperior were relentlessly pursued by Cynthia and Garchomp.


    When Cynthia emerged from the other side of the wall, she immediately spotted Yuga. Her eyes lit up, and she nodded friendly towards him.


    She''s greeting me again! Could it be that my luck is turning around? Yuga couldn''t help but touch his handsome face.


    Mohn, who was in a tight spot with no way to divide his attention, was busy directing Rhyperior to deal with Cynthia''s Garchomp.


    Annie and Oakley, ignored by Mohn, were on the verge of getting furious.


    Mohn was the leader of this operation, and their original target was just the high potential Larvitar. But Mohn got too greedy and thought his n was foolproof, so he wanted to capture all the high potential Pok��mon here.


    Now, they were in a mess. The two sisters couldn''t defeat Yuga and Malva, and Mohn couldn''t defeat the golden-haired girl (Cynthia) either.


    Gengar and Chandelure flew towards Annie and Oakley, attempting to capture them.


    The only remaining Pok��mon with fighting capability, Espeon, jumped out of Annie''s arms, emitting a low growl, threatening Gengar and Chandelure not toe any closer.


    Chandelure used an Dark Pulse to throw Espeon aside, and Espeon fell to the ground, twitching and unable to get up.


    "Espeon!"


    Annie eximed, her eyes filled with anger as she rushed towards Chandelure, but Chandelure used its psychic power to m her against the wall.


    "Ugh..."


    Annie, who had suffered a violent impact, coughed up blood.


    "Sister!"


    Oakley held the injured Annie, feeling indignant but not daring to make another move because Gengar and Chandelure were watching them closely.


    On the other side, the battle between Cynthia and Mohn continued.


    Although Rhyperior couldn''t beat Garchomp, it had one advantage - high defense and thick skin, which made it difficult for Garchomp to defeat it immediately.


    As Mohn watched his Rhyperior getting increasingly battered by Garchomp, he pulled out a Pok�� Ball and released a Golem.


    Seeing Mohn now facing a 2-on-1 situation, Yuga shouted to Cynthia, "Do you need help?"


    Cynthia looked at Yuga and smiled, shaking her head.


    "Thanks, I''ve got this."


    Saying that, Cynthia took out a Pok�� Ball and released an ceon.


    The moment the ceon appeared, the corridor, which had been heated due to Charizard and Chandelure''s methrowers, immediately cooled down.


    Compared to this ceon, Annie''s Ice-type Jynx looked like a firefly under the moonlight.


    Mohn''s Rhyperior and Golem simultaneously used Stone Edge,unching sharp stone des towards Garchomp and the ceon.


    The ceon didn''t try to withstand Rhyperior and Golem'' Stone Edges directly. Instead, it cleverly hid behind Garchomp.


    Garchomp swiftly moved its two front limbs, leaving a series of afterimages in the air, effortlessly deflecting every stone de, ensuring none could get close to it or the ceon.


    ...


    Type: Dragon, Ground


    Ability: Rough Skin


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 78


    Moves: Tackle, Dragon Rage, Take Down, Sand Tomb, Dragon w, Dig, Dragon Rush, sh, Sandstorm, Outrage, Iron Head, Iron Tail, Draco Meteor, Stealth Rock, Earth Power, Dual Chop, Dragon Pulse, Giga Impact, methrower, Brick Break, Earthquake, Stone Edge, Fire Fang, Rock Tomb, Poison Jab.


    ...


    Compared to the first time Yuga saw it, this Garchomp had be even stronger, almost on par with Steven''s Metagross. Both of their Ace Pok��mon are approaching the Champion level.


    As long as Metagross and Garchomp can break through to the Champion level, Cynthia and Steven would have the qualifications topete for the League Championship.


    It''s just a matter of when these two will be League Champions.


    You see, Steven''s Metagross has already gained preliminary Champion level strength after Mega Evolution.


    In other words, this Garchomp, which is not much weaker than Steven''s Metagross, can reach Champion level strength as long as it can Mega Evolve.


    Keep in mind that Cynthia is even younger than Steven! She truly deserves her reputation as a genius trainer in the world of Pok��mon.


    ...


    Type: Ice


    Ability: Ice Body


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 71


    Moves: Icy Wind, Helping Hand, Tackle, Quick Attack, Ice Fang, Ice Shard, Mirror Coat, Barrier, Hail, Last Resort, Blizzard, Swift, Double-Edge, Trump Card, Shadow Ball, Double Team, Wish, Attract, Signal Beam, Ice Beam, Aqua Tail.


    ...


    Garchomp is indeed strong, and this ceon is no slouch either. Despite its petite size, it contains immense energy, emitting a chilling aura all around it.


    After Garchomp intercepted the Stone Edges from Rhyperior and Golem, the ceon jumped forward and exhaled a flurry of icy winds, and Rhyperior and Golem were frozen.


    Although the Icy Wind had excellent control effects, its power wasn''t particrly high.


    Garchomp quickly dashed to the frozen Rhyperior and Golem and delivered a Brick Break to their heads. As the ice shattered, Rhyperior and Golem fell to the ground.


    To prevent any surprises, after they fell, Garchomp gave each of them another Brick Break.


    Seeing Rhyperior and Golem lying unconscious on the ground, Mohn plopped down on the floor.


    Oh no! Oh no!


    Why am I so unlucky!

 Chapter 858: Poison Gas

    <h4>Chapter 858: Poison Gas</h4>


    In the moment when Cynthia defeated Mohn, Yuga suddenly felt his head spinning, his vision bing blurry, and his body losing strength.


    He turned to look and saw that Malva and Nick beside him were also clutching their heads, looking quite abnormal.


    "Roar!"


    Charizard let out a low growl and unexpectedly sat down on the ground. Likewise, Gengar and Malva''s Chandelure appeared to be acting strangely.


    "How are you both feeling?"


    Yuga weakly asked Malva and Nick.


    "We might have been poisoned."


    Malva shook her head, struggling to stay conscious, her expression unusually serious.


    "Damn it, I didn''t expect them to have this trick up their sleeve. The space here has been sealed, and they might have released poison gas into the air."


    Nick, who was having trouble standing, leaned against the wall and said harshly.


    "Recall your Pok��mon; their condition might worsen if you don''t."


    Malva said and promptly recalled her Chandelure.


    Yuga nodded in agreement and recalled Charizard, sending Gengar back to the Shadow Space.


    At this moment, the injured Annie and Oakley had risen once more, with the two female figures in ck standing behind them.


    "Old woman! Let''s see how arrogant you can be now!"


    Annie clutched her chest and walked over, her face filled with anger as she confronted Malva.


    Annie had been seriously injured when she was thrown against the wall by the Chandelure earlier.


    "You rats can only resort to such underhanded methods."


    Malva retorted weakly, but her gaze remained sharp.


    "What did you say? Who''s a rat?"


    Annie angrily moved to charge at Malva but was restrained by her younger sister Oakley.


    "Sister, the important thing is the task at hand. Let''s quickly retrieve the Pok��mon."


    "I''ll let you off easy this time, old woman!" Annie huffed.


    On the other side, Cynthia was also poisoned. She followed Yuga''s lead and recalled Garchomp and ceon.


    Mohn walked over, wearing a sly smile, and said to Cynthia, "I didn''t expect to encounter a talented Trainer like you here today. It was a miscalction on my part."


    Cynthia simply looked at Mohn in silence, without uttering a word.


    Those who hadn''tpleted their Pok��mon Exchange, such as the Elite Four Bruno, Siebold, and Drake, had left the venue when Yuga and the others were receiving their Pok��mon. That''s why Mohn''s group had been able to seal the entrance and exits of the venue.


    The remaining individuals were mostly Trainers whose strength had dropped a notch. Even the high-ranking Trainers among them, like Yuga, Malva, or Wace, had prepared themselves.


    However, it was evident that they had underestimated the strength of Yuga and the League Elite Four. Thebined efforts of Annie and Oakley were no match for Yuga and Malva.


    Annie and Oakley were also well-known figures on the League''s wanted list, but in terms of strength, they fell shortpared to Yuga, let alone Malva.


    Even Cynthia was beyond their expectations.


    While Cynthia was famous in the Sinnoh region, she hadn''t reached the level of fame in the entire Pok��mon world, so Mohn''s group hadn''t considered her presence.


    As for the early precautions taken against Yuga and Malva, it was primarily because the two had grown close to Nick recently.


    Mohn''s group had ced moles among the staff of the Aurora Day Care and the Five Giants, which naturally led to them noticing Yuga and Malva.


    Cynthia, although she hadn''t acquired any Pok��mon during the auction, had no reason to leave early. She had decided to stay and meet with Yuga, which had inadvertently drawn her into this situation.


    "Stop talling nonsense here, grab the Pok��mon and leave. If it weren''t for your greed, so many unexpected events wouldn''t have happened today."


    Oakley shouted at Mohn.


    ording to their original n, they should have concentrated their forces to deal with Yuga and Malva, focusing on seizing Larvitar.


    However, due to Mohn''s greed, they had dispersed their forces, leading to frequent unexpected incidents that nearly backfired on them.


    "Alright, I''ming!"


    Mohn knew he was in the wrong and didn''t argue with Oakley.


    Just as Oakley reached out to search for Larvitar''s Pok�� Ball on Nick, a vine abruptly coiled around her wrist and flung her forcefully away.


    Bang!


    Oakley, thrown through the air, collided with Mohn, resulting in another painful cry.


    "Oakley!"


    Annie shouted loudly, noticing that there was a Florges beside Yuga that had appeared out of nowhere, and she roared, "Do you want die?"


    Yuga paid no heed to Annie''s anger and said to Florges, "Florges, Aromatherapy!"


    Florges nodded and a pink aroma began to spread out from its center, radiating in all directions.


    Before long, Yuga, Malva, and the others felt that their symptoms from the poison had significantly improved, and their physical condition had improved considerably.


    It''s working! Yuga felt relieved.


    "Impossible! How could Aromatherapy work against the poison gas?" Pushing Oakley off him, Mohn shouted in disbelief.


    The poison gas they used had been specially developed, and Aromatherapy shouldn''t have had any effect.


    Yuga was a Grass-type Trainer, and they had taken that into consideration. Most Pok��mon that could use Aromatherapy were Grass-types. They couldn''t have overlooked that.


    However, what they hadn''t considered was that Yuga''s Florges possessed a trace of divinity, a trait exclusive to Legendary Pok��mon, which naturally made it different from ordinary Pok��mon.


    "What are you all waiting for? Hurry up and stop that Florges! Do you all want to be finished?" Mohn shouted at Annie, Oakley, and the two female figures in ck.


    Their main Pok��mon were already incapacitated. If they allowed the opponent to recover, they would be helpless and at the mercy of their foes.


    Annie and Oakley, now alert, released a Cors and a Sandsh respectively andunched an attack on Florges.


    Seeing this, Yuga released his Serperior, and a barrage of Leaf Storm swept through, rendering Cors and Sandsh unconscious.


    Over the years, Annie and Oakley had been able to dominate due to their previous Pok��mon, including Espeon, Ariados, Vileplume, and Jynx. Cors and Sandsh were just backup Pok��mon and weren''t particrly strong.


    "Worthless!"


    Mohn cursed silently and prepared to release his own Pok��mon.


    However, as he took out a Pok�� Ball, Serperior appeared by his side like a shadow, its long tail whipping across his abdomen.


    Bang!


    Mohn, sent flying backward, collided with a wall and passed out.


    The two masked female figures were also ready to take action, but Serperior''s piercing gaze fell upon them. With a sh of red light, both figures suddenly felt paralyzed, unable to move.


    Annie and Oakley were too startled to react, and Serperior swiftly bestowed upon each of them a re move, leaving them paralyzed in ce.

 Chapter 859: Mastermind

    <h4>Chapter 859: Mastermind</h4>


    Under Florges''s Aromatherapy, Yuga, Malva, Nick, and Cynthia quickly returned to normal.


    "This time we owe it to Mr. Shimizu," Nick said with a relieved expression.


    Without Yuga here, their Larvitar would have been in grave danger.


    Who could have anticipated that these despicable individuals would resort to using poison gas? If they had lost Larvitar, Nick couldn''t imagine how he would face Mr. Lysandre.


    Perhaps even his position as the owner of the Aurora Day Care would be at risk.


    "This is what I should do. After all, I received Mr. Lysandre''s payment, and a basic bodyguard should possess these skills," Yuga joked.


    "Thank you!" Cynthia approached at this moment, expressing her gratitude to Yuga.


    Yuga: "No need to thank me; let''s check on the others situation."


    After all, this was the territory of the Aurora Day Care. If something really went wrong here, not only would the Five Giants have trouble exining to their guests, but Nick would also find it difficult to escape me.


    The Five Giants organized this auction to establish good rtions with their guests, not to make enemies.


    So Nick gathered his own staff to confiscate the unconscious Pok��mon of Mohn, Annie, and others and keep watch over them. Then he went to other areas to check on the condition of other guests.


    With Mohn, Annie, and Oakley dealt with, the small fry that Yuga and his group encountered afterward were no longer a concern.


    However, due to the poison gas, many guests were affected.


    Fortunately, with Florges''s presence, there weren''t any major issues. Aromatherapy was arge scale control skill that could treat many people at once, so while there were many poisoned guests, the treatment speed wasn''t slow.


    Furthermore, the gas used by Mohn and his group wasn''t lethal; its effects were to render people weak and their consciousness blurry.


    "Yuga! Yuga!"


    While Yuga was helping Florges treat the poisoned guests, he suddenly heard someone calling his name and turned to see Robert and Wace.


    "Are you alright?"


    Knowing that the ck-d individuals were targeting Larvitar, Robert hurried over, showing concern for Yuga.


    Seeing Robert''s genuine concern, Yuga felt touched. He knew that Robert was his best friend.


    "I''m fine. How about you and Wace? Many people were poisoned; are you both okay?"


    Judging by Robert and Wace''s appearance, they didn''t seem to be showing any symptoms of poisoning.


    "We''re fine. This little poison gas can''t get to us," Robert said with relief now that he saw Yuga was unharmed.


    After noticing the symptoms of poisoning, Robert and Wace had their Milotic use Aqua Ring promptly, enveloping themselves to keep the poison gas out. This is how they managed to avoid being poisoned.


    The subsequent handling of the situation was very simple, and Yuga didn''t have much to do. He was mainly focused on protecting Nick alongside Malva.


    The security system of the venue had beenpromised, triggering a lockdown function. So, none of the intruding ck-d individuals managed to escape; they were all apprehended.


    Their attempt to steal and run had backfired.


    When the venue''s doors were finally reopened, it was already nighttime outside.


    People outside were unaware of what had happend inside the venue. The Pok��mon Exchange Conference concluded sessfully, and when Yuga returned to his booth, Kazuma and Shin had already left with the remaining Pok��mon.


    However, Yuga didn''t return to the Aircraft with Hatsuki; instead, he was tasked with escorting Nick to Lysandre''s location.


    If they couldn''t safely deliver Larvitar into Lysandre''s hands, Yuga and Malva''s mission wouldn''t be consideredplete.


    As they were about to depart, Cynthia said something inexplicable to Yuga: "We''ll meet again in the Verdanturf Town of Hoenn region."


    Yuga was a bit bewildered at the time, feeling like Cynthia had taken an interest in him. Otherwise, why would she be in such a hurry to visit him?


    But before he could inquire further, Cynthia had disappeared without a trace.


    She was truly a strange woman.


    Yuga and Malva escorted Nick all the way to the city center of Lumiose City, where they met with Lysandre at the headquarters of his Lysandre Labs.


    After hearing Nick''s report about the events at the venue, Lysandre expressed his gratitude to Yuga and Malva, saying, "Handing this matter to you two was the right decision. Thank you for your assistance."


    From Lysandre''s attitude toward both himself and Malva, Yuga spected that Malva likely joined Lysandre''s team for reasons simr to his own.


    However, he believed that Malva probably wasn''t an undercover agent and had earned more of Lysandre''s trust, possibly knowing more about Team re''s secrets.


    Yuga: "To carry out entrusted tasks faithfully��that''s what we should do."


    Lysandre responded, "Alright, I''ll have the payment delivered to your location tomorrow. You two must be tired today; I''ll arrange for someone to take you back."


    Clearly, Lysandre was very satisfied with Yuga''s performance today.


    Speaking of which, the batch of Pok��mon Lysandre promised Yuga was worth around 20 million, and Yuga had been impressed by Lysandre''s generosity at the time. Now,pared to the Larvitar that cost 200 million, it seemed like a small matter.


    After Yuga and Malva left, Lysandre released the Larvitar.


    "Not bad, indeed a remarkable Pok��mon."


    As an ambitious person, Lysandre had never given up on pursuing power. To change the world, one needed the corresponding strength.


    After recalling Larvitar, Lysandre turned to Nick and asked, "From today''s events, what do you think of Shimizu Yuga?"


    Nick thought for a moment and replied, "It''s hard to say, but he''s truly a genius. He''s not even twenty yet, and his strength can already rival to Malva. I even think he might be even stronger. If you really want to use him, you need to be more careful."


    Although Yuga never considered himself a genius, in the eyes of outsiders, this hidden prodigy was indeed a true genius.


    Lysandre fell silent for a moment, then said, "I understand," and the office fell quiet.


    Sitting in the car on the way back, Yuga was still unaware that his overwhelming strength had already aroused Nick''s suspicion. However, what their boss, Lysandre, was thinking remained a mystery.


    Oh, right! Lysandre is a major antagonist. I helped him get the Larvitar like this; will it bring trouble to my undercover career in the future?


    Yuga suddenly thought of this.


    But the situation was already settled, and thinking too much wouldn''t change anything.


    On the other side of the Kalos region, in a luxurious room, a man received a phone call.


    "Failed? I see."


    After saying these words, the man hung up themunicator and angrily threw it aside.


    "Useless! Can''t even handle such a small task!"


    If Edward were here, he would recognize this man as the one he once tried to curry favor with, the same man who leaked information about Yuga and the outstanding Florges as his targets.


    If Hunter J were here, she would recognize him as the one who hired her to steal Florges from Yuga.


    After tossing themunicator, the man''s face instantly returned to normal, and he pushed open a concealed door in the room.


    This hidden room was a collection room, brightly lit, and filled with various collectibles belonging to the man.


    These collectibles were all rare Pok��mon specimens, including Gardevoir, Gade, Smence, Charizard...


    But all of these Pok��mon were preserved specimens, appearing just like ordinary Pok��mon but devoid of any life. Their faces frozen in expressions of their past lives, some showing pain, others anger...

 Chapter 860: Parting

    <h4>Chapter 860: Parting</h4>


    Early the next morning, Yuga indeed received the Pok��mon that Lysandre had sent over, but they were presented in Nick''s name.


    After all, Yuga had appeared at the auction alongside Nick yesterday.


    Lysandre had sent 20 b��b��, 20 Spiritzee, and 20 Litleo, for a total of 60 Pok��mon, all with green potential.


    Each of the green potential b��b�� was worth around 300,000, totaling approximately 6 million for 20 of them.


    The green potential Litleo were valued at around 400,000 each, totaling around 8 million for 20 of them.


    The green potential Spiritzee were worth about 500,000 each, totaling roughly 10 million for 20 of them.


    In an effort to win Yuga over, Lysandre, along with the payment Yuga received for his assistance, had suddenly put forth over 20 million. Their wealth couldn''t be underestimated.


    Seeing Yuga receive so many Pok��mon, Momiji said with envy, "Being strong is great. You can make this much just by taking a stroll outside."


    Momiji already knew that Yuga had appeared at the auction as Nick''s bodyguard this time. She had previously apologized for keeping the auction a secret from Yuga.


    Yuga didn''t me Momiji for keeping it secret. He understood her actions. Regardless of their rtionship, it was a matter of trust.


    "You guys didn''t make any money at this auction, did you? You''re really generous, selling off a Indigo potential Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon just like that."


    Yuga teased Momiji.


    Of course, he knew that the Five Giants had no choice but to sell that Larvitar. But Momiji wanted to make fun of him, and he couldn''t resist ying along.


    Any indigo potential Pok��mon was a valuable asset for major factions. Even if it was just a indigo potential Caterpie.


    In most cases, it was rare to encounter situations where they would sell an indigo potential Pok��mon like this.


    With proper nurturing, an indigo potential Pok��mon could grow into a champion level Pok��mon, and it will be a trump card in anyone''s hands, regardless of who owned it.


    Selling an Indigo potential Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon was definitely not something the Five Giants did without a heavy heart. However, with only one Pok��mon and the need to distribute it among them, there was no other option.


    Yuga''s words hit a sore spot for Momiji, and she gave him an angry re. "You''re the only one who would say that!"


    After saying this, she walked away, her high heels clicking.


    The Aroma Day Care certainly tried to secure that Larvitar, but whether it was the Midnight Day Care that got it first or the other three Day Cares who heard about itter, no one wanted to let one of the Five Giants gain an advantage.


    Selling Pok��mon was apromise among the Five Giants out of necessity.


    The Pok��mon Exchange Conference concluded sessfully. Both Yuga and the Aroma Day Care obtained the breeding Pok��mon they desired.


    After the person who had brought Lysandre''s Pok��mon left, Yuga went outside to a grassy area where Clemont and Bonnie had been waiting for him.


    During the Pok��mon Exchange Conference, every morning, Clemont faithfully brought his affy over to train with Yuga''s Dragonite.


    Now, affy not only disyed Thunder Punch skillfully but had also learned Rain Dance from Dragonite.


    Furthermore, its level had increased significantly, and it showed signs of evolution, indicating remarkable progress.


    Releasing Dragonite to join affy in training, Yuga smiled and asked Bonnie, "Why did youe today, Bonnie?"


    Clemont''s training sessions were usually early, and Bonnie rarely woke up early, so most of the time, she wasn''t there. It was quite unusual for her to be here so early today.


    "Big brother said he''d take me to Parfumet Park to see Pok��mon today. We have to go early!" Bonnie excitedly exined.


    Parfumet Park was a Pok��mon park in Lumiose City where many gentle, small-sized Pok��mon were kept. It was a popr rxation spot for the city''s Pok��mon enthusiasts.


    The park was quite crowdedter in the day, so going early was a wise choice.


    "I see. Well then, I hope you both have a great time," Yuga said with a smile.


    "Big brother, are you busy today? If not, why don''t youe with us?" Bonnie asked.


    Bonnie excitedly extended an invitation to Yuga.


    Yuga shook his head in refusal, saying, "I won''t be joining you. I have something to tell you both today. The Pok��mon Exchange Conference in Lumiose City has ended for me, and I''ll probably be taking the aircraft back to Hoenn tomorrow.


    I thought I''d let you know here to save us the farewell tomorrow."


    "Oh! So soon? Does that mean we won''t see each other anymore?" Bonnie''s face disyed a mixture of sadness and disappointment. After spending so many days together, she had grown quite fond of her gentle big brother.


    "Why wouldn''t we see each other again? In the future, if i have a chance to visit Kalos, I''lle to see you, and you can alsoe to Hoenn to visit me! Nowadays, transportation is so convenient; it''s easy to travel back and forth.


    Besides, when Bonnie bes a Pok��mon Trainer in the future, you can travel to Hoenn! I''ll host you properly then," Yuga reassured her and patted her head. He knew that this young girl''s dream was to be a Trainer as soon as possible.


    "But it will still be a long time before I be a Trainer," Bonnie pouted,paring her height to her brother''s and feeling disappointed. Why was she growing so slowly?


    "Big brother, if you''re not in a hurry to go back, can''t you stay in Lumiose City for a few more days?" Clemont suggested. He was also reluctant to part with Yuga so soon.


    Yuga sighed and said, "I can''t, you know! I''m a Gym Leader, and leaving the Gym for too long isn''t a good idea."


    After Yuga''s reminder, Clemont remembered that Yuga was indeed a Gym Leader.


    However, Clemont couldn''t help but feel that Yuga was genuinely impressive, much more so than the current Lumiose City Gym Leaders he knew.


    He silently made up his mind to work harder and be as strong as his big brother.


    Yuga said, "You don''t need toe to see me off tomorrow. We might leave early in the morning to avoid trouble you."


    Due to their iing separation, Yuga spent some extra time with Bonnie and Clemont before returning to his aircraft to prepare for his journey back to Hoenn.


    The next day, as Yuga was packing his things in his room, Hatsuki told him that someone was looking for him. When he stepped outside the aircraft, he saw that it was Bonnie and Clemont who hade to visit.


    Apanying them was their mother.


    Yuga couldn''t help but say with a wry smile, "Didn''t I say you don''t need toe over?"


    "We''re fine at home!" Bonnie''s expression seemed a bit sullen,cking energy.


    "You''re leaving, so it''s only right for them toe and see you off," Clemont''s mother said. She was very grateful to the young man who had saved her son.


    Yuga sighed in resignation and said, "Thank you for the trouble."


    Yuga chatted with Bonnie and Clemont for a while, but the aircraft was about to take off. He had to bid them farewell, and Bonnie silently waved while tears welled up in her eyes.


    Before leaving, Clemont''s mother insisted on giving Yuga a lot of local specialties, and Yuga couldn''t refuse, so he epted them all.

 Chapter 861: Return

    <h4>Chapter 861: Return</h4>


    Yuga''s journey back to Hoenn went smoothly. After disembarking from the Aroma Day Care''s aircraft, he declined Momiji''s invitation to visit the Aroma Day Care headquarters.


    Instead, he took a car back to Verdanturf Town with the two brothers Kazuma and Shin.


    When they arrived at their home, they coincidentally encountered Purrloin, who had been patrolling outside, returning. Behind Purrloin, there was another Purrloin that looked identical.


    Yuga used his Insight ability to realize that the second Purrloin was actually Purrloin''s sister, Zorua, who transformed into Purrloin.


    Purrloin, upon seeing Yuga''s return, brightened up. It lifted its right front paw as if to approach Yuga, but then it seemed to recall something and sat down, maintaining a reserved attitude while gazing at Yuga.


    "Zorua... Zorua..."


    Seeing Yuga''s return, Zorua immediately ran happily to Yuga''s side and nuzzled against his leg.


    "I''m back!"


    Yuga crouched down and petted Zorua''s soft fur.


    Although Zorua maintained the appearance of a Purrloin due to its Illusion ability, in reality, it was still a Zorua.


    Compared to Purrloin''s silky smooth fur, Zorua''s fur was a bit fluffier.


    "Zorua... Zorua..." Wee home.


    Zorua nuzzled Yuga''s palm with its head.


    "Gym Leader, if it''s alright, we''ll head home first," Shin said to Yuga. They had apanied Yuga to Kalos, and they hadn''t been home for several days.


    "Sure, go ahead. You''ve been a big help these past few days," Yuga turning his head and replied.


    After the two brothers Kazuma and Shin left, Yuga said to Purrloin and Zorua.


    "Let''s go home," Yuga said to them.


    As soon as Yuga stepped inside the shop, an unidentified object rushed toward him at lightning speed, attaching itself to his face in a surprise attack. It even had a long, ribbon-like object constricting his neck.


    Yuga was nearly suffocated by the mysterious object that was stuck to his face, but he managed to tear it off!


    "Chimecho... Chimecho..."


    Yuga hadn''t even opened his eyes when he heard this familiar sound, and he immediately felt joy.


    "Chimecho, you''re back!"


    Chimecho, whom Yuga had just peeled off his face, was now looking at him with an using expression.


    "Chimecho... Chimecho... Chimecho..."


    Yuga! Did you provoke other little fairies while I wasn''t here? Why are you treating me so roughly?


    "Little fairy?"


    Yuga was momentarily confused by Chimecho''s words. Then he understood what Chimecho was saying and said with a wry smile:


    "No, no! I just didn''t see clearly that it was you!"


    And here you are, reunited with your trainer after a long time, and this is what you care about? Shouldn''t you be expressing your longing with tears? Or maybe being cute and adorable?


    "Chimecho... Chimecho..."


    Really not?


    Chimecho looked at Yuga with a skeptical expression.


    "No, really!" Yuga assured.


    Seeing Chimecho''s expression that reluctantly believed him, Yuga took its hand and said, "Let''s not talk about this. Let''s go back to the Ecopark!"


    When Audino heard that from Suzuki Koen that Yuga had returned, she rushed to the shop, but Yuga had already left.


    Seeing Audino''s disappointed expression, Suzuki Koen sighed and said, "Boss, you''re truly a man with a lot of sins."


    At that moment, Chatot that had returned outside burst into the shop and eximed, "I heard my darling is back! Where is he?"


    With a speechless expression, Suzuki Koen sighed again, "Truly a man with a lot of sins!"


    Once inside the Ecopark with Chimecho, Yuga couldn''t wait to use his Insight ability to check Chimecho''s data.


    Training with the Legendary Pok��mon Deoxys, Chimecho, should indeed bring some surprises!


    ...


    <>


    Type: Psychic


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Levitate


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 69


    Moves: Telekinesis, Gravity, Heal Pulse, Heal Bell, Synchronoise, Shadow Ball, Safeguard, Uproar, Psyshock, Calm Mind, Light Screen, Psychic, Reflect, Healing Wish, Future Sight, Teleport, Psycho Boost, Skill Swap, Double Team, Rest, Charge Beam, Dream Eater, Magic Room, Recover.


    ...


    Originally, Chimecho move sets was the most abundant move sets among Yuga''s main Pok��mon, but after returning this time, it seems to have be even more impressive.


    Especially noteworthy is the addition of the move "Recover," which Chimecho can only inherit, likely also from Deoxys.


    Speaking of it, Chimecho seems to be going further on the path of immortality!


    Of course, having a rich move set is one thing, but what''s more important is that its potential has turned purple, bing Yuga''s third Pok��mon with a purple potential.


    Additionally, Chimecho''s level has increased significantly, reaching the same stage as Pok��mon like Vivillon.


    However, even with these improvements, Chimecho hasn''t managed to break through to the Elite level.


    Reaching the Elite level isn''t an easy feat; it signifies that a Pok��mon''s power has entered a higher level of life. Pok��mon like Dragonite and Charizard managed to break through thanks to the umtions during the two years in Arus.


    If other Pok��mon, breaking through requires gradual improvement bit by bit over time.


    Seeing Yuga''s delighted expression, Chimecho raised its head proudly : How about that! I''ve be really strong, haven''t I?


    Yuga, putting away his smile, said to Chimecho, "How about we test your strength? Now that Vivillon has also be quite very powerful, what do you say you have a little spar?"


    Data is just data; true strength is proven in battle.


    Upon hearing Yuga praise the other Pok��mon as strong, Chimecho felt unhappy, even if it was its little sisters. It thought: I just came back, and you''re already praising them so much. You''repletely unreliable! You don''t take me seriously at all!


    Yuga didn''t understand Chimecho''s mindset and continued to look at it with anticipation.


    Chimecho coldly snorted: Fine, let''s have a spar. I don''t believe Vivillon can be stronger than me.


    Since Chimecho agreed, Yuga took it to the Desert Sub-Ecopark, where the environment was empty and open, allowing them for free movement.


    When Vivillon came out and saw Chimecho return, it was very happy and wanted to share its joy about bing stronger, but Chimecho stopped it.


    "Chimecho... Chimecho..."


    Please, break up with me for an hour!


    Vivillon was puzzled: What did I do wrong? What''s going on?


    The preparations for the match were quickly made. Both Pok��mon floated in the air, asionally feeling a breeze that stirred up swirls of yellow sand, obscuring their vision.


    "You''re free to use any moves you want! I won''t interfere!" Yuga shouted to them.


    At Yuga''smand, Vivillon''s four butterfly wings each gathered a yellow-green energy sphere the size of an adult''s fist.


    "Signal Beam?"


    Yuga hadn''t expected Vivillon to open with such a powerful move. He knew the strength of Vivillon''s Signal Beam.


    This time, Vivillon had awakened and enhanced its Bug-type abilities, andst time, it used Signal Beam to knocked the Bellossom and Roserade in no time.

 Chapter 862: Protagonist’s Pokémon Data (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 862: Protagonist''s Pok��mon Data (Part 1)</h4>


    �� Florges (Miracle Seed)


    Type: Fairy


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Flower Veil


    Potential: Unknown


    Level: Unknown


    Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Fairy Wind, Protect, Magical Leaf, Moonst, Misty Terrain, Grassy Terrain, Flower Defense, Petal Dance, Petal Blizzard, Wish, Psychic, Aromatherapy, Grass Knot, Dazzling Gleam, Disarming Voice, Heal Bell, Giga Drain, Sr Beam.


    ...


    �� Absol (King''s Rock)


    Type: Dark


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Pressure


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 63


    Moves: Quick Attack, Sword Dance, Psycho Cut, Future Sight, Sucker Punch, Roar, Dark Pulse, Stone Edge, Shadow w, Throat Chop, Perish Song, Night sh, Cut, X-Scissor, Giga Impact.


    ...


    �� Vivillon


    Type: Bug, Flying


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Compound Eyes, Shield Dust


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 69


    Moves: Protect, Stun Powder, Gust, Psybeam, Electroweb, Safeguard, Bug Buzz, Quiver Dance, Hurricane, Light Screen, Supersonic, Sleep Powder, Psychic, Powder, Rage Powder, Aerial Ace, Roost, Sr Beam, Endeavor, Infestation.


    ...


    �� Charizard


    Type: Fire, Flying


    Gender: Female


    Ability: ze


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 71


    Moves: Scratch, Ember, Hidden Power (Electric), Dragon Dance, Outrage, Smokescreen, Iron Tail, methrower, methrower, Scary Face, Sunny Day, Fire Punch, Fire st, Dragon Pulse, Dragon w, Steel Wing, Shadow w, Iron Tail, Overheat, Inferno, Heat Wave, Fire Blitz, Air sh, Tailwind.


    ...


    �� Dragonite


    Type: Dragon, Flying


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Multiscale


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 71


    Moves: Rain Dance, Twister, Thunder Wave, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Fire Punch, Brick Break, Roost, Outrage, Dragon Dance, Dragon Rush, Hurricane, Dragon w, Stone Edge, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch.


    ...


    �� Chimecho (Light y)


    Type: Psychic


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Levitate


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 69


    Moves: Confusion, Gravity, Heal Pulse, Heal Bell, Synchronoise, Shadow Ball, Safeguard, Uproar, Psyshock, Calm Mind, Light Screen, Psychic, Reflect, Healing Wish, Future Sight, Teleport, Psycho Boost, Skill Swap, Double Team, Rest, Charge Beam, Dream Eater, Magic Room, Recover.


    �� Lapras (Mutation)


    Type: Water, Ice


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Hydration, Drizzle


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 75


    Moves: Sing, Water Gun, Hail, Water Pulse, Rain Dance, Mist, Ice Beam, Safeguard, Hydro Pump, Sheer Cold, Blizzard, Refresh, Waterfall, Surf, Avnche, Dragon Dance, Foresight, Body m, Dragon Pulse, Icy Wind, Aqua Tail, Signal Beam.

 Chapter 863: Protagonist’s Pokémon Data (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 863: Protagonist''s Pok��mon Data (Part 2)</h4>


    �� Bellossom (Miracle Seed)


    Type: Grass


    Ability: Chlorophyll


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 69


    Moves: Absorb, Mega Drain, Giga Drain, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Sweet Scent, Magical Leaf, Leaf Storm, Leaf de, Sunny Day, Sr Beam, Strength Sap, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Petal Blizzard, Grassy Terrain, Petal Dance, Attract.


    ...


    �� Venusaur (Miracle Seed)


    Type: Grass, Poison


    Ability: Chlorophyll


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 69


    Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Venoshock, Sunny Day, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Power Whip, Grassy Terrain, Synthesis, Sr Beam, Petal Dance, Earthquake, Frenzy nt, Grass Pledge, Earth Power, Stomping Tantrum.


    ...


    �� Roserade (Toxic Orb)


    Type: Grass, Poison


    Ability: Natural Cure


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 69


    Moves: Absorb, Growth, Water Sport, Stun Spore, Magical Leaf, Leech Seed, Toxic Spikes, Grass Whistle, Poison Jab, Toxic, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Grassy Terrain, Grass Knot, Venom Drench, Dazzling Gleam, Sunny Day, Sr Beam.


    ...


    �� Breloom (Toxic Orb)


    Type: Grass, Fighting


    Ability: Poison Heal


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 69


    Moves: Tackle, Stun Spore, Leech Seed, Seed Bomb, Drain Punch, Payback, Brick Break, Mach Punch, Dynamic Punch, Sky Uppercut, Force Palm, Headbutt, Swords Dance, Stone Edge, Thunder Punch, Iron Tail, Rock Tomb, Sunny Day.


    ...


    �� Torterra


    Type: Grass, Ground


    Ability: Overgrow


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 69


    Moves: Tackle, Withdraw, Growth, Double-Edge, Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Energy Ball, Sunny Day, Stealth Rock, Leech Seed, Grass Pledge, Earthquake, Leaf Storm, Sr Beam, Rock Tomb, Stone Edge, Earth Power, Superpower, Seed Bomb, Wood Hammer.


    �� Sawsbuck


    Types: Normal, Grass


    Ability: Chlorophyll


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 69


    Moves: Tackle, Camouge, Double Kick, Agility, Odor Sleuth, Aromatherapy, Jump Kick, Megahorn, Horn Leech, Double-Edge, Sr Beam, Sunny Day, Shadow Ball, Payback, Energy Ball, Swords Dance, Wild Charge, Stomping Tantrum, Last Resort, Seed Bomb.


    �� Serperior


    Type: Grass


    Ability: Contrary


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 69


    Moves: Leer, Vine Whip, Leaf Tornado, Grassy Terrain, Grass Pledge, re, Mean Look, Coil, Gastro Acid, Leaf Storm, Sr Beam, Sunny Day, Reflect, Attract, Energy Ball, Dragon Tail, Dragon Pulse, Aqua Tail, Synthesis.


    Is there anything else you''d like to know or discuss about these Pok��mon?

 Chapter 864: Protagonist’s Pokémon Data (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 864: Protagonist''s Pok��mon Data (Part 3)</h4>


    �� Gengar (Spell Tag)


    Type: Ghost, Poison


    Ability: Cursed Body


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 76


    Moves: Shadow Punch, Lick, Mean Look, Curse, Shadow Ball, Dream Eater, Hypnosis, Ominous Wind, Psychic, Perish Song, Wonder Room, Hex, Nightmare, Sludge Bomb, Will-O-Wisp, Poison Jab, Thunderbolt.


    ...


    �� Mismagius (Spell Tag)


    Type: Ghost


    Ability: Levitate


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 75


    Moves: Growl, Spite, Astonish, Confuse Ray, Mean Look, Pain Split, Mystical Fire, Phantom Force, Power Gem, Lucky Chant, Magical Leaf, Thunderbolt, Psychic, Double Team, Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, Skill Swap, Magic Room.


    ...


    �� Gardevoir (Shasha)


    Types: Psychic, Fairy


    Ability: Synchronize


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 50


    Moves: Confusion, Double Team, Teleport, Magical Leaf, Psychic, Moonst, Wonder Room, Dazzling Gleam, Calm Mind, Hypnosis, Imprison, Wish.


    Gardevoir (Nana)


    Types: Psychic, Fairy


    Ability: Synchronize


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Unknown


    Level: Unknown


    Moves: Confusion, Double Team, Teleport, Magical Leaf, Psychic, Moonst, Wonder Room, Stored Power, Misty Terrain, Wish, Heal Wish, Calm Mind, Imprison, Future Sight, Hypnosis, Dream Eater, Sunny Day, Safeguard, Shadow Ball, Reflect, Captivate, Energy Ball, Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, Magic Room, Heal Bell, Signal Beam, Heal Pulse.

 Chapter 865: Fighting for Favor

    <h4>Chapter 865: Fighting for Favor</h4>


    Vivillon rapidly condensed energy, and in the blink of an eye, four yellow-green energy beams were fired towards Chimecho.


    The four Signal Beams from Vivillon were not thick, but they appeared highly prating. Yuga suspected that if Chimecho were hit by one, it might pierce through.


    However, in the face of Vivillon''s Signal Beams, Chimecho didn''t dodge or evade; it simply floated in the air calmly.


    Its eyes emitted a purple glow, and in an instant, translucent Light Screens appeared in front of it, shimmering like sunlight reflecting off a sereneke.


    Chimecho''s movement speed was actually not slow, but it had a habit of relying on its defensive moves to withstand the opponent''s attacks rather than dodging.


    When it came to defense, Chimecho was always the strongest among Yuga''s Pok��mon, surpassing both Torterra and Venusaur.


    Torterra and Venusaur relied on their physical attributes, recovery moves, and skill interferences for defense, whereas Chimecho solely depended on its defensive moves.


    So far, Yuga had not encountered a Pok��mon of the same level whose attacking power could break through Chimecho''s Light Screen and Reflect.


    The four Signal Beams buzzed as they collided with Chimecho''s Light Screen, resembling calm waters disturbed by fourrge stones, creating ripples that spread and collided with each other.


    Sensing the drastic changes in the Light Screen, Chimecho''s expression changed.


    It was well aware of its own defensive capmoves, especially after its recent promotion, which had further enhanced its defense.


    It was confident that its Light Screen was imprable among Pok��mon of the same level. However, now, under the four Signal Beams from Vivillon, there seemed to be a faint trend of copse.


    Recalling Yuga''s previous words, Chimecho finally began to take Vivillon more seriously and stopped being so casual about it.


    Regardless, Vivillon''s Signal Beams were still unable to breach Chimecho''s defense.


    Since its previous knowledge, Vivillon had known that Chimecho''s shell was tough, but it hadn''t expected it to be this resilient. Even with its full-force attack, it couldn''t break through that transparent wall.


    It was different nowpared to before!


    The energy of the Signal Beams and the Light Screen dissipated simultaneously in the air. Vivillon''s wings rapidly fluttered, taking it into the high sky, where it performed a mysterious yet beautiful dance.


    Vivillon''s n was simple; since the regr Signal Beams couldn''t prate Chimecho''s shell, it was time to unleash an enhanced version.


    Yuga had experimented with this before. In its full stack state, Vivillon''s attacking power reached terrifying levels. However, in battle, it was easy for Vivillon to get disturbed, making it challenging to reach its full stack of enhancement.


    If Yuga had the source of flight, this process would be much simpler.


    As expected, Chimecho was well aware of Vivillon''s fighting habits and, upon seeing Vivillon use Quiver Dance, employed a disruptive move, Uproar.


    The ear-piercing noise was relentless and felt like it could rupture eardrums. Inside the battle, Vivillon was even more affected.


    Uproar was not just a simple disruption move; it was a genuine attack move!


    While dealing with the annoying noise, Vivillon continued to use Quiver Dance, but it wasn''t as easy as before. Vivillon used Quiver Dance, but it couldn''t even stack up to fiveyers.


    Nevertheless, Vivillon didn''t hesitate. The four Signal Beams condensed rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, they were fired at Chimecho again.


    The previous scene repeated, but the Signal Beams still couldn''t break through the Light Screen.


    Seeing the Light Screen on the verge of copse, Chimecho made a firm decision; it couldn''t allow Vivillon to fully stack up Quiver Dance, or it would lose face.


    Looking at the seemingly intact Light Screen, Vivillon felt somewhat regretful. It seemed that fouryers of Quiver Dance wouldn''t suffice; it had to reach six.


    Vivillon had a premonition that if it could stack up sixyers of Quiver Dance, Chimecho''s shell wouldn''t be able to withstand its Signal Beams.


    With this in mind, Vivillon began its graceful dance once more.


    "Why should I let you seed? I''ll show you my true moves!" Filled with fighting spirit, Chimecho!


    So, in Yuga''s perception, the psychic energy around Chimecho started to boil, and it appeared as if purple mes were burning on its body, both beautiful and dangerous!


    This is... Psycho Boost!


    At a nce, Yuga recognized the move Chimecho was using��Psycho Boost, an exclusive move derived from the Energy Core of Deoxys.


    The slender and petite Chimecho transformed into a sharp beam of light, soaring straight towards the dancing Vivillon.


    Compared to Vivillon''s Signal Beams, Chimecho''s Psycho Boost seemed more oppressive.


    Within the dancing Quiver Dance, Vivillon felt a sudden sense of apprehension and instinctively turned its attention to Chimecho.


    Seeing Chimecho charging at it, Vivillon immediately ceased its Quiver Dance. It didn''t know why, but its instincts told it that it had to defend against Chimecho''s move.


    A violent white whirlwind, controlled by Vivillon, was unleashed! It hoped that this Hurricane could block Chimecho''s attack.


    However, Chimecho, in the form of a sharp arrow, directly pierced through Vivillon''s Hurricane, then continued its straight path towards Vivillon.


    The speed was too fast, and Vivillon couldn''t react in time. It was hit head-on.


    Bang!


    Chimecho exploded with intense purple mes, and Vivillon let out a miserable cry. It fell to the ground like a crashing helicopter, emitting ck smoke.


    "Vivillon..."


    In pain, Vivillon hung its wings and tried to get up by supporting itself on its hands, but it stumbled and fell again. The Hurricane it had unleashed also dispersed due to losing Vivillon''s control.


    It looked up at Chimecho in the sky, its eyes using: "You went too far! You actually struck so hard! Are we still good sisters?"


    If it hadn''t been for the brief interruption caused by the whirlwind, Vivillon would have lost consciousness by now.


    Vivillony on the ground, its wings emitting a milky-white glow, enveloping its body, resembling a cocoon of light.


    This was a Flying-type recovery move - Roost!


    Seeing that Vivillon was trying to recover, Chimecho immediately thought of delivering the final blow. A colored beam formed from its strong mental power shot towards the cocoon below.


    But did Vivillon have no anticipation for this?


    Just as Chimecho''s Psychic was about to hit the cocoon, a buzzing insect-like noise erupted from around the cocoon.


    Buzz, buzz, buzz...


    It sounded as if countless insects were rapidly fluttering their wings, causing the air to vibrate. Chimecho''s Psychic was instantly dispersed.


    Seeing this scene, Chimecho was astonished!


    Since when did Vivillon have this move?!


    With a testing mindset, Chimecho attempted another Psychic attack, but it was once again dispelled as it neared the cocoon.


    Realizing that its Psychic attacks were ineffective, Chimecho prepared tounch a bigger one. However, at that moment, the cocoon cracked open.


    Two pairs of white wings extended from the cocoon, gently fluttered twice, and then the white light dissipated, revealing Vivillon''s beautiful butterfly wings inside.


    Emerging from the cocoon, Vivillon had regained its vitality, appearing like a fairy with a radiant aura all over its body!


    As Vivillon emerged from the cocoon, it didn''t stop the insect-like noise. The ripples created by the noise seemed to bestow Vivillon with a halo of enchantment.


    Isn''t this too beautiful? Did you secretly use a beauty filter on yourself?


    Chimecho stared in disbelief!


    Realizing that it had been enchanted by its little sister, Chimecho was furious! How could it be so unreliable? Its limelight had been stolen by Vivillon!


    In its anger, Chimecho''s aura suddenly changed. Vivillon, who was slowly ascending in the air, suddenly felt an unusually heavy body, and it began to plummet uncontrobly!


    No, I don''t want to be a fallen fairy!


    Vivillon frantically pped its wings, trying to fly back into the air, but its body became increasingly heavy. Finally, with a thud, it fell face down on the ground!


    Face-down, Vivillon''s four wings were also pressed against the ground. It struggled to p its wings, but apart from kicking up sand, it couldn''t achieve anything.


    Just a moment ago, both Yuga and Chimecho were admiring the beauty of Vivillon. But now, both of them were dumbfounded!


    This is it!


    This is the little fairy?


    After realizing that it unintentionally activated a gravity ability, Chimecho finally understood why Vivillon had fallen!


    "Chimecho... Chimecho..."


    Hahaha... hahaha...


    Chimecho burst intoughter, twisting in the air, almost rolling on the ground!


    It''s too funny! Way too funny!


    Seeing Chimecho, who had beenughing in the sky, Vivillon was considering whether to really break up their friendship!


    Maybe the two sisters in the flower field weren''t that bad!


    After struggling a few times and realizing that it was impossible to escape Chimecho''s gravity, Vivillon gave up.


    If Vivillon had the robust physique of a Pok��mon like Dragonite, there might have been a chance to break free. But in terms of physical strength, Vivillon was indeedcking.


    Compared to before, Chimecho''s gravity ability had be even stronger.


    The strength of the gravity ability depended on the user''s mental power, and Chimecho had inherited half of the energy core from Deoxys, so its mental power was exceptionally strong.


    With guidance from Deoxys, Chimecho had fully incorporated that half of the energy core into itself. Otherwise, it wouldn''t have reached the purple potential.


    Chimecho flew over to Vivillon and proudly said, "How about that? Am I really amazing now?"


    "Yes, yes, you''re amazing! Much more amazing than me. Now, please release the gravity, okay?" Vivillon responded helplessly.


    Compared to Chimecho, who still had a childlike mentality, Vivillon, who had already marriage and settled down in life, was much more mature and didn''t pay much attention to Chimecho''s attempts to gain favor.


    Hearing Vivillon admit defeat, Chimecho happily lifted the gravity, and Vivillon instantly felt a lot lighter, able to breathe freely again.


    "Chimecho... Chimecho... Chimecho..."


    Yuga! How was that? I told you I''ve be really powerful, right?


    "It''s truly impressive! Congrattions!" Yuga genuinely praised.


    Being able to instantly subdue Vivillon with gravity meant that those Pok��mon with weaker physical attributes were no match for Chimecho. It was indeed a bit excessive, but the guidance from Deoxys during this period had not been in vain.


    Getting Yuga''s praise, Chimecho instantly felt satisfied!


    Vivillon looked at the innocent Chimecho and shook its head with a helpless smile. "You''re still just a child!"


    "Did I have to endure a beating for this? I was even rubbed on the ground! That was real friction!"


    The more Vivillon thought about it, the more bitter it felt!

 Chapter 866: Situation

    <h4>Chapter 866: Situation</h4>


    After the practice battle between Chimecho and Vivillon, Chimecho informed Yuga that Deoxys had not yet left Verdanturf Town, and Yuga could still meet it if he wanted to.


    Yuga was eager to see Deoxys again, but he realized it was gettingte, so he decided to postpone the meeting until tomorrow.


    He chatted with Chimecho about her and Deoxys'' training experiences for a while before Audino excitedly approached them.


    So, Yuga and Audino together settled the Pok��mon they had brought back this time.


    Horsea was temporarily ced in the sea at the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark, and they seemed to enjoy it there, disappearing as soon as they entered the water.


    The Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark had not yet opened, so the Horsea had to stay in the Shallow Seashore for now.


    Rufflet was naturally taken to the Lake Center Ind in the Shallow Seashore, Yuga entrusted them to the care of the Archeops. These Rufflet would potentially be mates for the Mandibuzz in the future!


    b��b�� and Spiritzee were both ced in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, and Yuga left them there. These two species of Pok��mon seemed to unconsciously grow closer to each other.


    Litleo was assigned to the Volcano Sub-Ecopark and entrusted to the care of Nales and Houndoom.


    However, Litleo and the Rapidash had simr living habits, and although they liked environments rich in fire energy, they still preferred open spaces.


    Litleo and Pyroar is species had originally lived on the grasnds, and it was normal to have simr living habits to the Rapidash.


    Therefore, the Litleo cubs live in the same ce as the Rapidash. So their staying ce was not in the volcano''s crater but in the grasnds at the foot of the volcano.


    After settling these Pok��mon, Yuga amd Audino went to check on the Gogoat family and Meowstic siblings that had been teleported back earlier.


    The Gogoat and Skiddo families were ced in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, where they got along well with the other Gogoat couple.


    The number of Gogoat and Skiddo had increased, and Yuga could hope that they would form a smallmunity in the future.


    The two Meowstics were ced in the main Ecopark, where they lived with other Psychic-type Pok��mon. When Yuga visited them, they were happily ying with a few Medicham.


    Finally, Yuga released the three Mmar, hoping that Nana would help seal their psychic abilities.


    Upon learning about the misdeeds of the Mmar, Nana was also displeased with them and readily agreed to Yuga''s request.


    But what surprised both Yuga and Nana was that, despite Nana''s immense power, she couldn''t seal the psychic abilities of the Mmar.


    Yuga thought for a moment and decided that he would seek Deoxys'' help tomorrow. If that didn''t work, he might have to consider dealing with these three Mmar.


    These three troublemakers weren''t as obedient as they seemed. Despite their recent training with Florges and Absol, Yuga could tell from their constantly shifting eyes that their obedience was just a facade.


    It was a well-known fact that one could be a thief in a day, but guarding against a thief for a thousand days was difficult. These Mmar, capable of using their psychic abilities, were indeed a potential threat. Regardless of how useful they could be, Yuga couldn''t afford to keep them.


    The fate of the Mmar now rested in Deoxys'' hands.


    As for the Magnemite and Maon, they were naturally assigned to the Mine Sub-Ecopark.


    These Magnemite and Maon were originally under themand of the Mmar and were somewhat submissive.


    However, upon arriving in the Mine Sub-Ecopark, they immediately faced some beating from the Aron and Lairon that already living there.


    When Audino had reported this to Yuga earlier, Yuga had instructed him not to intervene.


    These Magnemite and Maon had been oppressed for too long. If they are not forced, they will never know how to resist. Yuga didn''t want the Pok��mon in his Ecopark to live in a stifling environment.


    When Yuga finally saw how the Aron and Lairon interacted with the Maon and Maon already in the Mine Sub-Ecopark, he realized that the situation was better than he had expected.


    The Magnemite and Maon were indeed afraid of the Aron and Lairon, but judging by their spirits and physical conditions, they were actually doing quite well.


    Although the Aron and Lairon didn''t particrly like the timid behavior of the Magnemite and Maon and had a somewhat bad attitude towards them, they didn''t engage in real bullying. At most, it was just a bit of unpleasantness in their interactions.


    The abundant food and the special maic field in the Mine Sub-Ecopark had proven to be quite beneficial for the Magnemite and Maon. Compared to their previous life, the somewhat aggressive behavior of the Aron and Lairon wasn''t much of an issue.


    As for the Pangoro and Pancham, Audino had ced them in Oasis 1 of the Desert Sub-Ecopark. There, they lived alongside Ursaring and Snox, making it a gathering ce for bear-like Pok��mon.


    When Yuga mentioned that he wanted to visit Pangoro and Pancham, Audino had an unusual smile on his face.


    Initially, Yuga didn''t understand the significance of this smile, but he soon found out when he arrived.


    It turned out that Ursaring and Pangoro had fell in love at first sight, instantly bing a couple.


    Now, forming such couples wasn''t particrly rare in the Ecopark; many Pok��mon had paired up. So, having Ursaring and Pangoro join the ranks of couples wasn''t a big deal.


    The problem arose when these two troublemakers started causing mischief.


    In Oasis 1, Ursaring and Snox had a notorious reputation for being a tough pair to deal with.


    However, Snox''s personality was well-known �C it waszy! Under normal circumstances, it paid little attention to Ursaring.


    But Ursaring was the exact opposite �C it was fiery! asionally, it would provoke Snox.


    Ursaring and Snox had simr potentials, both being Normal-type Pok��mon, but Snox was the type that gained strength by eating and sleeping. With the abundant food in the Ecopark, Snox could eat to its heart''s content and rapidly increase its strength, outpacing Ursaring over the past couple of years.


    In the face of Ursaring''s provocation, Snox either ignored it or gave it a good thrashing.


    Although Ursaring was female, Snox didn''t understand the concept of cherishing beauty, especially considering that there was a reproductive istion between them (Snox belongs to the Monster Egg Group while Ursaring belongs to the Field Egg Group).


    Anyway, Ursaring rarely got the upper hand against Snox when they shed.


    Yuga was well aware of the rtionship between Snox and Ursaring; he even remembered that they once had a fight over Sweet Honey, though it was just a misunderstanding.


    Yuga didn''t mind a bit ofpetition; after all,petition could lead to improvement. But he couldn''t help but feel that since he entrusted Ursaring''s child, Teddiursa, to Akihito, Ursaring had started acting a bit differently, as if it had be more independent.


    Could it be that without her child, Ursaring felt she didn''t need to maintain the "maternal" image anymore?


    The concept of being a "maternal" figure didn''t really apply to Ursaring! Or was it that without her child as a burden, she could be more herself?


    Since the arrival of Pangoro, Ursaring had gained a sense of having a helper, which boosted her confidence. During Yuga''s absence, she and Pangoro had taunted Snox on several asions.


    Well, when the wife had demands, how could a husband refuse? In fact, the Pangoro even brought his two little rascals along.


    Under normal circumstances, Snox had quite a gentle personality if it''s not provoked.


    However, after the arrival of Pangoro, his sleep quality had seriously deteriorated, especially with the two little devils jumping around on his belly every day.


    What do you take my belly for? A yground?


    If you want to y around on it peacefully, fine, I sleep soundly, and I don''t mind. But plucking my fur is crossing the line!


    (�بp) If you don''t break out of silence, you''ll be destroyed in silence!


    Snox, who had endured for quite a few days, finally erupted in anger!


    The day before Yuga returned, Snox caught the two troublemaking Pancham and gave them a good beating. Then, he carried them to teach a lesson to Ursaring and Pangoro as well.


    Ursaring never expected that even with her and Pangoro teaming up, they still couldn''t beat the violent Snox.


    After hearing Audino''s exnation of the situation, Yuga could onlyment, "Ursaring, you clearly have no idea how terrifying someone with a bad mood can be!"


    Ursaring and Pangoro still had swollen faces! Audino felt they were too fond of causing trouble, so as a punishment, he didn''t treat their injuries.


    After checking on the other Pok��mon, only the newly acquired Vivillon remained to be ced.


    However, Yuga had obtained the qualification to open the Insect Paradise, so he decided to wait until it opened tomorrow to ce the Vivillon.


    The Beautifly and Dustox from the Lake Ind would also need to be moved to the new Sub-Ecopark, but it was toote to do it today.

 Chapter 867: Insect Nest

    <h4>Chapter 867: Insect Nest</h4>


    Early the next morning, after Yuga had enjoyed a breakfast prepared with care by Audino, he arrived at the Ecopark, ready to open a new Sub-Ecopark��the Insect Paradise.


    This was a Sub-Ecopark with a unique and specially designed function, and Yuga was very much looking forward to it.


    hole the Insect Paradise was no different from the other Sub-Ecoparks. After waiting a few minutes, a portal of light appeared in the main Ecopark.


    However, this portal''s color was different from the usual ones.


    While the portals to other Sub-Ecoparks were blue and white, this one was yellow-green.


    Stepping through the portal, the first thing Yuga saw was a massiveke, surrounded by towering ancient trees at all four corners.


    These four trees couldn''t be described as merely tall; they practically touched the sky.


    Yuga initially thought the Milk Tree at the center of the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark was enormous, but inparison to these four trees, it couldn''t even bepared.


    What was striking about these four trees was their incredible straightness. Their trunks were like perfectly crafted pirs, with a clear distinction between the crown and the trunk, devoid of unnecessary branches.


    However, what astonished Yuga the most wasn''t the four towering trees but the colossal shadow reflected on theke''s surface.


    Four those colossal half-sky trees was nothing but a support for this shadow.


    It resembled a cocoon-like structure, predominantly gray and brown, clinging to the trunks of the four giant trees through numerous branch-like extensions. It looked like a small mountain with countless tiny holes all over its surface.


    Due to the cocoon-like object''s immense size, those holes resembled ant holes from a distance.


    However, each of these holes could amodate an adult, and as one moved closer to the center of the structure, the size of the holes could rival that of arge cave.


    "What... what is this..." Yuga was so astonished that he could hardly find his words, stammering as he asked the system.


    [ Insect Nest! This is an Insect Nest! ]


    Yuga suddenly realized that, upon hearing the system''s exnation, it did indeed resemble an insect nest, or rather, something akin to a massive beehive he had seen in a past life, just on an incredible scale. He hadn''t initially made the connection.


    "So, is this what you mean by the uniqueness of the Insect Paradise?"


    [ Yes, in the Insect Nest, Bug-type Pok��mon born here will have slightly improved potential, and living here long-term will enhance their vitality. The Insect Nest is the core of the entire Insect Paradise. ]


    So, it was like abination of the previous Guardian Orb and the Vespiquen Enchanted Honey but specifically for Bug-types!


    This Insect Nest was quite impressive, but its appearance was somewhat eerie. Anyone seeing such a gigantic beehive-like structure would likely get goosebumps.


    The Insect Nest extended downward from the middle of the four towering trees like a suspended bridge, all the way to the edge of theke.


    ording to the system''s introduction, it was designed for the convenience of Bug-type Pok��mon that couldn''t fly, including Yuga, to enter and exit the Insect Nest.


    Yuga cautiously stepped onto the bridge-like pathway and found it to be somewhat soft, almost like a suspension bridge made of woven vines. As he walked, it swayed slightly, which was a bit unsettling.


    The Insect Nest hung directly over theke beneath the four towering trees, and directly below the four pathways was the deep water of theke. As Yuga walked halfway, he couldn''t help but feel a slight fear of heights.


    "Is this thing really safe?"


    Yuga asked the system nervously, and whether it was his imagination or not, he felt the bridge sway a couple more times under his feet.


    This suspension bridge didn''t seem very sturdy!


    [ Host, please rest assured, there are absolutely no safety concerns! ]


    Receiving the system''s assurance, Yuga felt somewhat relieved.


    It was only when Yuga reached the end that he realized that above the Insect Nest, there wasn''t just the densely packed small holes he had initially thought. Surrounding the Insect Nest was a circr tform-like area connected to the pathway, which served as a resting ce for the Pok��mon.


    Above the tform area were the countless small holes that Yuga had seen from below.


    These small holes were the living quarters provided by the Insect Nest for Bug-type Pok��mon.


    Depending on the size of the Bug-type Pok��mon, the specifications of the small holes varied. Regardless of the type of Bug Pok��mon, they could all find suitable amodations here.


    With Yuga''s skill, he couldn''t climb up to observe those small holes, but for Bug-type Pok��mon, entering and exiting these holes posed no difficulty.


    At worst, there were ces to live on the lower levels of the Insect Nest!


    Thanks to the four towering trees, the Insect Nest was positioned quite high. Standing at the edge of the tform, Yuga had amanding view of the entire Insect Paradise.


    Theke and the Insect Nest upied the central area of the Insect Paradise, surrounded by berry trees along theke''s edge.


    However,pared to the four towering trees, these berry trees were like little grass beneath a big tree, hardly worth mentioning.


    The berry tree forest wasn''t very extensive, and if you continued outward, you''d encounter a field of flowering trees.


    Unlike berry trees, these flowering trees only bloomed without bearing berry.


    The flowering tree forest wasn''trge either, and further out was a thorn bush.


    However, even those thorns were of the flowering variety, and from a distance, they looked exceptionally beautiful.


    The outermost area of the thorn bush resembled the flower fields in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, but here, a mix of various flowers grew together, unlike the organized nting in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    In summary, the vegetation in the Insect Paradise was such that the farther inward you went, the taller the vegetation became, with the four towering trees being the limit.


    After getting a sense of the Insect Paradise''syout, Yuga began relocating his Pok��mon here.


    First were the Ariados and Galvant couple who lived in the Desert Sub-Ecopark. Bug-type Pok��mon had a rtively quick reproduction rate, and since they had bonded, Ariados hadid several Pok��mon eggs, all of which had hatched by now.


    When moving, several Spinarak and Joltik followed behind Ariados and Galvant, and they looked quite adorable.


    Next were the Wurmple, Cascoon, Silcoon, Beautifly, and Dustox that lived on the Lake Center Ind in the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark.


    The Lake Center Ind in the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark used to be the territory of Oddish and Hoppip, so with the addition of the Beautifly and Dustox, it did get a bit crowded. However, after relocating, everyone felt much morefortable.


    Once the Beautifly and Dustox moved into the Insect Paradise, Yuga also released the newly acquired Vivillon. They all got along harmoniously, without any conflicts.


    Yuga believed that his Vivillon yed a significant role in maintaining the peace. When faced with his Vivillon, the others would unconsciously choose to submit, and they didn''t dare to act recklessly.


    Finally, it was time to move the Leavanny, and the Vespiquens along with their Combee workers from the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    The Combee moved quite easily, confidently settling into the Insect Nest.


    However, it was a bit more challenging for the two Vespiquens with the Amber Castle. Yet, Yuga didn''t rush them; they could take their time.


    In fact, the environment of the Insect Nest was sturdier than the Amber Castle the Vespiquens had built themselves. They could even choose arger hole in the Insect Nest to rebuild their nest if they wished.


    The most challenging relocation was for the Ribombee.


    While it wasn''t exactly a husband and wife pair with Vespiquen No. 2, Vespiquen No. 2''s children were also Ribombee''s children! So when Vespiquen No. 2 moved, Ribombee was pulled along as a worker bee.


    The situation with Vespiquen No. 2 was somewhat simr to the rtionship between Joy and Jenny in the Pok��mon world.


    When Pok��mon of different species have offspring, the species is randomly determined to be either the mother''s or father''s. But in the case of Vespiquen No. 2, without exception, all of her offspring were Combee.


    One had to admit that Vespiquen No. 2 had incredibly dominant genes!

 Chapter 868: Seal

    <h4>Chapter 868: Seal</h4>


    After leaving the Ecopark, Yuga asked Chimecho to go and invite Deoxys over. He didn''t know exactly where Deoxys was, so he had to rely on Chimecho to locate him.


    However, as soon as Chimecho left, Yuga received a call from his master, Mr. kuni''o.


    "How is it? Have you returned from Kalos? Did everything go smoothly?"


    His master''s familiar voice came from the other end of the phone. It seemed that he called Yuga at the right time, neither early norte.


    "I just got back yesterday, everything went smoothly, no issues at all. Thank you for your concern. But is there something you need today?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    "Weren''t you asking me to find information about the Source of Flight? I heard that the Temple n has one, and I''ve already spoken with them. They should be contacting you for a trade soon!"


    The Temple n? Yuga couldn''t help but think of Cynthia. Could this be what she meant by "See you again in Verdanturf Town"?


    With this in mind, Yuga began to connect the dots, realizing that it was quite likely. He had mistakenly thought his good looks had attracted someone, and it turned out to be this situation.


    "Do they mention what they want in exchange for the Source of Flight?"


    The Source of Flight was precious, and they wouldn''t just give it away for free. Yuga didn''t think he had that much charm to sway them.


    "They didn''t specify. You''ll probably need to negotiate directly with them. But if you encounter any difficulties, just let me know. I''ll do my best to help you."


    Yuga was touched by Mr. Kuni''o''s words. It was good to have a dependable elder to rely on.


    "Alright, I understand. Thank you for your help."


    "Don''t worry about thanking me. If there''s nothing else, I''ll hang up now. You wait for them to contact you, and if you encounter any problems, remember to tell me."


    After giving Yuga these instructions, Mr. Kuni''o hung up the phone.


    Yuga realized that he and Cynthia must have left Kalos around the same time. Now that he was back, it was likely that she would arrive soon.


    He decided to wait for her toe to him.


    Yuga waited in his shop for over an hour, and then Chimecho returned, informing him that Deoxys was already waiting for him.


    Yuga followed Chimecho to a forest outside the town, and Deoxys immediately revealed itself from its hidden state.


    "I heard from Chimecho that you wanted to see me?"


    Deoxys floated in mid-air, emitting strange sounds from its chest.


    "Yes, it''s partly to express my gratitude for your help with Chimecho, and partly because I need to ask you for another favor," Yuga said, feeling somewhat embarrassed about troubling Deoxys again.


    "You don''t need to thank me for that. Helping Chimecho was my own choice. As for the favor, just tell me what it is," Deoxys replied in its gentle demeanor, showing a willingness to assist Yuga.


    "Well, you see... I''d like you to seal the moves of these three Pok��mon for me," Yuga exined the situation with the Mmar.


    "I see. I agree to your request. Please release those three Mmar," Deoxys said.


    Not many Pok��mon appreciated the way the Mmar behaved, including Deoxys. So, without much consideration, Deoxys agreed to Yuga''s request.


    "Thank you so much!" Yuga happily released the three Mmar.


    As soon as the Mmar came out, they red angrily at Yuga. They had realized his intentions to seal their moves yesterday, which meant they couldn''t pretend to be obedient any longer.


    If they were sealed, they would be at Yuga''s mercy, with no chance of turning the tables.


    Fortunately, yesterday, Nana hadn''t seeded in her attempt to seal them, and they hadn''t let go of their anger. Today, Yuga nned to try it again, which naturally made them furious.


    Seeing the bad attitudes of the three Mmar, Yuga immediately released Florges.


    When Florges appeared, the three Mmar instinctively shrank their bodies.


    "All three of you better behave yourselves, or you''ll regret it!" Yuga warned sternly.


    After Yuga finished speaking, Florges cooperated with him at the right moment. She used her vine whip to strike each of the three Mmar, causing them to shiver with fear.


    Yuga: "Sorry to trouble you, Deoxys!"


    Deoxys nodded and descended from mid-air to where the Mmar were.


    Seeing Deoxys approaching, the three Mmar wanted to threaten it, but they felt the overwhelming aura emanating from Deoxys, causing them to shrink back.


    They had initially thought that the Gardevoir they encountered yesterday was the most powerful Pok��mon they would ever meet in their lives. Little did they expect to encounter an even stronger monster today.


    Noticing the Mmar''s subtle movements, Deoxys remarked, "Indeed, they are vicious Pok��mon. Their typebination is quite unique, which exins why you couldn''t seal them yourself."


    Yuga thought for a moment and realized the truth. Abination of Psychic and Dark types was rare. Aside from Mmar and its pre-evolved form Inkay, there was only the legendary Pok��mon Hoopa Unbound with a simr typebination.


    Dark types were immune to Psychic moves within the same level, and Psychic types were resistant to Psychic moves, making it particrly challenging to seal Mmar using Psychic moves.


    However, Deoxys, being a Legendary Pok��mon, had the immense power advantage to forcibly seal Mmar.


    Deoxys emitted a purple light, and when this light touched the three Mmar, they began to struggle intensely.


    They seemed to foresee their impending fate and were making a final stand.


    But Deoxys'' formidable psychic power tightly bound the Mmar. Even though their soft bodies contorted due to their struggles, they couldn''t resist Deoxys'' sealing power.


    Soon, the Mmar realized in terror that they couldn''t ess their internal energy ormunicate with external energy sources. They werepletely unable to use any of their moves.


    "Alright, the sealing isplete! Unless someone possesses the same or greater psychic power as me, the seal can never be undone," Deoxys exined to Yuga.


    Yuga expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you so much."


    The three Mmar now looked at Deoxys with fear in their eyes. They had juste to realize the terrifying nature of the Pok��mon before them. It was likely easier for it to crush them than to squish a Caterpie.


    "You don''t need to thank me. Just take good care of Chimecho," Deoxys said.


    The current Chimecho was different from the previous one. It had been reborn inside Deoxys''s meteor "mother." You could almost call her Deoxys''s biological sister.


    The meteor, thanks to Chimecho, had lost all of its energy and was now no different from an ordinary rock. The advantage was that it could no longer trigger maic storms.


    Yuga nodded in agreement, saying, "Don''t worry, I''ll take good care of Chimecho."


    Deoxys nodded in satisfaction.


    "In the future, I''ll continue to travel, and now that Chimecho has the same energy core as me, if you ever have something important, you can call on me through Chimecho. As long as we''re on the same path, I''ll be able to sense it."


    The energy cores within Deoxys couldmunicate with each other. With thepletion of the meteor''s energy core through Chimecho, there was now a wonderful sense of connection between Chimecho and Deoxys.

 Chapter 869: Farewell

    <h4>Chapter 869: Farewell</h4>


    After Deoxys left, Yuga and Chimecho returned to their shop.


    However, shortly after their return, Yasushi came looking for them.


    "Boss, I''d like to talk to you about something," Yasushi said after taking a deep breath.


    Yuga nced at him deeply, already having an idea of why he hade.


    "Follow me," Yuga said.


    Yasushi nodded and silently followed Yuga.


    Once they were in the guest room of the shop, Yuga closed the door and said, "Say whatever you want to say."


    Yasushi hesitated, unsure of how to begin.


    Yuga sighed and said, "If you have something on your mind, just say it. You''ve been here for quite some time, helping me a lot. Whatever you decide, I''ll respect it."


    Considering how long Yasushi had been at the YoYo Day Care, working tirelessly and helping out in many ways, Yuga wanted him to know that his decision would be honored.


    "I... I want to go back home... My grandfather, he..." Yasushi struggled to get the words out.


    After saying this, Yasushi seemed to have used up all his strength. To him, Yuga was not only his savior but also someone who had sheltered and cared for him for a long time.


    Leaving now felt morally wrong.


    During his time at the YoYo Day Care, it had been the most rxed period of his nearly thirty years of life. If he had the choice, he wanted to stay here forever.


    But now, he had no choice but to leave.


    Under the influence of Miyuki, their family''s incense business had suffered a severe blow, almost reaching the brink of bankruptcy.


    Who could have imagined that their family, which had been a leader in the incense industry, would be a pariah overnight?


    This situation wasn''t just due to Miyuki''s wanted status but also because of the backstabbing from others in the incense industry who had once praised them highly. Those who had elevated them before now wanted to see them fall.


    "They''ve been propping us up so high before, and now they want to see us fall so hard," Yasushimented, expressing the harsh reality they were facing.


    Yuga listened attentively to Yasushi''s words, understanding the difficult situation he was in. It was clear that Yasushi''s family needed him, and Yuga respected his decision to return home.


    "Yasushi, I understand your situation. Family is important, and you need to be there for them. You''ve been a great help to the YoYo Day Care, and I appreciate all your hard work. If you ever need anything in the future, don''t hesitate to ask," Yuga assured him.


    Yasushi felt a sense of relief hearing Yuga''s understanding and support.


    "Thank you, Boss. I''ll never forget what you''ve done for me," Yasushi said gratefully.


    Their conversation marked a turning point for Yasushi, who had found a home and support in the YoYo Day Care but now had to return to his family during their difficult times. It was a bittersweet farewell, but he knew he was making the right choice.


    Due to his past experiences, Yasushi wasn''t particrly interested in inheriting the family business. However, he couldn''t just leave his family, his grandfather, and his sister behind.


    His grandfather wasn''t a good person, nor can be considered as a good grandfathed, neither for Miyuki nor for Yukino.


    But the unique aspect was that everyone had the right to criticize his grandfather except for him, because for him, his grandfather had done everything a grandfather should and should not do.


    Not long ago, Yasushi received a call from his sister, Yukino, stating that the family''s incense workshop was facing increasing difficulties. His grandfather had fallen ill due to the stress, and they hoped Yasushi coulde back and take charge of the situation.


    Now, the only one in the family capable of handling this responsibility was him.


    Yukino had no understanding of the incense business; she was a rich second-generation who only knew how to enjoy life. As their family''s situation worsened, she was filled with fear.


    Hearing his sister''s voice, trembling and out of breath on the phone, Yasushi pondered for a long time and finally made the decision to leave the YoYo Day Care.


    His growth had been supported by his family, and when they were in their glory days, he could afford to ignore their troubles.


    But now, during the family''s low point, he had the responsibility and obligation to go back and support them, no matter how unfavorable the family''s reputation might be in the eyes of others.


    His grandfather was aging, and his sister was notpetent. If he didn''t step in, the family would fall apart.


    "Have you really made up your mind? You need to understand, your family is in a mess right now, and there are many people with ill intentions. Going back means taking on countless troubles.


    Staying here, I can provide you with the same treatment as Lain, and you won''t have to worry about being dragged into trouble because of Miyuki or your family''s affairs. Which option do you think is easier? You should know better than me," Yuga reminded Yasushi.


    Yuga was aware of the turmoil in Yasushi''s family, and he wanted Yasushi to think carefully about his decision. Returning home would bring its own set of challenges and burdens, and Yuga wanted to ensure that Yasushi was making the choice that was best for him.


    At this moment, Miyuki was in a precarious position as a highly wanted criminal by the Pok��mon League. As her brother, Yasushi would inevitably carry a stain that was difficult to shake off.


    Having such a stain on his record could hinder Yasushi in both his personal life and his career, causing continuous hardships.


    Yasushi possessed exceptional skills in incense-making, a rare talent. Moreover, during his time at the YoYo Day Care, he had built good rtionships with both the other employees and Yuga himself.


    If possible, Yuga genuinely wished for Yasushi to choose the easier path. Staying at the YoYo Day Care, Yuga could ensure that Yasushi wouldn''t be entangled in Miyuki''s affairs.


    However, if Yasushi chose to return home, Yuga''s influence would be limited.


    "I''ve made up my mind. I want to go back. If I don''t, Grandfather and Yukino won''t be able to cope," Yasushi replied with a somber tone.


    Yuga sighed and said, "Since you''ve made your choice, I won''t dissuade you anymore. If you encounter any trouble after you return, remember to let me know."


    Yasushi fell silent for a moment, his voice choked with emotion as he said, "Boss, thank you."


    Yuga simply nodded, not saying much.


    "Sean and Kano have already reached the point where they can independently create incense. However, their techniques aren''t mature enough to meet the standards for supplying to the League''s stores.


    But it''s fine for selling in our own shop. In the future, let Lain handle the League''s supply, and the shop''s production can be entrusted to Sean and Kano. Even if I leave, there shouldn''t be any problems," Yasushi reported to Yuga, regaining hisposure.


    With this discussion, Yasushi''s departure was bing more concrete, and ns were being put in ce for the future of the YoYo Day Care without him.


    Yasushi''s apprentice in incense-making was Sean. He shared all his knowledge and experience about incense-making with Sean, even passing on his previous study notes.


    Later, Yuga learned that Yasushi had entrusted his family''s incense recipes to Sean. Even if Sean couldn''t immediately digest all that knowledge, Yasushi insisted that he write it down with pen and paper for future learning.


    Sean received Yasushi''s true teachings andbined them with Yuga''s incense manual, allowing the two inheritances toplement each other.


    As a result, Sean made much faster progress in incense-makingpared to Kano, who had entered the YoYo Day Care at the same time.


    With the weight of this decision off his chest after discussing it with Yuga, Yasushi felt relieved.


    "Everyone doesn''t know about your departure yet, right? Find a time to let them know," Yuga said as he opened the door to the guest room, walking out while addressing Yasushi.


    Yasushi responded, "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure to tell them."


    Yuga and Yasushi left the old shop and went together to the new shop. Yuga handed over the Bug-type Pok��mon Pok��block form, which had been a system reward, to Anya and Misaki.

 Chapter 870: Vision

    <h4>Chapter 870: Vision</h4>


    After returning from the new store, Yuga went back to the Ecopark.


    Since the seal problem of the three Mmar had been resolved, it was time to address their cement.


    After much consideration, Yuga decided to ce them in the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark.


    First of all, the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark was spacious.


    The Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark had three huge stone fortresses.


    No. 1 was inhabited by the Litwick, Lampent, and Chandelure families.


    No. 2 housed arge number of Misdreavus, Mismagius, and a few Gastly, Haunter, Gengar, Jellicentull, Dusclops, and Jellicent.


    The No. 3 fortress had been empty for a long time, and now it could serve as a newboratory for the Mmar.


    Furthermore, even though the three Mmar had been sealed, they still seemed mischievous. The Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark had plenty of Ghost-type Pok��mon to keep an eye on them.


    Ghost-type Pok��mon were the most idle group in the Ecopark. They didn''t like to leave the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark unless necessary, so keeping an eye on the Mmar would also add some excitement to their lives.


    Upon arriving at the No. 3 fortress, Yuga took out theboratory equipment and devices he had brought back from the Kalos Forest in the system space. He directed the three Mmar to set them up again.


    Seeing these items that had once belonged to them now belonging to Yuga, and realizing they had be Yuga''s subordinates, the three Mmar couldn''t help but feel a pang of regret.


    Back in the day, they had worked so hard to acquire this equipment, studying human knowledge diligently and gathering materials. Now, they were making wedding clothes for someone else.


    Most of the equipment Yuga brought back was in good condition. The few pieces that were damaged in battles, the three Mmar were able to repair.


    The Mmar, now powerless, knew the current situation well. Regardless of what they thought in their hearts, at least for now, they obeyed Yuga.


    Once the equipment was set up, it still couldn''t operate because itcked a power source.


    However, these were not insurmountable problems. Yuga had brought back those Magnemite and Maon for the sole purpose of solving this issue.


    As long as they periodically came to recharge the equipment, there would be no problem.


    But Magnemite and Maon were the kind of Pok��mon that needed to absorb natural electrical energy regrly, and the conditions in the Mine Sub-Ecopark were not suitable for them.


    After some thought, Yuga decided that whenever there was a thunderstorm, he would let the Magnemite and Maon go out to absorb the lightning.


    But they still needed someone to watch over them. This group of Magnemite and Maon was weak, and their numbers were not small, making them prone to idents.


    Noctowl was a good choice. It was powerful and a Flying-type Pok��mon, making it the perfect fit for the job.


    Once the equipment was all set up, Yuga looked at the four conical pirs in the center of the room and the half-finished Eternal Flower in the center of the pirs, lost in thought.


    After thinking for a while, it seemed that Yuga remembered something, and his eyes suddenly lit up.


    He summoned a Gengar from the Shadow Space and used its psychic powers to transport himself to the center of the Ghost Sea.


    Once there, Yuga retrieved the energy absorption and transmission device that had previously been ced underground by the Mmar to absorb energy from Pok��mon.


    cing this energy device into the Ghost Sea, Yuga saw a faint light flicker on the device, and the green life energy shimmering in the seawater was continuously absorbed.


    Sess!


    Yuga felt a surge of excitement.


    Yuga remembered that the true Eternal Flower had been created by sacrificing countless lives of Pok��mon, gathering a vast amount of life energy.


    The reason this half-finished Eternal Flower was iplete was that it absorbed not life energy but the attribute energy of Pok��mon.


    In terms of other types of energy, Yuga might becking, but when it came to life energy, there was an abundance in the Ghost Sea.


    Including the main Ecopark, Yuga''s other seven Ecoparks constantly channeled excess life energy into the Ghost Sea. One could imagine how vast this reserve was.


    Apart from serving as food for the Ghost-type Pok��mon in the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark, this surplus life energy had no other use.


    However, Ghost-type Pok��mon alone could not consume such a massive amount of life energy.


    Now, Yuga wanted to use this energy absorption and transmission device to deliver the surplus life energy to the half-finished Eternal Flower.


    With this life energy, was it possible that one day, the iplete Eternal Flower could truly transform into aplete Eternal Flower?


    Thinking about this, Yuga couldn''t help but feel excited.


    The true Eternal Flower was an existence that touched upon forbidden creations, undoubtedly reaching the realm of the divine.


    Ask yourself, besides a deity, who else could grant eternal life to a Pok��mon?


    This made Yuga think of two legendary Pok��mon, Ho-Oh and Xerneas.


    In legends, the Legendary Pok��mon, Suicune, Entei, and Raikou, became legendary Pok��mon because they were given new life by Ho-Oh.


    Xerneas was also said to have the ability to grant eternal life.


    This was remarkably simr to the characteristics of the Eternal Flower.


    Themotion caused by the energy absorption device caught the attention of the round and plump couple, the Jellicent couple, who emerged from the seawater, looking at the special object absorbing life energy in astonishment.


    Apanying the Jellicent couple was a light blue, ethereal figure.


    The light blue ethereal figure was the child born to the Jellicent couple after they arrived in the Ghost Sea, and this child was also a rare blue potential Pok��mon.


    When this child was born, Yuga was amazed by its potentials because, unlike the Seed Pok��mon bred in the Large Day Care, the high potential Pok��mon in Yuga''s Ecoparks were all first-generation Pok��mon, meaning their genes were highly unstable.


    Highly potential Pok��mon with unstable genes had a much lower probability of giving birth to high potential offspringpared to highly potential Pok��mon with stable genes.


    For example, the offspring of Nales and Houndoom, the offspring of Honchkrow and Swellow, the offspring of Noctowl and Chatot, the offspring of Gardevoir and Gade, the offspring of Galvant and Ariados, the offspring of ceon and Leafeon...


    Their parents were high potential Pok��mon, but not all of their offspring turned out to be high potential. Hoothoot, Joltik, Spinarak, two Eevee... When they were born, they all had yellow potentials, and blue potentials were out of the question.


    Even Gliscor leader and its three partnerter had a child with a blue potential; it still relied on Yuga''s special methods.


    This showed that the birth of Pok��mon with blue potentials was not that easy.


    For two Jellicent to give birth to a blue potential Frilish, Yuga couldn''t help but be amazed.


    This male Frilish was still very young, andpared to itsrge parents, it looked much cuter.


    Since Yuga didn''t often visit the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark, Frilish didn''t have many opportunities to see Yuga. At this moment, it was looking at Yuga with its round, curious, red eyes.


    "You two, watch over this thing for me. Don''t let other Pok��mon get close to it, and don''t touch it randomly, understand?"


    Yuga instructed the two Jellicent.


    "Jellicent... Jellicent..."


    The Jellicent nodded and then disappeared back into the Ghost Sea. Frilish was also pulled away by its mother.


    Yuga returned to the No. 3 stone fortress and saw that the half-finished Eternal Flower in the center of the conical pirs had indeed received life energy transmitted by the energy device. At this moment, the pure white petals were emitting a sparkling radiance, making it look incredibly beautiful.


    Perhaps his idea could really seed!


    Yuga thought with great excitement.


    Even the three Mmar were taken aback by the phenomenon urring on the half-finished Eternal Flower.


    The device for the Eternal Flower and the energy absorption and transmission device in the Ghost Sea wereplementary. They were an energy-receiving and transmitting system, perfectly suited to help the half-finished Eternal Flower absorb life energy.


    It had to be said that while the three Mmar weren''t exactly good-hearted creatures, their minds were truly exceptional, surpassing those of most humans.


    The machines they had inadvertently created saved Yuga a lot of effort.


    After arranging everything in the stone fortressboratory, Yuga returned to the main Ecopark to fetch the two Meowstic and had them continue assisting the Mmar with their research.


    They had previously worked on assisting the Mmar in their research, so now they had gained valuable experience.


    However, their roles had reversed, and they also took on the responsibility of supervision. From now on, the Mmar would have to make a living under their watchful eyes.


    The Meowstic were indeed weak in terms of power, but the sealed Mmar posed no threat to them.


    To be on the safe side, Yuga also brought in the leader of the Chandelure family to assist the Meowstic in their supervisory role. The Chandelure family was more than happy to help.

 Chapter 871: Price

    <h4>Chapter 871: Price</h4>


    On the second day after Yasushi''s farewell, he packed his belongings and left Verdanturf Town.


    After Yuga had seen him off at the station, he received a message from Suzuki Koen that someone was looking for him and waiting in the reception room.


    When he pushed open the door, he saw Cynthia sitting quietly in the reception room, sipping on the honey tea that seemed to be specially made for her, showing great interest.


    Seeing Yuga enter, Cynthia smiled and said, "We meet again, Mr. Shimizu."


    Yuga smiled in response, "I''m d to see you again, Miss Cynthia."


    "I won''t beat around the bush. I believe Mr. Kuni''o has already informed you about my situation."


    As she spoke, Cynthia took out a brocade box and opened the lid, revealing a crystal-clear, sky-blue gemstone inside.


    "This is the Source of Flight, originating from a Master level Sigilyph. Such a thing is exceedingly rare, even in our temple. You can imagine its preciousness."


    The sky-blue gemstone was about the size of a baby''s fist, with radiating light inside, as if it contained an unknown starry sky, exuding a sense of mystery.


    Originating from a Master level Sigilyph!


    These Sigilyphs, while not extremely powerful, were indeed genuinely rare Pok��mon. They were seldom seen in the outside world and often appeared before people as guardians of ancient relics, possessing peculiar powers.


    ording to legend, Sigilyphs would often appear as the conductors of rituals in ancient times. Although the authenticity of these legends was uncertain, they were likely not without basis.


    As a purely Flying-type item, the Source of Flight should contain the energy of Flying-type Pok��mon. However, Yuga could sense a trace of Psychic-type Pok��mon''s power hidden within it.


    The energy that flowed slowly inside the gemstone, resembling a starry sky, was the manifestation of Psychic-type energy.


    Yuga looked at the Source of Flight in silence for a moment before speaking, "I wonder what price I have to pay to obtain this Source of Flight."


    "First, a Pok��mon with blue potentials."


    Seeing Yuga get straight to the point, Cynthia didn''t beat around the bush either.


    Yuga nodded in response, finding the request quite reasonable.


    The Source of Flight was already an exceptionally rare item, and one originating from a Master level Pok��mon made it even more valuable than a Pok��mon with blue potentials.


    "No problem! Are there any other requirements?" Yuga asked, as he suspected that obtaining the Source of Flight might not be as simple as offering a Pok��mon with blue potentials.


    "The second requirement... well, that depends on Mr. Shimizu''s strength," Cynthia replied with a smile.


    Yuga was puzzled. What did his strength have to do with this?


    "How so?" he inquired.


    "I heard in Sinnoh that a very young Elite Trainer has appeared in Hoenn, and I''ve been long wanting to meet him. I wonder if i would have a honor to battle with Mr. Shimizu?"


    Yuga was momentarily taken aback. Cynthia''s request was indeed unexpected, and it was no wonder people in Sinnoh referred to this beautiful and confident female Trainer as the "Valkyrie." They certainly weren''t mistaken.


    But Yuga quite excited to think about being able topete with Cynthia.


    Steven, Wace, and Cynthia are all the younger generation, the best in the genius training family, and Yuga has not been able to fight against them yet!


    "It''s my honor!" Yuga readily epted Cynthia''s battle request, considering it a rare opportunity.


    Not long after, Yuga rode on his Charizard, and Cynthia rode on her Garchomp as they arrived on the outskirts of Verdanturf Town.


    Inside the Verdanturf Gym, there were battle arenas, but they were not built to withstand the power of two Elite Trainers.


    Cynthia dismounted from her Garchomp and patted its back, signaling it to step forward. She said, "I hope Mr. Shimizu will give his all to defeat me and Garchomp."


    Yuga recalled his Charizard and released another Pok�� Ball, summoning his Lapras to stand opposite Garchomp.


    "I will give it my all!"


    Currently, Lapras was his most powerful Pok��mon, even though there was still a significant level gap between Lapras and Garchomp.


    Garchomp was nearing the peak of Elite level, while Lapras was in the intermediate level range. The difference in power between levels among Elite level Pok��mon was substantial.


    Despite the disadvantage, Lapras had its own advantages in terms of type matchups and potentials. It was worth giving it a try.


    Lapras had been with Yuga for a while, and although its level hadn''t improved significantly, its presence had grown stronger day by day.


    It hovered in the low sky, its fourrger-than-average fins gently pping. With each p, it stirred the mist beneath it, creating a rolling, misty cloud that partially obscured its slender body, giving it an indescribable sense of beauty.


    Seeing Yuga''s Lapras, both Cynthia and Garchomp tensed up.


    "Lapras..."


    Lapras let out an elegant howl, its voice resonating melodiously and ethereally in the quiet forest. However, to Garchomp, it sounded like a tant challenge.


    Yuga said, "Let''s begin!"


    Cynthia echoed, "Let''s begin!"


    With their words, Garchomp, like a jet ne, sped towards Lapras with great velocity.


    At the same time, Lapras tilted its head back and opened its mouth, rapidly condensing icy energy within. When Garchomp was about halfway to its target, Lapras unleashed a beam of freezing energy from its mouth.


    Faced with Lapras''s Ice Beam, Garchomp raised the sharp scythes on its arms to block the oing attack.


    The powerful icy ray pushed Garchomp back continously.


    Lapras was arge Pok��mon, and its sheer size gave its breath an immense impact.


    However, Garchomp, a Pok��mon known for its exceptional physical prowess, was not deterred by Lapras''s energy-based assault.


    In terms of physical attributes alone, Cynthia''s Garchomp was significantly stronger than Yuga''s Lapras, even if Lapras were to reach the peak of Elite level in the future. It would still be challenging for Lapras topete in this aspect with Garchomp.


    This particr Garchomp had undergone unique training methods.


    Garchomp rapidly swung its arms, and the sharp scythes on its arms sliced through Lapras''s Ice Beam, reducing it to shards of white ice energy scattered in the air. Under the sunlight, these shards refracted beautiful gleams.


    Unscathed, Garchomp charged toward Lapras once more.


    Despite the fact that Ice-type moves were supposed to be a significant disadvantage for Dragon- and Ground-type Pok��mon like Garchomp, Garchomp appeared to bepletely untroubled by it.


    As Garchomp neared Lapras, Lapras used the move Aqua Tail. It collided with Garchomp, and there was a resounding crash!


    Bang!


    Garchomp stood firm, while Lapras was sent flying backward.

 Chapter 872: Showdown

    <h4>Chapter 872: Showdown</h4>


    A Lapras itself doesn''t have a leaning towards physical or special attacks, but Yuga''s Lapras had been trained more towards special attacks. Its physical qualities were not particrly strong, so in a head-on collision with a Garchomp, Lapras would be at a disadvantage.


    However, in the situation where Garchomp had already closed in on Lapras, Lapras had no choice but to use a physical attack move - Waterfall.


    It crashed into several trees in a row before Lapras finally came to a halt.


    In a disheveled state, Lapras barely adjusted itself before seeing Garchomp charging at it once more. The scythes on Garchomp''s arms shimmered with bright light.


    Garchomp was a very fast Pok��mon; it was said that its burst speed over short distances could reach the speed of sound.


    Lapras opened its mouth and released a white mist, obscuring its own form.


    Soon, the area where Lapras was located was filled with white mist. When Garchomp charged through, apart from knocking down a tree, there was no sign of Lapras.


    The white mist grew thicker and thicker, to the point where even Yuga and Cynthia''s line of sight was obscured. Garchomp waspletely lost in the white mist.


    However, Lapras had long taken advantage of the white mist to disappear somewhere.


    In the dense white mist, Lapras moved constantly, disrupting Garchomp''s perception. Even though Garchomp had experienced many battles, it was bing increasingly frustrated at this moment.


    "Garchomp, calm down and stay focused. Adapt to change with an unchanging mind!" Without needing to look at Cynthia, she knew that Garchomp''s mood must not be good at this moment, and she quickly tried to soothe its emotions.


    Hearing Cynthia''s voice, Garchomp miraculously calmed down and stood quietly in the mist, closing its eyes, fully concentrating on sensing Lapras''s location.


    Bang!


    In the white mist, a ck shadow shed past Garchomp''s side and released a white beam.


    In that instant, it was as if Garchomp had grown eyes on its back. It turned its body, using its twin scythes to block the Ice Beam.


    However, Lapras''s assault did not stop. One after another, Ice Beams were fired, and Garchomp could only defend based on instinct.


    For a short while, Garchomp could still cope, but as time passed, it began to find it difficult to keep up.


    Finally, Lapras seized an opportunity in Garchomp''s defense. Another Ice Beam shot out, and to everyone''s surprise, Garchomp was frozen solid.


    Even though Yuga and Cynthia couldn''t see inside the mist, they noticed the sudden silence within it.


    Lapras cautiously peeked out from the mist, ready to take advantage of Garchomp''s frozen state.


    But before it could act, the ice encasing Garchomp quickly turned red, enveloped in mes. Garchomp emerged from the ice, roaring angrily.


    "Garchomp!"


    Seeing Lapras, Garchomp let out a furious roar, and a white de of energy shot straight towards Lapras.


    Realizing the danger, Lapras swiftly retreated into the white mist. The energy de missed, leaving the mist swirling.


    Outside the mist, Cynthia realized that the situation was getting out of hand and shouted into the mist, "Garchomp, use Draco Meteor!"


    Garchomp heard Cynthia''smand, gathering intense energy in its mouth and thenunched it into the sky.


    A red sphere soared through the white mist, bursting like fireworks in the high sky. Countless huge "meteors" mixed with mes rained down towards the mist.


    With each falling "meteor," the white mist controlled by Lapras dissipated bit by bit. Soon, the entire battlefield became clear again, and Garchomp and Lapras were once more visible to Yuga and Cynthia.


    Lapras suddenly felt a rush of panic and looked up to see a ming "meteor" hurtling toward it. In desperation, Lapras opened its mouth and shot a Hydro Pump to shatter the iing "meteor."


    Once Garchomp''s Draco Meteor had subsided, the battlefield was in shambles. What was once lush grassy terrain was now pockmarked with craters left by the "meteors."


    "Garchomp, Dragon Rush!"


    "Lapras, Blizzard Dragon Dance!"


    Cynthia and Yuga issuedmands simultaneously as the white mist dissipated.


    Garchomp''s body was enveloped in a bluish-purple dragon-shaped energy as it charged fiercely toward Lapras.


    As Garchomp closed in on Lapras, thetter folded its fourrge fins to its sides, forming a straight line from head to tail. Then, like an arrow, it soared into the air and began spinning rapidly.


    While Lapras danced in the whirlwind, it also activated one of its abilities, Drizzle. Dark clouds quickly gathered, and in the blink of an eye, light rain began to fall from the sky.


    Just as Garchomp was about to collide with Lapras, it reached the sky. Garchomp''s Dragon Rush missed its mark, leaving a huge crater where it had intended to strike.


    The dragon-shaped energy surrounding Garchomp dissipated, and the rain made it feel sticky and ufortable.


    Meanwhile, high in the air, Lapras continued to spin faster and faster. Storms gathered around it, with torrents of icy snow mixed in.


    While Lapras performed its Dragon Dance, it also kept spewing out a blizzard.


    As Lapras''s body spun rapidly, the blizzard gathered around it.


    "Garchomp, Dragon Rush!"


    Cynthia''s voice rang out, and Garchomp, its feet pushing off the ground,unched another Dragon Rush towards Lapras, which was surrounded by a swirling storm.


    But just as Garchomp reached the midway point, surrounded by Lapras and the high-speed spinning blizzard, Lapras unleashed a barrage of ice spikes.


    The ice spikes pierced Garchomp''s body, shattering the dragon-shaped energy surrounding it and weakening its attack.


    When Garchomp finally collided with Lapras, it was thrown back by the swirling storm surrounding Lapras. It also suffered from a wave of freezing damage.


    The raindrops falling from the sky were instantly absorbed by Lapras''s storm and turned into ice spikes.


    As Garchompnded after being thrown back, countless ice spikes wereunched from the storm, like a barrage of ice arrows trying to pierce Garchomp.


    This wave of ice spikes was much more powerful than the previous one.


    The tremendous centrifugal force generated during the swirling storm added to the ice spikes'' formidable impact. Garchomp had no choice but to raise its arms to defend against the dense onught of ice spikes.


    Countless ice spikes grazed Garchomp''s body, leaving it covered in wounds.


    This move, Blizzard Dragon Dance, was one that Yuga and Lapras had been training for a long time. It was their first time using it, and the results were promising.


    However, Lapras couldn''t maintain this state for too long. The energy consumption was enormous, and the high-speed spinning of Dragon Dance,bined with Lapras''s physical limitations, limited its duration.


    After the ice spikes dissipated, just when Garchomp thought the attack was over, it saw Lapras, still surrounded by the storm, charging toward it.


    Without hesitation, Garchomp used Dragon Rush to collide with Lapras.


    A physical collision, Garchomp had no fear of Lapras!


    Due to Dragon Dance, Lapras had enhanced its physical attack, which led to this powerful collision.


    Bang!


    The two Pok��mon collided, blue-purple dragon-shaped energy and the pale blizzard scattering in all directions. Both Garchomp and Lapras were sent flying.


    The intense energy impact caused trees in the surrounding forest to topple and snap, creating a scene of devastation.

 Chapter 873: Reasons

    <h4>Chapter 873: Reasons</h4>


    As the Lapras touched the ground, its head tilted, rendering it unable to continue the battle.


    Uponnding, Garchomp swayed unsteadily for a moment before copsing to the ground. Despite being covered in wounds, its eyes remained bright.


    Yuga rushed to Lapras''s side, checked its injuries, and with a wry smile, said to Cynthia, "I''ve lost!"


    Cynthia shook her head and replied, "Garchomp is my strongest Pok��mon. You''re much stronger than I imagined."


    While Yuga released his Chimecho and allowing it to tend to Lapras''s injuries, he muttered under his breath, "Even if you say that, I can''t say I''m happy about losing."


    With this in mind, Yuga sighed once more. Even with a Pok��mon like Lapras on his side, he realized he still had a long way to go to catch up to Cynthia and her exceptional talents.


    Seeing that Lapras''s injuries were not serious, Yuga turned to Cynthia and said, "Let my Chimecho help heal Garchomp."


    Cynthia nodded appreciatively and said, "Thank you."


    During Chimecho''s treatment of Lapras, she had noticed something unusual. This Chimecho''s healing move seemed excessively powerful.


    She could tell with a single nce that this Chimecho was not even at the Elite level Pok��mon. However, when it treated Lapras''s injuries, it nearlypletely healed them in just two Heal Pulse, leaving no visible signs of harm on Lapras''s surface.


    In theory, healing moves like Heal Pulse could indeed restore half of a Pok��mon''s health in a single use. However, that was only the theoretical maximum.


    When a lower level Pok��mon used it on a higher level Pok��mon, the theoretical value would decrease significantly, often rendering it ineffective due to the level gap.


    But this Chimecho managed to achieve the theoretical healing value twice when treating Garchomp, which left Cynthia astonished.


    Chimecho flew up to Garchomp and enveloped it with two pink rings of light. The holes and scratches on Garchomp''s body caused by the ice spikes disappeared without a trace.


    Seeing Chimecho''s healing effect up close, Cynthia was even more amazed: this Chimecho possessed incredibly strong healing talents!


    "Thank you, Chimecho!" Cynthia sincerely expressed her gratitude to Chimecho.


    "Chimecho... Chimecho..."


    You''re wee!


    Chimecho sweetly smiled at Cynthia.


    Although Cynthia couldn''t understand Chimecho''snguage, she could discern its intended meaning from its smile.


    Chimecho happily returned to Yuga''s side, proudly saying to him, "Yuga, am I amazing? I didn''t embarrass you, did I?"


    "No, no, Chimecho, you''re very amazing!" Yuga praised Chimecho and gently patted its little face.


    In fact, when Chimecho had returned earlier and sparred with Vivillon, while healing Vivillon, Yuga had noticed that Chimecho''s healing power had greatly improved.


    Whether it was Heal Pulse or Heal Bell, they were both Psychic-type moves, and the strength of their healing abilities was rted to the user''s psychic strength.


    Although Chimecho''s level was not at the Elite level, its psychic power was exceptionally strong, allowing it to possess such formidable healing moves.


    Seeing that Yuga couldmunicate with Chimecho, Cynthia wasn''t surprised either.


    Like Mr. Kuni''o and Yuga, Cynthia knew that the ability tomunicate with Pok��mon was not a secret within the Temple.


    The Temple''s lineage also possessed its own special ability, the "Power of True Heart." This power included the ability tomunicate with Pok��mon, although it wasn''t verbalmunication but rather a mental resonance, with the added effect of soothing emotions.


    Unfortunately, despite being the youngest trainer of her generation in the Temple, Cynthia had not awakened the Power of True Heart.


    After recalling Lapras and Chimecho into their Pok�� Balls, Yuga asked Cynthia, "Our sparring hase to an end. I''m curious about your second request. Has my strength met your expectations?"


    "My second request is to ask for your help in capturing a Pok��mon. Your strength has far exceeded my expectations, so you naturally meet the requirements," Cynthia replied.


    "Another Pok��mon?" Yuga found it somewhat unusual.


    At the auction, Cynthia had already started collecting high potential Pok��mon, and now, after exchanging a blue potential Pok��mon from him using the Source of Flight, her second request also rted to Pok��mon!


    Yuga''s hunch was correct. Cynthia was indeed collecting high potential Pok��mon because the Temple had already decided to have her aim for the position of League Champion.


    Given Cynthia''s current strength, it wouldn''t be long before she reached Champion level. The Temple nned for her to make a grand debut by challenging the League Champion directly, rather than the Elite Four.


    Cynthia had the potential to achieve this goal.


    While Cynthia''s first team of Pok��mon was already well-developed, for added security, the Temple intended to fully support her in developing a second team to prevent any mishaps during the Champion Challenge.


    After all, the position of challenging the League Champion required facing the challenges all of the Elite Four members in session.


    As the leading figure of the new generation in the Temple, Cynthia''s Pok��mon naturally couldn''t be ordinary. So when Mr. Kuni''o inquired about the Source of Flight, the Temple took the opportunity to make additional arrangements.


    Apart from collecting Pok��mon in the outside world, the Temple also intended to entrust Cynthia with the task of raising the offspring of one of the Temple''s guardian Pok��mon.


    Obtaining the offspring of this guardian Pok��mon wasn''t an easy task. Guardian Pok��mon had their own requirements, one of which was that Cynthia had to defeat it.


    However, this guardian Pok��mon was an old guys who having lived for centuries, and its strength was unfathomable. It was virtually impossible for Cynthia to defeat it.


    The guardian Pok��mon wasn''t willing topromise on this matter. After all, it was its own descendant, and it couldn''t be given away casually.


    After several discussions, both the guardian Pok��mon and the elders of the Temple made certain concessions.


    Cynthia still had to defeat the guardian Pok��mon, but she could seek assistance from someone of her age whose age gap with her couldn''t exceed five years.


    As Cynthia''s partner, this individual''s strength couldn''t be too far behind hers, or else defeating the guardian Pok��mon would be nearly impossible.


    The Temple''s lineage was having a tough time finding a young person with sufficient strength who would also be willing to help Cynthia.


    That''s when Mr. Kuni''o presented himself!


    Mr. Kuni''o had a disciple at the Elite level, and this wasn''t a secret within the Temple. It was like an answer to their prayers.


    So, Cynthia''s journey for this trade had a dual purpose. On one hand, it was to exchange for a Pok��mon, and on the other, it was to assess whether Yuga''s strength matched the rumors.


    Of course, the Temple wouldn''t inform Mr. Kuni''o of their ns, and Cynthia wouldn''t tell Yuga either.


    At this moment, Yuga was pondering just how strong a Pok��mon that Cynthia couldn''t handle would be. Was it at the Champion level or even the Master level?


    Yuga asked, "May I inquire about the Pok��mon we need to deal with?"


    Hearing Yuga''s question, Cynthia knew he had agreed. She felt relieved and replied, "It''s an Empoleon!"

 Chapter 874: Choice

    <h4>Chapter 874: Choice</h4>


    Afterward, Yuga and Cynthia returned to the YoYo Day Care to discuss the Pok��mon they were about to face.


    It was only then that Yuga learned Cynthia''s request was to help her deal with their temple''s guardian Pok��mon, and she aimed to capture the offspring of this guardian.


    Once they had finished discussing all of this, Yuga asked Cynthia, "Miss Cynthia, do you have any specific requirements for the blue potential Pok��mon you want to exchange from me?"


    "Please, just call me Cynthia, not Miss Cynthia!"


    After their battle and lengthy conversation, the two had be quite familiar with each other, and Cynthia found it awkward when Yuga addressed her formally.


    "Well then, Cynthia, any specific requests besides your preference for attack-type Pok��mon over support Pok��mon?"


    "None at all! I just prefer attack-type Pok��mon over support ones."


    Got it! That''s very Cynthia! Yuga suddenly remembered that at the auction, Cynthia had join the bid over strong offensive Pok��mon like Absol, Growlithe, and finally, Larvitar.


    "I''ll think about it."


    Yuga lowered his head in contemtion, pondering which type of Pok��mon to choose for Cynthia.


    Cynthia wasn''t specialized in any particr type; her team consisted of Pok��mon with diverse types, making her a well-rounded trainer.


    As far as Yuga could recall, the Pok��mon Cynthia had used in the Sinnoh League Conference included Garchomp, Togekiss, Gastrodon, Roserade, Milotic, ceon, Spiritomb, and Lucario.


    This list included Dragon, Ground, Flying, Fairy, Water, Grass, Poison, Ice, Ghost, Dark, Steel, and Fighting types��twelve different types in total. She truly was a versatile trainer.


    Such versatile trainers were a rare find, and achieving notable sess with such a diverse team was even rarer. In some ways, Cynthia''s talents surpassed even Steven and Wace.


    To be on par with Cynthia in this regard, perhaps only Kalos''s Champion, Diantha, couldpare, but Diantha was slightly older than Cynthia.


    Multi-type trainers faced greater challenges in achieving sesspared to those who specialized in a single type. This exined why there were many well-known trainers who specialized in one type.


    Of course, among trainers of the same level, multi-type trainers were indeed more formidable.


    Among the eighteen types of Pok��mon attributes, Cynthia has not used Fire, Normal, Bug, Rock, Electric, or Psychic types.


    Considering Cynthia''s well-rounded team, Yuga wondered if he should choose a type that she currently doesn''t have.


    With this in mind, Yuga asked Cynthia about it. Although these Pok��mon would be Cynthia''s, and she didn''t have strong preferences for types, Yuga still felt the need to discuss it with her.


    After listening to Yuga''s analysis, Cynthia agreed and appreciated his perspective.


    Normal, Bug, and Electric types were excluded because Yuga had them, but not in blue potential. That left Fire and Psychic types.


    Yuga had Fire-type Pok��mon like Ponyta, Litwick, Vulpix, and Darumaka, all of which were avable in blue potential.


    Recently, some of the Pok��mon eggs obtained from the bankrupt Lavaridge Town Pok��mon Day Care Center also had hatched, ans he got several blue potential Pok��mon, including Fire-type Vulpix.


    Unfortunately, none of the hatched Pok��mon were new Pok��mon, they were still Pok��mon like Trecko, Swablu, Medidite, and Mudkip. Even the much-anticipated Torchic was absent.


    There are also other Fire-type Pok��mon Yuga has, such as Cyndaquil, Darumaka, etc., but their numbers are rtively small, and Yuga is reluctant to take them out.


    There is also Psychic-type Pok��mon like Medidite and Natu. Among the recently hatched blue potential Pok��mon, there was a Medidite that would be suitable for Cynthia.


    As for Natu, it was the offspring of Natus, and there was currently only one with blue potential.


    Not considering Yuga''s attachment to the Pok��mon, based on Cynthia''s requirements, in terms of attack power, Medidite was superior to Natu.


    Yuga also ruled out Rock-type Pok��mon. His most numerous Rock-type Pok��mon were Aron and Lairon. In terms of attack power, the final evolutions of Aron and Lairon, Aggron, matched Cynthia''s requirements. Unfortunately, Yuga didn''t have blue potential Aron or Lairon.


    Yuga found it difficult to decide which Pok��mon to give Cynthia, so he presented her with options and allowed her to choose.


    After considering her options, Cynthia ultimately chose Litwick from the Ghost and Fire types.


    Among the Pok��mon Yuga presented to Cynthia, regardless of other factors, Litwick''s final evolution Chandelure and Houndour final evolution Houndoom, had the highest attack power. Yuga wasn''t surprised that Cynthia chose Litwick.


    Once Cynthia made her choice, Yuga said, "Please wait for a moment. I''ll have Audino bring the Pok��mon to you."


    "Thank you!" Cynthia nodded.


    In no time, Audino entered the meeting room holding a Litwick with confused eyes.


    "Audino!"


    Audino gently ced the Litwick on the table.


    The candlelight on it head was swaying gently as it looked at Yuga and Cynthia with curious eyes.


    Especially when it came to the stranger, Cynthia!


    Litwick had been born in the Ecopark and had seen Yuga only a few times, but at least it recognized him. Cynthia, on the other hand, was aplete stranger to Litwick.


    "Litwick, this youngdy will be your trainer from now on. Make sure to get along well with her, okay?"


    Yuga pointed to Cynthia and said to Litwick.


    Litwick obediently nodded and slowly moved toward Cynthia, showing no signs of resistance. Pok��mon born in the Ecopark were instilled with the concept that they would have their own trainer someday, preparing them mentally from a young age.


    So, Litwick easily epted Cynthia as its trainer.


    Yuga would never sell Pok��mon that strongly resisted leaving the Ecopark and having a trainer. Pok��mon avable for trade were those open to having a trainer, and the majority of them had no problems about it.


    After a brief interaction with Litwick, Cynthia captured it in a Pok�� Ball.


    Cynthia then took out the ornate box containing the Source of Flight and pushed it toward Yuga, saying, "Now, this Source of Flight is yours."


    Yuga was somewhat surprised and then chuckled, "Aren''t you afraid I''ll take it and run?"


    After all, he hadn''t fulfilled Cynthia''s second request yet.


    "With you giving me the Pok��mon, what do I have to worry about? Besides, they say you can''t escape from a temple, so worst case, I''ll just stay here and pester you!" Cynthia joked with Yuga, surprising him with her lightheartedness now that they had be more familiar with each other.

 Chapter 875: Development

    <h4>Chapter 875: Development</h4>


    After handing over the Source of Flight to Yuga, Cynthia didn''t immediately leave the Verdanturf Town. Instead, she stayed there for a while.


    During this time, she often sparred with Yuga, partly to train her Pok��mon and partly to increase their synergy for future challenges against guardian Pok��mon.


    Upon Yuga''s rmendation, she stayed at the hotel inside the Pok��mon Paradise and quickly grew fond of the food at the Paradise''s restaurant. In her free time, she would y with the stray Pok��mon in the Paradise, making her days quite enjoyable.


    After obtaining the Source of Flight, Vivillon''s time spent performing its Quiver Dance was indeed significantly reduced by half. This also boosted the power of its Flying-type moves, leading to a considerable increase in its strength.


    When it sparred with Chimecho once more, it could finally hold its ground and live up to its reputation as a Purple Potential Pok��mon.


    In the blink of an eye, spring in the Verdanturf Town wasing to an end, and the footsteps of summer were quietly approaching. Compared to the past, the town had undergone significant changes.


    In front of almost every household, one could see one, two, or even three or more Grass-type Pok��mon. Amid their owners''ughter and joy, the whole town was vibrant and filled with colorful flowers.


    All of this was thanks to the blessings of YoYo Day Care.


    Due to the promotion of Grass-type Pok��mon with Grassy Terrain, nearly every household in the Verdanturf Town now had at least one such Pok��mon.


    In addition to helping the town''s residents take care of basic crops, Grass-type Pok��mon in the Grassy Terrain had also developed various side businesses, such as flower cultivation, gardening, vegetable farming, berry cultivation, and more.


    The high crop yields brought more ie to the town''s residents, and the development of these side businesses further boosted the economic growth of the Verdanturf Town.


    Take Aunt Aoba''s family, for example.


    Aunt Aoba''s family was originally engaged in vegetable farming and selling vegetables. After Aunt Aoba took a job at Yuga''s gym, her husband, Arata Hayato, took care of their family''s affairs.


    Initially, the scale of vegetable farming at the Hayato family''s farm wasn''t veryrge, mainly supplying vegetables to the town''s market, and Arata Hayato didn''t find it particrly demanding.


    However, since YoYo Day Care introduced Grass-type Pok��mon with Grassy Terrain, Arata Hayato, in support of his son''s work, spent tens of thousands of Pok��Dor to purchase several Grass-type Pok��mon.


    After having these Grass-type Pok��mon to help at home, whether it was selling vegetables or farming, Mr. Arata Hayato had acquired valuable assistance, and his tasks became much more manageable.


    Furthermore, he discovered that the vegetables grown on the Grassy Terrain had surprisingly excellent quality and tasted better than ordinary ones. This discovery delighted Mr. Arata Hayato, and he realized a business opportunity, leading him to expand his vegetable farming operations.


    As the scale of farming expanded, the Hayato family found themselves in need of more hands. So, Mr. Arata Hayato invested more money to purchase several additional Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Now, the vegetables from the Hayato family not only became well-known in Verdanturf Town but also extended to other cities in the Hoenn region, gaining a considerable reputation.


    Mayor Ishida highly regarded families like the Hayato family, which managed to turn their business into a cornerstone of Verdanturf Town''s economy. They received policy support and assistance in finding sales channels and tforms.


    The sess of the Hayato family inspired many other opportunities in Verdanturf Town. Residents began emting them, engaging in berry cultivation, flower cultivation, and more, all of which expanded beyond the town.


    Verdanturf Town''s agricultural products, known for their superior quality, easily found a market outside, receiving widespread acim.


    The town appeared to be on the path of developing into a distinctive agricultural hub.


    Surprisingly, within the vast vegetable farming base of the Hayato family, apart from Mr. Arata Hayato, there wasn''t a single human employee. They relied entirely on the help of Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Grass-type Pok��mon proved to be much more skilled and efficient at tending to crops than most humans.


    With the Hayato family''s business growing, Mr. Arata Hayato was now raising more than twenty Grass-type Pok��mon, all of which came from YoYo Day Care.


    Ordinary young Grass-type Pok��mon from YoYo Day Care were quite affordable, avable for just a few thousand Pok��Dor each, ensuring that locals in Verdanturf Town could easily afford them.


    However, for outsiders, the prices could be different and were subject to adjustments.


    Moreover, Grass-type Pok��mon were easy to care for, and for a business like the Hayato family''s, keeping dozens of them was a breeze.


    Mr. Arata Hayato had grown so attached to the Grass-type Pok��mon he raised that they felt almost like his own children, and even Arata Sena. had to take a back seat upon his return home.


    The Hayato family''s case was just one example; there were many others in Verdanturf Town. Their presence contributed to the town''s continuous improvement.


    Besides agriculture, the Grassy Terrain had substantial contributions in other fields like ancient nt research, medicinal herb cultivation research, and Pok��mon breeding.


    Not long ago, a new Ancient nt Research Institute was established on the outskirts of Verdanturf Town. Its primary objective was to study the revival and restoration of ancient nts.


    They had substantial funding and purchased around twenty to thirty Grass-type Pok��mon from YoYo Day Care in one go. These Grass-type Pok��mon significantly aided their research on ancient nts.


    Many ancient nts are no longer suitable for growth in modern times, especially those from the distant past. However, with the help of the Grassy Terrain, many resurrected ancient nts have thrived.


    Grass-type Pok��mon that can use the Grassy Terrain are not abundant, and finding a substantial number of them all at once is even more challenging. This makes Verdanturf Town, a ce teeming with Grass-type Pok��mon, truly unique.


    In the Trainer School of Verdanturf Town, there is a growing trend of children choosing Grass-type Pok��mon as their starter Pok��mon. The Trainer School has also established a special coboration with YoYo Day Care.


    The environment has a significant impact on the preferences of Trainers in an area. For instance, coastal cities tend to have more Water-type specialists, and towns near volcanoes like Lavaridge Town have more Fire-type Trainers. Due to its focus on agriculture, Verdanturf Town has seen an increase in Grass-type Trainers.


    As Verdanturf Town continued to thrive, it attracted numerous business opportunities, and more people started investing in the town.


    Since spring, Yuga had noticed the town bing increasingly prosperous, with more Trainersing to challenge the Verdanturf Gym. He was delighted by these changes as they demonstrated the town''s progress towards greatness.


    Due to the growing number of Grass-type Pok��mon, Verdanturf Town, which was already afortable ce to live, became even more suitable for living. Tourists and visitors began flocking to the town, increasing foot traffic.


    As a result, restaurants and hotels in Verdanturf Town multiplied rapidly.


    However, the liveliest ce of all was Yuga''s Pok��mon Paradise. Itbined amodation, dining, and the opportunity to see various Pok��mon, making it a unique attraction.


    The staff at Yuga''s Pok��mon hotel and Pok��mon Restaurant were all Pok��mon, which added a distinct charm and attracted many visitors to stay.


    Originally, Yuga thought it might not be a good idea, but after seeing the revenue generated by Pok��mon Paradise, he changed his mind. It would be foolish not to make money when the opportunity was there.


    With more guests at Pok��mon Paradise, there was also an increase in people adopting stray Pok��mon. Pok��mon Paradise gradually became a tourist hotspot in Verdanturf Town and was featured in many travel guides as a must-visit destination.


    Mayor Ishida was overjoyed with the development of Verdanturf Town. It was almost his lifelong wishing true. Relying on agriculture, all sectors in Verdanturf Town were flourishing.


    To further capitalize on this advantage, before heading to Kalos, Yuga asked his mentor to help him import a batch of Diglet and Dugtrio.


    In terms of agriculture, besides Grass-type Pok��mon, Ground-type Pok��mon, particrly Diglet and Dugtrio, were the most suited for the job.


    Diglet and Dugtrio are Pok��mon naturally inclined to be close to farmers, as they can make the soil more fertile and suitable for nt growth.


    After evolving into Dugtrio, they can easily learn Rototiller move, making them the perfectpanions for farmers.


    Just a couple of days after Cynthia''s visit to YoYo Day Care, Mr. Kuni''o sent the Diglet Yuga requested to Verdanturf Town.


    Since importing these Diglet and Dugtrio was meant to aid in the agricultural development of Verdanturf Town, Mr. Kuni''o supported Yuga very much.


    Diglet and Dugtrio are not rare Pok��mon and are widely distributed in various regions, especially in forests and mountains. However, capturing them is not always easy due to their agility and speed.


    The quantity of Diglet and Dugtrio that Mr. Kuni''o sent was quietrge. Yuga had them avable in the new store the next day. These Diglet were specifically intended for the residents of Verdanturf Town, so their prices were set very low, much lower than the prices of Grass-type Pok��mon.


    As a Gym Leader of Verdanturf Town, Yuga also hoped to contribute to the town''s development. These Diglet represented another opportunity for the agricultural growth of the town.


    Since Yuga transmigrated, the residents in Verdanturf Town had been very friendly towards him. Whenever he went out, people would enthusiastically offer him various items, making him somewhat of a town favorite.


    Even Audino and Wigglytuff, who were usually go to shopping, were practically treated like celebrities when they went out.


    The townsfolk were well aware that Yuga and YoYo Day Care yed significant roles in the town''s development.


    Not only Yuga himself but also the staff members like Suzuki Koen and Beidou received special treatment due to their work at YoYo Day Care and the Gym.


    After Diglet was added to the inventory, Mayor Ishida cooperated with Yuga to promote them and exined to everyone the benefits of Diglet working alongside Grass-type Pok��mon. As a result, Diglet had impressive sales upon release.


    Since Diglet were primarily intended for agricultural purposes, there were no strict requirements for their potential. Thus, the Diglet sold by Yuga had lower potential, and their prices were the lowest among all the Pok��mon avable at YoYo Day Care.


    Among the townsfolk, wealthier farmers bought higher potential Diglet, while those with limited budgets purchased the lower potential ones. Everyone took the lessons from the Grass-type Pok��mon to heart.


    Of course, since Diglet was a newly stocked Pok��mon, the quantity avable was not enough for every household to buy freely. So, there was a limit of one Diglet per family for now, with the option to purchase more when conditions allowed.


    With the help of the new Pok��mon, Diglet, everyone was more enthusiastic about farming!

 Chapter 876: Spring Festival

    <h4>Chapter 876: Spring Festival</h4>


    On this day, Mayor Ishida approached Yuga, expressing his desire to organize a Spring Festival as spring was drawing to a close. He asked Yuga for assistance in nning the festival.


    ording to Mayor Ishida, he intended for the Spring Festival to be a traditional event in Verdanturf Town, hoping it would bring blessings for the town''s future prosperity.


    Yuga, naturally, agreed with this n. As an agricultural town, holding a festival at the beginning of the year''s spring season could effectively boost everyone''s enthusiasm forbor.


    Verdanturf Town originally had two traditional festivals each year: one was the Harvest Festival in the fall, celebrating a year of bountiful harvests, and the other was the New Year Festival at the year''s end, praying for a smooth and prosperous next year.


    Since Yuga''s arrival, he had participated in both of these festivals every year, and they were some of the liveliest times in Verdanturf Town throughout the year.


    Now that the residents of Verdanturf Town were enjoying improved lives, it was a good idea to have more activities enriching their lives.


    With Yuga''s assistance, Mayor Ishida began preparing for the Spring Festival enthusiastically.


    Upon learning about the uing festival, the townspeople were excited and eagerly cooperated with Mayor Ishida''s efforts.


    Originally, Cynthia had nned to leave Verdanturf Town and return to the Sinnoh region. However, upon hearing about the festival, she decided to stay a while longer.


    This gave her the opportunity to train her newly acquired Pok��mon, Litwick, during her stay in Verdanturf Town.


    Preparing for the festival was aplex task, and it required not only Yuga''s cooperation as the Gym Leader but also assistance from Liliana and Joyka in managing safety and medical support during the event.


    Mayor Ishida intended to make this festival more grandiose than usual, aiming to attract tourists from neighboring towns, thus boosting Verdanturf Town''s revenue.


    The local media in the town enthusiastically supported Mayor Ishida''s promotional efforts, and soon, news of the uing Spring Festival in Verdanturf Town spread to surrounding towns.


    Originally, Verdanturf Town was just a modest agricultural town, It was not as well-known in Fangyuan Theory as it was not far from Lavaridge Town and Littleroot Town who is also agricultural towns.


    It was also nestled between the bustling cities of Mauville City and Rustboro City, make it no sense of existencepared to these big cities


    In fact, towns like Verdanturf Town were quitemon in the Hoenn region, with many simr towns nearby facing simr situations.


    However, in recent years, Verdanturf Town had been developing rapidly and thriving. It was starting to stand out among neighboring towns and had a sense of uniqueness.


    Of course, they couldn''t have achieved this without everyone''s hard work, as well as the support from the Pok��mon League.


    Since the establishment of the Verdanturf Gym, the Pok��mon League had provided significant support in terms of policies and funding, allowing Verdanturf Town to progress. This was a crucial reason why Mayor Ishida was confident in pursuing ambitious projects.


    So, having a Gym in town versus not having one made a significant difference in development.


    Of course, this was also due to the League''s investment in Yuga, the Champion of their generation''s Gym Challenge.


    In any case, as Verdanturf Town''s reputation grew, more and more people were willing to visit.


    After Mayor Ishida announced the Spring Festival, Verdanturf Town experienced a surge in visitors, and the local hotels and restaurants were bustling with activity.


    The more visitors, the more motivated the townspeople became.


    For the long-term development of Verdanturf Town, everyone was putting in their best efforts.


    During the Spring Festival, Yuga''s Verdanturf Gym remained closed and did not ept any challengers.


    This decision was in line with the League''s regtions for Gyms.


    When a Gym was located in an area with a major event, the Gym could choose not to be open for business during that time. Gym Leaders also had a responsibility to assist with significant town events.


    Many challengers who hade to Verdanturf Town were disappointed that they couldn''t challenge the Gym immediately. However, they were still looking forward to the spring festival in Verdanturf Town.


    After days of preparations, the Spring Festival finally began amid the high expectations of Verdanturf Town''s residents.


    During the Spring Festival, YoYo Day Care operated only half a day each day, allowing the staff to enjoy the festival during the other half.


    The theme of the first day of the festival was the "Spring Parade." The townspeople had collectively created beautiful floral floats, with the flowers carefully cultivated by Verdanturf Town''s flower farmers.


    In addition to the stunning flowers, each float featured a "Goddess of Spring" who symbolized the town''s wish for prosperity in theing spring.


    These "Goddesses of Spring" were all young unmarried females under the age of twenty-five, and each one was elegantly dressed.


    Among them was Lain, and she stood atop the first float of them all, which could be considered an additional form of special treatment for her by everyone in recognition of her role at YoYo Day Care.


    Actually, Lain, Misaki, Anya, and the Paradise Hotel''s Strawberry had all participated in the "Goddess of Spring" selection, but only Lain was chosen.


    It wasn''t that Misaki and Anya weren''t beautiful, but the criteria for selection were quite mysterious, and Lain was indeed very beautiful.


    In addition to the "Goddesses of Spring" and floral floats, there were many "dance helpers" apanying the parade.


    The dance performed by the helpers during the parade was a traditional and ancient ritual dance in the Pok��mon world, expressing the wishes for a beautiful spring season to the deities.


    All the helpers were young males because the paradested the entire day, and it was physically demanding, making it challenging for females.


    Furthermore, the "Spring Dance" might sound gentle and beautiful, but in reality, it involved quite energetic and dynamic movements, truly a masculine dance.


    Unfortunately, Yuga was among these male helpers.


    Here in Verdanturf Town, Yuga was not known as the Gym Leader or the owner of YoYo Day Care but as an ordinary resident of Verdanturf Town. He was just one of the ordinary residents working hard to make the Spring Festival a sess.


    At the strong insistence of the townspeople, Yuga was incorporated into the helper team.


    In everyone''s eyes, being selected for the dance team itself is a blessing. The spring ritual dance used for the ceremony is indeed a very physically demanding dance.


    In the period leading up to the Spring Festival, Yuga practiced with the dance team almost every day, sweating profusely and feeling exhausted before returning home.


    Fortunately, although the spring dance is physically demanding, the movements are not difficult to learn.


    The first day of the Spring Festival, the Spring Parade, was a great sess.


    Visitors were intrigued by the floats with both people and Pok��mon parading together, and the entire Verdanturf Town was lively during the event.


    The final activity of the first day of the Spring Parade was the prayer ceremony of the "Goddess of Spring," held at the oldest shrine in Verdanturf Town.


    This shrine, though small, had been around for many years and served as the venue for all major events in Verdanturf Town.


    The deity originally worshipped at the shrine was long forgotten, and it now functioned merely as a "ce."


    The prayer ceremony of the "Goddess of Spring" had nothing to do with Yuga and the dance team.


    Yuga watched as the goddesses and Grass-type Pok��mon descended from the floats and entered the shrine, taking a break from the festivities.


    During the parade, Yuga had been both exhausted and hungry. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his back and turned around to find nnery, whom he hadn''t seen in a while.


    "nnery! You''re here too! Why didn''t you let me know in advance?" Yuga was surprised to see nnery.


    However, since Lavaridge Town was not far from Verdanturf Town, it was normal for nnery toe for a visit.


    "Surprises wouldn''t be surprises if I told you in advance! I actually arrived early. I saw how you danced earlier; it was pretty good," nnery said with a smile.


    Yuga chuckled and replied, "I can''t really say it was ''pretty good,'' but I barely pass it. Did youe alone?"


    nnery replied indignantly, "Why can''t Ie alone?"


    "That''s not what I meant!"


    nnery was, after all, a Trainer, so it was perfectly fine for her to visit a nearby town.


    "Never mind that; let''s go inside and see your prayer ceremony. I heard it''s quite spectacr!" nnery suggested.


    After saying that, nnery pulled Yuga into the crowd and squeezed to the front of the shrine.


    The prayer ceremony had already begun.


    In the center of the shrine, a wooden altar had been set up, and all the "Goddess of Springs" were dressed in identical costumes and makeup, neatly arranged around the altar. Grass-type Pok��mon stood or hovered beside them.


    The ceremony was not led by a human but by a Pok��mon, a graceful and beautiful one��Yuga''s Florges. Having a Pok��mon preside over such a grand prayer ceremony was a first for everyone, and it was quite astonishing.


    "Is that your Florges?"


    The scene was very quiet at this time, and nnery asked Yuga in a low voice.


    Yuga nodded and made a quiet gesture to nnery. nnery knew that the atmosphere was not right and quickly made a shut-up gesture.


    The Florges on the altar released an inexplicable series of cries. At hermand, two green rings of light appeared��one in the sky and one on the ground��expanding continuously.


    The moment the rings of light appeared, the Grass-type Pok��mon beneath the shrine seemed to receive a signal. Flying Pok��mon like Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff all took flight, forming a circle in the sky under Florges moves.


    While Pok��mon like Oddish, Gloom, Bellossom, and Vileplume took their positions on the ground also use Grassy Terrain.


    With numerous Grass-type Pok��mon simultaneously using their moves, and the shining green light gave the entire shrine ayer of brilliance, like a miracle. The sight was nothing short of breathtaking.


    Thebination of Grassy Terrains in the sky and on the ground converged on the Florges, causing her own ring of light to suddenly expand, enveloping all the spectators within the shrine.


    Those enveloped by the light felt as though they were soaking in a warm spring bath during the dead of winter, an extremelyfortable and soothing sensation. All the fatigue from a day of sightseeing seemed to disappear instantly.


    It''s so amazing! Everyone thinking the same thing.


    After the Grass-type Pok��mon had continued to use their moves on the field for about five minutes, the spectators regained their senses. The Grass-type Pok��mon and the Florges had ceased using their abilities.


    "Was that the Grassy Terrain? It felt incrediblyfortable!"


    Some people were left longing, wishing they could have remained in that blissful state forever.


    "Whose Pok��mon is that Florges?"


    Someone had identified the core of the matter.


    "It must belong to that legendary Verdanturf Gym Leader, right?"


    ...


    In any case, the first day of the Spring Festival in Verdanturf Town ended sessfully, leaving a deep impression on all the tourists.


    The Grassy Terrain in Verdanturf Town are amazing!


    After the prayer ceremony, visitors were free to participate in various activities in Verdanturf Town, including food stalls, games, and more. Even during the night, Verdanturf Town remained lively, ensuring that visitors would never feel bored.


    "Your Pok��mon keeps getting stronger!" nnerymented on their way back to the Pok��mon Center.


    Thinking back to when they first met, nnery''s Quva and Yuga''s Floette used to have intense battles.


    Now, her Typhlosion couldn''t even catch up to Yuga''s Floette.


    Yuga simply smiled and didn''t respond.


    As they walked along the way, Yuga suddenly noticed Cynthia, Misaki, and Anya standing in front of an ice cream stall. Cynthia seemed puzzled, while Misaki and Anya appeared exasperated.


    "Hey! What are you all doing here?" Yuga asked as he approached the trio.


    Anya and Misaki hadn''t spoken yet, but Cynthia immediately looked up and said, "I can''t decide which vor to choose. I want to try chocte, but the vani looks good too, and there''s also coffee, strawberry... The shop owner rmends them all..."


    Yuga couldn''t help but sweatdrop at Cynthia''s indecisiveness.


    "How long have you been here?"


    "Over twenty minutes."


    Misaki replied helplessly. The shop owner opposite also hesitated to speak.


    "Hey, Cynthia, we might be inconveniencing the vendor like this. How about we each get one of every vor?" Yuga suggested.


    Cynthia immediately felt embarrassed and apologized to the vendor. Following Yuga''s suggestion, they ordered one of each vor, knowing that if they couldn''t finish them, they could share with Misaki, Anya, and the others.


    After all, they were all adults, and there was no need to make choices when you could have them all.


    Of course, Yuga footed the bill. After all, it wasn''t easy for her to visit Verdanturf Town, and he could afford a few ice creams.


    As it was gettingte, and after a full day of outdoor activities, Cynthia and the others didn''t have the desire to continue exploring. They decided to return with Yuga.


    When they got back to the Store, Yuga unexpectedly found someone waiting for him.


    "Ryuichi! What brings you here?" Yuga eximed in surprise upon seeing Ryuichi sitting in the lobby.


    "Young Master! You''re back!"


    Ryuichi greeted him with a smile.


    "I heard you were holding a festival, so I took the opportunity toe and see you and Lain. How have you been, Young Master?"


    "I''ve been doing well, and Lain is fine too. She should be back soon. It''s gettingte today, and the festival will be even livelier tomorrow. You should enjoy yourself tomorrow," Yuga said, feeling delighted that Ryuichi hade to visit. He intended to host him well the next day.


    Ryuichi happily replied, "I''m relieved to hear that you and Lain are doing well. I''ll make sure to enjoy the festival you''re hosting tomorrow. By the way, I brought a gift for you this time."


    With that, he handed a Pok�� Ball to Yuga.


    "What''s this?" Yuga took the Pok�� Ball, curious about what kind of Pok��mon Ryuichi had brought him.


    Upon opening the Pok�� Ball, a red light emerged, revealing a round, chubby bird-like Pok��mon in front of Yuga.


    It was this Pok��mon! Yuga was surprised and activated his Insight ability.


    ...


    Type: Grass/Flying


    Ability: Overgrow


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 13


    Moves: Tackle, Leafage, Peck, Omnious Wind


    ...


    This Rowlet had a rare blue potential, and its ability was also a rare hidden ability.


    It couldn''t be denied that Ryuichi''s gift was perfectly chosen. Yuga had two special abilities, one rted to Grass-type and one rted to Ghost-type Pok��mon, and Rowlet''s final evolution, Decidueye, was both a Grass-type and a Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    In terms ofpatibility, there couldn''t be a better match for Yuga than this Pok��mon.


    "This Rowlet is the offspring of my Decidueye, and it has excellent potential. I no longer need to train Pok��mon myself, and Lain isn''t a conventional Trainer either. It seemed most suitable to entrust her training to you, Young Master," Ryuichi exined.


    Yuga nodded and said, "Thank you, Ryuichi."


    He remember that Ryuichi indeed have an Elite level Decidueye. It''s not surprising that its offspring also has such outstanding potential.


    "Rowlet, I look forward to working with you in the future," Yuga crouched down, gently patting Rowlet''s round head. The feeling of her leaf-like feathers in his hand was quite extraordinary.


    Rowlet was often male, but this one was a rare female.


    "Row...let..."


    Rowlet nuzzled Yuga''s palm and suddenly fluttered her wings,nding on Yuga''s shoulder. She affectionately rubbed her head against Yuga''s cheek, showing a very friendly and sociable demeanor.


    She was a Pok��mon that wasn''t shy around strangers.


    As Yuga interacted with Rowlet, he continued to chat with Ryuichi, and Lain came back not long after.


    It had been a long time since they had seen each other, and Yuga didn''t want to interrupt the father and daughter reunion.


    Yuga had also been tired from a day of activities, so after returning home, he found some food to fill his stomach, took a shower, and went to bed early.


    The next morning, the streets of Verdanturf Town were bustling again. The main theme of today''s Spring Festival was a special agricultural product exhibition.


    The town''s marketces were all open, showcasing beautiful flowers, delicious berrys, fresh vegetables, and more. In addition to these, there were various gourmet dishes, handicrafts, andpetitions rted to agricultural products.


    Compared to agricultural products from other regions, those grown by Grass-type Pok��mon on the specially cultivated Grassy Terrain in Verdanturf Town were more delicious and had a unique taste.


    However, this didn''t concern Yuga and the others. They ran the Day Care and weren''t involved in agriculture.


    Due to the exceptional performance of the Grass-type Pok��mon at the festival the previous day, many tourists became interested in Yuga''s Day Care. Business at the Day Care had boomed more than usual.


    However, during the Spring Festival, Yuga''s Day Care only operated for half a day, working in the morning and closing in the afternoon.


    Besides, although there was no limit to the number of low level Pok��mon they could produce, they couldn''t suddenly produce arge quantity in a short time. Many visitors left empty-handed.


    Still, items such as Pok��blocks and incense sold exceptionally well, reaching several times the usual sales volume.


    No wonder Mayor Ishida was so enthusiastic in promoting the festival. These tourists certainly had substantial spending power, and over the past few days, everyone in Verdanturf Town seemed to have profited.


    In the morning, Yuga gave Lain the day off to spend time with Ryuichi and enjoy the festival.


    During lunchtime, Yuga had Audino prepare a sumptuous meal for Ryuichi, almost leaving him speechless with delight. Audino''s cooking skills had be increasingly exquisite.


    In the afternoon, Yuga, the staff from his center, and the kids from the gym all went to the festival together and had a great time.


    The children at the gym were still quite young, and their daily lives were usually quite mundane. Yuga didn''t hold them back during the festival and let them enjoy themselves fully. Opportunities like these were rare.


    Suzuki Koen''s son, Dian, was now over five years old and had recently joined the Trainer School in Verdanturf Town. He could be considered the younger brother of the four kids from the gym.


    These children got along well and held hands while exploring the festival together.


    Speaking of Dian, when he joined the Trainer School and had to choose a starter Pok��mon, he chose Strawberry, the Skitty that his mother had purchased from Yuga''s Day Care.


    Strawberry was a Skitty with yellow potential, and given Suzuki Koen''s status at YoYo Day Care, Yuga could have easily offered Dian a green potential starter Pok��mon at a discounted price.


    Suzuki Koen had the means to provide Dian with a green potential Pok��mon, but Strawberry had always been with Dian, and the bond between them was deep. Dian insisted on having Strawberry as his starter Pok��mon, and Suzuki had no choice but to agree.


    Interestingly, Dian''s Skitty and Strawberry in Yuga''s Pok��mon Paradise Hotel still shared the same name, which was quite a coincidence.


    Once, Strawberry had wandered into the paradise and yed with the stray Pok��mon. When Dian waent looking for her, he kept calling her name, and it just happened that the employee Strawberry heard him, thinking Dian was calling her. Onlyter did she realize it was a coincidence.


    On the third day of the Spring Festival, which was also thest and liveliest day, the theme event was the Grass-Type Pok��mon Farming Contest.


    This was an event in which both tourists and locals from Verdanturf Town could participate.


    Participants were required to have a Grass-Type Pok��mon as their partner and were given a specific nt provided by Verdanturf Town. Together with their Grass-Type Pok��mon, they had to take care of this nt.


    Each participant had six hours from the moment they received the nt. In these six hours, the goal was to take the best care of the nt. The one who did it best would be crowned the champion.


    The nts provided to participants were all seedlings from local farmers'' fields in Verdanturf Town, and they were not in the best condition. It was easy to identally harm them.


    So, the contestants and their Grass-Type Pok��mon had to figure out how to care for the nts, making it a real test for them.


    Of course, this contest favored the locals of Verdanturf Town, as most of them were skilled farmers and knew a lot about crops.


    However, fairness didn''t exist in the world, and this event was originally organized for the local residents of Verdanturf Town as part of their festival. So, it was understandable that the locals would have some advantages.


    There were rewards for thepetition. The top three winners not only received cash prizes but also Vitality Pok��blocks provided by Yuga''s Day Care.


    It''s worth noting that Vitality Pok��blocks from YoYo Day Care were not sold separately to the public, except at League Stores and Aroma Day Care.


    The champion received six months'' worth of Vitality Pok��blocks, the runner-up got three months'' worth, and the third-ce winner received one month''s worth.


    The most important part is that the champion not only receives cash and Pok��blocks as rewards but also gets a Green potential Pok��mon as a prize.


    Even the lowest tier Green potential Pok��mon, like a Wurmple, is worth tens of thousands. If it''s a Pok��mon that the champion doesn''t particrly like, they can still sell it for a significant profit.


    Of course, the cost of the Green potential Pok��mon prize, even though provided by YoYo Day Care, is covered by Mayor Ishida''s public budget, considering he is the primary organizer of the festival.


    As a Gym Leader, Yuga already made a diligent effort by providing so many Pok��blocks as rewards.


    However, the specific species of Green potential Pok��mon awarded to the champion was not disclosed by Yuga or Mayor Ishida in advance.


    Many people registered for thepetition, primarily because the prize of a Green potential Pok��mon for the champion was indeed very tempting.


    Cynthia, Lain, and Anya all signed up, but Misaki didn''t have a Grass-Type Pok��mon, so she could only watch with envy.


    Overall, the residents of Verdanturf Town had a significant advantage as they all had ess to Grassy Terrains, making their Grass-Type Pok��mon more proficient than those of other participants.


    Cynthia''s Roserade was powerful, but it neither understood farming nor could use Grassy Terrains. So after bringing back a seedling, Cynthia and Roserade were at a loss for what to do.


    Lain''s Whimsicott and Lilligant, on the other hand, had been crafting incense for years, giving them exposure to many nts. While they also couldn''t use Grassy Terrains, their knowledge helped them perform better than Cynthia and Roserade.


    After Anya brought back her nt seedling, her four younger siblings gathered around, offering all sorts of advice. However, her siblings also wanted to participate, but their Eevee hadn''t evolved yet, and they didn''t have any Grass-Type Pok��mon, so they couldn''t qualify.


    To prevent cheating, each participant was assigned a supervisor. These supervisors were the stray Pok��mon sheltered in Yuga''s Pok��mon Paradise and some of Yuga''s patrolling Pok��mon.


    If any participant was caught cheating, the supervisors would report it to Yuga.


    In reality, many participants were like Cynthia and found themselves clueless when they looked at the seemingly withered nts. They just didn''t know where to start.


    Some participants, in their desperation, resorted to pouring water, loosening the soil, and even singing love songs directly to their nts.


    Comparatively, the residents of Verdanturf Town performed much better, as this was their area of expertise. After all, farming was their livelihood.


    Around 5 or 6 in the afternoon, thepetition officially ended, and participants began returning with their nts, some apanied by Pok��mon. Anyone returning after this time, no matter how well they cared for their nts, would have their qualifications canceled.


    Thepetition''s judges were experienced elderly farmers from Verdanturf Town, numbering over twenty, to ensure that the judging process was meticulous.


    Yuga wasn''t a participant or a judge; he was merely the host of thepetition. He followed the judges to inspect each participant''s efforts. As he expected, many participants'' nts had already died, including the talented Trainer Cynthia.


    As Yuga passed by her, he couldn''t help but smile wryly when he saw her empty flowerpot. She and Roserade looked disheartened.


    It was evident that while Cynthia was a training prodigy, she waspletely out of her element when it came to farming.


    Lain''s situation was much better than Cynthia''s. Although her nt didn''t appear entirely healthy, at least its stem was still standing, and it was intact, not a lifeless husk.


    She nced at Cynthia nearby, then at Anya on the other side, not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.


    Interestingly, the youngest of the three, Anya, was performing the best. Her potted nt was lush and looked incredibly healthy, clearly showing great care and dedication.


    However, based on Yuga''s observations, while Anya did well, she was only above averagepared to all the participants and far from winning a prize.


    After the evaluation by over twenty judges, the results of thepetition were announced shortly.


    The third ce went to Arata Sena''s father, Arata Hayato. Yuga wasn''t surprised by this, given that Hayato was the owner of arge vegetable farming base. His abilities in this area weremendable.


    The second ce was awarded to a florist from Verdanturf Town. This middle-aged woman, usually unassuming, unexpectedly stood out in thepetition.


    To Yuga''s surprise, the first ce winner was neither an outsider nor a local resident of Verdanturf Town but a researcher from the Ancient nt Research Institute on the outskirts of the town.


    This researcher showed up in his whiteb coat, withrge ck-framed sses, and was still lost in thought when Yuga called his name.


    In Yuga''s eyes, he couldn''t distinguish any significant difference between the winners. However, the experienced judges, having spent a lifetime farming and working closely with crops, could easily discern the superior performances.


    The prize that Yuga awarded to the first-ce winner was an Oddish capable of learning the move "Grassy Terrain." Given that the winner was from the Ancient nt Research Institute, having an Oddish skilled in Grassy Terrain would undoubtedly be beneficial to him.


    Yuga''s arrangement was indeed considerate.


    With the conclusion of thispetition, the Verdanturf Town Spring Festival came to a sessful end. The only event left was the evening''s grand finale �C the fireworks disy.

 Chapter 877: Transportation

    <h4>Chapter 877: Transportation</h4>


    The Spring Festival in Verdanturf Town was a great sess, and even after the festival had ended, there were still many tourists in the town.


    Cynthia left on the day after the festival ended, having made ns with Yuga to meet again at the Sinnoh region in a month.


    On this day, after Yuga had finished training his newly acquired Rowlet at the Gym, he was on his way back to the Day Care when he noticed a group of people waiting for a bus outside the Pok��mon Paradise.


    Since Yuga''s Pok��mon Paradise had be a well-known tourist attraction in Verdanturf Town, an additional bus route had been added to amodate the increased visitors.


    It seemed like these people had been waiting for quite some time, and they were starting toin.


    "It''s fun here, but transportation is such a hassle. We have to wait so long for a bus to get back to our hotel."


    "Yeah, that''s the downside. But the whole of Verdanturf Town is like this. There''s not much we can do."


    ...


    Yuga listened to their conversation and began to contemte the situation.


    Indeed, transportation in Verdanturf Town was not the most convenient. The town was still in the early stages of development, and not all public facilities could be perfected immediately.


    Just like the tourists who came to visit the Pok��mon Paradise, they couldn''t all stay in the Paradise Hotel. Some of them stayed further away, and waiting for a bus back to their amodations could be time-consuming.


    Yuga realized that if this issue wasn''t addressed, it could potentially hinder the town''s future development.


    As he continued walking home, Yuga thought about possible solutions to this problem.


    At this moment, his Chansey, Yuan Yuan, finished her day of work and came out of the Pok��mon Paradise with Miltank.


    To ensure that the stray Pok��mon in the Paradise were well taken care of, as well as the Pok��mon working in the Paradise Restaurant and Paradise Hotel, Yuga had a regr schedule for Chansey and the Miltank to take shifts at the Paradise.


    "Chansey!"


    "Miltank!"


    On their way home, when they saw Yuga, both Chansey and the Miltank greeted him politely.


    "You''ve both worked hard!"


    Yuga expressed his gratitude to Yuan Yuan and Miltank.


    As he walked alongside them, Yuga''s mind was still upied with the transportation issue in Verdanturf Town. He needed to find a solution.


    And so, Yuga returned home in thepany of his two Pok��mon.


    On the way, Yuga learned that the Miltank was pregnant and happily eximed, "Congrattions, Miltank! Since you''re pregnant, you should take it easy. We can have our fellow Pok��mon handle the work for you."


    "Miltank, Miltank!"


    The Miltank shook its head, indicating that being pregnant wouldn''t affect its work. After all, it was a medical Pok��mon, and its duties didn''t involve strenuous physical activity.


    Seeing its determination, Yuga didn''t insist further. Pok��mon had much stronger physical endurance than humans, and regr work typically didn''t pose significant challenges for them.


    Since the arrival of the six Chansey at the Day Care, the medical Pok��mon''s capabilities had greatly improved, and their enthusiasm for work had reached new heights.


    As they continued to multiply, the number of Miltank in the Ecopark had grown to nearly a hundred, thanks inrge part to Tauros''s diligent care.


    Thinking about Tauros, Yuga had a sudden revtion.


    That''s right! Verdanturf Town''s transportation issue could be solved by using Pok�� Ride!


    As long as the destination wasn''t outside the town, Pok�� Ride could easily address the internal transportation needs of Verdanturf Town.


    Verdanturf Town was primarily an agricultural town with tourism as its main source of additional ie. Utilizing Pok�� Ride instead of conventional transportation not only aligned with environmental sustainability but also offered cost savings.


    The use of Pok�� Ride as a substitute for regr transportation was amon practice in regions like Kalos and Al.


    Pok��mon like Doduo, Dodrio, and Tauros, which were suitable for riding, were not rare Pok��mon. If Verdanturf Town introduced these Pok��mon into its public transportation system, the costs wouldn''t be prohibitively high.


    Yuga realized that he could even set aside an area within the Pok��mon Paradise to amodate the Tauros from his Ecopark, allowing them to work and assist in transporting tourists around town.


    This idea had the potential to address Verdanturf Town''s transportation problem while integrating the local Pok��monmunity and promoting eco-friendly practices.


    Tourists could leisurely Pok�� Ride around Verdanturf Town, exploring every corner without worrying about time constraints. The Pok�� Ride would be readily avable to take them to any destination in the town.


    Since Pok��mon were intelligent beings, once tourists arrived at their destinations, the Pok��mon could return home on their own, making it highly convenient.


    The Tauros that Yuga had introduced didn''t possess high potentials. Aside from beingpanions to the Miltank and asionally venting their excess energy by running in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, they didn''t have much to do in the Ecopark.


    Now, they finally had a purpose.


    With this idea in mind, Yuga went to see Mayor Ishida the next day to discuss the matter.


    Yuga''s proposal received strong support from Mayor Ishida.


    After negotiations, the n to introduce Pok�� Ride into Verdanturf Town''s public transportation system was approved within a few days and set into motion.


    Of course, the existing public transportation in Verdanturf Town wouldn''t be abolished. A town''s transportation system couldn''t rely solely on Pok�� Ride.


    Conventional transportation methods would remain the primary mode, with Pok�� Ride serving as supplementary transportation.


    As the new transportation n was implemented in Verdanturf Town, Yuga also brought out the Tauros from his Ecopark.


    While the number of Miltank in Yuga''s Ecopark continued to increase, the Tauros poption also grew. This was because the offspring of Miltank and Tauros were primarily Tauros.


    Training Pok�� Ride was a specialized process, and no one would allow Pok��mon that hadn''t undergone proper training to carry passengers. Safety was paramount.


    Yuga had hired dedicated trainers for Tauros. Finding professionals to train Pok�� Ride wasn''t challenging since many industries in the Pok��mon world required Pok�� Ride, such as maritime rescue, wilderness exploration, andpetitive riding events, among others.


    The Tauros were enthusiastically undergoing Pok�� Ride training. Mayor Ishida approached Yuga once again, this time seeking his help in connecting with the Pidgey Express Delivery Service to introduce Pidgey and Pidgeotto into their town.


    Pidgey Express Delivery Service was one of the most renowned logisticspanies in the Pok��mon world, known for their impressive Pok�� Ride lineup. They had flying Pok��mon like Pidgey, Pidgeotto, and Pidgeot, as well as ground-based runners like Rattata and Raticate, all of which were part of their signature fleet.


    For local deliveries, especially non-urgent or valuable items, the Pok�� Ride from Pidgey Express Delivery Service could independentlyplete the tasks without the need for human apaniment.


    In fact, Mayor Ishida had already introduced a batch of specially bred Tauros. However, relying solely on Tauros for transportation could be monotonous, leading to aesthetic fatigue. This was why he was interested in bringing in Pidgey and Pidgeotto.


    There were specializedpanies in the Pok��mon world for breeding and training Pok�� Ride. The key difference between them and Pok��mon Day Cares like Yuga''s was that they didn''t prioritize the Pok��mon''s innate potentials. Instead, they focused on quickly producing arge number of low potential but highly specialized Pok�� Ride.


    The Tauros Mayor Ishida introduced came from one of these specializedpanies.


    Pidgey Express Delivery Service also followed a simr approach to breed and train their Pok�� Ride. However, their Pok��mon were primarily for in-house use in delivering goods. They had, on asion, sold Pidgey and Pidgeotto, which was why Mayor Ishida approached Yuga for assistance.


    Yuga considered the request and agreed to help Mayor Ishida. After all, he didn''t need to get directly involved; he was simply acting as a middleman. The rest of the negotiations would be up to Mayor Ishida''s abilities.

 Chapter 878: Report

    <h4>Chapter 878: Report</h4>


    With Yuga''s rmendation, Pidgey Express Delivery eagerly agreed to sell a batch of Pidgey and Pidgeotto to Verdanturf Town.


    Their willingness to cooperate wasrgely due to Yuga''s influence. After all, Verdanturf Town was Yuga''s territory, and they owed him a favor for his previous assistance.


    Mayor Ishida was also pleasantly surprised by how amodating the other party was during negotiations. He quickly realized it was because of Yuga''s close connection to the town and considered him their mascot.


    Pidgey Express Delivery was primarily a logisticspany, not apany specializing in selling Pok�� Ride. Their willingness to provide Pidgey and Pidgeotto to Verdanturf Town was a gesture of goodwill towards Yuga, their rmender.


    Verdanturf Town was busy incorporating the newly introduced Pok�� Ride into its public transportation system. Yuga''s Tauros hadpleted their formal training and were now in active service.


    Gradually, people in Verdanturf Town noticed an increase in tourists riding Pok��mon for sightseeing, and many areas had designated stops for Pok�� Ride.


    These Pok�� Ride had undergone professional training and were equipped with suitable riding gear, ensuring a safe andfortable experience for passengers.


    The introduction of Pok�� Ride led to a significant increase in visitor numbers in Verdanturf Town. Its pleasant climate, friendly residents, and beautiful surroundings began transforming it from a simple agricultural town into a green tourism destination.


    Almost a month passed, and Yuga was busy managing his shop and gym as he prepared to meet with Cynthia in the Sinnoh region. On this day, after a challenger had just left his gym, he noticed Strawberry standing at the shop''s entrance with a troubled expression.


    However, this Strawberry wasn''t the Skitty from Dian''s house; it was an employee of the Pok��mon Paradise Hotel named Strawberry.


    When Strawberry spotted Yuga returning, her face briefly lit up with joy, but then she appeared troubled again.


    "Strawberry, what are you doing here?" Yuga approached her with curiosity. It wasn''t time for her to finish work yet.


    "Boss, there''s something... something I''m not sure if I should... tell you."


    Strawberry hesitated, her expression showing her inner turmoil.


    Strawberry hesitated, her wordsing out slowly and uncertainly.


    Yuga wasn''t sure what had her troubled but beckoned her inside, saying, "Come in and tell me what''s on your mind."


    Once inside the shop, Yuga led her to a meeting room and encouraged her to speak openly.


    "If you have something to say, just say it directly. There''s no need to be hesitant," he urged.


    Strawberry thought for a moment and then said, "I''m not entirely sure if I saw it right, but I thought I should inform you just in case. You should verify it, and if it''s nothing, you can disregard what I''m about to say. But if it''s true, you should take action promptly."


    It turns out that Strawberry had noticed something amiss with her superior.


    In the Pok��mon Paradise, there were two crucial areas: the Pok��mon Paradise Hotel and the Pok��mon Paradise Restaurant.


    The manager of the Pok��mon Paradise Restaurant was solely Aunt Aoba, with other staff members and kitchen assistants being Pok��mon themselves.


    However, the Pok��mon Paradise Hotel operated differently.


    In addition to the service staff, including Strawberry and the Bellossom who worked under her, there was a hotel manager who was Strawberry''s and the Bellossom''s immediate superior.


    This manager had been brought in by Yuga long before Strawberry''s arrival and yed a pivotal role in the sessful management of the Pok��mon Paradise Hotel.


    The manager was a talent in the field, possessing extensive experience in hotel management, which was why Yuga had hired them for the Pok��mon Paradise Hotel.


    Apart from overseeing the hotel''s operations, this manager also handled the logistics and supplies for both the Bellossom who lived in the Ecopark and the stray Pok��mon in the Pok��mon Paradise.


    They were a professional in management and had never caused any issues when it came to handling supplies.


    The Bellossom came from the Ecopark and consumed expensive Pok��blocks, while the stray Pok��mon, although not directly affiliated with the YoYo Day Care, relied on the Ecopark''s native tree berry as their food source.


    Pok��blocks and tree berrys were typically delivered to the Pok��mon Paradise by Audino or Wigglytuff, who would then hand them over to the manager for distribution.


    This included the food for the Pok��mon in the Pok��mon Paradise Restaurant, such as the Lopunny waitstaff and the kitchen helpers.


    Every Pok��mon had a set quantity of Pok��blocks and tree berrys for each meal, and Strawberry, as the supervisor, was aware of this.


    One day, she noticed that the number of Pok��blocks provided to the Bellossom did not match the designated amount.


    Initially, Strawberry thought it might have been an oversight on the manager''s part and didn''t inquire further, but she kept a mental note of it.


    However, over the course of several asions, she noticed discrepancies in the number of Pok��blocks allocated to the Bellossom.


    Pok��blocks were high energy food, and just a few could satisfy a Pok��mon''s hunger, making it easy to spot quantity issues.


    While this didn''t happen every day, it urred every few days, and Strawberry, being observant, noticed it.


    The only usible exnation for this was that the manager was quietly keeping the extra Pok��blocks for themselves.


    The quality of the Pok��blocks from the YoYo Day Care was excellent, especially the rare Vitality Pok��blocks that were rarely sold outside. Even taking a bit once in a while added up in value over time.


    After discovering this, Strawberry didn''t make a fuss. Instead, she discreetly began monitoring the manager because everything was based on her spection, and she didn''t want to falsely use anyone.


    But soon enough, Strawberry discovered that the manager was not only quietly taking the Vitality Pok��blocks but also the tree berrys meant for the stray Pok��mon.


    The only allocation that remained untouched was that of the Pok��mon in the Pok��mon Paradise Restaurant. This was because the manager was responsible for distributing food there, while feeding the Pok��mon was Aunt Aoba''s responsibility.


    However, the manager personally handled both the allocation and feeding for the Bellossom and the stray Pok��mon, and their food was systematically reduced.


    The manager was quite cautious, making small deductions each time. They didn''t do it every day or every meal but instead chose to skip a day between deductions.


    While tree berrys were not as valuable as Pok��blocks, the number of stray Pok��mon in the Pok��mon Paradise was significant, and they consumed a considerable quantity of tree berrys, making it an easier target for tampering.


    Moreover, tree berrys were considerably pricier than regr berrys, and most of them served as essential ingredients for valuable items like Pok��blocks and potions. umting a batch and selling it externally would yield a substantial ie.


    Especially the tree berrys from the Ecopark were considered rare and valuable in the external market.


    Strawberry noticed that the manager had a special storage bag, and every so often, they would use this bag to transport the stolen goods away.


    For Strawberry, Yuga was her benefactor. He not only helped her out of a tight spot but also provided her with a well-paying job. She couldn''t stand by and watch her benefactor''s interests being harmed, which is why she chose to report this today.

 Chapter 879: Astrid

    <h4>Chapter 879: Astrid</h4>


    After listening to Strawberry, Yuga remained silent for a moment and then said, "I understand the situation. You can go back for now; I''ll investigate this thoroughly."


    Strawberry nodded and replied, "I understand. I''ll get back to work."


    After saying that, Strawberry left the meeting room.


    Once she had left, Yuga''s brow furrowed deeply. He hadn''t expected someone he personally brought in to engage in such dishonest behavior.


    However, to get to the bottom of this, he decided he needed to conduct his own investigation.


    Although Strawberry''s words carried high credibility, they were still her perspective, and Yuga wasn''t naive enough to jump to conclusions based solely on that.


    Regardless, dealing with this issue would have to wait until he had gathered more information.


    With these thoughts in mind, Yuga stepped outside and gestured towards a corner. Two Natu and several Misdreavus and Mismagius appeared before him.


    As the flow of people in Verdanturf Town increased, Yuga had reinforced the security around the YoYo Day Care and Verdanturf Gym.


    In addition to the Natu responsible for monitoring the surroundings, the Flygon patrolling the skies, and the Linoone, Mightyena, Persian, and Liepard patrolling the streets and alleys, Yuga had now formed a secretive team of Ghost-type Pok��mon, mainlyposed of Misdreavus and Mismagius.


    Compared to other Pok��mon, Ghost-types were better suited for gathering information as they often went unnoticed.


    The areas around the YoYo Day Care and Verdanturf Gym were the safest in all of Verdanturf Town, even more stable than the vicinity of the police station. Anyone who dares causing trouble in these areas will be kept alive without food.


    Yuga gave a few instructions to the two Natu and the Misdreavus and Mismagius, who nodded in response. The Natu then used Teleport to vanish, while the Misdreavus and Mismagius disappeared into the darkness with mischievous smiles.


    With Natu and the Ghost-types Pok��mon investigating the matter, Yuga didn''t dwell on it any further. He trusted that they would provide him with the necessary information.


    Deploying this many Pok��mon to investigate a single matter, if they still couldn''t uncover the truth, then his surveince team might as well disband.


    Especially the Natu, which were specially trained for this task, would have no trouble tracking down a person.


    With this matter set aside for now, Yuga received a call from Arata Sena and Akihito. They informed him that they would be returning to Verdanturf Town in the next few days.


    The two of them were currently challenging the Hoenn League Conference, and they had already collected seven out of the eight Gym Badges. Their n was to challenge the Verdanturf Gym as their final step, so they called ahead to make arrangements.


    This year''s Hoenn League Conference was scheduled to take ce in the summer, slightly earlier than in previous years.


    It was now early summer, with less than two months remaining until the Conference began, so their progress could be considered neither fast nor slow.


    True to their word, two days after Yuga received the call from Arata Sena and Akihito, they returned to Verdanturf Town.


    When Arata Sena and Akihito returned, Yuga was in the midst of epting a challenge from another Trainer. With the Hoenn League Conference on the horizon, more people wereing to Verdanturf Town to challenge the Gym.


    The Verdanturf Gym was known for its high level of difficulty, and challengers had to first obtain three other Gym Badges as prerequisites. Nevertheless, there were still many determined Trainers willing to test their skills here.


    Most of the Trainers participating in the league Conference were young and full of dreams and motivation. Even though they were aware of the difficulty of the Verdanturf Gym, they were eager to give it a try.


    When Arata Sena and Akihito entered the Gym, battles between challengers were in full swing, and thepetition was intense.


    Anrin, Anmu, Ayato, and Ayagiri, the four young siblings, had a day off from school and were at the Gym, watching the battles with keen interest.


    Upon seeing Akihito''s return, the four young siblings were delighted and about to cheer for him, but Akihito quickly gestured for them to stay quiet. He didn''t want to disrupt the concentration of the challengers in the middle of their battles.


    Apanying Arata Sena and Akihito was a young girl, their travelingpanion. The four young siblings curiously looked at her with wide eyes.


    This young girl was slightly older than Akihito but younger than Arata Sena. She had a calm demeanor and was currently focused on watching the battles.


    The challenger facing the Gym today was a girl about the same age as Arata Sena, hailing from the distant Kalos region.


    She had already sent out a Pyroar and a female Meowstic in her battles. After defeating Yuga''s Lilligant, she had her Absol left.


    It was clear that her Absol was her most powerful Pok��mon, surpassing the Pyroar and Meowstic by several levels. It was now engaged in a fierce battle with Yuga''s Ludicolo, and it seemed to have a slight advantage.


    This Ludicolo was one of the Ludicolo responsible for taking care the medical herbs fields in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark. Although they spent their days watering and cultivating, their battle capabilities were quite formidable.


    However, what caught Yuga''s attention wasn''t just the strength of the Absol; it was the ne around its neck, which was embedded with a Mega Evolution Stone.


    Clearly, the Absol''s current power wasn''t at its peak, and it still held the potential for Mega Evolution.


    The sky above the battlefield was covered in dark clouds, and a light rain was falling. This was the result of Ludicolo''s Rain Dance, which it had used to its advantage in the battle.


    Ludicolo''s ability was Rain Dish, which allowed it to slowly recover from injuries when rainwater fell on its body.


    "Mr. Shimizu, we''re going all out now. I hope you''re prepared," said the challenger as she took out a Key Stone.


    "Please, go ahead. I''ll give it my all," Yuga replied with a smile.


    The Key Stone in the challenger''s hand resonated with the Mega Evolution Stone on Absol''s neck, and Absol quickly underwent Mega Evolution.


    After Mega Evolution, Absol''s power gain a tremendous boost, and its level soared to the early stages of pseudo-Elite level.


    ...


    <>


    Type: Dark


    Ability: Magic Bounce


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Green


    Level: 61


    Moves: Feint, Quick Attack, Leer, Double Team, Bite, Night sh, sh, Psycho Cut, Hail, Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse, Payback, Double-Edge, Iron Tail, Throat Chop, Aerial Ace.


    ...


    This Absol had been carefully bred and she likely spent a significant amount of resources. While it had a green potential, it knew more moves than the average Pok��mon with a blue potential.


    "Absol! Use Psycho Cut!" With the challenger''smand, a massive energy de shed towards Ludicolo, catching it off guard and knocking it down.


    Previously, Ludicolo and Absol were at simr levels, both in their fifties. However, after Mega Evolving, Absol clearly outssed Ludicolo.


    "Your Mega Absol is impressive!" Yuga retrieved his fallen Ludicolo and praised the challenger.


    Seeing Yuga''s calm demeanor in the face of Mega Evolution, Astrid knew that this Gym Leader was aware of the existence of Mega Evolution, which earned her admiration.


    At the moment, Mega Evolution had not been widely publicized, and it was most prevalent in the Kalos region, where it originated. As a result, the majority of people were unaware of its existence.


    Of course, everyone in the Verdanturf Gym knows this. After all, they have all seen Yuga''s Venusaur do Mega Evolution.


    Yuga had taken the time to inform them about Mega Evolution to ensure that they wouldn''t be ignorant of such a crucial aspect and potentially bring embarrassment to the Gym.


    "Thank you for the praise!" Astrid was confident and proud of her Mega Absol, so she graciously epted Yuga''spliment.


    However, Arata Sena and Akihito, observing the impressive Mega Absol on the battlefield, were feeling somewhat uneasy. This Trainer was very likely to be their opponent in the uing Hoenn League Conference.


    Is this going to be okay?


    "But even so, I don''t n to simply hand over the Verdanturf Gym Badge," Yuga said with determination.


    With those words, Yuga released his final Pok��mon for this challenge �C Sceptile.


    This Sceptile was one of the first Pok��mon hatched from the batch of eggs obtained from Lavaridge Town''s Pok��mon Day Care Center. It was one of the earliest residents of the Ecopark.


    Furthermore, among Grass-type Pok��mon, Sceptile''s strength was among the top tier. It had a blue potential, and it was just one step away from reaching the pseudo-Elite level.


    Yuga had always chosen his Pok��mon to match the challenger''s strength, and this time was no exception. All the Pok��mon he had chosen for this battle were at or above level 50.


    ...


    <>


    Type: Grass


    Ability: Overgrow


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 59


    Moves: Pound, Agility, Pursuit, Quick Attack, Mega Drain, Giga Drain, Leaf de, Energy Ball, X-Scissor, Leaf Storm, Sunny Day, Leech Seed, Double Team, Grassy Terrain, Magic Leaf, Grass Pledge, Dragon Pulse.


    ...


    ��


    As for the character Astrid, she appears in various episodes:


    1. In the beginning of the XY special episode "Mega Evolution Special I," where she battles alongside in and his Mega Charizard X.


    2. In the beginning of the movie "Diance and the Cocoon of Destruction," she has a three-on-three battle against Ash.


    3. In the anime at the Lumiose Conference, she appears, but it seems she was eliminated in the quarter-finals.

 Chapter 880: Talent

    <h4>Chapter 880: Talent</h4>


    As the referee, Beidou gave the signal, and Yuga''s Sceptile and Astrid''s Mega Absol simultaneouslyunched their attacks.


    Mega Absol sprinted at high speed, using the Dark-type move "Throat Chop" to fiercely lunge towards Sceptile.


    Sceptile''s overall strength was inferior to Mega Absol''s, but it was extremely fast. It used "Double Team," sessfully dodging Mega Absol''s pounce and confusing its eyes.


    Over a dozen identical Sceptiles surrounded Mega Absol, running quickly while simultaneously using "Energy Ball," relentlessly bombarding the central Mega Absol.


    Just as Mega Absol was about to be hit by the Energy Balls, it suddenly used its powerful hind legs to leap high into the air, sessfully evading the Energy Ball onught.


    After Mega Evolution, Mega Absol had two small wings on its back. Although it couldn''t fly with them, they weren''t just for show.


    These small wings significantly enhanced Mega Absol''s jumping ability, a feature Yuga had witnessed in his own Absol.


    In mid-air, Mega Absol opened its mouth and unleashed arge burst of "Dark Pulse," sweeping over the more than a dozen shadowy Sceptiles on the field, causing them to dissipate.


    The real Sceptile reacted quickly. When the Dark Pulse swept over, it used "Quick Attack" to narrowly evade the attack.


    Seeing the true form of Sceptile, Mega Absol''s Dark Pulse followed and swept past, but Sceptile''s speed allowed it to narrowly avoid being grazed.


    Astrid frowned deeply as she saw her Mega Absol''s attacks not yielding results.


    Mega Absol, after Mega Evolution, had entered a new level of strength, while the opposing Sceptile had clearly not reached the pseudo-Elite level yet. However, with its agility and flexibility, Sceptile had make Mega Absol helpless.


    "This is the Gym Leader''s Pok��mon! It''s really well-trained!" Astrid thought to herself.


    "Sceptile! It''s time to strike back!"


    As Astrid appeared to lose focus, Yuga shouted to the Sceptile, who was rapidly moving thanks to Quick Attack. He knew that a pure defensive strategy wouldn''t lead to victory.


    Even though Yuga believed Astrid''s strength was more than sufficient to earn the Verdant Badge, he had no intention of going easy on her.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, the charging Sceptile abruptly halted.


    It opened its mouth and released a weather ball into the sky, causing the sun to suddenly intensify, signaling the use of Sunny Day.


    Seeing Sceptile stop, Mega Absol lunged again with a w strike, attempting to use "Sucker Punch" on Sceptile.


    After Sunny Day concluded, Sceptile''s peripheral vision caught Mega Absol pouncing toward it. It quickly took two steps back, narrowly avoiding Mega Absol''s Sucker Punch.


    Bang!


    Where Sceptile had stood moments ago, the ground crumbled effortlessly under Mega Absol''s ws.


    The two yellow orbs on Sceptile''s back started rapidly emitting a white light, creating a green circle beneath Mega Absol''s feet.


    Boom!


    Countless green mes suddenly surged from the circle, engulfing Mega Absol in an instant. Mega Absol let out a piercing cry of agony.


    In pain, Mega Absol tried to break free from the circle''s confines but found thin, elongated vines springing forth within the circle. These vines ensnared it with lightning speed, binding it tightly.


    As Mega Absol struggled violently, the more it resisted, the tighter the vines constricted around it, even piercing its skin deeply.


    Gradually, Mega Absol realized its strength was rapidly dwindling.


    The green circle, which hadunched the green mes, and the green mes themselves were the effects of the move "Grass Pledge," while the binding vines were from "Leech Seed."


    When Mega Absol pounced toward Sceptile, thetter had set up a trap in advance, nting the Leech Seed andying the groundwork for the Grass Pledge.


    Normally, the vines produced by Leech Seed weren''t very sturdy, especially against a Pok��mon as strong as Mega Absol. They could be easily broken.


    However, Sceptile, being a Pok��mon with a unique racial talent, had the ability to promote rapid nt growth with the two yellow orbs on its back.


    Sceptile using its Overgrow ability to continuously reinforced the seemingly fragile vines, ensuring that Mega Absol couldn''t break free.


    This Overgrow ability, though, was quite energy-consuming. That''s why Sceptile had previously used Sunny Day to gather sufficient sr energy to sustain its operation.


    If it weren''t for this energy limitation, Sceptile would have been even more formidable in farming than in battle.


    Of course, things might be different if a Sceptile were to break through to the Elite level.


    At that moment, even without triggering its Overgrow ability, Sceptile''s presence alone could naturally influence the growth of nts around it. The more powerful the Sceptile, the better the nts around it would flourish.


    As Leech Seed continuously drained Mega Absol''s energy and transmitted it to Sceptile, the energy consumption from using its Overgrow ability was rapidly replenished.


    Leech Seed and Sceptile formed a favorable symbiotic cycle, almost as if Mega Absol was depleting its own energy to create restraints on itself.


    Helplessly, as Mega Absol''s strength continued to dwindle, the binding vines around it grew thicker, and its struggles became increasingly feeble.


    Seeing Mega Absolpletely losing ground, Astrid shouted desperately, attempting to awaken its counterattack.


    However, with its strength steadily sapped by Leech Seed and its body tormented by Grass Pledge, Mega Absol''s consciousness had be blurred.


    It could only vaguely hear Astrid''s cries through its bond with the Trainer, but it was futile.


    Before long, Mega Absol''s head tilted, losing consciousnesspletely, and reverted from its Mega Evolution form.


    "How... how could this happen?"


    Astrid was dumbfounded!


    Her Mega Absol was pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon now, yet it was defeated so easily? And it lost to a Pok��mon that clearly wasn''t at the pseudo-Elite level!


    Astrid was astonished at her Mega Absol''s defeat, but the onlookers, including the young siblings, Arata Sena, and Akihito, found it quite normal.


    In their eyes, Yuga was the most formidable Trainer.


    Of course, they all had their idol filters on when they looked at him, so reality might differ.


    Seeing Astrid in shock, Yuga abandoned the idea of awarding her the Verdant Badge.


    In terms of strength, she was undoubtedly qualified to receive the Verdant Badge, but the responsibilities of a Gym Trainer extended beyond merely handing out badges.


    Recalling Sceptile into its Pok�� Ball, Yuga walked up to Astrid and said, "Unfortunately, I cannot give you the badge."


    "I... I understand..."


    With Mega Absol returned to its Pok�� Ball, Astrid wore a disheartened expression and prepared to leave the Verdanturf Gym.


    "Wait..."


    Yuga called out to Astrid, stopping her in her tracks.


    Astrid turned back, puzzled, and looked at Yuga. She saw him smiling and saying, "Do you know why I didn''t give you the badge?"


    "Isn''t it because I failed the challenge?" Astrid asked, still perplexed.


    Yuga shook his head and replied, "It''s not about the challenge. Most of the people who receive badges from me are not as strong as you."


    "Then why..."


    "You rely too much on Mega Absol, or rather, you rely too heavily on Mega Evolution."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Astrid was taken aback, and then Yuga continued, "It''s perfectly fine to nurture a Pok��mon as your ace. Many Trainers do that, including League Champions and Elite Four.


    But that doesn''t mean you should be overly reliant on your ace.


    Your problem is that you''ve ced too much importance on your ace and be overly confident. Mega Evolution is indeed powerful, but it''s not all-epassing, so you need to recognize the limitations of this power."


    Yuga didn''t leave Astrid with the usual advice to reflect on her issues by herself. Instead, he directly pointed out her problem.


    While self-reflection could be more profound, if it took too long toe to a realization, it would be aplete waste of time.


    Astrid''s other Pok��mon had respectable levels, but in terms of development, they couldn''tpare to her ace Absol. And after Mega Evolution, she seemed overly confident in her ability to win, which led to significant emotional ups and downs upon defeat.


    This state of mind was clearly very bad, which was why Yuga decided not to award her the badge.


    Now, it was up to Astrid to see if she coulde to terms with Yuga''s words.


    After listening to Yuga''s advice, Astrid left the Verdanturf Gym, looking thoughtful, with less of the dejection and disappointment on her face.

 Chapter 881: Silentfairy

    <h4>Chapter 881: Silentfairy</h4>


    After Astrid left, Yuga noticed that Sena Arata and Akihito had returned with a young girl.


    "You two are back?" Yuga greeted them before turning his attention to the girl by their side. "Is this Megumi? It''s our first meeting today. Wee to the Verdanturf Gym."


    Megumi had been traveling with Sena Arata and Akihito for a while now, and Yuga was aware of her presence, but they hadn''t formally met.


    Thest time Sena Arata and Akihito had returned, it happened to be during the New Year, and Megumi had gone home, so she couldn''t apany them to Verdanturf Town.


    "It''s... our first meeting, Gym Leader Yuga. Thank... thank you for having us," Megumi replied nervously. She was quite taken aback by how kindly Yuga, a renowned Trainer, was speaking to her.


    Megumi came from a humble background, and meeting a legendary Elite level Trainer like Yuga made her understandably nervous. Although she had spoken with Yuga a few times over video calls, meeting him in person was an entirely different experience.


    "Don''t be so tense. We''re grateful for how you''ve looked after Arata and Akihito during their travels. When you''re here, consider it your home too," Yuga reassured her.


    "By the way, I recall you''re a Coordinator Trainer, right? The Pok��mon Contest in Verdanturf Town is just a few days away. You could participate if you like. However, I''ll be away on a trip in a few days, so I might not be here when the event takes ce."


    Unlike traditional Trainers like Arata Sena and Akihito, Megumi was a Coordinator Trainer, and Yuga knew she was just one Ribbon badge away from being eligible to participate in this year''s Grand Festival.


    The timing of the Hoenn Grand Festival of Pok��mon Contest and the League Conference was such that they urred one after the other, with a rtively short gap between them.


    Megumi replied, "I came to Verdanturf Town specifically to participate in the Pok��mon Contest here. I hope to earn thatst Ribbon badge."


    Yuga encouraged her, saying, "You can do it. Just don''t put too much pressure on yourself; staying calm is essential."


    Megumi felt more at ease after Yuga''s words of encouragement. She had lost confidence after her previouspetition, but now, with an Elite level Trainer''s support, she felt motivated.


    Having given Megumi his support, Yuga turned to Arata Sena and Akihito and said, "Since you two just got back, there''s no rush to challenge the Gym. Take Megumi to her guest room first. And Arata Sena, you should go visit Aunt Aoba at the Pok��mon Paradise. She''ll be very happy to see you back."


    Arata Sena and Akihito acknowledged Yuga''s instructions. Akihito then led Megumi to the guest rooms in the Gym, while Arata Sena hurriedly made his way to the Pok��mon Paradise to reunite with Aunt Aoba.


    Yuga, on the other hand, returned to his Day Care. Before he could even enter, a Natu appeared in front of him.


    This Natu was the one he had sent to monitor the shop manager and Strawberry.


    "Is there any news?" Yuga inquired.


    The Natu nodded and gestured for Yuga to follow it. Yuga silently followed the Natu and soon saw the shop managering out of the Pok��mon Paradise. It was his off-duty time.


    The shop manager, whose real name was Barcas, was in his thirties. He was carrying a space backpack and casually exited the Pok��mon Paradise.


    Behind him floated a Misdreavus which, upon seeing Yuga, instinctively floated behind him, hiding its presence.


    Using the invisibility abilities of Gengar and Mismagius, Yuga followed Barcas. Barcas, however, remained oblivious to Yuga''s presence as he made his way home.


    Barcas was native of Verdanturf Town, but he was not born and raised here; but he moved hereter. He had both parents and a three or four-year-old daughter.


    Upon arriving home, Barcas lifted his waiting daughter in his arms, making her burst intoughter.


    His house was a standalone courtyard residence, not toorge, but simr to the typical houses of ordinary families in Verdanturf Town. Due to the abundance ofnd and the sparse poption, it was never a concern to find a ce to build a house in Verdanturf Town.


    Barcas and his family had been in Verdanturf Town for a long time, so they didn''t differ much from the local residents. His daughter waited in the courtyard every day, eagerly anticipating her father''s return.


    Barcas''s wife had divorced him a long time ago and didn''t live in Verdanturf Town. He was raising his daughter with the help of his parents, and their family was rtively well-off, not struggling financially.


    After ying with his daughter for a while, Barcas let her y on her own and entered a warehouse behind the house, still carrying the space backpack he had brought back.


    Yuga, utilizing his invisibility abilities, followed Barcas into the warehouse. Inside the warehouse, there were various wooden crates and shelves.


    The crates contained different types of Berries, while the shelves held boxes of Pok��blocks, most of which were Vitality Pok��blocks, mixed with some other types.


    If these goods could be sold sessfully, they would certainly fetch a considerable sum of money.


    As Barcas began taking Berries and Pok��blocks from his space backpack and cing them into the wooden crates and shelves one by one.


    So, everything Strawberry''s ims were true?


    Observing Barcas''s actions, Yuga silently though the situation. However, he noticed Mismagius in the shadows shaking its head at him.


    There''re still other secret?


    With this thought in mind, Yuga decided not to take immediate action and chose to watch and wait.


    As the evening sky darkened, after dinner, Yuga saw Barcas quietly leaving the house alone.


    Feeling his own empty stomach, Yuga suddenly felt hungry. He wondered if his Audino had left dinner for him.


    After Barcas left his house, he met up with someone hidden in the shadows nearby. In the dim light, Yuga couldn''t initially make out the appearance of the person in the darkness.


    Then, Yuga saw a golden-furred Hypno emerge from behind the person. Its vibrant fur was especially conspicuous even in the low light.


    Hypno presented a pendant it was holding to Barcas, and the pendant swayed back and forth. The person in the shadows spoke:


    "Shimizu Yuga is the one who caused the death of your wife. He''s the reason your daughter no longer has a mother. So, you''re here to avenge your wife."


    Hearing this, Yuga was stunned!


    Even though he didn''t know all the details of Barcas''s family situation, he had a general idea.


    Barcas''s wife had divorced him, hadn''t she? She was living perfectly fine! How could she be dead? And did Yuga cause it somehow? It made no sense!


    There was nothing more for Yuga to misunderstand at this point. The Hypno used a derivative form of hypnotism �C psychological suggestion. Psychological suggestion could tamper with a person''s memories and leave no traces of psychic abilities, making it difficult to detect.


    However, it required continuous application over a long period.


    This derivative use of hypnotism was challenging to master, and only Pok��mon well-versed in hypnotism could perform it.


    Who could be opposing him like this?


    Moreover, stealing some Berries and Pok��blocks from Barcas, what impact could that possibly have? Yuga didn''t need these things!


    Yuga couldn''t resist getting a little closer, and under the nearby streemp''s light, he finally got a rough look at the person''s face.


    To his surprise, it was a familiar face.


    The person facing Barcas was a scruffy-looking individual with semi-long, disheveled hair hanging messily on their head. They had a sparse beard on their chin.


    This person''s name was Silentfairy. Yuga remembered his name clearly because he was someone who had stayed at the Paradise Hotel for quite some time.


    ording to his own ount, he was an unknown novelist, and he stayed here to get inspiration for his writing.


    He imed that the harmonious interaction between people and Pok��mon in the Pok��mon Paradise had provided him with plenty of inspiration, which was why he had stayed in the Hotel for several days.


    Whether Silentfairy ever finished writing his novel or not, no one knew, and no one really cared. After moving into the Pok��mon Paradise Hotel, he rarely left his room and had minimal interaction with others, giving off a reclusive impression.


    It was precisely due to his solitary nature that Yuga remembered him. Nobody would have expected that someone who stayed locked in his room all day, rarely venturing outside or engaging with others, woulde up with such sinister ideas.


    And the Hypno, Yuga had never known there was a Pok��mon apanying him.


    The psychological suggestion continued for about fifteen minutes, after which Barcas appeared as if nothing had happened. He returned home and looked entirely normal, showing no signs of being under psychological suggestion.


    With such a sophisticated form of psychological suggestion, it was no wonder Yuga hadn''t noticed. Aside from the altered memories, Barcas''s daily behavior showed no abnormalities.


    Ignoring Barcas, Yuga silently followed Silentfairy from a distance.


    Suddenly, Silentfairy''s Hypno turned its head alertly, releasing psychic energy and scanning the surroundings. It scanned thoroughly but found nothing unusual, so it continued with Silentfairy before leaving.


    This Hypno was very vignt!


    Yuga thought to himself and noted the unusual strength of the psychic energy it had just emitted.


    If he had not released Chimecho in time to block the psychic energy scan, he''s afraid he, along with Misdreavus, Natu, Gengar, and Mismagius, might have been discovered.


    In terms of raw power, this Hypno hadn''t even reached the pseudo-Elite level, but its psychic abilities were remarkably potent.


    It was no wonder it possessed such strong psychological suggestion abilities.


    Silentfairy didn''t linger and headed straight back to the Pok��mon Paradise Hotel.


    It was evident that he was cautious in his actions, or else he wouldn''t have ventured out with Hypno to perform the psychological suggestion. Clearly, he was afraid of being detected in the Pok��mon Paradise.


    The stray Pok��mon in the Pok��mon Paradise were all Yuga''s spies.


    After returning to the Hotel, Silentfairy didn''t go to his own room. Instead, he knocked on the door across the hall. The door opened, revealing another man, who cautiously ushered Silentfairy into the room.


    Seeing this scene, Yuga was even more astonished!


    He had an aplice?

 Chapter 882: First Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 882: First Encounter</h4>


    Later, someone pulled Silentfairy into a room and impatiently asked, "How''s the situation? When can I stop hiding here every day doing nothing?"


    Silentfairy looked at the person with some impatience, "Why are you in such a hurry? Just wait patiently! Didn''t I tell you not to contact me unless it''s necessary? What if we get caught?"


    Silentfairy genuinely thought that the person in front of him was not capable of handling things properly. He had only been here for a few days, and he was already so restless. What could he achieve so quickly?


    If he knew that this person was not very reliable and that he might as well havee alone.


    This person, upon hearing Silentfairy''s words, responded indifferently, "No need to worry, you''re just being too cautious. It''s not so easy to get caught. Right now, that Shimizu''s attention is probably all on that Barcas."


    "Is that so? So, I''m so easy to be deceived in your eyes!"


    As soon as this person''s words fell, the figures of Yuga and Gengar slowly appeared in the room.


    Hearing Yuga''s voice, Silentfairy was shocked, his face filled with disbelief as he looked at Yuga and Gengar, who had suddenly appeared before him.


    The other person was even more useless, falling t on the ground in fright.


    Silentfairy''s reaction was swift; he didn''t even have time to consider when he had been exposed. Seeing hispanion acting so helpless, he took out his own Pok�� Balls with the intent to release his Pok��mon. He had the self-awareness to know that he couldn''t match Yuga, so his goal in releasing his Pok��mon was to create an opportunity to escape.


    As for the guy sprawled on the ground, he was beyond Silentfairy''s control; they weren''t exactly on the same side.


    The two Pok��mon that Silentfairy released were Weezing and Arbok.


    As soon as Weezing appeared, it used Smokescreen to obscure everyone''s vision in the room, intending to buy Silentfairy some time to escape.


    But Yuga had already anticipated this. Mismagius, at some point, appeared beside him and Gengar, and then everyone in the room, both humans and Pok��mon, were enveloped in a special space.


    Just as Silentfairy was about to open the door to leave, he suddenly felt the door in front of him disappear, and there was a transparent wall in its ce. No matter how hard he pounded on it, the wall didn''t respond in the slightest.


    When Weezing''s Smokescreen dissipated, Silentfairy saw that his Arbok and Weezing had long since fallen to the ground, unconscious. And just inches away from him, a haughty Serperior was coldly watching him.


    Serperior''s expression was so cold that it made Silentfairy unconsciously take a step back.


    And this action in Serperior''s eyes was seen as an aggressive intent. Its figure shed, and Silentfairy was tightly entwined.


    As Serperior continued to tighten its body, Silentfairy''s body emitted a teeth-gritting sound, but he held his tongue and didn''t make a sound despite the pain.


    Didn''t expect you to be such a tough nut!


    Yuga thought as he watched Silentfairy with surprise.


    As for the other useless guy, Yuga walked over and gave him a kick, causing him to faint directly.


    The contrast in the performance of the two was too stark, and Yuga found it hard to believe they were allies.


    After capturing both of them, Gengar and Mismagius withdrew from the special space, and Mismagius returned to the Shadow Space, while Gengar remained by Yuga''s side.


    During the time Silentfairy stayed at the Pok��mon Paradise Hotel, Yuga had never seen any Pok��mon by his side. However, when Gengar searched him, it found seven or eight Pok�� Balls.


    He hid them quite well!


    Although the Pok��mon inside these Pok�� Balls were not particrly impressive, the fact that they had managed to survive here until now was an achievement in itself.


    You see, both the Day Care and the Pok��mon Paradise, including the adjacent Verdanturf Gym, were under Yuga''s strict surveince.


    Whenever there was something suspicious or a suspicious person, the patrol Pok��mon would report to Yuga, and when Yuga wasn''t around, they would report to Audino.


    But Silentfairy had never shown a trace of weakness; if it weren''t for Yuga sending Pok��mon to specifically monitor Strawberry and Barcas, he might not have been discovered at all.


    Huh?


    Yuga checked the Pok�� Balls in his hand and soon noticed something was amiss.


    Where''s the Hypno?


    He checked several times, but he still couldn''t find the Pok�� Ball containing the Hypno.


    Escaped? When did it escape?


    Yuga had been following Silentfairy all along and had never seen the Hypno leave. It also couldn''t have left after entering this room, or else Gengar and Mismagius would have sensed it.


    Thinking about the Hypno that had disappeared without a trace, Yuga furrowed his brows tightly.


    "Where''s your Hypno?" Yuga asked, not understanding the situation.


    Unable to speak due to the pain inflicted by Serperior, Silentfairy simply gritted his teeth and endured the torment.


    Knowing Silentfairy was a tough nut to crack, Yuga decided to wake up the other person.


    This other person wasn''t as resilient as Silentfairy. With a little intimidation from Yuga, he spilled everything.


    As Silentfairy''spanion spilled the beans, Silentfairy watched in disbelief. The contrast between their behavior was stark, and it was hard to believe they were part of the same organization.


    Strictly speaking, they weren''t from the same organization, but they were effectively now.


    Silentfairy belonged to Team Rocket, while this other person was part of the Team Aqua.


    The reason they were considered part of the same organization now was that one of the two major viin organizations in the Hoenn region, the Team Aqua, had surprisingly been absorbed by Team Rocket. Currently, it functioned as a branch of Team Rocket within the region.


    When Yuga heard this news, he could hardly believe his ears.


    The Team Aqua had been absorbed by Team Rocket! Could anyone believe that if it was said aloud?


    But the one who had orchestrated this turn of events was none other than Yuga himself.


    Originally, the n was for the Team Aqua to secretly develop until it reached a certain level of strength before revealing itself. By then, their strength would have been far greaterpared to their current state.


    However, things took an unexpected turn.


    The Team Aqua was exposed prematurely by Yuga and Norman. It hadn''t had the time to develop quietly.


    The still-unstable Team Aqua couldn''t withstand the relentless pressure from the League, and they were forced to struggle for survival under the League''s watchful eyes, fearing that one day they would be wiped out.


    The Team Aqua had no chance to grow and strengthen its position. They were struggling to survive under the League''s pressure.


    After Yuga, in coboration with Steven, defeated an important branch of the Team Aqua, the League intensified its crackdown on the Team Aqua, making their situation even worse.


    Under the League''s harsh measures, the still-fragile Team Aqua couldn''t grow. They were on the brink of copse.


    Archie, the leader of the Team Aqua, was practically tearing her hair out bald in frustration.


    If you want to ask who ia the person the Team Aqua hated the most right now was undoubtedly Yuga.


    Just when the Team Aqua was at its wits'' end, Ariana, who was still carrying out missions in the region, reached out to Archie. Before long, the Team Aqua became a branch of Team Rocket in the region.


    What Ariana discussed with Archie was unknown to everyone, including the pathetic person in front of Yuga.


    He only knew that shortly after that, everyone in the Team Aqua found out that they had be a branch of another major organization in the Kanto and Johto region, Team Rocket.


    Compared to the insignificant Team Aqua, Team Rocket, which has dominated the underground forces in Kanto and Johto for many years, has both money and the ability topete with the League, so the people in the Team Aqua are not very dissatisfied.


    Compared to the struggling days they had endured, who wouldn''t want a better life?


    After the Team Aqua merged with Team Rocket, Archie remained in charge in the region. His first order was to deal with the person responsible for making them pariahs, Shimizu Yuga.


    So, in front of Yuga, there were these two individuals.


    However, the Team Aqua members were scarce, so Archie borrowed personnel from Ariana''s team.


    Silentfairy''s real name wasn''t even Silentfairy; it was just a fake identity he used. His true identity was a member of Ariana''s specialized team, "Thousand Faces."


    "Thousand Faces" was an intelligence and espionage unit, and each member was an elite trained in Team Rocket''s headquarters.


    The pathetic one in front of Yuga knew little about Silentfairy''s true identity, just some general information. After all, as someone in a branch with neither high nor low status, he didn''t have much insight into the headquarters.


    Yuga''s power was overwhelming, and Archie hadn''t intended to confront him directly but rather chose to infiltrate slowly.


    Their original n was to make Yuga suspect Barcas through Silentfairy''s psychological maniption, have Barcas expelled, and then have the pathetic one take Barcas''s ce.


    The next target after Barcas would have been Strawberry, followed by Aunt Aoba, and then the employees of the Pok��mon Day Care.


    The n was sound good, but the execution proved difficult. It all fell apart at the first step.


    Archie probably couldn''t imagine the extent of Yuga''s control over the surrounding area; otherwise, she wouldn''t havee up with this n.


    After listening to the pathetic one''s exnation, Yuga rolled his eyes dramatically. "So, if Barcas left, I would''ve been stuck with someone like you? How desperate am I to do that?"


    Yuga couldn''t help but think that Archie''s brain might as well be filled with water.


    Ultimately, from Yuga''s perspective, the Team Aqua members didn''t have what it took. Whether it was their intellect or their initiative, they were nowhere near the level of Team Rocket members.


    In the end, the Team Aqua had formed toote,cked a deep-rooted foundation, andpared to the heavyweight Team Rocket, they were like country bumpkins.


    After getting as much information as he could from the pathetic one, Yuga knocked him unconscious. He then turned to Silentfairy and asked, "Can you tell me where your Hypno went?"


    Silentfairy remained silent, lips sealed.


    Seeing the situation, Yuga knew he wouldn''t get any more information this way. However, since Silentfairy was a member of Team Rocket''s elite "Thousand Faces" unit and also Ariana''s subordinate, it was possible that the Hypno didn''t belong to him.


    "It seems I''ll have to use more extreme measures," Yuga said, beckoning to Gengar.


    Seeing Gengar floating over with a mischievous grin, Silentfairy finally spoke, his face turning pale. "Are you nning to use hypnosis on me?"


    Hypnosis was amonly used method for interrogation. Humans found it challenging to resist a Pok��mon''s hypnosis, so this method was usually very effective.


    Silentfairy wouldn''t be an exception; with hypnosis, he''d spill everything, whether it should be said or not.


    If he had a special ring like Ariana''s, which could resist and interfere with powerful psychic abilities, maybe hypnosis wouldn''t work on him. But he didn''t have one.


    Those kinds of rings, capable of resisting and disrupting powerful psychic abilities, were prohibitively expensive. Currently, only the Boss and the Executive in the organization had them.


    "Afraid now? nning to tell me the truth?"


    Yuga said to Silentfairy with smile.


    "You''re quite impressive!"


    Suddenly Silentfairy blurted out.


    He still had no idea how he was exposed. At this moment, he strongly suspected that it was the pathetic one who had drawn Yuga''s attention.


    Thinking this way, he gave a fierce re in the direction of the pathetic one. He thought, "I told him not to approach me casually, but he never listens! What a waste!"


    Little did he know that Yuga had psychic and ghost-type Pok��mon constantly monitoring Barcas twenty-four hours a day. Unless he avoided contact with Barcas entirely, it was impossible not to be detected.


    Taken aback by Silentfairy''s unexpected praise, Yuga paused for a moment.


    "Shoul i said thank you?"


    "Mr. Shimizu, could you please have your Serperior release me? There are some things I need to discuss with you."


    Enduring the numbness caused by Serperior''s constriction, Silentfairy tried to make himself look less disheveled.


    Yuga hesitated upon hearing this, unsure if Silentfairy was nning something. However, considering that all of Silentfairy''s Pok��mon had been confiscated, he signaled Serperior to release him.


    To prevent Silentfairy from attempting anything inappropriate, Serperior released him but continued to keep a close eye on him, staying nearby.


    As Silentfairy felt the blood flow returning to his body, hisplexion improved. He then said to Yuga, "Thank you."


    Afterward, Yuga watched as Silentfairy rolled up his sleeve, revealing a small bracelet. Silentfairy tapped on the bracelet a few times, and in front of him, a holographic screen appeared with a figure.


    It turned out that the bracelet was amunicator.


    "Boss!"


    Silentfairy called out to the person on the holographic screen.


    "What''s going on?"


    Although the person on the other side wasn''t facing Yuga directly, from the back view and Silentfairy''s address, Yuga could guess who it was �C Giovanni, the boss of Team Rocket!


    "Mr. Shimizu, the Gym Leader of the Verdanturf Gym, Yuga Shimizu, is right next to me... I... I''ve been captured by him..."


    Silentfairy took a deep breath and, summoning his courage, reported to Giovanni through the holographicmunicator.


    After Silentfairy''s words, there was a brief silence on the other side of the holographic screen. It wasn''t until a gracefully postured cat-like Pok��mon leaped onto the table behind Giovanni and let out azy yawn that the short-lived tranquility was broken.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu? I''ve heard of you!"


    A deep and maic voice emanated from the holographicmunicator, revealing Giovanni''s presence.


    "The renowned Boss of Team Rocket! Likewise, I''ve heard of you," Yuga replied, though his mind was far from calm.


    He hadn''t expected to encounter Giovanni, the boss of Team Rocket, in such an unexpected and tense situation,municating through a smallmunicator.


    Through the tiny holographic screen, Yuga could only see Giovanni''s back.


    But did Silentfairy believe that he could secure his release by contacting Giovanni? He had disrupted quite a few of Team Rocket''s operations. Did Silentfairy think Giovanni would simply let him go?

 Chapter 883: Double

    <h4>Chapter 883: Double</h4>


    As he watched Yuga converse calmly with their Boss, Silentfairy couldn''t help but feel nervous.


    His orders were to follow Archie''s n to the best of his ability and, if necessary, introduce Shimizu Yuga to their Boss.


    However, he couldn''t fathom why their Boss wanted to meet with their enemy.


    "What does Gym Leader Shimizu think of my Team Rocket?" On the other end of the holographic screen, Giovanni remained facing away from Yuga and asked a question that surprised him.


    "They are formidable, capable of expanding an underground organization to the point where even the League can''t touch it. To be honest, I admire your achievements," Yuga honestly expressed his thoughts.


    Giovanni wasn''t the founder of Team Rocket; it was his mother. While Giovanni''s motherid the foundation for Team Rocket''s growth, it was Giovanni himself who made Team Rocket the dominant force in the Kanto and Johto regions and left the League helpless!


    Yuga''s words surprised both Giovanni and Silentfairy. They hadn''t expected such a high evaluation of their Team Rocket from a Gym Leader of the League.


    But as Yuga had stated, Team Rocket, while not capable of directly opposing the League, had managed to evade capture for years. The League''s actions against them had been rtively minor and hadn''t posed a significant threat.


    "Hehe..."


    Yuga''s words seemed to brighten Giovanni''s mood.


    "Would you consider joining Team Rocket, Mr. Shimizu?"


    Surprisingly, Giovanni, the Boss of Team Rocket, straightforwardly extended an invitation to Yuga, leaving Silentfairy wide-eyed in amazement.


    Giovanni was fearless, even willing to recruit a League Elite level Trainer. Silentfairy couldn''t help but admire his boss even more in this moment.


    "I am genuinely extending an invitation to you, without any ulterior motives," Giovanni added, his tone sincere and respectful.


    "Why would you want to recruit me? You should know that I''ve disrupted many of your Team Rocket operations, and I have significant conflicts with Ariana. Aren''t you afraid she''ll be displeased when she finds out?" Yuga asked Giovanni, intrigued by the unexpected interest from viinous organizations in recruiting him.


    At this moment, he suddenly felt: Could he really be a talent? Otherwise, why would these viin organizations be vying to recruit him one by one?


    While Yuga pondered these thoughts, he managed to keep his facial expressions neutral.


    "You are a very talented individual, and having you join Team Rocket would be like adding wings to us. Recruiting you is not something extraordinary.


    Once you join Team Rocket, we are on the same side, and any past grievances can be put behind us.


    As for your conflict with Ariana, I believe with her magnanimity, you both can reach a reconciliation."


    Giovanni spoke to Yuga in a calm tone, genuinely seeming eager to have Yuga join Team Rocket.


    Although he still hadn''t turned around, his demeanor and tone conveyed his sincerity, making it clear that he genuinely wanted Yuga as part of the organization.


    "I can sense your sincerity, but I''m afraid I must decline your offer," Yuga firmly rejected Giovanni''s invitation.


    His previous decision to coborate with Team re had been somewhat impulsive, and he didn''t want toplicate his life further with another spy role.


    "Why?"


    Giovanni seemed surprised by Yuga''s straightforward refusal, and his voice shifted slightly higher.


    "Didn''t you think Team Rocket was impressive?" Giovanni questioned.


    "I believe you misunderstand me. While Team Rocket is undoubtedly powerful, I don''t believe that its existence is justified. I am a Gym Leader of the League with a promising future. There''s no reason for me to abandon a peaceful and honorable path to be a rat in the shadows," Yuga exined.


    "You!"


    The words "rat in the shadows" triggered Silentfairy''s anger, before Giovanni could speak, he red at Yuga.


    If he hadn''t known that he was no match for Yuga. He might have pounced on Yuga and tore Yuga into pieces!


    What a bullshit Gym Leader, your words are so ugly!


    Had he not remembered that Giovanni also held the position of a Gym Leader in the public eye, Silentfairy might have impulsively lunged at Yuga in his anger.


    However, he momentarily overlooked Giovanni''s dual role as both the Boss of Team Rocket and a Gym Leader in the Viridian City


    "I see..."


    Giovanni sighed lightly, showing more disappointment than anger.


    To Giovanni, failing to recruit a talent like Yuga was undoubtedly a disappointment


    "Since that''s the case, we will be enemies from now on."


    Giovanni''s tone remained the same, as if he hadn''t heard Yuga''s earlier offending words. His attitude was calm andposed.


    "Very well," Yuga replied, recognizing the finality in Giovanni''s words. Their paths were now set as enermies.


    As if knowing that recruiting Yuga was a lost cause, Giovanni didn''t attempt to persuade him further.


    Giovanni might have felt disappointed, but he hadn''t let the encounter tarnish his professional demeanor.


    He used such a calm tone to utter the word "enemy" that Yuga felt like he must have misheard, as if he had said "friend" instead of "enemy."


    "Aren''t the League and your Team Rocket already enemies?"


    The way Yuga referred to "us" and "you" clearly ced him and Giovanni on opposing sides.


    "That''s true, but can I make one more request? I wonder if Gym Leader Shimizu can release my subordinates this time. In exchange, for a short time, Team Rocket, or rather, Team Aqua, will not appear in your Verdanturf Town."


    Seeing that their Boss still considered his subordinates, Silentfairy was deeply moved, but Yuga''s response shattered his hopes.


    "I''m sorry, I can''t agree to that request."


    Since he had already severed ties with Giovanni, Yuga had no intention of being ambiguous. Having Team Rocket''s attention on him wasn''t a good sign, and he didn''t underestimate their capabilities.


    However, it didn''t mean he would show weakness. Giovanni might have Team Rocket, but Yuga had the League, especially with his mentor being the guardian of Hoeen region..


    Team Rocket''s headquarters were in Kanto, so they couldn''t devote much effort to Hoenn region. Even though they had a new pawn in Team Aqua, Yuga wasn''t overly concerned about them.


    "Now, how about this? Consider it my plea."


    Giovanni had only intended to test Yuga and hadn''t genuinely believed Yuga would agree to release Silentfairy. Still, Yuga''s unwavering stance surprised him.


    "I look forward to the day when we can meet again."


    After saying these words, Giovanni abruptly cut off themunication.


    "That''s it? What do I do now?"


    Silentfairy felt a bit lost when he saw how efficiently Giovanni had ended the conversation.


    Yuga, however, didn''t dwell on it. He instructed Gengar to tie up Silentfairy and the useless team member temporarily, then locked them in a warehouse, where Gengar would watch over them for the night before delivering them to Officer Jenny the following day.


    When he returned homete that night, it was already quitete. However, Audino and Wigglytuff hadn''t rested yet and were waiting downstairs for Yuga''s return.


    "I''m back! I''m starving! Did you leave me any food?" Yuga eximed as soon as he entered, addressing Audino and Wigglytuff.


    "Audino! Audino!"


    Wait a moment; I''ll warm up your meal for you!


    Audino replied and quickly disappeared into the kitchen.


    Frowning at Yuga''ste return without prior notice, Wigglytuff scolded him sternly. Yuga had no choice but to listen, as Wigglytuff was his senior.


    While Wigglytuff chastised him, he led Yuga into the dining room, and Audino soon returned with a freshly heated dinner, which he served to Yuga.


    "Thank you, Audino. You''re truly amazing, the most virtuous and capable Pok��mon," Yuga praised Audino while enjoying his delicious meal.


    However, Audinopletely ignored Yuga''s sweet words and just gave him a stern look.


    "Audino!"


    Next time this happend, you''ll be dining on the northwest wind!


    Yuga: ...


    Yuga realized that Audino had transformed into Wigglytuff in terms of strictness.


    The next morning, Yuga took Silentfairy and the useless team member to the police station and handed them over to Liliana..


    Before leaving, Yuga specifically asked Liliana to be cautious, as he suspected that Team Rocket might attempt to rescue Silentfairy. Giovanni had, after all, requested that Yuga release him, and they wouldn''t just let Silentfairy fall into the League''s hands.


    Team Rocket was quite resourceful, and Yuga had already captured Ariana twice. The first time was likely a result of Team Rocket''s rescue operation; otherwise, he wouldn''t have been involved in the attempt to steal the Joy family''s Pok��mon Egg.


    However, there was one more issue that was bothering Yuga: Barcas''s imnted psychological suggestion. If this problem wasn''t addressed, it could create false memories in his mind and lead to resentment against Yuga.


    In the end, because of his involvement, Yuga felt he couldn''t just leave it be. However, the Hypno had already escaped, making it more challenging to resolve Barcas''s psychological suggestion.


    After conducting research with Chimecho and Nana, they provided Yuga with a suggestion based on Barcas''s false memories: find Barcas''s ex-wife. In Barcas''s fabricated memories, he hadn''t divorced his wife; she had been killed by Yuga.


    So, if Barcas were to meet his living wife, the psychological suggestion would automatically be lifted.


    Chimecho and Nana could forcibly remove Barcas''s imnted psychological suggestion, but it might damage his genuine memories, which is why Yuga was hesitant.


    With the advice from Chimecho and Nana, Yuga discreetly contacted Barcas''s parents, obtained Barcas''s ex-wife''s contact information, and exined the situation to her. He hoped she could visit Verdanturf Town.


    Barcas''s ex-wife was an open-minded person. Upon hearing about Barcas''s troubles, she agreed to Yuga''s request without hesitation. It worked out well since she also wanted to see her daughter and thought it was a good opportunity.


    After finishing the call with Barcas''s ex-wife, Yuga was dragged to the Gym by Arata Sena and Akihito. They were eager to begin their Gym battles.


    Since Yuga knew he wouldn''t be staying at the Gym for more than two days, he agreed to their request for an immediate Gym battle. However, he was surprised to find Astrid at the Gym as well.


    She had decided to adjust her strategy and challenge the Verdanturf Gym again after achieving better bnce with her Pok��mon. She came to observe the Gym battles to learn and gain insights.


    The Verdanturf Gym allowed visitors during Gym challenges.


    She had thought deeply about Yuga''s words and had to admit that he was right. She had be overly reliant on Absol and Mega Evolution, neglecting her other Pok��mon.


    After returning, she had many conversations with her Pok��mon and felt she had a better bond with them now.


    "Which one of you wants to go first?" Yuga asked Arata Sena and Akihito.


    Arata Sena said, "I''m the senior, so I''ll go first."


    Akihito protested, "I''m younger, so you should let me go first, Senior."


    "Do you really have to make a fuss about being younger? Can''t you listen to your senior?" Arata Sena retorted.


    "You know I''m younger; isn''t itmon sense for seniors to be considerate of their juniors?"


    ...


    Watching the two argue, Yuga sighed. "How about this? Let''s have a double battle or a triple battle. Since you two are training and traveling together, this will let me see how well you work together."


    Akihito reluctantly agreed, saying, "Fine..."


    Arata Sena nodded, "I understand."


    Both of them reluctantlypromised. In reality, they both preferred individual battles against the Gym Leader, but since Yuga made the decision, they had no choice.


    Once the three of them were ready, with Beidou acting as the referee, the battle officially began.


    Following the rules of the Gym Battle, Yuga released his Pok��mon first. He chose Lilligant and Tsareena. These two Pok��mon hadplementary strengths: Lilligant excelled in ranged attacks, while Tsareena was skilled in closebat, making them suitable choices as lead Pok��mon.


    However, as starting Pok��mon, Lilligant and Tsareena were both at rtively low levels, just above level 40. This choice was primarily to gauge their opponents.


    Seeing Yuga release his Pok��mon, Akihito and Arata Sena exchanged nces and silently sent out their Pok��mon: Espeon and Umbreon.


    Espeon belonged to Arata Sena, while Umbreon was with Akihito. Both of these Pok��mon were Eeveelutions, granted as a privilege to Gym apprentices. In this case, all of the Verdanturf Gym apperentices have the unified Eeveelutions. And these two Eeveelutions had evolved further.


    Espeon was adept at offense, while Umbreon excelled in defense, making them an excellentplementary pair.


    These Pok��mon weren''t the first to apany Akihito and Arata Sena, so their levels were not significantly higher than Lilligant and Tsareena.


    "Now, the Gym Battle between Arata Sena, Akihito, and Verdanturf Gym Leader, Shimizu Yuga, officially begins!" With Beidou as the referee, the matchmenced.


    Following Beidou''smand, Akihito and Arata Sena acted immediately. Espeon moved gracefully, slightly lowering its front body. Its purple eyes emitted a gleam, and the red gem on its forehead began to shine. Psychic energy flowed rapidly, targeting Lilligant and Tsareena on the opposite side.


    Meanwhile, Umbreon leaped forward and positioned itself in front of Espeon, taking on the role of protecting Espeon.


    In an instant, Lilligant and Tsareena felt their bodies restrained, their movements bing sluggish.


    Tsareena''s eyes narrowed, and it use Stomp move and stomped its foot on the ground with force, creating a deep crater. The psychic pressure on Tsareena increased significantly.


    Using the foothold provided by Tsareena''s Stomp move, Tsareena grabbed Lilligant behind it and with a strong heave, tossed Lilligant into the air. Despite being under the influence of Espeon''s psychic energy, Lilligant soared into the sky.


    Although Lilligant couldn''t be attacked directly while suspended in mid-air, Espeon was nowpletely exposed to Lilligant''s attacks.


    Several green energy balls shot toward Espeon in quick session. It couldn''t evade due to maintaining the psychic restraint.


    Seeing this, Umbreon leaped over and knocked Espeon aside, intercepting Lilligant''s energy balls with its own body.


    Bang, bang, bang!


    Thanks to its impressive defense, Umbreon managed to endure the energy ball attacks with minimal damage. If Espeon had been in Umbreon''s position, it would have been severely wounded.

 Chapter 884: Showndown

    <h4>Chapter 884: Showndown</h4>


    In the moment when Espeon were knocked away by Umbreon, the psychic pressures on Lilligant and Tsareena were immediately lifted, and both of them instantly felt relieved.


    However, before Lilligant couldnd from the air, Espeon and Umbreon, who had already readjusted themselves, simultaneously used Shadow Ball to focus their fire on Lilligant, who couldn''t move freely.


    Two massive ck energy balls merged in mid-air and headed straight for Lilligant.


    At the critical moment, Tsareena first used a High Jump Kick move to leap into the air and then executed her signature move, Trop Kick, kicking one of the Shadow Balls back.


    Bang!!!


    Lilligant and Tsareena safelynded, while the Shadow Ball hit Espeon squarely. Espeon was sted away and struggled for a while before managing to stand back up.


    Espeon had much lower defense than Umbreon, and if it was hit by the double-powered Shadow Ball, it will forced it out of the battlefield.


    Unable to protect Espeon, Umbreon cast an apologetic look at it. Espeon just shook its head gently, indicating that it didn''t mind.


    Injured Espeon came to stand behind Umbreon, emitting a gentle white light from its body and using a healing move called Morning Sun.


    Most recovery moves required some time to take effect, such as Morning Sun, Roost, and others.


    If there were no teammates to protect or other precautionary measures, using these moves in battle would often fail due to the opponent''s attacks. That''s why Espeon sought shelter behind Umbreon.


    Lilligant and Tsareena couldn''t just stand by and watch Espeon recover, so they immediately moved to stop it.


    Lilligant whipped out arge swath of Magical Leaf, with sharp green leaves gleaming, and directly targeted Espeon, which was behind Umbreon.


    Magical Leaf had tracking properties, so even if Espeon hid behind Umbreon, Lilligant could still aim urately.


    Tsareena, on the other hand, swiftly charged towards Umbreon on the opposite side to prevent it from interfering with Lilligant''s attack.


    However, before Tsareena could get close to Umbreon, Umbreon, following Akihito''smand, used a move called Roar, causing the Magical Leaf from Lilligant to be shaken down to the ground by a rapid sonic wave. Then they disappeared.


    At the same time, Tsareena was hit by the shockwave of Roar while dashing forward. She had to stop her steps, and then she was struck by Umbreon''s following Confuse Ray.


    Umbreon, under Akihito''smand, excelled not only in defense but also in control moves. Tsareena fell into a state of confusion.


    Under the influence of confusion, Tsareena started to feel dizzy, lost the ability to distinguish friend from foe, and then used Leaf Storm to attack indiscriminately.


    Tsareena wasn''t proficient in special attack moves, but Leaf Storm was a powerful move, and its momentum was exceptionally grand.


    At this moment, Espeon had finallypleted its Morning Sun, recovering most of its stamina. Its body no longer showed any signs of injury.


    After the Leaf Storm dissipated, Tsareena remained confused. Then she started to self-inflict harm, using Double p to repeatedly p herself on the face.


    Espeon and Umbreon couldn''t miss this opportUnova. They both used Shadow Ball simultaneously, hitting Tsareena directly, and then Tsareena regained consciousness for a moment before losing consciousness again.


    "Well done, you two cooperate quite well. It seems you didn''t ck off during your training," Yuga praised Arata Sena and Akihito. He then withdrew the fainted Tsareena and released his next Pok��mon.


    Although Lilligant and Tsareena had decent synergy, they couldn''t match Pok��mon specially trained by dedicated trainers.


    Even though they initially had the upper hand, it was inevitable that they would run out of steam and be defeated. Yuga expected this oue.


    After receiving Yuga''s praise, Arata Sena and Akihito were motivated. However, their surprise turned into astonishment when they saw Yuga''s third Pok��mon, a Cradily of the Rock-Grass dual type.


    As an ancient Pok��mon, Yuga was using this strange Pok��mon in a Gym battle for the first time. Neither Akihito nor Arata Sena knew that Yuga had this Pok��mon.


    Yuga didn''t know if fossil revival technology had been developed yet, but at least there hadn''t been any news about it in the outside world, so the appearance of an ancient Pok��mon was already quite rare.


    However, rare as it was, the appearance of ancient Pok��mon wasn''t entirely unheard of in recent years. Some secluded ces still harbored a small number of ancient Pok��mon, and cases of their discovery had been reported in the news.


    For example, in the Unova Region, there was an underground world where Landorus and Virizion lived. However, due to the presence of Legendary Pok��mon, this case had to be kept secret.


    Of course, every discovered ancient Pok��mon was protected with utmost care, and using one as Yuga did was extremely unusual.


    Perhaps only when fossil revival technology began to be widely applied would ancient Pok��mon be moremon among trainers.


    Seeing Yuga release Cradily, both Akihito and Arata Sena widened their eyes in surprise, as did Astrid and Megumi who were watching from the sidelines.


    However, Yuga wasn''t worried about exposing Cradily. With his current strength and status, he had no reason to believe that he couldn''t protect even one Pok��mon.


    Seeing Akihito and Arata Sena lose focus because of Cradily''s appearance, Yuga reminded them, "If you don''t concentrate, you''ll be lose!"


    Although Cradily had started its retirement life in the Ecopark and its level hadn''t increased muchpared to other hardworking trained Pok��mon, it had the advantage of longevity and unique experience that other Pok��mon didn''t possess.


    Hearing Yuga''s reminder, Akihito and Arata Sena quickly regained their focus.


    However, although they recognized Cradily, they had never seen a live one before, so they didn''t fully understand this Pok��mon. They were still a bit anxious.


    Even though both of them had varying expressions, Yuga couldn''t help but shake his head in resignation. He began tomand Cradily and Lilligant to counterattack.


    "Lilligant, Sunny Day! Cradily, Amnesia!"


    Lilligant''s ability was Chlorophyll, which greatly increased her speed under strong direct sunlight. She agilely evaded the Shadow Balls from Espeon and Umbreon.


    Cradily, due to its physical condition, firmly rooted itself to the ground and couldn''t move around easily.


    However, after using Amnesia, its special defense greatly increased.


    The moves used by the opposing two Pok��mon were all special attacks, making it difficult for them to deal significant damage to Cradily.


    Lilligant used her agility and long-range attack capabilities to continuously attack Espeon and Umbreon from behind Cradily.


    Meanwhile, Cradily focused on defense, using Amnesia and Synthesis at the same time.


    Cradily was a unique Pok��mon, despite being Rock-Grass type. It was adapted to living underwater and often used Synthesis to extract energy, even through seawater. While the effectiveness of Synthesis underwater was lower than onnd, Cradily had mastered this move to the point where it was just as effective as onnd.


    Ultimately, Cradily was justzy and didn''t want toe ashore, which was why it became so proficient in this move. But that couldn''t be helped; after all, it was quite old.


    Having honed their moves in the water, Cradily''s unique techniques became even more effective onnd without the cover of seawater.


    Cradily''s Synthesis, whether in terms of recovery or speed, outperformed most other Grass-type Pok��mon.


    The limit for using Amnesia was three times. After these three times, Cradily''s special defense became incredibly strong. Coupled with the Sunny Day, Espeon and Umbreon couldn''t break through its defense, and they had to endure Lilligant''s harassment.


    Lilligant stayed behind Cradily, attacking Espeon and Umbreon from there, then swiftly returning to safety behind Cradily, making it impossible for Espeon and Umbreon to deal with her.


    Espeon did try to enhance its attacks with Focus Energy to break through Cradily''s defense, but Lilligant''s interference made it impossible for Espeon to concentrate.


    Umbreon used Toxic to try to wear down Cradily''s defenses, but unfortunately, Lilligant knew Heal Bell, so any poison inflicted on Cradily was quickly cured.


    Even Umbreon''s Confuse Ray didn''t affect Cradily because Lilligant used Safeguard to protect it. The previous time when Tsareena got hit was just a result of Umbreon catching her off guard. Now, with Lilligant guarding against it, Umbreon had a hard time seeding.


    Recovery and status control were strong suits of Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Despite having high defense stats, both Espeon and Umbreon were worn down in this battle.


    As a Grass-type Trainer, wearing down opponents through attrition was one of Yuga''s strengths.


    Cradily''sbination of Amnesia and Synthesis wasn''t insurmountable, and Akihito and Arata Sena quickly devised a n.


    Cradily''s Amnesia boosted its special defense, so they both sent out physical attackers �C Flygon and Gliscor.


    Flygon and Gliscor were both flying Pok��mon, so Lilligant''s ranged attacks were less effective against them as they could quickly close the gap and evade her attacks.


    Flygon and Gliscor relentlessly used Stone Edge on Cradily from the air, causing it to copse.


    Cradily''s protection didn''t work, and Lilligant, being a Grass-type with low defenses, fell to Gliscor''s powerful Guillotine when caught off guard.


    However, Cradily didn''t go down without a fight. It sprayed a stream of Gastro Acid on Flygon before falling, causing Flygon to transform into a dried-up fish, even though it had wings.


    Despite its has wings, Flygon can fly it''s not because their wings but because its ability, Levitate, provided its flight capabilities. Its wings mainly contributed to its agility and control.


    Of course, Gliscor didn''t get any favors either. The moment Lilligant was hit by the Guillotine, it pped Gliscor face with a Petal Dance.


    Seeing Flygon and Gliscor struggling on the ground, Yuga couldn''t help butugh, and Arata Senamei, who owned Gliscor, felt incredibly embarrassed.


    Yuga''s fourth and fifth Pok��mon were Serperior and Gade.


    While the Verdanturf Gym was a Grass-type Gym, it didn''t always use Grass-type Pok��mon to challenge Trainers. Sometimes, other types were used to test a Trainer''s adaptability.


    As the challenge progressed into thetter half, Yuga''s choice of Pok��mon continued to increase in strength.


    This Serperior and the Sceptile he used against Astrid were from the same period, both with blue potential, and their strengths wereparable.


    As for Gade, it evolved from the Kirlia the offspring of Gardevoir and Gade that he brought back from Motohara. Its strength was also formidable.


    When Yuga''s two Pok��mon entered the battle, the grounded Flygon, unable to fly, spat a methrower at Serperior, but Serperior agilely evaded it and closed in on Flygon.


    Serperior''s Iron Tail struck Flygon''s face repeatedly, and Flygon fell without achieving anything.


    Yuga''s main Serperior was trained more towards special attacks due to its Contrary ability. However, Serperior itself doesn''t have a particr preference for either special or physical attacks, so the training direction depended on the individual Pok��mon''s talents.


    This Serperior had the Overgrow ability, andbined with its agility, it was more skilled in physical attacks than special attack ones.


    Its tail was incredibly flexible, and it excelled at using moves like Iron Tail, Dragon Tail, and Aqua Tail.


    After Flygon was defeated, Arata Sena immediately released hisst Pok��mon, Camerupt.


    This was his initial Pok��mon, and also his strongest. When he joined the YoYo Day Care, Yuga gave him this Pok��mon as a gift.


    If youpared his Flygon''s potential to Serperior''s, there was a significant difference. However, Camerupt, despite its green potential, was meticulously trained by Arata Sena. When the two Pok��mon faced off, Camerupt''s presence didn''t fall short.


    Impressive! Impressive!


    Seeing the formidable Camerupt, Yuga nodded in satisfaction. Arata Sena had made great progress, despite starting a bitter. Especially after their journey, both he and Akihito had made significant strides in their abilities.


    However, with their current strength, it was practically impossible for them to win the Hoenn League Conference, especially with someone like Astrid as their major obstacle.


    Astrid''s Absol, after Mega Evolution, was at the level of a pseudo-Elite Pok��mon. In contrast, Camerupt still had a bit of a gap to reach that level, and there was little chance of a breakthrough in the short term.


    While Serperior and Camerupt faced off against each other, the battle between Gade and Gliscor entered a heated phase.


    Gliscor had a slight disadvantagepared to Gade, but Gade''s agility was far superior. In this close-quartersbat between two Pok��mon skilled in physical attacks, every move by Gade was deadly. Its sharp leaves struck Gliscor relentlessly, causing it to continuously retreat with wounds all over its body.


    Gade capitalized on its agility, attacking while evading, and Gliscor had no way to deal with it.


    Gade had been trained under the guidance of Nana and Shasha, almost like their apprentice. Shasha was exceptionally skilled in Teleport move, which Gade had mastered as well.


    While Camerupt noticed Gliscor''s predicament, it was restrained by Serperior and couldn''t support Gliscor.


    Camerupt was a Fire-type Pok��mon, which should have the advantage against Serperior, but every time it used a Fire-type move on Serperior, Serperior''s tail, wrapped in water, easily extinguished the mes.


    It was tough being a Fire-type Pok��mon these days, especially when facing Grass-types! Camerupt couldn''t help but feel bitter about it!

 Chapter 885: Resign

    <h4>Chapter 885: Resign</h4>


    Facing the fierce Gade, Gliscor nced at the Camerupt battling against Serperior not far away and used Sandstorm.


    Gliscor, owned by Akihito, had themon ability Sand Veil. When a raging sandstorm obscured the sky on the field, Gliscor''s figure disappeared from Gade''s view.


    No matter how agile Gade''s movements were, it was futile to try and capture the hidden Gliscor in the swirling sand.


    Rough sand particles pelted both Gliscor and Gade, wearing down their stamina, but the Ground-type Camerupt and Gliscor werepletely unaffected by the sandstorm.


    Gade calmly spread its psychic power, trying to locate the hidden Gliscor within the sandstorm, but it was unsessful. Gliscor seemed to have vanished into thin air.


    As for the cold and aloof Serperior, it appeared utterly unconcerned about the sandstorm''s effects, keeping its focus on the partially obscured Camerupt within the sandstorm.


    Suddenly, its entire body was enveloped in a multitude of green leaves that rapidly spun around, shielding it from the swirling sand.


    Then, it transformed its body into a piercing arrow, heading straight for Camerupt.


    The move it used was Leaf Storm, and it didn''t mind the potential drop in its Special Attack. Instead, it used the move defensively to shield itself from the sandstorm''s impact.


    While the sandstorm could affect Gade''s vision, it had no influence on Camerupt, which watched as Serperior charged straight toward it. Camerupt exhaled two scorching jets of me from its nostrils, followed by a torrent of scorching heat directed at Serperior.


    Camerupt had high Attack stats, but due to its cumbersome body its difficult to move, So it usually uses offensive moves instead of defense.


    Of course, if it were within a Trick Room, the situation would be quite different.


    The scorching heat rolled, and even the sand in its path was swept away by the high-temperature waves, illustrating Camerupt''s formidable offensive power.


    Seeing this, Serperior abruptly halted its movement, swiftlyshed its tail, and sent a surge of water columns from its tail, splitting the scorching waves into two. The collision of Aqua Tail and Heat Wave created a sizzling sound.


    Serperior took advantage of the gap created by the Aqua Tail and instantly appeared in front of Camerupt. The blue Aqua Tail viciously struck Camerupt''s head.


    Camerupt had poor Defense and was weak to Water-type moves. Even though Serperior wasn''t a strong physical attacker, taking a hit from this Water-type move would force Camerupt to leave the battlefield.


    With Camerupt''s defeat, it essentially meant that Akihito and Arata Sena''s challenge was about to fail.


    In the nick of time, a figure abruptly burst out of the sandstorm, mming into Serperior with great force, and a pair of Guillotine ws struck Serperior''s neck unexpectedly.


    Serperior let out a pitiful cry and fell silent. The remaining water columns from the Aqua Tail move on its tail didn''t hit Camerupt and scattered randomly. At that moment, the sandstorm roared and dissipated, leaving the field''s air clear once more.


    Without the sandstorm''s cover, Yuga finally noticed that standing next to Camerupt was none other than Gliscor.


    The Serperior was defeated by the Gliscor, who was much weaker than him, with a fatal Guillotine.


    Not far away, Gade, who was still looking for the Gliscor, was stunned when he looked at the Serperior who fell to the ground.


    Why did the Serperior, who was stronger than itself, suddenly lose?


    It turn out that Gliscor had concealed itself sessfully by using Sand Veil and taking advantage of the sandstorm, confusing Gade and, in turn, supporting Camerupt.


    It initially observed the battle between the two Pok��mon without making a sound, looking for an opportunity to support Camerupt.


    Because it knew that there was a significant gap in strength between itself and Serperior, a direct confrontation wouldn''t work, so it had to catch Serperior off guard.


    Finally, when Serperior was fully focused on attacking Camerupt and couldn''t be distracted by its surroundings, Gliscor took action.


    Guillotine, the move it used, could guarantee a one-hit KO, but it was difficult to control, with an extremely low uracy rate.


    However, at the moment when Serperior was attacking Camerupt, it couldn''t evade or defend itself, and that''s when Gliscor took advantage of the situation.


    Watching the defeated Serperior, Akihito took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, saying, "Thank goodness we seeded; otherwise, we would have definitely lost this time."


    Facing a Pok��mon like Serperior, which was close to the level of a pseudo-Elite, was Yuga''s limit in a Gym challenge. By defeating Serperior, their challenge could be considered a sess.


    As Gliscor dealt with Serperior, Arata Sena smiled and gave a thumbs-up to Akihito.


    "Not bad at all; your thinking is quite agile."


    Yuga returned Serperior to its Pok�� Ball, expressing great satisfaction with Akihito''s performance.


    Knowing that Gliscor couldn''t defeat Gade, it timely retreated and used the sandstorm to confuse Gade while dying it, then turned to support Camerupt.


    This series of actions was very clever!


    Hearing Yuga''s praise, Akihito scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit shy.


    Yuga''s final Pok��mon was still not a Grass-type but a Water-type, Milotic.


    Since this was a double battle, strictly speaking, it counted as two Gym challenges. Therefore, it wasn''t fair to favor one type over another; two non-Grass-type Pok��mon had to be included.


    This Milotic was naturally not as strong as the previous Serperior and even slightly weaker than Gade. However, it had a type advantage against the highest-level Pok��mon on the field at the moment��Camerupt.


    Milotic was just an ordinary Green potential Milotic, not a Milotic Leader.


    The Milotic Leader possessed a solid foundation of strength, currently slightly stronger than the previously encountered Serperior, and it could potentially advance to a pseudo-Elite level at any time.


    Moreover, the Milotic Leader''s wife, Gyarados, and neighbor, Greninja, both recently advanced to the pseudo-Elite level in a sparring match. Yuga had been thrilled about this for quite some time.


    If the Milotic Leader decided to join the battle, Akihito and Arata Sena would have no choice but to admit defeat. If they could defeat the Milotic Leader, Yuga wouldn''t have to worry about their performance in the League Conference at all, and defeating Astrid would be a breeze.


    The Milotic Leader had strength far exceeding its level.


    Of course, the skill levels of participants in each League Conference varied greatly, and if they encountered a dark horse, there would be little they could do.


    For example, in the previous match at the Sinnoh League Conference, formidable trainers like Cynthia, Flint, and Volkner had all made appearances. It was almost the highest level ofpetition among participants in recent years.


    Against opponents of this caliber, Akihito and Arata Sena''s skills would only lead to them falling behind.


    As the beautiful Milotic entered the field, it uncoiled its long body and fixed its gaze directly on the opposing Camerupt.


    The arrival of a Water-type Pok��mon was bad news for both Gliscor and Camerupt.


    So, Gliscor and Camerupt immediately focused their attacks on Milotic. Gliscor used Stone Edge, and Camerupt unleashed Earth Power, both targeting Milotic.


    Seeing this, Gade swiftly moved in front of Milotic and used Wide Guard, blocking the Stone Edge and Earth Power attacks.


    As the Wide Guard barrier dissipated, Milotic surged forward with waves of water, charging at Camerupt and Gliscor.


    Camerupt used Protect just in time to block Milotic''s Surf, but without a defensive move, Gliscor tried to jump to avoid the attack. Unfortunately, Gliscor didn''t manage to dodge and was engulfed by the water.


    By the time the tide receded, Gliscor had fainted. After the previous battle against Gade, Gliscor had already sustained significant damage, making it unable to withstand Milotic''s Surf.


    Akihito''s final Pok��mon was his starter Pok��mon, Breloom, and it was his most powerful Pok��mon.


    As Breloom opened its mouth and shot seed bombs towards Milotic, it also quickly dashed forward to close the distance.


    The bullet-like seeds hadn''t reached Milotic when Gade swiftly swung its arms, sending out razor-sharp Psycho Cut that sliced the seeds in half.


    Gade was now facing Breloom, both being Fighting-type Pok��mon.


    Camerupt unleashed its powerful attack, Eruption. Smoke billowed from one of its volcanoes while a torrent of mes spewed from the other, attempting to engulf Breloom, which was blocking the path to Milotic.


    Milotic reacted promptly, using Hydro Pump to intercept the torrent of mes. The sh of water and fire created countless billowing steam clouds, thickening the air on the field.


    However, despite the Water-type advantage, Milotic was still at a disadvantagepared to Camerupt, which was higher in level. The overflowing torrent of mes headed towards Gade, which tried to dodge but ended up with its right leg burned. In its panic, Gade was struck across the waist by Breloom''s Iron Tail and was sent flying.


    With injuries to both its leg and waist, Gade struggled for a moment. Feeling intense pain all over its body, it ultimately couldn''t get back up and watched helplessly as Breloom''srge fist descended upon it, causing it to lose consciousness.


    Milotic, distracted by Camerupt, couldn''te to Gade''s aid and found itself in a disadvantageous one-on-two situation. While dealing with Camerupt, it momentarily neglected its surroundings, allowing Breloom tond a devastating Thunder Punch.


    Upon contact with Milotic''s body, Breloom''s ability, Effect Spore, was triggered. Milotic fell into a sleep state.


    Milotic''s ability was Marvel Scale, so while it was in a sleep state, its body emitted a golden glow, boosting its defense.


    Seeing this, Yuga had Milotic use Sleep Talk. Milotic raised its fan-like tail, and a metallic shimmer passed over it, sending the nearby Breloom flying.


    However, Milotic wasn''t skilled in physical attacks, and its Iron Tail didn''t deal much damage. Although Breloom was injured, it was still in decent shape.


    Watching the sleeping Milotic, Yuga had no choice but to keep it using Sleep Talk.


    The first time, Milotic used Coil, further increasing its defense.


    Breloom attempted to punch it, but Milotic didn''t react much. Camerupt used Earth Power, and although Milotic was left with low health, it managed to stay on its feet.


    The second time, Milotic used Hypnosis. Both opposing male Pok��mon were caught off guard and became drowsy, making them unable to attack.


    Afterwards, Milotic woke up, and its boosted defense returned to normal. However, it used the move Recover, which restored a significant portion of its health, despite being at low health.


    Of course, Milotic eventually sumbed to its opponents.


    With its defense back to normal, it couldn''t withstand the simultaneous attacks from Breloom and Camerupt. Breloom''s Effect Spore ability didn''t trigger continuously.


    While Recover allowed Milotic to heal, like Morning Sun or Roost, it required some time and couldn''t bepleted instantly.


    Recalling Milotic, Yuga received two badges from Beidou and handed them to Akihito and Arata Sena.


    "Congrattions to both of you. This is proof of your sessful challenge at the Verdanturf Gym."


    Arata Sena replied, "Thank you, Gym Leader!"


    Akihito echoed, "Thank you, Gym Leader!"


    Both of them expressed their gratitude and carefully stored the badges in the box Yuga had given them before they set out on their journey.


    These boxes were made uniformly by the Pok��mon League and distributed to various gyms. They were given to trainers challenging a gym for the first time in the Hoenn region.


    However, Yuga had only distributed a few of these boxes when the Verdanturf Gym first opened. This was because the rules for challenging the Verdanturf Gym changedter, requiring trainers to collect three badges before attempting the challenge, so there were no more first-time challengers.


    Yuga asked them, "With over a month left until the Hoenn League Conference, what are your ns for the future?"


    Arata Sena replied, "After Megumi participating in the Verdanturf Town Pok��mon Contest, if everythinv goes well, after earning a Ribbon Badge, we n to train in the Petalburg Forest for a while. Then, we''ll apany her to a Grand Festival and head directly to the League Conference."


    Yuga nodded in response and advised them, "That sounds like a good n, but when you go to the Petalburg Forest, be careful not to venture too deep. So as not to encounter dangers that are difficult to deal with"


    Petalburg Forest It''s one of thergest forests in the Hoenn region, and there are high-level Pok��mon everywhere.


    "We understand, and we''ll be careful!" both of them affirmed.


    Yuga considered the situation and decided to inform Noctowl to secretly follow Akihito and Arata Sena when they ventured into the Petalburg Forest. After all, these two were apprentices from the Verdanturf Gym and not just random trainers. They deserved some protection.


    However, Noctowl would remain hidden unless absolutely necessary. As a Psychic-type Pok��mon, Yuga believed that Noctowl could effectively conceal its presence.


    Before leaving the gym, Astrid mentioned to Yuga that she would return to challenge the Verdanturf Gym again after some time.


    Yuga regretfully informed her that he had urgent business in Sinnoh and wouldn''t be at the gym. If she wanted to challenge the gym during that time, she''d have to find the substitute Gym Leader, Beidou.


    However, Astrid insisted on waiting for Yuga to return, which left Yuga with no choice but to go along with her ns. This could potentially affect her schedule for the League Conference.


    But after thingking about it, felt that he wouldn''t be able to stay in Sinnoh for more than a few days, and he could manage to return in time.


    The day after Akihito and Arata Sena''s gym battle, Yuga met with Barcas''s ex-wife. With the help of Chimecho and Nana, Barcas was sessfully freed from the psychological maniption after meeting his ex-wife.


    However, to Yuga''s disappointment, Barcas decided to resign. Although Barcas understood that Yuga wasn''t to me for what had happened, the fact remained that he had been put in danger.


    To be honest, Barcas had a deep respect for Yuga because, thanks to him, Verdanturf Town had prospered. Even though Barcas wasn''t originally from Verdanturf Town, he had developed a sense of belonging. If he were alone, he might have continued working alongside Yuga.


    However, Barcas had parents and a young daughter to support. He couldn''t risk putting his family in danger, even if future risks were uncertain.


    Barcas''s parents were elderly, and his daughter was still very young. Losing him would mean their family could no longer support itself.


    Although Yuga regretted Barcas''s decision, he respected it. He understood that family and safety should alwayse first.


    Barcas was a capable manager, and under his guidance, the Paradise Hotel had thrived. When Barcas resigned, Yuga provided him with a bonus as a token of appreciation for his contributions.


    Furthermore, through this incident, Barcas realized that he still had deep feelings for his ex-wife. Their previous divorce had been based on misunderstandings. So, after this event, he began pursuing her once more.


    The fact that Barcas''s ex-wife had rushed to his aid during his time of trouble showed that she still had feelings for him too.


    Half a year after Barcas''s resignation, the two of them decided to remarry and found happiness together.


    Of course, this is a story for another time. When Yuga learned about their remarriage, he offered his heartfelt congrattions to the couple.

 Chapter 886: Voyage

    <h4>Chapter 886: Voyage</h4>


    After Barcas resigned, the Paradise Hotel fell into a state of unmanaged chaos, which troubled Yuga.


    Strawberry was fine as a service worker, but when it came to management, she wasn''t suitable.


    So he requested that Barcas stay until he found a suitable manager, and Barcas agreed without hesitation, considering that he hadn''t found his next job yet.


    However, this matter would have to be discussed after he returned from Sinnoh.


    On this day, Yuga had to leave for Sinnoh, so he woke up early.


    Audino and Wigglytuff were already up, much earlier than Yuga.


    They had a basket of Berries ready to be delivered to the Gym''s Ecopark; these were the meals for Persian and his underlings. Since these Pok��mon had to patrol early in the morning, their breakfast time was earlier than that of other Pok��mon.


    Yuga had initially thought about helping Audino, but seeing how easily she carried the basket of Berries on her shoulder, he silently abandoned that idea.


    Although Yuga was look much taller than Audino, his body was probably much "weaker" than her.


    On the other hand, Wigglytuff, wearing her little floral apron, followed Audino with her hands empty, heading to the Gym.


    Yuga considered it for a moment and decided to follow them.


    He couldn''t do physical work, but he could lend a hand by feeding the Pok��mon. That should be fine, right?


    However, as he reached the Gym''s entrance, he noticed something in the sky above the Gym''s training grounds. It was a Illumise, dancing in the air.


    As Illumise danced, a silvery-white ring surrounded it, resembling a full moon, emitting a bright silver light.


    Moonlight?


    Yuga recognized the move that Illumise was using.


    But who would be practicing so early in the morning? Yuga wondered.


    With these thoughts in mind, he crossed the threshold and immediately saw a scene with Megumi. Apart from the Illumise flying above, there was also an Leavanny below, gathering sunlight energy, seemingly preparing to use Sr Beam.


    Upon seeing Yuga enter, Megumi was surprised. Under her influence, Leavanny couldn''t maintain the gathered sr energy, and it dissipated.


    Apologetically, Yuga said, "I''m sorry for interrupting."


    Megumi quickly shook her head, "No, no, it''s not your fault. I was having some trouble with this myself."


    The Leavanny nearby looked somewhat dejected, probably because its attempt to use Sr Beam had just failed.


    "Is your Leavanny learning to use Sr Beam?" Yuga casually asked.


    "Yes." Megumi nodded, "Leavanny has learned it, but it''s not very smooth when using it. I wanted it and Illumise to perform together at the Verdanturf Town Pok��mon Contest, showcasing both Moonlight and Sr Beam, but they keep failing at critical moments."


    Yuga nodded in understanding.


    Both Moonlight and Sr Beam were indeed impressive moves, and they could be a beautifulbination.


    However...


    He nced at the disheartened Leavanny.


    Although Leavanny was a Grass-type Pok��mon, its primary type was still Bug-type, so most Leavanny had Bug-type talents higher than their Grass-type talents.


    Moreover, Leavanny''s natural abilities leaned more toward physical attacks, making it naturally better at physical moves than special ones like Sr Beam.


    In other words, Megumi''s Leavanny was quite typical for its species.


    If it were moves like Bullet Seed or Energy Ball, it would be fine, but Sr Beam was one of the ultimate Grass-type moves, which made it significantly harder to learn.


    Also, looking at this Leavanny''s abilities, it had Swarm, a Bug-type ability, rather than Chlorophyll, a Grass-type ability that would have been more suitable for learning Sr Beam.


    "You''ve put a lot of effort into training it!" Yuga sighed and looked at Megumi.


    It wasn''t that Leavanny couldn''t learn Sr Beam, but it needed to be stronger first.


    Thinking about this, Yuga suggested, "Have you ever considered using Signal Beam instead of Sr Beam? While the visual effect might not be as grand as Sr Beam, I think this move might suit your Leavanny better."


    "Signal Beam?" Megumi looked conflicted, "But my Leavanny has been practicing Sr Beam for a long time."


    "I think the purpose of the Pok��mon Contest is to showcase your Pok��mon''s advantages and uniqueness, It''s not just about being shy.


    As it stands, it''s challenging to control Sr Beam with your Leavanny. Moreover, not using it this time doesn''t mean that your training with Leavanny has been in vain.


    Someday, your Leavanny will master this move. Right now, you''reying the foundation, aren''t you?"


    Considering that she was apanion of Arata Sena and Akihito, Yuga didn''t want her to take unnecessary detours.


    With his Insight ability, Yuga could easily understand where her Leavanny''s talentsy based on its data. Therefore, he offered this advice.


    Furthermore, Yuga''s good friend, Robert, was also a Coordinator Trainer, and a top-notch one at that. So, he had picked up some advice-giving skills from him, making it suitable for him to offer suggestions to beginners like Megumi.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Megumi fell into deep thought, realizing that he had a point. She had been on the wrong path before.


    She suddenly looked up at Yuga and thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your advice. I will consider this carefully."


    Yuga smiled and replied, "You should think it over. I''m just giving you a suggestion. The specific course of action should be decided by you and your Leavanny."


    Megumi nodded in understanding.


    Just as Yuga was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and turned to Megumi, saying, "If you do decide to teach your Leavanny Signal Beam, you can go and find Audino. She can rmend some Pok��mon that are good at using Signal Beam to help you."


    In Yuga''s Ecopark, there were many Pok��mon proficient in using Signal Beam, such as Galvant, Ariados, Masquerain, and even some in the Flygon family who had this move.


    However, when it came to Signal Beam, Vivillon was the most skilled. But today, Yuga was leaving Verdanturf Town, and of course, Vivillon would be going with him.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Megumi''s eyes lit up, and she immediately expressed her gratitude.


    After helping Audino and Wigglytuff finish feeding the Pok��mon, it was already 9 o''clock in the morning. Yuga hurried to Verdanturf Town''s airport.


    Apanying Yuga on this journey was his newly recruited main Pok��mon, Rowlet.


    Since this was the first time traveling far together with Yuga, Rowlet was excited and didn''t want to go into its Pok�� Ball. Yuga couldn''t persuade it, so he let it apany him.


    After nearly a month of getting to know each other and working together, Yuga and Rowlet had gradually be familiar with each other, and their bond had grown strong.


    However, even though Yuga had arrived at Verdanturf Town''s airport, he didn''t n to take a ne to Sinnoh.


    He was just taking a ne to Pacifidlog Town and then a boat to Sinnoh.


    Speaking of the reason, it was thanks to Mr. Kuni''o.


    Knowing that Yuga was going to Sinnoh, he informed Drake, who was also heading to Sinnoh, to take Yuga along on his boat.


    Drake had his own ship, and Yuga was catching a ride with him. It was both safe and cost-effective.


    Of course, this was just the surface reason. After all, Yuga didn''t really need to worry about the cost of the trip.


    Mr. Kuni''o''s main purpose was to introduce Yuga to Drake.


    He believed that Yuga was still young, and he would have many opportunities to interact with the Pok��mon League in the future. It was essential to get to know influential people and expand hiswork.


    As a Veteran Elite Four of the Hoenn League, Drake held a high position in the League. Knowing him would only be beneficial for Yuga.


    It had to be said that even though Mr. Kuni''o''s attitude toward Yuga was not always warm, he had put a lot of thought into Yuga''s future, and he had gone to great lengths to arrange these opportunities for him.


    This included their dealings with the Temple n as well.


    The reason Mr. Kuni''o had arranged for them to meet was to allow Yuga to be acquainted with Drake and the Temple n.


    Compared to other Masters, Mr. Kuni''o is the only one without any backing, so he can''t help but think a bit more for Yuga. After all, he won''t be able to stand behind Yuga forever.


    The ne was fast, and Yuga boarded in the morning, arriving in Pacifidlog Town in the afternoon.


    As soon as he got off the ne, Yuga spotted a young man in a white sailor suit holding a sign with his name on it, looking around anxiously.


    He quickly maneuvered through the crowd, getting to the young man''s side and asking, "Are you Mr. Yoshimitsu? I''m Shimizu Yuga."


    "Ah! Finally, I''ve been waiting for you! Nice to meet you. I''m Yoshimitsu, the Master''s senior disciple. I''vee specifically to pick you up."


    Yoshimitsu had seen pictures of Yuga before, so he finally recognized him and spoke to him enthusiastically.


    "Thank you, I appreciate it," Yuga replied, nodding.


    Yuga had received prior notice about Yoshimitsu, the senior disciple of Mr. Drake,ing to pick him up, so he wasn''t surprised.


    "Let''s go, I''ll take you to my Master. Can I call you Yuga? When you get on my Master''s ship, don''t be polite, just let me know if you need anything..."


    As Yoshimitsu led Yuga, he chatted away, seeming quite friendly...


    In reality, Yoshimitsu was several years older than Yuga because of his long years at sea, his skin was tanned, and he had short brown hair, making him look considerably younger than his actual age.


    He and his junior disciples weren''t just the Mr. Drake''s disciples but also his crew and subordinates, spending most of the year at sea.


    Under Yoshimitsu''s guidance, Yuga soon arrived at the dock in Pacifidlog Town, where he saw the Mr. Drake and his ship.


    The Mr. Drake was directing the crew to load the supplies needed for this voyage onto the ship. When he saw Yoshimitsu return, he just nodded and didn''t say anything.


    Yuga approached him politely and greeted, "Mr. Drake, thank you for this journey."


    The Mr. Drake nodded and said, "Rest assured, I will safely take you to Sinnoh."


    Despite the fact that the Mr. Drake''s hair and beard were gray, he had a very tall figure.


    Yuga was already over six feet tall, but the Mr. Drake was still half a head taller.


    Coupled with his serious and reserved demeanor, his preference for not talking much, and his attire in a gray-ck overcoat, he appeared very imposing.


    After exchanging a few words with the Mr. Drake, Yuga was led by Yoshimitsu onto the ship.


    The Mr. Drake''s ship was veryrge, but it wasn''t a modern-day steamship; it was a sailboat powered by wind.


    However, as Yoshimitsu exined, their ship didn''t rely solely on the wind at sea; they also used their own Pok��mon.


    Following that, Yuga saw many Pok��mon resting with their eyes closed on the ship''s masts, including Wingull, Pelipper, Swablu, and Altaria.


    These Pok��mon are all part of the crew on the ship and belong to the Mr. Drake. While they assist in sailing the ship, they also engage in a special form of training.


    Yuga also noticed that at the top of the thickest mast on the ship, there was an unusuallyrge Altaria. He could tell at a nce that this was a Elite level Pok��mon and undoubtedly belonged to the Mr. Drake.


    This Altaria served as the leader of the other Pok��mon on the mast, maintaining order among them during the voyage to prevent chaos. Since the ship relied on wind power for sailing, it was crucial for the Pok��mon to cooperate well; otherwise, the ship wouldn''t make any progress, making a leader essential.


    The Altaria, with its eyes closed, had sharp perception. When it sensed Yuga''s gaze, it opened its eyes, nced at Yuga, and nodded in a friendly manner.


    Altaria is a very gentle type of Pok��mon among the Dragon-types.


    The ship stayed overnight at the Pacifidlog Town dock, and early the next morning, before Yuga even woke up, they set sail, beginning their journey to Sinnoh.


    When Yuga arrived on the deck, he saw Flying-type Pok��mon controlling the air currents, pping their wings to move the ship forward. The sea was calm at this moment, so the ship''s progress depended entirely on the Pok��mon''s propulsion.


    Having so many Pok��mon working together to control the air currents and allow the ship to sail steadily was truly remarkable. It was impossible without their long-term cooperation.


    As Yuga gazed at the Pok��mon, lost in thought, the Mr. Drake walked up to him and asked, "How are you feeling? Any seasickness?"


    Yuga shook his head and replied, "No, the ship is sailing very smoothly."


    The Mr. Drake, relieved, said, "That''s good."


    Just then, the Rowlet perched in Yuga''s arms woke up.


    It nced at Yuga and then at the Wingull, Altaria, and other Pok��mon flying alongside the ship, immediately getting excited and cooing while pping its wings, seemingly eager to join the fun.


    Seeing this, Yuga quickly grabbed it and gently pushed it back.


    "What are you doing? You can''t go over there and cause trouble. They''re not ying."


    Noticing the lively Rowlet, the Mr. Drake, with a rare smile on his serious face, asked, "Is this Rowlet a Pok��mon you recently trained?"


    Yuga nodded and said, "Yes, just hatched not long ago, but it loves to cause trouble."


    Of course, Yuga was only saying that in jest; he actually liked the lively Rowlet.


    Seeing Rowlet staring with its round eyes at the Flying-type Pok��mon in the sky, the Mr. Drake said, "Just let it go. It won''t cause any trouble."


    "Okay..."


    Before Yuga could finish his sentence, Rowlet, with the Mr. Drake''s permission, wriggled out of Yuga''s embrace and excitedly cooed its way over to the Altaria and the other Pok��mon.


    As Yuga watched Rowlet fly off into the distance, he sighed and shook his head helplessly.

 Chapter 887: Disaster

    <h4>Chapter 887: Disaster</h4>


    The days at sea were quite boring, and Mr. Drake himself was a serious person, so there weren''t many entertainment activities on the ship.


    The mostmon activity among the crew was training with their Pok��mon on board, and Yuga would sometimes join them.


    Since the crew spent most of their time at sea, their Pok��mon were mostly Water-types, including Gyarados and Pelipper.


    Mr. Drake''s disciples had standard Pok��mon like Altaria and Kingdra, fitting their identities as Dragon-type disciples.


    Speaking of which, Altaria, as a Pok��mon, wasn''t well-suited for flying over the sea because its cotton-like wings were prone to getting wet from the moisture in the air.


    And the sea surface is usually the ce with the highest humidity, and sometimes, in special weather conditions, the situation bes even worse.


    Once the wings of the Altaria get wet from the humidity, they be exceptionally heavy, and their flight is greatly affected, sometimes even resulting in a crash.


    So, the Altarias that can serve as escort Pok��mon in Mr. Drake''s fleet have very high-flying skills and strong control over the wind.


    The wind can help them disperse the humidity, almost unaffected by it, ensuring their free flight at sea.


    Yuga had the opportunity to have a friendly match with Yoshimitsu''s Altaria.


    This Altaria its not only only skilled on controlling flying-type energy, but its also use of the Refresh move to the perfection.


    At the time of the battle, Yuga used his Roserade, a Pok��mon proficient in poison-type moves. Due to Yuga''s extensive efforts in feeding Roserade various toxins, its poison-type abilities had reached a formidable level, making it challenging for most Pok��mon to withstand its poison attacks.


    However, Yoshimitsu''s Altaria seemed unfazed by Roserade''s poison. It effortlessly used "Refresh" in any situation, purging all toxins from its system.


    If Yoshimitsu''s Altaria had been closer in level to Roserade, which was at the peak of Elite level Pok��mon, Roserade might not have stood a chance.


    In this battle, it became evident that Yoshimitsu''s Altaria''s unique abilities and the bond between Trainer and Pok��mon yed a crucial role in its victory.


    Altaria had apanied Yoshimitsu to various sea regions since its birth, and the maritime conditions had posed significant challenges to the young Swablu.


    Until the blue cotton bird learns the Refresh move itself in order to cope with the heavy moisture vapor, the green cotton bird will be much better.


    It can instantly remove the moisture attached to the feathers by refreshing them.


    As this move bes more and more practiced, the Altaria is no longer affected by water vapor.


    In battle, Refresh is a control move that eliminates abnormal conditions, but when ites to Yoshimitsu, it has be a powerful helper in the life and work of him and Altaria.


    Sure enough, life is the best way to hone one''s skills.


    Yuga has been on Mr. Drake''s ship for two days. ording to Yoshimitsu, they will arrive in Sinnoh in two days.


    Because they did not take the standard sea route, but took a shortcut, they were able to reach Sinnoh so quickly.


    Otherwise, with the speed of Mr. Drake''s ancient sailboat, they would be much slower than an airne, and it would be impossible to reach the Sinnoh Region so quickly.


    This remote route had been opened up by Mr. Drake and his crew, thanks to their extensive seafaring experience.


    Naturally, this route was riskier than the official routes provided by the Pok��mon League.


    But Mr. Drake was an adventurer at heart and enjoyed the thrill of the unpredictable sea. He preferred the excitement of the untamed path over the calmness of official routes.


    After all, what fun was there in sailing without a sense of adventure?


    On this day, Yuga stood at the ship''s bow with Rowlet, looking at the gradually thickening clouds gathering in the distance. The ominous atmosphere gave him an uneasy feeling.


    The weather wasn''t good today, with the sky overcast and even the flying-type Pok��mon apanying them appearing somewhat gloomy.


    Rowlet had just visited them, but this time, it received a less enthusiastic response from the flying-type Pok��monpared to the past few days. It returned to Yuga with a somewhat downcast demeanor.


    "It looks like there might be a storming," Yoshimitsu said, walking over to Yuga with a concerned expression.


    As an experienced sailor, he couldn''t ignore the signs of impending bad weather.


    Yuga asked, "Will it be troublesome?"


    Yoshimitsu replied, "If it''s an ordinary storm, it won''t pose a significant threat to us. But the way things are looking, it doesn''t seem like an ordinary storm."


    The crew on the ship quickly took measures to prepare for the approaching storm. They were experienced and efficient, showing no signs of panic.


    The apanying Altaria were reced by an increased number of Pelipper and Wingull. Usually, the crew members'' Pok��mon took turns apanying the ship, but when facing a storm, all Altaria would be reced by Pelipper and Wingull.


    Altaria, despite its flying skills, was better suited for clear skies. During a storm, it would be a burden and wouldn''t provide the necessary assistance.


    In contrast, Pelipper and Wingull were well-suited for such situations. Pelipper was a Water and Flying-type Pok��mon, while Wingull was a pure Water-type. Both species were used to flying over the sea and dealing with various adverse weather conditions.


    This race flies over the sea all year round and encounters all kinds of special weather, which they can handle with ease.


    Even in the center of the storm, they could safely navigate their way out.


    The Hoenn region was abundant in seas, making maritime transportation highly developed. Every fleet would raise arge number of Pelipper and Wingull as they were the guarantee of safe sea travel.


    Even on a small fishing boat, the owner would find ways to acquire a Wingull.


    Wingull were sensitive to weather changes and sometimes served as early warning indicators.


    In the Hoenn region, both Pelipper and Wingull, just like Taillow and Swellow onnd, weremon and easy to capture.


    Mr. Drake''s ship not only had the Pelipper and Wingull belonging to the crew but also a separate group.


    Compared to modern steamships, this sailboat, which relied on wind power, had higher demands for Pelipper and Wingull.


    The sky above the sailboat was filled with numerous Pelipper and Wingull, creating a beautiful sight.


    Guided by these flying Pok��mon, the sailboat gradually deviated from its original course, intending to steer clear of the thick dark clouds and stay as far away from the center of the storm as possible.


    This might cause a slight dy, but safety was the top priority.


    At this moment, Yuga and Yoshimitsu both stood by Mr. Drake''s side, observing the dark clouds that could potentially trigger the storm.


    "Captain, we''re about to get close to that fog. What should we do? Should we avoid it?" a young crew member hurriedly approached Mr. Drake and asked.


    Mr. Drake remained silent for a few seconds before replying, "It''s toote now. We''ll go straight through."


    The crew member acknowledged the order and hurriedly went back to his duties.


    Fog?


    Yuga leaned forward to look ahead and indeed saw the ship approaching an area shrouded in dense mist.


    This area was enveloped in a thick, mysterious mist, making it impossible to see whaty inside.


    It was hard to imagine that such a dense fog could persist on the open sea without dissipating.


    From the words of the crew member earlier, it could be inferred that this misty area had been around for quite some time.


    Yuga asked Yoshimitsu, "Is there anything unusual about that foggy area?"


    Yoshimitsu exined, "This foggy area has always existed in this sea region, and it has never dissipated. Our ship has been to the outer edges of it, but there are many whirlpools there that make navigation difficult, so we didn''t venture further. We don''t know what''s inside."


    Yuga nodded in understanding. The size of this misty area looked substantial, and while it was easy to sail around it under normal circumstances, they didn''t have that luxury now.


    He nced back at the dark clouds behind them, feeling that they were inching closer.


    Had those dark clouds taken an interest in them?


    The ship''s speed was swift, and it didn''t take long for them to reach the edge of the foggy area and plunge right into it.


    Just as Yoshimitsu had described, there were indeed many whirlpools here, and the currents were turbulent, making navigation difficult.


    Pelipper and Wingull worked tirelessly to keep the sailboat steady and prevent it from being sucked into the whirlpools.


    However, these whirlpools were numerous but not veryrge in scale. Even if the ship got caught in one, the danger was rtively minor, mainly resulting in instability.


    During such moments, the Pelipper and Wingull had to put in extra effort, emitting urgent and high-pitched cries, as if they were giving birth.


    The only Altaria outside that hasn''t being pulled back was Mr. Drake''s Altaria. It sat quietly perched at the top of the mast, extending its neck to calmly observe the distant sea, its two graceful feathers on its head swaying in the wind.


    The Altaria seemed to be the anchor of reassurance for the Pelipper and Wingull. As long as it was there, it felt like nothing unexpected would happen.


    In theory, the Misty Zone should be filled with water vapor everywhere, making it quite ufortable for the Altaria. However, Mr. Drake''s Altaria seemed unaffected.


    Not long after that, the same young crew member hurriedly ran over again.


    "Captain, it''s not good! There''s a massive vortex up ahead! We''re about to be swept into it!"


    This time, with Yoshimitsu''s introduction, Yuga learned that this young crew member was Mr. Drake''s junior disciple, Yoshitai.


    Today, Yoshitai was assisting the vice-captain in steering, which was why he kept running back and forth.


    "Why so flustered? I''ll take a look!"


    Mr. Drake scolded Yoshitai, then hurriedly walked from the side of the ship to the bow, with Yoshitai silently following behind him.


    As expected, just as Yoshitai had described, a massive vortex had appeared ahead. The ship was gradually being pulled into the vortex, and the vice-captain at the helm was sweating profusely.


    At this moment, Yuga also noticed that the Pelipper and Wingull, which controlled the wind, were bing frantic. The orderly formation they had maintained was slowly falling apart.


    "Altaria!"


    Mr. Drake called out to the Altaria perched on the mast.


    "Altaria..."


    The Altaria responded.


    The Altaria spread its wings and let out a long cry. Immediately, around the sailboat, the mist dissipated.


    Of course, it was only a small area that cleared, and once you moved away from the sailboat, the surrounding water mist would start to drift again.


    The Altaria''s hidden ability is Cloud Nine, under the influence of Altaria ability, it yed a role in reducing the mist formed by water vapor.


    That''s why it wasn''t afraid of the water vapor.


    However, what surprised Yuga was that the hidden ability of an Elite level Altaria should have been capable of dispersing more than just this small area of mist.


    Mr. Drake was also somewhat surprised!


    But he didn''t dwell on it and continued to say to the Altaria, "Altaria, use Ice Beam!"


    "Altaria..."


    The Altaria let out another long cry, flew towards the bow of the ship, opened its mouth, and shot out a beam of icy blue light towards the center of the giant vortex.


    However, just as the center of the whirlpool was frozen for barely two minutes, the ice shattered with a deafening roar, and the sailboat was once again pulled by the currents towards the whirlpool''s center.


    "Captain!!!"


    The vice-captin, helpless, struggled to control the direction of the ship''s rudder. The Pelippers and Wingulls in the sky panicked, squawking loudly, adding to the chaos.


    Losing control of the Pelippers and Wingulls worsened the ship''s situation.


    The crew members tried to calm the terrified Pelippers and Wingulls, but their efforts didn''t yield significant results.


    The immense suction force of the whirlpool had left the Pelippers and Wingulls utterly exhausted.


    Seeing this, Mr. Drake, took out a Pok�� Ball and released a Kingdra again.


    Yoshimitsu, Yoshitai, and other disciples of Mr. Drake also released their Pok��mon. They joined forces with Mr. Drake''s Kingdra and Altaria, using Ice Beam together.


    Yuga released his Dragonite and Lapras.


    With the concerted effort of all the Pok��mon, the entire whirlpool was frozen.


    Seeing the crisis averted, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.


    However, their joysted for only a brief moment. A massive and sturdy tail emerged from the sea, creating enormous waves.


    The frozen whirlpools shattered instantly upon being struck by that tail, turning into mere fragments.


    If Yuga had to describe that tail with a word, it would be: thick! And then another word: long!


    The part that Yuga saw was at least hundreds of meters long.


    What kind of Pok��mon could possibly have such a tail? The waves it generated caused Yuga and the others to lose control of their ship, turning their massive sailing vessel into a small fishing boat amidst the tsunami.


    Countless seawater poured into the ship, and Yuga held onto the edge of the ship, keeping Rowlet hidden in his clothes, without even having time to recall it into its Pok�� Ball.


    Dragonite and Lapras struggled in the stormy seas and soon disappeared from sight, swept away by the waves.


    Wingull and Pelipper had long been carried off by the waves, and they were nowhere to be seen.


    The Kingdra belonging to Mr. Drake was submerged in seawater, and Altaria, because of the giant waves, plummeted into the sea, its wings thoroughly soaked, rendering it unable to fly.


    Yoshimitsu, who was with Yuga, fell into the water due to the violently rocking ship. Yuga tried to grab him but couldn''t make it in time, watching him get swept away by the waves.


    It wasn''t just Yoshimitsu; many crew members and their Pok��mon were swept into the sea.


    As for Mr. Drake and hispanion Yoshitai, Yuga had no time to consider them, nor did he notice them.


    Another wave struck, and Yuga couldn''t hold his bnce anymore, being thrown into the air.


    In the Shadow Space, Gengar and Mismagius emerged just in the nick of time, catching Yuga in mid-air. Yuga was saved from falling into the sea.


    However, the waves not only carried water but also wind. Gengar and Mismagius held onto Yuga and Rowlet, swaying in the storm as if they would be submerged by the seawater in the next second.


    During this time, a crew member was swept towards them by the waves and was caught by Gengar, but he had already lost consciousness.


    At this moment, a blue figure suddenly emerged from the stormy seas, arriving by Yuga''s side. The water around its body shifted, dispelling the waves around Yuga.


    Seeing the blue figure, Yuga eximed with excitement:


    "Lapras!"


    However, his voice was quickly drowned out by the surging waves, and Lapras couldn''t hear a thing.


    Lapras arrived beside Yuga, lifting him onto its back. Yuga hugged its neck tightly, finally feeling alive again.


    Lapras isted all the water around them, making Yuga feel much better.


    After cing the unconscious crew member on Lapras''s back, Yuga shouted to Gengar and Mismagius:


    "You don''t need to worry about me. Go and save the others!"


    Gengar and Mismagius, knowing that Yuga was protected by Lapras, understood the urgency of the situation. They nodded and disappeared into the stormy waters.


    Due to the raging waves, they couldn''t hear Yuga''s voice, but they could understand his intentions through their special abilities.


    Not long after, Gengar and Mismagius used their psychic powers to control several unconscious crew members, bringing them to Yuga and Kingdra''s side.


    "Me..."


    At that moment, a massive head emerged from the waves, emitting a melodious song.


    This gigantic head,rger than a mountain, appeared right in front of Yuga. It observed Yuga and Lapras with curious eyes, seemingly unaware of what had happened, and oblivious to the chaos it had caused.


    It seemed utterly clueless about the situation, and it didn''t realize that its tail had caused so much trouble.


    Yuga could even feel the airflow from its nostrils when it breathed.


    The air had a strong sea breeze with a refreshing coolness.


    When this enormous head emerged from the sea, the turbulent waves ceased, countless whirlpools stopped spinning, and even the perpetual mist on the sea''s surface dissipated.


    Seeing this situation, Yuga had no trouble guessing that the cause of the mist in the area was the presence of this gigantic Pok��mon.


    The whirlpools in the mist were just a result of the Pok��mon''s movements, and even the enormous whirlpool that nearly sucked in their ship was caused by its tail.


    Mr. Drake probably never imagined that he was just trying to take a shortcut and ended up in such a disaster.


    And the main culprit behind this disaster waspletely ignorant of it.


    How should one put it? The Ice Beams from the Pok��mon had caused a change in the water temperature, which subsequently awakened this sleeping sea monster.

 Chapter 888: The Old Bird

    <h4>Chapter 888: The Old Bird</h4>


    The storm had subsided, and not far away, Dragonite spotted Yuga and quickly flew to his side, holding two unconscious crew members in its ws.


    Mr. Drake''s Kingdra silently emerged from the water, carrying the unconscious Swablu on its back.


    Dragonite''s arrival caught the attention of the colossal sea monster, and it turned its gaze toward Dragonite, which hadnded on Yuga.


    Yuga couldn''t help but fear that the sea monster might unleash a powerful Water-type attack at Dragonite.


    Dragonite, on the other hand, also felt its skin crawl under the sea monster''s intense gaze.


    However, the sea monster appeared to have a gentle disposition. It tilted its head, casting an apologetic look at Dragonite. Then, it raised its fan-like tail out of the water.


    On its taily the crew members and their Pok��mon who had fallen into the sea.


    Mr. Drake had also arrived above the sea monster, riding on a Smence. Seeing that the crew members on the sea monster''s tail were safe, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    The sea monster seemed to realize that its actions had caused trouble for the humans before it. With a look of apology, it used its tail to transfer the unconscious crew members to a small ind behind it.


    After several trips, it had safely transported all the crew members and their Pok��mon to the sandy beach of the small ind.


    Each time it moved its tail, it created turbulent waves on the sea''s surface.


    The sea monster probably understood the potential harm it could cause with its every movement, so this time, it acted gracefully and slowly, not causing any further disruption.


    It was through the sea monster''s rescue efforts that Yuga and Mr. Drake noticed there was a small ind at the center of the Misty Zone.


    Their ship, affected by the waves, nowy askew on the sandy beach of the small ind. The extent of the damage was not immediately apparent, but several masts had been broken.


    The scattered Wingull and Pelipper, which had been scattered during the storm, nervously perched on the ship''s sides and masts.


    These Pok��mon were used to the ever-changing sea conditions, and despite their modest strength, they were unafraid of wind, rain, and waves.


    So, while they had been quite scared during the storm, they had suffered minimal injuries. Even those that fell into the water could easily take flight again.


    Grateful for the sea monster''s goodwill, Yuga and Mr. Drake led the remaining injured crew members and Pok��mon onto the small ind.


    Observing the injured crew members scattered on the sandy beach, Mr. Drake felt a headacheing on. The priority now was to treat their injuries.


    This was where Yuga''s skills came in handy.


    "Mr. Drake, leave their treatment to me!" Yuga offered.


    Mr. Drake was relieved. Yuga, as a Grass-type Trainer, had a knack for recovery and healing.


    "Thank you. I''ll leave it to you!" Mr. Drake replied.


    Yuga nodded and said, "Don''t worry!"


    Under Mr. Drake''smand, the remaining conscious crew members gathered the unconscious ones, making it easier for Yuga to treat them.


    Yuga released Florges, Chimecho, Bellossom, Venusaur, Roserade, Sawsbuck, and Serperior.


    Florges immediately created a Grassy Terrain, covering all the injured crew members within it to prevent their conditions from worsening.


    Then, Chimecho used Hell Bell to soothe the emotions of everyone present.


    Following that, Sawsbuck took over with Aromatherapy, continuing the healing process initiated by Chimecho.


    Aromatherapy and Hell Bell were wide-range techniques that could benefit many people and Pok��mon at once.


    The free-hand Chimecho kept swinging to heal the seriously injured crew members.


    The other Grass-type Pok��mon �C Bellossom, Venusaur, and Serperior �C focused on individual care.


    They moved in unison, providing assistance wherever needed under the guidance of Chimecho.


    The Grassy Terrai of the three of them are not as good as Florges''s, and they cannot treat arge number of wounded at once, so they can only follow Chimecho.


    As Yuga efficiently directed the healing efforts, all the injured crew members were stabilized. Their lives were no longer in immediate danger.


    Seeing Yuga''s calm and collected demeanor, Mr. Drake nodded in approval. It seemed that Yuga was truly capable of handling the situation: Mr. Kuni''o has a sessor!


    In the water, the sea monster watched Yuga and the others on the shore busily tending to the injured. It extended its long neck above the water''s surface and began to sing a melodious song.


    As the song echoed, the emotions of both humans and Pok��mon were soothed. They felt an overwhelming sense of tranquility, and the fear from the recent disaster dissipated.


    Even the Pelipper and Wingull that remained on the ship, worn out from the ordeal, fell asleep thanks to the beautiful song.


    Having experienced a catastrophe, they were all exhausted. With the tension lifted, many of them drifted off to sleep, some even showing smiles in their slumber.


    Sleep could elerate their recovery from injuries.


    The crew members who were still awake, upon hearing the sea monster''s song, also entered a state of blissful calm.


    Yuga looked at the sea monster, which had finished singing, and thought to himself, "This melodious sound... Only a Melotic can produce something like this."


    Indeed, the sea monster they encountered was a colossal Melotic, a Pok��mon measuring two to three hundred meters in length.


    Its wide tail was responsible for creating the massive waves that had given Yuga''s group so much trouble.


    It was a Pok��mon that resembled a giant sea dragon!


    "Me...llotic!"


    Having finished its song, the colossal Melotic raised its head to look at the gloomy sky. It appeared unhappy.


    Then, it opened its mouth and shot out a powerful Hydro Pump, instantly dispersing the dark clouds.


    Golden sunlight pierced through the dissipating clouds, illuminating Melotic''s milky white, blue, and pink scales, making it glisten beautifully.


    Yuga was stunned by Melotic''s disy of power. To change the weather so effortlessly with a single Water-type move was incredible!


    The weather-altering moves Yuga was familiar with, such as Rain Dance, Sunny Day, and Sandstorm, only affected a limited area or battlefield. None of them could change the weather over such a vast sea.


    What Melotic did was truly extraordinary.


    "Me...lotic."


    Melotic, now bathed in sunlight, gazed at the serene sky, its demeanor far from beautiful.


    Yuga couldn''t help but marvel, "This is too incredible! To change the entire natural weather with just a Hydro Pump!!!"


    Are you a descendant of Kyogre???


    Yuga suddenly remembered to activate his Insight ability.


    ...


    Type: Water


    Ability: Marvel Scale


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 100


    Move: Water Pulse, Bind, Water Gun, y Rough, Refresh, Disarming Voice, Twister, Aqua Ring, Attract, Dragon Tail, Aqua Tail, Captivate, Safeguard, Coil, Hydro Pump, Rain Dance, Hail, Blizzard, Recover, Scald, Ice Beam, Hyper Beam, Protect, Rest, Round, Sleep Talk, Substitute, Surf, Waterfall, Whisper, Dragon Breath, Mirror Coat, Mist, Iron Tail, Icy Wind, Snore, Dragon Pulse.


    ...


    {{{{��"}}


    ????


    Am I really seeing a Melotic? A level 100 Melotic with a purple potential? Yuga had seen his master''s Pok��mon before, and they were all Master level, but none of them were level 100.


    Given its purple potential, Yuga was no longer surprised. Could this be considered a Master level Pok��mon? Or is it even stronger than a Master level? Yuga was momentarily overwhelmed by shock.


    This Melotic was probably the highest level existence in the world.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Mr. Drake noticed Yuga''s daze and casually asked.


    Yuga quickly shook his head, pulling his thoughts back from astonishment. He replied, "It''s nothing, just that today''s events are incredibly surprising. I never knew such a Melotic existed in the world."


    Mr. Drake was equally taken aback. Despite his much greater age and broader experiences, he, too, was seeing such a Pok��mon for the first time.


    Who would have thought that such an incredible behemoth would slumber in this remote sea area?


    With the injured crew members out of danger, Mr. Drake rxed and engaged in idle conversation with Yuga.


    Unbeknownst to them, when Melotic dispersed the dark clouds in the distance, it had alerted an entity within the distant cloud cover.


    It was that dark cloud that forced Yuga and the others to enter the misty area.


    The sun shines brightly here for Yuga and the others, but the ce where the sea and sky meet in the distance is covered with dark clouds.


    Melotic''s appearance had drawn all the local Pok��mon to this sandy beach.


    These Pok��mon had lived on this ind since birth, under Melotic''s protection, and regarded Melotic as their deity. Having never seen humans, they remained hidden in the distant foliage, observing Yuga''s group in secret.


    Yuga soon noticed these Pok��mon, ranging from ordinary Zigzagoon and Linoone to rare Ralts and Gardevoir. He even spotted Solrock and Lunatone...


    In addition to Hoenn''s Pok��mon, Yuga also saw Pok��mon that were unique to Sinnoh, such as Buneary, Starly, and Bidoof.


    Considering the location, it was not surprising to see Pok��mon from the Sinnoh region alongside Hoenn region Pok��mon. But what surprised Yuga the most was seeing a Metagross and several Beldum.


    These were Pseudo-Legendary! It''s really tempting! But with Melotic around, Yuga decided not to be too ambitious.


    The Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon were indeed valuable, but the value of life was even higher.


    Some of the bolder Pok��mon, sensing that Yuga''s group meant no harm, ventured onto the beach for a "friendly visit."


    At that moment, Yuga nced towards the horizon and suddenly asked Mr. Drake, "Have you noticed that the dark clouds over there seem to be getting closer?"


    Hearing Yuga''s question, Mr. Drake furrowed his brow. It did seem that way.


    "Melotic!"


    It''sing!


    Just then, a voice resonated in Yuga''s mind.


    It was Melotic''s voice, and Yuga''s unique ability allowed him to understand its meaning.


    "It''sing? Who''sing?" Yuga wondered.


    In fact, Yuga and his group''s unexpected encounter with the awakened Melotic was entirely coincidental.


    Melotic had lived in this sea area for a very long time, and it had lost track of time. Due to its massive size, it rarely moved, making it almost impossible to awaken.


    Until recently, a Pok��mon arrived in this area, seeking to im the ind Melotic had protected as its territory. It attacked Melotic, intent on taking over the ind for itself.


    This awakening had spurred Melotic into action.


    Otherwise, themotion caused by Yuga''s group wouldn''t have been enough to awaken it.


    After driving away the intruding Pok��mon, Melotic realized that it was unwilling to go back into a deep slumber. Instead, it chose to take a nap to remain vignt.


    Its light sleep allowed it to notice the changing seawater temperature, something that wouldn''t normally have disturbed its slumber.


    Now, that Pok��mon was returning.


    Yuga had initially thought that the dark clouds following them were an illusion. However, it turned out that the dark clouds'' destination had always been this area.


    Their chosen path had coincided with the clouds, and they had unintentionally drawn it towards Melotic.


    As the dark clouds drew closer, Melotic became restless. It beganshing the sea with its tail, creating towering waves. Its serpentine body writhed in the water, muddying it.


    However, considering the presence of the Pok��mon on the small ind, Melotic took care not to affect them with its waves.


    The ind''s inhabitants were equally agitated. They had witnessed the previous battle against the intruding Pok��mon and still carried the trauma. Hearing the anxiety in Melotic''s voice, Yuga, with a solemn expression, said to Mr. Drake:


    "It seems that there''s something formidable approaching. To prevent any idents, let''s move the injured crew members to the ind."


    Whatever could make Melotic so uneasy had to be at least a Legendary Pok��mon. Yuga couldn''t help but think that.


    While Melotic''s existencecked the divinity possessed by true deities, it was already close in terms of power, though not on par with the likes of Kyogre or Groudon.


    Mr. Drake naturally felt the tension in the air. He nodded and quickly instructed the conscious crew members to help move the injured ones to the deeper parts of the ind.


    The ind''s Pok��mon were kind-hearted and came out of the forest and bushes to assist them. Isted from the world for so long, these ind-dwelling Pok��mon were pure of heart and benevolent.


    With the guidance of the Pok��mon, the injured crew members were carefully relocated to a central area on the ind. There, a freshwaterke provided them with drinking water, surrounded by various fruit-bearing trees, making it seem like a paradise.


    To ensure the injured crew members could restfortably, the considerate Grass-type Pok��mon created many leafy beds for them to lie on.


    As soon as the injured crew members were settled, Yuga and Mr. Drake noticed the dark clouds gathering over the ind. There were shes of lightning and discharges of electricity everywhere.


    "They''re here!" Yuga and Mr. Drake both thought.


    "Stay here and watch over the injured crew members. Yuga and I will go back and check," Mr. Drake instructed the others before hurrying back to the beach with Yuga.


    When they arrived at the beach, the battle between Melotic and the intruding Pok��mon was already underway.


    Zap!


    As soon as Yuga set foot on the sand, a golden bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, exploding at his feet.


    Yuga couldn''t believe that they would encounter this Pok��mon today.


    It was Zapdos!


    It was the same Zapdos that nearly drained of its life by Dragonite a thousand years ago, the same one that had previously injured Dragonite''s mother and tried to take away Dratini.


    Zapdos had quite a history with Yuga and Dragonite!


    Don''t ask how Yuga recognized it; just look at the trembling Dragonite next to him.


    A thousand years ago, Zapdos was still young, not at its peak, and it was already injured. It was beaten by Dragonite and Nana. Zapdos was subsequently defeated and even ended up being ridden by Dragonite, who feasted on its electricity.


    But times had changed!


    Over a thousand years had passed, and now Zapdos had grown into a legitimate Legendary Pok��mon. Even if it were to face a Elite levwl Dragonite, it could beat Dragonite easily!


    A thousand years ago, Dragonite could consume Zapdos''s electrical energy like a meal, but now even a mere touch from Zapdos''s electricity felt scorching.


    The difference in strength was evident!


    It was a stark reminder that fortunes could change. In the past, Zapdos could capture Dratini because Dragonite and Nana had previously injured Zapdos. And the reason Dragonite drained it electricity its because Zapdos injured Dragonite''s mother. It was a cycle of cause and effect.


    If it weren''t for Celebi telling them not to change the past, Dragonite might never had future troubles.


    Yuga thought that if it weren''t for Melotic being present today, he would have had to drag Dragonite away quickly.


    As Zapdos battled Melotic, it hadn''t noticed Yuga and the old nemesis, Dragonite, nearby.


    Golden electrical currents surged wave after wave, but they were all deflected by the water barrier around Melotic.


    As a Water-type Pok��mon, Melotic was severely disadvantaged against Electric-types, yet it had been inbat for a while without sustaining any injuries.


    .


    Zapdos wasn''t one to hold back. If low level moves like Thunder Shock didn''t work, it would unleash mid level moves like Thunderbolt, and if that didn''t cut it, it had its high level move, Thunder, ready.


    Finally, injuries began to appear on Melotic''s body.


    However, these injuries didn''t have a significant impact on Melotic. Its body emitted a brief white light, and all the injuries vanished.


    This was the Recover move.


    The speed at which Melotic regenerated was nothing short of miraculous. Yuga couldn''t help but recall Deoxys, which could recover almost instantly, even if it lost half its body.


    Considering the enormous size of Melotic, the wounds on its body looked like deep ravines, and the blood flowing from them could easily dye the sea red.


    However, these severe injuries seemed to disappear in the blink of an eye due to Melotic''s remarkable Recover move. It was almost on par with Deoxys in terms of regeneration speed.


    A vast amount of electric energy continuously surged into the sea, forcing Water-type Pok��mon from the sea to crawl onto the beach, regardless of whether they could make it ashore or not. Some weaker Water-type Pok��mon, affected by the electrical currents, fainted as soon as they reached the shore.


    Not only did the water suffer from the effects of the electrical discharge, but the beach itself was also subjected to the crackling sound of electric currents spreading from the Thunderbolt attacks.


    Melotic wanted to stop this, but it was held back by Zapdos, leaving it unable to intervene.


    Yuga watched the wild Pok��mon affected by the electrical currents and couldn''t bear to see them suffer.


    Fortunately, these were only stray discharges, and if these Pok��mon took a direct hit from Zapdos''s Thunder, they might not have survived.


    Yuga hesitated, fearing that Zapdos might recognize him, but Mr. Drake had already taken action. His two Smence and a Flygon opened their mouths and released mes, dispersing the electrical currents that might have struck the wild Pok��mon, saving many of them.


    Seeing this, Yuga clenched his teeth and released his Charizard, Lapras, followed by his Chandelure and Gengar. He also called his Dragonite, which was already outside, and had them all lend a hand in rescuing the other Pok��mon.


    Now only Chimecho remained by his side for personal protection. Florges was left with the injured crew members in the deep part of the ind since she needed to care for them.


    Zapdos realized that it had gone a bit too far, especially with the stray discharges affecting wild Pok��mon.


    After all, it only wanted to im territory, not harm other ordinary Pok��mon.


    Just as it was about to tone down its attacks, it caught sight of Dragonite in the sky. Those golden scales were just too conspicuous.


    Following that, it noticed Yuga, who was protected by Chimecho, not far away.


    Zapdos''s eyes turned red in an instant.


    These two were sworn enemies from a lifetime ago!


    It couldn''t forget the humiliation of being pinned down and rubbed against the ground by Dragonite, even though over a thousand years had passed.


    And that human was the owner of that Dragonite.


    These two... it would recognize them even if it turned into ashes!


    You defeated me, so why not capture me? What, you still look down on me? I didn''t even mind that it was two against one!


    Zapdos wasn''t really looking to be captured; it was just that as a Legendary Pok��mon, being defeated by humans and then cast aside was incredibly humiliating.


    This humiliation had been seared into its memory for over a thousand years.


    Back in the day, it was defeated by Emperor Rude and ended up following him, helping him confront the guardian deity of the Vante Empire, Heatran. From being highly regarded by an emperor to being ignored by a nobody, that was quite a fall from grace.


    Of course, Zapdos had long forgotten who Emperor Rude was after a thousand years, remembering only that it seemed to have been captured by someone.


    It wasn''t that Zapdos had a bad memory or was disloyal, but back then, it was still young and didn''t spend many days with Emperor Rude before the Arus Empire was destroyed. They never really formed a deep bond.


    On the other hand, that Heatran, the guardian deity of Vante, remained loyal to the Vante Empire for centuries even after its emperor''s death. If it weren''t for theter emperors of Vante crossing the line, it might never have left Vante.


    All of this was what Zapdos had heardter, but with the passage of time, that Heatran it had once known had disappeared without a trace.


    Zapdos didn''t know if it had died or hidden away in the depths of some remote forest.


    While Yuga was busy defending against Zapdos''s lightning, he suddenly saw Zapdos staring at him with those angry red eyes, which made his heart skip a beat.


    Has it spotted me?


    Then he saw Zapdos charging furiously toward him. However, Melotic must have thought that Zapdos intended to cause trouble on the ind and quickly intervened.


    A fierce blizzard was unleashed by Melotic and blown toward Zapdos. The rapidly dropping temperature and the snowkes filling the sky hindered Zapdos''s progress, causing frost to form on its wings, seriously impeding its ability to fly.


    Zapdos, now uninterested in dealing with Melotic, sent an Thunder Wave to try and paralyze it. While Melotic was indeed paralyzed, it was only a minor inconvenience for Melotic, as it quickly recovered.


    With its paralysis lifted, Melotic raised its tail, which was over a hundred meters long, from the water and swung it at Zapdos. Despite Zapdos''s strength, its size was only about that of an adult human. It was instantly sent plunging into the sea by Melotic''s tail.


    As Zapdos emerged from the water, its feathers were soaking wet. While this didn''t affect it much, it was genuinely furious!


    You dare to bully me!


    In mid-air, Zapdos transformed into a gleaming golden sun, but instead of radiating light, it radiated electricity.


    It began to unleash its electric power without restraint, using the move Thunder, which was even more potent than Thunderbolt. While the uracy of Thunder wasn''t great, Zapdos didn''t care. It fired one lightning bolt after another, sweeping them across the battlefield, striking anything and anyone in its path.


    You all dare to bully me!


    It had forgotten that it was the one who initially tried to im their territory.


    Facing Zapdos''s relentless attacks, even Melotic, whose strength was on par with a Legendary Pok��mon, couldn''t stop the swift lightning bolts, especially thergest one, which was aimed straight at Melotic.


    With a resounding crack, half of Melotic''s body was obliterated by the lightning. The other electric currents were still wreaking havoc, and Zapdos had lost its rationality entirely.


    Yuga''s Charizard, Lapras, Gengar, and Mismagius, along with Mr. Drake''s two Smence and a Flygon, were all swiftly flying through the air, assisting other ordinary Pok��mon in withstanding the thunderous onught.


    Seeing the situation escting, Yuga shouted to Chimecho, "Chimecho use Light Screen, quick!"


    "Ring, ring, ring..."


    In response, Chimecho rapidly swayed its body and emitted a series of tinkling sounds, channeling all of its psychic energy.


    One by one, Light Screens materialized above the Pok��mon, shielding them from the lightning strikes.


    The entire sky above the sea was covered in Light Screens resembling fish scales, reflecting a dazzling array of light, creating a magnificent scene.


    Mr. Drake was stunned by Chimecho''s incredible technique. It would take an immense amount of psychic power to simultaneously deploy thousands of Light Screens.


    However, despite Chimecho''s impressive disy, its power was still limited. It hadn''t reached the level of an Elite level Pok��mon, and even though its Light Screens were formidable, their strength was not enough to withstand Zapdos''s onught.


    In just an instant, all the Light Screens were shattered as if they were made of paper, reduced to mere fragments.


    When the Light Screens were simultaneously destroyed, the burst of light from their dispersal threatened to blind everyone, including the Pok��mon.


    Even Zapdos''s eyes were temporarily affected, causing a momentary pause in the relentless thunder.


    During this brief respite, thousands of Light Screens reappeared under Chimecho''s control.


    To prevent the Light Screens from shattering once again, Chimecho unleashed its psychic power without reservation. Its little face turned almost purple-red, a sign of the tremendous strain it was enduring.


    But even with its all-out effort, cracks appeared on the Light Screens, and it seemed they would shatter once more.


    Yuga was deeply worried about the potential irreversible damage to Chimecho''s psychic power from using Light Screen in such an intense manner.


    However, given the critical situation, Chimecho had no room to hold back.


    Suddenly, Chimecho let out a piercing scream, a stark contrast to its usually gentle and crisp voice. Its body emitted a strong purple light.


    In an instant, all the cracks on the Light Screens vanished, and the thunderous bolts were deflected. Ordinary Pok��mon sheltered by the Light Screens were finally temporarily safe from the danger.


    On the other side, Melotic, now incensed because of its half-obliterated body, was no longer willing to tolerate Zapdos''s provocations. While it had a gentle demeanor, that didn''t mean itcked a temper.


    With a gleam of milky light, Melotic regenerated the half of its body that had been obliterated, appearing just as it had before. However, this restoration was only surface-deep; to recover its missing half, Melotic expended a significant amount of energy.


    In its fury, Melotic employed the weathe move "Hail." Fluffy snowkes began to fall from the sky in abundance, turning what was once a scorching summer day into a bone-chilling winterndscape.


    Though "Hail" was a weather move that inflicted minor damage over time, Melotic used it to emte the effects of a standard Pok��mon''s Blizzard attack.


    Despite the potential harm the hail might cause to Melotic itself, it was unbothered by the minor injury.


    Melotic disyed perfect control over the "Hail" move, ensuring that only itself and Zapdos in the sky above the sea were affected, leaving Yuga and hispanions unscathed on the shore.


    However, Zapdos found itself in dire straits.


    Melotic, seemingly unsatisfied with just the hail, whipped up a blizzard with ferocious intensity, bombarding Zapdos.


    Within the confines of the "Hail" weather, Zapdos had no escape; wherever it flew, the blizzard followed, pelting it with chunks of ice.


    Under the relentless blizzard, Zapdos inevitably fell into a frozen state. Its wings froze stiff, rendering it unable to continue pping and causing it to plummet straight into the sea.


    Witnessing Zapdos''s plunge into the water, Melotic was ecstatic. It ceased the blizzard, instead using its tail to forcefully smack Zapdos deeper into the sea.


    Melotic executed "Iron Tail," a Steel-type move known for its significant damage and defense reduction. It thoroughly thrashed Zapdos, causing it to gulp down seawater, swelling its belly.


    As Zapdos endured the relentless pummeling from the infuriated Melotic, a significant transformation was taking ce in Yuga''s Chimecho.


    Wrapped in purple light, Chimecho soared to new heights, breaking through its previous limits as a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, now ascending to the Elite level Pok��mon.


    ...


    Type: Psychic


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Levitate


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 71


    Skills: Confusion, Gravity, Heal Pulse, Heal Bell, Synchronoise, Shadow Ball, Safeguard, Noise, Psyshock, Calm Mind, Light Screen, Psycho Boost, Reflect, Healing Wish, Foresight, Teleport, Psychic, Skill Swap, Double Team, Rest, Charge Beam, Dream Eater, Magic Room, Recover.


    ...


    This sudden and unexpected breakthrough substantially increase Chimecho''s power, enabling it to withstand the thunderous assaults from Zapdos, an opponent with strength far more powerful tham it..


    It was indeed an extraordinary feat.


    Although the mainstream lightning was absorbed by Melotic, Chimecho had just reached Elite level Pok��mon, whereas Zapdos was a mature Legendary Pok��mon with over a millennium of experience.


    The gap in their abilities was undeniably substantial.


    As all the lightning dissipated, the more than a thousand light screens controlled by Chimecho also disappeared.


    Chimecho herself fell unconscious in Yuga''s arms, showing signs of having overexerted its psychic powers.


    Observing Chimecho''s pained expression in its unconscious state, Yuga realized that it had pushed its psychic abilities to the limit.


    Turning his attention to Zapdos, which had been pummeled into the sea by Melotic, it was in a pitiable state beyond words.


    Its golden feathers were disheveled, and many had even fallen off, floating on the sea''s surface. While the icyyers had been gradually stripped away by the repeated plunges into the ocean, its consciousness had grown hazy.


    Once Melotic had vented its rage and regained its senses, it noticed Zapdos unconscious. With a flick of its tail, Melotic flung Zapdos onto the beach, and by sheer coincidence, itnded right at Yuga''s feet.


    Looking at the drenched, bedraggled Zapdos, Yuga couldn''t help but think that this was probably the least dignified appearance he had ever seen a Legendary Pok��mon in.

 Chapter 889: Explanation

    <h4>Chapter 889: Exnation</h4>


    The great battle had ended, but this sea area had be chaotic.


    Not only because of the turbulent waves caused by Melotic''s rolling body but also by the sight of the Pok��mon scattered in all directions on the shore, one could tell how brutal the battle had been.


    Most of the affected Pok��mon were water-type, and those on the shore had followed the injured to a small ind deep within. They knew they couldn''t help Melotic, so they chose not toe out and cause trouble.


    However, the water-dwelling Pok��mon were in dire straits.


    Like Magikarp, Chinchou, Lanturn, Qwilfish, Remoraid, Carvanha, and others, who never ventured ontond, were now stranded on the beach.


    Apart from these smaller Pok��mon, giant Pok��mon like Wailord and Wailmer alsoy scattered along the shore.


    Once onnd, these Pok��mon had no mobility. When Zapdos''s lightning struck, they relied on the rescue of Dragonite and the protection of Chimecho Light Screen.


    Fortunately, the efforts of Yuga and his team were not in vain.


    Despite their injuries, most of the Pok��mon were not in mortal danger, as Zapdos''s real target wasn''t them.


    Today, witnessing the terror of Zapdos, a low-level Legendary, Yuga truly believed that the first-level Legendary indeed possessed the power to destroy the world.


    Melotic had expended too much energy in the battle with Zapdos. As soon as the battle ended, it sank to the seafloor, not even bothering with the bald Zapdos that it had thrown onto the shore.


    Of course, Zapdos was in a miserable state right now, and it was impossible for it to cause any more trouble.


    As they looked at the grounded Zapdos, Yuga and Mr. Drake exchanged nces, unsure of what to do next.


    However, the immediate priority was to rescue the stranded water-type Pok��mon. If they died on the shore, all their previous efforts would be in vain!


    Because these Pok��mon were injured, they needed the help of medical Pok��mon.


    However, they couldn''t rely on Chimecho anymore. Although it had broken through to the Elite level in the crisis, it was currently unconscious.


    Yuga checked Chimecho and found nothing physically wrong with it. He was worried about its mental state, but psychic power was invisible and intangible, so he couldn''t examine it. He would have to wait for Chimecho to wake up.


    Recalling Chimecho into its Pok�� Ball, Yuga sent Dragonite to the small ind to bring his other Pok��mon back and began treated to the water-type Pok��mon himself.


    Most of the Pok��mon were paralyzed due to the lightning attacks, so Sawsbuck''s Aromatherapy had a significant effect.


    Originally, If Chimecho had been awake, a single Heal Bell would have instantly dispelled the paralysis on these Pok��mon.


    However, with Chimecho injured, they had to rely on Sawsbuck''s Aromatherapy for healing. It took quite an effort, but eventually, the Pok��mon were safe.


    Pok��mon and humans have different physiologies. As long as the injuries aren''t immediately fatal, they can recover quickly with treatment.


    Once their injuries were treated, the next step was to return them to the sea.


    The smaller Pok��mon had no issues, but giants like Wailord required everyone''s cooperation.


    Fortunately, the ind''s Pok��mon came out to help, so while there were many stranded water-type Pok��mon, there were also plenty on the ind to assist.


    Therger Pok��mon were transported by the strong Pok��mon, with Yuga, a human with less strength, carrying smaller Pok��mon like Goldeen, Remoraid, and Lanturn back into the water.


    This sea area was exceptionally rich in water-type Pok��mon due to Melotic''s protection. In addition to the water-type Pok��mon from the Hoenn region, there were also many from the Sinnoh region.


    What surprised Yuga the most was that he actually saw four or five Phiones here.


    Even though others don''t know, how can Yuga not know?


    Phione was the offspring of the Water-type Mythical Pok��mon, Manaphy.


    Could it be that this sea area was also home to Manaphy?


    Manaphy was a rare Mythical Pok��mon that could breed with ordinary Pok��mon, although it could only produce Phione as it offspring.


    Of course, Yuga wasn''t particrly interested in Phione; they weren''t overly powerful Pok��mon. Besides, behind Phione might be Manaphy itself, and he didn''t want to provoke that.


    He carried the Phiones towards the shore, but as soon as he ced them in the water, the giant Pok��mon, Melotic, anxiously stuck its head out of the water.


    Upon seeing Melotic, the Phiones immediately swam over joyfully.


    Melotic, seeing that they were safe and sound, breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, nothing happened to them!"


    It even sent a grateful look towards Yuga.


    Melotic had witnessed Yuga and Chimecho''s performance earlier and knew that thanks to them, many water-type Pok��mon, including the Phiones, had been saved.


    Melotic hadn''t expected the Phiones to venture out of their underwater nests. If they had stayed put in their nests, even Zapdos wouldn''t have been able to harm them.


    Outside was a different story; Phiones were not particrly strong, and ordinary Pok��mon had the ability to harm them.


    Their mother, Manaphy, had entrusted Melotic to look after the Phiones before going on its ocean patrol. Every year, there had to be a period when Manaphy wasn''t at home.


    Watching Phiones and Melotic''s affectionate interactions, Yuga couldn''t help but wonder, "Could this Melotic and Manaphy have an affair?"


    He quickly dismissed this thought from his mind, and as he watched Melotic and the Phiones swim back into the sea, Yuga turned around to continue helping other stranded Pok��mon.


    Once all the Pok��mon were safely back in the sea, Yuga was so exhausted that he almost copsed, leaning on Dragonite to catch his breath.


    On the other hand, Mr. Drake, who was nearly sixty, seemed as robust as ever. He worked just as hard as Yuga, but he didn''t look flushed or out of breath.


    For the sake of his pride, Yuga maintained a calm andposed appearance. Losing to an older person would be too embarrassing for him.


    Now, the remaining issue was how to deal with Zapdos.


    Looking at the still unconscious Zapdos, both Yuga and Mr. Drake were puzzled.


    With the super-strong recovery abilities of Legendary Pok��mon, Zapdos would probably recover in no time.


    Then, they would have another problem on their hands.


    While Melotic''s power could rival that of Legendary Pok��mon and it could defeat or injure Zapdos, it wasn''t a Legendary Pok��mon and couldn''t cause permanent harm due to the divinity exclusive to Legendary Pok��mon. Given some time, Zapdos would likely recover quickly.


    He remember the reason why Dragonite''s mother''s injury was so difficult to recover from was because of the divinity of Zapdos.


    As for the option killing Zapdos directly, it''s not the option.


    There''s a secret agreement between the League and the orderly Legendary Pok��mon. The Zapdos was a member of the orderly Legendary Pok��mon, and while capturing it would be eptable, taking its life would cause a major uproar.


    Other Legendary Pok��mon would find out, and it would lead to chaos.


    At this moment, Dragonite standing beside Yuga seemed restless.


    Sensing Dragonite''s unusual behavior, Yuga incredulously asked, "What are you thinking? Please don''t tell me you want to drain Zapdos dry!"


    Dragonite blushed and nodded.


    Yuga was baffled. "No! Not that kind of ''drain''... I mean, this Zapdos is different from the one before. It''s a genuine peak Level 2 Legendary Pok��mon now, and its Electric-type power is connected to its essence. Your small body can''t handle it!"


    Yuga exined the situation to Dragonite, but Dragonite insisted on giving it a try, saying that it was worth the effort.


    Yuga was genuinely concerned but couldn''t dissuade Dragonite.


    So, to the astonishment of Yuga and Mr. Drake, Dragonite mounted Zapdos.


    A golden bead hidden within Dragonite emitted golden electric streams, connecting Dragonite and Zapdos. The Electric-type energy from Zapdos began to flow out along these streams, entering Dragonite''s body.


    Mr. Drake hesitated to speak.


    He had noticed before that Yuga''s Dragonite was exceptionally skilled with Electric-type abilities, which was unusual for a Dragon-type Pok��mon.


    Now, it could even absorb Zapdos''s power?


    "Your Dragonite..." Mr. Drake started, but he couldn''t find the right words. He was worried that this process might harm Zapdos.


    Yuga gave Mr. Drake a reassuring look.


    "Don''t worry; nothing bad will happen."


    He believed that if Zapdos survived and recovered from situations in the past when it was less powerful, it would certainly be fine now.


    With Yuga''s assurance, Mr. Drake felt relieved. He trusted that Yuga wouldn''t take risks in such a situation.


    But was it really going to be okay?


    Zapdos looked rather miserable, even though it was unconscious. The continuous outflow of Electric-type energy made its body twitch uncontrobly.


    Of course, Dragonite wasn''t having an easy time either. The intense Electric-type energy coursing through its body was undoubtedly painful.


    Dragonite''s agonizing roars tugged at Yuga''s heartstrings.


    However, Dragonite knew it couldn''t handle such immense Electric-type energy, so it stored it all in the golden bead within its body.


    Though it wasn''t visible to others, as the Electric-type energy umted within the bead, the bead itself became increasingly brilliant.


    Dragonite didn''t go too far and only absorbed about half of Zapdos''s Electric-type core energy. This wouldn''t endanger Zapdos''s life but would prevent it from recovering and causing more trouble in the short term.


    As Dragonite absorbed about half of the energy, Zapdos woke up and, upon seeing what Dragonite was doing, it wished it could scratch both Yuga and Dragonite with its talons.


    "This is outrageous! Do you treat all birds like this? Am I just your energy extractor? Once wasn''t enough, and now this!"


    Zapdos thought angrily. But it was too injured to do anything but stare helplessly as Dragonite had its way with its body.


    When Dragonite finished absorbing the energy, Zapdos looked utterly defeated, mouth agape, and its gaze distant.


    Dragonite, on the other hand, fell into a deep sleep due to absorbing too much energy. Yuga recalled it into its Pok�� Ball.


    Sensing Dragonite''s absence, Zapdos regained its senses and gave Yuga a fierce re.


    "Don''t look at me like that! Your core energy might be precious, but you''ve caused harm to so many Pok��mon today. Taking half of your core energy as punishment is fair!" Yuga shrugged, feeling confident now.


    With half of its core energy gone, it would be impossible for Zapdos to recover quickly.


    Zapdos red at Yuga once again: If it weren''t for the two of you here, do you think I''d be driven to madness and hurt so many Pok��mon? I''m well aware that I''ve gone mad, and it''s not pleasant!


    Zapdos still believed that Yuga and the others had provoked it first, thinking that the Dratini it had captured before was Dragonite''s descendant.


    It considered the Dragonite from over a thousand years ago as its true form.


    Yuga decided it was time to rify things with Zapdos and asked Mr. Drake if they could have a private conversation for a moment.


    Mr. Drake nodded and moved away from the scene. While he knew Yuga had a special ability tomunicate with Pok��mon, he respected their privacy and didn''t eavesdrop.


    With Mr. Drake gone, Yuga turned to Zapdos. "I can see that you''re quite upset with me and Dragonite."


    Zapdos rolled its eyes dramatically: Do I even need to say it? It''s a matter of life and death now!


    "You probably still think it was Dragonite and I who provoked you all along."


    "But the fact is, you captured Dragonite when it was still a Dratini, injured its mother..."


    Yuga proceeded to exin the entire sequence of events, including their time travel experience, to Zapdos.


    Zapdos was dumbfounded by the revtion. This can''t be true... How could things have turned out like this?


    Seeing Zapdos so visibly shaken, Yuga continued, "At this point, it''s hard to say who was right or wrong. If you''re willing, how about we call it even?"


    In reality, Yuga could have stopped Dragonite from bullying Zapdos back when it was young and injured.


    However, he chose not to intervene because he knew that if Dragonite didn''t bully Zapdos thousamd years ago, he and Dragonite might never have crossed paths.


    Ultimately, he had his own selfish reasons.


    Of course, one of the reasons he didn''t stop Dragonite was Celebi, who warned against altering the past.


    Zapdos snapped out of its stupor and vehemently rejected the idea of calling it even: Even? Dream on! Our grudge, yours, that Dragon''s, runs deeper than the mountains and wider than the sea. There''s no way we can just call it even. I will never forgive!


    Seeing Zapdos''s fervent refusal, Yuga found himself in a dilemma. Continuously feuding with a Legendary Pok��mon didn''t seem like a viable solution.

 Chapter 890: Gift

    <h4>Chapter 890: Gift</h4>


    Yuga had a sudden idea and proposed, "How about this? You follow me, and I help you heal your injuries. What do you think?"


    He couldn''t deny that the thought of having a Legendary Pok��mon like Zapdos with him was tempting. He had been envious when he saw Joyna''s Latias before.


    Joyna''s Latias hadn''t reached the peak power of a Legendary Pok��mon, and it was far weaker than this Zapdos, which had lived for over a thousand years.


    If not for encountering that excessively powerful Melotic, it could probably beat any other Level 2 Legendary Pok��mon.


    With the Max Revives in his possession, Yuga was confident he couldpletely heal Zapdos.


    Although the previous one had been used by Dragonite''s mother, Yuga had cultivated new Revival Herb, and he had a freshly made Max Revive in his system''s backpack.


    The Max Revive was the crystallization of ancient human medical knowledge, capable of healing any injuries on all Pok��mon, with an effect equivalent to the Sacred Ash of Ho-Oh.


    If a Pok��mon''s injuries couldn''t be healed even by Ho-Oh''s Sacred Ash, then it was as good as waiting for death.


    "Zapdos!!!"


    Don''t even think about it!!!


    Hearing Yuga''s proposal, Zapdos''s eyes turned red with anger.


    You want to tame me? No way! Just looking at you makes my heart, liver, and spleen ache. If I have to see you every day, I might die from frustration!


    Furthermore, all the past issues stemmed from misunderstandings. Today, Dragonite had taken half of my power source again! That''s a new grudge!


    Healing this power source injury wouldn''t be easy.


    Legendary Pok��mon, influenced by their divinity, became stronger and had incredible regenerative abilities. But that was under the assumption that their power source remained intact.


    With half of it gone, do you seriously think you can heal me? I don''t believe it!


    Look at all the Legendary Pok��mon whose power sources have been damaged. Which one of them hasn''t had to recover for decades or even centuries?


    Seeing Zapdos in such a state of frustration, Yuga realized that taming Zapdos was out of the question. He had only wanted to try it, even though the chances of sess were slim.


    But now, there was no chance at all...


    "Why are you so worked up? It''s not easy for you to recover from your injuries in your current state. Having me help you wouldn''t be a bad idea, would it? Although your injuries were caused by us, we didn''t have much of a choice! If you get better, we''ll be the ones suffering."


    Yuga wasn''t giving up and tried to convince Zapdos again.


    "Just you... can heal me?" Zapdos replied disdainfully. "I''m not underestimating you, but you seem like a naive country bumpkin who has never seen the world. You dare say anything, even bragging! Why don''t you say Arceus is your father too!"


    Zapdos cast a scornful nce at Yuga, making its disdain clear.


    (_) Forget it, I don''t need a Pok��mon that talks back like this...


    Yuga rolled his eyes and said, "If I can heal you, will you follow me?" He still wanted to give it a shot.


    Zapdos gave Yuga another re and said, "Impossible! Even if you heal me, I won''t follow you!"


    "Ah..." Forget it!


    Yuga sighed.


    "Well, how about this? Let''s consider it a deal. I''ll heal your injuries, and we''ll bury the hatchet. You won''t pick a fight with Melotic or any other Pok��mon here, okay?"


    Yuga proposed this as ast attempt to reach an agreement with Zapdos.


    Zapdos looked at Yuga skeptically and asked, "Are you really confident that you can heal me?"


    Naturally, it was willing to heal its injuries. Given its current condition, it wasn''t even thinking about territorial disputes anymore; it might die soon if things continued as they were!


    As for Melotic, it held no grudge. It was its own fault for picking a fight in the first ce. Territorial disputes had always been a matter of might makes right, without much room for resentment or grudges.


    Engaging in territorial disputes was nothing new for it over the past thousand years, and there was no way it could hold grudges against all of them.


    If anyone was to me, it was itself for not being able to defeat even an ordinary Melotic! (Melotic: Don''t talk nonsense, I''m not ordinary! You can''t defeat me!)


    Zapdos hesitated for a moment and said, "If you can really heal me, then I won''t hold it against you."


    After all, he was just a ordinary human. Since it was all a misunderstanding, it wasn''t worth holding a grudge against him.


    But... sigh... it had been a thousand years of wasted time!


    Yuga replied, "Alright, I''ll help you heal. You also need to keep your promise!"


    Zapdos retorted, "Do you think I''m like you humans?"


    Having been lying on the ground motionless for too long, Zapdos''s body had stiffened, and it didn''t want to talk to Yuga anymore.


    Seeing Zapdos''s silence, Yuga took the Max Revive from his system''s backpack, opened Zapdos''s beak, and fed it to him.


    When Yuga touched Zapdos, who still had faint electrical arcs flickering around its body, he felt a slight tingling sensation in his hand and arm due to the residual electricity.


    As soon as Zapdos swallowed the Max Revive, a warm sensation spread through its body. Its pain disappeared, reced by an indescribable feeling of relief.


    It really worked! Zapdos was delighted.


    "Zapdos!!!"


    Before long, Zapdos hadpletely healed its injuries and let out an excited cry.


    It carefully assessed its body and found that there were no issues at all.


    Hmm... (T��T) It did lose quite a few levels, though. But there was no other way. After all, losing half of its power source, it was unexpected that it could recover this much.


    This human is unexpectedlypetent! Since that''s the case, I won''t hold a grudge against him for what happened before.


    With its injuries healed, Zapdos lifted its sharp ws, held its head high, and took a few steps.


    (*�R���Q) Hmm, hmm... it feels great! Should I try flying again?


    With that thought in mind, Zapdos pped its wings.


    (���) Huh? Why am I not flying? Why does it feel like there''s a draft? It''s chilly.


    Zapdos tried to p its wings again but still couldn''t take off.


    (��...��) It feels even chillier now.


    "Uh... your wings..."


    Yuga, watching Zapdos''s futile attempts to fly, couldn''t help but remind it.


    Wings? What''s wrong with my wings?


    Zapdos turned its head to look at its outstretched wings.


    {{{��"}}} Trembling!!!


    ???


    Where are my golden feathers?! Where are my dazzling feathers?


    At this moment, Zapdos''s wings were devoid of any proper feathers, with only a few sparse down feathers left.


    "I think what you''re looking for should be over there."


    Yuga pointed towards the shoreline, where countless golden feathers were floating in the water, rising and falling with the waves. Quite a few had already been washed ashore.


    Following Yuga''s gesture, Zapdos sat down on the ground, its expression nk.


    It''s over... my feathers...


    And its butts seemed felt chilly too. Zapdos btedly realized.


    Actually, all of its tail feathers were gone too, washed away when Melotic submerged it in water.


    So you didn''t notice all this time!


    Seeing Zapdos in such a shocked state, Yuga felt somewhat speechless. Could this Zapdos be naturally clueless or just naive?


    Little did he know, Zapdos had been in too much pain from its previous injuries to even think about its feathers. Furthermore, right after its injuries were healed, its body had still been somewhat numb, making it unable to feel whether its feathers were there or not.


    "Well... as for your feathers... they should grow back eventually." It would just have to rely on its feet and ws for a while.


    Zapdos was notforted at all by Yuga''s words and eventually had to ept the fact that it had be a featherless bird.


    Seeing that Zapdos was fine now, Yuga silently collected all those feathers from the beach. These were valuable feathers from a legendary bird, and it would be a shame to lose them.


    He approached Zapdos with a pile of feathers and asked, "Do you still want these feathers?"


    Zapdos remained unresponsive.


    Most bird Pok��mon cherished their feathers and even had a habit of collecting their own molted feathers. Yuga didn''t know if Zapdos was one of them.


    If you don''t want them, I''ll keep them!


    Seeing Zapdos''sck of reaction, Yuga quietly stashed all the feathers in his system backpack.


    It''s not that I''m not giving them to you; it''s that you don''t want them!


    With Zapdos no longer posing a threat, Yuga went to find Mr. Drake.


    Mr. Drake was surprised to see that Zapdos had healed without causing any trouble. He wondered what method Yuga had used to calm Zapdos down.


    However, these details didn''t matter as long as the situation was resolved.


    But why did Zapdos seem a bit dazed? Mr. Drake couldn''t help but wonder. Nevertheless, Zapdos''s featherless appearance was quite a sight!


    (�B-�B=) In its daze, Zapdos inexplicably felt an arrow to the knee.


    Over the next three days, Yuga and Mr. Drake stayed on the Melotic Ind. The crew members'' injuries gradually healed during this time.


    During these three days, Zapdos managed to strike some sort of agreement with Melotic, which surprisingly led Melotic to agree to let it settle on the small ind.


    Two powerful Pok��mon coexisting like this was truly umon.


    Zapdos: Do you think I want this? My strength has plummeted, and I''ve lost the ability to fly. I need to find a reliable ally now!


    As for the dignity of Legendary Pok��mon, it didn''t exist when all its feathers had fallen off!


    The only concern was Dragonite, who had fallen into a deep sleep after absorbing Zapdos''s Source power. However, it seemed to be in good condition, so Yuga wasn''t too worried.


    What really troubled him was Chimecho.


    Chimecho remained in aa, and there was no Pok��mon Center here. Yuga was genuinely worried about its condition.


    Their ship had suffered extensive damage due to Melotic''s influence, and repairing it would be quite challenging.


    They had spent three days on the small ind, and not only had Yuga missed the agreed-upon meeting time with Cynthia, but Mr. Drake and the others had also been dyed in carrying out their tasks at Sinnoh region.


    Just as Yuga and Mr. Drake were worrying about how to leave, a Pok��mon approached Yuga and informed him that Melotic wanted to see him.


    When Yuga hurried to the seashore, he found Melotic''s massive head floating on the water, waiting for him.


    "Melotic, did you need something from me?"


    Since the battle between Melotic and Zapdos had ended, a mist had enveloped the area around this small ind, isting it from the outside world. Yuga knew that this mist was created by Melotic to protect the ind by controlling the moisture in the air.


    "Melotic!"


    Without directly answering Yuga''s question, Melotic let out a gentle cry towards the sea. Shortly after, Yuga saw a group of Wailord and Wailmer emerging from the water.


    A few minutester...


    "You mean Wailord and Wailmer are willing to help us leave this ce?"


    "Melotic."


    Melotic nodded gently.


    Not only that, they were willing to escort Yuga and the others on their damaged sailboat to their destination. Despite the sailboat''srge size, with so many Wailord and Wailmer present, it was a trivial task.


    They were doing this to show their gratitude to Yuga and Mr. Drake for saving their lives.


    "That''s wonderful! Thank you so much!"


    Yuga quickly expressed his gratitude to Wailord and Wailmer.


    "Wailord..."


    The cries of Wailord and Wailmer resonated harmoniously, echoing through the dense mist. It made Yuga feel immensely relieved.


    Finally, they could leave.


    Mr. Drake, who received the news shortly after, was equally thrilled. When the crew members heard that they could leave, they cheered excitedly.


    That day, everyone began packing their belongings, deciding to depart early the next morning.


    The sailboat was lying on the beach by the sea, but Melotic extended its massive tail and gently rolled it back into the water. Of course, one had to ignore the boat''s numerous scars, holes, the broken mast, and tattered sails.


    The next day, all the crew members boarded the ship again. Wingull and Pelipper perched on the ship''s rails or the broken mast, folding their wings.


    At the bow of the ship, thick hemp ropes were tied, with the ends of the ropes held in the teeth of Wailord and Wailmer. They were going to pull the ship forward like this.


    In other words, they were ready to depart at any moment.


    Many of the ind''s Pok��mon hade to bid farewell to Yuga and the others.


    Yuga stood at the bow of the ship, looking at the Pok��mon on the shore. He saw Gardevoir with a Ralts in its arms, Shinx in the bushes with Luxio and Luxray by its side, Togepi perched on tree branches with Togetic and Togekiss, Matagross floating in the air alongside other Metang and Beldum... and his mouth watered.


    However, these Pok��mon all belonged to others, living in this secluded paradise guarded by Melotic for generations. Yuga could only let go; he dared not offend Melotic.


    Zapdos also came, but since it couldn''t fly now, it had to hide in the bushes, not showing itself but secretly watching Yuga on the ship.


    This man had been entangled with it for over a thousand years! Although they had resolved their enmity, it wasn''t something that could be easily forgotten.


    In addition to the Pok��mon on the shore, many aquatic Pok��mon also came to bid farewell. The aquatic Pok��mon treated Yuga and the others even more friendly attitude than those on the shore because Yuga and Mr. Drake had saved their lives.


    Just as Wailord and Wailmer were about to pull the ship away, Melotic''s head emerged from the water, and two Phione appeared alongside it.


    The two Phione swam to the side of the ship, holding a Pok��mon Egg in their hands, then leaped out of the water andnded beside Yuga.


    "Is this for me?"


    Surprised, Yuga asked when he saw the two Phione holding the Pok��mon Egg in front of him.


    "Phione!"


    "Phione!"


    The two Phione nodded happily with their eyes squinted.


    "Melotic, Melotic!"


    "You saved Phione, so this Pok��mon Egg is a gift for you."


    At this moment, Melotic''s voice echoed in Yuga''s mind.


    Yuga lifted the Pok��mon Egg and shouted, "Thank you."


    Melotic nodded gently and then disappeared back into the water.


    This Pok��mon Egg was discovered by Manaphy while it was exploring in an abandoned underwater temple during one of its travels. It sensed the vitality within the egg but noticed that it had not hatched for many years. Therefore, Melotic decided to give it as a gift to Yuga.


    After Phione returned to the sea, Yuga examined the Pok��mon Egg in his arms. The eggshell was pure white, with a few dark blue spots scattered across it, and its size was no different from that of a ordinary Pok��mon Egg.


    What was strange, though, was that Yuga''s Insight ability couldn''t provide any information about this Pok��mon Egg.


    So, what kind of Pok��mon was inside this egg?


    Yuga''s Rowlet perched on his shoulder, also looking at the Pok��mon Egg with curiosity, and even patted it with its wing.


    "Wailord..."


    As Yuga lowered his head in thought, Wailord and Wailmer let out melodious cries. Then, they started pulling the sailboat, and it began its journey.

 Chapter 891: Arrival

    <h4>Chapter 891: Arrival</h4>


    With the swirling whirlpool no longer obstructing them, Yuga and his group easily left the misty area created by Melotic.


    Wailord and Wailmer were incredibly strong, and they swam at high speeds. Even while pulling a massive sailboat, they quickly brought Yuga and his group into the waters of the Sinnoh region.


    "Captain, we should reach Canve City in about half a day," the vice-captain said to Mr. Drake, holding a nautical chart.


    Mr. Drake nodded in response. "That''s good to hear, but let''s remain vignt. I''ve heard that the pirates in these waters are quite bold."


    The vice-captain chuckled, "Pirates? With you and Mr. Shimizu on board, we''re not afraid of any number of pirates!"


    After spending these days with Yuga and witnessing his incredible abilities,bined with the debt of gratitude for their earlier rescue, Mr. Drake''s crew had developed a great respect for Yuga.


    However, Mr. Drake sternly reprimanded the vice-captain, "Don''t get careless!"


    "Yes, Captain!" the vice-captain replied seriously.


    Not far away, as Yuga was conversing with Yoshimitsu and Yoshitai, he overheard Mr. Drake and the vice-captain''s conversation. He couldn''t help but ask Yoshimitsu and Yoshitai in curiosity, "Are there many pirates in this area?"


    Yoshimitsu nodded and said, "Indeed, there are many. Those who can''t make a living onnd often turn to piracy on the seas."


    The Pok��mon world''s maritime regions were vast, evenrger than thendmasses. They were dotted with numerous inds of various sizes. Due to the presence of many unknown areas, such as the misty region they had just encountered, the Pok��mon League''s authority didn''t extend to all these ces.


    These areas became havens for pirates. Criminals and ouws would acquire a ship and take to the seas. The Pok��mon League found it challenging to locate and apprehend them due to the vastness and the hidden nature of these territories.


    As a result, numerous pirate crews, big and small, existed in the waters of various regions.


    With the mention of pirates, Yoshimitsu exined further, "Rogue individuals who couldn''t find a ce onnd often resort to piracy in the sea. It''s a way for them to survive and seek treasure and adventure in unknown waters."


    Just as Yoshimitsu finished exining about pirates, a crew member rushed over to Mr. Drake and informed him, "Captain, a fleet of ships is approaching us, and they don''t seem friendly!"


    "Let''s go check it out!" Mr. Drake said as he headed towards the bow of the ship.


    Yoshimitsu turned to Yuga and Yoshitai, and saying, "Let''s go see what''s happening."


    Everyone gathered at the ship''s bow and indeed saw a fleet of four or five ships approaching. Compared to their tattered sailboat, these were brand new steamships.


    Besides steamships, Yuga could faintly make out a group of Tentacruel and Sharpedo leading the way for the fleet. Their aggressive posture didn''t suggest a friendly encounter.


    "Ah, there''s no shortage of trouble on this journey!" Yuga sighed, realizing that these pirates were really short-sighted. With several Wailord by their side, all it would take is a flick of their tails to capsize those approaching ships.


    One of the most feared things at sea was encountering Pok��mon like Wailord, capable of causing maritime disasters. However, most Wailord and Wailmer were gentle by nature and didn''t attack human ships. Some even assisted in rescuing sailors in distress.


    Yet, the Wailord and Wailmer pulling their boat were different. They owed their lives to Yuga and his group, and they wouldn''t let any harm befall them.


    Compared with Zapdos and Melotic, the Wailord can only be regarded as minions, but this does not mean that they are really weak!


    Without mentioning that among the Wailord and Wailmer pulling their boat, there were several of them that already reach the pseudo-Elite level, and just looking at their sheer size alone, it was already very imposing.


    However, the pirates didn''t seem to notice the Wailord and Wailmer either.


    To avoid attracting attention, the Wailord and Wailmer pulling the boat were submerged in the seawater, with only their heads appearing when they rested.


    As the pirate fleet neared Yuga and his group, a few individuals stepped out at the forefront of thergest ship. One of them took out a megaphone and shouted towards Yuga''s direction:


    "Can the people on the ship in front hear me? Can you hear me? Come out quickly..."


    Before he could finish speaking, a Wailord emerged from the sea, followed by a second one, a third one, and so on...


    ...


    What am I seeing? Wailord? And there are so many!!!


    Not only was the pirate who was speaking left dumbfounded, but the other pirates also had their jaws dropped in astonishment.


    Due to their massive size, very few people could tame Wailord. However, sailors who possessed Wailord were individuals most pirates preferred not to provoke.


    A simple charge from a Wailord could potentially spell doom for their entire crew.


    Despite the pirate crew looking fierce and bold, they were, in reality, a group of low-level pirates. Even the Tentacruel and Sharpedo leading the way were mere fill-ins, and their overall strength wasn''t significant.


    "Wilord..."


    The leading three Wailord opened their mouths and emitted a deep roar, followed by using their Surf move, causing the sea to surge towards the pirate fleet. The Tentacruel and Sharpedo at the front were scattered by the crashing waves.


    Once the waves subsided, all the pirate ships had sunk, and the pirates were struggling in the water, trying to stay afloat.


    After aplishing this, the Wailord returned to the sea.


    "Let''s go!"


    Mr. Drake said to the other crew members and then turned away. Under normal circumstances, he would have caught all of these pirates, but with their current dpidated ship, he didn''t want to get involved in unnecessary matters.


    The leader of the pirates, who had been carried closer to Mr. Drake''s ship by the waves while clinging to a piece of driftwood. Only then did he see Mr. Drake on the boat, and he regretted his actions immensely.


    Why did he so blind and don''t realize that there''s is Mr. Drake on the ship like this?!


    The pirates in the seas around the Hoenn and Sinnoh were mostly familiar with Mr. Drake. However, this particr leader never expected to find Mr. Drake on such a dpidated ship.


    This situation was wrong!


    Encountering pirates was just a minor incident for Yuga and his group, not a significant concern.


    However, after they left, another group of ships arrived and rescued the pirates who had fallen into the water. Simultaneously, a small boat sneaked into the misty area.


    After the small boat entered the misty area, an elderly man on board took out a peculiar-shaped bone flute and began ying it.


    The melodious flute music drew several Phione out of the water, and they danced joyfully to the tune.


    When the music ceased, a young man and woman on the small boat, wearing diving suits, followed the lead of the Phione and dove underwater. They arrived at the base of a stone pir on the ocean floor.


    Beneath the piry the colossal slumbering beast, Melotic.


    A radiant light-blue aura surrounded the stone pir, casting an enchanting and mysterious glow in the dimly lit ocean depths.


    Various Water-type Pok��mon swam around the aura, but none could approach it without the guidance of the Phione. They were unable to enter the interior of the aura.


    The Phione led the young man and woman hand in hand through the aura and brought them in front of Melotic.


    Several Phione swam up to Melotic and whispered a few words. Melotic slowly opened its eyes, nced at the young man and woman before it, and used its tail to lift the stone pir in front of it.


    Boom!


    The pir moved, revealing a circr hole engraved with intricate patterns. Inside the holey a glowing Pok��mon egg.


    The Phione cheered and swam up to the egg, then handed it to the young man and woman.


    The young couple bowed respectfully to Melotic and returned to their boat with the Pok��mon egg.


    Subsequently, the small boat carrying the Pok��mon egg left the misty area.


    All of these events were unknown to Yuga and his group. After encountering the pirates, they had finally arrived at the port of Canve City.


    With their missionpleted, the Wailord and Wailmer quietly disappeared into the sea.


    Upon reachingnd, Yuga immediately tried to contact Cynthia, as he had lost hismunication device in the sea.


    It had been several days since the agreed-upon time for their meeting, and Yuga was worried that Cynthia might have left Canve City without waiting for him.


    However, half an hour after Yuga''s attempt to contact Cynthia, a luxurious silver extended car arrived at the Canve City port.


    A butler, dressed in a ck butler''s attire, stepped out of the car and, after approaching Yuga, courteously said:


    "Are you Master Shimizu? I am Miss Cynthia''s butler, Jamiel. Our youngdy is waiting for you in the car."


    Yuga, having already learned of this being one of Cynthia''s attendants through the call, responded to Jamiel, "Can you wait for me a little while? I''d like to speak with Mr. Drake first."


    Jamiel politely responded, "Of course, Master Shimizu, please take your time. I''ll wait here for you."


    Yuga nodded in acknowledgment, thanked him, and then proceeded to find Mr. Drake, who was currently upied due to the extensive damage to their ship. Upon learning that Yuga was about to leave, Mr. Drake couldn''t afford to spare more time but assured Yuga that he was wee to visit their ship anytime in the future.


    After Yuga boarded the car with Jamiel, he indeed found Cynthia inside.


    Upon seeing Yuga safe and sound, Cynthia visibly sighed with relief. These past few days had been worrisome for her, as she couldn''t contact Yuga. She had invited him to the Sinnoh region, and if something had happened to him, she feared the potential consequences with Mr. Kuni''o.


    Despite Mr. Kuni''o being an individual without a family or organization, everyone knew better than to provoke him. As the most experienced Master level Trainer that still living, he possessed secrets that were best left undisturbed.


    While it was unlikely for an Elite level Trainer like Yuga to encounter any serious danger, Cynthia couldn''t help but worry.


    As a member of the Temple n, she knew all too well about the existences in the world that can threaten the lives of an Elite level Trainer or even the Master level Trainer.


    "I''m sorry, i didn''t anticipate running into a maritime incident on the way. I apologize for the dy; it''s my fault."


    Even though he had already apologized during their phone call, Yuga still felt embarassed. After all, he was the one who had missed their appointment, and regardless of the reasons, not keeping an agreement was not a good thing.


    However, Yuga didn''t reveal the details of their encounter with the misty area, only mentioning ordinary shipwreck.


    "It''s okay; a little dy is no problem at all. My matters can wait, and the most important thing is that you''re safe," Cynthia replied understandingly.


    Yuga, relieved that Cynthia was not upset, asked, "Where are we headed now?"


    Cynthia answered, "We''re heading directly to Celestic Town, and from there, we''ll make our way to Machina."


    Yuga nodded in agreement.


    Machina was the headquarters of the Temple n, a small town whose centerpiece was the Machina Ruins, a temple dedicated to Arceus, from which the Temple n derived its name.


    A millennium ago, Machina was deste, but it became prosperous and abundant thanks to the power of Arceus, leading to the creation of the Temple.


    The first ce they were visiting, Celestic Town, was where ordinary members of the Temple n resided. It was also Cynthia''s birthce, and was closely adjadent to Machina.


    Only the reclusive members of the Temple chose to live in Machina.


    As the car drove from Canve City towards Celestic Town, Cynthia shared insights into the local customs and folklore along the way.


    Cynthia, in addition to being a talented Pok��mon Trainer, was also a mythology and legend enthusiast. She had profound knowledge of the local customs and folklore in the Sinnoh region, which she eagerly shared with Yuga as they traveled through the scenic countryside.


    However, Yuga was exhausted. He hadn''t had a proper rest during their time at sea and on the small ind. While chatting with Cynthia, he started dozing off.


    Recognizing Yuga''s fatigue, Cynthia covered him with a nket and decided not to disturb his rest.


    Despite it being summer, the climate in the Sinnoh region was different from that of the Hoenn region. The temperature was slightly lower, especially as they got closer to Celestic Town, which was situated near the Mount Cor. The closer they got to Celestic Town, the cooler the temperature became.


    When Yuga eventually woke up, the car had already entered Celestic Town, and the night had fully descended.


    Yuga rubbed his still-drowsy eyes, looked out of the car window at the pitch-ck night, and asked Cynthia, "I''m sorry; I dozed off without realizing it. Have I been sleeping for long?"


    Cynthia shook her head and replied, "Not very long. We''ve already arrived in Celestic Town. We''ll stay here for the night and continue our journey to Machina tomorrow."


    Yuga nodded and said, "That sounds fine."


    Rowlet, who had boarded the car with Yuga, had actually fallen asleep even before him. It hadn''t woken up yet. Yuga noticed that Rowlet didn''t show any signs of waking up and shook his head. He gently lifted Rowlet from the seat beside him and ced it on hisp.


    It seemed that Rowlet found Yuga''s thigh morefortable than the car seat, as it snuggled in and continued sleeping soundly.


    Cynthia had noticed Rowlet when Yuga got into the car. Now that Yuga was awake, she engaged in conversation with him about Rowlet and her own Litwick, which she had exchange it from Yuga.


    Yuga had extensive experience in training Ghost-type Pok��mon, and Cynthia also had a Ghost-type Pok��mon, a Spiritomb. Therefore, their conversation about Ghost-type Pok��mon was quite engaging.


    As they conversed in this manner, the car pulled into Cynthia''s home in Celestic Town.


    Cynthia lived in Celestic Town with her grandmother, Professor Carolina and her grandfather. Her parents, due to work reasons, were not in the Sinnoh region.


    ording to Cynthia, she also had a younger sister, but she was very young and had apanied their parents, so she wasn''t in Sinnoh either.


    Since Cynthia had informed her grandparents about her ns to bring a guest home, they had been waiting at the front door. As soon as Yuga got out of the car, he saw the two elderly people standing there.


    This was the second time Yuga had met Professor Carolina. He had previously encountered her when participating in the Gym Leader Challenge, as Professor Carolina was one of the judges.


    Comparing Professor Carolina to a little over a year ago, she hadn''t changed much. She was still lively and energetic. However, Yuga was meeting Cynthia''s grandfather for the first time.

 Chapter 892: Mutual Gift

    <h4>Chapter 892: Mutual Gift</h4>


    Yuga''s arrival was warmly weed by Professor Carolina, and her husband.


    Professor Carolina couldn''t have imagined that the young man who had been striving topete in Gym League Challenges just over a year ago had now be a prominent figure in the region.


    Cynthia had always been Professor Carolina''s pride, often boasting about her exceptionally gifted granddaughter to anyone who would listen.


    But a while ago, Cynthia had returned and told her about encountering a Trainer whose talent equaled her own. Professor Carolina was genuinely astonished.


    You see, Cynthia had been the most talented Trainer in the Temple n for many years. Otherwise, without awakening the Power of True Heart, she wouldn''t have been able to outshine other n members and be the leader of the younger generation in the Temple n.


    What was the Temple n, you might ask? It was one of the oldest and most revered ns, known for its superior methods of nurturing the next generation.


    So, for Cynthia to im she had met a Trainer whose talent rivaled her own left Professor Carolina utterly surprised.


    With Yuga''s arrival this time, Professor Carolina reevaluated the young man before her.


    Compared to over a year ago, Yuga had indeed undergone significant changes in his demeanor. Both his appearance and aura exuded remarkableposure, not at all like an eighteen-year-old.


    Having spent more than two years in a war-torn ce as Arus had brought about considerable changes in Yuga.


    Eighteen was a transitional period from youth to adulthood, and Yuga had experienced a ce filled with storms, tears, and bloodshed during this critical time.


    Furthermore, his actual age was twenty, which made his mature demeanor more understandable.


    In the end, Professor Carolina attributed this transformation to Mr. Kuni''o''s guidance. Knowing in advance that Yuga wasing, Professor Carolina had prepared a sumptuous dinner, allowing Yuga, who had spent several days at sea, to appreciate the greatness of human cuisine once more.


    The next morning, Yuga headed to the Pok��mon Center in Celestic Town. He was worried about Chimecho''s condition and felt the need for a professional examination.


    After a thorough examination by Nurse Joy, it was determined that Chimecho was in perfect health, both physically and mentally. If there was anything to note, it was that she seemed a bit mentally fatigued and was currently sleeping to rest.


    Upon hearing this news, Yuga breathed a sigh of relief but also found it strange. Why had Chimecho been sleeping for such a long time if she was only mentally tired?


    Nurse Joy exined that Chimecho possessed much stronger psychic abilities than ordinary Pok��mon and there''s still hidden powers sleeping within her. Her prolonged slumber was a sign of these powers slowly awakening.


    Upon hearing all of this, Yuga was in awe of Nurse Joy''s capabilities, as she had thoroughly understood Chimecho''s condition.


    However, he still had no idea about the specific special powers hidden within Chimecho''s body.


    As a Legendary Pok��mon, Deoxys had unique abilities that no one knew for sure.


    Nevertheless, the most important thing was that Chimecho was okay.


    Yuga took the opportunity to have Dragonite examined as well, and of course, Dragonite was perfectly fine.


    When Yuga returned, Cynthia suggested immediately heading to Machina, but her grandfather stopped her.


    He reminded Cynthia that Yuga was a guest, and it would be impolite not to show him around Celestic Town, especially since he hade all this way. Therefore, Yuga''s itinerary was adjusted to spend an extra day in Celestic Town.


    Thinking about Cynthia''s grandfather, Yuga couldn''t help but be curious.


    Compared to the highly respected Professor Carolina in the field of Pok��mon history, her grandfather seemed quite ordinary, and few people had heard of him.


    Moreover, Professor Carolina was a member of the Temple n, while her husband was just an ordinary person who moved to Celestic Town after marrying her.


    It was said that in her youth, Professor Carolina had been a rare beauty, much like Cynthia. So how did such a talented and beautiful woman like Professor Carolina end up choosing her ordinary husband?


    This question piqued Yuga''s curiosity, and it was a mystery not only to him but also to others in the Temple n. Besides Professor Carolina, few people knew the answer.


    Looking at their harmonious and happy life now, no one could say that Professor Carolina had made the wrong choice.


    Celestic Town was a tiny, ancient town with a rich history. It was said to be one of the oldest towns in the Sinnoh region, existing even before the discovery of the Sinnoh maind.


    However, in the present day, besides being a gathering ce for the Temple n, it had nothing particrly remarkable to attract outsiders'' attention.


    Nheless, the town''s center featured a shrine, which was said to be the origin of many of Sinnoh''s myths and legends.


    Next to the shrine was the Celestic Ruins, the source of Professor Carolina''s interest in Pok��mon history. She had been born and raised here, gradually bing the Pok��mon historian she was today.


    It was also the influence of the ruins and Professor Carolina that had sparked Cynthia''s strong interest in Sinnoh''s myths and legends.


    ording to Cynthia herself, she had even worked as Professor Carolina''s assistant for a while.


    With Yuga being asked to show Cynthia around Celestic Town, they visited her favorite ce��the Celestic Ruins.


    Despite its current state of disrepair, Yuga could see that this ce must have been magnificent in its heyday.


    The architecture of the ruins was adorned with various reliefs depicting humans, Pok��mon, and the legendaryke deities from Sinnoh''s myths.


    In the center of the ruins was a grand hall, and on the broken pce doors were carved two Pok��mon, unmistakably the Legendary God of Time and God of Space, Dialga and Palkia.


    However, the reliefs on the doors were damaged, covered in cracks and blemishes, making Dialga and Palkia''s appearances unclear.


    As Cynthia guided Yuga through the ruins, she shared stories of Sinnoh''s mythical legends and the depictions on the reliefs.


    When she spoke about her areas of interest, Cynthia became very talkative, allowing Yuga to fully experience her deep passion for the subject.


    While Yuga might not share the same enthusiasm for these topics, he quietly listened, asionally chiming in when he recognized something he knew.


    Cynthia noticed Yuga''s knowledge about Dialga and Palkia and became even more enthusiastic, a stark contrast to her usual calm demeanor in public.


    As they continued their exploration, Yuga suddenly noticed something hidden behind a nearby pir. He stared intently and soon spotted a white, pointed head peeking out.


    Cynthia followed Yuga''s gaze and eximed, "Ah, it''s a Snover!"


    Yuga was puzzled and asked, "Do Snover often appear around here? Aren''t they supposed to live on snowy mountains?"


    Cynthia nodded and exined, "We''re located at the foothills of Mount Cor, and thanks to the influence of Mount Cor and the unique terrain here, Celestic Town enjoys a spring-like climate almost year-round.


    The Snover living on the snowy peaks of Mount Cor really like the climate here, so they oftene down from the mountain. One reason is for fun, and the other is to bask in the sunlight.


    Even though they are Ice-type Pok��mon, they also have a Grass-type aspect to them, and they strongly rely on sunlight. So, before they evolve into Abomasnow, they don''t stay on the snowy peaks all the time."


    Yuga nodded in understanding and said, "I see."


    This was his first encounter with a Snover in person. His knowledge about them came from his past life experiences and what he had read in books in this lifetime.


    However, Snover were known to be quite friendly towards humans. When they spotted people''s tracks on the mountain, they couldn''t resist approaching them.


    Even though their evolved form, Abomasnow, might not be as friendly as Snover, they still weren''t as aggressive as their appearance might suggest. When encountering humans, they tended to keep their distance.


    The Snover they had spotted slowly emerged from behind the pir and waved at them.


    The Snover stared at Yuga and Cynthia for a moment, then focused on Yuga and pulled out a sparkling, translucent white berry from behind its back. It hurried over to Yuga, holding the berry up.


    "Is this for me?" Yuga asked in surprise, looking at the Snover.


    The Snover nodded happily.


    Cynthia exined, "Snovers'' bellies bear berrys in spring, and they offer these berrys to people they like. Due to our unique climate here, Snovers continue to bear berrys even in summer. It seems it really likes you."


    Yuga chuckled and said, "I see, thank you very much."


    The Snover enthusiastically ced the berry in Yuga''s hand, its eyes squinting with joy. It then cast an apologetic nce at Cynthia, as if saying, "I''m sorry, this is the only one I have."


    Cynthia shook her head with a wry smile. She had heard from the elders in the temple that Mr. Kuni''o lineage had an extraordinary affinity for Grass-type Pok��mon. Today, she witnessed it firsthand.


    To express his gratitude to the Snover, Yuga reached into his bag and took out a can of Ice-type Pok��block and a can of Grass-type Pok��block, handing them to the Snover.


    "Here, you can have these. See if you like them?"


    The Snover opened the lids and poured out one Pok��block from each can, gently licking them with its tongue. Then, it happily stuffed both Pok��blocks into its mouth.


    Pok��blocks were high-energy food, and with two of them, the Snover immediately felt satisfied and let out a contented burp.


    Watching the Snover''s belovedly holding the two cans of Pok��blocks and departing, Yuga smiled and shook his head.


    The potential of this Snover is not very high, otherwise Yuga would have considered capturing it.


    After taking a bite of the berry the Snover had given him, Yuga''s eyes lit up. It was indeed delicious, with a sweet and sour taste, somewhat simr to an ice pop.

 Chapter 893: Temple Clan

    <h4>Chapter 893: Temple n</h4>


    Yuga and Cynthia spent an extra day in Celestic Town, and on the following morning, Jamil drove them to Machina.


    While Celestic Town was a gathering ce for the Temple n, it still had many outsiders living there. However, Machina was different; it was the ancestralnd of the Temple n, and there were no outsiders there.


    Machina was not far from Celestic Town, and it took less than half an hour by car. Cynthia informed Yuga that they had entered Machina.


    Simr to Celestic Town, Machina was situated at the foothills of Mount Cor, in a secluded valley. However, unlike Celestic Town, Machina truly experienced all four seasons.


    Mount Cor was the highest peak in the Cor Hignds and the highest in Sinnoh region, It''s covered in snow all year-round, a true snow mountain.


    Due to its terrain and location, Machina had a unique climate, with abundant water sources from melting snow, nourishing thend and making it incredibly fertile.


    While the summers in Sinnoh were generally warm, as soon as Yuga entered Machina, he felt like he had stepped into a different season.


    He rolled down the car window, feeling the warm breeze on his face, breathing in the fresh air, and seeing yful and cute Pok��mon.


    Many of the Pok��mon living here were rare Pok��mon, such as Shinx, Piplup, Turtwig, and Budew. Yuga saw several of them along the way.


    With Cynthia''s exnation, Yuga learned that these Pok��mon were descendants of the Temple n''s Pok��mon.


    Descendants of high potential Pok��mon weren''t necessarily high potential themselves. The Pok��mon owned by the trainers of the Temple n would send their lower potential offspring here to live carefree lives.


    Most of the Temple n members living in Machina were uninvolved in worldly matters, especially the elderly. When they were bored, these Pok��mon served as theirpanions, and they helped care for them.


    Apart from some young Pok��mon, Yuga also saw many mature ones, some even at the pseudo-Elite level.


    These Pok��mon''s trainers had either passed away or were currently residing in Machina, leading a retired life.


    In summary, Machina held the deep heritage of the Temple n.


    The car crossed a small river and stopped after passing a stone bridge. As Yuga got out of the car, he saw a young boy and girl waiting for them.


    These two seemed a bit younger than Yuga, dressed in blue, ck, and white uniforms, wearing smiles on their faces as they saw Yuga and Cynthia get out of the car.


    "Cynthia, you''re here!"


    The girl happily grabbed Cynthia''s hand and said.


    "Sheena, there are guests here, don''t be too casual!"


    The boy cautioned her.


    The boy noticed that Yuga was looking at them and quickly scolded the girl in a serious tone before turning to Yuga and saying, "Hello, esteemed guest. I''m Kevin, and this is Sheena. Wee to Machina. We will be your guides and show you around."


    The boy, Kevin, had golden hair simr to Cynthia''s, and his facial features bore some resemnce to Cynthia as well. It was easy to believe they were rtives, and indeed they were.


    Kevin''s grandfather and Cynthia''s grandmother, Professor Carolina, were siblings, making Kevin and Cynthia close cousins.


    On the other hand, the girl, Sheena, belonged to a branch of the Temple n, so her blood rtion to Cynthia and Kevin was more distant, not exactly close rtives, but they shared the same n.


    However, both Kevin and Sheena were the two strongest awakeners of the Power of True Heart in their generation. From a young age, they were transferred from Celestic Town to Machina to receive guidance from the elders.


    Especially Sheena, despite being from a branch, her Power of True Heart ability was even stronger than Kevin''s, so her treatment within the n was no different from that of the main branch members.


    "Hello, I''m Shimizu Yuga. It''s nice to meet you."


    Yuga could sense a peculiar energy emanating from Sheena and Kevin, which made him realize that this must be the Power of True Heart ability passed down within the Temple n.


    Likewise, Sheena and Kevin noticed the same sensation from Yuga.


    After Kevin finished introducing himself to Yuga, he turned to Cynthia and said, "Wee back, Cynthia."


    Cynthia smiled and ruffled Kevin''s hair, saying, "It''s been a while, Kevin."


    "Alright, let''s not stand here any longer. Let''s go inside."


    Sheena urged, then she waved her hand towards the distance. Four Pok��mon came running towards them, and as they approached, Yuga could see that they were four Mamoswine.


    "We''ll ride on Mamoswine to go inside; otherwise, it''ll be quite tiring to walk on just two feet."


    Sheena touched a huge tooth of the Mamoswine in front of her and said with a smile.


    Mamoswine are Pok��mon that live in the snowy mountains, but Michina is located at the foot of Mount Cor, so They''re raised some of them here as transportation.


    Cynthia nodded in agreement and then turned to Jamil, who was standing next to the car, saying, "Jamil, you can head back to Celestic Town for now. I''ll let you know when toe and pick us upter."


    Jamil bowed and said, "Understood, Miss. I''ll take my leave now."


    After Jamil left, the four of them sat on the backs of the Mamoswine and headed deeper into Machina.


    The center of Machina was a towering mountain, where the ruins of the ancient temple were located. The members of the Temple n who resided here lived on the mountain.


    As they walked, Sheena pointed to the distant mountain and introduced the origin of the Temple ruins to Yuga.


    A thousand years ago, Machina was deste, but Damos, the ancestors of the Temple n received a Jewel of Life borrowed from Arceus. With the power of the Jewel of Life, they transformed thend into a fertile one.


    In gratitude to Arceus, Damos built a temple and entrusted his descendants to guarding this ce, thus the Temple n was born.


    Thinking about the Jewel of Life, Yuga recalled his Guardian Orb, suspecting it might be a replica of the Jewel of Life.


    However, this was just his conjecture. There were no historical records about it, and he hadn''t heard any rumors about it during his time in Arus. He hadn''t even met the ministers responsible for making these beads, so there was no way to verify it.


    Nevertheless, Yuga felt that his spection had a good chance of being urate. From the fragments of inscriptions on the stone tablets, the ces the ministers had traveled to were highly likely to include Machina.


    In the central area of the temple, Yuga saw even more rare Pok��mon, including several of them were Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon, with one in particr appearing to be at the Elite level Pok��mon.


    These powerful Pok��mon weren''t just here to retire; they also served as the guardians of this ce. ording to Sheena, in the past, Machina had faced invasions, and it was thanks to these guardian Pok��mon that they were able to repel the invaders.


    Of course, the Temple n had grown to be one of the most powerful forces in the Pok��mon world, and no one dared to be audacious enough to intrude here anymore.


    However, there were still some ignorant individuals who had entered but left in disgrace.


    When Yuga and the others reached the foot of the central mountain in Machina, Kevin whistled, and four Tropius emerged from the treetops.


    Kevin said, "Next, we''ll ride these Tropius up the mountain."


    Sheena added, "Before we show the guest around Machina, we need to meet with the elders."


    Kevin nodded, saying, "Yes, let''s head to the temple first. Cynthia, it''s been a while since you returned, and the elders would like to see you too."


    Although Cynthia had not awakened the Power of True Heart, her status within the Temple was very high. Evenpared to talented individuals like Sheena and Kevin, she was highly regarded by the elders, who considered her a favorite.


    However, unlike children like Sheena and Kevin, who had been brought to Machina from a young age to receive instruction from the elders, Cynthia had grown up in Celestic Town. She had worked hard and risen through the ranks, earning her distinction among the n members.


    Indeed, it''s precisely because of this that Cynthia''s natural talents were considered valuable, and the elders paid even more attention to her.


    Talent alone doesn''t represent everything, and the elders knew this well. Throughout history, there have been many powerful trainers, but how many had special abilities?


    Later, Cynthia was brought to Machina, but by that time, she was already around fifteen or sixteen years old, making her different from the other children.


    At first, Cynthia faced some exclusion when she arrived, which was somewhat inevitable because she stood out in many ways.


    While everyone else had awakened abilities, Cynthia had not. While everyone else had trained under the guidance of the elders from a young age, Cynthia had received special favor from the elders.


    However, Cynthia was Cynthia. She brought her Garchomp, which was once a Gible at that time, and took care of anyone who tried to challenge her. After that, no one dared to pick fights with her.


    Riding the Tropius, the four of them flew up the mountain, stopping only at the mountain''s peak, where the temple was located. This was the central of Machina.


    As Yuga looked at the architecture here, he found it quite simr to the buildings he had seen next to the temple ruins in Celestic Town. The difference was that these buildings were in much better condition and well-preserved.


    Walking on the square in front of the temple, Yuga saw many other members of the Temple n, most of them around the same age as Cynthia, Sheena, and Kevin. They were all part of the younger generation who had received guidance from the elders together with Sheena and Kevin.


    Most of the talented young members of the Temple n woulde to Machina to receive instruction from the elders.


    Even those with talents discoveredter, like Cynthia, would be brought here to spend some time in the Temple.


    Being here had its advantages. For instance, if you could gain the favor of the elder Pok��mon living in seclusion here, you might even receive a gifted Pok��mon.


    For example, Cynthia''s Lucario, Roserade, and Togekiss were all obtained aftering to Machina.


    Their parents were descendants of the Pok��mon trained by the ancestors of the Temple n.


    Along the way, the young people greeted Cynthia and Kevin warmly and looked at Cynthia with admiration.


    When they nced at Yuga, curiosity filled their eyes. It seemed that not everyone knew about the arrival of a guest from the Temple.

 Chapter 894: Youth

    <h4>Chapter 894: Youth</h4>


    Yuga and Cynthia followed Kevin and Sheena to the entrance of the grand hall. What surprised Yuga, however, was the presence of a Legendary Pok��mon, Heatran, perched above the hall.


    Heatran belongs to the Fire and Steel type of Pok��mon and typically resides in volcanoes or caves near volcanoes.


    Their unique foot structure allows them to walk on vertical walls or even hang upside down from ceilings, granting them the freedom to move easily in the vicinity of volcanoes.


    When Heatran noticed Yuga and Cynthia approaching, it didn''t react much. It simply opened its eyes for a moment, nced at them, then flipped over the roof of the temple, disappearing from their view.


    "This is the guardian Pok��mon of the temple. It has been protecting the temple since its existence," Cynthia exined to Yuga in a hushed tone after Heatran left.


    Yuga nodded in understanding. The depth of the temple''s heritage exceeded his expectations, There''s even the guardian Pok��mons at the level of Legendary Pok��mon.


    Judging from the aura of the Heatran they had just seen, it was no weaker than the Zapdos Yuga had encountered before. Furthermore, Cynthia''s exnation hinted that this Heatran was at least a thousand years old.


    Considering the temple''s establishment roughly a thousand years ago, as inferred from the replica Guardian Orbs being life artifacts, the temple and Arus must have existed during the same era.


    While Arus had fallen many years ago, the temple had endured and remained incredibly powerful.


    The Joy family had Latias, and the Temple n had Heatran. The strengths of these noble families far surpassed what outsiders knew.


    "The elders are inside. Let''s go in quickly," Cynthia''s voice brought Yuga back from his thoughts, and the four of them continued walking along the long stone corridor of the grand hall.


    Although Machina was vast in size, its poption was rtively small, and the temple had even fewer people. As they ventured deeper into the temple, Yuga couldn''t help but feel a sense of eerie stillness.


    It wasn''t until they reached a stone door that Yuga saw the first person inside the temple.


    This person wore attire simr to Cynthia, Kevin, and Sheena, with blue, ck, and white garments. Upon seeing Yuga''s group approaching, the person bowed and greeted them, then pushed the stone door open, saying, "The elders are waiting inside. Pleasee in."


    Cynthia and Kevin also bowed in return and nodded to Yuga and Cynthia before leading the two of them through the stone door.


    Once Yuga stepped inside, he felt the gaze of more than a dozen people fall upon him. He raised his head to see several elderly individuals dressed in white robes, sitting cross-legged in front of him.


    "Elders, Cynthia and Shimizu Yuga have arrived," Sheena bowed to the elders and then stepped aside with Kevin.


    Cynthia also bowed and said, "Respected elders, I have returned."


    The elder sitting at the highest position, with silver-white hair and a half-beard, appeared to be the oldest and most authoritative among them. He spoke, "Hahaha, it''s good to see you back, Cynthia. You seem to be in high spirit after your time away."


    He then turned his gaze to Yuga. "Is this Mr. Shimizu, the beloved disciple of Mr. Kuni''o? I wonder how he''s doingtely? Is he in good health?"


    Yuga respectfully bowed and replied, "I greet the esteemed elders. My master is in good health, and I thank the elders for their concern."


    The elder nodded with a smile. "It''s been many years since we''ve seen each other. It warms our hearts to see you young ones grow. This time, you''vee to assist Cynthia, and on behalf of the temple, I express our gratitude to you and your master."


    The elderly man spoke kindly and didn''t adopt a condescending attitude towards Yuga, despite being from an older generation. It made people easy to like him, and his tone carried great respect when he mentioned Mr. Kuni''o.


    In Yuga''s peripheral vision he then noticed a Bronzong behind the elderly man.


    ...


    Bronzong


    Type: Steel, Psychic


    Ability: Levitate


    Gender: None


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 93


    Moves: Iron Head, Psychic, Hypnosis, Imprison, Confuse Ray, Iron Defense, Safeguard, Metal Sound, Payback, Gyro Ball, Extrasensory, Heal Block, Calm Mind, Heavy m, Light Screen, Reflect, Shadow Ball, Protect, Psychic, Earthquake, Facade, Rest, sh Cannon, Trick Room, Signal Beam, Skill Swap, Gravity.


    ...


    Seeing this Bronzong, Yuga immediately recognized the identity of the elderly man �C he was Elder Sorin, a Master level Trainer from the Temple n.


    As far as Yuga knew, Elder Sorin was currently in his eighties, which made him a juniorpared to Mr. Kuni''o, who was over a hundred years old. That''s why he showed such profound respect when talking about Mr. Kuni''o.


    Among the four Master level Trainers, Mr. Kuni''o was the oldest.


    The Temple n''s elder system and the family n''s chief system were separate. Elders held high positions but didn''t manage family affairs. They resided in Michina, focusing on guarding Michina''s temple and nurturing the n''s descendants.


    In other words, they were reclusive individuals.


    The n chief, on the other hand, lived in Celestic Town, where all the family''s external affairs were handled. They never disturbed the peace of Michina.


    "It''s an honor for a junior like me to be able to visit the glory of the Temple n. Your gratitude, Elder, is truly overwhelming," Yuga politely replied to Elder Sorin.


    Elder Sorin chuckled heartily, saying, "You''re quite the smooth talker, young man. Well, I had Sheena and Kevin bring you here to see what Mr. Kuni''o''s disciple looks like. Next, let Sheena and Kevin show you around the beauty of Michina."


    As for you, Cynthia, when you want to deal with your matter, just discuss it with this young man. You don''t need toe and inform us old folks."


    Upon receiving their orders, Cynthia, Sheena, and Kevin bowed and said, "Yes," then led Yuga out of the grand hall.


    As Yuga followed the three of them outside, he asked, "Where are we going next?"


    Sheena spoke up, "How about we first show you where you''ll be staying?"


    Yuga agreed, saying, "That sounds good."


    In addition to the templeplex nestled on the giant mountain, Michina also had a residential area that resembled a small town. This was where Sheena and her n members resided.


    The temple was primarily used for worshiping Arceus and for the elders to hold meetings.


    Yuga''s designated amodation was located in the residential area at the foot of the mountain.


    As they returned to the temple square, the four Tropius were still waiting there. They mounted the Tropius and ascended into the sky, heading towards their destination.


    As Yuga looked down on the residential area from the sky, he noticed thatpared to the grandeur of the temple, this ce resembled an ordinary rural vige.


    The houses were simple brick-and-tile structures, surrounded by vast fields and vegetable gardens. Crops and vegetables were growing in the fields, and there were even several Tauros grazing in the area.


    Some people were working in the fields with their Pok��mon. When they saw Sheena and Kevin descending on their Tropius, they stopped their work and waved to greet them.


    "Hey, Sheena, Kevin! You''re back!"


    A boy around the same age as Sheena and herpanions put down his hoe and enthusiastically waved at them.


    Seeing the boy in the field, Kevin, who had just dismounted from his Tropius, asked in surprise, "Chris, what are you doing here?"


    The boy called Chris immediately hung his head in response to Kevin''s question. Beside him, an elderlydy grumbled in dissatisfaction, saying, "It''s all because of his mischief. He secretly burned Elder Damu''s Staraptor''s tail feathers, so Elder Damu punished him to help me with the farming today. He''s not allowed to go anywhere else. You tell me, what kind of trouble have I brought upon myself with such an irresponsible grandson!"


    While scolding Chris, the elderlydy pointed her finger at his forehead in annoyance, clearly frustrated with his behavior.


    "me thatzy bird! It''s not my fault!" Chris muttered, clutching his reddened forehead where his grandmother had poked him.


    Both Sheena and Kevin couldn''t help butugh at the situation. They were aware of the peculiarities of Elder Damu''s Staraptor.


    Typically, Staraptor was known for being sharp, aggressive, and arge predatory bird. However, Elder Damu''s Staraptor was different �C it was naturallyzy and sluggish, with a chubby appearance and limited intelligence.


    But everyone has their quirks, so why would you go and burn its tail feathers!


    At this point, Yuga and Cynthia also disembarked from their Tropius.


    Chris, upon seeing Cynthia, extended his neck and excitedly shouted, "Cynthia, you''re back! I''ve been working hardtely. Do you want to have a battle with me?"


    However, before Cynthia could respond, Chris noticed Yuga standing there and immediately asked with curiosity, "Hey, who''s this person?"


    Cynthia introduced, "This is Mr. Shimizu, a friend of mine who''s visiting."


    Chris''s eyes lit up at that. "A friend of Cynthia? That must be amazing! Hey, do you want to have a battle with me?"


    He was about to run over to Yuga, but his grandmother grabbed his ear and pulled him back. "You haven''t finished your work yet. Where do you think you''re going?"


    Just then, an unusually chubby Staraptor descended from the sky andnded in front of Chris. He immediately retreated, saying, "I... I''m still working!"


    Well, the bird might bezy, but it was clear who would win a fight against it.


    Seeing Chris pick up his hoe, the Staraptor nodded in satisfaction and sat down on the field ridge. It took out a bag of small dried fish from under its wings and started eating while keeping an eye on Chris.


    Seeing this Staraptor, Yuga felt like his worldview was being turned upside down. Wasn''t this a Walrein dressed in Staraptor feathers? It was so overweight; he wondered how it could even fly. Fortunately, this Staraptor hadn''t learned how to use the move "Giga Impact" or else it might be super powerful.


    While the Staraptor wasn''t paying attention, Chris whispered to Kevin, "I''lle find you guyster."


    Kevin shook his head and turned to Yuga and Cynthia, saying, "Let''s go."


    Leading the way, Kevin guided Yuga and Cynthia across the paths through the fields and arrived at the center of the residential area.


    Most of the residents in Machina were either elderly people like Chris and his grandmother or children. Young adults usually worked outside the vige.


    The elderly enjoyed a carefree retirement here, while children received education rted to bing Trainers.


    However, not all children from the Machinamunity pursued the path of bing Trainers. It depended on their individual preferences.


    Those who didn''t like bing Trainers,cked talent for it, or were too young to leave their parents'' care, lived with their families outside themunity, like Cynthia''s younger sister.


    As they entered the residential area, people asionally poked their heads out of windows to greet Cynthia, and others were curious about Yuga.


    Machina rarely saw outsiders, as this was the sacrednd of the Temple n, dedicated to Arceus. Without a special invitation, outsiders generally couldn''t enter.


    Kevin led Yuga to a small house where they would stay temporarily. Though the house was small, it had all the necessary amenities, and Yuga was quite satisfied with the amodation.


    Cynthia returned to her own ce in Machina, and Kevin and Sheena had some matters to attend to. So, Yuga was left alone to tidy up his room.


    Just as he had finished arranging his luggage, he heard a noise from outside the window, and then the window cracked open.


    "Hey!"


    Yuga turned around and saw Chris, his face a bit tanned from the sun, grinning mischievously.


    "Hey, are you a Trainer?" Chris asked in a hushed tone.


    Yuga nodded, "Yes, you''re Chris, right? Weren''t you supposed to be working?"


    Chris chuckled, "Work? I don''t want to listen to that chubby bird! What''s your name again? Shimizu... Shimizu..."


    "Shimizu Yuga," Yuga reminded him.


    "Right, Shimizu Yuga. I''ll just call you Yuga," Chris said with a snap of his fingers.


    Yuga nodded, amused by Chris''s informality.


    "What are you doing in Machina? Do you have a secret mission with Cynthia? You can tell me secretly; I won''t tell anyone," Chris said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.


    Yuga couldn''t help but find Chris amusing. "There''s no secret mission; you''re overthinking it. I''m here to help Cynthia with something."


    Chris seemed unconvinced. "You''re not fooling me. There must be a secret mission. We rarely get outsiders here, so there has to be a reason."


    Yuga sighed, "Really, there''s no secret mission. I''m just helping Cynthia out."


    Suddenly, it seemed like Chris had an epiphany. He looked shocked and said, "Wait a minute, you''re not here to help Cynthia defeat the Empoleon left behind by Elder Alfred, are you?"


    Alfred was a revered Elder of the Temple n over a century ago and had a significant presence in the Temple. He was almost a Master level Trainer and highly respected.


    The fact that Cynthia aimed to defeat his Empoleon and obtain its descendants wasn''t a secret within the Temple. Many young members of the Temple admired Cynthia and aspired to be her partner to help defeat the Empoleon, but few had the means to do so.


    But Chris didn''t expect that Cynthia would invite foreign aid from outside, and he was still so young.

 Chapter 895: Snow Drift

    <h4>Chapter 895: Snow Drift</h4>


    Knowing that Yuga was the reinforcement invited by Cynthia, Chris opened Yuga''s window and excitedly said, "Then you must be very strong! You have to battle with me for sure!"


    Yuga didn''t expect this kid to be so eager for a fight. Just as he was about to say something, he heard a strong wind blowing outside.


    Chris noticed and said, "Uh-oh, that Staraptor ising. I''lle find youter; you can''t back out, okay?"


    After saying this, he closed Yuga''s window and swiftly ran away.


    Yuga was left dumbfounded, wondering what he couldn''t back out of.


    I didn''t even agree to anything yet!


    But Chris had already disappeared, leaving Yuga shaking his head in resignation.


    When Sheena and Kevin finished their tasks and returned to find Yuga, they told him that Chris was outside, being chased by a Staraptor.


    Under their guidance, Yuga continued his tour of Michina for the rest of the day.


    The next morning, Yuga woke up early and took his Absol and others for a walk.


    Michina was a vast ce with a temple on a towering mountain surrounded by forests. Apart from the temple, there were mainly fields and lush green meadows, making it an ideal ce for a leisurely walk.


    However, as Yuga and his Pok��mon strolled, they came across Cynthia with her Roserade in a field, talking to a Sunflora and another Roserade.


    It turned out that the Roserade and Sunflora is Cynthia''s Roserade parents.


    While Cynthia''s Roserade was a rare blue potential Pok��mon, her parents had somewhat ordinary potentials. Her mother, the Roserade, had a green potential, and her father, the Sunflora, had a yellow potential.


    These two Pok��mon didn''t have their own trainers and were usually taken care of by the people of Michina to help with farming.


    Just as Yuga was about to approach and greet Cynthia, he felt a strange movement in the Pok�� Ball he was holding, the one containing Chimecho.


    Yuga was delighted and quickly released Chimecho from its Pok�� Ball.


    Seeing that Chimecho was safe and sound, just as Nurse Joy had said, he happily eximed, "Chimecho, you''re finally awake! Is there anything wrong with you?"


    "Chimecho, Chimecho..."


    Chimecho spun around in response, indicating that it was perfectly fine. Then, it floated in front of Yuga and nuzzled his cheek with its small face.


    Yuga gently stroked Chimecho''s long ribbons and said with a hint of helplessness, "You''re already a Elite level Pok��mon, and you''re still this clingy."


    Chimecho didn''t restrain itself; instead, it became even more affectionate upon hearing this. However, it nced at Rowlet, who was perched on Yuga''s shoulder and still sound asleep, with a somewhat dissatisfied expression.


    Since Rowlet was young, Yuga mostly kept it outside these days. Chimecho was naturally jealous, so its discontent with Rowlet having Yuga''s attention to itself was understandable.


    "Florges!"


    Florges, who was nearby, extended a vine and pulled Chimecho off Yuga''s body roughly, not allowing it to cling to Yuga like that.


    Chimecho was unceremoniously pulled down, and although it was initially upset, it couldn''t help but shrink its head when it saw Florges.


    It selfforted, thinking, "Never mind, I won''t argue with it. It must be jealous of my good rtionship with Yuga."


    After Yuga was done being happy about Chimecho''s recovery, he realized that Cynthia had already left. He had no choice but to continue his stroll with his Pok��mon.


    After the walk, as Yuga was recalling his Pok��mon, he suddenly felt the temperature dropping rapidly, and white frost had already formed on the grass and leaves on the ground.


    What''s going on?


    Just as Yuga was puzzled, the sky suddenly started snowing heavily.


    Michina had a year-round mild climate, and it never snowed here. This made Yuga find it quite strange.


    However, he soon understood the reason because right in front of him appeared a Snorunt and a lie.


    Even though Michina was close to the Snowpoint of Mount Cor, Pok��mon like Snorunt and lie, which were part of the Ice type, were extremely rare here.


    The warm climate of Michina wasn''t suitable for them at all.


    Before Yuga could figure out the reason, the lie and Snorunt immediately noticed him andunched an attack using Icy Wind.


    Rowlet, upon seeing this, shook its head and quickly flew off Yuga''s shoulder. It used its Leafage move to block the attacks from the two Pok��mon.


    However, due to Rowlet''s young age and lower level, facing the Ice type lie, which was more than forty levels higher, it struggled. Yuga quickly released his Absol to assist.


    Absol''s two Psycho Cut were swung, causing lie and Snorunt to fall to the ground.


    However, even as lie and Snorunt fell, the snowfall in the sky didn''t diminish; instead, it seemed to be increasing.


    This... is it Hail?


    Yuga looked up at the gloomy sky and realized that if this was caused by Ice type Pok��mon''s Hail move, then either it was a group of Pok��mon using it, or a single powerful one.


    As if confirming his thoughts, Chris''s voice rang out from nearby, "Hey, Yuga! You''re here! The Ice type Pok��mon from the Mount Cor have somehowe down and are causing havoc in Michina!"


    Due to the snowfall blocking their view, Chris only noticed Yuga when he got closer. He had a fiery Infernape with him.


    As soon as Chris finished speaking, his Infernape shot a methrower into the sky, and Delibird plummeted down, smoking.


    Yuga asked, "Are there many Ice type Pok��moning down?"


    Yuga noticed that in just a short while, he and Chris were surrounded by several Ice type Pok��mon, and Absol''s Dark Pulse knocked them down one by one.


    Chris replied angrily, "There are plenty of them! These nasty Pok��mon are ruining my family''s crops with this snow! How will theypensate me?"


    Yuga said, "Let''s go back and see."


    Chris nodded, and together with Yuga, they returned to the residential area. Here, there were even more Ice type Pok��mon, and their strength seemed greater.


    When Yuga and Chris arrived, Sheena and Kevin were leading a group of young people in defending against the Ice type Pok��mon.


    None of the elders were present.


    Kevin, seeing that Yuga had returned safely, breathed a sigh of relief. After instructing his Luxray to knock down a lie, he ran over to Yuga and said, "It''s great that you''re okay. We never expected something like this to happen so suddenly. We haven''t hosted you properly."


    Yuga shook his head and asked, "Do you know why these Ice type Pok��mon havee down?"


    Kevin frowned and replied, "Sheena has already tried tomunicate with them. They im they were driven down from Mount Cor''s peak, but they are unwilling to engage in deeper conversation."


    "Driven down from Mount Cor?" Yuga nced at the intensifying snowfall and couldn''t understand who would do such a thing.


    Mount Cor was vast, filled with countless high level Pok��mon, and these Ice type Pok��mon didn''t seem to be causing any harm to anyone.


    Moreover, the fact that the snowfall was increasing indicated that a powerful Ice type Pok��mon was likely behind it, as changing weather on such arge scale couldn''t be aplished by ordinary Pok��mon.


    Although the scope and scale of this hailstorm weren''t as significant as the Rain Dance that Yuga witnessed Melotic using earlier, it was still not an easy feat to create and maintain.


    Not far away, Sheena was still attempting tomunicate with the Ice type Pok��mon, alongside several awakened tribe members who possessed the Power of True Heart.


    However, their efforts seemed to have limited impact as the Ice type Pok��mon became increasingly resistant tomunication. These young individuals, who had awakened their Power of True Heart, were not exceptionally strong, and trying tomunicate with so many Ice type Pok��mon simultaneously was proving to be a daunting task. They were sweating profusely, including Sheena, who was the most powerful among them.


    By Sheena''s side was a powerful Lopunny, which kicked back any Ice type Pok��mon that tried to attack, ensuring Sheena''s safety during themunication attempts.


    The Power of True Heart abilities of the Temple n and Yuga''s unique abilities both allowedmunication with Pok��mon, but they functioned differently.


    Yuga''s special ability enabled him tomunicate on a linguistic level. While he couldn''t understand thenguage of Pok��mon, he couldprehend the meaning behind their words.


    On the other hand, The Power of True Heart was more forceful in establishing a mental connection between the user and the Pok��mon, allowing for a deeper understanding of each other''s thoughts and emotions, delving into the depths of both human and Pok��mon minds.


    However, if the Pok��mon strongly resisted the emotional connection andmunication, The Power of True Heart would be ineffective, as was the case with the Ice type Pok��mon Sheena and her group were currently dealing with.

 Chapter 896: Traveling Together

    <h4>Chapter 896: Traveling Together</h4>


    Because the Ice-type Pok��mon refused tomunicate, the battle quickly escted. Dozens of lie descended from the sky, each stronger than the ones Yuga had encountered before.


    In addition to the lie, there were also many Sneasel and Weavile hidden in the ice and snow.


    They were cunning, agile, and excellent at concealment. In the blurry moonlight, they resembled cold-blooded assassins, constantly ambushing trainers and Pok��mon who were trying to fight them.


    Chris and his Infernape were very active, and every methrower could take down a lie.


    Sheena and Kevin also showed their strength. Her agile Lopunny excelled in fighting-type moves, and none of the Pok��mon, be it Weavile, Sneasel, lie, or Snorunt, could get the upper hand against it.


    Kevin''s Luxray had a ferocious attack style. It opened an Electric Field, and whether it was the Thunder Fang used for tearing or the crazed Wild Charge for impact, everything was illuminated by its dazzling lightning, causing the Ice-type Pok��mon it hit to convulse.


    However, Yuga couldn''t spot Cynthia in the crowd and wondered where she might be.


    For Yuga, these Ice-type Pok��mon weren''t particrly strong individually, but their sheer numbers,bined with their ability to hide in the snowstorm, made it challenging to clear them all at once.


    He thought for a moment, recalled his Absol into its Pok�� Ball, and released his Charizard, saying, "Charizard, try using Sunny Day to see if you can dispel this snow and hail."


    Snow and hail were caused by the weather move Hail. To use Sunny Day to clear it, Charizard''s control over its weather abilities would be tested.


    Fire-type Pok��mon and Flying-type Pok��mon generally disliked hail weather, especially a dual-type like Charizard.


    Charizard emerged somewhat discontentedly, snorted loudly, and the snow and ice that fell on it instantly turned into water vapor, then disappeared into the air.


    It nodded at Yuga and then flew up into the sky, opening its mouth to release a bright orange-red Weather Ball.


    The Weather Ball burst in the sky, instantly weakening the hail weather. Even the temperature rose a bit, but snow continued to fall from the sky.


    Sensing the change in temperature, the Ice-type Pok��mon in the battle became restless,unching more aggressive attacks. However, this didn''t affect the overall battle situation.


    The young trainers from the temple were all quite powerful. Although theycked extensive battle experience, they held their ground well against these Ice-type Pok��mon.


    In the sky, Charizard was visibly angry, as it couldn''t seize control of the weather. It was quite embarrassing.


    Yuga, however, understood the situation. The opponent''s strength should surpass Charizard''s, as well as their ability to control the weather.


    Of course, the possibility of multiple opponents couldn''t be ruled out.


    The enraged Charizard let out a loud roar to the sky, and its abdomen began to emit a dazzling orange-red light. It then spewed out a Weather Ball that was several timesrger than before.


    It utilized the power of a Red Gem!


    The massive Weather Ball burst in the sky like fireworks. Streams of mes shot out, melting the ice and snow wherever they passed. Even the gloomy clouds gradually dissipated.


    Once again, sunlight shone directly on the earth.


    Following this, like a cannonballunched from the dispersing leaden clouds, a snowy-white figure fell from the sky and smashed a circr pit into the ground.


    The fallen Pok��mon was a Fross, followed by a Togekiss. Both were Elite level Pok��mon.


    Fross floated out of the pit, about to ascend, but Togekiss, which had fallen from the sky right behind it, smacked it back into the pit with a Shadow Ball.


    "It''s Cynthia''s Togekiss!"


    Someone shouted, and only then did Yuga recognize that it was indeed Cynthia''s Pok��mon. He looked up and saw Cynthia, with a Spiritomb floating beside her, slowly descending to the ground.


    After Cynthia and Spiritomb appeared, a group of Delibird frantically flew down and gathered around Fross.


    This Fross should be the one controlling the hail weather, Yuga thought. No wonder he hadn''t seen Cynthia earlier; she must have gone to beat the mastermind!


    That''s why Charizard couldn''t seize control of the weather with the Red Gem; there was not only the Elite level Fross but also thisrge group of Delibird.


    The Delibird, seeing Fross injured by Togekiss, angrily used Icy Wind on Togekiss.


    Although there were quite a few Delibird, none of them were above level forty. Togekiss sent a Heat Wave their way, dispersing the Icy Wind and causing the Delibird to squawk in pain.


    Togekiss held back to avoid harming the Delibird excessively.


    Fross cared for her underlings. Seeing them injured by Togekiss, she immediately unleashed a blizzard, attempting to avenge her subordinates.


    However, Togekiss was agile, and the uracy of the blizzard wasn''t as high as Ice Beam. Fross''s attack was in vain.


    Unable to hit Togekiss, Fross called her subordinate Delibird, and they screeched a few times. The lie also gathered around her.


    Over a hundred Pok��mon simultaneously used Ice Beam on Togekiss. Even though Togekiss was an Elite Pok��mon, it couldn''t withstand such an onught, especially with the presence of Fross, who was also an Elite.


    Seeing this, Yuga quickly shouted to Charizard, "Charizard, help Togekiss!"


    Charizard immediately understood. It was very close to Togekiss. With a p of its wings, it reached Togekiss and used Heat Wave alongside Togekiss, shielding against the barrage of Ice Beams.


    Fortunately, Heat Wave was an area-of-effect move; otherwise, it would have been impossible to withstand so many Ice Beams at once.


    As the energy dissipated, Fross attempted tomand her subordinates for another wave of attack but was horrified to find herself immobilized.


    Unknown to her, Spiritomb, who was by Cynthia''s side, had stealthily crawled onto her back. Cynthia''s Spiritomb had the power to turn invisible and phase through objects, which made it particrly adept at stealth.


    Spiritomb was a strange Ghost-type Pok��mon with only a small chunk of rock beneath it,cking a physical body. It was said that Its energy form was a result of gathering souls, sealed in the rock due to wrongdoing.


    In any case, in various legends, Spiritomb didn''t have a positive image.


    At this moment, Spiritomb''s ghostly energy was wrapped around the delicate neck of Fross, and it used Curse, Spite, Will-O-Wisp, Disable, and finally relentless persistence on Fross in session.


    Even though Fross and Spiritomb were both Ghost-type Pok��mon, Fross was frightened by Spiritomb''s relentless assault, screaming in terror.


    Spiritomb had no physical form, but Fross''s body was real.


    No matter how Fross twisted her graceful body, she couldn''t escape Spiritomb''s entanglement. Her subordinates wanted to help, but they didn''t dare to approach.


    In the end, Fross was "killed" by Spiritomb.


    As soon as Fross fell, the remaining Ice-type Pok��mon became disoriented and were quickly dealt with by everyone.


    Just as the situation was resolved, an old man riding a chubby Staraptor appeared in front of everyone.


    Seeing the defeated intruder Pok��mon, he nodded in satisfaction and said, "Well done, everyone."


    Seeing the chubby Staraptor, Yuga knew that this old man should be Elder Damu, as mentioned by Chris.


    Sure enough, as soon as the old man appeared, Chris muttered to himself, "You dare to ride that fat bird, aren''t you afraid of falling off, especially at your age?"


    "Chris, what are you muttering about over there?"


    Elder Damu gave Chris a dissatisfied re.


    "Nothing... nothing at all! I was justplimenting you and your bird!"


    Chris had tried to take a shortcut yesterday and was chased by the chubby Staraptor for half of Michina! He didn''t dare to argue with Elder Damu now.


    "That''s better!"


    Elder Damu also knew that Chris never had anything good to say, but he didn''t have time to argue with this kid right now.


    "While the Pok��mon issue has been resolved, the frozen crops in the fields need to be dealt with. You all stay here and work on that; I''ll make a trip to the temple."


    After saying this, he picked up the unconscious Fross and turned to Cynthia, saying, "Cynthia,e with me."


    Cynthia nodded and replied, "Understood."


    However, just as they took a step, Elder Damu thought for a moment and said to Yuga, "Young man, why don''t youe with us as well?"


    Yuga nodded in agreement.


    Elder Damu was going to the temple likely concerning the situation with these Pok��mon, and Yuga was also a bit curious.


    Seeing Yuga about to leave, Chris, who loved to join in on things, quickly shouted to Elder Damu, "Elder Damu, can Ie along too?"


    Elder Damu gave him a stern look and replied, "You stay here, don''t go anywhere."


    Yuga walked over to Cynthia and he heard she thanked him.


    Yuga was puzzled and asked, "Thank you for what?"


    Cynthia smiled and replied, "For that Fross..."


    It turned out that Cynthia had encountered some trouble when chasing after that Fross.


    Fross had the ability Snow Cloak and,bined with being a Ghost-type Pok��mon skilled at concealing itself, it was challenging for her and Togekiss to catch it in the snowstorm.


    Additionally, Fross could manipte the Delibird''s cries to distract them, making it nearly impossible to capture.


    Fortunately, Yuga''s Charizard had cleared the snow, allowing Cynthia to seize the opportunity and have Togekiss cooperate with Spiritomb to bring Fross down in time. Otherwise, things wouldn''t have been so easily resolved.


    Yuga responded, "I see now. You don''t need to thank me; I''m a guest here. If you encounter trouble while I''m around, lending a hand is only natural."


    Cynthia nodded in agreement and didn''t say more.


    Elder Damu, holding the unconscious Fross, climbed onto his chubby Staraptor. Yuga rode on his Charizard, and Cynthia rode on her Garchomp, following closely behind.


    The chubby Staraptor wiggled its bald bottom, pped its wings hesitantly, and then took off. Yuga followed, concerned that a single misstep might shake him off.


    When they arrived at the temple, they entered the same grand hall as before. However, this time, there were no other Elders present; only Elder Sorin was seated quietly in the center of the hall.


    Elder Damu ced Fross on the ground and respectfully bowed to Elder Sorin.


    Elder Sorin nodded in response and then addressed Yuga and Cynthia, saying, "I''m aware of the situation outside. The older generation didn''t intervene, hoping that you would gain some experience."


    Cynthia also bowed and said, "The decision of the Elders was correct."


    Elder Sorin chuckled and said, "As long as you don''t me us. By the way, let''s take a look at why these Pok��mon from the Mount Cor Snow Peak came down."


    Elder Damu nodded and brought Fross over to Elder Sorin, saying, "This is the leader of those Pok��mon."


    Elder Sorin epted Fross from Elder Damu and released a Gardevoir. Gardevoir nced at Fross and then waved a Heal Pulse at her.


    Fross gradually woke up, still initially attempting to resist but was quickly silenced by Gardevoir''s stern gaze.


    Next, Yuga witnessed Elder Sorin closing his eyes, and at the same time, a powerful and distinct aura enveloped the surroundings. This aura immediately epassed Fross as well.


    The sensation was simr to what he had felt when Sheena and the others used the Power of True Heart, but Elder Sorin''s power was much more profound and substantial.


    Through Fross''s vision, Elder Sorin saw a collision between a blue Pok��mon and a ck aircraft atop the summit of the snowy peak. This collision generated a massive storm, causing the Pok��mon living on the peak to scramble for safety. The scene abruptly ended as Fross fainted.


    Elder Sorin opened his eyes, furrowing his brow, and said, "It seems something has happened at the Snow Peak. Cynthia, I''ll need you to investigate."


    The temple had coexisted with the Snow Peak of the Mount Cor for generations, and although there had been conflicts in the past, they had formed an unspoken agreement of non-interference.


    The incursion of Ice-type Pok��mon this time was definitely not a coincidence. While they hadn''t caused significant damage to Machina, they couldn''t ignore it either.


    Cynthia was currently the strongest member of the temple, second only to him. As the Elder, he had to stay and guard the temple, so he had no choice but to rely on Cynthia, the younger generation.


    Cynthia responded, "I understand."


    Elder Sorin added, "Select a few people to apany you. We can''t always keep them at arm''s length."


    Cynthia obediently nodded in agreement.


    Elder Damu, who had been silent until now, spoke up, saying, "Could you please invite Mr. Shimizu to apany Cynthia on this journey? If Cynthia encounters trouble, we hope that Mr. Shimizu can assist. On behalf of the temple, I request your help."


    The Mount Cor was the most perilous area of the Cor Hignds, and if there were any significant issues there, Cynthia, leading a group of young trainers, might struggle to handle them. Hence, Elder Damu swallowed his pride and asked for Yuga''spany.


    Throughout generations, the temple had produced many sessful trainers who awakened the Power of True Hearts, such as Elder Sorin.


    However, ordinary individuals often struggled topare favorably with their peers.


    Cynthia was an exceptional case among exceptions, and Elder Damu, who hadn''t awakened an the Power of True Heart himself, understood the tremendous effort required for a regr person to excel within the temple.


    Thus, his concern for Cynthia, a member of the younger generation, was only natural.


    From the expression Elder Sorin had just shown, it appeared that this journey to the Snow Peak might not be peaceful. ording to Cynthia, Yuga was quite powerful, and his presence would enhance the safety of the group, including Cynthia and the young trainers, during their expedition.


    Although Elder Damu would have liked to apany them himself, it was clear that his abilities were likely inferior to those of Yuga.


    Elder Sorin, upon hearing Elder Damu''s request, nodded and said, "I wonder if young Shimizu would be willing to apany Cynthia on this journey. Afterward, on behalf of the temple, I assure you there will be ample gratitude."


    Elder Damu couldn''t make promises on behalf of the temple, but Elder Sorin could.


    Yuga hadn''t expected the temple''s elders to be so willing to request assistance, but he agreed with a nod.


    Elder Sorin wanted to provide some additional information about the Snow Peak expedition, but he had seen limited and blurry details through Fross''s vision, so he decided to forego that and instead addressed the Frosss beside him, saying, "The incident urred at your Snow Peak, so you should join Cynthia on this journey. We will take good care of your subordinates and return them to you when youe back."


    Inside Fross''s mind, she fumed silently, "Take good care? Isn''t that just a nice way of saying they''re keeping us as hostages?"


    ButbShe dared not show her anger, though, and instead obediently nodded, knowing that the person before her was not to be trifled with.


    When they left the temple, Elder Damu stayed behind to discuss matters with Elder Sorin, leaving Yuga and Cynthia to travel together. Following closely behind them was the pitiful-looking Frosss.


    Cynthia said, "I appreciate your help on this journey."


    Yuga shook his head and replied, "It''s no trouble at all. I''ve never been to the Snow Peak of the Mount Cor, so I''ll consider this an adventure. Besides, as Elder Sorin mentioned, there will be ample gratitude."

 Chapter 897: Dead Body

    <h4>Chapter 897: Dead Body</h4>


    In order to determine the reason why the Ice-type Pok��mon left the Snow Peak of Mount Cor, Cynthia selected several strong trainers from the young generation in Michina to apany her on this mission.


    Among them were Sheena, Kevin, and Chris.


    Despite Chris''s usualck of discipline, he was actually one of the most outstanding trainers in Michina''s younger generation. Sheena and Kevin were slightly inferior to him in terms of strength.


    However, although Chris had awakened the Power of True Heart, his abilities were weak, making little difference whether he had it or not. He couldn''tmunicate with wild Pok��mon as effortlessly as Sheena could.


    His abilities only allowed him tomunicate with his own Pok��mon, achieving a deep understanding with them.


    In fact, among the members of the temple with the Power of True Heart, aside from individuals with extraordinary talent like Sheena and Kevin, most were like Chris.


    Especially someone like Sheena, whom the temple had not seen in the past century. Currently, within the temple, only Elder Sorin had reached the same level of talent as Sheena.


    However, Elder Sorin was nearing ny years old, and nobody knew how much longer he would live. After all, not every master level trainer could live as long as Mr. Kuni''o.


    Pok��mon could extend their lifespan by leveling up, but humans couldn''t. When their time came, they would die.


    Despite this, the starting point for ordinary members of the temple was much higher than that of regr individuals. Achieving a deep understanding with one''s Pok��mon, like what Sheena did, was not easy.


    And this deep understanding was essential for a trainer to bring out the full potential of their Pok��mon.


    For instance, if a trainer''s Pok��mon reached the level of an Elite but they couldn''tmand it effectively, they couldn''t be considered a true Elite level trainer. In fact, they might even hinder their own Pok��mon.


    In such a case, if the Pok��mon had a good rtionship with the trainer, it was one thing; but if their bond was average, the Pok��mon would likely look down on their trainer, refuse to obeymands, and even potentially run away.


    Such incidents had urred before and were written in textbooks at trainer schools as historical lessons.


    Pok��mon were indeed loyal to their trainers, but that loyalty had its limits, especially when dealing with mature adult Pok��mon.


    This was why the Pok��mon League had regtions prohibiting the sale of mature adult Pok��mon from Pok��mon Day Care.


    Inparison, young Pok��mon were easier to form emotional bonds with their trainers, making it easier to achieve mutual understanding.


    In the world of excellent trainers, it was not umon for their rtionship with their Pok��mon to surpass their rtionships with their human spouses.


    Of course, marrying one''s Pok��mon was taking it to an extreme and was incredibly rare, and hardly anyone approved of it.


    Different species, it went against ethics.


    This time, Sheena had selected a total of ten people, including herself and Yuga, to apany her on this journey to the Snow Peak of Mount Cor.


    When Chris learned that they were leaving Michina for an adventure on the mountain, he was so excited that he couldn''t sleep that night. As a result, he had two dark circles under his eyes the next day, looking like a panda.


    To facilitate Yuga and the others'' journey on the snowy mountain, the temple elders provided each of them with a Mamoswine as a mount. They also prepared a lot of cold-resistant and warming supplies, which were divided into twelve spatial backpacks, one for each person.


    The Pok��mon world had the convenience of spatial backpacks for travel and adventures, although they were a bit pricey. However, that wasn''t a concern for wealthy families like the temple.


    Moreover, these Mamoswine had undergone special training and were excellent at walking in snowy terrain, with exceptional stamina.


    Mount Cor, being the highest andrgest peak in the Cor Hignds, wasn''t entirely covered in snow. Its slopes and foothills were vast, dense forests and grasnds, inhabited by countless Pok��mon.


    The term "Snow Peak of Mount Cor" referred to the area above the mountain''s midsection, where it snowed year-round, with almost half the year dominated by snowstorms. It was a paradise for Ice-type Pok��mon.


    Michina was nestled in a valley at the foot of Mount Cor. Except for the eastern side, all three other sides offered views of the mountain''s towering peaks and snowy summits.


    Because of this unique location and terrain, the climate here was spring-like all year round.


    Yuga and the group set out early from Michina, heading west and soon entering the territory of Mount Cor.


    Among the twelve travelers, Cynthia was the most familiar with the conditions on Mount Cor. She had oftene here for training when she was still in Michina.


    However, even after reaching the Elite level, she hadn''t ventured deep into Mount Cor. Inside, there were sometimes dangerous situations that even Elite level trainers couldn''t handle, including natural disasters and hazardous Pok��mon.


    Of course, such urrences were extremely rare, and if you encountered them, it was just considered bad luck.


    Before reaching the snowy peak, the twelve travelers didn''t ride the Mamoswine that the elders had prepared. Instead, they each rode their own Pok��monpanions.


    While Mamoswines were indeed suitable for riding in the snow, they were slow in forests and grasnds, even slower than a Magcargo.


    They didn''t want to waste too much time at the mountain''s base, so they rode their Pok��monpanions, sprinting towards the peak. Their flying Pok��monpanions remained vignt in the sky.


    "Cynthia, how much farther to the snowy peak?"


    When you set your sights on a mountain from a distance, it can be deceivingly close. But when you''re actually on the path, it feels like an eternal journey.


    This prompted Chris to get a bit impatient. His mount was a Fire-type Rapidash, excellent for short sprints butcking in endurance for long-distance runs.


    Cynthia responded with a smile, "Don''t worry, Chris. We''re making good progress. We''ll reach the snowy peak in due time."


    As they continued their journey towards the Snow Peak of Mount Cor, the team maintained their alertness, with each step bringing them closer to their destination.


    Of course, this was amon issue among most Fire-type Pok��mon.


    Chris specialized in Fire-type Pok��mon, and neither he nor his Pok��mon were known for their patience.


    Hearing Chris''s words, Cynthia nced at the time and then at her own mount, a Luxray, and turned to address everyone, saying:


    "It''s about noon now, and it''ll still take us some time to reach the snowy peak. Let''s take a break and have lunch."


    Although Luxray, an Electric-type, had decent endurance, it wasn''t as physically enduring as Rapidash. Plus, most people in the group were riding Luxray.


    Seeing that everyone''s Luxray were starting to pant, Cynthia had to call for a rest.


    The only one here who didn''t seem tired was Yuga''s Absol.


    The Seed of Unknown endowed Absol with extraordinary strength and endurance. Trying to tire it out through running was an incredibly difficult task.


    Upon hearing they could rest, the group cheered and found a rtively secluded spot to have lunch.


    However, Cynthia didn''t let her guard down. Her Togekiss continued to hover in the air, keeping watch, and Yuga''s Vivillon didn''t withdraw either.


    In addition to that, Cynthia had her Lucario, outside to check the surroundings. Lucario''s aura-sensing powers made it suitable for this task.


    As Cynthia ate her lunch, she continued to educate the others, feeling they were bing toocent.


    In dangerous forests, it was crucial to remain vignt during breaks. You couldn''t recall all your Pok��mon; otherwise, an unexpected encounter with a hostile Pok��mon might cost you your life.


    Initially, the others didn''t pay much attention to Cynthia''s words. However, the events that followed soon had them all white-faced with fear.


    During their lunch break, as they were halfway through their meal, Lucario quickly returned, and it shouted towards Cynthia.


    Although Cynthia didn''t have the ability tomunicate directly with her Pok��mon, she was very familiar with Lucario, which she had been living with day in and day out. She immediately understood that something was wrong and quickly got up to follow Lucario.


    Yuga quickly packed up his belongings and said to the others, "Let''s go over there and see what''s happening."


    Seeing Cynthia''s serious expression, the others knew that something was wrong. They hastily put away their lunch and followed Yuga and Cynthia.


    Led by Lucario, they arrived at the entrance of a cave. The cave wasn''t deep, and it didn''t take them long to reach the end. When they saw what was inside, except for Yuga and Cynthia, everyone else who had eaten lunch felt nauseated.


    Seeing this group of young boys and girls turning pale and vomiting, Yuga shook his head. They were clearly a bunch of inexperienced kids.


    Inside the cave was a decaying, foul-smelling corpse. Judging by the appearance, it was a male wearing a ck uniform, slumped against the cave wall. It seemed like he hadn''t died before entering the cave.


    During his time in Arus for over two years, Yuga had seen far too many dead bodies. It was an era where human lives were considered cheap, so even though the corpse looked gruesome, he didn''t have any strong reactions.


    "It looks like he froze to death," Sheenamented after examining the body and finding a Pok�� Ball.


    Cynthia had nned of bing the League Champion, so she had been involved in League affairs for quite some time. A scene like this didn''t faze her.


    "Seems like he was a Trainer as well."


    Yuga nodded without furtherment. He wasn''t as skilled at post-mortem examinations as Cynthia, and he couldn''t determine the cause of death from a partially dposed body.


    Seeing Yuga remain silent, Sheena turned to the others and said, "See that? This is what happens when you''re careless in the wilderness!"


    The rookies were shivering and trembling at a distance from the corpse, nodding in agreement with the experienced trainers.


    They had grown up in Machina and had never experienced anything like this, let alone seen a dead body, especially one in such a gruesome state.


    After delivering her warning to the rookies, Cynthia looked at the damaged Pok�� Ball in her hand. It was covered in cracks, so she pressed the switch to see if it would still open.


    Bang! A heavy thud echoed through the cave.


    The Pok�� Ball released a Probopass, but it was also a lifeless body. Moreover, this corpse was covered in white ice crystals, confirming Cynthia''s earlier assertion that the cause of death was freezing.


    Probopass''s body,posed of rocks and mas, hadn''t dposed, so it didn''t look as gruesome as the previous corpse.


    "That corpse had dposed, but the ice crystals on this Probopass''s body haven''t melted..." Cynthia murmured as she examined one of the ice crystals on Probopass''s body.


    "The ice crystals on this Probopass''s body were likely caused by Ice-type skills. The one who did this might not be an ordinary Pok��mon. It might be a good idea to summon Fross and ask her," Yuga suggested after inspecting Probopass''s body.


    Cynthia nodded in agreement and took out a Pok�� Ball, releasing Fross.


    Since Fross didn''t tolerate high temperatures, Cynthia had kept it in a Pok�� Ball. She nned to let it out when they reached the snow peak.


    Once Fross was out, Cynthia asked, "Have you seen this human before?"


    Fross shook its head, indicating it hadn''t seen this particr human. However, it had seen humans with simr attire on the snow peak.


    Upon hearing Fross''s response, Yuga and Cynthia fell silent. A group of people wearing the same clothes likely meant they were part of an organization.


    Could the unexpected events on Snow Peak be rted to these people? The possibility seemed significant.


    If there was a connection, and now there were casualties involved, this situation became much more serious.


    They hadn''t found any identity-rted items on the corpse, so they were currently in the dark.

 Chapter 898: The Ice Bird

    <h4>Chapter 898: The Ice Bird</h4>


    The discovery of a corpse on the way heightened everyone''s vignce, and they decided not to waste any more time, continuing their journey towards the direction of the snow peak.


    By evening, the group finally reached the edge of the snow peak, and beyond thaty a vast expanse of pure white snow.


    From the halfway point up Mount Cor, there were no dense forests, only sparse grasnds, and further up, it was the frozen snowfield.


    Gazing at the white snow reflecting the twilight hues, Cynthia spoke to the group, "Let''s rest here for the night and then set off to go up the mountain early tomorrow morning."


    Everyone nodded in agreement, as traveling up the snowy mountain at night was not a wise choice.


    Soon, the sky darkened, and the night on Mount Cor was eerily quiet. asionally, they could hear the cries of Hoothoot or other nocturnal Pok��mon, but it gave them a spooky feeling.


    Due to its close to the snow peak, the temperature here was quite low. Everyone huddled in their tents, and those on night watch duty were Yuga''s Gengar and Mismagius, Cynthia''s Spiritomb and ceon.


    Apart from Yuga and Cynthia, the others were feeling somewhat uneasy.


    When they had set out, they were excited about their journey and the adventure it promised. They never expected to encounter a dead body so soon. This was far from the happy and carefree scenario they had imagined when setting out with their friends.


    Restlessly, they tossed and turned, and it wasn''t until well past midnight that the young boys and girls began to gradually fall asleep. Even Chris, who usually had arge heart, felt the weight of the situation.


    In the early morning, as the sun just peeked over the horizon and most people were still asleep, someone noticed amotion outside their tents.


    Yuga quickly emerged from his tent and saw arge group of Pok��mon rushing down from the snow peak. Pok��mon were flying and running desperately down the mountainside.


    Then came a deafening roar.


    "It''s an avnche!"


    Cynthia, who appeared by Yuga''s side, had a grim expression.


    Even though Yuga and the others were quite far from the avnche, they could still see the snow tumbling down from the peak and feel the ground shaking from the avnche''s force.


    Imagine if they had started their ascent earlier; could they have avoided such a massive avnche? They might have been buried under tons of snow, and their fate would have been sealed.


    Cynthia, in all her years, had never heard of such arge-scale avnche on Mount Cor''s snow peak.


    The avnchested for nearly half a day before gradually subsiding, but the mountain was suddenly engulfed in a blizzard. Before long, Yuga and the others could no longer see what was happening on the mountain.


    "This situation is really not good," Cynthia remarked, her expression filled with concern.


    Yuga turned to Cynthia and said that they needed to investigate further up the mountain, but unfortunately, such a situation urred, and even the weather was working against them.


    At that moment, Sheena hurriedly approached, gasping for breath, and said to Sheena, "Cynthia, I just asked some Pok��mon that escaped from the snow peak about the situation. They said the avnche wasn''t natural; it was caused by the anger of the Snow Peak''s King."


    "The Snow Peak''s King?"


    Yuga asked in confusion.


    Sheena quickly exined, "Legend has it that there''s a King at the summit of Snow Peak, who maintains order among the Pok��mon within the entire Mount Cor. However, everyone has only heard this legend, and no one has actually seen this Pok��mon."


    Yuga nodded, "I see. So, it seems that this Pok��mon truly exists now. But why would it get angry for no apparent reason? Have there been simr incidents in the past?"


    Sheena shook her head and said, "I''ve never heard of any."


    They were neighbors with Michina and Mount Cor; if such incidents had urred before, they would have heard something about them.


    "The root cause of all this might just lie with this King," Cynthia said after a moment of silence.


    Yuga responded, "If that''s the case, our journey might be more troublesome than we thought."


    The Cor Hignds was thergest gathering ce for high level Pok��mon in the Sinnoh region. If a Pok��mon could rule at its highest peak, it couldn''t be an ordinary one, perhaps even a Legendary Pok��mon.


    Cynthia thought for a moment and then said to Sheena, "Go and gather everyone."


    Sheena nodded and quickly ran off.


    Then, Cynthia turned to Yuga and said, "Now that you know the situation, the events on Snow Peak seem to be moreplicated than we initially thought.


    This was originally a matter for Michina, and I shouldn''t have involved you. You can choose to stay behind and not go up the mountain with us. We''ll understand."


    Yuga was taken aback by Cynthia''s words. He hadn''t expected her to say something like this, and he couldn''t help but smile wryly. "This girl is really straightforward. She''s not trying to take advantage of the situation at all."


    He shook his head and replied, "When you''ve epted a task, you should see it through to the end. There''s no reason to abandon it halfway, even if it bes more challenging. While I may not be a saint, I don''t go back on my word, especially in situations like this."


    Cynthia didn''t insist further and simply nodded, saying, "Thank you."


    Before long, all ten young boys and girls had gathered around. Cynthia addressed them, saying, "The situation on Mount Cor has changed. Originally, I had nned to take you up for some training, but as you saw with the avnche, that n is clearly not feasible anymore.


    Later, Yuga and I will go up the mountain as originally nned, and the rest of you will stay here and wait for our return. If necessary, you can seek assistance from Michina."


    "But is it safe for just the two of you to go up?"


    Kevin expressed his concern, stating that they had all witnessed the avnche, and if they encountered such a situation again, they would be helpless.


    Cynthia replied, "With Yuga''s and my abilities, we should be able to escape if we encounter a special situation. If we both can''t handle it, sending more people won''t make a difference."


    After hearing Cynthia''s words, Kevin fell silent. He realized that if Cynthia couldn''t handle a situation, it would likely require the intervention of Elder Sorin, and their group of young trainers wouldn''t be of much help.


    Thinking this way, Kevin unconsciously clenched his fists.


    The rest of the group shared simr feelings of inadequacy.


    If something truly went wrong on Mount Cor, it would likely have an effect for all of Michina. This wasn''t just Cynthia''s personal matter; it concerned the entire Temple n.


    Seeing the gloomy expressions on everyone''s faces, Cynthia tried tofort them, saying, "You are all still young. Work hard in the future, and you will be able to assist me."


    Chris clenched his fists angrily and said, "If I find out who''s causing trouble on Snow Peak, I won''t let them off lightly!"


    Half an hourter, the young boys and girls watched as Yuga and Cynthia, riding Mamoswine, disappeared into the snowy winds.


    After the avnche, heavy snowfall nketed the entire Snow Peak, leaving only the howling wind and snow in sight. Yuga and Cynthia, dressed in thick clothing and protective goggles, moved forward.


    Mamoswine proved to be an ideal Pok��mon for riding in the snow, despite their seemingly bulky appearance. They moved steadily and surefooted.


    Due to the heavy snowfall''s impact, visibility was poor, and they couldn''t see much ahead. At that moment, Yuga saw Cynthia ahead waving to him.


    The wind and snow were too intense for them to have a conversation, and speaking at a distance would only waste their energy.


    Yuga directed his Mamoswine to Cynthia, and as he approached, she had already dismounted from her Pok��mon.


    She crouched down and, with a pull, revealed a ck object buried in the snow, pulling out a corpse.


    Seeing this corpse, both Yuga and Cynthia''s expressions changed. The clothing on the body was identical to the one they had encountered at the base of the mountain.


    However, unlike the dposed body they had seen earlier, this corpse was well-preserved, frozen stiff, with a look of terror on its face.


    Cynthia tossed this body aside and soon pulled out another corpse from the snowdrift. It was in the same condition as the previous one.


    These two individuals had likely been dead for a while but were frozen in the snow, preventing dposition.


    Yuga and Cynthia, their faces covered by scarves, couldn''t see each other''s expressions. Still, they could guess that the situation was far from pleasant.


    The appearance of three bodies wearing identical clothing on Mount Cor raised suspicions that the incidents on Snow Peak were somehow rted to these individuals.


    Ignoring the corpses, Cynthia pointed ahead, and Yuga nodded. They once again mounted their Mamoswine and continued their journey.


    They walked for several hours, but there was no sign of the mountain''s snowstorm weakening. However, they came across two more bodies simr to the ones they had found earlier.


    In addition to these corpses, they also encountered some mechanical debris buried in the snow, appearing to be remnants of a damaged aircraft.


    Gradually, Yuga and Cynthia noticed that these bodies and debris should have been deeply buried in the snow, but the avnche had unearthed them, allowing them to discover them.


    It became clear that these people had encountered something on the mountain, and they had all been killed. As for the one at the base of the mountain, they had likely managed to escape but sumbed to their injuries halfway down.


    Thinking about the angered king mentioned by the escaping Pok��mon, it all made sense. These people must have provoked that king.


    However, there was one puzzling aspect. Based on the marks on the bodies, these individuals had been dead for some time, at least a week or more. Yet, the king was still angry and had even triggered the avnche.


    Was the king''s temper really this extreme? It seemed unusual.


    Regardless, the truth of the matter, its needed further investigation.


    After walking for who knows how long, just as the two of them were preparing to find a ce to rest, they came across a massive wreckage of an aircraft, surrounded by more bodies, including both humans and Pok��mon.


    Seeing so many dead, Yuga and Cynthia''s expressions simultaneously changed.


    What had happened? How had they managed to anger the king to this extent?


    Most of the aircraft wreckage was buried in the snow, indicating that these events weren''t recent. If the avnche hadn''t urred, these remains and debris might have remained permanently buried beneath the snow.


    Due to the extensive snow coverage, apart from the bodies and aircraft wreckage, there were few visible traces at the scene, and clues were virtually non-existent.


    Yuga attempted to find anything that could identify the group they had found, but their search turned up empty. However, it was clear that this group of people was not upstanding individuals; otherwise, they wouldn''t have needlessly provoked the king of Snow Peak.


    The legend of the Snow Peak king had been around for a long time, and no one else hade to provoke him. This individual not only provoked the king but also lost their lives in the process, causing trouble for Machina.


    Unable to find any clues, Yuga and Cynthia decided to rest as originally nned. After traveling through the blizzard for most of the day, they were tired, and their Mamoswine were showing signs of fatigue.


    Fortunately, there was arge cave nearby, an excellent shelter from the storm.


    However, when Yuga and Cynthia entered the cave, they discovered several small Swinub and a few Snorunt still hiding there, they likely hadn''t managed to escape when the avnche urred.


    These timid Pok��mon shivered in the corner and dared not make a sound when they saw Yuga and Cynthia enter.


    Yuga took out a pot from his spatial backpack, boiled some water, and prepared a pot of soup. They had a hearty meal, which helped dispel the cold from their bodies.


    The Fross, on the other hand, was released to roam freely. Thanks to her, they hadn''t lost their way in the blizzard, and she had guided them to the cave.


    Having lived on Snow Peak year-round, the Fross was familiar with the surroundings and had found the cave for them.


    From the Fross, Yuga and Cynthia learned that almost two weeks ago, there had been a massive battle on the snowy mountain. During that time, the king had also be angry. They were caught in the crossfire during that battle, prompting them to leave Snow Peak.


    However, the disturbance caused by that battle was not as significant as the recent avnche, and fewer Pok��mon had left Snow Peak at that time.


    The opposing side in that battle had been the aircraft, which was now reduced to wreckage.


    With so many Pok��mon leaving Snow Peak due to the avnche, it could be a disaster for Machina if they all flocked nearby.


    Arge number of ice-type Pok��mon staying in Machina for an extended period would bring a harsh winter to the usually warm and spring-like Machina.


    Yuga and Cynthia hadn''t rested for long after finishing their meal when they saw the Fross hurriedly float in. She informed Yuga that there were many Pok��mon outside, seemingly searching for something.


    "Do you recognize those Pok��mon?" Yuga asked the Fross.


    The Fross nodded and told Yuga that they were Pok��mon who used to reside at the pinnacle of Snow Peak, the ones who guarded the king. Now, all of them hade down from the peak.


    Cynthia chimed in, "It seems like their king must have lost something important."


    Yuga nodded in agreement. Not only did it seem like something important was lost, but it must have been exceptionally crucial for the king to be so enraged.


    "I''ll go out and check the situation," Yuga said as he got up to leave.


    Cynthia nodded and said, "I''ll go with you."


    As they reached the cave''s entrance, they saw a Jynx walking by casually. This Jynx had a rtively high level.


    After the Jynx left, they saw several other powerful ice-type Pok��mon passing by near the cave, including the Abomasnow, Mamoswine, and ceon.


    One ceon even entered the cave to inspect it, but by that time, Yuga and Cynthia had already left. It wasn''t that they were afraid of these Pok��mon; it was just that their sheer number would make handling them difficult, and this environment was favorable to ice-type Pok��mon.


    However, the ceon learned about Yuga and Cynthia''s presence from the Swinub and Snorunt hiding in the snow. The ice-type Pok��mon searching the area started to be restless.


    Seeing this, Cynthia, who was hiding in the snowdrifts, said to Yuga, "Are they looking for humans?" They were close enough to hear each other''s voices through the blizzard.


    Yuga nodded, thinking it was a possibility. But if there were others besides them here, were theypanions of the deceased?


    It had been nearly two weeks since the bodies were found. Why hadn''t these people left yet? Did they want to provoke the Snow Peak king again? Were they risking their lives?


    Just when Yuga and Cynthia were filled with questions, a clear bird cry suddenly echoed in the sky. In the blink of an eye, a blue giant bird appeared overhead.


    Articuno!


    The two of them looked up, stunned, almost eximing in shock. Could this be the legendary king of Snow Peak?


    The Fross, who had been hiding near Yuga and Cynthia thanks to her Snow Veil ability, had disappeared the moment Articuno appeared. Escaping in a blizzard like this was effortless for her.


    Articuno was highly perceptive.


    As they raised their heads, Articuno lowered its head, and their eyes met.


    Cynthia and Yuga''s hearts skipped a beat. They realized that they had been discovered.

 Chapter 899: Valley

    <h4>Chapter 899: Valley</h4>


    As Articuno spotted Yuga and Cynthia, its eyes turned crimson, and it emitted a sharp cry. Its wings pped, unleashing a surge of icy blue energy directly at the two.


    In a critical moment, Chimecho appeared in front of them, and a massive barrier of light blocked Articuno''s icy onught.


    After waking up, Chimecho''s defensive capabilities had improved significantly. During their time protecting the Pok��mon on the ind, its Light Screen had been spread thin due to therge number of Pok��mon it was protecting, weakening its defenses.


    Now, all of Chimecho''s power was concentrated, and its Light Screen solidly blocked Articuno''s attack. Of course, another reason was that this Articuno was weaker than the previous Zapdos.


    Even so, this legendary Pok��mon was enough to cause chaos for Yuga and Cynthia.


    The surge of icy blue energy shed with the Light Screen, creating a spectacr disy as if water had sshed against a solid wall. The surrounding snow was sent flying in all directions.


    Taking advantage of this moment, Yuga and Cynthia quickly rolled away from Articuno''s attack. At the same time, Gengar and Mismagius emerged from Yuga''s Shadow Space, while Lucario and Togekiss appeared by Cynthia''s side.


    This Articuno hadpletely lost its sanity and attacked Yuga and Cynthia without restraint. The two had no choice but to counterattack.


    Gengar and Mismagius nked Articuno from both sides, using their Will-O-Wisp to try and inflict a burning status on it.


    However, before the mes could get close to Articuno, the legendary bird released a series of icy whips from its body, deflecting the Will-O-Wisp.


    Once the mes were extinguished, the icy whipsshed out towards Gengar and Mismagius. Fortunately, their quick reflexes allowed them to evade from being struck.


    Even though these icy whips were formed from basic Icy Wind move, Yuga''s Gengar and Mismagius didn''t dare to be careless, despite being Elite level Pok��mon.


    On the other side, Lucario swiftly ran across the snowy ground, circling around Articuno and positioning himself behind it. Meanwhile, Togekiss, with its agile flying ability, drew Articuno''s attention.


    Seizing the moment, both Pok��monunched massive Aura Sphere. However, just as the Aura Sphere were about to hit Articuno, its iridescent barrier flickered, and their attacks seemed to dissipate harmlessly.


    Articuno, perhaps annoyed by Togekiss''s rapid movements, suddenly grew even more agitated. It opened its mouth and spewed countless ice shards, instantly burying Togekiss in a waves of ice.


    Although both Togekiss and Articuno were Flying-type Pok��mon, the colossal size difference between them left Togekiss looking tiny. It disappeared in the onught of ice shards.


    Gengar''s response was swift. Utilizing its ability to move in and out of shadows, it instantly appeared beneath Togekiss, catching it before the ice couldpletely engulf it.


    Despite the direct hit from Articuno''s attack, Togekiss remained conscious, though in severe pain.


    Seeing Togekiss injured, Yuga shouted loudly to Cynthia, "It looks like there''s no way tomunicate with this Articuno. Let''s retreat for now."


    Cynthia nodded in agreement. Given themotion they had caused, attracting more Pok��mon would only be more troublesome.


    Both of them gestured to their Pok��mon to retreat quickly. Several of their Pok��mon began to move away from Articuno at high speed.


    However, Articuno was unwilling to let them go.


    Gengar held Togekiss and quickly flew backward, while Lucario sprinted on the snowy ground. Articuno, on the other hand, released a st of icy breath, attempting to deal with them all at once.


    Gengar threw Togekiss in his hand in the direction of Cynthia, and turned invisible to avoid the st of Ice Breath. Cynthia used the Pok�� Ball to retract Togekiss the moment it flew in front of her.


    Lucario, running swiftly across the snow, managed to avoid the icy breath with a timely somersault.


    Unfortunately, Mismagius wasn''t as fortunate as Gengar and Lucario. When the icy breath came towards it, it attempted to dodge but was not quick enough. Instead, it had to face the attack head-on using Mystical Fire.


    A collision urred between the fiery ring of mes that Mismagius released and the icy blue energy torrent. In an instant, the mes were submerged by the energy torrent, and Mismagius was engulfed as well.


    Fortunately, the Mismagius special defense was decent enough that it didn''t immediately lose its ability to battle after taking the Ice Beam. However, it was immobilized due to the injury.


    Not far from Mismagius, Lucario saw it falling and leaped high into the air, catching Mismagius. Using its Agility move, Lucario evaded another iing Ice Beam.


    When several other Pok��mon approached, Cynthia recalled Lucario into its Pok�� Ball, while Yuga held Mismagius close and entered the Shadow Space once again.


    As they fled, Articuno unleashed another surge of energy, which Chimecho managed to block just in time. The icy blue energy scattered, and Yuga and Cynthia''s figures were hidden amid the dissipating energy.


    Seizing this opportunity, Chimecho used its Teleport move to carry them away from the immediate danger.


    Boom! Boom!


    The sound of two heavy objects hitting the ground echoed as Yuga and Cynthia found themselves in a new location.


    Yuga brushed off the snow from his body and stood up, scanning the surroundings. He realized they hadnded in a valley.


    Strangely, there was no blizzard in this valley, which left Yuga astonished.


    "Strange, there''s no blizzard here!" he eximed in surprise.


    Cynthia, hearing Yuga''s words, was also surprised. Despite the raging snowstorm outside, there was no wind here, and the snow on the ground was only shallow.


    "Could it be because of the terrain?" she wondered aloud.


    This valley, not toorge but not too small, was surrounded by steep cliffs and towering peaks, making it a challenging ce to discover. However, it was clear that this valley was still part of the Snowpeak Mountains, as Chimecho''s Teleport had not taken them beyond the mountain range.


    Yuga shook his head. "Unlikely. This valley, while sheltered, isn''t enough to block out such a massive snowstorm. We can still see the storm outside."


    Just then, they heard the sound of water nearby, and to their surprise, ripples appeared on the otherwise calm surface of a nearby pond.


    Despite the freezing weather, the pond hadn''t frozen over.


    From the water emerged a blue Pok��mon.


    This Pok��mon gave the two of them a brief nce, snorted dismissively, and then leisurely slipped back into the water, paying no attention to their astonished gazes.


    The Pok��mon appeared quite old, with its light blue fur showing signs of turning white, and its once-sharp ws now looking worn and shedding. Its eyes were cloudy andcked any luster.


    Most notably, the gem on its forehead was dull and lifeless.


    Yuga''s keen eye ability provided data on this Pok��mon:


    ...


    Type: Water


    Ability: Cloud Nine


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 87


    Moves: Aqua Jet, Aqua Tail, Water Gun, Psychic, Hydro Pump, Disable, Zen Headbutt, Aqua Ring, Amnesia, Soak, Wonder Room, Scald, Psybeam, Hail, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Safeguard, Rain Dance, Calm Mind, Substitute, Brick Break, Hypnosis, Focus st, Freeze-Dry, Ice Punch, Iron Tail.


    ...


    The mystery of the disrupted weather outside was solved: Golduck''s ability was Cloud Nine, allowing it to suppress the weather within a small area. As a Champion level Pok��mon, it was indeed quite powerful.


    Seeing Golduck disappear from view, Cynthia spoke in a solemn tone, "This Golduck... is very strong!"


    Despite this Pok��mon''s appearance indicating great age and ack of the typical aura of a powerful being, trainers as perceptive as Yuga and Cynthia could easily detect something was amiss.


    One oddity was the presence of only this Golduck in such an idyllic mountain valley. In the Snowpeak Mountains, known for their challenging terrain, having only one Pok��mon reigning over a territory seemed peculiar.


    Cynthia understood Yuga''s point. "The fact that the weather isn''t affecting this valley is rted to this Golduck, isn''t it?"


    Yuga nodded. "Exactly. This Golduck has three possible abilities: Damp, Cloud Nine, and its hidden ability, Swift Swim. It''s not surprising for it to have Cloud Nine, which nullifies the effects of weather conditions."


    As Golduck disappeared underwater without showing hostility, they found a ce to rest. However, they soon noticed signs of recent human activity in a cave within the cliffside.


    Cynthia looked at the still-smoking campfire and said with a serious expression, "There are other people in this valley, besides us. It''s even possible that they''re the ones who provoked Articuno."


    Yuga nodded in agreement. Those people might have sought refuge in this valley to escape Articuno and its followers.


    As they contemted this, they suddenly heard voices and footsteps from outside.


    "I wonder when we''ll ever get out of this cursed ce," a deep, despondent voice said.


    "Exactly! We don''t even have proper food. Eating these berries every day makes me want to puke!" another voice, sharper this time,ined.


    Berries were a type of fruit that grew in icy environments and were favored by many Ice-type Pok��mon. They were also a key ingredient in crafting high level Ice-type Energy Cubes.


    "Don''t say that. Thankfully, there are still berries here. If it weren''t for that group of Pok��mon finding us, we might have starved to death by now," the previous deep voice said.


    "Yes, yes, you''re right! You have a positive attitude. If you like, you can stay here forever! You can eat all the berries you want!" the sharp voice retorted sarcastically.


    "Enough, quiet down!" a stern and rugged voicemanded.


    "Yes!"


    "Yes!"


    The two previous voices suddenly became respectful.


    "Boss, what if we return that thing to those Pok��mon? It''s not what we were looking for anyway. We could act like we never found it," the sharp voice cautiously suggested.


    "Shut up! We''ve taken their money, so we''ll deliver the goods. Let''s wait and see. We''ll find a chance to leave eventually. We''ve lost so many brothers just to get our hands on this, and there''s no way we''re giving it back!" the stern voice dered.


    "Yes..." The sharp voice became subdued.


    The mountain valley was very quiet, and the conversation of the three individuals was clearly audible to Yuga and Cynthia inside the cave. As their footsteps drew nearer, the hearts of Yuga and Cynthia began to race.


    These three individuals and whatever they were talking about had caught the attention of Yuga and Cynthia. They exchanged quick nces, fully aware of the potential danger.


    The cave they were in was small and offered no hiding ces. Venturing outside would mean a direct confrontation with the three neers.


    As the three people entered the cave, they were met by Yuga and Cynthia sitting inside with serious expressions. The surprise was evident on their faces.


    Yuga and Cynthia took a closer look at the three neers. The person in the middle appeared to be the leader, tall with a stern face and sharp, piercing eyes. The one on the left had an average build and an ordinary face, while the person on the right seemed slightly leaner and had a gloomy expression with cunning eyes.


    What puzzled them was that these three individuals were dressed simrly to the ones they had encountered earlier who had perished in the snow.


    "Who are you? How did you end up here?" the person on the left, the one with the sharp voice, demanded angrily.


    "Who are you?" Yuga responded, feigning confusion.


    Before the person on the left could speak further, the one in the middle, who seemed to be the leader, silenced him with a nce. He asked calmly, "Young man and youngdy, are you here on an adventure as well?"


    Yuga nodded, putting on a hesitant expression. "Yes, we are. We came to explore this mountain, but the Pok��mon here have been acting strangely. They chased after us, and we ended up here without realizing it."


    Yuga then appeared somewhat regretful. "We should have been more careful."


    He continued with a question, "Are you gentlemen in the same situation as us? Do you know what''s wrong with these Pok��mon?"


    Yuga''s acting was seamless. He portrayed himself as an inexperienced young adventurer, while Cynthia remained quietly in the background.


    The person in the middle, introduced as Billy, found a ce to sit along with his twopanions, Satoshi and Midori. Billy nodded in response to Yuga''s question. "Indeed, we also arrived here unintentionally, much like your situation."


    He then introduced himself and hispanions. "I''m Billy, and these are my two brothers, Satoshi and Midori. May we know your names?"


    Yuga maintained his act, appearing somewhat shy. "I''m Aota, and this is my cousin, Shiina."


    Yuga and Cynthia had be somewhat known names, especially Cynthia, whose reputation had spread among people in Sinnoh region. To avoid any unexpected situations, Yuga decided to use aliases for both of them in this unfamiliar encounter.


    Cynthia, not ustomed to handling such situations, left the interaction to Yuga. She remained quiet and observant, trusting Yuga to take the lead.


    Billy, hearing Yuga''s words, smiled and said, "So it''s Aota and Shiina. By the way, we have some freshly picked Sitrus Berries here. Would you like to try some?"


    Yuga politely declined, waving his hand. "No need, really. You''ve already worked hard to pick these. We have our own supplies."


    He then revealed a standard backpack from behind his back, not wanting to arouse suspicion by showing their advanced space backpack provided by the temple.


    Billy, appearing somewhat embarrassed, said, "I might have been meddling too much. Our things got lost on the mountain, and we thought you might be in the same situation."


    Yuga could see through Billy''s act. Losing their belongings might be true, but he was also carrying a package on his back, likely containing what they had mentioned earlier.


    The group fell into a silent meal. While Yuga and Cynthia nibbled on their bread, they kept a watchful eye on the three strangers. It was clear to both parties that they were pretending, trying to y innocent while assessing each other''s true intentions.


    As time passed, night fell, and the valley grew even quieter. In the dimly lit cave, the crackling of the fire was the only sound.


    In the dead of night, while everyone appeared to be asleep, a Gengar emerged from the shadows, silently approaching Billy, who was lying in the corner. It shook its head slightly, and two more Gengar joined in, conveying their message in silence.


    Unbeknownst to these three Gengar, Yuga''s Gengar had its head peeking out of the Shadow Space, fixating its cold gaze on the trio for a while before smirking and retreating back into the shadows.

 Chapter 900: Fierce Battle

    <h4>Chapter 900: Fierce Battle</h4>


    As Yuga''s Gengar returned to the Shadow Space, voices could be heard echoing in the cave.


    "Both of those littlembs are asleep, right?" It was the voice of Midori.


    Billy replied, "My Gengar used Hypnosis on them."


    Midori chuckled and said, "Then they must be fast asleep. Our boss is always cautious. I would say we could have dealt with them during the day; there was no need to wait until night."


    "Our boss has his own way of thinking," Satoshi quietlymented.


    Billy added, "Being cautious doesn''t hurt. I find these two rather strange. Who knows what tricks they might have up their sleeves."


    Midori pursed his lips and remained silent at that.


    Then, a quiet rustling sound filled the cave as the three men approached Yuga and Cynthia.


    "Let me see if they have anything good on them," Midori said with a sly smile, reaching out toward Yuga''s spatial backpack.


    "Maybe we should first check if they have any identification to see who they really are," Satoshi reminded. He couldn''t shake the feeling that these two were suspicious, young as they were, to venture so deep into Snowpeak Mountain.


    All trainers in the Sinnoh region knew that the riskiest adventure area in Sinnoh was the Cor Hignds, and the most dangerous part of the Cor Hignds was Mount Cor.


    Very few people ventured into Mount Cor, and even other trainers or adventurers who came to the Cor Hignds typically explored other areas. Going deep into the snowy peaks of Mount Cor was an entirely different level of risk.


    "Yes, yes, yes! You talk too much. Why don''t you do it yourself if you''re so capable!" Midori retorted, unconcerned about Satoshi''s words.


    Satoshi didn''t bother arguing with Midori. He simply stood quietly behind Billy.


    As Midori reached for the spatial backpack that Yuga had ced behind him, Yuga''s eyes snapped open, and he red at Midori with an intense, piercing gaze. Midori let out a startled cry.


    "What''s wrong?" Satoshi immediately asked.


    Midori wanted to speak but found himself unable to. He couldn''t move, let alone make a sound. A Gengar slowly emerged from the ground, grinned widely at him.


    Due to the dim lighting in the cave and Yuga''s body blocking their view, Billy and Satoshi couldn''t see the Gengar fully, only catching a glimpse of its half-exposed body. But Midori was terrified, and his heart nearly stopped.


    "Midori, hurry up!" Billy impatiently urged when he saw Midori frozen in ce.


    Just as Midori was about to react, a horrifying, shrill scream echoed through the cave, causing both Billy and Satoshi to shudder. Then, a Gengar fell from the cave''s ceiling, crashing down right in front of Billy and Satoshi.


    Billy''s eyes widened in shock. "Isn''t this my Gengar? What''s happening?"


    Before Billy could think further, his other two Gengar panickedly fled from the shadows, and an eerieughter echoed in the cave.


    Cynthia''s Spiritomb slowly materialized from the darkness, the patterns on its energy body emitting a pale green light, and its ghostly-like form swaying constantly.


    Billy''s remaining two Gengar also attempted to flee, but Spiritomb fired two Dark Pulse, following in the footsteps of the first Gengar.


    These three Gengar were Pok��mon trained by Billy for surveince purposes, with low potential and weak strength, unable to withstand the single attack from Cynthia''s Spiritomb, who was at the Elite level Pok��mon.


    Realizing what had happened, Billy eximed angrily, "You haven''t been affected by Hypnosis!"


    Yuga slowly stood up from the ground, holding Midori, who was immobilized. He said, "Of course not. If we didn''t act like it, how would you dare to make a move against us? You didn''t attack us first, did you?"


    During the day, Yuga could have easily captured these three individuals and interrogated them, but he wanted to maintain a sense of decency and avoid unnecessary violence.


    Hearing Yuga''s response, Billy and Satoshi were taken aback. It seemed that they had underestimated Yuga and Cynthia.


    At this moment, Cynthia brushed off her clothes and also stood up from the ground. Throughout the encounter, both of them had remained alert and conscious.


    Billy demanded with a cold tone, "Who are you people? Why are you targeting us?"


    Yuga responded, "Actually, that''s the question we should be asking you. Who are you, what were you doing on the snow peak, and why did you arouse the anger of the Snowpeak King? Besides, we weren''t the ones who initiated the attack!"


    Billy was fuming. "It looks like you won''t learn unless you face some trouble."


    Saying that, he took out two Pok�� Balls.


    Midori, the hostage, widened his eyes in panic, realizing that he was still in someone else''s hands.


    But due to the Gengar''s Mean Look, he couldn''t utter a word.


    Billy tossed the Pok�� Balls, and a Weavile and a Toxicroak appeared in the cave.


    Satoshi, standing beside Billy, also released two Pok��mon: a Drapion and a Probopass.


    Yuga used a karate chop on the back of Midori''s head and then said to Billy, "Are you sure you want to fight here? This cave might copse."


    After saying that, he tossed the unconscious Midori aside.


    Billy was furious. "Enough talking!"


    As he spoke, Weavile and Toxicroakunched an attack on Yuga and Cynthia.


    Weavile aimed for Yuga''s neck with a Night sh, while Toxicroak targeted Cynthia''s abdomen with a Poison Jab.


    Both Weavile and Toxicroak were Pok��mon with excellent night vision, allowing them to uratelyunch their attacks.


    The Gengar behind Yuga appeared in front of him in an instant, forming a shadow using Night Shade and punch Weavile, force it to retreat.


    Cynthia''s Spiritomb flew to her head and used Psychic to stop Toxicroak''s charge before throwing it aside.


    Weavile retreated to the side of Drapion, which caught it, while Toxicroak collided with Probopass.


    Seeing his Pok��mon lose in a single confrontation, Billy narrowed his eyes and asked the two again, "Who are you people?"


    These were obviously two Trainers of the Elite level, and such young Elite level Trainers should not be unknown.


    In fact, Billy had heard both the names Shimizu Yuga and Cynthia, but he had never met them in person, so he couldn''t immediately associate them with their identities.


    "You don''t need to know who we are. Just make sure to exin everything you need to confess clearly," Cynthia said while directing her Spiritomb to counterattack. She showed no mercy to those who disrupted the order of Snowpeak Mountain and endangered Machina.


    The eerie wind from Spiritomb carried a chilling aura as it blew towards the opposing Pok��mon. With each gust, Spiritomb''s aura increased in strength.


    The Omnious Wind could randomly boost one of the user''s five stats (Attack, Defense, Special Defense, Special Attack, and Speed), but the probability was very low, around ten percent. However, Cynthia''s Spiritomb seemed to be exceptionally lucky today, as it almost always boosted one of its stats.


    The bone-chilling breeze made the opposing four Pok��mon shiver, and they began to counterattack.


    Weavile fired an Ice Beam, Toxicroakunched a Sludge Bomb, Drapion used Dark Pulse, and Probopass unleashed a Power Gem. These attacks were all aimed at Spiritomb, which was still surrounded by the Omnious Wind.


    Yuga''s Gengar couldn''t allow them to harm Spiritomb, so it used a move called "Phantom Force" to to send Spiritomb to Yuga along with Cynthia, and then he appeared again in their ce.


    However, Gengar was disappear from its current location just as the attacks were about to hit. The four attacks missed their target but struck the cave''s ceiling, causingrge rocks to fall.


    Seeing this, Yuga''s expression changed. "Not good, this ce is copsing. We need to get out of here."


    Cynthia nodded and immediately followed Yuga as they ran toward the cave''s entrance, with Gengar and Spiritomb flying close behind.


    Billy and Satoshi, upon realizing the situation, also sprinted for the exit. However, among their four Pok��mon, Drapion, Toxicroak, and Probopass, were rtivelyrge in size, causing them to panic as they attempted to escape.


    At this moment, Yuga turned back and shouted, "Hey, what about yourpanion named Midori?"


    Only then did Billy and Satoshi remember that Midori was still unconscious and had been left behind in the cave by Yuga.


    Seeing that the cave was about to copsepletely, and with their Pok��mon struggling to get out, Billy gritted his teeth and decided not to go back for Midori.


    Billy had no intention of caring for Midori, and Satoshi was even less inclined to do so. Midori had not treated Satoshi well in the past, and while he didn''t voice his grievances, it didn''t mean he had no resentment.


    At this point, Yuga turned around and said, "You guys are such great friends!"


    Billy was on the verge of losing his temper, and his eyes were practically shooting mes at Yuga. However, in the darkness of the night, Yuga couldn''t see the expressions of Billy and Satoshi. They could only make out each other''s silhouettes.


    Just as Billy and Satoshi and their four Pok��mon rushed out of the cave, it copsed with a deafening roar. To make matters worse, Yuga and Cynthia were waiting not far away with their strongest Pok��mon, Garchomp and Lapras.


    Yes, as soon as Yuga and Cynthia exited the cave, they recalled Gengar and Spiritomb and released their most powerful Pok��mon, Garchomp and Lapras.


    However, what everyone was unaware of was that when the cave copsed with a thunderous noise, ripples appeared on the calm surface of the valley''s pond outside.


    Without giving Billy and Satoshi any time to react, Garchomp made a powerful dash to their side. Its two scythe-like dragon ws grabbed Toxicroak and Drapion, pinning them against the cave wall.


    Bang! Bang!


    The two Pok��mon let out cries of agony.


    Awaiting Probopass and Weavile were two massive Hydro Pump. The tremendous impact sent them flying, and their cries soon followed.


    Faced with the fierce attacks of Lapras and Garchomp, the less powerful Drapion and Probopass immediately lost theirbat capabilities. Only Billy''s Weavile and Toxicroak remained, struggling in vain.


    Being caught by Snowpeak King, Satoshi had already sacrificed all his other Pok��mon. Now, only Drapion and Probopass remained.


    As Drapion fell, Garchomp withdrew one dragon w and mmed it brutally onto Toxicroak, which was still pinned beneath it. Toxicroak let out another agonized cry.


    Weavile managed to crawl to its feet, shook off the water stains, and began leaping frantically to avoid the next wave of attacks from Garchomp and Lapras.


    However, in the eyes of Lapras, its movements weren''t considered fast. Another Hydro Pump shot out, and Weavile raised its twin ws to block it but was still sent flying.


    "You two!!!"


    Billy roared in anger. He was filled with rage, as it had been a long time since he had been this furious.


    Seeing his Toxicroak and Weavile being overwhelmed, he took out two more Pok�� Balls and released an Magnezone and a Machamp.


    These were hisst two Pok��mon, and he had originally nned to rely on them to escape from Snowpeak Mountain. But he never expected to encounter Yuga and Cynthia.


    Seeing Billy release two more Pok��mon, Yuga and Cynthia both eximed simultaneously.


    "Garchomp, Dragon Rush!"


    "Lapras, Sheer Cold!"


    Garchomp shook off the pinned Toxicroak and flew into the air, using Dragon Rush on Magnezone. Magnezone had just appeared and hadn''t even had a chance to attack before being knocked out.


    The same fate befell Machamp.


    Lapras opened its mouth and released a bitterly cold white stream of air. As soon as it touched Machamp, it was frozen into an ice sculpture.


    Weavile, not far from Machamp, was also caught by the Sheer Cold wave. It was just grazed by the white stream of air, but its whole body was frozen stiff, despite being an Ice-type Pok��mon. It copsed to the ground.


    Having dealt with Magnezone, Garchomp picked up the nearly unconscious Toxicroak, shook it a few times, and Toxicroak passed out.


    The battle ended quickly, but Billy and Satoshi''s faces turned pale. They hadn''t expected the opponents to be this strong.


    At this moment, the day finally dawned.

 Chapter 901: Golden Orb

    <h4>Chapter 901: Golden Orb</h4>


    Without their Pok��mon to protect them, Billy and Satoshi were easily bound by Yuga.


    When they hade to Snowpeak Mountain, the Temple Elders had thoughtfully provided them with climbing ropes, which were now being used to tie them up.


    As for Midori, Yuga believed that he probably couldn''t withstand the beating he had received in the cave and had likely be minced meat by now, making it difficult to even locate his body.


    After throwing the two bound individuals onto the ground, Yuga reached for the spatial backpack that Billy had behind him and emptied its contents with a loud tter.


    He and Cynthia hadn''t forgotten their conversation with them from yesterday; this backpack should contain the items that Billy and his group had stolen from Articuno.


    The contents of this spatial backpack were quite diverse, including clothing, shoes, nkets, Pok��mon food... But the most eye-catching item was a stone roughly the size of an adult''s head.


    This stone was golden in color, resembling an ordinary but beautiful gemstone. Its shape wasn''t perfectly regr, but that didn''t diminish its beauty.


    Especially in the early morning light, with the snow as a backdrop, this stone sparkled brilliantly.


    Although there was no detectable energy emanating from this stone, both Yuga and Cynthia could sense its uniqueness.


    "What is this? What was your purpose in stealing this from Articuno?" Yuga shifted his gaze away from the stone and turned to Billy and Satoshi, asking.


    Billy just red at Yuga and Cynthia with red eyes, refusing to utter a word, while Satoshi acted based on Billy''s mood.


    "You won''t talk? Do you think I won''t resort to other means if you stay silent?" Yuga threatened.


    At this moment, Cynthia, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up. "I feel like this item is very simr to something I remember."


    Yuga was momentarily surprised and asked, "Something? What do you mean?"


    Cynthia replied, "In the myths, after Arceus created the world, it also created three deities: Dialga, the God of Time; Palkia, the God of Space; Dialga, and Giratina, the God that governs the Distortion World. Along with these three deities, the three Orbs were also created: the Adamant Orb, the Lustrous Orb, and the Griseous Orb."


    "You mean..." Yuga''s voice trembled.


    Cynthia nodded with a serious expression. "This one bears a striking resemnce to the Griseous Orb described in the legends, which is associated with Giratina, the God that governs the Distortion World. It is said that with this orb, one can summon Giratina."


    Yuga was stunned. He hadn''t expected these individuals to dare to touch something like this. Taking this item meant they had already caught the attention of Giratina. No matter where they went, Giratina would be able to find them.


    While Yuga knew about the three Orbs of the Creation Trio, he had never seen them, even in his previous life. That''s why he didn''t recognize the Griseous Orb. However, Cynthia and Professor Carolina had studied the myths of the Creation Trio for so many years, and they couldn''t be mistaken.


    The deities in this world were far more formidable than Yuga''s previous understanding. They were truly beings worthy of being called gods, and taking their belongings would inevitably draw their attention. This was not something to be taken lightly.


    Especially Giratina, a Level 1 Legendary Pok��mon, stood above the Level 2 Legendary Pok��mon likes Zapdos, Articuno, and even the Legendary Pok��mon like Celebi. It was a terrifying entity at the pinnacle of the Pok��mon world.


    "But how could the Griseous Orb end up with Articuno? and it seems to value this item greatly," Yuga wondered.


    Cynthia shook her head and replied, "I don''t know either. None of the myths in Sinnoh mention where the three Orbs of the Creation Trio ended up."


    Yuga furrowed his brow. "We might have stumbled upon some extraordinary secret."


    "Tell us, how did you know that the Griseous Orb was in Mount Cor?" Yuga kicked Billy harshly, ming him for the whole mess. If it weren''t for this guy, they wouldn''t be dealing with such troubles, and the Orb would remain beautiful and undisturbed in Articuno''s possession.


    When Cynthia had revealed the identity of the Griseous Orb earlier, Billy had been just as surprised as Yuga. He had no idea what he had taken.


    Billy didn''t have much knowledge of the Sinnoh myths, but Cynthia''s words were enough to make him understand the significance of the Griseous Orb.


    If he had known it was something like this, he wouldn''t have gone through all the trouble to steal it. It might be a valuable item, but you needed to have a life to enjoy it! Wasn''t Giratina known for its unpredictable and dangerous nature?


    He dared to offend Articuno, but he wouldn''t dare to offend Giratina. Articuno didn''t leave Snowpeak Mountain, but Giratina had no such restrictions.


    But now that he was a prisoner, and the Griseous Orb had fallen into someone else''s hands, he ignored Yuga''s questions.


    Seeing that Billy remained uncooperative, Yuga decided to summoned Gengar and let it use Hyonosis for introgations.


    While Hypnosis could potentially cause some damage to the human brain, Yuga had no other choice given the circumstances.


    However, Yuga didn''t use Hypnosis on Billy; instead, he directed it towards his underling, Satoshi. Watching his subordinate spill the beans, Billy''s expression turned quite entertaining.


    As it turned out, just like Yuga and his group used aliases, Billy''s real name wasn''t "Billy" but "Bilis."


    Although Cynthia hadn''t heard of "Bilis," the name still sounded somewhat familiar to her. This person had a certain level of notoriety in the criminal underworld of Sinnoh.


    The most prominent bounty hunter organization in the Sinnoh underworld was the "Hegel Mercenary Corps," and its leader was none other than Bilis.


    Bounty hunters were a despised profession in the Pok��mon world. Most of those who entered this profession were ouws, willing to do anything for money, including poaching Pok��mon, robbery, and murder.


    They employed ruthless methods, with little regard for ethics, which made them highly unpopr among the general poption.


    However, there were always individuals who had tasks they couldn''t personally undertake, and that''s where bounty hunters came in. These hunters became the tools of those with unsavory jobs to be done.


    The Hegel Mercenary Corps was one such bounty hunter organization.


    Not long ago, the Hegel Mercenary Corps had received a job to retrieve an item from Snowpeak Mountain, with a rough description of the item''s appearance and approximate location provided.


    The client didn''t show up in person, but they had paid a substantial sum upfront, and Bilis couldn''t refuse such arge amount of money.


    Completing this one job would provide him with enough funds tost for three to five years without worrying about finances.


    Two weeks ago, Bilis sent his first team to Snowpeak Mountain on this task, but they disappeared without a trace.


    At that time, Bilis had no idea that the item he was looking for was in the possession of the Legendary Pok��mon Articuno. Needless to say, the entire first team was wiped out, and the bodies seen by Yuga''s group near Snowpeak Mountain were the remains of those Hegel Mercenary Corps members.


    The fact that the first team he sent didn''t return made Bilis realize that this task wasn''t going to be a walk in the park. He understood that no one would pay such a substantial sum of money for an easy job.


    However, Bilis wasn''t one to give up easily, so he personally led a second team to Snowpeak Mountain. There, they discovered the remains of the first team and the wreckage of their aircraft.


    What pleasantly surprised Bilis was that, despite the first team not returning alive, they had managed to locate the target item within the wreckage of the aircraft.


    Two weeks ago, the conflict that erupted on Snowpeak Mountain was due to the first team pilfering something from Articuno, which enraged the Legendary Pok��mon. Articuno shot down their aircraft, causing the Fross to flee from the mountain in fear.


    At the time, the item had been secured in a special box. After downing the aircraft, Articuno didn''t manage to locate the item.


    Once Bilisid eyes on the item and opened the box, Articuno sensed its presence nearby and initiated a pursuit against Bilis and his group.


    While Bilis brought quite a few people with him, the vast numbers of Pok��mon on Snowpeak Mountain overwhelmed them. Soon, only Bilis, Satoshi, and Midori remained alive.


    Satoshi and Midori were indeed their real names, as they weren''t as famous as Bilis and had no need to conceal their identities.


    When the three of them were at their wit''s end, they stumbled upon this valley by pure chance. They remained hidden here for several days, undetected by Articuno and its underlings.


    Yesterday, Articuno, who had been tirelessly searching for Bilis and his group, grew impatient. It fell into a frenzy, triggering a massive avnche and attracting the attention of Yuga and Cynthia.

 Chapter 902: Evil Pokémon

    <h4>Chapter 902: Evil Pok��mon</h4>


    After interrogating Satoshi, Yuga and Cythia were quite overwhelmed. Bilis, driven by greed, seemed willing to do anything for money. Without knowing what the Griseous Orb was, he dared to steal something from Articuno.


    Having experienced Gengar''s Hypnosis, Satoshi''s mind was left spinning, and he promptly copsed. Bilis, on the other hand, appeared utterly hopeless, realizing that the money he had acquired might cost him his life.


    Just when Yuga and Cythia thinking how to deal with Satoshi and Bilis, they suddenly felt a sense of dread and swiftly moved to the side.


    Two water arrows pierced the spots where they had been standing, prating Satoshi''s forehead and heart, as well as Bilis''s heart.


    Satoshi, in his unconscious state, lost his life without even a twitch, while Bilis, wide-eyed with terror, produced a harsh gurgling sound in his throat before tilting his head and losing his breath.


    Seeing Satoshi and Bilis dead, Yuga and Cythia both gasped in horror. If they hadn''t reacted quickly, they would have suffered the same fate.


    What astonished them even more was that as soon as Satoshi and Bilis perished, a mysterious Fross appeared above them. This Fross had an eerie red gleam in its eyes, and Satoshi and Bilis turned into lifeless corpses one after the other.


    Yuga recognized this as the symptom of life energy being drained �C they were witnessing it firsthand.


    After absorbing Satoshi and Bilis''s life energy, the eerie Fross let out a satisfied breath and then turned its greedy gaze toward Yuga and Cythia.


    Lapras and Garchomp immediately stepped in front of Yuga and Cythia, vignt and watching the Fross closely.


    However, the Fross didn''t attack the two of them; instead, it drifted toward the fallen Toxicroak, Weavile, and Drapion, among other Pok��mon. In the blink of an eye, it turned them all into lifeless corpses.


    As it absorbed a significant amount of life energy, the Fross''s eyes grew increasingly red, and the red sash around its waist seemed as if it might drip blood at any moment.


    This is a mutated Fross, and it''s an evil Pok��mon that thrives by absorbing life energy, both Yuga and Cythia thought to themselves.


    Ghost-type Pok��mon often have the ability to absorb the life energy of other creatures, but they typically don''t actively drain life energy from others. At most, some less controlled Ghost-types might inadvertently absorb the life energy of their surroundings.


    Apart from that, only a few Ghost-type Pok��mon take such malevolent paths, like this Fross.


    The Fross, with a reluctant expression, shifted its gaze away from Yuga and Cythia and drifted behind them. When the two turned their heads, they saw a Golduck standing by the edge of the pond.


    The two of them suddenly realized that it was this Golduck, the one responsible for killing Satoshi and Bilis. In fact, it had targeted the two of them.


    The Fross floated next to the Golduck, and a faint red thread appeared, connecting them. The elderly Golduck''s body began to visibly rejuvenate before their eyes.


    Its pale fur regained its deep blue hue, its frail ws became sharp again, the ruby on its forehead gleamed brightly, its once-clouded eyes gradually regained their luster, and they brimmed with a cold, menacing intent.


    As it turned out, this mutated Fross possessed a unique ability��it could share the life energy it absorbed with another Pok��mon through a Destiny Bond move.


    Over the years, this elderly, ailing Golduck had been kept alive through the Fross''s ability.


    Back when the Fross was still a Snorunt, it had been rescued by the elderly Golduck. Even the Dawn Stone it used for evolution had been a gift from the Golduck.


    This particr Dawn Stone was a unique one, discovered by the Golduck atop the Snowpeak Mountain''s summit, and it emitted a distinct Ghost-type energy.


    Thanks to this special Dawn Stone, the Snorunt had experienced a mutation during evolution and gained the ability to share life energy.


    In gratitude to the Golduck, the Fross had hunted many Pok��mon on the Snowpeak Mountain, absorbing their life energy to keep the elderly Golduck alive.


    However, this method of prolonging life was highly draining on life energy, which meant that the Golduck would age and weaken again after a certain period.


    Although the Golduck could stay alive, it didn''t want to die, so it became increasingly obsessed with extending its lifespan. Leveraging its formidable strength, it, along with the Fross, was responsible for the deaths of many Pok��mon and adventurers who ventured into the Snowpeak Mountain.


    If Yuga and Cythia were to inspect the pond where the Golduck resided at this moment, they would find a substantial umtion of Pok��mon and human skeletons at the bottom.


    When Bilis, Satoshi, and Midori entered the valley earlier, the Golduck had already regarded them as potential reserves. The Fross had been absent for a while, allowing the trio to survive a bit longer.


    Last night, when Yuga and Cythia confronted Bilis and the others, they inadvertently alerted the Golduck. The Golduck, unhappy with its prey fighting among themselves, so it took action.


    Coincidentally, the Fross returned during the night. It sensed that the time hade, as it was also entering a weakened state and needed an energy boost.


    Therefore, after Bilis and the others were defeated, the Golduckunched a direct assault on Yuga and Cythia, but these two were highly perceptive and managed to dodge its Water Gun attack.


    "It seems this Golduck has no intention of letting us go," Yuga remarked to Cythia.


    "I never expected to encounter such Pok��mon on Snowpeak Mountain,"


    Cythia nodded in agreement and prepared herself for battle alongside Garchomp. The thought of these two Pok��mon making their way down to Machina or Celestic Town was unthinkable.


    Yuga observed the Golduck and Fross in front of them, recalled Lapras, and summoned Gengar. With a sh of colorful light, Gengarpleted its Mega Evolution.


    This marked the first time Yuga had allowed Gengar to Mega Evolve in front of others.


    Under normal circumstances, Yuga''s strongest Pok��mon was naturally Lapras. While Lapras''s level was in the Intermediate of Elite level, itsbat strength was almost on par with ordinary peak Elite level Pok��mon.


    Gengar, at the Intermediate Elite level, would rise to the peak Elite level after Mega Evolution, not much weaker than Lapras.


    Dealing with the Water-type Golduck and the Ghost-type Fross, Gengar was a more suitable choice. Besides, coordinating Ice/Water-type Lapras with Cythia''s Dragon/Ground-type Garchomp would not be ideal.


    The opposing Golduck was an experienced Champion level Pok��mon, and there was no room for an error.


    However, the Fross appeared to have unique abilities but was not of a high level, barely entering the Elite level. It seemed content to let the Golduck take charge of the battle, as it remained hidden behind it.


    Seeing Yuga''s Gengar undergoing Mega Evolution surprised Cythia. She had been searching for Garchomp''s Mega Evolution Stone but hadn''t heard any news about it.


    The Temple had Mega Evolution Stones for other Pok��mon, but obtaining one for her Pseudo-Legendary Garchomp was proving to be quite challenging. Otherwise, it would undoubtedly make her journey to be a League Champion much easier.

 Chapter 903: Pillar of Light

    <h4>Chapter 903: Pir of Light</h4>


    Yuga''s situation was unique; his body contained a more abundant life energy than the average person, which was why individuals of his lineage tended to live longer than others.


    The Frosss could sense this, so it leaned close to Golduck''s ear and whispered. Golduck''s gaze on Yuga became increasingly eerie, and its determination grew stronger.


    Golduck believed that if it could obtain the special life force hidden within Yuga''s body, it wouldn''t have to worry about its own physical decay for a long time.


    Apart from Yuga, who was this exceptional human, the Elite level Pok��mon followed by his side and Cynthia also possessed exceptionally abundant life energy. Obtaining one of them would providesting benefits.


    With this in mind, Golduck couldn''t wait any longer and took action against Yuga and Cynthia. It swung its hands, and two blue streams of water transformed into flying des aimed at Mega Gengar and Garchomp.


    Mega Gengar''s existence was exceptionally unique; although it no longer floated in the air like Gengar, its lower body was connected to a mysterious alternate dimension.


    Seeing the Water des flying towards it, Mega Gengar swiftly retreated into the alternate dimension, easily avoiding Golduck''s watery onught. At the same time, its shadow stretched rapidly, transforming into a pitch-ck phantom and lunging at Golduck.


    Garchomp also easily evaded the Water des; it was a Pok��mon with incredible speed. As the Water des approached, it ascended into the sky at lightning speed. Then, with a burst of momentum, it used Dragon Rush, descending from the high altitude and directly colliding with Golduck.


    The Frosss and Gengar were both Ghost-type Pok��mon, and it could sense the terrifying power of Gengar''s Night Shade move. So, when the dark shadow pounced, it screamed and evaded.


    But Golduck wasn''t afraid. A purple light shed on its forehead, and a purple beam shot out, piercing the ck shadow. However, the Night Shade didn''t dissipate due to Golduck''s psychic assault; instead, it continued to struggle and attacked Golduck. Golduck showed a surprised expression, then dodged to the side, avoiding the Night Shade''s attack, and only then did the Night Shade disappear.


    At this moment, Garchomp''s attack also arrived. Golduck used Protect to withstand the blow.


    The tremendous impact from Garchomp''s Dragon Rush almost shattered the protective barrier that Golduck had formed.


    Not far away, the Frosss was thrown aside by the shockwave created by the battle. It cowered in the darkness, unwilling to join the fight.


    While it possessed unique abilities, itsbat strength was quite weak. Facing Mega Gengar and Garchomp put immense pressure on it, and itcked the courage to confront either of them.


    However, Golduck didn''t rely on the Frosss''s help. It was extremely confident in its own abilities and was unafraid of Garchomp and Mega Gengar. Although the disyed strength of these two Pok��mon did surprise it to some extent, it was just that, a surprise.


    In the moment when it held the energy shield together, Garchomp raised its ws and used Dragon w against the nearby Golduck.


    But Golduck''s eyes shed with purple light, causing Garchomp''s movements to freeze. Then, Golduck used its powerful psychic abilities to fling Garchomp away.


    As Garchomp was thrown aside, Mega Gengar unleashed a massive Shadow Ball, hitting Golduck directly.


    Due to being distracted by Garchomp, Golduck couldn''t evade in time, emitting a painful cry.


    Mega Gengar, while not a Champion level Pok��mon, had focused most of its abilities on speed and special attack. Its special attack power was almost on par with a typical newly-minted Champion level Pok��mon.


    Under the impact of Mega Gengar''s attack, Golduck''s aura seemed to dete like a punctured balloon. Its Champion level presence was dwindling rapidly, almost failing to hold on.


    Following that, Yuga and Cynthia witnessed Golduck''s azure fur visibly turning white at an rming speed. Its once youthful and vibrant appearance suddenly aged, bing frail and decrepit. The ruby on its forehead dulled and turned gray.


    Seeing this, Yuga and Cynthia were both taken aback. What was happening?


    Sensing the changes in its body, Golduck extended its trembling hands, revealing weak and pale ws with nails that seemed ready to fall off at any moment.


    What was going on here?


    In anger, Golduck red at the Frosss, hidden in the corner. It believed that the Frosss must be hiding something from it; otherwise, why would its life force dissipate in an instant?


    The Frosss, however, was utterly perplexed. It innocently looked at Golduck, shaking its head to indicate that it genuinely knew nothing.


    Dismissing its suspicions, Golduck couldn''t help but wonder: could it be because of an injury?


    As the Snowpeak Mountain''s dominant figure, it had been untouched for so many years. It couldn''t recall any injuries, at least not since encountering the Frosss.


    In its mind, Golduck silently pondered, perhaps this is the drawback of gaining extended life this way.


    However, the truth was different. Golduck''s life energy was dissipating so rapidly due to the unique nature of Gengar.


    Yuga''s Gengar and Mismagius existed within his Shadow Space, constantly influenced by the energy of the Ghost World Origin Stone. They fed on the energy generated by the Ghost World Origin Stone, which made them different from typical Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    The Ghost World Origin Stone, what is it? It''s the most precious thing in the Ghost World. And what is the Ghost World? It''s the final resting ce for all departed souls in this world.


    So, the attacks from Gengar and Mismagius carried a unique power, capable of affecting the life force of their targets.


    However, this effect wasn''t noticeable. Neither Yuga nor Gengar and Mismagius themselves realized it.


    For regr Pok��mon, the impact on their life force was minimal, and a slight loss of vitality didn''t affect them much. Living creatures constantly radiate life energy, and in Yuga''s Ecopark, the Ghost Sea, was work based on this principle. But Golduck was different.


    The life energy in its body didn''t belong to it; it was forcibly shared by the Frosss. Although it could extend Golduck''s lifespan, it couldn''t fully integrate with it, which is why Gengar''s attack dispersed it.


    If Golduck were a Ghost-type Pok��mon, that would have been another story. Ghost-type Pok��mon naturally and instinctively assimte and absorb foreign life energy into their bodies, but Golduck wasn''t one; it was just a in Water-type Pok��mon.


    Wasting so much life energy left Golduck extremely furious, to the point of wanting to tear Mega Gengar into pieces.


    Just as it was about to attack Mega Gengar, a sudden change urred.


    The life energy dissipating from Golduck''s body didn''t disperse into the air naturally. Instead, it slowly gathered together, forming a small patch of green mist that quickly flew towards Yuga.


    Yuga and Cynthia watched the mysterious green mist approach, unsure if it posed a threat to their safety. They prepared to dodge it when suddenly, they realized that the target of the green mist wasn''t Yuga but the Griseous Orb in his hand.


    Whoosh!


    The green mist entered the Griseous Orb, disappearing from view.


    Before Yuga and Cynthia could react, the Griseous Orb, now infused with the green mist, emitted a dazzling light, followed by a scream from the Frosss.


    The Frosss''s eyes kept shing with red light, and it emitted wave after wave of green mist, exactly like the one that had entered the Griseous Orb.


    This mist gathered more and more, eventually forming a small patch of green cloud.


    Since the green mist was formed from the life energy of living beings, it was clear just how much life energy the Frosss had absorbed over the years and how many innocent Pok��mon and humans it had harmed along with Golduck.


    "Wuuuuh!!!"


    A mournful cry echoed as the Frosss''s body emitted a white light, gradually shrinking in size.


    When the white light dissipated, to Yuga and Cynthia''s astonishment, the Frosss had regressed into a Snorunt. And atop the Snorunt''s head, there was a Dawn Stone.


    Golduck immediately recognized that the Dawn Stone was the "Dawn Stone" it had given to the Frosss in the past.


    But why had the Dawn Stone, which had already been used for evolution by the Frosss, reappeared? And why did the Frosss regress into a Snorunt?


    The Frosss had transformed into a Snorunt and was now staring at her short stature in panic.


    Meanwhile, the Dawn Stone, apanied by the green mist, drifted towards Yuga, more precisely, towards the Griseous Orb in Yuga''s hand.


    To the astonishment of Yuga and Cynthia, the Dawn Stone "buzzed" as it merged with one corner of the Griseous Orb, making the shape of the Griseous Orb slightly more regr.


    So, you could say that the stone was actually a part of the Griseous Orb? Both Yuga and Cynthia thought simultaneously.


    No wonder the Frosss was so mysterious and possessed such unique abilities. It hadpleted its evolution using a fragment of the Griseous Orb''s power.


    The Griseous Orb belonged to Giratina, who happened to be a Legendary Ghost-type Pok��mon. Therefore, it wasn''t surprising that the Snorunt could evolve into the Frosss using the power of the Griseous Orb.


    It seemed that when the Snorunt initially evolved, it had mistaken a fragment of the Griseous Orb for an Dawn Stone. Both Yuga and Cynthia realized this.


    The stone and the Griseous Orb fit together seamlessly. The moment they formed a unified whole, a dazzling golden pir of light shot up into the sky, startling Yuga and Cynthia, who stood nearby.


    What was happening here? Was something going wrong?!!!


    The valley, which was previously unaffected by Golduck''s weather-altering ability, had been utterly tranquil, with no wind or snow.


    But in the moment when the golden pir of light shot up into the sky, all that tranquility was shattered. Countless winds and snow rushed into the valley, nearly causing Yuga and Cynthia to stumble and fall.


    The Snorunt, now extremely weak due to its regression, was carried away by the winds and vanished into the sky in the blink of an eye.


    Joining the influx of wind and snow into the valley was an ice-blue giant bird.


    When Yuga and Cynthia managed to reopen their eyes, which had been blinded by the swirling snow, they saw Articuno pping its wings, its fiery eyes fixed upon them, and its sharp talons beneath its body looking particrly menacing.


    Simultaneously, in the Distortion World, Giratina, who had been in slumber, slowly opened its eyes.


    It raised its head, gazed at the chaotic void, and spit out a surge of dark energy, opening the exit of the Distortion World. Then, it swiftly entered.

 Chapter 904: True Master

    <h4>Chapter 904: True Master</h4>


    Yuga and Cynthia never expected Articuno to arrive so quickly. Almost at the moment when Golduck''s ability was disrupted by the Griseous Orb, Articuno appeared in the valley.


    Articuno shared a simr ability to Yuga''s Absol �C a Pressure. As it appeared in the valley, it immediately activated this ability. Yuga and Cynthia felt overwhelmingly pressured by Articuno''s presence, despite its proximity.


    The pressure generated by Articuno''s ability affected the mental state of its opponents. The effects on the opposing side usually manifested gradually, but Articuno''s aura had an immediate impact.


    Not far from them, Golduck, despite being a Champion level Pok��mon, also felt the pressure, especially considering its current state of extreme aging and weakness.


    Seeing the enraged Articuno, Yuga''s Mega Gengar and Cynthia''s Garchomp directly positioned themselves in front of their trainers, hoping to share the burden of Articuno''s overwhelming pressure.


    Initially, Articuno had intended to attack Yuga and Cynthia, believing that the humans on Snowpeak Mountain must be connected to the thieves from earlier. However, it suddenly sensed a change in Yuga''s Griseous Orb.


    Could it be... that it has beplete?


    Feeling this change, Articuno snapped out of its anger. After all, it had lost a part of the Griseous Orb, which had ended up in its possession for a reason.


    Yuga, seeing Articuno''s hesitation to attack, quickly approached with the Griseous Orb in hand and exined, "Articuno, we are not the ones who stole this Griseous Orb. We obtained it from those individuals over there. I am returning it to you now, hoping to calm your anger."


    After saying this, Yuga pointed towards Billy and Satoshi, who had already turned into lifeless husks. He raised the Griseous Orb to signify his willingness to return it to Articuno.


    Articuno nced at the two lifeless bodies and then stared at Yuga and Cynthia for a while, seemingly assessing the authenticity of their words.


    "Articuno!"


    Is there anyone among you from the Temple?


    Articuno suddenly spoke.


    Yuga knew that Cynthia hadn''t awakened her Power of True Heart ability and couldn''t understand Articuno''s words. So, he took the initiative to introduce her, "This is Cynthia from the Temple. We both came here on behalf of the Temple to investigate the changes happening on Snowpeak."


    Hearing Yuga''s introduction, Cynthia stepped forward and added, "Nice to meet you. I am Cynthia from the Temple, representing the Temple n to pay our respects to the Snowpeak King."


    Articuno nodded in response, now fully believing Yuga''s exnation. It had been neighbors with the Temple n for many years and knew that the Temple n wouldn''t disrupt Snowpeak''s peace.


    "Articuno!"


    What about that Golduck?


    Instead taking back the Griseous Orb from Yuga''s hand, Articuno inquired, looking at the trembling Golduck not far away. It sensed the aura of the Griseous Orbing from the Golduck and was quite concerned.


    So, Yuga proceeded to exin everything he knew about Golduck and the Fross.


    Articuno learned that Golduck had taken the Griseous Orb fragment, which had caused it to work hard for so many years.


    Angry at this revtion, Articuno eximed.


    "Articuno!"


    You two, follow me!


    Articuno turned its head and said a few words to Yuga and Cynthia. Then, it pped its wings and soared into the sky, grabbing Golduck in its talons.


    Golduck dared not resist and could only let Articuno hold it. It knew that its future wouldn''t be pleasant, especially without the Fross''s life-prolonging abilities. Its remaining days were numbered.


    Yuga and Cynthia exchanged nces and nodded simultaneously, deciding to follow Articuno to see what was happening. They also intended to return the Griseous Orb, which had be a troublesome burden.


    Mega Gengar reverted to its regr form and entered Yuga''s Shadow Space, while Yuga summoned his Dragonite and rode it, following Articuno.


    Cynthia also rode on her Garchomp to keep up.


    As they flew out of the valley, they saw the Ice-type Pok��mon that had initially been searching for Billy and Satoshi now obeying Articuno''s orders to search for the blown-away Fross.


    The Fross, responsible for the deaths of many Pok��mon on Snowpeak, some of which were Articuno''s underlings, would not escape Articuno''s wrath.


    Articuno led Yuga and Cynthia towards the peak of Snowpeak Mountain.


    Mount Cor Peak was the highest point in the Cor Hignds and the entire Sinnoh Region. If not for Articuno leading the way, Yuga and Cynthia would never have made it there.


    They believed that they might be among the very few humans in recent years to reach the summit of Snowpeak.


    As they ascended, the air pressure decreased, and Yuga and Cynthia began to feel ufortable. However, Articuno effortlessly continued its flight.


    Initially, Yuga and Cynthia expected the summit to be simr to the lower slopes, covered in pristine white snow and icyndscapes.


    To their surprise, the summit turned out to be a ce filled with the scent of blooming flowers and the sounds of birds chirping.


    The summit was concave in shape and enveloped in a pale blue energy shield. While blizzard raged outside, the energy shield created a paradise inside, with colorful flora and even Pok��mon like Starly and Combee living peacefully.


    The energy shield that protected the concave valley couldn''t have urred naturally. It was another hidden paradise under the protection of a Legendary Pok��mon.


    Guided by Articuno, Yuga and Cynthia entered the concave valley through the pale blue energy shield. Inside, they found a warm and inviting environment, with lush grass, vibrant flowers everywhere make them feels like in the Machina.


    In the center of the concave valley is a smallke and the smallke surface was like crystalke. There are various Pok��mon were drinking from theke, including the rare one like Eevee, Togepi, and Riolu.


    If it weren''t for this hidden paradise, these Pok��mon would never survive in the bone-chilling environment of Snowpeak''s summit.


    Yuga and Cynthianded on a small ind at the center of theke. As soon as they touched down, the Pok��mon drinking by theke became startled and moved away from the shore.


    In front of Yuga and Cynthia, a majestic Sigilyph appeared suddenly, causing Yuga to jump in surprise. It was a Pok��mon of the same level as the giant Melotic.


    On Articuno''s body, Yuga sensed a simr energy to the pale blue energy shield outside. Clearly, the protective energy shield around the concave valley originated from this Sigilyph.


    Fortunately, Yuga had good acting skills, so he didn''t show any signs of being startled on his face.


    In this world, powerful Pok��mon tended to stick together. Just as Melotic and Manaphy did, Articuno and Sigilyph, were no exception. It was no wonder that nobody dared to meddle in these hidden realms. One misstep could cost them their lives.


    This journey through Sinnoh had made Yuga realize that the world wasn''tcking in powerful Pok��mon; they simply preferred to remain hidden from humans.


    As soon as Articunonded, it tossed Golduck onto the ground, leaving the poor Pok��mon battered from the fall.


    Then, Articuno seemed tomunicate something to Sigilyph, and a Lucario immediately jumped over under Sigilyph''smand. It picked up the severely injured Golduck and left.


    As for what Articuno and Sigilyph would do with Golduck next, it was no longer Yuga and Cynthia''s concern. This was an internal matter of Snowpeak.


    After dealing with Golduck, Articuno instructed Yuga to hand over the Griseous Orb to Sigilyph. Sigilyph carried the Griseous Orb to an altar at the center of the small ind and ced it there.


    The ind was notrge, and as soon as Yuga and Cynthia arrived, they noticed the altar that upied half of the ind. Initially curious about the purpose of the altar, they now realized that it was meant for holding the Griseous Orb.


    Yuga nced at Sigilyph and then at Articuno. He couldn''t help but wonder how the members of the Hegel Mercenary Corps had managed to steal the Griseous Orb from here. However, he didn''t dwell on it. The matter was resolved, and there was no need to overthink it. Human greed had no bounds, especially when it came to a treasure like this.


    Just as Yuga was relieved that the situation had been resolved, he suddenly saw a massive ck vortex forming on the surface of theke. Cynthia, too, widened her eyes in surprise.


    In contrast to Yuga and Cynthia''s astonishment, Articuno and Sigilyph disyed expressions of relief.


    In the eyes of Yuga and Cynthia, a dragon-shaped Pok��mon emerged from the ck vortex.


    Giratina!


    Giratina had suddenly appeared before them. Yuga managed to keep hisposure, but Cynthia was on the verge of fainting. If Yuga hadn''t supported her, she might have copsed right then and there.


    For someone like Cynthia, who had a deep fascination with the mythology of the Pok��mon world, the presence of the Sinnoh Creation Trio was of extraordinary significance.


    Moreover, among the Sinnoh Creation Trio, Giratina, the Lord of the Distortion World, was the most enigmatic. While there were fragmentary records of Palkia and Dialga in the literature, information about Giratina was entirely nk.


    Giratina has two forms: its Altered Forme and its Origin Forme.


    In its Origin Forme, Giratina resembles more of a serpentine creature, and it takes on this form when it''s in the Distortion World. In this form, Giratina exhibits characteristics more akin to a Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    In its Altered Forme, Giratina looks more like a typical Dragon-type Pok��mon and adopts this form when it leaves the Distortion World, powered by the Griseous Orb.


    However, Yuga noticed something peculiar; Giratina had appeared in its Altered Forme from the the start, rather than transitioning from its Origin Forme. The reason was simple: there was no Griseous Orb on its body.


    As soon as Giratina appeared, Articuno and Sigilyph instinctively lowered their heads. Yuga and Cynthia only then realized that both Articuno and Sigilyph served under Giratina.


    Giratina nodded lightly to the two Legendary Pok��mon, and then itnded on the altar. From its mouth, it emitted a golden light, which absorbed the Griseous Orb.


    "GROOOOOOAR!"


    Regaining the Griseous Orb, Giratina let out a triumphant roar, and ck energy ripples spread from it. Yuga and Cynthia''s clothes were ruffled, and the calmke''s surface rippled.


    After Giratina''s finished venting, Articunonded in front of it, said something Yuga couldn''t unserstand, and Giratina''s red eyes shifted to Yuga and Cynthia.


    Yuga and Cynthia immediately felt a pressure bearing down on them, causing their scalps to tingle.


    "Was it you who helped me find the lost pieces of the Griseous Orb?"


    A deep voice resonated in Yuga and Cynthia''s minds��Telepathy.


    Despite being taken aback by this sudden Telepathy, both of them obediently nodded.


    "Thank you!"


    Surprisingly, Giratina''s attitude toward them was quite kind.


    In legends, Giratina was often portrayed as a violence Pok��mon, and was exiled to a Distortion World by Arceus. However, Yuga knew that reality was different.


    The "Distortion World" was, in fact, the Reverse World, the mirror image of the real world. These two worlds were interconnected and mutually dependent. Giratina, as the Lord of the Distortion World, served as its guardian, ensuring the bnce between the two realms. It was not banished there as legends sometimes mentioned.


    Protecting the Distortion World was tantamount to safeguarding the real world.


    Then, Giratina turned its gaze to Cynthia and paused before saying, "Are you a member of the Temple n?"


    Though phrased as a question, Giratina''s tone was remarkably certain.


    "Yes," Cynthia replied.


    Giratina nodded and began, "I must share some unfortunate news with you. Arceus is about to awaken from its slumber."


    Cynthia''s face turned pale upon hearing this. "Is... is it true?"


    As a core member of the Temple n, Cynthia was well aware of the history and conflicts between Arceus and the Temple. She feared that Arceus''s awakening would lead it to settle the ount with the Temple.


    Giratina continued, "We sensed signs of this awakening about ten years ago..."


    It turned out that ten years ago, there were already a sign of Arceus awakening from its slumber. This was rmed Giratina, Dialga, and Palkia.


    They knew well what had happened over a thousand years ago when Arceus had lost its sanity due to injured and fall into slumber. Once Arceus woke up, the world might be in grave danger.


    The fate of the Temple n didn''t concern the three deities, but the destruction of the world was something they wanted to prevent.


    To dy Arceus''s awakening, the three deities had joined forces. However, Arceus, even in its slumber, subsconciously resisted.


    The three deities were no match for Arceus. Though they eventually achieved their goal, they had suffered various degrees of injuries.


    And during that moment, a piece of Giratina''s Griseous Orb was shattered. The Griseous Orb was incredibly resilient, and even Giratina couldn''t damage it. Only Arceus possessed that capability.


    The fragment of the Griseous Orb eventually fell to the Mount Cor and waster picked up by a passing Golduck. Giratina had initially intended to find it, but when it arrived, the shard was already in the possession of the Fross, so it lost track of it.


    Giratina wasn''t suited to staying in the real world for long periods, especially when it was wounded and required rest.


    So, it found Articuno, the Snowpeak King, and entrusted the Griseous Orb to it. Articuno would search for the lost fragment on the Mount Cor, while Giratina returned to the Distortion World for recovery.


    Articuno had searched for many years, but to no avail. it never imagine that It had been right under its beak all along.

 Chapter 905: Gift

    <h4>Chapter 905: Gift</h4>


    After listening to Giratina''s words, Cynthia''s face turned pale, but she still gratefully said to Giratina, "Thank you for your reminder. On behalf of the Temple n, I express our gratitude for your kindness."


    Giratina shook its head, indicating that its reminder wasn''t out of kindness but rather a concern that the awakened Arceus, with its rekindled anger, might cause trouble for it.


    "I''ll give you something that will allow you to monitor Arceus''s dormant state at any time. Be prepared before it awakens again. We won''t have a second chance to stop it from waking up," Giratina said.


    With that, Giratina soared into the air from the altar and breathed out a ck beam of light, summoning a finely crafted instrument onto the altar.


    Looking at the instrument that appeared on the altar, Cynthia asked in confusion, "What is this?"


    Giratinanded back on the altar and exined to Cynthia, "This is a special instrument we, along with Dialga and Palkia, created. It''s called the Time-Space Axis, and it can disy the ever-changing state of time and space in the world."


    Cynthia was very surprised by this revtion; she couldn''t believe that such a small device could serve such an important purpose.


    Yuga, with his memories from a previous life, wasn''t particrly surprised to see the instrument. He remembered it from the original story.


    However, in the original story, the instrument was already in possession of the Temple n. He hadn''t expected it to be a gift from Giratina.


    Seeing Cynthia''s astonished expression, Giratina said, "Don''t be so surprised. The Time-Space Axis has a much greater role than this."


    The Time-Space Axis stood about the height of an adult, supported by a frame made of an unknown material. In its center, there were five differently sized spheres constantly in motion.


    The top two spheres represented the Time God Dialga and the space it inhabited, while the purple one represented the Space God Palkia and its space.


    Thergest red sphere in the middle represented the sleeping Arceus. However, the red sphere had a constant, flickering red light in its center.


    ording to Giratina, the flickering red light indicated that Arceus would awaken again in theing years.


    Beneath the red sphere was a green sphere, representing Giratina and the Distortion World it inhabited.


    The green sphere below it, constantly orbiting, represented the Ghost World, which had properties simr to the Distortion World as both were antimatter realms. That''s why they shared a simr color.


    However, unlike other independent spaces, the Ghost World was actually part of the Pok��mon world, integrated with it. That''s why its representation was smaller.


    While Giratina exined the construction of the Time-Space Axis to Cynthia, it also taught her how to use it. Time passed unnoticed.


    After about two or three hours, Giratina stood up straight from the altar and said to Cynthia, "I''ve told you everything you need to know. I''m entrusting the Time-Space Axis to your temple. I hope you''ll make good use of it."


    Cynthia respectfully said, "Thank you. We will surely make good use of your gift."


    Giratina nodded in satisfaction and then looked down at Yuga, who was standing at the altar. It said, "The human over there,e up!"


    Yuga, surprised to be addressed by Giratina, pointed at himself and asked, "Are you speaking to me?"


    Seeing Giratina nod, Yuga nervously walked up to the altar. While Giratina''s demeanor appeared mild, its appearance was intimidating, and it was no wonder that the Pok��mon world''s rumors about it were mostly negative.


    Standing upright, Giratina was nearly five meters tall, and Yuga could feel the chilling aura and immense pressure emanating from it.


    It truly lived up to its reputation as a Ghost and Dragon type Legendary Pok��mon.


    "I don''t even know your name," Giratina said, lowering its head to address Yuga, its voice still deep and resonant.


    "I''m Yuga, Shimizu Yuga!" Yuga replied hesitantly.


    Giratina nodded and said, "I''ll remember you, Shimizu Yuga. Thank you once again for helping me retrieve the Griseous Orb fragment. You''ve done me a great favor."


    Giratina''s injuries from its encounter with Arceus still hadn''t fully healed, and one significant reason was the damaged Griseous Orb fragment.


    Giratina and the Griseous Orb were deeply connected, and the Orb''s restoration would elerate Giratina''s recovery.


    Yuga: (Thinking) "Does this mean I''ve gained recognition among the Legendary Pok��mon?"


    "We were just fortunate to assist you. It''s an honor for us to have been able to help," Cynthia replied.


    Giratina opened its mouth and emitted a ck beam of light. Then, two distinct and crisp sounds echoed, and ck mirrors appeared under Yuga and Cynthia''s feet, each about half the height of a person.


    "What are these?" Yuga and Cynthia asked simultaneously.


    Both mirrors had identical shapes and sizes, with smooth ck surfaces that reflected their forms indistinctly. However, it wasn''t very convenient for a person to use them.


    "These are Reversal Mirrors, which can open doors to the Distortion World. However, they require recharging, so you can only use them once every three months. The Distortion World I reside in is well-suited ce for Ghost-type, Poison-type, Dark-type, and Dragon-type Pok��mon to train. You can send your Pok��mon into the Distortion World for training using these mirrors. It''s a token of gratitude for helping me retrieve the Griseous Orb fragment. But I don''t like crowds, so you can only send up to five Pok��mon at a time, and you yourselves can''t enter; only your Pok��mon can," Giratina exined.


    After hearing Giratina''s exnation, Yuga and Cynthia realized the tremendous gift they had received. They had the opportunity to send their Pok��mon to the Distortion World for training.


    However, they were surprised to discover that Giratina had biases against humans, as it allowed Pok��mon to enter the Distortion World but not humans.


    In the Distortion World, Giratina was the sole living being. Even if Yuga and Cynthia couldn''t go, they didn''t have to worry about their Pok��mon encountering danger. The Distortion World, as aplete and vast world, was rich in unexplored resources, and Yuga and Cynthia had truly gained a great advantage.


    "Thank you so much!" Yuga and Cynthia expressed their heartfelt gratitude.


    Giratina said, "Alright, I''m about to leave. I can''t linger in the real world. Later, Articuno and Silgilyph will take you down the mountain."


    With that, Giratina opened the portal to the Distortion World on theke''s surface and disappeared inside.


    Watching Giratina vanish, Articuno and Silgilyph both let out sighs of relief.


    For years, they had been helping Giratina search for the Griseous Orb fragment without sess, and they had to guard the Griseous Orb, which was quite stressful. Now, at least, they were free from that responsibility and could sleep more peacefully.


    Seeing Giratina gradually disappear on theke''s surface, Articuno and Silgilyph simultaneously said to Yuga, "Follow us."


    With that, the two Pok��mon flew away from the small ind, and Yuga and Cynthia followed suit, riding on their Dragonite and Garchomp.


    They flew rapidly to the east of the Concove Valley and eventuallynded on the edge of the valley. This location was the highest point in the entire Concove Valley and also the nesting ce of Articuno and Silgilyph.


    Originally, Silgilyph didn''t reside on the snowy peaks of the Mount Cor but rather in the central part of the Cor Hignds. However, they were brought here by Giratina to assist in the search for the Griseous Orb fragment, and it had settled here.


    Now, it had grown ustomed to life in this ce and it had formed a deep friendship with Articuno. So, it had no intention of leaving this ce.


    Stopping at the edge of the nest, Articuno spoke, "As a token of our gratitude for retrieving the Griseous Orb fragment, each of you may choose two items from our collection, both from myself and Silgilyph."


    Yuga''s eyes brightened at the prospect, thinking, "Oh, is this double the rewarding our way? These Legendary Pok��mon sure know how to show gratitude!"


    "But we''ve already received a reward from Giratina," Yuga pretended to hesitate, putting on a show.


    Acting was Yuga''s forte, and although he really wanted the reward, he couldn''t appear too greedy. Image was very important, after all.


    Although... he was quite greedy, to be honest. But why not take advantage of a good opportunity?


    "Master Giratina has his own way of showing gratitude, and we have ours. Just ept what we offer without further ado. There''s no need for unnecessary talk," Articuno responded angrily, pping its wings in annoyance, sending chilling gusts of wind that messed up Yuga and Cynthia''s clothes and hair.


    "Very well, we''ll graciously ept," Yuga replied, repeating Articuno''s words to Cynthia. She was delighted and didn''t hesitate to ept Articuno''s gift.


    Their first destination was Articuno''s nest.


    Articuno''s nest was exceptionally luxurious, constructed entirely from Never-Melt Ice. It can be said that "Every inch of thend is precious".


    It was worth noting that this nest wasn''t small; it could rival the size of a typical ser field. So many Never-Melt Ice blocks, if it was taken outside, it would surely fetch a considerable sum.


    Never-Melt Ice, as a naturally born held item, it could only be found in ces with perennial cold conditions. Its production was limited and challenging, which made it highly valuable.


    Apart from being used as held items by Pok��mon, Never-Melt Ice had extensive applications in scientific research and daily life. The demand for it in these fields exceeded its use as Pok��mon-held items, creating a perpetual imbnce between supply and demand in the market.


    Yuga wondered, "I wonder if Articuno would agree if I asked for this Never-Melt Ice nest."


    Fortunately, Articuno couldn''t read minds; otherwise, it might have squashed Yuga with a talon in frustration, thinking, "You''re thinking about eating peaches!!!"


    Not only did Yuga gaze droolingly looking at the translucent Never-Melt Ice, but Cynthia was also left in awe by Articuno''s generosity. She felt like she was walking on money.


    However, it wasn''t surprising that Articuno had amassed so much Never-Melt Ice. The Mount Cor''s snowy peaks provided all the necessary conditions for the birth of Never-Melt Ice, and the scarcity of human activity meant that it had umted inrge quantities over the years.


    Silgilyph chose to stay outside and not enter Articuno''s nest. It didn''t like the cold emanating from the Never-Melt Ice, so it waited for Articuno and Yuga outside.


    Articuno''s collection was piled up in the center of the nest, and as soon as Yuga and Cynthia arrived there, they saw the hill-like things stacked treasures, like small mountains. There were supreme-grade Ice Stones, feathers shed by Articuno, beauitful and dazzling Ice Gems...


    Most of the items were rted to Ice-types, with only a small portion being useful for Flying-type Pok��mon.


    However, not everything in this collection was a treasure for Yuga and Cynthia. For example, there were ordinary Berries frozen in the ice. No one knew how long they had been frozen there, but only Articuno would leave them in its nest.


    They weren''t sure if the frozen berries still had any vor, and Yuga couldn''t help but smack his lips in anticipation.


    With so many treasures to choose from, Yuga and Cynthia were momentarily overwhelmed.


    After picking one of Articuno''s feathers, Cynthia found herself at a loss for what else to choose. She decided to release her ceon to help her decide.


    The Ice-type Pok��mon, sensing the treasures around, excitedly sniffed the air and dove into Articuno''s treasure pile. It didn''t take long before it returned with a regr-looking ice-blue stone, holding it in its mouth and looking content. It even licked the stone a couple of times before handing it to Cynthia.


    Although Cynthia wasn''t entirely sure what the stone was, she trusted her ceon. Plus, if it meant so much to her Pok��mon, it couldn''t be something ordinary.


    Seeing Cynthia''s clever approach, Yuga followed suit by releasing his Lapras.


    First Lapras was picked a sky-blue flower and swallowed it directly, which startled Yuga. He thought, "You can''t just eat anything like that! What if it upsets your stomach?"


    However,pras was moved too fast for Yuga to intervene.


    Surprisingly, after consuming the blue flower, it level soaring from level 75 to level 78.


    A three level increase might not seem like much, but for an Elite level Pok��mon like this, every level-up was a significant achievement. This was the first time Yuga''s Lapras had leveled up since joining him.


    At level 78, his Lapras was now on par with Cynthia''s Garchomp, which was also level 78. It might even have a chance topete.


    Despite being a purple potential Pok��mon, Cynthia''s Garchomp had always outssed Yuga''s Lapras in terms of strength. In the final analysis, It came down to the differences in foundations.


    Trainers like Cynthia and Steven, who were born in the trainer families, they would invested a vast amount of resources into their Pok��mon from a young age. They provided high-quality Pok��blocks, premium Incense, attribute Gems, and numerous other resources to boost their Pok��mon''s abilities.


    Even though each resource only contributed a little to their Pok��mon''s power, over time, the difference between an oridnary trainer and someone like Cynthia grew wider and wider.


    If Yuga''s Pok��mon had been raised in the same way from a young age, his level 75 purple potential Lapras would likely have easily surpassed Cynthia''s level 78 Garchomp.


    However, the reality was harsh. Yuga''s Lapras foundation was weaker than others'', even if he had everything he needed now and was willing to invest heavily in his Pok��mon. The gap couldn''t be bridged overnight.


    Nevertheless, Yuga''s Pok��mon''s growth rate was already quite impressive.


    Seeing that the Lapras had no adverse reaction to eating the flower, Yuga breathed a sigh of relief.


    After Articuno''s exnation, Yuga learned that the sky-blue flower was a precious Ice-type treasure. It only grew on the millennium-old Never-Melt Ice, significantly enhancing the abilities of Ice-type Pok��mon and the power of their Ice-type moves.


    There was only one of these flowers on the entire Mount Cor''s snowy peak, and it had probably grown for countless years. If it weren''t for it being ineffective for a Legendary Pok��mon like Articuno, Yuga''s Lapras would never have had a chance to partake in it.


    This type of flower may look like a regr nt, but it''s actually a special Ice-type energy crystal. It can only absorb pure Ice-type energy to grow, or else, it wouldn''tst so long; it would wither away.


    The level-up from eating this flower was just an added bonus, and Yuga knew that there were even more benefits waiting for his Lapras in the future.


    Listening to Articuno''s exnation, Yuga realized that he and his Lapras had indeed hit the jackpot. The Lapras possessed genes from Legendary Pok��mon, but ironically, these genes had caused it to develop a bit differently. Despite being a Water and Ice-type Pok��mon, it leaned heavily towards the Water-type. This was why it had such a strong desire for Ice-type energy.


    It was this subconscious longing that had led it to choose the sky-blue flower.


    After consuming the flower, the Lapras fell asleep, leaving Yuga with no choice but to recall it. For his second choice, he picked the Supreme-grade Ice Stone, another valuable item he couldn''t go wrong with.


    Next, they visited Silgilyph''sir.


    Compared to the frigid atmosphere in Articuno''s nest, the atmosphere in Silgilyph''sir was much warmer and cozier. Its collection was neatly organized, in contrast to Articuno''s chaotic pile of treasures.


    Cynthia selected an Extreme Flight Feather for her Togekiss from Silgilyph''s collection.


    The Extreme Flight Feather was a very special feather that only grew on Flying-type Pok��mon once they reached their maximum level. It significantly enhanced the speed of Flying-type Pok��mon.


    These feathers naturally fell out as Pok��mon aged, losing their unique properties and bing indistinguishable from ordinary feathers. Finding one of these feathers was quite rare.


    Both Yuga and Cynthia were learning about these things for the first time, and without Silgilyph''s guidance, Cynthia wouldn''t have noticed the seemingly ordinary white feather tucked away in a corner.


    For her second choice, Cynthia picked the only Pok��mon Egg in Silgilyph''sir.


    This was a blue potential Pok��mon Egg. Yuga hadpletely overlooked it because it was hidden beneath other items. Cynthia was fortunate enough to discover it; otherwise, Yuga would surely have chosen the same Egg.


    ording to Silgilyph, the parents of this Egg were two Weavile. However, they had been killed by members of the Hargel Mercenary Corps two weeks ago. These mercenaries had used advanced technology weapons, as it would have been nearly impossible to easily defeat two Weavile otherwise.


    Yuga decided to take a Psychic Crystal and a Flying Attribute Stone from Silgilyph''s collection.


    The Psychic Crystal was intended for Chimecho, with its calming effect on psychic abilities. Yuga had been concerned about Chimecho''s excessive use of psychic powers, and even though Nurse Joy had reassured him, he still wanted to be cautious. Moreover, Psychic Crystals were reusable items, making them quite rare toe by outside.


    Now, the Flying Attribute Stone was a unique one-time-use item. Its effect was to safely boost a Flying-type Pok��mon by one level, without any side effects.


    Yes, just one level.


    For most Pok��mon, it might seem like an underwhelming item. However, for some Pok��mon that were on the cusp of a breakthrough but had been struggling to achieve it, it was a treasure. Take, for example, the Archeops in Yuga''s Ecopark.


    The Archeops was just one step away from reaching the Champion level, but that one step had remained elusive, no matter how hard it tried. It was also reaching the end of its natural lifespan.


    However, with this Flying Attribute Stone, the situation changed.


    Yuga had promised the Archeops that he would help it break through to the Champion level. Initially, he had nned to find a way to improve its potential to Indigo. Because for Pok��mon with Blue potential, reaching the Champion level was difficult without a stroke of luck.


    But now, using the Flying Attribute Stone seemed like a simpler option.


    The appearance of the Flying Attribute Stone was simr to that of the Flying Gem. Strictly speaking, they were both the same types of items, and the Flying Attribute Stone was a variation of the Flying Gem.


    The origin of the Flying Attribute Stone was unknown. asionally, in the mines containing Attribute Gems, these special gemstones would appear, and they had different effectspared to other Attribute Gems.


    After selecting their treasures, Articuno carried Yuga and Cynthia, clutching the Time-Space Axis in its feets, and flew down from the snowy peaks.

 Chapter 906: Wait

    <h4>Chapter 906: Wait</h4>


    It had been a day and a night since Yuga and Cynthia left, and Sheena and the others anxiously waited beneath the snowy peak.


    After Yuga and Cynthia had ascended the snowy peak, Sheena and herpanions noticed that the Ice-type Pok��mon on the peak were bing increasingly agitated.


    However, just a few hours ago, the Ice-type Pok��mon, who had initially seemed ready to swarm down from the peak, suddenly retreated, leaving Sheena and the others baffled.


    "What could have happened up there?" Chris paced around anxiously, his face filled with restlessness. "I should have gone with Cynthia."


    "Chris, calm down for a moment! We have to trust Cynthia. If there''s something she can''t handle, even if you had gone with her, it wouldn''t have made a difference," Kevin scolded Chris.


    While Chris was indeed more powerful than him, there was a vast difference in strength between Chris and Cynthia. Even if they teamed up, they wouldn''t stand a chance against Cynthia, especially considering that Cynthia had Yuga, another Elite level Trainer, by her side.


    Of course, Kevin was also worried about Cynthia and Yuga, but he couldn''t show it. If he did, it would cause panic among the others.


    Due to their status, everything they did and said could influence the emotions of the team, so Kevin always maintained theposure expected of a member of the Temple n.


    Chris, upon hearing Kevin''s words, plopped down under a tree, discontented. "You''re right, but waiting here like this is driving me crazy!"


    "Should we consider going back to seek help from the Elder?" Sheena, who had been trying to stay patient, was starting to worry.


    Kevin sighed, "Let''s wait a little longer. If Cynthia hasn''t returned by noon, we''ll go back and seek assistance."


    Sheena nodded in agreement and fell silent.


    "Have you guys noticed that it''s getting colder?" Suddenly, one of theirpanions spoke up.


    "Really? This is the base of the snowy peak, so it''s normal for it to be a bit cold, right?" Anotherpanion didn''t feel the difference and thought the first one was mistaken.


    "Articuno!!!"


    Just then, a bird''s cry echoed through the air.


    "Look at the sky!" Someone shouted in rm.


    Immediately, a massive shadow blocked out the sky above them.


    Everyone instinctively looked up at the sky.


    "That''s... Articuno, isn''t it?" Kevin muttered as he gazed at the massive, ice-blue bird in the sky.


    Sheena said, "It does look like Articuno, but what is it carrying in its ws?"


    Before anyone could react, Articuno began descending towards their location.


    Articuno gently ced the Time-Space Axis it was carrying on the ground and then lowered its body. Yuga and Cynthia jumped down from its back.


    "Cynthia!"


    "Yuga!"


    Sheena and Kevin eximed one after the other.


    "We''re back!"


    Cynthia smiled at Sheena and Kevin, who had rushed over.


    "Thank you, Articuno!"


    Yuga patted Articuno''s lowered wing and expressed his gratitude.


    "Articuno!!!"


    I can only take you this far. Farewell.


    Articuno nced at Yuga and Cynthia, then spread its wings and took off into the sky.


    "Goodbye!"


    "Farewell, Articuno!"


    Yuga and Cynthia waved goodbye to Articuno.


    As Articuno departed, the group of young boys and girls who had gathered around began chattering excitedly.


    "Cynthia, what exactly happened on the snowy peak?"


    "Why did youe back with Articuno?"


    "What does it feel like to ride Articuno?"


    "Did you find out what happened on the mountain?"


    "What is this strange device you brought with you?"


    ...


    "Alright, everyone, quiet down! If Cynthia has something to say, she will tell us. Stop bombarding her with questions," Kevin shouted loudly, putting an end to the children''s noisy chatter.


    Cynthia nodded in approval of Kevin''s actions and raised her voice, "Alright, the situation on the snowy peak has been resolved. Let''s discuss the details once we return."


    Although everyone was filled with curiosity, they didn''t dare to ask further questions when Cynthia had spoken.


    Cynthia''s authority was absolute!!!


    Afterward, Cynthia found two ropes and hung the Time-Space Axis from them. Her Garchomp and Yuga''s Dragonite each grabbed one rope, and they transported the Time-Space Axis back to Machina.


    However, halfway back, a Fross suddenly caught up with them. It was the same Fross who had guided Yuga and Cynthia part of the way but had been scared off by Articuno.


    It was a mystery how it had caught up with them, and if it hadn''t revealed itself, Yuga and Cynthia might have forgotten about it. From its ount, Yuga and Cynthia learned that one of the Snow Peak King''s henchmen had taken away a weird Snorunt.


    Without a doubt, Yuga and Cynthia knew that this Snorunt was likely one of Golduck''s associates. In Articuno''s custody and without any special abilities, it seemed unlikely that it could cause trouble alongside Golduck.


    ording to Cynthia''s suggestion, the Fross didn''t need to return to Machina with them. Instead, when they got back, it could simply release its underlings and allow them to return to Snow Peak.


    However, the Fross was unwilling. It was concerned that its underlings might encounter danger on the way back to Snow Peak, and it felt a duty to protect them. Surprisingly, this Fross was proving to be a good leader.


    Upon their return to Machina, Cynthia instructed Kevin to take the Fross to meet with its underlings and guide them back to Snow Peak. Now that Snow Peak had returned to its usual tranquility, the Fross and its group should not face any further harassment.


    As Cynthia and Yuga entered Machina''s territory, the Elders had already received reports and gathered in the temple, anxiously awaiting their return. The Elders had been worried during the days Cynthia and the youngsters were away.


    When Cynthia and Yuga entered the temple''s main hall, Elder Sorin, sitting at the head, finally breathed a sigh of relief. Cynthia and the young ones were the future hopes of the temple, and if anything happened to them, the temple couldn''t bear such a blow.


    Especially in Cynthia''s case, none of the Elders doubted that she would be a Master level Trainer in the future. Cynthia''s talent surpassed even Elder Sorin, who had awakened the Power of True Heart Ability.


    "It''s good that you''re back," Elder Sorin said with a heart full of relief as he looked at Cynthia standing below.


    "And, thanks for your worked hard too Yuga,"


    Yuga responded, "You''re too modest."


    Elder Sorin didn''t say much more, but he nodded gently. At his age, he could see that as long as nothing unexpected happened, this young man before him was destined to inherit Mr. Kuni''o''s legacy.


    Mentioning Mr. Kuni''o, even though he and Elder Sorin were both Master Trainers, Elder Sorin couldn''t help but feel deep admiration. However, while Mr. Kuni''o had Yuga as his sessor, their Temple family had Cynthia. Elder Sorin was more than satisfied with Cynthia, his Temple n junior.


    "Elder, we encountered some important matters on Snow Peak," Cynthia said with a serious expression, pointing to the peculiar device next to her.


    At this moment, the Elders noticed the strange device ced in the hall.


    "What is this?" Elder Sorin asked with curiosity.


    From Cynthia''s serious expression, the Elders understood that what she was about to share would not be simple.


    Cynthia continued, "This is a device called Time-Space Axis, given to me by Girarina..."


    "Girarina!"


    "Girarina!"


    ...


    The hall erupted with gasps and exmations from the Elders, and even the usuallyposed Elder Sorin''s face changed.


    "Hurry... Cynthia, quickly tell us what''s going on," Elder Sorin realized that the situation might be even more serious than he had initially thought, or else the legendary Girarina wouldn''t have appeared.


    Cynthia nodded and exined, "Here''s what happened..."


    She proceeded to recount everything she and Yuga had witnessed on Snow Peak.


    After hearing Cynthia''s ount, the hall fell into silence.


    After a while, Elder Sorin sighed deeply and said, "This day was bound toe. It''s the mistakes of our ancestors, and we, their descendants, must atone for them."


    "We must return the Jewel of Life to Arceus; after all, it doesn''t belong to us," one Elder spoke up.


    "Yes, our ancestors may have erred, but we cannot stand by and watch our children suffer," another Elder agreed.


    "It''s time to prepare for this," they concurred.


    The Elders proposed various ways to deal with the situation, and after a while, Elder Sorin spoke up, "Well, returning the Jewel of Life is indeed necessary, but we need to carefully consider our approach."


    The other Elders fell silent at his words.


    Then, Elder Sorin turned to Yuga and said, "I suppose you must be curious about the history between our n and Arceus. If you have any questions, feel free to ask Cynthia. Although it''s a family matter, given the circumstances, there''s nothing we can''t discuss."


    Elder Sorin''s attitude was open, and he didn''t hide anything from Yuga, despite him being an outsider. He waved his hand and continued, "That''s enough for today. Cynthia, take Yuga back to rest. I''m sure you both must be tired after your return."


    Cynthia nodded and addressed the Elders with a bow before leaving the Time-Space Axis with them. She then departed the hall with Yuga.


    As they exited the hall, Cynthia smiled at Yuga and said, "I''m sure you''ve been curious all along. If you have any questions, feel free to ask now."


    Previously, Cynthia couldn''t openly discuss these matters due to the Temple''s secrets and reputation. However, since Elder Sorin had spoken openly, she felt there was nothing they couldn''t discuss.


    In truth, Yuga wasn''t very curious about the Temple''s history with Arceus. It mostly seemed like a tale of favors and repaying the favors with grudges.


    However, he didn''t want to appear uninterested, so he asked a few questions that he felt were appropriate.


    Cynthia was open in her responses, narrating the grudges history between the Temple ancestors and Arceus in detail.


    As they talked, the two of them left the Temple and returned to the residential area.


    ��


    For readers who haven''t watched the Pok��mon movies featuring Arceus, you might want to catch up on them.


    This Diamond and Pearl Movie Trilogy , , is unique in the Pok��mon movies series, as they are interconnected and provide a coherent storyline, making them quite enjoyable.

 Chapter 907: Chaos

    <h4>Chapter 907: Chaos</h4>


    Due to the incident involving Giratina and the Time-Space Axis, Yuga''s main purpose in Machina Temple was dyed for several days.


    During these days, on the surface, Machina appeared to be the same as usual, but Yuga still sensed a change in the atmosphere.


    Because the matter concerning Arceus was rted to the entire Temple n, the Elders didn''t keep it a secret and instead informed everyone truthfully.


    In addition to this, people from outside the Temple n, including the current n leader, had returned to Machina for a few days, but they stayed only for a day before hastily leaving again.


    Before long, Yuga learned from Sheena about a decision made by the Elders. They nned to evacuate all the ordinary people living in Machina, and even the children were encouraged to go on travel and experience.


    If Arceus were to awaken, Machina would be the first to face the consequences. Keeping the ordinary people here would only cause chaos and not provide any real help.


    Though no one knew when Arceus might awaken, being prepared in advance was better than being caught off guard.


    For the Temple n members who were born and raised in Machina, this was a significant event, so Machina became busy for a while.


    However, this didn''t concern Yuga much. During these days, he wandered around Machina, spending most of his time eating and sleeping. He hadn''t even seen Cynthia much.


    When he had just returned, Yuga gave the Psychic Crystal he obtained from Silgilyph to Chimecho.


    This Psychic Crystal was indeed a valuable item. After using it, Chimecho''s overall condition visibly improved, and even its move usage became much smoother.


    Regardless of whether excessive use of psychic power had caused any damage to Chimecho originally, Yuga felt that there were no lingering issues after using this Psychic Crystal.


    The Lapras that had eaten the blue flowers was still in a deep sleep. However, Yuga could tell from its expression that it was in an exceptionally good state right now.


    On this day, after Yuga finished training with his Pok��mon, hey down on the grass by the field to rest.


    Suddenly, he saw Absol spit out a blue crystal, which is the Mmar Ancestor Eyes he had obtained in Kalos region before.


    The energy inside this blue crystal had been greatly absorbed by Absol. Its size had shrunk to less than half of its original, and Absol''s psychic power had greatly increased. Not only was it more sensitive to things and dangers, but it also had perfect control over the two psychic abilities: Future Sight and Psycho Cut.


    Absoly on the grass, focusing on absorbing the energy from the crystal. Yuga wasn''t paying much attention at first, but then he noticed something strange in his peripheral vision.


    The dense ck aura was impossible for Yuga to ignore, but Abosolu, who was immersed in "cultivation," didn''t notice any abnormalities at all.


    Furthermore, within that ck aura, Yuga sensed a strong sense of ominousness, even giving him a heart-pounding feeling.


    Just when Yuga was about to say something, a sudden change urred. That crystal, while being absorbed by Absol, suddenly detached from Absol''s w and flew into the air.


    In the air, the blue crystal, in the blink of an eye, transformed from its originally translucent light blue into an ink-ck color, emitting a mysterious ck mist.


    As soon as the ck mist appeared, Yuga''s unique Ability, Celebi''s Blessing, began to react restlessly within his body. But the one who reacted even more intensely was Florges.


    The ck mist in the air gave Florges a creepy feeling.


    Just as Yuga was about to speak up, he witnessed an unexpected turn of events. The blue crystal, while in mid-air, emitted a red glow around its edges and shot toward Absol.


    "Absol, get out of the way!"


    Yuga quickly shouted a warning. This thing didn''t seem friendly.


    Inexplicably, at this moment, Yuga thought of the three Mmar he had met before. They mentioned that the shrine where this crystal was originally ced had carvings of the Legendary Pok��mon Yveltal.


    Could it be that this crystal was rted to Yveltal?


    If that were the case, that''s trouble!


    The entire League in the Pok��mon World has contracts with some Legendary Pok��mon.


    Among these Legendary Pok��mon, there are Level 1 Legendary Pok��mon like Lugia, Ho-Oh, and Rayquaza, Level 2 Legendary Pok��mon like the Legendary Trio Birds and Beasts, and mythical Pok��mon like Mew, Celebi, and Manaphy, etc.


    However, not all Legendary Pok��mon are benevolent toward humans.


    Some maintain a neutral stance, including Level 1 Legendary Pok��mon like Groudon and Kyogre from the Hoenn region, and the Creation Trio from Sinnoh region. There are also mythical Pok��mon like Mimagius, Marshadow, and Deoxys.


    Then, there are Legendary Pok��mon that have clear hostility towards humans. There aren''t many of these, and the known ones include Thundurus, Tornadus, Kyurem, and Yveltal.


    In human records, these hostile Legendary Pok��mon are associated with widespread destruction on their respective regions.


    Strictly speaking, the hostility of these Legendary Pok��mon is not directed at humans themselves.


    They have confused thoughts, strong destructive tendencies, and an urge to destroy whatever they see. Sometimes, they themselves don''t even know what they''re doing, and their appearances often result in significant losses and harm to humans or thend.


    Among them, the most notable and representative is Yveltal in the Kalos region. This is evident from its title, "God of Destruction."


    If Thundurus, Tornadus, and Kyurem can maintain some level of sanity, Yveltal loses all sense of reason as soon as it awakens.


    Fortunately, the Kalos region also has a counterpart, Xerneas.


    Xerneas is a Pok��mon entirely opposite to Yveltal. It is friendly to all living beings, including humans, and every time it saves the Kalos region from the rampage of Yveltal.


    Of course, there is one more thing to note. Yveltal is not the kind of Legendary Pok��mon that is constantly awake. In its chaotic state of mind, it can only awaken for very short periods before falling back into slumber.


    Otherwise, even with Xerneas''s presence, it would be challenging to ensure the prosperity of the Kalos region.


    Xerneas is not an aggressively offensive Pok��mon, and facing Yveltal, a Pok��mon born for battle and destruction, is not easy for it.


    The crystal transformed into a beam and headed straight for Absol. Absol, however, remained motionless, as if frozen in ce, with a red glow appearing in its eyes, simr to the red light in the beam.


    At this moment, Yuga regretted deeply. He shouldn''t have entrusted this mysterious object to Absol.


    Mmar was clearly a dual-type Pok��mon, both Dark and Psychic. Yet, the blue crystal it carried only contained pure Psychic energy. Yuga should have realized that something wasn''t right.


    Now, it was evident that there was not just ack of Dark energy; this ck and malevolent energy was overflowing! Those "pure" Psychic energyyers were like a sheep in wolf''s clothing.


    The term "Dark" in Dark-type didn''t refer to evil; it was just a designation for a particr type of energy with no inherent moral alignment.


    However, the energy carried by the crystal was overtly malevolent, chaotic, and temperamental.


    At this moment, the Pok��mon closest to Absol was Torterra. Seeing that Absol didn''t react to Yuga''s voice, Torterra instinctively positioned itself in front of Absol with its massive body.


    But to Yuga''s surprise, the crystal, transformed into a beam of light, passed through Torterra''s body as if it were an illusion and pierced into Absol''s body. The speed was so fast that no one could react in time.


    The moment the ck ray entered Absol''s body, a red light shone brightly in Absol''s eyes.


    At the same time, Torterra, who had been hit by the ck ray, convulsed violently a few times and then copsed on the ground. The massive tree on its back instantly withered, and its leaves fell one by one.


    "Torterra!"


    Seeing Torterra''s condition, Yuga was greatly rmed and immediately rushed towards it without hesitation.


    Arriving at Torterra''s side, Yuga tried to wake it up, but it showed no response, leaving Yuga in a state of panic, sweating profusely.


    At this moment, Absol''s situation also took a turn for the worse. It howled loudly, and a ck mist simr to the one on the crystal earlier began to envelop its body. It underwent Mega Evolution right before Yuga''s astonished eyes.


    Looking at Absol with its unfocused gaze, Yuga realized that Absol was also in trouble.


    After Mega Evolving, Absol lowered its head and locked eyes with Yuga for a few seconds. Then, it opened its mouth and released a Dark Pulse towards both Yuga and the motionless Torterra.


    Yugapletely forgot about taking cover. Moreover, with Torterra lying beside him, he couldn''t possibly evade. He could only watch as the ck energy continued to expand in his line of sight.


    At thest moment, Sawsbuck, with excellent jumping abilities and speed, reacted. It rammed into Absol, a Pok��mon muchrger in size, pushing Absol aside, and causing the Dark Pulse to miss its target.


    Yuga hastily used a Pok�� Ball to recall the unconscious Torterra and then moved to a safer distance.


    Absol, after being attacked, went into a rampage. It raised its w and struck Sawsbuck''s abdomen with a single hit, made Sawsbuck unable to continue battling.


    What Yuga witnessed left him astounded. Was this still his Absol?


    Absol had only reached the Intermediate pseudo-Elite level recently. Even after Mega Evolving, it shouldn''t have been able to defeat a Peak pseudo-Elite level Sawsbuck with only a single strike.


    Yuga attempted to use his Insight ability to assess Mega Absol''s condition, but the data was inplete chaos, and he couldn''t make sense of anything.


    Furthermore, in Yuga''s perception, Mega Absol''s aura also started to be chaotic.


    At this moment, other Pok��mon also reacted.


    The most responsive was Florges, which directly swung two vines to firmly bind Mega Absol. Then, Dragonite''s Thunder Wave struck it.


    However, Mega Absol suddenly broke free from Florges'' vines and showed no signs of paralysis due to Dragonite''s Thunder Wave.


    Florges was astonished; its strength was equivalent to Elite level! Yet, it couldn''t hold Mega Absol.


    Dragonite felt the same way.


    They both realized that they might have a hard time subduing the rampaging Mega Absol unless they went all out.


    "Everyone, try to subdue Absol as quickly as possible! Something''s seriously wrong with it!" Yuga shouted to his Pok��mon.


    The Pok��mon all nodded simultaneously, their gazes towards Mega Absol turning solemn.


    Bellossom and Roserade simultaneously released severalrge Energy Ball, but Mega Absol effortlessly shattered them with its Psycho Cuts.


    Rather than dissipating, the Psycho Cuts that had shattered the Energy Ball continued toward Bellossom and Roserade at an incredible speed. They couldn''t react in time and were knocked down by the des.


    Like Sawsbuck, Bellossom and Roserade also couldn''t get up again.


    Dragonite and Vivillonbined forces to use Double Hurricane, enveloping Mega Absol momentarily. However, the tornado formed by the Double Hurricane was pierced through by the Dark Pulse. Mega Absol jumped out of it.


    The Mega Absol, after leaping out, let out a Snarl. Waves of ck sound surged higher and higher, pushing Vivillon and Dragonite far away.


    At this moment, Chimecho and Charizard appeared, one on each side above the Mega Absol. Their Supersonic and methrower converged on it.


    Although Mega Absol had lost its sanity, instinctively it knew it couldn''t withstand the attacks of two Elite level Pok��mon. It used a Quick Attack to evade the attacks.


    However, as it leaped into the air, Florges and Serperior''s attacks hit it precisely. A Leaf Storm and a Moonst struck its left nk, sending Mega Absol flying.


    As it tried to get up from the fall, a massive vine burst out of the ground, binding its limbs and waist. This was Venusaur''s Frenzy nt.


    Before it could struggle, Breloom approached and delivered a punch to its head.


    Despite the fact that a blow from Breloom should have been very painful, Mega Absol seemed to have lost all sensation of pain. Instead, it slowly lifted its head.


    Breloom was caught off guard and made eye contact with Mega Absol. In an instant, it felt its entire body covered in goosebumps and was sent flying.


    Simultaneously, the massive vines that had restrained Mega Absol''s limbs and abdomen began to break apart.


    By the time itnded on the ground, Breloom had lost consciousness.


    Freed from the restraints, Absol lunged directly at the immobilized Venusaur. Venusaur, due to the effects of Frenzy nt, couldn''t move at all.


    Seeing this, Chimecho erected a Light Screen in front of Venusaur. However, Mega Absol simply pierced through the defensive barrier of Light Screen and used a Dark Pulse to strike Venusaur.


    Venusaur lost its fighting ability.


    No one expected that Chimecho''s seemingly invincible defensive move would fail!


    But Yuga knew that Absol was a Dark-type Pok��mon, and its current special state nullified the Reflect Light Screen against certain move types, likely due to the effects of the mysterious dark energy surrounding it.


    With Venusaur defeated, Charizard and Dragonite simultaneously appeared on either side of Mega Absol and used Dragon w.


    However, while they managed to hit Mega Absol, they were also struck by Psycho Cuts. They were both sent flying.


    Mega Absol was about tounch its next attack when Florges'' Moonst, Vivillon''s Signal Beam, and Chimecho''s Supersonic all hit it simultaneously.


    After receiving the attacks from four Elite level, the psedo-Elite level Mega Absol nearly couldn''t get back up. However, its unfocused eyes remained unresponsive.


    Seeing Mega Absol in this state, Yuga was incredibly anxious. It seemed that due to the strange Dark-type energy, Mega Absol had entered an invincible state of sorts. Even with thebined efforts of four Elite level Pok��mon, they couldn''t subdue it.


    At this critical moment, Lapras had fallen into a deep sleep, while Gengar and Mimagius had been sent to the Distortiom World by Yuga using the Reversal Mirror for training.


    Initially, Absol was supposed to go as well, but Gengar suggested that, since it was their first time, he and Mimagius should go first to scout the situation. Absol, with slightly weaker strength, could follow once they had a better understanding of the situation.


    Now, looking back, it was fortunate that Absol didn''t go. If anything had gone wrong in the Distortion World, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Whether Gengar and Mimagius could have stopped it from going berserk was unknown.


    Seeing Absol reaching the point of exhaustion, Charizard, Dragonite, Florges, Chimecho, Vivillon, and Serperior surrounded it, intending to seize the opportunity to subdue itpletely.


    However, just at that moment, Mega Absol raised its head again and let out another howl. Its originally pure white fur was gradually dyed ck, inch by inch.


    In this altered form, Mega Absol opened its mouth and released a series of Dark Pulses. The six Pok��mon surrounding it didn''t have time to react and were all struck. Among them, Vivillon and Serperior, whose strength was less than that of an Elite level Pok��mon, lost consciousness instantly.


    Seeing this, Yuga felt a cold shiver down his spine.


    Absol''s condition was dire. Its battle strength was nearly on par with most of Intermediate or above Champion level Pok��mon. Trying to subdue it with just Charizard and Dragonite was almost impossible.


    At this point, Yuga couldn''t help but suspect that the ck energy had some connection to Yveltal. Besides the Level 1 Legendary Pok��mon, Who else could possess such powerful and chaotic Dark-type power?


    After knocking Charizard and the others aside, Mega Absol surprisingly didn''tunch another attack. Instead, it tilted its head back and emitted a strange melody from its throat.


    Hearing this sound, Yuga''s face turned pale.


    "Absol is about to use the Perish Song. Everyone, stop it!"


    Yuga''s Gengar also knew the Perish Song move, but neither it nor Absol had ever used it because it was a move that led to mutual destruction.


    Once this move was activated, after a period of time, as long as the user remained standing, all living beings on the field, whether they were allies, enemies, or even the user themselves, would fall and enter a near-death state.


    The near-death state wasn''t just a loss of battle capability; it meant being on the brink of actual death.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s voice, Charizard and Dragonite also turned pale. However, before they could act, the singing of the Perish Song by Mega Absol abruptly stopped, as if someone had choked it.


    Mega Absol''s forehead, adorned with the ck bone armor, began to emit a blue-white glow. Following this, the ck fur on its body started receding towards its head, like a tide.


    The blue-white glow gradually separated from Absol''s forehead. It was then that Yuga realized it was a Seed of Unknown.


    This Seed of Unknown seemed to possess a tremendous huge suction force, drawing in the eerie ck mist that had enveloped Absol. Subsequently, a ck crystal was extracted from Absol''s body.


    The moment the ck crystal emerged, Absol reverted from its Mega Evolution state and fell into unconsciousness.


    The ck crystal, radiating a red light, fiercely resisted the absorption by the Seed of Unknown. Yet, the Seed of Unknown emitted an intense blue light, and the red light on the ck crystal dissipated like ice melting under the sun, vanishing into the air.


    With the disappearance of the red light, in Yuga''s perceptionall the chaotic and manic auras was cleared, leaving only the pure Dark-type energy.


    As the red light vanished, in a distant forest in the Kalos region, a nameless mountain woods, a ck cocoon submerged in ake twitched briefly and then returned to its calm. Simrly, a centuries-old tree near the cocoon swayed its branches twice gently for a moment and then remained motionless.


    Having absorbed the ck crystal, the Seed of Unknown once again merged into the bone armor on Absol''s forehead, restoring peace.

 Chapter 908: Anxiety

    <h4>Chapter 908: Anxiety</h4>


    Seeing Absol returning to calmness, Yuga finally breathed a sigh of relief, thanks to the presence of the Seed of Unknown.


    Rowlet, who had been hiding in Yuga''s arms and too afraid to show itself earlier, also let out a long sigh of relief.


    Previously, when Yuga had recalled Torterra into its Pok�� Ball, Rowlet had sensed the danger and seized the opportunity to nestle into Yuga''s arms. It had been trembling ever since, not daring toe out.


    The battles of the seniors were truly terrifying.


    The Seed of Unknown lived up to its reputation as a rare golden item that appeared in the system shop only once every few years. It always seemed to work mysteriously in crucial moments, like a golden finger for Absol.


    With the help of the Seed of Unknown, Absol was able to cleanse the chaotic energy within the ck crystal. Under the influence of Yuga''s Insight ability, Absol''s data finally returned to normal.


    ...


    Type: Dark


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Pressure


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 77


    Moves: Quick Attack, Swords Dance, Psycho Cut, Future Sight, Sucker Punch, Snarl, Dark Pulse, Stone Edge, Shadow w, Throat Chop, Perish Song, Night sh, sh, X-Scissor, Giga Impact.


    ...


    Despite the suffering it had gone through, Absol didn''t leave empty-handed. Its potential had reached the highest level, Purple, and its level had skyrocketed from Intermediate Elite to Advanced Elite level, making a substantial leap. It now only one level lower than Yuga''s strongest Pok��mon, Lapras.


    With the assistance of the Seed of Unknown, it was clear that Absol had absorbed the purified Dark-type energy removed from the chaotic crystal, reaping significant benefits.


    This development further convinced Yuga that the mysterious Mmar Ancestor Eyes and the colossal blue crystal were undoubtedly linked to the Legendary Pok��mon Yveltal. The evolution of ordinary Pok��mon into the legendary Purple potential category was closely tied to these Legendary Pok��mon.


    Yuga was slowlying to this realization.


    His Vivillon, Chingling, and Lapras had experienced this phenomenon. The previous encounters with Melotic and Silgilyph had reinforced this idea, and now, Absol''s transformation added another piece to the puzzle.


    Purple potential Pok��mon, as long as they grow steadily, have the potential topete with ordinary Legendary Pok��mon when they reach their limits, as confirmed by the battles with the giant Melotic and Zapdos before.


    No matter how challenging the process may be, Absol''s future was looking promising.


    Now In Yuga''s first team, apart from Vivillon, who was still at the peak pseudo-Elite level, the rest of the team had reached the Elite level.


    However, Yuga wasn''t too worried about Vivillon, as its potential was Purple, and breaking through to the Elite level would be easy.


    Seeing that Absol had only fallen into a temporary unconscious state and had not suffered any further issues, Yuga quickly brought Chimecho to other other Pok��mon''s injuries.


    After using the Psychic Crystal, Chimecho''s healing moves became even more potent, andbined with the healing items on Yuga''s hand, the other Pok��mon who had lost their fighting capability were soon start to recover.


    The only concern for Yuga was Torterra, which had been injured by the ck crystal at the beginning.


    No matter how much Chimecho treated it or how many healing items Yuga gave, there were no signs of it waking up.


    Moreover, therge tree on its back was bing increasingly withered, with most of its leaves fallen. The situation looked very bad.


    Without further dy, Yuga recalled his other Pok��mon and, along with Torterra, sought out Cynthia. He asked her to contact the Pok��mon doctor from Michina to examine Torterra''s condition.


    This Pok��mon doctor is a member of the Temple n, was highly skilled in medicine and used the moar advanced equipment, but even with that they couldn''t pinpoint the issue with Torterra.


    The examination results showed that Torterra''s vital signs were normal, but its withered tree and unconscious state indicated that something was seriously wrong.


    Cynthia was puzzled by why Yuga''s Torterra had suddenly developed such a condition, especially since it had been fine just a few days ago. However, Yuga didn''t dwell on it and so she didn''t ask too many questions.


    Fearing that Torterra might be in real trouble, Yuga contacted his mentor and sent Torterra to him, hoping that his mentor could find a way to treat it.


    Yuga exined everything, from the Seed of Unknown to Absol''s condition, to Mr. Kuni''o.


    Apart from the Seed of Unknown, Yuga even mentioned Absol''s situation, fearing that it might hinder Mr. Kuni''o from identifying the cause.


    Master level Trainers had vast experience, and perhaps they could find a solution to the problem.


    However, things didn''t go as nned. Mr. Kuni''o, after examining Torterra, admitted that he couldn''t find a way to treat it. While he had heard of the name Yveltal, he had never seen it in person and didn''t know more specifics about this God of Destruction.


    Still, he reassured Yuga that he would take Torterra to the shrine and have Celebi examine it, giving Yuga some peace of mind.


    Celebi''s expertise might provide a solution.


    Mr. Kuni''o ordinaryly lived a leisurely life, with plenty of time on his hands. He was concerned that the dy might worsen Torterra''s condition, so after ending the call with Yuga, he immediately left Mauville City with Ryuichi to head to the shrine where Celebi resided.


    Back on Yuga''s side, not long after his call with his mentor, Absol slowly woke up. With the assistance of the Seed of Unknown, it had regained consciousness much earlier than Lapras.


    Initially, Yuga had no intention of telling Absol about Torterra''s situation, fearing it would feel guilty. After all, Absol had no memory of its actions while it was under the crystal''s influence.


    Although Absol appeared aloof and distant, its personality was genuinely quiet simple, and it cared for itspanions quietly.


    If it found out that Torterra was in trouble because of its actions, it would undoubtedly feel very ufortable.


    However, Absol wasn''t naive. With its sudden increase in power and Yuga''s continuous frowning and the strange behavior of the other Pok��mon, it couldn''t ignore that something was amiss.


    In the end, it learned about the situation from Rowlet. Being young, Rowlet couldn''t resist Absol''s probing questions.


    Knowing that Torterra was in a critical condition due to saving it, Absol fell into self-doubt, believing that its own carelessness and weak will had allowed the ck crystal to take advantage.


    Yuga didn''t know how tofort it and ended up scolding Rowlet for revealing the truth.


    Because he was so worried about Torterra, Yuga decided to resolve Cynthia''s matter quickly and so he can return to Hoenn as soon as possible. He couldn''t shake off the unease he felt when he wasn''t by Torterra''s side.


    He said to the dejected Absol, "Absol, I''d like to resolve the temple''s matter as soon as possible and then go back to check on Torterra. Can you help me with this?"


    Absol naturally wanted to return to Hoenn as soon as possible to see Torterra, so it nodded immediately.


    Yuga smiled and said, "Then I''ll rely on you for the battles thate afterward."


    Currently, his strongest Pok��mon, Lapras, but it was still asleep, and both Gengar and Mismagius were absent (training in Distortion World). This left Absol, who had just advanced, as his most powerful option.


    Absol firmly nodded in response, indicating it would do its best.


    After arranging their challenge with Absol, Yuga sought out Cynthia to express his desire to fulfill their agreement as soon as possible. Cynthia readily agreed.


    In the past few days, they had taken care of all the temple-rted matters, and she finally had some free time.


    Following the arrangements made by the elders, Cynthia led Yuga to the base of the towering mountain where the temple was located.


    Here, a massive waterfall cascaded down from the mountain, forming a wideke below. The Pok��mon that Yuga and Cynthia were about to challenge lived in this aquatic area.


    "Lord Pochy, Cynthia hase to fulfill her agreement with you. Please reveal yourself," shouted Elder Damu, but his loud voice was quickly drowned out by the roaring waters of the waterfall.


    At this moment, Elder Sorin, released his Master level Bronzong. With a clear "ding," a resonant bell chime rang out, causing ripples to form on theke''s surface.


    As the ripples spread, three Water-type Pok��mon emerged from the water. There was the massive Empoleon, the medium-sized Floatzel, and the adorable little Piplup.


    Empoleon was the target of Yuga and Cynthia''s challenge, while Floatzel was its mate, and Piplup was its child.


    Simultaneously, Piplup was the target of Cynthia''s challenge.


    Empoleon was the Pok��mon of Alfred, a highly respected elder of the temple.


    All of Alfred''s other Pok��mon had passed away, leaving only Empoleon as the sole survivor, a powerful Elite level Pok��mon.


    After the three Pok��mon surfaced, Empoleon nodded to Floatzel, who acknowledged the signal and dived back into theke. Empoleon then rode the waves with Piplup, approaching Yuga and Cynthia.


    As Empoleon and Piplup came closer, Yuga couldn''t help but activate his Insight ability.


    ...


    Type: Water, Steel


    Ability: Torrent


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 85


    Moves: Aqua Jet, Peck, Water Sport, Fury Attack, Aqua Ring, Mist, Drill Peck, Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Rain Dance, Earthquake, Rock Slide, Roar, Scald, Surf, Waterfall, Hyper Voice, Aqua Ring, Aqua Pledge, Endure, Water Pulse, Signal Beam, Swords Dance, Metal w, sh Cannon, Steel Wing.


    ...


    Type: Water


    Ability: Torrent


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 16


    Moves: Peck, Pound, Water Sport, Endure.


    ...


    After reading the information, Yuga understood why the temple ced such importance on this challenge. Both the father and daughter had Indigo potential.


    Apart from the recently acquired unknown egg, Cynthia had only one Indigo potential Pok��mon, Garchomp. Obtaining Piplup meant that she had another ace up her sleeve.


    Yuga had a bunch of Indigo potential Pok��mon, and he even had several Purple potential ones. However, this was mostly due to his numerous encounters and some luck. Indigo potential Pok��mon weren''t necessarilymon.


    Indigo potential Pok��mon, when in the hands of Trainers like Cynthia, are certainly future Champion level Pok��mon. With some luck and special encounters, they might even break through to the Master level, although it''s not verymon.


    Note: Blue potential Pok��mon often have the potential to reach Elite level (levels 70-79). Indigo potential Pok��mon have a high chance of reaching Champion level (levels 80-89) and a small chance of reaching Master level (levels 90-99). Only Purple potential Pok��mon can reach level 100, and they are in a different league altogether. Level 100 Purple potential Pok��mon often surpass the strength of ordinary fully matured Level 2 Legendary Pok��mon, like when the giant Melotic battled against Zapdos (specific cases may vary).


    "Piplup, Piplup!"


    As soon as Piplup came ashore, it rushed to Cynthia''s feet, then excitedly leaped into her arms, repeatedly rubbing her chest with its small head. This behavior seemed rather unusual, even for a Pok��mon.


    Yuga was dumbfounded, witnessing Piplup''s unexpected behavior.


    However, Piplup was a female Pok��mon, and Cynthia seemedpletely oblivious to any ulterior motives as she gently stroked Piplup''s round head, clearly fond of the Water-type Pok��mon.


    Regardless, it was clear that Cynthia and Piplup had a strong bond, which was likely why Empoleon was willing to give Cynthia a chance. Of course, Cynthia''s exceptional talent yed a significant role as well.


    "Lord Pochy, I apologize for the disturbance," Elder Damu, respectfully said to Empoleon, bowing.


    Pochy was the name of this Empoleon, given by its former owner, Elder Alfred.


    Despite the fact that Elder Alfred had passed away over a hundred years ago and Empoleon had gone through several mates, it still retained the name given to it by its beloved Trainer.


    After Empoleon hade ashore, it nodded in the direction of Elder Damu and then nodded towards Elder Sorin, while ignoring the others.


    Elder Damu was usually responsible for managing and caring for the Old Pok��mon left behind by the temple ancestors, a fact evident from the fact that his Staraptor was overly fat from being pampered.


    So, the rtionship between these elder Pok��mon and Elder Damu was quite good, including Empoleon. That''s why Empoleon acknowledged Elder Damu.


    As for the others, the proud Champion level Pok��mon had no interest in acknowledging them. Even nodding to Elder Sorin was merely because he was a Master level Trainer.


    The elders didn''t take offense at Empoleon''s arrogant attitude because the Old Pok��mon left behind by the temple ancestors generally held high status in the temple. Moreover, Empoleon was thest Pok��mon of Elder Alfred, who had made significant contributions to the temple.


    Considering that the strengths of both sides were not equal, the battle location was not set at thekeside. Otherwise, Empoleon, the Water-type Pok��mon, would have had the advantage of the terrain, and Yuga and Cynthia would have had a very low chance of winning.


    Since Empoleon was willing to ept Cynthia''s challenge, it was a genuine acknowledgment of her abilities. It wouldn''t let her face a challenge with no chance of winning; that''s the nature of Pok��mon.


    Veteran champions like Empoleon had a lot of experience and knew how to use the terrain and environment to their advantage. If they had battled by theke, it would have had an endless supply of Water-type energy.


    Finally, the battle location was decided on a grassy field far from Lake. After both sides were ready, the temple elders brought out square machines about the size of fists and ced them at the edge of the battlefield.


    As these square machines touched the ground, they connected with each other, forming a massive cubic barrier of light that enveloped the entire battlefield. Those who not involved in the challenge were separated from the battle by this barrier.


    These cubic machines were protective devices, designed based on Pok��mon''s Protect moves and Safeguard moves, a kind of biomimetic technology. They weremonly used in various majorpetitions, especially in battles involving Elite or Champion level Trainers.


    "Both sides, please prepare," Elder Sorin, acting as the referee, shouted. The protective barrier didn''t affect the transmission of sound. Yuga and Cynthia, upon hearing the signal, released their Pok��mon: Absol and Garchomp.


    As Absol and Garchomp emerged, Empoleon''s expression turned serious. While it had high hopes for Cynthia, it had no intention of going easy. Empoleon was determined to protect Piplup and intended to challenge Yuga and Cynthia with its full strength.


    Despite its age and having more than one mate over the years, Piplup was Empoleon''s child with the highest potential. Naturally, it wanted to find a qualified Trainer for Piplup''s growth.


    "Now, let the match begin!!!" With Elder Sorin''smand, the battle finally began. However, the faster one to act was the more powerful Empoleon.


    It tossed a blue-colored Weather Ball into the sky, and immediately, dark clouds gathered, followed by a light rain. Under the nourishing rain, Empoleon disyed a contented expression, and a faint mist began to rise from its jet-ck body.


    On Yuga and Cynthia''s side, Absol didn''t rush into an attack. Instead, it performed a round of Sword Dance, while Garchomp used Dig to burrow underground.


    Empoleon, with the Rain Dance in effect, opened its mouth andunched a Hydro Pump directly at Absol, but Absol skillfully divided the water stream with its Psycho Cut, turning it into scattered water droplets.


    Although Absol managed to deflect the Hydro Pump, it was still challenging due to the power boost from the Rain Dance, making it far from an easy task.


    At this moment, Garchomp emerged from underground and appeared behind Empoleon, raising its Dragon w to strike Empoleon''s back.


    However, it seemed like Empoleon had eyes on its back, as it raised its wings and used Steel Wing to block Garchomp''s Dragon w attack.


    Empoleon wasn''t known for its physical prowess, but when it shed with Garchomp''s Dragon w using Steel Wing, it merely took a small step back and shrugged off any significant damage.


    Now, facing each other at close range, Garchomp wasted no time raising its other Dragon w to strike, while Empoleon opened its mouth and fired a blue-white beam - the Ice Beam.


    In the face of such a close-quarters attack, Garchomp could only retract its limbs for defense, shielding its vulnerable parts, and swiftly moved away from Empoleon.


    If hit by a four-times-effective Ice-type move like this, Garchomp would be in serious trouble, especially considering the move was being used by a Elite level Pok��mon.


    However, Garchomp was slightly slower. The Ice Beam turned out to be a feint, and while it managed to block it with its limbs, the subsequent Aqua Tail struck its abdomen, sending it flying.


    Being hit by the Aqua Tail in the abdomen made Garchomp''s stomach churn, almost causing it to regurgitate its lunch.


    Simultaneously, Empoleon extended one of its wings, using Steel Wing to swat away the sneakily approaching Stone Edge from behind it.


    Multitasking is not something difficult to a Pok��mon like Empoleon.


    As the ttering sounds of the repelled Stone Edge resonated, hitting the protective barrier formed by the devices, it created ripples of energy on the surface, resembling scattered fish scales.


    After the rain of de-like projectiles vanished, Absol, concealed behind them, appeared next to Empoleon. Its icy ws glinted, slicing towards Empoleon while activating its Pressure ability.


    Absol''s Pressure ability had a unique aspect, especially whenbined with the King''s Rock it wore, creating an intimidating royal presence.


    Under this unique and overwhelming aura, Empoleon momentarily lost focus. It couldn''t react in time to evade or counter the attack. Absol''s sneak attack struck it directly in the chest.


    The intense pain snapped Empoleon back to its senses, but on the other side, Garchomp''s Earthquake hit it right on the mark.


    Earthquake, a powerful Ground-type move, not only dealt significant damage but also had a type advantage over Empoleon, despite it being a Champion level Pok��mon. The blow left Empoleon visibly injured.


    To recover from the injury, Empoleon immediately activated its Aqua Ring move. While this healing move didn''t provide instant recovery, its prolonged effects were still beneficial.


    Empoleon''s condition improved slightly as it focused on healing, but its respite was short-lived. Absol, not far away, roared, and a dark sound beam formed, crashing into the water curtain that covered Empoleon.


    The water curtain created by Aqua Ring was shattered by the sonic waves.


    Without the recovery effects of Aqua Ring and under the attack of Absol''s Snarl, Empoleon''s injuries worsened. At this moment, Garchomp''s Earthquake struck again.


    The saying "one mistake leads to another" held true here. After Absol''s Pressure ability activated, Empoleon made a series of mistakes. The wide range of Earthquake made it impossible for the grounded Empoleon to evade, leading to another hit.


    Empoleon''s health dropped to a critical level as it suffered consecutive blows.


    At this point, a blue light radiated from Empoleon''s body.


    Its aura began to rise, and then, both of its wings moved at lightning speed, sending out Water Pulse attacks that knocked down both Garchomp and Absol.


    The light rain created by the Rain Dance gradually ceased, and the sky cleared once again.


    However, after witnessing the recent events, both Yuga and Cynthia exchanged a knowing nce, realizing that the battle was about to intensify further.


    They understood that the blue light surrounding Empoleon represented its Torrent ability being triggered. At this moment, it was at its peak strength, and only by enduring this phase could they hope to win the battle.


    They hoped that by keeping the pressure on, they could eventually ovee Empoleon''s formidable power.

 Chapter 909: Departure

    <h4>Chapter 909: Departure</h4>


    After being struck down by Empoleon''s Aqua Tail, Absol and Garchomp immediately got back on their feet.


    Absol maximized its Pressure Ability, causing an invisible aura to rise around it. The perceptive Empoleon naturally felt the pressure emanating from this psychic power.


    Garchomp, on the other hand, ascended directly into the sky and unleashed its powerful move, Draco Meteor. Countless meteors with fiery red tails streaked across the azure sky, heading towards Empoleon.


    However, Garchomp wasn''t a Pok��mon particrly skilled in special attacks, so while Draco Meteor appeared impressive, its power was actually slightly lower than that of its initial move, Dragon w.


    But Draco Meteor had one advantage �C its attack range was exceptionally wide, making it challenging to evade once locked onto a target.


    Of course, as a battle-hardened old champion level Pok��mon, Empoleon remained calm when facing the iing meteors.


    Slowly, it raised long strands of water around itself, and these water strands multiplied and formed a massive vortex, enveloping Empoleon''s body. All the meteors hurtling toward Empoleon were devoured by the vortex.


    This was merely a basic move, Water Pulse, yet Empoleon used it to defend against the advanced move Draco Meteor, demonstrating its exceptional mastery of moves.


    Using the soft to conquer the hard, this concept was evident.


    After the Draco Meteor attack ceased, the vortex surrounding Empoleon didn''t dissipate; instead, it spun even faster.


    Shortly thereafter, numerous water arrows shot out from its edges, hissing as they raced toward Absol and Garchomp. It seemed as though they intended to turn both Pok��mon into pincushions.


    Empoleon''s water arrow attacks were based on the basic move, Water Gun, so their power wasn''t particrly strong, but their attack density was excessively high.


    Garchomp used its Dig move, burrowing into the ground, while Absol suddenly manifested Stone Edges around it, deflecting the iing water arrows.


    At the same time, a blue light shed in Absol''s eyes, and an invisible energy was emitted from the scythes on its head.


    After the intense barrage of water arrow attacks, Garchomp emerged from beneath Empoleon''s feet. It raised its two ws and used the Brick Break move, aiming a head-on strike at Empoleon.


    However, Empoleon had been on guard against Garchomp since it dove underground, and it wasn''t about to let the sneak attack seed. A blue column of water erupted from beneath its feet, instantly engulfing Garchomp.


    This was the Water Pledge move.


    Since Empoleon''s Torrent ability had been triggered, all the moves it used were reced with Water-type moves.


    As Garchomp was hit by the Water Pledge from Empoleon, Absol''s Dark Pulse was unleashed. However, it was blocked by a casual Water Pledge released by Empoleon.


    But after the Water Pledge and Dark Pulse canceled each other out, two transparent and enormous light rings suddenly descended from above Empoleon''s head and mmed down.


    This was Absol''s Future Sight.


    Empoleon had absolutely no idea that such an attack was lurking, and it caught him off guard, causing him to be knocked down and emit a painful cry.


    Absol''s Future Sight was its hidden trump card, and its power was formidable.


    Absol wasn''t originally proficient in special attacks, and in most cases, Future Sight might not be considered a perfect fit. However, Yuga''s Absol was different.


    Future Sight was an innate talent it possessed, and Yuga had never overlooked the development of this skill. Therefore, Absol''s use of this move dealt a severe blow to Empoleon.


    Meanwhile, Garchomp, who was right next to Empoleon, saw an opportunity. It rapidly waved its twin ws, dispersing the water columns surrounding itself, and then used Dragon Rush to charge fiercely at Empoleon.


    Empoleon, who hadn''t even managed to get up from the ground, was lifted by the tremendous impact of Dragon Rush and mmed into the protective barrier formed not far away.


    Garchomp went all out with this Dragon Rush, making it its final attack. The transparent barrier flickered incessantly under the intense impact, with ripples of energy spreading across it, as if it might shatter at any moment.


    Fortunately, Garchomp''s all-out strike did not go in vain. Empoleon''s strength was already depleted, and it had just endured consecutive attacks from Future Sight and Dragon Rush. Its head tilted, and it fell unconscious.


    However, both Garchomp and Absol were also heavily injured. The moment Empoleon fell, Garchomp couldn''t maintain its bnce and knelt down directly, while Absol swayed unsteadily, almost unable to hold on.


    Victory was achieved!


    Yuga and Cynthia exchanged a smile.


    "That''s great, Cynthia seeded!" Yuga eximed.


    Outside the protective barrier, Elder Damu looked excited and walked to the edge of the battlefield, eager to remove the protective barrier.


    Elder Sorin wore a satisfied smile, though he didn''t say anything; he was clearly pleased with Cynthia and Garchomp''s performance.


    As the protective barrier was removed, Elder Damu hurried over to thank Cynthia, while the other elders quickly released Pok��mon with healing moves to tend to the incapacitated Empoleon.


    The day after Cynthia had captured Piplup, Yuga bid farewell to the temple and prepared to leave the Sinnoh region.


    Due to the special circumstances within the temple, Cynthia couldn''t leave at that moment. Instead, her steward, Jamil, would apany Yuga outside the temple.


    The departure route was the same as the one they had taken when arriving in the Sinnoh region. Jamil would escort Yuga to the Celestic Town, and from there, Yuga would continue on her own.


    Yesterday, Yuga had received a call from Mr. Drake, who informed him that their business in the Sinnoh region was done, and they were preparing to leave. He asked if Yuga wanted to join them.


    Their ship had been damaged, and repairing it would take time, so this time, they had chartered a ne for their return journey.


    It was safe to say that Mr. Drake was wealthy.


    However, from their conversationst night, Yuga unexpectedly learned that Mr. Drake hade to the Sinnoh region this time because of the Hegel Mercenary Corps.


    The world was indeed small.


    Originally, the Hegel Mercenary Corps was an organization within the Sinnoh region, so it wasn''t expected for Mr. Drake from Hoenn to get involved. However, another individual was linked to this situation �C Hunter J.


    If Mr. Drake didn''t mention this person, Yuga had almost forgotten about her.


    This person had operated under the name Hunter J since fleeing from Hoenn to the Sinnoh region. She had also joined the notorious Hegel Mercenary Corps and reportedly earned the favor of the corps'' leader, Bilis.


    The apprehension of this individual had always been Mr. Drake''s responsibility. So, this time, Mr. Drake and the Sinnoh region''s authorities were coborating to take action against the Hegel Mercenary Corps.


    But things didn''t go smoothly.


    It seemed that there was a major problem within the Hegel Mercenary Corps, as everyone had gone into hiding on short notice. Mr. Drake and his team managed to capture a few small-fry members but didn''t achieve significant results.


    As for the major problem within the Hegel Mercenary Corps that Mr. Drake mentioned, Yuga could make a simple guess.


    Their leader and most of the elite forces had perished in the Snow Peak of Mount Cor. What remained were just some low-ranking members. In their weakened state, they had no choice but to conceal themselves to survive.


    Acting high-profile without the strength to back it up would be tantamount to suicide.


    Originally, small-time individuals like Hunter J wouldn''t be closely monitored by someone as significant as Mr. Drake.


    However, the incident involving the Salemece attacking the train had caused significant casualties. Both the Hoenn League and its people were highly concerned about it.


    Furthermore, that Salemece had be one of Mr. Drake''s Pok��mon, and its child had been stolen by Hunter J. The Salemece hoped that Mr. Drake would help them recover their offspring.


    Mr. Drake couldn''t refuse a request rted to his Pok��mon.


    However, at this point, Yuga and Mr. Drake were still unaware that due to this incident, the Hegel Mercenary Corps would evolve into the renowned Poacher Organization in the Sinnoh region in the future.


    After Bilis''s death on the Snow Peak of Mount Cor, the Hegel Mercenary Corps was left leaderless. Hunter J seized the opportunity to take control of the mercenary group and resumed her father''s old bussiness �C Poaching Pok��mon.


    Of course, that''s a story for another time. At this moment, Yuga was sitting in Jamil''s vehicle, heading to Celestic Town. As he watched the rapidly passing scenery outside the window, Yuga found himself lost in thought.

 Chapter 910: Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 910: Encounter</h4>


    Sitting in the car heading back to Celestic Town, Yuga fell into deep thought, mentally organizing the events that had urred since he arrived in Sinnoh region. Though the journey had been thriling, the rewards had been very rich.


    The rewards offered by the Temple n alone made his trip worthwhile.


    First and foremost were the numerous attribute gems, although these things valuable outside, it were abundant within the Temple n. Yuga received a box of each type of attribute gem, ensuring he wouldn''t run out of them in the near future.


    Next was a Grass Crystal they had cherished for a long time.


    This Grass Crystal had originated more than a thousand years ago, derived from the Jewel of Life when their ancestors obtained when they were granted the Jewel of Life.


    Seeing that Yuga had newly trained Rowlet, they decided to part with this Grass Crystal. After all, Yuga had truly helped them a lot this time.


    The Grass Crystal yed a crucial role in aiding the growth of young Grass-type Pok��mon. Not only did it make them physically stronger, but it also provided slight boosts to their various abilities as they matured.


    What''s important is that the Grass Crystal isn''t a consumable item and can be used indefinitely. As soon as Yuga got his hands on it, he gave it to his Rowlet.


    The Jewel of Life given to the Temple n ancestors by Arceus not only its contained the Grass-type Meadow te but also Water-type Ssh te, Ground-type Earth te, Electric-type Zap te, and Dragon-type Draco te.


    The Jewel of Life could create special grass crystals, and therefore, it could also create the other four types of crystals.


    However, apart from the Grass Crystal given to Yuga, the Temple n now only possessed a Dragon Crystal and a Ground Crystal, both in possession of Cynthia. The other two had been lost to the annals of history.


    Furthermore, the Jewel of Life had long stopped producing additional crystals.


    Of course, Yuga knew the reason behind this, because the Jewel of Life currently in the Temple n''s possession was a fake.


    In the future, when the Temple n returned the Jewel of Life to Arceus, it would undoubtedly create some waves.


    However, Yuga had no connection to these matters, and someone woulde forward to resolve them when the time came.


    Lastly, in addition to what had already been given to Yuga, the Temple n had also provided him with the Source of Flight in advance. They had given him quite a lot, and each item had considerable value.


    Besides these psysical items, in the future, Yuga could expect support from the Temple n whenever he encountered issues in Sinnoh region. This intangible benefit was equally valuable.


    Lost in thought, Yuga''s mind began to drift.


    Seeing that Yuga had been lost in thought for a while, Rowlet, who was nestled on hisp, nudged him with its body. This brought Yuga back from his distant thoughts.


    He smiled and gently patted Rowlet''s head before looking out the window once again.


    However, as the scenery outside the car window whizzed by, Yuga suddenly seemed to notice something and quickly called out to Jamil, who was driving.


    "Jamil, can you stop the car for a moment?"


    "Of course, Mr. Shimizu."


    Jamil responded without questioning Yuga''s request and promptly pulled over to the side of the road.


    Yuga, carrying Rowlet, got out of the car and saw a group of ck Pok��mon attacking a white one in the distance.


    "Jamil, I''ll go check it out. Wait for me here," Yuga said, turning to Jamil.


    Jamil nodded and said, "Alright."


    Yuga gave a quick nod, then hurried towards the direction where the group of Pok��mon was.


    At this moment, under the relentless attacks of the group of Sneasel, Snover had already fainted.


    The leader of the Sneasel group turned over the motionless Snover and tried to snatch a white canister that Snover was holding tightly. Despite being unconscious, Snover refused to let go, and the Sneasel leader struggled to pull it out to no avail.


    The Sneasel leader grew frustrated and lifted its ws, preparing to use Metal w on Snover.


    "Rowlet, use Leafage!"


    Just as the Sneasel leader''s Metal w was about to strike Snover, a flurry of green leaves shot forward, stopping the Sneasel leader''s attack.


    It turned out that Yuga and Rowlet had arrived.


    However, Rowlet''s strength wasn''t formidable, and while it prevented the Sneasel leader''s attack, it didn''t inflict much damage.


    Looking at the white canister Snover was holding tightly, Yuga recognized it as the one he had given away.


    This Snover was the same one he had encountered in Celestic Town, and they had exchanged gifts. It had given Yuga a berry it had grown, and Yuga had given it two cans Pok��block.


    Seeing Yuga and Rowlet approaching, the Sneasel quickly backed away, raising their sharp ws and emitting low, threatening growls at Yuga and Rowlet.


    The leader of the Sneasel, in particr, had a hostile look in its eyes, likely remembering that Rowlet had just attacked it. Sneasel were known to be vengeful and never forgave easily.


    There were more than ten Sneasel in this group, which was not umon for their species. Sneasel were highly skilled hunters and often formedrge groups to hunt together, especially when food was scarce.


    Except for some exceptionally powerful Pok��mon, few would dare to provoke a group of Sneasel, as they were cunning, grudge-holding Pok��mon who wouldn''t give up easily.


    These dozen or so Sneasel had no intention of giving up on their prey, even with Yuga and Rowlet''s arrival. In their eyes, Yuga, a seemingly weak human, and Rowlet, a small and underdeveloped Pok��mon, were not worth changing their ns for.


    Sneasel typically lived on snowy peaks, and sometimes, when food was scarce in the mountains, they woulde down to find food or even raid it from other Pok��mon.


    Snover had been their target for several days.


    Snover had attracted the attention of the Sneasel when it was robbed by a Carnivine.


    At that moment, as Carnivine devoured the Grass-type Pok��block stolen from Snover, its expression made it clear to the Sneasel that Pok��block were exceptionally delicious.


    Since the Ice-type Pok��block was of no use to Carnivine, it was left untouched. However, the Sneasel were highly interested in the remaining Ice-type Pok��block inside the canister.


    Seeing this determined group of Sneasel, Yuga knew that Rowlet wouldn''t be able to handle them. He recalled Rowlet and released Serperior.


    Serperior had a haughty attitude when there were outsiders around. It cast a disdainful nce at the Sneasel, leaving no doubt about its contempt. This immediately infuriated the Sneasel.


    "Sneasel!"


    The leader of the Sneasel roared angrily and ordered its underlings to attack Serperior.


    The Sneasel puffed their cheeks and blew icy winds simultaneously, attempting to engulf the ignorant human, Yuga, and the arrogant Serperior with a bone-chilling st.


    Surprisingly, thebined icy winds from over a dozen Sneasel were quite formidable. The surrounding grasnd was covered in frost, and Yuga and Rowlet both shivered involuntarily.


    However, Serperior paid no heed to these small fry, even though they were Ice-types, which should theoretically counter its Grass-typing.


    Raising its tail, Serperior unleashed a Leaf Storm, instantly dispersing the icy winds. It followed up with another Leaf Storm, causing the Sneasel to scatter and fall in disarray.


    Seeing the Sneasel that has been dealt with, Yuga rushed over to Snover. He lifted Snover and administered medicine to treat its wounds while tending to its injuries.


    In a short while, Snover slowly regained consciousness.


    Upon opening its eyes and seeing Yuga holding it, Snover immediately recognized him as the person who had given it the Pok��block. It was initially taken aback, then clung to Yuga''s arm and burst into tears.


    While Yuga used his unique abilities to heal Snover''s injuries, he listened to its venting cry. After Snover had cried its heart out, it began to tell Yuga about what had happened to it after they parted ways.


    Snover was quite young and had been born on Snowpoint Peak. However, it had never seen its parents or had anypanions since birth. It had been living on its own all this time.


    Its strength was quite low, and it resided in the lowest regions of Snowpoint Peak. When there was no food, it would journey to Celestic Town to exchange the fruits that grew on its body for some sustenance from humans.


    The unique climate of Celestic Town elerated the growth of its fruits, and the people there were friendly. So, whenever it visited Celestic Town, it usually enjoyed a good meal.


    The day it met Yuga, it had only one fruit left on its body. It felt fond of Yuga and wanted to give thatst fruit to him as a gesture of goodwill.


    Yuga giving it two cans of Pok��blocks was unexpected for Snover, but it knew about Pok��blocks because it had seen many trainers in Celestic Town feeding them to their Pok��mon.


    It had always wanted to taste them, believing they must be incredibly delicious. As soon as it parted ways with Yuga, it eagerly tried one, and as it had imagined, the Pok��block was incredibly tasty. Moreover, just one was enough to make it feelpletely full.


    With two cans of Pok��blocks, it nned to return to Snowpoint Peak and savor them slowly over time.


    However, what it didn''t know was that while it was enjoying the Pok��block, it was spotted by a Carnivine, who pounced on it as soon as it left Celestic Town.


    The Carnivine was a cunning one, a seasoned rogue among the stray Pok��mon in Celestic Town. Snover was no match for it, and the canister with itsst Grass-type Pok��block was snatched away.


    But that wasn''t the worst part. Shortly after, Snover realized it was being pursued by a group of Sneasel. It knew about Sneasel; they were a notorious gang in Snowpoint Peak.


    So, it ran and ran, desperately trying to make it back to Snowpoint Peak and find a ce to hide. However, how could it escape the pursuit of the Sneasel on its own?


    Moreover, it realized that this group of Sneasel was toying with it. With their strength, they could easily have taken it down without much effort. Still, they kept stringing it along, ying a cat-and-mouse game with it.


    Finally, today, they decided they had had enough fun and went for it. It had thought it was done for when, to its surprise, it opened its eyes to see Yuga.


    Yuga hadn''t expected that the two cans of Pok��blocks he gave Snover would lead to so much trouble. He felt guilty and said, "I''m sorry for causing you trouble."


    Hearing Yuga''s apology, Snover looked puzzled, not understanding why Yuga was apologizing or what he meant by it. It didn''t have a single thought of me towards Yuga in its mind, so it couldn''tprehend why he was apologizing.


    Seeing Snover with tears in its eyes, looking confused, Yuga suddenly smiled, realizing that this was just how Pok��mon were.


    So he asked, "Snover, do you want toe with me?"


    Snover''s eyes lit up at the question, and it eagerly nodded, asking, "Can I have delicious Pok��blocks every day too?"


    Yuga nodded, "Of course! You can have as many as you want."

 Chapter 911: Healing

    <h4>Chapter 911: Healing</h4>


    And so, Yuga regained hisposure, and there was now a Snover in the town''s car.


    Although it had only been a short time since the robbery, Snover had an optimistic personality and didn''t carry any lingering shadows. In fact, it had grown ustomed to such incidents and would shed a few tears but quickly move on.


    With the addition of a newpanion, Rowlet was delighted. Yuga''s main Pok��mon were all older than it, and there were no Pok��mon of the same age for Rowlet to befriend. It had been longing for a ymate.


    Snover, having lived alone until now, was also happy to make a friend in Rowlet. Thus, the friendship between these two little ones was formed.


    Yuga didn''t stay in Celestic Town for long. After visiting Cynthia''s grandparents, he had Jamil take him to Canve City.


    In Canve City, he sessfully reunited with Mr. Drake. However, as soon as he arrived, Yuga received a call from his master, Mr. Kuni''o.


    ording to Mr. Kunio, Celebi had not been able to awaken Torterra.


    As per Celebi''s exnation, the injuries within Torterra''s body were caused by a Pok��mon much stronger than itself, and it couldn''t expel the foreign energy residing in Torterra.


    Following this call, Yuga had Mr. Kuni''o teleport Torterra''s Pok�� Ball back to him and then contacted Professor Birch.


    Since the Legendary Pok��mon couldn''t solve the issue, it was time to rely on human medical skills and technology.


    Professor Birch found Torterra''s condition was very interested and, upon receiving Yuga''s request, immediately agreed to help.


    However, he admitted that he had never encountered a Yveltal before and couldn''t guarantee a solution. He can only do his best but ultimately leave it to fate.


    Then Torterra''s Pok�� Ball was then transported to Professor Birch''sb.


    Yuga returned to his home in Verdanturf Town via the ne provided by Mr. Drake. The flight was much faster than a ship, and in less than two days, Yuga was back in Verdanturf Town.


    Upon arrival, Yuga immediately contacted Professor Birch to inquire about Torterra''s condition. To his disappointment, there had been no progress.


    Not only did Professor Birch find it challenging, but he had also reached out to the renowned Professor Oak for assistance, and together they couldn''t find a solution.


    Yuga then visited Joyka in the Pok��mon Center, but even she had never seen an injury like Torterra''s. She even contacted her superiors and received no helpful information.


    Frustrated and worried, Yuga realized that Torterra''s recovery might be an insurmountable challenge.


    The elders of Joy''s family were considered wise and experienced, and they believed that since Torterra''s injuries were caused by a Level 1 Legendary Pok��mon, only a Level 1 Legendary Pok��mon could heal it.


    They spected that this Legendary Pok��mon would either be a Dark-type Legendary Pok��mon like Yveltal or the counterpart to Yveltal, Xerneas. At the very least, it would have to share Torterra''s type, as other Legendary Pok��mon might not be suitable for the task.


    However, Yuga faced a dilemma. Where could he find Level 1 Legendary Pok��mon? He couldn''t risk dying Torterra''s treatment while searching for other Level 1 Legendary Pok��mon.


    Unlike the gradualy declined Chatot, Torterra''s condition was unknown and could worsen rapidly if not addressed promptly.


    Yet, not seeking a solution was not an option. Yuga was running out of options.


    Regrettably, he had already used up his Max Revives. Two of them went to Dragonite''s mother, and one to Zapdos. If only he had some left, he could have tried using them on Torterra.


    Just as Yuga was contemting whether to seek the help of a Level 1 Legendary Pok��mon, the Meowstic, who guarded the Mmar, informed Yuga that the Mmar had recently developed a special item.


    The Meowstic, who shared the news, suggested that Yuga let Torterra use this item, as it was created from the body tissues of Groudon, a Level 1 Legendary Pok��mon that matched Torterra''s type.


    Their suggestion wasn''t baseless. ording to thetest information from Professor Birch, Torterra had been able to withstand Yveltal''s foreign energy for so long thanks to the Harvest Tree on its back.


    The Harvest Tree originated from Landorus, a Ground-type Legendary Pok��mon. Despite Landorus being a Ground-type, the Harvest Tree, was a cherished treasure among Grass-type Pok��mon.


    It''s because the unique Earth energy nurtured by Landorus, the Harvest Tree flourished. However, with a more potent Ground-type Legendary Pok��mon like Groudon, one could only wonder what kind of growth the Harvest Tree might achieve?


    Perhaps it would gain the power to expel foreign energies.


    Given the exnation from the Meowstic, Yuga had to admit that it was convincing. When he examined the research result they handed him, he found a bright red potion.


    This potion was developed for use by Ground-type Pok��mon. Its exact effects were unknown because there was only one vial, and no more ingredients remained to create another. Even if it had a positive effect, using it as an experiment would be pointless if it was a one-time use item.


    However, the Mmar assured Yuga that there were no negative side effects to worry about.


    Yuga remained skeptical of the three Mmar, as their behavior often resembled that of unscrupulous scientists from shady organizations.


    However, the Meowstic insisted that they could vouch for the potion''s safety, as they had also contributed to its creation.


    Despite with the Meowstic guarantee, Yuga was still hesitant to use an unknown potion on Torterra given the uncertain oue.


    Just at that moment, Professor Birch called Yuga and informed him that Torterra''s physical condition was deteriorating rapidly.


    Previously, Torterra had been able to resist the foreign energy left by Yveltal within its body, thanks to the special Harvest Tree on its back.


    However, this tree was connected to Landorus, a Level 2 Legendary Pok��mon, and could only provide temporary relief. With time, it became less effective.


    Receiving this news, Yuga understood that he had to take a gamble. He instructed Professor Birch to teleport Torterra back to him.


    The use of the potion wasn''t as simple as having Torterra drink it. Instead, it needed to be poured onto the roots of the Harvest Tree on Torterra''s back.


    The Harvest Tree on Torterra''s back had long withered, with no leaves remaining, and even Torterra''s originally vibrant green shell had lost its color.


    Taking Torterra into the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, Yuga ced it on a patch of grass and poured the potion onto the roots of the Harvest Tree.


    At first, Yuga didn''t notice any changes, but after about fifteen minutes, a series of green lights began to crawl up Torterra''s shell from the Harvest Tree''s roots.


    Nourished by a significant infusion of Earth energy, the Harvest Tree joyfully swayed its branches. In the blink of an eye, it started sprouting, growing, flowering, and bearing berry.


    On the instantly lush Harvest Tree, thumb-sized berrys transformed from green to brown, signaling ripeness. They emitted a unique and inviting fragrance.


    Yuga had never seen the Harvest Tree bear berry before.


    Of course, other Torterra''s back trees would bear berry, as Yuga had observed during his time in Machina. Some trainers from the Temple n even had Torterra with treesden with berry.


    However, the berrys produced by ordinary Torterra''s back trees were different from those of the Harvest Tree. They were usually the size of a fingernail and, while having the same color,cked the alluring aroma.


    Beside him, Snover, who had been watching the Harvest Tree berrying, had an expression full of longing and couldn''t stop drooling.


    Rowlet also stared intently at the berrys, appearing equally eager to taste them, although not as overtly as Snover.


    At this moment, Torterra finally regained consciousness. All the withering and decay on its body vanished, and it became full of vitality.


    "Great, Torterra, you''re finally okay," Yuga eximed with relief.


    Yuga breathed a sigh of relief and walked up to Torterra, gently patting its sturdy shell.


    Torterra had lost consciousness after its previous ordeal, and it had no idea what had happened since then.


    However, it knew that something bad must have urred during its unconsciousness, which is why Yuga was so concerned.


    Furthermore, Torterra could clearly sense that its body had undergone significant changes, with the most noticeable being that it had grown stronger.


    Yuga then proceeded to exin to Torterra what had caused its fainting and how it had been revived.


    Suddenly, Yuga turned to Torterra and asked, "Wait a moment, Torterra, have you be stronger?"


    Caught up in the moment, Yuga had initially overlooked the change in Torterra''s aura but now realized it.


    ...


    Type: Grass, Ground


    Ability: Overgrow


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 71


    Moves: Tackle, Withdraw, Growth, Double-Edge, Rozor Leaf, Synthesis, Energy Ball, Sunny Day, Stealth Rock, Leech Seed, Grass Pledge, Earthquake, Leaf Storm, Sr Beam, Sunny Day, Rock Tomb, Stone Edge, Earth Power, Superpower, Seed Bomb, Wood Hammer.


    ...


    Nothing else has changed much, but the level had indeed reached the Elite level.


    "Congrattions, Torterra, you''ve be an Elite level Pok��mon," Yuga congratted Torterra.


    Torterra was naturally pleased with its breakthrough and nuzzled Yuga affectionately.


    Yuga hadn''t expected Torterra to be the first to break through in his second team. He had thought it might be Bellosson, Roserade, or even Venusaur, all of which had more seniority.


    Yuga then introduced Torterra to Snover, as they hadn''t met before.


    Torterra warmly weed Snover''s addition to the team and even plucked several berrys from its back as a weing gift.


    Snover had been drooling for these berrys for a long time and eagerly started devouring them.


    Seeing this, Torterra realized that Rowlet also had an eager look, so it plucked a few more berrys and offered them to Rowlet.


    Rowlet''s eyes gleamed with anticipation as it received the berrys.


    Once the two buddies had enjoyed their tasty treats, they started running to the side to discuss their post-snack feelings.


    Only Yuga noticed that both Snover and Rowlet, after finishing the berrys from Torterra''s back, had leveled up by one.


    It seems that the berrys produced by the Harvest Tree on Torterra''s back are quite extraordinary, Yuga pondered in his mind.


    Apart from leveling up, it remained to be seen if these berrys had any other special effects. Fortunately, there were still plenty of berrys to experiment with, making it rtively easy to verify.


    Moreover, both Snover and Rowlet were currently at low levels, so boosting them by one level at this stage wasn''t a game-changing event.


    If these berrys were like the Rare Candies Yuga had obtained from the system before, which could only raise the level of Pok��mon below level 30, their importance would be significantly diminished for Yuga.


    Furthermore, Rare Candies could randomly increase a Pok��mon''s level by one to five, while these berrys didn''t seem to achieve such effects.


    Leveling up Pok��mon below level 30 was rtively easy, especially for Pok��mon with higher potential. With effort, they could reach level 30 or even higher in just one or two months.


    In such cases, the impact of items that increased levels was not significant unless they were like the Flying Attribute Stones Yuga had obtained from Silgilyph, which could increase a Pok��mon''s level at any level. In that case, they were truly valuable.


    Items like these were generally not very useful in regr circumstances but became crucial in special situations, such as breaking through bottlenecks like the one that had encountered by the Archeops.


    However, Yuga spected that these berrys might not be extremely powerful items, as Torterra produced an abundance of them in one go.


    He wondered if the Harvest Tree would continue to bear berry in the future. Normal Torterra''s back trees could continuously produce berry.


    If the Harvest Tree could yield berry periodically, simr to Snover, it would still be a valuable resource, even if its effects were weaker than those of Rare Candies.

 Chapter 912: Breakthrough

    <h4>Chapter 912: Breakthrough</h4>


    Torterra''s awakening relieved Yuga''s earlier tension, and he decided to share this good news with Professor Birch and Mr. Kuni''o, who had been of great help.


    Professor Birch was naturally curious about how Torterra had recovered, but Yuga didn''t want to reveal the involvement of the three Mmar, so he came up with a vague exnation.


    As for Mr. Kuni''o, Yuga waspletely honest with him. He believed that if he couldn''t trust Mr. Kuni''o, there would be no one in this world he could be trusted.


    His master has always treated him sincerely, and Yuga feels that except for the existence of the system and the Ecopark, Yuga felt there was no need to hide anything from him.


    With Torterra safe, Yuga remembered the Flying Attribute Stone he had obtained earlier and decided to give it to Archeops, so he headed to the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark.


    The No. 3 ind at the center of Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark had be a lively ce. After a long period of domestication, the Mandibuzz had lost their aggressiveness and now lived peacefully under the management of Archeops.


    They had realized that their current life, with plenty of food and no need to fight other Pok��mon, was much more wonderful than their previous savage living.


    Moreover, they also took good care of the young Rufflet, considering them both their children and future mates for the sake of their species. This was probably what they called "fostering."


    When Yuga arrived at the No. 3 ind, many Mandibuzz were leisurely soaring through the sky, and some were teaching the young Rufflet and juvenile Vuby various moves. It was a scene of harmony.


    As raptors, Mandibuzz had excellent eyesight. They spotted Yuga as soon as he set foot on the No. 3 Ind but paid him no attention.


    Yuga had visited the No. 3 Ind less frequently than the Miltank who took care of the Mandibuzz. Compared to Yuga, they seemed to have a closer bond with the Miltank.


    Yuga quickly found Archeops in the center of the No. 3 Ind. After not seeing it for a while, he noticed that it had aged considerably. If it couldn''t break through soon, Yuga wasn''t sure how much longer it would live.


    Upon learning that Yuga had brought a method to help it break through to the Champion level, Archeops was overjoyed. It was truly grateful to Yuga.


    Seeing its excitement, Yuga didn''t keep it waiting and handed the Flying Attribute Stone to Archeops. As soon as it received the stone, ity down and began absorbing the power within it.


    The Flying Attribute Stone, smaller than a palm, was absorbed by the colossal Archeops in a matter of minutes. Blue and white light shimmered around Archeops, and soon its feathers became soft and vibrant once more, while its scales regained their smoothness and strength.


    "Archeops!"


    With a resounding Archeops from Archeops, a surge of energy radiated from it, reaching its peak.


    Hearing this roar, Yuga knew that Archeops had sessfully broken through. The Flying Attribute Stone had indeed lived up to its legendary reputation.


    At the moment of Archeops''s breakthrough, the Champion level aura spread across the No. 3 Ind.


    The Mandibuzz, including the young ones Vuby and Rufflet, briefly felt uneasy. Even the witzer in the sea raised their heads, nervously looking towards the direction of No. 3 Ind.


    However, this surge of power came and went quickly, and the Pok��mon soon returned to normal.


    ...


    Type: Rock, Flying


    Ability: Defeatist


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 80


    Moves: Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Rock Throw, Scary Face, Peck, Primal Force, Agility, Acrobatics, Thrash, Crunch, Rock Slide, Earthquake, Steel Wing, Double-Edge, Iron Tail, Outrage, Sky Attack.


    ...


    In Yuga''s Insight ability, Archeops''s level had finally broken through the Champion level threshold, bing Yuga''s second Champion level Pok��mon in the Ecopark, right after Dragonite''s mother.


    However, for Archeops to go any further was almost impossible. It was merely a Pok��mon with a green potential, and its previous breakthrough to the Elite level in the Landorus''s underground world had already been a miracle.


    Most green potential Pok��mon, under the careful nurturing of trainers, are fortunate enough to reach the pseudo-Elite level. Breaking through to the Elite level without extraordinary circumstances is almost impossible.


    Pok��mon like Archeops, with green potential, achieved their breakthrough due to unique environments and intense battles. Achieving the Elite level was something that would have been entirely impossible in the outside world.


    Even though it had broken through to the Champion level using the Flying Attribute Stone, Archeops was still the weakest among Champion level Pok��mon. It might not even be able to defeat Yuga''s Lapras.


    "Congrattions, Archeops!" Yuga patted Archeops''s neck and congratted it with a smile.


    Archeops expressed its gratitude once again and then spread its wings, soaring into the sky, venting its joy after the breakthrough.


    Yuga felt that Archeops was likely too preupied with its newfound power, so he quietly left the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark and headed to the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark.


    Torterra''s recovery was greatly indebted to the three Mmar and the Meowstic. While Yuga hadn''t nned to reward the Mmar trio, he still wanted to check on them.


    When Yuga arrived at the No. 3 Stone Fortress in the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark, the three Mmar were busy working under the supervision of the Meowstic. They seemed overwhelmed and disoriented.


    The three Mmar had never imagined they would lead such an extraordinarily tough life. They worked for eighteen hours a day, with only two to three hours for rest, including meals and bathroom breaks.


    They also received ideological education and asionally faced punishment. If they dared to ck off during work, they had to endure the Chandelure''s Will-O-Wisp, which was a miserable experience.


    The worst part was that they couldn''t even defeat the Meowstic now and had to follow its orders. This humiliation was unbearable.


    When they heard footsteps approaching from outside, all three Mmar shivered involuntarily. They wondered if they had made another mistake today and if they were about to face someone''s wrath.


    As soon as Yuga entered and saw the three Mmar trembling, diligently working, he realized they had misunderstood the situation. They breathed a collective sigh of relief, realizing that Yuga had note to punish them.


    Yuga, on the other hand, was slightly puzzled by their reactions. He touched his face and thought, "Did I be handsome again? Why are these Mmar, who used to despise me, looking at me with such delight?"


    Only two Meowstic rolled their eyes, clearly understanding the Mmar''s psychological state.

 Chapter 913: Indigo and Purple

    <h4>Chapter 913: Indigo and Purple</h4>


    After entering the gate of the No. 3 Stone Fortress, Yuga''s first notice was the partiallypleted Eternal Flower ced in the center of theboratory.


    Compared to the previous pure white partiallypleted Eternal Flower, the current one was undergoing a transformation due to absorbing arge amount of life energy. Each petal of the flower was now sparkling with colorful light, making it exceptionally beautiful.


    In addition to the significant changes in the Eternal Flower, Yuga also noticed the presence of eighteen cylindrical sealed containers of various colors in theboratory. Each container contained energy that resembled various colors of liquid flowing.


    "What is this?"


    Yuga walked up to one of the cylindrical containers, curiously examining them. He remembered that they weren''t there thest time he visited.


    "Meowstic, Meowstic."


    The Meowstic quickly approached to exin.


    The contents of these cylindrical containers were the attribute energies originally stored in the conical pirs.


    These energies were forcibly extracted from various Pok��mon and they haven''t been able to utilized yet. They''re being stored for future research.


    Yuga suddenly realized, "I didn''t expect the remaining energies to be separated by attributes like this, and there are so many. Well done."


    The two Meowstic were just assistants and overseers in theboratory, so they weren''t responsible for the separation and storage of attribute energies.


    However, Yuga had no intention of praising the Mmar trio, considering their past misdeeds. They would atone for their sins through their work.


    Seeing how deeply the Mmar trio had delved into the research of attribute energies, Yuga suddenly had an idea. He took out the Supreme-grade Ice Stone he had obtained from Articuno from his system backpack.


    Supreme-grade Evolution Stone could alter a Pok��mon''s potential when it used for evolution. But what was the principle behind it? If he could figure out this principle, could he replicate it?


    Thinking about this, Yuga became excited. If he could truly unravel the secret of Supreme-grade Evolution Stones, it could be a game-changer for him.


    However, Yuga knew that researching this secret wouldn''t be easy. What he could think of, others in this vast Pok��mon world might have considered as well.


    Even though Supreme-grade Evolution Stones were rare in number and only held by a few individuals, they surely had conducted simr research, just without much sess.


    But the Mmar trio had a talent for research, and it would be a waste not to let them try. Besides, if they couldn''t seed, it would only mean a loss of a few Supreme-grade Evolution Stones. While these stones were precious, Yuga wasn''t in a situation where he absolutely needed them.


    So he shared his thoughts with the Mmar trio. Although they didn''t like Yuga, they were genuinely interested in the experiment he proposed. They pledged to put in their best effort for the research.


    Yuga assured them that if their research yielded satisfactory results, he would consider granting them leniency, perhaps even sparing them from physical torment.


    The three Mmar''s eyes lit up after hearing this: "You mean we won''t have to endure beatings in the future? We must produce results!" They secretly resolved to seed.


    However, after receiving the Supreme-grade Ice Stone from Yuga, the Mmar trio realized that researching results with just one stone might be challenging.


    So Yuga remembered that he also had obtained Supreme-grade Evolution Stones Before, the Supreme-grade Leaf Stone, Supreme-grade Sun Stone, and Supreme-grade Moon Stone - from the abandoned ship in the Lilycove City. He decided to give them all to the Mmar trio at once.


    "After taking all of these precious Supreme-grade Evolution Stones, if you can''t produce any results, don''t me me if I decide to cut off your tentacles!" Yuga eximed as he handed over the four Supreme-grade Evolution Stones. He was almost heartbroken, considering the significant value of each one of them.


    The Mmar trio, clutching the four Supreme-grade Evolution Stones, nodded nervously.


    After leaving the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark, Yuga suddenly realized that he had been so busy today that he had forgotten about "big" things like refreshing the system store.


    Yuga had developed a habit of checking the system store daily, year after year, even though he rarely found anything valuable.


    However, he continued to do so out of fear of missing out on something as extraordinary as the Seed of Unknown, which was the only golden item he had ever obtained through the system store. He understood its tremendous power.


    Yuga didn''t want to miss out on another valuable item just because he skipped checking the store for one day.


    So he opened his system store. When he looked inside, his eyes widened involuntarily. He wondered if he had stepped on a Growlithe''s shit or a Houndour''s shit today? How could his luck suddenly skyrocket?


    In the nine perfectly rectangr frames of the system store, there were no golden items, but there were two bright indigo and purple boxes at the same time.


    "Indigo and purple? Am I dreaming? System, pinch me!" Yuga couldn''t help but mutter.


    The system''s voice replied somewhat resignedly.


    [ I can''t pinch you, host, and you''re not dreaming. ]


    Yuga mumbled, "So, am I finally turning my luck around today, after being unlucky for so long?"


    Yuga, who usually couldn''t find either indigo or purple items, had somehow stumbled upon both today. If this wasn''t turning his luck around, then what it was?


    With excitement, Yuga hurriedly checked what these two items were. He didn''t even bother looking at the other white items in the store, as they were usually just berries or Pok�� Balls.


    Of course, he first examined the more valuable purple item. Compared to purple, the rtively precious indigo item could wait.


    ...


    [ Essence Liquid ]


    [ Description: The essence of all things. Suitable for newly hatched Pok��mon or Pok��mon Eggs. The effect is significant. ]


    [ Price: 660,000. ]


    ...


    After reading the name and description of this purple item, Yuga was briefly stunned. Was that it? Such a simple name? Such a simple description? Couldn''t they say a few more words?


    The price wasn''t high, especiallypared to the Seed of Unknown he had obtained before. This item felt like a free gift.


    However, when it mentioned "newly hatched Pok��mon or Pok��mon Eggs," Yuga could only think of the Pok��mon Egg given to him by Melotic.


    Since it was a gift from Melotic, it was likely something extraordinary. And now, it seemed that the system also hoped it would hatch soon, as it had sent him this valuable purple item.


    As usual, the system seemed to provide rewards that Yuga could actually use, whether they were high or low level items. This was something he always foundforting.


    The Pok��mon Egg from Melotic felt special to Yuga. He could sense that there was a live Pok��mon inside, but there were no signs of it hatching.


    After spending 660,000 to purchase the Essence Liquid, Yuga turned his attention to the indigo item.

 Chapter 914: Proposal

    <h4>Chapter 914: Proposal</h4>


    The Indigo item turned out to be something unexpected for Yuga, a green crystal with leaf patterns in the center - Grassium Z.


    ...


    [ Grassium Z ]


    [ Description: The crystallization of Z-Power, it upgrades Grass-type moves to Z-Moves. ]


    [ Price: 1.11 million. ]


    ...


    "Hey hey... this doesn''t seem right, does it? The more precious and rare purple items are priced at only 660,000, so why is this lower-tier Indigo item priced at 1.11 million? Do you think you can trick me and extort me?" Yuga couldn''t help butin to the system after examining the contents of the blue box.


    System: [ Does the host find 1.11 million for a Z-Crystal too expensive? ]


    "Well... not exactly."


    In the Pok��mon world, this price was not only reasonable but also quite affordable.


    System: [ That''s right, then. Does the host have any other objections? ]


    Yuga: "But..."


    System: [ The host should have been informed in advance about the pricing rules in the system store. Most items are priced based on the Pok��mon world''s valuation standards. For example, this Z-Crystal would likely cost much more in the real world, but strictly speaking, 1.11 million is still a feasible price. The system sets its prices based on the lowest real-world cost, which is advantageous for the host. Some items unique to the system, like Essence Liquid and the Seed of Unknown, have prices determined by the system itself. However, the host should be aware that in the real world, these prices would likely be many times higher, providing even greater advantages. ]


    "Erm..."


    Yuga was momentarily speechless.


    System: [ The host''s current behavior can be described as ''getting a good deal and ying hard to get.'' ]


    (_) I understand, I''m just ying hard to get.


    () "Well... having just one Z-Crystal without the corresponding Z-Ring doesn''t seem very useful."


    [ That''s the host''s own bussiness. ]


    In the end, Yuga spent 1.11 million to purchase the Grassium Z-Crystal. He reasoned that if he didn''t buy it now, he might nevere across it again, and finding a Z-Ring was a matter of fate.


    As the system mentioned, he was getting a great deal, so there wasn''t much toin about. Sometimes, money was the easiest thing to acquire, while treasures were elusive.


    After cing the acquired Z-Crystal into his system backpack, Yuga also took out the Pok��mon Egg given to him by Milotic.


    Compared to when he put it in, the Pok��mon Egg hadn''t shown any changes, and there were no signs of it hatching.


    If it weren''t for Yuga''s special ability to sense a small life inside, an ordinary person might have suspected it to be a dead egg.


    From the outside, this Pok��mon Egg indeed appeared lifeless. Its sheen and appearance differed greatly from the vibrant, easily hatched Pok��mon Eggs. Typically, fresh Pok��mon Eggs looked bright, and even dark-patterned ones seemed rtively vibrant.


    Yuga couldn''t help but feel that this Pok��mon Egg from Milotic was special. He sensed the presence of a living creature inside, but it seemed to be in a deep slumber, resisting hatching for some reason.


    But the color of this Pok��mon Egg, despite being mainly white and light blue, still appeared dim and lifeless.


    After taking out the Pok��mon Egg, Yuga also retrieved the Essence Liquid he had just acquired.


    The Essence Liquid was a light green liquid, and ignoring its color, it felt simr to water. It was contained in a transparent bottle about the length of an adult''s forearm and as thick as two fingers.


    Looking at the quantity, this bottle of Essence Liquid seemed quite generous.


    When Yuga opened the bottle, he immediately smelled a refreshing and invigorating fragrance, making him feel as if his entire body was being rejuvenated.


    Truly, it was a purple item produced by the system, and just based on the scent, 660,000 was well worth it.


    Following the system''s instructions, Yuga dropped a droplet of Essence Liquid onto the Pok��mon Egg. A green light shed, and the liquid waspletely absorbed, leaving nothing behind.


    With each drop of Essence Liquid absorbed, Yuga could clearly feel the small creature inside the egg bing more active, and he even sensed a growing sense of closeness from it.


    It was a peculiar feeling when the little one inside shared its emotions with him. Yuga felt like he could empathize with it.


    After all the Essence Liquid was absorbed, a pale blue halo suddenly erupted from the Pok��mon Egg. Yuga, who was right next to the egg, was thrown back by the sudden burst of blue light, tumbling several times.


    While Yuga was tumbling, in an instant, the eggshell of the Pok��mon Egg turned semi-transparent, revealing a lively little creature inside, joyfully swimming around within the egg. Afterward, it returned to its original state.


    However, Yuga didn''t witness this scene.


    "Ouch. That hurt! What just happened?"


    Yuga got up from the ground, rubbed his waist, brushed off the grass from his clothes, and then looked at the Pok��mon Egg, realizing it was still lying motionless.


    "What was that blue light just now?"


    Approaching the Pok��mon Egg again, Yuga noticed that the eggshell, once white, now had a kind of crystal-like rity that it didn''t have before, no longer appearing lifeless.


    As soon as he touched the Pok��mon Egg, Yuga sensed a wave of apologetic emotionsing from the small creature inside. It was apologizing for identally knocking him over.


    "It''s okay, it''s okay. You didn''t mean to."


    Gently stroking the eggshell, Yuga spoke softly to the Pok��mon Egg.


    Then, Yuga could feel that the emotions of the creature inside the egg became joyful again, and it grew even closer to him.


    He used his Insight ability to inspect the Pok��mon Egg again, but still couldn''t discern anything.


    What kind of Pok��mon Egg was this? To have such a strong sense of self-awareness before even hatching.


    "I hope you''ll be born soon."


    Yuga whispered softly while caressing the Pok��mon Egg.


    This time, Yuga didn''t put the Pok��mon Egg back into the system backpack because it was better for it to be in the incubator for proper care and nurturing.


    So, he returned to the gym and found an incubator to ce it in.


    On the third day after arriving in Verdanturf Town, Yuga received a notification from Beidou. Astrid wanted toe challenge him.


    Yuga was surprised upon receiving the message. "She hasn''t left yet? Isn''t the League Conference about to start?"


    Beidou replied somewhat helplessly, "She said that if she couldn''t obtain the Verdant Badge from you, participating in the League Conference wouldn''t have much meaning."


    As it turned out, after Yuga left Verdanturf Town, Astrid had remained there for special training and had been waiting for Yuga''s return.


    Yuga had initially expected to return quickly, but the incident with Zapdos and the Snowpoint Peak had caused dys, leading Astrid to stay in Verdanturf Town without intending to leave.


    "I didn''t expect her to be so persistent."


    Yuga shook his head and went with Beidou to the gym.


    Because the League Conference was just over ten days away, during the days Yuga had been back, apart from Astrid, no one else hade to challenge the gym.


    In the past two days, Akihito and the others had called, hoping that Yuga woulde watch their matches during the League Conference.


    However, due to the situation with Torterra, Yuga had to decline.


    Although Torterra was fine now, Yuga still didn''t n to go. Saying he would go one day and then not showing up the next would not befit his role as the gym leader.


    When Yuga arrived at the gym, Astrid was already standing in the battle arena. She didn''t seem worried at all about the uing League Conference.


    Yuga wondered why she hade all the way from Kalos to Hoenn and what her intentions were.


    Once the challenge began, Yuga noticed that Astrid had indeed taken his previous words to heart. This time, she didn''t use Absol.


    Instead, she consecutively used Pyroar, Meowstic, and a Fire-type Pok��mon he hadn''t seen before, Delphox.


    Thinking about it, she gained a lot during the special training in Verdanturf Town. Her Pyroar and Meowstic had clearly improved since theirst encounter. It was a rtively an easy victory for her.


    When Yuga handed the Verdant Badge to Astrid, he said: "This should be yourst badge. Now, hurry to Lilycove City. You still need a few days to prepare."


    Each region''s League Conference was held in different cities, and the locations were not fixed. Usually, cities with well-established facilities like Petalburg City, teport City, Lilycove City, and Fortree City were selected.


    Small towns like Verdanturf Town and Lavaridge Town never had the opportunity to host such events.


    Astrid took the badge and ced it in her badge case. She thanked Yuga and hastily left. It seemed that she didn''t really want to miss the League Conference after all.


    When Yuga returned to the store, he found Barcas chatting with Suzuki Koen inside. With a hint of intuition, he knew why Barcas hade.


    "Boss, you''re back?"


    Yuga nodded and said, "Are you here about resigning?"


    Barcas nodded, saying, "Yes, I was wondering if you''ve found a new owner for the store."


    Yuga sighed and replied, "I haven''t found one yet. To be precise, I''ve been too busy recently and haven''t had the time to look. Have you found a new job?"


    Barcas nodded again, "I found one just a couple of days ago."


    Yuga sighed and said, "Well, I can''t keep holding you back then."


    Yuga wasn''t particrly surprised that Barcas had found a new job so quickly. He knew that Barcas was a talented individual and would be in demand anywhere he went.


    Barcas apologized, saying, "I''m sorry, boss."


    Yuga waved his hand dismissively and said, "It''s not your fault. You don''t need to apologize. It''s my own fault for not nning properly. Besides, you have a family to support, and it wouldn''t be fair to keep dying you."


    After Barcas left, Yuga sighed again. He still had no idea who the new store manager would be, and it was starting to weigh on him.


    In recent days, with the League Conference about to start, foot traffic in Verdanturf Town had decreased significantly. Consequently, the upancy rate at the Pok��mon Paradise Hotel had also dropped.


    While not having a store manager during this period was somewhat manageable, the League Conference would onlyst a few days.


    Soon, Verdanturf Town would return to normal, and without a store manager, the Pok��mon Paradise Hotel would be overwhelmed, even with the help of Strawberry and other Pok��mon.


    "Boss, are you thinking about the new store manager?" Suzuki Koen asked when he noticed Yuga''s worried expression.


    Yuga nodded, saying, "Yes. Finding the right candidate isn''t easy."


    Suzuki Koen suggested, "I have an idea, but I''m not sure if I should mention it."


    Surprised, Yuga looked at Suzuki Koen and said, "Oh? Please, go ahead and share your idea."


    Suzuki Koen hesitated before saying, "What do you think about having your uncle as the new store manager?"


    Yuga''s eyes widened in surprise as he asked, "Uncle? You mean my uncle? Luna''s father?"


    Suzuki Koen was slightly bemused by Yuga''s barrage of questions. "Yes, that''s the one. Do you have other uncles?"


    Shaking his head, Yuga replied, "No, I only have one aunt, so naturally, I only have one uncle."


    Suzuki Koen chuckled and said, "Then that''s the one."


    Yuga felt somewhat awkward and said, "Why did you think of suggesting my uncle? He has a good job, and his sry is even higher than what he would get as the manager here. Having hime here as the manager would be a bit..."


    Yuga was well aware of his uncle''s situation. Although he wasn''t a high-profile figure, he had a good reputation in the small town of Verdanturf. He was known for being sociable and reliable.


    When Yuga had decided to build the Ecological Park, his uncle had helped him find a suitable and trustworthy construction team. Not all constructionpanies were qualified to build such a specialized facility that required advanced technology.


    Yuga''s uncle worked for a rtively smallpany, but he was in a managerial position and had good connections in the town. So, it wasn''t surprising that Suzuki Koen would suggest him.


    As for why Suzuki Koen mentioned his Uncle, she wasn''t particrly familiar with him personally. However, she was acquainted with his Uncle''s wife, Yuga''s Aunt Hisako


    Aunt Hisako had joined Yuga''s YoYo Day Care and be a colleague of Suzuki Koen.


    They had gradually be friends, as they were close in age and both women. From Aunt Hisako, Suzuki Koen asionally heard bits and pieces of information about his Uncle.


    Beforeing to Verdanturf Town, Suzuki Koen had run a business with herte husband, so she had a sense of his Uncle''s capabilities based on what Aunt Hisako had mentioned. That''s why she thought of suggesting him when Yuga was facing this dilemma.


    Seeing Yuga''s dilemma, Suzuki Koen smiled and said, "Regardless of whether it works out or not, why don''t you go ask him? You won''t lose anything by trying."


    Yuga hesitated and replied, "But..."


    Suzuki Koen encouraged him, saying, "Just go ask. Who knows, it might work out."


    Curious about Suzuki Koen''s mysterious expression, Yuga asked, "Do you know something I don''t?"


    Suzuki Koen shook her head and said, "It''s not really insider information. I''ve just heard a few things from your aunt. I can''t say for sure, but you''ll find out the result when you ask."


    Yuga remained skeptical and said, "Alright, I''ll ask when my uncle returns."


    As Yuga pondered the possible reasons behind his uncle''s interest in the position during his absence, he headed into the store.

 Chapter 915: Seeking Assistance

    <h4>Chapter 915: Seeking Assistance</h4>


    When it was time for Yuga''s uncle''s to get off work, he paid a visit to his uncle''s home.


    He went with his aunt, who had also finished work, and on the way, he revealed his idea for his uncle to be the hotel manager.


    His aunt advised Yuga to discuss it with his uncle directly, mentioning that there was a good chance he would agree and provided the reason.


    It turned out that there had been a change in management at his uncle''spany.


    Initially, Yuga thought his uncle was facing work-rted issues, but it was more of a personal preference matter.


    His uncle worked at a rtively smallpany, which was a subsidiary of arger corporation. Recently, the old boss of the subsidiary had left abruptly, and the headquarters had sent a new boss.


    The previous boss had been with thepany for many years and had a good rtionship with Yuga''s uncle. However, the departure had been sudden, and the employees hadn''t received any information, raising suspicions.


    Despite being ordinary employees, Yuga''s uncle and his colleagues had no control over upper management decisions and had to ept them silently.


    The new boss, unfortunately, didn''t seempetent in Yuga''s uncle''s eyes.


    The new boss was quite young, in his early twenties, and made decisions based on personal preferences rather than considering thepany''s interests or the bigger picture. Working under such a boss had been frustrating for Yuga''s uncle, to the point where he was considering changing jobs.


    Yuga and his aunt arrived home before his uncle. When his uncle entered, he was surprised to see Yuga there.


    His uncle asked, "Yuga, what brings you here today?"


    Yuga couldn''t me his uncle for being surprised; in truth, he hadn''t visited his aunt and uncle''s home much since his aunt had started working at his ce.


    She had been eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Yuga''s YoYo Day Care, leaving little reason for her to return home. This had led to his uncle asionally joining them for meals at Yuga''s ce.


    Besides, Yuga couldn''t help but acknowledge that his aunt''s culinary skills were not on par with Aunt Aoba and Audino.


    With the family''s main members rarely returning home, Yuga had fewer reasons to visit.


    Yuga replied with slight embarrassment, "I have something I''d like to discuss with you, Uncle."


    His uncle''s surprise deepened. "Discuss something with me?" Since Yuga had be the Verdanturf Town Gym Leader, there were fewer ways in which his uncle could assist him. Hearing this request was unexpected.


    Yuga exined, "It''s like this..." and proceeded to tell his uncle about Barcas''s resignation and his desire to hire his uncle as the hotel manager.


    Initially, Yuga thought his uncle would need some time to consider, but to his surprise, his uncle agreed on the spot.


    Seeing Yuga''s astonished expression, his uncle chuckled and said, "What''s the matter? Didn''t expect me to agree so readily?"


    Yuga nodded. After all, his Pok��mon Paradise Hotel was not a big hotel, and the sry he could offer was far less than what his uncle used to earn.


    His uncle sighed and said, "If you had told me about this yesterday, I would have needed some time to think it over."


    Yuga asked, "So, you changed your mind today?"


    Before Yuga could finish his question, his uncle exined the reason on his own.


    It turned out that today, his uncle had gone out with the new boss of hispany for a business meeting.


    The person responsible for the otherpany in this business deal was an attractive woman, and Yuga''s uncle''s new boss had been quite infatuated.


    During the negotiation, he had shown little concern for his ownpany''s interests, blindly agreeing with whatever the woman said, almost giving away thepany.


    His uncle had observed all of this.


    During the time the new boss had been at thepany, his uncle had learned enough about him. He was essentially a rich second-generation individual who had caused trouble at home and hade to Verdanturf Town toy low.


    There was no future in following such a boss!


    Although Yuga''s sry was a bit lower here, it was peaceful and free of headaches.


    Moreover, his uncle had high hopes for Yuga''s Pok��mon Paradise Hotel, seeing it as unique and with great potential. If it could be developed properly, it would offer more prospects than his previous job.


    So, when Yuga had proposed hiring him as the hotel manager, his uncle had agreed without much hesitation.


    With his uncle getting such a favorable result, Yuga was in a great mood as he hummed a tune on his way back home.


    Not long after, his uncle handed in his resignation at his formerpany and immediately took up the position of hotel manager at Yuga''s Pok��mon Paradise Hotel.


    His uncle was a very motivated person. After arriving at the Pok��mon Paradise Hotel, he not only managed the hotel efficiently but also organized and nned many other facilities within the park, making the entire park more organized.


    It had to be said that hiring his uncle as the hotel manager was a great deal. He did the work of several people on his own.


    Time passed quickly, and more than ten days had gone by. The Hoenn League Conference finally started. Yuga didn''t attend the live matches but watched them on TV.


    Overall, the level of this Hoenn League Conference was not particrly high. In Yuga''s opinion, only one person, Astrid, had the potential to win the championship. Arata Sena and Akihito were slightly behind.


    With Astrid''s skills, if ced in the samepetition as the one with Cynthia, she wouldn''t even have made it to the top three. Of course, part of the reason was the exceptionally Cynthia''s high level.


    As expected, Astrid eventually won the championship, with Arata Sena and Akihito taking the second and third ces, respectively.


    After thepetition, neither Arata Sena nor Akihito rushed back to Verdanturf Town. Instead, they called and said they would continue their training outside. Yuga didn''t interfere, letting them make their own decisions.


    In the following days, apart from focusing on training with Rowlet and Snover, Yuga spent most of his time taking care of his Pok��mon Egg.


    After using the essence fluid, the vitality of the Pok��mon Egg had indeed been increasing. Sometimes, the little creature inside could even engage in simplemunication with Yuga using its consciousness. However, the Pok��mon Egg itself still showed no sign of hatching.


    One day, as Yugae out from the Ecopark with his Pok��mon Egg, he was informed by Suzuki Koen that people from the Ancient nt Research Institute wanted to visit him.


    "People from the Ancient nt Research Institute?" Yuga was somewhat surprised.


    He did recall that there was an Ancient nt Research Institute on the outskirts of Verdanturf Town. It was a research institution dedicated to the study and revival of ancient nts. However, he had never had any interaction with them, so he was unsure why they wereing to see him.


    Suzuki Koen replied, "Yes, they''re from there. It seems they have a Scientist from the institute waiting in the reception room."


    Yuga nodded and said, "You can go about your business. I''ll go see them."


    The visitor was a man in his early to mid-thirties, approaching forty, and he was indeed a nt Scientist from the Ancient nt Research Institute.


    He warmly greeted Yuga as soon as he saw him, "Hello Gym Leader Shimizu, I am Haruta. I''ve been wanting to visit a Gym Trainer from Verdanturf Town for a long time, but I''ve been busy. It seems Gym Leader Shimizu is truly outstanding."


    Yuga humbly replied, "You''re too kind."


    The nt Scientist had a young researcher apanying him, who wore ck-framed sses, had long hair covering half of his face, and appeared somewhat introverted.


    Yuga asked, "And who is this?"


    Professor Haruta smiled and introduced him, "Oh, I almost forgot to introduce him. This is my student and assistant, Furuta. He''s a bit shy, so please don''t mind."


    Yuga shook his head to indicate that he didn''t mind.


    "Hello, Gym Leader Shimizu," Furuta greeted quietly, then retreated back behind Professor Haruta. He indeed seemed introverted.


    Noticing that Yuga had been ncing at Furuta, Professor Haruta curiously asked, "Gym Leader Shimizu, is there something wrong with my student?"


    Yuga shook his head and said, "Oh, no, not at all. I was just thinking that I''ve seen Mr. Furuta somewhere before, but I couldn''t quite ce it."


    Professor Haruta suddenly realized and pped his forehead, "Ah, I see. Mr. Furuta participated in the Spring Festival held in Verdanturf Town before. Gym Leader Shimizu, did you happen to see him back then?"


    Apart from that event, Furuta hadn''t left the research institute''s premises, as he was quite the introverted researcher. However, he did have a natural talent for botany, which was why the Scientist had taken him as his apprentice.


    "Yes... yes, that''s right, i''ve participated," Furuta softly added from behind Professor Haruta.


    Upon their exnation, Yuga remembered where he had seen Furuta before - he was the champion of the Grass-type Pok��mon farming contest at the Verdanturf Spring Festival.


    Yuga then inquired about the reason for their visit.


    Professor Haruta exined, "You see, we''ve heard that Gym Leader Shimizu possesses a Cradily, and we were hoping to borrow it for our research at the institute."


    Yuga wasn''t surprised that people from the Ancient nt Research Institute knew about his Cradily. He had used it openly during Gym battles, and such information would naturally spread.


    Yuga asked, "I''d like to know why you need to borrow my Cradily. If there''s any risk to its well-being, I won''t lend it to you."


    Professor Haruta assured, "There won''t be any harm to the Cradily. We simply want it to cooperate with our research."


    Yuga pressed further, "May I ask what kind of research you''re conducting?"


    Professor Haruta hesitated, "Well..."


    Yuga insisted, "Can''t you tell me?"


    Professor Haruta relented, "Alright, I suppose I can share some information."


    It turned out that the Ancient nt Research Institute was one of the research projects funded by Devon Corporation.


    Over the years, Devon Corporation had been actively involved in studying the revival of Fossil Pok��mon.


    The Ancient nt Research Institute was a subsidiary project focused on reviving ancient nts.


    In fact, Devon Corporation had made significant progress on fossil Pok��mon revival but still faced various challenges.


    To address some of these challenges, they decided to explore a different avenue by initially reviving ancient nts. That''s why they had invested in several Ancient nt Research Institutes, with the one in Verdanturf being one of them.


    Professor Haruta exined, "So, we aim to find opportunities for advancing our research by studying your Cradily."


    After hearing Professor Haruta''s exnation, Yuga pondered for a moment and then said, "I''m willing to lend you my Cradily, but I''d like to visit your research institute."


    This request seemed to make Professor Haruta ufortable.


    Yuga asked, "Is that not possible?"


    In order to continue their research, Professor Haruta reluctantly agreed, "Fine, you can visit."


    Yuga smiled and said, "Great, I''ll bring my Cradily when Ie."


    Professor Haruta replied, "Then we''ll eagerly await Gym Leader Shimizu''s visit to our research institute."

 Chapter 916: Wealthy

    <h4>Chapter 916: Wealthy</h4>


    On the second day after Professor Haruta''s visit, Yuga went to the Ancient nt Research Institute to confirm the authenticity of what Professor Haruta had told him. Only then did he entrust his Cradily to him.


    In the following days, Yuga enjoyed a rxed routine. Besides training his Pok��mon, he helped out at his hotel and asionally epted challenges at his Gym.


    Time passed swiftly��one month, two months, three months��summer turned into autumn, and autumn transitioned into winter. The first snowfall arrived in Verdanturf Town.


    As usual, Verdanturf Town didn''t experience heavy snowfall; even when it did snow, it was the kind that quickly melted, leaving the streets wet.


    During this time, Yuga managed to draw two purple items from the system store, but both turned out to be the same thing: essence fluid.


    At first, Yuga thought his luck had turned around, but he soon realized that it was due to the Pok��mon Egg. The system seemed to want the Pok��mon Egg to hatch safely.


    The system told Yuga that this Pok��mon Egg has been born for over fifty years, but it has never been able to hatch. Without the system''s unique essence fluid, the Egg would have been doomed.


    After using three bottles of essence fluid, the Pok��mon Egg showed a burst of vitality stronger than any Yuga had seen before. This further confirmed the exceptional nature of the little creature inside.


    During this time, the Deino in the Ecopark finally evolved into a Zweilous, and the Shelgon showed signs of evolving into a Smence. The resource Yuga''s had invested in them had paid off.


    The Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark task had been pending for a long time due to the slow growth of the Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon.


    Even the Noibat that hatched from an egg had evolved into a Noivern, not long after the Zweilous evolution.


    In addition to the Noivern, several of Yuga''ster caught Horsea had evolved into their final forms.


    Yuga''s Ecopark had quite a few Dragon-type Pok��mon, so there was no shortage of Dragon Scales, which were necessary for evolving Seadra into Kingdra.


    Thanks to these Kingdra, Yuga obtained the form for a Universal Pok��block for Dragon-type Pok��mon from the system and named it Dragon Bone. Which It had recently been added to the store.


    Initially, Yuga thought that with Kingdra, he couldplete the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark task in ce of Zweilous or Shelgon.


    However, the system informed him that this was not possible because the task had already been initiated when the Horsea entered the Ecopark. To prevent Yuga from taking shortcuts, he had to evolve both Zweilous and Shelgon to their final forms to fulfill the Dragon''s Den task.


    However, what pleased Yuga the most was the progress made by Gengar and Mismagius in the Distortion World.


    Gengar and Mismagius used the Reversal Mirror to enter the Distortion World, confirming its safety, and Yugafortably let his Pok��mon train there.


    Since only five slots were avable each time and only Ghost, Dark, Poison, and Dragon-types were allowed, Yuga chose Gengar, Mismagius, Absol, Roserade, and Dragonite.


    As expected from what Giratina had mentioned, the Distortion World was indeed ideal for training Ghost, Dark, Poison, and Dragon-types.


    After training for a while, the aura surrounding the Elite level Gengar, Mismagius, Absol, and Dragonite grew stronger, even Roserade, who was at the peak of the Pseudo-Elite level, showed signs of advancing to the Elite level.


    However, there was a small downside to practicing in the Distortion World. The Distortion Mirror could only be opened once every three months, and the Pok��mon training there would be forcibly returned by Giratina every month.


    In other words, there was a two-month gap during which the Pok��mon could not enter the Distortion World.


    However, the opportunity to train in the Distortion World was already something that others could only dream of, so this small drawback wasn''t a big concern.


    After the Pok��mon returned from their third trip to the Distortion World, they brought Yuga a massive surprise��they had discovered a Ghost Gem mine and returned with arge quantity of Ghost Gems.


    Yuga was nearly knocked over by this tremendous surprise; happiness hade so suddenly.


    The Distortion World truly seemed like an unexplored treasure trove.


    In the Pok��mon world, private ownership of Gem mines was not allowed. But in the Distortion World, who would know? If nobody knew, then it was all Yuga''s.


    How much was a Gem mine worth? Yuga felt like he could lie in a pile of money and never count it all.


    However, Gengarter informed Yuga that they had discovered the Ghost Gem mine along with Cynthia''s Pok��mon, Spiritomb, so they couldn''t im it exclusively.


    They had encountered Cynthia''s Pok��mon, who had also trained in the Distortion World in the past, shortly after entering the Distortion World.


    Sometimes, they would explore the Distortion World together. The discovery of the Ghost Gem mine had urred during one of these joint explorations.


    Yuga then contacted Cynthia, and they quickly reached an agreement to share the Ghost Gem mine.


    Yuga knew he couldn''t use up all these Ghost Gems himself, so he would asionally make some discreet transactions.


    Gems were rarely traded openly; most transactions urred in private. The Pok��mon League didn''t interfere in such matters, allowing Yuga to earn a considerable amount of money through these deals. His biggest client was Elitr Four Phoebe.


    Yuga''s modest transactions involving Ghost Gems didn''t draw much attention, and he didn''t mind if some people did take notice.


    Those who had the intention to investigate were blocked by Mr. Kuni''o, and nobody dared to offend him. As for those with mischievous intentions, Yuga could handle them effortlessly.


    He had gained both status and influence now, making him quite impervious to the average troublemakers.


    Previously, Yuga being Mr. Kuni''o''s disciple was a semi-public secret, but as Yuga became more famous, this secret was no longer much of a secret. Most informed individuals were aware of it.


    However, the discovery of the Ghost Gem mine was not the most significant news. Recently, when Gengar and Mismagius returned, they brought Yuga another piece of good news��they had found another Dark Gem mine.


    This Dark Gem mine was discovered solely by Gengar and hispanions, meaning it all belonged to Yuga, and he didn''t need to split it with Cynthia.


    With this one and half of an attribute Gem mine, Yuga truly became incredibly wealthy. He no longer had to worry about money and had reached the pinnacle of his life.


    Even if the Pok��mon League were to investigate the origin of these attribute Gems in the future, he had nothing to worry about. Items from the Distortion World fell outside the jurisdiction of the League.


    Moreover, he had no intention of casually revealing that he possessed arge quantity of attribute Gems. Just because he didn''t mind trouble didn''t mean he liked it.

 Chapter 917: Visit

    <h4>Chapter 917: Visit</h4>


    As Yuga''s finances improved, he decided to invest his money in renovate his new store and the Pok��mon Paradise. He believed that money should be put to work to generate more money and had little use sitting idle.


    The interior of the new store became more luxurious and well-equipped, and he even ordered a potential testing device to be ced in the store, allowing customers to check the potentials of Pok��mon and Pok��mon Eggs at any time.


    His uncle was responsible for the renovation of the Pok��mon Paradise. Under his management, the different areas of the Pok��mon Paradise became more organized, and the environment became cleaner and more orderly.


    For instance, the living area for stray Pok��mon, which used to be rtively messy, now had dedicated Pok��mon for management.


    The final resting ce for the Pok��Ride, Tauros, was also located within the Pok��mon Paradise, and his uncle also would keep a his eye on their work.


    Additionally, the Pok��mon Paradise''s hotel and restaurant were also renovated, and more Pok��mon employees were assigned to these two ces. This led to an increase in positive reviews from customers.


    In summary, his uncle was quite dedicated and aimed to expand and strengthen the Pok��mon Paradise in Verdanturf Town.


    With Yuga''s newfound financialfort, he took on the role of a hands-off manager. Seeing his uncle''s hard work, Yuga appointed him as the general manager of the Pok��mon Paradise. He continued to pay his uncle a sry and gave him 15% of the Pok��mon Paradise''s ie.


    As the Pok��mon Paradise''s ie grew, his uncle became busier. Recently, Yuga even hired two assistants for his uncle, and the development of the Pok��mon Paradise had be rtively stable.


    One morning, after leaving the Ecopark, Yuga noticed that the front of his old store was wet due to the morning snow. He picked up a broom and, alongside Wigglytuff, swept the water to the side to prevent pedestrians and customers from slipping.


    Because it was still early, there weren''t many people on the road. As Yuga and Wigglytuff were finishing up their sweeping, they suddenly heard someone calling his name. When he looked up, he was surprised to see Robert and Wace walking towards him.


    Since they hadn''t seen each other in a long time, Robert approached Yuga with excitement, greeted him warmly, and even gave him a tight hug. Wace, who wasn''t as familiar with Yuga, simply nodded in acknowledgment.


    "Why are you two here so early?" Yuga asked curiously. It was an unusual time for a visit.


    Robert smiled and said, "Of course, we''re here for a reason. We had breakfast at your restaurant in town already. You just came out; running a business like you do, beingzy isn''t an option!"


    Robert and Wace had arrived in Verdanturf Town the previous night and were surprised to wake up to the town''s first snowfall of the season.


    "We came specifically to find you in Verdanturf Town?" Yuga asked with a hint of curiosity. It seemed like they had a particr purpose for making this trip.


    "Let''s go inside first," Wace interjected. "Yes, let''s go inside; it''s a bit cold out here," Robert agreed, adjusting his cor and exhaling a long breath.


    Yuga nodded and then turned to Wigglytuff beside him, saying, "Wigglytuff, there''s just a little bit left. I''ll leave it to you."


    "Wigglytuff."


    Don''t worry, you go about your business.


    Wigglytuff responded and continued to sweep away the remaining water.


    Once inside the house, Yuga led the two visitors into the reception room and called out loudly to Audino, who was busy wiping the counter, "Audino, we have guests. Please make two cups of tea for us!"


    "Audino!"


    Audino acknowledged from a distance, then put down the cloth in her hand and went into the kitchen.


    After entering the reception room, Yuga invited the two to sit down and asked, "So, why have youe to discuss something with me so early in the morning?"


    Robert was about to speak but was stopped by Wace with a look. Then, Wace cleared his throat and said, "I mentioned discussing something, but it''s more like I have a trade proposal I''d like to discuss with you."


    "A trade?" Yuga raised an eyebrow.


    "Is it on behalf of the Sootopolis Gym, or is it a personal matter?"


    Wace shook his head. "It''s not on behalf of the Sootopolis Gym. It''s a personal matter."


    Yuga asked, "Oh? Tell me more."


    Sootopolis Gym had a long-standing and good working rtionship with YoYo Day Care. Wace, as the current Gym Leader of Sootopolis Gym, approaching Yuga personally for a trade piqued Yuga''s curiosity.


    Wace continued, "You''re aware that the new Elite Four Conference is just six months away, right?"


    Yuga nodded; he was indeed aware of this.


    The Elite Four Conference was held every four years andsted for six months. Unless there were exceptional circumstances, the new Elite Four and Champion of the Pok��mon League would be decided through thispetition.


    It was an important event, and Yuga knew that Cynthia had expressed her intention to participate in the Elite Four Conference.


    However, each region''s Elite Four Conference was separate from the others, so even if Cynthia wanted to participate, she wouldn''tpete in Hoenn region.


    Not just anyone could enter the Elite Four Conference. Besides the previous Champion and Elite Four members who had direct qualifications for the final Elite Four Conference, others needed to meet various conditions.


    Of course, one of the hard requirements was strength. If you weren''t at the Elite level, entering was pointless.


    Within the League, there was an official ranking of the strength of the Elite Four members who participated in the Elite Four Conference, based on their performance in previous Conferences.


    Hence, it was also called the Elite Four Ranking Conference.


    After each Elite Four Conference, the trainers on the ranking list who didn''t secure a position as the new Champion or Elite Four member were referred to as "Elite Four Reserve" trainers.


    To Yuga''s knowledge, Mr. Norman was one such Elite Four Reserve trainer, and his ranking was quite high. It seemed that after cia became the new Elite Four, Mr. Norman had the highest ranking in Hoenn region.


    To be one of the Pok��mon League''s Elite Four or even the Champion, you have to climb the ranks step by step in the Elite Four Conference, constantly improving your ranking until you reach the final showdown with the Elite Four and the Champion.


    Win, and you be the new Elite Four; lose, and you be an Elite Four Reserve.


    Elite Four Reserve trainers do have a chance to rise through the ranks, although the probability is quite low. In Hoenn region, for example, the current Ice-type Elite Four, cia, was once a Elite Four Reserve who advanced.


    cia seeded became Elite Four shortly after Phoebe.


    The previous Elite Four stepped down for unknown reasons and disappeared from the scene.


    Therefore, without the follow-up Elite Four Conference, the new Elite Four were reced by cia, who had the highest ranking on Elite Four Ranking Reserve..


    This rare urrence has only happened a few times over the years, with cia being the most recent example.


    Each Elite Four Conference sees significant changes in the rankings for Elite Four Reserve trainers. The gap in strength between Elite Four members and Elite Four Reserve trainers is considerable. The lowest-ranked Elite Four Reserve trainer typically has only one Elite level Pok��mon, while the highest-ranked may have more than six.


    However, there are exceptions, and every four years, the rankings can shift dramatically. The Elite Four Conference is a challengingpetition, and even the highest-ranked Elite Four Reserve trainer can be overtaken by someone with a lower ranking.


    Trainers like Yuga, who are considered Elite level but have never participated in a Elite Four Conference, don''t appear on the rankings because they haven''t taken part.


    "Steven, will strive for a ce among the Elite Four or even the Champion in this year of the Elite Four Conference," Wace reiterated.


    Yuga wasn''t surprised by this. Steven, especially with his Mega Metagross, had reached the level of a Champion level trainer.


    The Elite Four required at least six Elite level Pok��mon, but to be the Champion, you only needed one Champion level Pok��mon. In fact, you could be the Champion without any Champion level Pok��mon if you could defeat the four Elite Four members consecutively.


    Steven had the strength to achieve this now.


    "But how does Steven''s challenge for the Champion position rte to the trade you mentioned?" Yuga asked, still puzzled.


    Wace sighed and said, "Bing the League Champion isn''t as simple as you might think. The League''s various factions areplex, and the Steven family is rtively weak within the League."


    While the Devon Corporation was sessful and wealthy, their influence within the League was somewhat limited. They were considered neerspared to the older factions and didn''t have as much sway.


    In contrast, Cynthia had an advantage in this regard. The Temple n was thergest faction within the Pok��mon League, making her path to bing Champion much smoother, provided her strength matched the position.


    Wace continued, "In case Steven seeds this time butcks sufficient support, he would face significant constraints in his role as Champion."


    Bing the League Champion wasn''t easy. It was a crucial position with immense power, and even if you won the Elite Four Conference based on your strength, securing and maintaining that position was no simple task.


    Yuga asked, "So you want me to support Steven?"


    Wace nodded.


    Yuga continued, "Do you think I have the authority to support Steven?"


    Wace replied, "Mr. Kunio does."


    Yuga fell silent at this response. Indeed, if he had his master''s support, no one would dare to oppose the new Champion. His master was like Guardian of Hoenn region, ensuring that the Hoenn region''spetitive edge will never fall behind against other regions.


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t make decisions on behalf of my master," Yuga finally spoke after a moment of thought.


    This was a significant matter that could potentially involve power struggles within the League. While his master was a Master level Trainer, he is not young after all.


    Wace replied, "You don''t have to refuse right away. I''m not asking you to give an answer on behalf of Mr. Kunio. I just hope you can act as an intermediary and convey our request to him. In return, if Mr. Kunio agrees, Devon Corporation will fully support the development of Verdanturf Town, pushing it towards the scale of a major city."


    Wace continued, "You should know that Devon Corporation has the resources to support the rise of a city, and with Steven bing the Champion, the development of Verdanturf Town will also receive policy support."


    Yuga couldn''t help but be impressed by the grand visionid out by Devon Corporation.


    Pushing Verdanturf Town towards the scale of a major city! Only Devon Corporation in all of Hoenn region had the audacity to make such a im.


    If Steven truly became Champion, with Devon''s financial strength and the authority of the Champion, Wace''s promises were not empty words.


    However, if Yuga agreed to Wace''s conditions, he and Devon Corporation would be partners, with shared interests and risks.


    Yet, Yuga couldn''t deny that he was tempted.


    Indeed, when the stakes were high enough, there seemed to be no deal that couldn''t be struck in this world.


    Yuga reluctantly said, "Alright, I agree."


    Wace smiled and said, "I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation."


    Yuga couldn''t help but be curious about Wace''s intentions. He asked, "Since you''re asking us to support Steven, shouldn''t the one negotiating conditions be Steven, not you?"


    Were their rtionships really this close? Could such a critical matter be entrusted so easily, not to mention the substantial promise from Devon Corporation?


    Wace smiled and exined, "I have my reasons for being here. To give you some confidence, apart from the trade I just mentioned, I also n to offer you some sweeteners."


    Yuga inquired, "Sweeteners? What do you mean?"


    Wace proposed, "You''ve probably heard of my Wace Cup, haven''t you? How about I host next year''s Wace Cup in Verdanturf Town?"


    Wace was a prominent figure in the Pok��mon Contest, holding a position equivalent to the League Champion within the Pok��mon Contest''s official circles. His Wace Cup was the Pok��mon Contest''s biggest event aside from the major Grand Festivals..


    Moreover, thispetition was not limited to just the Hoenn region; Coordinators from the entire Pok��mon world could participate.


    The ribbons and medals earned in the Wace Cup were recognized in any major Pok��mon Contest Grand Festival symbolizing a prestigious achievement.


    Wace''s influence within the Pok��mon Contest was truly significant.


    Yuga questioned, "Are you serious?"


    If such a grand event were hosted in Verdanturf Town, the influx of visitors and its impact on the town''s economic development would be tremendous.


    Wace responded, "I''ve said it''s a sweetener for you. Do you think I''m not serious?"


    Yuga furrowed his brow, saying, "You should know that, with Verdanturf Town''s current conditions, it''s not capable of hosting such arge-scalepetition."


    Verdanturf Town used to be one of the fixed locations for the Pok��mon Contest, but even with its previous Pok��mon Contest venue, it couldn''t amodate arger event like the Wace Cup. Not to mention that the current venue was too small to even seat the spectators who came to watch.


    Wace smiled slightly, confident as ever. "Since I''ve proposed it, rest assured I have a n in mind. You don''t need to worry about that."


    Upon reflection, Yuga realized that Wace was negotiating on behalf of Devon Corporation and himself. For apany as financially robust as Devon, this small matter wasn''t difficult to handle.


    "Well, I have to admit, your offer has impressed me," Yuga admitted.


    Wace responded, "Investment indeed requires some upfront costs, but isn''t it worth it?"


    Yuga acknowledged, "Indeed."


    The Wace Cup was scheduled for spring next year. With Verdanturf Town already in winter, time was limited. They needed to make all the preparations for hosting this majorpetition before spring arrived.

 Chapter 918: Filler

    <h4>Chapter 918: Filler</h4>


    After Wace and Robert left, Yuga immediately called his master, Mr. Kuni''o, and ryed Wace''s words exactly, without adding any embellishments or attempting to benefit himself from the situation. He hoped that his master would use his own judgment to decide on this matter.


    Yuga was willing to act as the intermediary because, aside from being tempted by the conditions proposed by Devon Corporation, he genuinely believed that Steven was a good person and that making him the Champion was a good choice.


    Mr. Kuni''o, after hearing Yuga''s recounting, didn''t make an immediate decision. Instead, he told Yuga that he would provide an answer in three days.


    Yuga understood that his master intended to use these three days to investigate Steven and determine whether he was worth supporting. With Mr. Kuni''o''s connections and capabilities, three days were sufficient to thoroughly understand Steven''s history of more than twenty years.


    When the three days passed, Yuga received a call from his master on schedule. He was informed that Mr. Kuni''o would support Steven and instructed Yuga to convey this to the Devon Corporation, assuring them to prepare for the uing Elite Four Conference in six months.


    Upon receiving his master''s response, Yuga felt both relieved and somewhat guilty. He was relieved because his master''s decision aligned with his hopes, but he also felt guilty because his master, despite his age, was still concerned about Yuga''s affairs. There was no doubt that his master had his own reasons for agreeing to this.


    During these three days, Wace and Robert hadn''t left Verdanturf Town. They had been staying at the Pok��mon Paradise Hotel, eagerly awaiting Yuga''s news.


    With Yuga''s satisfactory response, Wace let out a sigh of relief and immediately started discussing the arrangements for hosting the Wace Cup next spring with Yuga. Since they had received the answer they wanted, it was time to fulfill the promises made to Yuga.


    The Elite Four Conference was scheduled to take ce in six months, but the Wace Cup in spring was just around the corner. They couldn''t afford to waste any time preparing.


    When Mayor Ishida of Verdanturf Town learned that the next Wace Cup would be held in his town, he felt like a blessing had fallen from the sky. He understood better than anyone how hosting arge-scalepetition in Verdanturf Town could bring about significant changes.


    Upon discovering that Yuga had yed a crucial role in securing this opportunity, Mayor Ishida couldn''t express his gratitude enough. It was as if he wanted to hug Yuga and call him "Dad" out of sheer appreciation.


    Thinking about it, all the changes in Verdanturf Town can be attributed to Yuga''s efforts alone.


    Wace and Yuga discussed the general framework of the Wace Cup, but the specific organizational details would require further discussions with the Pok��mon Contest''s official representatives and the sponsor, Devon Corporation.


    After Wace and Robert left Verdanturf Town, representatives from the Pok��mon Contest and Devon Corporation took over the subsequent work. Time was of the essence, and they had to expedite the preparations.


    The main point of contact with the Pok��mon Contest officials and Devon Corporation was still Mayor Ishida. Yuga admitted that he didn''t fully grasp these matters, so he entrusted all the work to Mayor Ishida.


    Mayor Ishida was more than happy to take on these responsibilities. He recognized that Yuga had already made significant contributions to Verdanturf Town, and he was willing to handle any workload, even if it meant weathering a storm.


    And so, throughout the winter, Verdanturf Town''s original Pok��mon Contest venue was transformed amid the sound of construction.


    During the New Year, Yuga didn''t stay at home as he usually did. Instead, he went to Mauville City a week in advance and stayed at the Manor there with his master to celebrate the New Year. He didn''t return to Verdanturf Town until the second day of the New Year.


    Before Yuga''s departure to Mauville City, his master repeatedly insisted that he didn''t need Yuga to apany him and that he and Ryuichi would be just fine on their own.


    However, when Yuga did go, he noticed that his master''s mood improved significantly. He even learned from Ryuichi that his master''s appetite had increased since Yuga''s arrival.


    Nevertheless, his master was a strict person, and even during the New Year celebrations, he didn''t forget to remind Yuga about his training. He provided Yuga with valuable guidance that greatly benefited his growth as a trainer.


    During the New Year, Luna and Rand, who were studying away from home, also returned to Verdanturf Town. However, Yuga was surprised to learn some unexpected news �C Rand had be a trainee forest ranger.


    The Forest Ranger League had visited their school to recruit new members, and Rand had sessfully passed the forest ranger assessment, earning the position of a trainee forest ranger.


    The Forest Ranger League was one of the many subsidiary Leagues under the Pok��mon League, specializing in preserving the ecology of various regions. Their headquarters,pared to other areas, was more remote but preserved the pristine natural beauty to a great extent.


    After the New Year festivities, Rand was about to leave his current school and transfer to the Forest Ranger League''s headquarters for training. This meant that he would have even fewer opportunities to return home.


    Training and tasks for forest rangers were considerably more demanding than those for ordinary trainers. Yuga couldn''t quite fathom Rand''s thought process and why he chose the path of a forest ranger.


    However, Rand was turning nine soon, and he would be a ten-year-old kid in just one more year. He should have a clear idea of the path he wanted to pursue.


    Speaking of which, when the Forest Ranger League came to recruit, Luna had also participated in the assessment along with Rand. Unfortunately, she hadn''t passed.


    Luna had studied alongside Rand in Lilycove City for several years, and they had developed a deep friendship. Hearing that she would be separated from Rand, she naturally felt very reluctant.


    However, she still hadn''t figured out what path she wanted to take for her future.


    Initially, because of her fondness for Robert, Luna had thought about bing a Coordinator Trainer like him. But when the time came, she hesitated.


    Their school had regtions that by the age of ten, students had to choose their future career paths. This allowed the school to tailor appropriate study ns for them.


    Whether it was traditional Trainer, Coordinator, or Breeder, students had to pick one or two paths to specialize in.


    Luna and Rand were roughly the same age, and seeing Rand leave the school made Luna realize that she had to make decisions about her future all on her own. Before she knew it, she started to feel anxious.


    When Yuga returned from Mauville City, he noticed that Luna had been depressed. He took the opportunity to ask her what was bothering her, and she revealed her probelm, hoping that Yuga could offer some guidance. However, Yuga declined.


    Regardless of the path she chose for her future, Luna needed to make that decision herself, just like Rand had done by leaving his current school to be a trainee forest ranger.

 Chapter 919: Emergency

    <h4>Chapter 919: Emergency</h4>


    After the New Year, YoYo Day Care, Verdanturf Gym, and Pok��mon Paradise became busy once again. Luna and Rand went back to their studies, while Akihito and Arata Sena, who were supposed to go on a journey, also set off.


    As for Yuga, theid-back store manager, besides asionally giving some advice to Mayor Ishida for the preparations of the Wace Cup and handling asional challenges from Trainers at the Gym, he had a rtively easy time most days.


    One day, right after he had epted a challenge from a Trainer, a voice from the system suddenly echoed in his mind.


    [ Triggered temporary task: The Evolution of Life. ]


    [ Exnation: Onix is facing difficulties during its evolution process, currently at a critical stage of evolution. There''s a risk of evolution failure. Please assist Onix in a sessful evolution. ]


    [ Reward: Steel-type Pok��mon Universal Pok��block Form. ]


    "This is the symbol of your sessful challenge, the Verdanturf Badge. Please take it. I hope you can obtain badges in your next Gym challenge as well."


    After handing the badge to the challenger, Yuga hastily left the Gym.


    "Th-thank you..."


    The challenger stared at the badge in their hand, but before they could finish expressing their gratitude, Yuga had disappeared without a trace, leaving a bewildered Beidou to awkwardly exin to the challenger.


    "S-sorry about that, our Gym Leader has something urgent to attend to. Hehe... hehe..."


    Beidou didn''t know why Yuga suddenly acted so strangely; he had been perfectly fine just a moment ago. All that talk about being busy and having important matters to attend to had just been a random excuse, and no one knew better than him how idle Yuga had beentely.


    Amid the astonished gazes of the onlookers, Yuga hurried back to his old store and then entered the Ecopark.


    As soon as he stepped through the light gate into the Mine Sub-Ecopark, Yuga heard the painful roarsing from the mountain. The ground was shaking and trembling continuously.


    Seeing this, he rushed towards the source of the roars at the summit of the mountain. However, after running just a few steps, a sandstorm erupted from the mountain.


    Waves of wind and sand, mixed with fragments of rocks, rolled down from the mountain, nearly smashing Yuga''s head.


    Helplessly, he released Chimecho, instructing it to use its psychic power to create a barrier, protecting him from the flying debris. This allowed him to safely reach the mountaintop.


    At the summit, the sandstorm still raged. The Magnemite, Maon, Magnezone, Aron, Lairon, and Aggron that usually lived here were nowhere to be seen. They had all disappeared, as if they had been frightened off by something.


    "Roar!"


    "Roar!!"


    "Roar!!!"


    ...


    At this moment, Yuga once again heard those roars.


    "Is that the sound of Onix and Aggron?" Could they be fighting? That shouldn''t be the case; normally, Aggron would act like a grandson in front of Onix, having no courage to challenge it.


    Onix, although usually in a deep slumber, was the undisputed king of the entire Mine Sub-Ecopark, and nobody would be foolish enough to provoke it.


    All of this abnormality must be rted to the issue with Onix''s evolution that the system had mentioned.


    Thinking this, Yuga hurriedly ran toward the valley where Onix usually slumbered.


    The summit of the mountain was a concave valley, there is no vegetation, not even a de of grass. It was a barrenndscape of bare rocks and shattered sand. Onix typically slumbered at the bottom of this valley, umting the energy needed for its evolution.


    This ce boasted the strongest maic field in the entire Mine Sub-Ecopark, and it wasmon for Maon to return here to use the maic field''s power in hopes of evolving into Magnezone.


    The Aggron sometimes brought their offspring here as well for a feast. The rocks in this area held the richest mineral resources in the entire Mine Sub-Ecopark, making it an excellent source of nourishment for them and their young baby. As long as they didn''t disturb Onix, it would leave them be.


    As Yuga reached the center of the valley, a Aggron suddenly emerged from the hazy sandstorm, crashing down next to him. Yuga could barely make out the sight of a thick, sturdy tail striking this Aggron.


    There was no need to guess; that tail definitely belonged to Onix.


    In terms of size, the average Aggron was already considered a giant among Pok��mon, butpared to this mutated Onix in Yuga''s Ecopark, it was like a dwarf in front of a titan.


    The tail swipe from the Onix left a deep groove on the usually heavily armored Aggron.


    This Aggron was innocent; it had simplye here with its offspring to find food in the valley at the bottom of the mountain. It never expected the Onix to go berserk upon encountering them.


    Could it be that Onix had woken up on the wrong side of the bed? They hadn''t disturbed it or its young ones.


    To allow the little ones to escape, it and the other Aggron were forced to stay and fend off the Onix''s relentless attacks. While they typically wouldn''t dare to challenge Onix, their priority now was the safety of their offspring, and they had no choice but to confront the threat.


    This particr Onix was on the verge of reaching Elite level, and these little minions were no match for it. It pummeled them effortlessly.


    The Aggrones, after being thrown to the ground, immediately spotted Yuga not far away. Its eyes lit up �C its owner was here!


    It knew very well that its owner was a formidable Trainer. In fact, this giant Onix had been defeated by Yuga before it was brought here. So, if its owner was here, then there was nothing to worry about, right? Capturing this Onix should be a piece of cake for him!


    You might wonder why a Aggron of such massive size and strength would act so timidly. Well, the answery in its motherly instincts; it was still a mom, and it had little ones to protect. It couldn''t afford to take risks.


    As expected, the moment it heard Yuga say, "You should head down the mountain," it immediately got up from the ground and dashed towards the valley below without looking back. It didn''t even wait for itspanions who had been fighting alongside it.


    Hang on, friends, just a little longer. Our owner is on his way!


    As Yuga reached the valley''s bottom, the three Aggrons still remained, using a Double-Edg move to fend off the Onix. However, it was evident that the Onix had lost its sanity.


    The Onix''s condition was quite strange. A portion of its body, originallyposed of rocks, had already started to harden into steel. Its body even emitted a faint glow of evolving light.


    As described by the system, the Onix was currently at a critical moment in its evolution. However, this evolution energy was not spreading throughout Onix''s entire body. Instead, it seemed to attach to certain parts of its torso like glowing scales, neither advancing nor receding.


    If this state persisted, there was only one possible oue for Onix''s evolution: failure.


    The three Aggron that had used Double-Edge were easily blocked by the frenzied Onix. The Onix had acquired some of Aggron''s defensive attributes during this unusual evolution phase, and the attacks from Aggron were causing it minimal harm.


    Thud, thud, thud!


    The Onix sent the three Aggron flying with a flick of its body, and it appeared to be effortless, as if it had tossed aside three small rocks from the roadside.


    The rampaging Onix seemed intent on crushing the three fallen Aggron, so Yuga quickly released three Pok�� Balls. Florges, Venusaur, and Serperior emerged and surrounded the Onix from three different directions, restraining it.


    The three Pok��mon simultaneously used Vine Whip to bind the Onix''s neck, waist, and tail, effectively immobilizing it.


    Seizing this opportunity, Yuga shouted to the three Aggron, "Quickly, head down the mountain. Also don''te back up until the situation here is resolved."


    The three Aggron exchanged puzzled nces. Why did their owner say, "also"?


    Then it dawned on them: Weren''t they supposed to be four facing off against the Onix? Why did that cowardly one run away on its own?


    With that realization, the three Aggron promptly dashed downhill, just like the first one that had fled earlier.


    The restrained Onix began to struggle fiercely. Its natural strength was immense, and even with Florges, which was equivalent to an Elite level Pok��mon, along with Serperior and Venusaur, both nearing the peak Elite level, they were almost unable to contain it.


    "Chimecho, Heal Bell!"


    Yuga called out to Chimecho at his side, attempting to use the soothing sound of Heal Bell to calm the berserk Onix.


    However, no matter how Chimecho shook its bells, the Onix showed no signs of recovering itsposure.


    Yuga didn''t give up and had Florges to use Aromatherapy. But still, no change.


    "System, what''s going on?" Yuga asked urgently. If this continued, the Onix''s evolution would fail.


    The system responded, [ During the Onix''s evolution, the evolutionary factors within its body became overly active in an instant. It couldn''t adapt to this state, causing it to lose control. ]


    Yuga asked, "How can we resolve this?"


    The system exined, [ It needs a substantial amount of Steel-type essence to promoteplete steelization of its body, expediting the evolution process and calming the hyperactive evolutionary factors within. ]


    Yuga said, "I understand! Venusaur, use Sleep Powder to put the Onix to sleep."


    Venusaur nodded and released a cloud of yellow-brown powder from the giant flower on its back, enveloping the struggling Onix, which soon fell asleep.


    Following the system''s advice, Yuga immediately called Steven and asked him to have a significant amount of Metal Powder delivered from the Devon Corporation''s Verdanturf Town branch.


    This Metal Powder wasn''t ordinary; it was a semi-finished product for creating Metal Coat, made from precious rare metals and priced per gram.


    Steven acted swiftly, taking less than twenty minutes to have the necessary items brought to Yuga. The head of the Devon Corporation''s Verdanturf Town branch, responsible for assisting with the preparations for the Wace Cup in Verdanturf Town, hade personally.


    This branch manager had gradually be acquainted with Yuga since he was heavily involved in the deep coboration between Devon and Yuga.


    Yuga was essentially the primary decision-maker on their business matters, making him someone they absolutely couldn''t afford to offend. Consequently, they treated Yuga with great caution.


    After receiving the Metal Powder, Yuga harvested leaves from the Mental Herb nts in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, squeezing out their juices and mixing them with the Metal Powder.


    Once the Metal Powder and Mental Herb juice had blended into a sticky paste, Yuga used a brush to apply this concoction all over Onix''s body.


    Yuga''s self-study in breeding knowledge over the years had not been in vain. Although he hadn''t be a world-renowned breeder, he had acquired a good understanding of most breeding techniques.


    Since Onix was in the middle of an evolution andcked Steel-type essence, Yuga decided to provide what was missing. The Metal Powder used to create Metal Coat contained a rich supply of Steel-type essence.


    Normally, when an Onix evolved naturally and required additional Steel-type essence, it could directly consume rocks that contained traces of metal for supplementation.


    However, in cases of unexpected evolution, where the evolutionary factors became hyperactive, the small amount of Steel-type essence found in rocks would be insufficient to meet the rapid demands of a drastically changing body.


    Such incidents of sudden evolutionary outbursts only urred in wild Onix that relied on natural evolution. Onix that evolved through the trade-assisted method using Metal Coat would never experience such issues.


    This was one of the crucial reasons why naturally evolving Onix were so scarce. While their strength was greater, the process was time-consuming and prone to idents.


    Once a wild Onix encountered an outbreak of evolutionary factors like this, it essentially signaled the failure of its evolution.


    Fortunately, this Onix was following Yuga. When it encountered an unexpected situation, Yuga was there to provide timely assistance. In the wild, such an incident would have resulted in a failed evolution, leaving the Onix severely weakened.


    Even in the hands of an ordinary trainer, applying this much metal coating powder would have been a significant financial burden.


    The Metal Powder applied to the Onix''s body would be absorbedpletely into its skin every so often. Yuga would then immediately reapply anotheryer.


    As he continued this process, more and more of the Onix''s body became steelized. The hyperactive reaction in its body, caused by the surging evolutionary factors, gradually subsided.


    After an unknown amount of time, the slumbering Onix finally woke up. Thanks to the substantial supply of Steel-type essence, its sanity had returned to normal, and it recognized Yuga''s assistance, casting a grateful nce his way.


    At that very moment, a powerful evolution light enveloped Onix, shrouding its entire body.


    The evolution had begun.


    Normally, when Onix evolved into Steelix, it would increase in size. However, Yuga was surprised to find that the Onix wrapped in the evolving light was actually shrinking.


    When the evolution light dissipated, a Steelix smaller in size than the original Onix stood before Yuga. Yet, even though it had shrunk, this Aggron was still a massive creature. Just by estimating its length, it appeared to be over 50 meters.


    ...


    Type: Steel/Ground


    Ability: Rock Head


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 71


    Moves: Tackle, Harden, Bind, Rock Throw, Rock Tomb, Stealth Rock, Dragon Breath, Rock Polish, Rock Slide, Iron Tail, Dig, Double-Edge, Sandstorm, Earthquake, Helping Hand, Stone Edge, Heavy m, Wide Guard, Rototiller, Lighten Body, Thunder Fang, Ice Fang, Fire Fang, sh Cannon, Iron Head.


    ...


    The Onix, already at the peak pseudo-Elite level, just as Yuga had predicted, it smoothly advanced to the Elite level after evolving. At this moment, its aura was overwhelmingly powerful, far exceeding an ordinary junior Elite level.


    "Roar!"


    The newly evolved Steelix let out an exuberant roar, expressing its joy. It raised its tail and mmed it heavily into the ground, creating a massive crater.


    Evidently, while its body had shrunk, its weight had increased.


    The melodious sound of Steelix''s voice echoed through the valley, reaching the Steel-type Pok��mon taking refuge down below, leaving them shivering in fear.


    "Congrattions, Steelix! But please be gentle with the other Pok��mon next time. You''ve frightened them quite a bit," Yuga said with a smile.


    "Roar!"


    Steelix obediently nodded.


    [ Congrattions, host... ]


    At the moment of Steelix''s sessful evolution, apletion notification echoed in Yuga''s mind, and he had acquired the form for the Universal Pok��block for Steel-type Pok��mon.

 Chapter 920: Mutual Assistance

    <h4>Chapter 920: Mutual Assistance</h4>


    Early in the morning, before the sun had fully risen, Greninja, who had been sleeping by theke, grew impatient and turned over. Unable to fall back asleep, it decided to sit up.


    Lately, for some reason, it had been feeling restless deep within. Unable to sleep any longer, it checked the sky and saw that dawn was approaching. Greninja decided to get up.


    A small, Feebas by theke was startled by Greninja''s movements. It darted into the central part of theke, hiding among the water hyacinths, causing ripples to spread through the water.


    Greninja paid no attention to the Feebas, leaped effortlessly onto the nearest tree with a few graceful bounds, and disappeared from theke''s edge.


    Ever since the Linoone and Mightyena couple had moved to the gym''s small Ecopark to manage the patrolling Pok��mon, this section of the forest by theke had been left with only Greninja.


    The shy and timid Feebas cautiously peeked its head out from the water hyacinths, seeing that Greninja was gone. It let out a bubble and swam out once more.


    Two Milotic, muchrger than Feebas, were also awakened from their slumber at this time. They saw their child being so timid and shook their heads helplessly.


    At the edge of the forest, Greninja stood on a tall tree, peering through the dense leaves at the calm sea. It wondered: What should I do so early in the morning?


    With that thought in mind, it leaped down from the massive tree, made its way to the beach, and plunged into the sea, creating ripples on the surface.


    About ten minutester, a swift silhouette burst out of the sea,nding on the rocks where the mperl lived. It stood tall on the highest rock, gazing into the distance. Upon closer inspection, it was the Greninja that had just jumped into the sea.


    At this moment, all the mperl were fast asleep. Some of them tightly closed their deep blue shells, while others carefreely opened their shells, revealing the light blue flesh inside and their pink pearls.


    Two muchrger Cloyster had somehow mixed in with the mperl. They nestled their bodies in the crevices of the rocks, and their hard shells opened and closed, showing that they were in a deep slumber.


    Greninja''s movements were silent and didn''t disturb the sleeping mperl. However, when it jumped back into the sea, a Gorebyss and a Huntail emerged from the holes in the rocks, looking at the rippling waves in trance.


    Having left the mperl behind, Greninja swam to the territory of the witzer. By now, the sky was fully lit, and the Water-type Pok��mon in the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark had started to wake up, including some witzer.


    Before Greninja had arrived at the Ecopark, it had been the guardian of the witzer. They were quite familiar with each other, and when they saw Greninja approaching, the witzer along the way greeted it in a friendly manner.


    The Pok��mon in the Ecopark had been instructed to exercise every morning. When other Water-type Pok��mon were beginning their morning exercises, the witzer leader, who was still sleeping in the coral reef at the seabed, was awakened.


    Greninja tried to wake it up by patting itsrge pincer, but it only stirred slightly and didn''t open its eyes.


    Helplessly, Greninja used a gentle Water Shuriken on it, tapping its head, though not with much force.


    witzer...


    In its sleep, the witzer leader thought it was under attack and frantically released a flurry of bubbles. It swung itsrge pincer as if it were ready to fight.


    "witzer..."


    It''s you again! Are you here to fight me?


    After realizing that it was Greninja in front of it, the witzer leader let out a sigh of relief,zily lying back on the ground.


    They had been old friends for years, so their attitude towards each other was quite casual.


    Greninja was the mostbat like Pok��mon in the entire Ecopark, and there was no doubt about it. Whenever it came to see the witzer leader, it was always for a friendly spar.


    But it was precisely because of Greninja''sbative and self-disciplined nature that it became one of the fastest-growing Pok��mon in the Ecopark.


    The witzer leader, who had always been somewhat of a cker, had no interest in fighting early in the morning. At this time, It exuded an air of decadence.


    Honestly, if it weren''t for its rtively old age within the n, it wouldn''t have be the leader, and it didn''t want to be the leader either. It nned to pass on the leadership position in a while and continue to live azy life.


    The environment in the Shallow Seashore of the Sub-Ecopark was excellent. It could lie leisurely on the coral rocks, soaking up the sun every day. This was the ideal retirement life for the witzer leader. Although it was still in its prime age-wise among the witzer, it didn''t prevent it from wanting to retire early.


    Actually, Y��ga knew that some Pok��mon didn''t enjoy fighting, so not all Pok��mon were expected to excel in battle. However, daily morning exercises were necessary for both their well-being and the benefit of future generations.


    But the witzer leader typically found ways to skip the morning exercises.


    Greninja, with its rtively strict and serious personality, didn''t like the leader''s cker mentality. So when it saw the leader not responding to its call for a sparring match, it grabbed one of its antennae and tossed it aside.


    Bang!


    A blue figure burst out of the sea, flying into the air.


    Dewgong, Sharpedo, Cors, Lapras, Kabutops, and Horsea... These Pok��mon all raised their heads in unison to look at the witzer leader, who was now falling back into the sea in an arc. Then, they lowered their heads and continued with their own activities.


    This was another lesson from Greninja!


    It was widely known that the cker witzer leader was often taught a lesson by its good friend Greninja.


    An hourter, the cker witzer leadery sprawled out on a rock above the sea, thoroughly defeated.


    (�n) witzer leader: Life is meaningless.


    After some stretching and movement, the witzer leader feltpletely disjointed from its body.


    Influence by this inner restlessness, Greninja''s desire for battle grew stronger, and the energy within it seemed ready to burst out at any moment.


    What could be causing this?


    Driven by this inner restlessness, Greninja''s fighting spirit continued to expand, so it left the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark and headed for the Desert Sub-Ecopark.


    If you were to ask which Sub-Ecopark Greninja visited most frequently for battles, it would undoubtedly be the Desert Sub-Ecopark. The Gligar and Flygon, inhabitants of the Desert, were its mostmon opponents.


    The environment there was unique; once inside the Desert, there was no concern about environmental damage during battles. Moreover, in such an extremely dry environment, Greninja''s control over its Water-type abilities could be further honed.


    When Greninja entered the Desert Sub-Ecopark, both the Gligar n and the Flygon n were in the midst of their morning exercises, supervised by their respective leaders.


    Greninja thought for a moment and then ran towards the Gligar n''s location.


    Lately, the Gliscor leader had been in a great mood. Ever since Yuga helped it nurture offspring with blue potential, it had ced great importance on training its children, hoping they would grow quickly and eventually take over the leadership of the Gligar n, ensuring its prosperity.


    Recently, its children had finally evolved from Gligar into Gliscor, and two more offspring with blue potential were born in the n. Everything was progressing in the direction the leader had hoped for.


    Haha, it wouldn''t be long before our Gligar n would defeat the Flygon n! Haha... Haha...


    As the leader watched its children train and daydreamed, it suddenly noticed a blue figure rapidly approaching their location.


    Tsk! Is it that Greninja guy again? The Gliscor leader grumbled discontentedly.


    While the Gligar n was considered abative group within the Ecopark, they weren''t masochists. They used to wee Greninja when it came for a friendly spar, but over time, they realized that none of them could defeat Greninja, and gradually, they preferred Greninja to stay away.


    As Greninja arrived, the training Gligar and Gliscors stopped what they were doing.


    "Greninja!


    Does anyone want to have a match with me?


    Greninja asked as it looked around.


    The Gligar and Gliscors backed away, not wanting to be defeated.


    Disappointed, Greninja muttered: No wonder you can never beat the Flygon.


    Hearing this, the Gliscor leader became furious. It was fine for Greninja to say they weren''t as good as anyone else, but it couldn''t tolerate beingpared unfavorably to the Flygon n, even though it was true.


    Although the Gligar n had developed well in recent years, so had the Flygon n. Moreover, the Flygon n had a much stronger foundation than the Gligar n. The gap between the two ns hadn''t really narrowed.


    In the Gliscor leader''s mind, the idea that the Gligar n could surpass the Flygon n had always been a fantasy. However, Due to years of rivalry, it refused to admit this fact.


    "Today, I''ll show you just how formidable our Gligar n is!" The infuriated Gliscor leader assumed a battle stance, preparing to enter the battle personally.


    Greninja''s eyes lit up at the challenge, and its restless desire for battle made it feel like its blood was boiling.


    In reality, Greninja hadn''t intended to provoke a fight. When it said those words, it had just wanted to express its thoughts and had no intention of angering the Gliscor leader.


    In short, while Greninja is strong and talented, it has a rigid personality and low emotional intelligence. It often unintentionally says things it shouldn''t.


    When Greninja prepared for battle, the Gliscor leaderunched a barrage of Stone Edge. The other Gligar and Gliscors stepped aside, creating space, and cheered on their leader.


    While Greninja was being bombarded by countless stone des, the Gliscor leader used Acrobatic moves to charge at Greninja swiftly.


    Greninja quickly threw numerous Water Shurikens, urately deflecting each stone de, and in the midst of the Gliscor leader''s acrobatic charge, it extended its long tongue, using its Lick move to immobilize the Gliscor leader, then it used Water Pulse to knock it away.


    The Gliscor leader, now lying on the ground, not only suffered from the effects of Water Pulse but also was paralyzed due to the Lick move.


    In a paralyzed state, the Gliscor leader couldn''t smoothly use its moves and was quickly defeated by Greninja.


    After Greninja left, the Gliscor leader fell into self-doubt, wondering: How did I lose? I didn''t even use my full power!


    Greninja, after departing from the Gligar n, it paid a visit to the Flygon n. After some intense sparring with several strong Flygon, it left the Desert Sub-Ecopark.


    The more it battled, the more it felt restless. The boiling power within its body seemed ready to burst out.


    Could it be that the previous battles no longer satisfy me? Am I now unsatisfied?


    Maybe I need a stronger thrill! Greninja couldn''t help but think.


    With this in mind, it headed to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, intending to find a more formidable Druddigon.


    However, after searching for a while and not finding Druddigon, but it encountered Dragonite''s mother instead.


    Greninja wasn''t the type of Pok��mon moveed in social interactions, so it wasn''t very familiar with Dragonite or Dragonite''s mother. Meeting such a powerful elder like Dragonite''s mother made it feel somewhat ufortable.


    At that moment, Dragonite''s mother was instructing Zweilous and Shelgon in their training. Shelgon showed signs of evolving soon, which was why Dragonite''s mother had been personally guiding them. Before that, they had been trained by Druddigon.


    The idle Druddigon took its only remaining apprentice, Noiverm, somewhere for a break. When it heard that Greninja had been looking for Druddigon but couldn''t find it, Dragonite''s mother knew that Druddigon had likely cked off again.


    Yuga always had a lenient approach to managing Pok��mon whose power above Elite level Pok��mon, so Pok��mon like Druddigon often becamezy as they didn''t feel the need to push themselves.


    Back then when it still lived in the wild, the environment itself pushed them to be stronger. However, in the Ecopark, where they had ess to ample food and safety, life was much more rxed.


    Seeing Greninja''s dejected demeanor and realizing that it was not in the right state of mind, Dragonite''s mother grabbed Greninja and began examining it thoroughly.


    The helpless Greninja could only let Dragonite''s mother thoroughly examine it.


    (_) Sob sob sob, I can''t get married anymore! (Just kidding)


    "You''re about to break through!" Dragonite''s mother said to Greninja after examining its condition.


    Greninja was puzzled by the statement: Break through?


    Seeing Greninja''s confusion, Dragonite''s mother realized itcked experience and said, "You two, continue your training for a while. I''ll be right back."


    Shelgon and Zweilous nodded, and Dragonite''s mother grabbed Greninja by the arm and flew out of the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    Compared to Dragonite''s imposing and strong physique, Greninja looked as small as a chick and was carried away quite directly.


    Dragonite''s mother flew with Greninja all the way to the Shallow Seashore, which was the ideal ce for its breakthrough.


    She could tell that Greninja''s level had already reached the peak pseudo-Elite level, and any further progress would bring it to Elite level. This was a significant milestone, and Dragonite''s mother knew she had to be careful.


    Although Dragonite''s mother lived in the Flower Sea, she was quite familiar with the Shallow Seashore. Despite they lived in Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, the Dragonite n was a water-loving species of Pok��mon that spent their early years living in water.


    She dropped Greninja on the sandy beach and conjured a small blue water droplet from somewhere, cing it on Greninja''s forehead. The droplet immediately merged into Greninja''s brain.


    This blue water droplet was a treasure Dragonite''s mother had found in ake in the Petalburg Forest, containing potent Water-type energy. Unfortunately, neither she nor her son had any use for it, so she decided to let Greninja benefit from it today.


    As soon as the water droplet entered Greninja''s body, it felt like a surge of rity washed over its mind, and the restlessness in its body vanished. Right after, its breakthrough began.


    The Shallow Seashore was a ce teeming with Water-type energy. During Greninja''s breakthrough, a massive influx of seawater rushed towards it, forming a swirling water current that enveloped Greninja.


    With Greninja''s momentum continually rising, after more than ten minutes, the water current exploded, and it sessfully broke through.


    Seeing Greninja''s sessful breakthrough, Dragonite''s mother nodded in satisfaction and said, "A good student indeed, and it didn''t go to waste that I used one of my precious treasures."


    Greninja was about to express its gratitude to Dragonite''s mother when she suddenly pped her wings and flew away.


    Greninja thought to itself: A true elder, always ready to help!

 Chapter 921: Another Filler

    <h4>Chapter 921: Another Filler</h4>


    The next day, when Yuga heard the news that Greninja had sessfully broken through to the Elite level in the Ecopark, and he was a bit surprised.


    When did this breakthrough happen?


    With the increasing number of Pok��mon in the Ecopark, he couldn''t possibly keep track of each one all the time, so he often overlooked some, including those that had been in the Ecopark for a long time.


    Fortunately, these Pok��mon were not his main team members and they had their friends and family within the Ecopark. Otherwise, thre would be no difference between Yuga and Ash, who left their Pok��mon at Professor Oak ce without much concern,


    Initially, Yuga thought that Pok��mon like Audino or Great Flygon, which had entered the pseudo-Elite stage earlier, would be the first to break through. He didn''t expect Greninja to be the one to achieve this milestone.


    However, upon closer thought, this development, while unexpected, made sense. Audino had the additional responsibility of being the caretaker of the Day Care, keeping busy every day, and Great Flygon often had to patrol around the Day Care, so it wasn''t idle either.


    Although Yuga provided them with almost the same resources, the difference in training volume umted over time could create a significant gap between them.


    Yuga had received the news from Dragonite''s mother and hadn''t seen Greninja after its breakthrough. So after leaving the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, he went straight to the Shallow Seashore.


    Such an important breakthrough for Greninja had to be celebrated properly.


    However, to his disappointment, he didn''t find Greninja at the Shallow Seashore. After asking around, he learned that Greninja had gone to the Volcano Sub-Ecopark to challenge Volcarona.


    It seemed Greninja was truly a battle enthusiast.


    It could be imagined that for a long time toe, Greninja would keep "harassing" Volcarona in the Volcano Sub-Ecopark.


    Just as Yuga was preparing to leave the Shallow Seashore, a small and unassuming Feebas quietly popped its head out of the sea. If Yuga''s eyes weren''t sharp, he might not have noticed this inconspicuous Feebas.


    Looking at the Feebas, who seemed hesitant to speak, Yuga gently asked, "Don''t be afraid, just tell me if you have something to say."


    Most Feebas had this kind of personality��timid, shy, andcking self-confidence.


    The Feebas in Yuga''s Ecopark were rtively better off because they all knew that they would eventually evolve into the beautiful Milotic. In fact, Feebas as timid as this one were rather rare.


    The Feebas that entered the Ecopark initially had all evolved into Milotic with the help of Beautie Pok��blocks.


    In the wild, Feebas reproduce quite fast, but those that sessfully evolve into Milotic are a rare few. After two years of careful nurturing, there were now arge number of Feebas living in Lake of the Center of No. 1 Ind.


    "Feebasbas, Feebas."


    I... I''d like to ask you... ask you for a favor.


    The shy Feebas stammered to Yuga. It had heard from its parents that if there was something it couldn''t solve, it should find this human, who was their caretaker and very powerful.


    "You want my help?"


    Yuga was curious, wondering what kind of favor this inconspicuous Feebas could need from him.


    This Feebas had parents who were two very average Milotic in terms of potential, and its own potential was even more worse than its parent, its just the most basic red potential.


    Combined with its ordinary appearance among Feebas, it rarely ventured outside and had no friends. So, the fact that it had gathered the courage to speak to Yuga was already quite remarkable.


    Yuga: "You can be sure that I''ll help you with whatever you need."


    Indeed, just as its parents had said, he was a good person!


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Feebas couldn''t help but wag its tail, sshing a couple of white waves.


    "Feebas."


    Follow me.


    After saying that, Feebas swam in the direction of the Center Ind''s Lake, following the small stream that connected the sea and theke.


    As they walked halfway, Yuga noticed that many other Feebas were swimming down the stream from upstream. They looked panicked, as if they were escaping for their lives and heading downstream.


    Yuga wanted to ask Feebas what had happened, but it was too shy and couldn''t exin the situation clearly.


    Before long, two Milotic emerged from the water. When Feebas saw them, it swam happily towards them. It turned out that these two were its parents.


    However, these two Milotic looked somewhat disheveled, with bruises on their necks and faces, which struck Yuga as quite strange.


    After talking to the two Milotic, Yuga finally got a rough idea of what had happened.


    It turned out that the Milotic leader and the Gyarados couple upstream had been quarreling and fighting fiercely. Their fighting had disturbed the peace of Lake Ind''s Heart Lake, causing many Feebas to swim out to seek refuge.


    The Milotic couple had initially tried to intervene in the fight, but to their surprise, they not only failed to stop it but also each received a tail strike from the irritable Gyarados.


    Gyarados was a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, while the Milotic couple hadn''t even reached level 40. They weren''t seriously hurt, but it had been quite painful.


    Fine, you two can do whatever you like; we won''t serve you anymore! The leader is truly impressive!


    The Milotic couple, realizing their child had followed other Feebas out of Heart Lake, flicked their tails and went off to find their child.


    The other Milotic in theke were no different from the Milotic couple; they were unwilling to serve the two ancestors. Most of them flicked their tails and left Heart Lake as well.


    "After you two are done fighting, we''lle back!"


    This wasn''t the first time the Milotic leader and Gyarados had quarreled. While the Milotic leader had a gentle personality, deep down, it were quite proud to itself. As for Gyarados, the word "gentle" had no ce in describing them; it were a true fierce Gyarados.


    While the couple was genuinely affectionate most of the time and could suddenly be all lovey-dovey, when they fought, it was fierce. No one in Heart Lake could stand up to them.


    So, the Milotic and Feebas living in Heart Lake were truly at a loss for words when it came to their two entric leaders.


    Only the immature Feebas thought of seeking Yuga''s help. ording to the Milotic''s thinking, they could do as they pleased. If Feebas wanted to deal with it, so be it.


    The Milotic and Feebas in Heart Lake were generally a peaceful species, and there was usually nothing significant happening. Therefore, the presence of leaders was essentially decorative.


    In the eyes of the Milotic, these two were just idle and, when they had nothing else to do, they either showered each other with affection or got into fights.


    Thankfully, apart from their own kind, only a Slowking and a Slowbro lived in Heart Lake. If it were anyone else, they wouldn''t be able to stand living there, constantly being subjected to their public disys of affection and fights.


    Really, it was as if they were living with a couple!


    Yuga hadn''t expected that the favor Feebas needed help with was this one. It''s said that handling family matters is the hardest for even the most upright officials, and he didn''t think he could mediate this dispute.


    However, Yuga had never heard of the Milotic couple frequently fighting, as every time he saw them, they were happily showering each other with affection and didn''t seem like the fighting type.


    Could it be that this was their idea of spicing up their marriage?


    Regardless, since he was already here, he decided to go and take a look. After exining the situation to Yuga, the Milotic couple left with their child without looking back.

 Chapter 922: Child

    <h4>Chapter 922: Child</h4>


    Yuga had made up his mind to check on the situation and was nearing Lake Ind''s Heart Lake when a sudden gust of wind disrupted everything. The surrounding trees were blown into disarray, shedding branches, leaves, and even a considerable amount of berry.


    Facing the howling wind as he reached theke, Yuga witnessed Gyarados, with an enraged expression, venting its frustration on Milotic. The fierce gust of wind was the result of Gyarados using its move, "Dragon Tail."


    Theke''s water was churned into waves crashing against the shore, soaking the grass and Yuga''s clothes.


    Slowking and Slowbro remained calm in the center of theke, within a cluster of water hyacinths, creating a psychic barrier to deflect the iing whirlwinds. They protected themselves and the water hyacinths from harm.


    These water hyacinths thrived in Lake Ind''s Heart Lake, covering half of theke''s surface with their oval-shaped leaves and even producing many beautiful flowers.


    A few Milotic that hadn''t sought refuge swam quietly out from the water hyacinths, positioning themselves behind Slowking and Slowbro to watch the spectacle. It seemed they had done this before.


    While Slowking and Slowbro weren''t as powerful as the Milotic leader and Gyarados, they were more than capable of ensuring that the spectators didn''t get hurt.


    "Gyarados!"


    Gyarados roared at Milotic in anger, then raised its tail, much thicker than Milotic''s waist, creating a stream of water to strike at Milotic.


    This was clearly a domestic dispute.


    In terms of sheer strength, Milotic''s leader was no match for its wife, Gyarados. However, although Gyarados appeared furious, the water stream it unleashed wasn''t as powerful as it seemed. Milotic''s leader knew this and lightly flicked its tail to disperse the water column.


    "Miloticl!"


    Milotic''s leader looked helplessly at Gyarados, its eyes filled with indulgence. It was trying to persuade Gyarados, but Gyarados clearly wasn''t willing to listen.


    "Um..."


    Yuga wiped his water-covered face and shouted loudly at the couple, but Gyarados''s voice was much louder, drowning out his own. The couple was too engrossed in their "lover''s quarrel" to notice the "helpless" Yuga standing on the shore.


    In the end, Yuga could only watch the spectacle alongside Slowking and Slowbro, trying to piece together the reason for their quarrel from the fragments of conversation he overheard during their argument.


    The reason behind this couple''s quarrel was ack of harmony in their family life, or more urately, Gyarados unterally believed there was an issue with their family life.


    The couple had been together for about a year or two, during which time all the Milotic had already had their own children. However, Gyarados''s belly showed no signs of changing, leading it to suspect that the Milotic leader was the problem.


    The Milotic leader felt quite helpless in the beginning and tried to defend itself. After all, how could a man admit that he couldn''t perform? But as time passed, it eventually epted the situation.


    Since its wifeined about it all the time, it decided to go along with it. After all, it couldn''t magically make its wife pregnant.


    Yuga was hearing about such issues among Pok��mon for the first time and found it rather amusing. In his opinion, it was entirely normal for high level Pok��mon like Gyarados and the Milotic leader to not have children in such a short time.


    The higher the level of a Pok��mon, the longer it usually took to bear offspring.


    For instance, Noctowl and Chatot had only one child by now.


    Dragonite''s mother had been alive for so long and only had one Dragonite child.


    Swellow leader and Honchkrow, just like Nales and the Houndoom couple, had one child and no more.


    Vivillon and Volcarona shared a simr situation to Gyarados and the Milotic couple; they didn''t have any children.


    ...Examples like these were aplenty.


    However, this was all normal. While high level Pok��mon almost never had no children at all, their birth rates did decrease. It was just that Gyarados and the Milotic leader, being neers, were unaware of this.


    High level Pok��mon with good luck could have one or two children in a year, maybe even three. On the other hand, those with less fortunate circumstances might not have any offspring for one or two years, or even longer.


    Gyarados and the Milotic leader seemed to be in thetter category.


    After who knows how long they had been arguing, Gyarados finally appeared tired andy on theke''s surface. It still red at the Milotic leader, though.


    The Milotic leader swam over and affectionately rubbed its neck, which seemed to please Gyarados. It returned the gesture a few times.


    Just like how dragons have sensitive areas called "inverse scales," pseudo-dragon Gyarados also had a sensitive area in its neck. Normally, only close individuals or Pok��mon would dare to touch it.


    Evidently, after all that fuss, Gyarados wasn''t genuinely angry with the Milotic leader.


    Seeing that the couple had finished their quarrel, the other Milotic, who had hidden in the water hyacinths, nonchntly swam out as if nothing had happened. They went about their business as if nothing had urred.


    Behind arge tree, Yuga shook off his soaking wet clothes and shouted to the now quiet Milotic leader and Gyarados:


    "Are you two finished now? I understand you want to have some fun as a couple, and I don''t mind that, but causing such a disturbance in the entireke is going too far. Remember, there are more than just the two of you living here. At least, consider everyone else."


    The Milotic and Gyarados couple only just noticed Yuga''s presence, and they seemed a bit embarrassed by his words.


    Other Milotic thought to themselves: Let them quarrel; we get to enjoy a free show.


    With their owner present, the Milotic leader and Gyarados couldn''t stay idle any longer. They swam to the shore and greeted Yuga.


    However, when Gyarados let its tail sway out of the water, Yuga noticed something amiss and said to Gyarados:


    "Gyarados, can you extend your tail out for me to see?"


    Hearing this, Gyarados appeared surprised, and the Milotic leader looked somewhat displeased.


    Gyarados thought: Why didn''t we realize he was someone like this before?


    The Milotic thought: He''s actually flirting with my wife?"


    For both Gyarados and the Milotic leader, their tails were a private part of their bodies, and it was one thing to look from a distance, but to inspect them up close was crossing a line.


    Seeing their expressions, Yuga quickly realized the misunderstanding and exined, "No, no, I just suspected that Gyarados might be pregnant."


    In female Gyarados that are pregnant, the white part of their tail fin would take on a faint pinkish hue until they finished giving birth. Yuga had noticed that Gyarados''s tail seemed to have a hint of pink.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Gyarados immediately showed an expression of delight. Without waiting for the Milotic leader''s reaction, it closed its eyes and extended its tail right in front of Yuga.


    After a careful examination confirming Gyarados''s pregnancy, Yuga congratted them, saying, "Congrattions, you''re going to be parents."


    Gyarados, who had been wanting a child for so long, was overjoyed, never expecting to be pregnant.


    The Milotic, upon hearing this news, was also very happy and nuzzled Gyarados, saying: See, it wasn''t because I couldn''t do it.

 Chapter 923: Exposure

    <h4>Chapter 923: Exposure</h4>


    The winter in Hoenn is short, and in the blink of an eye, February has arrived, and the entire Verdanturf Town is already lush with green trees and vibrant flowers.


    After a winter of hard work, the Pok��mon Contest venue in Verdanturf Town has undergone almostplete reconstruction, making it capable of amodating more spectators, and providing trainers with arger stage to showcase their moves.


    With the financial support of the Devon Corporation and the endorsement of the Pok��mon Contest Official, preparations for the Wace Cup have proceeded smoothly.


    At the same time, the promotional efforts for the Wace Cup are in full swing, and trainers from various regions are well aware that this year Wace Cup will be held in Hoenn''s Verdanturf Town.


    Although they don''t quite understand why the Pok��mon Contest officials chose such an inconspicuous little town like Verdanturf Town to host such an important event, however they have little say in the matter since it''s the official decision.


    Subsequently, over the course of the next month, more and more trainers from around the world began to arrive in Verdanturf Town, all eager to participate in the Wace Cup taking ce in March.


    Verdanturf Town became bustling with activity.


    Yuga''s good friend Robert had already checked into the Pok��mon Paradise Hotel early. When Luna and the others returned for the New Year, they had told Yuga that Robert had resigned from their school.


    Robert had obtained his teaching position thanks to their teacher, Mr. Juan, but it was always a temporary job for him. Now, as a passionate coordinator, he was ready to set out on a new journey.


    Although Robert had won the championship in the Pok��mon Contest''s Grand Festival and be a top coordinator, he was still far behind his senior, Wace. Therefore, he needed to work even harder.


    In the eyes of all coordinators, Wace held a status equivalent to that of a League Champion in the eyes of traditional trainers, or even higher.


    As a rtively young profession with a short history, the Pok��mon Contest had been greatly developed by Wace, who was also the world''s first superstar of the Pok��mon Contest.


    In terms of poprity, Wace was no less than any League Champion.


    One could say that the Pok��mon Contest''s officials now revolved around Wace, as evidenced by Wace''s ability to directly decide the location of the Wace Cup.


    Unless one day, someone could rival Wace or even surpass him, this dominant situation would remain unbroken.


    With March approaching, the flow of people in Verdanturf Town surged, and all hotels were fully booked, including Yuga''s Pok��mon Paradise Hotel. His uncle had been talking non-stop since the New Year, and he practically kicked up a storm when he walked.


    Thergest hotel in Verdanturf Town now belonged to the Devon Corporation.


    To amodate therge number of tourists, spectators, and participants, the Devon Corporation had purchased and renovated the town''s originalrgest hotel during the winter.


    Money truly had the power to make things happen, and the corporation had gone all out to support Steven''s ascent to the League Champion throne.


    If Steven could sessfully im the title of League Champion, all their investments would not be in vain.


    The Devon Corporation would transition from arge enterprise to the new top force in the League.


    As the date of the Wace Cup drew near, the streets and alleys of Verdanturf Town were filled with promotional materials for the event. Almost everyone seen walking on the streets, riding their Pok��mon, was either a spectator or a participant in thepetition.


    With Verdanturf Town overflowing with visitors, the business at YoYo Day Care also thrived. While high potential Pok��mon were restricted from sale here, there was no such restriction on lower potential Pok��mon.


    Moreover, YoYo Day Care had many rare species of Pok��mon like Gligar, Trapinch, Ponyta, and uncher. Even if their potentials were only "Yellow," there were still many people willing to buy them.


    In addition, items like Pok��blocks and Incense are also selling very well. yers are very focused on adjusting their Pok��mon''s condition for thepetition, and high quality incense and Pok��blocks y a crucial role in this.


    In just one short month, YoYo Day Care was almost out of stock for Pok��blocks and incense. Misaki, Lain, Anya, Sean, and Kano were almost exhausted.


    In the morning, a boy with green hair arrived at YoYo Day Care with his mother. He looked around the store but didn''t see the person he wanted to meet.


    The store was already crowded with customers, and Suzuki Koen, Audino, and Wigglytuff were busy entertaining people. They didn''t notice the boy.


    "How is it, Drew? Did you see Mr. Shimizu?" the boy''s mother asked him.


    This boy was none other than Drew, the boy Yuga had met during the League Store bidding in Lilycove City.


    Drew''s mother was a fan of the Pok��mon Contest and a loyal follower of Wace. So when she learned that the Wace Cup would be held in Verdanturf Town, she came with great excitement.


    Drew knew that Yuga lived in Verdanturf Town, and when he learned that his mother wasing to Verdanturf Town, he decided toe along.


    Drew''s mother also knew that her son had met a Gym Leader of Verdanturf Town. During their family trip to Lilycove City, she had heard her son praise Yuga many times, even though they hadn''t met in person.


    Upon hearing her mother''s question, Drew shook his head in disappointment.


    At this moment, a long-time customer of YoYo Day Care, who overheard Drew''s mother''s words, said, "Are you looking for Mr. Shimizu? I just saw him heading to the new store across the street. You can go there to find him."


    "Oh, I see. Thank you," Drew''s mother replied.


    After the customer said there was no need to thank him, she said to Drew, "Let''s go across the street and take a look."


    Drew nodded.


    Yuga was indeed in the new store, chatting with his former ssmate Eisuke.


    Eisuke spent most of his time traveling and training outside. Although he wasn''t a coordinator, he decided toe back to Verdanturf Town when he heard about the grand Wace Cup being held here.


    After all, he hadn''t been back for a long time. Even duringst year''s New Year, he couldn''te back due to somest-minute business.


    During their school days, Yuga and Eisuke weren''t particrly close despite being ssmates. However, as Eisuke frequently helped with the business at YoYo Day Care, the two gradually became more familiar with each other.


    Today, Eisuke hade to the store to apany his cousin, who was also a fan of Wace but not a trainer. She wanted to buy a Pok��mon that resembled Wace''s for the sake of being a fan. That''s why Eisuke had brought her to YoYo Day Care.


    Wace had many Pok��mon, but the one that gained fame was the Milotic.


    Yuga couldn''t sell his Milotic, so he intended to rmend other Pok��mon to Eisuke''s cousin. However, when she found out that YoYo Day Care had Feebas avable, she insisted on buying one.


    Buying a Feebas wasn''t an issue, but evolving it into a Milotic naturally wasn''t easy. Feebas that couldn''t evolve into Milotic couldn''t be considered Wace-style.


    Although Yuga had Beautie Pok��blocks that could help Feebas evolve into Milotic, he had no intention of giving them to Eisuke''s cousin. These Beautie Pok��blocks were not for sale outside the partnership with Sootopolis Gym.


    Evolving a Feebas into Milotic required a Prism Scale, and even with a yellow potential Feebas, the chances of achieving this were low.


    However, Eisuke''s cousin insisted on buying Feebas and promised to take good care of it, even if it couldn''t evolve into a Milotic. So Yuga agreed to sell her one.


    While Yuga was chatting with Eisuke, YoYo Day Care and Verdanturf Gym had increased the number of patrol Pok��mon due to the surge in people visiting Verdanturf Town.


    Not only were the pseudo-Elite Great Flygon, apanied by a group of Flying-type Pok��mon, patrolling the skies above the Day Care and Gym, but also the Natu that concealed themselves in the shadows ans even the Elite level Noctowl was dispatched by Yuga.


    Noctowl is Pok��mon that good at hidimg, and it had brought along its mate, a Chatot, to stealthily observe the surroundings of the Gym and Day Care.


    On the ground, it was the territory of Persian and Linoone and Mightyena couple.


    Persian was backed by its three wives, and they were followed by a string of younger siblings that it had taken under its wing. They were the dominant force in the area, and few dared to provoke them.


    Over time, Persian had taken in many cat-type Pok��mon, of various species. These Pok��mon didn''t just sit idly by; they made significant contributions to the patrol work.


    The Verdanturf Town police station often received reports of thieves and robbers apprehended by them.


    The partners of Linoone and Mightyena patrol team were the Kecleon couple, Ariados and Galvant couple.


    Linoone was the most powerful single member of the ground patrol team, and while their numbers weren''trge, each one was elite.


    The Kecleon couple good at concealment, while the Aridos and Galvant couple were good in ambush tactics. If they targeted someone, it wasn''t a joking matter.


    With more and more peopleing to Verdanturf Town, the patrol Pok��mon were on high alert during their rounds, giving it their all and not letting their guard down, fearing that there might be troublemakers among the neers.


    However, when trouble was destined to happen, it would still ur.


    The Liepard family is also part of the ground patrol team. However, they have a solitary nature and rarely agree to team up with others. Today was no exception.


    In the past, during patrols, Liepard would often bring along its younger sister, Zorua, but recently, with the increased poption in Verdanturf Town, Yuga instructed Zorua and their mother, Zeroark, to stay inside the Ecopark to prevent any idents.


    Zorua and Zeroark were incredibly valuable, and even though they were good at transformation, idents could still happen in a world full of discerning people.


    Zeroark was rtively fine with staying indoors; she didn''t like going out anyway. Even when her husband and two daughters were out, she preferred to stay inside the Ecopark, probably due to past experiences of being pursued by humans.


    But Zorua was different. Among the Liepard family, it had the liveliest and most active personality.


    Following Yuga''s instructions, Zorua indeed hadn''t left the Ecopark for a while, and patrols were usually carried out by Liepard and Liepard''s father.


    Today, Zorua just couldn''t resist it anymore. It knew that Verdanturf Town had been exceptionally lively recently, and its restless heart couldn''t be restrained.


    Seeing its sister and father getting ready to go out, Zorua started to act cute, wanting to join them. Initially, the two Liepard were against it, but they were helpless when it came to their fondness for their little sister (daughter) and her adorable behavior.


    They thought that as long as Zorua transformed into a Purrloin and followed behind them, nothing too unfortunate would happen, so they allowed their little sister (daughter) to apany them for this trip.


    However, they didn''t realize that something was seriously amiss with Zorua in the past couple of days.


    After they left the Ecopark with their sister, Zorua initially seemed excited, but soon, it felt weak andcked energy.


    At first, Liepard and Liepard''s father thought Zorua was simply tired from ying, but when they noticed the constant flickering of an evolution light on its body, they realized that something was amiss.


    Their little sister (daughter) was about to evolve!


    Having experienced evolution themselves, Liepard and its father were quite familiar with this situation.


    Liepard and Liepard''s father: This stubborn girl, she''s about to evolve, and she didn''t even notice such a significant event!


    They immediately wanted to take their little sister (daughter) back to the Ecopark, but it was already toote. Helplessly, they could only drag her to a secluded spot.


    As they entered an empty corner, Zorua, who had transformed into a Purrloin, couldn''t maintain the illusion and reverted to its original form.


    However, what they didn''t know was that their panicked escape had been noticed by someone else.


    Wisecat was a trainer from the Unova Region and, beyond that, a fan of Pok��mon Contests.


    However, the Unova Region didn''t have Pok��mon Contests, so when he learned that Verdanturf Town was hosting the Wace Cup, he traveled a long way to participate in this grand event.


    While touring near Verdanturf Gym, he noticed two Liepard and a Purrloin.


    Liepard and Purrloin were unique to the Unova Region, and it was quite rare to see them in Hoenn. Due to their shared ce of origin, he felt a certain kinship with them and gave them an extra nce.


    However, his attention was suddenly drawn to the Purrloin as it began to emit an evolution light. Being a trainer, he knew immediately that the Purrloin was about to evolve.


    Seeing the two Liepard hastily dragging the Purrloin away, driven by curiosity, he decided to follow them.


    He thought: If possible, why not capture this Purrloin and the two Liepard? The fact that they met in a foreignnd suggests that there might be some fate between us.


    Not being a local resident of Verdanturf Town, he was unaware of the habit of YoYo Day Care Pok��mon patrolling the area. Seeing the Liepard and the Purrloin wandering around outside, he mistakenly thought they were stray Pok��mon.


    As he continued to follow them, Wisecat soon discovered something extraordinary.


    The Purrloin slowly transformed into a precious Zorua.

 Chapter 924: Timely

    <h4>Chapter 924: Timely</h4>


    Encountering a rare Pok��mon like Zorua would excite any Trainer, including Wisecat. Zorua and Zoroark were so scarce in number to the point that they were once considered as legendary Pok��mon in many regions.


    Then, to Wisecat''s astonishment, the Zorua before him evolved into a Zoroark.


    As Wisecat appeared, the Zoroark''s older sister and father, Liepard, noticed him and moved in front of their younger sibling (daughter).


    They lowered their bodies, ws ready to strike the ground, creating a harsh scraping sound. They roared menacingly, trying to intimidate Wisecat into leaving.


    But Wisecat couldn''t pass up the opportunity to capture a Zoroark, and he even suspected that these two Liepard might also be Zoroark in disguise, although the chances were slim.


    At this moment, the Zoroarkpleted its evolution, and it saw a human with a Pok�� Ball not far away. Although it hadn''t experienced the relentless pursuit by humans like its mother did, it had heard stories about it.


    The freshly evolved Zoroark''s sister, however, was startled. Subconsciously activating her Illusion ability, she transformed from a Zoroark into a Purrloin. Seeing her sister and father, she felt that reverting to a Purrloin was not right either, and she btedly transformed into a Liepard.


    But Wisecat couldn''t help but find the Zoroark sister''s behavior just "covering up the truth".


    Facing the menacing threats of the two Liepard, Wisecat didn''t back down. Instead, he released two of his own Pok��mon, a Conkeldurr and a Eelektross.


    Wisecat was a capable Trainer, and when his two Pok��mon appeared, the Liepard sister and father sensed a strong threat from them.


    In order to gain an advantage, the Liepard sister and father coordinated their attacks, unleashing Dark Pulses at Wisecat''s Conkeldurr and Eelektross.


    Conkeldurr took a step forward, cing itself in front of Eelektross. With two reinforced steel bars in hand, Conkeldurr vigorously swung them, dispersing the Dark Pulses.


    At the same time, Eelektross lit up with electric energy, and a swift Thunderbolt shot towards the Liepard sister and father''s heads.


    "Liepard!"


    "Liepard!"


    The Thunderbolt speed was incredibly fast, and the Liepard sister and father couldn''t dodge in time. They were hit squarely and let out a cry before copsing to the ground.


    Not far from them, the Persian leader patrolling the area suddenly noticed a golden light shing by. It suspiciously halted its steps, hesitated for a few seconds, and then let out a "meow" to its wives and younger siblings before rushing toward the direction of the golden light.


    On the other side, the Zoroark sister, witnessing her sister and father injured, grew furious. Despite her young age, it does not mean that it has no blood.


    She leaped high into the air and used Dark Pulse, and then jumped again with the help of the wall when falling, and rushed towards Wisecat. In the direction of Wisecat, sharp ws appeared, and they used a Night sh to attack towards Wisecat''s neck.


    The Zoroark sister had never received propermand from a Trainer and didn''t understand the rule that Pok��mon couldn''t attack Trainers during battles.


    All she knew was that her sister and father got hurt because of this human''smands. Without hesitation, sheunched an attack on Wisecat, aiming to kill him.


    However, Wisecat was a highly experienced Trainer, far more mature than the Zoroark sister.


    Under hismand, Eelektross''s Thunderbolt dispersed the Dark Pulse, and Conkeldurr''s reinforced concrete pirs struck the charging Zoroark sister in the abdomen.


    Wisecat remained unharmed, and the Zoroark sister screamed as she was knocked back.


    The moment she was hit, her Illusion ability deactivated, revealing her true Zoroark form.


    The Zoroark sister crashed into her now recovering Liepard sister and father, sending them rolling away.


    The concrete pir strike from Conkeldurr used is Hammer Arm, a Fighting-type move, which not only had great power but also countered the Dark type of Zoroark. With just that blow, the Zoroark sister lost her fighting capability.


    Seeing the Zoroark sister down, Wisecat wore a satisfied smile. As for the other two Liepard, he considered them insignificant.


    Moreover, Liepard''s degenerate form, Purrloin, was quitemon in the Unova region. They could be found not only in forests and grasnds but also in the streets and alleys of cities.


    Now that he had encountered such a precious Pok��mon like Zoroark, the presence of the Liepard didn''t matter.


    The injured Liepard sister and father stood back up, positioning themselves in front of their unconscious Zoroark sister. They let out intimidating roars, warning Wisecat not to approach them.


    Wisecat''s Eelektross swiftly moved forward and used Crush w, sending both Liepard flying.


    The hit Liepard sister and father couldn''t get up again.


    Wisecat didn''t even spare a nce at the two Liepard. He took out a Pok�� Ball and threw it at the Zoroark sister, but after a sh of red light, the Pok�� Ball was deflected.


    ???


    After a moment of confusion, Wisecat quickly realized that this Zoroark had an owner. That was the only exnation for why it couldn''t be captured in a Pok�� Ball.


    He couldn''t believe that such a rare Pok��mon like Zoroark would be left wandering the streets. Wisecat felt a surge of frustration within him.


    Just give up like this?


    Wisecat slowly took out another Pok�� Ball, his fingers gripping it tightly, his face pale, revealing his inner reluctance and hesitation.


    He realized that if he missed this opportunity, he might never encounter another Zoroark again in his life.


    After much hesitation, Wisecat''s greed finally took over.


    To prevent his sister''s (daughter''s) identity from being exposed during evolution, the location chosen by the two Liepard was very secluded, with no pedestrians around, which made it convenient for Wisecat to carry out his n.


    Since Zoroark couldn''t be captured in a Pok�� Ball, he nned to drag it away. Once he left this ce, there were plenty of methods to sever the connection between the Pok��mon and its original Pok�� Ball.


    Even if he couldn''t make Zoroark submit himself, he could sell it through special channels.


    How much would an incredibly rare Zoroark be worth? Wisecat couldn''t calcte it precisely, but he knew that if he could sell Zoroark, he would be wealthy.


    However, before leaving, he nned to deal with the two nearby Liepard. Leaving them behind would pose a risk of exposure, as Wisecat was aware that the small Verdanturf Town had a Gym Leader who was considered a Elite level Trainer.


    No matter how skilled he was, he didn''t dare to provoke an Elite level Trainer.


    He wasn''t inclined to take the two Liepard with him directly, but he had just tried, and the two Liepard couldn''t be captured in Pok�� Balls.


    Without the aid of Pok�� Balls, it would be extremely challenging to drag three Pok��mon away without drawing attention.


    There was no other choice! Wisecat was not a rookie Trainer, nor was he a naive neer to society. On the contrary, he had been in the world of Trainers for many years.


    Since he had decided to take this risk, he didn''t care about the lives of two more Pok��mon in his hands.


    Under hismand, Conkeldurr swung a concrete pir at Liepard sister''s head just as it was about to hit.


    At the moment when Conkeldurr''s concrete pir was about to hit Liepard sister, a nimble Persian leader suddenly jumped out from the nearby wall. It pounced on Conkeldurr, its sharp ws directly scratching Conkeldurr''s face.


    In pain, Conkeldurr dropped the concrete pir and howled while covering its face with both hands.


    Wisecat hadn''t expected this turn of events. He was about tomand Eelektross to counterattack, but three Delcattys had appeared beside him and Eelektross.


    Two of the Delcattys used their Feint Attack move, tounch a surprise attack on Eelektross, pushing it back. The third Delcatty used a Fury Swipes against Wisecat''s face, leaving him with a swollen, pig-like head.


    After the attack, all three Delcattysnded gracefully on the ground. An infuriated Wisecat immediately tried tomand Conkeldurr and Eelektross to retaliate against the Persian leader and the three Delcattys.


    Although the Persian leader and the Delcattys were stronger than the Liepard family, they still weren''t a match for Conkeldurr and Eelektross. The earlier attack had been sessful because it was unexpected and caught them off guard.


    However, Wisecat''s face had swelled up, making it difficult for him to speak clearly, and it slowed down hismands. This gave the Persian leader and the Delcattys enough time to act.


    At this moment, the Persian leader''s gang of underlings finally arrived,unching all kind of chaotic attacks towards Wisecat, his Conkeldurr, and Eelektross.


    The Persian leader''s subordinates were rtively weak and couldn''t cause much harm to Wisecat''s Pok��mon, but they managed to create chaos and confusion.


    Wisecat knew he couldn''t afford to stay here any longer. If he did, he''d end up behind bars. So, he released all of his Pok��mon, hoping to finish this quickly and make his escape.


    However, with such amotion going on, if other patrolling Pok��mon failed to notice, it would be a dismissal-worthy offense for Yuga.


    The first to realize that something was amiss was a Natu. They didn''t like flying around and mostly stayed in one ce, using their psychic abilities for surveince, making it easier for them to spot issues.


    Upon discovering that someone was attacking the Persian leader and its group, the Natu didn''t rashly approach. Instead, it promptly informed its superior, Noctowl. In almost an instant, Noctowl arrived at the scene with her mate.


    Wisecat was unaware that Liepard, Zoroark, and this group of cats were rted to the Elite level Trainer he knew. When Noctowl appeared before him, he was instantly petrified.


    Having been a Trainer for many years, Wisecat had seen Elite level Trainers and felt the aura of Elite level Pok��mon. As soon as he saw Noctowl, he knew that it was all over.


    Even before Noctowl had to act, Chatot stepped in for its mate. The six Pok��mon Wisecat had released were not enough in its eyes, and they were quickly defeated.


    Chatot, despite his quirky personality, was still a Pok��mon with Indigo potential. Over the years, he hadn''t been able to break through to the Elite level due to his personality, but he was a formidable force among the pseudo-Elite level and can easily bully several Pok��mon whose levels are far lower than his own.


    After Wisecat''s Pok��mon were all knocked out, the Persian leader, driven by a grudge, didn''t feel satisfied yet.


    It extended its ws and scratched Wisecat''s face several times before delivering a finishing move by leaving Wisecat''s pants in tattered into pieces.


    Even Chatot winced, thinking: They''re both males, why embarrass each other like this?


    The Persian leader wasn''t out for personal revenge but rather to avenge the two Liepard and Zoroark.


    The Persian leader and his three wives didn''t have many friends in the entire Ecopark, and only the Zoroark family was the closest to them. Seeing Liepard and Zoroark brutally beaten, the Persian leader couldn''t swallow it.


    The Persian leader typically had no concept of mercy or returning kindness for wrongdoings. If you scratched him once, he''d scratch you ten times in return.


    Noctowl didn''t stop the Persian leader''s actions either. Seeing Liepard and Zoroark in such dire straits, she was not at all pleased with this human.


    He instructed the Persian leader to keep an eye on Wisecat and his Pok��mon while sending Chatot to call Great Flygon. Meanwhile, Noctowl took the injured Liepard and Zoroark and departed.


    The Great Flygon arrived swiftly. After hearing the Persian leader''s ount of the situation, it grabbed the unconscious Wisecat and flew away. Chatot headed towards the New Store.


    On the other side, Little Drew and his mom indeed met Yuga at the New Store, and Yuga was pleasantly surprised by Little Drew''s presence.


    Little Drew''s mom and Eisuke''s cousin, both being fans of Wace, hit it off instantly. They quickly became friends, iming that as long as you''re a fan of Wace, you''re like sisters regardless of age.


    Upon learning that Eisuke''s cousin had purchased an Feebas here, Little Drew''s mom decided she wanted one too.


    Unlike Eisuke''s cousin, who simply wanted a Pok��mon matching her idol, Little Drew''s mom had a unique sense of aesthetics. When she saw Eisuke''s cousin''s Feebas, she actually found it cute.


    In the world of Pok��mon, most people considered Feebas to be quite ugly, but Little Drew''s mom didn''t see it that way.


    Such a cute Pok��mon, especially when it''s the same as her idol''s, was a must-have! So, somewhat reluctantly, Yuga sold one to Little Drew''s mom as well.


    With the same pet, Little Drew''s mom and Eisuke''s cousin bonded even more.


    While their lively conversation was heating up, Chatot flew into the store, screeching all the while.


    "Boss! Boss! Something''s wrong!"


    "What''s going on?" Yuga asked, puzzled by Chatot''s anxious demeanor.


    Knowing that some things shouldn''t be discussed openly, Chatot said, "You''ll know when youe with me. Hurry!"


    Yuga apologized to Eisuke and Little Drew''s mom with a regretful expression. "I''m sorry, but I have something urgent to attend to here. I''ll leave for a moment."


    Little Drew''s mom, was chatting enthusiastically with Yingyou''s cousin, and said nonchntly: "You go ahead and take care of your business. Don''t worry about us."


    Yuga nodded and said goodbye, then hurriedly followed Chatot out of the store.

 Chapter 925: Accomodation

    <h4>Chapter 925: Aodation</h4>


    Yuga followed Chatot into the gym, and the bird proceeded to tell Yuga everything that had happened inside the gym.


    When Yuga entered the backyard of the gym, he saw a man lying on the ground, beaten and unconscious, with arge Great Flygon guarding him.


    He turned his head to Chatot and asked, "Are Zoroark and Liepard okay?"


    Chatot wasn''t entirely sure but replied, "It seems like they''re fine. My Kitty-chan, has taken them to find a Pok��mon Center."


    Yuga sighed with relief. He hadn''t expected Zorua to escape from the Ecopark and evolve into Zoroark in the outside, let alone be targeted by someone.


    Fortunately, nothing serious had happened this time, but Yuga realized he needed to teach Zoroark about crisis awareness.


    But setting that aside for now, Yuga instructed Chatot, "Go to the police station and bring Liliana here."


    Liliana was familiar with the Pok��mon of YoYo Day Care and the Verdanturf Gym. She often visited, and Chatot also quiet familiar with her. He even had teased her when they were first met, though it once almost resulted in Liliana giving the bird a good smack.


    Chatot nodded at Yuga''s instructions and flew off towards the police station. After about fifteen minutes, Liliana arrived with two police officers in tow.


    On her way, Chatot had briefed Liliana on the situation, so as soon as she entered the gym, she asked Yuga, "Where is the man?"


    Yuga led Liliana to the backyard of the gym. The man had briefly regained consciousness during the journey but was swiftly knocked unconscious by the Great Flygon.


    "This man not only intended to steal my Pok��mon but also harm them. I believe his actions should be dealt with seriously," Yuga said, pointing to the unconscious culprit, Wisecat.


    Liliana was momentarily taken aback but quickly understood Yuga''s intentions. Whether Wisecat''s crimes were significant or minor, it was within Yuga''s power to decide, and Liliana was willing to cooperate with him.


    "This man should spend a lifetime behind bars," Liliana concurred.


    Yuga and Liliana agreed on the course of action. Wisecat''s fate was sealed, and it appeared that he would be spending a long time in jail.


    Seeing that Liliana understood his words, Yuga nodded and didn''t say much more. He watched as the two police officers carried the unconscious Wisecat out of the Verdanturf Gym.


    Yuga didn''t necessarily want to harm this man, but since he now knew about Zoroark, simply letting him go would bring potential trouble. Yuga wasn''t in a position where he couldn''t protect even a Zoroark, but no one liked unnecessary trouble. Some people were like flies - once they stuck to you, it was hard to get rid of them, and they were quite annoying.


    Before Liliana left, Yuga stopped her and said, "I hope that what he said about my Pok��mon won''t spread."


    Liliana nodded, assuring Yuga that she would make sure the man kept quiet. If she couldn''t handle such a small matter, her two years as the police station chief would have been in vain.


    Yuga and Liliana had known each other for a long time, and they had some unspoken understanding. Yuga trusted her, and when she gave her assurance, he knew the matter was settled.


    After Liliana left, Yuga returned to the Ecopark.


    By the time he got back, both Liepard and Zoroark had awakened. Just as Chatot had said, after receiving treatment from the Pok��mon Center, they didn''t have any major issues physically. However, Zoroark''s younger sister had suffered some psychological trauma.


    Originally, Yuga had nned to have a serious talk with Zoroark''s younger sister, but when he saw her waking up and her mother, Zoroark, scolding her with tears in her eyes, he decided to let it go. After this incident, he believed Zoroark''s younger sister wouldn''t act so recklessly in the future.


    He spent some time talking with the frightened Zoroark''s younger sister and then left the Ecopark. The business in the YoYo Day Care was booming, and he didn''t have the time to stay with them constantly.


    When he returned to the New Store, his aunt told him that Eisuke and Little Drew had already left, leaving messages that they would visit again another day.


    Since Eisuke and Little Drew had already left, Yuga didn''t stay long at the New Store. He headed back to the old store. However, as he reached the entrance of the old store, he saw two people approaching him, and upon a closer look, he realized it was Robert and his cousin, Kris.


    Yuga wondered why everyone cousin had gathered here today. Just as he was pondering, Robert saw him and eximed happily, "Perfect timing, we were just looking for you."


    Kris, upon seeing Yuga, excitedly rushed up to him and said, "Yuga, it''s been so long!"


    Yuga nodded and asked, "Yeah, when did you arrive?"


    Kris grinned and replied, "I just got here today. As soon as I settled down, I came to see you. Isn''t that considerate enough?"


    Yuga looked at her with a teasing expression and said, "Hey, hey, don''t try to deceive me. Didn''t I hear your cousin say that you both came here for something?"


    Kris stuck out her tongue and thenughed, saying, "Well, you caught me. I thought I could save face!"


    She patted Yuga''s shoulder yfully.


    "You weren''t like this before. Where have you been all this time? You mentioned you wanted to be a Trainer Coordinator like your cousin, but I haven''t seen you in any Pok��mon Contestpetitions," Yuga asked, puzzled.


    Kris replied mysteriously, "I did be a Trainer Coordinator, but I went to train in Kalos. They have apetition there that''s quite simr to the Pok��mon Contest, and it''s very popr. I went there to gain experience. I''vee back after intensive training, and now I''m apletely different person. This time, I''m determined to shine at the Wace Cup and win the championship!"


    Yuga couldn''t help but chuckle. "Hey, hey, saying that in front of your cousin sounds quite arrogant, you know. He''s a top level Trainer Coordinator who has won Pok��mon Contest Grand Festival. He''s alsopeting in this year''s event!"


    Krisughed and replied, "Well, I have to aim high, right? He''s been my role model, and I want to challenge him now!"


    Yuga shook his head and said, "Alright, alright, you''re quite ambitious. It''s good to have goals. Let''s go inside, and you can tell me more about your training and ns."


    As they entered the store, the cousins continued their lively conversation, catching up on what had happened during Kris''s training in Kalos.


    Kris said with a serious expression, "A Trainer Coordinator who doesn''t aim to be the champion isn''t a good Trainer Coordinator! I''ve worked hard in the Kalos region, and not winning the championship would be a disservice to all the sweat I''ve shed."


    Robert, hearing this, couldn''t help but shake his head in amusement. Kris had said this kind of thing many times before, and he had be immune to her passionate derations. He simply chose to ignore her.


    Yuga chimed in, "Oh, you''re talking about the Pok��mon Showcase in the Kalos region, right?"


    Kris responded, "Wow, you know about it too? I didn''t expect you to be so well-informed."


    Yuga shrugged and said, "I''ve been to Kalos at least. Such a famouspetition is hard to miss. Anyway, you mentioned you have something to discuss with me? What is it?"


    Robert exined, "We''d like to borrow your Gym to adjust ourselves and our Pok��mon''s condition before thepetition starts."


    Robert was quite well-known in the area, and with the Wace Cup participants all around town, he would be easily recognized if he trained outside. Yuga chuckled and replied, "Oh, you don''t need to borrow it; you can stay there as long as you like. In fact, you can stay at the Gym. It''s perfect for your training. By the way, Kris, have you found a ce to stay since you just arrived? just live in the gym like Robert too"


    Kris eagerly responded, "Really? That''s fantastic! I arrivedte, and I was worried about amodations. Thank you so much!"


    Yuga reassured her, "It''s no problem at all. Your parents took good care of us back in Lilycove City when we were there. Finding a ce to stay is a small matter. Don''t worry."


    With Yuga''s help, Kris happily retrieved her luggage and moved into one of the guest rooms at the Verdanturf Gym, ready to prepare for the uingpetition.

 Chapter 926: Performance

    <h4>Chapter 926: Performance</h4>


    In the bustling Verdanturf Town, the Wace Cup has finally opened in March, and the entire town is in a festive mood, with a peak in the number of people.


    All the vendors and shops in Verdanturf Town are bustling, trying to make a good profit during this rare opportunity. As a result, there is a constant chorus of shouting outside the Pok��mon Contest venue.


    Not only local merchants from Verdanturf but also arge number of outside merchants have flocked to the town, making Verdanturf even livelier.


    Yuga himself couldn''t afford to be idle because he was persuaded by Wace to serve as one of the judges for this year''s Wace Cup.


    Originally, Yuga didn''t want to go, but as one of the organizers of the event, Verdanturf Town needed to have someone of significance participate in thepetition to show hospitality. Failing to do so would make Verdanturf Town appear inhospitable and would not effectively promote the town.


    Without a notable figure, the town might be seen as just a small rural town, leaving a poor impression.


    Sometimes, a celebrity can significantly boost the poprity of a ce, and Yuga happens to be a somewhat famous figure.


    So, Mayor Ishida couldn''t handle this role, and he had to call upon Yuga, the Gym Leader.


    Wace also knew that Yuga wasn''t a professional Pok��mon Coordinator and couldn''t provide highly professional judgment at thepetition. However, Pok��mon Coordinator were still trainers, and sometimes it was necessary to approach issues from a traditional trainer''s perspective. In this regard, Yuga, an Elite level Trainer, was undoubtedly a worthy judge.


    Bang, bang, bang!


    Countless fireworks bloomed in the sky above the Pok��mon Contest venue in Verdanturf Town. Although people couldn''t appreciate the brilliance of the fireworks in broad daylight, the lively sound signaled the official start of the Wace Cup.


    "Hello, everyone, including the audience and participants from all over the world! The long-awaited Wace Cup is finally beginning at this moment. Without further ado, let me introduce..."


    At the venue, the energetic and resounding voice of the host, Vivian, rang out, instantly quieting the previously noisy crowd.


    Vivian: "Sometimes he''s a Gym Leader, and other times he''s the wildly popr Top Coordinator. He''s the one who has made the world aware of the Pok��mon Contest''s existence, and he''s the one who has made Pok��mon Coordinators proud of their identity. His true identity is..."


    Audience in unison: "Wace!"


    Vivian: "Yes, it''s Wace! Then..."


    As Vivian''s voice trailed off, countless water jets suddenly erupted from the pool below the stage. Following that, a gracefully dancing Milotic leaped out of the water, with Wace sitting on its back.


    The newly reconstructed Verdanturf Pok��mon Contest venue was open-air, with a massive stage surrounded by a circr pool. Controlled by Milotic, the water in the pool seemed toe to life, shooting out circr water pirs, surrounding both Milotic and Wace.


    With Wace''s entrance, the audience erupted into a chorus of cheers and screams, rightfully earning him the title of the king of poprity.


    It must be said that Wace truly deserved his reputation as the most renowned Pok��mon Coordinator. His entrance was truly dazzling, and the water droplets that fell with him, under the bright spring sunlight, reflected a rainbow of colors, as if adding a spotlight to Wace''s entrance.


    When Wacended in the center of the stage with Milotic, he extended his hands and gently waved, causing the audience to quiet down on their own.


    "Good morning, everyone! The Wace Cup of the Pok��mon Contest is officially starting in Verdanturf Town!"


    After Wace spoke these words, the audience cheered once again.


    "Who will shine the brightest on the Pok��mon Contest of Verdanturf Town this time? Let''s all eagerly await it here!"


    ...


    "Thank you, Mr. Wace, for your speech. Next, Mr. Wace will also serve as a judge in thepetition, and the champion of the Wace Cup will be born under Mr. Wace''s review."


    ...


    Following that, Vivian introduced several other judges to the audience, the standard trio, Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, and Nurse Joy, plus the outsider, Yuga.


    Nurse Joy here is Yuga''s good friend, Joyka from the Verdanturf Pok��mon Center. Joyka is a highly experienced Pok��mon Doctor, so having her as a judge for the Wace Cup was no issue.


    After introducing all thepetition rules, Vivian suddenly wore a mysterious expression and said, "So, would you all like to see a performance by Mr. Wace at the end?"


    The audience responded in unison, "Yes!"


    Many of the audience members here are devoted fans of Wace, and they''vee from far and wide just to catch a glimpse of Wace''s performance.


    "So, before thepetition begins, let''s first enjoy a performance by Mr. Wace," announced Vivian amid the cheers.


    Wace took a step forward amidst the apuse, while his Milotic gracefully leaped back into the pool with a ssh.


    In the moment Milotic entered the pool, the entire pool suddenly became as smooth as ss. Following that, transparent, giant water orbs floated to the surface, and what''s more, each water orb contained a Water-type Pok��mon swimming inside.


    The naive Seel, Adorable and elegant Vaporeon, the charming yet absent-minded Magikarp, the imposing Kingler, the energetic Cors, the beautifully adorned Seaking... People from various regions could see Water-type Pok��mon they were familiar with.


    When two water orbs approached each other, the Pok��mon inside would yfully jump into the other orb, frolic for a moment, and then jump back.


    At this moment, the Pok��mon Contest venue transformed into a joyful aquatic yground, and many audience were entertained by theical and delightful performances of the Water-type Pok��mon, causing them to burst intoughter.


    After the Water-type Pok��mon finished their performance, Milotic leaped out of the water once again, surrounded by transparent water ribbons formed by flowing water, entuating its beautiful scales that glistened in the sunlight.


    "Mi-lo-tic!"


    At this point, Milotic suddenly began to sing a beautiful song, and everyone felt a sense of calm wash over them, dispelling all their restlessness.


    "Mi-lo-tic!"


    "Mi-lo-tic!"


    "Mi-lo-tic!"


    ...


    Immediately afterward, another melody from Milotic rang out, followed by one after another.


    The varying pitches of these songs were clearly not from the same Milotic, but they intertwined with each other. Instead of sounding chaotic, it felt like they were ying a harmoniousposition.


    Initially, the audience was curious about where the harmonious sounds wereing from as Wace''s Milotic yed its melodies. Then, they saw columns of blue water shooting up into the sky from the circr pool. Each water column had a gracefully poised Milotic resting above it.


    These Milotic all had their eyes closed, their slender necks slightly arched, and they sang with varying tones but with a fast-paced and mysterious rhythm.


    One Milotic, two Milotic, three Milotic... a total of twelve Milotic formed a circle, surrounding Wace''s Milotic in the center.


    The audience was in awe. Seeing one Milotic was already quite rare, but they were witnessing so many at once today.


    "Milotic!"


    After the song ended, one of the twelve Milotic issued a call that sounded like amand. The other Milotic nodded slightly and each released a column of water towards the central Milotic belonging to Wace.


    The twelve water pulses shot towards Wace''s Milotic but were blocked by a colorful reflective light on its body. The water pulses dissipated, forming a mist. Controlled by Wace''s Milotic, this mist formed a massive, rainbow-colored halo in the sky above the Pok��mon Contest venue, with the sun at its center, emitting a dazzling radiance.


    Upon the formation of the halo, the twelve Milotic lying on the water columns above it dived back into the water columns below, returning to the pool. The water columns also descended back into the pool.


    Wace''s Milotded beside him.


    After quite some time, the audience erupted into cheers and apuse, as if a tsunami of enthusiasm was unleashed, in response to this extraordinary performance.


    This rainbow halo persisted for more than ten minutes before gradually fading away.


    "Alright, thank you, Mr. Wace, and the Water-type Pok��mon, for the fantastic performance. By the way, the Water-type Pok��mon and the Milotic featured in the performancee from the Sootopolis Gym and the YoYo Day Care," Vivian announced after the performance, giving YoYo Day Care a bit of advertising. Many people silently noted down the name of the YoYo Day Care in their hearts.

 Chapter 927: Violet

    <h4>Chapter 927: Violet</h4>


    In the audience stands, Drew''s mother continuously cheered for Wace''s performance, and little Drew beside her was also captivated. Unbeknownst to him, a seed of admiration was nted in the young boy''s heart.


    Previously, Yuga had worried that his influence might affect Drew''s future when Drew expressed a desire to be a Trainer like him. However, the future always tends to unfold in its predetermined direction, and even with slight changes, it quickly returns to its track.


    After Wace''s performance, thepetition officially began.


    The rules of the Wace Cup are not significantly different from other Pok��mon Contest. It consists of two rounds: the first round being the Performance Stage, and the second round being the Battle Stage. However, whether it''s the Performance Stage or the Battle Stage, participants must send out two Pok��mon simultaneously.


    This rule undeniably increases the difficulty of thepetition, putting more emphasis on the coordination between Trainers and their Pok��mon, as well as between Pok��mon themselves.


    By the way, the first round of the Performance Stage is also divided into two segments. The first segment is the preliminary round, while the second segment is the formalpetition for the Performance Stage. Only those who pass both segments of the Performance Stage move on to the Battle Stage.


    The Wace Cup spans two days, with the first day dedicated to the Performance Stage and the second day to the Battle Stage.


    Under Vivian''s enthusiasticmentary, the participants took the stage one by one, many of whom were familiar faces from previous Pok��mon Contest. Even Yuga, who didn''t pay much attention to such contests, recognized quite a few.


    The match order for Kris and Robert was towards the end of the Performance Stage segment. However, before that, Yuga saw a familiar face and someone unexpected.


    Around halfway through the first segment of the Performance Stage, Solidad took the stage. Her opening Pok��mon were Butterfree and Pidgeot.


    While Solidad knew Yuga, she didn''te to visit Yuga when shee to Verdanturf Town. And Yuga wasn''t responsible for registering participants, so he had no idea she was participating in the Wace Cup.


    As her Butterfree and Pidgeot took the stage, they simultaneously soared into the sky, their wings surrounded by swirling silver winds for Butterfree and turbulent whirlwinds for Pidgeot.


    Their sprint was incredibly fast, and the two streams of differently colored air shed, creating small vortexes of airflow in the sky. These airflow vortexes constantly disappeared and reappeared, making for a captivating sight.


    When the two Pok��mon reached a certain height, they abruptly halted, then charged towards each other, but they didn''t collide; instead, they brushed past each other.


    In the instant they crossed paths, Butterfree used Sleep Powder, while Pidgeot unleashed a burst of Heat Wave.


    In Butterfree''s Sleep Powder, there were shiny scales from its wings, which, upon being touched by Pidgeot''s Heat Wave, instantly turned into tiny flickering mes, spinning within the residual swirls of silver winds and whirlwinds.


    Solidad''s performance not only showcased the precise control and finesse of her two Pok��mon''s moves but also highlighted their elegant postures.


    Speaking of another person that Yuga didn''t expect, he was genuinely surprised when she took the stage. This person turned out to be Misty''s sister.


    Misty had three sisters, and Yuga only remembered their names as Lily, Violet, and Daisy. However, he couldn''t recall which sister was which.


    The one on stage, named Violet, appeared to be around Yuga''s age, with deep blue hair. Yuga couldn''t remember which sister she was, but her name did sound familiar.


    However, this was the first time Yuga learned that one of Misty''s sisters had participated in a Pok��mon Contest. In his impression, Misty''s sisters were more like decorative figures.


    However, Violet''s performance did catch Yuga''s attention, making him little impressed.


    Violet''s performance was quite distinct from the others. She performed alongside her Pok��mon, and she was dressed in a stunning swimsuit. However, this swimsuit didn''t reveal much skin; it had a long flowing skirt adorned with various colorful ribbons of different lengths, giving Violet the appearance of a beautiful mermaid.


    It was more appropriate to call this outfit a costume designed specifically for performance.


    As the daughter of a Water-type Gym Leader, Violet''s two Pok��mon were naturally Water-types as well: Dewgong and Kingdra. When Dewgong and Kingdra entered the pool, Violet jumped in with them.


    As Dewgong resurfaced, Violet was already on its back. Dewgong, with Violet on its back, rapidly swam around the circr pool, with Kingdra following closely.


    The entire venue was filled with Violet''sughter, like tinkling silver bells, and the clear, melodious calls of Dewgong.


    As they swam, Dewgong suddenly spouted a water ring ahead and swiftly carried Violet into it, with Kingdra following right behind.


    Once the two Pok��mon and Violet had passed through the water ring, Kingdra immediately released another, and after they passed through it again, Dewgong released the next one.


    This cycle continued wlessly, with Violet and her two Pok��mon disying not only precise control of their move but also an incredible harmony between them.


    It was as if they were performing a water circus, and the entire venue was filled with a joyful atmosphere.


    At the end of the performance, Dewgong leaped high into the air, and Violet, riding on its back, made a graceful jump,nding lightly on the central stage.


    In the water, Kingdra used Dragon Pulse to shoot out a dragon-shaped energy wave. Under Dewgong''s Ice Beam, this energy wave transformed into a crystal-clear ice sculpture in the shape of a dragon, sparkling and shining in the sunlight.


    Violet''s performance, which included extensive interaction with her Pok��mon during the Performance Stage, was a rare sight in Pok��mon Contest, but she excelled in every aspect of the Wace Cup.


    Her seamless coordination with her Pok��mon, the showcasing of their move and their bond, the entertainment value of the performance, and more��all were on point. The most crucial element was the harmonious rtionship between the Trainer and her Pok��mon.


    Thisst point had always been the timeless theme promoted by the Pok��mon League and was equally important in Pok��mon Contest.


    Yuga rarely made unnecessaryments on previous performances, but after witnessing Violet''s performance, he couldn''t help but praise her a bit.


    It''s no wonder the three sisters could earn a substantial ie from their water-based performances at the Sootopolis Gym. It seemed like they indeed had something special.


    After her performance, Violet was actually quite nervous. This performance style was conceived by her, her sisters, and herself. To be precise, she was a neer to Pok��mon Contest, and her participation in the Wace Cup was a spontaneous decision made by her and her sisters.


    However, after hearing the appreciation from the judges, she finally felt a sense of relief. Following Vivian''s instruction to leave the stage and wait for the results, she exited the stage feeling a bit dizzy.


    Yuga noticed that as Violet left the stage, two girls were waiting for her at the stage exit. One had blonde hair, and the other had pink hair��clearly, these were Misty''s other two sisters.


    As Violet descended, the three sisters joyfully embraced each other.

 Chapter 928: Comeback

    <h4>Chapter 928: Comeback</h4>


    When the second half of the Performance Stage''s first segment arrived, Kris finally took the stage. This was Yuga''s first time seeing her perform in a Pok��mon Contest like this.


    As Kris herself mentioned, she had traveled to Kalos to train in the art of Pok��mon Contest performances. So her style differed somewhat from the local performances in Hoenn region and was heavily influenced by the Pok��mon Showcase. If one had to draw aparison, her performance style was quite simr to Violet''s earlier performance, with even more frequent interactions with her Pok��mon.


    Kris''s first two Pok��mon to grace the stage were Sylveon and Dedenne, both Fairy-type Pok��mon, which she had captured after her journey to Kalos.


    From the smooth and shiny fur of her two Pok��mon, it was evident that Kris had taken meticulous care of them. As soon as they appeared on stage, they immediately gathered around Kris and started dancing with unique and joyful steps.


    During their dance, Dedenne used its move, y Rough, emitting a faint pink glow from its body. With each step it took, it left behind a beautiful pink arc in the air.


    In contrast, Sylveon used its Safeguard move, which created a light green glow on its body, producing an effect simr to Dedenne''s joyful dance.


    The pink and light green arcs formed by Dedenne and Sylveon''s lively movements in the low sky created an intery of patterns that was lively and vivid.


    Although this dance performance didn''t involveplex move designs, it fully showcased the yful personalities of the two Pok��mon and their close bond with their Trainer.


    The dance was lively and rhythmic, making the audience irresistibly want to join in, as if a lively music was ying on the stage.


    It must be said that in this short dance routine, Kris and her Pok��mon put their hearts into it.


    After the brief dance, Dedenne started running rapidly on the stage, and as it ran, it began emitting golden electrical sparks.


    The faster Dedenne ran, the more electrical currents it left in its path, forming a neatly arranged circr pattern. The golden electrical currents crackled and sparkled, as if they were blooming golden electric flowers on the circr pattern.


    At this point, Sylveon released a pink mist from its body, using the misty terrain to transform the interior of the golden circle into a dreamy pink.


    The edge of the pink mist was adorned with a dazzling golden border as Sylveon suddenly used the ribbons on its body to bind Dedenne, who was running in mid-air, and then tossed it above Kris and Sylveon''s heads.


    Crackle!


    In mid-air, Dedenne suddenly released streams of electricity that fell like fireworks, dyeing the air above the venue golden. It was hard to imagine how such a small creature could store so much electricity within its tiny body.


    But it didn''t end there. All of these falling electric currentsnded precisely and evenly onto the golden circle below.


    The paths of the electric currents, the golden circle below, and the pink mist created by Sylveonbined to form a golden-framed, pink-bottomed birdcage. Kris, Sylveon, and Dedenne appeared as though they were little birds trapped inside the cage.


    Just when it seemed the electric currents and mist were about to dissipate, Sylveon used a Fairy Wind to shatter the birdcage, instantly filling the venue with golden and pink energy dots, resembling snowkes in winter.


    Kris''s performance received high praise from all the judges, especially Dedenne''s performance, which left even Wace impressed.


    In this performance, Dedenne used both Discharge and Thunderbolt, which, in terms of the duration of releasing electric currents, required a significant amount of electricity. Typically, Pok��mon with low internal energy storage, like Dedenne, wouldn''t be able to achieve this.


    However, not only did Dedenneplete it, but the final Thunderbolt was truly astonishing. Controlling each falling electric current urately onto the golden circle without extensive practice is no easy feat.


    It''s no wonder Kris had confidence in winning the Wace Cup championship. In the first round of performances, as expected, she earned the highest score.


    It must be said that the Pok��mon Contest relies heavily on talent. Kris, despite being one of the participants with the least experience, effortlessly surpassed her seniors.


    Rich imagination, unique training methods, and intricate performance are all essential in a Pok��mon Contest performance.


    Following Kris, it was Robert''s performance, with three participants in between. As the previous champion of the Pok��mon Contest''s Grand Festival, he was one of the favorites for thispetition.


    Although Robert had been absent from the public eye for a while, it was evident that many Pok��mon Contest fans hadn''t forgotten him. As soon as he took the stage, he received excited cheers and enthusiastic apuse from the audience, as if they were apuding his dedication.


    It''s no secret that Robert is a disciple of Mr. Juan and a younger brother to Wace. Almost anyone who is a true Pok��mon Contest enthusiast knows this fact.


    Mr. Juan is one of the founders of the Pok��mon Contest, and although he is no longer active in the public eye, his legend still looms over the Pok��mon Contest.


    Wace, on the other hand, is the one who elevated the Pok��mon Contest to a global stage and is undoubtedly the most shining star in the world of the Pok��mon Contest.


    Enveloped by the prestige of these two individuals, it''s impossible to say that Robert doesn''t feel the pressure.


    While Robert has already earned the title of a Top Coordinator, it''s clear thatpared to the achievements of his master and senior, his own aplishments may seem somewhat insufficient.


    At the moment, Robert is around the same age as Yuga and is approaching his twentieth birthday. When Wace was twenty, he was already a well-known figure and a powerful Elite level Trainer.


    Many people believe that as a disciple of Mr. Juan and a younger brother to Wace, Robert''s title as a Top Coordinator is only natural, and some even feel that his achievements don''t quite match his status as Wace''s younger brother.


    There are quite a few people who hold this viewpoint, and perhaps even more than that.


    When Robert initially earned the title of a Top Coordinator, there was a lot of extravagant chatter online about it. His fans even engaged in online disputes with some individuals over this matter.


    At the time, this issue caused quite amotion on the inte.


    The reason Robert decided, under his master''s arrangement, to be a teacher shortly after winning the Pok��mon Contest wasrgely influenced by this kind of public opinion.


    His exnation to Yuga at the time was that he needed to consolidate his gains, but this was merely a surface reason. The deeper reason was the impact of public opinion.


    The pressure he felt back then was considerable.


    However, he never discussed this matter with Yuga. As his good friend, Yuga remains unaware of it to this day.


    Back then, Yuga had also seen online discussions about him and had expressed concern for him at the time. However, Robert''s behavior at the time appeared entirely normal, and he managed to deceive Yuga.


    In the past two years, although Robert hasn''t appeared in public, some of his loyal fans still remember him, and hiseback has greatly uplifted their spirits.


    This Wace Cup is Robert''s firstpetition since hiseback!

 Chapter 929: Impact

    <h4>Chapter 929: Impact</h4>


    The long-awaited stage.


    At the beginning, Robert thought he might feel a bit nervous when stepping onto the stage, but as soon as he heard the enthusiastic cheers and apuse from the audience below, his heart calmed down instantly.


    Indeed, he loved this stage, and no matter how great the pressure, he never considered to giving up.


    Standing on the stage once again today, he felt that he was no longer the same Robert as before. Now, he was unafraid of any rumors or public opinion.


    With this in mind, Robert wore a smile on his face as he threw two Pok�� Balls onto the stage. Two Pok��mon appeared on either side of the stage, one being Mismagius and the other ydol.


    ydol had been Robert''s long-time partner, having apanied him for even longer than his Melotic. As for Mismagius, it was a gift from Yuga.


    Under Yuga''s Insight ability, both of these Pok��mon had reached the peak pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon. With the right opportunity, breaking through to an even higher level wasn''t difficult.


    Having been away from the stage for nearly two years, Robert''s time had not been wasted. He had not only gained a sense of maturity but had also umted strength.


    As soon as ydol appeared, it extended its two arms and emitted two colossal golden beams, each aimed at the other side where Mismagius stood.


    Upon seeing this, the entire audience involuntarily gasped, not understanding why ydol, a trusted partner, would attack itspanion.


    The two golden beams ydol emitted were clearly its powerful move, "Hyper Beam." Even a grazing hit from this move would have severely injured Mismagius, who wasn''t particrly known for its high defense.


    Just as it seemed the Hyper Beam beams were about to hit Mismagius, a massive golden gem suddenly materialized in front of Mismagius.


    This golden gem was the precursor to Mismagius''s move, "Power Gem." Controlled by Mismagius''s psychic power, the gem sparkled brilliantly under the refraction of the sunlight.


    Boom!


    The two golden beams, one on each side, hit the golden gem simultaneously. Reflecting off the gem''s surface, the Hyper Beam beams shattered and scattered, releasing energy like golden mes spreading in all directions.


    At this moment, Mismagius held the golden gem and rapidly ascended into the sky. The golden mes that were still dispersing due to its swift movement transformed into golden ribbons, adorning Mismagius, making it appear as if it were a magic user wielding spells.


    Not only that, as Mismagius ascended rapidly, it suddenly emitted streams of red mes. The crimson mes quickly intertwined with the golden light from the Hyper Beam, creating a stunning visual contrast of red and gold, leaving a significant visual impact.


    These mes were formed by Mystical Fire.


    Mismagius continued to ascend until it reached an incredibly high altitude at the center of the stage. In the audience''s view, Mismagius became another sun.


    Just as the audience wondered why Mismagius had flown so high, the golden and red intertwined sun in the sky suddenly unleashed an energy shockwave. This shockwave carried with it the golden light from the golden gem and the red mes.


    The target of this energy shockwave was the ydol below on the stage.


    Roar!


    The audience erupted once again, then stared in amazement at the astonishing scene unfolding before them.


    Little did they expect that Robert''s long-awaited return to the stage would bring them such excitement. After ydol''s attack on Mismagius, now it seemed that Mismagius was retaliating. Was this a thrilling and heart-pounding battle being presented to them?


    Moreover, this shockwave appeared even more terrifying than the previous Hyper Beam. Could ydol withstand it?


    This shockwave was generated by the power gem that Mismagius had been umting but hadn''t unleashed until now. Once the power gem was released, the golden gem in front of it disappeared.


    Everyone nervously fixed their gaze on ydol.


    Just as the audience and judges were curious about how ydol would defend against this attack, ydol, to the astonishment of everyone, charged directly toward the energy shockwave.


    ydol, using the move Gyro Ball, began to spin rapidly in mid-air.


    Due to the rapid spinning,bined with being in an elevated state, the airflow around ydol was driven, forming a sharp cone that fiercely collided with the descending energy shockwave.


    Boom!


    ydol and the shockwave collided, and the cone of airflow tore apart the cylindrical shockwave. The entire sky was filled with the burst shockwave, and the scattered energy resembled the most dazzling fireworks at a festival, capturing everyone''s attention.


    The audience fell into a hushed silence in the stands, all of them with awe-struck expressions, gazing at the beautiful spectacle in the sky.


    To present a performance that resembled a battle and was so captivating in its disy, Robert''s performance was undeniably unique.


    Excitement, heart-pounding moments, and sheer grandeur! These were the impressions that everyone present had of this performance.


    Against the backdrop of the fireworks, ydol and Mismagius slowly descended from the sky, floating on either side of Robert, then they gracefully bowed to acknowledge the audience''s apuse.


    Apuse and cheers followed immediately.


    Without a doubt, Robert''s score surpassed the previous highest score, which belonged to Kris.


    The most outstanding aspect of this performance was how it brilliantly showcased the immense power of Mismagius and ydol, both of them at the peak pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon. Without such formidable strength, it would have been impossible to deliver a performance so breathtaking and extravagant.


    This was not just a magnificent performance; it was also a profound impact on the audience''s hearts.


    Then, some might argue, "Wasn''t the rule of the Wace Cup this time to have two Pok��mon perform together to test their cooperation?"


    Robert''s performance was certainly entertaining, and the excellence of his Pok��mon was evident, but what about the cooperation between the two Pok��mon? It seemed like ydol and Mismagius were battling each other throughout the performance!


    It''s often said that experts understand the subtleties while novices simply enjoy the show. Those who make suchments must be novices. The fantastic shes between the two Pok��mon showcased their excellent cooperation.


    At the beginning, when ydol unleashed the Hyper Beam without reservation towards Mismagius, could Mismagius have simply withstood it based on strength alone?


    No, the Power Gem was fundamentally an offensive move, not a defensive one. Mismagius''s ability to withstand the Hyper Beam depended on ydol''s cooperation.


    And why did the energy from the shattered Hyper Beam persist until Mismagius ascended into the sky without dissipating? It was because Mismagius used its psychic power to control them. Without ydol''s cooperation, Mismagius wouldn''t have been able to control all that energy.


    Finally, when ydol charged toward the energy shockwave using Gyro Ball without a scratch, it wasn''t just because ydol had strong defenses; Mismagius''s control was also crucial.


    They not only showcased the strength of the two Pok��mon but also made the performance visually appealing and ensured the safety of both Pok��mon. Wasn''t that cooperation at its finest?


    After Robert''s performance, it didn''t take long for the first segment of the first round to conclude, and no one had surpassed Robert''s score.

 Chapter 930: Lunch Break

    <h4>Chapter 930: Lunch Break</h4>


    The first segment of the first round of thepetition ended in the morning, and it was now lunchtime. Both the audience and the judges needed to eat.


    Yuga and Wace chatted as they left thepetition venue and headed towards the exit, where they found Robert and Kris waiting for them.


    "Let''s go have lunch together!"


    Robert waved to Yuga and Wace.


    Yuga smiled and said to the three of them, "Sure, let''s go to my ce. I''ll treat you all to a taste of my Audino''s cooking. How does that sound?"


    As his close friend had an importantpetition these days, Yuga nned to give him a good meal as a way of showing support. He had already informed Audino about it in advance.


    Wace happily eximed, "That sounds great! I''ve heard from Steven that your Audino is an excellent cook. I''ve been wanting to taste it for a while now!"


    Because he admired Yuga''s Audino at home, Steven himself had also caught a Audino. He had even tasted the cooking of that Audino, and it was... incredibly delicious...


    But now, that Audino was genuinely strong. During his sparring sessions with Steven, this Audino always made him feel very embarrassed. Its physical strength was terrifying, as if it had an Iron Fist ability, even though its actual ability was just ordinary Regenerator.


    Other people''s Audinos were mainly support-oriented, but Steven''s Audino had trained itself to be a pure attacker.


    As the four of them walked out of the Pok��mon Contest venue, Yuga heard a familiar voice from behind. When he turned around, he realized that it was The Sensational Sisters.


    Violet asked, "Big sister, where should we have lunchter? I have another match in the afternoon if I advance. Should we find a nearby ce?"


    Violet''s words were directed towards the girl with golden hair, and now Yuga finally distinguished the names of The Sensational Sisters.


    The one with golden hair was the eldest, Daisy. Violet was the second sister, which meant the girl with pink hair was the third sister, Lily.


    Upon hearing Violet''s question, Daisy turned to her third sister, Lily, and asked, "Lily, what do you think?"


    Lily scrolled through her phone for a moment and then replied, "I heard there''s a Pok��mon Paradise here, and the restaurant inside is fantastic. I''ve been wanting to try it for a while. How about we go there?


    I also heard that this Pok��mon Paradise is also owned by the Gym Leader from Verdanturf Town, the one sitting on the judging panel, Mr. Shimizu. Second sister, don''t you think Mr. Shimizu is incredibly handsome and manly?"


    Violet was left baffled, "Uh... I might have been too nervous during my match and didn''t really pay attention. I can''t remember now..."


    The eldest sister, Daisy, yfully flicked Lily on the forehead, "What are you thinking, sis? We''re here for apetition, not to check out guys."


    Lily pouted, covering her forehead with her hands, "What''s the big deal..."


    Violet suggested, "Why don''t we go to the ce Lily mentioned?"


    Daisy frowned, "Is it too far? We wouldn''t want to bete for the afternoon matches."


    Lily immediately responded, "No, it''s not far at all. We can ride on Dodrio over there, it''s really fast, and we definitely won''t bete."


    Because the Pok��mon Contest venue had a particrlyrge crowd today, Verdanturf Town had arranged many Pok��Ride at nearby transportation points to ensure smooth traffic around the venue.


    Daisy agreed upon hearing this.


    Yuga felt a bit awkward listening to the conversation between the three sisters because not only did he hear it, but Wace, Robert, and Kris also heard it all.


    Although Yuga himself thought he was quite handsome, receiving such straightforwardpliments still made him a bit shy!


    However, Yuga did indeed have good looks. He was neen years old this year, but because he had spent over two years in Arus, his real age was more like twenty-two. He had a mature and determined face,bined with a height of over 1.85 meters, making him quite impressive in terms of appearance.


    Kris stifled augh as she covered her mouth and said, "I didn''t expect Yuga to be popr with girls!"


    Wace also teasingly remarked, "Oh, I''m jealous! Why aren''t such pretty girls casting their eyes on me!"


    Both Wace and Robert had disguised themselves when leaving thepetition venue, so most people didn''t recognize them. Plus, at this moment, the four of them were walking far ahead of the three sisters, making it even less likely that the subjects of their discussion realized they were being talked about.


    Yuga pretended to be annoyed, saying, "Alright, I''ve be a heartthrob now, huh? Are you guys even going to eat, or should I just go back on my own!"


    Robert chuckled, "He''s definitely embarrassed. I''ve never seen him like this before. Who would have thought he had such innocence in him."


    Yuga yfully kicked Robert, and the four of them continued to chat andugh as they walked away.


    Just as Lily was about to find Dodrio, she suddenly said to her two sisters, "Did you notice that the backs of those four people over there look familiar?"


    Daisy replied, "Yes, there''s a bit of familiarity, but there are so many people here. It could be someone we saw before, and besides, we don''t have any acquaintances here."


    Violet nodded, "You''re right. Let''s hurry up and go eat. That ce is famous, and there will surely be a lot of peopleter."


    Puzzled, Lily was led away by her two sisters in haste.


    When Yuga and his friends returned home, they indeed found Audino had prepared a table full of delicious food��colorful, aromatic, and mouthwatering. Without hesitation, they all dug in.


    Robert and Kris had eaten meals cooked by Audino before, so their reactions were rtively normal. However, Wace''s taste buds were genuinely amazed.


    "I understand now why Steven envied your Audino so much. This is... this is incredible! Your Audino is a female, right? When it has offspring in the future, you must save one for me. I don''t even need it to be exceptionally talented; just inheriting half, no, one-third of its mother''s culinary talent would make me very satisfied."


    After enjoying the meal to the fullest, Wacey back in his chair and sighed with admiration. He had no intention of following Steven''s path, capturing a Audino himself; that would be too unreliable.


    Audino, who was currently helping Wigglytuff clean up the dishes, red fiercely at Wace when she heard his words. What was this troublemaker saying? She was a pure and innocent youngdy, and he was talking about her having children! He should go have his own kids!


    Seeing Audino''s reaction, Wigglytuff tried hard to suppress herughter as she covered her mouth.


    Wace, who received a disdainful look and saw Wigglytuff''s giggles, foolishly asked, "What''s wrong? Did I say something wrong?"


    Yuga sighed and said, "You''ll have to wait for that. My Audino is still single."


    After lunch, Yuga was surprised to find the three sisters back in his shop, apanied by Drew and his mother.

 Chapter 931: Recommendations

    <h4>Chapter 931: Rmendations</h4>


    Little Drew''s mother came to buy a Pok��mon with Little Drew. Little Drew is about the age to start traveling, and it''s the right time to get him an initial Pok��mon.


    As for the three sisters, Daisy, Violet, and Lily, when they entered the shop, they were just looking around with curiosity, without specifying their purpose. Yuga let them explore on their own and greeted Little Drew and his mother.


    Initially, Little Drew hadn''t nned to buy an initial Pok��mon so soon. However, after watching the magnificentpetition, he developed a strong longing for it. So, he told his mother that he wanted to buy an initial Pok��mon from YoYo Day Care.


    Little Drew''s mother was a devoted fan of the magnificentpetition herself. Seeing her son''s interest in it, she was fully supportive. After lunch, she brought her son directly to the shop.


    YoYo Day Care is the industry of League Gym Leader, and apart from everything else, it has a guaranteed reputation. Little Drew''s mother was quite confident in this. Besides, YoYo Day Care also has a good reputation and excellent word of mouth.


    "Does Little Drew have any preferred Pok��mon? Preferred type would also help me rmend something suitable."


    Yuga smiled and said to the mother and son.


    Little Drew''s family is in good financial condition, and initial Pok��mon are crucial for trainers. So, they nned to directly buy a Pok��mon with a green potential.


    To follow the rules, Yuga didn''t intend to sell the high potential Pok��mon currently avable in the Day Care. The Ecopark has a wide variety of Pok��mon, and there is still a good stock of green potential Pok��mon. Giving one to an acquaintance isn''t a big deal.


    Little Drew''s mother reminded him, "Tell Mr. Shimizu what kind of Pok��mon you like."


    Little Drew was a bit puzzled. He didn''t have any specific preferences, but he hesitated and said, "I want... something that looks good."


    Oh, it turns out this young man is into appearances.


    But Yuga could understand; strength may be temporary, but looks are forever.


    "I see. In that case,e with me."


    Saying that, Yuga led the mother and son inside the shop.


    Currently, there are many other customers in the shop, most of them being regr customers of YoYo Day Care who are well aware of the rules for purchasing Pok��mon. If they were to discover that Yuga still has other high potential Pok��mon avable, they might clean out YoYo Day Care.


    "You two wait here for a moment; I''ll be right back."


    After entering the guest room, Yuga told the mother and son.


    Little Drew''s mother nodded and said, "You''re being very kind, Mr. Shimizu."


    She actually knew that if it weren''t for the good impression her son had with this Gym Leader when they were in Lilycove City, he wouldn''t have opened this back door for them. Green potential Pok��mon are in high demand at any Day Care, and acquiring one without connections is quite challenging.


    In this world, rtionships and connections matter everywhere, so she was very grateful to Yuga.


    Their family is in the flower business and sometimes needs to import some Bug-type Pok��mon, like butterfly and bee Pok��mon. Little Drew''s mother thought they might be able to cooperate with YoYo Day Care in this regard, provided that YoYo Day Care has the capacity.


    They don''t have very high requirements for the potential of butterfly and bee Pok��mon, but they do need arge quantity.


    Taking care of Bug-type Pok��mon enhances the growth of flowers and nts in their flower business, and that''s their secret to prosperity.


    If Yuga knew about Little Drew''s mother''s ns, he would probably be overjoyed. Because of the uniqueness of the Insect Paradise, Bug-type Pok��mon living in the Nest experience significantly elerated growth and reproduction rates.


    Moreover, Yuga already had a substantial poption of Beautifly and Dustox. He also imported arge number of Vivillon with various patterns. Bug-type Pok��mon are known for their prolific breeding, and if he didn''t find a way to manage them, he would soon be overwhelmed by butterfly Pok��mon in his Ecopark.


    Although the growth of Yuga''s Vivillon relies on other butterfly Pok��mon providing scale powder, there must be a bnce. The rapid reproduction of butterfly Pok��mon can be a burden for Yuga.


    It could be said that Little Drew''s mother relieved Yuga''s pressing concerns, and they could establish a long-term cooperative rtionship with YoYo Day Care.


    However, Little Drew''s mother didn''t immediately discuss this cooperative issue with Yuga. She nned to wait until after the Wace Cup ended and also wanted to discuss it with Little Drew''s father over the phone.


    Yuga didn''t make Little Drew and his mother wait long. In a short while, he returned to the guest room with several Pok�� Balls.


    "I''ve brought a few Pok��mon for Little Drew to take a look at. If he likes one of them, he can choose that one."


    Usually, when people buy high potential Pok��mon at YoYo Day Care, they need to stay and observe them for a while. However, given Yuga''s familiarity with Little Drew, they could skip this step. This step is mainly to assess whether a Trainer will treat their Pok��mon well, and since Yuga already knows Little Drew''s personality, there''s no need to go through it. Yuga isn''t rigid in his approach.


    Upon hearing this, Little Drew looked at Yuga with anticipation, eager to see what kind of Pok��mon would be his future partner.


    The first Pok��mon Yuga released was Pachirisu. This Pachirisu was small and cute, with a somewhat timid personality. It immediately hid behind a table leg as soon as it came out.


    "This is an Electric-type Pachirisu. They are rare to find in the wild and usually live in the Sinnoh region. However, they have lively personalities and be gentle once they get familiar with Trainers. They don''t have an evolved form or a pre-evolved form," Yuga exined.


    Little Drew looked at Pachirisu with sparkling eyes, admiring its pristine white fur and fluffy tail, which he thought must be veryfortable to touch.


    Yuga noticed Little Drew''s interest and asked, "Would you like to pet it?"


    Little Drew eagerly nodded.


    Yuga smiled and crouched down, extending his hand towards the shy Pachirisu hiding behind the table leg, saying, "Don''t be afraid,e out, everyone here is friendly."


    The shy Pachirisu hesitated for a moment, then timidly emerged from behind the table leg and quickly hopped onto Yuga''s hand. Its body was small enough to fit in Yuga''s palm.


    Yuga gently held Pachirisu and brought it over to Little Drew, gesturing, "Give it a pet."


    Little Drew gazed into Pachirisu''s round, shiny eyes and eventually ced his hand on the fluffy tail behind it.


    He gently stroked it back and forth. So soft! Sofortable! Pachirisu seemed to enjoy the attention, instinctively raising its tail and silently asking for a few more strokes.


    Seeing how much Little Drew was enjoying petting Pachirisu, Yuga asked with a smile, "So, do you like this Pachirisu? It''s quite cute, as you mentioned."


    Little Drew nodded and said, "I like it."


    However, when Yuga asked if he wanted to choose this Pachirisu, Little Drew hesitated once more.


    Yuga reassured him, saying, "It''s okay; let''s take a look at the others as well."


    Little Drew agreed with a nod.


    Gently cing Pachirisu back on the table, Yuga then released the second Pok��mon, a Buneary, which was equally adorable.


    However,pared to the shy Pachirisu, this Buneary was much bolder. As soon as it emerged, it curiously observed the unfamiliar Little Drew and his mother without any signs of timidity.


    "This is a Buneary, a Normal-type Pok��mon. Its evolved form, Lopunny, is known for its graceful appearance, and both forms are exceptionally agile and known for their jumping abilities. Buneary is lively and cute, while Lopunny is mature and elegant. However, both are easy to get along with. Buneary can evolve into Lopunny through friendship, which is not difficult for an amiable Pok��mon like Buneary."


    Watching Buneary, Little Drew couldn''t resist reaching out to pet its head. Compared to Pachirisu''s smooth and soft fur, Buneary''s fur was even fluffier and silkier, offering a different texture.


    Buneary, having its head touched by a stranger, didn''t show any fear but rather extended its long ears to rub against Little Drew''s hand, as if it were begging to be chosen. Its big, watery eyes seemed to say, "Pick me, please."


    Both Little Drew and his mother were charmed by these affectionate Pok��mon.


    Seeing that both Pok��mon were so friendly, Little Drew''s mother was increasingly satisfied with YoYo Day Care. If they had purchased Pok��mon that were unfriendly, mischievous, or had rebellious personalities, it would have been a disaster for novice Trainers.


    Not all Day Cares can guarantee that the Pok��mon they sell will immediately bond with their new Trainers.


    Seeing the affectionate Buneary, Yuga smiled and said, "No rush; there are other Pok��mon to consider."


    The third Pok��mon that Yuga released was a Cyndaquil, a Fire-type Pok��mon. This Cyndaquil was the offspring of Typhlosion and Darmanitan that lived in the Ecopark.


    Yuga was also selling starter Pok��mon for the first time.


    "This is a Fire-type Cyndaquil, one of the starter Pok��mon in the Johto region. You should be aware of its rarity, and naturally, its price is much higher than the other two."


    This Cyndaquil had a somewhat goofy personality. As soon as it was released, it spewed a burst of scorching mes from its back, then gazed at Yuga and Little Drew with a bewildered expression.


    Having grown up in the Volcanic Sub-Ecopark, this Cyndaquil was exceptionally well-developed, as evident from the intense mes it had just emitted. It had a remarkable sensitivity to Fire-type energy.


    Little Drew''s mother was surprised to see Yuga present one of the starter Pok��mon, but considering his status as an Elite level Trainer, having a few starter Pok��mon was not a big deal.


    "I personally rmend Little Drew to choose Cyndaquil. In every aspect, this Cyndaquil surpasses the other two Pok��mon by far."


    Moreover, starter Pok��mon like this Cyndaquil are hard toe by, making it the perfect choice."


    Yuga said to Little Drew and his mother.


    "However, the final decision should be based on Little Drew''s own preference. The one he feels a connection with is the best choice."


    "Little Drew, which one would you like? Mom also thinks this Cyndaquil is excellent."


    Thinking about her son''s future, Little Drew''s mother also hoped that he would choose the more exceptional Cyndaquil. Even though Cyndaquil was more expensive, their family still could afford it.


    Cyndaquil had naturally squinted eyes and, after being released, started exploring the table on its own, paying no attention to anyone else. To be honest, Little Drew was also torn between the three Pok��mon. They all seemed great to him. Of course, in terms of cuteness, Cyndaquil was less adorable than Pachirisu and Buneary, but it would evolve into a powerful Typhlosion!


    "In that case, I''ll choose Cyndaquil."


    Unable to make a decision on his own, Little Drew ultimately decided to follow his mother''s and Yuga''s advice. After all, adults usually had more experience and knowledge.


    Seeing her son hesitating for so long but ultimately choosing Cyndaquil, Little Drew''s mother was very satisfied. She believed her son had good taste.


    This Cyndaquil''s price was nearly twice that of typical Green potential Pok��mon, costing Little Drew''s mother a hefty 800,000 Pok��dors. However, she still felt that they got a great deal, considering that starter Pok��mon like Cyndaquil were practically unattainable outside.


    After purchasing the Pok��mon, the mother and son went to the Pok��mon Contest venue with high spirits, as there was still an afternoonpetition to participate in.


    When Yuga came out of the guest room, the three sisters had already left the store. Suzuki Koen mentioned that they didn''t buy anything. These three beautiful girls had spent quite a while in the store, leaving asting impression on Suzuki Koen.


    Although he was curious about why they hade, Yuga didn''t have much time to dwell on it. He needed to leave promptly; otherwise, he might dy the afternoonpetition.

 Chapter 932: Formidanle Rival

    <h4>Chapter 932: Formidanle Rival</h4>


    After leaving the store, Yuga hastily rode Absol towards the Pok��mon Contest venue. Wace, Robert, and Kris had already returned early after finishing their lunch.


    Upon reaching the entrance of the Pok��mon Contest venue, Yuga stepped out on Absol and rushed inside, only to collide with someone at the corner.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu!" The person opposite him also took a sharp breath after the collision and then eximed in surprise.


    Yuga rubbed his shoulder, feeling the impact was not light. "Sora? Oh, I should call you Gym Leader Sora now."


    Yuga hadn''t expected to encounter Sora here, but upon reflection, Sora was also a Pok��mon Coordinator. After he became a Gym Leader in Johto, Yuga hadn''t heard much about his participation in Pok��mon Contests.


    "It''s been a while!" Sora said with a smile.


    They knew each other but weren''t particrly close. After going their separate ways in the Gym Challenge, they hadn''t seen each other or stayed in touch.


    "It''s been a while indeed. But since you''re here, why didn''t I see you participate in the Wace Cup?" Yuga asked curiously.


    Sora let out a wry smile. "I originally nned to participate, but there was a sudden issue at the Gym. By the time I got here, it was toote."


    He had been dealing with Gym-rted matters, having just arrived in Verdanturf Town today. He didn''t even make it in time to watch the morning contests, let alone register for thepetition.


    The conditions in his hometown were far from idealpared to Verdanturf Town. After bing a Gym Leader, he had a lot to handle, and there was simply no time for Pok��mon Contests.


    But it was still his hometown, and he couldn''t just leave it unattended. That was why he had agreed to participate in the Gym Leader selection in the first ce, hoping to see his hometown prosper and escape its past poverty.


    Yuga nodded in understanding. The responsibilities of a Gym Leader went beyond just battling challengers; they were also responsible for town development and defense. When they were free, they were really free, but when they were busy, they were extremely busy.


    Comparatively, Mayor Ishida of Verdanturf Town was very supportive. He took the lead in everything, trying not to trouble Yuga too much, even though Yuga still ended up dealing with various matters. Otherwise, Yuga wouldn''t have had such a rxed schedule.


    Sora''s situation was different. His hometown needed him, and he couldn''t neglect it. This was why he had agreed to participate in the Gym Leader selection in the first ce��to help his hometown develop and escape poverty.


    Yuga nodded in understanding and said, "I see. It''s important to take care of your hometown. I hope everything gets sorted out for you."


    Sora appreciated Yuga''s understanding and nodded in response. "Thank you. I''ll try to participate in the next contest if I can manage my schedule better."


    They exchanged a few more words before parting ways, each heading towards their respective destinations within the Pok��mon Contest venue.


    Yuga: "So, are you here as a spectator now?"


    Sora nodded, "Yes, it''s been a while since I participated in a contest. Watching otherspete and gaining some experience is important."


    After a few more words, Yuga realized it was gettingte and said, "I have to go now; otherwise, I might bete. Feel free to visit Verdanturf Gym when you have the time."


    Sora nodded in agreement, "Sure, go ahead."


    He understood that Yuga was one of the judges for this contest, so he didn''t want to dy Yuga any further.


    Their paths diverged, with Sora heading to the spectator seats and Yuga making his way to the preparation room. After saying their goodbyes, they went in opposite directions.


    Yuga rushed to the preparation room, and when he arrived, he was out of breath. The other judges were already there, so he quickly apologized.


    Thepetitors'' preparation room and the judges'' preparation room were separated, so aside from the host, Vivian, and a few apanying staff members, there were only a few judges on Yuga''s side.


    Yuga sat down for a moment to catch his breath, and a staff member soon informed them, "It''s almost time for the contest. The host and judges should get ready."


    Everyone got up, and Joyka appeared by Yuga''s side, handing him a bottle of water. She asked in a low voice, "Where were you? You arrived sote and out of breath."


    Yuga and Joyka were old friends, so their interactions were casual. Joyka could ask Yuga questions without the usual reservations.


    Yuga opened the bottle and took a sip of water before answering, "There were customers at the store, and I ran into someone I knew, so we chatted for a bit."


    Joyka nodded and then added, "After the afternoon contest,e to the Pok��mon Center. I have something to discuss with you."


    Yuga inquired, "What''s it about? Can''t you tell me now?"


    Joyka yfully gave him a pat and said, "It''s not something we can cover in a few sentences. Juste when you can. Don''t waste time talking."


    Yuga acknowledged and, since he was already at the judges'' seat outside, he didn''t say anything more.


    As the time arrived, Vivian''s melodious voice echoed in the arena.


    "I''m sure you''re all eagerly anticipating the results of the first round''s initial segment. Now, without further ado, please look at the big screen!"


    As Vivian spoke, therge screen in the venue disyed pictures of the participating contestants.


    "These thirty-two contestants have advanced to thetter part of the first round. Please prepare for the uing matches."


    From nearly two hundred contestants in the first round, only thirty-two remained on the big screen.


    After the second segment of the first round, these thirty-two contestants would be further reduced by half, leaving only sixteen participants for the subsequent exhibition battles.


    Inside the contestants'' preparation room, there was a synchronized screen that disyed the results of the matches announced on the big screen in the venue. The names of the contestants advancing to the next round were also shown on the preparation room''srge screen.


    Seeing this oue, the contestants in the preparation room had mixed emotions. Some cried and left directly, while others, more resilient, chose to stay and watch the matches of the remaining contestants.


    Contestants like Robert, Kris, Solidad, and Violet had sessfully advanced.


    "Now, we will announce the match order for these thirty-two contestants," Vivian''s voice came through therge screen. The advancing contestants nervously watched the big screen in the preparation room.


    The pictures of the thirty-two contestants were turned face down on the big screen, shuffled around, and then flipped over again. The order of their appearances had been determined.


    Kris was the eighth contestant to perform, Violet the eleventh, and Robert the fourteenth.


    The first contestant to perform was a familiar face to Robert, someone he hadpeted against for the championship at the Pok��mon Contest''s Grand Festival��Suzuye.


    While Suzuye''s performance in the first round''s initial segment hadn''t been overly impressive, those who knew her understood that her skills were definitely not limited to what she had shown. She had deliberately concealed her true abilities.


    Although Suzuye hadn''t won the championship in the Pok��mon Contest Grand Festival that Robert participated in, in subsequent editions, includingst year''s when Megumi, Akihito''s travelpanions, hadpeted, Suzuye had imed the championship each time.


    Currently, Suzuye was a bona fide Top Coordinator. As the official representative of the new generation of Pok��mon Coordinators highly promoted by the Pok��mon Contest official, some even referred to her as the sessor to Wace.


    In terms of fame and reputation, she surpassed Robert, who had disappeared for two years. She was indeed Robert''s biggest rival in the Wace Cup.


    "Now, we invite the first contestant of this afternoon''spetition, Miss Suzuye."


    Vivian''s voice echoed through the big screen, and all the contestants in the preparation room focused their gaze on Suzuye, including Robert.


    Suzuye was quite ustomed to being in the spotlight like this, feeling no pressure at all. Instead, she made eye contact with Robert through the crowd, saw that he was looking at her, nodded gently in his direction, and shed a sweet smile. Then, she walked out of the preparation room''s door.


    Suzuye wasn''t particrly tall, but she had a sweet and cute appearance rather than a conventionally "beautiful" one. Describing her as pretty or beautiful didn''t quite do her justice; "adorable" was a more fitting term. In fact, her smile just now had melted the hearts of the other contestants who saw it.


    However, Robert''s perception was different. When their eyes met, he sensed a strong sense of determination in Suzuye''s gaze.


    Seeing his cousin lost in thought, Kris nudged him and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Robert snapped back to reality and shook his head, "Why? Your performance is ahead of mine. Focus and get yourself ready."


    Kris nodded. Being the eighth performer was quite an early slot, and she was indeed feeling a bit nervous.

 Chapter 933: Astral Body

    <h4>Chapter 933: Astral Body</h4>


    Suzuye truly lived up to her reputation as a Top Coordinator, having won the Grand Festival Championship twice. Except for the Great God Wace, no other Pok��mon received such a warm and enthusiastic apuse and cheers from the audience.


    p, p.


    With a smile on her face, Suzuye threw two Pok�� Balls, and two Pok��mon appeared in the arena: an Umbreon and a Gothitelle.


    Previously, no one had seen Suzuye use these two Pok��mon inpetitions. However, just by looking at the levels of these two Pok��mon, Yuga could tell that these were her hidden assets. In other words, from this match onwards, Suzuye was going all out.


    Umbreon and Gothitelle were both ck in color, and the two Pok��mon stood together, creating an unexpectedly harmonious sight.


    "Umbreon!"


    Umbreon let out a gentle cry and hopped in front of Gothitelle. It moved gracefully and elegantly, disying an air of pride distinct from other Pok��mon.


    Umbreon often had such personalities, and the more haughty they were, the more trainers liked them. However, sometimes, Umbreon''s aloofness was just a fa?ade, especially when facing their trainers.


    Thinking about it, if Umbreon''s inner nature was as aloof as its appearance, it would never evolve into Umbreon. After all, Eevee needed high friendship levels to evolve into Umbreon.


    The golden rings on Umbreon''s ck fur slightly shimmered, and then a brilliant golden beam of light shot from the golden ring on Umbreon''s forehead. The audience then saw a beautiful silver moon appear behind Umbreon and Gothitelle.


    Because it was still daytime, the silver moon wasn''t very distinct, but whenbined with the ck bodies of Umbreon and Gothitelle, it seemed like a silver glow enveloped them.


    "Gothitelle!"


    As the silver moon appeared, Gothitelle let out a cry, and the audience was captivated by the enchanting scene before them.


    After the appearance of the silver moon, Gothitelle behind Umbreon spread its arms, emitting a dazzling rainbow-colored light. The entire arena suddenly plunged into darkness, and then one by one, tiny stars lit up in the darkness, like twinkling nightnterns.


    Initially, the audience was taken aback by the sudden darkness, and then there was a burst of astonishment.


    "It''s so beautiful!"


    With the silver moon high in the sky and shimmering stars all around, the entire arena was a breathtaking sight.


    With the stars adding to the ambiance, the arena was no longer pitch-ck, and the audience began to whisper in amazement.


    They were curious about how this starry night sky had appeared in the middle of a daylight venue.


    "Gothitelle, the Astral Body Pok��mon, possesses a special individual with powerful psychic energy. It can use this power to manipte space, allowing people to see the distant cosmos up close," Yuga whispered to the other judges.


    Joyka remarked, "I always thought this was a legend; I didn''t expect Gothitelle could actually do it."


    Wace contemted for a moment and replied, "This Gothitelle probably can''t fully achieve this on its own, so it''s leveraging the power of Umbreon."


    The other judges nodded in agreement. If Gothitelle could achieve this with only one Pok��mon, it would have to be a Elite level Pok��mon at the very least, but the one on stage clearly didn''t possess that level of power.


    Yuga added, "Gothitelle capable of doing this is definitely rare, and Gothitelle itself is already a rare Pok��mon, so those that can achieve this are even rarer."


    Just like the legend of how Mismagius can control powerful illusions, not every Mismagius possesses such a talent. For example, Yuga''s Mismagius doesn''t have this ability, and there isn''t a single one in his Ecopark that can do it.


    In the end, it alles down to talent. Special talents are extremely rare, just like the ability to control space and project distant scenes possessed by Gothitelle.


    The judges exchanged a few quiet words and then continued to watch Gothitelle and Umbreon''s performance in silence.


    "Umbreon!"


    The eyes of Umbreon shimmered with blue light, and under its strong psychic influence, it and the silver moon behind Gothitelle slowly ascended. Then, they suddenly shrank smaller and smaller, as if affected by space distortion, until they disappearedpletely.


    Following this, all the twinkling stars in the night sky seemed to be attracted, flowing toward the ce where the silver moon vanished. The entire night sky appeared to be showered with a meteor shower.


    After the meteor shower faded, space plunged into darkness again. At this moment, Gothitelle once more emitted a powerful, multicolored light. Under the influence of this light, the entire space seemed to be in motion.


    Then, a massive yellow suddenly appeared out of thin air and immediately disappeared. It was followed by blue, purple, gold, red... one after another appearing and disappearing.


    Each of theses was no longer as tiny as the previous stars; each one, upon appearing, upied the entire space. Thest one to appear was a zing ball of mes.


    Without a doubt, it was the sun.


    By this point, the audience had been left in awe by these breathtaking scenes, and the entire arena fell into a hushed silence.


    After the sun disappeared as well, Umbreon leaped high into the air and shot out an enormous shadow ball. The shadow ball exploded in mid-air, and then space seemed to detonate like the exploding shadow ball, unleashing a series of colorful meteors, all originating from a single point.


    Meteor streaked across the night sky, transforming into beautiful auroras that gently swayed above the arena, captivating the gaze of every single spectator.


    Such a spectacle was truly rare!


    Buzz!


    Just as the audience was immersed in this magnificent disy, all the auroras disappeared in an instant. The arena returned to normal as if the night, silver moon, stars,s, sun, and auroras had never existed. Only Umbreon and Gothitelle stood on the stage, panting heavily.


    Reflecting such a grandiose scene exacted an immense toll on both Gothitelle and Umbreon, even with the assistance of Gothitelle''s talent.


    To be precise, Gothitelle had not fully mastered this talent yet. Otherwise, it wouldn''t have needed Umbreon''s assistance and guidance during the performance.


    When Gothitelle broke through to the Elite level Pok��mon, it was believed that it would be able to fully harness this talent. Currently, with its psychic strength, it was not yet capable of independently projecting scenes from tens of thousands of light-years away.


    After Gothitelle and Umbreon''s performance, there was a moment of silence in the arena, followed by an unprecedented wave of cheers.


    It had to be said that Suzuye''s trump card was truly formidable, dominating the opening act and cing immense pressure on all the subsequent contestants.


    After deliberation by all the judges, Suzuye''s performance received a perfect score.


    This was the first perfect score in this Wace Cup Exhibition Match.

 Chapter 934: Comparison

    <h4>Chapter 934: Comparison</h4>


    As the first performer, Suzuye''s outstanding performance had set a high bar for the other contestants, and one of them even made a mistake due to the pressure. Consequently, the atmosphere grew even tenser, and in this heightened tension, the eighth contestant, Kris, took the stage.


    Seeing the thunderous apuse from the audience below, Kris patted her cheeks, took a deep breath to calm herself, and then released her two Pok��mon: Walrein and Milotic.


    Walrein was Kris''s starter Pok��mon, while Milotic evolved from a Feebas she received from Yuga. These two Pok��mon were currently her strongestpanions.


    Simr to the Performance Stage in the first round, the final exhibition round required contestants to use two Pok��mon in their performance. However, these two Pok��mon had to be selected from the four used in the first round''s Performance Stage.


    So, in this round of exhibitions, regardless of whether they had previously hidden any Pok��mon, the contestants had to reveal them now, or they risked not even making it to the second round.


    Out of the thirty-two contestants, only sixteen would sessfully advance to the second round.


    Walrein and Milotic were both Water-type Pok��mon, but they didn''t enter any water pools. Instead, they appeared directly in the center of the stage.


    "Milotic!"


    Milotic let out a soft cry, using a move called "Safeguard." A light green energy shield materialized around her, rising into the air.


    "Walrein!"


    Walrein opened its mouth and unleashed a rainbow-colored beam. When this beam hit the light green energy shield, an incredible transformation urred. The energy shield changed from light green to a constantly shifting rainbow, resembling the aurora borealis.


    Because the area covered by Milotic''s rising Safeguard was extensive, it almost enveloped the entire sky of the arena. So, at this moment, the audience was treated to a spectacle of beautiful and dreamy auroras.


    "I never expected that the Aurora Beam and Safeguard could create such a scene," Joyka whispered to Yuga, who was sitting beside her.


    Yuga replied in a hushed tone, "Perhaps this is where the Aurora Beam''s namees from."


    Mr. Sukizo, who was sitting next to Joyka, heard their conversation and chimed in, "I really love this!"


    After the auroras appeared, Milotic released enormous, transparent water orbs one by one. These orbs, under Milotic''s control, floated in mid-air, reflecting the beautiful auroras and emitting a dazzling light.


    "Walrein!"


    Walrein called out, and the water orbs began to move and dance in the air, creating a mesmerizing disy of lights.


    Thebination of Walrein''s Aurora Beam, Milotic''s Safeguard, and the floating water orbs produced a breathtaking performance. The audience was captivated by the dazzling disy of lights and colors in the arena.


    At this moment, Walrein let out a loud roar, and its entire body suddenly emitted a chilling aura. A white mist drifted over the entire stage, giving rise to vivid ice sculptures.


    These ice sculptures, formed by Walrein''s use of its Ice Beam move, came in various sizes and shapes, but each one was lifelike and crystal clear.


    "Milotic!"


    Milotic emitted another soft sound, and all the water orbs, under its control, released slender streams of water, showering the ice sculptures. Not only did the water contain streams, but it also carried the colorful reflections of the auroras that were disyed on them.


    When all the water orbs were emptied, the ice sculptures were now adorned with shimmering, rainbow colors, and at this moment, the aurora disy above the audience''s heads disappeared.


    As the ice sculptures seemed to fade, Milotic extended itsrge, fan-like tail and used its move, Dragon Tail, to strike the stage. All the sculptures shattered into sparkling colored dots, vanishing into the air.


    Mr. Contestamented, "This performance is excellent, with a high level ofpletion."


    Mr. Sukizo nodded in agreement, saying, "I really like it."


    Joyka added, "Judging by the appearance and the smooth execution of their moves by both Pok��mon, they have been well-trained."


    Yuga chimed in, "Both Pok��mon exhibit excellent control over their moves. Thebination of Aurora Beam without disrupting Safeguard, the creation of diverse ice sculptures through Ice Beam, and Milotic''s precise use of Dragon Tail without damaging the stage show their mastery."


    Following suit, Wace said, "A stage of water and ice that beautifully showcases the beauty of both elements! If I had to sum it up in one word, it would be ''wonderful''!"


    As a water-type Pok��mon enthusiast, Wace had a special appreciation for performances involving water.


    Without a doubt, Kris received a high score of 96 points. If it weren''t for Suzuye''s extravagant performance, Kris would have had the highest score. Among the eight contestants who performed, aside from Suzuye, Kris was the only one with a score above 90.


    Each of the five judges had a maximum of 20 points to allocate. Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, and Joyka awarded Kris the full 20 points, Yuga gave 19 points, and Wace gave 17 points.


    As the first round of the second segment of thepetition unfolded, after eight performances, Yuga and the other judges gradually noticed that although Wace wasvish in his praise for the contestants'' performances, his scoring had be more stringent.


    Kris''s score of 17 points was the highest he had given so far, apart from the 20 points awarded to Suzuye. Influenced by Wace, the other judges also found themselves unconsciously bing more strict in their scoring. The situation where many contestants received scores above 90 points, as seen in the first round, had disappeared.


    Following Kris, it was Solidad''s turn to perform.


    Compared to neers like Kris, who rarely appeared on the Pok��mon Contest stage, Solidad was an old hand who had been active in various regional contests for years. She might not be the most naturally talented contestant in thispetition, but she was undoubtedly the most experienced. While others might feel pressure from the high scores given to Suzuye and Kris, she wouldn''t.


    Her exceptional ability to handle pressure, honed through years ofpetition, allowed her to perform effortlessly in any tense atmosphere and deliver her usual level of performance, or even exceed it.


    Solidad''s two Pok��mon, like Kris''s, were also Water-type Pok��mon: Slowpoke and Luvdisc.


    Everyone with keen observers knew that using the same type of Pok��mon as the previous performer could negatively affect the judges'' perception and scoring. However, Solidad went ahead with it anyway, and she won the gamble.


    Solidad''s performance was outstanding, earning her a score of 97 points, just like Kris.


    Mr. Contesta and Mr. Sukizo each gave 19 points, while Joyka and Yuga gave 20 points. Surprisingly, Wace also gave 19 points.


    Unlike Kris''s slightly fluctuating scores, Solidad''s scores remained very consistent. All the judges awarded her high marks, with no scores lower than 19 points.


    Solidad''s performance was not as visually spectacr as Kris''s and Suzuye''s. She didn''t focus on showmanship; instead, her entire performance had a simple and practical feel to it.


    As the saying goes, "Amateurs look at the show, professionals look at the technique."


    Solidad''s performance might have reduced its entertainment value, but it increased its practicality.


    In the end, this was a gamble on her part. If the judges and the audience were as superficial in their appreciation and evaluation of her performance as they seemed, then Solidad would have been out of luck.


    Firstly, her Slowpoke disyed extraordinary agility during the performance.


    Although it was hard to discern any apparent differences between this Slowpoke and a regr one, those bright eyes gave Yuga and the others the feeling that this was not just an ordinary Slowpoke but something akin to a Slowking.


    The first impression most people had of Slowpoke was its stoic demeanor. Training a Slowpoke with such inner grace was not a feat that could be aplished merely through time.


    Secondly, the Double Heal Pulse used by Slowpoke and Luvdisc was astonishing. Joyka from the medical family and Yuga, with his Chimecho, were particrly touched by this. It was one of the reasons they both gave full marks.


    In theory, the Heal Pulse move could restore half of a target''s health, but the actual effectiveness of Heal Pulse varied depending on the user''s strength and control of the move. Most Pok��mon couldn''t reach this theoretical value.


    However, Yuga and Joyka, who had been exposed to Heal Pulse for many years, could easily discern that both Slowpoke and Luvdisc were close to achieving the theoretical value with their Heal Pulses, at the very least.


    They felt this the moment they were enclosed by the two Heal Pulse circles.


    Hidden nuances like these, existing within the subtle differences in the performances, were something you couldn''t expect ordinary spectators to notice.


    Unless someone in the audience had suffered a serious injury, they wouldn''t be able to perceive the strength of the Heal Pulse. The most immediate sensation for them would be feelingfortable when encircled by Heal Pulse, but this effect was present in all Heal Pulse usages. The differences were in the details.


    Lastly, Solidad''s performance concealed every bit of detail, like Lovedisc''s eleration in the Rain Dance, or Slowpoke''s immunity to confusion during Supersonic. These demonstrations of the Pok��mon''s Moves and Ability through details were masterfully woven into the performance.


    Without a certain degre of vision, most judges would find it difficult to discover Solidad''s hidden performance within the details.


    This was the uniqueness of the Pok��mon Contest. The entertainment value of the performance went beyond the surface; it had deeperyers. These concealed special performances challenged the judges'' perception.


    Fortunately, Yuga was a seasoned Elite level Trainer, Joyka had been dealing with various Pok��mon for years, Contesta and Sukizo were veterans of the Pok��mon Contest, and Wace was even more experienced.


    In terms of perception, the judges had it!


    In the preparation room, Kris watched Solidad''s performance through the screen. She tightly clenched her fingers, feeling very nervous and not quite understanding what was good about Solidad''s performance.


    Despite Kris''s natural talent in the Pok��mon Contest, she was still very young, and there were things she couldn''t quite grasp yet.


    Seeing her little cousin so nervous, Robert, who was sitting nearby, spoke up, "This person''s performance is quite impressive. Pay more attention to her in the uing matches. Also, judging by the current scores, it shouldn''t be too difficult for you to advance to the next round."


    Hearing her older cousin''sforting words, Kris''s nervousness indeed eased a bit. She softly uttered an "Okay," and her tightly clenched fingers slowly rxed.


    Robert sighed inwardly, thinking: Kris has participated in too fewpetitions. Shecks stage experience and tends to get flustered easily.


    Back in the preparation room, Solidad noticed that everyone''s attention was on her. She politely nodded to the other contestants, smiled, and then found a ce to sit down, intending to continue watching the performances of the other contestants.


    Although herpetition for the day had already ended, and the likelihood of her advancing was high, knowing your opponents was key to winning battles.

 Chapter 935: Strength and Weakness

    <h4>Chapter 935: Strength and Weakness</h4>


    As Suzuye''s performance came to an end, the atmosphere of thepetition grew increasingly tense, and it wasn''t long before it was Violet''s turn.


    To be honest, Violet was extremely nervous at this moment. Participating in the Wace Cup with her sisters had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, and this was her first time standing on such a big stage.


    Looking at the numerous audience members below, she found her legs trembling for a moment.


    Violet turned to look at the entrance to the stage, where her sisters were clenching their fists and cheering her on. She took a deep breath to calm herself down.


    "I''m here to represent my sisters in thispetition; I can''t back down!" She silently encouraged herself, feeling determined.


    With that resolve in mind, Violet released her two Pok��mon, a Vaporeon and a Seeking, into the water pool on the stage.


    As soon as the two Pok��mon entered the water, Violet, dressed in a magnificent swimsuit, also jumped into the water.


    Upon seeing Vaporeon and Seeking, Yuga couldn''t help but furrow his brow.


    In the previous round, he had noticed that Violet''s Pok��mon, while well-cared for, had rtively low levels, and this Seeking and Vaporeon were no exception.


    In the first round''s Performance Stage, this might not be a significant w, but once they entered the second round of Battle Stages, it could be a fatal disadvantage.


    In Battle Stages, battling prowess was crucial.


    Initially in thest game, Yuga had thought that Violet might bring out stronger Pok��mon for this round, but it seemed not.


    While this girl indeed showed some talent in performance, she wasn''t a professional Coordinator, or else she would have considered this aspect. Prior contestants like Suzuye, Kris, and even Solidad had revealed their strong Pok��mon in this round.


    Back when Yuga watched the animated contests, he always felt that the Pok��mon Contests didn''t require high battling prowess. However, the reality was quite the opposite. In the Pok��mon world, most Coordinators paid great attention to nurturing their Pok��mon''s battling abilities.


    With Wace, the Elite level Trainer, leading the Pok��mon Contest, most Coordinators were well aware that the Pok��mon Contest wasn''t just about performance.


    The Pok��mon Contest consisted of two rounds: one for performance and one for battle. The final battle round was the crucial point where the oue could be determined directly. Professional Coordinators couldn''t afford to neglect this.


    Ultimately, the participants had to face professional judges, not just casual spectators. Relying solely on showmanship wouldn''t make one a sessful Coordinator.


    As Seeking and Vaporeon entered the water, they started jumping and creating long sshes.


    Observing Seeking''s splendid and intricate tail, Joyka whispered to Yuga, "Just by looking at Seeking''s tail, you can tell that this Seeking must be very well taken care of."


    "Indeed," Yuga agreed.


    Yuga nodded in agreement, setting aside the issue of levels; this Seeking indeed had impressive physical conditions.


    The most prominent indicator of a Seeking''s good development was its tail. The better a Seeking''s development, the more splendid its tail would be.


    Violet''s Seeking not only had scales that shone like fiery red, but its tail was alsoyered and intricate, resembling theyers of a human ballet skirt. Its elegance was top-notch.


    From Joyka''s perspective, this Seeking was genuinely exceptional.


    And it wasn''t just Seeking; Vaporeon disyed simr traits.


    Violet''s performance this time was unique and followed her previous style. She, along with Seeking and Vaporeon, started performing water ballet in the pool.


    Seeking was magnificent, and Vaporeon was graceful. Under Violet''smand, the two Pok��mon performed synchronized water ballet, looking extremely professional. It was evident that they had undergone rigorous training.


    Furthermore, Violet was clever. While she was a part of the water ballet, she deliberately downyed her presence and focused on highlighting Seeking and Vaporeon.


    This approach not only emphasized the essence of the Pok��mon Contest but also demonstrated her excellent coordination with her Pok��mon.


    Violet and her Pok��mon''s water ballet performance was truly a visual delight, infused with numerous move demonstrations that made the performance highly engaging.


    From the perspective of the Pok��mon Contest, this performance was more than satisfactory.


    Violet and her sisters were all professional dancers, and water ballet was their hobby. Therefore, they had trained their Pok��mon for water ballet very professionally. Bringing water ballet to the stage of the Pok��mon Contest was not a difficult task for Violet.


    Violet''s final score was 89 points. Her score might not have been as eye-catching as Kris or Suzuye, but from Yuga''s perspective, given the current strict scoring system, she had already secured her spot for the next round.


    However, advancing was just the beginning; the crucial part was the Battle Stage round that would follow.


    After Violet, there were other moveed Coordinators who performed well. Among them, one contestant scored over 90 points, surpassing Kris and Suzuye with a score of 98, bing the highest scorer after Suzuye.


    This contestant was at least thirty years old, but Wace seemed to have a high opinion of him, giving an unexpectedly high score, a perfect 20. This was the first perfect score he had given since Suzuye.


    Yuga believed that this contestant might be what they called a te bloomer."


    In the Trainer industry, whether it was a Coordinator or a traditional Trainer, age was actually an important factor. Many majorpetitions had age restrictions, with the most typical example being the League Conference, which only allowed participants under thirty years old, the standard stage for young people.


    The League Conference was one of the important ways for the Pok��mon League to select and nurture talent. The League naturally wouldn''t let go of young participants in favor of older individuals who had little value in terms of development.


    Inparison, the Pok��mon Contest had more rxed at age restrictions, with participants from almost all age groups. The reason behind this was the League''s different positioning for the twopetitions.


    The League still saw the Pok��mon Contest as primarily for public entertainment, simr to the Pok��mon Showcases in Kalos.


    In contrast, traditional Trainers were the armed forces of the League. Most of the League''s events aimed to select and cultivate talent.


    For example, major events of the Pok��mon Contest, such as the Grand Festival, are publicly broadcast on television for the general audience to watch. However, some important events in the world of traditional Trainers often ur secretly, with the League only revealing the final results.


    One of the prime examples is the Pok��mon League Conference.


    Every year, while the public is aware of the approximate timing of the League Conference, by the time they realize it, the Championship has already quietly concluded, and all they get is the League''s announcement of the final results.


    Every participant in the League Conference is considered a highly important force within the League, and it''s safe to say they represent some of the strongest trainers. The League is not naive enough to openly showcase its top forces.


    In this world, there are numerous evil organizations, so doing that would be like a beautiful woman undressing herself in front of a hooligan and saying, "Come at me!"


    Of course, in events like the Pok��mon Contest and the Pok��mon Showcases, which are positioned as entertainment, exceptional talents can still emerge. For instance, Wace, the League has a special approach to selecting and recruiting such individuals.


    Soon, it was Robert''s turn to perform, and his appearance was scheduled as the fourteenth. By this point, thepetition was almost halfway through.


    When he took the stage, he appeared calm, seemingly unaffected by the scores of previous contestants. As a Top Coordinator, he might not have the poprity of Suzuye, but he had a solid fan base.


    Amid the cheers from the audience, he released his two Pok��mon, Melotic and Gyarados.


    As soon as the two Pok��mon appeared, theirpletely contrasting auras, one serene and the other fierce, filled the stage.


    Seeing that Robert had sent out Melotic and Gyarados, both Yuga and Wace were taken aback, finding it quite unexpected.


    However, when it came to the strength of the Pok��mon, Melotic and Gyarados were indeed Robert''s strongest choices, especially Melotic. Yuga had noticed that it had already reached the Elite level Pok��mon. Even Gyarados wasn''t far from reaching the Elite level.


    This Melotic was the only Elite level Pok��mon in thispetition. If Robert continued to use it in the final Battle Stage, the championship would likely have no suspense.


    Unexpectedly, Robert truly made a breakthrough. Yuga had no knowledge of Melotic reaching the Elite level, but judging by Wace''s expression, it seemed that he had been aware of it for quite some time.


    But when you think about it, Robert had been staying in Sootopolis City, and Wace was the current Gym Leader of Sootopolis Gym. It would be unreasonable for him not to notice such a significant advancement in his junior''s strength.


    Melotic and Gyarados used the same move as soon as they appeared: Waterfall.


    Robertmanded one to the left and the other to the right, and both Pok��mon conjured towering spiraling columns of blue water. Each water column was thicker than his waist, and both were identical in thickness, rotation direction, and water patterns.


    Then, Gyarados and Melotic, resembling winding serpents, ascended along the spiral water columns, making the two blue pirs look like intertwined dragon columns.


    In the blink of an eye, the two "serpents" climbed to the top of the water columns, sitting perched above them. Gyarados immediately activated its Intimidate ability, and the audience instantly felt a fierce aura emanating from it.


    However, this imposing presence was as fleeting as it was intense. This was because Melotic followed up with its Disarming Voice, blending calm power within the enchanting melody. The audience was mesmerized by the soothing effects.


    Then, perched above the water columns, both Melotic and Gyarados dived straight into the columns. In just a few seconds, the audience witnessed both columns explosively burst open with a resounding "bang," involuntarily gasping in amazement.


    With columns as thick as those, if they had burst apart directly, one could imagine the entire audience and judges would have been soaked.


    However, the expected chaos never happened. The columns indeed burst open, but the scattered water droplets seemed frozen in mid-air, then began to rotate counterclockwise in unison.


    Above the entire arena, a gigantic inverted whirlpool formed,prised of countless water droplets. Melotic and Gyarados remained hidden within these water droplets.


    "This is incredible!" Mr. Contesta eximed upon seeing this scene, and the other judges nodded in agreement.


    Indeed, this scene directly showcased Melotic and Gyarados'' exceptional mastery of Water-type moves. Ordinary Water-type Pok��mon require moves to manipte water energy, but powerful Pok��mon can control it effortlessly with sheer mastery.


    To illustrate, imagine there''s a ss of water in front of you. A Feebas needs to use its Ssh move to manipte that ss of water, while a Kyogre can effortlessly manipte it with a mere thought.


    It might sound simple in theory, but in practice, it''s incredibly challenging.


    All the judges could see that the water droplets were being manipted solely by Melotic and Gyarados themselves, without the use of any moves.


    At this moment, having no moves was a stronger testament to the level of the two Pok��mon than if they had used moves.


    Robert''s performance and Violet''s performance could be considered two extremes, representing different interpretations of the Pok��mon Contest.


    As a traditional Trainer, Yuga clearly leaned more towards his friend''s style and resonated more with his understanding of the Pok��mon.


    Of course, people have different perspectives and thoughts about the Pok��mon Contest. Yuga himself was just an outsider, so it might be presumptuous to say who he agreed with. However, as a judge, it was evident that he would give higher scores to the one whose interpretation he aligned with.


    Melotic and Gyarados'' performance was not over yet. As the water droplets continued to rotate counterclockwise in the air, they began to form into ice spheres one by one. The whirlpool also changed from light blue to blue-white.


    The water column droplets transformed into ice spheres, and with the absence of water vapor cover, Melotic and Gyarados'' figures reappeared in the air. They both briefly levitated using the power of Water-type.


    Yuga''s Flygon could also fly using a simr principle. However, Robert''s Gyarados and Melotic didn''t possess as much control as Flygon, so their levitation was short.


    The transformation of water droplets into ice spheres was due to Melotic''s Icy Wind. Once the water droplets became ice spheres, it became challenging for Melotic and Gyarados to control them further. Although ice is another form of water, in the Pok��mon world, it''s not that simple �C these are two different types.


    While Melotic and Gyarados were skilled at controlling water, they weren''t as proficient with Ice-type moves.


    As the ice spheres began to descend, Gyarados opened its mouth and exhaled a stream of mes. It then spun around, causing the ice spheres to take on a reddish hue before melting away in the fiery ze.


    methrower! That Gyarados had just used a Fire-type move, methrower.


    Trainers familiar with Gyarados knew that theoretically, Gyarados could learn both methrower and Fire st, two Fire-type moves.


    However, in reality, very few Gyarados ever managed to learn these two moves. Most considered it nearly impossible for a Water-type Pok��mon like Gyarados to sense and manipte Fire-type energy. Yet today, they had witnessed one such exceptional Gyarados.


    This world indeed had its share of extraordinarily talented Pok��mon. Whether it was Suzuye''s Gothitelle, or Robert''s Gyarados, they were rare talents. It all depended on whether someone would recognize their potential.


    Without a doubt, Robert''s performance received high scores, with 99 points. Except for Wace, who gave 19 points as a subtle reminder to Robert not to be too proud, the other judges awarded full marks.


    Wace was actually quite satisfied with Robert''s performance, but he was, after all, Robert''s senior, and he deducted a point to keep him humble.

 Chapter 936: Discussion

    <h4>Chapter 936: Discussion</h4>


    After Robert''s performance, there were no more dazzling contestants, except for one who scored just above 90 points.


    Once all the contestants had finished their performances, the results of the first round were immediately announced. Those with scores above 90 points advanced to the next round. With this, the first round of the Performance Stage came to an end, leaving only the Battle Stage for tomorrow.


    As soon as thepetition ended, Joyka whispered to Yuga, "Do you have any ns after this? Come back with me to the Pok��mon Center."


    Yuga thinking for awhile and realized he had no urgent matters to attend to after thepetition, so he agreed with a nod.


    Back in the judges'' preparation room, it didn''t take long for Robert and Kris to approach Yuga, nning to leave together with him.


    When Yuga informed them that he had something to discuss at the Pok��mon Center, they invited Wace to join them and left together.


    Upon reaching the Pok��mon Center, Joyka led Yuga to a room typically used for guest receptions and casually gestured to a nearby chair, saying, "Please have a seat wherever you like."


    Yuga nodded and asked, "You mentioned that you wanted to discuss something with me. What is it?"


    Joyka lowered her head to operate the room''s projector for a while and then said, "Just give me a moment."


    After a while, Joyka adjusted the projector, and a photo appeared on the screen.


    Yuga looked at the familiar nt in the photo and eximed in surprise, "Is this a Revival Herb?"


    Joyka nodded, "What I want to talk to you about is indeed rted to Revival Herbs."


    She then brought up another photo showing a beautiful ind.


    "This is an unnamed ind in the Sea of Kanto region. Our family discovered a ce on this ind where Revival Herbs grow inrge numbers."


    She proceeded to disy another photo, this time showing a lush forest. Upon closer inspection, the base of the tall trees in the forest was adorned with clusters of Revival Herbs.


    "This photo was taken inside the ind. Can you believe it? Revival Herbs growing together in suchrge quantities?"


    Yuga stared in disbelief and asked, "Is this photo real? Revival Herbs can grow in suchrge numbers together?"


    Joyka smiled and nodded, "Absolutely! The ind''s location, terrain, and climate are all unique. It wouldn''t work anywhere else."


    Yuga couldn''t contain his astonishment, "There''s actually a ce like this in the world! It''s incredible!"


    A single Revival Herb is already incredibly rare, but the photo showed a forest with arge numbers of them, almost likemon roadside weeds. While that might be an exaggeration, it emphasized the sheer quantity of Revival Herbs there.


    Yuga looked up at Joyka and asked, "So, what''s the purpose of you bringing me here?"


    Joyka smiled and replied, "Naturally, it''s for cooperation."


    "Cooperation? With the resources your family has, do you really need to coborate with me?" Yuga questioned with a puzzled expression.


    Joyka chuckled and said, "Oh, it''s not just about repaying you for sharing the form for making Max Revive with us. We want to repay your kindness. Without you, even if we find Revival Herbs, we wouldn''t be able to utilize them fully."


    "Really?" Yuga looked at Joyka with an expression that clearly said, "I don''t believe you."


    When Yuga had shared the Max Revive form with the Joy family, it was not only to express gratitude for Joyka''s help but also because Revival Herbs were extremely rare, and Max Revive couldn''t be mass-produced.


    In the absence of Revival Herbs, it made more sense to share the seemingly useless Max Revive form with the Joy family as a goodwill gesture rather than hoard it. But Yuga couldn''t believe that the Joy family would reveal such an important location to him just for that.


    "Hehe," Joyka knew she couldn''t fool Yuga and continued, "Of course, there''s more to the story than just that."


    She then brought up another photo on the projector. This time, the photo showed a group of Pok��mon, with a prominent pair of Nidoking and Nidoqueen.


    "A ce where so many Revival Herbs grow is likely inhabited by wild Pok��mon. These photos were taken by our team when they discovered the ind."


    With that, Joyka retrieved another photo, this time featuring another group of Pok��mon, with two Kangaskhan in the center.


    "The leading Nidoking, Nidoqueen, and two Kangaskhan in this photo have undergone mutations due to long-term consumption of Revival Herbs. They''ve be incredibly powerful, making it difficult to obtain Revival Herbs from them!"


    "So, your family couldn''t defeat them, and that''s why you''vee to me for help?" Yuga gave Joyka a sidelong nce, thinking, "I knew it!"


    Joyka, not feeling embarrassed at being found out, grinned and said, "Oh, that''s part of the reason, too! Otherwise, we could consider coborating with someone else."


    Yuga nodded in agreement.


    After all, the Jenny family, with their generations-long friendship with the Joy family, would likely be willing to help. The form for Max Revive had indeed yed a significant role, as without it, the Joy family might not have considered involving him in this opportunity.


    Joyka continued, "As you know, most of our family members are in the medical profession, and ourbat abilities are quite different from others''. Dealing with such powerful Pok��mon can be quite challenging."


    While the Joy family was a well-established and influential family, especially in the field of medicine, they couldn''t match the likes of the Temple n in terms of high level battling skills.


    Yuga asked, "What about Miss Joyna?"


    Joyna was the strongest member of the Joy family in terms of battling prowess, with Champion level strength, and she even had a Legendary Pok��mon, Latias.


    Joyka shook her head and replied, "No, even Joyna wouldn''t be able to handle being surrounded by so many Pok��mon."


    Joyka and Joyna were cousins, not blood sisters, in the extended family sense. Otherwise, they wouldn''t be working at different ces, with Joyka at Hoenn and Joyna at the Sinnoh.


    Yuga was surprised and asked, "Are those Pok��mon really that strong?"


    Joyka nodded and said, "They are, as I mentioned earlier. Many of these Pok��mon have undergone mutations due to their prolonged consumption of Revival Herbs. Especially the Nidoking, Nidoqueen, and the two Kangaskhan are the leaders of that area, and their mutations are even more profound. Their strength is beyond what ordinary Pok��mon canpare to."


    Yuga inquired further, "Since they are leaders, do they not fight among themselves?"


    Joyka denied that notion, saying, "No, ording to our observations, Nidoking and Nidoqueen are a married couple, and the two Kangaskhan seem to be a mother and daughter pair. The Nidoran family and the Kangaskhan family clearly have some sort of agreement. They not only avoid conflict but also coexist harmoniously."


    "Those uninhabited areas, which have existed for who knows how long, are home to many powerful Pok��mon. Especially in ces like this unnamed ind, which is far from the human world, you often find Pok��mon of incredible strength."


    "So, we can''t send in arge number of people to the unnamed ind. Otherwise, it wouldn''t just be difficult to obtain Revival Herbs; it might also alert even more formidable opponents!"


    The Pok��mon world is vast and filled with ces that humans cannot easily ess, home to numerous Pok��mon of unimaginable power. For instance, Yuga has encountered massive Pok��mon like Giant Melotic and the Silgilyph in Snowpoint of Mount Cor, and the presence of such Pok��mon even in the human world can be considered a disaster.


    Clearly, this unnamed ind is one of those ces.


    Yuga asked, "So, what''s your n?"


    Joyka replied, "We n to have you and Miss Joyna lead a small team onto the ind, defeat those four leaders, and bring back the Revival Herbs directly!"


    Yuga lowered his head, contemting the feasibility of the n. He couldn''t deny that he was quite tempted.


    Revival Herbs were extremely rare. He had only obtained two, and both were painstakingly grown from seeds he had found. After making them into Revival Herbs, one was fed to Dragonite''s mother, and the other to Zapdos.


    If he had ess to more Revival Herbs, he wouldn''t need to worry about injuries anymore. He could take more risks and explore further.


    Finally, Yuga gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, I agree! When do we leave?" Despite the risks involved, the potential rewards were too tempting to pass up.


    Joyka answered, "We''ll depart right after this Pok��mon Contest is over."


    Thinking about how Joyna couldn''t handle the ind''s Pok��mon, Yuga decided that for added safety, he would bring Nana along for the journey.

 Chapter 937: Ignorance and Fearlessness

    <h4>Chapter 937: Ignorance and Fearlessness</h4>


    After discussing the matter of the unnamed ind with Joyka for a while, Yuga returned to the Pok��mon Day Care.


    However, as soon as he entered, he saw Suzuki Koen looking troubled while talking to a customer.


    "Sir, we really can''t sell a Milotic to you."


    "It''s not like I''m not willing to pay, and I don''t even need one with excellent potentials. Just sell me a Milotic with yellow potentials, that should be fine, right?"


    "Sir, it''s not about money or potentials. Milotic is an adult Pok��mon, and the League doesn''t allow any Day Cares to sell adult Pok��mon."


    "I know that, of course. You could just secretly sell one to me. Don''t think I don''t know; your industry does this kind of thing often. I have money! Name your price, I guarantee I can afford it!"


    "Sir, whether other Day Cares do this or not, we don''t. If you want to find one that does, please go elsewhere."


    ...


    Due to the hosting of the Wace Cup, business at the YoYo Day Care had been booming recently. During times like these, the shop would be filled with numerous customers.


    Suzuki Koen was already very busy, and now, he was being pestered by this person. The customers who needed assistance in the shop had to be attended to by Audino and Wigglytuff.


    When Yuga, who had just returned, saw Suzuki Koen looking troubled, he walked over and asked, "What''s going on, Sister Koen?"


    Seeing Yuga return, Suzuki Koen sighed in relief, called him "boss," and briefly exined the situation.


    Since the performance of Milotic at the opening of the Wace Cup by YoYo Day Care, several people had expressed their desire to purchase a Milotic. However, Suzuki Koen had turned them away with various excuses. But this person in front of him was particrly persistent, and he was the most challenging customer they had encountered so far.


    During the first round of the Wace Cup, Milotic had made frequent appearances, and both Kris and Robert, who owned Milotic, had achieved excellent results. In addition to the Milotic that had be famous thanks to the Wace Cup, the demand for Milotic had surged.


    After discussing the matter of the unnamed ind with Joyka for a while, Yuga returned to the Pok��mon Day Care.


    However, as soon as he entered, he saw Suzuki Koen looking troubled while talking to a customer.


    The original intention of Yuga was to use Milotic is to further promote the reputation of YoYo Day Care. However, there were always some people who thought they could make YoYo Day Care bypass the League''sws for them, so they secretly came to try to buy Milotic.


    If they wanted to buy a Feebas, YoYo Day Care wouldn''t refuse, but everyone felt that it was too difficult to evolve Feebas into Milotic, so they didn''t want Feebas.


    Although Feebas was not asmon as Magikarp, it was still not easy to catch them in the water. Timid and shy, Feebas were typically hard to capture.


    While Feebas had very strong vitality and could survive even in puddles, most of them lived in deepkes.


    "Sir, our Day Care cannot vite thew by selling adult Pok��mon to you!" After understanding the situation, Yuga said solemnly to the man in front of him.


    The man looked at Yuga for a while and then smiled, "You must be Gym Leader Shimizu, right? You''re truly outstanding, clearly a remarkable individual. I can tell you, as long as you''re willing to sell me a Milotic, I will keep my lips sealed. I won''t casually disclose anything."


    Yuga, hearing this person''s persistent attitude, felt a bit angry and said with a stern face, "Sir, you should know that I am a Gym Leader of the League."


    The man understood the meaning behind Yuga''s words but pretended to be clueless, "Wouldn''t it be more convenient for a Gym Leader of the League to handle such matters? The League shouldn''t pursue you for such a small thing."


    Seeing that this man was unyielding, Yuga became even more annoyed and said, "Sir, please leave!"


    Facing Yuga''s genuine anger, the man finally smiled and said, "Well, since Gym Leader Shimizu is so determined not to sell, then forget it."


    After saying this, the man left with a smile on his face, and it was unclear what he was thinking.


    Seeing the man leave, Suzuki Koen shook his head and sighed, "Peoplee in all kinds!"


    Yuga was about to say something when he heard a voice behind him.


    "Um... Mr. Shimizu!"


    Yuga turned around and saw Daisy, Violet, and Lily, the three sisters, standing there eagerly.


    "Oh, it''s you. Do you need something from me?"


    The youngest of the sisters, Lily, immediately became excited when she heard Yuga speak to her, and she whispered to Violet, who was beside her, "Big sis, he seems to know us! That''s great! Seeing him up close, he looks even more handsome!"


    Watching her younger sister infatuated, Violet couldn''t help but sigh and said, "He''s one of the judges at the contest, Lily. It''s normal for him to recognize us. I''ve made it to the final round."


    Seeing that Suzuki Koen was busy talking to the three sisters, Yuga nodded and said, "Go ahead."


    Daisy spoke up, "I heard that the Pok��mon in the Pok��mon Paradise are all stray Pok��mon and can be adopted, is that true?"


    Yuga suddenly realized and said, "Are you here for this matter?"


    Daisy nodded.


    Yuga smiled and said, "Indeed, we wee anyone who wants to adopt these Pok��mon."


    The three Daisy sisters'' eyes lit up.


    "Well, you see, the three of us don''t have much talent as trainers, so after returning to the Kanto region, we n to perform water ballet. This time, we came to Hoenn to take some of Hoenn''s Water-type Pok��mon with us. Our water ballet doesn''t require much from the Pok��mon in terms of potentials, so adopting the stray Pok��mon from the Pok��mon Paradise is just perfect."


    Daisy continued to exin to Yuga. They had been observing for a while now, and the stray Pok��mon in the Pok��mon Paradise were well taken care of. At lunchtime, they had wanted to talk about this matter but hadn''t found the opportunity until now.


    Seeing someone willing to adopt the stray Pok��mon, Yuga was naturally very happy. The Daisy sisters were the daughters of the Gym, and he believed they would provide a better life for these stray Pok��mon.


    Yuga said, "Let''s go to the Paradise and have a look. It will also help me know which Pok��mon you want to adopt."


    In the center of Pok��mon Paradise, there was a constructed pool where all the Water-type stray Pok��mon usually stayed. When Yuga and the Daisy sisters arrived, some Water-type stray Pok��mon were happily ying in the water.


    There were quite a variety of Water-type Pok��mon in Hoenn, such as Lotad, Wingull, Surskit, Carvanha, Corphish, Barboach, and Luvdisc. They also had somemon Water-type Pok��mon from other regions, like Staryu, Poliwag, Tentacool, and Shellder.


    However, the Daisy sisters already had most of these Pok��mon at home, so they didn''t consider adopting them.


    They had already decided which Pok��mon they wanted to adopt; two of each species. Although Surskit wouldn''t remain a Water-type Pok��mon after evolving, but based on the potentials of the two Surskit they had chosen, it would likely be challenging to evolve them.


    For Yuga, this was the first time he had hosted someone who adopted so many Pok��mon at once. While the Pok��mon Paradise''s reputation had spread, and more people wereing here to adopt stray Pok��mon, most of them only adopted one.


    Fortunately, the stray Pok��mon were no longer as hostile to humans as they used to be, or convincing the Daisy sisters to leave with them would have been quite a headache.


    After getting the Pok��mon they wanted, the three sisters left happily.


    At night, Yuga locked the doors and windows and went to bed.


    At this moment, there was suddenly a sound of wings pping outside, followed by three shadowsnding on the roof of YoYo Day Care.


    In the dimly lit night, one could vaguely see that the three shadows descending on the roof were two bird-like Pok��mon and one that appeared to be a Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    "Have you found out where the entrance to the Ecopark is?"


    One of the shadows asked another.


    These three shadows were all dressed in ck night clothes and had their faces covered, making it difficult to see their features in the dark night.


    "Don''t worry, I scouted it out a long time ago!" Another shadow said in a low voice. If Yuga were here, he could easily recognize this person as the troublesome customer from earlier in the day.


    Who would have thought that this person, who appeared so normal during the day, would turn into a nighttime thief?


    At this moment, the third person beckoned to his Dusclops, then chuckled, "You guys really have guts, daring to target a Gym Leader, especially when he''s also an Elite level Trainers."


    The second person sneered, "Aren''t you here with us? Quit with the chatter. Besides, it''s precisely because he''s an Elite level Trainer that it''s worth stealing from him!"


    The first person agreed, "Exactly, think about all those Milotic. If we can get our hands on them, how much would they be worth? Moreover, there might be even more valuable high potential Pok��mon here."


    The third person chuckled inwardly, "The more ignorant they are, the more fearless they be. But if we alert the owner here, none of us will be able to escape!"


    However, even though he knew it was dangerous here, he still wanted toe and check things out.


    The second person said, "Enough talking, let''s get to work quickly to avoid stirring up trouble!"


    After saying that, he headed towards the roof of YoYo Day Care''s Ecopark, with the first person following closely behind.


    Seeing this, the third person didn''t waste any more time and silently followed with his Dusclops.


    After the three individuals left, beneath the eaves of YoYo Day Care, a pair of crimson eyes suddenly opened, sending a shiver down one''s spine in the pitch-ck night.


    As these red-eyed creatures unfurled their wings, they turned out to be Crobat, Golbat, and Zubat, each hanging upside down from the eaves.


    "Squeak, squeak..."


    Crobat, Golbat, and Zubat swiftly pped their wings, silently flying in the direction the three individuals had departed.


    The man in ck had scouted the area around YoYo Day Care during the daytime. He was adept at disguises, and during the day, he appeared with different faces around YoYo Day Care. Hence, the patrolling Pok��mon couldn''t detect anything unusual.


    The entrance to the Ecopark faced directly towards the back door of Yuga''s house, with only a distance of five to six meters between them. At this moment, everything was eerily quiet. After the three individuals lightly jumped down from the roof, they headed straight for the gate at the entrance of the Ecopark.


    As they approached, the dormant Chandelure and Lampent surrounding the Ecopark were awakened.


    Thud, thud, thud!


    The blossoming azure mes lit up one after another, floating in mid-air like will-o-the-wisps. The Dusclops next to the third man seemed greatly frightened and tried to escape while holding onto its owner.

 Chapter 938: Resolution

    <h4>Chapter 938: Resolution</h4>


    The third person and his Dusclops were frightened by the Chandelure and Lampent. However, the other two individuals were bolder and ignored the intimidation from the Chandelure and Lampent, heading straight for the entrance of the Ecopark.


    The Ecopark at YoYo Day Care was protected by a system, and only those granted ess by the system had permission to enter. Despite being skilled lockpickers, the locks at the entrance were purely decorative, and they couldn''t bypass the system''s protection, leaving them sweating in frustration.


    The third person, sensing trouble when the Chandelure and Lampent appeared, he was a Ghost-type Trainer with heightened sensitivity to Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    As his Dusclops had just attempted to flee when he realized he couldn''t move. At this point, he knew that his only option was to fight back.


    However, facing the numerous Chandelure and Lampent, he felt overwhelmed. Regardless of the other two individuals who still had theft on their minds, the third person released his Pok��mon: Gengar, Bte, Sableye, and Drifblim. Anyway, they were only temporarypanions.


    But as soon as these Pok��mon appeared, they were subjected to the same control as the Dusclops and were immobilized by the Chandelure and Lampent. Against such a multitude of foes, these Pok��mon were at a disadvantage.


    It was only at this moment that the third person realized how unwise it had been to impulsively apany the other two and intrude into this ce.


    Following closely behind them were Crobat, Golbat, and Zubat, who had witnessed the attempted theft. Seeing the culprits in action, they collectively unleashed Supersonic moves.


    While humans couldn''t hear the sound of these Supersonic moves, they caused the air to vibrate rapidly. As a result, the three individuals and their Pok��mon were overwhelmed by the Supersonic moves and lost consciousness.


    The next morning, Yuga woke up and opened the back door, only to find three ck-d individuals hanging from the eaves.


    What''s going on?


    At that moment, Audino approached and informed Yuga about what had happened the previous night. Audino had woken up earlier, and the Chandelure and Lampent had already shared the details of the events with Audino before they returned to the Ecopark from their night shift.


    After hearing Audino''s ount, Yuga looked at the three masked individuals and eximed, "I didn''t expect someone would dare to break in here!"


    At this point, Wigglytuff also arrived. Yuga gestured to Wigglytuff and said with a smile, "Come on, Wigglytuff, give each of them a Double p."


    As Yuga spoke, he pulled down the masks covering the faces of the three individuals. However, when he saw the face of one of them, he raised an eyebrow involuntarily.


    Wigglytuff, upon hearing Yuga''smand, happily ran over and proceeded to give each of the individuals several ps. Each person received about a dozen ps, and soon their faces were swollen.


    After this, Wigglytuff returned to Yuga''s side, wearing the cute apron that Yuga had bought for it.


    Watching Wigglytuff act so casually, Yuga couldn''t help but wonder, "Isn''t Wigglytuff a bit too skilled at pping people?"


    #My cute Wigglytuff is actually a ck belt in pping?#


    Soon, the three individuals regained consciousness. Due to the effects of the Supersonic move, their initial awakening was apanied by splitting headaches. However, as they realized they were suspended in the air, their fear escted rapidly.


    "What happenedst night? Can someone please exin how we ended up like this?" Yuga asked with a smile.


    "We... we were just passing by, we didn''t know anything! Please, let us go!" one of them pleaded with a distressed expression.


    "Oh, just passing by, you say?" Yuga turned to another person. "This one seems to have been a customer at our shop yesterday."


    The person who had been singled out looked embarrassed and remained silent.


    Unlike theirpanion who had been arguing earlier, this individual understood that since they had all been apprehended, denying everything would be futile.


    "Well, if you won''t talk, maybe this young man can provide some information."


    Yuga shifted his attention to the third person, who appeared quite young, around fourteen or fifteen years old, with light purple hair that seemed vaguely familiar to Yuga.


    "Hmph!"


    The boy let out a cold snort and turned his head away, refusing to answer Yuga''s questions.


    "You don''t want to talk, huh?" Yuga sighed and continued, "Although I have ways to make you talk, do you really want to try? Besides, you, young man, seem to be a Ghost-type Trainer, right? Then you should be well aware of what Ghost-type Trainers are capable of."


    When a person spends a long time with Ghost-type Pok��mon, they tend to absorb the aura of these Pok��mon. This made it easy for someone like Yuga, who possessed special abilities rted to Ghost-types, to detect it.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, the boy''s face briefly showed surprise, but he quickly regained hisposure. He thought to himself: He knows it''s not normal since he took all of my Pok��mon.


    However, his Pok��mon were actually taken by Audino, and Yuga hadn''t seen that.


    Seeing that the three individuals remained unwilling to talk, Yuga turned to Audino and said, "Alright, go find Officer Jenny and ask her toe over."


    Upon hearing that they were going to involve Officer Jenny, the other two individuals, who had a history of theft and interactions with the police, didn''t seem too concerned.


    However, the boy became agitated and shouted, "Don''t call Officer Jenny!"


    Seeing the boy''s intense reaction, Yuga was somewhat surprised. He wondered, "Why is he so worked up about not calling Officer Jenny? What''s wrong with that?"


    "Don''t call Officer Jenny..."


    Observing the boy for a moment, Yuga suddenly said, "You look familiar to me. Have we met before? Do we have some history?"


    The boy was taken aback by the question and was about to respond when Yuga continued, "It seems like we do have some history, and that could be troublesome. I have quite a few people with grudges against me, and I''m not sure where you fit in."


    "My grandfather is Bridges!" The boy suddenly shouted in anger.


    Upon hearing the name Bridges, the boy''s twopanions were astonished. They hadn''t expected that their fellow thief was the grandson of the former Elite Four member. While they were small-time crooks, they had heard of the Elite Four''s reputation.


    However, the three of them were only temporary associates, so they had no knowledge of theirpanion''s background.


    Upon hearing the boy reveal his identity, Yuga smiled. In fact, he had already deduced the boy''s identity to some extent. The boy, specializing in Ghost-type Pok��mon, his light purple hair identical to Cecilia''s, and his face bearing a striking resemnce to her, made Yuga draw connections.


    If Cecilia hadn''t died at a young age, Yuga might have even believed that this boy was her son. It was indeed a peculiar bloodline, where an aunt and her nephew looked so alike. Yuga wondered what was going on in Bridges''s mind, seeing a face so simr to Cecilia''s every day.


    What Yuga didn''t know was that Bridges had a deep affection for his grandson, Lovich, more than his own son. Perhaps his mind had started to distort when he killed his daughter and his first wife. On one hand, he wanted Cecilia''s daughter, Cecilia''s blood, to grow stronger. On the other hand, he felt guilty for what he did to Cecilia. When he discovered Mya, who had half of Cecilia''s soul, he showed no mercy and killed her.


    Perhaps Bridges himself hadn''t realized how twisted his mind had be.


    It was Bridges''s special affection for Lovich that led to Lovich''s animosity toward Yuga. After all, Yuga and Phoebe had yed a significant role in Bridges''s arrest.


    Lovich didn''t necessarily hate Yuga to the extreme, as he understood that his grandfather was ultimately responsible. Still, he held a certain resentment towards Yuga and Phoebe, knowing the truth about what Bridges had done. The League hadn''t publicly disclosed the full details of Bridges''s actions, but his family, including Lovich, had been informed of the truth.


    Despite maintaining a good public image both inside and outside the League, Bridges was quite different behind the scenes.


    When his family was informed of the truth, including Lovich, it had a profound impact on them. Lovich, in particr, was deeply affected since his grandfather had been someone he greatly admired.


    Due to Bridges''s involvement, his son, daughter-inw, and granddaughter, who had prominent positions within the League, were all stripped of their roles, bing ordinary people. His family was also expelled by the Bridges family.


    Speaking of the Bridges family, they were originally a declining family, but with Bridges''s rise, they showed signs of revival within the League. However, after Bridges''s downfall, they immediately expelled his family members, which was a pragmatic move.


    However, it was unclear how long this family could maintain its dignity.


    Lovich went from being a pampered young master within a prestigious family to a destitute teenager who had to earn money even to care for his Pok��mon. The contrast was stark.


    Bridges''s current wife was a very sensible woman who felt deeply ashamed of her husband''s past actions. She advised her son, daughter-inw, granddaughter, and grandson not to harbor resentment towards Yuga and Phoebe, the ones who had exposed the truth.


    She even felt gratitude toward these two individuals. Without them, how long would she have been deceived by that devil? He had treated his first wife and biological daughter so ruthlessly, what about herself? What about her son, granddaughter, and grandson? Just the thought of it has terrified her.


    Her son, daughter-inw, granddaughter, and grandson all followed their mother''s (grandmother''s) advice and started leading ordinary lives. Only Lovich, who was still young, harbored a deep-seated frustration that he didn''t know how to vent.


    He himself wasn''t sure if this frustration stemmed from his grandfather, who had disillusioned him, or from Yuga and Phoebe, who had exposed his grandfather.


    So, not too long ago, he had left home.


    Growing up in an ivory tower, Lovich was targeted by his currentpanions shortly after leaving home. However, fortunately, Lovich, while inexperienced in the ways of the world, had decent strength, and he ended up defeating the two thieves rather than having his belongings stolen.


    Later, he learned from the thieves that Wace''s Cup was being held in Verdanturf Town. When he realized that Yuga was the Gym Leader there, he decided to follow the two thieves to Verdanturf Town.


    It wasn''t that he wanted to do anything to Yuga; he was well aware of his own limitations. He didn''t have any vengeful thoughts, and even if he did, he couldn''t defeat Yuga. But he just couldn''t pass up the opportunity to take a look at Verdanturf Town.


    Upon arriving in Verdanturf Town, for some inexplicable reason, he had been hesitant to approach Yuga. However, when the thieves returned yesterday and asked if he wanted to join them in a big job at Yuga''s Ecopark, he had impulsively agreed.


    Now, in hindsight, he deeply regretted his decision. He felt foolish for tagging along with these two petty criminals. When Yuga mentioned calling Officer Jenny, he was genuinely terrified.


    Calling Officer Jenny would mean that his grandmother, father, mother, and sister would all find out that he had been involved in thievery. He had taken his grandmother''s instructions to heart, word for word.


    Furthermore, his family was currently going through a difficult period. If people found out that their son was a thief, it would only make matters worse. His parents had worked hard to secure their current jobs, and revealing that their son was a thief could jeopardize those positions.


    With their family finally finding some stability, causing turmoil due to his actions would make him a viin.


    However, Yuga eventually decided to inform Officer Jenny, and Lovich''s family learned of the situation.


    The next day, his family came to the YoYo Day Care, and it was his sister who hade.


    Lovich''s sister''s name was Kerry, and she had once been a renowned prodigy Trainer within the League. However, due to Bridges''s implication, she not only lost her position but also suffered damage to her reputation.


    Once the envy of many and the target of jealousy, those who knew about Bridges''s case didn''t hesitate to look down on her, and those who were aware of her presence would often point fingers at her.


    Although the League had stripped her of her original position, she still retained her status as an League Trainer. Using this identity, she would take on various tasks outside, all while keeping a low profile.


    She was able to arrive in Verdanturf Town the day after Lovich got into trouble because her current assignment was in the vicinity of Verdanturf Town.


    Upon her first meeting with Yuga, Kerry sincerely apologized on behalf of her brother.


    The League''s legal system varied in its treatment of theft, especially in the case of attempted theft. Depending on the severity of the circumstances, an individual could potentially receive a life sentence, but in less severe cases, with proper negotiations andpensation, the offender might not even be detained.


    In truth, Yuga didn''t harbor any ill feelings toward Bridges''s family members. Strictly speaking, they were victims of Bridges''s misdeeds as well.


    So, when he met Kerry, he didn''t hold any resentment towards her because of Lovich''s actions. Instead, he calmly discussed Lovich''s situation with her.


    Prior to this encounter, Yuga hadn''t met Kerry before, but he had met Kerry''s grandmother, Bridges''s second wife.


    Notably, Kerry shared a striking resemnce to her grandmother. The most significant difference was the light purple hair, a gic inheritance from Bridges. The events involving Bridges had undoubtedly left a profound impact on her life.


    "Mr. Shimizu, this is our family''spensation for the trouble Lovich has caused you."


    What Kerry brought to Yuga was a Pok��mon egg, carefully stored in an incubation device. The egg was a deep purple color, adorned with golden patterns both on top and bottom.


    This egg was likely that of a Ghost-type Pok��mon, although Yuga couldn''t discern its specific species.


    One thing was certain: Yuga sensed a strange energy fluctuation emanating from the egg, simr to the one he had felt from the Pok��mon egg gifted to him by the Giant Melotic. In fact, this energy seemed even more potent.


    This peculiar energy fluctuation was something unique, an unknown aura that Yuga had never encountered before.


    Despite having nurtured it with several vials of Essence Fluids, the egg from Giant Melotic had yet to hatch. However, it had undergone some changes on the outside��the sporadic blue spots on the white eggshell had transformed into a pale green color.


    After a detailed exnation from the system, Yuga learned that the Pok��mon egg wasn''t a Water-type Pok��mon, but due to being submerged in the sea for a prolonged period, it had absorbed a significant amount of Water-type energy, which was why it struggled to hatch.


    If it hadn''t been promptly given to Yuga by Giant Melotic and nourished with Essence Fluids, this egg would have deteriorated entirely in no time.


    One thing was certain: it wasn''t an ordinary Pok��mon egg.


    Thus, the Pok��mon egg Kerry brought, which emitted a simr energy fluctuation, was undoubtedly special as well.


    Seeing Yuga silently studying the Pok��mon egg for a while, Kerry continued, "Regarding Lovich''s situation, we don''t expect you to forgo any responsibility, but we earnestly request that you keep this matter confidential. Our family has already..."


    Kerry''s words were interrupted by Yuga.


    "In consideration of this Pok��mon egg, I can agree to keep this matter a secret and may even refrain from pursuing Lovich''s responsibility. However, please tell me the origin of this Pok��mon egg."


    Kerry was initially taken aback but then expressed great joy. She was thrilled that her brother wouldn''t have to face imprisonment. After she had calmed down, she responded, "I don''t know the origin of this Pok��mon egg either. It belonged to my grandfather, and we have no idea where he obtained it. Nevertheless, he cherished this Pok��mon egg dearly, and he went to great lengths but couldn''t hatch it."


    "I see..." Yuga sounded somewhat disappointed. "Well, since I''ve epted this Pok��mon egg, I''ll consider Lovich''s situation as if it never happened. I''ll inform the policeter, and you can go pick up Lovich directly."


    Yuga thought it best to keep a good rtionship with Kerry, especially considering the obvious value of this Pok��mon egg. Sometimes, it''s better to be on friendly terms with former adversaries.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Kerry expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thank you. We''ll make sure to educate Lovich properly when we get back, so he won''t get into trouble again."


    After Kerry left, Yuga immediately called Liliana to inform her of the situation. Before long, Lovich, wearing a troubled expression, was taken away by his sister. As for Yuga, he turned his attention to examining the Pok��mon egg gifted by Kerry.


    #


    Kerry''s visit to Verdanturf Town was a side note. After handing Lovich over to Liliana, Yuga went straight to the Pok��mon Contest venue. The Wace Cup had not over yet.

 Chapter 939: Finale

    <h4>Chapter 939: Finale</h4>


    As the bright morning sunlight bathed the grand stage, the Wace Cup finally reached its climax. The sixteen qualifying contestants wouldpete in double battles to vie for the ultimate championship.


    The list of sixteen qualifying contestants had been announced immediately after the matches concluded the previous day, including Robert, Kris, Solidad, Suzuye, and Violet.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, the moment we''ve all been waiting for has arrived. Now, let''s take a look at the matchups for the battles. Please look at the big screen."


    Vivian''s cheerful and bright voice resonated in the arena, and at the same time, eight pairs of battle listings appeared on therge screen behind her.


    The first pair was Suzuye vs. Violet.


    The fourth pair was none other than Robert vs. Kris.


    It had to be said that this grouping was full of coincidences.


    Seeing that she was paired up against her cousin right from the start, Kris felt some pressure but also a strong desire to prove herself.


    "Robert, I''ll definitely defeat you!" Kris clenched her fist and said to Robert.


    Robert smiled and replied, "I''ll be looking forward to it!"


    "Now, let''s invite the contestants from the first group toe forward!"


    As Vivian''s words fell, Suzuye and Violet entered the stage from opposite sides, ready for their imminent battle.


    However, what the audience didn''t expect was that Violet, who had performed exceptionally well in the first round, was defeated by Suzuye in just two rounds.


    Violet''s Walrein and Vaporeon were overwhelmed as soon as they faced Suzuye''s Clefable and Gade, with no chance to fight back. They lost not only their points but also their ability to battle.


    But Yuiga wasn''t surprised by this result at all. Violet''s Pok��mon were of a lower level, and hermanding ability was far inferior to Suzuye''s. Compared to Suzuye, she had no chance ofpeting for performance scores.


    After Violet left the stage, her older sister Daisy and younger sister Lily went up tofort her. Violet herself seemed rtively calm, but Lily, who was in the audience, burst into tears.


    The second group featured the trainer who had scored higher than Kris and Solidad in the first round. His performance was also impressive. Although he didn''t dominate like Suzuye, he almost depleted his opponent''s score when more than half of the points remained.


    After the third group, it quickly came to the fourth group where Robert and Kris were matched up.


    Once the two of them took the stage, Robert solemnly said to Kris, "Kris, give it your all. I won''t hold back."


    Initially, Kris was a bit nervous when facing her cousin on the opposite side. However, when she heard Robert''s words, her inner turmoil suddenly calmed down.


    To Kris, Robert had always been the "kid from the other family" that her parents often mentioned, and he was the person she had admired and looked up to. But when they stood on the same stage, Kris realized that she and her cousin were closer than she had thought.


    Closer than ever before!


    Kris raised two of her Pok�� Balls with a smile, "Perfect, I will too!"


    As the match began, both trainers simultaneously released their Pok��mon. Robert sent out Mismagius and Gyarados, while Kris sent out Dedenne and Milotic.


    Kris, who made the first move, had her Milotic unleash a powerful stream of water, while Dedenne''s body emitted a blue electric light, which quickly merged with the golden water flow in the air to create a dazzling golden-blue electric torrent.


    The electric-type move Thunderbolt wasunched straight towards Gyarados.


    Gyarados, being a water and flying-type Pok��mon, was highly vulnerable to electric-type attacks. When the electrified water flow approached it, it slightly retreated, and Mismagius rushed forward.


    Mismagius''s eyes glowed with a bright purple light, and it used its psychic move to control the water flow that was heading for Gyarados. The water flow changed its trajectory and struck Milotic directly.


    Milotic wanted to hide, but the speed of the Mismagius was too fast. When the water hit Milotic, the electric light inside poured into it.


    Milotic let out a cry of pain.


    Dedenne tried to approach and help, but Gyarados''s Intimidate ability suddenly activated, not only intimidating it but also allowing an Aqua Tail to strike it to the side.


    In a face-off, Kris''s score began to drop rapidly.


    At this moment, Kris realized that Robert was even stronger than she had thought. With her current abilities, defeating her cousin Robert seemed like an impossible task.


    Simultaneously, she also realized that being a Coordinator was much more challenging than she had imagined.


    Although Kris''s Dedenne was small in size, it had an astonishing amount of stored electricity. As a result, Milotic suffered heavily, its body charred, and its once beautiful scales lost their appeal.


    "Milotic, use Aqua Ring; Dedenne, protect Milotic!"


    Despite recognizing the gap between herself and her cousin, Kris remained calm and gavemands to Dedenne and Milotic.


    However, Robert wasn''t going to give Milotic a chance to use Aqua Ring.


    "Gyarados, Scary Face; Mismagius, Ominous Wind!"


    As Robert''smand fell, a terrifying expression appeared on Gyarados''s face, making its already fearsome appearance even more horrifying.


    Dedenne was petrified by this, unable to move at all.


    At this moment, Mismagius unleashed an eerie wind, and Dedenne was blown away by this strange gust of wind.


    With Dedenne, the protective screen, gone, Milotic, which hadn''tpleted its Aqua Ring recovery, was struck head-on by Gyarados and lost its ability to battle.


    With a thud, Kris''s score bar hit rock bottom, and Robert emerged victorious.


    After the match, Kris congratted Robert with a smile, but the next moment, she burst into tears and hugged Robert. Robert didn''t know what to say and could only pat her on the back tofort her.


    After Kris finished crying, wiped away her tears, and smiled at Robert, she said, "You must win the championship, or I won''t let you off the hook!" She even raised her fist toward Robert.


    Robert patted her on the head and replied firmly, "I will, for sure!"


    The battle matches had a time limit. If neither side was defeated within five minutes, the contestant with more remaining points would win. As a result, the eight sets of matches progressed quickly.


    Solidad''s match took ce in the seventh set, and she won quite handily. Her strength yed a part, but her opponent''s weakness was another contributing factor.


    After the round of eight matches, it was time for the semifinals in the afternoon.


    During the lunch break, Kris, in an attempt to vent her frustration after losing in the morning, indulged in eating and drinking excessively. She consumed as much food as both Yuiga and Robertbined.


    This was probably her way of turning sorrow into appetite!


    At two o''clock in the afternoon, the semifinal matchups were as follows:


    - Suzuye vs. Solidad


    - Robert vs. Clover


    Suzuye, being the popr favorite of the Wace Cup, received cheers and support from most of the audience. In contrast, Solidad felt the pressure as if she had entered someone else''s home turf.


    Suzuye''s Pok��mon for this battle were Gade and Gothitelle, both Psychic-types. Solidad''s team consisted of Slowpoke and Butterfree.


    As soon as Butterfree appeared, it used a widespread attack move, Bug Buzz. The rapidly vibrating sound waves in a fan shape struck Gade and Gothitelle, without affecting Slowpoke in the least. The control over the attack was evident.


    Normally, Bug Buzz would be challenging to defend against, but Gothitelle had an inherited ability �C Magic Bounce. When the sound waves hit Gothitelle, they were immediately condensed into a beam of light and redirected back towards Butterfree.


    Slowpoke had quickly erected a light screen in front of Butterfree, but the amplified Bug Buzz beam pierced through it, and Butterfree was sent flying.


    At that moment, the score bars of both contestants began to rapidly decrease.


    As Butterfree was sent flying, Slowpoke''s Heal Pulsended on it, but Butterfree survived while Slowpoke revealed a weakness.


    In an instant, Gade appeared next to Slowpoke using Teleport andunched a Night sh on it, while Gothitelle''s Dark Pulse also hit it.


    Being hit simultaneously by two Dark-type moves that countered it, Slowpoke''s fate was evident. It fell to the ground, and Solidad''s score bar hit rock bottom.


    Suzuye emerged victorious and advanced to the finals.


    The match between Robert and Clover was even more exciting than the one between Suzuye and Solidad. Clover''s strength surpassed Robert''s expectations.


    Robert''s team consisted of ydol and Gyarados this time, while Clover''s team consisted of Granbull and Lopunny.


    Clover''s Granbull and Lopunny were the same Pok��mon he had used in the first round, and back then, their performance had been mediocre. However, after witnessing his battle with Robert, everyone realized that Clover had hide his strength.


    Both Granbull and Lopunny were incredibly strong!


    As soon as Granbull entered the field, it used y Rough and charged aggressively towards Robert''s Gyarados.


    Gyarados excelled in physical attacks, and with its imposing figure, no one thought Granbull could win in a strength contest.


    However, the reality was that they were evenly matched!


    Granbull, glowing with a pink aura, collided head-on with Gyarados''s iron tail, engaging in a showdown of strength.


    Meanwhile, Lopunny used its powerful legs to effortlessly jump into the air and executed High Jump Kick, sending Robert''s ydol flying.


    This graceful-looking Lopunny was, in fact, a powerhouse, boasting astonishing strength. If ydol hadn''t had high defenses and resisted the Fighting-type move High Jump Kick, the oue would have been far worse.


    By the way, in Yuiga''s Insight ability, this Lopunny was undoubtedly a male.


    ydol found itself at a disadvantage, causing Robert''s score bar to decrease significantly.


    When Lopunny was about tond another kick on ydol, thetter reacted quickly and used Gravity, pinning the airborne Lopunny to the ground. It then followed up with a powerful Earth Power.


    With Lopunny immobilized by Gravity, it couldn''t evade the attack, and ydol''s Earth Power hit it squarely. Lopunny was sent flying towards Granbull, breaking the previously even bnce. Granbull was also knocked away.


    Unfortunately, ydol''s Gravity move wasn''t as potent as Yuga''s Chimecho, and it could only maintain the effect for a moment. Otherwise, Lopunny would have already exited the field.


    With Lopunny and Granbull sent flying, Gyarados, now free from their interference,unched a Waterfall at them. It hit both Pok��mon, resulting in a double knockout.


    After this series of coordinated attacks by ydol and Gyarados, Clover''s score bar dropped rapidly, but Robert also lost some points. However, Robert maintained a significant advantage.


    Lopunny and Granbull, both seemingly focused on physical training, managed to stand up nonchntly after enduring this series of attacks.


    Then, Granbull suddenly grabbed one of Lopunny''s long ears, spun around, and hurled it towards Gyarados not far away.


    Leveraging the power of Granbull, the airborne Lopunny attempted to execute a High Jump Kick aimed at Gyarados'' head. A direct hit from this kick would have resulted in a catastrophic oue.


    However, the clever Gyarados immediately used Hurricans and Hydro Pump, creating an invisible vortex and a soft water column around itself. When Lopunny kicked, itnded on the intangiblebination of wind and water, causing no harm to Gyarados. Instead, it was hit by ydol''s Hyper Beam and tumbled to the ground.


    *Dong!* Time was up! Clover''s score bar was shorter than Robert''s, and Robert advanced to the finals.


    In the finals, it was Robert versus Suzuye, a rematch between two Top Coordinator after two years.


    Before the final match, both contestants had an hour of rest.


    ...


    The match quickly resumed. Looking at Robert on the opposite side, Suzuye smiled and said, "We''re standing on the same stage again! But this time, I won''t lose!"


    After saying this, she released her Pok��mon, Gade and Clefable. Interestingly, these were the same two Pok��mon she had used when she lost to Robert previously.


    On the contrary, Robert didn''t use Milotic this time. Instead, he sent out Mismagius and ydol.


    His Milotic had already reached the Elite level. If he used it against Suzuye, the result would be obvious, and that''s not what he was looking for. He sought more than just victory in this match.


    Unlike previous matches, Robert decided to take the initiative this time, with Mismagius and ydol leading the way.


    Mismagius used Power Gem, while ydol used Improsson.


    A golden beam of light shot straight at Gade, who tried to use Teleport to dodge it but suddenly found herself unable to use the move. The effects of the Improsson move prevented both Gade and ydol from using the ovepping part of their Psychic-type moves. Unfortunately, they were both Psychic-type Pok��mon.


    Clefable, standing beside Gade, didn''t anticipate that Gade, usually agile, would be unable to avoid this move. It didn''t take any defensive action and watched helplessly as Gade was engulfed by the golden beam formed by Power Gem.


    In just one round of battle, Suzuye''s score bar dropped significantly.


    When Gade appeared back on the field in a sorry state, Clefable wanted to use Heal Pulse on it. However, ydol was faster and used Recovery Block. Clefable''s Heal Pulse became ineffective.


    While Clefable was still wondering why its Heal Pulse hadn''t worked, Mismagius''s Power Gem was ready again. This time, the target was Clefable.


    Because Clefable was distracted and didn''t think to evade or defend, it was pushed aside by the injured Gade. Gade once again found itself engulfed by the golden beam of Power Gem.


    Due to consecutive losses, Suzuye''s score bar dropped to less than half.


    Seeing the situation on the field, Suzuye was momentarily unsure of how to react. She had worked so hard all this time to defeat Robert, right? But why was the situation different from what she had expected? Robert had be even more formidable.


    If she hadn''t received the news that Robert would participate in the Wace Cup, Suzuye wouldn''t have even bothered topete in thispetition. Given her current status in the Pok��mon, she didn''t need to participate in the Wace Cup at all.


    But she hade, and the results werepletely different from what she had imagined. Robert, who had been silent for two years, had be even more dazzling. Only Suzuye knew how much effort she had put in to defeat Robert.


    Indeed, Gade had decent Special Defense and had been trained in that aspect, so even after taking two hits from Power Gem, it still managed to stand somewhat unsteadily.


    Seeing their significant score deficit, Gade and Clefable exchanged a nce and decided to go all out.


    First, Clefable used its Spotlight on itself. Under the influence of the Spotlight, both Mismagius and ydol began targeting Clefable, unaffected by Robert''smands.


    When Mismagius and ydolunched their attacks with Power Gem and Earth Power, respectively, Clefable used Instant Amnesia to enhance its Special Defense.


    While Clefable drew their attention, Gade discreetly used Swords Dance to strengthen its offensive capabilities. Once it maxed out the Attack boost, despite Clefable taking some damage, Clefable also maxed out its Special Defense due to Instant Amnesia.


    The coordinated efforts of Clefable and Gade caused Robert''s score bar, which had initially been full, to decrease significantly. However, Suzuye''s score bar also dropped by a considerable margin.


    Gade, having trained in secret, swung a massive Psycho Cut at Mismagius, which had no good physical defense. This attack severely wounded Mismagius, nearly preventing it from getting back up.


    However, before Gade could relish in its sess, Mismagius immediately used Pain Split, equally dividing its and Clefable''s health points. Suzuye watched helplessly as Mismagius''s health recovered while Clefable''s weakened.


    Feeling the effects of Pain Split, Gade, despite maxing out its Attack boost, hesitated in attacking. Hesitating meant hitting Mismagius and effectively hurting itself.


    Gade was tormented psychologically by the impact of Pain Split. It felt as though it was torturing itself. It couldn''t imagine facing Ghost-type Pok��mon in the future.


    In the end, Suzuye still lost. Gade was finally hit by Mismagius. She had thought Mismagius''s Pain Split was frightening enough, but an even more dreadful ability was yet toe.


    Originally, Gade was going to attack ydol. However, Mismagius interfered and fell, causing Gade, with its terrible physical defense, to copse as well. But in the moment it fell, its Destiny Bond move activated. Gade had no idea what had happened as it lost consciousness.


    Suzuye lost the match because even though both Mismagius and Gade fell, her score bar dropped to zero. She looked at the fallen Gade and Mismagius and thought to herself, "I really hate Ghost-type Pok��mon!"


    And with that, the Wace Cup came to an end, with Robert iming the championship!

 Chapter 940: Setting Out

    <h4>Chapter 940: Setting Out</h4>


    After thepetition end, there was an awards ceremony. When Wace handed the ribbons and trophies to Robert, he felt deeply moved and patted his junior''s shoulder, almost on the verge of tears.


    Due to their roles as a disciple under the same master, Robert as a junior had carried a lot of unnecessary pressure. Wace had always felt guilty about this. Today, seeing how excellent his junior had be, his emotions ran deep, but he was mostly proud.


    Seeing his senior''s expression that seemed to say, "My junior has grown up," Robert couldn''t help but smile and shake his head, thinking it was unnecessary.


    Later, in order to celebrate his friend''s championship, Yuga invited Robert, Kris, and Wace to his home, and asked Audino to prepared avish feast for them to celebrated.


    The Wace Cup was sessfully concluded. On the second day, because there were still some things to finish, Yuga, Wace, and Mayor Ishida had another busy day.


    During the preparation and hosting of the Wace Cup, thepetition had brought a significant influx of people to Verdanturf Town. The town''s economy had visibly improved, and Mayor Ishida couldn''t stop smiling when he saw Wace.


    The organization of the Wace Cup had undoubtedly brought considerable economic benefits to Verdanturf Town. ording to Mayor Ishida, many investors had noticed the investment potential of Verdanturf Town because of thispetition, and they were approaching him to discuss potential investments.


    Yuga was delighted to see the development benefits that the Wace Cup had brought to Verdanturf Town. After all, one of the reasons he agreed to cooperate with Dewin was to help Verdanturf Town prosper.


    Only when Verdanturf Town thrived could his YoYo Day Care grow, be sessful, and go global! Allowing him to have afortable live as a Gym Leader.


    Being a Gym Leader was one of the town''s actual administrators. The better he developed the town, the more achievements he could earn from the League, making it more likely for him to be recognized as a veteran Gym Leader.


    Of course, "veteran Gym Leader" was the thing that everyone called it only in private ; the formal title was "Honorary Gym Leader."


    Only as an Honorary Gym Leader could one pass on the position of Gym Leader directly, just like Mr. Juan had passed the Gym Leader position to Wace. For neers like Yuga, if they were removed from their position, the Gym would be disbanded.


    This was the difference between Gym Leaders. Only when they became Honorary Gym Leaders could they truly have a stable position within the League.


    After Yuga finished the follow-up work of the Wace Cup, Lovich''s older sister, Kerry, came to visit. Afterpleting the transaction with Kerry, Little Drew''s mother brought her son, Little Drew, to visit YoYo Day Care.


    Yuga was surprised by the business brought in by Little Drew''s mother. He hadn''t expected that selling a single Pok��mon would lead to unexpected gains.


    The Little Drew family had been in the flower cultivating industry for generations, making them the leaders in the field. They had numerous flower cultivation bases.


    Their family usually cultivates flowers and pairs them with butterfly or bee Pok��mon to enhance the beauty of the flowers. This is the secret behind their flowers'' longsting poprity in the market.


    However, butterfly and bee Pok��mon have short lifespans, and their family is not a group of Trainers. Therefore, these butterfly and bee Pok��mon age and pass away naturally.


    As a result, they have a high demand for butterfly and bee Pok��mon.


    Of course, sometimes they face an imbnce between purchased butterfly Pok��mon and deceased ones, leading to an excess of butterfly Pok��mon in their flower cultivation base.


    But they have a solution.


    Hoenn region is an area known for its berry production, and there are numerous inds surrounding the maind, each with various berry ntations, mostly privately owned.


    Every year, when berry treese into bloom, they require arge number of butterfly or bee Pok��mon for pollination. Their family cooperates with many berry ntations. When berry growers need butterfly Pok��mon, their family transfers their surplus Pok��mon to them.


    Their flower cultivation base is also located on one of the inds surrounding the maind, where there are berry growers in need of butterfly or bee Pok��mon.


    They used to have their own partnered butterfly Pok��mon Day Care, but in recent years, the quality of butterfly Pok��mon provided by that Day Care has deteriorated. Some of them even died within two or three years.


    Even though butterfly Pok��mon have short lifespans, it shouldn''t be as short as that. Immediately, Little Drew''s parents realized that the other party was trying to take advantage of them.


    Little Drew''s father had always looked down upon people who used such tricks to gain advantages. Their family business was significant, and they didn''tck for Pok��mon Day Care to cooperate with.


    The League''s Pok��mon Day Care Center were beyond their reach, and private Pok��mon Day Care were abundant.


    To minimize their losses, Little Drew''s family recently terminated their cooperation with the other party.


    A few days ago, when Little Drew''s mother called home to rmend YoYo Day Care to her husband, Little Drew''s father readily agreed.


    He had heard about YoYo Day Care a long time ago, and with Yuga''s reputation, he believed that if cooperation could be reached, it would be a good thing for them.


    As a Gym Leader and a Elite level Trainer, Yuga''s identity provided assurance. Little Drew''s father didn''t think that someone with such a prestigious status in the League would resort to petty tactics for small profits.


    It had to be said that Yuga''s position as a Gym Leader did indeed provide many conveniences in the business world. Leaving aside everything else, just having thisyer of status made many people willing to trust him.


    In the hearts of ordinary people, the Pok��mon League held a high position.


    Little Drew''s mother had been helping her husband manage the business at home for a long time, so for her, discussing cooperation with YoYo Day Care was a straightforward matter.


    Both parties were eager to cooperate, so the partnership was quickly sealed.


    Since the establishment of the Insect Paradise, butterfly Pok��mon, which originally reproduced rapidly, had been increasing in number. Yuga felt that it wouldn''t be long before these butterfly Pok��mon would became a burden for him.


    It could be said that Little Drew''s mother''s business deal came at just the right time.


    Because regr butterfly Pok��mon didn''t have breeding costs for Yuga, he offered a significant price discount to Little Drew''s family.


    After discussing the cooperation with Little Drew''s mother, Yuga had a new n.


    Currently, every household in Verdanturf Town had their own Grass-type Pok��mon. Yuga thought that it would be perfect to pair them with a butterfly Pok��mon.


    In the development of agriculture, the role of Butterfly and bee Pok��mon was very crucial.


    Although there were already many peopleing to Verdanturf Town to discuss investments, Yuga and Mayor Ishida believed that the town''s primary development direction should still revolve around bing an Agricultural Town.


    Verdanturf Town''s biggest advantage was its unique geographical environment and natural agricultural ecology. To preserve this advantage, the best development strategy was to vigorously promote eco-friendly agriculture in Verdanturf Town while also boosting the tourism industry.


    Currently, they had achieved some sess in this regard.


    Due to the prevalence of Grass-type Pok��mon, Verdanturf Town''s specialty agriculture had already attracted a considerable number of tourists. Yuga believed that by promoting butterfly Pok��mon further, they could not only advance the development of specialty agriculture but also beautify the appearance of Verdanturf Town, achieving a win-win situation.


    Of course, this was Yuga''s personal idea, and he would need to discuss the specifics with Mayor Ishida.


    Yuga was an amateur when it came to urban development. Although his main goal was to do business, he didn''t want to mess things up. If Mayor Ishida deemed this n unworkable, he wouldn''t implement it recklessly.


    The next day, Yuga received a message from Joyka informing him that Joyna had arrived in Verdanturf Town, and he met Joyna at the Verdanturf Town Pok��mon Center.


    Although this was only the second time Yuga had seen Joyna, he had a deep impression of her because his initial concept of "strength" in the profession of Trainers came from her.


    "Hey, long time no see, kid!"


    As soon as Joyna saw Yuga, she greeted him cheerfully.


    ording to Joyka, Joyna had been step down from her position in Sinnoh and was being reassigned in Kanto region, so she was passing through Hoenn region and, conveniently, picking up Yuga to travel to Kanto together.


    Yuga respectfully bowed to Joyna and said, "Long time no see, Miss Joyna."


    Joyna patted Yuga''s shoulder when she saw his formality. "No need to be so formal. Just treat me the same way you treat Joyka. How you get along with her is how you should get along with me."


    Joyna was almost ten years older than Yuga, so treating her with the same familiarity as he did with Joyka wasn''t something he could easily do. He smiled and didn''t say much in response to Joyna''s words.


    Joyna didn''t get upset at his reaction; due to her status, she rarely encountered people who treated her with a rxed attitude. So, she wasn''t surprised by Yuga''s response.


    "Because our schedule is quite tight, we''ll be leaving early tomorrow. Do you have any issues on your end?" Joyna inquired of Yuga.


    She had traveled to Hoenn region on Joy family''s private aircraft, so she could decide her departure time. However, she couldn''t afford any dys.


    "No problem!" Yuga nodded in response. The follow-up tasks for the Wace Cup had already been handled, and Mayor Ishida would take care of the rest. In this regard, Mayor Ishida had given him a lot of freedom.


    After discussing the arrangements for their trip to Kanto region with Joyna at the Pok��mon Center, Yuga returned to the YoYo Day Care. At this moment, Wace, Robert, and Kris were all waiting in the shop.


    They had alle to say their goodbyes.


    Wace was a busy person by nature and couldn''t stay in Verdanturf Town for too long. Robert wanted to explore the outside world, inspired by Kris''s experiences in the Kalos region.


    As for Kris, she felt that her stage experience in Pok��mon Contest wascking, so she nned to stay in Hoenn region to participate in some regr Pok��mon Contest before joining this year''s Pok��mon Contest Grand Festival.


    On the day after Robert and the others left, Yuga boarded Joy family''s aircraft and set off to Kanto.


    However, right after he left, Sora, who had some free time, came to visit YoYo Day Care. Upon hearing the news of Yuga''s departure, Sora let out a disappointed sigh.

 Chapter 941: Island Arrival

    <h4>Chapter 941: Ind Arrival</h4>


    he luxury of the Joy family''s aircraft was not inferior to that of the Aroma Day Care, except for the absence of the Ecopark built into the aircraft, making it even more well-equipped than the Aroma Day Care.


    Five dayster, the aircraft touched down in Cerulean City in the Kanto region. They nned to stay a day in Cerulean City before taking a boat from Cerulean Strait to the Nameless Ind.


    Their destination, the Nameless Ind, was located in a remote, uninhabited area far from the Kanto region. Without sufficient preparation, even with Joyna, a Champion level Trainer, they wouldn''t dare to venture into the sea.


    As soon as Yuga and Joyna disembarked from the aircraft, they were greeted by the people arranged by the Joy family in Cerulean City and met with those who would apany them on this journey.


    Apart from Yuga, everyone joining this trip to the Nameless Ind was from the Joy family. They were a small group, about ten individuals, all elite members with strengths pseudo-Elite level above. Besides Joyna, the Champion level Trainer, there was also an Elite level middle-aged man.


    The Joy family wasn''t just Joyna; there were others in the family. In their family, girls were born as Joy, while boys were no different ordinary people.


    Due to their natural talents, most Joy family members pursued careers in the medical field. Combat oriented Joy like Joyna were a rarity, and most of the battle ready members were males. In the team traveling with them, apart from Joyna, there was only one other female member.


    Seeing the elite team from the Joy family, Yuga realized that without the gift of the Revival Herb form, the Joy family probably wouldn''t have needed to invite him for this operation.


    They were fully capable of collecting enough Revival Herbs from the Nameless Ind themselves.


    After spending a night at the Pok��mon Center in Cerulean City to rest and recover, they quietly departed from Cerulean Strait on a ship, without drawing any attention to themselves.


    Cerulean Strait was a famous tourist attraction in Cerulean City, with constant traffic of people and ships. Therefore, when Yuga and his team boarded a small cruise ship to leave, they didn''t attract any special attention.


    The Joy family attached great importance to this Revival Herb collection operation and had taken excellent measures to maintain secrecy.


    Three dayster, their small cruise ship had moved far from the Kanto maind and entered the deep-sea region. At this moment, Yuga stood at the bow of the ship with his Nana, lost in thought. Sea voyages were generally quite boring.


    Not long after, Nana suddenly sensed two powerful auras in the distant sea.


    "It seems there are troublesome folks fighting up ahead," Nana remarked impatiently.


    As expected, a crew member then approached Joyna on the other side and said, "Captain, we''ve spotted two Pok��mon battling up ahead. If we continue on our current course, we might be affected."


    The fact that there were Pok��mon battles that could impact their cruise ship meant that these Pok��mon were quite powerful.


    Joyna responded, "Understood. Let me handle it."


    With that, she released her Latias and said, "Latias, could you please go and drive them away?"


    "Latias..." Latias nuzzled Joyna affectionately, then shot out like a missile. In no time, the fierce aura of the sea battle subsided.


    The crew members breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the crisis averted.


    In these past few days, they had already encountered such situations multiple times. Their sea route was undeveloped and often witnessed battles between two, several, or even groups of Pok��mon.


    These Pok��mon varied greatly in strength, from small fry to Elite level.


    Because they all lived in the deep-sea region, they would flee if they couldn''t win, making it difficult to catch them. So, whenever such situations arose, Joyna would release her Latias to scare away the Pok��mon on their cruise route directly.


    Joyna''s Latias was not yet fully grown, and its strength had not reached its peak. It was far from the legendary birds Yuga had seen before, such as Zapdos, Articuno, or Moltres. However, its strength was still at a Champion level.


    Fortunately, they had sailed all this way without encountering any wild Pok��mon stronger than Elite level. Otherwise, reaching the Nameless Ind would have taken much more time.


    Not long after, Latias returned and sought praise and affection from Joyna, making Yuga quite envious.


    He also wished he had a Legendary Pok��mon! But Legendary Pok��mon were extremely rare, and even if he encountered an immature one, he probably couldn''t defeat it, let alone capture it.


    In novels, time-travelers often had Legendary Pok��mon like Lugia and Ho-Oh, but he didn''t even have one of the Legendary Birds.


    Thinking this, Yuga nced at his Gardevoir. Well, at least he still had Nana by his side. All in all, she was like half a Legendary Pok��mon, right?


    Nana noticed Yuga''s peculiar gaze and said with a disgusted expression, "Why are you looking at me so strangely? Just so you know, I''m not interested in inter-species romance."


    Yuga felt like he had swallowed a mouthful of old blood, thinking: Who said anything about inter-species romance? the thing you hiding under your dress might be bigger than mine!


    Time passed quickly, and after three more days, an ind appeared in Yuga and the others'' view.


    To be honest, Yuga had seen the photos of the Nameless Ind provided by Joyha and had thought it was a small ind. However, in reality, it was muchrger than he had imagined. Judging from what he could see, it was at least the size of several Verdanturf Towns.


    Moreover, it seemed like there were some smaller inds scattered around the main ind.


    This ind was so remote that no humans had ever set foot here, and even the Joy family''s discovery of it was idental.


    But even before they could disembark, Yuga heard the voice of the system in his mind.


    ...


    [ Congrattions, Host, on triggering a new mission: The Grand Capture. ]


    [ Exnation: Your Ecopark has not added new members for a long time, and the ind before you is a high potential Pok��mon habitat. Take action quickly! ]


    [ Requirements: Capture at least ten high potential Pok��mon (Green potential or higher). ]


    [ Rewards: Universal Pok��block form for Fire-type Pok��mon. ]


    ...


    Yuga hadn''t expected to trigger a system mission but was delighted. He only needed the Pok��block forms for Fire-type, Electric-type, Normal-type, and Fighting-type Pok��mon toplete his collection. So, he would work hard to collect them all!


    Soon, their cruise ship docked on the edge of the ind, and Yuga, Joyna, and their ten-person team disembarked.


    The apanying personnel from the ship, such as sailors and chefs, did note ashore. They were to stay with the cruise ship and wait for Yuga and the others to return.


    The environment on the ind was extremely primitive, with tall trees and nts everywhere. As they entered the jungle, a damp and humid atmosphere enveloped them, as if they had entered a tropical rainforest.


    Moreover, upon entering the jungle, everyone sensed that the eyes of various Pok��mon were fixed on them from the dense foliage.


    Arbok''s cold gaze clung to tree branches, hanging Monkeys and Primeapes looked furious from treetops, and Persian concealed in the grass had an uncertain expression...


    Noticing these Pok��mon, Joyna whispered to herpanions, "Be vignt, release your Pok��mon for protection."


    The team members all released their Pok��mon in response to her words. Yuga nced at Nana beside him and then released his Serperior and Rowlet.


    The jungle was an ideal environment for Serperior, allowing it to move silently among the vegetation. It was a top level predator. A hidden Arbok merely nced at Serperior before hurriedly hiding.


    As for Rowlet, Yuga wanted to give it some experience and have it survey the situation from the air. Grass-type Rowlet, even in such a perilous jungle, wouldn''t easily draw the attention of wild Pok��mon.


    In dense jungles like this, it wasn''t suitable forrge Flying-type Pok��mon like Dragonite or Charizard to move around, especially Fire-type Pok��mon like Charizard.


    Furthermore, Yuga''s Dragonite was not with him at the moment. It, along with Gengar, Mismagius, Absol, and Roserade, were currently training in the Distortion World.


    When they had returned earlier, they told Yuga that they had encountered Giratina in the Distortion World, and Giratina had even given them some guidance. To make the most of this opportunity, they usually spent their time training in the Distortion World.


    The Pok��mon that Joyna released was the Champion level Lucario that Yuga had seen before. Its presence spread the aura of a Champion level Pok��mon, causing some wild Pok��mon with ill intentions to run away.


    Lucario took the lead, not only responsible for clearing obstacles ahead but also for guiding the group. Its Aura abilities could urately follow the map''s drawn route.


    However, not all wild Pok��mon feared Lucario, such as the Jungle Tyrant Beedrill.


    Yuga and his team inadvertently disturbed a group of Beedrill while walking through the jungle. The number of these Beedrill was quiterge in number, and their strength exceeded that of ordinary Beedrill.


    When they heard the buzzing sound of pping wings, everyone''s faces turned unpleasant. Most trainers who ventured into the wild were reluctant to encounter swarms of Beedrill. They were not only easily angered but also held grudges and were vindictive.


    The disturbance was caused when one of the team members identally stepped on a Weedle. Although the Weedle was small in size, it had a loud voice. When it was stepped on, it immediately cried out loudly, attracting a swarm of Beedrill to surround Yuga and his team.


    There seemed to be at least a hundred of them.


    Upon seeing these Beedrill, Rowlet immediately sought refuge on Yuga''s shoulder. It knew it wasn''t a match for these Beedrill.


    As for Nana, she stood by Yuga''s side, showing no desire to get involved with these Beedrill.


    She had fully adapted to her current body, and her strength was quite stable. In a battle against Dragonite''s mother, her chances were roughly equal, and with type advantages, her odds were slightly higher.


    Watching the countless flying Pin Missile approaching, Serperior unleashed several Leaf Storms, sweeping away arge portion of the Beedrill.


    After a few rounds of Leaf Storm, due to its Ability Contrary, Serperior''s aura rose several levels.


    The people in the group were all skilled trainers, so despite therge number of Beedrill, they were quickly dealt with.


    After the Beedrill were defeated, Yuga used his Insight ability to scan over them. He quickly identified two green potential Pok��mon and captured them with Pok�� Balls.


    This ce truly lived up to the system''s evaluation as a high potential Pok��mon habitat. Encountering two high potential Pok��mon so easily suggested that the task of capturing ten high potential Pok��mon might not be as challenging as it initially seemed.


    The system had mentioned that both the Sub-Ecopark and Pok��block form tasks were welfare tasks with rtively low difficulty. It appeared that this was indeed the case.


    No one in the group objected to Yuga''s act of capturing Beedrill. They had no intention of capturing these wild Pok��mon themselves.


    In general, members ofrge families do not capture wild Pok��mon in the wilderness. Without golde finger like Insight ability, it''s impossible to guarantee the potential of wild Pok��mon. Capturing wild Pok��mon and then selecting them is far less convenient than acquiring them directly from a Day Care Center.


    After dealing with the Beedrill, the group continued their journey. Progressing through such a dense forest was challenging. They encountered various obstacles and had to be vignt against snake, bug, and rodent Pok��mon ambushes.


    After capturing a Tangrowth, they arrived near a toxic pond. The pond, filled with purple sludge, was home to many Grimer and Muk, appearing quite hazardous.


    These Grimer and Muk were lying in the pond like real sludge, and even when they noticed Yuga and his team''s arrival, they didn''t react much. They continued slowly absorbing the toxic fumes emanating from the pond.


    Despite theirck of immediate threat, Yuga''s group decided to take a detour. The toxic pond was the territory of Grimer and Muk, and it wasn''t wise to engage with them, especially considering that at least one of the Muk was at the Elite level.


    For Yuga and his team, Elite level Pok��mon weren''t a threat. However, the real dangery in the toxic fumes present in the pond. That substance was highly poisonous, and getting even a drop of it on their skin could cause severe harm.


    What they didn''t see was a group of Koffing and Weezing in the nearby woods, eyeing the toxic pond hungrily. However, they didn''t dare to approach, indicating that Grimer and Muk weren''t to be trifled with.


    While the Revival Grass grew in the region, it wasn''t quite at the heart of the ind. Reaching there would require some effort, and on the way, Yuga''s team encountered one wave of Pok��mon ambushes after another.


    The Pok��mon that lived in such jungles were mostly predators. While modern-day Pok��mon weren''t as ferocious as those from ancient times, in these remote regions far from the human world, they still often preyed on each other. Some extremely primitive areas even had Pok��mon that retained their ancient instincts.


    When we talk about harmonious coexistence with Pok��mon in the human world, including those living in or near towns, it''s essential to recognize that the situation is entirely different when you bring that concept to such a primitive jungle. Trying to live in harmony with these Pok��mon would be absurd, as it would likely elerate your transformation into the prey of the wild Pok��mon.


    Humans need to acquire resources from these primitive regions, creating apetitive rtionship with the Pok��mon living there.


    The ancestors of the Pok��mon living near human towns and those in these primitive regions were once the same. However, over generations ofpetition andpromise with humans, they have developed into the harmonious coexistence seen today.


    From ancient times to the present, the rtionship between humans and Pok��mon has constantly evolved. Once, people referred to Pok��mon as "monster," but now they are called "Pok��mon."


    Before long, Yuga excitedly noticed a group of Pikachu ahead.


    For a time-traveler like Yuga, Pikachu was undoubtedly the most nostalgic Pok��mon!


    In the standard Pok��dex description for Pikachu, it often states: "This is a very shy Pok��mon."


    However, the group of Pikachu they encountered was different. Instead of being shy, theyunched a violent attack on Yuga and his team, showing no intention of avoidance whatsoever.


    Alongside the Pikachu, there were also quite a few Raichu in this group.


    Having Raichu implied the presence of Thunder Stones nearby. As it turned out, after defeating the Pikachu group, Yuga''s team discovered a small Thunder Stone mine.


    Upon discovering this Thunder Stone mine, the team could only sigh in frustration. They couldn''t organize a team to mine here. This location was too remote from the human world, and the environment was harsh. Unless they sent a team of Champion level Trainers to guard and mine, it wouldn''t be secure.


    But where could you find Champion level Trainers willing toe and mine in such a remote ce? Moreover, it was just a small mine.


    So, with regret, they had to leave the Thunder Stone mine behind and continue their journey.


    Before leaving, Yuga captured some Pikachu. Among them, only one had a green potential potential, while the others had yellow potential potential. For Pikachu, potential weren''t important, and Yuga was willing to raise them regardless.


    While the others in the group knew Yuga ran a Pok��mon Day Care, they still didn''t understand why he was capturing so many Pok��mon here. Even if they brought these Pok��mon back to the human world, they would require further domestication to be useful for breeding.


    However, they decided not to question Yuga''s actions, as his affairs were not their concern.


    As they moved away from the Pikachu territory, the group finally neared the Revival Grass''s growth area and encountered their first Nidoking.


    It was a Elite level Nidoking, suddenly appearing before Yuga''s group like a roadblock, blocking their path forward.


    The one who stepped forward to deal with the Nidoking was Joyan, an Elite level Trainer apanying Yuga''s group. He had achieved the 66th position in thest Kanto Elite Four Challenge Ranking, making him one of the Reserve Elite Four.


    In each region''s Elite Four Challenge Ranking, the top 100 Elite level Trainers were selected as Reserve Elite Four. Each of these Reserve Elite Four represented the most elite fighting force in their respective regions.


    Although one hundred Elite level Trainer might sound like a lot,pared to the vast number of Trainers in each region, it was a rtively small group.


    The Pok��mon League needed powerful Trainers from various backgrounds to oversee different aspects of their operations, and these Elite level Trainers were in high demand.


    Furthermore, the title "Elite level Trainer" wasn''t precisely defined by the Pok��mon League. Among the Reserve Elite Four, many had only one, two, or three Elite level Pok��mon, while having a full team of six was usually reserved for the Peak Elite level Trainers, often within the top ten.


    Moreover, not all Elite level Pok��mon were created equal. Some, like Steven''s Metagross, Cynthia''s Garchomp, and Wace''s Milotic, were exceptionally powerful, while others were more basic, having only broken through to Elite level through a fortunate encounter.


    Being an Elite level Trainer could be a somewhat inted title.


    Joyan''s strength among Elite level Trainers was considered average. He had two Elite level Pok��mon: Blissey as his initial Pok��mon and a blue potential Machamp.


    He used his Machamp to deal with the Nidoking, and since wild Elite level Pok��mon were generally weaker than those raised by Trainers, it didn''t take much time for Machamp to defeat the Nidoking.


    The trouble began after they defeated the Nidoking.


    Themotion caused by the battle between Machamp and Nidoking quickly drew the attention of the Nidoran n and the Kangaskhan n nearby.

 Chapter 942: Setback

    <h4>Chapter 942: Setback</h4>


    By the time Yuga and his group realized it, they were surrounded by countless Nidoran, Nidorino, Nidoran��, Nidorina, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, and even Kangaskhan.


    "Nidoking!"


    A furious roar echoed through the jungle, causing Pidgeys and Pidgeottos nesting in the treetops to take flight in rm.


    Soon after, Yuga and the others saw that whether it was Nidoran, Nidorino, Nidorina, Nidoran��, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, they all made way, and a gigantic Nidoking, over four meters tall, walked slowly with heavy steps.


    Ordinary Nidoking had an average height of about 1.5 meters, but this one was clearly beyondparison.


    ...


    [ Nidoking (Mutation) ]


    Type: Poison, Ground


    Ability: Sheer Force


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 89


    Skills: Leer, Double Kick, Poison Sting, Poison Jab, Horn Attack, Toxic Spikes, Horn Drill, Megahorn, Thrash, Earth Power, Venom Shock, Ice Beam, Hyper Beam, Thunderbolt, Earthquake, Shadow Ball, Brick Break, Sludge Wave, Sludge Bomb, Shadow w, Smart Strike, Stone Edge, Giga Impact, Drill Run, Water Pulse, Iron Tail, Ice Punch, Throat Chop.


    ...


    This was a Nidoking that was just one step away from breaking through to the Master level, despite its blue potential. It had undergone an unknown mutation due to consuming treasures like Revival Grass over the years, allowing it to break through to the Champion level, which should have been impossible to achieve with only blue potential.


    "Nidoking!!!"


    Nidoking roared again, and the resulting shockwave that made people''s cheeks tingle.


    "Be on guard!!!" Joyna shouted loudly, then released her own Latias.


    Yuga''s Serperior swiftly arrived at Yuga''s side, coiling its long body around him to protect him. Nana teleported in front of Yuga.


    "Nidoking!"


    Seeing Joyna''s Latias, Nidoking showed no fear and immediately fired an Ice Beam at the airborne Latias.


    Due to its Hidden Ability Sheer Force, Nidoking''s Ice Beam no longer had a freezing effect, but its power had increased significantly. Even Latias didn''t dare to take it head-on and swiftly dodged the attack.


    Nidoking''s attack seemed to signal the other Nidoran, Nidorino, Nidorina, Nidoran��, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, and Kangaskhan, as they allunched attacks on Yuga and his group.


    "I''ll take care of this Nidoking with Yuga. The rest of you handle the other Pok��mon!" Joyna instructed her team.


    Facing this powerful Nidoking and arge number of other Pok��mon, even she felt a bit challenged. Of course, if she knew Nana''s true strength, she might have been more confident.


    Yuga took out a Pok�� Ball and released his Chimecho, saying, "Protect the others."


    With so many wild Pok��mon, even though this was an elite team, handling them wouldn''t be easy. Having Chimecho providing assistance would make things much easier.


    "Chimecho!"


    Chimecho nodded and flew into the air.


    Seeing that Latias had dodged its attack, Nidoking shifted its focus to Nana on the other side. Just as it was about tounch a Shadow Ball, Nana, who was faster than it, used Psyshock on it.


    Being hit by a Psychic-type move, Nidoking grunted and staggered back several steps.


    At this moment, Latias followed up with its counterattack. Its exclusive move Mist Ball hit Nidoking directly in the face, and the secondary effect of Mist Ball lowered Nidoking''s special attack.


    Being hit consecutively, Nidoking became very angry and used its ultimate move, Giga Impact, to charge at Nana.


    Nana swiftly teleported away to evade. Then Joyna''s Lucario took the opportunity to use Ice Punch and engage Nidoking in closebat.


    At Nidoking''s level, the side effects (stiffness) caused by Giga Impact had be minimal. When it saw Lucario punching towards it, it responded with an Ice Punch of its own.


    In the blink of an eye, the two Pok��mon exchanged dozens of punches.


    While both Pok��mon were Champions level, Lucario was only Intermidate Champion level, It was several level below Nidoking and was ultimately pushed back by Nidoking''s punch.


    However, Lucario had bought just enough time for Nana and Latias. Gardevoir Future Sight, and Latias Draco Meteor swam toward Nidoking at the same time.


    Just when Yuga and Joyna thought Nidoking would sumb to Gardevoir''s Future Sight and Latias''s Draco Meteor, two Kangaskhan suddenly appeared on Nidoking''s left and right, each using Mega Punch to shatter both Gardevoir''s Future Sight and Latias''s Draco Meteor.


    Seeing these two Kangaskhan, Yuga and Joyna''s faces changed color. Theseter Kangaskhan were both Champion level Pok��mon.


    These were the two leaders of the Kangaskhan n that Joyna had shown to Yuga in the pictures.


    Just as Yuga and Joyna were still shocked by the appearance of the two Kangaskhan, a massive golden pir of light suddenly shot out from the jungle, striking directly at Latias and shattering half of its body.


    Latias screamed in agony and fell to the ground. It quickly used Recover to patch up its body, but when it flew back up, it seemed a bit unsteady.


    "Retreat! Retreat! Quickly retreat!" Joyna, with a changed expression, shouted sternly.


    The other members of the team also noticed Latias''s condition and hurriedly defended while retreating.


    As they retreated together, Yuga caught sight of a Pok��mon slowly emerging from the trees, the one responsible for using Hyper Beam.


    ...


    [ Nidoqueen ]


    Type: Poison, Ground


    Ability: Sheer Force


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 100


    Skills: Leer, Double Kick, Poison Sting, Poison Jab, Horn Attack, Toxic Spikes, Horn Drill, Megahorn, Thrash, Earth Power, Venom Shock, Ice Beam, Hyper Beam, Thunderbolt, Earthquake, Shadow Ball, Brick Break, Sludge Wave, Sludge Bomb, Shadow w, Smart Strike, Stone Edge, Giga Impact, Drill Run, Water Pulse, Iron Tail, Ice Punch, Throat Chop, Chip Away, Superpower, Counter


    ...


    This was a Pok��mon that could rival Giant Milotic and Silgilyph on the Mount Cor Snowpeak, truly the Overlord Pok��mon in this territory.


    No wonder it was able to fire a Hyper Beam that shattered Latias''s body. Pok��mon of this level already had the strength to fight head on with adult Level 2 Legendary Pok��mon or Mythical Pok��mon, not to mention that Joyna''s Latias is not adult yet.


    Yuga and his group fought while retreating, and they quickly exited the territory of the Nidoran n and Kangaskhan n. Fortunately, those Nidoran and Kangaskhan didn''t pursue them.


    However, what Yuga and his group didn''t know was that as soon as they left the territory of the Nidoran n, the imposing Nidoqueen knelt weakly to the ground.


    It turns out that this Nidoqueen had been injured long ago.


    After being injured, it didn''t dare to use Revival Grass to heal itself directly, because there were side effects.


    When an uninjured Pok��mon consumed Revival Grass, there were no side effects. However, for an injured Pok��mon, while Revival Grass couldpletely heal its injuries, it would be affected by side effects. It would not only lose some of its memories but also lose levels.


    The reason Nidoqueen had been injured was that a formidable opponent had targeted their territory. If it used Revival Grass to heal, regardless of memory loss or level drop, the consequences would be unbearable for the entire Nidoran n.


    However, remaining in an injured state would also spell disaster for the Nidoran n, so now this Nidoqueen was in a dilemma.


    On the other side, Joyna, who had escaped, punched a nearby tree trunk in frustration, saying, "Our intelligence was wed! It turns out that Nidoqueen is the actual leader!"


    Originally, the information received by the Joy family indicated that on this ind, both Nidoking and Nidoqueen from the Nidoran n and Kangaskhan from the Kangaskhan n were co-leaders, in a cooperative rtionship.


    However, it was now clear that the Kangaskhan n was clearly subservient to the Nidoran n, and the formidable Nidoqueen was the true leader of all the Pok��mon, with the three Champion level Pok��mon merely serving as her subordinates.


    "The day is gettingte, let''s head back to the cruise ship for now. There''s no use dwelling on this now; we''ll discuss the matter of Nidoqueen in more detailter," Yuga suggested, ncing at the sky, addressing Joyna.


    Nidoqueen''s disyed strength, though sudden, appeared normal once you realized that a Pok��mon upying a Revival Grass territory like this one would naturally evolve into such a formidable creature over time.


    Revival Grass was a top-tier treasure, and having so much of it, without evolving into a Pok��mon as powerful as Nidoqueen, would have been a waste for the Nidoran n.


    However, the fact remained that they couldn''t defeat Nidoqueen.


    Joyna sighed and said, "Yes, let''s go back and talk about it first."


    And so, the group returned to the cruise ship with heavy hearts.


    Nightfall came quickly, and this night, because of the appearance of Nidoqueen, nobody could sleep well.


    At night by the seashore, besides the sound of the crashing waves and the rustling of the wind, strange cries of Pok��mon were asionally heard, sending shivers down their spines.


    Unable to sleep, Yuga released one of the Pikachu he had captured during the day in his room.


    This Pikachu was wild and untamed, nothing like the cute Pikachu he had in mind. It bared its teeth and seemed ready to attack Yuga, but Yuga would not let that happen.


    Florges used her vines to restrain the Pikachu, and Yuga eventually managed to gather some information about the Nidoran n from it.


    Most of the information matched what the Joy family had learned: Nidoking and Nidoqueen were indeed a married couple, and the two Champion level Kangaskhan were indeed mother and daughter. However, the rtionship between the Nidoran n and Kangaskhan n was quite strange; it wasn''t just a straightforward dependency or protection rtionship.


    The Nidoran n was unique in that it had no gender differences. All males were Nidoran, Nidorino, and Nidoking, while all females were Nidoran, Nidorina, and Nidoqueen.


    However, only Nidorina had the ability toy eggs and give birth to offspring. Once Nidorina evolved into Nidoqueen, they lost their ability to reproduce.


    This exined why, without interbreeding with other species, the Nidoran n in the Kanto region, which had a preference for group living and a low social status, had difficulty establishing dominance.


    The direct consequence of allowing Nidoran toy eggs, even when their physical qualities were inferior to Nidoqueen and Nidoking, was that although the fertility rate was significantly increased, the overall quality of the poption would decrease significantly.


    Wild Pok��mon had a habit of prioritizing their own kind as mates when there was arge poption of their own kind nearby.


    In the Kanto region, where the Nidoran n had a sizable poption and preferred to live in groups, the lower social status of the species exacerbated this issue.


    However, the situation on this ind was different. Their leader, Nidoqueen, was a visionary and intelligent Pok��mon.


    To prevent her tribe from declining generation after generation, she chose the Kangaskhan n.


    The Nidoran n here is quite specialpared to the typical Nidoran n. They are usually very faithful, with one Nidoran having only one mate. However, in this case, Nidoran retains its single mate, but the Nidoran�� does not take on the responsibility of bearing children.


    Nidoran��, which doesn''t bear offspring, is free to evolve into Nidorina and Nidoqueen.


    The situation with the Kangaskhan n is also very special. They are amon single-parent group, consisting only of females. When they want to have a child, they simply choose a suitable partner, somewhat simr to the Mandibuzz.


    So, the crucial task of giving birth to Nidoran n offspring falls on the Kangaskhan n.


    If a Kangaskhan gives birth to a Nidoran or Nidoran��, the child is handed over to the Nidoran n to be raised by their father and stepmother. If a Kangaskhan gives birth to a baby Kangaskhan, it stays with her.


    Through this cooperation, they have solved the issue of the Nidoran n''s declining poption while also addressing the mating problem of the Kangaskhan n.


    In the human world, this might seem like Nidoking is a terrible partner, but in the primitive realm of survival of the fittest, it is a means of survival for both species.


    Through this coboration, the Nidoran n has given birth to outstanding offspring, and the Kangaskhan n has received the protection of the top powerhouse Nidoqueen, as well as a share of the Revival Grass, which was previously monopolized by the Nidoran n.


    Understanding the rtionship between the Nidoran n and the Kangaskhan n, Yuga couldn''t help but be amazed by the wonder of the Pok��mon world.


    Apart from the rtionship between the Nidoran n and the Kangaskhan n, Yuga also learned from Pikachu that some time ago, a Pok��mon deep within the ind had shed with Nidoqueen, the leader of the Nidoran n.


    However, Yuga didn''t pay too much attention to this matter. It was natural for other Pok��mon to covet the valuable territory upied by the Nidoran n, as long as they had a way to deal with the formidable Nidoqueen.


    The more Yuga encountered Pok��mon like Nidoqueen, the more he felt the insignificance of humans.


    The next morning, Yuga noticed that many people had dark circles under their eyes, clearly due to insufficient rest after the encounter with Nidoqueen.


    After breakfast, Joyna gathered everyone for an emergency meeting to discuss how to deal with Nidoqueen. However, Nidoqueen was just too powerful, and after hours of discussion, they couldn''te up with a practical solution.


    Could it be that they would return empty-handed?


    This thought involuntarily crossed the minds of everyone present.


    The Joy family attached great importance to this mission of collecting Revival Grass, and it was hard to imagine how disappointed their family would be if they returned empty-handed.


    ��


    The side effects of Revival Grass were created for the sake of the storyline, and it was also meant to clearly distinguish it from the effects of Max Revive, which has no side effects.

 Chapter 943: Mission

    <h4>Chapter 943: Mission</h4>


    After the meeting, Yuga approached Joyna and asked, "How is Latias''s injury?"


    Yesterday, that Hyper Beam from Nidoqueen had directly struck Latias, taking off a significant portion of her body. Even though half of her body restored by using Recover move quickly, the memory of that attack still sent shivers down his spine.


    Joyna shook her head and replied, "It''s not a major issue."


    However, a fleeting look of concern in her eyes made Yuga suspect that Latias''s injuries might not be as minor as she imed.


    If Latias were an adult Legendary Pok��mon, Nidoqueen''s attack might not have had much effect, considering Latias''s innate regenerative abilities. While she might not match the likes of DNA Pok��mon Deoxys, Nidoqueen would still have trouble harming her.


    Unfortunately, Latias was still immature and not as powerful.


    Yuga continued, "We haven''t found a way to deal with Nidoqueen yet. I''m going to gather information in the forest."


    While gathering information was one aspect of his n, Yuga was more concerned withpleting the task assigned by the system: capturing ten high potential Pok��mon. So far, he had only captured four.


    With the current difficulties in collecting Revival Grass, staying with the main group on the cruise ship wouldn''t help himplete his task. Regardless of whether they could collect Revival Grass, he was determined to fulfill the system''s mission.


    Joyna smiled and said, "Alright, be careful out there. If you encounter another Pok��mon like Nidoqueen, it could be troublesome."


    Joyna had no doubts about Yuga''s abilities since she knew that Mr. Kuni''o, like others in his lineage, had the power tomunicate with Pok��mon. So she didn''t doubt Yuga''s words.


    After witnessing the strength of Yuga''s Gardevoir, she wasn''t worried about him facing danger alone. Even if he encountered a powerful Pok��mon like Nidoqueen again, he could always escape.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t go too deep," Yuga assured her.


    Pok��mon as formidable as Nidoqueen were rare, and it was unlikely he''d encounter another one so soon.


    After their conversation, Yuga ventured into the jungle with Shasha once more.


    Sincest night, the control of Gardevoir''s body had been handed over to Shasha by Nana. ording to Nana, it had been training Shasha to practice for some time, and Shasha need to spend more time to improve itbat skills.


    Because Gardevoir''s body that influenced by the presence of Celebi, was progressing rapidly, despite his original green potential. Now, the strength of Shasha, under Nana''s guidance, had reached the pseudo-Elite level, making it advancement faster than most Pok��mon with a blue potential.


    After entering the jungle, Yuga released Rowlet again, and then released Bellossom to let it protect itself.


    This time, Yuga didn''t strictly follow the path they had taken yesterday. He deviated slightly to avoid potential encounters with the Nidoran n or Kangaskhan n, considering the ind''s apparent danger. It was best not to take any chances.


    As Yuga moved ahead, he encountered fewer obstaclespared to traveling with arger group. Any blocking vines or vegetation in his way was effortlessly cut down by Bellossom''s two sharp des. No nt could withstand the sharpness of Bellossom''s Leaf des.


    Yuga didn''t engage with regr wild Pok��mon unless they saw him as prey. He only confronted them when necessary.


    Soon, he found his target: a group of Scyther.


    Among Bug-type Pok��mon, few were as strong as Scyther and its evolved form, Scizor.


    However, Scyther was extremely rare in the wild, making them valuable. Even in major Pok��mon Day Care, it was difficult to obtain Scyther with ordinary potential.


    Seeing these rarely encountered Scyther, Yuga''s heart raced with excitement. Dealing with a group of them alone might be challenging, but it was worth the risk.


    Among this group of Scyther, four had high potential: a couple, a young Scyther.


    Yuga''s target was the young Scyther.


    The young Scyther, curious due to its age, was easily lured away from its group by the Vivillon that Yuga released. It didn''t take long for Yuga to sessfully capture the young, green potential Scyther. In addition to this one, Yuga had discreetly captured four or five yellow potential Scyther before quietly leaving the area.


    If this had been when the Day Care were just starting, Yuga would have likely not left so easily. He would have taken any high potential Scyther he could find, regardless of the consequences.


    However, now that the Day Care was on the right track. Although it still needs to expand its business, the YoYo Day Care good reputation has been established, and there is no need for him to resort to such hical practices.


    This ind was clearly a harsh and survival-oriented environment. Without their leaders, the Scyther group would probably face difficulties, but the absence of the young Scyther wouldn''t have a significant impact.


    Overall, Yuga was a person who had a strong sense of self-interest but preferred not to act hically when possible.


    For instance, when it came to taking in stray Pok��mon, if he was impoverished and struggling, he wouldn''t even consider it. However, if he had the means, he would help, umting good karma for himself.


    Not long after leaving the territory of the Scyther, Yuga encountered a group of Heracross. These two groups of Pok��mon shared a close proximity in their territories and had simr grouppositions, leading Yuga to suspect that they were rival factions.


    His hunch was correct, as these two groups had been living in close proximity for many years and had developed deep-seated animosities.


    The Heracross n was more assertive in nature and aimed to dominate the area, but they were slightly weaker overallpared to the Scyther, making it challenging to achieve their goal.


    The Scyther n, on the other hand, was more solitary by nature and initially ignored the Heracross.


    However, after enduring repeated provocations from the Heracross n, they were no longer willing to tolerate it and wanted to drive them away.


    Although the Heracross n was slightly weaker than the Scyther n, they weren''t significantly so. Despite their efforts, the Scyther n had failed to drive them away.


    Scyther, Heracross, and Pinsir were the three most renowned Bug-type Pok��mon in the Kanto region. Encountering two of these species here was a rare opportunity that Yuga couldn''t pass up.


    It''s not that there are no habitats for these three Pok��mon in other region, butpared to the Kanto and Johto region, they are far behind


    The high potential Pok��mon in Heracross n are simr to Syther n, but they have one more newly-born young Heracrosa with green potential, so Yuga decided to secretly capture both of the young Heracross in the group.


    If he hadn''t taken in the additional young Heracross, the Heracross n might have overtaken the Scyther n in the future, so this act served to bnce the two groups'' strengths.


    Just like with the Scyther, after capturing high potential Heracross, Yuga also managed to capture a few with yellow potential.


    Highly rare and powerful Pok��mon, even with average potential,manded higher prices than ordinary Pok��mon. The reason Yuga was capturing these yellow potential Scyther was to expand the variety of Pok��mon avable in his new store.


    He already had an Insect Paradise where Bug-type Pok��mon could breed, and by introducing these yellow potential Scyther and Heracross, he could increase their poption. He nned to use the high potential ones for breeding and sell the lower potential ones, creating a win-win situation.


    Rare Pok��mon were much more profitable thanmon ones.


    After capturing the Heracross, Yuga wandered around the area for a bit but found no further opportunities. Feeling a bit disappointed for not encountering a Pinsir, he decided to take a break.


    The jungle environment was hot and humid, and Yuga was covered in sweat. He nned to find a water source nearby to refresh himself. Fortunately, water sources weren''t hard to find on the ind, and he soon came across a small stream.


    The stream had a gentle flow, and there were only a few small Pok��mon drinking from it. It appeared to be a rtively safe spot.


    After arriving at the stream, Yuga took out a towel from his system backpack and was about to wet it when suddenly, a round head popped out of the water.


    Yuga''s hand and the round head were just inches apart. At first, the owner of the head blinked itsrge eyes at Yuga. Then, as if startled, it attempted to dive back into the water.


    However, before the owner of the head could disappear underwater again, Shasha, at Yuga''s side, acted swiftly. Using its psychic powers, Shasha pulled the head out of the water, and with a ssh, the round-headed creature plopped onto the ground.


    It didn''t struggle when it realized it was being held by Shasha''s psychic power. Instead, it sat down and curiously stared at Yuga with its distinct ck and white eyes.


    It looked at Yuga, and Yuga also look at it


    ...


    [ Squirtle ]


    Type: Water


    Ability: Torrent


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 50


    Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Withdraw, Rapid Spin, Water Pulse, Aqua Tail, Iron Defense, Rain Dance, Hydro Pump, Muddy Water, Aqua Ring, Aura Sphere, Icy Wind.


    ...


    Yuga hadn''t expected to encounter such a high potential Squirtle in this situation. This Squirtle even had an inherited special move called Aura Sphere.


    However, it puzzled him, why a Squirtle with both had high potential and high level but it still hadn''t evolved yet.


    Yuga tossed a Pok�� Ball towards Squirtle. The first attempt was easily deflected by Squirtle, but the second one sessfully captured her.


    "Guess my charming appearance did the trick!" Yuga thought to himself, shamelessly.


    Squirtle had a gentle nature. When released from the Pok�� Ball, she didn''t attack Yuga but instead showed great curiosity and eagerness to interact. After consuming a Pok��block Yuga gave her, she became even more cooperative, readily following his lead.


    This was a Squirtle that would stick to your side and be loyal when it realized that resisting wasn''t an option. To her, pride was worthless when it came to survival.


    Squirtle was a long-lived species, and despite her seemingly youthful appearance, she was likely much older than Yuga. She had a clever mind hidden behind those innocent eyes.


    Upon examination, Yuga quickly discovered the reason why this level 50 Squirtle hadn''t evolved. She had a pristine Everstone nestled within her shell.


    Squirtle cherished this Everstone deeply, and Yuga decided not to force her to part with it.


    Squirtle was very familiar with the environment in this area, and with her guidance, Yuga found his way much easier.


    However, whether it was beginner''s luck or Squirtle having exhausted her luck, Yuga didn''t encounter any more high potential Pok��mon after that.


    Seeing that it was gettingte, Yuga decided to return to the cruise ship docked by the ind.


    This was Squirtle''s first time encountering the human world, and she was immensely curious about everything. She looked around, touched things, and was thoroughly excited.


    Having their first encounter with humans, Squirtle didn''t want to stay inside the Pok�� Ball. She preferred to follow closely behind Yuga, exploring this new and fascinating world.


    Other people didn''t find it strange that there was a Squirtle following behind Yuga. After all, Gardevoir was also with them, so having an additional Squirtle didn''t raise eyebrows. They had seen the power of that Gardevoir with their own eyes.


    Moreover, Squirtle''s behavior waspletely different from the other Pok��mon on the ind. She was incredibly well-behaved, following Yuga closely, and showing curiosity and eagerness to interact.


    Squirtle''s presence didn''t cause muchmotion on the cruise ship, mainly because the atmosphere was tense due to the encounter with Nidoqueen earlier.


    Upon his return, Yuga met with Joyna again, using the pretext of gathering information. He wanted to keep up appearances even though he hadn''t discovered anything during his expedition.


    In the evening, Joyna hosted another small meeting to discuss how to deal with Nidoqueen. They made discussion untilte into the night but couldn''te up with a practical solution.


    Nidoqueen was too powerful, and all their tactics were futile in the face of absolute strength. The only way to deal with Nidoqueen was to have someone who could defeat it in battle.


    Yuga remained calm and collected throughout. Even if he couldn''t collect Revival Herbs, he had captured several high potential Pok��mon and an outstanding Squirtle, making his trip worthwhile.


    Perhaps the excitement from capturing Pok��mon during the day had left Yuga restless at night. He found himself unable to sleep, so he engaged in ate-night conversation with Squirtle, asking her to share interesting stories from the ind.


    However, the ind didn''t have many interesting tales to offer. It was a ce where bloodshed and survival of the fittest weremonce. Squirtle didn''t like conflicts and had seen more running pigs than she''d prefer.


    "What did you just say? Describe it to me again!"


    As they chatted, Yuga suddenly sat up excitedly on his bed because from Squirtle''s description, he was certain that the Pok��mon she had encountered was none other than Arcanine!


    Squirtle didn''t understand why Yuga had suddenly be so excited, but she obediently repeated her previous words, confirming that the Pok��mon she had encountered was indeed Arcanine.


    Arcanine! Just like Joy family''s Blissey, Jenny family''s Growlithe and Arcanine was extremely rare in the outside world. Apart from the one Yuga had seen at the auction, he had never encountered a wild one before.


    "Tomorrow, you''ll lead the way, and we''re going to find that Pok��mon."


    Yuga knew that he couldn''t miss this opportunity. If he didn''t capture this unimed Arcanine, he might never have another chance to encounter one in the future.


    Squirtle hesitated and said, "But that Pok��mon is really scary. Are we sure we want to find it?"


    Squirtle had encountered Arcanine when it was engaged in a battle with another Pok��mon, and the terrifying aura it emitted left asting impression on her.


    "Let''s go take a look first. If we can''t handle it, we''ll have Gardevoir teleport us out," Yuga reassured Squirtle.


    Hearing this, Squirtle breathed a sigh of relief. That sounded like a good n. With Gardevoir''s Teleport move, they could escape if things got too dangerous.


    With Squirtle''s agreement, Yuga happily went back to sleep.


    The next morning, Yuga found Joyna again and informed her that he would continue to gather information today. Joyna had no reason to object.


    Other members of the team, feeling embarrassed by Yuga''s dedication about Revival Herbs, They were all the elites of the family, and they were no different from the others. It made no sense that Yuga, an outsider, was working so hard, and they continued Salted fish.


    So they requested Joyna to go outside. Although they didn''t have Yuga''s special ability tomunicate with Pok��mon, they felt it was better than doing nothing.


    Seeing their determination, Joyna felt pleased. Even if they couldn''t find a solution to dealing with Nidoqueen, at least they would gain some experience and not have their trip go to waste.


    After reminding these team members not to be overly reckless, Joyna granted their request. While they might not be as powerful as Yuga, but with caution, they should be able to handle most of situations.


    Seeing the others depart, Joyna let out a sigh and returned to her room, where Latiasy weakly on the bed.


    "Latias, are you feeling any better?"


    Joyna gently stroked Latias''s head as she asked.


    "Latias..."


    Latias made a soft noise of agreement, nuzzling against Joyna. She didn''t want Joyna to worry too much, but Joyna could easily tell that Latias was putting on a brave front.


    On the other hand, the rest of the team, with Joyna''s permission, split into pairs and entered the forest. Yuga, led by Squirtle, returned to the stream from the previous day.


    "Is this where you saw Arcanine, near the upper stream of this creek?" Yuga asked Squirtle.


    Squirtle nodded and said, "Squirt!"


    Despite Squirtle''s assurance, Yuga couldn''t help but hesitate. The upper stream of this creek was very close to Nidoran n''s territory. What if they identally disturbed the Nidoran n or, worse, attracted Nidoqueen''s attention? That would be a disaster.


    However, Yuga''s strong desire to encounter Arcanine ultimately prevailed. They had to take a look; otherwise, it would be a missed opportunity. As for the other potential dangers, they could assess the situation and decide how to proceed when the time came.

 Chapter 944: Final Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 944: Final Encounter</h4>


    Water sources are the gathering ces for life. When Yuga was downstream, he didn''t feel it deeply. However, as he gradually moved with Squirtle and Shasha towards the middle of the creek, he noticed that more and more Pok��mon gathered by the stream. Even if they didn''t live here, they woulde to the creek because of the need for water.


    Yuga, apanied by Squirtle and Shasha, searched for clues about Arcanine while fending off the asional wild Pok��mon. Unfortunately, they hadn''t encountered any high potential Pok��mon along the way, which can allowed him toplete his mission.


    Yuga had already captured eight high potential Pok��mon, just two short of the system''s requirement of ten.


    Squirtle had encountered Arcanine by chance previously. It had been swimming upstream in the creek and had encountered a powerful Pok��mon, a powerful Poliwrath, halfway. Squirtle had decided to turn back downstream but had been surprised to see two battling Pok��mon arrive near it while preparing to leave.


    One of those Pok��mon was none other than Arcanine.


    Unable to leave in time, Squirtle had hidden in the water and watched the battle unfold.


    At the time, the Pok��mon battling Arcanine was an exceptionallyrge Arbok, even longer than any Gyarados that Squirtle had seen before.


    Squirtle didn''t know how strong that Arbok was, but the imposing aura it emitted made Squirtle shiver. Even the Poliwrath that resided in the creek didn''t dare to show itself.


    That Arbok had somehow offended Arcanine and had been pursued by Arcanine throughout the battle. The intense mes that Arcanine spewed could be felt even by Squirtle, hiding in the water.


    In the end, the Arbok couldn''t match Arcanine and had been reduced to a pile of roasted meat, exuding a tantalizing aroma.


    After dealing with the Arbok, Arcanine did not eat it but it left seemingly in a depressed state.


    In Squirtle''s eyes, that had been Arcanine''s state at the time.


    Once Arcanine had left, Squirtle, unable to linger in the area, had swum back downstream.


    As for what happened to the dead Arbok afterward, Squirtle had no idea. Since then, it had never returned to the middle or upper reaches of the creek.


    Squirtle had a vague sense of time. How long ago had that battle taken ce? It couldn''t remember clearly, but it was sure it hadn''t been too long. Finding Arcanine was still a possibility.


    Soon, Yuga, Squirtle, and Shasha reached the transition point between the middle and upper reaches of the creek. Squirtle pointed ahead and said: "The territory of Poliwrath is up ahead. I can''t handle it, so you guys need to protect me!"


    "Don''t worry!"


    Yuga also wanted to meet Poliwrath. Maybe it knew something about Arcanine. Judging from Squirtle''s description, Yuga believed he could handle Poliwrath on his own.


    They arrived at the water area where Poliwrath resided. Shasha took a step forward, intending to lure Poliwrath out. However, Yuga spoke up: "You''ve dealt with all the Pok��mon along the way. Let the others handle Poliwrath."


    Without saying anything, Shasha gave Yuga a nce and silently retreated. A little rest wouldn''t hurt!


    Yuga took out the Pok�� Ball containing his Serperior and released it. Hemanded, "Serperior, use Leaf Storm on the water''s surface!"


    Serperior nodded and flicked its tail, creating a swirling green vortex on the water.


    Boom!


    The water''s surface erupted into a huge wave, causing the Pok��mon living in the nearby jungle to scatter in panic.


    "Poliwrath!!!"


    After the water sshes settled, a blue figure jumped out of the creek andnded on the shore. It roared angrily at Serperior.


    ...


    [ Poliwrath ]


    Type: Water/Fighting


    Ability: Water Absorb


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 66


    Moves: Water Spout, Hypnosis, Rain Dance, Double p, Giga Impact, Wake-Up p, Hydro Pump, Focus Punch, Belly Drum, Ice Punch, Brick Break, Bulk Up.


    ...


    Yuga: So, it''s an Elite level Pok��mon. No wonder Squirtle said it couldn''t handle Poliwrath.


    The enraged Poliwrath raised its Ice Punch and charged at Serperior, shouting: Disturb my sleep, and no one will be forgiven!


    Serperior was much faster than Poliwrath. As Poliwrath approached, Serperior swiftly moved behind it and unleashed a Leaf Storm.


    Serperior''s battle strategy was simple, relying on its speed and Leaf Storm to overwhelm the opponent.


    The massive green vortex instantly threw Poliwrath into the air, and Serperior''s aura reached its peak.


    In this manner, Poliwrath was toyed with by Serperior''s Leaf Storm several times. Serperior''s confidence soared while Poliwrath went into a frenzy.


    In its madness, Poliwrath used Belly Drum, a move that sacrificed half of its health to significantly boost its attack power. Its belly suddenly swelled, and it fiercely punched its own round belly.


    After its belly returned to normal, Poliwrath''s aura surged, far surpassing its previous state.


    Belly Drum: Sacrifices half of its health to greatly increase its attack power.


    After using Belly Drum, Poliwrath swung its huge fists like sledgehammers andunched a Focus Punch at Serperior.


    Unfortunately, while Focus Punch was powerful, it had low uracy. Coupled with Serperior''s superior speed and agility, Poliwrath''s Focus Punch was destined to miss.


    However, the frenzied Poliwrath couldn''t realize this.


    Boom!


    With a slight twist of its agile body, Serperior evaded Poliwrath''s punch, but the ground received a direct hit, creating a deep crater.


    Avoiding the Focus Punch, Serperior used Dragon Tail to sweep hard against Poliwrath''s waist. Poliwrath stumbled and fell.


    After using Belly Drum, Poliwrath became quite fragile, and it couldn''t get back up after Serperior''s Dragon Tail.


    With Poliwrath down, Yuga threw a Pok�� Ball and captured it.


    Seeing Poliwrath defeated, Squirtle felt fortunate that it had chosen to hide!


    After releasing Poliwrath and allowing Shasha to treat it, Yuga followed Squirtle''s guidance to the battlefield where Arcanine and Arbok had fought. Arbok''s body was nowhere to be found, leaving behind only a massive snake-like skeleton.


    Aside from the bones, Yuga saw scorch marks everywhere on the scene. Clearly, Squirtle had not lied. The battle between Arcanine and Arbok hadn''t happened long ago, or else the vibrant jungle would have concealed these battle scars.


    With Shasha''s treatment, Poliwrath quickly regained consciousness. Seeing Serperior by its side, it didn''t dare to act recklessly.


    "Do you know where Arcanine is, or do you have any information about it?" Yuga inquired. To ensure Poliwrath recognized Arcanine, Yuga described Arcanine''s appearance.


    Poliwrath certainly knew Yuga''s description of Arcanine. It had vivid memories of their recent battle. However, its eyes shifted as it replied: I know. Are you looking for it? I can lead you there!


    Looking at Poliwrath''s seemingly honest and earnest demeanor, Yuga found it challenging to determine whether it was telling the truth or not.


    If he used it of lying, Poliwrath appeared honest and sincere. If he believed it, then it had been surprisingly cooperative, leaving Yuga somewhat uneasy.


    After some consideration, Yuga said, "Alright, lead the way!"


    In this way, the simple-minded Poliwrath led Yuga on the search for Arcanine.


    Taking a detour, under Poliwrath''s guidance, Yuga gradually moved away from the stream and soon arrived in a ce filled with the songs of birds and the scent of flowers.


    As soon as they reached this location, Hypno and Drowzee began to emerge from the grass and flower beds. It was evident that the seemingly naive Poliwrath had deceived him, but Yuga was prepared and not surprised at all!


    Quickly, Yuga found himself surrounded by Hypno and Drowzee. The leader of this group, who was good friends with Poliwrath, had once discussed various uses of hypnotic techniques with Poliwrath, fostering a deep bond of camaraderie.


    Seeing Poliwrath appeal to him for help, the leader of the Drowzee immediately ordered his subordinates to attack Yuga, sending waves of Hypnosis towards him.


    Fortunately, Shasha had quick reflexes and used Safeguard to protect Yuga.


    Yuga wasn''t afraid of this group battle. He released all his Pok��mon, and soon the Hypno and Drowzee were scattered and defeated.


    While Hypno and Drowzee were skilled in hypnosis, theyckedbat abilities.


    Seeing his littlepanions being thoroughly defeated, Poliwrath''s heart sank. It knew that its friends were slightly weaker than itself, but it hadn''t expected them to be this useless. It had hoped to overwhelm Yuga with their numbers, but it turned out Yuga had many allies of his own.


    Looking at the defeated Hypno and Drowzee lying all around, Yuga shook his head in regret. Howe there wasn''t a single high potential Pok��mon among them? He had hoped to catch one toplete his mission, but it seemed that hope was in vain.


    After dealing with the situation, Yuga nced at the trembling Poliwrath. "Looks like we''re missing a whip of love here!"


    After interrogating Poliwrath and extracting some information about Arcanine, Yuga set out once again on the journey to find Arcanine.


    This time, Poliwrath didn''t dare to y tricks. It honestly stated that it didn''t know where Arcanine lived, but it did remember the direction in which Arcanine had left.


    Following Poliwrath''s guidance, Yuga arrived in a rugged area very close to the Nidoran n''s territory. Hidden behind the rocks, Yuga could even see the Nidoran n that often appeared in this area.


    "Growlithe, Growlithe, Growlithe!"


    At this moment, Yuga suddenly heard a series of barks.


    "What''s this..."


    Yuga''s eyes lit up, and he immediately headed towards the source of the sound. He thought that Squirtle was too slow, so he recalled Squirtle into its Pok�� Ball, leaving only Shasha by his side.


    Soon, Yuga saw the source of the noise, a brightly furred puppy-like Pok��mon.


    ...


    [ Growlithe ]


    Type: Fire


    Ability: Intimidate


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 25


    Moves: Bite, Roar, Ember, Odor Sleuth, Helping Hand, me Charge, Close Combat


    ...


    Yuga hadn''t expected to find Arcanine, but he hade across a high potential Growlithe instead.


    When Yuga arrived, this Growlithe was in the midst of battling a Rattata, and it appeared to be winning. Upon noticing Yuga, the Rattata quickly ran away.


    Seeing the Rattata flee, Growlithe didn''t give chase. Instead, it remained cautious, gazing at Yuga with a low, yet still youthful growl, warning Yuga not to approach. It took a step back.


    "Shasha!"


    Yuga excitedly called out to Shasha, and Shasha understood his intention. Using psychic, Shasha captured Growlithe.


    Growlithe, being young and weaker, was no match for Shasha''s power and quickly fell under the effects of Hypnosis.


    Yuga threw a Pok�� Ball and captured Growlithe, thinking: If I couldn''t find Arcanine, at least I found Growlithe.


    Just as Yuga received the Pok�� Ball from Shasha, he heard an angry roar. He turned around to see arge Arcanine ring angrily at him and Shasha.


    Arcanine hadn''t expected to return from a short outing to find his child was captured. This was his territory, and he had believed that no other Pok��mon would dare to approach.


    So, after capturing a Rattata to practice with his son, he had gone out in search of food, not anticipating this unexpected turn of events.


    Not too long ago, Arcanine had lost his wife, and now it must not let anything happen to its son again.


    Arcanine wife is a Nales, while she was out searching for food for their child. She had encountered an Arbok from the deep sea inds and was killed by it, mistaking her for prey.


    Although Arcanine had avenged his wife by defeating the Arbok, his longing for her hadn''t diminished.


    Arcanine was a Pok��mon known for its unwavering loyalty.


    The furious Arcanine immediately used me Charge and charged towards Yuga and Shasha with the intent to smash them to pieces.


    Upon first sight, Shasha knew that this Arcanine was not a Pok��mon they could handle. In an instant, Shasha swapped control of the body with Nana.


    The quick-thinking Nana, in response to Arcanine''s impending charge, promptly erected a Reflect barrier, blocking Arcanine on the other side of the barrier.


    Arcanine''s strength was immense, and Nana, with a weaker physical constitution, was pushed back quite a distance from the impact against the Reflect barrier. Yuga, on the other hand, was knocked over by the shockwave generated by the collision.


    Getting up from the ground, Yuga quickly distanced himself from Arcanine and Nana. At this moment, Arcanine''s information appeared before his eyes.


    ...


    [ Arcanine ]


    Type: Fire


    Ability: Intimidate


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 78


    Moves: Bite, Ember, Odor Sleuth, Roar, me Wheel, Reversal, Fire Fang, Take Down, me Burst, Agility, methrower, Crunch, Heat Wave, Outrage, Overheat, re Blitz, Close Combat, Iron Tail, Snarl, Overheat, Fire st, Extream Speed, Morning Sun


    ...


    The son had excellent potential, and the father''s potential was even more outstanding!


    This was a Pok��mon very close to Champion level strength, and it was no wonder that Squirtle and Poliwrath trembled when mentioning Arcanine.


    Pinned behind the Reflect barrier, Arcanine couldn''t advance any further. It spewed countless mes from its mouth, engulfing Nana, who was nearby.


    Yuga was certain that Nana would be fine because, without his interference, Nana didn''t need to directly confront Arcanine, especially since it wasn''t a Fighting-type Pok��mon.


    As expected, when the mes dissipated, there was no sign of Nana. He had already used Teleport to appear behind Arcanine, followed by a gigantic Shadow Ball thrown directly at Arcanine.


    While Arcanine was undoubtedly strong,pared to Nana, it was significantly weaker. The massive Shadow Ball explosion sent Arcanine rolling on the ground.


    However, Arcanine, driven by the desire to protect his son, refused to give up. It spewed fiery mes of Fire st, each one delivered with full force.


    Yet, each Fire st missed as Nana skillfully dodged them using Teleport.


    Nana, with his outstanding potential and the amplifying effect of his immense psychic power, had a distinct advantage in using Teleport.


    Seeing that Fire st wasn''t working, Arcanine switched to the more potent Overheat. However, even after using Overheat, which greatly lowered its special attack power, Nana remained unscathed.


    With every Overheat, Arcanine created massive craters in the ground, but Nana, with maximum Evasion stats, managed to avoid them all.


    Frustrated by his inability to hit Nana, Arcanine became even more frantic. It activated its Ability, Intimidate, andunched a series of extreme moves, including Outrage, attempting to take down Nana at any cost.


    However, Nana proved too elusive, dodging every attack with ease. This resulted in a chaotic battlefield, with Nana remaining unharmed.


    Driven to the brink of madness and unable tond a single hit, Arcanine lost control of its rationality. It used Outrage indiscriminately, attacking not only Nana but also the surrounding environment, sometimes targeting the ground, other times targeting itself. It truly lived up to its title of "Frenzied Dog."


    In the end, it not only inflicted multiple injuries upon itself but also shattered the already fragile terrain in the area. Meanwhile, Nana watched the chaos unfold from a safe distance.


    All that was left was for Arcanine to exhaust itself, and then it would be an easy capture for Yuga.


    Watching the crazed Arcanine, Yuga suddenly felt a deep sense of guilt. This was too brutal!


    Whether it was due to the guilt in Yuga''s heart or not, his retribution came swiftly. Arcanine mmed into the ground with such hugh force and the already shattered terrain continued to fracture.


    The cracks spread beneath Yuga''s feet, causing the ground to give way entirely. Numerous rocks fell down, carrying Yuga, Arcanine, and Nana along with them.


    After a moment of dizziness, Yuga lost consciousness.

 Chapter 945: Ultra Beast

    <h4>Chapter 945: Ultra Beast</h4>


    After who knows how long, Yuga finally woke up, but all he could see was pitch ckness.


    "You''re finally awake! You scared me!"


    Nana''s voice echoed in Yuga''s ears, calming his heart instantly. The darkness surrounding him seemed trivial now.


    "Where are we?"


    Yuga rubbed his eyes and realized that the surroundings were still pitch ck. He could only vaguely see the shadow of Nana moving.


    It wasn''t his eyes; the environment was indeed this way.


    Before Nana could answer Yuga''s question, a burst of light suddenly appeared, and upon closer inspection, it was Arcanine standing beside Yuga, mes engulfing its body.


    The mes on Arcanine illuminated the pitch-ck space.


    Yuga was startled by Arcanine''s sudden appearance and asked, "Why is it here too?"


    Nana replied helplessly, "What do you mean, ''why is it here''? It''s the owner of this ce."


    Due to Arcanine''s frenzied attack, the ground copsed, and both Yuga and the unconscious Arcanine fell down. Fortunately, Nana saved them in time.


    Where they fell was not just any ce; it was their of Arcanine.


    It was more like a secret hidding ce than a traditionalir.


    QAlthough Arcanine was powerful, it couldn''tpare to the Nidoran n or the Kangaskhan n next door. Yet, it had lived here peacefully with its wife for many years, thanks to the secrecy of this hiding ce.


    When they couldn''t win a battle, all they had to do was hide here, and no one could find them.


    Originally, the entrance and exit of this ce were well concealed, but unexpectedly, a subsidence not only brought them here directly from the surface but also destroyed the original entrance.


    When they first fell, Arcanine was not only injured but also unconscious. It was Nana who saved both the human and the Pok��mon. After learning that its son was actually fine, Arcanine calmed down.


    Yuga''s physical condition was not as good as the Pok��mon''s. Although his injuries were lighter than Arcanine''s, he woke up a bit slower.


    After listening to Nana''s exnation, Yuga finally took a look at his surroundings. With the help of Arcanine''s mes, he discovered that they were in a narrow underground tunnel.


    "Hiss!"


    Supporting himself with difficulty and with Nana''s assistance, Yuga slowly got up and realized that due to the aftermath of the fall, his bones were sore all over. He gasped in pain.


    "Arcanine, you''ve already lost to Nana. How about youe with me from now on? Your child is with me too. If youe with us, you won''t be separated from your son."


    Seeing that Arcanine had calmed down, Yuga, despite his sore body, tried to persuade it.


    Seeing Arcanine silent, he continued, "You''ve been living on this ind for so long, and you''ve never seen the outside world. You can''t leave here either. Don''t you want to take Growlithe out to see the world? The world outside is very exciting, and it''s not as brutal as this ind. With me here, you and Growlithe won''t have to fight for your lives every day."


    Even though they didn''t have much of a bond, Yuga used his silver tongue to persuade Arcanine toe with them.


    "Is what you''re saying true?"


    Arcanine was genuinely tempted by Yuga''s description of the outside world. Apart from its thrilling environment, the idea of stability had always been something Arcanine yearned for.


    If they had a stable and peaceful environment, its wife wouldn''t have died. Arcanine didn''t want its son to end up like its wife, going outside and never returning.


    Seeing Arcanine''s hesitation, Yuga hurriedly said, "Everything I said is true. I absolutely won''t deceive you."


    The outside world was indeed more stable than this ce, and with Yuga by their side, Arcanine didn''t have to worry about anything else. Yuga thought silently in his heart.


    Arcanine was straightforward. Seeing Yuga repeatedly assure it, and since it couldn''t defeat Gardevoir, it reluctantly agreed. Otherwise, the human in front of it probably wouldn''t return its son.


    Seeing Arcanine''s agreement, Yuga grinned from ear to ear.


    Then, Yuga released Growlithe. When Arcanine saw that its son was indeed fine, it finally let go of its worries.


    Growlithe had only fallen asleep due to hypnosis and was not injured. It had already woken up inside its Pok�� Ball long ago. When it emerged and saw its father, it was initially happy but became cautious when it saw Yuga grabbing it.


    However, after hearing Arcanine''s exnation that Yuga was their new owner, Growlithe, being a loyal canine Pok��mon, returned to its lively self.


    "Arcanine, how do we get out of here?" Yuga couldn''t help but worry after the initial excitement. All the entrances and exits seemed blocked; how would they escape?


    "Please follow me, Master," Arcanine replied.


    With Growlithe, it walked towards the other end of the narrow tunnel, and Yuga and Nana quickly followed suit.


    The tunnel was indeed very narrow. Yuga didn''t have much trouble walking, but the taller Arcanine made it somewhat crowded. However, Arcanine seemed used to it and didn''t feel ufortable. The small Growlithe happily followed its father.


    The tunnel seemed to descend continuously, which puzzled Yuga. He couldn''t help but ask Arcanine, "Aren''t we supposed to leave this ce? Why are we going deeper?"


    Arcanine replied, "Before leaving, I want to show Master something."


    Hearing Arcanine''s response, Yuga suppressed his curiosity and continued to follow Arcanine deeper into the tunnel.


    After who knows how long and how many twists and turns they had taken, Yuga gradually noticed that the walls of the tunnel were sporadically adorned with some Stardust. Illuminated by Arcanine''s mes, these Stardust pieces reflected a faint glow.


    Upon closer inspection, these were Moon Stones! Moon Stones had a generally dark color, and they would be hard to notice in the pitch-ck tunnel without the reflection of the mes.


    Some of the Moon Stones embedded in the walls were intact, while others were fragmented into various sizes.


    "Why are there so many Moon Stones here?" Yuga asked curiously and asionally picked up a Moon Stone to put into his system''s backpack, thinking it could be sold for money.


    "This is the underground territory of the Nidoran n, who have a rich deposit of Moon Stone veins. The thank you gift should also be a part of those Moon Stone veins," Arcanine casually exined. As Fire-type Pok��mon, neither it nor its cfamily had ever paid attention to these Moon Stones.


    The ind had Moon Stone mines, Thunder Stone mines, but there was no Fire Stone mine. Arcanine had evolved in a unique way and had never used a Fire Stone.


    After listening to Arcanine''s exnation, Yuga was genuinely amazed. Wait, you chose a hiding ce and ended up digging into someone else''s underground territory?


    ording to Arcanine, they were quite deep underground, and the Nidoran n couldn''t possibly detect them. Furthermore, there were no entrances or exits connecting to the Nidoran n''s territory, so there was nothing to worry about.


    Hearing Arcanine''s exnation, Yuga finally felt at ease.


    As they went deeper into the tunnel, the Moon Stones on the walls became more numerous and intact. After an unknown amount of time, Moon Stones were scattered everywhere on the walls, all of themplete, with not a single fragment left.


    The Nidoran n''s evolution required Moon Stones, but they had never discovered this ce, indicating how abundant their own Moon Stone reserves were.


    As they continued to go deeper, Yuga had already collected quite a few Moon Stones.


    As they walked further, Yuga suddenly noticed one Moon Stone that looked very strange. In its center, there was a green light spot, about the size of a fingernail. It was emitting a bright, beautiful glow.


    "What is this?" Yuga asked Arcanine about the Moon Stone with the green light spot.


    "It''s a Moon Stone," Arcanine replied casually.


    "No, I mean the green spot inside it!" Yuga said, somewhat frustrated.


    "I don''t know," Arcanine replied with a puzzled expression. "Isn''t it just a regr Moon Stone? There are many simr ones ahead!"


    Many? Regr Moon Stones don''t look like this!


    "Nana, do you know what this is?" Yuga turned to Nana while holding the special Moon Stone.


    "I don''t know. It doesn''t seem much different from a regr Moon Stone," Nana shook her head, indicating she didn''t know.


    Seeing that both Arcanine and Nana were clueless, Yuga silently asked his system for answers. He had a feeling that the green light spot inside the Moon Stone was something extraordinary; it gave him a strange feeling.


    Yuga''s system had interacted with this world''s information since entering it, making it an all-knowing entity for the most part. And regr questions were no problem for it.


    [ Please ce the Moon Stone into your backpack, and I will analyze it ] the system instructed.


    Yuga promptly ced the Moon Stone into his system''s backpack and continued following Arcanine deeper into the tunnel.


    About ten minutester, the system provided Yuga with an answer:


    The green light spot inside the Moon Stone was born from Revival Grass. Over millions of years, Revival Grass had undergone evolution to form this unique Moon Stone, which resembled an amber containing Revival Grass.


    However, unlike amber, which could perfectly preserve the original appearance of the enclosed object, the Revival Grass encased in the Moon Stone had turned into a green light spot due to special reasons.


    As for the purpose of a Moon Stone fused with Revival Grass, the system had not yet figured it out.


    Yuga was genuinely amazed by this unexpected revtion. He hadn''t expected that this Moon Stone had formed in such a way��Revival Grass buried by the earth,bined with Moon Stones deep underground, over millions of years, creating a unique Moon Stone with a green light spot.


    Then, Yuga began to notice several more of these unique Moon Stones. He collected all of them.


    After walking for a while, Yuga noticed that the tunnel had opened up, and the narrow passageway disappeared. In its ce was a massive dome-like space.


    The walls of this dome were adorned with countless Moon Stones, many of which had the green light spots inside them. These spots emitted a gentle light, illuminating the entire space brightly, even without Arcanine''s mes.


    Yuga couldn''t help but wonder how many Revival Grass had been buried underground and how many years had passed to create so many unique Moon Stones.


    However, the most eye-catching feature was not the special Moon Stones but the central white me that rose to the height of a person in the center of the dome. This me burned seemingly out of nowhere, with no visible source or signs of extinguishing.


    Yuga realized that this must be the thing Arcanine wanted to show him.


    There was nothing else in this space except for this me and the Moon Stones adorning the walls, and Arcanine didn''t seem interested in Moon Stones.


    Seeing this me, Yuga finally understood why this ind had so many Revival Grass nts.


    Yuga was quite familiar with this me; he had seen the same one before on Mount Tensei in Kanto region.


    Indeed, this me came from Ho-Oh, and only Ho-Oh''s mes could bring such vitality and cause so many Revival Grass to flourish.


    Whether intentionally or identally, Ho-Oh left this me on the ind, which bringing great changes on the ind.


    Ho-Oh, as legendary as it was, had left behind a me that had quietly burned for years without extinguishing.


    Arcanine discovering this me was also quite unexpected. When it evolved from Growlithe into Arcanine, it didn''t use a Fire Stone; it relied on this very me.


    Yuga had previously known that the birth of purple potential Pok��mon was rted to legendary Pok��mon. Now, it seemed that the Nidoran that became Nidoqueen also had been influenced by this me, even if it didn''t realize it.


    Unfortunately for Arcanine, it was close to the water''s edge but hadn''t quenched its thirst yet. Until now, it remained an Indigo potential Pok��mon.


    "Master, can we take this me with us when we leave?" Arcanine asked Yuga.


    Yuga fell into silence for a while before reluctantly saying, "Let''s leave it be. Without this me, Revival Grass won''t grow on this ind anymore. Besides, figuring out how to carry this me with us is a challenge in itself. How do we even store it? It''s not something we can carry in our hands. Instead of risking it going out, let''s leave it here to continue benefiting the ind."


    "Oh," Arcanine responded in disappointment. This me had been itspanion for so long, and now it had to say goodbye to it.


    However, even though the me couldn''t be taken, Yuga couldn''t let go of the Moon Stones here, especially the ones with the strange green light spots.


    Just as Yuga was preparing to dig out the Moon Stones, the system suddenly remembered something. [ Host, please take out the Pok��mon egg that Melotic has gifted to you ]


    Yuga was puzzled by why he needed to take out the Pok��mon egg, but he followed the system''s instructions and retrieved the egg from his backpack.


    When he first took it out, the egg didn''t show any reactions. However, a few minutester, all the green light spots from the Moon Stones started to float out and rushed toward the Pok��mon egg.


    What was happening?! Yuga was taken aback, nearly dropping the Pok��mon egg in his hand.


    The green light spots floating out of the Moon Stones seemed like yful little fairies, and they cheerfully and eagerly entered the Pok��mon egg. It was as if a swarm of them had rushed in, and suddenly, the Pok��mon egg in Yuga''s hand began to emit a radiant glow.


    What on earth was going on?!


    Is this... about to hatch? Yuga found it quite sudden that this Pok��mon egg, which hadn''t hatched for so long, was now on the verge of hatching. For a moment, he, alongside Gardevoir, Arcanine, and Growlithe, all stared at this soon-to-hatch Pok��mon egg.


    What kind of Pok��mon would hatch from it? Yuga was filled with anticipation.


    The light on the Pok��mon egg continued to flicker for nearly half an hour, and finally, the egg hatched.


    "Is this... Kartana?" Yuga couldn''t help but exim when he saw the small Pok��mon in front of him. He never expected to hatch an Ultra Beast like Kartana.


    No wonder he had always felt a special energy field around this Pok��mon egg. It turned out to be the aura of an Ultra Beast, Kartana.


    The palm-sized Kartana floated gently in the air, emanating an indescribable sense of closeness towards Yuga.


    Even while inside the egg, Kartana had a consciousness. When it fell from Ultra Wormhole into the sea and was rescued by Manaphy in the Al region. If it weren''t for Yuga, it wouldn''t have survived, trapped in egg.


    The ocean wasn''t a suitable environment for a Steel and Grass-type Pok��mon like Kartana to hatch.


    Kartana had a unique way ofmunicating, anguage that Nana and Arcanine couldn''t understand, but Yuga could. His special ability allowed him toprehend the meaning behind Pok��mon cries rather than thenguage itself.


    So even though thenguage of Ultra Beast was different from regr Pok��mon, Yuga still understood what Kartana was expressing. And Kartana was thanking Yuga.


    Although Kartana had just hatched, its presence was no weaker than a pseudo-Elite level. Yuga wondered if this was a characteristic of Ultra Beast or a result of the Purple Grade Essences he had fed it.


    Regardless, the few bottles of Purple grade Essences didn''t go to waste!


    Yuga took out a specially crafted Pok�� Ball from his system and said to Kartana, "Kartana, nice to meet you! From now on, please lend me your strength."


    Without hesitation, Kartana extended its arm, and with a gentle tap, it was captured inside the Pok�� Ball.


    Looking at the Pok�� Ball containing Kartana, Yuga couldn''t help but think happily: With this, I basically have a Legendary Pok��mon, don''t I?


    Ultra Beast weren''t exactly Legendary Pok��mon, but they were just as powerful as Legendary Pok��mon. Legendary Pok��mon had divinity, while Ultra Beast had Ability Beast Boost. It was said that the Mythical Pok��mon Solgaleo and Lun in the Al region were essentially Ultra Beast.


    Thinking about Kartana, Yuga suddenly remembered the Pok��mon egg that Kerry had given him, said to be her grandfather''s heirloom, and it emitted the same special aura as Kartana.


    So, was that also an Ultra Beast egg? No wonder Bridges treasured it so much. Yuga realized it was an Ultra Beast egg, but he didn''t know where Bridges had obtained it.


    Before Kartana, Yuga hadn''t seen an Ultra Beast, so he wasn''t aware of the aura that both Pok��mon eggs possessed.


    Since Kartana hatched with the assistance of the green dots inside the Moon Stones, what about the other one?


    Thinking this way, Yuga quickly took out the other Pok��mon egg, but the system''s voice sounded once again.


    [ It won''t work, Host. Kartana was able to hatch because it''s a Grass-type Ultra Beast and has a good affinity with Revival Grass. The other one won''t hatch ]


    Reluctantly, Yuga waited for a while beside the other Pok��mon egg, but there was no sign of hatching.


    Even though there were Moon Stones with green dots on the walls, it seemed that this egg simply couldn''t hatch. Perhaps it needed a specific environment or condition to do so.


    Yuga eventually gave up and returned the second Pok��mon egg to his inventory. He recalled that ording to Kerry, Bridges had possessed that egg for a long time. So why hadn''t it hatched all this time? There had to be some unique circumstance or condition required for its to hatching.


    After putting the second egg away, Yuga decided to focus on nurturing his newly hatched Kartana. The little Kartana needed time to adjust to its new environment and build a stronger bond with Yuga.


    Yuga released all of his other Pok��mon to help him gather Moon Stones. Apart from his main team, he had Snover with him. Snover was Rowlet''s only good friend, so whenever Rowlet went on a journey, Snover was a must-bringpanion.


    Seeing that this time Absol, Roserade, Dragonite, Gengar, and Mismagius were not present, Yuga agreed to Rowlet''s request and brought Snover along for the trip.

 Chapter 946: Breakthrough

    <h4>Chapter 946: Breakthrough</h4>


    There were many Moon Stones here, and Yuga couldn''t take them all. He could only dig with his Pok��mon and prioritize those Moon Stones with green light spots inside.


    Because hatching Kartana had consumed a lot of green light spots, the Moon Stones on the walls were not as impressive as when they first entered. The brightness in the dome space had decreased significantly due to the reduced number of green light spots.


    Worried that his Pok��mon might dig too vigorously and copse the dome space, Yuga instructed them to use their moves as gently as possible while digging the stones.


    So, Charizard used basic moves to pry the Moon Stones off the wall one by one. With its wings, it had no trouble reaching both high and low Moon Stones.


    Lapras used small water guns to hit the rocks. When the Moon Stones and rocks fell together, Gardevoir used its psychic powers to pick up the Moon Stones. After all, Lapras couldn''t pick them up.


    Bellossom held a green leaf de formed from its leaves and sliced the Moon Stones firmly embedded in the wall one by one. It found the task much easier than the others, but being shorter in height, it could only reach the ones near the bottom of the wall.


    Florges, Venusaur, and Serperior, using their Vine Whips, hit the rocks and picked up the Moon Stones at the same time. It was very convenient, and even the flying Charizard couldn''t do much better.


    Torterra had limited mobility due to its size, so it used its Razor Leaf move to split the rocks, and then the smaller Vivillon crawled up to pick the stones. The two worked together seamlessly.


    Breloom swung its palms and used its Brick Break move to strike the wall, working diligently. It was taller than Bellossom but shorter than Venusaur.


    Sawsbuck shot seed bombs one by one. Despite controlling the move''s power as much as possible, it still made a booming sound. It couldn''t pick up the Moon Stones itself, so Yuga had to follow behind.


    Due to the decrease in the number of green light spots, the light in the dome space had dimmed considerably. Therefore, Arcanine and Growlithe, father and son, were responsible for providing illumination to Yuga and the Pok��mon.


    Rowlet and Snover, on the other hand, were simply there for moral support. They picked up Moon Stones while discussing something quietly in the corner.


    What surprised Yuga the most was Kartana''s efficiency. Its arms were like swords, incredibly sharp. With a gentle swipe on a rock, it would immediately split in two, and each cut was extremely smooth.


    With thebined efforts of Yuga and his Pok��mon, the collection of Moon Stones proceeded quickly. As the special Moon Stones decreased, the light in the dome space grew dimmer.


    While collecting the special Moon Stones, Yuga instructed his Pok��mon to prioritize those withrger green light spots.


    Revival Grass also had different grades. Depending on the years of growth, Revival Grass could be ssified as Three-Leaf Revival Grass, Five-Leaf Revival Grass, Seven-Leaf Revival Grass, and the highest-grade Nine-Leaf Revival Grass.


    Typically, Revival Grass would sprout with three leaves, and once those three leaves matured, the nt could be used for medicinal purposes. The two Revival Grass seeds Yuga had previously grown were of the lowest grade, Three-Leaf Revival Grass.


    The growth of Three-Leaf Revival Grass doesn''t require too much time; typically, it matures within six to ten months. However, its unique growth environment means that without suitable conditions, the seeds of Revival Grass won''t even sprout, let alone mature. This is why Revival Grass is so rare.


    Growing Five-Leaf Revival Grass is much more challenging. To go from Three-Leaf to Five-Leaf and then to maturity, it takes at least five to ten years, depending on the quality of their growth environment.


    In extremely poor conditions, a Three-Leaf Revival Grass might wither before reaching Five-Leaf stage.


    If making a Max Revive requires using the entire nt of Three-Leaf Revival Grass, then the medicinal properties contained in just one leaf of Five-Leaf Revival Grass can be used to make a Max Revive. A single Five-Leaf Revival Grass can produce up to five Max Revive.


    Once Revival Grass reaches Five-Leaf stage, it will produce seeds. A single Five-Leaf Revival Grass nt only produces one seed during each flowering season.


    Fortunately, once the seeds of Five-Leaf Revival Grass mature, the nt itself doesn''t wither. Instead, it continues to grow towards bing a Seven-Leaf Revival Grass. Before reaching Seven-Leaf stage, it has a flowering season every year, producing a seed each time.


    If not for this, Revival Grass would have gone extinct long ago.


    When Five-Leaf Revival Grass grows into Seven-Leaf stage, it bes a true treasure of nature. Its effects go beyond being just a healing medicine. It''s said that a Pok��mon that consumes an entire Seven-Leaf Revival Grass nt undergoes a mutation, bing significantly more powerful than others of its species.


    Yuga believed that the champion level Nidoking, two Kangaskhan, and the incredibly strong Nidoqueen they encountered earlier also had all consumed an entire Seven-Leaf Revival Grass nt.


    Pok��mon mutations aren''t always in a positive direction. A misstep, and a naturally gifted Pok��mon could be a waste of potential.


    However, the mutations brought about by Seven-Leaf Revival Grass are always positive, not only optimizing various bodily functions but also enhancing innate potentials.


    But getting Five-Leaf Revival Grass to grow into Seven-Leaf is even more challenging.


    Firstly, the growth environment is a significant challenge. Without exceptionally favorable conditions, Five-Leaf Revival Grass won''t grow towards Seven-Leaf stage.


    Secondly, there''s the issue of growth years. The minimum maturity period for Seven-Leaf Revival Grass is fifty years, and under unfavorable conditions, it can extend to a hundred years. Compared to this, the time it takes to grow from Three-Leaf to Five-Leaf seems much shorter.


    Treasures like Revival Grass are already highly coveted by wild Pok��mon. Most Pok��mon would find it challenging to protect them until they reach Five-Leaf stage, let alone patiently wait for them to reach Seven-Leaf. Devouring them in one go is often the most practical choice.


    Once Seven-Leaf Revival Grass reaches its mature stage, it no longer flowers or reproduces; it simply exists in its beauty.


    As for Nine-Leaf Revival Grass, it''s more of a legendary entity; hardly anyone has seen it.


    Yuga''s extensive knowledge about Revival Grass isrgely thanks to the Joy family. After Joyka informed him of their visit to the Nameless Ind, she showed him numerous medical texts about Revival Grass collected by the Joy family.


    The Joy family only had fragmentary records about Nine-Leaf Revival Grass, with little useful information.


    However, ording to Joyka, their ancestors had once obtained a Nine-Leaf Revival Grass nt. Unfortunately, due to the passage of time and various events in their family''s history, detailed records about the Nine-Leaf Revival Grass were lost long ago.


    ording to the system''s information, the green light spots within Moon Stones are all formed by Five-Leaf Revival Grass. Three-Leaf Revival Grass probably doesn''t generate these green light spots; it likely fades away on its own.


    The green light spots formed by Five-Leaf Revival Grass are noticeably smaller than those formed by Seven-Leaf Revival Grass. The Five-Leaf ones are about the size of a little fingernail, while the Seven-Leaf ones are asrge as a thumbnail.


    However, most of the green light spots here are formed by Five-Leaf Revival Grass. When Yuga counted them, there were fewer than ten formed by Seven-Leaf Revival Grass.


    Seeing that they were close to finishing collecting the special Moon Stones, Yuga urged everyone to work quickly and prepare to leave. Even the usuallyzy Rowlet and Snover were now working diligently to speed things up.


    Rowlet used its Leafage move to shave off pieces of rock, while Snover was responsible for picking up the fallen Moon Stones.


    Just then, while Snover was diligently picking stones, it suddenly noticed a conspicuously bright green lighting from a crack in one of the stones. It couldn''t resist walking over to investigate.


    After digging out what was inside the crack, Snover found an unusually eye-catching Moon Stone with an extremely conspicuous green light spot, almost entirely filling the entire Moon Stone.


    Looking at the Moon Stone in its hand, Snover suddenly found it extremely attractive.


    Snover swallowing it saliva nervously, and said: This looks like it might be really delicious!


    It was strange because when Snover looked at other Moon Stones, it didn''t have any special feelings. However, the Moon Stone in its hand seemed to be tempting it, urging it to eat: Eat me, eat me.


    In the end, Snover''s curiosity got the better of it, and it shoved the entire Moon Stone into its mouth.


    A Moon Stone of that size should have been difficult to swallow, but Snover didn''t seem to notice as it swallowed the stone.


    As soon as the Moon Stone went down, Snover suddenly regained its senses. It stared nkly at its now-empty right hand and eximed: What did I just do? Did I swallow a Moon Stone?


    Meanwhile, Rowlet, who was busy cutting stones, suddenly noticed that its little buddy had disappeared, and no one was picking up the fallen Moon Stones. It then saw Snover standing not far away in a daze.


    Rowlet quicklynded on Snover''s head and asked with concern, "What''s wrong? Are you tired?"


    Snover, looking bewildered, replied: I think I just ate a Moon Stone!


    Hearing this, Rowlet immediately started panicking and making distressed noises.


    "Rowlet, Rowlet, Rowlet, Rowlet..."


    Oh no, Yuga, something terrible has happened! Snover ate a Moon Stone!


    Even though Rowlet was young and not very knowledgeable, it knew that Evolution Stones shouldn''t be eaten, especially not Moon Stones, which had nothing to do with Snover''s evolution.


    Snover ate a Moon Stone?


    Upon hearing Rowlet''s words, Yuga immediately dropped what he was doing and ran over with Nana.


    "What''s going on? How did you start eating a Moon Stone out of nowhere?" Yuga asked Snover with a serious expression.


    Snover didn''t know what happened either, so it could only reply in a bewildered manner: I don''t know what happened. I just felt that the Moon Stone looked delicious, and then I ate it.


    Seeing Snover looking clueless, Yuga and Nana examined its body, but Yuga wasn''t a Pok��mon doctor, and after a while of checking, they couldn''t find anything unusual about Snover''s body.


    "Rowlet, Rowlet, Rowlet!"


    How is Snover? Is it okay?


    After Yuga and Nana finished their examination, Rowlet nervously asked about their little buddy''s condition.


    Yuga shook his head and said, "I didn''t find anything obvious. When we get back, I''ll have Nurse Joy check on it."


    In Yuga''s team this time, besides Joyna, there was another Nurse Joy. While she was a battling Joy, she was also reputed to have good medical moves as well.


    Since they couldn''t find anything abnormal, Yuga and his team reluctantly left Snover, who had swallowed the Moon Stone, aside and continued to collect stones.


    After digging for a while longer, Yuga checked the time on his phone and decided it was time to leave. There were too many Moon Stones here, and they couldn''t possibly dig them all up. Yuga had to reluctantly give up.


    As they prepared to leave, Arcanine looked back at the mes that had been theirpanions for many years with a reluctant gaze, and then followed Yuga along with his son.


    In addition to the original entrance, Arcanine had dug an escape route for himself and his wife, Nales,ter on, just in case. It was to prevent a situation where one day the Nidoran n discovered this ce, and their family would use this escape route to flee.


    This escape route had been dug by Arcanine and Nales for a very long distance, and the exit wasn''t on their territory, nor was it close to the Nidoran n. By the time Yuga emerged from the exit with Arcanine''s guidance, it was already dark outside.


    If they didn''t hurry back, they would have to spend the night in the wilderness!


    Yuga recalled Kartana and then took out a Pok�� Ball, saying to Arcanine, "You can also go into the Pok�� Ball as well."


    Arcanine nodded and pressed the button on the Pok�� Ball, allowing himself to be captured.


    After capturing Arcanine and Kartana, Yuga hadpleted the system''s mission and obtained the Pok��block form.


    Because when Yuga first came out of the tunnel, he couldn''t identify his exact location, it took him quite some time to get back to the beach, and by then, it waspletely dark.


    Seeing Yuga safely return, Joyna breathed a sigh of relief and said, "You''re back! I was worried that you might have encountered some danger out there."


    The others who had gone out had already returned before it got dark, so Joyna started to worry when Yuga hadn''te back after dark.


    They hadn''t collected any Revival Herbs, and Latias was seriously injured. If anything happened to Yuga, she would really be in a difficult situation. Exining it to Mr. Kuni''o when they returned would be a big problem.


    Yuga waved his hand and replied, "I''m fine, just went a bit further and took some extra time toe back. By the way, where''s Miss Joycelyn? My Snover identally ate a Moon Stone, and I''d like her to take a look."


    Joycelyn was the other Nurse Joy in the group besides Joyna.


    Joyna sighed and said, "How could you be so careless? I''ll take you to find her."


    It was indeed a problem when a Grass-type Pok��mon identally ate a Moon Stone that didn''t match with its type.


    The cruise ship owned by the Joy family was equipped with various medical facilities, so Joycelyn quickly examined Snover''s condition.


    Looking at the examination results, Joycelyn asked in confusion, "Are you sure Snover ate a Moon Stone? ording to the examination results, its body is perfectly healthy."


    Yuga replied, "Really? Snover did tell me it identally ate a Moon Stone. How can there be no problem?"


    Joycelyn shook her head and said, "Based on the examination results, your Snover doesn''t seem to have any issues. Here''s what we''ll do: keep a close eye on Snover''s condition when you return. If anything seems off,e and find me."


    Yuga nodded and said, "Alright, that''s the n. Sorry for the trouble."


    Joycelyn reassured him, "No problem at all. If there''s any issue, juste to me anytime."


    Back in his room, Yuga observed Snover for a while. Since it didn''t seem to have any problems, he put this matter aside for now.


    Before going to sleep that night, Yuga released Arcanine from his Pok�� Ball. Hey on the bed, and Arcanine settled down at the bedside. The two of them chatted before falling asleep.


    Arcanine, being a neighbor of the Nidoran n, was a potential source of information for Yuga about the Nidoran n. After all, their primary purpose ining to this ind was to find Revival Herbs; they couldn''t afford to return empty-handed.


    ...More than ten minutester.


    "You mentioned earlier that Nidoqueen had a conflict with another Pok��mon and got injured?" Yuga asked curiously, while internally he was quite shocked that any Pok��mon could harm Nidoqueen.


    "Yes, it was an Aerodactyl from the deepest part of the ind. It also because it frightened an Arbok that also lived deep within the ind. That''s why my wife, Nales, encountered the Arbok while running away," Arcanine exined.


    After chatting with Arcanine for a while, Yuga learned about Nales'' situation, and he felt regretful. If not for that, he would have had the whole family in his hands.


    Yuga thought to himself: Oh, heavens! I got too greedy. My apologies!


    However, he couldn''t help but be amazed by this ind. Even ancient Pok��mon species like Aerodactyl still existed here, and they had the power to harm Nidoqueen. That implied that this ind had existed for a very long time.


    Arcanine knew all this because it had witnessed the battle firsthand. However, ording to Arcanine, although Nidoqueen was injured, the Aerodactyl probably didn''te out unscathed either. There was no information on the severity of the injuries.


    "But, for some reason, after getting injured, Nidoqueen didn''t consume any Revival Herbs," Arcanine added casually. It had overheard a conversation between two Nidoking warriors about this matter, as they were Nidoqueen''s trusted subordinates.


    "Wait, did you say Nidoqueen''s injuries haven''t healed?" Yuga suddenly sat up in bed, looking surprised and concerned.


    "Yes... that''s right!" Arcanine was taken aback by Yuga''s sudden reaction.


    With this confirmation, Yuga started thinking. It shouldn''t be like this; the Nidoran n possessed a considerable amount of Revival Herbs. Even if Nidoqueen was seriously injured, she shouldn''t have dyed treatment.


    However, Yuga quickly realized the reason behind this. Injured Pok��mon consuming Revival Herbs had side effects; they would lose levels. While Arcanine might not be aware of this, Yuga was well aware. The Nidoran n, which had controlled the Revival Herbs for so long, should also knew it too.


    If Nidoqueen dropped even one level, especially in the current situation where they faced the threat of the Aerodactyl, it would be disastrous. A drop in level could lead to eviction, and the Nidoqueen herself might even be killed. Level 99 and level 100 were not even close to being in the same league.


    This information about Nidoqueen''s injuries being unhealed suddenly gave Yuga a lot to think about. This might be the breakthrough they needed to secure the Revival Herbs.


    After pondering for a while, Yuga decided that he would discuss this with Joyna the next day ande up with a practical n.


    As he continued to contemte this, both Yuga and Arcanine gradually drifted back to sleep.


    However, in the middle of the night, Yuga was awakened by Rowlet pping its wings.

 Chapter 947: Negotiation

    <h4>Chapter 947: Negotiation</h4>


    Yuga, feeling drowsy, was deeply tired and had no desire to open his eyes.


    Rowlet, seeing that Yuga couldn''t be awakened, resorted to pping its wings and gently hitting Yuga''s face, causing his cheeks to turn red.


    "What... what''s happening?" Yuga rubbed his eyes and mumbled, feeling a slight stinging sensation on his cheeks.


    At this moment, the other Pok��mon were awakened by Rowlet''smotion and began to stir. Arcanine let out a loud howl.


    Yuga finally started to regain consciousness and immediately noticed the unusual state of Snover lying beside him.


    While the other Pok��mon were awake, Snover still had its eyes closed. A palm-sized green light orb was shining brightly on its belly, nearly making its normally gray-brown belly appear translucent.


    rmed, Yuga hurriedly got up from the bed and picked up Snover, calling out to it, "Snover! Snover! Wake up, please wake up!"


    As he called out, he gently shook Snover''s body, but Snover remained peacefully with its eyes closed, as if it couldn''t hear Yuga''s voice.


    "What''s wrong with Snover?" Yuga asked Rowlet.


    Rowlet shook its head and looked anxious.


    "Rowlet, Rowlet, Rowlet..."


    I don''t know. It''s been like this since midnight, and no matter how I call, it won''t wake up.


    Rowlet expressed its concern.


    Yuga decided to seek help from Joycelyn. He held Snover and was about to leave the room when suddenly, Snover''s body began to emit a blinding light, forcing Yuga and the other Pok��mon to close their eyes.


    After the intense light faded away, Yuga saw that Snover''s body was covered in green patterns, which extended from its belly to its head and back.


    With a faint green glow, all the green patterns retracted into Snover''s skin, and Snover slowly opened its eyes.


    "Rowlet, Rowlet, Rowlet..."


    Snover, are you okay?


    "Snover, are you alright?" Yuga asked with concern.


    Snover blinked its eyes in confusion, as if it had no idea what had just happened.


    Seeing Snover appearing unharmed, both Yuga and Rowlet breathed a sigh of relief.


    It seemed that Snover hadn''t encountered any harm during its sleep. The strange event tonight was undoubtedly rted to the Moon Stone it had swallowed, which was no ordinary Moon Stone.


    With this in mind, Yuga activated his Insight ability.


    ...


    [ Snover (Mutated) ]


    Type: Grass/Ice


    Ability: Snow Warning


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 28


    Moves: Powder Snow, Icy Wind, Grass Whistle, Mist, Growth, Synthesis.


    ...


    Seeing the results, Yuga was genuinely surprised. Snover not only underwent a mutation but also had a significant change in its potential.


    Previously, Snover had an ordinary red potential, but now it had jumped several levels, bing an excellent blue potential, which was an astonishing improvement.


    Yuga had never heard of anything that could boost a Pok��mon''s potential so drastically in such a short time.


    Based on the current assessment, Snover''s mutation didn''t seem to have any negative effects. On the contrary, its various abilities had been optimized to different degrees, especially its two attack moves.


    Yuga couldn''t help but wonder if the Moon Stone Snover had swallowed was somehow rted to the legendary Nine-Leaf Revival Grass.


    Because of Snover''s situation, Yuga couldn''t fall back asleep, and early the next morning, he took Snover to see Nurse Joycelyn. Despite Snover appearing fine, it was better to be safe.


    Joycelyn was highly skilled in her profession, and the examination results were quickly avable.


    "Your Snover... mutated overnight!" Joycelyn eximed in disbelief upon seeing the results.


    "Based on the current examination, Snover''s mutation hasn''t brought any negative effects. In fact, its various abilities have been optimized to varying degrees, especially its two attack moves."


    After finishing the conversation, Joycelyn looked at Yuga with envy. Mutated Pok��mon were indeed rare, and each one of them was exceptionally talented.


    Joycelyn''s examinations of Pok��mon did not include assessing their potential. If she knew that Snover had transformed from a basic red potential to an outstanding blue potential overnight, she would have been shocked.


    In the Pok��mon medical field, it was a rule that unless the owner permitted it, Pok��mon doctors couldn''t casually examine the potential of others'' Pok��mon.


    "I''m not exactly sure what happened, but it was like this when it woke up!" Yuga said helplessly, keeping his suspicions about Snover''s change and its potential link to the legendary Nine-Leaf Revival Grass to himself.


    "I didn''t expect eating a Moon Stone to have such benefits. Maybe I''ll let some of my Pok��mon try a few Moon Stones," Joycelyn jokingly said.


    Of course, Moon Stones couldn''t be actually consumed, and Joycelyn was well aware that Snover''s mutation had nothing to do with the Moon Stone. She also knew that Yuga likely hadn''t revealed the entire truth, but it was something they all understood without the need to point it out.


    Joycelyn, being an elite of the Joy family, had seen many things and knew that there were various treasures in the world that could enhance a Pok��mon''s strength, potential, and talents. There was no need for excessive astonishment. She had her own share of extraordinary experiences that contributed to her sess, thanks to her family''s nurturing.


    "Anyway, as long as Snover is fine, I''m relieved. I have some matters to attend to with Joyna, so I''ll take my leave. Sorry for the trouble," Yuga said after chatting for a while.


    Joycelyn nodded, "Go ahead, take care."


    Leaving Joycelyn''s medical room, Yuga found Joyna and shared the information he had acquired from Arcanine.


    Of course, he didn''t mention that he got the information from Arcanine. He simply said he heard it from some Pok��mon living near the Nidoran n.


    "Are you sure everything you heard is true?" Joyna asked excitedly.


    Yuga nodded, saying, "It''s quite reliable."


    Joyna thought for a moment and then asked, "Do you have a n?"


    "I do have an idea, but it might involve some risk," Yuga replied.


    "Tell me about it," Joyna encouraged.


    "Since the Nidoran are afraid of leveling down after consuming Revival Herbs, we can negotiate with them. They provide Revival Herbs, and in return, we create Max Revive for them. This way, they can heal injuries without worrying about leveling down. Aspensation, they can give us a certain amount of Revival Herbs."


    Joyna considered the n and said, "It''s a good n, but what if the negotiations fail?"


    Yuga replied confidently, "With my Gardevoir by my side, even if the negotiations break down, we can make a safe escape."


    Joyna nodded in agreement. She had witnessed the incredible abilities of Yuga''s Gardevoir, and its Teleport was truly remarkable.


    Yuga continued, "To ensure a safe exit in case the negotiations break down, we shouldn''t send too many people to negotiate with the Nidoran n. It''s best if I go alone."


    As soon as she heard this, Joyna immediately objected, "No, that won''t do. With me around, I can''t allow you to go alone, especially when you''re younger. I''ming with you!"


    Her Latias might be injured, but it could still be of assistance in critical situations. As for the others, they would be better off staying put. Facing the Nidoran n, even in their weakened states, these individuals would only be a hindrance.


    Yuga, seeing Joyna''s determination to apany him, reluctantly agreed.


    With the negotiation n in ce, Joyna promptly called an emergency meeting to inform the others of their uing mission.


    Upon learning that Joyna and Yuga nned to venture deep into the Nidoran n''s territory for negotiations, the others voiced their objections.


    They had witnessed the terrifying nature of the Nidoran, and Joyna was the pir of their Joy family; her safety was paramount. If anything were to happen to Joyna in pursuit of Revival Herbs, it would be a significant loss.


    However, Joyna was resolute, and no matter how much the others protested, her decision remained unchanged. It wasn''t due to stubbornness but because she knew of the exceptional abilities of Yuga''s Gardevoir.


    While others couldn''t discern Gardevoir''s extraordinary nature, her own Latias could sense it. But She couldn''t tell the truth to the others.


    Yuga believed that Joyna couldn''t perceive Gardevoir''s true origins, but her Latias could faintly sense a divinity within Gardevoir��a divinity far older and more profound than its own.


    In reality, Yuga wished he could tell them that the situation wasn''t as dangerous as they imagined.


    He had great confidence in Gardevoir''s abilities, and the Nidoran n was neither Psychic-type nor Dark-type, which meant they couldn''t block Gardevoir''s Teleport. Keeping Gardevoir behind was almost impossible.


    Soon, Yuga and Joyna set off.


    Yuga only had Gardevoir with him on this mission, and Joyna had one Pok��mon apanying her, a Champion level Smence.


    Smence soared high above the jungle, and any wild Pok��mon that sensed its presence quickly avoided it.


    Joyna had three Champion level Pok��mon in total: Latias, Smence, and Lucario. Apart from Latias, her strongest Pok��mon was Smence.


    Seeing that Joyna didn''t release Latias, Yuga became even more certain that Latias was injured. Joyna probably didn''t mention it to prevent the others from panicking.


    Latias possessed strong self-healing abilities. Even if it were injured, given enough time, it could recover gradually. However, these two days were clearly insufficient for Latias''splete recovery.


    Having been to the Nidoran n''s territory once before, Yuga and Joyna quickly arrived at their destination, only to be intercepted by two Kangaskhan blocking their path.


    These two Kangaskhan were none other than the Champion level Kangaskhan mother and daughter.


    Since the Nidoran n''s recent encounter with Yuga and the others'' attack, they had intensified their patrols within their territory. As soon as Yuga and Joyna entered the area, they were reported by the surveilling Pok��mon, leading to Kangaskhan mother and daughter intercepting them.


    Before the Kangaskhan couldunch an attack, Yuga hastily shouted, "We''re not here to fight. We have business and wish to negotiate with your leader, Nidoqueen!"


    Kangaskhan mother and daughter''s strength was slightly inferior to Nidoqueen''s, so when facing Yuga and Joyna, who had injured Nidoqueen, theycked some confidence, especially with Gardevoir and Smence watching them closely.


    Therefore, as soon as Yuga called out, they halted their partially activated moves, but their eyes were filled with suspicion.


    Maybe these two humans were allies of the Aerodactyl! Yuga seemed to read this meaning from the Kangaskhan''s eyes.


    "We''re telling the truth! Your leader, Nidoqueen, is injured, and we have a way to heal her!" Yuga continued to speak.


    Upon hearing this, the two Kangaskhan''s faces turned grave.


    They had been guarding the secret of Nidoqueen''s injury meticulously and didn''t expect it to have leaked!


    While Yuga and the two Kangaskhan were conversing, arge number of Nidoran and Kangaskhan from the jungle began to emerge,pletely encircling the two humans.


    Seeing the Pok��mon surrounding them, Yuga felt anxious, fearing that one wrong move might lead to them being attacked. However, his demeanor remained remarkablyposed.


    Observing the two Kangaskhan''s serious expressions, Yuga hurriedly continued, "I believe you might not have the authority to decide on this matter. How about you ry my message to Nidoqueen and let her judge for herself!"


    The Kangaskhan hesitated upon hearing Yuga''s words. If these humans did indeed possess a method to heal their leader, keeping it a secret would harm Nidoqueen.


    Nidoqueen''s condition was the collective concern of the entire Nidoran and Kangaskhanmunities. Without Nidoqueen, they wouldn''t be able to maintain their dominance on the ind as they used to.


    After much deliberation, the two Kangaskhan reluctantly agreed. One of them beckoned to a young Kangaskhan and whispered a few words in its ear, instructing it to go back to the territory and inform Nidoqueen.


    Seeing the Kangaskhan''s actions, Yuga and Joyna finally breathed a sigh of relief. This was a partial sess.


    Before long, the Kangaskhan that had gone to deliver the message returned. Apanying it was the Nidoking that Yuga and Joyna had injured.


    Nidoking''s injuries were never severe, and she possessed a powerful self-healing ability due to her Champion level status. After these two days, her condition had mostly recovered. However, her eyes still bore a deep hostility when she looked at Yuga and Joyna.


    "Nidoking?"


    Is what you said true?


    Nidoking asked suspiciously.


    Yuga replied confidently, "Absolutely."


    "Nidoking, Nidoking."


    It''s best if it''s true. Follow me.


    With a skeptical nce at Yuga and Joyna, Nidoking gestured for them to follow, and theyplied, trailing behind Nidoking.


    Under Nidoking''s guidance, Yuga and Joyna entered the inner part of the Nidoran territory and once again encountered Nidoqueen. However,pared to their previous brief encounter, Nidoqueen''s aura was even more weakened, and her injuries were indeed serious.


    Nidoqueen resided in a spacious cave that was surprisingly clean, well-illuminated, and organized, which left Yuga and Joyna quite astonished.


    Furthermore, the cave where Nidoqueen lived was lined with numerous Moon Stones, which finally exined why they couldn''t detect the tunnels and dome spaces below the territory.


    They had an abundance of Moon Stones and no need to dig deep underground, hence they naturally wouldn''t discover those areas.


    Yuga even spotted several supreme-grade Moon Stones in the cave, clearly part of Nidoqueen''s treasured collection. supreme-grade Evolution Stones had a distinct appearance, with a sparkling and translucent quality that made them resemble precious gemstones, easily distinguishable from ordinary Evolution Stones.


    Even in arge Evolution Stone vein, finding a supreme-grade one was not guaranteed, yet Nidoqueen had several of them, indicating the staggering reserves of Moon Stones here.


    Joyna, being from the Joy family, had extensive knowledge, and she recognized those supreme-grade Moon Stones. However, both she and Yuga were aware of the purpose of this visit, so supreme-grade Moon Stones had to take a back seat for now.


    What disappointed Yuga somewhat was that while Nidoqueen had ess to supreme-grade Moon Stones, he had spent so much time digging in the dome space and hadn''t even found fragments of supreme-grade Moon Stones.


    "Nidoqueen, Nidoqueen, Nidoqueen."


    Do you have any way to treat my injuries?


    Nidoqueen had confidence in her strength, even when she was heavily injured. She believed she had nothing to fear from Yuga and hispanions, which was why she had confidently invited them inside.


    "Do you know if you''ve ever heard of something called ''Max Revive''?" Yuga asked Nidoqueen.


    "Max Revive is a medication made from Revival Herbs. It can treat injuries just like Revival Herbs, but without any side effects," Yuga exined with a smile.


    Upon hearing that there were no side effects, Nidoqueen''s eyes flickered rapidly.


    However, despite their simple nature, Pok��mon were not stupid. They couldn''t simply trust Yuga''s words.


    The mention of Max Revives did pique Nidoqueen''s interest, though. Having ess to Max Revives would mean she no longer had to worry about her injuries.


    "How can I obtain these Max Revives you speak of?" Nidoqueen inquired.


    "We''ll help you make Max Revives, and in return, you provide us with Revival Herbs," Yuga proposed.


    Nidoqueen agreed but requested a sample first. She wanted to see an Max Revive before fully trusting Yuga and his group. She offered to provide a Revival Herb as proof of her sincerity.


    Yuga, however, shook his head and declined, saying, "The creation of Max Revives isn''t that simple. Apart from Revival Herbs, we also need other ingredients, which you don''t possess, but we do. Furthermore, we require specialized equipment, which is only avable on the cruise ship."


    Yuga was able to create Max Revives together with Joyka because they had ess to the pharmaceutical equipment in the Pok��mon Center. Trying to do it individually wouldn''t work for either of them. The same applied to Joyna, even though she was abat Joy.


    Nidoqueen''s tone immediately turned cold as she asked, "So, what do you propose, then?"


    Yuga responded, "You can give us one Revival Herb for now, and we''ll take it back with us. After we''ve sessfully created the Max Revive, we''ll bring it to you tomorrow. Once you''ve tested its effectiveness, we can discuss further cooperation."


    Nidoqueen immediately rejected the idea, saying, "No, we can''t risk giving you a Revival Herb upfront in case you run away!"


    Yuga shook his head and reassured, "That won''t happen. We need more Revival Herbs, not just one. It wouldn''t make sense for us to run away over a single Revival Herb."


    Nidoqueen found Yuga''s reasoning sensible. Running away over a single Revival Herb would be foolish. So, she instructed Nidoking to fetch one Revival Herb, a regr Three-Leaf Revival Herb, and handed it to Yuga.


    Throughout the negotiation, Joyna remained silent because she couldn''t understand what Nidoking and Nidoqueen were saying. She only apanied Yuga throughout the process.


    It wasn''t until they left Nidoran n''s territory that Joyna finally let out a sigh of relief. She had been tense the entire time, but when she saw Yuga''s calm expression, she berated herself for being so nervous. She felt uselesspared to Yuga, not even as good as a junior.


    If Yuga knew what Joyna was thinking, he would probably protest. In reality, he was also panicking in his heart, but he was pretend to be calm to maintain their negotiating position.


    On the way back, Joyna, unable to understand the previous conversation, asked Yuga in confusion, "Aren''t you afraid that Nidoqueen might change her mind once she''s healed by the Max Revive tomorrow?"


    Yuga shook his head and exined, "No, she won''t. Once they''ve tasted the benefits of the Max Revive, they''ll want more, and that means they''ll have toe to us. We can use this to secure enough Revival Herbs."


    Joyna found Yuga''s exnation reasonable. As long as they managed the situation well, the Nidoran n would have no choice but to trade Revival Herbs for Max Revives.

 Chapter 948: Retaliation

    <h4>Chapter 948: Retaliation</h4>


    The safe return of Yuga and Joyna relieved everyone. Learning that the negotiations with the Nidoran n had gone smoothly, they celebrated even more, as they no longer had to worry about returning empty-handed.


    They naturally felt grateful to Yuga and Joyna for making this happen.


    As soon as Yuga returned to the cruise ship, he went to find Joycelyn, and then the two of them entered the pharmaceutical room on the ship with Revival Herbs in hand.


    In addition to the main ingredient, Revival Herbs, creating Max Revives required many other materials, but luckily, the Joy family had prepared them before their departure.


    Yuga had experience in making Max Revives, and Joycelyn, was an experienced pharmaceutical physician. So, the two of them sessfully created Max Revives in one night.


    Fortunately, the cruise ship had fully equipped pharmaceutical equipment. And just like Yuga, Joycelyn was not as powerful as Joyka who specializes in medicine. without specialized medical equipment, they would be clueless.


    Early the next morning, Yuga and Joyna visited the Nidoran n once again, bringing the Max Revives they had created the previous night.


    The Nidoran n was even more cautious than expected. Nidoqueen did not immediately consume the Max Revive; instead, she had a Nidorino try it first. The Nidorino dly volunteered.


    Under the treatment of the Max Revive, the injured Nidorino quickly recovered and started bouncing around, showing no side effects, convincing Nidoqueen to believe in Yuga and Joyna''s words.


    Subsequently, negotiations for the trade of Revival Herbs and Max Revives took ce once again.


    In the end, they reached an agreement. For every Max Revive they created for the Nidoran n, the n would provide them with ten Revival Herbs.


    Initially, the Nidoran n was reluctant to trade one Max Revive for ten Revival Herbs, feeling that it was unfair to them.


    However, Yuga exined that creating a Max Revive not only required manualbor but also various precious materials that the Nidoran n did not possess. He convinced them that it was a fair trade.


    The Nidoran n was willing to trade only Three-Leaf Revival Herbs, refusing to part with the more valuable Five-Leaf Revival Herbs.


    ording to them, the Five-Leaf Revival Herbs were the foundation of their constant supply of Revival Herbs. They never used them themselves, let alone trade them to outsiders.


    Over the next week, Yuga and Joyna continued trading with the Nidoran n, shuttling between the seaside and the n''s territory. Both sides preferred to keep the trade in small quantities to avoid any potential tricks by the other party, so each trade consisted of fifteen to twenty Max Revives.


    During this time, they not only provided Max Revives but also taught the Nidoran n how to properly store them to prevent the Max Revives from losing their effectiveness.


    Under the healing power of Max Revives, Nidoqueen quickly returned to her prime. Just as Yuga had guessed, she not only didn''t turn against them but also became quite friendly.


    At the same time, Joyna''s Latias also fully recovered under the treatment of Max Revives. The smile returned to Joyna''s face.


    As they cooperated, both sides gradually developed a silent understanding and became less tense than at the beginning. Even Nidoking''s attitude towards Yuga and his group improved significantly.


    One time, Nidoking even took the initiative to show Yuga the Revival Herb cultivation area of the Nidoran n.


    Their Revival Herbs grew collectively in a valley. ording to Yuga''s estimation, it should be directly above the dome space. The ce appeared to be a perfect location, exining why the Revival Herbs thrived there.


    The valley was covered in a dense growth of Revival Herbs, resembling a lush green carpet spread across the ground. It was a sight that made Yuga almost envious.


    However, 70% of the Revival Herbs were ordinary Three-Leaf Revival Herbs, while 29% were Five-Leaf Revival Herbs. The remaining 1% were Seven-Leaf Revival Herbs.


    As for Nine-Leaf Revival Herbs, Nidoqueen said she had never seen one. Perhaps Nidoqueen knew about them, but Nidoqueen couldn''t say for sure.


    The Revival Herb growth area of the Nidoran n was heavily guarded by many Pok��mon guardians, making it nearly impossible for outsiders to enter. This was especially true for the Five-Leaf Revival Herbs, which were guarded even more rigorously than the Seven-Leaf Revival Herbs.


    The Five-Leaf Revival Herbs represented the only period in a Revival Herb''s life when it would reproduce. If anything went wrong with the Five-Leaf Revival Herbs, the entire Revival Herb supply of the Nidoran n would be in jeopardy.


    Before leaving the Revival Herb growth area, Nidoking even gifted Yuga a handful of Revival Herb seeds as a souvenir for their visit.


    Nidoking was generous with this gift because he knew that once these seeds left the valley, they would never sprout again. They had attempted to nt Revival Herbs elsewhere before, but unfortunately, they couldn''t get them to grow.


    Yuga was surprised as he held a handful of Revival Herb seeds. He hadn''t expected Nidoking to be so generous.


    Nidoking''s hand was not small, and the number of seeds he grabbed required Yuga to use both hands to handle them.


    Of course, Revival Herb seeds themselves were notrge, and a handful could hold around a dozen or twenty seeds.


    The trading of Max Revives and Revival Herbs had been handled by Yuga, Joyna, and Joyka throughout. The other members of the group saw that the trading was going smoothly and embarked on adventures on the ind.


    Surprisingly, many of them found valuable items. The ind had existed for a long time, remained undeveloped by humans, and although it was inhabited by a multitude of wild Pok��mon, these Pok��mon often didn''t recognize the value of certain items, leading to opportunities for the adventurers.


    As three days passed, Nidoqueen noticed their growing inventory of Max Revives and, in a good mood, decided to gift Yuga and Joyna each a Seven-Leaf Revival Herb, which pleasantly surprised both of them.


    During these days, Yuga and the Joy family had acquired a total of three and seven Revival Herbs, respectively. For Yuga, this amounted to a substantial number of Revival Herbs.


    If it weren''t for Yuga''s role in facilitating the trade with the Nidoran n, he might not have obtained even a third of the Revival Herbs. After all, Yuga hade to the ind at the invitation of the Joy family, and they had provided the equipment and materials for making Max Revives.


    Yuga required all the Revival Herbs to have intact roots, along with soil and vitality, as he didn''t intend to use them directly but rather wanted to nt them in his secondary garden.


    These Revival Herbs, once stored in the system backpack, would maintain their vitality regardless of how much time passed, so Yuga wasn''t concerned about them wilting along the way.


    Besides Yuga, the Joy family seemed to have the same idea. As soon as their Revival Herbs were brought back to the cruise ship, they were ced in a special nutrient solution, making the Revival Herbs grow vigorously.


    That nutrient solution appeared to be custom-made.


    Yuga even suspected that the Joy family might have already figured out how to artificially cultivate Revival Herbs. If that were the case, their family would likely be even more prosperous in the future.


    This day marked the final trade between Yuga and his group and the Nidoran n. Both sides had enjoyed a harmonious coboration recently, so after the exchange of goods and payment, they parted on good terms.


    Just as Yuga and Joyna were preparing to leave, the sky suddenly echoed with a loud roar, and they both felt a tremendous sense of oppression.


    "This... this is the Pressure Ability!"


    Yuga''s Absol had this Ability, so he was very familiar with it and instantly realized that a Pok��mon in the Nidoran n''s territory had activated Pressure Ability.


    "Nidqueen! Nidqueen!"


    It''s that guy again! Darn it!


    After a furious roar, Nidoqueen charged towards the border of their territory, with Nidoking and the two Kangaskhan following closely behind. The ground trembled beneath their running.


    "It must be the Aerodactyl!"


    Yuga nced at Joyna and immediately knew who the guy mentioned by Nidoqueen was. Then he whispered a sentence.


    Joyna responded, "Let''s go check it out!"


    Yuga nodded and followed Nidoking and the others.


    As they reached the edge of their territory, Nidoqueen looked up and saw the imposing Aerodactyl soaring above their home. Following behind Nidoqueen and her group, Yuga and Joyna also saw this intimidating Aerodactyl.


    ...


    [ Aerodactyl ]


    Type: Rock/Flying


    Ability: Pressure


    Gender: Male


    Nature: Purple


    Level: 100


    Moves: Headbutt, Wing Attack, Ice Fang, Fire Fang, Thunder Fang, Scary Face, Agility, Crunch, Hyper Beam, Take Down, Rock Slide, Giga Impact, Dragon w, Double Team, Rock Tomb, Aerial Ace, Steel Wing, Retaliate, Rock Polish, Stone Edge, Tailwind, Earth Power, Iron Tail, Stealth Rock, Brave Bird.


    ...


    No wonder this Aerodactyl was able to severely injure Nidoqueen. It was clearly not to be messed with, radiating a strong aura of danger. It had undoubtedly gone through countless life-and-death battles.


    The arrogant Aerodactyl, upon seeing Nidoqueen emerge, wasted no time and unleashed the Rock Slide move. Massive boulders rained down from the sky, targeting not only Nidoqueen but also the less powerful members of the Nidoran n and Kangaskhan.


    Piercing screams echoed as many Nidoran and Kangaskhan who couldn''t evade the giant stones were injured.


    Nidoqueen shattered one of the boulders with a punch and red at the Aerodactyl with fury, but the Aerodactyl remained provoking.


    Nidoking opened its mouth and fired an Ice Beam at the Aerodactyl, but the Aerodactyl swiftly evaded it with an Agility move.


    In terms of level, Nidoqueen was on par with the Aerodactyl, with neither holding an advantage in terms of type. However, the Aerodactyl had incredible speed, making it impossible for Nidoqueen tond an attack no matter how hard it tried.


    Every time it dodged Nidoqueen''s attacks, the Aerodactyl would unleash a barrage of Stone Edges, razor-sharp des formed from Stone Edge moves. These des not only struck Nidoqueen but also affected other weaker Pok��mon.


    However, the Aerodactyl didn''t mind. It was extremely cunning and knew that Nidoqueen was resistant to Rock-type moves. It patiently led Nidoqueen on a wild goose chase, aiming to wear her down.


    One thing puzzled the Aerodactyl, though. Why hadn''t Nidoqueen''s strength decreased at all? It had long coveted the Nidoran n''s Revival Herbs and knew more about their secrets than others. It knew that a Pok��mon''s strength would significantly drop if it consumed a Revival Herb after being injured. This was why it had challenged Nidoqueenst time, expecting her to make that choice.


    Seeing Nidoqueen fully healed, it had initially thought that she had chosen to consume the Revival Herb. However, as the battle progressed, it realized something was off. Nidoqueen''s strength remained undiminished.


    Could it be that the rumor about consuming a Revival Herb weakening a Pok��mon was false?


    In this moment of doubt, the Aerodactyl made a crucial mistake while evading, and its wing grazed against Nidoqueen''s Ice Beam, causing it injury.


    With a wounded wing, the Aerodactyl''s speed immediately dropped. Faced with Nidoqueen''s relentless Ice Beam moves, it struggled more and more. Several times, it narrowly avoided getting hit again.


    The battle between these two powerful Pok��mon wreaked havoc, leaving the border of the Nidoran n''s territory riddled with damage. Some neighboring Pok��mon who shared the territory with the Nidoran n were also affected by the battle.


    Watching the fierce battle between Nidoqueen and the Aerodactyl, Yuga and Joyna remained hidden in the distance, with no intention of getting involved.


    Their rtionship with the Nidoran n was merely one of cooperation, not alliance, so they had no obligation to help fend off external threats.


    Nidoking and the two Kangaskhan, on the other hand, were actively trying to assist their leader in the battle. But facing the considerably stronger Aerodactyl, they were overwhelmed and unable to contribute much.


    The battle between the two Pok��mon continued for nearly two hours before it finally came to an end.


    The Aerodactyl is injured but Its injuries weren''t severe, but it needed time to recover. Nidoqueen had also sustained injuries, though hers were more heavier than the Aerodactyl''s, yet far better than her previous battle. Even without Revival Herbs or Max Revive, she could heal with some time.


    Having ovee this difficulity, Nidoqueen was in a great mood and generously rewarded Yuga and Joyna with a Seven-Leaf Revival Herb each. As for Yuga and Joyna watching from the sidelines, Nidoqueen didn''t mind at all. It had nothing to do with them.


    With two Seven-Leaf Revival Herbs in hand, Yuga and Joyna happily left the Nidoran n''s territory and returned to the cruise ship by the sea.


    Early the next morning, they were set to return to the maind.


    This trip to the unnamed ind had been fruitful for both Yuga and Joy family. Every member of the team had their own gains, and so they excitedly departed from the ind on their cruise ship.


    As they watched the ind disappear into the distance, Yuga couldn''t help but sigh, wondering if they would ever have the opportunity to return to this bountiful ind.


    If only this ind were closer to the human maind and had a safe trade route. They could have established a long-term partnership with the Nidoran n��Nidoran n would provide them with Revival Herbs, and they would supply the n with finished Max Revive.


    As they departed from the ind, everyone was in high spirits. However, just as they had left the ind''s vicinity, Yuga received a report from the crew that a Pok��mon was rapidly approaching them.


    Shortly after, Yuga saw the furious Aerodactyl charging toward them. It was the same Aerodactyl they had shed with before Nidoqueen.


    "Why is this Aerodactyl following us?" Joyna''s expression changed as she saw it.


    "Could it have found out about our deal with Nidoqueen ande for revenge?" Joyna spected. Besides that, they had no grudges with the Aerodactyl.


    "It''s a possibility," Yuga replied calmly. He was already thinking of a solution, as he knew that battling the Aerodactyl head-on wouldn''t work.


    The approaching Aerodactyl was seething with anger. Just as Joyna had guessed, it had indeed discovered that Yuga and his group had helped Nidoking recover, foiling its ns. That''s why it was now pursuing them, driven by resentment.


    Despite its careful nning, the Aerodactyl unleashed its ultimate attack and charged directly at the cruise ship carrying Yuga and his group. To make matters worse, it activated its oppressive ability to the fullest.


    In the moment the Aerodactyl charged, Nana and Joyna''s Latias worked together to create a psychic barrier, attempting to block the furious Aerodactyl.


    However, the sheer force of the Aerodactyl''s impact began to crack the psychic barrier, and it seemed on the verge of breaking. Tension gripped everyone on board.


    But suddenly, a yellow figure emerged from the sea, colliding with the Aerodactyl and sending it flying. The Aerodactyl let out a pitiful cry, narrowly avoiding plunging into the ocean. Already injured from its previous encounter with Nidoqueen, this collision worsened its condition.


    Once the yellow figure stabilized in the air, Yuga and his group could clearly see the true identity of this savior.


    ...


    [ Dragonite ]


    Type: Dragon/Flying


    Ability: Inner Focus


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 100


    Skills: Twister, Dragon Fury, Thunder Wave, Agility, Dragon Tail, Aqua Tail, Dragon Rush, Dragon Dance, Outrage, Hyper Beam, Hail, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Safeguard, Hurricane, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Roost, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Earthquake, Brick Break, Steel Wing, Protect, Aura Sphere, Giga Impact, Stomping Tantrum, Surf, Waterfall, Dragon Pulse, Water Pulse, Draco Meteor, Superpower, Tailwind, Rest, Focus Punch, Extreme Speed.


    ...


    Seeing this Dragonite, everyone aboard took a collective gasp. The Dragonite waved at them with a friendly smile, disying its gentle demeanor.


    Furious from the surprise attack, the Aerodactyl retaliated against the Dragonite, but it was no match for this powerful Dragonite.


    The Dragonite scolded the Aerodactyl sternly after giving it another thrashing. It turned out that the Dragonite was peacefully sleeping underwater when the Aerodactyl, driven by its Pressure Ability, flew right over its head, rudely awakening it.


    Startled from its deep slumber, the Dragonite woke up and chased the Aerodactyl from the depths of the ocean. It not only disturbed its peaceful nap but also intended to attack a human ships.


    This was uneptable! One of its favorite things to do was to rescue ships in distress at sea. How could it just stand by and watch a ship sink?


    The Dragonite decided to intervene, and when the Aerodactyl realized it was no match for the Dragonite, it cast a harsh re at Yuga and the others before fleeing in a sorry state.


    Seeing the Aerodactyl retreat, the Dragonite nodded in satisfaction, then waved to Yuga and his group once more before gracefully diving back into the ocean.


    It was... an unexpectedly look like a silly Dragonite.


    "Did we just... get saved?" Joycelynasked incredulously, her eyes wide with disbelief. Everything had happened so suddenly, it was hard to believe.


    "Yes, we got saved. Let''s thank our good fortune!" Joyna reassured her.


    Aside from the incident with the Aerodactyl, their journey back had been rtively trouble-free, with any minor issues well within their capabilities to handle.


    A weekter, the cruise ship docked at the Cerulean Strait.


    Meanwhile at the same time Yuga and the others returned to Cerulean City, on an unnamed beach, a red-haired young man wearing a cape walked around anxiously. Soon, a yellow figure flew over the sea, revealing itself to be Dragonite.


    The red-haired young man''s worried expression vanished as soon as he saw Dragonite. When Dragonitended beside him, he immediatelyined: "Old Ancestor! What happened to your promise? You said you''d y for just two days ande back, but look how many days its has been passed!!!"


    Seeing the agitated state of the red-haired young man, Dragonite scratched the back of its head and looked up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, as if saying: What are you talking about? I have no idea!


    Seeing his old ancestor y dumb, the young man deted and said, "Alright, alright, let''s forget about it this time. But you can''t do this next time."


    Seeing that the red-haired young man wasn''t holding a grudge, Dragonite stopped pretending and grinned. Then, it yfully embraced the young man and nuzzled its head against the man''s fiery red hair.


    Seeing his ancestor using cuteness and stubbornness to evade responsibility, the red-haired young man sighed in resignation and said, "Alright, you''ve had your fun. It''s time to go back!"


    Dragonite obediently nodded, then carried the young man on its back and soared into the sky, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

 Chapter 949: Watching the Excitement

    <h4>Chapter 949: Watching the Excitement</h4>


    When Yuga and the others arrived in Cerulean City on the cruise ship, it was alreadyte in the evening. They decided to stay at the Pok��mon Center for the night. The next morning, Joyna and the other members of the Joy family bid farewell to Yuga directly.


    Joyna hade to the Kanto region due to a job transfer, and her visit to Hoenn was just a side trip. Now that her mission wasplete, and her new ce of work awaited her, it was only natural for her to part ways with Yuga.


    As for the other members, they were eager to bring the Revival Herbs back to report their sess, so they wanted to leave as soon as possible.


    Joyna and her group left very early in the morning. Yuga, having not slept well due to their departure, decided to catch up on some much-needed rest after saying goodbye to them.


    When he woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. Stepping out of his room, he was greeted by Nurse Joy from the Cerulean City Pok��mon Center, who smiled and greeted him.


    "Did you sleep well? Are you hungry? I asked Chansey to prepare some food for you."


    Nurse Joy from the Cerulean City Pok��mon Center, whose name was Jon, was aware of the details of Yuga''s recent mission. Joyna had instructed her to take good care of Yuga when they parted ways.


    "No need to trouble yourself!" Yuga replied with a slight smile.


    Before long, Chansey brought a carefully prepared dinner to Yuga''s table.


    The omelette in the breakfast was made from eggsid by Chansey, and it was prepared in a unique and delicious way.


    Here, the eggs mentioned were not the eggs for Chansey to reproduce but a special kind of egg produced when they used their Egg Move.


    This particr egg move was a healing move, but when used, there was a chance that it would produce real eggs, which were a type of food. These eggs couldn''t hatch into new Pok��mon and were purely for consumption, but they were incredibly delicious and nutritious.


    When Chansey used the Egg Move, it wouldn''t produce another egg for the next three days. In other words, even the most productive Chansey could only produce one egg every three days.


    Yuga''s six Chansey often gave him these eggs, and Audino knew how to turn these eggs into delicious dishes, so Yuga had eaten them before.


    However, the way Audino prepared the eggs was something she had figured out herself, and it was quite different from the way they were cooked here by Jon. Both methods had their merits.


    It was said that the eggs produced by Blissey were even more delicious, but Yuga hadn''t had the opportunity to taste them yet because none of his Chansey had evolved into Blissey.


    Joyna had Blissey, but Yuga had never seen her serve him eggs from Blissey. Perhaps their friendship was more like "stic friendship," as they hadn''t discussed these things. Yuga thought he should ask her about it next time.


    Chansey was rare to find outside, so its eggs were rtively rare as well. Most of them were in the hands of the Joy family, but the Joys were not running a restaurant, so not many people had the chance to taste them.


    Some well-connected individuals can acquire the Eggs, but rarity drives up the price, making it expensive for ordinary people to obtain them.


    After finishing breakfast, Yuga used the Pok��mon Center''s Trade Machine to send the Pok��mon he had caught on Nameless Ind back, as it would be difficult to take care of them while traveling with him.


    While talking to Audino, Yuga specifically instructed it on which Pok��mon might be a bit naughty and needed proper training to avoid causing trouble in the Ecopark.


    After ending his call with Audino, Yuga nned to train his Pok��mon in the Pok��mon Center''s backyard.


    On his way back, he thought for a while and decided to add Snover to his main team. Despite its potential increased after mutation, it''s still the lowest in his main team. However, Snover possessed excellent abilities in other aspects.


    Moreover, it was good friends with Rowlet, and having these two little buddies train together would make things more enjoyable.


    In addition, although Kartana had born with the strength of a pseudo-Elite Pok��mon, it knew very few moves and needed to learn more from other Pok��mon.


    Teaching Yuga''s Pok��mon new moves was rtively easy in the Ecopark, where various Pok��mon with different moves could be found. If any of his main Pok��mon wanted to learn a specific move (provided they were capable of learning it), Yuga could simply seek out a Pok��mon that knew that move. If one Pok��mon couldn''t teach it, he could find another that could. In the end, they would always learn.


    In this way, Yuga, as a Trainer, had a rtively rxed training process.


    Now it was time for his main Pok��mon to teach their juniors, especially Kartana.


    Kartana had extraordinary talent, especially when it came to moves involving cutting, shing, and chopping. On his way back, it had not only independently grasped Sacred Sword and Cut but also learned Leaf de under the guidance of Bellossom and Air sh with the help of Vivillon.


    Additionally, when Kartana was born, Yuga''s Insight Ability couldn''t determine its potential. After some time had passed, Yuga discovered that, under the Insight Ability, Kartana''s situation was simr to when he observed Legendary Pok��mon.


    The Insight Ability could only reveal the type, ability, and moves a Legendary Pok��mon possessed, while their potential and level remained hidden under the shroud of divinity. Kartana seemed to share this particr characteristic with Legendary Pok��mon.


    Two hourster, after Yuga finished training his Pok��mon and was about to leave the Pok��mon Center''s backyard, he suddenly noticed a group of children outside the fence, engaged in a conversation.


    "Today, I''ll show you the Pok��mon my dad brought back for me from Hoenn."


    The one speaking was a chubby boy, and his nose was held high as he mentioned the Pok��mon his dad had given him.


    "Really? Hurry up and show us!"


    A little girl was very interested in the Pok��mon mentioned by the chubby boy. She blinked her watery, big eyes when looking at the chubby boy, making the boy feel ttered.


    These kids seemed to be around five or six years old. Yuga found it amusing to see the chubby boy proudly disying his Pok��mon to the little girl. He decided to stop and eavesdrop on their conversation.


    Hearing the little girl''s urging, the other kids chimed in.


    "Yeah, yeah, show us quickly!"


    "Release the Pok��mon and let us see..."


    ...


    Watching the envious eyes of his friends, the chubby boy became even more proud. He even attempted to give a charming wink to the little girl who had spoken earlier, which made Yuga chuckle inwardly.


    Kids nowadays are quite precocious; they start trying to attract the opposite gender''s attention at such a young age.


    However, it seemed that the little girl waspletely uninterested in the chubby boy''s self-disy. She was solely focused on seeing the Pok��mon he had mentioned.


    Amidst the chorus of demands from the children, the chubby boy retrieved a Pok�� Ball and released his Pok��mon, a spirited Taillow, onto his shoulder. The Taillow let out a couple of chirps, nuzzled the chubby boy''s cheek affectionately, and seemed very fond of him.


    The chubby boy gently patted the Taillow''s little head with his chubby hand, showing great care for it.


    "Wow, it''s a Pok��mon we''ve never seen before!"


    "It''s so cool! I want one too!"


    "Our teacher mentioned this Pok��mon in ss; it''s a Taillow..."


    "I really want to pet it; it''s so cute!"


    The kids discussed excitedly, while the Taillow, with its round eyes looking around, had a strangely simr expression to the chubby boy, which made Yuga want tough again.


    "Can we pet it?"


    The little girl looked at the chubby boy with anticipation.


    "Of... of course!"


    The moment the little girl looked at him like that, the chubby boy''s excitement soared. His ears turned bright red, and he subconsciously tried to puff up his "imposing" chest, but all he ended up doing was puffing out his chubby belly.


    "But... but please be careful! My hero is still young!"


    After saying that, the chubby boy quickly added, his cheeks instantly flushing with embarrassment, afraid that the little girl might think he was stingy.


    Under the chubby boy''s guidance, Taillow flew into the little girl''s hands, allowing her to stroke its smooth feathers.


    Hearing that the chubby boy had given his Taillow the name "Hero," Yuga couldn''t help but almost burst outughing in his heart. This chubby boy was indeed interesting.


    As the little girl got to pet Taillow, the other kids immediately cast envious nces.


    "It''s so nice! I want to pet it too!"


    "Hey, Chubby, can I pet it too?"


    Hearing the requests from his friends, the chubby boy promptly refused.


    "How can I let you guys casually touch my hero? My dad bought it for me from YoYo Day Care! Do you guys even know YoYo Day Care? It''s a famous Pok��mon Day Care in Hoenn, and the owner is even a Gym Leader!"


    Hearing the chubby boy''s bragging, his friends became even more envious.


    "Wow, that''s so cool!"


    "I''d love to visit YoYo Day Care too!"


    "Gym Leaders are amazing!"


    ...


    To Yuga''s surprise, he hadn''t expected that this kid''s Pok��mon was purchased from his shop.


    He quickly confirmed that the chubby boy wasn''t lying; there was indeed the YoYo Day Care logo on his Pok�� Balls.


    The Pok�� Balls used to contain Pok��mon at YoYo Day Care were bought by Yuga from the Trainer Store in the system. They looked almost identical to ordinary Pok�� Balls, with the only difference being a small YoYo Day Care logo on one side of the white portion, making it easy to verify.


    The chubby boy went on to praise YoYo Day Care and Yuga himself in such an extravagant manner that it left Yuga feeling embarrassed, and he could almost imagine his toes curling up on the floor.


    However, the chubby boy''s words filled his friends with awe and admiration. They had no idea what was so remarkable about what he was saying, but it sounded impressive nheless. Even the chubby boy didn''t fully understand it; he was just repeating his father''s words.


    "Do you know my dad took me to watch the Pok��mon Contest in Hoenn? Do you guys know about the Pok��mon Contest? And there''s also Mr. Wace..."


    As the chubby boy continued to talk, Yuga realized that the chubby boy''s father had taken him to see the Wace Cup and bought him an ordinary potential Taillow from YoYo Day Care.


    Ordinary potential Pok��mon were easy to buy at YoYo Day Care, unlike high potential Pok��mon, which required appointments and had to pass YoYo Day Care''s tests.


    Just as the chubby boy was enthusiastically sharing his stories, another young boy approached.


    This boy appeared somewhat timid, holding a Fomantis in his arms. He wore a ck vest and seemed toe from a well-off family.


    "Look, herees Harry!"


    "Harry brought a Pok��mon too!"


    "What Pok��mon is that? I''ve never seen it before!"


    "I don''t know either; the teacher didn''t mention it in ss."


    ...


    Seeing Harry''s arrival, the children began to call out.


    Seeing that Harry had captured the attention of his friends, the chubby boy pouted in dissatisfaction.


    "Harry, what''s your Pok��mon called? It''s so cute!"


    "Did you also get yours from YoYo Day Care like Chubby?"


    ...


    The young friends gathered around Harry, chattering excitedly. Normally quiet, Harry took a couple of steps back when he found everyone crowding around him.


    "Alright! Don''t all crowd around Harry like this! He doesn''t like it!" shouted the young girl,ing to Harry''s rescue.


    However, her eyes gleamed brightly when she looked at the Fomantis in Harry''s arms.


    Seeing that his friends were no longer as enthusiastic as before, Harry''s face finally rxed, and he answered their questions one by one.


    "It''s called Fomantis, a Grass-type Pok��mon."


    "It''s not my Pok��mon; my dad bought it for my sister, but she let Fomantis y with me."


    "Yeah, Dad said he got it from YoYo Day Care, but Fomantis isn''t from Hoenn; it''s a unique Pok��mon from the Al region."


    ...


    This boy named Harry knew a lot about Fomantis and satisfied his friends'' curiosity with detailed answers.


    However, Yuga hadn''t expected that in a single day, he would encounter two customers who had purchased Pok��mon from YoYo Day Care, even though it was in the distant Kanto region. It made him feel a sense of pride.


    "Our business is doing quite well!"


    Unlike the Taillow, this Fomantis was a genuine Green potential Pok��mon. Purchasing it meant that it had passed YoYo Day Care''s test.


    Currently, YoYo Day Care''s old store was mainly managed by Suzuki Koen, and Yuga himself didn''t recall this Fomantis or its purchaser.


    However, this Fomantis had clearly undergone some training for quite some time, unlike the Taillow, which seemed quite young.


    Seeing his friends and the young girl''s attention focused on Harry and Fomantis, the chubby boy became unhappy!


    "Hey, Harry, how about we have a battle!"


    Harry was reluctant, saying, "But... but... Fomantis isn''t my Pok��mon; it belongs to my sister."


    The chubby boy waved his chubby hand dismissively, saying, "So what? It''s just a battle; there''s nothing else to it. You can''t tell me that Fomantis won''t listen to you, can you? That would make you really useless!"


    Reluctantly, Harry replied, "I... I..."


    The other young friends started cheering for a battle.


    "Let''s have a battle; we all want to see!"


    "Yeah,e on, Harry!"


    ...


    Only the young girl looked worried as she watched Harry.


    Fomantis might look cute, but it had a fierce temper. When it saw its owner''s little brother being bullied, it couldn''t just stand by. It jumped out of Harry''s arms and gave a disdainful look to the chubby boy and Taillow.


    "Fo... Fomantis..."


    Harry hesitated as he saw Fomantis''s actions.


    Seeing Fomantis jump out, the chubby boy and Taillow thought Harry had epted the challenge. They immediatelymanded Taillow to use Peck against Fomantis.


    But an untrained Taillow was no match for Fomantis. Fomantis used its Leaf de move, slicing through the air with sharp leaves, and Taillow fainted.


    "Taillow!"


    Seeing Taillow faint, the chubby boy rushed over in panic to pick it up.


    Seeing how easily Fomantis defeated Taillow, the onlookers gasped in amazement, admiring Harry.


    Harry shrugged it off, saying, "It''s not my victory; I just got lucky!"


    As the young friends discussed Harry and Fomantis, a casual voice chimed in.


    "Hey, what''s all this excitement about, little brothers? Why not have a chat with big brother too?"


    Immediately, five or six unruly-looking youngsters with wild hairstyles entered Yuga''s field of vision.


    Yuga: ???


    I was just casually watching some kids have fun, and now these punk-looking guys show up? Are they really need to causing trouble for kids? This seems unnecessary!

 Chapter 950: Confrontation

    <h4>Chapter 950: Confrontation</h4>


    As a few punk-like troublemakers arrived, the cheerful atmosphere that had just prevailed suddenly turned tense.


    "What... what do you want?" asked the chubby boy nervously, clutching Taillow, his prized Pok��mon.


    "Chubby, your Pok��mon looks pretty good. How about showing it to big brother?" said the leader of the troublemakers nonchntly.


    The chubby boy hid his unconscious Taillow behind him and stammered, "N... no, I can''t... I won''t give my hero to you."


    It was clear that these guys were troublemakers, and even though the chubby boy was young, he could tell.


    "Hehe... Chubby, whether you give it or not isn''t up to you!" the leader of the troublemakers said with a smirk as he reached out towards the chubby boy.


    "What are you guys doing?"


    Just then, a little girl stepped forward, spreading her arms to shield the chubby boy.


    "Forcing others isn''t right!"


    "Hey! Little girl, do you think you can meddle in this?" the troublemaker extended his hand as if to push the girl, but before he could touch her, a leaf came slicing through the air, causing him to retract his hand immediately.


    "Don''t... don''t cause trouble!"


    Harry, with his Fomantis by his side, spoke nervously from the sidelines.


    Seeing Harry and his Fomantis, the troublemaker sneered, "Didn''t expect you guys to know how to offer up Pok��mon to me too! Well, I won''t be polite!"


    With that, he took out a Pok�� Ball from his pocket and released a Dodrio.


    "Dodrio, teach this Fomantis a lesson for me."


    The troublemaker hadn''t received much formal education, but he knew the name of the Fomantis from what the children had said earlier. He himself didn''t recognize the Fomantis, but that didn''t stop him from understanding its value.


    This troublemaker was, in fact, a non-staff of Team Rocket.


    Team Rocket''s non-staffs were not considered actual members of the organization. They often didn''t even know what kind of organization Team Rocket was. They were just brought in to create chaos in various ces.


    These troublemakers were either thugs or street hooligans. Team Rocket didn''t have high expectations of them and simply provided them with small benefits to make them cause trouble in different locations.


    These ruffians were discontented with society, and even though they knew that Team Rocket wasn''t a legitimate organization, they were willing to follow its instructions. They found Team Rocket''s defiance against the League''s rules rather daring and appealing.


    These individuals were quite young, mostly in their rebellious phase, which made them more susceptible to temptation. Team Rocket lured them easily, and they followed along.


    Team Rocket didn''t ask much of them; they mainly engaged in petty thefts and mischief. Even if they got caught, their crimes were usually minor, and they''d be released quickly.


    Despite identifying themselves with Team Rocket, they didn''t actually know much about the organization. Sometimes, even the League believed that they simply called themselves Team Rocket members just for fun.


    In any case, these individuals couldn''t handle big tasks, but they were always causing minor disturbances, which annoyed the police.


    The leader of these troublemakers had been with Dodrio for a long time, and it was because of this Dodrio that he could gather a group ofckeys and act arrogantly.


    Also with Dodrio''s help, he had stolen several Pok��mon from others and sold them for profit.


    He didn''t pick fights with those who were tough to handle; he specifically targeted young trainers who had just obtained their Pok��mon. After a theft, he would quickly move on, wandering around Cerulean City, making it difficult for the police to catch them.


    Sometimes, if they stirred up trouble with someone they shouldn''t have, they''d quietly seek refuge at one of Team Rocket''s contact points.


    Although they were just non-staffs for Team Rocket and couldn''t handle big tasks, Team Rocket was willing to offer them shelter as long as they didn''t cause trouble. However, if they ever crossed paths with someone Team Rocket found troublesome, they''d be cast aside without hesitation.


    Harry''s sister''s Fomantis had good battle instincts, but unfortunately, it wasn''t as strong as Dodrio. It quickly lost the ability to battle.


    Yuga didn''t know about these troublemakers, and he hadn''t expected them to actually attempt to steal Pok��mon in broad daylight. Before Dodrio could further harm the unconscious Fomantis, Yuga said to Rowlet:


    "Rowlet, stop Dodrio!"


    Rowlet quickly leaped over the fence, pped its wings, and sent Leafage towards Dodrio''s feet. Dodrio braked suddenly to avoid being hit by the Leafage.


    Seeing the sudden appearance of Rowlet, the troublemakers were taken aback. However, when they saw Yuga stepping forward, their instinct told them not to mess with him. He had an imposing aura and domineering presence of 2.8 meters tall.


    (Yuga: ??? Imposing aura? Domineering presence?)


    Troublemaker: "Brother, what do you mean by this?"


    Yuga: "I can''t stand seeing you bullying kids."


    Troublemaker: "Consider today''s incident forgotten, brother. We''ll leave right away!"


    With that, the troublemaker recalled Dodrio and urged hispanions to leave. The bewilderedckeys didn''t understand why their usually domineering leader was acting so timid today.


    However, they hadn''t walked more than a few steps when a cold chill froze beneath their feet. Somehow, Snover had blocked their path.


    Seeing the ice forming in front of them, the troublemaker''s face darkened. He asked, "Brother, what''s your intention?"


    Just like Joycelyn said, Snover''s mutation had significantly enhanced its moves power. With a basic move like Powder Snow, Snover could create arge area of frost that left theckeys shivering.


    Even though it was spring!


    Yuga raised an eyebrow and said, "I already told you, I can''t stand seeing you bully kids. So, please wait a moment; Officer Jenny should be here soon."


    While the troublemakers might have felt that Yuga was not to be trifled with, they weren''t nning to give in easily. Once again, they released Dodrio.


    "Since you won''t let me go, then you''ll face the consequences! Dodrio, use Fury Attack!"


    Dodrio extended its three sharp beaks, ready to strike at Snover.


    Snover had only been trained for a few days and was still a bit timid. Seeing the ferocious Dodrio, it became frightened.


    However, before Dodrio could get close to Snover, a green light shed by, and Kartana had appeared above Dodrio. The earlier green light was from its Lead de move.


    Unlike the timid Snover, Kartana was fearless and always ready for battle. It would even dared to challenge Elite level Pok��mon if given the chance. Its Leaf de was sharp, and as it struck the ground beneath Dodrio, it created a long and deep fissure. Dodrio quickly retreated to its owner, scared by the attack.


    Dodrio: That was terrifying! I thought my head was about to roll off!


    Seeing Dodrio retreat, the troublemaker immediately scolded it, but no matter how he berated it, Dodrio simply huddled, refusing to approach again.


    Dodrio: If you''re not afraid of losing your head, then go by yourself!


    Dodrio had been obtained by the troublemaker from Team Rocket, and although it had been with him for a while, it had changed hands many times. Unlike normal Pok��mon, it no longer shared a bond connection with its trainers and only obeyed simplemands,cking any loyalty.


    The troublemaker was just that��a troublemaker. Besides Dodrio, he didn''t have any other Pok��mon. Those he had stolen previously hadn''t obeyed him and were eventually sold off.


    After dealing with the troublemakers, Yuga used his special abilities to heal Harry''s Fomantis and the scared little boy''s Taillow. Both of them tearfully thanked Yuga.


    Yuga rubbed their heads and then smiled, saying to the chubby boy, "In the future, take good care of Taillow, and try not to draw too much attention."


    The chubby boy, looking at the shivering troublemaker squatting nearby, nodded meekly, "I understand."


    Yuga nodded in approval, "A teachable youngster indeed."


    Soon, Officer Jenny arrived with her team. Yuga introduced himself and exined the situation.


    Upon learning of Yuga''s identity, Officer Jenny''s expression turned serious. She respectfully bowed to Yuga; after all, strong individuals were respected wherever they went.


    Although Officer Jenny didn''t personally know Yuga, she had heard of his name. A young Elite level Trainer of his caliber couldn''t be ignored by any faction.


    The troublemakers weren''t taken away by the Officer Jenny that had been called. The children thanked Yuga and then went home. Yuga stayed behind to talk with Officer Jenny.


    At that moment, a girl wearing overalls and with a head full of blonde hair was standing in the backyard of the Pok��mon Center, craning her neck to get a good look at Yuga. When she saw Yuga looking at her, she sweetly smiled in return.


    Seeing the blonde girl, Yuga was momentarily taken aback. Wasn''t this Misty?


    Misty had just brought his Pok��mon to the Pok��mon Center for healing. Back at his family''s dojo, his sisters had just suffered another loss in a Gym Battle, and their Pok��mon were in terrible shape. This had left Misty quite unhappy.


    Their family''s Cerulean Gym had been a renowned Gym with a long history and significant contributions to the Pok��mon League in the past. That''s why it had been passed down for generations. However, ever since his three older sisters took over the Gym, its reputation had been steadily declining.


    Misty''s dream was to be the world''s best Water-type Gym Leader. Unfortunately, he was still under ten years old and couldn''t inherit the Gym just yet, which was quite a source of frustration for him.


    While he waited at the Pok��mon Center, he happened to see Officer Jenny and her team pass by. This piqued his interest, so he ran over to see what was happening.


    Once Officer Jenny left, Misty approached Yuga and struck up a conversation.


    "What Pok��mon is this?" Misty asked with curiosity, staring at Kartana, which he had never seen before. As for Snover and Rowlet, although he hadn''t seen them before, he recognized them.


    After all, his family ran a Gym, and he had learned the basics of various Pok��mon from his trainers there.


    For kids aspiring to be Pok��mon Trainers, studying the Pok��mon Pok��dex was a foundational course that included not only the local Pok��mon but those from other regions as well.


    Yuga smiled and replied, "This is Kartana."


    Misty nodded and said, "Oh, it doesn''t look like a Water-type Pok��mon."


    Yuga couldn''t help but chuckle at that. Well, jus because you like Water-type Pokemon that doesn''t mean everything around you is Water-type Pok��mon.


    "Yeah, it''s not a Water-type. It''s Grass and Steel."


    Misty looked a bit disappointed. "I wish it were a Water-type."


    Then he asked, "Officer Jenny just called you a Gym Leader. Are you a Gym Leader?"


    Hearing Misty''s curious questions, Yuga answered truthfully, "Yes, I am."


    Misty muttered softly to himself, "That''s strange. I haven''t seen you before. But Officer Jenny wouldn''t lie."


    The details of Gym Leaders from different regions were avable on the official League website,plete with photos. However, these records were separated by regions.


    As an aspiring Gym Leader, Little Misty had impressions of all the Gym Leaders in the Kanto region, but he couldn''t recall Yuga from his memory.


    "Could you be a newly appointed Gym Leader?" Misty wondered aloud.


    Hearing Misty''s murmurs, Yuga chuckled and said, "Well, don''t strain your brain too much. I''m not a Gym Leader in Kanto; I''m from the Hoenn region."


    Misty suddenly realized, "Oh, I see."


    "Then, would you like to have a battle with me?" Misty suddenly clenched his fist, looking excited. "I haven''t battled a Gym Leader apart from my sisters before!"


    Yuga hesitated, "We just met; is it a good idea to battle so soon?"


    Misty corrected him, "It''s not fighting; it''s a Pok��mon battle! I''m going to be a Gym Leader in the future too!"


    "Oh..." Yuga''s response was drawn out, but when Misty continued, "I''m serious! My family runs the Cerulean Gym," Yuga seemed more convinced.


    Yuga then asked, "How old are you?"


    Misty replied proudly, "I''m nine years old, almost ten! Why?"


    Yuga simply said, "Oh, nothing, just curious." He couldn''t help but think that if Misty was nearly ten, then Ash must be around that age too.


    Finally, Yuga agreed, "Alright, but just one battle. I won''t do more than that."


    Misty eagerly epted, "Okay, one battle is all I need!"


    The backyard of the Pok��mon Center served as the battlefield. Once they stood on opposite sides, Yuga looked at the enthusiastic Misty and couldn''t help but feel a bit guilty. It felt like bullying a neer.


    Misty released her starter Pok��mon, a Staryu, which was also a Water-type. In Yuga''s trained eyes, he could tell it was an Indigo potential Staryu.


    Despite his three sisters not being particrly gifted Trainers, Misty himself showed great talent and had been groomed as the heir to the Cerulean Gym.


    Seeing Misty''s Staryu, Yuga withdrew Snover and Kartana, who were still outside, and called out Rowlet.


    Yuga thought to himself: Well, let''s give Rowlet some real battle experience.


    "Rowlet, go!"


    "Rowlet! Rowlet!"


    Rowlet, full of enthusiasm, took flight and faced Staryu on the battlefield.


    Staryu, a Star Shape Pok��mon, initiallyy t on the ground when it was released, but as Rowlet appeared, it quickly stood upright.


    "Hang on a moment, Staryu. We''ll take the initiative with Swift move!" Mistymanded Staryu.


    Yuga didn''t mind Misty taking the first move and allowed Staryu to release shining golden stars that homed in on Rowlet.


    Swift were simr to Grass-type moves like Magical Leaf, as they possessed some tracking capabilities that made simple evasion difficult.


    Rowlet, with its round and plump appearance, appeared surprisingly agile. It swiftly turned in the air, and the golden stars chased it relentlessly.


    In a yful maneuver, Rowlet performed a quick spin, pping its wings, and released a flurry of leaves that shattered all the pursuing stars.


    With the stars eliminated by Rowlet, Staryu, under Misty''smand, shot more Swift move, but Rowlet, already familiar with the move''s trajectory, promptly shattered them with ease and retaliated with Shadow Balls.


    Misty''s Staryu, while quick in reaction and move execution, but it was hampered by its limited mobility. Faced with iing Shadow Balls, Staryu panicked.


    Fortunately, Misty reacted swiftly and instructed Staryu to use Rapid Spin move to bounce out all of the shadow ball thating toward it.


    "Staryu, let''s use Psychic power!"


    Seeing that there was no way to hold Rowlet, Misty asked Staryu to usenewly learned move, Psychic Power. It was the most powerful move that Staryu currently knows. However, Staryu had just started practicing it and it still struggled to control it effectively.


    Staryu''s central gem slowly condensed psychic energy into a sphere. However, before it couldunch the Psychic Power, the energy sphere sputtered and failed.


    Boom!


    The energy sphere formed by Psychic Power dissipated into scattered points of energy in the air.


    Misty: ...


    Staryu: (��...��) I was too nervous...


    "Hahaha..."


    Seeing the sudden quiet atmosphere, Yuga couldn''t help but burst intoughter. Even Rowlet forgot to continue its attack and silently watched the speechless Staryu.


    Blushing with anger, Misty eximed, "Why are youughing? Haven''t you seen a failed move activation before?"


    Yuga, still chuckling, apologized, "Sorry, sorry, I just couldn''t help it."


    Seeing that Misty was still ring at him, he suggested, "How about this? Let''s end today''s battle here. Aspensation, I''ll teach your Staryu how to use Psychic Power properly. What do you think?"


    It was clear that Staryu had not fully mastered the Psychic Power move and, being an unevolved Psychic-type Pok��mon,cked the necessary psychic power intensity.


    A Pok��mon''s psychic power started as a light blue when they were weak and gradually deepened into dark blue and purple with meditation and practice.


    During Staryu''s earlier attempt to use Psychic Power, its psychic energy had clearly disyed the lowest level of light blue.


    Though Psychic Power was amon Psychic-type move, it was indeed an advanced move. When used with insufficient psychic power, situations like Staryu''s earlier failure could ur.


    Misty''s anger dissipated instantly upon hearing Yuga''s offer, and she asked excitedly, "Really? You mean it?"


    Yuga nodded, saying, "Of course, I''ll teach and guide you fully!"


    Nana usually handled the training of Pok��mon like Medidite, Medicham, Gade, and Gardevoir in the main Ecopark, making it have rich experience in teaching. Guiding a Staryu wouldn''t be a problem at all.

 Chapter 951: Cerulean Gym

    <h4>Chapter 951: Cerulean Gym</h4>


    Having made an agreement with Misty, Yuga released Gardevoir and allowed it to teach Staryu how to practice Psychic Power.


    High level Psychic-type Pok��mon would, through years of meditation, discover ways to enhance their psychic abilities, which is what humans refer to as meditation techniques.


    The meditation techniques used by a Psychic are derived from those Psychic-type Pok��mon.


    The meditation techniques of different Psychic-type Pok��mon are certainly distinct, and their effectiveness varies based on their experience.


    Nana, in her previous form as Celebi, lived for many years and had developed exceptional meditation techniques. All the Psychic-type Pok��mon in Yuga''s Ecopark meditated ording to it techniques.


    While Staryu wasn''t a Psychic-type Pok��mon, this didn''t hinder Nana from teaching it this set of meditation techniques.


    If a Psychic-type Pok��mon has a mentor from birth, their final meditation results will be vastly differentpared to those who start practicing on their own.


    Misty''s family runs a Water-type Gym, so they might have considerable experience in training Water-type Pok��mon. However, they are undoubtedly inexperienced when ites to training Psychic-type Pok��mon.


    Without a proper set of meditation techniques, Staryu, once it evolves into Starmie, might waste its innate psychic talents andck a potent defensive tool.


    Trainers often say that training Psychic-type Pok��mon is challenging, and one of the main difficulties lies in mastering meditation techniques.


    Once Staryu grasped the meditation techniques that Nana was imparting, its psychic power would be robust enough, and using Psychic Power would no longer be a hurdle.


    However, Nana''s meditation techniques weren''t easy to learn, and Staryu''s psychic power was still quite weak, making it a bit challenging for Nana to teach.


    Yuga and Misty sat on the side, observing as Nana repeatedly corrected Staryu''s errors in meditation. Staryu''s attempts were still quite clumsy.


    Meditation requires a high degree of focus and mental concentration, but achieving both of these is not easy.


    Each time, Staryu only managed to meditate for two or three minutes before automatically exiting its meditative state. Nana patiently instructed it on how to quickly re-enter the meditative state.


    Nana often encountered this situation when teaching Medidite and others in the Ecopark, so it didn''t consider Staryu to be unintelligent and taught it with great patience.


    Misty, standing nearby and seeing her Staryu struggling to grasp the concept, furrowed her brow and said, "Is this meditation technique difficult to learn? Or is my Staryu just too clumsy?"


    Yuga, smiling to reassure her, replied, "Meditation techniques are the foundation for Psychic-type Pok��mon to be stronger, and they will be crucial in various aspects of their future training.


    Your Staryu isn''t a Psychic-type Pok��mon until it evolves into Starmie, so it''s natural that learning these meditation techniques may be a bit challenging. But remember, learning meditation techniques is better sooner thanter; you''ll understand their importance in the future."


    Misty nodded without fully understanding the significance of advanced meditation techniques for Psychic-type Pok��mon. She simply thought Yuga was knowledgeable and trusted his words.


    Misty had brought her Gym''s Pok��mon to the Pok��mon Center for treatment. After leaving her Pok��mon at the Center, she had battled Yuga and then started learning meditation techniques from him. She hadpletely forgotten about her Gym''s Pok��mon.


    Nurse Joy had called Misty several times over the Center''s inte system, but she hadn''t received any response. Eventually, she contacted the Cerulean Gym.


    Joy and the Cerulean Gym staff were quite familiar since the Gym''s Pok��mon often received treatment at the Pok��mon Center.


    It was Misty''s third sister, Lily, who came to retrieve the Pok��mon. She took the Pok�� Balls handed over by Nurse Joy andined, "What''s going on with Misty? How could she leave the Pok��mon here like this and disappear!"


    At that moment, someone familiar with the Cerulean Gym staff mentioned, "I saw Misty watching themotion in the Pok��mon Center backyard earlier!"


    He then recounted the events that had taken ce in the Pok��mon Center''s backyard to Lily. It seemed that due to therge crowd andmotion at the time, Misty had missed Nurse Joy''s calls.


    Lily, without hesitation, stormed off towards the Pok��mon Center''s backyard. She grumbled as she went, "This girl is bing more and more unruly. She just goes wherever there''s excitement!"


    When she arrived in the backyard, she immediately spotted Misty conversing with Yuga. Without a second thought, she eximed, "Mr. Shimizu!"


    Afterwards, Lily rushed over to Yuga.


    Yuga, unsurprised by Lily''s arrival, had calcted the time and knew that the Lily sisters should have arrived at the Cerulean Gym by now.


    "Hello, Miss Lily," he greeted her with a smile.


    Lily: (*�R���Q) Mr. Shimizu is as handsome as ever!!!


    Misty, standing nearby, overheard Yuga and Lily''s conversation and asked in astonishment, "Sister Lily, do you know Mr. Shimizu?"


    Misty had a cheerful personality and was naturally outgoing. She addressed Yuga by his name during their conversation, assuming a friendly tone.


    Yuga pretended not to know and said, "Oh, so Miss Lily is Misty''s elder sister."


    "Yes, Misty is our fourth sister," Lily replied before giving Misty a yful pat on the back. "What nonsense are you saying? This is the Gym Leader I told you about, Mr. Shimizu. We adopted our new Pok��mon from him. You used to like those Pok��mon a lot."


    Misty suddenly realized what her sister meant. Ever since Lily had returned from Hoenn, she had been enthusiastically talking about the Gym Leader of Verdanturf Town, highlighting how handsome he was. Little did Misty know that the person Lily had been praising was Yuga.


    "Why did Mr. Shimizue to Cerulean City? If I had known, I would have invited you to visit our Cerulean Gym," Lily asked Yuga, ring at Misty as if to say: You''re in trouble when we get home.


    Yuga replied with a smile, "Oh, it''s nothing important. I had some business in the Kanto region and passed through Cerulean City."


    Lily immediately suggested, "How about visiting our Cerulean Gym then?"


    Yuga shook his head and declined, saying, "I''ll pass for now. Maybe some other time."


    Lily appeared somewhat disappointed and said, "Alright then, Misty and I will head back."


    Afterward, Lily grabbed Misty''s arm and scolded her, "You were supposed to take the Pok��mon to the Pok��mon Center, but you left them here like this? Come with me!"


    Misty had a sudden idea and said, "Yuga, my Staryu hasn''t learned the meditation technique yet. How about youe to the Cerulean Gym with me? Our gym is spacious; we have plenty of room."


    Yuga nced at Staryu, which was still struggling with its meditation, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Sure, why not?" Since he didn''t have any immediate ns, he decided to visit the Cerulean Gym.


    Initially, Lily was about to ask Misty what she meant by "meditation technique," but upon hearing Yuga''s eptance to visit the Cerulean Gym, she pushed that question aside.


    Yuga''s visit surprised both Daisy and Violet, who were still at the gym. They hadn''t expected to meet him again so soon, and especially not in their own gym.


    Inside the Cerulean Gym, Yuga also saw the stray Pok��mon adopted by the sisters from the Pok��mon Paradise.


    The gym''s battle arena featured a massive pool where many Water-type Pok��mon swam and yed around. Yuga even spotted the Pok��mon that Violet had used in the Wace Cup.


    Seeing the adopted stray Pok��mon frolicking happily in the pool, Yuga could tell that they were being well taken care of.


    While Lily excitedly showed Yuga around the Cerulean Gym, the eldest sister, Daisy, learned about Yuga teaching Staryu the meditation technique from Misty.


    Daisy scolded Misty by pulling her ear and said, "You have such audacity! How could you ept something so precious without consulting me first? Your cheek is really something!"


    After Daisy''s exnation, Misty finally understood how valuable the meditation technique that Yuga had taught her was.


    "How was I supposed to know? You never told me!" Misty protested, covering her ear.


    Daisy sighed and said, resigned, "Never mind, just remember the favor he did for you."


    Although Cerulean Gym was an established gym, its reputation had declined significantly in the Kanto region. This decline began after the Gym Leader, who was also the father of the four sisters, passed away.


    The three sisters'' skills were indeedcking, and they struggled to maintain the reputation of their gym. In battles, they often ended up losing more than winning. As a result, rumors spread that Cerulean Gym was the weakest gym in the Kanto region.


    However, the more these rumors spread, the more challengers arrived at the gym, further fueling its notoriety.


    Cerulean Gym did have a history and a legacy, with many Pok��mon left behind by its predecessors. This was why, despite the negative rumors, there were noints from other gym leaders about Cerulean Gym.


    While Cerulean Gym''s reputation may have declined, its primary function, which was to ensure the city''s safety, remained intact.


    But the sisters, Daisy, Lily, and Violet, were determined not to rely on the gym''s legacy to bolster their image. Instead, they chose to use their own Pok��mon to face challengers head-on.


    Despite their cheerful demeanor, the sisters were under a lot of pressure. They couldn''t simply abandon the gym that their family had worked hard to maintain. If they did, Cerulean Gym might be the first of the long-standing gyms to be shut down, and they would lose their standing in the Pok��mon League.


    Misty, fully aware of her sisters'' struggles, so she was determined to make Cerulean Gym the strongest Water-type gym in the world. She knew that her sisters wanted to revitalize the gym, but their current abilities fell short.


    Daisy was particrly grateful for the valuable meditation technique that Yuga had taught Misty. She hoped that her younger sister would grow quickly and take on the responsibility of revitalizing the gym.


    As an older sister, Daisy felt guilty about cing the burden of gym revitalization solely on her younger sister''s shoulders. However, she saw no other way given their current situation.


    Yuga''s assistance to Misty made Daisy appreciate his help even more. She advised Misty to remember this favor and, when she had the ability, to repay it. Considering Cerulean Gym''s current state, it would be challenging for them to repay the debt of Yuga''s meditation technique.


    In reality, Yuga hadn''t thought too much about it. He had decided to teach Misty on a whim, and he was genuinely pleased to help her.


    Aside from this, Yuga remembered how the former Hoenn Elite Four, Mr. Moore, had given him a Vulpix when he still just a novice trainer. Now that he had the means, he was willing to assist younger trainers when he could.


    This was amon practice among the League''s Elite Four and Champions, and Yuga believed it to be a positive tradition.


    Under Lily''s guidance, Yuga quickly toured Cerulean Gym. He had heard about the gym''s reputation before his visit, but after seeing it firsthand, he realized that despite the negative rumors, Cerulean Gym was still a formidable ce. He noticed high level Pok��mon during his visit.


    All in all, Cerulean Gym remained a distinguished establishment with a rich history. Its external reputation might have been tarnished, but it still had the potential to shine.


    However, these high level Pok��mon rarely seemed to make public appearances and silently guarded the gym.


    Yuga received a warm wee from the three sisters during his visit to Cerulean Gym, which left him pleasantly surprised.


    With no rush to return, Yuga decided to stay in Cerulean City for a few extra days. He stayed until Nana had sessfully taught Staryu how to use the meditation technique smoothly, enabling it to use Psychic without any hindrance.


    What Yuga didn''t know was that the advanced meditation technique he had taught to Misty''s Staryu caused a significant power boost in Misty. When sheter met Ash Ketchum, her strength surpassed herself in the original storyline, resulting in Ash losing in most of their battles. This spurred Ash to train even harder, ultimately leading to better results in the Indigo League Conference.


    Of course, these events are a story for another time.


    During his stay in Cerulean City, Yuga didn''t ept the sisters'' invitation to stay at Cerulean Gym but continued to stay at the Pok��mon Center. Jon provided him with excellent hospitality, treating him as an honored guest of the Joy family.


    After spending three days in Cerulean City, Yuga was preparing to return to Verdanturf Town when he suddenly received a call from his mentor, Mr. Kuni''o.


    "Are you still in the Kanto region?" Mr. Kuni''o''s familiar voice came through the phone.


    Yuga replied, "Yes, I''m still in Cerulean City. I was just about to head back."


    Mr. Kuni''o said, "Don''t return yet. I need you to go directly from the Kanto region to Jade Town in Johto. There''s something I need your help with."


    Jade Town? Yuga recalled that Jade Town was where Sora had taken over as the Gym Leader. He wondered why Mr. Kuni''o was mentioning it now.


    "What''s happening in Jade Town?" Yuga asked curiously. He had met Sora not too long ago, and he was the Gym Leader there. Yuga hadn''t heard of any issues in Jade Town.


    Mr. Kuni''o replied, "You''ll find out when you get there. Don''t dy; head to Jade Town immediately. Someone will meet you there."


    Yuga decided not to press for more information and simply replied, "Understood, Master. I''ll head there as soon as possible."


    After ending the call with his mentor, Yuga promptly went to Cerulean Gym to bid farewell to the three sisters. He then set off for Johto.


    Jade Town was a rather inconspicuous small town in Johto. It derived its name from the nearby Jade Mountain. The town''s remote location made transportation difficult, and Yuga had to take several forms of transportation to reach there.

 Chapter 952: Unexpected

    <h4>Chapter 952: Unexpected</h4>


    During Yuga''s stay in Cerulean City, the Pok��mon he had transported back also settled into various Sub-Ecopark under Audino''s arrangements.


    Beedrill, Scyther, and Pinsir naturally went to the Insect Paradise Sub-Ecopark, where the insect nests wererge enough to amodate more than a dozen Pok��monfortably.


    Because Kairos and Scyther didn''t get along well, Audino had arranged their lodgings far apart. One was in the easternmost part of the insect nest, while the other was in the westernmost part. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn''t encounter each other unless they deliberately approached.


    The actual ruler of the insect nest was the Vespiquen No. 1, a pseudo-Elite Pok��mon. It had many subordinates, and no Pok��mon in the nest dared to cause trouble under its watchful eye. Whether it was Beedrill, Scyther, or Pinsir, they all obeyed the Vespiquen No. 1 without question.


    The Vespiquen No. 1 was a natural leader of the colony-type Pok��mon and had a knack for managing its subordinates. Under its guidance, the entire insect nest ran smoothly.


    The Pikachu, on the other hand, went to the Oasis No. 1 in the Desert Sub-Ecopark.


    There were very few Pok��mon living in Oasis No. 1. Since Ariados and Galvant had moved to the Insect Paradise, the only residents left were Snox, Ursaring and Pangoro couple (along with the two young Pancham), as well ths Kecleon family.


    Normally, the residents of Oasis No. 1 live on their own live, not bothering each other. Even Ursaring, who had always had a grudge against Snox, rarely caused trouble for it after married Pangoro.


    However, as soon as the Pikachu arrived, Oasis No. 1 became lively.


    This group of Pikachu didn''t have personalities as cute as their appearance. Having spent a long time in the wild, they had be quite wild themselves, unlike the timid and shy Pikachu that lived near human towns.


    On the first day in Oasis No. 1, the Pikachu angered the Ursaring couple and Snox. After finishing therge cans of Pokeblock sent to them, they secretly stole the portion meant for the Panchams.


    The two Panchams were not very talented, and their strength had not improved much over the years. They certainly couldn''tpete with the Pikachu, who had been living freely in the wild. Moreover, their movements were not as agile as the Pikachu''s, so they could only watch as their food was taken away.


    Pokeblock were high-energy food. Just one or two cubes could fill up a Pikachu, so they didn''t eat what they had stolen from the pandas but hoarded it secretly.


    Since the Panchams couldn''t handle the Pikachu, they had to seek help from their boss. When the Pangoro learned that its little brother food had been stolen, it became very angry and set off to catch the Pikachu with Ursaring leading the charge.


    The Pikachu were small and agile, darting around in the forest. Pangoro and his wife Ursaring couldn''t catch them no matter how hard they tried. For a while, Oasis No. 1 was in chaos, with only Snox continuing to sleep soundly.


    Due to their introverted personalities and their ability to turn invisible, the Kecleon family didn''t interact much with other Pok��mon, even though they had been living in Oasis No. 1 for a long time.


    This was rted to the psychological trauma they had suffered when Yuga rescued them from a Motohara. While they had recovered and were leading normal lives, they still preferred to keep to themselves.


    The only ones they interacted with were the Miltank, the Chansey, and Audino.


    However, despite their low profile, the Kecleon family were high-level Pok��mon. They had not neglected their training during their time in the Ecopark, and their levels were quite high.


    The peaceful life was disrupted by a group of rowdy Pikachu, which irritated the couple. So, they took matters into their own hands and dealt with the mischievous Pikachu.


    The Kecleon family''s invisibility ability was elusive, especially in the densely vegetated forest. They could easily catch Pikachu when invisible, making it almost impossible for the small creatures to escape.


    The little Kecleon, who hadn''t inherited their parents'' high talent and had low levels, didn''t join the fray. Instead, they remained hidden in the forest, reporting any sightings of Pikachu to their parents.


    After that incident, the Pikachu became well-behaved. They understood that there was an invisible expert in the forest, and if they misbehaved, they would face the expert''s punishment.


    The expert, the Kecleon couple, wondered in confusion: An expert? Us?


    Not just the Pikachu, but the Poliwrath sent to the Shallow Seashore also encountered simr problems.


    Also, apanying the Poliwrath to the Shallow Seashore were Squirtle. They were ced in the heart of the No. 1 Ind''ske, where the living space of Milotic and Gyarados.


    The Greninja in the No. 1 Ind''s Lake was not around today; it should be had gone somewhere to spar with other Pok��mon.


    So when Squirtle were ced in theke, the water was calm, and only Slowking and Slowbro were seen lounging on the lush water hyacinth leaves.


    The water hyacinth in the No. 1 Ind''ske grew abundantly. Its emerald green leaves covered the water''s surface, resembling a big bed. Slowking and Slowbro loved to nap on it.


    Although the water hyacinth leaves were nutritious for Water-type Pok��mon, they were cultivated in specific water areas and prevented from growing excessively. Any excess growth would be consumed by the Water-type Pok��mon living there.


    The water hyacinth leaves were highly nutritious for Water-type Pok��mon.


    After delivering Squirtle to theke, Audino reminded them not to cause trouble and then left.


    Squirtle had been one of the troublemakers warned about by Yuga. But Audino thought that, in the heart of No. 1 Ind''ske, Squirtle would have to behave.


    The arrival of Poliwrath and Squirtle didn''t elicit much of a reaction from Slowking and Slowbro. Slowbro just gave them a dull nce, while the ever-dazed Slowking simply stood with its hands behind its back, looking up at the sky, not sparing a nce for them.


    Poliwrath felt insulted!


    Squirtle had a gentle personality and didn''t have much of a connection with Poliwrath. After a brief nce, it jumped into theke, then wagged its tail and swam to the water hyacinth leaves on the opposite side of theke.


    The water hyacinth leaves could gather Water-type energy, making areas with abundant water hyacinth growth perfect for Water-type Pok��mon. Once Squirtle climbed onto the water hyacinth leaves, it immediately fell in love with the ce.


    Squirtle poked Slowbro with its hand and greeted it. "Squirtle!"


    Slowbro turned its head to nce at Squirtle, then nodded slowly after a while, acknowledging Squirtle''s greeting.


    Squirtle also tried to greet Slowking but was met with Slowking''s ever-dazed expression. Squirtle didn''t bother further and followed Slowbro''s example, lying downfortably on the water hyacinth leaves to sleep.


    (*�R���Q) It''s sofortable! It''s like hitting the jackpot! With thisrge bed of water hyacinth, Squirtle felt like it had made the right choice to follow Yuga, and the good days were yet toe!


    On the shore, Poliwrath saw that no one paid attention to it, so it took a flying leap into the water, creating a big ssh, and swiftly swam towards Squirtle.


    Unbeknownst to Poliwrath, its sudden ssh into the water had startled the Gyarados sleeping at theke''s bottom along with Milotic. Once Gyarados woke up, Milotic naturally woke up as well, followed by the other Milotic and Feebas lying on theke bottom.


    After so much time had passed, the number of Feebas and Milotic at the bottom of No. 1 Ind''ske had multiplied significantly.


    Having climbed onto the water hyacinth bed, Poliwrath nced at Slowking and Slowbro. Seeing that its strength exceeded theirs, it started to feel quite proud and believed that it should take charge of thiske in the future.


    Immediately, Poliwrath began bossing Slowking and Slowbro around. However, Slowking and Slowbropletely ignored it, which made Poliwrath furious. It even raised its fist, intending to attack these two.


    Swish!


    However, before it could swing its fist, a fierce head emerged from the water''s surface, ring menacingly at Poliwrath, which scared it immensely.


    Shivering!


    This... this guy seems stronger than me!


    Poliwrath was scared, but it didn''t back down. It could sense that the Gyarados'' level wasn''t much higher than its own, so it stood its ground.


    Indeed, both Gyarados and Poliwrath were pseudo-Elite level Pokemon, but Poliwrath was in the the Intermediate pseudo-Elite level, whereas Gyarados was on the verge of breaking through to an Elite level, with a significant gap in theirbat power.


    Seeing that Poliwrath was still not convinced, Gyarados swung its tail, and Poliwrath instinctively raised its fist to defend itself, but only to be sent flying.


    In a parabolic arc, Poliwrath was caught by the leader of the Milotic that had just emerged from the water.


    The moment Poliwrath saw the leader of the Milotic, its eyes widened: Oh my gosh! I''ve never seen such a beautiful Pok��mon!


    Poliwrath felt like it was in love, and forgetting about everything else.


    Seeing Poliwrath staring at its husband lustfully, Gyarados became very angry.


    While Gyarados could tell that Poliwrath was male, it still considered Poliwrath a potential threat, based on the Chatot experience, who had a history of promiscuity. Gyarados thought Poliwrath was dangerous!


    But before it could take action, the leader of the Milotic flicked Poliwrath aside with its tail and swam over, rubbing its neck affectionately against Gyarados.


    Gyarados was instantly satisfied: My husband is the best!


    Milotic was usually very cold, so disying such affection was a rare sight.


    Meanwhile, Poliwrath, who witnessed this scene, felt like its heart had shattered into eight pieces: How... how could this happen?


    Poliwrath, feeling lost and despondent, had no intention of trying to dominate theke anymore. It swam to the shore and sat by theke, sighing heavily, looking utterly disheartened.


    As it gazed at its reflection in the water, if Poliwrath were topose poetry, the next line it might utter would probably be: Since ancient times, unrequited love lingers, and this lingering resentment has no end...


    Just as Poliwrath sat by theke, sighing at its reflection, a kind-hearted Feebas felt sorry for it and tried tofort Poliwrath by blowing bubbles.


    However, when Poliwrath saw the Feebas approaching, it immediately raised its fist and shooed it away, saying: Where did this ugly thinge from? Get lost and don''t bother me!


    Hurt by the words "ugly thing," the Feebas swam away, tears in its eyes.


    At that moment, Poliwrath had no idea that its momentary satisfaction would soon lead to a chase to win back its wife''s affections.


    That''s right, not long after, Poliwrath became infatuated with this Feebas, which would evolve into Milotic. However, the Feebas that evolved into Milotic had been insulted by Poliwrath before, and it had a cold attitude towards Poliwrath. So, Poliwrath embarked on a long journey to win back its affection.


    Of course, that''s a story forter. After its heartbreak, Poliwrath finally settled down, and the tranquility of the ind''s centralke was restored. Poliwrath didn''t realize that the leader of the Milotic was male at the time, which further disappointed it.


    Now, onto the Tang that was sent to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    The Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark was a gathering ce for Grass-type Pok��mon, and Tang didn''t have any trouble fitting in. It got along well with other Grass-type Pok��mon and was one of the most easygoing among the batch of Pok��mon sent by Yuga.


    Tang''s gentle nature was evident, and despite growing up in an environment filled with danger on the inds, it hadn''t developed an aggressive personality.


    Of course, the main reason was that Tang had no natural enemies. Very few Pok��mon would hunt them, and even if a herbivorous Pok��mon targeted it, its vines, which could grow almost indefinitely, were enough to feed its attacker without putting itself in danger.


    Lastly, we have the Arcanine and Growlithe father-and-son duo sent to the Volcano Sub-Ecopark.


    In Yuga''s impression, Arcanine was loyal and dependable, and it shouldn''t have caused any trouble when entering the Ecopark. However, as soon as Arcanine entered the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, it shed with the Volcarona.


    Although Volcarona was also a Bug-type Pok��mon, it had never been to the Insect Paradise because its favorite ce was bathing in mes at the volcano''s crater.


    As the only Elite level Pok��mon in the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, Volcarona always upied the central position on the volcano, which had a circr tform. It would bask in the mes there every time.


    These days, its wife, Vivillon, followed Yuga out, so Volcarona''s mood had been consistently bad. When it returned from a stroll down the mountain, it found a Arcanine lying on its circr tform. This made Volcarona extremely angry.


    It was also the first time for Arcanine toe into contact with a volcano. All the cells in his body were buzzing with excitement. Being in an environment full of fire energy made him fascinated.


    At that moment, there was only one word to describe Arcanine''s feelings: "awesome!" While Arcanine was immersed in the volcano''s atmosphere, a pir of fire shot towards it. If not for Arcanine''s honed sense of alertness from years of training, it would have been hit by the fire.


    Fire-type Pok��mon tend to have fiery tempers, so the two of them immediately engaged in battle.


    When two Elite level Pok��mon fought, it was bound to cause a significantmotion. The volcano''s magma overflowed, and mes danced in the air, rming the other Pok��mon.


    A good environment was crucial for a Pok��mon''s growth. Volcarona had been training in the Volcano Sub-Ecopark for a long time, so its level had undoubtedly increased significantly, and its control over energy was excellent. Arcanine, on the other hand, had honed its skills through life-and-death battles, making it a formidablebatant.


    For a while, it was difficult to determine who had the upper hand in their battle.


    In recent years, the Nales and Houndoom ns had given birth to many new members. Growlithe was pure-hearted and quickly made friends with these newborns upon arriving in the Volcano Sub-Ecopark.


    In the past, Growlithe had never had any ymates, so it was delighted to have so many peers now. However, while it was happily ying with its newfound friends, it heard that its dad was fighting with someone else, causing it great concern.


    When Growlithe and its friends arrived at the volcano''s crater, they found Arcanine and Volcarona in the midst of an intense battle. Other Pok��mon could only watch helplessly, with no opportunity to intervene.


    Not only was Gtowlithe worried about its dad, but the Nales and Houndoom leader were also anxious. If the battle continued, other Pok��mon would undoubtedly be affected.


    In desperation, the Nales leader personally went to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark and brought back Dragonite''s mother. With Dragonite''s mother''s intervention, the battle was quickly subsided.


    However, even though the initial cause of the fight was trivial, Arcanine and Volcarona were both proud Pok��mon who refused to back down or apologize to each other.


    Dragonite''s mother saw that she couldn''t mediate their rtionship and didn''t want to bother further. She ordered both of them not to fight again and left the Volcano Sub-Ecopark.


    From then on, Volcarona and Arcanine held onto their grudge, and it was never resolved.


    Later, Yuga also learned about this incident, but he didn''t intervene too much. Although the two Pok��mon had a feud, it didn''t lead to any trouble. Instead, it formed apetitive rtionship between them, which Yuga was pleased to see.


    While Yuga was rushing to Jade Town, on the other side, Absol and Dragonite, who had been training in the Distortion World, returned. As usual, they returned with substantial gains.


    The Reverse Mirror, which connected to the Distortion World, had been ced in the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark. The tall mirror was standing on the ground, and a pitch-ck vortex appeared on top. One by one, Dragonite, Absol, Gengar, Mismagius, and Roserade emerged from the vortex.


    The room where the Distortion Mirror was ced was an inconspicuous room in the stone castle. Ghost-type Pok��mon had been warned not to approach this area, and they were obedient, never venturing near this room.


    After Absol and the others emerged and left the room, a round, blue head peeked into the room through a stone window. Seeing that Absol and the others had left, the owner of the head came up to the Reverse Mirror, curious, and examined it.


    At this moment, the ck vortex above the Reverse Mirror hadn''t disappeared yet. The owner of the head extended a tentacle and gently touched the vortex out of curiosity.


    Suddenly, a strong suction force came from the ck vortex, pulling the owner of the head into it. Then, the vortex closed and disappeared, returning the Reverse Mirror to its normal appearance as an ordinary ck stone b. If one wanted to use it again, it would require three months of recharging.

 Chapter 953: Lost

    <h4>Chapter 953: Lost</h4>


    Frillish, it suddenly realized it had arrived in an unfamiliar ce, surrounded by silence so profound that it made it feel a little scared.


    However, the unique and soothing atmosphere in the surroundings made it feelfortable. Unable to resist, it stretched its body and shook its tentacles, discovering that the gravity here was different from the outside.


    It looked around and saw peculiar floating inds and various buildings. When it reached out to touch one of the buildings, it realized that these structures were actually just reflections and couldn''t be touched.


    The reflections in the Distortion Worlde from the real world. When the environment in the real world is disturbed, the Distortion World automatically restores it. However, Frillish didn''t know this, nor did it know that touching the reflections in the Distortion World would also affect the real world.


    Yuga and Cynthia''s Pok��mon were warned not to touch the reflections in the Distortion World before entering, but Frillish was unaware of this.


    Fortunately, Frillish had only lightly touched the reflections, and the impact on the real world was minimal.


    By now, the energy of the Reverse Mirror had been depleted, and the vortex that had drawn Frillish in had disappeared. If Frillish wanted to leave, it would have to wait for three months.


    However, Frillish didn''t know that the Pok��mon in the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark had been warned not to approach the Reverse Mirror, and it was the only one who had been forgotten. This curiosity led to its idental entry into the Distortion World.


    Frillish''s parents were two Jellicent living in the Ghost Sea. It had never left the Ghost Sea since it was born. Now, suddenly finding itself in a new ce, it had ovee its initial fear, and curiosity took over.


    In this quiet environment, apart from Frillish, there were no other creatures. Driven by curiosity, Frillish began to explore.


    In addition to differences in gravity in some ces, the Distortion World had many reflections of the real world. The environments on those floating inds were simr to the outside, with tall trees, flowers on the ground, rocks, grass, and a variety of berrys.


    The Distortion World, like the Ghost World, is a realm of antimatter, making it an ideal habitat for Ghost-type Pok��mon. So, Frillish found it veryfortable here.


    Of course, no matter how good the environment is, wandering alone for so long can be boring. The Distortion World doesn''t have a day and night cycle, and Frillish doesn''t know how long it has been floating in this quiet ce.


    Gradually, it started missing its home, its parents. But it couldn''t find a way back; it had to continue wandering in the Distortion World.


    The Distortion World is vast, almost asrge as the real world, and Frillish kept wandering.


    Yuga''s Pok��mon couldn''t enter temporarily, and Cynthia''s Pok��mon either hadn''t entered or hadn''t crossed paths with Frillish. So, Frillish was left to wander alone in the Distortion World.


    Being young, Frillish had never been away from its parents for so long. Its curiosity about the unfamiliar environment quickly disappeared, reced by homesickness and fear of loneliness.


    So, it cried a lotter on.


    But crying couldn''t solve the problem. It had to continue wandering alone in this unfamiliar ce.


    Fortunately, even though there was no one tomunicate with here, there was an abundance of resources and food everywhere. So Frillish had never gone hungry.


    Powerful Ghost-type Pok��mon can go without food for a long time without any issues, but for the young Frillish, not having food meant it couldn''t survive.


    During its time of wandering, Frillish cried many times. But gradually, it realized that crying wouldn''t solve its problems, so it stopped shedding tears and continued to roam.


    It thought that if it kept searching, it would eventually find a way back home.


    Sometimes when it felt lonely, it would speak to a de of grass or a tree, and when it had said enough, it would continue wandering.


    Frillish had excellent potential but low levels. To pass the time during its boredom, it trained. In the Distortion World, it was easy to level up, and unconsciously, it had raised its level to over forty in just two months.


    After who knows how long it had been wandering aimlessly in the Distortion World, Frillish suddenly saw a massive creature lying on a distant floating ind and excitedly floated over.


    It had been wandering alone for far too long, and it felt like it was going crazy. Now, it finally encountered another Pok��mon. It didn''t care if there was any danger; it went straight over.


    Though Giratina was asleep, it sensed Frillish approaching as it drew near. It didn''t open its eyes but just flicked its tail and continued to sleep.


    When it patrolled the Distortion World, it would asionally encounter Yuga''s and Cynthia''s Pok��mon. So, it assumed Frillish was also a Pok��mon brought in for training by Yuga or Cynthia and didn''t think much of it.


    Frillish drifted over Giratina, realizing that the giant creature seemed to be sleeping, and its arrival didn''t wake Giratina. So, it circled around Giratina once.


    It wanted to talk to this enormous Pok��mon, but seeing it asleep, Frillish didn''t want to disturb it and just quietly floated there, waiting.


    Giratina naturally felt the little one approaching, but for a Pok��mon like this, one swipe of Giratina''s tail could cause significant harm, so it paid no attention.


    Giratina''s breath, even during its light slumber, was quite intimidating. Frillish felt scared, but its desire tomunicate with Giratina kept it from leaving.


    Even a short nap for Giratina was a long time for regr Pok��mon, but Frillish waited and waited, yet Giratina showed no sign of waking up.


    Several days passed, and when Frillish got hungry, it found some food nearby but still didn''t want to leave Giratina. It feared that if it left, it might never encounter another Pok��mon it could talk to.


    Upon returning after eating, Frillish noticed that therge creature was scratching itself with its tail, trying to reach those hard-to-scratch ces on its body.


    Whenever Giratina slept in one ce for an extended period, it umted a lot of dust and dirt on its body. Although it would wash in water after waking up, it had a hard time cleaning certain areas, so over time, a considerable amount of dirt had built up in the gaps of its scales and armor.


    Sometimes this dirt made it ufortable, but Giratina would endure it. Frillish quickly noticed the cause of Giratina''s difort. It saw that, although Giratina hadn''t woken up, it was making strange noises while sleeping. Frillish approached the creature, spat out a stream of water, and then used its soft tentacles to gently clean Giratina''s hard scales.


    At first, Frillish was a bit afraid of Giratina, but after spending some time together, it realized Giratina wouldn''t harm it. So, it had no psychological burden when approaching the big creature.


    Frillish''s tentacles were very soft, and the touch on Giratina''s body felt wonderful. Soon, Giratina''s scales were shining brightly after being cleaned by Frillish.


    Giratina slept soundly, murmuring in its dreams.


    "Keep going, keep going..."


    Giratina''s voice echoed intermittently in Frillish''s mind.


    "It''s talking to me!"


    Frillish was thrilled and continued to diligently clean the dirt from Giratina''s scales. Soon, Giratina''s entire body was shining brightly, as if it had been highlighted. Its spirit and energy were rejuvenated.


    Eventually, Giratina woke up and found Frillish with an eager expression.


    Giratina: (��...��)


    After Frillish entered the Distortion World, its parents searched tirelessly but couldn''t find any trace of the suddenly missing Frillish. They reached out to Audino for help.


    Audino mobilized all the Pokemon in the Ecopark to search for the lost Frillish, but there were no clues, and chaos the entire Ecopark wss in the state of chaos.


    Because at the time, Yuga was in Johto, they didn''t inform him. By the time Yuga learned that Frillish was missing, it was after Yuga returned from Johto.


    However, even after that, Frillish was still missing.


    Yuga suspected that Frillish had slipped out of the Ecopark and was captured by another trainer.


    Frillish was a Pok��mon from the Unova region and catching it in Hoenn was not easy.


    Two months after Frillish''s disappearance, everyone had gradually epted the fact that Frillish could not be found. Yuga felt very sad for losing an Pokemon with blue potential.


    However, two and a half monthster, Frillish suddenly appeared in the Ghost Mansion Sub-Ecopark and was brought back by Giratina.


    Usually, Giratina couldn''t enter Yuga''s Sub-Ecopark because the Sub-Ecopark had no reflection in the Distortion World. However, thanks to the Reverse Mirror''s presence, it connected the Distortion World with the Ghost Mansion Sub-Ecopark, allowing Giratina to bring Frillish back.


    From Frillish''s mouth, Yuga learned the cause and circumstances of its disappearance and its experiences during those two and a half months.


    The Jellicent couple was cried with joy because their lost child has been back.


    Since then, Giratina became a frequent visitor to the Ghost Mansion Sub-Ecopark. At regr intervals, it would personallye to fetch Frillish to the Distortion World to spend time with it (actually to give it a bath), unaffected by the Reverse Mirror''s time constraints.


    Frillish, through a series of coincidences, became a "special guest" of Giratina, receiving better treatment in the Distortion World than Absol and Dragonite.


    Due to its limited experiences, Frillish never knew Giratina''s true identity, and neither did Yuga and the others tell it. Thus, it interacted with Giratina with a casual attitude, which Giratina found it very interesting.


    This might be what they call a "Friendship that defies the generation gap"!


    ��


    In the future, Giratina will have an important role backstage.

 Chapter 954: Jade Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 954: Jade Mountain</h4>


    Following Mr. Kuni''o''s instructions, Yuga spent three days traveling from the Azure City in Kanto to the Jade Town in Johto.


    Jade Town is located in a remote area, situated between the ckthorn City and Mt. Silver. Strictly speaking, Jade Mountain, near Jade Town, is considered a part of Mt. Silver.


    Mt. Silver cover a vast area and are rich in ecological resources. It''s an important Pok��mon conservation area established by the League, home to many rare Pok��mon, with the most famous one is the Pseudo-Legendary Pokemon, Tyranitar.


    Every year, numerous Pok��mon poachers attempt to venture into Mt. Silver for illegal hunting, hoping to capture the Pseudo-Legendary or their offspring, which would make them rich overnight.


    Ignoring the inherent dangers of Mt. Silver, they also have to contend with the numerous forest rangers dispatched by the League, acting as the first line of defense against intruders.


    Although Jade Town is adjacent to the well-known ckthorn City, due to its rugged terrain and inconvenience, it remains a remote town. Even with the establishment of a Gym and the League''s support in recent years, the local development hasn''t seen much improvement.


    Yuganded just outside Jade Town, riding on a Charizard. At the entrance was a suspension bridge with iron chains and below of it was an abyss, from which the sound of flowing water could faintly be heard.


    Looking at the swaying iron chain bridge over the abyss, Yuga sighed. It''s no wonder that no one came to this ce; just this bridge and abyss are enough to scare awayrge number of people.


    Jade Town is backed by the rugged Jade Mountain, surrounded by cliffs and precipices, and the only way in and out is this suspension bridge over the abyss.


    At this moment, there was a cry from the sky, and Yuga saw two individuals flying towards him on Pok��mon. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be Sora and Lance.


    These must be the people my master mentioned who would assist me, thought Yuga.


    Afternding, they recalled their Pok��mon, and Sora greeted Yuga first, saying, "You''ve finally arrived."


    Initially, when Jade Town was in trouble, he had wanted to ask for Yuga''s help, but Yuga had left Hoenn. He didn''t expect Yuga to eventuallye.


    Yuga nodded, "Nice to see you again."


    Lance also approached and said, "Mr. Shimizu, I''ve heard so much about you."


    Yuga quickly replied, "Mr. Lance, its should be my honor."


    Unlike Cynthia and Steven, Lance had be Johto''s Elite Four at a young age. In addition due to Johto''sck of a Champion for a long time. He was almost considered as the default champion of the Johto League, and he always been the League most watched Trainer.


    Reportedly, due to some special circumstances, after this year''s Elite Four Tournament, Lance would likely hold the titles of both the Johto and Kanto Champions and Elite Four.


    Lance had been very active these years, and his reputation among Elite Four was extremely high, and his strength had long reached a Champion level, so bing the Champion of Johto was a natural fit.


    After a brief exchange of greetings, Yuga asked, "May I ask why I''vee here?"


    He was quite curious about what had happened in Jade Town. Not only did Lance be dispatched, but he, a Hoenn person, was also asked came over temporarily to provide support.


    Lance sighed and replied, "I can''t exin it all at once, but when we get to the town, Professor Oak will provide you with the specifics information."


    Given the seriousness of the situation, they were unable to spare any personnel at the moment, which is why they requested Yuga''s assistance that still in Kanto at this time.


    Yuga was surprised and asked, "Professor Oak is here as well?"


    While Professor Oak was now known as a Pok��mon Professor and had achieved fame far and wide, Mr. Kuni''o had mentioned that he was the closest to bing a Master Trainer, so it was expected that Kanto would soon have a new Master Trainer. This would mean the League would not have four Masters but five.


    Lance nodded and said, "As soon as we received Jade Town''s request for help, Professor Oak was the first to arrive."


    Afterward, Lance nced at Sora.


    This inexplicable nce left Sora feeling both guilty and helpless.


    When the incident urred in Jade Town, the town''s mayor''s initial instinct was to conceal the situation rather than report it to the League.


    As a Gym Leader, Sora was informed by the mayor of the true situation behind Jade Town, and he also chose to keep it a secret. This led to his journey to the Verdanturf Town.


    Finally, due to the situation escting beyond their control, Jade Town had no choice but to seek the League''s assistance.


    Upon hearing that Professor Oak had arrived, Yuga realized that the situation was indeed quite serious. He inquired, "Is the situation very severe?"


    Lance replied, "Alright, let''s first take you to the town to meet Professor Oak. He will exin the details to you. We can discuss the restter."


    With that said, the three of them each climbed onto their respective Flying Pok��mon and flew to the other side of the iron chain bridge. After passing through a forest, Yuga saw a quaint little town.


    The town''s buildings were constructed from wood and stone, elegantly scattered on both sides of the streets, giving it a distinct character. This architectural style was prevalent in ancient times but not somon in modern times.


    However, the Johto region retained the most ancient architecture and cultural heritage, so it wasn''t surprising to find such a town hidden deep in the mountains.


    Once they entered the town, they couldn''t continue flying on their Pok��mon. As Yuga and the others descended from the sky, the town''s residents curiously observed the strangers, including Yuga.


    Sora had grown up in the town and was now the Gym Leader for Jade Town, so the town''s residents always greeted him warmly when they saw him.


    Yuga observed the busy townsfolk and noticed that nearly every household had a Dark-type Murkrow. Curiously, he asked, "Is it popr to keep Murkrow in this town?"


    Sora''s expression changed, remembering what the mayor and he had discussed before. He replied, "It''s not about poprity; it''s a tradition passed down from our ancestors."


    Yuga nodded and didn''t press further.


    Soon, they arrived at Jade Gym. After arriving in Jade Town, Professor Oak had been staying at the Gym.


    The gym building was quite ordinary, simr in architectural style to the rest of the town, but it upied arge area.


    Upon their arrival, Yuga saw Professor Oak engrossed inplex equipment, holding a ss bottle with a piece of ck rock inside. Through the bottle, Yuga could sense a strong ominous aura emanating from the rock, which made him feel dizzy and disoriented.


    Especially the special ability from Celebi flowing through his body was practically screaming at him to stay away from that ck rock.


    Seeing Yuga''s sudden change in expression, Lance asked, "What''s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"


    Yuga shook his head, indicating he was fine, but his eyes remained fixed on the ck rock.


    Yuga''s and Lance''s arrival didn''t initially disturb Professor Oak. He continued his research. The two of them sat quietly, waiting for Professor Oak.


    As for Sora, he had left earlier due to some priormitment.


    After some time, Professor Oak stretched and, along with his assistants, paused their work. He noticed Yuga and, after a moment of surprise, smiled and said, "You must be Mr. Kuni''o''s disciple."


    "Professor Oak," Yuga greeted respectfully.


    Professor Oak waved his hand, saying, "No need to be formal. Come, you''ve just arrived. Let me fill you in on the situation here."


    After that, he signaled to his two assistants, and they discreetly closed the door.


    Noticing Yuga''s surprise, Professor Oak chuckled and whispered, "Walls have ears."


    Yuga immediately understood that this small town probably didn''t see eye to eye with the League''s representatives or was hiding something regarding the current situation.


    Professor Oak and Yuga, along with Lance, sat around a table, and Professor Oak began to exin the situation in Jade Town.


    Over a month ago, a group of people arrived on Jade Mountain, and shortly after that, an explosion urred in Jade Town.


    Jade Mountain had a relic site, the ce where the town conducted its annual ceremonies, believed to be a legacy of their ancestors.


    The relic was not particrlyrge, nor was it outstanding in its construction. It seemed ordinary at first nce, and such small relics could be found in abundance in the Pok��mon world.


    Ancient people had customs of worship and reverence, so relics like these were prevalent, especially in remote areas.


    Even in this age when the worship of deities had waned, some remote areas had not abandoned their ritual practices, and they had gradually evolved into a unique culture.


    An example would be the festival held in Verdanturf Town every year during the New Year, which had likely originated from the ritual worship of deities.


    However, as time passed, the residents of Verdanturf Town had long forgotten which deity they used to worship. The ritual had slowly transformed into a New Year celebration.


    But the relic in Jade Town was evidently different. After the explosion, Jade Mountain experienced a series of problems.


    The damaged relic began emitting a ck mist, and the nts on Jade Mountain, which were exposed to this mist, withered rapidly. Even wild Pok��mon that touched the mist started experiencing issues one after another.


    These wild Pok��mon affected by the dark mist became abnormally aggressive and hostile. Soon after the relic was damaged, theyunched an attack on Jade Town.


    For over a month since these events began, Jade Town had never considered reporting it to the Pok��mon League. Initially, the wild Pok��mon attack was repelled quickly by the town''s residents.


    However, as the attacking Pok��mon grew stronger, Jade Town found itself overwhelmed, leading them to finally seek help from the League.


    By the time the League learned about this, a significant portion of the vegetation on Jade had withered. Although Jade Mountain was adjacent to Mt. Silver, it was not designated as a protected area and had no forest rangers stationed there. The forest rangers concentrated around Mt. Silver.


    Upon investigation, Professor Oak''s team discovered that initially, the League had intended to station a forest ranger in Jade Mountain.


    However, local residents vehemently opposed it. Combined with the prolonged tranquility in Jade Mountain, the League eventually dropped the idea.


    Once the League recognized theplexity of the situation on Jade Mountain, they dispatched Professor Oak to the area. However, the town''s residents were uncooperative with his inquiries. In fact, they initially attempted to block Professor Oak from bringing his team to the relic on Jade Mountain.


    However, Jade Townter faced another Pok��mon attack, which Professor Oak and the League''s team sessfully repelled. Fearing Professor Oak''s power, the town''s residents no longer dared to obstruct the League''s investigation.


    Professor Oak ced the ss jar containing the stone on the table and said to Yuga, "This stone is what I found in the relic on Jade Mountain."


    Upon close contact with the stone, Yuga felt a suffocating sensation wash over him.


    "What... What exactly is this stone? I sense an extremely ominous aura emanating from it," Yuga gasped.


    Professor Oak replied, "This stone was used in the construction of the Jade relic."


    While Yuga could sense the strange aura on the stone, it wasn''t surprising to Professor Oak, becaue he and Lance could also feel it, although their reactions weren''t as intense as Yuga''s.


    Yuga asked, "So..."


    "Obviously, the people of Jade Town have been hiding something very important from us. If we allow this ck mist to continue spreading, it will soon affect even Mt. Silver," Professor Oak continued.


    Lance added, "Based on my investigation, the explosion at the Jade relic is rted to Team Rocket. I''ve dealt with Team Rocket on multiple asions and have been investigating them. I''ve even seen signs of Team Rocket''s activity near Jade Mountsin. They are just very cunning, and I haven''t been able to catch them."


    Yuga hadn''t expected this situation to be connected to Team Rocket. After all, he had a history with Team Rocket, and it seemed like they were handed themself to his door?


    Professor Oak then revealed another ss jar identical to the one that held the stone. However, this time, it contained a piece of jet-ck feather. The aura from the feather was even more ominous than that of the stone, and it exuded a strong sense of malevolence.


    Yuga eximed, "This is..."


    Seeing the feather, Yuga''s expression changed dramatically because he sensed the presence of divinity within it. Professor Oak''s next words confirmed his suspicions.


    "This feather is what I found in the relic. The people of Jade Town have no knowledge of this discovery."


    Yuga wondered, "This feather..."


    Professor Oak narrowed his eyes slightly, adding a stern note to his usually gentle demeanor. "I suspect this is a feather from Lugia."


    Yuga muttered to himself, "As expected."


    "So, is the situation on Jade Mountain rted to Lugia?" Yuga inquired.


    Professor Oak replied, "It is very likely that Jade Town''s hidden secret is connected to Lugia."


    Lance chimed in, "Team Rocket''s goal might be the owner of this feather."


    This was a certainty. Team Rocket didn''t take action without a motive, and their attack on Jade Mountain was undoubtedly rted to Lugia.


    However, how could Lugia''s feather be tainted with such a malevolent aura, even distorting the divinity within the feather? The situation was getting moreplex, and Yuga couldn''t help but feel a headacheing on.


    "I''m not sure if you''ve heard of the ''Ancient n Descendants''?" Suddenly, Lance spoke up.


    "The Ancient n Descendants?" Yuga had no idea.


    "You mean..." Professor Oak hesitated.


    Lance nodded, "I suspect the people of Jade Town are, like our Dragon Tamer n. They are most likely also descendants of the Ancient n."


    Confusion washed over Yuga: What are you all talking about? Could you please take me in?

 Chapter 955: Shadow Lugia

    <h4>Chapter 955: Shadow Lugia</h4>


    Upon learning that Yuga had never heard of the Ancient n Descendants, Lance took the initiative to exin to him what they were.


    The Ancient n Descendants have a history that stretches back to ancient times, to an era before even Fossil Pok��mon like Aerodactyl had be extinct.


    It''s said that during that time, Legendary Pok��mon were not as rare as they are today. They lived alongside the ancestors of the Ancient n Descendants, much like ordinary Pok��mon do now.


    Over time, the Legendary Pok��mon gradually disappeared, and the Ancient n Descendants faded into obscurity along with them. Some might have even gone extinct. In the modern age, there is almost no trace of their existence in historical records.


    However, not all of the Ancient n Descendants disappeared. Being called "Descendants" implies that some of them continued their existence as ordinary people. The Dragon Tamer family, for instance, are the Dragon n descendants.


    "Do you happen to have heard of the ''Draconid people of Hoenn''?" Lance asked Yuga.


    Yuga nodded, "I''ve heard of them."


    The Draconid people are an ancient group believed to have lived near Meteor Falls, although they rarely appear in front of others. Yuga had only heard their name and had never seen a real Draconid people.


    "Our Dragon Tamer family, the Draconid people, and the Valley of the Dragon n were all originally part of the Dragons n. Together, we worshipped a Legendary Pok��mon known as the Dragon God, or Rayquaza."


    However, the Dragon God eventually disappeared, no longer appearing before the members of the Dragon n. This internal turmoil led to the split of the n into three factions: the Dragon Tamer family, the Draconid people, and the Valley of the Dragon n. These three factions eventually moved to different region, and today, there is very littlemunication between them.


    Because so much time has passed, and there is a significant historical gap, the exact circumstances of how the Dragon n split are unknown, even to our Dragon Tamer family.


    In more recent times, our Dragon Tamer family and the Valley of the Dragon n joined the Pok��mon League. The only faction that seemed to retain the core secrets of the Dragon n was the Draconid people, who have disappeared without a trace."


    After hearing Lance''s exnation, Yuga''s eyes widened in surprise. He had no idea that there was such a deep connection between the Dragon Tamer family, the Draconid people, and the Valley of the Dragon n.


    The Dragon Tamer family possessed the Pseudo-Legendary Dragonite, while the Valley of the Dragon n controlled the Hydreigon and the rumored Dragonid people, controlled the Pseudo-Legendary Smence. Now it seems that none of these three ns are simple.


    Yuga asked, "So, what''s the connection between Jade Town and the Ancient n Descendants?"


    Lance said, "I suspect that Jade Town is a branch left behind by the Descendants of Darkness."


    Yuga asked, "Descendants of Darkness?"


    Lance nodded and continued, "When Professor Oak and I investigated the Jade Mountain Relic in the past, we noticed that the sacrificial patterns on the structure of the relic seemed very familiar. We then conducted research at home to identify the origin of these patterns."


    The result of their investigation was that these patterns closely resembled the sacrificial patterns associated with the Dragon n Descendants.


    Over time, whether it was the Dragon Tamer family or the Valley of the Dragon n, there was very little left regarding the records of the Dragon n Descendants. Identifying the source of the sacrificial patterns had be quite challenging.


    Most of the Ancient n Descendants had faded into history, and only a few like the Dragon Tamer family and the Valley of the Dragon n continued to exist. This was due to the fact that the Dragon n Descendants were one of the most powerful factions among the Ancient n Descendants.


    Even now, the Dragon Tamer family and the Valley of the Dragon n didn''t feel significantly different from ordinary people except for their special abilities. The time that had passed since the era of the Ancient n Descendants was too long. Even knowledgeable experts like Professor Oak had limited knowledge about them, often limited to their names.


    ording to Lance, there were other factions of Ancient n Descendants like the People of Water, People of Fire, People of Wind, and People of Earth. However, these factions hadn''t been heard from in years, and they might have vanished into history.


    As Lance went through the names of these Ancient n Descendants, Yuga suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.


    Wait a minute... People of Water and People of Earth were terms he had heard of. In the original anime movie, weren''t the guardians of Manaphy and the Sea Temple referred to as People of Water? And the ones guarding Reshita, Zekrom, and Victini, weren''t they called People of Earth?


    These so-called Descendants of the Ancient n hadn''t disappeared at all! But Yuga didn''t know if they were the same as what Lance referred to as the Ancient n Descendants. If they were, then these descendants were far from simple.


    However, knowing this didn''t change their current situation, so Yuga decided to put these thoughts aside for now.


    He pondered and asked, "If Jade Town is indeed the branch of the Descendants of Darkness, what could they be hiding?"


    Lance replied, "I don''t know, but they''ve been very resistant to our presence. The regr townspeople are fine, but the town mayor who receives us has always been evasive. If it weren''t for their inability to withstand the attacks from the wild Pok��mon, we might still be unaware of the troubles in Jade Town."


    Professor Oak nodded and added, "If it weren''t for the mayor trying to stop us, I would have dismantled the relic on Jade Mountain. I suspect the source of these dark mists might be that relic."


    Just as the three of them were discussing these matters behind closed doors, an urgent knocking on the door interrupted their conversation.


    "Professor Oak, Lance, Gym Leader Shimizu, are you still inside? Wild Pok��mon are attacking the town again!"


    It was Sora''s voice.


    "Let''s go, quickly. Show us the way!" Professor Oak said.


    Following Sora''s guidance, Yuga and the others soon reached the back of Jade Town, which was against Jade Mountain. They witnessed a massive surge of wild Pok��mon pouring down from Jade Mountain, both on the ground and in the sky. It was almost like a flood of Pok��mon.


    "This time, there are many more Pok��moning down than in the previous two incidents," Professor Oak said, furrowing his brows.


    Lance added, "It seems that nearly all the wild Pok��mon from Jade Mountain are descending."


    When Yuga and the others arrived, the trainers from the town and the people sent by the Pok��mon League were already positioned outside the town, and even the mayor of Jade Town, who was a trainer himself, was leading the defense.


    They had a significant number of Dark-type Pok��mon like Murkrow, Honchkrow, Houndour, and Houndoom, indicating that Lance''s suspicions about Jade Town''s lineage might be correct.


    As the wild Pok��mon descended from Jade Mountain and approached Yuga and his group, an ufortable feeling overcame Yuga, simr to the sensation of touching a ck stone, and the nauseating presence of the ck mist became increasingly intense.


    The Pok��mon, influenced by the ck mist, immediatelyunched an attack against Yuga and his group. Their eyes glowed red, and they appeared savage. They hadpletely lost their rationality. The queasiness Yuga felt was a result of the ck mist they carried.


    Yuga released Vivillon, Charizard, Bellossom, and Sawsbuck. Bellossom provided close protection for Yuga, while the other three were tasked with counterattacking.


    Vivillon''s Sleep Powder and Stun Spore were especially effective in group battles, and the wild Pok��mon, who had lost their rationality due to the ck mist, barely dodged these moves. Vivillon managed to incapacitate multiple Pok��mon with each use.


    Charizard breathed out fiery sts that took out several Pok��mon at once. Its offensive and explosive power was remarkable, and its area attack capabilities rivaled Vivillon''s crowd control abilities.


    Sawsbuck, while not capable of taking down groups in one go like Vivillon and Charizard, used its powerful legs and exceptional jumping ability to kick and fend off one Pok��mon at a time.


    However, Yuga and his group couldn''t afford to be too ruthless since these Pok��mon weren''t attacking of their own will. The townspeople, led by the mayor, were actively defending against the Pok��mon''s attacks. Still, the primary force on the battlefield remained Professor Oak, Lance, Yuga, and their Pok��mon.


    These three were exceptional trainers, with Professor Oak being close to Master level, Lance being a Champion level trainer, and Yuga himself ranking top among the Elite level Trainers. Their Pok��mon were capable of taking on numerous opponents simultaneously.


    The wild Pok��mon continued to pour down from Jade Mountain, and Yuga and his group battled for hours, but the numbers didn''t seem to decrease. Even the mighty Professor Oak was drenched in sweat.


    The situation was akin to the saying "two fists are no match for four hands."


    When theypared thebined forces of the townspeople and the trainers from the Pok��mon League to the wild Pok��mon, it was clear that they were heavily outnumbered. If it weren''t for Professor Oak and the others, Jade Town would likely have been destroyed already.


    However, continuing in this manner would eventually lead to the destruction of Jade Town.


    Lancemanded Dragonite to punching away an Ambipom, said to Professor Oak, "The abnormal number of Pok��mon descending all at once makes me suspect that something has happened on Jade Mountain. I''ll go up and check."


    With that, he mounted his Dragonite and directed it towards Jade Mountain. He left his other Pok��mon behind to assist the remaining trainers in defending against the wild Pok��mon.


    Professor Oak acknowledged and then turned to Yuga, shouting, "Yuga, go with Lance. I have a bad feeling about this. To be safe, go with him, and I''ll handle things here."


    Yuga responded, "Alright, I understand. We''ll leave it to you here!"


    Without hesitation, Yuga mounted his Charizard and followed Lance as they headed towards Jade Mountain. Both Professor Oak and Yuga had an unsettling feeling about the situation. He left behind Bellossom, Sawsbuck, and Vivillon with them.


    Meanwhile, the town''s mayor, who was fighting the wild Pok��mon attacking the town, was getting increasingly anxious. He knew something had gone wrong on Jade Mountain. If the secrets of the mountain were discovered, it could spell trouble.


    He wanted to follow Lance and Yuga but was entangled by numerous wild Pok��mon. He couldn''t break free from the conflict, let alone make his way up the mountain. He also considered sending Sora along, but the current situation wasn''t much better for him.


    As Yuga and Lance continued their ascent, they were targeted by several waves of wild Pok��mon. Flying-types Pokemon extended their necks to peck at Yuga and Lance, disying an intense desire to harm them.


    Both Lance and Charizard didn''t engage in battles with these Pok��mon and repelled their attacks to speedily reach the mountain''s peak. Their agility outmatched the wild Pok��mon''s pursuit.


    Upon reaching the mountaintop, they observed that the vegetation was withered and lifeless. There were no wild Pok��mon in sight. The area of withered nts had increased considerablypared to their previous visit.


    Lance remarked, "Something definitely went wrong!"


    Comparing the situation to their previous visit, it was evident that a significant change had urred. The withered nts and the absence of wild Pok��mon painted a grim picture.


    Yuga suggested, "Let''s check the ruins immediately; it must be where things went wrong."


    Lance nodded and, riding on his Lance, proceeded towards the location of the ruins.


    Suddenly, a massive roar emanated from within the ruins, followed by a violent explosion in the center of the ruins. A gigantic, dark figure unfurled its wings amidst the smoke, hovering in mid-air.


    As the figure emerged from the smoke, both Yuga and Lance stared in disbelief, their mouths agape. Lance murmured, "Lugia!"


    Yuga was equally transfixed by the sight of a Shadow Lugia, its dark, twisted, and ominous aura nearly causing him to fall from Charizard''s back.


    The Shadow Lugia let out a deafening roar and spotted Yuga and Lance on their respective Pok��mon. In a swift motion, it fired a powerful ck beam straight toward them.


    The beam came so rapidly that, despite their efforts to dodge, it still grazed over them. Both Charizard and Dragonite plummeted to the ground.


    Nana quickly appeared and used her psychic powers to safely lower Yuga, Lance, and their Pok��mon to the ground.


    As theynded, they noticed several individuals in ck uniforms sneaking away not far from them.


    Team Rocket!


    Both Yuga and Lance simultaneously eximed in their minds.


    However, they didn''t have time to dwell on Team Rocket''s appearance. The next attack from the Shadow Lugia was already underway. A massive ck beam, filled with unstoppable force, once again swept towards them.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Nana focused, her face tense, raising her hands. Layer uponyer of purple barriers formed diagonally above them. Under the impact of the ck beam, these purple barriers seemed fragile, shattering like ss.


    The tremendous force from the ck beam pushed Nana back, while Yuga and Lance were blown off their feet by the shockwave.


    Both of them quickly recalled their injured Charizard and Dragonite. They could hear Nana''s anxious voice in their minds.


    "Hurry, think of a solution! I can''t hold on much longer!"


    Nana was struggling to maintain the purple barriers.


    Upon hearing her plea, Lance recalled his current Dragonite and quickly retrieved another Pok�� Ball. He released arger, more robust Dragonite than before.


    Yuga felt a sense of familiarity as he looked at the new Dragonite, but the situation was too dire to dwell on it.


    "Old Ancestor, please help us!" Lance implored.


    The Dragonite nodded and, with incredible speed, disappeared from Yuga and Lance''s view, only to reappear next to the Shadow Lugia.


    It clenched its fist and unleashed a devastating Thunder Punch at the Shadow Lugia''s neck. The impact of the punch caused the Shadow Lugia to screech in agony and sent its dark beam askew.


    Boom!


    The misdirected ck beam sted a massive crater into the ground.


    Relieved, Nana looked at thest remainingyer of barriers, patting her chest and sighing: That was close! It was so close!


    Enraged, the Shadow Lugia raised one of its wings and employed Steel Wing on the Dragonite that had struck it. Unable to evade in time, the Dragonite was struck to the ground, creating a deep crater upon impact.


    "Nana, please help!" Yuga shouted, seeing that their Lance was in trouble.


    Nana replied, "Got it!"


    Nana responded and used Teleport to appear above the deep crater created by Dragonite. She summoned a Light Screen to block another ck beam aimed at Dragonite.


    Dragonite emerged from the crater and, once again,nded beside the Shadow Lugia. It attempted to punch the Lugia, but the Shadow Lugia swung its tail, blocking the attack.


    Nana, while still above the battle, sent a Heal Pulse towards Dragonite. Facing the Shadow Lugia was little bit scared, so she decided to focus on providing support.


    With Dragonite and Nana fighting the Shadow Lugia, Yuga finally had the opportunity to use his Insight ability to assess the situation.


    ...


    Shadow Lugia (Dark Mutation: Chaotic)


    Type: Dark/Flying


    Ability: Multiscale


    Gender: None


    Potential: Unknown


    Level: Unknown


    Moves: Whirlwind, Weather Ball, Gust, Superpower, Dragon Rush, Rain Dance, Hydro Pump, Twister, Ancient Power, Punishment, Calm Mind, Sky Attack, Roar, Hail, Hidden Power, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Hyper Beam, Roost, Ragr, Shadow Ball, Aerial Ace, Rest, Steel Wing, Giga Impact, Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Fake Out, Dragon Tail, Surf, Waterfall, Dragon Pulse, Aqua Tail, Iron Tail, Tailwind, Hyper Vouce.


    ...


    After reading the information, Yuga was still perplexed. The Shadow Lugia''s transformation of its Psychic-type into a Dark-type, along with the Chaotic nature and the Dark Mutation suffix, raised many questions.


    Despite Dragonite''s considerable power, it was still struggling against the Lugia, and Nana''s assistance could only do so much. Lugia was on a different level, even for a Legendary Pok��mon.


    Boom!


    The Lugia struck Dragonite with Dragon Tail, and sending it flying. Itnded on Nana, and both Pok��mon tumbled into another deep crater.


    Lugia opened its mouth, gathering dark energy to deliver a potentially lethal attack to the fallen Dragonite and Nana.


    But before it could unleash the dark beam, a Dark Ball descended from the sky and struck Lugia, causing it to crash onto the ground. The dark energy it had gathered dissipated.


    Yuga looked up and saw a Pok��mon hovering above Lugia. His expression changed immediately.


    This couldn''t be an ally!

 Chapter 956: Powerless

    <h4>Chapter 956: Powerless</h4>


    Suddenly under attack by an unknown force, Lugia roared in anger, struggled to stand up, pushed off the ground with its feet, and charged toward the newly appeared Pok��mon.


    However, just as it reached halfway, a massive Shadow Ball once again descended from the sky, smashing it back to the bottom of the pit.


    Boom!


    Lugia crashed into the pit, the ground shattered, and Yuga and Lance, who were quite a distance away, could even feel the ground shaking.


    Lugia, on the ground, opened its mouth and released a ck beam towards the Pok��mon attacking it. However, that Pok��mon was too fast, dodging it easily.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Several ck beams shot out of Lugia''s mouth, but not a single one hit the target.


    Yuga had been curious about why Lugia, as a Dark-type, didn''t seem to have any Dark-type moves. However, now he understood. While Lugia might not use proper Dark-type moves, the other types of moves it used all carried a faint Dark attribute.


    In other words, when it used non-Dark-type moves, they all became essentially dual-type moves.


    This made Lugia a formidable opponent against Psychic-type Pok��mon, but the opponent it was facing was no pushover. Even though the other Pok��mon was of the Psychic type, it was dominating Lugia in their battle.


    The appearance of this new Pok��mon rendered Dragonite and Nana, who had been previously battling the Lugia, helpless. They couldn''t find an opening to join the fight between these two powerful foes.


    Lance stared at the sky in amazement and said, "What... What kind of Pok��mon is that? It can overpower Lugia like this!"


    Yuga, however, kept silent. He recognized this Pok��mon as Mewtwo, but it was highly ssified in Team Rocket''s possession, and acknowledging it by name would raise suspicions.


    This might be Mewtwo''s first appearance in the outside world, and if it wasn''t for him and Lanceing here by chance, its existence might still remain unknown to the public.


    While Lugia''s attention was fully drawn to Mewtwo, Yuga and Lance found themselves in a rtively safe position. But Yuga couldn''t help but feel anxious about their situation.


    Mewtwo belonged to Team Rocket, and now they had their sights set on the Shadow Lugia. Once Shadow Lugia was defeated, Team Rocket might capture it.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Mewtwounched several Aura Spheres that sent Lugia crashing to the ground again.


    If this had been a normal Lugia, it might have had a chance against Mewtwo, but the Shadow Lugia was fighting recklessly and without strategy, making it an easy target for Mewtwo.


    Just as Lugia and Mewtwo were locked in intense battle, an aircraft suddenly appeared in the distance. It materialized from invisibility, and the cabin door opened.


    A group of individuals, led by the Boss of Team Rocket, Giovanni, stepped out from the aircraft.


    Yuga immediately recognized Giovanni, even though he was wearing a mask.


    Besides Giovanni, there were two other men in white uniforms standing on either side of him. Their significance was evident, as they positioned themselves next to Giovanni after Team Rocketnded.


    These two individuals didn''t wear masks because it wasn''t necessary at all. Lance immediately called out their names.


    "Archer! Proton!"


    These two are Archer and Proton, two of the four executives of Team Rocket, other than Ariana, who Yuga had previously met.


    Yuga and Team Rocket had crossed paths many times, so he naturally recognized the well-known top executives of Team Rocket. He also deduced that Archer and Proton, guarding the person in the middle, were the mysterious leaders of Team Rocket.


    Afternding, Giovanni, Archer, and Proton didn''t pay any attention to the ongoing battle between Mewtwo and Lugia. Instead, they approached Yuga and Proton.


    As they saw Giovanni and his team getting closer, Dragonite and Nana immediately became alert and stood in front of Yuga and Lance protectively.


    "Mr. Lance! Gym Leader Shimizu!"


    Giovanni greeted the two of them first, disying a lot of grace, though he used a voice changer.


    "You are the leader of Team Rocket?" Yuga asked, keeping a vignt gaze on Giovanni.


    "Yes, that''s me."


    Giovanni nodded, openly acknowledging his identity. Of course, he was wearing a mask and using a voice changer, so even if he admitted it, others couldn''t guess his true identity.


    Yuga had no intention of exposing Giovanni''s identity. Doing so would only make him appear suspicious.


    Though Giovanni had once had a video conversation with Yuga, it seemed as if he were meeting Yuga for the first time and didn''t pay him any special attention. It was as if all previous attempts to recruit Yuga had never happened.


    "Our goal today is only this Lugia. As long as you don''t interfere, I don''t want to engage in a battle with you," Giovanni said calmly. His intentions had never been about directly opposing the League; he had a grander dream.


    In other words, individuals like Yuga and Lance were not his true enemies.


    Lance''s expression was stern as he responded, "That''s impossible! I can''t just hand over Lugia to Team Rocket."


    While Yuga remained silent, his attitude made his stance clear.


    "That''s truly unfortunate," Giovanni sighed as if genuinely not wanting to fight Yuga and Lance.


    "Then, let me see how talented you two League Trainers really are!" Giovanni eximed and released two Pok�� Balls.


    Thud! Thud!


    In front of Yuga and Lance appeared two Pok��mon, Nidoking and Rhyperior, both of them at the champion level.


    As soon as Nidoking emerged, it unleashed an Ice Punch towards Dragonite on the other side, with Dragonite countering with a punch of its own. Rhyperior used Stone Edge, controlling severalrge rocks to hurl towards Nana.


    Boom!


    Dragonite and Nidoking''s fists shed, creating a loud bang, and both Pok��mon staggered backward. Surprisingly, Dragonite couldn''t gain the upper hand.


    In the battle against Lugia, Dragonite had expended a lot of energy, and even with Nana''s assistance, it had taken more damage than anticipated.


    What''s more, Yuga hadn''t expected Team Rocket''s leader to be as formidable as the Nidoking, which was clearly a Peak champion level Pok��mon.


    This means that the strength of Team Rocket''s leader is at least on par with Professor Oak''s, although the leader is much older than Professor Oak. This isn''t good news for the Pok��mon League.


    Nana also suffered some injuries in the battle against Lugia, butpared to the main force Dragonite, its injuries were rtively minor. At this moment, Nana and Rhyperior were evenly matched.


    Rhyperior and Nidoking were both Peak Champion level Pok��mon.


    Archer and Proton stood on either side of Giovanni, having no intention of interfering in the battle. They knew that their boss wouldn''t allow them to intervene, and besides, they were well aware of their boss''s strength.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Nidoking and Dragonite engaged in a fierce battle, their punches almostnding blow for blow. Each punch generated shockwaves, creating a terrifying scene with flying debris.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    The battle between Nana and Rhyperior was equally intense. Nana''s Energy Ball shed with Rhyperior''s Stone Edge, and both Pok��mon seemed like turrets, creatingrge craters all around.


    However, even though these two Pok��mon were Peak Champion level, they couldn''t match Dragonite and Nana in terms of power.


    Dragonite''s punch struck Nidoking''s abdomen, sending Nidoking flying, and the heavily injured Nidoking couldn''t get up.


    Even if Dragonite had been injured by Lugia, Nidoking was no match for it.


    Shortly after, Rhyperior was knocked out by Nana''s Energy Ball in the crater.


    Even though Nana, in it past life, was a powerful Pok��mon, its current strength was on par with Rhyperior. There was still a gap inbat power, which was why it couldpete evenly with Dragonite''s mother.


    "Both of you are truly remarkable talents of the Pok��mon League, indeed!"


    Giovanni calmly recalled the two defeated Pok��mon, his tone expressing appreciation for Yuga and Lance.


    Yuga and Lance, however, felt incredibly fortunate that they had brought Nana and their Old Ancestor with them. Otherwise, they would have lost today. With their individual strengths, they couldn''t possibly be a match for Giovanni.


    "However, you should be careful with the next opponents!"


    Giovanni released another Pok��mon and, in front of Yuga and Lance, allowed this Pok��mon to undergo Mega Evolution.


    ...


    Mega Beedrill


    Type: Bug/Poison


    Ability: Adaptability


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 100


    Moves: Double Needle, Fury Sweep, Rage, Pursuit, Venoschok, Focus Energy, Punishment, Toxic Spikes, Quick Attack, Fell Stinger, Toxic, Hyprr Beam, Protect, Double Team, Sr Beam, Return, Stone Edge, Sludge Bomb, Endure, Fury Cutter, Acrobatics, Payback, Swords Dance, X-Scissor, Infestation, Poison Jab, U-Turn, Swagger, Substitute, Tailwind, Drill Run, Throat Chop.


    ...


    Seeing the cold, fierce gaze of Mega Beedrill and its menacing stingers, Yuga couldn''t help but think, "This is bad." He had suspected that Giovanni would be strong, but he didn''t expect this level of strength. It exined why Giovanni always seemed so confident when talking to them. This confidence came from his immense power.


    But before Yuga could react, he noticed that Mega Beedrill had already appeared behind Dragonite. He and Lance barely had time to warn Dragonite to be careful, but Mega Beedrill''s speed was astonishingly fast. They didn''t even see how it had managed to get behind Dragonite.


    Dragonite, already weakened from its battle with Lugia, reacted a split second too slowly. By the time it realized the presence of Mega Beedrill, the attack had alreadynded.


    At their level, the differences in strength due to Pok��mon species were minimal. Despite Beedrill being considered an insignificant speciespared to Pseudo-Legendary like Dragonite, the Beedrill in front of them posed a genuine threat to Dragonite''s life.


    A single Poison Jab caused Dragonite to kneel down, followed by sumbing to poison status.


    "Ancestor!" Lance shouted with concern.


    Nana, who had been on guard against Beedrill from the start, used Teleport to disappear in an instant. But as soon as she reappeared, Beedrill was right there, following her at an unbelievable speed. The speed of Mega Beedrill was terrifying, and its movements were too fast for anyone to follow.


    Nana disappeared once more in a desperate attempt to evade Mega Beedrill, but it reappeared in front of her almost instantly. Nana was in shock, unable toprehend how Beedrill could be so incredibly fast.


    Yuga realized with rming rity that against a Pok��mon like Mega Beedrill, even their ace move, Teleport, was not sufficient for escape.


    Boom!


    Mega Beedrill''s Pin Missile hit Nana''s waist, and she was sent flying, losing consciousness instantly.


    Just as Mega Beedrill was about to deliver the final blow to Nana, a robust and powerful Dodrio descended from the sky, screeching, and kicked Mega Beedrill away.


    "Yuga, Lance, are you okay?"


    It was Professor Oak who had arrived just in time.


    "We''re fine!"


    Seeing Professor Oak arrive, both Yuga and Lance breathed a sigh of relief. However, the helplessness they felt against Mega Beedrill lingered in their hearts.


    Thankfully, they weren''t the type to be defeated by a single failure. They understood that facing such a significant setback was normal for most genius Pok��mon trainers. If they let one defeat get to them, it would affect them for the rest of their lives.


    This particr battle was going to be a significant turning point in their lives.


    Lance had reached his current level step by step and through dedicated effort. Despite being referred to as a "genius" Pok��mon trainer, he was well aware of the effort he had put into his journey. He wasn''t the type to doubt himself based on a single failure.


    On the other hand, Yuga had never considered himself a true genius. Compared to trainers like Lance, Steven, Wace, and Cynthia, he felt he didn''t quite measure up. He was able to ept his own failures.


    When Professor Oak saw the presence of Team Rocket, he realized that he wouldn''t have time to inquire about Lugia and the unknown Pok��mon. He focused onmanding Dodrio to fight Mega Beedrill.


    To Yuga''s surprise, Professor Oak''s Dodrio was holding its ground against Giovanni''s Mega Beedrill. Its powerful legs kicked Beedrill back every time, showing a back-and-forth battle.


    The fact that Professor Oak''s Dodrio wasn''t at level 100 but it was indeed Master level Pokemon.


    Wasn''t Professor Oak not yet officially recognized as a Master Level trainer? Yuga confused.


    This was amon misunderstanding regarding the term "master" in the Pok��mon world. It was important to differentiate between "Master Level" trainers and trainers who had earned the title of "Master" in their League.


    Thetter meant that a trainer had achieved victory against a Legendary Pok��mon. Not all "Master Level" trainers were capable of defeating Legendary Pok��mon.


    Professor Oak was known as a "Master Level" trainer due to his considerable experience, skills, and aplishments, even if he hadn''t faced a Legendary Pok��mon in battle. His exact abilities and potential werergely unknown to the public, but he maintained a low profile.


    Yuga had never seen all of Mr. Kuni''o''s Pok��mon. Most of his Master Pok��mon that Yugad has been seen were level 90 or above, so Yuga hadn''t considered the difference between a "Master Level trainer" and a "Master" title holder.


    With Dodrio repelling Mega Beedrill, Yuga and Lance took the opportunity to retrieve their fainted Nana and Dragonite. The poison had caused Dragonite to lose consciousness.


    Giovanni was upied by Professor Oak, allowing Yuga and Lance to face Archer and Proton of Team Rocket. They both released their Lapras, Florges, Dragonite, and Charizard.


    Archer and Proton were indeed high-ranking members of Team Rocket, and tbey had Elite levelbat power. But in a directparison, they were far outssed by Yuga and Lance.


    Although they couldn''t beat Giovanni''s Mega Beedrill, it didn''t mean they couldn''tpete with Archer and Proton. For a while, Yuga and Lance gave them quite a beating.


    In the battle between Professor Oak and Giovanni, neither seemed to gain the upper hand. While Professor Oak''s Dodrio was a Master Level Pok��mon, it wasn''t at level 100, unlike Giovanni''s Mega Beedrill, which had reached its full potential through Mega Evolution.


    As the battle between Dodrio and Mega Beedrill reached a standstill, the battle between Shadow Lugia and Mewtwo wasing to an end.


    Despite being at a type disadvantage against Mewtwo, Shadow Lugia wascking in intelligence and strategicbat. It couldn''t match Mewtwo'' capabilities.


    Mewtwounched multiple Aura Sphere moves, precisely targeting Shadow Lugia''s head. With each hit, Shadow Lugia staggered, and eventually, it fell to the ground, incapacitated.


    Shadow Lugia, trapped for so many years in the Jade Mountains, couldn''t unleash its true potential as Level 1 Legendary Pokemon, and was defeated by Mewtwo.


    Upon Shadow Lugia''s defeat, Team Rocket''s grunts hiding in the shadows emerged. They threw dark, spherical devices that emitted energy beams, connecting to form a circr cage, trapping Shadow Lugia inside.


    With Shadow Lugia imprisoned, Mewtwo, under the control of Team Rocket, seized the cage and flew toward their aircraft.


    Once Shadow Lugia and Mewtwo hadpletely entered the aircraft, Mega Beedrill swiftly flew Dodrio back to the side of Professor Oak. Smiling, Giovanni said to Professor Oak, "You''re strong, but let''s end it here for today. We''ll have another chance to spar in the future."


    Mega Beedrill shed and disappeared with Giovanni from the sight of Professor Oak and Dodrio. Professor Oak''s face turned grim.


    As Giovanni left, Mewtwo appeared by Archer and Proton''s side, taking them and their group of henchmen back into the aircraft. Yuca and Lance could only watch as they departed.


    Rumbling!


    Team Rocket''s aircraft slowly ascended and activated its cloaking function. Professor Oak, who was considering pursuing, saw Mewtwo sitting on top of the aircraft. However, Mewtwo was now adorned with ayer of ck armor.


    After witnessing the battle between Mewtwo and Shadow Lugia, Professor Oak knew that even if he caught up, it would be futile. He stopped his pursuit.


    As the aircraft disappearedpletely from the sight of the three, Professor Oak sighed deeply.

 Chapter 957: Secrets

    <h4>Chapter 957: Secrets</h4>


    As soon as Shadow Lugia was taken away, the dark mist on Jade Mountain dissipated not long after, and the affected wild Pok��mon quickly returned to normal.


    Due to thebined efforts of League Trainers and the residents of Town, the Jade Town remained unscathed by the invading wild Pok��mon forces. There were no casualties or property damage.


    However, as soon as Yuga and his group returned to Jade Town, they arrested the town''s mayor. With Shadow Lugia has been taken away by Team Rocket, they had no intention of fighting with the mayor.


    When the mayor learned that Shadow Lugia had been taken, he was devastated and nearly fell to his knees, expressing apologies to his ancestors.


    Lance, however, was not concerned with these matters. Having served as an Investigator for so many years, even if he had be one of the Elite Four, he had seen all sorts of people. He immediately questioned the town''s mayor.


    Under intense interrogation by Yuga, the town''s mayor eventually revealed the secret hidden in Jade Mountain.


    Just as Lance had suspected, the majority of the town''s residents were the descendants of the remenants of Darkness n. The town''s mayor was, in fact, their n leader.


    However, the secrets of the Darkness n had faded with time. Except for the oral traditions passed down by the past n leaders, most of the townspeople had forgotten. This was why the mayor had initially rejected Professor Oak and the others when they came, but the resident didn''t reach much.


    Just as the Dragon n worshipes the Dragon God, the Darkness n also worships a God, the Dark God.


    However, unlike the Dragon n, who remembered their God as Rayquaza, the Darkness n had forgotten the true identity of their God.


    What''s more, the Darkness n held an even more significant secret: they possessed the remains of the Dark God.


    The remains of the Dark God were buried within the Jade Mountain Relic. The town''s mayor had never seen them, and all he knew came from the traditions passed down by previous n leaders.


    The secret reached his generation, but due to the passage of time, he only knew that the Jade Mountain Relic contained the remains of a God. What that God was, he did not know, and several generations of n leaders before him were equally ignorant.


    They couldn''t possibly dig out the remains of the God just to knoe what inside of it!


    In ancient times, the People of the Wind worshiped Lugia. Back then, these early descendants were not yet referred to as "descendants." The People of the Wind prospered and had multiple Lugia to worship. It wasn''t as difficult to see one as it is now.


    However, the People of the Wind eventually encountered a special Lugia that was different from the others; it was ck. Despite this difference, the People of the Wind did not mind and continued to worship this unique Lugia equally because Lugia was their God, and their faith was unwavering.


    As time passed, the Lugia gradually disappeared, and the People of the Wind declined earlier than other early descendant ns. They were left with only that ck Lugia.


    When the Darkness n, which was still rtively strong, set its sights on the People of the Wind to prevent their God from disappearingpletely, they sought to seize the only remaining ck Lugia from the People of the Wind.


    By that time, there were very few members of the People of the Wind remaining, and they stood no chance against the Darkness n''s conspiracy. The ck Lugia never expected humans to target it, and it fell victim to the Darkness n''s scheme.


    Before Lugia''s eyes, the Darkness n annihted all of the People of the Wind.


    The Darkness n kept their actions discreet, ensuring that no one else would know about it. Even to this day, people believe that the People of the Wind naturally faded away.


    It was also after these events that the ck Lugia started emitting the ck fog that disrupts one''s consciousness.


    But history doesn''t stop for the small schemes of the Darkness n. The world underwent massive changes and no longer required so many deities. That''s why these Legendary Pokemon started slowly disappearing, some died, while others went into hiding.


    Before long, just like the People of the Wind''s God, the Darkness n''s God also began to fade. The n also started declining, and when thest God fell before the Darkness n, they turned their attention to the ck Lugia.


    By that time, Shadow Lugia had already been imprisoned for who knows how many years, and itsst bit of sanity had faded away.


    They sealed ck Lugia and performed a ritual to transfer its divinity onto the remains of the Dark God. They attempted to resurrect their own God.


    However, they waited and waited, through countless generations, and their long-anticipated God never returned. Eventually, most of the n forgot the purpose of the ritual. Nevertheless, the ritual itself was passed down from generation to generation.


    The ce where Lugia was sealed was what is now known as the Jade Mountain Relic. Descendants of the Darkness n have lived near Jade Mountain, guarding this secret.


    Even though the location was remote and far from prosperous, they never left. Only the lineage of the n leader remembered the mission to revive the God.


    Around a decade ago, the son of the Jade Mountain Town Mayor found out about this secret from his father. He knew that he was meant to inherit the position of n leader and continue to guard the secret.


    However, he didn''t want to, not at his young age. He had the prime years of his youth ahead of him and desired a free and unrestricted life, not one of guarding this almost-decayed secret throughout his lifetime.


    In the end, he left Jade Mountain Town after a quarrel with his father and never returned.


    But just over two months ago, the missing son of the Mayor suddenly returned. Only the Mayor knew about this; the other townsfolk had no idea. Some of the younger residents weren''t even aware that the Mayor had a son.


    When the son returned, he began subtly inquiring about Lugia. He disappeared again within days of returning, and not long after that, the Jade Mountain Relic experienced its recent trouble.


    As joyful as the Mayor was when his son returned, he was equally furious now, knowing that his son was undoubtedly involved in the events surrounding Jade Mountain.


    Listening to the Mayor''s tearful recounting, Yuga and Lance were astonished to realize that Archer was, in fact, the Mayor''s son.


    It exined why Team Rocket''s n went so smoothly. They had help from a local.


    When the Mayor reached out to Professor Oak and the others for help, he also quietly informed Sora of the n''s secret, hoping he would assist in protecting Jade Mountain''s secret.


    However, in reality, Sora was not a true descendant of the Darkness n. He was found by his adoptive parents near Jade Mountain Town.


    The Mayor knew this fact but never told Sora, and Sora''s adoptive parents had long since passed away.


    Upon learning of the enormous secret from the Mayor''s words, Sora felt the burden of reviving the Darkness n weighing on his shoulders, along with the guilt of hiding the truth from Yuga and the others, creating a deep inner turmoil.

 Chapter 958: Achievements

    <h4>Chapter 958: Achievements</h4>


    After the Mayor of the Jade Town exined everything, Yuga and his group followed the clues he provided and found something in the ruins of the destroyed Jade Mountain Relic, referred to as the "god''s remains" by the descendants of the Darkness n.


    It''s unclear whether Team Rocket had discovered this object or simply had no interest in it, but when Yuga and his team found it, it was buried deep within the ruins.


    This object is a pile of jumbled bones, entwined with the ck mist that remained on Shadow Lugia''s body, making it impossible to determine what kind of Pok��mon it was in its previous life.


    However, Professor Oak was quite interested in this discovery and decided to take it back for further research.


    He promptly reported the events in Jade Town to the League, which led to the arrest of the Jade Town Mayor.


    Due to his concealment, which indirectly led to the capture of Lugia by Team Rocket, he was considered as a criminal.


    Sora, who was also a Gym Leader in Jade Town, technically shared some responsibility, but the Mayor might have felt guilty for deceiving Sora, so he took full responsibility, sparing Sora from punishment.


    Due to the Jade Town incident, Yuga extended his stay in Johto for a few more days, ensuring that all matters were resolved before returning to Hoenn.


    Shortly after his return to Hoenn, he discovered that his Trainer rank in the League had been upgraded from Senior Trainer to Honor Trainer.


    The League''s Trainer ranks are based on umted merits, with the hierarchy progressing from Regr Trainer, Elite Trainer, Senior Trainer, Honor Trainer, to Hall of Fame Trainer.


    Yuga had already been a Senior Trainer for a while, but thanks to the mission in Jade Town, he had earned enough merits to be promoted to Honor Trainer.


    Honor Trainers are the highest rank within the League''s Trainer hierarchy, one level below the Hall of Fame Trainer which is belong to Elite Four and the Champion.


    Hall of Fame Trainers receive various privileges, such as a 50% discount at League stores when purchasing items.


    Despite the loss of Lugia and the destruction of the Jade Mountain Relic, Yuga''s mission could be seen as a sess, as they uncovered the secrets of the Darkness n.


    Additionally, this mission exposed them to Team Rocket''s true capabilities and revealed the existence of an unknown Pok��mon on par with the Level 1 Legendary Pokemon, Mewtwo.


    This newfound knowledge allowed Yuga to umte enough merits to reach the rank of Honor Trainer.


    As for the investigation into Team Rocket, both the Kanto and Johto regions took the threat more seriously and established a special task force to uncover Team Rocket''s activities, led by Lance, with a focus on investigating Team Rocket.


    However, Yuga''s direct involvement in these matters was limited.


    Back in Hoenn, Yuga stayed in Verdanturf Town without leaving, focusing on training his Pok��mon, managing his business, and epting challenges from aspiring Trainers.


    Then, in June, the highly anticipated Champion''s Tournament began.


    The Champion''s Tournamentsted for half a year, from June to December, and it was a private event. The public had no idea about the tournament''s progress until it officially concluded.


    However, Yuga''s mentor, Mr. Kuni''o, was always well-informed about thetest developments in the tournament and closely followed the results.


    At the beginning of the Champion''s Tournament, Devon had great confidence in Steven''s abilities. They began fulfilling their agreement with Yuga, investing substantial sums of money into the development of Verdanturf Town.


    By December, the Champion''s Tournament had concluded, and Steven, living up to expectations, imed the title of Hoenn League Champion. His strength had already reached Champion level before the tournament.


    With Mr. Kuni''o''s support, the transition to Steven''s role as Champion went smoothly.


    During this time, Verdanturf Town, with Devon''s support, underwent a remarkable transformation.


    Firstly, the town''s territory expanded as more outlyingnds were developed, and multiple transportation routes were extended to connect Verdanturf Town with other cities, greatly improving essibility.


    The expansion of transportation infrastructure yed a crucial role in facilitating the town''s development, adhering to the principle that building roadses before bing rich.


    Another major change was in the nning of specialty agriculture.


    Verdanturf Town''s development primarily focused on specialty agriculture.


    Previously, agriculture in Verdanturf Towncked scientific nning. Each household acted independently, making it challenging to establishrge-scale production.


    Devon, during his support for Verdanturf Town''s development, enlisted the expertise of numerous agricultural specialists. They provided professional guidance and allocated specific tasks for farming.


    Land suitable for growing flowers was designated exclusively for that purpose, while those suited for grains, vegetables, and fruit trees had their designated caretakers.


    The town''s residents enthusiastically cooperated with Mayor Ishida''s new development n, and under the guidance of agricultural experts, Verdanturf Town rapidly transformed in just over half a year.


    In addition, Devon adopted Yuga''s idea for a butterfly Pok��mon promotion n. With their financial support, and YoYo Day Care responsible for breeding, every household in Verdanturf Town received a butterfly Pok��mon to assist with agricultural cultivation.


    However, Devon''spany wasn''t doing this without benefit. They took responsibility for the purchase and sale of the agricultural products produced in Verdanturf Town.


    These products were cultivated with the assistance of Grass-type Pok��mon from YoYo Day Care, resulting in natural, pollution-free, and delicious crops that were easy to sell. This arrangement created a win-win situation for Devon and Verdanturf Town.


    As Verdanturf Town thrived, the business of YoYo Day Care expanded further. In just over six months, Yuga introduced three rare Pok��mon for sale: Medidite, Swablu, and Vuby. Each of these Pok��mon was introduced every two months.


    Medidite, Swablu, and Vuby were all rare species, and their introduction generated considerable interest. YoYo Day Care''s reputation expanded, especially in other regions.


    Initially, thepany''s reputation wasrgely confined to the Hoenn region, but after the sess of the Wace Cup, YoYo Day Care became associated with Verdanturf Town and was considered a symbol of the town.


    Tourists visiting Verdanturf Town from other areas would often say, "Ah, this is where YoYo Day Care is located! We must pay a visit." Inadvertently, YoYo Day Care became a symbol of Verdanturf Town.


    As Verdanturf Town''s tourism industry improved, YoYo Day Care''s visibility and reputation grew.


    Verdanturf Town was an ideal ce for a holiday, and its sanatorium was already famous even before development. With Devon''s involvement in the town''s development, its reputation naturally expanded.


    Having witnessed Verdanturf Town''s remarkable progress, Yuga as the Gym Leader, couldn''t help but feel a great sense of aplishment.


    During this half-year period, in addition to managing his business and observing the town''s development, most of Yuga''s energy was dedicated to the cultivation of Revival Herbs.


    Cultivating Revival Herbs was not an easy task, and the Revival Herbs he brought back from Nameless Ind were specially nted in a newly established medicinal field, which he carefully tended to daily.


    Initially, the Revival Herbs he nted seemed to wither, possibly due to Yuga''s less-than-professional transntation techniques, and some nearly didn''t survive.


    Thankfully, Florges managed to revive them. Later, Yuga discovered that, as long as Florges used her abilities on the Revival Herb field periodically, the Revival Herbs grew more vigorously.


    What the Ho-oh''s mes could do, Yuga found that his Florges could do as well, living up to her divinity.


    As for the Revival Herb seeds gifted by Nidoking, Yuga found it much easier to grow them. With experience, he nted them, and they sprouted sessfully within a short time, with a 100% germination rate.


    Regarding the Moon Stones enveloped with Revival Herb energy, Yuga had not yet figured out their specific function, so he handed them over to three Mmar for research.


    However, the Mmar had no time to investigate the Moon Stones; they were engrossed in researching the Supreme-grade Evolution Stones that Yuga had assigned to them.


    Since taking on this task, the three Mmar had been tirelessly researching, and although Yuga wasn''t aware of the specific progress, he heard from the Meowstic that their research had yielded some results.


    Back when the Meowstic served under the Mmar, although the Mmar made them theirb assistants, they often kept the details of their experiments secret. The Meowstic hardly learned anything during that time.


    However, after the Meowstic became the supervisors of the Mmar and actively participated in their research, things changed. The Mmar allowed them to be involved in the entire research process, answered questions when asked, and the Meowstic gradually acquired a wealth of knowledge from the Mmar.


    Surprisingly, these three Mmar were not well-behaved individuals, but they were extremely devoted to scientific research, never resorting to deception. Yuga appreciated this about them.


    Psychic-type Pok��mon were known for their intelligence, and while the Meowstic''s potential wascking, and they didn''t usually train, spending most of their time with the Mmar in theb, they had begun to exhibit the spirit of researchers.


    One day, while Yuga and Florges were checking the growth of the Revival Herbs in the herb field, Dartrix suddenly flew in, reporting that the Meowstic had an urgent matter to discuss.


    Not long after Yuga returned from Johto, Rowlet evolved into Dartrix. During these six months, Yuga had been paying significant attention to training Dartrix, along with Snover and Kartana. Now, all three of them had made remarkable progress in their strength.


    Upon hearing Dartrix''s message, Yuga promptly put down his work and, with Dartrix, headed for the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark.


    When Yuga arrived at theboratory in the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark, he found not only the three Mmar, two Meowstic, and several Magnemite responsible for powering theboratory but also three Lapras.


    "Lapras!"


    "Lapras..."


    "Lapras! Lapras?"


    The moment Yuga stepped into theb, he witnessed three Mmar excitedly waving their tentacles at the three Lapras. If their powers hadn''t been sealed by Deoxys, Yuga would have suspected they were about to shred the Lapras before his eyes.


    Seeing Yuga enter, the two Meowstic immediately ran to his side and began enthusiastically exining their research findings.


    After listening to the Meowstic''s report, Yuga turned his amazed gaze towards the three Lapras and activated his Insight.


    ...


    Lapras (1)


    Type: Water/Ice


    Ability: Water Absorb


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Yellow


    Level: 20


    Moves: Sing, Water Gun, Growl, Water Pulse, Ice Beam


    ...


    Lapras (2)


    Type: Water/Ice


    Ability: Water Absorb


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Yellow


    Level: 26


    Moves: Sing, Growl, Haze, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Foresight


    ...


    Lapras (3)


    Type: Water/Ice


    Ability: Shell Armor


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 31


    Moves: Sing, Growl, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Icy Wind, Ice Beam, Dragon Pulse


    ...


    The Lapras in Yuga''s Ecopark belonged to the same family as his main Pok��mon, Lapras, and were brought from the Team Aqua''s branchboratory. Yuga was well aware of their potentials, which were mostly red or orange, with no green potential Lapras in sight.


    But here before him was a Lapras with a green potential.


    "Is this your research result?" Yuga asked the Meowstic excitedly.


    While he had heard the Meowstic mention that they had made some progress in their research, he hadn''t anticipated such a huge surprise.


    The Meowstic nodded, then retrieved a slender vial from theboratory''s freezer, containing a pale blue liquid.


    The excited Mmar had calmed down by this point. They saw the Meowstic presenting their achievement to Yuga and wore expressions of pride, eagerly awaiting Yuga''s praise.


    Taking the vial from the Meowstic, Yuga observed the pale blue liquid while listening to the Meowstic''s report on the experiment''s process.


    Since the three Mmar had received the Supreme-grade Ice Stone that Yuga had given them, they had been diligently researching. They found the same unique substance in the Supreme-grade Ice Stone, Supreme-grade Leaf Stone, Moon Stone, and Sun Stone that Yugater gave them.


    However, extracting this special substance was challenging, and it couldn''t be separated independently. Each extraction would carry the energy from the Evolution stone, and once extracted, it was difficult to separate the substance from the energy. The substance, enveloped and attached to the energy, proved difficult to study for its unique properties.


    One time, the female Meowstic identally mixed the Ghost Sea Sea Water used for research in theb with the special substance extracted by the Mmar. Shortly afterward, the Mmar discovered that the energy attached to the special substance was rapidly disappearing and dissolving.


    Moreover, under the influence of Ghost Sea Sea Water, this substance began to regenerate at a high speed, resembling microorganisms, quickly multiplying.


    Ghost Sea Sea Water was not real water but a special substance capable of absorbing life energy, and no one would have anticipated its reaction with the special substance in the Supreme-grade Evolution Stones.


    Subsequent research revealed that this special substance within the Supreme-grade Evolution Stones was the key to changing a Pok��mon''s potential.


    Further study showed that this particr substance in the Supreme-grade Evolution Stones, although not a microorganism itself, was a secretion of a special extinct microorganism in the Pok��mon world. This secretion acted as a protection mechanism for the microorganisms that produced it, much like coral secretion protecting the microorganisms creating coral.


    While this secretion could alter a Pok��mon''s potential, it was not easily absorbed by Pok��mon themselves, which is why it would be absorbed by Pok��mon through the Evolution Stones acting as a medium.


    Extracting this substance from the Supreme-grade Evolution Stones would not allow it to be put back into the stones, so the Mmar found another method, utilizing the elemental energy separated in the four prisms within theboratory.


    Once this special substance was turned into a potion using these elemental energies, it could be easily absorbed by Pok��mon.


    However, there was one catch. When extracting this substance from Supreme-grade Evolution Stones, then using Ghost Sea Sea Water to multiply it, even though one Supreme-grade Evolution Stone could make several bottles of the potion, the potion''s effect was not as potent as the Supreme-grade Evolution Stones.


    Originally, one Supreme-grade Evolution Stone could elevate a Pok��mon from green potential to blue potential, whereas the potion could only raise the potential from yellow to green, and it was not a guaranteed sess. This could be seen as trading quantity for quality.

 Chapter 959: Resurrection

    <h4>Chapter 959: Resurrection</h4>


    After listening to the research report from the three Mmar, Yuga spected that the microorganisms capable of secreting a special substance were likely specialized parasites that lived on evolution stone veins.


    Furthermore, when this microorganism''s special substance encountered regr evolution stones, it had the ability to transform them into supreme-grade evolution stones.


    However, the formation of evolution stone veins generally took billions of years to evolve, making it challenging to deduce how supreme-grade evolution stones were formed.


    These microorganisms had been living on evolution stones for tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions of years. The reason they remained undiscovered until now was because the energy in the evolution stones they were bound to was difficult to separate. Even if the special substance in supreme-grade evolution stones was extracted, it was challenging to study.


    If it weren''t for Meowstic inadvertently using Ghost Sea Sea Water to dissolve the energy enveloping the special substance, the three Mmar would have struggled to understand the material extracted from supreme-grade evolution stones.


    However, even if the secret of supreme-grade evolution stones was unraveled, it didn''t have a significant impact on Yuga. This was because the amount of special substance that could be extracted from one evolution stone was extremely limited.


    While the special substance extracted from one supreme-grade evolution stone could be used to create several bottles of evolution potion, supreme-grade evolution stones were already quite rare, and they were not renewable resources. With the few supreme-grade evolution stones Yuga had, he couldn''t produce a substantial amount of evolution potion.


    If only this special substance could be regenerated! It was at this moment that Yuga suddenly thought of Mewtwo.


    Mewtwo was a clone created by Team Rocket based on Mew''s genes.


    If Team Rocket could use cloning technology to replicate a Pok��mon almost on par with Level 1 Legendary Pok��mon, Mewtwo, then wouldn''t it be reasonable for Yuga to clone ancient microorganisms?


    As long as these microorganisms could be resurrected, it would mean a continuous source of special substance production and the ability to create many evolution potions.


    Although the effects of evolution potions were not as potent as supreme-grade evolution stones, as they could only raise a Pok��mon''s potential from yellow to green, it was sufficient for Yuga.


    So, Yuga shared this idea with the three Mmar, who found it very intriguing and practical, agreeing that Yuga''s proposal was feasible.


    The special substance within supreme-grade evolution stones contains the genes of these microorganisms, making it theoretically possible to resurrect them through cloning technology.


    However, the field of gics was not an area the three Mmar had deep expertise in. Achieving results in this area in a short period seemed unlikely.


    Yuga''s proposal appeared to open new doors for the three Mmar, and they disyed a deep fascination with gic technology, almost as if they were eager to start researching it immediately, disying the enthusiasm of true scientific enthusiasts.


    These three Mmar indeed had extraordinary talents in scientific research. If they hadn''t fallen into Yuga''s hands, who knows what kind of chaos they might have caused in the future.


    However, the Mmar''s previous expertise was primarily in researching Pok��mon''s elemental energy, including energy collection, conversion, and preservation, which was significantly different from the field of gics.


    Furthermore, the currentboratorycked the necessary equipment for gic research, and Yuga would need to purchase additional equipment, which would cost a substantial amount of money.


    Scientific research activities often required significant investments. YoYo Day Care''s business was doing well, and Yuga was not short on funds. When you earned more money, you naturally spent more.


    For Yuga, acquiring the necessary research equipment wasn''t a major issue. Devon Corporation had manyboratories under its umbre, and Yuga had ess to specialized equipment production facilities. With his current rtionship with Devon, procuring state-of-the-art equipment was not a problem.


    After agreeing to swiftly send over the required research equipment for the Mmar, Yuga left the Ecopark.


    As he stepped into the store, Yuga saw amercial on the television that caught his attention.


    The advertisement promoted a product from Devon Corporation, specifically a Fossil Revival Device.


    A Fossil Revival Device? Yuga was very surprised. The existence of a Fossil Revival Device meant that having Fossil Pok��mon in the hands of trainers would no longer be a rarity in the future.


    Thinking about it, Yuga realized he yed a small part in the creation of the Fossil Revival Device.


    There was a pre-existing ancient nt research institute in Verdanturf Town, and it was owned by Devon Corporation. The primary purpose of establishing this institute was to support research on the Fossil Revival Device.


    The Stone family, father, and son, were both fossil enthusiasts. The Fossil Revival Device had been a project they had been researching for quite some time, but progress had not been smooth.


    Later, the Ancient nt Research Institute borrowed Yuga''s Cradily, and from it, they found a clearer research direction, elerating the creation of the Fossil Revival Device.


    While Cradily didn''t y a pivotal role in this process, it had at least provided some inspiration.


    The birth of the Fossil Revival Device held monumental significance. It meant that ancient Pok��mon, which once only appeared in the form of fossils, would now be able to meet trainers and researchers.


    It was a romantic meeting of species across time and space, appealing to both trainers and scientists.


    Devon Corporation promoted the Fossil Revival Device vigorously, and it quickly spread throughout the Pok��mon world, causing a significant stir. Countless people were eager to get a piece of the action.


    It wasmon knowledge that the Fossil Revival Device held enormous potential for profit.


    Unfortunately, Devon Corporation had no intentions of selling the Fossil Revival Device directly, at least not for now.


    They would only grant ess to the device, allowing people to bring their own fossils to Devon''s subsidiary research facilities and pay to use the Fossil Revival Device.


    While other entities were envious of the significant benefits that the Fossil Revival Device could bring, Devon Corporation, with its wealth and power, couldn''t be forced into doing something they didn''t want to do. So others could only watch from afar, unable to act.


    Learning about the creation of the Fossil Revival Device, Yuga had been pondering whether it could also be used to revive microorganisms that lived during the same era as fossil Pok��mon.


    Even if it wasn''t possible, the Fossil Revival Device would surely provide some inspiration for the research conducted by the Mmar.


    Therefore, when he contacted Devon Corporation to purchase the necessary gic research equipment, he also expressed his interest in acquiring a Fossil Revival Device.


    Initially, he was just testing the waters and didn''t expect to seed. After all, the Fossil Revival Device had just been introduced. However, shortly after, Steven contacted him directly, stating their intention to gift Yuga a Fossil Revival Device as a token of appreciation.


    Yuga was surprised by Devon Corporation''s generosity, but Steven exined that Yuga''s Cradily had provided significant inspiration for their research. This Fossil Revival Device was a thank-you gift from Devon to Yuga.


    With the Fossil Revival Device in his possession, Yuga could not only assist the Mmar in their gic experiments but also use the fossil he obtained from Steven initially.


    Devon Corporation had high efficiency in handling these matters, and soon, the research equipment Yuga ordered, along with the Fossil Revival Device, was delivered to Verdanturf Town.


    The people from the Ancient nt Research Institute, who also received a Fossil Revival Device for their research, were the ones who brought the equipment to Yuga. This was the reason the devices from both institutions were delivered to Verdanturf Town together.


    The Fossil Revival Device had be a hot topic everywhere, and the other members of the YoYo Day Care and the Verdanturf Gym, upon hearing that Yuga had acquired one, gathered around out of curiosity to see what it looked like.


    Yuga intended to install the Fossil Revival Device in the gym, so when the staff from the Ancient nt Research Institute brought the equipment, Yuga asked them to transport it to the gym.


    The Fossil Revival Device was quite massive, with numerous independentponents. To facilitate transportation, it was disassembled when delivered, and professionals were needed toe and assemble it.


    Yuga receivedprehensive service. Once the equipment was delivered, Devon Corporation''s personnel assisted in its assembly.


    Once the device was set up, the children at the gym excitedly requested Yuga to revive some Pok��mon for them to see.


    Since it was currently the winter vacation and the new year had just begun, the children at the gym hadn''t yet returned to school. Instead, they spent their days diligently training with Hokuto.


    Seeing their high spirits, Yuga agreed, and he was eager to try the machine himself.


    He took out a prepared fossil and ced it in the device''s chamber. With guidance from the instation personnel, Yuga quickly learned how to operate the Fossil Revival Device.


    Before activating the device, it was necessary to inject a specific revival fluid into the chamber where the fossil was ced. This revival fluid was developed by Devon Corporation, specifically for resurrecting fossil Pok��mon, and it was a crucial element in ensuring a sessful revival.


    Devon had included a batch of this revival fluid as aplimentary gift when they provided Yuga with the Fossil Revival Device.


    While this batch was given for free, should Yuga wish to continue using it in the future, he''d have to purchase it from Devon Corporation, and it wasn''t cheap. The production cost of the revival fluid for a single Pok��mon revival exceeded 100,000, making it even more expensive when requested by external parties.


    The first fossil Yuga ced in the device was a w Fossil, which meant that the revived Pok��mon would be an ancient Anorith.


    Yuga had never encountered this type of Pok��mon, and unresurrected fossils were challenging to decipher even for his keen eye, so he was filled with anticipation for what would emerge from the Fossil Revival Device.


    After the device had been running for two hours, the chamber door made a slow hissing sound as it opened. Inside, both the w Fossil and the revival fluid had disappeared, leaving behind a tiny bug-like Pok��mon.


    This Pok��mon was roughly the size of an adult''s forearm, covered in a green-brown exoskeleton. It had feather-like appendages on both sides of its body andrge, round eyes.


    The children watched in awe, holding their breath as they observed the newly resurrected Anorith. They were afraid of startling it.


    However, this freshly revived Anorith appeared to be very timid and fearful in the presence of unfamiliar beings and surroundings. It took a few cautious steps back and swiftly scuttled up the wall, disying remarkable agility.


    Yuga was about to approach and observe this Anorith, but it immediately issued a sharp, warning cry, making it clear that he should stay away. The ear-piercing noise seemed capable of shattering eardrums.


    From this sound, Yuga could discern the Anorith''s confusion, fear, and wariness.


    Concerned that the Anorith might flee if they didn''t act swiftly, Yuga decided to capture it. He would address the soothing aspect once the Pok��mon was safely in their possession.


    Seeing the Anorith on the wall, which was now making hostile sounds to keep them away, Yuga released his Snover.


    After over half a year of training, while Snover hadn''t evolved into its final form, its strength had improved significantly. Dealing with a newly resurrected Anorith should pose no problem.


    "Snover, use Icy Wind!"


    The newly revived Anorith was a Water-type Pok��mon, but it lived in the warm climate of Hoenn, making it highly susceptible to the cold. The Ice-type move would be effective in limiting its movements.


    A chilling breeze, under Snover''s control, was directed toward the Anorith on the wall.


    However, this small Anorith was exceptionally swift. It flitted and leaped to the ceiling in a fraction of a second, then transformed into a projectile and dove towards Snover.


    Despite its small size and young age, this Anorith was indeed an ancient Pok��mon, and even in its frightened state, it exhibited no hesitation in attacking. The collision between its Metal w and Snover''s Wood Hammer created a resounding impact.


    Bam!


    Snover managed to block the Anorith''s assault with its Wood Hammer in the nick of time. The sh of Metal w and Wood Hammer created a tremendous noise.


    The Anorith, despite its determination, couldn''t match Snover''s strength. With a strike from Snover''s Wood Hammer, it was sent flying and crashed into the wall behind it, eventually losing consciousness.


    ...


    Anorith


    Type: Rock/Bug


    Ability: Battle Armor


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Yellow


    Level: 22


    Moves: Scratch, Harden, Fury Cutter, Metal w, Water Gun


    This particr Anorith had average potential, but fossil Pok��mon were inherently valuable. Not everyone could gather a collection of fossilized Pok��mon.


    Fossil Pok��mon possessed both breeding and research value.


    ording to the people from Devon Corporation who helped install the device, the strength of a revived Pok��mon would correspondingly decrease based on the condition of the fossil. In other words, any revived Pok��mon couldn''t maintain its full powerpared to its state before fossilization.


    While Snover and Anorith battled, the children had long since retreated outside the room, waiting for Yuga to capture Anorith in a Pok�� Ball before reentering.


    Subsequently, under the children''s enthusiastic gaze, Yuga revived a Lileep, a Shieldon, and an Omanyte. These three Pok��mon wereparatively less aggressive than the Anorith.


    Of course, that was a rtive assessment.


    Reviving fossil Pok��mon was time-consuming. By the time these three Pok��mon were revived, it had be entirely dark outside. Yuga had more fossils to revive, but he decided to continue another day since the remaining revival fluid was limited.

 Chapter 960: New Sub-Ecopark

    <h4>Chapter 960: New Sub-Ecopark</h4>


    In order to revive more fossil Pok��mon, Yuga spent money to order a significant amount of revival fluid from Devon Corporation. Over the past few months, he had gradually revived numerous fossil Pok��mon.


    After calming them down, Yuga ced these fossil Pok��mon in the Ecopark.


    Time passed by in the blink of an eye, and as the footsteps of spring arrived, Verdanturf Town had already be lush and full of life,pletely unaware that the winter had passed.


    Once this spring came, it marked four full years since Yuga had arrived in the Pok��mon world, and he had just turned twenty.


    On this day, Yuga was in his store, as usual, weing the constant stream of customers. The YoYo Day Care business was thriving.


    Meanwhile, something interesting was happening in the Ecopark.


    In the past few months, Yuga had used the Fossil Revival Device to gradually resurrect many fossil Pok��mon.


    To revive these Pok��mon, Yuga had spent a considerable amount of money ordering revival fluid from Devon Corporation. Finally, he managed to resurrect all the fossils Steven had given him and those he had obtained in Oldale Town.


    Among them was an Aerodactyl.


    This Aerodactyl had the highest potential among all the resurrected fossil Pok��mon, and it was the only one with a blue potential rating.


    This Aerodactyl must have been of a high level before it turned into Old Amber, so even though its level had decreased significantly after being revived, its strength was still quite impressive.


    When it was first revived, the Aerodactyl caused quite amotion. In order to tame it, Yuga almost destroyed the room where the Fossil Revival Device was ced.


    Due to its previous strength, this resurrected Aerodactyl had a somewhat arrogant personality. Even after Yuga managed to tame it, it still enjoyed causing trouble in the Ecopark.


    Most flying-type Pok��mon were ced in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, and the Aerodactyl was no exception.


    In the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, everyone knew the newly arrived Aerodactyl had a proud personality and liked to pick on the children, so they usually kept their distance.


    However, this did not include the Dragon-type Pok��mon, who were known for their proud personalities. Today, Yuga''s Noivern had a confrontation with the Aerodactyl.


    The Aerodactyl and the Noivern had very simr body sizes and builds, so when the Aerodactyl saw the Noivern, it immediately became annoyed and started provoking it.


    Noivern wasn''t one to back down; it was also a prominent figure in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, so when provoked, it naturally sought to retaliate. As a result, the two Pok��mon engaged in a battle with a few words exchanged.


    However, Noivern was still quite young and simply no match for the battle-hardened fossil Aerodactyl from ancient times. It didn''t take long for Noivern to admit defeat.


    As the saying goes, the loser must bow, and while Noivern was proud, it was a good sport. Instead of getting angry after its defeat, it found Aerodactyl to be quite gant and, as a result, developed a liking for it.


    But this entire brawl was witnessed by another Pok��mon, the passing Smence, who was not happy at all.


    (���) I can''t even bring myself to scold my own child, and this brat has the audacity to go so far!


    Smence was naturally a hot-tempered Pok��mon, and it couldn''t stand seeing its child getting a beating.


    Smence had evolved from Shelgon some time ago, although it had evolved to its final stageter than Noivern. However, Noivern, Zweilous, and Smence had grown up together and had received lessons from Dragonite''s mother and Druddigon. Their bond was far from ordinary.


    Seeing Noivern take a beating, Smence roared and charged towards Aerodactyl, raising its ws to strike at Aerodactyl''s face.


    Witnessing the ferocious charge of Smence, Noivern was momentarily stunned.


    ((((;�㧥��)))) Sis... stop!


    Smence''s fierce aura instantly attracted Aerodactyl''s attention.


    Oh, you think you''re more arrogant than me?


    Aerodactyl swung its long tail, using its Iron Tail move to counter Smence''s Dragon w.


    With a stronger opponent in sight, Aerodactyl immediately cast Noivern aside and engaged in a fight with Smence.


    While Smence had evolvedter than Noivern, it was still Pseudo-Legendary Pokemon. it was more powerful than Noivern. The battle between Smence and Aerodactyl was intense, with neither giving in.


    Noivern, seeing its sister in a fight and with the one it had a crush on, felt very anxious. However, the two on the opposite side were getting more and more into it, and it even seemed like they were bing heated. Noivern, being a novice, couldn''t intervene.


    Suddenly, Noivern had an idea: Yes, I can go find my big brother Zweilous! Zweilous big brother will surely be able to stop Smence sister!


    So Noivern turned to find Zweilous, but it had forgotten that Zweilous was also quite temperamental, as evident by its name.


    Upon hearing Noivern''s report that its big baby was in a fight with another Pok��mon, Zweilous was frantic. It dashed towards Smence''s location on all fours, not letting Noivern finish its sentence.


    (��)�� Noivern extended its wed hand: Wait, I haven''t finished talking...


    Zweilous and Smence had secretly been in love since their Shelgon days, even after Shelgon evolved into Smence. Although these two hotheaded Pok��mon often fighting over Smanece, Zweilous will not going to tolerate anyone bullying their big baby.


    Zweilous rushed to the scene, where Aerodactyl and Smence were in a fierce fight that showed no signs of ending. It had be a crowd-pleaser, but no one dared to intervene in the battle.


    Various Pok��mon in the vicinity: This is a joke; neither of these two is to be messed with, offending either of them will lead to trouble.


    Honchkrow leader and Swellow Leader received word about the situation but decided to stay out of it, as they had gained some experience overseeing the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark over the years.


    A fight had to happen to establish the situation; not fighting would leave everyone in the dark, and if anyone got injured, they could just go get healed by the Chanseys.


    So the couple didn''t interfere.


    Zweilous was very anxious watching the fight in the air between Smence and Aerodactyl. But it couldn''t fly! It couldn''t reach the two in the sky.


    Bang!


    Smence took an idental hit from Aerodactyl''s Rock Slide, falling from the sky and creating a massive crater on the ground.


    Seeing this, Zweilous''s eyes turned red (does Zweilous even have eyes?): Why can''t I fly!


    In its anxiety, Zweilous began to evolve.


    At that moment, other Pok��mon suddenly noticed a white light emitting from Zweilous, and its body started to change.


    Could it be... an evolution?


    Most of the Pok��mon had gone through evolution in one way or another, and even if they hadn''t eaten pork, they''d seen the pig run, so the onlookers immediately recognized the signs of Zweilous''s evolution.


    Smence, lying in the crater, had only be aware of Zweilous''s presence when other Pok��mon began to exim. It had been so absorbed in the fight that it hadn''t paid attention to its surroundings.


    "Roar!"


    Zweilouspleted its evolution quickly, bing Hydreigon. Its appearance became even more menacing.


    Hydreigon, still getting used to its new body, wobbled up into the sky. It flew to the other side of Aerodactyl, opened its mouth, and released a Dragon Pulse, knocking Aerodactyl to the ground.


    After evolving into Hydreigon, Zweilous became even stronger than Smence.


    Aerodactyl, lying beside Smence, looked quite puzzled: Who was that? Did I offend it? Did I mess with a dragon''s nest today?


    Smence saw Zweilous''s evolution and was overjoyed. It quickly flew up to Hydreigon and warmly embraced it.


    Smence: We look even more perfect now.


    Hydreigon: Yeah, do you like it?


    Smence: I love it. You look so cool.


    Hydreigon (internally): (��) Blushing a bit from the praise.


    Smence (internally): He looks fierce, but he''s kinda cute.


    ...


    Onlookers: We''ve just watched nothing...


    Aerodactyl, lying on the ground, and Noivern, who had rushed over: Phew, that was satisfying!


    In the shop,


    Yuga had just seen a customer out when he suddenly heard a message from the system in his mind.


    [ Congrattions, host, onpleting the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark activation task. ]


    Upon hearing this, Yuga was momentarily stunned. Completed? Does that mean Zweilous has evolved after all this time?


    Finally, after such a long time, the task for the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark waspleted. Yuga''s mood lifted significantly. He turned to Suzuki Koen, shouting loudly, "Sister Koen, keep an eye on the shop for a while. I need to leave for something important."


    Suzuki Koen, who was busy at the checkout, barely looked up and responded, "Got it, go ahead."


    However, Suzuki Koen then considered, "Maybe I should suggest to the boss that we hire another salesperson? The shop is getting busier."


    When Yuga arrived at the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, he saw Aerodactyl lying on the ground in a sorry state, while Smence and Hydreigon were showing affection for each other in the sky. Nearby Pok��mon were buzzing with discussions.


    Curious Pokemon A, who came to see what''s happening: I just arrived. What happened?


    Informed Pokemon B, who had seen the action: Smence got into a fight, which triggered Zweilous''s evolution!


    Clueless Pokemon C: Is it that intense?


    Sarcastic Pokemon D: Not only intense, but also quite full.


    Bewildered Pokemon E: Why?


    Insightful Pokemon F: It''s the result of a dog food battle.


    As the Pok��mon G, H, I, and others turned to leave, they had excuses ready: "I need to go, my spouse is waiting at home."


    The single Pok��mon without partners: ...


    Yuga, the single guy: ...


    But then, a Chansey named Roundy, who had been summoned by the Honchkrow leader and leader of the Swellow, added: We don''t have partners either. Should we ask the boss to find us one?


    After Roundy healed Aerodactyl, Yuga gave a stern talking to the Aerodactyl to behave more responsibly.


    Aerodactyl protested: Why am I being scolded when I''m the one who got beaten up worse?


    However, Aerodactyl knew very well that it was no match for Yuga, so it took the scolding quite humbly.


    After disciplining Aerodactyl, Yuga eagerly headed to the main Ecopark to activate the new Sub-Ecopark, the Dragon''s Den.


    ording to the system''s description, this Sub-Ecopark, just like the previous Insect Paradise, was a special Sub-Ecopark, but Yuga had no idea what was special about the Dragon''s Den.


    Yuga was already an expert in the steps to activate Sub-Ecoparks. When a new light gate appeared in the main Ecopark, he confidently walked through.


    Upon passing through the light gate, Yuga found himself on the edge of ake. Thiske was quite special; the water was the same color as the grass, and it wasn''t transparent.


    After the system introduced it to him, Yuga learned that the Dragon''s Den''s uniquenessy in thiske, much like the Insect Paradise''s insect nest. Thiske was called Dragon Lake.


    Dragon Lake wasn''trge in size, not as big as the centralke on the three inds'' in the Shallow Seashore, but its water was a vivid green, like an unblemished gem set in the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark.


    This Dragon Lake had the remarkable power to shorten the growth period of Dragon-type Pok��mon and increase the reproduction rate. This was like a blessing for Dragon-type Pok��mon with typically low reproduction rates.


    On one side of Dragon Lake was a lush forest. Like other Sub-Ecoparks, this forest was full of berry treesden with all sorts of ripe berrys.


    On the opposite side of Dragon Lakey a grassy expanse, extending towards a sheer cliff.


    Seeing the cliff, Yuga was reminded of the cliff where Virizion used to live in the Cave at underground world of Unova region. The two cliffs were strikingly simr.


    However, the cliff where Virizion lived in the Cave at underground world of Unova region had only the Silver Cave, inhabited by Virizion. In contrast, the cliffs in the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark were filled with numerous caves, bothrge and small.


    These caves would serve as the new homes for the Dragon-type Pok��mon living in this area. Those Pok��mon that can fly coudl reside in the higher caves, while the non-flying ones would settle in the lower caves.


    These caves were responsible for the name of the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark and could also be referred to as the Dragon''s Dens.


    With a general understanding of the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark, Yuga went to notify the various Dragon-type Pok��mon in the Ecopark to start their relocation.


    The Dragon-type Pok��mon living in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, including Dragonite''s mother, Duddrigon, and those in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark like the Altaria n, Noivern, Smence, and Hydreigon, as well as the Horsea n living in the Shallow Sea Sub-Ecopark, would all be moving to the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark.


    Upon hearing the news that the Flygon n from the Desert Sub-Ecopark was relocating, the Gliscor leader of the Gligar n, initially felt excitement and shared the news as if the Gligar n had finally won a victory against the Flygon n. However, after the initial excitement, the Gliscor found it rather dull.


    The Gligar n and the Flygon n had been neighbors for a thousand years, and their ancestors were evenrades in arms. They had grudges, unexined bonds, and aplex history between them. Now that the two ns suddenly were parting ways, the Gliscor couldn''t help but feel a deep sense of nostalgia.


    As for Noivern, who was moving with Smence and Hydreigon, to the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark, it was reluctant to leave Aerodactyl behind. So, Noivern invited Aerodactyl to join them. Surprisingly, Aerodactyl agreed without hesitation.


    Despite the name and dragon-like appearance, Aerodactyl had no Dragon-type attributes or ssification. Strictly speaking, it had nothing to do with actual Dragons.


    However, Aerodactyl was fascinated by the caves on the cliffs of the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark. Before turning into Old Amber, it had lived on a simr cliff.


    In the end, living was living, and it wanted to choose a ce it liked. Compared to the bare Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark suited its preference better.

 Chapter 961: Ecopark Pokemon Data Compilation

    <h4>Chapter 961: Ecopark Pokemon Data Comption</h4>


    Main Ecopark:


    - Nana (Sasha): Gardevoir''s


    - Audino (pseudo-Elite)


    - Great Flygon(pseudo-Elite)


    - Wigglytuff


    - Medidite, Medicham n


    - Buneary, Lopunny n


    - Natu, Xatu n


    - Mr. Mime couple


    - Gardevoir (Female) and Gade couple �� Gade (Blue potential)


    - Gade 2


    - Gardevoir 2


    ...


    Desert Sub-Ecopark:


    1st Oasis:


    - Snox


    - Ursaring + Pangoro


    - Pancham 2


    - Kecleon couple �� baby Kecleon


    - Pikachu n


    2nd Oasis:


    - Gligar, Gliscor n


    3rd Oasis: None


    ...


    Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark:


    In the Sea:


    - Cradily + Lileep


    - Cloyster 2


    - Kabuto + Kabutops


    - Sharpedo n


    - Omanyte


    - Cors 2


    - Dewgong


    - Sharpedo


    - Lapras n


    - uncher, witzer n


    - mperl, Huntail, Gorebyss n


    1st Lake Ind:


    - Greninja (Elite)


    - Wartortle (Blue potential)


    - Milotic (Blue potential), Gyarados (pseudo-Elute: Blue Potential)


    - Feebas, Melotic n


    - Slowbro


    - Slowking


    - Poliwrath


    2nd Lake Ind:


    - Hoppip, Skiploom, Jumpluff n


    - Oddish, Gloom, Bellossom, Vileplume n


    3rd Lake Ind:


    - Archen (Champion)


    - Vuby, Mandibuzz n


    - Rufflet, Braviary n


    ...


    Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark:


    - Masquerain 2


    - Sceptile (1 Blue + 5 Green)


    - Serperior (1 Blue + 2 Green)


    - Petilil, Lilligant n (little)


    - Bounsweet, Steenee, Tsareena (little)


    - Bellossom 2


    - Cea, Cacturne (little)


    - Exeggcute, Exeggutor (little)


    - Fomantis, Lurantis (little)


    - Shroomish, Breloom (little)


    - Skido, Gogoat (little)


    - Amoonguss


    - Whimsicott


    - Diglet, Dugtrio n


    - Aromatisse


    - b��b��, Floette n


    - Tang n


    ...


    Grasnd Sub-Ecopark:


    - Noctowl (Elite) + Chatot �� Noctowl


    - Honchkrow leader + Swellow leader �� Murkrow


    - Murkrow, Honchkrow n


    - Taillow, Swellow n


    - Zubat, Golbat, Crobat n


    - Starly, Staravia, Staraptor n + Pidgeot


    - Linoone and Mightyena couple


    - Pachirisu n


    - Miltank n


    - Tauros n


    - Persian + Delcatty 3


    - Ampharos 4


    - Liepard and Zoroark couple (offspring: Liepard and Zoroark)


    - Swampert (1 Blue + 4 Green)


    - Lombre 4


    - Chansey 6 (MeiMei, YuanYuan, QiuQiu, TuanTuan, AiAi, PangPang)


    ...


    Volcano Sub-Ecopark:


    - Volcarona (Elite)


    - Vivillon


    - Nales leader (Blue) and Houndoom leader (Blue) �� Nales


    - Vulpix, Nales n


    - Houndour, Houndoom n


    - Cyndaquil, Quva, Typhlosion n


    - Darumaka, Darmanitan n


    - Ponyta, Rapidash n


    - Umbreon (Blue: Male), Espeon (Female)


    - Jolteon (Blue: Male), Sylveon (Female)


    - Vaporeon (Blue: Female), Vaporeon (Male)


    - Leafeon: Female �� Eevee


    - ceon: Female �� Eevee


    - reon (Male), reon (Female)


    - Litleo n


    - Arcanine (Elite: Blue) �� Growlithe (Blue)


    ...


    Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark:


    in the Ghost Sea:


    - Jellicent (Blue), Jellicent (Pink) �� Frilish (Blue)


    Stone Castle No.1:


    - Litwick, Lampent, Chandelure n


    Stone Castle No. 2:


    - Misdreavus, Mismagius n


    - Gastly, Haunter, Gengar, Dusclops, and more


    Stone Castle No. 3:


    - Mmar 3


    - Meowstic (Male and Female) 2


    ...


    Mine Sub-Ecopark:


    - Giant Steelix (Elite)


    - Aron, Lairon, Aggron n


    - Magnemite, Maon, Magnezone


    ...


    Insect Paradise Sub-Ecopark:


    - Ariados (Shiny) + Galvant


    - Spinarak, Joltik n


    - Wurmple, Cascoon, Silcoon, Beautifly, and Dustox n


    - Vespiquen (Elite:Blue) �� Combee (Restored)


    - Vespiquen No. 2 �� Combee (Restored) + Ribombee (Reserve)


    - Scatterbug, Spewpa, Vivillon n


    - Scyther n


    - Kairos n


    - Beedril 2


    ...


    Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark:


    - Dragonite''s mother (Champion)


    - Duddrigon (Elite)


    - Smence (Female), Hydreigon (Male)


    - Noivern (Female), Aerodactyl (Male)


    - Swablu, Altaria n


    - Horsea, Seadra, Kingdra n


    - Trapinch, Vibrava, Flygon n


    ...

 Chapter 962: Newcomer

    <h4>Chapter 962: Neer</h4>


    With the arrival of spring, more and more tourists came to Verdanturf Town for sightseeing.


    They found that everywhere they looked, they could see flying butterfly-like Pok��mon, some were elegant Beautifly, and others were colorful Vivillon, adorning the entire Verdanturf Town with a riot of colors.


    Sometimes, these beautiful butterfly-like Pok��mon gathered inrge numbers, dancing gracefully around Verdanturf Town, creating a colorful rainbow bridge in the sky, making it a great spectacle.


    In the fields, gardens, and grasnds of Verdanturf Town, there were diligent butterfly-like Pok��mon spreading pollen and collecting nectar.


    It could be said that these hardworking butterfly-like Pok��mon and Grass-type Pok��mon were the main force supporting the prosperity and vitality of Verdanturf Town.


    At the same time, in Yuga''s Ecopark, the Bug-type Pok��mon in the Insect Paradise Sub-Ecopark seemed to have be unusually active with the arrival of spring.


    Spring was the time for Bug-type Pok��mon to reproduce, and even the Bug-type Pok��mon living in the Ecopark were no exception. Pairs of Bug-type Pok��monid Pok��mon eggs in their nests.


    When this batch of Pok��mon eggs hatched, a new group of Bug-type Pok��mon, primarilyposed of fast-reproducing butterfly-like Pok��mon, would be added into the Insect Paradise.


    As soon as the new Bug-type Pok��mon hatched, Yuga would immediately send a group of butterfly-like Pok��mon to Little Drew''s flower cultivation base. Spring was an important season for them.


    Spring was destined to be a busy season.


    Yuga''s Vivillon had already been at the top of the insect nest in the Insect Paradise for so many days.


    These days, it has been lying still, motionless, with its eyes tightly closed, not eating or drinking, as if it has fallen into a deep slumber. Its response to the outside world is quite dull, with only its beautiful wings slowly pping, asionally emitting a faint, sparkling white light.


    Volcarona asionally visits the Insect Paradise to check on its wife. However, every time it sees its wife in this state, it returns to the Volcano Sub-Ecopark in a despondent manner.


    The current half-awake, half-asleep state of Vivillon is not due to any mishap but a normal sign of its breakthrough.


    For fragile Bug-type Pok��mon like Vivillon, breaking through to the Elite level is a significant challenge that requires extensive umtion.


    For nearly a year since Yuga returned from Johto to Verdanturf Town, Vivillon has been umting energy in the Insect Paradise and rarely leaves the Ecopark. Every day, it absorbs arge amount of scales powder. And recently, it reached the critical point for breaking through to the Elite level.


    As the Butterfly King, Vivillon automatically makes all butterfly-like Pok��mon in the Insect Paradise submit to its rule. Every day, a group of butterfly-like Pok��mon takes turns to offer scales powder to Vivillon.


    With great respect, the butterfly-like Pok��mon fly above Vivillon, forming a circle, then p their wings to scatter shiny scales powder onto Vivillon.


    Although Vivillon''s perception of the outside world is weak, it is highly sensitive to the scales powder offered by the butterfly-like Pok��mon. Even with its eyes closed, whenever the scales powder are showered in the air, its wings will generate a gentle breeze, carrying those scales powder towards it.


    When those shimmering scales powder touch Vivillon''s wings, they transform into the nourishment it needs to break through.


    Vivillon''s breakthrough has been in progress for more than just a few days. Yuga couldn''t watch over it constantly due to his busy schedule, so he entrusted the task of caring for Vivillon to the manager of the Insect Paradise Sub-Ecopark, Vespiquen No. 1.


    If you were to ask which Pok��mon in the Insect Paradise could rival butterfly-like Pok��mon in terms of quantity, it would undoubtedly be the Combee.


    In the Insect Paradise, most of the Combee are subordinates of Vespiquen No. 1. You could say that Vespiquen No. 1''s influence extends throughout the entire Insect Paradise, and no changes here can escape its watchful eyes.


    Unlike Vespiquen No. 2, who only mingle with Ribombee, Vespiquen No. 1 has many male Combee as its "favorites." These male Combee ensure the rapid reproduction of the Combee poption, so their reproductive rate is much faster than that of Vespiquen No. 2.


    These "favorites" of Vespiquen No. 1 are not her offspring but her brothers.


    Vespiquen No. 2 initially founded her new colony independently. However, Vespiquen No. 1 directly seized her mother''s position and reced her.


    After ascending to the position of the new queen, the children of the old queen, including Vespiquen No. 2''s brothers, be her harem, which ismon practice in the Combeemunity.


    If it weren''t for Latias''s Draco Meteor that killed many Combee in the past, Vespiquen No. 1''s harem would have been evenrger.


    Inparison, Vespiquen No. 2, who exclusively favors Ribombee, is an exception in the Combeemunity, as focusing on a single Pok��mon results in a stagnant poption.


    Fortunately, Vespiquen No. 2 now lives in the peaceful Ecopark, if it was ced in the wild, her small colony would have disappeared long ago.


    The mortality rate of fragile Combee is quite high. Leaving aside natural predators, even strong winds and heavy rains can lead to the death of many Combee who go out to collect nectar.


    Wild Combee sometimes disappear while collecting nectar.


    Without environmental constraints, the Combee poption multiplies rapidly, even with just Vespiquen No. 1 giving birth. They feed on pollen, and there''s an abundance of pollen in Yuga''s Ecopark.


    Breeding with no costs and producing a delicious and nutritious Combee Sweet Honey continuously, Yuga never limits the reproduction of Combee.


    With Combee being in abundance in Yuga''s Ecopark, all the Pok��mon in the Ecopark can enjoy the nutritious sweet honey. The surplus honey is sold to the outside world.


    One day, Vespiquen No. 1 was resting deep inside the hive, suddenly sensing a powerful aura rising from outside, right from the top of the hive. She hurriedly pped her wings and flew out of the hive.


    There''s no need to say; it was definitely due to Vivillon''s breakthrough.


    Not only did Vespiquen No. 1 sense the disturbance caused by Vivillon, but other Bug-type Pok��mon in the Insect Paradise also suddenly felt the imposing presence.


    Vivillon had absorbed the fossil of the Legendary Pok��mon Genesect, but this fossil wasn''t entirely absorbed. A significant amount of energy remained hidden within Vivillon''s body.


    At this moment, as it broke through to the Elite level, the Genesect fossil within Vivillon''s body suddenly emitted an aura unique to Bug-type Legendary Pok��mon. Even Vespiquen No. 1 found it somewhat hard to breathe.


    Suddenly, the pair of wings on Vivillon, which had been half-asleep, started emitting a brilliant white light, as if wrapping Vivillon in a dreamy veil.


    Vivillon slowly folded its wings until they enveloped its entire body, turning it into a cocoon of light.


    This cocoon was pure white, resembling a beautiful pearl. However, this pristine appearance didn''tst for long. Soon, it took on a deep purple hue.


    This deep purple hue originated from the Legendary Pok��mon Genesect.


    In this moment, all the butterfly-like Pok��mon in the hive began to stir. They flew up to the sky, gathering around the top of the hive, forming a dense cluster around Vivillon.


    After a while, the cocoon suddenly released a shockwave that sent all the butterfly-like Pok��mon, gathered around it, tumbling.


    Immediately afterward, the cocoon burst open, and Vivillon reappeared above the hive.


    The moment Vivillon reappeared, all the butterfly-like Pok��monnded on the ground, spreading their wings t, showing their respect to their new leader.


    Vivillon gently fluttered its wings, and then it slowly flew into the air. Although its appearance hadn''t changed, all the Bug-type Pok��mon in the vicinity felt an indescribable aura emanating from it.


    It was the aura of a leader!


    "Vivillon..."


    Vivillon let out a long cry with its wings, and all the butterfly-like Pok��mon slowly dispersed, as if nothing had happened, continuing with their respective tasks. Those who needed to collect nectar went to collect nectar, and those seeking mates went to find mates.


    At this moment, Yuga was at the Gym, assessing the training progress of the four youngsters: Anmu, Anrin, Ayagiri, and Ayano.


    Seeing that the two older ones among the four are about to turn ten, Yuga has been quite concerned about their trainingtely. He wants them to be safer when they travel outside.


    All four of them began their journey with Eevee as their initial Pok��mon. Except for Ayagiris Eevee, who unexpectedly evolved into a Espeon, the other three chose to evolve into Leafeon.


    ording to the three youngsters, they are all from Verdanturf Gym. As it''s a Grass-type Gym, they aspire to be Grass-type trainers.


    Arata Sena and Akihito haven''t mentioned wanting to be Grass-type trainers, so for now, it seems that only Anmu, Anrin, and Ayano have a clear interest in that path.


    They might have been influenced by Yuga''s frequent battles using Grass-type Pok��mon at the gym.


    However, they are still young, and their future paths are uncertain.


    Yuga skillfully managed to handle three Leafeon and one Espeon with his Dartrix and Snover.


    Dartrix, with its Long Reach ability, is an excellent marksman. It keeps opponents at bay by continuously firing off Razor Leaf, creating chaos for the opposing Pok��mon.


    Snover, while not in its final form, handles both ranged and closebat situations with ease due to its mutations. Its Ice-type attributes also give it an advantage against Grass-type Pok��mon, so even fully evolved Leafeon can''t pose a real challenge.


    After the battle, Yuga praised the kids and then saw Vivillon flying into the Gym.


    "Vivillon, you''re awake!"


    Due to its semi-sleep state, Yuga hadn''t spoken to Vivillon for several days. So seeing it wake up now was a joyful moment.


    ...


    [ Vivillon ]


    Type: Bug/Flying


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Compound Eyes, Shield Dust


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 76


    Moves: Protect, Stun Spore, Gust, Psybeam, Electroweb, Safeguard, Bug Buzz, Quiver Dance, Hurricane, Light Screen, Hyper Voice, Sleep Powder, Psychic, Powder, Rage Powder, Aerial Ace, Roost, Sr Beam, Endeavor, Infestation


    ...


    Yuga didn''t expect Vivillon''s breakthrough this time to leap directly from the Elite level Junior stage to the Intermediate stage. It made all the time spent in the hive worthwhile.


    However, the most significant contributor to this leap was likely the Genesect fossil that Vivillon absorbed.


    "Congrattions, Vivillon! Your strength has greatly improved!" Yuga happily congratted Vivillon.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s praise, Vivillon joyfully spun in the air.


    "By the way, have you seen Volcaronately? It has been quite worried about you during this time."


    Yuga suddenly remembered the worried Volcarona, who had been neglecting food and rest recently. He reminded Vivillon as he smiled.


    Vivillon: ...Fuck! I''m Forgot about my husband!


    After calling out to Yuga with a joyful chirp, Vivillon fluttered out of the gym, eager to meet Volcarona.


    Watching Vivillon fly away, Yuga chuckled and shook his head, thinking: My little girl has grown up!


    Among Yuga''s main Pok��mon, only Vivillon currently has a partner. He doesn''t want her to change her mind casually.


    In reality, they''ve all grown up and are at an age where they can start dating, but nothing has happened yet.


    Dad Yuga doesn''t oppose them to finding love.


    News of Vivillon''s significant power boost quickly spread among Yuga''s main Pok��mon, leaving Chimecho quite unhappytely.


    The once Flower Sea Sisters - Florges, Vivillon, and Chimecho.


    Now, Chimecho was the weakest. Although she''s also an Elite level, she''s only in the Junior stage, making her feel less favored by Yuga.


    Eventually, for reasons unknown, Chimecho reached out to Deoxys, who had been wandering around the Hoenn Region (traveling), indicating her desire to go on a journey with Deoxys to practice.


    Deoxys and Chimecho have the ability tomunicate as long as they are on the same region.


    When Yuga first learned about Chimecho''s ns, he was quite surprised, especially when Deoxys came to Verdanturf Town unexpectedly. Chimecho had acted first and askedter. However, what could Yuga do? He weed Chimecho''s ambitious drive for growth and agreed to it.


    Before leaving, Chimecho made a heartfelt promise: I will definitely be Yuga''s most outstanding child!


    On the day Chimecho left Verdanturf Town, in the faraway Kanto region, a new aspiring Pok��mon Trainer embarked on a journey with his Pikachu.


    This Pikachu had a somewhat unfriendly temperament, and its initial rtionship with the new Trainer was quiet bad. While traveling to Saffron City, the inexperienced Trainer unknowingly provoked a flock of Spearow, leading to a relentless pursuit.


    Spearow and their evolved form, Fearow, were known for their vengeful nature, always seeking retribution. Consequently, the pursuing Spearow continued relentlessly, eventually injuring Pikachu.


    To evade the relentless Spearow, the inexperienced Trainer jumped into a river with the injured Pikachu, where they were saved by a girl who was fishing by the river.


    This chance meeting between the young boy and the girl set the wheels of fate into motion.


    The boy borrowed the girl''s bicycle and intended to take Pikachu to the Saffron City Pok��mon Center. However, the vengeful Spearow were unwilling to let the boy and Pikachu escape.


    In the struggle against the Spearow, the new Trainer and Pikachu developed a heart to heart connection, and after that the boy''s journey officially began.

 Chapter 963: Opportunity

    <h4>Chapter 963: Opportunity</h4>


    Yuga''s recent mood has been very good. This is because after Vivillon broke through to the Elite level, Roserade, who had just returned from the Distortion World two days ago, alsopleted a breakthrough.


    Among his second team, aside from Torterra, this is the first Pok��mon to sessfully break through to the Elite level.


    Due to the unique nature of the Distortion World, Roserade''s breakthrough was very smooth.


    Yuga has never been to the Distortion World, so he doesn''t know what it''s like there. But ording to Roserade, there are areas in the Distortion World where the air contains a type of energy simr to poison gas, which can enhance its toxicity. This is why its breakthrough was so smooth.


    Yuga usually pays a lot of attention to collecting various poisonous materials. Under his deliberate cultivation, Roserade''s toxicity has be very strong. Even ordinary Steel-type Pok��mon can''t withstand the corrosion of Roserade''s toxicity.


    In addition to Roserade, Absol, Dragonite, Mismagius, and Gengar have all made significant progress in their strength, but these are all minor breakthroughs, not as significant as Roserade''s major breakthrough.


    One day, just after Yuga and Windy had sent Vitality Pokeblock ordered by the Aroma Day Care Center through Pidgey Express, he received a call from Professor Birch.


    On the phone, Professor Birch brought some exciting news to Yuga.


    The Pok��mon League is nning to establish additional breeding project for the starter Pok��mon, including Trecko, Mudkip, and Torchic, one for each of them.


    Originally, only the League''s public Day Care Centers could apply for breeding these Pokemon starter. However, being the Chief Pok��mon Professor of Hoenn region, Professor Birch also had a rmendation quota.


    Anyone rmended by Professor Birch, whether it''s a League public Day Care Center or a private Day Care, they can qualify for thepetition to obtain qualification to breeding these Pokemon starter.


    Since Professor Birch doesn''t have any familiar public Day Care Centers or private Day Care, he followed the suggestion of his friend Mr. Norman and decided to grant this rmendation quota to the YoYo Day Care.


    "Alright, I understand. Thank you so much, Professor!" Yuga said gratefully over the phone.


    "No need to thank me. If you want to express your gratitude, thank to Mr. Norman. Without him, I wouldn''t have thought of giving this quota to you," Professor Birch replied.


    The voice of Professor Birch came through the phone.


    It has been several years since the League established new breeding project for Pokemon starter. If it weren''t for his friend Mr. Norman''s reminder, Professor Birch might have simply given up this rmendation quota.


    Yuga sincerely said, "You can rest assured; I understand. I''ll make sure to express my gratitude to Mr. Norman properly."


    "Thispetition will be scheduled for the morning of April 30th, and it will be held at my research institute. You must remember toe on time. There will be participants from other Day Care Centers as well and they will all be yourpetitors. Whether you can win it depends on your own efforts," Professor Birch reminded Yuga.


    April 30th? That''s just a week away.


    "Don''t worry; I''ll do my best."


    Afterward, Professor Birch discussed some details about applying for the Pokemon starter Breeding project with Yuga and then hung up the phone.


    ording to Professor Birch, it''s quite rare for private Day Care to sessfully apply for the Pokemon starter Breeding Project.


    There are many Pokemon starter breeding project that established by the Hoenn League, and most of them are official public Day Care Centers. There are currently only two private Day Care that have qualification to do Pokemon starter breeding project in the Hoenn region.


    Moreover, these two private Day Care are notrge-scale in operations becauserge-scale private Day Care haveplicated rtionships with the League. The League is reluctant to cooperate with them because they pose stiffpetition for the official public Day Care Centers.


    One of these Day Care was originally a Day Care specializing in Water-type Pok��mon. However, after being designated as the League breeding project for Mudkip, they abandoned breeding other Water-types and focused solely on assisting the League in breeding Mudkip.


    The other one is more like a family than an individual.


    Initially, it couldn''t even be considered a Day Care. But It''s a piece ofnd owned by a family that happened to be an ideal ce for breeding Grass-type Pok��mon. Later, the owner of thatnd applied for the status of Day Care for breeding Trecko, and the familyndter became the Day Care for breeding project of Trecko..


    Once private Day Care be a Breeding project Pokemon starter, the League provides them with a certain number of breeding seeds. Besides that, they don''t receive much additional support. This is unlike the public Day Care Centers where the League covers all the costs.


    Moreover, during the breeding process, the League sends personnel to periodically check the progress of breeding seeds, and if any issues arise with the Pok��mon, the owner of the Day Care will be held ountable by the League.


    The advantage, however, is that after private Day Care deliver the required number of offspring to the League following the breeding of the starter Pok��mon, they can handle the rest independently. This indirectly implies that private Day Care have the opportunity to sell the starter Pok��mon.


    While the League doesn''t explicitly prohibit other private Day Care from selling starter Pok��mon, the number of starter Pok��mon is limited and their value is very high. The League strictly controls the starter Pok��mon in their possession, making it rare for other Day Care to have a chance to sell them.


    Bing a Pokemon starter Breeding project is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!


    All private Day Care in various regions that be Pokemon starter Breeding projects are highly regarded.


    In the Hoenn region, Yuga''s Ecopark has Grass-type Sceptile, Water-type Swampert, but itcks the Fire-type ziken.


    Given the rarity of this opportunity, Yuga certainly didn''t miss out on it.


    After ending his conversation with Professor Birch, Yuga conducted extensive research on the cases of various private Day Care and discovered that many of them didn''t persevere.


    Some private Day Care started off well, but the appeal of the starter Pok��mon''s benefits led them to stray from their original path.


    Because he needed to make a trip to the Littleroot Town, where Professor Birch''s research institute was located, Yuga informed the employees at his shop in advance. Littleroot Town wasn''t too far from Verdanturf Town, so he expected to return in a few days.


    Windy was thrilled to hear that Yuga was going to Littleroot Town.


    "Boss, are you really going to Littleroot Town?" he asked with excitement.


    Yuga, puzzled by Windy''s enthusiasm, responded, "Yes, I am. Is there something special about it?"


    Windy eagerly held up his phone and said, "Take a look at this."


    "What is it?" Yuga inquired.


    There was an image on Windy''s phone, disying a strange-looking Pok��mon.


    "This is a Porygon, a recently developed artificial Pok��mon from a research institute in the Kanto region. It''s said to be able to move freely within virtualworks. I heard that Professor Birch''sb received a few of them. If you have the chance, ask him if we can have one. With Porygon''s help, my work in the future will be much more efficient."


    Yuga was familiar with Porygon but had no idea it had been created at this time. He hadn''t received any previous information about it, so he assumed its announcement was recent.


    "Sure, I''ll ask Professor Birch," Yuga promptly agreed. He had no reason to refuse, especially when it could benefit the YoYo Day Care. Additionally, he was personally interested in Porygon, as it was an artificial Pok��mon.


    "Great, you''re busy, so I''ll get back to work," Windy said before leaving.


    ?��?


    Today, I have some business to attend to, so i cant response to all of yourmment. but thank you so much for your concerns!(�ҨR���Q)��

 Chapter 964: Concerns

    <h4>Chapter 964: Concerns</h4>


    With only a week left before thepetition for the Pokemon starter breeding project, Yuga nned to visit Littleroot Town early to inquire about the situation from Professor Birch.


    Before he could leave, the YoYo Day Care received a business order. This order was rmended by Mayor Ishida, so he had to handle it before setting off.


    The customer for this business order was the Verdanturf Town Trainer School. It was the only Trainer School in Verdanturf Town and, although not as renowned as the Trainer School in Rustboro City, it was where children in Verdanturf Town took their first steps on the path to bing Trainers.


    As Verdanturf Town developed and attracted more investors, the Trainer School received donations and support from various investors.


    With the funds, the school''s principal aimed to provide a better learning environment for the children. Their n was to purchase a batch of Pok��mon for the students to practice with.


    Many of the younger children who had just entered the school didn''t have their own Pok��mon. Having some Pok��mon specifically designated for them to practice with at school would greatly help them learn about Pok��mon battles and how to interact with their own Pok��mon in the future.


    So, Mayor Ishida rmended that the Trainer School''s principal meet with Yuga.


    The day after receiving the call from Professor Birch, Yuga sat in the YoYo Day Care, waiting for the arrival of the Trainer School''s principal. He had also begun to consider which Pok��mon to rmend for the school.


    Because these Pok��mon were intended for practice at the school and didn''t require exceptional potentials, he could rmend bothmon and umon species for a variety of experiences. For teaching purposes, he could rmend red and orange Pok��mon, and for practical training, he could rmend yellow ones.


    The Pok��mon at Yuga''s Ecopark generally had above-average potentials, but many of them were first-generation breeding Pok��mon. This presented an opportunity to distribute some of themon and umon Pok��mon.


    Around nine in the morning, the Trainer School''s principal, Mr. Freddy, entered the YoYo Day Care with a teacher.


    "Mr. Shimizu, hello, hello. I appreciate your assistance with this matter," Mr. Freddy greeted Yuga warmly and shook his hand with excitement.


    The Verdanturf Town Trainer School had received support from various sources, and a significant portion of that support was thanks to Yuga, the Gym Leader of Verdanturf Town.


    Mr. Freddy was an elderly man nearing sixty, and his hair was already mostly gray. He hade to Verdanturf Town in his thirties, started teaching at the Trainer School, and by his forties, he had been appointed as its principal. More than two decades had passed since then.


    Though Mr. Freddy wasn''t originally from Verdanturf Town, over the course of these twenty-plus years, he had married and had children in Verdanturf Town. He had long sincee to regard Verdanturf Town as his true hometown.


    "You''re too kind," Yuga said modestly, then noticed the young man beside Principal Freddy and asked, "And who is this?"


    "Look at me," Principal Freddy pped his head. "This is my son, Frank. He''s currently teaching at our school too."


    The pride in Principal Freddy''s tone was evident, showing his deep pride in his son.


    "Hello, Mr. Shimizu, nice to meet you," Frank smiled and extended his right hand towards Yuga.


    "Hello, nice to meet you," Yuga replied, shaking Frank''s hand.


    Yuga discreetly observed the young teacher in front of him and noticed that he exuded a calm demeanor and a subtle murderous aura.


    If Yuga had not spent two years in Arus, he might not have even sensed this faint murderous aura.


    Of course, this trace of murderous aura was not directed at Yuga. Yuga surmised that Frank had likely gone through many battles, and it was through these battles that he had developed this murderous aura around him.


    As Yuga observed Frank, Frank also regarded Yuga with curious eyes.


    Frank had heard of Yuga''s name a long time ago, after all, when such a renowned figure appeared in his hometown, it was impossible not to take notice.


    Initially, upon hearing about an Elite level Trainer from Verdanturf Town, Frank thought it was someone new who had moved into the town. Onlyter did he learn that Yuga was a native of Verdanturf Town.


    However, it wasn''t surprising that Frank had this misconception. After all, Yuga''s rise was too sudden and fast, and the original host''s life had been quite unremarkable for the first sixteen years until Yuga''s arrival.


    Nheless, that was nothing unusual; many people achieve greatnesster in life, and Yuga was still quite young.


    Although Frank had been curious about Yuga for a long time, he never had the chance to meet him. In recent years, he had been in the Johto region and had only recently returned.


    Frank, Luna, and Rant had all attended the Trainer School for a few years before being selected for the Junior Prep Camp. After graduating from the camp, Frank had be a Prosecutor in the Johto region.


    Being an Prosecutor was a promising career, but it was also quiet demanding, with constant travel and assignments. This had left Frank with limited opportunities to return to Verdanturf Town.


    However, he had recently participated in the Elite Four Challenge and made it to becone the substitute Elite Four list in the Johto region, earning him a spot as a substitute Elite Four.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, he had applied to be transferred back to his hometown, where his parents were growing older, and he was their only child. He couldn''t spend his entire life in the Johto region.


    His application was approved, considering his circumstances. Furthermore, they recognized his dedicated work over the years, allowing him to take a six-month leave. After this break, he would report to the Prosecutor Bureau Branch in Verdanturf Town.


    The position of a teacher at the Trainer School in Verdanturf Town was arranged by the authorities to provide Frank with a chance to rest and spend time with his family.


    Having not visited Verdanturf Town for a long time, when Frank got off the ne, he was almost convinced that he had taken the wrong flight because of the big changes in Verdanturf Town.


    Although he had heard his father talk about the changes in Verdanturf Town over the phone, it wasn''t until he saw it with his own eyes that he truly realized how different the town had be.


    It was precisely because he witnessed the significant changes in Verdanturf Town that Frank was so curious about the person responsible for these transformations.


    "Alright, it''s not convenient to talk here. Let''s go to the meeting room to discuss this in more detail," Yuga suggested, leading Principal Freddy and Frank towards the meeting room. He then called out to Wigglytuff, who seemed to be daydreaming.


    "Wigglytuff, could you help by pouring two cups of tea for our guests?"


    "Wigglytuff!"


    Wigglytuff responded from a distance, appearing somewhat sluggish. However, Yuga was too far away to notice Wigglytuff''s unusual behavior.


    By the time Wigglytuff brought the freshly brewed tea to the meeting room, it had returned to normal.


    "The first type of Pok��mon I rmend for the school is one of our signature Pok��mon, the Grass-type Hoppip. Hoppip has a gentle nature and isn''t known for its high attack power, making it ideal for beginners who are just starting school."


    Currently, Hoppip and Oddish that already learn Grassy Terrain were the most tradedmon Pok��mon in YoYo Day Care. Yuga decided to rmend Hoppip, considering that Oddish had the potential to evolve into Gloom, which had a strong odor.


    After all, these Pok��mon were intended for children''s use, and strong odors could potentially lead to their disapproval. If children grew to dislike the profession of Trainers due to unpleasant experiences with Pok��mon, it would not be good. Such incidents had urred in schools before.


    Taking the children''s well-being into consideration, Yuga prioritized rmending cute and gentle-natured Pok��mon.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s rmendations, Principal Freddy nodded in agreement and included Hoppip as one of the options.


    Yuga''s second rmendation was Pachirisu.


    Pachirisu, along with the Buneary family, had entered the Ecopark together, and after some breeding, there was now a reasonable number of Pachirisu.


    Despite its yful and energetic nature, Pachirisu was gentle and affectionate, making it suitable for beginners as well.


    As Wigglytuff brought the tea into the room, Yuga momentarily paused his rmendations and said, "This is our milk tea made with Sweet Honey and Moomoo Milk. Please, have a taste."


    Wigglytuff politely ced two cups of milk tea in front of the guests and then left the meeting room with the tray.


    Back in the kitchen, Wigglytuff sighed, which was overheard by Audino, who was tidying up. Audino asked with concern: Are you okay?


    Wigglytuff shook its head and replied: I''m fine. You go ahead and focus on your work. I need to help with serving the guests.


    Seeing Wigglytuff acting as if everything was normal, Audino, who had been working alongside Wigglytuff for almost three years, knew something was wrong. How could she not notice Wigglytuff''s heavy heart?


    What could it be? It was perfectly fine yesterday. Maybe I should ask Yuga about it?


    With that in mind, Audino quickly finished cleaning the kitchen and prepared to find Yuga.


    As Audino came out of the kitchen, she noticed that Yuga and Principal Freddy had just finished their conversation and were leaving the meeting room. Seeing Yuga still busy, Audino decided not to disturb him for now and nned to inquireter after the guests had left.


    "That''s settled, then. I''ll prepare the Pok��mon for you, and we''ll have them delivered when they''re ready," Yuga said as he walked Principal Freddy and Frank to the shop''s entrance.


    Principal Freddy and Frank ultimately chose ten Hoppip, five Pachirisu, and five other Pok��mon like Starly and Taillow.


    Yuga offered these Pok��mon at very low rates, almost as if he were giving them away. This was his way of supporting the Trainer School and understanding the importance of education for Verdanturf Town.


    "Mr. Shimizu, would it be possible for us to have a practice battle?" Just as Yuga thought that Frank and Principal Freddy were about to leave, Frank unexpectedly asked for a Pok��mon battle.


    What a typical Trainer''s temperament �C eager forpetition and victory. Yuga thought to himself.


    "Of course! I have no reason to refuse," Yuga responded with a wide grin.


    Audino, who had been waiting for the guests to leave, was quite annoyed. What''s going on? I have something to discuss with you! Can''t you postpone this battle to another day?


    "Let''s head to the gym," Frank agreed, and he followed Yuga toward the direction of the gym. He was looking forward to their uing match.


    Although Frank became a substitute Elite Four in the Johto region, he wasn''t considered a prodigious Trainer but had achieved sess through his hard work.


    Seeing Yuga lead Frank away with a cheerful demeanor, Audino felt frustrated. He couldn''t even notice when his own Pok��mon were troubled. What kind of Trainer are you?


    Audino turned herbhead and spotted Wigglytuff leaning against the counter in deep thought. She didn''t know how to handle the situation. Should I ask what''s wrong, or should I just leave it? If I ask, will it even want to talk about it? If I don''t ask, I won''t know what''s happening.


    It''s so difficult to be a good friend.


    After much deliberation, Audino approached Wigglytuff and whispered: "Uh... Do you think... um... it''s not too busy in the shop right now. Do you want to go outside and rx a bit?"


    Wigglytuff looked up at Audino, her good friend who seemed genuinely concerned. She slowly nodded in agreement.


    As Audino held her friend''s hand, the two of them stepped outside. Meanwhile, Yuga and Frank had reached the gym.


    They stood on opposite sides of the battle arena. Yuga said to Frank, "Let''s settle this in one battle. As the Gym Leader, I''ll go first. Here''s my Pok��mon."


    "Sounds good," Frank agreed without hesitation.


    Yuga''s chosen Pok��mon was Kartana.


    Kartana had a delicate and lightweight appearance, but it could hover steadily in the air, unaffected by the wind.


    Although it was the youngest among Yuga''s main Pok��mon, it had shown the fastest progress.


    While it hadn''t yet crossed the threshold to be an Elite level Pok��mon, it had surpassed Pok��mon like Bellossom, Serperior, and Breloom two or three months ago.


    Thanks to its unique Beast Boost Ability, Kartana could alsopete with Elite level Pok��mon.


    Frank appeared surprised upon seeing Kartana, as henever encountered Pokemon like it before. Yuga offered an exnation, "This is Kartana, a Grass and Steel-type Pok��mon."


    Clearing his doubts, Frank nodded and sent out his own Pok��mon:


    ...


    [ Togekiss ]


    Type: Fairy/Flying


    Ability: Serene Grace


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 72


    Moves: Charm, Metronome, Yawn, Wish, Safeguard, Baton Pass, Air sh, Psyshock, Roost, Shadow Ball, Reflect, Steel Wing, Dazzling Gleam, Thunder Wave, Nasty Plot, Signal Beam, Heat Wave, Sleep Talk


    ...


    Frank''s status as a Elite level Trainer surprised Yuga, even though he hadn''t expected it. However, it didn''t necessarily shock him, given the murderous aura that Frank emanated.


    What puzzled Yuga was why someone of Frank''s caliber would take a teaching position at the Verdanturf Town Trainer School.


    Was he really Principal Freddy''s son, or an imposter with malicious intentions toward the town? Or perhaps his target is me?


    Yuga didn''t about the actual situation of Frank. And for a while his imagination was so wild that he even developed paranoia about being persecuted.


    Frank had participated in the Elite Four Challenge in the Johto region. If he had been part of the one in Hoenn region, Yuga would have definitely known about it, as he followed thepetition very closely.


    For the Elite Four Challenge in other regions, Yuga typically only focused on the final Elite Four member and the Champion. He didn''t pay much attention to the other participants.


    Currently, the Champions and Elite Four from various regions had already aligned with the one in Yuga''s memory.

 Chapter 965: Righteousness

    <h4>Chapter 965: Righteousness</h4>


    "Mr. Frank, you are the guest, so you may go first."


    Yuga finished reviewing the data on Togekiss and extended his hand toward Frank, indicating that Frank should make the first move.


    Frank didn''t refuse Yuga''s offer and smiled, saying, "I won''t hold back then! Togekiss, Air sh!"


    Togekiss, with its Serene Grace ability, was a perfect match for the move Air sh, which had a high chance of causing flinching in the opponent. A wrong move in this situation could lead to a series of mistakes, and if Togekiss''s Air sh caused flinching in the opponent, it would put them at a severe disadvantage for the entire battle.


    Upon receiving the trainer''smand, Togekiss gracefully soared into the sky and then, from a high vantage point, released a massive, transparent air de toward Kartana.


    Compared to the colossal air de, Kartana seemed almost insignificant.


    Faced with the imposing air de, both Yuga and Kartana remained surprisingly calm. Just as the air de was about to strike Kartana, the tiny Pok��mon folded its hands, conjuring a massive glowing sword.


    ng!


    With a swift motion, Kartana''s glowing sword split the colossal air de into two and slowly dissipated it in the air.


    Sacred Sword!


    This Sacred Sword move was a rare move that few Pok��mon could learn. The difficulty was not in mastering the move but in meeting the prerequisites to learn it.


    Legendary Pok��mon known as the Unova region Sword of Justice, including Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, and Kaldeo, were typical representatives of Pok��mon capable of learning Sacred Sword.


    Before Togekiss could react in surprise, Kartana had already disappeared from its field of vision with a swish, moving as if it had teleported.


    Bang!


    Without warning, Togekiss, caught off guard, was struck from behind by Kartana''s Sacred Sword. It sent Togekiss tumbling to the ground, creating cracks in the surface. Togekiss, which had previously appeared elegant with pristine feathers, now looked quite disheveled.


    "Togekiss!"


    Frank called out to Togekiss with a tone of concern. The incredible speed at which Kartana had struck from behind had left him baffled. He couldn''t understand how Kartana had appeared behind Togekiss without him noticing.


    Togekiss had no time to react as Kartana, positioned above, sent another air de downward, employing the same move Togekiss use before, an Air sh.


    However, Kartana''s special attack is very weak, and the Air sh it uses is far inferior to the Elite level Togekis who is good at special attacks in terms of momentum and power.


    Bang!


    Togekiss narrowly avoids Kartana''s Air sh by quickly kicked his legs, pped his wings, and quickly rose into the air, and a slender gap was opened on the ground.


    Togekis had just lost his breath after escaping the Air sh of Kartana, and a purple spiritual de shed past its body.


    Fortunately, it was highly concentrated at this time and turned slightly sideways when a Psycho Cut move struck, otherwise the attack would have hit his body.


    If the Leaf de was used by Kartana just now, it would be resisted by the Flying-type Togekis, so even if it was hit, Togekis would only suffer limited damage, but Psycho Cut was different.


    Although Kartana has the disadvantage of extremely weak special attack and special defense, its advantages are extremely high attack and extremely fast speed, which is why Togekis couldn''t keep up with Kartana''s movements just now.


    So even though Kartana is just a squishie in front of Togekiss, as long as it is fast, Togekiss can''t do anything with it. This is why Yuga feels that Kartana has a chance of winning against Elite level Togekiss.


    call!


    Togekiss, who was trapped in a passive state, stretched out his wings, and a white and red heat wave rolled towards Kartana


    This is the fire-type move Heat Wave, which is fatal to grass-type and steel-type Kartana. Moreover, the Heat Wave is a range-based move, covering a wide area. Under normal circumstances, it is difficult to avoid it no matter how fast it is.


    ng!


    The sword formed by the Sacred Sword move appeared again in the hands of Kartana, evenrger than before, fitting surprisingly well in the petite hands of Kartana. Kartana swung the giant sword held in its hand with great force, enveloped the Heat Wave, sending it to the side, while Kartana remained undamaged.


    The Heat Wave was deflected by the Sacred Sword, creating a vacuum zone between Kartana and Togekiss. Kartana swiftly reappeared in front of Togekiss, moving so quickly that the reactions of Togekiss and Frank couldn''t keep up.


    With a loud impact, Kartana''s single-handed strike with the leaf de hit Togekiss directly in the head, causing it to crash to the ground!


    Swish! Swish! Swish! Once again, Kartana, positioned from a higher vantage point, swiftly swung three precise Psycho Cut. Although the increased quantity slightly diminished their power, each one urately struck the downed Togekiss.


    And in the end, Togekiss lost its ability to continue the battle!


    The battle concluded, and Kartana''s form flickered briefly before reappearing in front of Yuga. Yuga smiled and praised, "Well done, Kartana. You''ve worked hard."


    This was the first time Kartana had officially engaged in a battle with someone outside since its birth, and it had performed excellently. With its pseudo-Elite level power,it had defeated the Elite level Togekiss.


    It was truly deserving of its title as Ultra Beast!


    "You''re really strong Mr. Shimizu, just as the rumors say,"mented Frank.


    After examining Togekiss, he found that it wasn''t seriously injured, and he couldn''t help but feel amazed.


    Despite the age difference, Frank had been in the Youth Training Camp and the Prosecutor Bureau for many years, so he understood that there were disparities between individuals. Most ordinary people looking at him now probably felt the same way he felt when he saw Yuga.


    Yuga, unaware of the rumors about himself, modestly responded, "You''re too kind. By the way, let me treat your Togekiss."


    With that, Yuga knelt down, ced his hands on Togekiss, and a green light slowly enveloped Togekiss''s body, healing it quickly.


    As Yuga disyed his special abilities, Frank was quite impressed. For ordinary people like them, these special powers always seemed fascinating.


    In the world of Pok��mon, there were many individuals with extraordinary abilities. Frank had seen various talents during his time at the Prosecutor Bureau, such as psychics, Dragon Tamers, or those with the Viridian Power.


    Togekiss''s injuries weren''t severe, and it didn''t require the assistance of a healing-type Pok��mon. Yuga swiftly healed it.


    "Thank you," Frank expressed his gratitude.


    Yuga replied with a slight smile, "You''re wee."


    While Yuga was busy with the battle against Frank, Audino saw an opportunity to take Wigglytuff for a walk in the town. Compared to the past, Verdanturf Town had be much more bustling, with people bustling about the streets.


    Most of the town''s residents recognized Audino, the Pokemon of the YoYo Day Care, and both Audino and Wigglytuff received warm greetings from passersby.


    Some even tried to offer them gifts, but Audino gracefully declined, noticing that Wigglytuff wasn''t in high spirits. They had be ustomed to these interactions.


    During their walk, Wigglytuff sensed that Audino had brought her out for a walk because he was concerned about her.


    Wigglytuff was feeling quite sad and decided to tell the truth to Audino.


    Its turn out the reason for her low spirits Is because in the early morning, while helping the Miltank distribute Pokeblock in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, she encountered a Breloom that was trying to court her.


    Despite being somewhat acquainted with this Breloom due to her frequent visits to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, she hadn''t expected it to express romantic interest in her.


    She promptly turned down the Breloom''s advances. However, her rejection brought back painful memories of her deceased husband, Granbull.


    Granbull and Wigglytuff had grown up together and shared a deep bond. Even though Granbull had passed away several years ago, Wigglytuff couldn''t forget him. Moreover, their anniversary was approaching, which added to her low mood.


    After sharing her feelings with Audino, Wigglytuff felt relieved. Listening to her story, Audino was uncertain about how to console her. She hadn''t experienced such emotions, and although she wanted to encourage Wigglytuff to move forward, she understood that it wasn''t easy for her to let go of the past. Audino felt she was not qualified as a friend.


    Just when Audino and Wigglytuff had their heartfelt conversation, they heard an argument not far from them.


    "What are you all trying to do? Robbery?"


    The voice speaking belonged to an elderly woman.


    "Robbery? Not really. We just want to teach this clueless olddy a lesson," came a cheeky male voice.


    "Yeah, that''s right! You clueless olddy!"


    "Why are you being so stubborn? You''re the one suffering in the end!"


    Two more male voices chimed in, echoing the sentiments of the first.


    "I see," the female voice seemed to calm down suddenly.


    Just as Audino and Wigglytuff arrived, they witnessed three young men surrounding a middle-aged woman carrying a basket.


    If Yuga were here, he would undoubtedly recognize this woman as the director of the only orphanage in Verdanturf Town, the Forest House, Ms. Kawahara.


    Audino wasn''t familiar with Ms. Kawahara, but seeing three young men bullying a woman, Audino wouldn''t stand by and do nothing.


    At this moment, its mood was far from good!


    "Audino!"


    Audino extended its arms to stand in front of Ms. Kawahara, wearing an angry expression as it faced the three individuals.


    Since Wigglytuff had brought Audino here for a private conversation, they were in a secluded area, and there were no other pedestrians around.


    Seeing Audino getting ready for a fight, Wigglytuff took a few steps back, understanding that it couldn''t assist Audino in this situation. It knew Audino''s capabilities and realized it could only be a bystander.


    "Whose Pok��mon are you? Don''t mind me; you better leave quickly. They are not to be trifled with," Ms. Kawahara urgently said, looking at Audino, who stood in her defense.


    "Wigglytuff!"


    Wigglytuff gently shook its head, indicating to Ms. Kawahara not to worry, and then it took a few steps back, pulling Ms. Kawahara with it.


    Seeing the intimidating Audino, the apparent leader of the three young men, who had been digging his nose with his hand, grumbled, "Whose Pok��mon is this, causing trouble? Ah! Whose Pok��mon is it, get it back!"


    After shouting several times with no one stepping forward to im Audino and Wigglytuff, the leader became more arrogant.


    "It seems no one wants these Pok��mon. Since you want to meddle, don''t me me!"


    Looking at the apron-wearing Audino and the well-cared-for Wigglytuff, the leader knew that they definitely belonged to someone, but what difference did that make? Their owners were not here.


    "Hehehe..."


    The three men self-consciously made viinousughter, and then they released several Pok��mon from their Pok�� Balls.


    These Pok��mon were the henchmen raised by others. While they weren''t powerful characters, they often acted domineeringly.


    Looking at the Pok��mon in front of them, Audino was unafraid. Although it hadn''t received much trainingtely and its progress in strength wasn''t as impressive as Greninja or Gyarados, it was still a pseudo-Elite Pok��mon. Dealing with a few small fry wouldn''t be an issue.


    "Mightyena..."


    Three Mightyena roared as they used Bite to charge at Audino.


    "Audino!!!"


    Seeing the situation, Audino took a deep breath and then let out a furious roar. It used Hyper Voice move,


    The Hyper Voice move that created a sound wave instantly sent the three Mightyena flying and crashing into their trainers'' feet.


    Yuga''s Audino was quite different from Steven''s Audino who good at beating people. It was a typical support-type Pok��mon, excelling in healing. While it had many offensive moves, itsbat abilities were not as formidable as those of attack-type Pok��mon.


    However, it still possessed the strength to deal with a few small-time bullies.


    However, dealing with these small fry was more than enough for Audino.


    As the Mightyena attacked, the leader had already released a second Pok��mon to try to sneak attack on Audino. However, he didn''t anticipate that his own three Mightyena would be so ineffective, so any sneaky attack ns were futile.


    The leader''s second Pok��mon was a Poison-type Swalot. It opened its mouth and spewed a series of sludge at Audino, but Audino managed to block it using its Protect move.


    "Audino!"


    Audino once again used its Hyper Voice move.


    But, unexpectedly, the opponent released two Explouds just in time. When Audino used Hyper Voice, the two Explouds also unleashed their Hyper Voices.


    Although the two Explouds were not as strong as Audino individually, but theirbined effort canceled out Audino''s attack.


    Seeing that its Hyper Voice had no effect, Audino grew angry and charged forward using its Double-Edge move.


    The Swalot was caught off guard and sent flying, crashing into the two Explouds, and then Audino used Dazzling Gleam to cover its face with a dazzling light.


    The three men still wanted to attack, but Audino swiftly appeared in front of them. It gave each of them a Pound move, and all three of them held their stomachs in pain and copsed.


    As this was happening, Yuga had just sent Frank outside the Gym when he received a call from Officer Jenny.


    "Your Audino and Wigglytuff are at the police station. You need toe here im them."


    ��(�Ѩ���") No, I didn''t catch that. Could you please repeat it again?

 Chapter 966: Brave Action

    <h4>Chapter 966: Brave Action</h4>


    When Yuga hurriedly arrived at the police station, he saw Audino and Wigglytuff sitting in the lobby. Besides them, he also noticed a familiar face, Ms. Kawahara.


    At this moment, Ms. Kawahara was undergoing routine questioning by the police.


    Audino seemed pleased when he saw Yuga, but then when she remembered what happened with Wigglytuff she gave Yuga an annoyed look. On the other hand, Wigglytuff, who had been quite upset, brightened up and hurriedly approached Yuga.


    "How are you two? Liliana didn''t exin much on the phone. Are you both okay?" Yuga asked with a concerned expression, walking around Wigglytuff to check on it.


    "Wigglytuff!"


    Wigglytuff shook its head, indicating that it was fine.


    "Audino!"


    Hmph!


    Audino gave Yuga a stern look, leaving Yuga puzzled.


    Yuga: What''s going on? Did I do something wrong to upset it?


    Before Yuga could figure out the situation, Liliana and Ms. Kawahara approached.


    "Mr. Shimizu, thanks to your Audino and Wigglytuff, I don''t know what I would happend to me today without them," Ms. Kawahara expressed her gratitude.


    Ms. Kawahara only learned at the police station that the Pok��mon that had helped her were from the YoYo Day Care.


    Yuga shook his head, "I''m just d you''re all right. But, Ms. Kawahara, did something happen today that put you in trouble?"


    Yuga had rushed here and hadn''t had a chance to learn the details of the incident.


    At Yuga''s question, Ms. Kawahara hesitated, looking like she had a difficult decision to make.


    Seeing her unease, Yuga turned his gaze towards Liliana, who shook her head to indicate that she also didn''t know the full story. Those three men were not ordinary robbers, and Ms. Kawahara seemed reluctant to share more.


    "Ms. Kawahara, if you''re facing any difficulties, please let me know. I''ll do my best to help as long its within my capabilities," Yuga offered.


    The situation was not yet clear, and Yuga wanted to understand what had happend.


    Ms. Kawahara, who had dedicated half of her life to the Forest House Orphanage, was indeed an admirable person. When she found herself facing difficulties, Yuga naturally wanted to help her.


    After contemting for a while, Ms. Kawahara, with a determined expression, decided to seek Yuga''s assistance. She had no other choice, and she trusted Yuga since he had previously made a donation to their orphanage.


    As it turned out, the people who had attempted to rob Ms. Kawahara were not ordinary thugs but henchmen hired by apany.


    As Verdanturf Town developed rapidly with support from Steven and Devon Corporation, and its unique agriculture and tourism industry transitioned sessfully, more and morepanies found it profitable to establish a presence in the town.


    The influx of businesses into Verdanturf Town was a positive development that contributed to the town''s growth, making it a wee change for Mayor Ishida and Yuga. However, unexpected incidents could still ur.


    One such incident involved a chain of supermarkets. They set their sights on thend where the Forest House Orphanage was located.


    Initially, the orphanage''s location in Verdanturf Town wasn''t particrly desirable. However, as the town expanded and its boundaries extended, the Forest House found itself in the town''s center.


    Verdanturf Town''s area was still rtively small, and its central locations were limited. This led several businesses, including the supermarket chain, to target the seemingly unimportant Forest House Orphanage.


    The Forest House was an orphanage established with funding from the Pok��mon League. However, there were many such orphanages, and the League couldn''t oversee all of them. At times, these orphanages had to find ways to sustain themselves, which created opportunities for unscrupulous individuals.


    The manager of the supermarket chain had recently contacted Ms. Kawahara, the orphanage''s director, with an offer. They wanted to build a supermarket on the orphanage''snd and asked Ms. Kawahara to relocate the children immediately.


    The Forest House Orphanage wasn''t particrly well-off, and life for the children was far from luxurious. If the supermarket chain was willing to offer a substantialpensation, relocating the orphanage might have been feasible.


    However, what infuriated Ms. Kawahara was not only theck ofpensation but also thepany''s intention to use threats to force the orphanage to vacate immediately.


    Ms. Kawahara couldn''t ept this. Where could the children go if they left the Forest House? Would they end up on the streets?


    She refused toply with thepany''s unreasonable demands, and that''s what led to the confrontation in the street. The thugs sent by the supermarket chain were there to intimidate her into submission.


    After Ms. Kawahara refused their demands, these people continuously sent individuals to cause disturbances at the Forest House Orphanage. They even threatened Ms. Kawahara not to report the incidents, as they had the support of a substitute Elite Four in the ranking list from the Pok��mon League.


    Being an ordinary woman, Ms. Kawahara couldn''t afford to oppose a substitute Elite Four of the Pok��mon League, so she endured the situation.


    However, her patience only led to more aggressive actions from the other party. Today, they sent people to threaten Ms. Kawahara''s personal safety.


    When Ms. Kawahara was taken to a secluded location, she initially believed it was just a regr robbery. However, she soon realized their true intentions from their conversation.


    As an ordinary person from the lower ss, Ms. Kawahara didn''t fully understand the significance of a substitute Elite Four''s position within the League. When faced with questions from Officer Jenny, she pretended to be unaware.


    She wasn''t afraid of those individuals, but she was deeply concerned for the children in the orphanage.


    After hearing Ms. Kawahara''s story, Yuga contemted the situation. "So that''s how it is."


    While substitute Elite Fours held the title of Elite Four, before they''re be a geniue Elite Four member their status within the Pok��mon League was not as high as most people would imagine. They could be considered the League middle level members because there were several substitute Elite Fours in each region.


    However, the fact that someone was using the title of a substitute Elite Four tomit uwful acts was quiet concerning.


    Yuga had generally held a favorable impression of the Pok��mon League, as he had mainly interacted with high level League officials. Yet, he understood that even in the most righteous organizations, there could be a few bad apples.


    He assured Ms. Kawahara, "Don''t worry. I''ll handle this matter."


    Concerned, Ms. Kawahara asked, "Won''t this cause trouble for you? They have the support of a substitute Elite Four. If it bes very troublesome..."


    Yuga interrupted her, saying, "No trouble at all. You just wait for updates. I''ll take care of everything."


    Ms. Kawahara expressed her gratitude, to which Yuga responded, "I am a Gym Leader in Verdanturf Town. And It''s was one of my duty." He had no intention to let a substitute Elite Four to act without consequences within his own jurisdiction.


    He added, "Now, I''ll take Audino and Wigglytuff back. By the way, Ms. Liliana, could you help me investigate that supermarket and the substitute Elite Four that supporting them?" As Yuga and the Pok��mon made their way home, he turned to Liliana.


    Liliana said, "Don''t worry, if there are any updates, I''ll inform you."


    "Thank you."


    Yuga thanked her then turned his head and called out to Audino and Wigglytuff, "What are you two waiting for? Let''s go home."


    Audino and Wigglytuff followed Yuga, with Wigglytuff dragging Audino along.


    On the way back home, Yuga couldn''t help but notice the strange behavior of Audino. He asked, "What''s wrong with Audino? Why have you been acting so strange toward metely? You used to be perfectly fine at home, right?"


    Wigglytuff replied: ... I know, but I can''t say.


    Seeing Wigglytuff''s reluctance to exin, Yuga turned to Audino and asked, "What''s bothering you? If I''ve done something to upset you, just tell me. If you don''t say anything, how can I know?"


    Audino turned its head away and said nothing.


    Yuga thought, "Fine, if you won''t tell me, I won''t press the issue."


    After returning home, Yuga called Wigglytuff to the guest room and said, "Wigglytuff, when I return from Verdanturf Town, I''ll take you to the Pok��mon Tower."


    Wigglytuff''s expression froze momentarily, and it looked at Yuga with a puzzled expression.


    Yuga patted Wigglytuff''s head and exined, "It''s almost the anniversary of Granbull''s passing. You haven''t seen it in a long time. I''ll take you to pay respects for him."


    The Pok��mon Tower served as a ce toy to rest the bodies of deceased Pok��mon, simr to a human cemetery. The nearest one to Verdanturf Town was located between Verdanturf Town and Mauville City, not too far away.


    Every year, as the anniversary of Granbull''s passing drew near, Wigglytuff''s mood would be somewhat low, though Yuga hadn''t noticed it today.


    However, in previous years, Wigglytuff had never expressed the desire to visit Granbull''s resting ce, so Yuga had never brought it up, afraid that Wigglytuff might not be ready to face those emotions.


    In Yuga''s memory, Wigglytuff and Granbull had a very close bond. Despite Granbull''s intimidating appearance, he was incredibly gentle and caring towards Wigglytuff. Although it had been four years since Granbull''s passing, Yuga believed it was time to pay their respects and not continue avoiding the situation.


    After a long pause, Wigglytuff nodded, its eyes welling up with tears. Yuga understood that Wigglytuff missed Granbull more than anyone could imagine.


    When Wigglytuff and Yuga emerged from the guest room, Wigglytuff had regained its usualposure, except for its slightly red eyes.


    Audino had been waiting outside for quite some time. Seeing Wigglytuffing out with a smile, Audino felt relieved. Although it was unaware of what Yuga had discussed with Wigglytuff inside, the fact that the issue was resolved made Audino happy.


    Wigglytuff whispered something to Audino while being pulled aside, and Audino shot a disapproving look at Yuga as they walked away.


    Yuga thought: What did I do wrong this time?


    With Wigglytuff''s mood back to normal, it was seenughing with Audino as they walked away.


    Liliana''s efficiency was impressive, as she managed to gather information about the supermarket that had threatened Forest House Orphanage and the Substitute Elite Four behind it.


    The supermarket chain was called "Sowise Supermarket", its quiet well-known as you can found it in many big cities in Hoenn region. Its owner''s brother was the Substitute Elite Four mentioned by Ms. Kawahara


    The Substitute Elite Four''s name was Ruck, and he was in his forties. With his third consecutive appearance on the Substitute Elite Four listst year, he had been rising in the ranks each year, gaining a notable reputation.


    Yuga remembered him well fromst year''s Elite Four Challenge match in Hoenn region, which he had closely followed.


    If Yuga''s memory served him correctly, this individual was ranked 36th in the Substitute Elite Four listst year. Such a ranking on the Substitute Elite Four list was considered rtively high.


    Achieving this rank for three consecutive years meant that this person had been in the Elite level category for over a decade. While it didn''t necessarily indicate extraordinary talent, it did signify considerable experience.


    Yuga had a video ofst year''s Elite Four Challenge match featuring Ruck, and it showed that Ruck had impressive skills. He appeared to be a decent and skilled Trainer.


    However, a person''s character and appearance might not always reveal their true face. Bridges''s charming appearance masked his evil deeds. Thus, Yuga decided to investigate him further.


    After thinking for a while, Yuga called Liliana, saying, "Share the information about Forest House with Ruck. Observe his reaction, but make sure he doesn''t know that we''re the source of this information."


    Yuga wasn''t ready to jump to conclusions about Ruck''s involvement; it could be his brother using his name for nefarious purposes. So, testing the waters was essential.


    Liliana replied, "Yes, we''ll gauge his reaction after he learns about this matter. If it''s unrted to him, he should contact us shortly."


    With that, Yuga ended the call and decided to reach out to Mayor Ishida.


    "Is there something on your mind, Yuga? Do you need something?" came Mayor Ishida''s voice from the other end of the phone. They had dealt with each other frequently, and the mayor knew that Yuga wouldn''t contact him without a good reason.


    Yuga inquired, "Well, yes, there''s something. Have you been in discussions with apany called Sowise Supermarket recently about their establishment in Verdanturf Town?"


    Mayor Ishida thought for a moment and replied, "Yes, we have. How did you know about it?" He was a bit curious as Yuga typically didn''t pay much attention to such matters. He wondered what had prompted Yuga to ask about this.


    Yuga proceeded to exin the situation regarding Forest House to Mayor Ishida.


    "I can''t believe there''s such a situation, and I had no information about it," Mayor Ishida said, sounding a bit frustrated.


    "It''s normal. If they have ulterior motives, they won''t make it public," Yuga replied, pondering the situation. "Don''t let them in, but also don''t reject them immediately. Stall them for now."


    "Stall them?" Mayor Ishida was puzzled. If the other party had issues, why not just reject them outright?


    With Verdanturf Town having Devon''s support in the background and Steven being the current Hoenn League Champion, Mayor Ishida felt confident about any actions he took.


    "I understand. How long should we stall them?" While he didn''t quiteprehend Yuga''s approach, he was ustomed to following Yuga''s lead and didn''t press for more details.


    "I''ll be heading to Littleroot Town for a while, but I''ll be back soon. We can discuss it further when I return," Yuga exined.


    If there were any developments from Ruck''s side, they would deal with that when the time came.


    "Alright, I''ll trust your judgment. Take care," Mayor Ishida said, ending the call.

 Chapter 967: Night Attacker

    <h4>Chapter 967: Night Attacker</h4>


    Three days before thepetition for the Pok��mon starter breeding project at Professor Birch''s Research Institute, Yuga set off from Verdanturf Town to Littleroot Town.


    Littleroot Town wasn''t far from Verdanturf Town, and Yuga rode his Dragonite, taking a shortcut through Petalburg Woods and bypassing Rustboro City. He reached Littleroot Town by thete evening.


    Initially, Yuga had nned to go directly to Professor Birch''s research institute, but considering the darkening sky, he decided to spend the night at the Pok��mon Center and visit the institute the next morning.


    During the night, as Yuga was sleeping soundly, he was abruptly awakened by Florges, who was standing outside his room. He then heard amotion from outside.


    "What''s happening?"


    Still groggy, Yuga rubbed his eyes and walked to the window, opening it.


    Looking out, he saw the outskirts of the town illuminated by a zing fire, and the sounds of explosions echoed through the night.


    "Oh no! It''sing from the direction of Professor Birch''s research institute!"


    Yuga''s mind instantly cleared, and he hurriedly woke up Dragonite. He decided to fly towards the source of the mes.


    The Pok��mon Center in Littleroot Town wasn''t far from Professor Birch''s institute, and with Dragonite''s speed, it only took a few minutes for Yuga to reach the scene.


    To his relief, it wasn''t Professor Birch''s institute that was on fire, but the adjacent research facility.


    Upon seeing the facility''s logo, Yuga realized it was a researchb belonging to Devon Corporation. Thisb seemed to be a recent addition to Littleroot Town, as it hadn''t been there during his previous visits.


    By the time Yuga arrived, the entire research facility was engulfed in mes, and even though it waste at night, the fiery glow illuminated the surroundings.


    In addition to the fire, a chaotic battle was taking ce outside the institute.


    Recently, Professor Birch and Devon Corporation had been covorative research on aplex research project involving the revival of Fossil Pok��mon.


    Due to theplexity of the project, a new research facility had been built by Devon Corporation adjacent to Professor Birch''sb, facilitating their joint efforts.


    Radis, the head of this new facility, was set to be the official director once the coborative research was fully underway. It was meant to be a positive development. However, little did anyone expect theb that barelypleted, would fall under attack.


    In the dead of night, as everyone inside the facility was fast asleep, rms inside the institute suddenly red, jolting the upants awake. Soon, the institute was consumed by a raging fire.


    Radis almost instantly realized the reason behind the attack. The institute housed Devon Corporation''stest invention, a device capable of reviving Fossil Pok��mon.


    Radis quickly put on his clothes and rushed to the instituteoratory where the Fossil Pok��mon revival device was located. However, when he arrived, the institute was empty.


    The Fossil Pok��mon revival device was not a small piece of equipment, making it challenging to steal. Radis immediately gathered the other members of the research facility who had rushed over to help.


    As expected, there was arge truck parked outside the facility, and a group of individuals dressed strangely were loading the disassembledponents of the Fossil revival device onto the truck.


    Radis, being a researcher, didn''t possess significantbat abilities. However, when he was sent by Devon Corporation, they had assigned two bodyguards to him. Upon seeing the group of intruders, the bodyguards and their Pok��mon immediately confronted them.


    Although the bodyguards were skilled, the intruders proved to be more powerful, quickly gaining the upper hand.


    Themotion was significant, and it inevitably drew the attention of Professor Birch''s nearby researchb. Since bothbs were on coborative research, Professor Birch swiftly arrived with his team to provide support.


    However, unlike Professor Oak, Professor Birch was not a renowned Pok��mon Trainer. He was just a regr professor dedicated to his research.


    Thankfully, while Professor Birch might not have been a formidable Trainer, he had a few strong Pok��mon in his institute. With their assistance, they managed to stall the thieves from stealing any moreponents.


    However, stalling them was one thing; subduing them was another challenge. The thieves outnumbered the researchers and Trainers. Once their Pok��mon became fatigued, there was little they could do but watch the intruders escape.


    Just when it seemed hopeless, a loud crash interrupted the standoff.


    Bang!


    Professor Birch''s ziken was sent flying by an Aqua Tail from the opposing Empoleon. The residual energy from the attack surged toward Professor Birch and Radis.


    In that critical moment, a golden bolt of lightning descended from the sky, dispersing the aquatic energy. Following the lightning, arge Dragonitended in front of Professor Birch and Radis.


    "Professor Birch, are you alright?"


    Yuga dismounted from his Dragonite and shouted to Professor Birch.


    Due to the dim lighting, Professor Birch initially couldn''t discern who had arrived. It was only when he heard Yuga''s voice that he recognized the savior.


    "Yuga, it''s you! I''m saved!"


    Yuga''s presence greatly relieved Professor Birch.


    Yuga nodded and said, "I''ll handle these people first. We can discuss the restter."


    After his words, he directed his Dragonite tounch an attack on the enemy''s Empoleon.


    Seeing Yuga leaving, Radis asked Professor Birch in a low voice, "Who is that?"


    Professor Birch smiled and replied, "He''s the Gym Leader of Verdanturf Town. With him here, there''s nothing to worry about."


    "Ah, I see!" Radis realized. As a member of Devon Corporation, they had close cooperation with Verdanturf Town, and the Gym Leader there was quite renowned. Even if they hadn''t met him, they had heard his name.


    The Empoleon that had defeated Professor Birch''s ziken was the leader of the attackers and the strongest among them.


    Upon seeing Yuga and his Dragonite approaching, hemanded his Empoleon, "Empoleon, use Ice Beam!"


    As the rapidly approaching blue beam neared, Dragonite clenched its fist, charged with Thunder Punch and easily dispelled the Ice Beam with a single punch.


    After spending so much time in the Distortion World, Dragonite, which had initially been at the Junior Elite level, had already advanced to the Intermediate stage, not far from the Advanced stage. Dealing with an average Empoleon was like a walk in the park.


    Upon witnessing his Empoleon''s attack effortlessly dispelled, the Trainer, who had considered himself powerful, was dumbfounded.


    Ice-type moves were meant to be a severe threat to Dragon and Flying types, such as Dragonite, so seeing it easily countered left him in shock.


    "Retreat! Retreat! Get out of here fast!"


    The attackers hastily began to withdraw.


    The Empoleon''s Trainer screamed in panic. He was quick to realize that his group had no chance against the formidable opponent in front of them and promptly ordered a retreat.


    However, before his words could fully escape his mouth, Dragonite appeared right in front of him and the Empoleon.


    Staring at Dragonite with its fists charged with electrifying power, the Empoleon and its Trainer''s faces turned pale.


    Boom! Boom!


    With one punch to the left and another to the right, both the Empoleon and its Trainer lost consciousness instantly.


    Witnessing their leader fall, the remaining attackers panicked, rushing towards therge truck, hoping to start it and make a quick getaway.


    "Dragonite!"


    Seeing the situation, Yuga shouted to Dragonite.


    Dragonite nodded, then flew into the air and used Thunder Wave move, causing electric sparks to scatter. Those hit by the sparks, both humans and Pok��mon, fell to the ground, unconscious, or twitching.


    After dealing with the enemies, Yuga released Lapras and spoke to Lapras and Dragonite, "You two are in charge set off the fire at the research facility."


    "Dragonite!"


    "Lapras"


    Lapras and Dragonite nodded and flew into the sky above the research facility.


    Simultaneously, they used the Rain Dance move, quickly forming thick clouds over the facility. The clouds even sparkled with electric currents.


    Under Lapras''s control, the cloud cover didn''t expand excessively, only covering the research facility, ensuring no impact on the area outside.


    Rumble!


    After a p of thunder, heavy rain poured down.


    With the assistance of Lapras and Dragonite, the fire at the research facility was swiftly brought under control.


    With everything resolved, Yuga walked over to Professor Birch and Radis.


    Professor Birch smiled as Yuga walked over. "We owe you a great deal. Without you, we wouldn''t know what to do. By the way, when did you arrive in Littleroot Town, and why didn''t you inform me?"


    Yuga shook his head modestly. "It was purely coincidental. I arrived in the evening and was nning to visit you tomorrow. I didn''t expect this incident to happen at night."


    Professor Birch sighed, "Who could have imagined that these people would do something like this in the middle of the night?"


    Yuga nced at the attackers lying on the ground and said, "Judging by their attire, it seems like they are members of the Team Aqua."


    The Team Aqua was now a subsidiary organization of Team Rocket. Yuga wondered whether this attack was organized by the Team Aqua themselves or if Team Rocket was pulling the strings from behind.


    Yuga felt fortunate that the attack was thwarted.


    However, what Yuga didn''t know was that, on this night, several research facilities belonging to the Devon Corporation in other cities were also attacked by unknown individuals. These facilities were not as fortunate as the Littleroot Town research center and didn''t receive Yuga''s support. Many research data and achievements, including the Fossil Pok��mon revival device, were stolen.


    With Team Aqua''s current capabilities, they couldn''t have organized suchrge-scale attacks on their own. Clearly, they had received support from Team Rocket.


    Radis, who was present, eximed angrily, "So it''s them. These people have be increasingly activetely!"


    Lately, Team Aqua, which used to operate discreetly, had grown more active and cunning. The Pok��mon League had organized multiple failed missions to capture their branches.


    In addition to Team Aqua, Team Magma, once considered an ordinary civilian organization, had also be more active recently. Their tactics were bing increasingly simr to those of Team Aqua. The Pok��mon League had ssified them as an illegal organization.


    Upon hearing Radis speak, Professor Birch said, "By the way, let me introduce you. This is Radis, the director of this researchb."


    The rtionship between Devon Corporation and Yuga was no secret within the Pok��mon League. Mr. kuni''o had actively supported Steven during his quest to be a Champion, and anyone with keen insight knew there was more to this. And Professor Birch was also well aware of it.


    While Mr. Kuni''o had refrained from interfering in league affairs for many years, he had appearedst year to publicly support Steven''s campaign as a Champion. It was evident that this had something to do with his only disciple.


    Considering the recent changes in Verdanturf Town, everyone understood the underlying implications.


    "Hello, it''s a pleasure to meet you," Yuga said with a friendly tone as he extended his hand to Radis after the introduction by Professor Birch.


    Radis shook Yuga''s hand gratefully, saying, "I''ve heard a lot about you, and tonight we owe you a great deal."


    Professor Birch then suggested, "By the way, do you stay at the Pok��mon Center? How about staying at my research facility tomorrow? It will save you the trouble of going back and forth."


    Yuga graciously epted the offer, "That would be great. Thank you for your hospitality, Professor."


    However, Radis hesitated and said, "I''d also love to host the Gym Leader, but..."


    He nced at the still-smoking researchb behind him, expressing his helplessness.


    Yuga shook his head and said, "No need to trouble yourselves. Dealing with the aftermath is more important."


    As dawn broke, Radis immediately informed the Littleroot Town police station, and Officer Jenny promptly arrived to take these attackers into custody.

 Chapter 968: Porygon

    <h4>Chapter 968: Porygon</h4>


    At Professor Birch''s invitation, Yuga packed up his things at the Pok��mon Center and moved to Professor Birch''s research institute.


    When he arrived at the institute, Yuga saw Aru waiting for him at the entrance, which reminded him of the first time he hade here when Aru had weed him.


    The first time Yuga hade to Professor Birch''s research institute, Aru was still a neer there. Now, after several years, he had be an invaluable assistant to the professor.


    "You finally made it. It was so chaoticst night, I didn''t even get a chance to talk to you," Aru said.


    Perhaps because of the events ofst night happening in the middle of the night, Aru hadn''t had a good rest, and he looked quite tired.


    Yuga smiled and said, "It couldn''t be helped. By the way, how''s the other research facility over there?"


    Aru replied, "The research facility is pretty much destroyed. They''ll probably have to rebuild it. However, the research data that was lost in the facility is backed up at their headquarters. Inparison, the loss of physical items isn''t much of a concern for them."


    Yuga nodded in agreement, "That makes sense. The wealth of the Devon Corporation is beyond our imagination as mon people.''"


    As Aru chatted with Yuga, he led him to the ce where he would be staying.


    "Here it is. You stayed in this room thest time you visited. Is it okay for you?" Aru asked as he opened the room''s door.


    "Of course, thank you," Yuga replied, nodding.


    The back door of this room was made of ss, allowing a direct view of the institute''s backyard. This brought back memories of the time when Yuga had watched Meowth y in the yard, toying with Aru.


    As they helped Yuga settle in and put away his luggage, Aru thought of Meowth and asked, "By the way, how''s Meowth doing?"


    Yuga replied with a smile, "It''s living afortable life in my Day Care. Not only does it have three wives, but it has also gathered a bunch of little followers. It''s like a little king now. Oh, and it''s also evolved into a Persian."


    Aru was surprised and asked, "Really? Won''t it be cause a trouble for you?"


    Although Meowth used to y tricks on Aru back then, but he still wished for Meowth to have a good life. Yuga shook his head with a smile, indicating that everything was fine.


    As they tidied up the room, Yuga shared stories about Meowth, including when it evolved into Persian, when it became friends with the Zoroark family, and how it led its little followers in patrolling around YoYo Day Care territory.


    Aru, usually a schrly researcher with little leisure, found Yuga''s stories about Persian entertaining. They helped chase away the fatigue from the sleepless night.


    Once the room was in order, Yuga, under Aru''s guidance, went to meet Professor Birch.


    At that moment, Professor Birch wasn''t busy and was watching the news on TV. When he saw Yuga and Aru arrive, he said, "You''re here! Take a look at this news. The Joy family is really something; they''ve managed to research a method for cultivating Revival Herbs and have started to selling Max Revive."


    "Really? That''s incredible," Aru eximed as he watched the news on TV in amazement.


    Revival Herbs and Max Revive were well-known names, recognized by most Trainers, not to mention academic researchers like Professor Birch and Aru.


    Yuga didn''t expect the Joy family to act so quickly, but as he had anticipated, they had indeed found a way to cultivate Revival Herbs. Having the method for Revival Herb cultivation meant a constant supply of Max Revive.


    While watching the news, Aru couldn''t help but wonder, "Even if their family has discovered how to cultivate Revival Herbs, where did they get so many Revival Herbs to begin with? To sell Max Revive as a medication, they would need a significant amount of Revival Herbs, right?"


    Professor Birch sighed and said, "Who knows? They won''t tell you that. But Revival Herbs, this stuff is indeed valuable. It would be great if someone could get a sample for research."


    Yuga, with a sudden idea, asked, "Professor, do you also want a Revival Herb?"


    Professor Birch looked envious and said, "Of course! I haven''t even seen a Revival Herb yet. But don''t be fooled by how easily the Joy family is showing off; in reality, these things are quite rare. Getting your hands on one isn''t an easy task."


    The Joy family''s breakthroughs with Revival Herbs and Max Revive indeed put them in a powerful position. Not only did they discover how to cultivate Revival Herbs, but they also have the form for making Max Revive.


    Yuga: ... What you just mentioned is quite relevant to me.


    As Professor Birch mentioned, the Joy family is likely to ascend even further. Their monopoly on Max Revive is akin to holding the destiny of Trainers by the neck.


    Many Trainers who venture into the wild for adventures or missions would significantly improve their survival rates if they had a Max Revive.


    The Pok��mon League loses countless Trainers every year because they can''t return from missions.


    However, one crucial point is that, as mentioned in the news, while the Joy family has begun selling Max Revive, growing Revival Herbs is not an instant process. This means that the quantity of Max Revive can''t be increased rapidly and can only be provided to a select few.


    The identity of these few is self-evident; it''s certainly not for ordinary civilian Trainers. Not to mention, even the price of a single Max Revive is beyond the means of most people.


    Unfortunately, Yuga is just a small Gym Leader,cking the resources and connections to support a business involving Max Revive. Moreover, the existence of the Ecopark must remain concealed; otherwise, he would have been pursued the Max Revive business long time ago and made a fortune.


    "If you really want a Revival Herb, I can help," Yuga offered.


    "Really? You have a Revival Herb?" Professor Birch''s eyes lit up at the prospect.


    Yuga nodded, saying, "Plenty of them, one won''t be an issue."


    Initially, Professor Birch was about to say something, but then hemented, "Oh, even though I want one, I can''t take advantage of you. I don''t have anything of equivalent value to trade for such precious Revival Herbs."


    Yuga disagreed, "You shouldn''t say that. If it weren''t for your rmendation, I wouldn''t have had the opportunity to participate in this breeding project event."


    Professor Birch waved his hand and said, "It''s not about the rmendation; the Pok��mon League granted me this rmendation spot. It''s thanks to Norman for rmending you. If you want to thank someone, it should be him."


    Yuga considered and said, "Mr. Norman deserves thanks, but you also yed a role. How about this? I heard you recently obtained a few Porygon. Can you spare one for me?"


    Professor Birch was surprised and asked, "You want a Porygon? What do you need it for?"


    Due to its capacity to processrge amounts of data and alleviating research burdens. Lot of researcher interested in them.


    Trainers, on the other hand, have limited interest in Porygon since their current versions are still imperfect and its quiet challenging to incorporate them into battles.


    Yuga exined, "We deal with a lot ofwork-rted issues in our business, and Porygon can be a significant help."


    Professor Birch couldn''t help but chuckle and said, "I see. While Porygon is mainly used to assist researchers in data processing, it''s interesting to hear about their potential use in business. It''s not entirely unreasonable."


    Afterward, Professor Birch instructed his assistant to fetch aputer from his office. When theputer was powered on, Yuga saw several Porygon moving around on theputer screen.


    "These are Porygon," Yuga marveled upon seeing Porygon for the first time.


    The Pok��mon world was indeed amazing, with the ability to create creatures like Porygon, capable of transitioning between reality and virtuality. However, these Porygon appeared rather dull and lifeless, nothing like active Pok��mon.


    Professor Birch exined, "Porygon is still in the research and development phase. There are many upgrades toe. When the timees for further upgrades, you can send your Porygon to me, and I''ll help youplete it."


    Yuga expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Professor. Having after-sales support is excellent."


    Professor Birch nodded and said, "Give me your phone."


    Yuga handed over his phone with a puzzled expression. He then saw a Porygon emerge from theputer screen and slip into his phone.


    Yuga''s eyes widened in amazement; this was truly magical!


    Professor Birch inserted Yuga''s phone into his own phone and said, "From now on, this Porygon is yours. Currently, there aren''t many Porygon, so be sure to cherish it."


    Yuga looked at his phone and said, "Don''t worry, Professor. I will." The small Porygon was swaying its body left and right on Yuga''s phone screen.


    Seeing Yuga''s Porygon on his phone, Aru wore an envious expression. He also wished to have a Porygon, as having one could make his research activities more convenient.


    Witnessing Aru''s eager expression, Professor Birch patted his shoulder and said, "Work hard, and if you perform well, I''ll reward you with a Porygon."


    Aru eximed, "Really?"


    Professor Birch sighed, "Yes, really. I gain nothing from deceiving you."


    With Porygon in hand, Yuga said to Professor Birch, "Since the Revival Herb is not with me, I''ll make a call to my Day Care and have them send it over."


    Verdanturf Town was not far from Littleroot Town, and with an expedited delivery from Pidgey Express, it could arrive the same day.


    Professor Birch nodded and said, "Thank you for your help."


    Yuga turned and went to the yard to make a call to his Day Care. He instructed Audino to pick a Revival Herb from the Sub-Ecopark and then asked Suzuki Koen to send it to the Littleroot Town Express Office.


    After agreeing to Yuga''s request, Suzuki Koen added, "By the way, boss, there''s something I need to tell you. Nurse Joy from the Pok��mon Center sent ten Chanseys for you. Audino has already ced them in the Ecopark."


    Yuga was surprised and asked, "You mean Joyka had sent me ten Chanseys?"


    Suzuki Koen confirmed, "That''s right. She said if you have any questions, you can just give her a call."


    Yuga replied, "I see. Thanks for letting me know. You can go back to your work now."


    He hung up the phone and immediately dialed Joyka''s number.


    Joyka answered the call, her familiar voiceing through, "Oh, the busy man is calling me."


    Yuga, feeling a bit puzzled, asked, "Did you send me ten Chanseys? What''s going on?" In truth, he had a vague idea of the reason.


    Joyka ceased her teasing and cleared her throat. "I assume you''ve seen the news."


    Yuga replied, "I just did. Congrattions to your family."


    Joyka responded, "Even though our family benefitted from this, whether it''s the form for Max Revive or the collection of Revival Herbs, you''ve been a great help. Our family couldn''t think of any way topensate you, so we decided to send you ten Chanseys."


    Yuga acknowledged, "I see. Then I''ll ept them."


    Joyka added, "Of these ten Chanseys, two of them have blue potential,while the others have green potential. Moreover, these Pok��mon''s parents have been carefully bred by the Joy family, and their gics sequence are quite stable. The chances of their offspring being high potential Pok��mon are much higherpared to regr ones."


    Yuga''s eyes lit up as he expressed his gratitude, saying, "That''s really generous of you."


    The stability of Pok��mon gics required extensive and meticulous breeding through generations, and such Pok��mon were usually kept within the family as a treasured lineage. Yuga was surprised that the Joy family was willing to part with them.


    Joyka assured, "It''s nothing, really. In the end, our family gained more from you. If you ever need any help in the future and our family can assist, we''ll do our best."


    Yuga replied with a smile, "That''s great. I guess I''ve made a powerful friend."


    Meanwhile, as Yuga prepared to participate in thepetition for the Pokemon starter breeding project in Littleroot Town, news reached Ruck, the substitute Champion. He learned about his brother''s activities in Verdanturf Town under his name.


    Ruck received this information while hosting an important guest.


    "What''s happening?" the guest asked when Ruck ended the call, noticing his troubled expression.


    Ruck shook his head and exined, "It''s nothing major. My brother has stirred up some trouble in Verdanturf Town."


    The guest inquired, "Verdanturf Town? Is that Verdanturf Town where Shimizu Yuga is located?"


    Ruck was surprised. "You''ve heard of this Shimizu Yuga too, Mr. Gill?"


    Mr. Gill, the guest, smiled. "Of course. He has quite a reputation. In fact, isn''t there a connection between this Shimizu Yuga and Mr. Kuni''o?"


    Ruck exined, "Well, the rumor is that they might be rted, but it''s hard to say if it''s true."


    Mr. Gill raised an eyebrow. "Oh? There''s even such a connection? I must be behind on the news."


    Ruck smiled and said, "Mr. Gill, you''re not part of the Pok��mon League, so it''s understandable if you haven''t heard about this."


    Mr. Gill nodded. "If I had a chance, I''d like to meet this Mr. Shimizu."


    Ruck responded, "In a few days, I have to visit Verdanturf Town due to my less-than-reliable brother''s troubles. If you truly wish to meet him, I can introduce you."


    Mr. Gill shook his head. "I''d better not. I have other business to attend totely, and I can''t linger here for too long."


    Ruck agreed, "Understood, Mr. Gill. Feel free to reach out if you have any requests."


    Ruck had reach Elite level Trainer and the position of Substitute Elite Four for the Hoenn Region with the assistance of Mr. Gill, and he was always obeyed Mr. Gill''smands.


    Back in Littleroot Town, Yuga received a call from Mayor Ishida. Ruck had requested to visit Verdanturf Town, and Yuga agreed to it.

 Chapter 969: Settled

    <h4>Chapter 969: Settled</h4>


    Yuga stayed at Professor Birch''s research institute for two days, and soon it was the day of thepetition for the Pokemon starter breeding project.


    Except for YoYo Day Care, which was a private Day Care, all otherpetitors came from official Day Care Center under the League''s jurisdiction.


    The heads of the other Day Care Center were apanied by many staff members, making Yuga, who was alone, stand out.


    In total, there were elevenpetitors, including YoYo Day Care, which was more than Yuga had anticipated. However, despite therger number ofpetitors, Yuga was still quite confident.


    His target was the Fire-type Starter.


    Surprisingly, most otherpetitors had set their sights on Grass-type and Water-type Starter, Only one otherpetitor had the Fire-type Starter as their goal, just like Yuga.


    After Professor Birch exined, Yuga understood the reason behind this.


    In the breeding of Water, Grass, and Fire-type Pok��mon, the living environment for Water-type Pok��mon needed to simte water bodies such as rivers, seas, orkes.


    The environment for Grass-type Pok��mon had to resemble forests, grasnds, and green surroundings. But the environment for Fire-type Pok��mon was the most demanding.


    The living environment for Fire-type Pok��mon, even if not as extreme as a volcano, still required a rtively rich concentration of Fire-type energy.


    Many breeding facilities for Fire-type Starter were directly located near volcanic areas. For example, the Charicific Valley in the Johto region was a famous Charmander breeding site, and the Charmanders bred there had exceptional talents.


    Of course, it didn''t mean that Fire-type Pok��mon could only be bred in special environments.


    In a regr environment, you can still breed Fire-type Pok��mon, but it''s clear that Fire-type Pok��mon bred in an ordinary environment won''t be as outstanding as those bred in a special environment.


    The same principle applies to the breeding of Water-type and Grass-type Pok��mon��they also have specific environmental requirements.


    The reason there are only twopetitors for the Fire-type Starter breeding project, including YoYo Day Care, is because the cost of artificially simting the breeding environment for Fire-type Starter is much higher than that for Trecko and Mudkip. It also demands high level Ecopark construction technology.


    While the Pokemon Starter breeding project is indeed a lucrative opportunity for the League''s various Day Care Center, the League allocates a fixed budget to these Dsy Care Centers each year.


    When benefits are equal,petitors naturally prioritize Trecko and Mudkip over the Fire-type Starter.


    Because there are fewer Day Care Centerpeting for the Fire-type Starter, Yuga''s advantage is greatly magnified.


    YoYo Day Care''spetition for the Fire-type Starter breeding project is a Day Care Center from Pacifidlog Town.


    Pacifidlog Town had a development level simr to that of Verdanturf Town before its expansion, so the scale of the Pacifidlog Day Care Center was notrge.


    It was not highly regarded among the League''s major Day Care Center, and theirpetitive advantage was naturally much lower.


    The League doesn''t solely establish Day Care Center in cities or towns based on their development levels. The natural environment there is also of paramount importance. An appropriate natural environment can often significantly reduce the cost of breeding Pok��mon.


    However, the development level of a city can indeed influence the League''s attention to the Day Care Center. The more attention the League gives, the better the development of the Day Care Center.


    Initially, the head of the Pacifidlog Day Care Center had a strong disdain for Yuga, the owner of a private Day Care, and always looked down on him. But during theirpetition, they were directly defeated.


    The reason was simple��Yuga won through financial power.


    Yuga might not be able to reveal the existence of the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, but one thing was certain: simting the environment for Fire-type Pok��mon breeding could be aplished not only through the construction of Ecoparks using technology but also through the use of arge number of Fire Stones.


    Of all evolution stones, Yuga had the most Fire Stones because he owned a Fire Stone vein.


    cing a certain number of Fire Stones in the environment where Fire-type Pok��mon lived could significantly increase the Fire-type energy, achieving the same breeding effect as in the extreme environments.


    However, in this situation, Fire-type Pok��mon would continuously absorb the energy from the Fire Stones during their growth, leading to a significant consumption of Fire Stones. The cost of this method was even higher than simting a Fire-type environment with an Ecopark.


    But Yuga had no fear. Using Fire Stones to breed Fire-type Pok��mon was ultimately just a cover for concealing the Volcano Sub-Ecopark existence. He didn''t actually need to do it, and even if he did, he could afford it.


    Beforeing, Yuga had arranged the main Ecopark with arge number of Fire Stones to create a suitable environment for the growth of Torchic and took photos of it.


    During hispetitive speech, Yuga showcased the new environment that had been painstakingly created with a substantial number of Fire Stones, making the breeding environment disyed by Pacifidlog Town appear very in inparison.


    This clear contrast directly led to the defeat of the Pacifidlog Day Care Center in thepetition.


    Unlike the attribute gem veins, which were entirely under the League''s control, the League allowed individuals to possess evolution stone veins.


    So, the fact that Yuga owned a significant number of Fire Stones didn''t surprise others too much. Some people who knew Yuga''s background even felt it was only natural.


    After all, Mr. Kuni''o wouldn''t leave his only disciple without some resources.


    The defeat in thepetition made the head of the Pacifidlog Day Care Center feel extremely humiliated because he had always looked down on private Day Cares like YoYo Day Care.


    He had never expected to suffer such a major loss at the hands of a private Day Care.


    The head of the Pacifidlog Day Care Center immediately proposed a Pok��mon battle against Yuga to prove who was better at breeding Fire-type Pok��mon, as he believed that a battle was the best way to demonstrate breeding proficiency.


    Clearly, the private Day Care had outperformed the Pacifidlog Day Care Center, and this made the head of the Pacifidlog Day Care Center extremely unsatisfied.


    The host of the breeding projectpetition was Professor Birch, and when he heard the head of the Pacifidlog Day Care Center propose a Pok��mon battle against Yuga, he almost thought he had misheard and asked, "Are you serious?"


    Not everyone present was familiar with Yuga, and the head of the Pacifidlog Day Care Center was one of them.


    Yuga was also taken aback by the head of the Pacifidlog Day Care Center''s audacity to propose a battle. He hadn''t expected such a reaction.


    The head of the Pacifidlog Day Care Center had a close rtionship with the head of the Evergreen City Day Care Center, who immediately had a change of expression when he heard his friend''s challenge.


    He discreetly pulled the head of the Pacifidlog Day Care Center aside and whispered, "Are you out of your mind? Do you even know who he is?"


    The Evergreen City Day Care Center had lost in thepetition for the Treecko breeding project, just like the Pacifidlog Day Care Center. However, they handled their loss much better than the people from Pacifidlog.


    "He''s the Gym Leader of Verdanturf Town," the head of the Evergreen City Day Care Center reminded his friend. While he hadn''t met Yuga in person, he was well aware that the Gym Leader of Verdanturf Town was an Elite level Trainer.


    The head of the Pacifidlog Day Care Center, despite his bravado, began to change his tune. "Well... What does that matter? Verdanturf Town''s Gym Leader is a Grass-type Trainer, and we''re supposed to have a Fire-type Pok��mon battle!"


    Even though he wanted to maintain his pride, the head of the Pacifidlog Day Care Center was starting to regret his impulsive challenge.


    He wasn''t a Trainer himself, but each Day Care Center had its resident Trainers, andtely, the Pacifidlog Day Care Center had recruited a formidable Fire-type Trainer. This was the basis for his confidence in challenging Yuga.


    However, no matter how confident he was, he didn''t believe that his Trainer could defeat the Gym Leader of Verdanturf Town, an Elite level Trainer.


    However, Professor Birch saw the embarrassment in the head of the Pacifidlog Day Care Center and stepped in to defuse the situation.


    "The selection for the Torchic breeding project has already been won by YoYo Day Care. It''s not in ordance with the rules to decide it through a battle, so let''s not mention it again," Professor Birch rified.


    "I... I understand... I was too impulsive..." the head of the Pacifidlog Day Care Center admitted, his confidence shattered.


    He sat back down, casting furtive nces at Yuga, afraid that Yuga might hold a grudge.


    On the other hand, the head of the Evergreen City Day Care Center could only pat his friend''s shoulder in constion.


    Yuga smiled and shook his head at the situation.


    And with that, thepetition for the Pokemom starter breeding project was settled.

 Chapter 970: Pelipper

    <h4>Chapter 970: Pelipper</h4>


    After thepetition for the Pok��mon starter breeding projects, the three sessfulpetitors will be sent to other breeding base by the League to choose their breeding Pok��mon.


    The breeding project for Torchic that Yuga is going to is located on Dewford Ind.


    Dewford Ind is one of thergest inds in the Hoenn Region, and Brawly, who became a Gym Leader at the same time as Yuga, is a Gym Leader in Dewford Town on Dewford Ind.


    Dewford Ind is shaped like a strip, with a Rock Cave at one end and a small dormant volcano at the other.


    Inside the Rock Cave, there are many Aron, Lairon, and Aggron living there.


    The Aron, Lairon, and Aggron in Yuga''s Ecopark alsoe from this Rock Cave on Dewford Ind.


    Because there were too many Aron species in the Rock Cave at the time, the ecosystem there was overburdened, which is why some of these Pok��mon were transferred out.


    On the other side, the dormant volcano, with its abundant Fire-type energy, was designated by the League as a natural Fire-type Pok��mon breeding base and is also a famous Torchic breeding project.


    On the day after thepetition, the League sent someone to lead Yuga to Dewford Ind.


    The straight-line distance between Dewford Ind and Littleroot Town is very close, and they are separated only by the sea. By crossing the sea between them, they quickly arrived.


    To save time, Yuga directly rode on a Dragonite with the League''s guide and flew to Dewford Town. In just half a day, they reached Dewford Ind.


    Yuga didn''t expect that after arriving on Dewford Ind, the League''s guide would simply leave. From here on, he would be escorted to the breeding base on Dewford Ind by Brawly, who was a Gym Leader in Dewford Town.


    When Yuga was led to Dewford Gym, Brawly didn''t seem surprised at all, clearly having received advance notice.


    As soon as Brawly saw Yuga, he gave him a big hug andughed heartily, saying, "Long time no see!"


    Since the two of them met at Unova Gym Leader Challenge and became Gym Leaders, they had always stayed in touch, and their rtionship was quite good. That''s why Brawly was so excited to see Yuga.


    Yuga hugged Brawly back and smiled, saying, "It really has been a long time. I didn''t expect to be brought here to see you directly."


    Brawly released Yuga and said, "After all, I''m the owner of Dewford Gym, so it''s much more convenient for me to take you to the breeding base on Dewford Ind."


    At this point, the person who had been guiding Yuga spoke up, "Alright, Gym Leader Brawly, I''m leaving Gym Leader Shimizu to you. I have other matters to attend to."


    Brawly pped his chest heartily and said, "You can rest assured, it''s all on me!"


    The guide nodded, then turned and left Dewford Gym.


    After the guide left, Brawly invited Yuga inside the Gym. While they walked, Yuga asked, "When are we going to the breeding base on Dewford Ind?"


    Brawly smiled and asked, "Are you in such a hurry? You just arrived here. Can''t you sit down and have a cup of tea?"


    Yuga, somewhat resigned, said, "Alright, alright, you''re right."


    Brawlyughed heartily a few times and then shouted loudly inside the Gym, "Serah,e out and serve our guest some tea!"


    "Coming,ing!"


    Soon, Yuga heard an energetic young girl carrying two cups of tea rushing over.


    The girl ced the tea on the table in front of Yuga and Brawly. Brawly asked her, "What were you doing just now? Why were you in such a hurry?"


    The girl immediately started stammering, "I... I wasn''t doing anything... I was just... just training as usual." Her eyes darted around, clearly feeling guilty.


    "You didn''t break the repaired battle arena again, did you?" Brawly stared at her with a firm tone, even though he framed it as a question. It was evident that the girl had done this before.


    "Heh... hehe..." The girl looked left and right, and it was clear she had been caught.


    "Is this your Gym apprentice?" Yuga, seeing the unique way Brawly and the girl interacted, asked with a smile.


    "Yes, she is," Brawly began to introduce her but was cut off as the girl introduced herself, "That''s right, I''m Serah, the Chief Disciple of Master Brawly and his bestpanion!"


    "Ha..." Yuga chuckled after hearing the girl''s words, nearly spitting out the tea in his mouth. He nearly sshed it on Brawly''s face. "Brawly, you''ve gone too far."


    The girl looked around eleven or twelve years old, and in the Pok��mon world, one bes an adult at the age of sixteen.


    "This youngdy isn''t an adult yet; give her a three-year starting point," Yuga teased.


    Brawly didn''t quite understand Yuga''s humor and said in a helpless tone, "Don''t mind her; she just likes to talk nonsense all day."


    Yuga smiled and shook his head; he certainly wouldn''t take a young girl''s words seriously. He just wanted to yfully tease Brawly a little.


    In the Pok��mon world, people tend to mature early, and dating at the age of fourteen or fifteen isn''t considered early. However, eleven or twelve is indeed quite young.


    "Are you the Gym Leader Shimizu that Master Brawly often talks about? I''ve heard you''re very strong. Is that true?" Small Serah asked with curiosity, not getting upset despite Yuga''s teasing.


    Yuga smiled and replied, "I don''t know if I''m strong or not, but if there isn''t a second Gym Leader Shimizu, then I''m the one you''re talking about."


    Excitedly, Small Serah asked, "Can you have a battle with me?"


    Brawly immediately scolded Small Serah, saying, "Serah, don''t push it too far."


    While Brawly himself was quite casual and could joke around with Yuga, it was because they were friends. But Yuga, being an Elite level Trainer, considered Small Serah''s request a bit impolite.


    "It''s okay," Yuga waved his hand toward Brawly and then turned to Small Serah, saying, "It''s not that I don''t want to battle with you. You''re still young, and what''s important is to build a strong foundation. Challenging me at this stage won''t be of much help to you. When you be stronger in the future, I''ll definitely ept your challenge."


    Small Serah lowered her head in disappointment and said, "Okay, I understand."


    Small Serah is an orphan. Her father was an alcoholic who drowned by the sea while drunk. Her mother had long left her alcoholic husband and abandoned the young Small Serah.


    The reason Small Serah managed to grow up safely is thanks to Brawly''s support. After the establishment of the Gym, Brawly even brought her to the Gym directly.


    So, Small Serah has been hoping to grow up quickly, be stronger, and be an independent person.


    At noon, Yuga had lunch at Dewford Gym and then went to the breeding base on Dewford Ind under Brawly''s guidance.


    The breeding base on Dewford Ind is a natural Fire-type Pok��mon breeding base. There are norge Ecoparks built here. Instead, they have a small Ecopark attached to the dormant volcano, where Fire-type Pok��mon usually stay.


    Although the volcano is dormant, the temperature at the volcano''s mouth is consistently high throughout the year. Even in winter, the temperature doesn''t change significantly, so there''s no need to spend money on buildingrge Ecoparks.


    This is also an important reason why the League set up the breeding project here.


    The person in charge of the breeding base on Dewford Ind is a tall middle-aged man, standing at a full two meters tall with well-developed muscles, truly a powerhouse among powerhouses.


    Beforeing, Brawly informed Yuga that the person in charge of the breeding base on Dewford Ind is a senior breeder, highly renowned in the League''s breedermunity, just a step away from being a top breeder.


    This made Yuga unconsciously think that this person would be a refined and polite individual because most of the male breeders he had encountered had that kind of image. The higher the ranking of a breeder, the more this refined demeanor was evident. However, upon meeting the real person, itpletely overturned his expectations.


    As soon as he saw Yuga, the person in charge, named Basolo,ughed heartily and extended his hand to Yuga, saying, "So, you must be the Gym Leader Shimizu. I''ve heard so much about you. I''m Basolo, the head of the breeding base on Dewford Ind. Most people call me Iron Tower, and you can do the same."


    Yuga was left a little taken aback by the whole situation. He responded, "Hello, nice to meet you, Mr. Basolo."


    Yuga shook Basolo''s outstretched right hand. It was the first time he felt that his hand might be a bit small inparison.


    Yuga is a tall guy, standing at over 1.8 meters, so his hands are naturally not small. Butpared to someone like Basolo, they seemed quite diminutive.


    Basolo had a very warm personality, and after their introductions, he immediately said, "No time to waste. Let''s go and see the Torchics we''re about to hand over."


    Yuga nodded and replied, "Please lead the way."


    The breeding base for Torchic is located on the highest point of Dewford Ind, which is also the ind''s only mountain. As they gradually climbed up the volcano''s summit, Yuga could see an endless expanse of ocean below. The blue waves glistened beautifully in the direct sunlight.


    While Yuga was admiring the oceanic view, the sky suddenly darkened. The sunny weather from moments ago turned overcast.


    "What''s going on?" Yuga furrowed his brow, observing the thick, low-hanging clouds above. This abrupt weather change didn''t seem natural.


    "Darn it! Those guys are causing trouble again!" Basolo angrily eximed as rain began to pour down.


    "What''s happening?" Brawly, standing nearby, asked in confusion as he wiped raindrops off his face.


    "Some time ago, a group of Pelipper and Wingull migrated here from who-knows-where. Many of these Pelipper have the Drizzle ability, which causes rainfall. As soon as they arrived here, it started raining, and we can''t drive them away. It''s really frustrating!" Basolo exined.


    Mr. Basolo scowled at the cloud cover in the sky and vented his frustration.


    Their location was a Fire-type Pok��mon breeding base, which required an abundance of Fire-type energy. Frequent rain was not something they needed. Although the coastal area was no stranger to rainfall, natural rainfall didn''t have a significant impact on the concentration of Fire-type energy in their breeding base.


    However, these Pelipper were different. The abilities they possessed caused significant issues in the breeding base, impacting the Fire-type energy levels.


    "Pelipper... Pelipper..."


    Sure enough, as Mr. Basolo''sints echoed, Yuga heard the continuous cries of Pelipper and Wingull in the background.


    By now, the sky above the volcano was filled with Pelipper and Wingull, numbering nearly a thousand. No wonder the people at the Dewford Ind breeding base were at a loss for what to do with these Pelipper and Wingull.


    Observing the vast number of these Pok��mon, Brawly was surprised and asked, "Mr. Basolo, why haven''t you reported this to the League? This seems to have reached the scale of a Pok��mon disaster."


    A Pok��mon disaster refers to a special event where arge number of Pok��mon, typically due to a natural phenomenon, pose a significant threat to humans. It''s usually addressed by Rangers or other relevant authorities.


    Pelipper and Wingull might bemon Pok��mon in the Dewford Ind, but such arge-scale gathering of them was highly unusual. These Pok��mon aren''t known for living inrge groups.


    The Dewford Ind breeding base, while on the same ind, was located at the very edges of the ind, much farther from Dewford Town, simr to the Rock Cave. Consequently, Brawly had no knowledge of thisrge gathering of Pelipper and Wingull.


    "I''ve already reported it, but there''s been no response from the Rangers yet," Mr. Basolo said in frustration.


    At first, there weren''t many Pelipper and Wingull congregating in the vicinity of the breeding base, so he didn''t take it seriously. However, by the time he realized something was amiss, the situation had already spiraled out of control.


    Looking at the sea of Pelipper and Wingull overhead, Yuga retrieved a Pok�� Ball and released his Dragonite.


    "Dragonite, I''m counting on you to drive away these Pelipper and Wingull."


    Dragonite nodded and flew into the sky. Soon, the sky began to flicker with electrical energy, startling the Pelipper and Wingull, causing them to scatter and flee.


    With Dragonite''s efforts, the Pelipper and Wingull dispersed, and the clouds began to dissipate. The rain gradually ceased.


    Seeing the Pelipper and Wingull leaving, Mr. Basolo let out a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you for your help."


    Yuga shook his head and replied, "This is a temporary solution. The key is to find out why these Pelipper and Wingull are gathering in suchrge numbers. Otherwise, they might return soon. You should contact the Rangers as soon as possible to address the issue."


    Mr. Basolo nodded in agreement.


    With their clothes soaked, the three of them continued on their way to the mountaintop.


    Meanwhile, on an affiliated ind of Dewford Ind, two men, one big and one small, noticed the flickering electrical energy in the sky while Dragonite was driving away the Pelipper and Wingull.


    "What just happened on Dewford Ind? Did you get a good look?" therger man asked the smaller one.


    The smaller man shook his head and replied, "I didn''t see it clearly, but it seemed to be caused by Electric-type Pok��mon. I felt a rapid expansion of Electric-type energying from Dewford Ind. As an Electric-type Trainer myself, I''m sensitive to it."


    Therger man nodded and then asked, "The Pelipper and Wingull just flew towards Dewford Ind, right?"


    The smaller man confirmed, "Yes, they should have. Jackie, have you found any leads on your end?"


    The man known as Jackie shook his head and said, "No, have you?"


    The smaller man also shook his head and replied, "I haven''t either."

 Chapter 971: Team Aqua

    <h4>Chapter 971: Team Aqua</h4>


    After dispersing the Pelipper and Wingull, Yuga and Brawly, led by Basolo, arrived at the ce on Dewford Ind where they breed Torchic.


    As soon as they arrived, Yuga heard the cheerful cries of many fluffy, yellow and orange Torchic, "Torchic, Torchic." The scene was very pleasant.


    In addition to Torchic, Yuga and Brawly also saw a certain number of Combusken and ziken, but their numbers were far fewer than Torchic.


    For the League breeding base, apart from keeping a sufficient number of breeding Pok��mon every time, the Torchic that reach the appropriate age are sent to various Pok��mon Professors for distribution to new Trainers or awarded to deserving League Trainers.


    Therefore, there aren''t many Torchic left in the breeding base to evolve into Combusken or ziken, but when they are left behind, they are undoubtedly the best among their batch.


    Basolo, deserving of being just a step away from the top breeders, focused on Fire-type Pok��mon breeding. Therefore, in addition to Torchic, Combusken, and ziken, a considerable number of other Fire-type Pok��mon were also bred here, with the most numerous being Magbi.


    The Magbi n is not verymon Pokemon, and they often live near volcanoes, making them demanding in terms of their living environment.


    ording to Basolo, the ancestors of this batch of Magbi were discovered near this dormant volcano when the breeding base was established. The person in charge at the time decided to keep them.


    Now, the Magbi n is the most representative among all the Pok��mon in the entire Dewford Ind breeding base, except for Torchic.


    This natural breeding base has many other staff members, and their arrival did not cause much of a reaction among the workers. They continued to focus on their own tasks.


    "ziken!"


    As they entered the Torchic area of the breeding base, a robust ziken jumped over to Basolo.


    Seeing ziken, Basolo immediately introduced him with enthusiasm, "This is my ziken. Although I''m not a Trainer, ziken has been my long-time partner!"


    This ziken has blue potential and is one of the rewards given to Basolo by the League when he was promoted to a senior breeder. After years of breeding, the ziken''s level has already reached the pseudo-Elite level.


    ziken was not trained through a Trainer''s methods but was entirely cultivated by Basolo using his breeding knowledge of Fire-type Pok��mon. It shows just how excellent Basolo''s breeding abilities are.


    Basolo''s ziken gave off a cool vibe. However, when it heard Basolo introducing itself to Yuga and Brawly, it nodded politely in their direction.


    "ziken!"


    Hello.


    Yuga could sense the friendliness in the ziken''s call, so he smiled and said, "Hello" to it.


    Of course, Brawly and Basolo were unaware that Yuga understood the ziken''s words, and the ziken itself didn''t know either. It simply perceived Yuga''s greeting as a normal one, and Yuga didn''t feel the need to exin.


    As he wandered around the Torchic group, Yuga''s inherent affinity due to his special ability attracted many Torchic to gather around him. This made Basolo envy, and he said, "I didn''t expect Gym Leader Shimizu to be so popr with Torchic."


    Yuga chuckled and gently patted the fluffy head of a Torchic without saying anything.


    In fact, his special ability had the highest affinity for Grass-type Pok��mon and the lowest for Dark-type Pok��mon, with slightly above-average affinity for Pok��mon of other types. However, even this "slight" boost was enough to make the Pok��mon like Yuga.


    Torchic had a significantly higher body temperaturepared to other species of Pok��mon, so Yuga was soon covered in sweat while being surrounded by Torchic. He had to quickly move away from them.


    As Yuga distanced himself from the Torchic, they collectively let out disappointed calls, "Torchic, Torchic," and continued their enthusiastic noises.


    The day of the Pokemon starter breeding projectpetition was thest day of April, and after it ended, May officially began. Due to the generally higher temperatures in Dewford Ind, May had already entered the hot summer season.


    Anybody would find it challenging to endure the summer when surrounded by Fire-type Pok��mon.


    Yuga was allowed to take away 100 Torchic with yellow potentials and 30 with green potentials, which was quite arge number.


    In return, starting from the second year, Yuga had to provide the League with five Torchic with green potentials and ten with yellow potentials every year, with the remaining Torchic at his disposal.


    ording to the regtions, the Torchic he took away in the first year from the breeding base could only be used for breeding purposes and not for any other use.


    If Yuga failed to deliver the specified number and potential of Torchic for two consecutive years, the YoYo Day Care would lose the qualification as a Torchic breeding base. Additionally, they would have to return the initial 100 yellow and 30 green Torchic the League had given them. If they still couldn''t meet the requirements, they''d have to pay a significant fine.


    The potential penalty for failing to meet the requirements was a substantial amount of money. The League didn''t use market prices for such penalties; otherwise, it wouldn''t be considered a penalty butpensation.


    At the Pokemon Starters breeding base on Dewford Ind, high potential Torchic and ordinary Torchic were strictly kept separate during their development. With Basolo''s guidance, Yuga quickly obtained the required number of Torchic.


    Having achieved their goal, Yuga and Brawly left the Pokemon Starters breeding base, and declining Mr. Basolo''s offer to see them off.


    While Yuga was busy selecting Torchic on Dewford Ind, on the affiliated inds near Dewford Ind, two men, one older and one younger, noticed something unusual.


    The Pelipper and Wingull living near Dewford Ind generally inhabited the smaller affiliated inds, as the main ind was heavily popted by humans, so they rarely ventured to the main ind.


    The group of Pelipper and Wingull that had returned from the main ind immediately gathered and flew toward a specific location before leaving the range of Dewford Ind.


    The two men exchanged nces and decided to track the Pelipper and Wingull.


    They both used capture devices to capture one Pelipper each and then mounted them, following the group of Pelipper and Wingull. It didn''t take long for them to move out of the range of Dewford Ind.


    These two individuals were the Rangers sent by the Ranger Union to investigate the situation after Mr. Basolo reported it. Rangers could be divided into Resident Rangers and Roaming Rangers.


    Resident Rangers were stationed in a specific area, responsible for monitoring and protecting the local Pok��mon and ecosystems. This type of Ranger''s job was quite monotonous and usually required individuals who could tolerate solitude, like the Resident Rangers in the Petalburg Woods.


    Roaming Rangers, on the other hand, had to travel to different regions to address various sudden ecological problems and Pok��mon-rted disasters. Compared to Resident Rangers, Roaming Rangers faced more dangerous tasks, so the selection criteria and requirements for Roaming Rangers were higher. Roaming Rangers were generally considered the elite among the Rangers.


    The two individuals who came to Dewford Ind were Roaming Rangers. The older one was the main leader, and the younger one was a trainee. The trainee, although young, had shown excellent performance in the assessment, which is why the Ranger Union assigned him to be mentored by the older Ranger. This arrangement was intended to provide the younger Ranger with more experience and guidance since he wasn''t yet ready for solo missions.


    However, when they arrived on Dewford Ind, they had not yet discovered the specific cause of the situation and hadn''t had the chance to inform Mr. Basolo.


    The two of them followed the Pelipper and Wingull, eventually flying to a deserted ind near Dewford Ind.


    Though this ind was supposed to be uninhabited, the two Rangers discovered a building on the ind, seemingly erected at some point. The Pelipper and Wingull immediately initiated an attack on the building as soon as theynded on the ind.


    Nearly a thousand Pelipper and Wingull unleashed a barrage of various Water-type, Flying-type, and normal-type moves simultaneously, targeting the central structure of the ind.


    While the Pelipper and Wingull attacked the building, Jackie and his trainee had discreetly hidden.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The building, under intense assault, erupted into violent explosions, which quickly alerted the people inside.


    Leading the group was a bearded man in a blue uniform with a pirate bandana on his head. It was none other than Archie, the former leader of the Team Aqua. By his side were two former executives of the Team Aqua, Shelly and Matt.


    Although the group of Pelipper and Wingull was numerous, their strength was rtively low. In contrast, Archie, Shelly, and Matt were formidable Trainers. This group of Pok��mon was no match for them and the Team Aqua grunts.


    Under the Team Aqua''s counterattack, the Pelipper and Wingull suffered significant losses.


    Archie had been rather irritabletely. Dealing with these Pelipper and Wingull had been a constant nuisance. They returned to cause trouble every few days. If this continued, they would eventually draw the attention of the Pok��mon League.


    However, it was good for them that their business on this ind was almostplete, and they could soon move on.


    Since joining Team Rocket, Archie had realized how limited his previous perspective was. Team Rocket was a true major power. They could even create a Legendary Pokemon. This was something Archie had only dreamed of.


    Although the Legendary Pokemon recently defected, it didn''t change the fact that Team Rocket was incredibly powerful. In terms of technology and financial resources, they were far ahead of the Team Aqua.


    When Archie first joined Team Rocket, it had been a decision made out of necessity. However, now, he was fully convinced. He believed that Giovanni was the one who could lead him to the ideal world he had always envisioned.


    Due to the defection of the Legendary Pokemon known as "Mewtwo," Team Rocket suffered significant losses. They''ve elerated their research on Pok��mon cloning and replication. As a branch of Team Rocket in Hoenn region, the Team Aqua was also assigned tasks rted to this research.


    Their mission revolved around cloning Kyogre. It''s evident that Team Rocket''s goal is to recreate a "Legendary Pokemon" simr to "Mewtwo."


    However, the creation of Mewtwo was highly idental, and the researchers responsible for its creation were already eliminated by Mewtwo. All research data was lost as well, which has posed a significant challenge to Team Rocket.


    The attacks on Devon Corporation''sboratories in various regions are also rted to this matter, as they were seeking a breakthrough through the resurrection equipment in thesebs.


    In fact, the Team Aqua has been involved in experiments rted to Kyogre for a while. Yuga''s Lapras is also a product of these experiments. However, they though the experiments were unsessful, as none of the subjects survived.


    Recently, with the Team Aqua gained financial and technological support, they''ve resumed these experiments and earned the approval of Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket.


    The unusual appearances of the Pelipper are rted to their experiments. They''ve made significant progress in this experiment, which led to changes in the nearby marine ecosystem, including a drastic drop in sea temperatures.


    Pelipper and Wingull aremon in Hoenn region due to its warmer marine environmentpared to other regions. The changes in the temperature have adversely affected their lives. As a result, they''ve been seeking refuge near the volcanic region of Mt. Kardos on the Dewford Ind, as it''s a special location with minimal impact from the changes.


    However, the root of the problem lies in the Team Aqua''s experimental base on this uninhabited ind. This is why the Pelipper and Wingull oftene to disturb the Team Aqua personnel.


    While these Pelipper and Wingull are persistent, they have limited strength, and the Team Aqua has been unable to solve the issue.


    Considering the recent troubles caused by this group of Pok��mon, Archie was angry. His attacks against the Pelipper and Wingull have be increasingly fierce.


    Jackie didn''t anticipate the presence of the Team Aqua on this uninhabited ind. As he witnessed more and more of the Pelipper and Wingull getting injured, he grew extremely anxious.


    "Go back and get reinforcements. I''ll try to find a way into that building. I have no idea what''s happening here!" Jackie knew that the two of them couldn''t handle the situation on their own, so he sent his apprentice to fetch help.


    "But leaving you alone..." His apprentice hesitated.


    Jackie patted his shoulder and reassured him, "Don''t worry. I''ve been an roaming ranger for many years; I can take care of myself."


    His apprentice had no choice but to leave, and Jackie took advantage of the Matts to sneak into the Team Aqua''s experimental base.


    His apprentice, riding a Magnezone, quickly left the uninhabited ind but was soon spotted by Archie.


    Archie also had a Pelipper, and this particr one had a sharp gaze, giving it excellent detection and counter-detection abilities.


    This Pelipper immediately noticed the boy flying away from the ind and issued a warning to Archie.


    Upon seeing the boy gradually leaving the ind, Archie turned to Matt beside him and said, "Go capture that brat."


    Matt responded and released two Golbats, which flew on either side of the boy, chasing him alongside his Magnezone.


    Once Matt left, Archie turned to Matt and said, "You handle things here; I''ll go check it out."


    "Yes!" Matt replied.


    With Matt in charge, Archie turned and briskly entered the experimental base.

 Chapter 972: Evacuation

    <h4>Chapter 972: Evacuation</h4>


    In a moment when no one was paying attention, Jackie stealthily entered the Team Aqua''s experimental base. However, as soon as he entered, he noticed that the temperature inside was much lower than outside, and he couldn''t help but shiver.


    Despite being in the midst of summer, the temperature in the base was almost like winter.


    The base had aplexwork of corridors, and faint voices could be heard in the background. Jackie didn''t know which way to go, so he randomly chose a direction.


    Before he proceeded, he took out a Pok�� Ball and released a small-sized Kecleon, saying, "Kecleon, I''ll need you to stay alert."


    The Kecleon nodded, gradually bing transparent, disappearing in the blink of an eye. However, it hadn''t truly left, as the red patterns that shed across the walls indicated that the Kecleon was still guarding Jackie.


    As an experienced elite Ranger, Jackie possessed strong stealth abilities, and it didn''t take long for him to infiltrate deep into the base.


    Here, he observed many sealedboratories, each containing bizarre and deformed creatures.


    For instance, there was a creature resembling a Seaking, but with malformed and unsightly blue scales. There was one resembling a Slowbro, yet it had a pair of eerie eyes covering most of its face. Another creature, simr in appearance to a Horsea, had a limp, boneless body as thoughcking bones.


    All these strange creaturesy lifeless in their pools, which were filled with eerie green fluid. If not for their bodies slightly moving, one might think they were already dead.


    As a rangers who protect Pok��mon and ecosystems, Jackie couldn''t help but feel his chest had be a volcano ready to erupt when he witnessed such a hellish scene.


    Passing by several morebs, Jackie suddenly came across one where a repulsive, wart-covered Swampert was violently convulsing and rapidly dposing, ultimately sumbing to death.


    At that moment, a person in a whiteb coat entered theb. They nced at the decaying corpse of the Swampert and then activated amunicator. Soon, the screen on theb''s wall disyed the image of a white-bearded man.


    "Doctor, subject number 32 has perished," the person in the whiteb coat reported to the elderly Mediterranean man.


    Upon hearing the report from the person in the whiteb coat, the elderly Mediterranean man replied indifferently, "Don''t worry about those experimental subjects. The results of the experiments in this base have already been obtained. We will be leaving soon, and these experimental subjects serve no further purpose."


    The person in the whiteb coat then inquired, "What about experimental subject number 18?"


    The elderly Mediterranean man pondered for a moment and said, "Well... handling experimental subject number 18 is indeed a problem. Taking it with us would be challenging, and leaving it here would be wasteful. I''ll think of a solution."


    The person in the whiteb coat nodded and said, "Understood."


    Afterward, the person in the whiteb coat left theboratory.


    Once the person had left, Jackie quietly emerged from his hiding ce. He nced at the abandoned and lifeless body in theb, his thoughts in turmoil.


    After careful consideration, Jackie decided to conceal himself and gather information before the reinforcements arrived. He knew that he couldn''t rescue these Pok��mon on his own.


    However, as he was about to turn and leave, the invisible Kecleon suddenly revealed itself. It extended its long tongue, coiled it around Jackie''s waist, and flung him to the side. Immediately afterward, a powerful explosion erupted where he had been standing.


    In the instant he was flung away, Jackie knew that he had been discovered. He quickly got back on his feet, entering a defensive stance. The invisible Kecleon swiftly leaped from the wall and positioned itself in front of Jackie.


    In Jackie''s line of sight, a burly man in blue attire, none other than Archie, walked in slowly. By his side was a fearsome and imposing Crawdaunt, the Pokemon that had attacked Jackie earlier.


    This Crawdaunt was d in dark-red armor, and its massive pincers exuded an intimidating aura. It was evident that it was something that not easy to be mess with.


    "It seems that a little bug has infiltrated the base," Archie''s rough voice rang out.


    He cast a cold nce at Jackie and asked in a stern tone, "Are you a Ranger?"


    Jackie was indeed wearing the typical uniform of a Ranger, making his identity obvious. However, rather than directly answering Archie''s question, he inquired, "Who are you?"


    Although Jackie could recognize their affiliation to the Team Aqua by their attire, he didn''t recognize Archie as the leader.


    The Team Aqua had long been suppressed by the Pok��mon League, but Archie himself had never truly revealed his identity. As a result, not many people knew who he was.


    However, Archie wasn''t concerned about such matters at this point. The Team Aqua had already been exposed as a criminal organization, and in their current situation, maintaining anonymity held little significance. Thus, he chuckled and returned to Jackie''s question.


    "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Archie, the leader of the Team Aqua."


    Jackie understood that the person standing before him held a high position within the Team Aqua, but he hadn''t expected him to be the leader.


    "You must be a high-ranking Ranger, right? I wonder how the League will react when they find out you''ve been captured," Archie taunted. Seeing Jackie remain silent, Archieughed heartily and added, "Different Ranger uniforms signify different ranks, and your attire clearly marks you as a high-ranking Ranger. I have no intention of letting you leave."


    After enduring so much under the League''s oppression, Archie was eager to assert himself.


    "Kecleon, use Icy Wind!"


    Jackie''s priority was to escape and avoid a confrontation with Archie, so while thetter was distracted, hemanded Kecleon to use Icy Wind as a distraction to create an opportunity for escape.


    The hazy ice and snow blew toward Archie and Crawdaunt. However, Archie simply sneered, "Thinking of running?"


    Before Archie could issue amand, Crawdauntunched Swift toward the icy wind. With a cry of pain, Kecleon emerged from the ice and snow, It was hit by Crawdaunt''s Swift before it could escape.


    "Kecleon!"


    Jackie gasped in rm and halted his escape, waiting for the ice and snow to dissipate. Once their forms reappeared, he found himself facing Archie once more.


    Crawdaunt, observing the situation, waved its massive pincers and unleashed a Crabhammer toward Jackie.


    At that moment, a Sceptile appeared beside Jackie. Sceptile used Leaf de to intercept Crawdaunt''s attack.


    Having failed to escape, Jackie adjusted his posture and directed Sceptile to engage in a battle against Archie.


    On the other side of the ind, Jackie''s apprentice had noticed someone tailing him after he flew off from the deserted ind. He realized he couldn''t afford to waste time and needed to seek reinforcements. Therefore, he urged his Magnezone to elerate its flight.


    Matt, aware that his presence had been detected, had no intention of hiding. He was confident that a mere young Ranger couldn''t escape his grasp. Thus, he unswervingly pursued the apprentice.


    Crobat is a Pok��mon known for its incredibly fast flying speed. Additionally, with Matt''s two Crobat, they had an advantage in strengthpared to the Jackie apprentice''s Magnezone. It didn''t take long for Matt to catch up.


    The apprentice was startled when he saw Matt approaching, but as a trainee Ranger who had excelled to enter the Ranger Union, he had quick reactions.


    Under hismand, Magnezone dropped a series of electromaics behind it. Theses were made up of Thunder Wave, and once the two Crobat touched them, they wouldn''t be able to fly safely.


    Although the apprentice''s n was good, for Matt, who was an executive of the Team Aqua, this level of obstruction was inconsequential.


    Matt''s two Crobat pped their wings mightily, creating a flurry of Wind des that easily cleared the electromaics.


    The boy, despite his efforts, couldn''t shake off Matt''s pursuit. His panic grew as he realized he was being relentlessly pursued.


    Buzz... Buzz... Buzz...


    Matt''s two Crobat released Supersonic move, which surged toward Magnezone like a tide. After a brief wobbling of its body, Magnezone flung the boy into the air.


    The boy and Magnezone plummeted straight into the ocean.


    In a split-second decision, the boy retrieved a Pok�� Ball and recalled his disoriented Magnezone just before they hit the water.


    Ssh!


    The boy plunged into the sea and vanished beneath the waves.


    Matt quickly retrieved several Pok�� Balls and summoned several Water-type Pok��mon to search for the boy.


    "Find the boy who fell into the water!"


    The Pok��mon nodded and dove into the sea. After some time, they resurfaced and shook their heads, unable to locate the boy.


    Frustrated by his failure to catch the boy, Matt looked at the rippling sea with a grim expression.


    On the other hand, Yuga and Brawly, who had just left the Dewford Ind breeding base and arrived at the beach, witnessed a Lanturn emerge from the water, carrying a boy on its back.


    Because the breeding base was located right on the edge of Dewford Ind, which was surrounded by the sea, it didn''t take them long to reach the beach. There, they saw the Lanturn carrying the boy.


    The Lanturn noticed Yuga and Brawly, and eagerly called out Yuga and others happily. Yuga immediately recognized the desperate plea for help.


    As the Lanturn swam closer, Yuga could finally see the boy''s face.


    "Rand!"


    Yuga eximed in shock, then quickly released his Lapras to carry the unconscious boy and the Lanturn back to the shore. By this point, the Lanturn waspletely exhausted, and the boy remained unconscious.


    It was a stroke of luck that the boy had undergone specific training as part of his journey to bing a Ranger, including water survival. Without that training, it would have been impossible for him to escape from the sea with Lanturn.


    Rangers, due to the nature of their profession, underwent various specialized training, including water escape. In addition, they possessed three types of Pok��mon - Water, Land, and Flying - for their unique missions.


    While Rangers could capture wild Pok��mon for use, those Pok��mon sometimes had limitations in strength and abilities.


    Rangers, in addition to their own training, are indeed required to cultivate their own specialized Pok��mon. These numbers don''t have to be many, but the key is that they should be elite Pok��mon, including Water, Land, and Flying types. These three are essential for Rangers.


    Lanturn was a Pok��mon that provided to Rand by the Ranger Union after he became a Ranger.


    After sessfully bing a Ranger Trainee, Rand graduated from the Youth Training Camp. The Ranger Union assigned him a mentor, who was none other than Jack Walker, whom Yuga had meet.


    With Yuga''s assistance, Rand and Lanturn quickly regained their consciousness. When Rand opened his eyes, he saw Yuga and Brawly.


    "Rand, how did you end up here in such a state?" Yuga inquired with concern, not understanding how Rant had made himself so embarrassed.


    "Yuga?" Rand was still a bit groggy from just waking up. "What are you doing here?"


    Yuga exined, "I had some business on Dewford Ind, and I happened to see your Lanturn carrying you in the sea. What about you? How did you end up here?"


    Upon hearing Yuga''s question, Rand immediately thought about his mission to call for reinforcements. He proceeded to exin the entire situation to Yuga in detail.


    After listening to Rand''s story, Yuga and Brawly learned that Rand and his mentor, Jack, were the Rangers sent by the Ranger Union to deal with the Pelipper and Wingull situation.


    "You say you discovered the Team Aqua''s base?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    Rand nodded and said, "Yes, Jack is still there, gathering information. We need to get there with reinforcements quickly; otherwise, Jack might be in danger."


    Having rified the situation, Yuga turned to Brawly and said, "Brawly, take Rand to the police station. I''ll go to the uninhabited ind that Rand mentioned to meet up with Jack."


    Rand immediately chimed in, "I''ll go with you and guide the way."


    Yuga shook his head and said, "Leave the guiding to your Lanturn. You go back with Brawly first, and then guide Officer Jenny and the others."


    Rand understood that now was not the time to be stubborn. After a brief moment of silence, he nodded in agreement.


    Given Rand''s injuries, Brawly released a Hariyama to carry him back.


    Once Rand and Brawly had left, Yuga, riding his Dragonite, followed Lanturn''s lead to fly toward the uninhabited ind.


    Meanwhile, on the uninhabited ind, Matt was already back. After informing Archie about his failure to capture the escaping boy, Archie did not get angry. Instead, he immediately sought out the Mediterranean old man.


    "Professor, this ce is exposed. We need to leave quickly, or the League will send someone here soon."


    The Mediterranean old man was a helper sent by Team Rocket to assist Archie, and Archie had great respect for him.


    Though Archie held a grudge against the League, he knew that the current Team Aqua was no match for the League, and he couldn''tpetr with the League''s elite trainers. He had to reluctantly choose to retreat.


    "I understand. I''ll get my team to pack up right away."


    After thinking for a moment, he said to Archie, "Division Leader Archie, could you please get your team to prepare the 18th experimental subject? I intend to take it with me."


    Archie also understood the situation regarding the 18th experimental subject and nodded, saying, "I''ve got it."


    Yuga''s Dragonite was incredibly fast. By the time he flew over the uninhabited ind, Archie was already leading his team in transferring equipment onto a submarine.


    Upon seeing Yuga, Archie''s expression immediately changed.


    "It''s him who''se!" Archie muttered under his breath.


    "Professor, are we ready? League''s people are here," Archie urged the Mediterranean old man.


    The Mediterranean old man also noticed Yuga in the air and asked, puzzled, "Isn''t he just one person? Division Leader Archie can handle him directly, right?"


    The Mediterranean old man was well aware of Archie''s strength, even though he carried a heavy responsibility. He didn''t want to rely on his seniority.


    Archie shook his head and said, "It might not be that simple. He is Shimizu Yuga."


    The Mediterranean old man was taken aback, "He''s Shimizu Yuga?"


    Shimizu Yuga was a well-known name, and the Mediterranean old man was also familiar with him. He held a high position within Team Rocket, and he knew some things that others didn''t, such as the fact that their boss once had tried to recruit him.


    "Yes," Archie confirmed with a nod.


    The Mediterranean old man pondered for a moment and said, "It seems we won''t be able to take the 18th experimental subject with us today. It''s a good opportunity to test its strength. Release it and have it hold off Shimizu Yuga."


    Yuga saw that the Team Aqua was about to leave the ind and he was ready to intervene. But then, the sea''s surface churned, and the temperature in the vicinity suddenly dropped rapidly.


    Next, a terrifying Pok��mon rolled its body and emerged from the sea.


    " This is..."

 Chapter 973: Rescuing

    <h4>Chapter 973: Rescuing</h4>


    The Pok��mon before him had a slender and graceful physique. If you ignored its lifeless eyes, this Pok��mon could be considered "beautiful."


    The Pok��mon''s size wasn''t excessivelyrge, roughlyparable to that of an adult male. However, its tail, every time it swung, could create a towering tsunami.


    Seeing the 18th experimental subject raging in the sea, the Mediterranean old man said to Archie, "We should leave as soon as possible. It''s not safe to stay here."


    After nodding, Archie quickly signaled his subordinates to load the equipment onto a submarine parked by the sea. He was well aware of the power of the 18th experimental subject, and if it truly went on a rampage, they would be affected if they didn''t leave in time.


    As soon as the 18th experimental subject emerged from the sea, it fired a powerful Aurora Beam towards Yuga and Dragonite in the air. Fortunately, Dragonite reacted quickly, avoiding the attack. Otherwise, both Yuga and Dragonite would have been frozen solid.


    While controlling Dragonite to dodge the attack, Yuga couldn''t help but use his Insight to assess the Pok��mon before him.


    ...


    Dewgong (Mutated Form: Copse)


    Type: Water, Ice


    Ability: Ice Body


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Unknown


    Level: Unknown


    Moves: Icy Wind, Ice Shard, Aqua Ring, Aurora Beam, Water Pulse, Ice Beam, Hail, Blizzard, Ice Fang, Surf, Water Tail, Drill Run, Iron Tail, Perish Song.


    ...


    Although this Pok��mon still retained the general appearance of a Dewgong, it had extra glistening blue scales all over its body, particrly on its back.


    Furthermore, under the Insight ability, the word "Copse" was particrly conspicuous. Yuga didn''t fully understand the specific meaning of these words, but it was clear that it wasn''t a good description.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    One aftrr another, Aurora Beams were shot at Yuga and Dragonite. Dragonite had to use its Extream Speed move continuously to evade the relentless attacks from the mutated Dewgong.


    Although this mutated Dewgong didn''t seem to have any remarkable moves, its sheer power was astonishing. It was at least at the level of a champion.


    When they created this experimental subject, both the Team Aqua and the Old man had spend lot of money. And the reasson is because before it became an experimental subject, this Dewgong was an Elite level Pok��mon, and its original Trainer was a substitute Elite Four of the Hoenn League.


    After multiple failed Aurora Beam moves, the mutated Dewgong became increasingly agitated. It started rolling its rotund body in the sea, and a misty white fog began to envelop its surroundings.


    Under the influence of this white fog, the temperature of the sea and the air began to drop rapidly. The sea''s surface visibly froze, only to shatter under the Dewgong''s rolling.


    Yuga understood that this was the effect created by the mutated Dewgong''s Ice Body ability.


    The Ice Body ability, when controlled by a Pok��mon with weak mastery, has only one effect: it allows the Pok��mon to recover health in hail weather. But when a Pok��mon develops this ability to a certain extent, they can use it to regte their own body temperature and the temperature of their surroundings.


    In this area, the temperature had dropped due to the influence of this ability, which was why the Wingull and Pelipper couldn''t adapt.


    As the temperature rapidly decreased, Dragonite''s flying speed was greatly affected, and it was struggling to keep up with the mutant Dewgong''s attacks.


    Yugamanded Dragonite to use Electric-type moves continuously to attack the Dewgong. However, the Dewgong''s body was surrounded by Aqua Ring move, which would deflect a considerable portion of the electric attacks when the electricitynded on it.


    In the end, the difference in strength between Dragonite and the Dewgong was apparent. Otherwise, without this difference, the Aqua Ring wouldn''t be able to defend against Electric-type moves.


    As time passed, Dragonite''s stamina was running low, and Yuga started to worry.


    Just at that moment, the Dewgong suddenly used Hail, causing a strong gust of wind and snow to sweep across the sea. Dragonite, caught off guard, was hit by a st of frigid air, and both Yuga and Dragonite were sent plunging into the sea.


    Ssh! Ssh!


    Dragonite and Yuga fell into the water at the same time.


    As the Hail move began, the sea''s surface started to freeze over on arge scale, and Water-type Pok��mon began to emerge from the water, frantically trying to escape.


    Most of the Water-type Pok��mon in the sea near Dewford Ind were ustomed to a warm climate. The sudden drop in temperature was deadly for them, especially for some of the younger wild Pok��mon.


    Yuga emerged from the water with a ssh, wiping the icy seawater from his face. He knew he couldn''t allow the mutant Dewgong to continue causing chaos, or the ecosystem around Dewford Ind might copse.


    He called out two of his Pok��mon, Mismagius and Gengar, who quickly appeared from the shadows of the Shadow Realm.


    "I''ll stay to deal with this Dewgong. You two go help me find where Jack is."


    "Gengar!"


    "Mismagius!"


    The two Pok��mon nodded and disappeared swiftly.


    Yuga nced at Dragonite, shivering and covered in mucus from its nose, and realized that it couldn''t adapt to such a cold environment. He shook his head in resignation, recalled Dragonite into its Pok�� Ball, and then released Charizard.


    The moment he huddled against Charizard''s back, Yuga felt warmth flooding back into his body. The effect of the Hail move was significant, and the sea''s water was incredibly cold. Yuga had been freezing during his brief dip in the sea.


    Feeling the cold ice and snow pelting against his skin, Yuga''s head ached. The Hail move from the Dewgong was too strong.


    Just as Yuga was troubled about how to deal with the Dewgong''s Hail move, several Wingull and Pelipper suddenly flew in from the sky. They braved the snow and winds, circling high above and simultaneously activated their Shelly ability or used the Rain Dance move together.


    "Are they trying to contest control of the weather with the Dewgong?" Yuga watched in astonishment as the Wingull and Pelipper did their work.


    While a single Wingull or Pelipper might be insignificant to the Dewgong, there were nearly a thousand of them in this area. Thanks to their collective effort, the scale of the Hail started to subside.


    Upon seeing this, Yuga quickly sent out Lapras and said, "Lapras, help these Wingull."


    Lapras nodded and, extending its slender neck, let out a gentle call before spewing a ball of light into the sky.


    Lapras''s intervention was like the final straw that broke the camel''s back. The snowy weather was disrupted, and the Hail gradually dissipated. The sky began to Shelly lightly, and the temperature rose slightly.


    As soon as the Hail weather disappeared, the Wingull and Pelipper flew away without looking back, not considering further assistance for Yuga.


    Wingull and Pelipper: Sorry, we can only help this much. Our lives are at stake!


    Yuga: ...


    Yuga nced at Lapras, and then said, "It''s up to you now!"


    Lapras nodded and faced off against the Dewgong. From the Dewgong, Lapras could sensed a unique resonance.


    Yuga pondered for a moment and called out Florges, who then immediately used her abilities to assist Lapras. After all, Lapras hadn''t reached the champion level, and its strength was definitely less than what was required to face the Dewgong.


    As Florges emerged, she stood on Lapras''s back and activated the Grassy Terrain, causing lush patches of grass to spring up on the sea, nurtured by the rain, providing a refreshing green contrast.


    The moment Lapras came out, the Dewgong locked onto it. As soon as the Hail weather subsided, the Dewgong swung its tail and used the Aqua Tail move, creating a massive wave that rushed toward Lapras and Florges.


    Lapras opened its mouth and fired a Hydro Pump, while Florges waved her arms, unleashing the Moonst. Thebination of the water and light beams pierced through the Dewgong''s Aqua Tail and hit the Dewgong.


    Boom!


    The Dewgong took the impact of the Hydro Pump and Moonst and was propelled far out into the sea by the waves. However, this Dewgong appeared to be impervious to pain. It retaliated by firing an Ice Beam that hit Lapras and Florges, sending them both tumbling into the sea.


    Luckily, Florges quickly used her vines to secure herself on Lapras''s back, preventing them from being separated by the waves. Although they looked somewhat bedraggled, they were unharmed.


    Most of the previous attack had been absorbed by Lapras.


    The Grassy Terrain exuded a subtle energy, gently healing Lapras''s injuries, providing some relief to the pain it experienced.


    Once Florges was safely back on Lapras''s back and above the water''s surface, her first action was to use the Wish move. She fired a pink sphere of light into the sky.


    With the protection of Wish, whenever either Lapras or Florges sustained injuries, they received healing from the Wish.


    As expected, the injured Dewgong became even more challenging to deal with. It didn''t fear pain and continued to sh head-on with Lapras and Florges, even though it was already covered in wounds.


    However, Yuga''s Lapras had reached the Peak Elite level for a while now, and with Florges''s support, they could barely manage to handle the Dewgong.


    While Yuga was engaged in the fierce battle against the Dewgong, Gengar and Mismagius stealthily infiltrated the submarine of the Team Aqua.


    Once inside the submarine, the two made their way to find the whereabouts of Jackie, each taking a separate path to search for him.


    The invisibility ability of Ghost-type Pok��mon was among the best in the Pok��mon world. As long as they didn''t voluntarily reveal themselves, it was rare for other Pok��mon to detect them, especially given the unique abilities of Yuga''s two Pokemon..


    The crew of the Team Aqua was busy moving things around inside the submarine, and no one noticed the presence of the two intruders.


    Mismagius, with its potent psychic powers, quickly discovered Jackie bound in one of the rooms.


    Jackie had sustained significant injuries, with a face full of bruises, clearly having been beaten up by Archie.


    When he suddenly saw Mismagius materialize through the wall in front of him, he was genuinely startled and asked in a shocked voice, "What do you want?"


    Was this a new method of torment devised by the Team Aqua?


    Big Sister Mismagius rolled her eyes at him, and with a powerful psychic connection, she untied the ropes binding Jackie. Only then did Jackie realize that the Mismagius in front of him was here to rescue him.


    Mismagius didn''t waste time on small talk. She directly controlled Jackie with her psychic abilities, lifting him into the air, and intended to carry him away.


    Jackie quickly guessed Mismagius''s intention and eximed, "My Pok��mon have been taken by them, I need to retrieve them."


    Considering the inhumane Pok��mon experiments conducted by the Team Aqua, Jackie was afraid that his Pok��mon would also be their subjects of experimentation.


    This was a reasonable request, and Mismagius naturally wouldn''t refuse. She immediately set Jackie down and, using her psychic powers, opened the door to the room where he was held.


    Mismagius could phase through walls herself, but carrying Jackie along made it impossible, so they had to use the main door.


    However, as soon as the door was opened, the rm sounded.


    "Oh no, we''ve been spotted. Let''s get out of here," Jackie urged, motioning for Mismagius to head toward the area where the Team Aqua had stored their Pok�� Balls.


    Before being captured, Jackie had roughly memorized the interioryout of the submarine. He could do so because Archie believed he was already under control, and hence, let his guard down.


    With his memory as a guide, Jackie swiftly located the room where his Pok��mon were being kept and, with Mismagius''s assistance, opened the room''s door.


    While Jackie and Mismagius were retrieving his Pok��mon, the members of the Team Aqua inside the submarine began searching for the escaped Jackie.


    Unlike themotion caused by Mismagius, Gengar sneaked around curiously and, without realizing it, ended up inside the engine room of the submarine. Due to his curiosity, he started dismantling some parts in the room.


    When Gengar was thinking of dismantling a few moreponents, he suddenly heard the Team Aqua personnel searching for intruders. Consequently, he grabbed the parts he had dismantled and exited the engine room with a mischievous grin.


    What Gengar didn''t know was that, due to theponents he casually removed, the submarine experienced a critical malfunction during their escape. As a result, it sank, and only a few of the most important crew members managed to survive. All the research data onboard was destroyed.


    Back with Jackie, he quickly located his Pok��mon inside a pile of Pok�� Balls. As he was about to signal Mismagius to make a hasty exit, he noticed Mismagius discreetly transferring Pok�� Balls from a shelf into her robes.


    Jackie: ��_��


    Mismagius resembled a female magician, donning a spacious magician''s robe for her lower half. Jackie watched in disbelief as Mismagius shoved all the Pok�� Balls into her robe, suspecting that she had an extradimensional space down there to amodate so many Pok�� Balls.


    "That... We really need to leave, or we''ll be discovered..."


    Jackie''s words were left unfinished as he was silenced by a single look from Mismagius.


    Jackie awkwardly pondered: I wonder whose Pok��mon those are. Its so scarry.


    As Mismagius continued collecting Pok�� Balls, she muttered under her breath: Look at how good I am, even bringing souvenirs for Yuga... I''m so good... I''m such a thrifty and housewifely Pok��mon... a good Pok��mon...


    Jackie was, of course, unaware of what Mismagius was muttering, but out of gratitude for Mismagius''s life-saving help, he tolerated her yful nature. Besides, how many Ghost-type Pok��mon weren''t a bit whimsical?


    Because Mismagius took some time collecting the Pok�� Balls, they barely made it out of the room before colliding with someoneing in their direction.


    Seeing the empty room, the air went out of Shelly like a deting balloon. These Pok��mon were all meant collected by the doctor for experiments and research, and if the doctor know these Pokemon had lost, he would be furious.


    "You''ve got some nerve!" Shelly said sternly.


    Although Shelly was a woman, she was rather tall, nearly as tall as Jackie, so her presence wasmanding.


    As she was about to retrieve the stolen Pok��mon and reprimand Jackie and Mismagius, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of her head and lost consciousness.


    What Shelly didn''t know was that Gengar had crept up behind her at some point, holding the pieces he had removed from the engine room earlier. Gengar had hit Shelly on the head, rendering her unconscious.


    "Gengar! Gengar!"


    Gengarughed gleefully, pleased with his aplishment. Mismagius nearly gave him a thumbs-up but realized she didn''t have thumbs.


    Seeing the interaction between Gengar and Mismagius, Jackie quickly surmised that these two were working together.


    "One for knocking out, and the other for reaping the benefits. Perfect match!"


    With all of the base''s equipment moved, Archie quickly noticed the absence of Jackie and Shelly. Despite having his people search the submarine thoroughly, he couldn''t find any trace of the two.


    "Could Shelly have been betrayed me?" Archie couldn''t help but ponder. He had trusted Shelly and Matt for many years and couldn''t imagine any reason for her to betray him.


    He considered searching for Shelly a bit more, but the old doctor, eager to leave the area, urged him to depart. It was evident that they couldn''t dy any longer, otherwise none of them would be able to leave in the end.


    Reluctantly, Archie gave up the search and decided to leave.

 Chapter 974: Perish Song

    <h4>Chapter 974: Perish Song</h4>


    The Team Aqua secretly left the deserted ind on a submarine, while Yuga continued his fierce battle against the increasingly fierce Dewgong.


    Despite his efforts with Lapras and Florges, Dewgong''s body emitted a brilliant azure light, and Yuga noticed that the blue scales on its back began spreading all over its body.


    To be honest, when these blue scales were limited to Dewgong''s back and cheeks, they gave it a unique beauty. The scales were crystal-clear, resembling beautiful gems.


    But as these scales spread across Dewgong''s entire body, its appearance took a sinister turn.


    "Dewgong!"


    Dewgong fiercely pped the surface of the sea with its tail, let out a long roar, and the seawater churned under its influence. Its power began to rise gradually.


    Originally, Dewgong''s strength was at the Junior Champion level. However, as its power continued to increase, the pressure emanating from it also grew stronger.


    At this moment, Yuga received a prompt from the system.


    [ Host, this Dewgong probably possesses Kyogre''s bloodline, just like your Lapras. It is currently using the power of Kyogre.]


    With the system''s reminder, Yuga instantly understood the origin of the blue scales on Dewgong''s body.


    [ If it continues to behave like this, this Dewgong will suffer a gic breakdown and die. ] The system continued to warn.


    Lapras was able to survive unscathed because Yuga used the Great Gic Restoration Potion to repair its crumbling genes, preventing Kyogre''s power from eroding it. However, this Dewgong wasn''t so lucky.


    The Kyogre bloodline within its body had never been integrated with its body, and now it was forcibly drawing on this power. Its genes had already begun to copse unstoppably.


    This Dewgong, which had undergone individual mutations due to the Team Aqua''s experiments, was not mutated in a positive direction. It was exchanging its life for temporary power.


    Just as Yuga was about tomand Lapras and Florges to work together to take down the out-of-control Dewgong, he suddenly heard Lapras emit a very simr cry to Dewgong''s.


    After the cry, the same azure light as on Dewgong started to radiate from Lapras''s body, and the auras of the two Pokemons began to resonate with each other.


    Seeing Lapras''s aura gradually rising, Yuga anxiously asked the system, "System, what''s happening to Lapras? Is it going to be like Dewgong?"


    [ Don''t worry, host. Your Lapras is undergoing a normal awakening. However, It doesn''t have the same ws as Dewgong. ]


    With the system''s exnation, Yuga''s worries subsided.


    The area near the sea was abundant in water-type energy, and as the auras of both Pokemon continued to rise, and arge amount of water-type energy poured into their bodies.


    However, while these water-type energies nourished Lapras, they were like poison to Dewgong. The more it absorbed, the faster it hastened its own demise.


    Rumble! Rumble!


    After two waves crashed, the azure light on Lapras and Dewgong''s bodies disappearedpletely. Dewgong''s imposing aura stabilized at the advanced champion level, while Lapras safely broke through to the junior champion level.


    Lapras (Mutated)


    Type: Water, Ice


    Gender: Male


    Abilities: Hydration, Drizzle


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 81


    Moves: Sing, Water Gun, Mist, Surf, Rain Dance, Hail, Ice Beam, Safeguard, Hydro Pump, Sheer Cold, Blizzard, Refresh, Waterfall, Avnche, Dragon Dance, Foresight, Giga Impact, Dragon Pulse, Icy Wind, Aqua Tail, Signal Beam.


    This Lapras was Yuga''s first champion level Pok��mon.


    After Lapras''s breakthrough, other than its level, there weren''t significant changes. However, the transformation in Dewgong''s appearance was drastic. Its body was now covered in sharp scales,pletely losing the gentle image it once had.


    At the moment Lapras and Dewgongpleted their breakthroughs, in the depths and distant of the ocean, a sleeping bahemoth that had been slumbering suddenly opened its crimson eyes. It seemed to sense something and moved its body as if in response.


    Hum!


    Two bright orbs formed on Dewgong''s two fins, and they transformed into cyan-white rays, aiming directly at Lapras.


    Seeing these two cyan-white rays, Yuga''s eyes widened in astonishment. "Isn''t that Origin Pulse?!"


    To confirm his suspicion, Yuga used his Insight ability to examine Dewgong once again, and indeed, he found an additional move: Origin Pulse.


    This was outrageous! This knockoff Dewgong had inherited Kyogre''s Origin Pulse, while his own Lapras didn''t. Yuga was infuriated.


    However, the Origin Pulse used by Dewgong must have different effects from the one Kyogre used. Lapras countered with a Hydro Pump, easily deflecting the cyan-white rays formed by Origin Pulse.


    The battle resumed, and this time Yuga didn''t just watch. Despite Lapras now being in the junior champion level, it was unlikely to match the advanced champion level Dewgong. Yuga and Charizard had to intervene to provide support.


    "Charizard, let''s go for Mega Evolution!"


    Saying this, Yuga took out the Mega Evolution bracelet that Lysandre had given him and equipped it on Charizard''s arm.


    "Charizard!"


    Charizard was thrilled to finally have its moment, then skillfully put on the Mega Evolution bracelet on its arm.


    Once the Mega Evolution waspleted, Charizard underwent a transformation. Its body became more slender and taller, its two horns sharpened, and it even sprouted an extra horn on its head.


    After the Mega Evolution, Charizard''s level jumped from advanced elite level to peak elite level.


    This was the first time Yuga had Charizard undergo Mega Evolution outside of the Ecopark, where they had practiced.


    As Charizard finished its Mega Evolution, a red light shed on the Mega Evolution bracelet on its arm.


    At the same time, in a hidden base in the Kalos region, a person wearing a red uniform looked at therge screen in front of them and reported to someone nearby, saying, "Boss, there''s a reaction from a Mega Evolution bracelet in the Hoenn Region. However, there are no other Mega Evolution fluctuations nearby."


    The big boss swirled the ss of red wine in their hand, took a sip, and smiled gently, "Noted."


    The boss knew well who in the Hoenn Region possessed a Mega Evolution bracelet.


    After Yuga''s Charizardpleted Mega Evolution, it immediately activated the Drought ability. By this time, the rainfall caused by Wingull and Pelipper had already ceased. Under the influence of Drought, the sky turned deep blue, and the sea''s temperature rose abruptly.


    The harsh sunlight in Drought made both the Ice-type Lapras and Dewgong ufortable. However, Florges, who was on Lapras''s back, felt extremelyfortable. The lingering cold and the dampness from the previous hailstorm and rainfall had been hard on her.


    With the boost of the Drought ability, Florges instantly fired a Sr Beam. At the same time, Lapras released a Hydro Pump, and Charizard spewed Fire st.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The three attacks hit Dewgong simultaneously. Though Dewgong''s body was already covered in wounds and shattered scales, it didn''t seem to feel any pain. It countered with a burst of Origin Pulse aimed at Lapras and Florges.


    Perhaps sensing the presence of Kyogre''s bloodline within Lapras, Dewgong always targeted Lapras during its attacks and paid no attention to the Charizard "harassing" it in the air.


    Dewgong''s Origin Pulse was released in an instant, and it was so fast that Lapras didn''t have time to defend. Fortunately, Florges promptly used Safeguard.


    However, Florges was only at the Elite level, and her Safeguard could only hold for a few seconds before shattering.


    Seeing Lapras and Florges about to be hit by Dewgong''s Origin Pulse, Gengar suddenly appeared above them.


    Gengar waved its chubby little hands, creating a ck hole in front of Lapras and Florges. This ck hole, under Gengar''s control, acted like a voracious maw and abruptly swallowed the attack formed by Origin Pulse.


    After Gengar underwent Mega Evolution, its body would have ess to an extra-dimensional space for entry and hiding, appearing in areas not connected to the ground. The ck hole Gengar used now was a special ability it had learned from that extra-dimensional space during its Distortion World training.


    Gengar learned this ability by asking Giratina for advice, not through any special connections.


    However, this ability was not as powerful as one might imagine because ck holes were prone to explode when absorbing excessive or intense attacks. If not careful, Gengar could be caught in the explosion itself.


    After shielding Florges and Lapras from the attack, Gengar chuckled a bit, then disappeared again. When it reappeared, it was above Dewgong.


    With a mischievous glint in its eyes, Gengar used Curse on Dewgong, and then vanished once more.


    After enduring Gengar''s Curse, Dewgong''s stamina was significantly weakened, and its aura was considerably diminished.


    Using the Curse move, Gengar lost half of its own health. So, the next time it appeared, it found a cozy spot within Florges''s Grassy Terrain.


    Seeing Gengar''s actions, Yuga couldn''t help but find them amusing. This fellow was truly cunning, taking a shot and then running away, without giving the opponent a chance to counterattack.


    After Gengar and Mismagius took care of the injured Jackie and the fainted Shelly, they hid them away in the submarine of the Team Aqua. Gengar then rushed over to support Yuga.


    In a way, Gengar could be considered quite loyal.


    When Yuga looked at him, Gengar grinned and said: I''ve got low HP. Can''t afford too much action.


    Somehow, Yuga felt that he understood the meaning behind Gengar''s sly smile.


    Could this be a case of telepathy?


    Ghost-type Pok��mon''s Curse move was quite tormenting. After enduring Gengar''s Curse, along with thebined attacks of Charizard, Florges, and Lapras, Dewgong''s health quickly reached a critical level.


    Just when Yuga thought things were about to be resolved, Dewgong began to sing the Perish Song.


    After Dewgong''s Perish Song, a ck mark appeared over Charizard, Gengar, Florges, Lapras, including above Yuga''s head.


    Dewgong''s Perish Song almost scared Yuga out of his wits!


    The Perish Song is a true "suicide" move. Because after a certain time, it will brings everyone to the brink of death.


    Here, "brink of death" is entirely different from the concept of losingbat capability. It''s was real and truly being on the brink of death, with just a breath remaining.


    Yuga''s Gengar could also use this move, but Gengar had never used it because this move was indeed life-threatening.


    The onlyforting aspect was that Pok��mon who could learn this move were exceptionally rare. Otherwise, if any terrorist had a Pok��mon capable of singing the Perish Song, they would be unstoppable!


    After Dewgong finished singing the Perish Song, Gengar''s Curse took effect again, taking away Dewgong''sst bit of stamina, leaving Yuga and his Pok��mon in shock.


    However, the good news was that as long as the Pok��mon were recalled into their Pok�� Balls, the effects of the Perish Song''s mark would be removed.


    But what about Yuga himself?


    After taking Lapras and the others back to the Pok�� Ball, Yuga felt so panicked!


    Yuga felt utterly panicked when he realized he had no idea how to remove the ck mark from his own head. The ck mark above his head seemed like a death sentence.


    After riding on Dragonite for a while and considering his options, he saw that the Perish Song''s countdown was almost over. Yuga gritted his teeth and took out a Max Revive, cing it in his mouth.


    As soon as he put the Max Revive in his mouth, Yuga experienced excruciating pain throughout his body as the Perish Song took effect.


    Before losing consciousness, he crushed the Max Revive in his mouth, and hisst thought was: Thank goodness I had an Max Revive with me, or I might have met my end here today.


    Dragonite itself is also injured and couldn''t fly far with the unconscious Yuga. So, It had no choice but tond on the ind. Dragonite had no idea where Mismagius and Jackie had hidding.


    However, as soon as Dragonitended, the leader of the Pelipper flock flew over and exchanged a few words with Dragonite. Seeing Yuga in aatose state, Dragonite knew that the Pelipper had no ill intentions. It ced Yuga on the Pelipper''s back and took off with them.


    Shortly after Dragonite and the Pelipper departed, Brawly and Rand, along with Officer Jenny and arge group of officers, arrived at the uninhabited ind. They were met with a scene of destruction and numerous traces of battles.


    The group searched the entire ind carefully and finally found Mismagius, Jackie, and the unconscious Shelly in a corner of the ind.


    Seeing that Yuga was missing, Officer Jenny immediately led her officers to search the vicinity of the uninhabited ind. Mismagius is also used its unique connection with Gengar to try and locate Yuga and Gengar position.


    When Yuga opened his eyes, he was met with intense pain surging through his body. Trying to sit up, he let out a painful gasp. The sunlight pierced through his eyelids, forcing him to shield his eyes with his hand.


    "Where am I?"


    He looked around, realizing he was lying in a rocky cave with soft straw beneath him. Most importantly, two round Pok��mon eggs were ced beside him.


    Why doesn''t this world have Pok��mon? Only spirits? Have all the Pok��mon died?


    Why do people here dream of bing Spirit Tamers instead of Trainers? Somunicating with spirits or soul spirits allows them to use the power of Pok��mon?


    Who can tell me where this is? Where have my Pok��mon gone? My dream is to be a Pok��mon Master! I want to go home!

 Chapter 975: Ghost Ship

    <h4>Chapter 975: Ghost Ship</h4>


    After struggling for a while, Yuga finally managed to sit up, and the salty sea breeze blowing into the cave made him realize that he was still by the seaside.


    He reached out and touched the two Pok��mon eggs beside him, muttering to himself, "Little ones, where am I?"


    These two Pok��mon eggs had blue patterns on their white shells, and Yuga could almost recognize what kind of Pok��mon they were. He wondered, "Did a Pelipper save me?"


    When Dragonite returned with a pile of berries and a Pelipper, it saw Yuga sitting there in a daze. Yuga''s awakening relieved Dragonite''s concerns.


    Seeing Dragonite and the Pelipper flying into the cave one after the other, Yuga noticed that the cave he was in was actually on the side of a cliff by the sea. Falling down from here would be deadly.


    Beneath the cliff wasn''t just the sea; there was a chaotic beach of rocks.


    "Dragonite?"


    How are you feeling Yuga?


    After cing the berries down, Dragonite asked Yuga with concern.


    Yuga patted Dragonite''s arm and smiled, saying, "Don''t worry, I''m fine."


    The Max Revive really lived up to its reputation as a healing wonder. Although Yuga still felt some lingering pain in his body, he was essentially okay.


    After Dragonite exined everything, Yuga learned that Pelipper had taken in the unconscious Yuga and the injured Dragonite. The cave they were in now was Pelipper''s home. So, Yuga thanked Pelipper, and saying, "Thank you, Pelipper."


    Pelipper didn''t have much of a reaction to Yuga''s words; it simplyy down beside its two adopted children.


    Speaking of these eggs, it wasn''t entirely urate to call them Pelipper''s children. These two Pok��mon eggs were actually adopted by Pelipper.


    Both Wingull and Pelipper were not social Pok��mon, so they only gathered together in this area when influenced by the Dewgong. The Pelipper in front of Yuga was the temporary leader chosen by the other Wingull and Pelipper.


    During their mission to disrupt the Team Aqua''s attempts to resolve the ecological abnormalities in the area, the parents of the two Pok��mon eggs sacrificed themselves at the hands of the Team Aqua. This was why Pelipper choose to adopted these two children after the mission was over.


    In truth, Pelipper itself was still a single Pok��mon.


    In the wild, unhatched Pok��mon eggs have a low chance of hatching sessfully without their parents. Seeing that Pelipper wasn''t paying him much attention, Yuga didn''t say much. Instead, he took some food from his bag and began eating. His stomach had been growling for a while.


    As for the berries that Dragonite brought back... well, not all berries were suitable for human consumption.


    After eating, Yuga released his Pok��mon and gave them Pokeblock. He even prepared one for Pelipper, which the Pok��mon epted without hesitation.


    It took Yuga a while to realize that he had been unconscious for a whole night, and it was now the second day since their battle ended. However, Mismagius was nowhere to be found...


    To prevent his disappearance from causing more chaos, Yuga quickly used hismunicator to contact Brawly, and soon, he heard Brawly''s anxious voice on the other end.


    "Yuga, is it really you?"


    "Yes, it''s me."


    "Really, it''s you! That''s great! Are you okay? Where are you now? We''ve been looking for you since yesterday."


    "I''m fine, just got some minor injuries, but I''mpletely fine now. Don''t worry about me; I''ll be back soon. By the way, have you found my Mismagius?"


    "You being okay is the best news! Mismagius is with us; no need to worry. It was also very concerned about you and has been looking for you."


    ...


    After ending the call with Brawly, Yuga heaved a sigh of relief.


    On the other end, Brawly, too, breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that Yuga was safe. In both his professional and personal capacities, he didn''t want anything to happen to Yuga.


    Mismagius also received the message from Yuga and, although it was eager to see him, it understood that patiently waiting on Dewford ind was the right thing to do.


    After the conversation with Brawly, Yuga learned about the follow-up actions taken against the Team Aqua.


    Although the members of the Team Aqua had fled, they had left behind a lot of things in their experimental base on the deserted ind, including the horrifying experimental subjects used in cruel Pok��mon experiments.


    When Officer Jenny led a group of people into the base, these experimental subjects were already dead. In response, the League revealed the Team Aqua''s atrocities and intensified the pursuit of the organization. The Team Aqua members would likely be shunned from society in the future.


    Yuga also learned from Brawly that the Dewgong, which was once captured by the Team Aqua, turned out to be the Pokemon of a substitute Elite Four from the Hoenn League.


    This substitute Elite Four had already arrived on Dewford ind with the goal of recovering their Dewgong. However, they might be disappointed.


    This substitute Elite Four was thest in the list for the position, and its only Elite level Pok��mon was the Dewgong. Without it, they would eventually be removed from the position of substitute Elite Four.


    Of course, because their Dewgong was captured during a mission, they would receivepensation from the League.


    This substitute Elite Four member imed that the person who took their Dewgong was the notorious Phantom Thief Barney, who was none other than Ariana, a member of Team Rocket.


    Ariana''s real name was Miyuki, but very few people used that name anymore. She wasmonly referred to as Ariana, and sometimes, Barney.


    However, what surprised Yuga was that the Dewgong had inexplicably disappeared. Yuga had seen it with his own eyes, and it was dead. Normally, there should have been a corpse. How could everything have vanished?


    Washed away by the sea? Or secretly taken by the Team Aqua members?


    Yuga couldn''t make sense of it and had to set the matter aside for the time being.


    However, as soon as he put away hismunicator, he saw that the two Pok��mon eggs next to Pelipper simultaneously emitted white light.


    "Pelipper?" Pelipper looked at its two children in horror, not understanding what the white light meant.


    "They''re about to hatch!" Yuga quickly reminded.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, the expression on Pelipper''s face changed from horror to joy. It hadn''t expected these two children, with different parents and hatching times, to hatch simultaneously.


    After the white light disappeared, two adorable Wingull appeared in their ce. They were unable to fly just yet, so they hopped over to Yuga''s side in a yful manner, nuzzling against his clothes in an affectionate manner, disying extreme closeness to Yuga.


    Seeing this scene, Pelipper, who had been diligently incubating the eggs, had its expression cracked from a second. It wanted to convey to the babies: Babies, I''m your dad!


    (�s���t)


    Yuga gently touched the soft, feathery feathers of the two baby Wingull and nced at the indescribable expression on Pelipper''s face. He couldn''t help but burst intoughter.


    After a while of yfully bonding with Yuga, the two young Wingull showed a great deal of affection for Pelipper as well. This eased the broken heart of Pelipper, who had been sitting on the eggs.


    To recover from his injuries, Yuga stayed in Pelipper''s home for two days. After these two days of rest, the pain in Yuga''s body hadpletely disappeared.


    During this time, Yuga also regrly reported to Brawly to prevent them from worrying about his prolonged absence. This also led to a video call with Mismagius on themunicator, ensuring that it could see Yuga was safe.


    Under the careful guidance of Pelipper, the two baby Wingull quickly learned how to fly. Pelipper transformed into a full-time dad, taking the kids out for adventures every day.


    Once his injuries had healed, Yuga decided it was time to say goodbye to Pelipper. The baby Wingull, on hearing this news, became very reluctant to let Yuga leave. They clung to him, making Yuga and Pelipper feel awkward.


    After much thought, Yuga finally said to Pelipper, "How about you bring the baby Wingull with you ande along with me? I can provide you all with a better life."


    Pelipper had been selected as the temporary leader by over a thousand Wingull and Pelipper in this area, which meant it had good potential and strength. It had a green potential, and its level was 55. Yuga found these potentials quite appealing.


    On the side, Dragonite remarked: I feel like our Trainer is just like a smooth-talking scoundrel, luring in unsuspecting young girls.


    (Note: Pelipper is male!)


    Yuga responded: Don''t talk nonsense. I''m doing this out of gratitude, to repay Pelipper for saving my life and taking me in.


    Dragonite retorted: Do you think I believe you?


    Yuga sighed and had no further response.


    Yuga originally thought it would take some convincing to get Pelipper toe with him, but surprisingly, Pelipper agreed almost immediately.


    The main reason was that Pelipper had a positive impression of Yuga. Yuga had rescued other Pok��mon in this area from the Dewgong''s grasp.


    Also, after Yuga had been feeding them Pokeblock for the past two days, Pelipper felt it couldn''t go back to a diet of just berries. It also knew the Pokeblock would be beneficial for the growth of the two baby Wingull.


    The two baby Wingull had poor potentials, with one having the lowest red potential, and the other having a slightly better orange potential. Pelipper wanted to give them a better life, so going with Yuga seemed like the best choice.


    For the still rtively young Wingull, it had truly put its heart and soul into caring for its children.


    In this way, Pelipprr took the children and left home with Yuga and Dragonite.


    Yuga rode on Dragonite with a Pelipper and two baby Wingull, flying above the sea. Suddenly, Dragonite, who was flying straight ahead, came to an abrupt stop, and even Yuga suddenly looked serious as they gazed into the distance.


    Perplexed, Pelipper and the two baby Wingull wondered: What''s going on? Why did we suddenly stop?


    "Gengar!"


    Somehow, Gengar, who had been hiding in Yuga''s shadow, drifted out and hovered by Yuga and Dragonite''s side. The yful grin that was typically on its face had disappeared.


    Before, due to the Perish song, Gengar had been sealed within Yuga''s Pok�� Ball for quite a while. This was also why Mismagius couldn''t locate Gengar through its unique connections. Now, Gengar had returned to Yuga''s shadow space.


    Pelipper soon realized why Dragonite had suddenly stopped. A pitch-ck ship appeared on the sea, draped with tattered sails, surrounded by eerie white fog. The horrifying aura emanating from it sent shivers down their spines.


    A Ghost Ship!


    Observing the eerie vessel approaching them, Yuga muttered to himself in his mind. The Ghost Ship was a mysterious ship that wandered the sea, and it was said that those who saw it would inexplicably disappear. Ghost Ships rarely appeared and were hard to find unless they wanted to be found.


    Soon, this massive Ghost Ship arrived right in front of Yuga and his group. It was enveloped in a thick white mist, making it impossible to see what was truly on board.


    Rattling...


    Yuga suddenly heard the sound of interlocking chains. Immediately, he saw a dark green chain covered in moss shoot straight toward him and Dragonite.


    ng!


    Dragonite used its Dragon w to protect themselves, deflecting the chain and creating a shower of sparks. The chain was pushed back and retracted into the mist once more.


    However, that single chain was enough for Yuga to use his Insight ability to discern its true identity.


    ...


    Dhelmise


    Type: Ghost/Grass


    Ability: Steelworker


    Gender: None


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 75


    Moves: Absorb, Growth, Rapid Spin, Astonish, Giga Drain, Wrap, Gyro Ball, Metal Sound, Anchor Shot, Shadow Ball, Energy Ball, m, Heavy m, Thief, Power Whip, Rain Dance, Shadow w, Swords Dance, Giga Impact, Grass Knot, Hyper Beam, Iron Defense, Iron Head, Synthesis, Spit, Pain Split.


    ...


    Worthy being a Pokemon on the Ghost Ships!


    After reading the details, Yuga was somewhat surprised! Dhelmise was typically resided in Al region. He didn''t expect to encounter it in the Hoenn, especially with such a high level. Could this still be a Ghost Ship that traveled around the world?


    Rattling...


    Again, a series of chain movements could be heard, and several chains shot out from the fog, once again targeting Yuga and Dragonite.


    ng! ng! ng!


    Dragonite used its Dragon w to deflect each chain as they approached, and more chains emerged from the fog. The collisions between Dragonite''s ws and the chains produced a continuous nging sound.


    Meanwhile, Gengar tried to use Shadow Ball on the Ghost Ship hidden in the mist. However, the numerous Shadow Balls disappeared into the fog as if they had vanished into thin air, causing no reaction.


    "Dusknoir, Dusknoir!"


    Just as Dragonite and Dhelmise were engaged in a fierce battle, a deep and echoing cry suddenly came from the mist.


    Upon hearing this cry, Yuga''s heart skipped a beat: This is...


    Rattling...


    With the appearance of the mysterious cry, all the chains of Dhelmise suddenly retracted into the mist.


    Shortly after, Yuga witnessed the mist dissipating from the bow of the Ghost Ship, revealing a line of Ghost-type Pok��mon neatly arranged on it, as if they were weing their king.


    "Dusknoir, Dusknoir!"


    The cry rang out once more.


    The Ghost-type Pok��mon on the ship moved aside, creating a wide path. From this path emerged a tall figure.


    Dusknoir...


    Yuga silently thought of this figure''s name.


    ...


    Dusknoir


    Type: Ghost


    Ability: Pressure


    Gender: None


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 96


    Moves: Shadow Sneak, Disable, Astonish, Night Shade, Foresight, Will-o-wisp, Confuse Ray, Curse, Hex, Shadow Ball, Mean Look, Psychic, Swagger, Infestation, Psych Up, Trick Room, Dark Pulse, Substitute, Nightmare, Sleep Talk, Shadow Punch, Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Gravity, Aura Sphere, Momento, Haze, Focus Punch, Pain Split.


    ...


    After reviewing Dusknoir''s data, Yuga''s expression became extremely serious. A Master level Dusknoir. This was not an opponent he could handle.


    However, things didn''t unfold as Yuga expected.

 Chapter 976: Kingdom

    <h4>Chapter 976: Kingdom</h4>


    As soon as Dusknoir appeared, it used Trick Room move. Dusknoir speed originally not very fast, however with the help of Trick Room it allowed Dusknoir to instantly appear in front of Yuga and the others.


    The approach of Dusknoir made Dragonite and Gengar stand on edge, their bodies tensed, ready for anything. However, Dusknoir didn''t attack Yuga; instead, it embraced him with its muscr arms.


    "Dusknoir, Dusknoir, Dusknoir."


    Dusknoir let out a soft call, but Yuga sensed a deep sense of emotion and sighs in that low growl.


    "Are you... Shadowsong''s Dusknoir?"


    The moment Dusknoir held Yuga, he was startled, but upon hearing its call, he finally recognized Dusknoir''s identity, and his heart was filled more with the joy of reunion.


    "Dusknoir, Dusknoir!"


    Dusknoir released Yuga and nodded.


    "You... you''re alive... so, what about Shadowsong?" Yuga said, feeling emotional.


    Hearing Yuga mention its master, Dusknoir felt a bitter sadness. It had managed to reunite with Yuga across a thousand years, but its master...


    Seeing Dusknoir''s mood shift, Yuga''s own mood darkened considerably.


    Yes, a thousand years had passed. Yuga had only spent a little over two years in Arus, but for Shadowsong and Dusknoir, over a thousand years had gone by.


    Shadowsong, the prince of Arus, and Yuga had met across time and space, spending a little over two years together in the era of the Arus Empire, witnessing the empire''s demise together.


    Speaking of it, Dusknoir wasn''t originally Shadowsong''s Pok��mon. It was initially the Pok��mon of Shadowsong''s guardian, Hubert. When Hubert passed away, he entrusted Dusknoir with the task of protecting Shadowsong, and from that point on, it became Shadowsong''s Pok��mon.


    Shadowsong was the first generation in Yuga and Mr. Kuni''o''s lineage, a pure Grass-type Pok��mon Trainer, and Dusknoir was his only non-Grass-type Pok��mon.


    After some reflection, Dusknoir invited Yuga and his Dragonite to board the ship. For Dragonite and Gengar, it was a reunion, and they were all quite happy to see each other again.


    However, the Pelipper and the Wingull following behind were still confused and shivering. As soon as they boarded the ship, they flew to the mast and perched there, too scared to look around.


    On this ghost ship, apart from Dusknoir and Dhelmise that initially attacked Yuga and hispanions, there were many other Ghost-type Pok��mon, such as Gengar, Bte, and Sableye, with quite high levels.


    Yuga and his group''s boarding caught the attention of the "crew" on the ship. It was the first time they had invited humans aboard their ship, and they wondered if this was the person they had been searching for all these years.


    Once aboard the ghost ship, Yuga noticed that despite the tattered sails hanging from the masts, the ship itself was well maintained and showed no signs of damage. The interior of the ship was also pleasantly decorated, devoid of the eerie atmosphere often associated with ghost ships.


    After a conversation with Dusknoir, Yuga learned about the development and continuation of the vige that Shadowsong had founded after he left.


    Back in the day, the territory of the Arus Empire was devastated by Groudon''s rampage, which led to its downfall. Consequently, the Vante Empire, after upying this area, didn''t put much effort into managing it. Soon, the region fell into chaos.


    Out of fear that the Vante Empire might wipe them out, Shadowsong had been living in anonymity. However, as the vige developed, he eventually founded a city where the citizens could live and work.


    Under the efforts of Shadowsong''s descendants, this city eventually evolved into a small kingdom. While notrge, the people there lived happily.


    Before his passing, Shadowsong had entrusted Dusknoir with a mission: if it ever reached the era where Yuga existed, it must find him. So, for all these years, Dusknoir had been searching for Yuga.


    However, the geography of the Hoenn region over a thousand years ago and the present-day Hoenn region were not the same. Many locations had shifted, making it difficult for Dusknoir to find Yuga.


    Moreover, Dusknoir''s memory about Yuga''s era wasn''t very clear, and it had no idea exactly when Yuga would be born.


    So, for most of these years, Dusknoir had been urging the ghost ship to roam the seas, leaving behind many legends.


    The Ghost-type Pok��mon on the ship had all been taken in by Dusknoir while it searched for Yuga. As for the Elite level Dhelmise on the ship, it was the only surviving Grass-type Pok��mon from Shadowsong''s era.


    Grass-type Pok��mon were known for their long lifespans among Pok��mon, but they still paled inparison to Ghost-type Pok��mon in terms of longevity. It was rare to find Ghost-type Pok��mon that lived over a thousand years, let alone Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Dhelmise had been discovered by Shadowsong in his old age, near the beach. Shadowsong hadn''t spent much time with it before he passed away, and it had been following Dusknoir ever since.


    Today, unexpectedly meeting Yuga here was something even Dusknoir hadn''t anticipated. It could be seen as a stroke of luck.


    After a long conversation, Dusknoir suddenly told Yuga that it wanted to take him to a ce where Shadowsong had left something for him.


    Yuga wanted to know where they were going, but Dusknoir decided to keep it a secret.


    Subsequently, Yuga witnessed the entire ghost ship, under the control of many Ghost-type Pok��mon, rising from the sea and moving towards thend, not the open ocean.


    After flying for the better part of a day, Yuga spotted a castle on the horizon, below whichy a small town bustling with people.


    After Dusknoir introduced Yuga to the situation, he learned that this was the small kingdom established by Shadowsong''s descendants, and it had persisted until today.


    In the world of Pok��mon, small kingdoms like this still existed, and most of them mainly concentrated in the Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Kalos regions. Yuga had only heard of them before, and this was the first time he had seen one in person.


    Such small kingdoms were remnants of ancient times, with very limitednd area, typically about the size of a single town.


    However, during the time of the Pok��mon League Revolution, they had been among the first to pledge allegiance and had provided significant aid to the League. This support had allowed them to survive and maintain a high degree of autonomy.


    Essentially, they had a simr status to the general cities in the League.


    The sudden appearance of the ghost ship over the kingdom quickly caught the attention of the residents in the town below. However, their gazes were filled with amazement rather than fear when they looked at the ghost ship.


    Most of the kingdom''s citizens were aware of the enigmatic ghost ship''s existence within the kingdom. It had been there since the kingdom''s establishment and held a high status within the kingdom, although few had actually seen it.


    Dusknoir has been wandering outside for many years, and thest time he returned to the kingdom was more than 20 years ago, so it is not surprising that the residents of the kingdom have not seen the ghost ship.


    This time, the reason Dusknoir had coincidentally encountered Yuga was because it had nned to disembark and return to the kingdom from the location where Pelipper''s family resided.


    The ghost ship swiftly arrived over the royal pce, and before long, squads of soldiers marched out from the pce, followed by a tall middle-aged man among them.


    However, this middle-aged man had a menacing look and didn''t seem like someone with good intentions.


    As expected, he spoke harshly as soon as he opened his mouth.


    "Who goes there! Daring to intrude into the royal pce, you better quickly disembark from the ship!"


    Even the kingdom''s citizens knew that the ghost ship belonged to their own kingdom, how could this person not know? Clearly, he was doing this on purpose.

 Chapter 977: Legacy

    <h4>Chapter 977: Legacy</h4>


    Upon being stopped in their tracks, Dusknoir and Yuga made their way to the bow of the ship, but the person on the other side showed no intention of letting them pass.


    "Haven''t you heard what I said? Trespassing in the pce grounds is forbidden. You''d better get off this ship immediately," the middle-aged man yelled, his face darkened, and two imposing Ninjask appeared at his side, ready to take action at the slightest provocation.


    However, as soon as he spoke, several iron chains suddenly emerged from the side of the ship, instantly binding him and his two Ninjask.


    This was the work of Dhelmise, and the chains continued to tighten, causing the middle-aged man to cry out in pain, and his two ninjas groaned intermittently.


    These tightening iron chains were abination of Dhelmise''s Anchor Shot and Wrap move. They not only inflicted significant damage on the opponent but also caused immense pain.


    If it weren''t for Dhelmise showing restraint, the middle-aged man''s bones would have been crushed by now.


    "You have some nerve! Release me immediately! Are you trying to rebel?" the middle-aged man howled in pain and anger.


    Just then, there was amotion among the soldiers below, and a stout man wearing a crown hurriedly approached the scene.


    "What''s happening? What''s going on?" he shouted as he ran.


    When he saw the bound middle-aged man, the stout king was shocked and asked, "Hans, what is going on here?"


    "Your Majesty, there are a group of traitors here. Please have them arrested!" Seeing the king''s arrival, the man known as Hans instantly felt relieved, as if he had been saved.


    Indeed, this stout man was the current king of the kingdom.


    But when the king saw the ck Dusknoir at the ship''s bow, he immediately panicked and shouted to the soldiers, "Withdraw, quickly! It''s Lord Dusknoir returning. It''s all a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding!"


    Afterward, the king bent over and respectfully bowed to Dusknoir, saying, "Wee back, Lord Dusknoir."


    Thest time the king had seen Dusknoir was over twenty years ago when he had just ascended to the throne. He couldn''t believe that so many years had passed since Dusknoir''sst visit.


    However, Dusknoir had always existed as the guardian Pokemon of the kingdom. Therefore, even after many years, the king immediately recognized it.


    Dusknoir rarely stayed in the kingdom and usually traveled outside, so the king had only seen Dusknoir three times in total. Still, this did not diminish the king''s respect for the kingdom''s guardian.


    The reason the kingdom had managed to survive the turmoil of the League''s revolution wasrgely due to the guidance of this guardian. Without it, the kingdom might have disappeared into the annals of history like many other ancient nations.


    As a result, Dusknoir held a high position within the kingdom, and all the kings throughout history had shown great respect to this guardian. They never presumed to give orders to Dusknoir as members of the royal family might do.


    Hans, upon witnessing the king''s attitude towards Dusknoir, turned livid.


    Does Hans know Dusknoir''s identity? Of course, he did.


    The current king''s health was frail, and his only daughter was not yet of age to ascend the throne. As the king''s younger brother, Hans had naturally be the regent of the kingdom, handling all of the kingdom''s affairs, big and small.


    He had long held a grudge against this ghostly Pok��mon, whom he believed was just an ill-omened ghost-type Pok��mon looming over the royal family.


    Hans had seen Dusknoir when he was a child. At that time, his father and brother had shown great respect for this Pok��mon, which made him feel that the royal family''s honor had been greatly diminished.


    When Dusknoir returned, he decided to act as if he didn''t recognize it, nning to dispose of it in one fell swoop. But his brother, the current king, was too feeble to oppose him.


    Hans was an ambitious man. The fact that the kingdom itself had been reduced to a mere shadow under the League''s control had already frustrated him. Now, within his own kingdom, he had to show reverence to a ghost-type Pok��mon.


    He couldn''t ept it!


    Seeing the king take charge, the soldiers had no choice but to withdraw. Dhelmise swung its iron chains and threw Hans and his two Ninjask onto the ground, further humiliating Hans.


    Under the king''s arrangement, Dusknoir''s ghost ship was anchored in the square in front of the royal pce. Yuga and Dusknoir were weed into the pce.


    As they entered the pce''s grand hall, Yuga introduced himself to the king.


    "Your Majesty, I am Yuga, the Gym Leader of Verdanturf Town, and I havee to your kingdom at the invitation of Dusknoir."


    Seated on the throne in the grand hall were the king and queen, while Regent Hans and Princess C sat below. After a brief introduction, Yuga learned that he was in the Mirage Kingdom.


    The Mirage Kingdom name sounded vaguely familiar to Yuga, but he couldn''t quite ce it and didn''t dwell on it.


    After Yuga''s introduction, the king smiled and said, "So, you are Gym Leader Yuga. Since Lord Dusknoir has invited you, we warmly wee you to the Mirage Kingdom. We hope you enjoy your stay."


    Contrary to the king''s warm and sincere wee, Hans wore a displeased expression throughout the proceedings, as if he had just eating shit.


    After a brief conversation, the queen, Hans, and the princess left one after another, leaving the king to have a private discussion with Yuga and Dusknoir.


    With Yuga''s assistance, Dusknoir exined the purpose of their return to the king.


    After hearing Dusknoir''s words, the king sighed and said, "I see, so Lord Dusknoir has returned to retrieve the legacy left behind by our ancestors."


    As Dusknoir and the king went back and forth about the legacy, Yuga remained thoroughly perplexed, not having a clue about what Shadowsong''s legacy entailed.


    Seeing Yuga''s confusion, Dusknoir finally began to exin the reason.


    When Yuga had left, Shadowsong wanted to leave him a legacy as a token of appreciation for all the help Yuga had provided him.


    Knowing that Yuga was a Pokemon Day Care owner in the present day, he gathered a group of Pok��mon to bequeath to Yuga.


    This group of Pok��mon waster entrusted to Dusknoir and the Mirage Kingdom for safekeeping.


    Like Yuga, Shadowsong had also received the blessings of Celebi, and they had a deep rtionship. So, he had asked Celebi to create a special space within the Mirage Kingdom, where these Pok��mon could live and thrive.


    This special space required a unique method to ess.


    Upon hearing Dusknoir''s and the king''s ounts, Yuga finally recalled the location of the Mirage Kingdom. It was none other than the ce where the Togepi Paradise was situated.


    �d(��^?^)? Togepi!


    So, the special space Shadowsong had asked Celebi to create was, in fact, the Togepi Paradise, and the legacy left for Yuga is a group of Togepi!


    Yuga couldn''t believe his luck; this was an incredibly precious gift. Finding a single Togepi outside was a difficult task, yet Shadowsong had left him an entire group.


    Unbeknownst to Yuga and the others, the conversation they had inside the room was overheard by the king''s personal guards. Among them was a guard who was loyal to Regent Hans.


    Not only the guards, but a considerable number of the maids who served the king, queen, and princess were also ced there by Hans for the purpose of monitoring the king.


    The guardter ryed every word of the conversation between the king, Yuga, and Dusknoir to Hans. Upon learning this, Hans flew into a rage, and in his anger, he destroyed items within the room.


    Togepi Paradise was a ce that Hans had coveted for a long time. It was said to hold mysterious powers. However, the method to ess it was known only to the reigning kings throughout history. Even though he was the king''s own brother, he was not privy to this information.


    He never expected that his foolish brother would listen to that despicable, hateful, and extreamely despicable ghost-type Pok��mon and give away such a valuable ce to an outsider with no connection to the kingdom.


    Hans''s rage and his firm belief that the Togepi Paradise rightfully belonged to the Mirage Kingdom were unwavering. He considered any talk of ancestral legacy and inheritance to be mere deception. The Togepi Paradise was an integral part of the kingdom, and no one could take it away.


    Over the years, the kingdom had established a customary rule that the heir to the throne must earn the recognition of the Togepi in the Togepi Paradise to seed as the king.


    In light of this, Hans believed that it was his destiny to be the king.


    ...


    That night, Yuga was a guest at the king''s pce and had settled into his assigned room.


    In the middle of the night, a loud, buzzing sound filled the room, and Yuga awoke to find several Ninjask, their metallic bodies gleaming, rapidly approaching. Ninjask were known for their incredible speed, and with their unique ability, eleration, their speed was even more remarkable.


    In the dimly lit room, these Ninjask seemed to materialize at Yuga''s bedside, raising their sharp ws and preparing to strike.


    However, before their ws could descend, they were repelled by shes of white light, sent flying backwards.


    Crash! Crash! Crash!


    The Ninjask collided with the walls, leaving cracks in their wake.


    Yuga had no intention of sleeping defenselessly in an unfamiliar kingdom. Ninjask, while fast and formidable in terms of offense, had weak defenses and low hit points. With a single strike, Yuga''s Kartana, imbued with the Sacred Sword move, sent the sneaky attackers reeling.


    The situation was far from over. Just as the previous Ninjask were defeated, new ones emerged within the room.


    Yuga had been awake and alert by this point, witnessing another group of Ninjask rushing toward him. Quickly, he rolled off the bed to evade their attack.


    ng! ng! ng!


    The Ninjask, with their gleaming sharp ws, were all deflected by the Kartana''s strikes. Then, something extraordinary urred��the room''s temperature dropped suddenly, and a chilling wind began to blow.


    Yuga''s Snover had stealthily entered the room. It unleashed an icy, freezing gale that substantially slowed down the Ninjask. The drop in temperature directly caused the speed of Ninjask plummet made it easier for the Kartana to deal with them.


    Just as Yuga thought the situation was resolved, there was a flicker in the room''s shadows and a mysterious Pokemon materialized behind him and swung its ws toward his back.


    This was the Ghost-type move, "Shadow Sneak."


    At the critical moment, Gengar that hidden within Yuga''s shadow, materialized and intercepted the iing attack.


    Yuga''s Kartana and Snover immediatelyunched their respective moves, "Leaf de" and "Ice Shard," at the assaulting Pokemon. Strangely, their attacks dissipated upon contact with the Pokemon, leaving it unscathed.


    At that moment, Yuga yelled, "Gengar, Shadow Ball!"


    Gengar responded by hurling several Shadow Balls at the Pokemon. Unable to evade, the Pokemon was knocked down and concealed within the shadows.


    As it fell, several identical Pokemons emerged in the room. They were all Shedinja.


    Ninjask, and Shedinja are evolved forms of Nincada. When a Nincada evolves it will evolving into Shedinja and Ninjask. So, encountering both Ninjask and Shedinja together was not unusual.


    What''s remarkable about Shedinja is their unique ability, "Wonder Guard." Any moves that aren''t super effective against them cannot harm them.


    As a result, the Grass-type move "Leaf de" from the Kartana and the Ice-type move "Ice Shard" from Snover had no effect on them.


    The only types of moves that can damage Shedinja are Fire-type, Ghost-type, Flying-type, Dark-type, and Rock-type moves.


    On the downside, Shedinja have a critical weakness �C they are vulnerable to any type of attack that''s super effective against them. Therefore, it''s a high-risk and high-reward strategy when using them in battle.


    Understanding this vulnerability, the Kartana quickly swung its de, sending razor-sharp Wind des to eliminate the Shedinja. In an instant, they were all defeated.


    While Shedinja were effective at surprising their opponents, they stood no chance when confronted by a stronger opponent who could recognize their weakness.


    Themotion in Yuga''s room attracted the attention of the pce guards. Shortly, the king and his entourage, including Regent Hans, arrived.


    Hans''s face stiffened briefly upon seeing the Ninjask and Shedinja littering the room, but he quickly regained hisposure.


    Upon learning that Yuga had been attacked, the king promised a thorough investigation. In contrast, Hans appearedpletely calm, as if he had no connection to the incident.


    However, Yuga had no doubt that Hans was behind all of this attack.


    In the entire Mirrage Kingdom, Hans was the only one who had shown malicious intent towards Yuga. And those familiar-looking Ninjask...


    When they left, the king discreetly nced at Hans, but Hans seemed oblivious.


    The following morning, the king met Yuga again and revealed the method to ess the Togepi Paradise.

 Chapter 978: Doubts

    <h4>Chapter 978: Doubts</h4>


    Early in the morning, Yuga was taken by the king and Dusknoir to another pce beside the royal pce.


    Pointing at arge door within the pce, the king introduced to Yuga, "This is the entrance to the Togepi Paradise. To open it, you need the power of Togepi."


    Yuga furrowed his brows upon hearing this because he didn''t have a Togepi.


    Seeing Yuga''s puzzled expression, the king sighed and said, "We can''t open it ourselves either. In the past, the kingdom was home to some Togepi, so we had a tradition of using their power for the coronation. With the power of these Togepi, we could open the Togepi Paradise."


    However, at some point, the Togepi in the kingdom disappeared, and the Togepi Paradise has remained closed for a long time.


    Yuga realized that this situation had be quiteplicated. Togepi was not amon Pok��mon that could be found on the streets, and he had no way to obtain one.


    He wanted to ask Dusknoir if there was a solution, but even Dusknoir seemed helpless.


    During its travels outside the kingdom, Dusknoir had also kept an eye out for wild Togepi, but they were exceedingly rare. It had nevere across one in all its journeys.


    While it had seen Togepi in the hands of human trainers, it couldn''t simply take one from them.


    With no Togepi as the key, the matter of opening the Togepi Paradise was put on hold. Yuga and the king left the pce where the paradise was located.


    Hans, who had been discreetly observing the king and Yuga, was pleased to see them return without sess. However, his satisfaction didn''tst long.


    Back in his room, Yuga thought about a good idea. Even though he didn''t have a Togepi, he could borrow one!


    Of course, Yuga didn''t know any trainers with Togepi, but he did know someone who had Togepi''s final evolution��Togekiss.


    That trainer was Cynthia!


    Since Togepi could open the Togepi Paradise, there was no reason why its evolved form couldn''t. Yuga decided to give it a try. After all, it couldn''t hurt.


    Afterst year''s Elite Four Challenge, Like Steven, with the support of the Temple n, Cynthia became the Sinnoh League Champion.


    Also in the same year''s Elite Four Challenge alongside with Cythia were Yuga''s friends, Flint and Volkner also participate.


    Flint sesfully went on to be one of the Elite Four members of Sinnoh region, and Volkner reached the finals of the Elite Four Challenge and he''s currently the top candidate for Sinnoh Elite Four member.


    Previously, Flint lost to Cynthia in the Sinnoh League Conference, and he had always considered defeating her to be his goal. However, when they met again in the Elite Four Challeng, he was defeated even more decisively than before.


    No, it would be more urate to say that she had be even stronger.


    Thinking of a solution, Yuga immediately contacted Cynthia, who didn''t hesitate to lend her Togekiss to him.


    While the Mirage Kingdom maintained a traditional monarchy, its technological and cultural level was on par with the outside world. In the royal pce, there was also a Pok��mon Trade Machine. It didn''t take long for Yuga to receive Cynthia''s Togekiss through this device.


    Upon learning that Yuga was going to use Togekiss to try and open the Togepi Paradise, the king once again brought Yuga and Dusknoir to the entrance pce.


    When Hans heard that the king had taken Yuga and Dusknoir to the entrance pce once more, he became very angry. He gestured to one of his trusted aides and whispered something in the aide''s ear before quickly hurrying toward the entrance pce.


    He felt that he couldn''t let the king continue to act recklessly.


    At the door of the pce, Yuga released Cynthia''s Togekiss and said to it, "Togekiss, it''s up to you."


    The king had already told Togekiss how to proceed.


    "Togekiss!"


    Togekiss nodded and flew into the air and It used Metronome move at the door.


    When a Togepi uses Metronome move, it generates a strange energy fluctuation that resonates with the door to the Togepi Paradise. This is the principle of why using Togepi as the key to open the Togepi Paradise.


    It''s just that whether this principle is still useful here when its used by Togekiss still need to be tested.


    Metronome move was an easilyprehensible move for Togepi and Togetic, and Selene''s Togekiss also had it.


    However, being a bird-like Pok��mon, Togekiss didn''t have fingers, so it used its wings to generate the energy.


    "Toge...kiss...toge...kiss..."


    As Togekiss pped its wings while chanting, a strange energy fluctuation appeared around it. Shortly, a white light was emitted from it and shot towards the door.


    Hum!


    As the white light appeared, an identical pce to the one they were in materialized above. However, this new pce was like a mirage, and it floated upside down in the sky.


    On the mirage-like pce, there was a door identical to the one in the real pce. This door quickly turned into a whirlpool under the influence of the white light. Through the whirlpool, you could faintly see the other side, with lush trees and grass.


    The appearance of the mirage-like pce caused quite amotion. Hans, who was rushing to the pce, saw the floating mirage and immediately realized that something was amiss. He hurriedly led his group towards the pce.


    "Open, it''s really open!" The king eximed in joy as the whirlpool appeared.


    Upon seeing Togekiss sessfully open the door, Yuga turned to the king and Dusknoir and said, "Let''s go in and take a look!"


    Just as they were about to enter the Togepi Paradise through the whirlpool, they heard Hans''s voice from behind.


    "Your Majesty, what are you doing!"


    The king turned to see Hans who had hurried over, and he said without any worry, "Hans, what are you doing here? This isn''t a ce you can enter. Step back!"


    Hans''s expression remained unchanged as he said, "Why can''t Ie? If I don''te, Your Majesty might do something foolish!"


    The king furrowed his brow and said, "What are you talking about?"


    Hans angrily pointed at the whirlpool in the air and dered, "This is our Mirrage Kingdom''s sacred ce. But now, Your Majesty is bringing outsiders in and even nning to give away the Togepi inside. I absolutely cannot agree to this!"


    The king spoke with a solemn tone, "This is the ancestral will..."


    Hans interrupted the king, "What ancestral will? What ancestors? Who even are these ancestors? As long as I''m here today, none of you will enter the Togepi Paradise, especially this outsider!"


    Then, he pointed at Yuga, who was of unknown origin, and continued, "This stranger has the same intentions as a thief to covet the kingdom''s sacred ce. Only you, Your Majesty, would foolishly fall for these Pokemon'' deception!"


    Hans directed his usations at the king and even the Dusknoir, who had remained silent, saying, "What it said about being ancentors Pokemons are something it im on its own. Who knows if it''s true or not? Maybe it was the one who killed the ancestors. It It should be enough to dominate the kingdom for so many years and It''s time for it to stop!"


    Hans''s tone was filled with usations towards the king and Dusknoir.


    The king, already in poor health, was nearly knocked off bnce by Hans''s sudden barrage of usations. Fortunately, Yuga was there to support him.


    The king pointed at Hans angrily, saying, "You... How dare you doubt the ancestors! You... If you behave and leave peacefully today, I''ll... I''ll act as if this never happened!"


    Hans truly had no knowledge of the ancestral will, as this knowledge had always been known only to the king. However, the king didn''t expect Hans to say such things.


    But Hans was, after all, his own younger brother, and if possible, the king didn''t want to be enemies with him.


    "Leave?" Hans sneered, "Today, no one is leaving!"


    The king''s face changed, and he asked, "What do you mean?"


    Before Hans could reply, Yuga, who was supporting the king, sneered and said, "What else could it mean? Isn''t it just that you''ve set your sights on the king''s throne? All those noble words mean nothing! If it weren''t for Dusknoir, this kingdom would have vanished long ago. You wouldn''t have enjoyed the royal lifestyle for so many years, and you might not even exist. You have no right to use Dusknoir like this."


    In the end, it all boiled down to selfish ambitions.


    "Hmph!"


    Hans didn''t mind Yuga exposing his ambitions. He sneered and ordered his soldiers behind him, "Arrest them all."


    The soldiers immediately moved to surround Yuga and the others.


    The king was so angry that he could hardlyplete his sentences. He pointed at the soldiers and shouted, "You... You... Cough, cough, cough... You dare to defy me, the king? Cough, cough... Are you nning a rebellion?"


    However, the soldiers didn''t pay any attention to the king. After years of regency, Hans had already gained control of most of the kingdom''s power, and the king had been gradually sidelined without even realizing it.


    However, as these soldiers approached, they suddenly found themselves unable to move. Subsequently, they were tossed aside like sacks.


    Needless to say, Dusknoir was not one to mince words, and he immediately took action.


    Upon witnessing this scene, Hans turned pale.


    Nevertheless, Hans intended to use a human wave tactic to encircle Dusknoir. He didn''t believe that Dusknoir''s power was anything significant, as he assumed Dusknoir''s significance in the Mirrage Kingdom was more symbolic than practical.


    So, under Hans''s orders, more and more soldiers and over a dozen Ninjask and Shedinja gathered around. Yuga could identify that this group of Ninjask and Shedinja was different from the ones that had attacked him the previous night.


    Unfortunately for Hans, Dusknoir''s power was beyond his imagination. A Master level Pok��mon could hold its ground against thousands.


    As the surging soldiers and their Pok��mon approached, Dusknoir once again used his psychic powers to send them flying.


    Following this, with a hum, Dusknoir''s Trick Room enveloped Hans and his Ninjask, Shedinja, and soldiers.


    Inside the square blue space, the Ninjask and Shedinja found themselves struggling as if trapped in quicksand. Every movement became agonizingly slow.


    Within the Trick Room, Dusknoir moved at an incredible speed, appearing beside the Ninjask and Shedinja. Before they could even react, punches struck with precision, causing them to fall from the sky like dumplings.


    Dusknoir''s Shadow Punch was executed masterfully. Witnessing this, Hans attempted to flee, but Dusknoir''s gigantic hand already had a grip on Hans''s neck.


    "Hegh... Hegh..."


    Hans groaned in pain as he clung to Dusknoir''s hand, attempting to pry it off with all his might. But how could his strengthpare to that of Dusknoir?


    Dusknoir, towering above, held Hans by his neck, leaving him dangling in the air. Hans knew that even the slightest pressure from Dusknoir would snap his neck.


    "You can''t kill me, or the queen and the princess won''t live!" Despite being in a life-threatening situation, Hans refused to surrender.


    As his words trailed off, several soldiers escorted the queen and the princess into the blue space formed by Dusknoir''s magic.


    "Your Majesty!"


    "Father!"


    The queen and the princess both had sharp Ninjask ws against their necks, and they called out in distress while being protected by King Yuga and Dusknoir.


    As it turned out, before Hans came here, he had dispatched his trusted subordinates to capture the queen and the princess, with the goal of ensuring his safety when the situation became unfavorable.


    "Queen! C!"


    Upon seeing his wife and daughter held as hostages, the king''s face turned pale.


    "Hans, I... *cough*... I don''t understand what I''ve done to you. *cough* Why... *cough*... why are you doing this?" The king shouted in despair, his eyes welling up with tears, as he was held by Hans.


    "Hegh... *cough*... *cough*..."


    Hans struggled in the grip of Dusknoir''s hand, gasping intermittently. "You... *cough* such a weak man... *hegh*... how can you lead the kingdom to prosperity? Since... *cough* you''re unfit to be king, it''s only natural that I take your ce."


    "You... *cough*... you..."


    Hans''s words left the king so angry that he couldn''t speak. He could only point at Hans with trembling fingers.


    Just as Hans believed he could use the queen and the princess as leverage to control the king and Dusknoir, the soldiers holding them suddenly convulsed and fell to the ground, while the Ninjask with their ws at the queen and the princess''s necks were knocked down by two Shadow Ball that appeared out of nowhere.


    With a mischievous grin, Yuga''s Gengar emerged from the ground, holding the queen and the princess by their cors and levitating into the air.


    Outside, the soldiers quicklymanded their Pok��mon to attack the sudden appearance of Gengar. However, Gengar effortlessly absorbed their attacks into the ck hole it created.


    Gengar''s ck hole might have struggled against a Champion level Pok��mon''s attacks, but it easily absorbed the attacks from these small fry.


    Seeing the queen and the princess rescued, Hans realized that the situation was beyond his control. His Pokemon was also get crushed.


    Witnessing Hans''s defeated demeanor, Yuga coldly remarked, "In the face of absolute power, all schemes and tricks are nothing but clouds. With your meager strength, you dared to aspire to rule and dominate. It''s just a dream."


    Hans, with a grim expression, offered no retort.


    Due to the events involving Hans, the king couldn''t apany Yuga into the Pok��mon Paradise. Instead, he let Yuga go in with Togekiss, while he and Dusknoir left to handle the aftermath of Hans''s rebellion.


    After Hans''s capture, Dusknoir returned to his ghost ship and summoned his subordinates. With the help of this group of powerful Ghost-type Pok��mon, the rebellion incited by Hans was quickly quelled.


    Hans was imprisoned, and the soldiers and individuals involved in the rebellion were executed.


    After years of not dealing with kingdom affairs, the king was shocked to discover that many of his own nobles had sided with Hans, which he found difficult to ept.


    After resolving the matter with Hans, the king fell seriously ill. Princess C waspelled to take over the kingdom''s responsibilities, and it seemed like she matured in an instant, despite her inexperience in worldly matters.


    While the kingdom were busy quelling the rebellion, Yuga rode Togekiss into the Pok��mon Paradise.


    However, the Pok��mon Paradise appeared drastically different from what he had envisioned. Yuga expected lushndscapes, abundant flora, and a thriving environment due to Celebi''s creation. But the reality was far from that.


    As he entered the Pok��mon Paradise, Yuga was greeted with more than just a lush entrance. The rest of the area was filled with withered trees, dried leaves, and prematurely wilted berry hanging from lifeless branches.


    Yuga dismounted Togekiss and ventured further into the Pok��mon Paradise, only to find that the entire ce seemed to be devoid of life. It appeared as though the Pok��mon Paradise had lost all vitality.


    "Togepi, Togepi."


    At that moment, Yuga heard a faint cry. Upon closer examination, he spotted a dirty, timid-looking Togepi hiding behind a withered tree, watching him warily.


    Yuga was about to approach the timid Togepi when it cowered further behind the withered tree, trembling and pressing its head against the tree trunk in fear.


    Yuga spoke softly, "Don''t be afraid, we mean no harm."


    Yuga''s innate ability to connect with Pok��mon once again came into y. The Togepi, hearing Yuga''s gentle words, gradually raised its head and became less frightened.


    From his backpack, Yuga took out a can of Pokeblock that Florgess usually ate and poured one out, saying, "Here, have some."


    To establish a rapport with Pok��mon, using food as an incentive was the most direct and effective method, and Yuga was well aware of this fact.


    Originally, the Togepi had some reservations about Yuga, but as soon as it saw the Pokeblock in his hand, it couldn''t resist the temptation any longer.


    It looks so delicious! The aroma is irresistible!


    Togepi patted its round belly and took a couple of bites, licking its lips. It had gone without food for a day.


    In the end, Togepi couldn''t resist the allure of food and epted Yuga''s "enticement."


    Watching the contented Togepi clutching the Pokeblock, which seemed evenrger than its entire face, and savoring it with small, joyful bites, Yuga couldn''t help but wonder.


    What had happened here? The situation here waspletely different from what the king and the Dusknoir had told him.

 Chapter 979: Rebellion

    <h4>Chapter 979: Rebellion</h4>


    For Pok��mon like Togepi, which are small in size, a single Pokeblock is enough to make them feel full.


    After finishing the Pokeblock that Yuga gave it, Togepiy on the ground, satisfied, and let out a little burp. It even patted its round belly, wearing a look of contentment on its face.


    "Togepi, can you tell me what happened here?" Yuga asked gently, with a curious look on his face. He couldn''t help but wonder why the ce the king and Dusknoir referred to as a paradise looked so barren.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s question, Togepi attempted to get up by flopping onto its back and then rolled around on the ground. It eventually seeded in getting back on its feet, after which it waved at Yuga, motioning for him to follow.


    Though Yuga didn''t know where Togepi was leading him, he obediently followed the small Pok��mon.


    Under Togepi''s guidance, Yuga gradually made his way deeper into the Center of Togepi Paradise.


    As he ventured further, he noticed more and more withered trees. These trees were even taller and more majestic than the ones he had initially seen, and it was a pity to see them wither away.


    Yuga also began to spot other Togepi in the area. They all appeared dirty and disheveled, clearly not living well.


    Upon seeing Yuga, these Togepi panicked and hid behind the withered trees. Some bolder ones would sneak a peek at Yuga but kept their distance, not daring to make contact.


    As they moved deeper into Togepi Paradise, Yuga began to see the evolved forms of Togepi, Togekiss, and Togetic.


    Yuga had been wondering why there was only Togepi in the supposed Togepi Paradise, as the evolution should have happened naturally over time. After all, he knew that Pok��mon could also form close bonds not only with trainers but with other Pok��mon as well, which could lead to evolution.


    Ever since Golbat in his Ecopar evolved into Crobat, Yuga knew that the friendship required for the evolution of Pokemon is not necessarily only with the trainer, but it could also formed between Pokemon and Pokemon.


    He also consulted Professor Birch on this point and received confirmation from him.


    It meant that Togepi could evolve into Togetic or Togekiss without needing a human trainer.


    Now it seems that they are all gathered in the center of Togepi Paradise and it surprised him to see these evolved forms here.


    As they reached the center of Togepi Paradise, Yuga finallyid eyes on the most majestic sight of all. In the center, there stood a massive withered tree, and beneath it was a conspicuous deep pit.


    Yuga recognized that the pit was likely the source of water for this area, but it had dried up, contributing to the destion of the Paradise.


    At the top of the withered tree, a regal Togekiss perched, with an air of exceptional purity surrounding it. However, the Togekiss appeared remarkably aged, with its once-vibrant feathers now faded due to its age.


    The Togekiss''s head crest, which should have disyed red, blue, and white feathers, had faded, which was a stark contrast to the typical appearance of Togekiss with colorful markings.


    It was clear that Togekiss had aged significantly over time.


    Among all the Togepi and Togetic around, the first one that caught Yuga''s attention was this Togekiss, and it was the only Togekiss here.


    Yuga observed the Togekiss, and the Togekiss also looked back at him. They locked eyes for over ten seconds before the Togekiss gently pped its wings andnded in front of Yuga.


    "Hello," Yuga said dryly, unsure of what else to say.


    ...


    Togekiss


    Type: Fairy/Flying


    Ability: Serene Grace


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 78


    Moves: Metronome, Draining Kiss, Yawn, Wish, Safeguard, Baton Pass, Last Resort, Magical Leaf, Extreme Speed, Sky Attack, Aura Sphere, Air sh, Roost, Shadow Ball, Dazzling Gleam, Morning Sun, Hyper Voice, Tailwind.


    ...


    While this Togekiss had a high level,pared to the meticulously trained Pok��mon, it had rtively fewer move slots for an Elite level Pok��mon.


    For instance, Yuga knew that the moveset of Cynthia''s Togekiss was much more extensive and her Togekiss had a slightly lower level than this one.


    Yuga could understand that, growing in this isted environment, this Togekiss had not had the opportunity to learn from other Pok��mon.


    "Togekiss!"


    Human, you have finally arrived!


    Yuga had just exchanged greetings when he heard the meaning in Togekiss''s voice and was momentarily stunned. He asked, "Do you know me? Or did you know that I wasing?"


    Togekiss didn''t have the ability to foresee the future, right?


    "Togekiss, Togekiss, Togekiss."


    Togekiss called a few times and then shook its head. It indicated to Yuga that its ancestors had an agreement with a particr individual who possessed a unique power, and they were supposed to wait for that person and leave with them.


    It turned out that Togekiss could sense the power of Celebi''s blessing within Yuga''s body and knew that he was the person they had been waiting for.


    In its words, the person it ancestors had an agreement with was Shadowsong, and Shadowsong had done a great favor to their n, which was the reasson why they had this agreement with Shadowsong.


    Listening to Togekiss''s exnation, Yuga suddenly understood.


    "However, what happened here? This is not what I expected," Yuga inquired, his brows furrowed.


    "Togekiss... Togekiss... Togekiss."


    Sigh... Follow me.


    Togekiss sighed in response and then took flight, gesturing for Yuga to follow.


    So, Yuga once again rode on Cynthia''s Togekiss and followed the old Togekiss.


    Before long, Yuga arrived at another part of Togepi Paradise. Compared to the deste scenery he had witnessed elsewhere, this area seemed much more vibrant, though it was all rtive.


    As the old Togekissnded in front of arge stone, it exined to Yuga that this was thest flourishing area in all of Togepi Paradise.


    It was only because of this final bastion of prosperity that Togepi Paradise managed to hold on.


    "What exactly happened here?" Yuga asked, his brow furrowing in concern.


    The old Togekiss sighed once more and led Yuga to the top of therge stone. It was then that Yuga noticed a vibrant green gem embedded on the stone.


    However, this gem was shattered and dim, as if it would crumble into fragments in the next moment.


    "What is this?" Yuga asked, his voice filled with astonishment.


    He could sense a power within the gem that was closely rted to his own. This exined how the old Togekiss recognized him immediately as the one they had been waiting for.


    "Togekiss, Togekiss..."


    So the old Togekiss proceeded to exin the origin of this green gem.


    As it turned out, this green gem was created by Shadowsong and Celebi together. People blessed by Celebi tended to live longer, and Shadowsong was among the longest-lived, living to be over 150 years old.


    Over more than a hundred years, he had developed his unique ability to a tremendous level. So, before he passed away, he and Celebi together created this green gem, and this gem was the source of Togepi Paradise.


    This green gem held thebined power of Shadowsong and Celebi, ensuring that Togepi Paradise remained prosperous, providing an abundance of resources for the Togepi.


    Thanks to the blessings of this gem, the Togepi n had lived peacefully in Togepi Paradise for over a thousand years.


    However, the tranquility of Togepi Paradise was shattered twenty years ago.


    When Togepi Paradise was first established, Shadowsong went to great lengths to find tenSupreme-grade Light Stones to give to the Togepi n.


    Shadowsong felt guilty about making the Togepi n wait for over a thousand years due to his own selfishness.


    Obtaining a singleSupreme-grade Evolution Stone was already a rare feat, and finding ten was incredibly challenging. The effort Shadowsong put into obtaining those ten Evolution Stones was a monumental task.


    The agreement between Shadowsong and the Togepi n was based on his life-saving actions for them, and when Shadowsong gave them the tenSupreme-grade Light Stones, it only increased their gratitude.


    These ten Light Stones became a treasure of the Togepi n, and only the leader could use them.


    The reason why the old Togekiss had blue potential was because it had also used aSupreme-grade Light Stone during its evolution. Originally, it had green potential. By in this generation, it had already be the ninth-generation leader of the Togepi n.


    Twenty years ago, an exceptionally talented Togepi emerged within the n, and after evolving into a Togetic, it became the designated next leader of the n.


    At that time, only one Supreme-grade Light Stone remained, and without a doubt, this Light Stone would be allocated to the Togepi n''s tenth-generation leader, which was this Togetic.


    However, no one expected that this Togetic would flee from Togepi Paradise with thest Supreme-grade Light Stone.


    This Togetic had always yearned for a life outside and didn''t want to spend its entire life in such a confined space. It believed that the Togepi n had no need to waste their time waiting for someone they didn''t even know the whereabouts of.


    But most members of the Togepi n were kind and loyal. They believed that they had lived carefree lives for over a thousand years thanks to Shadowsong''s blessings and were bound by their agreement with him.


    Furthermore, the older generations of the Togepi n knew that they were a rare and smallmunity, and it would be easy for them to be coveted by others when they ventured outside. Unlike the naive Togetic, they were well aware that the outside world was vast and filled with dangers they couldn''t even imagine.


    However, the Togetic believed that their elders were too inflexible and wanted to explore the outside world. The elders didn''t oppose the Togetic''s decision to leave Togepi Paradise since forcing someone wouldn''t lead to a happy oue.


    However, it also meant that the Togetic voluntarily gave up its inheritance as the tenth-generation leader.


    But the Togetic insisted on taking thest Supreme-grade Light Stone with it when leaving. The elders couldn''t agree to this unreasonable request.


    The Supreme-grade Light Stones were a gift from Shadowsong to the Togepi n, and since the Togetic was no longer willing to fulfill itsmitment to Shadowsong, it naturally lost the right to use these precious stones.


    All the elders shared this viewpoint.


    Facing opposition from the elders, the Togetic initially appeared to give up on the Supreme-grade Light Stone. However, one night, it attempted to steal the stone secretly, intending to leave Togepi Paradise with it. It didn''t anticipate running into the ninth-generation leader, the old Togekiss.


    It was the old Togekiss who had almost single-handedly taught the Togetic how to evolve. What the Togetic did was profoundly painful for the old Togekiss. However, the Togetic showed no mercy to its mentor.


    The Togetic was the most outstanding member of the Togepi n in terms of potential, and at that time, the old Togekiss was already an Elite level Pok��mon and the strongest member of the n. Nheless, it was still defeated by the Togetic.


    At the time, the old Togekiss was already very elderly, which was why it had designated the Togetic as its sessor. It still held out a glimmer of hope for the Togetic, not willing to hurt it too badly, and on top of that, the Togetic used the Supreme-grade Light Stone to evolve during the crucial moment.


    With these factorsbined, the Togetic won against the old Togekiss in the battle.


    The fight was so intense that other members of the Togepi n couldn''t interfere. And the root existence of Togepi Paradise, with its source, the green gem, was shattered.


    Togepi Paradise was not a real world; it was a half-formed space attached to the Pok��mon world. It couldn''t withstand such turmoil. This battle turned most of Togepi Paradise into ruins.


    After its evolution, the Togekiss escaped from Togepi Paradise and never returned. The outside world knew nothing of these events, neither the Mirage Kingdom nor Dusknoir.


    With only a fragment of the power left in the green gem, Togepi Paradise clung to life for over twenty years. If Yuga hadn''t arrived, the Togepi n would have faced dire circumstances.


    The Togepi n, although capable of leaving Togepi Paradise, remained faithful to their ancestors''mitment. They continued to uphold their agreement, even when the food in Togepi Paradise became scarce, enduring hunger without ever considering leaving.


    After listening to Old Togekiss story, Yuga was deeply moved by their loyalty. These Pokemon were so trustworthy, even if the agreement was only made by their ancestors not them..


    Yuga then asked, "Are you all prepared to leave with me?"


    The old Togekiss nodded repeatedly, its age weighing heavily on its shoulders. It didn''t know how many more years it had left, but its one remaining wish was to secure a better future for its people. Seeing Yuga arrive in time filled it with joy.


    Yuga continued, "Great, then please inform everyone. I''lle to pick you up shortly."


    Once he left Togepi Paradise, Yuga found Dusknoir and requested that they use a Ghost Ship to transport him and the Togepi n to Verdanturf Town. Dusknoir readily agreed to his request.


    With the help of the Ghost-type Pok��mon, the rebellion in the Mirage Kingdom was soon quelled. However, Yuga believed he should notify the Mirage Royal Family about his ns to take the Togepi n with him.


    Yuga sought an audience with the king but was instead received by Princess C. It was reported that the king had been incapacitated and bedridden, likely due to the recent turmoil.


    Even with the rebellion pacified, C was still busy managing the kingdom''s affairs. Nevertheless, after consulting the ailing king, she approved Yuga''s request to take the Togepi n with him.


    Thus, Yuga boarded the Ghost Ship with a group of Togepi, Togetic, and the elderly Togekiss, returning to Verdanturf Town.


    Unbeknownst to Yuga, as he left the Mirage Kingdom, a young trainer rode atop Togekiss, flying into the Mirage kingdom''s territory. The trainer gazed at the distant kingdom and asked his Togekiss, "Is this the ce you mentioned?"


    The Togekiss replied with a resounding "Togekiss!"


    Had the old leader Togekiss been there, it would have recognized this Togekiss as the one that had defected from Togepi Paradise twenty years ago.


    The once-proud Togekiss had naively believed that it could live a carefree life of freedom when it escaped from Togepi Paradise.


    However, its appearance in the human world drew attention and led to humans attempting to capture it.


    At first, the Togekiss''s strength proved formidable, defeating its initial pursuers and admonishing them severely.


    However, the Togekiss''sck of worldly experience and understanding became evident. Despite its power, it was just a Pok��mon that had spent most of its life in the peaceful Togepi Paradise.


    What the Togekiss couldn''t fathom was the concept of human technology. Less than two years after it left Togepi Paradise, it was captured by a Poacher organization through their advanced technology.


    The rare Togekiss found itself in high demand among buyers due to its uniqueness, coupled with its remarkable potential. However, its rebellious nature soon led to an altercation that caused its first owner to return it.


    When the Poacher organization discovered the incident, they didn''t show mercy to the Togekiss. They disciplined it rigorously and subsequently sold it to another owner. But just as before, the Togekiss''s resistance to authority and another incident led to its second owner returning it.


    This time, the Togekiss wasn''t returned but sold to a private researchboratory specializing in artificial breeding of Pok��mon. Given its favorable potential, the Togekiss was ideal for research purposes. As a trainer''s Pok��mon, it had already proven inadequate.


    Over the course of three years in theboratory, the Togekiss endured extensive torment and its rough edges were gradually worn away.


    Theboratory, involved in illegal practices, was eventually raided, leading to the Togekiss being sold to its current trainer. In this new environment, it became a "qualified" Pok��mon.

 Chapter 980: Settlement

    <h4>Chapter 980: Settlement</h4>


    Late at night, an uninvited guest appeared in the Mirage Kingdom''s royal pce. He managed to evade the pce''s heavy guards and silently made his way to the entrance of Togepi Paradise.


    This uninvited guest was the trainer who had once aided the rebellious Togekiss.


    With the help of the rebellious Togekiss, he sessfully entered Togepi Paradise. However, to his disappointment, Togepi Paradise was empty, and the green gem mentioned by the rebellious Togekiss was nowhere to be found.


    Their purpose for this journey was to find the green gem.


    It turned out that when the rebellious Togekiss left, it was in great haste and had no knowledge that the green gem had suffered significant damage due to the battle with the old Togekiss n leader. Now, the gem waspletely destroyed, reduced to mere fragments.


    It wouldn''t be long before Togepi Paradise disappeared entirely due to theck of its source.


    After finding nothing in Togepi Paradise, the trainer who apanied the rebellious Togekiss silently left the Mirage Kingdom.


    However, he didn''t rush to leave the Mirage Kingdom. Instead, he stayed to gather information. Before long, he infiltrated the prison where Hans was being held.


    Using the promise of rescuing Hans as leverage, he obtained the information he sought from Hans and then left once again.


    The next day, the person who brought food to Hans discovered that Hans had died in his cell.


    Of course, Yuga, who was on his way back home, was unaware of these events. He was currently aboard the Ghost Ship, floating amidst the white clouds.


    Before leaving, the Dusknoir spent a long time talking to Yuga, and in the end, it made an unexpected decision: it intended to settle in Verdanturf Town along with its "crew," to following Yuga from now on.


    It had guarded the Mirage Kingdom for over a thousand years, and it felt that it was time for the descendants of Shadowsong to learn to walk on their own. Whatever fortunes they encountered in the future would depend on their own abilities.


    The Dusknoir preferred to apany Yuga over staying with the descendants of Shadowsong, who had no idea how many generations had passed. Its rtionship with Yuga was not only as the master''s friend but also because, over a thousand years ago, when it was still weak, Yuga had taught it. Their bond was deep.


    Yuga sat at the bow of the Ghost Ship, looking at the clouds retreating from the side of the ship. He was in a very good mood, both because of the reunion with Dusknoir and because he had acquired a valuable group of Togepi and Togetic.


    When he boarded the ship, Yuga roughly counted the number of Togepi and Togetic, and the total was around two hundred, with only a few of high potential.


    There was only one Togepi with blue potential, the old n leader, and it was unlikely to have any more offspring in the future. Its role now would be more of a senior figure.


    There were around a dozen Togepi with green potential. To be honest, this number wasn''t low at all for a Togepi n with a total poption of two hundred.


    It''s just that when you nced over the entire group, and all you saw were Togepi and Togetic with red, yellow, and orange potentials, it couldn''t help but make you feel that it was a pity.


    Togekiss is indeed a powerful Pok��mon. If they have good potential, they can be trained to be exceptionally strong.


    However, the Togepi n has beenrgely unmanaged for over a thousand years and has lived much like wild Pok��mon. You can''t expect them to reproduce in a scientific manner. The fact that there are over a dozen members with green potential is something Yuga appreciates.


    At this moment, not only is Yuga in a good mood, but Togepi, Togetic, and Togekiss are also in high spirits. From birth until now, it''s their first time encountering this vast world.


    The members born long ago had the privilege of experiencing Togepi Paradise in all its glory. The ce was rich in resources, abundant, and had breathtaking scenery.


    But for the younger members, it was a different story. As soon as they were born, Togepi Paradise was already in ruins. They had to face withered trees daily and sometimes go hungry. Now, seeing the beautiful world outside, they couldn''t help but feel excited.


    Fortunately, Yuga''s system backpack contained plenty of Pokeblocks for Florges, so every Togepi and Togetic on board was well-fed.


    Pokeblocks were developed to provide high-energy nutrition for Pokemon that Trainers use during the training of Pok��mon. For the Togepi and Togetic currently on board, a single Pokeblock would provide them with sustenance for a long time.


    Old Togekiss, perched on the mast, watched the Togepi ying together in small groups on the ship, a benevolent smile on its face.


    Standing beside Old Togekiss on the mast, the Pelipper couldn''t help but feel that the elderly man next to him was quite amiable. He had no idea that this was a big shoot who had pierced through a spatial rift.


    The two little Wingull, due to their lively personalities, quickly made friends with the Togepi.


    Because the ship had ample space, Yuga decided to release his Torchic as well. He didn''t want to keep them cooped up in their Pok�� Balls.


    The whole Ghost Ship was bustling with activity. The Torchic, in particr, were chirping and ying around noisily. If it weren''t for the watchful eye of the Ghost-type Pok��mon, Yuga suspected they would want to jump directly off the ship to experience the thrill of bungee jumping.


    However, when Wingull interacted with Togepi, everything went smoothly. Torchic got along well with Togepi as well. It was the interaction between Wingull and Torchic that seemed somewhat mismatched.


    It was probably due to their opposing types. When the little Wingull with fiery tempers got together with the Torchic, they would often end up in fights.


    But children fighting was quite lively, and Yuga, far from stopping them, watched with relish.


    The Ghost Ship''s speed was impressive. On the evening of the second day after departing from the Mirage Kingdom, they had sessfully reached Verdanturf Town.


    The Ghost Ship sailed straight into the Gym and docked on the training grounds in the Gym''s courtyard. Due to the ship''s massive size, it upied nearly half of the courtyard.


    When the Ghost Ship entered Verdanturf Town, many people noticed, causing quite amotion. However, when they saw the ship enter the Gym, they no longer had any concerns.


    This was the territory of the Verdanturf Town''s Gym Leader, and with him around, there was nothing to worry about.


    It must be said that many of the residents of Verdanturf Town had developed blind trust in Yuga.


    The first toe out and greet Yuga upon his return was Mismagius.


    Before Yuga returned, he had already informed Brawly, and Brawly had sent Mismagius from Dewford Town to Verdanturf Town.


    Mismagius is very sensitive to the presence of Ghost-type Pok��mon, so as soon as the Ghost Ship arrived in Verdanturf Town, it caught its attention. Mismagius knew that Yuga wasing back, and it flew up to the ship before it evennded.


    As soon as he got back home, Yuga had to start settling the Pok��mon in the Ecopark.


    The Torchic naturally headed to the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, where Nales and Houndoom were helping with the management. Yuga didn''t have to worry much about that.


    As for the Togepi n, Yuga thought for a long time and decided to ce them on Lake No. 3 in the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark, making them neighbors with the Vuby family.


    The Togepi n, who had lived a peaceful life in Togepi Paradise for years, had very gentle natures. This made for a good bnce with the overly fierce Vuby family. With Old Togekiss present, Yuga wasn''t worried about the Togepi n being bullied by the Vuby family, and he also had a word with Archeops, who managed the Vuby family, to ensure they didn''t go too far.


    Both of them being elderly figures, Yuga believed that Old Togekiss and Archeops would get along well.


    As for Dusknoir and the others Ghost-type Pokemon, they were naturally ced in the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark.


    The Ghost-type Pok��mon were very reluctant to leave their Ghost Ship, so Yuga came up with a solution. When he originally built the main Ecopark, he had directly incorporated a portion of a small river as a water source. Now he could make use of this river.


    The river in the main Ecopark was a branch of arger river outside Verdanturf Town. Yuga had the system modify the entrance of this river into the main Ecopark. With this modification, the Ghost Ship could easily sail into the main Ecopark and then enter the Ghost Sea in the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark.


    After these changes, it would be much more convenient for the Ghost Ship toe and go from the Ecopark.


    Yuga also noticed ten Chansey that the Joy family had sent to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark. These ten Chansey were already working under the guidance of MeiMei and YuanYuan.


    The Joy family had trained them well, and they were highly capable in their work. With a little guidance from MeiMei and YuanYuan, they quickly settled into their working roles.


    With their new subordinates, the six Chansey sisters were in high spirits. They had admiredrge families like the Miltank family for a long time.


    Just as Yuga settled the newly arrived Pok��mon, Mismagius arrived holding a bunch of Pok�� Balls, eager to show off its aplishments.


    At first, Yuga was very puzzled when he saw the Pok�� Balls Mismagius was holding because Mismagius hadn''t mentioned them during their previous phone call. He thought these Pok�� Balls might be empty.


    However, when Yuga opened the Pok�� Balls and saw a blue potential Sharpedo in front of him, he was genuinely surprised.


    When Yuga learned where these Pok�� Balls came from, he couldn''t help butugh and cry, saying: I don''t have habit to steal other people''s Pok��mon like that! How did my Pok��mon turn into like this? Did they really learn from me?


    Regardless of how these Pok��mon came into his possession, Yuga was genuinely happy to acquire this batch of Pok��mon. They were stolen from the Team Aqua, so he didn''t feel any moral burden, and hevished praise upon Mismagius, making it feel delighted.


    After a thorough count, Yuga found that there were a total of 150 Pok��mon in the batch, all of them Water-types.


    It was hard to imagine how Mismagius managed to transport these Pok��mon and where it had hidden them.


    Yuga asked Mismagius about it, but it just smiled and said: Ady''s secret, don''t even try to guess.


    Since Mismagius didn''t want to divulge the details, Yuga didn''t press any further.


    After counting, it was estimated that about 90% of these Pok��mon were Carvanha and Sharpedo, and the strongest among them was a blue potential Sharpedo.


    As Water-type Pok��mon, Sharpedo was quite good, especially with ability like Rough Skin and the hidden ability Speed Boost, both of which were highly practical.


    These Pok��mon were collected by the Old Doctor for experimental research. He found that the higher the potential and strength of the Pok��mon, the better they could withstand his experiments.


    Based on some patterns he had uncovered during experiments on the Abandoned Ind, the Team Aqua decided to support him in gathering these Pok��mon. Of course, Team Rocket also yed a significant role in this, and it turned out to be a windfall for Yuga.


    The reason why most of the Pok��mon were Carvanha and Sharpedo is mainly because the Old Doctor found that Sharpedo had rtively low gic ipatibility with Kyogre.


    Besides Carvanha and Sharpedo, there were also Remoraid, Chinchou, and Mantyke, but their numbers were much smaller inparison to Carvanha and Sharpedo.


    Yuga ced all these Pok��mon into the vast sea in Shallow Seashore. The sea in Shallow Seashore was incrediblyrge, so there was no worry about amodating these Pok��mon.


    Yuga nned to put the Carvanha up for sale since there were plenty of them.


    There was already a Sharpedo in Shallow Seashore, and with the addition of new Carvanha and Sharpedo, it had indeed found itself amunity.


    After arranging all the Pok��mon, Yuga was utterly exhausted. Following dinner with the Chansey sisters, he went to bed early.


    As soon as Yuga returned, one person received the news. That person was Ruck, who had been staying in Verdanturf Town for several days.


    Yuga and Ruck had previously agreed on a meeting time, as Yuga had some business to attend to. However, Ruck arrived in Verdanturf Town much earlier.


    Themotion caused by Yuga''s return was quiet big. Many people in Verdanturf Town saw the jet-ck ghost ship, and Ruck received the news right away.


    Of course, no one knew it was a ghost ship; they just thought it was an unusual ship. Otherwise, the town wouldn''t be so calm now. Most people had heard of ghost ships in legends, just like Yuga''s previous life, where everyone knew about strange tales.


    As for a flying ship, it wasn''t something to be overly surprised about in the Pok��mon world.


    Ruck, who had been in Verdanturf Town for several days, was pleasantly surprised by the town''s development. Although Verdanturf Town was still called a "town," its level of prosperity was already on par with a slightly smaller city. This was something Ruck had not expected.


    This also helped Ruck understand why his naive younger brother resorted to tricks to establish a presence in Verdanturf Town. It was indeed a ce full of opportunities and vitality.


    In just over a year, Verdanturf Town had developed to its current level. It could be foreseen that in theing years, Verdanturf Town might truly soar to new heights.


    Verdanturf Town''s rapid development was not only due to the unwavering support of Devon Corporation but also because of its inherent advantages.


    On one hand, it had an excellent environment, ideal for tourism and agricultural development.


    On the other hand, its strategic location was superb. It was connected to the two major cities, Mauville City and Rustboro City, through Route 117 and Route 116, as well as the Rusturf Tunnel, ensuring a constant flow of people.


    Furthermore, being adjacent to the Petalburg Woods meant that adventurous trainers had a ce to explore.


    In the past, Verdanturf Town couldn''t develop mainly because itcked proper nning and an opportunity.


    Yuga was a bit surprised the next morning when Ruck visited. Ruck hade too early, right? Wasn''t it not yet the agreed-upon time?

 Chapter 981: Ruck

    <h4>Chapter 981: Ruck</h4>


    After weing Ruck into the store, Yuga smiled and said, "Visiting unannounced, I must ask for your forgiveness, Gym Leader Shimizu."


    Yuga politely shook his head and said, "No need to apologize; we had an appointment, and it doesn''t matter whether you''re early orte."


    In reality, it was impossible for Ruck to be entirely indifferent to the situation. He hade because of his brother''s matter, so ording to the proper procedure, he should have informed Mayor Ishida before visiting Verdanturf Town and, if necessary, met the mayor before paying a visit to Yuga.


    But clearly, he hadn''t done so. Not only did he skip the notification, he came to Verdanturf Town directly, and after arriving, he paid a visit to Yuga, the Gym Leader, without going through Mayor Ishida, who was responsible for town affairs.


    Although Yuga was one of the two de facto leaders of Verdanturf Town, he was primarily in charge of the town''s armed forces. Matters rted to governance and diplomacy were supposed to be dealt with by Mayor Ishida.


    After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Yuga invited Ruck into a meeting room and asked, "Mr. Ruck, Are youe here to discuss about regtory viton of the Sowise Supermarket?"


    Ruck sighed and replied, "Yes, I never expected my younger brother to engage in such activities in my name. It''s truly a disgrace to the Pok��mon League."


    After a few moments of silence, Yuga said, "Since you''vee to discuss the Sowise Supermarket matter, I think it would be best to inform Mayor Ishida about it. Please bear with me for a moment, Mr. Ruck."


    Ruck was taken aback by this statement, and then his expression turned murky as he said, "I guess it would be appropriate to inform Mayor Ishida..."


    At this moment, Ruck was somewhat puzzled. Was Yuga implying that he had acted improperly bying here directly, bypassing Mayor Ishida? Before visiting Verdanturf Town, Ruck had conducted some investigations, and he knew that the town''s development wasrgely thanks to Yuga''s efforts.


    Since the Gym Leader Shimizu had put in so much effort to develop Verdanturf Town, it indicated that he had ambitions. However, Ruck couldn''t fathom why someone as ambitious as Yuga would be content with a mere town mayor''s authority.


    If the rumors about Yuga being a disciple of Mr. Kuni''o were true, it made even less sense. How could a disciple of a master level Trainer willingly serve under someone else?


    This was precisely why Ruck decided to pay a visit to Yuga directly and overlook Mayor Ishida''s role.


    Sometimes, people can outsmart themselves, and Ruck had clearly overthought this matter.


    Yuga''s efforts to develop Verdanturf Town were aimed at providing a better space for YoYo Day Care to expand. While Yuga did have ambitions, they were different from Ruck''s power-hungry ambitions. Yuga only wanted to make YoYo Day Care bigger and better.


    At the beginning, Yuga had taken over YoYo Day Care because of the opportunity presented by the system. However, over time, he found joy in running the Pokemon Day Care, collecting various Pok��mon, and breeding high potential Pok��mon.


    The System had acted as a catalyst, but Yuga developed a genuine passion for managing the Pok��mon Day Care and achieving his goals. His ambitions weren''t about seizing power for personal gain, but rather about expanding and strengthening YoYo Day Care.


    In both worlds, Yuga never had particrly big dreams, but now he had found an interesting career, and with a helpful "golden finger" (system''s support), is it too much to put a little effort into it?


    After notifying Mayor Ishida toe over, Yuga engaged in a casual conversation with Mr. Ruck. However, Mr. Ruck seemed very interested in him, always subtly probing for information.


    But Yuga was no fool; he knew what to say and what not to say.


    After chatting for a while, as usual, Audino brought out a specially brewed honey tea.


    "This is our Audino''s specially brewed honey tea. It''s very delicious, and you won''t find it elsewhere. Mr. Ruck, please have a taste," Yuga politely offered.


    As Ruck watched Audino ce the steaming honey tea on the table in front of him, he squinted his eyes slightly.


    Audino with excellent potentials.


    Sipping from the teacup, Ruck''s eyes lit up, and he said, "Great tea, very enjoyable." With this kind of skill, Audino''s value had just increased.


    Casting a discreet nce at Audino, Ruck silently thought: Mr. Gill loves collecting high potential Pok��mon. If...


    With this thought in mind, Ruck suddenly asked, "I wonder if the Gym Leader Shimizu has any intentions to sell this Audino?"


    Yuga was taken aback for a moment and then coldly responded, "Mr. Ruck, please choose your words carefully."


    Sell? Can you even afford it? My Audino is priceless!


    Audino, who was about to leave, got very angry upon hearing this: Who the heck are you!


    Insulted, Audino''s reaction was direct and intense. She vigorously mmed the tray she had just used to serve tea onto the table, giving Ruck a fierce re.


    Fortunately, the tray was of high quality, or it would have been reduced to shards with Audino''s forceful action. Even Yuga was startled by Audino''s sudden outburst.


    However, Audino''s reaction didn''t faze Ruck, and he paid no attention to her attitude. He continued to smile at Yuga, believing that Yuga''s response was key.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, please don''t rush to refuse. As long as you agree, money is not a problem."


    Seeing that Ruck wasn''t afraid of provoking Audino''s temper, Yuga was also angered. Although he didn''t care much about Audino''s attitude, her worth was immeasurable to him.


    "Mr. Ruck, as the League''s substitute Elite Four, you should know what to say and what not to say."


    Yuga''s firm stance made Ruck see the oue clearly. He quickly changed his expression and said with a chuckle, "Haha, Gym Leader Shimizu, don''t be so serious. I was just joking with you, and you took it seriously."


    This was a tant case of lying with a straight face, and it was hard to deny that Ruck had a thick skin.


    Ruck''s actions significantly lowered Yuga''s already limited goodwill towards him. Afterward, Yuga''s attitude towards him noticeably cooled, though he sensed it, he acted as if nothing had happened.


    Not long after, Mayor Ishida arrived at the YoYo Day Care, and the three of them discussed the issue of Sowise Supermarket''s improper upation of Verdanturf Town.


    First and foremost, it was clear that the supermarket''s presence in Verdanturf Town was not going to happen.


    Next was the issue ofpensation for the Forest House. Regardless of the other details, mental distresspensation was a must. After all, Ms. Kawahara had been through a lot.


    Ideally, it should have been the responsibility of the owner of Sowise Supermarket to settle thepensation for the Forest House. However, Ruck strongly opposed his younger brother meeting with Mayor Ishida, insisting that he could make any decisions on behalf of Sowise.


    Mayor Ishida was not insistent on meeting the supermarket owner; as long as thepensation was adequate, other matters could be resolved.


    To be honest, the Forest House Orphanage had always been a major challenge for Verdanturf Town. Now, the town was at a crucial point in its development. If they could resolve the orphanage''s financial issues through this opportunity, it would be a significant win.


    Finally, a dispute arose over thepensation amount. Mayor Ishida was dissatisfied with the figure Ruck had proposed, and the two of them engaged in lengthy negotiations without reaching a conclusion.


    At this point, Ruck''s eyes lit up as he suddenly turned to Yuga and asked, "I heard that the Gym Leader Shimizu is a Elite level Trainer?"


    Yuga was slightly taken aback and replied, "Well, you could say that." He might even be considered as a Champion level Trainer now.


    Ruck''s lips curled into a smile: You could say that? What kind of answer is that?


    He rolled his eyes and then said, "How about this, Gym Leader Shimizu and I have a Pok��mon battle. If you win, thepensation amount doubles. If I win, it''s halved from our initial offer. We''re both Trainers, and when ites to making decisions, it''s often challenging. This is the best way to settle this."


    Mayor Ishida''s eyes brightened upon hearing this proposal. If thepensation amount doubled on the opponent''s side, the Forest House would no longer be a burden on Verdanturf Town.


    Thinking of this, Mayor Ishida looked at Yuga with hope in his eyes. He had immense trust in Yuga and couldn''t fathom a situation where Yuga would lose.


    Seeing Mayor Ishida''s pitiful expression, Yuga''s lips twitched, and he reluctantly said, "Alright... I agree..."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s consent, Ruck''s smile grew even broader.


    The battle took ce at Yuga''s Gym, and the agreed-upon rules were three rounds. This allowed both sides to showcase their strengths and save time.


    After both sides were ready, they released their Pok��mon simultaneously. Yuga sent out his Charizard, Torterra, and Kartana, while Ruck''s team consisted of ziken, Talonme, and Vileplume.


    Since both sides released their Pok��mon at the same time, they didn''t expect their teams to have a significant ovep in terms of types.


    Yuga had no intention of revealing his full strength, so the Pok��mon use at this time was at the Intermediate Elite level, Junior Elite level, and a pseudo-Elite level. Ruck''s team, on the other hand, included Pok��mon at the Intermediaate Elite level and two Junior Elite level Pok��mon.


    Yuga had watched Ruck''s battle videos and had some understanding of his skills and Pok��mon. In contrast, Ruck knew nothing about Yuga and was even unfamiliar with Kartana. That was one reason why Yuga dared to bring out Kartana, which was still at the pseudo-Elite level in terms of strength.


    Seeing the unfamiliar Kartana, Ruck thought to himself: An unusual Pok��mon; Mr. Gill might find it interesting.


    The battle began, and Ruck''s Vileplume took the initiative, releasing a sweet scent that filled the nostrils of Charizard and Torterra, making them feel dizzy and disoriented.


    Yuga''s Torterra immediately activated the Grassy Terrain move, causing fresh grass to sprout from the ground. The refreshing scent of grass helped Charizard regain some rity after being affected by the sweet scent.


    By the time they snapped out of it, ziken was already closing in on Kartana with a powerful ze Kick, while Talonme, soaring in the sky, used Brave Bird to attack Charizard.


    Kartana''s reaction time was top-notch, and its movements were incredibly agile. It raised its hands and use Scared Sword move to block ziken''s ze Kick, resulting in a deadlock between the two.


    However, Charizard wasn''t as fortunate.


    The attack by Talonme had already taken the upper hand, andbined with its ability Gale Wings (which increases the priority of Flying-type moves when at full HP), Charizard couldn''t evade the attack.


    Talonme''s Brave Bird was a powerful Flying-type move, and it sent Charizard crashing to the ground.


    However, Charizard took advantage of the moment when Talonme crashed into it and grabbed its two wings with both hands, bringing it down as well.


    Brave Bird was indeed powerful, but it had a drawback of dealing a third of its damage back to the user. So, taken by surprise, Talonme couldn''t escape Charizard''s grasp.


    As the two Pok��mon collided with the ground, they created visible cracks in the solid earth.


    Talonme pped its wings wildly in an attempt to free itself from Charizard''s grip. Still, Charizard''s ws emitted a green glow, indicating the use of the Dragon w move to enhance the strength of its restraint.


    Of course, during Talonme''s struggles, Charizard suffered as well. Its sharp ws left numerous wounds on its belly.


    At this moment, Torterra''s Stone Edge move hit the restrained Talonme squarely, causing it to crash down.


    Seeing Talonme''s quick defeat, Ruck''s face couldn''t have looked worse.


    On the other side, Kartana held its Sacred Sword, shing noisily with the me Punch of ziken. The two Pok��mon were locked in intensebat.


    Kartana was at a lower tier, and its type was severely disadvantaged against ziken. Yet, its advantagesy in its remarkable speed and high attack.


    High speed allowed Kartana to avoid ziken''s attacks, and high attack granted it the power to counter ziken.


    For Pok��mon like Kartana that pursued extreme speed and attack paths, things like HP and defense were secondary.


    In short, for a short period of time, ziken couldn''t find a way to ovee Kartana.


    As for why Vileplume didn''t intervene when Torterra attacked Talonme, it was because it had been trapped by Torterra''s previously set Invisible Rock. Even the slightest movement would subject it to countless rock-based counterattacks.


    Once it cleared away all the Stealth Rocks with its Petal Blizzard, Talonme was already lying on the ground, unable to get up.


    Seeing that ziken was held in check by Kartana, Charizard and Torterra jointly attacked the recently freed Vileplume.


    Vileplume was only a junior elite level and was at a disadvantage against Charizard, not to mention that its typing was weak against it. How could it withstand thebined assault of a intermediate elite level and a junior elite level Pok��mon? It didn''t have the agility of Kartana.


    Although ziken intended to help Vileplume, its opponent, Kartana, was an freak. With its pseudo-Elite level strength, it managed to keep the intermediate elite level ziken busy, preventing it from offering any assistance.


    While Kartana couldn''t deal effective damage to ziken, it made sure that ziken couldn''t escape its grip.


    Shortly after, with the joint effort of Charizard and Torterra, Vileplume also fell.


    This Vileplume was a tenacious one, and just before its "death," it managed to counterattack, poisoning Charizard in the process.


    Without Vileplume''s support, ziken was cornered by the three Pok��mon and soon found itself in an unfavorable position, eventually leading to its defeat. However, Charizard also sumbed to its poison status and fell.


    After the battle concluded, Ruck congratted and admired Yuga, but in fact he was quite disapproving of it.


    He believed that Yuga''s victory wasrgely due to Charizard identally trapping Talonme. Without this incident, Ruck thought he wouldn''t have lost so easily.


    If Yuga were to know Ruck''s inner thoughts, he would probably hold him in disdain.


    Once Ruck promised to send thepensation as soon as possible, he hurriedly left the Verdanturf Gym.


    However, as soon as Ruck departed, a shadow quietly began to follow him.

 Chapter 982: Investigation

    <h4>Chapter 982: Investigation</h4>


    A day after discussing thepensation for the Forest House with Ruck, Yuga received some very unpleasant news, that is, the Audino who went out to buy groceries was attacked.


    Audino managed the household''s meals, and the grocery shopping fell under its responsibility. asionally, Wigglytuff would lend a hand, but no one expected an attack to happen to Audino even on their own territory.


    At the time, Audino was on its way home from grocery shopping when two masked individuals suddenly appeared, blocking its path.


    These two attackers likely underestimated Audino''s strength and faced strong resistance when they tried to attack.


    Although Audino usually appeared gentle and amiable, it was, in fact, a peak pseudo-Elite level Pokemon. The two assants initially couldn''t get the better of it.


    However, these two individuals had a unique weapon in their hands �C a device that emitted a strong electric shock. Any contact with this device led to full-body paralysis.


    Audino was caught off guard and fell victim to this device. It came close to being taken away by the two attackers.


    Fortunately, themotion caused by the battle alerted the nearby Flygon on patrol. With the Flygon'' assistance, Audino was spared from being kidnapped.


    The Flygon, though at a simr level to Audino, were battle-oriented Pokemon. Regardless the various Fairy-type moves Audino knew, the Flygon had much higherbat abilities.


    Initially, the two attackers were on the verge of being caught by the Flygon. However, midway through the confrontation, another individual in ck appeared and took the two attackers away.


    This mysterious figure was exceptionally powerful, defeating both Audino and the Flygon with just an Infernape.


    If it weren''t for the Noctowl and Chatots, which were also on patrol, arrivingter, Audino and the Flygon might also have been taken away.


    The individual likely feared that the situation had escted, and after the Noctowl and Chatots arrived, he hurriedly left, taking the two attackers with him. Otherwise, even the Noctowl and Chatots might not have been his match.


    Upon receiving this news, Yuga''s first suspicion naturally fell on Ruck. He had the power and the motive. Yuga couldn''t forget the way Ruck''s eyes lingered on Audino when he came to visit.


    And then there was that malevolent proposal to sell...


    However, Gengar informed Yuga that the person who attacked and rescued the attackers was not Ruck.


    Since he know that Ruck harbored ill intentions towards Audino, Yuga couldn''t just sit idly by. So, as he left the Verdanturf Gym, Yuga quietly had Gengar to tail on Ruck.


    After the discussions with Yuga, Ruck had stayed in Verdanturf Town and didn''t leave his hotel room ording to what Gengar reported.


    However, this didn''t necessarily mean that Ruck was uninvolved in the incident. He could have orchestrated the attack without getting his own hands dirty, so Yuga continued to closely monitor Ruck''s actions through Gengar, paying attention to who he interacted with.


    The attack on Audino left Yuga infuriated. In his determination to find the two attackers and the mysterious individual who rescued them, he intensified patrols around the Pok��mon Day Care and Gym.


    He even sent out all Ghost-type Pok��mon from the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark. Even if it meant turning the entire Verdanturf Town upside down, Yuga was determined to locate those three individuals.


    Since Dusknoir and its subordinates had joined the Haunted Mansion, the number of Ghost-type Pok��mon there had exceeded a thousand. These Ghost-type Pok��mon didn''t require food and were easy to care for, so Yuga wasn''t under too much pressure.


    However, this situation served as a wake-up call for Yuga. With more and more Pok��mon being brought into the Ecopark, the construction of a new Ecopark was bing increasingly necessary. Otherwise, the existence of the Sub-Ecopark would eventually be exposed.


    The area behind the YoYo Day Care had plenty of open space, and with Yuga''s ample resources, he had the means to construct an Ecopark,rge enough to keep prying eyes away from others.


    But for now, the most important task was to find the attackers.


    A thousand Ghost-type Pok��mon roamed stealthily through the streets and alleys of Verdanturf Town, and residents who were unaware of the situation often felt a chilly presence nearby.


    However, concealment was second nature to Ghost-type Pok��mon, and as long as they wished to remain hidden, ordinary people wouldn''t be able to detect them.


    On the second day of deploying Ghost-type Pok��mon, Yuga received news that two bloated corpses, found in a river outside of the town, had been identified by Audino. They were indeed the two attackers.


    On the same day, Ruck came to say goodbye at the YoYo Day Care, mentioning that he was leaving Verdanturf Town.


    Yuga wanted to keep Ruck around, but he didn''t have a valid reason to do so, and he had to let Ruck leave.


    However, upon returning to Yuga''s side, Gengar informed Yuga that he had overheard Ruck on a strange phone call the previous night. Gengar couldn''t get too close to listen clearly, but he caught keywords like "dead," "what are you doing here," "Mr. Gill," and "leaving."


    From these keywords, it was reasonable to conclude that Ruck had a connection to the person who attacked Audino, and as for why the two attackers were killed after being rescued, that remained to be discussed.


    Was it a matter of eliminating witnesses?


    As for the mention of "Mr. Gill" in the phone call, Yuga couldn''t recall anyone by that name.


    Regardless, since a homicide had urred, the Verdanturf Town Police Department had been alerted. So, the police and Yuga''s team began their investigation, one in the open and one in the shadows.


    The reason Yuga didn''t report the attack on Audino to the police was because he feared it might tip off the attackers. Yuga believed that his Ghost-type Pok��mon were more reliable than involving the police in this matter.


    After deploying his Ghost-type Pok��mon alongside the Verdanturf Town Police, Yuga called Steven and asked for information about Ruck. However, Steven didn''t have much information about this person.


    Despite Ruck being on the League''s Elite list for over a decade, he seemed to maintain a low profile and didn''t have any close friends.


    It was rumored that even his rtionship with his own younger brother wasn''t very intimate.


    His brother''s business, Sowise Supermarket, became somewhat famous by leveraging Ruck''s name.


    What Yuga was most interested in was Ruck''s social connections, but without any leads, he felt somewhat disappointed. Steven promised to investigate and provide more information, so Yuga had to wait for updates.


    Thinking about gathering information, Yuga recalled a ce��the White Light Intelligence Bureau. Although he wasn''t a friend with the bureau''s owner, Genos, he couldn''t deny that the bureau had top-notch intelligence capabilities.


    Genos received Yuga''s call, and upon learning that Yuga was interested on Ruck information, the No. 36th substitute Elite Four on the Hoenn League''s Elite list, he immediately promised to deliver the results as soon as possible, without charging for this particr service.


    Genos and Yuga had a few unpleasant experiences in the past, but they didn''t have significant conflicts between them.


    Knowing Yuga''s talent and background, in order to maintain the rtionship with Yuga, Genos did not mind trying to please Yuga. Even if he knew that the person he was investigating this time was an Elite level trainer, Genos knew how to handle it.


    Since their family dared to engage in the intelligence business, they wouldn''t be afraid of an ordinary Elite level Trainer.


    While Yuga was actively investigating Ruck, in a small inn in Verdanturf Town, an average-looking young man was feeding his Togekiss.


    This man was in his early thirties, not particrly tall, and had an unremarkable appearance, the kind of person who would blend into a crowd without anyone noticing. However, he had a small scar at the corner of his right eye that added a hint of fierceness to his otherwise ordinary face.


    As he fed his Togekiss, he asked, "Didn''t Hans say that Shimizu Yuga took something from the Togepi Paradise? We''ve been in Verdanturf Town for several days now. Have you sensed the presence of that green gem?"


    "Togekiss."


    Togekiss, after swallowing a brownish Pok��mon food pellet, shook its head andmunicated: No, I should''ve sensed it if it was around.


    The young man lowered his head in thought and muttered, "Could Hans have deceived me?"


    After Togekiss had finished its meal, it affectionately nuzzled the young man''s hand. Seeing this, the young man smiled, and the somewhat fierce expression on his face softened instantly. He gently stroked the crest on Togekiss''s head.


    He then expressed some dissatisfaction, saying, "It''s all Ruck''s fault. If it weren''t for him stirring up trouble, I wouldn''t be in such a passive situation now."


    But then, he seemed to recall something, and as he continued to pet Togekiss, he muttered to himself, "Well, never mind. I don''t have much to do at the moment. Spending a few more days in Verdanturf Town is fine. It''s not a bad ce, actually."


    After spending some time in the room, the young man put away Togekiss, left the inn, and as he strolled outside, he noticed a naughty little Midreavus was sneakily watching him from a dark corner. He pretended not to notice, walked past the Midreavus casually, and continued on his way.


    Midreavus watched the young man gradually walk away, and realizing there was nothing unusual with him, then left while yfully together with a Ghastly.


    For several days, Verdanturf Town was bustling both publicly and privately, but no significant clues were found.


    On the third day of contacting Genos, Yuga received a response and obtained the investigation results from the White Light Intelligence Bureau.


    Ruck, aged 43, had be a Elite level Trainer twelve years ago and secured a spot as the 36th candidate on the Hoenn League''s Elite list. His journey began with a bottom on the ranking list, but over the years, he consistently improved his standing, reaching the current 36th position.


    Ruck''s family background in his early years wasn''t great. He was adopted by his childless aunt at a young age, as his birth parents couldn''t take care of him, leading to a strained rtionship with them.


    When he was twenty, his biological parents passed away, and Ruck became a forest ranger. He also took his younger brother under his wing, although it appeared he wasn''t particrly close to his sibling. So, their rtionship was far from ideal.


    When Ruck was 25 years old, his family''s financial situation suddenly improved. His foster parents opened a supermarket, which wouldter be Sowise Supermarket. Around this time, Ruck also started making a name for himself in the Pok��mon League.


    After his foster parents passed away, his younger brother inherited the supermarket, and under his management, it continued to thrive. During this period, Ruck left his position as a forest ranger and took on an important role within the Pok��mon League.


    Ruck didn''t inherit the supermarket because, by that time, he had already established a prominent position within the Pok��mon League. It didn''t make sense to give up his league standing for a single supermarket.


    As Ruck''s strength grew, and his position within the league rose, many believed that his achievements were greatly supported by the financial backing of Sowise Supermarket.


    However, ording to the White Light Intelligence Bureau''s investigation, the reality was quite the opposite.


    Ruck''s younger brother was ambitious, and the reason Sowise Supermarket had been able to develop so well was due to mysterious financial support.


    This mysterious backer was presented as an investor in Sowise Supermarket but was, in fact, supporting Ruck indirectly through the supermarket.


    Essentially, Sowise Supermarket served as an intermediary to hide the connection between this mysterious financial power and Ruck.


    Regarding where this unknown financial support originated and the nature of its rtionship with Ruck, the White Light Intelligence Bureau was still conducting further investigations.


    Shortly after receiving the White Light Intelligence Bureau''s report, Yuga also received the results of Steven''s investigation.


    The content was mostly consistent with White Light''s findings, but Steven hadn''t uncovered the mysterious financial support.


    It had to be acknowledged that White Light had significant expertise in intelligence gathering.


    However, Steven subtly hinted in his letter that Ruck seemed to have taken a keen interest in collecting Pok��mon in recent years.


    The whereabouts of these Pok��mon appeared suspicious, but upon closer investigation, nothing conclusive was found.

 Chapter 983: Milolovide

    <h4>Chapter 983: Milolovide</h4>


    A week passed since the attack on Audino, but neither Yuga nor Liliana had received any useful information.


    Although they knew Ruck was certainly involved in this incident, he had already left Verdanturf Town, and news from White Light indicated that he had recently left Hoenn altogether.


    With no leads to follow, Yuga and Liliana had to temporarily set this matter aside. Verdanturf Town couldn''t remain in a state of constant vignce, as it might lead to panic among the residents.


    However, there was an interesting development at the Verdanturf Gym recently. A highly skilled and strong challenger had arrived, piquing Yuga''s curiosity and caution.


    This trainer''s name was Milolovide, and he easily defeated three of Yuga''s Pok��mon with only one Scizor in the Gym battle, earning himself the Verdant Badge.


    Of course, the reason for his easy victory over Yuga was that Yuga didn''t use his main team Pokemon in the Gym battle, and he was taken by surprise at how strong Milolovide turned out to be.


    ording to Milolovide, he hade to challenge the Verdanturf Gym not for the Badge but to test his skills against strong opponents.


    He was currently traveling to various ces, seeking battles with formidable trainers wherever he could find them.


    After the Gym battle with Yuga, Milolovide decided to stay in Verdanturf Town for a while, wanting to experience the unique charm of this small town.


    With such a strong trainer in town, Yuga couldn''t ignore the situation. He deployed several powerful and stealthy Ghost-type Pok��mon to keep an eye on Milolovide.


    However, Yuga soon received information from the White Light Intelligence Bureau about Milolovide''s identity. It turned out that he was no ordinary trainer; in fact, he was quite famous within the Pok��mon League and various major factions.


    Milolovide, 33 years old, was the second son of the prominent Rite family, one of the major conglomerates in the Kanto region. He was an Elite level trainer and the guardian of the Rite family, renowned as the strongest among them.


    The Kanto region was where the Pok��mon League originated, and it developed early, giving rise to many major conglomerates, including the Sasaki family, which is James and Windy''s belong to. The Silph Co. who controlled the cross-regional mega-corporation and others. And the Rite family was another formidable conglomerate in the Kanto region,parable to the Sasaki family and Silph Co.


    Milolovide was the second son of the Rite family, and his elder brother, Gillruta, was the current head of the family and a famous collector.


    However, Milolovide wasn''t the Rite family''s biological child. He was adopted by the family, a fact well-known both within the family and to the public.


    ording to the information from the White Light Bureau, Milolovide''s father was once a trusted confidant of the previous head of the Rite family.


    After this confidant disappeared, the previous family head found his child, Milolovide, and brought him back to the Rite family, raising and nurturing him as their own. The family spent considerable resources in grooming him into the remarkable talent he became.


    This fact was not a well-kept secret, and anyone who cared to inquire could easily learn about it.


    While Milolovide''s sess was partially attributed to the Rite family''s support, his achievements were also the result of his personal efforts and talent.


    Many envy the Rite family for being fortunate enough to adopt this child, effortlessly gaining a genius trainer. Any Elite level trainer is crucial for a major power, and Milolovide, unlike the average "Elite Trainer," is known for his strength by those who have faced him.


    Currently, the Rite family has two sons, the elder being a business genius, taking over the family''s position in themercial sector. The second son is a genius trainer responsible for the family''s martial strength.


    These two are well-known in the outside world, but as heirs to a major power, they are seen as someone else''s children in the eyes of other factions.


    However, in recent years, Milolovide has gradually faded from the public eye, and there hasn''t been any news about him for a long time, which is why Yuga hasn''t heard of him.


    When Milolovide became famous as a trainer, Yuga had not yet transmigrated, and the original owner of the body is a reclusive person, so he was unaware of many of the famous names in the League is normal.


    Milolovide''s presence in Verdanturf Town had piqued Yuga''s interest, and he couldn''t help but watch him closely. Therefore, he deployed several powerful Ghost-type Pok��mon known for their strength and stealth to monitor Milolovide.


    Yuga knew that with someone of Milolovide''s caliber in town, he needed to stay vignt and learn more about this Mysterious trainer.


    Upon learning about Milolovide''s identity, Yuga couldn''t help but wonder why he had suddenly appeared in Verdanturf Town.


    This led him to consider the mysterious financial backer mentioned by the White Light Intelligence Bureau, the one who had invested in Sowise Megamarket.


    However, reports from the Ghost-type Pok��mon monitoring Milolovide indicated that he had been very well-behaved during his time in Verdanturf Town.


    He either strolled around town or shopped at YoYo Day Care, and he hadn''t made contact with any suspicious individuals.


    Milolovide had considerable financial resources, and he purchased items like Pokeblock and Incense in bulk, contributing significantly to the sales at YoYo Day Care.


    If it weren''t for the high potential Pokemon in YoYo''s Day Care who needed to make reservations in advance, and he didn''t like the low potential Pokemon, he might also have bought the Pokemon in batches.


    On the day when Yuga had just picked up the Razor Fangs he had requested from his neighbor, Mr. Kate, Milolovide paid him a visit.


    Surprised by Milolovide''s sudden appearance, Yuga asked, "Mr. Rite, what can I do for you?"


    Milolovide replied with a smile, "I''d like to make a deal with Gym Leader Shimizu."


    "A deal?" Yuga inquired, "What kind of deal?"


    Milolovide got straight to the point and said, "I want that green gem, and I''m willing to offer a price. You name it!"


    Yuga''s eyelids twitched at the mention of the "green gem."


    He couldn''t help but blurt out, "What green gem?"


    Milolovide looked steadily into Yuga''s eyes and replied calmly, "The gem from the Togepi Paradise."


    Milolovide had considered stealing the green gem discreetly, but he couldn''t find it since Togekiss hadn''t located it.


    Moreover, with Ghost-type Pok��mon constantly guarding YoYo Day Care and Verdanturf Gym day and night, covert actions were not an option.


    It was more simpler to make an open request directly. As the second son of the Rite family, money was not something theycked.


    However, after proposing a legitimate trade, he wouldn''t be able to use those ck methods in the future, as he would be the primary suspect.


    Yuga fixed his gaze on Milolovide''s eyes, squinting slightly, and asked, "Is Hans''s death also rted to you?"


    A few days ago, Princess C had informed Yuga that Hans had died silently in his cell, an incident that initially had nothing to do with Yuga. However, after some thought, the princess decided to notify him.


    Upon hearing "Hans," Milolovide''s eyes didn''t reveal any emotional fluctuations.


    He asked in confusion, "Hans? Who is that?"


    Yuga didn''t press further on the matter of Hans''s death and shifted to another question, "Do you know the Togekiss that left Togepi Paradise?"


    The existence of the green gem in Togepi Paradise was known only to Dusknoir and the Togepi, Togetic and Togekiss who live in the Togepi Paradise. Even the Mirage royal family was unaware of the green gem''s existence.


    Milolovide did not deny and replied openly, "Yes, I''m familiar with it."


    "Where is it?" Yuga pressed.


    "Noment!" Milolovide refused to answer Yuga''s question without hesitation.


    "Then I''ll have to withhold the whereabouts of the green gem as well!" Even though the green gem had already disappeared, Yuga could use it to get information about the rebellious Togekiss.


    Milolovide didn''t seem angered by this response. He understood Togekiss''s and Togepi Paradise''s history and he also understood Yuga''s desire to find Togekiss.


    However, he wouldn''t reveal Togekiss''s location, at least not at this moment.


    After a moment of thought, Milolovide suggested, "How about this? We have a battle. If I win, you give me the green gem, and if you win, I''ll tell you where Togekiss is. I know your real strength wasn''t shown during the gym battle. Let''s have a real fight."


    Yuga readily agreed to Milolovide''s proposal. Regardless of winning or losing, it was a win-win situation for him. The green gem was already gone, and he didn''t believe he would lose.


    The two of them returned to the gym. Since it wasn''t a formal gym battle, they nned to use only one Pok��mon to determine the oue.


    However, Milolovide''s chosen Pok��mon was a Altaria instead of the previous Scizor.


    ...


    Altaria


    Type: Dragon, Flying


    Ability: Natural Cure


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 74


    Moves: Dragon Breath, Sky Attack, Peck, Sing, Safeguard, Disarming Voice, Dragon Dance, Cotton Guard, Recover, Dragon Pulse, Moonst, Hyper Voice, Feather Dance, Roost, Dazzling Gleam, Draco Meteor, Roost.


    But that wasn''t all. He then took out a Mega Evolution Stone, and Altaria underwent a Mega Evolution. After the Mega Evolution, its level increased, and its ability changed from Natural Cure to Pixte.


    On Yuga''s side, he sent out a Charizard.


    Looking at Yuga''s Charizard, Milolovide smiled and said, "Gym Leader Shimizu, you should know what happened to my Altaria. I''ll give it my all, and I hope you do too!"


    Yuga replied with a smile, "Of course."


    He then took out the Mega Evolution bracelet given to him by Lysandre and equipped it on Charizard,pleting the Mega Evolution.


    Yuga had just been contacted by Lysandre, expressing dissatisfaction with the progress of collecting Mega Evolution energy. He decided it was time for the Mega Evolution wristband to work properly this time.


    Seeing the Mega Charizard Y take flight and confront the Mega Altaria, Milolovid raised a thumbs-up to Yuga, saying, "I didn''t expect this, I''m impressed!"


    Yuga simply smiled and didn''t respond.


    With both sides ready, the battle began immediately.


    Mega Charizard Y activated its ability, Drought, intending to finish the battle quickly. Compared to the Mega Altaria, which excelled in defense and recovery, the Mega Charizard Y focused on explosive attacks.


    Mega Altaria''s first move was its Fairy-type ability, Moonst. Silver beams of light poured towards Mega Charizard like a tide.


    Under the influence of the Drought ability, bright sunlight shone down, significantly raising the temperature on the battlefield.


    Basking in this environment, Mega Charizard felt incrediblyfortable. It folded its wings and moved like a sharp arrow, swiftly evading the Moonst from the Mega Altaria.


    The heightened condition of the Mega Charizard Y made every action it took incredibly smooth.


    Rising high in the sky once more, the Mega Charizard Y looked down at the Mega Altaria. It opened its mouth and exhaled a scorching me, seemingly trying to turn the fluffy Mega Altaria into ashes.


    The Mega Altaria reacted swiftly, letting out a loud, clear cry. Wherever the pink soundwaves traveled, the mes dissipated into nothing.


    Thanks to the Pixte ability, Mega Altaria''s Normal-type moves not only had increased power but were converted into Fairy-type, making them more potent against Fire-type moves to a certain extent.


    Despite the resistances and weaknesses, it was evident that Mega Altaria was highly skilled in utilizing Fairy-type moves. That was why Milolovide chose to use it even though he knew they''d be resisted by Mega Charizard Y''s Fire typing.


    Attributes and resistances indeed yed a significant role in a battle, but some individuals consciously chose to overlook them during a battle.


    This was because the experience and skills gained through years of immersion in a particr attribute could often lead them to victory over a simple type advantage.


    This is the difference between reality and the game!


    After dispersing the Charizard''s methrower move, the Mega Altaria unleashed the Moonst again. The silver moonlight was both beautiful and deadly.


    Charizard pped its wings, sending forth a scorching red-hot gust that scattered the silver moonlight in all directions, rushing towards Mega Altaria.


    The Mega Altaria''s abilities primarily focused on recovery and defense. It was no match for Charizard in terms of attacking power.


    If Mega Altaria had been facing Mega Charizard X, which excelled in physical attacks, its chances of winning would have significantly improved.


    Its Feather Dance could reduce the opponent''s physical attack, and its Cotton Guard increased its physical defense.


    Combining these with Mega Charizard X''s Dragon-type nullifying the resistance to the Fairy type, Mega Altaria would have had an easier time against Mega Charizard X.


    Unfortunately, it was Mega Charizard Y that it was up against, which excelled in special attacks!


    The attack range of the Fire-type move was too broad, and there was nowhere to hide for Mega Altaria. It was immediately engulfed in the Heat Wave.


    Boom!


    Baked and ckened, Mega Altaria was knocked down, utilizing the Roost move on the ground to recover its health.


    The physical and special defenses of Mega Altaria were both above average, so a single hit from Charizard wasn''t enough to defeat it.


    Seeing that Mega Altaria intended to seize the opportunity to recover, Charizard naturally wouldn''t allow it. It immediatelyunched an attack, which couldn''t be interrupted while Mega Altaria was Roosting.


    However, it seemed that Mega Altaria had prepared for this. Before using Roost, it unleashed the powerful move, Draco Meteor.


    Even before Charizard could attack, meteors rained down from the sky as if it aimed to smash Charizard to pieces.


    Faced with the countless boulders falling, Charizard pped its wings to avoid them. Although it avoided being hurt, it couldn''t counterattack Mega Altaria.


    Roost had excellent recovery capabilities, and after Draco Meteor ended, Mega Altaria had mostly healed its injuries. This left Charizard infuriated.


    However, after the recovery, using Draco Meteor caused a significant drop in Mega Altaria''s special attack. It''s worth noting that all the Fairy-type moves it knew were special attack moves, so it quickly fell behind again.


    This time, Charizard didn''t give it a chance to recover. It unleashed a powerful move, Fire st, pinning Mega Altaria down and rubbing it vigorously against the ground.


    The reason Fire st was significantly more powerful than methrower was its immense impact. Coupled with Charizard''s strong special attack, no matter how resilient Mega Altaria''s special defense was, it couldn''t withstand it.


    As he watched Mega Altaria lose its mega evolution state, with most of its feathers burnt, Milolovide seemed somewhat disoriented.


    I''ve lost just like that? So quickly?


    Retracting Charizard, Yuga said to Milolovide, who seemed stunned, "Now, can you tell me where that Togekiss is?"


    Milolovide withdrew Togekiss and, with his eyes lowered, said, "It appeared in Kanto."


    He hadn''t lied; it did appear in Kanto.


    But Yuga was almost amused, "Are you joking with me? Is that all you have to say about its whereabouts?"


    Milolovide didn''t raise an eyelid and replied, "That''s all I know."


    Hearing this, Yuga chuckled with annoyance, "Alright then, you''re free to go!"


    As Yuga was about to leave, Milolovide called out to him once more.


    "Can''t you really give me the Green Gem? It''s useless to you, and selling it to me would benefit both of us. Why let it collect dust?"


    Suddenly, Yuga felt that he should tell him the truth: i''m not happy, and I don''t want you to feelfortable.


    With this thought, Yuga, wearing a smiling face, said to Milolovide, "The Green Gem? Don''t you know? It''s already destroyed in the battle between that Togekiss and the Togekiss leader. Otherwise, how do you think the Togepi Paradise ended up in ruins?"


    Milolovide''s initial reaction was disbelief, but just as he was about to continue questioning, Yuga reassured him, "Don''t believe me? You know that Togekiss, right? Go ask it. The Togepi Paradise has survived until now because of that Green Gem. Otherwise, do you think I would have destroyed it? Why would I bother?"


    Upon hearing this, Milolovide began to realize that there was a high probability Yuga was telling the truth.


    Togekiss didn''t tell him that the Togepi Paradise existed because of the Green Gem. He had genuinely thought that Yuga was responsible for turning it into ruins when he took the Togepi n.


    Suddenly, he had a feeling like a heart attack. What had he spent so much effort for? All was in vain?


    Seeing Milolovide''s face turn ashen, Yuga''s mood improved. After all, he didn''t urgently need to find that Togekiss, but the Green Gem that Milolovide wanted would never be obtainable.


    Back at the YoYo Day Care after leaving the Gym, Mr. Daichi who was made appointment with Yuga, wasing over for a discussion about the construction of the new Ecopark.

 Chapter 984: Recommendation

    <h4>Chapter 984: Rmendation</h4>


    In the backyard of YoYo Day Care, there is arge open space that connects to the original main Ecopark, and it is muchrger in size than Yuga''s main Ecopark.


    Because Yuga had early discussions with Mayor Ishida about expanding the Ecopark, he requested to reserve thatnd for himself. So even as Verdanturf Town entered a bustling phase of development, thend remained empty.


    Hmm... you could say Yuga "abused his authority" in this regard.


    This time, Yuga used his money to purchase the entire piece ofnd with the intention of building arge-scale Ecopark.


    When he initially built the main Ecopark, Yuga was a poor man, and the maintenance and operation of the Ecopark had to rely on the system. But now, things were different, and he had the financial capability to handle the expenses of arge Ecopark independently.


    Relying solely on a small main Ecopark to conceal the existence of the Sub-Ecopark was not a realistic long-term solution. So the construction of arge Ecopark was a necessity.


    The Ecopark Yuga intended to build this time wouldn''t be on a small scale. He nned to create a new Ecopark that would rival any top-tier Ecopark owned by major Pokemon Day Care.


    Of course, constructing an Ecopark of this scale woulde at a significant cost, both in terms of construction and maintenance expenses.


    However, with YoYo Day Care''s business flourishing and the additional ie from various resources brought back by the Dragonite from the Distortion World, Yuga had plenty of money to spare.


    Having a surplus of money sitting idly in one''s hands was just a collection of numbers. The real enjoyment came from spending it freely.


    Yuga had dealt with Mr. Daichi previously, and since he was his uncle''s good friend, he also entrusted the task of building the new Ecopark to him and his construction team with confidence.


    Mr. Daichi''s construction team had good capabilities and prior experience in building Ecoparks, even though they weren''t widely renowned. Therefore, arge-scale project like the construction of a top-tier Ecopark, as designated by Yuga, was a first for them.


    This opportunity meant a lot to Mr. Daichi and his construction team, as it would enhance their track record and reputation. This would be advantageous for expanding their construction team''s recognition, and it would open doors to more significant projects in the future.


    In recent days, Mr. Daichi had made numerous trips to Yuga''s ce to discuss the construction of the Ecopark. Perhaps due to the high level of importance attached to this project, Yuga noticed that Mr. Daichi had developed blisters on his lips.


    This is a sign of internal heat.


    When Mr. Daichi arrived, he brought a bunch of project blueprints. He and his team had made multiple revisions to these blueprints, but with amitment to perfection, they hadn''t finalized them yet.


    To be honest, when it came to construction, especially involving many aspects of the Pok��mon world''s technology, Yuga couldn''t fully grasp the details. He could provide a general n and suggestions, but the specifics required the expertise of professionals.


    Today, Mr. Daichi hade to discuss something with Yuga.


    "Lately, Melo Company has introduced a new building material. It''s said to be capable of absorbing sr energy and storing it, then converting it into energy to regte the climate in the Ecopark when needed. This new material has an extremely high absorption rate of sr energy and is very eco-friendly. If we use this new material for the exterior construction of the Ecopark, it can significantly reduce the maintenance costs for the entire Ecopark in the future."


    As Mr. Daichi presented the information about this new material, he exined its benefits to Yuga. Since this material had been introduced recently, Mr. Daichi had conducted extensive research before rmending it to Yuga. After all, he wanted the first top-tier Ecopark he constructed to be wless.


    Yuga, flipping through the materials, asked, "Is this new material reliable?"


    Mr. Daichi replied, "It should be. You''re aware of Melo Company, right? It''s a well-established techpany with a good reputation. They''ve been producing various technological materials applied in various industries, and I''ve never heard of any issues with their products."


    Yuga nodded in agreement.


    Mr. Daichi continued, "Also, take a look here. The Kalos League recently used this material to build an Ecopark for Professor Sycamore. I only rmended this material to you because of that."


    With that, Mr. Daichi took the materials from Yuga, turned to a news page, and pointed to several photos of Ecoparks, exining them to Yuga.


    Yuga flipped through the news article, noting that Professor Sycamore also highly praised this new material. Since both the League and the professor vouched for the material, it was undoubtedly reliable.


    The appearance of this material was quite simr to ss, but its level of sturdiness was on apletely different scale. It was said that even a mighty Steelix wouldn''t be able to shatter this material, no matter how hard it tried.


    Due to its incredible toughness, special tools made from diamonds formed by shedding Diamondscales had to be used to cut this material.


    After reviewing the information, Yuga said, "Well, since it''s like this, let''s use this material."


    However, Mr. Daichi hesitated and stammered, "This material is good, but... it''s just that... the price is a bit..."


    Yuga paused, asking, "How much is it?"


    Mr. Daichi then revealed the price per square meter of this material to Yuga.


    After hearing the price, Yuga contemted for a moment. The cost was indeed quite high, almost equivalent to the price of gold. Yet, the advantages of this material were undeniable, particrly its defensive capabilities, which far surpassed standard materials in terms of safety.


    Yuga finally stated, "Let''s go ahead and use it. You don''t need to worry about the money."


    If they were building a top-tier Ecopark, they needed the best materials. Yuga could always get more money, perhaps by selling another batch of Ghost Gems or Dark Gems.


    Thanks to his ownership of a Ghost Gem mine and a Dark Gem mine, Yuga had umted arge supply of Ghost Gems and Dark Gems. These attribute gems were highly sought after by Trainers, and Yuga had recently formed a connection with Elite Four member Sidney through Phoebe, and selling him a batch of Dark Gems.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s response, Mr. Daichi immediately smiled. Professionals in their line of work preferred straightforward employers. Dealing with individuals who were overly meticulous and reluctant to spend could make their job more challenging.


    "Great, all our preparations are in order. We''re nning to start work tomorrow. By the way, these are the final blueprints we''ve settled on. Let me walk you through them."


    With that, Mr. Daichi unfolded the stack of construction blueprints he held and proceeded to provide a detailed exnation to Yuga.


    The location of the new Ecopark was situated right next to Yuga''s existing one, and it had an overall elliptical shape.


    ording to Mr. Daichi''s n, they intended to dig an artificialke in the central area. This artificialke would be connected to the river outside Verdanturf Town, effectively turning theke water into flowing water.


    Of course, ensuring the security of the waterway connecting the artificialke and the river was a crucial aspect of the construction. They needed to prevent any Water-type Pok��mon from escaping the Ecopark and venturing down the river.


    Yuga had no intention of creating an extreme environment in the Ecopark, so they wouldn''t need to use technology to simte extreme conditions, which would substantially increase construction costs.


    Regarding the arrangement of vegetation in the park, Yuga nned to handle it himself. He intended to transnt berry trees from the Sub-Ecopark and some suitable flowers for Verdanturf Town.


    Seizing this opportunity, Yuga decided to gift some rare flower seeds to the residents of Verdanturf Town, encouraging them to grow these nts as ornamental features in their homes or by the roadside.


    Since it was a town centered around tourism and agriculture, it was crucial to establish its own unique character.


    Of course, the vegetation that Yuga was going to transnt was all native to the Pok��mon world. They needed to maintain a low profile.


    Yuga and Mr. Daichi discussed a wide range of topics, from the Ecopark''s water cirction system, waste management system, and temperature regtion system to the internal terrainyout, ntposition, and ecological simtion. They covered every aspect of the project in great detail.


    Once everything was settled, Mr. Daichi quickly left YoYo Day Care to prepare for the groundbreaking ceremony the following day.


    While Yugal is working hard to build a new Ecopark, Audino was quietly striving for improvement. The recent attack had been a significant wake-up call for Audino, making it aware of its vulnerability. If it continued to stay weak, it might not even dare to go outside in the future.


    With this in mind, Audino decided to work hard and break through its current level.


    If a Pok��mon like Greninja could breakthrough to Elite level, there was no reason Audino couldn''t.


    Yuga didn''t give it fewer resources than Greninja, on the contrary, it gave it more resources. It made no sense if Greninja had been able to breakthrough for so long, while Audino still stuck in the same ce.


    Of course, it didn''t inform Yuga about its secret training efforts. The sudden boost in motivation was somewhat embarrassing for Audino. Maybe once it made a breakthrough, it could surprise Yuga.


    Breaking through to the Elite level wasn''t easy, and Audino practiced secretly, often challenging Pok��mon like Gyarados, Chatot, Flygon, and Vespiquen to improve. Despite its continuous effort, the level barrier showed no signs of yielding.


    Wigglytuff, which spent so much time with Audino, was well aware of its intentions. However, Wigglytuff knew that reaching the Elite level was no simple task, and it was evident that Yuga''s second team had many formidable Pok��mon who had been trying to break through from pseudo-Elite level for a long time but still with no sess.


    These Pok��mon don''tck potential, resources, or training. What theyck is an opportunity.


    Wigglytuff, despite herck potential and lower level, had seen so many Pok��mon in the Ecopark and just because it has never eaten pork, that doesn''t mean it never seen pigs running.


    She wanted to advise Audino not to rush things and to let it find its own path. Breaking through to the Elite level was a process that couldn''t be hurried.


    But as she thought about Audino''s stubborn personality, she felt it might be best to let it learn through its own experiences.


    Besides, Wigglytuff had her own concerns. Yuga had mentioned taking her to the Pok��mon Tower to visit Granbull, but nothing had happened since. Could he have forgotten about it?


    At times, Wigglytuff thought about asking Yuga, but she didn''t want to distract him from his important tasks, so she kept her thoughts to herself.


    Maybe I should go on my own? Wigglytuff considered this at times.


    It''s worth noting that Wigglytuff''s personality had undergone subtle changes since returning from the Mauville Forest.


    Compared to her past self, she had be more independent and emotionally sensitive. These changes were slight and not easy for Yuga to notice since he wasn''t the original owner.


    In reality, Yuga hadn''t forgotten his promise to Wigglytuff about visiting the Pok��mon Tower. He just felt that since he''d already agreed to it, there was no need to bring it up again. Besides, Granbull''s memorial day was only a few days away.


    As the construction of the new Ecopark began, Yuga became even busier, spending most of his days at the construction site with Mr. Daichi.


    There has been no sign about Audino''s breakthrough, and he is nervous every day, disturbing Vespiquin and the others at every turn, and they are not allowed to tell Yuga. Sometimes Yuga realizes that his food is not so delicious recently.


    Wigglytuff is also counting the days every day waiting for Yuga to take her to the Pok��mon Tower.

 Chapter 985: Running Away From Home

    <h4>Chapter 985: Running Away From Home</h4>


    Greninja, who usually worked the hardest in the Ecopark, has been acting differentlytely.


    It had been in an ambiguous rtionship with Wartortle for a long time, and these days, they finally confirmed their rtionship. The sweet scent of love filled Lake No. 1 Ind, and even Gyarados and Milotic, who were usually affectionate, found themselves feels like their mouth being stuffed with dog food every day.


    Greninja''s personality is quite slow to grasp things. Initially, it didn''t realize it had feelings for Wartortle, and it couldn''t tell that Wartortle liked it either. So when they met, they blushed in secret and unintentionally flirted with each other. It became amon sight.


    In short, their rtionship was very ambiguous.


    If it were other Pok��mon, as long as they liked each other, they would be together right away. But this pair took a long time to resolve their ambiguity because Greninja was too straightforward.


    In the end, it was Wartortle who took the initiative to break through this ambiguity.


    Unlike Greninja, Wartortle has a very smooth personality. It''s been through a lot on the ind, and it admires strong Pok��mon.


    For Greninja, who is a very serious and upright character, Wartortle could be considered quite fond of it.


    It''s said that when Wartortle and Greninja finally broke through their ambiguity, Greninja was so shy that it didn''t want to leave the house all day. It was quite... a contrast cute, as everyone thought Greninja had a personality like a rock that wouldn''t change, but who would have thought it was... like this...


    These days after Greninja has a wife it rarely goes out. It spends most of its time at home with its wife and isn''t eager to engage in battles with other Pok��mon, as they are in their honeymoon phase.


    It''s during this time that Audino approaches Greninja.


    Audino had been trying to break through and had been practicing with Pok��mon of simr level like Great Flygon and Vespiquen, but something was missing. So, it decided to approach the Elite level Greninja to seek some motivation.


    However, Greninja refused, saying: Come on, isn''t spending time with my wife is lot better?


    If Audino were an Elite level Pok��mon, it might have motivated Greninja to battle. But Greninja is well aware of Audino''s abilities, and Audino, who doesn''t usually train much, wouldn''tst long against Greninja.


    Instead of battling, Greninja prefers to stay home and enjoy quality time with its wife.


    Audino, feeling dejected after Greninja''s refusal, sits by the shores of Lake No. 1 Ind, where it''s joined by Wigglytuff. Wigglytuff wants to offer somefort but isn''t sure what to say.


    Audino picks at the grass by the shore and grumbles about Greninja prioritizing its wife over friends. It''s clear that Audino is disappointed.


    Suddenly, a pair of big, round eyes emerges from the water, startling Audino and Wigglytuff. They soon realize it''s Poliwrath.


    "Hello there," Poliwrath greets, and its eyes dart around in all directions.


    "Hello," Audino responds half-heartedly, not in the best mood.


    Wigglytuff, noticing Poliwrath''s wandering eyes, isn''t particrly fond of it and asks, "What are you here for?"


    Poliwrath has a reputation for stirring up trouble on Lake No. 1 Ind, and everyone knows it, even Yuga is cautious about not letting it roam freely in the Sub-Ecopark. The only ce it can go is the Shallow Seashore.


    "Hehe..." Poliwrath knows that Wigglytuff doesn''t like it. Itughs awkwardly. Its innocent appearance, coupled with its offbeatugh, gives it a somewhat creepy vibe.


    "Do you want to break through?" Poliwrath asks Audino with a mischievous grin, remembering what Audino had beenining about earlier while it was still in the water.


    Upon hearing that Audino might know a way to break through, Audino, who was initially disinterested, suddenly became intrigued and asked, "Do you know a way?"


    Poliwrath shook its head and replied, "I don''t."


    Audino felt disappointed with the response and said, "Then why did you ask?"


    Poliwrath continued, "Actually, I''m just like you. I also want to break through!"


    It was lying, as it had be quitezy since arriving in the Ecopark and didn''t really care about breaking through.


    "Really? Do you have a way to break through?" Audino asked, casting a more approving look at Poliwrath, He was indeed a pseudo-Elite level, and it immediately believed in him a little more.


    "I don''t have a method, but we can go out to search for one. Staying here all day won''t help us find a breakthrough opportunity," Poliwrath suggested enticingly.


    It really wanted to get out, and if Audino, as the assistant butler to Yuga, agreed, there wouldn''t be any problems.


    "Go out? Can we find a way to break through outside?" Audino murmured softly.


    Poliwrath continued, "Certainly! Why do you think so many Trainers go on journeys? They find breakthroughs outside."


    Poliwrath, having previously lived on a secluded ind, wasn''t entirely aware of human Trainers and their practices. It had picked up these ideas from other Pok��mon in the Ecopark.


    Audino''s eyes lit up upon hearing this, finding Poliwrath''s words somewhat convincing.


    Wigglytuff, who had initially wanted to scold Poliwrath, refrained from doing so. Instead, it suddenly had its own thoughts.


    "But Yuga probably won''t allow me to go out. He''s so busy these days; he won''t have time to apany me," Audino hesitated.


    Seeing Audino''s interest, Poliwrath continued to add fuel to the fire, saying, "Why don''t we go on our own? We can handle it together, and there won''t be any danger."


    However, Audino kept hesitating.


    Then, it was Wigglytuff who surprisingly spoke up, "Let''s go together. I want to visit the Pok��mon Tower. Since Yuga is so busy, we might as well go by ourselves and not trouble him."


    Wigglytuff considered that Audino and Poliwrath both had strongbat power. With them by its side, it believed there wouldn''t be any major risks.


    Poliwrath was delighted to hear Wigglytuff''s agreement, while Audino continued to weigh the options.


    Audino, of course, knew about its best friend''s situation, so upon hearing Wigglytuff''s words, it immediately felt invigorated and said, "Alright, let''s go on our own!"


    And so, led by Audino, Poliwrath left the Ecopark. The three Pok��mon set off on a spontaneous trip..


    Before they left, Wigglytuff informed Chatot about their destination to prevent Yuga from worrying about their whereabouts. However, Chatot was quite an entric fellow and often forgot things when it got carried away.


    When Yuga returned from the construction site, he found his home empty, with neither Audino nor Wigglytuff present. He was puzzled.


    At this moment, Audino and itspanions were already on a bus heading to Mauville City. In the Pok��mon world, it''s not necessary to buy tickets for Pok��mon to ride a bus; they simply follow people and are often mistaken for someone else''s Pok��mon.


    It''s not umon for trainers to carry their Pok��mon on public transportation instead of keeping them inside Pok�� Balls.


    The location of Pok��mon Tower is situated between Mauville City and Verdanturf Town. Therefore, they had to get off the bus halfway. Mauville City was not far from Verdanturf Town, or else Wigglytuff wouldn''t have agreed to apany Audino and Poliwrath on this trip.


    Wigglytuff held a space backpack tightly in its arms, containing their food for the journey and some basic necessities.


    It clung to the backpack, feeling a bit anxious, wondering if Yuga would be angry when he found out they had left without informing him.


    On the other hand, Audino had a more carefree spirit. It found the excitement of secretly running away from home to be thrilling. (Audino: Maybe I''ve awakened some strange trait!)


    As for Poliwrath, what fascinated it the most was the bus they were currently riding. It found the human world incredible. Everything they saw on this journey was entirely new to it, unlike the ind where it used to live.


    "I should havee out to explore earlier!" Poliwrath thought excitedly.


    Apologies for the shorter response today.

 Chapter 986: Clues

    <h4>Chapter 986: Clues</h4>


    The train swiftly moved along the tracks. As time passed, Audino and Wigglytuff sat there drowsy, while Poliwrath continued to look left and right, still showing great interest in the scenery along the way.


    Just then, the voice of a train attendant came over the inte.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, we are currently encountering a Pok��mon migration, and the train will make an emergency stop."


    "Ladies and gentlemen, we are currently encountering a Pok��mon migration, and the train will make an emergency stop."


    After the announcement ended, several attendants patiently exined to the passengers the reason for the sudden stop.


    Although such incidents were notmon in the Pok��mon world, it was considered an unforeseen circumstance, and everyone could understand. With the organized efforts of the staff, the train soon came to a gradual stop on the tracks.


    Because Pok��mon migrations could take a while, some passengers expressed their desire to disembark and witness this rare event.


    After consulting with the forest rangers responsible for safeguarding the migration, the train conductor agreed to the passengers'' request, with the condition that everyone should stay within a certain area and not disturb the migrating Pok��mon.


    Initially, Audino and Wigglytuff weren''t inclined to join in the excitement, but Poliwrath was curious, and Wigglytuff didn''t want to leave it alone. So, they reluctantly got off the train to see what was happening.


    This migration involved arge group of Wooper and Quagsire. These Pok��mon appeared slow and had a somewhat vacant expression, contributing to the migration''s extended duration.


    The reason behind their migration was rted to water pollution.


    Wooper and Quagsire could only live near high-quality water sources. Once their habitat became polluted, they would fall ill or even die.


    The water source where this group of Wooper and Quagsire originally resided was contaminated due to an invasion of Grimer and Muk. This prompted the forest rangers to organize their emergency migration.


    The Wooper and Quagsire were specially brought from Johto Region by the Forest Rangers Union to diversify the local species. It was introduced by Cherrygrove City and they couldn''t just let a group of Grimer and Muk wreak havoc on them.


    Cherrygrove City is known as the city with a fragrant breeze blowing on the face, and its ecological environment is very high quality, especially the water sources, which consistently rank first in Johto''s annual assessments. It is also thergest habitat for Wooper and Quagsire.


    The forest rangers orderly directed the Wooper and Quagsire to cross the road and the adjacent train tracks. Onlookers watched from a distance, taking out their phones to capture this group of endearing creatures, snapping pictures for souvenirs.


    Within the crowd, Poliwrath found the scene before its eyes incredibly novel.


    Born on a survival-of-the-fittest ind where Pok��mon fought every day to survive, Poliwrath only realized aftering to the human world that there was another way of life for Pok��mon.


    Humans and Pok��mon can living in harmony!


    Poliwrath took a deep breath while watching the forest rangers directing the Wooper and Quagsire: This kind of life is really nice!


    Compared to its previous days, when its head was always hanging from a belt, Poliwrath discovered that it preferred the currentfortable life, free from worries about food and drink, where it could do as it pleased.


    Perhaps being more well-behaved when it returned wouldn''t be a bad idea. Suddenly, this thought crossed Poliwrath''s mind.


    Poliwrath wasn''t inherently a crafty Pok��mon; its personality was shaped by the environment it grew up in.


    On the other hand, Yuga returned home and found the house empty, with no sign of Audino and Wigglytuff. He began searching for them everywhere.


    After searching for a while with no sess and starting to suspect that Audino and Wigglytuff might have been kidnapped, Chatot flew back with a lot of stumbling and babbling.


    "Hey... hey... boss, I''m back!"


    Chatotnded on Yuga''s shoulder, greeting him in a somewhat confused manner.


    Since reconciling with Noctowl, it had gradually changed how it addressed Yuga, shifting from "darling" to "boss."


    "Did you go drinking again?" Yuga asked as Chatot flew over, and he immediately caught a whiff of the strong smell of alcohol, quickly covering his nose.


    Is there anything else you''d like to know or discuss?


    Chatot had developed a fondness for alcohol, and it was amon sight to see it return homepletely intoxicated.


    This little guy could talk and often praised the townspeople to the point where they were bewildered.


    Coupled with the fact that the town had a soft spot for YoYo Day Care, Chatot was quite popr in Verdanturf Town.


    If It wanted to drink, and everyone was willing to invite it for a drink, so it lived its days in perpetual bliss.


    Yuga generally paid no mind to Chatot; he had his wife to look after, and he had no intention of dealing with that sort of stuff.


    Chatot perched on Yuga''s shoulder, used one wing to cover its head, belched after taking a sip, and then suddenly stretched out its head, saying, "By the way... Tu-Tuff asked me to tell you... told me to tell you..."


    Before it could finish its sentence, it tumbled from Yuga''s shoulder.


    Upon hearing that it had a message from Wigglytuff, Yuga hastily picked it up by one leg from the ground. "Hey, what happened to Wigglytuff?"


    But Chatot was already unconscious.


    At that moment, Noctowl arrived, and Yuga threw Chatot over to it. "Wake it up."


    Noctowl expertly caught Chatot, then, after cing a basin of water, directly tossed it in. The way Noctowl did it was so skillful, as if it had been refined through countless trials.


    "Ahh!! Ahh!!"


    In no time, a still not quite sober Chatot was sshing around in the basin, causing water to fly in all directions.


    Seeing that Chatot was still noting to its senses, Noctowl used its talon to push Chatot''s head down, submerging its body in the water again.


    Noctowl was significantlyrger than Chatot, almost like it was pressing down on a little chick, rendering Chatotpletely powerless.


    ...Ten minutester...


    Yuga looked at Chatot, standing on the edge of the basin,pletely drenched, and asked, "Are you awake now?"


    "I''m awake," Chatot answered, shaking off the droplets from its still-damp feathers.


    "Where did Wigglytuff go? Is Audino with it?" Yuga continued to ask.


    Chatot nodded honestly, "Yes, they are together. They and Poliwrath said they wanted to go on a spontaneous trip."


    Poliwrath? Yuga paused for a moment. If he remembered correctly, Poliwrath didn''t have permission to enter or exit the Ecopark. So, the only Pok��mon who could take it outside was Audino.


    In terms of entering and exiting the Ecopark, Audino held the highest authority after Yuga.


    Without much thought, Yuga could already guess that it was Poliwrath who encouraged them to leave. That little guy sure had some guts!


    "When did they leave? Where did they go?"


    After some questioning, Yuga quickly found out the destination of the three Pok��mon: Pok��mon Tower.


    That ce was certainly chosen by Wigglytuff.


    Thinking of this, Yuga suddenly felt that he hadn''t shown enough concern for Wigglytuff. Otherwise, it wouldn''t have left without waiting for him and gone straight to Pok��mon Tower.


    Wigglytuff had a calm personality, and it wouldn''t leave home on a whim. But where were they now? Yuga couldn''t help but worry.


    Just then, Suzuki Koen suddenly greeted Yuga, holding a phone and said, "Boss, look, does this look like our Audino and Wigglytuff?"


    This photo had been posted by an inte user, and Suzuki Koen hade across it while surfing the web. However, Suzuki Koen merely thought it looked like them and hadn''t recognized Audino and Wigglytuff, as she couldn''t have imagined that these two, along with Poliwrath, had left home.


    Yuga leaned in to take a look. In the center of the photo, there was an adorable group of Wooper and endearing Quagsire. In the corner of the photo, unmistakably, there were Audino, Wigglytuff, and Poliwrath, apparently captured unintentionally.


    This was undoubtedly the three little brat that runaways from home!


    Yuga quickly asked Suzuki Koen for the location where the photo was taken. After she told him, Yuga instructed her to take good care of the shop and then dashed out quickly.

 Chapter 987: Where’s My Egg?

    <h4>Chapter 987: Where''s My Egg?</h4>


    As Yuga sped on his Dragonite towards the direction of Mauville City, he prayed that Wigglytuff and the others hadn''t left.


    And meanwhile, Audino were still patiently waiting for the Wooper and Quagsire to continue the migration.


    Audino and Wigglytuff found a spot to sit and rest, but Poliwrath was more interested in the passengers'' smartphones that theu used to taking a picture, and often leaning in to see how they were taking photos.


    Some passengers found Poliwrath''s curiosity was interesting and even invited it to be in their photos, which made Poliwrath look so cute; this experience was entirely new and exciting for it.


    While Poliwrath was posing for pictures, a passing Quagsire shot it a sultry look at it sideways. That charming nce made Poliwrath feel like it heart had been shot by Cupid''s arrow..


    It thought it might be in love.


    With its round, beady eyes, plump lips, and curvaceous body. Quagsire is look like a fairy that fell from the heaven in Poliwrath eyes.


    Poliwrath though silently: The two of them must be look great if we stood together!


    The long-time single Poliwrath has finally experienced the taste of love again at this moment. No wonder Greninja and Wartotrtle are always so affectionate. This feeling... (*�t�s`)


    Quagsire swings its round tail, wiggles its plump buttocks, and heads towards the main group. Just as Poliwrath is about to call it, another Quagsire that look more bigger appears from the main group.


    The two Quasiree together. |(��3��)|(���ţ���)


    In an instant, Poliwrath was petrified.


    After some time, the Wooper and Quagsire migration concluded, and the onlooking passengers began returning to the train. Audino and Wigglytuff, checking the time, approached Poliwrath, who was still in a state of despair.


    Audino asked, "What''s wrong with Poliwrath?"


    Wigglytuff, equally puzzled, responded, "I have no idea."


    "Hey, snap out of it! Let''s go!" Audino couldn''t help but push Poliwrath''s body lightly.


    Bang!


    Poliwrath was directly pushed to the ground and had no intention of getting up. it still had a look of despair on it face.


    Audino: I didn''t push that hard!


    Seeing Poliwrath''s dejected expression, Wigglytuff said, "Let''s get it back on the train before it leaves without us."


    Without a Pok��mon Trainer apanying them, the train attendants wouldn''t notice if they were left behind mid-journey.


    Audino nodded and proceeded to drag Poliwrath onto the train. The three Pok��mon resumed their journey to Pok��mon Tower.


    Not long after the three Pok��mon left, Yuga arrived on his Dragonite. The timing couldn''t have been more unfortunate.


    Yuga surveyed the trace of recent activities on the grassy field and contemted: If their destination is the Pok��mon Tower, I might as well go straight there and wait for them.


    Dragonite is faster than a regr train, and judging from these traces, Audino, Wigglytuff, and Poliwrath couldn''t have left too long ago. I might reach the Pok��mon Tower before them.


    Yuga had learned from Suzuki Koen that the three Pok��mon had taken a train to leave. Even if he caught up with that particr train, he couldn''t expect the staff to make a special stop for him, so it made sense to head directly to their presumed destination.


    With this decision, Yuga urged his Dragonite to fly towards Pok��mon Tower.


    Soon, the train arrived at a small town called Whitecloud Town, a stop between Verdanturf Town and Mauville City. This town was the closest one to Pok��mon Tower.


    Disembarking here and walking for a while would lead them to the hill where Pok��mon Tower stood.


    As the train pulled into the station, Wigglytuff strapped the backpack onto its back, and then together with Audino, they got off the train. Poliwrath followed behind, still looking half-dead.


    During their train ride, Audino and Wigglytuff had tried to find out what had happened to Poliwrath, but it remained tight-lipped, so they decided not to press further.


    Walking out of the bustling Whitecloud Town station, Wigglytuff could already see the towering Pok��mon Tower on a distant hill.


    The Pok��mon Tower was a striking, pitch-ck structure with eight sides on each floor, and each corner eave held a golden bell. When a gentle breeze passed, the golden bells would sway lightly. These bells served the purpose of soothing spirits.


    It was said that the Pok��mon Towers in various regions were all inspired by the iconic Bell Tower in Johto, but it remained unknown whether this was true or not.


    However, the origin of Pok��mon Towers did indeed trace back to Johto, and their unique architectural style retained that Johto vor. Before Pok��mon Towers became prevalent in other regions, the resting ce for departed Pok��mon was typically a Pok��mon cemetery.


    Even today, some ces didn''t have Pok��mon Towers and still used Pok��mon cemeteries, often in line with local funeral customs.


    While Audino and Wigglytuff had just arrived in Whitecloud Town, Yuga had already reached the Pok��mon Tower on the outskirts of the town.


    However, upon reaching the tower''s entrance, he noticed something was amiss.


    Typically, each Pok��mon Tower would have dedicated monks to oversee it.


    These monks were often skilled trainers, and yet, the entrance to this particr tower was eerily deserted.


    Moreover, the aura here felt abnormal, with a concentration of restless Ghost-type energy that didn''t seem to belong to the tower.


    Pok��mon Towers were known to be the favorite dwelling ce of wild Ghost-type Pok��mon. This unusual energy disturbance didn''t fit the usual atmosphere of these ces.


    Whitecloud Town''s Pok��mon Tower was significantlyrger than most others due to its shared jurisdiction between Mauville City and Verdanturf Town.


    It was also safeguarded by a greater number of monks, all with considerable strength.


    However, this Pok��mon Tower was now ominously quiet.


    Not only were the monks missing, but the Ghost-type Pok��mon were absent as well. Even during daylight, Ghost-type Pok��mon didn''t usually stay entirely hidden.


    At that moment, both Gengar and Mismagius emerged from the shadow realm.


    "Gengar!"


    Hehehe... the taste of the Ghost World!


    Gengar waved its chubby hands gleefully, grinning from ear to ear.


    "Mismagius!"


    The Ghost World, indeed!


    Mismagius deeply inhaled and sighed with delight.


    Both Gengar and Mismagius were originally from the Ghost World, so they were particrly sensitive to its energy.


    Yuga, upon hearing their remarks, momentarily froze.


    He looked at the towering Pok��mon Tower once more and wondered: What has happened here? Why is there a connection to the mysterious Ghost World?


    After putting away the Dragonite, Yuga said to Gengar and Mismagius, "Let''s go inside."


    Gengar and Mismagius nodded in agreement and obediently followed Yuga into the tower.


    With a creak, the heavy door of the Pok��mon Tower''s ground floor swung open, and its sharp echo reverberated through the vast, gloomy lobby, casting an eerie atmosphere over the entire tower.


    The ground floor was empty and eerily quiet, spotlessly clean yet mysteriously silent.


    After a brief exploration of the first floor, Gengar and Mismagius returned to Yuga, shaking their heads in bewilderment.


    Yuga then started walking toward the staircase leading to the second floor.


    Meanwhile, on the other side...


    Poliwrath, Wigglytuff, and Audino left the Whitecloud Town station and continued toward the Pok��mon Tower. After a while, Audino noticed the time and suggested taking a break for a meal and rest.


    Although Wigglytuff was eager to get to the Pok��mon Tower, considering the remaining distance, it was agreed to have a break. While Poliwrath was still half-dead.


    The three Pokemon found a big tree, spread a pic cloth under it and sat down. During the break, Wigglytuff took out some Pokeblocks from the backpack and shared them with Audino and Poliwrath. The three Pok��mon enjoyed their lunch.


    After finishing their meal, Wigglytuff took out a thermos and poured hot soup, prepared before their journey, into cups for Audino and Poliwrath. The three Pok��mon savored the delicious soup.


    At that moment, two Murkrownded gracefully on the treetop nearby, gazing down with envy at the three satisfied Pok��mon below.


    Seizing an opportunity while the Pok��mon were distracted, the Murkrow swiftly swooped down, grabbing the backpack that Wigglytuff had set aside, and took off into the sky at incredible speed, resembling arrowsunched from a bow.


    Wigglytuff: ...


    Audino: ...


    Audino reacted first and immediately started chasing after them, shouting in dismay.


    Seeing that Poliwrath was still sitting there, dazed, Wigglytuff didn''t hesitate and kicked it, saying, "What are you waiting for? Let''s go after them!"


    Poliwrath, still in a daze, slowly got up and followed Wigglytuff.


    Biu, biu, biu!


    While pursued them, Poliwrath keep using Water Gun to knock the Murkrow out of the sky.


    However, the two Murkrow were incredibly agile, maintaining their grip on the backpack while skillfully evading Poliwrath''s attacks.


    They were clearly an experienced thieves.


    Poliwrath, Audino, and Wigglytuff had rounded and plump bodies with short legs, making them much slower than the Murkrow who were soaring above.


    It didn''t take long before the two Murkrow vanished into the distance, leaving the three Pok��mon behind.


    Having lost their belongings, Audino and Wigglytyff soon found themselves in a quandary, wondering: What should we eat next?


    Once their frustration had subsided, the three Pok��mon discovered they had reached a riverside. The river was clear and clean, and they suddenly felt a bit thirsty.


    Slurp, slurp, slurp...


    After the three Pok��mon had a long drink, they noticed a jovial Ludicolo apanied by a group of Lotad approaching the riverside.


    The Lotad had a naive look and, under Ludicolo''s guidance, cheerfully jumped into the water.


    During the ytime, one clumsy Lotad tripped over some nearby weeds. Ludicolo immediately picked it up gently, consoled it, and then ced it back into the water.


    Just as Audino and Wigglytuff were about to leave, they noticed that Poliwrath''s eyes were fixated on Ludicolo, gleaming with admiration.


    Poliwrath''s eyes had regained their shine, and it looked at Ludicolo without blinking.


    Audino and Wigglytuff couldn''t understand what had captivated Poliwrath and asked, "What''s going on? Let''s keep going!"


    Holding its heart with both hands, Poliwrath dreamily said, "I think I might be in love again. It''s so gentle, and I like it a lot."


    With its plump physique, charming smile, and the sensual beak, Ludicolo had a unique allure that deeply attracted Poliwrath.


    Audino and Wigglytuff exchanged puzzled nces, with Audino chiming in: Why use ''again''?


    Audino then nced at Ludicolo standing by the riveside and asked uncertainly: "Are you sure you like it?


    As Poliwrath continued to stare at Ludicolo, which was standing by the river, its eyes gleamed, and it proimed, "Yes, it''s love at first sight. I''m deeply in love, and I''m going to confess my feelings to it."


    With that, it walked slowly towards Ludicolo.


    When Audino heard this, she suddenly felt the thunder rolling down from the sky. she thought silently in her heart: It turns out that Poliwrath hobbies are so special. Shouldn''t I look down on it?


    But seeing Poliwrath getting closer and closer to Ludicolo, Audino couldn''t help but shout: "Do you really like it? Its a male! Your rtionship wouldn''t be epted by the world!


    Click!


    Upon hearing those words, Poliwrath felt like its heart had shattered into a million pieces, and scattering like dust in the wind.


    It turned its wooden gaze toward Audino, with tears in its eyes, and asked, "Is it... is it true?"


    Audino nodded, "It''s true."


    The distinction between male and female Ludicolo is quite clear, with the female Ludicolo having thinner brown stripespared to the males. So Poliwrath who had never seen a Ludicolo before dont know about this.


    There''s lot Ludicolo in Yuga''s Ecopark, but they are live in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark which far from the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark where Poliwrath usually reside. And Poliwrath who don''t have ess to go to other Sub-Ecopark naturally impossible to see them.


    Why i am so miserable!!!


    Upon hearing Audino''s answer, Poliwrath clutched its chest, feeling like it was about to faint.


    However, in that moment, the once clear sky suddenly darkened, and the three Pok��mon looked up to see a funnel-shaped ck vortex forming over the Pok��mon Tower in the distance.


    "Something happend in Pok��mon Tower!" Wigglytuff eximed, dashing in the direction of the tower, with Audino following closely behind.


    At that moment, Poliwrath was too preupied with its heartache to react, but it eventually overcame the feeling and hurried to catch up after Audino and Wigglytuff, heading toward the tower.


    Now, let''s rewind the story by half an hour.


    Yuga had just arrived on the second floor of the Pok��mon Tower. He found several monks and their Pok��mon strewn across the floor in disarray.


    Since these monks were entrusted with guarding the Pok��mon Tower, most of their Pok��mon were Ghost-type, and they appeared listless, as if their male essence had been sucked dry by female goblin.


    Yuga conducted a quick assessment and found that these monks and their Pok��mon were still alive, which eased his initial concerns.


    However, a sudden, piercing scream echoed through the area, causing Yuga to experience an excruciating headache.


    Even Gengar and Mismagius, who had been with him, had pained expressions on their faces.


    This was due to a Ghost-type Pok��mon''s "Astonish" move, which could unleash a mental attack through a piercing scream, causing opponents to shrink back in fear.


    The scream soon subsided, allowing Yuga topose himself. He released Bellossom and said: "Bellossom you stay here and take care the wounded monks and their Pok��mon."


    Bellossom''s Grassy Terrain move is enough to treat these monk and their Pokemon.


    After Bellossom nodded, with Gengar and Mismagius by his side, Yuga continued ascending the Pok��mon Tower to investigate the source of the scream, which was undoubtedlying from the upper levels.


    The Pokemon Tower has a total of eighteen floors. On the way up, he encountered more monks and their Pok��mon who had fainted due to the Astonish move on several floors.


    Because the number of casualties was extensive, making it impossible for Yuga to attend to all of them. So Yuga could only leave Florges and Roserade behind and let them slowly collect these "bodies", while he, Gengar and Mismagius continued to search for the source of the screams.


    Yuga ran all the way to the top of the Pokemon Tower, and finally when he reaching the top floor of the Pok��mon Tower, Yuga spotted the source of the scream: a towering Trevenant.


    This colossal Trevenant branches dominated a significant portion of the eighteenth floor of the Pok��mon Tower with its enormous, eerie presence.


    When Yuga arrived, he witnessed a figure engaged in a fierce battle with the Trevenant��a Ghost-type Elite Four, Phoebe.


    Phoebe was intentlymanding her team, consisting of Drifblim, Dusknoir, Bte, Chandelure, and Sableye, to attack the Trevenant.


    She was so absorbed in the battle that she didn''t even notice Yuga''s arrival. Furthermore, her Sableye had undergone Mega Evolution, signifying the intense nature of this battle..


    The Mega Evolution stone for Sableye was a trophy Yuga had obtained from Bridges. And Yuga hadter traded it with Phoebe for Gengar''s Mega Evolution Stone. Now that Mega Evolution Stone is used to enhance her Sableye.


    Aside from Phoebe, in one corner of the eighteenth floor, there was an elderly monk with a snow-white beard who was severely injured. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and Gengar was standing guard by his side.


    Phoebe hadn''t noticed Yuga''s arrival, but the elderly monk did. He recognized Yuga, and when he saw Yugaing, he breathed a long sigh of relief: Today''s crisis should be resolved.


    Yuga knew this old monk, when Yuga hade to bury Granbull''s remains, this elderly monk is the one who received him. This elderly monk was the abbot of the Pok��mon Tower.


    The attack from the Trevenant on Phoebe was very strange. It exuded an eerie ck aura on its body, and its crimson single eye had a menacing and ferocious look.


    Shadow Ball wereunched by the Trevenant, aimed at Phoebe and her five Pok��mon. The Mega Sableye stood at the forefront, wielding a massive red gem, defending against all the Shadow Ball.


    Chandelure, with its methrower, Dusknoir Omnious Wind, and Bte Will-O-Wisp hit the Trevenant for free.


    However, the towering Trevenant wielded its enormous arms, using Shadow w to easily deflect all the attacks at once.


    This Trevenant''s Shadow w was terrifying. Phoebe''s Pok��mon were unable to approach it as they feared getting struck by its deadly ws.


    The elderly abbot also had been defeated by this Shadow w. If Phoebe hadn''t arrived in time, the monks of the Pok��mon Tower would likely have met their doom at the hands of this Trevenant.


    The Trevenant was incredibly terrifying that even though Phoebe engaged it with five Pok��mon, she can''t get advantage from it, and they were still slowly losing the battle.


    Boom!


    Just as the colossal wooden hammer seemed ready to strike Phoebe down, a massive green wooden mallet appeared above her. The force behind it seemed sufficient to crush Phoebe into oblivion.


    Phoebe''s Pok��mon were pinned down by the Trevenant''s Shadow w, and they watched in horror as the colossal mallet descended. However, a Shadow Ball and a Mystical Fire struck the Trevenant squarely in its crimson eye.


    The Trevenant let out a horrifying scream as its colossal hammer shattered into countless fragments, dissipating like twinkling stars.


    Phoebe turned her head and was astounded to see Yuga with Mismagius and Mega Gengar standing behind him.


    Excitedly, Phoebe asked, "Yuga, how did you get here?"


    Yuga, with a serious expression, responded, "We''ll talk about itter. Let''s deal with the enemy in front of us first."


    He had already learned from Gengar and Mismagius that this Trevenant hade from the Ghost World and should be an envoys that guide the lost souls.


    Phoebe is an envoy of the Ghost World in the human world. Logically speaking, she and Trevenany should not be in conflict, but something is obviously wrong with this Trevenant.


    The Ghost-type Pokemon who guide the lost soul to the Ghost World were generally have gentle personalities, just like Cecilia''s Dusknoir.


    Although Cecilia is not a good person, her Dusknoir is indeed kind-hearted. Even if half of her soulter bes Muya, it still affects Muya''s actions all the time.


    However, Yuga didn''t have time to think the reason why the Trevenant was attacking Phoebe. His primary focus was to subdue it first.


    While this Trevenant possessed considerable strength, reaching the Junior Champion level, facing off against seven Pok��mon, especially Yuga''s Mega Gengar who its strength close to Champion level after mega evolution, it quickly found itself at a disadvantage.


    Bang, bang, bang!


    Mega Gengar, Mismagius, and Chandelure''s Shadow Balls hit Trevenant''s head simultaneously. Its green foliage atop its head was knocked off, and Yuga saw an odd yellowish dumpling falling from it.


    "That is..." Yuga began.


    Seeing the dumpling, Phoebe eximed, "That''s the Pok��mon formed from the soul that''s supposed to be guided!"


    When the dumplingnded on the ground, Yuga realized that it was a Mimikyu. However, this Mimikyu remained in a state of unconsciousness; even when it hit the ground, it didn''t wake up.


    Yuga was puzzled. If this Mimikyu was meant to be guided by the Trevenant, it could just let Trevenant guide it. Why had it rmed Phoebe, who was an Envoy of the Ghost World?


    ording to the norm, Ghost World envoys only dealt with lost souls lingering in the Human World who were reluctant to return to the Ghost World.


    Infuriated by the loss of the Mimikyu, the Trevenant used its Astonish move again. Yuga was stunned by the horrifying psychic power that left him feeling dizzy and disoriented.


    However, while the chaos unfolded, no one noticed that Mimikyu had been snatched by Gengar and secretly stashed in Yuga''s Shadow Space. Gengar then rejoined the battle.


    To quickly deal with the Trevenant, Yuga sent out his most powerful Pok��mon: Lapras.


    Lapras, upon arrival, unleashed a powerful Hydro Pump move from its mouth. And the tremendous impact of the move was sent Trevenant flying.


    The colossal Trevenant wasn''t lightweight, and this powerful strike caused the eighteenth floor of the Pok��mon Tower to crumble, even toppling the roof.


    With a furious howl, the Trevenant crashed through the shattered walls and plummeted from the tower''s top floor.


    Boom!


    Dust and debris filled the air as the Trevenant howled in agony, convulsing upon hitting the ground. It was severely wounded from the fall.


    Yuga, Phoebe, and the elderly abbot were safely transported out of the copsing tower by their Pok��mon, floating in the air.


    At that moment, the Trevenant emitted a ck light, and it soared high into the sky. Dark clouds slowly gathered beneath it, forming a funnel.


    Seeing this, Phoebe''s expression turned grave. "This is bad! The Trevenant is opening a portal to the Ghost World! Stop it quickly! If the Ghost World portal opens, the consequences will be disastrous!"


    The Ghost World and the Human World were never meant to be in contact. But it was toote; a ck portal appeared under the ck funnel. Energy of ghostly spirits poured out of it, making even Yuga''s Mismagius and Gengar feel agitated.


    Just then, Yuga received a message from the system in his mind: [ Throw your egg into the portal! ]


    Yuga was puzzled at first but soon realized that the system was referring to the Pok��mon egg that Christia had given him. This egg, aftering into his possession, had shown no sign of hatching.


    Though he wasn''t sure why the system wanted him to do this, Yuga trusted it. So, he reached into the system''s inventory, retrieved the Pok��mon egg, and threw it into the portal.


    Yuga''s aim was true; the eggnded exactly at the entrance of the portal. The portal began to shrink as the spirits and energy were sucked into the egg. The portal grew smaller and smaller due to the egg''s overwhelming attraction.


    Buzz!


    When thest trace of energy was drawn in, and the portal vanished, the crisis was solved.


    When the portal vanished, a white light emanated from the Pok��mon egg that suspended in the air. After the white light subsided, a new Pok��mon stood there.

 Chapter 988: Cosmoem

    <h4>Chapter 988: Cosmoem</h4>


    Under Gengar''s control, Yuga was gently ced on the ground, and he looked at the floating Pok��mon in the air, feeling greatly surprised. He never expected that this Pok��mon would hatch from the egg.


    Phoebe and the old monk had never seen this kind of Pok��mon before. At this moment, they both looked at it with curious eyes.


    However, as the Pok��mon hatched, a notification sounded in Yuga''s mind. Unfortunately, all his attention was focused on the newly hatched Pok��mon, so he ignored the system''s notification.


    ...


    Cosmoem (Directional Mutation)


    Type: Psychic, Ghost


    Ability: Sturdy


    Gender: None


    Potential: Unknown


    Level: Unknown


    Moves: Cosmic Power, Teleport


    ...


    This freshly hatched Pok��mon is the Cosmoem, a legendary Pok��mon from the Al region, and it is the pre-evolved form of Solgaleo and Lun.


    Originally, the egg should have hatched into Cosmoem''s initial form, Cosmog. However, upon absorbing the Ghost-type energy surging from the Ghost World portal, Cosmog evolved into Cosmoem at the moment of birth and underwent a mutation.


    Of course, this is Yuga''s personal guess. In reality, this Pok��mon underwent an abnormal transformation due to unconventional methods used by Bridges.


    Bridges found this egg while on a mission in the Al region and, after researching extensive literature, he learned of its identity. This is why he treasured it so much.


    Cosmoem has two evolutionary branches: one is Solgaleo, known as the "Beast that Devours the Sun," and the other is Lun, known as the "Beast that Calls the Moon."


    Bridges is a Ghost-type Pok��mon Trainer, and he naturally hoped that this Pok��mon would evolve into Lun, a Ghost-type Pok��mon. Therefore, he used special methods to induce the mutation of the Pok��mon even before it hatched, which Yuga''s Insight ability described as "Directional Mutation."


    In other words, this Ghost World portal only served as the trigger for the Pok��mon egg to hatch, not the cause of its mutation.


    However, Yuga was unaware of this and assumed that Cosmoem mutated due to its absorption of arge amount of Otherworldly Ghost-type energy.


    The system did know that the Pok��mon egg had already mutated, but Yuga never asked about it, and the system couldn''t remember to remind him.


    Cosmoem spent a lot of time with Yuga in the egg, so it was very familiar with his aura. Sensing Yuga''s presence, it used its Teleport move to instantly appear by Yuga''s side.


    Cosmoem''s size is incredibly small, only about the size of Yuga''s palm, or even slightly smaller. When it got close to Yuga, it knocked Yuga staggering with a light bumped into him.


    Cosmoem''s weight is 999.9kg... truly concentrated essence! Even if it lightly bumped into him, it carried considerable force.


    "Cosmoem!"


    Cosmoem quickly realized what had happened and blushed slightly on its dark face.


    However, this issue was quickly resolved. Cosmoem, as a Psychic-type Pok��mon, could control its own weight using its psychic power. Yuga soon found that he could easily hold Cosmoem.


    Rather than saying he held it, it was more like he cradled it in his hands because it was so small.


    Cosmoem''s outer appearance was a golden metal shell that had a very textured feel when touched. This outer shell provided Cosmoem with strong defense, ensuring that this legendary Pok��mon would not die easily.


    Underneath the metallic shell was Cosmoem''s true body, which was deep purple in color and had a faint shimmering of stars. It looked very beautiful.


    Yuga cradled Cosmoem and felt extremely delighted. He never thought that one day he would gain the favor of a Level 1 Legendary Pok��mon.


    Just as Yuga was still immersed in the joy of obtaining Cosmoem, Phoebe suddenly eximed, "Oh no, Trevenant is missing."


    Yuga immediately turned his head and scanned around, indeed discovering that Trevenant was nowhere to be seen.


    Trevenant was seriously injured and shouldn''t have had the capability to move. Initially, they were busy dealing with the Ghost World portal and had neglected the injured Trevenant. They didn''t expect it to take the opportunity to run away.


    "We must pursue it!" Yuga said to Phoebe.


    While Trevenant had run off, it couldn''t have gone far in its weakened state. Its fleeing left long traces on the ground due to its injured condition, so it wouldn''t be able to escape if they followed the tracks.


    Therefore, Yuga and Phoebe, along with their Pok��mon, hurriedly followed these traces. As for the old monk, he was too heavily injured to apany them and remained behind to guard.


    Meanwhile, the group of Pok��mon that was rushing towards the Pok��mon Tower suddenly heard rumbling sounds not far away. And not long after a massive brown tree appeared before them.


    "What... what is that?"


    Poliwrath asked, swallowing hard. At this point, it didn''t even care about its sorrow anymore; the aura emanating from that gigantic Pok��mon was simply too terrifying.


    Furthermore, they had a foreboding sense of impending doom.


    "I don''t know," Wigglytuff shook its head.


    "That''s Trevenant, and it doesn''t look friendly. Let''s take a detour," Audino said with a serious expression. After the training under Joy''s family, it had be capable of recognizing most of the Pok��mon in the Pok��mon world.


    Just as the three Pok��mon were preparing to turn away from Trevenant, a massive wooden mallet fell from the sky.


    Boom!


    The ground was smashed into a huge pit, with soil and grass flying everywhere. Thankfully, the three Pok��mon reacted quickly, or they would have been reduced to pulp.


    Trevenant quickly arrived near the three Pok��mon, its crimson single eye filled with greed, as if it wanted to devour the three Pok��mon right away.


    It was too weak and needed a few Pok��mon to replenish its strength; otherwise, it wouldn''t be able to run.


    The thought of losing several years'' worth of captured lost souls made it furious, and it couldn''t understand how the Ghost World suddenly discovered this incident.


    The three Pok��mon who were attacked by the Trevenant was angry: You think we have no backbone, do you?


    Seeing that they couldn''t avoid the confrontation, Trevenant refuse to let them go. So the three Pok��mon began to fight back.


    Trevenant swung its gigantic Shadow w toward the three Pok��mon. Poliwrath quickly used Ice Punch to counter, while Audino attacked with Fire Punch.


    Bang! Bang!


    Poliwrath and Audino were sent flying, and Trevenant staggered to the side. Surprisingly, neither side had gained a clear advantage.


    Trevenant''s injuries were too severe; otherwise, Poliwrath and Audino would stand no chance against it.


    Realizing its condition, Trevenant became more determined to catch the three Pok��mon to replenish its strength, as it couldn''t escape the pursuit of the Ghost World Envoys otherwise.


    With this in mind, it extended its Shadow w once again, reaching for Wigglytuff.


    Compared to Poliwrath and Audino, Wigglytuff was a much easier target. In an instant, it was caught by Trevenant.


    "Wigglytuff!" The pitch-ck Shadow w pinched Wigglytuff, twisting its face in pain.


    Seeing its best friend captured, Audino was infuriated. It swung its fists and charged forward, forgetting its inexperience in battle.


    Poliwrath, seeing this, went all out as well.


    Audino and Wigglytuff had been persuaded by Poliwrath to venture outside. If something happened to them out there, Yuga would undoubtedly not show any mercy. Poliwrath had witnessed Yuga''s ruthlessness before.


    However, just as Audino rushed to Trevenant, it was sent flying by Trevenant''s other w. Shortly after, Trevenant caught Poliwrath as well.


    Trevenant was incredibly strong, and Poliwrath''s plump belly was nearly ttened in its grasp.


    Feeling the excruciating pain, Poliwrath gathered its courage and used the Belly Drum move, which instantaneously boosted its power to its maximum.


    Belly Drum sacrificed half of Poliwrath''s health to significantly enhance its attack. This move had a high power level.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    Poliwrath''s Ice Punch, boosted by the Belly Drum, hammered Trevenant''s brown withered w. Soon, the w was covered withyers of solid ice.


    Compared to the mutated Trevenant, Poliwrath was significantly smaller, it was like a chick In the palm of Trevenant hands.


    However, with each punch from Poliwrath led to the formation of white ice climbing up Trevenant''s arm, quickly freezing its entire limb.


    With the arm frozen, the w lost its grip on Poliwrath, who promptly climbed out and leaped onto Trevenant''s shoulder.


    At this moment, a beautiful pink beam fell onto Poliwrath; it was Audino below using Heal Pulse on it.


    Support was Audino''s primary role, and with the Heal Pulse, Poliwrath almost instantly returned to full health.


    The Trevenant on the ground had its head knocked sideways when Poliwrath delivered a powerful Ice Punch to its head.


    Furious, Trevenant, despite still holding Wigglytuff in its other hand, directly swung its Shadow w at Poliwrath''s head. However, Poliwrath had already jumped down from its shoulder.


    Roar!


    Trevenant''s Shadow w struck itself on the shoulder, tearing away the bark skin and causing dark green sap to ooze from the wound. The scene was gruesome, and sap spilled everywhere.


    Meanwhile, Wigglytuff, which had been flung from Trevenant''s grasp, was already unconscious in a nearby thicket.


    Trevenant, supported by one arm, nced at Poliwrath with a resentful look, seemingly wanting to devour it whole.


    Poliwrath couldn''t help but shiver.


    However, it wasn''t time to get distracted. Trevenant''s next attack was imminent.


    This time, Trevenant used a different move, not Shadow w but Shadow Sneak.


    Suddenly, a sinister ck hole appeared in front of Trevenant, and it extended one of its hands into it.


    Following that, a simr ck hole appeared behind Poliwrath, from which a giant w suddenly emerged, capturing Poliwrath.


    Poliwrath let out a scream and, under the effects of Shadow Sneak, became entirely incapacitated.


    Trevenant was skilled in the Shadow Sneak move, which allowed it to silently slip away from Yuga and the others. It was this unique ability that helped it escape without being noticed.


    Whoosh!


    After defeating Poliwrath, Trevenant threw it toward Audino.


    Audino, fearing that Poliwrath would be injured more severely, bravely caught Poliwrath as it flew through the air, then tumbled and rolled across the ground under the impact.


    But this wasn''t the end. Trevenant swiftly followed up with another attack, using Seed Bomb.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    As Seed Bombnded, it created craters of various depths in the ground. Soil was thrown into the air, and grass debris scattered in all directions.


    Audino hid the unconscious Poliwrath in a nearby thicket, while it continued rolling on the ground to dodge Trevenant''s Seed Bombs. It was a desperate maneuver.


    As time went by, just when it seemed that Audino couldn''t hold on much longer, the bottleneck in its level finally began to break.


    When Audino''s power reached its peak, it broke through from pseudo-Elite level into Elite level.


    The level breakthrough relieved Audino''s struggles, but even though Trevenant was heavily wounded, it was originally a Champion level Pok��mon. Audino could only barely defend against Trevenant''s attacks and couldn''t deal much damage. If Trevenant weren''t injured, it would likely have overwhelmed Audino long ago.


    Once Audino fell, Wigglytuff and Poliwrath wouldn''t stand a chance.


    Thinking of this, Audino gritted its teeth and counterattacked fiercely, giving its all in the battle.


    Audino wasn''t an offensive type Pok��mon. It could only barely hold back Trevenant''s assaults with its attacking moves, causing little damage. If it weren''t for Trevenant''s substantial health, it wouldn''t havested this long.


    Boom!


    Trevenant attacked with Shadow w again, and the exhausted Audino failed to block it this time. It was sent flying, breaking through severalrge trees as it collided.


    This time, Audino finally couldn''t get up anymore, and with eyes closed, it saw the eerie shadow of Trevenant''s ghostly w descending.


    "Am I going to die? But it sounds like I heard Yuga''s voice." These were Audino''sst thoughts before losing consciousness.


    Yuga hadn''t expected Trevenant to cross paths with Audino, and the ensuing fierce battle took him by surprise. Luckily, he arrived just in time as Trevenant prepared to attack Audino.


    Whoosh!


    Mismagius''s Mystical Fire struck the giant w of Trevenant that it was about to use to attack Audino. The searing mes ignited along Trevenant''s arm, causing it to recoil and retreat its Shadow w.


    Along with Yuga attack, Phoebe and the other Pok��mon, also followed with their attacks. They overwhelmed the massive Trevenant, causing it to struggle and eventually fall to the ground, twitching and unresponsive.


    Seeing that Trevenant was finally dealt with, Phobe breathed a sigh of relief, her tension finally lifting. She took out a Pok�� Ball and said to Yuga, "This Trevenant came from the Ghost World and broke Ghost World rules, so it can''t be left in your custody."


    Yuga, seemingly unconcerned, replied, "In that case, it''s all yours."


    With that said, he began tending to the injuries of Audino and the others.


    Phobe nodded with satisfaction and captured Trevenant in a Pok�� Ball.


    Among the three Pok��mon, Wigglytuff had the least severe injuries and quickly woke up after Yuga''s treatment.


    However, Audino''s injuries were much more critical, and Yuga''s special ability alone wasn''t sufficient for a full recovery, so they needed to find Florges for additional help.


    Florges was still busy tending to the "collecting corpse" inside the Pok��mon Tower.


    After taking care of the three Pok��mon, Yuga was eager to ask about Trevenant, but Phobe suggested, "Let''s return to the Pok��mon Tower first, and I''ll exin the details there."


    Yuga agreed and, together with Phobe, brought the injured Pok��mon back to the Pok��mon Tower.


    Inside the Pok��mon Tower, the injured Pok��mon were all properly cared for, and no casualties urred.


    However, many of the Pok��mon''s memorial shrines had been damaged. This raised a challenging problem of how to exin the situation to the public.


    The Granbull shrine had been ruined as well because he was buried on the 18th floor of the Pok��mon Tower. That area was heavily affected in the battle, leaving no remains or ashes.


    Wigglytuff and Yuga returned to the Pok��mon Tower and, upon learning of this news, Wigglytuff broke down and cried. Yuga wanted to console Wigglytuff but struggled to find the right words.


    Comforting Wigglytuff was challenging for Yuga, as words couldn''t express the depths of his emotions.


    Yuga learned about Trevenant''s situation from Phobe.


    Trevenant was a Pok��mon guide that guided souls from the world of the living to the Ghost World. However, it had been breaking the rules.


    When people and Pok��mon passed away in the real world, their lost souls were guided to the Ghost World, from where they couldn''t return unless they were unique cases like Trevenant or fugitives from the Ghost World like Yuga''s Gengar and Mismagius.


    Even for special guide lost souls like Trevenant, once they guided a soul into the Ghost World, they had to return immediately and couldn''t linger in the living world.


    A few years ago, the Ghost World lost track of a newly guided soul of Pok��mon. Shortly after, this soul, now transformed into a Ghost-type Pok��mon, vanished. Despite several years of searching, there were no leads.


    Recently, a Pok��mon guide near this Pok��mon Tower identally spotted Trevenant, another Pok��mon guide. However, it knew that aside from the soul it was guiding, there were no other souls near Pok��mon Tower that need to be guided.


    So, it would be strange for Trevenant to be appear here.


    This raised suspicion about Trevenant''s presence in the area, and the Pok��mon guide discreetly reported Trevenant''s actions.


    After investigating, the Ghost World quickly discovered that Trevenant had been secretly visiting this Pok��mon Tower each year, which was a serious vition of Ghost World rules.


    So the investigation of Trevenant''s actions fell into the hands of Phobe, the Ghost World''s Envoy in this Hoenn region.


    Phobe had an efficient approach to her tasks, and she soon found a link between the lost soul from years ago and Trevenant.


    This unique Ghost-type Pok��mon, born from the lost soul, was exceptional, and Trevenant had been secretly imprisoning it inside the Pok��mon Tower, using its power to enhance its own strength.


    The Pok��mon Tower is the final resting ce of this unique Pok��mon, and Trevenant had no choice but to hide it there.


    Once the investigation was concluded, the Ghost World tasked Phobe with capturing Trevenant. Unfortunately, Trevenant had been concealing its full strength. If not for Yuga''s timely arrival, Phobe wouldn''t have been able to capture it.


    "I clearly saw Trevenant hide that Pok��mon inside itself, but I''ve searched everywhere and even this Pok��mon Tower. The Pok��mon doesn''t seem to be here anymore. It didn''t sneak away on its own, did it?" Phobe expressed her frustration.


    Yuga was aware that the Pok��mon she referred to was Mimikyu, the yellow, cloth-wrapped entity that was now residing inside his Shadow Space.


    He was about to mention it when Gengar''s voice suddenly whispered into his ear.


    Surprised, Yuga paused and kept his silence.

 Chapter 989: Mimikyu

    <h4>Chapter 989: Mimikyu</h4>


    After searching the area for the missing yellow dumpling without sess, Phoebe choose to bid farewell with Yuga. She needed to return quickly to deal with Trevenant.


    The destruction of the Pok��mon Tower is also a big problem that need to be reported to the Pok��mon League. Fortunately, the League''s higher-ups were aware of Phoebe''s identity as a Ghost World Envoy, So they would surely assist her in resolving this matter.


    The Pok��mon Tower served as a ce for people to bury and pay their respects to beloved Pok��mon. Its unexined destruction would be difficult for the affected parties to be epted.


    Just like Wigglytuff, who still couldn''t ept the reality.


    Yuga didn''t rush to leave the Pok��mon Tower but choose to stayed here to help tend the injurred monks. When they were stable enough to move, he transported them to the hospital in Whitecloud Town. He also took the heavily injured Audino to the Pok��mon Center.


    After a thorough examination and treatment by Nurse Joy from Whitecloud Town, Audino finally woke up.


    By the time everything was settled, the sky had turnedpletely dark. It was impossible to return to Verdanturf Town at this hour, so Yuga and his Pok��mon had to stay at the Whitecloud Town Pok��mon Center.


    That night, Yuga sternly scolded the three Pok��mon who had run away from home, especially the instigator, Poliwrath.


    He picked up a wooden tray from the room''s table and smacked Poliwrath''s head, saying, "You''re quite daring! Encouraging others to run away from home! Why don''t you just fly into the sky? Do you have an extra pair of wings? Do you think you better than Rayquaza?"


    After pping its head, Yuga started hitting Poliwrath''s arm with the tray.


    Poliwrath, clutching its bruised arm, stepped back, appearing pitiful, and didn''t dare to argue.


    As Yuga scolded Poliwrath, Audino, with an apologetic expression, silently retreated a few steps, but Yuga still noticed its movement.


    "And you! You know how to fear now. Why weren''t you afraid when you ran away from home? Come over here!" Yuga said with a stern face.


    When Audino heard this, with a conflicted expression, moved closer and said, "Au... Audino..."


    I... I won''t dare to do it again.


    Yuga red at it and asked, "Again? You still want to have a ''again''? Have you been living toofortably at home and now you''re thinking of a way out?"


    Audino immediately shook its head vigorously and said, "Audino! Audino"


    I just wanted to break through! Look, look at this!


    As Audino spoke, it moved closer to Yuga and made a very cute, ttering expression.


    "Are you trying to get away with acting cute? Don''t even think about it!" Yuga said, though Audino was indeed cute.


    Audino, wanting to show off its breakthrough to the Elite level, muttered to itself: Who wants to get away by acting cute!


    Actually, Yuga had noticed Audino''s exceptional level a long time ago. But if he praising it now, it would make it difficult to continue scolding, so he chose to ignore it.


    ...


    Audino


    Type: Normal


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Healer


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 71


    Moves: Last Resort, Hyper Voice, Helping Hand, Pound, Misty Terrain, Round Eyes, Refresh, Double p, Charm, Disarming Voice, Secret Power, Shadow Ball, Heal Pulse, Heal Bell, Healing Wish, Dazzling Gleam, Safeguard, Fire Punch, Drain Punch, y Nice, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Magic Coat.


    ...


    Audino specialized in moves like Heal Pulse, Heal Bell, and Helping Hand...which were supportive move. It had also learned some offensive moves, but it wasn''t particrly powerfulpared to other offensive Pok��mon.


    It simply hadn''t been gifted with offensive abilities.


    So even though Audino had reached the Elite level, it would still struggle in one-on-one battles against other Pok��mon of the same level, especially without the assistance of a well-rounded team.


    Its main advantage was its durability, allowing it to withstand attacks from Pok��mon like Trevenant.


    Yuga spent more than an hour scolding Poliwrath and Audino, not having the heart to me the Wigglytuff evem though she was also an aplice.


    Once the lecture was over, Yuga introduced his new friend, Cosmoem, to the group.


    In truth, everyone had noticed Cosmoem that being held in Yuga''s hands early. But they refrained from asking questions, given their situation that still being scolded.


    Audino, although well-read, waspletely unfamiliar with this tiny Pok��mon.


    Before, Cosmoem had been obediently resting in Yuga''s palm, but when it heard Yuga introduce it, it joyfully floated out of his hand and greeted everyone in a friendly manner.


    Cosmoem was small and cute, and Audino instantly liked it, so she reaching out to touch it.


    Cosmoem wasn''t shy either, and in no time, it became good friends with Audino, naturally finding a ce on Audino''s head.


    At first, Audino didn''t mind, but there was a moment when Cosmoem forgot to use its psychic powers to control its weight.


    Crack, crack...


    Audino: My neck...


    After that, Audino decided not to let Cosmoem rest on its head again.


    Seeing Cosmoem and Audino having fun, Yuga walked over and summoned Gengar.


    Wigglytuff, who had been feeling sad beside him, looked over strangely when Yuga called Gengar: Why are you summoning Gengar at this hour?


    Gengar slowly floated out of Yuga''s Shadow Space, holding a small, curled-up yellow Pok��mon in its hands. The yellow Pok��mon appeared incredibly weak, as if it could break at any moment.


    Both Yuga and Wigglytuff couldn''t help but feel a sense ofpassion for this fragile Pok��mon.


    This yellow Pok��mon was the Mimikyu that had been imprisoned by the Trevenant.


    Yuga nced at Mimikyu and asked Gengar, "Has it fallen asleep again?"


    Gengar nodded, looking quite helpless.


    This Mimikyu was incredibly weak.


    ...


    Mimikyu (Frail)


    Type: Ghost, Fairy


    Ability: Disguise


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 1


    Moves: Wood Hammer, Astonish


    ...


    Yuga had never seen a Pok��mon with such a low level. Aside from the dazzling purple potential, Mimikyu''s data was truly underwhelming: a "frail" status, an extremely low level, and meager move slots.


    Even newly hatched Pok��mon typically reach level 5 and beyond after their frail early stages. But before this frail period ends Yuga''s Insighy ability couldn''t determine a Pok��mon''s level.


    However, Mimikyu''s condition left Yuga with a lot to consider.


    Needles to say, this had to be rted to Trevenant.


    ording to Phoebe, Mimikyu had been in Trevenant''s custody for several years. If it had done nothing, there was no way it would remain at just level 1.


    Furthermore, it had a purple potential, making it even more intriguing.


    Upon seeing the striking purple potential, Yuga could guess the reason Trevenant had been interested in capturing it.


    Purple potential was a ticket for ordinary Pok��mon to reach level 100, at which point their power would be on par with legendary Pok��mon. It was no wonder Trevenant had coveted it.


    As for why Yuga kept Mimikyu secret from Phoebe, it was because Mimikyu, when it woke up, told Gengar and Mismagius that it had memories from before bing a Mimikyu and didn''t want to return to the Ghost World.


    Since the Pok��mon itself didn''t want to leave, Yuga was more than happy to have another Pok��mon join them.


    Yuga didn''t care about the Ghost World, especially considering Mismagius and Gengar were fugitives from the Ghost World.


    They had been in the human world for so long that the distinctive aura of the Ghost World had faded from them, making it nearly impossible for the Ghost World to track them down.


    In the Ghost World, all souls, whether they belong to humans or Pok��mon, have their previous memories erased, starting fresh in the Ghost World.


    It''s unclear how Mimikyu managed to retain its memories.


    The consciousness of Ghost World is known for its fair and impartial, and it wouldn''t typically make exceptions for a Mimikyu.


    However, it seemed that keeping Mimikyu was the right choice. No matter how shabby it is, this still a Pok��mon with a purple potential.


    After checking that Mimikyu was not in danger, Yuga instructed Gengar to return it to his Shadow Space.


    With the Ghost World Origin Stone in their possession, it wouldn''t be long before Mimikyu made a full recovery.


    Early the next day, Yuga was awaken by Gengar after sensed that Mimikyu had awoken. When Yuga saw Mimikyu, he received shocking news.


    "You... What did you say? You''re our family''s Granbull?" Yuga stared wide-eyed, eximing in disbelief.


    It couldn''t be!


    How can that happend?


    Because Yuga''s voice was so loud, it immediately attracted the attention of the other Pok��mon. They all turned to look, especially Wigglytuff, whose eyes seemed to be glowing.


    "Yes, I am indeed Granbull!"


    Although Mimikyu had awakened, its body was still incredibly weak, making its speechckluster. Yes, Mimikyu had telepathic abilities and could converse even without Yuga''s unique power.


    When Mimikyu first saw Yuga, it was equally shocked. It hadn''t expected Yuga to be the one to rescue it. However, it was too weak when it was saved, and it only had faint sensations of the encounter.


    "But how can it be? Granbull has been dead for several years!" Yuga muttered in amazement.


    Hearing Yuga''s mumble, Mimikyu began recounting its experiences after Granbull''s death.


    After Granbull''s death, the lost soul he became wandered aimlessly through the Mauville Forest.


    This ce served as the home base by Pok��mon Hunter, Motohara. He was notorious for tormenting and killing countless innocent Pok��mon. Over time, the forest had gathered a substantial amount of malice.


    The negative emotions like malice and fear were beloved by Ghost-type Pok��mon. But due to the infamy of the Motohara, wild Ghost-type Pok��mon dared not approach. This only allowed the lingering malice to umte further.


    In its disoriented state, Granbull inadvertently absorbed a significant amount of this malice and, through a twist of fate, directly transformed into a Ghost-type Pok��mon in the real world. And his consciousness also gradually became clearer.


    Not only did Granbull absorb malice, but his lost soul also assimted the memories of other Pok��mon left in the malice.


    Presumably because Granbull possessed a Fairy-type attribute, his lost soul also became a Mimikyu with the same attribute.


    The awakening Mimikyu was delighted and wanted to find Wigglytuff. However, at that moment, a Pok��mon Guide, who was sent to guide the lost souls, arrived.


    It was none other than Trevenant.


    The Pok��mon Guide who guide lost souls are chosen randomly by the Ghost World''s consciousness, so there''s a chance the Ghost World itself doesn''t remember that Trevenant was the one who guided Mimikyu initially. Otherwise, Trevenant couldn''t have enjoyed several years in the human world.


    Mimikyu didn''t want to leave with Trevenant, but it was no match for it, and It took Mimikyu back to the Ghost World.


    The Ghost-type Pok��mon in the Ghost World are the souls of Pok��mon that was brought back to the Ghost World after death and transformed by the Ghost World''s consciousness. However, Mimikyu was already a Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    The fair and just Ghost World consciousness, regardless of whether Mimikyu was a Ghost-type Pok��mon or not, subjected it to a secondary transformation.


    Under the influence of the Ghost World''s special rules, Mimikyu, after this second transformation, retained its original appearance. However, its potential directly changed from ordinary to the highest purple grade. Mimikyu also discovered that its memories hadn''t been erased.


    It must be said that Mimikyu''s experiences were full of coincidences.


    Generally, its impossible for the lost souls to directly be Ghost-type Pok��mon by absorbing malice. And it''s unknown whether undergoing a secondary transformation while already a Ghost-type Pok��mon would improve their potential.


    After all, no one dares to interfere with the actions of the Ghost World''s consciousness, which also remains oblivious to the creation of an anomaly like Mimikyu.


    The Ghost World''s consciousness functions like a pre-set program. It executes the designatedmands and doesn''t need to review them. This is one of the reasons Mimikyu came into existence.


    However, the unusual potential of Mimikyu didn''t escape the notice of Trevenant, who had brought it back to the Ghost World.


    After observing for a long time, Trevenant eventually confirmed Mimikyu''s extraordinary potential. As a Pok��mon Guide, it held a unique status and knew various esoteric practices, one of which was the ability to take over the bodies of other Pok��mon.


    So, Trevenant secretly captured Mimikyu with the intention of swapping bodies with it. But toplete this ritual, one of the most crucialponents was the original body of Mimikyu before its transformed. By this time, Granbull''s body had already been brought to the Pok��mon Tower from Mauville Forest by Yuga.


    Hence, Trevenant took Mimikyu to the Pok��mon Tower.


    Mimikyu had no recollection of how it got there, it just that when it regained consciousness it was already imprisoned there. It had also no idea why its original body back when it was Granbull, was buried in the Pok��mon Tower. It couldn''t be the work of that evil man Motohara.


    However, Trevenant didn''t ount for the fact that Granbull''s body was no longer Mimikyu''s true original body; it was the one before its secondary transformation. In other words, Mimikyu''s current body was its previous form.


    Needless to say, Trevenant''s ritual failed, which allowed Mimikyu to continue to exist. While Trevenant couldn''t fathom why its ritual had failed.


    Nheless, Trevenant didn''t give up on Mimikyu. It discovered that while its secret technique was failed, Mimikyu could still used as an energy transfer. Coupled with the unique environment of the Pok��mon Tower, it could directly absorb the energy umted by Mimikyu into its own body.


    Thus, it secretly kept Mimikyu imprisoned in the Pok��mon Tower. Every year, on Granbull''s memorial day, Trevenant would visit to drain Mimikyu''s energy. This is why Mimikyu''s level remained at 1.


    By the time Yuga and Phoebe arrived, Trevenant had already drained Mimikyu dry.


    After being drained by Trevenant repeatedly over several years, Mimikyu''s condition was deteriorating. If Trevenant continued to drain it, there was no guarantee that it could survive.


    Listening to Mimikyu''s story, Yuga felt a mix of emotionspassion for what Mimikyu had endured under Trevenant''s torment, nostalgia for all the experiences Mimikyu had gone through without Yuga and Wigglytuff''s knowledge, and also happiness that it was still alive.


    Yugater shared his own experiences from the past few years with Mimikyu. Of course, he didn''t reveal the fact that he was a recement for the original owner.


    Upon learning about Yuga''s journey, Mimikyu was equally moved but filled with more happiness. Yuga had matured and grown.


    Since Mimikyu was Granbull, it and Wigglytuff are reunited after a long separation, and Yuga finally left the room alone to them.


    Two hourster, when Yuga returned to the room with the other Pok��mon after breakfast, he found Wigglytuff with a radiant smile, though her eyes were still slightly red from crying. It was evident that they had just shared an emotional reunion.


    Yuga couldn''t help but feel happy for the couple. Even though they were from different species and couldn''t have offspring, they were still in love with each other.


    Observing the affectionate moments between Wigglytuff and Mimikyu, Poliwrath couldn''t help butment with a tinge of envy: That''s so sweet. I wish I had a sweet love... I don''t ask for much, just give me a female partner.


    It sighed, reflecting on its past infatuations with male Pok��mon, like Melotic and Ludicolo. The idea of it being in love with male Pok��mon twice had sent shivers down its spine: Damn it... Don''t tell me that Quagsie is also...No! it can''t be... Don''t overthink it... Don''t overthink it...


    Yuga was unaware of the inner turmoil in Poliwrath''s mind. Meanwhile, as Mimikyu hadn''t fully recovered yet, it grew tired after spending some time with Wigglytuff and fell asleep. Yuga instructed Gengar to return it to the shadow space for some rest.

 Chapter 990: Wealth

    <h4>Chapter 990: Wealth</h4>


    After resting in Whitecloud Town for half a day, Yuga was nning to take his Pok��mon back to Verdanturf Town.


    By morning, news of the incident at the Pok��mon Tower had already reached Whitecloud Town, and the townspeople were quite angry. However, the League''s response was swift, and by the time Yuga left, the authorities that was sent to handle the matter had arrived in Whitecloud Town.


    Once back in Verdanturf Town, Yuga became busy with another matter.


    While Cosmoem was hatching, Yuga achieved a big achievement: taming a Level 1 Legendary Pok��mon.


    As a reward for this achievement, he received a form for an exclusive Pok��block. This form contained the method to create a special Pok��block used for nurturing Cosmog-Cosmoem-Lun.


    The situation was too chaotic at that time, and Yuga could only put it aside after receiving the system prompt. After returning to Verfanturf Town, he had time to deal with it.


    It has to be said that a Level 1 Legendary Pokemon is worthy as its name, and even the system give it a preferential treatment.


    The Pokeblock that was used to nurturing Cosmoem not only it was an exclusive Pokeblock, but the system also named this Pokeblock. It was named "Moonlight," which matched Lun''s identity perfectly.


    It''s worth noting that Yuga had previously named the Pok��block forms he obtained by himself. This was the first time the system itself named one for him.


    ording to the system, the growth of a Level 1 Legendary Pok��mon is an extremely lengthy process. Allowing them to grow naturally would likely take a lifetime, and they might not even mature. Therefore, this special reward was provided.


    The Moonlight Pok��block could elerate Cosmoem''s growth and help it evolve into its final form, Lun. With the Directional Mutation made Cosmoem lost the chance to evolve into Solgaleo.


    Kartana, who also an Ultra Beasts and withparable status and abilities to the Level 2 Legendary Pok��mon, did not receive such special treatment.


    As one of the two unique Legendary Pok��mon in the Al region, schrs in the Pok��mon world typically ranked Lun alongside Pok��mon like Ho-Oh, Lugia, Rayquaza, Kyogre, Groudon, and more, which were considered Level 1 Legendary Pok��mon.


    However, Yuga realized that after encountering Cosmoem, Lun''s abilities might resemble those of a Level 1 Legendary Pok��mon, but its identity was more simr to that of Ultra Beast, like Karatana.


    This distinction was due to the fact that they did not possess the divinity of Legendary Pok��mon Pok��mon but rather the unique aura of an Ultra Beast.


    But In the system, Lun was grouped with Pok��mon like Ho-Oh and others as Level 1 Legendary Pok��mon.


    Pok��blocks like Moonlight, capable of elerating the growth of Level 1 Legendary Pok��mon, were not easy to create. Even the materials alone were giving Yuga a headache, which was why he rushed back from Whitecloud Town in hurry.


    The Moonlight Pok��block''s primary ingredients consist of four types: Ghost Gems, Psychic Gems, Dark Stones, and Moon Stones.


    If Yuga only needed these four items individually, it wouldn''t be much of a problem. However, the trouble lies in the fact that creating a small jar of Moonlight Pok��blocks requires an astounding number of Ghost Gems and Psychic Gems, each in the thousands, and they can''t bebined.


    The required quantity of Dark Stones and Moon Stones is substantial too, although not as much as Ghost Gems and Psychic Gems, but still, hundreds of them are needed.


    How many Pok��blocks are in a small jar? Only a few dozen, which means they won''tst long. If Yuga wants to use Moonlight Pok��blocks for Cosmoem''s long-term growth, the cost would be astronomical, just thinking about it is frightening.


    Dark Stones and Moon Stones are both special evolution stones, not asmon as Fire Stones, Water Stones, or Thunder Stones. They are much harder to obtain.


    To gather hundreds of them at once isn''t impossible for Yuga, but the issue is that it''s a long-term requirement. Who could continuously provide him withrge quantities of Dark Stones and Moon Stones?


    There are also two types of attribute gems, which are even harder toe by than Dark Stones and Moon Stonesbined.


    Attribute gems have always been considered a luxury items by trainers. There''s price but with no market. They are often shared among high-level trainers. Buying them is difficult, and even if you can purchase them, they are not cheap.


    Currently, the various attribute gems Yuga uses to train his Elite level Pok��mon are obtained through exchanges with other trainers using the Ghost Gems and Psychic Gems, and it''s just enough for his needs. He doesn''t have an excess.


    Thankfully, Yuga and Cynthia jointly own a Ghost Gem mine in the Distortion World, so he doesn''tck Ghost Gems. The real challenge is obtaining Psychic Gems.


    The issue is that he doesn''t know any powerful Psychic-type trainers who could help him.


    It looks like he''ll have to use connections. Yuga silently thought.


    Apart from the primary materials, there are many auxiliary materials that are also quite rare. However, these can be obtained with money, and if it can be resolved with money, then it''s not a problem.


    However, the Ecopark has just been built, and now he has to spend such arge sum of money. His wallet can''t take it!


    Yuga quickly used all the connections he could, including Steven, Cynthia, Flint, Volkner, Mr. Norman, Robert, Wace, the Joy family, and anyone he could think of.


    At the same time, he organized his own resources to see what he could use.


    He handed over a box of Reaper Clothe he obtain from Ghost World to Phoebe to help handling it.


    This Reaper Cloth was obtained when he and Marlon were in the Unova Region together. He had used some of it and still had plenty left. Since he couldn''t use it all, it was better to exchange it for something useful.


    There were also feathers from Zapdos. When Zapdos shed its feathers, Yuga took the opportunity to collect a lot, and they had gone unused.


    But they were valuable, and there were many Electric-type trainers who wanted them. So, Yuga gave all of them to Volkner. He had connections in the Electric-type trainermunity and believed they could fetch a good price.


    In addition, there arerge quantities of Fire Stones. The Ecopark has a Fire Stone vein, and most of the mined Fire Stones have been stored by Yuga. They haven''t been used much, and they can be used to trade for Moon Stones and Dark Stones.


    However, the value of one Fire Stone is lower than that of an equivalent Moon Stone and Dark Stone, so Yuga will definitely take a bit of a loss in terms of quantity in the trade.


    Apart from theserger items, there are various odds and ends, and Yuga took this opportunity to bring them out.


    This is where having a widework of contactses in handy, especially Steven, who is in the business. He helped Yuga deal with a lot of things.


    To obtain the troublesome Psychic Gems, Yuga even had to contact Sabrina, who was all the way in the Kanto region. She''s a specialist in Psychic-type Pok��mon and is well-versed in Psychic powers. She should have the right connections for Psychic Gems.


    To be honest, Yuga didn''t have many opportunities to contact her since they parted ways, mostly it was Gon who would asionally reach out.


    Sabrina and Gon had a good rtionship, and she contacted Gon more often than Yuga.


    Gon is now the Holy Son of Bell Tower, and he has changed his name to match his current role as a little monk, called Josiah. He''s been very busy since bing the Holy Son, with practice and studies. He hasn''t had a chance to visit Ecruteak City, and he only asionally contacts Yuga and Sabrina.


    But there''s some good news �C Gon has regained the Psychic powers he lost.


    Originally, the me mark left in Gon''s forehead by Ho-oh gave him hope, and as his training deepened, it helped him recover his Psychic powers.


    Gon isn''t entirely human; he has some Pok��mon genes in his body. After his Psychic powers returned, his strength started to grow rapidly. It''s said that in the realm of Psychic powers, he''s now almost on par with Sabrina, who has trained for many years.


    Sabrina confirmed this herself.


    The monks of Bell Tower, to say nothing else, must be experts in meditation techniques. They see Gon as the hope of the entire Bell Tower, and they aremitted to his training.


    Although Sabrina has always had a somewhat unfriendly attitude towards Yuga and often gives him the cold shoulder, when Yuga contacted her for help, she readily agreed, showing that she''s someone with a warm heart beneath her cold exterior.


    Sabrina has always had a reclusive personality, but after meeting Gon, her character has clearly changed. At least now, her reputation at the Saffron Gym is much better than before.


    After reaching out to various contacts, Yuga went on to prepare other materials and became quite dizzy for a while.


    Among the auxiliary materials needed for creating the Moonlight Pok��blocks is a gem of Starmie


    The Starmie Gems will continually shed and renew as its age and strength increase, and its containing substances that are highly beneficial to Psychic-type Pok��mon.


    Although these substances do not affect the Starmie themselves but it doesnt prevent it from assising in the training of other Psychic-type Pok��mon.


    However, based on the form the gem that used for moonlight Pokeblock has very high requirements on the quality. The Starmie that used to produce these gems cannot be lower than pseudo-Elite level.


    So, it''s a rare resource, and Trainers who have Starmie usually collect these gems to sell or exchange with other Trainers in need.


    Fortunately, this material is just an auxiliary ingredient, and the quantity required each time is notrge; otherwise, it wouldn''t be easy for Yuga to collect them long-term.


    Wace himself has an Elite level Starmie, so he had many of these gems stored. He doesn''tck money or resources, so he''s always kept them unused.


    Then he exchanged some from his friends and sent them all to Yuga.


    With this batch of materials, Yuga won''t have to worry about the Starmie''s gems for a long time.


    After receiving the gems sent by Wace, Yuga walked joyfully towards his shop. He had barely entered the shop when he heard a Chatot flying over, saying that Dusknoir had something to discuss with him.


    After he had put away the items, he hurriedly went to the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark.


    At first, Yuga thought that Dusknoir had something urgent to discuss with him. He didn''t expect that as soon as he boarded the Ghost Ship, he would see dozens of boxes of various sizes ced at the bow of the ship.


    "These are..." Yuga looked at Dusknoir floating at the bow of the ship with suspicion.


    "Dusknoir!" Dusknoir shouted to a Gengar nearby. The Gengar immediately opened one of the boxes.


    O(_)O what the... When the box was opened, Yuga''s eyes were blinded by the dazzling gold. The whole box was full of shiny, shimmering gold.


    But this was not all; the Gengar did not stop there. It continued to open box after box, revealing gold, jewels, gemstones, antiques... one after another. This was truly heart-stopping.


    This is too exciting!


    In addition to these treasures, there were several boxes filled with Evolution Stones, held items, attribute gems, and various other training resources.


    After all the boxes were opened, Yuga couldn''t help but ask Dusknoir, "Did you steal the entire wealth of the Mirage Kingdom built up over a thousand years?"


    Dusknoir: ...I didn''t expect you to see me like this...


    After some exnation, Yuga learned that all these treasures were collected by Dusknoir and its crews during their travels over the past thousand years.


    Some were sunken treasures, some were taken from others, and some were found. In fact, there were some things in these boxes that even Dusknoir couldn''t remember where they came from.


    Dusknoir and its associates couldn''t use these themselves and didn''t want to benefit the Mirage Kingdom, so they had kept umting these in the Ghost Ship. As time went by, the collection just grew, leading to what Yuga had just seen.


    When Dusknoir found out that Yuga needed attribute gems and other materials, it thought of the things umting in its Ghost Ship and decided to share them.


    "So...so, these are all mine?" Yuga stammered with disbelief.


    "Dusknoir!" Dusknoir nodded with its singr eye half-closed.


    Yes! Yes! Yes!


    That''s the only thought in Yuga''s mind right now.


    In addition to the substantial treasures in these boxes, there were also plenty of attribute gems and Evolution Stones, spanning various attributes.


    Of course, there were probably no Ghost Gems and Dark Stones in there because Ghost-type Pok��mon would need these materials, and it''s likely that Dusknoir had already used them.


    It took Yuga quite some time to calm down from his excitement.


    "So...am I considered adopted?" Yuga hesitantly asked Dusknoir.


    Dusknoir: ...


    In any case, with the treasures generously given by Dusknoir, Yuga''s financial pressure was significantly relieved.


    Once he left the Ecopark, Yuga immediately contacted Steven, wanting him to help sell this batch of treasures.


    When Steven received the pictures that Yuga sent over, he was stunned and asked, "Did you rob a treasure vault somewhere?"


    Yuga couldn''t tell Steven the true origin of these treasures, so he joked, "I''ve been adopted, and these are gifts from my benefactor. Tell me, can you sell them?"


    "Who has the audacity to adopt you? Tell me who it is so I can get to know them!"


    Steven didn''t take Yuga''s words seriously, but selling such arge batch of treasures wouldn''t be easy. He thought for a moment and said, "I''ll do my best. I''ll send someone to collect the items from your ce. Just wait for the message."


    Yuga knew that selling such arge quantity of items wouldn''t be straightforward, and he said, "Got it." Then, he hung up the phone.


    Two dayster, instead of receiving a call from Steven, he received a call from Cynthia.


    "Did you say Caitlin is willing to trade a batch of Psychic Gems with me?"


    Yuga was surprised to hear Cynthia''s words. Even though he had received a batch of attribute gems from Dusknoir, he was still far from having enough Psychic Gems to create a sufficient number of Moonlight Pok��block.


    Caitlin is a friend of Cynthia''s and currently sitting as the Psychic-type Elite Four of the Union Region. It wasn''t unusual for her to have extra Psychic Gems.


    "Yes, but she needs your help with something. If it works out, Caitlin is willing to give you arge number of Psychic Gems. Caitlin is quite wealthy, you know," Cynthia said yfully on the other end of the phone.


    Help? Yuga asked with curiosity, "What kind of help? Tell me first."

 Chapter 991: Buyer

    <h4>Chapter 991: Buyer</h4>


    After Cynthia''s exnation, Yuga realized that the one asking for his help wasn''t just Caitlin, but also the Unova League itself.


    To understand the situation better, it''s essential to revisit a past event of the Unova League.


    The current Champion of the Unova League, Mr. Alder, is an experienced Champion who has held this position for decades. However, he had been contemting retirement for quite some time.


    Over a decade ago, the Unova League faced an unprecedented crisis. It was a Pok��mon catastrophe that hadn''t urred in over a century. The one who yed a crucial role in resolving this disaster was none other than the then-Champion, Mr. Alder.


    This Pok��mon catastrophe was caused by a Master level Volcarona, who led a horde of wild Pok��mon in a fierce attack on human cities.


    The root cause of this catastrophe was the Chairman of the Unova League at the time, who, in a bid to obtain a starter Pok��mon for his grandson, had secretly captured the child of Volcarona.


    For a Master level Pok��mon, having offspring was already an exceedingly rare event, and the fact that its precious child was stolen, make it furious.


    The dignity of a Master level Pok��mon is not something to be taken lightly. it would be fine If the League Chairman had sought proper permission from Volcarona or even failed in his efforts, it might have been a different story. However, he chose to resort to theft.


    The Master level Volcarona was far too powerful. Several major cities in the Unova League were subjected to widespread devastation by wild Pok��mon. The loss of human lives and property was immeasurable. It was Mr. Alder, single-handedly, who stood up to blocked Volcarona.


    If Mr. Alder had not intervened just in time, that city might have been entirely razed to the ground, with hundreds of thousands of lives lost.


    However, because of this heroic act, two of Mr. Alder''s seven Champion level Pok��mon perished, and five more were gravely wounded. And among the two that perished, one was his Ace.


    Due to the timely action of Mr. Alder, the Unova League''s Master level Trainer, the Matriarch, was able to arrive on the scene and eventually resolve the Volcarona issue. This also marked the end of these horrific Pok��mon disaster.


    However, the matter did not end there, though.


    Due to the loss of two main champions and severe injuries to five others, Mr. Alder was going through a period of intense grief. It was during this time that the League''s regional Chairman took the opportunity to divert me onto him, using Mr. Alder of causing the attack and loss of lives in the city.


    At that time, the truth of the incident had not yet been revealed, and the League Chairman was sly and cunning. He had arranged for the stolen Pok��mon egg to be delivered to Mr. Alder''s son, falsely incriminating him.


    Mr. Alder is the Champion of the League, and his son received exceptional protection. Consequently, his son had developed a somewhat naive and gullible personality, making him easy to be manipted. He fell for the plot without much resistance.


    This false usation deeply tarnished Mr. Alder''s reputation.


    Even though he was a hero of the Unova League, he was unjustly imprisoned due to the scheming of malevolent individuals, causing Mr. Alder feel physically and mentally exhausted.


    At that time, many people who were unaware of the truth began to use Mr. Alder. Under the guidance of the regional Chairman of the Unova League, they believed that Mr. Alder''s willingness to confront the Master level Volcarona alone wasn''t due to selflessness but rather guilt for wrongdoing.


    Due to this incident, the Unova League went through a period of turmoil for quite some time, and Mr. Alder''s son also eventually died in this turmoil.


    The one who ultimately resolved this matter was the family Caitlin belongs to.


    Caitlin''s family is a mysterious and powerful n, on par with the Temple family. Their lineage is ancient, and their members possess varying degrees of psychic abilities.


    This family was brought in by the Matriarch to investigate the truth of the matter. Under their psychic powers, no lie can remain hidden, and the truth was soon revealed.


    As a result, Mr. Alder was exonerated.


    This incident caused significant turmoil throughout the entire Pok��mon League. Not only did the regional Chairman of the Unova League face repercussions, but arge portion of other officials within the League also dissmised.


    However, this was just the beginning.


    The actions of the regional Chairman were so heinous that it stirred strong public discontent, leading to protests and demonstrations. The League couldn''t hide this situation, and it ultimately led to a massive purge throughout the entire Pok��mon League, all in an effort to be ountable to the public.


    This cleansing almost reced about half of the League''s officials. Many power structures within the League were reorganized, and the one overseeing this purification was the current Chairman of the League headquarters, Charles Goodshow.


    It can be said that with his own efforts, Mr. Alder changed the entire situation within the Pok��mon League.


    It''s worth mentioning that Yuga can now witness a more politically transparent environment in the League,rgely due to that masive purge.


    After going through this event, Mr. Alder became disheartened and considered resigning from his position as the League Champion.


    In the end, it was Chairman Charles Goodshow and the head of Caitlin''s family who came forward simultaneously, persuading Mr. Alder and to reluctantly continue in his role as Champion.


    Emotionally, Chairman Charles Goodshow was in agreement with Mr. Alder stepping down from the Champion''s position, given to what he had gone through. However, it was impossible to justify it to the public.


    After the truth of the matter was made into public, Mr. Alder had be a well-known hero to all. If he were to resign from the Champion''s position at this critical moment, how would the public react?


    They wouldn''t see it as Mr. Alder voluntarily resigning; instead, they would think he was being pressured and treated unfairly once again, potentially leading to further turmoil.


    Since then, although Mr. Alder still holds the position of Champion in the Unova League, he''s not very involved in the day-to-day affairs. He spends his days apanying Pok��mon, strolling around, and nurturing his only remaining child. He only asionally makes appearances during major events.


    You could say that Mr. Alder is now the big shot, the elder statesman, and the top dog of the Unova League.


    The child of that Volcarona, who caused all the trouble earlier, was also sent to Mr. Alder aspensation by the Unova League.


    The potential of that Pok��mon egg was exceptional, and itter hatched into a Larvesta. Under Mr. Alder''s careful care, it has be his ace Pok��mon.


    Mr. Alder''s grandson''s first Pok��mon is a descendant of this ace Pok��mon and is also a Larvesta.


    However, even though Mr. Alder has a new ace Pok��mon now, the previous five injured Pok��mon are still a major concern.


    These five Pok��mon suffered severe injuries at the time. Due to Mr. Alder being falsely used and not receiving timely treatment, their injuries persisted for over a decade and have been worsening in thest couple of years.


    Continuing this way, it''s only a matter of time before they run out of strength.


    Mr. Alder''s bond with these five Pok��mon is incredibly deep. He has spent all these years searching for ways to treat them, but he''s only found methods that address the symptoms rather than the root issue.


    The Unova League has also been actively assisting Mr. Alder in finding treatments for his Pok��mon but hasn''t had any sess either.


    Recently, the Max Revive produced by the Joy family gave the Unova League and Mr. Alder a glimmer of hope, which is why they reached out to the Joy family.


    The Joy family''s Max Revive, apart from some being sold, are also reserved for favors. In other words, they have struggled to meet the high demand for these limited supplies of Max Revive.


    Providing Mr. Alder with five of them was a challenge for them due to the limited production capacity of these Max Revive, and they are still in the experimental phase.


    Additionally, they require most of their Revival Herbs for growing new Revival Herbs. So, they can''t mass-produce Max Revive in the short term.


    Every time they sell Max Revive, only a few people manage to purchase them.


    When Mr. Alder and the Unova League approached the Joy family, they had already sold out for the season. However, they still did their best to allocate two of the Max Revive to Mr. Alder.


    However, for Mr. Alder, two Max Revive would not be sufficient, as he needs them for five Pok��mon in need of treatment. So, who should be the fortunate ones to receive these two Max Revive?


    In the end, the Joy family pointed Mr. Alder in the right direction: Go and find Yuga.


    Yuga possesses a considerable amount of Revival Herbs, and he doesn''t sell them externally, so he undoubtedly has enough Max Revive in his hands.


    However, the Unova League and Mr. Alder don''t have a close rtionship with Yuga, so they tactfully contacted Cynthia through Caitlin, who, in turn, contacted Yuga.


    One can''t deny that it''s quite a convoluted process.


    Over the years, Caitlin''s family has maintained a very good rtionship with Mr. Alder, which is why she is willing to help. Besides, she personally wants to acquire some spare Max Revive �C you can never have too many life-saving items.


    After hearing from Cynthia about Caitlin''s family''s situation and Mr. Alder''s predicament, Yuga agreed without much hesitation.


    Mr. Alder is indeed an admirable individual, and if Yuga can help within his means, he is more than willing to assist, especially since it''s not withoutpensation.


    After a brief discussion with Caitlin, Yuga made the promise to provide Mr. Alder with three Max Revive and one for Caitlin.


    He has Max Revive in stock, but he also doesn''t want to give Caitlin too many at once, as she might try to lower thr price. If she wants it again in the future, she can continue toe to him!


    This is the advantages of being a seller''s market!


    The price for these four Max Revive was eventually set at two thousand Psychic Gems. One Max Revive costs five hundred Psychic Gems, which is a fair price.


    Five hundred Psychic Gems are enough for an Elite level Psychic-type Pok��mon to practice for a year or two. However, at Yuga''s ce, it''s not even enough to produce one batch of Moonlight Pok��block.


    Just thinking about it is enough to make him sad.


    Two to three dayster, utilizing various connections and spending a considerable sum of money, Yuga finally gathered enough materials to produce two batches of Moonlight Pok��block.


    Yuga decided not to entrust the production of these Moonlight Pok��block, which Cosmoem would consumes, to Misaki and the others, but to make it by his own hands.


    While Yuga''s expertise in making Pok��block might not match with that professionals like Misaki and the others, his skills are stillmendable.


    Before Misaki arrived at the Pok��mon Day Care, Yuga was the one making Pok��block at home. Even now, he asionally lends a hand to Misaki and the others, and his skills haven''t waned.


    When producing Moonlight Pok��block, handling auxiliary materials is rtively quiet simple because Yuga has experience using them from regr Pok��block production.


    The crucial part is working with attribute gems and evolution stones, both of which are exceptionally hard, especially the attribute gems.


    Yuga''s task involves breaking down these attribute gems and evolution stone into a powder without destroying the attribute energy contained within.


    Dealing with Starmie''s gems isparatively easier, mainly because this material has a softer texture, particrly when it loses its vitality. It bes more manageable, unlike attribute gems that are almost unbreakable.


    Yuga employs a tools manufactured by Melo Tech, apany that specializes in biotechnology products. Without this tools, Yuga would have a tough time dealing with these hard materials.


    Melo Tech developed this soundwave tools based on the ultrasonic abilities of Noivern, Crobat, and Golbat, using the principle of soundwave resonance.


    Yuga only began to pay attention to this techpany after constructing his new Ecopark using their new materials. Their products have proven to be highly effective.


    Melo Tech''s headquarters are located in LaRousse City, which boasts the highest level of technology in the Hoenn Region. The city is home to numerous research institutions, and even Devon Corporation has several research facilities in LaRousse City.


    The final material required for Moonlight Pok��block is Sweet Honey.


    Sweet Honey is used as a binding agent in the recipe for Moonlight Pok��block because it contains a significant amount of dry solids. This not only makes the final product more visually appealing but also enhances the taste.


    After a busy half-day, Yuga finally seeded in making two batches of Moonlight Pok��block. These two batches willst Cosmoem for a little over a month.


    In other words, Yuga must continue to run around for Cosmoem''s food. Raising a Legendary Pok��mon is both a blessing and a challenge.


    The finished Moonlight Pok��block are remarkably beautiful, just like their name suggests. They have a deep purple color, reminiscent of the profound night sky adorned with stars.


    Looking at the Pok��block ced in their specially crafted jars, Yuga couldn''t help but ask the system, "These Pok��block are safe, right? I hope Cosmoem won''t spontaneously explode after eating them!"


    Considering therge amount of high-energy materials used to make these two small jars, it''s evident that each Moonlight Pok��block contains an immense amount of energy.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s concerns, the system felt somewhat insulted, [ Host, don''t be absurd. Moonlight Pok��block are custom-made by the system specifically for Cosmoem and Lun. They are the perfect food for them and won''t cause the issues you mentioned. ]


    Upon hearing this, Yuga chuckled and said, "That''s good, that''s good. I was just joking, actually."


    However, the system followed up with, [ But if ordinary Pok��mon were to eat them, they would indeed explode. ]


    Yuga: ...


    It seems like he''ll have to keep the Moonlight Pok��block well-hidden. If they were mistakenly consumed by another Pok��mon, the consequences could be disastrous.


    After preparing the Moonlight Pok��block, Yuga called Cosmoem to try them out. As expected, Cosmoem enjoyed them very much.


    However, these Pok��block are potent. Even for Cosmoem, one at a time is the limit; eating more could lead to indigestion.


    The next day afterpleting the two batches of Pok��block, Yuga received a call from Steven.


    "Your batch of treasures has found a buyer."


    "So quickly? Who is it?"


    "It''s none other than the renowned collector, Mr. Gillruta."

 Chapter 992: New Potion

    <h4>Chapter 992: New Potion</h4>


    "Mr. Gillruta? The one from the Rite family?"


    Hearing this name, Yuga paused for a moment, involuntarily recalling Milolovide previous visit to Verdanturf Town. If he remember it correctly this Gillruta was his elder brother.


    But since it''s him, it''s not surprising that he''s interested in purchasing Yuga''s batch of treasures.


    This person is not only the head of the Rite family but also a world-renowned collector, extremely wealthy. He''s often seen in reports on television and the inte, making substantial bids at various auctions.


    "Yes, it''s him. I showed him the photos you sent me, and he expressed great interest in that batch of treasures," Steven joyfully said.


    Knowing that there''s a buyer for his items, Yuga was equally delighted. "Thank you. You''ve been a great help."


    Steven humbly replied, "I didn''t have to do much, to be honest. I just released the information about this batch of treasures, and he contacted me on his own."


    "Oh, by the way, when are you avable? They want to schedule a meeting to inspect the quality of the treasures," Steven continued.


    Yuga thought for a moment and replied, "I''m flexible with my schedule. Let them decide."


    Steven readily agreed, "Great, I''ll contact them right away and arrange a time."


    Afterward, they exchanged a few more words and hung up.


    After ending the call with Steven, Yuga started assisting Suzuki Koen in attending to the customers at the store. However, after a short while, two Meowstic approached him, holding hands and looking quite excited.


    Yuga paused his work and with a smiling face, asked them, "Have you encountered something good? You seem so happy."


    The two Meowstic danced and gesticted, exining their purpose. It turned out that the ancient microorganisms which was under research of the Mmar, had finally been sessfully cloned.


    Yuga''s eyes brightened at this news. "Is what you''re saying true?"


    The Meowstic nodded vigorously. They had been working on this experiment for a while, pushing aside other tasks. Today, they finally achieved sess, and they credited it to the fossil resurrection device sent by Devon Corporation, which had been a significant source of inspiration.


    "Well, what are we waiting for? Let''s go see it!" Yuga eximed and tookrge strides toward the direction of the Ecopark.


    When Yuga reached theboratory in the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark, three Mmars were gathered together, engrossed in some discussion. They didn''t even notice Yuga''s entrance.


    *Cough, cough, cough!*


    Seeing the three Mmars engrossed in their discussion, Yuga couldn''t help but cough twice. The three Mmars were startled and hastily moved to the side.


    As they made way for Yuga, he noticed the transparent fish tank in the middle, filled with tiny blue star-like specks constantly flickering. These shimmering blue lights were the cloned ancient microorganisms, and the liquid in the fish tank wasn''t real water but Ghost Sea''s seawater.


    After exnations from the Mmars, Yuga learned that these ancient microorganisms were originally terrestrial creatures.


    However, the current environment was vastly different from ancient times. They could only live in Ghost Sea''s seawater. If they left the Ghost Sea''s seawater, they would quickly weaken and perish.


    Yuga curiously examined the fluorescent organisms in the tank. They were incredibly tiny, and their true forms were impossible to discern with the naked eye.


    He dropped a Fire Stone, handed to him by the Meowstic, into the tank. In no time, the entire Fire Stone was enveloped by the blue fluorescence and rapidly shrank.


    These starlight organisms fed on Evolution Stones, and when they saw food, they naturally gathered around it.


    After observing for a couple of hours, Yuga noticed a thinyer of white crystalline dust umting on the bottom of the fish tank.


    This white dust was the secretion produced by the microorganisms after consuming Evolution Stones, and it was a crucialponent for creating Supreme-grade Evolution Stones.


    Originally, this secretion would solidify as a protective shell on the microorganisms'' bodies. However, due to the properties of Ghost Sea''s seawater, it remained loose and scattered at the bottom of the tank.


    Now that Yuga had ess to this white crystal, he could continuously produce potions that can enhanced a Pok��mon''s potential.


    Realizing this, Yuga couldn''t contain his excitement. "Quick, let''s create some potions to test their effects!"


    The Mmars readily obeyed Yuga''s orders. They had experience in making these potions, so the materials and equipment were readily avable.


    Three hourster, they had produced four potions.


    Next, Yuga brought two Vivillon and two Beautifly to test the potions'' effects. These were the most abundant Pok��mon in the Ecopark and had the highest number of low potential in the Ecopark.


    The potions had been proven safe in previous experiments, so he feltfortable letting the Vivillon and Beautifly use them.


    To better understand the effects of the potions, Yuga chose four Pok��mon with different potential levels: one red, one orange, one yellow, and one green.


    After taking the potions, Yuga carefully observed the Vivillon and Beautifly. The orange potential Vivillon and the yellow potential Beautifly quickly showed changes, turning into yellow potential Vivillon and green potential Beautifly.


    The other two, the green potential Vivillon and the red potential Beautifly, showed no changes.


    Looking at the four Pok��mon with varying results, Yuga contemted, "It seems like we need more experimental data."


    "Continue producing the potions, and I want to know the precise effects of this potion," Yuga instructed the three Mmars, who all nodded in agreement.


    The following day, Yuga received another call from Steven. He informed Yuga that the meeting with Gillruta was scheduled for five dayster in Rustboro City, adjacent to Verdanturf Town.


    Since Gillruta wasn''t from Hoenn region, and considering his busy schedule, meeting in the bustling Rustboro City was more suitable and time-efficient for both parties.


    Three dayster, the Mmars'' experiments yielded the results Yuga desired.


    The effects of this potion were significantly weaker than those of the Supreme-grade Evolution Stones. It could only elevate potential by one level for Pok��mon with potentials up to the green level and had a considerable failure rate.


    After the Mmars'' research, the probability of increasing red potential was at 80%, orange potential at 60%, and yellow potential remained around 40%.


    Furthermore, if a Pok��mon used a potion and it failed to enhance their potential, using a second one wouldn''t be effective. On the other hand, if a Pok��mon sessfully improved its potential with the potion, using a second one would also have no effect.


    For example, if a Pok��mon''s potential didn''t increase after using the potion, using a second one would yield no results. Simrly, if a red potential Pok��mon used a potion to elevate its potential to orange, using more potions would not further raise it to yellow.


    Compared to Supreme-grade Evolution Stones, the potion''s effects were indeed considerably weaker. Nevertheless, this world had a shortage of Pok��mon with potentials above the green level but an abundance of those with potentials below green. Having this potion meant a steady supply of green potential Pok��mon.


    Even though the sess rate for elevating yellow potential to green was only 40%, it was still astounding. Quantity couldpensate for the lower odds.


    Inparison, raising the potential of Pok��mon with red or orange potential had rtively poor cost-effectiveness. Continuously enhancing their potentials wouldn''t transform them into high potential Pok��mon, and selling ten of them wouldn''t be as profitable as selling one green potential Pok��mon.


    To test the potion''s effects, the Mmars cloned numerous ancient microorganisms once again. Yuga had specially prepared a room in the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark to house them, keeping all of them in fish tanks filled with Ghost Sea''s seawater."


    These microorganisms themselves had a rtively fast rate of reproduction, so even without cloning, their poption would continue to increase.


    However, like most microorganisms, their lifespans were extremely short, and they bred abundantly and died quickly, so there was no concern about overpoption.


    During these past few days, all the white crystals secreted by these ancient organisms had been used up, so they would have to wait for a few more days to produce the potion again.


    "White crystals" was the name Yuga gave to the secretions of these ancient microorganisms, a name that was straightforward but practical.


    With the sessful development of the new potential-enhancing potion, Yuga had been in high spirits for two days straight.


    He decided that it was time to publicize the news about this new potion. This way, he could potentially establish a monopoly simr to the Joy family''s business in the future.


    While this new type of potential-enhancing potion might not be as effective as Supreme-grade Evolution Stones or system-generated potential-enhancing potions, But it was still a groundbreaking discovery for the Pok��mon world.


    Additionally, there was no other person who could develop it besides Yuga because the keyponent was the Ghost Sea''s seawater from the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark, which would be nearly impossible to replicate unless someone could find an alternative.


    Thankfully, Yuga was Mr. Kuni''o diciple. Without him as a backer, a Pok��mon Day Care owner and Gym Leader like him, even with his current strength, would never have dared to enter this business �C it was just too conspicuous.


    With this business, he no longer needed to worry about having sufficient resources to raise Cosmoem. Nurturing Cosmoem was incredibly expensive, and if it weren''t for Cosmoem''s birth, Yuga might still be hesitant about whether or not to pursue this venture.


    It was foreseeable that after the news about the new potential-enhancing potion spread, it would bring him a lot of trouble from various forces.


    Of course, there would be numerous benefits as well. Without a doubt, the reputation of YoYo Day Care would reverberate across various regions.


    However, Yuga was determined to control the quantity of potential-enhancing potions sold within a reasonable range. Excessive sales could disrupt the market and lead to shifts in power dynamics.


    Time quickly brought Yuga to the day of his meeting with Gillruta, and he had arrived in Rustboro City ahead of time, his treasures also has been stowed aboard his Ghost Ship.


    The approximate value of these treasures had already been assessed by Steven, so Yuga had a reasonable expectation of what Gillruta should offer.


    Several chests of gems that were originally part of these treasures had been bought by Steven himself. What remained was primarily gold, silver, and antiques.


    The meeting point for Yuga and Gillruta was on the outskirts of Rustboro City because Gillruta had arrived using her personal aircraft, which couldn''t enter the city''s urban area.


    Yuga''s Ghost Ship was in the same situation.


    Gillruta''s private aircraft was massive and had an unusual design, resembling a colossal fortress. The aircraft Yuga had seen from Aroma Day Care and the Joy family couldn''tpare to this one.


    It''s not that these two families were less wealthy; they just didn''t disy their wealth as ostentatiously as Gillruta.


    Gillruta''s aircraft was a clear example of "money can buy anything."


    Yuga''s Ghost Ship was quiterge, and it had an imposing presence with its eerie aura, which could be intimidating in its own right. But whenpared to Gillruta''s aircraft, it suddenly appeared somewhat modest.


    From a distance, Yuga spotted two Pok��mon standing at the entrance of the gigantic fortress. One was a man, and the other was a woman. The man in the forefront was Yuga''s trading partner for this deal, Gillruta.


    As the fortress and the Ghost Ship drew near, two steel staircases extended from the fortress to the ship. Yuga ascended one of the staircases and approached Gillruta.


    "I''ve heard so much about you, Gym Leader Shimizu! It''s a true honor to meet you," Gillruta greeted Yuga in a friendly manner. However, his stoic expression greatly diminished the warmth of his words.


    "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Gillruta," Yuga responded with a smile.


    "Let''s head inside. It''s not convenient to talk out here," Gillruta stepped aside to invite Yuga into his fortress-like aircraft.


    Yuga nodded and followed Gillruta into the interior of the fortress. Gillruta''s female assistant silently followed behind them.


    Yuga couldn''t help but nce at the attractive assistant. She was undoubtedly beautiful, and the word "alluring" could be used to describe her. However, her quiet presence behind the two men made her almost unnoticeable.


    Yuga couldn''t help but find it strange and wondered: Is having this special skill is a requirement for being an assistants nowadays?


    Gillruta noticed Yuga''s subtle nces towards his female assistant, and Yuga hadn''t made an effort to hide his actions. This observation led to a sly, intriguing smile from Gillruta.


    "Before we get down to business, would the Gym Leader Shimizu like to tour my aircraft?" Gillruta turned with self-satisfaction and asked Yuga.


    Yuga replied with a warm smile, "Of course, I''d be honored."


    Gillruta''s aircraft was massive, and Yuga couldn''t possibly tour every area. So, Gillruta proposed showing Yuga his collection first.


    For someone as renowned as Gillruta in the world of collectors, Yuga was naturally very interested. Led by Gillruta, the three of them arrived at the lower level of the aircraft, which was the core area of the entire fortress.


    "Phineas, open the door to the collection room."


    In front of arge door, Gillruta looked up at a red "eye" on it and instructed.


    "Of course, Master," a mechanical female voice echoed from the red "eye."

 Chapter 993: Encirclement

    <h4>Chapter 993: Encirclement</h4>


    Gillruta''s entire flying fortress is controlled by artificial intelligence, which he referred to as "Phineas."


    After a few "beep, beep, beep" sounds, the heavy door in front of the three of them was opened, revealing a magnificent and pce-like collection room in front of Yuga''s eyes.


    Gillruta reached out towards the collection room and smiled, saying, "Gym Leader Shimizu,e in and take a look."


    Yuga nodded and followed Gillruta into the collection room.


    They first entered the antique collection area. On the exquisite shelves and within transparent disy cases, a well-organized array of exquisite, ancient, and peculiar antiques were on disy, each of them is a masterpiece.


    As Gillruta led Yuga through the area, he introduced the origin and history of the antiques.


    "This Pok�� Ball is one of the earliest ones produced in the industrialization of Pok�� Ball manufacturing." Gillruta pointed to a well-preserved red and white Pok�� Ball and said, "Unfortunately, there are less than ten of these Pok�� Balls left from that batch."


    Pok�� Balls were originally handcrafted by Apricorn artisans. They were not only time-consuming to make but also had a very low production rate, which meant that the profession of Pok��mon Trainer was once limited to a select few at that time.


    Later, with the industrial mass production of Pok�� Balls, their cost and price significantly decreased, and the profession of Pok��mon Trainer was truly liberated.


    However, the craft of handcrafted Pok�� Balls had never been entirely reced. While industrial mass-produced Pok�� Balls were cheaper, their quality couldn''tpare to handcrafted Pok�� Balls.


    Handcrafted Pok�� Balls might not be the best, but the best Pok�� Balls were always handcrafted. Although this statement was not entirely urate, it did reflect a certain truth to some extent.


    Next, Gillruta pointed to a golden crown adorned with gemstones and introduced it to Yuga:


    "This crown belonged to a famous emperor of the Vante Empire over a thousand years ago. How do you like it? Isn''t it particrly luxurious?"


    Upon hearing this, Yuga couldn''t help but take a closer look at the crown, surprised that he was seeing something from the Vante Empire.


    Due to the short existence of the Arus Empire more than a thousand years ago and the deliberate hiding by the Vante Empire, there are very few histories and records left about it.


    But Vante Empire was different, which had a more extensive historical record, the Vante Empire had left a vivid mark on the history of the Hoenn region and had even once unified the entire region..


    This was a magnificent and grand empire in history.


    But Yuga only took a few more nces and marveled at the luxury and preciousness of the crown. After all, the Vante Empire had no connection to him.


    However, in Gillruta eyes, when seeing Yuga gaze at the crown in amazement, he thought that Yuga had been deeply impressed by it and said with a hint of pride:


    "Few relics from the Vante Empire have survived, and this crown is the only one of its kind. I went to great lengths to obtain it."


    Yuga, upon hearing this, inwardly rolled his eyes: Is that it? I''ve even seen the emperors of the Vante Empire in person!


    After visiting antiques from different historical periods, Yuga, led by Gillruta, then entered the area of rare and exotic treasures. The items here were even more precious, such as a rock that had fallen off Regirock''s body, an amber containing a lifelike Combee, and a miracle seed that radiating exceptional vitality.


    There are so many treasures and Yuga was dazzled.


    "It''s said that this is a remains of a Master level Aegish."


    Gillruta pointed to a shield and a sword and introduced them to Yuga.


    Looking at the shiny sword and shield, Yuga felt that Gillruta''s im might be true, as both the shield and sword emitted a strong Ghost-type energy.


    Seeing Yuga''s apparent interest in the sword and shield, Gillruta continued, "The reason I collect these two items is that the original seller told me that one day, these sword and shield woulde back to life."


    Yuga couldn''t help but chuckle, "Mr. Gillruta, it''s quite interesting. How can a deceased Pok��mone back to life?"


    Gillruta smiled and didn''t borate further.


    Next, he led Yuga to the Pok��mon area.


    In this area, various ancient Pok��mon fossils and skeletons were disyed, all incrediblyplete. There was a fossilized Aerodactyl hanging from the ceiling, a giant rock on the wall withplete Kabutops and Omastar fossils, and several perfectly intact fossilized Pok��mon eggs, and so on.


    Each of these Pok��mon fossils was incrediblyplete, and outside, they could be sold for a high price. This was because there was currently a craze in the outside world for collecting Pok��mon fossils, and the prices of these fossils had skyrocketed.


    "Mr. Gillruta, have you ever considered having these fossils revived by Devon Corporation?" Yuga asked Gillruta while examining the fossils.


    Gillruta shook his head with a smile and said, "No, no, no. If they were revived, they would lose their value as collectibles."


    Yuga thought to himself, "Mr. Gillruta has some strange hobbies. Aren''t living Pok��mon more interesting than these fossils?"


    As they walked, Yuga was suddenly drawn to something and his expression changed. He quickly walked over to it.


    Following Yuga''s gaze, Gillruta''s expression also changed slightly.


    Yuga arrived in a corner of the Pok��mon area, where there was a transparent ss case containing a Bisharp posed in a battle stance.


    Yuga pointed at the Bisharp in the ss case and asked Gillruta, "Mr. Gillruta, what is this?"


    Gillruta calmly replied, "Ah, this? This is a Bisharp model created using bio-simtion technology."


    Yuga was taken aback, "A model?"


    The Bisharp model was incredibly lifelike, down to the fear in its eyes and the pain on its face. When Yuga first saw it, he thought it was a Pok��mon specimen.


    Except for some special circumstances, it was strictly prohibited to create Pok��mon specimens within the Pok��mon League.


    In the past, some perverse scientists and collectors had ughtered arge number of Pok��mon to make specimens for their personal desires.


    As a result, the Pok��mon League had included a strict ban on creating Pok��mon specimens in itsws and had consistently cracked down on such criminal activities.


    Gillruta chuckled and said, "Of course, this is just a model. Did the Gym Leader Shimizu really think it was a Pok��mon specimen? Hahaha... Impossible! If it were a Pok��mon specimen, why would I disy it here and invite you to visit?"


    Yuga had been keep staring at Gillruta the whole time and noticed that he didn''t appear the least bit flustered. Yuga put on a somewhat fake smile and said, "You''re right; it was my misunderstanding."


    Model? Yuga didn''t believe Gillruta''s words one bit. The model looked incredibly lifelike, and he had never heard of such realistic models. This was his territory, and he wasn''t going to take Gillruta''s word for everything.


    With these thoughts in mind, Yuga became highly vignt towards Gillruta.


    Gillruta was renowned in the world, but it seemed that his reputation might be open to question. After seeing the "model" of the Bisharp, Yuga''s enthusiasm for the rest of the tour waned. Soon, Gillruta suggested, "We''ve seen enough; shall we discuss the main matter?"


    Yuga nodded in agreement, "Sounds good."


    Led by Gillruta, the three of them left the collection room and entered a luxurious hall.


    The hall was very spacious andvishly decorated, but its size made it feel somewhat empty. Once seated, the female assistant served Yuga a cup of tea.


    "Please enjoy your tea, Gym Leader Shimizu," the female assistant said, cing the tea on the table in front of Yuga.


    Yuga reached out to pick up the tea cup but identally touched the female assistant''s hand. His unique power surged briefly, and he looked at the female assistant with surprise before ncing at Gillruta, but he quickly concealed his expression.


    However, Yuga was unaware that at that moment, the female assistant was locking eyes with him, and she had noticed his brief moment of surprise.


    "Please enjoy your tea, Gym Leader Shimizu," the female assistant repeated, then left the room after serving the tea.


    Yuga redirected his attention away from the female assistant and asked Gillruta, "Mr. Gillruta, are you ready to discuss the items now?"


    Gillruta nodded, "Yes, would you like me to have someone help bring the items over?"


    Yuga shook his head, "No need." He called out, "Gengar!"


    As Yuga spoke, the air around him distorted, and a Gengar appeared next to him.


    Seeing the sudden appearance of Gengar, Gillruta''s gaze darkened slightly, "I didn''t expect the Gym Leader Shimizu to have a bodyguard."


    Yuga smiled faintly, "Well, it''s not easy being alone out here."


    Gillruta gave a slight nod and didn''t say more.


    "Gengar, please go with everyone to bring the items from the ship," Yuga instructed his Gengar.


    "Geng, Geng," Gengar responded with a mischievous grin before vanishing beside Yuga.


    A little over ten minutester, a group of Ghost-type Pok��mon, led by Gengar, entered the room one by one, each using psychic power to control a box of treasures.


    Witnessing this scene, Gillruta was astonished and gave a thumbs-up to Yuga, saying, "Gym Leader Shimizu, impressive!"


    Yuga waved it off, saying, "I''m just making sure Mr. Gillruta has a pleasant visit."


    Meanwhile, in a dimly lit room, a beautiful woman was fixedly watching arge screen. The flickering lights on the screen cast an eerie and distorted glow on her face.


    The screen disyed the ongoing conversation between Yuga and Gillruta, along with the appearance of the Ghost-type Pok��mon entering.


    "Shimizu Yuga," the woman softly murmured Yuga''s name.


    This woman was the female assistant by Gillruta''s side.


    Back in the living room, Yuga instructed the Ghost-type Pok��mon, "Please open the boxes."


    The Ghost-type Pok��mon obediently followed Yuga''smand and began to open the boxes one by one.


    Seeing this, Gillruta praised, "I''ve heard that the Gym Leader Shimizu is a formidable Grass-type Trainer, but I didn''t expect you to be so familiar with Ghost-type Pok��mon."


    Ghost-type Pok��mon have unpredictable temperaments and are generally considered among the most challenging to work with. Gillruta was genuinely surprised to see how skillfully Yuga managed them.


    It wasn''t an easy feat tomand this many Ghost-type Pok��mon. Gillruta began to suspect that the rumors about Shimizu Yuga might have underestimated his true abilities. As the head of the Rite family, Gillruta was naturally inclined to think a bit deeper than most.


    Upon hearing Gillruta''s praise, Yuga merely smiled without saying much.


    Gillruta knew well that probing should be done in moderation. He didn''t dwell on the Ghost-type Pok��mon and got up to inspect the treasures in the boxes.


    As a renowned collector worldwide, Gillruta possessed strong appraisal and assessment skills, easily determining the value of these treasures.


    Gillruta meticulously examined the contents of the boxes and then inquired, "I didn''t expect the Gym Leader Shimizu''s collection to be so rich. These itemse from different eras. I''m amazed at howprehensive your collection is. May I ask where you obtained these?"


    Yuga casually replied, "They were gifts from my elders."


    Gillruta filled in the nks mentally: It must have been given to him by Mr. Kuni''o.


    Being the eldest among the four Master level Trainers of the League and able to collect such items, Gillruta found it quite usible. Yuga, as Mr. Kuni''o''s only disciple, receiving these treasures was reasonable since Mr. Kuni''o had no rtives and Yuga was the closest person to him.


    "I wonder, Gym Leader Shimizu, what price range you think is suitable for this batch of items?" Gillruta continued to inquire.


    "I''m not well-versed in this area. Why don''t you provide an estimate, Mr. Gillruta?" Yuga passed the ball back to Gillruta.


    Gillruta thought to himself: Not well-versed? Don''t kid me. Even if you''re not an expert, didn''t you estimate the price before you came here?


    However, he had no intention of bargaining and casually stated a price, "250 million."


    Yuga, who was preparing to negotiate: ...


    In fact, Steven''s estimate for Yuga was around 230 million or so. Unexpectedly, Gillruta not only didn''t negotiate but offered a higher price than their initial expectations. Gillruta was living up to his reputation as the man known for extravagant spending.


    Rich and carefree!


    However, 250 million Pok��dor!


    Yuga was making this much money for the first time, thanks to Dusknoir, the cash cow. With this amount, he could easily fund the construction of new Ecopark.


    Once the price was settled, the two quickly concluded the transaction. Yuga received a message that 250 million had been credited to his ount in just a few minutes.


    Rich and happy, Yuga extended his hand to Gillruta and said, "Business is concluded, and it''s time for me to take my leave. It was a pleasure to meet Mr. Gillruta today."


    Gillruta shook Yuga''s hand and said, "I''m also pleased to have met the Gym Leader Shimizu."


    Then, with a cheerful farewell, Yuga was escorted out of the flying fortress by Gillruta.


    The moment before, Yuga was all smiles, but as he left the flying fortress, his face turned serious. He muttered to a Bte at his side, "Inform Dusknoir to have everyone on the shipe out and surround the aircraft."


    The Bte didn''t know Yuga''s reasons but giggled and vanished from Yuga''s sight.


    Dusknoir''s followers acted quickly. Three minutester, the Ghost-type Pok��mon on Yuga''s ship poured out en masse, hundreds of them forming a tight circle to enclose Gillruta''s flying fortress.


    Once surrounded, the rm system inside the flying fortress was triggered. Gillruta rushed out and, upon seeing the multitude of Ghost-type Pok��mon, and almost passed out.


    He looked at Yuga standing at the front of the Ghost ship and shouted loudly, his expression uncertain, "Gym Leader Shimizu, what do you mean by this?"


    Yuga was about to reply when a woman appeared on top of the flying fortress, looking down on Yuga and the Ghost-type Pok��mon surrounding her.


    Seeing the woman, Yuga raised an eyebrow, "You''ve finally shown up? Quite a quick response. Long time no see!"


    Hearing Yuga''s words, the woman''s face underwent several changes. She clutched her chest as waves of pain struck her: Damn Shimizu Yuga!


    Gillruta had intended to say something but, upon the woman''s appearance, he chose to stay silent. Instead, he watched the confrontation between Yuga and the woman with greatposure.

 Chapter 994: Mutual Invitation

    <h4>Chapter 994: Mutual Invitation</h4>


    While facing off with the woman, Yuga took a quick nce at Gillruta. Seeing no reaction from him, he focused entirely on the woman.


    But did Gillruta truly know the real identity of this woman?


    "Tell me, what brings you here? Or is to the target me again?" Yuga asked, looking into the woman''s eyes.


    The woman only scoffed lightly and remained silent.


    Yuga repeated, "Seems like one doesn''t cry until one sees the coffin!" After saying this, he released his Florges.


    A burst of green light swept across Florges''s body, and the woman across from them clutched her chest in pain and anguish.


    Four or five secondster, a burst of blood bloomed on the woman''s chest. Soon, a tender green tendril sprouted from her chest, rapidly growing and covering half her chest. Herplexion turned increasingly pale at a visible rate.


    The woman quickly pulled out a vial from her body, poured out a white pill, and swallowed it in one gulp. The tender green tendril withered, shriveled, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    At the same time, a Ditto fell from the woman''s face, revealing the beautiful visage that originally belonged to the assistant turn into the Miyuki''s beautiful face.


    The female assistant was, in fact, Miyuki or Ariana of the Team Rocket.


    While Yuga had always found his assistant a bit strange, he hadn''t suspected anything until the idental touch her hand.


    When Ariana had fled from Verdanturf Town, Florges had marked her with a parasitic seed. Yuga hadn''t anticipated that the seed would still be inside Ariana''s body.


    Yuga''s unique ability weree from the same origin as Florges, and they reacted upon encountering Ariana. It was then that Yuga recognized her.


    Typically, parasitic seeds would disappear after a certain period, but the one rooted in Ariana was different.


    Yuga''s Florges possessd devinity, and her parasitic seed had mutated after absorbing Ariana''s flesh and, under various circumstances, deeply embedded itself in Ariana''s heart.


    Even Yuga hadn''t foreseen this turn of events, and he had been surprised by the touch of Ariana''s hand.


    This seed had be almost symbiotic with Ariana''s body. It would sprout periodically, causing immense pain to Ariana. As the seed had fusedpletely with Ariana''s heart, Team Rocket''s scientists were helpless. A small mistake, and Ariana''s life would be in jeopardy.


    Ariana was one of the four Executive of the Team Rocket. No one dared to joke about her life.


    To alleviate Ariana''s suffering, the scientists had developed a pill to suppress the seed''s sprouting and growth, the one Ariana had just taken.


    However, the existence of this seed wasn''t entirely negative.


    Ariana''s blood, influenced by the seed through her heart''s cirction, had spread throughout her body, granting her exceptional regenerative abilities. She could quickly recover from injuries in a short time.


    The wound left by the sprouting seed on her chest had almost healed by now.


    Of course, Yuga wouldn''t have been able to discover this, as Ariana''splexion remained extremely pale at this moment.


    Because of the existence of this seed, one could say that Yuga was Ariana''s nemesis. It was only at the moment he encountered Ariana that he vaguely realized that Florges might still be able to control that seed.


    The person Ariana hate the most at the moment was undoubtedly Shimizu Yuga. No one could trulyprehend the pain of having a seed sprout in their chest every so often, and describing it as "better off dead" wouldn''t be an exaggeration.


    Compared to that excruciating pain, the regenerative ability that came with the seed was nearly worthless.


    "You... do you think... you can catch me like this? Heh..." Ariana intermittently spoke while clutching her chest, still feeling the lingering agony from the seed''s sprouting.


    As her words fell, an kazam appeared beside her, handing her a sword and a shield. Unmistakably it was the remains of the Aegish from Gillruta''s collection room.


    "That''s my sword and shield!"


    Seeing this scene, Gillruta, who had been observing from the sidelines, couldn''t hold back any longer.


    Ariana coldly snorted and used a spatial backpack to store the sword and shield. She slung it over her back, paying no heed to Gillruta''s protest.


    Was Ariana''s goal to retrieve the sword and shield? Yuga silently wondered, feeling that something was amiss.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, please help me reim my belongings!" Gillruta shouted loudly to Yuga.


    Yuga nced at Gillruta but didn''t respond to him.


    "You think you can take back what''s already in my possession?" Ariana sneered, showingplete disdain for Gillruta. She wasn''t just one of the Team Rocket''s four Executive; she was also the renowned phantom thief, Barney!


    Ariana might not be a match for Yuga individually, but at this moment, facing Yuga and the hundreds of ghostly elf Pok��mons surrounding her, she disyed no signs of nervousness.


    This left Yuga puzzled.


    However, he soon got his answer.


    Ariana lightly pped her hands, and a blur passed by. A Beedril appeared by her side.


    With his Insight ability activated, Yuga''s pupils constricted.


    This was Giovanni''s Beedril!


    Yuga had an unforgettable impression of this particr Beedril.


    Seeing Yuga''s shocked expression, Ariana chuckled and said, "It seems you recognize this Beedril. Do you think I''d meet you without any preparation after knowing we were going to cross paths?"


    Seeing Yuga in a tough spot, Ariana suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.


    "Beedril, kill him for me!" Arianamanded the Beedril.


    High-level Pok��mon were extremely proud and wouldn''t easily obeymands from anyone other than their trainers. However, this Beedril was fiercely loyal to Giovanni, and Giovanni had ask it to listen to Ariana. As a result, it diligently carried out the tasks Ariana assigned.


    The Beedril''s wings vibrated rapidly, and in an instant, it disappeared from Ariana''s side, leaving only afterimages. When it reappeared, it was not far from Yuga.


    It raised its sharp twin needles and viciously stabbed towards Yuga. If it struck, Yuga would be instantly cut in half.


    The distance between the Beedril and Yuga was extremely close, and Yuga could even see his own reflection in its eyes, which resembled sparkling rubies, beautiful yet cold.


    In the nick of time, Dusknoir was materialized, and its fists shed with the Beedril''s stingers, causing both of them to retreat.


    In the blink of an eye, the Beedril unleashed dozens of stingers, and Dusknoir threw a flurry of punches. The bee''s stingers and the shadow''s fists constantly intertwined and flickered, with neither of them gaining the upper hand.


    Giovanni was not present, and without undergoing mega evolution, the Beedril''s level was not far from level 100, simr to Dusknoir''s level.


    The Beedril''s speed was unparalleled, its figure constantly flickering in the air, and with each flicker, it would thrust a lethal stinger towards Dusknoir.


    Dusknoir remained stationary the entire time. It wasn''t a speed-type Pok��mon; in fact, it was quite slow. Instead, it relied on its exceptional reflexes to adapt to changing circumstances and used a calm approach.


    Ariana, on the flying fortress, watched Dusknoir''s fierce struggle with the Beedril, her expression extremely unpleasant. This was the first time she had seen a Pok��mon capable of contending with her boss precious Beedril like this.


    Initially, she thought that having the Beedril meant everything would be safe.


    On the other hand, Gillruta, standing at the entrance of the flying fortress, watched the two battling Pok��mon in the sky. He squinted involuntarily.


    As the head of the Rite family, he couldn''t be oblivious to the true strength of these two Pok��mon.


    However, both Shimizu Yuga and his teacher were grass-type trainers. So, why did Yuga have such a powerful Dusknoir by his side?


    Gillruta didn''t suspect that Dusknoir was belonged to Yuga; after all, Yuga was still young. Bing an Elite level trainer at his age was already extraordinary. If he could train a Master level Pok��mon on top of that, it would be quite terrifying.


    Therefore, in Gillruta''s mind, the formidable Dusknoir was undoubtedly Mr. Kuni''o''s Pok��mon.


    I have to say, this was a beautiful misunderstanding.


    Gillruta was surprised to find out that Mr. Kuni''o was a master who also good at nurturing ghost-type Pok��mon. He mentally took note of this unexpected revtion.


    Dusknoir''s potential was not as high as the purple potential Beedril''s, and, coupled with the Beedril''s elusive speed, it gradually began to fall behind.


    At that moment, a purple light shed in the deep, lone eye of Dusknoir, and immediately, it and the Beedril were enveloped in a cubical blue space.


    This was Dusknoir''s Trick Room.


    This move was an absolute nemesis for the high-speed type Pok��mon like Beedril. The moment Trick Room enveloped it, Beedril felt as though it had sunk into a quagmire, and its body seemed unresponsive.


    At this time, the roles of Beedril and Dusknoir were entirely reversed. Dusknoirunched a rapid assault, and the Beedril had to react passively.


    As soon as the Trick Room was activated, Ariana realized that she couldn''t do anything with Yuga today. She was well aware of the weakness of assassins type Pok��mon like the Beedril once their speed waspromised.


    Losing speed was akin to losing everything.


    The Beedril couldn''tpare to the high-defense Dusknoir, and its frail body could be said to die if it was beaten by Pok��mon with the same level as its. Even someone as intelligent as Giovanni couldn''t ovee this problem.


    Realizing the situation was unwinnable, Ariana decisively chose to retreat. She called to the Beedril, "Beedril, we''re leaving!"


    The Beedril acted promptly, without hesitation. Upon receiving Ariana''smand, it withdrew from the battlefield. Once it left the battlefield, Dusknoir''s Trick Room automatically dissipated.


    The Beedril, unburdened by the constraints of the Trick Room, was incredibly fast. It disappeared after a few blinks, taking Ariana with it. Its speed was nearly equivalent to Teleport.


    With Dusknoir''s speed, it couldn''t catch the Beedril, and the ghost-type Pok��mon surrounding them were helpless against Beedril''s insane speed.


    As Yuga watched Ariana depart, he didn''t feel any regret. He had a premonition that they would meet again.


    As long as Florges was with him, Ariana would be like a mouse in front of him. He didn''t believe the Beedril could continuously protect her.


    With Ariana gone, Yuga turned his gaze to Gillruta and said, "Mr. Gillruta, I''ve already informed Officer Jenny in Rustboro City. Later, I hope you will cooperate with the police investigation."


    Gillruta''s eyes widened, and he asked, "What do you mean?"


    Yuga sternly replied, "Your female assistant is Ariana, one of Executive of the Team Rocket. I have reasons to suspect your involvement with the Team Rocket."


    Gillruta protested angrily, "I don''t know anything! I''m the victim here. If you won''t help me retrieve my belongings, fine, but why investigate me?"


    Looking at Gillruta''s angry demeanor, Yuga wasn''t sure if he was genuinely unaware of the situation or if he was putting on an act.


    Yuga maintained an official tone, saying, "Rest assured, if you''re truly not involved with the Team Rocket, the League will clear your name. But until then, please cooperate with the investigation."


    Despite Gillruta''s protests, he was eventually taken away by Officer Jenny from Rustboro City, and even his flying fortress was impounded by the police.


    To cooperate with the investigation, Yuga also visited the Rustboro City Police Department and provided a detailed ount of Ariana''s involvement.


    After this point, the matter was no longer Yuga''s concern. The investigation into Ariana and Gillruta was handed over to the Rustboro City police, and agents from the Investigation Bureau would also be involved.


    After leaving the Rustboro City Police Department, Yuga initially intended to return to the Verdanturf Town. However, he unexpectedly encountered Roxanne, the Gym leader of the Rustboro Gym, on the street.


    The two had previously interacted due to business regarding the migration of Beautifly and Dustox in the Petalburg Woods. They were acquaintances, though they hadn''t met frequently, so their conversation was somewhat brief.


    As Yuga was about to bid farewell to Roxanne, she suddenly called him back, "Yuga, would you like to join me at a small-scale Trainer''s Exchange Event in Rustboro City tomorrow?"


    A Trainer''s Exchange Event?


    Upon hearing this, Yuga became interested. Having recently earned two billion, he was considering how to spend it, and this event seemed like a good choice.


    Yuga thought for a moment and epted Roxanne''s invitation.


    "In that case, why don''t you stay at the Rustboro Gym tonight, Yuga? This way, we won''t have to meet up tomorrow morning," Roxanne suggested.


    Yuga smiled and replied, "Certainly, I''d be honored."


    He then inquired, "By the way, Roxanne, where were you heading in such a hurry earlier?"


    "Ah, I almost forgot. Our school is hosting a student exchange event with Tust Comprehensive Trainer School, and I was just on my way there," Roxanne said, pping her forehead in frustration.


    Roxanne not only served as the Gym Leader of Rustboro Gym but also as a teacher at one of Rustboro City''s Trainer Schools.


    Yuga was familiar with Tust; its full name was Tust Comprehensive Trainer School. It was arge, prestigious trainer school that covered primary, middle, and high school education for young trainers.


    This school primarily catered to elite and affluent families, and its educational standards were exceptionally high, even among the numerous trainer schools in Rustboro City. Rustboro City itself was known for being home to thergest and finest concentration of trainer schools in the entire Hoenn region.


    Yuga''s familiarity with Tust was due to a business partnership with the YoYo Day Care. They supplied Tust with a significant amount of incense each year.


    The coboration between Tust and YoYo Day Care was orchestrated by Steven, who had connections to both establishments. The quality of incense from YoYo Day Care exceeded that of regr market offerings, making their partnership a mutually beneficial arrangement.


    Roxanne suggested, "By the way, Yuga, do you have any ns after this? If not, how about joining me at Tust? You could even give some guidance to our students!"


    Roxanne knew of Yuga''s abilities, and having him teach her students would be an excellent opportunity.


    Yuga readily agreed, "Sure!"


    With no pressing engagements in the near future, he saw no reason not to visit the school and offer some guidance.

 Chapter 995: Ined

    <h4>Chapter 995: Ined</h4>


    Guided by Roxanne, they soon arrived at the entrance of a luxurious aristocratic school, where Roxanne''s students were eagerly waiting.


    "Teacher Roxanne, you finally here!"


    ...


    As soon as they arrived, a group of students surrounded them, looking somewhat anxious.


    Roxanne quickly apologized, "I''m sorry, everyone! We had a little dy on the way."


    "Oh, by the way, this is a friend of mine, the Verdanturf Town Gym Leader. He will be joining us today, so please wee him!" After exining the reason for the dy to the students, Roxanne introduced Yuga to them.


    The school where Roxanne currently taught was called Rustboro City No. 5 Intermediate Trainer School, abbreviated as "No. 5. Middle School" It was a public school under the League, with a nature simr to the Trainer Schools in Verdanturf Town.


    However, there were numerous Trainer Schools in Rustboro City, and there were several public intermediate Trainer Schools, which was why they had a numbering system like "No. 5." Unlike Verdanturf Town, which had the only Trainer School, Rustboro City had multiple options.


    The world of Pok��mon had three levels of Trainer Schools: elementary, intermediate, and advanced, with the goal of bing a Trainer. Children under the age of ten typically received their education in elementary Trainer Schools and would graduate at the age of ten, provided they passed the assessment. After that, they would move on to intermediate Trainer Schools to continue their education.


    (However, not all children chose to continue their education at intermediate Trainer Schools; some preferred to travel.)


    The Trainer School in Verdanturf Town, being abination of both elementary and intermediate education, was unique because of its small student poption. It didn''t distinguish between elementary and intermediate, while aprehensive school like Tust was different.


    As for advanced Trainer Schools, they were considered true institutions of higher learning for Trainers.


    Compared to the elementary and intermediate Trainer Schools that existed in various cities and towns, advanced Trainer Schools were much rarer.


    Not only did Verdanturf Town and its surrounding townsck advanced Trainer Schools, but even the neighboring Mauville City had only one public institution of higher learning.


    Children from neighboring towns who wished to continue their education afterpleting Intermediate Trainer School would have to go to Mauville City or, even further, to Rustboro City.


    But in fact, few children in small towns like Verdanturf Town would choose to continue their education in an advanced Trainer School.


    In the world of Pok��mon, education in elementary was considered mandatory for Trainer children, while further education like Intermediate and advanced Trainer Schools was optional.


    Compared to Intermediate Trainer Schools, learning in advanced Trainer Schools is more focused on academic education.


    Most Trainers chose to end their education after graduate from intermediate Trainer School, opting to participate in variouspetitions, travel, gain experience, and work in careers rted to a Trainer.


    Therefore, only a small percentage of Trainers opted to continue their education in advanced schools.


    The students in advanced Trainer Schools were often referred to as "Academic Trainers."


    In the Rustboro City, known for its academically focused Trainer schools, there are numerous elementary and intermediate Trainer schools, as well as apetitive selection of advanced Trainer schools.


    Tust is a privately fundedprehensive Trainer school that epasses elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels. The exchange taking ce today is between the Tust intermediate trainer school and Roxanne''s No. 5 Middle school.


    Roxanne and a teacher from Tust''s Intermediate Trainer School are good friends, and they decided to organize a private exchange for their students to improve together.


    However, it seems that the principals of both schools got wind of this event, and what started as a private teacher-organized exchange has turned into a jointrge-scale event between the two schools.


    Nheless, the main organizers of this exchange are still Roxanne and her friend.


    Roxanne''s students are around the age of fourteen or fifteen, and upon hearing Roxanne''s introduction, they started whispering to each other. Some even recognized Yuga and seemed quite interested in him as the Gym Leader and an Elite level Trainer.


    "Hello, everyone. I''m Shimizu Yuga. Thank you for having me today."


    After a brief introduction, Roxanne went to report to the gatekeeper at Tust.


    Tust is a prestigious private school, and it doesn''t allow easy ess to outsiders. The security is strict, so Roxanne and her students need someone from inside to escort them in.


    About four or five minutester, a young woman in her twenties hurriedly arrived at the gate and waved to Roxanne from a distance.


    "You finally... finally made it. If you had been anyter, we might have been dyed."


    The woman exchanged greetings with the gatekeeper and walked out of the school. She had small beads of sweat on her forehead because she had been in a hurry.


    "Let''s not talk about that. We should hurry inside; we really shouldn''t bete." Roxanne affectionately said as she held the woman''s hand. They seemed quite familiar with each other.


    It''s safe to say that this woman is Roxanne''s friend who teaches at Tust.


    Guided by this teacher, Yuga and his group soon managed to enter the school grounds. Yuga, introduced by Roxanne, also got to know this teacher.


    The teacher''s name is L, and she has known Roxanne since childhood, making their rtionship very close.


    "I never expected that Roxanne knows Gym Leader Shimizu. It''s such a lucky coincidence to have an Elite level Trainer like Gym Leader Shimizu participating in our exchange today!"


    As L led the way, she excitedly spoke.


    Although L hadn''t met Yuga before, she was well aware of his reputation. Having an Elite level Trainer like Yuga attending a small exchange event was a rare and honorable asion. This made her feel delighted and privileged.


    Yuga modestly replied, "Teacher L, you''re giving me too much credit. It''s an honor to be part of your exchange event."


    While L knew Yuga was being humble, hearing such respectful words from an Elite level Trainer about the exchange event she organized made her very happy. "Gym Leader Shimizu is very gracious with his words!"


    Compared to Roxanne, L has a livelier personality and is more talkative. She chatted non-stop with Yuga on their way to Tust, and before they knew it, the group had crossed Tust''s elementary school and entered the Intermediate Trainer School.


    The venue for the exchange is the conference hall of Tust''s Intermediate Trainer School. When Yuga and his group arrived, the hall was already filled with students from Tust''s Intermediate Trainer School, and teachers from both schools had gathered as well.


    Not all students had the opportunity to participate in this exchange. To uphold the reputation of both schools, only the elite students were selected to attend the event.


    Because Roxanne and L were the main organizers of the exchange, they took care of other matters backstage once the students were settled. Yuga was left alone to sit with the students from No. 5 Middle School.


    The students from No. 5 Middle School were quite interested in Yuga, the Gym Leader and Elite level Trainer. They enjoyed chatting with him and often shared interesting stories that had happened at their school.


    Yuga had never attended a Trainer school, so he found these stories quite engaging. However, they didn''t chat for long before the exchange event officially began.


    First, the principal of Tust''s Intermediate Trainer School delivered a speech, which was quite dry and consisted of the usual rhetoric about friendly cooperation and mutual progress between the schools.


    However, the principal of the Intermediate Trainer School of Tust held a prominent position at such a prestigious school and was also a well-known Trainer himself. His senior was also a substitute Elite Four member.


    He and his senior was learning under the same Teacher who was a retired Hoenn League Elite Four and in the same generation as Mr. Moore and was even older than Mr. Drake.


    Of course, this former Elite Four member had passed away.


    After the principal''s speech, there were segments involving teachers from both schools sharing teaching experiences, students asking questions, and speeches from outstanding students.


    The principal of No. 5 Middle School did not attend the event this time. Aside from Roxanne, only two other teachers from No. 5 Middle School were present, so they were at a disadvantagepared to Tust, who had home-field advantage.


    While Yuga was nodding off in the audience, L suddenly woke him up. "Gym Leader Shimizu, pleasee with me. Our principal would like to see you."


    Upon returning backstage, L reported Yuga''s arrival to the principal, who considered it quite important. Yuga wasn''t just a Gym Leader and a powerful Trainer; he was also a partner to Tust.


    With L as the guide, Yuga was led to the backstage of the conference hall.


    As soon as he saw Yuga, the principal warmly said, "The arrival of Gym Leader Shimizu has added a brilliant touch to our event. I''ve heard so much about you! Heard so much!"


    "Principal Amuro, it''s an honor to meet you," Yuga said as he shook hands with the Principal.


    In fact, Yuga was more familiar with the Principal of Tust''s advanced trainer school, Mr. Keihara, than this unfamiliar Principal Amuro.


    Due to their business dealings, the two had met several times, and Mr. Keihara had been responsible for the business dealings with YoYo Day Care.


    While Tust and YoYo Day Care initially dealt with high-end incense, their cooperation deepened over time, and starting this year, Tust began to rece its Pok��block with products from YoYo Day Care.


    It could be said that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the rtionship between Tust and YoYo Day Care would only grow closer, so Principal Amuro''s warm wee to Yuga was not surprising.


    After exchanging pleasantries with Yuga, Principal Amuro suddenly suggested, "After the indoor exchange activities are over, we have an outdoor student exchange battle. Would Gym Leader Shimizu be willing to serve as our referee?"


    "Of course, it would be my pleasure," Yuga thought for a moment and agreed to Principal Amuro''s request. Since he was already there, being a referee was a simple task.


    Principal Amuro was delighted, "Thank you so much, Gym Leader Shimizu!"


    After the indoor exchange activities concluded, students from both schools, led by their teachers, headed to the training ground of Tust''s Intermediate Trainer School.


    The uing exchange battles would take ce there, with referees including Principal Amuro, Gym Leader Roxanne, the head of training from Tust''s Intermediate Trainer School, the head of training from No. 5 Middle School, and the surprise addition, Yuga.


    Tust and No. 5 Middle School both had excellent teaching standards, and the students'' performance in the exchange battles was outstanding. However, the elite training path followed by the students of Tust was slightly more impressive.


    This was expected because Tust''s students came from affluent families, paying substantial annual fees to attend the school. Tust''s quality of education and resource investment justified these fees.


    No. 5 Middle School, being a public school created by the League, had considerably fewer resources allocated to it. The League''s purpose in founding schools like No. 5 Middle School was to provide a fair and equal opportunity for education to the masses, making them public facilities. However, no matter how much the League wanted to give, they couldn''t provide as much as private institutions.


    As expected, the champion of this exchange battle came from Tust''s Intermediate Trainer School, and she was their top student, named Ined. She was fifteen years old. This exchange battle had rewards for the champion, an incense for three Pok��monst for six months.


    It had to be said that for a small exchange match, this reward was quite generous. While incense might not be as precious as attribute gems, it was still a high-end luxury items, and a six-month supply of incense was undoubtedly valuable.


    However, during the award presentation, the young girl named Ined refused the reward.


    "Principal Amuro, may I exchange this reward for a different request?" Ined asked Principal Amuro when he tried to present the reward.


    "Oh, do tell," Principal Amuro said with interest.


    "I''d like to exchange it for an opportunity to battle Gym Leader Shimizu," Ined dered loudly.


    Ined didn''t care about the six-month supply of incense; her family was wealthy, and she didn''tck for money.


    She valued a chance to battle a skilled trainer more than something she could easily obtain with money.


    Meeting an Elite trainers like Gym Leader Shimizu were rare, and she didn''t want to miss the opportunity today.


    Tust''s advanced trainer school did have an Elite Trainer as its Honorary Principal, but someone of that stature was not someone Ined, a mere Intermediate Trainer school top student, could easily approach.


    "This..."


    Principal Amuro felt quite embarassed with the request. He couldn''t unterally decide that Gym Leader Shimizu would engage in a battle. The Gym Leader Shimizu is not from our school, so how can he fight against you when you say you want to fight with him?


    Therefore, he turned to the referee''s stand where Yuga was seated with troubled expression. He couldn''t make a decision for Yuga by himself, and he didn''t want to disappoint his student, so he sought Yuga''s opinion.


    Ined, at this point, also turned her gaze toward Yuga.


    Seeing the determination in Ined''s eyes, Yuga suddenly thought of Cynthia. This girl''s demeanor bore a hint of simrity to Cynthia.


    It was difficult to pinpoint exactly what made this girl reminiscent of Cynthia �C they hadpletely different appearances and personalities. But in a single nce, Yuga felt a flicker of Cynthia''s presence.


    Although Cynthia gave off an aura of a warrior, she was a gentle and non-dominating person upon closer acquaintance.


    Yet, from Ined''s recent performance in the battle, Yuga could tell that she was strong-willed andpetitive. Yuga saw her beingpetitive as apliment �C it was a characteristic that led to constant improvement.


    "Very well, I ept your challenge," Yuga said with a smile. "If you manage to defeat me, you can have the six-month supply of incense as well. Principal Amuro, is this eptable?"


    Principal Amuro nodded quickly. "Of course."


    Ined, overjoyed with Yuga''s agreement, immediately stated, "I will do my best."

 Chapter 996: Yuichii

    <h4>Chapter 996: Yuichii</h4>


    Yuga stepped down from the referee''s stand and walked to face Ined. He released his Pok��mon and said, "One match to decide the winner, let''s begin."


    Ined nodded with a serious expression, nced at Yuga''s Pok��mon, and then released her own. To Yuga''s surprise, her Pok��mon was a rare Arcanine.


    This Arcanine had red fur, sharp eyes, and moved with great agility, clearly indicating it was an exceptionally well-bred Pok��mon.


    During the previous exchanges battles, Ined had never used this Pok��mon, and now it seemed like she had been saving it for this moment.


    The students in the audience were abuzz with discussions upon seeing Ined''s Arcanine, especially the student who had just lost to Ined in the previous match, feeling somewhat slighted.


    Second ce Student: Am I not worthy of battling Arcanine?


    This student was from No. 5 Middle School, and losing to Ined had already left him quite frustrated. Now, he realized there was always a step further to feeling worse.


    Ined''s side had the Arcanine, while Yuga had his Dartrix.


    In terms of level and type advantages, Yuga was likely at a disadvantage, but he doesn''t think that he would lose.


    Ined''s Arcanine had themon Intimidate ability, which activated right at the beginning of the battle, and affecting Dartrix.


    Yuga''s Dartrix reaction was very quick. As soon as the battle began, it used a Nasty Plot move, attempting to boost its Special Attack.


    On the other hand, Ined''s Arcanine responded directly, sending a methrower sweeping towards Dartrix. If not for Dartrix maintaining awareness while using the Nasty Plot move, it would have been engulfed in mes.


    Yuga''s Dartrix had a flying style quite different from regr avian Pok��mon. Probably because It had spent a considerable amount of time with Vivillon, and its flying techniques were heavily influenced by Vivillon''s style. It prioritized agility and grace during flight, aiming for effortless and efficient movement rather than pure speed and burst.


    Bug-type Pok��mon usually had lower physical endurancepared to other types, so they often developed their own unique flying techniques.


    Dartrix gracefully twisted and turned, dodging the fire pirs each time. It appeared as though it was about to get hit, but it always narrowly missed.


    The students in the audience couldn''t help but sigh with disappointment at the near-misses of Ined''s Arcanine. Only Ined on the stage knew that her Arcanine had never had a chance to hit Dartrix. Each time it seemed close, but it was due to the illusion created by Dartrix''s graceful flying technique.


    Amidst the evasion, Dartrixpleted two rounds of its Nasty Plot move, significantly boosting its Special Attack power.


    Dartrix''s Nasty Plot move could strengthen its Special Attack by two stages each time, simr to the effects of the physical attack-boosting move, like Swords Dance. Two rounds of a four-stage enhancement were the maximum limit of Dartrix''s current enhancement.


    However, what surprised Yuga and the students and teachers present was that as soon as Dartrix''s enhancement ended, it started glowing with the light of evolution.


    In fact, In terms of its level, Dartrix should have evolved a long time ago, but Pok��mon evolution involves a variety of factors, and just reaching the necessary level doesn''t guarantee an evolution. Yuga had never been in a rush, but unexpectedly, today Dartrix suddenly evolved.


    Dartrix underwent an evolution, and Ined and her Arcanine knew what was happening. They waited quietly as Dartrix underwent the evolution process.


    After approximately two to three minutes, the glow of evolution on Dartrix faded, revealing a Decidueye with a green cape and brown leafy feathers.


    Compared to the slightly plump Dartrix, Decidueye had a taller and more imposing figure. It had sharper ws and, particrly, its face concealed beneath the green cape exuded an indescribable air of mystery.


    ...


    Decidueye


    Type: Grass/Ghost


    Ability: Long Reach


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 58


    Moves: Tackle, Leafage, Peck, Astonish, Leer, Razor Leaf, Foresight, Synthesis, Shadow Ball, Feather Dance, Brave Bird, Nasty Plot, Leaf de, Pluck, Sucker Punch, Swords Dance, Sunny Day, Roost, Sr Beam, Double Team, Steel Wing, Energy Ball, Shadow w, Grass Pledge, Seed Bomb, Aerial Ace, Spirit Shackle


    ...


    After its evolution wasplete, Decidueye immediately drew a spectral bow and shot three dark arrows toward Arcanine.


    This was the move Spirit Shackle, a move that Decidueye learned after evolving.


    As of now, Decidueye was the only known Pok��mon capable of learning Spirit Shackle. This move seemed tailor-made for Decidueye, and most Decidueye could easily master it after evolving from Dartrix.


    Seeing the three arrows flying towards it, Arcanine didn''t take any chances. It leaped away from its spot, narrowly dodging the attack.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The arrows struck the ground, leaving three deep craters.


    But it wasn''t over yet. Decidueye, not discouraged by the failure of Spirit Shackle, continued to draw its spectral bow and fire more arrows. Each arrow was aimed at the agile Arcanine.


    However, Arcanine wasn''t one to be underestimated. Although it appeared massive, it moved with grace and agility, easily evading Decidueye''s arrows.


    The two Pok��mon engaged in a fierce battle in the field, with Decidueye acting like a true sharpshooter, firing one arrow after another without pause.


    Due to the rapid fire of Decidueye''s Spirit Shackle move, the agile Arcanine eventually made a mistake. In a split second, Arcanine found itself trapped between two shadow arrows, one in front and one behind.


    While these two shadow arrows didn''t directly hit Arcanine, as the name implies, Spirit Shackle influenced the target''s shadow, even if the target itself evaded the attacks.


    The moment the shadow arrows hit the shadow of Arcanine, which was trying to evade, it suddenly appeared as if it was immobilized. Despite struggling and leaping, it couldn''t move from its position.


    This was another aspect of Spirit Shackle''s effect, aside from inflicting damage. It immobilized the target by controlling its shadow, preventing the opponent from moving.


    Of course, this effect was challenging to use against opponents significantly stronger, but it worked effectively against Arcanine, which was on a simr level as Decidueye.


    Because of the unique nature of the Spirit Shackle move, students from the Trainer School were familiar with it. So when they saw Arcanine desperately struggling without moving an inch, they immediately knew the reason.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Three Shadow Balls, controlled by Decidueye, were hurled at the immobilized Arcanine. Helpless to avoid the attack due to its immobility, Arcanine was knocked down and lost consciousness.


    Yuga and Decidueye emerged victorious!


    Ined didn''t appear too disheartened by her defeat. Instead, she thanked Yuga, saying, "Thank you, Gym Leader Shimizu, for your guidance."


    Yuga smiled and replied, "Just keep working hard. Strive to win next time."


    As Yuga finished speaking, he suddenly heard a heartyughter.


    "Ha ha ha, what a great battle. I heard that Gym Leader Shimizu came to Tust, and I initially thought it was just a rumor. But I didn''t expect to see you here for real."


    A man and a boy approached Yuga one after the other.


    "Principal Keihara, it''s been a while."


    Of the two neers, the older one was Principal Keihara, whom Yuga had known for a while, but he didn''t recognize the younger one.


    "It''s been a while, indeed," Principal Keihara said with a warm smile.


    "If you were nning toe, you should have let me know earlier. I could have made better preparations. We''re old friends; we should uphold the tradition of being gracious hosts."


    Yuga shook his head and replied, "I just happened to pass by Rustboro City, and I came here upon an invitation from Gym Leader Roxanne."


    Since the two businesses had close ties, Yuga had a good rtionship with Principal Keihara. They enjoyed a lively conversation for a while.


    "Is this the famous Gym Leader Shimizu?"


    At this moment, the young man who had been following Principal Keihara spoke up.


    Yuga looked at the young man with a hint of confusion, waiting for an introduction.


    This young man, around twenty years old, appeared to be of a simr age to Yuga, and he had a handsome appearance. However, his arrogant expression left a rather unpleasant impression.


    "Oh, this is our advanced Trainer School''s Student Council President, Yuichii. Despite his young age, he has quite impressive abilities. He''s also the top student in our advanced Trainer School," Principal Keihara introduced Yuichii to Yuga with enthusiasm, clearly pleased with this student.


    Yuga gave a brief greeting, saying, "Hello," but he didn''t seem very impressed with this student named Yuichii.


    Yuichii, on the other hand, noticed Yuga''s indifference and felt quite annoyed. He had been praised and admired throughout his life and had never experienced such treatment.


    "Was Gym Leader Shimizu just battling this youngdy earlier? After all, Gym Leader Shimizu is a somewhat famous Trainer. I didn''t expect he would take an interest in picking on children."


    Yuichii even emphasized the words "somewhat famous" when speaking, adding a touch of sarcasm to his tone.


    Principal Keihara was taken aback. Wasn''t Yuichii usually quite polite? What was going on today? Why was he trying to challenge Yuga like this?


    Yuichii''s father was one of the directors of Tust.


    Originally, Principal Keihara was discussing the renovation of the advanced Trainer School''s training room with Yuichii''s father. When he received the news of Yuga''s visit to Tust, he hurriedly came to the junior division, and Yuichii had expressed a strong desire to apany him, saying he really wanted to meet Yuga.


    Principal Keihara used to like this student quite a bit; he was talented, had been elected as the Student Council President of the advanced Trainer School, and was a rare talent.


    However, Principal Keihara couldn''t believe that this usually polite student was speaking so aggressively today.


    Yuga furrowed his brows, wondering if he had some sort of grudge against this guy.


    What Yuga didn''t know was that, in Yuichii''s eyes, he indeed held a grudge against him.


    To understand this, we need to delve into Yuichii''s background.


    The Yuichii family wasn''t arge or particrly well-known family, even though they didn''t have many members, but they held a significant position within the Pok��mon League.


    First of all, Yuichii''s father was a Mayor of the renowed LaRousse City


    If Rustboro City was known as the hub for Pok��mon Trainer academies, LaRousse was the epicenter of scientific research and development within the Pok��mon world. The two cities were even nicknamed: ''The City of Culture'' (LaRousse) and ''The City of Battle'' (Rustboro).


    The human world heavily relies on science and technology, and LaRousse City''s position is of utmost importance in this regard.


    Secondly, the founder of the Melo Tech Corporation, which Yuga had previously admired, is Yuichii''s mother, Melo.


    As far as Yuga knew, Melo was a formidable woman who dedicated her life to her work. There were often rumors about her discord with her husband. However, these were mere gossip, and the specifics of their rtionship were known only to them.


    Lastly, we should talk about Yuichii''s uncle.


    Yuichii''s uncle was younger than his father. He was now not even in his forties but held the prestigious position of the regional Chairman of the Hoenn League.


    In other words, Yuichii''s uncle was the highest-ranking authority in the Pok��mon League of Hoenn region.


    However, due to the events that had taken ce within the Unova League a decade ago, regional Chairmans from various regions had been closely monitored by the League''s headquarters. As a result, the power of the regional Chairmans was not as extensive as one might assume.


    Nevertheless, Yuichii''s uncle had a good reputation and had devoted all his time to the League, he even choosing not to marry. As a result, he held a significant status in the Hoenn League.


    So, how did Yuichii, the wealthy and influential young man, be an enemy of Yuga?


    It turns out that Yuichii had shown great talent as a Pok��mon Trainer from a young age. As a result, his father wanted him to be a disciple of the only Master level Trainer in Hoenn, Mr. Kuni''o.


    When Yuichii was around ten years old, his uncle used his influence to arrange a meeting with Mr. Kuni''o, with the intention of seeking permission for Yuichii to be his apprentice.


    However, in Mr. Kuni''o''s lineage, there had always been a rule of epting only one apprentice at a time, and the most basic requirement for apprenticeship was having the Celebi''s blessing.


    Yuichii was heartlessly rejected by Mr. Kuni''o.


    Yuichii was a young prodigy, doted upon at home, and he thought that bing Mr. Kuni''o''s apprentice was almost a certainty. But he couldn''t believe that he was rejected so decisively.


    Yuichii was deeply resentful of this rejection.


    For many years afterward, Yuichii would visit Mr. Kuni''o every year, determined to be his apprentice. However, year after year passed, and Mr. Kuni''o continued to refuse him.


    Most people would have given up, as they''re not masochists. But Yuichii had a burning determination to be Mr. Kuni''o''s apprentice. The thought of not receiving Mr. Kuni''o''s tutge was something he couldn''t ept.


    This continued until a few years ago when Yuga came into the picture.


    What was Yuichii''s family? They were a family of high-standing individuals. So when Yuga became Mr. Kuni''o''s apprentice, they got wind of it.


    But given Mr. Kuni''o''s esteemed position, even if they had dissatified, they had to ept the reality.


    Initially, Yuichii''s family kept this information from him, as they were afraid he might not handle it well.


    However, no secret remains hidden forever, and as Yuga''s fame continued to rise, Yuichii eventually learned about it through other sources.


    When he first heard the news, Yuichii was consumed by bitterness and wished he could just spit on Yuga''s face.


    But due to his privileged upbringing, Yuichii, although proud, was not a malicious person. He held a grudge against Yuga, but he never thought about taking harmful actions against him.


    Meeting Yuga today was an unexpected encounter for Yuichii, but he couldn''t help but feel angry, which was why he made sarcastic remarks towards Yuga.


    In summary, he was being jealeous.

 Chapter 997: Crystal Flower

    <h4>Chapter 997: Crystal Flower</h4>


    When Yuga heard Yuichii''s sarcastic remarks toward him, he hadn''t even responded when Ined spoke up with displeasure, "Just now, Gym Leader Shimizu was giving me guidance, there''s no bullying here. Besides, I''m not a child who can be bullied at will. Please be more careful with your words, senior."


    Ined had a strong sense of self-esteem, and even after losing the battle just now, she never considered herself weak. She felt that Ined''s words were not only aimed at Yuga but also a sign of disrespect towards herself.


    To Ined''s surprise, her straightforward words caught Yuichii off guard, and he stammered, "I...I didn''t mean it that way."


    Ined continued with her displeasure, "If you have any issues with me, senior, how about we have a little match?"


    Yuichii: ...


    Yuga, watching the confident youngdy who had just stood up to the senior, found the situation rather funny.


    Yuichii also noticed the smile on Yuga''s face and he felt that he was being ridiculed. So he red at Yuga, displeased with the situation.


    Principal Keihara, sensing the tension between the three, quickly intervened, "Gym Leader Shimizu, it''s not easy for you to visit. Why don''t youe to my office for a while?"


    Yuga also didn''t want to continue this childish confrontation with Yuichii. So he agreed, saying, "Sure, let''s go have a chat. It''s been a while since west met, and we can also discuss the Pok��block you reserved with us."


    Since the event at the Trainer School was over, there was no reason for him to stay here any longer.


    "Great, let''s go," Principal Keihara said, then turned to Yuichii, "Yuichii, you''ve met Gym Leader Shimizu now, and we have some other matters to discuss. You can head back."


    Principal Keihara was secretly displeased with Yuichii''s impoliteness earlier. Yuga was also his honored guest after all, but Yuichii stabbed others in front of so many people. Where did this put his face as the principal?


    However, he had to maintain a respectful attitude due to Yuichii''s father being on the school''s board of directors. So even if Principal Keihara has any dissatisfaction in his heart, he can only put it aside.


    Unlike Principal Amuro, Principal Keihara wasn''t a Trainer. He was a managerial leader and didn''t teach students directly. He handled the school''s various administrative matters, which was why he was in charge of dealing between Tust and YoYo Day Care.


    Under Yuichii''s angry eyes, Principal Keihara and Yuga left together.


    Before leaving, Yuga greeted Roxanne and Principal Amuro. And informed Roxanne that he would meet her in Rustboro Gym as per their prior arrangement after his meeting with Principal Keihara.


    Principal Amuro was a bit frustrated with Principal Keihara behavior for disrupting the meeting with Gym Leader Shimizu: It was obviously me first!


    (Roxanne: I haven''t even said anything yet!)


    Nevertheless, a high-level trainer is wee wherever he goes, especially Principal Amuro, who is also a trainer. He also wants to ask Yuga for advice!


    Yuga and Principal Keihara chatted for a long time and had dinner together before going to the Rustboro Gym and staying one night under Roxanne hospitality.


    The next day, Yuga met with Roxanne, and together, they headed to the private Trainer exchange event that Roxanne had mentioned the previous day.


    ording to Roxanne''s introduction, this private exchange event was somewhat like the Pok��mon ck market. Many Trainers would trade items with unknown origins here.


    Trainers from all walks of life participated in this event, whether they were involved in legitimate or not-so-legitimate activities.


    Not only that, although the format of this trade exchane is simr to a ck market, the event was organized by the Investigation Bureau, a special organization under the Pok��mon League.


    The Pok��mon League has two special organizations: the Internal Prosecutor Bureau and the External Investigation Bureau.


    The League understands the concept of "out of sight, out of mind," especially when ites to highly skilled Trainers. So instead of letting some gray-area Trainers roam around without any discipline, the League prefers to keep an eye on them. As long as they don''t go too far, the League doesn''t intervene.


    These trade events serve as tforms where the League can supervise these Trainers.


    Such events are held regrly in various major cities, but it''s challenging for those without connections to locate the venue, as these trade events aren''t meant for ordinary Trainers.


    Those gray-area Trainers with sensitive backgrounds are well aware of the League''s intentions. However, trade events organized by the League provide security and confidentiality, making them the perfect ce to exchange items that might not be safe to trade openly.


    There''s an unwritten rule at these trade events: once items are inside, their origins and sources aren''t questioned.


    With so many benefits, those people are naturally unwilling to leave such a good tform unused. This is the so-called willingness to take the bait.


    However, Most people at these trade events don''t know who the real organizers are, and the Investigation Bureau never publicly acknowledges its role. After all, it''s not something they want to advertise.


    The reason Roxanne knows all this is due to her cousin, who works for the Investigation Bureau and happens to be in charge of the trade event in Rustboro City.


    Her cousin''s work is quite different from the usual dangerous missions performed by Investigation Agents. His role is to manage the trade event in Rustboro City, making him a civilian employee of the Investigation Bureau.


    Furthermore, most people, including many within the Investigation Bureau, aren''t aware that Roxanne''s cousin works for the Bureau.


    Of course, while Roxanne gave Yuga a brief introduction to the background of the trade event, she didn''t mention her cousin. Such a confidential matter can''t be mentioned casually.


    Also along with Yuga and Roxanne was Roxanne''s friend L. She arrived at the Rustboro Gym early in the morning and was waiting for the two of them. She was also looking forward to this trade exchange.


    Roxanne had her own car, and she drove Yuga and L to a tall building in the North District of Rustboro City. There, she led them to a hidden elevator.


    Before entering the door, Roxanne said a code word to the two security guards at the door. After hearing the code word, the security guard called a beautiful youngdy from inside. Under the leadership of the youngdy, the three of them came to a building with elevator door hidden in the dark.


    "The top floor of this elevator is your destination for today," a beautiful youngdy said politely to the three of them as the elevator doors opened.


    "Thank you!" Roxanne expressed her gratitude before taking Yuga and L into the elevator.


    However, as soon as the three of them exited the elevator, the elevator doors on the opposite side also opened, revealing Yuichii and Principal Amuro. It was clear that there was more than one elevator.


    Yuichii upon meeting Yuga: ...I Leaving the ce with excitement, only to run into the person i least wanted to see!


    Principal Amuro, on the other hand, greeted Yuga with a big smile, "Oh, if it isn''t Gym Leader Shimizu! What a coincidence! Are you, Roxanne, and L here to attend this trade event?"


    "Principal Amuro!"


    "Principal Amuro!"


    Roxanne and L politely greeted Principal Amuro.


    Yuga also nodded and said, "It is indeed a coincidence. I didn''t expect to meet Principal Amuro and this student here."


    "This student," Yuichii: You ***! You can''t even remember my name! Am I not worth it?!!!


    Yuichii was utterly received a critical hit.


    However, Yuga''s forgetting Yuichii''s name wasn''t intentional. Even though Principal Keihara introduced them yesterday, Yuga felt that there was little chance of meeting him in the future, so he didn''t care and forgot Yuichii''s name. Unexpectedly, they would meet again the next day.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu and Gym Leader Roxanne, don''t you want to act with us?" Principal Amuro immediately killed the snake and followed the stick, and wanted to invite Yuga to apany him. He want to establish a good rtionship with him, given that he was a student of Mr. Kuni''o!


    Yuichii couldn''t help but roll his eyes at Principal Amuro''s eagerness, thinking he seemed like quite the pdog."


    Initially, Yuichii''s father wasn''t in favor of him attending this trade event, but Yuichii was eager to experience it. Therefore, his father had to ask Principal Amuro to apany him.


    If this were a typical day, Yuichii would have certainly voiced his displeasure with Principal Amuro, regardless of his status as the principal. However, today he had to hold back; otherwise, if Principal Amuro backed out midway, he''d have to go back home.


    Just as Yuga was about to respond, Yuichii jumped in, saying, "Maybe we should pass. Gym Leader Shimizu is quite busy and probably doesn''t want to be with us small fries."


    Principal Amuro: Stop! If you''re going to be a small fry, don''t drag me down with you!


    Of course Yuga could see that Yuichii wasn''t fond of him. So, Yuga just went along with it, saying, "Let''s forget it." It just so happened that he didn''t want to go with Yuichii either.


    After that, they all went their separate ways.


    Crossing through a long corridor, Yuga and the others entered a bustling hall. This was the venue for the trade event.


    Yuga had expected a more formal event, given that it was held on the top floor of a tall building. However, the reality was quite the opposite.


    The ce was more like a local market, with no formal counters in sight, and street vendors shouting their wares. The atmosphere was down-to-earth and very different from the luxury of the towering building.


    Seeing Yuga''s surprised expression, Roxanne asked with a smile, "What''s the matter? Are you surprised?"


    Yuga nodded and exined, "Indeed, I am. I didn''t expect the trade event to be like this."


    Roxanne rified, "The people whoe here are from all walks of life. Managing them uniformly is extremely difficult, so the organizers decided not to bother and let them trade freely, as long as they don''t cause trouble."


    Understanding this, Yuga replied, "I see, that makes sense!"


    After browsing for a while, they passed by a small vendor''s stall, and the vendor waved at Yuga, calling out, "Hey there, young fe, want to take a look at this Psychic Bead from Spoink?"


    He raised a fist-sized, pinkish gem and shook it in front of Yuga.


    Yuga gazed at the gem for a moment and then, after some thought, walked over and touched the pinkish gem, asking, "You im this is a Psychic Bead from Spoink?"


    The vendor, assuming Yuga wanted to buy it, eagerly pitched, "Absolutely, absolutely! It''s genuine, no doubt. Look at its color, its luster. It''s unmistakably a Psychic Bead from Spoink. You won''t be cheated here."


    Yuga lightly tapped the pinkish gem, causing it to make a clinking sound, and he replied, "Shopkeeper, you''re quite unscrupulous! This is clearly a Pearl from mperl, and you''re trying to deceive me by calling it a Psychic Bead from Spoink!"


    The vendor, hearing this, quicklyughed awkwardly, saying, "Haha... I... I didn''t expect to encounter an expert today."


    mperl''s pearls and Spoink''s Psychic Beads look almost identical, and it''s difficult for most people to distinguish between them. With a little modification, it bes even harder to differentiate them.


    mperl''s pearls, while also a rare and valuable resource for nurturing Pok��mon, are significantly less valuablepared to Spoink''s Psychic Beads.


    "Shopkeeper, your deceitful behavior is not appreciated!" Yuga grinned at the vendor.


    The vendor quickly covered Yuga''s mouth and whispered, "Hey, little buddy, keep your voice down! If anyone else hears this, my business is finished!"


    The items at this trade event is to test your ability to judge things urately. If you have poor discernment and get cheated, it''s your own fault.


    However, deceiving customers is also a skill on its own, and if a vendor''s trickery is exposed, it can harm their business.


    Yuga calmly pushed the vendor''s hand away and gave him a mysterious look.


    Feeling uneasy under Yuga''s gaze, the vendor reluctantly waved it off and said, "Alright, alright! I knew you''d try to shake me down! Fine, I''ll show you something good today!"


    With that, he pulled Yuga aside and slyly took a box from his bag. Slowly, he opened the box, revealing a deep blue-ck crystal flower inside.


    This crystal flower was exceptionally beautiful, entirely transparent, and as he opened the box, it refracted dazzling radiance. The white specks on its petals added an air of purity and mystery.


    "This is..." Yuga''s heart raced as heid eyes on the flower.


    The vendor quickly closed the box and put his arm around Yuga''s shoulder, smiling broadly as he said, "How about that? I didn''t deceive you, did I? As long as you can afford it, this item can be yours!"


    The blue-ck crystal flower, called the "Reverse-Light Flower," may look like crystal on the surface, but it''s an actual nt. It only grows in the most frigid pr regions and blossoms under the northern lights. These flowers are extremely rare and precious, on par with a Revival Herb in terms of value.


    What sets the Reverse-Light Flower apart is its name. It''s bathed in the aurora borealis as it blooms but is, in fact, a Ghost-type material, greatly beneficial to Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    Seeing this Reverse-Light Flower, Yuga immediately thought of Mimikyu, slumbering in the Shadow Space. Due to long term oppression from Trevenant, it remained in a weakened state. Having this Reverse-Light Flower would help Mimikyu recover quickly.


    "What price are you thinking of?" Yuga asked in a hushed tone.


    The vendor chuckled and said, "Hehe... I can see you''re not short on funds, young fe. How about this? Eight million, I''ll sell you this Reverse-Light Flower for eight million."


    He initially aimed to make a good profit, but he didn''t really care to whom he sold it. If the young man could afford the price, he would be fine with selling it to him.


    "Eight million!" Yuga was taken aback by the price. "Are you out of your mind?"


    The vendor raised an eyebrow and said, "You know the value of this item. Eight million, and you won''t be at a loss. Plus, it''s not easy for me to acquire these things. A little inconvenience fee is necessary."


    "However, you should also know that Ghost-type Trainers are rare, and it''s not easy to sell this immediately. I''ll take seven million as a final price!"


    Yuga knew that eight million was a bit steep for the Reverse-Light Flower, but not unreasonably so. However, sticking to the principle of trying to save money whenever possible, he still wanted to negotiate a lower price.


    If he hadn''t recently earned a considerable sum from Gillruta, he probably couldn''t afford this item.


    The vendor sighed, saying, "Young man, you''re quite tough. Won''t you let me make a little extra for my troubles? You started by cutting down a million! Alright, you seem like a good person, so how about seven hundred and ny thousand, my final price!"


    Yuga replied, "Come on, you can do better than that. Lower the price a bit more."


    After a bit more back-and-forth, Yuga finally managed to buy the Reverse-Light Flower for seven hundred and fifty thousand.


    Once the transaction wasplete, Yuga happily stashed the box containing the Reverse-Light Flower into his backpack. A great start!


    During the whole negotiation, both Roxanne and L observed silently, never saying a word. It wasn''t until they left the vendor''s stand that they both gave Yuga a thumbs up simultaneously.


    Afterward, the trio continued exploring the trading venue. Not long after, Roxanne purchased a well-preserved Shieldon that had been revived from a fossil, spending a significant amount. L, on the other hand, got a Held Item �C a me Orb.


    As they strolled around some more, Yuga''s attention was caught by another vendor who had a strange collection of electric appliances. Washing machines, refrigerators,wnmowers, electric fans, and more were on disy. Oddly enough, these appliances appeared to move on their own.


    Were these possessed by Rotom? Yuga''s attention was immediately drawn to the Rotom inhabiting these devices.


    With these Rotom in the household appliances, would that mean taking care of house chores with Audino and Wigglytuff would be much easier?


    It''s safe to say that Yuga''s thought process is quite unique. His immediate response upon seeing Rotom was to buy them to help with household chores. Imagining a house filled with appliances thate to life was indeed both bizarre and intriguing.


    With this in mind, Yuga headed over to the vendor selling Rotom-possessed appliances. The though of appliances moving around in his home brought both an eerie and exciting vibe.


    "Are these all possessed by Rotom?" Yuga asked the vendor.


    The vendor, without lifting an eyelid, nodded casually and replied, "They are. Choose whichever you like."


    Yuga nodded, not minding the vendor''s indifferent attitude. He focused his attention on the appliances that Rotom had inhabited.


    Through his "Insight" ability, Yuga could discern that these Rotom''s potentials weren''t impressive; most were either red or orange, and only a few were yellow.


    However, it didn''t matter much to Yuga because his purpose for buying these Rotom was to assist with household chores, and their potentials didn''t affect their ability to help with chores.


    "How many would you like to buy?"


    Seeing Yuga''s genuine interest in purchasing, the vendor asked casually once more.


    Yuga contemted the various forms of Rotom: Heat Rotom, Wash Rotom, Frost Rotom, Fan Rotom, and Mow Rotom.


    "Well, I''ll take five."


    The vendor nodded and said, "Feel free to pick your choice."

 Chapter 998: Rotom and the Pokédex

    <h4>Chapter 998: Rotom and the Pok��dex</h4>


    Upon hearing the vendor''s words, Yuga walked up to the electronic appliances and observed them carefully.


    Although the potentials of these Rotom weren''t great, their personalities were lively. As Yuga approached, each one controlling the possessed appliance struck poses, trying to capture his attention.


    Pok��mon like Rotom weren''tmonly seen in the wild, making them difficult to encounter. Moreover, they possessed the typical traits of most Ghost-type Pok��mon, excelling at hiding. Capturing them wasn''t a simple task.


    It was highly likely that these Rotom were bred by the vendor himself. Wild Rotom didn''t gather inrge numbers, so capturing so many at once would be impossible.


    For Yuga, this was his first encounter with someone who bred Rotom.


    After observing for a while, Yuga eventually chose five of the Rotom that he liked.


    He was buying these Rotom to assist with household chores, so he selected ones with stable personalities, not solely based on their potential.


    Even though low-potential Pok��mon came at a lower price, Rotom was considered rare, leading to a slight premium. However, this additional cost wasn''t significant for Yuga.


    After carefully examining the five Rotom and being satisfied with his choices, Yuga frowned and asked the vendor, "Can I buy these Rotom without the appliances?"


    Despite Yuga''s efforts to select Rotom with stable personalities, Rotom, in general, were known for their mischievous nature. Without special training, you shouldn''t expect Pok��mon like Rotom to be very stable.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, the vendor gave him a nce and silently retrieved five Pok�� Balls, returning the five Rotom back inside the devices and then handed the Pok�� Balls to Yuga.


    It was evident that the vendor had no intention of selling the appliances along with the Rotom from the start.


    Yuga epted the Pok�� Balls with a somewhat embarrassed expression, feeling a bit awkward.


    Just as Yuga was about to leave, he suddenly noticed a small, square-shaped machine on a shelf behind the vendor.


    So, he curiously pointed at the machine and asked, "Boss, what is that?"


    The vendor turned and nced at the machine behind him, then answered sparingly, "It''s a Pok��dex."


    Yuga: ...Boss, if you keep this up, you might lose me as a customer.


    However, this boss seemed to be quite knowledgeable. He managed to obtain a Pok��dex, and judging by its appearance, it didn''t seem like one of those cheap knock-offs.


    Pok��dexes distributed by the Pok��mon League had special anti-counterfeit marks, and only Pok��mon Professors who is appointed by the League, had the authority to grant new Trainers who has right to obtain Three starter Pok��mon with a Pok��dex.


    Of course, there were many Trainers out there who possessed Pok��dexes obtained through unofficial means, but most of them were unofficial copies and might not haveplete data.


    Yuga was genuinely interested in the Pok��dex, so he walked over to the shelf and took a closer look.


    But when he saw the price tag underneath the Pok��dex, he was shocked and eximed, "This... this is too expensive!"


    Two and a half million!


    This was just a Pok��dex. The most expensive unofficial versions on the market could go up to three to five thousand, and even for an official version through less reputable channels, it wouldn''t cost more than three to five hundred thousand.


    But two and a half million? Was there an extra zero added by mistake?


    "Boss, is there any special reason for this price?" Yuga asked, bewildered by the high cost.


    The vendor noticed Yuga''s interest in the Pok��dex and inquired, "Are you interested in buying it?"


    This Pok��dex was indeed a valuable item, but its high price had kept potential buyers at bay for quite some time. If he could actually sell it, the vendor would be delighted.


    Yuga raised an eyebrow and responded, "Well, that depends on whether your item justifies the price."


    The vendor nodded and began to exin the origin of this particr Pok��dex.


    It turned out that this Pok��dex was a product of the Pok��mon League''s Pok��dex Research Department, created for researching the new versions of the Pok��dex.


    They incorporated the Rotom abilities to possessing household appliances, and used thetest bio-mimetic materials to manufacture this unique Pok��dex.


    At first nce, it didn''t differ much from a standard Pok��dex, but it allowed Rotom to possess it and granted the Rotom the ability to speak. Once Rotom inhabited the Pok��dex, it effectively became an intelligent device.


    Yuga listened attentively as the vendor exined the features and capabilities of this special Rotom-possessed Pok��dex.


    Upon hearing this, Yuga realized that this must be the prototype of what wouldter be the Rotom Pok��dex. As technology advanced, there might be Rotom smartphones, Rotom drones, Rotom bicycles, and more in the future.


    The manufacturing process for this device went smoothly. However, as is often the case with researchers, once they embark on creating something new, they can be quite obsessed.


    After the creation of the new Pok��dex, they had new ideas.


    If a Rotom could possess a Pok��dex and be highly intelligent, what about aputer?


    In fact, the current technology in the Pok��mon world can already produce very advanced artificial intelligence, such as the artificial intelligence Phineas on Gillruta''s Flying Fortress.


    However, technology-based AI was different from biological intelligence.


    The research department aimed to transform the new Pok��dex into a miniature supeputer. If sessful, this small device would have exceptional processing power, and Rotom could control its operations.


    However, things didn''t go as smoothly as they had hoped. Even though they equipped the Pok��dex with the necessary hardware and software, it still failed to operate as intended. The entire research team spent a long time troubleshooting but couldn''t identify the problem.


    When research hit a dead end, the project was abandoned, and the Pok��dex was considered scrap. This abandoned Pok��dex eventually ended up in the hands of the vendor''s friend.


    The vendor''s friend was no ordinary individual; he happened to be a researcher who had participated in the development of man-made Pok��mon like Porygon and had specialized knowledge in artificial intelligence.


    Sometimes, you find experts in unexpected ces.


    Through a fortunate stroke of luck and his unique expertise, the vendor''s friend managed to sessfully modify and resurrect the Pok��dex.


    In theory, such a specialized Rotom-possessed Pok��dex would be worth not just two and a half million but possibly much more. However, since the vendor had acquired it without spending any money, he didn''t set an extremely high price.


    But to those who didn''t understand the story behind it, two and a half million indeed seemed like an exorbitant sum. A Pok��dex that could be purchased for tens of thousands made people question why they would spend millions.


    As a result, the Pok��dex had remained unsold for a long time. Was this an unexpected find?


    After listening to the vendor''s exnation, Yuga was taken aback and asked, "You mean, it''s for sale?"


    Seeing Yuga''s surprised reaction, the vendor furrowed his brow and inquired, "So, do you want to buy it?"


    Yuga hastily replied, "Of course, I want to buy it!"


    This Pok��dex would be perfect for assisting the Mmar in their researches. And if he could find a suitable Rotom to work with it, it might even rece Mmar as the new star of theboratory.


    Upon hearing that Yuga wanted to purchase the Pok��dex, the vendor''s slightly furrowed brow rxed a bit. After exining everything at length, if Yuga hadn''t shown any intention to buy, the vendor might have been quite upset.


    Holding thepact Pok��dex in his hand, Yuga lowered his head in thought: This excellent Pok��dex must have a Rotom of equal standing to go with it.


    With that in mind, Yuga asked the vendor, "Do you have any Rotom with above-average potential?"


    Ideally, Yuga wanted a Rotom with a green attribute or higher, as he could use an attribute-boosting item to improve a yellow-attribute Rotomter.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s request, the vendor scrutinized Yuga for a moment. He did indeed have a high potential Rotom, but he hadn''t initially intended to sell it. However...


    "You want one?" the vendor asked.


    Yuga thought: Of course, I do! Why ask if I don''t want it?


    But he replied politely, "Yes, I''m interested."


    The vendor hesitated for a moment before responding, "I''d like some Ghost Gems in exchange."


    Ghost Gems were always a valuablemodity, and the vendor was unsure if Yuga had any to trade. So, he was little hesitant.


    When Yuga heard this, he suddenly realized that he wanted the ghost gem! It seems that he is still a Ghost-type trainer. There are not many trainers who are good at Ghost-type Pok��mon. Hedidn''t expect to meet one here today.


    In fact, what Yuga didn''t know was that the vendor came from the same family as Bridges, who is renowned for generations for breeding Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    However, after Bridges was arrested, other members of the family were also implicated, and the people of the n were distraught, and now they are basically gone in name only.


    Although the family had begun declining long before Bridges''s arrest, they managed to maintain a bit of their reputation thanks to Bridges. However, with Bridges''s fall from grace, they have naturally be a lost dog, and everyone wants to step on them.


    Fortunately, this vendor was from a distant branch of the family and hadn''t received many benefits during the family''s heyday, nor did he face much scrutiny when the family fell from grace.


    Moreover, he had long stopped being involved in the Pok��mon League, unlike Bridges''s granddaughter, Kristia. Although she still working within the League, she was discriminated everywhere because of her grandfather''s actions.


    Yuga responded, "Let me take a look at your Pok��mon first, and then I''ll decide whether to trade with Ghost Gems."


    Yuga had plenty of Ghost Gems, so it depended on whether the Rotom the vendor had to offer met his standards.


    Really have?


    Hearing Yuga''s answer, the vendor''s previously stern expression finally showed a glimmer of joy. He nodded and led Yuga to a corner. From his pocket, he took out a Pok�� Ball.


    With a satisfying click, the Pok�� Ball opened, and a much smaller Rotom than usual floated before Yuga.


    ...


    Rotom


    Type: Electric, Ghost


    Ability: Levitate


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 18


    Moves: Discharge, Nasty Plot, Thunder Wave, Astonish


    ...


    This was indeed a Rotom with excellent potential, and it appeared quite young, likely newly born.


    The vendor asked, "What do you think?"


    To be honest, the vendor didn''t really want to part with this Rotom. However, due to financial difficulties and an urgent need for Ghost Gems, he reluctantly decided to let go of this high potential Rotom.


    Yuga nodded with satisfaction and said, "Good, it''s indeed a fine Rotom." Just by looking at it, he could tell that this Rotom had been well cared for.


    "How about we meet at the Pok��mon Center after this trade fair ends? We can thoroughly examine this Rotom''s potential there," Yuga suggested.


    Yuga couldn''t admit he had already assessed the Rotom''s potential, nor could he reveal that he had Ghost Gems with him. Therefore, he suggested further discussions at the Pok��mon Center once the trade fair concluded.


    The vendor had agreed to meet Yuga at the Pok��mon Center after the trade fair ended. After exchanging contact information, Yuga left the booth.


    Just then, Roxanne and L finished their shopping and joined him.


    Seeing Roxanne''s joyful expression, Yuga asked with curiosity, "What did you buy that has you so happy?"


    Roxanne proudly retrieved a fossil from her bag around her waist and said, "I got lucky and found a Jaw Fossil! They say it can be revived into a Tyrunt!"


    As a Rock-type Pok��mon trainer, the prospect of reviving a Tyrunt from a fossil had a great appeal to Roxanne, so it was no wonder she was so delighted.


    "By the way, what did you buy?" Roxanne asked as an afterthought.


    "I just bought a Pok��dex," Yuga replied.


    Although Roxanne didn''t understand why Yuga wanted a Pok��dex, she didn''t press the matter.


    The three of them continued their conversation while exploring the trade fair. Just then, they heard amotion up ahead and found that Yuichii was arguing heatedly with a vendor.


    Curious, they joined the onlookers and learned about the cause of the dispute.


    Ita turn out, Yuichii had purchased what the vendor imed was a Budew Pok��mon Egg with a greenish appearance.


    Yuichii had bought the egg and hadn''t walked far when the egg hatched, but the one who hatch it turn out not a Budew, not even a Grass-type Pok��mon. Instead, it was just an ordinary Burmy.


    Considering Yuichii''s aspiration to be a Grass-type Pok��mon trainer after being declined by Mr. Kuni''o, he had dedicated years to raising Grass-type Pok��mon. Being deceived with an ordinary Bug-type Pok��mon was uneptable to him.


    Amon Burmy was nowhere near the value of a Budew.


    The vendor hadn''t anticipated the egg hatching so quickly, but it was impossible for him to admit it. Otherwise, his reputation would be tarnished, and his business would suffer.


    So, he staunchly denied that the Burmy Yuichii brought was hatched from the Pok��mon egg he sold, suggesting Yuichii was trying to extort him.


    Both of them had their stories, and they were locked in a heated argument. And the onlookers were enjoying the spectacle.


    Upon understanding the cause of the matter, Yuga couldn''t help but feel astonished. He had thought Yuichii was an academically elite trainer, but he didn''t expect that he was a sand sculpture. He couldn''t even tell the difference between Burmy and Budew Pok��mon egg.


    However, Yuga wondered where Principal Amuro was at this moment?


    Normally, if Principal Amuro were here, he wouldn''t allow Yuichii to bear this injustice. While watching the dispute, Yuga pondered this question.

 Chapter 999: Gambling Challenge

    <h4>Chapter 999: Gambling Challenge</h4>


    Yuichii is a proud second-generation wealthy individual, and the money of a Pok��mon is really nothing to him, but being deceived like this is absolutely uneptable.


    Yuichii relentlessly confronts the stall owner who deceived him, but the stall owner remains stubborn. The two of them argue continuously, and the onlookers find it entertaining.


    Yuichii can''t tolerate this injustice. He''s already red-faced with anger, and if it weren''t for the inappropriate location, he might have taken out a Pok�� Ball and fought the stall owner.


    Just as Yuichii was getting ready to take action, Principal Amuro arrived in time. He pushed through the crowd, grabbed Yuichii''s hand, and whispered, "My young friend, do you know where you are? You can''t cause trouble here!"


    Yuichii: I... Am I the one causing trouble?


    Before Yuichii could say more, Principal Amuro gave him a calming look, and Yuichii had to remain silent.


    There was no other choice; his father had specifically sent someone to watch over him.


    Principal Amuro turned to the stall owner and said, "You may not be aware, but we have no need to extort you for such a small amount of money. It would be better for you to apologize."


    The friendly Principal Amuro had a sudden change in demeanor when he addressed the stall owner.


    Although Principal Amuro was tactful, not just anyone had the privilege of being on his good side.


    The stall owner, who had been haughty just moments ago, was instantly suppressed by Principal Amuro''s presence. Realizing he was losing face, he stood tall and said, "What? You extort people and now you want to bully them?"


    The stall owner was actually quite young, and his initial bravado gave the impression that hecked confidence.


    Principal Amuro gave him a stern look and said, "It seems you won''t change your ways until you see a coffin."


    He then scanned the onlookers and, upon spotting Yuga, his eyes lit up.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, you''re here too! What a coincidence!"


    Yuga: ...Your speed of changing faces is truly remarkable.


    "Well, Principal Amuro, it''s quite a coincidence," Yuga replied with a smile. Getting caught watching the drama was a bit embarrassing. After all, Tust has been a valuable partner of YoYo Daycare.


    "By the way, Gym Leader Shimizu, do you have any Ghost-type Pok��mon with you? If you do, may I borrow one?" Principal Amuro asked with a cheerful smile.


    Although Yuga was unsure how Principal Amuro knew he was still a Ghost-type trainer, he nodded in agreement, saying, "No problem."


    After all, Tust had been a partner of YoYo Daycare, so helping out with a favor was not a big deal.


    Principal Amuro, hearing this, grinned and said, "That''s excellent!" As for how he knew Yuga was a Ghost-type trainer, it could be attributed to his connections.


    While Yuga hadn''t publicized his Ghost-type Pok��mon in his hands. He hadn''t exactly hidden it either. Someone like Principal Amuro, who wanted to establish a good rtionship with Yuga, would naturally find out.


    "Gengar!"


    Yuga softly called out, and Gengar appeared beside him, causing the surrounding temperature to drop noticeably. The spectators who had been standing near Yuga quickly took a few steps back.


    Anyone with keen eyes could see that Yuga and Gengar weren''t to be trifled with.


    Gengar had the ability to hide in shadows, so Yuga wasn''t worried about anyone discovering the existence of the Shadow Space.


    As soon as he saw Gengar, the stall owner on the other side realized he was in trouble. It wasn''t easy to lie in front of Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    "How about we try Gengar''s Munnasis? If you can stick to your previous ims under Gengar''s Munnasis, we''llpensate you tenfold!" Principal Amuro said in a chilly tone.


    The stall owner retorted, "Who wants to try Gengar''s Munnasis? Don''t you know that Munnasis is harmful to the human brain?"


    Principal Amuro responded, "If you''re worried about the effects of Munnasis on the human brain, I can try it."


    It was true that using a Pok��mon''s Munnasis could have a negative impact on a person''s brain, but if it used asionally, the harm was negligible. Otherwise, the League''sw enforcement system wouldn''t use this method for interrogating criminals.


    "Got it now? Do you have anything else to say?" Principal Amuro sneered.


    The stall owner was at a loss for words.


    In the end, the stall owner not only had to apologize to Yuichii but also had to refund Yuichii money that he had spent on the Pok��mon double.


    Deceiving people at a trade fair was quitemon, but you had to be skilled enough not to get caught. Once exposed, fullpensation was the least you could expect.


    As he left, Yuichii shot a fierce re at the stall owner and said, "With your intelligence, you''re trying to deceive people! Hmph!"


    The stall owner''s face couldn''t have looked worse.


    Yuga was almost amused: Your intelligence isn''t any higher.


    Seeing Yuga trying not tough, Yuichii feel he has been despised. He gave him a re and asked: What are you looking at?


    After the matter was resolved, Principal Amuro returned to Yuga''s side with Gengar and expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Gym Leader Shimizu, for your assistance."


    Yuga shook his head and said, "No need to thank me. It was a small favor."


    "I still should thank you," Principal Amuro insisted. This was a good opportunity to strengthen their rtionship, and someone as experienced as Principal Amuro wouldn''t let it slip. He tugged on Yuichii''s arm. "Yuichii, you should also thank to Gym Leader Shimizu."


    Tust had several board members, and they didn''t always have the same mind. Principal Amuro had consistently supported Yuichii''s father, so he naturally hoped that Yuichii would build a good rtionship with Yuga. After all, it''s all aboutworking!


    Regardless of any past disputes Yuichii might have had with others, as long as it wasn''t a deep-seated enmity, it shouldn''t be a problem.


    Principal Amuro was one of those individuals who understood the art of keeping things separate and valued the principle of "follow the money."


    "Th-thank you," Yuichii reluctantly expressed his gratitude to Yuga, even though he had his reasons for not liking him. He was well aware that he couldn''t afford to have a falling out with Yuga and, in fact, it would be best to establish a good rtionship with him.


    Seeing that Yuichii had followed his advice, Principal Amuro nodded approvingly. This boy might not be very clever, but at least he wouldn''t be a burden, and that was enough.


    Although he could sense Yuichii''s reluctance, it didn''t matter. Sometimes, to achieve greater goals, one had to overlook minor inconveniences.


    Yuga found it somewhat amusing to see Yuichii, who was practically covered in thorns, now bowing his head and thanking him. Although they appeared to be of a simr age, Yuichii seemed tock the life experience and emotional maturity, behaving more like a child.


    "By the way, Gym Leader Shimizu, Gym Leader Roxanne, and Teacher L, do you have anything else you''d like to purchase here?" Following the principle of taking advantage of every opportunity, Principal Amuro was once again inviting Yuga to join them.


    "We don''t have anything specific we want to buy; we''re just browsing," Roxanne casually replied.


    Roxanne and L had hardly said anything earlier, keeping a low profile. If Principal Amuro hadn''t mentioned this, he might have assumed that they hadn''t even noticed Roxanne and L.


    Yuga just nodded in response to Roxanne''s words.


    Principal Amuro quickly suggested, "Perfect! I just discovered an interesting ce here. How about we go check it out together?"


    Yuga, who hadn''t initially nned to browse further, suddenly became interested. "Sure, let''s go check it out. What about Gym Leader Roxanne and Teacher L?"


    Roxanne and L shared the same sentiment as Yuga. Both nodded and said, "Let''s go together."


    So, led by Principal Amuro, the five of them walked towards the location he had mentioned. Little did they know that Principal Amuro had taken them out of the trade fair and led them to the rooftop of a building.


    The trade fair was held on the top floor of the building, so they reached the rooftop after ascending a few flights of stairs and passing through an iron door.


    Even before stepping outside, Yuga and the others heard a burst ofmotion emanating through the iron door. However, when they opened it, they were taken aback by the lively scene before their eyes.


    "What''s this?" Yuga asked Principal Amuro in astonishment, and their voices would have been drowned out by the cheers and shouts from the crowd had they been further apart.


    Roxanne was also startled by the lively scene before her. Despite her cousin being in charge of the trade fair, she had no idea that the rooftop had such an area.


    The rooftop of the building was quite expansive, surrounded by sturdy wire fencing. In the center, there was a massive fighting tform where two people weremanding Pok��mon to battle. Below the tform, there was an enthusiastic crowd of spectators, cheering and shouting.


    Principal Amuro chuckled, "Hehe... This is also part of the trade fair, but ordinary people don''t know about this ce. Those whoe here are typically rogues and ouws."


    The reason for the existence of the trade fair was to facilitate the management of individuals with sensitive backgrounds.


    Many of them were the kind of rogues who operated in the gray areas of thew. They had a universal trait: a bad reputation without havingmitted major crimes. The Pok��mon League couldn''t easily apprehend them, nor could they let them run free.


    These people were aware that the League didn''t like them but dared not challenge the League directly. So, they regrly appeared at the trade fair and epted the League''s supervision.


    Over time, the arena in front of Yuga and the others emerged, known as the "Duel Ring."


    The Duel Ring was a special trading venue where two parties presented items of roughly equivalent value. They would then decide the ownership of these items through a Pok��mon battle. The winner would take both items, while the loser would get nothing.


    The reason for the creation of the Duel Ring and its unique trade method was because many of these rogues were aggressive and prone to causing trouble.


    To allow them to vent their excess energy, the Hoenn Investigation Bureau built this arena during the trade fair.


    Listening to Principal Amuro''s brief introduction of the Duel Ring, Yuga realized that the League had quite a few hidden secrets.


    However, Principal Amuro seemed to have quite an extensivework and knew a bit about everything.


    "If Gym Leader Shimizu has your eye on something, you could give it a try up there," Principal Amuro suggested.


    Yuga nodded, "I''ll take a look."


    When Yuga and the others entered, there was a battle taking ce on the tform. A Venusaur and an Mightyena were facing off, but the Mightyena quickly fell, and the Venusaur''s trainer imed the spoils.


    As soon as this battle ended, another individual jumped onto the tform, holding a crescent-shaped feather that emitted a moonlit glow. He loudly eximed, "I have a Lunar Feather here. Anyone interested cane up!"


    The crowd below immediately became excited.


    The Lunar Feather was a feather from the Legendary Pok��mon Cresselia. It was said to have the power to dispel nightmares and had the ability to lead one to Cresselia itself.


    Initially, Yuga was considering whether he should participate in the Duel Ring, but he was taken by surprise when L couldn''t contain her excitement and immediately went up.


    Yuga learned from Roxanne that L was a passionate Cresselia enthusiast. However, it would be a mistake to assume that her preference for Cresselia meant she was a Psychic-type Pok��mon trainer. In reality, she was a Fighting-type trainer.


    The item L had chosen to wager was a blob of ck sludge, which was undoubtedly more practical than the Lunar Feather. After all, the Lunar Feather''s abilities were purely a legend.


    In contrast to the previous one-on-one battle, L''s match was three-on-three.


    The rules of the Duel Ring were quite flexible, allowing the participating trainers to set the conditions and rules themselves.


    L, despite her appearance suggesting a gentle and frail demeanor, chose to deploy three strong Pok��mon: Machamp, Toxicroak, and Ambipom, all three being strong attackers with no supportive or defensive Pok��mon.


    On the opposing side, the Pok��mon were of diverse types, including Crobat, Forretress, and Electivire, representing a ssic blend of disruption, defense, and offense.


    However, L seemed to have a different strategy in mind.


    When the battlemenced, both her Machamp and Toxicroak held back and, in perfect synchrony,unched her nimble Ambipom into the air, aiming it towards the airborne Crobat.


    Even Yuga couldn''t help but admire the incredible agility of L''s Ambipom. Regr monkeys couldn''t perform such graceful acrobatics mid-air.


    With agility reminiscent of a trapeze artist, Ambipom used the extended hands of Machamp and Toxicroak to leap onto Crobat''s back. Swiftly, it grabbed Crobat''s wings and tossed it downward, hitting Machamp''s awaiting arms with impressive precision.


    What''s more, Ambipom executed this maneuver in an instant, leaping off Crobat''s back andnding in front of Electivire.


    The sudden appearance of Ambipom caught Electivire off guard, and its reaction was a momentary confusion followed by a thunder punch aimed at Ambipom.


    However, Ambipom gracefully caught Electivire''s wrist, directing its Thunder Punch to strike Forretress instead.


    This skillful sequence of moves left Yuga thinking of two phrases: "leveraging the power of a fly" and "making the most out of the least."


    The way that Ambipom executed these moves with such grace, speed, and precision, it almost seemed like it had martial arts training.


    As the opponent struggled to react to Ambipom''s lightning-fast and well-coordinated actions, their Crobat was already in the grasp of Machamp and Toxicroak. The Forretress, which was already paralyzed, didn''t stand a chance with its formidable defense, or it would have also been taken down by now.


    The opponent''s Electivire, who had just noticed the situation, rushed in to attack Ambipom. However, Ambipom swiftly turned, hugging Electivire''s body, and narrowly avoiding the Thunder Punch.


    Ambipom managed tond behind Electivire and initiated closebat, resulting in the Electivire fell down and being severely battered.


    Ambipom certainly deserved the title of MVP in this match!


    With Electivire and Crobat down, and Forretress paralyzed, the opponent had no choice but to admit defeat. L''s satisfied expression was evident as she stepped down from the Duel Ring with her ck sludge, as well as the opponent''s Lunar Feather.


    This match was a clear disy of skill. L''s team not only outssed the opponent in terms of levels but also in terms of training methods and battle strategy.


    Even her own Pok��mon, Machamp and Toxicroak, were overshadowed by Ambipom''s performance.


    After the match, everyone congratted L, who was somewhat embarrassed by all the praise.


    Yuga asked her with curiosity, "Did Ambipom receive formal martial arts training?"


    L nodded and exined, "My family back home runs a martial arts dojo. Ambipom has been learning martial arts since it was young, so its battling style is quite different from other Pok��mon."


    Yuga''s admiration grew as he understood the background. He said, "I see. I wish my Breloom could learn something like that too. But I can see that this martial arts style requires a high level of agility. My Breloom has strength, but it''s not as agile as Ambipom."


    L added, "Learning martial arts is an excellent way to enhance a Fighting-type Pok��mon''s abilities. Maybe your Breloom can pick up some techniques as well."


    After that, there were several battles, but nothing they came up with aroused the interest of many people, so Yuga and the others did note on stage.


    Just as Yuga was starting to lose interest in the battles, another trainer stepped onto the Duel Ring. This time, he revealed a Psychic-type Pok��mon, Munna.


    As Yuga was considering whether to participate, the system suggested that he take on Munna.


    Munna''s evolved form, Musharna, had the ability to materialize dreams it consumed, creating a unique substance called Dream Mist. The system informed Yuga that Dream Mist could serve as nourishment for Cosmoem''s growth.


    Armed with this knowledge, Yuga didn''t hesitate and promptly jumped onto the Duel Ring.


    After all, this opportunity was too good to miss. Pok��mon like Munna and Musharna were rare and not often seen. They might not be the strongest battlers, but their scarcity made them valuable.


    The opponent was a burly man, and despite Yuga''s tall stature of over 6 feet, he seemed diminutive inparison to the towering opponent, who was at least 6 and a half feet tall.


    Upon seeing Yuga take the stage, the burly man let out a heartyugh and asked, "You want my Munna? What are you offering in this bet?"


    The burly man''s voice was incredibly loud, overpowering the noisy chatter of the crowd. Yuga suspected that if they were in a quieter environment, this man''s shout could burst someone''s eardrums.


    "How about this?" Yuga revealed a bottle containing a bright yellow capsule.


    "Is that... a Max Revive?" The burly man eximed in amazement.


    Thanks to the Joy family''s publicity, Max Revives had gained significant recognition. However, their avability was limited, and only a few people could actually purchase them.


    "It''s genuine!" Yuga nodded firmly.


    The appearance of the Max Revive brought a momentary hush over the crowd. Most people in the vicinity were rogues, and Max Revives were far more vital to them than to others.


    At this moment, everyone present, including the burly man on the stage, stared at Yuga''s Max Revive, eager to get their hands on it.

 Chapter 1000: Deoxys vs Rayquaza

    <h4>Chapter 1000: Deoxys vs Rayquaza</h4>


    The burly man across from Yugaughed heartily as he eyed the Max Revive in Yuga''s hand. He said, "I didn''t expect you to have something like this, kid. It looks like I''m having a lucky day! Let''s get this started; I can''t wait any longer!"


    Principal Amuro and those in the audience who were familiar with Yuga''s strength couldn''t help but think that the burly man might a fool.


    Yuga gave a slight smile as he handed the Max Revive to the referee and said, "If you really have strength to beat me, I don''t mind losing one Max Revive."


    To be honest, most of the people in the audience didn''t really know who Yuga was. At best, they had heard of his name but had never seen him in person. After all. Their circles were quite different.


    The two quickly agreed on the rules of the battle, just like L''s match: a 3 vs. 3 battle.


    "Come on out, my darlings!"


    The burly man took out three Pok�� Balls, kissed each of them, and then threw them onto the field. Three Pok��mon appeared in an instant.


    Pyukumuku, Comfey, and king.


    Rogues like the burly man typically didn''t stick to a single type of Pok��mon, unlike Gym Leaders or academy teachers. Their Pok��mon often hadplex types.


    However, what surprised Yuga was the burly man''s choice of king as his main attacker. This was the first time Yuga had seen a Trainer use a king, apart from Mr. Norman.


    As king entered the battlefield, ityzily on the ground, half-closing its eyes, yawning incessantly, and looking incrediblyzy.


    Inparison to the towering king, the smaller Pyukumuku and Comfey seemed unimpressive.


    Yuga''s team consisted of Dragonite, Florges, and Roserade. All with Elite level, showing he didn''t underestimate his opponent.


    Using his Insight ability, Yuga easily assessed the burly man''s team. king was the only one who barely reach Elite level, while Pyukumuku and Comfey not even reach pseudo-Elite level.


    The choice of this teamposition was quite strange!


    This burly man seemed to be well-known among these rogues. As soon as he stepped onto the stage, the crowd whistled, cheered, and taunted continuously. Some even goaded him to defeat Yuga.


    The mention of "defeating" Yuga had a malicious undertone to it, and Yuga sensed that many of these people were not wishing him well.


    To be blunt, there weren''t many good-hearted individuals among this crowd. Their world was different from the one Yuga and the others were ustomed to. It was brutal and violent, which exined why the League wanted to keep an eye on them.


    In harsher terms, they were "criminal reserves."


    In response to the heckling from the crowd, the burly man didn''t argue. Instead, he grinned, showing his rows ofrge teeth, and said to Yuga, "Kid, do you want to admit defeat? Otherwise, I might identally injure you and that wouldn''t be good."


    Yuga simply smiled and didn''t respond.


    As the referee''s whistle signaled the start of the match, both sides sprang into action. However, the burly man''s response was much quicker than Yuga had anticipated.


    The small Pyukumuku, just the size of a fist, leaped onto the head of the king and firmly attached itself to king''s head.


    Following this, Yuga witnessed a transformation in king''s ability. Its Truant ability disappeared without a trace.


    Without its Truant ability, king seemed to be energized and got up from the ground, rapidly pounding its chest with both fists.


    The only move that could eliminate Truant and allow king to act continuously was Gastro Acid, and Pyukumuku had the ability to learn this move.


    At this moment, Yuga realized that both Pyukumuku and Comfey were entirely in support roles in this battle. The burly man probably never intended for them to do anything beyond eliminating abilities and healing.


    The main powerhouse of the entire team was king!


    After a burst of frenzied actions, king charged towards Dragonite with incredible speed. Even though Roserade had set up Toxic Spikes in its path, king''s Ice Punch froze the ground, and all the Toxic Spikes were frozen beneath the ice.


    Although Florges attempted to use Vine Whip to bind the rampaging king, the green tendrils were promptly snapped by its brutal strength.


    However, despite king''s relentless attack, Dragonite stood its ground without any intention of retreating. It raised its fist, which was crackling with electric energy, and unleashed a powerful punch at the charging king.


    BOOM!


    The collision of Thunder Punch and Ice Punch created a spectacle of electric sparks and icy air.


    Unfortunately, king''s strength was overwhelming, and Dragonite was pushed back until a double Sr Beam from Florges and Roserade forced king to retreat.


    However, king''s injuries weren''t severe. As soon as it got hurt, Comfey activated its Floral Healing move, and the virtual petals of energy were controlled by Comfey and merged into king''s body, fully healing its injuries.


    Comfeyunched its healing move, while Florges didn''t stand idle. Countless green vines emerged from the ground, encircling Dragonite to protect it.


    To prevent any surprises, Florges also secretly used Wish.


    The healing effect of the Grassy Terrain was not as potent as Floral Healing, but it had the advantage of being longsting.


    With its Truant ability gone, king''s long-repressed temperament seemed to have bounced back with a vengeance, bing both wild and ruthless, as if it wanted to tear Dragonite in half just a few steps away.


    Dragonite attempted to bypass king in the air to deal with Comfey, but unexpectedly, king grabbed one of Dragonite''s legs and threw it forcefully.


    Of course, this didn''t work out in king''s favor. The moment Dragonite was thrown, the double Petal Dance from Florges and Roserade surrounded king,yer uponyer of petals covering itsrge body in an instant.


    The Petal Dance unleashed by Roserade and Florges was not just petals; it was alsoposed of sharp des. In no time, king was covered in wounds.


    The battered Dragonitended on the ground and immediately received a double dose of healing from the Wish move and the Grassy Terrain. Meanwhile, Comfey used its Floral Healing move again, tending to king''s injuries.


    It had to be acknowledged that the burly man''s Pok��mon had very clear roles. Pyukumuku, after nullifying king''s ability, remained obedient on top of king''s head. Comfey, apart from timely Floral Healing, didn''t make any unnecessary moves. king, on the other hand, was solely focused on relentless attacks.


    No one had any extra movements to disturb their teammates.


    The clear roles assigned to Pyukumuku and Comfey were likely due to not only their lower strength but also to prevent king from losing control when it went into its berserk state.


    Without the Truant ability constraining it, king was indeed formidable. If not for the level advantage Yuga''s three Pok��mon had, it would be difficult to suppress king.


    Strength-wise, Dragonite couldn''t outmatch king. This put Dragonite in a tough spot, but it had no choice as king''s innate strength were undeniable.


    While strength couldn''t be directly pitted against king, Roserade attempted to poison king, but Comfey'' Floral Healing always remained vignt, making poison ineffective against king.


    As a result, both sides found themselves in a deadlock, with neither making significant progress.


    The burly man initially believed he had a solid victory, but he hadn''t expected Yuga''s strength to be this remarkable. If not for king serving as his anchor, he wouldn''t be able to stand up to Yuga.


    In reality, among this group of ouws, the burly man had quite a notorious reputation, primarily because of this king.


    Most of these ouws had engaged in activities far from the public eye, as long as they could make money and avoid giving the League any reason to capture them, they were willing to do anything.


    The burly man was one of the most extreme examples. He wasn''t entirely clean of criminal activities and bloodshed; he simply just hadn''t been caught. Therefore, he was even less considerate of rules on the battle stage, as the deep-seated fierceness within him couldn''t be concealed.


    Of course, being fierce, Yuga wasn''t someone to mess with either.


    With king''s overwhelming power, Yuga''s initial n to keep a low profile fell apart. Seeing king bing increasingly frenzied and even showing signs of losing control, Yuga finally decided not to hold back.


    Florges, which was no longer holding back, manipted the grass on the ground, causing it to grow wildly. The thickening grass entwined and formed thick grass ropes, quickly wrapping king in a green cocoon, preventing it from breaking free, no matter how hard it struggled.


    Seeing this scene, not only the burly man on the stage was shocked, but many spectators in the audience were also left in awe.


    king had always been the burly man''s ultimate reliance, and seeing it being controlled like this by Florges was undoubtedly panic-inducing.


    However, Yuga didn''t let him feel uneasy for long. The restrained king was soon engulfed in a burst of thunderous lightning.


    When the lightning dissipated, the cocoon shattered, leaving king and Pyukumuku unconscious, with only Comfey remaining, which had no offensive capabilities left.


    king''s defeat dealt a massive blow to the burly man. Ever since his king had broken through to the Elite level and undergone special training, he had remained undefeated. He didn''t expect to suffer such a resounding defeat today.


    The victory was now clear. And Yuga was not interested in the burly man''s feelings.


    Just as Yuga was about to ask the referee for his Max Revive and the spoils of victory, a Pok��mon, enveloped in mes, fell from the sky and crashed directly into the rooftop where they were.


    Boom!


    This Pok��mon caused significant damage to the rooftop, and then it attempted tounch itself back into the air but was struck by a purple beam of light, resulting in a series of explosions and screams.


    Yuga quickly grabbed the Pok�� Balls and Max Revive from the referee and, after returning Florges and Reserade, he mounted Dragonite and they took off into the sky immediately.


    The building was about to copse!


    Most people, aside from those affected by the incident, also mounted their flying-type Pok��mon and evacuated from the rooftop. However, in the chaos, Yuga didn''t see where Roxanne and the others were.


    In the midst of the smoke, the Pok��mon that had fallen from the sky gradually revealed its true form, and to Yuga''s surprise, it was Rayquaza.


    No one expected the legendary Pok��mon Rayquaza to suddenly appear and wreak havoc on their arena, smashing it to pieces. They wondered who had the power to make Rayquaza appear and be so disheveled.


    Soon, they saw the "culprit."


    A peculiar humanoid Pok��mon teleported right in front of Rayquaza, forming a purple energy sphere and hurling it at Rayquaza.


    Rayquaza, despite having taken a small hit earlier, was no pushover. It released a golden beam from its mouth to counter the purple energy sphere.


    The collision of the purple energy sphere and the golden beam caused a massive explosion, directly demolishing half of the building. Those who had been watching from atop their Pok��mon recoiled in fear, quickly moving far away from the battlefield, never daring to get close again.


    The situation was dire!


    Yuga also guided his Dragonite far away from the battlefield where these two powerful Pok��mon shed. However, when he saw the Pok��mon Rayquaza was fighting, he couldn''t help but be surprised.


    Isn''t that Deoxys?


    Yuga was almost certain that the Pok��mon Deoxys was the one he knew, but he had explicitly warned Deoxys not to enter Earth''s atmosphere and not to provoke Rayquaza.


    Could someone please exin the current situation?


    Also, Deoxys is here, but where is his Chimecho? Is Chimecho okay?


    Moreover, Yuga''s concerns were answered just three secondster when he spotted Chimecho.


    Rayquaza, stuck halfway in the building, attempted to fly away after shing with Deoxys for a while.


    But as it rose barely half a meter from the building, a pink and white Pok��mon appeared out of nowhere above its head, and then Rayquaza lost control and crashed back into the building.


    (Building: What did I do to deserve this? Why are you treating me like this?)


    Yuga stared and then realized the newly arrived pink and white Pok��mon could only be his Chimecho.


    Chimecho, incredibly, had used Gravity on Rayquaza and was attempting to stick it to the building!


    Yuga was shocked by what he was seeing: My dear Chimecho, do you even know what you''re doing?


    Yuga couldn''t help but feel that after a period of absence, Chimecho had probably consumed Groudon''s courage and Kyogre''s heart to dare to meddle in the battle between Rayquaza and Deoxys.


    But it had to be said, Chimecho''s current Gravity move was genuinely formidable. It had momentarily grounded Rayquaza, who was a Level 1 Legendary Pok��mon. This wasn''t like average Meowth or Poochyena that you meet by the roadside.


    Boom! boom! boom!


    Under Chimecho''s Gravity, Deoxys threw several purple energy spheres created by its psychic prowess, causing Rayquaza to roar in pain.


    However, Rayquaza was a true Legendary Pok��mon, and Chimecho''s Gravity couldn''t restraint it for long. It responded by firing a Hyper Beam towards Chimecho, sting it flying far away and causing Gravity to disappear.


    If Chimecho hadn''t acted quickly to create a Light Screen, Rayquaza''s Hyper Beam might have been deadly. Watching from afar, Yuga was both relieved and worried.


    Without Chimecho''s Gravity constraint, Rayquaza managed to fly free and initiated a Dragon Tail move against Deoxys. Deoxys quickly shifted from Attack Form to Defense Form, but not before it was struck and lost a portion of its body.


    For Deoxys, as long as its core remained intact, such injuries were not a significant issue. With its impressive regenerative abilities, it would recover quickly.


    However, as Deoxys''s body was just recovered, Rayquaza struck again with its Dragon Pulse. This attack sent Deoxys flying once more.


    The fact that he had been defeated at the hands of Chimecho and Deoxys made Rayquaza very angry, and it used its deadly attacks more and more cruelly. So, as soon as Deoxys was sted away, Rayquaza chased Deoxys in fast speed.

 Chapter 1001: Gone?

    <h4>Chapter 1001: Gone?</h4>


    The sudden appearance of Rayquaza and Deoxys and their unexpected battle plunged the entire Rustboro City into chaos, with people everywhere trying to escape for their lives.


    Especially in the vicinity of the battlefield, the copse of the buildings resulted in a significant number of casualties. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Roxanne immediately began rescuing the injured.


    When Rayquaza struck the building, Roxanne had already ridden her Flying Pok��mon to leave the battle area. Both Yuichii, L, and Principal Amuro were safe and were currently assisting Roxanne in rescuing the affected citizens.


    Roxanne, as the Gym Leader of Rustboro City, had an undeniable responsibility to safeguard the lives of its citizens.


    Thankfully, the Rustboro City police department responded swiftly, dispatching arge number of officers to evacuate and rescue the citizens. Additionally, it was fortunate that the building itself was part of the League, and many of the upants were Trainers. When the ident urred, they all had the ability to protect themselves. In the case of a regr building, the death toll would have been much higher.


    To save their lives, most Trainers who had been watching the battle rode their Pok��mon to a safe distance. However, Yuga, who was worried about Chimecho, remained behind.


    "Gengar, go call Dusknoir!" Yuga, gazing at Rayquaza, which had once again knocked down Deoxys, spoke earnestly and summoned Gengar.


    "Gengar!"


    Gengare out from the shadow space, its face devoid of its usual humor. It nodded seriously at Yuga before vanishing.


    Knowing that Dusknoir was stationed on the ghost ship just outside Rustboro City, Yuga felt somewhat relieved. With Dusknoir''s presence, at least safety could be guaranteed.


    Though he didn''t understand how Deoxys had provoked Rayquaza, Yuga couldn''t just stand by due to Chimecho''s involvement.


    In the high skies, Rayquaza grew angrier with each strike, showing no mercy in its battle with Deoxys. Furthermore, Chimecho also joined the fight once again.


    Deoxys was its teacher, and when the teacher was being bullied, Chimecho couldn''t stand idly by.


    Having been taught by Deoxys for a considerable amount of time, Chimecho had indeed be quite powerful. Otherwise, at the beginning, Rayquaza wouldn''t have suffered such significant losses under thebined assault of Chimecho and Deoxys.


    In its current state, Chimecho had the strength to participate in battles of this level. If it was before, it wasn''t qualified at all, even as a support Pok��mon.


    ...


    Chimecho (Light y)


    Type: Psychic


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Levitate


    Aptitude: Purple


    Level: 80


    Moves: Confusion, Gravity, Heal Pulse, Heal Bell, Synchronize, Shadow Ball, Safeguard, Uproar, Psyshock, m Mind, Light Screen, Psychic, Reflect, Wish, Foresight, Teleport, Psycho Boost, Skill Swap, Double Team, Sleep, Charge Beam, Dream Eater, Trick Room, Recover


    ...


    Yuga didn''t know how Deoxys had trained Chimecho, but its level was a bit exaggerated. Among Yuga''s current main Pok��mon, besides his Champion level Lapras, Chimecho had the highest level.


    Chimecho''s level was only one part of its battle capabilities. Yuga had seen its support abilities significantly improve while assisting Deoxys in the battle. Chimecho had developed its healing, defensive, and control abilities to a remarkable extent.


    Otherwise, Deoxys would have been defeated by now.


    Yuga knew that this particr Deoxys was exceptionally strong. It wasn''t weaker than the Celebi that had transported him through time. However, he could also see that Deoxys wasn''t inclined to truly confront Rayquaza. It held back in several instances, which had put it in a disadvantageous position.


    Otherwise, even if Deoxys couldn''t defeat Rayquaza, it wouldn''t be in such dire straits now.


    The enraged Rayquaza presented a considerable challenge for Deoxys. If it were possible, Deoxys would want to teleport away immediately, but it couldn''t do that.


    It had to retrieve what Rayquaza had taken; otherwise, it would be toote!


    Boom!


    A methrower forced Deoxys to retreat. Yuga noticed that Rayquaza had begun its Dragon Dance.


    Deoxys''s Self-Recovery was bing increasingly strained. Each instance of self-recovery consumed a significant amount of energy, and if used excessively, even a Legendary Pok��mon like Deoxys couldn''t bear it. Thus, any injuries that weren''t life-threatening were handled by Chimecho''s Heal Pulse.


    Seeing Rayquaza perform Dragon Dance, Deoxys''s immediate reaction was to stop it. It already couldn''t defeat Rayquaza, and now it would get stronger with Dragon Dance?


    But unfortunately, Deoxys failed to prevent Rayquaza from performing Dragon Dance because Rayquaza used Dragon Dance and Hurricane simultaneously. The dense wind wall blocked all of Deoxys''s attacks from the outside.


    Rayquaza''s Dragon Dance was swift. In the blink of an eye, itpleted six rounds of Dragon Dance, the maximum limit of enhancement. After Dragon Dance, Rayquaza''s attack and speed were greatly boosted, and it immediatelyunched an attack on Deoxys.


    Rayquaza used Extreme Speed while raising its two enormous dragon ws charged with dragon-type energy to strike Deoxys.


    Deoxys, currently in Defense Form, couldn''t dodge the dragon ws due to its slower speed. It quickly erected a Reflect barrier to aid its defense.


    Fortunately, Chimecho''s reaction was swift. When Rayquaza''s dragon ws struck the Reflect barrier in front of Deoxys, Chimecho immediately raised another Reflect barrier behind the first one.


    Two Reflect barriers shattered consecutively. Deoxys, in its Defense Form, was knocked back, but since it was in Defense Form, and thanks to the support of the two Reflect barriers, it wasn''t severely injured.


    The moment it was struck back, Deoxys switched from Defense Form to Attack Form and used its signature move, Psycho Boost, to rush towards Rayquaza.


    Chimecho wasn''t idle either. When Deoxysunched its attack, it immediately used Gravity. Rayquaza, remembering its previous experience, felt the helplessness it had experienced before.


    This made Rayquaza furious!


    Rayquaza resisted Chimecho''s Gravity with much greater intensity this time, and it became agitated with anger. The Chimecho only restrained it for two or three seconds before breaking free.


    Even though two to three seconds might seem short, it provided Deoxys with enough time to act. After the sessful Psycho Boost hit on Rayquaza, Deoxys took the opportunity to deliver several Psychic power.


    Rayquaza was now serious injured.


    Unlike Deoxys and Chimecho, Rayquaza didn''t have any recovery moves. Once it was injured, it stayed injured.


    Initially, Rayquaza had underestimated a Pok��mon like Chimecho. But after suffering two consecutive disadvantages under Chimecho''s Gravity, its anger was evident when it turned to face Chimecho.


    Yuga, observing from a distance, realized that the red mist rising from Rayquaza meant it was about to activate its Outrage move!


    Yuga was just about to shout a warning to Chimecho, but Rayquaza was already dashing like lightning. If hit by this move Outrage, Chimecho wouldn''t stand a chance.


    Chimecho was so startled by Rayquaza''s move that it momentarily forgot to evade. Of course, even if it remembered, it wouldn''t have had time to dodge!


    Seeing Chimecho in danger, Yuga felt a chill down his spine. His heart was gripped tightly, as if by a vice.


    In the nick of time, Deoxys positioned itself in front of Chimecho.


    Boom!


    Rayquaza hit Deoxys precisely. Deoxys''s body was shattered, and its lower half vanished.


    However, this wasn''t the end. Once Outrage activated, it wouldn''t stop until it struck Deoxys two or three times in a row. Rayquaza didn''t give Deoxys a chance to use Self-Recovery.


    Boom! Boom!


    Under Rayquaza''s sessive attacks, Deoxys disappeared, leaving only a purple crystal plummeting toward the ground.


    Witnessing this, Yuga was dumbfounded.


    Deoxys... was gone?


    The ordeal wasn''t over yet. After Outrage, Rayquaza fell into a state of confusion and began indiscriminate attacks. Its first target was the closest Pok��mon, Chimecho.


    As a torrent of red mes spewed from Rayquaza''s mouth, its target was Chimecho.


    Yuga was filled with panic; he was too far to help Chimecho.


    But then, at that moment, numerous Shadow Balls appeared, canceling out Rayquaza''s methrower.


    Seeing this, Yuga felt a sense of relief; Dusknoir had arrived.


    Sure enough, not far away, the Ghost Ship floated in the sky, and Dusknoir, along with Ghost-type Pok��mon floating around the ship.


    "Dragonite, let''s go!" Yuga eximed with joy to his Dragonite, who carried him.


    The initial attack missed, and in its state of confusion, Rayquaza began self-inflicting harm, worsening its already severe injuries.


    No one tried to stop Rayquaza from self-harming because this was a good thing for the chaotic Rustboro City and, particrly, for Chimecho at the center of the event.


    Due to the coteral damage from the battle between Rayquaza and Deoxys, this section of Rustboro City had already turned into a wastnd.


    However, Yuga hadn''t expected that after a bout of self-inflicted injuries, Rayquaza would remain disoriented and seem determined to destroy Rustboro City beneath it.


    Yuga had justnded from his Dragonite onto the deck of the Ghost Ship, observing Rayquaza''s intent to unleash Dragon Pulse upon the city below. He immediately directed his words to Dusknoir and the Ghost-type Pok��mon, "Stop it!"


    As his words echoed, the Ghost Ship released numerous green chains. These chains, like agile green serpents, tightly entwined around Rayquaza''s neck, ws, abdomen, and tail.


    This was the work of Dhelmise!


    With a resounding tter, the chains tightened, forcing Rayquaza''s head upward into the sky. It unleashed Dragon Pulse, and Rustboro City was spared.


    Dhelmise''s chains continued to constrict, even squeezing Rayquaza''s wounds, eliciting painful roars.


    However, Dhelmise was ultimately just an Elite level Pok��mon, and its Anchor Shoot was barely holding Rayquaza. The enraged Rayquaza snapped the chains apart like brittle iron.


    Yuga even heard Dhelmise''s muffled groan. The Pok��mon was definitely hurt this time.


    But Chimecho provided support with its Gravity move, immobilizing Rayquaza again.


    Perhaps due to its severe injuries, Yuga could clearly see Rayquaza bing somewhat feeble in its struggles. Nevertheless, Chimecho continued to maintain the Gravity.


    At this moment, Dusknoir entered the scene with some of its more powerful subordinates. Yuga sent out his Lapras, Charizard, Dragonite, and Florges.


    Dusknoir, Dragonite, Charizard, Lapras, and Florges were tasked with dealing with Rayquaza. Meanwhile, Dusknoir''s subordinates dispersed to deal with the aftermath of the battle on the ground, preventing further damage to the already chaotic Rustboro City.


    At this moment, Yuga only hoped that they could wear down the heavily injured Rayquaza. Under normal circumstances, he would have stayed far away from it.


    With a worried expression on his face, Yuga watched the impending catastrophe from above,pletely unaware that Gengar had already returned to his side.


    "Gengar, Gengar!" Gengar cried out.


    Gengar''s call brought Yuga''s attention back, and he saw the purple crystal in Gengar''s arms.


    "Did you... rescue Deoxys?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    "Gengar!" Gengar nodded proudly.


    "Long time no see!"


    At this moment, a consciousness suddenly reached Yuga''s mind. He instantly understood that Deoxys was alive.


    "Deoxys, are you alright?" Yuga shouted with joy, genuinely relieved that Deoxys hadn''t perished at the hands of Rayquaza.


    A faint purple energy orb floated out of the purple crystal. Yuga received another stream of consciousness.


    "I''m fine, just didn''t expect to run into you."


    With confirmation that Deoxys was indeed unharmed, Yuga breathed a sigh of relief. He learned from Deoxys that although its physical body was gone, its energy core was intact. With some time and effort, it could be revived.


    However, this kind of revival woulde at the cost of a significant reduction in Deoxys''s power.


    "Gengar, you''ve been a great help. I promise to reward you handsomely when we get back," Yuga praised Gengar.


    If Gengar hadn''t swiftly brought Deoxys''s energy core back, someone else could have taken it, making it nearly impossible to recover. Without a physical body, Deoxys would be helpless.


    Gengar scratched his head, feeling somewhat embarrassed at the praise.


    "By the way, how did you end up fighting Rayquaza with Chimecho?" Yuga inquired, puzzled by Deoxys''s situation. Deoxys should have been more cautious with Yuga''s warning.


    "This is a long story," Deoxys began.


    After Deoxys exined the situation, Yuga quickly understood what had happend.


    During their travels across the Hoenn region, Deoxys had been nurturing Chimecho, treating it as a young proteg��. Most of Deoxys''s treasured items had been shared with Chimecho, which exined Chimecho''s rapid growth in strength.


    Recently, they had reached the pr region of Hoenn, where they discovered another Deoxys''s energy core at the bottom of an iceke. It was slightly damaged but still functional and could recover with time.


    Deoxys wanted to care for this fellow member of its species and keep it safe since it couldn''t do anything by itself, given its physical body had been lost. It was risky to leave it outside.


    However, after retrieving the energy core, a Rayquaza suddenly descended from the sky. Deoxys couldn''t match Rayquaza''s strength and was forced into a battle. During the struggle, they flew unknowingly close to Rustboro City.


    Deoxys genuinely didn''t want to antagonize Rayquaza, but it couldn''t abandon its fellow species. Rayquaza''s diet consisted of celestial debris from space, and if Deoxys didn''t rescue its kin in time, the kin would be consumed by Rayquaza.


    Hearing Deoxys''s exnation, Yuga felt a bit overwhelmed. Could it be that the energy core Deoxys had retrieved was the same one featured in the original movie? Otherwise it wouldn''t be such a coincidence.


    Under normal circumstances, without Deoxys''s intervention, the energy core would have been taken back to LaRousse City by a research team. When Ash and his friends passed through LaRousse City, they would have eventually rescued and revived it.


    After defeating the energy core turned into Deoxys, Rayquaza should have been searching for it in the vicinity, and if it couldn''t find it, it would have left on its own. Who could have anticipated that Deoxys would fish it out?


    Was this a case of "good intentions gone awry"?


    It''s true that this situation might have prevented the chaos in LaRousse Cityter on. After all, in the original movie, Rayquaza battled two Deoxys, creating quite a spectacle!


    Unfortunately, Rustboro City has now suffered as a result.


    One thing that can be certain is that the Deoxys Yuga knows is not the same as the one that saved the energy core in the movie. Their arrival times in the Pok��mon world differ.


    ording to the movie''s storyline, that Deoxys is most likely still in space. The Deoxys Yuga knows has been in the Pok��mon world for many years, having assimted into the Pok��mon world over time and lost its alien presence, making it almost undetectable to Rayquaza under normal circumstances.


    Rayquaza serves as the guardian of the atmosphere in the Pok��mon world, and it views all outsiders as potential threats. This exins why it relentlessly pursued Deoxys, despite Deoxys having no ill intent towards the Pok��mon world.


    It''s simply Rayquaza''s duty to protect the Pok��mon world, and this rigid adherence to its duty has helped keep the Pok��mon world safe from external threats for a long time.


    "The top priority now is to calm down Rayquaza''s anger, otherwise if this continues, Rustboro City will be unable to hold on." Yuga said worriedly.


    The citycked strong trainers, and during such an emergency, only the police station and the local gym leaders were assisting in evacuating people. Even those looking to take advantage of the chaos had retreated after looking how intense previous battles was.


    Yuga realized that even if not for Chimecho, he wouldn''t wanted to face Rayquaza.


    "Please help me rescue my kin, and I will definitely repay you in the future!" Deoxys'' consciousness came to him again.


    "I''ll try my best." Yuga sighed.


    Not to mention that Chimecho has offended Rayquaza, but he cannot just sit idly after knowing Deoxys''s unswerving care and training for Chimecho during this period.

 Chapter 1002: Rising to Fame

    <h4>Chapter 1002: Rising to Fame</h4>


    After a period of madness, Rayquaza finally regained itsposure from the chaotic state. It endured the pain and looked around, not finding Deoxys. It then directed its attention towards Chimecho.


    This guy was unforgivable!


    Roar!


    Rayquaza roared angrily at Chimecho and swung its long dragon tail toward it.


    Chimecho was terrified by Rayquaza''s roar. And in the moment of dragon tail swung over, it used Reflect, and not just one but multipleyers of it.


    Crash! Crash! Crash!


    The transparent Reflect barriers shattered one after another, and Chimecho once again was sent flying. Immediately after, a beam of light fell on Chimecho, and its injuries started to heal rapidly.


    This was the power of Florges''s Wish move.


    At this moment, Florges was standing on the back of Lapras, and upon seeing Chimecho getting attacked, both Florges and Lapras unleashed Moonst and Ice Beam simultaneously.


    Rayquaza''s attention was entirely on Chimecho, so it didn''t notice Florges and Lapras behind it. The silver beam and the icy ray hit Rayquaza''s abdomen.


    Whether it was the Fairy-type Moonst or the Ice-type Ice Beam, they severely countered the Dragon-type Rayquaza, and with Rayquaza already heavily injured, the additional damage made it let out a dreadful howl.


    Boom!


    Rayquaza was knocked down by Lapras and Florges and crashed onto the street in front of a building. The impact caused the road to crack like a spider''s web, and it sent dust and debris flying.


    Chimecho used Teleport to appear above Rayquaza, and then immediately activated Gravity. Rayquaza was suddenly pressed down by the increased gravitational force.


    Compared to previous uses of Gravity, Rayquaza struggled much harder this time. Its injuries were worsening, and it didn''t have the regenerative abilities of Chimecho and Florges. The fatigue and pain weighed it down.


    Rayquaza was now locked in ce. Dragonite''s Thunderbolts, Charizard''s Fire st, Lapras''s Ice Beam, and Florges''s Moonst all rained down upon the Legendary Pok��mon.


    Roar!!!


    Rayquaza let out a roar of agony that reverberated through the skies of Rustboro City, and the citizens who were taking refuge and the trainers who were watching the battle were all shocked and their hearts beat wildly.


    Everyone''s eyes were fixed on this epic battle.


    They witnessed the legendary Rayquaza repeatedly suffering at the hands of ordinary Pok��mon. They also saw the young man standing on the bow of the ghost ship in the distance.


    Some had already recognized Yuga and were astonished by his strength, while others felt a certain level of apprehension about his power.


    It was clear that after this battle, Yuga''s name would be well-known throughout the Hoenn region and perhaps even beyond.


    As the dust cleared, people could see Rayquaza lying in the ruins. It was motionless, except for its wide-open mouth, panting heavily, looking utterly battered.


    Just when everyone thought Rayquaza was about to fall, something unexpected happened.


    Rayquaza suddenly raised its head, and a blue-purple dragon-shaped energy erupted from its mouth, soaring into the sky. Its target was none other than the nearby Dragonite.


    Caught off guard, Dragonite was hit by Rayquaza''s Dragon Pulse and instantly lost its fighting capability, plummeting from the sky tond next to the fallen Rayquaza.


    Rayquaza raised its tail and aimed to strike the unconscious Dragonite. If itnded, even the Elite level Dragonite would have no chance of survival.


    At this moment, Dusknoir appeared in front of Dragonite, spreading its arms to block Rayquaza''s attack. However, it was sent flying and collided with a building behind it, causing the already unstable structure to wobble.


    Seizing the opportunity, Florges''s vines rapidly pulled Dragonite from the ground and swung it toward a nearby Haunter.


    Yuga watched Dragonite being moved onto the ghost ship by Haunter, he muttered in low voice and saying to Haunter and Mismagius, "You two, go and help!"


    Haunter and Mismagius were primarily responsible for Yuga''s protection. They hesitated briefly upon hearing Yugamand but eventually obeyed and left.


    At this moment, Rayquaza had managed to break free from Chimecho''s Gravity, but it was now ensnared by Florges''s vines. The densely woven vines wrapped around Rayquaza like a rice dumpling.


    However, Rayquaza was putting up a fierce struggle. It kept breaking free from one set of vines after another, and new vines sprouted from the ground continuously, as if determined to restrain Rayquazapletely.


    In reality, despite the continuous growth of new vines, Florges was not at ease. The energy consumption within her body was taking its toll.


    With Rayquaza''s increasingly severe injuries, its resistance became more intense. As it struggled and writhed, it spewed countless mes from its mouth.


    Soon, this section of Rustboro City was transformed into a sea of mes, casting a crimson hue over the city. The city''s fire brigade, already busy, had to initiate emergency firefighting operations.


    Seeing this, Yuga immediatelymanded Lapras to use Rain Dance. Soon, a heavy rain covered the entire Rustboro City. Lapras''s Rain Dance was genuinely potent.


    Apart from Lapras, other Water-type trainers in the city also began assisting with firefighting, focusing on what they could manage. While they refrained from intervening in the battle against Rayquaza, they could contribute to these smaller tasks.


    With the collective efforts of trainers, the city''s fire brigade, police station, Gyms and the others, the massive fire was brought under control.


    Amid Rayquaza''s continued struggle, Florges was forced to relinquish her control due to energy exhaustion. In that very moment, Dusknoir finally seized its opportunity. As Rayquaza attempted to ascend to the sky, Dusknoir flew over and embraced Rayquaza, and creating opened Trick Room.


    Dusknoir''s speed was slow, and it struggled to keep up in the previous battles. This made it challenging to act, but now, it had finally seized its chance.


    After Rayquaza use Dragon Dance, its speed had strengthened to the extreme. However, within the Trick Room created by Dusknoir, it became a liability, constrained and unable to break free. Rayquaza''s every move seemed restricted, despite its fierce attempts to escape Dusknoir''s control.


    In this Trick Room, Dusknoir resembled a true specter, haunting and elusive, asionally striking Rayquaza with Ice Punches.


    It must be said, a Master level Pok��mon was in a league of their own, and the damage Dusknoir inflicted on Rayquaza was on a different levelpared to the other Pok��mon like Lapras and Florges.


    Due to Rayquaza''s ferocity in closebat, none of Yuga''s other Pok��mon dared to approach it. They could only watch from a distance as Dusknoir disyed its power.


    Watching the battle within the Trick Room between Rayquaza and Dusknoir, Yuga marveled at the incredible resilience of the Legendary Pok��mon. Despite the grievous injuries it bore, Rayquaza still had the strength to stand against Dusknoir.


    Numerous citizens and trainers silently watched the fight between Dusknoir and Rayquaza. While Rayquaza was considered the Guardian Pok��mon of Hoenn region, they still hoped that Dusknoir would emerge victorious.


    Because Rayquaza has caused immense damage on the Rustboro City!


    It wasn''t clear how much time had passed, but the heavily wounded Rayquaza finally couldn''t hold on any longer. And Dusknoir''s punch sent it crashing to the ground.


    Of course, Rayquaza hadn''t lost consciousness. Ity on the ground, its mouth agape, continuously inhaling and exhaling, but it had no strength to move. Its eyes, however, were filled with resentment as it stared at Dusknoir.


    Rayquaza couldn''t understand why these outsiders would help that Chimecho to attack it.


    As they watched Rayquaza fall, many citizens of Rustboro City breathed a sigh of relief. The disaster had passed.


    However, there were some sinister elements lurking in the shadows, wondering what might happen if they can captured the fallen Rayquaza?


    For a time, Rustboro City became undercurrent.


    But Yuga paid no attention to these matters. He quickly recalled his Pok��mon that were still outside and hastily left Rustboro City along with Pok��mon on the ghost ship.


    Of course, Rayquaza was also taken away on the ghost ship by Yuga.


    Once Yuga left Rustboro City, news of the events that happend there began to spread through various channels, including videos of Rayquaza''s battle with Deoxys, Yuga leading his Pok��mon to fight against Rayquaza.


    The name Shimizu Yuga spread rapidly throughout the Pok��mon world.


    If Yuga was only slightly famous before, but now he was a worldwide sensation! Defeating Rayquaza was a remarkable achievement that astonished the world.


    As for whether Yuga and his Pok��mon ganged up on Rayquaza or if Rayquaza was already severely wounded, those details didn''t matter. Rumors always tend to be exaggerate!


    In any case, the news that Shimizu Yuga had defeated Rayquaza became the headline of all news outlets.


    Even before Yuga returned to Verdanturf Town, various forms of these rumors had already reached back there. The folks at the YoYo Day Care and Mr. Ishida, Liliana, and Joyka were also informed about what happened in Rustboro City.


    Even Mr. Kuni''o in Mauville City received the news almost immediately.


    Looking at the messages sent over by Ryuichi, Mr. Kuni''o chuckled and shook his head: This apprentice of mine, usually so well-behaved, but when he takes action, he stirs up quite amotion!


    At this moment, the protagonist of the events, Yuga, was unaware of what was happening in the outside world. He was currently on the ghost ship, negotiating with Rayquaza.


    "Rayquaza, I hope you can return the energy core of Deoxys that you has been swallowed," Yuga calmly said to Rayquaza.


    ording to the information he received from Deoxys, digesting the energy core wasn''t easy for Rayquaza, and it required a significant amount of time. Therefore, the energy core inside Rayquaza should be still intact.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Rayquaza turned its head away in a haughty manner, not even giving Yuga a nce. It seemed to be saying: Why should I?


    However, this slight turn of its head tugged at its wounds, and Rayquaza winced in pain.


    During the previous battle, it had mustered the strength to endure the pain. Now, feeling the pain without any adrenaline rush, it realized the extent of its injuries. It was covered in wounds, and many of its scales had fallen off. Any slight movement caused fresh blood to ooze out.


    Damn it, What are you doing!


    In particr, Rayquaza was annoyed by the ghost-type Pok��mon surrounding it, who catching its blood in bottles. Rayquaza was on the verge of exploding in anger: I''m Rayquaza! Can''t you show me some respect?


    Noticing Rayquaza''s gaze, Yuga awkwardly rubbed his nose and exined, "Recycling, you know? Your blood going to waste is a pity, so we decided not to let it go to waste."


    After all, the blood of a Legendary Pok��mon was quite valuable!


    Not only did the ghost-type Pok��mon collect Rayquaza''s blood, but they also gathered all the scales that fell off Rayquaza during the battle. Not a single scale was left behind even in Rustboro City.


    Seeing that Rayquaza wasn''t cooperating, Yuga spoke to it again in a friendly tone, "Rayquaza, there''s no benefit to you from digesting that energy core. Why go to such lengths? They mean no harm to this ce!"


    Rayquaza was a dragon-type and flying-type Pok��mon. Even if it digested the psychic-type Deoxys''s energy core, it wouldn''t provide much advantage. Otherwise, Yuga wouldn''t have attempted to negotiate for the energy core''s return.


    As Yuga said, he also took out another energy core. Yuga and Deoxys continued their persuasive effort. However, Rayquaza remained stubborn, and even in its current captive state, it retained its pride.


    Yuga, seeing that Rayquaza was unyielding, had no choice but to say, "You''re aware that you''re going to die, right? You''ve sustained such heavy injuries, and you won''t recover from them. Once you''re gone, you won''t have the chance to protect this world anymore!"


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Rayquaza''s body tensed up, clearly affected by Yuga''s words. Despite its pride, it didn''t want to lose its life. It could feel that its life force was slipping away.


    Yuga''s Pok��mon didn''t inflict any critical damage on Rayquaza; they mainly exacerbated its existing injuries. What was truly life-threatening was Deoxys''s damage to Rayquaza. As a Legendary Pok��mon, Deoxys had the potential to kill Rayquaza.


    Seeing a change in Rayquaza''s expression, Yuga continued, "If you return the energy core, I can help you heal your wounds. I can also assure you that Deoxys won''t pose any threat to the Pok��mon world in the future."


    Yuga used his special abilities to ease Rayquaza''s pain.


    Feeling the pain in its wounds lessen, Rayquaza''s expression became conflicted.


    Yuga continued, "Don''t you want to continue soaring freely in the vast sky? Look at the endless blue sky and the pristine clouds. Are you willing to lose all of that?"


    Rayquaza looked up at the sky, lost in thought for a moment. Indeed, as the Sky High Pok��mon, the boundless universe and vast sky were its true home.


    Yuga whispered in Rayquaza''s ear, "How about it? Doesn''t the feeling of soaring freely in the sky sound fantastic? Do you want to experience it once more? If you do, then return the energy core."


    Unconsciously, Rayquaza obeyed Yuga''s words, slowly exhaling a pale purple crystal, which was Deoxys''s energy core.


    The energy core Rayquaza returned was indeed slightly lighter in color, and its energy fluctuations were weakerpared to the one Yuga had. It was clear that there was a difference in the strength of the two Deoxys.


    Sessfully retrieving the energy core, the consciousness of the Deoxys within it emitted waves of joy and relief.


    Rayquaza, upon realizing it had been somewhat deceived when it expelled the energy core, was about to get angry, but Yuga had already swiftly embraced the energy core into his arms.


    Sss...


    The movement caused the wounds to reopen, and Rayquaza winced in pain as blood gushed out once again.


    The ghost-type Pok��mon, collecting the blood in bottles, urged itspanions: Hurry up, everyone! Collect it! Don''t just stand there!


    Rayquaza eximed in frustration: What the heck!


    Seeing Rayquaza nearly passing out from anger and pain, Yuga quicklyforted it, saying, "In the end, you''ve returned the core. Just ept reality. Now, shall I help you heal your wounds?"


    Rayquaza red at Yuga for a moment but ultimately nodded reluctantly, feeling too tired to argue further.


    "Alright!"


    Yuga happily took out a Max Revive, ready to feed it to Rayquaza when he suddenly asked, "We agreed that once your wounds are healed, we''re even, and all our previous grudges are settled. We won''t cause trouble for each other in the future, right?"


    Rayquaza, with little energy left, nodded to signify its understanding.


    "Very well!"


    Yuga handed over the Max Revive, but just as Rayquaza was about to consume it, Yuga quickly withdrew his hand.


    "You''re not going to back out of our deal once you''re healed, are you?"


    Rayquaza: ... Are you serious? You want me to die from blood loss or what!


    Seeing Rayquaza genuinely angry, Yuga chuckled and reassured, "Alright, alright, you''re a Legendary Pok��mon, of course, you won''t go back on your word."


    After eating the Max Revive and benefiting from Yuga''s special abilities, the visible wounds on Rayquaza''s body began to heal at an astonishing rate.


    Yuga was surprised that a single Max Revive couldn''t fully cure Rayquaza''s severe injuries. He had to reluctantly bring out a second one, which shows that Rayquaza''s injury was very serious!


    Once Rayquaza regained its vitality, it red fiercely at Yuga, startling him to the point where he didn''t dare to breathe. He stammered, "What... What are you doing? You''re not really thinking of going back on your word, are you?"


    Roar!


    Rayquaza roared angrily, then swung its tail and soared into the sky without a single nce back.


    Yuga wiped off the saliva Rayquaza had left on his face and consoled himself, saying: Well, Not many people can say they''ve been spat on by a Legendary Pok��mon!


    Watching Rayquaza disappear into the distance, Yuga finally breathed a sigh of relief. Despite the jovial interactions he had with Rayquaza earlier, he had genuinely feared that the Legendary Pok��mon might change its mind.


    Thankfully, Rayquaza did seem to take their promises seriously.


    "Thank you!" Deoxys''s consciousness sent its gratitude from within the energy core.


    The other energy core, housing a more heavily injured Deoxys, had already fallen into a deep slumber. It would take more time to recover.


    Yuga shook his head, replying, "You''ve been a great help to me as well. I haven''t thanked you yet for assisting me in training Chimecho!"


    After a brief conversation with Deoxys, Yuga realized he had left Rustboro City in quite a hurry. He hadn''t had a chance to say goodbye to Roxanne and the others or meet with the street vendor they''d arranged to see.


    However, the circumstances had forced him to leave urgently. He''d have to contact them once he returned to Verdanturf Town. He couldn''t help but worry if something had gone wrong during his absence.


    It was easy to anticipate that the events in Rustboro City would cause a massive stir, and Yuga, as the central figure of the incident, would likely have many responsibilities and troubles awaiting him.


    Only by getting back to Verdanturf Town quickly could he finally find peace and rxation!

 Chapter 1003: Trio Prosecutor

    <h4>Chapter 1003: Trio Prosecutor</h4>


    Under the full-speed voyage of the ghost ship, Yuga quickly returned to Verdanturf Town. During this period, he didn''t dare to open hismunicator because he knew that many people would be calling him at this time.


    However, once he returned home, he immediately called his master, Mr. Kuni''o, and briefed him on everything that needed to be said.


    Mr. Kuni''o assured Yuga that he didn''t need to worry about the situation in Rustboro City, as the follow-up matters would be taken care of on his behalf.


    However, there was one point to consider. Yuga''s battle with Rayquaza and Deoxys mighte under scrutiny by the League.


    In theory, when Rayquaza posed a threat to Rustboro City, all Yuga needed to do was drive it away. But from the videos circting online, it was clear that Yuga had given Rayquaza quite a beating, and he even took Rayquaza away at the end.


    Moreover, from the videos taken by the citizens showing Rayquaza''s battle with Deoxys, it was evident that Yuga''s attitude leaned toward Deoxys. The League would likely also investigate this.


    In the League''s eyes, Deoxys bore half the responsibility for the disaster in Rustboro City. Furthermore, Deoxys, as an outsider, didn''t have a significant standing in the League''s view.


    Deoxys didn''t belong to the category of Legendary Pok��mon with which the League had agreements. Therefore,pared to Deoxys, who was a Neutral-type Legendary Pok��mon, the League favored more on Rayquaza side, who had a pro-human disposition.


    Rayquaza was one of the Legendary Pok��mon with which the League had agreements. Yuga had beaten Rayquaza quite severely, and the League couldn''t just ignore it; otherwise, it would be difficult to exin to the other Legendary Pok��mon.


    Although most Legendary Pok��mon had quietly disappeared and distanced themselves from humans, Mr. Kuni''o disclosed that the League still maintained secret contact with some Legendary Pok��mon, such as Mew.


    After hearing Mr. Kuni''o''s analysis, Yuga realized his mistake. He had forgotten all these details, and when the League sent Prosecutors, he couldn''t possibly say that he had sided with Deoxys because it was Chimecho''s master.


    In the League''s view, if Yuga were to take a side, it should be in favor of Rayquaza.


    With no other option, Yuga had to humbly consult his master for a solution.


    After a lengthy discussion, Mr. Kuni''o instructed Yuga to hand over the "Gifted" badge that had been passed down from his ancestors. Mr. Kuni''o promised to step in and help Yuga navigate the League''s inquiries.


    Mr. Kuni''o had a clear understanding about Yuga''s assets. Aside from System and Sub-Ecopark, Yuga had never hidden anything from his master. Yuga also mentioned the origins of his ancestors when he visited his master, so thetter was aware of the circumstances.


    Yuga was deeply moved by his master''s willingness to handle such a major issue on his behalf. He knew that without Mr. Kuni''o''s assistance, resolving this matter would be far from simple, even with the "Gifted" badge from his ancestor.


    This matter was involved the agreement between the League and the Lawful Legendary Pok��mon, and the badge had its limitations.


    However, while Mr. Kuni''o agreed to help, he didn''t hold back in chastising Yuga. He disapproved of Yuga involving himself in the dispute between Rayquaza and Deoxys. In Mr. Kuni''o''s view, Rayquaza was not in the wrong side; it was fulfilling its duty to eliminate the invaders.


    Yuga epted his master''s reprimand humbly and promised to stay away from such incidents in the future.


    In addition, Mr. Kuni''o also inquired about the origin of Dusknoir, as Yuga had previously forgotten to mention it to his master. In the videos this time, Mr. Kuni''o saw Dusknoir pummeling Rayquaza, which prompted him to ask about it.


    The apprentice suddenly has a Master level Pok��mon, and it is impossible for the master not to care about it, and many people will definitely notice the existence of Dusknoir in the future.


    Yuga didn''t keep any secrets and provided Mr. Kuni''o with a clear ount about Dusknoir''s origins. His master was knew that he was sent to the past by Celebi, and he also know Shadowaong and Hubert, the orignal owner of Dusknoir.


    Listening to Yuga''s ount of his reunion with Dusknoir, Mr. Kuni''o couldn''t help but marvel at the wonders of fate. The fact that a person and a Pok��mon could reunite across a thousand years was truly remarkable.


    With his master''s support, Yuga''s mood improved significantly. He finally decided to turn on hismunicator, and when he did, it was overwhelming. He had hundreds of unread messages and missed calls from various people, including Steven, Robert, Wace, Cynthia, Flint, Reggie, Volkner... All called him.


    Yuga chose to return calls from those with whom he had good rtionships, while ignoring the less important ones.


    Time passed quickly, and despite several days having gone by since the incident in Rustboro City, the public''s interest and discussion surrounding it has not subsided. News reports continued to air on television, and people everywhere were talking about it. Yuga had been staying at home for several days, avoiding any public appearances, as many individuals sought to visit him during this time.


    However, he turned them all away.


    Some individuals even tried to challenge his Gym under the pretext of wanting to meet Yuga. Fortunately, the Verdanturf Gym had the prerequisite condition that challengers needed three other Gym Badges before they could attempt to challenge it, preventing a flood of visitors from breaking down the Gym''s doors.


    After roughly five days, Yuga received another call from his master. Mr. Kuni''o informed him that the situation had been resolved, and the League would no longer inquire about his rtionship with Deoxys or the reasons for his support of Deoxys.


    However, the League would be sending Prosecutors to inquire about Rayquaza''s whereabouts, and Yuga would need to cooperate. After all, Yuga had taken Rayquaza in front of the public, so the League had to determine what had happened to Rayquaza.


    On the fourth day after receiving his master''s notice, three Prosecutors from the League arrived in Verdanturf Town. They consisted of two men and one woman, all from the Prosecutor Bureau.


    The League''s Prosecutor Bureau always handle the internal probelm within the League. Considering Yuga''s role as a Gym Leader, it wasn''t unusual for Prosecutor Bureau to sent someone to investigate this matter.


    These three individuals entered the Verdanturf Gym directly. When Yuga saw them, he was surprised because he recognized one of them �C Tokiwa, who is Touya''s father.


    Originally, he had been working in the Prosecutor Bureau in Unova region, so his sudden return to the Hoenn League was surprised Yuga.


    However, Yugater learned the reason behind Tokiwa''s transfer. He had wanted to return to the Hoenn League for quite some time. During the conflict between his son, Touya, and Yuga, he realized that he had neglected his son''s growth for many years. This realization prompted his request for a transfer back to the Hoenn League.


    Several years had passed, and his brother Kiryu had been released from prison. His son Touya, was still quite young and he doesn''t facing legal consequences.


    Tokiwa had returned to Hoenn region for some time, and he had be strict in his guidance of his son. He knew that his son''s future prospects were limited, but he didn''t want him to continue to be a waste.


    As a veteran member of the Prosecutor Bureau, Tokiwa had umted numerous achievements in the Unova region. Since his return to Hoenn, he had rarely undertaken missions and had actively requested toe to the town.


    "Long time no see, Gym Leader Shimizu!"


    Tokiwa greeted Yuga warmly. Despite previous conflicts between Yuga, his brother, and his son, they had reconciled during their time in the Unova region.


    Yuga had a favorable impression of Tokiwa. As he was about to respond to the greeting, he heard an unpleasant tone from a young man standing next to Tokiwa. "It turns out that senior and Gym Leader Shimizu know each other. You really have a lot of friends!"


    Yuga inquired, "Who is this...?"


    The woman who had been standing in the front finally spoke, "Hello, Gym Leader Shimizu. I''m Nami, the Deputy Head of the Hoenn''s Prosecutor Bureau, responsible for investigating Rayquaza. These two gentlemen here are apanying me, Tokiwa and Kuro."


    Yuga was well aware of the Deputy Head of the Prosecutor Bureau.


    In each region, the Prosecutor Bureau had one Head and four Deputies, each serving as a check on the others. The former Head of the Hoenn League''s Prosecutor Bureau was one of the Elite Four, Mr. Drake. When Stevene to power, he resign and left the position to Steven. However, the four Deputies had remained the same and Nami was one of them.


    Furthermore, Nami held the second position in the Hoenn League''s Elite rankings for the Elite Four posisition, right after the first-ranked Mr. Norman. She was the only woman among the top ten candidates. Even among the four Deputies of the Prosecutor Bureau, she was also the only woman.


    Yuga simply wanted to get through the investigation quickly. He gave Kuro a cold nce and said to Nami, "Deputy Head Nami, let''s discuss this in the Gym."


    With that, Yuga led them into the Gym''s lounge. Kuro hesitantly followed, while Tokiwa could only shake his head in resignation.


    Once everyone was seated in the lounge, Yuga said, "Deputy Head Nami, go ahead and ask whatever you need to."


    Nami nodded and inquired, "First and foremost, the most important question is, where is Rayquaza now?"


    Yuga replied honestly, "It has left."


    Nami asked further, "Left? Where did it go?"


    Yuga shrugged, "I can''t know that. I didn''t install a camera on Rayquaza. It''s free to go wherever it pleases."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s response, Kuro mmed his hand on the table, "What''s with your attitude? Don''t forget, you are a suspect! When Rayquaza was taken by you, it was severely injured. With such injuries, where could it have gone?"


    Yuga''s gaze hardened upon Kuro''s words, "Deputy Head Nami, could you please exin what you mean by ''suspect''? I don''t remember anyting for being a suspect!"


    Yuga remembered the instructions from his master. He had already resolved this issue entirely by himself. Therefore, in the face of the League''s Prosecutors, he could afford to be firm and didn''t need to feel any guilt.


    Nami yed it off with an innocent tone, "Kuro just spoke too hastily, and he didn''t mean anything else. Gym Leader Shimizu, please don''t be angry."


    After saying that, she gave Kuro a meaningful look, and he obediently sat down again.


    Seeing Kuro''s unfriendly attitude towards Yuga, Tokiwa felt responsible. In the Prosecutor Bureau, Kuro''s rank was lower than his. This position had originally been intended for Kuro, but before the appointment, he was transferred from the Unova to Hoenn, and taking the position that originally for Kuro.


    Kuro had used family connections to get a promotion, while Tokiwa had advanced through his own abilities. As a result, there had always been rivalry andpetition between them, with Kuro trying to outdo Tokiwa in all aspects.


    Tokiwa even believed that Kuro''s eagerness toe to Verdanturf Town this time was topete with him. He suspected that Kuro''s unfavorable attitude towards Yuga might have been influenced by the fact that he had initially been too friendly with Yuga.


    With these thoughts in mind, Tokiwa couldn''t help but speak up, "Kuro, our purpose for this visit is to investigate Rayquaza, not to interrogate Gym Leader Shimizu. Be more careful with your words."


    Kuro raised an eyebrow and said, "It seems like you and Gym Leader Shimizu have a good rtionship. By all rights, considering your existing acquaintance, you should have avoided involvement in this investigation, Senior!"


    After hearing his word, Tokiwa even though was a kind-hearted person, he still felt a bit annoyed. He, "You..."


    As the two subordinates continued to argue, Nami seemed unfazed and proceeded to ask Yuga, "What Kuro said does make some sense. It''s been reported that Rayquaza was severely injured at the time. How did it manage to leave?"


    Kuro chimed in, "That''s right! Gym Leader Shimizu, it''s best to tell the truth!"


    Yuga, observing Kuro''s self-satisfied behavior, sarcastically remarked, "If I were you, I''d probably stay quiet. Don''t you know there''s something called Max Revives in this world?"


    Kuro''s smug smile froze on his face, his neck tensed up, and he couldn''t utter a word.


    Yuga then changed his tone, with innocent face his said: "That''s right, I don''t think you are someone who can afford a Max Revive."


    After hearing this, Kuro''s face instantly turned red, and his words stuck on neck for a long time without uttering a single word.


    Yuga spoke the truth; he indeed couldn''t afford the Joy Family''s Max Revives.


    Nami, with a calm smile, said, "I see."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s answer, she acted as if she hadn''t noticed Kuro''s difort.


    Doesn''t she, the deputy head, know what kind of temper Kuro is? of course he know.


    But, she had chosen him for a reason. As one of Mr. Kuni''o''s diciple, she knew that Yuga was not an easy person to handle. Therefore, she needed someone to y the role of the ''bad cop,'' and Kuro was her choice.


    Kuro, while not the brightest and quick-tempered, was chosen for a reason. His tendency to be impulsive made him suitable for this role.


    Then, Nami changed the subject and asked, "Does Gym Leader Shimizu know where the Deoxys that fought against Rayquaza went?"


    Even though she was told not to inquire about Deoxys, she couldn''t resist asking. What if she could extract some information?


    Yuga wore an innocent expression and replied, "Wasn''t that Deoxys killed by Rayquaza?"


    The incident where Deoxys''s body was shattered by Rayquaza''s Dragon Pulse had been witnessed by all of Rustboro City''s citizens. As for Gengar that steal its Energy Core, Yuga doubted anyone had noticed.


    "I see," Nami said with a measured tone.


    She had carefully examined the videos of the battle between Rayquaza and Deoxys and had noticed the purple crystal that fell when Deoxys was killed. Although she didn''t know what it was, she had sent someone to the scene to search for it but found nothing.


    She suspected that Yuga might have taken that crystal.


    However, Yuga wasn''t admitting to anything, and she had no evidence to prove otherwise.


    Kuro interjected, "Did Rayquaza leave anything behind when it departed? Like scales or nails?"


    As soon as Kuro spoke, Nami cast a look of approval his way. Kuro felt pleased, thinking he had gained the trust of his superior.


    Yuga, who has a keen sense of perception, immediately noticed the little movements of Nami and Kuro: Okay, these two people are ying trick with him!


    Yuga, with a shift in tone, chuckled and said, "How could I dare to take scales or nails from Almighty Rayquaza? It''s the Sky Guardian of our Hoenn region, after all! How can i dare to keep such a thing."


    In fact, There were scales, and even some Dragon Blood.


    Nami almost rolled her eyes in response to Yuga''sment. He had beaten Rayquaza without regarding it as the Sky Guardian, but now he was acting like a cult believer.

 Chapter 1004: Attack, Severe Injuries, and Death

    <h4>Chapter 1004: Attack, Severe Injuries, and Death</h4>


    Nami, along with his two subordinates, questioned Yuga in the gym for a long time, but Yuga managed to y dumb and deceive them, just as his master had advised. He had already resolved the main issues, so the people sent by the League were merely probing him and didn''t really trouble him.


    Although Kuro kept bbering and Nami constantly probed Yuga, their actions didn''t actually affect Yuga as his master had already resolved most of the issues.


    The most useful piece of information they could get from Yuga was the safe departure of Rayquaza, which, of course, was the League''s top concern.


    The next day, Nami and his two subordinates visited Verdanturf Gym once again. This time, they weren''t there to check on Yuga but rather requested to see Yuga''s Pok��mon, especially the Dusknoir that had battled Rayquaza.


    Naturally, Yuga didn''t refuse their request. He had nothing to hide; they could see them as much as they wanted.


    Kuro had originally wanted to take a chance to criticize Yuga a bit, but Yuga had Dusknoir subtly intimidate him. Dusknoir, being a Master level Pok��mon, had an imposing aura that not just anyone could endure, and Kuro almost wet himself out of fear.


    Yuga wasn''t the type to endure being bullied, especially by someone as brainless as Kuro. He didn''t want him to overstep his boundaries.


    Nami noticed that Kuro was going too far, so he gestured for him to stop, and Kuro obediently backed down.


    In the end, Yuga was a little annoyed by the whole act, but he couldn''t help but admire Nami''s intelligence. He understood that Kuro was essentially a puppet, set up by Nami to test the limits of Yuga''s patience.


    Yuga also realized that Kuro wasn''t the brightest individual and had probably been chosen as the fall guy for a reason. He was there to probe Yuga''s boundaries, and Nami made him do all the dirty work, as he didn''t seem to have any ideas of his own.


    Yuga''s attitude towards Kuro also influenced Nami''s judgment of Yuga.


    This kind of situation wasn''t new to someone like Nami, who had been part of the League for many years.


    People like Kuro would have been dealt with in a more severe manner if he was in other ces, but the nature of his role in the Prosecutor Bureau allowed for some bending and twisting, and sometimes, having someone brainless was just what was needed.


    After sending away Nami and his subordinates, Yuga headed to the Sub-Ecopark. He had ced the two Deoxys Energy Cores under the care of Grass-type Pok��mon in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    When he saw Deoxys, he couldn''t help butin, "I went through so much trouble for you guys. I don''t even know how to face the League in the future. After all, I''m a Gym Leader in the League!"


    "Thank you so much, and we will find a way to repay you in the future," Deoxys conveyed its thoughts with a sense of guilt. Deoxys had a different perspective from Yuga, and it appreciated Yuga''s assistance greatly.


    Yuga felt satisfied as he received Deoxys'' thoughts. He wasn''t the kind of person who did good deeds without expecting something in return.


    His main purpose in doing all this was to have a favor to ask in the future, so that if he really encountered something that couldn''t be solved in the future, he would have someone to turn to for help.


    Hoenn was not a peaceful ce, after all.


    Anyways, the simple Deoxys wouldn''t be able to understand the intricacies of Yuga''s thoughts.


    "By the way, how long do you think it will take for you to fully recover?" Yuga asked Deoxys.


    "Probably around six months," Deoxys replied honestly. Now Yuga had earned high favor in its eyes.


    "Oh, what about your fellow Deoxys?" Yuga pointed to the other Deoxys Energy Core.


    This Deoxys was heavily injured, and its consciousness had fallen into a deep slumber.


    "It''s severely injured. It will take at least a year to recover," Deoxys conveyed its concerns through its thoughts.


    Yuga consoled, "As long as you both recover, that''s what matters. A year or two will pass quickly, don''t worry."


    After boosting his favorability with Deoxys, Yuga left the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark. As he walked, a small, dark yellow ball appeared on his shoulder �C it was Mimikyu.


    Mimikyu had already used the Reverse-Light Flower that Yuga had bought at the Trading Fair, and its previous weakened state hadpletely disappeared. However, it still preferred to stay in Yuga''s Shadow Space.


    Now Mimikyu has an extrabel of "otaku" on him.


    The reason Yuga went to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark was that Wigglytuff was there, helping the Miltank and Chansey ssify the Pok��block that had been delivered to the Ecopark today. Otherwise, Mimikyu wouldn''t even want to leave the Shadow Space at all.


    Mimikyu''s level was still quite low, and although its potential was excellent, it would take time for it to grow.


    Yuga''s visit to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark was also to see Decidueye, which was currently training there.


    Ever since Dartrix evolved into Decidueye, it had be obsessed with archery training. The Grasnd Sub-Ecopark was vast and open, making it an ideal ce for practicing archery.


    As Yuga entered the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, he saw a chaotic scene in the sky. More than a dozen Flying-type Pok��mon were flying around erratically, and Decidueye was chasing after them, shooting arrows as it went.


    This was a training method that Decidueye hade up with itself. It used the Flying-type Pok��mon as moving targets to improve its uracy and reaction time.


    Simply shooting at stationary targets wasn''t enough to satisfy Decidueye''s desire to improve its archery skills. Decidueye had a natural talent for archery andbined it with its ability, Long Reach, making it quite formidable.


    Decidueye''s arrows had two variations. The first was a simple arrow that, when hitting a target, would immobilize it. The second was an enhanced version that not only immobilized the target but also caused damage.


    During practice, Decidueye used the first type of arrow, as it didn''t want to harm the Flying-type Pok��mon. These Pok��mon willingly cooperated with Decidueye for the training, as they weren''t masochists.


    Yuga fully supported Decidueye''s efforts to improve its archery skills. Having witnessed Teacher L''s Ambipom that had trained in martial arts, he understood that such training could significantly enhance a Pok��mon''s strength.


    However, Yuga himself didn''t have much knowledge about archery, limiting his ability to assist Decidueye effectively. He was eager to find an archery master who could help Decidueye further, but he didn''t know anyone in his circle who had expertise in archery.


    As soon as Mimikyu entered the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, it hopped down from Yuga''s shoulder and quickly made its way to Wigglytuff.


    Wigglytuff''s eyes lit up with joy as it saw Mimikyu. It scooped up Mimikyu and ced it in the front pocket of its apron. While working, Wigglytuff chatted with Mimikyu.


    Mimikyu and Wigglytuff had be legendary soulmates.


    Mimikyu''s tiny size, nestled inside Wigglytuff''s pocket, reminded Yuga of Kangaskhan and its Kangaskhan baby. It gave him the impression of a mother and child, rather than a husband and wife.


    Yuga shook off his strange thoughts and called out to Decidueye in the sky, "Decidueye,e down and take a break!"


    Hearing Yuga''s voice, Decidueye quickly retracted the arrow it was about to release and pped its wings tond in front of Yuga.


    Decidueye was quite tall, almost reaching Yuga''s height of around 6 feet. Uponnding, its sharp talons left marks on the t grassy ground.


    Yugaforted the bird, "You''ve worked hard in training!"


    "Decidueye!"


    Decidueye, its neck extended, seemed to enjoy Yuga''s touch and made purring sounds from its throat in response.


    Yuga asked, "How did your training go today?"


    Upon hearing this question, Decidueye shook its head in a somewhat disappointed manner. Despite its diligent efforts in training, the results were not as significant as it had hoped.


    Yuga contemted and said, "I see... How about we go ask Ryuichi? Maybe your father knows archery, and if he does, we can seek guidance from him."


    Yuga''s Decidueye was the child of Ryuichi''s Decidueye. However, Yuga wasn''t sure if Ryuichi''s Decidueye had developed the Spirit Shackle move.


    Upon hearing the suggestion, Decidueye became excited. It thought Yuga''s idea was excellent and didn''t mind seeking guidance from its father, even if it didn''t have many memories of him.


    Yuga smiled and said, "Alright, I''ll contact Ryuichiter and ask. If it''s possible, I''ll arrange for you to be transferred to Mauville City."


    With a nod from Decidueye, it spread its wings and flew back into the sky to continue "teasing" the flying-type Pok��mon.


    As Yuga left the Ecopark, he was about to contact Ryuichi when he received an unexpected call.


    The call came from the vendor in Rustboro City who had agreed to trade Rotom with Yuga.


    Yuga had considered reaching out to this person, but his recent poprity had made it difficult to find the time. He didn''t expect the person to proactively call him.


    Yuga had prepared himself for the possibility that the person might renege on their deal and trade Rotom with someone else. He was grateful that they had exchanged contact information when they parted ways, which allowed this conversation to take ce.


    Eric was feeling anxious when he called Yuga. He had seen the news and learned that the young man he had arranged a trade with was none other than the highly publicized Gym Leader of the Verdanturf Gym.


    Eric was a Ghost-type Pok��mon Trainer who had Ghost-type Pok��mon protecting him. Thus, when the Trade Fair building copsed, he had made a timely retreat and avoided significant losses.


    He knew that many other trainers who had stalls inside the building suffered heavy losses. Some even considered seekingpensation from the event organizers, but they were ignored, and the police in Rustboro City arrested those who causing disturbances.


    This showed the organizers has strong connections and influence.


    As a rtively small figure, Eric had already packed up his belongings and left Rustboro City long before. He didn''t dare to linger.


    After leaving Rustboro City, Eric arrived in Verdanturf Town. He urgently needed a Ghost Gem and didn''t want to give up on his agreement with Yuga.


    However, he felt somewhat anxious when he arrived in Verdanturf Town. He wasn''t sure if Yuga still remembered their arrangement. To be cautious, he decided to call Yuga before visiting in person.


    "You say you''re in Verdanturf Town?" Yuga responded.


    On the other end of the call, Eric felt relieved to hear Yuga''s tone. He detected the enthusiasm in Yuga''s voice.


    "Yes, I''m at the Verdanturf Town Pok��mon Center. Do you still want Rotom?"


    Rotom with a blue potential wasn''t hard to sell, but Eric was only interested in trading for a Ghost Gem. He, as a small trader, had no other means for obtaining Ghost Gems, so he had to rely on Yuga as his customer.


    "Absolutely, I want it. Do you have time right now? If so,e to the Verdanturf Gym. I''ll be waiting for you there," Yuga happily replied.


    "Great, I''m on my way. You''ll see me soon," Eric replied with a much lighter tone.


    The two quickly met at the Verdanturf Gym. After confirming that the Rotom Eric brought was a blue potential Rotom by using the Pok��mon''s Potential Checker, theypleted the trade.


    The Rotom that had just been acquired was unfamiliar to Yuga, but with Eric''s help, they managed to get the Rotom to possess a Pok��dex sessfully.


    Once the trade waspleted, Eric hurriedly left the Verdanturf Gym. Yuga took the freshly acquired Rotom Pok��dex to the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark, where he handed it over to three Mmar for instruction.


    The Rotom Pok��dex was meant to be an heir to thisboratory in the future. While the three Mmar were behaving obediently at the moment, Yuga was well aware of their cunning nature and couldn''t fully trust them.


    On the day following Eric''s visit, Yuga received shocking news. The Nami trio had been attacked on their way back, with Kuro dead and Tokiwa was heavily injured.


    Yuga was utterly stunned upon hearing this news. The mean-mouthed Kuro just dead like that?


    This incident caused a significantmotion in the Pok��mon League. A Deputy Director of the Prosecutor Bureau was attacked, and One of his two subordinates was killed and the other was seriously injured. It was an outrageous turn of events.


    The news was ryed to Yuga by Steven, and the investigation into the attack on the Nami trio was already handed over to him. Steven suspected that this attack was connected to Yuga and Rayquaza.


    Considering that everyone had seen that Rayquaza was taken away by Yuga, and the individuals responsible for contacting Yuga were the members of the Nami trio, it led Steven to believe that the attackers were after Rayquaza.


    He thought that they believed the Nami trio obtained something rted to Rayquaza from Yuga or even took Rayquaza with them, which is why the attack urred.


    As for why these individuals didn''t directly confront Yuga, Steven believed it was due to the intimidating presence of Dusknoir.


    Because of these suspicions, Steven took the initiative to inform Yuga to be cautious. ording to Steven, the attack on the Nami trio was carried out by two powerful individuals, both masked. and Nami couldn''t confirm their identities.


    Each of these two individuals was individually capable of matching the Namis strengths. It was she engagement with one of these individuals that resulted in Kuro''s death and Tokiwa''s serious injuries.


    After the call with Steven, Yuga remained silent for quite some time.


    Rayquaza''s appearance had caused the entire Hoenn undercurrent to surge.

 Chapter 1005: Accumuland Growth

    <h4>Chapter 1005: umnd Growth</h4>


    Due to the incident involving Rayquaza, an increasing number of people visited Yuga''s Gym. Additionally, after the Nami trio was attacked, Yuga increased the security around the YoYo Day Care and the Gym. He also informed the Verdanturf Town Police Department to prevent anyone messing around.


    However, despite the daily influx of visitors, Yuga''s life was quite pleasant. Being constantly in the spotlight, he found sce in being able to calm himself.


    He decided to delegate all the visitors to Beidou, even temporarily taking charge of the Gym himself, while he spent each day in the Ecopark.


    During these days, Yuga leisurely trained with his Pok��mon, chatted with Deoxys, consulted with Dragonite''s mother and Dusknoir about training methods...and doesn''t care about anything else.


    The Rotom Pok��dex had been sessfully transferred to the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark for learning. It had be a greatpanion with the Porygon, which Professor Birch had given to Yuga.


    Porygon was not only helping Windy with his work every day, but also spending its leisure time with the Rotom Pok��dex. It also shared its collected knowledge with Rotom Pok��dex after careful selection.


    Porygon had advantage to roam freely in the digital world made searching for information on the inte extremely easy. On the other hand, the Rotom Pok��dex possessed exceptional learning,putational, and knowledge storage capabilities.


    The partnership between the two allowed the Rotom Pok��dex to grow rapidly.


    To help Decidueye learn archery, Yuga reached out to Ryuichi in Mauville City. Unfortunately, Ryuichi''s Decidueye wasn''t skilled in archery.


    Ryuichi''s Decidueye had explored the Spirit Shackle move extensively, excelling in its use. However, it had focused on harnessing the elusive properties of ghost-type moves rather than mastering archery.


    This differed from Yuga''s vision for Decidueye. Yuga aimed to enhance its Spirit Shackle by mastering archery techniques, prioritizing one-hit kills.


    Ryuichi''s Decidueye had the Overgrow ability, whereas Yuga''s Decidueye possessed the hidden ability Long Reach. Their differing abilities influenced their move preferences and inclinations.


    Yuga''s Decidueye preferred the satisfaction of hitting opponents from a distance with a single arrow.


    Although Ryuichi''s Decidueye couldn''t provide much guidance in archery, Yuga still transferred his Decidueye to Mauville City to spend some time there.


    The father and daughter Decidueye had not met for a long time, and Yuga saw it as an opportunity for them to be acquainted. Moreover, Ryuichi''s Decidueye, being an Elite level Pok��mon, had much to offer in other aspects of training.


    In a blink of an eye, over three months had passed. Yuga''s Three month umton had yielded significant results.


    First, in his second team of Pok��mon, both Serperior and Sawsbuck sessfully reached the Elite level, significantly boosting their power.


    In Yuga''s second team, aside from Torterra and Roserade who is already breakthrough. Bellossom, Venusaur, Breloom, Serperior, and Sawsbuck had all lingered at the pseudo-Elite level for a long time.


    Serperior and Sawsbuck, both with Indigo potential, found it rtively easier to break through. The remaining Pok��mon with blue potential, like Bellossom, Venusaur, and Breloom, would likely require more time for their advancement.


    Secondly, Dragonite''s mother, who had been stuck at the peak Champion level for a long time, finally crossed the threshold to be a Master level Pok��mon during a sparring session with Dusknoir. It became the second Master level Pok��mon in Yuga''s Ecopark.


    After Dragonite''s mother reached the Master level, she took Dragonite to retreat deep within the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark, and Yuga hadn''t seen them for some time.


    During these three months, Absol, Roserade, Mismagius, and Gengar had ventured to the Distortion World for training, and they hadn''t returned yet. Yuga sent Mimikyu to rece Dragonite spot, and ask Mismagius and Gengar bring along Mimikyu with them.


    Mimikyu, with its purple potential and the added energy from the Ghost World Origin Stone, was growing rapidly even when it spent most of its time as an otaku in Yuga''s Shadow Space.


    Mismagius and Gengar couldn''t tolerate seeing Mimikyu waste its potential in the Shadow Space and decided to take it with them to the Distortion World. They believed its high potential shouldn''t go to waste.


    Finally, in the reserve team, Snover, Kartana, and Cosmoem had also made significant progress.


    Snover, after umting considerable strength, had finally evolved into its final form, Abomasnow. Its power steadily caught up with Decidueye, which had evolved earlier, and even showed signs of surpassing it.


    Abomasnow''s rapid growth could be attributed to the special Moon Stones.


    As the potential enhancement potion had been sessfully researched, with no immediate room for improvement, the Mmar focused on studying these special Moon Stones.


    Snover had initially undergone a mutation due to consuming a unique Moon Stone. The Mmar examined Abomasnow''s physique and used Moon Stones to create a custom-made nutritional potion for it.


    This nutritional potion was tailored for Abomasnow, while other Pok��mon would find it as in as water. But for Abomasnow, regr consumption enhanced its mutated traits, elerating its growth.


    After a period of consuming the nutritional potion, Yuga noticed that Abomasnow''s potential aura, visible through his Insight ability, was gradually shifting from blue to indigo..


    However, after this transformation, Abomasnow''s potential growth rate significantly slowed down. Achieving aplete transformation into an indigo potential would still take a considerable amount of time.


    Nheless, these changes were not the most significant ones.


    During Abomasnow''s training, Yuga gradually discovered that it was undergoing a second mutation, manifesting as an increasing translucence in its white body parts, resembling ice crystals. The green areas were bing even lusher, resembling emeralds.


    These physical changes endowed Abomasnow with a unique ability.


    During the daytime, under sunlight, Abomasnow could collect sr energy through its green body parts, storing it. At night, it could harness lunar energy through its white parts, simrly umting moonlight energy.


    This is a mutation of the Synthesis move that Grass-type Pok��mon possess.


    Observing how Abomasnow stored energy day and night, Yuga noticed that its body was flourishing like a real nt. The more energy it stored, therger it grew in size.


    With arger body, Abomasnow could collect more energy. In just three short months, it had grown into a gigantic ice tree. The side effect of its increased size was a significantly slower speed, but in return, its attacking power became terrifying.


    Initially, Yuga didn''t understand the true purpose of the stored energy within Abomasnow''s body. However, asbat training began, he noticed something unusual.


    During battles, whenever Abomasnow sustained an injury, its wounds healed rapidly, almost like Recover move.


    While other Pok��mon had to take times to use Recover move in battle, Abomasnow''s healing energy worked instantly, didn''t interfere with its other moves, and couldn''t be interrupted in mid-process.


    After extended observation, Yuga gradually understood the mechanics.


    The healing Abomasnow experienced was from the sr energy and moonlight energy it had collected and stored in its body. As long as these energies weren''t depleted, Abomasnow remained in a state of near-infinite self recovery.


    This had effectively transformed Abomasnow''s Synthesis move into a passive skill.


    And given Abomasnow''s current state of growth, it seemed that this ability was still developing. In other words, its size would continue to increase, though to what extent, Yuga wasn''t sure.


    Yuga suspected that this recovery and growth ability might be the result of the Revival Herb found within the Moon Stone.


    Of course, this special recovery ability had its drawbacks.


    The most obvious one was that once the stored energy in Abomasnow''s body was depleted, this ability would be useless. Additionally, Abomasnow couldn''t actively use the Synthesis move during battles anymore.


    Grass-type Pok��mon''s Synthesis divided into two type: first, Synthesis move is used for absorbing nutrients from the sun for daily use and second, Synthesis move is used for recovering injuries in battle.


    Abomasnow''s ability seemed to be a unique blend of these two functions.


    Regr Grass-type Pok��mon could store nutrients but couldn''t recover injuries with Synthesis. Conversely, they could use the Synthesis move to recover injuries but couldn''t store energy.


    Abomasnow, while using Synthesis, not only met its daily nutritional requirements but also stored energy for healing. When needed, it could ess this stored energy instantly.


    The trade-off was that Abomasnow''s body had lost the ability to activate Synthesis immediately during battles, to some extent, indicating a degeneration in its physical functions.


    As for why Abomasnow could absorb moonlight energy, Yuga spected it was due to the influence of the Moon Stone, causing this mutation.


    There was another benefit to this transformation: Abomasnow''s food expenses decreased as its body relied more on nutritional potion. Sometimes, simply taking the nutritional potion was enough to fulfill its body''s needs.


    Yuga had collected a significant number of special Moon Stones, enough to create nutritional potion to sustain Abomasnow for a long time.


    After this second mutation, Yuga had high expectations for Abomasnow''s future growth.


    Next came Kartana''s growth.


    As an Ultra Beast, Yuga''s Insight couldn''t discern specific information about it, but purely in terms ofbat strength, it could now rival Charizard.


    In theory, the growth rate of an Ultra Beast like Kartana shouldn''t have been this fast.


    Yuga was initially perplexed, but heter learned from the system''s exnation that it was all thanks to the few essence he had used before Kartana hatched.


    As a purple grade item, second only to golden items in the system store, the true purpose of the essence was finally showing itself.


    The one who had made the most significant progress was Cosmoem.


    Yuga had invested a considerable amount in nurturing Cosmoem. It not only depleted his resources in terms of Pok��block but also had different incense requirementspared to regr Pok��mon.


    The influence of incense on regr Pok��mon was subtle and umted over an extended period before its effects became evident.


    However, when Cosmoem used incense, it consumed it as if it were eating. Even if it just take light breath of the incense, it canpletely absorb the essence in just a few minutes.


    To put it in perspective, a single incense stick, when lit, could affect an Elite Pok��mon for at least an hour.


    One could say that Cosmoem was a true "Golden Swallowing Beast," and Yuga''s Pok��mon Day Care was fortunate to have the capability to produce incense. Otherwise, it would have gone bankrupt long ago.


    Despite Cosmoem''s insatiable appetite for incense, its growth matched the money Yuga invested in it. In terms of momentum, it could already rival Lapras (given its excellent inherent potential).


    However, in terms of actual battle capability, Cosmoem was almost useless. It only had two abilities: Cosmic Power and Teleport, both of which were transformation move and didn''t contribute to its battle prowess. Its sole advantage was only it can withstand beatings.


    Relying on Cosmoem in a battle was less effective than Yuga using it as a instrument to beating people to intimidate others.


    With its remarkable weight, being struck by Cosmoem would probably be... quiet painful.


    Three months had passed, and the fervor around the Rustboro City incident was slowly diminishing. The entire city was busy with reconstruction efforts.


    Rayquaza''s destruction had caused substantial losses in Rustboro City, and the Hoenn League had to bear the full cost of reconstruction, which lessened the attention on Yuga.


    However, not all consequences of this situation were negative for Yuga.


    Due to the incident, the business at both the YoYo Day Care and the Pok��mon Park had been booming for these three months. Many people tried to extract information from Yuga''s employees, both directly and indirectly, but the stores were indeed making more money.


    Moreover, when Yuga returned from Rustboro City, he didn''t discuss the details of the incident with his employees. Though people were curious, they didn''t pry too much, and those who wished to inquire found it difficult to extract information.


    At the beginning, some individuals attempted to cause trouble near the YoYo Day Care and Pok��mon Park, but after the patrolling Pok��mon disciplined them a few times, those with ulterior motives had no choice but to behave themselves.


    As the fervor gradually receded, most of the people who had gathered in Verdanturf Town to glean information retreated, and the town began to regain its tranquility.


    During this period, Yuga observed significant progress in his Pok��mon. Additionally, he was delighted that his new Ecopark was finallypleted.


    In three months, despite the underlying tensions in Verdanturf Town, the construction of Yuga''s Ecopark proceeded without disruption. Although Yuga hadn''t visited the construction site, Mr. Daichi asionally visited the store to update Yuga on the park''s progress.


    So Yuga''s Ecopark was sessfullypleted!


    The new Ecopark was quite spacious, because it is used to cover up the existence of the Sub-Ecopark. Yuga ns was to move all the Pok��mon in the Sub-Ecopark who are not green potential into the new Ecopark.


    Anyway, others can''t see the differences with the naked eye.


    Thanks to the creation of the Potential Enhancement Potion, the potentials of many Pok��mon in Yuga''s Ecopark had improved, and even those with low potentials had increased by at least one-fifth. As a result, the number of Pok��mon moving to the new Ecopark was much smaller than expected.


    Thepletion of the new Ecopark didn''t draw much attention from others. Yuga celebrated by having a simple meal with his employees and his aunt''s family.

 Chapter 1006: Gatekeeping and Foul Mood

    <h4>Chapter 1006: Gatekeeping and Foul Mood</h4>


    The relocation of the Pok��mon was quite troublesome; Yuga was kept busy for several days before finally moving the lower potential Pok��mon into the new Ecopark.


    Sending thest Pok��mon into the New Ecopark, Yuga smiled contentedly.


    After spending some time in the New Ecopark, he found that the relocated Pok��mon were adapting well to their new living environment. Yuga happily left the Ecopark.


    To ensure the safety of the Pok��mon in the New Ecopark, Yuga arranged for the Druddigon to be stationed there. After all, it was usually onlyzing around and had no ambition; it might as well be a gatekeeper.


    "From now on, you''ll guard the entrance of the New Ecopark, and this will be your new home!" Yuga pointed to the entrance and said to Druddigon.


    Druddigon snorted dissatisfied but obediently went toy by the entrance of the New Ecopark. However, the look in its eyes towards Yuga was quite intive.


    The Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark was such a nice ce; even sleeping was morefortable than anywhere else! Being "relocated" to this ce, Druddigon felt a pang in its heart just thinking about it.


    Seeing Druddigon looking so displeased, Yuga, infuriated, patted its head twice, "You''re not satisfied? How long have you been here? You alwaysze around. You''ve been here for so long without any progress, how dare you be unsatisfied!"


    Druddigon had thick skin, but those two pats really hurt Yuga''s palms, yet Yuga was genuinely angry.


    Yuga had never been overly concerned about the training of the higher level Pok��mon in the Ecopark; they were mostly self-disciplined. He never ceased the supply of resources to them, which was how Dragonite''s mother broke through to the Master level.


    But Druddigon was really over the top; so many resources were used, yet its level remained stagnant. If it were due to inadequate potential, that would be eptable. But it managed to train alone in the Petalburg Woods to the Elite level, showing that its potentisl was not the issue.


    So, there was only one reason it hadn''t progressed at all��shirking responsibility!


    Hearing Yuga''s usation, Druddigon humbly lowered its head, not daring to show any more dissatisfication.


    "I can''t be med for this! Life here now is just toofortable!" Druddigon thought with a sense of injustice in its heart.


    In the danger-filled Petalburg Woods, Druddigon had to be stronger for survival. However, once it arrived at Yuga''s Ecopark, that sense of tension, oppression, and crisis disappeared instantly.


    It''s sofortable to have delicious food and drink spicy food all day long without having to do anything! Moreover, Yuga''s management of these Elite level Pok��mon was not strict.


    Initially, when Smence and Hydreigon were young, they had been taught by Druddigon for a while. At that time, in order to set a good example for the younger ones, Druddigon did consider striving for improvement, but it didn''tst even two days.


    Easye, easy go!


    Seeing Druddigon look foolish, Yuga continued, "If you keep going like this, you''ll be guarding this gate for the rest of your life!"


    Under Yuga''s "Death Stare," Druddigon awkwardly scratched its cheeks with its ws: Alright... Alright, I''ll try harder, but I can''t guarantee how long I can keep it up!


    In order to return to the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark, Druddigon decided to put in more efforttely.


    Seeing Druddigon''s humble expression, Yuga finally nodded in satisfaction, "Alright, you just guard the gate properly here. I have other matters to attend to; I''m leaving now."


    Druddigon waved its ws: Sure, sure. Before putting in the effort, I need a good sleep; otherwise, I won''t be in the mood for training.


    Unaware of Druddigon''s thoughts, Yuga left the New Ecopark.


    Just after leaving the New Ecopark, Yuga was nning to return to the store, but he hadn''t gone far when a torrent of crimson mes surged down from the sky, seemingly aiming to turn Yuga into ashes.


    Mismagius promptly emerged from the Shadow Space and controlled the Mystical Fire, shooting them out before they could get close to Yuga.


    The collision between Mystical Fire and methrower produced a lot of smoke, obscuring Yuga''s vision ahead. However, the roars within the smoke hinted that the attacking Pok��mon was a Dragon-type.


    As the smoke cleared, Yuga finally spotted the Pok��mon in the air not far away. It was a Pok��mon d in blue scales, with fierce, fiery red wings��a Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon Smence.


    The attack didn''t hit, and Smence didn''t linger; it turned to leave.


    Seeing this scene, Yuga was puzzled: Hmm? Is it trying to lure me to follow?


    Being skilled and brave, although Yuga didn''t know the origin and purpose of this Smence, he decided to follow.


    Of course, Yuga had no intention of pursuing too far; once this Smence left Verdanturf Town, he wouldn''t follow.


    The fervor around the Rustboro City incident might have slowly subsided, but there were still potential dangers.


    However, this Smence didn''t fly too far. Yuga, riding on his Charizard, followed it to an open grasnd on the outskirts of the town, where Mega Smencended in front of a young girl.


    This Smence indeed had an owner!


    Seeing Mega Smencend and affectionately nuzzle the girl, Yuga spoke, "Who are you? What''s your purpose in bringing me here?"


    The girl had short, pitch-ck hair and was draped in a gray cloak, strangely reminding Yuga of Lance.


    The girl grinned upon hearing Yuga''s words and said, "You''re Shimizu Yuga? If you want to know who I am, you''ll have to face me in battle! Smence!"


    As the girl shouted, Smence soared into the air, its body undergoing a tremendous change amidst a dazzling array of colors. Yuga finally noticed the Mega Anklet on the girl''s wrist.


    The appearance of Mega Smence after undergoing the Mega Evolution became even fiercer. It opened its mouth and spewed a methrower towards Yuga and his Charizard.


    Charizard pped its wings to dodge the attack from the Mega Smence. Yuga then jumped down from Charizard''s back and shouted to Charizard, "Charizard, Mega Evolution."


    Upon hearing Yuga''smand, Charizard let out a loud cry and started to Mega Evolution.


    Seeing Yuga''s Charizard begin to Mega Evolution, a hint of surprise shed in the short-haired girl''s eyes, but she didn''tmand the Mega Smence to seize the opportunity to attack. Instead, she patiently waited for Charizard toplete its evolution.


    "Roar!!!"


    After Mega Evolution, Mega Charizard immediately activated its ability, Drought, and then unleashed an overwhelmingly oppressive Fire st towards Mega Smence.


    The Fire st surged toward Mega Smence, but Mega Smence used me Fang to break it into pieces. The remaining sparks fell on the grass, scorching the lush greenery to ck.


    After repelling Mega Charizard''s Fire st, Mega Smence swiftly turned and used a Double-Edge against Mega Charizard.


    Mega Charizard Y had a more streamlined physique, making it more agile and better equipped for flying and controlling flying energy. As Mega Smence charged, Mega Charizard effortlessly evaded its attack and once again released a Fire st.


    Mega Smence, in its high-speed charge, couldn''t stop in time and was hit head-on by Mega Charizard''s Fire st, getting struck down from the sky onto the ground.


    Boom!


    Mega Smence crashed in a disgrace, creating arge pit in the grass, leaving an exposed yellow soil.


    Mega Smence was naturally a very irritable and aggressive Pok��mon. Being easily defeated by Mega Charizard in this manner, it felt exceptionally angry and was about to go berserk. However, it instantly calmed down upon hearing the girl''s light chuckle.


    While Mega Smence was falling, Mega Charizard once again spewed a Fire st towards it, but the now after calmed down Smence used Dragon Tail to dissipate the attack into twinkling sparks.


    "That''s enough, Smence!"


    Mega Smence was ready to counterattack, but upon hearing the girl''s voice, its raised Dragon Tail halted in mid-air.


    Observing the girl and Smence''s actions, Yuga felt puzzled but directed Mega Charizard to dissipate the mes in its mouth.


    The battle ceased, and Mega Smence returned to its normal form. The girl slowly walked over to face Yuga, shing an exuberant smile.


    "Let me introduce myself. I''m Zinnia, from Meteor Falls, a member of Draconid People."


    Draconid People?


    Yuga immediately recalled what Lance had once exined to him about the descendants of the Dragon n. The Joht Dragon Tamer n, the Hoenn Draconid People n, and the Unova Vige of Dragons were all descendants of the Dragon n, once devout followers of the Dragon God, Rayquaza.


    Following the split of the three ns, the Dragon Tamer n and the Vige of Dragons adapted to the changing times and joined the League, while the Hoenn Draconid People remained shrouded in mystery, secluded from the world. It was said they resided near the Meteor Falls, but this was never confirmed.


    So, what was the purpose of this person, Zinnia, a member of the Hoenn Draconid People, in attracting Yuga?


    Seeing Yuga frown in silence, Zinnia exined with a smile, "It''s rather disrespectful to lure Gym Leader Shimizu in this manner, please forgive me! It''s just that the Verdanturf Gym has been declining all visits. I had no choice but to resort to this way."


    "Are you here for Rayquaza?"


    Yuga didn''t beat around the bush and directly asked.


    Zinnia hesitated for a moment and replied in a low voice, "Yes."


    Yuga hadn''t expected that the Draconid People was still searching for Rayquaza''s whereabouts, while the Vige of Dragons and Dragon Tamer n, as fellow descendants of the Dragon n, had long ceased to believe in the dragon god, Rayquaza.


    Times have changed, so what significance is there in continuing the pursuit of a Legendary Pok��mon? Now these Legendary Pok��mon no longer shelter one n, unlike in ancient times when there were many of them; now, they are exceedingly rare.


    "I want to know the whereabouts of Rayquaza," Zinnia said, fixedly gazing at Yuga.


    In fact, after learning about the events in Rustboro City, the Draconid People had already considered sending someone to meet Yuga. However, at that time, the situation had just unfolded, and Yuga was under the scrutiny of various forces. They couldn''t easily make an appearance, hence the dy it until now.


    Zinnia had been in Verdanturf Town for several days, silently monitoring the activities of the Verdanturf Gym and the YoYo Day Care. But Yuga had secluded himself, declining all visits, even leaving the Gym''s management to others, leading to her present actions.


    Before taking action, she worried that Yuga might note out with Smence, but fortunately, everything went smoothly, and she finally met the person she wanted to see.


    Feeling the intense gaze from Zinnia, Yuga sighed and replied, "I''m sorry, but I don''t know where Rayquaza is."


    Zinnia grew anxious upon hearing this. "How can that be? Didn''t you take Rayquaza away from Rustboro City? How could you not know where it is?"


    Zinnia seemed a bit agitated and was about to say something but was immediately interrupted by Yuga''s voice.


    "Okay, calm down! I truly don''t know where Rayquaza is! I did take it away from Rustboro City, but it was because it was injured and had some connection to me. After I healed its injuries, I let it go. Rayquaza can fly, and it has its own will. I didn''t install a camera on it, so I have no idea where it might have gone!"


    "Impossible... You... You''re lying to me..." Zinnia murmured to herself, finding it hard to believe Yuga''s exnation.


    She had invested so much effort and time in seeking Rayquaza, even infiltrating the Team Aqua and Team Magma for information, but due to Yuga''s interventions, these organizations faced too many changes, and she couldn''t gather any substantial information.


    Finally obtaining urate information about Rayquaza, she had arrived in Verdanturf Town with high hopes, only to receive the response "I don''t know" from Yuga. For the moment, Zinnia couldn''t ept it.


    "You''re lying to me, aren''t you? You know where Rayquaza is, right? As long as you tell me where Rayquaza is, we, the Draconid People, will definitely repay you properly," Zinnia said, her emotions escting.


    Yuga was about to say he didn''t know, but suddenly, something crossed his mind. He gazed at Zinnia with an uncertain look and said, "Properly repay me? If I were to tell you where Rayquaza is, what reward do you n to give me?"


    Hearing this, Zinnia became even more excited.


    "As long as you tell me, I promise you anything!"


    Yuga: Hmm... A girl saying something like this to a man seems a bit odd...


    Nevertheless... it''s said that the Draconid People bred many Bagons... Yuga squinted, nurturing a somewhat "mischievous" thought.


    "Hmm..." Yuga cleared his throat. "It''s not that I can''t tell you about Rayquaza''s whereabouts. But you must first tell me what reward you would offer to me!"


    "This..." Zinnia was puzzled. It wasn''t something she could decide. "How about... I''ll go back to the n and ask?"


    Yuga smiled warmly, saying, "No worries, go ahead, ask! I''ll be waiting for you." It seemed the chance of obtaining Bagons was now a possibility!


    Previously, Yuga had boldly imed his intention to collect all the Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon and then sell them at the Day Care. However, the practical difficulty was immense because these Pseudo-Legendary were too rare and controlled by top forces like the Dragon Tamer n and Vige of Dragons.


    Now that the Draconid People hade to him, Yuga naturally wouldn''t let this opportunity pass by.


    Observing Yuga''s beaming smile, Zinnia couldn''t shake the feeling that something was off, but her yearning for Rayquaza made her willingly disregard the sense of oddity within her.


    "Well, then, wait for my message; I''ll return very soon," Zinnia said before departing on her Smence.


    As Zinnia and Rayquaza slowly disappeared into the sky, Yuga smirked and, in a pleasant mood, returned to the Day Care.


    As Yuga stepped into the shop, he saw Chatot, grinning mischievously, perched on the shelf at the entrance.


    Upon seeing Yuga approach, Chatot puffed up its chest, seemingly ready to say something, but after noticing Yuga''s smile, it disdainfully asked, "What happened to you? Why are you smiling so disgustingly?"


    Yuga raised his hand, seemingly ready to hit it. "Haven''t smacked you for three days, so you think you''re the king, huh!"


    But before the hitnded, Yuga''s hand halted mid-air. "You''ve had a breakthrough?"


    Initially flinching when Yuga seemed to want to strike, Chatot puffed out its chest proudly upon hearing Yuga''s words. Strutting on the shelf, it remarked, "As expected of my boss, his vision is sharp. From today onwards, I am no longer the same person!"


    Chatot was happy about Yuga acknowledging its breakthrough, but Yuga thought that praising it might make its head swell, so he rolled his eyes and said, "So, do I have to address you as "Niu Gulu��Chatot?"


    Chatot was momentarily puzzled, "Niu Gulu��Chatot? What does that mean? But it sounds pretty good! From today onwards, I''ll be Niu Gulu��Chatot!"


    After saying this, it flutter its wings and flying over to Suzuki Koen, showing off its new name and amusing the nearby guests, who burst intoughter.


    Yuga shook his head, thinking, "What a goofball!"


    However, Chatot had finally caught up to Noctowl in terms of level.


    Due to limitations in potential, Noctowl''s progress had been quite slow over the past two years. Now, with Chatot, which had a indigo potential, reaching Noctowl''s level, the gap between them would likely widen in the future.


    ?��?


    Exnation: The worldview of this book primarily revolves around the animated series. The portrayal of characters like Zinnia here differs from their appearances inics and games. Although some aspects of their backgrounds might ovep, they are not the same individuals. It''s crucial not to confuse or conte them because Zinnia doesn''t make an appearance in the animated series.


    The depictions of characters like Zinnia in the games andics contain more detailed settings, but the author does not intend to delve into these details and will portray them based on their own interpretation.


    It''s not just Zinnia; other characters rted to the games andics follow a simr approach.


    The reason the author mentioned this is due to previous instances where some people criticized the author''s portrayal of Sabrina in the book, suggesting it was incorrect because Sabrina is part of the Rocket Team. However, in the animated series, Sabrina''s affiliation with the Rocket Team was not mentioned. The author had already rified in the book''s introduction that the characters and the world view are primarily based on the animated series.


    This mention is to prevent such misunderstandings from urring in the future.

 Chapter 1007: Trade Evolution

    <h4>Chapter 1007: Trade Evolution</h4>


    After watching Chatot boasted around the store for a while, Yuga turned and entered the Ecopark.


    Just as Yuga left the store, Chatot rolled its eyes and pped its wings, flying off Suzuki Koen''s shoulder and following Yuga into the Ecopark.


    Entering the Ecopark one after the other, Yuga went to the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark while Chatot headed to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark.


    This time, Yuga came to the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark to find the Horsea n.


    The Horsea n now lives in the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark''s Dragon Lake, providing them with the best environment for growth in the entire Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark.


    After a period of breeding, not only did the number of Horsea increase significantly, but many Seadra and Kingdra were also born one after another.


    For Seadra to evolve into Kingdra, it requires the help of Dragon Scales. Yuga''s purpose today is to see what kind of impact it would have on Kingdra''s evolution if Seadra were to evolve using Rayquaza''s Dragon Scale.


    Arriving at thekeside of Dragon Lake, Yuga shouted towards the water. In no time, ripples appeared on theke''s surface, and the heads of Horsea, Seadra, and Kingdra emerged one after another.


    The Dragon Lake is quite vast, currently inhabited only by the Horsea n. In addition, Yuga also just relocating the low potential Pok��mon into the New Ecopark make the Dragon Lake appears a bit empty.


    Every time Yuga sees the situation at Dragon Lake, he involuntarily considers whether to try introducing some Skelp and Dragalge to enrich theke''s species.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s call, the Horsea, Seadra, and Kingdra slowly swam from theke''s center to thekeside.


    The leading Kingdra is the leader of the Horsea n selected by Yuga, specifically responsible for managing the Horsea n. It was also the first Seadra in the entire Horsea n to evolve into Kingdra.


    The Dragon Scale used for this Kingdra''s evolution was left by Smence, the Dragonite''s father.


    Originally at the Nest of Dragonite''s mother and Dragonite in the Petalburg Woods, Yuga saw the intact remains of Dragonite''s father. Besides leaving behind a red Dragon Inverse Scale, there were also scattered ordinary Dragon Scales.


    The Dragon Inverse Scale was given by Dragonite''s mother to Dragonite, while Yuga brought back the ordinary Dragon Scales, adhering to the principle of waste utilization.


    Dragonite''s father was very powerful. Although using its scales couldn''t increase Kingdra''s potential, it did enhance the Dragon lineage''s blood concentration in Kingdra.


    Later, Yuga gradually discovered that different quality Dragon Scales would have an impact on the Dragon lineage blood concentration of Kingdra after evolution. The higher the quality of the Dragon Scales, the higher the resulting Dragon lineage blood concentration of the evolved Kingdra.


    Compared to other dragon species that are inherently dragon-type Pok��mon, Seadra in their first and second stages, being water-type Pok��mon, suffer in the purity of their dragon lineage blood concentration.


    Therefore, the quality of Dragon Scales has a significant impact on them.


    The number of Dragon Scales left by Dragonite''s father is limited. Most of them decayed over time, and those that could be preserved were the best. Later, Yuga used all of them to help the Seadra evolve, and not a single one remains now.


    Observing the gathered Horsea, Seadra, and Kingdra, Yuga activated his Insight ability and selected the two Seadra with the highest strength level and best suitability for evolving into Kingdra.


    The Horsea, Seadra, and Kingdra living in Dragon Lake have almost simr potentials, all being green potential. There aren''t any with very poor potential, nor are there any that stand out. So, Yuga didn''t dwell much on their potential, and just choose them based on the levels of two Seadra.


    As for why Yuga chose two Seadra, it was forparison, as he also wanted to try using Rayquaza''s Dragon Blood.


    After storing the two Seadra in Pok�� Balls, Yuga left the Ecopark and went to the Verdanturf Town Pok��mon Center.


    For Seadra to evolve into Kingdra, apart from Dragon Scales, they also require an exchange through Trade Machine. The YoYo Day Care cannot conduct this exchange, so Yuga had to seek help from Joyka.


    Upon arriving at the Pok��mon Center, the lobby wasn''t crowded, and Joyka was behind the counter, engrossed in writing something.


    Yuga approached the counter and lightly tapped it with his finger, "Hey, I''ve brought Seadra for evolution."


    Hearing Yuga''s voice, Joyka didn''t even raise her head. She just nudged the Blissey beside her with her elbow, "Blissey, you take care of it!"


    "Um, well... Since you''re busy... I''ll go first..."


    Seeing Joyka''s indifferent attitude, Yuga awkwardly touched his nose and silently left following Blissey.


    Due to the incident with Rayquaza, the number of trainers residing in the Verdanturf Town Pok��mon Center increased significantly, bringing a substantial workload for Joyka.


    Normally, an increase in the number of trainers at the Pok��mon Center wasn''t a big deal, considering it''s their job after all. Although the workload increased a bit, Joyka wasn''t supposed to get upset over this small matter.


    The problem was that these people always found ways to pry information out of Joyka, inquiring incessantly about Yuga, the YoYo Day Care, and the Verdanturf Gym. This incessant pestering greatly make Joyka very annoyed.


    But that wasn''t the worst of it.


    Some of these people weren''t good person. After failing to find any information after residing at the Pok��mon Center for a while, they grew irritable and started causing trouble, making the Pok��mon Center chaotic.


    The most severe incident was when they directly got into a fight in the Pok��mon Center lobby and mistakenly injured Blissey, who was trying to intervene.


    At that time, Joyka blew up, and took action to teach all the troublemakers a lesson. Since then, the people of Verdanturf Town learned how strong Joyka was.


    Yuga was also surprised upon learning about this incident.


    He nad Joyka was a good friend and, despite her primary role as a Pok��mon doctor, she had two bodyguard Pok��mon assigned to her, apart from her assistant Blissey.


    However, this was the first time Joyka had taken direct action.


    After this incident, Joyka directed her anger at Yuga, ring fiercely at him every time he came to the Pok��mon Center, thenpletely ignoring him.


    Fortunately, Blissey always helped Yuga.


    Because he had indirectly caused trouble for Joyka, Yugater dispatched a team of patrol Pok��mon to help Joyka maintain order at the Pok��mon Center until the recent decline in the number of visitors.


    Lately, Joyka''s attitude toward Yuga has improved a lot, at least being willing to talk to him. Yuga sometimes pondered how strong-willed girls can be.


    Under the guidance of Blissey, Yuga arrived at the Pok��mon Center''s room specifically used for trainers to exchange Pok��mon.


    Since it wasn''t his first time bringing Seadra for evolution, Blissey, very familiar with the process, opened the door for Yuga.


    "Blissey, Blissey!"


    You go inside; I have something else to attend to.


    After opening the door to the room, Blissey informed Yuga.


    Yuga smiled and nodded, "Alright, thank you, Blissey."


    He entered the room and closed the door behind him. After all, he was going to use the blood and scales of Rayquaza, and any unusual urrences would be unmanageable.


    Once the door was shut, Yuga took out the Pok�� Balls and released the two Seadra, then handed each of them a Rayquaza''s scale.


    Next, Yuga took out a bottle containing red liquid, uncorked it, and presented it to one of the Seadra''s mouth, saying, "Drink this."


    The Seadra obediently consumed the Rayquaza''s blood from the bottle. After the blood entering its stomach, Yuga somewhat felt perturbed.


    He feared that the scene in fantasy novels might y out, where the body couldn''t handle too much energy, and leading it into an explosion.


    However, Yuga''s concerns were unnecessary. After consuming the Dragon Blood, the Seadra simply yawned, and nothing else happened.


    Relieved to see this, Yuga patted his chest in reassurance, thinking: Thank goodness, no effect is fine, but exploding to death would be too extreme!


    After recalling the two Seadra back into their Pok�� Balls, Yuga positioned them on either side of the trade machine and activated the switch.


    The Trade Machine happened swiftly,pleted in an instant. Yuga retrieved the two Pok�� Balls again, and the Pok��mon inside had switched positions.


    He started by opening the Pok�� Ball containing the Seadra that didn''t drink the dragon''s blood.


    With a sh of light, the Seadra reappeared, and immediately, its body began to emit the light of evolution. Its form and size started to change.


    As the light of evolution dispersed, a robust Kingdra appeared before Yuga.


    Compared to a regr Kingdra, this one had more vivid blue scales, shining with specks of light, making it look beautiful and profound, indicating a superior potential.


    Eagerly, Yuga activated his Insight ability.


    ...


    Kingdra


    Type: Water, Dragon


    Ability: Sniper


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 44


    Moves: Bubble, Smokescreen, Water Gun, Brine, Quick Attack, Focus Energy, Dragon Pulse, Ice Beam, Rain Dance, Dragon Breath, Water Pulse, Hydro Pump, Yawn.


    ...


    Yuga''s face showed a pleasant surprise after reading through. The potential had indeed changed! Now, the Horsea n finally had a blue potential Pok��mon!


    Besides the potential change, Yuga noticed a significant increase in the Kingdra''s dragon blood concentration, evidenced by the sturdy and beautiful scales and more ferocious-looking dragon horns than the ordinary Kingdra.


    Seeing the change in potential of this Kingdra, Yuga eagerly opened the second Pok�� Ball. The second Seadra appeared on the ground, and the light of evolution emerged.


    In no time, the second Kingdrapleted its evolution.


    However, upon seeing this Kingdra, Yuga felt a bit embarrassed because this Kingdra''s color was purple.


    How should I put it? It''s a bit overbearing. To be honest, Yuga found it quite ugly, not as appealing as the ordinary Kingdra that has a beautiful blue color.


    Kingdra (Shiny)


    Type: Dragon, Water


    Ability: Swift Swim


    Gender: Male


    potential: Indigo


    Level: 48


    Moves: Bubble, Smokescreen, Water Gun, Brine, Quick Attack, Focus Energy, Dragon Pulse, Ice Beam, Rain Dance, Dragon Breath, Water Pulse, Hydro Pump, Yawn, Signal Beam, Outrage, Draco Meteor.


    This is probably like when one door closes, another one opens. The Kingdra became ugly, but also stronger.


    Firstly, the biggest change is that the potential has gone from green to indigo! This Kingdra will now reach the peak of Pok��mon in the future, and marrying a beautiful partner won''t be a problem!


    Secondly, there''s a change in types.


    Ordinarily, while evolving, a Horsea uses Dragon scales to evolve into a Dragon-type Pok��mon, but its primary type remains Water while Dragon bes the secondary type. Yet, in this case, the primary type has be Dragon, with Water being pushed to the secondary position.


    Finally, there''s a change in moves.


    Both Draco Meteor and Outrage are indeed moves that Kingdra can learn, but the critical thing is that they aren''t learned before evolution!


    Though it''s likely that new moves are grasped while Pok��mon evolve, the learning difficulty of Draco Meteor and Outrage is rted to the Pok��mon''s Dragon lineage.


    The stronger the Dragon lineage, the easier it is to learn these two moves.


    For example, while it''s possible for a Rhyperior to learn Draco Meteor, in reality, most Rhyperior can''t learn it smoothly. Even with Dragon-type Pok��mon teaching them, the likelihood of learning it is very low.


    Comparatively, Dragonite, Smence, Goodra, Garchomp, and Kommo-o... these pure-blood Dragon types can learn these moves much more easily.


    Unexpectedly, the Kingdra learn both Draco Meteor and Outrage right after evolving.


    Is this the effect of Rayquaza''s Dragon Blood?


    However, this is not absolute; it could also be due to differences in the quality of Dragon scales.


    There are also differences in the quality of Dragon scales on the body of a Dragon-type Pok��mon. The rarest and highest-quality among them is the sole Dragon Inverse Scale.


    However, Dragon Inverse Scales are rare and unique; each Dragon-type Pok��mon only has one in its lifetime, and it will not fall off until death. Until now, Yuga has only seen one Dragon Inverse Scale that fell off, and that was from Dragonite''s father.


    The scales on the bodies of other Dragon-type Pok��mon also have differences in quality based on their location, and the quality of Dragon scales of different Dragon-type Pok��mon varies greatly.


    Rayquaza scales in Yuga''s hand can''t distinguish the quality difference, so Yuga doesn''t know if the changes in the second Kingdra are due to the addition of Dragon scales or Dragon blood, or purely influenced by Dragon scales or Dragon blood.


    However, all these things can be thought overter.


    Having obtained two excellent potential Kingdras, Yuga walked out of the room happily.


    Seeing Yugaing out, Joyka raised her head and asked, "Why did it take so long today?"


    Yuga saw Joyka finally speaking in a normal tone and happily walked over, saying, "It''s nothing, just needed to verify something, so it took a bit of time."


    Upon hearing this, Joyka didn''t ask much but continued to say, "I want to discuss something with you."


    Yuga nodded and said, "Okay, tell me."


    While Joyka was busy with the work in her hand, she said, "I have a friend who wants to open a Pok��mon caf�� in Verdanturf Town and wants to adopt some stray Pok��mon from your Pok��mon Paradise."


    As Verdanturf Town became more prosperous, the specialty tourism industry flourished, and various entertainment and leisure facilities began to emerge.


    Joyka''s so-called Pok��mon Caf�� was an idea her friend developed after visiting Verdanturf Town. It was envisioned as a leisurely caf�� where guests could enjoy coffee, food, and interact with cute Pok��mon.


    This concept was somewhat simr to the style of Yuga''s Pok��mon Paradise restaurant. However, while the restaurant was mainly for dining, the caf�� would be more focused on rxation and enjoyment.


    Joyka had taken on the voluntary responsibility for the health concerns of the stray Pok��mon in Yuga''s Pok��mon Paradise. Although they were still referred to as stray Pok��mon, there had been enormous changes in both their mental and physical conditionpared to before. They were almost indistinguishable from pet Pok��mon in ordinary households and could easily work at the Pok��mon Caf��.


    Yuga''s Paradise restaurant had always been doing quite well and had gained a fair bit of fame in Verdanturf Town, bringing in good revenue alongside the resort, offering Yuga substantial additional ie.


    Hearing Joyka''s words, Yuga eximed excitedly, "Really? That''s fantastic! Recently, there have been more and more stray Pok��mon in the park, and I was worried!"


    This wasn''t a lie by Yuga. It was likely that the fame of the Pok��mon Paradise had attracted all the stray Pok��mon from Verdanturf Town, causing a lot of pressure for Yuga.


    Inspired by Yuga''s Pok��mon Paradise, manyrger cities had also established simr facilities to amodate stray Pok��mon.


    However, unlike the Pok��mon Paradise, these facilities in the cities weren''t free. They used the sheltered Pok��mon to generate ie. The Pok��mon Caf�� was one such establishment.


    Compared to Verdanturf Town, these Pok��mon Caf��s were more popr inrger cities. Nowadays, such ces, including Pok��mon Caf��s, Pok��mon Tea Houses, Pok��mon Restaurants, and Pok��mon Hotels, were trending.


    The rise of these facilities not only provided a livelihood for many stray Pok��mon but also enhanced the beauty of the cities. After all, having arge number of dirty stray Pok��mon wandering in the city every day wasn''t a pleasant sight.


    It could be said that Yuga''s Pok��mon Paradise had unwittingly initiated a revolution and trend in the service industry.


    "Is your friend in Verdanturf Town? How many stray Pok��mon is she nning to adopt?" Yuga asked eagerly.


    "I''m not sure about that. I''ll let you know when she arrives in Verdanturf Town. I''ll let her talk to you at that time," Joyka replied.


    "I see... Sure, I''ll wait for your message," Yuga said, turning to leave.


    As Yuga was about to leave, Joyka added, "My friend''s caf�� will be quiterge. So, she''s likely to adopt many Pok��mon. That should surely reduce your pressure."


    Joyka understood that Yuga had taken in many stray Pok��mon, which indeed was quite burdensome. Beyond just food concerns, taking care of them was a troublesome affair.


    Yuga''s face instantly lit up with a smile. "Got it, thanks, Joyka!"


    Joyka rolled her eyes at him. "Prepare yourself; choose the cuter Pok��mon. My friend is opening a caf��, not a haunted house!"


    "I got it!" Yuga replied, then quickly left the Pok��mon Center.


    In fact, most initial forms of Pok��mon were pretty adorable. Stray Pok��mon had low potential and usually didn''t exercise, so after entering the caf��, they would be even less likely to do so. This meant that most of them would spend their whole lives stuck in their initial stages.


    ven less likely to do so. This meant that most of them would spend their whole lives stuck in their initial stages.

 Chapter 1008: Newborns and Dad Will Help You Get Justice!

    <h4>Chapter 1008: Newborns and Dad Will Help You Get Justice!</h4>


    While Yuga took the two Seadras to the Pok��mon Center, Chatot returned to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, nning to find its wife, Noctowl.


    Just after its breakthrough, it was too busy showing off in the store and hadn''t had a chance to notify its wife and child yet!


    When Chatot arrived home, its wife Noctowl and their child weren''t around, which struck it as quite strange. Normally, at this time, Noctowl would be training their Little Hoothoot.


    In other n, there''s the notion of strict fathers and caring mothers. But in Chatot''s family, it''s the opposite: Noctowl is very strict with Hoothoot ever since its potential upgraded to green. Training hasn''t stopped even for a single day.


    On the other hand, Chatot''s carefree and easy-going Xature often leads Hoothoot to venture out with it during their leisure time. If it wasn''t for the strict mother, Hoothoot would have turned into a rascal ages ago.


    Chatot was pondering where its wife and child might have gone when two Swellowsnded on a branch in front of its house.


    "Hey, have you heard? The leader family''s little darling has been born," one Swellow said.


    "I heard, I heard, everyone''s gone to see it! Should we also go and take a look?" the other Swellow agreed.


    "Better not. Since everyone''s already there, we won''t get a chance to see. Let''s wait until they''ve all left, then we can go," said the first Swellow, shaking its head.


    "You''re right, you''re clever," nodded the first Swellow in agreement. "I wonder if the leader family''s baby is a Murkrow or a Taillow!"


    "It must be a Taillow, they''re so adorable. Murkrow just looks like a lump of coal, not attractive at all," the second Swellow spoke with disdain for Murkrow.


    Hearing this, Chatot couldn''t help butugh. Is this like the pot calling the kettle ck? Do you think you Swellows and Taillows are that much better than Murkrow? Apart from the white belly, aren''t you the same?


    However, Chatot knew that the "leader family" mentioned by the two Swellows referred to the Swellow leader.


    Some time ago, the Swellow leader and the Honchkrow had a second child, which now seemed to have hatched.


    The first child of the Swellow leader and the Honchkrow was a Murkrow, which has now evolved into a Honchkrow.


    Initially, when the little Honchkrow had just been born, the Swellow n wasmenting the fact that the leader''s child wasn''t a Taillow but a shabby-looking Murkrow.


    Of course, on the other side, the Honchkrow n was overjoyed and, upon learning that the little Murkrow''s potential was blue, they were hailing that would be a sessor to their leader.


    The Swellow n was bitter.


    Because the Swellow leader and the Honchkrow are a loving couple, the Swellow n and the Honchkrow n usually live together. But familiarity breeds contempt, and members of the two n are often ridicule each other.


    The Honchkrow n, although rare in number, they are possesses higher overall strengthpared to the Swellow n. Additionally, the Honchkrow wife has always held a dominant position over Swellow leader, leading to a sense of arrogance within the Honchkrow n toward the Swellow n.


    However, Dark-type Pok��mon generally have an air of haughtiness, especially Pok��mon like the Honchkrow, and their disdain for the Swellow n partly arises from their character traits.


    Due to the long-term "oppression" by the Honchkrow n, the two Swellows in front of Chatot expressed a strong aversion while speaking about Murkrow.


    "Ah, I wonder when I''ll have a baby!" sighed the first Swellow.


    "You should first find a partner! If you don''t even have a partner, how do you expect to have a baby?" the second Swellow yfully teased the first, patting its head with a wing.


    "What''s the big deal? you just have a girlfriend, what''s so extraordinary about that?"ined the first Swellow, using its wing to cover its head, exhibiting a hint of envy in its tone.


    The second Swellow raised its head at this.


    "It''s a big deal! Having a girlfriend is indeed great. If you''ve got the skills, why don''t you go find one too?"


    The second Swellow has an Altaria girlfriend, really beautiful, which it met before Altaria moved to the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark. Even though now separated due to territorial reasons, the distance still short, and makes it the object of envy for the entire Swellow n.


    Now that the Altaria n has moved to the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark, and if flying-type Pok��mon wanted finding an Altaria as a partner isn''t as easy as before.


    The first Swellow suddenly felt a pang in its heart: Life is tough!


    However, it stubbornly argued, "Who said I can''t find a girlfriend! I''m pretty sure the neighboring Honchkrow sister has a secret crush on me. I''ve noticed it stealing nces at me several times!"


    If the male Swellow n members hope for an Altaria girlfriend, the females surely desire a Honchkrow boyfriend, as they are both handsome and dashing!


    But the first Swellow is male, so a Honchkrow boyfriend is out of the question. Nevertheless, the Honchkrow sister next door is still quite attractive, and having her as a girlfriend would be a huge honor.


    Listening to the slightly boastful words of the first Swellow, the second one secretly rolled its eyes: "Are you sure that''s not just wishful thinking? Why do I hear that the neighbor Honchkrow sister you said is getting cozy with the Crobattely!"


    The first Swellow insisted, "Impossible, it mustn''t be my imagination. My intuition is very urate!"


    The second Swellow casually responded, "Sure, sure, sure... then I''ll be waiting for you to bring your girlfriend home."


    The subsequent conversation between the two Swellows wasn''t heard by Chatot, who guessed that its wife might have gone to the Swellow leader''s house and hurried over.


    The Grasnd Sub-Ecopark mostlyprises vast grasnds with very few trees. Some trees were transnted by Yuga for Flying-type Pok��mon to build their nests conveniently.


    Each tree had nests of Flying-type Pok��mon, with at least one nest per tree. The Crobats, preferring dim environments, resided within tree hollows.


    However, only Pok��mon like Noctowl, who prefer solitude and quiet, choose to live in these low trees, far from the center of the grasnds.


    The tallest tree in the entire Grasnd Sub-Ecopark stands by thekeside, known as the Lactation Tree. It''s also the primary nesting ground for thergest bird species in the whole Sub-Ecopark, housing the Swellow n, the Honchkrow n, and the Staraptor n.


    The Lactation Tree isn''t far from Chatot''s home. Upon arriving, it noticed a gathering of various Pok��mon, including Chatot''s wife, Noctowl.


    Apart from the Flying-type Pok��mon, the Pachirisu, small in size and adept at climbing trees, joined the festivities. With arcs of electricity running through their bodies, ordinary Flying-type Pok��mon dared not approach them, making them the rulers of the trees.


    As the two Swellows mentioned, the second offspring of the Swellow leader family had indeed hatched; it was a spirited little Taillow.


    At this moment, many members of the Swellow n proudly stood on the treetops, showing off in the direction of the unppable Honchkrow n. But the Honchkrows, serene, half-closed their eyes, unfazed by the Swellow provocations, leaving Swellow n feeling like they were punching cotton.


    The Honchkrows: Hmph! They''re all just younger siblings! Even though we''re not happy, we won''t show it!


    Besides the Honchkrow leader, the only one genuinely happy about the birth of the little Taillow was the little Honchkrow.


    The Honchkrow leader has been strict with the little Honchkrow from a young age, and, in many ways, the strictness of Noctowl towards its offspring can be attributed to the influence of the Honchkrow leader and the Nales Leader.


    Both n'' children are Xaturally talented, and their parents have high expectations for them. Previously, when the potential of the Little Noctowl werecking, Noctowl didn''t care much. But now that its potential have improved, although not as good as the little Honchkrow or the little Nales, Little Noctowl cannot fall behind too much.


    This is just a case of parentsparing their children.


    The newly hatched little Taillow was standing on its brother''s back, being carried in flight while emitting a crisp and joyousughter from its throat.


    The Swellow leader and the Honchkrow leader watched this scene with relief.


    The little Honchkrow was very happy about his sister''s birth. Although he didn''t know about her potential, but having another child meant his mother''s attention would shift to the younger sibling, making his life more easier!


    In reality, it enjoys going on patrols around the town''s outskirts with its Uncle Linoone, but its mother is usually too strict, giving it no chance to go out.


    Spotting its wife, Chatot pped its wings and flew over,nding next to Noctowl.


    Noctowl doesn''t like crowding with other Pok��mon, so it stood a bit far from the rest.


    Seeing Noctowl staring at the little Honchkrow and the little Taillow, Chatot nudged its wing and asked, "Where''s our baby?"


    Noctowl nced disdainfully at Chatot, shifted aside, and shook its head.


    Its rtionship with the Swellow leader and Honchkrow leader couple was good, and today, on the birth of the little Taillow, it granted little Noctowl half a day off to congratte the Swellow leader and Honchkrow leader couple. It allowed little Noctowl to go y with its friends.


    Little Noctowl is likely currently with Nales and Gade. Among all the Pok��mon in the Ecopark, little Noctowl has the closest bond with these two. It''s a friendship that dates back to their youth.


    Upon hearing this, Chatot ceased to focus on the issue concerning the children. It was about to share its recent breakthrough with its wife when it noticed its daughter flying towards it from a distance, crying loudly.


    As the little Noctowl flew closer, Chatot noticed that her feathers were all disheveled, and even a part of her eyebrow was missing.


    "What... what happened?"


    Chatot, observing the state of little Noctowl, asked with a heart full of concern.


    Hearing her father''s voice, Little Noctowl cried even louder, sobbing as she reported the incident.


    It turned out that after Noctowl''s mother granted Little Noctowl the day off, Little Noctowl went excitedly to the Volcano Sub-Ecopark to meet her friend. But while she was off, Nales didn''t have a break. So Littl Noctowl had to go to find its another friend��Gade.


    Gade was always the most leisurely among the three friends. Its parents weren''t very strict with it, and it was taught by Nana, whose training methods were more efficient than others, enabling it toplete its training tasks early.


    So, usually, it was the most free among them.


    Gade didn''t expect Noctowl''s visit. When she arrived in the main Ecopark, Gade was about to go on an adventure with a newly made friend, the Xatu.


    This Xatu was born after the Xatu n live in the Ecopark, although its younger than Gade but its was the best friend Gade had in the main Ecopark.


    Little Noctowl''s arrival made Gade happy. After introducing Little Noctowl to the Xatu, it invited little Noctowl to join them on the adventure, and Little Noctowl readily agreed.


    Little Noctowl quite liked this new friend and found it adorable.


    The three littlepanions then set off together to the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark, then to the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark, followed by a visit to the Insect Paradise, and finally to the Shallow Seashore.


    They were having a great time during their journey, and after spending some time together, Little Noctowl started to favor Xatu more.


    But their good time at the Shallow Seashore came to a halt when they encountered a wandering Mandibuzz who took an immediate liking to Xatu. Without hesitation, Mandibuzz attempted to capture Xatu to take it home for breeding.


    By Xature, in Mandibuzz''s view, once it took a liking to someone, it had the right to take that someone home and breed with them.


    However, little Noctowl and Xatu did not share Mandibuzz''s beliefs. Upon hearing Mandibuzz''s "Bold words" they became angry.


    A fight broke out.


    Mandibuzz was on its own and couldn''t withstand thebined attack from Little Noctowl and the two other Pok��mon. Soon, it was overwhelmed and crying for mercy.


    However, the Shallow Seashore was home to not just one Mandibuzz, but a group of them, and the battle between the four Pok��mon quickly attracted the attention of other Mandibuzz.


    As a result, Gade and Little Noctowl were beaten, and Mandibuzz arrogantly took Xatu back to its home.


    After hearing Little Noctowl''s intermittent ount, Noctowl''s mother couldn''t help but feel embarrassed for her daughter. She thought it was too embarrassing for her daughter to cry over something minor and then be beaten up.


    However, Chatot was furious. It couldn''t even scold its precious child, how could it tolerate someone else bullying her? It had just reached the Elite level and felt extremely confident. Witnessing its daughter being bullied, it felt the need to protect her with its stalwart figure.


    "Sweetheart, let''s go! Dad will help you get justice!"


    With these words, Chatot spread its wings and flew with great determination. Little Noctowl quickly followed, excitedly keeping pace.


    Although Noctowl''s mother thought Chatot was acting impulsively, she didn''t try to stop him. After a moment''s consideration, she secretly followed behind.


    Noctowl''s mother: I''m just concerned that they might go too far. I certainly didn''t n to cheer them on... probably...


    When Little Noctowl returned home and told her parents about the incident, Gade also went to report to her mentor, Gardevoir. But Nana held a special position. Could she intervene in children''s fights? So, shepletely ignored Gade...


    In the end, Gade could only follow behind Chatot, cheering on the sidelines. It couldn''t fight against others, so it trailed behind its friend''s father as a small sidekick.


    Relying on the fact that its already reached Elite level Pok��mon, Chatot, apanied by his daughter and Gade, stormed tovthe Shallow Seashore and headed straight for the heart of the No. 3 indke, the stronghold of the Mandibuzz n


    At the central nest of Mandibuzz on the No. 3 indke, Xatu shivered with its wings held close to its chest, muttering "no" repeatedly.


    Meanwhile, a Mandibuzz on the other side smirked sinisterly, pressing closer and closer to Xatu.

 Chapter 1009: Granny

    <h4>Chapter 1009: Granny</h4>


    Chatot rushed straight into the nest of the Mandibuzz n on the central No. 3 indke. Uponnding, it began yelling at the top of its lungs, appearing to insult the ancestors of the Mandibuzz n for generations toe.


    Although the Mandibuzz n had somewhat mellowed after arriving at the Ecopark, their nature remained domineering. Upon hearing a Pok��mon yelling at their doorstep, they weren''t going to let it slide. The Mandibuzz n''s leader immediately led a few members out.


    As the manager of the Mandibuzz n, the Archeops had already grasped the situation when Chatot and its party arrived on the ind. However, due to its old age, it simply wanted a quiet life and chose not to meddle in the conflicts of the younger generations.


    Thus, the Archeops nced at the sky and then closed its eyes, opting to continue resting in its nest.


    Observing the aggressive Chatot, the leader of the Mandibuzz n let out a loud, resonant cry, and Mandibuzz started flying out from the trees, surrounding Chatot and its party.


    Though the Mandibuzz leader recognized that Chatot was stronger than themselves, recalling their past experiences in the underground world, they knew the one who''s toughest usually wins, and the one who''s unwilling to lose would do anything to avoid it.


    If the Mandibuzz n hadn''t been brave enough to fight viciously in the underground world, they would have been devoured by those beasts and left with nothing but bones and scraps.


    At this moment, Chatot, filled with confidence, instructed Gade to use Teleport with Little Noctowl to hide aside, intending to flex its power in front of its daughter, establishing the image of a formidable and towering father in her mind.


    Note: In reality, Chatot is petite, and its daughter is now taller than it.


    Chatot pped its wings and swiftly ascended, overlooking the Mandibuzz below. With a swift movement of its wings, a surge of Heat Wave rolled out, swirling towards the Mandibuzz.


    Since being revived by Ho-Oh, generating Heat Wave became one of Chatot''s specialties. Now, coupled with its Elite level power, this Heat Wave disyed an impressive and grand momentum.


    The Mandibuzz leader had initially called for many members, aiming to intimidate Chatot, expecting it to back down. Yet, Chatot was resolute, deciding to take action immediately.


    Observing the roaring Heat Wave, the Mandibuzz leader hastily signaled their n members to defend. Dozens of Mandibuzz simultaneously employed Gust move to counter the Heat Wave.


    Though the Mandibuzz'' strength was inferior to Chatot''s, their advantage in numbers, coupled with Chatot''s reluctance to cause real harm, surprisingly gave them the upper hand in this contest of multiple Gust move.


    Strands of red-hot waves, propelled by the forceful wind, scattered into the woods. The lush green leaves were curled and toasted by the high temperatures. Luckily, the area was close to the sea, with ample moisture, or else the Mandibuzz'' habitat might have ignited.


    On the central No. 3 Ind Lake, not only did the Mandibuzz n reside but also the Togekiss n and the Braviary n. The sounds of battle startled them, and they discreetly popped their heads out to watch the show without any intention to intervene.


    Isn''t great to watching a drama?


    As the Fire-type move didn''t yield results, Chatot, who was brimming with self-assurance, was unhappy: "My dear, you don''t think I''m weak, do you?"


    With this thought, Chatot pped its wings once more, sending a powerful sound column straight at the Mandibuzz n leader.


    This was another move of Chatot �� Boombust!


    Unlike the wide-range but dispersed attack of the Heat Wave, Boombust''s characteristic was a targeted strike. Its sound wave was extremely potent, not something to be taken lightly if hit.


    During the heat wave attack, the Mandibuzz couldn''t easily evade, but the singr target of the Boombust on the Mandibuzz leader erased their previous concerns, causing them to disperse and flee in an instant.


    However, the Mandibuzz leader remained calm. It folded its wings tightly around its body and simultaneously used the Steel Wing move.


    Bang!


    The sound wave collided with the Mandibuzz leader, causing the leader to plummet until it was near the ground, disappearing only after the sound wave faded. The Mandibuzz leader swiftly opened its wings in midair to steady itself.


    It seemed the Mandibuzz leader hadn''t sustained severe injuries, much to Chatot''s surprise: this wasn''t supposed to happen!


    In truth, Chatot wasn''t aware that the Mandibuzz n was one of the rare Flying-type Pok��mon skilled in defense. Their racial natural defensive capability was far superior to other Flying-types. Additionally, when the Mandibuzz leader gathered its wings for defense, it utilized the defensive properties of the Steel Wing move.


    The Steel Wing move employed Steel-type energy to infuse the wings, making them as hard and sharp as metal, hence naturally possessing a certain level of defense.


    Startled by the unexpected turn of events, Chatot lost focus for a moment, allowing the other Mandibuzz to seize the opportunity. Theyunched a barrage of Dark Pulses, Air shes, Shadow Balls... raining attacks on it.


    Squawk, squawk...


    Hit by the onught, the screaming Chatot crashed to the ground. It kept pping its wings, attempting to take flight again, but its wings were injured, rendering it useless!


    Thud!


    Chatotnded on the ground, burying its head into a patch of low grass. Feeling embarrassed, Chatot wiggled its rear, nudging its head into the thicket, too embarrassed to raise its head.


    "Darling, daddy embarrassed himself for you!"


    The Mandibuzz exercised restraint. Seeing Chatot hiding in the grass, they refrained from further attacking.


    The Little Noctowl, who was hiding alongside Gade, witnessed their father''s embarrassing situation and thought: "I knew dad wasn''t reliable!"


    Although the Little Noctowl had long known that their dad was unreliable, it didn''t expect him to pretend to be invisible in public after losing a fight. It had discerned that its dad waspletely shameless and had no limits!


    Gade: This is aplete disaster of unexpected pretentiousness!


    Observing her husband''s embarrassing situation, the Noctowl''s mother, who had been following in secret, couldn''t bear watching anymore. She flew out from her hiding ce, intending to clean up the mess left by her husband and child.


    It also noticed that its husband had advanced to the Elite level and even guessed the reason for his previous haughtiness, and of course, noted that he hadn''t used his full strength in the recent battle.


    But losing face is genuinely losing face!


    The appearance of the Noctowl''s mother made the Mandibuzz n alert: "Here we go again?" Compared to the newly advanced Chatot, the Noctowl''s mother''s aura was evidently stronger. However, its aura was tranquil, so the Mandibuzz refrained from rashly attacking.


    Moreover, the Mandibuzz leader was familiar with the Noctowl''s mother. In the Ecopark, there were only a few Elite level Pok��mon, and the Noctowl''s mother had a bit of reputation. This made the Mandibuzz leader somewhat cautious.


    It didn''t want any conflict with the Noctowl''s mother, a longstanding resident of the Ecopark.


    p, p, p...


    The Noctowl''s mother flew to Chatot''s side, grabbed its tail with a w, pulled it out of the grass, and then called out twice to the Mandibuzz n. The Mandibuzz looked at each other, uncertain how to respond.


    Once Chatot was yanked out of the grass, it initially wanted to start a fuss, but upon turning and seeing its wife, it immediately tried to please the Noctowl''s mother, smiling incessantly, as if the embarrassing incident hadn''t happened at all.


    The Noctowl''s mother ignored Chatot, quietly waiting for the Mandibuzz'' response.


    Finally, the Mandibuzz leader grumbled a few words to another Mandibuzz nearby, and that Mandibuzz left for a while, returning with another little Mandibuzz and a Xatu flying out from the woods.


    The Mandibuzz, ustomed to their dominance, felt humiliated to return the Xatu, causing amotion in the birdmunity. Eventually, the Mandibuzz leader did its utmost to calm everyone down, and they managed to restrain themselves from causing trouble.


    As soon as the Xatu was led out and saw itspanions, it immediately burst into tears: "It was so close, so close, so close... sniff..."


    The level of distress was palpable.


    The Psychic-type Xatu genuinely disliked the Dark-type Mandibuzz, couldn''t win in a fight and couldn''t escape...


    The little Mandibuzz, apologizing to the Xatu, looked at the sobbing Pok��mon and felt a bit ticklish inside: "This little appearance is truly charming... Oh no! I''m drooling..."


    The Xatu''s intuition was strong, immediately sensing the little Mandibuzz''s fixed gaze, causing extreme fear.


    The little Mandibuzz looked at the fragile and gentle appearance of the Xatu, growing more and more fond: "Hmm... in the future... um... hehehe..."


    And so, the matter was settled. After the Noctowl''s mother took Chatot and the rest away, the Mandibuzz leader advised their kin to consider the Braviary as their preferred mating partners in the future. It led to betterpatibility and a bit less trouble.


    The Mandibuzz n mostly selects the Braviary as their partners, not only due to the proximity of the two groups'' breeding forms but also because the Braviary better fits their aesthetics, and they do not like having a fixed mate.


    Only the little Mandibuzz pouted and didn''t take the leader''s words to heart.


    However, the events in the Ecopark didn''t reach Yuga''s ear. He secluded himself for about six or seven days until Zinnia came back to visit.


    This time, Zinnia didn''t resort to any fancy means to meet Yuga. She formally visited the Verdanturf Gym, conveyed her message through Beidou, and expressed her wish to meet Yuga.


    Compared to the first meeting, this one was more formal. Certainly, if Zinnia had visited the Verdanturf Gym for the first meeting, she wouldn''t have met Yuga.


    This time, Zinnia wasn''t alone; she was apanied by an elderly old woman. Although the olddy looked aged, she was very robust, and her voice was resolute.


    After ushering Zinnia and herpanion into the gym, Yuga inquired, "Who is this...?"


    Zinnia coughed lightly and answered, "This is my grandmother. Since I couldn''t decide on the matter you mentioned before, I invited my grandmother."


    Yuga nodded, "I see. What should I call your grandmother?"


    The olddy chuckled, "The Gym Leader Shimizu is indeed talented and youthful. It''s better to see it in person than hear about it. I''m managing the Meteor Falls, and cosidering my old ages, you can address me as Granny."


    "Alright, Granny, is this visit about the trace of Rayquaza?" Yuga wasn''t concerned about titles. He was focused on whether his goal could be achieved.


    Granny hesitated for a moment before lowering her gaze, "I wonder if the Gym Leader Shimizu knows about the Dragon n?"


    Yuga nodded, "I do. The Dragon n are an ancient ethnic group, and the Draconid people resides in the Meteor Falls are also the descendant of Dragon n, right?"


    "Didn''t expect the Gym Leader Shimizu to know." Granny was a bit surprised but when she thought about it. After all, he was the apprentice of that old fellow, Kuni''o. It''s just a pity...


    "I won''t borate further. We, the Draconid People, have been worshiped the Rayquaza for generations. Thus, the whereabouts of the Rayquaza are crucial to us. I kindly ask the Gym Leader Shimizu for a favor."


    Granny didn''t disy the air of a senior or the manager of the Meteor Falls, she speaking to Yuga in a gentle and friendly tone.


    However, Yuga was perplexed and asked, "One thing is puzzle me, Times have changed. As far as I know, the other Descendants of the Dragon n, the Dragon Tamer n, and the Vige of Dragons have stopped looking for the Rayquaza. Why then the Draconid people so fixated on the Rayquaza?"


    Granny suddenly lifted her head, her momentum rising abruptly. "Dragon Tamer n? Vige of Dragons? What kind descendants of the Dragon n, are they?" Speaking from the heart, Granny seemed somewhat severe.


    Soon she seemed to realize she had overreacted, hastily calming down, and said in a gentle tone, "What I meant was that they are who they are, and we are who we are. Since our three ns have split, of course, it''s not our business how others go about things."


    "That''s right!"


    Yugaposed himself and spoke as calmly as possible. The sudden powerful aura emanating from the olddy was overwhelming, making it difficult for him to catch his breath. This kind of aura... he had only seen it from his master.


    This olddy was not simple at all...


    "I wonder if the Gym Leader Shimizu would be willing to inform us about the whereabouts of the Rayquaza," the olddy asked in a soft voice.


    Yuga''s expression tightened slightly, "Actually, I don''t know the whereabouts of the Rayquaza."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Zinnia instantly exploded, "You''re lying to me!"


    "Zinnia!" The olddy scolded Zinnia, then turned to Yuga, "Does the Gym Leader Shimizu mean to joke with me?"


    Here ites again, that feeling.


    This imposing aura couldn''t be perceived asing from an elderly olddy.


    Yuga smiled faintly and said mysteriously, "Indeed, I don''t know the whereabouts of the Rayquaza, but I have something that you''ll surely be interested in."


    "Oh? What is it?" The olddy suddenly became interested.


    Yuga grinned and pulled out a thumb-sized ss vial. The vial contained a bright red, slightly luminescent liquid, clearly not an ordinary substance.


    "Is it this?" Yuga lightly shook the vial.


    "What is this...?" The olddy couldn''t help but extend her wrinkled hand towards the vial, but Yuga moved it out of her reach.


    "I think you''ve guessed what this is. This is the blood of the Rayquaza. I believe you must be quite eager to get it."


    Yuga held the vial in his palm, blocking the longing gazes of the olddy and Zinnia.


    "Does the Gym Leader Shimizu intend to give this to us?" the olddy asked, suppressing her excitement.


    Give? Are you thinking of handing out peaches? I risked my life to get this! Yuga almost rolled his eyes.


    "No, no, no... Of course its not to give. If you want this vial of dragon blood, you need to present something that matches its value for an exchange!"

 Chapter 1010: Travel

    <h4>Chapter 1010: Travel</h4>


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, the Granny pondered for quite some time before asking, "What does Gym Leader Shimizu want?"


    Even though they hadn''t obtained any information about Rayquaza, the allure of Rayquaza''s dragon blood was equally significant to them. Although they had worshipped Rayquaza for generations and they also craved its secrets as a "god."


    Observing the Granny''s unwavering gaze fixed on his hand holding the dragon blood, Yuga gained confidence: "It depends on how much you desire this vial of dragon blood. I heard the Draconid people have nurture some Bagon."


    To prevent the other party from not knowing what to offer, Yuga provided a helpful hint.


    The Granny wasn''t foolish, quite the opposite, she was very shrewd. When she heard Yuga mention Bagon, she immediately realized that this young man''s purpose, from start to finish, might have always been about the Bagon that nurtured by the Draconid people.


    Within various region in the Pok��mon World, there is only three major factions known for breeding dragon-type Pseudo-Legendary inrge-scale: they were the Dragon Tamers, the Draconid People, and the Vige of Dragons. The Dragon Tamers were renowned for their Dragonite, the Vige of Dragons for Hydreigon, while the secluded Draconid People bred Smence and remained the most mysterious one among the three.


    At this point, the Granny knew that the other party was very interested in obtaining the Bagon and decided to say frankly, "I wonder how many Bagon Gym Leader Shimizu wants in exchange for this vial of dragon blood?"


    The Granny was unaware of Yuga''s bottom line and therefore hesitated to make an offer.


    Yuga understood what the Granny was thinking and also wanted to test the other side. Hence, he hadn''t made a demand yet. But since the other party was so fond of bargaining, well... I''m going all in; When I opened my mouth, please don''t regret it!


    "Since you''re straightforward, I''ll be bold too. I want three pairs of adult Smence and thirty Bagon."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s demand, Zinnia immediately erupted, "You''re being outrageous!"


    Even though the Draconid People bred many Bagon and Smence, providing Yuga with three pairs of adult Smence and thirty Bagon would significantly strain their resources.


    Not only did Zinnia disagree, but the Granny''s expression also stiffened. However, being an elder, she forced herself to maintain a mild smile and said, "Gym Leader Shimizu, isn''t this a bit excessive?"


    Yuga inwardly rolled his eyes: Then why you asked me in the first ce!


    However, from Zinnia''s expression, Yuga could tell that even though his demand for three pairs of Smence and thirty Bagon was excessive, the Draconid People could surely afford it.


    One couldn''t deny that the Draconid People, ranked equally with the Dragon Tamers and the Vige of Dragons, were indeed affluent.


    "Granny, while the number of three pairs of Smence and thirty Bagon may be a bit much, isn''t this worth It if you exchange it with Rayquaza''s dragon blood?" After said this, Yuga opened his palm again, revealing the vial of bright red dragon blood, immediately capturing the attention of the Granny and Zinnia. The faintly shimmering light on the dragon blood pricked at their hearts.


    The Granny also realized that the young man in front of her must be the type to demand a pound of flesh. Today, without giving some, the dragon blood won''t be obtained.


    Simr to the Dragon Tamers with the Dragon Power and the Vige of Dragons with their Power of True Heart , the Draconid People also had their unique abilities. The Granny and Zinnia, whenever they saw Rayquaza''s dragon blood, found their thoughts thoroughly captivated.


    This was also one of the reasons why they never doubted the authenticity of the dragon blood that Yuga had presented.


    Looking somewhat troubled, the Granny said, "Unfortunately, we can''t afford to provide three pairs of Smence and thirty Bagon. How about we offer you fifteen Bagon?"


    To be honest, the Granny thought that even offering fifteen Bagon was excessive. These were Pseudo-Legendary, notmon Caterpies that can be found everywhere! The total number of Pseudo-Legendary in their Vige didn''t even reach a hundred, so fifteen is already too many!


    Yuga was momentarily taken aback. He hadn''t expected the Granny to be so skilled at bargaining; no one else was as ruthless as her, cutting down to half! So, he looked regretful and said, "Well, that''s a shame. It seems I won''t be able to sell this vial of dragon blood today."


    The Granny nearly had a stroke.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, we genuinely can''t provide that many Bagon!" The Granny said with a pained expression.


    Yuga realized it wouldn''t be good to press them too hard. He only intended to make a trade with the Draconid People and didn''t n to antagonize them. So he changed his approach, saying, "Alright, then I''ll just take two pairs of Smence and twenty Bagon."


    "You, young man,ck integrity!" The Granny almost lost herposure after hearing at his "just take." She was genuinely thankful he had shown mercy!


    Both sides bargained back and forth, and eventually, the Granny obtained Rayquaza''s dragon blood from Yuga for the cost of one pair of Smence and eighteen Bagon.


    Even though his price was shed in half, Yuga was secretly ecstatic. The initial price was a shot in the dark, a sky-high bid. But the wealth of the Draconid People surpassed his expectations by far.


    One pair of Smence and eighteen Bagon was something he had never dared to imagine before.


    Even if it were the Dragon Tamers or the Vige of Dragons, asking them to provide this many Pseudo-Legendary in one go would surely pose a challenge!


    It seemed that the Draconid People indeed highly valued Rayquaza! Yuga thought to himself.


    After reaching an agreement, the Granny, suppressing her bleeding heart, told Yuga, "We didn''t bring any Pok��mon with us. Please allow us some time to send them over."


    Yuga smiled and waved his hand, "Sure, take your time. I''ll be waiting."


    Seeing Yuga''s smug face, the Granny wished she could smack him in the face with her cane.


    "We''ll take our leave now!" the Granny said, and without looking back, she left with Zinnia.


    Over the next few days, the Granny stayed in Verdanturf Town. She handed her token to Zinnia, who returned to the Vige to inform the tribe of the situation and arrange the delivery of the Pok��mon Yuga requested.


    Seven dayster, the Granny returned with Zinnia. Both parties fulfilled their ends of the deal: Yuga obtained the Pok��mon he desired, and the other side received Rayquaza''s dragon blood.


    After obtaining Rayquaza''s dragon blood from Yuga, the Granny and Zinnia didn''t linger in Verdanturf Town anymore. They immediately flew off on their Smence. Yuga, on the other hand, took the newly acquired Pok��mon to the Ecopark.


    Upon entering the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark, Yuga released twenty Pok��mon from their Pok�� Balls. But after examining the Bagon and two Smence with his Insight ability, his expression turned grim.


    The Draconid People indeed delivered on the agreed one pair of adult Smence and eighteen Bagon, but all the Bagon they sent were crooked melons and cracked dates.


    Two adult Smence were fine, one female and one male, and they were still a couple, but the Bagon were a bigger problem.


    While the Pseudo-Legendary and their initial stage were always start at green or higher in terms of potential, there were still thebdifferences within the green category. This was evident in the brightness of the Pok��mon''s aura, their learning abilities, and the move their inherited.


    Needless to say, most of the Bagon delivered by the Draconid People fell below the standard.


    Originally, this wasn''t a big issue for Yuga, considering he had many Dragon-type Pok��mon, including some experienced ones. He could slowly teach the Bagon the moves theycked. Even if they didn''t get it the first time, he could train them multiple times. As long as the Pok��mon grew up healthy, it was fine.


    However, the problem was that five or six out of the eighteen Bagon were already in poor health, clearly born with congenital weaknesses.


    This is a scam!


    Initially, Yuga was willing to trust the Granny due to her seniority. But who would have though that she would use these unsavory trick to him!


    "Seems like I''m still too young!" Yuga gritted his teeth secretly in his heart.


    However, fortunately, the system assured Yuga that if the Bagon stayed in the Dragon''s Den Sub-Ecopark for an extended period, their physical weaknesses would gradually heal. But, their growth would be slightly slowerpared to healthy Bagon.


    Hearing this news, Yuga rxed. Slower growth wasn''t a concern as long as the Pok��mon could grow up healthy.


    Later, Yuga optimistically thought that although he had been at a disadvantage, it might be a good thing for these weakened Bagon. The healthy ones would be well-treated in the Draconid People''s vige, but the weak ones might not be as fortunate.


    At the YoYo Day Care, at least, he could guarantee their safe and healthy growth, preventing them from dying prematurely.


    Of course, Yuga''s sympathy was only for the Bagon. He had taken note of the grudge he held against the Draconid People for this trick.


    A few days have passed, and one day, Yuga received a call from Mr. Norman. It turned out that it was May''s birthday in a couple of days, and Caroline nned to bring her to Verdanturf Town for a vacation.


    However, Mr. Norman was too busy to apany Caroline and May. Thus, he phoned Yuga, asking for his help in hosting them.


    With Verdanturf Town''s unique tourism gaining traction, more people were visiting the town. Yuga hadn''t expected Caroline toe to town for May''s birthday.


    Of course, Yuga wouldn''t refuse Mr. Norman''s request. Mr. Norman had helped him a lot, so doing this little favor was something Yuga was more than happy to do.


    Two dayster, Yuga waited at the Verdanturf Town station and saw Caroline and May getting off the train. However, behind them, there was a little child tailing, and it was Max.


    Seeing Max was a bit surprising to Yuga because Mr. Norman hadn''t mentioned that Max would being.


    "Aunt Caroline, over here!"


    The station was bustling, and Yuga waved to catch Caroline and May''s attention.


    Hearing Yuga''s voice from afar, Caroline''s face lit up with joy. She quickly grabbed Max''s hand, called out to May, and walked toward Yuga.


    Seeing Caroline carrying quite a few bags, Yuga hurriedly approached and took the items from her.


    Caroline had quite a few bags, and she didn''t want to trouble him at first. However, upon seeing Yuga release Breloom from its Pok�� Ball, she didn''t insist further.


    As soon as Breloom appeared, Max stared at it intently, making Breloom feel a bit awkward.


    "Max, long time no see!"


    Yuga gently patted Max''s head and then turned to May, saying, "Long time no see."


    "Yup, yup! Big brother Yuga, long time no see! Is this the Breloom you''ve been talking about on the phone?" Max''s eyes sparkled as he asked Yuga.


    Although Yuga hadn''t met Mr. Norman for a while, they had regr do phone conversations, and sometimes he exchanged a few words with Max.


    However, Yuga had grown somewhat unfamiliar with May. When Yuga had greeted her earlier, she had shyly responded without saying much.


    "Yes, let''s head back to the Verdanturf Gym first. Once we''re there, you can take your time to see the Pok��mon. There are many other Pok��mon at the Gym," Yuga said with a smile to Max.


    Even though Max was young, he was heavily influenced by Mr. Norman from a young age, admiring him greatly and loving Pok��mon.


    "Really? That''s awesome!" Max responded, excitedly nodding.


    "By the way, Aunt Caroline, how long do you n to stay here with May and Max?" Yuga asked Caroline as they walked.


    "Your Uncle Norman is always too busy toe home, and I don''t have much to do at home, so I n to stay here for a while. We''ll leave whenever we feel like it!" Carolineined, mentioning Mr. Norman.


    Yuga chuckled, "Then I''ll have to entertain you properly!"


    "Oh, speaking of which, didn''t Mr. Norman say that Max wasn''ting?" Yuga curiously asked again.


    Upon hearing this, Max blushed bashfully, and May added, "He secretly followed us and got on the train by himself. We only found out halfway."


    Hearing May''s words, Max grumbled, "It''s because you all left me at home alone! I knew Big Brother Yuga had many Pok��mon, and it''s cunning that you guys didn''t invite me!"


    "Still daring to talk back? I''ll deal with you when we get back!" Caroline scolded, pointing at Max''s forehead. Max quickly giggled and acted cute to his mother.


    The group soon arrived back at the Verdanturf Gym, and Yuga settled them in the guest rooms.


    Caroline felt tired after a few hours in the car and, after settling her luggage, made a call to Mr. Norman and decided to rest in her room without moving.


    However, being of a young age, Max was full of energy and immediately dragged Yuga to see the Pok��mon Yuga had.


    Yuga had no choice but to agree. He then asked May, "Would you like to join us and see the Pok��mon?"


    May was not as interested in Pok��mon as Max, but after thingking for a while she then nodded. So Yuga took the two of them to the new Ecopark.


    The new Ecopark was filled with a rich variety of Pok��mon, almost mirroring the ones in the Sub-Ecopark.


    Upon entering, Max immediately noticed the Druddigon lying near the entrance and dashed over in excitement.


    Although the Druddigon didn''t have a good reputation among Dragon-type Pok��mon, up close, it was quite intimidating, especially since the one in Yuga''s Ecopark was an Elite level Pok��mon.


    Seeing the fierce appearance of the Druddigon, May was momentarily afraid. She wanted to stop Max from approaching, but upon noticing Yuga''s reassuring look, she held back.


    "It''s okay. The Druddigon has a very gentle nature and won''t harm Max," Yuga reassured them.


    In truth, the Druddigon was a true salted fish. A few days ago, it had boasted about training diligently in order to return to the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark, but once it adapted to its new life here, all those promises were abandoned.


    Sensing someone approaching, the Druddigon opened its eyes briefly, after spotted Yuga with the two kids, it promptly closed its eyes again, back to nap.


    Given its rough skin ability, the Druddigon''s scales didn''t feel pleasant to the touch. Coupled with its indifference to Max, he soon lost interest in it.


    After crossing a moderately short corridor, the trio finally entered the New Ecopark, the first thing they saw was a field of flowers. Hovering above the flower field were Beautifly, Vivillon, and Dustox.


    "Wow, it''s so beautiful!" May couldn''t help but exim.


    Meanwhile, Max had already dashed into the garden, enthusiastically rattling off the names of various Pok��mon.


    Although Max was young, he had a solid grasp of basic Pok��mon knowledge butcked practical application.


    Yuga stayed with May and Max in the New Ecopark until sunset.


    The next day, on May''s birthday, she woke up to find a red and white Pok�� Ball by her pillow. Curious, she opened it and was greeted by a bird-like Pok��mon with beautifully white and fluffy wings, staring at her withrge, round eyes.


    Caroline was busy fixing her hair when she heard May''s excited screaming from the adjacent room. Almost instantly, the door was pushed open.


    "Mom, Mom, look, look..."


    May was overwhelmed, raising her hands and speaking with a stutter.


    Smiling, Caroline looked at May holding the Swablu and said, "You''re turning ten next year. This is a birthday present from your brother Yuga. Later, make sure you thank him properly!"


    Before Yuga gifted the Swablu, he had consulted with Caroline first. She had initially intended to refuse, considering how rare the green potential Pok��mon is and its worth lot of money.


    However, Yuga insisted again and again. After consulting with her husband, she decided not to oppose it.


    Knowing how much Mr. Norman had helped him. If Caroline rejected Yuga''s gift, it would weigh heavily on Yuga''s conscience. Besides, for the current Yuga, a green potential Pok��mon is nothing.


    The reason Yuga thought of gifting a Swablu to May for her birthday was influenced by the original anime storyline. May had once encountered a Swablu on her travels but had to part ways due to the Swablu''s migratory pattern, which had saddened her for a considerable time.


    With the Swablu now, May wouldn''t have to experience such heartache in the future.


    Happily, May nodded upon hearing her mother''s words.


    Although she hadn''t been very interested in Pok��mon before, after visiting the New Ecopark with Max yesterday and seeing many adorable Pok��mon, she discovered how enjoyable interacting with them could be.


    Previously, she hadn''t felt much for her dad''s Pok��mon, probably because his father''s king didn''t fit with her aesthetic (Mr. Norman: Ouch, that hurt, daughter!).


    As a young girl, she naturally preferred Swablu more over king. Now, look how cute and adorable Swablu is, no one could resist to like it..


    Knowing May''s previousck of interest in Pok��mon, Yuga chose a Swablu with a calm andposed personality, fearing that a too lively Pok��mon might further deter her interest. Now, it seemed that this Swablu was indeed suitable to May''s taste.

 Chapter 1011: Bussiness Comes Knocking

    <h4>Chapter 1011: Bussiness Comes Knocking</h4>


    Early in the morning, when Yuga came to invite Aunt Caroline to breakfast, May came over holding a Swablu to thank him. However, behind her, there''s little Maxw who wore a look of envy at her, eagerly want to closer to Swablu.


    "It''s really nice, big sister''s Swablu is so nice. I''m so envious, I wonder if someone will give me one in the future..." Max stretched out to touch Swablu, while continuously ncing at Yuga, looking quite funny.


    Yuga immediately understood Max''s hint, but he pretended not to understand.


    Seeing Yuga ignoring him, Max became anxious, "I also wish to receive a Pok��mon in the future!" He deliberately raised his voice, hoping to grab Yuga''s attention.


    Yuga continued to ignore him. Max raised his voice even more, emphasizing his request.


    Watching Max impatiently hopping around, Yuga found it very funny, but he finally relented when Max seemed overly anxious.


    Finally, Yuga chuckled and said, "Alright, alright, when you reach your ninth birthday, I''ll also give you a Pok��mon."


    "Really? I''ll get one too?" Max''s face lit up instantly, filled with anticipation.


    "Really, but you have to wait until your ninth birthday," Yuga ruffled Max''s fluffy head.


    "Oh, the ninth birthday, that''s so far away!" Max suddenly felt a little disappointed. He was only six years old now, and reaching nine seemed like an eternity away!


    Originally, May didn''t understand Max''s intention, but after she heard Yuga''s words, she immediately realized what was going on. So, she immediately shouted, "Mom, Max is trying to trick gifts from Big Brother Yuga!"


    Max, being young and unaware of the value of a high potential Pok��mon. But May, who was almost ten, knew it. She felt Max behavior was wrong, so she immediately told her mother.


    Hearing her sister call their mother, Max instinctively covered her sister''s mouth. It wasn''t the first time his sister reported on him to their mother, and it never ended well for him.


    However, Max was too short to reach May''s mouth.


    "What''s wrong? What''s wrong?" Caroline immediately leaned out of the room upon hearing themotion.


    So May straightforwardly told her mother all about Max''s behavior. After listening, her mother red and shouted, "Max!"


    Seeing his mother angry, Max knew he was in for it, so he ran off.


    It must be said that May was very proficient in reporting on Max. She was quite an expert at it, and so the morning in the courtyard of the gym was a scene of chaos.


    After a while, Caroline dragged Max by the ear to Yuga''s side, "Quick, apologize to Big Brother Yuga. All the things said earlier were just jokes!"


    Max, holding the ear that his mother was pulling, grumbled: "Why can my sister do it, but I can''t!"


    Caroline red harshly, "Say it again!" He had so many mischievous ideas at such a young age, if She not corrected him now, it would only worsen in the future. Caroline was very angry.


    Finally, Max reluctantly apologized to Yuga and promised that his previous words were all jokes. Yuga just smiled without saying anything.


    But following that, Caroline took Max into the room. I don''t know what they discussed, but when Max returned, he had regained his usual demeanor, lost his reluctance, and sincerely said "I''m sorry" to Yuga again.


    I have to say, Caroline and Mr. Norman are really good at educating children, understanding the importance of correcting incorrect behaviors, attitudes, and mindsets from an early age.


    After breakfast, Caroline took May to tour the Verfanturf Town. Yuga didn''t have time to apany them, so he ask Chatot and Audino to go with them.


    When ites to familiarity with Verfanturf Town, this native might not be as knowledgeable as Chatot, who wanders through every nook and cranny of the town, aware of all the fun and delicious spots. It''s almost like Chatot is the ruler of Verfanturf Town.


    The reason for bringing along Audino is because Audino is more attentive and better at taking care of people.


    Chatot is quite the charmer, very persuasive with sweet talk. In no time, he had Caroline dizzy and had ssified Chatot as her best buddy.


    May is a foodie; the temptation of delicious food is irresistible to her. Hence, she greatly appreciates Audino, who is skilled in making delicious dishes. Yesterday''s dinner and today''s breakfast had already elevated Audino to a "God of Cook" in May''s eyes.


    So, the mother and daughter, with Chatot and Audino, left in high spirits.


    After Caroline and May left, Yuga stayed home, waiting for visitors.


    Half a month ago, Yuga''s Day Care introduced a new service: a discreet channel for Pok��mon sales, catering exclusively only to Yuga''s acquaintances.


    Currently, YoYo Day Care offers for sale high potential Pok��mon such as Medidite, Gligar, Trapinch, Carvanha, uncher, Vuby, Ponyta, Misdreavus, Swablu, and various Grass-type species.


    However, due to scale reasons, some Pok��mon types are not avable for continuous sale but are asionally leftover, like bebe, Spritzee, Litleo, Horsea, and the like.


    Thus, Yuga came up with this discreet sales channel, which is kept secret from the outside world and only avable to Yuga''s acquaintances. The Pok��mon sold through this channel aren''t listed publicly, and they will not vite the established rules of the YoYo Day Care that has been set before.


    As Yuga doesn''t have many acquaintances, asionally selling this Pok��mon won''t affect the Pok��mon poption, especially since acquaintances have know each others very well, saving the trouble of evaluation time and significantly reducing the YoYo Day Care''s business workload.


    Yuga notifies his acquaintances individually about this service, because it will requiring them to do advance reservations. He only epts reservations only when there are Pok��mon avable for sale.


    After half a month of offering this service, Yuga received only one order from Wace. But It''s not for Wace personally; he imed it was for a rtive.


    Yuga waited in the shop for over an hour when Wace finally arrived, sauntering in like a high-ssdy, followed by a young girl, presumably the rtive he mentioned.


    "Wace, it''s been a while. Your daughter has grown so much, huh?" Yuga looked surprised, ncing at the girl behind Wace. It''a not surprising he teased Wace; they looked uncannily alike.


    This girl had the same green long hair and green eyes as Wace, making it clear that they were rted.


    However, the girl seemed somewhat look gloony, and her emotions seemingly low.


    In response to Yuga''sment, Wace jokingly punched Yuga''s shoulder, "You know how to making fun of me. Even if I had a daughter, I couldn''tpare it with how much trouble you have made in Rustboro City."


    Yuga: ...


    After a brief exnation, Yuga learned that this girl was Wace''s niece, the daughter of his sister, named Lisia. She, like Wace, had recently be a Coordinator, having just debuted in the stage.


    Yuga had no idea Wace had a sister, let alone that his sister had a grown-up daughter. It seemed like there was a significant age gap between the siblings.


    Yuga pulled Wace aside and asked in a low voice, "The young girl doesn''t seem very happy. What''s wrong? Doesn''t she want to buy a Pok��mon from me?"


    Wace sighed in response, "Ah, it''s not that. It''s about... " He briefly exined why Lisia was feeling upset.


    As it turned out, Lisia had a Pok��mon that had been with her since she was young, but due to its low potential, it was now required to retire.


    Situations where a Pok��mon, nurtured by a Trainer but unable to keep up with the team due to its potential, are quitemon.


    However, such instances usually ur among trainers of average background. For kids thates fromrge families like Wace and Lisia, their starting point was higher. Their initial Pok��mon were meticulously selected, at least it will start with green potential, making such situations umon.


    But Lisia''s situation was different. The Pok��mon who retire held a special meaning for her.


    When Lisia was young, she was a mischievous child who often sneaked out alone to y in the nearby woods.


    The woods near Lisia''s home were usually quite safe, with no dangerous Pok��mon inside. However, one day, an Ariados moved in at an unknown time and was stumbled upon by Lisia.


    Most Pok��mon found near human settlements aren''t usually fierce. Unfortunately, the Ariados was in its breeding season, and choosing this ce for safety toy its eggs.


    A Pok��mon in its breeding season bes extremely sensitive and suspicious. Consequently, when Lisia inadvertently intruded into its nest, the Ariados felt threatened andunched an attack.


    Being very young at that time and usually well protected by her family, Lisia had never experienced such a situation. She was scared stiff, watching the Ariados pounce towards her.


    It was a Pikachu that saved Lisia in the nick of time.


    This Pikachu was a long-time resident of the woods and had often observed Lisia sneaking into the woods to y. Therefore, it recognized her.


    As Pikachu had lived a solitary life in the woods, it held affections for Lisia, wanting to be her friend. However, being very shy and timid, it never dared to approach her.


    When Lisia entered the woods that time, Pikachu followed her. Seeing Lisia in danger, it instinctively rushed out.


    Pikachu wasn''t powerful, and the Ariados wasn''t particrly strong either; it was a tie. However, influenced by maternal instincts, the Ariados fought harder than usual and quickly defeated Pikachu.


    Fortunately, in the moment of victory, the Ariados regained back its senses, it then runaway in panic with its big belly, and fled. This saved Lisia and Pikachu.


    Even so, Pikachu was still severely injured and fell into a deep unconsciousness.


    "I wonder if I can be friends with her," was Pikachu''sst conscious thought before losing consciousness.


    Lisia returned home in tears. Seeing the severely injured Pikachu in her arms, her family was shocked. After hearing Lisia''s choked exnation, they were extremely grateful nothing worse had happened.


    After careful treatment, Pikachu quickly recovered. Since then, it stuck by Lisia''s side. When Lisia became a Trainer, she chose Pikachu as her starting Pok��mon.


    Lisia''s family, even Wace, initially objected to her decision. But Lisia persisted, and with Pikachu''s life-saving act, they had no choice but to agree.


    They thought that if Lisia were to face hardships in the future, she would naturally understand why they disapproved.


    At the beginning, selecting Pikachu as her initial Pok��mon seemed fine. Lisia had invested arge sum to develop Pikachu, so even if Pikachu was just a yellow potential Pok��mon, it was still much stronger than other yellow potential Pok��mon.


    However, over time, as Lisia''s other Pok��mon levels rose, Pikachu''s shorings became evident. Itcked stamina, no matter how hard it trained, unable to keep up with the progress of the other Pok��mon.


    Only recently, after participating in several Pok��mon Contest, did Lisia truly realize why her family initially opposed her choice of Pikachu as her initial Pok��mon.


    Whenever Pikachu was on the scene, she found it challenging to secure a victory. Even if Pikachu managed to get her to the finals, itsck of stamina caused her to miss the ultimate win.


    Would Lisia regret choosing Pikachu as her initial Pok��mon? She didn''t regret it because Pikachu meant something different to her. It was not only her life-saving benefactor but also her childhoodpanion and best friend.


    Her sorrow was that Pikachu couldn''t fight alongside her anymore. Only she knew how hard Pikachu trained to be able topete in the Pok��mon Contest with her.


    In this world, there were indeed many treasures that could change a Pok��mon''s potential. But each was a treasure, not something easily obtained with money. Lisia searched for a long time but didn''t find anything suitable for Pikachu.


    It took a lot of mental preparation for Lisia to agree to re-purchase an excellent potential Pok��mon for training. Yet, when she reached the ce, she couldn''t help but feel sad.


    Even with the new Pok��mon, Pikachu could still apany her, but she knew this mental gap would make Pikachu very sad. The longer she stayed with Pikachu, the more upset it would be. Then, what should she do?


    After hearing Wace''s simple narrative about Lisia''s situation, Yuga pondered for a while and said, "Perhaps I have a way to solve your niece''s problem."


    Wace was surprised and asked, "A way? What way?"


    Suddenly, he seemed to realize something and eximed, "Could it be..."


    Yuga nodded in confirmation.


    At that moment, Yuga thought of his newly developed product �� the Potential Potion.


    Since he had decided to pursue this business, naturally, he needed a few prestigious individuals to promote his product. And who was more suitable than Wace, the big star?


    Seeing Yuga''s nod, Wace ecstatically embraced Yuga, saying, "This is great, brother! You''re my savior!" God knows how much hair he''s lost worrying about his niece''s situation. Hair is more important to him than life!


    At this moment, Wace though Yuga had something like a treasure that can change Electric-type Pok��mon potential.


    "Good brother, let''s discuss it. You can give me a discount; I''ve been a little tight on cashtely," Wace said with a wry smile.


    In Wace''s mind, any item that could change a Pok��mon''s potential was exorbitantly expensive.


    Yuga, eyeing Wace suspiciously, asked, "Are you short on money again?"


    Wace quickly nodded.


    Yuga smirked and said, "If you perform well, I might not even charge you." After all, I still need you as my spokesperson!


    Wace was amazed, "No charge? That''s amazing! But how should I perform? I refuse to sell myself."


    Yuga nodded, "But be prepared, my method has a certain probability of failure."


    Lisia''s Pikachu was a yellow potential Pok��mon, and the chance of evolving it into a green potential Pok��mon with the Potion was only 40%. The sess rate was less than fifty percent, depending on Pikachu''s luck.

 Chapter 1012: Shiny Spinarak

    <h4>Chapter 1012: Shiny Spinarak</h4>


    Regarding Yuga''s "failure probability," Wace didn''t dwell on it. At the moment, he only saw Yuga as his savior. His niece''s recent low moods had upied his mind, and if he couldn''t cheer her up, it would be hard to exin to his sister.


    Wace happily said, "Let''s share this good news with Lusia!"


    Yuga nodded, signaling Wace to call over the distant Lusia. He then asked her, "Did you bring your Pikachu?"


    Lusia knew the man before her was the owner of the YoYo Day Care and also the central figure in the infamous Rayquaza incident. Although she was puzzled by his inquiry about Pikachu, she nodded honestly, "I brought it."


    Pikachu and she were inseparable. Even with ns to foster new Pok��mon, she always kept Pikachu close.


    "Bring it with me," Yuga said, motioning for Wace and Lusia to follow him. They headed to the reception room. Before entering, he beckoned a Wigglytuff, whispered something, and Wigglytuff nodded before leaving.


    "Come on!" Wace urged Lusia, who was standing still, to follow.


    Puzzled, Lusia hurried after her uncle and the odd businessman, wondering, "Didn''t wee to buy Pok��mon?"


    In the reception room, Yuga told Lusia, "Release your Pikachu."


    Hearing Yuga''s words and seeing her uncle nod encouragingly, Lusia obediently took out Pikachu''s Pok�� Ball and released it.


    A sh of red light, and a small, adorable Pikachu appeared on the table. Its glossy fur indicated well-cared-for Pok��mon.


    The first thing Pikachu noticed was its Trainer. It rushed over, cuddling Lusia, revealing a heart-shaped mark on its tail, indicating it was a female Pikachu.


    Yuga observed Pikachu with Insight ability and confirmed to Wace that this was indeed a yellow potential Pikachu, just as Wace had said.


    Lusia, with a smiling face, yed with Pikachu for a bit before curiously asking Wace, "Uncle, why did you ask me to release Pikachu?"


    Wace exchanged a nce with Yuga, and Yuga then said, "I have something here that can help change your Pikachu''s potential, so I wanted you to try it."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Lusia was thrilled. "Really? Is there really something that can change Pikachu''s potential?"


    Pikachu, shaking its ears in confusion, didn''t understand why its Trainer suddenly became so happy. Yet seeing Lusia happy, it cheerfully joined in with "Pikachu, Pikachu" calls.


    Yuga nodded, "Yes, but my method has a certain probability of failure. You should be prepared."


    Unlike the careless Wace, Lusia immediately seized the crucial point, "It might fail? Will it harm my Pikachu if it fails?"


    Surprised by Lusia''s concern, Yuga smiled, "You don''t need to worry about that. Even if it fails, it won''t have any adverse effects on Pikachu."


    Hearing this, Lusia smiled joyfully, "That''s great!"


    At that moment, Wigglytuff, who had gone to fetch the potion from the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark, returned. It handed the potion to Yuga and then left the room.


    Seeing the potion in Yuga''s hand, Wace asked in puzzlement, "Is that the thing you mentioned that can change Pikachu''s potential?"


    Yuga raised the potion, saying, "Yes, this is it." The blue liquid in the transparent bottle slightly swayed, refracting light that emitted a beautiful glow.


    Wace''s mouth fell open: "What happened to the treasure you mentioned?"


    Seeing Wace silent, Yuga continued, "This is a potion I developed. It can enhance the potential of red, orange, and yellow potential Pok��mon. However, the sess rate decreases ordingly. Red potential Pok��mon have an 80% sess rate, while yellow potential Pok��mon have only a 40% sess rate."


    After hearing Yuga''s exnation, Wace was left speechless. The terms "self-developed," "potion," and "potential change" filled his mind, leaving him unable to articte his thoughts.


    Wace felt his worldviews had been shattered, and even Lusia widened her eyes, obviously impacted much like her uncle.


    Yuga didn''t speak further, simply observing the stunned nephew and niece, allowing them time to process the information.


    After a while, Wace managed to speak, "You... Is what you said... all true?"


    Lusia, also, stared at Yuga, expressing the same question as her uncle.


    Yuga smiled in response, "Of course it''s true. I wouldn''t go through this trouble just to tease you two."


    Wace:...


    Lusia:...


    They found it incredible. The potion did have its drawbacks, but the very fact that a potion capable of changing Pok��mon potential existed was astonishing.


    Seeing Wace and Lusia once again stunned, Yuga found it amusing, "Shall we try it?"


    The nephew and niece stiffly nodded.


    Yuga beckoned Pikachu over, gesturing for it toe closer. The Pikachu hesitantly approached, seeming a bit reluctant even after receiving a nod from its Trainer.


    Yuga handed the potion to Pikachu, saying, "Here, drink this."


    Pikachu took the bottle, gulped down the full potion, and patted its belly after finishing, looking incredibly adorable.


    Watching Pikachu finish the potion, Wace stared wide-eyed and asked, "Is that it?"


    Yuga nodded, "That''s it."


    After three to five minutes, Yuga suggested, "Shall we test it?"


    Wace struggled to nod: "Okay."


    The impact he received today was too big. Even though Yuga had repeatedly emphasized the 40% sess rate, he still felt his mouth was dry.


    Wace could foresee that if Yuga''s ims were true, the resultingmotion might surpass even the Rayquaza incident.


    Seeing Wace''s troubled expression, Yuga turned to Lusia and said, "Lusia, recall Pikachu into its Pok�� Ball ande with me."


    At this point, Lusia was also unsure how to express her emotions. The happiness at Pikachu''s potential change and the shock at the potion''s creation left her somewhat confused. She found sce in her uncle appearing more overwhelmed than herself, finding it difficult to speak at this point.


    She nodded, recalling Pikachu into its Pok�� Ball and followed Yuga out of the room.


    YoYo Day Care had its own potential testing equipment. Guided by Yuga, Lusia arrived at the potential testing machine. She ced Pikachu''s Pok�� Ball on the machine, and soon, a green light illuminated the potential section on the machine.


    Looking at the green light on the machine, Lusia was momentarily at a loss for words... Pikachu''s potential had really changed...


    At this moment, the arriving Wace also saw the bright green light and muttered to himself, "It''s true..."


    Even though Wace knew Yuga wouldn''t lie to him, seeing it with his own eyes was apletely different kind of shock.


    He was just thoroughly astounded...


    At this moment, Yuga also felt a slight sense of relief: Thank goodness it seeded.


    Although he knew that even if Pikachu failed, he could rece it with another Pok��mon to demonstrate the efficacy of his potion, the immediate sess must have been quite a shock to Wace and Lusia.


    After a while, Wace, with aplex expression, asked Yuga, "Did you really develop this?"


    Yuga raised an eyebrow, "Well, you could say that." Actually, it was my Pok��mon that developed it, so, more or less, it''s mine.


    Wace didn''t pay attention to Yuga''s wordy, "I didn''t expect you to be not just a talented trainer but also an amazing researcher."


    Yuga blushed at thepliment; he was utterly clueless about scientific research and could only grin awkwardly.


    "Hehe... It''s just a coincidence. Describing me as a researcher is too much!" Yuga chuckled.


    However, Wace felt it wasn''t an exaggeration. The potion Yuga possessed was definitely epoch-making and would surely go down in history.


    Wace sighed. He was indeed envious. If only he had developed that potion. s, he didn''t have the talent or the luck. "So, how much do I owe you?" he asked.


    Upon hearing this, Yuga immediately grinned like a fox, "Didn''t I say before, if you perform well, I won''t take any money?"


    Wace looked cautious, "Perform well? How so?"


    Yuga cleared his throat and then spoke seriously, "You see, I n to sell this potion, and I''m missing a spokesperson." He gave Wace a meaningful look.


    Wace smirked, realizing the n.


    Indeed, a potion of such significance required a fitting spokesperson. With his status and fame, Wace was the perfect candidate.


    "Okay." After a brief thought, Wace agreed to Yuga''s request. Endorsing something so groundbreaking was also appealing to him.


    Upon hearing Wace''s agreement, Yuga was naturally thrilled. He then pulled Wace back into the reception room, where the two discussed their future ns. Meanwhile, Lusia silently sat, holding Pikachu, listening to the two discussing without saying a word.


    For her, the improvement in Pikachu''s potential today was already a cause for immense joy. As for other matters, they were not her concern.


    After a lengthy discussion between Yuga and Wace, Yuga suddenly asked, "By the way, do you still want to buy the Pok��mon you originally intended to buy?"


    Wace turned to Lusia upon hearing this, reminding her that their initial purpose foring was to buy a Pok��mon.


    Seeing Lusia''s hesitation, Wace suggested after a moment of thought, "You should still buy one. It''s time for you to raise a new Pok��mon."


    After her uncle''s suggestion, Lusia readily agreed. Ever since she became a Coordinator, she had been mostly guided by her uncle. Her uncle knew her situation inside out, so if he thought it was time for her to raise a new Pok��mon, she was willing to follow his advice.


    Seeing the consensus between his nephew and niece, Yuga was satisfied, saying, "Great, I''ve prepared the Pok��mon for you."


    Soon, Chansey (YuanYuan) arrived with four Pok�� Balls into the reception room.


    Yuga arranged the four Pok�� Balls in a row on the table and said, "I''ve prepared four Pok��mon based on the preferences you described for Lusia after your appointment."


    Wace nodded, quite content with Yuga''s arrangement.


    Yuga then opened the first Pok�� Ball, revealing a Scatterbug.


    "Lusia is a Coordinator, and the Coordinator from the Hoenn region often enjoy nurturing Beautifly. Although the final evolution of Scatterbug is Vivillon, but it''s still equally impressive in terms of appearance. and since Vivillon is rare in Hoenn, it''ll help Lusia to stand out among others." Yuga exined.


    Wace nodded in agreement, finding Yuga''s reasoning very logical. He had seen Yuga''s Vivillon before; it was indeed beautiful. While it was unlikely that Lusia could breed it to that level, as long as she put in the effort, it would undoubtedly be outstanding.


    Yuga then went on to introduce the advantages and disadvantages of the Vivillon.


    For Lusia''s second Pok��mon, Yuga presented a Spritzee.


    "Spritzee is a pure Fairy-type Pok��mon. Leaving its appearance aside, its evolved form, Aromatisse, can learn many support-type moves. The Pok��mon Contests had Double Battles, if you find a Pok��mon that cooperates well with Aromatisse, it might lead to unexpected results." Yuga continued the introduction.


    Wace, once again, nodded in agreement. He had attended an event in Kalos where he had the opportunity to meet the Gym Leader of the Leverre Gym, who had a Aromatisse, and it was indeed impressive.


    Lusia''s eyes lit up when she saw the adorable Spritzee.


    Yuga, observing her reaction, said, "No rush to decide. Let''s check out the other two before making a decision."


    Both Wace and Lusia nodded in unison.


    "The third Pok��mon I''ve prepared is a Lapras. Lapras''s appearance is absolutely impable. Wace is a Water-type trainer himself and should be able to judge how this Lapras is." Yuga opened the Pok�� Ball, and Lapras elegantly raised its slender neck, its watery,rge eyes glistening as it gazed at Lusia, immediately capturing her heart.


    This Lapras was a distant rtive of Yuga''s main Lapras, but it was bornter and originally had only a yellow potential. It evolved into a green potential after using the potential potion.


    The Laprass at Yuga''s Ecopark were all low potential Pok��mon initially. There wasn''t a single high potential Pok��mon until after the potential potion was developed. However, there were still many low potential Pok��mon that had been moved to the new Ecopark.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Wace nodded in agreement with Yuga''s assertion that it was indeed a good Lapras.


    Seeing Wace and Lusia content, Yuga smilingly said, "No rush, no rush, let''s look at thest one."


    Thest Pok��mon Yuga had prepared was a Spinarak.


    This Spinarak was a descendant of a Shiny Ariados and a Galvant. These two were prolific breeders, and each litter had more than one offspring. This became even more prominent after moving to the Insect Paradise.


    At present, there were quite a few Spinarak and Joltik in the Insect Paradise. This particr Spinarak had just been born, inheriting its mother''s excellent genes, making it also a Shiny Spinarak like its mother.


    "Although Ariados is not a particrly rare Pok��mon, they are quite practical��skilled in interference and ambush. Moreover, my Spinarak is a Shiny Pok��mon, extremely rare. If nurtured well, it''ll surely evolve into a decent Ariados," Yuga said.


    Wace had seen Shiny Pok��mon before, but a Shiny Spinarak was a first. Clearly, Yuga had put in significant effort to prepare these Pok��mon.


    "The most crucial aspect of choosing a Pok��mon is to have a connection, a mutual liking. Only then can you cultivate emotions and develop understanding in the future," Yuga advised the hesitant Lusia.


    Indeed, Lusia was finding it hard to decide. While she liked both Spritzee and Lapras upon seeing them, it was evident that she had the strongest affinity for Spinarak.


    Although Spinarak that evolving into Ariados, it was not as stunning as Vivillpn that evolved from Scatterbug, nor it was cute as the Lapras and Spritzee. But when ites to affinity, it''s a destiny set in sight.


    For other things, one can change their mind, but with Pok��mon, once chosen, it''s a lifelongmitment.


    Observing Lusia''s momentary hesitation before choosing Spinarak, it came as a surprise not only to Yuga but even to Wace, her uncle.


    Both had noticed that Lusia''s eyes had lit up upon seeing Spritzee and Lapras, but she ultimately chose Spinarak.


    Once Lusia made her choice, Yuga cautioned, "Make sure you''re absolutely certain because once chosen, it can''t be changed. From now on, you''ll be Spinarak''s only trainer, and you''ll carry the responsibility of today''s choice."


    Lusia confidently replied, "I''m sure. I''ll take good care of Spinarak."


    Yuga smiled gently and said, "Alright, then I''ll entrust Spinarak to you."


    Given that the Spinarak was a Shiny Pok��mon, its price was significantly higher than a regr one. Yuga quoted a price of 500,000.


    "What? That''s so expensive. I''m your spokesperson, can''t you give me a discount?" Waceined disapprovingly.


    Yuga was firm in his refusal, "Price is fixed. The potion and this are two separate matters. I didn''t hire you as my Pok��mon''s spokesperson. If you''re capable, pay for that potion of mine, and I won''t ask for payment for this Spinarak."


    Wace: "You''re very ruthless!"


    He grumbled but paid the amount, then left the YoYo Day Care with Lusia.


    Before leaving, Yuga informed Wace that he would be holding an event soon about the potential potion and expected Wace to be present.

 Chapter 1013: Ilima

    <h4>Chapter 1013: Ilima</h4>


    Not long after Wace and Lusia left, Caroline and her daughter, May, returned to Verdanturf Gym. It was their first time exploring the town, and they had bought plenty of things. With the town prospering, the variety of goods and specialties had increased.


    As for Max, he didn''t go out shopping with his mother and sister. He preferred staying in the new Ecopark, ying with the Pok��mon rather than touring around Verdanturf Town.


    During lunch, keen-eyed individuals noticed that Max seemed a bit unhappy. Yuga, puzzled, asked, "What''s wrong with Max? Did the Pok��mon bully you while ying?"


    Max replied in a subdued tone, "No."


    May, with a slightly disdainful tone, said, "If nothing''s wrong, why are you pouting? You can''t even enjoy your food properly; that''s serious for someone who loves eating."


    Max did seem a bit unhappy. He retorted to his sister, "Mind your own business!"


    May immediatelyined to their mother, "Mom, look at Max. He''s upset and taking it out on me."


    Caroline gave Max a stern look and said, "Apologize to your sister!"


    Defiantly, Max didn''t speak. He ate a few more mouthfuls of food, then finally lifted his head and asked Yuga, "Yuga, who''s stronger, you or my dad?"


    Yuga''s hand, with food on the chopsticks, paused in midair. He didn''t know how to respond for a moment. "Uh... this... I don''t really know, honestly."


    He hadn''t fought Mr. Norman before, and he had only seen Mr. Norman''s battle stance in videos. Yuga truly didn''t know who was stronger.


    Of course, he didn''t think he''d lose to Mr. Norman now.


    "Max! That''s quite rude!" Caroline was a bit angry.


    Yuga quickly waved his hand to assure Aunt Caroline that everything was fine, and she swallowed back the scolding words.


    "I think my dad is definitely a bit stronger." Max nced at his mother and then, cautiously, at Yuga. Not sensing any anger from Yuga, he stammered, "Actually, my dad is just a little... bit stronger than Yuga."


    He even extended his pinky finger and gestured towards Yuga, indicating it was just a tiny bit.


    Yuga was at a loss: this kid is afraid of hurting my feelings.


    "What happened? Who asked you this today?" Yuga put down his chopsticks, smiling as he inquired.


    Max pouted but remained silent.


    As it turns out, Max met a new friend, Ayagiri, at the gym today. Ayagiri was Ayashi''s younger sister.


    Among Anya and Akihito''s four siblings, Ayashi was the oldest, followed by the twin brothers Anrin and Anmu. Little Ayagiri was the youngest, slightly older than six-year-old Max.


    The Trainer School in Verdanturf Town was currently on summer vacation. Therefore, the four kids weren''t attending school, but the three boys were mischievous and had run off to y early in the day. Only the quiet Ayagiri stayed at the gym.


    Yesterday, Yuga didn''t have a chance to introduce May and Max to the four kids at the gym. However, Ayagiri and Max got along quite well. Despite bing good friends shortly after meeting, they disagreed when discussing the people they admired the most.


    In Ayagiri''s eyes, there was no one in the world more powerful than their gym leader. The gym leader was her lifelong idol, as described by the beautiful and handsome person from their gym.


    But in Max''s mind, his dad was the most powerful. He heard from the gym apprentices that his dad was the strongest gym trainer after the Elite Four. Since Yuga wasn''t one of the Elite Four, Max was convinced that his dad must be stronger than Yuga.


    The two kids argued about this matter, and their disagreement eventually led to an unhappy separation. Max was upset because he quarreled with his new friend.


    Caroline didn''t know the reason for the dispute, so she tried to exin to her son, "Max, your dad''s strength and Yuga''s strength are different. Your dad represents his generation''s strength, while Yuga represents his generation''s strength. You can''tpare them directly. Just like in school, the best student in your sister''s ss may not be the best in yours."


    Caroline didn''t want to undermine Mr. Norman''s image as a father in her son''s mind, nor could she convincingly im that her husband was definitely stronger than Yuga. Hence, she had to use a roundabout way to exin to her son.


    Perhaps Caroline was used to spinning tales for her son. When she spoke these words, she did so calmly, without a racing heart or flushed face.


    After thinking carefully, Max found his mother''s words reasonable. He instantly brightened up, sweeping away his previous gloominess. "Mom''s right. After finishing my meal, I should apologize to Ayagiri!"


    And so, Caroline indirectly resolved the friendship crisis between the two kids.


    After lunch, Beidou informed Yuga that a challenger had arrived to challenge the gym. Yuga agreed and went to the gym with Beidou.


    During this period, Beidou had been handling the challengers at the gym, but Yuga was the true gym leader. He couldn''t let Beidou keep handling all of them, especially now that the storm had passed. Yuga decided it was time to resume epting challenges.


    Upon seeing Yuga, the challenger politely bowed and greeted, "Hello, Gym Leader Shimizu. I''m Ilima. Please guide me today."


    Yuga nodded and then said, "You don''t seem to be from the Hoenn region."


    Ilima smiled and admitted, "Indeed, I''m not. My hometown is in the Al region, but I''m currently studying at the Trainer High School in the Kalos region."


    Indeed, this Ilima was the one Yuga remembered! Yuga silently thought, but why did he say he''s studying in the Kalos region? And how did he end up here in Hoenn?


    Although Yuga had doubts, he didn''t ask directly, and Ilima didn''t provide further exnation.


    In reality, Yuga was unaware that Ilima hade from the Trainer High School in the Kalos region to engage in an exchange program with the one in Rustboro City. However, as Rustboro City was currently in the process of reconstruction, the exchange between the schools had been put on hold, leading Ilima to temporarily stay in Hoenn.


    Previously, Ilima had visited Verdanturf Town, but his visit was rejected by the Verdanturf Gym. That''s why he left Verdanturf Town temporarily and challenged three other gyms in the Hoenn region. After earning badges from those three gyms, he returned for another challenge.


    "Shall we begin the challenge?" Yuga nodded at Ilima to indicate they should start.


    The challenger Ilima''s battle against the Verdanturf Gym Leader Yuga officially began. The rules of the match were set as a 3-on-3 battle, allowing the challengers to switch their Pok��mon freely. If all three Pok��mon from either side were defeated, the match would end. Now, the first Pok��mon was being sent out by the gym trainer.


    After both parties took their positions on the battlefield, Beidou announced the rules of the match. Yuga then released his first Pok��mon for the battle - Florges.


    Florges wasn''t a Grass-type Pok��mon, but it had simr characteristics and abilities to one.


    This Florges was not Yuga''s main Pok��mon; it had evolved from the bebe that had been given to him by Lysandre.


    The bebe resided in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, but their reproduction was slow. Until now, their numbers hadn''t increased much, and even the final evolution, Florges, only had about four or five.


    Fortunately, being of the same species as Yuga''s main Florges, these Pok��mon were most affected and had impressive individual strength.


    Seeing Yuga send out Florges, Ilima was somewhat surprised. He had investigated Yuga''s records and knew that one of Yuga''smonly used Pok��mon was Florges.


    Could this be the one? But it doesn''t look that powerful!


    However, Ilima didn''t dare to take it lightly. He chose his first Pok��mon to enter the field, a Normal-type Furfrou.


    This wasn''t the first time Yuga had encountered Furfrou. Ilima''s Furfrou was elegantly dressed, exuding a regal and proud La Reinely demeanor.


    Although Furfrou liked to be beautifully trimmed, anding in various styles, the ssic variant was limited to nine form: Heart Trim, Diamond Trim, Star Trim, Debutante Trim, Matron Trim, Dandy Trim, La Reine Trim, Kabuki Trim, and Pharaoh Trim.


    With Beidou''smand of "Battle begin!" resonating, both sides'' Pok��mon immediately sprang into action.


    Florges used a conservative move, employing the gym''s signature Grass Terrain, which not only helped it recover health but also amplified the power of Grass-type moves.


    On the other hand, Furfrou used Captivate.


    Despite Ilima''s Furfrou appearing in a La Reine Trim, it was just merely a disguise. In reality, this was a male Furfrou dressed as a female.


    The male Furfrou flirtatiously winked at Florges, disying a myriad of affectionate moves,unching pink hearts that pelted Florges.


    Florges tried to evade, but the numerous pink hearts blocked all its escape routes. Hit by the pink hearts, Florges fell under the sway of Captivate. Its Special Attack was reduced, and even its consciousness was influenced by the opponent.


    Unfortunately, this Florges didn''t inherit the move Camuge. If it had, under the Grass Terrain, Camuge would have changed its type from Fairy to Grass.


    The effect of Florges Flower Veil ability is Grass-type Pok��mon couldn''t be affected by status conditions and its stats couldn''t be lowered.


    Although Camuge was an unpopr move, it was still extremely useful at crucial moments.


    After Florges sumbed to the Captivate, Furfrou immediately initiated a second attack. Using its tail, which shone with a metallic gleam, Furfrou dealt a hard blow to Florges.


    Because the misunderstanding that Yuga''s Florges was his main Pok��mon, the Furfrou that was sent by Ilima was indeed powerful. Coupled with the Steel-type move, Iron Tail, which countered Florges''s Fairy-type, Florges took a heavy hit, and it snapped out of the confusion.


    Darn it, I got hit by a scumbag! One second, it seduce her, and the next second, it turned as cold as iron.


    Florges wailed in pain, hurling gusts of petal storms with all her might.


    Despite a significant decrease in her Special Attack power due to the Captivate, Petal Dance, an ultimate Grass-type move and strengthened by the Grass Terrain, its power cannot be underestimated.


    The beautiful petals acted like razor-sharp des, shredding Furfrou''s queenly appearance into a mess, leaving Furfrou looking bedraggled, her blue and white fur scattered all around.


    During this time, the Grass Terrain was slowly healing Florges. Without this, the blow from the Iron Tail would left Florges in bad a state.


    As the first round of Petal Dance ended, the second round followed immediately. Furfrou''s Fur Coat ability (reducing physical damage from opponents by half) did not affect the Special Attack-based Petal Dance.


    Helpless, under Ilima''s direction, Furfrou used Hyper Voice.


    This Furfrou indeed had some skills. Although Hyper Voice wasn''t as powerful as Petal Dance, the sonic waves it generated spread out in concentric circles from Furfrou''s center, dispersing most of Florges''s petals.


    After using Captivate, Iron Tail, and Hyper Voice in quick session, the fourth move Furfrou used was Last Resort.


    Unlike other moves with side effects upon use, Last Resort required a prerequisite condition in a battle: using three different moves before you can use it.


    Furfrou''s momentum suddenly halted, and she turned into lightning, striking Florges. Unable to dodge, Florges was knocked to the ground.


    The Grass Terrain''s healing was rtively weak, and the previous damage from Iron Tail hadn''t fully recovered. Now, with this further blow, Florges was incapacitated, losing its fighting ability.


    Florges had good Special Defense but weak Physical Defense. Coupled with the fact that its level was lower than Furfrou''s, it couldn''t withstand the two attacks from Furfrou.


    Considering Furfrou''s strength, Yuga sent out his second Pok��mon, Leafeon.


    Leafeon had been a long-time resident in Yuga''s Ecopark and was much stronger than Florges.


    As Leafeon entered the field, the Grass Terrain left by Florges had just disappeared. Leafeon immediately used Sunny Day. Furfrou wanted to sneak attack while it was using Sunny Sky, But Leafeon speed was very fast, its evaded Furfrou''s attempt to strike easyly.


    When Furfrou attempted to strike Leafeon with Foul y, it was a close-range move. As Furfrou was very close to Leafeon, thetter easily dodged the attack. Leafeon countered with Leaf de, a sharp yellow-green tail strike right to Furfrou''s forehead.


    This blow knocked Furfrou down, leaving its dazed with the stars in it eyes, unable to get up.


    Leafeon didn''t let the opportunity for another attack slip away. Raising its tail again, it aimed another blow at Furfrou''s forehead.


    However, Ilima reacted quickly,manding Furfrou to use Cotton Guard.


    Although Furfrou was a bit disoriented at the moment, it was highly sensitive to its trainer''s voice. Subconsciously following its trainer''s orders, soft, white cotton emerged from Furfrou, deflecting Leafeon''s Leaf de without any effect.


    Cotton Guard was a nemesis for physical, closebat moves.

 Chapter 1014: Ability - Parental Bond

    <h4>Chapter 1014: Ability - Parental Bond</h4>


    Cotton Guard is a move that can rapidly enhance one''s defense. After using Cotton Guard twice, Furfrou''s defense was strengthened to the extreme.


    However, Leafeon''s attacking rhythm was very fast, utilizing each move with full power. While Furfrou used Cotton Guard to reinforce its defense, Leafeon employed Swords Dance to enhance its attacks, repeatedly using the Leaf de move, make Furfrou struggled to cope.


    "Leaf... Leafeon..."


    Under Yuga''smand, Leafeon suddenly stopped its attack, squatting down on the ground. A Verdanturf appeared on its two front paws, which it then ced near its mouth, producing a clear and melodious flute sound on the field.


    Originally panting heavily and tired, Furfrou, upon hearing this flute sound, started to feel drowsy, her eyelids drooping, bing increasingly sleepy.


    Ilima, noticing the situation, immediately tried to awaken Furfrou, but despite his efforts, Furfrou eventually fell asleep.


    Due to the Grass Whistle move, Furfrou fell into a sleep state, leaving its vulnerable. After enduring three Leaf de attacks from Leafeon, it finally lost its ability to battle.


    After defeating Furfrou, Leafeon''s yellow-green skin slowly emitted a light green glow under the sunlight, gradually bing more energetic.


    Seeing Leafeon recovering its strength through Synthesis move, Ilima sighed and retrieved the unconscious Furfrou.


    Ilima''s second Pok��mon was an Aln regional Pok��mon, Gumshoos.


    It''s said that Officer Jenny in the Aln region does not have a Herdier or a Growlithe by her side, but a Gumshoos.


    As this was Yuga''s first encounter with Gumshoos, he couldn''t help but take a few more nces. To be honest, this Pok��mon didn''t look particrly attractive, standing with its hands behind its back, exuding an air of maturity.


    Observing Ilima''s second Pok��mon still being a Normal-type Pok��mon, Yuga asked a question, "Are you a Normal-type trainer?"


    "Yes," Ilima replied.


    Yuga nodded without further words, and the battle resumed.


    The mature-looking Gumshoos didn''tunch an attack on its own, calmly standing on the field with its eyes squinted. However, when Leafeon swung its tail and used Leaf de against it, Gumshoos opened its mouth and directly bit onto Leafeon''s tail.


    With its tail bitten, Leafeon let out a painful groan from its mouth. However, Gumshoos stubbornly held on, ignoring Leafeon''s struggles, despite how it tried to kick and wriggle free.


    This Gumshoos''s characteristic was Strong Jaw, which significantly empowered biting moves, thus allowing it to instantly grip Leafeon with the Bite move.


    Bang!


    Gumshoos fiercely twisted its head while biting Leafeon''s tail and forcefully tossed it away, creating fine cracks on the ground upon impact.


    Gumshoos didn''t pursue the advantage, instead it stood calmly in ce, observing Leafeon as it struggled to rise from the ground.


    Leafeon managed to get back on its feet, shook its dazed head, endured the pain, and red fiercely at Gumshoos across the field.


    However, the "Insensitive" Gumshoos didn''t react to Leafeon''s anger; its narrow eyes showed no change in emotion.


    The enraged Leafeon once again used Grass Whistle, but as the melodious flute sound echoed, Gumshoos immediately produced an unpleasant grinding sound from its mouth, disrupting the Grass Whistle.


    Furfrou had fall because of this move, so Ilima had prepared for the risk of Grass Whistle and used a Uproar move to counter it, used the noise generated by Uproar move to offset the Grass Whistle.


    The hypnotic effect of the Grass Whistle move relies on its melodious and soothing rhythm. However, now, with the grinding noise from the Gumshoos, not to mention the hypnotic effect, it''s literally ruined the move.


    As Grass Whistle failed, Leafeon charged towards Gumshoos again,unching an attack.


    Yet, Gumshoos''s moves - Bite, Crunch, and Throat Chop - effectively blocked Leafeon''s assaults. Leafeon not only failed to gain the upper hand but also ended up with injuries all over.


    Though Leafeon couldn''t capitalize on the advantage, Yuga finally identified Gumshoos''s weakness amidst Leafeon''s repeated attacks.


    This particr Gumshoos was notably slow, exining its stationary stance andck of initiative in its movements, even when having the chance to seize victory.


    All this stemmed from Gumshoos''sck of agility.


    "Leafeon, use Seed Bomb!"


    Once the weakness was spotted, the solution became simple: if you''re not agile, I''ll just keep my distance.


    Hence, Leafeon began bombarding Gumshoos from a distance with Seed Bomb. As Gumshooscked long-range physical attacks and had poor Special Attack capabilities, it quickly lost its previousposure.


    Under the continuous long-range harassment by Leafeon, Gumshoos soon became as battered as Leafeon.


    Seeing victory within reach, Gumshoos suddenly rushed towards Leafeon. However, its speed was slow, appearing unlikely to catch the agile Leafeon.


    But just as Leafeon was about to dodge, Gumshoos suddenly stomped, erecting an earthen wall, blocking Leafeon''s evasion path. Leafeon collided directly with the wall, losing the chance to evade.


    Yuga hadn''t expected Gumshoos to use Rock Tomb move at that moment and watched Leafeon get hit by Gumshoos.


    Gumshoos used its Normal-type ultimate move, Thrash, at the moment of impact, aiming to deliver a fatal blow to Leafeon, and drafeat its with one-hit.


    As expected, Leafeon couldn''t withstand this move, copsing to the ground.


    However, Gumshoos wasn''t spared from the effects of its own chaotic rampage. The side effect was confusion, causing Gumshoos to even attack itself, consequently following in Leafeon''s footsteps.


    Both Pok��mon had copsed, effectively reaching a draw.


    At this point, each side was left with onest Pok��mon. Yuga''s side held a Sceptile, while Ilima had a Kangaskhan.


    The Sceptile that used by Yuga was one of the earliest resident of the Ecopark. With its blue potential, it was currently among the top Grass-type Pok��mon in the Ecopark and was just a half-step away from being Elite level Pok��mon.


    On the other hand, Ilima''s Kangaskhan was slightly lower in levelpared to Yuga''s Sceptile, but the critical point was that Yuga noticed a Mega Evolution Stone on Kangaskhan.


    As expected, after releasing Kangaskhan, Ilima immediately had Kangaskhan undergo a Mega Evolution.


    ...


    Mega Kangaskhan


    Type: Normal


    Ability: Parental Bond


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 63


    Moves: Double Hit, Leer, Fake Out, Comet Punch, Mega Punch, Chip Away, Dizzy Punch, Reversal, Brick Break, Shadow w, Counter, Crush w, Ice Punch, Fire Punch, Drain Punch, Water Pulse..


    ...


    Following the Mega Evolution, Kangaskhan directly broke into the Elite level, surpassing Yuga''s Sceptile.


    Observing the two Kangaskhan, onerger and one smaller, Yuga felt a headache. "This is troublesome. Not an easy battle!"


    As time passed, Yuga encountered more and more trainers equipped with Mega Evolution Stones. He had a premonition that the secret of Mega Evolution Stones would soon be revealed. Although Mega Evolution was no longer aplete secret, it had yet to bemon knowledge.


    "Kangaskhan, Dizzy Punch!"


    Under Ilima''smand, the mother and child Kangaskhan nked from left and right, swinging their fists simultaneously at Sceptile.


    Fortunately, Sceptile was remarkably agile; it leaped in ce, easily evading the attacks of the Kangaskhan pair, stepping on the mother''s head and jumping behind her,unching an Energy Ball at her back.


    Yuga''s Sceptile wasn''t like Ash''s; it didn''t consistently engage in closebat. It excelled in Special Attack and used physical closebat moves only when necessary. Relying on them for primary attacks would be suicidal.


    After the Energy Ball struck the Kangaskhan''s back, she staggered but quickly stabilized, then immediately counterattacked with her little Kangaskhan.


    Under the effect of the Parental Bond ability, the little Kangaskhan in her pouch possessed striking power. As long as the mother didn''t fall, the baby wouldn''t get hurt.


    This meant Sceptile had to handle both the mother and the baby Kangaskhan at the same time.


    Though the little Kangaskhan only inherited a quarter of the mother''s strength, it was enough to illustrate the impressive effect of the Parental Bond ability. Since the baby Kangaskhan wouldn''t be knocked out or hurt, the challenge became more substantial.


    After the Mega Evolution, the mother and baby Kangaskhan were fast. Sceptile kept retreating while leaping, but the Kangaskhan pair stuck close, continuously using Dizzy Punch to prevent Sceptile from creating distance.


    Boom!


    The Kangaskhan mother''s fist, carrying a powerful gust, struck Sceptile. Though Sceptile quickly crossed its arms using Dragon w to block the massive punch, it was still continuously pushed backward, leaving long scratches on the ground with its sharp ws.


    At that moment, the baby Kangaskhan stepped forward and punched Sceptile''s abdomen. Sceptile was sent flying backward but, while doing so, it spat out a Dragon Pulse, hitting the Kangaskhan mother''s abdomen.


    Seeing the mother hurt, the baby Kangaskhan hurriedly ran to her side, eyes filled with teary water. Yuga''s Sceptile quickly retreated, using its exceptional jumping ability to create a considerable distance from the two Kangaskhan.


    The damage received by Sceptile from the baby Kangaskhan was considerably lesspared to taking a hit from the Dragon Pulse.


    Seeing the baby Kangaskhan''s performance, Ilima shook his head in disappointment, feeling that his training of the baby Kangaskhan was insufficient, resulting in it being easily affected.


    He hadn''t possessed the Mega Kangaskhan Stone for a long time and was currently in the exploration stage. However, today''s battle made him realize that to fully utilize the Parental Bond ability, the baby Kangaskhan''s adaptability and response in battles had to be improved.


    Under the Parental Bond ability, the Kangaskhan mother and child form an inseparable unit, where cooperation between them is crucial.


    The injured Kangaskhan mother wanted to reassure the baby Kangaskhan, but seeing the Sceptile on the opposite side lifting its foot, she instinctively wanted to push the baby away, forgetting that under the Parental Bond ability, the baby wouldn''t be hurt.


    However, this action caused the Kangaskhan mother to lose the opportunity to evade. A green light rapidly spread from under the Sceptile''s feet towards the Kangaskhan pair. In the blink of an eye, the two Kangaskhan were submerged in the green column of light, and the Kangaskhan mother let out a scream.


    It was Sceptile''s Grass Pledge!


    Witnessing the scene on the field, Ilima massaged his forehead with a headache. He didn''t expect the Kangaskhan mother to make a mistake as well. It was evident they weren''t adapting well to the new battle style post-Mega Evolution. Both Kangaskhan were too concerned about each other, unable to bring out the immense strength of the Parental Bond ability.


    Even though the Mega Kangaskhan''s level was already higher than the Sceptile''s!


    As the green light dissipated, the Kangaskhan mother knelt on one knee, panting heavily, and the baby Kangaskhan looked flustered, standing confusedly beside her mother.


    At this moment, the Sceptile shot a brown seed towards the Kangaskhan mother. This time, the Kangaskhan mother remembered not to be concerned about the baby, only needing to evade herself. However, being injured, she temporarily failed to dodge.


    The brown seed fell by the Kangaskhan mother''s feet and instantly sprouted roots, green vines climbing up her sturdy thighs and spreading across her body.


    A sh of green light on the vines absorbed the Kangaskhan mother''s vitality, transferring it to Sceptile''s body.


    Seeing the Kangaskhan mother bound by the parasitic seed, Ilima knew his chances of winning this battle were slim. The main reason was his insufficient training for the Kangaskhan mother and child after Mega Evolution.


    However, a gamble was still worth trying.


    The Kangaskhan mother gently called out to the baby Kangaskhan, who, teary-eyed, nodded and ran out.


    "Kangaskhan!!!"


    The Kangaskhan mother vigorously struggled, breaking the vines that restrained her, leaving only a small part still attached to her.


    These remaining vines would continue the parasitic effect, transferring the Kangaskhan mother''s vitality to Sceptile at intervals.


    The two Kangaskhan rallied, charging once again toward Sceptile, faster this time.


    First, the Kangaskhan used the deceptive move Swagger (Effect: Confuses the opponent but increases their attack), their only means to stop the Sceptile, with full dodging abilities.


    Sceptile fell into confusion as expected.


    Next, the Kangaskhan used Reversal (Effect: The lower the health, the higher the power).


    At this point, the Kangaskhan was heavily injured, with the parasitic seed drawing vitality. Using Reversal was apt.


    In its confused state, Sceptile couldn''t react, and the Kangaskhan mother and child bumped into Sceptile.


    This collision directly incapacitated Sceptile due to its confused state. However, the parasitic seed took thest bit of vitality from the Kangaskhan mother, causing her to fall and exit the Mega Evolution form.


    Without the support of the Parental Bond ability, the baby Kangaskhan also returned to its original form, sat on the ground, nudged the unconscious mother, and, seeing her unresponsive, teary-eyed, crawled back into her pouch.


    Retrieving Sceptile into the Pok�� Ball, Yuga nodded at Ilima, and Ilima, holding the Verdant Badge on a tray, approached Ilima.


    "Congrattions, this is the Verdant Badge. It''s yours now," Yuga smiled at Ilima.


    "Thank you."


    Ilima graciously epted the badge without being stubborn about a fair win.


    "Have you challenged the Petalburg Gym?" Seeing Ilima taking the badge, Yuga asked him.


    Ilima shook his head. "No, I haven''t."


    Yuga nodded and suggested, "Since you''re a Normal-type Trainer, you should visit the Petalburg Gym. Mr. Norman is a highly skilled Normal-type Trainer. Perhaps you can learn something from him. Also, you need more practice with Mega Evolution."


    Ilima genuinely expressed his gratitude. "Thank you for the advice, Gym Leader Shimizu."

 Chapter 1015: Dissappearance and Pursuit

    <h4>Chapter 1015: Dissappearance and Pursuit</h4>


    After Ilima leaving the Verdanturf Gym, Yuga was busy receiving challengers from all over the ce for four or five days. He was indeed quite busy, maybe this was the bacsh for someone who had not managed the gym for a long time.


    On this day, just after Yuga bid farewell to a challenger, he suddenly saw a boy stumbling towards him, crying as he spoke, "Gym Leader Shimizu, please help me find Ilima; he''s been missing for two days."


    Yuga, puzzled, asked, "Who are you?"


    The boy wiped away his tears and said, "I''m Cain, Ilima''s ssmate."


    Cain was Ilima''s ssmate from a prestigious school in Kalos, whoter came to Rustboro City with Ilima for exchange studies. Currently, they were traveling together in the Hoenn region.


    Yuga furrowed his brow, "Ilima''s missing? What happened?"


    Through intermittent tears, Cain exined the circumstances surrounding Ilima''s disappearance.


    After challenging the Verdanturf Gym, Ilima and Cain found Verdanturf Town was interesting and decided to stay for a couple of days.


    However, two days ago, Ilima left and hadn''t returned since.


    Initially, Cain didn''t pay much attention, thinking Ilima might have been dyed due to some business outside. But after waiting a whole day without Ilima''s return, he realized something was amiss.


    After a day of fruitless search for Ilima, Cain went to the Verdanturf Town''s police station and filed a missing person report. The town''s police swiftly organized a search for Ilima.


    Feeling helpless, Cain anxiously waited at the hotel until today when the police summoned him again. That''s when he found out that Officer Jenny discovered one of Ilima''s shirts on the outskirts of Verdanturf, the very shirt he wore on the day he went missing.


    Officer Jenny warned Cain to mentally prepare, suggesting that Ilima might have encountered an ident.


    Upon hearing Officer Jenny''s spections, Cain became anxious and rushed to the Verdanturf Gym seeking Yuga''s help.


    He had heard of Yuga''s achievements and believed Yuga was capable of finding Ilima.


    A perfectly fine person going missing without a trace?


    After listening to Cain''s ount, Yuga paused, called Liliana, and confirmed the authenticity of Cain''s story. He then asked Cain, "Do you have a picture of Ilima?"


    "Yes, I do," Cain replied hesitantly, taking out his phone and showing the photos he took during their travels with Ilima.


    Yuga took Cain''s phone, nced at the pictures of Ilima, and said to Cain, "Follow me."


    Confused about what Yuga intended to do, Cain could only follow him with a perplexed expression.


    Yuga led Cain out of the gym, back to the YoYo Day Care, then shouted towards the shadows. Suddenly, a Mismagius appeared in front of them, nearly startling Cain, who was unprepared.


    Yuga briefly showed the photos of Ilima on his phone to the Mismagius, then said something to the Mismagius, which nodded and slowly disappeared.


    Then, Yuga called upon the Great Flygon, the Linoone couple, the Persian couple... showing them the photos of Ilima again.


    Soon, various Pok��mon hidden near the YoYo Day Care, including Xatu, Crobat, Ghost-type Pok��mon, and the stray Pok��mon under Persian''smand, stealthily mingled through the streets and alleys of Verdanturf Town...


    After arranging everything, Yuga turned to Cain and said, "Alright, I''ve made all the necessary arrangements. As soon as there''s news about Ilima, I''ll notify you immediately."


    Witnessing the sudden appearances and disappearances of these Pok��mon, Cain nodded dumbfoundedly and then walked out of the YoYo Day Care: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?


    It must be said that the numerous Pok��mon surrounding the YoYo Day Care left a significant impact on Cain. Yet, it also gave him some confidence and eased his worries: hopefully, they would find Ilima soon.


    Meanwhile, elsewhere, today, May was still ying around Verdanturf Town with her mother. She particrly enjoyed the town''s various delicacies and, spending these days with Swablu, she was growing fonder of the little Pok��mon.


    As Caroline passed by a perfumery with May, unable to resist, she pulled May into the store.


    However, May wasn''t interested in perfume. So, she sat by the store entrance waiting for her mother. But at that moment, she suddenly caught a whiff of a familiar scent: the aroma of crepes!


    Excitedly, she called out to her mom inside the perfume store, "Mom! I''ll be right over there."


    Caroline knew her daughter well, turned and said with a smile, "Don''t go too far,e back quickly!"


    "Got it!" May replied and swiftly ran over, her voice lingering with joy in the air.


    The crepe stall by the roadside was doing a bustling business. May had to wait in line for a while to finally get the coveted crepe, taking a satisfying bite.


    Just as she was about to leave to find her mother, she suddenly noticed, out of the corner of her eye, a menacing-looking person swiftly hurrying through the adjacent alley, carrying a small child.


    The reason she paid attention to that alley was because of the alert from Swablu in her arms.


    She found the person suspicious and decided to cautiously follow. As she entered the alley, she discovered not just one person but several of the same "suspicious" individuals.


    Onemon factor among them was that they were carrying unconscious children, all seemingly between the ages of five and ten.


    Could these be kidnappers?


    With that thought, May immediately felt afraid. She hugged Swablu and covered its beak to prevent any noise, slowly backing away, wanting to leave the alley quickly.


    But as she took a couple of steps back, she bumped into someone.


    Looking up, May met the fierce gaze of a burly man. Without saying a word, she immediately turned to run. But before she could take a step, the man effortlessly lifted her up into the air, just like holding a little chick.


    "Let me go!" May struggled, kicking her legs, but the man held her firmly, making it impossible for her to break free, no matter how hard she struggled.


    When Swablu in May''s arms saw that its Trainer was in trouble, it immediately screamed and pecked at the Burly man. However, it was only a few days old and its body was very weak. The sBurly man swept it away with his arm, make it hit the alley wall.


    "Swablu!" May cried out in rm, her face filled with worry upon seeing Swablu injured.


    "Where did this little girle from?" Another burly man approached.


    "I don''t know, maybe she identally wandered in," replied the burly man holding May.


    "Let me go! Let me go now!" May angrily kicked and struggled.


    The burly man holding May was getting impatient. He swiftly used a karate chop to knock May, who was struggling, unconscious. "What should we do with this little girl?"


    The other burly man pondered for a moment, "Take her along, one more won''t make a difference."


    The man holding May hesitated, "Will this cause trouble?"


    The other man red at him, "Leaving her behind will cause more trouble. No more talking, let''s go, quickly!"


    He then intended to find Swablu, nning to take it along, but as he turned around, he discovered that Swablu, which was lying on the ground just moments ago, had vanished.


    "Where''s that Swablu?"


    The burly man holding May shook his head in bewilderment, "I don''t know, wasn''t it just here?"


    The other man immediately spoke in a low voice, "No more nonsense, let''s leave quickly, or else we might face trouble!"


    Meanwhile, just after Yuga had bid farewell to Cain, he saw Caroline rushing in with Swablu, looking worried and frantic.


    "Yuga, what do we do? May is missing," Caroline''s voice was tinged with a sob.


    Yuga''s expression changed upon hearing this. "What''s going on?"


    Caroline couldn''t hold back any longer and burst into tears, "I don''t know either. May told me she was going out to buy some food, but I waited for a long time and she didn''te back. Later, only Swablu that returned."


    Yuga immediately turned his gaze to Swablu, which chirped hastily to exin how May was abducted.


    It could be said that May''s abduction was entirely unexpected, as she must have stumbled upon some secret. But what about Ilima''s disappearance? Could the two be connected somehow?


    "Aunt Caroline, don''t worry. I will help you find May," Yuga said firmly.


    Mr. Norman had entrusted him with the care of May, and now she had been taken from under his watch. This was something Yuga couldn''t bear.


    Caroline was just an ordinary person. At this time, she had no other choice but to believe in Yuga. Fortunately, Yuga''s firm tone gave her hope, and she was finally no longer felt panicked.


    "Please, you have to find May... If something happens to her... I... I..." Caroline''s voice broke, and tears rolled down her cheeks.


    Afterforting Aunt Caroline, Yuga headed to the Ecopark. Countless Ghost-type Pok��mon were released to search for May''s whereabouts, including a Mismagius.


    Due to therge number of Pok��mon from the YoYo Day Care on the move, various types of Pok��mon were seen roaming the streets and alleys throughout the town. By this time, the group of burly men on the outskirts of the town began to sense that something was amiss.


    Inside a carriage, a bald, burly man turned to his two henchmen and asked, "Where did you grab the little girl from?"


    "J-just... just from the town," one of the burly men stuttered.


    The bald, burly man raised his hand and pped him, his expression fierce, "Idiots! Who allowed you to grab people in the town! Don''t you know where this is?"


    The bald, burly man suspected themotion in the town might be rted to the little girl the two henchmen had brought back. The other children they had were not from the town and wouldn''t have attracted attention.


    They were just passing through the town and had been keeping a low profile, knowing that the trainers in the town were not to be messed with. They had not expected to cause trouble because of these two fools.


    "Right when we''re about to leave, you go and stir up trouble for me!" The bald, burly man couldn''t hold back and delivered a p to each of the henchmen, who dared not utter a word.


    "In any case, we need to get out of town and meet up with the boss!" the bald, burly man whispered, then instructed the driver to speed up and head out of town.


    Not long after their carriage left, an Arcanine and a group of Houndoom came chasing after them with their noses raised.


    The Arcanine halted, sniffed the air, then barked a couple of times upwards into the sky. Suddenly, a Xatu appeared out of thin air and nodded at the Arcanine before vanishing again. The Arcanine turned back and barked at the Houndoom behind, leading them to dash off.


    After waiting in the shop for a while, Yuga was approached by a Xatu that appeared through Teleport.


    "Have you found a clue?" he asked the Xatu.


    The Xatu nodded and chirped a few sentences to Yuga.


    "Lead the way!" Yuga stood up from his chair and followed the Xatu out of the Day Care.


    The group of burly men quickly evaded the extensive search in Verdanturf Town and reached its outskirts. As they left, an Arcanine, apanied by a pack of Houndoom, stealthily followed them.


    At the outskirts of Verdanturf Town, there was a medium-sized green aircraft parked. The burly men drove their vehicle into the aircraft upon arrival.


    The pursuing Arcanine and Houndoom hid in the bushes, watching their tracked targets enter the aircraft. Subsequently, they observed the aircraft slowly rise into the sky and disappear from their sight using its invisibility.


    However, the Arcanine and Houndoom weren''t in a rush. Because a Haunter had quietly infiltrated the aircraft. The Haunter would guide them to continue tracking.


    When May woke up, her first thought was, "That hurts." Her neck felt as if it had been twisted. After gathering herself, she remembered being captured.


    "You''re awake! Are you alright?"


    At that moment, a gentle voice sounded in her ear. May looked up and saw a young man with pink hair, looking at her with concern.


    Thinking that this person was associated with the one who knocked her out, May cautiously moved back. "Who... who are you? Where am I?"


    She covertly nced around and realized she was in an enclosed room. Besides her and the young man with pink hair, there were many other children in the room, all around her age.


    Some children were huddled together, shivering; othersy unconscious on the floor; a few stared into space with empty eyes.


    Seeing May''s wariness, the young man with pink hair spoke gently, "No need to be afraid. I''m Ilima. Just like you, I was brought here."


    This person speaking with May was none other than Ilima, that has been missing for over two days. He decided to engage May because he had seen her at the Verdanturf Gym before.


    "O-oh..." May nervously replied and remained silent. She didn''t believe Ilima''s words because, upon observation, all the captive children were around the age of ten or younger, except for Ilima.

 Chapter 1016: Turmoil

    <h4>Chapter 1016: Turmoil</h4>


    Seeing May was tense and unwilling to talk with him, Ilima didn''t push further. He quietly contemted how to leave this ce.


    He was different from May; he hadn''t been caught due to encountering these people doing something wrong. He was attacked by a man wearing a ck mask and then brought onto this aircraft.


    That day, after leaving the hotel, he participated in a small-scale battle exchange event held in the town. After the event, he was inexplicably attacked.


    The man who attacked him was too powerful. Ilima had no strength to resist; he was swiftly subdued almost upon their encounter.


    To this day, he hasn''t understood why he was captured. If the men were traffickers, then why capture other children, whereas he, being older, wouldn''t fetch a good price? If it was his enemies seeking revenge, he had no memories of them, and they hadn''t harmed him too.


    This left him utterly confused!


    Meanwhile, Haunter stealthily infiltrated the aircraft, wandering around while assessing the internal environment and scouting for enemies.


    The aircraft was a medium-sized transport craft with a rtively uplicated internal structure. Haunter swiftly gleaned the general situation inside.


    In the cockpit, Haunter noticed an unusually burly figure, a man wearing a ck mask, whom Haunter identified as the main person on this aircraft.


    Haunter didn''t intend to rm the man. Its current task was to quietly wait for the boss to arrive, rather than act and alert the enemy prematurely.


    However, Haunter underestimated the man''s sensitivity. Just as Haunter was about to exit the cockpit, it heard the man sharply exim, "Who''s there!?"


    Startled, Haunter immediately realized it had been discovered and promptly passed through the wall, escaping the cockpit.


    Themotion of discovering an outsider stirred panic among the upants in the cockpit. They hurriedly inquired, "Boss, what happened?"


    The masked man gruffly said, "Someone has infiltrated; find and capture them!"


    One of the men, a big guy, grimly remarked, "It must be Tony and his gang of idiots who led them here!"


    The "Tony" referred to by the big man was the bald, burly man who had brought May onto the aircraft.


    Due to Haunter being detected, chaos erupted within the aircraft.


    However, these people found it was difficult to locate Haunter.


    It had been followed Dusknoir for a long time, but because it had poor potential, it was unable even to evolve into final stage, Gengar.


    Although its strength wasn''t great, it excelled in one aspect��concealment and hiding, which was why it had been selected for this task.


    If not for the heightened perception of the man with the mask, ordinary individuals would have failed to notice it.


    As Haunter toyed with those on the aircraft searching for it, it suddenly noticed several Weavile outside, their eyes shining brightly like searchlights, indicating they were looking for Haunter''s whereabouts.


    These Weavile are using Foresight move!


    When Haunter saw these Weavile, it felt its heart skip a beat and immediately restrained itself, refraining from further mischief.


    After aimlessly drifting around the aircraft for a while, Haunter found the room where May and Ilima were being held. Haunter nced around at the children imprisoned in the room, then used its psychic to quietly open the room''s door.


    Lost in thought, Ilima suddenly heard a faint "click" from the direction of the door. He recognized this sound, as it was the same noise made by the sturdy men bringing the children into the room.


    Seeing a sh of dark purple shadow pass the door or window, Ilima pondered for a moment before heading to the door. He gently pulled the door, and it opened silently.


    Ilima didn''t know why the door opened or if it was a trap set by the others. Yet, he decided to take the risk and venture out. Being confined here meant he''d never break free.


    Ilima''s actions drew the attention of the other children, but their eyes were vacant, appearing quite listless. They silently looked at Ilima, and only May asked, "Are you trying to leave here?"


    Ilima nodded, saying, "I must find a way to escape."


    With a trembling voice, May asked, "Can I go with you?"


    Ilima hesitated for a moment, contemting the added difficulty of escaping with an unarmed young girl. But after several thoughts, he grit his teeth and agreed.


    This girl was rted to the Verdanturf Gym. Maybe they were already searching for her. Alone, it was challenging for Ilima to escape. He might need the Gym''s assistance.


    However, he had no clue about the captors'' identities or why they had taken them.


    Upon hearing Ilima''s response, May quickly got up from the ground and followed behind Ilima. Though uncertain about Ilima''s identity and suspicious of him, she knew she couldn''t just sit there and wait.


    Despite her fear, May, as Mr. Norman''s daughter, was brave when it mattered most.


    So the two exited the room. As for the other children, they were currently powerless, their only hope resting on the chance of Ilima and May returning to rescue themter.


    "Where are we going?" Trembling, May clutched Ilima''s clothes, her face filled with unease.


    "We need to find the Pok��mon taken from me. Without them, we can''t leave here," Ilima responded after a moment of consideration.


    Nodding, May obediently trailed behind Ilima.


    At this point, the two were oblivious to the fact that the entire aircraft was on high alert due to themotion caused by Haunter.


    On the other side, Yuga, following the clues left behind by the Xatu, Arcanine, Houndoom, and Ghost-type Pok��mon, rode his Dragonite out of Verdanturf Town, passing through Lavaridge and Farbor Town, heading east until he reached the coast.


    Seeing Houndoom and Arcanine waiting at the shore, Yuga gestured to his Dragonite tond and then called out to them, "Did they head out to sea?"


    "Bark!" Houndoom nodded in affirmation.


    Shortly after, a Ghost-type Pok��mon materialized in response to Arcanine''s call. Yuga asked the Ghost-type Pok��mon a couple of questions. Following its lead, Yuga, riding his Dragonite, flew toward the opposite side of the sea.


    Meanwhile, inside the aircraft, May and Ilima didn''t get far before the burly men searching for Haunter noticed their trail. Believing these two to be the enemies that caught the leader''s attention, the menunched a pursuit.


    Thankfully, Ilima, being alert, evaded numerous perilous situations with May. Finally, they found a warehouse where the captured Pok��mon were held, and Ilima located his own.


    But as soon as he unlocked the cage holding his Pok��mon, a piercing rm red in the warehouse, forcing the two to flee in haste.


    However, their whereabouts were now fully exposed. Soon, a group of men encircled them,pelling Ilima to fight with his Pok��mon to protect May.


    To ensure May''s safety, Ilima handed over his only Water-type Pok��mon to her.


    From earlier observations through the aircraft window, Ilima knew they were at sea. He informed May that if necessary, they would have to jump directly from the aircraft.


    "If you give it to me, what will you do?" May, visibly anxious, didn''t immediately take the Pok��mon ball handed to her by Ilima.


    Ilima sighed, reassuring her, "Don''t worry, I have my ways."


    Trembling with fear, May clutched the Pok��mon ball Ilima gave her, nodding tearfully.


    Realizing the increasing number of enemies approaching, Ilima had no choice but to let May leave first while he stayed behind to confront the enemies. Knowing her staying would be futile, May turned, taking the Pok��mon given by Ilima, and ran away.


    Panic-stricken, May dashed through the aircraft in disarray. However, in no time, her pursuers caught up. Overwhelmed by fear, she tremulously released the Water-type Pok��mon that Ilima had given her: a Primarina.


    Primarina was Ilima''s starter Pok��mon and his only non-Normal-type Pok��mon.


    Primarina didn''t engage with the enemies for long, because its prioritizing the safety of May. However, being outnumbered, it struggled to fend off several opposing Pok��mon.


    Seeing the imminent danger, the Primarina fiercely unleashed a Hydro Pump toward the aircraft''s window, shattering it. With a swift motion of its tail, it leaped out of the window, carrying May to safety.


    Watching Primarina and May jumping out of the window, the men surrounding them exchanged nces but could only report their failure.


    On the other side, Ilima found himself quickly overwhelmed. However, right at the critical moment, a faint purple mist suddenly filled the surroundings, gradually thickening and obscuring people''s vision.


    "This is Poison Gas! Cover your noses!" echoed the startled shouts of the burly men from within the purple mist.


    Startled by the sudden appearance of the Poison Gas, Ilima was then greeted by the sound of faintughter. It almost scared the life out of him before he noticed a Haunter that had appeared inexplicably by his side.


    Waving a w, the Haunter grinned and enveloped Ilima in a psychic barrier, protecting him from inhaling the poisonous mist. Despite his confusion about its sudden appearance and motive, Ilima realize that the Haunter had appeared to help him,


    Guided by the Haunter, Ilima quietly departed in the cover of the thick mist. By the time the leader arrived, all he saw was his men frantically fleeing from the cloud of Poison Gas.


    After his subordinates reported, the leader learned that the boy they had captured had escaped. It was merely a coincidence that he encountered Ilima.


    He had noticed Ilima''s outstanding performance at the battle exchange event in Verdanturf Town, which piqued his interest and led him to the idea of abducting Ilima.


    Their organization specialized in abducting cildren from different ces, bringing them to the organization''s base for brainwashing, training, and various other purposes. Normally, they would capture children aged five to ten.


    Abducting someone nearly an adult like Ilima was a first. It was primarily due to Ilima''s exceptional talent that piqued the leader''s interest and prompted his capture.


    Their organization isn''t one of those low-level human trafficking rings; they have embedded operatives in various ces. These operatives lead seemingly normal lives, meticulously observing their neighbors or acquaintances. Their primary focus is the children in those households.


    These operatives may live among the popce for a year or two, sometimes up to three to five years without acting. Once they do, they execute without leaving a trace.


    Who could imagine that the neighbor living among you for years might be an operative or an aplice of human traffickers? Even after your child goes missing, they might show up at your house tofort you.


    Once they''ve selected a target, they invest a considerable amount of time investigating the target family''s rtionships. Families that might pose problems for the organization are not chosen. Once a family has been targeted and their child is lost, they''re left without recourse.


    Verdanturf Town wasn''t their headquarters; it was merely a transfer point. Ever since a powerful Gym Leader took office, they had no intentions of making it a target.


    Yet, mistakes were made by the henchmen, unwittingly drawing attention from the Verdanturf Gym, causing trouble for their organization.


    "You fools! So many of you can''t catch a single person! What use are you to me?"


    The leader raised his hand and pped one of his subordinates. The subordinate lowered his head, too terrified to speak, beads of sweat lining his forehead.


    Nobody understood better than he did how terrifying their leader was. He had seen human specimens in his boss''s room multiple times, all of them were the faces of his former colleagues.


    These individuals were raised by the organization since childhood. Those with talent became enforcers like him, while those without were sent out to infiltrate and observe.


    Years of brainwashing made them fiercely loyal to the organization, willing to sacrifice their lives for its cause.


    No one knew exactly when the organization was founded. Establishing such a deeply rooted organization incurred immeasurable human and material resources. The time spent was at least a decade, perhaps several decades...


    Under the furious rage of the Masked Man, his subordinates began a meticulous search for Ilima''s whereabouts.


    However, Haunter was too cunning; no matter how hard they looked, they couldn''t find where Ilima was hiding.


    After some time had passed, the aircraft suddenly shook violently. A burly man dashed out from the cockpit in a panic and arrived before the Masked Man: "Bad news! Our ship is under attack!"


    The Masked Man roared in anger, "What''s the panic for? Isn''t our ship cloaked? How did we stille under attack?"


    The subordinate wiped the sweat off his forehead, "I... I don''t know."


    "You useless fool!" the Masked Man cursed. "You go back and keep an eye on the cockpit. I''ll check outside!"


    The ones attacking the aircraft were actually Yuga and the Charizard. Under Charizard''s Fire sts, the cloak of the aircraft began to dissolve, revealing its charred and damaged exterior.


    It didn''t take long for Yuga to notice the slowly opening hatch on top of the aircraft, revealing a person wearing a ck mask.


    Seeing this masked figure, Yuga paused momentarily because the mask was familiar to him.


    Earlier, Steven had informed him that the attackers of the Nami Trio were two individuals wearing masks��one wore a ck mask, and the other a white one, with distinct patterns on the masks.


    Upon seeing this figure, Yuga recognized it to be simr to Steven''s description. This person standing before him was potentially one of the Nami Trio''s attackers.

 Chapter 1017: Suicune?

    <h4>Chapter 1017: Suicune?</h4>


    Seeing Yuga quickly catching up, the Masked Man chuckled, "Oh, isn''t this the Gym Leader from Verdanturf Gym? Why attack someone''s aircraft for no reason? Are all Gym Leaders from the League is this domineering?"


    Due to wearing a mask, Yuga couldn''t discern the other''s expression, but the tone was filled with mockery.


    Staring at the Masked Man for a moment, Yuga felt a vague sense of familiarity, "I''m looking for someone. Can I take a look inside your aircraft?"


    Yuga''s tone didn''t imply seeking the other''s consent. Since he had already guessed that this person was rted to the attackers of the Nami Trio, there was no need for politeness. They were naturally at odds.


    "Look at that, League''s Gym Leaders have such power. They''re ready to board someone else''s aircraft just like that," the Masked Man''s tone was full of sarcasm.


    Yuga didn''t waste words with the other person,manding his Charizard, "Charizard, methrower!"


    Without hesitation, Charizard spewed a stream of fire towards the Masked Man.


    Seeing the oing mes, the Masked Man''s expression changed. Suddenly, a Aerodactyl appeared in front of him, folding its wings to block and intercept Charizard''s methrower.


    "If you want to fight, I won''t hold back. You need to learn that having a bit of fame doesn''t make you invincible!" Yuga''s unexpected action angered the Masked Man.


    "Aerodactyl, Giga Impact!"


    As the Masked Man issued themand, Aerodactyl''s body swirled with energy, transforming into a swiftly moving arrow aimed at Yuga and Charizard.


    Sensing the overwhelming momentum from Aerodactyl, Yuga furrowed his brow tightly: This Aerodactyl isn''t normal!


    Seeing the charging Aerodactyl, Charizard released a massive methrower, but it shattered into mere sparks upon the Aerodactyl''s impact. Helplessly, Charizard swiftly dodged.


    After dodging Aerodactyl''s Giga Impact, Yuga used his Insight ability to examine Aerodactyl.


    ...


    Aerodactyl (Clone)


    Type: Rock, Flying


    Ability: ###


    Gender: Male


    Potential: ###


    Level: ###


    Moves: Iron Head, Supersonic, Ice Fang, Scary Face, Hyper Voice, Crunch, Take Down, Giga Impact, Feather Dance, Hyper Beam, Double Team, Rock Tomb, Aerial Ace, Brutal Swing, Steel Wing, Rock Polish, Stone Edge, Earth Power.


    ...


    The data revealed by Yuga''s Insight on the Aerodactyl made his brow furrow.


    A clone? What does that mean? Is this Aerodactyl cloned?


    What''s the meaning behind the garbled traits, potential, and level?


    In fact, as described by Yuga''s Insight, the Masked Man''s Aerodactyl was indeed a cloned Pok��mon, possessing most of the original''s strength from birth, capable of using most of the original''s moves, and with no pain sensitivity, unafraid of death.


    However, the drawback is that these cloned Pok��mon are disposable; once their energy is depleted after battle, they die.


    The Masked Man isn''t a legitimate Trainer; he never trains his own Pok��mon. All the Pok��mon in his possession are clones. His organization has aboratory specifically for cloning Pok��mon, ensuring the Masked Man always has an endless supply of cloned Pok��mon.


    Of course, Yuga doesn''t yet know the actual situation of the Aerodactyl. He is currentlymanding Charizard to continuously evade Aerodactyl''s attacks.


    Watching Yuga in apparent confusion, the Masked Man couldn''t help but burst intoughter, "Hahaha... the renowned Verdanturf Gym Leader is just like this! But do you think it''s over? It''s far from over!"


    Saying this, he retrieved several Pok�� Balls, and identically cloned Aerodactyls appeared in the air, surrounding Yuga and Charizard.


    Yuga''s Insight shows that all Aerodactyl data are identical, making him realize that these Aerodactyls are likely cloned from the same Pok��mon.


    Although these Aerodactyls are clones, each possesses formidable individual strength. Combined with theirck of pain and fear, Yuga and Charizard are having a bit of trouble handling them at that moment.


    However, Yuga had no intention of engaging in singlebat with these Aerodactyls. He consecutively summoned Lapras, Gengar, Mismagius, Kartana, and Dragonite.


    The battle intensified; the cloned Aerodactyls ruthlessly fought back against Yuga''s Pok��mon. Yet, Yuga gradually noticed the dwindling momentum of the cloned Aerodactyls.


    With no numerical advantage, as time passed, the battle situation began to reverse. But right at that moment, one of the cloned Aerodactyl''s body swiftly lost its luster, and the membrane on its wings visibly decayed rapidly.


    Witnessing this scene, Yuga was stunned!


    What... what''s happening?


    However, the Masked Man facing him, upon witnessing the cloned Aerodactyl''s distressing condition, showed no surprise because this is the w of cloned Pok��mon.


    "Useless things!" the Masked Man muttered under his breath.


    Previously, when he battled with cloned Pok��mon against weaker opponents, they could endure for a long time. He hadn''t expected that with Yuga, they could only hold on for this short period.


    "But..."


    Underneath the Masked Man''s mask, faintughter echoed, showing no concern for the Aerodactyls'' loss.


    As the first Aerodactyl encountered an unexpected situation, followed by the second, third, fourth... each Aerodactyl faced a simr fate, falling into the sea like dumplings one after another.


    Observing the sshes on the water''s surface, Yuga''s brow furrowed tighter.


    "You better surrender." Yuga raised his head and focused his gaze on the Masked Man again.


    The Masked Man''s intermittent chuckle sounded a bit deranged. "Oh, Mr. Shimizu is really naive, do you think this is over? No... no... this is just the beginning!"


    As the Masked Man''s voice trailed off, the doors of his aircraft suddenly opened, releasing multiple Archeops, and their number even surpassing the previous Aerodactyls.


    The vibrant feathers and scales of these Archeops appeared colorful under the sunlight, exuding a fierce aura. Each of these Archeops was much stronger than the previous Aerodactyls.


    "Ha-ha-ha... Are you surprised? Are you surprised?" The Masked Man chuckled with smugness.


    At hismand, the Archeops swiftly attacked Yuga and his Pok��mon. Although Yuga remainedposed, he couldn''t conceal his concern when facing these powerful Archeops.


    Dealing with over a dozen powerful Archeops, even Yuga found it challenging, and gradually, his Charizard and other Pok��mon suffered varying degrees of damage.


    Knowing that he couldn''t handle these Archeops alone today, Yuga shouted into the air, "Dusknoir!"


    Dusknoir materialized slowly in response to Yuga''s call.


    The Masked Man''s tactics indeed surprised Yuga. Initially, when Steven warned him to be caution if he facing this person, Yuga was a bit dismissive. But, he understood his underestimate him too much.


    Handling these cloned Pok��mon was proving difficult.


    Moreover, the organization the Masked Man belongs to is undoubtedly extraordinary. Putting aside the difficulty of cloning technology, the exorbitant expenses involved in cloning a powerful Pok��mon are countless. Yet, the Masked Man seems to disregard these cloned Pok��mon.


    It''s clear that this organization is extremely wealthy.


    "So, you did bring this Dusknoir with you."


    The appearance of Dusknoir didn''t surprise the Masked Man because they had specifically investigated Yuga in light of the incident involving Rayquaza, and they were well aware of Dusknoir''s existence.


    Originally, he had hoped to obtain some part of Rayquaza, thinking they could clone a new Rayquaza. However, those three individuals who were attacked by him and his brother had nothing on them.


    As Dusknoir appeared, Smence and Gengar retreated on their own, and all the Archeops were trapped in Dusknoir''s Trick Space.


    Once within Dusknoir''s Trick Space, the Archeops became likembs to the ughter, swiftly following the fate of the Aerodactyls.


    Observing the plummeting Archeops, the Masked Man, in an ambiguous mood, mentioned, "Cloning these Pok��mon consumed quite a bit of my time and money. I never expected you to resolve this so quickly. What a waste!"


    Hearing the Masked Man''s words, Yuga found the man increasingly familiar but couldn''t recall who he resembled.


    "However, I''ve recently obtained a new Pok��mon. I was originally nning to seek your Dusknoir to try, but here you are today." Without giving Yuga a chance to speak, the Masked Man continued.


    He held another Pok�� Ball, this one entirely ck, evoking an ufortable sensation.


    With the release of the Pok�� Ball, a beautifully blue-colored Pok��mon stood on the sea surface.


    "Suicune..." Yuga silently whispered.


    ...


    Suicune (Clone)


    Type: Water


    Abilities: ###


    Gender: None


    Potential: ###


    Level: ###


    Moves: Ice Beam, Bubble Beam, Rain Dance, Aurora Beam, Gust, Haze, Reflect, Tailwind, Extrasensory, Hydro Pump, Calm Mind, Blizzard, Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Double Team, Surf, Snarl, Scald, Water Pulse, Swagger, Signal Beam.


    ...


    Simr to Aerodactyl and the Archeops, this is also a cloned Pok��mon. Yuga felt no Legendary Aura on this Pok��mon, unlike other Legendary Pok��mon.


    "How''s that? Surprised? I wonder who''s stronger, my Suicune or your Dusknoir?" The Masked Man enthusiastically expressed, sounding manic.


    "Sadly, this one isn''t the rightful one. If I could capture the original, I would cherish it." The Masked Man continued speaking to himself, disying a profound infatuation with Suicune.


    However, upon hearing this, Yuga breathed a sigh of relief. This meant that the real Suicune hadn''t been captured. Perhaps this Suicune was cloned from some unexpected discovery among the body tissues.


    It remained unknown whether this Suicune, that doesn''t have Legendary Aura, was stronger or weakerpared to the master level Dusknoir.


    Meanwhile, Yuga engaged in a fierce battle with the Masked Man.


    Inside the aircraft, Ilima and Haunter were anxiously searching for May. Despite their thorough search, they found no trace of May anywhere within the aircraft.


    It wasn''t until Ilima spotted the broken window on the aircraft that he realized May might have listened to his advice and jumped into the sea with Primarina.


    Realizing May had left the aircraft, Ilima decided to flee. Climbing through the window, he nned to escape with Haunter. But to his surprise, standing on the sea was Suicune, facing Yuga and Dusknoir.


    Suicune''sbat power had greatly enhanced on the sea. Using Surf, it manipted the tide towards Dusknoir, seemingly on the brink of overwhelming the Pok��mon.


    But Dusknoir was not a pushover. It swung its fist andunched Ice Punch toward the surging waves, instantly freezing them into an ice wall. Even Suicune, standing on the waves, found its limbs encased in ice.


    Suicune in front of Yuga was like a war machine, showed no emotions, even when frozen.


    Suicune held the title of "Embodiment of the North Wind", although the one in front of him isn''t the real one, but its still retained exceptional talent to freely control over the wind.


    Under Suicune''s control, the Gust move its used quickly shattered the encasing ice. Jumping high, itunched a colorful Aurora Beam at Dusknoir.


    Dusknoir''s abdomen, it''s like a gateway to a unique space, it opened like a mouth and devoured the Aurora Beam entirely.


    Suicune had its talents, but so did Dusknoir. Its abdomen was linked to a special space that could supposedly consume even a person''s soul.


    Disappointed that his Suicune couldn''t gain any advantage against Dusknoir, the Masked Man grumbled: "Fakes are useless!"


    "Indeed, the reputation of a Trainer who could take down a Rayquaza isn''t empty praise," the Masked Man sneered at Yuga.


    Unperturbed by the taunt, Yuga continued tomand Dusknoir to aggressively attack Suicune. Without Legendary Aura support, Suicune in front of him couldn''t considered as a true Legendary Pok��mon, it even struggled when confront Dusknoir who were less than level 100.


    After an unspecified duration of battle, the side effect as a cloned Pok��mon, began to shown, and Suicune''s strength began to dwindle.


    Seeing this, the Masked Man grew anxious. He knew that once Suicune waspletely defeated, his escape would be hard.


    With that in mind, the Masked Man called out to Suicune: "Suicune, let''s go!"


    Using a Hydro Pump to temporarily push back Dusknoir, Suicune agilely jumped to the Masked Man''s side. Stooping down, it carried him on its back, conjuring a wave to obstruct Yuga and Dusknoir''s line of sight.


    After the wave dissipated, both the Masked Man and Suicune were nowhere to be found. As for the aircraft and his subordinates inside, the Masked Man was don''t care at all.


    His only regret was losing the captured children. He was unconcerned about whether his identity or his whereabouts would be revealed by his captured subordinates.


    Watching Gym Leader Yuga defeat the Masked Man, Ilima, hiding in the shadows, breathed a sigh of relief: He was saved...


    That Masked Man was too terrifying, and Ilima was still haunted by the experience.

 Chapter 1018: Rescued

    <h4>Chapter 1018: Rescued</h4>


    Seeing the Masked Man fleeing, Ilima that hiding in the dark, immediately shouted happily towards Yuga, "Gym Leader Shimizu!"


    Yuga, upon seeing Ilima lying on the aircraft with his Haunter, was surprised and quickly had his Charizarde to his side. "You''re here too?"


    Ilima nodded and asked, "Is Gym Leader Shimizu here to save May?"


    Upon hearing May''s name, Yuga inquired eagerly, "May is here too? How is she? Is she unharmed?"


    Responding to Yuga''s question, Ilima''s expression turned grim. He truthfully revealed to Yuga the incident of May and Primarina jumping into the sea.


    "Sorry," Ilima felt a significant responsibility for May''s decision to jump into the sea, looking guilty as he apologized to Yuga.


    Yuga fell silent for a moment, then took a deep breath. "It''s not your fault; you had good intentions. With Primarina apanying May, she should be safe." He couldn''t me Ilima.


    Moreover, the aircraft was flying rtively low, so jumping down shouldn''t pose a danger.


    "What''s the situation inside the aircraft?" Yuga turned to Haunter beside Ilima and asked.


    At that moment, Ilima wasn''t aware that Haunter was a Pok��mon sent by Yuga. He found Yuga''s question a bit strange until Haunter gestured and mumbled something to Yuga, which made Ilima realize the connection.


    After hearing Haunter''s report about the situation inside the aircraft, Yuga learned that the Masked Man was the leader of these people.


    He then thought for a moment and said: "Alright, I''ll leave Dusknoir, Mismagius, and Gengar. Let them deal with the remaining people in the aircraft. Ilima, you watch over these people. I''ll go find May, and once I locate her, I''lle back to handle these individuals."


    Having witnessed the battle between Dusknoir and Suicune, Ilima was well aware of Dusknoir''s strength and happily agreed, "Don''t worry, Gym Leader Shimizu! I''ll watch over them."


    Yuga expressed his gratitude, "Thank you!"


    After saying this, he recalled his other Pok��mon, leaving Dusknoir, Mismagius, and Gengar. Then, riding on his Charizard, he went in search of May''s whereabouts.


    On the other side, the Masked Man rode on Suicune to a secluded ind. However, as soon as Suicunended, it exhaustedly copsed, and soon losing its breath.


    The Masked Man lightly kicked Suicune''s face and grumbled in frustration, "Useless! Spent so much money for nothing!"


    Legendary and ordinary Pok��mon were different. The difficulty in cloning them was far beyond normal, so the resources and money spent to clone a Suicune were much more than cloning an ordinary Pok��mon. The cost of cloning one Suicune might outweigh three to five Aerodactyls or Archeopsbined.


    This was why the Masked Man only had one Suicune in his hands.


    Cloning another Suicune in a short time was impossible! Thinking about this, the Masked Man muttered, "It seems I need toy low for a while." His Pok��mon were all wiped out by Yuga and, for now, he couldn''t put together a team.


    "Brother!"


    At that moment, a voice called out from behind the Masked Man.


    The Masked Man turned to see the neer, saying casually, "It''s you..."


    The new arrival also wore a mask identical to the Masked Man''s, except that the Masked Man''s mask was ck, while the neer''s was white.


    Additionally, the white-masked man was apanied by a gloomy-looking Zangoose.


    "Didn''t I tell you not to let this Zangoose appear in front of me?" the ck-masked man said unhappily.


    After speaking, he red fiercely at the Zangoose and turned to leave..


    The ck-masked man disliked his brother''s Zangoose deeply; each time he saw it, it made him feel uneasy, especially the red scar-like mark the Zangoose sported above its left eye, resembling the scar on his brother''s face. It made him incredibly ufortable.


    "Brother, where are the kids you went to get?"


    Apanied by the Zangoose, the white-masked man walked behind the ck-masked man, asking as they went.


    "Don''t even mention it, it''s a bad luck! I never thought I would encounter Verdanturf Town''s Gym Leader and not bring even a single one back!" The ck-masked man didn''t even turn his head as he cursed at Yuga.


    "Oh... so brother faced Shimizu Yuga? He''s indeed a formidable opponent. But brother... you just as useless as your Suicune!"


    "How dare you speak to me like that! You..." The ck-masked man was incredibly angry at his brother''s words and was about to turn and scold him, but his voice suddenly stopped.


    "You... you... h-huh... huh..."


    Blood kept pouring from the ck-masked man''s mouth; after a while, it dripped onto his clothes. He couldn''t say a word, producing a disturbing choking sound from his throat.


    As it turned out, the Zangoose beside the white-masked man had somehow silently moved behind the ck-masked man.


    The Zangoose''s sharp ws were already inserted into the ck-masked man''s waist.


    Bang!


    The Zangoose pulled out its bloodstained ws, and the ck-masked man copsed, eyes open but without breath.


    The white-masked man tossed a handkerchief to the Zangoose, then walked over to the ck-masked man, crouched down, and removed the ck mask from his brother''s face, looking at his brother''s lifeless face, and softly saying: "This brother wasn''t quite good either; I need to find a better recement."


    The Zangoose was ustomed to such scenes and calmly wiped the bloodstains off its paws with the handkerchief.


    Tossing away the ck mask in his hand, the white-masked man stood up, took out amunicator, and dialed, he said, "Bring number 12 over... Yes, right away... Hurry."


    Soon, a helicopternded on the ind, and a group of people in white coats unloaded a cylindrical capsule from it. Inside the capsuley a person whose face bore an uncanny resemnce to the deceased ck-masked man.


    The capsule was swiftly taken into the ind''sboratory.


    In front of a pile ofplex machinery, the white-masked man operated various controls and connected numerous wires to the brain of the person lying in the capsulebeled "ck-masked man."


    Staring at the screen filled with iprehensible characters, the white-masked man muttered to himself: "What kind of brother shall I create this time? If an arrogant brother doesn''t work, let''s go for a gentler one."


    Saying this, his fingers swiftly moved across the screen.


    After some time, the door of the capsule made a hissing sound and opened. Inside, the ck-masked man slowly opened his eyes.


    At first, his face showed bewilderment, but upon seeing his brother''s sWaceng face looking down at him, he gently said, "Brother..."


    "Bro, you''re awake!"


    At this point, the white-masked man no longer wore his white mask; instead, a long scar stood out prominently at the corner of his right eye.


    Unaware of the fate of the masked men, Yuga was fervently riding on Charizard, searching anxiously for May wherebouts.


    After plunging into the sea, May was immediately carried away by Primarina, swimming alongside for an unknown duration until they finally caught sight of a coastline in the distance.


    Drew''s family specialized in the floral industry, and in the Hoenn regio, they had several flower nting bases owned by them.


    During his trip with her mother to inspect one of these flower nting base, he took time to conduct special training for Pok��mon Contest by the beach.


    Not long after receiving his initial Pok��mon Cyndaquil from the YoYo Day Care, he went on trip. Inspired by Wace''s performance at the Wace Cup, he directly registered as a Coordinator after his travels.


    However, after participating in several Pok��mon Contest, Drew realized that being a Coordinator was not as simple as he had imagined. He hadn''t even earned a single Ribbon Medal yet, which left him feeling somewhat disheartened.


    The reason for apanying his mother to visit the flower nting base was to rx and change his mood during this break.


    Quva ran quickly on the beach, leaving behind circles of fire formed by mes along the way.


    "Very good, Quva, keep working hard!" Drew directed Quva''s actions while praising Quva, who immediately performed even harder.


    Cyndaquil, which was just a tiny ball at the beggining, had evolved into the magnificent Quva under Drew''s careful nurturing.


    However, Quva suddenly ceased its movements, pricking up its ears high, seemingly sensing something.


    "Quva, what''s wrong?" Surprised by Quva''s unusual behavior, Drew nquired.


    After twitching its ears, Quva called out to Drew and then dashed away.


    "Quva, what''s the matter?" Drew yelled, chasing after Quva.


    Soon, Quva halted, and following close behind, Drew immediately spotted the elegant and graceful Pok��mon lying on the beach.


    "It''s Primarina!"


    Although it was their first encounter, Drew quickly recognized the identity of this Pok��mon.


    "It would be great if I could capture it!" Drew mmediately harbored the idea of capturing Primarina, not even questioning why an Aln regional-exclusive Water-type starter like Primarina appeared in the coastal area of Hoenn.


    Primarina was very alert and immediately noticed the approaching Quva and Drew. Its eyes revealed a guarded stance.


    Unfortunately, just after the recent kidnapping incident, it was exhausted. Despite being a Water-type Pok��mon, swimming with a person for so long stil took its toll on Primarina; even May had passed out from ingesting too much water.


    Primarina made a slight movement, and as Drew stepped closer, he saw the figure of May behind the Pok��mon.


    "Someone? Could this Primarina already have a Trainer?" Thoughtfully disappointed, Drew understood that he couldn''t capture it this way.


    However, it seemed the girl had fallen into the water.


    "Do you need help?" Drew softly inquired to Primarina, noticing the cautious glint in its eyes.


    "Don''t worry, I''m not a bad person. If you really need help..."


    Seeing the genuine concern in Drew''s eyes, Primarina eventually lowered its guard and nodded slightly. It was clear that, on its own, it couldn''t aid May. If this boy could genuinely help, that would be the best oue.


    Thus, unconscious May was brought by Drew to his family estate on the ind.


    Upon waking up, May found herself lying on arge bed: I... I''ve been rescued?


    Drew''s mother entered the room just as May opened her eyes, pleasantly surprised. "Great, you''re finally awake!"


    "Did... Did you save me?" May sat up, supporting herself.


    Drew''s mother set down the tray she was carrying and smiled, "It was my son who saved you. By the way, you must be hungry, right? Would you like something to eat?"


    Just as Drew''s mother finished speaking, May''s stomach rumbled loudly.


    Meanwhile, Yuga, riding on Charizard, arrived at the ind, greeted by vast fields of flowers and the fluttering Beautifly and Vivillon.


    They have Vivillon here too?


    Witnessing the flower fields and the Vivillon below, Yuga immediately recalled that Drew''s family had purchased many Beautifly and Vivillon from YoYo Day Care.


    What a coincidence!


    With this thought in mind, Yuga directed Charizard to descend onto the ind. He needed to investigate, to see if anyone had spotted May.


    Observing the luxurious estate at the end of the flower fields, Yuga was certain that someone resided on the ind.


    As Charizard approached the estate, Yuga spotted Drewing out with Quva.


    "Drew!" Yuga eximed with joy, calling out to Drew below.


    Little Drew, looking up, saw Yuga riding Charizard and his eyes immediately lit up: "Big Brother Yuga!"


    Yuga and Charizardnded, and he asked Drew, "Are the flower fields on this ind all from your family?"


    Drew nodded happily, "Yes, they are. But how did youe here, Big Brother Yuga?"


    "By the way, have you seen a girl with a Primarina around here?" Yuga asked anxiously. He was very worried about May''s situation. If something happened to her, he wouldn''t know how to exin it to Mr. Norman.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s description, Drew immediately recognized who he was talking about.


    Guided by Drew, Yuga quickly saw May and Primarina. When May saw Yuga, tears couldn''t help but stream down her face.


    God knew how scared she was. She had never experienced so many dangerous situations in her life, from being kidnapped to jumping into the sea.


    She could act strong in front of the unfamiliar Drew''s mother, but as soon as she saw Yuga, her emotions rxed and she couldn''t hold back, hugging Yuga tightly and crying heavily.


    "It''s all okay now, don''t be afraid, don''t be afraid!" Yugaforted her softly, patting her back.


    Afterforting May, Yuga finally released the tension he had been holding: Thank goodness she''s okay!


    He immediately called home to inform Aunt Caroline about finding May. At this moment, Aunt Caroline must have been extremely worried.


    At the gym, Max, who had been ying with friends in the new Ecopark all day, was shocked to hear from Yuga that her sister was missing. After a few seconds of shock, he burst into tears.

 Chapter 1019: Heaven Organization

    <h4>Chapter 1019: Heaven Organization</h4>


    After confirming that May was safe, Yuga temporarily entrusted her to Drew''s mother. He rode his Charizard and returned to the flying aircraft once more.


    When Yuga boarded the aircraft, the remainingckeys had already been subdued by his Dusknoir, Mismagius, and Gengar. They were all tied up with ropes and gathered in the warehouse where Ilima''s Pok��mon were originally held.


    Afterwards, Yuga instructed the original pilot of the aircraft tond it on Drew''s family''s flower nting base. He then made a call to the Pok��mon League''s Sinnoh Region Investigation Bureau.


    This human trafficking organization was evidently a sizable dark operation and fell within the jurisdiction of the League''s Investigation Bureau.


    The Investigation Bureau responded swiftly, even though it was alreadyte in the evening. They informed nearby personnel to quickly arrive on the ind where Yuga and the others were located, and under the cover of night, they took away the aircraft and the individuals onboard with them.


    By the time everything had been settled, it was alreadyte at night. And it was toote for Yuga and May to return to Verdanturf Town, so Drew''s mother invited them to stay overnight at the estate on the ind.


    The next day, Yuga had originally nned to take May back to Verdanturf Town directly. However, he received a call from the Investigation Bureau, indicating that there were a problem in the investigation of the human trafficking organization. They requested Yuga toe over to get a better understanding of the situation.


    The one who called Yuga was the current Deputy Director of the Pok��mon League''s Sinnoh Region Investigation Bureau. Since this human trafficking organization had ties to the attacked Deputy Director Nami from Prosecutor Bureau and even resulted in the death of one of the Bureau members, the Investigation Bureau had no choice but to take this matter seriously.


    The structure of the League''s Investigation Bureau was simr to that of the Prosecutor Bureau. It wasposed of one Director and four Deputy Directors. The person who contacted Yuga was the Deputy Director with the most seniority in the Bureau, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.


    As this incident had urred suddenly, the Deputy Director temporarily in charge of this matter hadn''t been able to reach the scene yet. Thus, the next morning, a Bureau Captain came to meet Yuga instead.


    The Bureau Captain, named Joel, was in his early thirties. When he saw Yuga, he showed great respect due to Yuga''s reputation.


    Although Yuga''s position within the League wasn''t particrly high, his strength spoke for itself. Moreover, the recent incident in Rustboro City had further elevated Yuga''s status within the hearts of League members.


    The ind nearest to the sea of Dewford Town, but there was no Bureau branch for the Investigation Bureau here. Consequently, the human traffickers were temporarily detained in the Dewford Town police station, but they were guarded by elite Bureau agents.


    When Yuga and Joelnded with their Pok��mon in front of the Dewford Town police station, they saw Officer Jenny standing outside, waiting for them. As soon as they dismounted from their Pok��mon, Officer Jenny respectfully saluted them.


    Officer Jenny from Dewford Town was identical in appearance to Liliana, but Yuga could discern a difference in their temperament. Liliana had a more professional andposed aura, whereas Officer Jenny in Dewford Town seemed more gentle and amiable.


    However, because Yuga had interacted with Liliana more frequently, he could spot the subtle differences between them.


    Joel returned the salute to Officer Jenny and then took Yuga inside the police station.


    After exnations from Joel and Officer Jenny, Yuga learned that during the interrogation the previous night, the Investigation Bureau and the police had not gained any useful clues from the traffickers.


    These individuals remained as tight-lipped as a closed mshell, disying extreme loyalty to their organization, resembling a solid wall of silence.


    What''s more, the hypnotic abilities of Ghost-type and Psychic-type Pok��mon had no effect on them.


    Among the captives, there was a small leader, and in their attempt to extract information, when a Ghost-type Pok��mon used hypnosis on him, the attempt caused him to be mentally crazy directly.


    The Bureau personnel, knowing their limits, had applied a moderate level of force during the hypnosis, but it was unexpected that it would lead to such an extreme reaction, driving the person intto madness.


    Upon hearing Joel''s exnation, Yuga fell into deep though. It exined the Masked Man''s swift departure; he was aware that even if these captives were apprehended, they wouldn''t pose a threat to him.


    "I believe these individuals might have been subjected to psychological maniption or brainwashing," Officer Jenny interjected.


    Encountering cases where hypnosis doesn''t work during interrogations was something she had experienced before. The reasons were typically a few, none of which were easy to handle.


    "Is there a way to remove such psychological maniption or brainwashing?" Yuga asked, furrowing his brow.


    Officer Jenny sighed and shook her head. "It''s very difficult."


    "Considering the sh between Gym Leader Shimizu and their leader, we invited you here today to see if you have any other knowledge about this organization," Joel timely interjected.


    "I''ve never heard of such an organization. The masked individual I encountered used Pok��mon that were cloned, including a Suicune!" Yuga exined everything he knew.


    "Cloned?!"


    "Suicune!"


    Yuga''s words prompted surprised gasps from Joel and Officer Jenny.


    Cloned Pok��mon were written into the League''sws over a decade ago due to a deranged gicist. Cloning Pok��mon, akin to cloning humans, was hical and prohibited.


    There''s also Suicune, who is one of the Ho-oh envoy. Ho-oh belong to the League''swful Legendary Pok��mon. Although it hadn''t appeared in public for many years. Its three envoys, however, had always been active in the Kanto Region. Therefore, unless under extraordinary circumstances, it was impossible for awful Legendary Pok��mon to serve as a member of a dark organization.


    "That Suicune isn''t a genuine one; it''s likely a cloned imitation, so it doesn''t possess the true power of a legendary Pok��mon," Yuga hastened to rify when he noticed Joel''s astonished expression. If it had been the genuine Suicune, the masked man wouldn''t have fled in such a sorry state.


    Upon hearing this, Joel finally breathed a sigh of relief. As a Bureau Captain, he was privy to much information. If the real Suicune had been recruited by a dark organization, that would have been an immense issue.


    "Regardless, an organization capable of cloning a Suicune must be extraordinary, and we cannot take this lightly."


    Usually, new groups, whether they''re dark organizations or regr civilian groups, have records within the League. Just like the Team Aqua, which was a civilian organization before revealing its ambitions and faced clear scrutiny within the League.


    However now, a new dark organization that appeared suddenly, with no records within the League, and possessing an unprecedented scale and power, that was a cause for grave concern.


    "The most crucial thing now is to figure out the headquarters of this organization from the captives," Joel said, looking troubled and tapping his forehead.


    "Why not let me try?" Yuga seemed to have an idea and suddenly said to Joel.


    Joel was surprised by Yuga''s proposal. "Gym Leader Shimizu came up with an idea?"


    Yuga shook his head. "I''m not sure if it will work. We have to try it first. Can I meet those people?"


    "Sure thing, as we don''t have any other options at the moment. Regardless of the oue, we have to try to know," Joel said happily.


    So, guided by Joel, Yuga arrived at the ce where the traffickers were being detained. Meanwhile, Officer Jenny went to help the kidnapped children find their families.


    Yuga had Joel bring out one of the traffickers alone and then summoned his Gengar.


    Seeing Gengar released by Yuga, Joel was perplexed. "Is Gym Leader Shimizu nning to use hypnosis? That won''t work on these people!"


    Yuga nced at Joel and smiled. "My hypnosis is slightly different from others''."


    Following this, Joel saw Yuga release another Pok��mon he didn''t recognize. This Pok��mon was extremely tiny, had a golden metallic shell, and its center was as deep and beautiful as the night sky.


    It was, surprisingly, Yuga''s Cosmoem.


    Although Cosmoem was petite, it harbored immensely potent psychic abilities within its body, iparable to typical Ghost-type or Psychic-type Pok��mon.


    Yuga murmured a few words to Cosmoem, and it floated slowly beforending on Gengar''s head.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, what''s this?" Joel looked at this unknown Pok��mon with great curiosity.


    The evolved forms of Cosmoem, Solgaleo and Lun, might be recognized by some people, but its base form, Cosmog and Cosmoem, was indeed too mysterious, not many people know it.


    "This is my Pok��mon, named Cosmoem," Yuga briefly stated and didn''t borate further. Joel, sensing Yuga''s reservation, so he refrained from asking more question.


    The trafficker brought in was handcuffed to a chair, unable to move. However, his eyes were filled with resentment, clearly holding a grudge against Yuga for apprehending them.


    Coincidentally, this person was the bald man who had brought May onto the aircraft. His shiny bald head was quite conspicuous, catching Yuga''s attention immediately.


    "Gengar, Cosmoem, I''m counting on you," Yuga instructed.


    Grinning widely, Gengar nodded in response, disying a row ofrge white teeth and even attempted to pat Cosmoem on its head with its chubby little hand, although it was too short and round to reach.


    The mischievous Gengar retracted its smile and widened its eyes, projecting an eerie purple glow as it stared at the bald man. Simultaneously, Cosmoem cooperated with Gengar, emanating a purplish aura around itself.


    The two Pok��mon''s mental energies quickly merged. Yuga could clearly sense a powerful and refined mental force flowing from them towards the bald man.


    In just a few seconds, the man''s previously resentful gaze suddenly became vacant.


    Witnessing this, Yuga knew it had worked. Indeed, a Tier 1 Legendary Pok��mon; even in its second form, it was not something an ordinary Pok��mon could match.


    Although Cosmoem couldn''t utilize hypnosis, it could lend its immense psychic energy to Gengar, enabling Gengar to break the psychological maniption in the bald man''s mind.


    As both were Ghost-type Pok��mon, their psychic energy melded seamlessly (Yuga''s Cosmoem belonged to a mutated species, with Psychic and Ghost type).


    "Captain Joel, try asking him again now," Yuga said, smiling at Joel.


    "Uh... okay," Joel hesitated briefly but then agreed with a nod.


    Half an hourter, Joel, with a dazed expression, finished questioning the man and got the answers he needed��sess!


    The first try had been sessful. To ensure the uracy of the interrogation, Joel and Yuga together questioned the remaining traffickers one by one.


    ording to the information gathered, these people held low positions within the organization, belonging to the lower echelons. They didn''t even know the name or appearance of their own leader.


    Their organization, named "Heaven," mainly engaged in the abduction and kidnapping of young children, subsequently subjecting them to training and brainwashing. However, the final destination of these trained children was unknown to them.


    Most of them shared the same origins as the children they kidnapped, being part of the same batch. However, they were those who performed the worst. As for the whereabouts of the outstanding children, they were beyond the captors'' knowledge.


    Despite its name, the "Heaven" organization was indeed a hell.


    The leader of the "Heaven" organization was the masked man Yuga had confronted, while the deputy leader was the masked man''s brother. These two brothers were always inseparable.


    Based on their observations and testimony, the traffickers felt that their understanding of the "Heaven" organization was superficial due to their low status and limited ess to its deeper aspects.


    Apart from this, the most useful information Joel managed to extract was the location of one of the "Heaven" organization''s bases.


    The situation made progress, prompting Joel to immediately contact his superior to report the interrogation results and suggest leading a team to besiege the "Heaven" organization''s base.


    The head of the "Heaven" organization had just fled, and Joel was concerned that if action wasn''t taken promptly, the enemy might flee upon sensing danger.


    However, the Deputy Director of the Investigative Bureau disagreed with Joel''s unteral action.


    The leader and deputy leader of the "Heaven" organization possessed the strength to severely injured the Deputy Director of the Prosecutor Bureau and managed to escape smoothly from the Verdanturf Town''s Gym Leader. To approach them directly without n would be like courting disaster.


    But, he also acknowledging the merit in Joel''s reasoning. Once the opportunity was dyed, the other party would definitely run away.


    After thinking for a long time, the Deputy Director contacted Yuga again, and requesting him to lead the siege against the "Heaven" organization. As long as Yuga was present, the organization''s leader and deputy leader would not be a daunting threat.


    Upon receiving the call from the Deputy Director of the Investigative Bureau, Yuga, after a moment''s thought, agreed to the request. He had already be a foe of the opposing side and saw this as an opportunity to bring them all to justice.


    However, when Yuga, apanied by the elite members of the Investigative Bureau, arrived at the base pinpointed by the traffickers, the ce was already vacated.


    The base was situated on a remote ind in the deep sea area, making it truly difficult for an ordinary person to discover.


    Yuga discovered a multitude of training facilities,boratories, areas for keeping Pok��mon, and more on the ind, indicating that the people had just left not long ago.


    Admittedly, the opponents were quite vignt. Even though they might have realized their underlings would be difficult to extract information from, they swiftly moved their base upon their return.


    The siege operation failed, leaving Yuga and Joel no choice but to regretfully return with their team and report the oue.


    However, despite the failure of the siege, Yuga still acquired a considerable amount of credit. After all, Yuga was the one who discovered the "Heaven" organization, captured their members, rescued the children, and elicited intelligence through the interrogations.

 Chapter 1020: Strange Incident

    <h4>Chapter 1020: Strange Incident</h4>


    Due to the situation with the Heaven organization, Yuga was dyed in Dewford Town for a few days. Meanwhile, May was entrusted to Drew''s mother and stayed temporarily at Drew''s family estate.


    The ambiance at Drew''s family flower nting base was delightful, and May enjoyed spending time there. In leisure moments, Drew would take her to see the beautiful flower fields and the graceful dancing of Beautifly or Vivillon.


    Gradually, the depression that May felt due to the kidnapping incident dissipated.


    In addition to this, Drew dedicated himself to training with his Quva every day at the estate. When May felt a bit bored, she''d sit aside, watching them train.


    Observing Drew and his Quva, May would involuntarily think about her own Swablu. Even though she knew from Yuga that Swablu was safely back to the Day Care, May couldn''t help but worry.


    Seeing Drew''s hard work in training, May would asionally contemte her own future. After spending these days with Drew, May learned that Drew was only a year older than her but he had a clear idea of the path he wanted to take in the future.


    How about herself?


    May had never pondered this question before, and her parents never pressured her too. But with her tenth birthday nearing...


    The kidnapping incident this time had a significant impact on May. When in danger, her mind went nk, leaving no time for many thoughts. Now that it was over, she felt a myriad of emotions.


    What path would she take in the future? Would she be a Gym Leader like her father? Or would she follow a coordinator''s path like Drew? Or perhaps be a researcher like Uncle Birch?


    Seated on the steps in front of the estate, her chin resting on her hands, May''s thoughts drifted.


    Just then, Yuga descended on his Charizard in front of her.


    Spotting Yuga dismounting from Charizard, May eximed with joy, "Big brother Yuga, you''re back! Is everything done?"


    Yuga returned Charizard to its Pok�� Ball and smiled at May, saying, "It''s all finished. Today, we''ll return to Verdanturf Town!"


    May''s eyes sparkled upon hearing this. "That''s fantastic!" These days, she missed her mom and Max dearly.


    Yuga ruffled May''s head affectionately and apanied her to bid farewell to Drew and Drew''s mother.


    With the Heaven organization''s matters resolved, there was nothing left for him to worry about as a Gym Leader. A specialized team from the Investigation Bureau was already handling the investigation concerning the Heaven organization.


    Yuga didn''t linger on the ind much longer. After bidding farewell to Drew and Drew''s mother, he swiftly departed with May to Verdanturf Town.


    During the journey, Yuga noticed May''s prolonged silence and asked her about the reason. After a short silence, May revealed her concerns about her future over thest two days to Yuga.


    Hearing May worry, Yuga unexpectedly bing a confidant, he gave May reasured smiled like a big brother, and said: "Your situation is not umon. Figuring out the future, dreams, it''s not something you easily find or rify.


    Everyone''s experiences are different. You''re still young and have time to figure things out. There''s no need to rush for answers right now.


    You''re almost turning ten, right? When that timees, you could choose to travel, continue studies, and who knows, one day you might find a goal. Or maybe tomorrow you''ll have it all figured out. There''s absolutely no need to worry about this matter."


    After Yuga''sforting words, May felt a sudden relief in her heart. Yes, she had plenty of time to think things through slowly, and there was no need to rush.


    Seeing May able to find rity so quickly, Yuga nodded contentedly. It seemed that after experiencing the kidnapping, May had also grown.


    Although Yuga believed May didn''t need to worry about her future, it was a positive sign that May could recognize this. Conscious thinking and aimless pondering were entirely different.


    Dewford Town wasn''t far from Verdanturf Town. Yuga and May quickly returned to the YoYo Day Care.


    Upon seeing May, Aunt Caroline was yet to react when little Max rushed over and dove into May''s arms, crying loudly.


    Although Max often bickered with May, they had a strong bond. During May''s absence, Max mentioned his big sister many times a day, and ying with friends didn''t have its usual excitement.


    Aunt Caroline had tears in her eyes at the moment she saw May safely return, but she couldn''t match Max''s speed �C even before her tears could fall, Max was already wailing.


    ...


    Observing Max crying profusely, Aunt Caroline suddenly felt less distressed.


    Upon learning of Yuga''s return, Ilima paid a visit specifically to express gratitude for Yuga''s rescue. Ilima left the very day he was saved and had been staying in Verdanturf Town these days.


    On the third day after Yuga and May returned to Verdanturf Town, Aunt Caroline took May and Max back to Petalburg City. After enduring fear and worry for several days, Aunt Caroline found it hard to stay in Verdanturf Town any longer.


    Time flew by, and several months passed. Autumn slowly settled in, and during these days, Yuga had been preparing for the Potential'' potion matters. Since he had decided to treat this as a business, he made sure to prepare in advance.


    However, the potion''s business was of big matters, so Yuga reported his preparations to his master, Mr. Kuni''o.


    Initially Yuga intending to run this business independently. However, Mr. Kuni''o advised Yuga to coborate with the League. This way, not only could he gain the League''s strongest protection, but it would also alleviate some minor conflicts that arose previously between him and the League.


    Considering the amount of information Yuga had concealed about Rayquaza, although the League had no evidence to cause him trouble, there was a lingering feeling of resentment towards Yuga.


    By voluntarily cooperating with the League, Yuga could offer the League an opportunity to ovee this resentment, thereby increasing his influence within the League.


    After he though for long time, Yuga decided to follow his master''s advice.


    He understood that his master had dealt with the League for a long time due to his own situation. Although he was highly esteemed within the Hoenn League, his master couldn''t act as he pleased.


    If the rtionship between his master and other high level leaders of the League bes tense because of he blindly protecting himself, Yuga will definitely not want to see it.


    Although the master is still healthy now, he is getting older after all. Yuga hoped his master could enjoy hister years in peace and not be burdened by his affairs.


    Once he made his decision, Yuga proactively contacted Steven, conveying his intention to coborate with the League.


    Steven was left speechless upon learning about the Potential potion in Yuga''s possession. Although Steven was friends with Wace, he had a basic sense of confidentiality and didn''t casually share Yuga''s situation just because of their good rtionship.


    Soon, the League sent someone to Verdanturf Town to discuss the coboration with Yuga.


    The League''s representative was Yagi, the League''s Minister of Commerce, a man in his forties with a kind demeanor and a slightly chubby figure, yet what caught Yuga''s attention the most was his sparkling Mediterranean.


    As far as Yuga knew, the League stores were under the responsibility of the League''s Commerce Department.


    Yagi showed a lot of enthusiasm towards Yuga. At first sight, he seemed eager to be on familiar terms with Yuga. It was almost unbearable to watch.


    However, Yugater discovered that anyone holding the position of the League''s Minister of Commerce had a decisive and tough character.


    After warm pleasantries and mutual business praise, Yagi and Yuga start to discussed about the Potential'' potion. Once the conversation began, Yagi immediately inquired about the potion''s manufacturing method,pletely abandoning his previously kind demeanor. This irked Yuga significantly.


    Yuga was determined not to disclose the potion''s manufacturing method. His coboration with the League involved only the sales process; the production details remained firmly within his control.


    Yagi anticipated Yuga''s refusal regarding the potion''s production method. Upon witnessing Yuga''s unwavering stance, he smiled faintly and stopped mentioning the potion''s manufacturing details.


    Then, the two delved into negotiations about the method of cooperation, profit distribution, and a series of other matters.


    Once in negotiation mode, Yagi''s demeanor changed entirely. His words were riddled with traps, demanding Yuga''s utmost attention.


    After an entire day of negotiation, they managed to reach a general consensus.


    The League wouldn''t intervene in the manufacturing of the Potential potion but would haveplete authority over its sales. The League would take a twenty-five percent cut of the profits.


    Apart from the fixed portion supplied to League stores, there would be an additional portion of Potential potion in the League''s internal awards for meritorious Trainers, that supplied separately.


    As this wasn''t an external sale, there wouldn''t be mary profit, so the League wouldpensate Yuga with Merit Points.


    Merit Points were crucial for any Trainer within the League. Recording Merit Points affected a Trainer''s rank within the League and allowed for the exchange of various resources at League stores.


    Finally, there was the most important reward.


    As part of the reward for coborating with the League regarding the Potential potion, the Verdanturf Gym would be designated as an ''Established Gym'' from then on.


    An ''Established Gym'' designation didn''t indicate the gym''s age but rather granted Yuga the authority to freely appoint the next Gym Leader of Verdanturf Gym. The gym wouldn''t have to worry about arbitrary closure in the future.


    From this point on, within the League, the Verdanturf Gym would have the same status as the Lavaridge Gym or the Sootopolis Gym. You must know that even Mr. Norman''s Petalburg Gym was still just an ordinary gym.


    Regarding the coboration about the Potential potion, Yuga only discussed the basics with Yagi; the remaining details required further discussion.


    After seeing Yagi off, Beidou suddenly ran over to inform Yuga there''s a problem with the Pok��mon in the new Ecopark.


    When Yuga arrived at the entrance of the new Ecopark, he found Druddigon sleeping soundly, appearing not at all like there was a problem. However, upon entering the Ecopark, he discovered only Druddigon that was unaffected by the chaos.


    The entire Ecopark was in disarray. Water-type Pok��mon were restlessly climbing onto the shore, flying-type Pok��mon were darting around aimlessly, and ground-type Pok��mon were moving about frantically.


    Frowning deeply at the scene, Yuga wondered: What''s happening here? Is there an impending earthquake or some major disaster about to ur?


    He quickly intercepted a Skiploom to inquire about the situation. Unfortunately, Skiploom had no idea what was happening, feeling extremely unsettled, panicked, and sensing something calling to it.


    Listening to Skiploom''s description, Yuga was at a loss. He then proceeded to stop other Pok��mon and asked for their experiences, but all gave simr vague descriptions. No one could exin what exactly was happening.


    "Could it truly be an impending earthquake?"


    Understandably frustrated, Yuga attempted to awaken Druddigon, but the Duddrigon looked utterly confuse and bewildered after waming up, notprehending the situation at all.


    Yuga even kicked it twice out of annoyance, but Druddigon, thick-skinned, so its didn''t feel anything.


    Upon leaving the new Ecopark, Yuga realized that it wasn''t just his Pok��mon affected but also the Pok��mon from other residences in town.


    However, oddly enough, Audino weren''t affected at all and still continued its works in shops, but its little friend Wigglytuff couldn''t avoid the situation.


    If there''s any difference between Druddigon and Audino or other Pok��mon, it was their level.


    Yuga releasing his main Pok��mon, and confirmed Yuga''s suspicion. The Elite level and above Pok��mon were unaffected, while others exhibited varying degrees of effect.


    Additionally, the Sub-Ecopark''s Pok��mon remained unaffected.


    Yuga found himself confused by this situation.


    This issue significantly affected the townsfolk, who appeared anxious, fearing potential negative impacts.


    Subsequently, after the problem reported on the news. It turn out, it wasn''t just in Verdanturf but almost the entire Hoenn region had encountered simr unsettling behaviors among Pok��mon.


    However, as fast as the situation emerged, the next day all Pok��mon returned to normal, and strangely, all news reports regarding the incident vanished without a trace, as if it never urred.


    The swift erasure of this event from the news indicated the League intervention.


    For several days, the residents of Verdanturf were troubled by this event, fearing the worst.


    Mayor Ishida had to appease the public daily. The League directly instructed mayors and officials to calm the popce and refrain them from spreading rumors.


    As time passed, it seemed as though nothing actually happened, allowing the people of Hoenn to gradually rx.


    It was only a week after the incident that Yuga finally learned the truth from his mentor.


    It turns out, the issue didn''te from Hoenn but its Kanto region, where someone had been targeted the Legendary Birds Trio, which is leading to the wrath of the Sea Guardian, Lugia.


    Hoenn region felt the impact due to its close distance with Kanto region.


    However, Hoenn''s case was rtively minorpared to Kanto and Johto, where Pok��mon chaos was widespread. The League had to put in significant efforts to quell the situation, aiming to avoid panic.


    Fortunately, aside from Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn, no other regions were affected, sparing the League for further chaos.

 Chapter 1021: Press Conference Begins

    <h4>Chapter 1021: Press Conference Begins</h4>


    Two dayster, Yuga learned from Steven about the unusual events that urred in the Kanto region, were rted to Gillruta, and that Gillruta ultimately meeting his demise in the Orange Ind in Kanto.


    Previously, due to the Ariana incident, Gillruta had been taken by the Rustboro City Police for questioning. However, after it was confirmed he had no connection with Ariana, he was released.


    But now, Yuga feels there might still be some connection between them.


    Unexpectedly, the renowned collector Gillruta had set his sights on the Legendary Birds Trio. Moreover, the Legendary Birds in the Orange Ind were not ordinary; they were the three Legendary Bird Trio with a tittle as the gods of fire, ice, and lightning.


    The wild Zapdos Yuga had encountered before was just an untitled wild Legendary Pok��mon. Even if it were truly captured, the League might not interfere.


    However, the situation with the Orange Ind''s Legendary Birds Trio was different. They possessed the power to cause world upheaval and had a close rtionship with the Sea Guardian, Lugia. The League would absolutely not allow anyone to take advantage on them.


    As a transmigrator, Yuga naturally knew that this matter would eventually arise. However, due to the passage of time, he had forgotten who caused this incident or when it would happen.


    He never expected it would ur so suddenly.


    But even if he knew, Yuga probably wouldn''t intervene much. After all, with Ash around, there shouldn''t be any problem. The protagonist''s aura around Ash is quite something.


    It''s already October, and the various Leaguepetitions have long been ended. If he remember it correctly, It''s about the time when Ash and his friends were in the Orange Ind.


    Even though the League has locked down this incident, the internal tremors within the League are foreseeable.


    As the head of the Rite family, a world-renowned collector, Gillruta''s egregious actions would certainly not bode well for the Rite family. Besides the League''s inquiry, they''ll have to spend a considerable amount of time dealing with internal family turmoil.


    Sure enough, following this, Yuga received news of a change in leadership within the Rite family. The new head is Gillruta''s cousin, and the one backing Gillruta''s cousin''s ascension is a foster child of the Rite family, Milolovid.


    Logically, as Gillruta''s younger brother, Milolovid also had the right to inherit the family leadership. Unfortunately, as a foster child, the Rite family members wouldn''t allow someone without Rite family blood to take the position of family head.


    However, even so, Milolovid''s influence within the Rite family cannot be underestimated. Despite not gaining inheritance rights, he wields considerable power, as seen from his ability to ensure Gillruta''s cousin''s ascension to power single-handedly.


    The previous head of the Rite family was Gillruta''s father. His sudden death was soon followed by Gillruta''s mother passing away. As the sole bloodline to the family head, Gillruta''s assumption of the family head position faced little obstruction. This was also closely rted to his abilities and the excellence of Milolovid.


    Now that the bloodline of the Rite family''s head has ended, the appointment of the new head of the Rite family would undoubtedly trigger significant controversy.


    Fortunately, Gillruta himself was not associated with the League. His personal wrongdoings didn''t affect the Rite family. Otherwise, he''d be the next Bridges, and the fate of the Rite family wouldn''t fare any better than Bridges''s family.


    However, these matters aren''t of much concern to Yuga. He can at most pay attention to external events. His primary focus right now is the coboration with the League about the potion.


    These days, Yagi has been frequently visiting the YoYo Day Care, discussing the details of their coboration repeatedly. At this moment, Yuga is grateful for listening to his master''s advice and choose to coborating with the League. When ites to doing business, he indeedgs behind the League''s Minister Of Commerce.


    Yagi has begun treating the Potential potion as a big project within the Commerce Department. Although the major share of the business''s profits belongs to Yuga, ording to Yagi, the Potential potion have a great importance. Thus, the League must take the lead in the broader direction.


    After their discussion, the two decided to hold a press conference before the potion''s released, and announcing its details to the public.


    To generate sufficient buzz around the potion, Yagi gave a name to Yuga''s Potential potion: "Innovation Potion." It signifies that the birth of the Potential potion marks an innovation in the potion field and implies that the Pok��mon using the potion can gain a new life.


    Soon, the promotion for the Innovation potion quickly went public. With the League backing it, the advertisements for the potion filled the streets and alleys of major towns, and causing quiet a stir. Yuga, the researcher of the potion, became a household name among trainers.


    It must be said that Yuga has a knack for stirring up things. Just as the fervor surrounding the incident with Rayquaza had settled, now there''s the matter of the Innovation potion.


    Andpared to Rayquaza, the Innovation potion is more intriguing and sparks more discussion. Not just anyone can touch Rayquaza, but the enhancement of a Pok��mon''s Potential is something all trainers are concerned about.


    Once the advertisement for the Innovation potion was out, the phone lines at the Commerce Department of the Hoenn League were overwhelmed. Branches of the League from other regions were eager to confirm the authenticity of the Innovation potion. The Hoenn League was now in the limelight.


    However, Yagi is adept at keeping secrets. No matter who calls, he just says one thing: Its a secret for now and stay tuned for the press conference!


    To add weight to the uing press conference, Yagi ns to invite prominent trainers, so he sent invitations to the Elite Four and Champions from various regions.


    Regardless of whether they can ultimately attend, the invitations were sent out in advance.


    Not only did the phone lines at the Hoenn League''s Commerce Department get bombarded, but Yuga''s private line and the YoYo Day Care''s phones were also incredibly busy. Calls came pouring in from both familiar and unfamiliar people, all inquiring about Yuga and the Innovation potion.


    One of YoYo Day Care''s coborators is a pharmaceuticalpany, and the two parties have been working smoothly together on the Sweet Honey sales. Thispany was introduced to Yuga through Joyka, and the cooperation between the two parties has been quite pleasant.


    However, ever since the ads for the Innovation potion went live, their boss has been calling Yuga incessantly, trying to get a piece of the potion pie. He even made more than ten calls a day, which made Yuga was really annoyed.


    With the League as a business partner, Yuga has no need for outside interference and promptly declines any such proposals.


    However, the other party did not give uppletely, he even tried to approach Yuga through Joyka, but Joyka immediately refused their request andter informed Yuga of the incident.


    She had initially introduced them to help Yuga, but now, this favor was causing trouble for Yuga, and she was not happy about it.


    The pharmaceuticalpany, which was expanding its business, had received substantial assistance from the Joyka family. Joyka wasn''t afraid of them and declined their requests confidently.


    Upon learning about this, Yuga promptly cklisted thepany. If not for the existing business contract, he would have cut ties with them outright.


    Once Yagi learned about the incident, he graciously told Yuga that after the current contract with thepany expires, he would personally introduce a more reliable partner to Yuga.


    Having influential connections does make things easier.


    Mr. Kuni''o''s position within the League is honorable, but there aren''t many ways he can directly help Yuga in business matters. In this aspect, Yagi is more suitable. Although the major Pok��mon Day Cares are under the care of the Breeder Association, the coboration between the Commerce Department and the Breeder Association is inseparable.


    Apart from sending invitations for the conference to his friends, Yuga also invited Steven, Robert, and Cynthia, who all assured they would try their best to make time to attend.


    But there''s this shameless Flint, uncertain if he could make it, yet he directly sent his reon to Yuga, iming it was for a "Husband and Wife reunion."


    The moment Yuga received the reon, he was furious. This guy not only swiped his ceon and Leafeon but now even dare to appear in front of him.


    However, despite being angry, as the saying goes, once a daughter is married off, she bes part of someone else''s family. The ceon and Leafeon favor it, even having a child with it. Yuga had no choice but to take the reon in and let it reunite with the ceon and Leafeon.


    And in the blink of an eye, the day of the Innovation potion''s press conference arrived.


    The venue for the press conference was the Pok��mon Contest venue in Verdanturf Town. The space was ample, and the facilities wereprehensive, making it an ideal location for the event.


    Due to the immense buzz surrounding the Innovation potion, the turnout for the press conference in Verdanturf Town was massive. People who received invitations and even those who didn''t all came, resulting in a densely crowded conference scene.


    Fortunately, Yagi was adept at handling such situations, and the event''s order was maintained well.


    The majority of attendees in Verdanturf Town were trainers, followed by media representatives from various regions. They all wanted to get firsthand information about the Innovation potion.


    As time passed, more and more guests and media personnel arrived for the conference and were being arranged to take their seats by the Commerce Department''s staff.


    At that moment, Yuga was in the backstage, cross-checking the uing conference''s schedule with Yagi when a staff member led a woman carrying a camera into the backstage area.


    "Did Ie to disturb? Gym Leader Shimizu seems very busy!"


    Hearing the voice, Yuga turned to see a familiar face. His pupils slightly contracted, but immediately, he smiled and said, "Malva! Long time no see. Unexpectedly, you''re here to join the excitement!"


    Malva collected her camera and smiled gently, "Long time indeed. Did I disturb your work?"


    Yuga casually replied, "Of course not. Malva, the member of Elite Four gracing us with your presence is already an honor."


    Malva adjusted her eyes and said, "Gym Leader Shimizu is quite articte. But today, I''m not here as one of the Kalos Elite Four. I''m merely a regr media worker. I hope to have the chance to interview the esteemed Gym Leader Shimizu, who has been making headlines recently. I wonder if I have that honor."


    Yuga chuckled, "Haha... there will be an opportunity."


    Malva detected the casual tone in Yuga''s response but merely raised an eyebrow without reacting further, instead smiling back at Yuga.


    "By the way, Are the one whoe from Kalos is only you?" Yuga diverted the conversation.


    "Not really. Diantha and I came together. Beforeing in, I saw Sinnoh''s Champion Cynthia and the Elite Four member Aaron too. They should be seated by now," Malva replied with a smile.


    ...


    Yuga and Yagi were making final preparations backstage while the invited guests started arriving at the conference venue one after the other.


    On the stage, there was a long table with several chairs. It was arranged for Yuga, Yagi, and others from the organizing team to conduct media interviews and introduce and promote the Innovation potion.


    Below the stage were the seats for the media and the invited trainers.


    The media and reporters upied the back rows, some even standing along the aisles due to ack of seats.


    The front rows were reserved for the invitees. At this moment, multiple seats were upied by prominent figures such as Professor Oak and Lorelei from Kanto, Karen from Johyo, Gym Leaders Norman and Wace, Elite Four Phoebe, Champion Steven from Hoenn, Champion Cynthia and Elite Four Aaron from Sinnoh, Champion Alder and Gym Leader Drayden from Unova, and Champion Diantha and Malva from the Kalos region...


    All the people with Significant influece from the League''s various regions had been dispatched to attend the event.


    Watching these distinguished individuals interacting in the front row, the trainers and media members below started buzzing with discussions.


    "We''re really in luck today. I never expected so many prominent figures toe. That Verdanturf Gym Leader is truly extraordinary!"


    "Yes, indeed. Look at this. There are four regional Champions here! You don''t usually see so many Elite Four and Champions gathered together."


    "Not only that, even Professor Oak is here. Normally, he wouldn''t attend such events."


    "This is not surprising after all. This event is rted to the League. I wonder if this ''Innovation potion'' is truly as advertised. If it is..."


    "The woman seated next to Kalos Champion Diantha is the new Sinnoh''s Champion, right? I''ve only heard about her before, and now I finally get to see her in person. She''s really beautiful; it''s hard to imagine she became a Champion at such a young age."


    "Indeed, she''s quite impressive. But our own Champion from the Hoenn League is not any less powerful than her."


    "Isn''t this older Champion from Unova usually reluctant to join such events? Why is he here today?"


    ...


    Diantha waited for a while but didn''t see Malva returning, so she started conversing with Mr. Drayden sitting beside her.


    However, Mr. Drayden was rather serious and rtively older, and as a result, couldn''t find muchmon ground for discussion with a star like Diantha. Their conversation felt more superficial.


    It was Mr. Alder, sitting next to Mr. Drayden, who noticed Diantha''s boredom and boldly initiated a conversation with her.


    Although Diantha wasn''t very close to Mr. Drayden, she was an old acquaintance of Mr. Alder. She wanted to keep her distance from the disrespectful old man. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have chosen to sit beside Mr. Drayden and separate herself from Mr. Alder.


    The colder Diantha acted toward Mr. Alder, the more determined he became to flirt with the beautifuldy. Which is quite an improper approach.


    Just then, Malva returned.


    Seeing Malva sitting next to her, Diantha immediately ignored the chattering Mr. Alder and turned to ask Malva, "Where did you go?"


    Malva shook her camera. "I did an interview."


    Diantha intended to ask more, but Yuga and Yagi entered the venue from the backstage, causing an immediate hush among the audience.

 Chapter 1022: Experimental Results

    <h4>Chapter 1022: Experimental Results</h4>


    Yuga and Minister Yagi steadily walked to the table, pulling out chairs and sitting down.


    "Cough... Cough..." Minister Yagi cleared his throat and said, "Quite a few people havee today." He chuckled twice, indicating his current pleasant mood.


    "Without further ado, let''s get straight to the point. First, I want to say thank you to the representatives of various regional League and our media friends for attending this press conference. I''m sure everyone can''t wait to witness our innovative potion."


    Minister Yagi did not say much and got straight to the point. He pped, and a Commerce Department staff member came on stage with a tray holding the Innovation Potion, prepared in advance by Yuga.


    The potion is overall blue in color, was contained in delicate, transparent ss bottles. Under the direct lighting of the venue, it reflected a beautiful radiance, resembling shimmering gemstones in each bottle.


    Everyone present gazed wide-eyed at the Innovation Potion held by the staff member. Though they had seen samples of the potion in posters and advertisements, the impact of the physical product was far more stunning than the images on paper and TV.


    Everyone knew that if the Innovation Potion''s effects matched its publicity, these potions could change thendscape for trainers, impacting the businesses of various Pok��mon Day Cares.


    At that moment, they all understood why the Verdanturf Gym Leader had allowed the League to share the profits from this lucrative business. Without the League''s support for something so impactful, even with Mr. Kuni''o backing it, it wouldn''t prevent people with ulterior motives from making their moves.


    The Verdanturf Gym Leader was undoubtedly formidable, but individual power had its limits. No matter how intelligent or dominant someone was, they couldn''t withstand ill intentions and schemes from all sides without the League''s intervention.


    However, with the League involved, the situation would be different.


    "Take a look, everyone. This is the Innovation Potion we''ve mentioned in our promotions. You''re probably already well aware of its effects from our previous Commerce Department promotions. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask now, and we''ll try to answer as much as we can." Facing the eager crowd, Minister Yagi spoke calmly.


    As Minister Yagi finished speaking, the trainers and media began discussing among themselves, not rushing to ask their burning questions. On the other hand, the representatives from various regions sat confidently in the front row, appearingposed.


    Yuga remained quietly seated on the stage, not uttering a single word since appearing, leaving all the handling to Minister Yagi.


    If it weren''t for him being the owner of the Innovation Potion, personally, Yuga would prefer a more low-key approach. Being too much in the spotlight recently had its advantages, but it also came with its downsides, such as not knowing how many individuals were secretly eyeing him.


    Yuga now had the massive support of the League as a significant backing. Most people dared not confront him directly, but if a direct approach failed, they could resort to softer or more tempting means. As long as the benefits were significant, they wouldn''t be short of people making moves.


    After much deliberation, a representative trainer finally stood up to pose a question.


    "Minister Yagi, can you guarantee that the Innovation Potion''s effects are as advertised? How can this be verified?" inquired the trainer.


    Minister Yagi grinned, "I knew you''d ask that. Providing proof is quite simple." He pped his hands.


    Under everyone''s gaze, a staff member brought out a device known to all trainers: a Pok��mon potential detection device.


    Once the potential detection device was securely ced on the table, another staff member brought a tray with nine red and white Pok�� Balls, rather than the potion as before.


    "I''m sure you''ve guessed what we''re about to do. No matter how much we exin, nothing beats a live demonstration. So today, let''s witness the truth of the Innovation Potion''s effects on these Pok��mon."


    After introducing the nine Pok��mon, the staff members returned them to their Pok�� Balls. Afterward, the Pok��mon underwent an potential detection test in full view of the audience.


    These nine Pok��mon, sent by the League, were meant to be "casually" presented to Yuga as a small reward once the press conference ended. Taking them back afterwards would make the League seem petty.


    Following the tests, the results showed that the initial form of Treecko, Mudkip, and Torchic had red potentials, the second stage forms of Grovyle, Marshtomp, and Combusken had orange potentials, and the third stage forms of Sceptile, Swampert, and ziken had yellow potentials.


    "Everyone has seen the potentials of the nine Pok��mon. We did not falsify any data in front of you all," Minister Yagi continued, unfazed by the audience''s reactions. "Now, let''s proceed to test the effects of the Innovation Potion."


    Upon Minister Yagi''s signal, the staff members released the nine Pok��mon again and administered each with a dose of the Innovation Potion.


    "Please wait for a moment, everyone," Minister Yagi smilingly requested.


    A quarter of an hour passed as everyone held their breath, fixated on the nine Pok��mon on the stage. Unfortunately, there seemed to be no external reaction from the Pok��mon. It appeared as though they had just consumed nine bottles of in water.


    Once the time was up, the nine Pok��mon were re-encased in their Pok�� Balls and retested using the potential detection device. The results were evident.


    Luck seemed to favor the Pok��mon today. The red potential Pok��mon��Treecko, Mudkip, and Torchic��all transformed into orange potentials. Among the orange potential Pok��mon, Marshtomp and Combusken changed to yellow potentials. As for the yellow potential Pok��mon, ziken and Sceptile transitioned to green potentials.


    Due to this fortunate oue, the effects exceeded those publicized for the potential potion, resulting in a greater impact and leaving the trainers and journalists below involuntarily wide-eyed in astonishment.


    Even the Champions and Elite Four sitting at the front couldn''t help but express their astonishment. Even though this potion didn''t serve them much, they understood the significance of the Innovation Potion.


    Especially Professor Oak; he eyed the remaining Innovation Potion in front of Minister Yagi with a gleam in his eyes. As a Pok��mon professor, his interest in the potion surpassed that of anyone present. At that moment, he wished he could immediately approach Yuga to discuss about it, considering Yuga was technically the developer of the Innovation Potion.


    Steven was also utterly surprised. Even though he had known everything about the Innovation Potion beforeing, it was his first time witnessing its actual effects.


    Due to the confidentiality surrounding the Innovation Potion, all physical items rted to it were closely guarded. Other than Yuga and Minister Yagi, nobody had ess.


    Don''t be fooled by Minister Yagi''sck of being a trainer; he was secretly protected by several experts. ording to Yuga, there were four Elite level Trainer from the League who were concealed around Minister Yagi.


    As the representative of the Hoenn League attending this event, Steven was meant to act as the host to entertain other League branch representatives after the press conference.


    The benefits of the Innovation Potion couldn''t be solely monopolized by the Hoenn League branch. Other regions would definitely get a share; otherwise, there wouldn''t be so many Elite Four and Champions present as representatives of various regional League.


    Although there might be asionalpetition among different League branches, the League functioned as a whole. If the Hoenn League branch enjoyed a full meal, at least the other League branches should have a sip of the soup.


    Even though the other League branches could only have a taste of the soup, it was just the way it was. After all, Yuga belonged to the Hoenn League, and each League could onlyin about not having a talent like him.


    Observing the reactions of the audience below, Minister Yagi smiled triumphantly.


    "Oh my, the enhancement of those Pok��mon''s potentials is unbelievable!"


    "They were actually able to raise yellow potentials to green��simply incredible! Does this mean we can mass-produce green potential Pok��mon in the future?"


    "I wonder about the production volume of this potion. If it can be produced inrge quantities, that would be extraordinary!"


    ...


    Seeing that the discussions in the audience were starting to settle down, Minister Yagi coughed lightly twice, gesturing for everyone to quiet down. "Alright, I believe everyone has seen the effects of the Innovation Potion."


    After saying this, Minister Yagi turned to look at Yuga, who nodded. Then, he released an exciting piece of news.


    "As a bonus for those attending today''s conference, we will select nine trainers to experience the effects of the Innovation Potion for free."


    Once Minister Yagi made the announcement, the crowd erupted with excitement. Being chosen meant the chance to potentially acquire a high potential Pok��mon, especially one they had nurtured step by step themselves.


    Who wouldn''t want to be chosen?


    The attendees at this conference weren''t all like the Elite Four and Champions, not having an abundance of high potential Pok��mon. Getting a high potential Pok��mon for free was like a dreame true for most present.


    This experiential segment was meticulously nned by Yuga and Minister Yagi. Although they were giving away a few vials of the Innovation Potion for free, the aim was to engage the participants emotionally. Only by experiencing it firsthand could they get a more vivid understanding.


    Seeing the increasingly fervent discussions among the audience, Minister Yagi tapped on the table. "Quiet, quiet!"


    The room quickly fell silent.


    Soon, a group of staffers holding boxes marched down to the front of the stage, indicating each trainer to draw a card from the boxes. Each card had a number printed on it.


    "I''ll call out nine numbers, and if anyone''s card matches the number I call, they''ll have the opportunity toe up and experience the effects of the Innovation Potion for free," Minister Yagi exined, observing the trainers'' puzzled expressions.


    "Are we allowed to participate?" Kalos League,''s Champion Diantha suddenly stood up and asked Minister Yagi.


    After exchanging a nce with Yuga and receiving his nod, Minister Yagi smilingly responded, "Of course."


    Initially, they hadn''t intended to let regional representatives participate in this activity because the Champions and Elite Four might not necessarily have Pok��mon with potentials below green. However, since Diantha brought it up, allowing their participation was no harm. After all, everyone deserved a chance to participate.


    After getting a positive response, Diantha smiled gently and sat back down. Soon, a staff member arrived at the front row, allowing the Champions and Elite Four to draw their numbers.


    Professor Oak also eagerly drew a number. Even though he didn''t have any Pok��mon with potentials below green, he could easily teleport one over from his collection. He was just too curious about the effects of the Innovation Potion and couldn''t wait to test it personally.


    Dianthabwas adamant about seizing this opportunity because she happened to have a Pok��mon with a yellow potential.


    As is well known, Diantha is not only the regional Champion of the Kalos League but also a well-known film star in the Kalos region.


    By her side is a Furfrou, her long-time partner in films ever since her debut. Their bond is deep and has grown over time, despite Furfrou not being a Pok��mon that Diantha herself captured but rather one arranged by her agent when she began her acting career.


    This Furfrou''s potential was ordinary because it was assigned to her as an actor''s aid. Nevertheless, despite the shifts in her agents over the years, Furfrou remained a constantpanion, starring in one film after another with Diantha.


    Now that Diantha has be a big star, Furfrou''s poprity has also surged.


    Diantha knew she might not be picked, but she wanted to try her luck. Even if she wasn''t selected, she could arrange for a vial by herself��after all, she was the Champion of Kalos and had the necessary permissions.


    Since the Hoenn League had invited them, the allocation of shares to the Kalos League and other league branches was something Diantha was very clear about.


    "Numbers 6, 15, 99, 101, 164, 190, 268, 314, 454."


    Once the cards were drawn, Minister Yagi casually announced the nine numbers. The audience heard their numbers matching their cards and erupted with joy.


    Professor Oak listened intently to all nine numbers called out by Minister Yagi. He was frustrated with his bad luck��his card had the number 245, and none of the numbers matched.


    "Oh well, there are plenty of other chances," he thought, shrugging off his disappointment.


    Diantha paused for a moment when she heard Minister Yagi call out the numbers and nced at her card, which had the number 268.


    She was chosen!


    Diantha didn''t expect her luck to be this good.


    The nine lucky individuals soon stepped onto the stage, each receiving a vial of the Innovation Potion and administering it to their Pok��mon.


    The Innovation Potion had a chance of failure. Some of the lucky participants had their Pok��mon''s potential improved, while others made the trip in vain. Diantha fell into the fortunate group.


    Observing the green light on the potential testing device, Diantha smiled with satisfaction.


    As she descended from the stage, Diantha happened to meet Yuga''s gaze. She smiled warmly at him before turning and leaving the stage. She was particrly curious about Yuga, the Verdanturf Town Gym Leader who developed the Innovation Potion.


    Yuga was surprised that Diantha was picked; she was the only one among the regional representatives selected.


    After the testing and reward session concluded, a journalist raised the most pressing question on the minds of all trainers present.


    "Minister Yagi, how can trainers purchase the Innovation Potion?"

 Chapter 1023: The Discussion Is Started

    <h4>Chapter 1023: The Discussion Is Started</h4>


    After some passionate discussions, the crowd''s emotions gradually settled, and at this moment, the journalist raised the question that was on everyone''s mind.


    Upon hearing the journalist''s inquiry, Minister Yagi smiled slightly and responded, "Our sales approach is quite unique; we''ll be conducting an online auction."


    "An online auction?" Upon Minister Yagi''s response, a question mark appeared in everyone''s mind.


    "What exactly is an online auction?" inquired the journalist who stood up to ask.


    Without keeping anyone in suspense, Minister Yagi carefully exined what an "online auction" entailed to everyone present.


    The so-called "online auction" is essentially a tform set up by the League online, functioning as an official site for the exclusive sale of the Innovation Potion, simr to an online store. Only registered users have the eligibility to purchase the Innovation Potion, and registration requires full and valid identification.


    The crucial point is that each vial of the Innovation Potion avable for sale on the website does not have a fixed price; it only has a minimum price, and prospective buyers can ce bids below the potion, with the highest bidder within a certain period automatically acquiring the right to purchase the potion.


    This is the origin of the term "auction."


    In fact, the sales model of this "online auction" was a decision reached after much consideration by Yuga and Minister Yagi. The reason being the difficulty in pricing the Innovation Potion.


    The potion can potentially elevate the potentials of Pok��mon in red, orange, and yellow colors simultaneously, with varying sess rates. However, setting a price at any stage seems inappropriate.


    Furthermore, Pok��mon with green potentials generally have approximate market prices. Although the Innovation Potion can upgrade a yellow potential Pok��mon to green, should the potion be priced higher than the original green potential Pok��mon? Or lower, making the much-touted new potion seem inexpensive andcking prestige?


    Most importantly, for some, the value of purchasing the Innovation Potion is not solely based on the potion''s worth but rather their bond with their Pok��mon.


    For instance, a trainer''s earlypanion might be a yellow potential Pok��mon. As their strength grows and their team evolves, recing the yellow potential Pok��mon with a green potential one besmon.


    However, in terms of sentimental value, the rtionship with the long-standingpanion is much deeper.


    If there''s an opportunity to alter the potential of these oldpanions to continue fighting together, how much should a trainer spend for this bond?


    Pokemon are sentient beings, and their emotional connections with humans are not constant.


    For some trainers, their experiences with their Pokemon are not diffetent with their family, sometimes even more significant than their actual families, making them their most intimatepanions.


    At this moment, the value of this friendship with their old partners far exceeds that of a foreign green potential Pokemon.


    So, how much money would they spend to change the destiny of their old partners?


    The best way at this point is to have no set price, allowing individuals to measure the price of this bond themselves. Only a minimum price is set, based on the lowest market price of a green potential Pokemon, ensuring a profit margin for the Innovation Potion while allowing buyers to add value through a reasonable bid based on various factors.


    Ultimately, whether the Innovation Potion is sold at the minimum price or at a higher price due to bidding, both Yuga and the League won''t incur losses; it''s just a difference in profit, ensuring gains in any case.


    Moreover, exclusively selling online has an advantage��it allows direct sales to trainers worldwide. Retailing solely through physical stores could lead to issues and geographic restrictions.


    The reason Yuga and Minister Yagi vetoed physical stores was the fear of the conspicuousness of the Innovation Potion, which might attract uwful elements.


    After Minister Yagi''s exnation of the ''online auction,'' everyone understood its benefits, especially the quick-thinking individuals like Professor Oak.


    Following this, reporters began to ask Minister Yagi some other questions. At this point, a journalist suddenly turned the attention to Yuga, who had been quietly sitting there, nearly unnoticed due to Minister Yagi''s leading presence.


    "May I ask the developer of the Innovation Potion, Gym Leader Yuga, a few questions?" This journalist''s query redirected everyone''s focus onto Yuga, reminding them that the developer of the Innovation Potion was right there.


    Yuga, who had been trying to diminish his presence, was surprised that someone noticed him despite his efforts. With a forced confidence, he replied into the microphone in front of him, "Certainly, please go ahead with your questions, sir."


    "Could you tell us, as the developer of the Innovation Potion, what inspired you to create it? After all, you''ve been known primarily as a powerful trainer, and there''s little information about your expertise in pharmaceuticals," the journalist inquired sharply, directly questioning Yuga''s identity as the developer of the potion.


    This journalist''s remarks triggered a thought in the minds of many present: Could this renowned Gym Leader, Yuga, have opportunistically imed credit for the research findings of some unknown researcher? Cases like this are widespread everywhere.


    Upon hearing the journalist''s question, Yuga immediately sensed the insinuation in the journalist''s words. He gave the journalist a sharp nce, causing the journalist to involuntarily shiver, feeling a bead of sweat on their forehead, suddenly feeling uneasy.


    Presently, Yuga''s influence was growing stronger.


    "The inspiration or my expertise isn''t crucial. Today, I am seated here as the developer of the Innovation Potion. Should anyone feel that the developer''s identity is dubious, they are wee to investigate at any time," Yuga stated firmly, exuding confidence. His gaze, like piercing knives, was aimed directly at the journalist, as if saying, ''Causing trouble? Hmph...''


    Indeed, he isn''t the actual developer of the Innovation Potion, but as long as he ims himself to be, he is. As for the three Mmar, they will spend their entire lives confined in the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark.


    The importance of the Innovation Potion speaks for itself, and differing opinions at today''s event wouldn''t surprise Yuga at all.


    Minister Yagi was also furious upon hearing the journalist''s statement. Mr. Kuni''o assured the League that Yuga was the developer of the Innovation Potion, and it''s not something any Tom, Dick, or Harry is qualified to doubt.


    Did he prepare for this conference for it to be easy? This was a matter of face for the entire Hoenn League; he wouldn''t allow anyone to cause trouble.


    "As the League, we can guarantee that Gym Leader Yuga''s status as the developer of the Innovation Potion has been confirmed," stated Minister Yagi, despite his aversion to the journalist. When he spoke, he maintained a smiling countenance, concealing his emotions entirely.


    Hearing Minister Yagi''s words, everyone in the audience silently thought, ''That''s right. It''s a business deal in cooperation with the League; they must have conducted thorough investigations. There won''t be any cases of impersonation.''


    The nervous journalist stuttered out, "That''s... that''s the end of my question."


    As the journalist sat back down, Minister Yagi subtly signaled to an assistant standing behind him, who then bent down to hear a few words from the Minister. After nodding, the assistant quietly retreated backstage.


    Following the inquisitive outburst by the blunt journalist, the remaining reporters were notably more cautious, particrly in the tone of their questions.


    "Could you enlighten us, Gym Leader Yuga, if the Innovation Potion can be mass-produced? Will the price decrease in the future?"


    "At present, mass production isn''t on the cards, and the price fluctuations are market-dependent."


    "Mr. Yuga, how do you anticipate the Innovation Potion impacting major Pok��mon Day Care? Will it affect the rtionship between your YoYo Day Care and other Pok��mon Day Care?"


    "There will undoubtedly be an impact, but the specifics of this effect are still open to discussion. As for the rtionship between YoYo Day Care and other Pok��mon Day Care, I believe it won''t be affected."


    ...


    Due to the first journalist''s questioning, other media outlets bombarded Yuga with a host of questions, which he reluctantly fielded one by one.


    Fine, ying it low-key is out of the question.


    Today''s conference was live-streamed to the entire Pok��mon world, unintentionally garnering more attention for Yuga. He ended up in the spotlight again in front of the whole global audience.


    Taking a lesson from the initial journalist''s interrogation, the subsequent media outlets were more cautious in their questioning. The rest of the event proceeded without any further surprises and concluded sessfully.


    After the conclusion of the press conference, the trainers and media, guided by the staff, orderly exited the venue. However, representatives from various regions remained behind.


    As soon as the journalist stepped out of the meeting, Liliana covertly had her people keep an eye on him.


    Following the event, the regional representatives were escorted into another meeting room to discuss the supply of the Innovation Potion to various regions. The presence of representatives from all the regions was the reason for their gathering today.


    Seated behind the grand conference table were representatives, with the representatives of the Hoenn League taking the forefront: Yuga, Steven, Wace, Norman, and Phoebe. Minister Yagi was absent from this discussion due to other business, as there were no representatives from other regions''smerce departments.


    The reason for the substantial presence of the Hoenn League representatives today was to bolster their presence. After all, the Hoenn League would face representatives from all other regional Leagues.


    Each region had two representatives, except for Johto, which sent only one of its Elite Four, Karen.


    However, today, the Kanto and Johto regions acted as a single entity, represented by Professor Oak, Lorelei, and Karen, who stood for the League Headquarters.


    The Kanto and Johto regions'' maind territories were interconnected. They were originally a single league known as the Indigo League headquarters.


    Even though they separatedter, the league''s location remained the same, situated on the Indigo teau at the boundary between present-day Johto and the Kanto.


    Therefore, it wasn''t surprising that Professor Oak, Lorelei, and Karen would represent the league headquarters at this conference and discussion. Even Lance currently served as both Kanto Elite Four and the Champion of Johto.


    Seated next to Yuga was Cynthia. Yuga whispered to her, "Flint said he''d try toe as the representative from your area. But why did Aaron the one who show up now?"


    Aaron was the Bug-type Elite Four from Sinnoh, and the only Bug-type Elite Four across all regions. Despite his youthful appearance and behavior, he was actually older than both Yuga and Cynthia. Among the Elite Four members of Sinnoh, apart from Grandma Bertha, Aaron had the longest tenure.


    It''s just that the Bugt-type Pok��mon are very limited, so currently the highest ranked among the Sinnoh''s Elite Four is Psychic-type Trainer Lucian, followed by Flint who just took officest year, and then the older Grandma Bertha and Aaron at the end.


    Upon hearing this, Cynthia covered her mouth and giggled discreetly. "He was supposed to be here, but before the departure, he insisted on practicing with me. When I declined, he kept following me. Unexpectedly, he identally fell into the sewer and broke his leg. So, Aaron came in his ce."


    Yuga: ...


    Thinking about Flint''s aloof walking style, it''s not surprising that he ended up in the sewers.


    Flint always considered Cynthia as his rival and often sought to practice with her. But today, he finally reaped what he sowed. It seems even fate couldn''t bear to watch.


    As Yuga and Cynthia exchanged whispers, Steven, seated in the center at the top, spoke, "I''m d that all of you coulde to Hoenn for this press conference and the discussion meeting. On behalf of the Hoenn League, I express gratitude to our brother Leagues."


    As soon as Steven finished speaking, the impatient Alder, who was busy teasing Lorelei, spoke up, "Let''s skip the formalities. It''s not easy for us to be here today. Let''s get straight to how the shares of the Innovation Potion will be divided."


    Most people present were aware of Alder''s temperament, so nobody took offense at his tone. Steven, with a gracious demeanor, didn''t let it bother him.


    "Alright then. Many of you are my seniors, so I won''t beat around the bush as a junior. The current sales method for the Innovation Potion, as mentioned by Minister Yagi at the press conference, is the online auction."


    Before Steven could continue, Malva adjusted her sses and interrupted, "Is Mr. Steven implying that all the benefits of the Innovation Potion will solely go to the Hoenn League?"


    "The Innovation Potion is originally the property of the Hoenn League, so isn''t it natural that they benefit from it?" Lorelei calmly replied.


    Upon hearing Lorelei speak, Malva red fiercely at her: "You again, why are you always at odds with me?"


    Lorelei raised an eyebrow, ignoring Malva''s anger, as it wasn''t the first time this had urred.

 Chapter 1024: Discussion

    <h4>Chapter 1024: Discussion</h4>


    The longstanding feud between Lorelei and Malva has been a subject of discussion among the Elite Four members across different regions. Unless they''re neers, most Elite Four members are aware of their animosity. Even among the new members, many have heard rumors about their rivalry. One such rumor suggests that both Lorelei and Malva wear sses, with the tale hinting that Malva might be imitating Lorelei.


    Of course, rumors and just rumors, and the truth remains unclear, but their discord is an undeniable fact.


    Lorelei hails from the Kanto region, while Malvaes from the Kalos region. Though seemingly unrted, they''ve known each other for over a decade. When they first met, they were both just young teenage girls. Their rtionship back then was far from the antagonism it is today.


    Lorelei has a rich background, originating from the Vortex Inds in Kanto, renowned for its mastery in Ice- and Water-type Pok��mon training. She was a prot��g�� of a master Ice-type trainer from the Vortex Inds.


    Unfortunately, the master was already quite old when she took Lorelei as a disciple and passed away not long after, leaving Lorelei, who was barely twenty then, about a decade ago.


    Before the passing of this Ice-type master, the Kanto League, as the League headquarters, held a much stronger positionpared to the current status.


    Among the living master level trainers in the League now, except for Elder of the Temple n, the Ice-type master had an edge over the others - the Elder of the Dragon Tamer n, the Matriarch of the Vinge of Dragons, and Mr. Kuni''o - in terms of type matchups.


    Though in reality, determining who''s stronger is debatable, for most ordinary trainers, this Ice-type master is considered superior to the other three.


    The Ice-type master, in fact, is younger than Mr. Kuni''o, But the lineage of Mr. Kuni''o has always been known for their longevity, making it challenging for anyone to oust them.


    Whether the remaining few masters can surpass Mr. Kuni''o is uncertain. The youngest among them, the Matriarch, is already over seventy years old.


    How did Lorelei and Malvae to know each other? It''s directly rted to this Ice-type master.


    This master shared a philosophy simr to what the current Hoenn''s Elite Four cia have. That is, they believed that Ice-type Pok��mon need to train in scorching environments to grow stronger.


    Thus, when Lorelei was just a teenager, her mentor sent her to Kalos, where she met Malva, a fellow trainer who specializing in Fire-type Pok��mon.


    Nearby Malva''s hometowny a unique valley with a flowing magma river, maintaining a hot temperature throughout the year. So, It attracted a multitude of Fire-type Pok��mon. It''s said that even Lorelei''s mentor had trained in this ce during his younger days.


    Lorelei and Malva are both prodigious trainers, gaining fame at a young age. Many still remember certain rumors about their teenage years. ording to those who knew them then, their initial rtionship was quite good.


    Lorelei spent over three years in the valley and stayed at Malva''s house during this time. They spent over three years in close association and even nned trips together, bing almost inseparable.


    As to when their rtionship soured, no one can distinctly recall. Before they realized it, their once close bond had transformed into intense hostility.


    The most severe incident between them urred during a joint gathering organized by the various Leagues. By that time, both had risen to the positions of Elite Four members, significantly increasing their influence. Hence, the incident attracted much attention and created quite a buzz.


    The people present at the gathering didn''t even notice how their conflict escted; apparently, it just erupted suddenly without warning.


    Battles between Elite Four members are extraordinary and causing lot disturbance. Hence, the League gathering ended in an unpleasant manner.


    This event confirmed the long-held rumors about the discord between Lorelei and Malva. Anyone that connected within the League is well aware of this incident.


    There are various spections about the reasons behind their conflict, with the most convincing one being their shing ideologies as trainers. After all, one specializes in Ice- and Water-type Pok��mon, while the other focuses on Fire-types.


    Upon hearing Lorelei''s words, Malva instinctively prepared to retort but seemed to recall something abruptly. She furrowed her brows, holding back the words she was about to utter.


    Wace, adept at sensing the mood, quickly chuckled, "Indeed, the Innovation Potion was researched by our Hoenn League, but we''ve already discussed this. In the future, each month, Hoenn League will allocate a portion to each League. These potions will be distributed as rewards and merit values for the League."


    Saying this, Wace gestured towards Steven, signaling him to speak. Steven promptly caught the cue, "That''s right, just as Wace mentioned. Our Hoenn League branch, along with all other branches and the headquarters, operates as one Leagues. We won''t act solely for our own benefit. Today, the invitation to attend this discussion stems from this consideration."


    With Wace and Steven''s mediation, the atmosphere in the meeting room considerably lightened. It was then Karen asked, "Given the case, I''m curious how many Innovation Potions each League branch will receive monthly?"


    Karen, along with Professor Oak, and Lorelei, represented the League headquarters. Hence, Karen''s query also reflected the sentiments of the League headquarters.


    "We are very concerned about this matter as well," added Diantha.


    "The exact allocation will require further discussion. It''s not something we can decide immediately," Steven said with a troubled expression.


    "That makes sense," remarked Alder humorously. "Why not discuss it now? We''re not incapable of making decisions among ourselves."


    "That''s a good point," Drayden, a close ally of Alder, chimed in immediately.


    "This..." Steven was genuinely struggling. While the Innovation Potion was publicized under the banner of the Hoenn League, the actual authority rested with Yuga. The reason for leading with the Hoenn League was merely to maintain the League''s face among other branches.


    "I also think it''s suitable to discuss it now. After all, everyone''s here for this purpose today. There''s no reason to keep dying," Professor Oak supported Alder''s suggestion.


    "Alright," Steven sighed. Negotiations weren''t his forte. He initially nned for this discussion to set a framework and leave the rest for the Commerce Departments in each League branch as they were the specialists.


    Now with two esteemed figures speaking simultaneously, Steven had no reason to deflect.


    Wace took a document from a staff member and handed it to Steven. After skimming through the document, Steven looked at everyone and asked, "As it stands, the production of the Innovation Potion isn''t very high. How many portions per month do you all believe our Hoenn League should provide to each of your Leagues?"


    Steven didn''t immediately reveal the Hoenn League''s decision; he needed to gauge the other Leagues first to understand their expectations.


    In fact, the production of the Innovation Potion wasn''t low, and the cost for Yuga wasn''t too high either.


    However, Yuga and Minister Yagi were afraid that an excessive infusion of the potion into the market might disrupt the bnce. Therefore, they decided on a gradual approach. For now, they presented it as low production, with ns to gradually increase the allocation as the market adapted.


    "Mr. Steven, if you say the production isn''t high, then you must tell us the specific monthly production. Otherwise, how can we make demands? Shouldn''t it be you, from the Hoenn League, who decides on a set amount first, followed by detailed discussions?" Malva was quite displeased with Steven''s evasion.


    When it came to the specific production volume of the Innovation Potion, Steven genuinely didn''t know, and the other Hoenn League representatives present were also clueless. Yuga hadn''t informed anyone about this aspect, not even Minister Yagi. So, upon Malva''s question, Steven, Norman, Fuyo, and Wace all involuntarily looked towards Yuga, seated at the upper right end.


    Yuga pondered for a moment before speaking, "Presently, the monthly production of the Innovation Potion is approximately maintained at around 5,000 bottles, of which 800 bottles are earmarked for online auctions."


    Upon hearing this, Malva immediately suggested, "That''s simple then. Subtracting the 800 bottles, there are 4,200 left. Each of our six Leagues should get exactly 700 portions."


    "Heh..." Just as Malva finished, the meeting room echoed with a derisive snicker, "Some people sure have inted egos. Why should something developed with hardship be shared equally with you? Just because your face is bigger than others''?"


    Without guessing, everyone knew it was Lorelei mocking Malva.


    While Lorelei usually maintainedposure, when it came to Malva, she would explode like a lit firecracker upon contact.


    "You..." Malva truly wanted to m the table but was held back by Diantha beside her.


    Yuga nced briefly at Malva. He wouldn''t forget she was from the Team re. He wasn''t sure if her visit this time was rted to Lysandre.


    *Cough...* Steven cleared his throat gently. "Seven hundred portions for each League won''t work. Let''s not forget Al. Although they haven''t sent a representative, we shouldn''t overlook them too."


    Upon hearing Steven''s words, everyone was momentarily stunned. Ah, yes, there was still Al.


    They all forgot about Al, despite the fact that their league foundation hadn''t been officially established. They were still a part of the league and should not be overlooked.


    Upon the mention of Al, Malva''s mouth twitched, her expression extremely awkward. Even though everyone had forgotten about Al, no one had shown it until she mentioned it, which made the awkwardness more apparent.


    Seeing the smirk and teasing glint in Lorelei''s eyes, Malva was close to exploding with anger.


    "We aren''t here to mince words. Seven regions, apart from Hoenn, will get 500 portions each, and the rest will belong to the Hoenn League," spoke Phoebe, who had been quiet until then.


    As a Ghost-type trainer, despite being young, Phoebe''s presence was quite authoritative, and her words held an undeniable weight that discouraged rebuttals.


    "Does that mean Hoenn League gets more than double our portions?" Finally, representing Sinnoh, Aaron voiced his discontent about Phoebe''s proposed distribution n.


    "Aaron, let''s not forget, the Innovation Potion is our Hoenn League''s creation, so it''s only natural we have therger share," retorted Mr. Norman sharply.


    At this point, most had discerned the n of the Hoenn delegation. Besides Yuga, both Steven and Wace seemed to be ying the good guys, while Phoebe and Norman were handling the tougher stance.


    Being astute individuals, once Norman spoke up, everyone guessed the intentions of the Hoenn League.


    "Norman, you can''t put it that way. Don''t your Hoenn is already have the big share of the online auction profits? we have no share in that," surprisingly stern, Alder spoke up.


    Phoebe immediately rolled her eyes at thisment: The biggest chunk of the profits is not us.


    Alder, sharp-eyed, quickly noticed Phoebe''s expression and jokingly said, "Phoebe, is there something you''re unhappy about regarding me?"


    Phoebe: "..."


    "No, no, Mr. Alder, please don''t overthink it."


    While the representatives of the different league branches actively advocated for more portions for their factions, the ones representing the League Headquarters��Professor Oak, Lorelei, and Karen��remained steadfast and unyielding.


    "When everyone was in the heat of the argument, Professor Oak finally spoke up: ''You know, I think the distribution n proposed by Phoebe seems quite reasonable.''


    With Professor Oak''s statement, everyone fell silent.


    As the representative of the League Headquarters, the key figure of the Kanto League, and a pseudo-Master level trainer, Professor Oak''s words held significant weight that no one could ignore.


    ''''I also find it reasonable,'''' added Lorelei.


    ''''I have no objections either,'''' agreed Karen, in line with her two teammates.


    With the League Headquarters taking a stand, everyone had no more words to say. Regardless of any discontent they might harbor, they had to bear it as the Headquarters had spoken.


    However, everyone was puzzled about why the Headquarters had so easily relented. While the difference between 500, 600, and 700 portions per month might seem small, it umted significantly over a year.


    As everyone remained bewildered, Professor Oak chuckled and turned his gaze toward Yuga, who was seated at the corner. ''''Little Yuga, you''re truly remarkable in developing such an extraordinary potion. Your talent is exceptional.''''


    Yuga: ...Why is the spotlight suddenly on me? And that "Little Yuga"... If he remember it correctly, weren''t you calling me differently before?


    ''''No, no, you''re too kind,'''' Yuga hurriedly replied, modestly.


    ''''Actually, I saw something special in you the first time I met you. It''s seems my observation was right,'''' continued Professor Oak, smiling slyly at Yuga.


    Seeing Yuga''s baffled expression, Lorelei and Karen, exchanged amused nces, and both trying to suppress theirughter.


    Professor Oak''s sly grin made Yuga feel like he was being watched by something.


    ''''Professor Oak, if you have something to say, please be direct. This feels a bit ufortable for me,'''' Yuga rubbed his arm, feeling slightly uneasy.


    Professor Oak, on hearing this, abandoned the yful expression. ''''Alright then, I''ll be direct.''

 Chapter 1025: Tyranitar and Kammo-o

    <h4>Chapter 1025: Tyranitar and Kammo-o</h4>


    "Yuga, tell me the truth. Is the production of the Innovation Potion more than what you''ve said?" Professor Oak looked at Yuga with a knowing expression.


    Yuga: ...


    "Professor, what are you saying? I''m telling the truth! I wouldn''t dare to deceive you." Yuga responded nervously.


    "Really? Is the production of the Innovation Potion more than that?"


    "If there''s more, just share it with us, no need to conceal it."


    ...


    Listening to Professor Oak''s words, the League representatives present began discussing discontentedly.


    p, p, p!


    "Quiet!" Professor Oak forcefully tapped the table, silencing the room.


    "Yuga, you need not hide from me. Your master has shared some things with me. Don''t worry, we''re not thieves; we won''t let you lose out.


    Here''s the deal: the allocations to each region will remain unchanged. I have no issue with the portion for our Headquarters, but I propose a different trade with you on behalf of the Headquarters."


    Yuga: ...Never expected my master to y me like this.


    "Uh... I wonder what the alternative trade that the Professor mentioned is..."


    Upon Yuga''s response, Professor Oak smiled and looked at Karen. After her nod, he stood up and said, "Here''s the deal: on behalf of the League Headquarters, we propose exchanging fifteen Larvitar, eight Pupitar, and a pair of Tyranitar each month for a portion of 500 bottles of the Innovation Potion."


    Upon Karen''s words, not only was Yuga astonished by the Headquarters'' boldness, but everyone present was also taken aback.


    Fifteen Larvitar, eight Pupitar, along with a pair of Tyranitar, that''s a total of twenty-five pseudo-legendary Pok��mon. Only the League Headquarters could make such an extravagant offer!


    "Great, great! I knew why your Headquarters so easily relented; It''s turns out, there''s a n! Are you taking advantage of us as the other branches can''t produce this many pseudo-legendary Pok��mon?!"


    Mr. Alder immediately stood up with a loud voice, expressing strong dissatisfaction with the Headquarters'' unfair behavior, saying what others dared not.


    Indeed, among all regions, only the Headquarters could offer suchrge number of pseudo-legendary Pok��mon because the Headquarters controlled thergest habitat of Tyranitar, Pupitar, and Larvitar��Mt. Silver.


    Mt. Silver was home to numerous Larvitar, Pupitar, and Tyranitar, and the League strictly regted the entire mountain. Each year, many forest rangers worked within Mt. Silver, ensuring no outsiders would ever encroach on it.


    Countless Pok��mon poachers had attempted to set their sights on Mt. Silver over the years, but all were driven away.


    Why was the League Headquarters the headquarters? Mt. Silver was one of its greatest assets.


    Despite the famous Dragon Tamers n who breeding Dragonite and the Vige of Dragons raising Hydreigon, whenpared to the League''s Mt. Silver, they paled in significance.


    After Mr. Alder''sint, Professor Oak rolled his eyes and calmly stated, "Is there a problem? We at the Headquarters are reasonable and won''t make things difficult for a younger generation. Alongside the fixed allocation, we''re suggesting a mutually beneficial trade. What''s wrong with that?"


    Mr. Alder was rendered speechless for a moment, realizing indeed there wasn''t much wrong.


    "You''re exploiting the situation. I know exactly what you''re up to. Twenty-five pseudo-legendary might seem impressive, but you''ve secured a constant supply of the Innovation Potion. You''re really cunning, aren''t you? Did your Mt. Silver''s Tyranitar nest get emptied by you? You''re so generous!"


    Mr. Alder banged the table, appearing extremely angry, almost directly scolding Professor Oak.


    Certainly, twenty-five pseudo-legendary were a big offer, butpared to a constant supply of green potential Pok��mon, they seemed less noteworthy.


    Pseudo-legendary Pok��mon, no matter how good, were limited in number and in their breeding cost, making them impossible to widely distribute. To truly strengthen the League, arge number ofmon Pok��mon was the way forward.


    Mr. Alder and Professor Oak were from the same generations. Even though Mr. Alder didn''t fare as well as Professor Oak, he had contributed significantly to the League, hence he could speak without restraint.


    The other representatives looked at each other, not knowing how to intervene in this senior argument. As juniors, they had no ce in this senior dispute.


    Professor Oak didn''t take Mr. Alder''s words seriously and continued provoking him, "Whether we''ve emptied Mt. Silver or not, if the Unova Leagues has the capability, why don''t they do the same? We didn''t hindered you to make the dame trade as us." Was it possible to empty Mt. Silver? Clearly not, after years of conservation, there had to be some reserves.


    "You... you..." Mr. Alder pointed at Professor Oak, his voice trembling. He was clearly very angry. If they had the conditions, why would he be saying all this!


    At this moment, Mr. Drayden pulled Mr. Alder''s sleeve, signaling him to calm down.


    Among all the representatives present, only Mr. Drayden was of a simr generation to both Professor Oak and Mr. Alder.


    Mr. Alder was very respecting to his old friends, so he sat back down, still fuming, refusing to look at Professor Oak.


    Of course, Professor Oak paid no heed to Mr. Alder''s reaction.


    "Professor Oak, while the branches and Headquarters have always been closely linked, isn''t this move a bit unfavorable?" Kalos representative Diantha stood up with a concerned expression. Her tone was gentle, not aggressive.


    "Miss Diantha, what you said isn''t entirely correct. While the branches and Headquarters are closely linked, if the branches want to develop, they must rely on their independence and self-sufficiency. How can they always depend on the Headquarters for support?" Karen countered.


    Diantha: ...That''s what I meant by "independence," "self-sufficiency," "support," and such... It''s a bit too much, isn''t it...


    However, Diantha wasn''t thick-skinned and unwilling to be the leader among other Leagues, so she sat back down.


    "The people from the Headquarters are quite temperamental. Diantha is a Champion of Kalos region, but some people can spoken to her without any etiquette," defended herpanion, Malva, who was visibly unhappy with Lorelei, followed by a stern rebuke.


    The representative from the Sinnoh region, Aaron, wanted to say something but was halted by Cynthia.


    Yuga watched the ongoing arguments below but had no intention to stop them. In the end, they were all fighting for their Leagues'' maximum benefits. Despite the current dispute resembling a cockfight, who know how good their rtionships behind the scenes is?


    Moreover, he found the deal proposed by Professor Oak very tempting.


    Simr to Mr. Alder''s words, Yuga did seem to be at a disadvantage in this deal. However, he didn''t want to nitpick. The fact that providing an allocation of the Innovation Potion for the League would bring corresponding des was noteworthy. Besides, the allure of pseudo-legendary Pok��mon itself was enough.


    Yuga needed the corresponding breeding Pok��mon to develop more pseudo-legendary.


    Though interested in the conditions offered by the League Headquarters, Yuga couldn''t make an immediate decision. He had to consider the sentiments of the other League branches. Thus, the meeting adjourned halfway through.


    After the meeting, the League representatives didn''t depart immediately but temporarily stayed in the Verdanturf Town.


    The discussions needed to continue as the matter of the Innovation Potion was crucial, significantly impacting the League''s future development. Hence, no one dared to be negligent.


    Following the initial discussion, a representative sent by Minister Yagi approached Yuga and informed him that the journalist who made the inappropriate remarks during the conference had disappeared.


    Given the context of the conference organized by the League, the journalists present were expected to show respect, so Minister Yagi suspected something amiss and had someone follow them right after the event.


    Surprisingly, the journalist vanished when their monitor briefly lost sight of them and couldn''t be found despite thorough searches.


    The media invited to the conference had been prearranged by the Ministry ofmerce, making it easy to identify each journalist''s affiliation.


    The journalist who made inappropriate remarks bore the logo of a particr newspaper on their clothing, and Minister Yagi contacted the newspaper for an inquiry. However, the newspaper denied sending any reporter by that description.


    It was evident someone was impersonating the missing journalist. Where did the original reporter from the newspaper go?


    With the disappearance of the person, Minister Yagi had to hand over the follow-up investigation to the police.


    After hearing the report from the staff sent by Minister Yagi, Yuga dispatched his Day Care''s patrolling Pok��mon to locate the journalist. However, their efforts bore no fruit, and that fake journalist had likely already left Verdanturf Town.


    Three dayster, the authorities discovered the body of a journalist from the news agency in an abandoned warehouse in Verdanturf Town. But that''s another story, as on the second day of the initial discussion meeting, representatives from the Al region arrived.


    The Al representatives were none other than the renowned Pok��mon Professor Kukui and the Headmaster of the Pok��mon School, Samson Oak.


    Professor Kukui was highly regarded by the League Headquarters and yed a crucial role in establishing the Al branch of the Pok��mon League.


    Headmaster Samson Oak was the paternal cousin of Professor Oak and had long been established in the Al region. He also an expert in Pok��mon regional forms.


    The Pok��mon''s regional forms is a prevalent phenomenon in the Al region, such as Dark and Normal-type Rattata and Raticate, Raichu with Electric and Psychic-type, Ice and Steel-type Sandshrew and Sandsh, Diglet and Dugtrio with Ground and Steel-type... are everywhere, and Samson Oak is the most authoritative expert in this field.


    The Al region representatives arrivedter than those from other League branchs due to their area not having an established branch yet, and the fact that their journey from the Al region to Hoenn region was quiet far away.


    The infrastructure in the Al region was rtively underdeveloped, including transportation. Although the League hadmissioned the Aether Foundation to expedite the region''s development, the scale of the project meant visible progress would take time.


    Upon their arrival in Verdanturf Town, the second round of discussionsmenced.


    The arrival of the Al representatives led Mr. Alder and others to believe they had received reinforcements and anticipated Al''s support in opposing the Headquarters'' "bribery" of Yuga. However, to their surprise, the Al representatives had simr intentions with the Headquarters.


    "We, from Al, intend to exchange an additional allocation of 200 bottles of Innovation Potion monthly, using ten Jangmo-o and a pair of Kammo-o," announced Professor Kukui awkwardly to the gathering.


    "You...you...you''re bullying us!" Mr. Alder nearly shouted himself hoarse. "You actually switched sides."


    The Al region presenting arge number of Jangmo-o and Kammo-o caught the other League representatives off guard.


    Professor Kukui: "...In Al, we discovered the habitat of a Kommo-o a long time ago, but kept it under wraps, hoping to use it as a trump card for the new Al League. Unfortunately, ns changed, and now we can only present the Jangmo-o and Kommo-o for more benefits."


    "Why are we bullying you? If you can''t produce something, why do you forbid us from doing so? What kind of logic is that?" Headmaster Samson Oak expressed his discontent with Alder''s behavior.


    Alder angrily pointed at Headmaster Samson Oak, "I see it now, you two brothers are cut from the same cloth, both deceitful!"


    Seeing Alder losing hisposure, Mr. Drayden quickly ushered him to sit down, whispering, "Calm down a bit, don''t get so worked up."


    As Alder sat down, Headmaster Samson Oak stated, "Alder, you''re not young anymore. Its seems these years of idleness have made your temper even worse. It''s better to take things easy usually, or you might end up in a bad state due to stress."


    (�s�F��)�sAlder.


    Before Alder could erupt, Professor Oak immediately intervened to lighten the mood, "Alright, alright, let''s not provoke each other, Samson Oak, say a little less. Alder, don''t get so worked up, notice how the younger people are quiet; you should learn from them more."


    Alder, growing increasingly infuriated: "Are you sure you''re not biased?"


    Other representatives: We wanted to speak but found it hard, after all, you are all older than us.


    In the end, the other League representatives couldn''t overpower the Headquarters due to Al''s alignment, and the matter was settled quickly.


    However, Yuga didn''t fullyply with the terms proposed by the Headquarters and Al. The Headquarters needed to keep the quantity of Larvitar, Pupitar, and Tyranitar still the same, while Yuga''s supply dropped from 500 to 300.


    Although Yuga could indeed provide the 500 bottle quantity, they didn''t want to give the Headquarters too much leeway and provided some reassurance to the other League branchs.


    Al followed suit, keeping the quantity of Jangmo-o and Kommo-o still the same but decreasing the allocation of Innovation Potion from 200 to 100 bottles.

 Chapter 1026: Distribution Departement

    <h4>Chapter 1026: Distribution Departement</h4>


    After finalizing the allocation of the Innovation Potion among the various regional Leagues during the discussion meeting, the next steps involved signing agreements and following various procedures to solidify the matter. There were numerous detailed tasks that needed attention.


    The day after the second round of discussions, Yuga, in the presence of League representatives, signed contracts with the various League branches, pledging to provide them with a fixed amount of Innovation Potion every month.


    The signing process was again somewhat unpleasant. Besides the Headquarters and Al representatives, most other regional League branches expressed some dissatisfaction, feeling neglected by the Headquarters in their treatment.


    Despite this, the matter was set in stone, and everyone could only grumble about it without further recourse.


    Following the contract signing, the League representatives hurriedly left Verdanturf Town, carrying their respective contracts, and didn''t linger much in the town. Even the representatives from the Hoenn League, including Steven and hispanions, departed in a hurry.


    As for the Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon promised by the Headquarters and Al, it would be sent to the YoYo Day Care after the first batch of Innovation Potion reached the Headquarters and Al.


    In reality, the YoYo Day Care benefited the most from this negotiation. Since Yuga belonged to the Hoenn League, they received an increased allocation of the Innovation Potion without having to spend a single penny. This made them appear quite esteemed in front of the other League branches and the Headquarters.


    Yuga was a native of Hoenn, not only apprenticed under Mr. Kuni''o, a prominent figure in Hoenn but also served as a Gym Leader in the Hoenn League. Other Leagues found it impossible to establish any rtionship with Yuga due to his connections, reluctantly acknowledging their own League''s shorings. This was just because their League members were notpetitive enough.


    It could be said that due to the Innovation Potion matter, Yuga obtained a kind of ''get out of jail free'' card. As long as he didn''tmit any significant ethical mistakes, the Hoenn League wouldrgely support Yuga in the future.


    This was a form of privilege.


    The birth of the Innovation Potion promised a continuous output of high potential Pok��mon resources for the League, which was vital for the future development of the League''s military force. The significance of this was self-evident.


    Also because, the importance of this event was so big that''s why Mr. Kuni''o had previously suggested Yuga to cooperate with the League.


    This business could only sustain itself for the long term with the backing of the League. Otherwise, no one could guarantee when the Innovation Potion might attract unwanted attention.


    Once the representatives of the League branches departed, Yuga immediately went to the Pok��mon Center and found Joyka.


    Upon seeing Yuga, Joyka smiled and said, "What brings this busy bee here?"


    During the time of the press conference and the discussion meeting, Yuga had been extremely upied and hadn''t visited the Pok��mon Center even once. It was no wonder that Joyka appeared surprised when Yuga finally showed up.


    "I came here today to discuss something with you," Yuga said in a low voice to Joyka, "I want to make a deal with the Joy family."


    Upon hearing this, Joyka nced surprisedly at Yuga and then whispered, "Come with me." She led Yuga into the studio behind the Pok��mon Center.


    "Tell me, what exactly is it?" Joyka inquired, puzzled.


    "I want to exchange some Chansey with the Joy family," Yuga said after a brief moment of contemtion.


    The reason Yuga wanted to exchange Chansey with the Joy family was rted to the production of the Innovation Potion.


    The significance of the Innovation Potion was quiet big; each month, various League branches required a significant quantity of it. Yuga couldn''t solely rely on Mmar and two Meowstic to produce the potion��they didn''t have enough time and were overwhelmed. Moreover, hiring external individuals to craft the potion was not safe.


    This is why he considered obtaining Chansey from the Joy family, especially ones that were trained in medicinal and potion-making knowledge. With a little additional training, they could assist in the production of the Innovation Potion.


    Having enough Chansey would allow Yuga to create arge quantity of the Innovation Potion in a short time.


    Through Nurturing by three Mmar, the Haunted Manasion Sub-Ecopark was now home to a vast number of faintly glowing organisms, providing sufficient materials for the production of the Innovation Potion.


    "Are you looking to exchange our family''s Chansey?" Joyka widened her eyes slightly. "What are you offering in return? Our family''s Chansey are never traded to outsiders."


    The Chansey from the Joy family were highly valued and hardly ever exchanged outside, except for special circumstances. Yuga''s request for an exchange was nearly impossible.


    "Innovation Potion!" Yuga pronounced each word with emphasis.


    Joyka fell silent immediately upon hearing these words.


    If anything else might not be tradable for the Joy family''s Chansey, the Innovation Potion, on the other hand, was definitely possible. Those who were observant knew the power of the Innovation Potion. However, constrained by the League, no one dared to reach out to Yuga for it.


    Due to the live broadcast of the press conference a few days earlier, the entire Pok��mon world now knew about the effectiveness of the Innovation Potion. It was currently the hottest topic, with even ordinary people who weren''t trainers aware of its reputation.


    "You really want to trade the Innovation Potion for Chansey," Joyka reconfirmed.


    "That''s right," Yuga nodded firmly.


    Joyka took a deep breath and said, "I''ll need to contact my family about this; I can''t decide on my own."


    "Okay, please do it quickly. I''ll be waiting for your response," Yuga agreed.


    After seeing Yuga off, Joyka immediately called her family, conveying Yuga''s proposal to them. Subsequently, the next day, members of the Joy family arrived in Verdanturf Town. Their astonishingly swift arrival demonstrated the family''s importance and concern for the Innovation Potion.


    Many factions took notice when key members of the Joy family arrived at the YoYo Day Care, knowing the reason for their presence in Verdanturf Town. However, the specifics of their conversation with the Verdanturf Gym Leader were unknown. All that was evident was the Joyful and contented expressions on the faces of the Joy family members when they left the town.


    The Joy family found it challenging to refuse Yuga''s offer of the Innovation Potion. Soon after their negotiation with Yuga, they sent fifty Chansey, each meticulously trained in medicinal knowledge, to Yuga.


    As soon as the Chansey arrived at the YoYo Day Care, Yuga took them to the Haunted Manasion Sub-Ecopark to undergo training under the guidance of the two Meowstic. The goal was to make them capable of independently producing high potential Innovation Potion at the earliest.


    Regarding the Chansey initially present in the Ecopark��such as Beauty, Roundy, Bally, Lovey, and Chubby��Yuga didn''t involve them in the production of the Innovation Potion. Their duties in caring for other Pok��mon already kept them quite upied, and adding further tasks wasn''t feasible.


    Additionally, their caretaking responsibilities were handled adeptly, so there was no need to reassign their roles.


    Apart from the Chansey, Yuga also sent several Gardevoir and Gade from the main Ecopark, along with the Mr. Mime, to the Haunted Manasion Sub-Ecopark to serve as assistants to the Chansey. Being Psychic-type Pok��mon, they were quite capable of handling various intricate tasks and served as excellent aides.


    Although most of the tasks that Psychic-type Pok��mon could perform could also be executed by Ghost-type Pok��mon, thetter''s personalities were generally not asposed, making them unsuitable for the task of potion-making. Hence, despite the abundance of Ghost-type Pok��mon in the Haunted Manasion Sub-Ecopark, Yuga didn''t opt for their involvement.


    With a sufficient team in ce for Innovation Potion production, Yuga finally felt relieved.


    While Yuga was intensively preparing for the Innovation Potion production, the Mayor Ishida in coboration with the League, established a special department in Verdanturf Town specifically responsible for delivering the monthly quotas of the Innovation Potion to various regions.


    This department was called the Distribution Department.


    Given the vital nature of transporting the Innovation Potion, all the employees in the Distribution Department were League elites, each possessingmendable abilities.


    The Personnel in the Distribution Department were sourced from various League branches, including the headquarters, each assigned to transport the Innovation Potion to their respective League branches without ovepping responsibilities.


    However, the head of the Distribution Department is a remarkable figure, hailed from the Jenny family. Her name was Nan Jenny, and her status was quite significant. She was to be addressed respectfully as "Aunt Nan."


    Nan Jenny wasn''t just an ordinary Officer Jenny. Her position within the Jenny family was equivalent to that of Joyna in the Joy family. To ensure the security of the Distribution Department, the League went to great lengths.


    Moving forward, Nan Jenny will be stationed in Verdanturf Town and may even serve as an escort for the Innovation Potion deliveries. Simultaneously, she''s also the overall captain of the escort team.


    Apart from certain administrative roles, the most crucial personnel in the Distribution Department are the escort teams. They serve as the core individuals responsible for escorting the potion to the League branches, constituting the primary armed force.


    The office of the Distribution Department is located not far from the YoYo Day Care, across the street��a tall, luxurious building.


    Originally, it used to be a jewelrypany that unfortunately went bankrupt long ago. Now, the entire building has been taken over and refurbished by the League, giving it an entirely different grandeur. The League even provided them with several high-grade aircraft.


    Though these aircraft might seem unassuming, they are built using thetest League technology, ensuring top-notch safety.


    A monthter, the preparation and construction of the Distribution Department were entirelypleted, and the respective staff was in ce.


    Three monthster, the first batch of the Innovation Potion was produced. The Distribution Department immediately dispatched personnel to collect the potion, striving to deliver it to the League branches before the New Year.


    There were a total of six individuals from the Distribution Department who came to collect the potion from the Verdanturf Gym. Yuga was slightly surprised to see the leader among them, someone he knew.


    "Hello, Gym Leader Shimizu. We are the escort team from the Distribution Department, here to collect the Innovation Potion ording to the agreement," the team leader presented their identification to Yuga to confirm their identity.


    During this period, Yuga had only seen the head of the Distribution Department, Nan Jenny, and had mostly interacted with her for coordination. Thus, he was not familiar with the other members of the Distribution Department and was meeting the escort team for the first time.


    The escort team specialized in the protection and transport of the potion, dressed in uniform ck attire, which imparted a serious demeanor.


    "Suzuye? Weren''t you Coordinartor? Howe you''re now part of the Distribution Department serving as part of the escort team?" Yuga asked curiously.


    Hearing Yuga call out their name, Suzuye was somewhat surprised: "I didn''t expect Gym Leader Shimizu to remember me."


    Yuga smiled slightly and said, "Of course, I''ve seen Miss Suzuye''s performances several times, leaving a deep impression on me. And, didn''t Miss Suzuye buy incense from our YoYo Day Care?"


    Suzuye didn''t expect Yuga to remember such a small thing and couldn''t help but smile. "It''s truly an honor to be remembered by Gym Leader Shimizu." Yuga''s current status within the League was a far cry from before, and not many had the opportunity to be remembered by him.


    "Follow me, everyone," Yuga said, leading the escort team towards the gym''s warehouse where the prepared Innovation Potion was stored.


    "Isn''t Miss Suzuye no longer a Coordinator?" Yuga casually chatted with Suzuye as they walked. He remembered that Suzuye had received considerable attention from the Pok��mon Contest officials.


    Suzuye jokingly replied, "Gym Leader Shimizu, don''t you know? The escort team''s work is in high demand. Many League members want to work here, and obtaining this position wasn''t easy."


    The job of the escort team was indeed highly sought after. Not only did the League branches offer high wages to ensure the safety of the Innovation Potion, but there was also a distinct advantage to being closer to influential positions.


    Yuga was amused by Suzuye''s yful tone. "I wasn''t aware of that. But Miss Suzuye doesn''t seem like someone who''d give up on her dream just for these benefits."


    Suzuye chuckled, "Looks like Gym Leader Shimizu has a good eye. Indeed, the perks of the escort team are only a part of why I''m here. I haven''t given up on my dream of being a Coordinator. It''s just that losing to Robert repeatedly made me feel embarrassed, so I''m nning toy low for a while, and the escort team seems like a good ce. But from what I know, Gym Leader Shimizu and Robert seem to be good friends, right?"


    Yuga teased, "What''s this? Miss Suzuye nning to take it out on me?"


    Suzuye shook her head, "Not at all. Gym Leader Shimizu can help convey a few words to Robert for me. I won''t lose next time wepete."


    Yuga hadn''t expected Suzuye to be sopetitive and couldn''t help but find it amusing. "I''ll pass your message along to him."


    Shortly, the group arrived at the gym''s warehouse. Yuga opened the door, and the escort team members directed their Pok��mon to move crates of the Innovation Potion out of the warehouse and onto the vehicles parked outside the gym.


    These vehicles would transport the potion to the Distribution Department''s building, and from there, aircraft stationed on the building''s rooftop would further distribute the potion to various League branches.


    "That''s all for you," Yuga said to the escort team members.


    "Don''t worry, Gym Leader Shimizu!"


    Watching the vehicles drive away, Yuga sighed. He hoped the potion would safely reach the League branches.


    However, the day after the potion left Verdanturf Town, Yuga received news that the escort team transporting the potion had encountered an incident.

 Chapter 1027: Home Delivery

    <h4>Chapter 1027: Home Delivery</h4>


    The escort team dispatched the Innovation Potion in batches to various League branches, and the unfortunate incident urred with the team heading to the Kalos League.


    The attackers, donning ck and white masks, were the same individuals who had previously targeted the Nami Trio.


    Five members of the ambushed escort team lost their lives, with over ten severely injured. Their aircraft was also shot down, resulting in significant losses.


    It''s undeniable that the once secretive Heaven organization is now acting more brazenly.


    This incident deeply infuriated the Kalos League branch because most of the ambushed team members were carefully selected trainers from Kalos League that was sent to serve at the Verdanturf Town distribution department.


    Upon learning of the attack on the escort team, the Kalos League branch promptly dispatched cia, one of the Elite Four, to investigate the Heaven organization. They also requested assistance from the Hoenn League branch for the investigation.


    Naturally, the Hoenn League had no objections, as they had always wanted to eliminate the Heaven organization. Furthermore, since the incident urred within the Hoenn region''s jurisdiction, it was their responsibility to aid the Kalos League branch in resolving the matter.


    The Hoenn League took this matter very seriously and deployed Mr. Drake along with a Deputy Head from the Investigation Bureau to coborate with the Kalos League in investigating the Heaven organization.


    Yuga had been closely following the developments of this incident. However, now that the Innovation Potion had been sent from the Verdanturf Gym, whether it encountered trouble or not, it was beyond Yuga''s control. For now, he could only hope for effective assistance from the Hoenn and Kalos League branches.


    However, the two enraged League branches demonstrated high efficiency. They swiftly located several Heaven organization bases, apprehended numerous individuals, and dismantled several of theirbs.


    Even the League hadn''t anticipated the scale of the Heaven organization. Each of their bases housed a considerable number of members, and the strength of their trainers within the organization was quite impressive.


    The League managed to capture several leaders and even a couple of high-ranking officials. However, due to the potent brainwashing abilities of the Heaven organization, the captured leaders and officialsmitted suicide before interrogation. As for the lower-ranking members, they werergely uninformed about the organization''s operations, rendering their interrogation futile.


    A little over ten days passed, and Yuga checked for thetest news about the Heaven organization. The two League branches had raided yet anotherboratory of the Heaven organization and detained several research personnel. Unfortunately, the ck and white duo that leading the Heaven organization remained elusive. It seemed that the captured individuals had no connection with them.


    Setting aside the affairs concerning the Heaven organization, Yuga cheerfully left his ce and headed to the Distribution Department building.


    The incident involving the Kalos League''s escort team had cast a shadow over the atmosphere within the Distribution Department''s building. They now truly understood why the benefits for the escort team were so high��there was real danger involved. Losing so many lives on their first assignment highlighted the level of danger they faced.


    Today was the day when various escort teams were returning from other League branches. It was also the day when the League Headquarters and Al had promised to deliver Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon to Yuga.


    The Pok��mon were brought back by the returning escort team. Originally, the head of the Distribution Department, Nan Jenny, intended for their department to deliver the Pok��mon to the YoYo Day Care. However, Yuga was too impatient and decided to personally pick them up.


    The guards at the entrance of the Distribution Department building were very familiar with Yuga. Upon seeing him wanting to enter the building, they politely nodded at him and readily allowed him in.


    At the building''s front desk sat a Nurse Joy. Besides her role as the receptionist for the Distribution Department, she also served as the exclusive doctor for all the escort teams.


    Seeing Yuga enter, Nurse Joy greeted him with a wide smile, "Gym Leader Shimizu is here. Are you looking for Director Nan?"


    Confirming with a nod, Yuga replied, "Yes."


    "Please wait for a moment," Nurse Joy said and proceeded to call Nan Jenny''s office. After receiving permission, she hung up and told Yuga, "Director Nan requests your presence upstairs."


    "Thank you," Yuga expressed his gratitude and proceeded towards the elevator.


    Nan Jenny''s office was on the penultimate floor of the Distribution Department building. Yuga had been there a couple of times in the past few days, so he navigated his way to the respective floor using the elevator.


    As soon as Yuga stepped out of the elevator, he spotted an elite gentleman waiting for him, d in a suit and sporting golden-rimmed sses.


    "Good morning, Secretary Tachibana," Yuga greeted the elite gentleman with a smile.


    The full name of the elite man was Shizuka Tachibana, which might sound like a female name but he was indeed a robust man. He currently served as the personal assistant to Nan Jenny, the head of the Distribution Department.


    "Good morning, Gym Leader Shimizu," Shizuka Tachibana respectfully exchanged greetings with Yuga.


    "Is Gym Leader Shimizu here for the batch of Pok��mon that the escort team brought back yesterday?" Shizuka Tachibana inquired as they walked forward.


    "Yes," Yuga nodded. "Can I pick them up today?"


    "Of course," Shizuka Tachibana assured, "In fact, you''ve made things easier for us. There''s no need for us to take the Pok��mon to your ce."


    As they approached Nan Jenny''s office, they overheard a bout of furious yelling from within.


    "What? Arrange? Who do you think you are, ordering me aRoundy like that? Get out of here this instant! If you dare to call me again, I''ll..."


    The outburst sessfully halted Yuga''s steps.


    "Is this a bad time?" Yuga inquired.


    Shizuka Tachibana, used to such scenes, remainedposed, "Shall we collect the Pok��mon first? I''ll inform Director Nan."


    "Sure," Yuga agreed. It wasn''t the best time to meet Nan Jenny now.


    As they proceeded, Shizuka Tachibana exined to Yuga, "Sorry for the disturbance, Gym Leader. Recently, Director Nan received calls from certain individuals who wanted to send people into the Distribution Department, which is why she''s in such a temper."


    Actually, Nan Jenny''s temper has always been that way. Referring to her as a "female Gyarados" would not be an exaggeration. Nobody knows her better in this aspect than Yuga, despite only having met her recently.


    However, Yuga refrained from mentioning this fact, considering the limited time he''d known Nan Jenny.


    But the reason behind Nan Jenny''s anger was indeed real. And the person who wanted to arrange people to be sent to the Distribution Department was none other than Nan Jenny''s own younger brother.


    Nan Jenny belongs to the Jenny family, but her father isn''t part of it. After her mother passed away, her father remarried and soon had another child, her younger brother.


    Her father was a loose and irresponsible person, which caused Nan Jenny to have a poor rtionship with him since childhood. After his remarriage, Nan Jenny directly moved into the Jenny family and didn''t live with her father. Her half-brother, influenced by their father, also became a simrly irresponsible individual.


    Several days ago, Nan Jenny''s younger brother started calling her, wanting to send his son to the Distribution Department.


    However, Nan Jenny wouldn''t even care about her father''s face; how could she entertain this emotionally disconnected brother? It was obviously impossible.


    Hearing Shizuka Tachibana''s words, Yuga curiously asked, "With the incident involving the Kalos escort team, are people still eager to join the Distribution Department?"


    Shizuka Tachibana wryly smiled and said, "How could they not be? The Distribution Department does pose risks, but..." He nced at Yuga.


    Understanding Shizuka Tachibana''s nce, Yuga immediately grasped the underlying reason. In the end, it boiled down to personal gains. Despite the risks in the Distribution Department, the opportunity to establish a connection with Yuga and secure a share of the Innovation Potion... the benefits in that were evident.


    Seeing Yuga silent, Shizuka Tachibana added, "Moreover, the Distribution Department isn''t just about the escort teams. There are many administrative roles, like mine."


    Shizuka Tachibana''s current position had probably attracted envy from many behind his back. If not for Nan Jenny''s high status within the Jenny family and the League, someone else might have imed his position long ago.


    As they conversed while walking, they soon arrived at the door of a warehouse. After Shizuka Tachibana inputting a series of codes, the door to the warehouse opened with a ''beep'' sound.


    This warehouse served as the ce to store important items for the Distribution Department. In the future, the Innovation Potion sent from the Verdanturf Gym would also be temporarily stored here.


    Guided by Shizuka Tachibana, Yuga arrived at a shelf where tworge box were ced.


    "Your Pok��mon are stored in these two box," Shizuka Tachibana announced, taking the box down from the shelf and opening them in front of Yuga. Inside the box were neatly arranged Pok�� Balls.


    "Do you want to open the Pok�� Balls to check the Pok��mon inside, Gym Leader Shimizu?" Shizuka Tachibana asked Yuga, holding up one of the Pok�� Balls.


    Yuga smiled and shook his head, saying, "That won''t be necessary. I trust the League."


    Shizuka Tachibana nodded and ced the Pok�� Balls back into the box, securely locking them. "Let me walk you out," he offered.


    Exiting the warehouse, Yuga asked, "Should I go see Nan Jenny?"


    Shizuka Tachibana shook his head, "Not today. She''s surely furious. I''ll exin this matter to her."


    Nodding, Yuga left the Distribution Department with the two box in hand.


    Returning to the YoYo Day Care, Yuga immediately entered the Ecopark and checked the Pok��mon in the box. Just like the promise from the headquarters and Al, not a single Pok��mon was missing from the box.


    Both the headquarters and Al had sent a pair of Tyranitar and a pair of Kommo-o. Each pair had one blue potential, with the female possessing the blue potential in the Tyranitar couple, and the male possessing it in the Kommo-o couple.


    Yuga ced the Tyranitar couple plus fifteen Larvitar and eight Pupitar into the Mine sub-Ecopark. As for the Kommo-o couple and ten Jangmo-o, they were rightfully ced in the Dragon''s Den sub-Ecopark.


    These Pok��mon had already been trained and conditioned by the headquarters and Al, thus, upon meeting their new owner, Yuga, they behaved calmly without any trouble.


    Feeling pleased, Yuga found Roundy and Beauty, and gave them a series of instructions regarding the Tyranitar and Kommo-o, then left the Ecopark.


    However, as soon as Yuga departed the Ecopark, the initially peaceful Tyranitar and Kommo-o started causing chaos.


    The infamous "Desert Tyrant," Tyranitar, evidently wasn''t meant to be a docile Pok��mon. The first thing it did upon entering the Mine sub-Ecopark was to assert its dominance, much like what the Aggron did when they first arrived, or even more assertively.


    The League headquarters knew that Yuga was slightly at a disadvantage in this trade. Therefore, the pair of Tyranitar not only were in their prime and righteous adults but also boasted high levels. This resulted in them bulldozing their way up the mountainside in the Mine.


    The Aron and Lairon who live at the foot of mountainside and Aggron who living at the mountainside were no match for the two Tyranitar.


    Even the few Magnemite, Maon, and Magnezone present werepletely ignored by the Tyranitar.


    Watching the Tyranitar couple sweeping across, the Larvitar and Pupitar who following them were thrilled, especially the Larvitar. They twisted their little bodies, almost wishing to grow an extra butt just to amodate their fantastic airs.


    Despite the majestic stature of the Tyranitar, each Larvitar disyed an entric and humorous personality. If it weren''t for their short legs, they could have easily hopped three feet high.


    Thankfully, the Pupitar remainedposed; although their eyes couldn''t conceal their pride, their behavior was rtively normal.


    Reaching the summit of the mine, the Tyranitar couple inevitably met the king of the mountain, the Giant Steelix.


    Following its evolution, Steelix''s size was slightly smaller than when its sill an Onix, but this was rtive. The current Steelix still resembled a winding dragon, emanating a strong and imposing aura, this is also the reason why the Aggron had always remained docile.


    While the Tyranitar pair could bebeled as "gigantic beasts,", but in the front of the Steelix, they were hardly worth mentioning, almost like two small chicks.


    However, the Tyranitar showed no fear of the oppressive aura emanating from the Steelix. The male stepped forward, roaring at the Steelix, terrifying the Aron and Lairon down the mountain.


    The Steelix disdainfully nced at the male Tyranitar, which angered the male. But just as it was about to charge, the female Tyranitar intervened.


    Despite the male Tyranitar''s reluctance, under the watchful eyes of the female, it silently retreated.


    After the male Tyranitar stepped back, the female Tyranitar advanced, exerting all its power and confronting the Steelix directly.


    Swish, swish, swish...


    Countless Stone Edges were controlled by the Tyranitar but were deflected effortlessly by the Steelix using its Iron Tail, leaving the Steelixpletely unscathed.


    Although the Tyranitar was formidable, facing the Steelix, which was now an Elite level Pok��mon, their efforts were almost in vain.


    The female Tyranitar, despite giving it her all, couldn''t inflict any damage on the Steelix, leaving her feeling defeated and conceding.


    However, the Steelix admired the female Tyranitar, permitting her to settle on the mountaintop with the Larvitar and Pupitar.


    Simr chaos unfolded in the Dragon''s Den sub-Ecopark, but the Kommo-o situation was starkly different from the Tyranitar.

 Chapter 1028: Jangmo-o

    <h4>Chapter 1028: Jangmo-o</h4>


    Different from the irritable andbative Tyranitar, most Kommo-o are not prone to initiating unnecessary fights and certainly do not bully the weaker. Their characters are shrouded in righteousness.


    Thus, upon settling in the Dragon Den sub-Ecopark, the two Kommo-o didn''t incite disputes. Instead, recalling Yuga''s introduction about the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark, and they intended to find a cave at the base of the cliff for Jangmo-o.


    The caves on the cliff at the Dragon Den are the nests for most Dragon-type Pok��mon here, with the flying ones residing on the upper and middle parts, and those unable to fly at the bottom.


    The number of caves is abundant, with many left unupied. Hence, the Kommo-o couple could freely choose with Jangmo-o.


    The environment of the Dragon Den sub-Ecopark pleased both the Kommo-o and Jangmo-o, as the faint energies floating in the air made them feel extremelyfortable.


    Most of the Dragon-type Pok��mon in the Dragon Den are capable of flying, except for non-flying Pok��mon like Horsea, Seadra, and Kingdra''s n (residing in the Dragon''s Lake). Therefore, the two Kommo-o and Jangmo-o had no immediate neighbors.


    Once settled, the Jangmo-o happily dashed out of the cave to y in the nearby grassy area, rolling, tussling, chasing each other...which reveling in the ten Jangmo-o youthful and naive side.


    Seeing the well-adjusted Jangmo-o, the two Kommo-o smiled with contentment.


    Although they''are not the biological parents of the Jangmo-o, but the shared kinship instilled a strong sense of responsibility in them. They had been diligently taking care of the younger ones from Al to the Hoenn region throughout this journey.


    Without disturbing the yful Jangmo-o, the Kommo-o couple went to a nearby Berry Tree to gather Berry, preparing to feed the young ones after their ytime.


    However, just because the Kommo-o couple avoided trouble didn''t mean trouble wouldn''t find them.


    The residents of the Dragon Den, such as Flygon and Altaria, were long-term residents of the Ecopark, so they living in harmony with each other very well. However, there were always a few characters that difficult to deal with, namely Aerodactyl and Smence couple.


    Due to its partnership, Aerodactyl moved in to Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark together with Noivern, although Yugater revived some Pok��mon with a fossil resurrection machine, most were assigned to the new Ecopark, leaving Aerodactyl as the sole exception in the Dragon Den.


    After pairing up with Noivern, Aerodactyl didn''t settle down; its restless nature made it always look for trouble.


    However, the other Dragon-type Pok��mon in the Dragon Den were not interested in dealing with it. Therefore, Aerodactyl turned its attention to the Smence couple sent by the Draconid People.


    Pok��mon like Smence, naturally proud and easily agitated, coupled with the Draconid People''s ill intentions, the Smence they sent to Yuga was the one who is more vtile.


    The proud Smence couldn''t tolerate Aerodactyl''s leaping around in front of them. Consequently, the two sides soon shed. However, being outnumbered, Aerodactyl was swiftly dealt with by the Smence couple.


    After facing this defeat, Aerodactyl immediately thought of its wife, Noivern. If the Smence couple could team up, why couldn''t it? Even it not, at the very least, it still had brother and sister inw, the Hydregion and Smence couple, to be asked for help.


    However, Noivern was quiteid-back and certainly wouldn''t help Aerodactyl in a fight; that was simply not going to happen, not now, not ever.


    Furthermore, the Smence and Hydregion couple followed the teachings of their mentors Dragonite''s mother and Druddigon. They having more broad perspective, usually avoiding interactions with other Dragon-type Pok��mon and never engaging in frivolous fights.


    After being rejected by Noivern, Aerodactyl felt bitterly disappointed!


    The Smence couple, having grown more aggressive since handling Aerodactyl, frequently engaged in brawls, causing ruckus in the Dragon Den sub-Ecopark.


    As there was no designated manager in the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark due to the presence of Dragonite''s mother, the Smence couple had their sights set on taking control as the manager of the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark.


    They began provoking other Pok��mon live in the area. Although Dragonite''s mother was aware of the Smence couple''s actions, she chose not to interfere in the "children''s" quarrels and turned a blind eye.


    Unfortunately, Great Flygon, who could''ve subdued the Smence couple, usually lived outside due to patrol duties, creating a situation where the "tiger" was away, and the "monkey" began to rule. Whileparing the Smence couple and Dragonite''s mother to a tiger and a monkey might seem unfitting, the essence of the situation was the same.


    The unregted Smence couple began provoking other Pok��mon, but the other Dragon-type Pok��mon refused to engage with them. The couple didn''t want to act alone and were hesitant to force other Pok��mon into a confrontation, leaving Aerodactyl as their punching bag.


    Imagine Aerodactyl, tormented daily by this troublesome couple �C wouldn''t it be infuriating?


    However, over time, the Smence couple managed to slightly soften Aerodactyl''s initially aggressive nature, making it more well-behaved, and thus, Noivern continued to overlook the situation.


    One day, Aerodactyl heard about new residents entering the Dragon Den, described as tall and powerful. So, it ndestinely sought out potential allies.


    Aerodactyl found the Kommo-o couple and witnessed the Jangmo-o ying in the grassy area before making its move.


    Surprisingly, Aerodactyl, once a hothead, found the sight of the Jangmo-o rolling and ying unexpectedly heartwarming. It pondered that if it and Noivern had babies in the future, they''d surely be as cute and lively as the Jangmo-o.


    If Noivern knew about Aerodactyl''s current feelings, it would definitely suspect a switcheroo. Its partner couldn''t possibly be this sentimental.


    Before being together, Noivern saw Aerodactyl as tall, strong, and exceptionally handsome. But now, without the rose-tinted sses, it realized its partner was just a big, yful goofball.


    Yet, Aerodactyl''s sentimental feelings didn''tst long. It soon heard two familiar roars approaching, and to its surprise, who else but the arch-enemies, the Smence couple?


    The Smence couple learned of the new resident arriving at the Dragon Den today and eagerly flew over to show off their prowess. They just hadn''t anticipated meeting Aerodactyl.


    Though not the brightest, the Smence couple discerned Aerodactyl''s intentions. Encountering a punching bag, they immediately prepared to "entertain" Aerodactyl.


    The two Smence folded their wings andnded opposite Aerodactyl, took a deep breath, sucked in their bellies, then let out the most resounding roars of the day:


    "Smence..."


    "Smence..."


    After two roaring calls from the Smence couple, they were not yet satisfied. The situation became awkward for a moment. Suddenly, the Jangmo-o behind Aerodactyl grew quiet, then all sat down and began crying loudly.


    (��Ѧء�`) Smence Couple: ... What''s happening?


    The loud crying rmed the Kammo-o couple, who were picking Berrys from a nearby tree.


    They abandoned the Berrys and ran towards the grassy area where the Jangmo-o were and witnessed Aerodactyl and the Smence couple menacing the babies.


    "Kammo-o!"


    "Kammo-o!"


    Upon seeing their babies being bullied, Kammo-o couple''s scales vibrated, emitting a series of crisp metallic impact noises.


    Anyone familiar with Kammo-o knew that their vibrating scales signaled that they were locking onto their opponents.


    Utilizing their lightweight body, Kammo-o couple swiftly darted forward. Glowing with radiance on their fists, they were charging up their signature Fighting-type move, Focus Punch, while running towards their foes.


    Watching the furious Kammo-o couple charging over, Aerodactyl''s hackles rose: What does this have to do with me?


    Aerodactyl who was too slow to react, was hit on the head by the male Kammo-o and lost consciousness before copsing.


    Before falling, Aerodactyl could only curse: Dammit!


    The Smence couple managed to fly into the air in time, but as they ascended, they heard a different noiseing from Kammo-o couple''s bodies, unlike the clear vibrating sound from before.


    This noise was filled with a chilling aura.


    Affected by this noise, the Smence couple staggered mid-air, even their consciousness blurred.


    The skill used by Kammo-o couple was their unique ability, Scale Noise.


    Witnessing this, Kammo-o coupleshed their long tails, striking both Smence. After two loud thumps, the Smence couple crashed to the ground, leaving unsightly craters in the lush grass.


    The Smence couple, who had been enjoying themselvestely, received a sudden beating from Kammo-o couple, feeling enraged. They tried to counterattack, but Kammo-o couple had already mounted them, raining down punches on their heads.


    The Smence couple has been long fostered by the Draconid People and never really valued by them due to their poor potential, so they couldn''t possibly match the battle-oriented Kammo-o couple.


    The habitat of the Kammo-o n was just recently discovered, and as a result, the adult Kammo-o inside were quite wild, including the Kammo-o couple given by Yuga. Despite their upright appearance, once provoked, they transformed into fierce warriors.


    If it hadn''t been for the Totem Kammo-o within their habitat has been subdue by the Al people first, it might have been difficult for them to subdue the other adults inside.


    The Totem Kammo-o wielded absolute control over the others of its species.


    After a series of punches and kicks, the Smence couple convulsed a few times but was unresponsive (not dead).


    Following the pummeling of the Smence couple, the female Kammo-o suddenly clutched her stomach in agony, groaning. Witnessing this, the male Kammo-o''s heart skipped a beat��something must be wrong.


    After a while, amid her groans, the female Kammo-oid a tiny Pok��mon Egg.


    The fact that the female Kammo-o had been pregnant was known to the couple, but they had kept it secret, even from the people of Al who brought them to Yuga''s Ecopark.


    The couple had never anticipated the birth would happen on the day they got so angry.


    Gazing at the small Pok��mon Egg, the female Kammo-o had a look of tenderness, but the male Kammo-o furrowed its brow: "This egg is too small..."


    The male Kammo-o had seen the offspring of its kind before, and their Pok��mon Eggs were muchrger than their own, different from the tiny one before them.


    Could it be premature?


    ...


    When Yuga heard Chubby hastily approaching to inform him that Kammo-o had given birth, he was stunned for a moment.


    "Are you sure it''s Kammo-o that gave birth? Not some other Pok��mon?" How could Kammo-o, which had just arrived at the Ecopark, produce an egg so quickly?


    By the time Yuga rushed to the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark, the unconscious Smence couple and Aerodactyl had already wake up and left. Following this incident, they dared not cause trouble again in the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark.


    Inside the cave where Kammo-o couple resided, Yuga indeed found a Pok��mon Egg, not muchrger than a fist, with the distinct pattern of a Kammo-o''s egg.


    However...


    "Were you already pregnant?" Yuga inquired of the female Kammo-o.


    Kammo-o didn''t deny its pregnancy. It hadn''t intended to hide it from anyone. The species typically had arge, robust physique, so pregnancies didn''t show obvious signs. Hence, without their disclosure, it was challenging for others to notice. They didn''t change their habits just because of pregnancy. They carried on with their normal activities.


    Yuga didn''t expect such good fortune, as this meant getting an adorable Jangmo-o for free. But the concern arose from the unusually small size of the egg��would it hatch sessfully?


    Both Yuga and the male Kammo-o were worried about the egg''s size. Yet, fortunately, the concerns didn''te to pass. The Jangmo-o hatched quickly, grew robust, and appeared extraordinary.


    Time passed swiftly, and the new year approached without notice. During the New Year, Arata Sena and Akihito who traveled in other region had returned, along with Luna who studying outside and trainee forest ranger Rand, alsoe back. The New Year celebration at the YoYo Day Care was as lively as ever.


    Not only the YoYo Day Care but also the growing Verdant Town was bustling with New Year''s festivities.


    The Jangmo-o was hatched just a month after the New Year.


    Initially, the newborn Jangmo-o was very small but didn''t exhibit any of the weaknesses that Yuga and the male Kammo-o had been worried about.


    It was lively and adorable, always frolicking with its elder siblings. Besides being a bit mischievous, it was in excellent health.


    However, as time passed, the Jangmo-o began to change significantly. It grew stronger and bigger each day, eventually showing signs of surpassing its elder siblings in size.


    Initially, Yuga thought it was due to good nutrition. But over time, he began to think differently.

 Chapter 1029: Cause

    <h4>Chapter 1029: Cause</h4>


    At first, Yuga didn''t pay much attention to the changes in the size of the Jangmo-o. As the size of young Pok��mon tended to change daily, it wasn''t until the Jangmo-o grew to be as big as a Kommo-o that Yuga realized something was amiss.


    Ordinary Jangmo-o typically stand around 0.6 meters tall, with some reaching up to 0.7 or 0.8 meters when well-grown. Yet, in just two months, the Jangmo-o transformed from a cute little creature under 0.4 meters tall to a towering 1.4 meters in height. To put this into perspective, an average Kommo-o''s usual height is only 1.2 meters.


    After a thorough examination, Yuga discovered that Jangmo-os on the Jangmo-o''s head would asionally emit a peculiar energy field fluctuation. This fluctuation was quite peculiar, and although faint, Yuga felt a strange familiarity, which he had not noticed earlier.


    After much contemtion, Yuga remembered that this energy field bore simrities to the Ultra Aura found in Cosmoem and Kartana. However, it also exhibited significant differences, indicating it wasn''t the same kind of energy.


    In an attempt to understand Jangmo-os'' issue on the Jangmo-o, Yuga took it to a Pok��mon Center. With the help of Nurse Joy, he learned that the substance found on Jangmo-os of the Jangmo-o differed from the ones on regr Jangmo-o.


    After extensively researching this matter, Yuga discovered from the information provided by Nurse Joy that the substance on the Jangmo-o''s forehead was highly likely to be a unique stone specific to the Al region��Sparkling Stone.


    The ecology of Al''s unique Pok��mon has long been a hot topic in Pok��mon academic research, especially concerning regional forms and Totem Pok��mon.


    Many researchers suggest that the Totem Pok��mon in the Al region may have a significant connection with the Sparkling Stone peculiar to that area.


    Totem Pok��mon are incredibly powerful, considered anomalies among Pok��mon, prompting continuous research. Unfortunately, no one has yet established a clear link between the Sparkling Stone and the Totem Pok��mon.


    Additionally, how exactly are Sparkling Stones formed?


    Up to this point, the discovered Sparkling Stones in the Al region have been few and far between, with no instances of significant findings or any discovered veins.


    Long ago, some spected that the birth of Sparkling Stones is incidental and doesn''t form like regr stones under the natural environment''s gradual influence.


    Indeed, as Yuga suspected, the birth of Sparkling Stones is highly likely to be rted to the mysterious Pok��mon that once appeared in the Al region��Necrozma.


    ording to Aln legends, Necrozma was known as the Briliant One, whose arrival dispersed the darkness in Al, bringing light to the region.


    This "light" should be the Ultra Aura, the fundamental reason behind the ecological changes in the Al region. The Sparkling Stones could possibly have originated from this source.


    So where did the Sparkling Stoneponent on the Jangmo-oe from? It had never left Yuga''s Ecopark since birth!


    After returning, Yuga found the Jangmo-o''s parents, the Kommo-o couple, to understand the situation. It was clear that the presence of Sparkling Stone on the Jangmo-o was rted solely to them.


    After careful questioning, Yuga learned from the couple that when they left Al, their n leader, who happened to be the Totem Kommo-o, had given them a Sparkling Stone.


    However, the couple had carelessly lost the stone right before they departed. They felt sad for a while but eventually stopped worrying about it.


    Unexpectedly, the lost Sparkling Stone ended up fused with the Jangmo-o, integrating with Jangmo-os on its head. These heart scales were crucial to them, as they would transform into a reverse scale upon evolving into their final form, capable of causing instant death upon contact. The significance of these heart scales was evident.


    Yuga spected that the current Jangmo-o had be a rare Totem Pok��mon.


    However, how did the Jangmo-o be a Totem Pok��mon under the influence of the Sparkling Stone? If it were as simple as the birth of a Totem Pok��mon under the influence of the Sparkling Stone, researchers would have unveiled this secret by now.


    Clearly, aside from the Sparkling Stone, the birth of a Totem Pok��mon requires some necessary conditions, ones that are present here and absent elsewhere. Yuga pondered but couldn''t identify these conditions.


    Sometimes, curiosity weighs heavily on a person. Even though the link between Totem Pok��mon and the Sparkling Stone might not be necessary for Yuga to unravel, the puzzling doubt troubled him deeply.


    In the pursuit of truth, Yuga sought connections in Al to acquire a few Sparkling Stones. However, these stones were also rare in their native Al, as they were vital materials for crafting Z-Power Rings. Obtaining them in a short time was nearly impossible, leaving Yuga feeling resigned.


    As the New Year gradually passed, challengers started returning to the gym, and Yuga chose not to leave the gym to Beidou for the time being, and opting to manage the gym''s affairs himself.


    During his free moments, Yuga guided Cosmoem, Kartana, Abomasnow, Mimikyu, and Decidueye in their training at the gym.


    As for his oldpanions, Yuga allowed them to train on their own within the Ecopark. Their strengths had reached a certain level, and if they want further progress they need to relied on chance encounters, time, and perseverance.


    The innovation potion brought Yuga an abundance of resources. He now had no shortage of materials to create exclusive Pok��block (Moonlight) for Cosmoem, which ensured steady growth for Cosmoem.


    Yuga''s ability to assist Cosmoem was limited. Due to its form restrictions, Cosmoem couldn''t undergo extensive move training. Hence, most of the time was spent meditating to enhance its mental power.


    Cosmoem, as a legendary Pok��mon, has its own unique meditation method. Apart from providing enough Moonlight Pok��block for Cosmoem, Yuga had to wait for its evolution into Lun to make further ns.


    Since obtaining Cosmoem, Yuga had delved into Al''s ancient legends. However, modern texts of region''s current documentation scarcely mentioned about Cosmoem, leaving modern people unaware of its rtionship with Solgaleo and Lun.


    In the ancient texts, Cosmoem was referred to as the "Cocoon of the Stars."


    Yuga spected that Cosmoem might be an energy-umting stage before evolving into Solgaleo or Lun, hence the title "cocoon."


    Based on this understanding, Yuga made no unnecessary arrangements for Cosmoem, and focusing solely on helping it umte the energy needed for evolution. Therefore, Moonlight Pok��block remained a top priority.


    However, it was unfortunate that Al''s ancient texts were iplete, providing limited useful information.


    Regarding Cosmoem, these records mentioned a specific artifact, seemingly a flute. Unfortunately, this written record was discovered in a deteriorated state, making it impossible for archaeologists to restore it. Therefore, Yuga couldn''t extract useful information from it.


    As for Kartana''s progress, it remained steady. In terms of actualbat ability, some of Yuga''s second team members were no match for Kartana. It hadn''t encountered any significant obstacles so far, maintaining a consistent and rapid pace of improvement. Given time, it would likely surpass the rest.


    It truly lived up to its race thaparable to a Tier 2 Legendary Pok��mon.


    Kartana always followed a path of speed and precision. Despite being norger than a palm, its sword arms were incredibly sharp, effortlessly slicing through heavy steel, making light work of cutting and chopping.


    Recognizing this advantage, Yuga considered finding a swordsmanship mentor for Kartana. However, reckless shing seemed to waste Kartana''s innate talents.


    Unfortunately, much like finding an archery mentor for Decidueye, finding a swordsmanship mentor was equally challenging.


    For quite some time, Yuga intended to find an archery mentor for Decidueye but hadn''t made progress. In the modern age, finding proficient archery and swordsmanship masters was indeed rare.


    Hence, this endeavor had to progress slowly. For now, Kartana''s swordsmanship and Decidueye''s archery training were self-taught.


    As for Abomasnow, it was currently undergoing Synthesis reinforcement training.


    At the moment, Abomasnow''s size seems to have reached its limit, no longer increasing with the intensity of its Synthesis. However, its current stature is already quite exaggerated, resembling a small mountain made of snow and ice,plemented by green parts akin to jade, adding a touch of charm to the snowy white mountain.


    Abomasnow exhibits remarkable resilience against attacks. Even when standing still, subjecting it to mes from fire-type Pok��mon of simr levels wouldn''t cause any harm for quite some time. Strictly speaking, its recovery ability is formidable. Even if injured, it swiftly regenerates, concealing any signs of damage.


    Additionally, its offensive capability is formidable, emitting an aura of ice and snow, instantly freezing lower-level Pok��mon by its breath.


    However, its substantial size is currently its greatest drawback, leading to inconvenience in movement.


    Finally, there''s Mimikyu with the purple potential.


    Of all the Pok��mon, Mimikyu has shown the most rapid progress in a short time. Part of it might be due to its lower level, but its exceptional potential is not to be underestimated.


    Recently, Mimikyu went to the Distortion world and, with the help of Jellicent, spent several days with Giratina. Under Giratina''s guidance, Mimikyu returned considerably stronger.


    The Frilish that once trailed after Giratina, has since evolved into Jellicent under Giratina''s tutge and even received many perks from Giratina, bing a true pseudo-Elite Pok��mon.


    This level-up was not an easy feat.


    Giratina has a great fondness for Jellicent and enjoys roaming the Distortion world with it. Currently, most of Jellicent''s time is spent there, unlike Gengar and others, which have time limits.


    Observing thepletion of today''s training tasks for the Pok��mon, Yuga recalled Abomasnow, Decidueye, and Kartana into their Pok�� Balls, while Cosmoem and the Mimikyu remained outside.


    Cosmoem''s mental maturity is still quite low, very yful like a regr Pok��mon. Once the meditation training ends, it ys with the nearby Jangmo-o.


    Due to Yuga''s ongoing research into the rtionship between Totem Pok��mon and the Sparkling Stone, he always keeps the Jangmo-o close by.


    While not intending to make the Jangmo-o as his main Pok��mon, its potential is excellent, inheriting its father''s blue potential. Yuga asionally guides and instructs it while training the other Pok��mon.


    The Jangmo-o has a mischievous personality, yfully tapping Cosmoem with its ws, causing it to chime withughter.


    Because Cosmoem''s formidable defensive capabilities, far exceeding most Pok��mon, its metallic outer shell feels sturdy. The Jangmo-o''s yful taps entertain it, resembling a foolish son of a wealthyndlord.


    These two little Pok��mon have be quite familiar with each other. When Jangmo-o was just born, Cosmoem quietly approached and began ying with it. Compared to other Pok��mon, Cosmoem seems to favor Jangmo-o more.


    On the other hand, Mimikyu is much quieter. Underneath its young appearance lies the soul of an old uncle.


    Recently, Gengar and Mismagius went to the Distortion world and are not at home, so Yuga''s Shadow Space is empty.


    Mimikyu buries half of its body into the Shadow Space while the other half remains visible outside, enjoying watching Cosmoem and Jangmo-o frolicking.


    Considering it will never have offspring with Wigglytuff in its life, Mimikyu always treats young Pok��mon with a loving heart.


    Observing Jangmo-o and Cosmoem ying together, a thought struck Yuga: indeed, if there was something he possessed that others didn''t, wasn''t it Cosmoem?


    With this realization, Yuga suddenly became excited. Perhaps the trigger for Jangmo-o to be a Totem Pok��mon is Cosmoem.


    The source of the mutation caused by the Sparkling Stone is actually rted to the Ultra Aura left behind by Necrozma. Cosmoem itself emits an Ultra Aura.


    Yuga recalls a scene from the original animation.


    The world where the Ultra Beasts lived was once very beautiful, all thanks to the existence of Necrozma.


    However, one day, a meteorite struck thend. In a bid to stop the meteorite from falling, Necrozma sacrificed itself, losing all its radiance and falling into a deep slumber, casting the world into darkness.


    The radiance here refers to the Ultra Aura.


    However, with the arrival of Solgaleo and Lun, the dormant Necrozma awoke, attempting to restore itself by consuming Solgaleo and Lun.


    This means that Solgaleo and Lun possess an Ultra Auraparable to the original Necrozma.


    Essentially, they belong to the same tier of Legendary Pok��mon.


    It''s important to note that the Ultra Aura of Necrozma brought prosperity to the entire Ultra Beast world.


    Lun might havee close, but not quite up to par. So, Cosmoem''s Ultra Aura to trigger Jangmo-o into a Totem Pok��mon seems quite natural.


    However, in terms of uniqueness, Lun is probably unable topete with Necrozma. Necrozma was like the source of life in the Ultra Beast world. Lun and Solgaleo clearly cannot rece it.


    Nevertheless, this is all just Yuga''s spection. The actual facts are yet to be confirmed.

 Chapter 1030: Sponsorship

    <h4>Chapter 1030: Sponsorship</h4>


    Yuga had spections regarding the connection between the Sparkling Stone and the Totem Pok��mon, and he was anxious to verify it.


    However, acquiring the Sparkling Stone was not an easy task. Yuga inquired with Professor Kukui and Principal Samson Oak, but they didn''t have the required Sparkling Stone readily avable.


    However, they promised to assist Yuga in finding a solution, leaving Yuga with no choice but to patiently await the results.


    Time flew by, and February arrived.


    February in Verdanturf Town was exceptionally beautiful. Due to the implementation of special agricultural and tourism policies, the town transformed into a city of flowers during spring. The streets, residents'' doorways and windows, parks - everywhere was adorned with vibrant Beautifly and Dustox dancing gracefully.


    This owed much to Yuga providing various flower seeds to everyone.


    Alongside the town''s prosperity, the Verdanturf Gym also became bustling. The number of challengers increased significantly this year, far more than in previous years. Despite setting challenge restrictions at the Gym, it couldn''t curb the enthusiasm of the challengers.


    Thankfully, the Gym had a substantial number of Grass-type Pok��mon; otherwise, it would be challenging to handle the influx of challengers.


    After seeing off three challengers in a row, Yuga rubbed his stiff neck. At that moment, a chatty bird fluttered over, informing him that someone was looking for him at the shop.


    Temporarily leaving the Gym under Beidou''s watch, Yuga returned to find that Mayor Ishida had arrived, apanied by another person.


    This other individual wasn''t unfamiliar to Yuga; he was Mr. Kobayashi, the official in charge of the Verdanturf Town''s Pok��mon Contest.


    "Oh, Mr. Kobayashi is here. I wonder what brings you here today," Yuga inquired with curiosity.


    Yuga had dealt with Mr. Kobayashi before as he often used the facilities of the Verdanturf Town Pok��mon Contest for various events. Each time, Yuga needed Mr. Kobayashi''s approval, and he never gave Yuga a hard time; always readily approving his requests.


    Due to the previous Wace Cup event, the facilities of the Verdanturf Town Pok��mon Contest had undergone reconstruction and were now the most luxurious building in the entire town, serving as andmark for the town. Any major events in Verdanturf Town were usually held there.


    However, it was the first time Mr. Kobayashi hade to YoYo Day Care.


    "Well... we''re here for sponsorship," Mayor Ishida said cheerfully, as he and Yuga were very close, so there was no need for beating around the bush.


    Mr. Kobayashi: ...


    About to speak, Mr. Kobayashi felt a bit awkward. Mayor Ishida was familiar with Yuga, but he hadn''t reached that level offort to discuss anything openly with Yuga. He had wanted to be a bit tactful in bringing up the matter, but Mayor Ishida beat him to it.


    "Um... that''s the matter," Mr. Kobayashi replied with ack of confidence.


    One couldn''t me him for feeling uncertain. While others might use sponsorships for advertising purposes, the current status and reputation of YoYo Day Care made it unnecessary for them to advertise.


    He knew that after the incident in Rustboro City, YoYo Day Care''s business had skyrocketed, bing a renowned store.


    "Sponsorship? Are you nning to hold an event?" Yuga inquired.


    The Verdanturf Town Pok��mon Contest often organized various events, such as Bug-catching contests, Fishing tournaments, and the like. These events not only fueled Trainers'' enthusiasm but also served as publicity for the Pok��mon Contest.


    "Indeed, we''re nning a Fishing tournament, but we''re short on funds and are currently seeking sponsorship," Mr. Kobayashi said, braving the situation.


    "I see... a Fishing tournament, huh?" Yuga mused, stroking his chin. "YoYo Day Care can sponsor your event, but my condition is that the event should be grand and exciting."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Mr. Kobayashi was taken aback. Did he just agree?


    Actually, Mr. Kobayashi was mentally prepared for rejection, but he didn''t expect Yuga to easily agree. He was a little caught off guard.


    ''''Grand and exciting... Alright, alright! No problem'','' Mr. Kobayashi replied in a daze.


    In fact, getting sponsorship for the events organized by the Verdanturf Town Pok��mon Contest officials was always challenging. Most businesses were reluctant to sponsor such events as the majority of participants were Trainers. Many businesses weren''t involved in Trainer-rted activities, so they found sponsoring these events less effective than other forms of advertising.


    That''s why Mr. Kobayashi had personally approached YoYo Day Care this time.


    Upon hearing the conversation between Yuga and Mr. Kobayashi, Mayor Ishida, puzzled, asked, ''Wouldn''trger events cost more money? Why do this?''


    Uponing to his senses, Mr. Kobayashi felt the same way.


    Events like the Fishing tournament inevitably required many Water-type Pok��mon, and each Pok��mon meant an expense. Even though participants wouldn''t take all the Pok��mon they caught, the winners could take their captured Pok��mon for free.


    Initially, the Fishing tournament was held to address the problem of Water-type Pok��mon overpopting in the certain aquatic areas. Participants could take away all the Pok��mon they caught, reducing the pressure on local aquatic environments.


    Now, the Fishing tournament had be a pure recreational activity.


    Yuga smiled, "But wouldn''t arger event have better advertising effects?"


    Both Mayor Ishida and Mr. Kobayashi were puzzled. Was there something at YoYo Day Care that needed publicity?


    "Come, let''s discuss the Fishing tournament in detail inside," Yuga said, happily leading Mayor Ishida and Mr. Kobayashi into the meeting room.


    With the advent of the innovation potion, Yuga was finally able to carry out something he had long nned but couldn''t execute before.


    After a lengthy conversation in the meeting room, when the door opened again, Mr. Kobayashi left YoYo Day Care feeling a bit woozy.


    After seeing off Mayor Ishida and Mr. Kobayashi, Yuga went to the Ecopark because he heard that Wartortle had evolved.


    Wartortle had excellent potential, and its level had long reached the stage of evolution, but it had always carried an Everstone.


    Yuga had advised it to remove the Everstone, but unfortunately, it was unwilling to do so, for reasons unknown. Unexpectedly, today it finally agreed to remove the Everstone.


    Arriving at the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark, Yuga indeed saw a stoise by the edge of Lake Ind. Its body was partially submerged in theke, only its head visible outside, seeming a bit shy. Its partner, a Greninja, was nearby.


    As Yuga approached, the stoise suddenly got startled and swiftly retreated into the water, apparently feeling quite bashful.


    Compared to Wartortle, stoise looked considerably less appealing. The reason it hid in the water, unwilling toe out, was due to its fear of Greninja rejecting it new apperance, although it had clearly misunderstood.


    Yuga asked Greninja about the reason for Wartortle''s choice to evolve at this time. Unexpectedly, the usually stoic Greninja also became bashful because it and stoise were nning to have offspring.


    Watching the birth of new Pok��mon in the Ecopark, the couple also had thoughts of nurturing their own offspring.


    Though stoise was reluctant to evolve, it opted to remove the Everstone for the sake of their child, as Wartortle''s condition during pregnancy was not as secure as stoise''s.


    Seeing the loving rtionship between Greninja and stoise, Poliwrath, not far away, felt sour. Even though it came here at the same time with Wartortle, thetter not only found a partner but was also preparing to have offspring. But what about itself? It really wanted to find a partner...


    Poliwrath looked resentfully at Yuga: This Trainer is too unreliable. Doesn''t he know how to help his Pok��mon with their lifelong issues?


    Having experienced several unreliable romances, Poliwrath now had extreme distrust in its own judgment and just wished that one day, Yuga could arrange a partner for it.


    Upon noticing Poliwrath''s expectant gaze, Yuga looked over, puzzled: "What are you staring at?"


    Poliwrath: I was... um... I want to apply for a partner.


    Unfortunately, Yuga couldn''t read minds and didn''t grasp the meaning behind Poliwrath''s eyes.


    "Inexplicable," he muttered and left the Shallow Seashore Sub-Ecopark.


    (;�գ�)�gPoliwrath, extending its Erkang hand: When will I have a partner...


    As Yuga was about to check if the Chansey had prepared this month''s Innovation Potion in the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark, before he could step through the gate, Growlithe hurriedly ran over, tugging at his clothing and pulling him towards the Volcano Sub-Ecopark.


    Following Growlithe into the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, a scorching airflow hit Yuga as he approached the mountaintop, apanied by shing sounds.


    Yuga hurriedly reached the mountaintop and saw reon and Arcanine in a tense confrontation on two tforms in the magma pool. Rolling gusts of air scattered theva, some even sshing onto Arcanine and reon, yet they paid no heed.


    This reon was the one belong to Flint, sent over and remaining with Yuga ever since.


    Since Flint was on injury, the Sinnoh League gave him day off, so he hadn''t rushed to take reon back.


    But recently, when his injury healed, Yuga asked Flint if he wanted to take reon back, but Flint seemed utterly indifferent. He frankly suggested fostering reon at YoYo Day Care for a while.


    Seeing that Flint had paid all expenses, boarding fees, and the like, Yuga didn''t mind much. After all, it was just an additional mouth to feed.


    reon lived in the Jungle where the Eevee n resided, frolicking daily with its two wife, Leafeon and ceon. Sometimes, Yuga can''t even look at them.


    Currently, Yuga perceived Flint''s reon as a sort of ''herdboy'' brought by Leafeon and ceon. He served as the breeding partner, and this ''herdboy'' was first-rate both in potentials and strength��indeed, a superior one among the ''herdboys''.


    Thinking in this light, Yuga felt much more at ease.


    The Jungle where the Eevee n lived was located at the foot of the volcano, adjacent to the grasnd inhabited by Rapidash. The environment there was pleasant, not significantly affected by the high temperatures of the volcano, thanks to the nearbyke. Even the ceon living there wasn''t affected by the volcano.


    However, to ensure afortable environment for the ceon, Yuga prepared some Never-Melt Ice for them to wear.


    Over these years, with the arrival of new Eevee, the Eevee n had grown into a rtively sizable group. There were several newborn ceon in this group.


    The offspring born from Leafeon and ceon initially had poor potential, all having only yellow potential. However, after using the Innovation Potion, all of their potential turned into green.


    Both Eevee had evolved into new Leafeon and ceon.


    But Yuga didn''t understand why reon, that living well among the Eevee n, would pick a fight with Arcanine?


    reon leaped from the circr tform, its mes aggressively surging, resembling a cannonball, swiftly charging at Arcanine.


    Arcanine spewed a torrent of mes, but when the mes came close to reon, it absorbed them into its body, amplifying its own energy.


    reon''s ability is sh Fire, and evidently, not only do Arcanine attack not harm it, but they actually help it in overpowering the opponent.


    Bang!


    reon''s collision almost sent Arcanine tumbling into the magma.


    However, Arcanine''s Intimidate ability activated at the start of the fight, reducing reon''s attack power by arge margin. Coupled with Fire-type''s resistance to fire-type moves, the damage inflicted to Arcanine was limited.


    On the other hand, reon who had used re Blitz, incurring substantial recoil damage to itself.


    Yuga was about to intervene to stop the fight but was halted by Volcarona not far away. It turned out that from the start, Volcarona and other reon Pok��mon had been watching the spectacle without any intention of getting involved.


    How did the reon and Arcanine end up fighting? Well, it turns out that Leafeon and ceon are expecting another baby.


    The higher a Pok��mon''s level, the more challenging it bes to conceive, but this particr reon that Flint brought over seemed to be perfectly suited for breeding.


    They''ve only been here for a short time, and Leafeon and ceon are expecting again. From Yuga''s perspective, this confirms the reon''s role as the prime breeding partner.


    Initially, the elder members of the Eevee n, Jolteon, Vaporeon, and Umbreon, were already discontented with this rogue reon, who had taken their sister away. The second pregnancy of Leafeon and ceon only heightened their anger.


    So, they nned to give Flint''s reon a lesson.


    But they weren''t a match for the reon. Even if they tried, it was a top-tier elite among elite level Pok��mon, and also carefully nurtured by Elite Four member. Teaching it a lesson was no easy task.


    So, the cunning Umbreon came up with an idea: finding reinforcements.


    In the Volcano area, there were only two Pok��mon who could contend with Flint''s reon: Arcanine and Volcarona.


    However, Volcarona, although it was arrieve earlier in the Ecopark, it had a peculiar temperament and wasn''t very approachable. The Eevee n had no particr rtionship with it. In contrast, Arcanine, who arrivedter, was affable and more liked by everyone.


    Thus, the Eevee n dispatched their smartest member, Espeon. Under Espeon''s provocation, the reon and Arcanine indeed engaged in a fight.


    But as the saying goes, man proposes, God disposes. While Arcanine had initially approached the reon with intentions to cause trouble, in the heat of battle, they found themselves mutually understood each others..


    So, what started as a fight became a form of bonding between these two male, they''ve be a brothers through fighting.


    As the Pok��mon in the Volcano Sub-Ecopark that had the most interaction with Arcanine, Volcarona observed that the fight between the reon and Arcanine was merely a disy of mutual interest. Hence, it intervened to prevent Yuga from interrupting them.

 Chapter 1031: This...This is...

    <h4>Chapter 1031: This...This is...</h4>


    After enduring reon''s re Blitz, Arcanine seemed unaffected by the pain. It swiftly stabilized itself at the edge of the circr tform and then used Extreme Speed towards reon.


    Since Fire-type moves couldn''t affect reon, it decided to use other moves.


    The Extreme Speed''s defining feature is speed. Before reon could react, it was struck, continuously pushed back by Arcanine. Its ws tightly gripped the circr tform, leaving deep marks.


    After the Extreme Speed attack, Arcanine didn''t stop there. It immediately followed up with a Close Combat. The transitions between the two moves were so seamless and rapid that reon, still reeling from the effects of Extreme Speed, was hit again by the Close Combat.


    The sturdy hind legs of Arcanine viciously kicked reon in its stomach, contorting its face in agony. Before reon could fly off, Arcanine bit its front leg, dragged it back, flung it to the ground, and then stomped on its chest.


    reon struggled intensely, seemingly close to breaking free. However, a kick to its waist sent it flying.


    Close Combat emphasizes uninterrupted and fluid movements between attacks. Arcanine had mastered this artistry.


    reon, thrown into theva pool, left the other Pok��mon spectators baffled. Did... did it lose?


    However, not long after, theva pool began bubbling furiously, resembling boiling water. A fiery-red figure rapidly shot out from theva pool.


    The crimson silhouette was none other than reon that had fallen into theva.


    With its ability to absorb fire, reon remained unharmed after falling into theva pool. Not only was it unharmed, but after absorbing the mes in theva pool, its strength significantly increased.


    At this moment, reon''s fluffy fur was enveloped in strands of golden mes, as if adorned in a golden battle armor, incredibly powerful.


    The airborne reon initiallyunched a Fire Fang towards Arcanine. The dog agilely evaded the attack, leaving a deep pit in the solid circr tform caused by reon''s Fire Fang. The shattered rocks scattered,nding in theva pool and melting instantly due to the high temperature.


    As the first strike missed, reon swiftly leaped from the ground and instantly collided with the justnded Arcanine. A tremendous force transmitted from reon''s body, causing the Arcanine to groan and continually retreat. Meanwhile, reonnded lightly, leaping away from Arcanine in just a few hops.


    reon used a Fighting-type move, Superpower, when it charged towards Arcanine. This move''s power was exceptionally strong. Given that both Arcanine and reon had their defenses lowered (using Superpower reduces both Pok��mon''s defenses), this blow seriously injured Arcanine.


    Feeling too much pain, Arcanine, initially nning a counter-attack, abandoned its previous strategy and unleashed a Dragon Pulse towards reon.


    Dragon Pulse was a move it had learned from Dragon-type Pok��mon in the Ecopark, even though it wasn''t a Dragon-type Pok��mon. However, with its exceptional potential, learning Dragon Pulse wasn''t too challenging.


    The blue draconic energy hit reon, strike after strike.


    reon toiled in evading Arcanine''s Dragon Pulse, creating explosions in theva pool, sending out waves of scorching heat, forcing the onlookers, including Yuga, to step back.


    Yuga is not a reon, and being identally sshed byva is noughing matter.


    Bang!!!


    Arcanine might have gone overboard as an immense Dragon Pulse inadvertently hit an evolution stone vein not far from theva pool. The ground trembled, and the shattered rocks tumbled down.


    Yuga''s reward from the system was a super-sized Fire Stone vein. Despite extracting many Fire Stones and trading them for various resources, the Fire Stone vein showed no signs of depletion.


    Arcanine''s full-force Dragon Pulse not only shattered rocks but also crushed arge portion of the Fire Stones beneath.


    The reon witnessing this scene were distraught. If the Fire Stones shattered, they wouldn''t be as valuable! Considering the area damaged due to the mine''s copse, the number of damaged Fire Stones would undoubtedly be substantial.


    Seeing this, the reon were in no mood for the spectacle. Volcarona directly intervened, halting the battle between Arcanine and reon.


    Spendthrift!


    Volcarona cursed Arcanine internally,pletely forgetting it had tacitly allowed Arcanine and reon''s intense battle.


    Arcanine also realized it had gone too far and was feeling extremely guilty.


    Yuga, after witnessing the copsed Fire Stone vein, felt the same heartache. These were valuable assets! If he k ow it, he will ignored Volcarona''s objections and firmly stopped their fight!


    Yuga was filled with deep regret.


    "Alright, let''s clean up the copsed area first and then assess the specific extent of the damage."


    Yuga called out to the equally regretful reon. If they didn''t address the copse, it could pose a danger to other Pok��mon mining in the future.


    With the efforts of the reon, the damaged section was quickly assessed. At least six to seven hundred Fire Stone pieces had crumbled.


    Hearing this figure, Yuga''s face turned green. Millions had just disappeared.


    "Never mind, let''s keep these Fire Stone fragments for our own use in the future." Yuga weaklyforted the Pok��mon.


    Although the fragments couldn''t be sold, using them personally wouldn''t pose any issues. Fire Stones had a supportive role in reon''s training, and the fragments held the same potential.


    However, the fragmented Fire Stones would inevitably lose much energy, making it impossible for reon to evolve using them, even inrge quantities.


    reon needed Fire Stones for evolution because these stones contained abundant Fire-type energy, which could impact their overly stable evolution factors.


    Yuga''sforting words didn''t lift the spirits of the reon. They preferred intact Fire Stones over fragments.


    Moreover, Yuga had nevercked in providing their training resources. They were prudent and frugal Pok��mon; wasting so many Fire Stones was indeed distressing.


    Not only were Yuga''s Pok��mon heartbroken, but Flin''s reon also felt the same as they were left breathless with distress.


    Fire Stones! So many Fire Stones! Now, they''re all in fragments!


    Seeing the pile of Fire Stone fragments not far away, reon was almost suffocating from sadness, feeling like copsing and pounding the ground.


    What sin has beenmitted!


    So many Fire Stones, howfortable it would be to sleep on them! reon "extravagantly" thought.


    But the trainer''s friend is seriously rich; they actually have so many Fire Stones! reon was envious to the point of death. Why is its trainer such a pauper?


    Among the Elite Four, Flint is aplete pauper, fearingparisons. Compared to Yuga, its trainer is as good as dust.


    For the first time, reon felt it had misjudged people. How did it end up with a trainer whose pockets were as empty as holed pockets? There are so many rich people in the world... its dream of sleeping on Fire Stones can only remain a dream for a lifetime...


    Sigh, I wonder if it''s toote to change trainers now...


    Just when Yuga and the Pok��mon were in deep distress, a shout suddenly came from a distance from the Nales leader and the Houndoom leader.


    "What happened?" Yuga shouted to the couple.


    "Nales... Nales..." Nales''s call came.


    Filled with curiosity, Yuga hurried over, only to see Houndoom continuously digging at a patch of debris. Gradually, a piece of the rock wall was exposed, embedded with dazzling and radiant Supreme-grade Fire Stones.


    The brightness and purity of Supreme-grade evolution stones far exceeded regr ones, making them easily distinguishable.


    One, two, three... eight, nine, a total of nine Supreme-grade Fire Stones.


    "This... this..." Yuga was so excited that they became a little incoherent. This was truly an unexpected joy.


    However, after the brief joy, Yuga suddenly felt that there wasn''t much to be happy about. These Supreme-grade Fire Stones wouldn''t run away; although they were discovered early, losing so many regr Fire Stones seemed like more trouble than it was worth.


    "Handle these Supreme-grade Fire Stones, notify me once they''re dug out," Yuga said half-heartedly to the Nales couple.


    The Nales couple looked at each other, unsure why Yuga suddenly changed his mood; wasn''t he happy just now? Oh well, let him be... The Nales couple nodded at Yuga, assuring that they would mine the Supreme-grade Fire Stones properly.


    Even though Yuga now had the Innovation Potion, its usage was limited, not as precious as Supreme-grade evolution stones. Although the usage of Supreme-grade evolution stones was also restricted, they were still iparable to the Innovation Potion.


    Yuga thought about how to handle these Supreme-grade Fire Stones while walking. It seemed a bit wasteful to directly use them for the reon.


    Oh well! Let''s just hold on to them for now.


    As Yuga walked, they suddenly noticed a nearby reon. "How about I send you back to Flint?" Yuga suggested.


    Hearing this, reon suddenly rushed over and hugged Yuga''s leg, pleading.


    "reon... reon..."


    Don''t go! I''ll stay here and won''t cause any trouble anymore!! Please pity me, I won''t dare cause any more trouble, Woo...


    Although reon stayed here and Flint provided food expenses, it was clear to reon that it wasn''t asfortable there as it is now. Out of appreciation for Flint, Yuga often supplemented reon. Everything it ate, drank, or used was top-notch. If it were under Flint alone, it''d be frugal... way too frugal.


    Yuga: ...


    "Fine, but don''t cause trouble anymore, or I''ll send you straight back!" Yuga reluctantly said.


    "reon.. reon...."


    I got it, thank you, thank you... You''re a really great person, the trainer''s friend!


    Too good, no need to leave, really wants to stay here forever.


    (���) Yuga: Damn it, I want to punch this reon freak to death!


    Just as Yuga left the volcano Sub-Ecopark, he suddenly sensed a strange auraing from the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark. Immediately, he saw the Meowstic running towards him in a panic.


    "Meow... meow..."


    Oh no! Oh no! Something big has happened!


    Yuga listened to the Meowstic shouting until it almost broke its vocal cords, as if someone was pinching its throat, the sharp voice seemed like it could tear through the sky, surely piercing his eardrums.


    What''s going on? An issue at theboratory?


    The Meowstic ran over, holding Yuga''s hand and pulling him towards the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark, muttering incoherently. Yuga couldn''t understand what it was saying and just followed along.


    As Yuga stepped through the gate leading to the Haunted Mansion, the odd sensation he felt earlier grew stronger.


    This is...


    Yuga felt this aura was very familiar, powerful, and incredibly majestic.


    By now, the entire Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark was in chaos. As soon as Yuga arrived, they witnessed a scene of chaos, countless Ghost-type Pok��mon were flying around like headless flies. The Misdreavus and Mismagius screamed louder than ever, filled with fear and panic.


    The Chandelure, Lampent, and Litwick, which were originally floating in the Ghost Sea, also screamed and surged out of the sea surface, seemingly greatly frightened. Their ghostly blue mes above their heads flickered intensely, casting a blue hue over the entire Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark.


    The only one managing to remain calm at the scene was Dusknoir. It struggled to console the other Pok��mon but to no avail.


    Yuga, witnessing this scene, was dumbfounded: What... what''s happening here?


    Without needing an exnation from anyone, Yuga quickly grasped the reason.


    "Roar..."


    At this moment, a melodious and cheerful roar echoed from afar, a giant figure glided gracefully closer to the sea surface of the Ghost Sea. As it flew, it emitted delightful roars.


    Each time it roared, the other Ghost-type Pok��mon panicked and scattered.


    As Yuga glimpsed the true form of this Pok��mon, their eyes widened involuntarily: What did I just see...


    Those golden rings, the ck and red stripes, isn''t that Giratina? And it''s the Origin Forme of Giratina!


    Logically speaking, doesn''t Giratina transform into different forms outside the Distortion World?


    "Am... am I seeing things?" Yuga murmured, watching Giratina joyfully swimming in the Ghost Sea.


    However, the chaotic scene before his eyes unequivocally confirmed that his eyesight was just fine. The reason behind the tumult among the Ghost-type Pok��mon was the shock caused by Giratina.


    Sharp-eyed Yuga quickly noticed a faint blue figure perched on Giratina''s head. With every twist of Giratina''s body, peculiarughter emanated from the top of its head.


    Isn''t that Jellicent that has always stayed in the Distortion World apanying Giratina?

 Chapter 1032: Giratina and Cocoon of the Stars

    <h4>Chapter 1032: Giratina and Cocoon of the Stars</h4>


    How did Giratina enter the Ecopark?


    Yuga involuntarily nced at the Reverse Mirror ced on the stone steps. It should be because this one, right?


    Soon, Yuga''s spection was confirmed by Dusknoir. Giratina and Jellicent did indeed emerge suddenly from the Reverse Mirror, and appeared in the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark.


    Giratina''s appearance immediately caused panic among all the Ghost-type Pok��mon here.


    It was the first tine Dusknoir saw Giratina, but it could still feel Giratina''s terrifying presence, so it didn''t make any rash moves, and waiting for Yuga to arrive.


    "Have Dragonite and the others returned from the Distortion World?" Yuga asked Dusknoir.


    "Dusknoir... Dusknoir..." Dusknoir shook its head, indicating no.


    Yuga nodded and said, "Take me to Giratina."


    Dusknoir opened its massive arms and embraced Yuga, then flew towards the location of Giratina.


    "Giratina!" When they got closer, Yuga shouted at Giratina.


    Giratina, who was happily ying with Jellicent, paused upon hearing Yuga''s voice. It turned its head, and its voice echoed in Yuga''s ears: "Oh, it''s you, human! I remember your name is Shi... Shi... Shi..."


    "Shimizu Yuga!" Yuga, realizing that Giratina couldn''t recall his name, so he reminded its loudly.


    Honestly, who was the one saying, "I remember you" in the first ce!


    "Ah! Right, Shimizu Yuga, that''s the name." Giratina suddenly realized and then asked, "Is this your ce? I came here without permission, please forgive me."


    Yuga didn''t expect the infamous Giratina to be quite polite. He nodded and said, "It is my ce. It''s my honor that you cane here. I wee you."


    Giratina, upon hearing this, slowly immersed its body into the water of the Ghost Sea. Then, it sighed, "This is indeed a good ce; there''s a thick aura of life flowing everywhere."


    Yuga: ... Why do I sense envy in that tone?


    "Can I absorb a bit of the life force in this water?" Giratina suddenly asked Yuga in a friendly tone.


    Yuga didn''t expect Giratina to be so approachable. If it were another arrogant Legendary Pok��mon, it probably wouldn''t seek the owner''s opinion and just go ahead. After all, a mere human doesn''t weigh much in the eyes of a Legendary Pok��mon.


    "Sure... go ahead, if you want to absorb it," Yuga said, thinking it''s just a sip, how much energy could it consume? There''s plenty of life force stored in the Ghost Sea, more than enough for Giratina. Giving it a sip wouldn''t make a difference.


    However, soon Yuga witnessed that Giratina''s idea of "a sip" was quite different from his imagination.


    After getting Yuga''s consent, Giratina gratefully said, "Thank you very much."


    Giratina usually feeds by absorbing the life force freely present in the air.


    Whether in the Distortion World or the real world, as long as living beings are engaged in life activities, they constantly emit life force.


    This life force has a very short lifespan; if no one captures it, it quickly transforms into other forms of energy and returns to nature.


    So, the life force Giratina usually absorbs ispletely different from the vast and pure life force stored in the Ghost Sea.


    Giratina lowered its body and, along with its head, submerged itself in the Ghost Sea. Immediately, Yuga saw a vortex forming on the Ghost Sea, centered around Giratina.


    The Ghost Sea water itself is colorless and transparent, but due to the stored life force, it appears green. The more life force stored, the greener the water bes.


    The vortex Yuga witnessed wasn''t formed by the flow of seawater but by the rotation caused when life force inside it was absorbed.


    Seeing this vortex, Yuga was astonished: Is this... just one... not billions?


    Under Giratina''s absorption, the Ghost Sea water visibly changed from dark green to green, then to light green. Yuga''s heart was pounding at this spectacle.


    The change in the Ghost Sea caused even more panic among the Ghost-type Pok��mon in the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark. They could keenly feel the diminishing life energy in their home.


    Seeing the Ghost-type Pok��mon panicking and running around, Yuga felt the urge to reassure them but was powerless to do so.


    After what felt like a long time, Giratina finally emerged from the Ghost Sea, satisfied. It let out afortable groan, and the Ghost Sea water, originally dark green, had turned almost transparent.


    It would probably take one or two years to restore its to the original amount again, right?


    Under the abundant life force, Giratina seemed to undergo a transformation. The golden rings on its body shone brightly, as if coated with wax. The ck and red stripes also became deeper and more mysterious.


    Giratinafortably stretched its body in the air without a care, and Yuga''s face turned almost ck...


    At this point, it was Jellicent that used its tendrils to pat Giratina''s head, reminding it that it went a bit overboard.


    Realizing Yuga''s dark expression, Giratina, now back to its senses, apologized with a guilty look, "I''m really sorry; I couldn''t control myself. I got too carried away..."


    The life force in the seawater was too rich and pure, and it couldn''t resist.


    Yuga wanted to say it''s okay, but it really wasn''t okay; it was very much okay!


    Before Yuga could speak, a small ball suddenly popped out of the seawater. It hovered in the air, loudly scolding Giratina, looking extremely furious.


    Looking closely, the little ball making a fuss in front of Giratina was none other than Cosmoem from Yuga''s home.


    It turns out Cosmoem had also been absorbing life force in the Ghost Sea earlier.


    Giratina''s appearance may affect ordinary Ghost-type Pok��mon, but Cosmoem ispletely indifferent.


    Cosmoem originally belonged to the Psychic-type, but after some modifications by Bridges, it gained the Ghost-type attribute, making life force also a part of its diet. Hence, it frequently visits the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark to feast on life force.


    However, being still young, Cosmoem doesn''t have as excessive a demand for life force as Giratina. So, it leisurely soaks in the Ghost Sea, enjoying the nourishment of life force.


    No Ghost-type Pok��mon would dislike the feeling of life force passing through their bodies. Even if they can''t consume it, soaking in the Ghost Sea is still a form of enjoyment. Otherwise, there wouldn''t be so many Litwicks and Lampent leisurely soaking in the Ghost Sea all the time.


    Initially, Cosmoem wasfortable while soaking, almost falling asleep in a daze. However, the life force suddenly became thinner. When it woke up, the entire Ghost Sea had only a thinyer of life force left.


    Cosmoem immediately noticed Giratina absorbing life force energetically, hence why it be angry.


    Looking at the little one yelling at it, Giratina:...


    This little one gives it a strange feeling; there seems to be a power in it that can match its own. However, this power seems somewhat ipatible with the Pok��mon world...


    Both are Tier 1 Legendary Pok��mon. While Giratina possesses Legendary Aura, Cosmoem has the Ultra Aura. Although different, they converge on the same goal, simr to how the Sinnoh people and Aln people, despite different appearances, are still humans.


    This "ipatibility" made Giratina deeply furrow its brows.


    "Is this little one yours?" Giratina asked Yuga in surprise.


    Yuga, not expecting Cosmoem to be here, and momentarily forgot about Giratina draining dry the Ghost Sea. He nodded, saying, "Yes, it''s mine."


    At this moment, Cosmoem also noticed Yuga. With a swoosh, it instantly appeared in front of Yuga, burying itself in Yuga''s arms, and using Giratina sadly.


    Fortunately, it remembered to control its weight with psychic power; otherwise, this sudden movement might have given Yuga internal injuries.


    Giratina seemed a bit embarrassed by Cosmoem''s indignant words but wasn''t angry. As an elder, it didn''t need to be bothered by a child''s babbling.


    "This little one is good. Cherish it," Giratina said meaningfully. It hasn''t encountered a Ghost-type Pok��mon that can rival it before. It hoped that this little one could grow into its level one day.


    "I will," Yuga replied, smiling as he patted Cosmoem''s sturdy shell.


    Cosmoem nudged Yuga back and then gave Giratina a stern look. Giratina not only wasn''t angry but burst intoughter, treating Cosmoempletely like a junior.


    Feeling rxed after Cosmoem''s yful scolding, Giratina suddenly had an idea. It suggested to Yuga, "How about this? Since I took advantage of you so much, why notpensate on this little one?"


    Yuga''s eyes lit up at the idea. With Giratina''s help, Cosmoem''s growth cycle might significantly shorten.


    Seeing Yuga nod in agreement, Giratina breathed a sigh of relief. It felt awkward being scolded by a little one, but it really liked this little guy and couldn''t get mad at it.


    "By the way, what''s the little one''s name?" Giratina suddenly asked.


    "It''s called Cosmoem," Yuga honestly answered.


    "Cosmoem? Never heard of that Pok��mon," Giratina muttered but didn''t ask further. It used strong psychic power to control Cosmoem, pulling it out of Yuga''s embrace.


    Cosmoem struggled intensely, but it couldn''t break free.


    "Cosmoem, calm down, stop struggling," Yuga scolded Cosmoem.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Cosmoem immediately went still, but its eyes were filled with sorrow, leaving Yuga amused and helpless.


    Giratina, controlling Cosmoem, floated it in front of them. Compared to Giratina''s massive figure, Cosmoem looked like a tiny pebble.


    Giratina took a deep breath and then forcefully exhaled a dark purple torrent towards Cosmoem. A powerful pressure erupted from Giratina, but it kept it within a small range. Apart from Yuga and Dusknoir, other Pok��mon in the distance weren''t affected.


    Yuga could clearly sense that Giratina emitted pure Legendary Aura. The deep and obscure purple Legendary Aura was stronger than any power Yuga had seen before.


    Legendary Aura is the foundation of Legendary Pok��mon.


    As the purple Legendary Aura engulfed Cosmoem, it shivered, but soon it sensed the gentle nature of the power. It instinctively began absorbing this force.


    The constantly flowing Legendary Aura was absorbed by Cosmoem and instinctively transformed into its own Ultra Aura.


    However, as Cosmoem absorbed more Legendary Aura, Yuga noticed subtle changes in its body.


    While the myths of Lun and Solgaleo were widely spread in the Al region, no one could change the fact that these two Tier 1 Legendary Pok��mon came from another world.


    In other words, the Ultra Aura on Cosmoem, including on Kartana, didn''t perfectly align with the Pok��mon world. Ordinary Pok��mon might not sense it, but a Tier 1 Legendary Pok��mon like Giratina could easily see through it.


    The integration of Legendary Aura into Cosmoem''s Ultra Aura brought about a fascinating change. While the Ultra Aura remained, it seemed to suddenly harmonize with the Pok��mon world.


    It was like a human immigrant receiving a new citizenship, allowing them to integrate more deeply into the host country, and gaining eptance.


    Giratina had its own thoughts. Despite its fondness for the little one, it immediately sensed the dissonance between it and this world.


    In its mind, a question arose: Would this outsider pose a threat to the world when it grows up?


    To prevent such a scenario, Giratina considered changing the "citizenship." If the little one had the "citizenship" of this world, it would be challenging for any future outsiders to gain its trust.


    This was a tant strategy.


    At this point, Yuga and Cosmoem were unaware of Giratina''s calctions. Even if they knew, Yuga wouldn''t mind; he''d just say: needless worry.


    As long as helping Cosmoem grow was possible, Yuga wouldn''t care about anything else.


    With the increasing absorption of Legendary Aura, Cosmoem''s aura became more aligned with this world. Its strength also grew more powerful.


    Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye. Seeing the situation stabilizing, Giratina abruptly retracted the Legendary Aura it had emitted. It looked visibly exhausted, which showed that helping Cosmom once took a lot of effort


    Feeling the enhanced power, Cosmoem couldn''t contain its excitement. Even its eyes, which used to re at Giratina had lost their hostility.


    "Giratina, are you okay?"


    Watching Giratina panting, Yuga asked with concern.


    Giratina shook its head and replied softly, "I''m fine. Just need a good rest, and I''ll be back to normal. Besides, the energy I absorbed earlier is insignificantpared to the life force I usually deal with."


    Yuga finally felt relieved, and then shifting his attention to the still joyous Cosmoem.


    ...


    Cosmoem (Directional Mutation)


    Types: Psychic, Ghost


    Ability: Sturdy


    Gender: None


    Potential: Unknown


    Level: Unknown


    Moves: Cosmic Power, Teleport


    ...


    Although there were no apparent changes in Cosmoem''s data, Yuga knew that the foundation of the "cocoon of the stars" was now more robust and when it evolved into Lun it would undoubtedly be remarkable.

 Chapter 1033: Fishing Contest

    <h4>Chapter 1033: Fishing Contest</h4>


    As expected, just like Giratina mentioned, it didn''t take long for it to regain its vitality. After spending some time in the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark, it returned to the Distortion World through the Reverse Mirror.


    Watching Giratina leave, Yuga let out a long sigh of relief. If Giratina had stayed any longer, the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark would have been thrown into chaos.


    Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye, and the fishing contest officially organized by the Pok��mon Contest of Verdanturf Town was about to take ce.


    Taking advantage of the increased flow of tourists in Verdanturf Town recently, Mr. Kobayashi vigorously promoted this event. Almost every day, tourists could hear or see promotions rted to the fishing contest in the streets and alleys of Verdanturf Town, making the scene lively on the day of the event.


    The location for the fishing contest was set on a section of the river on the outskirts of Verdanturf Town. The official organizers of the Pok��mon Contest enclosed both ends of this river section withs. Inside, there were a mix of wild Pok��mon and some they prepared for participants to fish.


    Thes enclosing the river ends were made of a biomimetic material, inspired by the web of a Galvant. They were not only very sturdy but also had a faint electric current, ensuring high safety.


    The river, collectively known as the Green Jade River, surrounded the entire Verdanturf Town. Its origin was in the Petalburg Woods, but it had few strong orrge Water-type Pok��mon living in it because it was too far from the exit of the Petalburg Woods.


    It served as the mother river of Verdanturf Town due to its excellent water quality. Almost all the agricultural irrigation and drinking water in Verdanturf Town came from this river.


    On the day of the event, the scene was bustling with people. Not only did many trainers participate, but also numerous ordinary tourists and residents also signed up. Those who didn''t participate directly crowded around to watch the excitement.


    To maintain order at the scene, Mr. Kobayashi had alreadymunicated with the Verdanturf Town Police Department in advance. Therefore, many police officers were present on the day of the event to maintain order.


    In addition to this, Yuga made arrangements in the river. Since there were still some wild Water-type Pok��mon in the river, to prevent them from causing harm, Pok��mon like Milotic and Gyarados couple, Slowpoke, Slowking, Greninja, and Poliwrath were released into the river by Yuga.


    They wouldn''t bite the participants'' fishing hooks; they would only appear if participants were in danger.


    To participate in this fishing contest, a registration fee of one thousand Pok��dor was required. This fee was higher than any other activity organized by the official Verdanturf Town in the past, but it did not dampen the enthusiasm of the participants.


    It was mentioned in the promotion for this fishing contest that among the Water-type Pok��mon avable for participants to fish, there was also a green potential Milotic and a green potential Gyarados.


    The official organizers promised that whoever could catch the Milotic would be the champion, and whoever caught the Gyarados would be the runner-up. Both would be able to take the respective Pok��mon away for free.


    You can say that the rewards for this fishing contest are unprecedentedly generous, so how could a mere one thousand Pok��dor registration fee possibly dampen everyone''s enthusiasm to participate?


    Because the fishing contest is an official event organized by the Pok��mon Contest official, most of the participants are Coordinator. After all, which Coordinator wouldn''t want to have a Milotic?


    The most representative figure in the Pok��mon Contest is the current Sootopolis Gym Leader, Wace and Milotic is his signature Pok��mon, so Milotic holds a special ce in the hearts of most Coordinator.


    Water-type Pok��mon have always been popr in the Pok��mon Contest. With the added attraction of a green potential Milotic and Gyarados, many people from outside specifically came to participate in the event.


    On the day of the event, seeing the crowded scene, Mr. Kobayashi grinned. It was the first time he had organized such a lively event.


    When he was sent here to manage the affairs of the Pok��mon Contest in Verdanturf Town by the higher-ups, he was still a small figure. Verdanturf Town was only left to him because it was an inconspicuous ce back then!


    But who could have imagined that Verdanturf Town would have such good fortune? Because of having an outstanding Gym Leader, in just a few years, the flow of people in Verdanturf Town wasparable to that of a typical small city. It was no longerparable to an ordinary small town and had an immeasurable future.


    Colleagues who used to look down on Mr. Kobayashi now envy him for being assigned to Verdanturf Town. Verdanturf Town is not the same as it was back then; it''s a golden opportunity, and many people want to be assigned to work here.


    Not only is Mr. Kobayashi satisfied, but Yuga, as a sponsor, is also satisfied.


    Why did Yuga sponsor this fishing contest? Certainly not for the promotion of YoYo Day Care; now YoYo Day Care doesn''t need the poprity of a fishing contest.


    Yuga''s purpose in sponsoring this event is to promote two Pok��blocks, Beautie and Extender.


    Why are Milotic and Gyarados so rare and sought after? It''s because evolution is too difficult!


    The Beautie Pok��block can evolve Feebas into the beautiful Milotic by enhancing its beauty; the Extender Pok��block can ovee the stable evolution factor of Magikarp, and increasing the likelihood of evolving into Gyarados.


    In the past, because these two Pok��blocks were too eye-catching, Yuga never sold them publicly; he only quietly supplied them to the Sootopolis Gym. But now with the Innovation Potion, Beautie, and Extender are no longer a big deal.


    So, Yuga thought of taking the opportunity to promote these two Pok��blocks.


    That''s also why Yuga provided a green potential Milotic and a green potential Gyarados as the champion and runner-up prizes for this fishing contest.


    Of course, if someone manages to catch both Milotic and Gyarados, it''s allowed by the rules.


    However, Yuga won''t sell Beautie Pok��blocks and Extender Pok��blocks as regr Pok��blocks; he ns to package them and sell them at a high price as rare and precious items.


    The so-called "rarity makes things valuable," if Beautie and Extender are sold inrge quantities at a low price, it will inevitably lead to trainers having an abundance of Milotic and Gyarados, and then Milotic and Gyarados won''t be as valuable.


    In terms of beauty alone, Hoenn''s Beautifly is famous throughout the Pok��mon world, but has its value increased by one and a half stars because of its beauty?


    No!


    Because Beautifly is toomon; there aren''t many high potential ones, but you can see low potential Beautifly anywhere in Hoenn.


    Although, considering the strength of Milotic and Gyarados, they won''t fall to the same level as Beautifly. However, if they be toomon, a big drop in its value is certain.


    So the best approach is to limit the sale of Beauty and Extender at a high price.


    As time passes, it''s soon time for thepetition to begin. Mr. Kobayashi, as the person in charge of thepetition, stands on the temporary tform and shouts into the microphone to the participants: "Attention, all participants, thepetition is about to begin. Please prepare in advance. Now, I will announce the rules of thepetition.


    Thepetition format is simple; the winner will be determined by the participants'' scores. Catching a basic form Pok��mon earns one point, a second-stage Pok��mon earns five points, and a third-stage Pok��mon earns twenty points.


    In special cases, if someone directly catches a green potential Milotic, they directly advance to the champion. If someone catches a green potential Gyarados, they advance to the runner-up. If someone catches Gyarados but no one catches Milotic, the one who caught Gyarados will further be the champion. If neither is caught, the one with the highest final score bes the champion.


    Thepetition runs from now until 6 p.m. The top ten will receive rewards, and the top three can choose one Pok��mon they caught to take home. Scores are tallied every two hours.


    In addition, there''s a hidden bonus. In thepetition area, there''s a wild green potential Pok��mon hidden. If anyone is lucky enough to catch it, they will be a special winner, and we have a big gift for them."


    The wild green potential Pok��mon in the river was discovered by Yuga when he helped inspect the Pok��mon in the river. He didn''t tell Mr. Kobayashi what type of green potential Pok��mon it was, he just reminded him to treat it as a hidden bonus for thepetition.


    With that, Mr. Kobayashi signaled the staff to bring up two exquisite ss cans, each containing a Beautie Pok��block and a Extender Pok��block.


    "Ourpetition''s sponsor is the YoYo Day Care in Verdanturf Town, and these two items in the cans are the two new products recently introduced by YoYo Day Care.


    The pink can is called Beautie Pok��block; it can help Feebas evolve into Milotic. The blue can called Extender Pok��block; it can help Magikarp evolve into Gyarados.


    As long as you have these two items, even if you don''t catch Milotic and Gyarados in thispetition, you will still have a chance to own them. Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block will be awarded to the special winners. I hope everyone will do their best."


    Mr. Kobayashi''s words are full of enthusiasm, and the participants below immediately start discussing animatedly. However, some still don''t believe Mr. Kobayashi''s words; they have never heard of these two things and are skeptical about their effects.


    Mr. Kobayashi knew that some people wouldn''t believe him. He continued, "You don''t need to doubt the authenticity of the effects of Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block. No one would have believed in the existence of Innovaion Potion before, but now it exists. With the Innovaion Potion as precedent, everyone should have confidence in YoYo Day Care.


    The Milotic and Gyarados in thispetition are the best proof; they evolved after long-term use of Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block."


    Mr. Kobayashi''s words immediately dispelled everyone''s doubts. Yes, with the Innovaion Potion, the effects of Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block are definitely real.


    At this moment, everyone starts to irrationally trust the YoYo Day Care brand, eager to catch Milotic, Gyarados, and the special winners.


    Seeing the participants'' reactions, Mr. Kobayashi is very satisfied. "Does anyone have any objections to thepetition rules? If not, thepetition officially begins. Now, please go to the equipment table to receive fishing rods and bait."


    To ensure the fairness of thepetition, participants are not allowed to bring their own items. All items have been prepared in advance by the organizers, and participants need to go to the designated location to receive them.


    Participants quickly receive their equipment and find suitable spots to start fishing. Meanwhile, Yuga, disguised as a scorekeeping staff member, sneaks into thepetition.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu? Why are you here?"


    At this moment, Yuga suddenly hears someone calling him from behind and is startled. He quickly pulls down the hat on his head.


    "Phew... scared me. It turns out to be Chief Nan and Miss Suzune!" Yuga turns around to see Jenny Nan and Suzune standing hand in hand behind him.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, why this disguise, and why so sneaky?" Jenny Nan teases with a yful expression.


    Yuga quickly made a quiet gesture, "Shh, keep it down. I''m just here to check things out. Why are you two here?"


    Jenny Nan shrugged, "Just bored, came to rx a bit. What? Not wee? No rules against members of the distribution department participating, right?"


    Yuga shook his head, "No, not at all. I''m delighted that you two could join this event! Wish you both great sess!"


    Jenny Nan chuckled, "It''s not two; it''s three. Look over there!" She pointed in a direction where Tachibana Shizuka had already started.


    Tachibana Shizuka and Jenny Nan have always been inseparable, so Yuga wasn''t surprised to see him when Jenny Nan arrived.


    "Care to share which spot is better, Gym Leader Shimizu?" Jenny Nan joked in a low voice.


    Yuga smiled, "Sorry, i can''t do that. I believe in the capabilities of the Chief Nan; you''ll surely achieve victory."


    Jenny Nan grinned, "Of course! Victory will definitely be ours, right, Suzune?"


    Suzune nodded, "Absolutely!"


    In truth, she had been irritated by Robert who always showing off his Milotic (actually he wasn''t) and wanted to win this time or even if that doesn''t work at least she can get a special victory.


    Seeing Suzune determined, Yugaughed, "Well then, I wish you both the best."


    After parting ways with Jenny Nan and Suzune, Yuga continued to act as a staff member, casually strolling around thepetition. Suddenly, he heard someone exim, "Look, it''s Milotic! There''s really a Milotic in the river!"


    On the calm surface of theke, a colorful fan-shaped tail briefly appeared, leaving everyone in awe before disappearing again. The distinctive shape and color confirmed that a Milotic had just swum through theke.


    Milotic''s sudden appearance reignited the excitement among the participants. Eyes gleaming, they couldn''t wait to jump into the river and catch Milotic.


    Seeing this, Yuga smiled. Milotic''s timely appearance had sessfully boosted the participants'' enthusiasm.


    A littleter, while wandering around thepetition, Yuga unexpectedly encountered another familiar face. He didn''t expect Drew would also toe to Verdanturf Town for the fishingpetition.

 Chapter 1034: Missed Opportunity - Gyarados

    <h4>Chapter 1034: Missed Opportunity - Gyarados</h4>


    By Drew''s side was a Budew, which likely his newly tamed Pok��mon. Both were intensely focused on the float bobbing on the water''s surface, looking very serious.


    Opting not to disturb Drew, Yuga prepared to leave when another familiar face caught his eye, this time it was Solidad.


    Approaching Drew, the two exchanged words, and Solidad found a spot not far from Drew to cast her fishing rod.


    Seems like Milotic is truly captivating! Yuga chuckled, shook his head, and turned to leave for another spot.


    Soon, good news trickled in from the arena; many participants were expert anglers. They were all geared up, aiming for victory.


    Two hours passed in the blink of an eye. The staff at the venue conducted the first score calction. The highest score was an impressive 30 points, while there were quite a few participants with a score of zero, including the Chief of Distribution Departement, Jenny Nan.


    Known for her fiery temper andcking patience, Jenny Nan, after hours of futile attempts, was on the verge of tossing her fishing rod into the water.


    Herpanion, Suzuye, had better luck. Though not skilled in fishing, her abundance of patience earned her a score of 10.


    Of course, a score of 10 wasmendable for Jenny Nan, butpared to other high-scoring participants, it fell slightly short.


    At this stage, most participants had caught Pok��mon in their first and second stages. Suzuye''s score included one Pok��mon in its second stage and five in their first stage.


    Currently, only the participant with the highest score had managed to hook a final-stage Dewgong, earning 20 points out of his 30. (Note: The second stage refers to the middle stage of a three-stage evolution Pok��mon. Pok��mon with only two stages, like Dewgong, earn 20 points simr to three-stage evolution Pok��mon.)


    Due to the rarity of participants catching final-stage Pok��mon, the score gap between participants was not yet apparent.


    What impressed Yuga the most was Tachibana Shizuka. His score stood at 28, second only to the participant who caught the Dewgong. Remarkably, Shizuka had not caught any final-stage Pok��mon yet, indicating his superiority in quantity.


    Drew and Solidad''s performance was average, cing them in the middle of the participating group.


    Drew, having caught two second-stage Pok��mon, had a score of 12, meaning he had only caught four Pok��mon. Solidad fared slightly better with a score of 15, having caught two second-stage Pok��mon and five first-stage Pok��mon.


    As they once again pulled their fishing lines out of the water, staring at the empty hooks, Suzuye sighed. She hadn''t anticipated fishing to be this challenging, realizing that winning had little to do with her own abilities.


    Observing Tachibana Shizuka''s pile of Pok�� Balls not far away, Suzuye couldn''t help but envy him. Each Pok�� Ball represented a caught Pok��mon, and the discrepancy was significant.


    Seeing Suzuye''s envious gaze, Jenny Nan sighed and said, "That guy has been good at this since childhood. Let me tell you, my Azumaril was also caught by him when we were kids."


    Suzuye: ... She remembered that Chief Nan''s Azumaril seemed to have a blue potential! What kind of luck is this!


    Just as Jenny Nan finished speaking, the float on her fishing line moved.


    "Haha, there''s movement!" Jenny Nan eximed in a low voice. Ignoring everything else, she firmly pulled the fishing rod, unexpectedly pulling up a lively Goldeen.


    Just as Jenny Nan was about to marvel at her sudden change in luck, she heard another exmation nearby, "Look, someone caught a Vaporeon!"


    Jenny Nan and Suzuye turned towards the source of the sound, witnessing Tachibana Shizuka struggling to pull a Vaporeon onto the shore.


    Suzuye: ... Jealousy is transforming me beyond recognition.


    Jenny Nan: ... Goldeen suddenly doesn''t seem so fragrant.


    "See, I told you we can''tpare to him," Jenny Nan said helplessly after storing the Goldeen she caught in a Pok�� Ball.


    The Vaporeon caught by Tachibana Shizuka was quickly defeated by his apanying Bayleef and then stored in a Pok�� Ball.


    Although Tachibana Shizuka wasn''t a Pok��mon Trainer, the Bayleef by his side had been with him since childhood. Handling ordinary Pok��mon was still within its capabilities.


    The newly caught Vaporeon boosted Tachibana Shizuka''s score, surpassing the previous highest scorer.


    In addition to Tachibana Shizuka, there were many other skilled anglers in the arena. As time passed, they began to exert their efforts one by one.


    Before long, a bearded and gray-haired old man joyfully pulled out a Tentacruel, only for it to be swiftly defeated by a Pelipper; then, an excited young man in trendy attire sessfully fished a Starmie. Afterward, he provocatively nced at Tachibana Shizuka. Even a in-dressed middle-aged woman calmly collected a Cors into her Poke Ball...


    Time flew, and another two hours passed. It was time for the second score calction.


    As more participants caught final-stage Pok��mon, the score gaps gradually widened. The highest score had reached 80, and the victor was the old man who caught Tentacruel.


    In addition to Tentacruel, heter caught a Psyduck and an Lanturn, making a remarkableeback.


    Tachibana Shizuka closely followed behind, havingter caught a Swampert. His current score was 78, and in terms of the number of Pok��mon caught, he was actually ahead of the old man. However, the purpose of introducing high-scoring Pok��mon was to create disparities among participants; it was an inevitable oue.


    Jenny Nan still remained at the bottom with a meager 6 points. She had only caught two Pok��mon, in addition to the previous Goldeen, sheter caught a Marill.


    Suzuye''s situation had improved considerably. Not only did she catch a Sharpedo, but she also caught several second-stage Pok��mon. Her current score had jumped to the front, approaching 70 points.


    Solidad and Drew''s performances remainedckluster, with scores of 48 and 36, respectively. Both were in the middle to lower-middle range, seemingly without hope of aeback unless they directly caught a Gyarados or a Milotic.


    But are Gyarados and Milotic that easy to catch? Clearly not. Throughout the first half of thepetition, apart from the initial glimpse of Milotic''s tail, neither of them appeared again.


    After the second score calction, thepetition entered halftime. Participants went to eat or use the restroom, and the second half of thepetition would resume at 2 PM.


    In a corner of the arena, Solidad nibbled on a freshly bought bread, saying gloomily, "Sigh, I thought I could try my luck, but didn''t expect my performance to be so poor."


    On the other hand, Drew remained calm and said, "There''s still a chance. Maybe we''ll be lucky enough to catch a Milotic or Gyarados! There''s also that special bonus for people who catch hidden Pok��mon, so that''s another opportunity."


    Solidad waved her hand dispiritedly, "I''m not holding much hope. With so many participants, it''s not easy for Milotic and Gyarados to fall for our bait. The luck was so bad in the first half; I don''t if it''ll improve in the second half."


    Drew remained silent at her words. After all, he wouldn''t easily give up; if others had a chance, so did he.


    The halftime break quickly ended, and thepetition entered the second half. Like the first half, there would be two score calctions in the second half, totaling four hours.


    As the second half began, Solidadzily cast her fishing line into the water. To her surprise, after a short while, her float started shaking violently.


    Seeing this, Solidad''s eyes lit up. Could it be a big one? She pulled up the fishing rod, and the Pok��mon underwater began to struggle intensely. It vigorously pulled the fishing line, attempting to swim away, exerting so much force that Solidad nearly fell into the water.


    "Could it be a Gyarados?" Solidad thought with excitement. She exerted force, pulling the Pok��mon entirely out of the water.


    As the Pok��mon leaped out, its deep blue scales glittered in the sunlight. After shaking its tail, adorned with glistening water droplets, it opened its mouth and shot a water gun at Solidad.


    Solidad: ... Isn''t this a Whiscash? She mistakenly thought it was a Gyarados.


    However, a Whiscash represented 20 points, so it was better than nothing!


    Solidad''s Pidgeot was already poised on the side, waiting for the right moment. Seeing the Whiscash using Water Gun on Solidad, it instantly positioned itself in front of her, spreading its wings and using Steel Wing to deflect the water gun.


    "Pidgeot!!!" Pidgeot let out a clear cry, then pounced on the Whiscash, grabbing its tail and flinging it onto the shore.


    This Whiscash was quite fierce. As soon as itnded, it bounced high like a bouncing ball and used Zen Headbutt to m into Pidgeot in mid-air. In an unexpected move, Pidgeot was sent flying.


    Seeing this scene, Solidad widened her eyes. In theory, the Pok��mon levels in the fishingpetition should be low, and her Pidgeot shouldn''t be at a disadvantage.


    At this moment, Solidad remembered what the organizers mentioned before the start, that there were a few wild Pok��mon left in the river, and participants should be cautious. Could this be one of those wild Pok��mon?


    Thinking of wild Pok��mon, Solidad immediately thought of the hidden green potential Pok��mon that Mr. Kobayashi mentioned. Perhaps this could be the one!


    With this in mind, Solidad shouted to her Pidgeot, "Pidgeot! Use Gust, lift this Whiscash up for me!"


    At the same time, the real Gyarados bit someone else''s bait.


    Simr to Solidad''s feeling, Tachibana Shizuka suddenly felt his fishing rod being violently pulled. However, he didn''t immediately pull up the rod like Solidad did. Instead, he waited until the prey bit the hook firmly before lifting it out of the water.


    "Look, it''s a Gyarados! Someone caught a Gyarados!"


    As soon as Tachibana Shizuka''s Pok��mon was pulled out of the water, it caused exmations from other participants.


    "Roar!!!"


    The ferocious Gyarados stood half its body upright on the water, roaring wildly at Tachibana Shizuka, the one who pulled it out. Then, itunched an attack.


    Seeing the danger, Tachibana Shizuka''s Bayleef immediately used Vine Whip to pull Tachibana Shizuka aside. A Water Pulse from the Gyarados split the stone where Tachibana Shizuka was standing in half.


    Just as Tachibana Shizuka steadied himself, he adjusted his gold-rimmed sses on his nose, thinking, "Isn''t this Gyarados a bit too strong? If I had been hit by that Water Pulse just now, I might have been split in half!"


    Even Bayleef was trembling in fear, thinking: Can''t provoke this, can''t provoke! Master, let''s retreat!


    Tachibana Shizuka also realized he couldn''t defeat this Gyarados. So, he could only say, trying to soundposed, "Uh, well... we didn''t mean to disturb you. Carry on." Despite feeling uneasy inside, he maintained a calm demeanor, not letting on that he was panicking.


    Actually, it wasn''t surprising that Tachibana Shizuka couldn''t defeat the Gyarados. The event was originally intended for trainers, and they didn''t anticipate ordinary people participating. Although this Gyarados had a slightly higher level for ordinary people, trainers could handle it without much difficulty.


    Fortunately, both the police and Yuga had made arrangements. Even if ordinary people couldn''t capture the Pok��mon they fished, there wouldn''t be any safety issues.


    As the Gyarados disappeared back into the water, the surrounding participants sighed. Who would have thought that someone could catch a Gyarados butck the strength to capture it in a Pok�� Ball?


    With this experience, it''s going to be even more challenging to lure the Gyarados again! Thinking about this, some participants cast unfriendly nces towards Tachibana Shizuka. Tachibana Shizuka noticed it but didn''t pay any attention.


    Jenny Nan also noticed the unfriendly looks from those people. She red at one of them and said fiercely, "What are you looking at? Be careful not to dig your eyeballs out!"


    Startled by Jenny Nan''s fierce gaze, the person quickly withdrew their gaze. When he saw it was Chief Nan who red at him, he dared not speak.


    The person Jenny Nan red at was the young man who had caught the Starmie earlier.


    Seeing everyone retracting their gazes, Jenny Nan muttered discontentedly, "What kind of people are these? If you have the ability, catch the Gyarados yourselves!"


    "Ah, ah, ah!!! That guy Shizuka is so useless! I have told him to bring my Azumaril for apetiton, but he refuse to do it. Now, look, the runner-up is gone! Maybe even the champion, who knows!" After scolding others, Jenny Nan startedining about Tachibana Shizuka.


    Because her previous performance was too disastrous, Jenny Nan had already given up on herself, and now she had ced all her hopes on Tachibana Shizuka. Little did she know...


    Although she wasn''t too concerned about a green potential Gyarados, participating in thepetition was about winning or losing!


    Ah... fate is unpredictable!


    On the side, Suzuye smiled and shook her head. It was indeed a pity, but some things couldn''t be forced.


    At this point, many participants had shifted their focus away from the Gyarados. Pok��mon were intelligent beings, and being fooled once made it difficult for them to be fooled again.


    Solidad, who had just caught a Whiscash, felt even more discouraged upon hearing the news about Gyarados: Sigh... I wonder if there''s still a chance to make it to the top ten. There seem to be rewards for the top ten.


    Regretting the missed opportunity, Jenny Nan became even more upset. She stuck her fishing rod into the riverbank, crossed her legs, andy on the grass, basking in the sun. With closed eyes, she hummed a little tune.


    Surprisingly pleasant!


    Just then, her float moved.


    "Chief Nan, your fishing rod has a reaction!" Suzuye beside her reminded.

 Chapter 1035: Sudden Explosion

    <h4>Chapter 1035: Sudden Explosion</h4>


    Upon hearing Suzuye''s words, Jenny Nan''s swaying crossed legs hesitated for a moment. Immediately, she quickly sat up, pulled out the fishing rod stuck in the ground with force, but it didn''t budge.


    The underwater Pok��mon tugged on Jenny Nan''s fishing line, trying to swim deeper, but Jenny Nan''s strength was formidable, and pulled the struggling Pok��mon forward.


    "Milotic!"


    A Pok��mon was pulled out of the water, and its slender body stirring the river into a tumult, sparkling water droplets and the Pok��mon''s beautiful scales shimmering in the refracted sunlight.


    "It''s a Milotic!"


    "Really Milotic! Milotic has actually been caught!"


    "Oh no, the champion has appeared! We have no chance."


    ...


    Seeing the Milotic struggling on Jenny Nan''s fishing line, the surroundings erupted intomotion��envy, jealousy, unwillingness. The young man who was previously red at by Jenny Nan muttered fiercely: It''s just like the Gyarados, If you can''t beat it, just let it go!


    Unfortunately, Jenny Nan is not Tachibana Shizuka. As a figure thatparable to Joyna in the Jenny family, her strength is evident.


    Beside Jenny Nan was a small and elegant Espeon. The purple-red gem on its forehead added to its nobility. It shed a purple light from its eyes, rendering the Milotic immobile under its psychic pressure.


    "Milotic!"


    The Milotic, muchrger than the Espeon, was pulled out of the water. Itnded on the shore, and Jenny Nan casually threw a Pok�� Ball, capturing the Milotic.


    As the Milotic disappeared before their eyes, sighs echoed around, while Jenny Nan burst into triumphantughter.


    "Goose, goose, goose... I never expected my luck to turn around. What does it matter if I catch more Pok��mons! In the end the championship is still mine!" Jenny Nan''s arrogant attitude almost stirred up anger, but her status as Jenny family member kept people from speaking out.


    Watching the satisfied Jenny Nan, Suzuye couldn''t help but smile bitterly. Despite patiently fishing for so long, the Milotic she longed for had fallen into Jenny Nan''s hands.


    "Ah... forget it. The YoYo Day Care has recentlyunched Beautie Pok��block. I can spend some time cultivating a Milotic myself. Maybe that will be even more to my liking." Suzuye couldn''t help but think this way.


    At this moment, many people had thoughts simr to Suzuye''s. It had to be said that Yuga''s advertisement was very effective, using a Milotic to ignite people''s desire, leading to the poprity of Beautie Pok��block.


    "Miss, please be quiet and don''t disturb other participants'' matches!" Just as Jenny Nan was about to unt her achievements to others, the patrolling staff warned her.


    ...


    Jenny Nan''s goose calls came to an abrupt halt: Fine, I''m in a good mood, I''ll give you face.


    The sessful catch of Milotic boosted Jenny Nan''s confidence. She changed her previous careless attitude, intending to secure the hidden winner as well.


    On the other side of the river, Shizuka Tachibana saw Jenny Nan''s expression of "I''m drifting away" and knew exactly what she was thinking. He could only shake his head helplessly.


    The news of Milotic being caught by someone spread quickly throughout thepetition venue, and both Solidad and Drew also learned about it.


    Solidad: "Ah... one moment it''s Gyarados, the next it''s Milotic. It seems like we have no business here. I''ll think about how to get into the top ten, which is more practical."


    Drew, though young, remained calm: "Don''t we still have a chance for a special winner? We still have a chance."


    Solidad, with a disdainful expression, retorted, "If I had that kind of luck, my performance wouldn''t be so miserable now. But hey, during this time, where did you go for training? You''ve made progress. Before, if you lost a match, you''d quietly shed some tears backstage, but now you can stay so calm."


    Solidad''s words made Drew''s face stiffen.


    When Drew participated in the Pok��mon Contest for the first time, he lost miserably. Later, he continued to lose several times in a row. So, once he couldn''t endure it, he secretly shed a few tears in the backstage. Unexpectedly, he was seen by Solidad who has beaten him in thepetition, which was why heter went to his family''s flower nting base for special training.


    Losing a match and was caught dropping tears was an embarrassing event in his life, but it also led to him bing friends with Solidad. That''s why they participated in this fishingpetition together.


    Solidad, seeing Drew''s embarrassed expression, set aside the idea of teasing him further and sighed, "Ah... let''s hope we still have a chance."


    As time passed, it soon came to the moment of score calction. Still, the highest score went to Tachibana Shizuka.


    However, even with his high score, he could, at most, secure second ce because the champion had already been imed by his superior and childhood friend, Jenny Nan.


    After this round of score calction, Suzuye and Solidad''s scores saw significant improvement. Especially for Solidad, after teasing Drew, she seemed to be posessed by Koi spirit, she consecutively catching three final-stage Pok��mon. It seemed like she was on the verge of entering the top ten.


    On the other hand, Drew and Jenny Nan''s situations remained unchanged. Drew''s performance was still average at best, while Jenny Nan, far from improving, seemed to have worsened.


    Before, she could catch two Pok��mon, earning her some points. However, since catching Milotic, it''s as if she used up all her luck in one go. She hasn''t caught a single Pok��mon since, not to mention any final-stage ones; she hasn''t even seen the tail of a Magikarp.


    After another half hour, Jenny Nan exhausted all her patience. Sheid back on the grass, resuming herzy posture, swaying her crossed legs. "Anyway, the championship is mine. Why bother trying so hard?"


    As for the hidden winner or even Gyarados, she didn''t care. After all, they were just two green potential Pok��mon. With her status and wealth, she wasn''tcking. If it were a blue potential Pok��mon, she might consider it.


    If other participants knew her thoughts, they would undoubtedly roll their eyes at her��typical wealthy person!


    However, not long after, there wasmotion on the field. The white-bearded old man wasmanding his Pelipper to attack Gyarados in battle. Despite Gyarados being fierce, it was being pushed back by Pelipper.


    The white-bearded old man was currently second in scores, just below Tachibana Shizuka. Everyone thought he would maintain this position till the end. However, no one expected him to turn the tide and directly catch the seemingly doomed Gyarados.


    Boom!


    Pelipper forced Gyarados back with a Water Gun, followed by a hurricane hitting it. After a pitiful cry, Gyarados''s upright body fell into the water. The old man calmly threw a Pok�� Ball, and capturing Gyarados.


    Taking the Pok�� Ball handed by Pelipper, the old man chuckled. He ignored the discussions around him, calmly sat back on his little stool, baited the hook, cast the line, and continued patiently fishing.


    Seeing the old man''s calm demeanor, people around him gave thumbs up: It''s really an expert!


    Champions and runners-up emerged one after another. As more and more participants lost patience, some with initially low scores followed Jenny Nan''s lead in giving up. However, those with hopes of breaking into the top ten remained earnestly focused on fishing.


    As for the hidden winner, many had thoughts but not much hope. They were unclear about the true identity of the hidden Pok��mon.


    In Drew''s case, despite appearing calm, being young and seeing thepetition''s end approaching, he was still at the bottom. At this rate, not to mention hidden winner, even the top ten seemed elusive, making him feel a bit anxious.


    Suzuye hade to terms with the results. ording to her estimation, entering the top ten should be no problem for her. So,pared to the initial disappointment, her current mindset was much more stable.


    As time ticked away, with only a little over ten minutes left until the end of thepetition, the hidden winner still hadn''t surfaced. At this point, some participants were quietlyining that the organizers might have deceived them, suggesting there might not be any hidden Pok��mon at all.


    However, at that moment, a loud and arrogantughter shattered the tranquility of thepetition.


    The current fourth-ranked participant was excitedlymanding his Shiftry to attack a Politoed in battle. Standing behind the young man was Yuga, disguised as a staff member.


    The reason for the young man''s excitement was Yuga telling him that Politoed he caught was the hidden winner for thispetition.


    Dressed in the staff uniform, Yuga was not doubted by the young man, hence why he wasughting so openly.


    However, others were unaware of the reason and assumed he was just happy about catching Politoed. After all, it was a very rare Pok��mon.


    Yet, there were some astute individuals present who noticed Yuga standing behind the young man. Combining this observation with the young man''s excessive joy, their minds started specting.


    However, the young man''s joy was short-lived, akin to someone grabbing him by the throat. Hisughter and smile vanished when his Shiftry was frozen into a block of ice by Politoed''s Ice Punch.


    Shiftry, being a Grass-type Pok��mon, should have had a clear advantage over Politoed in terms of type effectiveness. However, it failed to withstand even three to five rounds against Politoed.


    The unexpected situation of participants losing to their catches in a fishingpetition surprised everyone. After all, weren''t the Pok��mon in the fishingpetition supposed to be weak?


    Seeing this, Yuga chuckled. He had anticipated this situation, though he didn''t expect it to happen so soon.


    Indeed, Politoed was the highest-level Pok��mon in this fishingpetition, and being a wild Pok��mon, it had rich battle experience. Since it was designated as the hidden winner, its difficulty level matched its status.


    However, Politoed''s strength was not exaggerated. After all, this was just a fishingpetition, and the young man losing to Politoed wasn''t a testament to Politoed''s overwhelming strength but rather the young man''s inadequacy as a trainer.


    p! p! p!


    Politoed, with Shiftry incapacitated, rushed towards the young man, and delivering a Double p to his face. Thankfully, Slowking submerged in the river, promptly intervened, preventing the young man from being knocked unconscious.


    While the young man only ended up with slightly swollen cheeks and no major injuries, other participants couldn''t help butugh at his misfortune. Jenny Nan, in particr,ughed the loudest.


    Serves him right! You shouldn''t have mocked Shizuka earlier! Jenny Nan inwardly cursed.


    The distinctughter from Jenny Nan made the young man feel extremely irritated. Recalling the disdainful look he received earlier, he believed Jenny Nan was retaliating against him.


    Of course, his assumption wasn''t entirely wrong. Jenny Nan''sughter was indeed a form of retaliation, given the overly dramatic nature of herughterpared to the others. However, Tachibana Shizuka''s calmly disdainful look also left him feeling mocked.


    Feeling insulted, the young man threw his fishing rod aside and walked away indignantly. "Humph, this damnpetition! I won''t y along anymore!"


    Watching the young man storm off, Yuga shook his head. The young man reallycked resilience against setbacks.


    After the young man left, thepetition neared its end. Following the fourth score tally, the top ten rankings were quickly revealed.


    Apart from the champion, Jenny Nan, and the runner-up, the white-bearded old man, standing third was Tachibana Shizuka. With the highest score on the field, awarding him the title of Best Angler seemed fitting.


    Suzuye secured the tenth position, cing her at the bottom of the award recipients. Solidad, ranking slightly higher than Suzuye, imed the ninth spot, thanks to her strong performance in theter stages.


    As for Drew, his rank fluctuated minimally from start to finish, and he had no chance of winning any prizes.


    The young man who left experienced a rapid drop from fourth to sixth ce in just a short time.


    Following thepetition''s conclusion, the award ceremony took ce, with Mr. Kobayashi as the presenter. Yuga never made a formal appearance throughout.


    The champion, Jenny Nan, and the runner-up, the white-bearded old man, unsurprisingly chose Milotic and Gyarados as their prizes. The third-ce winner received a Incense set worth 100,000 Pok��dor provided by YoYo Day Care.


    For the participants from fourth to tenth ce, they received Pok��block as rewards, with the quantity varying. Nevertheless, the quality of YoYo Day Care''s Pok��block was guaranteed and highly praised by those who had used them.


    As for the young man who left, Mr. Kobayashi intended to give him a reward, but since he had already left thepetition site, Mr. Kobayashi had no choice but to abandon the idea.


    After the awards ceremony, Mr. Kobayashi made a statement: "Although no one can take home the Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block this time, don''t be disheartened. Starting tomorrow, YoYo Day Care will officially sell these two products. With them, having Milotic and Gyarados is no longer a dream. It''s that simple to reach the pinnacle of life. What are you waiting for?"


    Mr. Kobayashi passionately promoted the Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block, and Yuga was very satisfied with his performance. After all, Yuga independently sponsored the entire fishingpetition, from fishing rods and bait to the Pok�� Balls used to capture Pok��mon.


    "Mr. Kobayashi, may I ask how much one set of Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block costs?" someone in the crowd asked loudly, a question everyone wanted an answer to.


    Holding the Beautie Pok��block in one hand and the Extender Pok��block in the other, Mr. Kobayashi replied, "Not expensive at all, only 9,999 Pok��dor for one set. Yes, you heard it right, just 9,999 Pok��dor."


    Upon hearing Mr. Kobayashi''s pricing, the crowd erupted with discussions. Wasn''t 9,999 still expensive? This wasn''t a one-time consumption; it was meant for long-term use. Could anyone afford it in the long run?


    Hearing the discussions below, Mr. Kobayashi said, "How can you call this expensive? These are Milotic and Gyarados, things you can''t normally buy with money. How is this expensive? It''s practically so cheap that you wont regret it!"


    Mr. Kobayashi felt that he was truly miserable, he was a league official after all, and yet he have to livestream selling products here. The world was indeed going downhill.


    But there was no choice; after all, who made Yuga the Sponsor daddy!


    Upon hearing Mr. Kobayashi''s pricing, many people backed off, but there were also some sly individuals nning to buy a few sets discreetly, like Suzuye. The world''s most abundant resource was wealthy people.


    While Mr. Kobayashi energetically used his eloquence to promote the Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block, a sudden explosion from the river not far away startled everyone.

 Chapter 1036: Palacio

    <h4>Chapter 1036: Pcio</h4>


    The sudden explosion in the river startled the remaining Water-type Pok��mon, those who could crawled to the shore scramble ashore in panic, while those who cannot could only jumping around the water surface.


    In addition, the Participants, spectators, and tourists who hadn''t left also frughtened and looked towards the river not far away. Fortunately, they kept in order by many police personnel, so there was no trouble.


    Soon, everyone discovered the source of the explosion. A massive Gyarados burst out of the water, roaring in a mix of panic and anger. Another Gyarados also emerged, and threatening the first Gyarados with roars and swinging its thick tail towards it.


    "There are Gyarados in this river, and they''re fighting!"


    "What''s happening? Why are two Gyarados fighting?"


    ...


    As the crowd discussed the appearance of the two Gyarados, Yuga quietly arrived at the riverside. He recognized the second Gyarados is from his Ecopark, but where did the first onee from?


    The river is designated for a fishingpetition, it had been thoroughly cleaned, and its sides were sealed off. There shouldn''t be any other Pok��mons inside.


    The unknown Gyarados that was intimidated by Yuga''s Gyarados, angrily shot a Hydro Pump. Suddenly, Milotic''s long tail wrapped around its neck and pulled it over, diverting the Hydro Pump attack direction.


    Boom!


    A massive water column hit the surface of the water, causing another deafening explosion.


    Seeing this, Mr. Kobayashi realized he couldn''t let the participants and spectators stay. He quickly instructed the police to organize an evacuation.


    Though the audience wanted to stay and watch, the event organizers insisted them to leave. Reluctantly, they obeyed and quickly vacated the scene.


    Seeing its husband Milotic subdued the intruder, Yuga''s Gyarados swam over, and entwining its robust body around the unknown Gyarados, tightening it constantly.


    Boom!


    The unknown Gyarados was immobilized by Yuga''s Gyarados, unable to stand upright. Both Gyarados fell, sshing water everywhere, and wetting Yuga''s pants and shoes.


    Soon, the personnel who had checked the blocked sides of the river returned in a hurry. It turned out the specially designed that blocking the upstream had arge hole, and it should be through this hole that this unidentified Gyarados had entered.


    Yuga was curious about the reason, and found it strange. The Green Jade River near Verdanturf Town was surrounded the Verdanturf town, so there were no high-level Pok��mon in it. it housing only low-level Pok��mons like Goldeen, Magikarp, and Poliwag��none of these Pok��mon posing a threat to humans. The Politoed that capable pping the trainers''s face, was already the limit.


    Yet, this Gyarados had the power to breach the specially designed.


    The unknown Gyarados proved ferocious. Even with thebined efforts of Milotic and his wife together, it keep struggling. In a crucial moment, Greninja intervened.


    As an Elite Pok��mon, itnded a decisive blow, directly hitting the opponent''s forehead with Dark Pulse. The struggling unknown Gyarados copsed by the riverside.


    Suddenly, two flying Pok��mons approached from the sky. As they neared, Yuga recognized the riders.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu!!!"


    Flying Pok��mons hadn''tnded yet, and one of them shouted loudly.


    After the twonded, Yuga eximed, "Captain Zinnian, Zaden! Are you here for this Gyarados?"


    The visitor none other than Zinnian, the captain of the Forest Rangers in Petalburg Woods, and Zaden.


    Currently, Petalburg Woods had four resident Forest Rangers: Captain Zinnian, members Zoltan, Liam, and Zaden. Zaden was the youngest and most lively among them.


    "Yeah, this guy is incredibly fast. We followed it along the river from deep within Petalburg Woods. If it weren''t for you, it might have escaped!" Zaden expressed regret.


    "By the way, why are there so many people here?" Zaden looked around at the facilities and staff, puzzled.


    "We are hosting a fishingpetition, and unexpectedly, this Gyarados appeared." Yuga shrugged.


    Apologetic, Zinnian said, "Sorry, it''s our fault. Otherwise, this Gyarados wouldn''t have entered here."


    "It''s not a big deal. It entered when ourpetition had just ended. By the way, this Gyarados..." Yuga began.


    ording to Captain Zinnian, this Gyarados came from deep within Petalburg Woods, which seemed unusual.


    Zinnian sighed, "Here''s what happened..."


    Deep within Petalburg Woods, there was arge ancient relic believed to be left by a branch of ancient group, People of the Water.


    However, the Pok��mon world had many such relics, with most of them having little value except for archaeological significance. The one in Petalburg Woods was no different, despite its considerable size.


    The relic had arge-scale structure with an underground river connected below. Apparently, the ancient People of the Water modified the underground river, incorporating it into the relic''s water cirction system.


    This underground river was linked to thergest river inside Petalburg Woods, also the main branch of the Green Jade River. It flowed east from deep within Petalburg Woods into the sea, being thergest and longest river in the region.


    The Gyarados in front of Yuga is a Pok��mon that has been living beneath the relic.


    in order to prevent Pok��mon disasters, resident Forest Rangers had the responsibility to monitor high-level Pok��mon in their jurisdiction. This Gyarados had always been on Zinnian''s monitoring list.


    Recently, a group of unidentified individuals entered deep within Petalburg Woods, seemingly interested in the relic. They entered the relic multiple times, and disturbing the Gyarados living inside.


    These people operated very secretly, and initially, Zinnian and his team didn''t notice them. However, yesterday, they suddenly shed with the Gyarados, and grabbing the attention of the Forest Rangers.


    From the traces left in the relic, it seemed these people had been active in Petalburg Woods for more than a day.


    She doesn''t know what those people did, but the Gyarados was extremely angry at the time andunched a furious attack on them. However, the Gyarados couldn''t match them, and they managed to escape.


    After the incident, Zinnian and his team nned to investigate these people. Unexpectedly, the Gyarados left the relic on its own to track those individuals.


    In desperation, the four Forest Rangers split into two groups��Zinnian and Zaden searched for the Gyarados, while Zoltan and Liam pursued the unidentified individuals.


    The Gyarados had aggresive nature and its ability to track down people were unknown. It followed the main river downstream and somehow ended up in this branch of the Green Jade River, and breaking through the blockade.


    "I don''t know if the Gyarados discovered something, but if there are any suspicious individuals in Verdanturf Town recently, please contact us, Gym Leader Shimizu," Zinnian requested.


    "Sure, I''ll keep an eye out."


    ording to Zinnian, since the Gyarados followed the Green Jade River to Verdanturf Town, those people might havee here too.


    After chatting with Yuga for a while, Zinnian and Zaden left with the unconscious Gyarados.


    At that moment, Mr. Kobayashi informed Yuga that some Pok��mon used in the fishingpetition had escaped and have not been found. Some were provided by the official organizers, and some were sponsored by the YoYo Day Care.


    The Pok��mon sponsored by YoYo Day Care needed to be retrieved after thepetition.


    After hearing Mr. Kobayashi''s report on the number of missing Pok��mon, Yuga nodded and said, "Understood. Continue sending people to search for the lost Pok��mon, and we''ll assist in the search as well."


    Mr. Kobayashi left with a troubled expression.


    Meanwhile, in Verdanturf Town, a young man hastily returned to his lodging. After closing the door, he took out a Pok�� Ball, and with a sh of red light, a uncher emerged.


    Looking at uncher, the young man rubbed his hands and grinned. A uncher, a Pok��mon rarely seen in Hoenn. Even if its potential wasn''t outstanding, it was much more valuable than other Pok��mon.


    This young man''s name was Pcio, the same person who had angrily left the fishingpetition after breaking his fishing rod. Not long after leaving, he suddenly remembered he hadn''t imed his rewards and rushed back.


    However, upon returning, he witnessed the intense battle between the Gyarados.


    Initially scared out of his wits, he was about to flee when he saw a small uncher scurrying towards him in panic.


    In a moment of confusion, he threw a Pok�� Ball, and surprisingly, uncher didn''t resist. He picked up the Pok�� Ball and ran, realizing now that he had quite the nerve-wracking encounter.


    Knowing that uncher belonged to thepetition organizers, Pcio was aware that as a participant who didn''t win any awards, he wasn''t qualified to keep the caught Pok��mon. Even if he returned to thepetition area, uncher wouldn''t belong to him.


    As for the rewards, they were just some Pok��block��nothing special. Pcio wasn''t interested in them; he wanted uncher more.


    His heart was pounding at the excitement of the moment. If anyone found out, his life would be over. Fortunately, no one noticed him sneakily taking uncher. Now, this uncher officially belonged to him!


    uncher looking at this stanger, with an angry re, waved one of its ws, warning Pcio not to approach.


    Pcio chuckled at the intimidating uncher, impressed by its show of strength. He then recalled it into the Pok�� Ball.


    On the other side, after a considerable effort in searching, Mr. Kobayashi handed over the Pok��mon sponsored by YoYo Day Care to Yuga.


    Looking at the neatly arranged Pok�� Balls in the box, Yuga asked, "Are they all here?"


    Mr. Kobayashi replied, "We''re missing a uncher, but we searched everywhere for a long time and couldn''t find it for a long time. I suspect someone might have taken it during the chaos."


    Yuga considered the possibility. The situation was chaotic at that time, and it wouldn''t be surprising if someone took advantage of the confusion.


    "Alright, I understand. I''ll personally look for that uncher," Yuga said.


    Water-type Pok��mon had a distinct scent, and uncher had its unique aroma. Yuga nned to use a canine Pok��mon to aid in the search.


    Howver, In Verdanturf Town, more than one person had uncher and witzer, so it might take some effort to find the missing Pok��mon. Additionally, the person who took uncher might have left Verdanturf Town by now.


    Anyway, Yuga didn''t hold much hope for finding the missing uncher.


    The next day arrived, and Pcio, staying in the hotel, prepared to go out for a meal. After breakfast, he had important things to do!


    However, as soon as he opened the door, he encountered the upant from the adjacent room who was also about to leaving.


    The upant was an elderly man, and at first nce, Pcio recognized him as the white-bearded man who gained attention in thepetition for catching the Gyarados.


    Seeing Pcio, the white-bearded man nodded warmly at him. Pcio, not wanting to talk to him, was about to leave when he glimpsed through the crack in the door and saw a peculiar, round, short, and chubby man with long facial hair sitting inside.


    The white-bearded man noticed Pcio''s gaze, squinted slightly, and abruptly closed the door. Pcio was startled by the sudden closing and muttered to himself while leaving: What''s wrong with him!


    Watching Pcio leave grumbling, the old man with a white beard had an unprecedented stern look in his eyes.


    This morning, Yuga woke up a bitte, and as soon as he finished breakfast, Beidou informed him that someone hade to the gym wanting to be his disciple.


    This surprised Yuga because there were many challengers at Verdanturf Town Gym, but someoneing to seek apprenticeship was a first. So, Yuga went to the gym with interest.


    Upon arriving, he saw a familiar face from the man who seeking apprenticeship.


    "Oh, it''s you!" Yuga smiled slightly.


    The person on the other side was slightly stunned, "Gym Leader Shimizu recognizes me?"


    Yuga nodded, "I also attended the fishingpetition yesterday."


    Not exactly, he had disguised himself as a staff member and even spoke to you, but you didn''t recognize him.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, the person seemed a bit embarrassed. Was his behavior of storming out after his fishing rod broke also had been seen? Clearly, he was aware that his actions yesterday were not admirable.


    The person seeking apprenticeship was Pcio. His main purpose foring to Verdanturf Town was to seek apprenticeship, with the fishingpetition being just a side quest.


    Pcio, with an ordinary background, heard that the apprentices at Verdanturf Town Gym were orphans taken in by the Gym Leader. So, he decided to try his luck. After all, even orphans had opportunities, and there was no reason he would be turned away.


    However, to his surprise, Yuga tly rejected him.


    "I''m sorry, but I''m not currently considering taking on apprentices."


    "Why... why not! I''ll work hard," Pcio stammered.


    Yuga shook his head with a smile. Based on the events of yesterday, he had no intention of epting this person as his apprentice.


    "Well, if... if you don''t mind, you could take me as an apprentice. The apprenticeship slots at Verdanturf Town Gym aren''t full, right?" Pcio anxiously suggested. Being a Gym apprentice was a decent opportunity, especially when knowing that Verdanturf Gym is not ordinary gym now.


    Still, Yuga shook his head. Since gaining fame, numerous people wanted to send their children as apprentices to Verdanturf Gym. He refused before and would continue to do so.


    Feeling frustrated, Pcio left the gym. He thought Yugacked vision. After all, he was better than the orphans, right?


    After seeing off Pcio, Yuga thought the matter would end there. However, a few dayster, he heard news that Pcio had died.


    The news of the death in town came from Suzuki Koen. Initially, Yuga paid little attention; after all, people died every day in this world. A death wasn''t something he needed to be concerned about, and it wasn''t under his jurisdiction.


    But then, Liliana visited, and stating that thest ce the deceased visited was the Verdanturf Gym. Only it was then that Yuga learned that the person who died was Pcio.

 Chapter 1037: Phantom

    <h4>Chapter 1037: Phantom</h4>


    Pcio''s body was discovered in the town''s sewer system, and when he was found, he had been dead for several days. From the injuries on his body, it was evident that his death was not idental.


    With a murder happening in Verdanturf Town, Yuga naturally cooperated with Liliana''s investigation. However, the clues Yuga could provide were limited, offering little help to Liliana''s inquiry.


    After seeing off Liliana, who came to inquire about the situation, Yuga began contemting who could have killed Pcio.


    Being an outsider, and as per information from the inn where he stayed, he hadn''t been in Verdanturf Town for long��just a few days. Yuga pondered who he might have offended in such a short time.


    Yet, information from Liliana indicated that Pcio kept a low profile during his stay at the inn. He didn''t interact with strangers, making the possibility of him offending someone quite low.


    If it wasn''t an offense, then perhaps he had a reason to die.


    Based on the known clues, Yuga inferred that the likelihood of the killer being an outsider was high.


    Of course, nothing was certain. So, Yuga instructed the Pok��mon patrolling the town to be vignt, especially towards the stray Pok��mon. Given theirrge numbers and broader range of movement, they could observe more subtle details in the area.


    However, the killer was meticulous, and several days passed without any useful information from either Yuga or the police. Liliana even started suspecting if the killer had left Verdanturf Town.


    With no knowledge about the killer, if they had left the town, investigating the case would be like finding a needle in a haystack.


    On the fifth day after the incident, Yuga suddenly noticed that Chatot who returning from outside was behaving strangely.


    Normally, it would have already started its morous sounds upon entering the shop, but today it was unusually quiet, even flying somewhat absentmindedly. Yuga observed it crashing into walls several times.


    Seeing the strange behavior of Chatot, Yuga naturally went to check on it.


    As Yuga approached, Chatot was hesitant at first, and looked like it wanted to say something but couldn''t find the words. Yuga impatiently knocked on its head, and saying, "Is there something you can''t tell me?"


    With a sigh, Chatot, in a dazed manner, replied, "I... I saw Phantom in the town today." It usually liked to wander around town, joking with people. Seeing Phantom was unexpected, as it thought Phantom had already died.


    "Phantom?" Yuga was momentarily puzzled. The name sounded familiar, but it took him a while to recall it. If he remember it correctly Phantom was the former owner of Chatot.


    "He''s not dead?" Yuga asked.


    Chatot shook its head. "No, not dead. In fact, he seems to be doing well. Compared to before, Phantom has gained some weight."


    "How do you feel about it?" Yuga asked with a frown.


    Phantom, the previous owner of Chatot, was once the leader of an adventure circus. He had separated from Chatot during the exploration of the People of the Water relic, which was the main reason for the Chatot''s initial vitality exhaustion.


    Thinking about it now, the term "separated" seemed to downy what actually happened. Describing it as "abandonment" would be more appropriate.


    Before seeing Phantom again, Chatot wasn''t sure whether he was dead or had abandoned it and escaped. Now it was certain that he had abandoned it.


    Back then, Phantom had used Chatot as a shield to fend off Crawdaunt in the ruins and had run away alone.


    But the People of the Water relic? Thinking about Phantom and Chatot''s past experiences, Yuga couldn''t help but recall what Zinnian and the others had mentioned.


    Given the recent events in the deep part of the Petalburg Woods, and Phantom, who rted to the People of the Water relic also appearing in Verdanturf Town. Yuga couldn''t believe it was a mere coincidence.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Chatot fluttered onto his shoulder and said with a mncholic tone, "I don''t know. Seeing him again made me feel uneasy, and I just ran back without much thinking."


    Their rtionship had been good back then, and Chatot was even a favorite in the circus. However, thinking about it now, how sincere was that "rtionship"?


    Yuga pondered and said, "If you don''t want to see Phantom, just ignore him. I think his visit to Verdanturf Town is not simple." Yuga then shared the information about the incident at the People of the Water relic in the deep part of the Petalburg Woods.


    Having just heard about it, Chatot was astonished. "He came for the People of the Water relic? After all this time, he still hasn''t given up on finding them?"


    To search for the People of the Water relic, their circus had almost been wiped out. Chatot had only seen Phantom and another member, Butler that still alive, and Butler had already died.


    "It''s highly likely. Leave this matter to me. You don''t have to worry about it," Yuga reassured, patting the Chatot''s back.


    "Alright, I won''t bother about it then." With that, Chatot flew away. It didn''t want to think about anything rted to Phantom anymore.


    Learning about Phantom''s appearance from Chatot, Yuga immediately started inquiring about Phantom''s whereabouts.


    However, to his surprise, despite his control over Verdanturf Town, he couldn''t find information about Phantom''s residence immediately.


    Even the patrolling Pok��mon imed not to have seen him in town. This was something worth contemting.


    The inability to locate Phantom meant he was intentionally hiding. Chatot identally seeing him was unexpected. Perhaps even Phantom hadn''t anticipated encountering the Pok��mon he had abandoned in Verdanturf Town.


    But every person leaves traces wherever they go. So, Yuga, through meticulous investigation, eventually found Phantom''s trail.


    However, what he didn''t expect was that Phantom''s ce of residence was the same inn where the victim, Pcio, stayed. Moreover, it was right next door.


    So...


    At this point, suspicion arose in Yuga''s mind.


    Finding Phantom''s trail, Yuga started deploying Pok��mon to watch him. He soon discovered that Phantom had been unnoticed in Verdanturf Town because someone was deliberately covering for him. Surprisingly, that person turned out to be the runner-up of the fishing contest.


    The inn where Phantom resided was arranged by the white-bearded old man under his name. They stayed in the same room, and all of Phantom''s activities were managed by the old man.


    Yuga quickly learned from Liliana why Phantom was hiding.


    Originally, Yuga intended to borrow personnel from the police station to monitor Phantom. However, as soon as Liliana saw Phantom, she immediately recognized him.


    It turned out that Phantom, now going by the name of "Ghost," was the notorious leader of the Ghost Pirate Crew and a wanted criminal pursued by the League.


    From a circus leader to a pirate crew leader, Yuga couldn''t help but connect Phantom''s that looking for the People of the Water relic with his criminal activities.


    Learning that Phantom was the leader of a pirate crew, Yuga decided not to hold back and nned to bring people to apprehend him directly. However, before he could act, the person who keeping an eye on Phantom reported that he seemed to have noticed someone watching him and now he was nning to leave Verdanturf Town.


    Without hesitation, Yuga led a team to pursue him.


    However, one thing puzzled Yuga: If Phantom was truly connected to the events in the Petalburg Woods, why didn''t he leave Verdanturf Town after arriving? Instead, he stayed here for several days.


    Due to the constant surveince on Phantom, Yuga quickly caught up with him at the eastern outskirts of Verdanturf Town. Based on the direction he was heading, it seemed like he intended to run toward the seaside.


    Arriving in the east suburbs, Yuga saw not only Phantom but also the white-bearded man who had been covering for him, along with a group of peopleing to assist him.


    Facing Yuga and his group, Phantom remained calm and said, "I don''t know why Gym Leader Shimizu is stopping us. Is entry and exit in Verdanturf Town restricted now?"


    Yuga chuckled. "Now that you call me Gym Leader Shimizu, it''s only natural for me to bring people to arrest a notorious pirate leader like you. Stop pretending to be clueless!"


    Regardless, Yuga decided to apprehend Phantom first and then slowly question him about the events in the Petalburg Woods and the murder of Pcio.


    Unfazed by Yuga revealing his identity, Phantom was not surprised. After all, he was not an unknown figure. However, he couldn''t understand how he had attracted attention.


    Since arriving in Verdanturf Town, he had almost never left his residence and had not met any outsiders. Could it be the guy he dealt with a few days ago?


    Phantom assumed he knew why he was being watched. Regretfully, he wished he had been more thorough when dealing with that guy. If he had known, he would have destroyed the body, and no one would have found out, let alone attracted the attention from the Verdanturf Gym.


    Not being an arrogant person, Phantom realized that facing the Gym Leader of the Verdanturf Gym might lead to a dire situation. Still, as someone who became a pirate crew leader, he wasn''t the type to surrender willingly.


    "Attack!" Phantom slightly turned his head and uttered a lowmand to his subordinates behind.


    The pirates quickly released their own Pok��mon. On Yuga''s side, the officers immediately faced them, and Yuga confronted the pirate leader Phantom.


    However, what surprised Yuga was that the first Pok��mon Phantom released was a Chatot, and this Chatot could also speak, although not fluently like his Chatot.


    "Fighting! Fighting!" The Chatot began shouting as soon as it was released, making a racket simr to Yuga''s own Chatot.


    Although the ability to speak humannguage is a talent some Pok��mon have, it varies among individuals. Apparently, the one Phantom currently owned didn''t have the highnguage proficiency like the previous one.


    Yuga stared at the Chatot pping its wings rapidly in front of Phantom, feeling somewhat strange. Could this person be hypocritically reminiscing about the Pok��mon he once used as a shield against Yuga?


    Phantom''s second and third Pok��mon were more fitting for a pirate leader �C an Octillery and a Crawdaunt.


    After the Chatot made noise for a while, it immediately used a Chatter move against Yuga''s side. Chaotic sound waves turned into substantial attacks, and flooding towards them.


    While the Chatter move wasn''t powerful, it induced a state of confusion in the target. Combined with the fact that sound wave moves are challenging to defend against, dealing with it was not simple.


    Yuga released Kartana and Sawsbuck on his side.


    "Sawsbuck, use Round!" Yugamanded the Sawsbuck.


    While Round move wasn''t a powerful move on its own, but if several Pok��mon used it together, it would be a formidable move. However, at this moment, having Sawsbuck use it alone to defend against Chatter was sufficient.


    Chatot''s Chatter move and Sawsbuck''s Rounding move mingled in the air, then canceled each other out.


    Phantom''s Octillery took the opportunity to use Acid Spray to sneak attack Sawsbuck, but its attacks were split in two by Kartana, turning into purple liquid and falling on the ground, corroding the ground into small holes.


    The steel-type Kartana is not afraid of poison-type moves!


    After Chatter move was defended, Chatot on the other sideunched another attack. The sound column formed by Boomburst rushed towards them. However, Sawsbuck, now d in a golden armor, and charged towards the Crawdaunt.


    Boom!


    The ground was sted into a huge pit by the Chatot''s Boomburst, while Sawsbuck with Wild Charge move rushed towards the Crawdaunt and knock it out.


    Yuga''s Sawsbuck was a Pok��mon with exceptionally high speed. In a speed contest, except for the Kartana, none of Yuga''s other main Pok��mon could catch up to it. Even Serperior, who excelled in speed, couldn''tpete.


    Sawsbuck is an Elite level Pok��mon, and had formidable attack power. Unfortunately for the Crawdaunt, it hadn''t even made any moves before being forced to retreat.


    After sending the Crawdaunt flying, Sawsbuck didn''t stop. It agilelynded on the ground and, with a forceful push, effortlessly leaped over the Chatot in mid-air. Its hooves aimed at the Chatot, kicking towards it.


    Sawsbuck did not stop when it hit Crawdaunt. Its strong and slender limbsnded on the ground and then exerted force. It easily passed over Chatot in the air, and aimed at Chatot with its limbs and hooves and kicked it.


    The series of actions from Sawsbuck hitting the flying crayfish to jumping and kicking towards Chatot are so smooth and fast! Chatot failed to react just like Crawdaunt. Its jumping power greatly exceeded Chatot''s expectations.


    "Gah!" A pitiful cry rang out.


    Just like the Crawdaunt, Chatot who is only a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, couldn''t withstand Sawsbuck''s attack. After being kicked, it crashed into a tree trunk and fell to the ground.


    Not long after winning the one-on-two battle, the Octillery was sneak attacked by the Kartana, which had somehow circled behind it, using a Sacred Sword to cleave its head. With rolled-back eyes, the Octillery copsed, unable to get up.


    Seeing his three Pok��mon defeated by Yuga, Phantom felt a chill all over. He knew he couldn''t escape today.


    As expected, there''s no empty talk beneath a big reputation!


    Thinking about the various deeds he hadmitted at sea over the years, Phantom could imagine what fate awaited him once captured by the League.


    After Phantom was knocked down by Yuga, the pirates'' morale crumbled. Facing a downturn, the police took advantage of the situation and quickly subdued the group.


    "Alright, get up ande with us!" Yuga kicked Phantom, who was sitting on the ground. Seeing this, the officers quickly took out handcuffs and restrained Phantom''s hands.


    After being handcuffed, Phantom was thoroughly searched by the officers. Although most of the items were irrelevant to Yuga, two Pok�� Balls discovered during the search caught his attention.

 Chapter 1038: Clues

    <h4>Chapter 1038: Clues</h4>


    One of the Pok�� Balls happened to be a specially crafted Pok�� Ball for the fishingpetition.


    Yuga opened it, and revealing a Pok��mon inside �C it was the Gyarados that The white-bearded man had caught during the fishingpetition.


    However, The white-bearded man had given this Gyarados to Phantom.


    "It seems like this Gyarados can no longer be given away. In the end, it hase back to me again after going in a long circles," Yuga remarked.


    The reason Yuga had sponsored the Gyarados for the fishingpetition was because the Sootopolis Gym had recently acquired a batch of Magikarp with good potential.


    Yuga had bought a few of them to enrich the species in the Ecopark, and this Gyarados was one of the Magikarp that was evolved from that batch.


    The Pok��mon in the other Pok�� Ball surprised Yuga.


    It turned out to be a uncher he had been lost.


    It was impossible for him to not recognize a Pok��mon from his own shop.


    "I didn''t expect you to be not just a pirate captain but alsomit a petty thief!" Yuga nced at Phantom and said.


    He also questioning why a notorious pirate leader would resort to stealing a mere yellow potential Pok��mon.


    When Phantom heard this, he looked at the Pok��mon Ball in Yuga''s hand, snorted, and remained silent.


    After all, he was now a prisoner, and he had no intention of wasting his words with Yuga at the moment.


    Yuga didn''t press further, knowing there would be a time for questionster when they returned.


    Just as Yuga was about to take these pirates back to be interrogated by Officer Jenny, a police officer suddenly ran up to him while holding a small box about the size of a palm.


    "Where did thise from?" Yuga asked, looking at the box.


    "It was found on the white-bearded man," the police officer replied as he handed the box to Yuga.


    Initially, Phantom had been standing not far from Yuga obediently, but when he saw the box in Yuga''s hands, he suddenly became extremely agitated.


    "That''s my stuff! Give it back to me! Give it back!" Phantom shouted.


    Upon seeing this, the two police officers quickly restrained Phantom, and preventing him from reaching Yuga side.


    Phantom struggled violently, but his hands were handcuffed, and he couldn''t break free from the restraint of the two officers no matter how much he struggled.


    "It seems like we''ve found something very important," Yuga remarked as he attempted to open the box.


    He was curious about its contents that could stirred such strong emotions in Phantom.


    The box had a delicate small lock on it, but it wasn''t locked.


    There seemed to be traces of attempted prying, so Yuga fiddled with it for a few times and easily opened the box.


    The moment the box opened, a cool breeze rushed out, and a transparent bead, the size of a fingernail, came into Yuga''s view.


    "This is..." Looking at the bead, Yuga instantly thought of the relic of the People of the Water in the Petalburg Forest.


    "Is this what you found in the relic in the Petalburg Forest?" Yuga asked Phantom.


    Phantom didn''t answer, but his expression had said everything.


    He had been searching for the People of the Water for many years, and only something rted to them could make him so excited.


    However, Yuga wasn''t sure about the bead''s significance, so he decided to contact Zinnian and the others when he returned.


    This group of pirates had caused trouble in the Petalburg Forest, and Zinnian and the forest rangers needed to cooperate in the investigation.


    "Let''s go, take them all back!" Yuga shouted to the police officers to go back together.


    Back at the police station, these people were handed over to Officer Liliana for questioning.


    Yuga contacted Zinnian and the others, who replied that they would arrive in Verdanturf Town soon.


    Taking the opportunity, Yuga inquired about the bead over the phone, but Zinnian and the others were equally clueless about it.


    The relic in the Petalburg Forest had been there for a long time.


    Apart from the initial excavation by the League when it was first discovered, it had be aplete ruin due to its location.


    Zinnian and the others were unaware about how Phantom and his crew managed to find something inside.


    Unable to gather useful information, Yuga had to put the matter aside until Officer Liliana extracted some information or until Zinnian and the others arrived in Verdanturf Town.


    After ending the call with Zinnian, Yuga heard that Audino wanted him to visit the Ecopark.


    Upon arriving in the Ecopark, he saw Audino standing under the Climate Tree.


    He remembered that it was the ce where he had ced two Deoxys Energy Cores.


    Yuga walked over and was about to ask Audino what had happened, when he followed Audino''s gaze and saw one of the Deoxys Energy Cores flickering with a purple light.


    Could it be that Deoxys was finally recovering?


    "How long has this been happening?" he asked Audino.


    Audino shook its head, indicating that it also had just noticed it not long ago.


    So, Yuga and Audino stood under the tree for a long time.


    Eventually, the light on the Deoxys Energy Core became brighter.


    Wrapped in a purple glow, the shadow of the energy core stretched longer and longer, and finally forming aplete Deoxys.


    This was Deoxys, and no other Pok��mon could recover so quickly after losing its body.


    Having regained its body, Deoxys moved its limbs a few times and, once fully adjusted, it floated slowly toward Yuga side.


    "Congrattions, Deoxys," Yuga sincerely congratted.


    Deoxys'' recovery speed was much faster than he had anticipated.


    Of course, this was also rted to Deoxys'' core not being damaged, unlike the other Deoxys!


    "It''s all thanks to you. Not only did you rescue us from Rayquaza, but you also provided me a safe ce for my recovery," Deoxys expressed gratitude.


    Yuga modestly waved his hand and said, "You''ve helped Chimecho so much; what I did is only natural."


    Deoxys shook its head, saying, "Helping Chimecho was for my own reasons. It''s a fact that you rescued us, and I will definitely repay you in the future."


    Seeing Deoxys insist on this, Yuga didn''t argue further.


    It was a good thing to have a Legendary Pok��mon owe him a favor.


    "So, what are your ns for the future?" Yuga inquired.


    After pondering for a moment, Deoxys replied, "I''ll continue to explore the world as before. Since you''ve already received a promise from Rayquaza, I believe it won''t bother us again in the future."


    Yuga nodded in agreement.


    Legendary Pok��mon ced great importance on promises.


    Although Rayquaza had been angry before, it was unlikely to go back on its word.


    Yuga then continued, "And what about your fellow Deoxys with the damaged energy core?"


    The other Deoxys Energy Core was too heavily injured, so it may be impossible to recover in a short time.


    Deoxys turned its head to look at the other Deoxys Energy Core that was ced on the Climate Tree and said, "I will take it with me. Maybe I can find a way for it to recover quickly outside."


    Yuga thought it was a good n and said, "Then I wish you have a smooth journey."


    Deoxys, with strong determination, nned to leave Verdanturf Town with its fellow Deoxys on the same day.


    Chimecho was very happy after learning about Deoxys'' recovery but became sad upon hearing that it would leave soon.


    She ran over sadly to bid farewell to it.


    Chimecho had be a Champion level Pok��mon, and all of this was thanks to Deoxys.


    Having absorbed the energy core fragment, Deoxys treated Chimecho as a true kin, investing all its resources in nurturing Chimecho.


    This was why Chimecho had grown up so quickly.


    "Alright, don''t be sad. We''ll meet again in the future!" Deoxysforted the teary-eyed Chimecho.


    After sniffing, Chimecho nodded and reluctantly floated down from Deoxys, andnding weakly on Yuga''s head.


    "As long as I''m still in the Hoenn region, Chimecho can contact me anytime. If you ever need my help, just let me know. However, my strength has declined quite a bit now, so I can''t guarantee how much help I can provide." Afterforting Chimecho, Deoxys lowered its head and promised Yuga.


    Yuga responded, "Your intention is enough. If I ever need help, I''ll reach out to you."


    Deoxys nodded slightly and said, "Until we meet again!" After that, it ascended into the sky and quickly disappeared from sight.


    Watching Deoxys leave, Yuga raised his hand andforted Chimecho on his head, saying, "Come on, don''t be sad. You still have me."


    After Deoxys left, the affectionate Chimecho stuck with Yuga the entire day, and following him wherever he went.


    The next day, Officer Liliana came to YoYo Day Care and briefed Yuga on the results of her interrogation.


    Firstly, it was confirmed that Phantom and his crew were indeed involved in the incidents in the Petalburg Forest, and there was evidence that they couldn''t deny.


    Secondly, the reason why Yuga''s lost uncher ended up with Phantom was because he had killed Pcio, and the Pok��mon was found on Pcio''s body.


    Phantom, in order to maintain a low profile and not reveal his identity, had been discreet since arriving in Verdanturf Town.


    However, on that morning, he didn''t expect that he would be noticed by Pcio, who was about to gone out that morning.


    Phantom''s distinctive appearance made it hard for people to forget once they saw him.


    Pcio initially didn''t pay attention to Phantom, but after he was failed to be an apprentice at the Verdanturf Gym that day and returned home, he identally saw Phantom''s wanted poster online.


    Acting impulsively, he went to threaten Phantom and the white-bearded man, trying to obtain the Gyarados from the white-bearded man.


    It must be said that Pcio wasn''t very clever.


    Having no real skills himself, he dared to threaten a pirate leader.


    It was a risky move.


    Lastly, the reason for Phantom appearing in Verdanturf Town was exined.


    After causing trouble in the Petalburg Forest, Phantom and his crew should have returned to the sea as soon as possible.


    There was no reason for them to risking to Verdanturf Town.


    Moreover, with Yuga in town, it wasn''t a friendly ce for a criminals like them.


    ording to the confessions of the pirate henchmen, their captain had legitimate reasons foring to Verdanturf Town, and it was rted to the bead that Yuga had obtained.


    However, their captain had kept this information confidential, and the henchmen were unaware of the specifics.


    Phantom, however, remained tight-lipped.


    No matter how Officer Liliana questioned him, he refused to reveal the purpose of their visit to Verdanturf Town, even after using hypnosis, which yielded little useful information.


    Officer Liliana said, "After using hypnosis, Phantom mentioned the words ''People of the Water'' and ''Theater Group'' when he was in a confused state. Unfortunately, no other relevant information was obtained."


    "Theater Group?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    When ites to the People of the Water, Yuga could understand, considering Phantom''s many years of searching for them in pursuit of the secrets of the Temple of the sea.


    However, what did it have to do with a ''Theater Group''?


    "Did you get any other information rted to the Theater Group?" Yuga asked again.


    "No, from Phantom''s mouth, we only got that much," Officer Liliana replied, shaking her head.


    After discussing some details about the Ghost Pirate Crew, Yuga escorted Officer Liliana out of the Day Care.


    When hee back from the door and passing by the cashier''s counter, Suzuki Koen suddenly stopped Yuga.


    "Hey, boss, I want to tell you something. I heard that the Marlena Group ising to perform in our Verdanturf Town. Can I take a day off to go see it?"


    Originally, Yuga had already walked away, but the words "Marina Group" sessfully caught his attention, especially the word "Theater Group."


    Now, he was highly sensitive to these words.


    Stepping back to the cashier''s side, Yuga curiously asked Suzuki Koen, "Marina Group? What is that?"


    Suzuki Koen, looking at Yuga as if he were clueless, replied, "No way, boss. You don''t even know about the Marina Group? Are you from another or something?"


    At that moment, Windy happened to be passing by, while carrying a box.


    So, Suzuki Koen directly called him and asked, "Windy, do you know about the Marina Group?"


    Windy halted and said, "Marina Group? Yeah, it''s that famous Theater Group that performs with water Pok��mon, right?"


    Suzuki Koen, raising an eyebrow, looked at Yuga and said, "See, even this gaming addict knows about it. It''s just you who doesn''t know."


    Yuga, feeling a little bit embarrassed, and rubbed his nose.


    Was I really that clueless?


    "Alright, today I''ll give you a free lesson, boss."


    After saying this, Suzuki Koen quickly typed a few times on the keyboard in front of him, and a dazzling electronic poster appeared on theputer screen.


    Looking at the dreamy poster, Yuga suddenly felt a sense of familiarity with the images and people.


    After thinking about it for a while, he remembered that he had seen a performance by the Marina Group a few years ago.


    When he visited Mr. Norman in Petalburg City a few years ago, the Marina Group was also performing in the city.


    He even got scolded by a teenager on the street for not knowing about the Theater Group.


    Because this incident had happened so long ago and he didn''t pay much attention to the Theater Group, Yuga had forgotten about it.


    "Okay, don''t worry. Today, I''ll give you a crash course, boss." After saying this, Suzuki Koen introduced Yuga to the Marina Group.


    It turned out that the Theater Group was quite famous in Hoenn region, especially in the past.


    Many people from the older generation had watched their performances, and making it a truly well-established brand.


    However, in recent years, it was said that the Theater Group had fewer members, and its poprity was not as great as before.


    The Marina Group''s aquatic Pok��mon performances primarily targeted women and children.


    Although its fame had diminished, it still had a loyal fan base, including Suzuki Koen.


    Aquatic Pok��mon performances!


    Suzuki Koen enthusiastically rmended the Marina Group, and Yuga muttered these words softly.


    The People of the Water, a Theater Group!


    Once you connecting all these clues, it wasn''t surprising that Phantom would take the risk of appearing in Verdanturf Town.

 Chapter 1039: Reggie’s Choice

    <h4>Chapter 1039: Reggie''s Choice</h4>


    Inspired by the Marina Group, Yuga decided to patiently wait for the arrival of the Marina Group before making any decisions.


    Setting this matter aside for now, although Yuga had been busy with Phantom''s affairs these days, he hadn''t forgotten to prepare for the official sale of the Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block.


    Once all the preparations were in order, on a bustling morning, the Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block officially went on sale to the public.


    With the previous promotion from the fishingpetition and the added boost from YoYo Day Care''s own reputation, the first-day sales of Beautie and Extender garnered significant attention.


    The entrance of the Day Care was crowded with arge number of customers and onlookers.


    Because both of these items were new products and didn''t produce immediate effects like revolutionary potions, many people were uncertain whether the products'' effects matched the advertised ims.


    However, many loyal customers trusted YoYo Day Care''s reputation, they are making swift purchases, and the business in the store was extremely lively.


    Of course, these two items were not something you could buy easily.


    Although Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block were essentially Pok��block, in order to prevent Milotic and Gyarados from flooding the market and causing the value of these two Pok��mon to plummet, Yuga had made adjustment on the prices.


    A can of Beautie Pok��block or Extender Pok��block was priced at dozens of times more than an ordinary high potential Pok��block.


    In other words, if you wanted to use these two products to evolve a Milotic or Gyarados with potentials below the green level, you might as well give up now, it''s not worth it!


    It wasn''t a problem that could be solved with just one or two cans; it was not cost-effective to spend a lot of money to evolve a Pokemon with ordinary potentials.


    Many customers, who had eagerlye to the entrance of the Day Care early in the morning to check out the sales situation.


    However, they immediately hesitated and turned away upon seeing the prices that was listed on the disy board.


    "This... Isn''t this a bit too expensive? How can people like us could afford it!"


    "I knew it! Milotic and Gyarados won''t be so easily obtainable. Indeed, this stuff is too expensive, and you have to consume it daily. Who can afford to feed it!"


    ...


    Those with lower purchasing power were scared away as soon as they saw the prices, shaking their heads and leaving.


    Suzuye was also one of the early customers who came to the store in the morning.


    She was considered an old customer of YoYo Day Care, as her Pok��mon''s incense and Pok��block that was used by her pokemone from there.


    After narrowly missing the championship and runner-up positions in the fishingpetition, Suzuye nned to get a Feebas and then use Beautie Pok��block to cultivate a Milotic.


    Looking at the prices on the disy board, she also felt it was expensive, but considering her financial capability, she thought it was reasonable.


    Suzuye entered the store not to contemte how much money she could spend on Beautie Pok��block but to figure out where she could get a high-potential Feebas.


    Feebas wasn''t difficult to obtain, but a Feebas with high potentials was not readily avable.


    In the world, there was never a shortage of wealthy people in this world.


    At this moment, customers inside the store were buying Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block one after another, and if it weren''t for the simultaneous opening of online sales channels, the store would probably have even more customers.


    Because the old store was short of staff, not only Suzuki Koen, Audino, and Wigglytuff were busy, but Yuga also called in Windy and Lain to help.


    Suzuye walked around the store but she didn''t see Yuga.


    She then asked Suzuki Koen, "Where''s your boss?"


    Suzuki Koen, seeing that it was Suzuye, immediately answered, "The boss just took a call; he should be here soon."


    As Suzuki Koen finished speaking, Yuga walked into the store from the back.


    When he saw Suzuye, he smiled and said, "Are you here to buy Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block too?"


    The one who just called him was Momiji, the owner of the Aroma Day Care.


    Sheined that Yuga didn''t give her advance information about the Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block.


    Although their specialty was cultivating Grass-type Pok��mon, it didn''t prevent them from cultivating Water-type Pok��mon.


    If they had known about these two items earlier, they might have been able to cultivate some high potential Feebas and Magikarp in advance, which would surely sell well.


    It could be foreseen that, in the near future, the prices of Magikarp and Feebas would undergo significant changes.


    In the past, although Milotic and Gyarados were both powerful and rare, their evolution difficulty was too high.


    As a result, the prices of Feebas and Magikarp, which were associated with them, were much lower than those of other Pok��mon, and they could even be said to be unseble.


    Therefore, there were very few Pokemon Day Cares that cultivated these two Pok��mon.


    However, with the introduction of Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block, things were different now.


    If the effects of these two products were confirmedter on, the value of Feebas and Magikarp would definitely increase.


    Of course, this only meant that the value of high potential Feebas and Magikarp would increase; there probably wouldn''t be much change for those with lower potentials.


    Suzuye, after a brief consideration, said, "Let''s put that aside for now. Do you have Feebas? If so, sell me one."


    Upon hearing Suzuye''s request, Yuga smiled.


    Before buying Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block, you need to consider getting a Feebas and Magikarp first.


    Do he have Feebas? Of course he have! He actually preparing to add Feebas to YoYo Day Care''s sales list.


    He also want to add Magikarp, but due to quantity limitations, it''s not possible for now.


    "Want to buy Feebas? Sure,e with me."


    As the first person to think of buying Feebas at YoYo Day Care, Yuga decided to make it convenient for Suzuye.


    From now on, if someone wanted to buy Feebas, they would have to follow the rules.


    Taking Suzuye to the meeting room, Yuga said, "Sit here and wait for a moment. I''ll be right back."


    Since Wigglytuff and Audino were busy outside, Yuga had to go to the Ecopark to get the Pok��mon himself.


    "Sure, thank you." Suzuye nodded.


    Soon, Yuga returned to the meeting room with two Pok�� Balls.


    Inside the Pok�� Balls were Feebas.


    "Here are two Feebas. Their abilities are Swift Swim and Oblivious, respectively. Which one would you like to choose?"


    Depending on the different abilities of Feebas, the evolved Milotic would also have different abilities.


    The Feebas here didn''t have the hidden ability Adaptability, so the evolved Milotic would have either Marvel Scale or Competitive.


    "The one with Swift Swim ability inherits the move Dragon Pulse, and the one with Oblivious ability inherits the move Mirror Coat." Yuga continued to exin.


    After much contemtion, Suzuye finally chose the one with the ability Oblivious.


    Having sessfully purchased the Feebas she desired, Suzuye then spent a considerable amount of money outside to buy a half-year supply of Beautie Pok��block.


    However, after seeing off Suzuye, Yuga encountered another familiar face in the store��Uncle Magikarp, the same uncle who sold the Milotic and Gyarados couple to him.


    Uncle Magikarp also noticed Yuga, and a sly smile shed across his face, exuding an inherently lecherous aura.


    "Mr. Shimizu, long time no see," Uncle Magikarp rubbing his hands together and greeted Yuga.


    "It''s you. Indeed, it''s been a while. Are you here for the Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block as well?" Upon seeing Uncle Magikarp, Yuga immediately had an idea.


    "Yes, I was wondering if... if I could have a word with you?" Koichiro asked, looking slightly nervous.


    Koichiro was Uncle Magikarp''s name.


    When he first met Yuga, Yuga didn''t have the current level of fame, so facing Yuga now made him somewhat insecure.


    However, he had no choice but to make this trip.


    His family made a living by breeding Magikarp, andter, in search of a breakthrough, they also cultivated Feebas.


    In order to find a convenient way for these two Pok��mon to evolve, his family had spared no effort.


    However, they never expected Yuga to effortlessly solve this problem.


    Over the years, his family had umted arge number of Feebas and Magikarp.


    Koichiro knew that the birth of Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block was an opportunity for his family.


    Once the effectiveness of these two items was confirmed, the Magikarp and Feebas they held would be highly sought after.


    For the further development of the family, Koichiro knew that they needed Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block.


    Only by using these two Pok��block to breed arge number of Milotic and Gyarados could theyter cultivate more and higher potential Feebas and Magikarp.


    The Feebas and Magikarp born from Milotic and Gyarados would be the best potential one.


    Although their family already had quite a few Gyarados and Milotic, it was far from enough!


    "Sure,e with me."


    Upon hearing Koichiro''s words, a fleeting smile crossed Yuga''s eyes.


    It seemed like an opportunity had presented itself when he was worrying about Magikarp earlier.


    After arriving at the meeting room, Yuga spoke, "Do you want me to provide Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block for your family?"


    Koichiro nodded awkwardly, "Yes, yes."


    "You should be aware that the products from YoYo Day Care are quite expensive," Yuga pointed out.


    Yuga understood Koichiro''s intentions very well, and he had some knowledge about his family''s situation.


    They undoubtedly needed a substantial amount of Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block.


    However, given their family''s impoverished state over the years,ing up with arge sum of money would be challenging.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Koichiro''s face turned pale.


    As Yuga suspected, they wanted YoYo Day Care to provide Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block on a long-term basis, but they couldn''t afford to pay upfront.


    "We were thinking of opening an ount and paying you back in full when the funds be avable."


    "Do you know what that''s called? It''s called an empty promise! How can you guarantee that you''ll be able to pay back the money in the future?" Yuga firmly rejected Koichiro''s request for credit.


    He wouldn''t engage in a deal that would result in a loss.


    "Well... um..." Hearing Yuga''s response, Koichiro became anxious.


    "However, I''ve thought of a solution," Yuga suddenly said.


    "W-what solution? Please tell me," Koichiro responded with a glimmer of hope.


    "I know your family has Magikarp. Use a portion of them to offset the cost of the Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block," Yuga suggested.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s proposal, Koichiro''s expression immediately soured.


    He instantly realized that Yuga might have had this idea from the beginning.


    "You... you''re taking advantage of our predicament!"


    Yuga replied with a sly smile, "You should understand that without my Extender Pok��block and Beautie Pok��block, your family will never turn their fortunes around."


    Koichiro was momentarily stunned, and then he sighed, "I''ll go back and think about it. Can I give you an answer tomorrow?"


    "Of course," Yuga nodded.


    He knew that this matter was likely to be settled as the other party had no other viable option.


    Later, Koichiro left YoYo Day Care with a sigh.


    However, to Yuga''s surprise, many old friends came to visit today.


    Just after Koichiro left, Reggie and Paul appeared.


    Seeing Reggie, Yuga was delighted.


    "Why are you here? Weren''t you challenging the Battle Frontier? Did the challenge end? How did it go?"


    Reggie, feeling helpless, responded, "You''re bombarding me with questions. Which one should I answer first?"


    Yuga joyfully embraced Reggie''s shoulder and said, "Come on, let''s go inside and talk. It''s been so long!"


    With that, the two of them, apanied by Paul, entered the reception room.


    After pouring tea for both brothers, Yuga asked Reggie, "When did you arrive in Verdanturf Town? Why didn''t you inform me in advance?"


    Reggie replied, "I''m just arrived. It seems your Beautie Pok��block and Extender Pok��block are selling well."


    He had noticed the bustling scene in the store.


    "Not bad," Yuga smiled.


    "You still haven''t told me how your Challenge Battle at the Battle Frontier went?"


    "No sess. I lost to Mr. Brandon," Reggie said casually, not appearing disappointed about the defeat.


    "That''s okay. Mr. Brandon has been famous for many years. Losing to him is normal," Yuga consoled Reggie.


    After a moment of silence, Reggie suddenly said, "I n to give up being a Trainer and focus on helping Grandpa manage Blue Sky Day Care."


    Yuga was taken aback, and asked, "It''s so sudden. Have you thought it through? Is it because you lost to Mr. Brandon?"


    Unexpectedly, Reggie followed the original path, and Yuga nced at Paul, who sat quietly on the side.


    No wonder this kid had been silent and had a gloomy expression since he entered.


    Shaking his head, Reggie said, "Can''t say there''s no reason at all. The main reason is that Grandpa is getting old, and I can''t let him take care of the Day Care alone."


    Yuga said, "Since you''ve decided, I support you! Managing a Day Care is a good choice. It''s not only Trainers who have a future."


    "Thank you."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Reggie suddenly smiled.


    In fact, giving up being a Trainer had put a lot of pressure on him.


    After all, he had been a Trainer since he was a child for many years, and although he wasn''t talentless, he hadn''t achieved much sess.


    This time, he came to Verdanturf Town not only to visit Yuga but also to seek the support of a friend.


    At this moment, rather than those who tried to persuade him to continue being a Trainer, he hoped for someone who could push him forward.


    After all, he had made up his mind.


    Smiling, Yuga walked up to Paul and said, "Are you upset that your brother is giving up being a Trainer?"


    Paul pursed his lips and remained silent.


    Reggie also smiled wryly and shook his head.


    Ever since he had shared his thoughts with Paul, his brother had been sulking.


    Yuga didn''t try to persuade much and simply said, "Your brother has his own ideas and his own life."


    "By the way, since you don''t have to run around anymore, stay in Verdanturf Town for a few more days before returning to Sinnoh region."

 Chapter 1040: Chaos

    <h4>Chapter 1040: Chaos</h4>


    Reggie decided to spend a few days in the Verdanturf Town before returning to Sinnoh region under Yuga''s advice.


    The next day, Zinnian arrived in Verdanturf with Zaden to cooperate with Officer Jenny in investigating the matter of Phantom.


    It turn out in the ruins discovered by the circus group, Phantom and Chatot not only learned about the Temple of the Sea and the Sea Crown but also knew the whereabouts of the People of the Water'' ancestralnd.


    They knew that to find the whereabouts of the Temple of the Sea and the Sea Crown, they must find the whereabouts of the People of the Water.


    So over the years, Phantom has been searching for information rted to the People of the Water.


    Finally, not long ago, Phantom found out in the ancestralnd of the People of the Water that there was a treasure deep in the Petalburg Forest ruins.


    Once this treasure encounters with the People of the Water, it will react.


    So they sneaked into that ruin and brought the thing out.


    But they didn''t expect that there was a Gyarados guarding the thing, so they attracting the attention of the forest rangers and exposing their whereabouts.


    That treasure is the transparent pearl that Yuga found on Phantom and his crew.


    The information about the pearl was told to Yuga by Zinnian and Zaden when they came.


    There are records of this pearl in the ruins of the Petalburg Forest.


    However, over the years, no one has found it, and everyone thought it was just a legend.


    Unexpectedly, this pearl really exists and was found by Phantom and his group.


    Yuga shared his spection about the connection between the Marina Group and the People of the Water with Officer Jenny, so everyone unanimously decided to wait until the Marina Group arrived in Verdanturf before discussing further.


    In the blink of an eye, the day arrived when the Marina Group came to Verdanturf Town.


    A long caravan slowly entered Verdanturf Town and stopped outside the town.


    The Marina Group is a touring performance group, so their vehicles are all motorhomes.


    The members live in the vehicles daily, and each vehicle is quiterge, making the caravan particrly spectacr when entering Verdanturf Town.


    The arrival of the Marina Group immediately made Verdanturf Town lively, and everyone was discussing about the Marina Group.


    After all, this was their first time touring in Verdanturf Town.


    The Marina Group moved very quickly.


    In just one night, they set up a venue resembling an amusement park in the open space outside Verdanturf Town, and the next day, their water performance officially began.


    Becuasethe opportunity was rare, Yuga granted a day off for all the staff in his shop.


    He also invited Reggie and Paul to join him in watching the water performance outside the town.


    Of course, this was only on the surface.


    In secret, Yuga and Officer Liliana brought along the mysterious pearl with them, intending to see if there was any connection between the Marina Group and the People of the Water.


    It wasn''t that they wanted to harm the People of the Water; It''s mainly because they want to prevent incidents like the People of the Darkness from happening again.


    As soon as Yuga, Reggie, and their group entered the Marina Group''s performance area, they saw numerousrge and small water bubbles floating in the air.


    Inside these bubbles, cute Water Pokemon were swimming on them, such as group of Remoraid, the neatly lined-up Wopper, and the agile Buizel.


    "It''s so spectacr! Although I''ve heard about the Marina Group before, this is my first time seeing their performance," Reggie eximed, while marveling at the troupe members and Water Pokemons'' captivating performance.


    Even Paul, who had been gloomy in the past couple of days, was surprised and had his mouth was wide open.


    Children were particrly interested in such performances, and exmations and cheers could be heard from all around the venue.


    "I''ve seen their performance once before, but at that time the scale wasn''t as grand as this one," Yuga said with a smile.


    Just then, in the crowd ahead, there was a sudden burst of excitement.


    Following themotion, Yuga happened to see a girl in a pink Goldeen swimsuit riding on a Dewgong, leaping out of arge water bubble.


    Hum...


    Suddenly, Yuga felt a vibration in his pocket.


    He reached into his pocket and touched the pearl.


    "Let''s get closer to take a look," Yuga said to Reggie.


    "Sure," Reggie nodded in agreement.


    As they approached them, Yuga noticed that the closer he got to the girl who was frolicking with the Water Pokemon in the bubble, the stronger the vibrations from the pearl in his pocket became.


    At this moment, Officer Liliana happened toe over.


    After a brief greeting with Reggie and Paul, she whispered, "How''s the situation?"


    Yuga quietly replied, "The reaction from the pearl is very strong. It seems our spection was correct."


    Officer Liliana nodded discreetly, "I''ll continue to have people keep an eye on this ce. After the performance, we''ll contact the troupe members."


    The two of them briefly discussed and then went their separate ways.


    Officer Liliana arranged for personnel nearby.


    Then, Yuga, apanied by Reggie and Paul, explored various performances.


    Besides the initial girl, the pearl also reacted simrly to an elderly man and a middle-aged man.


    The elderly man was Marina Group''s leader, Shep, and the middle-aged man was his son, Kyle.


    After some inquiries, Yuga learned that the initial girl was named Lizabeth, she was Kyle''s daughter and Shep''s granddaughter, and currently a pir of the Marina Group.


    The previous pir was Lizabeth''s mother, Meredith.


    However, the pearl showed no reaction to Meredith.


    While passing by a water pool, Yuga saw a Buizel performing a Water Pulse inside.


    When the Buizel noticed Yuga, it suddenly paused for a moment, and then joyfully leaped out of the pool, seemingly intending to run towards Yuga.


    Yuga was puzzled by the Buizel''s behavior.


    The way the Buizel looked at him just now made him feel like it knew him, but could that be possible?


    However, before the Buizel could reach Yuga, there was a sudden explosion in the distance, and thick smoke billowed from the Marina Group''s RV.


    "Ah!!!"


    The explosion rmed the audience who hade to watch the performance.


    The scene instantly descended into chaos, with people scrambling to escape in all directions.


    In no time, Yuga lost sight of the Buizel he had just seen.


    Immediately after, Yuga witnessed a battle erupting at the site of the explosion.


    Thebatants were Meredith and three menacing-looking men.


    "You guys leave this ce first; I''ll go check the situation," Yuga said solemnly to Reggie and Paul.


    "Yeah, be careful," Reggie knew that in a situation like this, Yuga, as a Gym Leader, couldn''t just stand by and had to protect Paul from any trouble.


    As Yuga turned around and walk a few steps, Officer Liliana walk over toward him, while pushing through the crowd.


    "It seems the Phantom Pirate Crew''s member have sneak in and their target is probably the Marina Group," Officer Liliana said with a serious expression.


    Yuga replied, "You organize people to evacuate the audience; I''ll go check on the troupe."


    "Okay," Officer Liliana nodded.


    After parting ways, Yuga noticed some troublemakers with Pokemon causing a ruckus around him.


    Without a doubt, these were members of the Phantom Pirate Crew disguised as spectators, and aiming to create chaos.


    It turned out that after Phantom was captured, the Phantom Pirate Crew quickly received the news and sent people to Verdanturf Town.


    They initially nned to rescue Phantom, but the security at the Verdanturf Town''s police station was too tight, so they had to abandon the idea and shift their focus to the Marina Group.


    The one who leading the crew this time was the vice-captain of the Phantom Pirate Crew, it was Phantom''s right-hand man.


    He knew everything that Phantom knew, and he also involved with the incident in the Petalburg Forest.


    After leaving Petalburg Forest, he and Phantom went their separate ways.


    Phantom found the Marina Group and, upon learning they wereing to Verdanturf Town, he arrived in Verdanturf Town ahead of time to wait for they arrival.


    On the other hand, he returned to the pirate crew''s headquarters.


    Upon learning that Phantom couldn''t be rescued, this vice-captain nned this looting operation during the chaos.


    After learning that Phantom couldn''t be rescued, he intended to at least seize valuable items.


    Without Phantom, he could still operate as an independent pirate �C pirates didn''t have to adhere to any sense of morality.


    Yuga noticed the troublemakers from the Phantom Pirate Crew.


    Naturally, the crew members also noticed Yuga, and soon he found himself surrounded by a group of people.


    Their goal wasn''t necessarily to harm Yuga; they just wanted to dy him for a short time.


    This way, their vice-captain could escape with the loot.


    The Phantom Pirate Crew brought quite a lot of people this time, and the scene was chaotic everywhere, with ordinary people running and screaming.


    If not for the efforts of the police station personnel maintaining order, there might have been a stampede by now.


    So even if there weren''t these people surrounding him, Yuga wouldn''t be able to walk out of the chaotic crowd in a short while.


    This is the reason the other side created chaos.


    Two kingler, two Octillery, three Corpish, and two Crawdaunt all attacked Yuga at the same time.


    In order not to harm innocent spectators around, Yuga could only release Breloom and Bellossom to deal with them, as they were rtively small and less likely to cause coteral damage.


    Watching the approaching Pokemon toward it, Breloom swiftly threw punches, and the fist shadows shed with thunder and lightning.


    The two Kingler and two Octillery were instantly knocked down.


    Bellossom quickly danced, wielding the two leaf des in its hands.


    Wherever it went, the Corpish and Crawdaunt howled and fell to the ground.


    After this group of Pokemon fell, seeing another wave of Pokemon rushing towards him, Yuga didn''t want to entangle with them anymore.


    He directly said to Breloom and Bellossom, "Handle them."


    After Breloom and Bellossom nodded, he released Chimecho.


    Chimecho used its Psychic Power to lift him into the sky.


    Some tried to stop him, but their attacks were all blocked by Chimecho''s Light Screen.


    Due to the chaos caused by the Phantom Pirate Crew, all the water bubbles used for the performance had disappeared.


    Only puddles of water remained on the ground.


    The battles were happening everywhere �C the fight between the police station and the pirates, the sh between the Marina Group and the pirates, and the struggle between the audience and the pirates.


    The scene was chaotic beyond description.


    Yuga was about to have Chimecho take him to support the Marina Group when he suddenly saw a Buizel being surrounded below.


    He quickly ordered Chimecho to rescue it.


    This Buizel was the one that was nning to run towards Yuga earlier.


    Holding the Buizel in his arms, Yuga saw that it seemed to have something to say but hesitated.


    However, in the urgent situation, Yuga didn''t have time to listen, so he chose to ignore it.


    At this moment, the leader of the Marina Group, Shep, Shep''s son, Kyle, and Lizabeth were all restrained and unable to immediately go to support Meredith.


    Meredith was desperately holding her ground against the three opponents.


    If it weren''t for a seemingly powerful Floatzel assisting her, she would have likely been defeated long ago.


    In Meredith''s arms there was something resembling an incubator, and this was the target of the Phantom Pirate Crew''s mission this time.


    Bang!


    The Floatzel that was assisting Meredith was sent flying by the opposing Feraligatr.


    A Golduck immediately lunged toward Meredith.


    At a critical moment, a dazzling Light Screen suddenly appeared in front of Meredith, blocking the Golduck''s ws and producing a sharp sound.


    "Are you okay?" Yuga''s voice resonated in Meredith''s ears.


    Looking up to see Yuga in the sky, Meredith breathed a sigh of relief.


    She was well aware about the Verdanturf Town''s Gym Leader.


    Yuga''s appearance made the three men besieging Meredith''s face turn very unpleasant, especially the one in the middle who directly cursed, "Useless!"


    So many people couldn''t stop one person!


    However, Yuga''s arrival did not deter thempletely.


    After nning this disturbance with great effort, they couldn''t simply just give up with empty-handed.


    Another Golduck quickly jumped to Meredith''s side.


    The two Golduck, one on each side, waved their ws towards Meredith.


    Meredith''s Mantine used Wide Guard in time to block the attacks from both Golduck.


    The Floatzel regained itsposure just in time nad promptly rallied, using Aqua Jet to knock them both away.


    At this moment, the opposing Feraligatr, Crawdaunt, and Octillery attacked again.


    However, they were suddenly frozen into ice sculptures by a blue beam of light that was descending from the sky.


    At some point, Yuga''s Lapras had floated beside him.


    Seeing their three main attacking Pok��mon were instantly frozen, the faces of the three men on the opposite side changed dramatically.


    The two of them immediately turned around to run away, but once again, they were frozen in ce by Lapras''s Ice Beam.


    One Tentacool, one Tentacruel, one Omastar, and one Golduck, seeing their trainer frozen, immediately counterattacked towards Yuga.


    However, just as their moves began to brew halfway, they were followed the fate of their trainer.


    Thest one is the vice-captain of the Phantom Pirate Crew who was directly scared out of his wits, he''s sitting on the ground with his wet pants.


    It was too terrifying!


    His Golduck, Poliwrath, Tentacruel, and Kingler, were quiet brave and they quickly stood in front of him.


    However, how could they be the opponents for the Champion level Lapras?


    They were instantly wiped out by a single move from Lapras.


    Seeing the opponent easily dealt with by Yuga, Meredith quickly expressed her gratitude, "Thank you so much."


    Yuga swiftly knocked out the vice-captain of the Phantom Pirate Crew with a karate chop and then said, "Let''s deal with the other troublemakers first."


    The pirate crew without their leader was quickly solved by thebined efforts of the police and the Marina Group.


    However, the situation at the Marina Group was chaotic.


    Not only did the audience flee, but most of the facilities and equipment were also damaged, which resulting in significant losses.


    Seeing the mess in front of him, Shep felt like crying but had no tears.


    He looked at the object in his daughter-inw''s arms, and sighed in relief.


    Fortunately that the most important thing was unharmed.


    After all the pirates member were captured, and Yuga remembered the little one in his arms.


    "Do we know each other?" Yuga asked the small Buizel in his arms.


    "Buizel! Buizel! Buizel!" The Buizel nodded its vigorously in response.

 Chapter 1041: Leaving

    <h4>Chapter 1041: Leaving</h4>


    Watching Buizel for a while, Yuga couldn''t remember where he had seen it before.


    However, when he was about to put the little guy down from his arms, the Floatzel also approached him.


    "Are you two father and son?" Yuga asked the Floatzel.


    The Floatzel nodded its head eagerly.


    Seeing this, Yuga ced Buizel on the ground.


    With a small leap, Buizel joined Floatzel, and the two Pok��mon affectionately rubbed against each other.


    "Are you both familiar with me?" Yuga asked curiously.


    "Floatzel! Floatzel! Floatzel!"


    Floatzel nodded its head and then proceeded to tell Yuga about their origins.


    It turns out that they weree from an unnamed ind in the sea area where the Giant Milotic resides.


    Yuga and Chimecho once saved them from Zapdos''s clutches, but with so many Pok��mon around at that time, Yuga couldn''t distinguish one from another.


    This time, the father and son came ashore to apany the People of the Water in hatching Manaphy''s egg and delivering it to the Temple of the Sea as per their duty.


    Each Manaphy is not powerful when they were born.


    They only undergoing a true transformation into a Mythical Pok��mon after receiving the baptism of the Sea Crown in the Temple of the Sea.


    The People of the Water serves as the key to the Temple of the Sea.


    In the past, they are incharge for escorting every Manaphy to the Temple of the Sea through generations.


    Just like Yuga an his master''s lineage, which has been guarded by Celebi, the People of the Water has also been protected by the Manaphy family.


    However, even with this protection, the descendants of the People of the Water have declined significantly.


    Listening to Floatzel''s exnation, Yuga remembered that he had indeed heard that the area dominated by Manaphy in the sea region was mentioned before.


    His Kartana was also found by chance when Manaphy was patrolling the ocean.


    "So, what the Phantom Pirate Crewe this time is indeed for stealing the Manaphy''s egg? The one in the arms of the Lady of the Water?" Yuga pondered, while rubbing his chin.


    "Floatzel, Floatzel."


    Floatzel nodded its head to confirm it.


    "By the way, how is Zapdos?" Yuga thought for a moment and asked.


    "Floatzel, Floatzel..."


    Floatzel happily told Yuga about Zapdos''s subsequent actions.


    It turn out that after healing Zapdos with a Max Revive, the Zapdos with nowhere else to go, choose to stayed on the unnamed ind.


    Although the Pok��mon living there didn''t particrly like it, with the Giant Milotic in charge, everyone had to tolerate Zapdos''s presence.


    Eventually, Zapdos became well-behaved and sometimes even helped teach a lesson to other Pok��mon that was trying to encroach on its territory.


    Gradually, everyone epted it, and now, Zapdos had be an integral part of the unnamed ind.


    Knowing this, Yuga nodded in satisfaction. "Thank you for the information."


    While Yuga reminisced with Floatzel, Officer Liliana was dealing with the captured pirates and calming the frightened crowd.


    Fortunately, although there was property damage, there were no human casualities.


    On the side of the Marina Group, after assessing the losses, the troupe leader, Shep, approached Yuga with gratitude, "This time, thanks to Gym Leader Shimizu and Officer Jenny."


    Yuga nodded and asked, "Do you know who these people are and what their purpose is?"


    Upon hearing Yuga''s question, Shep''s eyes flickered rapidly.


    He pretend to be confused and said, "I don''t know who these people are; they just suddenly appeared."


    Knowing he wouldn''t get a straightforward answer, Yuga took out the transparent pearl from his pocket.


    As the pearl approached Shep, the interior of the transparent sphere began to emit a blue mist.


    "Do you recognize this, Leader Shep?" Yuga inquired.


    Upon seeing the pearl in Yuga''s hand, Shep shuddered all over.


    He was too familiar with this thing because he also had one.


    This was the symbol of identity for the People of the Water.


    "Could it be that you are also... also..." Shep stammered, "No, no, the pearl has no reaction to you. You are not! Not!"


    "We found this from those people. They already knew that you are the People of the Water, so they nned this attack," Yuga exined after putting away the pearl.


    Shep took a deep breath, suddenly enlightened, "I see, no wonder you were so well-prepared."


    He had been wondering why the Verdanturf Town police arrived so quickly.


    Now it seemed that the police had been stand by nearby, and even infiltrating the audience.


    After a short silence, Shep continued, "Gym Leader Shimizu,e with me. Since you already know, let''s discuss it inside."


    He then pointed his hand to an unaffected motorhome.


    Yuga nodded his head and followed behind Shep.


    Buizel and Floatzel also quickly followed suit.


    When wassing by his son and daughter-inw, Shep asked his son to invite Officer Jenny.


    Once Officer Liliana, Kyle, Meredith, and Lizabeth entered the motorhome and sat down, Shep said: "Indeed, we are descendants of the People of the Water. The pearl that the Gym Leader Shimizu showed just now is actually the symbol of our identity."


    He then took out a ne with an identical pearl, the only difference was that this one was embedded in the ne.


    Seeing this, Kyle, Meredith, and Lizabeth also took out a pearl each.


    They were all the same, except the one in Meredith''s did not have the blue mist, indicating that she did not possess the bloodline of the People of the Water.


    After revealing the pearls, Shep sighed deeply.


    "There aren''t many of us left in our n. Perhaps there are a few scattered rtives outside, but the main lineage is just us. Nevertheless, we still firmly remember our duty, and silently guarding the Temple of the Sea and the legacy of Manaphy. But unexpectedly, we have attracted the attention of evildoers."


    At this point, Shep''s tone became very low, and Kyle, Meredith, and Lizabeth also showed sadness in their expressions.


    "Manaphy is very crucial for the stability of the world''s marine system. It cannot afford to have any issues," Kyle suddenly spoke with a firm tone.


    Officer Liliana interjected, "I admire your n''s perseverance. On behalf of the League, I express our gratitude to you. However, now that this incident has happened, your identity is at risk of exposure. You should think about how to protect Manaphy''s egg."


    At this moment, the Manaphy''s egg was ced on the table.


    Upon hearing Officer Liliana''s words, everyone involuntarily shifted their gaze to the container that was holding the Pok��mon egg.


    The container held a special liquid, and the blue Manaphy egg floated up and down in the fluid, looking very beautiful.


    Seeing everyone staring at Manaphy''s egg with serious expressions, the Buizel by the container nervously hugged it, attempting to shield it from everyone "eager" gazes.


    The Floatzel patted its head, and only then did it reluctantly release the container.


    "We need travel around with Manaphy''s egg to ensure its smooth hatching. There is no way we can stay in one ce," Shep sighed while speaking.


    "Why not entrust it to the League for safekeeping?" Officer Liliana asked, puzzled.


    Kyle shook his head, saying, "No, that way Manaphy might never hatch."


    Officer Liliana frowned, "This will only increase the danger level of Manaphy''s egg."


    "How about involving the Pokemon Rangers'' Union?" Yuga suddenly suggested.


    "The Pokemon Rangers'' Union?" The entire Shep family looked at Yuga at the same time, while Officer Liliana''s eyes were lit up.


    "Yes, you can apply for a Pokemon Rangers to protect you. A mobile Pokemon Rangers are very suitable for this job," Officer Liliana snapped her fingers, "And Pokemon Rangers are avable in various regions. Once you encounter this kind situation, the mobile Pokemon Rangers that was protecting you can seek help from the nearby resident Pokemon Rangers."


    "Yes, Pokemon Rangers have the obligation and responsibility to help you protect Manaphy until it hatches," Yuga added.


    "Can... can this really be done?" Shep asked uncertainly.


    "Of course, if you can''t contact the Pokemon Rangers'' Union, we can also assist from our end."


    It was perfect timing since Zinnian and the others hadn''t left Verdanturf Town yet, making it easier for them to contact the Pokemon Rangers'' Union headquarters.


    After contemting for a while, Shep made up his mind, "Alright, we''ll trouble you with that."


    Because the Marina Group suffered heavy losses this time, they needed some time to recuperate in Verdanturf Town.


    It conveniently aligned with waiting for the Pokemon Rangers'' Union headquarters to send their representatives.


    When Yuga and Officer Liliana returned that day, they immediately ask Zinnian to contact the Pokemon Rangers'' Union.


    Because it was involved the mythical Pok��mon Manaphy, the Pokemon Rangers'' Union headquarters attached great importance to this matter and immediately dispatched two senior Rangers over.


    When the mobile Pokemon Rangers dispatched by the Pokemon Rangers'' headquarters arrived in Verdanturf Town, Zinnian and the others had already returned to Petalburg Forest.


    However, what surprised Yuga was that among the two mobile Pokemon Rangers who came, one of them was someone he had met before.


    The two Pokemon Rangers was one male and the other one is female, they were said to be exceptionally outstanding among the younger generation of the Pokemon Rangers, and consistently achieving a hundred percentpletion in various tasks.


    The female Pokemon Ranger, in particr, was only sixteen years old, making her the youngest senior


    Pokemon Ranger in recent years.


    Yuga was familiar with the male Pokemon Ranger.


    The first time he encountered him was in Sinnoh region, where he was assisting Officer Jenny in investigating the abnormal maic field at Mount Cor.


    It was also there that Yuga first met Deoxys.


    They met again near the Battle Ind.


    To be precise, during their time on Battle Ind, although they experienced the same incident, the two of them didn''t actually meet.


    It was Yuga''s Mismagius who met with him.


    Inside the Verdanturf Gym,


    "Long time no see!" Jackie greeted Yuga warmly.


    "Thanks to your Mismagiusst time, not only did my mission not fail, but I also managed to save my own life."


    Yuga modestly replied, "We are all part of the League; it''s only natural."


    "Oh, by the way, let me introduce you. This is my junior, Hinata. She''s apanying me on this mission." After some friendly exchanges, Jackie introduced the other Pokemon Ranger to Yuga.


    The Pokemon Ranger named Hinata was petite but she wore the Pokemon Ranger uniform with an air of elegance.


    "I''ve heard so much about you, Gym Leader Shimizu," Hinata said, and extending her right hand towards Yuga.


    "Pleasure to meet you," Yuga responded courteously.


    Yuga lightly shook Hinata''s hand and added, "Now that you''re both here, let me take you to meet the members of the Marina Group."


    So Yuga introduced Hinata and Jackie to the members of the Marina Group.


    Two dayster, the theater troupe left Verdanturf Town.


    Jackie and Hinata, that was disguised as troupe members, also left with them.


    After the Marina Group departed from Verdanturf Town, Reggie found Yuga.


    "I n to leave for Sinnoh region tomorrow. I''ve bothered you enough here," Reggie said.


    Yuga didn''t insist and nodded his head, saying, "You''ve made your decision. It seems that Paul hasn''t quite figured out your situation yet. Communicate with him more; he has always regarded you as his most admired person. If youmunicate well, I''m sure someday he will understand."


    Reggie remained silent for a moment and then said, "I will."


    Yuga said cheerfully, "Well, since you''re leaving tomorrow, how about a friendly match? We might not have the chance in the future."


    Reggie smiled and replied, "I''d be honored. Since you became famous, I haven''t had a chance to battle you again. Having a match with you is something many people would envy."


    The two agreed and went to the gym.


    Since it was a spontaneous battle, they didn''t set too many rules, opting for a simple one-on-one match.


    Reggie used Drapion, while Yuga used Decidueye.


    In terms of levels, Yuga''s Decidueye was not as experienced as Reggie''s seasoned Drapion.


    However, Decidueye excelled in agility, and with its Spirit Shackle move that can providing control and output capabilities.


    In the end, the battle between Decidueye and Drapion was evenly matched.


    After the battle, Reggie looked at Yuga''s Decidueye and said, "You haven''t trained this Decidueye for long time, have you? I almost lost. It really can''tpare."


    When Reggie said this, his tone wasn''t too discouraged.


    Instead, he seemed relieved, realizing that he could never catch up to people like Yuga and Flint in his lifetime.


    "Oh, by the way, I noticed that your Decidueye''s Spirit Shackle move is quite proficient. I know a master archer; would you like me to introduce him to you?"


    Yuga was instantly delighted, "Really? That would be great! I''ve been wanting to find a proper archery mentor for Decidueye, but I haven''t found one yet."


    Reggie said, "I met this master archer by coincidence. However, I can''t guarantee whether they would be willing to teach you."


    Yuga waved his hand, "Just make the introduction; I''ll handle the rest."


    The next day, Reggie bid farewell to Yuga, apanied by Paul.


    Before leaving, Yuga gave Paul a parting gift.


    Looking at the bottle in the box, Paul eximed, "Is this the Innovation Potion?"


    Yuga nodded, "Exactly. After you and Reggie go back this time, your journey as a Trainer will be yours alone. Consider this bottle of Innovation Potion as my blessing for you."


    "This is too valuable..."


    Reggie wanted to help Paul refuse but was interrupted by Yuga.


    "What''s valuable or not? I can afford this small gift. Paul also calls me ''brother,'' so why wouldn''t I be able to give him a bottle of potion?" A bottle of Innovation Potion meant little to Yuga.


    After hearing this, Reggie stopped refusing.


    He patted Paul on the back and said, "Say thank you quickly."


    Paul nodded his head and thanked Yuga, "Thank you, Brother Yuga. I will use it carefully."


    Yuga smiled and rubbed Paul''s hair, "Work hard. I will look forward to seeing you at the League Conference."


    In this way, Reggie left with Paul after bidding farewell to Yuga, and boarding the ne back to Sinnoh region.

 Chapter 1042: YoYo Day Care’s Big Move

    <h4>Chapter 1042: YoYo Day Care''s Big Move</h4>


    Recently, a new resident arrived at the Ecopark''s Shallow Beach �C It was a Politoed.


    It settled down at the centralke of Ind No. 1, and bing neighbors with the Poliwrath.


    Although it was born in the wild, Politoed had a rtively gentle temperament.


    So, not long after moving in, it quickly formed good rtionships with the other Pokemon like Slowbro, Slowking, and stoise, etc.


    However, Politoed possessed a unique trait �C that is, it has the ability tomand Poliwag and Poliwhirl, especially with its cry that had a significant deterrent effect on Poliwag and Poliwhirl.


    Although both of them is the evolutionary forms of Poliwag and Politoed, the Poliwrath don''t have this particr trait.


    In a group of Poliwag and Poliwhirl, if there were both a Politoed and a Poliwrath, then the one who hold the leadership role would undoubtedly be the Politoed.


    This racial trait is very simr with the dynamics among Slowpoke, Slowbro, and Slowking.


    Both Politoed and Slowking held absolute leadership within their respectivemunities, and it was rare to find both Politoed and Poliwrath coexisting in the same colony.


    Although Politoed''s leadership didn''t directly affect Poliwrath, thetter found Politoed''s cry was extremely irritating.


    Despite the Poliwrath''s behavior has been changed after entering the Ecopark, there remained a rebellious spirit deep within its heart.


    Havinge from an unknown ind, the Poliwrath, who had always fought for survival, was vastly different from the wild Pokemon residing near human towns.


    Making it to submit to its racial instincts seemed nearly impossible.


    It would be okay if it had lived in a group before, but it has always been alone.


    In this situation, conflict soon arose between Politoed and Poliwrath.


    Politoed was vey puzzled by Poliwrath''s provocations.


    Although it has be neighbors with Poliwrath, it had little interaction with it after it moving in to Ecopark.


    On the contrary, it got along better with stoise.


    Did Poliwrath take the wrong medicine?


    Poliwrath''s baseless provocation against Politoed received criticism from all Water-type Pokemon in the Shallow Beach Sub-Ecopark, including Gyarados, stoise, and Slowking.


    Especially Gyarados, who still vividly remembered Poliwrath''s lecherous behavior towards Milotic when it first arrived in the Ecopark.


    Although this guy is a male, but something''s off with it!


    The Politoed''s level was not high, and facing the Pseudo-Elite level Poliwrath naturally put it at a disadvantage, which consequently, it received support from other Pokemon.


    No matter how arrogant Poliwrath was, it couldn''t withstand thebined efforts of multiple Pokemon at the same time.


    Soon, it shamefully went toin to Yuga, and stating that everyone had teamed up to bully it.


    Although Poliwrath was rebellious and headstrong, it was not the one who like to persist in a disadvantageous situation.


    Its charactercked the stubbornness to endure losses, and when given a chance to seek support in adversity, it would not hesitate to take it.


    After listening to Poliwrath''sint, Yuga was astonished: "Didn''t you ask me to find you a wife? I found one for you, and now you''re bullying her?"


    After saying this, Yuga felt a little bit guilty.


    Poliwrath had indeed asked for a partner to him, but he had turned around and forgot about it.


    He just realize it after he heard Poliwrathint about Politoed, so he hastily improvised and tell Poliwrath that it was its Wife �C after all, Politoed was a female, and they were of the same species, so they would be good match.


    However, Poliwrath was unaware of this fact and was utterly petrified upon hearing Yuga''s words.


    Wife... a wife...


    If it had known that Politoed was supposed to be its wife, it wouldn''t have caused any trouble!


    Who wouldn''t want a wife?


    It didn''t have many requirements; as long it was a female that would be enough.


    In the past, the Poliwrath used to find fault with the Politoed, but now, upon hearing Yuga say that it was meant to be its wife, it suddenly found everything about Politoed adorable and lovely.


    Looking at the shattered expression on the Poliwrath''s face, Yuga pretended and said, "You brought this upon yourself, so you have to solve it on your own."


    Upon hearing this, Poliwrath burst into tears and asked Yuga how it could win back its wife.


    Poliwrath stood almost as tall as Yuga, with thick and muscr arms. Yuga, fearing it would break his waist, so he hastily pushed it away, and saying, "No hugging... I can''t help you with this. You have to figure out how to appease her by yourself."


    In the end, Poliwrath had no choice but to leave in despair, realizing that the road to winning back its wife was long.


    After returning, Poliwrah changed its previous sharp and sarcastic attitude.


    It became incredibly considerate and obedient to politoed.


    Everyone thought it had taken the wrong medicine, but due to the poor first impression it gave to Politoed, it seemed unlikely for them to have any results in the short term.


    After sessfully fooling Poliwrath and sending it back, Yuga met Koichiro in the store.


    That day after he leaving the YoYo Day Care, Koichiroe back with a response in the next day. After discussing it with his family, they decided to agree to Yuga''s proposal.


    Koichiro''s visit today was to deliver the promised Magikarp to Yuga and take away the Beautie Pokeblock and Extender Pokeblock that Yuga provided.


    After inviting Koichiro into the store, Yuga asked, "Have you brought the Pokemon?"


    Koichiro nodded, saying, "Yes, they are all in the truck outside."


    Yuga smiled and said, "Good, show me. If the numbers match, you can take what you want."


    Koichiro breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Okay, Gym Leader Shimizu, please follow me."


    Following Koichiro outside, Yuga saw arge truck with water tanks in the cargo area.


    Inside the tanks, Magikarp swam foolishly, and releasing bubbles as they went.


    "Not bad," Yuga praised Koichiro sincerely as he looked at the Magikarp.


    After confirming the numbers, Yuga said, "Alright, everything is in order. You can take what you need."


    Koichiro let out a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you. Come, Gym Leader Shimizu, let me take you to see the goods."


    Certainly deserving of being a family that specializes in breeding Magikarp, even without careful inspection, the excellent potential of these Magikarp can be seen from their bright red scales.


    They surpass the ones previously sent by the Sootopolis Gym.


    "There are twenty tanks here, each of them containing five Magikarp. The upperyer has green potential Magikarp, while the loweryer has yellow potential Magikarp," Koichiro carefully exined the situation of this batch of Magikarp to Yuga.


    After introducing the Magikarp, Yuga had several Xatu to move these tanks to the new Ecopark using their Psychic.


    Later, he would use the Innovation Potion on the yellow potential Magikarp.


    If the potential advanced sessfully, they would be sent to the Shallow Beach Sub-Ecopark along with the green potential Magikarp.


    If not, they would remain in the new Ecopark.


    After receiving the Magikarp, the satisfied Koichiro left Verdanturf Town the Beautie Pokeblock and Extender Pokeblock that Yuga had prepared.


    After Koichiro''s departure, Yuga sought out Windy, and asking him to add Magikarp, Feebas, Horsea, and Togepi to the sales list at the YoYo Day Care.


    In addition, the previously listed Trapinch, Gligar, various Grass-type Pok��mon, Carvanha, uncher, Ponyta, Vuby, and Misdreavus were unified to be sold as one green potential individual per month.


    The newly added Feebas, Magikarp, Horsea, Togepi, along with the previously listed Swablu and Medidite, were unified to be sold as one green potential individual once every two months.


    Among them, Feebas, Magikarp, Horsea, Togepi, Swablu, and Medidite would take turns in sales.


    In the first month, the sales list would include Feebas, Togepi, and Swablu, while the next month would feature Magikarp, Horsea, and Medidite.


    After finalizing the details with Windy, Yuga had him announce this on the official website of the YoYo Day Care, starting from the next month.


    As soon as this announcement was made, it immediately caused a stir online.


    This was the first time YoYo Day Care simultaneously offered four different Pok��mon, especially with Feebas and Magikarp appearing right after the introduction of Beautie Pokeblock and Extender Pokeblock, making them particrly eye-catching.


    The pricing for Feebas and Magikarp had already been adjusted in the announcement.


    Feebas was priced at 300,000 each, and Magikarp at 280,000 each.


    Considering the breeding costs (given the high prices of Beautie Pokeblock and Extender Pokeblock), Yuga did not raise the prices of Feebas and Magikarp to the levels of Trapinch, Gligar, Swablu, and other Pok��mon, which were valued at 400,000 to 500,000.


    However, the prices of 300,000 and 280,000 were still enough to be groundbreaking.


    Previously, a green potential Magikarp or Feebas was priced roughly the same as a green potential Weedle or Caterpie, around 100,000 each.


    Even at these prices, they were not necessarily more popr than Weedle or Caterpie.


    Because Caterpie and Weedle can be purchased and almost guaranteed to evolve to their final stages, with low breeding costs and quickly developedbat power, they are an ideal choice for many trainers who are not very wealthy during their novice period.


    Buying a Feebas or Magikarp and raising them for several years or even more might still result in just a Feebas or Magikarp, making it not worth the effort.


    However, with the introduction of Beautie Pokeblock and Extender Pokeblock, this is no longer an issue.


    The value of Feebas and Magikarp will naturally increase, as who wouldn''t want a Milotic or Gyarados!


    With the recent price increase by Yuga, many Day Cares are likely to realize the potential of Feebas and Magikarp.


    They might even consider prioritizing the breeding of Feebas and Magikarp.


    Compared to other Pok��mon, the breeding costs for Feebas and Magikarp are much lower because both species have a robust vitality, they can surviving even in shallow water puddles.


    Of course, breeding low potential Feebas and Magikarp is not very meaningful, as the prices of Beautie Pokeblock and Extender Pokeblock determine that it''s not easy to sell low potential Feebas and Magikarp.


    Breeding high potential Pok��mon is not something that can be aplished overnight, especially when others don''t have Innovation Potion.


    Although Innovation Potion is now avable for public purchase, the limited monthly supply makes it inessible for most people.


    Despite the buzz on the inte, Yuga spectes that his Magikarp and Feebas may not sell easily in the short term.


    People are still observing the effects of Beautie Pokeblock and Extender Pokeblock, even though the likelihood of YoYo Day Care deceiving customers is very low.


    However, Yuga overlooks one thing: he has the support of the Pok��mon League.


    While the business of Beautie Pokeblock and Extender Pokeblock is unrted to the League, the trust in Yuga and YoYo Day Care has skyrocketed with the sess of Innovation Potion.


    After the announcement of YoYo Day Care''s ns, even though the effects of Beautie Pokeblock and Extender Pokeblock have not yet been fully demonstrated, the Pokemon Day Cares of all sizes have collectively increased the prices of the Magikarp and Feebas they hold.


    Some are even nning to discreetly purchase them at lower prices before the prices of these two Pok��mon rise even further.


    The Magikarp and Feebas from YoYo Day Care were pre-ordered with lightning speed in the first month of being listed, but that''s a story forter.


    It can be said that with his efforts, Yuga single-handedly turned around the fate of Magikarp and Feebas.


    Apart from the sensation caused by Magikarp and Feebas, the newly introduced Pok��mon, Togepi and Horsea, by YoYo Day Care also created a considerable buzz.


    These two Pokemon are rare Pok��mon.


    Although Horseacks of the Dragon-type attribute before it evolved into kingdra.


    These Pok��mon typically inhabit in the deep-sea areas, which making them rare in the wild unless they arer artificially bred.


    As for Togepi, it''s even more remarkable.


    So far, There is no Pokemon Day Care has had the ability to include this Pok��mon in their regr sales list, but YoYo Day Care is the first.


    Togepi is exceptionally rare, much like Ralts and Riolu.


    Encountering one is already fortunate, let alone having it avable for sale every two months.


    Yuga priced Horsea at 400,000, while Togepi price is set at 600,000, making it the highest-priced Pok��mon among the high potential Pok��mon avable at YoYo Day Care.


    Despite Togepi''s high price, there''s still many trainers who were eager to secure a reservation slot after noticing the new announcement on the official website.


    This move made by YoYo Day Care garnered a lot of attention, and many loyal customers eagerly awaited their chance to reserve at the beginning of the month.


    This time, YoYo Day Care made significant moves, not only introducing four high potential Pok��mon at once but also increasing the monthly sales limit for some Pok��mon.


    This means that YoYo Day Care will sell at least 11 high potential Pok��mon in a month, and that was something most Pokemon Day Cares can''t achieve.


    YoYo Day Care gained fame in just a few years.


    Due to Yuga''s big actions, the system determined at the beginning of the month that Yuga hadpleted a hidden mission �� rising to prominence.


    As a reward, Yuga received a new Pokeblock form, a universal form for Normal-type Pok��mon.


    With this new Pokeblock form, Yuga now onlycks forms for Electric-type and Fighting-type Pok��mon.


    The newly acquired Pokeblock form was named "Communication Node" by Yuga and handed over to Misaki and the others.


    After the end of the fiercepetition for Pok��mon reservations at the beginning of the month, the trainers who had secured the resservations slots began their journey to YoYo Day Care in the Verdanturf Town, including Ogata.


    Ogata is a true old customer of YoYo Day Care.


    He lived in Verdanturf Town before and he purchased a yellow potential Shroomish (now evolved into Breloom) from YoYo Day Care as his initial Pokemon.


    At that time, Yuga''s parents were still alive, and Yuga had not taken over the YoYo Day Care.


    Later, Ogata''s parents became sessful in business, and they moved out from Verdanturf Town to the Ever Grande City.


    It was only when he noticed YoYo Day Care''s official website online that he became a customer again and gradually developed into a loyal fan.


    He bought all his Pok��mon-rted items, such as Pokeblocks and incense, through online shopping at YoYo Day Care.


    Although his initial Pok��mon was just a yellow potential Breloom, money was not an issue for him after his family became wealthy.


    Therefore, Ogata always wanted to reserve a high potential Pok��mon at YoYo Day Care.


    However, it was challenging to secure a reservation slot due to the high demand for YoYo Day Care''s Pok��mon.


    On the first day of this month, as soon as the clock struck midnight, Ogata opened hisputer to make a reservation.


    Surprisingly, he managed to secure a slot, and it was for a Togepi, so he excitedly took a flight from Ever Grande City to Verdanturf Town the next day.


    ...


    YoYo Day Care Pokeblock Names:


    - Ground type: Sturdy


    - Grass type: Vitality


    - Dark type: Stern


    - Water type: Serene


    - Poison type: Mysterious


    - Ice type: Brisk


    - Psychic type: Fantasy


    - Fairy type: Innocent


    - Ghost type: Shadow


    - Flying type: Soaring


    - Normal type: Communication Node


    - Steel type: Iron Wall


    - Bug type: Longevity


    - Fire type: Crimson Crystal


    - Dragon type: Dragon Bone


    - Rock type: Tenacity

 Chapter 1043: Going To Pacifidlog Town

    <h4>Chapter 1043: Going To Pacifidlog Town</h4>


    Because YoYo Day Care has made several big moves in session, Yuga was busy for several days before finally having some free time. So he dialed the contact number left by Reggie before he left, which was the contact information for the archery master he mentioned.


    This archery master''s name is Genzo. Although Reggie referred to him as a master, Yuga actually hadn''t heard anything about him before. But ording to Reggie, he''s a master who lives in seclusion, so he doesn''t have much reputation outside. However, his archery moves are indeed extraordinary, as Reggie has witnessed it with his own eyes.


    Since Reggie said so, Yuga naturally believed him.


    Before Yuga contacted Mr. Genzo, Reggie had already greeted him, so when Yuga called him, Mr. Genzo''s response was not surprising.


    However, it wasn''t Mr. Genzo who spoke with Yuga, but a very young voice, even childish. The person imed to be Mr. Genzo''s granddaughter.


    In the call, Mr. Genzo''s granddaughter said that her grandfather had agreed to meet Yuga, but whether or not he would teach Yuga archery would have to wait until they met in person.


    Mr. Genzo lives near the Pacifidlog Town in Hoenn Region, so Yuga and Mr. Genzo''s granddaughter agreed to meet in Pacifidlog Town a weekter.


    After ending the call with Mr. Genzo''s granddaughter, Strawberry from the Paradise Hotel came over to say that the trainers who had reserved Pok��mon for this month had arrived at the hotel and asked if Yuga wanted to meet them.


    Yuga thought since they were here, he should meet them quickly. Presumably, they were also eager to meet their future Pok��mon.


    Yuga didn''t meet them at the store but he personally took the Pok��mon to the Pok��mon Paradise. The meeting ce was set in the small park in the center of the Pok��mon paradise.


    This small park was advocated by his uncle after he took over the management of the Pok��mon Paradise. Since then, every month, the trainers who reserved Pok��mon in his Day Care would spent their time with their future Pok��mon in this park in Verdanturf Town.


    When Yuga arrived at the small park, he saw that there were already two people sitting on the benches by the pond, and Strawberry was standing on the side talking to them.


    When Strawberry saw Yugaing over, he didn''t know what he said to the two people, but he saw the two of them awkwardly stand up from the bench.


    Yuga walked up to the two of them and greeted them first, "Hello, wee to Verdanturf Town. One of you is called Ogata, and the other is called Momota, right?"


    "Y-yes... I''m Ogata," one of them replied nervously.


    Ogata had seen Yuga before when he lived in Verdanturf Town, but they had never spoken. At that time, Yuga was still an introverted otaku, so it''s natural that Yuga wouldn''t remember Ogata.


    "I''m Momota," the other one reported his identity shortly after.


    Ogata and Momota came to Verdanturf Town together. Momota is from the Sinnoh region, and when he came to Hoenn, the nended in Ever Grande City, so when he diverted to Verdanturf Town, he met Ogata on the ne.


    They didn''t expect to meet each other on the ne like this, so they decided toe to Verdanturf Town together.


    After confirming the identities of the two, Yuga took out Pok�� Balls and said, "Let me show you the Pok��mon you reserved this time. Ogata reserved a Togepi, and Momota reserved a Feebas, right?"


    Yuga didn''t expect Feebas to be sell out so smoothly in the first month. He had originally thought that now was the time of price fluctuations between Feebas and Magikarp, and the price of Feebas at YoYo Day Care was so high that no one would buy it for a while.


    However, what Yuga didn''t expect was that YoYo Day Care is now a well-known store. With its reputation, even if the price is a bit high, it''s worth it in the eyes of most trainers because the quality is guaranteed.


    "Okay."


    "Okay."


    Both of them said in unison, their excitement evident in their voices.


    Yuga released Togepi first. This Togepi had been born for a while and was not opposed to the idea of having a trainer soon, so it curiously looked at Ogata and Momota.


    "This is your future trainer, Ogata. Get along well with him during this time," Yuga pointed at Ogata and said.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s introduction, Togepi stopped looking at Momota and instead focused its gaze entirely on Ogata.


    "Hello, Togepi... Nice to meet you. Please take care of me in the future," Ogata said nervously, his eyes filled with affection as he looked at Togepi. The little guy was truly adorable.


    Togepi''s first impression of Ogata was not bad, so it wobbled over to Ogata''s side.


    "Alright, Togepi''s details are exined in detail on the official website, so I won''t go into much detail here. You two get along well," Yuga smiled as he spoke to Ogata.


    Because it was Togepi''s first month on the shelves, Yuga specifically had Florges hand teach this Togepi Dazzling Gleam move, and it barely learned the move until the day before it went on sale.


    For Fairy-type Pok��mon, Dazzling Gleam is not a particrly difficult move to learn, but having this move as a foundation gives Togepi a presence. After all, Togepi is still young, and being able to learn Dazzling Gleam now shows that its intelligence and learning ability are not a problem.


    After introducing Togepi to Ogata, Yuga went to the edge of the small pond in the park and released Feebas, saying to Momota, "This is your reserved Feebas."


    Strictly speaking, the small pond in this small park is just a small pool dug after the park was built, the water is very shallow, no deeper than the knees, but very clear, you can see the bottom of the pool at a nce.


    Feebas gently waved its tail at the edge of the water, its mouth bubbling, its grayish scales not looking ugly, unlike the usual Feebas, it seemed like the princess of Feebas.


    "Our Feebas has been eating Beautie Pok��block since birth. In addition to being able to evolve into Melotic, its appearance will also be greatly improved with long-term use of Beautie Pok��block."


    Momota looked at the water with great excitement. After hearing Yuga''s words, he had more confidence in Feebas''s evolution into Melotic.


    He''s a fan of Cynthia and has always hoped to raise the same type Pok��mon like Cynthia, but most of the Pok��mon in Cynthia''s hands are rare.


    Garchomp, Lucario, Togekiss, Spiritomb... These Pok��mon are all ones that money can''t buy, and so far he has only collected a few, like ceon, Shellos, and Roserade.


    Now he''s finally going to have a Melotic!


    Originally, Momota''s first choice was Togepi, but he was too slow, and the spots for Togepi were taken, so he only managed to get Feebas in the end.


    Cynthia is very popr in Sinnoh, and many of her fans have the same idea as Momota. However, not everyone is as wealthy as Momota. Even Pok��mon like ceon, Shellos, and Roserade are not easy for everyone to obtain. Except for Shellos, which is somewhatmon in Sinnoh, ceon and Roserade are both rare Pok��mon.


    After handing Togepi and Feebas to Ogata and Momota, Yuga left the Pok��mon Park.


    For the next period of time, every morning, dedicated Pok��mon would bring Feebas and Togepi to spend time with Ogata and Momota, and in the evening, they would be returned to the Ecopark. As long as people and Pok��mon get along well within the specified period, they can officially take Feebas and Togepi away.


    Leaving the supervision task of Ogata and Momota to his uncle, Yuga took Decidueye and went to Pacifidlog Town.


    Pacifidlog Town is very close to Sootopolis City, so before going to Pacifidlog Town, Yuga first visited Luna in Sootopolis City and also visited the Sootopolis Gym.


    After Rand left the Reserve camp to join the Ranger Union, Luna remained in the Reserve Camp to continue her studies.


    This year, Luna is already twelve years old. Yuga asked her about her ns for the future, and she said she intends to apply to the Hoenn Investigation Bureau after graduating from the Reserve Camp.


    Most of the children who graduate from the Reserve Camo choose to apply to the Investigation Bureau or the Prosecutor Bureau. The initial purpose of the League establishing this Youth Reserve Camp was to select talents for the Investigation Bureau and the Prosecutor Bureau.


    However, Luna is still young. The Investigation Bureau does not have the same low age requirement as the Ranger Union, because of the high difficulty and danger of its missions. Therefore, the minimum age for applying to the Investigation Bureau is sixteen. Before that, Luna''s task is to learn various skills, because the assessment of the Investigation Bureau is very difficult.


    The Investigation Bureau is the front line team of the League and the riskiest of all League professions.


    Of course, it is also the fastest way to umte achievements, otherwise there would not be so many champions or Elite Four members who have served in the Investigation Bureau before taking office.


    At twelve years old, Luna''s height reached Yuga''s shoulders, which was considered tall for a girl, especially since Yuga himself was quite tall.


    Thest time Yuga had seen Luna was during the New Year''s, and she hadn''t stayed home for long then. So when Yuga came, he brought Luna a lot of things, including the ones entrusted by her aunt and uncle, as well as many items she could use like Pok��blocks, incense, and even two bottles of Innovation potion.


    Since they only had this one child in their family, Yuga naturally couldn''t skimp on her.


    Regarding Pok��mon, Yuga didn''t prepare anything for Luna. Last year, when he returned for the New Year, he wanted to give Luna a Pok��mon as a New Year''s gift, but Luna declined.


    The resources within the Youth Reserve Camp were abundant, including various Pok��mon. As long as they performed well, they even had the chance to obtain Pok��mon with blue quality.


    Luna wanted to strive for the Pok��mon she desired on her own, so she refused Yuga''s offer.


    Yuga was naturally pleased with Luna''s mindset. After spending a few years in the camp, Luna, who used to be delicate, was gradually changing.


    Yuga stayed in Sootopolis City for two or three days before departing for Pacifidlog Town.


    Mr. Genzo''s house was not in the town center of Pacifidlog Town but in the outskirts.


    Upon arriving in Pacifidlog Town, Yuga went to the front of thergest hotel in town, as per the agreed location in the phone call. There, Yuga met Mr. Genzo''s granddaughter.


    "You''re the Gym Leader Shimizu, right? I''ve seen you on TV, recognized you right away," Mr. Genzo''s granddaughter immediately recognized Yuga standing at the hotel entrance. She arrivedter than expected, so Yuga had waited for her for a while.


    "Are you Sta, Mr. Genzo''s granddaughter?" Yuga asked, surprised, as he looked at the young girl in front of him.


    Sta was much younger than he had expected, probably about the same age as Luna, just a bit shorter than her. However, she seemed very lively.


    After they introduced themselves, Yuga asked, "Shall we go visit Mr. Genzo now?"


    Sta nodded. "Yes," she said, then took out a Pok�� Ball and released a Donphan. "By the way, do you have a Pok��mon to ride? If not, you can ride Lily with me," she added, patting Donphan''s sturdy back.


    Lily... (_)


    Watching the burly and rugged Donphan, Yuga found it difficult to associate such a cute name like Lily with it, but this Donphan was indeed female.


    "Donphan..."


    Donphan shook its long nose impatiently, letting out a loud snort, its gaze hostile as if saying, "If you dare to agree, I''ll crush you with one foot!"


    ncing at Donphan''s thumping thighs that pounded the ground, Yuga awkwardly waved his hand and said, "N-no need, I have one."


    Yuga had brought Absol with him. It had just returned from the Distortion World with the Dragonite a few days ago and was currently with him.


    Seeing Yuga''s Absol, Sta''s eyes immediately lit up as she eximed, "What a handsome Pok��mon!"


    Indeed, Yuga''s Absol was exceptionally handsome. With its flowing white fur, cold sharp eyes, and well-proportioned physique, all were reflected Absol''s charm.


    Sta had never left Pacifidlog Town, so she was very curious about the outside world. She asked Yuga many questions about interesting things outside. When Yuga asked her why she was so interested, she said she and her grandfather lived alone, and if she left here, her grandfather would be left alone.


    After riding Pok��mon for about half an hour, Yuga saw a quaint house standing on a low hill from afar.


    "Is that your house?" Yuga asked curiously, finding this architectural style umon in Hoenn, but quitemon in Johto.


    "Yes, it is. Isn''t it big?" Sta proudly replied.


    "Isn''t it inconvenient for you to live so far from town? How do you manage to buy things?" Yuga asked, puzzled, as the house was indeed veryrge and didn''t seem like a ce for just two people.


    Sta shook her head. "No, it''s not. We have Taro-san here. He''s the one who brings things for us."


    "Taro-san? Who''s Taro-san?" Didn''t you say only two people live here?" Yuga asked.


    "Taro-san is just Taro-san. He lives in town, but sometimes hees here to learn archery with Grandpa," Sta casually replied.


    Yuga nodded without saying anything more.


    The two quickly arrived at the entrance of the house. Even before entering, Yuga heard the sound of a bowstring vibrating, followed by a satisfying "thunk."


    "Grandpa, I''m back!" Sta eximed as she jumped off Donphan''s back and ran into the house. Yuga followed closely behind, and upon entering, he saw a young man of about the same age as himself, standing tall with a bow and arrow, aiming at the target in the center of the courtyard.


    "Thunk!"


    The crisp and pleasant sound of the bowstring rang out again.

 Chapter 1044: Secret Deal

    <h4>Chapter 1044: Secret Deal</h4>


    This person should be Taro, as Sta mentioned!


    Yuga assessed the young man in the courtyard, and he observing that his long hair tied into a ponytail past his shoulders. He was standing barefoot on the wooden floor of the corridor, and approximately around 1.7 meters tall, appearing shorter than Yuga but likely due to his years of archery practice, his upright posture made him seem tall.


    As Yuga looked at Taro, Taro also noticed Yuga. He put away his bow and nodded lightly at Yuga, as if greeting him.


    Not far away, an elderly man with a crew cut hair sat cross-legged on the floor, while Sta was yfully teasing him. Though the old man seemed stern while scolding Sta, his eyes were filled with affection.


    No need to say, this should be Mr. Genzo.


    Just as Yuga was about to greet Mr. Genzo, he heard Taro say, "Master Genzo, I''ll be stopping here today."


    After Mr. Genzo nodded in agreement, Taro bowed at him and entered the house. When he came out again, he was no longer wearing the specialized archery attire but rather ordinary clothes.


    As Taro passed by Yuga, Yuga nodded back at him in response to his earlier greeting. Then, Mr. Genzo called out, "Come in, no need to stand at the doorway."


    Upon hearing this, Yuga walked to the edge of the corridor and bowed to Mr. Genzo. "Mr. Genzo."


    Seeing Yuga approaching, Mr. Genzo stood up, supporting himself with his arms. He was tall and straight, with hair and a beard as white as snow. Despite his age of over seventy as Reggie imed, he looked more like someone in his fifties; Yuga estimated that this old gentleman must have been nearly six feet tall in his youth.


    "You''re the Gym Leader of Verdanturf Town?" Mr. Genzo scrutinized Yuga carefully, his tone of voice firm yet not giving off an air of arrogance or condescension.


    Yuga nodded. "Yes, I''vee to visit to seek your guidance in archery for my Decidueye," he said respectfully.


    Yuga had already informed Sta of the general situation beforeing here, so Mr. Genzo wasn''t surprised that the one seeking to learn archery was a Pok��mon. He simply nodded and said, "Release your Decidueye and let me have a look."


    Upon hearing this, Yuga quickly took out Decidueye''s Pok�� Ball and released it.


    "This is Mr. Genzo." Seeing Decidueye looking at Mr. Genzo with confusion, Yuga introduced him.


    After listening to Yuga''s introduction, Decidueye suddenly realized. Yuga had already informed it about the situation before they came, so it was very excited about this trip to Pacifidlog Town. Upon seeing Mr. Genzo, it quickly prostrated on the ground and performed a big ceremony of apprenticeship.


    Mr. Genzo: ... I haven''t decided to take you as discipline yet.


    "Ahem..." Mr. Genzo lightly coughed twice, covering his mouth with his fist. "I heard you practice archery yourself. Shoot a couple of arrows for me to see." With that, he pointed to the targets at the end of the yard opposite the corridor.


    Mr. Genzo''s residence had the typical architectural style of the Johto region, with a spacious courtyard that had been specially modified. One-quarter of the courtyard was connected to the house, while the other parts were covered with grass. Across the corridor were rows of targets specifically for practicing archery.


    Upon hearing Mr. Genzo''s words, Decidueye subconsciously looked at Yuga. Encouraging it, Yuga said, "Go ahead, just like you usually do."


    Decidueye nodded and hopped onto the corridor. It nervously puffed out its chest, extending its right wing. A ck energy bow slowly appeared on its wing, followed by a ck energy arrow appearing on its left wing.


    "Shoo!"


    Drawing the bow and nocking the arrow in one fluid motion, the ck energy arrow hit the bullseye. Decidueye let out a long sigh of relief upon seeing this, then looked expectantly at Mr. Genzo.


    "How was that, Mr. Genzo?" Yuga asked on behalf of Decidueye.


    Mr. Genzo nodded expressionlessly andmented, "Not bad."


    Decidueye had not formally learned archery, but its performance was indeedmendable, showing that it truly had talent.


    However, after all, he was a human being, and Decidueye was a Pok��mon. The standards for evaluating archery skills for humans might not necessarily be suitable for Decidueye. So, he could only evaluate based on his own personal feelings.


    Upon hearing Mr. Genzo''s response, Yuga asked eagerly, "So... is it possible?"


    After a moment of thought, Mr. Genzo said, "I have never taught archery to Pok��mon. Pok��mon differ greatly from humans in terms of strength, size, perception, and so on. So, I cannot guarantee that I can teach your Decidueye to be a qualified archer. Are you sure you want your Decidueye to learn from me?"


    Yuga fell into contemtion at once. These were things he hadn''t considered, but what Mr. Genzo said was indeed true��Pok��mon were different from humans.


    "Decidueye, what do you think?" Yuga looked towards Decidueye, feeling undecided. After all, Decidueye is the one who would be learning archery from Mr. Genzo.


    "Decidueye!"


    Without hesitation, Decidueye nodded in agreement, determined to learn from Mr. Genzo. So, with a smile, Yuga bowed to Mr. Genzo and said, "Please, Mr. Genzo, ept Decidueye."


    Seeing Yuga and Decidueye''s determined and sincere attitude, Mr. Genzo could only nod in agreement and said, "Very well, Decidueye will stay."


    Yuga and Decidueye, upon hearing Mr. Genzo''s response, eximed with joy, "Thank you, Mr. Genzo!"


    On the side, Sta, upon hearing Yuga and her grandfather''s conversation, became excited and eximed, "Is Yuga staying? That''s great!" Living only with her grandfather, Sta had limited interactions with outsiders. Although Taro sometimes visited them, he would always leave after practicing archery, and rarely spending time with her. So, hearing that Yuga might stay got her excited.


    Seeing his granddaughter''s excitement, Mr. Genzo asked Yuga, "Are you nning to leave Decidueye here alone or stay with it?"


    After some thought, Yuga replied, "I''ll stay here with it for a few days."


    Leaving Decidueye alone here directly, he certainly couldn''t rest assured!


    Mr. Genzo turned to Sta and said, "Sta, arrange a room for Gym Leader Shimizu."


    Sta happily ran over, took Yuga''s hand, and led him into the house, saying, "Yuga,e on, I''ll show you your room!"


    And so, Yuga temporarily stayed at Mr. Genzo''s house.


    The next day, Yuga woke up feeling a bit disoriented in the unfamiliar room. It took him a while to remember that he hade to Pacifidlog Town.


    When he rubbed his eyes and sleepily walked out of the room, he heard the sound of bowstrings vibrating in the courtyard.


    This was the daily routine at Mr. Genzo''s house, starting early in the morning with archery practice!


    As Yuga entered the courtyard, he saw not only Decidueye and Mr. Genzo, who was instructing it, but even Sta, the little one, was already up early practicing archery.


    Knowing that Sta was learning archery from her grandfather, Mr. Genzo, Yuga was aware of this to some extent. But he didn''t expect that Sta, at such a young age, would bepletely different when bending the bow and shooting arrowspared to her lively and lively image from yesterday.


    She stood upright, pulled the specially made bow ording to her height, and shot an arrow with a fierce re.


    "Whoosh!"


    The arrow hit the bullseye.


    Seeing Yuga approaching, Sta quickly put away her bow and arrow, instantly reverting to her lively self. She happily jumped to Yuga''s side and said, "Yuga, you''re awake! Breakfast is ready for you,e and eat!"


    "Okay, i got it," Yuga nodded and replied, "Do you all practice this early every day?"


    Yuga''s waking time was definitely not consideredte because he usually needed to train his Pok��mon, so he had developed a fixed waking time. But it was evident that Mr. Genzo and Sta woke up much earlier than him.


    Sta grinned, "Yep, yep."


    Yuga nodded in agreement, acknowledging them as true masters of archery and his granddaughter.


    After breakfast, Yuga nned to go out to train his Pok��mon. When Sta saw this, she quickly stopped him, "Yuga, are you going out?"


    Yuga nodded, "Yes, I''m going out to train my Pok��mon." There were plenty of open spaces near Mr. Genzo''s house, a perfect ce for training Pok��mon.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s response, Sta dropped her bow and arrow and shouted, "Wait for me, I want to go out with you too." After saying that, she ran into the house, and when she came out again, she was dressed in casual clothes instead of her archery attire.


    As they walked out, Yuga curiously asked Sta, "Are you okay with skipping morning practice like this?"


    Sta waved her hand dismissively, "It''s fine, it''s fine. Grandpa doesn''t mind."


    As they walked along, Yuga suddenly noticed a towering tower in the distance and curiously asked, "What ce is that tower?"


    Following Yuga''s gaze, Sta looked and replied, "Grandpa says that''s Sky Pir, but I don''t know what Sky Pir is."


    Sky Pir?


    Yuga remembered that Sky Pir was somehow rted to Rayquaza, but he didn''t know the specifics.


    Just as Yuga was about to inquire further about Sky Pir from Sta, they saw a Smence flying over from afar.


    A Smence? Howe there''s a Smence here?


    Yuga looked surprised as the Smence flew closer and closer.


    "Oh, it''s Taro-saning!" Sta eximed upon seeing the Smence, seemingly unfazed.


    Sure enough, Yuga then noticed Taro, whom he had seen yesterday, riding on the back of the Smence.


    Are Smence thismon around here?


    Taro seemed not to notice Yuga and Sta as he flew past them on the Smence, gradually flying farther away, but it didn''t seem like he was heading towards Mr. Genzo''s house.


    "Where is he going?" Yuga asked Sta, as there seemed to be no signs of civilization in that direction.


    Shaking her head, Sta replied, "I don''t know." In fact, she wasn''t very familiar with Taro.


    Taro hade to their house three years ago when Mr. Genzo, while shopping in the Pacifidlog Town, was identally injured by a rampaging Tauros. It was Taro who saw him and brought him home.


    Since then, Taro had oftene back to bring them some necessities. Upon learning that Mr. Genzo was skilled in archery, he even asked Mr. Genzo to teach him.


    Taro hadn''t formally apprenticed under Mr. Genzo; he just came to learn from him in his spare time. Mr. Genzo knew that he was from Pacifidlog Town, so he taught him with some care.


    However, Taro was a quiet and solitary person, he spending most of his time practicing archery at Mr. Genzo''s house and not willing to talk much with others.


    So, Sta, who had a lively personality, wasn''t close to Taro, and naturally, they weren''t very familiar with each other.


    "Is Taro from Pacifidlog Town? Does he live alone?" Yuga casually asked Sta.


    "Yes, Taro-san lives in Pacifidlog Town. He has parents too! I''ve seen them!" Sta replied, giving a brief overview of Taro''s family situation. When she mentioned about his parents, there was a hint of envy in Sta''s tone. She didn''t have parents; she only had her grandfather.


    "Ah, I see," Yuga nodded in understanding and didn''t inquire further.


    Perhaps he was too sensitive; upon seeing Sky Pir and the Smence, he subconsciously thought about The Draconid people.


    However, what Yuga didn''t know was that at that moment, inside a typical residential house in Pacifidlog Town, an elderly woman of The Draconid people and a man wearing a white mask were sitting face to face.


    "Here''s what you wanted," the man in the white mask said, cing an exquisite iron box on the table and then pushing it towards the elderly woman.


    The elderly woman gave a nod to the woman behind her, and she quickly opened the iron box on the table. Inside the palm-sized iron box was a Master Ball.


    Seeing the nod from the elderly woman, the woman closed the iron box and tucked it into her arms.


    "I must remind you, our technology is limited. The Pok��mon inside won''tst long. If you have any use for it, better make it quick. I won''t be responsible once it expires," the man in the white mask said casually.


    The elderly woman said expressionlessly, "This is our business. You don''t need to meddle in it."


    "I just heard from your little brother at home that Shimizu Yuga hase to Pacifidlog Town," the man in the white mask casually changed the topic.


    The elderly woman replied indifferently, "So what if he did?"


    "Hehe..." The man in the white mask chuckled lightly, "I just want to advise you to avoid him. He''s not someone to mess with. It was clear, whatever you''re up to isn''t anything good."


    "Huh! Do you think we''re like you?" the elderly woman scoffed disdainfully. She was well aware of the recent heavy losses suffered by the Heaven''s Organization in the League''s hands. "You better mind your own business."


    In the elderly woman''s eyes, Yuga was just an insignificant junior. She was the leader of The Draconid people, a powerful Master level Trainer. Even if his master, Mr. Kuni''o, came, he wouldn''t gain any advantage over her.


    As for Yuga defeating Rayquaza before, she didn''t believe a single word of it. She had watched all the videos filmed in Rustboro City; it was obvious that the strange looking unknown Pok��mon was the one who defeated Rayquaza and it also perished under Rayquaza hands.


    How could their revered Dragon God that was worshipped by their great Draconid people, lose to a kid?


    "In that case, I''ll take my leave," the man in the white mask said, showing no concern for the elderly woman''s contempt. He genuinely looked down upon these arrogant Draconid people. With that, he got up and left the residence.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Yuga returned to Mr. Genzo''s house after training with his Pok��mon. Taro was already practicing archery in the yard.

 Chapter 1045: Genzo And Brandon

    <h4>Chapter 1045: Genzo And Brandon</h4>


    Watching Taro practicing archery with full concentration in the courtyard, Yuga was puzzled. Wasn''t he supposed to go in a different direction? How did he return here so quickly?


    Yuga and Sta returned without alerting anyone in the courtyard. Mr. Genzo seemed to be saying something to Decidueye with a focused expression, asionally nodding thoughtfully. Taro, on the other hand, remained quiet and focused, aiming his arrows at the targets in the distance, not letting his attention wander.


    "Grandpa, I''m back!"


    Sta suddenly shouted as she bounded into the center of the courtyard. Taro, with his right arm extended straight as he was preparing to shoot, unconsciously trembled at the sudden noise. The arrow on his bowstring shot out with a "whoosh" and hit the wall beside the target with a "thud," missing the mark! Mr. Genzo''s snow-white eyebrows couldn''t help but twitch, his expression visibly darkening.


    "Coming back is one thing, but must you make such a racket?" Mr. Genzo scolded Sta with a stern face. However, Sta showed no fear at all. Instead, she burst intoughter at Taro''s missed shot and her grandfather''s serious expression, indicating that such incidents were not umon.


    "Hehehe..." Sta''s clearughter echoed in the courtyard. In no time, Mr. Genzo returned to his usual demeanor, and even Taro, who usually had a nk expression, couldn''t help but slightly curve his lips when he looked at the lively and adorable Sta.


    After returning, Yuga and Sta sat bored under the corridor, watching Mr. Genzo patiently instruct Decidueye in archery. Feeling the boredom creeping in, Sta suddenly said to Yuga, "Hey Yuga, do you want to give it a try? I can teach you!" She pointed at Taro, who was shooting arrows.


    Yuga was momentarily surprised by her suggestion, then he became quite interested and said, "Sure, that would be great! I appreciate your guidance, little master."


    Sta sprang up from the ground with determination, patted her chest proudly, and said with her nose held high, "Leave it to me!"


    With that, she grabbed Yuga and led him into the nearby house to change clothes.


    Opening a conspicuous cupboard in the room, Sta said, "Come pick out some clothes."


    Yuga looked inside the cupboard and saw rows of archery outfits of various sizes. He picked out a set that seemed to fit him well.


    Looking at the clothes in Yuga''s hand, Sta nced at them and said, "My grandpa said this seems to be my dad''s. And this set, and this one, and this one too." Sta pointed out several sets of archery clothes, some of which were of different sizes, obviously worn by the same person at different ages.


    Yuga paused for a moment, surprised that he had coincidentally picked up the archery outfit that once belonged to Sta''s father.


    Regarding Sta''s family situation, Yuga had only heard a bit from Reggie. Mr. Genzo''s son and daughter-inw passed away early, leaving only Sta, a young daughter, whom he relied on forpany. Other than that, Reggie wasn''t clear about the details.


    However, there were only two sets of archery outfits in the cupboard that fit Yuga''s size, and they both belonged to Sta''s father. Yuga couldn''t just put them back, and seeing Sta react normally when mentioning her father, he calmly took the clothes to change.


    After changing into the clothes, Yuga, under Sta''s guidance, picked out a bow suitable for his height and arm length.


    As Yuga walked out of the house wearing the archery outfit and carrying the bow, Mr. Genzo seemed momentarily stunned. He seemed to see a glimpse of histe son in Yuga; his son seemed to be as tall as Yuga.


    "Decidueye."


    Seeing Mr. Genzo lost in thought, Decidueye let out a soft call, bringing Mr. Genzo back to his senses. He nced at Yuga, who stood tall in the archery outfit, holding his bow.


    From a distance, he looked more like his son.


    Once Yuga was in position under the corridor, he raised the bow and mimicked Taro''s movements, shooting an arrow with a "whoosh."


    "Thunk"! The arrow hit the target, but only grazed the edge.


    Meanwhile, Sta, standing by, shouted confidently, "No, that''s not right! Your posture and the way you hold the bow are all wrong! Everything''s wrong."


    Yuga put away the bow and rubbed his nose helplessly. "It''s my first time! Why are you so strict?"


    Sta puffed out her chest. "Of course, I''m your teacher now! I have to be strict with you!"


    In reality, while Sta''s archery skills were decent, they were far from being able to teach others, and she had no intention of teaching. So, Yuga found her pretending to be "impressive" quite amusing.


    Seeing Yuga tease her, Sta became frustrated. "You''reughing at me!"


    Yuga quickly denied, "Of course not, not at all! I just think you have the same style as Mr. Genzo."


    "Of course," Sta said proudly, not noticing Yuga''s efforts to hold backughter.


    Yuga had no real intention of learning archery, and Sta wasn''t a qualified teacher, so the morning quickly passed in their antics.


    As noon approached, Taro returned home ahead of them. Yuga walked over to Decidueye and asked, "How''s it going learning from Mr. Genzo?"


    Decidueye raised its wing and gave a thumbs-up gesture, indicating that its learning was going smoothly.


    "That''s good to hear. As long as it helps with your training a bit, our trip to Pacifidlog Town won''t be in vain," Yuga remarked.


    Mr. Genzo''s house had an elf named king who helped with household chores, but it couldn''t cook. So, Mr. Genzo personally prepared lunch, and Yuga felt a bit embarrassed just watching, so he went into the kitchen to assist.


    Mr. Genzo was a man of few words, and since he didn''t initiate conversations, Yuga couldn''t findmon topics to talk about. Thus, the atmosphere was very quiet as one person cooked while the other picked and washed vegetables.


    When the dishes were ready, Yuga was about to serve them when Mr. Genzo suddenly asked, "Would you like to learn archery with Decidueye and me?"


    Yuga paused in his steps with the dishes, not understanding why Mr. Genzo suddenly brought this up. "I don''t think I have any talent for archery," he said. At least, that''s how he felt. After spending half a morning learning from Sta, he hadn''t made any progress.


    Mr. Genzo replied, "I watched your practice this morning. Your arms are strong, and you seem to have some talent."


    Yuga thought to himself, My arms are strong because I''m tall and well-built.


    Mr. Genzo didn''t dwell on the matter. In the afternoon, while teaching Decidueye, he also called Yuga over. Since Yuga had nothing else to do, he agreed to apany Decidueye.


    Mr. Genzo was strict and serious when teaching Decidueye, but he wasn''t as harsh on Yuga. He answered Yuga''s questions meticulously when asked and didn''t overly scold him when he cked off. It seemed like inviting Yuga to learn archery with him wasn''t just an impulsive decision. Compared to Sta, Mr. Genzo was indeed a good teacher, and Yuga gained new insights into archery.


    So it went, Yuga and Decidueye practiced archery with Mr. Genzo for five consecutive days. What puzzled Yuga was that Taro didn''t show up even once during these five days. Whenever they needed to buy something, Yuga rode on his Dragonite with Sta to the town.


    Worried about Taro, Mr. Genzo even asked Yuga to check on Taro''s house while they were in town. Yuga didn''t know where Taro''s house was, but Sta did.


    At Taro''s house, Yuga and Sta didn''t find Taro, but they met Taro''s parents. ording to them, Taro had gone out for something, and there was nothing wrong.


    On the seventh day at Mr. Genzo''s house, Yuga encountered an unexpected visitor.


    Early that morning, as Yuga got up to practice archery with Decidueye, he heard the sound of a spacecraftnding outside. When he stepped out, he saw a pyramid-shaped spacecraft parked not far away.


    The mention of a pyramid-shaped spacecraft immediately brought to mind Mr. Brandon, the chief of the Battle Frontier and the Battle Pyramid.


    Sure enough, Yuga soon saw Mr. Brandon descending from the spacecraft. Mr. Brandon, known as the chief of the Battle Frontier, he was very famous, particrly for his two Legendary Pok��mon, Regirock and Regice.


    Although Yuga hadn''t met him before, he recognized him at once.


    However, Mr. Brandon, despite owning two Legendary Pok��mon, he didn''t hold the title of Master level Trainer. That''s because his Regirock and Regice were discovered in ancient ruins. Buried underground for too long, these two Legendary Giants couldn''t fully unleash their powers.


    In addition to being the chief of the Battle Frontier, Mr. Brandon was also a renowned explorer and archaeologist. He had tamed Regirock and Regice while exploring ancient ruins.


    As Mr. Brandon descended from the spacecraft, he noticed Yuga and Decidueye standing at the door. When Yuga recognized him, he also recognized Yuga as well.


    Mr. Brandon belonged to a branch of the Temple family. Although he hadn''t returned to the Temple family for a long time, he had heard of Yuga''s name from the people in the family. However, he was puzzled by Yuga''s presence here.


    "Visitors?" Mr. Brandon approached Yuga and inquired.


    Yuga nodded. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Brandon."


    "Hello, nice to meet you too." Mr. Brandon wasn''t much of a talker. Though curious about Yuga, he didn''t say much, only asking, "Is Genzo here?"


    Sensing Mr. Brandon''s familiarity, Yuga guessed that he might be acquainted with Mr. Genzo. "Yes, he is. Let me call him for you."


    Soon, Mr. Brandon was invited into the house. After some introductions, Yuga learned that Mr. Genzo''s son and daughter-inw were originally members of Mr. Brandon''s expedition team. Unfortunately, they passed away during an adventure, so Mr. Brandon had been looking after Mr. Genzo and Sta ever since.


    Mr. Genzo used to be a renowned archery master in the Johto region. After his son and daughter-inw''s passed away, he moved with Sta to settle near the Pacifidlog Town. That''s why Yuga hadn''t heard about Mr. Genzo''s name in Hoenn before.


    "Why do you have time to visit us?" Mr. Genzo sat cross-legged opposite him after pouring him a cup of tea.


    "Just came by to see how you and Sta are doingtely," Mr. Brandon said after taking a sip of tea.


    "We''re doing alright, just the same as usual. What are you referring to is the Sky Pir, right?" Mr. Genzo asked with a rare smile.


    The Sky Pir was the most famous ruin near Pacifidlog Town. However, it wasplicated, and despite many years passing, nobody had managed to enter it.


    But both Mr. Brandon and Mr. Genzo knew that Mr. Genzo''s son and daughter-inw had been inside. Unfortunately, they passed away shortly aftering out. That''s also why Mr. Genzo chose to settle near the Pacifidlog Town.


    "The Sky Pir was built by the ancestors of the Draconid People to worship Rayquaza. I want to know what secrets lie inside and what Ken and Nasha encountered inside," Mr. Brandon said solemnly. Ken and Nasha were Sta''s parents.


    Mr. Genzo sighed. "You shouldn''t worry about Ken and Nasha anymore. What happened to them had nothing to do with you."


    Mr. Brandon remained silent upon hearing this. After a moment of silence between them, Mr. Brandon stood up. "Well, I''ll leave now. I''lle back another day to see you and Sta."


    After Mr. Brandon left, Mr. Genzo slowly rose from his seat and walked to the cab behind him. When he opening it, he retrieved a brocade box and carefully opened it, revealing a grass-green pearl inside.


    "What exactly are you?" Mr. Genzo muttered softly as he looked at the grass-green pearl.


    This grass-green pearl was entrusted to him by his son and daughter-inw before they died. They had instructed him to not let anyone know about it. Therefore, despite moving near Pacifidlog Town where his son and daughter-inw had met their end, Mr. Genzo had never dared to investigate the origin of the pearl or disclose its existence to anyone, including Mr. Brandon.


    Thinking about his son and daughter-inw''s solemnity before their death, he knew that this pearl must be a taboo that must not be revealed.


    As Mr. Brandon emerged from Mr. Genzo''s house, Sta happily jumped to his side. "Is Mr. Brandon leaving?"


    Mr. Brandon affectionately ruffled Sta''s head. "Yes, I''lle back to see you and your grandfather another day."


    Sta looked up excitedly. "Promise?"


    Mr. Brandon nodded. "Promise."


    As Mr. Brandon left, he passing by Yuga who was practicing archery with Decidueye, he nodded at Yuga before leaving the courtyard. Shortly after, Yuga heard the sound of a spacecraft taking off outside.


    "Is Sta close to Mr. Brandon?" During a break, Yuga asked Sta about her rtionship with Mr. Brandon.


    Sta smiled and replied, "Yes, Mr. Brandon oftenes back to see me and my grandfather."


    Yuga nodded in response and didn''t ask further questions. Knowing that Mr. Genzo and Mr. Brandon were acquainted and very close to each other surprised Yuga because he previously thought that Mr. Genzo had no connection to the world of trainers. Little did he know that Mr. Genzo''s son and daughter-inw were trainers under Mr. Brandon.


    Yuga stayed at Mr. Genzo''s house for a few more days. During this time, Mr. Brandon visited once again, but his visits were always brief.


    Taro still hadn''t returned.


    However, Yuga nned to stay for two more days before returning to Verdanturf Town. Mastering archery wasn''t something that he could be achieved overnight, and he couldn''t stay in Pacifidlog Town indefinitely. However, Decidueye could stay here for some time.


    One morning, as usual, Yuga went out with his Pok��mon and Sta for training. He nned to return and practice archery with Decidueyeter. However, after a while, he suddenly saw thick smoke billowing from Mr. Genzo''s house.


    Then, two Smence soared into the sky and began to fighting each other.

 Chapter 1046: Prelude

    <h4>Chapter 1046: Prelude</h4>


    Even though Yuga was far away, he could see the two Smence fighting fiercely; one of them was pped on the head by the other, and it fell straight down.


    Seeing smoke and mesing out of Mr. Genzo''s house, Yuga quickly said to Sta, "Sta, wait here for me. I''m going to check on the house."


    Sta also knew something seemed to be wrong at home, her voice trembling with tears as she said, "Grandpa... Did something happen to Grandpa? I want to go back and find Grandpa."


    With the situation at home unclear, Yuga didn''t dare to bring Sta back, so he softly said, "Grandpa will be fine. Don''t worry about me. I''m capable, trust me, okay? Can I leave Decidueye here to apany you?"


    Comforted by Yuga, Sta''s fear lessened a bit, and she stopped crying, saying, "Then hurry up."


    "Yeah, don''t worry, I''ll bring Grandpa back to pick you up soon."


    After saying this, Yuga left Sawsbuck behind, mounted his Dragonite, and quickly flew towards Mr. Genzo''s house. Sawsbuck was not only an Elite Level Pok��mon, but it also incredibly fast. When unable to fight, it could carry Sta away, so Yuga felt reassured with it protecting her.


    With Dragonite''s speed, Yuga arrived above Mr. Genzo''s house in the blink of an eye. Looking down, he saw that most of the building had copsed, engulfed in raging mes. In the yard, Taro was holding Mr. Genzo, who was covered in blood, facing off against another man.


    The two Smence that were battling in the sky earlier belonged to Taro and this unknown man.


    Upon seeing Yuga, Taro''s expression brightened.


    "Yuga, please save Mr. Genzo, he''s seriously injured," Taro said urgently.


    At this point, Mr. Genzo was already unconscious, and Yuga''s Decidueye was lying injured nearby. Also injured were Mr. Genzo''s Machamp and Sta''s Donphan, Lily.


    Yuga quickly released his Chimecho to heal Mr. Genzo and Decidueye.


    Meanwhile, the unfamiliar man on the other side, seeing Yuga return so quickly, tried to escape discreetly on his Smence. However, a lightning bolt suddenly struck at his feet, blocking his escape route.


    Unable to leave, the man reluctantlymanded his Smence to fight against Yuga''s Dragonite. However, Yuga''s Dragonite was already at the level of an Elite Level, while the man''s Smence had just reached pseudo-Elite level. So,It was quickly knocked down by a Dragon w from Yuga''s Dragonite.


    Soon, the unfamiliar man also became paralyzed all over and unable to move by Dragonite''s Electroweb,


    Looking at the man lying on the ground, Yuga turned to Taro and asked, "Who is this person? Why did he attack here?"


    Taro replied with a stern expression, "They are members of the Draconid People. They''ve targeted something in Mr. Genzo''s possession."


    Sure enough, he had said how could there be Smence everywhere.


    "Are you also a member of the Draconid People?" Yuga nced at the Smence that was lying on the ground next to Taro and asked.


    Taro nodded silently in response. He was indeed a member of the Draconid People.


    Although he was a member of the Draconid People, he didn''t live in their main headquarters, the Meteor Falls. Instead, he lived with his parents in Pacifidlog Town, that was not far from the Meteor Falls, because their family was only peripheral members of the Draconid People.


    About ten years ago, his father was seriously injured while carrying out a mission for the Draconid People. Not only did his partner Smence die, but he himself also hovered on the brink of death.


    The Draconid People wasn''t skilled in healing, so Taro''s mother had to bring his father to Pacifidlog Town to seek medical help. At that time, there was a very skilled trainer in Pacifidlog Town, but his assistance required arge sum of money, which Taro''s family couldn''t afford.


    In desperation, Taro''s mother had no choice but to return to the Meteor Falls for help. However, not only did they refuse to help Taro''s father, but they also scolded him for his misfortune.


    At that time, Taro was still young, and he didn''t know why his father was injured. But he remembered that his father seemed to have lost something important to the Draconid People, which was why the Draconid People refused to help them.


    In a desperate situation, Taro''s mother could only return to ask for help from that trainer. It was in that trainer''s home that Taro first met Mr. Genzo.


    Later, Taro learned that Mr. Genzo had brought Sta to settle in Pacifidlog Town.


    Mr. Genzo and Mr. Brandon were good friends, so when Mr. Genzo decided to settle in Pacifidlog Town with Sta, Mr. Brandon brought Mr. Genzo to visit his friend in Pacifidlog Town, who was the skilled trainer, hoping that this trainer friend could take care of Mr. Genzo and his granddaughter more.


    That''s how Taro and Mr. Genzo met.


    Seeing the pitiful situation of Taro and his mother, Mr. Genzo thought of his own son, daughter-inw, and the still naive Sta, and so he casually interceded for Taro''s mother to that trainer.


    Thanks to that, Taro''s father was then able to recover safely.


    Taro thus remembered Mr. Genzo''s kindness.


    Because they had be disheartened with the Draconid People, Taro''s family decided to settled in Pacifidlog Town after his father recovered. They never returned to the Meteor Falls, although the people from the Draconid People still contacted them. They no longer interfered with the Draconid People''s affairs. Even Taro''s Smence was a child left by his grandfather in the Draconid People. It was his father who went through hardships to bring it from the Draconid People to Taro for cultivation.


    After Mr. Genzo and Sta settled in Pacifidlog Town, they stayed away from the town as much as possible, onlying when necessary. Since then, Taro and Mr. Genzo had no interaction. asionally, Taro would see Mr. Genzo buying things in town, but Mr. Genzo never remembered him.


    The next interaction between Taro and Mr. Genzo was three years ago. At that time, Mr. Genzo was identally injured by a berserk Tauros in a resident''s home. Taro saved him and promptly took Mr. Genzo to Mr. Brandon''s friend for treatment, which preventing Mr. Genzo from being in life-threatening danger.


    After escorting Mr. Genzo home, Taro often visited him and Sta under the pretext of being interested in archery. This continued for three years.


    Recently, someone from the Draconid People came to find him and asked him to steal something from Mr. Genzo''s house. That''s when Taro learned that the item lost by the Draconid People ten years ago was in Mr. Genzo''s possession.


    However, due to Mr. Genzo''s life-saving favor to Taro''s father, Taro didn''t want to repay kindness with enmity. Besides, he had a strong dislike for the people from the Draconid People. So, although he agreed verbally, he had no intention of helping the Draconid People steal the item.


    Taro was well aware of the Draconid People''s modus operandi. He knew their n wouldn''t work with him, and they would likely resort to other means. Therefore, before falling out with the Draconid People, he took the initiative to participate in some of the Draconid People''s activities in the Meteor Falls, hoping to react promptly if they tried anything against Mr. Genzo in the future.


    As expected, when the Draconid People realized Taro couldn''t obtain the item, they secretly sent two people to snatch it while Yuga and Sta were away. However, Taro kept a close eye on them. Not only did he discover the Draconid People''s actions, but he also secretly followed the two and timely rescued Mr. Genzo.


    Under the treatment of Chimecho, Mr. Genzo slowly opened his eyes.


    "Where''s the item? My item?" he asked anxiously, looking at Taro.


    Taro sighed, "It''s been taken."


    Mr. Genzo looked at Yuga in a panic, "Gym Leader Shimizu, please help me retrieve that item. We must not let unscrupulous people get hold of it. It will cause big trouble." While saying this, he grabbed Yuga''s wrist tightly.


    Yuga was taken aback to see Mr. Genzo in such a panic. Mr. Genzo had always seemed calm andposed to him.


    Although he didn''t know what item Mr. Genzo was referring to, Yuga knew it must be very important, or Mr. Genzo wouldn''t be so nervous, and the Draconid People wouldn''t have gone to such lengths to steal it.


    "Alright, I''ll help you get it back," thought Yuga silently, just considering it as a revenge for the way the Draconid People had trick him before.


    "They must have gone to the Sky Pir," Taro reminded Yuga.


    After rifying what had been lost, Yuga flew towards the direction of the Sky Pir on his Dragonite.


    Meanwhile, Zinnia arrived outside the Sky Pir with the item she had taken from Mr. Genzo''s house. Here, the olddy and many members of the Draconid People were already waiting for her.


    Seeing Zinnia dismounting from the Smence, the group immediately surrounded her, eagerly asking, "How did it go? Did you get the item?"


    The Sky Pir was built by the ancestors of the Draconid People. It was the ce where the Draconid People was enshrined Rayquaza. It was because of the presence of the Jade Orb that the Rayquaza would descend to the Sky Pir to receive the Draconid People''s offerings and faith.


    This was also why the Draconid People always prided themselves as the true remnant of the Dragons n. They looked down on the Vige of Dragons and the Dragon Tamers family because of the Sky Pir and the Jade Orb as their backbone.


    However, nobody knew when the Jade Orb had been lost from the Sky Pir. Since then, not only the outsiders could not enter the Sky Pir, but the Draconid People themselves couldn''t either.


    For many years, the Draconid People had been searching for the whereabouts of the Jade Orb.


    Ten years ago, they finally discovered its location and brought it back to the Sky Pir. It was Taro''s father who had brought back the Jade Orb.


    However, no one expected that someone would secretly follow Taro''s father into the Sky Pir.


    Inside the Sky Pir, the Draconid People used the Jade Orb to summon the Rayquaza. Just as the legend foretold, the Rayquaza descended upon the Sky Pir.


    All the people present were very excited. They, the Draconid People, had finally seen the Rayquaza, which their ancestors had revered for generations.


    However, things didn''t go as they had imagined. The Rayquazaunched an attack on the Draconid People. Everyone present, including Taro''s father, was affected.


    In the end, all the Draconid People present except Taro''s father died, and the Jade Orb was taken away by the two people who had followed Taro''s father into the Sky Pir, disappearing without a trace.


    With so many casualties and the loss of the Jade Orb, the Draconid People ced all the me on the only survivor.


    Now, the Jade Orb had finally returned!


    However, unlike ten years ago, this time they didn''t intend to summon the Rayquaza again.


    The painful lesson from ten years ago taught them that the Rayquaza they had always believed in was not reliable. So, since obtaining the Rayquaza''s blood from Yuga, the Draconid People had a crazier n.


    They wanted to rece the original Rayquaza with another one.


    They used the blood of the Rayquaza to clone another one through the Heaven Organization, just as the leader of the Heaven Organization had said. This new Rayquaza wouldn''t live for long.


    However, that didn''t matter. As long as they had the Jade Orb, this fake Rayquaza could be real one.


    "Alright, everyone calm down, act your age!"


    Seeing everyone crowding around Zinnia, the olddy scolded them loudly. She had a lot of authority among the Draconid People, and her words silenced everyone.


    "Grandma."


    Zinnia approached the olddy and handed her a box. The olddy opened it and nodded in satisfaction when she saw the Jade Orb inside.


    "From today onwards, we, the Draconid People, will regain our former glory!" The olddy raised the Jade Orb in her hand, her aged voice echoing in the crowd. All the Draconid People looked at the Jade Orb in the olddy''s hand with solemn expressions.


    Under everyone''s gaze, the olddy took out the Master Ball she had obtained from the leader of the Heaven Organization.


    "Roar..."


    After the Rayquaza''s Clone emerged from the Master Ball, ity on the ground, and emitting a sound weakly. Due to its extremely weakened state, every part of its flesh was throbbing with pain, as if knives were cutting into it piece by piece.


    The Rayquaza''s Clone was acutely aware of its birth process. It knew it was an artificial being, but it still yearned to survive, even if it meant living in agony.


    Approaching it with the Jade Orb in hand, the olddy held the orb that was emitting a faint green light, which had a fatal attraction to the Rayquaza''s Clone.


    The Jade Orb floated from the olddy''s hand, slowly approaching the top of the Rayquaza''s Clone''s head, and gradually merging into its body.


    In the instant the Jade Orb entered its body, the Rayquaza''s Clone shed with a green light, and all its pain vanished. It wriggled its body and flew into the air, feeling light as if it were dreaming.


    Could it now live like an ordinary Pok��mon? The thought crossed its mind, and it cast a grateful nce at the olddy before letting out a satisfying roar.


    At the same time, in the vast cosmos, another Rayquaza sensed something and looked towards a distant blue, pondered for a moment, then flew towards it.


    On the other side of the Sky Pir, Mr. Brandon struggled to walk through the chaotic rubble, searching for a way to enter the Sky Pir.


    Facing the sea opposite to Pacifidlog Town, the Sky Pir stood tall on the beach not far from the town. The area was strewn with scattered rocks, making it even more difficult to approach the alreadyplex Sky Pir.


    Suddenly, Mr. Brandon heard a majestic roar, and then he noticed that the weather at the seaside seemed to be undergoing an inexplicable change.


    As Yuga arrived near the Sky Pir on his Dragonite, he happened to see the Rayquaza hovering in the sky, with a group of excited Draconid People below.


    At a nce, he could tell that this Rayquaza was not the one he knew.

 Chapter 1047: Mega Rayquaza

    <h4>Chapter 1047: Mega Rayquaza</h4>


    When Yuga appeared on his Dragonite, he immediately caught the attention of the olddy and the others.


    "That''s Gym Leader Shimizu," the olddy said with a smile, her face showing kindness.


    "Did you send someone to attack Mr. Genzo?" Yuga asked the olddy expressionlessly.


    The olddy snorted in response. "Hmph! He took something he shouldn''t have!" If it weren''t for him, they wouldn''t theyhave spent over a decade searching for the Jade Orb.


    Hearing the olddy''s words, Yuga narrowed his eyes displeased and nced at the Rayquaza''s clone in the sky. "What''s the deal with that Rayquaza?"


    The olddy smiled broadly, her wrinkles seeming to diminish. "Ah, Rayquaza. It''s all thanks to the bottle of Rayquaza blood you gave me."


    When mentioning Rayquaza, the olddy''s face filled with warmth, her mood bing exceptionally pleasant.


    From the olddy''s words, Yuga immediately guessed how this Rayquaza came into being. "Are you in contact with the Heaven Organization?"


    Yuga could only think of the Heaven Organization that was capable of cloning Legendary Pok��mon.


    The olddy nodded, "We asked for a little favor from them."


    The Draconid People and the Heaven Organization had a simple transactional rtionship. There was no need for secrets, so the olddy admitted it straightforwardly, besides, she looked down on those sneaky rats hiding in the dark.


    "Do you know that contacting dark organizations and cloning a Pok��mon privately is against the Leaguews? Please return the item you took from Mr. Genzo," Yuga said.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, the Draconid People below erupted in anger, cursing Yuga one after another.


    "What did you say? What does Leaguew have to do with us? We''re not part of the League!"


    "That item originally belonged to us, the Draconid People. What do you mean ''return it''? You''re really audacious!"


    "You, a little brat, what qualifications do you have to interfere in our affairs? Get lost! Leave here quickly!"


    ...


    Because there were too many people from the Draconid People cursing Yuga, the scene became chaotic for a while. In the end, it was the olddy who spoke up to stop the other Draconid people from cursing.


    "Alright, everyone calm down and act your age! Please quiet down! We are the noble Draconid people, the true descendants of the Dragon n! Don''t behave like those low levelmoners."


    The olddy''s words were filled with arrogance, pride, and disdain for outsiders as the Draconid people immediately quieted down upon hearing her words, their faces also filled with pride and glory. From today onwards, they would restore their former glory! No! They would be even more glorious than before because they now had their very own Rayquaza.


    After calming her people, the olddy turned to Yuga, "It seems Gym Leader Shimizu wants to talk to me from the perspective of the League!"


    Yuga responded seriously, "I am the League''s Gym Leader!"


    "In that case, today, please test the power of Rayquaza!"


    As soon as the olddy finished speaking, a surge of dragon energy struck Yuga and his Dragonite without warning.


    The attacker was the Rayquaza''s clone, but fortunately, Yuga had been on guard, and his Dragonite managed to narrowly dodge the attack with him.


    As the Rayquaza''s clone missed its first strike, it unleashed another Dragon Pulse towards Yuga and his Dragonite. Yuga, with a serious expression, maneuvered his Dragonite to dodge and released Chimecho, Absol, Lapras, and Florges from their Pok�� Balls.


    Unlike the Suicune''s clone he encountered before, Yuga could sensed the majestic Legendary Aura emanating from the Rayquaza''s clone before him. It power was as powerful as Rayquaza he had encountered in Rustboro City.


    Facing such a formidable opponent, Yuga did not dared to be careless. He regretted not bringing Dusknoir with him when he left.


    As soon as Absol appeared, it activated the Unknown Seed within it to undergo Mega Evolution, then swung a massive Psycho Cut towards the Rayquaza.


    Absol was now able to control the Unknown Seed to do Mega Evolution freely.


    The Rayquaza''s clone''s perception was very keen. although it not directly facing Absol, it seemed to already anticipate the attack, it lightly twisting its body to dodge Mega Absol''s strike.


    Meanwhile, Florges had silently set up a Misty Terrain within the fog, enveloping all the Pok��mon within it. And when no one was paying attention, Florges quietly cast Wish move as well.


    The Rayquaza''s clone within the Misty Terrain felt extremely ufortable. Seizing this opportunity, Chimecho appeared overhead using Teleport and directly use Gravity move, causing it to fall to the ground, while Lapras''s Ice Beam quickly followed.


    As a Dragon-type and Flying-type Pok��mon, Rayquaza was severely restrained by Ice-type moves. Its tail was frozen solid by Lapras''s Ice Beam, causing it to roar in pain, and struggling to break free from Chimecho''s gravity.


    Originally, the Draconid People thought Yuga would be overwhelmed by the Rayquaza''s clone, but seeing it injured, they became furious.


    Disregarding their dignity, they pointed fingers at Yuga, cursing him loudly, and released their own Pok��mon one after another to support the Rayquaza''s clone, intending to outnumber and overwhelm Yuga.


    Seeing the opponents outnumbering them, Yuga released all his other Pok��mon - Charizard, Vivilon, Bellossom, Venusaur, Roserade, Breloom, Serperior, Torterra, Kartana, and Serperior. For a moment, the situation seemed to spiral out of control.


    Although Yuga''s side didn''t have the numerical advantage, each of his Pok��mon was an elite. In the short term, despite therge number of the Draconid People, they couldn''t do much to Yuga. Their attempts to ambush Yuga were all quietly intercepted by the Mismagius and Gengar that appeared beside Yuga.


    Mimikyu''s strength was inadequate, so it quietly took advantage of the chaos to sneak into the field and knock out opponents from behind, and it actually managed to take out quite a few.


    Seeing the situation gradually getting out of control, the olddy''s face turned pale.


    As Mr. Brandon approached the other side of the Sky Pir, what he saw was Yuga being besieged by the Draconid People and the Rayquaza''s clone running rampant.


    Yuga also spotted Mr. Brandon at the first nce and immediately turned to him for help.


    "Mr. Brandon! These people are have attacking Mr. Genzo. Pleasee and help quickly!"


    Mr. Brandon: ...


    Yuga''s words sessfully drew Mr. Brandon''s ire, and the enraged Draconid People wasted no time inunching an attack on him.


    Although Mr. Brandon wasn''t clear about what was happening, it didn''t stop him from stepping in to assist Yuga. After all, both Yuga and him were the members of the League, while the suspicious group on the other side seemed to have dubious origins.


    With Mr. Brandon''s assistance, the Draconid People soon found themselves at a disadvantage. Seeing that the olddy, who had refrained from intervening, was now preparing to act, Yuga quickly shouted to Mr. Brandon, "Mr. Brandon, please help stop that old immortal!"


    The words "old immortal" almost slipped out of Yuga''s mouth. Though it wasn''t a respectful way to address an elderly person, the domineering demeanor of the olddy was simply infuriating.


    "Old immortal"? Hearing Yuga''s words, the olddy almost spat blood. She had never been insulted like this before! This brat was going too far!


    As Yuga wasmanding Chimecho, Lapras, Florges, and Absol to keep the Rayquaza''s clone suppressed, he couldn''t spare the energy to deal with the olddy and could only rely on Mr. Brandon.


    Although he was just a branch member of the Temple n, Mr. Brandon had a special status. He had met Elder Sorin, the leader of the n, so when he faced the olddy, he could immediately recognized the same aura as Elder Sorin from her.


    A Master level trainer?


    Who were these people, exactly? Why could they control Rayquaza? And why were they hurting Genzo and besieging the Gym Leader Shimizu?


    In just a moment, countless questions shed through Mr. Brandon''s mind.


    The olddy had originally intended to support Rayquaza''s clone with her Pok��mon, but she hadn''t anticipated that Shimizu Yuga''s strength would be much greater than she had imagined. However, she was intercepted halfway by Mr. Brandon, who had brought Regirock and Regice along with him.


    Mr. Brandon had dispatched his other Pok��mon to assist Yuga''s Pok��mon against the Draconid People, leaving only Regirock and Regice by his side. He knew that ordinary Pok��mon wouldn''t be able to handle the suspected Master level Trainer before them.


    Seeing the legendary Pok��mon Regirock and Regice blocking her path, the olddy had no choice but to abandon her n to support Rayquaza''s clone.


    The olddy had only released two Pok��mon, a Smence and an Altaria, but both were Master level Pok��mon.


    Master level Smence and Altaria VS legendary Pok��mon Regirock and Regice!


    The battle was about to begin!


    In fact, Mr. Brandon had also roughly guessed the identity of the people before him. To have a suspected Master level Trainer and to be able to produce so many Dragon-type Pok��mon and pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon like Smence, they could only be the Draconid People, they are as renowned as the Dragon Tamers and the Vige of Dragons! Moreover, they also had Rayquaza.


    The Draconid People had been living incognito for so many years, neither moving around nor joining the League. Who would have known that when they finally emerged, they would cause such a bigmotion?


    On the other side, Yuga saw that the Draconid People were being suppressed by his and Mr. Brandon''s Pok��mon, while the olddy was being held back by Mr. Brandon with Regirock and Regice. He silently breathed a sigh of relief and focused all his attention on the Rayquaza''s clone.


    Riding his Lapras, he swiftly dodged the Dragon Pulse move from Rayquaza. The Gengar and Mismagius that was floating beside him spared no effort to block the residual energy waves from the Dragon Pulse move.


    Although Rayquaza''s clone had initially suffered a setback, it was only because it was not ustomed to participating in battles. As time passed, Rayquaza''s clone became more and more formidable. If not for the strong control abilities of Chimecho and Florges, Lapras and Absol would likely not even have had a chance to attack.


    Boom!


    Mega Absol was swept away by Rayquaza''s clone''s dragon tail. If it weren''t for the fact that Rayquaza;s clone was constantly enveloped in Florges''s Misty Terrain, which reducing the power of Dragon-type moves, Mega Absol wouldn''t have been able to withstand this attack.


    Because Florges had previously cast Wish move in advance, Mega Absol was immediately healed upon hitting the ground. After getting up, it lunged at Rayquaza''s clone once again.


    After knocking away Mega Absol, Rayquaza''s clone was about to take off to chase after the troublesome Chimecho, which had repeatedly hindered its movements, when countless vines suddenly sprouted from the ground, firmly restraining it and dragging it down.


    Meanwhile, Lapras''s Ice Beam and the preemptively cast Future Sight by Chimecho wereunched at it.


    "Roar!!!"


    Rayquaza roared furiously, and a powerful sound wave burst forth, knocking over both the iing Mega Absol and the Ice Beam and Future Sight that were heading towards it.


    Pushing back the attacks from Mega Absol, Lapras, and Chimecho, Rayquaza''s clone waved its Dragon w to tear apart the vines that bound it, while simultaneously unleashing a Hyper Beam to attack Lapras.


    Although Lapras could fly, its speed was actually quite slow, and it couldn''t evade the Hyper Beam in time, so it could only resist it with Hydro Pump.


    But Lapras''s attack power definitely couldn''tpare to Rayquaza''s clone. Although it neutralized most of the Hyper Beam move, the residual energy still struck Lapras. Fortunately, Chimecho''s Light Screen appeared in time to block the residual energy of the Hyper Beam.


    At the same time, Florges, who had been focusing on support without much attacking, finally took action. The Moonst it had been storing for a long time transformed into a silver pir of light pouring down towards Rayquaza''s clone, and engulfing it in a flood of silver brilliance.


    "Roar!!!"


    Amidst the overwhelming silver light, Rayquaza''s clone let out a pained roar.


    The reason Yuga was able to persist in battling the Rayquaza''s clone for so long was thanks to the strong endurance of Chimecho and Florges. Although the Rayquaza''s clone was strong, it was gradually being worn down by Lapras, Mega Absol, and the others. Over time, it finally began to show signs of fatigue.


    Especially with Florges''s Misty Terrain constantly enveloping it, it felt extremely stifled, and all its Dragon-type moves were somewhat restrained.


    Yuga''s battle with Rayquaza''s clone was also affecting the battle between the olddy and Mr. Brandon.


    Mr. Brandon''s Regirock and Regice, having been buried underground for so long, couldn''t fully restore their legendary Pokemon strength overnight. So, in terms of strength alone, they were not as good as the Master level Smence and Altaria.


    However, the olddy had been distracted, focusing on Yuga''s battle with Rayquaza''s clone, causing Smence and Altaria to only hold their ground against Regirock and Regice.


    Finally, the roar of Rayquaza''s clone made the olddy''s face change color. When the silver brilliance of Moonst disappeared, the Rayquaza''s clone weakly gasped for breath.


    Even with the Jade Orb in its possession, the Rayquaza''s clone was only a cloning Pok��mon after all. Its constitution was far from perfectpared to the real Rayquaza, and being besieged by Yuga''s Pok��mon for so long had left it feeling extremely exhausted.


    Seeing this scene, the olddy''s expression changed dramatically. She nced deeply at Yuga, who was confronting Rayquaza, then gritted her teeth and shouted at Rayquaza, "Rayquaza,e with me!"


    After saying this, she mounted her Smence and flew towards the top of the Sky Pir, with Rayquaza''s clone obediently following her behind.


    Mr. Brandon, Regirock, and Regice couldn''t fly, so they could only watch helplessly as the olddy left the battlefield.


    Seeing Rayquaza''s clone gradually disappearing into the distance, Yuga was also puzzled. What was she nning to do?


    So Yuga recalled Florges and Mega Absol, then rode on Dragonite, took Lapras and Chimecho, and chased after the olddy and Rayquaza''s clone.


    The Sky Pir was a tower-like structure. The olddy, with Rayquaza''s clone, flew all the way to the top of the Sky Pir. Suddenly, Rayquaza''s clone entire body lit up, followed by a green beam of light projecting down from the Rayquaza''s clone.


    The top of the Sky Pir slowly opened up.


    Because it had not been opened for many years, the top of the Sky Pir was covered with moss. However, the giant stone standing on the central altar was spotless, and radiating colorful light.


    When Yuga rode Dragonite to the top of the Sky Pir, the first thing he saw was the giant multicolored stone.


    Then, even more incredible things happened. the Rayquaza''s clone hovered above the giant stone, which projected a rainbow-colored light onto it. Under Yuga''s gaze, the Rayquaza''s clonepleted its Mega Evolution.


    "Roar!!!"


    A menacing roar emanated from the mouth of Mega Rayquaza, and waves of pressure radiated outwards from it, with Mega Rayquaza at the center.


    All the Dragon-type Pok��mon of the Draconid People below the Sky Pir prostrated themselves after hearing this roar, even Dragonite under Yuga was affected.

 Chapter 1048: Mega Rayquaza Vs Mega Rayquaza

    <h4>Chapter 1048: Mega Rayquaza Vs Mega Rayquaza</h4>


    Looking at Mega Rayquaza emanating a strong aura in the sky, the olddy was extremely satisfied.


    The reason why the olddy knew about the magical giant stone at the top of the Sky Pir was thanks to the notes left by the ancestors of the Draconid People. The notes said that the giant stone could revert Rayquaza to its most primitive form.


    What the ancestors''s notes said turned out to be true!


    Yuga also didn''t expect that the Rayquaza''s clone actually could undergo Mega Evolution. ording to his understanding, the condition for Rayquaza''s Mega Evolution was to learn Dragon Ascent move, but the giant stone before him directly overturned Yuga''s perception.


    He seemed to recall from the original story that Lysandre activated the ultimate weapon in order to destroy the world with the power of a mysterious giant stone. Could that mysterious giant stone is this one?


    The olddy quickly noticed Yuga who was catching up with her and said to him with a "kind" face, "I indeed underestimated you, but now everything is over!"


    The birth of Mega Rayquaza filled the olddy with confidence.


    "Rayquaza! Take care of him!" The olddy shouted at Mega Rayquaza.


    "Roar!!!"


    Mega Rayquaza obeyed the olddy''smand. After receiving the order, it opened its mouth and emitted a Hyper Beam directly towards Yuga and Dragonite.


    Lapras and Chimecho rushed forward to try to block the attack for Yuga, but Mega Rayquaza, after Mega Evolution, was too strong. Yuga didn''t believe that Lapras and Chimecho could withstand its Hyper Beam.


    Just as the golden beam of light was about to hit Yuga and his Pok��mon, a slender green figure descended from the sky and diverted the golden beam from its original trajectory with a tail.


    Seeing the newly appeared figure, the olddy eximed in disbelief, "Impossible! Why is Rayquaza appearing here?"


    The one who saved Yuga in time was the same Rayquaza that had battled Deoxys in Rustboro City before. Yuga didn''t expect the real Rayquaza to suddenly appear and save him!


    After saving Yuga, Rayquaza turned its head and red fiercely at him. If it weren''t for Ho-Oh telling it not to trouble this kid, it would have already torn this annoying kid to pieces!


    After the incident with Deoxys, Rayquaza''s deeds quickly spread, and many Legendary Pok��mon knew about it. Moreover, Ho-Oh even personally came to ask it not to trouble Yuga.


    As a member of the Lawful Legendary Pok��mon camp that supporting the League together with Ho-Oh, Rayquaza naturally had to give Ho-Oh some face, otherwise it would have watched Yuga be turned into ashes by the Hyper Beam.


    Seeing Rayquaza turn away after Yuga waved to it, Yuga said with a thick-skinned face, "Thank you, Rayquaza!"


    Although Yuga wasn''t sure why Rayquaza suddenly became so kind, it didn''t stop him from guessing that Rayquaza harbored no ill will towards him.


    Rayquaza turned its head away upon hearing Yuga''s words. This kid was too annoying; it was better to just ignore him.


    Witnessing the interaction between Rayquaza and Yuga, the olddy became very angry. She shouted angrily, "Rayquaza, why are you no longer protecting us, the Draconid People? Instead, you''re helping an outsider and ruin my ns!"


    "Roar!!!"


    Rayquaza used its powerful voice to warn the olddy that it couldn''t move against Yuga yet. Did she really not understand why it wasn''t protecting them?


    When the Dragon n split up, Rayquaza chose to continue protecting the Draconid People instead of the Dragon Tamer family and the Vige of Dragons because they still held the Jade Orb.


    However, the actions of the Draconid People, who had split from the Dragon n, became increasingly radical.


    They are very different from the Dragon n''s previous style of conduct and Rayquaza''smitment to peace. This eventually led Rayquaza to cut off it contact with the Draconid People in frustration.


    It had given them chances, but they had disappointed it greatly. Especially ten years ago, when a group of misguided people tried to summon it with the Jade Orb and then asked it to help them overthrow the League.


    That''s Ridiculous!


    Rayquaza''s Hyper Voice move stirred up a huge sound wave, knocking the olddy off from her Smence. She screamed as she plummeted downwards. This was high altitude; if she really fell, she would be turned into pulp.


    Fortunately, her Smence was reliable. After withstanding the shockwaves from Rayquaza''s Hyper Voice, it quickly dove down and caught the olddy safely.


    After regaining safety, the olddy sat paralyzed on the back of her Smence, panting heavily. She hoarsely eximed, "Since you no longer recognize us, the Draconid People, then you have no reason to exist!"


    The olddy had always harbored resentment towards Rayquaza for killing those Draconid People ten years ago!


    At hermand, Mega Rayquaza''s clone directlyunched an attack on Rayquaza!


    Seeing Mega Rayquaza''s clone charging towards it at lightning speed, Rayquaza was extremely angry. It definitely didn''te here specifically to save Yuga, but rather sensed the birth of another individual that was connected to its bloodline.


    However, upon meeting, Rayquaza immediately knew that the entity before it wasn''t the real Rayquaza, as the Jade Orb was inside itself.


    "Roar!!!"


    Rayquaza roared angrily, swinging its dragon tail fiercely towards Mega Rayquaza''s clone, but the anticipated domination scenario didn''t happen. Instead, its tail was grabbed by Mega Rayquaza''s clone.


    With the Jade Orb in its possession and having undergone Mega Evolution, Mega Rayquaza''s clone had already surpassed the real Rayquaza in terms of power.


    Bang!!!


    Rayquaza was mmed by Mega Rayquaza''s clone, its tail dragged and smashed against the wall at the top of the Sky Pir. The decrepit wall instantly turned into rubble, plummeting downwards.


    Taking a hit, Rayquaza refused to back down. It turned its head and unleashed a Hyper Beam towards the head of Mega Rayquaza''s clone.


    Mega Rayquaza''s clone narrowly avoided this attack, but its grip on Rayquaza''s tail loosened.


    Breaking free from the grasp of Mega Rayquaza''s clone, Rayquaza swiftly twisted its body in midair and unleashed a Dragon Pulse towards its opponent.


    The two Rayquazas engaged in a fierce battle, exchanging blows and unleashing various moves, causing chaos at the top of the Sky Pir.


    Meanwhile, Rayquaza and Mega Rayquaza were locked inbat, Yuga and the olddy also joined the fray.


    The olddy''s Altaria valiantly faced off against both two champion level Pok��mon, Lapras and Chimecho. Yuga rode his Dragonite, while carrying Florges to support Mega Gengar that was fighting against Mega Smence.


    Yuga''s Mega Gengar moved with exceptional agility, it always manage to evade Mega Smence''s attacks and retaliating with sludge bombs. Florges seized the opportunity to unleash a Moonst during these moments.


    Although Yuga''s Florges had the ability to control a Misty Terrain to disrupt Mega Smence, it refrained from doing so because Misty Terrain, while hindering Mega Smence, would also protect it from being afflicted with status conditions.


    Therefore, besides providing healing support to Mega Gengar, Yuga''s Florges only intervened with her Moonst strategically to disrupt Mega Smence''s attack rhythm.


    As expected, under the relentless bombardment of Mega Gengar''s sludge bombs, the Smence beneath the olddy was eventually poisoned, achieving Yuga''s ultimate goal.


    The Master level Smence had thick defenses and high HP, making it nearly impossible for Mega Gengar and Florges to defeat it directly. Therefore, they could only rely on the indirect damage caused by poisoning.


    Mega Gengar''s advantagey in its speed and high attack speed. Even though the chances of Sludge Bomb hitting Smence were not high, there was approximately a thirty percent chance of inflicting poisoning. With multiple attempts and the assistance of Florges, sess was inevitable.


    Now that the opponent was truly poisoned, Mega Gengar''s strategy was to keep Smence at bay until it sumbed to its own demise.


    The corrosive effect of the venom inflicted great pain on Smence. The frustration caused by its inability tond hits on Gengar was exacerbated by the agony of the venom''s corrosion.


    "Smenece!"


    Smence roared angrily, it continuously spewing mes, even causing some difficulty for the olddy to control it.


    Yuga, Mega Gengar, and Florges sessfully suppressed Mega Smence, while Lapras and Chiemcho were held firmly in check by Altaria.


    Although the olddy''s Altaria''s attacks were not as powerful as Smence''s, its defense and stamina far exceeded it.


    Lapras and Altaria couldn''t break through Altaria''s defenses, even though Lapras had a type advantage over Altaria.


    They couldn''t gain any advantage against it.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Rayquaza was still unable to deal with Mega Rayquaza''s clone. It was struck down by a Dragon w from Mega Rayquaza''s clone, andnding right beside the giant stone.


    This stone was discovered by Rayquaza in the depths of space a long time ago and it then brought it back. Originally intending to consume it as a regr meteorite, Rayquaza inadvertently discovered the immense energy contained within this mysterious giant stone stone. Therefore, it refrained from consuming it recklessly.


    Later, it stored the giant stone inside the Sky Pir built by the Draconid People because Rayquaza discovered that although the giant stone could assist it inpleting its Mega Evolution, it would also pose a threat to its body.


    But at this moment...


    With this in mind, Rayquaza made up its mind and directly absorbed the energy within the giant stone.


    It would be utterly embarrassing to be defeated by an impostor! Once was more than enough for such humiliation; it had no desire to go through it again.


    After absorbing the energy from the giant stone, Rayquaza''s body began to emit a dazzling rainbow light. With a buzzing sound, Rayquazapleted its Mega Evolution.


    "Roar!!!"


    Mega Rayquaza roared triumphantly, its momentum even greater than when Mega Rayquaza''s clone underwent Mega Evolution.


    Using the giant stone for Mega Evolution was truly satisfying. If it weren''t for the harm it caused, Rayquaza would have wanted to embrace it every day like a prized possession.


    Unfortunately, this substance was like a drug; it provided pleasure when used but resulted in suffering afterward. Otherwise, it wouldn''t have resisted the temptation to bring it to the Sky Pir initially.


    Mega Rayquaza unleashed its ability, Delta Stream to its fullest, and eliminating all of its weaknesses as a Flying-type Pok��mon.


    Although Mega Rayquaza''s clone also underwent Mega Evolution, it didn''t activate its ability. It wasn''t because it didn''t want to, but because it couldn''t. Despite appearing identical to a real Rayquaza, it was still iplete in reality.


    Bang!


    Mega Rayquaza exuberantly unleashed a Dragon Ascent, knocking Mega Rayquaza''s clone out of the sky.


    As Mega Rayquaza''s clone fell, it brought down half of the Sky Pir, causing numerous boulders to plummet, and startling the Draconid People below.


    Yuga, who was engrossed in dealing with the olddy, suddenly noticed the change in weather.


    Layer uponyer of dark clouds descended from the sky like a funnel, giving the impression that the city was about to be destroyed by the looming darkness.


    Upon witnessing Rayquaza''s Mega Evolution, Yuga immediately deduced that the nearby weather was being influenced by Mega Rayquaza''s ability, Delta Stream.


    "Rayquaza, move the battlefield to the sea, otherwise Pacifidlog Town won''t be able to withstand this!" Yuga shouted loudly to Rayquaza.


    The range of Delta Stream was too vast. If the two Rayquaza didn''t leave this ce quickly, the small town that was not far from the Sky Pir would likely soon suffer a Pok��mon disaster.


    ncing at Pacifidlog Town not far away, Rayquaza red fiercely at Yuga but ultimately followed Yuga''s instructions, it guiding Mega Rayquaza''s clone step by step to move the battlefield to the sea and away from the coastline.


    Seeing Rayquaza heed his advice, Yuga breathed a sigh of relief; he was afraid Rayquaza might act recklessly at this moment.


    At this moment, the olddy''s Smence was finally drained of itsst trace of energy by the poison of Mega Gengar. With its eyes closed, it toppled forward, causing the olddy to fall from its back as well.


    The olddy released a Flygon to try to catch herself, but at that moment, Cosmoem suddenly appeared in front of her and instantly teleported her to Yuga''s side as he swiftly delivered a chop to her neck, rendering her unconscious.


    It must be said that while Cosmoemcked battle prowess, its Teleport move was truly remarkable; even Deoxys might not surpass it.


    With the olddy in his grasp, Altaria was no longer a threat. Its owner was in Yuga''s hands, so it did not dared to act recklessly and could only surrender obediently before being recalled back into its Pok�� Ball that Yuga found on the olddy.


    As for Flygon that just released by the olddy, it was just a grunt; it couldn''t withstand a Dazzling Gleam move from Gengar.


    After moving the battlefield to the sea, the battle between Mega Rayquaza and Mega Rayquaza''s clone intensified. After suffering several setbacks in a row against Mega Rayquaza, Mega Rayquaza''s clone unleashed its full power.


    Tilting its head back, it released a massive fireball into the sky, which then exploded like fireworks, with countless meteors mixed with mes hurtling towards Mega Rayquaza.


    Just as Yuganded on his Dragonite with the unconscious olddy, he witnessed the spectacr fireworks exploding in the distance over the sea. He couldn''t help but feel relieved.


    Thankfully, those two went out to sea. Otherwise, with this Draco Meteor alone, not only he, Mr. Brandon, and the Draconid People below would be in danger, but the residents of Pacifidlog Town would likely also be unable to escape.


    Countless boulders crashed into the sea, creating a huge wave on the sea, but fortunately, they were far from the battlefield. Otherwise, they would have been overwhelmed by the tidal waves that was stirred up by the crashing boulders.


    However, what surprised Yuga even more was yet toe. After Mega Rayquaza''s clone unleashed its full power, Mega Rayquaza that was unwilling to be outdone, it immediately followed suit, and casting another Draco Meteor to explode over the sea.


    The once calm coastline was now being battered by waves, and washing away many Water-type Pok��mon ashore.

 Chapter 1049: Let’s Go

    <h4>Chapter 1049: Let''s Go</h4>


    After bombarding each other with Draco Meteors, the special attack power of the two Rayquazas decreased significantly, so they began to fight in closebat, using moves like Dragon Dance, Dragon w, Dragon Tail...even Dragon Ascent.


    Yuga stood by the seaside, watching from afar as the two Rayquazas battled, creating a scene of swirling winds and changing skies.


    After Yuga and Mr. Brandon subdued the remaining Draconid People with joint effort, Mega Rayquaza finally returned, battered and bruised, still in its Mega Evolution form, clutching the unconscious Rayquaza''s clone in its ws.


    By the time the olddy, who had been knocked unconscious by Yuga, woke up, she found herself tied up with ropes and her Pok��mon confiscated, leaving her sitting helplessly on the ground.


    Seeing the defeated Rayquaza''s clone, the olddy''s expression turned extremely frantic, incessantly muttering "impossible."


    At that moment, she truly looked like a pitiful old woman, rather than the ambitious elder of the Draconid People.


    Mega Rayquaza threw the defeated Rayquaza''s clone to the ground, then reverted to its regr form. Yuga stood nearby, watching it, then widened his eyes in surprise.


    Seeing Yuga staring at it, Mega Rayquaza became quite displeased: What are you looking at?


    Yuga pointed at it, puzzled: "What happened to you?"


    "Why are my paws tuned ck?" said Mega Rayquaza, terrified, as it scratched the ground with its ws.


    "It hasn''t changed color, it''s still ck, it''s not dirt," replied Yuga.


    Mega Rayquaza panicked and twisted its body, only to find that its handsome green scales were gone, and now it was reced by ck scales��on its tail, waist, chest...everywhere!


    I knew that thing wasn''t something you could just use casually. Now look, I''m turned ck!


    Mega Rayquazamented inwardly in misery.


    Yuga, watching Mega Rayquaza''s expression change several times, was equally puzzled. How did Mega Rayquaza suddenly be shiny? Did it paint its original green scales to hide its appearance?


    Though puzzled, Yuga didn''t approach it, knowing that Mega Rayquaza didn''t like him.


    After a while, Rayquaza''s clone slowly opened its eyes. It looked at Mega Rayquaza that was reaching out its w towards its forehead, knowing that Mega Rayquaza was about to take away the Jade Orb that didn''t originally belong to it from its body.


    It didn''t struggle, only sadness filled its eyes. Without the Jade Orb, it would die immediately.


    Since its birth, it had known it wouldn''t live long, but that didn''t stop it from yearning for life. It dreamed of living painlessly like a normal Pok��mon, living a long and happy life.


    So when the olddy gave it the Jade Orb, and allowing it to be a normal Pok��mon, it felt grateful toward the olddy.


    Now it was finally going to die! The fear of death that had haunted it all along would finallye to an end today.


    After bombarding each other with Draco Meteors, the real Rayquaza indeed intended to retrieve the Jade Orb from the clone''s body. But when it saw those eyes, its actions suddenly halted.


    At that moment, it changed its mind, and abandoning the idea of reiming the Jade Orb.


    Yuga, who had been watching the two Rayquazas attentively, saw the real Rayquaza saying something to the clone, who nodded continuously. Then the real Rayquaza extended its w towards Yuga and beckoned him over.


    "Call me over?" Yuga asked uncertainly, pointing to himself.


    "Roar!"


    Hurry up!


    Rayquaza growled impatiently.


    After Yuga approaching them, he heard the real Rayquaza pointing at the clone and saying, "Treat it."


    Yuga hesitated. "Is it okay? What if it starts fighting you again?"


    Rayquaza stamped its foot: Just do it! Stop with the nonsense.


    Still so temperamental! Yuga silentlymented. "Alright, I''ll treat it. But if anything goes wrong, it''s on you."


    Under the joint healing of Florges''s wishes and the Heal Pulse of Chimecho, the wounds on Rayquaza''s clone''s body quickly disappeared. Yuga also tended to the real Rayquaza''s injuries while he was at it.


    Seeing Yuga being so cooperative, Rayquaza''s expression finally improved quite a bit, and finding Yuga much more pleasing to eye.


    After the treatment, Rayquaza said, "Alright, I''m leaving, and I''m taking it with me," after saying that both of them soared into the sky.


    "Just like that?" Yuga stood there for a moment, feeling a bit puzzled.


    Rayquaza not only took Rayquaza''s clone with it but also took the mysterious giant stone at the top of the Sky Pir, which left Yuga feeling somewhat regretful. He had wanted to take that mysterious giant stone back for research!


    After Rayquaza left, the only thing left to deal with was the issue of the Draconid People. Whether they had connections with the Sky Pir or Rayquaza, they couldn''t just walk away scot-free.


    Yuga handed over the captured members of the Draconid People to Mr. Brandon for transport.


    Mr. Brandon''s pyramid-shaped aircraft was nearby, making it convenient to transport these people.


    Meanwhile, Yuga himself headed back to Mr. Genzo''s house.


    At this moment, Mr. Genzo''s house had be a ruin due to the battle between Smence. Mr. Genzo and Taro were standing anxiously at the door, waiting for Yuga to return.


    "How did it go? Did you retrieve the items?" Mr. Genzo asked him as soon as he saw Yuga dismounting from Dragonite.


    Yuga felt guilty at Mr. Genzo''s question, "I''m sorry, I couldn''t retrieve the Jade orb."


    "Oh... What should we do then?" Mr. Genzo took two steps back, his expression bitter. He couldn''t even protect the belongings left to him by his son and daughter-inw.


    "But the Jadde Orb didn''t fall into the hands of the Draconid People; it was taken away by Rayquaza,"


    So Yuga exined to Mr. Genzo about Rayquaza and Rayquaza''s clone.


    "I see, that exins it!" Taro murmured softly. They had noticed the unusual sky in the direction of the Sky Pir earlier��the ominous dark clouds were quite unsettling.


    "It''s good that Rayquaza took it away..." After a moment of silence, Mr. Genzo sighed, relieved that he wouldn''t have to worry about holding onto it himself.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, may I ask why the Draconid People would act this way?" Taro couldn''t resist asking about the Draconid People''s situation.


    Yuga replied, "Not only did they attempt to fulfill their ambitions using Rayquaza''s clone, but they also had some secret connections with the Heaven Organization. The League won''t let them off easily."


    Taro remained silent for a while, without saying anything.


    "I''ll go bring back Sta first. After that, we can discuss what to do next," Yuga said to the still-dazed Mr. Genzo.


    But before Yuga could set off to find Sta, she arrived riding on Yuga''s Sawsbuck. She had been too worried about her grandfather and had persuaded Sawsbuck to bring her back to check on him.


    "Grandpa, Grandpa! Are you okay?" Sta cried as she threw herself into Mr. Genzo''s arms.


    Mr. Genzo gently stroked Sta''s head. "I''m fine, dear, don''t worry."


    After crying for a while and seeing her home reduced to ruins, Sta said sadly, "Grandpa, our home is gone."


    Mr. Genzo shook his head. "It''s okay, as long as everyone is safe."


    The matter of the Draconid People was quickly reported by Yuga and Mr. Brandon to the League.


    The Hoenn League responded to them at the same day, and ssifying the Draconid People as a dark organization, and their headquarters, Meteor Falls, would be subjected to the League''s cleanup operation.


    The Pok��mon League has never been fond of groups like the Draconid People: unregistered and possessing a certain level of power. Being unregistered implies being uncontroble, and some organizations tend to cause trouble if it was left unchecked.


    So the League has always operated under the principle of turning a blind eye as long as they don''t cause trouble. But if they do, the consequences are severe.


    That''s why the League''s response to the Draconid People was so harsh this time, especially since they were all involved in the incident with the Rayquaza''s clone.


    As expected, the task of wiping out the Meteor Falls fell to Yuga and Mr. Brandon.


    This incident was able to be resolved sesfully without affecting Pacifidlog Town, made Yuga and Mr. Brandon received big credit. If they were to hand over the task to someone else midway, there would inevitably be suspicions of trying to steal their credit.


    With the main members of the Draconid People already apprehended, wiping out the Meteor Falls can be considered an easy task��it took them no effort at all.


    It''s evident that the League has no intention of keeping the Draconid People around. Despite their ims of seclusion over the years, their covert activities have been a source of annoyance for the League.


    Meanwhile, Mr. Genzo and Sta have decided on their future ns. Following Mr. Brandon''s suggestion, they''ve decided to apany him back to Kanto region after wiping out Meteor Falls.


    Although Mr. Brandon enjoys traveling in his pyramid-shaped aircraft, his jurisdiction as a Battle Frontier Brain falls under the Kanto and Johto Leagues. His home was originally in the Johto region, but he moved to Kanto region due to work reasons.


    As for the issue of Decidueye''s archery skills, Mr. Genzo proposed that Decidueye apany him for a while. Once he settles in Kanto region, where there are Pok��mon transfer devices, it will be convenient for Decidueye to either continue learning archery with Mr. Genzo or return home.


    Continuing with the task of wiping out Meteor Falls.


    The location of the Meteor Vige has always been a mystery. Everyone only knows it''s near the Meteor Falls, but the exact location is unclear. However, now that the Draconid People is in the League''s hands, so it was easy to find the Meteor Vige location.


    A day and a half after the Rayquaza''s clone incident, Yuga and Mr. Brandon received the League''s interrogation results and confirmed the location of Meteor Vige.


    The next day, Yuga and Mr. Brandon arrived near Meteor Falls.


    Meteor Falls is not a natural waterfall but a giant crater formed by Draconid People, with a unique environment and topography.


    Yuga and Mr. Brandon rode their flying Pok��mon along the waterfall and, after bypassing it, they saw a deep pit. ording to the information obtained from the Pok��mon League''s interrogation, the Meteor Vige was hidden beneath this deep pit.


    After descending into the pit, Yuga and Mr. Brandon found a hidden tunnel ording to the information provided by the League. The tunnel''s entrance was well-concealed; if it wasn''t known in advance, most people wouldn''t discover the entrance.


    At the entrance of the tunnel, there was a stone door disguised to look like a natural rock wall. Yuga and Mr. Brandon searched for a while before finding the switch to open the stone door.


    As soon as the stone door opened, it alerted the guarding Pok��mon on the other side. It was a massive Rhyperior, sleeping on the other side of the stone door.


    After opening the stone door, the Rhyperior saw two strangers entering and immediatelyunched an attack on them without hesitation.


    As the guarding Pok��mon of the Meteor Vige, this Rhyperior''s strength was quite impressive��it was an Elite level Pok��mon.


    Dealing with a Ground and Rock-type Pok��mon like Rhyperior was best suited for Yuga, a Grass-type Trainer. Sawsbuck, which had been released by Yuga earlier, leaped forward using its Horn Leech move to tackle Rhyperior.


    Rhyperior roared angrily as its two rock arms tightly gripped Sawsbuck''s horns, attempting to throw Sawsbuck away.


    Sawsbuck couldn''t match strength with a giant like Rhyperior. Before being thrown away, Sawsbuck lifted its right front leg and fiercely kicked Rhyperior''s stomach with a Double Kick move.


    Although Double Kick was a basic move, but Fighting-type moves is countered Rhyperior. Additionally, being kicked in the stomach, a vital spot, Rhyperior screamed in pain and flew backward, crashing into the wall of the tunnel.


    This tunnel, specially constructed by the Draconid People, was not only spacious but also very sturdy. Despite being hit by a giant creature like Rhyperior, the tunnel only suffered a few small rock fragments falling off, with no signs of copse.


    As Rhyperior struggled to stand up, Sawsbuck''s attack came again. Horn Leech struck fiercely at its stomach, while a green light shed across Sawsbuck''s body.


    Horn Leech had the ability to convert half of the damage inflicted on the opponent into the user''s HP. Since Sawsbuck didn''t have other moves to restore HP, this move became one of its training priorities.


    To adapt to this skill, Yuga specially prepared the held item Big Root for Sawsbuck, which enhancing the healing effect of its Horn Leech move.


    Once again struck painfully, the enraged Rhyperior raised its arms and used Hammer Arm to strike Sawsbuck''s waist. However, Sawsbuck reacted quickly. With its excellent jumping ability, it instantly moved out of Rhyperior''s attack range.


    Rhyperior''s Hammer Arm missed, creating arge pit in the ground, while Sawsbuck, in the moment of jumping away, bombarded it with a series of Bullet Seeds.


    Being quadruple weak to Grass-type moves, Rhyperior copsed and couldn''t get up.


    After Rhyperior lost its ability to battle, Yuga captured it in a Pok�� Ball.


    Although this Rhyperior wasn''t suitable to bring back to Verdanturf Town, it could be handed over to the League. That would still be an achievement!


    Including the previous encounter with Olddy''s Smence and Altaria, Yuga had handed them all over to the League. While these powerful Pok��mon couldn''t be used by the League, they could serve as breeding Pok��mon.


    The League dealt with the Pok��mon of criminals this way. After all, they couldn''t just keep these Pok��mon without using them, nor could they release them to endanger the world. This method was the best solution.


    The behavior and conduct of Pok��mon are heavily influenced by Trainers. You can''t expect the Pok��mon of criminals to be kind-hearted, so the League couldn''t just release them.


    By handing over the Pok��mon, Yuga would also receive correspondingpensation from the League. However, all of this would be settled uniformly after the eradication of Meteor Falls.


    After recalling Rhyperior into its Pok�� Ball, Yuga and Mr. Brandon continued walking inward. It was dark inside the tunnel, and they didn''t know how long they had walked until suddenly, a bright light appeared in front of them at the end of the tunnel.


    Continuing forward, they saw a quaint vige appear before them. The surrounding environment suddenly opened up, like a paradise.


    This was the legendary Meteor Falls!


    Yuga looked at this beautiful vige and couldn''t help but sigh.


    The fields of the vige were filled with crops, and asionally, a flock of Swabblu and Altaria flew by in the sky. Sometimes, even a Smence would pass by...


    It was hard to imagine that such a beautiful vige could nurture someone as ambitious as the Olddy.

 Chapter 1050: The Clean Up Is Begin

    <h4>Chapter 1050: The Clean Up Is Begin</h4>


    Yuga hadn''t had a chance to appreciate the beautiful scenery of the meteor vige when suddenly he heard someone shouting, "Who are you? How did you get here?"


    Yuga and Mr. Genzo turned towards the source of the sound and saw four or five men dressed as farmers standing not far away in the field. They were ring at the two of them with fierce expressions.


    Just as Yuga and Mr. Genzo were about to speak, the leader of the group shouted, "Capture them!"


    Although the League was nning to eradicate the Meteor Vige, it wasn''t so ruthless as to indiscriminately capture ordinary people. However, they hadn''t expected that the farmers they encountered here would all be Pok��mon Trainers, and they were determined to capture them without any exnation. It seemed that everyone was ready for battle.


    Following the leader''smand, the other farmers released their Pok��mon one after another. There were Pok��mon such as Arbok, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Onix, Rhydon...all roaring loudly as they charged towards Yuga and Mr. Genzo.


    Seeing the situation, Yuga''s Sawsbuck leaped into action, and effortlessly jumping behind several of the Pok��mon. It kicked Nidoking away with one rear hoof, then kicked Nidoqueen away with another, before using its wooden antlers to push Rhydon back. The Pok��mon were instantly thrown into disarray.


    Seizing the opportunity, Mr. Genzo''s Solrock unleashed a Sr Beam, sweeping away the remaining Pok��mon.


    While these people might have been formidable Trainers outside, Yuga''s Sawsbuck and Mr. Genzo''s Solrock were both Elite level Pok��mon, making these people seem rather inadequate in their presence.


    Seeing their Pok��mon being defeated so quickly, the leader of the farmers'' expression changed drastically. He quickly released hisst Pok��mon. Just as Yuga and Mr. Genzo thought he was going to make a final stand, the Altaria began to sing.


    Although the Altaria''s song was pleasant, the tone was very strange. Mr. Genzo, who had a lot of experience, immediately understood what it was doing.


    "They''re calling for help," Mr. Genzo said calmly. Yuga remained just as calm after hearing this. Asking for help? That''s perfect! They were here to eradicate the Meteor Vige, so it was very convenient for them to capture everyone in one fell swoop.


    The most elite forces of the Meteor Vige had already been taken away by the olddy, leaving mostly foot soldiers behind to guard. That''s why Yuga and Mr. Genzo had onlye with the two of them.


    Just as Yuga and Mr. Genzo were about to deal with the farmers, a group of vigers who had heard the call for help arrived. They were all wearing identical white robes, indicating that they held high positions in the Meteor Vige.


    The leader was a middle-aged man who appeared to be around forty years old. When he saw several of his people lying on the ground, unconscious, his face turned ashen, and he said, "Who are you two? Why are you causing trouble in our Meteor Vige?"


    Yuga stepped forward and said, "Um... it''s necessary to introduce ourselves. We are sent by the League to eradicate the Meteor Vige. You, in the Meteor Vige, have colluded with a dark organization and even cloned Rayquaza to cause trouble. I advise you to surrender peacefully."


    On the sidelines, Mr. Genzo listened to Yuga''s words with a face full of ck lines. This is too straightforward; it doesn''t sound like persuading them to surrender, but rather like provoking them to fight!


    The middle-aged man opposite turned red with anger: "Eradicate the Meteor Vige? What a joke! Who do you think you are? Come on, capture both of them for me!"


    With the middle-aged man''s shout, a group of vigers from the Meteor Vige quickly surrounded Yuga and Mr. Genzo with their Pok��mon.


    Yuga nced around at these people and said, "The olddy and your people outside have been captured. Are you sure you still want to resist?"


    Hearing Yuga''s words, not only did the vigers surrounding them stop moving, but the middle-aged man also turned pale. He shouted, "Impossible! The olddy is Master level Trainer; how could she be captured! Quick, quick! Capture these two troublemakers for me!"


    As he shouted, the middle-aged man even strained his voice, showing his extreme agitation. Although he didn''t believe that the olddy had been captured, how else could the League know the entrance to the Meteor Vige?


    It must be one of those useless vigers who let slip the information. It must be! It must be... The middle-aged man reassured himself in his mind.


    The middle-aged man''s name was Nagao, he''s the chief of the Meteor Vige. Besides the olddy, he held the highest position in the Meteor Vige.


    Originally, he had nned to go outside with the olddy to wee Rayquaza (the clone). However, the olddy felt that someone needed to stay behind to oversee things in the Meteor Vige, so he stayed.


    But how could someone as powerful as the olddy be captured? How could their great n fail? They should have restored the glory of the Dragon n after weing Rayquaza! Nagao refused to believe Yuga''s words no matter what!


    Following Nagao''s orders, Yuga and Mr. Genzo were immediately attacked.


    Decidueye, Kartana, Abomasnow, Breloom, Bellossom, and Venusaur appeared instantly around Yuga. On Mr. Genzo''s side, there were Ninjask and Dusclops.


    Decidueye spread its wings and flew into the air. ck Shadow Arrows rained down like raindrops, urately hitting the enemies. Any Pok��mon hit by Decidueye''s Spirit Shackle seemed to be immobilized, struggling in ce but unable to move. Although it had only been a few days since learning archery from Mr. Source, its Spirit Shackle had indeed improved significantly.


    Kartana flickered quickly among the enemies, its speed so fast that others could only vaguely see a blurry shadow. Wherever the shadow passed, enemies fell to the ground, covered in dense sword marks.


    Abomasnow blocked Yuga and Mr. Genzo with its huge body. All the attacks and Pok��mon that hit it were swept away with a wave of its arms, and the wounds on its body disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    Breloom''s fists moved so fast that only patches of fist shadows were left. Any Pok��mon that came near it would be knocked away by a punch. With thebination of Toxic Orb and Poison Heal, its stamina could continue to recover, and even after punching continuously for hours, Breloom would not feel tired.


    Bellossom danced while shooting magical leaves shining with green light. No matter how the enemies dodged, the magical leaves could urately chase them down, and with the power Quiver Dance, it became more and more courageous in battle.


    Venusaur controlled the Grassy Terrain to cover all its teammates. Thorny vines formed by the Crazy nt move rolled out of the ground, and those Meteor Vige peoplemanding the Pok��mon would identally be caught by these vines and pulled into the air, suspended by their ankles.


    Although Mr. Genzo''s Dusclops hadn''t evolved into its final from Dusknoir, it carried the item Eviolite, so its defensive ability exceeded that of its evolved form. The attacks that hitting it seemed to be scratching an itch.


    Solrock floated above Dusclops''s head. With Dusclops''s protection, it unabashedly swept out Sr Beam attacks. Wherever the Sr Beam swept, both people and Pok��mon were engulfed in smoke and then fell to the ground unconscious.


    Mr. Genzo''s Ninjask, like Yuga''s Kartana, was extremely fast. Vibrating its wings, its figure floated into the enemy group, silently harvesting enemies. Despite its small size, its sharp ws were extremely sharp, shing, cleaving, X-Scissor... each move was extremely fierce, making it a true assassin.


    Seeing the vigers falling one by one, Nagao was extremely angry. At this moment, Yuga''s Sawsbuck quietly approached him, relying on its camouge. It raised its two strong hind legs and kicked towards him.


    However, at this moment, a Seviper suddenly appeared beside Nagao. With a flick of its tail, the sharp de on its tail easily blocked Sawsbuck''s hoof back.


    Noticing the sudden attack from the Sawsbuck, Nagao''s anger turned into a mocking smile. Hemanded Seviper beside him, "Seviper, take care of it for me!"


    Seviper''s eyes shed with cold light at themand. It opened its mouth, and the tworge fangs on its upper jaw sparkled as its long tongue hissed out.


    "Seviper!"


    Seviper unleashed re move, and the Sawsbuck almost instantly fell into a paralyzed state, standing motionless in ce.


    Bang!


    The paralyzed Sawsbuck was struck away by Seviper''s Dragon Tail. Nagao''s Seviper was a descendant of Dragon-type Pok��mon, it possessing a strong Dragon-type bloodline. Therefore, it easily mastered Dragon-type moves and could effortlessly unleash their corresponding power.


    However, due to its excessively strong Dragon-type lineage, this Seviper didn''t excel much in its Poison-type moves. As a result, its physical attributes far exceeded those of its Poison-type counterparts. In closebat, it could crush all other Sevipers.


    Seeing the Sawsbuck convulsing on the ground and no longer moving, Yuga squinted at Seviper.


    ...


    Seviper


    Type: Poison


    Ability: Infiltrator


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 81


    Moves: Wrap, Swagger, Bite, Poison Tail, Feint, re, Night sh, Poison Jab, Smokescreen, Dragon Tail, Iron Tail, Aqua Tail, Throat Chop, X-Scissor, Dark Pulse, Infestation, Swords Dance.


    ...


    Yuga hadn''t expected this Seviper to be a Champion level Pok��mon with indigo potential. No wonder his Sawsbuck couldn''t hold out against it for even one round.


    The data for this Seviper was quite strange. Despite being a Pok��mon with indigo potential, it didn''t learn many moves. It''s a Poison-type Pok��mon, but it only knew Poison Jab and Poison Tail, both of which were closebat physical moves.


    This Seviper didn''t show a particr leaning towards physical or special attacks overall. Generally, whether it leaned towards physical or special attacks depended on individual talent or the trainer''s preference.


    Clearly, this one was purely leaning toward physical type.


    But it wasn''t surprising in the Meteor Vige. Despite so many elite members being captured outside, there was still a suspected Champion level trainer here.


    But thinking about it,pared to the others Dragon n''s descendants like the Dragon Tamer family and the Vige of Dragons, the Meteor Vige was no less impressive, if not even more so.


    Nagao was extremely ruthless; even though the Sawsbuck had lost its ability to fight, he still had no intention of letting it go. Seviper raised its tail again and used Poison Tail to strike at the unconscious Sawsbuck once more.


    Fortunately, at this moment, Gengar emerged from the shadows. While holding the Sawsbuck''s Pok�� Ball, he recalled it and then released Absol from its Pok�� Ball.


    The distance between Yuga and Nagao was too far, and there were other battling Pok��mon in between them, so Gengar had to intervene in this way.


    Bang!


    Seviper''s Poison Tail shed with Absol''s Throat Chop. In this collision, therge-sized Absol held its ground.


    Seviper indeed had innate talent in terms of physical attributes, but Absol who has been transformed by the seed of unknown still had the upper hand. So, even though Absol''s level was lower than that of Seviper, it still didn''t suffer any losses.


    After repelling Seviper, there was a "buzz" sound, and Absolpleted its Mega Evolution.


    Gengar grinned and waved its hands at Mega Absol before returning to Yuga''s side with the Sawsbuck''s Pok�� Ball, and slipping into his shadows again.


    Upon seeing Mega Absol appear, Seviper coiled its body and raised its neck high, emitting threatening hisses towards Mega Absol. Then, like a lightning bolt, it lunged fiercely at Mega Absol.


    Mega Absol couldn''t dodge in time and was directly entangled around the waist by Seviper''s sturdy body. Seviper used the Wrap move, tightening its body more and more, firmly constricting Mega Absol.


    After rolling several times on the ground after being struck by Seviper, Mega Absol stopped, its pristine fur covered in grass and dust. It roared in anger, a dark glow shing in its mouth as it used Throat Chop to bite Seviper''s neck.


    "Absol!"


    Mega Absol found it increasingly difficult to breathe under Seviper''s constriction, but it had no intention of letting go. Its throat emitted painful gurgling sounds continuously.


    "Seviper!"


    Seviper''s neck was a vulnerable spot, and Mega Absol''s teeth sank deeper into its flesh, causing it intense pain. It constantly extended its tongue, trying to gasp for air.


    However, neither of them was willing to let go. Seviper''s body tightened more and more, while Mega Absol''s teeth dug even deeper.


    The battle between the two Pok��mon didn''t involve much skill or shy moves, only the most primitive fighting and bloodshed.


    Seviper''s blood flowed outward along Mega Absol''s teeth, and the loss of bloodbined with the Dark-type energy erosion from the Throat Chop made Seviper feel unbearable pain, and its consciousness became increasingly blurred. Mega Absol also gradually weakened due to prolongedck of oxygen, and the teeth that were stuck in Seviper''s wound no longer bit as forcefully.


    Time seemed to stretch on endlessly. After what felt like an eternity, Mega Absol finally felt Seviper''s grip around its abdomen loosen slightly. Using all its strength, Mega Absol bit into Seviper''s neck and flung it away.


    Seviper''s wound, caused by Absol''s teeth being pulled out, sprayed blood in the air, and it crashed to the ground, rolling several times before mustering the strength to slowly raise half its body.


    However, Seviper appeared very weak at this moment, its body swaying unsteadily.


    Mega Absol alsoy panting heavily with its front half on the ground, but its condition was much better than Seviper''s.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Yuga and Mr. Genzo, who had been watching the battlefield closely, were suddenly pushed back by Abomasnow. Following this, a stream of mes descended from the sky, and in an instant, Abomasnow copsed.


    Although Abomasnow had strong regenerative abilities, its level was not high, so these abilities were greatly limited. Once the attack exceeded this limit, Abomasnow would also be unable to endure it.


    Fortunately, Gengar and Mismagius, who were protecting Yuga, acted in time. Abomasnow only fainted and did not sustain too much damage.


    After recalling Abomasnow to its Pok�� Ball, Yuga and Mr. Genzo immediately noticed the Pok��mon that had attacked them, a Smence.


    This Smence was also Nagao''s Pok��mon and was also Champion level.


    ...


    Smence


    Type: Dragon, Flying


    Ability: Intimidate


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 80


    Moves: Dragon Tail, Outrage, Fire Fang, Ember, Leer, Bite, Dragon Breath, Headbutt, Dragon w, Scary Face, methrower, Overheat, Double Team, Steel Wing, Giga Impact, Shadow w, Stone Edge, Dragon Rush, Hyper Voice, Aqua Tail.


    ...


    Strictly speaking, this Smence hadn''t truly reached Champion level yet; it was probably limited by its potential. However, with its pseudo-legendary race, itsbat power shouldn''t be inferior to any ordinary Champion level Pok��mon.


    "I''ll take care of it," Mr. Genzo said to Yuga.


    After nodding, Yuga saw Mr. Genzo release a Regirock.


    Regirock''s ability was Clear Body, which prevented its stats from being lowered by moves or abilities. Therefore, Smence''s Intimidate ability couldn''t affect it. It extended its two armsposed of rocks, controlling a series of sharp, giant stone des that shot towards Smence.


    Unable to dodge, Smence was urately hit by Stone Edge on its wings, causing it intense pain and almost making it fall.


    From afar, Nagao could easily guess who one of the opponents was, seeing them release even a legendary Pok��mon like Regirock.


    Though he had lived in the Meteor Vige for years, with little contact with the outside world, it didn''t hinder Nagao from understanding the situation outside. He had heard of the name of Mr. Genzo, the leader of the Battle Frontier, and it was quite famous.


    He was well aware that he was no match for Mr. Genzo, especially with a young man by his side who seemed equally as formidable as hi.


    Watching as his fellow nsmen were being ensnared one by one by the Venusaur''s vines, Nagao knew that if this continued, the Meteor Vige would be doomed.


    He quickly summoned one of the nearest nsmen to his side, speaking to them with a serious expression. The nsman then resolutely ran towards the depths of the Meteor Vige.


    Meanwhile, Yuga''s Mega Absol finally defeated Nagao''s Seviper. It ced its foot on Seviper''s head, and after twitching its tail a couple of times, Sevipery motionless.


    Nagao''s Champion level Pok��mon only consisted of Seviper and Smence. With Seviper being defeated, his other Pok��mon stood no chance against Mega Absol.


    On the other side, Regirock also swiftly defeated Smence. Although Regirock hadn''t fully recovered to its true legendary strength, it had no problem dealing with an iplete Champion level Pok��mon.


    With Smence and Seviper defeated, the remaining residents of the Meteor Vige fell rapidly. They were soon ensnared one by one by Venusaur''s vines, while Nagao continued to resist Mega Absol with his Elite level Pokemon like Altaria, Charizard, Tropius, and Flygon.


    However, these Pok��mon were no match for Mega Absol. Although Yuga''s Mega Absol wasn''t a Champion level Pok��mon, its power that has been enhanced by the Seed of Unknown''s Mega Evolution, was now on par with Champion level Pok��mon.


    Under Absol''s razor-sharp ws, Altaria, Charizard, Tropius, and Flygon quickly fell one by one. Despite Nagao''s determination to resist, he was knocked down by Absol with a single swipe.


    After Venusaur hoisted Nagao up, Yuga shook his head and said, "I gave you the chance to surrender peacefully. Now look at the mess you''re in. Are you satisfied?"


    ring fiercely at Yuga, Nagao retorted, "Just you wait. The Elder won''t let you get away with this." He refused to believe that their Elder would be get caught, and convinced that their n would not fail.


    Yuga: ...


    "Why won''t you believe me? Well, never mind. You''ll find out soon enough," Yuga shrugged indifferently.


    After Yuga and Mr. Genzo dealt with the captives, they were about to continue their investigation into the depths of the Meteor Vige when Nagao suddenly spoke up, "You won''t be able to leave here alive!"


    Yuga and Mr. Genzo halted their steps.


    "What do you mean?" asked Mr. Genzo.


    Before Nagao could reply, they heard a loud roaring from afar.


    "Hehe... Hehe... It''s here, it''s here... the Ancestor has arrived! None of you can escape!" Nagaoughed maniacally.


    Upon hearing this, Yuga and Mr. Genzo''s expressions turned serious. In that roar, they sensed a powerful pressure.


    Soon after, they saw a small figure flying towards them from a distance. Its speed was incredible, almost reaching them in the blink of an eye. It was then that Yuga and Mr. Genzo could clearly see the true identity of the small figure.


    It was an exceptionallyrge Smence, and it was a Shiny Smence at that. Unlike the blue scales of a regr Smence, this one was light green.


    "Ancestor! Ancestor! These people want to destroy our Meteor Vige. Please, kill them!" Nagao shouted to the Smence.


    However, to Yuga''s surprise, this Smence just gave Nagao a disdainful look at him and ignoring the captives that was suspended in the air. It focusing its gaze directly on Yuga and Mr. Genzo.


    As they looked at each other, Yuga couldn''t help but notice the Smence''s details.


    ...


    Smence


    Type: Dragon, Flying


    Ability: Moxie


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 100


    Moves: Fly, Protect, Dragon Tail, Rage, Fire Fang, Thunder Fang, Ember, re, Bite, Dragon Breath, Headbutt, Dragon w, Scary Face, methrower, Fire st, Double Team, Steel Wing, Giga Impact, Shadow w, Stone Edge, Dragon Rush, Hyper Voice, Aqua Tail, Zen Headbutt, Twister, Double-Edge, Roost, Rain Dance, Stone Edge, Earthquake, Thrash, Draco Meteor, Dragon Pulse, , Tailwind.


    ...


    Yuga hadn''t expected the Meteor Vige to have such a trump card, but considering the presence of Dragonite in the Dragon Tamer family and Heatran in the Temple n, a Smence at this level living among the Meteor Vige residents wasn''t so surprising.


    However, what was the meaning of that disdainful look from the Smence just now? Did I see it wrong? And is that blood on its teeth?

 Chapter 1051: The Ancestor

    <h4>Chapter 1051: The Ancestor</h4>


    "Roar!!!"


    Smence in front of them wasn''t a friendly creature. It nced at Yuga and Mr. Brandon for a moment before growing impatient. A strong scent of blood emanated from its mouth as it suddenly used Dragon Tail without warning, striking at Mr. Brandon''s Regirock.


    Regirock immediately crossed its arms in front of itself. Thankfully, its high defense prevented it from being injured, but it was still sent sliding back a considerable distance.


    With the attackunched, Yuga and Mr. Brandon couldn''t afford to just stand there.


    "Let''s attack together!" Mr. Brandon said to Yuga, while releasing his other Pok��mon, Regice.


    Clearly, he also recognized the strength of Smence before them.


    After nodding, Yuga released his Florges, Chimecho, and Lapras. In a normal battle, they wouldn''t stand a chance against a level 100 Smence, so they could only hope for a group attack.


    Suddenly, Gengar and Mismagius emerged from the shadows, nking Smence from the left to the right. The moment they appeared, Gengar and Yuga both initiated Mega Evolution.


    Absol''s Mega Evolution stemmed from the Seed of Unknown and had little to do with Yuga, so it didn''t count towards the limit of Mega Evolutions. Thus, Gengar could still Mega Evolve.


    Mega Gengar and Mismagius that appeared out of nowhere andunched a Shadow Ball and a Mystical Fire simultaneously, aiming at Smence''s head from both sides.


    But Smence pped its massive crimson wings, creating a gust of wind that swept away the Shadow Ball and Mystical Fire.


    Smence cast a disdainful look at the Mega Gengar and Mismagius. Then, its long tail swept out, sending them both flying.


    Luckily, just in time, Chimecho''s Reflect move appeared in from of them, and saving them from being knocked out. With Mega Gengar and Mismagius''s weak defenses and stamina, they would have been knocked out without it.


    Seeing these weaklings daring to resist it, Smence grew angry. It opened its mouth and unleashed a Dragon Pulse, attempting to annihte all the Pok��mon surrounding it.


    At this moment, Florges spread a Misty Terrain across the battlefield, filling the area with pink fog.


    At the same time, Chimecho controlled its psychic energy to erect Light Screens in front of all the Pok��mon. Numerous transparent walls sparkled under the reflection of the sun.


    All the Pok��mon were engulfed in the bluish-purple energy of the Dragon Pulse, but thanks to the weakened Dragon-type moves in the Misty Terrain and the defenses of the Light Screens, everyone was rtively unscathed.


    Before the energy of the Dragon Pulse dissipated, Lapras''s Ice Beam, Regirock''s Stone Edge, Regice''s Zap Cannon, and Mega Absol''s Psyde all broke through the bluish-purple energy barrier and aimed directly at Smence.


    But Smence reacted quickly. With a powerful p of its wings, it easily dodged the attacks of the four Pok��mon with a few flips in the air.


    However, at some point, Chimecho had used Teleport to appear directly above Smence, and immediately activating its Gravity move.


    Chimecho''s Gravity move could suppress even the legendary Okemon like Rayquaza for a while, let alone a Smence!


    In thispletely defenseless situation, the Smence plummeted headfirst.


    Boom!


    After a muffled sound, the Smence that was affected by gravity move, had its limbs and wings tightly pressed to the ground. It struggled for a moment but couldn''t break free.


    At this moment, Mega Gengar''s Shadow Ball, Mismagius''s Mystical Fire, Florges''s Moonst, Mega Absol''s Dark Pulse, Regirock''s Stone Edge, and Regice''s Zap Cannon instantly overwhelmed Smence.


    Most Pok��mon would have fainted from such a barrage of attacks from high level Pok��mon, but not with the Smence.


    Yuga, Mr. Brandon, and the Pok��mon heard a roar from the lingering energy surge, followed by a figure bursting out of the smoke and dust.


    It was Smence!


    However, the Smence at this moment was different from when its first appeared. It was covered in wounds and dirt, it looked at Yuga, Mr. Brandon, and the others Pok��mon with fury in its eyes.


    After so many years, it was the first time it had been in such a sorry state! It was a Humiliation for it!


    "Roar!!!"


    The Smence opened its mouth and unleashed a massive Fire st. The closest target, Mismagius, bore the brunt of the attack, as the powerful burst of me smashed it into the ground.


    Boom!


    After an explosion, Mismagiusy unconscious in a deep crater.


    Still not satisfied, Smence continued tounch Fire sts one after another. The other Pok��mon that has been prepared this time, immediately dodged or defended, avoiding the same fate as Mismagius.


    The Smence''s Fire sts missed their targets, causing destruction all around. The once beautiful and fertile fields in the Meteor Vige were nowpletely ruined, with crops were all being destroyed.


    After Mismagius was incapacitated, Yuga''s shadow suddenly stretched eerily, as if it hade to life, extending into the deep pit where Mismagiusy. Then, a small yellow ball emerged from within, dragging the unconscious Mismagius into the shadow. Afterward, Yuga''s shadow slowly returned to its normal state.


    Seeing Mismagius fall, Mega Gengar wanted to use Curse move to afflict Smence with a curse status. However, due to the vast difference in strength between them, it couldn''t apply the curse to Smence and had to give up helplessly.


    Although Mega Gengar''s Curse move was failed to take effect, the Smence could still sensed it. It red fiercely at Mega Gengar, then suddenly swung its dragon w towards it. Mega Gengar was startled and quickly disappeared in ce, leaving a hole in the ground where the Smence''s Dragon w was struck.


    Failing to hit Mega Gengar, the Smence was about to take off when numerous green vines suddenly emerged from the ground, and simultaneously binding its wing and limbs at the same time.


    At this moment, Mega Absol and Regice appeared on the both side of the Smence. One used Night sh to attack the Smence''s vital point, and the other used Arm Hammer to strike the Smence.


    "Roar!!!"


    The restrained Smence was sessfully hit. It roared angrily, and its long tail immediately wrapped around Mega Absol, dragging it and mming it into Regice on the other side. Thus, Mega Absol and Regice were both sent flying.


    Mega Absol was already injured from battling with Seviper and now, being hit by Smence''s tail, it instantly lost its fighting ability.


    However, Regice, being a Pok��mon with extremely high defenses, was not affected much by the hit. Despite staggering, it managed to stand up again. Yet, the Arm Hammer attack slowed it down, causing it to move sluggishly.


    Enraged, the Smence spat out a Fire st that quickly incinerated the vines that binding it. Then, it also use Fire st to engulfed Regice, which hadn''t had a chance to leave yet.


    At this moment, Florges''s Moonst, Regirock''s Stone Edge, and Lapras''s Ice Beam hit the Smence while it was attacking Regice. All the three moves were restrained the Smence, and causing it to emit its most piercing roar since entering the battle.


    As the mes engulfing Regice dissipated, it fell to the ground, charred.


    With Regice being defeated, the Smence had now taken down three Pok��mon. Its Moxie ability continuously raised its attack power by three levels, making its aura even more terrifying.


    Gasping for breath as it flew up, the Smence cast a fierce gaze around, it no longer showing a disdain for these weak opponents, only deep humiliation and anger.


    The remaining Pok��mon - Regirock, Florges, Lapras, Chimecho, and Mega Gengar - nervously watched Smence, and suddenly feeling a sense of foreboding.


    Sure enough, consumed by rage, the Smence activated its Outrage move. Under this state, the Smence was as if it had been bestowed with an invincible buff.


    After activating Outrage, Smence directlyunched a Dragon Rush towards Chimecho. Chimecho attempted to dodge using Teleport, but it was toote. It could only hastily conjure a Reflect move. However, with a crash, the barrier was shattered, and Chimecho was sent flying.


    At this moment, Florges''s pre-prepared Wish move took effect. A pink pir of light descended from the sky, timely healing Chimecho, and preventing it from losing its fighting ability immediately.


    After regaining its strength back, Chimecho immediately released the Gravity move on the approaching Smence, and immobilizing it. Then, Regirock used Giga Impact to charge towards Smence.


    Boom!


    Regirock collided with Smence, but under the Outrage state, the Smence felt no pain. Although it was injured again, it calmly used Aqua Tail to swipe Regirock away.


    Chimecho''s Gravity only held Smence momentarily. After Regirock''s attack ended, the Smence regained its freedom. It ascended into the air and unleashed its ultimate move, Draco Meteor.


    Countless ming meteorites descended from the sky, and exploding all around.


    Chimecho hastily assisted Lapras, Florges, and Regirock in defense. However, the Draco Meteor was too intense. Chimecho protected the other Pok��mon but was urately hit herself. Without Florges''s Wish move this time, Chimecho lost its consciousness.


    Before losing its consciousness, Chimecho''s pre-emptive Future Sight was activated. The two transparent light wheels suddenly shed and struck the Smence, causing its body to tremble slightly, and adding two more wounds.


    At this point, Mega Gengar returned to Yuga''s side, doing everything possible to protect Yuga and Mr. Brandon from the damage of the Draco Meteor, with no spare energy to help the other Pok��mon.


    After the Draco Meteor ended, this area was already devastated.


    What puzzled Yuga and Mr. Brandon was that the Smence, despite using Outrage, showed no signs of confusion. Instead, it seemed even calmer and more rational than before.


    What Yuga didn''t know was that this Shiny Smence had a special ability. It could actively prolong the duration of the Outrage buff, and dying the confusion caused by it.


    However, the confusion wouldn''t disappear; instead, it would be even more severe in the future. It could be said that this special ability had its pros and cons.


    After Chimecho fell, the Smence''s attack power increased by another level. But at the same time, its injuries reached its limit. The Outrage state only blocked its sense of pain, but not making its injuries disappear.


    "Roar!!!"


    The Smence used Dragon Rush to charge towards Lapras. Florges let out a soft cry, and the grassy terrain opened up, countless vines emerging from underground and immediately entangling the extremely fasts charging Smence.


    The Smence''s strength was immense; it broke wave after wave of the vines, but another wave of vines keep emerged incessantly from the ground, as if it were endless.


    But, Yuga that was not far from Florges, could see beads of sweat were forming densely on its forehead.


    At this moment, Lapras''s melodious cry sounded, and countless blue lights suddenly surged from its body. Yuga could vaguely perceive its blue skin color deepening.


    Before long, Yuga felt the presence of Legendary Aura was emanating from Lapras''s body. This was the first time, aside from Florges, that Yuga had felt the presence of Legendary Aura so distinctly in one of his Pok��mon.


    Clearly, the blue orb inside Lapras''s body had been affecting it all along!


    Compared to Florges''s lively and vibrant Legendary Aura, Lapras''s Legendary Aura gave a sense of boundless vastness.


    While Smence continued to struggle, Florges kept channeling its energy into the grassy terrain, attempting to restrain it. Due to the interference of the vines, Regirock found itself unable to attack the Smence.


    "Lapras..."


    Suddenly, Lapras raised its head and sang loudly. A tremendously thick column of icy-blue energy spewed from its mouth, and instantly engulfing the Smence and all the vines that was restraining it.


    As they watched the Smence and the entangled vines being frozen into ice sculptures, the scene suddenly quieted down.


    "It''s finally over!" Yuga breathed a long sigh of relief.


    At this moment, Florges copsed directly onto the ground, and Lapras that having just unleashed its powerful move, was panting heavily.


    Nagao, who had long been dragged away from the battlefield by Venusaur Slippers, looked at his ancestor that has been frozen into an ice sculpture from afar, muttering incredulously, "Impossible, impossible! How could our ancestor be defeated so easily? Our ancestor is so strong!"


    Watching the Smence that has been turned into ice sculpture, Yuga felt immensely relieved. He thought to himself how fortunate they were that Olddy didn''t bring this Pok��mon out at the time. Otherwise, capturing the Draconid People and dealing with the Rayquaza''s clone would have been much more difficult.


    However, what Yuga didn''t know was that it wasn''t the Olddy was unwilling to bring out their ancestor; rather, they couldn''t bring it out due to certain special circumstances. Despite still guarding the Meteor Vige, their ancestor harbored deep resentment towards the current Draconid People for various reasons, and wishing to devour all of them alive.


    Over the years, to prevent the Smence from doing anything irrational, the Draconid People had kept it locked in a specially made cell. If they hadn''t been unable to resist Yuga and Mr. Brandon''s attack, Nagao wouldn''t have dared to take a risk by releasing their ancestor.


    Sure enough, as soon as the ancestore out, the first thing it did was eat the Draconid People who had helped it open the cell.


    However, before Yuga and Mr. Brandon could rx, there was suddenly a cracking sound from the Smence ice sculpture. Somehow, the cracks had been formed all over the ice sculpture.


    Boom!


    The ice sculpture suddenly shattered, and the Smence roared as it flew out from within.


    Yuga and Mr. Brandon''s faces turned pale. They no longer had the ability to defeat the Smence for a second time!


    However, things didn''t go as they had thought. The emerged Smence immediately fell into a state of confusion, and it was a particrly violent one.


    It started wing at its own face with great force, and knocking itself unconscious in just a few strikes.


    Yuga and Mr. Brandon both breathed a sigh of relief simultaneously: Phew... That was very close.

 Chapter 1052: Memory Fragments and Dividing the Spoils

    <h4>Chapter 1052: Memory Fragments and Dividing the Spoils</h4>


    Due to the fierce battle with Smence, Yuga and Mr. Brandon rested in ce for a while before they continue to explore more deeper into the Meteor Vige.


    However, the two of them didn''t expect that those who had previously attacked them were the only remaining forces stationed here; the rest of them were consisted of only elderly, weak woman, and ignorant children.


    These people were extremely panicked by Yuga and Mr. Brandon''s arrival, but Yuga and hispanions had no intention of harming them.


    They just gathered them in one ce, and leaving it to the League to decide their fate.


    With no one wase out to stop them, Yuga and Mr. Brandon quickly grasped the overall situation of the Meteor Vige.


    Indeed, this was a veritable paradise, with an extremely hidden entrance that ordinary people couldn''t find.


    If it weren''t for the ambitions of the Draconid People, it would indeed be an ideal ce to live in seclusion.


    In the deepest part of the Meteor Vige, Yuga and Mr. Brandon found the ce where the Draconid People raised their Pok��mon.


    It was a small valley with lush green trees and babbling streams. Many Dragon-type Pok��mon such as Bagon and Shellgon yed carefreely on the ground, while numerous Swablu, Altaria, and a few Smence flew in the sky.


    In addition, there were also a small number of other Dragon-type Pok��mon living here, such as Flygon, Druddigon, and even Yuga saw two Goomy.


    As a pseudo-legendary Pok��mon unique to the Kalos region, let alone in Hoenn, it''s not easy to see them even in their homnd, Kalos region.


    Yuga didn''t expect to see them here, let alone two. This should be intentionally collected by the Draconid People.


    In addition to these, there were also a small number of other non-Dragon-type Pok��mon with Dragon bloodlines living here, such as Ekans and Arbok, Seviper, even a few Charmander, Charmeleon, and Charizard, Treecko, Grovyle, Sceptile, etc.


    At the deepest part of the valley, Yuga and Mr. Brandon saw a row of wooden houses, inside which were rows of shelves holding Pok��mon eggs. Obviously, these wooden houses were the Draconid People''s Pok��mon hatchery.


    The types of Pok��mon eggs ced in each wooden house were different: one for Bagon eggs, one for Swablu eggs, with the most eggs belonging to non-Dragon-type Pok��mon like Ekans and Arbok, while rare Pok��mon eggs like Charmander and Treecko were put together in the same house due to their scarcity.


    It could be said that the Pok��mon in the entire valley, along with the Pok��mon eggs in the wooden houses, represented the heritage of the Draconid People over the years.


    Yuga and Mr. Brandon also inadvertently discovered a concealed cave in the valley.


    This cave had clearly been specially modified; its entrance was fitted with a metal door made of an unknown material, appearing very sturdy.


    When Yuga and Mr. Bradon found the cave, the metal door was open.


    Although there were no Pok��mon inside the cave, the traces of Pok��mon living there were evident and all recent.


    What kind of Pok��mon would live here?


    Yuga and Mr. Brandon both found it very strange; this ce looked more like a prison for prisoners.


    In addition, they also found a patch of blood that had notpletely dried on the floor of the cave, with a tattered blood-stained garment casually thrown on the ground.


    However, the most conspicuous thing in the cave was not the bloodstains and the blood-stained clothes, but a half-human-sized stone tform.


    The tform appeared to be artificially polished, very smooth, and on top of it was a incubator containing an unknown liquid, with a Pok��mon egg floating inside.


    From the pattern on the Pok��mon egg, Yuga easily recognized it as a Bagon egg, but he could feel that the vitality on the Pok��mon egg was very weak, as if it would turn into a dead egg in the next moment.


    From his keen eyes, Yuga could see that the incubator contained a Pok��mon egg with a indigo potential, but with the heritage of the Draconid People, even a Pok��mon egg with a indigo potential, although precious, why would it be ced here separately? And this egg obviously has a problem.


    Just when Yuga was puzzled, the system unexpectedly issued a task to him.


    ...


    [ Congrattions, the host has triggered a mission: life hanging by a thread. ]


    [ Exnation: The poor Bagon egg was subjected to inhumane modification experiments as soon as it was born, and is now on the verge of death. Its father had to sumb to humans to protect it, and now it''s time for the host to save it. ]


    [ Auxiliary item: Resurrection Water form. ]


    [ Reward: Electric-type Pok��mon Universal Pok��block form and Fighting-type Pok��mon Universal Pok��block form, choose one. ]


    ...


    Yuga''s system still maintained its consistent style of issuing tasks.


    Although the frequency of task issuance was not high, the difficulty was not great either, almost equivalent to deliver him a rewards for free.


    Yuga nced at the auxiliary item


    "Resurrection Water form" sent by the system and found that the main ingredient of this form was Revival Herb, which was not difficult for him to make.


    "System, do you know the specific situation of this Bagon egg?"


    Yuga silently asked the system in his heart.


    From the exnation of the task, he could tell that this was a Pok��mon egg with a story.


    [ Please explore on your own, host. ]


    The indifferent voice of the system sounded in Yuga''s mind.


    Yuga frowned at the system''s response: if you don''t know, just say so.


    "Mr. Brandon, this egg looks unusual. Let''s take it out first."


    Yuga said to Mr. Brandon.


    "Okay." Mr. Brandon nodded, but did not move. Yuga took the opportunity to pick up the incubator.


    But the moment Yuga touched the incubator, his head suddenly shed with many unfamiliar scenes with a buzzing sound, and it took him a long time to recover from his daze.


    Seeing Yuga standing there holding the incubator motionless, Mr. Brandon asked worriedly, "Are you okay? Is there something wrong with this Pok��mon egg?"


    Just as Yuga regained his senses, he quickly waved his hand and said, "Ah! It''s nothing, nothing."


    Seeing that Yuga was really okay, Mr. Brandon nodded and said, "That''s good, let''s go out."


    As Yuga followed Mr. Brandon out, he asked the system in his mind, "System, please exin what just happened. What were all those things shing in my head?"


    [ It''s unrted to this system. It seems that your special ability inadvertently connected you to the consciousness of that egg. The shes in your mind should be fragments of the egg''s memory. ]


    The system replied.


    Yuga: ...An egg has memories? It''s even a dying egg.


    After receiving Celebi''s blessing, although Yuga''s mental power is not as powerful as a Pyschic, it was far beyond that of an ordinary person.


    He quickly sorted out the fragments of memories about the Bagon egg in his mind and learned about its origin.


    When this egg was newly born, it was very healthy, and it was a Pok��mon egg with indigo poetential.


    However, its mother was too old and passed away shortly after giving birth to it, so its father cherished it very much.


    But one day, without the consent of its father, the Draconid People used it for Pok��mon experiments, aiming to create the second purple potential Smence in the Meteor Vige.


    And the father of the Bagon egg was the ancestor of the Draconid People, Smence.


    They believed that as the descendant of the ancestor, the Bagon egg had a high chance of evolving into a purple potential Pok��mon.


    However, the experiment failed in the end, and the Bagon egg was on the brink of death.


    When the Smence found out about it, it was furious and caused a bloody conflict in the Meteor Vige. Many Draconid People died because of this.


    Unlike Dragonite, the ancestor of the Dragon Tamer family, Smence didn''t have such deep affection for the descendants of the Draconid People.


    This was not only because the current Draconid People were bing more and more distant from its former master''s bloodline, but also because the code of conduct of the current Draconid People was fundamentally different from that of the generous and righteous Dragon n.


    Whether it was the rtionship between people or between people and Pok��mon, it needed to be maintained.


    Smence looked down upon the current Draconid People, so although it still lived in the Meteor Vige, it was not very willing to interact deeply with the Draconid People.


    It only fulfilled its promise to its master to protect the Meteor Vige.


    Because of the shallow affection, Smence did not hesitate to resort to violence.


    The resentment of seeing one''s own child being harmed was outweighed even the most important promises.


    However, Smence eventuallypromised because the Draconid People used a special liquid to sustain the Bagon egg''sst thread of life.


    Without the protection of this liquid, the Bagon egg would immediately die.


    For the sake of the Bagon egg, Smence had to give up on continuing to retaliate against the Draconid People and promised to continue guarding them.


    Later, Smence was imprisoned and locked away in the same modified cave where Yuga and the others had just entered.


    Smence was already an easily angered Pok��mon, and years of imprisonment made its temper increasingly unpredictable.


    Later, it even killed several Draconid People who brought it food because it couldn''t control its temper.


    Because they still hoped that the ancestor would continue to protect the Draconid People and the Meteor Vige, the Meteor Vige''s Chief turned a blind eye to the asional killings by Smence, without further investigation.


    Later, the Draconid People avoided the cave where the ancestor was imprisoned.


    The ancestor''s daily life was taken care of by other Pok��mon, and although its temper became increasingly violent, it had not killed any other Pok��mon in the Meteor Vige.


    Over the years, the Draconid People had been actively searching for ways to revive the Bagon egg, hoping to eliminate the ancestor''s resentment towards them.


    However, their efforts had been unsessful, and the ancestor''s temper only worsened.


    When the Bagon egg was taken for experiments, it was already close to hatching, so it had its own consciousness.


    Although it had be increasingly weak over the years, it could still clearly sense what was happening outside, which allowed it to transmit memories to Yuga''s mind.


    Having sorted out the fragments of memories in his mind, Yuga felt a great deal of sympathy for the Pok��mon egg in his arms.


    The Draconid People were truly despicable; they were willing to harm even their own Pok��mon for the sake of their ambitions.


    After exiting the cave, Yuga and Mr. Brandon began discussing how to divide the spoils.


    With so many valuable Pok��mon and Pok��mon eggs in the Meteor Vige, they couldn''t possibly return empty-handed since they hade.


    In theory, after clearing out the Meteor Vige, all the property in the Meteor Vige was supposed to be handed over to the League, whether it was the territory or Pok��mon (eggs).


    However, the League wasn''t so rigid.


    People like Yuga and Mr. Brandon, who were involved in the clearance, could take advantage of the situation a little bit before reporting it to the League, as long as it wasn''t too excessive.


    The League would turn a blind eye to it. This had almost be an established rule.


    Yuga and Mr. Brandon set their sights on the Pok��mon eggs in the wooden houses, rather than catching the Pok��mon in the valley.


    Because the Pok��mon in the valley were of high levels, there was a risk of things getting out of hand if they were to intervene.


    It might even cause trouble, and if any of them managed to escape during the chaos, it would be problematic.


    So, it was better to leave those Pok��mon to be dealt with collectively by the League.


    Pok��mon eggs were a safer option.


    Beforeing, Yuga and Mr. Brandon had already prepared their space backpacks, so they weren''t worried about not being able to take away all the Pok��mon eggs.


    With his Insight skill, Yuga had a significant advantage in selecting Pok��mon eggs.


    Although the Draconid People had categorized the Pok��mon eggs ording to their different potential, there were still individual differences within the same potential. Yuga always managed to pick the best ones.


    It had to be said that the Draconid People, as ancient descendants, indeed had a very profound heritage.


    Through generations of selection, the probability of high potential Pok��mon being born far exceeded that of ordinary Pok��mon. This heritage was something that neers like Yuga could never catch up to.


    Of course, it wasn''t just Yuga; most major factions were not as good as the Draconid Peopel in this regard too. After all, they had a long-standing heritage!


    In the end, Yuga chose some Ekans, Seviper, Charmander, and Bagon eggs. As for Treecko, Swablu, and some misceneous Pok��mon eggs, Yuga didn''t choose any.


    There were lot of Ekans and Sepiver eggs, and Yuga only picked the green potential ones, totaling more than a hundred.


    There were also some blue potential ones, but it was only three, two Ekans and one seviper, while there is no pokemon with red potential.


    Charmander eggs is very small, with only twenty-eight, and the potential were uneven.


    There were only orange, yellow, and green potential Charmander egg, indicating that the Draconid People hadn''t been breeding Charmander for long.


    Yuga decided to take all the Charmander eggs and didn''t leave any for the League. As for the low potential ones, he could try his luck with the Innovation Potionter.


    After all, even low potential Charmander eggs were still valuable.


    The number of Bagon eggs here is actually more than the number of Charmander and Trecko eggs. Moreover, as pseudo-legendary Pok��mon, their minimum potential is always green.


    Yuga directly picked twenty of them, though there were no blue potential ones, there were still three green potential Bagon among the eggs he picked.


    Adding the Bagon Yuga previously obtained from the olddy, he would have over forty Smence in his Ecopark in the future. Just thinking about it made him feel ecstatic.


    Mr. Brandon picked a simr number of Pok��mon eggs as Yuga, but in terms of species, Yuga chose Charmander, while he chose Trecko.


    Neither Yuga nor Mr. Brandon chose Swablu eggs.


    Although Yuga didn''t mind having more high potential Pok��mon, the reason he didn''t choose Swablu eggs was partly because he already had them in his Ecopark and partly because he didn''t want to be too greedy.


    As for Mr. Brandon, the reason he didn''t choose was simply because Yuga didn''t choose it too.


    As for the Bagon egg in the cave, Mr. Brandon didn''t mention it when he saw that Yuga wasn''t nning to let go. After all, there were plenty of Bagon eggs here, and he wasn''t going to be tactless enough to snatch it from Yuga.


    After dividing the spoils, Yuga and Mr. Brandon contacted the League to report that the clearance mission waspleted. Now, they had to wait for the League to announce their decision regarding the Meteor Vige and the Draconid People.


    Once they handed over the Draconid People and the confiscated Pok��mon to the League''s representatives, Yuga and Mr. Brandon returned to Pacifidlog Town.


    Since the matter of the Draconid People was not yet resolved, Yuga and Mr. Brandon could not leave Pacifidlog Town temporarily.


    However, upon returning to Pacifidlog Town, Yuga''s first action was to send those Pok��mon eggs back to Verdanturf Town via the Bobo Express. It was inconvenient to carry so many Pok��mon eggs around.


    Pok��mon eggs couldn''t be transported via the Transfer Machine, so Yuga could only send them by courier. The Bobo Express had branches in various towns and had a good reputation.


    After all the Draconid People were captured, the senior members of the Hoenn League held an emergency meeting to discuss how to deal with the Draconid People and the Meteor Vige.

 Chapter 1053: Hall Of Fame And Rewards

    <h4>Chapter 1053: Hall Of Fame And Rewards</h4>


    So, Yuga and Mr. Brandon stayed in Pacifidlog Town for a week, before the final decision regarding the Draconid People and the Meteor Vige was made.


    All the Draconid People who was involved in the cloning of Rayquaza will be imprisoned, and they won''t be getting out for at least two or three decades, and even if they do, they won''t be able to be Pok��mon trainers.


    Important figures like the olddy will probably spend their entire lives in prison.


    As for those who were not involved, the elderly, women, and children will be forced to leave the Meteor Vige and renounce their identity as Draconid People, registering as ordinary citizens in the League''s registry system.


    The Draconid People who have been living in seclusion have never been registered residents of the League, and they are no different from those undocumented people outside.


    Getting rid of the Meteor Vige this time has solved a major problem for the Hoenn League.


    Lastly, regarding the decision on the Meteor Vige, the League has no intention of leaving such a good ce unused.


    They have decided to establish a secret battle team training camp here, specifically to train outstanding young trainers in the League, which can be seen as an advanced version of the Junior Prep Camp.


    The battle team training camp n has been in preparation by the Hoenn League for a long time, but they couldn''t decide where to build it before.


    Now, with the ready-made Meteor Vige, it''s perfect.


    As for the Pok��mon in the Meteor Vige, the League has decided to let them continue living here and will send specialized personnel for supervision.


    The Hoenn League ns to turn the Meteor Vige into a ce simr to Mt. Silver in Johto.


    In the future, when people from the League Headquarters brag about having a pseudo-legendary Dragonite, people from the Hoenn League will also be able to boast about having a pseudo-legendary Smence.


    During Yuga''s stay in Pacifidlog Town, Steven also arrived.


    He was the main person in charge of handling the Draconid People incident this time.


    At this moment, Yuga, Steven, and Mr. Brandon are sitting in a room at the Pok��mon Center.


    Steven''s visit this time is to inform Yuga and Mr. Brandon about the merits and rewards they have received in this Draconid People incident.


    Mr. Brandon is not a member of the Hoenn League, so his reward will be sent to the League Headquarters by the Hoenn League, and then handed over to him by the League Headquarters.


    Therefore, this time Steven is just verbally informing Mr. Brandon, mainly for Yuga''s sake.


    As the main hero of this Draconid People incident, Yuga has received a considerable amount of merits at once.


    Coupled with the merits he had previously earned and the merits umted by the Innovation Potion, Yuga''s trainer level in the League has skyrocketed to be a Hall of Fame trainer.


    This is the highest honor for League trainers.


    Steven and the other Elite Four members and Champions are at this level, which means that in the future, Yuga will enjoy the same status and treatment as the Elite Four and Champions within the Hoenn League.


    The title of Hall of Fame Trainer is not specifically for the Elite Four, but because it is not easy to achieve, gradually, sometimes this title has be specifically for the Elite Four and Champions.


    Each regional league division has only a few Hall of Fame trainers, apart from the Elite Four and the Champion.


    You can count the others on one hand, and each of them is a prominent figure who has contributed significantly to the league.


    Yuga''s promotion to the Hall of Fame trainer this time is not only due to his significant contribution to the Draconid People incident but also primarily because of the promotion of the Innovation Potion.


    The Innovation Potion is too important; it has epoch-making significance for trainers.


    "Alright, that''s all I have to say about your promotion to Hall of Fame trainer. Your name and statue will officially enter the Hall of Fame of the Hoenn League in a month, and at that time, the League will announce to the public your status as a Hall of Fame trainer," Steven said, looking at Yuga, who seemed a bit dazed.


    Yuga hadn''t expected to be a Hall of Fame trainer so quickly, and his name and statue would enter the Hall of Fame of the Hoenn League.


    Doesn''t this mean that he''s going to reach the pinnacle of life?


    It''s really exciting!


    Seeing Yuga''s surprised expression, Steven also couldn''t help but sigh.


    He hadn''t expected Yuga to be a Hall of Fame trainer so quickly.


    If he hadn''t be a Champion, he wouldn''t have obtained the title of Hall of Fame trainer now and wouldn''t have entered the Hall of Fame.


    The Elite Four and the Champion of the league are the main faces of the league externally, so they require fewer merits to be promoted to Hall of Fame trainerspared to ordinary trainers, almost half as much.


    Otherwise, even young people like Steven, who has been in the Prosecuor Bureau all along before bing a Champion, would almost never be able to be promoted to Hall of Fame trainers.


    Not only Steven, but they are all the same, including them, Yuga can be said to be the only one among the younger generation who has climbed to the position of Hall of Fame trainer solely by his own strength.


    Although there is only one level of difference between Hall of Fame trainers and lower-ranking Honor trainers, in fact, this one-level difference is like a chasm.


    Seeing Yuga''s dazed expression for a bit too long, Steven knocked on the table to remind him, "Hey, hey, are you awake? I haven''t finished what I was saying yet."


    For Yuga''s reaction, Mr. Brandon, who was on the side, was not surprised.


    Wasn''t he the same at the beginning?


    Mr. Brandon is a Hall of Fame trainer at the League Headquarters.


    Apart from the Elite Four and the Champion (including the former ones), there are only three Hall of Fame trainers alive at the League Headquarters: Professor Oak, the Chairman of the Headquarters, and Mr. Brandon.


    (Note: The title of Hall of Fame trainer is a title level and is not directly rted to the trainer''s strength level.)


    Mr. Brandon, as a well-known figure, relies not on his two legendary Pokemon Regirocks and Registeel but on his tangible merits.


    Twenty years ago, the dark organization Team Rocket caused trouble in the Kanto region, and Mr. Brandon was one of the main forces in defeating Team Rocket.


    It was also at that time that Mr. Brandon obtained the title of Hall of Fame trainer.


    Now, the predecessor of the current Team Rocket in the Kanto and Johto regions is the Team Rocket from twenty years ago.


    Initially, everyone thought that Team Rocket had been destroyed, but no one expected it to make aebackter, bing even more formidable and stubborn.


    As Yuga regained hisposure, he looked awkwardly at Steven and said, "Haha... Please continue, continue."


    Steven sighed and said, "After bing a Hall of Fame trainer, all resources in the league store will be avable to you. You need to be mindful of this."


    Not only will all resources be avable to Yuga, but there will also be significant discounts, which are basic benefits for Hall of Fame trainers.


    Yuga nodded. "Alright, I''ll keep that in mind."


    Steven continued, "Regarding your reward this time, the league isn''t sure what to give you, so let me ask you directly what you want. Whatever you request and can be fulfilled, the league will try its best to satisfy you."


    After bing a Hall of Fame trainer, Yuga will no longerck merit points and resources.


    Moreover, Yuga himself is not short of money, so the league found it difficult to decide on Yuga''s reward for a while.


    This time, Yuga and Mr. Brandon not only resolved the Draconid People incident but also handed over two Master level, several Champion level, and Elite level Pok��mon.


    These Pok��mon are very useful to the league, so the rewards Yuga and Mr. Brandon can receive are quite generous.


    Those high level Pok��mon are the spoils of war for Yuga and Mr. Brandon.


    If they don''t hand them over, no one can do anything about it.


    Although the league prohibits the buying and selling of adult Pok��mon, there are still many people who do so privately.


    High- level Pok��mon are very valuable.


    Even if they cannot be used for training, they can be used for many other purposes.


    So, the league will not be stingy with rewards for Yuga and Mr. Brandon, who handed over Pok��mon.


    Yuga had no other requests at the moment.


    Upon hearing Steven''s words, he immediately said, "Then, please apply to the league for some Pok��mon for me to use as breeding Pok��mon!"


    Hearing Yuga''s request, Steven chuckled. "I knew you would make this request."


    With that, he took out a piece of paper with a list of Pok��mon names written densely on it.


    "These are the Pok��mon names I''ve prepared in advance that can be directly allocated to you. Take a look at which ones you need, and I''ll apply for them on your behalf."


    Yuga was pleasantly surprised to hear this; he hadn''t expected Steven to be so considerate.


    He took the list and said, "Thank you!"


    Steven casually replied, "No need for verbal thanks; just don''t refuse when I ask for your help in the future."


    Yuga quickly scanned the list, contemting what kind of Pok��mon he should choose. Soon, he settled on his first target: Roserade and Roselia.


    The bebe and Floette in Yuga''s Ecopark were gradually growing up, and some had even evolved into Florges with Yuga''s assistance.


    Now, Yuga urgently wanted to find suitable mates for them.


    Roserade and Roselia were perfect candidates.


    "For the first one, I want Roserade and Roselia, adult Pok��mon only. I don''t need any Budews; around twenty should be enough," Yuga said to Steven without lifting his head.


    Steven nodded in response. "Alright, I''ll make a note of that."


    Originally, the Spritzee in the Ecopark also needed mates, but ever since Yuga brought back a group of Pikachu from the Nameless Ind, that problem had been solved.


    Although most of the Pikachu originally had yellow potential, Yuga had managed to produce quite a few with green potential using the Innovation Potion.


    Therefore, they were perfect mates for the Spritzee and Aromatise.


    To facilitate the pairing of these two species, the Spritzee and Aromatise that used to live in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark and the Pikachu that lived in Oasis No. 2 had all been relocated to Oasis No. 1, where the Flygon used to reside.


    As for the Litleo that entered the Ecopark with the Spritzee and Aromatise, Yuga didn''t need to worry about finding mates for them.


    Both the Houndoom family and the Nales family in the Volcano Sub-Ecopark were suitable matches for them.


    For the second type of Pok��mon, Yuga chose Meganium, which excelled in support among the Grass-type Trio Starter, making it a good choice.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s request for Meganium, Steven frowned and said, "These Meganium were sent by Johto to the Ever Grande City Day Care Center for breeding purposes.


    There are only around ten of them. It might not be easy to apply for them."


    Yuga smiled and replied, "Just do your best to negotiate for me. If we can''t get them, it''s fine."


    Steven could only nod helplessly. "Alright, I''ll try my best. But don''t me me if we can''t get them."


    Yuga waved his hand. "No worries, no worries."


    For the final type, Yuga applied for over ten Scyther.


    Although there were some Scyther in Yuga''s Ecopark, there were only a few.


    It would take a long time for them to reproduce enough to be sold.


    Currently, the most abundant Bug-type Pok��mon in the Insect Nest Sub-Ecopark were Beautifly, Dustox, and Combee.


    They couldn''t fully utilize the uniqueness of the Insect Nest Sub-Ecopark, so Yuga wanted to use Scyther to change the weak position of Bug-type Pok��mon in the Ecopark.


    Seeing Yuga choose Scyther again, Steven couldn''t help but say, "You sure know how to pick them, making my job harder."


    The more precious Pok��mon Yuga chose, the more difficult it was for Steven to apply for them.


    Yuga sped his hands together and said, "Please, I appreciate it!"


    With a stern face, Steven said, "I''ll do my best, but don''t forget to repay me!"


    After finishing with Yuga''s requests, Steven turned to Mr. Brandon and said, "Regarding Mr. Brandon''s reward, we''llmunicate with headquarters and if there are any grievances, Mr. Brandon can raise them with headquarters."


    Mr. Brandon smiled faintly. "I understand."


    "Oh, by the way! Do you know about the n to change Meteor Vige into a training camp?" Steven suddenly asked Yuga.


    Yuga nodded. "I know a bit. Why?"


    Steven replied, "I heard they n to invite you to be a teacher at the training camp."


    Yuga frowned at the suggestion. "Ah... No, thanks! I''m fine being a Gym Trainer. I can''t handle being a teacher here."


    Steven replied, "Alright, if you''re not willing, I don''t think they''ll force you."


    "Oh, by the way, Mr. Brandon, would you like toe here and be a teacher? The treatment is very good, and we can also negotiate for you to be the camp leader at the training camp," Steven suddenly turned to Mr. Brandon sitting next to Yuga and asked.


    Yuga: ...


    Mr. Brandon: ...


    Hey hey!!! You''re tantly poaching from headquarters! Steven, you''ve changed, you weren''t like this before!


    Yuga crazily criticized Steven in his mind.


    He seriously doubted that Steven''s invitation to the training camp just now wasn''t for him but for Mr. Brandon.


    Although Mr. Brandon''s thoughts were exactly the same as Yuga''s, he politely and gracefully declined, "I appreciate the kind offer from the Hoenn League, but I still prefer my work in archaeology and adventures."


    Steven looked disappointed and regretful, "That''s a pity. I thought there might be a chance to work with Mr. Brandon! I grew up listening to stories about Mr. Brandon."


    Yuga felt like rolling his eyes upon hearing this. He felt like the Steven he used to know was a fake.


    How could Steven have such thick skin?


    He wasn''t Wace, after all.


    Then Steven, Yuga, and Mr. Brandon chatted for a while, and the conversation eventually turned to the Level 100 Smence in Meteor Vige.


    "Ah, we still don''t know what to do with it," Steven sighed.


    Since the Smence woke up, it had been causing trouble.


    As ast resort, Steven had locked it up again in that cave prison.


    The Smence was too powerful, and there was simply no way to control it for the time being. Steven was extremely frustrated about it.


    "How about I go see it tomorrow?" Yuga suddenly suggested.

 Chapter 1054: Aegislash

    <h4>Chapter 1054: Aegish</h4>


    Afterward, Yuga was taken by Steven to see the Smence, and when Yuga came out from the cave where the Smence was locked up, he gave Steven a surprise.


    The Smence agreed to stay at the Battle Team Training Camp as a guardian Pok��mon in the future.


    This means that Steven not only no longer needs to worry about how to deal with this Smence, but also doesn''t need to bother keeping it locked up or worry about it causing trouble one day.


    When Steven received this news from Yuga, he was absolutely stunned.


    He asked excitedly, "How did you manage to do it?"


    "It''s a secret," Yuga said mysteriously.


    How else could it be done?


    The key to persuading the Smencey in the Bagon Egg.


    The Smence originally thought the Bagon Egg had died, but Yuga not only let it see the still-living Bagon Egg but also promised to help it heal the Bagon Egg.


    Having experienced loss and recovery, the Smence couldn''t care about much else.


    It agreed to Yuga''s request without hesitation, not only willing to stay at the training camp as a guardian Pok��mon but also promising not to cause trouble in the future.


    Yuga promised to bring it back to Meteor Vige after healing the Bagon Egg, so the Smence and the Bagon Egg could meet again.


    However, he made it clear to the Smence that after the Bagon was healed, it would be raised by him and not return to its side.


    The Smence now only hopes for its child to survive well.


    Therefore, it didn''t oppose Yuga''s request.


    It had fought against Yuga and knew that he was a formidable trainer, so the Bagon wouldn''t be overlooked under his care.


    Yuga didn''t say how he convinced the Smence, and Steven didn''t ask further.


    He attributed all of this to Yuga''s special abilities.


    Although the outside world''s understanding of Mr. Kuni''o''s special abilities remains limited tomunication and healing, who knows if they might have other effects!


    "With this merit, I guarantee that all the Pok��mon you applied for will be arranged for you."


    Pok��mon with strengthparable to Legendary Pok��mon, like this Smence, is impossible for forces other than ancient families such as the Temples, the Draconid people, and the Dragon Tamers to possess.


    For example, new forces like Devon Corporation can''t have them, and even the League has only a few.


    These are all to be kept as hidden aces.


    Yet today, Yuga managed to secure one for the League.


    Hearing Steven''s words, Yuga smiled and said, "With your assurance, I''m relieved."


    After the Draconic People incident was resolved, Yuga and Mr. Brandon left Pacifidlog Town.


    Before leaving, Yuga entrusted the Decidueye to Mr. Genzo.


    Upon returning to Verdanturf Town, Yuga immediately began to prepare to make the Resurrection Water.


    The most precious material in the Resurrection Water is Revival Herb, which Yuga already has on hand.


    So, the Resurrection Water was quickly manufactured.


    ording to the form, when the Resurrection Water is ced in an incubator, the Bagon Egg will be able to recover after soaking in it for about a week.


    Yuga stayed in Pacifidlog Town for half a month, and when he returned, it happened to be the day when Takahiro Ogata and Kenta Momota left Verdanturf Town with Togepi and Feebas.


    After half a month of bonding, Takahiro Ogata and Kenta Momota had developed a deep friendship with Togepi and Feebas and had passed the assessment at the YoYo Day Care.


    Upon returning to Verdanturf Town, Yuga immediately busied himself with cing the Pok��mon eggs that were sent from Pacifidlog Town into the Ecopark and then began to make Resurrection Water.


    After Yuga injected the prepared Resurrection Water into the incubator and walked out of the Ecopark with the incubator containing the Bagon Egg, he saw Suzuki hurriedly approaching him to inform him that Takahiro Ogata and Kenta Momota, who was supposed toe to pick up Togepi and Feebas at this time as agreed, hadn''t shown up, and they couldn''t be contacted by phone.


    These two people were staying at the Paradise Inn.


    Suzuki had gone to the inn herself earlier, but their room was empty.


    Strangely, although these two people were missing, their luggage was neatly arranged in the room, obviously packed up and ready to leave Verdanturf Town today.


    Under normal circumstances, these two people shouldn''t have left for no reason at such an important time, obviously something had happened to them.


    Upon learning the news of the two missing people, Yuga immediately went to investigate their situation in the room at the Paradise Inn.


    Yuga didn''t find anything unusual in Kenta Momota''s room, but as soon as he entered Takahiro Ogata''s room, he immediately felt his hair stand on end, followed by a sudden sense of impending danger that made his heart race.


    It was the aura of Ghost-type Pok��mon!


    Suddenly, a blue energy ripple appeared in the room, and a Shadow Ball shot out from the blue ripple, aiming directly at Yuga.


    Fortunately, at the critical moment, Mismagius appeared in time and used its Mystical Fire to counteract the Shadow Ball.


    Then, a blue light flickered in Mismagius''s eyes, and the scene in front of Yuga underwent a dramatic change.


    The previously tidy room disappeared, and Takahiro Ogata and Kenta Momota were now lying unconscious, one on the bed and the other on the floor.


    Obviously, the illusions Yuga had seen earlier were all created by a Pok��mon that was now hovering in the center of the room��Aegish.


    All Mismagius are experts in illusion, so Yuga''s Mismagius immediately saw through the illusions created by Aegish.


    Aegish (Reviving)


    Type: Steel, Ghost


    Ability: Stance Change


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 66 (100)


    Moves: King''s Shield, Head Smash, Autotomize, Tackle, Swords Dance, Sacred Sword, Shadow Sneak, Fury Cutter, Metal Takahiro Ogatand, Iron Defense, Iron Head, Power Trick, Protect, Frustration, Brick Break, Double Team, Reflect, Swagger, Substitute, sh Cannon, Wide Guard, Spite, Shock Wave, sh, Retaliate, Night sh.


    Seeing the data of this Aegish, Yuga was very surprised.


    This turned out to be a purple potential Pok��mon.


    Are there so many purple potential Pok��mon now?


    Not long ago, he just saw a Smence, and now there''s an Aegish.


    "System, what''s going on with the level of this Aegish?" Yuga frowned at the system and asked, "66 is 66, and 100 is 100, but what does 66 (100) mean?"


    [ Its level was originally supposed to be 100, and 66 should be its current level after falling. ]


    Yuga suddenly realized at the words of the system.


    He was d it wasn''t level 100, otherwise, he wouldn''t have the confidence to defeat a level 100 Pok��mon alone.


    Even if he won, the future of his Pok��mon Park, along with the nearby YoYo Day Care, would be in question.


    But how did such a special Pok��mon appear here?


    Just then, Yuga suddenly noticed that there were many mottled marks on Aegish''s body, one by one, like... rust that was left after the steel rusting.


    As Yuga observed Aegish, it suddenly used the move Sacred Sword to attack Yuga.


    If hit by this massive energy sword, there was no doubt that he would be split in half.


    Yuga rolled on the ground to dodge the Sacred Sword.


    Meanwhile, Mismagius''s Mystical Fire surged forward.


    Then Yuga saw that Aegish was clearly intending to use King''s Shield to switch to Shield Forme for defense, but there was a cracking sound, and halfway through the switch, Aegish was hit by the Mystical Fire.


    The movement and reaction of this Aegish seem too sluggish, isn''t it? Yuga thought to himself.


    Indeed, it was the case.


    At this moment, Aegish only felt confused in its mind and its body seemed out of control, with a feeling of being bound and restricted in every movement.


    Its perception of the outside world was also very weak, and all its attacks were driven by instinct in the haze of consciousness.


    Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?


    These three questions best exin the state of Aegish at this moment.


    "Gengar, take these two people out!"


    Seeing that Aegish was preparing to attack again, Yuga quickly instructed Gengar.


    Although Aegish''s level had dropped to pseudo-Elite level, its defense and vitality were still far superior to ordinary Pok��mon, and Mismagius''s Mystical Fire was not enough to incapacitate it.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s instructions, Gengar emerged from the shadow space, grabbed Takahiro Ogata and Kento Momota, and quickly exited the room, while Aegish''s Sacred Sword also struck towards Mismagius.


    At this moment, what Aegish felt most dangerous in the room was Mismagius, so it instinctivelyunched an attack on Mismagius.


    However, in its confused state, it didn''t realize that Fighting-type moves were ineffective against Ghost-types.


    So, the massive energy sword pierced through Mismagius, but Mismagius was unaffected. (Note: Immunity to attributes in this book is not absolute. If Aegish''s level were still 100, Mismagius''s immunity to Sacred Sword would disappear.)


    Seeing this scene, Yuga finally confirmed that the Aegish in front of him was not normal.


    Under normal circumstances, when two Pok��mon battle each other, they would instinctively avoid using moves that are ineffective against or resisted by their opponents, even without being trained by a Trainer.


    Their innate sensitivity to attributes would prompt them to do so instinctively.


    Now, Aegish used Fighting-type moves against Mismagius, which are immune to Fighting-type moves, indicating that it has lost its perception of the outside world.


    With this understanding, dealing with Aegish became much easier for Yuga and Mismagius.


    Although Aegish, once a level 100 Pok��mon, had extraordinary defense and vitality, it soon fell to Yuga and Mismagius.


    After defeating Aegish, Yuga casually threw a Pok�� Ball at it, and surprisingly, it was sessfully captured.


    This meant that it was an unowned Pok��mon.


    After receiving treatment, Takahiro Ogata and Kento Momota quickly regained consciousness, and Yuga learned about the origin of Aegish from them.


    During their time in Verdanturf Town, Takahiro Ogata identally met a friend who was an explorer.


    This friend tried to sell Takahiro Ogata a sword and a shield he obtained during his exploration.


    ording to Takahiro Ogata''s friend, he found the sword and shield in arge tomb during his exploration in the Kalos region.


    It was said that this tomb was suspected to have been built by a royal family of a great empire in Kalos history, and the sword and shield were burial items of the tomb''s owner.


    Takahiro Ogata was very interested in these relics and bought both the sword and shield.


    Before setting off, Kento Momota went to Takahiro Ogata''s room to find him and identally saw the sword and shield, which also piqued his interest.


    So, the two of them discussed the sword and shield while holding them.


    Who would have thought that as they discussed, the sword and shield suddenly merged together, and then they lost consciousness.


    Looking back now, both of them felt somewhat frightened.


    Who could have imagined that the sword and shield would actually be a dormant Aegish, which revived in their hands!


    Seeing that both of them were very hesitant about Aegish, Yuga suggested, "If you''re willing, you can give Aegish to me, and I''llpensate you ordingly."


    Kento Momota replied, "Aegish belongs to Takahiro Ogata, not me, so the mainpensation should go to Takahiro Ogata."

 Chapter 1055: Hatching And Awakening

    <h4>Chapter 1055: Hatching And Awakening</h4>


    It was Lance who called Yuga.


    On the phone, Lance insisted oning to Verdanturf Town to see Yuga, but he wouldn''t tell Yuga the specific reason.


    Yuga had no choice but to agree to wait for him toe.


    A few days passed in a sh.


    During these days, Yuga had been keeping an eye on the Aegish, but since it fainted at the hands of Mismagius, it hadn''t woken up.


    Then the Pok��mon that the League had rewarded Yuga arrived.


    The one escorting the Pok��mon was the Elite Four member Sidney, and Lance came along with her.


    To Yuga''s delight, the League not only sent all the Pok��mon he had applied for but also transferred the eight Meganium that were originally allocated to Ever Grande City to him.


    Additionally, when Yuga applied for Roserade and Roselia, he didn''t specify whether he wanted Roserade or Roselia.


    So, the League sent all Roserade to him.


    Yuga wanted Roserade and Roselia for breeding purposes.


    Compared to the second-stage Roselia, the fully evolved Roserade was more suitable, not only saving the need for a Shiny Stone for evolution but also saving Yuga a lot of training time.


    Since the Roserades were meant to pair with Florges, Yuga requested that the League send males.


    The League didn''t disappoint; they sent healthy and strong adult males.


    The reason the League was so considerate and prompt was all thanks to Yuga capturing the Smence for them.


    Yuga wasn''t familiar with Sidney, so after delivering the Pok��mon, he left, while Lance stayed.


    After Sidney left, Yuga said to Lance, "No onees to the temple for no reason! Tell me, what''s the reason you had toe here?"


    Hearing this, Lance put his arm around Yuga''s shoulder andughed, "Don''t say it like that. We''ve been through thick and thin together. Can''t I juste to see you?"


    Yuga casually pushed Lance''s arm off his shoulder, then stared at him intently, with a look that clearly said: Go on, keep making up stories.


    In the end, Lance couldn''t withstand Yuga''s "piercing" gaze and had to surrender, saying, "Alright, alright, I''ll tell the truth. I heard you guys cleared out Meteor Vige. You have a Bagon here, right?"


    When it came to Meteor Vige, Lance had very mixed feelings.


    Both the Draconid People and his own Dragon Tamers were descendants of the ancient dragon n lineage.


    However, the actions of the Draconid People had increasingly diverged from those of his Dragon Tamers.


    Although the two ns did not have a good rtionship, seeing the demise of the Draconid People now left him withplex emotions.


    Yuga was surprised that Lance hade for the Bagon.


    After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Your information is quite up-to-date, but I have very few Bagon, so I can only use them for breeding purposes. They are not for sale right now."


    Hearing this, Lance made a distressed face, sped his hands together, and said, "Don''t be like that. Let''s negotiate a little bit more. Just sell me one, just one."


    Yuga didn''t hesitate to refuse again, "No way, this is non-negotiable."


    Having justpensated Takahiro Ogata with one Bagon had already made Yuga feel the pinch.


    Selling another one to Lance would jeopardize the sustainable development of his Pok��mon!


    Besides, with Lance''s status, could a Bagon with green potential satisfy him?


    Obviously not.


    Yuga only had three Bagon with blue potential!


    Seeing Yuga''s firm stance, Lance started to plead his case, "You have no idea how tough it is for me. I''m supposed to be a Dragon-type trainer, but everyone jokes that I''m a Flying-type trainer. Do you think that''s easy for me..."


    When Lance first became famous, apart from his two Dragonites, Altaria and Kingdra, his main Pok��mon also included Charizard, Gyarados, and Aerodactyl.


    Nearly half of his main Pok��mon weren''t Dragon-type but had Flying-type attributes.


    In addition, Dragonite and Altaria also had Flying attributes.


    So, except for Kingdra, almost all of Lance''s main Pok��mon had Flying attributes when he became famous, leading to him beingbeled as a Flying-type trainer.


    Listening to Lance''sints, Yuga felt exasperated: You didn''t seem to care at all before, and don''t forget that Smence also has Flying attributes!


    Seeing that Yuga was still unyielding, Lance asked, "I''ve told you how tough it is for me. Won''t you really help me out?"


    Yuga shook his head.


    Seeing this, Lance gave up the act and sighed, "Alright, if you don''t sell it to me, let''s trade instead."


    Yuga asked, puzzled, "Trade?"


    Lance nodded, "Yes, I really want a Bagon. Our family has Dratini, but I''ve already raised two Dragonites. I can''t keep raising Dratini; I might as well call myself a Dragonite trainer then. So, I''ll trade you a Dratini for a Bagon."


    Hearing Lance''s words, Yuga really wanted to kick him.


    What kind of nonsense was he saying?


    Comining about not being able to keep raising Dratini?


    Some people haven''t even had the chance to raise one, and here he was being picky!


    A well-fed man does not know how a hungry man suffers.


    Seeing the look on Yuga''s face, as if he wanted to punch him, Lance asked in confusion, "What''s with that look? Did I say something wrong?"


    Yuga suppressed his urge to punch him and thought that Lance''s idea of trading a Dratini for a Bagon wasn''t bad.


    Dragonite and Smence could breed together, and there was a chance to produce both Bagon and Dratini, which would be double the joy.


    "Alright, I can ept trading a Dratini for a Bagon. How do you want to do it?"


    Seeing that Yuga agreed, Lance was delighted and said, "I can''t offer more than one Dratini. I can only trade one."


    The Dragon Tamers were arge family with limited Dratini resources.


    If Lance weren''t the future hope of the Dragon Tamers, he wouldn''t even have the chance to get another Dratini after already raising two Dragonites.


    Yuga said, "One is fine. Did you bring the Dratini? Just so you know, I don''t have any Bagon right now, only Bagon eggs. If you don''t mind, we can trade."


    Lance quickly nodded, "I don''t mind, I don''t mind. Bagon eggs are fine."


    After saying this, he took out a specially crafted Pok�� Ball from the Dragon Tamers, which contained a Dratini.


    So, Yuga had asked Audino to bring out a Bagon egg from the Ecopark, and the two of them happily made the trade.


    The Dratini that Lance brought was of blue potential, so Yuga traded a blue potential Bagon egg for it.


    Satisfied with the Bagon egg, Lance left YoYo Day Care contentedly.


    After Lance left, Yuga took the Pok��mon sent by the League and the Dratini to the Ecopark.


    The Roserade and Meganium were sent directly to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, and the Scyther was sent to the Insect Nest Sub-Ecopark.


    Originally, there were six Scythers in Yuga''s Ecopark, one with green potential and five with yellow potential.


    After Yuga used the Innovation Potions on them, two of the yellow potential Scythers evolved to green potential, and the three that didn''t change were sent to the new Ecopark.


    The three Scythers had always lived alongside Pinsir, and after using the Innovation Potions, the number of Pinsir outnumbered the Scyther by two.


    Now, with the addition of the new Scyther, the situation was reversed.


    The Pok��mon bred by the League were highly adaptable.


    Whether it was Roserade, Meganium, or Scyther, they quickly adapted to the new environment in the Ecopark.


    Yuga didn''t ce the Dratini with the Bagon to live together but instead handed it directly to Dragonite''s mother for care.


    Dratini was young and not from the same species as the Bagon, so Yuga was worried that if they were put together, the Bagon might bully Dratini due to their numbers.


    Additionally, since Dratini looked different from itspanions, Yuga was concerned that living with the Bagon for a long time might cause psychological issues for Dratini.


    The best solution was to have Dratini stay with Dragonite''s mother.


    As they grew up and matured, these issues would no longer be a problem.


    A month passed quickly.


    The News of Yuga being inducted into the Hoenn League Hall of Fame and earning the title of Hall of Fame Trainer was announced and widely reported.


    For a time, Yuga was in the spotlight.


    After being inducted into the Hall of Fame, Yuga''s statue would be ced in the Hall of Fame''s main hall alongside the statues of previous Hall of Fame Trainers, bing a goal and benchmark for all trainers.


    The birth of each Hall of Fame Trainer was not easy.


    Without making a significant contribution to the League, it was almost impossible, making it the lifelong dream of nearly all ordinary trainers in the League.


    With the new title of Hall of Fame Trainer, Yuga gradually became an idol for many young trainers.


    Over the past month, the Pok��mon eggs Yuga brought back from Meteor Vige finally began to hatch one after another.


    The first ones to hatch were Ekans and Seviper.


    Since these Pok��mon had always lived with Dragon-type Pok��mon in Meteor Vige and many were descendants of Dragon-type Pok��mon, Yuga still ced them in the Dragon Cave Sub-Ecopark to live with the Dragon-type Pok��mon.


    Because Dragonite''s mother, Tyranitar, and the Hydreigon couple didn''t manage the Dracon Cave Sub-Ecopark affairs, and Aerodactyl had be more well-behaved over time, the ones in charge of the Dragon Cave Sub-Ecopark were now the two Haxorus.


    The Haxorus couple were strong yet gentle and had a strong sense of justice.


    Since they took charge of the Dragon Cave Sub-Ecopark, it had been running smoothly, even keeping the previously unruly Smence couple from Meteor Vige in line.


    After the Seviper and Ekans hatched one after another, the Charmander also started to be born one by one.


    Since the leader Nales and the leader Houndoom couple had always been responsible for the Nales n, the Houndoom n, andter the Pyroar, Yuga didn''t want to burden them further.


    Instead, he entrusted the newly born Charmander to Arcanine.


    Arcanine, who already took care of Growlithe, willingly epted the task of looking after a group of Charmander as well.


    The Bagon was born a monthter.


    The birth of the new Bagon made the previously sparse Bagon n suddenly lively and vibrant.


    Seeing the Bagon y and tussle with Axew on the grass was a delightful sight.


    Yuga ced all the new Bagon with the Haxorus family, letting them live together with Axew, making it easier for the Haxorus couple to take care of them.


    As for the original Smence couple, Yugapletely ignored them.


    Given their temper, the idea of entrusting the Bagon to their care was unthinkable for Yuga.


    In the new month, aside from focusing on the birth of the Pok��mon, the only thing Yuga cared about was the Aegish that had fallen into slumber again.


    One day, Aegish finally woke up again.


    Over the past two months, Yuga noticed that although Aegish had been sleeping, it was instinctively absorbing the faint life energy in the air.


    Its level was also slowly recovering.


    Although the recovery speed was not fast, it gradually returned to the peak of pseudo-Elite level and was ready to reach the Elite level at any time.


    Seeing its progress, Yuga put Aegish into his shadow space to let it absorb the energy from the Shadow Space''s origin stone fragments.


    Sure enough, within a few days, it fully woke up.


    The Mismagius who is in the shadow space, noticing that Aegish is about to wake up and fearing it might go on a rampage and damage the shadow space, directly threw it out.


    Aegish, just regaining consciousness and still unclear about its situation, suddenly felt a dizzying sensation.


    With a "ng," Aegish was thrown out of the shadow space and found itself face-to-face with Yuga.


    Or rather, face-to-eye, as Aegish had only one eye.


    "Uh... hello?"


    Yuga greeted Aegish awkwardly.


    "Who... who are you? Where is this ce?"


    Aegish''s consciousness emitted a wave of thoughts that Yuga urately captured.


    Compared to before, when its body was covered with mottled marks, the Aegish that had absorbed the energy of the Shadow Space''s origin stone appeared renewed, exuding a strong presence with a faint aura of regal authority.


    Seeing the Aegish in this state, Yuga couldn''t help but recall the information he had read about it.


    Aegish, the Royal Sword Pok��mon, can judge whether a human possesses the qualities of a king.


    It is said that those whose recognized by it will eventually be kings.


    Although such legends shouldn''t be taken entirely at face value, they aren''tpletely baseless.


    Fortunately, the now fully conscious Aegish didn''t attack Yuga indiscriminately.


    Yuga quickly exined his identity and their current location to it.


    After hearing Yuga''s exnation, Aegish was momentarily dazed.


    It couldn''t believe that what felt like a short nap hadsted three thousand years, during which its kingdom had perished and it had ended up in a foreignnd.


    Yuga was equally surprised to learn that this Aegish was from over three thousand years ago.


    Unfamiliar with Kalos''s history, Yuga did some online research after hearing the name of the kingdom from Aegish.


    He discovered that it indeed matched a nation that had been destroyed in Kalos region three thousand years ago.


    ording to Aegish, it had been the beast of the kingdom''s first emperor.


    After guarding the kingdom for a hundred years, it had entered its master''s tomb and fallen into a deep slumber.


    That slumbersted three thousand years.


    It was clear that the tomb of its master must have been looted; otherwise, Aegish wouldn''t have ended up as a relic in the outside world.


    "What are your ns now?" Yuga asked while looking at the still-dazed Aegish.


    ns?


    Aegish didn''t know either.


    After a long pause, itmunicated its thoughts to Yuga.


    "I... want to return to the Kalos region to see if my master''s tomb still exists."


    "But it''s been three thousand years. The world has changed, and you probably don''t even remember where your master was buried, do you?"


    Indeed, it didn''t remember.


    Not only had thendscape changed over the centuries, but much of Aegish''s memory had also been lost during its three thousand years of slumber.

 Chapter 1056: Main Character’s Pokémon Data Part I

    <h4>Chapter 1056: Main Character''s Pok��mon Data Part I</h4>


    [ Madame Florges (Miracle Seed) ]


    Type: Fairy


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Flower Veil


    Potential: Unknown


    Level: Unknown


    Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Fairy Wind, Camouge, Magical Leaf, Moonst, Misty Terrain, Grassy Terrain, Flower Shield, Petal Dance, Petal Blizzard, Wish, Psychic, Aromatherapy, Grass Knot, Dazzling Gleam, Disarming Voice, Heal Bell, Giga Drain, Sr Beam


    ...


    [ Absol (King''s Rock) ]


    Type: Dark


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Pressure


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 78


    Moves: Quick Attack, Swords Dance, Psycho Cut, Future Sight, Feint Attack, Roar, Dark Pulse, Stone Edge, Shadow w, Megahorn, Perish Song, Night sh, sh, X-Scissor, Giga Impact


    ...


    [ Vivillon ]


    Type: Bug, Flying


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Compound Eyes, Shield Dust


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 76


    Moves: Protect, Stun Spore, Gust, Psybeam, Electroweb, Safeguard, Bug Buzz Quiver Dance, Hurricane, Light Screen, Supersonic, Sleep Powder, Psychic, Powder, Rage Powder, U-turn, Roost, Sr Beam, Giga Impact, Infestation


    ...


    [ Charizard ]


    Type: Fire, Flying


    Gender: Female


    Ability: ze


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 75


    Moves: Scratch, Ember, Hidden Power (Electric), Dragon Dance, Outrage, Smokescreen, Iron Tail, methrower, Fire Fang, Scary Face, Sunny Day, Fire Punch, Fire st, Dragon Pulse, Dragon w, Steel Wing, Shadow w, Overheat, Inferno, Heat Wave, re Blitz, Air sh, Tailwind


    ...


    [ Dragonite ]


    Type: Dragon, Flying


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Multiscale


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 78


    Moves: Rain Dance, Twister, Thunder Wave, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Extreme Speed, Fire Punch, Brick Break, Roost, Outrage, Dragon Dance, Dragon Rush, Hurricane, Dragon w, Stone Edge, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch


    ...


    [ Chimecho (Light y) ]


    Type: Psychic


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Levitate


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 81


    Moves: Confusion, Gravity, Heal Pulse, Heal Bell, Synchronoise, Shadow Ball, Safeguard, Uproar, Psychic, Calm Mind, Light Screen, Psyshock, Reflect, Healing Wish, Future Sight, Teleport, Zen Headbutt, Skill Swap, Double Team, Rest, Charge Beam, Dream Eater, Trick Room, Recover


    ...


    [ Lapras (Variant) ]


    Type: Water, Ice


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Hydration, Rain Dish


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 83


    Moves: Sing, Water Gun, Haze, Water Pulse, Rain Dance Hail, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Safeguard, Hydro Pump, Sheer Cold Refresh, Waterfall, Surf, Avnche, Dragon Dance, Foresight, Body m, Dragon Pulse, Icy Wind, Aqua Tail, Signal Beam

 Chapter 1057: Main Character’s Pokémon Data Part II

    <h4>Chapter 1057: Main Character''s Pok��mon Data Part II</h4>


    [ Gengar (Spell Tag) ]


    Type: Ghost, Poison


    Ability: Cursed Body


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 76


    Moves: Shadow Punch, Lick, Mean Look, Curse, Shadow Ball, Dream Eater, Hypnosis, Dark Pulse, Psychic, Perish Song, Trick Room, Hex, Nightmare, Sludge Bomb, Will-O-Wisp, Venoshock, Thunderbolt, Ally Switch, Night Shade, Dazzling Gleam


    ...


    [ Mismagius (Spell Tag) ]


    Type: Ghost


    Ability: Levitate


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 76


    Moves: Growl, Grudge, Astonish, Confuse Ray, Mean Look, Pain Split, Mystical Fire, Phantom Force, Power Gem, Lucky Chant, Magical Leaf, Thunderbolt, Psychic, Double Team, Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, Skill Swap, Magic Room


    ...


    [ Mimikyu ]


    Type: Ghost, Fairy


    Ability: Disguise


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 44


    Moves: Wood Hammer, Ssh, Astonish, Copycat, Double Team, Shadow Sneak, sh, Shadow w, Shadow Ball, Drain Punch


    ...


    [ Cosmoem ]


    Type: Psychic, Ghost


    Ability: Sturdy


    Gender: Genderless


    Potential: Unknown


    Level: Unknown


    Moves: Cosmic Power, Teleport

 Chapter 1058: Main Character’s Pokémon Data Part III

    <h4>Chapter 1058: Main Character''s Pok��mon Data Part III</h4>


    [ Bellossom (Miracle Seed) ]


    Type: Grass


    Ability: Chlorophyll


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 69


    Moves: Absorb, Mega Drain, Giga Drain, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Sweet Scent, Magical Leaf, Leaf Storm, Leaf de, Sunny Day, Sr Beam, Synthesis, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Dazzling Gleam, Grassy Terrain, Petal Blizzard, Petal Dance, Attract


    ...


    [ Venusaur (Miracle Seed) ]


    Type: Grass, Poison


    Ability: Chlorophyll


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 69


    Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Sleep Powder, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Venoshock, Sunny Day, Sludge Bom, Energy Ball, Power Whip, Grassy Terrain, Synthesis, Sr Beam, Petal Dance, Earthquake, Frenzy nt, Grass Pledge, Petal Blizzard, Stomp


    ...


    [ Roserade (Poison Barb) ]


    Type: Grass, Poison


    Ability: Natural Cure


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 71


    Moves: Absorb, Growth, Water Sport, Stun Spore, Magical Leaf, Leech Seed, Poison Sting, Grass Whistle, Toxic Spikes, Toxic, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Grassy Terrain, Grass Knot, Venom Drench, Sunny Day, Dazzling Gleam, Sr Beam


    ...


    [ Breloom (Toxic Orb) ]


    Type: Grass, Fighting


    Ability: Poison Heal


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 69


    Moves: Tackle, Stun Spore, Headbutt, Leech Seed, Seed Bomb, Drain Punch, Counter, Brick Break, Mach Punch, Dynamic Punch, Sky Uppercut, Bulk Up, Headbutt, Swords Dance, Stone Edge, Thunder Punch, Iron Tail, Rock Tomb, Sunny Day


    ...


    [ Torterra ]


    Type: Grass, Ground


    Ability: Overgrow


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 71


    Moves: Tackle, Withdraw, Growth, Double-Edge, Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Energy Ball, Sunny Day, Stealth Rock, Leech Seed, Grass Pledge, Earthquake, Leaf Storm, Sr Beam, Sunny Day, Rock Tomb, Stone Edge, Stealth Rock, Earth Power, Superpower, Seed Bomb, Wood Hammer


    ...


    [ Sawsbuck (Big Root) ]


    Type: Normal, Grass


    Ability: Chlorophyll


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 73


    Moves: Tackle, Camouge, Double Kick, Agility, Odor Sleuth, Aromatherapy, Jump Kick, Horn Leech, Megahorn, Double-Edge, Sr Beam, Sunny Day, Shadow Ball, Return, Round, Energy Ball, Swords Dance, Wild Charge, Stomp, Last Resort, Seed Bomb


    ...


    [ Serperior ]


    Type: Grass


    Ability: Contrary


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 72


    Moves: Leer, Vine Whip, Leaf Tornado, Grassy Terrain, Grass Pledge, re, Mean Look, Coil, Gastro Acid, Leaf Storm, Sunny Day, Sr Beam, Reflect, Attract, Energy Ball, Dragon Tail, Dragon Pulse, Aqua Tail, Synthesis

 Chapter 1059: Main Character’s Pokémon Data Part IV

    <h4>Chapter 1059: Main Character''s Pok��mon Data Part IV</h4>


    [ Decidueye ]


    Type: Grass, Ghost


    Ability: Long Reach


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 58


    Moves: Tackle, Leafage, Peck, Ominous Wind, Astonish, Razor Leaf, Foresight, Synthesis, Shadow Ball, Feather Dance, Sucker Punch, Leaf de Brave Bird, Nasty Plot, Sunny Day, Roost, Sr Beam, Double Team, Steel Wing, Energy Ball, Shadow w, Grass Pledge, Seed Bomb, U-turn, Spirit Shackle


    ...


    [ Abomasnow (Variant) ]


    Type: Grass, Ice


    Ability: Snow Warning


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 58


    Moves: Powder Snow, Icy Wind, Grass Whistle, Mist, Growth, Synthesis (Variant Move), Ice Punch, Ice Shard, Ingrain, Wood Hammer, Blizzard, Hail, Brick Break, Ice Beam, Energy Ball, Seed Bomb


    ....


    [ Kartana ]


    Type: Grass, Steel


    Ability: Beast Boost


    Gender: None


    Potential: Unknown


    Level: Unknown


    Moves: Sacred Sword, Vacuum Wave, Air sh, Cut, Fury Cutter, Razor Leaf, Aerial Ace, Night sh, Swords Dance, Leaf de, Air sh, X-Scissor, Psycho Cut, Iron Defense

 Chapter 1060: Ecopark Data Compilation

    <h4>Chapter 1060: Ecopark Data Comption</h4>


    [ Main Ecopark ]:


    Audino (Elite Four Level)


    Great Flygon (Pseudo-Elite Four)


    Wigglytuff


    Meditite and Medicham family


    Buneary and Lopunny family


    Natu and Xatu family


    Mr. Mime couple


    Gardevoir (Female) and Gade family


    Gade (Blue)


    Gade 2


    Gardevoir 2


    Gardevoir (Male)


    ...


    [ Desert Sub-Ecopark ]:


    Oasis 1:


    Snox


    Ursaring, Pangoro family


    Pancham 2


    Kecleon couple, Baby Kecleon


    Oasis 2:


    Gligar, Gliscor family


    Oasis 3:


    Pikachu, Raichu family


    Spiritzee and Aromatisse family


    ...


    [ Shallow Beach Sub-Ecopark ]:


    In the Sea:


    Lileep and Cradily


    Cloyster 2


    Kabuto and Kabutops


    Omanyte


    Cors 2


    Dewgong


    Carvanha, Sharpedo family


    Lapras family


    uncher, witzer family


    mperl, Huntail, Gorebyss family


    Anorith


    Remoraid, Mantyke and Mantine family


    Lake Heart Ind 1:


    Greninja (Elite level)


    stoise (Blue)


    Milotic (Blue)


    Gyarados (Pseudo-Elite level : Blue)


    Feebas, Milotic family


    Magikarp, Gyarados family


    Slowbro


    Slowking


    Poliwrath, Politoed


    Lake Heart Ind 2:


    Oddish, Gloom, Vileplume, Bellossom family


    Hoppip, Skiploom, Jumpluff family


    Lake Heart Ind 3:


    Archeops (Champion Level)


    Old Togekiss (Elite Level)


    Vuby, Mandibuzz family


    Rufflet, Braviary family


    Togepi, Togetic, Togekiss family


    ...


    [ Flower Sea Sub-Park ]:


    Masquerain 2


    Sceptile 1 Blue+ 5 Green


    Serperior 1 Blue+ 2 Green


    Meganium 8


    Petilil and Lilligant (Few)


    Bounsweet, Steenee, Tsareena (Few)


    Bellossom (Few)


    Cea, Cacturne (Few)


    Exeggcute, Exeggutor (Few)


    Fomantis, Lurantis (Few)


    Shroomish, Breloom (Few)


    Skiddo, Gogoat family


    Amoonguss


    Whimsicott


    Diglett, Dugtrio family


    Comfey


    b��b��, Floette, Florges family; Roserade


    Tangrowth


    [ Grasnd Sub-Ecopark ]:


    Noctowl (Elite Level)


    Chatot (Elite Level) �� Hoothoot (Male)


    Honchkrow (leader) and Swellow (leader) �� Murkrow (Male), Taillow (Female)


    Honchkrow; Taillow; Crobat; Pidgeot; Staraptor


    Linoone and Mightyena Couple


    Pachirisu family


    Miltank family


    Tauros family


    Persian and Delcatry 3


    Mareep 4


    Liepard and Zoroaek couple ( Purloin and Zorua )


    Swampert (1 Blue, 4 Green)


    Ludicolo 4


    Chansey 6 (MeiMei, YuanYuan, QiuQiu, TuanTuan, AiAi, PangPang) + 10 Chansey + 50 Chansey


    ...


    [ Volcano Sub-Ecopark ]:


    Volcarona (Elite Level), Vivillon


    Nales (Leader: Blue) & Houndoom (Leader) �� Nales (Blue)


    Vulpix, Nales family; Houndour, Houndoom family; Litleo, Pyroar family


    Cyndaquil, Quva, Typhlosion family


    Darumaka, Darmanitan family


    Ponyta, Rapidash family


    Eevee family:


    Espeon (Female) & Umbreon (Blue:Male)


    Jolteon (Blue: Male) & Sylveon (Female)


    Vaporeon (Blue: Female) & Vaporeon (Male)


    Leafeon: Female


    ceon: Female


    reon (Male) & reon (Female)


    Arcanine (Elite Level: Blue) �� Growlithe (Blue)


    Torchic, Combusken, ziken family


    Charmander


    ...


    [ Haunted House Sub-Ecoark ]:


    Ghost Sea:


    Jellicent (Male) Jellicent (Female) �� Frilish (Male: Blue)


    Dusknoir (Master Level)


    Dhelmise (Elite Level)


    Haunted House 1:


    Litwick, Lampent, Chandelure Family


    Haunted House 2:


    Mismagus, Mismagus Family.


    Gastly, Haunter, Gengar, Phantump, Trevenant, etc.


    Haunted House 3:


    Mmar 3


    Meowstic (Male) and Meowstic (Female)


    ...


    [ Mine Sub-Ecoark ]:


    Steelix (Elite Level)


    Aron, Lairon, Aggron family


    Magnemite, Maon


    Larvitar, Pupitar, Tyranitar family


    ...


    [ Insect Paradise Sub-Ecopark ]:


    Ariados (Shiny) and Galvant couple


    Joltik, Galvant family


    Wurmple, Silcoon, Cascoon, Beautifly, Dustox family


    Vespiquen (Pseudo-Elite Level) �� Combee (Multiple)


    Vespiquen No. 2 �� Combee (Multiple), Cutiefly (Reserve)


    Scatterbug, Spewpa, Vivillon family


    Scyther family; Pinsir family


    Beedrill 2


    ...


    [ Dragon''s Cave Sub-Ecopark ]:


    Dragonite (Master Level)


    Dratini


    Druddigon (Elite Level)


    Smence (Female) and Hydreigon (Male) couple


    Bagon, Shelgon, Smence family


    Noivern (Female) and Aerodactyl (Male) couple


    Swablu, Altaria family


    Horsea, Seadra, Kingdra family (including one Green and one Blue Kingdra)


    Trapinch, Vibrava, Flygon family


    Jangmo-o and Kommo-o family


    Ekans; Seviper


    ...


    [ Notes ]:


    1. High Potential Pok��mon that was sold in YoYo Day Care are marked with (Few).


    2. Entries marked with (Few) indicate insufficient quantity for individual sale, and will be sold collectively with other entries marked (Few).


    3. "��" indicates offspring from the previous two Pok��mon.


    4. Groups separated by ";" can interbreed.

 Chapter 1061: Learning

    <h4>Chapter 1061: Learning</h4>


    On this day, Yuga was leisurely sitting on a chair in the gym''s courtyard, resting.


    In the yard, a Bagon was energetically using Dragon w tounch fierce attacks using Dragon w at the Mimikyu opposite it, which was rapidly retreating while using Shadow w to block the attacks.


    Not far away, Kartana was swiftly swinging its Leaf de at the Aegish opposite it.


    Kartana''s arms moved so fast that only a blur could be seen.


    On the other side, Aegish had separated its sword and shield, using King''s Shield to quickly change forms and defend while waiting for an opportunity to counterattack with Sacred Sword.


    The Bagon battling Mimikyu had hatched from an egg that Yuga had healed with the Resurrection Water.


    After a week of treatment, as predicted by the system, the egg''s life crisis was averted.


    Yuga sessfullypleted the system task and received the universal Pokeblock recipe for Fighting-type Pok��mon.


    Because the Bagon had already gained consciousness while still in the egg, it appeared particrly mature upon hatching, not at all like a newly hatched Pok��mon.


    It knew that Yuga was the one who saved it, and it was very close to Yuga.


    After the Bagon hatched, Yuga took it to Meteor Vige as promised.


    Although the training camp there was still under construction, the person in charge recognized Yuga, allowing him to smoothly meet Smence again.


    When Yuga saw Smence, it was still confined in that cave.


    However, thanks to Yuga''s promise, the once frantic, irritable, and obsessive Smence now appeared very calm.


    As soon as Yuga entered the cave with Bagon, Smence immediately recognized its child.


    The blood connection between parent and child was enough to prove their rtionship without any introduction or exnation from Yuga.


    Seeing Bagon hatch healthily, the Smence was overjoyed to the point of tears.


    It had waited for this day for many years, and now its child had finally hatched; it wasn''t a dream.


    After meeting Bagon, Yuga fulfilled his promise to Smence.


    Smence, in turn, was to fulfill the promise it made to Yuga.


    So, after Yuga left Meteor Vige, Smence was released from the cave and became the guardian Pok��mon of the training camp.


    Freed from the cave, Smence was now a free Pok��mon.


    It could leisurely sunbathe in the valley of Meteor Vige or p its wings at any time to visit Verdanturf Town and see Bagon.


    In short, the now-free Smence had be an unrestrained Pok��mon.


    While it spent most of its time guarding Meteor Vige, it was free to go wherever it wanted, and the League did not impose many restrictions on it.


    Of course, the frequent visits Smence made to Verdanturf Town to see Bagon are another story.


    The first time Yuga saw Smence in Verdanturf Town, he was so startled that he almost thought he was seeing things.


    Due to its mature personality, Bagon insisted on training with Yuga''s other Pok��mon from the moment it was born.


    It had a meticulous attitude towards training, which made Yuga think that it was somewhat influenced by its past experiences.


    Among Yuga''s main Pok��mon, Mimikyu had the lowest level, so it was tasked with training with Bagon most of the time.


    Although Mimikyu hadn''t been with Yuga for long, its progress was rapid due to its high potential.


    Its strength was far beyond that of the newly hatched Bagon, so during their training sessions, Mimikyu mostly defended passively and didn''t actively attack.


    Just like now, even though Mimikyu could easily knock Bagon away with a slight use of Shadow w, it didn''t do so.


    Instead, it kept retreating while using Shadow w to defend against Bagon''s Dragon w.


    Bagon''s goal for the day was tond a single hit on Mimikyu while it was defending.


    Although this seemed like an easy goal, it was quite challenging for the current Bagon.


    Yuga wasn''t strict with the newly hatched Bagon and didn''t rush to have it learn many skills.


    Most of the training was focused on building a solid foundation, including basic physical training.


    However, being a blue-potential Pok��mon, Bagon not only easily learned basic skills like Ember, Leer, Bite, and Dragon Breath but also inadvertently mastered Dragon w during training.


    Since Bagon''s level was not high and it hadn''t been long since it learned Dragon w, it was still quite inexperienced in using it.


    This is why it was seen today fiercely attacking Mimikyu with a Dragon w.


    Then there was Aegish.


    Having just awakened from a three-thousand-year slumber, it felt lost about its future.


    Following Yuga''s suggestion, it decided to stay with Yuga for the time being, and Yuga promised to take it back to the Kalos region if the opportunity arose.


    Although Aegish couldn''t clearly remember the location of its master''s tomb due to the passage of time, there were still some clues.


    Yuga thought of the friend who sold Aegish as an antique to Takahiro Ogata.


    Since that person could take Aegish out of the tomb, it meant he knew the location of the tomb.


    After contacting Takahiro Ogata, Yuga learned that Takahiro Ogata was temporarily unable to reach his friend, as this friend was an adventure enthusiast and had already set out on another expedition with hispanions, making him unreachable for the time being.


    During the time Aegish stayed with Yuga, its level steadily recovered due to the continuous absorption of the Shadow Space Origin Stone fragments'' energy.


    Moreover, after a period of adjustment, Aegish gradually became ustomed to the world three thousand yearster and even became good friends with Dusknoir.


    Both of these Pok��mon were ancient Pok��mon, and they shared a mutual appreciation for each other because of their long histories.


    However, the two Pok��mon not only came from different continents but also from different eras.


    Dusknoir had lived for over a thousand years, while Aegish was born more than three thousand years ago.


    Inparison, Dusknoir, having traveled extensively, was much more knowledgeable, whereas Aegish, having been asleep until recently, stillrgely retained the behaviors and mindset of feudal times.


    Having served the ancient royal family, Aegish didn''t have the concept of "partners" between trainers and Pok��mon.


    It still held onto the notion of "master" and "servant beast" when it came to human and Pok��mon rtionships.


    Therefore, it treated Yuga, who had taken it in, with extreme respect and rigidity.


    In ancient times, Pok��mon were referred to as "beasts," and humans'' attitudes toward them were about "taming" and "domesticating."


    This often resulted in a deep-seated "servitude" in the Pok��mon, which was hard to change.


    Having spent time in the ancient Arus Kingdom era over a thousand years ago, Yuga was well aware of this.


    Dusknoir, having lived from ancient times to the present, had witnessed the evolution of human and Pok��mon rtionships firsthand, so this wasn''t as noticeable with it.


    But Aegish was different.


    Yuga felt that Aegish still carried remnants of this feudal "servitude," particrly influenced by the notion of a "master."


    However, such things couldn''t be changed overnight, so Yuga didn''t dwell too much on it.


    One thing that made Yuga happy was that Kartana''s swordsmanship training was finally on track, as Aegish was an excellent swordsmanship master.


    Yuga had long wanted to find a swordsmanship teacher for Kartana, but swordsmanship masters were not easy toe by.


    Unexpectedly, he found one without much effort.


    In ancient times, without Pok�� Balls, it was inconvenient for humans to carry many Pok��mon, so they couldn''t domesticate many Pok��mon.


    As a result, it was difficult to have enough Pok��mon to protect themselves closely during battles.


    For their safety, they often learned various survival skills.


    Even in modern times, this habit of trainers participating in battles has persisted.


    The most notable example is Kanto''s Fighting-type Master, Bruno, whose formidable martial arts skills are said to match those of Fighting-type Pok��mon.


    The original master of Aegish was very skilled in swordsmanship, so Aegish''sbat techniques incorporated many elements of "swordsmanship."


    Compared to Mr. Genzo, who taught Decidueye archery, Aegish is more suitable for teaching Kartana.


    After all, Genzo is human, and humans differ significantly from Pok��mon in both body structure andbat style.


    Thus, Pok��mon can only adapt human skills to a limited extent, whereas the limitations are much less between Pok��mon.


    With Aegish''s guidance, Kartana indeed made rapid progress in swordsmanship.


    Aegish and Kartana share amon trait��they both know the rare move Sacred Sword.


    Although Sacred Sword is a Fighting-type move, it perfectly suits both the non-fighting-type Kartana and Aegish.


    Moreover, Aegish has a high level of mastery in this move.


    Kartana has great talent in swordsmanship, so Aegish never holds back when teaching it.


    Now, Kartana has gained new insights into the Sacred Sword move.


    However, there are significant differences between Kartana and Aegish.


    Kartana is a fast-attacking Pok��mon, characterized by high attack power and speed.


    Aegish, on the other hand, has high attack power in its de Forme but is not fast.


    When facing an enemy attack, Kartana''s mostmon response is to use its exceptional speed to dodge, while Aegish''s first reaction is to switch to Shield Forme using King''s Shield for defense.


    This difference in racial traits leads to different reactions from different Pok��mon when facing the same situation.


    In order to prevent its ownbat habits from influencing Kartana, Aegish arranged for special training today.


    Back to the battle in the courtyard training field.


    Because it was training the Dragon w move, Yuga instructed Bagon to use only Dragon w against Mimikyu and no other moves, making today''s battle especially challenging for Bagon.


    Mimikyu was exceptionally skilled in controlling its body, while Bagon, having just been born, was still very immature, and its movements were far from being as smooth and natural as Mimikyu''s.


    Bang!


    Although Mimikyu had no intention of counterattacking Bagon, it couldn''t help but send Bagon flying while defending with Shadow w against Dragon w.


    Bagon rolled several times on the ground before finallying to a stop.


    Seeing Bagon, who had stood up again, breathing heavily with its chest heaving, Yuga called out, "Alright, Bagon, that''s enough for today. Take a break."


    Overtraining wasn''t good for the young and tender Bagon.


    Bagon, being very obedient, immediately trotted over to Yuga on its short legs.


    Yuga picked up a ss of Moomoo Milk mixed with Sweet Honey from a nearby table and handed it to Bagon.


    Bagon gulped it down quickly, enjoying every drop, and then licked its lips with great satisfaction.


    Bagon was very sensible, mature, and quiet.


    If it had any particr likes, it was Moomoo Milk with Sweet Honey.


    Having a ss of Moomoo Milk after training was the happiest thing for Bagon.


    Watching Bagon drink the milk with half-closed eyes and a contented expression, Yuga smiled.


    No matter how many times he saw it, he always found Bagon''s post-milk expression adorable, creating a contrast with its usual demeanor.


    Mimikyu wasn''t interested in Moomoo Milk or Sweet Honey.


    It preferred to absorb energy in the shadow space, so as soon as the training ended, it dove into the shadow space.


    On the other side, Kartana and Aegish were also wrapping up their training.


    Aegish, now in Shield Forme, allowed Kartana''s attacks to fall on it to highlight their differences.


    However, Kartana''s attacks couldn''t harm Aegish at all.


    Speaking of Aegish, its Steel/Ghost-typebination gave it excellent resistance.


    Besides being weak to Ground, Fire, Ghost, and Dark types, it resisted or was immune to twelve other types.


    Therefore, once it transformed into its Shield Forme, Aegish''s defense became incredibly strong.


    Kartana''s sharp arms glowed with dark energy as Night sh attacksnded on Aegish, producing nging sounds without causing it to retreat.


    At that moment, Aegish suddenly switched from Shield Forme to de Forme, and a Sacred Sword attack transformed into a massive energy de, striking Kartana.


    Caught off guard, Kartana was hit and fell lightly from the air.


    In fact, Kartana''s physical defense wasn''t weak; on the contrary, its Steel typing made it quite strong.


    Its main weakness was its special defense.


    However, Aegish wanted to show Kartana that if it had reacted quickly enough, it could have dodged the attack, given its high speed.


    But Kartana, influenced by Aegish, forgot to dodge in battle and focused solely on attacking.


    While Aegish could withstand and defend against attacks, that didn''t mean Kartana could do the same, as their roles were different.


    Seeing Kartana faint, Yuga quickly had Chimecho heal it.


    Aegish had been careful with its attack, and Kartana soon regained consciousness.


    With Aegish''s guidance, Kartana immediately realized it had fallen into a misconception.


    Although it was learning from Aegish, it didn''t mean it shouldpletely adopt Aegish''sbat style.

 Chapter 1062: Florges’s Transformation and Breloom’s Anxiety

    <h4>Chapter 1062: Florges''s Transformation and Breloom''s Anxiety</h4>


    Yuga was guiding the little ones like Bagon, Mimikyu, and Kartana in their training, while Florges was diligently training with other Pok��mon in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    In the center of the beautiful Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, Florges stood with her eyes closed, surrounded by numerous Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Among them were not only Yuga''s main team members like Bellosom, Venusaur, Roserade, Torterra, Sawsbuck, and Serperior, but also other Pok��mon such as Lilligant, Lurantis, Tsareena, Exeggutor, and Cacturne, even the newly added Geranium and Roserades who just joined the Ecopark all voluntarily stood outside.


    Florges''s body was constantly surging with emerald green light, and the green light spread out in circles around her.


    Under the influence of the green light, those slowly swaying flowers became even more beautiful, and the Grass-type Pok��mon showed expressions of enjoyment under this green light.


    Especially for Pok��mon like Roserade, Torterra, and Venusaur, it was obvious that the flowers on their bodies became more and more charming, and even began to emit simr green lights in response to Florges.


    On the back of Torterra, the giant tree became dripping with lush leaves under the influence of the green light, and then began to grow flower buds at a visible speed, then blooming, fruiting, and soon the fruits quickly decayed, rotted, and fell from the branches, and the giant tree began a new round of flowering and fruiting.


    If Yuga were here at this moment, seeing those white decayed fruits would surely be heart-wrenching because the harvest tree on Torterra''s back, under the influence of Landorus could produce fruits that directly increased the level of low-level Pok��mon, which is a very precious material.


    But at this moment, all the Grass-type Pok��mon had their eyes closed, and no one noticed, even Torterra itself didn''t know about it.


    As time went on, more and more green light surged out of Florges''s body, and more and more Grass-type Pok��mon began to involuntarily respond to Florges, and even gave feedback to Florges, the higher the level of the Pok��mon, the more power they feedback.


    These energies fed back by the Grass-type Pok��mon became the cornerstone of Florges''s further advancement.


    After some time passed, strong energy fluctuations began to appear on the nearest Bellosom and Venusaur, which were the closest to Florges.


    They quickly absorbed the green light and their flowers began to emit waves of fragrance.


    A light pink and deep red aroma slowly spread through the air.


    The pink floral scent came from Bellosom, smelling fresh and sweet; while the deep red floral scent emanated from Venusaur, giving a dreamy and captivating feeling.


    The floral scent on Bellosom originated from the two deep red flowers on its head.


    At this moment, these two flowers were absorbing the green light while gently unfurling their petals, which looked beautiful and adorable.


    Countless wisps of light pink mist slowly wafted out from the opening and closing flower buds, and the floral scent in the mist invigorated all the Pok��mon that caught its scent.


    The floral scent emitted by Venusaur came from the enormous and enchanting flower on its back.


    As it absorbed more green light, this giant flower''s color deepened and even started to develop towards a purplish-red hue.


    At the center of the massive purplish-red petals was a yellow pistil, and dark red mist emanated from the pistil like dense smoke.


    Pok��mon close to Venusaur, upon inhaling the deep red mist mingled with floral scent, immediately became dizzy, temporarily losing their ability to think.


    Compared to Bellosom''s fresh and sweet aroma, Venusaur''s scent was very rich, carrying a strong sense of danger, as if it possessed potent toxic poppies, beautiful yet alluringly dangerous.


    After absorbing Florges''s green light, both Pok��mon involuntarily used the same move, Sweet Scent, but with vastly different effects.


    Bellosom''s Sweet Scent made people involuntarily like it, leading to infatuation; while Venusaur''s Sweet Scent, through confusion, induced illusions in others, achieving its intended effect with toxicity.


    Under the influence of Florges''s green light, the delicate Bellosom became increasingly charming and lovely.


    Its skirt, alternating between green and yellow, had distinctyers of color.


    Its green skin was smooth and radiant, emitting a faint grassy fragrance.


    In contrast, Venusaur became more and more hideous.


    The brighter its flowers bloomed on its back, the more prominent its deep green warts on its skin became.


    The green or purple warts made Venusaur look almost indistinguishable from a toad, with only the lush green leaves and vibrant petals on its back bing increasingly lush and seductive under the nourishment of the green light.


    After absorbing enough green light, the aura of both Pok��mon suddenly surged, propelling them into the rank of Elite Level.


    Simultaneously, they fed back arge amount of energy towards Florges.


    Under the influence of energy feedback from numerous Pok��mon, Florges''s aura also transformed.


    If before she could be considered on par with an Elite-level Pok��mon, now her presence was no weaker than that of a Champion-level Pok��mon.


    After sessfully breaking through, Florges slowly opened her eyes.


    The green light that had enveloped other Grass-type Pok��mon gradually receded back into her body.


    The moment she opened her eyes, Florges''s demeanor also changed, exuding an indescribable sense of majesty.


    The breakthroughs of Venusaur, Bellosom, and Florges were sudden.


    Yuga only realized it the next day.


    With Venusaur and Bellosom breaking through to the Elite level, Yuga''s second team now only had Breloom left to achieve the same, which pleased him greatly.


    Moreover, Yuga was very surprised when he saw the transformed Florges.


    Because at this moment, Florges gave him the feeling of a true legendary Pok��mon.


    The strong legendary aura surrounding her body involuntarily imposed an intimidating pressure on both humans and Pok��mon facing her.


    The changes in Florges made Yuga realize that she might be embarking on an unknown path to bing stronger.


    It''s not just Florges who possessed the Orb; Dragonite, Charizard, and Lapras also benefited to varying degrees under the Orb''s influence.


    Yuga and the system had spected that the four Orbs might be the products of an ancient human n to create Legendary Pok��mon.


    Dragonite, Charizard, and Lapras had indeed enhanced certain attributes with the help of different Legendary Pok��mon, even umting some Legendary Aura.


    However, in a true sense, only Florges that had the unique trait of possessing self-sustained Legendary Aura.


    While Dragonite, Charizard, and Lapras had umted some Legendary Aura, this Legendary Aura seemed foreign, something that, even if it remained with them, would not feel like their own.


    They were also unable to fully utilize that faint Legendary Aura.


    But Florges was different.


    The Legendary Aura emanating from her outwardly bore a distinct "Florges"bel.


    Yuga had also witnessed Florges''s awakening and her use of Legendary Aura, an event that nearly devastated the entire Flower Sea sub-ecopark.


    Yuga felt that Florges''s journey to today was filled with coincidences: the Green Orb, Celebi''s blessing, and the unique environment of the Flower Sea sub-ecopark��each element indispensable.


    However, Yuga believed the most crucial factor was Florges''s innate racial talent as a Pok��mon.


    They could manipte the flowers they cultivated, absorbing the energy released by flowers and nts and converting it into their own power.


    Later, Yuga discovered that Florges could harness not only the energy released by flowers and nts but also the power of most Grass-type Pok��mon.


    It was precisely because of this racial talent that, over time, Florges gradually transformed Celebi''s blessing into a power that was truly her own, evolving this power into the cornerstone of her exclusive Legendary Aura.


    Florges''s innate ability had a dual effect: while flowers, nts, and Grass-type Pok��mon released energy to aid Florges''s growth, they also benefited from her nurturing.


    This was why Venusaur and Bellosom could broke through under the influence of the green light.


    This talent was something Dragonite, Charizard, and Lapras did not possess.


    From Celebi, Florges obtained a Legendary Aura that cornerstone unique to herself, which she then used the abundance of flowers, nts, and Grass-type Pok��mon in the Flower Sea sub-ecopark to cultivate.


    The energy absorbed from them was used to nurture a faint Legendary aura within her.


    Though this Legendary aura was faint, it bore Florges''s distinct mark entirely.


    And today, after nurturing her legendary aura for so long, Florges finally underwent a qualitative transformation.


    After her breakthrough, Yuga had her spar with Lapras.


    Predictably, Lapras was no match for her; in the end, Lapras had to team up with Chimecho topletely suppress Florges.


    Florges, afterpleting her transformation, had be excessively powerful.


    Yuga witnessed firsthand in the Flower Sea sub-ecopark how Florges, after her breakthrough, used the Grassy Terrain to cultivate flowers and nts.


    The vast expanse of greenery nearly covered the entire sub-ecopark, and she could even perform subtle maniptions within the grassy terrain.


    Previously, Florges had a strong ability to control the Grassy Terrain.


    On the battlefield, she could effortlessly manipte the grassy terrain to heal allies without mistakenly benefiting enemies.


    She could also freely decide whether to use the grassy terrain for healing or to control opponents.


    Now, the grassy terrain was almost like Florges''s eyes and ears, akin to her hands and feet.


    Everything within the grassy terrain was under her control.


    Yuga believed that Florges''s grassy terrain was more of a domain ability than just a terrain skill.


    Its role in Florges''s hands far surpassed what a typical terrain skill could achieve.


    Florges''s breakthrough brought immense joy to the Pok��mon in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark because the stronger Florges became, the greater the benefits they received.


    It could be said that Florges, single-handedly, yed a role almost equivalent to Dragon Lake in the Dragon Cave Sub-Ecopark or the Insect Nest in the Insect Paradise��a truly functional Pok��mon.


    However, while Florges''s breakthrough was cause for celebration, not all Pok��mon were in good spirits, with Breloom being a notable exception.


    This was because it had be the only Pok��mon in Yuga''s second team that hadn''t yet broken through.


    Breloom now deeply regretted not being in the Flower Sea sub-ecopark when Florges had her breakthrough.


    Perhaps if it had been there, it could also have reached Elite level alongside Venusaur and Roserade.


    A small difference could lead to a big gap.


    Yet, there''s no regret medicine in this world.


    Unlike Yuga''s other main Pok��mon, Breloom wasn''t originally recruited for its innate talent.


    Initially, it was just an orange potential Pok��mon, it didn''t even reach yellow potential.


    When Breloom first met Yuga, it was just a Shroomish who was bullied by the bullies in the alleys.


    It was precisely because of this experience as a stray Pok��mon that Breloom developed a strong desire to be stronger.


    Breloom bing one of Yuga''s main Pok��mon wasn''t because Yuga recognized its talent; rather, Breloom felt it because it had asked Yuga for the opportunity (or so it believed).


    Therefore, as other Pok��mon broke through, Breloom whose still unable to break through, became increasingly restless.


    Yuga felt that even though Breloom had be a Green potential Pok��mon now, it still remained the one with the lowest potential in his team.


    Under this restless mood, Breloom sometimes couldn''t help but wonder: what if it couldn''t keep up with everyone else, would Yuga abandon it?


    Just thinking about this brought a rush of fear, anxiety, and other negative emotions flooding into Breloom''s mind.


    Deep down, Breloom harbored some feelings of inferiority.


    "But what can I do? Everyone around me is a genius or a monster! I''m just an ordinary Green potential Pok��mon!"


    Breloom would quietlyin to itself at times.


    If other Pok��mon knew it had such thoughts, they''d probably knock its head off. Ordinary Green potential Pok��mon?


    If you''re so capable, turn me into a Green potential Pok��mon and let me experience this ordinary feeling too! (����#)"


    Breloom''s anxious mood persisted for several days, manifesting most noticeably in its daily training and life.


    If Yuga didn''t notice this, he''d consider himself a rather unqualified Trainer.


    It wasn''t difficult for Yuga to guess the reason behind Breloom''s recent abnormal behavior.


    Seeing Breloom distressed, Yuga as an experienced old father, naturally wanted to console and advise it.


    But how should he go about it?


    They say obedient children oftenck attention.


    Yuga felt this might be the case with Breloom��it was usually so obedient that he sometimes subconsciously reduced his attention to it.


    What would Chimecho do if she were in Breloom''s shoes?


    Without a doubt, she''d snuggle into Yuga''s arms without a second thought and act coquettishly, seekingfort.


    Although not outwardly apparent, Yuga believed that Breloom''s inner world might be very sensitive and delicate, quite different from its usual outward demeanor.


    This realization left Yuga feeling quite defeated.


    He realized he had paid far too little attention to Breloom and hadn''t even achieved a basic understanding of it.


    Being obedient shouldn''t be a reason for him to neglect it��that would be utterly unfair and unjust.


    After reflecting deeply for a long time, Yuga pondered how he could alleviate Breloom''s anxiety.


    Mishandling this situation could easily backfire.


    In his ongoing distress over this matter, Yuga happened to observe Greninja, who was diligently training.


    This sight prompted him to have a long conversation with Breloom.

 Chapter 1063: Breloom And New Trainer Taichi

    <h4>Chapter 1063: Breloom And New Trainer Taichi</h4>


    Shortly after the long talk with Yuga, Breloom emerged from its restless state.


    Yuga took it to see Greninja training.


    Like Breloom, Greninja was a green potential Pok��mon, but it had already reached the Elite level, and it wasn''t even one of Yuga''s main Pok��mon nor had it received his most meticulous training.


    Yet, it had still broken through to the Elite level.


    If someone were to ask Breloom who the most dedicated, hardworking, and diligent Pok��mon in the Ecopark was, it would undoubtedly answer "Greninja" without hesitation.


    Even if Yuga hadn''t brought it to watch Greninja train, Breloom would still have given the same answer because it was a fact recognized by all the Pok��mon in the Ecopark.


    Since arriving at the Ecopark, Greninja had maintained a daily routine of relentless training and challenging other Pok��mon.


    Every Pok��mon had witnessed this, and any Pok��mon in the Ecopark with some strength had epted Greninja''s challenge at least once.


    In an instant, Breloom understood that breaking through to the Elite level depended on steady, diligent effort and gradual umtion.


    It deeply regretted not being in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark when Florges broke through, realizing how shallow its thinking had been.


    Afterward, Yuga also apologized to it, admitting he shouldn''t have neglected it.


    At the moment Yuga apologized, Breloom was astonished.


    It had never thought Yuga would apologize because it never felt neglected by him, not for a single moment.


    Breloom would always remember the scene when Yuga rescued it from the bullies in the alley.


    At that moment, Yuga appeared like a god descending from the heavens, so tall and magnificent.


    From that time, it became a Pok��mon with a home, with a sense of belonging.


    Those days of hunger and cold now seemed like a distant dream.


    It was Yuga who gave it this happy life, and such a wonderful Yuga shouldn''t be apologizing to it!


    If Yuga knew how Breloom perceived him, he would have unhesitatingly said: I''m really not as good as you think. Your view of me must be have been through an eighteenyer filter.


    The day after Yuga''s long conversation with Breloom, he noticed that Breloom had returned to normal.


    Its anxiety had disappeared, and it had resumed its consistent daily training.


    Seeing Breloom settle down and focus more on training, Yuga nodded his head in satisfaction.


    With a calm mind, Breloom stopped rushing to break through to the Elite level and instead began refining itsbat skills.


    As a Fighting-type Pok��mon, the most important thing for Breloom to hone was its fighting techniques.


    So, Breloom started seeking guidance from other Pok��mon on fighting techniques.


    These included Fighting-types like Medicham, Pangoro, Gade, Poliwrath, and Hakamo-o, as well as non-Fighting-types that were proficient inbat like Snox, Darmanitan, and Tsareena.


    It didn''t matter that some Pok��mon were of a lower level.


    It was there to learn their fighting techniques, which had nothing to do with levels.


    Sometimes, it even suppressed its level to spar with others.


    Although everyone asionallyined about Breloom''s rough sparring, they sincerely helped it.


    Whenever it had questions, they answered without holding back.


    In this way, several months passed.


    Through its daily training, Breloom''s fighting skills had significantly improved.


    Although it hadn''t yet broken through to the Elite level, itsbat strength had visibly increased.


    During this time, Yuga observed all of Breloom''s efforts.


    asionally, when Breloom overexerted itself, Yuga would take it out of the Ecopark for a walk or to enjoy some delicious food made by Audino.


    A few months passed, and the year came to an end.


    As the year drew to a close, it turned out that Luna, Rand, Arata Sena, and Ayashi didn''t return for the New Year, making the celebration much quieter.


    Luna had activities at her school, and Rand had tasks from the Ranger Union, so they couldn''te back.


    Arata Sena and Ayashi originally nned to return, but they were currently not in the Hoenn region and seemed to have encountered some issues on their way, causing dys.


    Speaking of Arata Sena and Ayashi, they seemed to have gained some fame in the Sinnoh region, so much so that even Yuga in the Hoenn region had heard a little bit about it.


    Last year, they didn''t participate in any regional league tournaments but instead ventured out to hone their skills.


    At one point, they were inadvertently caught up in a major case.


    With their help, the Sinnoh Investigation Bureau sessfully resolved the case, giving the two of them a bit of fame, which also brought some recognition to the Verdanturf Gym.


    Not long after the New Year, Verdanturf Town gradually transitioned into spring.


    Spring is the most beautiful season in Verdanturf Town, with blooming flowers and colorful butterflies filling every street and alley.


    Because of this, spring is also the busiest season for tourism in Verdanturf Town.


    Today was a somewhat special day because a new trainer wasing to Yoyo Day Care to receive their starter Pok��mon.


    That''s right, not "purchase," but "receive."


    But aren''t new trainers supposed to receive their starter Pok��mon from a professor?


    Whye to Verdanturf Town?


    It''s a long story.


    To make it short, Yuga''s ce, as a Torchic breeding base, is supposed to regrly send Torchics to the league, so the professors could give it to the new trainers.


    However, the professor was busy today and couldn''t meet the new trainer.


    Since the trainer was eager to start their journey, the professor decided to let the new trainere directly to Verdanturf Town to receive their starter Pok��mon.


    Since it was the trainer''s first time in Verdanturf Town, Yuga was a little bit worried and decided to go to the outskirts of town to meet them.


    But coincidentally, a challenger arrived at the gym at that time, so Yuga thought of Breloom, who had trained all day yesterday without resting.


    Yuga called Breloom over showed it a photo of the trainer, and said, "This is the kid. Make sure to bring them here safely!"


    "Breloom!"


    Got it!


    Breloom solemnly promised.


    Meanwhile, outside Verdanturf Town, a ten-year-old boy was leisurely riding a bicycle when he received a phone call.


    The call was from none other than Yuga Shimizu, the Gym Leader of Verdanturf Gym.


    Yuga Shimizu is quite famous among young trainers.


    The boy''s older sister is a trainer who admires him greatly.


    When she found out her brother wasing to Verdanturf Town to receive his starter Pok��mon, she asked him to get Yuga''s autograph for her.


    So, even before meeting him in person, the boy was already filled with curiosity about this Gym Leader Shimizu he was about to encounter.


    "I''ve just arrived outside Verdanturf Town. Breloom? Okay, got it."


    After hanging up, the boy named Taichi continued riding his bike forward.


    Taichi had just learned that a Breloom would being to meet him.


    "What a strange Gym Leader, sending a Pok��mon to pick someone up!" the boy thought to himself.


    As he was about to enter Verdanturf Town, three young men in their twenties suddenly blocked his path.


    Each of the three had a Pok��mon with them: a Mightyena, a Nuzleaf, and a Spinda.


    Seeing the hostile expressions on their faces, Taichi nervously asked, "Wha... what do you want?"


    The young man standing in front had dyed blonde hair and a few freckles on his face.


    Though not ugly, his demeanor exuded a sleazy aura.


    He nced maliciously at the space backpack behind Taichi and said, "Kid, hand over your backpack, or else... heh heh..."


    The Mightyena next to him growled menacingly at Taichi, looking ready to attack him at any moment.


    Anyone who receives a starter Pok��mon from a professor usuallyes from a proper trainer family within the league, and their families are often well-off.


    So, when Taichi left for his journey, his family equipped him with a nice space backpack.


    Little did he expect to be targeted as soon as he arrived at Verdanturf Town.


    Reluctantly, Taichi touched his backpack and shrank back a little bit.


    Seeing Taichi''s hesitation, another young man beside the blonde-haired one said disapprovingly, "Oh, you don''t want to? Nuzleaf, show him a lesson."


    Onmand, the Nuzleaf jumped out and unleashed several Razor Leaves at Taichi''s bicycle, shattering it into pieces in the blink of an eye.


    Taichi who is still holding the bike, fell to the ground.


    In truth, the three young men didn''t dare to really hurt anyone.


    This wasn''t their first time robbing people outside Verdanturf Town; they always targeted those who seemed "rich" butcked the ability to fight back.


    Now is the peak tourist season in Verdanturf Town, so there are many peopleing and going.


    Finding wealthy outsiders isn''t difficult, and the three youths are quite perceptive, never provoking targets they can''t handle.


    As a result, they''ve managed tomit several robberies without getting caught.


    Their Pok��mon work well with them, responding to their trainers'' signals and cooperating seamlessly, though they never actually hurt anyone.


    Because they haven''t caused any injuries and always flee quickly, the Verdanturf Town police have been unable to catch them.


    "Give it to me!"


    After a few heartyughs, the young man with the Nuzleaf yanked the backpack from the fallen Taichi.


    Taichi red at the three, but seeing the Pok��mon beside them, he had to swallow his anger and not act rashly.


    "Not bad."


    The three of them rummaged through Taichi''s space backpack and nodded in satisfaction.


    Taichi had nned to leave immediately after getting his starter Pok��mon from Verdanturf Town, so he carried everything he needed, including money.


    The three youths weren''t big-time criminals; they didn''t seek great wealth, just enough to get by.


    Too much loot would have made them fearful of getting caught.


    Boom!


    Just as the three were about to leave with Taichi''s stolen belongings, a green figure descended from the sky.


    As the dust settled, a Breloom stood in front of them.


    Earlier, Yuga had heard from Taichi over the phone that he had arrived outside Verdanturf Town, so he urged Breloom to hurry.


    The clever Breloom had called upon a Flygon and flown to the town''s outskirts.


    Upon arrival, it witnessed the robbery.


    The three youths were startled by Breloom''s sudden appearance and took a few steps back.


    Then they heard a dragon''s roar overhead.


    Looking up, they saw the Flygon circling above.


    Their expressions changed.


    They didn''t recognize the Breloom, but they knew the Flygon.


    There were few locals in Verdanturf Town who didn''t recognize YoYo Day Care''s Flygon.


    It was a townndmark, often seen either napping on the Day Care''s roof or patrolling the town''s skies.


    Seeing Breloom suddenly appear, Taichi immediately realized this was the one Gym Leader Shimizu had sent to meet him, feeling as if Breloom was a godsend.


    Realizing the situation was dire, the three turned around to flee, but before they could take more than a couple of steps, Breloom''s Seed Bombs exploded at their feet, throwing them off bnce.


    The Pok��mon apanying the three youths were terrified.


    Breloom''s presence was too intimidating. While they had acted fiercely to scare Taichi, their bravado was just a facade.


    However, seeing their trainers in trouble, the three Pok��mon still bravely stood in front of Breloom.


    At that moment, Breloom suddenly had a breakthrough.


    Though it was just for an instant, its imposing aura surged as the three Pok��mon stepped forward, causing them to faint from the overwhelming pressure.


    Breloom, who was about to make a move: ...


    The trio who is waiting for their Pok��mon to save them: ...


    Only Taichi''s eyes sparkled as he looked at Breloom.


    Many yearster, when Taichi recalled his initial impression of trainers, it was Breloom''s heroic image descending from the sky to save him that stood out.


    Taichi''s parents were both trainers, but they were often away on missions, leaving Taichi and his sister to be raised by their grandparents.


    Thus, he never really felt the presence of his parents as trainers.


    But at this moment, seeing Breloom before him, Taichi had a clear understanding of what a trainer truly was.


    The three youths were taken to the police station by Flygon, while Taichi was led back to YoTo Day Care by Breloom.


    Breloom felt quite ufortable under Taichi''s admiring gaze the whole way.


    When Yuga returned after sending off a challenger, he saw that Breloom had sessfully brought the new trainer back and praised it, "Well done, well done."


    Then he noticed something different about Breloom, "You had a breakthrough, huh? Well done, well done."


    Yuga''s tone wasn''t surprised, just matter-of-fact.


    Breloom, who had expected more praise, felt relieved at Yuga''s calm reaction.


    After chatting with Taichi for a while, Yuga handed him the Torchic as agreed.


    Taichi was delighted with the lively and adorable Torchic, feeling even more excited about his future as a trainer.


    As he was about to leave, Taichi hesitated for a moment before asking, "Gym Leader Shimizu, could I have two autographs?"


    One was for his sister, and the other he decided he wanted for himself, as a memento of Breloom''s trainer.


    Yuga was taken aback as he looked at the paper and pen Taichi held out.


    This was the first time anyone had asked for his autograph.


    Am I a celebrity now? he wondered.


    But why two?


    Though puzzled, Yuga happily signed the autographs for Taichi.


    Today was a day to remember! Yuga thought, feeling good.


    Meanwhile, in Littleroot Town, a girl with a headscarf and a boy with a Pikachu had a fateful encounter outside Professor Birch''s researchb.

 Chapter 1064: Transfer And Assessment Task

    <h4>Chapter 1064: Transfer And Assessment Task</h4>


    After Breloom broke through to the Elite level, Yuga''s days became increasingly rxed.


    Apart from dealing with challengers at the gym, he spent his time leisurely strolling around town with his Pok��mon.


    Since realizing that he sometimes subconsciously neglected his Pok��mon, Yuga started paying attention to this issue.


    With an increasing number of main Pok��mon, Yuga knew he couldn''t give equal attention to all of them, but he tried to avoid favoritism.


    As a result, he made it a daily routine to take his Pok��mon out for a walk.


    Of course, Chimecho had the biggest issue with Yuga''s routine of taking one partner out for a walk each day.


    Regardless of whose turn it was to apany Yuga, Chimecho would secretly follow them.


    Especially on the first day Yuga took Roserade out, Chimecho nearly threw a tantrum to join them.


    Logically, since Chimecho was small and could fly, taking it along every day wouldn''t be an inconvenience.


    However, to be fair, Yuga firmly refused its request.


    Breloom, the good-natured Pok��mon, even suggested giving up its turn for Chimecho, which made Yuga quite angry.


    He felt like he had spoiled it too much!


    Despite being refused, Chimecho was not discouraged.


    Being a Psychic-type and an Elite-level Pok��mon, it wasn''t hard for it to secretly follow Yuga without being noticed.


    However, the problem was that Chimecho was too greedy.


    It wasn''t satisfied with just following Yuga from a distance; it wanted to stay as close to him as possible.


    Due to his special Ghost-type abilities, Yuga was very sensitive to presence.


    As soon as Chimecho got close, Yuga would notice it.


    Unable to follow Yuga closely, Chimecho eventually found it boring and gave up its stalker behavior.


    The residents of Verdanturf Town gradually noticed this habit of their Gym Leader.


    It only took a few days for them to go from being surprised to seeing it as normal.


    Seeing Yuga apanied by Breloom today, Sawsbuck tomorrow, and Serperior the day after, everyone naturally greeted Yuga and his Pok��mon.


    Sometimes, when Yuga had something to do and couldn''t appear on the streets, people would stop Audino, who was out shopping for groceries, to ask questions.


    Recently, as Yuga''s fame grew, the neighbors asionally worried that he might be difficult to get along with.


    But seeing Yuga strolling around town regrly over the past few days, everyone felt relieved.


    Little Yuga was still the same as before.


    However, two things happened recently��one that made Yuga very happy and another that made him a little bit mncholy.


    The happy event was that MeiMei, YuanYuan, QiuQiu, TuanTuan, AiAi, and PangPang, the six Chansey had sessfully evolved into Blissey.


    Yuga was also among the first ones to taste the food made by Audino using their eggs.


    As expected, Blissey''s eggs were much tastier than Chansey''s eggs.


    No wonder Nurse Joy had always been reluctant to treat him to a meal.


    However, Blissey''s egg production was low, so Yuga only had a chance to eat it once in the past few days, and he still craved more.


    Once the other Chansey evolved, he could eat to his heart''s content.


    Chansey evolving into Blissey required a high level of Friendship, but it was clear that the Friendships that led to MeiMei and the others evolving weren''t primarily with Yuga.


    Although he had a good rtionship with them, it wasn''t enough to cause their evolution.


    Since the Crobat in the Ecopark "mysteriously" evolved from Golbat, Yuga understood that the Friendships that were needed for evolution didn''t have to be with humans.


    Friendship between Pok��mon could also trigger evolution.


    MeiMei and the others had been in the Ecopark for a long time and interacting daily with the other Pok��mon.


    It was only natural that their friendship with some Pok��mon reached the level that was needed for evolution.


    However, people are inherently greedy.


    When Yuga didn''t have any Chansey, he longed to taste their eggs.


    Now that he had quite a few, he started craving Blissey''s eggs.


    The thing that made Yuga somewhat depressed was that Officer Liliana was being transferred out of Verdanturf Town.


    Since Officer Liliana started her tenure in Verdanturf Town, she has gained considerable credit by following Yuga''s lead and taking advantage of numerous opportunities.


    Coupled with her own abilities, she became increasingly valued within the Jenny family.


    Now, having umted enough achievements, she was being transferred back to the Jenny family headquarters for a significant role, and it was unlikely that she would return to Verdanturf Town.


    During his years as the Gym Leader in Verdanturf Town, Yuga had developed a good rapport with Officer Liliana and Mayor Ishida.


    Their teamwork was smooth and effective, making Liliana''s sudden transfer hard for Yuga to ept.


    However, despite his reluctance, Yuga knew that this transfer was a good thing for Liliana, aligning with her long-held aspirations and goals.


    As the current chief of the Verdanturf Town Police Department, Liliana''s departure meant a new chief would be appointed.


    Yuga wasn''t sure if the new chief would be as cooperative as Liliana.


    It seemed unlikely that the League would promote someone from the current police force in Verdanturf Town, as none of them had sufficient seniority.


    An external transfer seemed more probable.


    Indeed, it wasn''t long before Yuga met the new police chief.


    Two members of the Jenny family were assigned to the Verdanturf Town Police Department.


    ording to Liliana, Yuga''s prominence in the League had led the Jenny family to send two members to ensure continued good rtions with him.


    The new chief is called Masato Shirai, was in his early forties and a son-inw of the Jenny family.


    Although he''s not highly ranked within the family, he was very sociable and adept at handling various situations, making him well-suited for the role.


    It was expected that Masato Shirai would serve as the Verdanturf Town police chief for the long term without any significant changes.


    The other new appointee was an 18-year-old genuine member of the Jenny family, Saskia, who happened to be Masato Shirai''s niece.


    Masato Shirai''s wife and Saskia''s mother were sisters.


    Inparison, Liliana''s blood rtionship with Masato Shirai and Saskia was not as close.


    The Jenny family was big, with countless members.


    Liliana was not a core member and had to rely on her efforts to be transferred back to headquarters.


    This also exined why she had rmended Yuga to Mayor Ishida for the Gym Leader position in the first ce.


    She had seen potential in Yuga and hoped he could lead Verdanturf Town to greater heights, which in turn would support her own career.


    Her judgment proved to be correct.


    The importance of Verdanturf Town had significantly increased with the presence of the League Hall of Fame trainer stationed there.


    In the past, given Liliana''s position within her family, she would not have had the opportunity to work in such a crucial ce.


    However, Saskia was different.


    She was a rising star within the Jenny family and held a more central position.


    ording to Liliana, Saskia was in Verdanturf Town just to build her credentials and would be transferred away once the time was right.


    This was a stark contrast to Liliana, who had to climb the ranks through her efforts.


    Yuga met Masato Shirai and Saskia at the Verdanturf Town Police Department.


    As the Verdanturf Town Gym Leader, it was natural for him to get to know the new police chief, since they would be colleagues from now on.


    Liliana, who was about to leave, had invited Yuga and introduced the two of them.


    Since there was still a lot of work to hand over to Masato Shirai, she was staying in Verdanturf Town for a while longer.


    Masato Shirai lived up to his name, giving off an elegant and refined first impression.


    He looked more like a schr than a police officer, exuding a cultured demeanor even in uniform.


    However, Liliana had already provided Yuga with Masato Shirai''s background information.


    Despite his refined appearance, Masato Shirai was quite formidable, since he''s also a pseudo-Elite Level trainer.


    He had handled numerous significant cases and had both the experience and the skills.


    Compared to the somewhat aloof Masato Shirai and Saskia, Yuga had a better rtionship with Liliana.


    As long as it didn''t involve family secrets, Liliana was open and honest with Yuga.


    While Masato Shirai gave a harmless first impression, Saskia had a much stronger presence.


    She stood there with her arms crossed (although she might not have much to cross), with raised eyebrows, giving off an air of arrogance.


    Yuga quickly saw through her demeanor, attributing her arrogance to her sense of superiority due to her background.


    She seemed like an inexperienced neer, appearing quite immature in Yuga''s eyes.


    After the introductions, Liliana said to the three of them, "I have some work to attend to, so you all can chat for a while."


    As she was about to leave, she turned back to Yuga and said, "Oh, Yuga, don''t leave yet. I have something to discuss with you."


    After Liliana left, Yuga exchanged pleasantries with Masato Shirai, not paying much attention to the "important" Saskia standing nearby.


    When their conversation ended and Yuga was about to find Liliana, Masato Shirai discreetly slipped a Pok�� Ball into Yuga''s hand and said with a smile, "A small gift to show my respect. Please take care of us in the future, Gym Leader Shimizu."


    Yuga squeezed the Pok�� Ball, gave Masato Shirai a deep look, then smiled and replied, "We are all members of the League. We should look out for each other."


    After Yuga left, Saskiained to Masato Shirai, "Uncle, why are you trying to tter him so much? Is it necessary?"


    Masato Shirai tapped Saskia on the forehead and said, "It is necessary. When you be a Hall of Fame trainer someday, people will tter you too."


    It wasn''t just about being a Hall of Fame trainer.


    ording to their information, the Max Revive from the Joy family seemed to be rted to Gym Leader Shimizu.


    Coupled with his exceptional strength and his status as Mr. Kunio''s disciple, each aspect made him worth ttering.


    "Hmph! What''s so great about that? Just wait, I''ll be a Hall of Fame trainer too!"


    Saskia snorted dismissively and turned around to leave.


    "Sigh..."


    Watching his niece walk away, Masato Shirai sighed helplessly.


    Saskia had been too well protected and had not experienced much hardship.


    One day, she would stumble.


    Masato Shirai did note from a privileged background.


    Before bing a son-inw of the Jenny family, he was just an ordinary League trainer, so he had experienced more than most people.


    Saskia''s mother and his wife held high positions in the Jenny family, and Saskia had shown great talent as a trainer from a young age.


    This has shaped her current personality.


    Recalling his wife''s repeated instructions to take good care of Saskia, Masato Shirai felt a headacheing on.


    It was going to be a tough task.


    After parting ways with Masato Shirai, Yuga went to Liliana''s office.


    Since she hadn''t officially left yet, she was still using her office.


    Hearing Yuga knock, Liliana smiled and said, "Come in."


    Yuga entered the office, found a ce to sit, and asked, "What did you want to talk about?"


    Liliana sighed, "This might be thest time we work together."


    She paused her work, tidied up her desk a bit, and said, "Here''s the thing: the quadrennial Gym Tournament ising up, and before that, the League will be assessing all the gyms."


    "So?" Yuga asked in confusion.


    "The higher-ups have appointed you as the examiner. Since the Verdanturf Gym doesn''t need to undergo assessment, it''s not surprising that this responsibility fell to you," Liliana continued to exin.


    The Verdanturf Gym had recently been rated as an established gym, so it was exempt from the gym assessment, a privilege granted to such gyms.


    Yuga nodded in understanding and asked, "Got it. When will the assessment start, and are there any other examiners?"


    Unbeknownst to him, almost four years had passed since Yuga became a gym trainer, and the quadrennial Gym Tournament was approaching once again.


    In order to maintain the vitality of gyms in various regions, the League conducted a gym assessment every four years, eliminating unqualified gyms and then holding the Gym Tournament to allocate some gym establishment slots.


    This was how Yuga had obtained his position as a gym leader.


    In response to Yuga''s question, Liliana said, "Of course, there are other examiners. I believe there are four in total, working in pairs. As far as I know, Mr. Norman is definitely one of them. I don''t know the identities of the other two, but they certainly won''t be gym trainers��that''s the rule."


    "As for the exact timing of the assessment, I''m still waiting for the notification. Once I have it, I''ll let you know immediately. Today, I''m just giving you a heads-up. By the time your assessment work starts, I''ll probably have already left Verdanturf Town."


    This was why Liliana said it would be theirst time working together.


    Since Lilianai was about to be transferred, after discussing work, the two of them chatted for a while longer.


    By the time Yuga left the police station, it was already getting dark.


    Upon returning home, Yuga remembered the Pok�� Ball that Masato Shirai had given him.


    He took it out and opened it to find a Growlithe inside, and it was even of blue potential Growlithe.


    Using a blue potential Growlithe as a gift didn''t seem like something Masato Shirai would decide on his own; it was most likely a gesture of goodwill from the Jenny family.


    Looking at the obedient Growlithe sitting in front of him, Yuga silently wondered: Is this considered a bribe?

 Chapter 1065: First Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 1065: First Meeting</h4>


    As expected, just as Liliana had said, the instructions from higher-ups came quickly. The next day, Yuga received Liliana''s second notice.


    In the instructions, Yuga''s first task was to head to Petalburg City to meet with Mr. Norman and the other two examiners. Together, the four examiners would discuss the specific details of the gym assessments.


    After receiving the notice, Yuga was immediately required to depart, so early in the morning, he set off for Petalburg City on Dragonite.


    If he were to take the regr route from Verdanturf Town to Petalburg City, Yuga would first need to pass through Rusturf Tunnel to reach Rustboro City, and then from there, change direction to head towards Petalburg.


    However, Yuga wasn''t about to take such a long detour. Instead, he rode Dragonite straight across the Petalburg Woods, which would get him to Petalburg City by the same day.


    Crossing Petalburg Woods might be challenging for others, but it wasn''t a big deal for Yuga.


    As Dragonite''s strength continued to grow, its flying speed also increased. That afternoon, thanks to Dragonite''s full-speed flight, Yuga arrived in Petalburg City right on time.


    In fact, the scheduled meeting with the other examiners was the next day, but Yuga was ustomed to preparing in advance, so he arrived in Petalburg City a day early.


    Before arriving, he had already informed Mr. Norman that he would be staying at the Petalburg Gym overnight. Since it wasn''t his first time visiting the Petalburg Gym, he headed straight there on Dragonite.


    When hended in the courtyard of the Petalburg Gym, the first thing he saw was little Max pacing back and forth anxiously. When Max saw Yuga, his eyes immediately lit up.


    "Brother Yuga, you''re here!"


    As soon as Yuga dismounted from Dragonite, Max ran over to his side, his footsteps quick and eager.


    Yuga patted his head and asked, "Were you waiting for me specifically?"


    Max nodded eagerly. "Yeah, yeah! I haven''t seen you in so long, I really missed you."


    Hearing the exaggerated tone in Max''s voice, Yuga gave him a skeptical look: "Why do I find that hard to believe?"


    Before Yuga could say more, Max grabbed his arm and started pulling him inside. "Come on in! My mom is making something delicious. When she heard you wereing, she''s been preparing all afternoon."


    From the kitchen, Caroline, who had heard themotion, poked her head out from the doorway. Seeing Yuga, she greeted him warmly, "Yuga, you''re here! Go ahead and have a seat. I''m busy in the kitchen. Max, make sure you pour some tea for Yuga."


    "I got it!" Max replied loudly to his mom''s instructions before hopping off to pour tea for Yuga.


    After pouring the tea, Max carefully ced the cup in front of Yuga. "Here you go, Brother Yuga, try this tea I personally made for you." He emphasized the word "personally," causing Yuga to nce at him again, puzzled but amused.


    What''s up with this kid? Yuga thought silently to himself.


    He nced at Max, who had been acting strangely ever since he saw Yuga, then picked up the teacup and took a sip. "Hmm, the tea is brewed well."


    Max beamed with pride, "Right? Right? I really put a lot of effort into brewing it."


    Ignoring Max''s overly enthusiastic behavior, Yuga nced around the living room. It was only then that he realized May was nowhere to be seen. Curious, he asked Max, "Where''s your sister? I haven''t seen her since I came in."


    Hearing this question, Max quickly leaned in closer to Yuga and answered, "My sister went to Professor Birch''sb a couple of days ago to pick up her starter Pok��mon. She should be back by tomorrow."


    Upon hearing this, Yuga suddenly understood. So, it was already time for May to start her journey. He hadn''t known about this at all.


    After answering Yuga''s question, Max shuffled even closer to Yuga on the sofa, then casually said, "Starter Pok��mon are so cool. I wish I could get one too. I really can''t wait to turn nine."


    At first, Yuga didn''t quite get what Max was hinting at, but when he heard the mention of "nine," it suddenly clicked. He had promised Max that he would gift him a Pok��mon on his ninth birthday.


    So that''s why Max had been so eager, waiting around in the courtyard and acting unusually attentive. Seeing his sister about to go on a journey must have made him impatient.


    Yuga found Max''s not-so-subtle hints amusing and couldn''t help but chuckle. Pretending not to understand, Yuga saw Max immediately grow anxious. Max hopped off the sofa, pacing back and forth beside Yuga, muttering, "I really wish I could turn nine soon... I wonder if I could get my birthday gift early."


    With a yful smile, Yuga replied, "A birthday gift for when you turn nine has to be given when you actually turn nine, or it won''t have any meaning. Otherwise, how could it be called a ''nine-year-old birthday gift?''"


    Max was driven to frustration by Yuga''s deliberate obliviousness, but Yuga continued to y dumb, forcing Max to give up in exasperation.


    After teasing Max for a while, Yuga headed into the kitchen to help Caroline with the cooking. Though most of the cooking at Yuga''s home was done by his Audino, his culinary skills were actually quite good.


    By evening, Mr. Norman finally returned from the gym, and by that time, Yuga and Caroline had already prepared a table full of dishes.


    Once the four of them sat around the dinner table, Caroline warmly served Yuga some food. "My cooking may not be as good as your Audino''s, but it should taste decent. Go ahead, don''t be shy, eat more."


    Yuga, Mr. Norman, and Caroline chatted as they ate, while Max couldn''t join the conversation and just focused on wolfing down his food.


    As the three adults continued talking, the topic naturally shifted to May.


    Caroline couldn''t help but sigh. "Sigh, I wonder how May is doing. What kind of Pok��mon will she choose at the professor''sb?"


    Seeing an opportunity to speak, Max, who had been stuffing his face, immediately looked up and said, "She''ll definitely choose Treecko."


    Caroline gave him a yful p. "That''s what you want to pick! Shut up and eat your food!"


    Max pouted and muttered, "What''s wrong with Treecko? You''ll see, when she gets back, you''ll know I''m right." With that, he continued devouring his food.


    Mr. Norman set his chopsticks down and reassured Caroline, "Don''t worry. May''s not a little kid anymore. She''ll know what to do."


    In truth, since returning from the abduction incident, May had matured a lot. She had even taken the initiative to ask him many questions about being a Pok��mon trainer.


    And since she had been training her Swablu for a while, she was no longer a novice trainer. Mr. Norman was confident his daughter could handle any sudden situations that might arise.


    Hearing this, Caroline also put down her chopsticks. "You''re right, but..." As a mother, she couldn''t help but worry about her child being away, especially since it was her daughter.


    With that, dinner ended with the conversation still centered around May.


    The next morning, Yuga was woken up by Max shaking him awake. Max wanted to apany Yuga on his morning training session. It was surprising that such a little kid could get up so early.


    After finishing the morning training, Yuga and Mr. Norman set out. Today was the day the other two examiners were supposed to arrive in Petalburg City, and they had agreed to meet at the Pok��mon Center.


    It was only yesterday, after speaking with Mr. Norman, that Yuga learned who the other two examiners were going to be.


    Both of these examiners were from the Supervisory Bureau, which didn''t surprise Yuga. The Supervisory Bureau and the Investigation Bureau were two special departments��one handling internal matters, the other external. Since the gym examination was clearly an internal League affair, it made sense that personnel from the Supervisory Bureau would be responsible.


    What surprised Yuga was the identities of these two people.


    One was a man, and the other a woman. The woman was named Lua, and she was a bit older. The man was named Iori, and he was a bit younger.


    Many people might not know Luvia, but they definitely knew her younger brother��none other than the famous Wace.


    Luvia was much older than Wace, so while Wace hadn''t even married yet, Luvia''s daughter, Lisia, had already reached the age to start her own Pok��mon journey.


    You had to admit that this family had extraordinary gics. Luvia had the same light green hair and light green eyes as Wace and Lisia. Even their facial features shared a 40-50% resemnce.


    The other person, Iori, was also someone with strong ties to Wace.


    Iori''s older sister was Winona, the Gym Leader of Fortree City. And Winona, as it happened, was Wace''s ex-girlfriend. That made Iori Wace''s former brother-inw. (This detailes from theics, where Wace and Winona were once depicted as a couple.)


    As for how Yuga knew such gossip, he had Steven, Wace''s mischievous friend, to thank.


    In any case, the rtionships within the League wereplex. Any two random people you met might have some intricate connections through a few degrees of separation.


    After some casual greetings, the four began assigning tasks. Since there were only four of them and the tasks required two-person teams, it was easy to divide them up into two pairs, each with one older and one younger member.


    The oldest, Mr. Norman, teamed up with the youngest, Iori. Then, Luvia, who was slightly younger than Mr. Norman, partnered with Yuga, who was older than Iori.


    The route assignments were as follows:


    Yuga and Luvia''s group would go from Petalburg City �� Rustboro City �� Farbor Town �� Mauville City...


    Mr. Norman and Iori''s group would go from Petalburg City �� Dewford Ind �� teport City �� Mauville City...


    As for the gym evaluation criteria, it was simple and consisted of three tasks.


    First, they would observe the battles between the Gym Trainers and challengers on-site.


    Second, they would review the number of badges issued by the gym over the past four years.


    Third, they wouldpare the list of challengers to the gym with the general performance of those challengers in League tournaments.


    The third task was the most important, as it provided the clearest evidence of whether or not a gym had fulfilled its responsibilities properly.


    Each Gym keeps a record of its challengers. By obtaining this challenger list from the Gym and cross-referencing it with the League''s records of participant performance over the past four years, everything bes clear.


    Perhaps this method of evaluation isn''t perfect, but it is the most direct and effective.


    After everything was settled, Yuga and Mr. Norman returned to the Petalburg Gym. Tomorrow, they would depart from there.


    As soon as the two stepped into the courtyard of the Petalburg Gym, they heard lively chattering from inside the house, especially from Max, who seemed to be shouting something.


    Just as Mr. Norman, who was walking ahead, was about to step into the house, a Torchic came running out, headlong, and crashed right into Mr. Norman''s leg,nding on its rear end.


    Max, who was chasing after the Torchic, appeared right after. Upon seeing Yuga and Mr. Norman, he eximed happily, "Dad! Big Brother Yuga! You guys are done with work! Sis is back!"


    Mr. Norman smiled and said, "Really? That''s great!"


    Yuga followed Mr. Norman into the house, and sure enough, May was there. In addition to May, there was also a young boy sitting on the sofa with a Pikachu by his side��the boy was Ash.


    Although Yuga had guessed that Ash might tag along with May when she returned, seeing him in person still gave Yuga mixed feelings.


    Max, however, was oblivious to Yuga''splicated emotions. He enthusiastically began introducing Ash to him.


    "Big Brother Yuga, let me tell you, this guy here made it to the Top 4 in the Indigo League and was a runner-up in the Silver Conference. He''s kind of strong, but he''s still far behind you and Dad."


    Max''s words seemed to praise Ash, but his tone had a slight arrogance to it, making Yuga feel secondhand embarrassment.


    But wait��Ash reached the Top 4 in the Indigo League and was a runner-up in the Silver Conference? Wasn''t it supposed to be Top 16 and Top 8? Yuga hadn''t really followed the League tournaments closely, so he wasn''t sure of Ash''s actual results.


    Where did things go wrong?


    What Yuga didn''t know was that back when he was in Kanto, he had passed on Nana''s meditation technique to Misty''s Starmie. This caused Misty to be much stronger than in the original timeline, and it even indirectly impacted Ash''s journey.


    Nana''s meditation technique was quite advanced, so in order to fully utilize it, after Yuga left Cerulean City, Misty also trained a Slowpoke with both Water and Psychic types. This Slowpoketer evolved into a Slowbro, and together with Starmie, they became Misty''s two ace Pok��mon.


    As Misty traveled with Ash, her exceptional strength kept the originally arrogant and impulsive Ash in line. She was able to whip him into shape early in their journey, which made him much more diligent and focused. As a result, his League tournament performances greatly improved.


    Later, Misty even got a particrly talented Psyduck. Even though Psyduck wasn''t a Psychic-type Pok��mon, its immense psychic power was stronger than many actual Psychic-types. After learning Nana''s meditation technique, Psyduck''s full potential waspletely unleashed.


    Even though that Psyduck never evolved, neither Ash nor Misty had many Pok��mon that could beat it.


    Of course, Yuga knew nothing about any of this.


    Ash, on the other hand, was clearly unhappy with Max''sment: "What do you mean, ''barely decent''? Do you know how hard it is to make it to the Top 4 or be a runner-up? I worked really hard for that!" Even though Ash had only just met Max, their lively personalities meant they were already getting along well.


    Max, with his head held high, shot back at Ash: "I said barely decent, and I meant it! My dad and Big Brother Yuga are Gym Leaders! They''re way stronger than you!"


    In Max''s mind, his dad was the strongest person around. Plus, since he was eyeing that birthday gift from Yuga, he was willing to include Yuga in that ranking as well.


    Hearing this, Ash blinked in surprise before getting excited and saying to Yuga, "Wait, you''re a Gym Leader too? That''s awesome! You have to battle me!"


    Max: "..."


    Yuga: "..."


    That''s so Ash, all right!

 Chapter 1066: Yuga Vs Mr. Norman

    <h4>Chapter 1066: Yuga Vs Mr. Norman</h4>


    Hearing Ash''s battle request, Yuga didn''t agree immediately. Instead, he pretended not to know and asked, "I don''t think I know your name yet?"


    Before Ash could respond, Max quickly answered for him, "His name is Ash, and he''s from Pal... Pal-something Town."


    "It''s Pallet Town!!" Ash retorted childishly, ring at Max. Embarrassed, Max scratched the back of his head and gave Ash a sheepish grin.


    Yuga nodded and said, "Ash, huh... You came to Hoenn to participate in the League tournament?"


    Ash responded, "That''s right! So, please ept my challenge!"


    However, Yuga still didn''t agree right away. He shook his head and exined, "To challenge the Verdanturf Gym, you need to have three badges first. You''ve only just arrived in Hoenn, right? Do you have any badges from other Hoenn Gyms yet?"


    Ash was momentarily taken aback by this, then scratched his head awkwardly, "Hehe... not... not yet."


    Max widened his eyes in surprise and said, "What! So you can''t challenge my dad either? You need three badges to challenge him too! I was really looking forward to watching you battle Dad!" Max''s tone carried a hint of disappointment.


    Ash cried out, "Is that so? No way, that''s just my luck!"


    At that moment, Mr. Norman, who had just returned and was chatting with May, chuckled and said, "What''s the big deal? Once you''ve got your three badges, I''ll dly ept your challenge anytime."


    Ash sighed and said, "I was really hoping to challenge a gym right away. Pikachu, you were thinking the same, right?" As he spoke, Ash scratched Pikachu''s chin.


    "Pika... Pikachu��" Pikachu squinted its eyes in delight.


    Yuga''s gaze then fell on the Pikachu, whom he had only just noticed.


    [ Pikachu ]


    Type: Electric


    Ability: Static


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Unknown


    Level: Unknown


    Moves: Charm, Tail Whip, Thunder Shock, Quick Attack, Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, Discharge, Thunder, Agility, Volt Tackle, Signal Beam.


    After reviewing Pikachu''s data, Yuga was surprised. He hadn''t expected to be unable to see Pikachu''s potential or level.


    There were typically two reasons why Yuga couldn''t view a Pok��mon''s detailed information. The first involved Legendary Pok��mon with divine qualities, like Lady Xerneas, Rayquaza, or Deoxys. The second concerned Ultra Beasts like Cosmoem or Kartana, which possessed an extreme aura.


    But this Pikachu seemed different. Yuga didn''t sense any special energy field from it��no divine power, no extreme aura. Its overall demeanor was nearly identical to the ordinary Pikachu in Yuga''s eco-park.


    Yet the "Unknown" markers for potential and level were ringly obvious to Yuga''s keen sight, which was unusual.


    And then there was the move list. Hoenn was Ash''s third year of traveling, right? How could Pikachu''s list of learned moves be so limited? (Note: In this story, Ash''s travels through Kanto and the Orange Archipgo took ce within the same year.)


    "Pika... chu��" Pikachu, noticing Yuga staring at it for a while, waved at him in a friendly manner. Yuga was momentarily stunned but then smiled back at Pikachu. It was... kind of cute.


    Unable to figure out Pikachu''s situation, Yuga set his doubts aside. Just then, Mr. Norman, sensing the disappointment in Ash''s voice, smiled and said, "How about we have a battle?"


    Having a general understanding of Ash''s situation, Mr. Norman was considering letting May travel together with Ash, so he was willing to fulfill Ash''s wish as much as possible.


    Although May had matured quite a bit, it was still her first time traveling alone, and as a father, Mr. Norman naturally felt some worry. Having Ash, apanion with a few years of travel experience, along would certainly ease his concerns.


    Upon hearing Mr. Norman''s words, Ash immediately got excited. "Really? That''s great!" As long as he could battle a strong opponent, Ash didn''t mind whether it was a Gym match or not.


    However, Max mumbled, "Honestly, I''d rather see Dad battle Yuga than watch him fight Ash." When he had no choice, he wanted to see his dad battle Ash, but now that he had the option, he preferred to see his dad face Yuga instead.


    Max''s voice wasn''t low, and everyone heard him. Yuga and Mr. Norman didn''t expect Max to say that, and Ash quickly chimed in, "I want to see the two Gym Leaders battle as well!"


    While Ash was eager to battle a Gym Leader, opportunities to watch two Gym Leaders fight were rare, and he would have plenty of chances to challenge Gyms in the future.


    At this moment, May, who had mostly stayed silent, quietly raised her hand. "I want to see it too!"


    Yuga and Mr. Norman exchanged nces, and Mr. Norman smiled as he asked Yuga, "How about a battle then?" At this point, Mr. Norman''s desire to battle had clearly been sparked.


    Yuga wasn''t inherently abative person, but hearing the anticipation in Mr. Norman''s tone, he nodded in agreement. "Alright."


    Thinking about battling Mr. Norman reminded Yuga of the Bnce Badge he had received from him in the past. Back then, he wasn''t very familiar with the League''s dynamics, and when Mr. Norman battled him, he hadn''t used his full strength. Yuga had thought Mr. Norman was a pseudo-Elite Four level trainer.


    Looking back, he realized how naive he must have been at the time.


    The battle would take ce in Mr. Norman''s eco-park, which Yuga had visited before, so he was quite familiar with the surroundings.


    Once Yuga and Mr. Norman had taken their positions on opposite sides of the battlefield, Ash turned to Pikachu and said, "Pikachu, keep an eye on this! Opportunities like this are rare."


    "Pika! Pika!" Pikachu excitedly punched the air in response to Ash.


    Seeing this, May imitated Ash by sending out Swablu and then picked up the Torchic at her feet. "Let''s learn from Dad and Yuga''s battle too!"


    Max nced at Ash''s Pikachu and then at the Torchic in his sister''s arms, looking enviously and saying, "That''s so cool."


    "Once we''re ready, we can start!" Mr. Norman said to Yuga. After Yuga nodded, he added, "As the elder, I''ll send out my Pok��mon first. Is it okay if we set the rules for a double battle?"


    After Yuga signaled an "OK" with his hand, Mr. Norman took out two Pok�� Balls and released his Pok��mon.


    ...


    [ king ]


    Type: Normal


    Ability: Truant


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 78


    Moves: Scratch, Yawn, Feint Attack, Covet, Amnesia, Chip Away, Counter, il, Focus Punch, y Rough, Reversal, Swagger, Hammer Arm, Crush w, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Water Pulse, Brick Break, Giga Impact, Rest, Shadow w, Earthquake, Bulk Up.


    ...


    [ Blissey ]


    Type: Normal


    Ability: Heal Wish


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 75


    Moves: Pound, Angel''s Kiss, Refresh, Minimize, Egg Bomb, Triple p, Heal Pulse, Explosion, Shadow Ball, Grass Knot, Stockpile, Hyper Voice, Water Pulse, Heal Bell, Light Screen.


    ...


    Yuga recognized this king; it was the key Pok��mon that helped Mr. Norman maintain his top position on the substitute Elite Four list, and it was also Mr. Norman''s signature Pok��mon.


    As for the Blissey in front of him, it was Yuga''s first time seeing one. He had never heard of Mr. Norman using it before, although he knew that Mr. Norman had an Audino.


    After releasing his Pok��mon, Mr. Norman joked, "To win against you, I''ll have to give it my all."


    This wasn''t just a joke; even though he hadn''t battled Yuga in a long time, Mr. Norman was well aware of Yuga''s aplishments.


    Yuga smiled in response, saying, "That''s exactly what I''m hoping for."


    For his part, Yuga chose to battle with Vivillon and Charizard. Given that Mr. Norman''s main attacker was king, which was clearly a melee-type Pok��mon, flying-type Pok��mon were the most suitable counter.


    When the four Pok��mon appeared on the battlefield, Ash and Max both cheered excitedly.


    Since Mr. Norman sent out his Pok��mon first, Yuga graciously allowed him to take the first attack.


    The first move came from Mr. Norman''s Blissey, which shed a sweet smile and unleashed countless pink hearts that hurriedly floated toward Vivillon and Charizard in the air.


    Mr. Norman''s Blissey was clearly a healing and disruptive support Pok��mon, and its use of Angel''s Kiss was exceptional. The densely packed pink hearts quickly filled much of the sky, making it nearly impossible for Vivillon and Charizard to evade.


    Under the pressure of Angel''s Kiss, Vivillon and Charizard separated; Vivillon soared high into the air while Charizard was forced tond.


    king, which had beenzily lying on the ground, suddenly shot over to Charizard''s side andnded a critical hit with its Crush w on Charizard''s abdomen, sending it flying backward with a painful scream.


    Seeing the performance of king and Blissey, Max shouted excitedly from the sidelines, "Dad is amazing! Go, Yuga!"


    In the air, Vivillon noticed Charizard being knocked away and began to p its wings rapidly, sending out Supersonic that quickly shattered all the pink hearts into fragments, making them disappear.


    At that moment, king, due to its Truant ability,zily returned to the ground. Vivillon then directed an Electroweb toward the distant Blissey.


    Knowing well about king''s ability, Blissey didn''t rely on it for help. Instead, it swiftly shrank in size and, after returning to normal, easily dodged Vivillon''s Electroweb.


    This was the move Minimize.


    However, Vivillon did not give up and kept throwing Electroweb, but Blissey skillfully evaded each one using Minimize.


    Blissey, whichcked offensive power, had maximized its evasive abilities.


    Meanwhile, Charizard, after being knocked back, immediatelyunched an attack on the immobile king, engulfing it in intense mes.


    When the mes dissipated, king was stillzily lying on the ground, its expression unchanged. At that moment, Blissey''s Healing Wavended on king, erasing the injuries caused by the mes without a trace.


    king was already a Pok��mon with strong stamina and above-average defense, and with Blissey''s Healing Wave continuously restoring its health, Charizard''s fiery attacks had almost no chance of dealing effective damage.


    The moment its injuries were healed, king sprang up and swung its Crush w at Charizard again, but fortunately, Charizard was prepared this time, and king missed.


    Charizard and Vivillon once again attacked Blissey and king, but the situation was the same as before. Blissey was incredibly slippery and couldn''t be hit at all; while king was easier to hit, it always managed to recoverpletely with Blissey''s Healing Wave.


    Seeing the situation on the field, Yuga quickly realized that standard attacks wouldn''t work against the formidable tank duo of Blissey and king. He shouted to Vivillon and Charizard, "Charizard, cover Vivillon while it uses Quiver Dance!"


    Charizard nodded and swiftly moved closer to Vivillom.


    With Charizard''s cover, Vivillompleted six rounds of Quiver Dance at incredible speed, maximizing its status.


    Now, Vivillon was on a whole different levelpared to before. With the help of the Genesect Fossil, it hadpleted its transformation into a Butterfly King, allowing it to execute Quiver Dance at lightning speed and easily stack it up to the maximum of sixyers.


    Seeing that Vivillon had finished its Quiver Dance, Yuga shouted, "Vivillon and Charizard, let''s go!"


    Upon hearing Yuga''smand, Mr. Norman''s heart skipped a beat. But before he could respond, Vivillon created a wind pir with its and Charizard''s center using the move Hurricane.


    In the blink of an eye, the enormous wind pir obscured Vivillon and Charizard at its center. Within the wind pir, Vivillon''s eyes gleamed with purple light as its powerful psychic energy acted upon the wind pir, causing its walls to begin expanding outward.


    "ROAR!!!"


    Charizard took a deep breath and unleashed a torrent of intense mes toward the rapidly spinning wind pir. In no time, the entire wind column was engulfed in a bright red hue, the rising temperature instantly sweeping across the entire battlefield.


    At first, the size of the ming wind pir wasn''t particrly exaggerated, but in the blink of an eye, it expanded to fill the entire arena. Mr. Norman wanted to warn Blissey and king to get out of the way, but he quickly realized there was no escape.


    Just like that, both Blissey and king were caught in the fiery wind pir. The wind fueled the mes, forcing Blissey and king to endure the scorching heat of the fire while being torn by the force of the wind.


    As long as Vivillon maintained its psychic control and Charizard continued to unleash its mes, the damage from the fire wind pir would not cease.


    Caught within the fiery wind pir, Blissey and king attempted to fight back, but the spinning column disoriented them, preventing them from using any of their moves.


    Seeing this scene, not only did Mr. Norman fall silent, but also Max, Ash, and May in the stands couldn''t help but gasp in astonishment.


    It was so spectacr!


    Vivillon''s control was impressive; it firmly restrained the fire wind pir in the battlefield with its psychic energy, ensuring that it didn''t affect the outside at all.


    Time seemed to stretch, and eventually, the wind pir gradually slowed down, the mes slowly dissipating. The already unconscious Blissey and king fell from the air, signaling that the victory in this battle belonged to Yuga.


    However, despite Yuga''s victory in this skirmish, both Vivillon and Charizard werepletely drained, lying on the ground panting heavily.


    Thisbination of moves was originally developed by Vivillon and Volcarona together, but after Yuga discovered it, Charizard reced Volcarona in the duo. (Volcarona: Feels a bit green on top.)


    Looking at the copsed king and Blissey, Mr. Norman sighed, "Truly, each generation surpasses thest!"


    At that moment, Ash outside the arena was still a bit dazed, repeatedly murmuring, "So amazing."


    The battle between Yuga and Mr. Norman left an indelible impression on Ash. For the first time, he realized just how powerful Gym Leaders could be, and he also recognized his own weakness.


    That night, Ash couldn''t fall asleep.

 Chapter 1067: Meeting Again

    <h4>Chapter 1067: Meeting Again</h4>


    The next morning, Luvia and Iori arrived at Petalburg Gym to meet up with Yuga and Mr. Norman. After briefly discussing their itinerary, the four split into two groups and set off on their respective journeys.


    That day, May and Ash were also nning to head out, but since they didn''t have any tasks toplete, they weren''t in a rush to leave. By the time Yuga and the others had already departed the gym, the kids were still enjoying their breakfast.


    After leaving Petalburg City, Luvia took out a Pok�� Ball and handed it to Yuga. epting the ball, Yuga looked confused and asked, "What''s the meaning of this?"


    Luvia, acting mysteriously, said, "Open it and see."


    At her words, Yuga opened the Pok�� Ball, and out popped a soft, pink Pok��mon. Yuga was surprised and eximed, "A Ditto?"


    "Mhm," Luvia nodded with a smile, clearly pleased with Yuga''s reaction.


    "Why are you giving me a Ditto?" Yuga looked at the squishy, wobbly Ditto on the ground, not quite understanding Luvia''s intentions.


    ...


    [ Ditto ]


    Type: Normal


    Ability: Imposter


    Potential: Green


    Level: 45


    Move: Transform


    ...


    Yuga activated his sharp eyes to further examine Ditto''s stats. It was just an ordinary Ditto, although its potential was green. Yuga had seen plenty of green-potential Pok��mon before, so a Ditto wasn''t anything extraordinary to him.


    The only notable feature about it was that its ability was the hidden ability Imposter, but that wasn''t exactly a rare urrence either.


    "I have one too," Luvia said with a cheerful smile as she took out another Pok�� Ball, releasing a Ditto that was identical to the one Yuga had just received. Not only did they look exactly the same, but their levels, potential, and abilities were also identical.


    "Don''t underestimate these two little guys! They''re more capable than you think!" Luvia said proudly, clearly confident in the Dittos. "Come on, Ditto, show Gym Leader Shimizu what you''ve got!"


    Next, under Yuga''s astonished gaze, one of the Dittos nimbly climbed onto Luvia''s body. Its form gradually ttened and then spread over Luvia''s face. In an instant, Luvia''s face transformed to look exactly like Yuga''s. (Only her face.)


    Yuga stared at the face identical to his own: What in the world?!


    "How about that? Pretty impressive, right?" Luviaughed softly, noticing Yuga''s shocked expression. The gentle tone of her voice felt oddly mismatched with Yuga''s hard, stern-looking face.


    "When we visit the Gyms, we can go openly, or we can be discreet depending on the situation. When we need to hide our identities, Ditto will be our best ally," Luvia exined with a smile, no longer keeping him in suspense, as she revealed the reason for giving Yuga the Ditto.


    After hearing the exnation, Yuga suddenly understood. Luvia also mentioned that it wasn''t just the two of them who had Dittos��Mr. Norman and Iori had them as well.


    However, Yuga and the others only had temporary rights to use these Dittos. Once their Gym evaluation mission ended, all four Dittos would have to be returned.


    These Dittos came from the League''s Supervisory Bureau, and they were only temporarily loaned out due to the special circumstances.


    ording to Luvia, even though these Dittos weren''t high-level or of the best potential, they were still incredibly valuable. Even the intelligence division itself had only a few of them.


    The value of these Dittos didn''t lie in their potential or level, but in their extraordinary transformation ability.


    These special Dittos had been trained by talented experts from the League''s intelligence division, and each one was hard-earned.


    Most trainers who hadn''t raised a Ditto before assumed that its transformation ability was innate. But in reality, except for a few Dittos with exceptional talent, the majority of them required postnatal training to master their transformations.


    Ordinary Dittos could easily transform into other Pok��mon, but transforming into a rock, a hat, or even a human face was beyond their capabilities.


    Only Dittos with the hidden ability Imposter can ultimately achieve such seamless transformations.


    However, not all Dittos with the Imposter ability can, like the two in front of Yuga, effortlessly replicate a human face they''ve only seen once. Every Ditto capable of this level of transformation requires extensive and specialized training. The method for this training has always been a tightly guarded secret of the League''s intelligence division.


    After listening to Luvia''s exnation, Yuga''s perspective on Ditto changed instantly. He hadn''t expected suchplexity behind a small Ditto. Like everyone else, he had assumed that all Dittos could transform into anything at will.


    After Luvia carefully exined how to use Ditto, the two of them set off on their prearranged route, with their first stop being Rustboro City, which was adjacent to Petalburg City.


    Meanwhile, Mr. Norman and Iori''s first destination was Dewford Town on Dewford Ind, which required them to travel by sea.


    In order to reach Rustboro City as quickly as possible, Yuga and Luvia both decided to ride their Flying-type Pok��mon. Though Luvia was also a Water-type Trainer, being Wace''s older sister, her flying mount was a graceful white Swanna.


    However, while Swanna had excellent stamina, its flying speed couldn''t match either Yuga''s Dragonite or Charizard. As a result, it took them more than half a day to reach Rustboro City.


    It had been over half a year since Rayquaza and Deoxys had battled in Rustboro City. The once-damaged city had long since been rebuilt with the League''s help.


    Now, after the reconstruction following the catastrophe, the city''s buildings were more orderly than before. The streets were once again filled with bustling traffic and pedestrians, and it seemed as though the disaster from half a year ago had left no trace on the city.


    Since Yuga knew Rustboro Gym Leader Roxanne, for their first Gym evaluation, they used Ditto to conceal their identities.


    Roxanne was a League-appointed Gym Leader with impable qualifications, so the evaluation task at Rustboro Gym went very smoothly.


    Yuga and Luvia stayed in Rustboro City for two days. They first disguised themselves as ordinary citizens and observed Roxanne as she handled challengers. Once they confirmed that Roxanne was diligently epting and conducting battles, they revealed their true identities and inspected Rustboro Gym''s challenger records.


    Afterpleting the Rustboro Gym evaluation, the two didn''t linger in Rustboro City and set off directly for their next destination.


    However, just as Yuga and Luvia left Rustboro City, May, Ash, Max, and a young man with squinty eyes arrived shortly after.


    The second destination for Yuga and Luvia after Rustboro Gym was Farbor Town.


    In the Hoenn region, unlike what Yuga had seen in the anime in his previous life, there were more than just eight gyms. However, most gyms were not very well-known, such as the Farbor Gym.


    These smaller gyms have always been the focus of gym evaluations. For a gym to maintain its reputation over the years, it must survive numerous evaluations.


    After leaving Farbor Gym, Yuga and Luvia continued along their nned route, visiting gyms like Greenwave Gym, Taster Gym, and Lightning Gym. In just over a month, they evaluated nearly ten gyms.


    During this time, they stayed in constant contact with Mr. Norman and Iori, sharing their evaluation findings. Many gyms indeed had issues, some more serious than others.


    However, they could only record their findings and report them to the League once the evaluations wereplete. How the League would handle these problematic gyms was beyond their responsibilities.


    One day, after a long journey, Yuga and Luvia arrived in Mauville City, the only ce on their route that ovepped with Mr. Norman and Iori''s path.


    Mr. Norman and Iori moved faster than Yuga and Luvia, and by the time they arrived in Mauville, Mr. Norman and Iori had alreadypleted their evaluation of the Mauville Gym.


    Although Yuga and Luvia didn''t have any evaluation tasks in Mauville City, it was a necessary stop on their route to the next destination. Given that they had been working tirelessly for over a month, they decided to rest for a day. Both of them were feeling quite exhausted, so it was a perfect opportunity to recuperate.


    Upon arriving in Mauville, Yuga naturally stayed at his master''s estate. His master, Mr. Kuni''o, was still as robust as ever.


    Since they hadn''t seen each other in a long time, Ryuichi hosted a grand wee banquet for him that evening. The attendees included Yuga, Luvia, Mr. Kuni''o, and the many Pok��mon residing in the estate.


    Luvia was deeply honored and excited to be staying at Mr. Kokuo''s estate and to receive such a warm reception. Even though she was almost forty years old, she was so thrilled that she couldn''t sleep all night.


    For trainers in Hoenn, Mr. Kuni''o was a living legend.


    Since they had decided to rest in Mauville City for a day, Yuga nned to take the opportunity to visit his friends in the city, including his young fan, Mitsui. It had been a long time since he had seen him.


    However, much to Yuga''s disappointment, when he visited Mitsui''s house the next day, his parents informed him that Mitsui was not at home. He had left at the beginning of the year, joining a group traveling to Al.


    Just as Yuga was about to return to the estate after not finding Mitsui, someone called out to him after he had barely taken two steps.


    "Brother Yuga?"


    Yuga quickly turned around and saw May, holding cotton candy in one hand and takoyaki in the other.


    "It really is you!"


    May excitedly bounced over to Yuga. It was then that Yuga remembered Mitsui''s home was near Mauville City''s most famous food square. Considering May''s love for food, it made sense that she wouldn''t miss out on this ce.


    "Sis! Sis! Wait for me!" Max came running up, panting heavily. "Geez, you run too fast!"


    Halfway through hisint, Max noticed Yuga standing with May. "Brother Yuga, what are you doing here? Is it for work?"


    Max knew that Yuga and Mr. Norman had work and would be away for a while.


    "Sort of, just passing through," Yuga replied to Max, then turned to May. "When did you guys get here?"


    "We''ve been here for two or three days now," May responded. "Ash challenged Mauville Gym twice, or we would''ve left the city by now."


    Yuga suddenly remembered that in the original story, Ash did indeed challenge the Mauville Gym twice.


    Speak of the devil, Ash and Brock arrived just then. They were equally surprised to see Yuga.


    After getting to know Yuga better, Ash suddenly recalled that the "Yuga" Misty always mentioned was none other than the Gym Trainer of Verdanturf Gym!


    Ash had long wanted to meet the person Misty always talked about, but he never expected the encounter to happen so unexpectedly. His feelings were quiteplicated.


    After some quick greetings, Brock leaned in and whispered in Ash''s ear, "Who is this?"


    Ash whispered a few words to Brock, and suddenly, Brock understood. He had heard Misty mention that name so many times before��it was almost like it was etched into his memory. Fate sure works in mysterious ways.


    "Since it''s rare to meet like this, why don''t we find a ce to sit for a while?" Yuga suggested to the group.


    "Yeah, yeah, let''s do that!" Max was the first to agree.


    As they happened to be near Mitsui''s family restaurant, Yuga led Ash and the others there.


    When Mitsui''s father saw Yuga returning, he curiously asked, "Mr. Shimizu, is there something else you need?"


    Yuga smiled and replied, "I brought some friends here to sit down for a bit."


    Hearing that, Mitsui''s father happily found a quiet spot for Yuga and his group.


    Once they were seated, Yuga turned to Max and asked, "Why are you tagging along with your sister? Did Aunt Mitsuko approve?"


    Max, confident, answered, "Of course!"


    But the next second, his lie was exposed by May.


    "He snuck out with us. Mom only agreed after the fact."


    "Sis!!!" Max, blushing from embarrassment, tried to cover May''s mouth, but he was too short to reach her.


    Watching the sibling banter, Yuga chuckled and shook his head. Then he turned to Ash and asked, "Did you get the Dynamo Badge from Mauville Gym? Have you decided where you''ll go next?"


    Ash looked confused and shook his head. "I haven''t decided yet. I don''t know where to go."


    Max, acting like a grown-up, pulled out his navigator and said, "The closest cities to Mauville are teport and Fortree. Ash, where do you want to go next?"


    Hearing Max mention Fortree, Yuga was surprised and said, "Fortree City is actually our next destination."


    "Then we''ll head to Fortree too!" Ash''s eyes lit up, and he pped the table, making a decision on the spot. "Mr. Shimizu, can we travel with you?"


    Ash''s thoughts were simple. The battle between Yuga and Mr. Norman had left asting impression on him. If there was any chance to learn from Yuga, he wouldn''t want to miss it.


    One thing was clear��under Misty''s influence, Ash had be much more mature and rational than in the original story.


    Yuga hadn''t expected Ash to choose to travel with him. He couldn''t remember Ash''s exact travel route from the original series, but he knew it must have been different from now.


    "It''s fine if you want to join us, but we won''t be traveling at a leisurely pace like you''re used to. We might move a bit faster," Yuga warned.


    "No problem! We can speed up too," Ash responded eagerly.


    "Well... okay then," Yuga agreed, seeing no reason to refuse.


    After chatting for a while, the group decided it was time to leave. May then asked, "Yuga, are you staying at the Pok��mon Center too? Should we head back together?"


    Yuga shook his head. "No, I''m staying at my master''s estate."


    Ash''s eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, Mr. Shimizu, you''re such a strong trainer, and you still have a master?"


    Yuga: ...What kind of logic is that? Was I supposed to be born strong?


    At that moment, Max confidently chimed in, hands on his hips. "Clearly, you don''t know! Yuga''s master is the strongest trainer in all of Hoenn!"


    Seeing Max''s proud expression made Yugaugh awkwardly. Why does he seem prouder of this than I am?


    Ash, ying along, asked, "The strongest trainer in Hoenn? Even stronger than Mr. Norman or Mr. Shimizu?"


    To Ash, Yuga and Mr. Norman were already the most powerful trainers he''d ever encountered.


    Yuga then asked Ash, "Ash, what''s your dream?"


    "Of course, it''s to be a Pok��mon Master!" Ash replied instantly.


    Yuga nodded. "Good ambition. My master is what you''d call a Pok��mon Master."


    Ash was stunned into silence,pletely floored by the revtion. He realized he was still a long way from bing a Pok��mon Master.


    The next day, Yuga and Luvia set off from Mauville City, traveling alongside Ash and his friends.

 Chapter 1068: Legend: Mirage Tower

    <h4>Chapter 1068: Legend: Mirage Tower</h4>


    Standing at the entrance of the desert, Yuga once again asked Ash and the others, "Are you sure you want toe with us to Fortree City?"


    To reach Fortree City as quickly as possible, Yuga and Luvia didn''t take the normal route. Instead, they nned to cut through part of the Hoenn Great Desert and head straight to Fortree City on the other side.


    Although they would only be crossing a small portion of the Hoenn Great Desert��far from the desert''s main body��this area was still one of the most dangerous regions in Hoenn. For the young and inexperienced trainers like Ash and May, it would be a challenge, especially since they had Max with them.


    Looking at the endless expanse of yellow sand, Ash swallowed nervously. He couldn''t help but nce at May and Brock standing beside him. When he saw them both nod at him, he finally answered Yuga with determination, "Yes, we''re sure! We''re going together!"


    Seeing that Ash had made up his mind, Yuga nced at the excited Max standing off to the side and nodded in agreement, "Alright then, if that''s the case, let''s get going!"


    And so, the group set off into the desert!


    Considering the unpredictable weather in the desert, Yuga and Luvia decided to forgo using Flying-type Pok��mon. Instead, they chose to ridend-based Pok��mon.


    Yuga, with Max, rode on his Sawsbuck. Ash and Brock rode together on Brock''s Onix, while May, not having a mount of her own, shared Luvia''s Mudsdale.


    There are hardly any suitable Water-type Pok��mon fornd travel, but as an elite member of the Supervisory Bureau, having and-riding Pok��mon was essential. To meet the demands of daily missions, Luvia had specially trained a Mudsdale with exceptional stamina and endurance.


    Luvia''s Mudsdale wasn''t trained as a battle Pok��mon, so itsbat abilities weren''t extraordinary. However, as a mount, it was top-notch, and crossing the desert was a breeze for it.


    Additionally, its ability was Stamina. As the name implies, aside from boosting its defense during battles when attacked, it also grants Mudsdale exceptional endurance and strength in everyday tasks.


    If Mudsdale had any downside, it would be that its speed was considerably slower than most other mounts.


    The daytime temperatures in the desert were extremely high. The group had been riding their Pok��mon for only a short while when they were already drenched in sweat. For the kids, who were all experiencing the desert for the first time��except for Yuga and Luvia��this was particrly challenging, especially since they had encountered several sandstorms along the way.


    At first, the kids found the desert journey somewhat novel. They were excitedly shouting as they spotted desert-specific Pok��mon like Cea or Cacturne, but it didn''t take long before they felt like fish out of water.


    Yuga nced at the zing sun overhead and then at the flushed face of Max sitting in front of him. He asked with concern, "How are you holding up? Are you okay?"


    Max gritted his teeth and stubbornly shook his head. "I''m fine. How about you, sister?" As he spoke, he struggled to turn around and check on May''s condition.


    Yuga chuckled to himself: Wow, I didn''t expect that despite usually being sarcastic towards his sister, he''s pretty reliable in a pinch.


    After adjusting Max, who was leaning to one side, to sit more steadily, Yuga said, "Don''t worry; Sister Luvia will take good care of May. Just sit tight and don''t move around."


    Actually, given Luvia''s age, it wouldn''t be inappropriate for Max to call her "aunt," but since Max called Yuga "brother" and Yuga was of the same generation as Mikoli, he had to call Luvia "sister."


    However, for women, being called "aunt" is often less preferable than being called "sister." Moreover, Luvia looked quite young, so Max calling her "sister" didn''t feel out of ce.


    "Okay, got it," Max replied, sounding a bit defeated, as children tend to dislike the heat.


    They didn''t know how long they had been walking when they suddenly spotted a patch of greenery in the distance. May eximed, "Look, it''s an oasis!"


    Brock calmly responded, "It might be a mirage!"


    Exhausted, May countered, "It''s definitely not a mirage! It must be an oasis; let''s go rest over there!"


    Having never seen a mirage in his life, Yuga said, "Whether it''s real or not, let''s head over and check it out." After all, the oasis was generally in the direction they were heading.


    So, the group began moving toward the oasis.


    However, as Brock had suggested, what appeared before them was indeed a mirage. No matter how close they got, they couldn''t reach that oasis, and in the end, they could only watch helplessly as the mirage vanished.


    The revtion that the oasis was just an illusion hit May hard, and Yuga smiled tofort her. "Alright, keep pushing! We''ll probably get out of this desert by tomorrow."


    "Ah... we have to wait until tomorrow?!" May wailed in despair.


    Just then, Max suddenly shouted, "Sister! Brother Yuga! You guys, look!"


    The others followed Max''s pointing finger and were astonished to find a tall and magnificent pyramid had appeared not far from them.


    Ash gulped nervously. "This... can''t be another mirage, can it?"


    Brock shook his head. "It doesn''t look like one."


    Yuga curiously asked the group, "Did any of you notice this tower before?"


    "No," everyone shook their heads; the tower seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.


    "What should we do? Should we go check it out?" May asked hesitantly.


    "Let''s go and take a look; it doesn''t seem too far from us," Yuga replied after a moment of silence. It might be real, or perhaps it was an undiscovered ruin.


    Ruins of various kinds were a favored destination for many adventurous trainers, as they often meant wealth and treasure for them.


    This time, they found that it was indeed not another mirage. After a short walk, they arrived at the base of the giant pyramid.


    "I can''t believe... it''s real," Max said in disbelief as he looked at the pyramid before him.


    "But this tower appeared so suddenly; don''t you find it strange?" Brock frowned and said.


    "I wonder if you all have heard of the legend of the Mirage Tower?" At this moment, Luvia suddenly spoke up.


    "The Mirage Tower?" Yuga had indeed never heard of it.


    The children also looked at Luvia with curious expressions.


    Luvia cleared her throat and exined, "It is said that there is a magical Mirage Tower in the Hoenn Desert. The exact time of its appearance is unknown, but ording to legend, this tower moves on its own. Ordinary people can hardly find it; only when it reveals itself can others enter."


    "That''s so amazing!" Yuga eximed in surprise.


    "No wonder we hadn''t noticed it before," Brock said quietly.


    "Do you know anything specific about the Mirage Tower?" Yuga asked Luvia again.


    Luvia shook her head. "It''s called a legend for a reason. I''ve only heard the name of the Mirage Tower; I don''t know any specifics. Besides, whether this is really the legendary Mirage Tower is still uncertain."


    "It definitely is! There''s no doubt about it!" Max said excitedly; he was quite interested in this kind of legend.


    "Should we go inside?" May asked.


    "Of course we should! This is a rare opportunity!" The passionate Ash was getting excited.


    "I think it''s better to be cautious," Brock, who was a bit older, said more calmly.


    "Why don''t we go in, and May and Max can wait outside?" Yuga suggested. He was more concerned about May and Max''s safety than exploring the Mirage Tower.


    "No! I don''t want to stay outside!" As soon as Yuga said this, May immediately became unhappy. She would rather be with everyone than be left alone outside.


    "I don''t want to either! What if it''s even less safe outside?" Max protested as well.


    Seeing that May and Max were adamant, Yuga had no choice but topromise.


    "Gengar, Mismagius,e out," Yuga said, and as soon as his words fell, Gengar and Mismagius emerged from the shadow space.


    Everyone was startled by the sudden appearance of Gengar and Mismagius, but only Ash and Max eximed in unison, "Wow, that''s so cool!"


    "You two will stay with May and Max to ensure their safety," Yuga instructed Gengar and Mismagius.


    After nodding, Gengar and Mismagius disappeared into May and Max''s shadows. Although there was no shadow space in May and Max''s shadows, it was a ghost-type Pok��mon''s innate ability to lurk in shadows.


    Max stepped on his shadow and said in awe, "That''s amazing." As the child of a Normal-type Gym Leader, it was his first time closely interacting with ghost-type Pok��mon.


    May, however, looked at Yuga worriedly and said, "Yuga, you''re leaving Gengar and Mismagius with us. What will you do?"


    "You don''t need to worry about me," Yuga said with a smile. "My Sawsbuck will protect me, right?" He gently patted the cheek of his Sawsbuck beside him.


    "Sawsbuck."


    Of course.


    Sawsbuck affectionately nuzzled Yuga''s palm.


    "But how are we going to get inside?" Brock asked after circling the edge of the pyramid.


    Yuga looked up at the top of the pyramid and then released Charizard. "Charizard, go check the top."


    Charizard spread its wings and flew to the top of the tower. A few minutester, it returned.


    "Most likely, the entrance is at the top. Let''s go take a look," Yuga told everyone.


    Seeing Yugamunicate with Charizard effortlessly, Ash''s eyes widened. "Mr. Yuga can... can understand Pok��mon speech?"


    "Sort of. To be precise, I can understand the meanings expressed through their cries," Yuga exined with a smile.


    "That''s awesome! I wish I had that ability too!" Ash, who loved Pok��mon immensely, was envious of Yuga''s ability. The more time he spent with Yuga, the more magical he found him.


    With the help of their flying Pok��mon, the group arrived at the top of the Mirage Tower.


    From a distance, the Mirage Tower looked like a pyramid, but the top wasn''t pointed; it was arge tform with a dark hole in the center, which was likely the entrance.


    Looking at the dark entrance that led down into the abyss, Yuga said, "Let''s go down."


    Upon hearing this, Charizard automatically moved to the front, using the mes on its tail to illuminate the path for everyone.


    With Charizard''s assistance, the group finally saw the path beneath their feet and began to descend the staircase one by one.


    The staircase was long, and in the flickering firelight, Yuga noticed faint murals on the walls beside the stairs. However, they were likely weathered by time, and the patterns were too blurred to discern what the murals were meant to convey.


    Most ancient murals were used for storytelling rather than mere decoration, as they are often used today.


    "Chirp, chirp, chirp..."


    After descending for a while, a sudden flurry of wings and shrill cries came from above them. They looked up to see a swarm of Zubat that had been startled by Charizard''s mes, frantically fleeing into the darkness.


    May was startled by the sudden noise, but she knew she couldn''t be a bother, so she covered her mouth to suppress her scream and tightly held onto Max''s arm with her other hand.


    Max''s arm hurt from his sister''s grip, but feeling her trembling, he quietly endured the pain.


    Yuga sensed the tension in the darkness and released his b��b��. "Chimecho, use Heal Bell," he whispered.


    As soon as Yuga finished speaking, a clear and melodious chime emanated from Chimecho. Under the influence of Heal Bell, everyone''s emotions began to rx involuntarily, and May gradually loosened her grip on Max''s hand.


    "Chirp, chirp, chirp..."


    After walking a bit further, they finally reached the bottom of the long staircase, entering a spacious area within the tower. A few Sandshrew, startled, hurriedly scurried into the holes in the walls, disappearing from sight.


    "It seems like there''s nothing here," Ash remarked as he surveyed the empty space.


    "Then... what''s that?" May suddenly pointed in a direction and asked.


    Following May''s gesture, the group squinted into the flickering light of Charizard''s mes and vaguely saw a pile of white objects.


    Luvia released a Starmie, and a bright beam of light shot out from the gem at its center, illuminating the pile of objects, revealing them to be a heap of bones��human bones!


    Ash, Brock, May, and Max all swallowed nervously.


    "Hehe... heh... that must be fake," May said, forcing augh to reassure herself.


    However, Luvia replied, "In the legend of the Mirage Tower, some people who entered never came out..."


    Yuga interjected, "Regardless, everyone stay alert. May, Max, Ash, Brock, don''t stray too far from me."


    As soon as Yuga''s words fell, a series of chaotic scraping noises suddenly echoed in the darkness, and soon their view was filled with Sandshrew and Sandsh.


    Countless Sandshrew and Sandsh surrounded them from all sides.


    "Stay alert!" Yuga whispered sharply.


    Just as they alerted their Pok��mon to be on guard, the Sandshrew and Sandshunched their attack on the intruders.


    "Chirp, chirp, chirp..."


    The Sandshrew and Sandsh rushed forward, ws at the ready, aiming to pounce on Yuga and hispanions.

 Chapter 1069: The Trio And Claydol

    <h4>Chapter 1069: The Trio And ydol</h4>


    The cries of the Sandshrew and Sandsh were sharp and incessant, instantly filling the previously quiet space of the tower with noise and chaos. Yuga''s Sawsbuck was the fastest, and any Sandshrew or Sandsh that came close was kicked away with a single blow. Charizard unleashed a Dragon Pulse, sweeping through arge number of Sandshrew and Sandsh. None of those caught in the wave survived.


    Brock''s Onix, with its massive size, charged through the swarm of Sandshrew, scattering those that had approached them. The Sandshrew and Sandsh were sent flying in all directions.


    Ash''s Pikachu darted around nimbly on Onix''s body, using Iron Tail to knock down any Sandshrew that had climbed onto Onix.


    Interestingly, Pikachu didn''t know how to use Iron Tail the first time it met Yuga, but now it had be proficient in the move.


    Luvia''s Starmie handled the Sandshrew and Sandsh with ease. A single Water Gun shot out and immediately cleared arge area of them.


    May and Max, holding hands, were surrounded by Yuga and the others. Not a single Sandshrew or Sandsh could get close to them, but May was still drenched in cold sweat. This was her first time experiencing such an ordeal.


    Ash, on the other hand, felt a mix of excitement and thrill. The scene reminded him of when he and Pikachu were first attacked by a swarm of Spearow right after leaving Pallet Town.


    During that Spearow attack, he and Pikachu, who had just be partners, acknowledged each other for the first time. It was also because of that event that Ash met his futurepanion, Misty. (To quickly get the injured Pikachu to a Pok��mon Center, Ash had "borrowed" Misty''s bike, though they hadn''t known each other at the time.)


    Now, Ash and Pikachu''s strength was on an entirely different level than back then.


    Though the number of Sandshrew and Sandsh wasrge, their strength wasn''t particrly high. Thanks to everyone''s teamwork, they quickly dealt with the swarm.


    Looking at the pile of unconscious Sandshrew and Sandsh on the ground, Brock let out a long sigh and said, "Something''s not right! Even if we identally disturbed them, they shouldn''t have attacked us like this, as if they were crazed."


    Yuga nced around and nodded in agreement, "Yes, something definitely feels off." Among the many Sandshrew and Sandsh lying on the ground, not a single one was particrly strong or noteworthy, so he wasn''t interested in them. However...


    Just then, a noise echoed from the darkness. Momentster, Yuga''s Mimikyu appeared in everyone''s view, dragging an unconscious Baltoy behind it.


    Luvia and the others were unfamiliar with Yuga''s Mimikyu, so they were startled by its sudden appearance. Ash, in particr, eximed, "What kind of Pok��mon is that? Why does it look so much like my Pikachu?" Even Pikachu, perched on Ash''s shoulder, was curiously staring at the Mimikyu on the ground.


    It''s said that Mimikyu harbors an ancient grudge against Pikachu, and whenever they meet, a fierce battle is inevitable. However, Yuga''s Mimikyu was actually a disguised Granbull, so it had no particr reaction upon seeing Ash''s Pikachu.


    "Don''t worry," Yuga said, reassuring everyone, "This is my Mimikyu. The Baltoy it''s dragging must be the culprit behind the Sandshrew and Sandsh going berserk."


    In fact, right at the start of the battle, Mimikyu had quietly slipped into the darkness to investigate. For Ghost-type Pok��mon, dark environments weren''t an obstacle; rather, they allowed them to move even more freely.


    As a Ghost-type Pok��mon, Mimikyu was highly sensitive to the psychic powers of Psychic-type Pok��mon. It easily located the Baltoy that had been controlling the Sandshrew and Sandsh.


    ...


    [ Baltoy ]


    Type: Ground, Psychic


    Ability: Levitate


    Potential: Yellow


    Level: 48


    Moves: Harden, Confusion, Rapid Spin, Heal Block, Psybeam, Cosmic Power, Trick Room, Extrasensory, Signal Beam.


    Although Mimikyu was among the weakest of Yuga''s team, dealing with this Baltoy, whose strength and abilities were mediocre, was no problem. Once it realized the Baltoy was behind the chaos, Mimikyu acted swiftly and subdued it.


    After hearing Yuga''s words, Luvia asked, "Why was it controlling the Sandshrew and Sandsh to attack us?"


    Yuga shook his head, then said, "Let''s ask it." He gave Mimikyu a nce, and Mimikyu used its tail to knock on Baltoy''s smooth forehead. Baltoy screamed and woke up.


    "That''s amazing! I''ve never seen a Pok��mon like that before!" Ash''s attention was still fixed on Mimikyu.


    Hearing Ash''sment, Yuga exined, "It''s called Mimikyu, a Ghost and Fairy-type Pok��mon. The rag it''s wearing just resembles Pikachu, but they''re not rted at all."


    "I see," Ash said, looking like he had learned something new.


    Once Baltoy regained consciousness, it panicked when it saw so many people surrounding it.


    After some questioning from Yuga, the group learned that Baltoy had attacked them for no particr reason other than that it believed, ever since it became aware, that everyone who entered the Phantom Tower must be killed.


    Yuga then asked it more questions about the Mirage Tower, but unfortunately, Baltoy knew nothing. It didn''t even know how or when it had arrived at the tower.


    As for the bones scattered around, it had no clue either; in its memory, Yuga and the others were the only ones it had ever seen.


    Despite having the courage to control so many Sandshrew and Sandsh to fight against Yuga and his team, when faced with them directly, Baltoy was actually extremely timid, trembling in fear at Yuga''s every word.


    With Baltoy leading the way, Yuga and the others found another entrance, leading downward to a long staircase.


    "This is the entrance to the second level, right?" Yuga asked Baltoy.


    Baltoy, shaking, nodded.


    "You better not be lying! You''reing with us," Yuga warned.


    Baltoy was quite small, so Yuga grabbed one of its arms and lifted it up effortlessly.


    When Baltoy heard that Yuga intended to take it along, it started struggling violently: No, no! It''s terrifying down there! I don''t want to go!


    Yuga ignored Baltoy''s protests and had Mimikyu knock it a couple of times, which instantly made it behave.


    The others, watching Yugamunicate so effortlessly with Baltoy, were full of envy: "How convenient!"


    And so, the group set off toward the second level of the Mirage Tower.


    Meanwhile, at the entrance at the top of the tower.


    "Hey, Jessie, are we really going down there?" James asked nervously, staring at the dark and eerie entrance in front of them.


    Jessie kicked James in the butt. "What nonsense are you talking about? Of course we''re going in! Didn''t you see those kids go down there? There must be treasure inside, there definitely is!" Jessie emphasized with absolute certainty.


    It turned out that Team Rocket had been following Yuga and the others since they entered the desert. It must be said that those three guys'' had pretty good stealth skills, as Yuga hadn''t noticed them trailing behind.


    After hearing Jessie''s words, James frowned. "I know, but it looks really creepy in there. Besides, the kids have Mr. Shimizu with them; they''ll definitely be fine."


    James knew Yuga''s strength well, and since his cousin worked under Yuga, he had a favorable opinion of him, even though they were technically on opposite sides.


    James had been hiding his identity within Team Rocket for a long time without achieving much, but ever since he teamed up with Jessie and Meowth, life, while not alwaysfortable, had been fun.


    "Shimizu, Shimizu��you keep talking about him. Is he really as great as you say?" Jessie said impatiently. "If you keep wasting time like this, the kids are going to grab all the treasure!"


    At this moment, Meowth chimed in, "Jessie, I think James has a point. This ce does feel kinda creepy, Meow."


    Jessie grabbed Meowth by the head, lifted it up, and fiercely said, "Well, do you want treasure or not?"


    Meowth immediately imagined sleeping on piles of gold coins, and suddenly, eyes filled with greed, replied, "I want it! I want lots and lots of gold!"


    Jessie, full of confidence, dered, "Then what are we waiting for? Let''s go!" With that, she scooped up Meowth and started descending the stairs.


    James shook his head and reluctantly followed after them.


    Though Jessie had been full of confidence before entering, less than three minutes inside, the pitch-ck surroundings had her feeling incredibly tense.


    "Hey, Meowth, can''t you make that thing in your hand a little brighter?" Jessie tightened her grip on Meowth,ining that the shlight it held wasn''t bright enough.


    "What are you talking about, Meow? This is already at its brightest!" Meowth felt like Jessie was about to squeeze the life out of it.


    James, feeling a bit scared himself, chimed in, "Jessie, didn''t you say you weren''t afraid before we came in?"


    Jessie snapped, "Are you kidding? I''m a delicate and beautifuldy! Isn''t it normal for ady to be afraid?"


    A "delicatedy"... James and Meowth didn''t know whether tough orment on that.


    "I don''t care anymore! Seviper,e out and protect me!" Jessie tugged at her hair in frustration and released Seviper.


    The moment Seviper appeared, it was startled by the dark surroundings and immediately clung to Jessie, trembling. Jessie, frustrated, smacked it on the head. "You coward! Do I, a frail woman, have to protect you?"


    Seviper saw stars after being punched by the "frail" woman.


    Jessie, James, and Meowth continued bickering as they descended. In truth, they were rtively safe, as they were walking the path that Yuga and his group had already cleared of dangers.


    On the other side, Yuga and his team, having reached the second floor of the Mirage Tower, were once again surrounded by a group of Pok��mon. This time, it was a group of Baltoy, a few Vibrava, and two Flygon.


    Yuga remarked, "I didn''t expect to find so many Baltoy and even some Flygon here."


    The Baltoy that Yuga was carrying, instead of being happy to see its kind, shrank in fear against him, trembling visibly.


    Unlike the pitch-ck first floor, the second floor was brightly lit. As soon as they entered, the walls automatically lit up with oilmps, illuminating the area as brightly as day. Yuga could clearly see the fear on Baltoy''s face.


    At first, Yuga didn''t understand why Baltoy was so scared. But then, all of a sudden, the previously timid Baltoy went berserk andunched an attack on him.


    It''s being controlled by something!


    In an instant, Yuga realized that Baltoy''s abnormal behavior was due to some external maniption.


    Baltoy''s attack marked the start of the battle, and the other Baltoy, Vibrava, and Flygon all unleashed a barrage of attacks toward Yuga and his team.


    At that moment, the Baltoy by Yuga''s side had already been knocked out cold by Mimikyu''s Wood Hammer.


    The Baltoy on the second floor were much stronger than the Sandshrew and Sandsh on the first floor. Even with Yuga''s team''s strength, they found themselves in a bit of a scramble, especially since most of the enemies were Ground-type Pok��mon. Ash''s Pikachu struggled immensely to keep up.


    Yuga then released his Chimecho. "Chimecho, find out who''s behind all this, controlling these Pok��mon!"


    "Chimecho, Chimecho!"


    Got it.


    With a clear response, Chimecho''s psychic power spread rapidly. The immense psychic energy of a Champion-level Pok��mon scanned every inch of the second floor.


    The mastermind behind controlling the Baltoy seemed to be extremely cunning. Even with Chimecho''s abilities, locating it immediately was no easy task.


    The attacks from the Baltoy, Vibrava, and Flygon were fierce, especially the two Flygon, whose strength was formidable. If it weren''t for Charizard and Sawsbuck holding them off, even Luvia would''ve had a hard time dealing with them.


    Fortunately, Yuga had the foresight to ce Gengar and Mismagius next to May and Max in advance. Without them, the Baltoy would have injured the pair long ago.


    As Chimecho scanned the floor repeatedly with its psychic powers, the mastermind finally slipped, revealing a faint psychic fluctuation, which Chimecho quickly detected.


    Under Chimecho''s intervention, the hidden figure finally revealed itself��a ydol, the evolved form of Baltoy.


    ...


    [ ydol (Body) ]


    Type: Ground, Psychic


    Ability: Levitate


    Gender: None


    Potential: None


    Level: None


    Moves: None


    ...


    Seeing this, Yuga was dumbfounded. What''s going on? No potential, level, or moves?


    In the end, the system helped Yuga understand the situation.


    This wasn''t a living ydol but the body of a ydol that had died who knows how many years ago. It continued to move and control the Baltoy and Vibrava because it was now upied by a strange energy.


    Moreover, this forcecked any consciousness; it was like a pre-programmed directive, passively controlling the Pok��mon residing in the Mirage Tower.


    Because itcked consciousness and life, that was why Chimecho took so long to find it.


    When it''s still alive this ydol must have been extremely powerful. After its death, its vast psychic energy was sealed inside its body. Using this psychic power, it manipted the Baltoy.


    In essence, the ydol before Yuga was like a machine following a set ofmands. The only way to stop this machine was to destroy it.


    After understanding ydol''s situation, Yuga directly ordered Chimecho to destroy it.


    Since the ydolcked consciousness, it didn''t possess any offensive capability. However, it seemed to have a pre-set defensemand, because as soon as Chimecho prepared to attack, all the Pok��mon that had been surrounding Luvia and Ash suddenly began retreating to defend ydol.


    In the blink of an eye, the ydol was surrounded and protected byyers of Baltoy.

 Chapter 1070: Team Rocket Trio: Is this the end of our adventure?

    <h4>Chapter 1070: Team Rocket Trio: Is this the end of our adventure?</h4>


    Looking at the numerous Baltoy blocking its path, Chimecho used its Gravity ability. In an instant, all the Baltoy copsed to the ground, as though weighed down by an immense force. No matter how they struggled, they couldn''t break free from Chimecho''s gravitational hold.


    For lower-level Pok��mon, Chimecho''s Gravity was like a nightmare. Once trapped within its gravitational field, there was no hope of escaping.


    With the Baltoy no longer interfering, the small number of Vibrava and Flygon were easily kept at bay by Yuga and Luvia''s team, allowing Chimecho to effortlessly reach the ydol.


    Since the ydol was merely an empty shell, the psychic energy sealed within it only served to control the other Pok��mon in the area.


    As a result, it didn''t know any moves and had no offensive power.


    When Chimecho approached, the ydol put up almost no resistance. Under a single Shadow Ball from Chimecho, the ydol shattered into pieces.


    At the moment the ydol broke apart, all the Baltoy, Vibrava, and the two Flygon tilted their heads and fainted.


    Looking at the field full of unconscious Pok��mon, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.


    "So the ydol was the mastermind behind all of this!" Brock said, leaning on his Onix, gasping for breath.


    "It''s a good thing Mr. Shimizu was able to find it. I didn''t even see it earlier," Ash said, looking relieved.


    "That wasn''t a real ydol, just an empty shell," Yuga exined. He briefly described the situation with the ydol, and the group suddenly understood.


    Brock sighed, "No wonder it shattered with just one hit from Chimecho."


    "No wonder the legend says that anyone who enters the Mirage Tower neveres out. This ce is so dangerous, it''s no surprise," Luvia said with mixed emotions. If Yuga hadn''t been with them today, none of them would have been able to handle the Baltoy and Vibrava, let alone discover the ydol shell.


    Not long after, the Baltoy that had been knocked out by Mimikyu woke up. The moment it opened its eyes, it began to struggle in a panic, but after realizing it wasn''t in danger, it calmed down in confusion.


    Yuga saw the situation and said, "Are you worried about being controlled by the ydol? No need to worry now. Look! It''s already shattered into pieces." As he spoke, he pointed toward the fragments of the ydol.


    Seeing the scattered pieces on the ground, Baltoy initially panicked but slowly began to calm down.


    "Was the reason you didn''t want to tell us about this ce earlier because of the presence of that ydol?"


    Baltoy hesitated for a moment, then gently nodded.


    It exined to Yuga that it didn''t have many memories of this ce. It only remembered waking up inside the tower, alongside many others like it.


    They couldn''t leave the tower, so they lived here peacefully.


    The older ones told it that there was a terrifying presence here, and whenever humans set foot in the tower, this terrifying presence would take control of their minds. They couldn''t resist it.


    That terrifying presence was the ydol.


    Normally, ydol didn''t interfere with their lives, but as soon as intruders appeared, it would turn into a demon, taking control of all itspanions'' minds.


    Baltoy ended up on the first floor because, every now and then, the Baltoy on the second floor would be controlled by ydol to guard the first floor.


    It was the first time Baltoy had been controlled by ydol. The feeling of having its consciousness taken away and its body moving without its own will was terrifying. Even thinking about it now made it shudder.


    ording to the older ones, they had thought about trying to destroy ydol, but the Pok��mon living in the Mirage Tower couldn''t resist it. As soon as they got close, their minds would be taken over.


    After listening to Baltoy''s story, Yuga asked, "Do you know why this Mirage Tower exists?"


    Baltoy shook its head and said that ever since it woke up, it had only moved between the first and second floors. The older ones didn''t allow it to go near the third floor, and it didn''t know anything else.


    Still clueless, Yuga shook his head in disappointment.


    Looking at the unconscious Baltoy on the ground, Yuga asked the others, "Do you want to catch one? Psychic-type Pok��mon are pretty good."


    Luvia was the first to refuse. She didn''t have the keen eye skills like Yuga to easily find a suitable one among so many Pok��mon, and besides, she was a Water-type trainer.


    Luvia declined, and Yuga didn''t insist. After all, he couldn''t exactly tell others that his eyes could see the potential of Pok��mon.


    The kids, however, seemed interested but were overwhelmed by the sheer number of Pok��mon on the ground, making it hard to choose.


    "How about I pick one for you?" Yuga suggested.


    "Yes, please!" Ash said excitedly. "Mr. Shimizu is so amazing, there''s no way his choice will be wrong."


    May and Brock both nodded in agreement, and as for Max... he didn''t have much say.


    Unlike the first floor, which was filled with low potential Sandshrew and Sandsh, the second floor''s Baltoy and Vibrava included several high potential Pok��mon.


    Considerately, Yuga selected a green potential Baltoy for both May and Ash and a green potential Vibrava for Brock.


    Among the remaining Pok��mon, the only high-potential one left was another green-pptential Baltoy, which Yuga naturally added to his own collection.


    He then picked out a few yellow-potential ones as well.


    While Baltoy might not be as rare as Ralts, it was still a rare Pok��mon.


    Yuga didn''t touch the two Flygon. He didn''t need them, and now that the ydol was gone, the Flygon could protect the remaining Baltoy and Vibrava, allowing them to live peacefully.


    Seeing that everyone had chosen a Pok��mon they liked, Max enviously asked, "Can I pick one too?"


    May pulled at Max''s ear and scolded, "What are you even doing here? You''re just a tag-along who didn''t help with anything! And now you have the nerve to ask for a Pok��mon?"


    Maxined, "You''re just a burden too, sis! What gives you the right to criticize me?"


    May was left speechless for a moment, unable to think of a retort.


    In reality, May had actually been quite helpful. Her Swablu had been in training for a while, and with her father guidance, her strength was nothing to scoff at. However, the sheer number of Baltoy overwhelmed her, and it was her first time facing such a situation, so it was natural for her to struggle and seem a bit flustered. She didn''t perform as well as Ash and Brock, who were seasoned travelers. But calling her a burden was an exaggeration.


    Max''sment had everyone bursting intoughter, but the idea of him getting a Pok��mon was quietly dropped. After all, as Mr. Norman''s son, his starter Pok��mon surely wouldn''t be of low potential, and Yuga wasn''t about to choose one for him.


    After selecting their Pok��mon, the group rested for a while before deciding to head to the third floor. Yuga was quite curious about the secrets that the Mirage Tower held.


    Before leaving, Yuga asked the Baltoy if it wanted toe with him. Baltoy eagerly agreed, thrilled at the chance to leave the tower.


    Finally, Yuga had Chimecho use a Healing Bell to soothe the spirits of the still-unconscious Baltoy, Vibrava, and Flygon, hoping that ydol''s control wouldn''t leave anysting effects on them.


    Shortly after Yuga''s group left, Jessie, James, and Meowth arrived hurriedly on the second floor.


    "Seriously, James, you''re so useless! Can''t you figure out a way to deal with those Sandshrew and Sandsh?" Jessieined, brushing her now tangled hair with frustration.


    "Me? Why don''t you handle them? I couldn''t beat those Sandshrew!" James said helplessly, rubbing his backside where he had been hit by one.


    Upon hearing this, Jessie jumped up in frustration. "What? Are you telling me to do it? I''m going to be a famous actress on screen one day! How could you expect me to deal with those brutes?"


    Meowth, exhausted from the bickering, muttered weakly, "Can you two just be quiet, meow? I''m about to drop dead, meow."


    In unison, Jessie and James yelled, "You shut up!"


    Meowth: "..."


    When the three of them reached the first floor, the Sandshrew and Sandsh that had been knocked out by Yuga''s group had just woken up. However, without Baltoy''s control, these Pok��mon were actually quite timid and didn''t pose any threat to people.


    But Jessie and James? They were members of Team Rocket. The moment they saw so many Pok��mon, their first instinct was to catch them all.


    Unfortunately for them, they were no match for the Sandshrew and Sandsh and were quickly chased off in a frantic retreat, fleeing to the second floor in disarray.


    Arguing loudly, the two humans and one Pok��mon ascended to the second floor. Unlike the pitch-dark first floor, the second floor was brightly illuminated by oilmps.


    Relieved by the light, Jessie eximed loudly, "Hahaha... Finally, a ce fit for humans to stay! Mmmph! Mmmph!" Her excitement was cut short as James hurriedly mped his hand over her mouth.


    Jessie''s loud voice had drawn the attention of the Baltoy, Vibrava, and Flygon that had just woken up, thanks to Chimecho''s Healing Bell. All of them now fixed their gaze on Jessie, James, and Meowth.


    Especially the Flygon, whose wings produce a strange sound when they p. Normally, it might be like a beautiful melody, but when threatened, it turns into an intimidating roar.


    "Heh... we... we''re just passing through, we don''t mean any harm," James stammered, swallowing nervously as he tried to exin.


    "What are you standing there for? Run!" Jessie shouted as she yanked James'' hand off her mouth, grabbed Meowth, and dashed off.


    "FLYGON!!!"


    Unlike the timid Sandshrew and Sandsh, the Flygon were far more aggressive. They let out a loud roar andunched an attack at the trio. Even without Baltoy''s control, they were fiercely protective of their territory.


    Under the Flygon''s assault, the trio scrambled frantically across the second floor. Amid their chaotic retreat, Jessie must have stepped on something because they suddenly heard a loud click, and the floor beneath them gave way.


    "Ahhhhhh...!"


    Screaming, the two humans and one Pok��mon plummeted into the dark passage below.


    At the critical moment, Jessie managed to release Wobbuffet. After a long freefall, Wobbuffetnded lightly and used Counter to safely catch them.


    Once they were safely on the ground, Jessie clutched her chest and sighed, "That was terrifying! Why are we always this unlucky?"


    James took a look around and noticed they were in a long, square passage. The walls were lined with bright orbs, illuminating the area as if it were daylight.


    Seeing the glowing orbs, Meowth''s eyes lit up with excitement. "Could this be the treasure, meow? This is amazing, meow!" Meowth, with his affinity for shiny objects, especially coins, was thrilled.


    Without waiting, Meowth extended his ws, deftly scaling the wall to grab the nearest orb. James tried to stop him, but it was toote.


    The moment Meowth''s paw touched the orb, a clicking sound echoed through the passage, and countless arrows suddenly shot out.


    "Wobbuffet!"


    Reacting instantly, Wobbuffet leapt forward, activating Counter again. Every arrow was deflected, some even knocking down others mid-air, preventing them from reaching the group.


    Fortunately, the passage wasn''t too wide, and Wobbuffet managed to block all the arrows on his own.


    Once the arrows had stopped, Meowth copsed onto the ground, drenched in cold sweat.


    "That was terrifying, meow," he muttered.


    Jessie was about to scold Meowth, but then she remembered that she too had been tempted to grab one of the glowing orbs. Swallowing her words, she instead said, "This ce looks really dangerous. How are we supposed to get out of here?"


    James sighed helplessly, "We''ll just have to walk through. It''s not like we can fly."


    Meowth, still fearful, asked, "What if there are more traps?"


    James shrugged, "Do we have any other options?"


    Jessie and Meowth: "..."


    After a few seconds of silence, Jessie nudged Wobbuffet forward, "Wobbuffet, you take the lead."


    Wobbuffet wore a miserable expression: You''ll lose me like this.


    As expected, just like Meowth feared, as they made their way through the passage, they triggered a series of traps��arrows, rolling boulders, fire, and water. But with Wobbuffet acting as their super shield, the trio managed to make it through the passage without much harm.


    Once they were clear of the dangers, Jessie hugged Wobbuffet with a grateful look on her face, "Wobbuffet! I''m so d you''re here. You''re my treasure for life!"


    Wobbuffet''s expression was one ofplete exhaustion: As long as you''re happy...


    Along the way, the trio encountered numerous traps��falling into dark pits became almost routine. However, thanks to their luck and Wobbuffet''s unwavering protection, they emerged unscathed despite their rough journey.


    After a long and difficult adventure, the trio finally found themselves in front of a grand, golden door.


    "Is this... where the treasure is hidden?" Jessie asked nervously, swallowing hard.


    "It must be, meow! We''ve gone through so many dangers. This has to be a reward from the gods, meow," Meowth said with conviction. If possible, he would love to take the door itself, thinking it could be melted down into countless coins.


    Staring at the gleaming golden door, Meowth''s mouth began to water.


    The only one who remained calm, uninterested in the treasure, was James.


    With no hesitation, Jessie and Meowth pushed the grand golden door open. What greeted them was a long staircase leading to a golden throne. And sitting on that throne was an imposing, majestic ck Pok��mon, radiating an aura of dominance.

 Chapter 1071: The Vanishing Chimecho

    <h4>Chapter 1071: The Vanishing Chimecho</h4>


    The environment of the third floor was simr to that of the second floor, only muchrger in space. Instead of the shabby oilmps hanging on the walls like on the second floor,rge pearls, each the size of a fist, were embedded in the walls to provide light.


    Just the sight of these rare pearls made Yuga feel that they were priceless.


    However, the pearls weren''t the main focus. The real threat wase from the ydol, Solrock, and Lunatone.


    The ydol on the third floor were just like those on the second floor��mere shells��but there were far more of them. Yuga estimated there were at least a dozen, and the number of Solrock and Lunatone they controlled was even greater.


    Yuga hadn''t expected to see so many Solrock and Lunatone here. Both are ssified as meteorite Pok��mon, and ording to Pok��mon schrs, their ancestors did indeed arrive in the Pok��mon world via meteorites. As such, they were extremely rare and typically found near craters.


    Encountering a single Solrock or Lunatone in the wild was rare enough, but seeing an entire group together was unheard of.


    As soon as Yuga and the others set foot on the third floor, they alerted the ydol. Although the ydolcked self-awareness, they functioned like a detection system��once intruders entered, they would immediately sound the rm.


    Under the ydol''s control, the Lunatone at the front collectively fired a barrage of Power Gem attacks. Golden beams of light shot toward Yuga and his group like a rain of arrows.


    The Lunatone on the third floor were far stronger than the Baltoy on the second. With just a nce, Yuga spotted several at the pseudo-Elite level, and there was even one at the Elite level.


    The Solrock hiding behind the Lunatone were in a simr state��altogether, it was a very tricky situation.


    Fortunately, after enduring the attacks on the first and second floors, Yuga and his group were well-prepared. As soon as the Lunatoneunched their assault, their Pok��mon quickly set up defenses. In particr, Yuga''s Chimecho was present, and its Light Screen blocked the majority of the attacks.


    Ash and Brock were both utterly astonished by Chimecho''s Light Screen. Ash was familiar with the move since his Mr. Mime excelled at it, but being able to raise dozens or even hundreds of screens at once was beyond anything he had ever imagined.


    However, after the first wave of Lunatone''s attacks, Yuga and his group witnessed something even more shocking. The Solrock behind the Lunatone all began absorbing the light from the pearls embedded in the walls. In that instant, it felt as though the entire third floor dimmed.


    So, these pearls not only served as illumination��they also provided energy to the Solrock?


    It''s said that Solrock can absorb sunlight during the day and store the energy, making them especially powerful during daylight hours.


    Since there was no sunlight in the Mirage Tower, it seemed that these pearls served as a substitute for the sun.


    Yuga didn''t quite understand what those pearls were, but he certainly recognized the attack the Solrockunched! The Sr Beams were far more powerful and overwhelming than the Power Gems from the Lunatone earlier.


    "Everyone, get down! Chimecho, Light Screen defense!" Yuga shouted, immediately dropping to the ground. Without hesitation, the others followed suit.


    *Boom...*


    Even with Chimecho''s Light Screen in ce, arge portion of the wall on Yuga''s side was sted apart by the Sr Beams. Fortunately, they had dropped down in time, and the beams narrowly missed them, passing just overhead.


    After narrowly avoiding the two waves of attacks from the Solrock and Lunatone, Yuga''s Sawsbuck charged ahead like an arrow, diving straight into the midst of the Lunatone, disrupting their formation in an instant.


    The moment Sawsbuck entered the Lunatone swarm, it faced a counterattack from them. However, Sawsbuck was incredibly agile, darting up and down, always managing to evade their attack while simultaneously kicking them away with ease.


    Seeing Sawsbuck wreak havoc, the other Pok��mon quickly joined the battle. Charizard, mimicking Sawsbuck''s boldness, appeared in the middle of the Solrock with amanding presence. Just like with the Lunatone, the Solrock formation crumbled instantly.


    Without their formations intact, the Solrock and Lunatone could no longer perform the coordinated attacks from the beginning, greatly reducing the threat they posed to Sawsbuck, Charizard, and the others.


    As the Solrock and Lunatone came under attack, the ydol controlling them emitted strong psychic energy waves, clearly affected by the assault.


    Noticing this, Chimecho immediately tried to take advantage of the situation to destroy the ydol. But just as it approached them, a pre-set defense mechanism of the ydol was triggered.


    The patterns on the wall behind the ydol suddenly moved, and strange ck symbols began to peel off the walls, transforming into various Pok��mon forms��none other than the mysterious Unown, whose origins remain an unsolved mystery to this day.


    Unown are incredibly enigmatic, often found in famousrge ruins across the world, yet no trainer has ever sessfully captured one, as they appear and disappear at will.


    A single Unown isn''t particrly strong, but when many of them gather, they can trigger all sorts of mysterious phenomena.


    There were at least a thousand Unown gathered here, forming a thick, dark mass, emitting a series of rapid, rhythmic calls.


    "Dili-li... Dili-li... Dili-li..."


    The rapidly spinning Unown formed a spiral and ascended into the air. Under Yuga''s horrified gaze, they tore open a pitch-ck dimensional rift and, in the blink of an eye, pulled Chimecho inside, vanishing without a trace.


    "Chimecho!!" Yuga roared in anger, breaking away from the group and charging towards the ydol.


    "Yuga!"


    "Mr. Shimizu!"


    "Brother Yuga!"


    ...


    The others immediately tried to stop him, but Yuga was too fast and quickly dashed beyond their defensive range.


    As soon as Yuga left the protective circle, the Solrock and Lunatoneunched attacks at him. However, Yuga was consumed with the image of Chimecho disappearing and paid no mind to the iing strikes from the Solrock and Lunatone.


    Thankfully, Mimikyu stayed by his side, and Sawsbuck came to his rescue just in time. Safely reaching the area near the ydol.


    Yuga was blocked by a Solrock and Lunatone, both at the Elite level. Without hesitation, Yuga grabbed a Pok�� Ball and released his Vivillon, coldlymanding, "Vivillon, take care of them!"


    "Vivillon!"


    Sensing Yuga''s fury and urgency, Vivillon nodded. On its broad butterfly wings, two masses of yellow-green energy slowly began to gather, growingrger andrger, and gradually darkening in color.


    With a loud *buzz*, two nearly ck energy orbs shot out from Vivillon, forming thick beams evenrger than Vivillon''s wings, precisely striking the Solrock and Lunatone.


    The two Elite-level Pok��mon didn''t even have time to resist before being sted away.


    The Solrock mmed into the wall and was instantly knocked out, while the Lunatone crashed into a nearby Baltoy, causing the fragile psychic Pok��mon to explode into pieces with a loud *boom*.


    Vivillon''s move was Signal Beam, the strongest Bug-type move it had gained after awakening the Genesect Fossil. Before Chimecho had broken through to the Champion level, Vivillon had used this move to consistently overpower it.


    The lifeless ydol shell was even more fragile than expected. As soon as that one shattered, several Lunatone copsed on the spot.


    With the Elite-level Solrock and Lunatone out of the way, the remaining dozen or so ydol were easily reduced to rubble by Vivillon''s Signal Beam.


    As soon as the ydol''s control vanished, the Lunatone and Solrock copsed one by one, and Yuga''s crisis was finally over. However, he didn''t feel any relief. Instead, he stood silently, staring at the spot where Chimecho had disappeared.


    "Brother Yuga, are you okay?" May asked worriedly as she approached him. "Chimecho will be alright."


    Everyone had seen what happened when Chimecho vanished.


    "Yeah, exactly! Chimecho is so strong, it''ll definitely be fine," Ash quickly chimed in, trying tofort Yuga. "I''ve encountered Unown before. They aren''t actually bad, so they won''t harm Chimecho."


    "Thank you," Yuga replied weakly, acknowledging their efforts, but his eyes remained fixed on the spot where Chimecho disappeared.


    The others exchanged silent nces, unsure of what to do next.


    The waiting felt endless. For Yuga, every second was pure torment. He couldn''t help but worry: What if Chimecho never came back? What would he do then? He had been in the Pok��mon world for almost seven years now, and Chimecho, Lady Gardevoir, and Absol had been with him since the very beginning. They were his closestpanions, the ties that bound him to this world. But now...


    Just as Yuga''s thoughts spiraled into worry, the sky suddenly split open, and Chimecho fell out of the rift��right into Yuga''s arms.


    Yuga: ...


    Chimecho: ...


    "Chimecho, Chimecho, Chimecho."


    Chimecho nuzzled into Yuga''s chest, almost as if it were affectionately asking forfort.


    "Chimecho, wee back," Yuga whispered, tightening his arms around it.


    Seeing Chimecho return, a smile reappeared on Yuga''s face, and everyone else breathed a sigh of relief. It had been truly terrifying.


    After calming down a bit, Yuga carefully examined Chimecho. "Chimecho, are you okay?"


    "Chimecho, Chimecho,"


    Chimecho responded hesitantly, unsure if it was entirely fine or not.


    Noticing Chimecho''s uncertain behavior, Yuga grew concerned and asked, "Is something wrong with you?"


    "Chimecho, Chimecho."


    Chimecho nodded, and immediately strange ck markings began to appear on its previously unmarked body.


    The moment the ck patterns emerged, Yuga''s mind was hit with a powerful shock. A wave of dizziness washed over him, and chaotic, rapid sounds started drilling into his head uncontrobly.


    Yuga quickly recognized the noise��it was the Unown''s calls.


    As soon as the ck markings surfaced on Chimecho, a powerful wave of psychic energy exploded from it. In an instant, everyone except Yuga, who was holding Chimecho, was blown back by the force.


    "What... what just happened?" Ash asked in confusion as he scrambled to his feet.


    "No idea," the others replied in unison.


    As everyone was thrown back, Yuga''s mind cleared, and the noise in his head vanished as if it had never existed, like an illusion.


    Looking at the ck patterns on Chimecho, Yuga asked in confusion, "Chimecho, what is this?"


    "Chimecho, Chimecho, Chimecho," Chimecho responded.


    Yuga was incredulous, "What? You''re saying these are your ''minions''?" He felt like he wasn''t on the same wavelength as Chimecho. What did it mean by "minions"? That made no sense!


    Seeing that Yuga didn''t understand, Chimecho reluctantly floated out of his arms. As it hovered in the air, the ck markings on its body began to wriggle, then surged rapidly. Suddenly, a swarm of Unown erupted from Chimecho''s body like a tidal wave, and the ck patterns disappeared along with them.


    Yuga: ...So those ck markings were Unown? And the ''minions'' Chimecho referred to were Unown?


    Surrounded by the Unown as if they were stars orbiting a moon, Chimecho stood at the center, and Yuga found himself at a loss for words. Not only was Yuga stunned, but the others were also equally shocked.


    After showing off, Chimecho called out once more, and all the Unown rushed back into its body like a tide. The ck patterns reappeared, wriggled for a moment, and then disappeared into Chimecho''s skin.


    Unconsciously, Yuga activated his Insight ability to examine Chimecho.


    ...


    [ Chimecho (Unown Parasite Host) ]


    Type: Psychic


    Gender: Female


    Ability: Levitate


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 81 (Normal State)


    Moves: Psychic, Gravity, Heal Pulse, Heal Bell, Synchronoise, Shadow Ball, Safeguard, Uproar, Psyshock, Calm Mind, Light Screen, Psychic Terrain, Reflect, Wish, Future Sight, Teleport, Zen Headbutt, Skill Swap, Double Team, Rest, Charge Beam, Dream Eater, Trick Room, Recover.


    ...


    There were no significant changes, but Chimecho''s state seemed strange, causing Yuga to worry. Watching Chimecho fly back, he asked anxiously, "Are you sure it''s okay for those Unown to stay inside you? Won''t they cause any harm?"


    "Chimecho, Chimecho, Chimecho!"


    Chimecho was confident, insisting that it was fine.


    Still uneasy, Yuga sought help from the system. No matter what, the idea of having a group of unknown Pok��mon parasitizing his partner was unsettling.


    After Yuga''s request, the system conducted a thorough check on Chimecho. After a moment, it responded.


    [ There shouldn''t be any problem. It appears that the Unown and Chimecho have formed a unique symbiotic rtionship. In particr, their mental energies have fused, making them interconnected and mutually supportive. They likely pose no threat to Chimecho. ]


    Hearing the system''s exnation, Yuga finally rxed.


    Just then, Luvia walked over with the four children, worriedly asking, "How is it? Is Chimecho okay?"


    Yuga smiled and replied, "Everything''s fine, no need to worry."


    Looking at Chimecho, now in a symbiotic rtionship with the Unown, Yuga took out its Pok��ball, wondering if it could still be recalled.


    His concern was clearly unnecessary, as Chimecho was smoothly recalled into its Pok��ball.


    What Yuga didn''t know was that if Chimecho''s Pok��ball had been amon one, there''s no way it could have recalled it this time. However, Chimecho''s Pok��ball was a special one made by the system for Yuga''s main Pok��mon.


    But Yuga didn''t know this, and the system didn''t offer an exnation either.

 Chapter 1072: The Two Legendary Pokémon and the Master of the Mirage Tower

    <h4>Chapter 1072: The Two Legendary Pok��mon and the Master of the Mirage Tower</h4>


    After confirming that Chimecho was truly fine, Yuga began dealing with the Solrock and Lunatone on the ground, deciding to take all of them with him.


    Rare Pok��mon like Solrock and Lunatone are valuable, even if they have low potential, because there are still buyers for them. After administering the Inovation Potion, some of their potentials will surely improve.


    There were significantly more high-potential Solrock and Lunatone here than the Baltoy on the second floor. Apart from the Elite-level Lunatone and Solrock, all the others had blue potential, and together with the green potential ones, there were more than a dozen in total.


    The total number of Solrock and Lunatone was around two hundred, and having over ten high-potential ones seemed unbelievable to Yuga. In the wild, the proportion of high-potential Pok��mon within a group is never this high unless humans have selectively bred and refined their genes.


    Just like the Baltoy and Vibrava on the second floor, Yuga gave Ash and Brock a Solrock with green potential, and gave May and Luvia a Lunatone with green potential. Luvia''s Lunatone, in particr, was even a pseudo-Elite-level Pok��mon, and this time, she didn''t refuse because of its type.


    As Yuga captured each Solrock and Lunatone and stored them in his spatial backpack, Luvia was amazed and asked, "Do you always carry this many Pok�� Balls with you when you go out?"


    "Yes!" Yuga replied with a small smile, "It''s always better to be prepared." In truth, he had just bought them from the system store, where the purchase of regr Pok�� Balls isn''t limited in quantity.


    Ash and Brock were equally astonished, especially Ash, who directly asked, "Mr. Shimizu, why are you capturing so many Pok��mon?"


    Before Yuga could respond, Max eagerly exined, "You might not know this, but Brother Yuga is not only a Gym Leader, he''s also the owner of a Pokemon Day Care. Of course, he''s capturing these Pok��mon to take back for breeding!"


    "Does that mean Mr. Shimizu''s ce has all kinds of Pok��mon?" Ash asked, his tone full of envy. "That''s so cool! I want to see all those different Pok��mon."


    Yuga smiled and replied, "When you get the chance to visit Verdanturf Town, I''ll take you to tour our Pokemon Day Care''s Ecopark."


    What Yuga was referring to was the new Ecopark. The Pok��mon that exist in the system''s Ecopark are also present in the new Ecopark, so there wouldn''t be any issue with showing Ash around.


    Ash eximed excitedly, "That sounds amazing! I''m really looking forward to visiting Verdanturf Town even more now!"


    Yuga quickly finished gathering up all the Solrock and Lunatone, and the group continued on their way to the next floor of the Mirage Tower.


    None of them knew exactly how many floors the Mirage Tower had, but on the third floor, they had found the entrance leading down, meaning there was a fourth floor.


    Based on their experiences from the previous three floors, the group was very cautious when they reached the fourth floor. However, the situation was not what they had expected.


    After descending a long staircase, they reached the end where they saw a massive white stone door covered in intricate carvings.


    The door was incredibly heavy. Yuga and Brock tried to push it open, but it was nearly impossible to move it with just manpower. In the end, Yuga''s Charizard, Dragonite, and Breloom had to work together to slowly push the door open a crack.


    *Boom...*


    As the white stone door slowly creaked open, on the other side, a Pok��mon stirred, gently opening its eyes upon hearing the sound.


    Seeing the gap in the door, Yuga and the others recalled theirrger Pok��mon back into their Pok�� Balls and finally managed to squeeze through the door.


    On the other side of the door was a pce. As soon as they entered, they saw a Pok��mon floating in the air, silently watching them.


    "Humans..." A soft voice echoed in everyone''s minds.


    "It''s telepathy!" Max cried out in surprise.


    The Pok��mon floating in the sky didn''t seem to mind Max''s impolite outburst and said again, "I didn''t expect humans to reach me here. Hello."


    "What Pok��mon is this? I''ve never seen it before," Ash whispered to Brock.


    Brock shook his head, "I''ve never seen it either."


    "Hello, Cresselia. We didn''t expect to meet you here," Yuga greeted the Pok��mon in the sky politely, showing his respect. Based on Cresselia''s current attitude, it seemed like it didn''t have any ill will towards them.


    "So, someone here knows who I am," Cresselia''s gentle voice echoed once again in their minds.


    "Cresselia? I''ve never heard of this Pok��mon," Ash said, confused. May also nodded in agreement.


    Max, frustrated, exined, "Ash, May, seriously? You should study more! Cresselia is a legendary Pok��mon!"


    Yuga was also curious at this point. He had a fair understanding of legendary Pok��mon from different regions, and both Cresselia and its nemesis, Darkrai, were part of the legends in Sinnoh. There was no mention of them in Hoenn''s history, though.


    In fact, apart from a few legendaries like the Legendary Birds, Beasts, Manaphy, Heatran, Celebi, and Mew, most legendary Pok��mon tend to stay within their specific continents and rarely leave.


    Even though Yuga was curious, he felt it wasn''t appropriate to ask.


    At that moment, Cresselia noticed the Baltoy beside Yuga and suddenly understood. "Ah, so it was this little one that led you here."


    It turned out that besides the numerous Pok��mon blocking the way, the Mirage Tower also had various traps and mechanisms, especially on the first and second floors, where the guarding Pok��mon were weaker.


    If it weren''t for the fortunate guidance of the native Baltoy, Yuga and the others would have most likely fallen into the traps. After all, in all these years, it was the first time anyone had avoided the traps and mechanisms to reach Cresselia.


    If they had fallen into the traps, even if they survived, they would never have encountered Cresselia��much like Jessie and James, who were currently suffering in those traps.


    However, Cresselia didn''t exin this to Yuga and the others, so they had no way of knowing. While they had doubts about what Cresselia said, seeing that it had no intention of borating, they didn''t press further.


    "What is your purpose foring here?" Cresselia asked them.


    Yuga answered honestly, "We came for exploration and treasure hunting."


    Cresselia wasn''t surprised by this answer, as most humans who ventured here did so for the same reason, though no one had made it to her in all these years.


    "I see. Follow me."


    To their surprise, Cresselia led them to a side chamber.


    "The treasures you seek are all here."


    Entering the side chamber, Yuga and the others saw piles upon piles of gold and jewels, enough to dazzle anyone''s eyes.


    "Wow, wow! So much gold!" Max, being young, couldn''t help but cheer in excitement upon seeing so many treasures. He wasn''t particrly fond of such things but was simply astonished, having never seen so much before.


    Ash and May, however, remained calm. May couldn''t resist teasing her brother: "What are you so happy about? Do you even have a way to take them?"


    Max immediately calmed down, realizing, "Oh, right, we can''t take them."


    Although they each had a space backpack, the space was limited. Plus, they were already filled with travel necessities and gear, leaving little room for treasure.


    Though Yuga''s system space could store the treasures, he wasn''t the only person there, so he couldn''t do that.


    At this moment, Cresselia suggested, "You can choose what you like and take it with you."


    Yuga looked up and asked, "Really?"


    Cresselia casually replied, "Of course. These things aren''t mine anyway; they are the burial treasures of the original owner of the Mirage Tower."


    "The original owner?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    "Yes," Cresselia exined. "This Mirage Tower is actually a tomb."


    Cresselia then began to exin the history of the Mirage Tower and why it was there. Perhaps it had been too long since it hadst spoken with anyone, as Cresselia suddenly became quite talkative.


    The original owner of the Mirage Tower was a powerful beast tamer from Hoenn many, many years ago (in ancient times, Pok��mon Trainers were called beast tamers). The era this beast tamer lived in was one of war and turmoil due to invasions from enemy nations. The country was in chaos, and the people suffered greatly.


    To end the war, the beast tamer joined the military. Thanks to their exceptional leadership skills, the invading nation was eventually driven out, and the country returned to peace and stability.


    After the turmoil ended, the beast tamer chose to live a life of anonymity, disappearing from the public eye. After their death, they used the wealth they umted during the war to build the Mirage Tower as their tomb.


    The Pok��mon Yuga and the others encountered outside were the descendants of the tomb guardian Pok��mon that the beast tamer had selected. Each of the guardian Pok��mon had been handpicked by the tamer, with every one possessing exceptional strength and talent.


    This was also why Yuga noticed a higher proportion of high-potential Solrock and Lunatone, as their ancestors were the original guardian Pok��mon of the tomb''s owner, all of whom were high-potential Pok��mon.


    However, over time, the number of low-potential Pok��mon among the descendants of the tomb guardians increased. This was especially evident on the first floor, where there wasn''t a single high-potential Sandshrew or Sandsh left.


    As for why Cresselia was there, that''s a different story.


    Cresselia couldn''t quite remember how long it had been in the Mirage Tower, but it had likely been several hundred years.


    Centuries ago, Cresselia and its nemesis, Darkrai, lived in an unnamed town in the Sinnoh region.


    One day, after a disagreement, they identally destroyed the vige in a battle, causing the deaths of many innocent vigers. A passing traveler intervened and, as punishment, decided to take them away from the vige.


    Cresselia, feeling guilty for the vigers'' deaths, agreed to leave with the traveler. However, the rebellious Darkrai refused.


    In the end, Darkrai wasn''t a match for the traveler and was forced to leave with them.


    From that point on, Cresselia and Darkrai traveled the world with the traveler, even leaving Sinnoh to reach Hoenn.


    After traveling in Hoenn for a while, they discovered the Mirage Tower.


    The traveler, finding the Mirage Tower to be a safe ce, grew weary of the endless journey and loneliness. They decided to sleep there permanently, asking Cresselia and Darkrai to guard them. For legendary Pok��mon, a bit of time meant nothing, so both agreed.


    Though Darkrai was proud and rebellious, it kept its word as a legendary Pok��mon and never left the Mirage Tower.


    Despite spending a long time together, Darkrai still didn''t like Cresselia. So, the two legendary Pok��mon guarded different parts of the Mirage Tower, agreeing only to meet if necessary.


    The main tomb of the Mirage Tower has two parts: one is the pce where Cresselia resides, and the other is another pce where Darkrai resides.


    The pce where Darkrai stays is the true resting ce of the tomb''s owner, the beast tamer, while the pce where Cresselia resides was built by the beast tamer to confuse tomb raiders. Compared to Cresselia''s pce, Darkrai''s pce is much more hidden.


    Now, the traveler who brought them to Hoenn sleeps in the pce where Cresselia resides. Since he was an outsider, he couldn''t take the ce of the tomb''s true owner, and he didn''t want to lie next to a skeleton either.


    After hearing Cresselia''s story, the group was dumbfounded. Not only was Cresselia here, but Darkrai was as well!


    Moreover, ording to Cresselia, the traveler who brought them to Hoenn hadn''t died after hundreds of years but was merely asleep.


    Living for hundreds of years without dying��was that even a human? Could it be that Cresselia remembered wrong? Maybe it was another god sleeping here, not a human.


    "If you want to leave here, you''ll need to seek Darkrai''s help because the exit of the Mirage Tower is with Darkrai," Cresselia added, "Darkrai''s temperament is quite different from mine, so getting its help won''t be easy."


    "Can''t we just go back the way we came and exit from where we entered?" Max, being young and not yet understanding the reverence one should have for legendary Pok��mon, spoke rather casually.


    Cresselia, with her gentle nature, didn''t mind and replied, "No, you can''t. The entrance to the Mirage Tower only allows entry, not exit, and that''s part of its magic."


    "What should we do then?" May asked, a little anxious.


    Cresselia exined, "I can''t help you because I made a pact with Darkrai. At most, I can only tell you where Darkrai is."


    Seeing the group''s worried expressions, Cresseliaforted them, "Actually, you don''t need to worry too much. Although Darkrai and I don''t get along, it has a good heart. If you speak to it properly, it might agree to let you leave."


    Even though they were opposites, Cresselia had to admit that Darkrai wasn''t truly bad. She had once seen it secretly helping vigers, and during their travels with the same traveler, Darkrai had also helped other travelers.


    It''s just that Darkrai''s image was poor, always leaving people with a bad impression.

 Chapter 1073: The Sleeping Giant and the God of Nightmares

    <h4>Chapter 1073: The Sleeping Giant and the God of Nightmares</h4>


    After listening to Cresselia''s story, Yuga and the others began to continue selecting the treasures they wanted to take with them. In addition to countless treasures, the burial goods of the Mirage Tower''s owner included many items useful for trainers, as he had been a powerful trainer (beast tamer) in his lifetime.


    Since the items in the side chamber where the burial goods were ced were arranged quite chaotically, Yuga and the others separated to search for what they wanted to take.


    During his search, Yuga saw several of the pearls that had previously been on the walls of the third floor. Remembering that the powers of these pearls could be utilized by Solrock, he decided to take a few, secretly adding quite a number to his system backpack when no one was paying attention.


    These pearls were the most abundant items here aside from the treasures, so taking them all was certainly impossible. Therefore, Yuga took a few openly while calcting his way through, then quietly hid some in his system backpack forter use when no one was watching.


    Believing that these pearls might benefit Solrock''s training, Yuga suggested that Ash and Brock, who had also captured Solrock, pick out a few as well.


    Each of these pearls was roughly the size of a fist, and putting a few into the spatial backpack wouldn''t take up much space.


    Ash and Brock remembered the scene from earlier on the third floor, where Solrock absorbed the energy from the pearls, so they followed Yuga''s suggestion.


    Additionally, while rummaging through the treasures, Yuga found two Light Ball, which are special held items for Pikachu, so he split one with Ash.


    He kept the other for himself, knowing he couldn''t use it but wanting to keep it as a collectible.


    Afterward, Yuga found various other assorted held items and useful items for Pok��mon training, filling his spatial backpack to the brim.


    Since they were searching separately, Yuga wasn''t clear on what the others had chosen, but May and Max trusted him enough to have him check everything they picked, afraid they might choose something useless.


    Though young, Max had arge reserve of knowledge, so he had a keen eye when selecting items. In addition to choosingmon held items like the King''s Rock, he also found a very beautiful andplete fossil.


    "When we get back to Verdanturf Gym, I''ll use the fossil revival machine to help you revive this fossil. The revived Pok��mon can stay with you to raise," Yuga said, patting Max on the head.


    "Really? That''s awesome!" Max eximed in surprise, nearly bouncing up and down.


    "However, since you''re still young, when the Pok��mon is revived, you can''t take it out to show off everywhere. You''ll have to wait until you''re ten before the Pok��mon can be registered under your name," Yuga cautioned Max in advance.


    "I know, I know." Max was already well aware of this, having always wanted to be a Pok��mon Trainer.


    Max''s spatial backpack was quite small, so it couldn''t hold many items. He felt a deep sense of regret at the thought of so many treasures he couldn''t take with him��his heart ached as if it were bleeding. A little money-loving kid through and through!


    While checking May''s items, Yuga was surprised to find that, aside from items useful for trainers, she also had several colorful gemstones in her collection.


    However, Yuga thought it made sense; after all, she was a girl, and it wasn''t wrong to like beautiful things. Moreover, since the gemstones were small, he didn''tment on them.


    It was actually May who felt a bit embarrassed when she noticed Yuga paying attention to those gemstones. Among the three of them, only she had picked out anything shy, while Yuga and Max had chosen only practical items, given their limited backpack space.


    But when Yuga didn''t voice any opinions on the gemstones, May quietly breathed a sigh of relief. She simply thought those gemstones were pretty and wanted to take them back for her collection.


    The most precious item May selected was a Mega Evolution Stone for Lopunny; it was a pity that she hadn''t found the corresponding Keystone. However, what Yuga didn''t know was that there actually was a Keystone hidden here, but it had been found by Ash. Since he hadn''t looked at Ash''s items, he was unaware of it at the moment.


    "This is a Mega Evolution Stone for Lopunny. Once you capture a Lopunny and collect a Keystone, you can make it Mega Evolve," Yuga exined the function of the Mega Evolution Stone to May.


    "Can Lopunny evolve further?" Max asked incredulously. He knew Lopunny was the evolved form of Buneary, but the idea of Lopunny being able to evolve was beyond his knowledge.


    At present, knowledge rted to Mega Evolution was still semi-public, and it wasn''t surprising that Max, being young, didn''t know about it. Mr. Norman wouldn''t specifically tell him about Mega Evolution, after all. Mega Evolution Stones weren''t just ordinary stones found on the side of the road; the chances of encountering one were rare.


    "Mega Evolution is a special evolution state that allows a Pok��mon to temporarily evolve during battle by using a Keystone in conjunction with a Mega Evolution Stone. It doesn''tst long; once the battle is over, the Pok��mon will revert to its original form..." Yuga patiently exined the knowledge of Mega Evolution to May and Max.


    By the time he finished speaking, Ash, Brock, and Luvia had also returned with their selected items.


    "Let''s leave once we''ve all chosen our items," Yuga said to the group.


    He didn''t ask Luvia what they had found, and she didn''t mention it either.


    After exiting the side hall, Yuga looked up at the floating Cresselia above his head and asked, "Can we meet that person?"


    Cresselia knew who Yuga meant by "that person." After hesitating for a moment, she replied, "Okay, but he probably won''t wake up. Just don''t try to wake him intentionally; he will be angry."


    The group nodded in agreement.


    Then, under Cresselia''s guidance, Yuga and the others made their way to the main hall deep within the pce, where they saw a massive stone bed.


    On the bedy a giant, towering at least three meters tall, dressed in tattered clothing. The figure had a peaceful expression on his face, and if it weren''t for the slight rise and fall of his chest, Yuga and the others might have thought he was dead.


    "Is he really still alive?" May instinctively held her breath and whispered to Yuga.


    "He should still be alive," Yuga nodded and lowered his voice as well. Looking at the person on the stone bed, a spection formed in his mind.


    "It''s incredible; has he really been alive for hundreds of years?" Brock asked incredulously.


    "Perhaps even longer," Yuga silently murmured. Not waiting for others to continue speaking, he looked up at Cresselia and asked, "Can I know this person''s name?"


    Cresselia thought for a moment and replied, "His name is AZ."


    Just as he had guessed! Yuga thought to himself. The three-meter-tall giant who had lived for hundreds of years��AZ was the first name that came to Yuga''s mind.


    AZ was a famous king from the Kalos region three thousand years ago. His best friend, Floette, lost her life in a war. On order to revive Floette, he created the legendary ultimate weapon.


    With the birth of the ultimate weapon, the war ended, and Floette was revived, allowing both her and AZ to attain eternal life together.


    However, the activation of the ultimate weapon sacrificed the lives of countless innocent Pok��mon. The kind Floette, upon learning of this, left AZ out of guilt and vanished without a trace.


    After Floette disappeared, AZ also went missing in his search for her.


    All of this is recorded and passed down in the history and legends of Kalos.


    Moreover, with the memories of his past life, Yuga knew that AZ was also blood-rted to Lysandre; AZ''s brother was an ancestor of Lysandre.


    Unfortunately, in his previous life, Yuga was just a simple anime fan and only knew the general background of this part in the games. He couldn''t confirm whether there was any connection between the game and the anime, especially since everyone he had encountered so far was rted to the anime.


    Additionally, he could no longer clearly remember many details from the anime. Who could have predicted that he would one day reincarnated into this world? If he had anticipated it earlier, he would have memorized everything.


    AZ did not appear in the main anime storyline, but that doesn''t mean AZ doesn''t exist, nor does it mean that the AZ here is the same as the one in the games. Therefore, whether AZ and Lysandre are rted remains an unknown.


    Understanding the identity of the person before him, Yuga said to the others, "Let''s leave this ce for now." They nodded in agreement and moved on, no longer dwelling on the matter of AZ.


    "I''ll take you to Darkrai. Whether or not you can persuade it to let you leave is up to you," Cresselia said.


    So, Yuga and the others followed Cresselia out of the main hall.


    However, what Yuga and the others did not know was that several months after they left the Mirage Tower, Lysandre and his team found AZ on the other side of the Hoenn desert and brought him out.


    By that time, AZ had already awakened. Lysandre spoke to him about something, and AZ willingly agreed to leave with him. With two Legendary Pok��mon guarding him, Lysandre would not have been able to take him away if AZ hadn''t voluntarily decided to leave.


    But that was all in the future, and Yuga and his group naturally could not know this.


    When parting ways with Yuga and the others, Cresselia dropped a beautiful feather. She said, "This is a feather from me; it may help you at a critical moment."


    Yuga recognized it as the Lunar Feather, an essential item for dealing with Darkrai, and gratefully epted it.


    Leaving the pce where Cresselia resided, Yuga and his group followed her instructions, navigating through winding corridors until they reached a massive golden door.


    This massive golden door was simr to the white giant door in Cresselia''s pce; it was exceptionally heavy and could not be pushed open by Yuga and his group alone. They would need several Pok��mon to work together.


    However, this time Yuga summoned Absol, which possessed immense strength. With a powerful push, the giant door swung open with a loud rumble.


    "Ah, ah, ah! No, no! Don''te near!"


    "Wuwuwu..."


    "Meow, meow, meow..."


    Before Yuga and the others could enter, they heard a series of wails from the other side of the door.


    "What... what is that sound? There can''t be ghosts in there, right?" Max hid behind Yuga, trembling.


    "Doesn''t this sound a bit familiar to you?" Ash suddenly asked Brock and May.


    Brock responded uncertainly, "Team Rocket?"


    "No way?" Although May denied it verbally, she actually agreed with Brock in her heart.


    Team Rocket? Yuga stroked his chin; it was indeed possible. Given Team Rocket''s persistent nature, it wouldn''t be surprising for them to appear here.


    "Let''s go in and take a look first," Luvia suggested. She had heard of Team Rocket''s infamous reputation but couldn''t understand how this viin organization was connected to rookie trainers like Ash and May.


    The group followed Yuga as they passed through the door and entered a pce simr in scale to Cresselia''s but with a distinctly different style.


    The most eye-catching feature in the pce was a long staircase leading up to a golden throne, where a ck Pok��mon with a disdainful expression sat��none other than Darkrai, Cresselia''s arch-nemesis.


    In addition, the source of the wails that Yuga and the others had heard outsidey beneath the throne: Jessie, James, and Meowth.


    At that moment, they were in a state of slumber, affected by Darkrai''s ability, Bad Dreams, and trapped in a continuous nightmare.


    "Darkrai..."


    Darkrai''s cold voice echoed, and a strange wave gradually spread out, causing Yuga and hispanions'' eyelids to be heavy.


    Just then, the Lunar Feather on Yuga emitted a faint, colorful glow, banishing their drowsiness, and even Jesie, James, and Meowth, who were asleep and dreaming, woke up.


    Upon opening their eyes and seeing Darkrai on the throne, the trio screamed and backed away, clearly frightened.


    At this moment, the sharp-eyed Jessie spotted Ash and the others and eximed like she had found a savior, "Hey, kid! Quickly save us! This guy is terrifying!"


    "Ah, kid, thank goodness! We''re saved!"


    "You guys will be Meowth''s lifesavers from now on; Meowth will be grateful to you for life!"


    At Jessie''s reminder, Meowth and James also noticed Yuga and the others'' presence, scrambling behind them in a panic.


    "Pathetic!" Max quietly scolded them upon seeing their reaction.


    Yuga thought to himself, You seem to have forgotten how you were trembling outside when you thought there were ghosts.


    "Darkrai!"


    Who are you? What is your rtion to Cresselia?


    At this moment, Darkrai paid no mind to Jessie and James, focusing all its attention on Yuga, who held the Lunar Feather. It couldn''t possibly be unaware of its old adversary''s feather.


    "Ugh... ugh..."


    Sensing Darkrai''s malice, Absol jumped in front of Yuga, blocking him. It let out a threatening growl and activated its Ability, Pressure, releasing an overwhelming mental pressure that enveloped the area.


    The effect of Absol''s Pressure was magnified as it fused the unique royal aura from the King''s Rock, making it significantly stronger than ordinary pressure.


    Feeling the intense threat from Absol, Darkrai floated up from its throne, its gaze sharp as it looked down at Absol.


    Buzz...


    Feeling the powerful aura radiating from Darkrai, Absol instinctively initiated Mega Evolution.


    "Absol!"


    Mega Absol let out a howl, its aura intensifying yet again, unwilling to show weakness in front of Darkrai, even though it was a Legendary Pok��mon.


    The two Pok��mon faced each other, poised for battle, as if ready to fight at any moment.

 Chapter 1074: Escape from the Mirage Tower

    <h4>Chapter 1074: Escape from the Mirage Tower</h4>


    Seeing the rising tension between the two Pok��mon, Yuga quickly spoke to Darkrai, "We have no intention of causing conflict with you. We just want to know how to leave the Mirage Tower."


    "Darkrai!"


    True to what Cresselia had said, Darkrai was indeed incredibly proud and unruly. It felt provoked by Absol and dered that if Absol could defeat it, only then would it allow Yuga and the others to leave.


    The pride of Dark-type Pok��mon was fully on disy in both Darkrai and Absol. Darkrai believed its dignity could not be challenged, while Absol''s unyielding nature refused to bow to any other Pok��mon, even if the opponent was a much stronger Legendary Pok��mon.


    "Brother Yuga, what does Darkrai mean?" Seeing the increasingly tense atmosphere, May couldn''t help but ask Yuga.


    Yuga, noticing Darkrai''s firm stance, truthfully told her, "Darkrai means that only if Absol can defeat it will it let us leave."


    Upon hearing this, everyone''s hearts skipped a beat. Ash immediately shouted to Darkrai, "Darkrai, we just want to leave here. Please don''t be angry!"


    However, Darkrai was unmoved by Ash''s words and continued to lock its gaze on Mega Absol.


    Darkrai could sense that Absol was not as strong as itself, but whenever it faced Absol, an eerie sense of danger crept into its heart and refused to leave.


    Determined to uncover the source of this unease, Darkrai insisted on fighting Absol. Its naturally defiant personality made it impossible for it to simply ignore the threat and let them go without understanding what was going on.


    "Darkrai, you should know that Absol isn''t your match. We don''t want to offend you, so please, show us mercy," Yuga, thinking that Darkrai''s refusal stemmed from the arrogance typical of a Legendary Pok��mon, continued to patiently persuade it.


    However, Darkrai had little patience. Seeing Yuga hesitating and not agreeing to let Absol fight, it immediately unleashed a Dark Pulse at Mega Absol.


    Boom!!!


    Mega Absol reacted quickly, leaping out of the way to avoid the Dark Pulse, which left deep cracks in the once-luxurious floor of the pce.


    Darkrai had initiated the attack, and Mega Absol was certainly not one to sit idly by. It feared no challenge.


    As Mega Absol leapt into the air, a bright white light shed across its ws, and it shed directly at the floating Darkrai with sh.


    Darkrai''s reaction speed was equally impressive. As Mega Absol''s sh came close, Darkrai deftly dodged to the side, avoiding the attack with ease. In return, Darkrai countered with Shadow w, striking Mega Absol down from the air.


    "Absol!"


    Mega Absol let out a cry of pain as it crashed into the floor, causing cracks to spread across the smooth surface.


    "Absol, use Swords Dance!"


    Realizing the battle between Mega Absol and Darkrai was inevitable, Yuga had no choice but tomand Mega Absol to fight.


    Hearing Yuga''smand, Mega Absol quickly flipped back onto its feet, surrounded by glowing blue swords as it prepared Swords Dance. Just as the move finished, Darkraiunched another Dark Pulse. Mega Absol narrowly dodged the attack with a swift leap.


    "Absol, use Swords Dance again," Yuga continued to give orders. He knew that in terms of sheer strength, Absol stood little chance of winning. Their best option was to grasp any possibility of victory.


    Watching the intense chase between Mega Absol and Darkrai not far away, May, looking tense, turned to Luvia and asked, "Sister Luvia, do you think Brother Yuga will be alright?"


    Before Luvia could respond, Max jumped in, saying, "There''s definitely no problem! Brother Yuga has defeated Rayquaza before, so Darkrai should be no issue."


    At that moment, it was unclear whether Max truly believed in Yuga or was just trying tofort himself. His constant foot-tapping gave away how nervous he really was.


    Ash, on the other hand, hadplete faith in Yuga. Although he didn''t quite understand what Max meant by "Brother Yuga defeated Rayquaza," it didn''t stop him from thinking that Yuga was incredibly strong.


    "Yeah, Mr. Shimizu will definitely win! I believe in him!" Ash added confidently.


    Luvia, however, remained silent as she listened to the children''s conversation. She wasn''t as optimistic as Ash or Max.


    She had seen the video of Yuga''s battle with Rayquaza. In the video, Rayquaza was not defeated solely due to Yuga''s strength, but because of help from a mysterious Pok��mon (Deoxys), along with a coordinated assault from many of Yuga''s Pok��mon.


    But now, it was a one-on-one battle between Absol and Darkrai.


    Darkrai might not be as strong as Rayquaza, but Absol''s chances of winning were still less than one percent.


    If Yuga and Absol lost, with Darkrai''s unpredictable nature, there was a real possibility it would trap them in the Mirage Tower forever.


    Meanwhile, Jessie and James, who were hiding behind Luvia and the others, were whispering to each other.


    "Hey, James, do you think that Gym Leader Shimizu is really reliable?" Jessie asked worriedly.


    James, looking unsure, replied, "I don''t know. All I know is that he''s really strong."


    Jessie, annoyed, smacked him lightly. "That''s no help at all! Who''s stronger, him or Champion Steven?"


    James thought for a moment and said, "They''re probably about the same. Maybe he''s even stronger than Steven? Hmm... probably."


    Hearing this, Jessie instantly perked up. "Really? That strong? Then we don''t need to worry!" In Jessie''s mind, no one was stronger than Giovanni, except maybe the Champions.


    "Hey, don''t you think that guy Shimizu is kind of handsome?" Jessie suddenly remarked, staring at Yuga, who was calmlymanding Absol in battle.


    James: ...


    Meowth: ...


    This reaction was just like when she found out Steven was the heir to the Devon Corporation!


    Noticing James and Meowth''s strange looks, Jessie awkwardlyughed, "Haha... I was just joking... haha... a joke... haha..."


    On the battlefield, under Darkrai''s relentless attacks, Mega Absol finallypleted its third round of Swords Dance, reaching the peak of its power.


    At that moment, Darkrai used Mean Look on Mega Absol. However, due to Absol''s Mega Evolution, its ability had changed from Pressure to Magic Bounce, making it immune to status moves and reflecting them back.


    As a result, Darkrai fell into its own Mean Look, and when it tried to attack Mega Absol again, its move failed.


    "Absol, use Stone Edge!" Yuga seized the opportunity andmanded.


    Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!


    Countless stone des, controlled by Mega Absol, shot towards the stunned Darkrai.


    "Darkrai!"


    The pain enraged Darkrai, and with a roar, it used Hyper Voice.


    Though Hyper Voice is typically a lower-tier move, when used by a legendary Pok��mon, it''s different. Waves of ck sound rippled towards Mega Absol, even knocking Yuga to the ground with its force.


    Outside the battle, Luvia and the others couldn''t help but cover their ears from the deafening sound.


    Mega Absol, thrown to the ground by the soundwaves, quickly scrambled back to its feet. It steadied itself, thenunched a relentless barrage of stone des towards Darkrai, sharper and more frequent than before.


    Darkrai''s eyes glowed purple as it extended an arm forward, causing all the stone des to freeze in mid-air before they could reach it.


    Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!


    With a flick of Darkrai''s arm, all the stone des it had caught with Psychic shot back towards Mega Absol.


    "Absol!"


    Mega Absol let out a cry as it crashed to the ground once again.


    "Absol!" Yuga anxiously ran to Mega Absol''s side, calling out to it with worry.


    Seeing Mega Absol in such a dire state, Jessie, who had been somewhat rxed earlier, said, "Hey, hey, this isn''t looking good. Are we even going to get out of here? I really don''t want to experience another nightmare like before."


    Meowth, annoyed, scratched Jessie. "Jessie, stop stirring things up. Now''s not the time for this!"


    Jessie, clearly nervous, didn''t even react to Meowth''s "disrespectful" scratch. Normally, she would have given Meowth a beating.


    Despite Mega Absol''s severe injuries, Darkrai hadn''t given up the attack. Its hands came together, ready tounch another Dark Pulse to press its advantage.


    At this moment, Yuga was standing right next to Mega Absol. The Dark Pulse was about to hit both of them, and in a panic, Mega Absol jumped forward to shield Yuga.


    Boom!


    The Dark Pulse struck Mega Absol.


    "Absol!" Yuga shouted.


    However, at that moment, a surge of dark energy erupted from Mega Absol''s body. Suddenly, a ck orb floated from its forehead, hovering over it. Absol''s once pure white fur began to turn pitch ck, inch by inch, transforming it into a dark demon-like figure.


    Yuga immediately recognized the ck orb as the Seed of Unknown. He wasn''t sure when it happened, but the once attribute-less Seed of Unknown had turned ck, bing a pure Dark-type.


    "Absol!"


    Mega Absol howled towards the sky, then, in a sh, it leaped and pinned Darkrai to the ground.


    Mega Absol''s two front paws held Darkrai''s arms firmly in ce. Darkrai struggled to break free, but Mega Absol lowered its head until their foreheads were touching, the Seed of Unknown hovering right between them.


    With a sudden "buzzing" sound, Darkrai felt a tremendous suction force from its forehead. Instantly, its strength and energy began to drain away, making it impossible to escape Absol''s hold.


    At that moment, Darkrai finally understood��the true threat wasn''t Mega Absol itself, but the mysterious object within it.


    Feeling its energy drain faster and faster, Darkrai started to regret its decision. If it had known, it would have just let them leave.


    Though Yuga wasn''t entirely sure what was happening, he could tell that Darkrai was being subdued. At that moment, Mismagius, Gengar, and Mimikyu returned and informed Yuga that they had found the exit.


    As it turned out, Yuga had secretly sent Gengar, Mismagius, and Mimikyu to search for the exit as soon as they entered. The reason he had fullymitted Mega Absol to fighting Darkrai was to distract it.


    Since Cresselia had already warned Yuga that Darkrai wouldn''t be easy to deal with, he had prepared a backup n. After failing to negotiate with Darkrai, he wasn''t going to sit idly by, knowing that Mega Absol couldn''t win in a direct fight.


    Originally, Yuga nned to wait until they found the exit, then release the rest of his Pok��mon to gang up on Darkrai, using the opportunity to make a break for it. He hadn''t expected the Seed of Unknown toe out and lend a hand.


    "Absol, let''s go!" Yuga shouted to Absol.


    Absol quickly jumped off Darkrai and rushed to Yuga''s side, crouching down so Yuga could climb onto its back. Darkrai wanted to get up and stop them, but its body waspletely drained of strength and couldn''t move.


    Yuga, riding on Mega Absol, approached Luvia and the others, letting Ash, Brock, and Max climb onto Absol as well. He then released Sawsbuck to carry Luvia and May, and the group took off running.


    "Hey, what about us?!"


    "Take us with you!" Jessie and James called out simultaneously.


    "Gengar, Mismagius, grab them!" Yuga shouted as he drove Mega Absol forward. Gengar and Mismagius quickly picked up Jessie, James, and Meowth, then chased after Yuga and the others. The group was running so fast that they didn''t even check on Darkrai lying on the ground.


    Following Mimikyu''s lead, they ran to the deepest part of the pce and found a nondescript statue.


    Mega Absol smashed the statue with one swipe, revealing a blue vortex in front of them.


    "This is the exit?" Yuga asked, looking at the Mimikyu in his arms.


    "Mimikyu..."


    Mimikyu nodded affirmatively.


    "Alright, let''s go." With that, Yuga urged Mega Absol to dive headfirst into the blue vortex, followed closely by Sawsbuck, Gengar, and Mismagius.


    After a moment of dizziness, Yuga, Ash, Brock, Max, and Mega Absol all tumbled into a patch of soft yellow sand. The blue vortex above them continued to spit out Sawsbuck, Luvia, Gengar...


    Once everyone and all the Pok��mon were out, the vortex slowly disappeared.


    Breathing in the scorching hot air, Ash shouted excitedly, "We really made it out, this is great!"


    Max, still shaken, said, "Darkrai didn''t follow us, right?"


    Brock looked around. Besides the yellow sand, there was no sign of the Mirage Tower or the blue vortex, so he shook his head and said, "It doesn''t seem like it." (Darkrai: Damn it, I can''t even move right now!)


    The first thing Yuga did after getting out was check on Absol.


    "Absol, are you alright?"


    Mega Absol reverted to its normal form and shook its head, indicating it was fine. Not only that, but it felt full of energy, and even its previous injuries had vanished.


    At this point, May asked in confusion, "Where are we now? This doesn''t seem to be the ce we originally entered the Mirage Tower."


    The group, who had been celebrating their escape, froze in realization: Yeah, where are we now?

 Chapter 1075: Sunlight Pearl

    <h4>Chapter 1075: Sunlight Pearl</h4>


    Looking at the vast expanse of endless yellow sand, Yuga and the group couldn''t figure out their location for the time being.


    "We should leave here quickly," Yuga said to everyone.


    So, the group mounted their Pok��mon, ready to depart.


    Jessie, James, and Meowth immediately started shouting.


    "Mr. Shimizu, take us with you too!!!"


    Hearing this, Max pointed at them and said, "You''ve been following us the whole time, haven''t you? We were nice enough to bring you out of the Mirage Tower, and now you''ve got the nerve to keep tagging along with us!"


    Jessie, with her neck stiffened, retorted, "So what if we''re following you? It''s not like you''ve lost anything!"


    Meowth quickly chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, exactly!"


    May, clearly angry, said, "Don''t think we don''t know what you''re after. Your target is Ash''s Pikachu, isn''t it?"


    Jessie, refusing to admit it, shot back, "Oh, you say it''s true just because you say so? I could say you''re just jealous of us!"


    While Jessie, Meowth, Max, and May were in a heated argument, James awkwardly spoke up, "Gym Leader Shimizu, do you remember me? I''m James, brother of Fujiro! We met back in Verdanturf Town."


    Yuga nced at Jessie and James, then said, "Fine, let''s take them along."


    "But..." Max was clearly displeased, but seeing how firm Yuga''s decision was, he swallowed his objection and turned to Jessie and James. "You better not cause any trouble along the way, or we''ll leave you here to eat sand!"


    Jessie, smiling sheepishly, replied, "I promise we won''t cause any trouble!" James and Meowth quickly echoed her promise.


    Once the group set off, Ash, riding on his Pok��mon, asked Max, who was sitting in front of him, "Who''s Fujiro? Is he close to Mr. Shimizu?"


    Max thought for a moment and answered, "I think he''s one of Yuga''s family''s Pokemon Day Care employees, so they should be close." Max had stayed at Yuga''s house for a while, but since Fujiro was a huge recluse, Max didn''t know him very well.


    Ash nodded and didn''t ask further.


    Unlike Ash and the others, who were riding Pok��mon, Jessie, James, and Meowth didn''t have it so good. Somehow, they had managed to find arge wooden nk, tied it to the back of Sawsbuck with a rope, and were being dragged across the yellow sand, sliding behind the Pok��mon.


    Nevertheless, Jessie, James, and Meowth were very grateful that Yuga and the others were willing to take them along.


    "James, I didn''t expect you to know that guy called Shimizu. No wonder you kept mentioning him. When it counts, you can reallye through!" Sitting on the wooden nk, Jessie didn''t hold back her praise for James.


    "Hehe... I just happen to know him," James replied, a bit embarrassed. He was actually quite surprised that Yuga remembered him and was willing to take them along.


    He had only met Yuga once a few years ago, during his first official mission for Team Rocket. The mission happened to take ce in Verdanturf Town, though it ended in failure.


    If Yuga remembered him, then he surely knew that James was a member of Team Rocket. Since Team Rocket and the League were opposing organizations, James found it surprising that Yuga, as a League Gym Leader, was still willing to bring them along.


    Yuga didn''t concern himself with what Jessie, James, and Meowth were thinking. His attention was focused entirely on the Absol he was riding.


    ...


    [ Absol (King''s Proof) ]


    Type: Dark


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Pressure


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 81


    Moves: Quick Attack, Swords Dance, Psycho Cut, Future Sight, Sucker Punch, Hyper Voice, Dark Pulse, Stone Edge, Shadow w, Megahorn, Perish Song, Night sh, sh, X-Scissor, Giga Impact.


    ...


    He was astonished to discover that after the battle with Darkrai, Absol had leveled up, going from level 78 to level 81, bing a fully-fledged Champion-level Pok��mon.


    It goes without saying that this was surely due to the power of th Seed of Unknown! Thinking about the abnormal behavior of the Seed of Unknown and Absol before leaving the Mirage Tower, Yuga naturally connected it to Absol''s level-up. Otherwise, such a quiet advancement from Elite level to Champion level would have been impossible.


    The group hadn''t traveled long in the desert before night fell, and they were forced to stop and camp. Fortunately, they hadn''t lost anything in their space backpacks, so they were well-supplied with food and essentials.


    However, the desert had a drastic temperature difference between day and night. During the day, the sand was scorching hot, but at night, it was bone-chilling cold.


    Yuga''s group was well-prepared with everything they needed, but James, Jessie, and Meowth weren''t so lucky. They had left all their belongings in the Mirage Tower and were freezing in the cold night, howling in difort. Eventually, Yuga couldn''t stand it and threw them a nket, allowing the two humans and one Pok��mon to get through the night safely.


    The next day, the group traveled for another full day and finally made it out of the desert just before nightfall.


    However, no sooner had they left the desert than Jessie, James, and Meowth slipped away unnoticed. This prompted Max to angrily curse them for being ungrateful.


    When ites to running away, that trio is professional.


    That night, Yuga''s group stayed in a small vige on the edge of the desert. The vige was tiny, with only a dozen or so households, and it was quite poor. Still, the group was content to have a ce to rest.


    After asking around the vige, they finally learned their location. It turned out they hadn''t strayed too far off their original path, and the nearest city to the vige was Fortree City.


    The following morning, after paying the vigers for their stay, Yuga and the others continued on to Fortree City. This time, they traveled by flying Pok��mon, and they arrived in Fortree by midday.


    Once they reached Fortree City, the first thing Yuga did was take Absol to the Pok��mon Center for a check-up. Although Absol had appeared fine throughout the journey and had even leveled up, Yuga was concerned about possible side effects since Absol''s new levels had been forcibly obtained from Darkrai.


    Fortunately, after a thorough examination, Nurse Joy confirmed that Absol was in perfect health, and Yuga finally felt relieved.


    Since they were already there, Yuga also had Nurse Joy check on Chimecho. He had been worried about the mysterious Unown symbols on Chimecho''s body.


    Unfortunately, Nurse Joy couldn''t even detect the presence of the Unown symbols, so Yuga had no choice but to put the matter aside for now. Whether the Unown symbols were beneficial or harmful to Chimecho would require further observation.


    Afterward, Yuga and Ash''s group settled down at the Pok��mon Center. Having been on the move for two or three days, none of them were in the mood to go out and y, so they spent the rest of the day resting at the center.


    Yuga took the opportunity to send the Pok��mon he had obtained from the Mirage Tower back to Verdanturf Town, entrusting them to Audino. Audino was experienced in handling such matters, administering the necessary inovation potions to some, sending others to the Sub-Ecopark, and assigning new arrivals to the New Ecopark. Yuga didn''t need to worry��he simply gave instructions, and everything was handled.


    The next morning, when Yuga woke up, he saw Ash in the backyard of the Pok��mon Center, training with his Pok��mon.


    So far in Hoenn, Ash had caught Baltoy and Solrock from the Mirage Tower, as well as Taillow and Treecko.


    Seeing Yuga approach, Ash stopped his training and said, "Mr. Shimizu, you''re up!"


    Yuga nodded and replied, "Yes, I didn''t expect you to be up so early."


    Ash scratched the back of his head sheepishly and said, "Haha... it''s just a habit."


    "As a Trainer, that''s a good habit. You should keep it up," Yuga smiled. "By the way, are you nning to challenge the Gym today?"


    Without hesitation, Ash responded, "Of course!"


    Yuga nodded and asked, "Mind if I and Luvia tag along with you?"


    Ash curiously asked, "Is it for Gym assessment work?"


    ...


    As they continued chatting, the conversation shifted to Pok��mon training.


    "Do you really not bring the Pok��mon you''ve previously caught, except for Pikachu, when you travel to a new region?" Yuga asked, pretending not to know.


    Ash was momentarily taken aback, then nodded, "Yeah, that''s right. I want to start fresh with new Pok��mon in each region."


    Yuga, puzzled, asked, "Why are you so focused on starting over?"


    "Why..." Ash was stumped by the question. To be honest, he didn''t have a specific reason��it was just what he felt like doing, so he did it.


    Seeing Ash struggle to answer, Yuga continued, "Starting fresh can be a good approach, but leaving your previous Pok��mon at home and expecting them to grow into master-level Pok��mon on their own isn''t likely."


    Ash wanted to say more, but Yuga changed the subject: "By the way, I made an interesting discovery these past couple of days." Some things are better left hinted at rather than exined in full, so Yuga didn''t borate further.


    As he spoke, Yuga took out one of the pearls he had obtained from the Mirage Tower. In the morning sunlight, the blue-and-white pearl began to shimmer with sparkling light. Ash was immediately captivated by the pearl''s magical glow.


    "Wow, that''s beautiful!" Ash eximed in awe.


    "It''s more than just beautiful!" Yuga replied with a mysterious smile, then called over Ash''s Solrock. "Watch closely now."


    Yuga slowly moved the pearl closer to Solrock. As the pearl made contact with Solrock, a faint red mist appeared on its surface. The mist slowly flowed toward Solrock and was absorbed by it.


    After absorbing the mist, Solrock let out a contented sound.


    "What is this? It''s amazing!" Ash''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    "Pretty cool, right?" Yuga said proudly. "By the way, Ash, do you know the legend associated with Solrock?"


    Ash shook his head. He was never a great student, and Solrock was a Pok��mon he had only encountered sinceing to Hoenn.


    Seeing this, Yuga began exining, "Solrock is a Rock and Psychic-type Pok��mon. It''s said that they grow stronger during the day and can absorb the sun''s energy for their own use."


    Ash, puzzled, asked, "But what does that have to do with what just happened?"


    "It''s directly rted!" Yuga replied. "Absorbing sr energy is a natural ability of Solrock, but its efficiency in utilizing that energy isn''t very high." Yuga then proceeded to exin his discoveries about the pearl and Solrock over the past few days.


    "This pearl is likely polished from a rare mineral. I checked some references, and this mineral is almost impossible to find now. It can absorb light energy and store it. After the light energy is converted by the pearl, it bes perfectly suited for Pok��mon like Solrock to absorb, especially when they are drawing in sr energy. The conversion efficiency of the pearl is exceptionally high."


    Though Ash wasn''t exactly a Pokemon schr and didn''t fully grasp the specifics about minerals, light energy, or sr energy, he understood the basic idea.


    "So, you''re saying this pearl can help Solrock grow stronger?"


    Yuga nodded. "In simple terms, yes."


    Overjoyed, Ash eximed, "That''s awesome!" He, too, had a pearl like this. Fortunately, he had followed Yuga''s advice earlier; otherwise, he would''ve been left clueless about its potential.


    "How do I use this pearl?" Ash eagerly asked Yuga, wanting to know more.


    Yuga didn''t hold anything back. He shared all his findings about the pearl with Ash, exining in detail how to use it effectively.


    "As long as you leave the pearl out in the sun each day to absorb enough sr energy, Solrock will be able to easily draw from it for its own growth... Although the pearl can absorb light energy anywhere there''s light, it''s still best if..."


    And just like that, the entire morning passed as Yuga and Ash discussed how to use the pearl to help Solrock grow stronger. During their conversation, Brock also joined in. Since Brock''s dream was to be a Pok��mon Breeder, he was very interested in this kind of knowledge. The more time he spent talking to Yuga, the more Brock realized that Yuga had many unique insights into breeding. After a thorough discussion, Brock gained a lot from it.


    In the end, the three of them even gave the pearl a name: the Sunlight Pearl.


    In the afternoon, as nned, Ash headed to Fortree Gym to challenge the Gym Leader. They had made a reservation in advance, and Yuga and Luvia would apany them to observe Ash''s challenge.


    Before setting off, Yuga and Luvia both pulled out Pok�� Balls and released their Ditto. After a bit of maniption, their faces transformed drastically,pletely changing into unfamiliar faces, leaving Ash and the others stunned.


    "Wow, that''s amazing, amazing!" Max eximed in surprise.


    May, confused, asked, "Brother Yuga, why are you guys changing your appearance like that?"


    Yuga exined, "We came to Fortree City to conduct the Gym inspection, and Luvia knows the Gym Leader there. To keep things fair, it''s best if we hide our identities. So, you all need to make sure not to reveal who we are!"


    The Fortree Gym Leader, Winona, was Wace''s ex-girlfriend, and Luvia was Wace''s sister, so the two of them had known each other for a long time. Not only did they know each other, but they were also quite close, as the Winona and Luvia families had been family friends for generations.


    It was actually Luvia''s idea to go to Fortree Gym in disguise for fairness.


    After hearing Yuga''s exnation, Ash and the others immediately swore, "Don''t worry! We definitely won''t reveal your identities!"


    And with that, the group set off for Fortree Gym.


    Fortree City is a very unique city. Thanks to abundant rainfall and sunlight, the trees here grow especially tall, which is why many of the houses are built in the trees, earning it the nickname "The Tree City in Harmony with Nature."


    Because of this unique environment, many Bug-type and Flying-type Pok��mon make their homes here, and Fortree Gym is famously known as a Flying-type Gym.

 Chapter 1076: Ash Vs Winona

    <h4>Chapter 1076: Ash Vs Winona</h4>


    Because they had made a reservation in advance, Ash and his group were immediately led to the battle arena by the staff upon arriving at Fortree Gym, where they met the Gym Leader, Winona.


    As a Flying-type Trainer, Winona had a solid reputation. While she wasn''t as famous as her ex-boyfriend Wace, she was undoubtedly one of the strongest among the younger generation.


    Winona became the Gym Leader of Fortree Gym at a young age. After the older generation of Gym Leaders retired, she was once called the leader of the young Gym Leaders in Hoenn.


    At that time, Yuga, who was much younger than Wace, Winona, and Steven, had not yet made a name for himself.


    Seeing Ash and his friends enter, Winona, dressed in her unique flying attire, said, "So you''re Ash from Pallet Town? I''ve been waiting for you."


    Winona was someone who valued a sense of ceremony and held an extremely high and pure belief in flying and the sky. Even in her daily life, she wore what could be considered bizarre flying attire. The citizens of Fortree City were well aware of her habits, so no one evermented on her "strange" outfits.


    Ash, full of energy, responded, "Yes, I''m Ash! Please take care of me today!"


    "Alright, follow me!" Winona said as she turned and led Ash and the others to the battle arena.


    As a Flying-type Gym, Fortree Gym''s battle arena was a bit different from other Gyms. Not only was it an outdoor, open-air arena, but it also featured two tall "watchtowers" with a very wide view.


    Under Winona''s guidance, Ash climbed up one of the watchtowers, while Winona herself ascended the one opposite him.


    Yuga and Luvia, whose identities were concealed, were treated as ordinarypanions and were taken by the staff to the spectator area along with May and the others.


    "I wonder what kind of Pok��mon Gym Leader Winona will use?" Max said excitedly as he sat down.


    May looked at him helplessly. "Ash is the challenger, so why are you the one getting so excited?"


    Brockughed, "Since Fortree Gym specializes in Flying-types, Gym Leader Winona will definitely use Flying-type Pok��mon."


    ...


    Yuga and Luvia quietly sat beside the kids, remaining silent, blending into the background.


    After the referee finished exining the rules of the gym battle, the match officially began. The battle was set to be a three-on-three, with the challenger allowed to switch Pok��mon, while the Gym Leader could not.


    Winona''s first Pok��mon was Pelipper. Although it had fully evolved, this particr Pelipper wasn''t highly skilled or leveled, making it more of a test to gauge Ash''s strength.


    Most Gym Leaders typically choose their Pok��mon based on the challenger''s strength. Compared to special gyms like Petalburg and Rustboro, where challengers need to earn three badges beforehand, Fortree Gym''s challenge level was much lower.


    However, to everyone''s surprise, Ash''s first Pok��mon was Solrock.


    "Wait... hasn''t Ash only just caught Solrock a few days ago? Is he sure about this?" May said worriedly.


    "Yeah, Solrock is a Rock-type and has an advantage over Pelipper''s Flying-type, but Pelipper''s Water-type also counters Solrock! What is Ash thinking?" Max analyzed seriously.


    Hearing this, Brock quickly reassured them, "Don''t worry, Ash definitely has a n."


    ...


    Regardless of how worried May and the others were, the battle between Ash and Winona had already begun.


    Winona''s Pelipper had the Ability Drizzle, so as soon as it came out, it started raining lightly from the sky.


    Rainy weather was a disaster for a Pok��mon like Solrock, which thrives in sunny conditions. However, Solrock had its own way of dealing with the rain. A blue shield of energy appeared around its body, causing all the rain to bounce off before it could even touch it.


    Seeing this, May smiled and praised, "I didn''t expect Solrock to be this capable! Maybe my Lunatone can do the same in the future."


    With the rain enhancing its power, Winona''s Pelipper became energized, unleashing a Water Gun aimed directly at Solrock.


    But perhaps due to the Water Gun''s recoil and Pelipper''sck of strength, it was sent flying backward as soon as the attack wasunched.


    "Solrock, use Psychic to stop the Water Gun, then hit it with Stone Edge!" Ash''s voice rang out across the battlefield.


    Psychic-type Pok��mon usually have quick reflexes, and the moment Ash finished speaking, a blue barrier of psychic energy appeared in front of Solrock. The Water Gun struck the barrier, wavered for a moment, and then was deflected.


    Psychic is one of the most practical Psychic-type moves, also one of the mostmon and easily learned advanced techniques. Most Psychic-type Pok��mon can master it after reaching a certain level, and Ash''s Solrock was no exception.


    Y��ga could actually understand why Ash chose Solrock as his lead Pok��mon.


    As a Pok��mon from the third level of the Mirage Tower, Solrock''s level was actually not low��at least higher than Yuga''s newly caught Treecko. The only thingcking between Ash and Solrock was coordination and mutual understanding.


    One of Ash''s strengths was his ability to quickly bond with newly caught Pok��mon. So, even though they still needed time to develop deeper synchronization, Ash would have no problemmanding Solrock in battle.


    After Pelipper''s Water Gun was deflected by Psychic, water droplets sttered everywhere, creating a curtain of water in the sky.


    Just then, sharp Stone Edges cut through the water curtain and shot toward Pelipper. Its vision obscured by the water, Pelipper had no time to react before the stones whizzed past its wings, pinning it against the watchtower wall.


    Each of Solrock''s Stone Edges was enormous. Pelipper struggled a few times but couldn''t break free, leaving the referee no choice but to dere, "Pelipper is unable to battle. Gym Leader Winona, please send out your next Pok��mon."


    "Yes! Ash won a round! Now he''s in the lead!" Max jumped three feet in the air, as if he were the one battling.


    However, Brock wasn''t as optimistic. As a Gym Leader himself, he was familiar with the typical tactics of other Gym Leaders and knew that the first Pok��mon was usually sent out to test the challenger''s strength. He reminded Max, "Don''t celebrate too early. This is just the beginning and doesn''t mean much yet!"


    Hearing this, Max sat back down.


    After recalling Pelipper, Winona said to Ash, "Not bad, but your Solrock seems like you''ve just recently caught it. Your coordination still seems a bit stiff."


    Ash confidently replied, "Yes, I just caught Solrock a few days ago, but we''re already great friends. Isn''t that right, Solrock?"


    "Solrock, Solrock!"


    Solrock turned its head and happily nodded.


    Seeing this, Winona didn''t say anything further, giving a barely noticeable nod before sending out her second Pok��mon.


    Winona''s second Pok��mon was Skarmory, a Steel and Flying-type. Its level and potential were far superior to Pelipper''s, and shortly after the battle began, Solrock was defeated.


    Had Ash and Solrock been more in sync, it''s possible the oue could have been different.


    Seeing Ash''s Solrock lose, Max''s earlier excitement vanished. He nced at Brock, realizing he still had a lot to learn.


    Ash''s second Pok��mon was Taillow. Though it hadn''t evolved yet, its level was quite high, as it was the first Pok��mon Ash caught in the Hoenn region.


    "Taillow, Taillow!"


    As soon as Taillow appeared, it took the initiative, using Double Team to confuse Skarmory before using Aerial Ace to charge at it.


    Distracted by the afterimages from Double Team, Skarmory failed to dodge, and with a loud "ng," it was sent flying by Taillow''s attack.


    However, as a Steel-type Pok��mon, Skarmory had high resistance, so Flying-type moves only did half the damage. After regaining its bnce, Skarmory retaliated with Steel Wing, aiming directly at Taillow.


    Taillow is known for its pride and tenacity. It would never back down easily. Seeing the muchrger and stronger Skarmory charging at it, Taillow immediately flew to meet it head-on.


    Bang, bang, bang...


    The two Pok��mon collided fiercely in the air, but while Taillow was covered in wounds, Skarmory appeared rtively unscathed.


    However, Taillow''s eyes remained sharp and its aura unwavering. Its ability, Guts, fueled it with courage and determination, making it unafraid of any challenge.


    In the end, both Pok��mon were knocked out simultaneously, but not before Taillow learned the move Endeavor, a skill that can turn the tide in a desperate situation. (Endeavor: The less HP the user has, the greater its power.)


    Winona''s third and strongest Pok��mon was Altaria, while Ash''s third was Pikachu.


    Watching the show in the past, Yuga never fully grasped how strong Ash''s Pikachu really was. But after the battles at the Mirage Tower, he had a clearer idea.


    Considering Ash''s two or three years of training, Pikachu wasn''t weak. In fact, few Pok��mon below Elite level would stand a chance against it.


    However, Pikachu wasn''t ridiculously strong either. When facing Pok��mon with higher levels, like the Elite level Solrock and Lunatone or the two pseudo-Elite Flygon from the Mirage Tower, Pikachu struggled.


    Of course, that was just the surface. Yuga didn''t know if Pikachu had any hidden strengths.


    Once Pikachu entered the battlefield, it began moving rapidly, making it hard for Altaria tond any attacks. Compared to most Pikachu, Ash''s was unusually fast, which seemed to be one of its unique traits.


    "Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"


    While moving at high speed, Pikachu took advantage of its surroundings, dashing across the lookout towers. Ash saw an opening and ordered Pikachu to counterattack the relentless Altaria.


    "Pika!"


    Pikachu leapt high, using the tform as leverage, spinning in midair and striking Altaria with its tail, which glowed with a metallic sheen.


    "Altaria, Cotton Guard!"


    Under Winona''smand, Altaria suddenly released soft, white cotton that cushioned the blow, bouncing Pikachu backward.


    "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"


    Still in the air and yet tond, Pikachu followed Ash''s instruction, releasing a Thunderbolt that struck Altaria directly, causing it to scream in pain and fall to the ground, smoking.


    Yuga was stunned by the sight. The power of Pikachu''s Thunderbolt seemed unexpectedly overwhelming.


    Altaria''s Cotton Guard only boosted its physical defense, so it was naturally unable to block Thunderbolt. But the key issue was that Altaria had exceptional special defense. Even without using moves to enhance its special defense, it shouldn''t have dropped so easily after just one Thunderbolt.


    Keep in mind, Altaria''s level wasn''t low.


    Yuga wasn''t the only one stunned; even Winona was a bit taken aback. She hadn''t expected her Altaria to be in such a state after being hit by just one Thunderbolt.


    Winona''s momentary hesitation gave Ash and Pikachu the perfect opportunity. They quickly followed up with another Thunderbolt, and Altaria immediately lost the ability to continue the battle.


    Yuga finally confirmed what he had been suspecting: not only did Ash''s Pikachu have an innate speed advantage, but the electricity it produced was also stronger than that of typical Electric-type Pok��mon.


    Ordinary Pikachu couldn''t store such powerful electric currents in their bodies. Their small size imposed limits, and overloading their system with electricity would typically result in illness or even death.


    As someone who had raised Pikachu, Yuga was all too familiar with this fact.


    After recalling Altaria, Winona handed Ash the Feather Badge from her gym.


    "This is the Feather Badge. It''s yours now. I hope you achieve great results in the League Tournament."


    Ash epted the badge, thanked her, and proudly held it up, shouting, "Feather Badge, get!" Pikachu jumped up excitedly alongside him.


    Yuga: ... That''s such a ssic move!


    Winona then added, "You don''t seem like a new Trainer, but the Pok��mon you''re using all look like they were just recently caught. Why is that?"


    Ash replied, "I just wanted to start a new journey in Hoenn using the Pok��mon I''ve recently caught."


    Hearing this, Winona thought for a moment and said, "I see. But focusing solely on training newly caught Pok��mon isn''t always a good idea."


    Ash was momentarily taken aback, recalling what Yuga had said to him earlier in the day. Before he could ask any further questions, Winona had already turned and left.


    After leaving the gym, everyone congratted Ash on earning another badge. Ash seemed a bit distracted and didn''t realize untilter that Luvia wasn''t around.


    "Huh? Where''s Luvia?"


    Yuga smiled and responded, "She still has some matters to take care of at the Fortree Gym. She''ll returnter."


    Ash nodded, understanding it was likely rted to the gym assessment and didn''t press the matter further.


    With Ash''s gym challenge concluded, Yuga''s gym assessment had also gone smoothly. May, feeling rxed, suggested:


    "Since we''re in Fortree City, let''s take this opportunity to explore a bit. You''ll be leaving after the assessment, Yuga, so this is a rare chance."


    Fortree City, known for its unique scenery and culture, was an excellent ce to explore, so everyone agreed to May''s suggestion.

 Chapter 1077: Ancient Tree And Ladyba

    <h4>Chapter 1077: Ancient Tree And Ladyba</h4>


    And so, following the famousndmarks they found through navigation, Yuga and the others happily began their tour of Fortree City.


    The most famous attraction in Fortree City was the Ancient Tree Park, located in the city center, and this was also the final stop on their tour today.


    As the name suggests, the highlight of Ancient Tree Park was the ancient tree within it. ording to the information provided, the tree was said to be over a thousand years old.


    Of course, whether the tree was truly a thousand years old or not was something Yuga and the others couldn''t verify. It could be true, or it could be a story made up by the citizens of Fortree City to attract tourists. Or perhaps, even the people of Fortree City didn''t know for sure.


    But what was undeniable was the sheer size of the tree. From the moment Yuga and the others arrived in Fortree City, they had noticed the tree''s vast canopy covering the sky, even before they got close to Ancient Tree Park.


    Fortree City was filled with tall trees, but even among them, this ancient tree stood out like a crane among chickens. Yuga had once thought that therge tree in his own eco-garden was impressive, but it still couldn''tpare to this ancient tree. No wonder the people of Fortree City imed it to be over a thousand years old��maybe it truly was.


    By the time Yuga and the others reached Ancient Tree Park, it was already mid-afternoon, yet the park was still full of people, a testament to its poprity.


    The entire park was under the canopy of the ancient tree, casting a dim light over the area. However, the specks of sunlight filtering through the gaps in the tree''s branches created a dappled pattern of light and shadow, adding a unique charm to the park.


    Yuga didn''t recognize the species of the tree. It somewhat resembled a banyan tree from his previous life, though with slight differences. Banyan trees typically have many aerial roots, but this tree didn''t. He couldn''t help but wonder how such a massive tree managed to absorb enough nutrients without them.


    After a detailed exnation from the system, Yuga learned that the ancient tree''s scientific name was the Nimora Chesto Tree, which was closely rted to the Chesto Berry Tree, or rather, it was a variant of it.


    Chesto Berry Trees typically grow in colder climates and remain small in size, whereas the Nimora Chesto Tree thrives in hot climates and grows to an enormous height.


    The only aspect in which the Chesto Berry Tree surpasses the Nimora Chesto Tree is in the size of its fruit. Chesto Berries can grow asrge as a fist, but once the Nimora Chesto fruit ripens, it is only about the size of a fingernail.


    Additionally, Chesto Berries have significant medicinal value, as they can heal Pok��mon from sleep status, but the Nimora Chesto fruit possesses no special effects, except for being exceptionally tasty.


    Currently, most of the Nimora Chesto Trees in the Pok��mon world have gone extinct, with only a few surviving in certain areas. That this particr tree in Fortree City has grown sorge is considered a miracle.


    It''s said that the Nimora Rindo Tree in Fortree City hasn''t flowered or borne fruit for many years, and no one knows why. Fortunately, examinations show that the tree itself is healthy.


    After learning about the Nimora Chesto Tree, Yuga suddenly thought of nting some in his eco-Park. Although the fruit had no special effects, it was said to be delicious.


    He wasn''t sure if he could sessfully grow one, given that the nt was on the verge of extinction, meaning it was likely difficult to cultivate.


    He thought to himself, "I''ll ask Luvia to check with Winona and see if she can get her hands on some Nimora Chesto Tree saplings!"


    The Nimora Chesto Tree in Ancient Tree Park was a haven for bird-type Pok��mon. All kinds of bird Pok��mon flew overhead, from themon Taillow and Swellow of Hoenn to Pidgey and Noctowl from Kanto and Johto, and even Staravia and Chatot from Sinnoh could asionally be seen.


    The person most excited by this was Max. He kept pulling May along, pointing excitedly at the Pok��mon in the trees while jumping up and down, much to May''s exasperation.


    Halfway through their tour, Yuga parted ways with Max, May, Ash, and Brock. May wanted to buy souvenirs and try the local food, which didn''t interest Yuga and Max, so they split into two groups, agreeing to meet upter at a set time.


    Ancient Tree Park is indeed a great ce to rx. Noticing that it was gettingte and they had yed enough, Yuga and the others were preparing to meet back up with May and the rest when they suddenly saw a small figure flying toward them, chased by two Fearows.


    As it flew closer, Yuga and Max could clearly see that it was a Ledyba being chased by the two Fearows.


    "It''s a Ledyba! It''s being bullied by those Fearows, how pitiful!" Max shouted as he watched the panicked Ledyba.


    Hearing Max''s voice didn''t stop the two Fearows from attacking the Ledyba. They continued to strike at it with their long beaks.


    Fearows were notorious bullies among bird Pok��mon, and since Pok��mon living in cities weren''t afraid of humans, the Fearows paid no attention to Yuga and the others being nearby.


    "Big brother Yuga, help the Ledyba!" Max pleaded, tugging on Yuga''s hand.


    However, Yuga didn''t respond immediately. Instead, he focused intently on the Ledyba, which was still under attack in the air. In Yuga''s eyes, the Ledyba wasn''t in as much danger as Max imagined.


    ...


    [ Ledyba ]


    Type: Bug, Flying


    Ability: Swarm


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Yellow


    Level: 38


    Moves: Tackle, Supersonic, Swift, Mach Punch, Silver Wind, Tailwind.


    ..


    This was a Ledyba with a rtively low level, average potential, and unremarkable moves, so why did Yuga say it wasn''t in that much danger against the Fearows?


    Look! When both Fearows simultaneously tried to peck it with their sharp beaks, Ledyba responded by sending a st of Supersonic right at one of the Fearows'' heads. The Fearow was immediately disoriented and knocked away, while Ledyba lightly pped its wings, summoning a gust of wind that increased its speed, allowing it to easily dodge the attack from the other Fearow.


    One of the Fearows became confused, but the other continued its relentless pursuit. However, the Ledyba kept alternating between rapid ascents and descents. The air currents beneath its wings would rise and dissipate, leaving the Fearow spinning in circles.


    No matter how hard the Fearow chased, Ledyba dodged effortlessly. The air currents swirling around it were generated by abination of the moves Silver Wind and Tailwind. Ledyba kept the winds concentrated around itself, using its precise control over the airflow to perform intricate flying maneuvers.


    Silver Wind has a small chance to boost all five of the user''s stats (Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed). Although the probability is only ten percent, the more often it is used, the greater the likelihood of Ledyba bing increasingly stronger.


    Ledyba wasn''t using Silver Wind to attack its opponents, but rather to enhance its flying. Since it used the move frequently, the chances of triggering stat boosts increased significantly. As Fearow continued its pursuit, Ledyba grew faster and faster.


    By the time the other Fearow recovered from its confusion and rejoined the chase, Ledyba had fully benefited from Silver Wind''s stat boosts. Yuga marveled at Ledyba''s mastery over the wind.


    With its wings beating rapidly, two tornado-like currents formed around Ledyba''s wings. One upward current lifted it, allowing it to dodge Fearow''s talons with a burst of speed, while another horizontal gust propelled it forward, letting it swiftly glide away from the other Fearow''s beak.


    Despite its overall stats being boosted by Silver Wind, Ledyba still avoided a direct confrontation with the two Fearows. It knew well that even with the boosts, it wasn''t strong enough to defeat them. Ledyba was too weak for that.


    This was why, even though it hadn''t been injured, Ledyba still seemed so desperate and disheveled in Max''s eyes.


    However, Yuga believed that even with its remarkable flying skills, Ledyba would still find it difficult to escape from the Fearows.


    Generally, when a Pok��mon uses moves to boost its stats, it expends a significant amount of energy.


    Everything in lifees with gains and losses. Whether it''s Swords Dance, Quiver Dance, or Dragon Dance, they all trade significant energy expenditure for a temporary boost in abilities. The same goes for Silver Wind, which enhances all of the user''s stats but at the cost of rapidly depleting the user''s stamina.


    This drawback is especially fatal for Ledyba, a Bug-type Pok��mon with a rtively low level. Fearow''s aggressive and impatient nature is well-known among bird Pok��mon. If Fearow''s patience runs out, Ledyba will be saved.


    However, in reality, Ledyba is more likely to run out of energy before Fearow loses its patience.


    In other words, no matter how skilled Ledyba is in flying, once its stamina is depleted, it''s done for.


    Seeing the increasingly desperate Ledyba, Max grew more anxious, urging Yuga to intervene. However, Yuga shook his head and said, "Let''s wait a bit longer."


    As Yuga predicted, it wasn''t long before Ledyba began to tire. One of the Fearows struck it with Steel Wing, sending it flying. The other Fearow quickly followed up, aiming its sharp beak at Ledyba.


    Witnessing this, Max was so scared that he covered his eyes.


    At that moment, Yuga finally took action. His Vivillon cast an Electro Web, trapping both Fearows. The birds iled in panic, struggling to escape, but they were shocked repeatedly by the web''s electric currents, letting out frantic cries.


    Yuga didn''t make things too difficult for the Fearows. After capturing Ledyba in a Pok�� Ball, he ordered Vivillon to release them. By then, Ledyba had already fainted, making the capture process quite smooth.


    When Max saw that Yuga had caught Ledyba, he breathed a sigh of relief but was also a bit surprised. "Brother Yuga, are you really going to capture this Ledyba? It looks so weak."


    Yuga smiled and replied, "Just because it''s weak now doesn''t mean it will always be weak." Of course, he wasn''t going to tell Max that what he really admired was Ledyba''s flying techniques��he intended to bring it back to teach Vivillon.


    Although Ledyba''s level was low, its flying skills were far superior to most other Pok��mon, especially its precise control over wind, which was truly impressive and worth Vivillon learning from.


    Yuga''s Vivillon was already quite skilled at controlling wind, but its progress in this area had hit a bottleneck as its strength increased. It urgently needed a breakthrough, and Ledyba was the key to that.


    Hearing Yuga''s response, Max nodded in understanding and then asked, "But why didn''t you help Ledyba earlier? It was so pitiful being bullied by those Fearows."


    Yuga, with a serious expression, made up an excuse, "I didn''t n to capture Ledyba at first. In nature, the strong prey on the weak, and we humans shouldn''t interfere lightly."


    "If we save Ledyba today, what if the Fearowse back tomorrow with more friends to bully it as revenge?" In reality, he just wanted to see how far Ledyba could push itself and decide if it was worth bringing back as a teacher for Vivillon.


    "Yeah, yeah, Brother Yuga, you''re right!" Max agreed, nodding vigorously.


    "Smart" Max readily epted Yuga''s exnation, finding it very reasonable andpletely oblivious to Yuga''s ulterior motives.


    And so, the incident with Ledyba passed. After reuniting with Max, May, and the others, they all returned to the Pok��mon Center. By the time they got back, Luvia had already returned and, upon learning that Yuga and the others had gone out to have fun without her, she eximed that Yuga was heartless and only knew how to make her do work.


    Once they were back at the Pok��mon Center, Yuga asked Nurse Joy to check on Ledyba. It didn''t take long for Ledyba to regain consciousness; although it looked battered, it wasn''t severely injured.


    After waking up, Ledyba agreed to Yuga''s request to teach Vivillon, feeling grateful for the help Yuga and Vivillon had provided.


    Yes, the n worked! Yuga silently made a peace sign in his heart. It truly mattered to take action at the critical moment.


    Back in his room, Yuga took a bottle of the Innovation Potion that he had stored in his system backpack and decided to see if he could elevate Ledyba''s potential to green.


    A Pok��mon as capable as Ledyba should not be overlooked; there were plenty of Bug-type Pok��mon in the Ecopark that needed its guidance.


    Due to its size, Ledyba''s flying skills were not suited for bird Pok��mon or otherrge flying Pok��mon, which was also why Yuga didn''t expect Charizard or Dragonite to learn alongside it.


    After Yuga exined the effects of the Innovation Potion, Ledyba gratefully drank it.


    Although Ledyba was at a low level, it was not young; without years of umted training, it could not have developed such impressive flying skills.


    Vivillon was indeed exceptionally talented, but being still young, it would undoubtedly improve further with Ledyba''s guidance.


    The Innovation Potion was a rare opportunity for Ledyba, who was nearing the end of its prime, so it was determined to seize it tightly.


    The chance of a yellow-potential Pok��mon using an Innovation Potion to be a green-pptential Pok��mon is less than fifty percent. Fortunately, Ledyba was lucky; it not only improved its potential but also learned a new skill: Agility.


    Feeling the changes in its body, Ledyba grew increasingly grateful toward Yuga and resolved to repay him well.


    Having settled Ledyba''s matter, Yuga felt good and went to see Luvia, sharing his idea of wanting to nt a Nimora Chesto Berry Tree.


    "You want a seedling of the Nimora Chesto Berry Tree?" Luvia was very surprised upon hearing Yuga''s intention.


    The Nimora Chesto Berry Tree was so famous in Fortree City. As Winona''s former sister-inw, Luvia certainly knew about it. She advised Yuga, "Are you really nning to grow this thing? It''s really difficult to keep this nt alive."


    The Nimora Chesto Berry Tree in the Ancient Tree Park produces a batch of seedlings every year, but very few survive. Many botanists have racked their brains trying to solve this issue, and Luvia didn''t believe Yuga would be any different.


    Rather than wasting time and energy only to be disappointed, it would be better not to get involved in the first ce.


    "I''ll just give it a try; if it survives, it survives. I''ve heard that Nimora Chesto Berry are incredibly delicious," Yuga smiled and said.


    He thought that since he could manage to grow Revival Herb in his Ecopark, the chances of sessfully growing a Nimora Chesto Berry Tree were quite high, which fueled his desire to try, but he couldn''t tell Luvia that.


    "Well, okay then; I''ll ask Winona for you."


    Seeing that Yuga was only nting it for fun, Luvia didn''t press the issue further. The seedlings of the Nimora Chesto Berry Tree were generally left to grow on their own in the Ancient Tree Park because they were difficult to cultivate, so Yuga''s request for some should not be hard to fulfill.

 Chapter 1078: Going Home

    <h4>Chapter 1078: Going Home</h4>


    The next morning, Yuga took Vivillon and Ledyba out for training, but Ash was as diligent as ever, waking up even earlier than Yuga.


    After exchanging a simple greeting with Ash, the two began training their Pok��mon independently. Following Yuga''s instructions, Ledyba started teaching Vivillon its flying techniques.


    For small Bug-type flying Pok��mon like Ledyba and Vivillon, flying is quite different from howrger Pok��mon, such as Charizard or Dragonite, can soar into the sky with a single p of their wings.


    A strong gust of wind can easily scatter Ledyba and Vivillon, so Ledyba''s flying techniques must be tailored to their small size, contrasting sharply with the methods employed byrger flying Pok��mon.


    For instance, when Ledyba uses Tailwind to elerate itself, it won''t simply ride the strong winds like bird Pok��mon do. Instead, it must control the wind, guiding its direction, and ensuring that it maintainsmand over the airflow, whether it is rising or descending.


    Larger Pok��mon can afford to disregard the direction of weak air currents because their robust bodies make them unaffected by minor breezes; they only need to make a slight movement, and the airflow will be influenced by them instead.


    However, small Pok��mon must be cautious; if they are not attentive, it will not be them controlling the wind but rather the wind controlling them.


    Ledyba''s use of Silver Wind is a more advanced application of the Tailwind technique, reflecting a higher level of flying skill.


    Tailwind, as the name suggests, is about following the gentle breeze. Although it''s necessary to control the wind direction generated by the Tailwind technique, it still requires adhering to the general flow of the wind, which can result in a rather rough maniption of the airflow.


    In this scenario, besides its special eleration effect, if a Pok��mon aims to control its flight using Tailwind, the simplest action it can perform is a straightforward dash forward, which can also be angled upwards or downwards.


    However, when controlling flight with Silver Wind, Ledyba exhibits remarkable skills in rapid ascents and steep descents, with the demands for controlling the wind far surpassing those of Tailwind.


    Ledyba''s rapid ascent and steep descent techniques utilize Silver Wind to create very subtle spiral air currents, managing to maintain these spiral currents around itself.


    Because the spiral air currents move at a high speed, Ledyba can easily execute any desired action by manipting these currents.


    Ledyba is about 1.3 to 1.4 meters tall. Yuga watched as it demonstrated those spiral air currents, each only slightlyrger than a thumb, resembling miniature tornadoes. These tiny tornadoes gathered beneath its transparent wings, allowing Ledyba to control them at will.


    Yuga counted and found that Ledyba could create over twenty miniature tornadoes at once, swirling around itself. However, this is under normal circumstances; in battles or during escapes, controlling around ten at the same time is already the limit for Ledyba.


    Creating these miniature tornadoes is not particrly difficult; the challenge lies in controlling them. The crux of this technique is learning how to direct them effortlessly.


    Yet, precisely because this technique makes creating miniature tornadoes simple, the ability to repeatedly use Silver Wind significantly increases its enhancement probabilities.


    One downside, however, is that while Yuga''s Vivillon can use the Tailwind skill, it cannot learn Silver Wind.


    Fortunately, Yuga quickly thought of a solution: he instructed Vivillon to use Hurricane in ce of Silver Wind. The principle behind creating miniature tornadoes with Hurricane is the same as with Silver Wind; however, controlling it is far more challenging, and itcks the enhancement effect that Silver Wind provides.


    Nevertheless, Vivillon''s enhancements have never depended on Silver Wind; its true potential lies in its signature move, Quiver Dance.


    For Vivillon to flexibly utilize Ledyba''s flying techniques, it must ovee two major challenges.


    First is the fine control of the Hurricane skill.


    Hurricane is arge-scale attack move that appears quite impressive whenever it is used. Thus, when this skill is unleashed, it can cause significant damage even without precise control.


    However, Vivillon''s goal now is not to use Hurricane to attack enemies but to make it assist in flying, which requires Vivillon to control the energy of flying-type moves with great finesse.


    The second challenge is how to integrate the Quiver Dance skill into its flying techniques.


    Vivillon typically begins its battles with Quiver Dance. The reason it learns advanced flying techniques is not only to evade enemy attacks duringbat but also to sessfullyplete its Quiver Dance amidst the barrage of enemy assaults.


    As Vivillon''s strength has grown, it has now achieved the limit of Quiver Dance, allowing it to stack up to sixyers simultaneously.


    In the fast-paced environment of battle, even if Vivillon can perform Quiver Dance at high speeds, it still requires a certain amount of time to do so. Therefore, sessfullypleting sixyers of limit Quiver Dance without being attacked bes a significant challenge.


    This makes integrating Quiver Dance into new flying techniques crucial.


    With that in mind, after Yuga, Vivillon, and Ledyba discussed and formted a general training n for Vivillon, their day of trainingmenced.


    True to its purple aptitude, Vivillon mastered the foundational techniques of Ledyba''s Tailwind control within just one morning of practice.


    Although both are Bug-type and Flying-type Pok��mon, Vivillon''s body structure is quite different from Ledyba''s, especially in terms of their wings.


    Vivillon hasrge wings, whereas Ledyba''s wings are rounded and small. This means that Vivillon cannot simply copy Ledyba''s flying techniques. Fortunately, Vivillon is smart enough to draw inferences from Ledyba''s guidance and figure out what works and what doesn''t for itself.


    Halfway through the training, May arrived at the backyard of the Pok��mon Center, nning to train her Pok��mon.


    Compared to the diligent Ash, May still had a long way to go.


    After a brief greeting with Yuga, May found an empty space to start training her Pok��mon.


    As seen in the original anime, May eventually embarked on the path of bing a Coordinator, a choice influenced by her previous experiences with Shun.


    Currently, May''s Pok��mon include the Swablu that Yuga gifted her on her birthday, the Lunatone and Baltoy she obtained in the Mirage Tower, and her fully evolved Beautif and the recently captured Skitty.


    Seeing May''s Beautifly, Yuga had a thought. Compared to Vivillon, it seemed that Beautifly would be more suited to learning Ledyba''s flying techniques because Huntail could learn Silver Wind, a move that Vivillon couldn''t.


    So he called out to May, "May, why not have your Beautifly learn a move from my Ledyba? I guarantee you''ll shine in the Pok��mon Contest."


    May''s eyes lit up at his words, and she rushed over, saying, "Really?" She never doubted Yuga''s words.


    "Of course!" Yuga nodded and then said to Ledyba, "Ledyba, show May a move."


    Ledyba then demonstrated its exceptional flying techniques, captivating May with its performance.


    Yuga smiled and asked her, "So, what do you think? It would be a great advantage for your Beautifly to learn this, right?"


    "Mm-hmm, so amazing!" May nodded eagerly. This dazzling flying style would definitely stand out in the Pokemon Contest. However, she paused for a moment and asked Yuga, "Hey, where did your Ledybae from, Yuga?"


    Ledyba was captured by Yuga just yesterday, and neither he nor Max had mentioned it to anyone, so this was the first time May had seen it.


    "Oh, I forgot to tell everyone. I caught it yesterday at Ancient Tree Park," Yuga said with a slight smile.


    Thus, May''s Beautifly joined the ranks of Ledyba''s students.


    However, May''s Beautifly didn''t have as high a potential as Vivillon, so its learning process was not only slower but also somewhat clumsy. Fortunately, Beautifly''s personality was quite resilient, and it didn''t get discouraged by the disparity in talent. After some time spent learning, it still made progress.


    Vivillon and Beautifly were training with great enthusiasm, so much so that they lost track of time even until lunchtime, continuing their focused practice until Ash finished his training and passed by Yuga and the others.


    "What are Mr. Shimizu and May doing?" he suddenly thought of something. "Mr. Shimizu is instructing May! How sneaky! I want to learn too!" What was his purpose for insisting on apanying Yuga to Fortree City? It was to get guidance from Yuga, of course!


    Finally, Yuga helplessly promised to also provide some guidance for himter, and only then did Ash happily join Yuga and the others for lunch.


    Since they were leaving Fortree City the next day, in the afternoon, May, Ash, Brock, and Max continued to explore Fortree City, while Yuga and Luviya visited the gym to meet the gym leader, Winona.


    The matters regarding the gym assessment had mostly been handled, and Yuga''s return to the Fortree Gym was, of course, for the Nimora Chesto Berry Tree saplings.


    When Luviya revealed to Winona that she wanted some Nimora Chesto Berry Tree saplings, Winona immediately agreed without hesitation.


    Currently, the Nimora Chesto Berry Tree saplings were not worth much in Fortree City; they were practically unwanted even if thrown in the street. Most of the saplings derived from the ancient trees had naturally died after reaching a certain stage in the Ancient Tree Park. Since Yuga wanted them, why not give them away?


    Moreover, she and Luviya had a long-standing friendship; their families had known each other for generations. Aside from her not-so-pleasant breakup with Wace, she still had a very good rtionship with Luviya, so she was willing to help her out.


    Winona prepared a hundred saplings for Yuga, all of which had just started to grow. After Yuga inspected them, Winona helped him find a convoy to transport the saplings back to Verdanturf Town, and Yuga paid the transportation fee on the spot.


    Early the next morning, Yuga and the others set off to leave Fortree City. Their next stop was Golden Color Town, followed by Lilycove City, and then after passing through Sootopolis City, they would change routes to Mossdeep City.


    The Sootopolis Gym in Sootopolis City was an established gym and wasn''t included in this assessment list, so Yuga and the others were merely passing through this time.


    Additionally, Luviya''s daughter, Liuqiya, had been training at the Liuli Gym under her uncle Wace, so Luviya had the perfect opportunity to see her. It had been a while since the mother and daughter had seen each other.


    Ash, May, and the others chose to continue traveling with Yuga and his group for a while.


    During the journey, Yuga not only had Ledyba help teach May''s Beautifly, but he also kept his promise to guide Ash''s training. He had Vivillon teach Pikachu the move Electroweb, and he imparted a more efficient meditation method for Solrock and Baltoy.


    Ash and hispanions parted ways with Yuga and the others on their way to Sootopolis City because May was heading in another direction to participate in a Pok��mon Contest.


    When they said their goodbyes, both May and Ash''s Pok��mon had made significant progress. Not only had Beautifly begun to preliminarily utilize Ledyba''s flying techniques (although it was still not effective in battles and performances), but the Swablu had also evolved into an Altaria, and Ash''s Treecko had evolved into a Grovyle.


    Time flew by, and two monthster, afterpleting the assessments for thest gym, Yuga, Luviya, Mr. Norman, and Iori gathered in Ever Grande City. The four of them submitted their assessment materials to the Hoenn League headquarters before each returning home.


    Once the gym assessment results were announced, it would be time for the next Gym Challenge. This year''s Gym Challenge was set to take ce in the renowned technology City of LaRousse in the Hoenn region, scheduled for the end of summer.


    The Hoenn League intended for Yuga to serve as a judge for this year''s Gym Challenge, but after being out on the road for several months and feeling exhausted, he directly refused. Ultimately, the heavy burden fell on Wace.


    It would not be an exaggeration to say that Wace was a model worker. Not only was he the leader of the Sootopolis Gym, but he also had the significant responsibility of being the executivemittee member for the Showcase, and now he was also taking on the role of judge for the Gym Challenge. This was surely a case of the capable being overburdened.


    In addition, Yuga received another piece of news: due to the impact of the Gym Challenge, this year''s Pok��mon Leaguepetition was postponed from its original end-of-summer date to the end of autumn.


    The level of the Leaguepetition was not as high as that of the Gym Challenge, and when the two events shed, it was clear that the Leaguepetition would give way to the Gym Challenge.


    However, this was good news for most trainers, as it meant they would have more time to prepare and more opportunities to earn the necessary gym badges to participate in thepetition.


    On the day Yuga returned to the gym, he was warmly weed by everyone. Being away for several months was no easy feat, and that day, Audino had prepared avish feast to wee Yuga back, which he enjoyed thoroughly.


    Afterward, Yuga went to the Ecopark to check on Baltoy, Lunatone, and Solrock that had been sent back. They had all been arranged by Audino in the mining sub-Ecopark, and they were living quite well, getting along nicely with the Agron family and Tyranitar family in the mining sub-Ecopark.


    Additionally, the Nimora Chesto Berry Tree saplings were nted in the volcanic sub-park ording to Yuga''s instructions by Audino.


    Although the climate in the volcanic sub-Ecopark was hot, it did notck water sources, making it a suitable ce for the heat- and moisture-loving Nimora Chesto Berry Trees.


    It had already been two months since the saplings were nted. Aside from a few that failed to thrive, most of the Nimora Chesto Berry Tree saplings had regained vitality. As for whether they would eventually grow into trees, further observation would be needed.


    During Yuga''s absence, the gym and Pokemon Day Care were well managed by Beidou and Suzuki, operating in an orderly manner. One could say that Yuga''s role as a hands-off manager had been quite sessful.

 Chapter 1079: Gary Oak and the Scholar Research Team

    <h4>Chapter 1079: Gary Oak and the Schr Research Team</h4>


    Yuga didn''t take Cosmoem, Kartana, lie, or Decidueye with him this time.


    So, the day after he returned, Yuga nned to check on Cosmoem and the others'' training progress while he was away.


    It was hard for Yuga to discern whether Cosmoem had improved, as his insight couldn''t see its data, and Cosmoem only had two skills: Cosmic Power and Teleport.


    Cosmic Power is a skill used to enhance defense, but Cosmoem''s defense was already very high. Even without using Cosmic Power, it could stand still and generally wouldn''t be affected by ordinary Pok��mon.


    Furthermore, Cosmoem''s Teleport was even more refined than Sabrina''s, making it even harder for Yuga to gauge any progress.


    Regardless, when Yuga asked Cosmoem if it had been training hard these days, Cosmoem said it had, and Audino also confirmed that it had, so Yuga decided to take it at face value. Now that he was back, Cosmoem wouldn''t have the chance to ck off anymore.


    However, the progress of Kartana was quite obvious. ording to Aegish, during the time Yuga was away, it had consistently honed its swordsmanship daily, making significant breakthroughs in its training.


    Unlike Cosmoem, which couldn''t participate in battles, Yuga could easily assess Kartana''s progress through practicalbat.


    Previously, Kartana''s battle prowess could only match that of an ordinary pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon. However, upon returning, Yuga had it spar with a Breloom. With its exquisite swordsmanship and elusive speed, it managed to hold its own against Breloom.


    Although Breloom had only recently broken into Elite level, it was still an Elite level Pok��mon. The fact that Karatana could fight it to a draw was already a testament to its hard work.


    Of course, Kartana''s rapid progress can''t solely be attributed to hard work; talent is also an essential factor.


    Consider lie and Decidueye: even though they are older than Kartana and have not been cking off in training, there''s no way they could match Kartana in a battle.


    However, Abomasnow and Decidueye have made considerable progress during this time as well, especially since Abomasnow managed to break through to the pseudo-Elite level before Decidueye, achieving aeback of sorts. Yuga spected that this might be rted to its status as a mutated Pok��mon.


    For Yuga''s main Pok��mon, breaking through to pseudo-Elite level is just the beginning of a focused training phase. It requires a lot of time for umtion and solidification, and they need to endure loneliness to refine themselves.


    Breloom, Bellossom, and Venusaur... each of them spent several years to break through from the pseudo-Elite level to their current Elite level.


    The progress of Decidueye is evident in its archery skills.


    During Yuga''s absence, Decidueye spent a significant amount of time in Kanto training archery under Mr. Genzo, and this return was only a few days ago.


    Mr. Genzo and Sta have been in close contact with Yuga since settling in Kanto. Sta even regrly calls Yuga to report on Decidueye''s training progress, making Decidueye the only one among the little guys whose training progress Yuga is fully aware of.


    Now, Decidueye can use its archery skills in conjunction with its Spirit Shackle technique to unleash a rain of arrows, covering a wide attack range. Pok��mon thatck sufficient strength, once hit by the shadow arrows within the rain of arrows, be immobilized and unable to move.


    Overall, Yuga is quite satisfied with everyone''s progress.


    After returning, Yuga enjoyed a few leisurely days. He either took his Pok��mon out for strolls or weed guests at the shop... There were no major worries.


    However, as the poprity of Yoyo Day Care grew, the shop became very busy with customers every day, which sometimes left Yuga feeling overwhelmed. He noticed that Suzuki Koen was working tirelessly, so he decided to hire an additional employee for both her and his Aunt.


    Currently, most of the tasks in the old and new shops are handled by Suzuki Koen and his Aunt. Although they call themselves ordinary employees, they are essentially doing the work of branch managers.


    As the workload in the shop increased, it became a bit too much for just the two of them.


    Even though Yuga paid Suzuki Koen and his Aunt a decent sry, no matter how high thepensation, it wouldn''t allow one person to be three or four, so hiring new employees became an urgent necessity.


    Yuga resolved the hiring of new employees quite easily. He mentioned this to Ms. Kawahara, the director of the Forest House, and she rmended two people from the Forest House to him.


    Since the development of Verdanturf Town has been progressing well, the town''s financial revenue has been increasing, and the Forest House orphanage has received sufficient funding from the Verdanturf Town government. Life there has be much less difficult than before.


    Additionally, Mayor Ishida has consistently promoted the Forest House, leading to frequent donations from various sectors of society.


    This time, Yuga was only hiring two salespeople, so Ms. Kawahara introduced him to a boy and a girl who had just turned sixteen. The boy''s name was Kyo, and the girl''s name was Ayaka.


    These two children had lively personalities and were articte; after the interview, Yuga promptly hired them. Kyo was assigned to the new shop to assist Aunt Mihoko, while Ayaka was ced in the old shop to help Suzuki Koen.


    After a few days of observation, Yuga noticed that these two kids were very hardworking and quickly adapted to their tasks. Every day, they buzzed around like diligent bees, running in and out, which significantly lightened the burdens of Suzuki Koen and his Aunt.


    With the addition of the two new employees, Yuga found his days much more rxed. However, this easygoing time didn''tst long before it came to an end.


    One day, Yuga was at the gym giving a bath to a newborn Meowth. This Meowth was one of the descendants of the four partners of the Persian, who had taken in one of the younger cats from their group.


    Most of Persian''s youngerpanions were stray Pok��mon, and after being taken in by the Persian and his partners, they patrolled the streets and alleys of Verdanturf Town every day.


    Since they were all light and agile feline Pok��mon, they could navigate various locations, often gathering unexpected news, making them one of Yuga''s informants in Verdanturf Town.


    For this reason, Yuga would pay them (in food).


    As the quality of life improved, these Pok��mon gradually began to have offspring.


    However, since these Pok��mon had poor potential to begin with, their offspring naturally weren''t much better, so most of the newly born Pok��mon were adopted by average families seekingpanions, thanks to Yuga''s connections.


    Feline Pok��mon are generally cute and gentle, so there were quite a few people willing to adopt them, which prevented the gym''s small Ecopark from being overwhelmed with these new Pok��mon.


    In fact, in most cases, Yuga didn''t pay much attention to the Pok��mon in the gym''s small Ecopark. Even distributing food to them was primarily handled by Miltank or Blissey.


    With the Persian and his partners looking after them, and since they were all stray Pok��mon, they could take care of themselves as long as they had enough food. There was no need for Yuga to overly concern himself.


    Yuga hade here today on a whim.


    After just sending off a challenger, Yuga thought he would take a look at the situation in the gym''s small ecological garden. Although Beidou usually took care of the garden, it wouldn''t be right for him to ignore itpletely.


    In the small Ecopark, Yuga spotted a Meowth that seemed to have just been born not long ago. The reason Yuga noticed this Meowth was because when he instinctively activated his insight, the green light emanating from the Meowth was simply too conspicuous.


    This Meowth was the only high-potential Pok��mon among the offspring of the stray Pok��mon over this period.


    Seeing the Meowth covered in mud, which it must have picked up from who knows where, Yuga decided to fill a basin with water to give it a bath.


    However, washing the Meowth was no easy task. As soon as Yuga ced it in the water, the Meowth let out a cry like a pig being ughtered, sshing water everywhere from the basin.


    If Yuga hadn''t reacted quickly, the Meowth might have scratched his face.


    While Yuga was creating chaos trying to wash the Meowth, he received a phone call from Professor Birch.


    Professor Birch was calling to ask Yuga for a favor.


    It turned out that a team of Pok��mon researchers from Kanto wanted to visit the Petalburg Woods to study the ecosystem of the Pok��mon there. Professor Birch hoped Yuga would host this research team and allow them to temporarily stay at Verdanturf Gym.


    Since the research team would be conducting academic studies and discussions, including a series of activities like meetings and sses, staying at a hotel or Pok��mon Center would be quite inconvenient.


    The reason Professor Birch was so concerned about this research team and even came to ask Yuga for help was that the team leader was his junior from the same school.


    Professor Birch had once been a student of Professor Oak and had worked as an assistant alongside this research team leader under Professor Oak.


    Later, Professor Birch became a renowned Pok��mon researcher in Hoenn, while this team leader joined Professor Oak''s research team.


    Don''t be fooled by the fact that there aren''t many people at Professor Oak''s research institute in Pallet Town. As the most famous Pok��mon researcher in the league (without exception), he has arge research team elsewhere, consisting entirely of elite members.


    Professor Oak is a renowned schr in Pok��mon ecology, and this exploration of the Petalburg Woods is organized by his research team to help train neers. Among the team members, there is a very important person��Professor Oak''s grandson.


    Professor Oak personally contacted Professor Birch, asking him to take good care of his grandson. However, Professor Birch was temporarily unable to return to Hoenn because he had to go to Kalos to attend an academic exchange conference hosted by Professor Sycamore, which is why he called Yuga.


    There are fourrge towns surrounding the Petalburg Woods: Oldale Town, Verdanturf Town, Petalburg City, and Rustboro City.


    Among them, Oldale Town and Littleroot Town are closely adjacent. If Professor Birch were at home, it wouldn''t be a problem for the research team to stay at his institute.


    Unfortunately, there is no such scenario.


    Although Petalburg City and Rustboro City are next to the Petalburg Woods, their geographical locations are not favorable (rtive to the Petalburg Woods). It would be much more difficult and dangerous for the research team to enter the Petalburg Woods from these two cities. After all, most of the members of the research team are schrs rather than trainers; they may have some strength, but it''s unlikely to be very strong.


    Therefore, entering the Petalburg Woods from Verdanturf Town became the optimal choice. Otherwise, Professor Birch could have easily asked his friend Mr. Norman for help instead of troubling Yuga.


    After finishing the call with Professor Birch, Yuga immediately received a phone call from Shirai Masato, both of them discussing the same matter.


    Liliana has been reassigned from Verdanturf Town back to the Jenny family headquarters, and currently, the chief of the Verdanturf Town police station is Shirai Masato.


    It has been decided that the research team wille to Verdanturf Town.


    In fact, even if Professor Birch hadn''t called, as the gym trainer, Yuga has the responsibility and obligation to cooperate with the research team''s work. Shirai Masato''s call was just to inform Yuga about this matter.


    For Yuga, this matter isn''t really a hassle. He just needs to provide amodation and ensure the safety of the research team while they are in Verdanturf Town; everything else isn''t really his concern.


    After hanging up with Shirai Masato, Yuga took the freshly bathed Meowth and wrapped it in a towel to dry it off. While drying it, he thought about what Professor Birch mentioned on the phone regarding Professor Oak''s grandson.


    This grandson should refer to Gary Oak, right? Yuga wondered if Professor Oak had any other grandsons; he wasn''t quite sure about that.


    ording to the original anime storyline, Gary became a Pok��mon researcher after losing to Ash at the Silver Conference. Now that Ash is stronger than in the original story, Gary would definitely lose again.


    After drying Meowth with a towel and using a hairdryer to fluff up its fur, Yuga rubbed its soft coat and scratched its chin, causing Meowth to emit a contented purring sound.


    After thinking for a moment, Yuga carried Meowth out of the gym hall and informed Beidou about the research team''s uing arrival, asking him to prepare the guest rooms.


    Four dayster, the research team arrived in Verdanturf Town as scheduled. Shirai Masato went to the airport to pick them up and then brought them to the Verdanturf Gym.


    When the research team arrived at the gym, Yuga was busy epting a challenge from a challenger, so they were received by Beidou, the gym''s "head butler."


    Since the rooms had already been prepared, after the research team settled in, Beidou and Shirai Masato apanied them for some casual chatting in the living room.


    Seeing that the gym leader had yet to make an appearance, Gary from the research team turned to Beidou and asked, "I wonder if I could go and watch Gym Leader Shimizu''s gym battle?"


    Shimizu Yuga was a name Shigeru had heard his grandfather mention several times, always with great admiration. Therefore, he had long wanted to meet this gym leader.


    Gary had heard about Yuga''s achievements to some extent; for a trainer, meeting such a strong figure is an honor.


    Although Gary was nning to be a Pok��mon researcher, it didn''t mean he had given up on his identity as a trainer. The person he admired most was his grandfather, and of course, he hoped that one day he could be someone like him.


    His grandfather, Professor Oak, is not only a leading figure in academia but also a benchmark for many trainers.


    Many people thought he switched careers to be a researcher because it was too embarrassing to lose to Ash at the Silver Conference, but that''s not possible. The stronger Ash became, the more challenge Gary felt.


    Because someday, he would also be someone like his grandfather!


    Hearing Gary''s words, Beidou smiled slightly, "Of course you can!"

 Chapter 1080: Goodbye

    <h4>Chapter 1080: Goodbye</h4>


    When Gary and the expedition group arrived at the battlefield, Yuga''s match with the challenger was already nearing its end, with only the challenger''sst Pok��mon left on the field.


    The challenger''s Pok��mon was a fire-type Torkoal, while Yuga had his Lilligant in y.


    Yuga''s Lilligant had themon ability Chlorophyll, but the challenger hadn''t taken that into ount. In an attempt to boost Torkoal''s attack power, he recklesslymanded it to use Sunny Day. Perhaps because the match wasn''t going in his favor, his mind seemed to short-circuit.


    Sunny Day may strengthen fire-type moves, but grass-type Pok��mon also thrive under those conditions��especially one with the Chlorophyll ability, like Yuga''s Lilligant.


    With the speed boost from Chlorophyll, Lilligant moved nimbly around the field, effortlessly dodging Torkoal''s fierce attacks. It was only at this moment that the challenger realized his oversight.


    No matter how powerful Torkoal''s attacks were, they meant nothing if they couldn''t hit.


    However, by the time the challenger came to his senses, it was toote. Torkoal finally fell under the onught of Lilligant''s rapid-fire Energy Balls.


    In truth, if the challenger had remained a little calmer, there was no way Lilligant could have beaten Torkoal.


    As a pure grass-type, Lilligant was extremely vulnerable to fire-types, and Torkoal was particrly strong. Both the power and the speed at which Torkoal unleashed its fire-type moves were above average, making it nearly impossible for Lilligant to approach at the start of the battle.


    Moreover, most of Lilligant''s attack moves were grass-type, which Torkoal heavily resisted. It would have been impossible for Lilligant to take down Torkoal in a short period of time.


    Yet, despite all these advantages, the challenger still lost.


    As soon as the match ended, Yuga heard apuseing from the audience. He then noticed the expedition group in the spectator area and immediately spotted Gary sitting in the front row.


    Yuga gave the group a slight nod and then recalled his Lilligant, walking over to the challenger.


    "Unfortunately, I can''t award you the Verdant Badge this time. Train hard ande challenge us again. The Verdant Gym is always open to you," Yuga encouraged the challenger.


    The challenger responded nervously, "I understand. I''ll do my best."


    "Alright, when battling in the future, you need to think things through moreprehensively. You can''t only focus on your own side; you also have to analyze your opponent''s strengths and weaknesses..." Yuga pointed out some of the challenger''s shorings and offered suggestions.


    After seeing off the challenger, Yuga finally had time to receive the expedition group.


    "I''m terribly sorry, a challenger arrived unexpectedly, so I couldn''t meet with all of you earlier. I hope you can understand," Yuga apologized to the group with a regretful expression.


    The leader of the expedition group waved his hand dismissively and said, "It''s no problem, workes first."


    The leader was Haruhiko, a junior to Professor Birch and a student of Professor Oak. He was also a professor, though not as famous as Professors Oak and Birch.


    Unlike the slightly round figure of Professor Birch, Professor Haruhiko was tall and slender. His personality was also quite different from Professor Birch''s constant cheerfulness and easygoing nature. Haruhiko gave off an impression of being quiet and efficient.


    In fact,pared to Professors Oak and Birch, Yuga thought Haruhiko more closely resembled the typical image of schrs who spend all day inbs conducting research.


    Of course, that was just Yuga''s stereotypical impression. In reality, renowned professors were usually quite witty and humorous, far from the silent, serious type. Even Professor Haruhiko only appeared that way on the surface; when he was with familiar people, he was actually quite talkative.


    After some small talk, the group quickly got into lively conversation. Apart from Professor Haruhiko and his assistant, the rest of the expedition group consisted of new recruits from Professor Oak''sb, who were around Yuga''s age, making it easy for them to get along.


    Most of them had heard of Yuga''s reputation to some extent, and during their conversation, they would often slip in a fewpliments, leaving Yuga feeling quite ttered.


    Everyone enjoys hearing nice things. Since they were praising him, Yuga naturally returned the favor. A little mutual ttery? Yuga was well-versed in that.


    So, the group got along very well.


    However, there was one exception��Gary.


    While everyone else was chatting happily, Gary remained silent, almost as if he didn''t exist. Anyone who didn''t know better might have thought he was being excluded from the group.


    But exclusion was definitely not the case. Everyone in the expedition group knew Gary''s identity��who would dare to exclude Professor Oak''s grandson? That would be sheer stupidity unless they wanted to jeopardize their future under Professor Oak''s mentorship.


    Of course, there were definitely people who were not fond of Gary, but no one was foolish enough to show it openly.


    Gary had only recently entered the academic world. His participation in this expedition to Hoenn was entirely thanks to Professor Oak''s influence. Since Gary had only recently switched fields, Professor Oak wanted him to gain more exposure, which is why Gary was able to join this expedition team.


    The expedition team was organized under Professor Oak''s ownb, and adding or removing a member was entirely up to him. Naturally, Professor Oak could bring in whomever he wanted.


    Under these circumstances, it was inevitable that some people would resent Gary. Even though he hadn''t taken anyone else''s spot, a privileged position is still a privileged position, and someone would always be unhappy about it.


    Gary was well aware of this sentiment but didn''t care. After all, as a third-generation heir of a wealthy and powerful family, Gary carried some of that air of entitlement. Let those who dislike him stew in their bitterness; if they don''t like it, that''s their problem. If they''re unhappy, they can just hold it in��let them suffocate on it if they must!


    Yuga had noticed Gary''s silence, but since they weren''t acquainted, he didn''t approach him to make small talk.


    At that moment, someone suddenly said, "Speaking of which, Gary used to be a trainer, and a pretty strong one at that."


    Gary nced at the person silently and replied, "I am still a trainer."


    Hearing this, the person added, "Then this is perfect. Gary, how about a friendly match with Gym Leader Shimizu? It''s a rare opportunity."


    Others quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes! Gary, how about having a match with Gym Leader Shimizu? After all, you''re Professor Oak''s grandson..."


    Gary did want to seek some advice from Yuga, but that didn''t mean he was happy to be pushed into it by others. So, he felt a bit irritated by everyone egging him on.


    Yuga noticed the displeasure on Gary''s face and, with a lighthearted smile, said, "A spar with Gary? I''m getting up in years; it''s not right for me to bully the younger generation."


    Haruhiko also caught onto Gary''s reluctance. He cast a nce at the instigators and sternly reprimanded them, "What are you all making such a fuss about? We just arrived here, don''t you know better than to act disrespectfully?"


    Since Professor Haruhiko was already regarded as a strict figure by everyone, his scolding made the younger crowd too afraid to continue, and the matter was dropped.


    The next morning, after Yuga finished his early training with his Pok��mon and took a stroll with Roserade, he happened to see Gary sitting idly in front of his shop when he returned.


    By that time, several customers were alreadying and going from the shop. Each of them couldn''t help but nce at Gary, curious about when this new "gatekeeper" appeared at the entrance of the Yoyo Day Care.


    Gary was sitting at the door, staring nkly at the Flygon resting on the rooftop, its eyes closed in a light nap. When he noticed Yuga returning, he asked, "Is this Flygon also one of your Pok��mon, Gym Leader Shimizu?"


    Yuga nced at thezily lounging Flygon and replied with a chuckle, "Hmm... I guess you could say that. It mostly just watches over the ce."


    Upon hearing this, Flygon cracked open one eye and shot Yuga a re, as if to say, "What do you mean ''just watches over the ce''? I''m your security chief!"


    "Oh, it seems pretty strong," Garymented beforepsing back into his daze.


    Flygon, though its eyes remained closed, couldn''t help but flick its tail in satisfaction. Yuga knew it was feeling quite smug inside.


    Noticing Gary''s gloomy demeanor, Yuga casually asked, "What''s up? Not getting along with yourpanions?"


    Actually, Yuga had already felt something was off yesterday when everyone was teasing Gary.


    "Not really," Gary shook his head. "It''s just... I find it all kind of boring."


    He was well aware that some people in the group didn''t like him��like the one who had led the teasing yesterday. But despite their dislike, they would still turn around and act all friendly, trying to curry favor with him. Gary suddenly found those kinds of people rather pitiful.


    Of course, Gary wasn''t about to share all this with Yuga. If Yuga had known what Gary was thinking, he''d probably just think Gary was still too young. People like that were far toomon; it was nothing out of the ordinary.


    When Gary was still a trainer, he didn''t have to deal with too many people, so he didn''t have these interpersonal concerns. However, as Professor Oak''s grandson, if he joined Professor Oak''sb, the people and matters he would encounter in the future would only be moreplex.


    Seeing that Gary wasn''t nning to say more, Yuga naturally didn''t pry further. He wasn''t some kind of confidant, and since he wasn''t that close to Gary, asking too many questions would seem intrusive.


    "By the way, when is your research team heading to Petalburg Woods? Are you just sitting here daydreaming without any preparation?"


    Gary replied, "We can''t go today. We''re still waiting for the guardian trainers that Grandpa arranged. We can''t go to Petalburg Woods with so many people without protection."


    The members of the research team weren''t exactly skilled fighters. If they went on their own, they probably wouldn''t get far in Petalburg Woods.


    "That makes sense. Safety is indeed important," Yuga nodded in agreement.


    The research team needed escorts, but that had nothing to do with him. His only responsibility was to provide them with lodging.


    Yuga chatted with Gary at the shop entrance for a while, and as they were about to part, Gary asked, "Gym Leader Shimizu, would you have time to battle with me someday?"


    Yuga was momentarily surprised, but then readily agreed, "Sure, anytime."


    Gary smiled, and the gloom on his face seemed to lift a bit. After taking a few steps, he turned back and said, "Please don''t mention this to the others in the group."


    Watching Gary''s departing figure, Yuga shook his head. So childish.


    Gary''s personality waspletely different from Ash''s. If Ash were in Gary''s position, he likely wouldn''t be bothered by these interpersonal issues at all.


    Although Gary seemed proud, he was much more thoughtful, sensitive, and delicate in nature.


    In the afternoon, the trainers sent by Professor Oak to protect the research team arrived, and Yuga took some time to meet them.


    It turned out to be a pair of twin sisters, both of whom were part of the Oak family. In terms of seniority, Gary should be calling them "aunt."


    The twins looked only a few years older than Yuga. The elder sister was named Ruri Oak, and the younger was named Amber Oak. However, the Oak family tended to keep a low profile, so aside from Professor Oak, Yuga didn''t know any other members of the Oak family, nor had he heard of Ruri and Amber before.


    Still, since Professor Oak had entrusted them with protecting the research team in Petalburg Woods, it was clear that the sisters were quite strong.


    The day after Ruri and Amber arrived at the Verdanturf Gym, the research team set off for Petalburg Woods, and they were gone for three days.


    Three dayster, after resting for two days at the Verdanturf Gym, the research team set out again for Petalburg Woods, this time for another three days.


    Going back and forth like this, the research team spent more than a month bustling around Verdanturf Town Gym. Every time Yuga watched them excitedly set out and return exhausted, only to leave again with looks of enthusiasm, he felt that this group of people had it tough.


    The reason the research team didn''t stay in hotels or Pok��mon Centers, but chose to lodge at the gym, was that academic research teams like theirs often engaged in activities thatsted for a long time. Staying for one or two months was quitemon, and it wasn''t unusual to stay for six months or even a year. It was simply inconvenient to stay in Pok��mon Centers or hotels.


    To understand the Pok��mon ecology of a region, sufficient time for observation was essential.


    Yuga wasn''t concerned with what these people were studying, nor how long they would stay. Most of their time was spent in Petalburg Woods, and their lives felt like two parallel lines. Apart from residing in the Verdanturf Gym, Yuga had no interaction with them, except for the asional chat with Gary.


    However, Gary himself was quite busy. As a new schr, he had a lot to learn, so his visits to Yuga were limited. Even their agreed-upon battle had yet to happen.


    In this way, more than half a month passed in the blink of an eye. One day, the YoYo Day Care weed a few special guests: Ash and May, who had been separated from Yuga for nearly two months.


    The Pok��mon Leaguepetition had been postponed fromte summer tote autumn, which made Ash''s journey much more leisurely than before. Otherwise, he would have arrived in Verdanturf Town earlier.


    While Ash had a rxed schedule, May was anything but. Even though the Leaguepetition had been dyed, the Pok��mon Contest was still on schedule since the organizing parties were different. Moreover, with the Pokemon Contest approaching, May still hadn''t collected enough Ribbon Medals.


    This time, Ash and the others came to Verdanturf Town not only because Ash was challenging the Verdanturf Gym but also for May to participate in the uing Pok��mon Contest in Verdanturf Town.


    "Is this Mr. Shimizu''s Day Care?" Ash, who was visiting YoYo Day Care for the first time, felt it was quite fresh. It was his first time entering such a formal Pok��mon Day Care. "Why aren''t there any Pok��mon or Pok��mon eggs visible?"


    Just as Yuga was about to answer, Ayaka, who was by the counter, suddenly said, "What''s vibrating?"


    Yuga was intrigued by Ayaka''s words and went to the counter. Sure enough, he heard a buzzing sound. Following the sound of the vibrations, he opened the drawer and found the source of the vibrations inside.

 Chapter 1081: The Resurrection of Amaura and the Forest Incident

    <h4>Chapter 1081: The Resurrection of Amaura and the Forest Incident</h4>


    In the drawer, the source of the vibrations was a bead.


    Seeing the vibrating bead, Yuga was very surprised because it was the same bead he had previously received from the Ghost Pirate Group. It was a symbol of the identity of the People of the Water, and it would only react when someone from the People of the Water was nearby.


    After the Ghost Pirate Group was eradicated, the bead naturally remained in Yuga''s possession. Since it was no longer of any use, Yuga casually ced it on the counter in his shop, andter it was Suzuki who stored it in the drawer.


    If it hadn''t been for today''s events, Yuga would have almost forgotten about this item.


    Now, with the bead vibrating incessantly, it meant that...


    At that moment, Ash and the others also noticed the bead in Yuga''s hand.


    "Mr. Shimizu, what is this?" Ash asked curiously, looking at the bead in Yuga''s hand.


    Hearing this, Yuga turned his attention to Ash and the others. The bead had been quietly sitting in the drawer of the counter, but it began to vibrate when Ash and the others entered. So...


    With that in mind, Yuga moved closer to Ash and his friends while holding the bead.


    It didn''t react to Ash, nor to Brock...


    Until Yuga got closer to May, the frequency of the bead''s vibrations increased even more. Yuga looked at May in surprise; could it be that May was a descendant of the People of the Water? But the bead clearly showed no reaction to Max. Or was it possible that May wasn''t the biological child of Mr. Norman and Caroline? No, no, no, that couldn''t be...


    Seeing the strange expression on Yuga''s face, Ash asked again, "Mr. Shimizu, what''s wrong?"


    "Ah! It''s nothing. Have you guys ever heard of the People of the Water?" Yuga suddenly asked them, interrupted by Ash''s voice.


    "People of the Water? What is that? Is it rted to this bead?" Ash leaned closer to the bead, his eyes widening as he examined it.


    Yuga naturally handed the bead over to him so he could take a closer look, then answered, "The People of the Water were an ancient people that existed a long, long time ago. They worshipped the mythical Pok��mon Manaphy and left behind a splendid culture. This bead is a symbol of their identity."


    Yuga''s introduction to the People of the Water piqued the interest of May and the others. Max took the bead from Ash and held it up, asking Yuga, "But why does Yuga have this bead? Is he a People of the Water? And why does this bead keep moving?"


    Yuga shook his head while holding the bead that Max was lifting. "I''m not a People of the Water, but why the bead is moving..." As he spoke, Yuga handed the bead to May, and the closer it got to her, the more violently it vibrated.


    May took the bead in confusion, but the moment she touched it, the vibrations stopped.


    With a puzzled expression, May said, "What''s wrong with this thing? It''s not broken, is it? It has nothing to do with me."


    Yuga, both amused and exasperated, took the bead back from May, and sure enough, it began vibrating again. Seeing this, May breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, it''s not broken. That''s good."


    May''s concerns were indeed quite peculiar, and Yuga felt powerless toment. Even Max noticed something was off: "Hey, why does the bead not move only when my sister is holding it?"


    Only then did May react: "Oh, that''s true."


    Yuga replied, "I don''t know; as far as I know, this bead only reacts like this in the presence of the People of the Water."


    Max immediately eximed, "Could it be that my sister is a People of the Water? Then wouldn''t I be one too?"


    May instinctively shot back at her brother, "The bead isn''t reacting to you."


    Max: ... That''s true.


    Ash was leftpletely bewildered by Yuga and May''s conversation, asking, "What are you guys talking about?"


    Meanwhile, Brock, who was nearby, stroked his chin thoughtfully and muttered, "Could it be that May and Max aren''t actually siblings?"


    "Impossible!" May and Max both replied in unison. Then May bent down and leaned her head close to Max''s, saying, "Look at our two faces. Do you dare to say we''re not biological siblings?"


    Brock: ...


    May and Max''s faces at least shared five or six simrities; with such simr faces, no one could doubt the authenticity of their sibling rtionship.


    Yuga interjected, "Alright, alright, let''s not discuss this for now. Ash, when do you n to challenge the Verdanturf Gym?"


    Ash replied casually, "No rush; I''ll wait until May finishes her contest."


    Yuga nodded. "Okay, then let me take you to the new store across the street. Didn''t you say you wanted to see Pok��mon Eggs? You can see them at the new store."


    So the group eagerly headed to the new store.


    Later that evening, Max actually called home to ask his mother if he and May were biologically rted.


    Caroline was baffled by her son''s question: "Are you and your sister not rted? What do you think? If you and your sister aren''t rted, did I pick you up from beside a trash can?" It wasn''t until Max recounted the events of the day that Caroline finally understood.


    Of course, May and Max were biological siblings, but what Max mentioned reminded Caroline of something from the past.


    When she was a teenager, her grandmother had once casually told her that they were descendants of the People of the Water scattered throughout thend. However, so much time had passed that if Max hadn''t brought it up today, Caroline probably wouldn''t have remembered it.


    At that time, Caroline had dismissed her grandmother''s words as a joke, but now it seemed they might actually be true.


    Regardless of whether it was true or not, it didn''t matter; a thousand years had passed, and their ancestors had been intermarrying with outsiders, so the traces of the People of the Water in their bloodline had likely diminished greatly. This was evident from the bead''sck of response to Max.


    As for May, that was a special case; there''s a saying about returning to one''s ancestors, and May could very well be an example of that.


    So Caroline shared all of this with Max, who secretly sighed in relief: thankfully, they were rted.


    The next morning, Max told everyone what Caroline had said, and that''s when they learned that he had secretly called their momst night. They all teased him for it, especially May, who yfully chided him, "So you''re that afraid of not being siblings? You like me that much? I don''t know how to handle it!"


    Max was infuriated by May''s teasing tone and chased her around the yard, making the morning at the Pok��mon Day Care unusually lively.


    After hearing Max recount Caroline''s words, Yuga directly handed the bead over to May, figuring it was of no use to him anyway. The bead was quite beautiful, so May happily epted it.


    Since May was going to participate in the contest in a couple of days, everyone eventually returned to their training after a bit ofmotion, leaving only Max to quietly approach Yuga.


    "Yuga, do you remember you said you would help me revive the fossil Pok��mon?"


    Looking at the fossil in Max''s hands, Yuga recalled the promise he made to Max when he found the fossil in the MirageTower. He then asked, "Do you want me to help you revive it now?"


    "Yeah, yeah! I''m really curious about what kind of Pok��mon this fossil can revive!" Max said eagerly, stamping his feet.


    So Yuga took Max to the gym, where the fossil revival machine gifted to him by Devon Corporation was located. The inspection team was still out in the Petalburg Woods, so only Beidou and a few gym apprentices remained at the gym. Upon learning that Yuga and Max were going to revive a Pok��mon, everyone became interested and gathered around to watch.


    Max had be familiar with the kids at the gym when he first came to Verdanturf Town, and although a lot of time had passed, they quickly rekindled their friendship upon meeting again.


    Yuga was now quite skilled at operating the fossil revival machine. After two hours, the hatch of the machine opened, and a blue-skinned dinosaur-like Pok��mon slowly emerged.


    "Wow, this Pok��mon is so cute!" The first to exim was Ayami, a girl among the group, and soon everyone began to chatter excitedly.


    "What kind of Pok��mon is this?" A naive and curious Ayaka asked Anmu.


    "It''s called Amaura," Max informed his friends, showing off his knowledge.


    ...


    "Amaura."


    The just-revived Pok��mon seemed startled by the children''s voices, plopping down on the ground with tears welling in its big, round eyes.


    Yuga hadn''t expected the revived Pok��mon to be Amaura, as the chances of finding a sail fossil in the Hoenn region were quite low.


    However, recalling that AZ was sleeping in the Mirage Tower, Yuga wasn''t too surprised. Perhaps Amaura''s fossil had been brought to Hoenn by AZ from Kalos.


    ...


    [ Amaura ]


    Type: Rock, Ice


    Ability: Refrigerate


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Yellow


    Level: 5


    Move: Growl, Powder Snow, Mirror Coat.


    ...


    Amaura was likely still a juvenile Pok��mon before it turned into a fossil, appearing quite small. As an Ice-type Pok��mon, it struggled to adapt to the hot environment of Hoenn, and soon it copsed weakly onto the ground.


    Seeing Amaura in distress, the children panicked and shouted. Yuga had to say, "You all need to step back from Amaura; it can''t handle the crowd."


    Reluctantly, the children backed away to a distance.


    Amaura''s issue was actually quite easy to resolve. In no time, Yuga brought over a piece of Never-Melt Ice for it to wear. The cold emitted by the Never-Melt Ice separated the heat from around Amaura, and it quickly regained its strength.


    Never-Melt Ice was an essential item for Ice-type Pok��mon living in volcanic regions, which was why Yuga''s Day Care always kept some on hand.


    Seeing that Amaura was alright, the children all sighed in relief. Yuga then told Max, "I''ve helped you revive Amaura, but you need to take care of it; however, its Pok�� Ball must be entrusted to your sister for safekeeping."


    Max didn''t mind at all, saying, "Okay, I understand. I''ll tell my sister." For Max, just being able to get the Pok��mon in advance was already satisfying; he didn''t care whose hands the Pok�� Ball ended up in.


    As soon as May and Ash returned, Max eagerly showed off Amaura to them. Amaura was very well-behaved and quickly became reliant on Max, who was the first person it saw, and the two of them got along well.


    Along with Ash and May came another familiar face to Yuga��Drew.


    It turned out that Drew was also going to participate in this Pokemon Contest and had just arrived in Verdanturf Town today. He originally intended to visit Yuga, but unexpectedly ran into Ash and May returning from their morning training.


    Drew had traveled with Ash and the others several times, and they were familiar with each other, so they decided to go to the Verdanturf Gym together.


    After a long separation, everyone happily entered the building to catch up.


    Meanwhile, in the Petalburg Woods.


    The inspection team had been tracking and observing arge group of Nuzleaf during this time.


    This group of Nuzleaf was led by a pair of Shiftry, and they originally lived in the central area of the Petalburg Woods. However, due to recent food shortages in that area and an increase in their poption, the group began migrating deeper into the forest.


    The inspection team closely followed behind the group of Nuzleaf.


    Originally, the sisters Ruri and Amber opposed the inspection team following the Nuzleaf deeper into the Petalburg Woods, as they couldn''t guarantee the safety of the team.


    However, Professor Haruhiko was a very stubborn person; he refused to give up halfway and was determined to continue tracking and observing.


    In the end, both sides took a step back. Professor Haruhiko found the forest ranger of the Petalburg Woods and requested that the ranger join their team. Only then did Ruri and Amber reluctantly agree.


    Unbeknownst to them, the inspection team had reached the deepest part of the Petalburg Woods.


    At the center of this areay a beautiful garden, where one could see flowers from different seasons blooming simultaneously, creating a breathtaking scene.


    It was supposed to be like this, but at that moment, a battle between two Pok��mon in the garden destroyed everything.


    The attacking side was a strange ck Pok��mon, which, if Yuga were present, he would undoubtedly recognize as a Darkrai.


    Darkrai waved its hands continuously, unleashing Dark Pulse that caused chaos. The flowers and trees in the garden were smashed to pieces, and the defending Pok��mon was pushed back steadily.


    It was clear that the defending Pok��mon did not want to engage in conflict with Darkrai, but Darkrai was too aggressive. As it watched its carefully cultivated garden being destroyed, the defending Pok��mon finally got angry.


    With a whoosh, the defending Pok��mon flew into the air, looking down at Darkrai from above. Then, it shot a beam of light towards Darkrai, which overwhelmed the creature with a terrifying force.


    When the light column dissipated, arge circr pit was left in the ground, with Darkrai awkwardly lying at the center of it. However, Darkrai did not fall; it slowly floated up, gathering a circle of ck energy waves in its hands. Then, with its arms spread wide, the ck energy waves expanded outward from its center.


    Upon touching the ck energy waves, the defending Pok��mon felt drowsy; however, its will was strong, and it endured the effects.


    But the other Pok��mon outside were not so fortunate. The range of the ck energy waves was vast, and many Pok��mon in the central area were affected. Flying Pok��mon plummeted to the ground, and those that were running just stopped moving... They all fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly, the entire forest became eerily quiet.


    The inspection team members were also among those who fell asleep. When the ck energy waves swept through, they had no time to react, and the entire team copsed. The only one still awake was the Honchkrow that Ruri had left outside to guard.


    Seeing her trainer lying on the ground, Honchkrow flew down and gently pped its wings against her, then pecked at her with its beak, but she showed no response.


    After turning its head around, Honchkrow took to the air again and flew toward the outside of the Petalburg Woods.

 Chapter 1082: Eternal Flower Floette

    <h4>Chapter 1082: Eternal Flower Floette</h4>


    When Honchkrow returned to the Verdanturf Gym, Yuga wasn''t there, as he was helping out at his shop, so it was Beidou who greeted the bird.


    Beidou didn''t recognize Ruri''s Honchkrow nor could he understand what it was saying, so at first, he thought a wild Pok��mon had identally wandered into the gym. It wasn''t until he noticed that Honchkrow seemed to be desperately trying tomunicate something to him that he decided to find Yuga.


    When Yuga met Honchkrow, he quickly learned everything about what had happened in the Petalburg Woods: humans and Pok��mon alike had suddenly fallen into a deep sleep.


    After hearing Honchkrow''s plea for help, Yuga initially thought of notifying the Verdanturf Town police to send a rescue team. However, given that the cause of the sleep was unknown, he abandoned that n, thinking that sending the police might just lead them into danger.


    The investigation team already had strong members like Ruri, Amber, and the forest ranger with them, so Yuga doubted that the police would fare any better. Since even they had fallen victim to the mysterious sleep, it was unlikely that the police could handle the situation safely.


    The best n now was for Yuga to personally go to the Petalburg Woods to assess the situation before deciding whether to carry out a rescue mission and how to go about it.


    He had his trusted Pok��mon, Chimecho and Florges, with him. Whether it was Chimecho''s Heal Bell or Florges''s Aromatherapy, both moves would be powerful methods to wake up those affected by the sleep.


    Still, Yuga made a call to discuss the situation with Shirai Masato. He informed Shirai Masato that if he didn''t return within a set time, they should consider alternative rescue ns.


    Although Yuga was confident in his abilities, he wasn''t so arrogant as to believe himself invincible.


    After making all the necessary arrangements, Yuga rode on Dragonite and, guided by Honchkrow, hurried toward the Petalburg Woods as fast as possible.


    There were no abnormalities in the outer or central areas of the Petalburg Woods. Yuga flew through those regions on Dragonite without issue; the Pok��mon in the forest were going about their business as usual, unaffected by whatever was happening.


    However, once he reached the central area of the forest, things changed. The surroundings suddenly grew eerily quiet��no sounds of bird Pok��mon chirping in the trees, no rustling from Grass-type Pok��mon in the bushes... The silence was unsettling.


    To be cautious, Yuga decided to dismount from Dragonite and proceed on foot once he reached the forest''s center.


    On his way, Yuga found a Taillow that had fallen into the grass. He turned around to Chimecho and said, "Chimecho, try using Heal Bell to see if you can wake it up."


    "Chimecho, Chimecho," Chimecho nodded in agreement.


    The crisp and melodious sound of the bell rang out, and after a short while, Taillow slowly opened its eyes. Realizing it was lying in a human''s hands, it panicked and hurriedly flew away.


    Seeing Taillow awaken from Chimecho''s Heal Bell, Yuga felt a sense of relief wash over him.


    He then continued to find other Pok��mon that had also fallen into a deep sleep, including Shroomish, Oddish, Tediursa, Wurmple, and Maril, alternating between having Chimecho use Heal Bell and Florges use Aromatherapy to wake them up.


    After a series of experiments, Yuga finally deduced that the cause of the Pok��mon''s slumber was likely a Psychic-type move, Hypnosis.


    While there are many moves that can induce sleep in Pok��mon, the resulting sleep states differ from one move to another.


    For instance, while Sleep Powder and Hypnosis ultimately have the same effect, when ites to waking Pok��mon up, Heal Bell is more effective against sleep caused by Hypnosis, whereas Aromatherapy works better for sleep induced by *Sleep Powder*.


    In Pok��mon medicine, Sleep Powder is categorized as a medicinal sleep, while Hypnosis falls under psychological suggestion.


    Simrly, sleep induced by moves like Sing or Grass Whistle exhibits various symptomatic differences, which experienced Pok��mon doctors and breeders can easily identify.


    Though Yuga was neither a Pok��mon doctor nor a breeder, he had learned a wealth of breeding knowledge online with Audino, so it wasn''t for nothing.


    The reason Ruri''s Honchkrow had escaped this incident was partly due to its ability, Insomnia, and partly because it was a Dark-type Pok��mon.


    Dark-type Pok��mon are immune to damage from Psychic-type moves, but they are not immune to status moves like Hypnosis. However,pared to other types of Pok��mon, Dark-types tend to have a significantly higher resistance to Hypnosis.


    For example, if Gengar were to use Hypnosis on both a Charizard and a Honchkrow, it would be noticeably harder to put Honchkrow to sleep.


    The Pok��mon responsible for triggering this sleeping incident must possess immense power; otherwise, it would be impossible for it to require both the Insomnia ability and Dark-type characteristics to achieve this effect.


    Yuga had already spotted a Dark-type Pok��mon, Nuzleaf, and another with the Insomnia ability, Ariados, but unlike Honchkrow, they hadn''t been so fortunate.


    With this suspicion in mind, Yuga became increasingly cautious; if he drew the attention of that particr Pok��mon, it was uncertain whether he could escape unscathed. Better to be careful than to take unnecessary risks.


    After an unknown amount of time, he finally located the survey team, guided by Honchkrow. They were sprawled across the ground in disarray, with a group of Nuzleaf also caught in a deep slumber not far away.


    What surprised Yuga, however, was that a small Fairy-type Pok��mon was currently trying to assist the unconscious humans and Pok��mon. It was struggling to move the inspection team members together, attempting to use Aromatherapy to wake them up.


    But it seemed this little Pok��mon was injured, as itcked the strength to effectively use Aromatherapy and was unable to rouse any of them.


    Yuga''s arrival quickly attracted the attention of the small Pok��mon.


    "Floette!"


    The Pok��mon hurriedly hid behind arge tree, then cautiously peeked its head out to nce at Yuga before quickly retreating again.


    Floette? Yuga was astonished to see this Pok��mon.


    What was a Floette doing here, and not just any Floette, but a shiny one?


    Unconsciously, Yuga activated his Insight.


    ...


    [ Floette (Eternal Flower) ]


    Type: Fairy


    Ability: Symbiosis


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Unknown


    Level: Unknown


    Moves: Vine Whip, Fairy Wind, Lucky Chant, Leaf de, Wish, Magical Leaf, Grassy Terrain, Petal Dance, Aromatherapy, Misty Terrain, Moonst, Petal Dance, Sr Beam, Captivate, Magic Reflect, Photosynthesis, Sunny Day, Energy Ball, Dazzling Gleam, Light of Ruin.


    ...


    After reading the details, Yuga was truly taken aback.


    Eternal Flower Floette? This was the very Floette AZ had been searching for!


    No wonder AZ hade to Hoenn; he must have been tracking Floette, but since Floette had chosen to hide from him, he couldn''t find it and had resorted to entering the Phantom Tower to sleep instead.


    Thinking about it, it made sense; if Floette wanted to evade AZ, the best course of action would naturally be to leave the Kalos region. It just hadn''t anticipated that AZ would follow it there.


    Now that Yuga understood Floalette''s identity, he didn''t dare approach recklessly; who knew if Floette was truly as benevolent as legends suggested?


    Thus, both Yuga and the Pok��mon remained motionless, each studying the other.


    However, as Yuga observed the sleeping Gary and the others, he suddenly felt that their condition was eerily familiar. It resembled the situation of Team Rocket''s trio when they were in the Mirage Tower.


    Could it be that the Pok��mon causing the creatures in the forest to fall asleep was Darkrai? Darkrai''s ability Nightmare, activates automatically when it puts its opponents to sleep, causing those affected to experience continuous nightmares.


    At this moment, while the members of the inspection team weren''t screaming like Team Rocket did, their brows were furrowed, and some were even murmuring in their sleep.


    This was nearly identical to the effects caused by Darkrai''s Nightmare ability; it was evident they were experiencing nightmares.


    With this thought in mind, Yuga took out the lunar feather that Cresselia had gifted him from his system backpack.


    Sure enough, as soon as the lunar feather appeared, the eerie atmosphere in the forest shifted, and the members of the inspection team who are drenched in cold sweat, abruptly sat up. The other awakened Pok��mon also panicked and scattered.


    At the same time, upon sensing the presence of Cresselia, Darkrai, who was in the central garden of the forest, felt something stir: Cresselia''s aura��she hade? But didn''t she say she was going back to Sinnoh?


    "What happened?" Gary who is now awake, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, looking bewildered.


    "Gary, are you alright?" At that moment, Ruri walked over to ask with concern.


    "I''m fine, Ruri. How about you? Are you and Amber okay?" Gary asked, equally worried.


    Ruri nced at Amber, who was still in shock not far away, and shook her head. "Don''t worry; we''re all fine."


    "What on earth happened? Why did we suddenly fall asleep?" May asked in confusion.


    The incident had urred too suddenly, and she hadn''t fully processed it yet. The nightmares she had experienced were far too terrifying; her heart was still racing.


    No way! Am I really going to be ground into the dirt by that guy Ash? Impossible! Gary scoffed inwardly.


    Just as Ruri was about to respond to Gary, she suddenly saw her Honchkrow rushing over with a joyful expression. At that moment, she was still unaware that Honchkrow had gone to seek help from Yuga in order to save them from their predicament in Verdanturf Town.


    Seeing Honchkrow nuzzling against her affectionately, Ruri reached out to touch its pointed cap and asked, "What''s wrong with you?"


    At that moment, Yuga stepped forward.


    Upon seeing Yuga, the members of the survey team were very surprised.


    "Mr. Shimizu, what are you doing here?" L asked in confusion, then seemed to guess something. "Did you wake us up?"


    Yuga nodded, saying, "That''s right. Your Honchkrow came to Verdanturf Town for help after you all inexplicably fell asleep in the forest, which is why I came."


    Yuga exined the entire chain of events.


    After learning the details, Ruri hugged Honchkrow and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Honchkrow." Without it, they might have starved to death in their slumber in just a few days.


    "Why did we suddenly fall asleep?"


    "This ce is too dangerous; we should leave Petalburg Woods as soon as possible!"


    ...


    For a moment, the members of the inspection team started discussing among themselves, while Yuga approached Nakamichi and Reisuke, the two rangers who hade to assist the inspection team.


    "Is there any record of Darkrai being active in Petalburg Woods?"


    Nakamichi and Reisuke exchanged nces and said, "Are you suspecting that our sudden sleep is rted to Darkrai?"


    "I have some suspicion," Yuga replied, nodding.


    "We''ve never encountered Darkrai in Petalburg Woods," Reisuke said. They had been stationed there as an area rangers for quite some time and were very familiar with the distribution of Pok��mon in most areas.


    "True," Nakamichi agreed with Reisuke. However, he thought for a moment and added, "But it''s not impossible. The center of Petalburg Woods is a ce we rarely visit; sometimes we can''t even figure out what Pok��mon might be hiding there."


    Upon hearing this, Yuga fell silent. He nced at the Floette hiding in the distance; its injuries likely came from the Pok��mon he suspected to be Darkrai.


    This Floette may not seem particrly bold, but its strength was undoubtedly considerable, as Yuga sensed its aura was no weaker than other legendary Pok��mon he had encountered.


    In other words, this was a Floette that had ascended to godhood.


    If that Pok��mon really was Darkrai, was it connected to the one in the Mirage Tower? Or was it the very same one from the Mirage Tower?


    In any case, Yuga didn''t think that a Pok��mon like Darkrai could be somon as to find two of them casually.


    After some discussion, the members of the survey team ultimately decided to return to Verdanturf Town, while Yuga chose to stay behind and continue investigating the cause of the Pok��mon falling into a deep sleep along with the rangers.


    This issue needed to be resolved; otherwise, the safety of the towns surrounding Petalburg Woods would remain uncertain. As a Gym Leader, Yuga felt it was his responsibility to get to the bottom of it.


    Gary was very interested in this "mysterious Pok��mon" and wanted to stay behind to investigate with Yuga, but he was forcibly dragged away by Ruri and Amber, who strongly opposed the idea.


    After thinking for a long time, Yuga decided to talk to the Floette.


    He called Chimecho over to protect him and walked to the spot where Floette was hiding. Upon seeing Yuga approach, Floette burrowed deeper into the grass.


    "Floette, can we talk?" Yuga softly called out to the grass.


    After a while, a rustling sound came, and Floette head poked out from the grass.


    "Floette?"


    What do you want to talk about?


    Floey trembled as it spoke, having not seen humans for so long that it didn''t know how tomunicate with them anymore.


    "Do you know who made the Pok��mon suddenly fall asleep?"


    "I know," Floette nodded.


    "Can you tell me who it is? Where are they now?"


    "If I tell you, will you help me drive it away? It took my home!" Floette looked at Yuga with eager eyes.


    Yuga: ...You can''t deal with it yourself, so how can I help?


    So he replied, "I can''t guarantee that I can help you drive it away, but I can heal your injuries."


    Floette felt the pain from its wounds and finally nodded. Although it could heal those injuries on its own, it would take time, and it hurt too much right now!


    Upon learning that Yuga was going to meet the "mysterious Pok��mon," Nakamichi and Reisuke immediately expressed their desire to apany him. Maintaining the stability of Petalburg Woods was their duty as rangers.


    However, Yuga declined. He was only going to scout the situation; if the other party was indeed Darkrai, he could get away faster alone��adding more people might hinder him.


    With Floette leading the way, Yuga eventually encountered Darkrai. With just a nce, he recognized it as the one from the Mirage Tower.


    As soon as Floette and Yuga got close, Darkrai sensed them. Initially, it thought it would only be dealing with Floette and nned to teach it a lesson. But upon seeing Yuga, it was taken aback.


    What the hell, how is it you?


    The pain brought to it by Absol was still fresh in its memory.

 Chapter 1083: Persuading Floette

    <h4>Chapter 1083: Persuading Floette</h4>


    Yuga thought the moment he saw Darkrai: It really is Darkrai. However, he didn''t expect Darkrai to be so alert; he and Floette were discovered as soon as they got close.


    Recognizing that this was the same Darkrai from the Mirage Tower, Yuga assumed it would immediately attack him upon seeing him, considering their previous unpleasant interactions.


    Last time they managed to escape unscathed, thanks to the sudden eruption of the Seed of Unknown from Absol, but the eruption of the Seed of Unknown was purely coincidental. This time, luck might not be on his side, so Yuga was very wary of Darkrai.


    However, things did not unfold as he had imagined. Upon seeing him, Darkrai''s expression was somewhat inscrutable.


    What Yuga didn''t know was that while he was wary of Darkrai, Darkrai was also cautious of him.


    Previously, Absol had absorbed a considerable amount of Darkrai''s original energy using the power of the Seed of Unknown, leaving Darkrai unable to move for several days. That experience was so unpleasant that Darkrai never wanted to go through it again.


    Darkrai was unaware that the eruption of the Seed of Unknown had an element of randomness to it; it still believed that Absol could control that ability at will.


    So, upon recalling the feeling of being pinned down by Absol and unable to resist, Darkrai''s first reaction upon seeing Yuga was not to attack but to retreat.


    Yuga: ...


    Darkrai: ...


    This subtle misunderstanding left both Yuga and Darkrai momentarily at a loss for words.


    However, this strange atmosphere was quickly broken by Floette. Upon seeing Floette beside Yuga, Darkrai set aside its wariness of Absol and directlyunched an attack on Floette.


    "Darkrai!" How dare youe back!


    Yuga only heard Darkrai call out and then saw Dark Pulse shooting towards him without hesitation. Even though he wasn''t the target of Darkrai''s attack, he couldn''t avoid the coteral damage. Fortunately, Chimecho was by his side, which kept him safe.


    What kind of deep-seated grudge could exist between Darkrai and Floette that they would fight upon meeting? Yuga couldn''t help but wonder from his hiding spot.


    Could it be that Darkrai was jealous of AZ for not being able to attain Floette, who was deeply loved by AZ, and then feltpelled to attack upon seeing it? Yuga''s mind involuntarily yed out a melodramatic scenario.


    Moreover, what exactly made Darkrai leave the Mirage Tower? Didn''t Cresselia say that they promised to guard AZ until he awakened? Could it be that AZ has already woken up?


    Yuga watched the fierce battle between Darkrai and Floette from a distance, filled with confusion.


    It was evident that this ce used to be beautiful��a stunning garden hidden in the center of the Petalburg Woods��but now it was aplete wreck. There were remnants of flowers and trees scattered everywhere, and the numerous craters created by explosions made this once rare garden look like a bald beauty.


    However, just as Yuga guessed, Floette was indeed overly powerful. He had witnessed Darkrai''s strength; even with his strongest Pok��monbined, they couldn''t defeat it. Yet, Floette managed to easily suppress Darkrai.


    After watching for a while, Yuga finally understood that Floette was not trying to fight Darkrai but was forced to counterattack, which was why it was frequently getting injured.


    "Hey,e help me! Didn''t you say you would help me take back my home?"


    Seeing Yuga watching from the sidelines, Floette shouted loudly while resisting Darkrai''s attacks.


    Help you take back your home? Did I ever say that? Yuga instinctively refused, not wanting to engage with Darkrai.


    What''s the point of taking back a home that''s already been reduced to ruins? Why not just find another ce and build a new one? Yuga genuinely wanted to say this to Floette.


    When Floette turned around to Yuga for help, Darkrai momentarily paused its attack. Seeing that Yuga had no intention of intervening, it resumed throwing Shadow Balls at Floette, one after another.


    Boom!


    Floette was knocked to the ground by Darkrai''s Shadow Ball. After regaining itsposure, it flew back and directly hid behind Yuga. Yuga was left dumbfounded by this sudden turn of events. What happened to being kind? Is this what it means to be a natural viin?


    It must be said that a Pok��mon''s fighting spirit greatly impacts its battle prowess. Although Floette was not inferior to Darkrai in strength, it was being overwhelmed because itcked the will to fight.


    Seeing Floette hiding behind Yuga, Darkrai instinctively stopped its attack out of caution. Seizing the opportunity, Yuga called out to it, "Why don''t we stop and talk?"


    With its rationality returning, Darkrai dissipated the partially formed Shadow Ball, gazing deeply at Yuga before ultimately deciding not to continue the attack.


    Yuga was somewhat surprised by Darkrai''s cooperation, but it was all the better if it was willing to listen.


    After some discussion, Yuga finally unraveled the "love-hate rtionship" between Darkrai and Floette.


    As expected, the reason Darkrai attacked Floette was indeed rted to AZ, though it was nothing like the unrequited love that Yuga had imagined.


    Although Darkrai has a rebellious personality, it is, as Cresselia said, inherently kind-hearted.


    During the long years spent with AZ, Darkrai inevitably developed feelings for him. To Darkrai, AZ is someone who values emotions deeply; otherwise, he wouldn''t have spent thousands of years searching for Floette.


    Darkrai has always felt a deep sympathy for the lonely AZ. Through AZ, it seemed to see a reflection of itself��living for so long without anypanions.


    Thus, even though it had never met Floette before, Darkrai''s first impression of her was quite negative.


    Two months ago, a group of people entered the Mirage Tower and awakened AZ. Whatever they said to AZ is unknown, but ultimately, AZ asked them to help find Floette and left the Mirage Tower with them.


    Before departing, AZ fulfilled his promise and restored freedom to both Darkrai and Cresselia. Cresselia immediately decided to return to the Sinnoh region, while Darkrai wandered around Hoenn, eventually arriving in the Petalburg Woods.


    However, it never expected to encounter Floette in the center of the Petalburg Woods.


    Although Darkrai had never seen Floette before, it had been with AZ for hundreds of years and had heard him mention Floette daily. In an instant, Darkrai recognized that the Floette before it was the very one AZ had been desperately searching for.


    Seeing Floette singing joyfully in the garden filled Darkrai with rage. It felt that AZ had wasted over three thousand years of time for something not worth it and, unable to hold back, attacked Floette.


    To Darkrai, if it weren''t for Floette, AZ wouldn''t be threatened by that group of people. (In Darkrai''s eyes, AZ was indeed under threat.)


    At first, Floette didn''t understand why Darkrai suddenly attacked her, but upon hearing Darkrai''s usations, she fell silent.


    If you were to ask Floette whether she wanted to see AZ, the answer would undoubtedly be yes. The bond between her and AZ was undeniable; even after a thousand years, AZ remained the most important person to her.


    However, whenever she thought of AZ, she would recall the countless innocent lives lost beneath the final weapon, and her own life, which hade at the cost of countless corpses. The overwhelming guilt nearly suffocated her.


    Floette''s heart was filled with both resentment and hatred��resentment towards AZ for creating the ultimate weapon, and hatred for AZ''s selfishness that led to the deaths of so many people and Pok��mon.


    At the same time, Floette also felt self-me and guilt. She med herself for AZ losing his sanity and falling into madness because of her; she felt guilty for leaving AZ silently, allowing him to sink into endless suffering.


    In short, theplexities of Floette''s heart were far beyond the understanding of an outsider like Darkrai.


    After hearing Floette''s intricate self-reflection, Darkrai fell silent. It hadn''t expected the rtionship between Floette and AZ to be soplicated. The AZ it knew was just one side of him, the AZ of over two thousand yearster; it didn''t understand what AZ was like over three thousand years ago.


    Only Yuga''s focus was different from the two Pok��mon. After listening to Darkrai share its experience, he suddenly asked, "You said AZ was taken away? By whom?"


    Darkrai shook its head, indicating that it didn''t know the individuals. Having stayed in the Mirage Tower for so long, it could hardly recognize them.


    "What did they look like? What kind of clothes were they wearing?" Yuga continued to probe.


    After Darkrai described them, Yuga thought to himself: Just as I suspected!


    Lysandre''s distinctive red lion mane was simply too easy to recognize.


    As for why Lysandre would take AZ, Yuga could think of no other reason besides the ultimate weapon. AZ was the creator of the ultimate weapon, and finding him meant discovering a shortcut to obtaining it.


    Yuga couldn''t bear to think about the consequences if Lysandre obtained the ultimate weapon; it certainly wouldn''t be anything good. The ultimate weapon was a devastating tool that should never have been created.


    This matter had to be reported to the League as soon as possible! Yuga silently concluded.


    He nced at Floette, realizing that the most effective and powerful ally in preventing AZ from assisting Lysandre in creating the ultimate weapon was Floette herself.


    It seemed he needed to coax Floette back!


    "Floette, after all these years, haven''t you thought about meeting AZ at least once?" Yuga gently prompted.


    Floette nodded; she had thought about it, but she didn''t dare to.


    "I think you really don''t need to cling to the past any longer. What''s done is done, and no matter how much guilt or sorrow you feel, it won''t change anything. So, why not allow yourself to be a little lighter? Try to forgive AZ; perhaps it''s not as difficult as you imagine."


    Floette pressed her lips together and shook her head, her eyes already brimming with tears. She wished she could do that, but she couldn''t. The guilt in her heart tormented her constantly. So many innocent lives��more than thousands��weighted heavily on her, making it hard for her to breathe.


    Yuga sighed. He couldn''t fathom the pain in Floette''s heart. Forcing her to meet AZ wasn''t his intention, but it was the only way to ensure the greatest chance of stopping AZ from helping those who would do harm.


    "Don''t you care if AZ creates the ultimate weapon again?"


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Floette suddenly looked up.


    Yuga continued, "The people who took AZ did so to create the ultimate weapon, and to find you. AZ will surely help them."


    Yuga''s words finally swayed Floette, and Darkrai provided support as well.


    "I think I heard those people mention the ultimate weapon to AZ," Darkrai said.


    Yuga pressed on, "So, Floette,e with me. Let''s find AZ together, okay? Do you really want to see the ultimate weapon born again, taking countless lives? Once was enough for such a tragedy!"


    After thinking for a long time, Floette finally nodded in agreement to leave with Yuga.


    Seeing Floette nod, Yuga finally breathed a sigh of relief. Floette was indeed as kind as the legends imed; as long as he grasped this weakness, she could only "obedientlyply."


    He felt a bit despicable! Yuga rarely began to confront his own nature.


    But how could this situation be called despicable? He was saving the world! Yuga immediately made excuses for his own deviousness.


    After persuading Floette, Yuga asked Darkrai, "Floette wants toe with me; what are your ns?"


    Darkrai thought for a moment and said, "I''ll just stay here; I''m not going anywhere." It didn''t see itself as being in a subordinate rtionship with AZ. Since Floette had decided to meet AZ, Darkrai didn''t want to get involved in other matters.


    Yuga responded, "You can stay here, but you mustn''t cause any trouble for the Pok��mon in the forest. Many Pok��mon fell into slumber because of you, creating a lot of panic."


    Darkrai nodded in agreement, promising not to use hypnosis on arge scale in the future. In fact, if the opponent weren''t Floette, Darkrai wouldn''t have used such strong hypnosis either.


    After that, Yuga bid farewell to Darkrai and said goodbye to Nakamichi and Reisuke before leaving the Petalburg Woods with Floette.


    Upon returning to Verdanturf Town, the expedition members breathed a collective sigh of relief upon seeing Yuga return safely.


    After that, Yuga reported the situation regarding AZ to the League.


    Yuga''s unique identity, coupled with the testimony of the special Pok��mon Floette, forced the League to take his words seriously.


    Historical records in Kalos concerning AZ and Floette mostly exist in folklore; the ultimate weapon, the eternal flower, and so forth are too fantastical. Additionally, there hasn''t been enough evidence in official history, which led to these ounts being dismissed as fabrications.


    However, with Floette now appearing, the League had no choice but to believe. If the legendary ultimate weapon were indeed created by someone, it would undoubtedly be something the League wanted to avoid.


    Lysandre was a well-known entrepreneur in Kalos, enjoying a good reputation in society. He had been involved in phnthropic work for many years, helping countless people.


    Yet such a person was attempting toy hands on the ultimate weapon!


    Lysandre was a resident of Kalos, and the Hoenn League did not have the authority to directly investigate him; they would need to contact the Kalos League to reach a conclusion.


    As the investigation had to be conducted secretly, Yuga and Floette were notified to remain on standby at all times.


    However, since Lysandre had been hidden away for so long, and his public image was deeply ingrained in society, it would be very difficult for the League to uncover anything.


    Two days after returning to Verdanturf Town, just after watching May''s Pokemon Contest performance, Yuga received a notification from the League that he needed to apany Floette to Kalos for a mission.


    Upon receiving this notification, Yuga had to reschedule his gym battle with Ash to an earlier date.

 Chapter 1084: Yuga vs. Ash and Gary

    <h4>Chapter 1084: Yuga vs. Ash and Gary</h4>


    May performed quite well in this Pokemon Contest in Verdanturf Town, outshining hispetitor, Drew, and earned the coveted ribbon badge.


    In order to celebrate May''s achievement, Yuga had his Audino showcase its skills to prepare a celebration feast for her. For May, who was a foodie, this was the greatest reward imaginable.


    However, calling it a celebration feast was a bit of an exaggeration; it was actually a small party.


    Since Ash and the others found the gathering too small and not lively enough, Yuga invited Drew and Gary to join as well. When Gary arrived, the two sisters, Ruri and Amber, came along too.


    Yuga had saved the people from the inspection team, so the two sisters were extremely grateful to him, making Yuga feel quite embarrassed.


    Yuga didn''t reveal the real reason behind the sudden sleepiness in the Petalberg Woods to the others, as he couldn''t disclose Darkrai''s whereabouts to prevent ill-intentioned people from getting ideas about it.


    However, both Yuga and the forest rangers had reported Darkrai''s settlement in the Petalberg Woods to the League. In the future, they would also help to conceal Darkrai''s movements to prevent unnecessary disturbances.


    At the end of the party, Yuga found Ash and informed him that he would be going on a business trip and wasn''t sure when he would return. Thus, he hoped Ash could postpone their Gym battle to the next day. Without hesitation, Ash agreed.


    Gary, who overheard Yuga''s conversation with Ash, immediately expressed his discontent and said to Yuga, "What about our promised battle? When will that be fulfilled?"


    Seeing that Gary was about to cause trouble, Ash instantly made a fuss.


    "This is a Gym battle; it''s important! Your matters can wait until Mr. Shimizu has the time to deal with it!"


    Gary, hearing this, immediately puffed out his neck and said, "Why should it be that way? I clearly had an agreement with Gym Leader Shimizu first! How can you, who cuts in line, say such things?"


    Ash red at him, saying, "It doesn''t matter who came first; what''s important is whose matter is more significant!"


    Gary retorted, "What kind of joke is that? Do you look down on me?"


    ...


    And just like that, the two started arguing.


    One must admit, that these two were natural enemies. Ever since Gary returned from the Petalburg Woods, they had been bickering whenever they met. Normally, Gary appeared quite mature, but when he faced Ash, he instantly reverted to a childish state.


    Yuga was headachy from the bickering of the two, and in the end, he could only helplessly say, "How about this? You two can join me for a double battle."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, both Ash and Gary eximed in unison, "I''m teaming up with Gary (Ash) for a double battle?"


    Yuga nodded, "If you''re unwilling, then you can decide among yourselves who battles me first tomorrow."


    Ash and Gary exchanged nces, and with a look of disdain, they said, "Well, if that''s the case, let''s do it that way."


    "However, Ash, you''d better be sharp; if you drag me down, I won''t let you off easily!" Gary said arrogantly to Ash.


    "What? I''m dragging you down? Don''t forget who lost so badly in the Silver Conference!" Ash retorted with a fierce look.


    Upon hearing Ash mention the Silver Conference, Gary''s face turned pale with anger: "Don''t tter yourself; let''s not forget that beforeing to Hoenn, our battles only ended in a draw."


    At this point, Yuga was surprised; in his memory, after the Silver Conference in the original story, Ash had lost in all of his encounters with Gary, but now it was a draw. It seemed that Ash had really improvedpared to the original story.


    "Alright, alright, since it''s been decided, let''s not keep arguing over these small matters," Yuga quickly calmed the two down and then asked Ash, "Ash, are you sure you want to team up with Gary? If you lose, I won''t give you the Verdant Badge just because you performed a little better."


    Ash thought for a moment and then firmly replied, "Don''t worry, Mr. Shimizu! We''ll definitely win, so just wait and see." Although he spoke disdainfully, Ash still recognized Gary''s strength.


    Yuga smiled knowingly: "Then I''ll be looking forward to it. But remember, double battles emphasize cooperation, so you''d better discuss strategies well to avoid internal strife."


    The next morning, Ash and Gary were already waiting for Yuga at the gym. Seeing them arrive so early, Yuga teased, "I didn''t expect you two to have such a good rtionship."


    "Hmph!"


    "Hmph!"


    The two red at each other, not responding to Yuga''sment.


    Noticing their silence, Yuga chuckled, "Since everyone is here, let''s start the match." With that, he signaled to Beidou, who nodded and stood in the referee position to announce the match rules.


    The battle would be Yuga against Ash and Gary, with each side allowed to send out two Pok��mon at a time. Yuga could send out a total of six Pok��mon, while Ash and Gary each had three. After one Pok��mon from either side fell, the next coulde out without interruption. The side whose Pok��mon were all knocked out would lose.


    "Both sides ready, the match begins!"


    At Beidou''smand, all three released their Pok��mon simultaneously.


    Yuga''s two Pok��mon were Vileplume and Lurantis, while Gary sent out Nidoqueen, and Ash released Heracross.


    Seeing Ash''s Heracross, Yuga was surprised and said, "Ash, is that Heracross?"


    Ash scratched his head and said, "After hearing what you said earlier, I found it very reasonable; I can''t just focus on nurturing new Pok��mon. So, I brought a few old friends from home."


    "Heracross!"


    Heracross happily waved at Ash upon hearing his words, looking quite pleased.


    Yuga nodded and said, "Since that''s the case, let''s begin the match!"


    "Heracross, Megahorn!"


    "Nidoqueen, Mud Bomb!"


    As soon as Yuga finished speaking, Ash and Gary took the initiative.


    Watching Heracross charging with itsrge horn and the iing Mud Bomb, Yuga remained unfazed and directed Vileplume and Lurantis: "Vileplume, Sunny Day! Lurantis, X-Scissor!"


    At themand, Vileplume retreated behind Lurantis and threw a bright Weather Ball into the sky, causing an immediate change in the cool morning temperature.


    Meanwhile, Lurantis dashed forward, using its enormous scythe to shred Nidoqueen''s Mud Bombs one by one before colliding with Heracross''s massive horn.


    In terms of strength, Lurantis couldn''tpete with a powerhouse like Heracross and was pushed back slightly. However, with the change in weather, Lurantis seemed to be invigorated, raising its other scythe to unleash Leaf de, sending Heracross flying.


    Lurantis is a Pok��mon that particrly loves sunlight. Under sunny conditions, its stats may not increase, but its fighting spirit bes elevated.


    Moreover, its ability, Leaf Guard, prevents it from falling into a status condition under sunny weather, meaning it won''t be poisoned by Nidoqueen''s Toxic.


    "Lurantis!"


    Lurantis raised its arms towards the sun, forming a gigantic golden de of light in its hands.


    Sr de is Lurantis''s signature move. With the Sunny Day boost, it doesn''t require charging, and Lurantis can use it almost effortlessly.


    Boom!


    The light de sliced straight down towards Heracross, who narrowly dodged it, but Lurantis didn''t hold back, grasping the golden de once more.


    Boom, boom, boom!


    The disy was truly impressive.


    des of light came crashing down near Heracross''s body, which rolled to evade them, but was forced into a desperate situation.


    Ash''s Heracross had blue potential, while Yuga''s Lurantis was not as strong, but Lurantis had been at the Ecopark for quite some time and frequently participated in gym battles. The daily training had made it even stronger than Ash''s blue potential Heracross.


    Seeing Heracross in a disadvantageous position, Gary''s Nidoqueen immediately began to provide support with Mud Bombs. However, Yuga''s Vileplume was also ready and shot a beam of sunlight to repel the Mud Bombs.


    Under sunny conditions, the Sr Beam didn''t require any charging.


    In terms of strength, Vileplume was the weakest on the field at that moment, but the Sr Beam was exceptionally powerful under clear skies, momentarily restraining Gary''s Nidoqueen.


    As Heracross was about to sumb to Lurantis''s fierce and relentless attacks, Ash anxiously shouted, "Heracross, closebat!"


    "Heracross!"


    Heracross''s momentum surged dramatically, and it pressed tightly against Lurantis. First, it delivered a punch to Lurantis''s abdomen, which was blocked by Lurantis''s broad scythe. Then, it grabbed Lurantis''s sleeve and executed a shoulder throw, sending Lurantis sprawling on the ground.


    Just as Heracross was about to stomp down on Lurantis''s chest, Lurantis swiftly unleashed a golden de of light, slicing horizontally at Heracross. Heracross was instantly sent flying.


    Although closebat is powerful, it lowers one''s defenses afterward. After taking a hit from the Sr de, Heracross couldn''t get back up.


    Seeing Heracross down, Gary instinctively wanted to taunt Ash, but realizing they were currently in a doubles battle, he swallowed the words back.


    Watching Heracross fall, Ash promptly sent out his next Pok��mon, Noctowl.


    At this moment, Yuga''s Lurantis, panting heavily, stood back up. The closebat had inflicted considerable damage on it.


    Looking at Ash''s shiny Noctowl, Yuga smiled and said, "You two''s coordination isn''t quite in sync yet. Lurantis, continue with Sr de!"


    "Lurantis!"


    Lurantis called out energetically, a gigantic golden de evenrger than before hovering above its head, then swung down with unstoppable momentum.


    Ash''s Noctowl nimbly dodged it, but Lurantis''s actual target was not it, but rather the Nidoqueen behind Noctowl.


    Nidoqueen attempted to evade but was caught off guard, having no choice but to cross its arms and brace for the iing Fire Punch.


    However, the power of the Sr de was too strong, crushing the ground beneath Nidoqueen''s feet, and causing her arms to feel numb from the shock.


    At that moment, Ash''s Noctowl had quietly circled around to Vileplume''s back and used Psychic to knock Vileplume down. The effect of the sunny weather had just worn off, and before Vileplume could use Sunny Day again, Noctowl struck with an Air sh.


    Vileplume wasn''t like Lurantis, who was an experienced battler in gympetitions; this was Vileplume''s first gym battle, and its purpose was to assist Lurantis. Its own strength was not impressive, making it unable to withstand two of Noctowl''s moves that were super effective against it.


    Without the boost of sunny weather, Lurantis, which had originally nned to deliver another Sr de to Nidoqueen, ended upunching a dud, allowing Nidoqueen to seize the opportunity to use Megahorn and send Lurantis flying.


    Lurantis had already suffered considerable injuries from Heracross''s closebat, and Nidoqueen''s Megahorn took it out in one hit.


    Seeing Yuga lose two Pok��mon in a row, Ash and Gary exchanged knowing smiles, feeling a hint of newfound synergy.


    "Not bad, not bad, you''re getting the hang of it!" Yuga said as he took out two more Pok�� Balls, praising the two, "But a harsher test awaits!"


    Yuga''s second and third Pok��mon were a Vaporeon and a Jolteonn.


    Among the Eevee family in Yuga''s Ecopark, the strongest were Jolteon and Umbreon, followed by Vaporeon. These three were the leaders of the Eevee family. This time, Yuga sent out two of them at once, significantly increasing the difficulty of the match.


    Upon seeing Yuga''s Jolteon and Vaporeon, Ash eximed in surprise, "Hey, aren''t they should be Grass-type Pok��mon?" Beforeing to Verdanturf Town, he had done a lot of research and knew that the Verdanturf Gym was a Grass-type gym.


    Yuga raised an eyebrow and replied to Ash, "Wouldn''t it be boring if they were all Grass-type? A bit of unpredictability makes it more fun, doesn''t it? And it''s more challenging!"


    Ash''spetitive spirit was immediately ignited by Yuga''s words: "I love challenges the most; just bring it on!"


    Seeing Ash so excited, Gary couldn''t help but roll his eyes, thinking to himself: This fool. Jolteon and Vaporeon released by Gym Leader Shimizu were visibly stronger than Lurantis and Vileplume. Only a fool like Ash could be so carefree; let''s see what he''ll do if he can''t earn a badge!


    With this in mind, Gary looked at Vaporeon and Jolteon Pok��mon on the field.


    He saw Vaporeonzily squatting on the ground, its long tail gently swaying, and the moisture in the air was slowly gathering towards it. In stark contrast, Jolteon had assumed a battle stance the moment it appeared, its golden fur standing on end, asionally shing with crackling electricity.


    This is going to be tough! Gary frowned to himself.


    "The match continues!"


    The voice of Beidou rang out, and the battle began!


    "Nidoqueen, Mud Bomb!"


    "Noctowl, Air sh!"


    As Ash and Gary called theirmands, a transparent air de was sent out by Noctowl, while a mass of purple sludge was spat out by Nidoqueen, targeting both Vaporeon and Jolteon.


    However, unlike the previous battle with Vileplume and Lurantis, Vaporeon and Jolteon were incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, they had vanished from sight.


    While sprinting, Vaporeon tossed a blue water orb into the sky, and dark clouds slowly began to gather overhead. Soon, raindrops began to fall.


    "Jolteon, Thunder! Vaporeon, Water Gun!"


    Yuga''s calm voice echoed in Ash and Gary''s ears, and then the two saw golden lightning streaking across the sky, apanied by crashing waves of blue water.


    "Noctowl!!"


    "Nidoqueen!!!"


    The sounds of pain rang out as Nidoqueen was struck by the water column, and Noctowl was knocked down by the lightning.


    Instant knockout!


    "This is going to be tricky!"


    Seeing Nidoqueen and Noctowl taken out so quickly, Gary''s brows furrowed deeply, and even the normally carefree Ash was momentarily stunned.


    Observing the two on the opposite side with looks of difficulty, Yuga smiled and said, "I told you, a tougher challenge awaits! Especially you, Ash. You''ve been training with me for a while now; if you don''t show some real skill, I won''t easily give you the badge."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Gary looked at Ash in surprise. Ash trained with Gym Leader Shimizu?


    "I understand; I will do my best!" Ash replied with a serious expression. After saying that, he took out a Pok�� Ball, and upon seeing this, Gary also took out his next Pok�� Ball.


    With two shes of red light, two new Pok��mon appeared on the field: Snox and Umbreon.


    ...


    [ Snox ]


    Type: Normal


    Ability: Thick Fat


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 60


    Moves: Tackle, Rest, Amnesia, Body m, Sleep, Snore, Dream Eater, Hyper Beam, Rollout, Belly Drum, Giga Impact, Surf, Ice Punch, Light of Ruin, Self-Destruct.


    ...


    [ Umbreon ]


    Type: Dark


    Ability: Synchronize


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 59


    Moves: Pursuit, Helping Hand, Quick Attack, Aura Sphere, Foul y, Moonlight, Collect, Guard Swap, Protect, Psychic, Shadow Ball, Roar, Dark Pulse, Wish, Iron Tail, Hyper Voice, Trick.


    ...


    After reviewing Ash and Gary''s Pok��mon data, Yuga was momentarily taken aback, surprised that both their Snox and Umbreon were of Indigo potential.


    Gary was the grandson of Professor Oak, so Yuga wasn''t surprised that Umbreon was of indigo potential, but Ash''s Snox seemed to have been caught by ident in the Orange Archipgo.


    It seemed that this Snox had devoured someone''s orchard and was rejected, which was how Ash caught it. To his surprise, it was also of indigo potential��talk about luck!


    No wonder Snox was able to apany Ash all the way to the end.


    The levels of the two Pok��mon also surprised Yuga; Umbreon was just a step away from being an Elite level Pok��mon, while Snox was almost equivalent to an Elite level Pok��mon.


    Both sides'' Pok��mon were now equal in level, but in terms of potential, the opponents were superior. (Snox''s level was the same as Jolteon, while Umbreon''s level was the same as Vaporeon''s.)


    "Snox, you''ve got to do your best!" Ash shouted, encouraging Snox.


    "Snox!" Snox squinted its eyes and responded to Ash with a goofy expression.


    "Umbreon, we can''t lose either!" Gary imitated Ash, cheering for Umbreon.


    "Umbreon!" In contrast to Snox, Umbreon had a much cooler demeanor.


    Seeing that both were ready, Yuga said, "Then I''ll start my attack! Vaporeon, Water Gun! Jolteon, Thunder!"


    At the same time, Gary and Ash simultaneously gave orders to Umbreon and Snox.


    "Umbreon, run!"


    "Snox, use Amnesia!"


    Vaporeon''s Water Guns shot out one after another, but Umbreon''s speed was incredible, causing all the Water Guns to miss; meanwhile, Jolteon''s Thunder struck Snox but was unexpectedly bounced back.


    "Umbreon, Wish!"


    "Snox, keep using Amnesia!"


    As the attacks from Vaporeon and Jolteon continued, Gary and Ash once again issuedmands to Umbreon and Snox. After a short period of coordination, their teamwork was bing increasingly seamless.


    Ash''s Snox''s defensive capabilities surprised Yuga; every time a bolt of lightning struck it, Snox would bounce back, and any remaining damage would bepletely healed by Umbreon''s Wish shortly after.


    Snox is already a Pok��mon with extremely high special defense, and this particr one seemed to be exceptionally gifted. Combined with the boost from Amnesia, Ash''s Snox was a total nightmare for Vaporeon and Jolteon, which excelled in special attacks.


    Realizing the strength of the opposing side, Gary no longer acted rashly; instead, hemanded Umbreon to protect itself while assisting Snox.


    After a period of buildup, Snox''s special defense finally reached its limit, and Ash and Gary''s voices sounded simultaneously on the field.


    "Umbreon, use Helping Hand on Snox!"


    "Snox, use Giga Impact!"


    Umbreon shed with light and then tapped Snox. Immediately, Snox charged forward like a battering ram, targeting Vaporeon directly.


    Vaporeon initially wanted to dodge, but a sh of purple light appeared in Umbreon''s eyes as it activated Psychic, causing Vaporeon''s movements to momentarily freeze, allowing Snox''s Giga Impact to hit precisely.


    Vaporeon let out a cry and lost itsbat ability.


    Seeing Vaporeon attacked, Jolteon unleashed a Thunder attack on both Snox and Umbreon. However, the two Pok��mon, with their extremely high defenses, braced the attack and remained unscathed.


    Once Umbreon went down, Yuga immediately released Decidueye.


    As one of Yuga''s main Pok��mon, Decidueye, while at a simr level to Vaporeon, was far superior in strength.


    Upon its entry, it drew back its bow and activated the Spirit Shackle move. Umbreon attempted to evade but couldn''t outrun the arrow shot by Decidueye; the shadow arrow pinned Umbreon in ce.


    Meanwhile, without Vaporeon, the rain gradually returned to normal, causing Jolteon''s Thunder to lose uracy. In a moment of panic, Snox who is just recovering from the side effect of Giga Impact, seized the opportunity to attack andnded a Body m, knocking out Jolteon.


    It must be said that Snox using Amnesia was truly a "Pok��mon killer."


    With Jolteon gone, Yuga''sst Pok��mon chosen was Abomasnow, his second main Pok��mon, which was at Elite level, slightly higher than Snox but with inferior potential.


    As soon as Abomasnow entered, it swung its fist, using Ice Punch against Snox, who retaliated with a Brick Break.


    Boom!


    A sound wave rolled through the arena, and Snox was actually pushed back several steps.


    "Wow, that''s huge!"


    "Wow, that''s huge!"


    Seeing Abomasnow appear, both Ash and Gary eximed in unison. Even Snox''s massive size seemedckingpared to Abomasnow.


    Thus, the tworge Pok��mon started trading punches, one after another.


    On the other side, Umbreon was pinned in ce by Decidueye''s Spirit Shackle. It immediately used Dark Pulse to counter, but Decidueye, with its flying advantage, nimbly dodged Umbreon''s attack and shot another Spirit Shackle arrow.

 Chapter 1085: Ramos And Coumarine Gym

    <h4>Chapter 1085: Ramos And Coumarine Gym</h4>


    Umbreon is a Pok��mon skilled in defense and support, but when ites to attack and agility, it cannot match Decidueye. It quickly sumbed to Decidueye''s Spirit Shackle.


    Umbreon was powerless against the control effects of Spirit Shackle.


    After recalling the fainted Umbreon, Gary, with a serious expression, said to Ash, "We can''t keep fighting individually anymore. The only chance we have to win is by cooperating well."


    Ash firmly nodded in agreement, "Alright, I understand!"


    Gary''sst Pok��mon was his starter, stoise.


    ...


    [ stoise ]


    Type: Water


    Ability: Torrent


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 61


    Moves: Tackle, Water Gun, Withdraw, Bubble, Rapid Spin, Water Pulse, Aqua Tail, Skull Bash, Iron Defense, Rain Dance, Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, Gyro Ball, Surf, Waterfall, Mirror Coat, Water Pledge, Ice Punch, Dragon Pulse, sh Cannon.


    ...


    Yet another indigo potential Pok��mon. But thinking about it, it makes sense. Professor Oak is the most famous Pok��mon Professor in the world, so it''s not surprising he could give his grandson a indigo potential Pok��mon as a starter.


    However, seeing this pseudo-Elite level stoise in front of him, Yuga finally realized that Ash and Gary are both prodigy trainers.


    Watching the anime in the past, Yuga always felt that Ash''s inability to win championships made his strength seem unimpressive, even thinking he was just average.


    But now, after seeing an pseudo-Elite level Snox and an pseudo-Elite level stoise, plus having witnessed so many trainers in the Pok��mon world, Yuga realized that Ash and Gary had improved tremendously. After all, this was only their third year of traveling.


    As soon as stoise entered the field, under Gary''smand, itunched Water Cannons from the two cannons on its back, bombarding Decidueye in the sky.


    All the shadow arrows shot by Decidueye were intercepted by the barrage of Water Cannons.


    When it came to offensive power, Umbreon could neverpare to stoise. Under the pressure of stoise''s Water Cannons, Decidueye struggled to keep up, especially since it hadn''t yet broken through to the pseudo-Elite level.


    Once stoise forced Decidueye back, it immediately rushed in front of Snox and used Iron Defense to block Abomasnow''s Ice Punch.


    Water-type Pok��mon resist Ice-type moves, and with stoise''s naturally strong defense, further reinforced by Iron Defense, Abomasnow''s Ice Punch did not cause much damage to it.


    Taking advantage of this, Snox used Belly Drum, a move that sacrifices half of its HP in exchange for a massive boost in attack power, a desperate but powerful move.


    As soon as Belly Drum wasplete, Snox, like it was on steroids, went wild and used Giga Impact, mming into Abomasnow. Even with Abomasnow''s huge size, it was still sent flying by Snox''s strike.


    Unfortunately, neither Gary nor Ash knew about Abomasnow''s special ability: incredible regenerative power. Even though Abomasnow was nearly incapacitated by Snox''s blow, in just an instant, all of its wounds healedpletely.


    Seeing this, both Ash and Gary widened their eyes in disbelief.


    How could they win now?


    Snox, seeing Abomasnow back on its feet, charged at it again with another Giga Impact.


    Abomasnow''s massive size granted it powerful attack and recovery abilities, but at the cost of speed. It couldn''t dodge any attacks due to its size andck of speed.


    Once again, Abomasnow was sent flying by Snox''s attack, but its injuries healed instantly.


    In terms of raw power, Snox, after using Belly Drum, had far surpassed Abomasnow.


    But, as the saying goes, "The first attack is fierce, the second weakens, and the third exhausts." After two Giga Impacts, Snox''s stamina waspletely drained.


    In this situation, Ash and Gary were undoubtedly going to lose.


    However, Yuga chose not tomand Abomasnow or Decidueye to continue attacking. Instead, he decided to end the battle.


    As Yuga handed over the badge, Ash, confused, asked, "But didn''t I lose the battle?"


    Yuga shook his head and replied, "My Abomasnow is a bit special, as you saw. It has the ability to heal instantly. If it weren''t for that, it would''ve been knocked out already. Decidueye alone couldn''t have defeated both Snox and stoise together."


    Ash didn''t take the badge from Yuga''s hand and muttered, "But we still lost."


    Yuga continued, "Our battle already went beyond a typical gym match. You''ve earned this badge fair and square."


    At this moment, Gary nudged Ash with his elbow and gave him a look, prompting Ash to finally take the badge.


    When Yuga handed a badge to Gary as well, Gary asked in surprise, "I get one too?"


    Yuga smiled and said, "It''s a rare battle, so take it as a memento."


    Hearing this, Gary nodded and obediently epted the badge.


    By the time May and the others woke up, Yuga and the others had already finished their match. Max was bitterlyining to Ash for not waking him up in time, causing him to miss such an exciting battle.


    Later that morning, Yuga flew to Kalos, leaving the gym''s affairs in the hands of Beidou. The research team would be staying at the gym for a while longer, so Beidou had to take care of them. However, Ash and his group were soon going to continue their journey, so there was no need to worry about them.


    For this trip to Kalos, Yuga brought both Floette and Aegish along. He had previously promised to help Aegish find its former master''s grave but had been too busy to fulfill that promise. This trip to Kalos was the perfect opportunity to try.


    The friend who had sold Aegish to Ogata had already been contacted by Ogata on Yuga''s behalf. This friend had also provided clues regarding the grave''s location, so Yuga hoped the journey would go smoothly.


    After some time of recovery, Aegish still hadn''t returned to its peak condition, but it had regained the strength of an average Master-level Pok��mon, more than capable of acting as Yuga''s bodyguard for this Kalos trip.


    Yuga''s main objective in Kalos was to secretly cooperate with the Kalos League in investigating Lysandre and to take AZ with him. The Hoenn League had already coordinated with the Kalos League, and they would fully support Yuga''s mission.


    Since this was a covert investigation, the Hoenn League had arranged a cover for Yuga: he was going to Kalos as a Gym Leader to engage in a cultural exchange with Kalos'' Grass-type Gym.


    Given Yuga''s elevated status as a Hall of Fame-level trainer of the Hoenn League, it would arouse suspicion if he appeared in Kalos without a legitimate reason. Hence, this cover was necessary.


    Because the exchange was centered around Grass-type Gyms, Yuga''s first destination was Coumarine City, where he would visit the Gym Leader, Ramos.


    Two dayster, Yuga arrived at Coumarine City''s airport as scheduled. Upon exiting the airport, he immediately spotted Ramos waiting outside.


    Ramos, who was assisting Yuga with his mission, was well aware of the details of the task. He had arrived riding a Gogoat, making him easy to spot. Ramos, too, quickly noticed Yuga.


    "You''re the Gym Leader Shimizu, right? So young!"


    Ramos guided his Gogoat slowly towards Yuga and said with a cheerful smile.


    "Nice to meet you. Sorry for the trouble," Yuga replied politely.


    "Shall we head back to the Gym together? Would you like to ride my Gogoat?" As Ramos spoke, another Gogoat, slightly smaller in size, approached from behind him.


    "Then I''ll graciously ept."


    At Ramos'' gesture, the smaller Gogoat knelt down, allowing Yuga to mount it.


    Thus, the two of them rode their Gogoats slowly towards Coumarine Gym.


    Coumarine City is a ce rich in Grass-type Pok��mon. Not only is the city covered in extensive greenery, but it''s alsomon to see people strolling or shopping with their Grass-type Pok��mon, much like Verdanturf Town.


    However, unlike Verdanturf Town, Coumarine City isn''t a tourist or agricultural city, marking a major difference between the two.


    As they rode, Ramos grumbled, "The League really doesn''t care much for an old man like me, making me worry about all these things at my age."


    Yugaughed and responded, "It just shows how much they trust you."


    The two continued chatting as they rode out of Coumarine City.


    Yuga soon realized that the Coumarine Gym wasn''t in the city itself, but on a mountain outside of town. The giant tree visible from a distance was where the Gym was located.


    Coumarine City sits at the foot of Coumarine Mountain, with the Gym situated at the top.


    Though called a mountain, Coumarine Mountain isn''t steep or high. Riding the Gogoat along the grassy path, Yuga felt like the mountain was more of a gentle slope.


    As they rode, Yuga and Ramos entered a vast pasture, where arge number of Skiddo and Gogoat were grazing leisurely on the grass. There were also patches of Sunflora basking in the sun, alongside other Grass-type Pok��mon such as Oddish, Cottone, Victreebel, and Exeggutor.


    "What a huge pasture!" Yuga eximed. The only ceparable in size was Grandpa Howard''s Miltank Ranch.


    However, the Pok��mon in the two ranches were different. Grandpa Howard''s ranch exclusively raised Miltank, while this pasture mainly housed Skiddo and Gogoat, along with many other Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Hearing Yuga''s praise, Ramos proudly said, "How about it? My pasture''s pretty impressive, right? It''s taken a lot of work to manage it."


    Yuga, surprised, asked, "This pasture is yours?"


    "Of course," Ramos replied, pointing to the vast expanse of grass around them. "Over there, and there, and even there��it''s all mine."


    Following Ramos'' hand, Yuga nced around and could only sigh: these Gym Leaders sure are wealthy��Ramos is, and so is Grandpa Howard.


    Of course, Grandpa Howard was no longer a Gym Leader. He had handed over the Goldenrod City Gym to Whitney and fully dedicated himself to managing the ranch.


    But as Yuga watched the Skiddo and Gogoat grazing in herds, he thought how great it would be to bring some back to the Ecopark, and maybe even introduce a batch to Verdanturf Town.


    However, he was concerned that Verdanturf Town''s climate might not be suitable for raising Skiddo and Gogoat on arge scale, as the environment differed greatly from Coumarine City.


    Yuga realized he was bing more and more ustomed to his role as the Verdanturf Town Gym Leader, always looking for ways to bring benefits to the town.


    The Coumarine Gym was quite a distance from the city, with a long path winding from the base of the mountain to the top. Yuga rode his Gogoat behind Ramos for quite some time before finally arriving.


    Once they reached their destination, Yuga realized that the Coumarine Gym was built on a gigantic ancient tree��the same one he had seen from the mountain''s base. Up close, the tree was farrger than he had imagined.


    Although this tree wasn''t asrge as the Nimora Chesto Berry Tree in Fortree City, it was still impressive enough to leave Yuga in awe.


    After arriving at the Gym, Ramos gave Yuga a brief tour of the ce.


    The Gym''s buildings, the battlefield, the greenhouse, and even the vegetable garden were all built on the massive tree, creating an atmosphere that felt deeply connected to nature.


    As soon as they arrived, Floette, who had been quietly following Yuga, became lively, clearly enjoying the environment. In the blink of an eye, it disappeared into the flower bushes. Knowing that Floette could take care of itself, Yuga didn''t restrict its movements.


    Compared to the nature-filled Coumarine Gym, Yuga suddenly felt that his Petalburg Gym didn''t quite resemble a Grass-type Gym as much.


    Seeing Floette dart off and disappear instantly, Ramos asked curiously, "Is that the legendary Floette?"


    Yuga nodded, "Yes, that''s it."


    Ramos smiled upon hearing this and said, "I didn''t expect it to actually exist. Seems like living long has its perks��you get to see things others never will."


    Yuga thought to himself: "I get it, that''s the whole ''living long enough to see everything'' thing."


    After this moment of reflection, Ramos added, "Let''s head inside to talk."


    Yuga nodded and followed Ramos into a study, where a young man, dressed like a Gym apprentice, served them both tea.


    Ramos picked up his cup, gently blew on it, and then asked Yuga, "Do you have any ns for the mission?"


    Instead of answering right away, Yuga asked Ramos, "Does the Kalos League have any arrangements?"


    Ramos responded seriously, "Although the Kalos League has agreed to investigate Lysandre, the fact is, without solid evidence, many people are opposed to it. You know Lysandre''s status��his socialwork isplicated and reaches into many areas. If we move against him, it will affect the interests of many people, so even the League has to tread carefully."


    Yuga sighed, "I understand."


    It was because he understood this that he had obediently followed the League''s orders toe to Kalos. Otherwise, Yuga would typically leave suchplicated matters to the League to handle themselves; he wasn''t fond of getting involved in overly intricate affairs.


    "I''m here to assist you whenever needed. If youe up with a n, just let me know," Ramos said, noticing Yuga''s serious expression.


    "I will, thank you, Ramos. But before anything else, I need to meet someone. We''ll talk after I''ve seen this person."

 Chapter 1086: Developing A Spy

    <h4>Chapter 1086: Developing A Spy</h4>


    Although Yuga had agreed to help investigate Lysandre, in reality, he didn''t know much about Lysandre himself or Team re.


    At this moment, what he needed was a breakthrough, and that breakthrough was Malva.


    From his memories of his previous life, Yuga knew that while Malva was a member of Team re, Lysandre had kept certain things hidden from her. Her ideals didn''t fully align with Lysandre''s or Team re''s, and at the very least, she didn''t want to destroy the world.


    Therefore, turning Malva against Lysandre was the quickest and most effective way to obtain valuable information.


    When Malva received Yuga''s call, she was very surprised. In her mind, Yuga was someone Lysandre had been trying to recruit, but her rtionship with Yuga was limited. She couldn''t understand why he wanted to meet her alone.


    "Coumarine City? Okay, I understand. I''ll be there as agreed." After hanging up the phone, Malva gripped themunicator tightly and fell into deep thought.


    Recalling Yuga''s specific reminder not to let Lysandre notice her movements, Malva furrowed her brow slightly. Was this Gym Leader guarding himself against Lysandre?


    Thinking about her rtionship with Lysandre, Malva drifted into her memories. When had she joined Team re?


    It must have been more than ten years ago. At that time, Malva was only a teenager, not yet the formidable Fire-type Elite of the Kalos League, but merely a regr trainer with emerging talent.


    She didn''te from a privileged background; her parents were just ordinary trainers among the countless in the League. However, she did benefit from their connections within the League. Combined with her own hard work, she performed exceptionally well in a few of the League''s missions, gaining some recognition.


    But as her position in the League rose, the help from her parents became less significant. For a young woman like her, trying to climb the ranks in the League was extremely difficult. Gradually, she began to see the hidden darkness within the League: misuse of power for personal gain, settling personal grudges under official pretenses, and so on.


    As long as these issues didn''t affect her directly, she could turn a blind eye, but when they finally did, Malva felt nothing but humiliation and helplessness.


    Especially the incident that urred during her time with the League''s Special Operations Unit��it pushed her dissatisfaction with certain individuals in the League to its peak.


    The League had its own military, and the Special Operations Unit was a particrly unique division within it. Unlike the Inspectorate and the Bureau of Investigation, two other lesser-known specialized departments, the Special Operations Unit was widely recognized by the public as the League''s guardian force.


    Before bing an Elite Four member, Malva had spent some time in the Special Operations Unit. Back then, she was ambitious and strove to be the best in everything she did, unaware that she had unknowingly provoked the jealousy and resentment of others.


    During a mission, Malva once again achieved outstanding results, earning a first-ss merit. Based on her current position, once the aplishment was reported, she was certain to get a promotion.


    However, after the report was submitted, her reward never came. Later, she found out that her merit had been imed by someone else. Another team member took the credit and received the reward��and it turned out that this team member''s uncle was theirmanding officer.


    You can imagine how furious Malva was upon discovering the truth. She wanted to seek justice for herself, but all her appeals went unanswered, and she was subsequently suppressed.


    Malva, now under pressure, was isted within her team and only assigned insignificant, trivial tasks. Climbing the ranks became extremely difficult.


    Without any strong connections within the unit, she had no chance of winning against those people and had no choice but to silently swallow her anger and humiliation.


    At that time, it was Lysandre who helped her out of her predicament.


    Lysandre approached her directly, saying that he could help her, but in return, she would need to work for him, even serving as his informant within the League.


    At that moment, Malva had already lost hope in the League. Coupled with Lysandre''s im that he intended to change the current state of the League, the two quickly reached an agreement.


    Later, Malva used Lysandre''s connections to transfer out of the Special Operations Unit and thrived in other divisions.


    Malva was already an exceptionally talented trainer, and with Lysandre''s help, her path became much smoother.


    Of course, during that time, she also did many things for Lysandre��some good, some bad.


    Eventually, a major event shook the League. The president of the Unova League branch was ousted for framing Champion Alder. As a result, the Unova League underwent a massive purge, which affected other Leagues, including Kalos.


    Just like that, before Malva had the chance to exact revenge on her former enemies, they were all removed from power and received their due punishment.


    That feeling��it was rather stifling.


    Although she didn''t get her revenge, Malva''s cooperation with Lysandre continued to this day. Yet Malva was always clear-minded. She knew that Lysandre had kept many things hidden from her, but after working together for so long, she chose not to ask too many questions.


    After sitting and thinking for a long time, Malva eventually decided to secretly conceal her identity and, as promised, went to Coumarine City.


    A day after Yuga called Malva, the two met in Coumarine City.


    In a private room of a restaurant in the city center, Malva entered and removed her sunsses. She nced at Yuga, who was sitting upright, and said, "From what I know, Gym Leader Shimizu came to Kalos this time to exchange with Coumarine Gym. I''m not a Grass-type trainer, so I''m not sure why you invited me here."


    "Come, sit down first." Yuga smiled, motioning for Malva to take a seat. He pointed at the table full of dishes and said, "I''ve already ordered. Although I don''t know what you like to eat, these are the restaurant''s signature dishes. You can''t go wrong with trying them."


    Malva hesitated as she pulled out a chair, picked up the chopsticks, and then put them back down. "Gym Leader Shimizu, say what you need to say. If you keep dragging this out, I won''t have the time to entertain you."


    Ever since receiving Yuga''s call, Malva had been feeling uneasy, and seeing Yuga now only intensified that feeling.


    She knew that whatever this man wanted from her was surely rted to Lysandre, but what exactly did he want?


    Yuga smiled again but still didn''t reveal his true purpose. Instead, he poured Malva a ss of wine. "Elite Four Malva, try this. They say the wine here is made from Bluk Berry from Nuvema Town in Unova region. The vor is quite unique."


    Malva took a deep breath, picked up the ss, and reluctantly took a small sip, then fixed her gaze on Yuga.


    Sensing her growing impatience, Yuga knew it was time to get to the point. The psychological game had run its course. He finally said, "What are your thoughts on Lysandre?"


    Malva''s expression tightened as she asked, "What do you mean?"


    Yuga steadied himself and replied, "I mean exactly what I said."


    Malva stared at him intensely and said, "You came to Kalos because of Lysandre? You know very well that I''m aligned with him. Besides, didn''t you ept favors from Lysandre and agree to work for him? Now you''re nning to turn on him? Isn''t that a bit dishonorable?"


    "Why not take advantage of something that''s freely given?" Yuga chuckled at her words. "Besides, are you really sure you''re one of Lysandre''s people?"


    Malva hadn''t expected this from Yuga, who usually seemed so upright, but now revealed a rogue side. "Like you said, who wouldn''t take advantage of a free opportunity? Whether I''m with Lysandre or not doesn''t matter. What''s important is that he gives me what I want."


    Hearing this, Yuga''s expression suddenly turned serious. "What is it that you want, Elite Four Malva? Power? Wealth? Or fame? You surely don''tck any of those."


    Malva was momentarily stunned. It was true��ever since bing one of the Elite Four, she hadn''tcked any of those things. The original reason she coborated with Lysandre was to change the League, but after the major purge over ten years ago, the corruption within the Kalos League had long been eradicated.


    The only reason she continued to cooperate with Lysandre was out of habit. Honestly, she wasn''t dissatisfied with her current situation.


    Perhaps this is why Lysandre has never fully trusted me all these years, Malva thought to herself.


    Seeing Malva remain silent, Yuga pressed further, "Do you know the real reason Lysandre founded Team re?"


    Without hesitation, Malva replied, "Of course, to help more people in need."


    Malva had always thought of Lysandre as an idealist. He wanted to turn the world into a utopia, free of persecution and poverty, but how could that ever be possible?


    To achieve this goal, Malva knew that Lysandre had done some unsavory things��some of which she had been involved in. This was exactly what she admired about him. Even if it meant doing things against his conscience, even if it meant dirtying his hands with blood and grime, Lysandre was determined to push the world forward.


    Malva couldn''t match that kind of dedication. She admitted to herself that she was selfish and only thought of her own interests.


    After hearing her response, Yuga said meaningfully, "Perhaps that was his original intention."


    Malva was startled and asked, "What do you mean?"


    Yuga paused before saying, "Lysandre has always beenmitted to creating a world that aligns with his vision. But that''s too difficult��so difficult that he''s be disillusioned. He now believes that the world can only be reborn through destruction."


    "He''s gone from being an idealist to an extremist," Yuga added after a brief pause.


    "You''re saying he wants to destroy the world?" Malva said in disbelief. "That''s impossible. He doesn''t have the means to do that."


    Yuga replied, "Are you familiar with the story of AZ and the ultimate weapon?"


    Malva, puzzled, asked, "The king AZ from Kalos''s historical myth, and the ultimate weapon?"


    Yuga nodded. "Exactly. Lysandre has already taken AZ. His goal is to use AZ to revive the ultimate weapon and use it to destroy the world, then recreate it as his ideal vision."


    Malva''s face changed. "But isn''t AZ just a figure from legend? How could he possibly be real?"


    At that moment, a small creature emerged from Yuga''s clothes, curiously looking at Malva and making a cute sound.


    "A shiny Floette?" Malva said in shock as she saw the little Floette climb out from Yuga''s arms.


    Yuga gestured to the Floette and said, "This is the Floette from the legend, the one that left AZ. With your discerning eyes, Elite Four Malva, I''m sure you can see that this Floette is no ordinary Pok��mon."


    "It really exists," Malva murmured, staring at the Floette in a daze. At this point, she had no choice but to believe Yuga''s words. She could sense the extraordinary energy emanating from this Floette.


    The idea that Lysandre harbored a n to destroy the world��something so insane��was beyond anything Malva could have imagined.


    After a long silence, Malva asked, "How do you know so much about Lysandre?"


    Yuga only smiled without answering.


    As the saying goes, "the more you say, the more mistakes you make." Yuga''s restrained behavior indeed led Malva to stop asking further questions. To her, how Yuga knew all of this wasn''t really important.


    "What do you want me to do?" Malva finally asked. She wasn''t dissatisfied with the world and didn''t want to see it disappear.


    "I want you to help me locate AZ, and if possible, find evidence of Lysandre''s crimes." If Yuga hadn''t already known that Malva didn''t fully agree with Lysandre''s ideology, he wouldn''t have risked approaching her.


    Malva hesitated for quite some time before she responded, "I''m not sure if what you''ve said is true yet, so I need time to investigate. If what I find matches what you''ve told me, I''ll help you."


    Yuga''s face lit up with joy. "Of course, I''ll wait for your answer."


    "One more thing," Malva added, "I don''t want you spreading word about my involvement with Lysandre."


    "Agreed."


    Yuga understood what Malva meant. If her coboration with Lysandre were exposed, and Lysandre got caught, her position as one of the Elite Four would be over.


    As long as Malva didn''t have any intention of destroying the world, Yuga didn''t mind turning a blind eye to some things.


    "But aren''t you afraid that if Lysandre gets caught, he''ll expose you?" Yuga asked.


    "As long as you don''t reveal that I''ve helped you, he won''t," Malva said confidently. "And besides, what you''ve told me isn''t yet proven to be true. If it turns out you''re lying, I won''t help you investigate Lysandre. In fact, I''ll tell him you''ve been investigating him."


    It had to be said, that Malva was an expert at ying the double agent role.


    Yuga smiled faintly. "Of course." Inside, he was mentallyining: "This woman has no mercy when ites to selling out her teammates!"


    "Wait for my message."


    Seeing that Yuga had finished saying what he needed to say, Malva turned and left, exuding an aura of cool detachment, totally different from her public persona.


    Yuga nced at the table, noticing the dishes had barely been touched. Left alone, he resigned himself to finishing them. After all, the food had cost him a lot��leaving it to waste wouldn''t do!


    When Yuga returned to Coumarine Gym, Ramos asked with concern, "How did it go?" Though he didn''t know who Yuga had met with, he knew it was important.


    "Now we wait," Yuga said, gazing through the giant tree''s canopy at the clear blue sky.

 Chapter 1087: Tracking The Mysterious Person

    <h4>Chapter 1087: Tracking The Mysterious Person</h4>


    Malva kept Yuga waiting for more than a week. During this time, Yuga quietly stayed at Coumarine Gym, and whenever he had free time, he exchanged experiences on Grass-type Pok��mon breeding with Ramos.


    Seeing Yuga remain at the gym for days without taking any action, Ramos grew quietly anxious for him. Several times, he wanted to say something but held back. He even directly told Yuga to ask for help if needed, but Yuga reassured him to rx, leaving Ramos with no choice but to wait patiently.


    However, when it came to the breeding of Grass-type Pok��mon, Ramos truly had exceptional skill. Yuga learned a lot from him, especially after seeing the sr power generator Ramos had developed using the Sunflora''s ability to gather sunlight. Yuga was genuinely impressed.


    Sunflora absorbed sr energy and then emitted a Sr Beam, which a special generator collected and converted into electricity. The amount of power generated this way far exceeded that of wind or thermal power.


    ording to Ramos, the green energy produced by his generators already supplied electricity to every household in Coumarine City.


    These generators were both safe and environmentally friendly, and upon hearing this, Yuga immediately thought they would be perfect for Verdanturf Town, a town focused on eco-tourism.


    Hoenn is a region with abundant sunlight and rainfall, making it ideal for Sunflora, a Pok��mon that thrives in warm, humid environments, and Verdanturf Town has a simr climate.


    If these generators could be introduced, Verdanturf Town would be able to achieve energy self-sufficiency.


    With that in mind, Yuga immediately proposed to Ramos the idea of introducing Sunflora-powered generators to Verdanturf Town. However, Ramos seemed a bit troubled upon hearing this suggestion.


    "There''s no issue with providing you the generators, but making them is not easy. Due to technical limitations, we currently can''t mass-produce them here in Coumarine," Ramos exined.


    If it were possible to mass-produce these generators, Ramos would have promoted them a long time ago. Not only would this benefit the people of the League, but as the inventor, Ramos would also make a considerable profit.


    Unfortunately...


    Understanding Ramos'' difficulty, Yuga fell silent for a moment before suddenly thinking of an idea. He then said to Ramos, "Ramos, how about I introduce someone to help you develop these Sunflora generators? He might be able to solve your technical problems."


    "Oh? Who is it?" Ramos asked, surprised. "If there''s really someone who can help solve this technical challenge, I''d be more than happy! Talent is scarce everywhere."


    Yuga grinned and replied, "The person I''m talking about is none other than Clemont, the Gym Leader of Lumiose City."


    Ramos'' eyes lit up when he heard this. "You mean that famous genius inventor?"


    Of course Ramos knew Clemont''s name. Not only were they both Gym Leaders in Kalos, but Lumiose''s Prism Tower was also incredibly well-known, and the tower was Clemont''s signature invention.


    Yuga nodded and confirmed, "That''s him."


    Excited, Ramos eximed, "If it''s him, then he just might be able to solve the problem!"


    The Prism Tower is also a power facility, supplying electricity to the entire Lumiose City and serving as andmark.


    Lumiose City is the central city of Kalos,parable to Sootopolis City in Hoenn, but muchrger than Coumarine City, both in scale and poption.


    For Clemont to have be the Gym Leader of Lumiose City at such a young age, it''s a testament to his real talent.


    "Why didn''t I think of him earlier?" Ramos muttered to himself. Then he asked Yuga, "You know the Lumiose Gym Leader?"


    Yuga replied, "I met him by chance, and we''ve be pretty good friends. That kid''s an inventor fanatic. He''s sure to be interested in something as intriguing as the Sunflora generator."


    "Then I''ll leave this matter to you," Ramos said, delighted.


    Yuga immediately contacted Clemont, who was very happy to hear from him and was surprised to learn that Yuga was currently in Kalos.


    After hearing Yuga''s description of the Sunflora-powered generator, Clemont became very interested and, without hesitation, set off for Coumarine City.


    Clemont moved quickly, and with the convenient transportation between Lumiose and Coumarine, he sessfully arrived the next day. Without even catching up with Yuga, Clemont immediately dove into the work at the Coumarine power nt.


    On the day Clemont arrived, Yuga received a call from Malva. She was silent for a long time on the phone before agreeing to help Yuga.


    After over a week of secret investigation, Malva had indeed found something unusual within Team re, forcing her to believe Yuga''s words.


    However, she didn''t n to help Yuga directly. Instead, she told him over the phone to go to Lumiose City, where Lysandre''s hiddenboratory was located.


    Once Yuga arrived in Lumiose City, Malva would arrange for someone to meet him and assist in infiltrating Lysandre''sb.


    Yuga''s main objective was to extract AZ from Team re. While Malva didn''t know AZ''s location, she believed Lysandre''sb was the most suspicious ce.


    After receiving the call from Malva, Yuga hurriedly bid farewell to Ramos and headed for Lumiose City. Because this was a secret mission, he didn''t even inform Clemont of his ns.


    By evening, Yuga sessfully arrived in Lumiose City. However, instead of immediately contacting Malva''s informant, he decided to act the next day.


    Just as he was about to find a ce to stay for the night, he suddenly heard what sounded like a Pok��mon''s cry of paining from a dark alley. As he approached the alley, a Furfrou stumbled and copsed at his feet.


    In the alley, two people were in a standoff. One of them was a long-haired woman, clearly a trainer, and presumably the owner of the Furfrou. She stood there ring angrily at the person opposite her and, in a fit of rage, grabbed three or four Pok�� Balls from her belt, clearly intending tounch a multi-Pok��mon attack.


    Her opponent was a masked figure wearing a helmet and a strange uniform. Judging by her shapely figure, it appeared this masked person was also female (probably).


    As soon as the long-haired woman took out her Pok�� Balls, the masked woman extended her hand, and an unseen force pulled the Pok�� Balls right out of her grasp and into the masked woman''s hand.


    "My Pok�� Balls! Give them back!" the long-haired woman shouted in a panic.


    Stealing someone''s Pok��mon? Witnessing this, Yuga immediately reached for his own Pok�� Balls to stop her.


    But as soon as he pulled out his Pok�� Balls, the masked woman noticed and attempted the same trick on him. Fortunately, Yuga''s Gengar emerged from the shadow space just in time and interrupted her with a Shadow Ball, preventing her from snatching Yuga''s Pok�� Balls as well.


    The Shadow Ball exploded at the masked woman''s feet, but with a light jump, she easily dodged the st. Yuga stood there, astonished, wondering, Is she Spider-Man?Her movements were so agile and smooth.


    Upon seeing Gengar, the masked woman turned around and tried to flee. Yuga immediatelymanded, "Gengar, grab her!"


    But what happened next shocked Yuga even more. Gengar''s Psychic had just begun to take hold when a strange current of air suddenly surged from the masked woman''s uniform, forcefully repelling Gengar''s Psychic energy.


    Free from Gengar''s hold, the masked woman leapt effortlessly onto the roof and began running along the rooftops with remarkable ease.


    Is this seriously Spider-Man? Yuga thought in disbelief. How can a normal person leap onto a rooftop and run across the narrow ridges so freely?


    Though these thoughts raced through Yuga''s mind, he quicklymanded Gengar, "Gengar, chase her down!"


    "Gengar!"


    Without hesitation, Gengar grabbed Yuga and flew after the masked woman, but to Yuga''s surprise, her running speed was faster than Gengar''s flying. Despite their efforts, the gap between them widened, and Gengar was unable to catch up.


    Yuga even began to wonder if the masked woman was actually human under that uniform and helmet. Could she be a humanoid Pok��mon in disguise?


    Before long, they had chased the masked woman out of the dark area, but suddenly, she disappeared from Yuga''s sight.


    Just as Yuga was about to continue searching the surroundings, he noticed Lysandre and Champion Diantha exiting a caf�� across the street,ughing and chatting. He instinctively hid himself. He couldn''t let Lysandre know he was in Lumiose City!


    Though Yuga reacted quickly, Diantha caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye.


    "What''s wrong?" Lysandre asked, noticing Diantha''s distraction.


    Diantha shook her head. "It''s nothing, just a moment of distraction."


    Lysandre didn''t dwell on it and smiled. "Work must be tiring. It seems being both a Champion and a superstar isn''t easy."


    Diantha didn''t argue, simply agreeing, "It''s not easy. But then again, no job in this world is."


    Lysandre nodded in agreement. "True enough. You should rest well when you get home. I''ll be counting on you for my press conference tomorrow."


    Diantha smiled and reassured him, "Don''t worry, I''ll be there on time."


    Afterward, the two parted ways.


    After walking some distance, Diantha suddenly called out toward a corner, "Come out, Gym Leader Shimizu."


    A few secondster, Yuga emerged from the shadows.


    "You''re as sharp as ever, Miss Diantha."


    Diantha looked at Yuga and asked, "Gym Leader Shimizu, are you here to investigate Lysandre?"


    As the Champion of Kalos, Diantha was well aware that Lysandre was under secret investigation by the League. However, because she was Lysandre''s friend, she had to avoid suspicion. The League not only kept her from participating in the investigation but also advised her to maintain normal interactions with Lysandre to avoid arousing his suspicion.


    To be honest, Diantha still found it hard to believe that Lysandre intended to use the ultimate weapon to threaten the world.


    In her experience, Lysandre had always been a good person who had helped countless others. His scientific achievements had benefited many people.


    But the evidence against him was overwhelming, and she had no choice but to ept it.


    "That''s correct," Yuga replied.


    Diantha, intrigued, asked, "Then why were you following me?"


    Yuga responded with a question of his own, "You have a meeting with Lysandre tomorrow, don''t you?"


    Diantha nodded. "Yes, he''s holding a press conference tomorrow to showcase his new holographicmunicator, and I''ve been invited to attend. You must have just arrived in Lumiose City, otherwise, you would''ve already known."


    She pointed to a nearby building, where an electronic billboard was ying an advertisement for the Holo Caster.


    Not only that screen but several others on nearby buildings were disying advertisements for Lysandre''s Holo Caster. The spokesperson featured in the ad was none other than Malva, who was known as the "Star of the Holo Caster."


    Lysandre''s development of the Holo Caster was a significant technological breakthrough inmunication, causing a huge stir. Thistest update to themunicator was being heavily promoted.


    Yuga shifted his gaze away from the billboard and said to Diantha, "I have a favor to ask of you, Miss Diantha."


    Diantha raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead."


    "During the press conference tomorrow, if Lysandre tries to leave early, could you stall him for me?"


    Diantha considered asking Yuga what his n was but decided against it. Instead, she simply replied, "Understood. I''ll do my best."


    Yuga sincerely thanked her, "Thank you very much."


    At the same time, a middle-aged man in a gray trench coat hurried to the alley where Yuga had encountered the masked woman. An Espure was walking alongside him.


    When the man arrived, the long-haired woman still hadn''t left. She was crouching on the ground, holding her injured Furfrou and waiting for Yuga to return, hoping he would bring back her stolen Pok��mon.


    "Excuse me, miss, was there anyone else here besides you just now?" the man in the trench coat asked.


    Upon hearing his voice, the long-haired woman angrily replied, "Some weirdo just appeared out of nowhere! Not only did she injure my Furfrou, but she also stole my Pok��balls. Waaaah..." As she spoke, she covered her face and began to sob.


    The man frowned deeply at her words. Could it really be like that person said? Could the one who''s beenmitting all these crimestely��this ''Essentia''��really be Marielle? But why would Emma do such a thing?


    Recently, a mysterious person had been showing up in Lumiose City, stealing other people''s Pok��mon. This person was exceptionally strong��not because their Pok��mon were powerful, but because they themselves were incredibly skilled.


    Witnesses described this person as wearing strange clothing and a masked helmet, never uttering a word.


    This mysterious individual, dubbed "Essentia," appeared unpredictably, making it impossible to determine where or when they''d strike next, leaving the police helpless.


    The man in the trench coat had been secretly investigating Essentia for some time. However, yesterday, he received a mysterious message. The message imed that his missing assistant, Emma, was Essentia and that she would appear in this alley today.


    Though he couldn''t believe Emma would do such a thing, he came to check anyway. But it seemed he had arrived toote.


    "Espurr."


    At that moment, Espurr beside him gently tugged on the man''s pant leg. The man looked down at it, puzzled.


    "What is it, Espurr?"

 Chapter 1088: Infiltrating The Research Institute

    <h4>Chapter 1088: Infiltrating The Research Institute</h4>


    When Yuga returned to the alley, the man in the trench coat and the long-haired female trainer were still there. The man in the trench coat noticed Yuga, thanks to a nudge from his Espurr.


    The trench coat man was quite surprised to see Yuga because he recognized him.


    The long-haired female trainer, upon seeing Yuga return, immediately asked excitedly, "Did you catch that person? What happened to my Pok��mon?"


    Yuga apologized, "I''m sorry, that masked person''s speed was too fast. I couldn''t catch up and they got away."


    Upon hearing this, the long-haired trainer began to cry, "What will happen to my Pok��mon? Will I never see them again? Waaaah..."


    However, the man in the trench coat was surprised by Yuga''s response. "Even Gym Leader Shimizu couldn''t catch Essentia?"


    Seeing that the man recognized him, Yuga asked curiously, "And you are?"


    The man in the trench coat thought for a moment before saying, "It''s not convenient to talk here. Let''s move to a different ce."


    Sensing that the man had something important to discuss, Yuga agreed.


    As for the long-haired trainer, due to his special identity, the man in the trench coat instructed her to go straight to the police station to file a report, but he didn''t let her follow them.


    However, the man knew that even reporting to the police wouldn''t help. This wasn''t Essentia''s first offense, and the Lumiose City police had been investigating her for some time. So far, they hadn''t made any progress.


    Following the man''s lead, Yuga arrived at a small, secluded workshop.


    After inviting Yuga to sit down, the man in the trench coat awkwardly said, "Sorry for the humble surroundings. I hope you don''t mind."


    Yuga shook his head. "It''s fine. Earlier, you mentioned Essentia. Who is that?"


    Hearing Yuga''s question, the trench coat man introduced himself, "I''m actually a police officer, code name Looker."


    Looker exined his identity but didn''t reveal his real name. Unlike regr police officers, he often worked undercover on various missions, so his real name had to remain confidential.


    He hade to Lumiose City to investigate a secret case, disguising himself and setting up a detective agency, where heter met his assistant, Emma.


    Looker and Emma first met in the backstreets of Lumiose City. She lived there with a group of stray Pok��mon, relying on each other for survival.


    Emma had been living with the stray Pok��mon in the alleys since she was very young.


    However, through Wmma''s memories, Looker eventually learned that she did have parents. Unfortunately, they treated her very poorly, which led her to run away from home.


    After getting to know Emma, Looker, feeling sympathy for her situation, took her in and made her his assistant in detective work.


    Having run away from home at a young age, Emma had never systematically learned anything, so Looker personally taught her how to read and write.


    As they spent time together, their rtionship grew stronger, and Looker even began to think of her as his own daughter in his heart.


    However, one day Emma suddenly disappeared, leaving behind only herpanion, Espurr, who had been with her since childhood. Despite Looker''s extensive search efforts, he found no trace of Emma.


    Until yesterday, when he received a message stating that the person causing trouble all over Lumiose City, Essentia, was actually Emma.


    Looker''s first reaction was, of course, disbelief. Emma was kind-hearted and timid; how could she possibly be the malicious Essentia?


    Nevertheless, his anxiety over not being able to find Emma drove Looker to the location mentioned in the message.


    After recounting his experience with Wmma, Looker pulled out a photo: "This is Emma. You just met Essentia��are they the same person?"


    Yuga looked at the girl in the photo, who appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old. She had dark curly hair and was holding an Espurr, smiling shyly yet happily.


    After pulling his gaze away from the photo, Yuga shook his head and said, "It''s hard for me to tell if the masked person is the same as the girl in the photo just from this image."


    "I see..." Looker felt a bit disappointed upon hearing this, but he also sighed in relief. He had always doubted that Emma could be the malicious Essentia.


    After bidding farewell to Looker, Yuga found a small inn to stay for the night. The next morning, he sessfully met with the informant arranged by Malva.


    The informant was an unremarkable middle-aged man who, upon meeting Yuga, said directly, "I won''t introduce myself since it''s uncertain whether we''ll see each other again after this." As he spoke, he pulled out a set of clothing, indicating for Yuga to change into it.


    "You''ll impersonate my assistant, and I''ll help you blend into theboratory. After that, you''ll need to act based on the situation."


    This informant was someone Malva had ced in the Lysandre Labs. Although Malva worked under Lysandre, his high status in Team re allowed him to secretly support his trusted confidants.


    Looking at theb coat, ck-rimmed sses, and other items in front of him, Yuga couldn''t help but voice his disbelief: "Are you nning to rely on these things to get me in? Do you think the people at the Lysandre Labs are fools who can be tricked by such a flimsy disguise?"


    The informant was taken aback by his words: "Is there a problem?"


    Yuga sighed and replied, "Never mind. Just lead the way; I have my own methods to get in."


    The informant asked in confusion, "How do you n to get in on your own?"


    Yuga smiled and called out, "Gengar!"


    As soon as his voice fell, Gengar appeared ominously before the informant, who was startled and instinctively stepped back several paces, clutching his chest.


    Yuga instructed Gengar, "Gengar, use invisibility."


    Upon hearing this, Gengar ced its chubby little hand on Yuga''s shoulder, causing Yuga''s figure to slowly fade from the informant''s view.


    "So you just need to lead me. Your outfit is too unreliable," Yuga''s voice echoed in the air, sending chills down the informant''s spine.


    Ghost-type Pok��mon are so terrifying!


    After proving he had a way to enter the institute, Yuga''s figure reappeared before the informant, who stammered, "That''s quite a convenient ability!"


    In fact, not all ghost-type Pok��mon can help others be invisible; most can only conceal themselves. Yuga''s Gengar and Mismagius were special cases because they hailed from the mysterious spirit world, granting them this unique ability.


    However, Yuga rarely had the opportunity to use this ability.


    Since Yuga had a better method for infiltration, the informant naturally didn''t insist that Yuga follow his n.


    Thus, with Gengar rendering him invisible, Yuga followed closely behind the informant to the entrance of the Lysandre Labs.


    Looking at the building before him, Yuga was very surprised. Isn''t this the caf�� where Lysandre met with Diantha yesterday? It was also where Essentia had disappeared.


    Who would have thought that the Lysandre Labs was hidden in this caf��?


    The informant led Yuga not through the caf��''s front door but through the back entrance, which Yuga had passed by while chasing Essentia the previous day.


    The back door of the caf�� was unlocked and had no guards, allowing the informant to open the door and lead Yuga inside.


    This back entrance connected to the caf��''s storage room, which was dark. The informant pressed something, and with a "click," a section of the floor in the warehouse split apart, revealing a passage leading underground, with faint lights glowing from within.


    Yuga silently followed the informant down the staircase into the passage, which was well-lit. Behind them, another "click" was heard as the floor above closed again.


    At the end of the passage was a door, guarded by two members of Team re dressed in red uniforms. The informant took out an ID badge and signaled to the guards, who nodded and opened the door.


    As the door swung open, Yuga was greeted by a vast underground research facility, bustling with people in whiteb coats and red uniforms.


    The moment they stepped into the research institute, one of the guards turned to hispanion with a puzzled expression and asked, "Did you feel a bit cold?"


    Hispanion rubbed his arms and replied, "Now that you mention it, I do feel a bit chilly. Did the temperature suddenly drop?"


    Hearing their conversation, Yuga paused in his steps. It seemed wise not to stay too close to others, or else Gengar''s presence might be detected! Gengar could perfectly conceal its own aura, but it was another matter when it came to hiding Yuga as well.


    Once inside thebs, Yuga noticed that everyone who passed by the informant would bow respectfully to him. This made him realize that the informant likely held a significant position in the research facility, which exined why he confidently imed he could help Yuga get in.


    From the conversations around him, Yuga finally learned the informant''s name��Bruno. The people in thebs addressed him respectfully as Captain Bruno.


    Realizing that following Bruno around wasn''t the best approach, Yuga decided to explore the research facility on his own and see if he could find any leads on AZ''s whereabouts.


    The underground research facility was vast, with a formidable security presence. Therefore, Yuga moved cautiously, knowing that many areas were equipped with hidden rm systems. He carefully followed behind the staff members of the institute to scout around.


    As long as he followed the staff, he wouldn''t trigger any of those rm systems.


    Yuga was genuinely curious about what the main research focus of thisbs was. Unfortunately, he was an outsider; he couldn''t understand any of the machines the people were working with or the technical terms they used.


    After searching ce after ce, Yuga was a bit disappointed not to see AZ anywhere. It seemed AZ wasn''t here after all! Initially, he had thought that if AZ was here, there would surely be somemotion when he tried to take AZ away, which might alerted Team re. Now it appeared that wouldn''t be necessary.


    At that moment, Yuga approached the doorway of a room and inadvertently spotted someone unexpected.


    "Is that... Emma?"


    Having seen Emma''s photo before, he recognized her at a nce.


    At this moment, Emma looked quite simr to the photo Looker had shown him; she was talking timidly with a chubby man dressed in a red uniform.


    Yuga found the chubby man somewhat familiar, vaguely remembering him as a certain doctor from Team re, though he couldn''t recall the name.


    Could it be that Emma really was Essentia? And that she was involved with Team re? If that was the case, everything would make sense.


    Unable to resist, Yuga stopped to eavesdrop on their conversation.


    "Professor Xerosic, how much longer do I have to keep working? I want to go home and see my family," Emma said, looking troubled as she addressed the chubby man.


    Having been away from her uncle and Espurr for so long, Emma missed them dearly.


    Professor Xerosic responded with a stern face, "We agreed from the start that my experiment must remain confidential; otherwise, how could you earn so much money so easily? So you can''t go home just yet."


    "Okay... fine," Emma replied, her shoulders shrinking in fear.


    Then Yuga watched as the man named Xerosic released a Mmar, which hypnotized Emma, causing her eyes to gradually lose their focus.


    Next, Xerosic took out a uniform and a helmet, and Yuga immediately recognized that the uniform and helmet were the same ones Essentia had worn yesterday.


    It seemed that Emma being Essentia was confirmed, but the drastic change in her personality must have resulted from the hypnosis.


    Given that the uniform was a prototype from Team re, it made sense that the bizarre abilities Emma had disyed yesterday were due to the uniform. After all, based on Looker''s descriptions and Emma''s own appearance, she didn''t seem like someone with powersparable to Pok��mon.


    However, if that were true, then the uniform was incredibly powerful. If everyone in Team re had ess to one, what chaos would ensue? It even made him want one for himself.


    This definitely needed to be reported to the League!


    Watching Emma mechanically put on that uniform, Yuga decided to hold his ground. His main goal was to find AZ and take him away; since AZ''s whereabouts were unclear at the moment, it wasn''t appropriate to act hastily.


    As for Looker, who was still searching desperately for Emma, Yuga could only silently apologize to him. After all, some matters had higher priorities than others.


    With a n in mind, Yuga decided to leave thebs.


    Just like yesterday, Emma, transformed into Essentia, continued her nefarious activities in the shadows of Lumiose City, with Yuga trailing behind her. Although he had initially intended to set aside the matter of Emma for the time being, he couldn''t allow Essentia to go too far.


    Thus, whenever Essentia attempted to snatch someone else''s Pok��mon, Yuga would secretly dispatch his own Pok��mon to intervene. Of course, to avoid revealing his identity, he himself did not make an appearance.


    Upon returning to the hotel, Yuga immediately contacted Malva, informing her that AZ was not at the Lysandre Labs and asking her to continue investigating AZ''s whereabouts. Malva instructed him to wait for further news.


    He also inquired about the uniform with Malva.


    Malva informed Yuga that the uniform was called the Expansion Suit, a secret research project of Team re, with Professor Xerosic as the lead.


    However, due to technical difficulties, the Expansion Suit project had been shelved, and currently, only Professor Xerosic was still focused on this project. Therefore, there was no need to worry for now.


    Upon hearing this news, Yuga quietly sighed in relief. If Team re seeded with this project, it would pose a significant threat to the League.

 Chapter 1089: Gurkinn and Lucario

    <h4>Chapter 1089: Gurkinn and Lucario</h4>


    While waiting for news from Malva, Yuga kept a close watch on the activity at the Lysandre Labs, but the people there rarely left the facility, leaving him with little useful information.


    Two dayster, Yuga met Bruno again.


    Bruno had brought information from Malva, just as he had before. He spoke little and left immediately after handing Yuga what he had.


    Malva had given Bruno a slip of paper to pass to Yuga, on which was written a location��one that marked a secret base of Team re.


    The location was in Geosenge Town. However, Malva did not know the exact whereabouts of the secret base there; she only had a general area, and the rest would be up to Yuga to investigate after his arrival.


    Upon receiving the note, Yuga immediately prepared to depart for Geosenge Town. Before leaving, he asked Malva to help monitor and restrict Essentia''s movements to prevent her from causing too much trouble.


    However, what Yuga didn''t know was that as soon as he left, Malva revealed information about Essentia to Looker, which finally led him to find the long-lost Emma he had been desperately searching for.


    The message Looker had previously received, stating that Essentia was actually Emma, had alsoe from Malva. Since deciding to help Yuga stop Lysandre''s n for world destruction, she had also resolved to help Looker find Emma.


    Malva was willing to help Looker because he had once helped her. Though Looker himself may not remember, Malva had never forgotten and had long wanted to repay the favor.


    Back when Malva was part of a special task force, Looker had served as her instructor for a time. On one asion, when she was being bullied by other team members, Looker happened to pass by and, unknowingly, helped her out of the situation.


    Later, Looker transferred to the police system, while Malva was assigned to a different unit, and the two never crossed paths again. However, Malva quietly kept that favor in her heart.


    Previously, Malva had been one of the participants in Team re''s Expansion Suit project, so she was quite familiar with it.


    The project had been shelved due to technical shorings, with only its lead researcher, Xerosic, continuing to pursue it. As a former participant, Malva naturally paid extra attention to Xerosic''s experiments, and it was through the test subject, Emma, that she discovered Looker was in Lumiose City.


    In order to prevent Xerosic from noticing the connection between Looker and Emma and thereby affecting Looker''s mission in Lumiose City, Malva discreetly erased all traces of Emma and Looker''s past together.


    However, by the time Looker and Emma reunited, Yuga had already returned to Coumarine City.


    Geosenge Town is located in the far west of Kalos, and to get there, one must pass through Coumarine City and Shalour City, so Yuga made a brief stop in Coumarine City.


    Since he needed to use his role as a Gym Leader to maintain his cover, it was impossible for him to stay away from Coumarine City for too long.


    When Yuga returned to Coumarine City, Clemont was still there, working on developing a new Sunflora-powered generator. ording Ramos, the research on the generator was going well, and it likely wouldn''t be long before this new type of generator was released.


    Yuga didn''t stay long in Coumarine City, leaving for Shalour City the next day.


    Shalour City, Coumarine City, and Geosenge Town all lie along the northwestern coast of the Kalos region. Because they are coastal cities, all three have mild climates, making them highly suitable for living.


    However,pared to the other two ces, Shalour City has a much longer history. Its most famous feature is the Tower of Mastery, which also serves as the location of the Shalour Gym.


    It is said that the Tower of Mastery hides secrets rted to Mega Evolution, so when Yuga passed through Shalour City, he thought he might as well take the opportunity to see it.


    Upon arriving in Shalour City, Yuga found himself in a bit of a dilemma as he looked at the Tower of Mastery, which was located in the middle of the sea: "Am I supposed to ride a Lapras over there?"


    Just as Yuga was feeling uncertain, a voice suddenly spoke near his ear.


    "Are you heading to visit the Tower of Mastery too?"


    Yuga turned around and saw a tall, thin man standing behind him. Surprised, he eximed, "Professor Sycamore?"


    "So you do know me!" Professor Sycamore chuckled. "Sorry for striking up a conversation out of the blue. But I feel like I''ve seen you somewhere before?"


    "Maybe I just have amon face?" Yuga responded, trying to brush off Sycamore''s confusion with augh.


    Because he needed to keep his identity hidden, Yuga was wearing a hat and sunsses at the moment. After all, he was quite famous now. Although it felt a bit self-important to admit it, it wasn''t strange for people in Kalos to recognize him��especially someone like Professor Sycamore. While they had never formally met, they had certainly heard of each other.


    "Are you also here to visit the Tower of Mastery?" Yuga quickly changed the subject.


    "Yes!" Professor Sycamore nodded. "I want to ask Mr. Gurkinn a few questions."


    At the time, the Shalour Gym Leader was not Korrina, as Yuga knew, but her grandfather, Gurkinn.


    Although Gurkinn was a low-profile person, those who knew him were aware that he was a highly formidable trainer. However, he never cared about fame, preferring to stay at the Tower of Mastery, which is why to the outside world, he appeared to be just an aging Gym Leader on the verge of retirement.


    By the way, the Shalour Gym is one of the oldest gyms in the Kalos League, and Mr. Gurkinn has the authority to appoint his own sessor.


    "Doesn''t the Shalour Gym provide a boat here? How do challengers usually get across?" After hearing Professor Sycamore''s response, Yuga couldn''t help but mutter to himself.


    Professor Sycamore, surprised, said, "You don''t know? When the tide goes out in the evening, the path to the Shalour Gym reveals itself. Most challengers cross over at that time."


    "Really? I had no idea!" Yuga truly didn''t know. He had decided toe here on a whim, so naturally, he hadn''t researched anything about the Shalour Gym beforehand.


    "However, trainers with Flying or Water-type Pok��mon don''t wait for the tide to go out. They either fly across or swim," Professor Sycamore exined when he saw Yuga looking puzzled.


    "Well, I''ll just swim across then. Waiting until evening would take too long." As Yuga spoke, he released his Lapras.


    After Lapras entered the water, it excitedly pped its blue fins. Meanwhile, Professor Sycamore stared at Yuga''s Lapras, lost in thought.


    Yuga was about to set off when he noticed Professor Sycamore still gazing at Lapras. Feeling a bit awkward, he asked, "Um... Professor, would you like to join me?"


    Professor Sycamore was taken aback for a moment but then realized Yuga had misunderstood. Instead of exining, he went along with it and said, "Sure, thanks for the ride."


    As they were halfway across the water, Professor Sycamore suddenly said, "You''re Gym Leader Shimizu from Hoenn, aren''t you?"


    Yuga: ...


    Seeing Yuga''s surprised look, Professor Sycamore pointed to the Lapras beneath them and said, "Your Lapras is quite unique. I only know of one like it."


    As Yuga''s fame grew, so too did knowledge of the Pok��mon he owned, especially since his Lapras had a slightly different appearance from typical Lapras.


    "I see," Yuga finally understood. He had underestimated his own notoriety (self-praise), not realizing that his Pok��mon had be a symbol of his identity.


    I''ll have to be more careful in the future!


    "Do you have a Mega Stone as well? Did you know that Shalour City is where Mega Evolution was first discovered?"


    Once Professor Sycamore learned Yuga''s identity, it was as if he couldn''t stop talking. He enthusiastically began to tell Yuga all about Mega Evolution.


    Since Yuga had publicly used a Mega Evolved Gengar, Professor Sycamore also knew he possessed a Mega Stone.


    Mega Evolution has always been one of Professor Sycamore''s key research topics, and his visit to the Shalour Gym this time was also for this reason.


    A long time ago, Gurkinn''s ancestor and his Lucario came to Shalour City. It was here that they discovered two special stones, leading to the world''s first documented case of Mega Evolution.


    As Professor Sycamore shared various legends about Mega Evolution, Yuga listened with great interest.


    Just as Lapras was about to reach the shore, Professor Sycamore suddenly said, "If possible, could you, Gym Leader Shimizu, have a Mega Evolution battle with Mr. Gurkinn?"


    "Uh..." Yuga felt a bit awkward.


    Hearing Yuga''s hesitation, Professor Sycamore quickly added, "I won''t let you help for nothing. How about I give you a Fennekin as a reward?" A battle between two Mega-Evolved Pok��mon was a rare event, and it was an opportunity Professor Sycamore couldn''t afford to miss for his research.


    Fennekin? Yuga''s eyes lit up at the mention. That''s tempting!


    "Although I''d love to give you a Chespin too, I don''t have one on hand right now." Seeing that Yuga wasn''t responding, Professor Sycamore awkwardly exined, assuming that Yuga, being a Grass-type Gym Leader, would prefer Chespin over a Fire-type Pok��mon like Fennekin.


    "Haha... Fennekin is just fine," Yuga chuckled. He honestly didn''t care whether it was Fennekin or Chespin. "But I can''t reveal my identity, so I''ll need you to help cover for me when the timees."


    "Consider it done," Professor Sycamore replied, clearly delighted. Although he didn''t fully understand why Yuga needed to keep his identity secret, he was smart enough not to ask.


    As soon as they disembarked, they saw an elderly man with white hair and eyebrows standing at the entrance of the Tower of Mastery��none other than Gurkinn, the Shalour Gym Leader.


    Since Professor Sycamore had informed him beforehand, Gurkinn had been waiting at the door.


    "I''m sorry for the trouble," Professor Sycamore apologized to Gurkinn with a hint of guilt.


    Gurkinn shook his head and said, "It''s no trouble at all. It''s an honor for Shalour Gym to have you here."


    "Oh, right! This is my friend; I brought him along to take a look as well." Professor Sycamore briefly introduced Yuga.


    "Alright, both of you, follow me inside," Gurkinn said after ncing at Yuga and giving him a nod. Since Professor Sycamore hadn''t mentioned Yuga''s name, Gurkinn didn''t ask further. Everyone was being discreet.


    The Tower of Mastery was an imposing, multiyered structure resembling a pce. Upon entering the grand hall, the first thing that caught Yuga''s eye was a massive statue of a Mega Lucario.


    As Gurkinn guided them through the tower, he shared the history of the Shalour Gym. Professor Sycamore, of course, was most interested in the stories about Mega Evolution.


    Unfortunately, as legends go, there wasn''t much useful information to glean from them.


    By evening, the tour of the Tower of Mastery hade to an end. Professor Sycamore then asked Gurkinn, "Mr. Gurkinn, could you have your Mega Lucario battle with my friend?"


    "It''s possible, but..." Gurkinn trailed off, eyeing Yuga, who was wearing a hat and sunsses, as if wanting to say more but holding back.


    Professor Sycamore immediately understood and reassured Gurkinn, "Don''t worry, my friend is very strong, so please go all out!"


    Gurkinn was surprised to hear this and nced again at Yuga, thinking that Yuga seemed quite young but apparently had significant strength.


    "Come with me," Gurkinn said as he led Yuga and Professor Sycamore to the gym''s battle arena.


    "Let''s begin."


    Both stood at opposite ends of the battlefield, and Gurkinn sent out his Lucario. Embedded in Lucario''s glove was a bright Mega Evolution stone.


    ...


    [ Lucario ]


    Type: Fighting, Steel


    Ability: Inner Focus


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 75


    Moves: Detect, Quick Attack, Counter, Feint, Aura Sphere, Metal w, Power-Up Punch, Swords Dance, Close Combat, Bone Rush, Dragon Pulse, Shadow Ball, Brick Break, Low Sweep, Shadow w, sh Cannon, Agility, Focus Punch, Drain Punch, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch.


    ...


    No wonder Professor Sycamore had warned me to be careful! Yuga thought to himself after checking Lucario''s stats. Gurkinn was indeed formidable, as expected from someone who stayed out of the limelight yet possessed such incredible strength.


    Lucario...so cool! Yuga couldn''t help but admire Lucario''s elegance. He wondered if he could trade one of his Meditite or Medicham for a Riolu or Lucario from Gurkinn. Two Pok��mon for one, or even three for one, would be worth it.


    Yuga was genuinely eager to have Gurkinn''s Lucario.


    Since Shalour Gym specialized in Fighting-types, Gurkinn might also appreciate Meditite and Medicham, right?


    Using a Ralts or Gade to trade for Lucario would make more sense, but Yuga only had a few Gade in his Ecopark and couldn''t bear to part with them.


    Psychic and Fighting-type Meditite and Medicham were also rare. While they weren''t quite on par with Riolu or Lucario, offering two or three of them in exchange seemed fair.


    I''ll ask Professor Sycamore to help me with thatter, Yuga thought.


    After Gurkinn sent out Lucario, Yuga summoned his own Venusaur.


    Seeing Yuga use Venusaur instead of Gengar, Professor Sycamore was quite surprised. He hadn''t expected Yuga to have a Venusaur Mega Evolution Stone as well, which was an unexpected delight.


    Thinking this, Sycamore started snapping pictures of Venusaur with his camera.


    "Lucario, Mega Evolve!"


    "Venusaur, Mega Evolve!"


    As both were ready, Yuga and Gurkinn''s voices echoed across the battlefield at the same time.

 Chapter 1090: Sweet Scent And Fennekin

    <h4>Chapter 1090: Sweet Scent And Fennekin</h4>


    Colorful lights shone on the battlefield as the two Pok��mon underwent a dramatic transformation. Mega Lucario stood tall and imposing, striking a battle pose immediately after evolving, while Mega Venusaur''s flowers became even more vibrant, releasing a sweet floral fragrance that was dizzying to behold.


    "Then, let the battle begin!" Professor Sycamore eximed excitedly.


    As the battlemands were issued, Lucario dashed toward Venusaur with incredible speed, enhanced by its Quick Attack. Seeing this, Yuga quickly shouted, "Venusaur, don''t let it get close!" Allowing a Fighting-type Pok��mon to close the distance was tantamount to inviting defeat.


    "Venusaur!"


    Venusaur called out knowingly as thick green vines shot out from beneath the leaves on its back,shing out fiercely at the charging Mega Lucario.


    However, Lucario was extraordinarily agile, and with the boost from Quick Attack, its speed continued to increase. It easily dodged all of Venusaur''s vines.


    As Mega Lucario approached Venusaur, Yuga suddenly called out, "Venusaur, use Sleep Powder!"


    A cloud of dark yellow powder sprayed from the flowers on Mega Venusaur''s back, drifting toward Mega Lucario.


    Seeing this, Lucario quickly leaped away from Venusaur, but before it left, it hurled an Aura Sphere into the haze of Sleep Powder, striking Mega Venusaur from behind, which let out a cry of pain.


    Taking advantage of the Sleep Powder''s cover, Mega Venusaur quickly used Grassy Terrain. A small patch of grass appeared around it, perfectly covering the area right beneath its feet.


    Waves of green energy surged through the grass, and the slight damage from the Aura Sphere vanished in an instant.


    Mega Venusaur had high defenses and a solid resistance against Fighting-type moves, so it was unlikely to be fazed by one or two Aura Spheres.


    As the Sleep Powder gradually dissipated, Mega Venusaur''s form reappeared. Gurkinn, observing the grassy terrain beneath Venusaur and the vanished wounds, furrowed his brow tightly.


    "This is troublesome!" Gurkinn muttered.


    If you were to ask Gurkinn what kind of Pok��mon he hated the most, it would undoubtedly be those adept at defensive and attrition battles. As a Fighting-type trainer, he pursued direct, hard-hitting shes.


    Fighting-type Pok��mon are simr to Fire-types; they are usually explosive and high in output. However, when ites to attrition battles, they often struggle to keep up.


    "Lucario, run with Quick Attack!"


    Upon hearing this, Mega Lucario began to circle around Mega Venusaur rapidly, looking for an opportunity to close in. Each time it used Quick Attack, its speed would spike significantly. In no time, Venusaur''s eyes began to struggle to keep up with Lucario''s movements.


    "Venusaur, use Sweet Scent." Watching the afterimages left by Mega Lucario, Yuga showed no signs of panic. He had encountered this situation before. To counter high-speed Pok��mon, both Venusaur and Bellossom had excellent strategies.


    As soon as Yuga''s words fell, a dreamy, ethereal pink fragrance wafted from the vibrant flowers on Venusaur''s back. This scent quickly enveloped the entire arena, sweet and enticing, as if luring one into temptation, making it impossible to resist lingering in its presence.


    Breathing in the aroma that lingered at his nostrils, Gurkinn suddenly felt his brain begin to dull, his thoughts growing increasingly stagnant. He quickly realized something was off and shook his head, trying to stay alert.


    "Lucario, stay vignt! Don''t breathe in that sweet scent!"


    Gurkinn''s warning came toote; entranced by the fragrance, Mega Lucario''s movements slowed down, gradually shifting from a run to a slow walk, as the sweet aroma began to dominate its actions.


    Outside the arena, Professor Sycamore watched in astonishment at the incredible effect of Sweet Scent, his mouth agape, forgetting even to raise the camera he had been using to take pictures.


    In truth, Yuga''s Venusaur did not possess such a powerful Sweet Scent. If one were to name a Pok��mon skilled in this move among Yuga''s main team, it would be Bellossom.


    While Pok��mon can learn many moves simultaneously, each Pok��mon has its own specialties based on its attributes and talents. For example, Decidueye is adept at Spirit Shackle, while Serperior excels at Leaf Storm. Moreover, a Pok��mon''s limited stamina also restricts their ability to master every skill.


    Bellossom''s skill set leans toward thebination of Quiver Dance and Grassy Terrain, with Sweet Scent being another strong suit.


    Bellossom''s Sweet Scent is exceptionally refreshing, making both people and Pok��mon fond of it. This genuine affection allows them to willingly sumb to the effects of the fragrance.


    However, Bellossom''s Sweet Scent has only a mild captivating effect; those who smell it will naturally slow down due to their fondness, but this influence can be easily broken and shaken off.


    On the other hand, Venusaur''s Sweet Scent is different. Its fragrance can "bewitch" foes, much like a Venus flytrap that attracts insects to their doom.


    Venusaur''s core skills originallyprised Grassy Terrain and Frenzy nt, creating a strategy focused on recovery and defense. Whenbined with Sunny Day and Sr Power, and bolstered by Venusaur''s already decent defenses, this made it incredibly strong in attrition battles. However, it had only learned the basics of Sweet Scent.


    Yet, during its breakthrough to Elite level, it seemed to have been influenced by Florges, resulting in an extraordinary change in the flowers on its back, granting its emitted fragrance a bewitching quality.


    In reality, Venusaur''s sweet scent is not particrly pleasant. Unlike Bellossom''s refreshing scent, Venusaur''s fragrance is overly intense, and after a while, it can be nauseating��so sickening that it makes one feel like vomiting.


    Perhaps due to its Poison typing, this sickeningly sweet aroma possesses hallucinogenic properties. Even if it makes you feel like you want to puke, you are stillpelled to breathe it in; the more you inhale, the duller your mind bes.


    With this special Sweet Scent, Venusaur''s control capabilities have significantly increased.


    Although Venusaur can use Sleep Powder, its practicality in battle is quite low because it produces a limited amount at once, making it difficult to cover the entire battlefield. Any Flying-type Pok��mon can easily blow it away with a single move.


    Furthermore, Sleep Powder is heavy and will settle to the ground after a while, losing its effectiveness. Unlike Sweet Scent, which can continuously linger in the arena, if you breathe in, the scent will invade, whether you want it to or not.


    It is precisely because of this powerful Sweet Scent that Yuga dared to send out Venusaur, despitecking advantages in attributes, level, and potential.


    At this moment, Mega Lucario, under the hallucinatory influence of Venusaur''s Sweet Scent, lost its ability to think, passively sniffing the faint pink mist in the air.


    Gurkinn, seeing this, grew increasingly anxious. "Lucario, snap out of it! Wake up!"


    However, Lucario showed no reaction to Gurkinn''s voice, its gaze dazed as it moved toward Mega Venusaur, drawn in by the floral aroma like a moth to a me.


    Witnessing this scene, Yugamanded Venusaur, "Venusaur, use Frenzy nt!"


    As Yuga''s words fell, the ground began to heave, and brown roots surged forth from the earth under the control of Mega Venusaur, swiftly binding Mega Lucario.


    "Lucario, wake up!" Gurkinn was still trying to rouse Mega Lucario.


    Crack, crack...


    Frenzy nt tightened its grip, and a painful crunching sound echoed from Mega Lucario as its bones contracted. As the pain intensified, a change finally appeared on Mega Lucario''s dazed face; its brows furrowed involuntarily, its mouth clenched tight, and a gurgling groan escaped its throat.


    "Lucario..." Gurkinn subconsciously tightened his grip on the keystone, softly calling out to Lucario.


    Pok��mon capable of Mega Evolution share a deep connection with their trainers. In that moment, whether Mega Lucario heard Gurkinn''s call or if the pain reached a breaking point, it suddenly opened its eyes wide.


    "Lucario!!!"


    Mega Lucario let out a furious roar, and waves of blue aura energy erupted from its body, snapping the roots that bound it one by one.


    "Pant, pant..."


    Mega Lucario knelt on the ground, gasping for breath. Although it had broken free from Venusaur''s Frenzy nt, the toll on its stamina was significant. If it weren''t for its resistance to Grass-type moves, it would have already copsed beneath the onught of the Frenzy nt.


    Seeing that Mega Lucario had shaken off the effects of Venusaur''s Sweet Scent, Yuga was somewhat surprised; he hadn''t expected this Lucario to possess such strong willpower.


    Even if it had escaped, it was merely a desperate struggle!


    "Venusaur, continue!" Yuga''s voice rang out in Mega Venusaur''s ears.


    At that moment, the entire arena was already covered with brown roots, and the roots Mega Lucario had broken were only a small fraction of the total.


    The brown roots wriggled toward Mega Lucario, and upon seeing this, Mega Lucario immediately attempted to leap away. However, the immense drain on its stamina rendered its movements sluggish, and one of its feet was quickly ensnared by the roots.


    Just like that, Mega Lucario found itself suspended in mid-air by the brown roots holding up one of its legs, while other roots rushed in to bind its limbs, neck, and waist. Lucario struggled feebly, resembling amb awaiting ughter.


    Watching Mega Lucario bound in a "V" shape, Yuga inexplicably thought of some sort of shameful y, feeling a bit flustered.


    Yuga: Am I a bit off here?


    "Alright, I concede," Gurkinn''s voice then rang out.


    Upon hearing this, Yuga spoke to Mega Venusaur, saying, "Lower Lucario down, Venusaur."


    Once the battle concluded, both Pok��mon reverted from their Mega Evolutions.


    "Lucario, you did great."


    Gurkinn helped Lucario up, but Lucario''s gaze toward him was filled with regret, feeling it had embarrassed him. Aside from that initial wave of Aura Sphere, it had dealt no damage to Venusaur and was instead thoroughly befuddled by the Sweet Scent.


    Gurkinn understood Lucario''s feelings and reassuringly patted its shoulder. At his age, he had already lost thepetitive spirit; he didn''t care much about winning or losing a battle.


    It was just... who exactly is this young man? Gurkinn fell into contemtion as he looked at the young man whose face was thoroughly obscured by a hat and sunsses.


    Such a remarkable young person; he should have been well-known!


    "That was fantastic, simply fantastic! Your battle has opened my eyes, and now I finally have new material for my research," Professor Sycamore eximed as he joyfully walked onto the field.


    Yuga humbly replied, "I''m d I could help you, Professor."


    After the battle, Yuga and Professor Sycamore bid farewell to Gurkinn and left the Tower of Mastery.


    On their way back, the tide by the seaside had receded, revealing the path connecting the Tower of Mastery to the coast. The road was paved with stone, so although it was wet, it was not muddy, and a few Water-type Pok��mon remained on the stone path, having failed to return to the sea in time as the tide pulled back.


    The Water-type Pok��mon in the Kalos region were quite different from those in Hoenn; here,mon ones like Binacle, uncher, and Skrelp were frequently spotted, but Yuga wasn''t interested in these ordinary Pok��mon.


    Thinking about Gurkinn''s Lucario, Yuga said to Professor Sycamore, "I would like to ask the Professor for a favor, if that''s alright."


    Professor Sycamore readily replied, "Go ahead; if it''s something I can help with, I definitely will."


    Yuga then exined his desire to trade Meditite and Medicham for a Riolu or Lucario.


    "Oh, so that''s what this is about! I''ll ask Mr. Gurkinn about it tomorrow," Professor Sycamore agreed without hesitation after hearing Yuga''s request.


    As they walked and talked, Professor Sycamore invited Yuga to stay at his ce when he learned that Yuga hadn''t yet found amodation. He had a residence in Shalour City.


    Thus, Yuga decided to spend the night in Shalour City.


    Professor Sycamore was quite wealthy; his residence in Shalour City was a vi not far from the Tower of Mastery. As they walked, they soon arrived.


    Once back at the vi, Professor Sycamore immediately called his researchb and arranged for Fennekin, whom he had promised Yuga to be sent over.


    "This is Fennekin; make sure to take good care of it," Professor Sycamore said as he handed Yuga the Pok�� Ball containing Fennekin, his face showing reluctance.


    Yuga took the Pok�� Ball and released Fennekin from inside.


    ...


    [ Fennekin ]


    Type: Fire


    Ability: Magician


    Gender: Female


    Potential: green


    Level: 14


    Move: Tail Whip, Ember, Psychic Terrain, Fire Oath.


    ...


    After checking the data on Fennekin, Yuga understood why Professor Sycamore looked so reluctant.


    Although Fennekin had only an ordinary green potential, its ability was the rare hidden ability, Magician, and it had also inherited the rare terrain skill, Psychic Terrain.


    In Psychic Terrain, Pok��mon are not subject to priority moves, and the power of Psychic-type moves is increased, making it a very practical skill.


    In addition, it also learned the fire-type starter''s exclusive skill, fire oath, which was quite impressive.


    "Fennekin!"


    Fennekin looked confusedly at Yuga, then nced at Professor Sycamore, clearly not understanding what was happening.


    However, this was fine. Yuga took out a special item from YoYo Day Care��a Crimson Crystal Pok��blocks. The delicious treat quickly captivated Fennekin, and it soon bonded with Yuga.

 Chapter 1091: Zoroark Love At First Sight

    <h4>Chapter 1091: Zoroark Love At First Sight</h4>


    The next day, Professor Sycamore indeed asked about trading for Riolu or Lucario on Yuga''s behalf. At first, Gurkinn was unwilling to agree because he did not want to hand over Riolu or Lucario to someone of unknown identity.


    In the end, it was Professor Sycamore who vouched for Yuga, assuring Gurkinn that Yuga would take good care of either Riolu or Lucario. Only then did Gurkinn agree to trade one.


    In the afternoon, Yuga and Professor Sycamore returned to the Tower of Mastery, and under Gurkinn''s guidance, they entered the Ecopark of the Shalour Gym.


    The Ecopark of the Shalour Gym was notrge, but it housed a considerable number of Fighting-type Pok��mon. Some belonged to Gurkinn personally, some were used for battles at the gym, and others were part of their family''s long-standing collection.


    The most numerous Fighting-type Pok��mon inside were not Riolu or Lucario, but rather Machop, Machoke, and Machamp. There were also quite a fewmon Fighting-types like Mankey, Primeape, and Poliwrath.


    As they walked through a small path in the Ecopark, Yuga finally saw the Riolu and Lucario he had been thinking about. There were not many of them, fewer than fifty in total, and they were clustered together in small groups, honing their fighting skills, creating a lively atmosphere.


    Upon arriving, Gurkinn pointed to the Riolu and Lucario and said, "You can choose one yourself, but the quality of what you get depends entirely on your luck."


    In Gurkinn''s view, luck and fate were very important when selecting Pok��mon. Whether Yuga had good luck or had a connection with a high-quality Pok��mon was not something he cared about.


    Unfortunately, he did not know that Yuga had a cheat.


    Hearing Gurkinn''s words, Yuga activated his Insight to examine Riolu and Lucario. Among this group of Pok��mon, there were those with red, orange, and yellow potential, as well as some with green and blue potential, but there were no indigo or higher potentials.


    Moreover, there were not many with blue potential, totaling only five��four Lucario and one Riolu.


    Since he had to choose, Yuga naturally aimed for the Pok��mon with better potential; he wouldn''t consider the green and below. The five with blue potential were his target.


    Unlike the situation when Professor Sycamore gifted him a Fennekin, this time he and Gurkinn were engaging in an equivalent exchange.


    When others gifted Pok��mon, he didn''t want to impose on their generosity, which was why he had only chosen the green potential Fennekin back then. However, with an equivalent exchange, there were no such concerns.


    They had already agreed in advance: if Yuga selected a blue potential Riolu, he would exchange it for one blue potential Meditite and two green potential Meditite; if he selected a blue potential Lucario, he would exchange it for one blue potential Medicham and two green potential Medicham.


    In any case, Gurkinn wouldn''t be at a loss.


    Yuga''s Insight scanned the four Lucario and one Riolu.


    The only blue potential Riolu looked quite young and was following its parents, yfully showing affection.


    Among the four Lucario, two of them seemed to be a pair; even though they were practicing against each other at that moment, the flirtatious atmosphere naturally influenced those around them.


    Another female Lucario appeared to be pursued by a male Mienshao. Although she looked a bit aloof, she didn''t respond coldly to him, indicating that Mienshao might still have a chance.


    The remaining Lucario stood apart from its siblings,pletely out of sync with the lively atmosphere. It was quietly practicing its slicing technique against a thick wooden stump in the corner.


    ...


    [ Lucario ]


    Type: Fighting, Steel


    Ability: Inner Focus


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 39


    Moves: Detect, Quick Attack, Force Palm, Aura Sphere, Metal w, Boost Punch, Swords Dance, Bone Rush, Slicing Technique, Low Sweep, Shadow w, Drain Punch, Bullet Punch, Comet Punch.


    ...


    This Lucario had excellent qualities across the board and had unexpectedly inherited two Steel-type moves: Bullet Punch and Comet Punch.


    Although Lucario is a Steel-type Pok��mon, the number of Steel-type physical attack moves it can learn through leveling up is actually quite limited. The inherited Bullet Punch and Comet Punch helped to make up for this deficiency.


    Although the power of Bullet Punch isn''t strong, it allows for a priority attack; Comet Punch not only has significant power but also has a chance to increase the user''s attack, making both moves quite practical.


    Decided! It''s this one!


    With that thought, Yuga pointed and said, "Mr. Gurkinn, I choose that one."


    Seeing which Lucario Yuga pointed to, Mr. Gurkinn was quite surprised; he hadn''t expected Yuga to immediately pick a blue potential Pok��mon.


    He was well aware of his own Riolu and Lucario and could easily identify that this particr Lucario had blue potential, especially since there were only five in total.


    "Why did you choose that one in particr? Its temperament is quite aloof, making it hard to get along with," Gurkinn curiously asked Yuga.


    Yuga smiled as he replied, "I noticed that the other Riolu and Lucario here all have their own social circles. If I chose one of them, it would definitely affect their dynamics. But that Lucario is different; it''s all alone. Even if it leaves with me, it won''t impact the other Pok��mon here."


    "That''s a fair point," Gurkinn nodded in agreement, sessfully convinced by Yuga''s reasoning.


    As he handed the Pok�� Ball containing the Lucario to Yuga, Gurkinn cautioned him, "This Lucario has a somewhat special situation. When it was born, its aura wasn''t very obvious, which led to its parents'' disdain and resulted in its aloof personality.


    However, it has worked very hard. Just look at how it currently outshines other Lucario; that''s all due to its effort. I hope you treat it well."


    Yuga solemnly took the Pok�� Ball and said, "Don''t worry, I will."


    At the same time, Yuga handed over the three Medicham he had brought with him to Gurkinn.


    After chatting with Gurkinn for a while, Yuga and Professor Sycamore decided to take their leave. However, just as they reached the entrance of the Tower of Mastery, a girl on roller skates came rushing over.


    "Grandpa, I''m back!"


    Behind the girl was a Lucario running alongside her.


    "Can''t you see there are guests here? You have no manners at all!" Gurkinn reprimanded her with a stern face as she approached.


    The girl noticed Yuga and Professor Sycamore''s presence, nodded and greeted them before yfully sticking her tongue out at her grandfather.


    Once Yuga and Professor Sycamore had left, the girl turned around to Gurkinn and asked, "Who was that person in the hat and sunsses?" She recognized Professor Sycamore.


    Gurkinn shook his head and said, "I don''t know. But, Korrina, there are many strong person in this world. You must remember to always keep a humble heart."


    The girl, who was Korrina, nodded as if she somewhat understood.


    "By the way, I have a gift for you." Saying this, Gurkinn handed Korrina the Pok�� Ball containing the blue potential Medicham that Yuga had given him.


    Surprised, Korrina asked as she took the Pok�� Ball from her grandfather, "Is this a new Pok��mon for me?"


    Gurkinn nodded with a smile, saying, "Open it and see."


    Upon seeing the new Medicham, Korrina was indeed very happy. She gave her grandfather a big hug, and although he scolded her for herck of manners, the smile on his face was unmistakable.


    As soon as Yuga returned to Professor Sycamore''s residence, he sent both the Fennekin and Lucario back to the YoYo Day Care via transfer device, since he needed to hurry to Geosenge Town the next day and couldn''t bring them along.


    After receiving Yuga''s instructions, Audino promptly delivered the transported Fennekin and Lucario to the Volcanic Sub-Ecopark and the Main Ecopark, respectively.


    The Fennekin, being young and lively, quickly found manypanions in the Volcanic Sub-Ecopark, including Vulpix, Charmander, Ponyta, and Houndour. Before long, the Fennekin had blended in seamlessly with them, showing no signs of difort.


    A strong adaptability and receptiveness aremon advantages possessed by the three Pok��mon cultivated by the League.


    Lucario, as Gurkinn had mentioned, was indeed a very diligent Pok��mon. Upon entering the Main Ecopark, it saw an Gade training and immediately went over to discuss training techniques with it.


    When the Liepard and the Zoroark family walked back in from patrolling outside, Lucario was in the midst of sparring with Gade.


    Gade also had blue potential, and with Nana''s guidance, its level and skill proficiency were superior to Lucario''s, so Lucario found itself being significantly overpowered.


    However, Lucario had a very resilient personality; no matter how many times it was knocked down by Aegish, it would resolutely get back up and challenge Gade again.


    Zoroark, who was chatting andughing with her dad, mom, and older sister, immediately spotted the struggling Lucario and was instantly captivated by the determined expression on its face.


    Although Lucario looked quite disheveled at that moment, in Zoroark''s eyes, it was incredibly cool.


    Perhaps this was love at first sight!


    Zoroark couldn''t help but think to herself.


    The first to notice her change in emotions was Liepard sister, who followed Zoroark''s gaze and saw Lucario.


    However, to Liepard, Lucario seemed no different from any other Pok��mon, especially since it looked so disheveled at that moment.


    Sister Liepard and Zoroark hadpletely different aesthetics; she preferred the elegance of quadrupedal Pok��mon over bipedal ones. For instance, she found Absol, with its four legs, to be much more appealing.


    Moreover, she favored strong Pok��mon, and Lucario seemed too weak and was currently getting beaten up, which wasn''t her type at all.


    Having grown up in a life of wandering on street and developing an early maturity, sister Liepard greatly admired strength.


    Drawn to Lucario, Zoroark unconsciously walked over, while Liepard and Zoroark''s parents also noticed their daughter''s unusual behavior, simultaneously spotting Lucario.


    Seeing his daughter being captivated by an unknown boy, father Liepard almost lost his cool, but just as he was about to call out to Zoroark, Zoroark''s mother stopped him.


    "Don''t make a fuss!" Zoroark said, dragging her visibly displeased husband away. She was indeed an understanding and sensible mother.


    With her parents gone, sister Liepard looked at her sister from a distance, walking over proudly with her head held high: "Hmph! I''m going to find a partner who is both handsome and strong in the future."


    Zoroark quietly sat nearby, waiting for Lucario and Gade''s sparring session to conclude.


    Gade had learned a healing move called Heal Pulse from Nana, so after their sparring, it gave Lucario a quick treatment. However, since its mastery of Heal Pulse wasn''t very proficient, Gade suggested that Lucario seek out Miltank or Blissey for a more thorough check afterward.


    Lucario humbly epted Gade''s advice, but since it had just arrived, it didn''t know how to find a Blissey or Miltank.


    Before Gade could offer directions, Zoroark volunteered to guide Lucario herself.


    Thus, Zoroark helped Lucario to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, leaving Gade with a thoughtful expression.


    "Thank you," Lucario said to Zoroark as they made their way to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark.


    "No need to thank me," Zoroark replied shyly.


    Anyone with a discerning eye could easily see the expression on Zoroark''s face, but unfortunately, Lucario was too oblivious to pick up on it.


    "Do you want to spar with me too?" Lucario asked Zoroark. It assumed that her eagerness to help guide it was because she wanted to have a spar once it was healed.


    Upon hearing Lucario''s words, Zoroark was momentarily stunned: "Who would want to spar with you? I just find you attractive!"


    And thus, the long journey of love began for Zoroark and Lucario.


    Yuga stayed at Professor Sycamore''s house for another night, and early the next morning, he bid farewell and prepared to head to Geosenge Town.


    Geosenge Town is very close to Shalour City. Riding Absol, Yuga galloped and reached his destination in just one morning.


    Geosenge Town got its name from the jagged rocks outside the town.


    It is said that these bizarre stones are remnants of ancient ruins and possess incredible powers, but no one can clearly exin what special qualities they might have.


    Upon entering Geosenge Town, Yuga immediately spotted those strange rocks.


    In fact, the Pok��mon world has many such stones left from ancient ruins, like Oldale Town in Hoenn, but Geosenge Town has an especiallyrge number of them, and the giant stone in the center is particrly striking and draws attention.


    "Whoa..." I feel like there''s something over there...


    Floette suddenly popped out of Yuga''s backpack and said, staring intently at the stone forest.


    "What is it?" Yuga instinctively asked.


    "Maybe AZ is over there!" Floette replied uncertainly.


    Yuga felt puzzled at this: Could it be that Floette and AZ have formed a bond that allows them to sense each other? However, the truth is that Floette''s rtionship with AZ is far moreplex than mere intuition.


    It was Floette who was revived by the ultimate weapon and yed a crucial role in its activation, thus granting Floette eternal life. But what about AZ? How did AZ achieve immortality?

 Chapter 1092: Encirclement of Geosenge Town

    <h4>Chapter 1092: Encirclement of Geosenge Town</h4>


    The ability of Floette is Symbiosis, and at the moment it was resurrected by the ultimate weapon, its Symbiosis ability underwent a mutation.


    Through its bond with AZ, the mutated Symbiosis ability of Floette acted upon AZ, allowing them to share life from that moment on, granting AZ immortality.


    Therefore, at this moment, Floette, getting closer to AZ, sensed its presence.


    From Floette''s reaction, Yuga spected that the ce where Team re was hiding AZ might be these piles of rocks outside Geosenge Town.


    "Absol, let''s go take a look," Yuga said to the Absol beneath him.


    "Absol!" Absol responded softly and started to run towards the rock piles.


    When they approached the rock piles, Yuga discovered that this ce seemed to have been developed into a tourist project. Although it didn''t look crowded now, the visiting facilities among the stones indicated that this ce must have been quite popr.


    Just as Yuga was about to enter on his Absol, he was stopped by a middle-aged man who was short and had a face full of stubble.


    "Sorry, dear guest, but we are currently closed for renovations and cannot allow entry," he said.


    Yuga responded in confusion, "I didn''t hear about any restrictions here; why is it suddenly closed?"


    The middle-aged man chuckled and said, "You must not have been to Geosenge Town for a few years, right? This ce has long been bought by me; it''s now private property.


    Two years ago, I transformed it into a tourist attraction, hoping to make a little money. However, recently some of the equipment has aged and needs maintenance, so it''s temporarily closed to the public.


    It''s quite messy here at the moment, and it really isn''t suitable for outsiders; if a guest identally gets hurt, that would be bad. I advise you to leave as soon as possible."


    Yuga nodded and replied, "I see; I won''t intrude then." After saying that, he unhesitatingly urged his Absol to leave the rock piles.


    After watching Yuga''s back for a while and confirming he had left, the bearded man turned around and walked back into the piles of rocks. However, before he went, a few Diggersby hopped out and began to move around, seemingly monitoring the surroundings.


    Once Yuga was out of the bearded man''s sight, he utilized Gengar''s invisibility ability to return to the vicinity of the rock piles. He looked at the stone door directly in front of the rock piles and quietly slipped in with Gengar, unnoticed by the patrolling Diggersby.


    Since Floette sensed something here, Yuga could not give up his investigation just because of this minor obstruction. Moreover, that bearded middle-aged man looked quite suspicious; he seemed very afraid of Yuga approaching the piles of rocks.


    If it was just a matter of maintaining old equipment, he wouldn''t have to be so tense around outsiders, almost like a forest full of soldiers.


    As Yuga stepped into the outskirts of the rock piles, he saw many workers busily hammering and repairing, just as the bearded man had said��they were indeed maintaining the facilities.


    However, as he ventured further inside, the situation changed. People in red uniforms were running around with all sorts of strange machines, seemingly busy with unknown tasks.


    The red uniforms were a symbol of Team re, and Yuga hadn''t expected to find a lead so soon after arriving in Geosenge Town.


    At that moment, the bearded man was talking to a woman with short purple hair.


    "Tell them to speed up; we can''t afford any dys. If someone elsees and identally stumbles in, it will be trouble!"


    "Understood, Lady Celosia! I''ll go urge them right away!" the bearded man said, bowing and nodding.


    "Make sure they are careful and follow the instructions strictly. If anything goes wrong due to mistakes, you''d better watch out," the woman referred to as ire said.


    "Yes, yes... I''ll keep an eye on them," the bearded man hurriedly turned and left.


    Based on the information from Malva, Yuga knew that Team re had five core members: Aliana, Bryony, Mable, Celosia, and Xerosic. The woman before him was likely Celosia.


    From his observations, Yuga noticed that everyone from Team re was busy around the ck giant rock in the center of the pile. What they were specifically doing was unclear to him.


    "Floette, Floette..." I can feel a tremendous energy hidden within that stone, a feeling so familiar...


    Floette''s voice suddenly echoed in Yuga''s mind.


    "There''s unknown energy within the giant rock?" Yuga suddenly seemed to realize something.


    Over there, ire walked around for a few circles, and Yuga suddenly noticed her walk alone to a square stone standing upright. Arge door suddenly cracked open in front of the stone, and she stepped inside.


    Just as the stone door was about to close, rational Gengar immediately grabbed Yuga and dashed in.


    Looking at the stone door closing behind him, Yuga gently patted his chest and exhaled a long breath, "Thank goodness you''re clever, Gengar."


    "Gengar!" Gengar scratched its cheek and let out a sillyugh, then quickly realized they were in enemy territory and hurriedly covered its mouth with its hand.


    Behind the stone door was a long corridor, with bright walls seemingly made of special ss. Yuga tiptoed inside, wary of disturbing the guards and rm systems around.


    After passing through the long corridor, Yuga and Gengar entered a research facilityparable to the underground caf�� in Lumiose City, and at a nce, they spotted AZ among the crowd.


    AZ''s towering height of nearly three meters was incredibly conspicuous, making it impossible for Yuga to miss him.


    At that moment, AZ seemed to be discussing something with the Team re members around him. Yuga was too far away to hear clearly, but he could see the person beside AZ nodding repeatedly while taking notes with a pen.


    It was evident that AZ held a core position in this research facility; not only did the others follow his instructionspletely, but their attitudes toward him were also very respectful.


    It seems that Lysandre haspletely persuaded AZ to help him create the ultimate weapon! Yuga spected in his mind.


    Just then, AZ seemed to sense something, suddenly turning his head in Yuga''s direction. However, after seeing nothing, he furrowed his brows tightly.


    The current AZ waspletely different from the image Yuga had seen in the Mirage Tower. His long, messy hair had been neatly trimmed, the beard on his face was gone, and his tattered clothing had been reced with new attire��he looked revitalized.


    The moment AZ nced over, Floette suddenly gripped Yuga''s shoulder tightly, feeling extremely tense.


    Floette had a vague connection with AZ, and AZ shared a simr connection with Floette.


    "Sir AZ, what''s wrong?" Celosia approached, noticing AZ''s unusual expression.


    AZ rxed his tightly furrowed brows and shook his head, saying, "It''s nothing." With that, he continued to focus on his work.


    Seeing that AZ hadn''t noticed anything, Yuga finally breathed a sigh of relief. He didn''t dare linger in the research facility, quickly following one of the Team re members who was leaving.


    Now that he had found AZ, he needed to prepare adequately before taking him away.


    After quietly leaving the rock piles, Yuga went to Geosenge Town. After finding a ce to stay, he dialed Mr. Ramos''s phone number.


    After contacting Mr. Ramos, Yuga quietly waited in Geosenge Town for two days. During this time, he didn''t stay idle; instead, he concealed his identity and explored the town.


    After careful observation, he discovered that aside from a few locals, there were many Team re members mixed in, making this ce effectively Team re''s headquarters.


    Two dayster, in Geosenge Town, Yuga secretly met with Siebold and Mr. Ramos, who hade here quietly.


    In the small hotel room, Yuga said to Siebold and Mr. Ramos, "This time, we''ll split into two groups. Siebold and I will go to the rock research facility, while Mr. Ramos will lead a team to capture all the Team re members hidden in Geosenge Town."


    Mr. Ramos replied, "Don''t worry about Geosenge Town; leave it to me. You two must bring AZ out."


    Yuga replied, "Are you sure you have enough people this time? If we can''t capture them all, it''s very likely that Lysandre in Lumiose City will be alerted."


    Siebold responded, "Don''t worry, the entire area around Geosenge Town has already been secured by our people; not even a single Team re Zubat can escape."


    "Then I can rest easy," Yuga said.


    Next, Yuga shared all the intelligence he had gathered in Geosenge Town with Mr. Ramos, and afterward, he and Siebold headed to the rock piles outside the town.


    Upon reaching the vicinity of the rock piles, Yuga said to Siebold, "I''ll go in first to see if I can persuade AZ to leave with us voluntarily. If I can manage that, you all can take action once I bring AZ out." With Floette by his side, Yuga felt that the chances of convincing AZ were quite high.


    If he couldn''t persuade AZ, then he would have to resort to force.


    His intuition told him that AZ was a very formidable person.


    Siebold nodded, saying, "You can go with peace of mind; our people are all around, so there won''t be any idents."


    Having established their n, Yuga once again snuck into the research facility with Gengar and Floette.


    The situation inside the research facility was simr to what Yuga had seen two days earlier; the Alliance''s encirclement hadn''t alerted the people inside the facility. However, when Yuga entered, he didn''t see AZ anywhere.


    After searching for a while, he finally spotted AZ in a concealed room, seemingly resting.


    Upon finding AZ, Yuga didn''t rush to reveal himself. Instead, he discovered a surveince camera in AZ''s room, indicating that AZ''s every move was being monitored.


    However, just as Yuga reached the door to the room, AZ suddenly opened his eyes and looked towards the entrance.


    "Mr. AZ," Yuga''s voice rang in AZ''s ears.


    "Who''s there?" AZ asked, warily ncing around, but he couldn''t see anything.


    "No need to look; you can''t see me," Yuga''s voice continued to echo in AZ''s ear.


    "What do you want?" AZ was not flustered; he knew that since Yuga had not shown himself, there must be something he wanted to discuss.


    "Let me introduce myself. I''m from the League. I''m here to stop you from creating the ultimate weapon, and I hope you''ll leave with me."


    AZ refused without hesitation, "I''m sorry, I can''t leave." Of course, he knew about the Pok��mon League, but he hadn''t expected them to find him so quickly or to have infiltrated the research facility so silently.


    Yuga asked, "Why? Do you know the devastation the ultimate weapon will cause once it''spleted?"


    AZ lowered his head and replied in a deep voice, "I know, but this is my promise."


    Seeing AZ''s resolute attitude, Yuga had no choice but to use his trump card.


    "Floette is with me. It''s begging you to leave with me. Would you refuse it as well?"


    "Floette?!" AZ''s voice shot up in surprise. He knew the room was being monitored, so he quickly calmed himself and asked, "Really? Floette is with you?"


    "Floette... Floette..."


    At that moment, Floette''s voice echoed in AZ''s ears.


    "Floette, is it really you?" Tears instantly welled up in AZ''s eyes.


    Noticing AZ''s emotional state, Yuga quickly reminded him, "Mr. AZ, please control your emotions. You''re being monitored right now."


    AZ, having lived for over three thousand years, quickly regained control of his nearly overwhelming emotions after Yuga''s reminder.


    "Mr. AZ, I want to know why you''re helping Team re build the ultimate weapon," Yuga asked, voicing the question that had been gnawing at him.


    Perhaps Floette''s presence had lowered AZ''s guard, for he began to exin the reason to Yuga.


    It turned out that over three thousand years ago, the ultimate weapon not only ended the war but also destroyed AZ''s own kingdom. At that time, AZ was the only one left alive from the entire kingdom, except for one person��his younger brother.


    Out of guilt, AZ had taken off his crown before leaving and left it with his brother, making a promise that if his brother or his descendants ever needed his help in the future, all they had to do was present the crown, and he would assist them unconditionally.


    Lysandre was a descendant of AZ''s brother, and he had that very crown in his possession.


    This was why AZ was not helping Lysandre willingly, and when he discovered Yuga''s presence, he did not alert Team re.


    "So, just for the sake of a promise made over three thousand years ago, you''re going to build the ultimate weapon?" Yuga asked in disbelief. Keeping promises was important, but one had to consider the circumstances.


    "So, are you determined to help Lysandre create the ultimate weapon?"


    Yuga''s words left AZ silent.


    "Floette... Floette..." At that moment, Floette patted Yuga on the shoulder, signaling for him to let it handle the situation.


    Having no other options, Yuga decided to give it a try and called out his Mismagius from the shadow space. Mismagius, with Floette in tow, slipped into AZ''s room, leaving the space for a private conversation between AZ and Floette .


    Over ten minutes passed, and though Yuga didn''t know what Floette had said to AZ, AZ finally agreed to leave with him. After their conversation, the atmosphere between AZ and Floette seemed strange, leaving Yuga reluctant to ask any questions.


    After convincing AZ, Yuga wanted to leave the research facility as quickly as possible, before anyone from Team re noticed. He nned to inform Siebold outside so they couldunch their attack.


    As they left the research facility, AZ passed by therge ck boulder in the middle of the rocky piles. Somehow, he manipted the boulder and extracted a transparent, arm-length cylindrical object from inside it. The object emitted a strange light.


    Handing the object to Yuga, AZ said, "Since the ultimate weapon can no longer be built, I''ll give this to you."


    "What is this?" Yuga asked curiously as he took it.


    AZ simply shook his head and said nothing.


    Next came the raid on the research facility. With Yuga and Siebold leading the charge, the operation went smoothly��no one escaped.


    However, there''s no such thing as a perfect secret. Despite how covertly Yuga and the others acted, Lysandre eventually found out.


    Two days after the raid on Geosenge Town, a small Team re grunt hurriedly entered Lysandre''s office. After whispering a few words in his ear, Lysandre''s expression drastically changed.


    "When did this happen?" Lysandre asked.


    "Two days ago, led by Siebold."


    Lysandre immediately stood up to leave, but just then, Diantha pushed open the door with her team. She raised an arrest warrant in her hand and dered:


    "Lysandre, you are under arrest."


    Before, there had been no evidence. But now, with the items seized from the research facility in Geosenge Town, they had enough to arrest Lysandre.

 Chapter 1093: Gift from Afar

    <h4>Chapter 1093: Gift from Afar</h4>


    Looking at the arrest warrant in Diantha''s hand, Lysandre remained calm. He looked at his friend across from him and asked, "I would like to know what the charges against me are?"


    Diantha looked at Lysandre with aplex expression and replied, "Don''t you know in your heart?"


    In fact,bining the news he had just heard about the research facility in Geosenge Town, Lysandre already knew why Diantha hade and understood that the League wouldn''t take action against him unless they had solid evidence.


    Thinking of this, he smiled slightly and said, "I didn''t expect that it would be youing to arrest me."


    Lysandre genuinely regarded Diantha as a friend. He wanted to create a new world because of the ugly side of this world, but he also admired the noble character of certain individuals, and Diantha was one of them.


    If he could take a group of people to survive in the new world, he would prefer to bring along people like Diantha rather than some members of Team re; such people have value in surviving.


    Some of Team re members were truly evil, following him merely to fulfill their own ambitions. However, he viewed them only as useful tools; if the new world truly came into being, he would not keep these people.


    But why had the research facility in Geosenge Town been exposed? He had been Geosenge for so many years; why had he suddenlye under siege by the League? Lysandre felt perplexed in his heart.


    "I didn''t expect you to have such thoughts either."


    In Diantha''s heart, Lysandre had always been an ambitious, idealistic, and caring person. Thanks to his Holo Caster, themunications industry had made tremendous progress, benefiting countless people. Every year, he would donate arge sum for charity, even personally visiting impoverished areas to offerfort.


    It was precisely because of this that she and Lysandre had be close friends who could talk about anything. Yet, this Lysandre, who seemed so noble, harbored thoughts of destroying the world and had acted on them.


    "I''m just purifying this world," Lysandre said candidly, knowing that Diantha couldn''t understand his thoughts.


    After speaking, he released a Honchkrow, stating, "I don''t want to conflict with you, nor do I intend to surrender quietly."


    The Honchkrow unleashed a wave of darkness, shattering the office windows and carrying Lysandre out into the air. However, the building had long been surrounded by the League''s forces. As soon as Lysandre flew out, he saw Jenny with Arcanine on the ground and the police riding Flying-type Pok��mon in the air.


    Seeing this, Diantha released her Gardevoir, which carried her out of the window in pursuit.


    Just as Lysandre was about tomand his Honchkrow to leave, the police surrounding him in the airunched their attack, forcing him tond on the rooftop of the building.


    Diantha, who had followed closely behind,nded on the rooftop alongside Gardevoir. She advised Lysandre, "You can''t escape; stop making futile struggles."


    Lysandre replied, "How would I know unless I try? We''ve known each other for so long, and we''ve never actually fought! Let me test the Champion''s strength today."


    After saying this, two more Pok��mon appeared beside him: a Pyroar and a Gyarados.


    After signaling for the others not to intervene, Diantha also summoned two Pok��mon: a Goodra and a Tyrantrum.


    "Honchkrow, Dark Pulse! Pyroar, methrower! Gyarados, Aqua Tail!"


    With Lysandre''smand, Honchkrow, Pyroar, and Gyarados immediatelyunched their attacks against Diantha without holding back in the slightest.


    Seeing this, Diantha called out, "Gardevoir, Goodra, Tyrantrum, counterattack!"


    Goodra unleashed a Dragon Pulse to counter Honchkrow''s Dark Pulse, while Gardevoir used Moonst to deflect Pyroar''s methrower, and Tyrantrum employed Iron Tail to stop Gyarados''s Aqua Tail.


    The six attacks collided, resulting in a massive energy explosion that created clouds of smoke. Before the smoke had dissipated, a dark figure surged out, heading straight for Gardevoir, its ck wings sharp as des.


    Fortunately, Goodra reacted quickly. Its two strong antennae caught Honchkrow before it could strike Gardevoir and flung it away. Honchkrow tumbled through the air several times before stabilizing itself.


    However, just as Goodra had thrown Honchkrow away, Pyroar lunged forward, using Fire Fang to bite down hard on it. Goodra was pushed back instinctively by Pyroar''s assault.


    As Gardevoir regained herposure, she quickly used her psychic power tounch a Psychic attack, sending Pyroar crashing into Gyarados, which was nearby.


    Gyarados was currently shing with Tyrantrum''s Iron Tail using its Aqua Tail. When Pyroar crashed into it, Gyarados''s massive body was involuntarily pushed aside. Taking advantage of the opening, Tyrantrum struck with Thunder Fang, biting down fiercely on Gyarados''s tail.


    Tyrantrum''s ability, Strong Jaw, enhanced biting moves, andbined with the Electric-type attack being four times effective against Gyarados, this bite caused significant damage, and Gyarados''s anguished cries echoed through the streets of Lumiose City .


    Seeing this scene, Lysandre took out a Keystone and shouted at Gyarados, "Gyarados, Mega Evolve!"


    A rainbow of light connected the Mega Stone on Gyarados with the Keystone in Lysandre''s hand, causing Gyarados''s form to undergo a tremendous change in the brilliance.


    After Mega Evolution, Gyarados became even more ferocious, and its typing changed from Water/Flying to Water/Dark, reducing the effectiveness of Electric-type moves against it from four times to two times.


    As soon as the evolution ended, Mega Gyarados swung its tail at the nearest Tyrantrum.


    Compared to its pre-Mega form, Mega Gyarados''s power level rose significantly; Tyrantrum''s hefty body was sent crashing down towards the ground. Fortunately, Gardevoir managed to catch it with her psychic power just in time; otherwise, falling from dozens of stories would have turned Tyrantrum into a puddle of meat.


    Just as Gardevoir was supporting Tyrantrum, Honchkrowunched another Dark Attack. At that moment, Goodra was being restrained by Pyroar and couldn''t provide assistance, forcing Gardevoir to use Teleport in haste.


    However, because the psychic power applied to Tyrantrum couldn''t all be retracted in time, Gardevoir was a beat slow while using Teleport and was still grazed by Honchkrow''s Dark Attack.


    Seeing Gardevoir injured while saving itself, Tyrantrum furiously retaliated by using Rock Slide against Honchkrow. Countless massive boulders fell down, and Honchkrow had no chance to evade, getting buried under the pile of stones.


    This Honchkrow was nowhere near as strong as Gyarados. Even after taking a hit from a move that was four times effective against it, it couldn''t hold up; being a fragile Pok��mon, it was crushed by Tyrantrum''s Rock Slide and couldn''t rise again.


    Seeing his Honchkrow fall, Lysandre had to admit that his strength still fell shortpared to Champion Diantha.


    On the other side, Mega Gyarados freed its hands and lunged towards Gardevoir with Crunch. This time, Gardevoir was alert enough to Teleport away directly.


    However, the energy cost of using Teleport was too high, and Gardevoir felt that she couldn''t keep dodging like this. She turned to Diantha, who nodded knowingly at her, then took a ne embedded with a Keystone from her neck.


    "Gardevoir, Mega Evolve!"


    A sh of rainbow light appeared, and Gardevoir transformed dramatically into the true Psychic Queen, with significant boosts to both her special attack and speed. She floated into the air, waving her hands to shoot out countless Leaf Storms, all urately hitting Gyarados''s ferocious face.


    Without its Flying type, Mega Gyarados became weak to Grass-type moves. After being hit by so many Leaf Storms at once, it roared in anger and swung its tail, using Aqua Tail tosh out at Mega Gardevoir.


    A colossal tail formed from a blue water column struck Mega Gardevoir down from the sky, shrouding the area in a mist of water vapor that obscured her form.


    When the water mist dissipated, Mega Gardevoir stood expressionless in ce, unharmed and surrounded by a protective green energy shield.


    It was the protective ability that saved Mega Gardevoir.


    As the green energy shield slowly dissipated, Mega Gardevoir raised her right hand, and a flurry of green leaves began to gather around her, quickly forming a tornado.


    "Gardevoir!!!"


    With a gentle call, Mega Gardevoir controlled the Leaf Tornado and hurled it toward Mega Gyarados, which was instantly engulfed by countless de-like green leaves.


    When the Leaf Tornado vanished, Mega Gyarados was left unconscious.


    With Mega Gyarados out of the way, Lysandre''s remaining Pyroar was defeated by thebined efforts of Mega Gardevoir and Goodra.


    In terms of strength, Lysandre''s Pyroar was even stronger than pre-Mega Gyarados. If it weren''t for Goodra''s exceptionally high special defense and the fact that Pyroar was an attacking Pok��mon, it might not have been able to hold its ground against a typical Pok��mon.


    Meanwhile, Diantha sessfully captured Lysandre, and Yuga''s assault on Lysandre''s research facility beneath the caf�� in Lumiose City was also nearing its end.


    Indeed, while Diantha was apprehending Lysandre, Yuga had also led a team to surround Lysandre''s research facility.


    After the events in Geosenge Town concluded, Yuga handed over subsequent matters to Siebold and Mr. Ramos and rushed back to Lumiose City.


    During this operation against Lysandre''s research facility, Clemont, as the Gym Leader of Lumiose City, also participated, causing his research on Sunflora''s generator to be interrupted.


    The higher-ups of the Kalos League were stunned to learn that there was a Lysandre research facility beneath the caf�� in Lumiose City, a central city in the Kalos region.


    If it weren''t for Malva acting as an "insider" to ry information, it would have been quite difficult for Yuga to find this research facility.


    Speaking of Malva, to avoid the series of operations targeting Lysandre, she had proactively applied for a mission and left the Kalos region.


    Yuga only learned about this when he met Diantha after returning to Lumiose City ; he had even asked Malva for help monitoring Emma, realizing she was quite the cunning woman.


    However, Yuga wasn''t one to burn bridges; since Malva had provided him with sufficient intelligence, he wouldn''t disclose her connections to Lysandre.


    As for whether the re Team would expose her, that was no longer a concern for him.


    However, looking at Malva''s fearless demeanor, she seemedpletely unconcerned about the matter.


    The assault on Lysandre''s research facility was going very smoothly, mainly because Yuga and his teamunched their operation so suddenly that the enemy was caughtpletely off guard.


    There were still some strong trainers at Lysandre''s research facility, with two being Elite-level trainers. However, for Yuga, Elite-level trainers were not a significant threat.


    Yet, during the siege, an unexpected incident urred. When Yuga and his team attacked the research facility, someone had already entered before them, and this person was someone Yuga knew.


    This person was Looker.


    He had infiltrated the research facility to find Emma, and fortunately, he had just gotten inside and hadn''t attracted the attention of the re Team within the facility. Otherwise, it would have been disastrous, as they might have alerted the enemy.


    Yuga didn''t ask Looker how he learned about the research facility''s location; he felt that was something the Kalos League could handle, including matters concerning Emma.


    Although Emma had transformed into Essentia due to hypnosis, how to deal with her would depend on the League''s decision.


    The reason Emma left Looker was that she felt uneasy about her long-term dependence on him without being able to assist him, so she wanted to find a job within her capability.


    However, she ended up being tricked by Xerosic into Lysandre''s research facility.


    After the siege of Lysandre''s research facility concluded, Yuga discovered that they had only captured three out of the five scientists from the re Team. Besides Celosia from Geosenge Town, they captured Xerosic and Aliana from Lysandre''s research facility, while Bryony and Mable were still missing.


    Thus, the Kalos League immediately issued warrants for the two missing scientists.


    The next few days were spent on follow-up work, as it was impossible to capture all members of the re Team at once; there were still plenty of underlings fleeing.


    As for what would happen to Lysandre after his capture, Yuga didn''t concern himself with that; it wasn''t his ce to worry.


    On the second day after the siege, AZ was taken from Geosenge Town to Lumiose City, where he would be handed over to the Kalos League along with Florett��.


    Later, Yuga learned from Diantha that AZ had been recruited by the Kalos League and had joined with Florett��, making Kalos the fifth region to have a Master-level trainer after Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova.


    Yuga''s initial intuition was correct; besides Florett��, AZ had a Golurk apanying him.


    This Golurk was terrifying, having lived alongside AZ for at least a thousand years. It was thanks to this Golurk that AZ was able to stop the conflict between Darkrai and Cresselia back in the day.


    AZ''s status as a Master-level trainer was somewhat inted, as he had no other Pok��mon than Golurk and Florett��.


    He was not a traditional trainer; he didn''t understand what being a trainer meant, especially since there was no concept of trainers in his era. The strength of his Golurk was solely due to the umtion of time.


    If he were to cultivate a Master-level Pok��mon of his own, he would likely not measure up to any other Master-level trainer.


    However, AZ''s joining the Kalos League came with a condition; he hoped the League would not execute Lysandre, as he was the only descendant of his brother.


    The League agreed to AZ''s request and sentenced Lysandre to life imprisonment.


    After resolving the issue with Lysandre, Yuga nned to address the request concerning Aegish, which was the second purpose of his trip to Kalos.


    However, before that, he received a gift sent from Al.

 Chapter 1094: Shadows Under The Moon

    <h4>Chapter 1094: Shadows Under The Moon</h4>


    This gift was a token of gratitude to Yuga, and through it, Yuga learned that Ruri and Amber were the granddaughters of Professor Oak''s cousin��Samson Oak. To thank Yuga for saving Ruri, Amber, and Gary in the Petalburg Woods, Principal Oak sent him a gift. Upon learning that Yuga was in Kalos at the time, he sent the gift directly there.


    The gift consisted of two red-and-white Pok�� Balls. When the Pok�� Balls were opened, two snow-white Vulpix appeared before Yuga.


    However, the moment the Vulpix appeared, Yuga heard a voice from the system in his mind.


    ...


    [ Congrattions, host, for triggering a new mission: The Final Sub-Ecopark. ]


    [ Exnation: Thanks to your tireless efforts, your Pok��mon Day Care has gained a small reputation, and now you''re finally about to gather all the sub-Ecopark. Keep up the good work! ]


    [ Requirements: Capture more than 10 high-potential (green or higher) Ice-type Pok��mon. ]


    [ Reward: The right to unlock the Ice Mountain Sub-Ecopark. ]


    ...


    After reading the system''s task, Yuga was a bit surprised. He hadn''t expected the next sub-Ecopark to be thest one. What changes will ur in the system after the main sub-Ecopark missions arepleted?


    As he thought about this, Yuga couldn''t help but feel a little excited.


    After understanding the new system task, Yuga turned his attention to the two Vulpix in front of him. At that moment, the two Vulpix were curiously staring at Yuga with their amber-clear eyes, filled with confusion. What was this person suddenly daydreaming about? Was there something wrong with his brain?


    Suspected of having a problem by the Vulpix, Yuga activated his <<insight>> skill. </insight>


    ...


    [ Vulpix ]


    Type: Ice


    Ability: Snow Cloak


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 24


    Moves: Powder Snow, Baby-Doll Eyes, Ice Shard, Freeze-Dry, Role y.


    ...


    [ Vulpix ]


    Type: Ice


    Ability: Snow Cloak


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 20


    Moves: Powder Snow, Baby-Doll Eyes, Haze, Icy Wind, Moonst.


    ...


    After checking the data of the two Pok��mon, Yuga couldn''t help but be impressed by Principal Oak''s generosity. A pair of blue-potential Pok��mon, and rare Ice-type Vulpix at that!


    Since they are a variant of the Fire-type Vulpix, Ice Vulpix are much rarer, currently only found in the Al region.


    "Vulpix!"


    The two Vulpix softly called out, noticing Yuga was daydreaming again, and sessfully pulled his attention back.


    Snapping back to reality, Yuga was immediately captivated by the cuteness of the two little creatures. He stretched out his hands, gently patting their heads. The little ones didn''t shy away and affectionately rubbed against his palms in return.


    Seeing how adorable the little ones were, Yuga took out the Brisk Pok��blocks he had prepared for Lapras, and the two little Vulpix were immediately drawn to the treat.


    Watching the Vulpix feast, Yuga thought to himself: in order to provide afortable environment for these two little ones, he''d need to quickly capture the Ice-type Pok��mon required by the system.


    However, he remembered that there were already some Ice-types Pokemon in the Ecopark, like Cloyster, Dewgong, and Lapras. He wondered if they could count towards the mission''s goal.


    Thinking this, Yuga asked the system, only to be promptly rejected... Clearly, there was no shortcut here.


    On the same day Yuga received the Vulpix, he left Lumiose City. Since Lysandre had been captured, there was no longer a need to move in secrecy, and he could now walk openly across the Kalos region.


    Before leaving Lumiose City, Yuga sent his Grass-type Pok��mon and Florges back to the YoYo Day Care. In exchange, his home-staying Pok��mon like Bagon, Kartana, and Abomasnow were sent over.


    The two Vulpix were also sent back in advance. Although the Ice Mountain Sub-Ecopark hadn''t been unlocked yet, it would give them a chance to adapt to life in the Ecopark.


    Yuga''s destination this time was the Santalune teau, located in the eastern part of the Kalos continent, where he would help Aegish find its original owner''s tomb.


    Unlike the Hoenn region, Kalos had diverse climates and terrains. To the north and west, there were warm coastal areas; the south was covered in vast forests and mountains, while the northeast and southeast featured teaus and swamps.


    The Santalune teau, thergest in the northeast of Kalos, was where Ogata''s friend had taken Aegish from.


    It was a cold, high-altitude region that connected many undeveloped areas of the Kalos continent.


    Though vast, only a small portion of Kalos region had been developed and used by humans, mostly concentrated in the northern part of the continent. Large areas in the northeast, south, and southeast were still beyond human reach.


    In a narrow sense, the Kalos region referred only to the parts already developed by humans. When Yuga and his friends mentioned Coumarine City being on the northern coast of Kalos, it was rtive to this narrow definition. In reality, Coumarine City was in the northwest of the entire Kalos continent.


    The Santalune teau''s northeastern location was also rtive to this narrow definition of Kalos.


    The nearest human settlement to the Santalune teau was Snowbreeze Town. Due to its proximity to the cold teau, it was constantly swept by cold winds.


    However, thanks to the abundant wind energy, Snowbreeze Town had developed a unique form of agriculture powered by wind.


    Though not too far from Lumiose City, as soon as Yuga''s train entered Snowbreeze Town''s territory, the climate drastically changed, with the temperature dropping significantly. This was quite ufortable for Yuga, who had spent much of his life in the warm Hoenn region.


    Reluctantly, Yuga pulled on a thick coat, and even the Bagon in his arms started shivering.


    Bagon''s body has been growing rapidly, entering a stage of elerated development. A side effect of this rapid growth is bone-rted growing pains.


    After a diagnosis by Joyka, she rmended that Yuga supplement Bagon''s calcium intake. For Pok��mon like Bagon, which have an abundance of bones, timely calcium supplementation is crucial. It bes especially important during the evolution to Shelgon, where ample calcium intake ys a key role.


    In addition to prescribing special calcium tablets for Bagon, Joyka also taught Yuga a special massage technique. The right massage can help alleviate Bagon''s growing pains and promote healthy bone development.


    "Bagon..."


    After a round of massage, Bagon let out a contented sigh, feeling sofortable that even the coldness in its body seemed to dissipate.


    Once the massage was done, Yuga gave Bagon a specially formted calcium tablet from Joyka, along with a Dragon Bone Pokeblock.


    The Dragon Bone Pokeblock is named as such because its primary ingredients are bones and scales from Dragon-type Pok��mon. These are highly beneficial for the growth and development of Dragon-types, helping toy a strong foundation when consumed from a young age.


    However, materials like dragon bones and dragon scales are not easy toe by, so the Dragon Bone Pokeblock is the rarest and most expensive of all the Pok��blocks produced at YoYo Day Care.


    The quality of Dragon Bone Pok��blocks varies depending on the type of bones and scales used. Currently, the Pokeblock that YoYo Day Care distributes to the market are made from the bones and scales of pseudo Dragon-type Pok��mon.


    These so-called pseudo Dragon-type Pok��mon aren''t true Dragon-types, but Pok��mon with Dragon lineage, such as Arbok, Seviper, and Szzle. The term "pseudo Dragon-types" is simply a more appealingbel.


    While real Dragon-type bones and scales are hard toe by inrge quantities, pseudo Dragon-type Pokemon materials are more readily avable.


    In certain ces, Arbok or Seviper are raised inrge numbers, and their shed skin is highly valued for medicinal purposes, fetching high prices at pharmacies.


    YoYo Day Care primarily sources these snake skins from Arbok and Seviper, while any pure-blooded Dragon-type materials they asionally receive are kept for internal use.


    However, the Dragon Bone Pok��blocks that Yuga feeds Bagon are made by Yuga himself, and he adds a small amount of Rayquaza blood to them. After extensive experimentation, he finally felt confident enough to offer the finished product to Bagon. He carefully regtes the amount of dragon blood included in the Pok��blocks to ensure it is safe.


    Bagon was still very young, so Yuga only added a single drop of Rayquaza''s blood to each batch of Pok��blocks. This ensured that Bagon could fully absorb it without causing any harm to its body.


    As for the Rayquaza scales, Yuga nned to use them to make Pok��blocks for Bagon once it evolved into Shelgon. For now, the dragon blood wouldst Bagon for a long time.


    Shelgon is the transitional stage in Bagon''s evolution into Smence, and during this period, energy umtion is the most important factor. The more energy it stores, the stronger the foundation Smence will have after evolution.


    Pseudo-legendary Pok��mon like Bagon are powerful but extremely expensive to raise. Without the Rayquaza blood and scales Yuga had collected earlier, he would have had to scour the world for high-quality dragon bones and scales to feed it.


    Dragonite had the support of its Dragonite mother''s savings, asionally getting special treatment that saved Yuga a lot of trouble. But now, with Bagon, everything rested entirely on him.


    It wasn''t just about money��Yuga had plenty of that now��but some materials couldn''t simply be bought with money. The higher the quality of dragon bones and scales, the harder they were to find.


    After half a day on the train, Yuga finally arrived in Snowbreeze Town. With Bagon keeping himpany, the journey wasn''t boring at all.


    The first thing Yuga did upon arriving in Snowbreeze Town was to buy plenty of warm clothing at a clothing store. He could already foresee how unbearable the temperatures would be once he reached the Santalune teau.


    Having lived in Hoenn for so long, Yuga wasn''t used to the cold and found this low-temperature weather ufortable. Even in winter, Hoenn never got too cold, and snow was rare.


    Yuga didn''t stay long in Snowbreeze Town. After stocking up on enough clothing and food, he headed straight for the Santalune teau.


    The first obstacle Yuga had to pass through upon entering the Santalune teau was the Frost Cavern.


    Despite its name, the Frost Cavern isn''t a true cave but rather a wind tunnel formed by the cold winds blowing down from the Santalune teau.


    Although Yuga had mentally prepared himself, when he arrived at the cavern entrance, dressed in thick snow gear and riding on Absol, he was still taken aback by the fierce winds and the heavy snowfall swirling around him likerge feathers.


    This scene reminded Yuga of the snowy peaks of Mt. Cor in Sinnoh!


    At that moment, Yuga had already recalled Bagon into its Pok��ball. In such extreme weather, he was worried that Bagon might identally get frostbitten��Dragon-type Pok��mon aren''t known for their resistance to the cold.


    With Bagon safely stored away, Aegish appeared at Yuga''s side.


    Noticing Yuga''s cheeks turning red from the cold and his eyes struggling against the wind, Aegish''s body glowed with a faint purple light. A protective shield of psychic energy appeared, enveloping both Yuga and Absol, shielding them from the harsh elements.


    As the wind and snow were blocked outside the barrier, Yuga rubbed his numb cheeks and said, "Thank you," to Aegish. Aegish gave no reaction, merely floating silently above him.


    With Aegish''s protection, Yuga was no longer troubled by the storm, and his pace quickened considerably. For a Pok��mon as powerful as Aegish, keeping the wind and snow at bay was an easy task.


    It was unclear how long they had been traveling, but the snowstorm showed no signs of letting up. Along the way, Yuga asionally spotted some Ice-type Pok��mon huddling in caves. Even for Ice-types, going out in such harsh weather wasn''t appealing.


    Each time Yuga encountered a Pok��mon, he would use his Insight skill to check if any could be a suitable target for his task. Unfortunately, he didn''t find any.


    It was unclear if it was due to the snowstorm or if Ice-type Pok��mon were naturally scarce along the wind tunnel of the Frost Cavern, but Yuga saw far fewer Ice-types than he had expected. The variety was also very limited, with most of them being Snover and Abomasnow, and asionally a few Swinub.


    Abomasnow are solitary Pok��mon, usually seen with at most one Snover nearby, whereas Swinub tend to gather in small groups of three to five. Unlike the individually strong Abomasnow, the Swinub survive only by sticking together.


    As night began to fall, Yuga still hadn''t made it out of the Frost Cavern. The snowstorm made traveling slow, so he decided to find a ce to spend the night.


    Fortunately, there were many caves around the Frost Cavern, and Yuga quickly found a spacious one,rge enough for even Absol''s massive frame to easily enter.


    When Yuga entered the cave, there were already a few Pok��mon inside��Swinub, Snover, and Snorunt. As soon as they saw Yuga and Absol, they huddled together, trembling, especially frightened by the intimidating aura surrounding Absol.


    However, Yuga didn''t bother them. He found a spot for himself, lit a fire, and sat down with Absol to warm themselves. Even though Aegish had protected them, Absol''s fur was still wet from traveling for so long.


    The Ice-type Pok��mon, seeing that Yuga and Absol had no intention of harming them, gradually rxed. However, they didn''t like the fire, so they didn''te near Yuga, though they did stare longingly at his food when he brought it out, practically drooling.


    Noticing their small number, Yuga decided to share one Pokeblock with each of them.


    Pok��blocks are highly nutritious, and just one is enough to satisfy hunger.


    When night fully set in, the snowstorm finally showed signs of subsiding. By midnight, the storm hadpletely stopped.


    After the storm passed, the surroundings became eerily quiet��so quiet that Yuga found it difficult to fall asleep.


    Listening to the soft snores of the Swinub in the cave, Yugay awake.


    While trying to lull himself to sleep by counting Mareep over and over, the Abomasnow he had stationed at the entrance suddenly stirred.


    Yuga had ced Abomasnow at the entrance to block the wind and snow from blowing inside. For an Ice-type Pok��mon like Abomasnow, the chill was perfectly tolerable.


    Unexpectedly, after the storm stopped, Abomasnow alerted Yuga to something in the middle of the night.


    Yuga walked to the entrance, and Abomasnow shifted slightly to give him a clear view of what was happening outside.


    After the storm had ceased, a cold silver moon hung in the sky. Its bright light, reflected off the snow-covered ground, made the night glow even more.


    In the moonlight, Yuga saw several dark figures swiftly darting across the snow.

 Chapter 1095: Stoutland And Furfrou

    <h4>Chapter 1095: Stound And Furfrou</h4>


    Yuga calmly observed the fast-moving shadows. They moved with such lightness that, even in the stillness of the night, they made no sound at all.


    "Sneasel!"


    The sudden cry gave Yuga the identity of the unknown visitors�� a group of Sneasel.


    This cry also served as a signal, and soon after, Yuga heard faint rustling sounds all around him. The hidden Sneasel began to reveal themselves from the snowbanks, closing in on the cave entrance where Yuga and hispanions were.


    With the barriers gone, Yuga finally got a clear look at the Sneasel. Their small bodies crouched low against the snowy ground, the bright moonlight starkly illuminating their ck fur.


    In contrast, Abomasnow''s body blended perfectly with the white snow and moonlight, so much so that the Sneaseldid didn''t notice it standing guard at the cave entrance.


    "Sneasel!"


    Another sharp, urgent cry rang out, signaling the Sneasel to attack. Like arrows, they darted toward the cave entrance, their feet making a scratching sound on the snow as they closed in.


    "Abomasnow!!"


    Just as they were about to leap into the cave, Abomasnow let out a furious roar, sweeping its massive arms in an arc. Every Sneasel near the entrance was sent flying, their sharp cries of pain echoing through the air.


    The Ice-type Pok��mon inside the cave were already light sleepers, and the Sneasel''s screams instantly woke them up. Living as the underdogs in the Frost Cavern, this heightened alertness was a skill they had honed to survive.


    They knew exactly what Pok��mon was making those noises outside��it was the Sneasel, the local bullies.


    These Sneasel were not originally from Frost Cavern. One day, they appeared and began using their numbers to steal food from the other Pok��mon. Those who were weaker, with little means of self-defense, became their main targets.


    Food was already scarce in the Frost Cavern and life had been tough for everyone. But since the Sneasel arrived, things had gotten even harder, and sometimes the other Pok��mon would go a whole day without finding anything to eat.


    The Ice-types in the cave huddled together in pairs, trembling with fear. They had no idea what was happening outside or why the Sneasel were shrieking in pain.


    Sneasel are incredibly tenacious and cunning creatures. Once they lock onto a target, they will pursue it relentlessly, even if it takes days or nights. But the moment they sense their prey is beyond their ability to handle, they retreat without hesitation.


    At first, the Sneasel were incredibly fierce, and after Abomasnow''s attack, they all rushed forward, ws shing, showing no signs of fear.


    Abomasnow was amon sight in Frost Cavern, and the Sneasel, emboldened by their numbers, had attacked Abomasnow before.


    Although Abomasnow preferred to live alone and had significant individual strength, even they had to avoid confrontations with the Sneasel, who thrived on ganging up against others.


    The Sneasel had grown confident after sessfully bullying Abomasnow multiple times, so even though Yuga''s Abomasnow was muchrger than usual, they charged with the same arrogance.


    "Abomasnow! Abomasnow! Abomasnow!"


    Furious at the Sneasel''s audacity, Abomasnow used the Wood Hammer move, transforming its arms into giant hammers. Instantly, the night sky was lit up with a green glow.


    "Sneasel!"


    "Sneasel!"


    "Sneasel!"


    ...


    Screams echoed once again as the Sneasel were sent flying across the snow by the Wood Hammer. As soon as they scrambled to their feet, they shrieked and quickly distanced themselves from Abomasnow.


    They had met their match today!


    The Sneasel leader decisively issued a retreat signal.


    Yuga noticed the Sneasel were about to flee, but he didn''t stop them. After all, he only intended to stay here for one night, so there was no need to pursue them.


    Although Yuga needed to capture Ice-type Pok��mon toplete his system task, these Sneasel were neither skilled nor have good potential, with only a few of them possessing yellow potential, which didn''t impress him.


    However, amidst the chaos, Yuga didmand Abomasnow to capture one of the yellow-potential Sneasel. He wanted to find out why the Sneasel had attacked.


    He didn''t recall ever being targeted by Sneasel before, and the small, impoverished Pok��mon in the cave had no reason to be hunted. After all, Sneasel doesn''t chase prey unless they''re sure of a good reward.


    Yuga pulled out a shlight from his backpack and turned it on, the blinding beam shining directly on the captured Sneasel''s face. The Sneasel quickly shielded its eyes with its ws, feeling like it was about to go blind.


    What a demon!


    Sneasel, by nature, feared and hated bright light.


    Looking at the Sneasel gripped effortlessly in Abomasnow''s hand, Yuga thought the creature was far too skinny��probably didn''t even have a decent amount of meat on it.


    It seemed life wasn''t easy for the Sneasel either, Yuga mused silently.


    Sensing the danger, the captured Sneasel quickly spilled everything Yuga wanted to know.


    It turned out that they had an informant.


    When Yuga handed out Pok��blocks to the Ice-type Pok��mon in the cave earlier, there was a Delibird among them. That Delibird was actually an informant for the Sneasel!


    Yuga remembered the Delibird. When it left the cave earlier, he thought it simply didn''t want to stay in the cave anymore. Little did he know that it was running off to inform the Sneasel.


    Once the Sneasel learned that Yuga had plenty of food, they gathered in groups and came under the cover of night.


    From the captured Sneasel, Yuga also learned about the origin of their group.


    Originally, they were a tribe living on the Santalune teau, where they had their own territory with plenty of food. But one day, a group of Beartic appeared and drove them out. The Beartic were far stronger than the Sneasel tribe and ruthlessly took over theirnd. With nowhere else to go, the Sneasel were forced to leave the Santalune teau and found their way to Frost Cavern.


    However, the environment in Frost Cavern was far harsher than the Santalune teau. After just a few days, the Sneasel were starving, so they began raiding other Pok��mon for food.


    Even though they went out to loot daily, there were too many of them, and there was still not enough food. That''s why they had be so skinny.


    Upon learning that the Sneasel came from the Santalune teau, Yuga had an idea. Didn''t he need a guide? The Santalune teau was vast, and having a local guide could save him a lot of trouble.


    Besides, he was quite interested in the Beartic tribe. Maybe one of his mission targets was among them.


    As for the Beartic taking over the Sneasel''s territory, that was none of his business. Such things happened every day in nature; it was survival of the fittest.


    When Yuga asked the Sneasel to act as his guide, it agreed without hesitation, especially after Yuga promised that all its meals would be covered while it served as a guide.


    Compared to having a full belly every day, nothing else mattered.


    Seeing how cooperative the Sneasel was, Yuga immediately gave it a Pok��blocks as a reward for joining. The Sneasel eagerly tossed the Pokeblock into its mouth and let out a satisfied burp.


    After eating its fill, the Sneasel''s body gradually warmed up. It had been so long since it had a full meal, and the feeling of being full was simply wonderful.


    The night passed in the blink of an eye.


    As soon as the sun rose the next day, Yuga mounted Absol and set off for the Santalune teau, with Sneasel leading the way.


    All ofst night''s wind and snow had vanished without a trace. The orange light of the morning sun bathed the snow-coverednds of Frost Cavern, creating a breathtaking visual spectacle.


    With the snowstorm gone, the Pok��mon who had been hiding indoors starteding out to forage. The Sneasel group from the previous night did not show up again, and the Sneasel waspletely unconcerned that itspanions hadn''te to rescue it.


    In a wild Pok��mon tribe, this sort of thing was normal. They wouldn''t risk the safety of the whole group for one member.


    It simply meant Yuga''s strength was too overwhelming for them!


    Without the hindrance of the snowstorm, Yuga''s group made swift progress, and three hourster, they finally exited Frost Cavern and set foot on thend of the Santalune teau.


    The Santalune teau stretched endlessly into the distance. In stark contrast to the snow-coverednds of Frost Cavern, this ce presented a different scene. There was no howling wind, no endless snowfall, only vast stretches of yellowed grasnd.


    Only the distant mountains still bore a trace of white snow.


    Seeing thisndscape, Yuga couldn''t help but marvel at the wonders of nature in the Pok��mon world. Just below the teau, Frost Cavern had recently experienced a blizzard, while the teau above was peaceful and serene.


    However, while the atmosphere here was calm, the temperature remained quite low. Yuga, feeling a bit ufortable, pulled his coat tighter around himself.


    In contrast, Sneasel waspletely at ease. Its good mood from the hearty breakfast hadsted all morning. As an Ice-type Pok��mon, the teau''s temperature was perfect for it.


    Across the vast ins of the teau, Yuga saw herds of Swinub and Piloswine, slowly wandering and asionally lowering their heads to graze. It was a scene not found elsewhere.


    Compared to Frost Cavern, the density of Pok��mon here was significantly higher. Every so often, they would encounter arge group of Pok��mon, with Swinub and Piloswine being the mostmon. In addition, Diglett, Dugtrio, Bunnelby, and Diggersby were also frequently seen on the Santalune teau.


    Yuga had hoped to capture a few, but unfortunately, he hadn''te across any suitable candidates. Most of the Pok��mon were of red and orange potential, and even the yellow potential ones were rare to find.


    Yuga spected that the environment here was too barren to nurture many outstanding Pok��mon.


    ording to Ogata''s friend, the tomb where they found Aegish was in the northwest of the Santalune teau. To the east of the tomb, there was ake, and to the north, a snow-covered mountain.


    After listening to Yuga''s description, Sneasel, being a native, quickly identified the likely destination and led Yuga towards the ce it suspected. There was only one area that matched Yuga''s description in Sneasel''s knowledge.


    After walking for more than three hours and stopping for lunch, Yuga finally saw a vastke in the distance.


    The blueke looked like a pearl embedded in the Santalune teau, connected by a ribbon-like river flowing down from the snow-covered mountain.


    Thatke and river seemed to be the source of life on the Santalune teau. From afar, Yuga could seerge groups of Pok��mon gathered by theke and along the riverbank to drink: Swinub, Piloswine, Smoochum, Delibird... In theke, he even spotted a few Seel, Dewgong, and a small number of Spheal poking their heads out of the water.


    Although he hadn''t seen any Pok��mon he wanted to capture, Yuga was preparing to urge Absol towards the base of the mountain to search for the tomb when something caught his eye��a Stound and a Furfrou, apanied by two small Furfrou, two Lillipup, and one Herdier, slowly making their way to the river to drink.


    What stood out was that both the leading Stound and the Furfrou had green potential, while the other Furfrou, Lillipup, and Herdier had all yellow potential.


    These Pok��mon had significantly better potentialpared to the other Pok��mon in the area.


    It seemed that to adapt to the environment of the Santalune teau, the three Furfrou had exceptionally lush fur, quite unlike the pets pampered by citydies. Their long coats nearly rivaled that of the Stound.


    Lillipup, Herdier, and Stound, were Pok��mon naturally suited for extremely cold environments, with their thick coats evolving to adapt to frigid conditions.


    The fur of the Furfrou was just as thick as that of the Stound, which showed how lush and dense it was.


    Although Yuga hadn''t encountered his target Pok��mon, he instantly decided to capture this family.


    The yellow-potential Furfrou, Lillipup, and Herdier could be treated with rejuvenation potions back home. Even though there was a chance of failure, it couldn''t all fail, right?


    The leading Stound and Furfrou had fairly high levels, almost at the pseudo-Elite Four level, so Yuga didn''t act rashly. If he startled the other Pok��mon drinking by the river and got surrounded, it would be too risky.


    After the family finished drinking, Yuga followed them from a distance.


    Once the family left the riverbank, they found a cluster of short nts covered with unknown fruit. After feasting on the fruit, the family continued on their way.


    After they left, Yuga approached the nts, picked up a fallen fruit, and took a bite. His face immediately twisted in difort.


    "Yuck, yuck, yuck! It''s way too sour!" Yuga quickly spat it out.


    While it''s true some Pok��mon have a preference for sour vors, this fruit''s sourness was extreme. The slight sweetness waspletely overpowered by the sourness. It was impressive that the Stound family could even eat it.


    This also highlighted just how scarce food was on the Santalune teau. Pok��mon like Swinub and Piloswine, which could eat almost anything, were fine because there was plenty of grass around. But for Pok��mon like Stound and Furfrou that didn''t eat grass, life was probably much harder.


    Once the Stound family waspletely away from the river, Yuga decided to make his move.


    However, Stound and Furfrou both had highly sensitive noses. As soon as Yuga shortened the distance between them, they detected Yuga and Absol''s presence. Of course, Absol''s imposing size didn''t help much either.


    Seeing that Yuga was about to capture the Stound family, Sneasel was extremely envious. After having eaten the Pok��blocks Yuga gave it, it couldn''t imagine life without Yuga now!


    "How lucky! I wish I had a permanent meal ticket... no, I mean, a trainer to take care of me!" Sneasel thought to itself, silently envying the situation.

 Chapter 1096: The Black Hole Beneath the Stone Coffin

    <h4>Chapter 1096: The ck Hole Beneath the Stone Coffin</h4>


    To Yuga''s surprise, the first reaction of the Stound and Furfrou upon seeing him and Absol wasn''t one of caution or fear, but rather astonishment.


    It was only when Yuga closed the distance between them again that they growled low, warning him not toe any closer.


    Stound''s ability was Intimidate, and as soon as Yuga and Absol approached, it activated. However, the level gap between Stound and Absol was sorge that Intimidate had no effect.


    "Absol!!!"


    Sensing Stound''s Intimidate ability activate, Absol let out a long howl and triggered its own ability, Pressure. Stound and Furfrou managed to take a few steps back under the pressure, but the younger Furfrou, Lillipup, and Herdier behind them were pinned to the ground, unable to move, letting out whimpering sounds from their throats.


    Stound and Furfrou were smart. After sensing the power difference, they didn''t engage Absol recklessly but instead tentatively tried to retreat.


    When they realized Yuga and Absol wouldn''t allow them to leave, they understood that Yuga intended to capture them.


    "Stound..."


    Stound was the first to step out from the group, letting out a deep growl as it issued a challenge to Yuga. Even though it knew it couldn''t escape or win, its innate pride wouldn''t allow it to surrender without a fight.


    Yuga admired Stound''s actions. As a male Pok��mon stronger than its mate, it took responsibility for the situation.


    Since Yuga was still riding on Absol''s back, he didn''t send it into battle. Instead, he released Abomasnow. Being a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, Abomasnow easily defeated Stound.


    Seeing her mate defeated, Furfrou immediately wanted to step forward to continue the challenge, but was stopped by Stound''s gaze.


    After defeating Stound, Yuga''s capture of the family became unexpectedly smooth. Stound didn''t let his mate or children make any futile resistance.


    Once the Stound family was captured, Yuga immediately took out some Pok��blocks for them to eat. He had followed them all the way and saw them eating some unknown wild fruits, which surely hadn''t filled them up.


    Those unknown fruits weren''t berries and didn''t contain as much energy. Without arge enough quantity, they wouldn''t have been enough to satisfy the Pok��mon''s hunger, and to top it off, the taste was less than desirable.


    Among Yuga''s main team of Pok��mon was a Sawsbuck, who was a Normal-type, and it usually ate abination of universal Pok��blocks and vitality Pok��blocks. Although Sawsbuck had been sent back to the daycare, Yuga still had plenty of universal Pok��blocks left, more than enough to feed Stound''s family until he left the Santalune teau.


    At the very least, the system''s trainer shop could refresh with arge amount of unlimited berries daily, so there wouldn''t be a problem handling it; they wouldn''t go hungry.


    When Yuga gave them the Pok��blocks, the young Furfrou, Lillipup, and Herdier devoured them ravenously, while Stound and Furfrou looked on with emotion.


    After asking them a few questions, Yuga learned that Stound and Furfrou had once been the Pok��mon of a trainer who came to the Santalune teau for adventure.


    However, their former trainer encountered a blizzard and an avnche in the mountains, tragically perishing in the snowstorm. Only Stound and Furfrou survived the avnche. After enduring many hardships, they escaped the mountains and settled on the Santalune teau, where they gradually had a few offspring.


    It had been so long since theyst ate Pok��blocks that Stound and Furfrou had almost forgotten their taste.


    What surprised them even more was that Yuga could understand what they were saying. This was the first time they had encountered a human like that.


    Yuga''s friendly attitude also gave Stound and Furfrou a sense of relief. With their whole family to take care of, if they had encountered the wrong person, they couldn''t fight and couldn''t run��it would have been truly hopeless.


    After hearing their story, Yuga finally understood why Stound''s family stood out as an "exception" among the low-potential Pok��mon of the Santalune teau.


    Stound and Furfrou were originally bought from a breeder that was affiliated with the League by their former trainer. The League had carefully bred their genes for a long time, so their offspring were mostly of yellow potential.


    Yuga admired the League''s gene selection and breeding techniques.


    Once Stound''s family was full and satisfied, Yuga continued his search for the tomb''s location. He recalled the two young Furfrou, two Lillipup, and one Herdier into their Pok��balls, leaving Furfrou and Stound to guide the way.


    Having lived by theke and at the foot of the snowy mountains for many years, Furfrou and Stound were far more familiar with the area than Sneasel. After Yuga described the location, the two Pok��mon led him directly to the tomb.


    The location of the tomb wasn''t hard to find��it was very close to the snowy mountain, as itypletely exposed on the surface. Once you knew the exact direction, it could be spotted at a nce.


    The tomb had remained intact all these years purely because of the harsh climate and theck of resources on the Santalune teau, which discouraged people from visiting.


    When Yuga reached the tomb''s entrance, he found that many Ice-type Pok��mon had built their nests there. He had to admit, the tomb was an excellent ce to shelter from the wind and rain.


    In order to avoid provoking hostility from the Ice-type Pok��mon, Yuga recalled Absol, as it was toorge and imposing. Instead, he released Aegish and Mismagius. Compared to the intimidating Absol, these two appeared much less threatening. Besides, there were already a few Ghost-type Pok��mon residing in the tomb along with the Ice-types.


    The tomb was a typical underground burial site, resembling an underground pce. Likely due to geological activity, its entrance had been exposed to the surface.


    "Mismagius, give us some light."


    The entrance to the tomb was a long stone corridor. Since no sunlight could reach inside, it was not only dimly lit, but the walls were also covered in thick ice. The moment Yuga stepped inside, a chilling, gloomy air washed over him.


    "Mismagius!"


    Mismagius responded, summoning a bright red me with its Mystical Fire move. The corridor instantly became illuminated, and Yuga even felt a bit warmer.


    However, the me also caught the attention of some Ice-type Pok��mon that was resting in the corridor. They nced at Mismagius, but quickly closed their eyes again, resuming their nap.


    The Pok��mon here weren''t particrly strong, and as long as they weren''t disturbed, they didn''t dare to initiate any conflict.


    The stone corridor was incredibly long. The farther Yuga walked, the colder it became, to the point where the chill felt almost unbearable.


    "Aegish, are you sure this is your master''s tomb?" Yuga asked, his voice trembling as he hugged his arms for warmth. It was simply too cold.


    "Aegish..."


    Aegish wasn''t entirely sure. It thought this might be the ce, but its memories were unclear.


    Receiving no useful information from Aegish, Yuga had no choice but to press on. The deeper he went, the more he noticed the stone corridor widening.


    After walking for what felt like an eternity, Yuga finally exited the stone corridor and stepped into a high-domed chamber. The room was home to numerous Bergmite and Avalugg.


    Sensing that their territory had been invaded, the Bergmite and Avalugg stared menacingly at Yuga, with some even looking ready to attack.


    "Mismagius!"


    Mismagius, in a show of intimidation,unched a fiery beam with its Mystical Fire. The intense heat immediately scared the Bergmite and Avalugg into hesitating, too afraid to make any sudden moves.


    As Yuga scanned the room, he noticed several small Aspear Berry trees growing inside the domed chamber, each tree bearing various sizes of berries.


    Aspear Berries thrive in cold environments and don''t require much light, which exined why so many were growing there. The Bergmite and Avalugg likely made their home here to im this small Aspear Berry orchard. Having a patch of berry trees in the Santalune teau was quite a luxury.


    Without provoking the Bergmite and Avalugg, Yuga, under the protection of Mismagius, Stound, and Furfrou, passed through the chamber and finally reached the main tomb.


    Just like the previous domed room, the main tomb also contained arger Aspear Berry grove. However, this time the grove was upied by a group of ceon.


    The main tomb was farrger than the earlier chamber, but due to the passage of time and the rampant nt growth, it had be unrecognizable. There were no longer any clear signs that this was once a burial site.


    ording to Ogata''s friend, they hadn''t truly ventured into the tomb. Because of the intense cold and the number of ceon inside, they didn''t dare enter. Even Aegish was something they had found in the outer stone corridor, so Yuga hadn''t received any information about the presence of ceon in the main tomb.


    When Yuga entered, all the ceon had gathered on top of arge ice boulder in the center of the main tomb. He suspected that the presence of this many ceon was somehow connected to this ice boulder.


    There wasn''t a single Eevee in the group��it was entirely made up of ceon. Yuga guessed that newborn Eevees must evolve into ceon as soon as theye into contact with the ice boulder. With their low initial levels, they could easily level up near the boulder and subsequently evolve into ceon.


    Yuga counted the ceon��there were about thirty of them. Although they were fewer than the previous group of Bergmite and Avalugg, their overall strength far surpassed the others, which exined why they could im such arge Aspear Berry grove.


    Likely influenced by the massive ice boulder, the ceon'' potential was much higher than that of the other Pok��mon outside. Through his Insight ability, Yuga could see two green orbs among them, with most of the others showing yellow orbs. Red and orange orbs were rtively rare.


    Noticing Yuga''s arrival, the ceon leapt down from the ice boulder, lining up in a threatening formation as they attempted to drive him away.


    To avoid damaging the environment in the main tomb, Yugamanded, "Mismagius, use Mean Look."


    "Mismagius!"


    In response, Mismagius''s eyes emitted two beams of dark light, which formed a pair of enormous eyes floating in the air. As soon as the eyes appeared, all the ceon were immobilized, unable to move a muscle.


    Satisfied with this, Yuga nodded. "Stound, Furfrou, and Sneasel, knock them out."


    Upon hearing Yuga''s orders, the three Pok��mon sprang into action. Sneasel, in particr, was eager to please Yuga. Ever since Stound and Furfrou joined the team, Sneasel felt that its status was being threatened.


    If it even lost its usefulness as a guide, how would a weakling like it continue to get enough food? Sneasel decided it had to prove its importance and make Yuga see it in a new light.


    When it came to speed, Sneasel was unmatched. It knocked out the lower-level ceon one after another with ease, leaving Stound and Furfrou in the dust.


    "Sneasel!"


    Afterpleting its task, Sneasel grinned and jumped to Yuga''s side, looking for praise.


    "Well done," Yuga remarked absentmindedly, his attention focused on the ceon. His offhandpliment was enough to make Sneasel beam with pride, feeling like it had earned Yuga''s favor.


    Yuga captured all the ceon in Pok�� Balls. Even if a ceon or Eevee wasn''t particrly talented, they were always among the most popr Pok��mon.


    As for the rare ice boulder and the Aspear Berry grove, Yuga left them untouched. The Pok��mon of the Santalune teau already had a hard enough life��he didn''t want topete with them for resources. It wouldn''t be long before another group imed the area.


    With two green-potential ceon captured, Yuga''s mission had made some progress.


    After dealing with the ceons, Yuga explored the main tomb further and finally found a stone coffin buried beneath the roots of a Aspear Berry tree. The coffin, made from some unknown stone, was wrapped in tree roots, yet remained remarkably intact.


    "Is this your master''s?" Yuga pointed at the stone coffin and asked Aegish. Clearly, there were no burial items left. Even though the Santalune teau was rarely visited, over hundreds of years, someone had surely explored this tomb. Neither Yuga nor Ogata''s friend was the first or second group toe here.


    Aegish didn''t respond. It sliced through the roots entangling the stone coffin and pushed off the lid. Inside, it waspletely empty.


    "What''s going on?"


    Yuga stared in surprise at the moss-covered bottom of the coffin. This particr moss only grew in extremely low temperatures and was used as a rare medicinal herb. But it also hinted that the coffin had been empty for a long time.


    Aegish wasn''t surprised. The moment it saw the coffin, it remembered��this wasn''t its master''s coffin, but its own.


    It had been the guardian of this tomb, and the stone coffin was a decoy designed by the tomb''s owner to mislead grave robbers. Anyone who opened it would have been attacked by Aegish, which had been lying dormant inside.


    However, Aegish had slept for so long that its level had regressed, rendering it ineffective as a guardian. Its appearance in the outer corridor was likely due to some grave robber taking it out at some point.


    "Aegish, are you okay?" Yuga called out softly, noticing the Pok��mon''s silence.


    "Aegish..."


    I''m fine.


    Aegish snapped out of its thoughts and refocused on the stone coffin.


    "Aegish, Aegish, Aegish..."


    Let''s Move the coffin.


    Aegish instructed Yuga.


    Nodding, Yuga released Dragonite to help push the coffin. Unexpectedly, it didn''t budge. Unconvinced, Yuga summoned Charizard and Absol as well, but still, the coffin didn''t move an inch.


    "Are you sure this thing can be pushed?" Yuga began to suspect that the coffin was fused with the ground, making it immovable.


    "Aegish!"


    It can!


    Aegish affirmed.


    Out of options, Yuga released Decidueye, Abomasnow, Kartana, Chimecho, and Vivillon. Any Pok��mon capable of physical strength pushed, while those like Chimecho and Vivillon used their psychic abilities to help. Even Sneasel pitched in.


    Finally, the coffin moved.


    Beneath ity a dark, gaping hole. Yuga realized that the real tomb of the master had its own hidden chamber. The difficulty of moving the coffin had preserved the secret for all these years, preventing anyone from discovering the hidden tomb.


    What Yuga didn''t know at that moment was that the dark hole before him would soon change the fate of both him and Florges.

 Chapter 1097: Stone Flower and Bunnelby

    <h4>Chapter 1097: Stone Flower and Bunnelby</h4>


    The entrance to the hidden tomb had no stairs, and if it weren''t for Mismagius using Psychic to lift Yuga, he wouldn''t have been able to descend.


    Upon reaching the interior of the hidden tomb, Yuga realized that the space was vast, though its structure was rtively simple, with few decorations inside. At first nce, it appeared to be an unremarkable ce.


    The reason Yuga could observe the deeply buried tomb so clearly was entirely thanks to therge stone flower near the center of the tomb.


    This stone flower was asrge as a room, appearing translucent and crystalline, yet it emitted enough light to illuminate half of the tomb.


    From the stone flower, Yuga sensed a strange energy fluctuation. This fluctuation was so powerful that it nearly caused the Grass-type energy within his body to surge uncontrobly.


    "What is that?" Yuga asked Aegish, while calming the restless energy inside him and pointing at the stone flower.


    However, Aegish didn''t know what the stone flower was either. It only knew that this flower had been its master''s most treasured possession and the only burial item in the tomb.


    Though Aegish had spent many years with its master, the stone flower had already existed by its master''s side when they met, and its master had never exined the origin or function of the flower.


    Yuga also learned from Aegish that this stone flower used to be much brighter than it was now. In the past, it radiated so much light that it could turn night into day, whereas now, it could only illuminate half of the tomb.


    Yuga understood. The stone flower needed energy to emit light, and after glowing for nearly 3,000 years, it was only natural that its energy was running low.


    Behind the stone flower, Yuga saw the coffin of Aegish''s master.


    The coffin was encased in an open stone sarcophagus, and within ity a crystal coffin. Through the transparent crystal, Yuga could see the true form of Aegish''s master.


    Three thousand years had passed, yet the person lying in the coffin remained lifelike, showing no signs of decay. Except for the pale face illuminated by the glow of the stone flower, they looked no different from someone merely asleep.


    "How is this possible?" Yuga couldn''t help but ask Aegish.


    Through Aegish''s exnation, Yuga learned that before dying, its master had swallowed a *Frost Stone* to preserve the body.


    Yuga originally didn''t know what a Frost Stone was, but after the system exined, he learned that it was an ancient term. In reality, the Frost Stone was a Heart of Ice, born from the essence of Never-Melt Ice.


    The Never-Melt Ice is an item for Ice-type Pok��mon, found only in ciers andrge frozen rivers. It''s not only hard toe by but also extremely rare and difficult to mine. Most of the avable Never-Melt Icees from the adventures of brave trainers.


    As such, the price of Never-Melt Ice on the market is much higher than simr items. Yuga, however, equipped each of the ceon in his volcano sub-garden with one simply because he could afford it. Additionally, due to his status, he gets discounts when shopping in the League stores, something most people could never dream of.


    If Never-Melt Ice is already rare, the Heart of Ice is even rarer. It only appears in ces whererge quantities of Never-Melt Ice are found, buried deep beneath ten-thousand-meter-thick, eternally frozen ice, embodying the essence of countless Never-Melt Ice shards. It is a true treasure.


    The only known record of a Heart of Ice was linked to the mentor of Elite Four member Lorelei. Whether or not this now-deceased master trainer passed it on to his apprentice remains unknown. Even if he did, Lorelei likely wouldn''t publicize it.


    ording to the system''s assessment, the value of a Heart of Ice is equivalent to a gold item in the system store.


    A gold item! Yuga had been in the Pok��mon world for seven years and had only ever obtained one gold item: the Seed of Unknown, which shows how rare and valuable gold items are.


    Yuga had personally experienced the power of a gold item. His Absol''s smooth progression to Champion-level wasrgely due to the Seed of Unknown.


    But now, a Heart of Ice��a treasure of equal value to the Seed of Unknown��had been used merely to preserve a body from decay. To Yuga, this seemed like aplete waste.


    "The person is already dead. All that''s left is an empty shell��what''s the point of keeping it intact?"


    Still, envy aside, Yuga acknowledged that the item belonged to someone else. What they chose to do with it was their business, not his.


    Yuga had no intention ofying im to the Heart of Ice. That would be morally wrong, and besides, Aegish was standing right there! Angering Aegish would be more trouble than it was worth.


    What Yuga didn''t know was that when Aegish mentioned the Heart of Ice, it began secretly observing Yuga''s actions and expressions. Seeing that there was no trace of greed in Yuga''s eyes, Aegish''s opinion of him improved significantly.


    Aegish thought to itself: If Yuga had shown any interest in its master''s body, no matter how much he had helped it, they could not have continued to coexist peacefully.


    Aegish knew full well the value of the Heart of Ice. Even though times had changed, a treasure was still a treasure. Resisting the temptation of such a rare item convinced Aegish that Yuga was a righteous person.


    Now that it saw its master''s coffin undisturbed, Aegish finally felt at ease. Its primary duty had always been to guard the tomb, and ever since it was taken out of the tomb, it had been worried that its master''s resting ce might have been disturbed. That''s why it had wanted to return and check.


    "Aegish, now that your master is safe and sound, what are your ns? Will you stay here and continue guarding the tomb?"


    Yuga asked Aegish, looking at the person lying peacefully in the crystal coffin. But the more he looked, the more familiar the person''s face seemed. He couldn''t shake the feeling that he had seen those features somewhere before, yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t remember.


    Then again, there were plenty of people in the world who resembled one another. Yuga didn''t think too much about it. How could he have ever met this small-time king from Kalos from 3,000 years ago?


    ording to historical records, this small kingdom didn''tst very long, and even this first-generation king barely has any mention in the annals of history. He certainly wasn''t a well-known figure.


    When Yuga asked the question, Aegish fell silent. It actually enjoyed life at the YoYo Day Care, especially the environment of the Ghost Sea, which was its favorite.


    However, it couldn''t just leave its master here alone. What if someone found the tomb and disturbed its master''s rest? Aegish felt that this ce was no longer as safe as it used to be.


    Suddenly, a bright idea came to Aegish. It requested that Yuga bring its master''s remains back to Verdanturf Town and bury them in the Ecopark. In exchange, Aegish would serve Yuga.


    This put Yuga in a tough spot. He would love to have Aegish''s loyalty, but burying a stranger in his private territory just felt a bit ufortable.


    Eventually, Yuga thought of a solution that would satisfy both sides. He suggested cing Aegish''s master in the Distortion World. After all, Aegish was a Ghost-type Pok��mon and could enter and exit the Distortion World through the Reverse Mirror.


    When Yuga presented this idea, Aegish dly epted.


    In the Distortion World, the only resident was Giratina, so no one would disturb a deceased person.


    Yuga added, "I have one more condition. Not only must you serve me, but the stone flower must also belong to me." He had a feeling the stone flower was somehow important to him.


    Aegish gazed at the stone flower Yuga was pointing to, thought for a while, and eventually agreed. It didn''t know what the stone flower truly was, but since its master had passed away, it was now just an external object. If Yuga wanted it, so be it.


    "Alright then, let''s leave here as soon as possible," Yuga said happily. The tomb was empty, with nothing else of interest left, so there was no point in staying longer.


    Yuga approached the stone flower, nning to store it in his system backpack.


    The stone flower felt cold to the touch. Despite its name, it didn''t feel like metal or jade but had a unique texture. Additionally, in the center of the flower was a cylindrical recess, as if something was missing from it.


    From this cylindrical recess, Yuga deduced that the stone flower was a man-made artifact.


    Despite itsrge size, Yuga''s system backpack had unlimited storage capacity, so the stone flower was easily stored away.


    As soon as the flower was gone, the tomb was plunged into total darkness. It became so pitch ck that you couldn''t see your hand in front of your face. Fortunately, Mismagius quickly lit a mystical fire, allowing Yuga to continue storing Aegish''s master''s coffin into his system backpack as well.


    After leaving the tomb, Yuga took a deep breath, feeling relieved. He hadpleted both of his tasks in Kalos, and now he felt free.


    Noticing that it was gettingte, Yuga decided to find a ce to rest for the night. Tomorrow, he would head out with Sneasel to track down the Beartic that had taken over their territory. If he could capture one or two high-potential Pok��mon, that would be ideal.


    He had no intention of spending the night in the tomb. Although it provided shelter from the wind and rain, the atmosphere was far too eerie, and the chilling winds made it unbearable. Only Ice-type Pok��mon could stay insidefortably.


    It was much better to pitch a tent outside. After all, Yuga had all the necessary camping equipment in his system backpack.


    With the guidance of Stound and Furfrou, two native Pok��mon, Yuga found a great spot sheltered from the wind and set up his tent.


    On the Santalune teau, nightfall came quickly. Not long after the sun had set, the sky waspletely dark. Once it was dark, the temperature dropped sharply. Yuga crawled into his tent and released all his fluffy Pok��mon, including Absol. With everyone huddled together, the tent quickly became cozy and warm.


    During the night, strong winds howled outside, but fortunately, Yuga''s tent was of high quality; otherwise, it wouldn''t have held up. The fierce winds did not disturb Yuga''s sleep. He wrapped himself in his nket, nestled beneath Absol''s belly, and slept soundly, with the Stound family resting beside him.


    By the time he woke up in the morning, the wind had already died down. Yuga stepped out of the tent, and the weak sunlight touched his face, as if the fierce wind from the night before had been just a dream.


    Even though the sun had risen over the Santalune teau in the morning, the temperature remained astonishingly low. Yuga tightened his thick down jacket and couldn''t help but shiver.


    Last night, it was Abomasnow who kept watch for Yuga.


    The cold night winds might have affected Ice-type Pok��mon like Sneasel, but they had no effect on Abomasnow at all. Though both were Ice-types, their body structures werepletely different.


    Sneasel was, after all, still flesh and blood, but Abomasnow was like an ice tree, with a body structure simr to that of a nt, imbued with the Ice attribute,pletely unaffected by the cold night winds.


    After washing up outside, Yuga was about to head back into the tent to prepare breakfast for everyone when he saw Abomasnow carrying a Bunnelby over to him.


    This Bunnelby was quite small, just a tiny bundle nestled in Abomasnow''s palm, its ears drooping as if it had fainted.


    Yuga touched its body and found it ice-cold. He asked Abomasnow, "Where did you find it?"


    Abomasnow pointed to a corner of the tent, and Yuga suddenly understood. This little guy must have been hiding under the tentst night to shelter from the wind and cold, but unfortunately, it still fainted from the cold.


    Bunnelby on the Santalune teau generally lived underground, feeding on the grass roots found on the teau. Their living conditions were likely even better than the Stound family''s, as there was no shortage of grass roots on the teau.


    Yuga figured that if this Bunnelby had stayed underground, it wouldn''t have been knocked out by the cold. The Underground was much warmer than the surface.


    Yuga took the Bunnelby from Abomasnow''s hands and suddenly noticed that its color seemed much lighter than that of a typical Bunnelby.


    Could it be a shiny Bunnelby?


    Normally, Bunnelby and Diggersby have deep brown fur, which serves as their natural camouge. If this color changes, its protective function is greatly diminished.


    Could this Bunnelby have been driven out of its home because of its shiny coloration?


    Yuga opened his Insight ability to examine the Bunnelby in his arms.


    ...


    [ Bunnelby (Shiny) ]


    Type: Normal


    Ability: Huge Power


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 7


    Moves: Tackle, Quick Attack, Spikes.


    ...


    Just as Yuga suspected, this Bunnelby was indeed a shiny Pok��mon, and even more surprising, it had blue potential.


    Yuga''s Ecopark already had a shiny Ariados, but that Ariados only had green potential. He never expected that this shiny Bunnelby, which had practically delivered itself to him, would have blue potential.


    Since entering the Santalune teau, Yuga had encountered mostly ordinary Pok��mon, except for Stound and Furfrou who were once Pokemon belong to a Trainer, and the ceons that was affected by the Ice Rock. This shiny Bunnelby was the first high-potential wild Pok��mon he had encountered, making it quite a rare find.


    However, this Bunnelby was clearly very young. Otherwise, it wouldn''t have copsed right outside his tent.


    Young Pok��mon typically reach level 5 within two or three days of birth. Since this Bunnelby was level 7 and wandering alone, the only exnation was that it had either been driven away or its parents had met with disaster.


    Carrying the Bunnelby into the tent, Yuga took out a bottle of Moomoo Milk from his backpack, heated it up, and fed it to the Bunnelby. In no time, the Bunnelby regained consciousness.


    The young Bunnelby, not yet knowing the meaning of caution, wasn''t afraid when it opened its eyes and saw Yuga. Upon realizing that Yuga had saved it, the Bunnelby became unusually attached to him.


    And so, the Bunnelby joined Yuga''s team.


    After breakfast, Yuga and his Pok��mon packed up the tent and set off toward the territory Sneasel had once called home.


    Sneasel''s territory was on a snowy mountain, though not the one near the tomb. It was quite a distance from where Yuga currently was.


    The Stound and Furfrou had previously suffered a tragic incident involving their former trainer on the snowy mountain, leaving them with a psychological shadow. They were reluctant to step foot on the mountain again. Yuga didn''t force them and decided that when the time came to ascend the mountain, he would let them rest in their Pok�� Balls.

 Chapter 1098: Ice Cave on the Snowy Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 1098: Ice Cave on the Snowy Mountain</h4>


    The number of snowy mountains on the Santalune teau is immense, with an endless range stretching across the entire eastern side. These mountains are perpetually covered in snow, and the environment is incredibly harsh.


    The primary reason why humans on the Kalos Region never expanded further east is due to the obstruction caused by the Santalune teau and these endless snowy mountains.


    If the Santalune teau is a region somewhat familiar to humans, then the depths of the endless snowy mountains contain many areas that remain uncharted and are considered forbidden zones for humans.


    Just howrge this snowy mountain range is, no one knows! The climate and environment of the snowy mountains are harsh, and human capabilities are limited. The areas humans have explored are only at the edges of the mountains.


    If it weren''t for the invention of space backpacks, humans wouldn''t have even managed to fully explore the outskirts of these endless snowy mountains.


    Under Sneasel''s guidance, Yuga rode Absol and dashed toward the northeast of the Santalune teau, where the Sneasel tribe''s original territory was located.


    Along the way, Yuga continued using his Insight ability to observe the Pok��mon they encountered, but unfortunately, in such a barren ce as the Santalune teau, it was truly difficult to find any Pok��mon with high potential.


    The Pok��mon in this region appeared inrge groups, and sometimes Yuga even saw thousands of Pok��mon migrating together in search of food.


    The seasonal changes on the Santalune teau differ from those in the outside world. Although it wasn''t evente summer outside, the nts here had already withered. If the Pok��mon on the teau didn''t start migrating soon, by the time autumn arrived, they might not even have grass roots to eat.


    Autumn on the Santalune teau is equivalent to winter in the outside world, and the environment here is even harsher than an external winter. The temperature is lower, the wind and snow are fiercer, and food is scarcer.


    Despite the massive groups of Pok��mon passing by Yuga, he still couldn''t spot any high-potential ones. The Bunnelby he found outside his tent in the morning seemed to be the only "good bamboo shoot" among all the "bad bamboo."


    After nearly three hours of galloping, Yuga finally arrived at the foot of the snowy mountain that Sneasel had mentioned. Looking at the towering peaks, Yuga felt a brief hesitation about going in.


    It looked cold!


    In the face of nature''s immense power, humans truly seem insignificant. If it weren''t for the system acting as his cheat, Yuga wouldn''t have dared to take such a risk. In the snowy mountains, getting lost would make food and warmth the biggest issues.


    Luckily, Yuga had his system backpack, where he had already prepared enough food and equipment. Plus, he could restock berries from the system''s trainer store, so he wasn''t in danger of starving in the snowy mountains.


    After walking for who knows how long, the withered grasnds gradually disappeared, reced by the pure white snow beneath his feet. This meant Yuga had officially left the teau and entered the range of the snowy mountains.


    Once inside the snowy mountain region, Sneasel became unusually excited. It jumped off Absol''s back and began hopping quickly across the snow. The snow enhanced Sneasel''s speed, allowing it to sprint over the snow without leaving any footprints.


    After passing through a long snow-covered valley and crossing two not-so-tall snowy mountains, Yuga finally stopped in front of one the snowy mountain.


    Compared to the entire endless mountain range, this particr mountain was just on the outermost edge. But it made sense. A weak tribe like Sneasel''s wouldn''t have survived if they had ventured deeper into the snowy mountains.


    Absol was exceptionally skilled at climbing; it could easily scale rocks. If the snow weren''t so thick here, Yuga suspected that Absol could even sprint up the slopes.


    Sneasel had an even easier time. This was its birthce, and it had grown up here. It was probably more agile climbing these mountains than a monkey climbing trees.


    Yuga, on the other hand, was the one having the most trouble. After reaching the snowy mountain, he didn''t dare ride Absol anymore, knowing that it would be too risky if he identally fell off.


    He could only grunt and climb the mountain himself.


    Along the way, Yuga barely saw any vegetation, only asionally spotting a Chesto Berry tree or a Aspear Berry tree. The branches were barren, with only a few remaining leaves, likely plucked bare by some Pok��mon.


    Yuga was in decent physical condition, but climbing a mountain was incredibly exhausting, especially a snow-covered one. He considered having Charizard fly him up, but Charizard wasn''t having it. It thought the snowy mountains were unsuitable and refused toe out of its Pok��ball. Dragonite felt the same way!


    The only thing thatforted Yuga was that, since morning, the weather had been excellent. There was no wind or snow, and although the sun didn''t offer much warmth, its bright rays were enough to make Yuga feel cozy.


    By the time he reached the mountainside, the terrain began to level out, allowing Yuga to switch from "climbing" to "walking." ording to Sneasel''s directions, their original territory was in this area, just around the bend.


    However, they had barely taken a few steps when two Beartic suddenly appeared from somewhere, blocking their path.


    As they say, enemies grow more hostile when they meet, especially when there''s a grudge involving a home invasion!


    The moment Sneasel saw the two Beartic, it charged at them furiously, only to be swatted away by the male Beartic with a single punch.


    The two Beartic were a male and a female, likely a mated pair.


    Despite Sneasel''s subservient attitude toward Yuga, it was no pushover in battle. After being knocked away, it immediately got back on its feet and lunged again.


    Unfortunately, Sneasel was no match for the Beartic, and facing two of them was even worse. Just before Sneasel could be beaten to a pulp, Absol intervened, easily knocking both Beartic out with a single swipe of its paw.


    Seeing Absol''s heroic disy, Sneasel''s heart was filled with admiration. Since they were both Dark-type Pok��mon, Sneasel thought it could learn a trick or two from Absol, especially that Throat Chop it just used.


    Sneasel, being quite the grudge-holder, didn''t miss the chance to kick the unconscious Beartic a couple of times to vent its frustration, even though they were already knocked out cold.


    Leaving the two Beartic behind, Yuga followed Sneasel as they continued toward their former territory. The Beartic''s thick skin would protect them from freezing to death anytime soon.


    After a few more turns, Yuga finally saw the destination: a valley nestled within the snowy mountain.


    This valley was filled with bothrge and small Aspear Berry trees, allden with fruit. The food supply here was abundant, which exined why the Sneasel tribe had originally chosen this ce as their territory.


    Unfortunately, this area now belonged to the Beartic.


    Seeing its former home upied by the Beartic, Sneasel was about to charge down without hesitation, but Yuga quickly grabbed its arm to stop it.


    Sneasel looked at Yuga in confusion, thinking that since Yuga was so strong, dealing with a bunch of Beartic should be as easy as lifting a hand.


    Knowing oneself and the enemy is the key to victory, so Yuga gently shook his head and said, "Let''s observe a bit more," prompting Sneasel to reluctantly stay by his side, refraining from any reckless action.


    The number of Beartic in the valley wasrge. Some were strolling around in pairs, others were lying on rocks napping, and some were ying with their cubs...


    In addition, there were many Cubchoo. They were happily digging into the crevices between rocks, munching on a type of short white-leafed nt, looking quite content.


    The nt the Cubchoo were eating was a type of fern unique to the snowy mountains, only growing beneath the snow. It had high nutritional value for Cubchoo during their early development. This nt was also a favorite food for many Ice-type Pok��mon, including Sneasel.


    After observing this, Yuga began to understand why the Beartic n had taken over the Sneasel n''s territory. This area was indeed very suitable for the Beartic to live in �� the environment was peaceful, with no natural predators, and there was plenty of food.


    However, after activating his Insight ability, Yuga changed his mind. The reason? Although this area was on the outskirts of the snowy mountain, the Beartic here were far too powerful.


    Not only was there a high-ranking Beartic of Elite level sleeping deep within the valley, but there were also several pseudo-Elite level Beartic taking care of their cubs. Such high-level Pok��mon shouldn''t be living on the outskirts of the mountain, and it couldn''t just be because of the favorable environment that they had seized another species'' territory.


    Given this situation, Yuga couldn''t afford to attack. A battle with such high-level Pok��mon would cause too muchmotion and could trigger an avnche �� no small matter in this ce.


    Moreover, with so many Beartic around, dealing with them all at once would be difficult, and any confrontation could easily provoke an avnche.


    The environment here was quite different from the snowy peaks of Mt. Cor. The terrain around Mt. Cor''s peaks was either steep as if cut by a knife or perfectly t. In steep areas, snow couldn''t umte, and on t terrain, it didn''t easily slide, making avnches unlikely.


    The danger herey in the terrain: neither too steep nor too t, making it prone to both snow buildup and sliding.


    "We should sneak in and take a closer look at the situation," Yuga suggested to Sneasel, feeling there must be another reason the Beartic n hade to the outskirts of the snowy mountain and seized this area.


    "Sneasel!" Sneasel obediently nodded.


    Yuga then recalled Absol and called out Gengar and Mismagius from the shadow space. They each picked up Yuga and Sneasel, and the three of them gradually faded from view, bingpletely invisible.


    The infiltration went smoothly. Gengar and Mismagius concealed their presence entirely, and, following Yuga''s directions, they kept a good distance from the high-level Beartic. No one noticed their presence.


    After scouting around the valley, Yuga found nothing unusual.


    Could I have guessed wrong? Yuga wondered, puzzled.


    Just then, Mismagius, holding Sneasel, approached and tugged at him.


    "What is it?" Yuga asked, lowering his voice to Sneasel.


    "Sneasel, Sneasel..." Sneasel whispered in Yuga''s ear.


    Following Sneasel''s directions, Yuga found an ice cave hidden in a corner deep within the valley. ording to Sneasel, this cave didn''t exist before, meaning the Beartic n had likely carved it out after arriving here.


    This was strange. Beartic were not cave-dwelling Pok��mon. Their thick fur andyers of fat were more than enough to shield them from the cold and snow; they could lie down anywhere without needing an ice cave.


    "Let''s go check it out," Yuga said to Sneasel.


    There were two high-level Beartic guarding the entrance to the ice cave. To avoid alerting them, Gengar and Mismagius teamed up to use Hypnosis. The two Beartic, already bored and drowsy, quickly sumbed to sleep and began snoring.


    With Gengar and Mismagius providing cover, Yuga and Sneasel smoothly entered the ice cave.


    The inside of the cave was made entirely of solid ice. Perhaps because the two high-level Beartic were already guarding the entrance, there were no other Pok��mon inside.


    When they reached the innermost part, Yuga and Sneasel discovered that a small section of the mountain''s interior was hollow. It had originally been filled with solid ice, but the Beartic had excavated it to create a nest within the mountain''s core.


    Though there were no Pok��mon in the nest, the ground was covered with Beartic eggs.


    Seeing all these eggs, Yuga grinned. He couldn''t bring himself to fight the Beartic and Cubchoo, but stealing a few eggs would be a breeze!


    Activating his Insight ability, Yuga quickly identified several high-quality eggs.


    However, before dealing with the eggs, his attention was drawn to an ice pir in the center of the cavern. The pir itself seemed unremarkable, likely left there by the Beartic to support the hollowed-out mountain core.


    Yet at the base of the pir, there was a round hole, from which an endless stream of cold air was pouring out, nurturing the eggs scattered across the ground.


    "Sneasel! Sneasel!"


    Sneasel ran over to the hole, inhaling a gust of the cold air with a look of pure delight before eagerly gesturing for Yuga to join. If it weren''t for the risk of making too much noise and alerting the Beartic outside, it might have jumped for joy.


    The Sneasel tribe had lived here for so long, yet they had never discovered this treasure beneath the mountain. If they had found it earlier, the benefits from this hidden gem would have prevented them from being easily driven out by the Beartic.


    Yuga approached the edge of the hole and looked down, discovering that there was yet anotheryer of space beneath them. Judging by the size of the hole, the Beartic''s massive bodies wouldn''t be able to fit through.


    With the help of Gengar and Mismagius, Yuga and Sneasel smoothly descended into the space below. The moment they entered, Yuga was hit by an intense cold. Compared to the upper level, the temperature down here was much lower.


    Sneasel, however, seemed to be in its element, thoroughly enjoying the chill.


    While the dense fog above had obscured his view, the lower level revealed itself to be crystal clear. The fog was the result of an overabundance of Ice-type energy, exining why Sneasel had been so happily breathing it in.


    The space below was vast, filled with countless ice pirs, which were likely responsible for supporting the mountain''s core. Without them, the entire structure might have copsed under the weight of the snow above.


    Yuga tapped on one of the ice pirs, finding it incredibly solid. His fingernails couldn''t even leave a mark on its surface.


    The space was so cold that even Gengar and Mismagius, usually unaffected by such things, quickly retreated into the shadow space. In their ce, Yuga called out Lapras.


    "Lapras..."


    The moment Lapras appeared, it let out a joyful cry, swimming around happily.


    Apanied by Sneasel and Lapras, Yuga continued deeper into the cavern, where he began to spotrge chunks of Never-Melt Ice, some even taller than Yuga himself.


    In the market, even a thumb-sized piece of Never-Melt Ice could sell for thousands, so the amount he found here was worth an unimaginable fortune.


    However, Yuga didn''t take all the Never-Melt Ice. He selected only some of therger pieces, storing about a dozen in his system backpack before stopping.


    He wanted to leave some for the Beartic. Even though they couldn''te down here, the presence of the Never-Melt Ice would still benefit them, which exined why they had gone to such lengths to seize Sneasel''s territory.


    Unfortunately, despite all the Never-Melt Ice, Yuga didn''t find any trace of Heart of Ice. He even wondered if the original owner of his Aegish had found their Heart of Ice here.


    Still, Yuga didn''t bother seeking confirmation from Aegish; it didn''t matter anymore, as it wasn''t relevant to him.


    Finally, after reaching the deepest part of the cavern, Yuga, Lapras, and Sneasel were greeted by a breathtaking sight.

 Chapter 1099: The Miracle Beneath the Solid Ice

    <h4>Chapter 1099: The Miracle Beneath the Solid Ice</h4>


    After making a turn and taking a corner, Yuga walked into a vast space filled with lifelike ice sculptures.


    The reason these ice sculptures were so vivid was not due to the skill of the sculptor, but because each sculpture encased a Pok��mon entirely frozen in ice, all in a brilliant icy blue hue.


    Some of these Pok��mon appeared to be running wildly, some looked terrified, some were lying on the ground, and some wore expressions of utter despair... They were all living beings that had been frozen in time.


    Yuga marveled as he approached one of the ice sculptures, touching it with his hand and murmuring to himself, "I can''t believe there are so many Amaura and Aurorus, trapped in ice!"


    The Pok��mon encased in ice were all Amaura and Aurorus. Yuga spected that this must have originally been an entire tribe, but due to a sudden disaster, the entire tribe had been encased in solid ice.


    Amaura and Aurorus had lived over a hundred million years ago, long extinct. It was only due to the invention of fossil revival machines that these two species were able to reemerge into the world.


    Now, the few Amaura and Aurorus in the hands of certain trainers were all brought back to life through fossils, but the ones in front of Yuga were not fossils; they were the genuine Amaura and Aurorus. Their delicate scales, the dazzling irises on their heads and necks, and the glimmering gems on their sides were all vividly apparent.


    This was simply miraculous!


    However, what surprised Yuga even more was the system telling him that all these ice sculptures were emanating strong life forces.


    In other words, these Amaura and Aurorus were all still alive, just trapped in a deep slumber!


    At the system''s prompting, Yuga activated his Insight ability. Sure enough, he could see incredible radiance surrounding each Amaura and Aurorus. If these creatures had long since died in the ice, his Insight would not have reacted at all.


    Yuga was instantly ecstatic; wasn''t this an opportunityid out before him?


    However, he was puzzled as to why all these Amaura and Aurorus had such extraordinarily high potential��they were all high-potential Pok��mon. Yuga counted and found that the total number of Amaura and Aurorus exceeded fifty. While this was not arge n, if they were all high-potential Pok��mon, it would be an entirely different matter.


    Especially the tworgest Aurorus at the forefront of the group; before being encased in ice, they must have been the leaders of the entire n. Their potential was nearly at the Indigo level, with the blue aura surrounding them almost reaching a Indigo halo, just a step away from Indigo potential.


    Yuga counted again meticulously and found that there were thirty-three Aurorus and twenty-four Amaura in total. Among them, the two leading Aurorus had blue potential, while one Amaura also possessed blue potential; the rest had green potential.


    "System, this doesn''t seem right! The potential of this n is excessively high; did I stumble upon something?"


    Although this would resolve his mission, the sudden influx of benefits made Yuga feel uneasy.


    After a long while, the system finally spoke up.


    [ Host, don''t worry. The potential of these Amaura and Aurorus is a result of the environment''s influence. ]


    It turned out that after a thorough investigation, the system discovered that Yuga was currently situated at the convergence point of the entire Endless Snowfield''s earth veins, which is why so many giant blocks of non-melting ice had formed here.


    For millions of years, countless cold currents from the earth''s veins had converged here, turning this ce into a unique treasurend. Once the Amaura and Aurorus were encased in ice, they instinctively absorbed the pure ice energy from their surroundings to survive.


    As time passed, the solid ice enveloping the Amaura and Aurorus gradually became infused with the umted ice energy, transforming into pure crystalline forms of ice energy.


    After billions of years of evolution, the potential of the Amaura and Aurorus was gradually altered by the ice energy crystals surrounding them, ultimately resulting in the situation Yuga observed now.


    It was also fortunate that the Pok��mon encased in ice were Amaura and Aurorus, both of which could feed on cold energy. If any other Pok��mon had been here, what Yuga would see would be mere corpses!


    One could imagine that the potential of these Amaura and Aurorus was not originally very high; the only exception would be the two leaders. Otherwise, after so many years of energy infusion, their potential wouldn''t have changed so little.


    Being enveloped in ice energy for over a hundred million years was no small matter.


    After hearing the system''s exnation, Yuga suddenly understood. Although he didn''t know why this particr location where the earth veins converged was on the edge of the snow mountain, that didn''t prevent him from realizing that he had indeed stumbled upon a great fortune!


    Looking at the ice sculptures in front of him, Yuga was momentarily at a loss, not knowing whether to consider these Amaura and Aurorus lucky or unfortunate.


    Regardless, Yuga decided to take the Amaura and Aurorus with him.


    However, he did not n to free the encased Amaura and Aurorus just yet; instead, he decided to bring the entire ice blocks containing them back and deal with itter when he was safer.


    Having made up his mind, Yuga began releasing his partners to dig out the ice blocks.


    However, to Yuga''s surprise, he found that he couldn''t damage those ice blocks. Even Absol''s Night sh only left a few dents in the ice; it didn''t shatterpletely.


    This posed a challenge for Yuga��brute force clearly wouldn''t work, and if he identally harmed the Amaura and Aurorus inside, that would be disastrous.


    Charizard also tried to use fire to melt the ice blocks, but they barely reacted at all. Moreover, the ice energy here was so dense that Charizard couldn''t even exert its full power.


    One could only say that these ice blocks were truly the crystallization of concentrated ice energy!


    Ultimately, the one who helped Yuga solve his problem was his Kartana. He hadn''t expected its de to be so sharp.


    Just as Yuga pondered how to separate the ice blocks encasing the Amaura and Aurorus from the ground of this space, the Kartana made a gentle swipe with its Leaf de at the bottom of the ice block. With a loud "boom," one ice sculpture toppled to the ground.


    Kartana was able to slice through the ice blocks not because its power surpassed that of Absol and the others, but because it relied on sharpness, not brute strength!


    With Kartana''s assistance, Yuga easily packed all the ice sculptures into his system backpack.


    After handling the ice sculptures of Amaura and Aurorus, Yuga took another look around this space. Finding nothing else of interest, he followed Sneasel, guided by Gengar and Mismagius, back through the circr hole to the ice cave where Beartic kept their Pok��mon eggs.


    Seeing the ground covered with Pok��mon eggs, Yuga selected a few with high potential: two green potential and over ten yellow potential. Even though he had already obtained a group of high-potential Amaura and Aurorus, no one would everin about having too many good things.


    However, Yuga didn''t "wipe them all out"; he didn''t take all the green potential eggs, and he also left the only blue quality one untouched. After all, he had Innovation Potion. Who knows, the ten or so yellow potential eggs might hatch into a few green potential Pok��mon!


    While Yuga was stealing the eggs, Sneasel was being quite helpful, this resentful little guy practically wishing Yuga would catch every single descendant of theirs.


    Seeing the green light in its eyes, Yuga even suspected that this little creature was plotting how to eat these eggs. There were indeed records of hungry Sneasel stealing and eating others'' eggs in the wild.


    Once everything was tidied up, Yuga noticed that the two Beartic that was guarding the entrance of the ice cave were still fast asleep, allowing him and Sneasel to sneak out of the Beartic'' territory unnoticed.


    After leaving the snowy mountains, Yuga released Absol. He and Sneasel rode Absol as they galloped away. Once back on the Santalune teau, Yuga took a deep breath and suddenly felt that it wasn''t so cold there after all.


    Aftering out from the snowy mountains, Yuga saw that it was gettingte, knowing that it would be impossible to leave the Santalune teau that day. He spent another night on the teau, setting off the next morning.


    Two dayster, Yuga returned to Snowbreeze Town, this time apanied by Sneasel.


    Initially, Sneasel had been worried that Yuga would leave it behind, but clearly, it had worried for nothing. After spending these past few days together, Yuga found Sneasel quite pleasant and had already nned to take it along.


    However, when they passed by the Frost Cavern, they coincidentally encountered a group of Sneasel from the same family. They were once again stealing food from others, but this time it was during the day instead of at night.


    They were very surprised to see Sneasel following Yuga, and it looked like Sneasel was living quite well. Compared to when it was first captured by Yuga, Sneasel''s state of mind had improved significantly after a few days of feeding.


    For a moment, the Sneasel family even felt a bit envious of Sneasel for being captured.


    Yuga did not interfere with the Nyaura group''s act of stealing food from Sneasel, as it was their means of survival in the wild. The Beartic could steal their territory, so they could certainly take others'' food. It all boiled down to survival of the fittest!


    Seeing that Sneasel was living well, the Sneasel grouppletely abandoned any thoughts of rescuing it.


    Before leaving, Sneasel pleaded with Yuga to leave some food for its family, as a way to conclude their final bond. Yuga didn''t refuse and bought a bunch of berries from the system''s Trainer Shop to give to the Sneasel group. Although Sneasel wasn''t a high-potential Pok��mon, since Yuga had taken it under his wing, he wouldn''t be stingy with it.


    Yuga was wealthy, so he left quite a few berries for the Sneasel group. The Frost Cavern was freezing cold, and food wouldst there as long as they rationed it; those berries would be enough for them for a while.


    Yuga actually quite liked Pok��mon like Sneasel, but unfortunately, this group of Sneaselcked potential and strength. He wasn''t running a charity, so he could only turn a blind eye to them.


    Yuga didn''t stay long in Snowbreeze Town; he headed straight back to Lumiose City. He needed to inform Kalos League in advance that he was returning to Hoenn, after all, he hade to Kalos Region on official business.


    In Lumiose City, Yuga met Diantha, who expressed her gratitude on behalf of the Kalos League for Yuga''s help this time.


    Of course, Yuga wasn''t doing this for free; the League would automatically record his contributions to his ount, and Kalos League would also express their gratitude to him separately.


    However, Diantha didn''t specify how they would thank him, only telling Yuga, "You''ll find out when the timees." Yuga, upon hearing this, didn''t dwell on it, as it was something that would happen anyway.


    Before leaving Kalos Region, Yuga originally intended to say goodbye to Clemont, but after the Lysandre Labs incident, he returned to Coumarine City to continue his research on the Sunflora power generator. It was said that they had reached a critical moment, so Yuga could only bid farewell to him over the phone.


    However, Yuga did visit Bonnie at her home once. The little girl was very happy to see Yuga and even cried when they said goodbye.


    Yuga was sent back to Hoenn by a flight device specially arranged by Kalos League. He experienced what it meant to receive VIP treatment, being delivered directly to his doorstep with such excellent service!


    Upon returning to Verdanturf Town, Yuga felt an immense sense of relief. After all the time spent outside, he truly felt that home was the best.


    The first thing Yuga did after getting home was to release the ice sculptures of Amaura and Aurorus on the Ecopark. Because only by officially capturing the Pok��mon encased in ice sculptures could he consider his system taskpleted, allowing him to open a new sub-Ecpark for housing ice-type Pok��mon.


    Yuga assigned the task of cutting the ice blocks to Kartana. Compared to before, this time the cutting had to be more meticulous to avoid harming Amaura and Aurorus inside.


    Fortunately, after practicing swordsmanship with the Aegish for so long, Kartana had be increasingly skilled. Under its careful refinement, the ice blocks gradually shattered, and the first Aurorus finally awakened.


    The first one Yuga woke up was one of the two leaders of the Aurorus tribe. By capturing the leader first, the difficulty of capturing the remaining ones would be significantly reduced.


    Amaura and Aurorus had not possessed particrly outstanding potential before they were frozen, so their original levels were rtively low, including the two leaders.


    After awakening, the level of the first Aurorus had not changed muchpared to before; the absorption of so much ice essence, without any training, could not be used to level up, and most of it was likely spent on improving its potential.


    "Aurorus?"


    The newly awakened Aurorus was very confused. During the years of being frozen, its consciousness had been in a deep slumber, and its memory was stuck at the moment the cold wave struck.


    "Hello, Aurorus!" Yuga greeted it in a friendly manner.


    "Au...Aurorus!!!"


    However, upon seeing Yuga, the Aurorus was so frightened that it kept retreating, its strong legs stomping on the ground with loud thuds.


    Both Amaura and Aurorus are extremely gentle creatures. Despite the Aurorus''s imposing size, it is particrly shy, so Yuga wasn''t surprised at its reaction at all.


    "Don''t be afraid; I won''t hurt you. I''m the one who rescued you from being frozen. Do you remember being encased in solid ice?" Yuga tried to speak in a gentle tone, attempting to soothe Aurorus''s emotions.


    Yuga''s words sessfully evoked Aurorus''s buried memories: Yes, that cold wave hade too suddenly, and it and its kin had lost consciousness before they could react.


    After Yuga''s diligent exnation, Aurorus quickly understood its situation. Upon realizing that Yuga was its savior and could also rescue its other kin, Aurorus lowered its guard, making Yuga''s capturing process incredibly smooth.


    Clearing the ice blocks encasing Aurorus and Amaura was quite time-consuming. During the clearing process, the first two leaders of Aurorus that awakened anxiously circled around Yuga, leaving several deep pits on the ground from their stomping.


    These two leaders were a couple; being young and newly appointed as leaders, they were very responsible and concerned about the safety of their tribe.


    Yuga was busy the entire day before he managed to awaken all Amaura and Aurorus. Because of their overly gentle nature, the capturing went smoothly, and he was notified that his system task wasplete.

 Chapter 1100: System Update

    <h4>Chapter 1100: System Update</h4>


    After awakening all the Amaura and Aurorus, Yuga received the system''s reward to open a new sub-Ecopark.


    ording to the system, this final Sub-Ecopark was also a special type of Sub-Ecopark.


    Yuga had be quite skilled in opening new sub-Ecopark, so soon enough, another light gate appeared in the main Ecopark.


    However, just after Yuga finished opening the new sub-Ecopark, he heard the system''s notification in his mind. Once the main quest for opening the Sub-Ecopark waspleted, the system would begin updating. This was the second time the system had updated in the seven years it had been with him.


    After the notification sound disappeared, the system fell silent. The system didn''t mention how long the update wouldst, so Yuga could only wait patiently.


    It was perfect timing, though, since he could now explore the newly opened Snow Mountain Sub-Ecopark and see what was inside.


    With that thought, Yuga stepped through the new light gate.


    As soon as he entered, a rush of cold air greeted him, causing him to shiver involuntarily. ncing around, the first thing Yuga did was take out a nket from his system backpack and wrap it around himself.


    Hoenn was still warm right now, so Yuga had only worn a short-sleeved shirt when he came in.


    The main feature of the Snow Mountain Sub-Ecopark was the snow-capped mountain beneath Yuga''s feet, with the light gate''s entrance located at the mountain''s summit.


    However, the summit wasn''t sharp or steep; in the center, it formed a crater-like depression. This aspect was particrly simr to the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, except that the Volcano sub-Ecopark''s summit was a magma pool, while the Snow Mountain sub-garden''s summit was a forest of ice pirs.


    The ice pir forest was filled with numerous thick ice columns, each emitting an intense cold. It was clear at first nce that these weren''t ordinary ice formations.


    Since the Snow Mountain Sub-Ecopark was another special Sub-Ecopark, the special aspect likelyy within these ice pirs.


    Despite the many ice pirs, they didn''t feel crowded. There was enough space between each pir that evenrge Pok��mon like Aurorus could move around without any problem.


    At the center of the ice pir forest was a clearing, and in the middle of that clearingy a massive ice rock. This was the same type of ice rock Yuga had encountered when capturing ceon, the kind that allowed Eevee to evolve into ceon.


    Of course, the ice rock''s purpose wasn''t limited to Eevee''s evolution; its mere presence could assist ice-type Pok��mon in absorbing ice-type energy.


    This particr ice rock was muchrger than the one Yuga had encountered before. Shaped irregrly like a rectangr prism, it wasn''t especially tall��just over a meter high��but it stretched more than twenty meters long and over ten meters wide.


    In addition, the edges of the ice rock were covered in ice-blue grass. Like the ice pirs, these grasses radiated an extraordinary cold, clearly not ordinary nts. However, Yuga couldn''t identify the type of grass, nor could he determine their purpose.


    The summit''s crater had only one exit, and when Yuga stepped out, he could immediately see the ground far below.


    The first thing that caught his eye upon leaving the crater was a long stone staircase covered in snow, extending all the way to the foot of the mountain. Even though the snow mountain was steep in some ces, the staircase made ascending and descending easy.


    Aside from the summit crater, the rest of the snow mountain was covered in low-growing fruit trees, such as Chesto Berry and Aspear Berry, which were well-suited to cold environments.


    At the base of the snow mountainy a small iceke, its surface smooth like a mirror but not frozen. Theke''s edges were lined with the same grass found near the ice rock, glowing faintly blue and looking rather beautiful. Some of the grass had even bloomed with small white flowers, swaying elegantly in the breeze, adding a touch of charm to the scene.


    A bit further away was an oval-shaped ice field, though it was barren, covered only in a nket of white snow.


    After getting a general understanding of the Snow Mountain Sub-Ecopark, Yuga led the Amaura and Aurorus into their new home.


    As soon as the Amaura and Aurorus entered the forest of ice pirs, they disyed expressions of enjoyment. The abundant ice-type energy in the area made them feel extremelyfortable.


    The lively young Amaura started running around in the ice pir forest, and before Yuga could stop them, they began eating the blue grass they encountered.


    Yuga wasn''t sure if these grasses were safe to eat. What if something went wrong after they ate them?


    However, after observing for a while, Yuga noticed that the Amaura who had eaten the grass remained energetic and lively, which put his mind at ease. After all, if the grass were dangerous, the system likely wouldn''t have allowed it to grow there in the first ce.


    After introducing the Amaura and Aurorus to the features of the Snow Mountain Sub-Ecopark, and weighing the pros and cons, they ultimately decided to live on the ice field at the base of the mountain.


    In terms of environment, the ice pir forest was definitely superior, but the Aurorus wererge and clumsy, and living on the mountain summit presented several inconveniences, such as the difficulty of going down to drink water. The t ice field, which was closer to the iceke, was much more suitable for them.


    After settling the Amaura and Aurorus in their new home, Yuga turned his attention to handling the ice-type Pok��mon he had captured at the Santalune teau.


    Before returning, Yuga had already instructed Audino to prepare enough Innovation Potion, including portions for Sneasel and Stound family.


    There were a total of 32 ceon. Two of them originally had green potential, and after using Innovation Potion, the number of green-potential ceon increased to eight. Overall, the sess rate of potential evolution wasn''t very high.


    However, there weren''t many Pok��mon in the group with red or orange potential to begin with. After using the potion, only three remained with orange potential, while the rest had yellow potential.


    After careful consideration, Yuga decided to ce the eight green-potential Pok��mon in the Snow Mountain Sub-Ecopark and send the rest to the new Ecopark.


    Although the new Ecopark didn''t have a natural ice-type environment, one could be artificially created.


    Yuga designated a small area in the new Ecopark and moved therge ice fragments that had originally encased the Amaura and Aurorus into this space. These ice chunks were valuable, and it would be wasteful to discard them.


    The ice was already difficult to melt, but Yuga also ced Never-Melt Ice block��taller than a person��among the other ice pieces, ensuring that the ice would be resistant to high temperatures. The ceon were quite fond of Yuga''s arrangement; it was certainly an improvement over their previous living conditions.


    The eight green-potential ceon settled directly in the ice pir forest. They especially liked the massive ice rock in the center and enjoyed sleeping on it.


    Yuga entrusted them with the care of more than ten Cubchoo eggs, and the ceon took their responsibility seriously, looking after the eggs with great attention.


    Afterward, Yuga visited the Volcano Sub-Ecopark to ask the ceon there if they wanted to move to the Snow Mountain Sub-Ecopark. However, these ceon had grown up alongside the other Eeveelutions and shared deep bonds with them, so they didn''t want to separate, and they declined.


    Yuga didn''t force them. He left them thergest unmeltable ice block and stopped asking further. As long as they had the Never-Melt Ice, they would befortable no matter where they lived.


    Next, Yuga dealt with the Stound family''s relocation.


    In the Stound family, both Stound and Furfrou were green-potential, while their children had yellow potential.


    After using Innovation Potion, one Lillipup, one Furfrou, and the only Herdier in the family sessfully evolved to green potential. Only one Lillipup and one Furfrou remained unchanged. This sess rate was much higher than that of ceon.


    After being together for so long and having deep bonds, Yuga didn''t have the heart to separate the Stound family, so he let them all move into the Sub-Ecopark together.


    Since they were already ustomed to the climate of the Santalune teau and had thick fur, the Stound family also moved into the Snow Mountain Sub-Ecopark.


    As long as they had enough food, the low temperatures were not a problem for them. They chose to live by the iceke, where the water was plentiful, and food was abundant, thanks to the many fruit trees growing at the foot of the snow mountain.


    Next up was Sneasel.


    Sneasel''s luck wasn''t bad either. A dose of Innovation Potion sessfully turned it into a green-potential Pok��mon, and Yuga happily led it into the Snow Mountain Sub-Ecopark to live with the ceon in the forest of ice pirs.


    After all this work, it was already gettingte, so Yuga decided to leave the remaining tasks for tomorrow.


    The next morning, as Yuga was enjoying the breakfast carefully prepared by Audino, a Miltank hurriedly rushed over, saying that Sneasel and the ceon had gotten into a fight.


    By the time Yuga arrived, the fight was already over. Since the ceon outnumbered Sneasel, it had taken quite a beating.


    After inquiring further, Yuga found out that both Sneasel and the ceon were fond of the ice rock in the center of the forest and liked to sleep on it.


    However, wild Pok��mon have a strong sense of territory. Since Sneasel and the ceon had only recently been captured by Yuga, their territorial instincts hadn''t fully adapted. The saying "there''s no room for others to sleep beside your throne" seemed to apply here, leading to a fight between Sneasel and the ceon.


    With no other choice, Yuga measured the area around the ice rock and then said to them, "How about you each take half? No one crosses the line, okay?"


    "Sneasel, Sneasel!!!"


    Sneasel immediately expressed its dissatisfaction, waving its arms around in protest, essentially saying, "Why is their territory bigger than mine? That''s unfair!"


    Yuga hadn''t expected this little guy to be so domineering. It wanted to im half of the ice rock for itself when there were eight ceon!


    Naturally, the ceon weren''t happy with Sneasel''sints. The leader of the group began hurling insults at Sneasel, and Yuga felt a headacheing on.


    Despite their elegant appearance, ceon also have a variety of personalities. Not all of them are cold and gentle. The leader, in particr, had no problem hurling sharp insults at Sneasel, leaving thetter flustered and red-faced. If Yuga hadn''t been holding Sneasel back, it would have jumped up to scratch the ceon by now.


    After much negotiation, Yuga finally managed to split the ice rock between Sneasel and the ceon. However, Sneasel was still upset with the ceon and followed Yuga out of the Snow Mountain Sub-Ecopark once he left.


    Yuga didn''t stop it and simply instructed Sneasel not to run off while he hurried off to handle other matters.


    The coffin of the original owner of Aegish was still in Yuga''s system backpack, and he needed to deal with it as soon as possible.


    Lately, Gengar, Mismagius, Absol, and Dragonite had been traveling with Yuga everywhere, and Roserade had been busy training with Florges. Yuga''s Pok��mon hadn''t had the chance to train in the Distortion World for a while, so the cooldown for the Reverse Mirror had long since passed.


    Since Aegish was also a Ghost-type Pok��mon, Yuga had it personally take its master''s coffin to the Distortion World. In addition, Yuga sent Gengar, Mismagius, Dragonite, and Mimikyu into the Distortion World as well.


    Once the matter with Aegish was settled, Yuga''s system finally reacted again, and when he opened it, he saw that the update had beenpleted.


    Compared to before, the updated system interface looked much simpler.


    At the top of the square interface, five icons were neatly arranged: Host, Shop, Backpack, Tasks, and Achievements. Not only had the system interface been rearranged, but the Tasks and Achievements icons were new additions.


    Previously, the system would issue tasks randomly, with only a brief notification, and there wasn''t a dedicated screen for them. As for achievements, they were mentioned even less. Now, after the update, everything seemed much more organized.


    Yuga clicked on the Host tab, and the Host icon immediately erged, upying the entire nk space at the bottom of the system interface.


    ...


    [ Host ]: Yuga Kiyomizu


    [ Age ]: 23


    [ Gender ]: Male


    [ Pok��mon ]:


    ? Florges, Absol, Chimecho, Vivillon, Dragonite, Charizard, Lapras.


    ? Roserade, Bellossom, Venusaur, Breloom, Torterra, Sawsbuck, Serperior.


    ? Gengar, Mismagius, Cosmoem, Mimikyu


    Decidueye, Abomasnow, Bagon.


    [ Special Abilities ]:


    ? Celebi''s Blessing (Intermediate)


    ? Ghost King (Beginner)


    [ Skills ]:


    ? Pok��block Crafting (Intermediate)


    ? Pok��mon Breeding (Intermediate)


    [ Title ]:


    ? Owner of YoYo Day Care


    ? Gym Leader of Verdanturf Gym


    ? Disciple of Grass-type Master


    ? Hall of Fame Trainer of Hoenn League


    ...


    In general, Yuga''s personal data hadn''t changed much. The only significant change was that the system had now assigned levels to his special abilities. To his surprise, Celebi''s Blessing was only at the intermediate level, and his Ghost-type ability was still beginner.


    Both of these energies could be strengthened through training, and Yuga hadn''t cked off over the years. How were they still at these levels? Had all his training been for nothing?


    It seemed he needed to double down on his efforts! Yuga silently made up his mind, wondering what level his master was at. He was curious.


    After checking his personal data, Yuga clicked on the icon representing the Trainer''s Shop.


    The Trainer''s Shop had also changed. Berries and Pok�� Balls were no longer items that required refreshing to purchase; they had be fixed items in the shop, each with a clear price tag. In general, the prices were about the same as those sold outside.


    In the Pok�� Ball section, besides the standard Pok�� Balls, Great Balls, and Ultra Balls, there were also rarer ones like Moon Balls, Friend Balls, and Dive Balls, though these were much more expensive than the typical Pok�� Balls.


    Even the exclusive Pok�� Ball that the system had once given Yuga as a reward was now clearly priced at 100,000 each, with no purchase limit. Although Yuga wasn''t short on money, he had to admit it was a bit pricey.


    Still, the high cost made sense. These Pok�� Balls not only providedfortable living conditions for Pok��mon but also absorbed free-floating elemental energy from the air, based on the Pok��mon''s type, to aid in their training.


    However, Yuga was a bit disappointed to see that there was no Master Ball avable.


    Aside from the fixed items, Yuga noticed a nk slot on the far left with the words "Click to Refresh" written in it. He clicked on it, and the slot immediately changed from nk to "A Bag of Dragon Scales (Normal)," with the slot color changing from white to green.


    This meant the bag of dragon scales was a green-tier item.


    Yuga clicked "im," and sure enough, a bag of dragon scales appeared in his backpack. He grabbed a handful and examined them. They seemed to be scales from a Druddigon, and their quality was quite good, suitable for crafting Dragon-type Pok��blocks.


    Although the Berries and Pok�� Balls had be unlimited fixed items, the number of daily refresh slots had decreased from nine to one, and it could still only be refreshed once per day. Yuga wasn''t sure if this had reduced the chances of finding a gold-tier item.


    Of course, the system''s response was that it hadn''t, but who knew for sure? In the past seven years, Yuga had only found one gold-tier item, so even if the chances were lowered, it wouldn''t matter much to him. After all, 99% equals 0%, no problem there.


    The changes to the Trainer''s Shop didn''t affect Yuga much, so he didn''t dwell on it and closed the tab.


    He quickly checked the system backpack, but it remained the same as before. After a brief look, he closed the erged backpack icon, which shrank back to the top of the interface.


    Finally, there were the Task and Achievement icons. Unlike the previous blue icons, these two were red and even emitted a faint glow.


    Seeing this, Yuga guessed that there were tasks and achievements waiting to be imed, which was usually the case in games.


    Yuga clicked on the Task icon first, and as expected, two tasks had already been issued: one main task and one side task.

 Chapter 1101: The Rival You Unintentionally Created

    <h4>Chapter 1101: The Rival You Unintentionally Created</h4>


    The main quest in the task icon was disyed in bold.


    ...


    [ Main Quest: Increase external output. (ept) ]


    [ Description: Over time, the Pok��mon in the host''s Ecopark have reproduced generation after generation. While high-potential Pok��mon have been born, arge number of low-potential Pok��mon have also appeared. An excess of Pok��mon will burden the host, so please find a way to resolve this. ]


    [ Reward: ??? ]


    ...


    The font for the side quest was much smaller.


    ...


    [ Side Quest: Solve the food problem for the Electric-type Pok��mon. (ept) ]


    [ Description: The Electric-type Pok��mon in the Ecopark are still eating store-bought Pok��blocks. Doesn''t that bother your conscience? Pleaseplete the independent supply of food for them as soon as possible. ]


    [ Requirement: Collect five Electric-type Pok��mon. ]


    [ Reward: Universal Pok��block recipe for Electric-type Pok��mon. ]


    ...


    Before epting the quests, both were marked in red. After Yuga clicked "ept" behind each quest, the text turned green.


    Since the system''s quests had no time limit and no penalties for ipletion, Yuga epted them all without hesitation.


    After epting the quests, Yuga asked the system, "Is there any difference between main quests and side quests?"


    [ The system has ssified future quests. Any quest involving the sale of Pok��mon from the daycare will be ssified as a main quest. Others, such as resource collection, Pok��mon breeding, and Pok��mon collection, will be ssified as side quests. ]


    [ In general, main quests will be more difficult than side quests, so the host should carefully consider how toplete them. ]


    Yuga looked at the main quest and saw that its structure was indeed different from the side quests. The way side quests were issued hadn''t changed and remained about the same difficulty, but the main quest didn''t provide Yuga with a clear set of requirements like before.


    [ Additionally, main quests cannot be epted simultaneously. The next main quest will not appear until the previous one ispleted. Side quests can be epted multiple at a time. ]


    [ Lastly, the system will no longer issue tasks unrted to the operation of the daycare. ]


    Yuga: ...Feels like the system is getting stricter!


    "Oh, by the way, why isn''t the main quest reward disyed?" Seeing that the reward section for the main quest was filled with question marks, Yuga asked curiously.


    [ There are many ways toplete the quest, so the reward will vary based on the host''s performance. ]


    Upon hearing this, Yuga understood. This meant that the better he performed, the better the reward. If he did an average job, the reward would be average as well.


    After rifying the quest details, Yuga opened thest icon on the system interface��the Achievements tab.


    Once the Achievements icon expanded, its contents were fully disyed.


    ...


    [ Main Quest 1: Sub-Ecopark Activation (Completed) ]


    [ Reward: One Moss Rock (im) ]


    ...


    [ Main Quest 2: Full-type Output (Iplete) ]


    [ Reward: One Master Ball (Unavable) ]


    ...


    Seeing the first entry, Yuga smiled. So,pleting a main quest also gave additional rewards!


    The frame around the Moss Rock was purple, which meant it was a purple-tier item. While purple items weren''t as rare as gold-tier items, they were still quite hard toe by. After all, Yuga hadn''t pulled many in all these years. He wondered if this counted as a guarantee.


    But the second quest puzzled Yuga.


    Full-type output? What does that mean? All types? That seems highly likely.


    Based on the main quest in the task icon, "output" seems to refer to the sale of Pok��mon from YoYo Day Care. Therefore, "full-type output" likely means the daycare will need to sell Pok��mon of all types.


    "System, is this what I think it means?" After guessing for a while and not understanding, Yuga asked the system for help.


    However, the system remainedpletely unresponsive.


    Yuga: Wow! It''s pretending to be dead!


    Since he couldn''t get an answer from the system, Yuga decided to go with the flow. Judging by how long it took toplete the first achievement, the second achievement wasn''t something that could be solved in just a day or two.


    Take it slow��no rush.


    However, the reward for the second achievement was a bit...


    A Master Ball was indeed a valuable item, capable of forcibly capturing any Pok��mon, including Legendary Pok��mon. But for Yuga, who had system-specialized Pok�� Balls, it felt a bit unnecessary.


    The system''s custom Pok�� Balls, though they couldn''t forcibly capture Legendaries, were highly functional. Besides, Yuga didn''t have any ns to forcefully capture any Legendary Pok��mon.


    Legendary Pok��mon are incredibly proud. Even if you forcefully capture them, without mutual understanding, it wouldn''t be meaningful at all.


    Still, seeing that the Master Ball had a purple border, Yuga thought, "I''ll just treat it as a collectible��at least it''s a purple-tier item."


    "System, can I im this Moss Rock?" After understanding the contents of the achievement tab, Yuga decided to set aside the second achievement for now and im the reward for the first.


    [ The host can im it at any time. ]


    The system came back to life, and its voice once again echoed in Yuga''s mind.


    [ However, I must remind the host that the Moss Rock is quiterge. ]


    "Large? Howrge can it be?"


    After thinking for a moment, Yuga found an open space and clicked the "im" button.


    Boom!


    A massive rock appeared in front of Yuga, almost the same size as the Ice Rock in the Snow Mountain sub-Ecopark.


    "It really is huge!" Almost got crushed to death!


    Yuga had seen a Moss Rock in Pinwheel Forest in the Unova region before, but that Moss Rock wasn''t as big as the one rewarded by the system.


    From this perspective, the system is quite generous.


    The Moss Rock works simrly to the Ice Rock. Not only can it help Eevee evolve into Leafeon, but it can also assist Grass-type Pok��mon in absorbing energy.


    Judging by its size, this Moss Rock seems to be a shared item for all Grass-type Pok��mon to use together.


    However, unlike the Ice Rock thates as part of a special sub-Ecopark, the Moss Rock had to be imed through an achievement��what a stark difference in treatment.


    But then again, Grass-type Pok��mon don''t have a special sub-Ecopark of their own!


    After storing the Moss Rock in the system''s backpack, Yuga decided to ce it in the Flower Sea sub-Ecopark, where all the Grass-type Pok��mon gather.


    When Yuga entered the Flower Sea sub-Ecopark, Florges was busy leading the Grass-type Pok��mon in their training.


    This time, Roserade had given its spot for traveling to the Distortion World to Aegish, but it didn''t feel like it was missing out on much by training under Florges.


    Ever since Florges'' divine aura had be stronger, all the Grass-type Pok��mon had been benefiting from it. Training with her significantly increased their efficiency.


    She was now the queen of the Flower Sea sub-Ecopark, and every nt, as well as every Grass-type Pok��mon within it, was her subject under her rule.


    Without disturbing their training, Yuga found a spot within the Flower Sea sub-Ecopark, cleared out a patch ofnd, and ced the Moss Rock there.


    The Moss Rock was entirely emerald green, covered in moss, and as soon as you approached it, a refreshing scent filled the air.


    As soon as the Moss Rock settled on the ground, it emitted a green light that flowed into the earth. Immediately, the patch ofnd Yuga had cleared bloomed with flowers again, making the Moss Rock seem like it had always belonged in the Flower Sea sub-Ecopark.


    Themotion caused by the Moss Rock immediately caught Florges'' attention. She led the Grass-type Pok��mon to gather around it, their gazes fixated on the Moss Rock.


    After leaving the Flower Sea sub-Ecopark, Yuga decided to head to the Ghost Mansion sub-Ecopark. He had forgotten about the item AZ gave him and the Stone Flower he obtained from the tomb at the Santalune teau.


    He had studied these two items for a long time but hadn''t figured out what they were. So he decided to leave it to the three Mmar to investigate, since, after all, they were the experts when it came to research. Yuga had to admit that much.


    While Yuga was busy with all of this, Sneasel got into another fight with the other Pok��mon. However, this time, it wasn''t entirely Sneasel''s fault.


    After leaving the Snow Mountain sub-Ecopark with Yuga, Sneasel wanted to explore.


    It had lived in the wild before, and now it was incredibly curious about the human world. This excessive curiosity is a traitmon among cat-like Pok��mon. So as it passed through the main Ecopark, it happened to cross paths with four Pok��mon: Persian and three Delcatty.


    Since Sneasel was also a feline Pok��mon, Persian''s eyes lit up the moment it saw it��its "hobby" of collecting underlings kicked in.


    Persian had always been bold and reckless, and after being praised by its minions for so long, it had be quite arrogant. It ordered Sneasel, "From now on, you''ll be one of my underlings too!"


    Sneasel bristled with anger upon hearing that. An underling? I''m a girl, you moron! If I were to be anyone''s underling, it would be Absol''s, not yours! Who do you think you are?


    Although Sneasel acted sycophantic toward Yuga for food and had a cunning and sly nature, it was also very proud, as befits a Dark-type Pok��mon. After witnessing the majestic Absol in action, it had no respect for someone like Persian.


    So, after ring at Persian, Sneasel turned around and walked away.


    Persian found Sneasel''s attitude amusing. Wow, where did this little one get such an attitude from?


    So, Persian decided to teach Sneasel a lesson.


    Old habits die hard. Persian had bullied other Pok��mon while wandering as a Meowth, and now it felt no qualms about giving Sneasel a beating.


    "Persian!"


    With onemand from Persian, its three wives, the Delcatty, surrounded Sneasel.


    But Sneasel wasn''t afraid of Persian or the Delcatty. It had the guts to take on a massive Beartic, so Purugly and the Delcatty were nothing inparison.


    However, bravery doesn''t equal strength. With its potential only recently upgraded to green potential, there was no way Sneasel could take on the experienced Persian and Delcatty. It was soundly beaten.


    Although Persian had a bad attitude, it hadn''t cked in training over the years. Besides, every Pok��mon in the Ecopark had designated training tasks, so there was no way Sneasel could catch up to Persian and the Delcatty in terms of strength.


    Watching Persian and the three Delcatty walk away smugly, Sneasel red at their retreating backs, wishing it could burn holes through them with its eyes.


    Hmph! You just wait!


    After being taught a lesson, Sneasel lost all interest in going out. Just as it was about to head back, it suddenly noticed a Bunnelby poking its head out of a hole in the ground not far away, staring at it. An idea shed in Sneasel''s mind.


    "Sneasel, Sneasel," Sneasel walked over to Bunnelby, taking out an Aspear Berry it had casually picked from the Snow Mountain sub-Ecopark and handed it to Bunnelby.


    "Bunnelby?"


    Really? Is this for me?


    Bunnelby immediately asked, its face full of emotion.


    It wasn''t surprising Bunnelby felt so touched. Being a shiny Pok��mon, it had been rejected by its family��parents, siblings, all of them��ever since it was born. Not long after, it was driven out of its home. No Pok��mon had ever been so kind to it before, so Sneasel giving it the Aspear Berry made it incredibly happy.


    However, Sneasel had a different intention.


    Even though Sneasel wasn''t familiar with Bunnelby, they both came from the Santalune teau, making them fellow countrymen in Sneasel''s eyes. That alone was enough to form a natural alliance.


    After falling out with the Ice-type Pok��mon, and now having offended Persian and its mates, Sneasel felt it really needed allies. Besides, being in a new ce where it didn''t know many people, having allies was all the more necessary.


    More importantly, before returning to Verdanturf Town, Sneasel had overheard Yuga mention that Bunnelby had excellent potential and would certainly be something great in the future. Such a high-quality ally was something Sneasel didn''t want to pass up.


    You just wait, Persian! One day, I''ll make you regret this! Sneasel thought, gritting its teeth. If Persian could have helpers, then so could it.


    Sneasel held grudges, and that was no joke.


    Bunnelby, being simple and shy by nature, quickly became Sneasel''s most loyal follower thanks to Sneasel''s sweet words. It followed Sneasel''s every order without question.


    Since Bunnelby had just arrived at the Ecopark and didn''t know anyone, coupled with its indecisive personality, it became heavily dependent on Sneasel, who was not only a fellow countryman but also its first friend.


    Thus, a new faction was quietly forming, with the goal of taking down Persian''s gang. At that moment, Persian had no idea that its casual actions had created what would be its greatest lifelong rival.


    Sneasel was quite clever. It understood the importance of biding its time, knowing the saying "revenge is a dish best served cold." So, for a long time, it didn''t appear in front of Persian.


    What did Sneasel do during this time? Knowing that both it and Bunnelby were still too weak, Sneasel decided to seek out a master and went to meet the veteran Pok��mon of the Ecopark: Linoone and Mightyena couple.


    Linoone had a good temperament, and when it heard that Sneasel and Bunnelby wanted to learn from it, it immediately agreed without hesitation. Bunnelby liked Pok��mon who were eager to improve.


    Thus, Linoone as a Normal-type Pok��mon, took on the responsibility of training Bunnelby, another Normal-type, while Mightyena, a Dark-type Pok��mon, taught Sneasel who also a Dark-type.


    Bunnelby''s potential was indeed impressive. Although it hadn''t reached indigo potential, as a shiny Pok��mon, its natural strength was already higher than its peers. Add to that its Hugh Power ability, and it was remarkable.


    Sneasel''s potential wasn''t as great as Bunnelby''s, but it was highly motivated by the thought of getting back at Persian. It trained with relentless effort.


    Linoone and Mightyena were both very satisfied with Bunnelby''s natural talent and Sneasel''s hard work. They passed on all their experience and skills to them, often taking them to seek guidance from other Pok��mon.


    Being veteran members of the Ecopark, Linoone''s connections were no joke. Every Pok��mon respected it and was willing to offer assistance.


    In addition to diligently following Linooy and Mightyena to be stronger, Sneasel was also secretly building its own group behind the scenes. It knew that relying solely on itself and Bunnelby wouldn''t be enough to deal with Persian.


    After some time investigating, Sneasel learned that not only did Persian and its mates have a group of minions outside, but they were also on good terms with Zoroark and Liepard''s family in the Grasnd sub-Ecopark.


    Using its silver tongue, Sneasel managed to gradually recruit a Lillipup from the Snow Mountain sub-Ecopark, a Fennekin and Cyndaquil from the Volcano sub-Ecopark, and a Dratini, which was part of the exchange Yuga had made with Lance for a Bagon.


    And just like that, a small faction was born.

 Chapter 1102: External Output

    <h4>Chapter 1102: External Output</h4>


    Yuga didn''t pay much attention to what happened between Sneasel and Persian, and even if he knew, he probably wouldn''t intervene. In his view, with so many Pok��mon in the Ecopark, it was normal for there to be minor conflicts between them.


    Several months passed, and during this time, Yuga gradually moved two Cloyster, a Dewgong, the Lapras family from the Shallow Beach Sub-Ecopark, and two Vulpix given to him by Principal Oak into the Snow Mountain Sub-Ecopark.


    The Cloyster, Dewgong, and Lapras family didn''t react much to their new home. In fact, they found the iceke in the Snow Mountain Sub-Ecopark more suitable for them, so they settled there contentedly.


    However, the two Vulpix had a good rtionship with the ceon when they moved into the Ice Pir Forest. On the other hand, they didn''t get along with Sneasel, who was unhappy about having to share another part of its ice rock with them.


    During the past few months, Yuga had been trying to figure out how toplete the main quest issued by the system, but he hadn''t made any progress.


    A few days ago, Yuga took some time to watch the Pok��mon Contest in which May was participating. Robert didn''t take part in this festival, but neither May nor Drew managed to win; the victory went to Soledad.


    Yuga thought this oue was expected. Soledad had beenpeting in contests for many years, and it made sense that she was stronger than neers like May and Drew. Her victory was well deserved.


    Because Robert didn''t participate in this Pokemon Contest, his longtime rival, Suzuna, didn''t participate either.


    Suzuna was still working at the Verdanturf Distribution Department. Due to the reformtion of the Innovation potion, Yuga often ran into her. If it weren''t for the fact that she was constantly seen in special training, Yuga might have suspected that she had given up on being a Pok��mon Coordinator altogether.


    Even though May didn''t win the Pokemon Contest, Yuga thought she performed very well. As a beginner, she showed great potential as a Coordinator Trainer, and as long as she continued to work hard, it wouldn''t be difficult for her to be a top Coordinator Trainer in the future.


    While watching thepetition from the audience, Yuga realized that the person sitting next to him was also in the same line of work.


    After some conversation, Yuga learned that this person ran a small Pokemon Day Care, the kind that sells Pok��mon with ordinary potential to regr customers, much like YoYo Day Care before Yuga took it over.


    Because such Pokemon Day Care are small-scale and don''t have sufficient funds, they don''t have their own Ecopark for raising Pok��mon. Therefore, they need to purchase Pok��mon from other breeders.


    The customers of that Pokemon Day Care are mostly regr people who buy Pok��mon as pets orpanions, so they tend to stock Pok��mon with ordinary potential, which are more affordable.


    While chatting with this fellow breeder, Yuga suddenly had an idea.


    Of course! He could imitate the breeding facilities run by the Pok��mon League and wholesale the unsold Pok��mon with ordinary potential from his Day Care to small Pokemon Day Care that need stock. If the League''s facilities could do it, so could he!


    With this idea in mind, Yuga rushed back to Verdanturf Town right after the Pokemon Contest ended.


    Although the general idea was there, executing it was not easy. Yuga didn''t intend to hand over his Pok��mon casually to just any small Pokemon Day Care. Even though these Pok��mon had ordinary potential, he still hoped they would go to good homes.


    So before choosing a partner, Yuga would need to conduct thorough research. It was important to find out which Pokemon Day Care had good reputations and which would be suitable for coborating with YoYo Day Care.


    Yuga focused on small Pokemon Day Care in towns near Verdanturf Town, as working with those too far away would be inconvenient. Small Pokemon Day Care could be found in every town, so locating them wouldn''t be difficult.


    In order to better understand the situation of these small Pokemon Day Care in the surrounding towns, Yuga contacted the White Light Intelligence Bureau, asking them to investigate the reputations of various Pokemon Day Care behind the scenes.


    A Pokemon Day Care''s reputation can''t be judged based on appearances alone��Yuga needed more detailed information.


    As always, the White Light Intelligence Bureau worked with remarkable efficiency. In just three days, Yuga received information on all the small Pokemon Day Care in the surrounding areas.


    Since the headquarters of the White Light Intelligence Bureau was located in Mauville City, close to Verdanturf Town, they were well-informed about the local situation. The intelligence they provided Yuga was very detailed.


    After a week of careful selection, Yuga finally chose seven small Pokemon Day Care. Of course, these seven were merely Yuga''s intended partners for coboration, and whether or not the partnership would materialize depended on the decisions of the Pokemon Day Care themselves. Yuga wasn''t arrogant enough to believe that just because he wanted to cooperate, others would rush to agree.


    However, as long as four or five of these Pokemon Day Care ended up coborating with YoYo Day Care, the issue of the low-potential Pok��mon piling up would be resolved.


    After much thought, Yuga decided to send an invitation to these seven Pokemon Day Care, under the guise of hosting a small Pokemon Day Care exchange meeting, inviting them to Verdanturf Town to discuss the management of Pokemon Day Care.


    When the owners of the seven Pokemon Day Care received invitations from YoYo Pokemon Day Care, they were almost floored, utterly puzzled as to why YoYo Day Care would invite them to such an exchange.


    What is YoYo Day Care? Thanks to its owner, Shimizu Yuga, YoYo Day Care had now be a major yer in the Pokemon Day Caremunity.


    These seven small Pokemon Day Care owners felt that if YoYo Day Care were to host an exchange, it should inviterge Pokemon Day Care like Aroma Day Care or Night Day Care. What was the point of inviting small fry like them?


    What Yuga didn''t know was that in the eyes of these small Pokemon Day Care, YoYo Day Care was like an unattainable, high-ss presence.


    Initially, YoYo Day Care became famous within a small circle due to its monthly limited sale of high-potential Pok��mon. At that time, YoYo Day Care hadn''t even started selling Pok��mon with low potential.


    Although this small but high-quality sales model didn''t draw much attention fromrge Pokemon Day Care, many small ones found YoYo Day Care to be quite extraordinary, especially given the rule that any trainer who wished to purchase a Pok��mon had to travel to Verdanturf Town and pass an assessment by the Pokemon Day Care.


    To the owners of some small Pokemon Day Care, this kind of behavior screamed "luxury." It seemed to say, "Look, I have an endless supply of high-potential Pok��mon. I can do whatever I want, and customers will have to follow my rules!" Now that''s confidence. Could an ordinary Pokemon Day Care pull that off? Wouldn''t they go bankrupt in no time?


    In short, YoYo Day Care left a first impression on many small Pokemon Day Care of being "high-ss." Once this impression of high ss was established, everything began to be viewed through a rose-colored lens.


    As rumors of Yuga bing a Gym Leader, defeating Rayquaza, and being an elite Pok��mon League Trainer spread, the reputation of YoYo Day Care only grew. Many small Pokemon Day Care would think, "See, I told you! They have real backing!"


    Now, in the eyes of these small Pokemon Day Care, YoYo Day Care was on par withrge Pokemon Day Care, even though it hadn''t opened multiple branches like the big ones had. In fact, thisck of expansion only reinforced their belief that YoYo Day Care operated on an entirely different level.


    So, when this high-end Pokemon Day Care unexpectedly invited them to an exchange, the owners of the seven small Pokemon Day Care were ttered.


    It felt almost unreal.


    Nervously, all seven small Pokemon Day Care sent back a reply, confirming their attendance.


    Soon enough, the day of the exchange arrived, and the seven small Pokemon Day Care owners showed up in Verdanturf Town as expected. Since their Pokemon Day Care were all located in nearby towns, they arrived quite early.


    Once everyone had arrived, Yuga invited them into the guest room of the shop. Seeing that everyone looked nervous, Yugaughed heartily and said, "Today is just a small exchange meeting, no need to be nervous. Take it easy, rx!"


    But the owners found it hard to rx. In their eyes, Yuga was a figure far beyond their reach!


    However, as the exchange meeting began, they realized that Yuga had a very easygoing personality, and gradually, their nerves began to settle.


    Although the true purpose of Yuga hosting this meeting was to find business partners, since he had invited them under the pretense of sharing Pokemon Day Care management experiences, he didn''t deceive them. He genuinely organized a discussion where everyone could share their management insights and the difficulties they faced.


    As the meeting was nearing its end, Yuga suddenly suggested, "Would you all like to visit our Day Care''s Ecopark?"


    Yuga was referring to the new Ecopark. Since he wanted to coborate with them, he had to let them see what Pok��mon YoYo Day Care had to offer.


    "Really? That would be amazing!"


    "To have the honor of visiting Mr. Shimizu''s Ecopark, this trip was totally worth it!"


    The owners were overjoyed when they heard Yuga''s suggestion. None of them had their own Ecopark, so of course, they were envious. But the cost of building and maintaining an Ecopark was far too high for small Pokemon Day Care like theirs to afford.


    If it hadn''t been for the system''s help, Yuga himself wouldn''t have been able to build an Ecopark in the beginning. Building the Ecopark wasn''t the most expensive part��it was the maintenance that drained money.


    Normally, a Pokemon Day Care''s Ecopark would never be open to outsiders, as it involved many trade secrets. But things were different with Yuga; all his secrets were kept in the main Ecoparks, and the new Ecopark was just for show.


    Led by Yuga, the seven owners arrived at the entrance of the new Ecopark. Gazing at the "luxurious" Ecopark, their eyes were filled with envy.


    "I wonder when I''ll be able to have an Ecopark like this!" This was the shared thought of all seven owners at that moment.


    "Whoa, is that a Druddigon? It looks so fierce and majestic!"


    "They even have a Dragon-type Pok��mon guarding the gate. As expected of YoYo Day Care!"


    Upon entering the park, the group immediately noticed a Druddigon sleeping at the entrance, and they began discussing it animatedly.


    The Druddigon, disturbed from its nap,zily lifted an eyelid. Seeing a group of strangers chattering in front of it, it irritably flicked its thick tail, making loud "thudding" sounds against the ground, until it quieted down after receiving a sharp nce from Yuga.


    Closest to the entrance was a small artificialke in the new Wcopark, home to many uncher. There were also some Carvanha, Shellder, and Remoraid living in theke.


    At that moment, several uncher emerged from the water. Some were lounging by the shore, resting with their eyes closed, others were sparring with their ws raised, and some were swimming with their tails propelling them through the water.


    "These are uncher, native to the Kalos region, and they''ve be one of the highlights of YoYo Day Care. You don''t see many of them in Hoenn." Yuga praised his Pok��mon, doing his best to impress his guests and achieve his goal.


    The seven owners were already well aware of the famous uncher from YoYo Day Care. In the Hoenn region, YoYo Day Care was the only ce selling uncher on such arge scale.


    After introducing the uncher, Yuga took the seven owners on a tour of the Gliscor, Trapinch, various Grass-type Pok��mon, and others. These were the species that producedrge numbers of low-quality Pok��mon.


    If it weren''t for Drew''s family helping with the Butterfly-type Pok��mon, Yuga would also have a lot of Bug-types on his hands.


    As they continued to tour the rare Pok��mon, the seven owners were in awe. They were particrly impressed when they saw the enormous Never-Melting Ice that Yuga had ced in the new Ecopark��clearly a mark of luxury.


    While guiding them, Yuga casually asked, "What do you think of these Pok��mon?"


    "No doubt, Mr. Shimizu''s Ecopark is full of Pok��mon that anyone would envy!" said the owner of a Pokemon Day Care from Farbor Town. The small Pokemon Day Care typically soldmon species of Pok��mon, and they rarely managed to stock rare ones. Rare Pok��mon always sold better than the moremon ones.


    Yuga''s uncher, Gliscor, Trapinch, Swablu... all of them were rare Pok��mon.


    Hearing this, Yuga smiled and said, "If any of you are interested in rare Pok��mon, YoYo Day Care could supply them to you."


    The owner from Farbor Town''s eyes lit up. "Mr. Shimizu, are you serious?"


    Ever since the League''s breeding facility in Farbor Town closed down, he had to go all the way to Rustboro City to get stock. If he was buying Pok��mon, they could be teleported, but Pok��mon eggs were another matter��they had to be transported manually. The longer the distance, the higher the risk.


    Just recently, one of his shipments had been stolen, which was a huge blow to his small-scale business.


    Verdanturf Town was much closer to Farbor Town than Rustboro City, just a half-day''s journey by shortcut. If he could source Pok��mon from there, it would be a huge convenience.


    Yuga replied, "Of course it''s true. We at YoYo Day Care have no ns to open branches, so we can''t sell all the Pok��mon we breed ourselves. To be honest, the reason I invited you all today was to discuss potential partnerships.


    We have a lot of rare Pok��mon at YoYo Day Care��something other breeding facilities and breeding bases find hard to match. I hope you''ll consider it."


    Several owners became interested immediately. The rare Pok��mon from YoYo Day Care were definitely appealing.


    However, some were hesitant, like the owner from Mauville City.


    Compared to the Pokemon Day Care in Farbor Town, Mauville City had its own breeding facility run by the League, so getting stock wasn''t as difficult for them.


    Also, being a privately-run Pokemon Day Care, YoYo Day Care didn''t offer the same level of reassurance as the League''s facilities.


    Still, the owner from Mauville City had other thoughts.


    Mauville was a big city with many Pokemon Day Care, including several branches ofrge Pokemon Day Care. In truth, small-scale Pokemon Day Care like his struggled topete.


    But if he could stock rare Pok��mon from YoYo Day Care...


    Although sourcing from Yuga might be more troublesome, rare Pok��mon could give him apetitive edge!

 Chapter 1103: Modified Battle Suit

    <h4>Chapter 1103: Modified Battle Suit</h4>


    After carefully discussing some of the cooperation details with the owners, Yuga saw them off from YoYo Day Care one by one. He didn''t rush them to give an answer, instead, he asked them to think it over carefully and contact himter.


    However, what surprised Yuga was that these owners made their decisions much faster than he expected. By the next day, some had already contacted him, expressing interest in establishing a long-term partnership with YoYo Day Care.


    The first to contact Yuga was the owner of the Pok��mon Day Care from Farbor Town. This particr Pok��mon Day Care was one of the smallest among the group. ording to the information provided by the White Light Intelligence Bureau, the owner had recently lost a shipment, resulting in significant financial loss. Yuga understood why they were so quick to make a decision.


    The second person to reach out to Yuga was from Mauville City''s Pok��mon Day Care, which caught Yuga by surprise.


    When Yuga initially proposed the coboration, it was clear that this owner had been quite hesitant, barely speaking throughout the entire meeting. Yuga had assumed they weren''t very interested in partnering.


    The truth was, the reason this owner made their decision so quickly was simple��they needed a catalyst to take their business to the next level, and the rare Pok��mon offered by YoYo Day Care provided that opportunity.


    Furthermore, to make the partnership more attractive, Yuga had offered a purchase price that was 5% lower than the market price for simr Pok��mon.


    While 5% might not sound like much, when the purchase volume reached a certain level, it could significantly reduce costs.


    With the intention to coborate established, there was still much work to be done, such as negotiating the details and signing contracts. Yuga scheduled separate meetings with the owners who had expressed interest in partnering.


    Out of the seven small Pok��mon Day Care centers, six ultimately entered into a partnership with YoYo Day Care. Only one owner failed to follow up after returning home, but this oue had already far exceeded Yuga''s expectations.


    Once the contracts were signed, the six Pok��mon Day Care centers immediately ced orders with Yuga. The stock of low-potential Pok��mon that had umted over time at YoYo Day Care was nearly cleared out in one go.


    At the same time, the system''s main quest finally showed aspleted.


    Yuga had to admit, the difficulty of the main quests had significantly increased after the system update. It took him several months of brainstorming, conducting detailed investigations, and organizing the exchange meeting to finallyplete the task.


    However, his hard work had paid off. The system rated his performance as "excellent," and the reward was incredibly generous��it was a Leaf Stone vein.


    The surprise came so suddenly that Yuga almost thought he was seeing things. It wasn''t until he chose the location for the vein in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark and dug out a Leaf Stone from it that he fully believed the reward was real.


    The size of this Leaf Stone vein was about the same as the Fire Stone vein in the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, with arge reserve. From now on, Yuga would never have to worry about running out of Leaf Stones.


    In fact, Yuga''s demand for Leaf Stones was quite high. Not only did Gloom need them to evolve into Vileplume, and Exeggcute to evolve into Exeggutor, but other Grass-type Pok��mon also required Leaf Stones for assistance during their breeding process.


    Evolution stones, besides being used for Pok��mon evolution, had many other functions. For instance, when Grass-type Pok��mon were first born, breeders would often mix a small amount of Leaf Stone powder into their food, which helped prevent developmental issues in young Pok��mon.


    Afterpleting this main quest, the system immediately updated with a new task.


    ...


    [ Main Quest: New Pok��mon for Sale (epted) ]


    [ Description: The variety and number of Pok��mon currently for sale at the Day Care are still insufficient. Please continue your efforts. ]


    [ Requirements: Within one year, add at least three different types of high-potential Pok��mon with different attributes to the shelves. ]


    [ Reward: ??? ]


    Seeing this, Yuga finally understood that after the system update, all the main quests had be long-term tasks.


    Moreover, this time, the reward would also be based on performance, meaning the more new Pok��mon species and types he could put on the shelves over the year, the more generous the rewards would be.


    However, Yuga wasn''t about to randomly put Pok��mon up for sale just toplete the task. If he put new Pok��mon on the market when there wasn''t enough stock, it would only create problems for the Day Care''s future operations. You can''t just take a Pok��mon off the shelves once it''s sold out!


    If things ever reached that point, it would be a huge loss, and it would severely damage the reputation of the Day Care.


    Luckily, the task had a year-long deadline, so Yuga decided to take things slowly.


    He then nced at the side quests under the main quest and found himself at a loss as to where he could find five Electric-type Pok��mon. Species like Magnemite, Ampharos, Pachirisu, Joltik, Pikachu, Jolteon, and Rotom were already present in his Ecopark, so the system wouldn''t count them toward the task''s requirements.


    "Forget it, I''ll deal with itter!" he thought. After all, there was no rush.


    That day, Yuga was helping Ayaka count the newly stocked Pokeblock when Suzuha walked in with a cheerful smile.


    Seeing her, Yuga smiled and asked, "Why are you here? Are you buying Pokeblock or Incense?"


    Since the establishment of the Distribution Department, its rtionship with YoYo Day Care had been very harmonious. All of the Pokeblock and incense for their trainers were purchased from YoYo Day Care, and even the holiday gifts given within the department were YoYo Day Care''s Pokeblock and Incense.


    Suzuha shook her head and said, "Neither. I''m here to deliver a reward for you today."


    "A reward?" Yuga was confused.


    After some exnation, Yuga finally understood that Suzuha had brought him the reward for the Team re Incident. The event had urred a few months ago, and though there had been a promise of a reward, it had taken so long that Yuga had nearly forgotten about it.


    This month, the Distribution Department had delivered some innovation potions to the Kalos League. On their way back, they brought Yuga''s reward along. The moment the department returned to Verdanturf Town, they gave the items to Suzuha to bring to YoYo Day Care.


    "Come with me!" Yuga said excitedly as he led Suzuha to the reception room.


    Yuga had made quite a significant contribution during the events in Kalos, even bringing a master-level trainer and an Eternal Flower Floette, to their league. So, he had high hopes for the reward sent by the Kalos League.


    When Suzuha arrived, she was carrying two boxes. Upon reaching the reception room, she carefully ced both boxes on the table, then opened the one on the left.


    "Let''s take a look at your first reward," Suzuha said as she pushed the opened box toward Yuga.


    Inside the box were rows of Pok�� Balls. Yuga counted: four rows, five in each row��twenty in total.


    "Are they all Pok��mon?" Yuga asked Suzuha.


    "Exactly," she nodded.


    Without further questions, Yuga picked up one of the Pok�� Balls and opened it. A brown and green Pok��mon appeared on the table.


    "So it''s Chespin!" Yuga wasn''t too surprised. Given his contribution, it was only natural for the Kalos League to gift him some of their starter Pok��mon.


    Suzuha exined, "There are twenty Chespin in total, eighteen of them with green potential and two with blue potential."


    Yuga had originally thought the twenty Pok��mon would include Fennekin and Froakie as well, but it turned out to be just Chespin, which left him slightly disappointed.


    However, hearing that there were two Chespin with blue potential lifted his spirits a little.


    Speaking of which, if he counted his main Pok��mon, he had almost collected all the Grass-type starter Pok��mon from various regions.


    After recalling the Chespin on the table back into its Pok�� Ball, Yuga looked toward the other box and asked, "And what''s in this one?"


    Suzuha nced at Yuga, her eyes filled with envy, leaving Yuga utterly baffled.


    When the second box was opened, Yuga saw that it contained two items. On the left was a neatly folded ck garment��probably clothing, but since it was folded into a square, Yuga wasn''t entirely sure. On the right was an Ultra Ball.


    Suzuha picked up the Ultra Ball on the right first. Upon opening it, a Luxray emerged.


    This Luxray was very robust, standing before Yuga like a small calf. However, Yuga''s expression remained indifferent, as if he wasn''t too interested.


    He instinctively activated his Insight ability.


    ...


    [ Luxray (Severely Injured, Near Death) ]


    Type: Electric


    Ability: Intimidate


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 71


    Moves: Tackle, Leer, Charge, Spark, Thunder Fang, Bite, Crunch, Roar, Discharge, Wild Charge, Electric Terrain, Thunderbolt, Double Team, Thunder Wave, Sucker Punch, Iron Tail, Superpower, Giga Impact.


    ...


    Yuga didn''t expect Suzuha to release an Elite-level Pok��mon. Although he was in need of Electric-type Pok��mon, the words "severely injured, near death" made him hesitate...


    "Suzuha, what''s the story behind this Luxray?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    Suzuha immediately exined, "This Luxray was also sent by the Kalos League, but it has some physical issues..."


    It turned out that this Elite-level Luxray was rescued not long ago by Kalos''s Elite Four trainer Wikstrom.


    At the time, Luxray had been severely injured in a conflict with an opponent who had been trying to kill it, but Wikstrom intervened just in time to save its life.


    However, Luxray''s injuries were so severe that even Wikstrom couldn''t heal it, so he brought it back to the League.


    The Kalos League could technically heal Luxray, but it would take considerable effort. Instead, they decided to gift it to Yuga.


    They knew that Yuga had Max Revive, which could easily heal Luxray''s injuries. After saving Luxray''s life, it would naturally be easy for Yuga to form a bond with it.


    Hearing this, Yuga realized that the Kalos League was giving him the opportunity to bond with an Elite-level Pok��mon through a favor.


    They had put a lot of thought into this, and Yuga epted the gesture graciously.


    Yuga approached Luxray, gently cing his hand on its head. The healing power of Celebi Blessing flowed through him into Luxray''s body. Luxray immediately felt its internal injuries begin to ease and looked at Yuga in surprise, who responded with a bright smile.


    Of course, Yuga''s healing abilities could only alleviate the injuries. To fully cure Luxray, he''d still need to use a Max Revive, as the "near-death" state was no trivial matter.


    Beforeing to Hoenn, Luxray had already reached an agreement with the Kalos League: whoever could heal its wounds would be its new trainer. That''s why Luxray didn''t resist when Yuga touched it.


    As a wild Elite-level Pok��mon, it didn''t allow just anyone to touch it.


    Seeing that the Luxray was still fairly friendly, Yuga smiled as he rubbed its stiff fur and promised, "Don''t worry, I''ll definitely heal your wounds."


    The Luxray, with a bit of a proud personality, wasn''t entirely pleased with Yuga''s head rub and turned its head slightly to the side.


    After introducing the Luxray, Suzuha picked up the ck clothing and gave it a shake, spreading it open.


    "The main focus here is this piece of clothing," she said.


    Looking at the clothing, Yuga suddenly found it familiar, and then it hit him��it looked a lot like the Expansion Suit that Emma had worn before!


    "This piece of clothing is a newly researched special battle suit from the Kalos League. Due to its difficulty in production, it hasn''t been mass-produced yet," Suzuha exined.


    Although Suzuha had been sent to deliver this battle suit to Yuga, she wasn''t aware of the Expansion Suit project from Lysandre Labs, nor did she know that this battle suit was an improved version of the Expansion Suit designed by the Kalos League.


    "This suit has incredibly strong defensive capabilities. Even though it''s thin, they say it can withstand a Hyper Beam from a Champion-level Pok��mon without a scratch."


    At this, Suzuha gave Yuga another envious look. With this suit, the safety of missions would be significantly improved in the future.


    Unfortunately, the League hadn''t managed to create many of these suits, and only important members who frequently undertook dangerous missions could get one. A minor figure like her couldn''t even dream of it.


    Yuga was also shocked by what she said. He hadn''t expected that the League could modify Lysandre''s Expansion Suit to this extent.


    It was well-known that the original Expansion Suit had significant ws and couldn''t be used directly; otherwise, Essentia wouldn''t have been created.


    Yuga then learned that the reason this battle suit was sessfully developed was because the League had sacrificed the original Expansion Suit''s powerfulbat abilities, leaving only its defensive power.


    Furthermore, the defense was only effective against energy-based attacks, while physical attacks exceeding the level of a pseudo-Champion would break through its defense.


    However, Yuga thought this was already impressive. With a Pok��mon in front protecting the trainer and this battle suit, most dangers could be easily managed.


    "So, this suit is mine now?" Yuga asked, feeling satisfied as he touched the suit''s unique texture, though he thought the design was a bit shy. It would have been better if it could be worn under normal clothes.


    "Yes, it''s yours now," Suzuha nodded. "But using it requires elemental gems."


    She then exined how to use the battle suit.


    For the battle suit to maintain its powerful defensive capabilities, it needed energy, and that energy came from elemental gems.


    There were small mechanisms on both shoulders, the chest, and the thigh areas where a gem could be ced. The element of the gem didn''t matter, simr to how other devices might need batteries.


    In other words, each time the battle suit was used, five elemental gems were needed as "batteries"��quite expensive. If Yuga weren''t wealthy, he probably wouldn''t be able to afford using the suit.

 Chapter 1104: Life in the Ecopark

    <h4>Chapter 1104: Life in the Ecopark</h4>


    After Suzuha handed the items to Yuga, she didn''t stay long at YoYo Day Care.


    Once Suzuha left, Yuga promptly sent the twenty Chespin to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, then gave the Luxray a Max Revive to consume.


    Yuga always kept Max Revives on hand, and after Luxray ate it, its injuries were immediately healed without a trace of the severe wounds remaining.


    However, to fully gain Luxray''s loyalty, Yuga still had to battle it.


    Though Luxray was an Elite-level Pok��mon, it wasn''t much of a challenge for Yuga. After being thoroughly beaten by Torterra, Luxraypletely submitted to him.


    With Luxray''s capture, Yuga sessfully made his first step towardpleting a side quest, which made him very happy.


    Like mostnd Pok��mon, Yuga ced Luxray in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark. However, Luxray was a solitary Pok��mon. After settling in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, it refused to interact with any other Pok��mon, choosing to live alone in a secluded spot.


    During this time, Persian had approached Luxray, but despite both having "cat" in their names, Luxray, being a lion-like Pok��mon, didn''t appreciate the connection. Although lions belong to the feline family, Luxray, with its slightly prideful nature, paid no attention to Persian, leaving thetter dejected.


    However, Persian knew its limits and, unable to win in a fight against Luxray, held no grudge over Luxray''s cold attitude.


    Luxray didn''tpletely ignore everyone though. It did engage in an exchange of electrical energy with the four Ampharos living in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark.


    This wasn''t surprising, as Electric-type Pok��mon generally tend to live in groups. They often need to swap the electricity stored in their bodies with others to maintain the "activity" of their internal currents.


    Active currents are essential for Electric-type Pok��mon, as they help prevent damage to the organs that store electricity and can also aid in enhancing their strength to some degree.


    If an Electric-type Pok��mon doesn''t havepanions, it has to release the stored electricity at regr intervals and then absorb new currents. This process causes a lot of energy waste and is far less efficient than exchanging electricity with others.


    Not all Electric-type Pok��mon can generate their own electricity. Some, like Magnemite, rely on external sources, which is why people often see Magnemite gathering during thunderstorms or near power nts.


    Thus, exchanging electricity with others is much more convenient and cost-effective than absorbing it from the environment.


    Although Luxray engaged in an energy exchange with the Ampharos, it didn''t consider them friends. It merely saw them as temporary power sources��using them when necessary and ignoring them otherwise.


    The Ampharos, being gentle-natured, likely wouldn''t mind Luxray''s attitude even if they knew its true intentions. After all, mutual assistance (or mutual use) is just a natural part of their interaction.


    As the newest resident of the Ecopark, Luxray quickly caught the attention of Lucario, a Pok��mon always eager for a challenge. Lucario directly issued a challenge to Luxray.


    Initially, Luxray didn''t want to bother with Lucario, but after thinking it over, decided to teach it a lesson to stop it froming back too often.


    As a result, Lucario got thoroughly "taught a lesson," which made Zoroark, who admired Lucario, feel heartbroken.


    Unfortunately, Luxray underestimated Lucario''s stubbornness. The more brutally Lucario lost, the more determined it became to win. Once Lucario''spetitive spirit was ignited, not only did Luxray fail to achieve its goal, but it also ended up being constantly pestered.


    From then on, Lucario challenged Luxray again and again, showing no signs of giving up until it finally won at least once. Since Luxray was an Elite-level Pok��mon, it wasn''t easy for Lucario to secure a victory.


    However, Luxray''s behavior inadvertently assisted Zoroark in her pursuit of Lucario.


    Although she fell in love with Lucario at first sight, her pursuit of him had not gone smoothly. The root of the problemy in Lucario being too "dense," unable to understand Zoroark''s affectionate gestures.


    Zoroark''s older sister, Liepard, was not pleased with her younger sister''s "chasing" behavior, but since her sister enjoyed it, there was little she could do.


    Fortunately, her persistence was pays off, and Zoroark''s efforts were not in vain.


    Each time Lucario was injured by Luxray, Zoroark would tenderly care for him. Thanks to her repeated acts of concern, Lucario eventually fell in love with her.


    While Zoroark''s romance blossomed, her older sister, Liepard, found herself in a dilemma.


    In a twist of fate, Liepard, who had once looked down on her sister''s "chasing," found herself captivated by Luxray, seemingly following the same path as her younger sister.


    When Luxray first arrived at the Ecopark and coldly rejected Persian, Liepard found it incredibly cool. She was deeply attracted to Luxray from that moment.


    Compared to Lucario, Luxray''s appearance was much more to Liepard''s taste. She had a preference for mature, "uncle-like" Pok��mon.


    Though Liepard and Persian were good friends, she believed that love and friendship were separate matters.


    In the Pok��mon world, the Liepard species was generally considered very attractive, as their appearance matched the aesthetic preferences of many other Pok��mon.


    Words like "sexy" and "alluring" were often associated with Liepard, regardless of gender. Because of this, Liepard was always confident in her beauty and believed that winning over Luxray wouldn''t be a problem.


    But she miscalcted. Despite making several attempts to approach Luxray, she never even got a nce from him.


    Liepard was a rational Pok��mon and understood the concept of cutting losses. Reflecting on her younger sister''s pursuit of Lucario, Liepard decided not to follow that path herself. After all, there were plenty of other four-legged Pok��mon in the world.


    Still, even though she decided to give up on Luxray, her heart would race every time she saw him by chance. And so, she continued to wrestle with her feelings, unable toe to any conclusion even after Zoroark''s romance had already blossomed.


    Leaving the love lives of the adult Pok��mon aside, Sneasel had been feeling particrly troubledtely.


    To counter Persian''s small gang, Sneasel gathered a group of talented young friends around itself.


    But because they were young, they constantly caused trouble. Sneasel, being the oldest, had practically be their caretaker. One day, it was Lillipup having a fight with his older brother and running away from home; the next day, Fennekin and Cyndaquil teamed up to steal Growlithe''s food...


    And today, Dratini was causing trouble.


    Dratini had a conflict with Jangmo-o, and the cause? A dragon scale.


    After the system update, Yuga never stopped refreshing the Trainer Store every day. Although most of the time, it pulled up useless materials, recently, it managed to draw a rare blue item��a Dragon Scale.


    This Dragon Scale wasn''t an ordinary one; it was a single "inverse scale" from a Dragon-type Pok��mon, specially refined by the system, making it a blue item with great benefits for Dragon-types.


    Since Dragonite''s mom had already given the inverse scale inherited from Dragonite''s dad to Dragonite, Yuga decided to give this new inverse scale to Dratini.


    Partly because the scale seemed to havee from a Dragonite and would suit Dratini, and partly because Dratini had no rtives in the Ecopark, Yuga wanted to take extra care of it.


    Dratini was overjoyed to receive the inverse scale and cherished it deeply, even sleeping with the scale pressed against its body.


    Today, the group of young friends went to the Dragon Den sub-Ecopark to invite Dratini for training. Unable to resist, Dratini showed off the inverse scale Yuga had given it. Coincidentally, Jangmo-o overheard.


    Jangmo-o was furious. Why did Yuga give Dratini a Dragon Scale but not him?


    Having trained with Yuga after it was born, Jangmo-o believed it had a closer rtionship with Yuga than Dratini. Ovee with jealousy, it not only snatched the scale from Dratini but also beat it up.


    Jangmo-o was older than Dratini and, influenced by the Radiant Stone in the womb, was transitioning into a Totem Pok��mon. Dratini had no chance of winning.


    Actually, Jangmo-o regretted its actions right after hitting Dratini because its parents had taught it never to bully the weak. But since the deed was done, regret wouldn''t help. Besides, it couldn''t bear to return the Dragon Scale.


    Seeing Dratini get beaten, its friends weren''t about to stand by. They immediately demanded justice for Dratini. These young Pok��mon were at the age where loyalty meant everything, especially Lillipup, who had a strong sense of justice. Without a word, it pounced on Jangmo-o.


    But Jangmo-o had been specially trained by Yuga, and its strength was in apletely different league. Its power was immense, and Lillipup, Fennekin, and Cyndaquil were all knocked down quickly.


    The only one who couldst a bit longer against Jangmo-o was Bunnelby.


    Over the past few months, Bunnelby had followed Sneasel around, learning from various masters and improving its strength significantly. Plus, Bunnelby was a Shiny Pok��mon, naturally gifted in strength, which allowed it to endure against Jangmo-o for a little while longer.


    However, Jangmo-o was still a pseudo-legendary Pok��mon. Not only was it older than Bunnelby, but it also had the advantage of being supported by all the resources Yuga had provided. There was no way Bunnelby could beat it!


    Sneasel had been waiting outside the Dragon Den sub-Ecopark for its underlings to gather, and after waiting a long time with no sign of them, it went in to find them. That''s when it saw the scene of its underlings lying defeated on the ground.


    To be honest, Sneasel was feeling pretty exasperated at the time! Lately, its little crew was getting into more and more trouble!


    But seeing its underlings beaten, Sneasel couldn''t just stand by.


    Looking at the arrogant Jangmo-o, Sneasel waved its ws and decided to teach it what it means to face a "dragon yer"! Sneasel wasn''t the type to favor the right side over its family. Right or wrong didn''t matter��no one bullied its underlings! After all, Sneasel was counting on this gang to back it up in the future!


    Sneasel was the least talented among its group of friends, but being older gave it a slight edge in strength over them.


    Moreover, Sneasel was hard-working. After months of intense training, its power hadpletely transformed from when it first entered the Ecopark. Combined with the type advantage, it now had the confidence to face Jangmo-o.


    With a swift movement, Sneasel dashed in front of Jangmo-o and swung its fist at it.


    Recently, Sneasel had learned Ice Punch from Greninja, and it was eager to test the move in realbat.


    Boom!


    Jangmo-o was sent flying with a single punch.


    Jangmo-o hadn''t expected Sneasel''s sudden appearance, and with Sneasel''s speed being among the best of its peers, Jangmo-o had no time to react.


    At first, Jangmo-o still felt some guilt for beating up Dratini and the others, but after being knocked down by Sneasel''s punch, all that guilt vanished. It got back up, angrily chattering as it charged at Sneasel with Iron Head. But Sneasel swiftly dodged, leaving Jangmo-o attacking empty air��its speed was simply outssed.


    Boom!


    Sneasel appeared in front of Jangmo-o again and delivered another Ice Punch. Jangmo-o''s eyes rolled back, and it fainted. Being a Dragon-type, Jangmo-o simply couldn''t withstand two Ice Punches from Sneasel.


    Seeing how easily Sneasel knocked out Jangmo-o, Dratini swam over with a look of admiration, thinking that Sneasel was its hero.


    "Sneasel, Sneasel, Sneasel?"


    You better listen to me from now on, understand?


    Sneasel said seriously.


    Dratini''s potential was far greater than Sneasel''s, and it was only a matter of time before its strength surpassed Sneasel''s. To ensure Dratini would continue to follow its lead in the future, Sneasel never missed a chance to raise its favorability in Dratini''s eyes.


    "Dratini, Dratini!"


    Dratini nodded its head eagerly.


    The other young Pok��mon looked at Sneasel gratefully, except for the clever Fennekin, who seemed to see through Sneasel''s intentions. Still, Fennekin showed the same grateful expression and spoke words of praise just like the others.


    Fennekin had joined Sneasel''s group simply because it found it entertaining.


    By the time Jangmo-o woke up, Sneasel and the group had long since disappeared. Saddened, Jangmo-o went home to cry to its parents, but instead of standing up for it, they gave it a good scolding for bullying the weak.


    Yuga remained unaware of the little scuffle between Dratini and Jangmo-o. Even if he knew, he likely wouldn''t intervene. At that moment, he was happily visiting two Mr. Mime in the main Ecopark.


    Just earlier, the female Mr. Mime had sessfully given birth to a healthy Pok��mon egg, and luckily, the egg has green potential.


    Perhaps due to the trauma of their past, the Mr. Mime couple had always kept a low profile in the Ecopark, avoiding socializing with others and rarely opening up.


    Among all the Pok��mon Yuga had brought back from Motoharu, the Mr. Mime couple had the most serious psychological issues.


    However, they were diligent and quietly helped Miltank and Blissey handle some of the chores around the Ecopark. Sometimes, they even helped Audino and Wigglytuff with household tasks.


    Since the female Mr. Mime became pregnant, though, the couple''s smiles had noticeably increased. They seemed genuinely excited about the uing arrival of their child.


    Watching the female Mr. Mime lovingly stroke the newlyid egg, Yuga sincerely hoped that the birth of this child would bring positive changes to their lives.

 Chapter 1105: The Ranch and the Attack Incident

    <h4>Chapter 1105: The Ranch and the Attack Incident</h4>


    After visiting the Mr. Mime couple in the Ecopark, Yuga went to meet with Mayor Ishida.


    Recently, the Sunflora Generator, a joint research project between Clemont and Mr. Ramos, was finallypleted and is now ready for mass production. Yuga''s visit to Mayor Ishida today was to discuss the ns for building a Sunflora breeding ranch and a power nt in Verdanturf Town.


    Once the ranch and power nt arepleted, Verdanturf Town will not only achieve energy self-sufficiency but also create more job opportunities for the town''s residents.


    Yuga and Mayor Ishida had already reported the ns to the League some time ago, and the League quickly gave their support. In fact, the entire construction of the ranch and power nt would be funded by the League.


    The League had always provided policy support for the development of Verdanturf Town, and this time was no exception. The ranch and power nt projects were fast-tracked through approvals, and the necessary funds were already in ce.


    After several days of discussions, Yuga and Mayor Ishida had finally selected the construction site for the ranch and power nt. Today, they nned to visit the site to inspect the location in person.


    When Yuga entered the Verdanturf Town government office building, Mayor Ishida was already waiting for him in the lobby with his secretary. It was clear they were all set to depart.


    As soon as he saw Yuga, Mayor Ishida greeted him with a broad smile, saying, "There you are! I''ve been waiting for a while!"


    Yuga nced at the clock on the wall of the lobby and responded helplessly, "But I''m notte, am I? Why are you in such a hurry?"


    Mayor Ishida rubbed his hands together and said, "I''m just excited! I don''t have much to do today, so I thought we could get a head start and go check out the site."


    Mayor Ishida was very enthusiastic about the construction of the Sunflora ranch and power nt. He was so eager that he wished the project could bepleted immediately. His impatience was understandable.


    "Alright then, let''s head out!" Yuga said, seeing how eager Mayor Ishida was.


    At the entrance, Yuga noticed the car that Mayor Ishida had prepared in advance and then nced at the nearby Pok��mon riding station, which wasn''t far from the government office building. Suddenly, he turned around to Mayor Ishida and said, "How about we ride Tauros instead?"


    Since Verdanturf Town had implemented Pok��mon riding as a public transportation option, Tauros had be an essential mode of transport for both residents and tourists. As the one who had proposed this policy, Yuga hadn''t actually ridden any of those Tauros yet, which is why he suggested using them today.


    Upon hearing this, Mayor Ishida jokingly replied, "You really don''t consider these old bones of mine, do you? What if I fall off?"


    The secretary standing behind Mayor Ishida rolled their eyes with noticeable ir: You ride Tauros just fine all the time, but now you''re making excuses!


    Mayor Ishida was, of course, joking with Yuga. The Pok��mon used as public transportation are equipped with very safe riding gear, so there are no safety issues whatsoever.


    In fact, ever since the introduction of Pok��mon riding as public transportation, Mayor Ishida had always led by example, riding Tauros for his dailymutes to encourage the townspeople to adapt to the new mode of transport. If it weren''t for Yuga being present today, he wouldn''t have bothered to prepare a car.


    After giving a few instructions to the driver about returning the car, the three of them set off riding Tauros.


    Mayor Ishida and Yuga had selected the construction site for the ranch and power nt at the southernmost edge of Verdanturf Town, an area that is the ttest and most open throughout the entire town.


    The ranch needs to raise arge number of Sunflora, making sunlight a crucial factor. The t and open terrain will ensure that the Sunflora can bask in plenty of sunlight.


    Moreover, ess to a water source is also an important consideration. Since the Mother River of Verdanturf Town, the Emerald River, flows right through the area they were visiting today, Yuga and Mayor Ishida ultimately chose this location from several candidates.


    Upon arriving at the site, Mayor Ishida began to exin the specific ns for the area to Yuga.


    This location didn''t have many tall trees; aside from a few low bushes and scattered wild fruit trees, it was mostly covered withrge expanses of grasnd, which was perfect for the Sunflora to sunbathe.


    However, once the ranch was built, those unevenly spaced low trees would have to be cleared away. These chaotic nts not only detract from the aesthetics of the ranch but also affect the growth of the Sunflora in the future.


    "I n to build the power generation facility over there!" Mayor Ishida pointed to the ttest area in the region and said to Yuga. "And then we''ll build some houses across from it for the Sunflora to live in!"


    Mayor Ishida certainly couldn''t leave the Sunflora working at the power nt without any housing. Although they enjoy basking in the sun, they do not like getting rained on, and Hoenn is a region known for its abundant rainfall.


    It was clear that Mayor Ishida had already made ns for this piece ofnd. Yuga nodded along as he listened, while the secretary behind them took notes with paper and pen.


    The reason Yuga came today was to assess the specific area of this region and determine how many Sunflora would be optimal to raise based on that information.


    He and Mayor Ishida had clear divisions ofbor: Mayor Ishida was responsible for the nning and construction of the ranch and power nt, while Yuga was tasked with contacting and introducing the Sunflora and training them.


    Sunflora cannot just be introduced and immediately put to work; they also require some training first.


    The energy source for the Sunflora generatores from the Sunflora''s Sr Beam, but not all Sunflora are born with this skill, so they require a certain amount of training.


    Sr Beam is a powerful Grass-type move that isn''t something any Pok��mon can learn immediately. Particrly for lower potential Pok��mon, it takes a significant amount of time to master.


    The reason Mr. Ramos chose Sunflora as the Pok��mon to power the generator was not because other Grass-type Pok��mon''s Sr Beams wouldn''t work, but because Sunflora are the easiest Pok��mon to learn Sr Beam.


    As their name suggests, Sunflora are highly sensitive to sunlight. Theirrge flower heads can easily collect enough sr energy, which they then release as Sr Beams.


    For the generator to operate, it requires multiple Pok��mon using Sr Beam simultaneously; a single Pok��mon''s Sr Beam alone is insufficient. Other Pok��mon cannot learn Sr Beam inrge numbers, but even lower potential Sunflora can easily master it.


    In addition, Yuga also needed to ensure that the Sunflora learned Synthesis move. Having this skill would significantly enhance their work efficiency.


    "Over there is the area for the Sunflora''s daily activities," Mayor Ishida said, pointing to a small hill in the distance.


    Yuga looked toward where Mayor Ishida was pointing. That spot was indeed the highest point in the area, making it suitable for the Sunflora to gather sunlight.


    After surveying the entire area, Yuga estimated the number of Sunflora needed for the ranch. Once he returned, he would begin contacting sources to introduce the Sunflora.


    Time flew by, and autumn was nearing its end. Due to his focus on the ranch and power nt, Yuga had missed Ash''s league tournament. Fortunately, after much effort, he sessfully secured a sufficient number of Sunflora��1,000 in total��from various breeding centers affiliated with the League.


    There aren''t many breeding facilities that produce Sunflora in bulk because they are not particrly strong Pok��mon, and evolving from Sunkern requires expensive Sun Stones, making mass breeding impractical.


    Most of the 1,000 Sunflora Yuga acquired were gathered piece by piece from various regional research centers, with some also contributed by Mr. Ramos.


    Thanks to the funding provided by the League and the maximum assistance offered by the breeding facilities, Yuga was able to gather enough Sunflora in such a short time.


    Among these Sunflora, there were no high-potential pokemon; most were of orange potential, some were yellow, and the red-potential ones were the fewest. Even for Sunflora, it''s still somewhat challenging for red-potential Pok��mon to learn Sr Beam.


    Once the Sunflora arrived, Yuga would begin preparing for their training.


    However, this was not a difficult task for Yuga. Many Grass-type Pok��mon in his Ecopark already knew Sr Beam, and they would take turns and work in batches to teach the Sunflora. He believed that they would achieve results before the ranch and power nt were put into operation.


    With 1,000 Sunflora, the sheer number was toorge. Under Mayor Ishida''s arrangements, they temporarily stayed in a training facility located outside the town.


    This training facility was privately owned, rtively new, and had opened as part of Verdanturf Town''s investment promotion efforts. It served as a ce for trainers to train, battle, and for Pok��mon battle enthusiasts to watchpetitions.


    The Verdanturf Town government provided funding to the training facility, temporarily reserving a portion of the space specifically for Yuga''s training needs.


    On this day, Yuga arrived on time with his Pok��mon to train the Sunflora at the facility. However, less than an hour into the training, he saw the mayor''s secretary rush in with a flustered expression.


    "Mr. Suimizu, there''s a big problem! Something has happened at the ranch!"


    Seeing the secretary so flustered, Yuga asked, "What''s going on? Didn''t I hear that things were progressing smoothly over there?"


    The secretary quickly exined, "It''s because of the construction team. In order to meet the schedule, they violently drove away the wild Pok��mon that originally lived in that area. Now some of the staff there have been attacked by the wild Pok��mon."


    "The mayor has already gone over to handle it, but he''s worried about potential idents and sent me to find you toe take a look!"


    Upon hearing this, Yuga immediately said, "Okay, let''s go right now." He quickly instructed the training facility staff a few things and hurriedly left with the mayor''s secretary.


    When Yuga arrived at the ranch, it was already in chaos. Several members of the construction team were injured, especially the person in charge, who was covered in blood on his leg and shoulder, being carried away on a stretcher.


    Under normal circumstances, if the town is developing thisnd, it should relocate the wild Pok��mon that originally lived there. They should either be allowed to stay or be provided with a new habitat. Violent eviction is absolutely uneptable.


    Conflicts between humans expanding their living areas and Pok��mon have always beenmon, especially during the early days of the League''s establishment. Because of this, Pok��mon disasters urred frequently in the past.


    However, as the League gradually stabilized, to prevent Pok��mon disasters from happening again, the League began to properly relocate the wild Pok��mon in development zones. Eventually, this was written into the League''sws.


    The development and construction of the ranch had always been under the responsibility of Mayor Ishida. Yuga had been too busy with introducing and training Sunflora to pay attention to the situation there, so he never anticipated such a major oversight.


    In fact, this issue couldn''t be entirely med on Mayor Ishida.


    The person responsible for developing the ranch was a longtime friend of Mayor Ishida, and they had known each other for many years. The mayor trusted himpletely, which is why he entrusted the entire development of the ranch to him.


    Moreover, the person was also part of the League, and this was not their first coboration; they had always worked well together and had never encountered any problems before.


    However, this friend of Mayor Ishida had a son whom he was keen to train to inherit his career, so he handed over the main responsibilities of this project to his son while he himself just took a nominal role, effectively not managing the project at all.


    Unfortunately, his son was too impatient for quick results. In order to make an impression on Mayor Ishida, he did not follow regtions to relocate the wild Pok��mon living in the ranch area and instead violently drove them away.


    Violently driving away wild Pok��mon not only saved construction costs but also elerated the progress of the project, which were both achievements in the eyes of the person in charge''s son.


    However, this behavior set the stage for future problems.


    The food in this area of the ranch was not very abundant, but because it was close to the Emerald River, many small or weaker Pok��mon gathered here to live.


    It was precisely because there were no powerful Pok��mon that the person in charge''s son easily managed to drive them away.


    But these wild Pok��mon had quite stubborn personalities and were unwilling to be bullied. After being forced out of their homes, they kept a close eye on the situation at the ranch.


    Although Mayor Ishida often came to supervise the ranch''s development progress, the person in charge''s son was determined to hide the truth, and with the surface work done well, the violent eviction of the wild Pok��mon remained concealed.


    It could also be said that Mayor Ishida was too trusting of his old friend. If he had checked for records of the wild Pok��mon relocation, this situation wouldn''t have continued to escte.


    Among the evicted wild Pok��mon was a Murkrow. Although this Murkrow was not particrly strong, it was quite clever.


    After being driven away, the Murkrow realized that it could not reim its home by its own strength, so it began to contact other wild Pok��mon in the surrounding area of the ranch.


    It informed them that humans had taken its home and that if they did not resist together, there woulde a day when their homes would be taken as well.


    These wild Pok��mon were quite naive, and under the persuasion of the Murkrow, they gathered together to n a rebellion against human oppression.


    Thus, the scene of the construction team being attacked unfolded today.


    The person in charge had handed over the main responsibilities to his son and had not managed the project closely, so today was a rare asion for him to visit the site. Little did he know that he would coincidentally run into this incident.


    Now, having been tricked by his son, he was suffering serious injuries.

 Chapter 1106: If you’re going to mess things up for your father, you might as well go all the way

    <h4>Chapter 1106: If you''re going to mess things up for your father, you might as well go all the way</h4>


    The number of wild Pok��mon deceived by the Murkrow was enormous. Those running on the ground and flying in the sky surrounded the ranch tightly.


    When Mayor Ishida arrived, the son of his old friend was still trying to solve the problem with violence. It was precisely this behavior thatpletely enraged the wild Pok��mon, leading some of them tounch an attack on the workers in the ranch.


    Originally, the son of the person in charge was the primary target, but seeing his son in danger, the person in charge took the blow for him. By the time Mayor Ishida arrived at the scene, his old friend was already lying on the ground, covered in blood, unable to move.


    Mayor Ishida, with his years of experience, had seen it all. One look at the situation, and he immediately understood what had happened. At first, he thought his old friend had done something hical, but after pulling aside a worker and asking a few questions, he learned that it was all due to the actions of his old friend''s son.


    Luckily, Mayor Ishida had brought Masato Shirai along with him beforeing. With Masato Shirai and Saskia leading the police force to block the wild Pok��mon''s attack, Mayor Ishida was able to even make it into the ranch.


    However, there were just too many wild Pok��mon surrounding the ranch. Masato Shirai and the police officers had to fight while protecting the workers inside, making the battle increasingly difficult.


    Moreover, since the humans were clearly at fault, Mayor Ishida and Masato Shirai feared that acting too harshly wouldpletely offend the wild Pok��mon and push the situation to an irreparable point, so the police fought cautiously, holding back.


    But despite Masato Shirai and the police''s restraint, their resistance still enraged the wild Pok��mon, who believed the humans intended to exterminate them. All the wild Pok��mon beganunching a full-scale attack on the people in the ranch.


    Mayor Ishida tried to calm the enraged wild Pok��mon, but the scene was so chaotic that the wild Pok��mon couldn''t hear a word the humans were saying.


    As the situation spiraled further out of control, with more people getting injured, Mayor Ishida, seeing no other option, decisively ordered one of the officers to escort the secretary back to seek help from Yuga.


    By the time Yuga and the secretary arrived at the scene, most of the officers led by Masato Shirai and Saskia had already been defeated, and the few remaining were barely holding on.


    Verdanturf Town had always been peaceful, with few major incidents happening over the years. This was the first time Saskia had ever encountered such a dangerous mission during her tenure in the town. After being surrounded and attacked by so many wild Pok��mon, both she and her Arcanine were utterly exhausted.


    At that moment, Saskia was being attacked by four Linoone. Her Arcanine, exhausted from the relentless fighting, let one of the Linoone slip through. That Linoone bypassed Arcanine and directlyunched a surprise attack on Saskia.


    Saskia was so terrified that her mind went nk. She froze in ce, watching in shock as the Linoone charged straight at her.


    At that moment, Saskia noticed green vines suddenly sprouting from the grass field beneath her feet. The Linoone charging at her was immediately ensnared by the vines. The other three Linoone still attacking Arcanine weren''t spared either.


    Once she realized what had happened, Saskia looked around and saw that it wasn''t just her area��the entire grass field of the ranch was glowing. Vines were rising from the ground, binding all the wild Pok��mon attacking the ranch, rendering them unable to move.


    Bathed in the green light from the grass, she felt her exhaustion vanish, and the fresh scent of nature washed over her.


    This miraculous sight left Saskia utterly astonished. She couldn''t fathom what kind of powerful Pok��mon could achieve such a feat, controlling hundreds of wild Pok��mon in an instant.


    "We''re saved! Gym Leader Shimizu is here!" someone shouted.


    Following the voice, Saskia noticed that, at some point, a young man had appeared in the center of the ranch. By his side was a Florges, its arms outstretched as beams of green light radiated from its body. The vines growing from the grass danced in sync with the green glow.


    Only now did she truly understand why, when they first came to Verdanturf Town, her family had suggested her uncle to use high-potential Growlithe to try and win over a local Gym Leader.


    This person was just too powerful��so powerful that it was beyond her imagination.


    This was the first time Saskia had witnessed Yuga in action. She had always heard that Yuga was strong, but only now did she grasp what that strength truly meant.


    Saskia suspected that even the head of the Jenny family might not be a match for this young man, who was barely in his twenties.


    "Florges, Aromatherapy!"


    Yuga''s voice echoed in everyone''s ears. Soon after, they were enveloped by a rich fragrance scent, and their fear and panic melted away.


    It wasn''t just the humans in the ranch who were affected; the wild Pok��mon, too, calmed down as soon as they smelled the aroma. The Grass-type Pok��mon, in particr, instinctively felt both a sense of closeness and awe toward Florges.


    The soothing effect of Grass-type Pok��mon''s Aromatherapy already had a mild calming influence, but with Florges, the effect was greatly amplified. The wild Pok��mon, who had been blinded by anger, quickly regained theirposure.


    Mayor Ishida let out a long sigh of relief at Yuga''s arrival. Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, he hurried over to Yuga and said, "Thank goodness you arrived in time! I wouldn''t have known how to deal with this otherwise!"


    Yuga responded, "This is what I should do. Let''s resolve the issue first."


    Mayor Ishida nodded his head quickly, saying, "Yes, yes, let''s resolve the issue first..."


    "Florges, let them go now," Yuga said to Florges, seeing that the wild Pok��mon had calmed down.


    "Florges!"


    Florges nodded, waving its hands, and the vines that had bound the wild Pok��mon quickly retreated back into the ground, as if they had never appeared.


    However, the Grassy Terrain was not withdrawn; the injured officers and workers, including the critically wounded foreman, still needed healing.


    The now-freed wild Pok��mon cautiously eyed Yuga and Florges, no longer daring to act rashly. The aura emanating from Yuga and Florges made the wild Pok��mon feel both a natural closeness and a sense of awe.


    "This situation was mishandled on our part. I apologize on behalf of the humans," Yuga''s voice echoed in the ears of the wild Pok��mon. "To express our regret, we willpensate you."


    "Murkrow, Murkrow, Murkrow!"


    Suddenly, a voice called out from somewhere, expressing distrust towards Yuga and the humans.


    Yuga continued, "We have no reason to deceive you. You''ve seen my strength just now. If I intended to harm you, I could have captured all of you easily without wasting words."


    Yuga''s words made the wild Pok��mon exchange uncertain nces. It was true��there was no reason for him to lie.


    "Zangoose!"


    After some discussion, the wild Pok��mon selected a Zangoose to be their representative to negotiate with Yuga.


    "Murkrow, Murkrow, Murkrow!"


    Just as it seemed the wild Pok��mon were ready to make peace with the humans, the same voice that had previously questioned Yuga spoke up again, warning the wild Pok��mon not to trust him, iming that everything he said was a lie.


    The wild Pok��mon, naturally more trusting of their own kind than of humans, began to hesitate once again.


    At that moment, with a subtle signal from Yuga, Florges suddenlyshed out with a vine whip, pulling a Murkrow out from behind a small bush.


    "Murkrow, Murkrow!"


    Tangled in Florges''s vine, Murkrow struggled desperately, but no matter how hard it fought, it couldn''t break free from the seemingly fragile vine.


    Florges pulled the Murkrow in front of Yuga, who firmly grasped its wing base and said, "So it was you stirring up trouble, huh? You''ve got some nerve."


    "Murkrow?"


    Murkrow looked at Yuga with an expression of confusion, clearly denying it had made any noise earlier.


    Seeing that it wouldn''t admit to anything, Yuga merely smiled and didn''t press further, continuing to negotiate with the wild Pok��mon while still holding its wing. Realizing escape was futile, Murkrow hung its head, refraining from causing any more mischief.


    Without Murkrow''s instigation, both sides quickly reached a reconciliation.


    Yuga assured them that he would not disturb the lives of the wild Pok��mon living outside the ranch and promised to provide them with a batch of berries aspensation.


    As for the wild Pok��mon originally residing on the ranch, Yuga guaranteed that he would arrange for them a habitat with more abundant food resources.


    The wild Pok��mon''s willingness to cooperate was partly due to Florges''s disy of strength and partly influenced by the Celebi Blessing.


    Celebi was held in high regard among the wild Pok��mon.


    Once the negotiations with the wild Pok��mon concluded, Masato Shirai approached Yuga to express his gratitude.


    "Thank you, Mr. Shimizu. If you hadn''t arrived in time, Saskia would have certainly faced trouble."


    Yuga waved his hand dismissively, saying, "No problem at all; we''re all on the same side, it''s the least I could do!"


    "Regardless, I must thank you!" Masato Shirai said sincerely, motioning for Saskia toe over. "Saskia,e over and thank Mr. Shimizu."


    Saskia obediently walked to the two and earnestly said to Yuga, "Thank you, Mr. Shimizu."


    Seeing his niece''s sincere attitude, Masato Shirai nodded in satisfaction, thinking, "Looks like grassroots experiences really do build character!"


    He had always felt that Saskia had be a bit spoiled and arrogant due to the indulgence of his wife and sister-inw. He remembered when they first arrived in Verdanturf Town; she had been quite dismissive about the family''s efforts to get along with Mr. Shimizu.


    However, it was clear that Masato Shirai had underestimated his niece. Saskia was an elite cultivated by the Jenny family; while she might be proud, she wasn''t foolish. Anyone who witnessed Florges''s earlier disy wouldn''t be feeling too proud at the moment!


    "Director Shirai, what exactly happened here?"


    Although Yuga had heard from the town mayor''s secretary that the wild Pok��mon attacked the ranch due to someone not following the rules, he hadn''t yet gathered the specific details.


    In response, Masato Shirai recounted everything he knew to Yuga.


    At this time, the injured workers and officers were waking up under the healing effects of Florges''s Grassy Terrain, including the mayor''s old friend.


    "Shirashi, it''s all my fault! I was selfish; otherwise, this wouldn''t have happened! I''m so sorry!"


    The foreman was sobbing profusely, and for a moment, Mayor Shirai didn''t know whether tofort him or scold him.


    While the foreman''s injuries had eased under the Grassy Terrain''s treatment, he had originally been quite severely hurt and was still unable to get up while lying on the stretcher.


    "I will definitely teach him a lessonter and make sure he never meddles in ranch affairs again!"


    Hearing his friend''sment, Mayor Ishida felt extremely ufortable: Did he think this matter could be easily brushed aside?


    "Dad, you can''t say that! I''m doing this to expedite the ranch''s construction work! Although I made a mistake, it''s understandable!"


    The foreman''s son was very dissatisfied with his father cing all the me on him.


    Hearing his son''s words nearly made the foreman furious: "I''m saying this for your own good! If I don''t address this now, do you think this matter can just be swept under the rug?"


    While he was angry at his son''s foolishness, he could only hope that his friend would let his son off the hook for his sake.


    Mayor Ishida was also furious at the foreman''s son''s remarks, feeling as if his insides were being crushed. "Oh, how generous of you to say it was for the sake ofpleting the ranch''s construction work!"


    He had dedicated his entire life to the development of Verdanturf Town, and everything else had to take a backseat! Besides, he himself bore some responsibility for not keeping a closer eye on things!


    Just then, while Mayor Ishida was grappling with the situation, Yuga approached with Masato Shirai and two police officers. Masato Shirai nodded at the two officers, who promptly took out handcuffs and cuffed the foreman''s son.


    "What are you doing! Let me go! Let me go! On what grounds are you arresting me?"


    The foreman''s son struggled, but one of the officers grabbed his arm and scolded, "Calm down!"


    The two officers were furious at the instigator of the incident; if it weren''t for this person, they wouldn''t have had so manyrades injured.


    "Ishida..." The foreman immediately looked at Mayor Ishida with a pleading expression upon seeing his son being arrested.


    "Uncle Kai, just leave everything to me from here on out. You''ve been through quite a shock today; go home and rest." (Mayor Ishida''s full name is Ishida Kai.)


    After Yuga finished speaking, he gestured to the town mayor''s secretary, indicating he should escort his superior away.


    "Alright, then I''ll leave it to you!" Mayor Ishida didn''t want to deal with his friend''s pleas any longer; after a few brief words with Yuga, he left with the secretary.


    The subsequent handling of the situation was straightforward. The foreman''s son would serve at least twenty years in prison, and with the evidence being irrefutable, there was no way he could escape the consequences.


    The League had always ced great importance on Pok��mon-rted disasters, and the penalties for rted crimes were traditionally strict. Although this incident didn''t reach the scale of a full-blown Pok��mon disaster, the nature of the offense was the same.


    The foreman lost his job with the League as a result of this incident. His evaluations at work had always been excellent, but he never expected to tarnish his reputation at the very end.


    Mayor Ishida also faced repercussions; as the main responsible party for the ranch, he couldn''t escape me even though he had been unaware of the situation. Thus, he received a serious reprimand from the League for his negligence.

 Chapter 1107: Unexpected Charjabug

    <h4>Chapter 1107: Unexpected Charjabug</h4>


    After the mishap involving the ranch manager, the League quickly appointed a new person in charge. This time, Mayor Ishida didn''t dare to be careless and personally oversaw the progress of the project nearly every step of the way.


    The wild Pok��mon that originally lived on the ranch were relocated to a reserve near Verdanturf Town under the League''s arrangements. This reserve was specifically established by the League for wild Pok��mon that had lost their homes. It not only provided abundant food all year round but also had dedicated rangers to protect it.


    During these days, Yuga continued his daily routine of taking the Sunflora to the town''s training facilities. After a period of training, some of the Sunflora could now clumsily use Sr Beam.


    The training equipment in the facility was very advanced, with dedicated rooms for guests to train in. In the high-end rooms, it was possible to artificially simte various special environments, such as sunny weather, snow, rain, and more.


    These special environments were beneficial for training certain specific skills.


    Yuga spent some money each day to let the Sunflora train in the simted intense sunlight environment, allowing them to fully experience the characteristics of sunlight. He taught them how to efficiently gather sunlight and then convert it into offensive energy.


    Before teaching the Sunflora how to use Sr Beam, Yuga first taught them the move Synthesis. This skill was much easier to learn than Sr Beam, and since most Grass-type Pok��mon are naturallypatible with it, it wasn''t particrly difficult to master as long as they weren''t too slow to catch on.


    The move Synthesis greatly helps Grass-type Pok��mon improve their efficiency in gathering energy for Sr Beam. In fact, the Sunflora that mastered Sr Beam first were those who were already proficient in using Synthesis.


    Since the Sunflora weren''t learning Synthesis for Pok��mon battles, Yuga didn''t demand immediate mastery. Even if some of them were a bit clumsy in using it, he didn''t me them too much.


    He believed that as they gained more experience, both Synthesis and Sr Beam would be second nature to them. After all, practice makes perfect!


    During this time, Ash and May visited Verdanturf Town to bid farewell to Yuga.


    Their League and Contest challenges hade to a close, and they were now heading to Kanto: Ash to take on the Battle Frontier and May to explore the newly popr Contests in the Kanto region.


    This didn''t deviate much from the original storyline. The only major change was that Ash finally won the championship at the Hoenn League''s Ever Grande Conference, which wasn''t easy at all! Yuga felt a little regretful that he couldn''t attend the match in person.


    Kanto''s Pokemon Contests had only be widespread in the past two years. The format and content differed slightly from Hoenn''s Pokemon Contests, and as a neer, it was a good opportunity for May to broaden her horizons.


    One day, after Yuga returned from an appointment, he heard a loud, unpleasant "Murkrow-Murkrow" sound at the door. The source of the noise was a Murkrow Yuga had caught from the ranch.


    Today, Yuga had been out at a lunch invitation from Masato Shirai, who was thanking him for his timely intervention that saved Saskia.


    In fact, ever since Masato Shirai and Saskia were transferred to Verdanturf Town, Yuga hadn''t had much contact with them.


    Although Masato Shirai had always treated Yuga kindly, Yuga had been too busy to interact with them since they arrived. The lunch was a chance for both sides to get to know each other better.


    "Murkrow! Murkrow!"


    When the Murkrow saw Yuga return, it excitedly jumped around inside its cage, which was hanging under the eaves, making a lot of noise.


    That''s right��the Murkrow had been caged ever since Yuga brought it back.


    Originally, Yuga hadn''t nned to bring the Murkrow back at all. It was just a red-potential Pok��mon, something Yuga had no interest in.


    However, while dealing with the ranch''s aftermath, Yuga had been holding onto the Murkrow out of habit and ended up bringing it back to YoYo Day Care without realizing it.


    After returning, Yuga thought that since everything was settled, he should release the little guy. Even though it had caused some mischief, Yuga felt that humans were at fault first and decided not to hold it ountable.


    But to his surprise, the Murkrow, despite its limited abilities, had a strong sense of revenge. Not only did it not appreciate Yuga''s kindness, but it also nned to retaliate once it was free.


    As it flew away from YoYo Day Care, it ran into a patrolling group led by a Persian, who was surrounded by its underlings in an imposing manner.


    To be honest, the Murkrow envied Persian a little��it too dreamed of being surrounded by a group of followers one day. But s, its strength wouldn''t allow it! Realistically, it would probably never have the chance!


    The Murkrow wasn''t familiar with the town''s situation and didn''t know that Persian belonged to YoYo Day Care. Seeing Persian''s grandeur, it immediately flew over to chat, hinting that Persian should cause trouble for Yuga.


    Although the Murkrow was subtle in its words, Persian wasn''t easily fooled. Back when Persian was out in the wild, the Murkrow wasn''t even born yet! The Murkrow might have been clever, but Persian was no less so. It instantly caught on that the Murkrow had a grudge against Yuga.


    Persian, known for preferring action over words, found Murkrow''s constant chatter extremely annoying. Besides, Persian had lived with Yuga for many years, and Yuga had always treated it well, providing good food and care, so it was impossible not to have some affection for Yuga.


    So, after hearing only a few words from Murkrow, Persian swiped at it with its paw, knocking the bird down instantly. With Murkrow''s small body, it stood no chance against Persian, who had been training rigorously for years.


    After knocking Murkrow unconscious, Persian grabbed it in its mouth and took it to Yuga, recounting the entire story of Murkrow''s attempt to instigate trouble.


    Yuga, seeing the poor Murkrow with its feathers partially plucked by Persian, felt a bit sorry for it. Thinking it was still young, he decided to give it another chance and let it go.


    This time, Murkrow didn''t try to get revenge on Yuga, but it held a grudge against Persian instead. So, it sought out Liepard, Persian''srade.


    Liepard, like Persian, frequently patrolled outside, so it wasn''t surprising that Murkrow managed to find it.


    However, Liepard and Persian had a very close rtionship, so there was no way it would be swayed by Murkrow''s sly remarks.


    Generally speaking, Pok��mon raised by humans tend to be more cunning than wild ones, especially those like Persian and Liepard, who are naturally intelligent.


    Liepard had been quite irritabletely, torn about whether or not to continue pursuing Luxray. So, Murkrow''s annoying chatter hit a nerve.


    In the end, not only did Liepard beat up Murkrow, but it also tied a string to Murkrow''s leg, treating it like a kite, dragging it around wherever it went. If Liepard was in a bad mood, it would vent its frustration on Murkrow, and the bird didn''t dare resist because Liepard was not one to be trifled with.


    When Yuga saw Liepard dragging Murkrow around, he was shocked, as he had already let it go.


    Upon learning what Murkrow had done, Yuga could only think, "Serves it right!"


    Once Liepard had had its fill of fun, Yuga found a sturdy cage, locked Murkrow inside, and hung it under the eaves as punishment to prevent it from causing more trouble.


    Murkrow was left in the cage for several days, with Yuga instructing Blissey to give it a berry each day. No matter how much Murkrow squawked, Yuga paid no attention.


    Customersing and going thought the Murkrow was part of Yuga''s clever marketing, assuming its frantic fluttering was a sign of excitement. The bustling scene outside the shop actually helped attract more business.


    Yuga went along with this assumption, exining to everyone that Murkrow was indeed there to entertain guests. Everyone believed him without question.


    Ignoring Murkrow''s protests, Yuga stepped into the shop.


    This Murkrow was quite the schemer, but it still hadn''t learned its lesson, so Yuga decided to leave it in the cage a while longer.


    Just as he entered the shop, Suzuki mentioned that Sena Shin and Ayashi had called earlier, asking him to return their call.


    Puzzled, Yuga went upstairs to return the call.


    It had been some time since the two hadst been home. Last year, they got dyed in the Sinnoh region over the New Year and couldn''t make it back. They did return briefly after the holiday but left again after only a couple of days.


    This time, they had gone to the Al region.


    The two had be obsessed with adventure over the past year and had stopped participating inpetitions. They often disappeared into remote mountains and forests, making it hard to contact them.


    The phone was answered quickly, and Ayashi''s voice came through.


    "Hello, is this the Gym Leader? It''s Ayashi."


    Yuga, in a slightly exasperated tone, replied, "Of course I know it''s you, Ayashi! You guys still remember how to call home? I was starting to think you''d gone missing out there!"


    Yuga''s scolding of Sena Shin and Ayashi wasn''t without reason; those two hadn''t called home to check in for nearly three months!


    "..."


    Ayashi, who wasn''t good with words, fell silent after Yuga''s brief rebuke.


    "Alright, alright! Just tell me, what''s the reason for calling?" Yuga intuitively knew that if those two were reaching out, there had to be a specific reason. They had even left a message asking him to return the call.


    "Well, it''s like this..."


    As it turned out, Sena Shin and Ayashi had coincidentally caught two Charjabug with green potential. Since neither of them specialized in Electric-type Pok��mon, nor did they particrly like Bug-types, they thought of sending the Charjabug back to Yuga.


    When Yuga heard that they were Electric-type Pok��mon, he was thrilled. It was like receiving a pillow just when you needed a nap! With these two Charjabug, he was nearly halfway done with one of his side quests.


    All the investments over the years had finally paid off��he was starting to see some returns!


    Despite his happiness, Yuga continued his admonishment. After all, these two weren''t living alone in the wilderness; didn''t they realize their family would be worried after such a long silence?


    After discussing the Charjabug, Ayashi added, "There''s something else��we''d like to send two more Pok��mon back. Could you help us keep an eye on them and make sure they don''t ck off in their training?"


    Yuga thought to himself: Wow, looks like they''ve been doing pretty well out there if they can afford to send extra Pok��mon home!


    Sena Shin and Ayashi had always taken an elite route as trainers, adopting a "quality over quantity" approach. They rarely kept many Pok��mon with them, so Yuga was quite pleased to hear they had more Pok��mon to send back.


    "Alright, go ahead and send them over. I''ll take care of them for you."


    "Thank you, Gym Leader! I''ll send them right away. Just wait a moment!" Ayashi''s tone became cheerful before hanging up the call.


    Yuga''s gym had a Pok��mon transfer system, so it wasn''t long before he received the five Pok�� Balls they had sent. Two of the Pok�� Balls contained the Charjabug, as Ayashi had mentioned, while the remaining three held Sena Shin''s Espeon and Ayashi''s Umbreon and Linoone.


    After receiving the Pok�� Balls, Yuga released Espeon, Umbreon, and Linoone to check on their progress. These three Pok��mon had been with Sena Shin and Ayashi for a long time.


    In terms of talent as trainers, Sena Shin and Ayashi were still far behind Ash and Gary. Even though they had started their journeys several years earlier, they weren''t nearly as strong.


    It was a bit disheartening to think about!


    Both Sena Shin and Ayashi had mid-to-high-level talent as trainers, with Ayashi being slightly more talented than Sena Shin. But neither could be called geniuses. They were, at best, on par with Reggie.


    After checking on the progress of their Pok��mon, Yuga ced them in the small Ecopark attached to his gym and then took the two Charjabug to the main Ecopark.


    The Charjabug would be ced in the insect paradise Sub-Ecopark, where Yuga was hoping they would soon evolve into Vikavolt and eventually produce offspring!


    The powerful Bug-type Pok��mon in the Insect Paradise had never quite taken off. Even the feuding Scyther and Pinsir had reconciled enough to reproduce, but their numbers had barely increased. Selling them still seemed a distant dream.


    The two newly arrived Charjabug were a bit dazed and clumsy. After Yuga released them from their Pok�� Balls, they started spinning around on the ground. However, Yuga noticed they seemed a bit lethargic, suspecting they were hungry.


    Charjabug needed more than just Pokeblock for food; they also required external sources of electricity to function. As Electric-type Pok��mon that couldn''t generate their own electricity, they stored electricity absorbed from their environment.


    Yuga took out two batteries and tossed them in front of the Charjabug. The pair immediatelytched onto the batteries and began absorbing the stored electricity.


    These batteries weren''t ordinary ones used for appliances. They were specially designed to recharge certain Electric-type Pok��mon and could be used repeatedly.


    Since Yuga''s Ecopark housed several Galvant and Joltik that often needed these batteries, he had plenty in stock. This saved him from having to buy more specifically for the Charjabug.


    After draining four or five batteries, the Charjabug let out satisfied burps, their energy visibly restored.


    Don''t be fooled by the seemingly small number of batteries��they were custom-made and could store a substantial amount of electricity. Normally, a Galvant would only absorb about this much. It seemed the two Charjabug had been extremely hungry!


    Theirrge appetite was also a good sign of their health!


    Once they were fully recharged, the Charjabug finally had the energy to start exploring the insect paradise.

 Chapter 1108: Dangerous Plan

    <h4>Chapter 1108: Dangerous n</h4>


    The speed of Charjabug''s movements is quite slow; their insect legs are hidden beneath their abdomens, making them difficult to see at a nce. Whenever they start to wriggle, their square-shaped bodies sway back and forth, creating a very humorous sight.


    Especially the two that Ayashi sent back, which are a bit rounder than other Charjabug, causing them to barely make any progress despite moving for quite a while.


    Yuga watched them clumsily and couldn''t help but wonder how they managed to survive in the wild. Were they always this slow when facing enemies?


    Not long after the Charjabug started moving, three tiny Joltik, each no bigger than a palm, suddenly appeared around them, quickly surrounding the Charjabug.


    The two Charjabug were very timid, and the sudden arrival of the Joltik startled them greatly. However, the three Joltik were actually quite weak and posed no real threat.


    The three Joltik were very alively and quickly climbed onto the backs of the Charjabug. Startled, the Charjabuginstinctively released electricity from their bodies, but rather than scaring off the Joltik, this action made them even more excited.


    The Joltik basked in the electric light, their golden fur standing on end as the threads of electricity flowed towards their bodies, drawn by the Charjabug''s electrical discharge.


    It turned out that the Joltik were attracted by the electricity emitted from the Charjabug.


    Joltik like these cannot generate electricity on their own, but they need to absorb enough electricity to grow healthy. Joltik with parents often absorb their parents'' electricity to grow. If they are orphaned, they willtch ontorger Pok��mon to absorb static electricity.


    Because of their small size,rger Pok��mon often have trouble detecting their presence.


    Moreover, these Joltik are quitemon in Unova. In urban areas, it ismon for people to spot these Joltik near their home outlets. Since the amount of electricity they absorb is small, people in Unova often overlook their presence.


    Due to their ability to sense weak static electricity generated by animal fur, Joltik are very sensitive to electricity, which is why they could quickly notice the Charjabug.


    The Charjabug''s ability is called Battery, which not only enhances the power of their allies'' special attacks but also allows them to store an extraordinary amount of electricity within their bodies.


    In the wild, Vikavolt often have a habit of using Charjabug as backup batteries, especially during battles. They tend to keep Charjabug tucked under their feet, and when they need to fight for extended periods, they will absorb the electricity from the Charjabug to replenish their energy.


    Because of this habit of Vikavolt, Charjabug are very willing to share their electricity with theirpanions.


    Feeling no hostility from the three Joltik, the two Charjabug finally settled down and, realizing the Joltik were absorbing electricity from them, actively released more electricity for the others.


    The Charjabug''s actions greatly increased the Joltik'' fondness for them, and soon enough, the five little creatures became good friends.


    Yuga observed the interaction between the three Joltik and the two Charjabug from the side, finding it quite amusing.


    Just then, an Ariados descended from the sky on a thread of silk,nding directly in front of the Charjabug. Its long spider legs knocked against the specially textured insect nest, making a loud ttering sound.


    The Ariados''s fierce appearance and menacing gaze caused the two Charjabug to scream in terror, letting out a high-pitched "Charjabug!" before bouncing high into the air, jumping a considerable distance away in the blink of an eye.


    Yuga was astonished by the Charjabug''s remarkable jumping ability and speed in escaping, finally understanding how they managed to survive in the wild! However, they still had the Joltik on their backs, and how could Ariados let them go so easily? It quickly shot out two strands of silk, and in an instant, the Charjabug, along with the Joltik on their backs, were tightly bound.


    This Ariados was not the Shiny Ariados one from the Ecopark; rather, it was a descendant of the Shiny Ariados and Galvant.


    The Shiny Ariados and Galvant reproduced at an incredible rate, and over the past few years, they had had one batch of offspring after another, earning the title of "Breeding Star" of the Ecopark! Many of their offspring had be high potential Pok��mon through the innovation potion. Compared to other Pok��mon, the sess rate of using the innovation potion for the offspring of the Shiny Ariados and Galvantwas surprisingly high.


    The shiny Ariados had a fierce temperament and typically only focused on mating, giving birth, and lounging around, leaving all childcare responsibilities to the husband, Galvant.


    Initially, Galvant had to work hard, but as their first generation of children grew up, he also became hands-off, leaving the responsibility of caring for younger siblings to the older ones!


    While Galvant wouldn''t dare to boss around his wife, he showed no mercy when it came to exploiting his children. So, recently, both he and the shiny Ariados focused solely on breeding and left the childcare to others.


    The Joltik that the Charjabug encountered were actually the three young children just born to the shiny Ariados and Galvant, while the Ariados was their older sister.


    Ariados slowly pulled the Charjabug toward her using the silk thread, and soon enough, the two Charjabug were dragged right in front of her. Once the silk was untied, the two Charjabug trembled in fear under Ariados''s gaze, repeatedly muttering, "Don''t eat me! Don''t eat me!"


    The three tiny Joltik, dangling from the silk on the backs of the Charjabug, slid down the threads and tapped their littlepanion with their tiny front limbs, signaling for it not to be afraid; the one in front of them was their sister.


    However, their small size made it look quite ridiculous as they tapped the Charjabug, which was at least ten timesrger than them, causing Yuga tough out loud unintentionally.


    "Ariados!"


    Only then did Ariados notice Yuga''s presence and gave him a slight nod as a greeting.


    Yuga smiled at Ariados and said, "These two Charjabug are new arrivals. I''ll be counting on you to take good care of them."


    "Ariados!"


    Ariados nodded in agreement, but inwardly felt quite burdened; the three little ones at home were already bothersome enough, and now there were two more!


    In a fit of irritation, Ariados shot out silk and strung the five little ones together before dragging them off.


    Seeing Ariados leave with the Joltik and Charjabug, Yuga turned and exited the Insect Paradise.


    However, just as Yuga left the Ecopark, he received a call from Masato Shirai, informing him that the Sunflora generator that had just arrived from Carlos at Vedanturf Town had been hijacked at the airport.


    Yuga was shocked to hear this news��who had the audacity to cause trouble in Vedanturf Town?


    After hanging up with Masato Shirai, Yuga quickly rushed to the airport in Vedanturf Town. By the time he arrived, the chaos at the airport had already subsided. Masato Shirai and Saskia were calming the crowd and investigating the scene, while two Arcanine were diligently trying to sniff out the presence of the hijackers. However, the airport was too crowded, making it nearly impossible for Arcanine to locate anyone based solely on scent.


    Yuga walked over to Masato Shirai and asked, "Director Shirai, have you found any clues?"


    Masato Shirai shook his head and said, "Not yet, but we''ve caught one of the aplices involved in the hijacking; we just haven''t had a chance to interrogate him yet."


    "Where is he? I''ll go take a look."


    In an office at the airport, Yuga saw the captured person��a fierce-looking man in his thirties.


    "How is it? Has he confessed to anything?" Masato Shirai walked over to the officer guarding the prisoner and inquired.


    The officer awkwardly shook his head, saying, "He won''t say anything."


    Yuga stepped forward and said, "Leave it to me."


    After Masato Shirai nodded, he and the officer stepped aside to give Yuga room.


    "Gengar, Hypnosis!" Without hesitation, Yuga summoned Gengar and instructed it to use Hypnosis on the prisoner.


    The moment the prisoner saw Gengar, his expression changed drastically; he realized what Yuga intended to do. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, his head became heavy under Gengar''s Hypnosis.


    Seeing Yuga so decisively use Hypnosis to interrogate the prisoner surprised Masato Shirai. Typically, police only resort to Hypnosis as ast measure during interrogations, as it can cause some damage to the brain.


    Yuga ignored Masato Shirai''s thoughts, and under Gengar''s Hypnosis, the man quickly divulged everything he knew.


    It turned out he wasn''t the mastermind behind this incident; he was merely one of the hired bounty hunters.


    Bounty hunters were synonymous with ouws, each one living on the edge of danger, willing to do almost anything for money. It was no wonder they dared to stir up trouble in Vedanturf Town.


    From the man''s few words, Yuga quickly identified the mastermind behind the hijacking of the Sunflora generator��Bryony and Mable.


    Because Malva had warned him to be cautious of their retaliation, Yuga already knew what they looked like. Thus, as soon as the man mentioned them, he immediately thought of them.


    These two women, along with the captured Xerosic, Celosia, and Aliana, were five of the core scientists of Team re. During the crackdown on Team re, they had been missing and Yuga hadn''t expected them to have arrived in Hoenn.


    But why would they want to hijack the generator? Yuga couldn''t understand why they would resort to such actions.


    What Yuga didn''t know was that Bryony and Mable had also just recently arrived in Hoenn.


    When the League was cracking down on Team re, they happened to escape danger because they were out searching for the Zygarde core. Little did they know that upon returning from their mission, they would find themselves without a home.


    Months had passed, and while they hadn''t been caught by the League, nearly all the other members of Team re around them had been apprehended, leaving them in a dire situation.


    After some investigation, they finally learned that the person who had exposed Team re was Yuga. The one who had informed them about this was none other than Malva.


    Malva wanted the members of Team re to keep quiet about her, so she needed them to know that she was still a hidden piece for Team re embedded within the League. As long as she was around, Team re still had a chance for aeback.


    Little did they know, she was the biggest "traitor" exposing all of Team re''s secrets!


    Malva felt that these two minor characters posed no threat to Yuga, so she didn''t hesitate to "sell out" Yuga. Her true intention was to use Yuga''s hands to wipe out the remnants of Team re. As long as Team re''s members were eliminated, her past as a secret member of Team re would remain truly secret.


    Having provided intelligence to Yuga before, Malva was confident that he wouldn''t report her. The captured members of Team re viewed her as a hope for revival, so they also wouldn''t expose her.


    The reason Malva had previously warned Yuga to be careful of Bryony and Mable was that she had already guessed that these two women would contact her and suspected they would retaliate against Yuga. Only if Yuga was already on guard would her n be foolproof.


    Although Yuga learned that the ones who hijacked the generator were Bryony and Mable, the man didn''t know where they were. After all, he was merely a bounty hunter hired for a job, not a leader among hunters, just a small-timeckey. Naturally, he wouldn''t know about Bryony and Mable''s subsequent ns.


    However, for Yuga, knowing who the culprits were was enough. As long as they were still in Vedanturf Town, they wouldn''t escape his grasp.


    After bidding farewell to Masato Shirai and returning to the YoYo Day Care, Yuga searched for photos of Bryony and Mable. Since they were now wanted criminals, their pictures were readily avable on the League''s wanted website.


    With their photos in hand, Yuga headed to the Haunted House sub-Ecopark. After about ten minutes, hundreds of Ghost-type Pok��mon emerged from the YoYo Day Care, blending into the shadows and swiftly appearing throughout the streets and alleys of Vedanturf Town.


    If one were to ask which sub-Ecopark had the most Pok��mon in Yuga''s Ecopark, it would definitely be the Haunted House. There were arge number of Misdreavus and Mismagius captured in Lilycove City, alongside the Chandelure and its little minions he caught in Unova, as well as the partners brought back by Dusknoir. And let''s not forget the many that were bornter... in short, there were a lot.


    As expected, that night, the Ghost-type Pok��mon found Bryony and Mable, who were hiding in a sewer in Vedanturf Town.


    When Yuga and Masato Shirai arrived with their team, Bryony and Mable were busy leading a group of people, working fervently. They chose to act at night to avoid being detected during the day.


    The reason they needed to steal the generator was all tied to its core device.


    Mr. Ramos''s Sunflora generator had borrowed a skill from Pok��mon, known as Mirror Reflect. However, while Mirror Reflect doubles the returned damage of an attack, the generator absorbs and stores Sunflora''s sr beams, converting them into electrical energy.


    The generator''s primary function relied on that core device using the principle of Mirror Reflect.


    Bryony and Mable intended to use this device to blow up all of Vedanturf Town, which is why they were hiding in the sewer.


    The energy that core device could absorb and transform was immense. If Bryony and Mable operated it correctly, blowing up the entire Vedanturf Town was not just a pipe dream. They were originally core scientists in Team re, so achieving this wouldn''t be difficult for them.


    Since discovering that Yuga was the mastermind behind Team re''s downfall, these two women had developed a deep-seated hatred for him, which led to such a vicious n.


    After learning about Bryony and Mable''s intentions, Masato Shirai broke out in a cold sweat. If this really happened, would he and Saskia, even survive? Even if they were lucky enough to escape unscathed, if the town he was responsible for was blown up, his life would essentially be over.


    Although he wasn''t sure how Yuga managed to find the two in such a short amount of time, at this moment, Masato Shirai was immensely grateful that the Gym Leader in Vedanturf Town was someone like him!

 Chapter 1109: Busan Ming and the Sexy Salazzle

    <h4>Chapter 1109: Busan Ming and the Sexy Szzle</h4>


    When Bryony and Mable saw Yuga, their expressions almost faltered. They really didn''t expect Yuga to find them.


    They knew that one of the bounty hunters they had hired had been captured, but they didn''t take it to heart, as that bounty hunter was just a minor figure in their group. Besides knowing about the n to hijack the generator, he waspletely unaware of any subsequent actions.


    In any case, since their whereabouts had been discovered, it must be rted to the captured person.


    Thinking of this, Bryony shot a fierce re at a scar-faced man beside her. The man seemed to have realized something as well, his expression equally grim.


    This scar-faced man was actually the leader of the bounty hunter group hired by Bryony and Mable, named Busan Ming.


    Speaking of which, Busan Ming had a past connection with Yuga.


    Years ago, Busan Ming''s uncle, Busan Xiong, was caught smuggling Pok��mon with the boss of Cute Day Care, and at that time, Busan Ming was also part of his uncle''s evil gang.


    When Busan Xiong was arrested, Busan Ming just happened to be absent, narrowly escaping disaster. After leaving Verdanturf Town, he inherited all of his uncle''s assets, and over the past few years, he had actually been doing quite well.


    Busan Xiong was an advance-level trainer. Although he had been wanted by the League for many years, he still had some connections in the underworld.


    In addition to his connections, Busan Xiong left behind a considerable amount of funds and resources, which Busan Ming, as his only rtive, naturally inherited.


    With the resources left by his uncle, Busan Ming quickly established his own bounty hunter group. Over the years, he had thrived in the underworld, which was also why Bryony and Mable sought them out.


    Even though Busan Xiong was captured by Yuga himself, if you were to ask Busan Ming if he had ns for revenge for his uncle, the answer would be no; he had no such intentions.


    Years ago, he witnessed Yuga effortlessly capture his uncle, and he was very clear about Yuga''s strength. Furthermore, years had passed, and Busan Ming couldn''t gauge just how powerful Yuga had be.


    Despite the considerable benefits he received from his uncle, Busan Ming didn''t feel grateful to Busan Xiong at all. He knew that his uncle had always treated him well and had taken great care of him when he was part of the gang, but he understood that it was all out of guilt.


    Busan Ming''s parents and grandparents were all killed because Busan Xiong had offended someone outside. Although Busan Xiong was a bad person, he genuinely cared for his family; however, his sincerity did not earn him his nephew''s forgiveness.


    Busan Ming often wondered what kind of life he would be living now if his parents and grandparents hadn''t died.


    Perhaps he would have been an ordinary working-ss person, or maybe a trainer setting off on a journey with amon Pok��mon... But in any case, his family would certainly have been a normal and happy one.


    But all of that was ruined because of Busan Xiong.


    Even though he now had a certain reputation in the underworld, if given a choice, Busan Ming would have preferred never to have embarked on this irretrievable path that everyone denounces, following his uncle.


    Furthermore, Busan Ming hadn''t had a good time in the evil gang either. Although his uncle was the leader, he was quite inconspicuous in the gang and often received special treatment from his uncle, which made many members dislike him.


    What kind of people were in the evil gang? They were all ruthless fugitives; if they disliked someone, they wouldn''t let that person have it easy. Therefore, not only was Busan Ming secretly ostracized in the gang, but he also often faced sabotage. Busan Xiong was usually very busy and couldn''t possibly take care of Busan Ming in every aspect.


    Later, when those people were captured by Yuga, to be honest, Busan Ming felt quite pleased.


    So Busan Ming had never thought of seeking revenge on Yuga for his uncle, Busan Xiong.


    When Bryony and Mable first approached him, he firmly refused; he really didn''t want to confront Yuga. However, as Bryony and Mable were core scientists of Team re, they were wealthy. Despite Busan Ming''s repeated rejections, their offers were simply too generous.


    Additionally, Bryony and Mable promised that Busan Ming''s men wouldn''t need to participate in the end; after preparing everything, he could withdraw with his men, and he wouldn''t be involved in the remaining matters at all.


    Busan Ming thought that since he wouldn''t have to confront Yuga directly, he could earn the money.


    However, neither he nor Bryony and Mable anticipated that all their actions in Verdanturf Town would escape Yuga''s investigation.


    At this moment, when Busan Ming saw Yuga suddenly appear, he was utterly terrified and instinctively wanted to leave. The only thing he felt relieved about was that Yuga didn''t seem to recognize him.


    Indeed, the events from years ago had passed, and Yuga had long forgotten, even less likely to remember someone like Busan Ming.


    However, while Busan Ming wanted to retreat, Bryony and Mable had no such intentions. Now that things hade to this point, they could only fight Yuga to the bitter end.


    "Shimizu Yuga, you epted Mr. Lysandre''s benefits and are now betraying him. You are a traitor!" Bryony red at Yuga fiercely while releasing a Liepard and a Biesharp.


    The fact that Lysandre had brought Yuga in and given him benefits was no secret in Team re, and Bryony and Mable were certainly aware of it. They despised Yuga''s behavior of taking benefits and then turning against them.


    Since the n to blow up Verdanturf Town had fallen through, and there was no way to escape, they decided to fight Yuga.


    Yuga awkwardly rubbed his nose at their words, realizing that he indeed seemed quite unreasonable. But there was nothing to be done; their values were different!


    "Lysandre is engaged in illegal activities, and as a member of the League, I have the responsibility and obligation to expose him!" Yuga dered solemnly.


    "You shameless person, I''ll fight you!"


    Mable was furious at Yuga''s audacity and immediatelymanded her Houndoom and Weavile to attack him.


    Seeing that their boss had taken action, Bryony and Mable''s subordinates hurriedly released their Pok��mon andunched an assault on the police surrounding them.


    In an instant, the narrow sewer echoed with shouts!


    In fact, there were hardly any members left from Bryony and Mable''s Team re; many present were Busan Ming''s people. However, Busan Ming was not interested in fighting; he was not only standing idly by but also discreetly signaling his subordinates to retreat amidst the chaos.


    Bryony''s Liepard and Biesharp, along with Mable''s Houndoom and Weavile, nked Yuga from both sides. The only thought in their minds was that no matter what, they had to eliminate Shimizu Yuga today!


    At that moment, a Vivillon and a Shroomish appeared next to Yuga.


    The Vivillon emitted beams of yellow-green light, rapidly shing and forcing back the right-side Houndoom and Weavile; the Shroomish threw a flurry of punches at the Liepard and Biesharp, hitting them with incredible speed, making the two Pok��mon retreat frequently under the onught.


    Bryony and Mable didn''t expect that even with a four-to-two advantage, they wouldn''t gain the slightest edge, and after exchanging nces, they resolved to continue their attack.


    However, Yuga''s Vivillon was faster. With its wings pping rapidly, it appeared next to the Houndoom in an instant. Before the Houndoom could react, it was engulfed by Signal Beam.


    Since learning flying techniques from a Ledyba, Vivillon''s speed had increased significantly.


    Mable''s Houndoom was fragile; it had been hit multiple times by Vivillon''s Signal Beam and fell to the ground, unable to get up.


    After dealing with the Houndoom, Vivillon encountered a sneak attack from Weavile. However, its speed was incredible; it shot up into the sky and easily dodged Weavile''s Ice Punch.


    On the other side, Biesharp and Liepard were also being heavily suppressed by Shroomish.


    Fighting-type Pok��mon have an advantage over Dark-type Pok��mon, and Shroomish was at a higher level than Biesharp and Liepard. Even though the two of them coordinated well, they could do nothing to stop Shroomish''s relentless fists.


    Among the melee Pok��mon, Biesharp was at a disadvantage; its attacks weren''t as fast as Shroomish''s. When Shroomish''s attacksnded on it, the impact echoed against its steel body, leaving dents in several ces.


    Fortunately, as a Steel-type Pok��mon, it had decent physical defense; otherwise, it would have already fallen.


    At this moment, Masato Shirai was actively leading his team to surround the remaining Team re members and bounty hunters, while he also noticed Busan Ming''s suspicious movements.


    Busan Ming had a very distinctive appearance, especially the scar on his face, which made it impossible not to notice him. Despite his attempts to be discreet and blend in, Masato Shirai, with years of experience as a police officer, was still able to see through him.


    If Busan Ming wanted to escape amidst the chaos, Masato Shirai immediatelymanded his Arcanine to block his path.


    Masato Shirai''s Arcanine was very tall, and with the narrowness of the sewer, Busan Ming''s escape route was suddenly blocked.


    Just as he was about to get away, being thwarted like this made Busan Ming incredibly frustrated!


    "Are you from Jenny family?"


    Busan Ming squinted at Masato Shirai in the distance and asked. His expression tensed the scar on his face, giving Masato Shirai the feeling of an imposing aura.


    Although Busan Ming really didn''t want to confront Yuga, as the leader of a bounty hunter group, he was not someone who could be bullied easily.


    "That''s right; you might as well surrender quietly!" Masato Shirai wasn''t intimidated by Busan Ming''s demeanor at all; instead, he directed his Arcanine to activate its Intimidate ability.


    "I''m in a hurry; be smart and step aside!" Busan Ming didn''t want to waste time talking to Masato Shirai; he feared attracting Yuga''s attention and only wanted to leave quickly.


    Masato Shirai didn''t bother to waste any more words with him. The Arcanine opened its mouth wide, and mes erupted wildly from its mouth, charging fiercely toward Busan Ming.


    Seeing this, Busan Ming snorted coldly. His Drapion used Cross Poison to counter Arcanine''s Fire Fang.


    In terms of raw power, Drapion was already at a disadvantage against Arcanine, and with the Intimidate ability weakening its physical attacks, it was forced back as Arcanine bit down on its pincers. The sharp ws scraped along the concrete floor of the sewer, making an ear-piercing sound.


    As Drapion struggled against Arcanine, Busan Ming suddenly shouted, "Drapion, use Poison Jab!"


    Drapion wasn''t limited to just its pincers; it raised its scorpion-like tail, glowing with purple energy, and then lunged toward Arcanine''s back.


    Even though Arcanine had seized Drapion''s pincers, it was simultaneously restrained by them. It watched helplessly as the scorpion tail stabbed toward it, unable to dodge.


    "Arcanine!!!"


    Arcanine was not only struck by Drapion''s Poison Jab but also unfortunately fell into a poisoned state. It let out a painful howl, released its grip on Drapion, and was then flung away by Drapion''s pincers.


    "Arcanine!"


    Seeing Arcanine in agony on the ground, Masato Shirai rushed to its side, calling out worriedly.


    "Hmph! You''re overestimating yourselves! Drapion, give them the finishing blow!" Busan Ming said coldly.


    Drapionplied, lifting its tail once more to strike at Masato Shirai and Arcanine.


    Just at this critical moment, a Szzle suddenly appeared, using Disable move to immobilize Drapion''s Poison Jab just in time, followed by a Mud Bomb that sttered over Drapion''s face.


    "Uncle, are you alright?"


    It turned out that Saskia had arrived at a crucial moment, and Szzle was her Pok��mon.


    "It''s fine; luckily, you arrived just in time, but Arcanine is poisoned!"


    Hearing this, Saskia stepped in front of Masato Shirai and said, "Leave this to me, Uncle; you focus on treating Arcanine''s injuries."


    Masato Shirai nodded and didn''t refuse.


    Saskia was an elite trained by the Jenny family. Although she might not be very seasoned in handling matters, her strength was genuine. Masato Shirai was aware that he was not a match for his niece.


    "Drapion! Drapion!"


    Drapion, who had been sttered with the Mud Bomb, was now in great distress. It was iling around, trying to wipe off the mud from its face with its pincers while shaking its head and letting out pained wails.


    Its face was being corroded by venom!


    Saskia''s Szzle had Corrosion ability, which granted its owner''s attacks unparalleled toxicity, capable of eroding even Poison-type and Steel-type Pok��mon.


    Among all the known Pok��mon discovered so far, only Szzle and its pre-evolution form, Sndit, possessed this ability.


    Szzle was an extremely prideful Pok��mon. In its species, there was usually only one female, while the males served as both its harem and itsckeys.


    Thus, it gazed at Drapion with an air of arrogance.


    Ha! All men (males) are my ythings!


    Szzleunched another attack on the flustered Drapion. Countless mes, mixed with poisonous gas, spewed from its mouth. Soon, Drapion''s hardened shell was charred ck.


    Seeing Saskia and Szzle suddenly appear, Busan Ming''s expression turned very grim. Watching Drapion roll on the ground, he had no choice but to recall it and then released a Scolipede.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t want to send out more Pok��mon; the sewer space was too small, and both Scolipede and Drapion wererge Pok��mon, making it impossible to maneuver effectively!


    Scolipede was incredibly fast. Under Busan Ming''smand, it directly used the Bug-type move Megahorn against Szzle. Its horns were sharp and sturdy, and if Szzle were to be struck by them, it would surely be impaled.


    However, while Scolipede was fast, Szzle was no slouch either. It elegantly twisted its slender waist, easily dodging Scolipede''s attack, and then released a stream of purplish-red mist.


    This mist was Szzle''s move Sweet Scent, but unlike the floral or grassy scents of Grass-type Pok��mon, Szzle''s scent was a "body fragrance."


    Of course, "body fragrance" is a metaphor; the sweet scent produced by Szzle was a special hormone that not only disoriented enemies but also had an aphrodisiac effect, especially potent on male Pok��mon. (Note: Szzle is exclusively female.)


    The moment Scolipede caught a whiff of the sweet fragrance, its movements slowed, and its gaze toward Szzle became dazed, as if it were looking at an unparalleled beauty.


    When it came to seducing males (male Pok��mon), Szzle was a professional!


    In the Pok��mon world, if you mention the terms "sexy" or "alluring," Liepard would be one, and Szzle would be a close second, even more powerful than Liepard.


    Liepard may appear attractive but doesn''t actively engage in seducing other Pok��mon; it mostly lies and deceives due to its nature. But Szzle was different; it instinctively lured in desired males, and it never missed.


    Only Szzle could use Sweet Scent effectively for its seductive effect. Szzle was also quite skilled at the seduction move, but seduction never felt as impactful as exuding hormones! Thus, when Szzle selected its moves, it habitually prioritized using Sweet Scent.


    Seeing his Scolipede enchanted and dizzy from Szzle''s allure, Busan Ming regretted for the first time that all the Pok��mon he had caught were male.

 Chapter 1110: Bagon’s Dream of the Sky

    <h4>Chapter 1110: Bagon''s Dream of the Sky</h4>


    After Scolipede was once again restrained by Szzle, she decided to roast it with her corrosive mes. Her fiery tongue licked across Scolipede''s body in an instant.


    It wasn''t until the searing pain hit that Scolipede snapped out of Szzle''s hormonal allure. It rolled violently on the ground, trying to extinguish the mes, but the fire was too corrosive. In no time, its armored exoskeleton was left covered in pits and holes.


    Without its protective armor, Scolipede''s defenses were significantly weakened.


    Saskia''s Szzle had been specially bred. Not only was its venom stronger than a typical Szzle''s, but it also had a uniquebination of fire and poison, forming a special "venomous me." The venom would break through defenses, while the mes did the attacking, making thebination extremely destructive.


    If it weren''t a life-or-death situation, Saskia rarely used Szzle in battle. Most people only ever saw her parading around with her Arcanine, but in truth, her Szzle was far stronger.


    Under the torment of the venomous mes, Scolipede quickly lost its fighting spirit and copsed soon after.


    Seeing this, Busan Ming immediately tried to release another Pok��mon, but Szzle wasn''t going to give him the chance. In a sh, she appeared in front of him. With a quick flick of her nimble tail, there was a crisp "snap" �� Busan Ming''s wrist, which held a Pok�� Ball, was broken.


    The confined space of the sewer might have hindered the movements of other Pok��mon, but for the agile Szzle, it posed no problem.


    "Aaah!"


    Busan Ming screamed in agony from the pain in his wrist. Without hesitation, he turned and fled, but before he could run more than two steps, Szzle reappeared in front of him. With a casual p, she knocked him to the ground.


    The p was just a basic move, not very powerful. Moreover, Szzle wasn''t particrly skilled in physical attacks, so Busan Ming simply fainted rather than sustaining serious injuries.


    While Saskia was finishing up with Busan Ming, Yuga had already dealt with the two crazed women, Bryony and Mable. His Breloom followed behind him, carrying one woman under each arm, and tossed them at Saskia''s feet like garbage, leaving her speechless.


    "That''s a bit unfriendly to thedies! Even if they''re criminals..."


    Luckily, Bryony and Mable were already unconscious from Breloom''s hits. Otherwise, they''d feel deeply humiliated by Yuga''s rough treatment.


    Just then, Yuga heard Masato Shirai''s Arcanine groaning in pain and casually asked Saskia, "Is it poisoned?"


    Saskia nodded. "Yes, that Drapion''s poison seems particrly tricky to handle."


    Hearing this, Yuga recalled Breloom into its Pok�� Ball and sent out Chimecho.


    "Chimecho, help out Arcanine."


    "Chimecho! Chimecho!"


    Chimecho floated happily above Arcanine, and the soothing sound of its bell-like body filled the air. Arcanine, whose face had been twisted in pain, immediately calmed down.


    Masato Shirai looked on gratefully and said, "Thank you, Gym Leader Shimizu."


    "No problem, we''re all colleagues here. It''s the least I could do," Yuga replied nonchntly, waving off the thanks. "We should finish up here."


    He nced at Busan Ming, unconscious at Saskia''s feet, but showed no sign of recognizing the man.


    Busan Ming, in his unconscious state: ... All that caution for nothing.


    With Bryony, Mable, and Busan Ming, the three leaders, out of the picture, the remaining members of Team re and the bounty hunter group were swiftly taken care of by Masato Shirai''s reinforcements.


    "Report: all criminals have been apprehended. There shouldn''t be any stragglers!"


    After a thorough headcount, Masato Shirai''s subordinate reported the final results to him.


    Masato Shirai nodded in satisfaction. "Good work, everyone. Make sure they''re all taken back and properly detained!"


    That night, neither Masato Shirai nor the police had any time for sleep. The Sunflora Generator was sessfully recovered, but its core device had been dismantled. Verdanturf Town still needed specialized technicians to reinstall it.


    The Sunflora Generator is arge machine, and it was fortunate that the spatial backpack containing itsponents hadn''t been lost. Otherwise, moving the generator out of the sewer would have been a serious problem.


    After a sleepless night, Masato Shirai not only had to handle the interrogation of the captured criminals but also had to contact the Kalos League to report on the capture of Bryony and Mable. He was overwhelmed with tasks!


    The Verdanturf Town police made significant contributions this time by simultaneously capturing the remnants of Team re and a bounty hunter group. Both the League and the Jenny family highly praised Masato Shirai and Saskia for their excellent work.


    After receiving all the des, Masato Shirai absentmindedly hung up the phone, suddenly remembering what Liliana had said to him before she left: "Working in Verdanturf, you''ve hit the jackpot!"


    Come to think of it, this aplishment really fell into theirps. Aside from leading the team to make arrests, he and Saskia Jenny hadn''t contributed much else.


    When Yuga had informed him the previous night to bring a team to the sewers for an arrest, Masato Shirai had found the request a bit sudden, but now he was immensely grateful that he hadn''t refused.


    In retrospect, didn''t they just win effortlessly? Masato Shirai finally understood why Liliana had been promoted so quickly!


    After this incident, Masato Shirai realized how invaluable a good teammate could be. Having worked at many different police departments, he had encountered all kinds of League colleagues. Some didn''t just fail to help with the work but would even drag you down.


    Having received such an easy and significant achievement, Masato Shirai thought he should take Yuga out for a meal sometime as thanks.


    While Masato Shirai was neck-deep in work, Yuga was much more rxed. After the arrests, the situation was no longer his responsibility.


    With the League tournament having recently ended, there were very few challengersing to the gym, so Yuga devoted all his work to training the Sunflora.


    However, the main force behind the Sunflora''s training was his Grass-type Pok��mon, and since the Sunflora were already making good progress, Yuga had some free time to engage in a bit of "personal use of public resources."


    Anyway, since the League was covering the expenses for the training facility, Yuga figured there was no harm in using it to train his own Pok��mon.


    It had to be said��getting free ess to such a ce was fantastic! The training equipment here really did boost efficiency, like the gravity chamber and the projectile machines.


    Cosmog, being in a special situation, usually had limited training options, mostly meditating, but the gravity chamber was perfect for assisting its training.


    While Yuga''s Chimecho could also use the Gravity move, its gravity had no effect on Cosmog. Cosmog would simply use its psychic power to create a psychic terrain, neutralizing Chimecho''s gravity with ease.


    However, the gravity in the chamber was different. It wasn''t formed by a Psychic-type''s mental power, so it couldn''t be neutralized by psychic force.


    In order to resist the gravity in the chamber, Cosmog had to constantly use its psychic abilities to protect itself, using Cosmic Power to strengthen its defense. This not only increased its mental strength but also honed its control over its psychic powers.


    Human technology was impressive at times��the gravity multiplier in the chamber could be adjusted, and at its highest, it was even stronger than Chimecho''s Gravity.


    Another example was the projectile machine in the training room, which could fire disks at super high speeds, making it ideal for Kartana to practice its swordsmanship.


    Kartana''s speed was so fast that as its sword skills improved, normal training methods were no longer effective. But the super-high-speed disks shot by the projectile machine could sharpen its eye-hand coordination, uracy, reaction speed, and strike precision.


    Though the training provided by the projectile machine was quite basic, mastering the basics was the key to sess.


    Currently, Yuga''s Grass-type Pok��mon were all training under Florges, while Absol and the others had gone to the Distortion World, leaving only a few young ones like Bagon and Mimikyu under Yuga''s watch.


    However, Yuga had noticed that Bagon had been acting strangetely. Often, during training, it would zone out.


    Sure enough, today, when Yuga instructed it to swipe its ws at a punching bag a thousand times, it slowed down before even reaching a hundred.


    Mimikyu, who was next to Bagon practicing Shadow w, noticed Bagon''s sluggish movements and couldn''t help but poke it, using its eyes to ask, "What''s wrong?"


    "Bagon?"


    Bagon turned its head, puzzled, looking at Mimikyu, clearly not understanding the message in its gaze.


    Mimikyu: "...Shouldn''t I be the one asking you that? And now you''re asking me!"


    Noticing their little interaction, Yuga called out, "What''s going on with you two?"


    "Bagon!"


    Bagon shrugged its shoulders (or ws) in confusion, looking innocent, as if to say, "Mimikyu was the one who distracted me first."


    Mimikyu: "...Seriously?!"


    For the first time, Mimikyu, who usually acted as the elder, tattled on Bagon��iming it wasn''t focusing on training!


    In fact, Bagon wasn''t pretending to be innocent. It simply hadn''t realized that its movements had slowed down.


    After hearing Mimikyu''s exnation, Yuga called Bagon over. "Bagon,e here for a second!" He knew Mimikyu was telling the truth; he had also noticed that Bagon hadn''t been in top form these past few days.


    "Bagon?"


    What''s up?


    Bagon walked over to Yuga, tilting its head up with a puzzled look. Its big, clear eyes were filled with innocence.


    Yuga felt like his heart had taken a critical hit��cuteness overload! Especially since Bagon wasn''t even aware of how adorable it was being.


    To be honest, Bagon was a special case. Since it was born, it had always been well-behaved and never caused Yuga any trouble. But having raised so many Pok��mon, Yuga knew that some challenges were bound toe sooner orter.


    Yuga squatted down, gently patting Bagon''s head, and asked with a concerned tone, "Bagon, have you been troubled by something recently? If there''s anything on your mind, feel free to share it with me."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Bagon seemed a bit uneasy. It nced over at Kartana in the distance, looking as if it wanted to say something but hesitated.


    Following Bagon''s gaze, Yuga saw Kartana swiftly moving through the air. Confused, he asked, "What about Kartana?"


    Bagon shook its head but remained silent.


    Sighing, Yuga gently encouraged, "Bagon, you can tell us your worries without hesitation. We''re family, after all."


    "Bagon, Bagon, Bagon?"


    Bagon shuffled its feet nervously and then asked Yuga a question.


    Yuga nearly fell overughing when he heard it��Bagon had asked, "Why can everyone fly, but I can''t?"


    Yuga wasn''t sure how to respond to such an innocent yet profound question. Maybe Groudon would like to ask the same thing.


    It wasn''t surprising that Bagon had such a concern, as most Bagon dreamt of flying. This desire seemed ingrained in their very DNA.


    Many of Yuga''s main Pok��mon could fly��Dragonite, Charizard, Vivillon, Chimecho, Lapras, Gengar, Mismagius, Decidueye, Cosmog, and Kartana. Surrounded by so many Pok��mon that can flying, it was no wonder Bagon was envious.


    But no matter how envious Bagon was, it simply couldn''t fly yet.


    Yuga could only console it by saying, "Bagon, if you keep training hard, you''ll be able to fly once you evolve into Smence. There''s no need to rush."


    "Bagon..."


    Bagon''s expression fell as it heard this. It knew that it would take a long time to evolve into Smence, but it wanted to fly now, more than anything.


    Seeing Bagon''s dejected face, Yuga felt both helpless and heartbroken. Bagon was usually so well-behaved, and the more upset it became, the more Yuga''s heart ached.


    Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon like Bagon required a lot of time to evolve. The only reason Dratini had evolved into Dragonite so quickly was due to the help of the Yellow Orb. Bagon didn''t have such luck.


    Thinking this over, Yuga said, "Bagon, would you like to experience what it''s like to fly?"


    "Bagon?"


    Really?


    Bagon''s eyes lit up with excitement, itsrge, bright eyes sparkling with hope. There was even a touch of admiration in its gaze, as if Yuga were its hero.


    Yuga''s ego swelled with pride.


    "Come on! Let''s go try it out!"


    Ovee by Bagon''s cuteness, Yuga boldly picked it up and, with a sense of mission, carried it out of the training room.


    "Gengar, Mismagius,e here!"


    Once outside, Yuga called on Gengar and Mismagius. With their Psychic powers, they lifted Yuga and Bagon into the air.


    By now, autumn had settled in Hoenn. While it was still warm on the ground, the temperature was much cooler at higher altitudes, with a cold wind blowing. Yuga felt a bit chilly, but Bagon was exhrated. It looked down at the rapidly shrinking Verdanturf Town below and let out a cry of excitement.


    Seeing Bagon this happy for the first time, Yuga thought it was worth enduring the cold.


    Carried by Gengar and Mismagius, they flew a great distance and eventually reached the edge of Petalburg Woods, yet Bagon was still full of enthusiasm.


    The little guy became more and more excited, eventually deciding that flying with Mismagius wasn''t thrilling enough. It asked Mismagius to drop it from the sky so it could experience real flight!


    Yuga''s face turned pale at the request. This little guy was way too bold! How could it ask for such a dangerous thing? From this height, a fall would be fatal!


    In the end, Yuga couldn''t resist Bagon''s hopeful gaze and agreed. But, of course, he made sure that Mismagius would use Psychic to catch Bagon before it hit the ground.

 Chapter 1111: The Light That Shined on Verdanturf Town

    <h4>Chapter 1111: The Light That Shined on Verdanturf Town</h4>


    High in the sky, the psychic power around Bagon was withdrawn by Mismagius, and immediately, it began to fall rapidly. A series of high-pitched screams escaped from Bagon''s mouth, revealing its excitement and satisfaction.


    Yuga never expected Bagon to be such a fan of extreme sports, enjoying high-altitude bungee jumping.


    Just as Bagon was about to hit the ground, Mismagius acted swiftly, using its psychic power to catch it again.


    To be honest, Mismagius almost didn''t manage to catch it. The eleration from the high-altitude fall was too fast, and it put a tremendous strain on its psychic power. Even though Mismagius was an Elite level Pok��mon, the impact force nearly broke through its psychic barrier.


    After catching Bagon, Mismagius wiped away some imaginary sweat, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the experience.


    However, Bagon wasn''t done yet. It eagerly begged Mismagius to do it again.


    (|||OO;)


    Mismagius started to break out in a cold sweat, unsure how to refuse Bagon.


    At that moment, Yuga descended with the help of Gengar, and Mismagius quickly shot him a pleading look. After thinking for a moment, Yuga noticed a cliff not far away and suggested to Bagon, "How about we go over to that cliff instead? You can still experience the feeling of flying, but it''ll be much safer."


    Bagon looked in the direction of the cliff and felt a little disappointed. Compared to the thrill of free-falling from the sky, the cliff didn''t seem as exciting.


    But Bagon was a good child and always listened to Yuga. Despite itsck of enthusiasm, it nodded in agreement.


    Yuga could hear the disappointment in Bagon''s voice, but for safety''s sake, he pretended not to notice.


    When they reached the top of the cliff, Yuga instructed Bagon, "Jump down from here, and Mismagius and I will catch you at the bottom."


    "Bagon!" Bagon nodded obediently.


    This time, Mismagius easily caught Bagon, but Bagon felt it wasn''t thrilling enough��not exciting, no sensation!


    "Bagon, Bagon, Bagon!"


    Bagon pleaded with Yuga, asking if Mismagius could stop catching it and just let it fall freely.


    Yuga: ...


    Yuga really didn''t want to agree, but seeing the hopeful look in Bagon''s eyes, he couldn''t resist and reluctantly nodded.


    Jumping off a cliff shouldn''t be too dangerous for Bagon, Yuga thought to himself.


    Bagon, known as the Pok��mon with the iron head, had a notable characteristic: its hard head. Ordinary Bagon often enjoyed jumping off cliffs to practice flying, and they usuallynded headfirst.


    To better understand this type of Pok��mon, Yuga had studied many schrly papers about Bagon. Experts had mentioned that Bagon''s tendency to headbutt objects stemmed from the psychological pressure of being unable to fly.


    This showed just how strong Bagon''s desire to fly was.


    Now that Yuga''s own Bagon had reached this stage, he wanted to do whatever he could to alleviate its mental stress. However, he had a feeling that his Bagon''s obsession with flying was even stronger than other Bagons. While others were satisfied with jumping off cliffs, his Bagon preferred high-altitude bungee jumping.


    Since he had already agreed, Yuga couldn''t go back on his word. He took Mismagius and stepped back from the edge of the cliff to avoid getting hit when Bagon jumped down.


    At the bottom of the cliff, there was a small cave, not even tall enough for a person to stand in, but it was home to a young Cleffa. Ever since it got separated from its family, it had been living there alone.


    Today, because it had slept in, Cleffa woke upte. As soon as it opened its eyes, its stomach began growling loudly.


    Cleffa rubbed its sleepy eyes and then patted its t belly, deciding to head out to find something to eat.


    It had only taken a few steps outside when suddenly an unknown object fell from the sky andnded right at its feet. If Cleffa had taken one more step, it would have been ttened.


    Boom!


    A crater appeared in front of Cleffa, with dirt and rocks flying everywhere.


    "Cleffa!!!"


    Cleffa was stunned for a moment, then let out a sharp scream, and immediately fainted with its eyes rolling back.


    Bagon, with its head buried in the dirt, didn''t hear Cleffa''s cry at all. It braced its arms on the ground and kicked its short legs in the air several times before finally pulling its head out of the dirt. However, it used too much force and fell t on its bottom.


    It rubbed its smooth head, only then noticing Cleffa''s presence.


    "Bagon?"


    Bagon stood up and poked Cleffa with its finger, but Cleffa didn''t respond.


    Hearing Cleffa''s scream, Yuga quickly ran over with Mismagius.


    "What happened, Bagon? Are you hurt..."


    Before Yuga could finish his sentence, he saw Bagon flipping Cleffa over repeatedly.


    "Where did this Cleffae from?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    "Bagon!" Bagon innocently indicated that it didn''t know.


    Yuga picked up Cleffa and examined it, finding that it wasn''t injured. He then looked around but didn''t see any other Pok��mon nearby.


    Strange, Cleffa usually lives in groups with Clefairy or Clefable. Why was this one all alone here?


    Oh well! Yuga didn''t dwell on it. He decided to catch this Cleffa.


    No matter its potential, Cleffa is a super rare Pok��mon��if you miss it, there''s no second chance!


    Before catching it, Yuga used his Insight ability to check on Cleffa.


    ...


    [ Cleffa ]


    Type: Fairy


    Ability: Magic Guard


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Green


    Level: 16


    Moves: Pound, Baby-Doll Eyes, Sing, Sweet Kiss, Heal Pulse, Misty Terrain


    ...


    Wow, such good luck! He randomly found a rare Pok��mon with high potential just on the side of the road.


    Yuga squatted down and patted Bagon on the head, praising it, "You''re pretty lucky, huh."


    Bagon: No idea what you''re talking about.


    In a good mood, Yuga asked Bagon, "Do you still want to y?"


    Bagon shook its head, finding cliff-jumping too dull and unstimting.


    Yuga sighed, "Alright then, we''ll head back once Cleffa wakes up."


    Cleffa woke up quickly. As soon as it opened its eyes, it began iling its arms and legs, clearly frightened. Only after it realized it was lying in Yuga''s arms did it calm down, showing a confused expression as if wondering what had happened.


    Just as Yuga was about to speak to it, Cleffa''s eyes fell on Bagon''s backside.


    It recognized that butt. Before it fainted, thest thing it saw was that very butt.


    Remembering this, Cleffa jumped out of Yuga''s arms and, without hesitation, delivered a Pound attack on Bagon.


    Bagon stumbled a couple of steps and fell onto its bottom, holding its cheek where it had been hit: What happened? Why am I being attacked?


    "Cleffa, Cleffa, Cleffa!"


    Cleffa stood in front of Bagon, pointing at it while angrily ranting. Bagon, still clueless, lookedpletely bewildered.


    What are you saying? I have no idea what you''re talking about.


    Yuga, however, caught the key point in Cleffa''s jumbled speech. In short, Cleffa had been scared into fainting by Bagon falling from the sky.


    After understanding the situation, Yuga sincerely apologized on Bagon''s behalf.


    "Cleffa, Bagon didn''t do it on purpose. Can you forgive it?"


    At this moment, Cleffa seemed to have run out of steam. It suddenly slumped to the ground, and its stomach let out a loud rumble.


    So hungry!


    Seeing this, Yuga chuckled. He took out a jar of Pok��blocks, poured one out, and handed it to Cleffa.


    "Here, try this. It''s really tasty."


    Cleffa cautiously licked the Pok��block with its tongue, then widened its eyes in surprise.


    This is delicious!


    In one gulp, Cleffa swallowed the Pok��block and wanted to ask Yuga for another, but its belly betrayed it by letting out a full burp.


    Burp, I''m so full!


    Cleffa rubbed its belly, feeling slightly embarrassed at how little it could eat.


    Yuga shook the jar of Pok��blocks in his hand and asked, "So, how was it? Tasty?"


    "Cleffa!"


    It''s very tasty!


    Cleffa sucked on its fingers, as tears of joyically formed at the corners of its mouth.


    Taking the chance, Yuga tempted it further: "If youe with me, you can have this every day. How about it?"


    Cleffa, without hesitation, bowed its head to the allure of food. Nothing is greater than eating!


    Even though Cleffa agreed to forgive Bagon, deep down it still didn''t like Bagon. Whenever Bagon got close, Cleffa would push it away, making Bagon tumble head over heels.


    In truth, Bagon didn''t particrly like Cleffa either. The fairy-type aura Cleffa gave off made it ufortable. But Bagon was an obedient Pok��mon. Yuga had told it to get along with itspanions, so it tried to build a better rtionship with Cleffa.


    Yuga noticed that Cleffa and Bagon didn''t get along, but he chose not to interfere.


    After all, they were both young, and it was natural for them to express their likes and dislikes openly. If it were Florges or Dragonite here, they wouldn''t decide their preferences based on type disadvantages.


    Besides, their lives were long. They''d encounter people and Pok��mon they liked and disliked. There was no need to force them to get along perfectly; as long as they didn''t cause trouble, that was enough.


    After catching Cleffa, Yuga brought both Pok��mon back to the YoYo Day Care.


    Once they arrived, Yuga handed Cleffa over to Audino. Upon meeting each other, Audino and Cleffa hit it off right away, and Cleffa quickly became Audino''s little follower.


    Thinking that he still needed to check on the other Pok��mon at the training facility, Yuga said to Bagon, "Bagon, you can y at home by yourself. I''m going to pick up the others."


    Bagon obediently nodded.


    After Yuga left, Bagon decided to head back to the Ecopark. As it walked, it was still savoring the thrill of high-altitude bungee jumping. Just as it stepped into the main Ecopark, it ran into Nana.


    The moment Bagon saw Nana, its eyes lit up.


    Seeing Bagon suddenly staring at her with glowing eyes, Nana felt uneasy. "Wh-what''s up? Why are you looking at me like that?"


    "Can you take me flying?"


    Hearing this, Nana said, "Oh, that''s it? Easy, let''s go!"


    With that, she grabbed Bagon and flew out of the Ecopark. Yuga had his concerns, but Nan didn''t care at all.


    Once they were out of the Ecopark, Nana wrapped herself in psychic power, elerated, and shot into the sky, disappearing into the horizon in no time.


    At high altitude, Bagon indeed asked to go bungee jumping, and Nana agreed without hesitation.


    Nana was a master-level Pok��mon with immense psychic power. The concerns that haunted Mismagius didn''t trouble her at all.


    Thus, in the skies above the outskirts of Verdanturf Town, excited screams could be heard echoing continuously.


    When Yuga returned from the training facility, he happened to bump into Nana, who was carrying Bagon, at the entrance of the shop.


    "What were you two doing?" Yuga asked curiously.


    "Ba-Bagon..." Bagon''s eyes darted around, avoiding eye contact.


    But Nana, without hesitation, replied, "We went out to have some fun, of course!"


    "Oh," Yuga responded absentmindedly, not thinking much of it, and strode into the shop. Bagon, however, let out a long sigh of relief.


    As the saying goes, once you do something the first time, there will be a second, and a third... After the exhrating bungee jump with Nana, Bagon frequently snuck out with her behind Yuga''s back to seek thrills. Even by the time Bagon evolved into Smence, Yuga still hadn''t discovered their secret.


    Sometimes Yuga would wonder, "Why did my Bagon''s ''rebellious phase''e and go so quickly?"


    Time quickly passed, and the day finally arrived for the grand opening of the Sunflora Power nt in Verdanturf Town. The town was buzzing with excitement because this marked the beginning of energy self-sufficiency for Verdanturf.


    At the edge of the Sunflora Ranch, all the generators had been installed. Each generator resembled a giant bowl-shaped satellite dish, securely ced on the opposite hill, with a vertical energy guide rod at the center of each dish.


    The Sunflora that Yuga had trained had also been moved into the ranch, and everything was ready.


    At noon, when the sun was at its peak, all the residents of Verdanturf gathered at the edge of the ranch to witness this historic moment with their own eyes.


    Thousands of Sunflora were lined up densely on the hill, a sea of yellow and orange that was truly a magnificent sight. Yuga stood at the center of all the Sunflora.


    Up on the tall lighthouse, Mayor Ishida waved a red g energetically. When Yuga saw this signal, he shouted loudly to all the Sunflora, "Ready! Begin!"


    As Yuga''s raised right hand came down, golden light began to gather on the flowers of all the Sunflora.


    Boom!!!


    Thousands of golden beams shot out in an instant, the dazzling light illuminating the faces of Verdanturf''s residents, even in the brightness of day.


    Seeing this breathtaking scene, the townspeople stood with their mouths agape in awe.


    Each Sunflora had already been assigned a specific generator to target with its Sr Beam. The beams of lightnded in an orderly fashion on the bowl-shaped generators, and the energy guide rods absorbed everyst bit of the sr energy.


    Buzz, buzz, buzz!


    On the lighthouse where Mayor Ishida stood, a giantmp flickered twice before stabilizing and shining brightly.


    "It''s lit! It''s lit!"


    The crowd erupted into cheers. People were jumping up and down, some even hugging each other in excitement.


    Although it was still daylight, and the light from themp wasn''t particrly noticeable, to the people of Verdanturf, it was the brightest, most dazzling light they had ever seen.


    Many were moved to tears, including Mayor Ishida, who stood on the lighthouse.


    Standing among the Sunflora, Yuga watched the cheering crowd, filled with deep emotions.


    He was witnessing the rise of this small town, step by step. Today, the beam from the lighthouse was not just illuminating the town; it was lighting up the hearts of every resident of Verdanturf.

 Chapter 1112: Cutiefly And Ribombee

    <h4>Chapter 1112: Cutiefly And Ribombee</h4>


    After the Sunflora Power nt officially began its operations, in addition to the electricians dispatched by the League, Mayor Ishida also specially invited a professional Grass-type Pok��mon breeder to manage the Sunflora, ensuring that they could live afortable life.


    After the power nt waspleted, Hoenn gradually entered winter, and the temperature started to cool down, no longer as hot as before.


    However, due to Hoenn''s unique climate, even in winter, the temperature merely drops without much chance of freezing or snowfall. Most of the time, it doesn''t get very cold. Even someone as strong and healthy as Yuga could go outside wearing just a light jacket without any problems.


    One day, Yuga called Ryo, An Lin, and An Mu to his side and told them that he nned to send them to work at the ranch for a while.


    The person Mayor Ishida invited to manage the Sunflora was a highly skilled Grass-type Pok��mon breeder. If the three of them spent some time learning from him, it would greatly benefit their future development.


    Unlike Ayashi and Arata Sena, who trained Pok��mon of various types, Ayaka, An Lin, and An Mu all aspired to be Grass-type Trainers, and their starter Pok��mon Eevees had all evolved into Leafeons.


    Now that they had graduated from the Trainer School in Petalburg City and had no ns to pursue further studies at higher institutions, Yuga felt it was time to find something for them to do.


    The reason Ayame didn''t need to go with them was that she had already decided to stay with Misaki and Lain to learn how to make Pok��blocks and incense, and was now very busy, unable to free up any time.


    Compared to the three boys, Ayame was much busier. Not only did she have to learn to identify and process a wide variety of ingredients every day, but she also had to understand the taste preferences of different types of Pok��mon. In short, she waspletely swamped.


    For most, graduation from Trainer School marks the end of their education, but for Ayame, it was only the beginning.


    The study of Pok��block and incense making is quite profound. It''s not like how Yuga just followed the recipe and copied it step by step. Professionals like Misaki and Lain had a lot to learn. Not only did they need to know how to make things ording to the form, but they also had to innovate on their own and truly understand the theory behind it all.


    In short, Ayame was far busier than the three boys.


    After hearing Yuga''s words, An Lin and An Mu, the twin brothers, didn''t have any objections. They hadn''t yet made any concrete ns for the future, but the eldest, Ayaka, was hesitant. He had originally nned to set off on a journey soon, just like his brother. If he went to work at the ranch, his ns would have to change.


    Ryo thought it over and shared his ns with Yuga.


    After hearing him out, Yuga responded forcefully, "First, go to the ranch and learn from Mr. Harrison for a while. You can postpone your journey until next spring. Learning more before you set out will only help you on your travels. A slight dy won''t make much of a difference!"


    "Oh, I see. I''ll listen to the Gym Leader, then," Ayaka replied meekly. They had always followed Yuga''s advice without question.


    Yuga, having spoken to the three youngsters in the morning, nned to send them straight to the ranch in the afternoon. For the foreseeable future, they would be living there with Mr. Harrison.


    Mr. Harrison was the Grass-type breeder invited by Mayor Ishida. He was a senior breeder. For Mayor Ishida to invite someone of his caliber, he not only had to pull some strings but also offered a hefty sry, though the League was covering the cost.


    Yuga also heard that if it weren''t for Mr. Harrison''s desire to retire and the fact that Verdanturf Town was a good ce for retirement, Mayor Ishida wouldn''t have been able to invite him.


    Mr. Harrison lived in the lighthouse at the ranch, which served as a dormitory specially built for ranch staff by Mayor Ishida. The living conditions were quite good.


    Due to the growing sess of Verdanturf Town''s tourism and agriculture, the town''s revenue had be quite substantial, which exined why Mayor Ishida was now spending money so freely.


    When Yuga brought Ayaka and the others to the ranch, Mr. Harrison was lounging among the Sunflora, basking in the sun with them, looking extremely rxed.


    Mr. Harrison was over seventy years old. He had previously worked in the Breeder Association of the League and was one of the veterans there.


    He had no children, and his wife passed away early, so most of his life had been dedicated to the Breeder Association. When he finally expressed his wish to retire, though the association regretted it, they had no choice but to ept it with a heavy heart.


    As it happened, Mr. Harrison agreeing to mentor Yaka and the others was a bit of a coincidence.


    When Mr. Harrison first arrived in Verdanturf Town, Yuga hade to the ranch at Mayor Ishida''s request to check on him. At that time, Mr. Harrison was standing on a hill,municating with the Sunflora.


    As a senior breeder, Mr. Harrison had a very high affinity with Grass-type Pok��mon. Even though he had only just started interacting with the Sunflora, he had already bonded with them.


    When he saw Yuga, his first question was, "I heard you trained these Sunflora for a while?"


    Of course, Yuga responded with, "Yes."


    And just like that, Yuga, somewhat bewildered, gained Mr. Harrison''s friendship.


    The two of them became more and more chatty, and when Yuga suggested that Ayaka and the others study under Mr. Harrison for a while, Mr. Harrison readily agreed.


    However, although Mr. Harrison agreed to mentor Ayaka and the others for a period, he was unwilling to formally take them as apprentices. Senior breeders, though not as prestigious as top-tier breeders, still did not casually ept disciples.


    But Yuga had already made up his mind. Once Ayaka and the others finished their studies, he nned to send Ayame over next. It didn''t matter whether Mr. Harrison officially took them on as apprentices; what mattered was that the kids could learn valuable knowledge.


    As a Trainer, one doesn''t need to have the highest level of breeding skills, but basic breeding knowledge is a must.


    The first to notice Yuga''s arrival was a Venusaur, Mr. Harrison''s onlypanion.


    Mr. Harrison had once mentioned that Venusaur had been with him since he was very young, but now, as he had grown old and Venusaur was still in its prime, it was undeniably a sad reality.


    Most Grass-type Pok��mon live long lives, and there were far too many Grass-types that outlive their Trainers. Even for someone like Yuga, who had been blessed by Celebi, this problem was inevitable.


    Venusaur extended its vines and poked Mr. Harrison, who was basking in the sunlight with his eyes closed. Only then did Mr. Harrison notice Yuga and the others.


    "You''ve arrived!" Mr. Harrison was very pleased and struggled to sit up. Perhaps due to his age and lying down for too long, it was only with Venusaur''s help that he managed to stand up steadily.


    "Sigh, I''m getting old... getting old..." Mr. Harrison sighed as he brushed the grass off his clothes.


    Yuga chuckled and said, "Old? You look full of energy to me!"


    "You always know how to talk!" Mr. Harrison gave Yuga a light p on the arm andughed heartily. Then he looked at the three kids behind Yuga. "So, these are the three little ones you want me to take care of?"


    "Yes, these are the ones!" Yuga quickly motioned for the three of them to step forward. "This is the Mr. Harrison I told you about."


    The three immediately bowed deeply. "Hello, Mr. Harrison. Please take care of us starting today."


    Mr. Harrison was quite pleased with their politeness and stroked his mustache. "Alright, you''ll help me out with some tasks from time to time. How much you learn will depend on your own understanding!"


    "Yes, sir!" the three kids responded in unison.


    After chatting with Mr. Harrison for a while at the ranch, Yuga left Ayaka and the others and returned to the YoYo Day Care by himself.


    However, as soon as he walked in, Suzuki Koen said, "You''re back. A call just came in from Ayashi. He asked you to return his call."


    "Got it," Yuga responded, feeling curious as he headed upstairs. He dialed Ayashi''s number, but it wasn''t Ayashi who answered��it was Sena Arata.


    "Sena Arata, is that you? What''s up?" Yuga immediately recognized the voice on the other end.


    "Gym Leader, Ayashi and I identally caught a poacher over here. We seized a bunch of Cutiefly and Ribombee from him. We can''t check their potential over here, so how about we send them over to you?" Sena Arata exined the reason for the call.


    "Cutiefly and Ribombee? How many are there?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    "About a hundred or so in total."


    "Alright, send them to the gym. I''ll go there to receive them."


    After hanging up, Yuga hurried to the gym and dialed Ryoji''s number again.


    "Alright, you can start the transfer!"


    Nearly a hundred Pok��mon took over an hour for Yuga to transfer.


    "All done. I''ve received all the Pok�� Balls," Yuga said after counting the 98 Pok�� Balls.


    "Okay, then, boss, I''ll hang up now?"


    "Wait, don''t hang up yet!" Yuga quickly stopped him. "You and Ayashi have been in Al for quite some time now. When are you nning toe back?"


    "Well... um, boss, Ayashi and I aren''ting back this year!" Sena Arata hesitated, his voice a bit unsure.


    "What? Noting back again?" Yuga''s voice immediately rose a pitch. "Your Aunt has been looking forward to youing home! It''s barely two months until the New Year, and you''re still noting back? You unfilial child!"


    Is Al that fun? Everyone who goes there doesn''t want to return!


    "We''ve still got things to do here!" Sena Arata weakly defended himself. "Anyway, we can''te back, so please take good care of my mom for me."


    "Ayashi isn''ting back either?" Yuga asked helplessly.


    Sena Arata, trying to please, replied, "Yeah, neither of us areing back. We''re counting on you to look after things at home!"


    "I must''ve owed you both in a past life!" Yuga grumbled in frustration. "Make sure to call your mom regrly to let her know you''re safe. Tell Ayashi to check in with his younger siblings more often too!"


    After repeatedly reminding Sena Arata, Yuga hung up the phone and then took the 98 Pok�� Balls to the new Ecopark. He released all the Cutiefly and Ribombee in one go.


    "Cutiefly!"


    "Cutiefly!"


    "Ribombee!"


    ...


    Perhaps it was due to the unfamiliar environment, or maybe because they had been held captive by the poacher for too long, but the moment the Cutiefly and Ribombee were released, they flew around wildly like headless flies. The buzzing of their wings made Yuga frown.


    Thankfully, Vivillon was there. As the "Butterfly King," the moment it appeared, all the Cutiefly and Ribombee immediately calmed down. This was the uniquemanding presence of the "Butterfly King."


    Yuga used his Insight ability to scan the now obedient Cutiefly and Ribombee and discovered that out of the 98 Pok��mon, 12 of the Cutiefly had green potential, and 15 of the Ribombee had green potential, while the rest had yellow potential.


    Yuga had to admit that the poacher was quite skilled to have captured so many high-potential Pok��mon.


    Although Cutiefly and Ribombee weremon in Al and simr to Wurmple and Beautifly in Hoenn, capturing so many high-potential ones at once was no small feat.


    Yuga guessed that the poacher might have been nning to smuggle these Cutiefly and Ribombee to other regions.


    While these Pok��mon weremon in Al, they were very popr in other regions, and their price sometimes surged to match that of Pinsir. In this regard, Beautifly, Vivillon, and Butterfree couldn''tpete with Ribombee, because Cutiefly and Ribombee were simply too cute.


    Moreover, Ribombee and Cutiefly could collect nectar and produce honey, which Beautifly, Vivillon, and Butterfree couldn''t do.


    The pollen puffs made by Ribombee from pollen and nectar were as delicious and nutritious as Combee''s honey, especially for Cutiefly and Ribombee with the Honey Gather ability. They were experts at making highly nutritious pollen puffs.


    Looking at nearly 100 Cutiefly and Ribombee, Yuga thought to himself, "It seems that the ingredients that Audino can use to make meals will soon have a new addition."


    Many of the ingredients used in Aunt Aoba''s paradise restaurant came from Yuga''s Ecopark, such as various berries, Moomoo Milk, and honey. Thanks to the high quality of the ingredients and Aunt Aoba''s exceptional culinary skills, the restaurant''s business had always been booming.


    After Vivillon fully calmed the Cutiefly and Ribombee, Yuga, along with it, took the green-potential ones to the insect paradise Sub-Ecopark.


    If anyone in the insect paradise sub-ecopark was most excited about the arrival of these new Cutiefly and Ribombee, it was the Ribombee Yuga brought back when he participated in the gym challenge years ago.


    For years, it had lived a lonely life among the Combee colony, constantly being harvested by Vespiquen No. 2. It felt like it was being drained dry. It even believed that the growing power gap between it and Vespiquen No. 2 was because it was being overworked.


    Can you believe it? The entire Combee colony under Vespiquen No. 2 was made up of its and Vespiquen''s offspring.


    Sometimes, Ribombee wished Vespiquen No. 2 could learn from Vespiquen No. 1, who changed partners frequently. One day it might be Beautifly, the next day Beedrill, then Scyther, and the day after that Pinsir.


    Look at that! What a colorful life!


    Sometimes Ribombee wanted to tell Vespiquen No. 2, "What exactly do you like about me? I''ll change, okay?"


    In any case, the arrival of the new Cutiefly and Ribombee was warmly weed by the first Ribombee. Its enthusiastic attitude also helped calm the new arrivals to some extent.


    As for whether its inner desires coulde true, that would be left to fate!


    After settling the new Cutiefly and Ribombee near Vespiquen No. 2''s Amber City, Yuga was about to leave the insect paradise with Vivillon.


    However, just as he took a few steps, a passing Combee caught his attention.

 Chapter 1113: New Gym Leader

    <h4>Chapter 1113: New Gym Leader</h4>


    [ Combee ]


    Type: Bug, Flying


    Ability: Honey Gather


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Yellow


    Level: 8


    Moves: Sweet Scent, Gust.


    ...


    Yuga didn''t expect to casually nce around and see a female Combee flying past him.


    Female Combee are quite rare within Combee colonies; they are like a ssh of red among a sea of green. Yuga was surprised that after all this time, another female Combee had been born.


    The Vespiquen doesn''t look favorably upon having female Combee among her offspring because female Combee signify that there will soon be a new Vespiquenpeting with her for dominance over the colony. Whether the battle with the new Vespiquen is won or lost, it''s not good news for the old queen.


    This female Combee must have been born not long ago, which is why it hadn''t been discovered; otherwise, Yuga suspected that Vespiquen No. 2 would have already made a fuss about it.


    Despite being the offspring of the Vespiquen, research shows that the Vespiquen is not merciful towards female Combee born into her colony; it''smon for her to harm them. There are even some particrly ruthless Vespiquen who will directly kill the newly born female Combee.


    Of course, such situations are rare; most wild Vespiquen will choose to expel female Combee. However, female Combee often y along, pretending to be male. Even if expelled from the colony, they will disguise themselves as males and secretly remain within the colony to grow until they evolve into a new Vespiquen to contest for dominance against the old Vespiquen.


    Watching the female Combee fly by, Yuga found Vespiquen No. 2 and asked her to keep an eye on this female Combee but instructed her not to harm it.


    Vespiquen No. 2 had previously been unaware of this female Combee''s existence; she had too many offspring to monitor each one, so when Yuga informed her of the female Combee''s presence, she was somewhat taken aback.


    However, she had no intention of doing anything to the female Combee. After all, she wasn''t a wild Pok��mon; she had once left her original colony alone and gradually formed thisrge family.


    She hadn''t contended for dominance against her mother, so she believed her offspring wouldn''t do the same.


    Yuga was unaware of Vespiquen No. 2''s thoughts and didn''t need to care, as he had never considered keeping this female Combee.


    Male Combee cannot evolve; aside from gathering nectar and serving the Vespiquen, they are incapable of anything else. Moreover, unlike pseudo-legendary Pok��mon, whose minimum potential is green, male Combee very rarely possess potential above yellow.


    Because they have no training value, individual Combee are impossible to sell under any circumstances.


    However, many people desired female Combee, but female Combee are different from ordinary Pok��mon; the conditions for their birth are stringent.


    Since mass breeding isn''t possible, Yuga didn''t n to raise too many Vespiquen. After all, he couldn''t use them all just for honey production! He already had two Combee colonies, and the sweet honey produced was far more than he could use.


    Therefore, rather than keeping this female Combee, it would be better to sell it.


    Don''t underestimate this Combee''s yellow potential; it is very valuable because the worth of female Combee lies not in training and battling but in their ability to evolve into Vespiquen that can produce a continuous supply of sweet honey.


    The high market price of sweet honey isn''t just due to its nutritional value; it''s also because the number of artificially raised Vespiquen is low.


    Scarcity increases value, and a shortage of Vespiquen means fewer Combee colonies. A Combee colony without a Vespiquen can easily perish, as male Combee have a very short average lifespan��less than three years. Therefore, once a Combee colony loses its Vespiquen, it is not long before that colony faces extinction.


    Once outside the Ecopark, Yuga began thinking about finding a buyer for the female Combee. However, before that, he nned to give it a bottle of an innovation potion. A green potential Combee would certainly be worth more than a yellow one!


    Although Yuga sold the innovation potions at a high price and limited their supply to various regions, producing the potions wasn''t difficult, as hisboratory was already capable of mass production.


    The key to producing the Innovation potion lies in a special organism known as "Microglow." This organism is difficult to survive under natural conditions and is now extinct. However, after the artificial intervention of ghost seawater, these Microglow has been cultivated inrge quantities.


    Yuga entrusted the task of delivering the innovation potion to Audino, who happily set off for the Ecopark. The newly arrived Cleffa, closely followed Audino without leaving its side like a little shadow.


    After briefing Audino, Yuga thought for a moment and decided to call Reggie.


    When Reggie received Yuga''s call, he was a bit surprised.


    "Why did you suddenly think of calling me?"


    Since taking over his grandfather''s Pokemon Day Care, Reggie has been extremely busy, especially after his grandfatherpletely relinquished control over the Pokemon Day Care.


    However, he and Yuga kept in touch every few days, mainly with Reggie reaching out to Yuga. Yuga had been a boss for much longer than him, and now that he was so sessful, as a newly appointed boss of the Pokemon Day Care, Reggie certainly wanted to exchange experiences with him frequently.


    Without wasting time, Yuga got straight to the point: "I have a female Combee here. Do you want it? If you do, I''ll set it aside for you."


    "Female Combee? Are you serious?" Reggie eximed on the other end of the line. "I want it! I really want it!"


    Reggie had actually long been envious of the two Vespiquen are rare, and female Combee are not easily born, so he could only drool silently!


    Combee colonies have great appeal to those running Pokemon Day Care because if newly hatched Pok��mon cubs can have sweet honey as a supplementary food source, it not only makes them healthier but also reduces their chances of falling ill.


    Higher-standard Pokemon Day Care usually purchase sweet honey from outside, but sweet honey is expensive; if used inrge quantities, the breeding costs will increase significantly.


    However, if one raises their own Vespiquen, it would be a different story!


    Upon hearing this, Yugaughed and said, "Since you want it, I''ll set it aside for you, but I must rify in advance that I won''t be giving you any discounts!"


    With close brothers, one must be clear about money matters. Although he and Reggie were friends, they needed to be transparent about financial transactions to avoid confusion in the future.


    Reggie replied grandly, "Don''t worry; I''ll pay you the full amount!"


    Although female Combee are expensive, they are worth the investment. He certainly had the means to pay for it, and others who wanted to buy it had no way to do so! This was all thanks to his dear friend!


    "No wonder you''re my good brother! You''re simply my lucky star!" After getting the long-desired Combee, Reggie began to tter Yuga profusely, praising him endlessly without any hesitation.


    Excited, Reggie pulled Yuga into a longer conversation. After hanging up, he eagerly ran to find his grandfather to share this good news.


    As Paul walked through the door, he just happened to see his brother running around wildly.


    This year, Paul had been traveling alone, and with the end of the year approaching, he decided to return home for a while. Little did he expect that upon his return, he would find his brother in such a frantic state.


    Maylene who was training with Lucario in the neighboring yard, happened to see Paul and paused her movements to wave happily, "Paul, you''re back! Want to have a match with me?"


    Paul tly refused with a nk expression, "Maybe another day; I have something to do!" He needed to see what his brother was up to!


    Thanks to the butterfly effect Yuga had created, Paul reached an understanding with his brother earlier than in the original story, and his personality wasn''t as extreme as in the original.


    Feeling a bit disappointed, Maylene replied, "Alright then, I''ll wait for you!" After saying this, she continued her training with Lucario.


    When Paul entered the house, he could hear his brother and grandfatherughing from afar. He suddenly felt that maybe his brother inheriting their grandfather''s Pokemon Day Care was more joyful than he had imagined.


    While discussing Yuga with their grandfather, Reggie saw Paul enter the room and eximed, "Paul, you''re back! Why didn''t you call ahead?"


    As he took off his slung bag, Paul replied proudly, "What''s the point of calling? I just came back!"


    Reggie helplessly took the bag from Paul''s hands and said, "You child..."


    ...


    On Yuga''s side, just after finishing the call with Reggie, Audinoe out from the Ecopark with the female Combee. Unfortunately, the use of the Innovation potion on the Combee had failed.


    However, a failure is just a failure; after all, Reggie wasn''t raising the Combee to battle. It didn''t matter whether it was yellow potential or green potential.


    Of course, cultivating a yellow potential Combee into a Vespiquen would require more effort than a green potential one.


    Yuga ultimately sold this female Combee to Reggie for 200,000. Considering it was a Pok��mon with yellow potential, this price was quite absurdly high, but for a female Combee, it was just right.


    After handling the Combee matter, Yuga was feeling pleased when he suddenly received a call from Steven.


    "Coming to the Verdanturf Gym for an internship? Wait, isn''t he supposed to be the Gym Leader of Unova? Why would hee all the way to Hoenn for an internship? Is he bored?"


    "This isn''t a matter of willingness; he''s a Normal-type, and I''m Grass-type. The Gym types don''t match!"


    "I''m telling you, don''t create trouble for me! Why would you want to send someone my way? There are so many experienced Gym Leaders in Unova!"


    "Fine, fine, you win! Just send him over! But I''ll tell you, this won''t happen again; I don''t have time to entertain guests for you!"


    ...


    It turned out that the Unova League was nning to open a new Gym in Aspertia City, and the new Gym Leader was a young trainer appointed directly by the League.


    This trainer felt hecked experience in being a Gym Leader and was worried he wouldn''t be able to handle the new role, so the League decided to arrange for him to intern at a well-established Gym for a while.


    The saying goes, "Famees with its burdens," and it seemed that Yuga had be quite well-known recently, which is why the new Gym Leader''s internship location was designated as Verdanturf Gym, and it was specifically requested by the Unova League.


    There must be deeper reasons for choosing Verdanturf Gym as the location. Steven mentioned that the Unova League was likely trying to establish connections with him.


    Because of the innovation potion, Yuga is now a favored guest among various leagues; they all want to establish good rtionships with him, hoping to secure more allocations of the potion.


    Although relying on a rookie Gym Leader to build rtionships seems a bit unreliable, who can say for sure about friendships? What if Yuga really hits it off with him and they be good friends? Mr. Alder also has a pretty good rtionship with Cynthia!


    Regardless of whether it works out in the end, the Unova League doesn''t lose anything in this situation.


    Since this isn''t a big deal and the Unova League specifically named Verdanturf Gym, the Hoenn League naturally wouldn''t want to refuse for the sake of brotherhood among leagues, so Steven had no choice but to call Yuga.


    Aspertia City, Cheren...


    After hanging up on Steven''s call, Yuga began to contemte these two names.


    He had a bit of an impression but couldn''t recall anything!


    Forget it! I''ll know once I see him! Yuga thought, shaking his head.


    Steven was very quick in his actions; on the third day after the call, the new Gym Trainer named Cheren unexpectedly appeared at the door of Verdanturf Gym, pulling a suitcase behind him.


    Before he arrived, Yuga really had no clue.


    In the afternoon, when Yuga went to the gym, he saw a young man quietly standing at the entrance with a suitcase, initially thinking he was some challenger!


    Upon hearing Yuga''s footsteps, the young man suddenly turned around.


    "Excuse me, are you Gym Leader Shimizu?"


    This was, of course, merely a polite greeting; Cheren had seen Yuga''s photo beforeing, so he naturally knew that the person in front of him was the one he was looking for.


    "Yes, I am. Are you a challenger?" Yuga replied, slightly taken aback.


    Cheren shook his head, saying, "My name is Cheren. Mr. Steven should have mentioned me to you."


    "Oh, so you are Cheren!" Yuga eximed, suddenly realizing, "Why didn''t you notify me before you came? Steven didn''t even tell me when you''d be arriving!"


    Saying this, Yuga invited him into the gym.


    "It''s not Mr. Steven''s fault; I was in a rush, so I arrived earlier than scheduled," Cheren spoke very politely, which reminded Yuga of when he first met Robert, who also spoke like that.


    Of course, the difference in their appearances was quite contrast! Robert had blonde hair and blue eyes, while Cheren had ck hair and ck eyes.


    "I apologize; recently, there haven''t been many challengers, so the gym looks a bit deserted," Yuga said while leading Cheren inside and introducing him to the gym''s situation.


    After a few kids went to the ranch, only Beidou and a few staff members remained in the gym. Since there were no challengers, the staff didn''t show up either, making the gym look very empty.


    Yuga couldn''t understand why the Unova League would send Cheren to intern at such an inconvenient time.


    Couldn''t they have waited until next year? By then, the new Leaguepetitions would be starting, and there would be more challengers, making it suitable for an internship.


    "It''s okay; I should be the one apologizing for causing you trouble," Cheren replied.


    He was also aware that his timing for the internship was not ideal, but that was how the League had decided it, and there was nothing he could do about it.


    Now that he was here, Yuga didn''t want toin any further. After settling Cheren into the room that had been arranged for him, he showed him around the gym a bit.

 Chapter 1114: Cheren VS Yuga

    <h4>Chapter 1114: Cheren VS Yuga</h4>


    Looking around, seeing that the tour of the Verdanturf Gym was nearlyplete, Yuga said to Cheren, "How about we have a battle?" Since Cheren was here to intern at Verdanturf Gym, Yuga felt it necessary to gauge his strength.


    "Right now?" Cheren was taken aback for a moment.


    "Is it inconvenient?" Yuga asked, puzzled. "If today doesn''t work, we can do it another day."


    "No, today is fine!" Cheren quickly shook his head upon hearing this. "I was just a bit surprised, that''s all."


    "That''s good then." Yuga smiled and said, "I just have some free time." After delegating the task of training the Sunflora, Yuga suddenly found himself with plenty of time on his hands.


    After they agreed, the two headed to the Gym''s battle field and stood at opposite sides of the arena.


    Yuga had no intention of holding back. He directly said to Cheren on the other side, "You can send out your Pok��mon first!"


    "Alright, please guide me, Gym Leader Shimizu!"


    Cheren didn''t find it odd that Yuga wanted him to send out his Pok��mon first. Yuga was his senior, and this wasn''t an official battle. Cheren could roughly guess Yuga''s intention.


    With this in mind, Cheren took out a Pok�� Ball and released a Stound.


    ...


    [ Stound ]


    Type: Normal


    Ability: Intimidate


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 62


    Moves: Leer, Odor Sleuth, Bite, Tackle, Crunch, Roar, Last Resort, Covet, Giga Impact, y Rough, Shadow Ball, Double Team, Wild Charge, Endure, Hyper Voice, Fire Fang.


    ...


    After checking Stound''s data, Yuga thought to himself: No wonder he was directly appointed by the League as the Gym Leader of Aspertia City. Despite his young age, he''s already a pseudo-Elite trainer!


    After thinking for a moment, Yuga chose Abomasnow as his first Pok��mon.


    "Abomasnow!"


    Yuga''s Abomasnow was unusuallyrge, and its presence alone was overwhelming, creating a strong sense of pressure that affected both sight and mind.


    "Stound, be cautious!"


    Seeing Yuga release Abomasnow, Cheren''s expression became serious, and he carefully reminded Stound.


    In fact, Yuga''s Abomasnow and Cheren''s Stound were simr in level, but the actual difference in battle strength could only be revealed throughbat.


    "I''ll let you take the first move this time!" Yuga finally decided to give way to his junior.


    Cheren nodded. "Alright! Stound, use Double Team and then Fire Fang!"


    "Stound!"


    Stound let out a powerful roar, its figure flickering as more than a dozen identical Stound appeared on the battlefield. With mes pouring from its mouth, it charged toward Abomasnow.


    Abomasnow stood motionless, calmly watching Stound rush at it. Due to itsrge size, Abomasnow couldn''t move as freely as other Pok��mon during battle; it had always relied on stillness to counter motion.


    Boom!


    The moment Stound pounced, Abomasnow raised its sturdy arm, and two deep rows of bite marks immediately appeared on its emerald green limb.


    Being both Grass- and Ice-type, Abomasnow was at a four-times disadvantage against Fire-type moves. If it had been any other Abomasnow, that Fire Fang would have likely knocked it out of the battle already!


    Stound, havingnded its Fire Fang on Abomasnow, didn''t let go. It held on tightly, its mouth continuously spewing mes that scorched Abomasnow.


    "Abomasnow!"


    Abomasnow roared and swung its arm wildly, throwing Stound around as it clung to its limb. Though Stound was alsorge, inparison to Abomasnow, it was like a three-year-old child standing before an adult.


    After two swings failed to dislodge Stound, Abomasnow lifted its arm and mmed it toward the ground. Just before Stound was about to be smashed into the floor, Cheren ordered it to release its grip just in time.


    Stound backed away from Abomasnow, but before Cheren could breathe a sigh of relief, he saw the wounds on Abomasnow healing at a visible rate. In the blink of an eye, all of its injuries were restored.


    "This..."


    Both Cheren and Stound were stunned!


    Yuga smiled at Cheren and said, "My Abomasnow is very special. If you can''t take it down in a single blow, then any damage it sustains will heal instantly." There was also another way, which was to deplete Abomasnow''s stored energy.


    However, Yuga didn''t mention thetter. Although he just wanted to test Cheren''s abilities without putting too much mental pressure on him, he couldn''t reveal everything.


    "So, if you want to win, give it your all!" At that moment, Yuga seemed like the final boss guarding a treasure in a video game maze, waiting for the adventurer to defeat him and im the prize.


    After hearing Yuga''s words, Cheren remained rtively calm. He spoke to Stound, "Stound, we have to go all out!"


    "Stound!"


    Stound responded to Cheren with high spirits, quickly positioning itself for the next attack.


    "Stound, Shadow Ball!"


    At Cheren''smand, a dozen Shadow Balls shot toward Abomasnow simultaneously.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A series of explosions rang out, and dust and smoke filled the battlefield.


    With its vision obscured, Abomasnow quickly lost sight of Stound.


    Stound wasn''t specialized in special attacks, so its Shadow Ball wasn''t very powerful. Even with more than a dozen fired at once, it was just for show. Abomasnow didn''t suffer any real damage.


    Using the smoke as cover, Stound, relying on Odor Sleuth, precisely located Abomasnow. After charging up its Giga Impact, it rushed forward without hesitation.


    Boom!


    A wave of air pressure spread across the battlefield, and as the smoke was swept away by the impact, Yuga and Cheren''s vision cleared instantly.


    At that moment, Stound was ramming its head into Abomasnow''s stomach, its expression one of pain, but Abomasnow''s hands were tightly gripping Stound''s fur.


    It was obvious that Stound''s all-out attack had failed to take Abomasnow down in a single blow. As a result, Abomasnow''s wounds began to heal once again.


    "Abomasnow!"


    Due to the side effects of Giga Impact, Stound was left paralyzed, unable to dodge Abomasnow''s furious Wood Hammer.


    At thest possible moment, Cherenmanded Stound to use Endure, allowing it to barely withstand Abomasnow''s attack.


    "Stound, use Reversal!"


    As soon as Stound recovered from its paralysis, Cheren gave a decisive order.


    Reversal is a move that bes stronger the lower the user''s remaining HP. With only a sliver of health left from Endure, Stound''s Reversal was at its most powerful.


    "Stound!!!"


    With itsst ounce of strength, Stound charged straight into the nearby Abomasnow. The massive Abomasnow was knocked back quite a distance.


    However, Abomasnow managed to hold its ground, while Stound, exhausted from the effort, copsed onto the field.


    Seeing the motionless Stound on the ground, Yuga remarked with a hint of regret, "It was just a little bit short. Alright, send out your next Pok��mon."


    Cheren nodded and recalled Stound.


    In fact, he had noticed that Yuga''s Abomasnow had been holding back. Its attack frequency had been too low, and there were several moments where it could have struck Stound but instead chose to defend passively. It hadn''t even activated its Ability.


    Even so, Stound hadn''t managed to defeat Abomasnow in the end.


    Reflecting on this, Cheren realized how much room for improvement he still had. He suddenly felt grateful to the League for assigning him here, giving him the chance to interact with top-tier Trainers.


    Unless he directly sought out the Elite Four or the Champion, opportunities to engage with such high-level Trainers were rare.


    The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, eagerly anticipating his internship at the Verdanturf Gym. Cheren''s second Pok��mon appeared on the battlefield��it was an Unfezant.


    This time, Cheren no longer focused on winning or losing, but rather on learning something from his battle with Yuga.


    ...


    [ Unfezant ]


    Attributes: Normal, Flying


    Ability: Super Luck


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 66


    Moves: Gust, Quick Attack, Air Cutter, Roost, Air sh, Feather Dance, Swagger, Tailwind, Sky Attack, Double Team, Echoed Voice, Steel Wing, Uproar, Sucker Punch, Giga Impact, Aerial Ace, Return.


    ...


    Unfezant''s level was slightly higher than Stound''s. Once it entered the battlefield, it let out a loud cry, spreading its wings and circling high in the sky.


    Luckily, the Verdanturf Gym''s battlefield was outdoors. If they were indoors, Yuga suspected Unfezant might break right through the ceiling.


    Yuga decided not to continue using Abomasnow and instead chose Decidueye.


    Abomasnow wasn''t suited for mobility, and facing an extremely agile Flying-type Pok��mon would turn it into little more than a punching bag.


    Besides, the energy Abomasnow stored in its body had been mostly depleted during its battle with Stound.


    Yuga''s Decidueye had recently returned from training with Master Ge. Compared to when it first learned archery, Decidueye had now found its own path.


    When ites to flying, Decidueye couldn''tpete with Unfezant. Even though Decidueye is a bird Pok��mon with wings, enabling it to fly, it remains a Grass/Ghost-type, not a Flying-type. This means that in terms of understanding and controlling Flying-type energy, it was inherently inferior to Flying-types.


    For this reason, Yuga never forced Decidueye to pursue flying techniques like Vivillon.


    The moment Decidueye entered the battlefield, it swung its wings, sending a flurry of thin, sharp Leaf des forward. The emerald des floated in front of it, then shot towards the sky-bound Unfezant like arrows under its precise control.


    As a Ghost-type, Decidueye''s Spirit Shackle wouldn''t affect the Normal-type Unfezant. However, this didn''t hinder its extraordinary archery skills, as Decidueye no longer needed to rely solely on Spirit Shackle to showcase its expertise.


    Thanks to its Long Reach ability, Decidueye couldunch Leaf des��typically a close-range move��as a long-range attack. Though the immobilization effect of Spirit Shackle was absent, the power and uracy were just as formidable.


    There was no denying that the Long Reach ability had made Decidueye''s archery even more lethal.


    The leaf des, sharp as arrows, flew with lightning speed. Unfezant frantically dodged, but as soon as it evaded one volley, another quickly followed.


    The rapid rain of arrows from Decidueye left Unfezant with no chance to get close. Each time it tried, the next barrage of leaf arrows forced it to retreat. Though it attempted some long-range attacks, Unfezant''s ranged moves were all special attacks, and it couldn''t unleash their full power.


    This is precisely why Yuga didn''t force Decidueye to learn advanced flying techniques��because with its mastery of archery, it could easily control its enemies even without expert flying skills.


    In truth, Decidueye''s level was lower than Abomasnow''s, and it reached the pseudo-Elite level muchter than Abomasnow. However, its ever-growing proficiency in archery had granted it the ability to stand on equal footing with Abomasnow.


    Noticing that Unfezant was struggling more and more, Yuga reminded Cheren, "You''d better think of something quickly, or Unfezant''s stamina will give out first!"


    Watching his Unfezant flustered and scrambling in the air to avoid the Leaf des, Cheren never expected that one day his Pok��mon would be targeted for flying too high. After a few seconds of thought, he shouted to Unfezant:


    "Unfezant, Double Team!"


    Unfezant''s use of Double Team was far superior to Stound''s. While Stound could only produce a dozen or so shadow clones, Unfezant created dozens, filling the sky with copies.


    These identical Unfezant clones formed ring after ring, circling above Decidueye in a dizzying disy.


    Decidueye''s arrow barrage could only cover a small area and wasn''t capable ofrge-scale attacks. With the real Unfezant hidden among the clones, Decidueye couldn''t distinguish the true target. Even if some of the Leaf des managed to hit a few clones, new ones quickly reced them.


    And that wasn''t the end. Cheren issued the nextmand.


    "Unfezant, use Echoed Voice and Uproar!"


    With thismand, the entire gym was filled with Unfezant''s piercing cries.


    "Co-coo... coo-coo-coo... coo-coo-coo-coo..."


    Echoed Voice and Uproar blended together, creating maximum interference for Decidueye. Instinctively, Decidueye used its wings to cover its ears.


    Although Normal-type moves like Echoed Voice and Uproar couldn''t directly harm Decidueye, a Ghost-type, the apanying noise undeniably disrupted its hearing��after all, Decidueye wasn''t deaf!


    Decidueye''s archery relied heavily on both its sight and hearing. Now, with Double Team, Echoed Voice, and Uproar all disrupting it, its focus waspletely shattered.


    Seeing this, Yuga couldn''t help but genuinely praise, "Smart! Well done!"


    However, Yuga''spliment didn''t reach Cheren''s ears, as Unfezant''s screeching was far too loud!


    As long as Unfezant continued to confuse Decidueye with Double Team, Echoed Voice, and Uproar, asionally sneaking in attacks with Air sh or Air Cutter, it was likely they could eventually wear down Decidueye.


    But it seemed Cheren wasn''t thinking this way. He wasn''t seeking ultimate victory��what he wanted was to grow from the battle!


    Thus, under hismand, Unfezant prepared its Flying-type ultimate move: Sky Attack, aiming for a one-hit knockout on Decidueye.


    Sky Attack required time to charge before it could be executed. With Decidueye distracted by all the interference, Unfezant had plenty of time to charge up.


    Flying-type moves are strong against Decidueye. Combined with Unfezant''s Super Luck ability, and the already high critical hit rate of Sky Attack, if the attacknded, the defensively frail Decidueye would be "doomed to fall!"


    Dozens of Unfezant clones all simultaneously initiated Sky Attack, swarming toward Decidueye from the sky!


    But could things really go as smoothly as Cheren nned?pl

 Chapter 1115: YoYo Daycare’s Membership Card

    <h4>Chapter 1115: YoYo Daycare''s Membership Card</h4>


    Just as the swarm of Unfezants was about to close in, the ground around Decidueye suddenly surged. Thick brown tree roots, evenrger than Decidueye itself, burst from the earth like a blooming flower. Each root was like a sharp sword, piercing through every descending Unfezant.


    The real Unfezant, hidden among the many shadow clones, was caught off guard and struck by the roots. It had no time to escape and could only p its wings in a futile struggle. However, its strength was insignificantpared to Decidueye''s Frenzy nt. The real Unfezant was caught mid-air, restrained by two thick roots.


    Unlike the physically-oriented Unfezant, which excelled in physical attacks butcked in special attacks, Yuga''s Decidueye was a dual wielder, equally skilled in both. It could wield physical moves like Leaf de with precision and also unleash special moves like Frenzy nt with great power.


    However, due to Decidueye''s primary focus on archery, it wasn''t as proficient with Frenzy nt as a Pok��mon like Venusaur. If the Unfezant hadn''t dived straight into its attack range, the move would have missed entirely.


    As Frenzy nt swept across the battlefield, the illusionary Unfezant clones created by Double Team vanished, leaving only the real Unfezant struggling among the roots.


    The side effects of Frenzy nt caused Decidueye to freeze after itnded. If Unfezant could break free from Frenzy nt''s control, there was still a chance for it to turn the battle around.


    But despite its desperate struggle, Unfezant couldn''t break free at all.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Soon, Decidueye recovered from its temporary freeze. Under its control, a series of Leaf de arrows floated beside it, then shot toward Unfezant like meteors, trailing long green tails.


    Unfezant was already injured from Frenzy nt. If not for its Flying-type resistance to Grass-type moves, it would have been knocked out by the ultimate attack.


    Now, after being hit by several Leaf des, Unfezant let out a final cry, its head drooping as it lost its ability to continue battling.


    As Unfezant fell, all the brown roots created by Frenzy nt dissolved into nothingness, leaving behind a battlefield in ruins. The gym staff responsible for maintaining the field were going to have a tough time cleaning up.


    After recalling the unconscious Unfezant, Cheren''s expression shifted from disappointment to deep thought. Seeing this, Yuga said.


    "Your strategy was good, but too focused on achieving quick results. The more the situation favors us, the more we need to stay calm. What if I was deliberately setting a trap for you?"


    Cheren, understanding Yuga''s intent to guide him, humbly nodded and replied, "You''re right. I wasn''t thinking thoroughly enough!"


    Yuga had a good first impression of Cheren and nodded in approval. "Alright, send out yourst Pok��mon!"


    Cheren''s final Pok��mon was a Ciino, elegant and petite, yet full of charm. Robert also had one, so Yuga was quite familiar with it.


    ...


    [ Ciino ]


    Type: Normal


    Ability: Technician


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 67


    Moves: Pound, Tickle, Double p, Swift, Tail p, Wake-Up p, Attract, Covet, Sleep Talk, Thunder Wave, Iron Tail, Bullet Seed, Charm, Seed Bomb, Swagger.


    ...


    This Ciino was Cheren''s strongest Pok��mon, not only having a higher level than the previous two but also superior potential.


    As Ciino struck an elegant pose on the battlefield, Yuga released Kartana.


    Upon seeing Kartana appear, Cheren unconsciously furrowed his brow��he didn''t recognize this Pok��mon!


    Noticing Cheren''s confusion, Yuga smiled and exined, "It''s called Kartana, a Grass and Steel-type.


    Cheren nodded, then instructed Ciino, "Ciino, use Seed Bomb!"


    "Ciino!"


    Ciino responded with a cry, opened its mouth, and shot a green bomb toward Kartana. But to its surprise, before the bomb could get close, Kartana suddenly disappeared from its original position.


    Boom!


    The bomb hit the ground and exploded, leaving a massive crater. At the same moment, Kartana silently reappeared right in front of Ciino, raising its sharp de-like arm to strike with Leaf de.


    ng!


    Ciino had no idea how Kartana had appeared near it in the blink of an eye. Startled, it quickly used Iron Tail to sh head-on with Kartana.


    Although Kartana wasn''t much bigger than Ciino, and its weight was far less, it had an overwhelming strength advantage! If Ciino hadn''t reacted quickly, it might not have even had time to respond.


    "Ciino!"


    Ciino was sent flying by Kartana''s strike, tumbling across the ground several times. Its once pristine scarf and beautiful fur were instantly covered in dirt.


    Ciino was known to have a cleanliness obsession and couldn''t stand having even a speck of dirt on its body, but right now, it had no time to care about such things. Swiftly rolling back onto its feet, it leaped away, trying to create some distance from Kartana.


    However, the moment it jumped, the spot where it had just been was shed with deep sword marks. Ciino continued to retreat, but no matter where it went, Kartana''s sword light followed closely behind.


    Fortunately, Ciino was fast. Otherwise, it would have already been sliced into several pieces!


    Seeing Ciino beingpletely overpowered by Kartana, Cheren thought for a moment and said, "Ciino, calm down and wait for an opportunity to use Swagger."


    Kartana was far too fast, making it impossible for Ciino tond a hit using conventional means. Cheren had no choice but to rely on status-altering moves.


    Swagger would increase the opponent''s attack power, but Cheren had already realized that Kartana''s attack was absurdly high. Whether or not it increased, Ciino couldn''t survive even one more hit.


    In the midst of its frantic dodging, Ciino finally spotted a w in Kartana''s movements. Letting out a soft chirp, its fluffy fur suddenly bristled. Kartana, rushing toward it, was hit directly by the move and fell into confusion.


    ck! ck! ck!


    Affected by Swagger, Kartana abandoned its pursuit of Ciino. It leaped into the air and began wildly swinging its de-like arms, sending waves of sword energy crashing down. Deep sword scars littered the ground as it shed in all directions.


    The battlefield, already riddled with damage, was torn to shreds by Kartana''s frenzied attacks.


    Taking advantage of Kartana''s confused state, Ciino hurriedly used Tail p on itself, cleaning its fur with lightning speed until it was once again shiny and spotless. From the practiced way it moved, it was clear this was something it did often.


    Its obsession with cleanliness was evident!


    "Ciino, now''s your chance��Seed Bomb!"


    Taking advantage of Kartana''s confusion, Cheren ordered Ciino to attack. However, with Kartana shing wildly and sword lights everywhere, he didn''t dare let Ciino get close, so he resorted to using Seed Bomb for a long-range attack.


    Though Kartana was confused, its attack power had been boosted by Swagger. If Ciino got hit by one of its sword strikes, it would definitely lose the ability to fight in an instant!


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    One green bomb after another exploded on Kartana. If it had been any ordinary Pok��mon, it would have fallen by now.


    But Cheren and Ciino didn''t know that Kartana excelled in three key areas: attack, speed, and defense. Combined with the boost from its Beast Boost ability, it managed to withstand Ciino''s attack and snapped out of its confusion.


    The moment Kartana regained rity, it raised its right arm high, and a giant sword of light quickly formed in its hand!


    It was Sacred Sword!


    ng!


    With unstoppable force, the Sacred Sword came crashing down toward Ciino. After the dust settled, Ciinoy unconscious in the crater, its once-clean fur now ckened with dirt again.


    Kartana had struck with all its might, and Ciino was gravely injured. Yuga quickly called for Chimecho to heal it, then apologized to Cheren with a regretful smile, "I''m so sorry, Kartana didn''t know its own strength!"


    Even Kartana, realizing it had gone too far, hovered beside Yuga and bent its body in an apologetic bow.


    Thanks to Chimecho''s excellent healing abilities, Ciino recovered quickly. Cheren, feeling awkward, replied, "No, no, it''s not Kartana''s fault. Ciino and I were the ones who used Swagger to enrage it."


    Yuga waved his hand dismissively and said, "That''s just part of a normal battle strategy. How about this��to show my sincerity, I''ll take you on a tour of my Ecopark."


    "You''re about to be the Gym Leader of Aspertia City, right? I''ve got plenty of Normal-type Pok��mon in my Ecopark. If you need some for your gym, you can pick a few, and I''ll even give you a discount!"


    Cheren: ...


    Looking at Yuga enthusiastically rmending Pok��mon to him, Cheren''s image of a top-tier Trainer shattered. He couldn''t help but wonder if all other top Trainers were like this too.


    If Yuga knew what Cheren was thinking, he''d definitely tell him, "Oh, there are way weirder top Trainers than me. There''s one who loves wearing edgy capes, one obsessed with digging rocks, one who loves showing off, and one who can''t decide between ice cream vors... The list goes on!"


    Despite his disillusionment with Yuga''s persistent sales pitch, Cheren eventually agreed to Yuga''s suggestion. After all, Yuga wasn''t wrong.


    The Aspertia Gym would indeed need a group of Pok��mon to be stationed there. He couldn''t use his main team for every gym battle. While the Pok��mon League would send a batch to the Aspertia Gym, that might not be enough.


    Besides, he had already agreed to be a part-time instructor at Aspertia City''s Trainer School. Training another batch of Pok��mon would be beneficial for his teaching.


    And so, led by Yuga, Cheren entered Yuga''s Ecopark. Of course, they only visited the new Ecopark.


    As backup Pok��mon for the Gym, yellow potential is more than sufficient. In fact, most Gym backup Pok��mon have yellow potential. Only someone as wealthy as Yuga would use all green or even blue potential Pok��mon.


    In most Gym battles, Gym Trainers don''t go all out. After all, with so many rookie Trainers challenging the Gyms each year, if the Gym Trainers used their full strength, most challengers would probably turn back after the first Gym.


    In Yuga''s new Ecopark, there were quite a few Normal-type Pok��mon��Taillow, Starly, Buneary, Rufflet, Eevee, Swablu��most of which were rare in the Unova region.


    As a Normal-type Trainer, Cheren couldn''t help but be tempted when he saw so many Normal-types. He promised to buy a few Pok��mon from Yuga after his internship ended and bring them back to Unova.


    Seeing how straightforward Cheren was, Yuga even gave him a membership card for YoYo Daycare.


    The membership card for YoYo Daycare was different from regr membership cards��it represented a certain level of privilege, specifically the qualification to purchase high-potential Pok��mon from the daycare.


    This membership card service was an offshoot of a previous business Yuga had developed.


    Purchasing high-potential Pok��mon from YoYo Daycare required an advance reservation. Without a reservation, there was no qualification to buy.


    But to make things easier for his friends, Yuga set up a special "green channel" for them. They didn''t need to make a reservation and could directly buy high-potential Pok��mon from YoYo Daycare.


    In other words, this service was a legitimate way to bypass the system.


    Initially, Yuga started this service to sell Pok��mon that didn''t meet the quantity requirements for public sale but could still be sold in small numbers. Later, he realized that randomly making exceptions didn''t seem fair, so he introduced the membership card system.


    Only Yuga, as the owner of YoYo Daycare, had the authority to give out membership cards.


    Once someone had a membership card, they were qualified to purchase high-potential Pok��mon from the daycare. The card was not tied to a specific person after it was given out (though the final interpretation of the membership rules was up to YoYo Daycare, and whether or not they would sell to the cardholder depended on the situation).


    Of course, the privilege of using the membership card wasn''t unlimited��each cardholder could only use it once per year. Each card had a unique number, and YoYo Daycare kept a clear record of which cards had been used and which hadn''t.


    So far, Yuga had only given membership cards to certain individuals like Robert, Steven, Wace, Cynthia, Reggie, Volkner, and Flint. Cheren was the first outside of his circle of close friends to receive one.


    When Cheren took the card from Yuga, he was genuinely surprised!


    YoYo Daycare was very famous now, and its unique sales rules had be well-known, even to someone from Unova like Cheren.


    Now that he had a membership card, it meant he had a direct privilege!


    The membership card from YoYo Daycare was exquisitely made, and its material was very special��it was crafted from dragon scales shed by a Dragonite mother, making it nearly impossible to forge. Even if someone managed to replicate the appearance, Dragonite would easily be able to tell if it was her own scale.


    Looking at the golden card in his hand, Cheren asked, "Can I use it now?"


    Yuga was surprised and said, "You want to use it now? You only get one chance to use it per year��are you sure you want to use it now?"


    Cheren nodded, "Yes, isn''t the year almost over? If I don''t use it now and the year ends, won''t that be wasting a chance?"


    Yuga: ...


    That... actually made perfect sense!

 Chapter 1116: Strange challengers

    <h4>Chapter 1116: Strange challengers</h4>


    Since the membership card had already been given out, Yuga naturally had no reason to stop Cheren from using it. So, he said.


    "Alright then, I''ll bring out a few Pok��mon for you to see. Let me know if they suit your preferences. You''re looking for Normal-types, right?"


    Cheren nodded and replied, "Yes!"


    So, Yuga led him to the hall of the gym and called Beidou to entertain him for a while. Then, Yuga left the gym and headed back to YoYo Daycare.


    After returning, Yuga took a walk around the Ecopark and brought back a Buneary, a Teddiursa, a Taillow, and a Meowth to the gym.


    The Teddiursa was the child of an Ursaring and a Pangoro, having just hatched not long ago. Originally, it had only yellow potential, but after using an innovation potion, it had upgraded to green potential.


    It was actually Ursaring''s idea to find a trainer for Teddiursa. Its previous offspring had been given to Ayashi by Yuga, and that Teddiursa had now grown into an outstanding Ursaring. Perhaps enjoying the life of a hands-off parent, Ursaring didn''t hesitate tomunicate this desire to Yuga.


    As for the Meowth, it was the descendant of the stray Pok��mon Yuga had previously discovered in the Ecopark.


    Technically speaking, the Meowth was no longer a baby Pok��mon and shouldn''t have been on the list for sale. However, recently, it had been targeted by a Sneasel and its little gang for no apparent reason. Though Yuga had already dealt with the Sneasel, he thought it over and decided to include Meowth in the lineup anyway.


    After returning to the gym, Yuga released the Pok��mon, lining them up in front of Cheren. He said, "Take a look and see which one catches your eye. They may not be rare, but I can guarantee their potential!"


    Yuga didn''t provide much more information about the Pok��mon, only mentioning their abilities and inherited moves. He left the rest to Cheren to figure out on his own. Being a skilled trainer, Cheren had his own methods for evaluating Pok��mon.


    Cheren scanned the Pok��mon one by one, and his eyes immediately fell on Meowth. Although Meowth looked obedient, its eyes hinted at a sharpness that revealed its fierceness. Otherwise, it wouldn''t have shed with the Sneasel group.


    "I''ll choose this Meowth!" Cheren said with a smile, picking up the Meowth from the ground and gently stroking its back. Meowth let out two soft purrs of contentment, nced up at Cheren, and then lowered its head to lick its paw before curling up contentedly in his arms.


    Seeing Meowth like this, Cheren liked it even more!


    On the other hand, Teddiursa, who had been eagerly hoping to be chosen, was instantly petrified when Cheren didn''t pick it.


    Am I... am I not cute? Why wasn''t I chosen?


    Ursaring had gone to great lengths to market Teddiursa.


    It had told Teddiursa how wonderful and exciting the outside world was, and how there was an endless supply of delicious honey out there. Teddiursa had be filled with anticipation, eagerly waiting for a trainer toe and take it away.


    Now, after a trainer finally came, they didn''t pick Teddiursa! Teddiursa felt utterly crushed, as though it had taken a direct hit.


    Mommy said I''m cute! Shouldn''t humans choose the cutest one?


    Quietly, Teddiursa waddled over to Cheren and hugged his pant leg.


    "Teddiursa..."


    Teddiursa sucked on one of its fingers, staring at Cheren with its big, round, watery eyes, looking incredibly adorable.


    This method of acting cute was something Teddiursa''s mother, Ursaring, had taught it. Even though Ursaring looked fierce, it had told Teddiursa that as long as it fully utilized its childhood cuteness, people would love it and it would gain benefits from it.


    So, unbeknownst to Yuga, Teddiursa had been "taught wrong" by its mom.


    Cheren was startled as the little Teddiursa suddenly approached him.


    Am I really that popr with Pok��mon? he wondered, before feeling a bit conflicted.


    "Teddiursa... Teddiursa..."


    Seeing that Cheren was unmoved, Teddiursa affectionately rubbed its head against Cheren''s pant leg, its eyes practically pleading, "Pick me!"


    Cheren hurriedly stepped to the side, but Teddiursa quickly followed him. Cheren moved again, and Teddiursa clung back onto his leg; each time Cheren moved, Teddiursa wouldtch onto him again...


    Yuga, watching from the side, thought: ...


    It wasn''t that Teddiursa wasn''t cute, but thinking about its evolved form, Ursaring, Yuga found Teddiursa''s attempt at being cute a little awkward.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, what do you think..." Cheren looked troubled. Teddiursa was nice, but he still preferred Meowth!


    The Meowth, snug in Cheren''s arms, sensed its new owner''s dilemma. It looked down and, with a small leap, jumped to the ground,nding right in front of Teddiursa.


    Startled by Meowth''s sudden movement, Teddiursa hid behind Cheren, hugging his leg even tighter, casting a wary look at Meowth as if to say, "What are you nning?"


    "Meowth!"


    Meowth stood up on its hind legs and crouched down, its sharp ws extending from its paw pads. It licked them with its tongue, then cast a threatening nce at Teddiursa.


    Teddiursa trembled, but stubbornly refused to release Cheren''s leg.


    Seeing Teddiursa''s persistence, Meowth suddenly darted behind it, its sharp ws poised to strike.


    At that moment, a hand grabbed Teddiursa by the scruff of its neck, lifting it up.


    "Alright, alright! I''ll find you a trainer next time, okay?" Yuga said,forting Teddiursa.


    "Teddiursa... Teddiursa!"


    Okay... I guess... since you''re saying so!


    Teddiursa nced nervously at Meowth, who was sitting on the ground licking its paw. Finally, it didn''t dare act up anymore.


    "Meowth, you can rx and follow your new trainer from now on!" After calming Teddiursa, Yuga spoke to Meowth.


    In the end, Yuga sold the Meowth to Cheren for 250,000.


    In the days that followed, Cheren settled down at the Verdanturf Gym.


    Since it was already the end of the year, there were very few challengers. An entire week passed, and Yuga only received one challenger.


    During gym battles, Yuga had Cheren observe the matches from the sidelines. After each match, he would exin to Cheren what to pay attention to during battles, what to say after the match, how to decide whether to award the challenger a badge and other important details.


    But after that one challenger, several days went by without any more challengers. So Yuga focused on running the daycare, while Cheren busied himself training the newly acquired Meowth.


    Before they knew it, the day to hand over the innovation potion to the distribution department had arrived. After Yuga sent off the delivery people, he suddenly heard amotion at the entrance of the shop.


    "What''s going on?" Yuga asked Suzuki Koen.


    "I don''t know," she replied, shaking her head.


    So Yuga, Suzuki Koen, and Ayaka all ran to the entrance. When they arrived, they saw a crowd gathered around, pointing and talking about something in the middle.


    "Cleff....Cleffa...Cleffa..."


    "Mime Jr.... Mime Jr.! Mime Jr.... Mime Jr.!"


    Yuga pushed through the crowd and immediately saw a Cleffa and a Mime Jr. in the middle. The two little Pok��mon were holding hands, dancing around and muttering an oddly-tuned song, causing the crowd to burst intoughter.


    Yuga: ...


    It wasn''t surprising to see the two little troublemakers performing outside, but something about their appearance was off, as if... they were drunk.


    Oh, right! Speaking of alcohol, Audino had been experimenting with brewing wely! Could it be that these two little guys...


    "Cleffa ... Cleffa ... Cleffa ! Cleffa ... Cleffa ... Cleffa !"


    "Mime Jr.... Mime Jr.! Mime Jr.!"


    Cleffa and Mime Jr. continued their hypnotic dance and singing, and Yuga quickly rushed over, grabbing both of them in his arms and carrying them back into the store.


    The crowd saw Yuga and immediately started shouting withughter, "Gym Leader Shimizu, why are you taking them away? They were just getting to the good part!"


    "Yeah, yeah! Don''t be in such a hurry!" someone chimed in.


    Everyone knew that Cleffa and Mime Jr. belonged to YoYo Daycare, and since they often saw them goofing around, no one had noticed anything unusual.


    Yuga turned back and said, "I''ll have them perform for you another day. That''s enough for today!" He finished speaking and stepped into the shop.


    "Alright, everyone, move along! Go back to what you were doing!" Suzuki Koen shouted at the crowd before following Yuga inside.


    The crowd didn''t protest and dispersed with chuckles.


    As soon as Yuga entered the shop, he called out, "Audino, check if there''s any wine missing!"


    Audino responded from a distance.


    In truth, Yuga didn''t need confirmation. When he had picked up Cleffa and Mime Jr., the strong scent of alcohol had hit him immediately.


    He put the two little Pok��mon down on the ground, and they immediately started dancing again, especially Mime Jr., who was jumping with great enthusiasm!


    This Mime Jr. was the child of two Mr. Mime. Unlike its parents'' serious demeanor, Mime Jr. was extremely lively, particrly fond of mimicking others'' dances.


    Cleffa hadn''t been at the daycare for long, but the two little Pok��mon had quickly be best friends, a perfect match in mischief.


    Whenever they had free time, Cleffa would drag Mime Jr. to sample the food made by its idol, Audino; and Mime Jr. would take Cleffa to Yuga''s room to sneakily watch TV, then they''d run to the front of the shop to perform for passersby.


    Since they hung out in front of the shop so often, the two had be local celebrities, aedic duo in the eyes of the people. That''s why no one had been surprised by their antics earlier.


    Audino soon returned, and sure enough, the two little troublemakers had stolen and drunk an entire barrel of wine.


    Audino''s wine-making was just a whimsical experiment. With no experience, the taste was bad, but the alcohol was potent, which exined why the two were so drunk.


    "This is ridiculous!"


    Yuga was furious!


    He grabbed two ropes and led the pair to the main Ecopark, tying them up and hanging them from a tree branch.


    Cleffa and Mime Jr. were stillpletely out of it. Even while hanging from the tree, they didn''t struggle, they happily singing away as they swayed back and forth, convinced they were riding a swing.


    Yuga nced at Nana, saying, "Keep an eye on them. Don''t let them down!"


    "Gardevoir!"


    Alright!


    Nana nodded, still unsure how these two little troublemakers had managed to upset Yuga.


    Bagon who just about to go out to find Nana, happened to witness this scene. It circled the tree and looked up at Cleffa and Mime Jr., who were hanging there, and suddenly felt a bit pleased.


    (�``�`) Hmph! Serves you right for being so smug!


    Cleffa didn''t like Bagon, and Mime Jr., by association, always treated it with disdain as well.


    Just as Yuga stepped out of the Ecopark, he saw Cheren standing at the entrance.


    "Cheren, why are you here? Do we have challengers?"


    Cheren nodded and said, "Two rather strange challengers have arrived."


    "Strange challengers? Let''s go have a look."


    On the way to the gym, Cheren told Yuga that the challengers were two people dressed in cloaks.


    Normally, when someonees to challenge the gym, they have to register with their real name. Otherwise, even if they win, the gym can''t issue them a badge.


    But when Cheren tried to register the two challengers, they refused. They said they only wanted to challenge the gym and didn''t care about the badge. So Cheren hurried to inform Yuga.


    No interest in badges? Then why challenge the gym? Are they here to cause trouble? Yuga wondered as they walked.


    By the time they arrived, the two challengers were already on the battlefield, organized by Beidou.


    "Hello!"


    Yuga greeted the two challengers politely. Both were dressed in identical ck robes, with one being tall and the other short. Their faces werepletely concealed by their hoods.


    "Greetings, Gym Leader Shimizu!"


    The taller one bowed to Yuga, and the shorter one followed suit but remained silent, appearing to show great respect for Yuga.


    "Since you both wish to challenge the gym, let''s begin."


    Yuga, being a Hall of Fame-level trainer within the Hoenn League, couldn''t refuse such a challenge.


    "Which one of you will be battling?" Yuga asked, looking at each of them in turn.


    The shorter figure stepped forward, but still didn''t say a word.


    Once the two challengers took their positions on the battlefield, Yuga said to the shorter one, "ording to the rules of Verdanturf Gym, it will be a three-on-three battle. Is that eptable?"


    The shorter challenger remained silent, but the taller one spoke on his behalf, "We''ll follow whatever rules the Gym Leader sets."


    Yuga nced at the silent shorter figure, finding him odd. Could he be mute? he wondered, but decided not to dwell on it. He pulled out a Pok�� Ball and released his first Pok��mon.


    As the host of the gym battle, it was the rule for Yuga to release his Pok��mon first.


    Yuga''s first Pok��mon was a Leavanny, while the opponent sent out a Xatu.


    At the call from referee Beidou, Yuga''s Leavannyunched the first attack, sprinting forward with its limbs aglow in a yellow-green light. The sharp X-Scissor attack aimed straight for Xatu''s neck.


    Yuga had already used his Insight ability to analyze Xatu''s stats. Its strength was roughly equal to Leavanny''s, with both at around level 40.


    Facing the X-Scissor, Xatu easily dodged with a Teleport and countered with an Air sh. But Leavanny, being slender and agile, also dodged the attack with ease.


    Initially, Yuga thought that given Xatu''s level, it wouldn''t be able to use Teleport frequently, as the move drains a lot of psychic energy. Once its psychic energy is depleted, Xatu would be defenseless.


    However, to his surprise, Xatu continued using Teleport without any sign of mental exhaustion. Leavanny hadn''tnded a single hit and was already panting from the effort.


    Just as Yuga noticed Xatu showing signs of psychic depletion, he sensed a strong wave of psychic energy radiating from the short challenger. Suddenly, Xatu was revitalized.


    In another quick Teleport, Xatu silently appeared behind Leavanny andnded a direct hit with an Air sh, knocking Leavanny out of the battle.


    Yuga frowned and looked at the short challenger. "Who are you?"

 Chapter 1117: Primordial Beast

    <h4>Chapter 1117: Primordial Beast</h4>


    Faced with Yuga''s confusion, the opponent remained silent, prompting Yuga to frown and release his second Pok��mon, Sceptile.


    Since they were not there for the badge, there was no need for him to follow the gym battle rules.


    Sceptile was on apletely different levelpared to Leavanny; its speed was exponentially greater. Energy balls wereunched at Xatu without hesitation, like a rain of projectiles.


    Even with Xatu using Teleport, its movement range was still limited within the small battlefield, making it impossible to escape Sceptile''s high-frequency attacks.


    Seizing a brief opening, Sceptile quickly unleashed a Leaf Storm. Xatu was instantly engulfed by countless green leaves, and when the leaves dispersed, Xatu was rendered unable to continue fighting.


    The opponent silently recalled the fainted Xatu and sent out their second Pok��mon: a Raichu, specifically an Aln Raichu, which was also a Psychic-type Pok��mon.


    ...


    [ Aln Raichu ]


    Type: Electric, Psychic


    Ability: Surge Surfer


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 69


    Moves: Thunder Shock, Helping Hand, Volt Switch, Agility, Shadow Ball, Electric Terrain, Ma Rise, Signal Beam, Iron Tail, Charge Beam, Thunderbolt, Psychic, Speed Swap, Calm Mind, Psyshock, Magic Coat, Telekinesis.


    ...


    This was a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon, just a step away from being a true Elite level Pokemon! Who on earth were these challengers? Were they really here to cause trouble? It seemed inappropriate for someone with a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon to be here for such a purpose!


    At that moment, Yuga was filled with doubts.


    Although Yuga''s Sceptile had a high level, it still fell short of the pseudo-Elite level and was no match for Raichu.


    Raichu began the battle by setting up Electric Terrain.


    With the Surge Surfer ability, Raichu''s speed would double in Electric Terrain, and considering Raichu''s natural speed, Sceptile found itself being toyed with, unable tond a single hit despite its sharpest attacks!


    Raichu surfed around the battlefield on its long tail, darting about like it was riding the waves, while continuously bombarding Sceptile with Charge Beam, creating a chaotic and overwhelming situation.


    Although Charge Beam was just a basic skill and not particrly powerful, its effectiveness against Grass-type Pok��mon was limited. However, it had a high chance of boosting the user''s Special Attack. Therefore, before long, Raichu''s Special Attack had significantly increased while toying with Sceptile.


    As Raichu continued to toy with Sceptile, Sceptile quickly became exhausted. Seizing the opportunity, Raichu used Telekinesis on it, turning Sceptile into a ring target, and under the pressure of Raichu''s Psychic, it lost its ability to fight.


    Watching Raichu joyfully surfing in Electric Terrain, Yuga pondered for a moment before sending out his final Pok��mon, Dhelmise.


    Dhelmise was a subordinate of Dusknoir, thest Pok��mon captured by Shadowsong, and it was a genuine Elite-level Pok��mon!


    As soon as Dhelmise appeared, a fierce aura emanated from it, causing Raichu''s surfing motion to momentarily halt.


    Its helm-shaped head floated silently in the air, while its anchor-like body swayed back and forth like a pendulum, asionally emitting squeaky sounds. Its eyes blinked in a rhythmic manner, making everyone present feel a chill run down their spines.


    Seeing Dhelmise like this, Raichu immediatelyunched an attack. After continuously using Charge Beam in the previous match, Raichu''s attack power had reached its peak, so it no longer approached Dhelmise as it had Sceptile.


    To be precise, the reason Raichu wasn''t in a hurry to attack the Sceptile, which was far weaker than itself, but instead chose to spend time toying with it was to enhance its own power for the next battle, as its next opponent might not grant it time to boost itself.


    The Psychic energy beam transformed from Psyshock raced directly toward Dhelmise, which remained motionless. Suddenly, two rusty chains appeared and flew wildly. The chains danced chaotically, scattering Raichu''s Psyshock.


    This was Dhelmise''s skill, Anchor Shot!


    The top of the chains resembled the lower half of Dhelmise''s body, but the tops were extremely sharp. After dispelling the Psyshock, they continued to swing and then suddenly attacked Raichu from afar.


    Seeing this, Raichu''s expression changed dramatically, and it quickly hopped on its tail and darted away like the wind. However, the chains followed closely behind, relentlessly trailing after it.


    Dhelmise''s Anchor Shot had even ensnared a Pok��mon like Rayquaza, let alone a small Raichu.


    Although Raichu was fast, Dhelmise used the Ghost-type move Scare at that moment. A piercing scream rang out, catching the fleeing Raichu off guard, causing it to fall into a state of fear, and then it was ensnared by the chains of Anchor Shot.


    "Raichu!!!"


    Raichu let out a pained cry as the chains tightened around it, causing its expression to twist in agony.


    In fact, Dhelmise had shown restraint, as the proper use of Anchor Shot involved striking the enemy with the sharp ends of the chains rather than binding them. The binding technique was primarily used to restrict the enemy''s movements.


    With Raichu''s strength, it simply couldn''t break free from Dhelmise''s chains and eventually lost consciousness from the suffocation!


    With Raichu defeated, the opponent still hadn''t said a word. They quickly recalled Raichu and sent out their final Pok��mon.


    ...


    [ Gade ]


    Type: Psychic, Fighting


    Ability: Justified


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 72


    Moves:


    Telekinesis, Double Team, Teleport, Imprison, Psychic, sh, Leaf de, Close Combat, Night sh, Fury Cutter, Psycho Cut, Aerial Ace, Shadow Ball, Brick Break, Swords Dance, Ability Swap, Dual Chop, and Drain Punch.


    ...


    After reviewing Gade''s data, Yuga was increasingly astonished. The level of the Pok��mon sent out by the opponent was rising steadily, from ordinary level to pseudo-Elite level, and then to Elite level; their potential was also increasing, going from green to blue, and finally to indigo.


    Who on earth were these two?


    Yuga scrutinized the two individuals across from him again, but their faces were obscured by cloaks, and with not a single word exchanged, he was unable to gather any useful clues.


    However, it seemed the opponent specialized in Psychic-type Pok��mon and possibly had psychic powers themselves! After witnessing Xatu''s performance, Yuga firmly believed that the opponent couldn''tck psychic abilities!


    Could they be the kin of Sabrina? Or perhaps the kin of Caitlin?


    When it came to Psychic families, these were the first two groups that sprang to Yuga''s mind! Moreover, if they truly belonged to these families, their psychic powers would surely be formidable, indicating they were likely core members of their families.


    "Let the match continue!"


    Beidou''s voice snapped Yuga back to reality, and Gade on the opposite side immediatelyunched an attack against Dhelmise.


    Gade''s first move was Ability Swap, trading its Justified ability with Dhelmise''s Steelworker abilities.


    In the previous match, Dhelmise''s performance with Anchor Shot was too outstanding, so Gade aimed to disable this skill right from the start! The reason why the Ghost and Grass-type Dhelmise could utilize Anchor Shot so effectively was thanks to its Ability, Steelworker.


    Sure enough, as soon as it lost its Steelworker ability, Dhelmise''s control over Anchor Shot immediately became inadequate.


    Seizing the opportunity, Gade teleported in front of Dhelmise andnded a Night sh right on its head.


    Because Dhelmise had received Gade''s ability, Justified, it made it inconvenient for Gade to use the Dark-type move Night sh against it; otherwise, the effects of the Dark-type move would be much stronger than Night sh!


    It can only be said that Gade''s use of Ability Swap had both advantages and disadvantages! Moreover, Gade couldn''t learn Steel-type moves, rendering the Steelworker ability somewhat useless for it!


    With a loud "ng," Dhelmise''s body emitted a loud sound under Gade''s Night sh.


    Although Dhelmise wasn''t a Steel-type Pok��mon, its body structure was simr to that of Steel-types, which was why it had the Steelworker ability; thus, its defense was quite formidable.


    The power of Night sh wasn''t strong, so Dhelmise only retreated a short distance, suffering minimal actual damage.


    However, Gade didn''t give up and continued to attack; it teleported behind Dhelmise and delivered another Night sh.


    "ng!"


    Another loud noise erupted as Dhelmise was hit again before it could react.


    Although the initial power of Night sh wasn''t strong, with continuous usage, its power would increase with each hit!


    Due to Dhelmise''s unique body structure, it moved particrly slowly. Once it lost the constraint of Anchor Shot and the enemy closed in, it would be very passive.


    Seeing that Gade was about to strike Dhelmise once more, the power of the third Night sh would surpass that of moves like Sr Beam, Final Gambit, or Hydro Pump. If Dhelmise were to be hit again, it would be all over!


    At that moment, Yuga suddenly shouted, "Dhelmise, use Phantom Force!"


    Dhelmise suddenly transformed into a shadow and dove into the shadow beneath it. Gade''s Night sh missed, and it looked around in confusion, failing to detect Dhelmise''s presence.


    However, at that moment, a ck hole suddenly opened behind Gade, and Dhelmise silently emerged from within, striking Gade and sending it flying.


    Yet this was not the end; Dhelmise disappeared back into the ck hole, and Gade lost sight of it once again.


    It closed its eyes, trying to use its psychic powers to track Dhelmise''s movements, but it failed! Dhelmise quietly appeared behind Gade again and knocked it flying once more!


    Indeed, Dhelmise''s movement speed was excessively slow, but it had ways topensate for its ws, and Phantom Force was its method of countering.


    Although Gade had decent Special Defense, its physical defense was quite frail. Coupled with being vulnerable to Ghost-type moves, two uses of Phantom Force left it unable to continue fighting.


    In the end, Yuga emerged victorious in this battle!


    Seeing the opponent recall Gade, Yuga was about to inquire about their identities when the short individual unexpectedly pulled aside their cloak.


    "Ah! I thought I had improved enough to defeat Yuga, but it seems I was wrong!"


    As the cloak was lifted, it revealed a round, smooth head. The tall figure also removed his cloak, and he too was a bald monk.


    Both of them were monks!


    "Gon!" Yuga eximed in surprise. "What are you doing here in Hoenn? You didn''t even tell me!"


    The neer was indeed the Holy Son of Bell Tower, Gon, who could now be referred to as Zhuqing Little Monk.


    Since the visitor was Gon, everything made sense: a psychic type expert, specializing in psychic-type Pok��mon, with indigo potential!


    However, Yuga hadn''t expected that in just a few short years, Gon had already be an Elite-level trainer. Although he looked like a neer, that was still impressive! It''s no wonder after all he shared simr genes with Mewtwo.


    A fifteen-year-old Elite-level trainer has a bright future ahead!


    It was evident that Bell Tower had also invested a lot; otherwise, Gon couldn''t have progressed so quickly.


    Yuga knew that Gon hadn''t left Ecruteak City in the past few years and had been diligently practicing at Bell Tower. In terms of psychic ability, he hadpletely surpassed Sabrina.


    It was precisely because of his psychic powers that his Pok��mon had made such rapid progress.


    Thinking about the genius girl, Caitlin, she had be a Elite-level trainer at a simr age as Gon. One could only say that psychic abilities are quite overpowered!


    However, Gon''s training speed would surely slow down over time; hadn''t Caitlin gained fame for so many years without breaking into Champion-level yet?


    Compared to when Yuga first met him, Gon had grown much taller, and his smile had increased as well, clearly showing that Bell Tower treated him very well.


    "I just wanted to give you a surprise, so I didn''t tell you in advance!" Gon joyfully approached Yuga, with the tall monk following closely behind him, showing great respect toward Gon.


    The tall monk was named Hill, a peer of the current head of Bell Tower, Abbot Joe. He hade along specifically to take care of Zhuqing Little Monk''s daily needs.


    Inviting both of them into the dojo, Yuga curiously asked Gon, "How could your headmaster allow you to leave Ecruteak City?"


    Gon replied sheepishly, "I haven''t made any progress in my training recently, so the Abbot let mee out with Master Hill to take a look."


    "Is that so?" Yuga suddenly understood! Gon indeed needed to get out more; as the Holy Son of Bell Tower, it wouldn''t be good for him to always be a sheltered flower!


    Actually, Gon had another reason foring to Hoenn, which was to investigate the anomalies regarding Suicune.


    Although Bell Tower had lost contact with Ho-Oh for many years, it had always kept track of the Legendary Beasts, and recently, Suicune had arrived in Hoenn.


    In this world, there was more than one Legendary Beast, but most of them appearedter; only the three original Legendary Beasts resurrected by Ho-Oh were referred to by Bell Tower as the "Primordial Beasts." Bell Tower had always maintained a record of the "Primordial Beasts."


    After Gon became the Holy Son of Bell Tower, he learned that the Legendary Beasts they encountered on their way to Mount Tensei back then were merely ordinary Legendary Beasts, and the "Primordial Beasts" had never shown themselves.


    The reason Bell Tower sent the Holy Son to Hoenn this time was not only to train him but also because the Primordial Suicune had suddenly left Johto ande to Hoenn.


    The "Primordial Beasts" rarely left Johto, and at least in thest decade, they hadn''t ventured out. This sudden departure was clearly abnormal, which is why Bell Tower sent Gon and Hill to investigate the reason.


    Since this was a secret of Bell Tower, Gon didn''t mention it to Yuga.

 Chapter 1118: The Girl And Teddiursa

    <h4>Chapter 1118: The Girl And Teddiursa</h4>


    Because it had been so long since Gon had seen Yuga, he was in a great mood and talked at length with him. He shared everything, from his life at Bell Tower to how Sabrina taught him to use his psychic powers, and how he trained his Pok��mon... In short, it seemed as if he wanted to pour out everything that had happened in his life over the past few years to Yuga.


    Yuga didn''t find him annoying or long-winded; he just quietly listened, asionally responding with ament. Before they knew it, night had fallen.


    After settling Gon and Hill in the gym, Yuga suddenly remembered that Cleffa and Mime Jr. were still hanging from a tree in the main Ecopark.


    "Oh no! I forgot about them!" Yuga smacked his forehead helplessly, then hurried back to the daycare.


    Sure enough, when he arrived in the main Ecopark, the two little ones were still hanging from the tree, with Nana faithfully standing guard nearby, making sure no one untied the rope.


    The two little ones were swinging back and forth like they were on a swing.


    If it weren''t for Nana watching over them, there''s no way a single rope would have kept the Psychic-type Mime Jr. bound. But at the moment, both of them were hanging listlessly, looking pitiful.


    Underneath the tree, Bagon had its hands behind its back, pacing back and forth with a mature air, asionally casting a nce at Mime Jr. and Cleffa. Whenever Mime Jr. and Cleffa red back at it, it quickly averted its gaze and nonchntly strolled past them, further aggravating the two little ones hanging from the tree, making them gnash their teeth in frustration!


    Bagon had even skipped its usual "Happy Hour" just to watch the spectacle! It couldn''t help feeling a little guilty, after all, watching someone else''s misfortune wasn''t exactly a good thing to do.


    "Hmm? Bagon, what are you doing here?" Yuga, who had just arrived under the tree, noticed Bagon and curiously asked.


    Before Bagon could answer, Cleffa and Mime Jr., still hanging from the tree, immediately beganining.


    "It''s up to no good!"


    "It''s just here tough at us, it has a bad heart!"


    "It''s definitely enjoying seeing us stuck up here!"


    ...


    Cleffa and Mime Jr. took turns criticizing the mischievous Bagon. Bagon nervously looked at Yuga.


    (�@) So nervous! Will Yuga think I''m a bad kid?


    Bagon, who had never done anything wrong, anxiously looked into Yuga''s eyes, terrified of seeing disappointment there.


    However, after Yuga met Bagon''s gaze for a couple of seconds, he suddenly broke into a smile and said, "That''s impossible! Our Bagon is so well-behaved, there''s no way it would do something like that! It must have just been passing by. Right, Bagon?"


    ��(O_O;) Cleffa and Mime Jr. were stunned!


    (_) Nana, who had witnessed the whole thing: ...


    Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Bagon forced itself to nod and then dashed away in a sh.


    Seeing this, Cleffa and Mime Jr. were about to explode with anger!


    "It''s lying! It definitely came to watch us suffer!"


    "Yuga, how could you! You''re so bad! You don''t believe us!"


    "Bad guy, bad guy! Big bad guy!"


    ...


    Watching the enraged Cleffa and Mime Jr., Yuga scolded them, "You two have the nerve toin about someone else? Who told you to steal Audino''s wine? Where did you get the courage?"


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Cleffa and Mime Jr., knowing they were in the wrong, immediately deted and didn''t dare say another word, obediently epting the scolding.


    Bagon hadn''t run far; it was hiding behind a nearby berry tree, secretly watching as Yuga reprimanded Cleffa and Mime Jr. When it recalled the trusting look Yuga had just given it, the guilt in its heart deepened.


    Just then, Bagon suddenly felt a poke from behind. When it turned around, it met the wide-eyed gaze of Teddiursa, and the sight startled it.


    "Tediursa?"


    What are you looking at?


    Seeing Bagon jump in surprise, Teddiursa covered its mouth and giggled.


    "Ba... Bagon."


    N-nothing.


    Bagon didn''t pay any more attention to Teddiursa and quickly ran off.


    Teddiursa nced at Bagon''s retreating figure, then looked at Cleffa and Mime Jr., still hanging in the tree, wearing a thoughtful expression.


    Meanwhile, Yuga gave Cleffa and Mime Jr. a severe reprimand, confiscating Mime Jr.''s TV privileges and Cleffa''s daily portion of Moomoo Milk. As for when they would get those privileges back, that would depend on Yuga''s mood!


    No matter how much the two little troublemakers pleaded, Yuga remained unmoved.


    The next morning, after breakfast, Gon came to say goodbye with Hill. Yuga initially wanted them to stay in Verdanturf Town for a few more days, but Gon said they had other matters to attend to, so Yuga had no choice but to see them off at the station.


    As Gon left Verdanturf Town, far away at the port of Vermilion City in Kanto, a ship was slowly departing. Onboard, May and Max waved goodbye to Ash and Brock as they embarked on their journey back to Hoenn.


    Elsewhere, Cleffa, who didn''t get to drink Moomoo Milk that morning, and Mime Jr., who couldn''t watch TV, became listless. The two sat hand in hand on the steps in front of the daycare shop, sighing in unison.


    The customers who are passing in and out of the shop saw them and tried to tease them, but neither of them responded, which puzzled the regr visitors. Normally, these two were full of energy!


    v(-��_-��)v Cleffa and Mime Jr.: We''ve lost the source of life!


    At this moment, Teddiursa walked out, holding its beloved honey jar, licking the edges with its tongue, savoring the sweetness.


    Teddiursa''s honey jar was only the size of a palm, specially requested by its mom from Yuga. Teddiursa usually stored its Sweet Honey inside, and when it filled up, it would bring it out to lick.


    Out of the corner of its eye, Cleffa saw Teddiursa''s content expression and couldn''t help but drool.


    That jar looked really tasty.


    Teddiursa, while licking its jar, caught Cleffa''s longing gaze and walked over to it, raising the honey jar. "You really want some, huh?"


    Cleffa, sucking on its finger, quickly nodded!


    Seeing this, Teddiursa scooped a fingerful of Sweet Honey from the jar and waved it in front of Cleffa''s nose. "Smells good, doesn''t it?"


    Cleffa''s nose twitched, following Teddiursa''s finger. "It smells so good!"


    Just when Cleffa thought Teddiursa was going to let it have a taste, Teddiursa popped the honey-covered finger into its own mouth and smugly said, "Hehe, smells good but I''m not sharing with you!"


    Cleffa was stunned��it had never seen such a shameless Pok��mon before!


    "Mime Jr.!"


    Seeing its buddy getting bullied, Mime Jr. was not having it. It let out a "roar" of anger, raising its little fists, ready to punch Teddiursa, but Teddiursa was prepared and quickly darted away.


    Watching Teddiursa run off, Cleffa was so angry that it jumped down from the steps, jabbering away, cursing at Teddiursa''s retreating figure.


    Teddiursa ran all the way back to the Ecopark, where it found Bagon, who was in the middle of training, and recounted what had just happened.


    "See? I got revenge for you!" Teddiursa said proudly.


    Teddiursa had done this to win favor with Bagon.


    It wanted Yuga to find it a Trainer, but Yuga hadn''t had the time to deal with it yet. Since Bagon was one of Yuga''s main Pok��mon and had a closer rtionship with Yuga, Teddiursa thought that if Bagon could say a few words on its behalf, the Trainer issue would be solved in no time.


    However, what Teddiursa didn''t realize was that Bagon was currently feeling guilty about watching Cleffa and Mime Jr. suffer yesterday. It regretted what it had done, especially for betraying Yuga''s trust.


    So Bagon said to Teddiursa, "Don''t do that again. It''s not good."


    Teddiursa: ...So, the fool was me all along...


    After saying that, Bagon left. It wanted to find Yuga immediately and confess that it had lied yesterday!


    Watching Bagon''s figure disappear into the distance, Teddiursa angrily scooped a handful of honey from its jar and licked it while thinking: Hmph, what''s so great about that!


    When Bagon found Yuga, he had just returned from the station after seeing Gon off. After hearing Bagon''s apology, Yuga said with a realization, "Oh, so that''s what happened!"


    Of course, Yuga had already noticed that Bagon was lying at the time, but Bagon was usually so mature,cking the liveliness and innocence of a young Pok��mon. Since it was rare for Bagon to act mischievous, Yuga didn''t want to call it out.


    He never expected that Bagon had been troubled by this for so long!


    Bagon sessfully apologized to Yuga, but Teddiursa was fuming, leaving the Ecopark in frustration.


    It thought: Hmph, if none of you are going to help me, I''ll figure it out by myself!


    So, Teddiursa left YoYo Daycare, hugging its honey jar, and wandered onto the streets of Verdanturf Town.


    Looking at the bustling crowd, Teddiursa''s eyes darted left and right, almost overwhelmed by everything it was seeing. It was its first time encountering so many people.


    As it walked, a delicious smell wafted into its nose, and Teddiursa followed the scent to a skewer stall. It stood there, staring longingly at the stall owner, its drool practically flowing down in rivers.


    Seeing a Teddiursa standing in front of his stall, the skewer vendor found it strange. Ever since Yuga''s Pok��mon Paradise started taking in stray Pok��mon, there had been very few stray Pok��mon left in Verdanturf Town.


    But when he noticed the unique mark on Teddiursa, belonging to YoYo Daycare, he understood: Ah, it''s one of YoYo Daycare''s Pok��mon!


    The Pok��mon from YoYo Daycare all had a special round mark, printed with special oil paint, about the size of a bottle cap. The people of Verdanturf Town were quite familiar with it.


    The skewer vendor picked up a freshly grilled skewer and said to Teddiursa, "How about it? Want to try some?"


    Teddiursa eagerly nodded.


    The residents of Verdanturf Town were all very kind to the Pok��mon from YoYo Daycare, and the skewer vendor was happy to offer Teddiursa some food.


    In no time, Teddiursa had collected a cotton candy here, a candied hawthorn skewer there, and soon its arms were full of treats.


    With its belly now round and full, Teddiursa thought to itself: See, I knew I was adorable! Look, everyone loves me!


    Too stuffed to walk any further, Teddiursa found a bench in a small park, hopped up, andid down.


    Just as it settled in, a girl in a dress sat down next to it.


    "Teddiursa..."


    Teddiursa rubbed its round, swollen belly and let out a satisfied burp.


    "Ah, I''m so full!"


    To Teddiursa''s surprise, the girl next to it echoed in the exact same tone, clutching her stomach and sighing.


    Teddiursa turned its head to look at the girl, and the girl turned her head to look at Teddiursa at the same time.


    Teddiursa: ...


    Girl: ...


    This strange moment of synchronicity suddenly made Teddiursa feel an instant connection with the girl, as if it had met a kindred spirit.


    An idea popped into Teddiursa''s head��what if this beautiful girl became its Trainer?


    "Teddiursa! Teddiursa!"


    Teddiursa jumped down from the bench, waving its fists and shouting at the girl. Even though the two couldn''t speak the samenguage, the girl understood what Teddiursa was trying to say.


    "You want to battle me?"


    Teddiursa clenched its tiny fists and nodded seriously.


    The girl sighed, "Alright then, but don''t cry if you get hurt!"


    With that, she released a meow, a Pok��mon she had only recently obtained and was the weakest in her team.


    It wasn''t that she looked down on Teddiursa, but she could tell Teddiursa was a baby Pok��mon, only just born. She didn''t want to hurt it with a strong attack.


    "meow!"


    meow let out a soft meow, its voice long and drawn out, sounding bothzy and elegant.


    "Teddiursa! Teddiursa! Teddiursa!"


    Without a second thought, Teddiursa rushed forward, using Fury Swipes to attack meow.


    However, with just a flick of its paw, meow sent Teddiursa flying with its Fake Out attack, knocking it out in an instant.


    When Teddiursa finally wake up, it found itself lying on the girl''sp. But it felt downcast, thinking that with such weak strength, there was no way the girl would want to keep it.


    Seeing Teddiursa looking so sad, the kind-hearted girl gently asked, "Do you want toe with me?" She found Teddiursa amusing, and if it really wanted to follow her, she wouldn''t mind catching it.


    Teddiursa nodded but then shook its head: Yes, I want to go with you, but you have to buy me first.


    It quickly jumped off herp and grabbed her skirt, tugging at it to get her to follow.


    The girl, though unsure of where Teddiursa was taking her, allowed herself to be led along.


    Before long, Teddiursa led her right up to the door of YoYo Daycare. The girl looked up at the sign, thinking: Isn''t this where I was headed anyway?


    "So this is YoYo Daycare!" she muttered as she followed Teddiursa inside.


    Yuga, having just finished calming down the angry Cleffa and Mime Jr. who hade to tattle on Teddiursa, saw Teddiursa leading a girl in a dress into the shop. He couldn''t shake the feeling that the girl''s face looked familiar.


    "Wee! How can I help you?" Yuga greeted her with a smile.


    Before the girl could say anything, Teddiursa started jabbering away, gesturing toward the girl. After listening, Yuga looked at Teddiursa with aplicated expression and said, "So now you''ve learned how to scam people?"


    Teddiursa was very displeased: Scam? I''m helping lighten your load!


    Yuga ignored Teddiursa and turned around to the girl with an apologetic look. "I''m so sorry for the trouble our Teddiursa has caused you."


    The girl shook her head and said, "It''s no trouble at all. I was actuallying here to buy a Pok��mon."


    With that, she took a card from her bag��YoYo Daycare''s membership card.

 Chapter 1119: Yuga Is Going To Be A Grandpa

    <h4>Chapter 1119: Yuga Is Going To Be A Grandpa</h4>


    Seeing Yuga looking puzzled as he stared at the card in his hand, the girl smiled slightly and exined, "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Celine, and Cynthia is my sister."


    "Oh!" Yuga immediately understood. "So, Cynthia gave this to you. Please,e inside."


    As he spoke, Yuga invited the girl��Celine��into the reception room of the shop, with Teddiursa following closely behind her, as if afraid she''d disappear the moment it blinked.


    After asking Celine to sit down, Yuga couldn''t help but observing the girl in front of him.


    No wonder she had looked familiar at first nce��her face bore a five or six-part resemnce to Cynthia''s. If she were a bit older, she might look even more like her sister.


    Yuga knew that Cynthia had a younger sister, but he''d never met her before and didn''t even know her name. Today, he finally saw her in person.


    Cynthia''s parents, due to work reasons, didn''t live in Celestic Town, so Cynthia had grown up living with her grandparents and received the temple''s teachings in Michina.


    Celine, being much younger than Cynthia, was bornter and had lived with their parents, rarely returning to Celestic Town.


    This time, Celine had originally nned to return to Michina, but unexpectedly ran into her sister, who was on a mission. Upon learning that Celine wanted to apply for a Pok��mon to raise in Michina, Cynthia gave her the YoYo Daycare membership card she had.


    While Michina did have high-potential Pok��mon avable, there were many people living there, so thepetition was fierce��too many monks for too little porridge. If Celine applied for a Pok��mon back in Michina, she might face some difficulties. Buying one directly from YoYo Daycare was a more convenient option.


    Celine wasn''t Cynthia. The temple didn''t value her as much as her sister, so naturally, she wouldn''t receive the same special treatment from the temple elders.


    If Celine applied for a Pok��mon through the standard temple procedures, it wasn''t even certain whether her application would be approved.


    Seeing Yuga staring at her without saying anything, Celine felt slightly embarrassed and spoke up proactively, "My sister told me that with this card, I could buy a high-potential Pok��mon from YoYo Daycare."


    Yuga nodded. "That''s right. Please wait a moment, I''ll go get the catalog for you."


    With that, Yuga stood up and walked out, returning a few minutester with a sheet of paper in his hand.


    He handed the paper to Celine and said, "All the Pok��mon avable to customers with a membership card are listed in this catalog. Take a look and see if any catch your eye."


    Celine took the catalog with both hands and nced at it. The first section read:


    High-tier price range:


    Medidite, Gligar, Trapinch, Togepi, b��b��, Eevee, Cyndaquil, Lapras, Amaura, ... Aron, Horsea, Swablu, Charmander.


    Mid-tier price range:


    Buneary, Taillow, Starly, Pikachu, Spritzee, Ekans, Seviper, ... Cubchoo, Darumaka, Magnemite.


    Low-tier price range:


    Wurmple, Scatterbug, Oddish, ... Hoppip.


    Wow! This dazzling list made Celine''s eyes blur. Rare ones,mon ones, all kinds of Pok��mon were listed here! No wonder her sister said the card was very valuable. With a card that let you freely choose from so many Pok��mon to buy, how could it not be precious?


    "Boss, are all these Pok��mon listed in the catalog... avable?" Celine couldn''t help swallowing and asked.


    Yuga confidently replied, "Yes, otherwise, why would I show it to you?" Only those with membership cards could see such a variety of stock at YoYo Daycare. Ordinary people weren''t even qualified to see this catalog.


    "Then..." Celine was about to say something as she looked at the catalog.


    "Teddiursa..."


    The Teddiursa at her feet tugged at her skirt, gazing up at her with big, watery eyes, looking pitiful: "Aren''t you going to choose me?"


    Celine: ...


    Seeing this, Yuga quickly scolded, "Teddiursa! Stop causing trouble!" Although he didn''t mind which Pok��mon Celine bought, he didn''t want her to be influenced by external factors.


    Teddiursa was quite afraid of Yuga; after all, it lived under his care. It immediately covered its mouth and retreated quietly. If it made Yuga angry and Celine didn''t choose it, would it end up like Cleffa, with its supply of sweet honey cut off? That would be terrifying!


    Thinking of this, Teddiursa suddenly felt like it had lost something important. Oh no! Where was its honey pot? It seemed like it had left its meal kit in the small park!


    For a moment, Teddiursa silently prayed in its heart that Celine would definitely choose it. Otherwise, it would suffer a huge loss!


    Celine looked at the catalog in her hands, then at the Teddiursa beside her, feeling very conflicted.


    "Um... Boss, can I buy two Pok��mon?"


    Looking at the rare Pok��mon in the catalog, Celine found it hard to give them up. But she also really liked the clever and cute Teddiursa.


    "No!" Yuga refused without hesitation. "We have our rules. A membership card can only be used once a year!"


    "Well... okay then."


    Seeing Yuga''s firm attitude, Celine had no choice but to give up the idea of buying two. She looked at the catalog, then at Teddiursa again, meeting its hopeful eyes. She bit her lip, made up her mind, and said, "I''ll buy Teddiursa!"


    O(�R���Q)O


    Yay! Teddiursa''s eyes lit up, and it almost started spinning in circles on the spot. If it weren''t trying to stayposed in front of Yuga, it would''ve immediately leaped into Celine''s arms.


    Yuga was surprised. He nced at Teddiursa, and Teddiursa immediately sat up straight, trying to look well-behaved. But from its twitching expression, Yuga knew it was definitely feeling proud.


    "Are you sure you want to choose Teddiursa?"


    Celine nodded, "I''m sure!"


    Yuga continued, "Think carefully. Don''t choose it just because it''s cute! Its cuteness is temporary��Ursaring isn''t exactly cute. We have many other adorable Pok��mon here; you can always choose another."


    (����) Teddiursa was about to explode with frustration! What do you mean by that? I''ll always be cute! Don''t ruin my future!


    Celine firmly replied, "I know. I really like Teddiursa, and I won''t regret it!" Of course, she hadn''t chosen it just for its appearance��she felt a connection with it.


    As for the other rare Pok��mon, although she liked them, she could always wait until next time. She could beg her sister again next year, anyway. After all, the membership card wasn''t a one-time thing.


    "Alright then, let''s go and get the paperwork sorted!"


    Yuga had said all that needed to be said, so since Celine had made up her mind, he didn''t press further. He stood up, made a gesture for her to follow, and then led the way out of the room.


    As soon as Yuga turned his back, Teddiursa excitedly jumped into Celine''s arms.


    "Teddiursa! Teddiursa! Teddiursa!"


    I knew you had great taste, Trainer! Don''t believe a word that fool Yuga said when he tried to downy me!"


    Celine stroked Teddiursa''s smooth fur and followed Yuga out of the meeting room.


    For customers purchasing a Pok��mon with a membership card, there were formalities like registering the card, recording the buyer''s identity, and noting what Pok��mon was bought, among other details.


    Yuga handed Celine''s membership card to Suzuki Koen, who inserted it into a machine. Information about the card appeared on theputer screen in front of her.


    "Please give me your ID," Suzuki Koen said after registering the membership card.


    "Oh... alright!" Celine quickly took out a Pok��dex from her bag and handed it to Suzuki Koen.


    This type of Pok��dex serves as the official ID for League Trainers, so it wasn''t surprising that Celine had one.


    Suzuki Koen took the Pok��dex and ced it on another machine next to theputer. After scanning it, Celine''s identity information was automatically logged onto the membership card page on the screen.


    Afterward, Suzuki Koen registered Teddiursa''s details, pulled out a purchase contract, and ced it on the counter in front of Celine. "This contract also needs your signature. Read through it, and if you have any questions, just ask."


    Yuga sat on the side, watching the two of them busy with paperwork, and suddenly thought that buying a Pok��mon with good potential for a Trainer was almost asplicated as an average person buying a house.


    With Suzuki Koen''s guidance, Celine quicklypleted all the necessary procedures, including signing the contract.


    Once everything was finished, Yuga asked Celine, "How long are you nning to stay in Verdanturf Town? If you haven''t found a ce to stay yet, there''s a hotel at the nearby Pok��mon Paradise." Yuga was quite skilled at promoting his own hotel.


    "I n to stay in Verdanturf Town for a few more days."


    She had only met Teddiursa because she found the town fun to explore. There were so many ces to visit that she had even overindulged in food!


    Verdanturf Town had now be a full-fledged tourist destination. Even though it was winter, the town was still lush and green, making it an ideal vacation spot. It wasn''t surprising that Celine was drawn to it.


    "Alright then, I''ll have someone show you around Pok��mon Paradise!" Yuga called out to a girl cleaning nearby, "Ayaka? Come over here and take this guest to Pok��mon Paradise!"


    "Yes,ing!" Ayaka quickly put down her duster and ran over.


    After the two left, Suzuki Koen teased Yuga, "Haha... Boss, you''re getting better at pulling in customers!"


    "Don''t make me sound like a brothel madam," Yuga replied, feeling speechless. "Isn''t our hotel a good ce to stay?"


    Suzuki Koen chuckled, "Of course it''s good! It''s excellent!"


    "Exactly! That''s why I rmended it!" Yuga finished speaking and was about to walk away when Cleffa and Mime Jr. ran up.


    "Cleffa! Cleffa!"


    Cleffa waved its little arms, calling out to Yuga.


    "Oh, you''re asking about Teddiursa? It just stopped by for a moment. But don''t worry, you won''t be seeing it around anymore."


    Yuga left after saying that, leaving Cleffa and Mime Jr. standing there, staring at each other in confusion.


    Cleffa: ���


    Mime Jr.: ((��))


    What did Yuga mean? What happened to Teddiursa?


    ...


    Since Teddiursa had been found its Trainer, Yuga decided to inform Ursaring in the Ecopark, though he was fairly certain Ursaring wouldn''t care much.


    And as expected, when Yuga told Ursaring the news, it was happily munching on a berry and waved its paw dismissively, saying, "I trust your judgment!"


    After leaving the Desert Sub-Ecopark where Ursaring was, Yuga suddenly saw Qiuqiu, running toward him in a panic.


    "What''s wrong? Why are you in such a rush?"


    "Blissey! Blissey!"


    Blissey frantically waved its tiny arms, trying to exin the situation to Yuga.


    "What? You''re saying Vivillon is pregnant?!"


    Yuga was so shocked his voice cracked. Without waiting for Blissey to say more, he bolted toward the Volcano Sub-Ecopark.


    When he got there, Arcanine told him that both Vivillon and Volcarona weren''t around and had likely gone to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark. So Yuga sprinted again, this time toward the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    Upon arrival, Yuga saw Vivillon dancing gracefully in a flower field, with Volcarona affectionately flying beside her. From afar, Yuga could even see pink bubbles floating between them.


    He quickly grabbed Florges, who was nearby, and asked, "Is it true that Vivillon is pregnant?"


    "Florges!"


    Florges nodded.


    They had moved from the Volcano Sub-Ecopark to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark for a very good reason: to nurture the pregnancy!


    Yuga muttered to himself, "I can''t believe I''m bing a grandfather at such a young age!"


    Florges, who overheard Yuga''s self-talk, thought: "It''s not that serious!"


    "I can''t just leave it at that. I need to take Vivillon to the Pok��mon Center for a check-up!" Yuga continued muttering, "She''s still young! What if she''s not actually pregnant?" His fatherly instincts kicked in.


    In the early stages of pregnancy, it''s hard for humans to detect any changes in Vivillon just by looking!


    So, amidst the usatory res from Volcarona, Yuga took Vivillon out of the Ecopark. Volcarona wanted to follow, but a single sharp nce from Yuga made it back off. It had learned not to mess with its father-inw!


    When they arrived at the Pok��mon Center, Yuga half-heartedly handed Vivillon''s Pok�� Ball to Joyka. "It seems like Vivillon isn''t feeling well. Can you check on her?"


    "Sure," Joyka replied, taking the Pok�� Ball, then looked at Yuga and asked, "What''s wrong with you? You look a bit down. Didn''t get enough rest?"


    Yuga waved his hand dismissively, "It''s nothing. Maybe I just got a little spooked!"


    Joyka, not understand what his meant, took Vivillon''s Pok�� Ball to the back for a check-up.


    After about ten minutes, Joyka returned with a big smile while holding Vivillon''s Pok�� Ball. "Congrattions! Vivillon is indeed pregnant with a baby!"


    "It''s true!" Yuga dumbly epted the Pok�� Ball and murmured, "I really am going to be a grandpa!"


    Hearing this, Joyka was momentarily confused, then burst intoughter.


    "Are you trying to make meugh to death? Hahaha!"


    The more Joykaughed, the harder it became to stop, to the point where she bent over, clutching her stomach. Luckily, there weren''t any other people at the Pok��mon Center at the time. Otherwise, the next day, there would be news all over the inte.


    "In broad daylight, why did Nurse Joy copseughing in front of Gym Leader Shimizu?"


    "You''re down because of this? Isn''t this good news? What''s all this talk about being a grandpa? How are you a grandpa?" Joyka teased as she tried to contain herughter.


    After calming down for quite a while, Joyka finally stoppedughing, holding her aching stomach. "I''m serious. Why are you so hung up on being a grandpa? This is a good thing!"


    Yuga, still a bit annoyed, retorted, "Why wouldn''t I be considered a grandpa? I raised Vivillon myself!"


    Joyka, trying to stifle herughter, said, "Alright, alright! You''re a grandpa. I''ll prescribe some medicine for Vivillon. Make sure she takes it on time��it''ll be good for the baby."


    Yuga''s mood finally lightened. "Thanks a lot!"

 Chapter 1120: May and the Mysterious Pokémon Egg

    <h4>Chapter 1120: May and the Mysterious Pok��mon Egg</h4>


    After confirming that Vivillon was pregnant, Yuga significantly reduced her training routine, leaving only some basic exercises. He also made a point to visit the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark to check on her almost every day.


    Meanwhile, Volcarona, the soon-to-be father, had stopped staying in the Volcano Sub-Ecopark. Instead, he now spent all his time in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark to apany his partner.


    However, the Pok��mon in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark didn''t particrly wee Volcarona. His intense Fire-type energy was a problem for the mostly Grass-type Pok��mon living there, so they tended to keep their distance.


    On several asions, Volcarona got so emotional that he started emitting sparks, almost setting the flower beds on fire. If it weren''t for Florges, who hadplete control over the nts and flowers in the garden, the entire flower field would have likely been burned.


    Vivillon had a great rtionship with the Grass-type Pok��mon, but since they avoided Volcarona, who always hovered around her, even they started steering clear of Vivillon. This situation made Vivillon increasingly frustrated, and her patience with Volcarona quickly wore thin.


    She tried to drive Volcarona back to the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, but Volcarona refused to leave, sticking to her side without fail.


    As a butterfly species Pok��mon, Vivillon loved sipping nectar. To ensure the healthy growth of the baby inside her, Yuga arranged for Venusaur to stay by her side. The flower on Venusaur''s back produced high-quality nectar, which was excellent for Vivillon during her pregnancy.


    As one of Vivillon''s close friends, Chimecho, along with Florges��who used to be part of the "Three Sisters of the Flower Field"��took great care of her during this time. Chimecho would soothe Vivillon''s emotions daily with a Heal Bell, while Florges used Aromatherapy once a day to ease her physical fatigue.


    In addition to Vivillon''s pregnancy, Yuga was also stressed about Cheren''s internship.


    Since Cheren was interning at the gym, Yuga felt responsible for providing him with proper training opportunities. But with the end of the year approaching and the next League Tournament still months away, no one wasing to challenge the gym. It wasn''t ideal for Cheren to only practice on paper without actual experience.


    If more challengers came, Yuga could let Cheren experience handling them firsthand. But ever since Gon, not a single challenger had shown up.


    As a responsible Gym Leader, Yuga couldn''t help but feel like he was letting Cheren down.


    While Yuga was dealing with Cheren''s internship, the ship carrying May and Max had docked in Lilycove City, bringing them back to Hoenn.


    "Ah, finally home!"


    May stretched her arms wide and cheered after disembarking the ship.


    Compared to the Kanto region, Hoenn''s winter was much warmer, and May definitely preferred Hoenn''s climate.


    "Big Sis, there are so many people here. Can you not embarrass me like this?" Max followed closely behind, covering his face, unable to bear his sister''s tomboyish behavior. He was almost ready to pretend he didn''t know her.


    May grabbed her younger brother''s ear and grumbled, "How am I embarrassing you?"


    Max immediately wailed, "You''re saying you aren''t? Look, everyone''s staring at us!"


    May turned to see that, sure enough, people on the dock were all looking at them. She quickly let go of his ear, her face turning red. "I''ll deal with youter!" she snapped.


    With that, she took off running, and Max hurriedly puffed out his cheeks and chased after her.


    They hadn''t walked far before they overheard someone say, "Hurry! The Marina Group''s performance is about to start. If we don''t go now, we''ll miss it!"


    Hearing this, Max immediately eximed, "Sis, it''s the Marina Group! Let''s go watch it!"


    May hesitated, "But weren''t we nning to go home?"


    Max tugged on his sister''s arm and said, "We can go home anytime, but it''s not every day youe across the Marina Group!"


    Seeing May still hesitating, Max quickly started begging, "Please, big sis! Let''s go watch it together! I''m begging you!"


    May had no choice but to agree, "Will you stop calling me embarrassing next time?"


    Realizing the situation wasn''t in his favor, Max quickly relented, "I was just kidding! You''re the best sister in the world."


    May, pleased by the ttery, took Max''s hand, and the two walked toward the Marina Group''s performance.


    Meanwhile, Gon and Hill, who were tracking Suicune, had also arrived in Lilycove City.


    On the coast, Gon, with a cloak concealing his face, asked his elder, "Uncle Hill, have you noticed any patterns in Suicune''s movements?"


    Hill, also cloaked, shook his head and replied, "Not yet, but it seems like Suicune is searching for something!"


    Gon nodded in agreement, "I''ve had the same feeling."


    Hill gazed out at the sea. "We need to be careful and not lose track of Suicune."


    On the other side of town, May and Max followed the crowd and soon found the Marina Geoup''s performance area.


    The show was being held at the central za of Lilycove City, and there were so many people gathered to watch. May held onto Max as they squeezed their way to the front.


    Large water bubbles floated in the air, controlled by Water-type and Psychic-type Pok��mon, with the troupe members and Pok��mon yfully diving in and out of the bubbles, creating a fun and lively atmosphere.


    "Big sis, look! This is so cool!" Max cheered while pping his hands in excitement as one water bubble after another floated past them. The Pok��mon inside, sometimes controlled by the Psychic-type Pok��mon, would even interact with the audience.


    When a bubble containing a Buizel floated in front of them, May excitedly waved at the Buizel.


    Buizel, inside the bubble, waved back at May. Just as it was about to swim away, it suddenly noticed the bead bracelet on May''s wrist, and a flicker of surprise shed in its eyes.


    After thinking for a moment, Buizel swam back. It extended its paw out of the bubble and grabbed May''s hand, inviting her to join in the fun.


    May pointed at herself, confused, "Me?"


    Buizel nodded and pulled her into the bubble, causing a wave of envy from the surrounding crowd.


    Seeing this, Max immediately waved his hands and shouted, "Me too! Me too!"


    Buizel, realizing that Max was with May, quickly swam back and pulled Max into the bubble as well.


    Once inside, May and Max discovered that the bubble was hollow, and sitting inside felt soft, almost like sitting on a cloud.


    With Buizel leading the way, May and Max temporarily became part of the Marina Group''s performance, having an absolute st for the rest of the afternoon.


    By the time the performance ended, it was alreadyte in the day, and May and Max got the chance to meet the Marina Group leader, Shep.


    The elderly man, who had taken a liking to the two siblings, smiled and asked, "So, little ones, did you have fun?"


    Max immediately jumped up and shouted, "Yes!"


    Feeling a bit shy, May added, "Thank you, sir, for all the trouble we caused today."


    Shep waved his hand dismissively and said, "It''s no trouble at all, as long as you had fun!"


    Upon learning that May and Max had just arrived in Lilycove City earlier that day, and noticing the sky growing darker, Shep kindly invited the siblings to stay with the troupe for the night.


    The Marina Group traveled in arge caravan designed for touring, fully equipped with all the necessary living facilities. Amodating May and Max for the night was no problem at all.


    May had been worrying about where to stay that night, so when Shep offered, she readily agreed. She always felt a strange sense of familiarity and trust toward the elderly man, as if there was an inexplicable bond between them.


    Ship felt the same way, which was why he invited May and Max to stay.


    That evening, Shep invited them to join his family for dinner, where May and Max met Shep''s son, Kyle, his daughter-inw, Meredith, and his granddaughter, Lizabeth.


    Shep''s family took an instant liking to May and treated her and Max with kindness. The group got along wonderfully, making the evening a pleasant one for everyone.


    Later that night, as May slept soundly, she was startled awake by a sudden clinking noise outside. Jolted with fear, she quickly sat up.


    "What''s that sound?"


    She didn''t wake Max, who was sleeping in the top bunk, and carefully crept out of bed in her pajamas. Quietly, she opened the door of the caravan and stepped outside. The bright moonlight bathed the entire central za in a silvery glow, and rows of caravans were neatly lined up. Everything waspletely still and quiet, making the eerie silence even more unsettling.


    May, her heart pounding, looked around cautiously but saw nothing.


    "Phew!" She sighed, trying to calm herself. "Maybe I just imagined it."


    Just as she was about to turn back and return to bed, the clinking noise rang out again. She froze on the spot, too scared to move.


    "Buizel!"


    A voice suddenly sounded behind her, making her jump. Trembling, she turned around to find Buizel standing there, looking up at her.


    Relieved, May clutched her chest and exhaled deeply. "Oh, it''s just you! You scared me half to death. What are you doing out here sote?"


    "Buizel! Buizel!"


    Buizel lifted the object in its arms, and the clinking sound echoed again.


    "So that''s where the sound wasing from!" May realized.


    In Buizel''s arms was a transparent incubator, inside whichy a Pok��mon egg that was shimmering brightly.


    "Maybe it''s a Pok��mon egg!" May thought to herself.


    She had never seen such a beautiful egg before. The eggshell was transparent, with twinkling spots of light inside, though due to the moonlight, she couldn''t quite tell the color of the egg or the lights.


    "Buizel!"


    Buizel held up the incubator and handed it to May.


    Pointing to herself, May asked, "For me?"


    "Buizel!" Buizel nodded with a big smile.


    Though May didn''t know why Buizel was giving her the incubator, or what was inside, she obediently took it.


    To her amazement, as soon as her hands touched the incubator, the egg inside glowed brightly with a soft hum.


    "Buizel! Buizel! Buizel!"


    Buizel pped its paws together excitedly and cheered.


    "What''s happening?" May wondered in awe.


    May curiously held up the incubator, bringing it closer to her face to get a better look. As she did, the Pok��mon egg inside lit up again with a soft hum.


    "Huh?"


    May found it amusing and started ying around��moving the incubator far away at one moment, then suddenly bringing it close. Each time she approached, the egg flickered brightly.


    It seemed to May, as if she could faintly sense that whenever she neared the incubator, the Pok��mon egg inside would radiate an emotion of joy.


    After tiring herself out with her little game, May hugged Buizel and returned to the caravan, slowly drifting off to sleep. Buizel, too, curled up at the foot of her bed and closed its eyes.


    What May didn''t know was that as soon as she fell asleep, the egg inside the incubator began to shimmer once again.


    It continued to glow for an unknown amount of time, until a bright white light��enough to illuminate the entire room��shed. The Pok��mon egg had hatched.


    The next morning, May was still groggy when she was startled awake by Max''s excited voice.


    "Sis, sis! Wake up, quick!"


    "Mmm... what is it?" May mumbled, clearly not pleased with being woken up so early.


    "Sis, something amazing happened! You''ve got to see this!" Max shook his sleepy sister hard, trying to get her up. "Look, just look at this!"


    Max held something up right in front of May''s face. As she opened her eyes, she found herself staring directly into a pair of big, round eyes!


    "Manaphy!"


    The owner of the eyes greeted May with a cheerful call.


    "Ahhh!" May screamed in surprise. "What is this? It''s so cute!"


    Without hesitation, May scooped up the Pok��mon in her arms, and the creature happily hugged her back, clearly fond of her.


    "Sis, do you know what kind of Pok��mon this is? I woke up this morning and found it lying on your bed!" Max said, puzzled.


    "Oh, right!"


    Triggered by Max''s words, May suddenly remembered the Pok��mon egg fromst night. She quickly looked around the caravan and found that the incubator was nowpletely empty.


    "That''s it! Buizel!" May pped her forehead and then asked Max, "Have you seen Buizel?"


    "Buizel?" Max looked confused. "No, I haven''t."


    May thought for a moment and said, "This Pok��mon must belong to the troupe. They must be worried that it''s gone missing. We should return it to them right away."


    Just as May had suspected, Shep was in a near panic after discovering the Pok��mon egg had disappeared in the morning. He immediately gathered Kyle, Meredith, and Lizabeth to start searching for it.


    As May and Max approached with the Pok��mon, they were spotted by Kyle.


    "Manaphy!"


    Seeing the Pok��mon in May''s arms, Kai let out a gasp, only to have his mouth quickly covered by Meredith beside him.


    "Follow us!"


    Meredith grabbed her husband and then sternly directed May and Max toe along.


    Confused, May and Max were led to thergest caravan in the troupe. Not long after, Shep, Lizabeth, and a young man dressed in a clown outfit hurriedly arrived as well.


    When Shep saw the innocent-looking Manaphy smiling in May''s arms, he murmured, "It really hatched! But... why?"


    The way Shep and his family stared at her made May incredibly nervous. Thinking they might suspect her of stealing the Pok��mon, she quickly tried to exin herself: "Here''s what happened..."


    May recounted the events of the previous night in detail to Ship and his family.


    "Buizel!"


    At that moment, Buizel poked its head through the window and squeezed inside. Noticing everyone looking at it, it shrank back in fear, hiding in the corner. But when it saw Manaphy in May''s arms, Buizel leaped onto the table, clearly overjoyed.


    Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Buizel hurried over to May and tugged on her hand, revealing the bead she was wearing on her wrist.


    "This is..."


    The moment Shep''s family saw the bead, they all stood up in astonishment.

 Chapter 1121: Cheren’s Ambition

    <h4>Chapter 1121: Cheren''s Ambition</h4>


    When Yuga brought Cheren to the Forest Home Kindergarten, he noticed that it had changed significantly from before. The hardware facilities had been further improved, and the sound of children''sughter could often be heard from the yard.


    Director Kawahara, who had been waiting at the entrance, was delighted to see Yuga arrive, her smile deepening the wrinkles around her eyes.


    "Director Kawahara, I''m sorry to have kept you waiting," Yuga said apologetically.


    "Please don''t say that!" Director Kawahara shook her head immediately. "I''m just d you coulde. I''d wait as long as needed."


    Though Director Kawahara was getting older, she looked younger recently, probably because she had fewer worries. Thanks to the ample funding from Verdanturf Town and strong support from all sectors of society, Forest Home no longer had to worry about the children''s welfare. Without these concerns, Director Kawahara had naturally started smiling more.


    As they say, a smile takes ten years off your life!


    "Director Kawahara, let me introduce you. This is Cheren, whom I mentioned before. He''ll be the temporary teacher I''ve arranged for the children."


    After some polite exchanges, Yuga formally introduced Cheren to Director Kawahara. Yuga had informed Director Kawahara about Cheren bing a teacher here long ago, and she had heard of Cheren. Today was their official meeting.


    "Wee, Teacher Cheren! The children are going to love you!" Director Kawahara said excitedly as she shook Cheren''s hand.


    "Um... hello. I''ll do my best," Cheren stammered, a little ufortable with her enthusiasm.


    "Alright! Let''s not stand at the entrance. Let''s go in and see the children!" Yuga quickly stepped in to ease Cheren''s awkwardness. "I''ve brought some gifts for the kids too!"


    Breloom, following closely behind Yuga and Cheren, proudly raised therge pile of bags in its arms.


    "Thank you so much for your generosity!" Director Kawahara said gratefully.


    Yuga often bought things for the children, either asking Strawberry from the Paradise Hotel or Ayaka and Kyoya from the shop to deliver them, so Director Kawahara was used to it and didn''t refuse the gesture.


    "Cheren also brought some gifts for the kids! We''ll hand them outter," Yuga added.


    Since it was his first time meeting the children at the orphanage, Cheren had also bought some gifts when he saw Yuga doing the same. It wasn''t much for him, but it was a thoughtful gesture.


    "Thank you, Teacher Cheren," Director Kawahara said, leading the two into the courtyard, genuinely appreciative.


    Although the orphanage was better off now, they couldn''t just buy things for the children at will, so Director Kawahara was truly grateful for Yuga and Cheren''s kindness.


    Yuga had always bought essential items for the children''s daily needs and studies��nothing expensive, but always what the kids needed most.


    As soon as they entered the courtyard, Director Kawahara called out, "Children, Gym Leader Shimizu is here!"


    In an instant, a group of children poured out from the house.


    "Wow... it''s really Gym Leader Shimizu!"


    "Gym Leader Shimizu came to see us! This is amazing!"


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, we haven''t seen you in so long!"


    ...


    Suddenly, Yuga was surrounded by excited children, all talking over one another, asking him various questions. Yuga found it a bit overwhelming to handle their enthusiasm.


    Seeing how much the children adored Yuga, Cheren was astonished. He had always thought that Yuga, a renowned top-level Trainer, would be distant and untouchable, but here he was, interacting so naturally with the children!


    Standing next to Cheren, Director Kawahara watched Yuga and the children with tears welling up in her eyes.


    "If it weren''t for Gym Leader Shimizu, our kids at Forest Home wouldn''t even have enough to eat!"


    Hearing this, Cheren was surprised. No wonder Yuga was so loved by everyone.


    Noticing the surprise in Cheren''s eyes, Director Kawahara exined with heartfelt emotion, "It''s not just our Forest Home. The entire Verdanturf Town owes its development to Gym Leader Shimizu.


    "Now, Verdanturf Town is thriving, with touristsing year-round. But back when Gym Leader Shimizu first took over the gym, this was just a poor little town!"


    Cheren had a very positive impression of Verdanturf Town. It was a beautiful ce where the residents livedfortably and peacefully, the environment was vibrant and full of life. He never expected that all of this was tied to Yuga.


    He hadn''t been in Verdanturf Town for long and hadn''t yet fully understood the ce.


    Director Kawahara''s words sparked Cheren''s curiosity, and he wanted to ask more. But just then, Yuga addressed the children, saying, "Today, I''ve brought Teacher Cheren, as I promised. Shall we all give him a warm wee?"


    "Yeah!!" the children answered in unison.


    "Alright, let''s give him a round of apuse!"


    With that, Yuga led the apuse, and the children enthusiastically joined in, pping loudly.


    Following Yuga''s cue, Cheren stepped forward and introduced himself to the children: "My name is Cheren, and from today onward, I will be your temporary Trainer teacher. I hope we can all get along well!"


    The children were thrilled and cheerfully shouted, "Hello, Teacher Cheren!"


    Cheren, moved by the children''s enthusiasm, suddenly felt a surge of pride and responsibility that came with being a teacher.


    After introducing Cheren to the children, Yuga turned to him and said, "The Pok��mon for the children will be delivered soon. You''ll have to keep an eye on them for a while."


    Cheren humbly replied, "That''s my duty. I''m grateful to Gym Leader Shimizu for thinking so much about it for me."


    Yuga waved his hand and chuckled, "This is my responsibility. Since the League entrusted you to me, I have to take care of things properly."


    As if on cue, right after Yuga finished speaking, a group of Pok��mon led by Ursaring and Mightyena entered the courtyard of Forest Home.


    These Pok��mon were originally stray Pok��mon, and Yuga had spent two days training them, mainly to ensure they wouldn''t harm the children.


    All the Pok��mon chosen for the orphanage were in their basic forms. To convince them toe, Yuga had even paid them a working fee.


    Though these Pok��mon weren''t particrly talented or powerful, they were more than adequate to serve as the children''s first Pok��mon, helping them learn about being a Trainer!


    The arrival of the Pok��mon brought great excitement to the children, and the courtyard quickly became lively. Seeing this, Yuga immediately shouted, "Quiet down, everyone! Line up and each choose a partner��no chaos allowed!"


    Yuga''s voice instantly calmed the children, and they obediently lined up in an orderly manner.


    Once the children had chosen their Pok��mon, Yuga turned to Director Kawahara and said, "I have other matters to attend to, so I''ll take my leave. I''ll be counting on you to take care of Cheren here."


    Director Kawahara smiled and assured him, "Don''t worry, I''ve got it covered."


    After Yuga left, Cheren taught his first ss to the children in the ssroom that had already been prepared.


    Since the children cherished this rare opportunity, they were well-behaved and listened attentively. For Cheren, teaching the kids for the first time turned out to be a great experience, and he felt more confident.


    As the children were being introduced to Trainer knowledge for the first time, Cheren focused on the basics of being a Trainer and the rtionship between Trainers and Pok��mon. The content was easy for the children to understand.


    After two sses, Cheren let the children take a break, giving them time to absorb what they had just learned.


    Sitting behind the podium, Cheren watched the children discussing the knowledge they had just been taught, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction.


    "Teacher Cheren, have some tea to soothe your throat," a soft voice suddenly sounded next to him.


    Cheren turned to see a boy, around thirteen or fourteen years old, cing a cup of tea on the desk in front of him. The boy looked shy, his ears turning red, as if he wasn''t used to interacting with strangers.


    Seeing this young boy, Cheren asked curiously, "What''s your name? Why didn''t you join the ss with everyone else?"


    "My... my name is Shuuya," the boy stammered, "I don''t want to be a Trainer..."


    "Would you mind chatting with me for a bit?" Cheren asked, suddenly interested in learning more about the orphanage.


    "Uh... sure," Shuuya agreed hesitantly.


    Shuuya was actually the younger brother of Kano, an incense apprentice at Yuga''s store, and no longer lived at the orphanage.


    Kano and Seien had both started as incense apprentices at YoYo Day Care around the same time, learning incense-making from Lain and Yashushi. After Yashushi left, they both continued their training under Lain.


    After such a long period of learning, both Kano and Seien were now able to make incense independently. The sry for an incense maker wasn''t low, so Kano had be capable of supporting Shuuya on her own. She rented a house and took Shuuya out of the orphanage.


    However, both siblings were deeply grateful for the orphanage''s help. Since Kano was often too busy and hardly had time to return to Forest Home, Shuuya would frequently take time to go back, helping Director Kawahara with household chores and taking care of the children on behalf of himself and his sister.


    Recently, Shuuya had been thinking about finding a job. He was no longer a child and didn''t want to keep relying on his sister to support him. He wanted to help bear some of the responsibilities and take care of her.


    For this reason, bing a Trainer was never on his radar. First, he was already past the age of ten, and second, bing a Trainer wasn''t something that could be aplished quickly. He couldn''t let his sister continue to bear the burden for an extended period.


    Cheren and Shuuya talked for a long time. Through their conversation, Cheren learned that Shuuya''s sister worked at YoYo Day Care, he learned more about Forest Home, and also heard a lot about Yuga.


    Shuuya greatly admired and appreciated Yuga. It was Yuga who gave his sister a job and made sure that the children at Forest Home were well taken care of. When he spoke about Yuga, Shuuya became animated, forgetting his usual shyness around strangers.


    Through Shuuya''s words, Cheren began to see Yuga in a new light, different from the public rumors.


    In the outside world, Yuga had many prestigious titles: a genius Trainer on par with Steven, Wace, and Cynthia; a Hall of Fame Trainer in the Hoenn League; the disciple of a master-level Trainer; the mysterious Trainer who defeated Rayquaza. Any one of these titles was enough to make someone famous.


    But these titles'' significance was limited to just that��titles.


    To the people of Verdanturf Town, however, Yuga was not just a respected Gym Leader but a hero who had transformed their once poor town into a prosperous tourist destination.


    Whether it was promoting specialty agriculture in Verdanturf, selling specially bred Grass-type Pok��mon from YoYo Day Care to local farmers at low prices, securing substantial investment and development from the Devon Corporation, gaining League support for town development policies, or introducing the Sunflora Generator that brought energy independence to Verdanturf��each and every one of these aplishments was tied to Yuga.


    It could be said that Verdanturf Town''s sess today was inseparably linked to Yuga''s vital role.


    These were things that would never be mentioned in the rumors from the outside world, nor could they be.


    At that moment, Cheren felt a deep sense of admiration for Yuga��not just as a top-tier Trainer but as a Gym Leader worthy of genuine respect.


    When Cheren had first received the notification from the League appointing him as the Gym Leader of Aspertia City, he had felt lost. Even up until today, he still doubted whether he was truly capable of fulfilling the role of a Gym Leader.


    But after hearing Yuga''s story, the image of what a Gym Leader should be suddenly became much fuller and more vivid in his mind.


    Cheren thought a Gym Leader should be like Yuga��not only responsible for guiding rookie Trainers but also for driving the economic development of their region, ensuring that the people under their care could live prosperous, happy lives.


    One day, I want to be a Gym Leader like Gym Leader Shimizu! Cheren silently vowed to himself. Even if I can''t reach his level, I''ll still make sure not to fall short!


    If Yuga had known what Cheren was thinking at that moment, he would have burst outughing.


    He was nowhere near as noble as Cheren imagined. The reason he had pushed so hard for Verdanturf Town''s development was purely for the sake of YoYo Day Care. Only if Verdanturf Town thrived could YoYo Day Care grow stronger, gain more fame, and attract more business.


    For now, everything was going smoothly!


    After finishing his conversation with Shuuya, Cheren asked, "Would you like to sit in on my lesson? It''s quite interesting."


    Having spoken with Cheren for a while, Shuuya was no longer as reserved, but he still stammered, "I think... I''ll pass."


    Hearing this, Cheren didn''t push him.


    The ss resumed, and as Shuuya collected the teacups from the tables and left the room, he nced back at the children in the ssroom. A flicker of envy shed in his eyes.


    Meanwhile, aboard the submarine following Shep''s family out to sea, the crew under the ck Leader suddenly felt a jolt. One of his subordinates rushed over in a panic and reported, "Leader, something''s wrong! The submarine is ascending uncontrobly, and we can''t stop it!"


    The ck Leader bellowed angrily, "Useless fools! Go find out what''s happening! What good are you?"


    Soon, the cause was discovered, and the subordinate came back to report.


    "Leader, our submarine is being pulled upward by a powerful psychic force! We don''t know where it''sing from!"


    "Idiots!" the ck Leader cursed again, then quickly ran toward the control room.


    But it was already toote. Under the force of the immense psychic power, the entire submarine was dragged to the surface, followed by a violent explosion.


    The submarine had been attacked!

 Chapter 1122: The Void Black Leaders

    <h4>Chapter 1122: The Void ck Leaders</h4>


    To understand what was happening outside, the ck Leader ordered his men to open the submarine hatch.


    Upon stepping outside, the ck Leader saw a calm sea with a Suicune standing majestically atop the water. Without a doubt, this Suicune was the one that had just attacked the submarine, using its psychic power to pull the vessel to the surface.


    The ck Leader noticed that as soon as he appeared, Suicune locked its gaze onto him, while his subordinates seemed as insignificant as flowers and grass by the roadside, not worth a second thought.


    Suicune''s target was solely him!


    The moment their eyes met, the ck Leader quickly grabbed one of his subordinates and shoved him in front of himself. In the next instant, a beam of icy blue light pierced through the subordinate''s chest.


    Seeing this scene, the ck Leader felt a rush of fear. He hurriedly pushed away the lifeless body of his subordinate and shouted at the others, "What are you standing around for? Stop it!"


    "Y-yes!"


    His subordinates quicklyplied and released their Pok��mon.


    The ck Leader had brought along elite members who specialized inmanding Water-type Pok��mon. Soon, Suicune was surrounded by a throng of Water-type Pok��mon.


    With no intention of lingering, as soon as Suicune was encircled, the ck Leader stealthily released a Walrein, preparing to escape.


    The ck Leader also had a Suicune in his possession, but it was just a clone andcked the stamina for a prolonged battle. He wasn''t foolish enough to pit it against the real Suicune; that would be akin to seeking death.


    Moreover, the cost of cloning a Suicune was exorbitant, and the organization didn''t have the luxury to waste resources on him.


    He also knew that Suicune''s pursuit of him was likely linked to the cloned Suicune; the dignity of legendary Pok��mon was not to be trifled with!


    At this moment, the ck Leader was unaware that the base within their organization that specialized in providing him with cloned Pok��mon had already been destroyed, and even the researchers behind the clones had fallen to Suicune''s wrath.


    There were too many Water-type Pok��mon attacking Suicune, and by the time it dispatched those surrounding it, the ck Leader had long since vanished.


    Suicune stood on the surface of the sea, eyes closed, attempting to use its innate ability to locate the ck Leader. Known as the embodiment of the north wind, Suicune couldmand the winds over the sea to be its eyes whenever it wished. This was also why it could effortlessly track the ck Leader and his crew.


    However, this time it miscalcted!


    The ck Leader, having escaped on a Walrein, pulled out a locator device from his pocket and discovered that he was not far from the submarine belonging to Shep''s family. He decided to pursue it.


    Their submarine had been destroyed by Suicune, and in this vast ocean, the ck Leader was unable to discern his bearings. Following Shep''s family''s submarine was the wisest choice. Otherwise, relying solely on a Walrein, he would likely be worn out before even finding the coast.


    Meanwhile, Suicune, unable to find the ck Leader, was about to leave when it turned and collided face-to-face with Gon and Hill, who had been following it.


    Suicune had no intention of acknowledging them and was about to turn away when Gon called out to it.


    "Suicune, if you want to find that person, I can help you!"


    While Suicune was battling, Gon had secretly ced a psychic seed on the fleeing ck Leader. As long as they weren''t too far apart, Gon could sense his location.


    Gon and Hill had managed to follow Suicune without being detected, thanks to Gon''s powerful psychic ability, which shielded Suicune''s perception. This demonstrated the strength of Gon''s psychic powers!


    Gon''s words sessfully made Suicune stop in its tracks. It watched Gon and Hill warily, unable to understand what these two humans intended.


    Noticing Suicune''s wariness towards them, Gon removed his cloak and performed a Buddhist greeting towards Suicune, saying, "We are monks from Johto''s Bell Tower, and our only purpose is to assist you!"


    Upon hearing Gon''s words, Suicune suddenly realized they were monks from Bell Tower! Bell Tower is the human organization most closely rted to Ho-Oh and the three Legendary Beasts.


    After contemting for a moment, Suicune nodded to Gon, indicating its agreement to ept their help.


    "Please wait a moment!" Gon said happily, then released an kazam.


    This kazam was Gon''s initial Pok��mon, having evolved from Abra that had actively followed him. Although it wasn''t Gon''s strongest Pok��mon, it was the one he worked most harmoniously with.


    "kazam, I''m counting on you!" Gon said to kazam.


    kazam nodded in understanding, its eyes shing with purple light.


    At the same time, the same phenomenon appeared in Gon''s eyes. A special link formed between the psychic powers of the two, and their auras almost fused into one.


    The psychic link significantly enhanced Gon and kazam''s perception. A few minutester, Gon spoke up, "I''ve sensed the other party''s location. Let me guide you."


    Suicune nodded in agreement, and after a moment of thought, it lowered its body, signaling Gon to ride on its back, allowing for greater speed.


    Though surprised by the original Suicune''s actions, Gon obediently climbed on. Seeing this, Hill also attempted to mount but was ruthlessly rejected by Suicune.


    Who do you think I am, to allow just anyone to ride me?


    "Holy Son..."


    Hill looked troubled. His duty was to protect and take care of the Holy Son; if Suicune refused to let him apany them, wouldn''t that render him ineffective?


    Gon, feeling helpless, said, "Uncle Hill, you should return to Lilycove City and wait for me. With Suicune by my side, I won''t be in any danger!"


    Upon hearing this, Hill could onlyply. He couldn''t oppose Gon''s decision to help Suicune.


    On a solitary ind in the sea.


    After traveling for a day at sea, Shep''s family found a small ind to rest for the night before continuing their journey.


    In the evening, as they cheerfully prepared dinner by the seaside, a man wearing a ck mask slowly approached on a Walrein.


    "Who are you?"


    Seeing the suspicious figure suddenly appear, Jack immediately stood up, his face filled with vignce as he barked a reprimand.


    "Hehe..."


    The ck Leader let out a strangeugh andmanded the Walrein to attack Jack.


    Just moments ago, the ck Leader had been listening to Shep''s family''s joyfulughter and watching them enjoy their meal. He suddenly decided to abandon his n of trailing them and instead aimed to directly kidnap them to lead him to the Temple of the Sea.


    Being alone at sea, starving and freezing was not the way a leader of the Heaven Organization operated!


    A blue beam of light shot straight at Jack but was blocked by a Floatzel that leaped out from the side, using its aqua tail to shield Jack.


    "Enemy attack!"


    Jack yelled, and the members of Shep''s family, who had been enjoying their meal, immediately entered a state of readiness, releasing their Pok��mon. Even Max let out his Amaura, which couldn''t exactly be considered abatant.


    "I advise you to surrender quietly," the ck Leader said with a strangeugh.


    "Who are you? What is your purpose?" Jack asked seriously.


    "I know who he is; he''s from the Heaven Organization!"


    May''s voice suddenly rang out, directly exposing the identity of the ck Leader. She and Ilima had been kidnapped by the Heaven Organization before, so she was particrly familiar with them.


    Moreover, this masked man was someone May had seen before.


    "Heaven Organization?" At this moment, Jack had already confirmed the other party''s purpose for being there.


    "Oh, so there are people who know about us!" the ck Leader said in surprise. "Looks like we''re quite famous!"


    Seeing that the masked man didn''t recognize her, May found it a bit strange; they had met before. After she and Ilima were captured by the Heaven Organization, it was this masked man who led the rescue. He shouldn''t have forgotten her so easily.


    Due to Yuga''s involvement, that kidnapping attempt by the Heaven Organization had failed. Logically, the other party should have a stronger impression of her from a failed mission.


    In fact, it wasn''t surprising that the ck Leader didn''t recognize May, as he was just one of many cloned ck Leaders. Whenever one ck Leader died, a new one would immediately take his ce.


    Everything about this new ck Leader, including his memories, was under the control of the White Leader. If the White Leader didn''t want him to remember the failure of that kidnapping, then the ck Leader wouldn''t have that memory.


    It was a pity that the ck Leader mistakenly believed he was the true power behind the Heaven Organization, while his brother, the White Leader, was merely his subordinate.


    In reality, what he saw of the Heaven Organization was exactly what the White Leader wanted him to see. The true nature of the Heaven Organization and its background waspletely hidden from him.


    The cloned Pok��mon the ck Leader used and the organization''sboratories were all managed by the White Leader. If the ck Leader showed any signs of rebellion, he would be immediately dealt with. The ck Leader before May and the others was the thirteenth; the one who had rescued them from the kidnapping was the eleventh.


    Why did the ck Leader always use cloned Pok��mon instead of training his own? Because it was unnecessary; who knew how long each new ck Leader would live?


    If he trained his own Pok��mon, the sensitive creatures would inevitably sense that their master had changed. Once or twice might be overlooked, but after multiple instances, it would be impossible not to notice.


    The purpose of the cloningboratories in the Heaven Organization was twofold: first, to replicate the cloned ck Leader, and second, to provide cloned Pok��mon for the cloned ck Leader.


    Beyond that, there was no other use!


    Why did the White Leader go to such lengths to keep the ck Leader��a person who no longer existed��alive? Only he knew the answer to that.


    "Hmph... Even if you know my identity, it won''t help you at all!" After saying this, the ck Leader once againmanded the Walrein to attack Jack.


    However, Shep''s family and May would not allow the ck Leader to attack Jack unimpeded. Under theirmand, each of their Pok��mon unleashed their skills in retaliation.


    The Walrein managed to block most of the attacks, but Jack''s Floatzel hit a vital spot with a Water Gun, causing it to fall lifelessly to the side.


    As a ranger, Jack didn''t have many Pok��mon, but each one was an elite.


    The ck Leader, ustomed to using the cloned Pok��mon provided by the organization, felt somewhat outmatchedmanding a regr Walrein. He looked at the fallen Walreinand sneered.


    "I didn''t expect to underestimate you!"


    Saying this, he released another Pok��mon, this time an Aegish.


    If Yuga were here at this moment, he would certainly recognize that the scars on Aegish''s shield were identical to the treasures stolen by Ariana from Lawrence III.


    The strength of Aegish waspletely unmatched by the Walrein from before; it quickly dispatched Jack''s Pok��mon and those of Shep''s family.


    After defeating all the Pok��mon of Shep''s family, Jack, and May, the ck Leader found some ropes from the submarine and proceeded to tie them up one by one.


    "This little guy is Manaphy? It looks pretty good!"


    Pulling Manaphy away from May''s arms, the ck Leader looked at it with a gaze full of interest.


    "Wah wah wah..."


    Separated forcefully from May, Manaphy began to cry loudly. Being just a few days old, it had no ability to resist the ck Leader.


    The ck Leader, who had been in a good mood, found himself increasingly irritated by Manaphy''s cries; the once-cute Manaphy suddenly became repulsive in his eyes!


    His good mood vanished in an instant. The ck Leader spoke in a deep voice to Aegish beside him, "Make it quiet!"


    Upon hearing this, Aegish delivered a swift strike to Manaphy''s vital points, and it instantly fell silent. If it weren''t necessary to keep Manaphy to find the Temple of the Sea...


    "Manaphy!" Seeing Manaphy lose consciousness, May immediately called out in worry, but the ck Leader didn''t even spare her a nce as he walked away with Manaphy.


    Whenever the ck Leader was in a bad mood, he wanted to cause trouble. He looked at the Pok��mon lying on the ground and decided to kill them all, thinking they were useless anyway. Having those few people and Manaphy was enough.


    "Aegish,e here and take care of all these!" The ck Leader pointed at the fallen Pok��mon on the ground.


    "No!"


    Upon hearing the ck Leader''s words, May and the others were furious, ring at him with righteous indignation. The youngest among them, Max, was so frightened that he began to cry.


    But the ck Leader couldn''t care less about May and the others'' feelings.


    Just as Aegish raised its sword to strike at Max''s Amaura, a Water Gun suddenly appeared and knocked Aegish flying.


    With a loud thud, Aegish crashed to the ground, enveloped in ck mist. Only a shield and a sword remained at the spot, with no signs of life left.


    Aegish was a cloned Pok��mon, and its lifespan was already extremely short. Now, after taking such a powerful blow, it had lost all signs of life.


    Seeing the Suicune that suddenly appeared before him, the ck Leader''s brows furrowed in disbelief.


    This shouldn''t have happened! After cloning the Suicune, the Heaven Organization had gained an in-depth understanding of its abilities and had methods to counter its pursuit. Why had they failed?


    Could it be ineffective? After all, it was their first time using it. The ck Leader began to wonder if he had been fooled by that damn doctor!


    Or could it be because of that little monk?


    The ck Leader''s gaze fell on Gon, who was on the back of the Suicune, and the kazam floating beside him.


    "Truly relentless!"


    The ck Leader cursed silently and began to pull out Pok�� Balls. Six more Aegish identical to the previous one appeared before him.


    Looking at the Aegish blocking his way, the ck Leader felt a pang in his heart. If these Aegish were taken out, the organization wouldn''t be able to provide him with a team of simr strength for at least a year.


    Yet the ck Leader couldn''t shake off the feeling that something was off. Logically, the organization shouldn''t be this poor!


    If the ck Leader at that moment had the memories of the eleventh ck Leader, he wouldn''t have found it strange at all. That''s because arge sum of money had been spent to clone the Aerodactyl, Archeops, and a Suicune, all of which had been dealt with by Yuga under the eleventh ck Leader''smand!

 Chapter 1123: The Void Black Leaders

    <h4>Chapter 1123: The Void ck Leaders</h4>


    To understand what was happening outside, the ck Leader ordered his men to open the submarine hatch.


    Upon stepping outside, the ck Leader saw a calm sea with a Suicune standing majestically atop the water. Without a doubt, this Suicune was the one that had just attacked the submarine, using its psychic power to pull the vessel to the surface.


    The ck Leader noticed that as soon as he appeared, Suicune locked its gaze onto him, while his subordinates seemed as insignificant as flowers and grass by the roadside, not worth a second thought.


    Suicune''s target was solely him!


    The moment their eyes met, the ck Leader quickly grabbed one of his subordinates and shoved him in front of himself. In the next instant, a beam of icy blue light pierced through the subordinate''s chest.


    Seeing this scene, the ck Leader felt a rush of fear. He hurriedly pushed away the lifeless body of his subordinate and shouted at the others, "What are you standing around for? Stop it!"


    "Y-yes!"


    His subordinates quicklyplied and released their Pok��mon.


    The ck Leader had brought along elite members who specialized inmanding Water-type Pok��mon. Soon, Suicune was surrounded by a throng of Water-type Pok��mon.


    With no intention of lingering, as soon as Suicune was encircled, the ck Leader stealthily released a Walrein, preparing to escape.


    The ck Leader also had a Suicune in his possession, but it was just a clone andcked the stamina for a prolonged battle. He wasn''t foolish enough to pit it against the real Suicune; that would be akin to seeking death.


    Moreover, the cost of cloning a Suicune was exorbitant, and the organization didn''t have the luxury to waste resources on him.


    He also knew that Suicune''s pursuit of him was likely linked to the cloned Suicune; the dignity of legendary Pok��mon was not to be trifled with!


    At this moment, the ck Leader was unaware that the base within their organization that specialized in providing him with cloned Pok��mon had already been destroyed, and even the researchers behind the clones had fallen to Suicune''s wrath.


    There were too many Water-type Pok��mon attacking Suicune, and by the time it dispatched those surrounding it, the ck Leader had long since vanished.


    Suicune stood on the surface of the sea, eyes closed, attempting to use its innate ability to locate the ck Leader. Known as the embodiment of the north wind, Suicune couldmand the winds over the sea to be its eyes whenever it wished. This was also why it could effortlessly track the ck Leader and his crew.


    However, this time it miscalcted!


    The ck Leader, having escaped on a Walrein, pulled out a locator device from his pocket and discovered that he was not far from the submarine belonging to Shep''s family. He decided to pursue it.


    Their submarine had been destroyed by Suicune, and in this vast ocean, the ck Leader was unable to discern his bearings. Following Shep''s family''s submarine was the wisest choice. Otherwise, relying solely on a Walrein, he would likely be worn out before even finding the coast.


    Meanwhile, Suicune, unable to find the ck Leader, was about to leave when it turned and collided face-to-face with Gon and Hill, who had been following it.


    Suicune had no intention of acknowledging them and was about to turn away when Gon called out to it.


    "Suicune, if you want to find that person, I can help you!"


    While Suicune was battling, Gon had secretly ced a psychic seed on the fleeing ck Leader. As long as they weren''t too far apart, Gon could sense his location.


    Gon and Hill had managed to follow Suicune without being detected, thanks to Gon''s powerful psychic ability, which shielded Suicune''s perception. This demonstrated the strength of Gon''s psychic powers!


    Gon''s words sessfully made Suicune stop in its tracks. It watched Gon and Hill warily, unable to understand what these two humans intended.


    Noticing Suicune''s wariness towards them, Gon removed his cloak and performed a Buddhist greeting towards Suicune, saying, "We are monks from Johto''s Bell Tower, and our only purpose is to assist you!"


    Upon hearing Gon''s words, Suicune suddenly realized they were monks from Bell Tower! Bell Tower is the human organization most closely rted to Ho-Oh and the three Legendary Beasts.


    After contemting for a moment, Suicune nodded to Gon, indicating its agreement to ept their help.


    "Please wait a moment!" Gon said happily, then released an kazam.


    This kazam was Gon''s initial Pok��mon, having evolved from Abra that had actively followed him. Although it wasn''t Gon''s strongest Pok��mon, it was the one he worked most harmoniously with.


    "kazam, I''m counting on you!" Gon said to kazam.


    kazam nodded in understanding, its eyes shing with purple light.


    At the same time, the same phenomenon appeared in Gon''s eyes. A special link formed between the psychic powers of the two, and their auras almost fused into one.


    The psychic link significantly enhanced Gon and kazam''s perception. A few minutester, Gon spoke up, "I''ve sensed the other party''s location. Let me guide you."


    Suicune nodded in agreement, and after a moment of thought, it lowered its body, signaling Gon to ride on its back, allowing for greater speed.


    Though surprised by the original Suicune''s actions, Gon obediently climbed on. Seeing this, Hill also attempted to mount but was ruthlessly rejected by Suicune.


    Who do you think I am, to allow just anyone to ride me?


    "Holy Son..."


    Hill looked troubled. His duty was to protect and take care of the Holy Son; if Suicune refused to let him apany them, wouldn''t that render him ineffective?


    Gon, feeling helpless, said, "Uncle Hill, you should return to Lilycove City and wait for me. With Suicune by my side, I won''t be in any danger!"


    Upon hearing this, Hill could onlyply. He couldn''t oppose Gon''s decision to help Suicune.


    On a solitary ind in the sea.


    After traveling for a day at sea, Shep''s family found a small ind to rest for the night before continuing their journey.


    In the evening, as they cheerfully prepared dinner by the seaside, a man wearing a ck mask slowly approached on a Walrein.


    "Who are you?"


    Seeing the suspicious figure suddenly appear, Jack immediately stood up, his face filled with vignce as he barked a reprimand.


    "Hehe..."


    The ck Leader let out a strangeugh andmanded the Walrein to attack Jack.


    Just moments ago, the ck Leader had been listening to Shep''s family''s joyfulughter and watching them enjoy their meal. He suddenly decided to abandon his n of trailing them and instead aimed to directly kidnap them to lead him to the Temple of the Sea.


    Being alone at sea, starving and freezing was not the way a leader of the Heaven Organization operated!


    A blue beam of light shot straight at Jack but was blocked by a Floatzel that leaped out from the side, using its aqua tail to shield Jack.


    "Enemy attack!"


    Jack yelled, and the members of Shep''s family, who had been enjoying their meal, immediately entered a state of readiness, releasing their Pok��mon. Even Max let out his Amaura, which couldn''t exactly be considered abatant.


    "I advise you to surrender quietly," the ck Leader said with a strangeugh.


    "Who are you? What is your purpose?" Jack asked seriously.


    "I know who he is; he''s from the Heaven Organization!"


    May''s voice suddenly rang out, directly exposing the identity of the ck Leader. She and Ilima had been kidnapped by the Heaven Organization before, so she was particrly familiar with them.


    Moreover, this masked man was someone May had seen before.


    "Heaven Organization?" At this moment, Jack had already confirmed the other party''s purpose for being there.


    "Oh, so there are people who know about us!" the ck Leader said in surprise. "Looks like we''re quite famous!"


    Seeing that the masked man didn''t recognize her, May found it a bit strange; they had met before. After she and Ilima were captured by the Heaven Organization, it was this masked man who led the rescue. He shouldn''t have forgotten her so easily.


    Due to Yuga''s involvement, that kidnapping attempt by the Heaven Organization had failed. Logically, the other party should have a stronger impression of her from a failed mission.


    In fact, it wasn''t surprising that the ck Leader didn''t recognize May, as he was just one of many cloned ck Leaders. Whenever one ck Leader died, a new one would immediately take his ce.


    Everything about this new ck Leader, including his memories, was under the control of the White Leader. If the White Leader didn''t want him to remember the failure of that kidnapping, then the ck Leader wouldn''t have that memory.


    It was a pity that the ck Leader mistakenly believed he was the true power behind the Heaven Organization, while his brother, the White Leader, was merely his subordinate.


    In reality, what he saw of the Heaven Organization was exactly what the White Leader wanted him to see. The true nature of the Heaven Organization and its background waspletely hidden from him.


    The cloned Pok��mon the ck Leader used and the organization''sboratories were all managed by the White Leader. If the ck Leader showed any signs of rebellion, he would be immediately dealt with. The ck Leader before May and the others was the thirteenth; the one who had rescued them from the kidnapping was the eleventh.


    Why did the ck Leader always use cloned Pok��mon instead of training his own? Because it was unnecessary; who knew how long each new ck Leader would live?


    If he trained his own Pok��mon, the sensitive creatures would inevitably sense that their master had changed. Once or twice might be overlooked, but after multiple instances, it would be impossible not to notice.


    The purpose of the cloningboratories in the Heaven Organization was twofold: first, to replicate the cloned ck Leader, and second, to provide cloned Pok��mon for the cloned ck Leader.


    Beyond that, there was no other use!


    Why did the White Leader go to such lengths to keep the ck Leader��a person who no longer existed��alive? Only he knew the answer to that.


    "Hmph... Even if you know my identity, it won''t help you at all!" After saying this, the ck Leader once againmanded the Walrein to attack Jack.


    However, Shep''s family and May would not allow the ck Leader to attack Jack unimpeded. Under theirmand, each of their Pok��mon unleashed their skills in retaliation.


    The Walrein managed to block most of the attacks, but Jack''s Floatzel hit a vital spot with a Water Gun, causing it to fall lifelessly to the side.


    As a ranger, Jack didn''t have many Pok��mon, but each one was an elite.


    The ck Leader, ustomed to using the cloned Pok��mon provided by the organization, felt somewhat outmatchedmanding a regr Walrein. He looked at the fallen Walreinand sneered.


    "I didn''t expect to underestimate you!"


    Saying this, he released another Pok��mon, this time an Aegish.


    If Yuga were here at this moment, he would certainly recognize that the scars on Aegish''s shield were identical to the treasures stolen by Ariana from Lawrence III.


    The strength of Aegish waspletely unmatched by the Walrein from before; it quickly dispatched Jack''s Pok��mon and those of Shep''s family.


    After defeating all the Pok��mon of Shep''s family, Jack, and May, the ck Leader found some ropes from the submarine and proceeded to tie them up one by one.


    "This little guy is Manaphy? It looks pretty good!"


    Pulling Manaphy away from May''s arms, the ck Leader looked at it with a gaze full of interest.


    "Wah wah wah..."


    Separated forcefully from May, Manaphy began to cry loudly. Being just a few days old, it had no ability to resist the ck Leader.


    The ck Leader, who had been in a good mood, found himself increasingly irritated by Manaphy''s cries; the once-cute Manaphy suddenly became repulsive in his eyes!


    His good mood vanished in an instant. The ck Leader spoke in a deep voice to Aegish beside him, "Make it quiet!"


    Upon hearing this, Aegish delivered a swift strike to Manaphy''s vital points, and it instantly fell silent. If it weren''t necessary to keep Manaphy to find the Temple of the Sea...


    "Manaphy!" Seeing Manaphy lose consciousness, May immediately called out in worry, but the ck Leader didn''t even spare her a nce as he walked away with Manaphy.


    Whenever the ck Leader was in a bad mood, he wanted to cause trouble. He looked at the Pok��mon lying on the ground and decided to kill them all, thinking they were useless anyway. Having those few people and Manaphy was enough.


    "Aegish,e here and take care of all these!" The ck Leader pointed at the fallen Pok��mon on the ground.


    "No!"


    Upon hearing the ck Leader''s words, May and the others were furious, ring at him with righteous indignation. The youngest among them, Max, was so frightened that he began to cry.


    But the ck Leader couldn''t care less about May and the others'' feelings.


    Just as Aegish raised its sword to strike at Max''s Amaura, a Water Gun suddenly appeared and knocked Aegish flying.


    With a loud thud, Aegish crashed to the ground, enveloped in ck mist. Only a shield and a sword remained at the spot, with no signs of life left.


    Aegish was a cloned Pok��mon, and its lifespan was already extremely short. Now, after taking such a powerful blow, it had lost all signs of life.


    Seeing the Suicune that suddenly appeared before him, the ck Leader''s brows furrowed in disbelief.


    This shouldn''t have happened! After cloning the Suicune, the Heaven Organization had gained an in-depth understanding of its abilities and had methods to counter its pursuit. Why had they failed?


    Could it be ineffective? After all, it was their first time using it. The ck Leader began to wonder if he had been fooled by that damn doctor!


    Or could it be because of that little monk?


    The ck Leader''s gaze fell on Gon, who was on the back of the Suicune, and the kazam floating beside him.


    "Truly relentless!"


    The ck Leader cursed silently and began to pull out Pok�� Balls. Six more Aegish identical to the previous one appeared before him.


    Looking at the Aegish blocking his way, the ck Leader felt a pang in his heart. If these Aegish were taken out, the organization wouldn''t be able to provide him with a team of simr strength for at least a year.


    Yet the ck Leader couldn''t shake off the feeling that something was off. Logically, the organization shouldn''t be this poor!


    If the ck Leader at that moment had the memories of the eleventh ck Leader, he wouldn''t have found it strange at all. That''s because arge sum of money had been spent to clone the Aerodactyl, Archeops, and a Suicune, all of which had been dealt with by Yuga under the eleventh ck Leader''smand!

 Chapter 1124: The Boy and the Black Leader’s Death

    <h4>Chapter 1124: The Boy and the ck Leader��s Death</h4>


    Six Aegish formed a ring around the Primordial Suicune, notunching any attacks but purely using their shield form to defense. No matter how hard Suicune tried, it couldn''t break through their defense.


    The Aegish were originally master-level Pok��mon, and although their abilities had diminished somewhat after being cloned, they remained formidable. Even though Suicune was a legendary beast, defeating them in a short amount of time would be no easy feat.


    Watching Suicune trapped within the Aegish''s encirclement, the ck Leader hesitated. He knew it was only a matter of time before Suicune broke through their defenses, especially given the short lifespan of the cloned Aegish.


    But should he flee? And what about the mission to the Temple of the Sea if he ran away?


    The ck Leader nced at the bounded Shep family and May, then at the unconscious Manaphy in his hands. Gritting his teeth, he thought, I''ll just take Manaphy and the girl. Forget the others!


    After monitoring the Marina Group for so long, the ck Leader already knew everything he needed. Since he couldn''t take everyone, he would focus on the key targets.


    With that in mind, the ck Leader approached May, reaching out to grab her.


    "What are you doing?"


    May backed away in fear, but the ck Leader yanked her toward him. Jack tried to intervene, but the ck Leader kicked him aside, and the tied-up Shep family could do nothing to help.


    After grabbing May, the ck Leader released a Skarmory and, with both May and the unconscious Manaphy in tow, mounted the bird. After Walrein had been defeated by Jack, Skarmory was the only usable Pok��mon he had left.


    "Where are you taking me? Let me go!" May struggled, refusing to get on the bird. Annoyed, the ck Leader grew frustrated.


    "Shut up!"


    Without patience, he knocked her out with a sharp blow, and May slumped weakly onto Skarmory''s back.


    "Sis! Sis! You bad guy, what did you do to my sister?" Max sobbed as he watched May copse.


    "Without us, you won''t find the Temple of the Sea, even if you take May and Manaphy!" Shep called out, trying to stop the ck Leader.


    "Hmph!" The ck Leader scoffed,pletely disregarding Shep''s words. To be safe, he also confiscated Jack''s Capture Styler. With few Pok��mon left at his disposal, a tool to control wild Pok��mon would be invaluable out at sea.


    As Skarmory took flight with the ck Leader and May, Gon, riding on Suicune, observed the scene and alerted Suicune. "Suicune, I''ll use Teleport with kazam to help you break through the encirclement. You stop that man from escaping with the hostages!"


    As soon as Gon finished speaking, Suicune, kazam, and Gon vanished, reappearing in front of the ck Leader. Without hesitation, Suicune unleashed a Hydro Pump toward Skarmory.


    Skarmory narrowly dodged the attack, and just as Suicune prepared to strike again, the ck Leader grabbed the unconscious May and shouted, "One more move, and I''ll snap this girl''s neck!"


    Hearing this, Suicune hesitated, the attack it had been charging dissipating. It had no qualms about striking down evildoers, but it couldn''t bring itself to risk the life of an innocent human.


    "Despicable!" Gon growled in anger.


    The ck Leader wasn''t fazed by Gon''s insult. He eyed Gon and kazam with hostility, feeling they were the ones preventing his escape. If not for them, he''d be long gone by now.


    In just a few moments, the six Aegish closed in again, trapping Suicune within their circle once more. Seeing this, the ck Leader was about to order Skarmory to leave.


    Just at that moment, the ck Leader suddenly felt himself bound by an invisible force. Skarmory pped its wings but couldn''t manage to fly away.


    Turning around, he saw that Gon and kazam''s eyes were glowing with intense purple light��it was their psychic powers holding him in ce!


    "You again, kid!"


    The ck Leader, enraged, pulled out a ck Pok�� Ball, releasing his final ace: the cloned Suicune. He had been reluctant to use it, knowing how difficult it would be to clone another, but now he had no choice.


    As soon as the cloned Suicune appeared, it joined the battle between the original Suicune and the Aegish. The Aegish handled defense while the cloned Suicune focused on offense.


    "Suicune, I suggest you stop resisting, or I''ll really have to harm this girl! And you, brat, let go of me right now!" The ck Leader tightened his grip on May''s neck, threatening the original Suicune.


    Hearing this, Gon and kazam reluctantly withdrew their psychic powers. A hint of fury flickered in Suicune''s normally calm eyes.


    Under the ck Leader''s hostage threat, Suicune found itself increasingly hampered in the fight. Eventually, it was gravely injured by a Psychic attack reflected back by the cloned Suicune''s Mirror Coat.


    Mirror Coat reflects special attacks with double the force, meaning Suicune had been struck by its own full-power attack at twice the strength.


    "Suicune! Are you alright?"


    Seeing Suicune injured, Gon anxiously asked.


    Suicune gave Gon a reassuring look before continuing to fight against the six Aegish and the cloned Suicune, despite its severe injuries.


    Watching Suicune wounded, the ck Leader sensed it was time to make his escape. If he waited until the cloned Suicune and Aegish''s lifespans ran out, he wasn''t sure if he could flee with just his Skarmory.


    Due to the ck Leader''s threats, Gon couldn''t make a move against him. He could only assist Suicune with kazam in fending off the cloned Suicune''s attacks. However, with limited strength, their efforts had little effect on the oue of the battle.


    Seeing the ck Leader preparing to leave again, Suicune shot a nce at Gon, signaling him to stop worrying about it and escape with kazam.


    But Gon misinterpreted Suicune''s intent, thinking it wanted him to track the ck Leader. So, he and kazam used Teleport to break free from the encirclement and pursued the ck Leader as he fled.


    Due to repeatedly using Teleport and assisting Suicune in its battle with the cloned Suicune, Gon and kazam''s psychic powers were severely drained. Unlike before, they couldn''t mask their presence as they tracked Suicune, and they were quickly spotted by the ck Leader.


    "You little brat! I may not be able to handle Suicune, but I can certainly take care of you!" The ck Leader ordered Skarmory to attack Gon, truly enraged by him.


    Fully aware of the ck Leader''s strength, Gon knew that even though the man only had Skarmory left, he couldn''t afford to be careless. He released all of his Pok��mon: kazam, Xatu, Raichu, Gade, Metagross, and Espeon. Together, they surrounded the ck Leader and Skarmory.


    With Gon''s psychic powers enhancing his six Psychic-type Pok��mon, theirbined mental pressure weighed heavily on the ck Leader and Skarmory, as if they had been caught in a swamp.


    "Skarmory... Skarmory..."


    Skarmory let out an unpleasant screech, struggling violently. Its excessive movements flung both the ck Leader and May off its back and into the sea.


    Now free from the burden of the ck Leader and May, Skarmory began to counterattack, pushing back against Gon and the six Psychic-type Pok��mon''s mental pressure.


    "Skarmory Skarmory ... Skarmory..."


    With all its strength, Skarmory pped its wings, releasing beams of silver light that shot toward the six Psychic-type Pok��mon surrounding it. Skarmory, being at a higher level than Gon''s Pok��mon and resistant to Psychic-type moves, sessfully broke free from their mental restraints using sh Cannon.


    Already mentally exhausted, Gon felt an intense headache from Skarmory''s counterattack. The strain of linking his mind with six Pok��mon at once was already overwhelming, and now, suffering bacsh, his psychic power spiraled out of control, sending him plummeting from the sky toward the ocean.


    As luck would have it, Gonnded directly on the ck Leader''s head, who was already struggling in the water. The impact knocked the ck Leader out, causing his ck mask to fall off his face.


    The psychic bacsh rendered Gon unconscious as well.


    However, in the moment before he passed out, a red me mark suddenly appeared on Gon''s once unmarked forehead. It was identical to the one Ho-oh had left there long ago.


    Back then, the me mark had vanished after Ho-oh restored Gon''s psychic abilities, but now it had reappeared!


    Due to the psychic bacsh, the six Pok��mon linked to Gon were also affected, causing them to falter under Skarmory''s assault. The strongest among them, Gade, took the brunt of the attack.


    One by one, Gon''s six Pok��mon were defeated by Skarmory. But Skarmory didn''t escape unscathed either��its steel body was covered in wounds.


    Fortunately for Skarmory, it wasn''t a cloned Pok��mon, or it would have suffered the same fate as the cloned Aegish from before.


    Exhausted, Skarmory picked up the unconscious May, ck Leader, and Manaphy, then decided to grab Gon as well. With them all secured on its back, it flew away, leaving the unconscious Pok��mon floating on the ocean surface.


    The six Pok��mon drifted along, with Metagross slowly sinking into the depths. Just then, a passing Wailord came by and, out of kindness, lifted them onto its back, even rescuing the sinking Metagross.


    After some time, the six Pok��mon woke up on Wailord''s back, realizing that it had saved them. They expressed their gratitude to Wailord.


    After some discussion, the Pok��mon decided that kazam would return to Lilycove City to seek help from Hill, while the other five stayed behind to search for the ck Leader and Gon.


    Meanwhile, the badly injured original Suicune had managed to oust the six Aegish and the cloned Suicune, eventually defeating them and rescuing the tied-up Shep''s family and Jack.


    However, just after saving them, Suicune copsed, and Jack hurried to administer first aid.


    As Skarmory flew over the ocean with the ck Leader, May, Gon, and Manaphy, it grew increasingly weary. It flew for an unknown amount of time before finally spotting a small ind. The moment itnded on the ind, Skarmory passed out.


    On the t sandy beach, a Skarmory, a middle-aged man, a young monk, a girl, and a Manaphyy silently as the wavespped at the shore, wetting their bodies.


    The ind was deste, with no signs of life except for the asional Krabby scuttling across the sand.


    After some time, a rustling sound came from the nearby bushes, followed by the appearance of a young boy, shirtless and wearing nothing but a grass skirt around his waist, apanied by a Croagunk.


    Seeing the people and Pok��mon lying on the beach, the boy and Croagunk were both shocked. After exchanging nces, they dragged everyone to shore.


    Before this, the ind had only been home to the boy and Croagunk, with no other living beings. The boy himself hadn''t been on the ind for long.


    The boy didn''t know who he was or where he came from. asionally, strange images shed in his mind, but he wasn''t sure if they were his memories or not.


    He had washed ashore on the ind atop some unknown object, and it was Croagunk who woke him up. Croagunk had lived alone on the ind, longing forpanionship, so it quickly became friends with the boy.


    After dragging the three people and two Pok��mon to the shelter he shared with Croagunk, the boy sat down on the ground, panting. He looked at the unconscious middle-aged man nearby and felt like he should know him because the man''s face sometimes appeared in the shes of memory in his head.


    Croagunk also examined the middle-aged man, noting how strikingly simr he looked to the boy��one youthful, the other aged.


    At that moment, the unconscious ck Leader suddenly opened his eyes. His expression was confused at first, but as soon as he got a clear look at the boy''s face, terror filled his eyes.


    He pointed at the boy in disbelief and asked, "Who... who are you?" Why do you look exactly like me when I was young?


    Before he could finish thest part of his question, the ck Leader clutched his head in agony, howling in pain. The sight of the boy''s face had caused his memories to spiral into chaos.


    The ck Leader''s memories all stemmed from a chip imnted in his brain. The boy''s appearance had thrown the chip into disarray, triggering memories that the White Leader had once erased.


    "Ahhh..."


    The ck Leader writhed on the ground, clutching his head in pain.


    "Who am I? Who are you? This can''t be... this can''t be happening!"


    The ck Leader''s wails grew louder and louder, frightening the boy, who instinctively stepped back. But just as the boy tried to retreat, the ck Leader suddenly fixed him with a murderous re.


    Ceasing his wailing, the ck Leader lunged at the boy, gripping his throat and shouting, "You shouldn''t exist! You must die! ... No, no, I shouldn''t exist either..."


    The boy''s face turned blue fromck of oxygen as the ck Leader squeezed his neck.


    To save his friend, Croagunk came up behind the ck Leader and struck him on the back of the head with a chop.


    Unbeknownst to Croagunk, its chopnded precisely where the memory chip had been imnted in the ck Leader''s brain. Already malfunctioning, the chip waspletely disconnected by the blow, and the ck Leader died instantly.


    He was dead!


    "Cough cough... Is he... is he dead?" the boy asked, gasping for air, his voice filled with fear.


    Croagunk didn''t know what had happened either. It hadn''t even used much force��so how could this person be dead?


    At the moment of the ck Leader''s death, far away at the headquarters of the Heaven Organization, the White Leader''s face suddenly changed dramatically. On the instrument panel in front of him, the light representing the ck Leader abruptly dimmed.


    Thirteen was dead?


    The White Leader didn''t really care whether Thirteen lived or died. If necessary, he could always activate Fourteen. But the memory chip inside Thirteen couldn''t be lost. Without it, wouldn''t his brother be lost forever?


    He could clone his brother''s body, but there was only one set of his memories!

 Chapter 1125: Chase and Escape

    <h4>Chapter 1125: Chase and Escape</h4>


    The death of the ck Leader infuriated the White Leader. Without hesitation, he boarded a flying craft and left the base of the Heaven Organization, heading straight for the location of the ck Leader.


    The memory chip imnted in the ck Leader Thirteen''s body not only stored memories but also served as a tracking device to ensure that the ck Leader''s clone remained under the White Leader''s control.


    Meanwhile, far away in Verdanturf Town, Yuga received a distress call from Hill.


    It turned out that after kazam painstakingly returned to Lilycove City to find Hill, it struggled tomunicate the current situation of Gon and exin what had happened with the ck Leader due to thenguage barrier.


    Then, kazam remembered Yuga, who couldmunicate with Pok��mon, so it urged Hill to ask Yuga for help. Still unaware that the ck Leader was dead, kazam believed that the ck Leader was too powerful for Hill to handle alone. But with Yuga''s powerful assistance, things would be different!


    kazam had considered seeking help from the Hoenn League, but contacting the League would require many formalities, wasting precious time. It decided it was quicker to go straight to Yuga for help.


    "Alright, I understand. I''ll head over immediately, wait for me!"


    After hanging up from the video call with kazam, Yuga immediately found his Dusknoir, and together they set off from Verdanturf Town on a ghost ship.


    As both the White Leader and Yuga rushed toward Lilycove City, Gon and May, who had been unconscious on the ind, woke up.


    The first thing May did upon waking up was to search for Manaphy. When she saw Manaphy lying not far away, she breathed a sigh of relief and rushed over to hold it in her arms.


    She checked Manaphy''s condition and found no injuries.


    "Who are you?"


    Gon positioned himself in front of May, his face full of wariness as he looked at the strange boy in front of them, who was half-naked and wearing a grass skirt. He was puzzled��he had passed out from psychic bacsh, but now he feltpletely refreshed, which was abnormal!


    Psychic bacsh was very serious for a psychic user. Sabrina had taught Gon about this when she was instructing him on how to use his psychic abilities.


    "I... I''m not... a bad... person. You... you passed out... on the beach. I... brought you... back..."


    The boy stammered, struggling to speak as if he wasn''t used to talking. His awkwardness made him seem less threatening, so Gon rxed slightly and asked in a calmer tone, "What''s your name? Where are we?"


    "No... no name," the boy shook his head. "I don''t... know this ce."


    No name? Gon was stunned.


    "Did you see anyone else?" May, who had been hiding behind Gon, couldn''t help but ask.


    Hearing this, the boy became conflicted. He guessed that the person May was referring to was the one identally killed by Croagunk. Believing that May and Gon were that person''spanions, he felt a deep sense of guilt.


    "Sorry... follow me," the boy apologized sadly, then motioned for May and Gon to follow him. Surprisingly, his speech was bing more fluent.


    In truth, the boy wasn''t incapable of talking; it was just that since waking up, he had only had Croagunk forpany. Talking felt strange at first, but as he continued, he became morefortable.


    Why did he say "sorry"? Both May and Gon had this thought in their minds as they quietly followed the boy.


    Led by the boy, they quickly saw the already dead ck Leader. His body was stiff.


    "Sorry... s-sorry. We... we identally... killed him."


    The boy apologized again. May and Gon were both clever and quickly figured out the reason behind his apology.


    Neither of them had expected that the ck Leader, who was so powerful and arrogant, would just... die like that. For a moment, they were filled withplex emotions.


    "It''s okay, that person was bad. You don''t need to me yourself." Seeing the boy''s guilty expression, May couldn''t help butfort him. After all, he had saved her and...


    May still didn''t know Gon''s name.


    "We should bury him. Leaving him like this isn''t right," Gon suddenly suggested.


    Gon''s proposal was immediately agreed upon by May and the boy. However, when Gon turned the ck Leader''s body over, the moment he saw the ck Leader''s face, he froze!


    He looked at the boy, then at the ck Leader. The two looked too much alike. One was young, the other old, but otherwise, they were looking very simr��even the mole on the right side of their nose was the same. To say they were unrted would be unbelievable!


    May also noticed the simrity and was about to say something, but Gon tugged at her sleeve, and with a meaningful look from Gon, she remained silent.


    Given the uncertainty of the situation, Gon decided to wait and observe before figuring out the rtionship between the boy and the ck Leader. May was sharp and quickly understood what Gon meant.


    So, neither May nor Gon mentioned the resemnce between the boy and the ck Leader.


    Soon, the three of them dug a hole and casually buried the ck Leader. As for the ck Leader''s heavily injured Skarmory, Gon used a Pok��ball he found on the ck Leader''s body to retrieve it.


    Afterward, Gon deliberately began to chat with the boy, trying to discover something from him.


    The boy was simple-minded. Almost everything Gon asked, he answered, although for most questions, the boy didn''t seem to know much. Still, he became more fluent as he spoke.


    Before long, Gon learned from the boy about their current situation and a rough idea of the boy''s own circumstances.


    They were on a small, isted ind. Besides the boy, there was also his Pok��monpanion. The boy had appeared on the ind not long ago, with no memory and no identity. He didn''t even know who he was.


    Meanwhile, May sat on the grass, holding the now-awake Manaphy andforting it. Gon continued talking to the boy, and at this moment, Croagunk returned with a bunch of wild fruits.


    The moment Gon saw Croagunk, he guessed that this must be the Pok��monpanion the boy had mentioned.


    "You... you''re back!" The boy was overjoyed to see Croagunk return. He immediately ran over to take the fruits from Croagunk''s arms.


    "Would you like to eat some?" The boy walked over to Gon and May, holding the fruits.


    Manaphy, who was already starving, grabbed a fruit from the boy and stuffed it into its mouth before May could stop it.


    "Let Manaphy eat," Gon said. Then he reached out and took some fruits the boy was offering. If the boy had intended to harm them, he would have done so while they were unconscious.


    Since they had no way of leaving the ind, it was important to maintain their strength.


    "We should eat too." Gon handed a fruit to May.


    May trusted Gon, and her stomach had been growling with hunger. She took the fruit and began to eat.


    Time passed quickly, and three days went by. During this time, May, Gon, and the boy got along quite well. The boy''s speech became much more fluent, and now he could speak almost as clearly as any ordinary person. Even his personality had be more lively.


    Both Gon and May noticed that the boy was genuinely simple-minded. He believed everything they said and didn''t even know many basic things. They weren''t sure if it was due to his amnesia or if he had always been this way.


    On the fourth day on the ind, Gon went out alone to look for food. He hadn''t gone far when he heard a loud rumbling overhead. Looking up, he saw a massive flying craft hovering above the ind.


    Seeing this, Gon immediately turned around and ran back. He even used teleportation once, which caused his already strained psychic abilities to start acting up again.


    Enduring the headache, Gon found May and Marlin.


    The name Marlin was given to the boy by Gon and May. After spending a few days together, they found it inconvenient that the boy didn''t have a name, so they decided to give him one. The boy also agreed to the name.


    At that moment, both May and Marlin noticed the flying craft hovering above the ind. Anxious, May asked, "Gon, what''s going on? Who are the people on that craft?"


    Gon shook his head and replied, "I don''t know. Let''s hide and see what happens." Although he hoped that the League hade to rescue them, he couldn''t forget the ever-present threat of the Heaven Organization lurking in the shadows.


    May, understanding Gon''s concerns, quickly grabbed Marlin and hid with him.


    The flying craft didn''tnd. From their hiding spot, Gon saw the hatch open, and a group of people in uniform riding flying Pok��mon emerged, surrounding a man wearing a white mask.


    The white mask was identical to the ck mask worn by the ck Leader (except for the color).


    It was indeed the Heaven Organization Gon''s worst fear hade true.


    About half an hourter, Gon saw a group of people carrying a stretcher. To his shock, the body on the stretcher was the ck Leader they had buried days ago.


    Gon regretted it now. He should have searched the ck Leader more thoroughly when he retrieved the Pok��ball for Skarmory.


    Although he did search, he hadn''t been thorough. He was sure the ck Leader had some kind of secret on him. Otherwise, the Heaven Organization wouldn''t go through so much trouble to retrieve the body.


    Unfortunately, with only a weakened Manaphy by their side, they could only watch helplessly as the Heaven Organization took the ck Leader''s body.


    Just as the White Leader was about to return to the flying craft with the body, he suddenly instructed his subordinates, "Search the entire ind."


    "Yes, sir!" The subordinates immediately returned to the ind on their flying Pok��mon.


    "Gon, what should we do? Will we be discovered?" May asked nervously, clutching Manaphy tightly. Even Manaphy seemed to understand the gravity of the situation and stayed quietly in her arms without moving.


    "Who are these people? Why are we hiding from them?" Marlin asked, confused. When he saw the White Leader, he felt a strange sensation. Despite the mask, he couldn''t shake the feeling that he knew him.


    "Everyone stay hidden and don''t move," Gon whispered, enduring the pain as he used his psychic powers to conceal their presence.


    Neither May nor Marlin noticed that the me-shaped mark on Gon''s forehead, which had previously faded, was now flickering again due to the psychic bacsh.


    Just then, as the White Leader hovered above on a Magnezone, gazing down at the ind, he suddenly noticed something. Pointing towards Gon and the others'' hiding spot, hemanded, "Magnezone, use Thunder!"


    Crackling electricity surged down toward Gon, May, and Marlin.


    "Run!" Gon shouted as the lightning struck. He quickly used his psychic power to form a purple barrier.


    May didn''t hesitate. She grabbed Marlin and started running.


    The electric attack hit the barrier Gon had raised, dissipating upon impact. Then, Gon took off running as well.


    "The three little mice were hiding here after all... Hmm?" The White Leader suddenly noticed Marlin, who was being pulled along by May. "I didn''t expect you to still be alive, let alone show up here. How surprising..."


    After muttering this to himself, the White Leader, riding on Magnezone, pursued the trio, asionallymanding Magnezone to fire off bolts of lightning. Most of these were blocked by Gon''s psychic powers.


    Watching the boy, who looked exactly like his brother in his youth, running frantically, the White Leader found it amusing, like a game of cat and mouse.


    The ind was small, and before they realized it, the three had been driven to the edge of the beach. There was no cover, and they were fully exposed to the White Leader.


    "Why aren''t you running? Aren''t you going to exin how my brother died?" the White Leader asked nonchntly, his gaze frequently drifting to Marlin, who was hiding behind Gon and May.


    So, the ck Leader was this man''s brother!


    May and Gon suddenly understood. As thepanion of the Croagunk who had identally killed the ck Leader, Marlin was trembling with fear, his hand instinctively clutching the Pok��ball at his waist.


    This ordinary red and white Pok��ball was the one Gon had found on the ck Leader. With May''s guidance, Marlin had learned how to use it.


    "Manaphy is here too, huh? Seems everything''s falling into ce without much effort!" the White Leader said, stepping off Magnezone and walking slowly towards them.


    Hearing this, May clutched Manaphy tightly in fear, and Manaphy, sensing the danger, held on tightly to May''s neck.


    "Don''te any closer!" Gon shouted, standing in front of May and Marlin. His eyes glowed with purple light, and it seemed like his psychic power could explode at any moment, threatening the White Leader to stay away.


    The White Leader, seeing Gon standing in front of Marlin, grew visibly impatient. Without hesitation, he ordered Magnezone to attack Gon.


    Purple psychic energy shed with golden lightning. Gon''s headache grew more intense, and the me-shaped mark on his forehead suddenly reappeared, then he copsed.


    Magnezone''s lightning tore through the psychic shield and exploded on the beach, scattering white sand everywhere. May quickly caught Gon as he fell.


    "Gon, are you okay?!"


    But no matter how much May called to him, Gon remained unconscious, his eyes closed tightly, while the me mark on his forehead glowed more brightly.


    "Manaphy!!!"


    Seeing the White Leader approaching and sensing May''s growing worry, Manaphy suddenly jumped forward, letting out a strange cry. Although the sound was childish, it was powerful and resonant.


    As the sound echoed, the sea suddenly began to churn, and arge number of Water-type Pok��mon appeared along the shore, surrounding the White Leader.


    Seeing the newly arrived Water-types, the White Leader sneered, "As expected of Manaphy, but unfortunately... it''s useless!"


    Indeed, although Manaphy had summoned arge number of Water-type Pok��mon, their strength wascking. The group consisted of Magikarp, Goldeen, Krabby, Corphish... Magnezone''s Thunderbolt could knock out arge portion of them in one shot.


    The main issue was that there were no high-level Water Pok��mon near this barren ind.


    Within moments, the White Leader had effortlessly dealt with those Water-type Pokemon. He then reached out to grab Manaphy.


    At that very moment, a flurry of Magical Leaf suddenly struck the sand at his feet. Had the White Leader not quickly retracted his hand, he would''ve been left as a one-armed man.

 Chapter 1126: The Past of Black and White

    <h4>Chapter 1126: The Past of ck and White</h4>


    Under attack, the White Leader looked up and saw a giant ck sailboat filled with an ominous aura that had appeared in the sky at some point. Standing at the bow of the ship was a young man apanied by a Florges.


    "Yuga Shimizu!" The White Leader frowned as he recognized Yuga''s identity.


    "Heaven Organization!" Yuga naturally recognized the two figures in the Heaven Organization known for their ck and white masks, and it was clear that the man in the white mask before him was the White Leader!


    "Brother Yuga!" The arrival of Yuga brought May to tears of joy; just moments ago, her heart had been racing.


    As soon as May''s words fell, several ghost-type Pok��mon suddenly appeared around her, lifting her, Gon, Marlin, and Manaphy onto the ship.


    Seeing this, the White Leader attempted to intervene, ordering his Magnezone to use Volt Tackle against the ghost-type Pok��mon. However, before the Volt Tackle could reach them, it was intercepted by Florges''s Moonlight.


    With Manaphy and Marlin intercepted, the White Leader was undeterred and continuedmanding his Magnezone to attack. Unfortunately, this Magnezone was typically used as a means of transportation,cking inbat strength, and was quickly taken care of by Florges.


    Retrieving his incapacitated Magnezone, the White Leader said in a deep voice, "Shimizu Yuga, hand over that boy on the ship to me, and I''ll leave right now. How does that sound?"


    Yuga turned his head to nce back at the unfamiliar Marlin behind him, realizing that the boy that the White Leader was referring to was him. He was puzzled as to why the White Leader had singled him out.


    Just then, May, who was supporting Gon, hurriedly said, "Brother Yuga, Marlin saved us; you must not listen to that person!"


    Yuga nodded at her words, then looked down at the White Leader, saying, "I think you might be mistaken about something. It''s not about whether you want to leave; it''s about whether I''m willing to let you to leave!"


    They were, after all, a Gym Leader of the League and the leader of a dark organization. Since they had encountered each other, it was impossible to act as if nothing had happened.


    "You... you''re truly arrogant!" The White Leader was furious, "Then don''t me me for being rude!"


    Saying this, he took out two Pok�� Balls, and soon, a Cacturne and a Zangoose appeared on the beach.


    "Cacturne, Energy Ball! Zangoose, Crush w!"


    Before Yuga could even use his Insight ability to check the data on the opposing Pok��mon, the attacks from Cacturne and Zangoose were alreadying.


    Zangoose moved with incredible speed; it was a melee-type Pok��mon. It first crouched on all fours, and then with a powerful push from its sturdy hind legs, it created several deep impressions in the soft sand beneath it.


    Then, Zangoose charged toward the ghost ship like a speeding cannonball. The ship wasn''t docked too high above the ground, so Zangoose easily leaped onto the ship''s side. Using the ship''s railing for leverage, it lunged toward Yuga, aiming its ws straight for his neck.


    Close behind Zangoose''s attack was an Energy Ball controlled by Cacturne, targeting Yuga as weel.


    As Zangoose''s ws were about to reach Yuga, Florges''s vine suddenly grabbed it, flinging it away and sweeping away the iing Energy Balls with it body.


    Boom!!!


    Zangoose crashed onto the beach, leaving a deep pit in the sand. However, the sand was soft, so Zangoose wasn''t hurt by the fall.


    Zangoose rose again from the deep pit, ignoring the injuries caused by the Energy Balls. Its cold expression showed no trace of emotion, as if it weren''t the one who had been injured.


    No wonder Zangoose had another nickname��Killer Rabbit. At that moment, Zangoose truly resembled a battle-hardened cold-blooded killer.


    Without needing to use his Insight skill, Yuga could tell that, in terms of speed, attack power, and explosive force, Zangoose had clearly reached the champion level.


    This forced Yuga to reassess the man before him; the League''s intelligence reports did not indicate that the White Leader of the Heaven Organization was a champion-level trainer.


    ording to the League''s information, the main figure of the Heaven Organization was the ck Leader, while the White Leader had rarely appeared in public, and his strength was presumed not to exceed that of the ck Leader.


    Yuga had dealt with the ck Leader before and was well aware that, aside from his expertise in cloning Pok��mon, his true abilities were rather limited. It now seemed that the League''s assumptions were evidently incorrect.


    The White Leader was not just a little stronger than the ck Leader!


    Yet, Yuga couldn''t understand why a seemingly champion-level trainer had remained obscure until now. Additionally, how could such a powerful trainer have fallen to the point of bing the leader of a dark organization?


    With these doubts in mind, Yuga took out the Pok�� Ball for his Lapras.


    Lapras slowly descended from the ghost ship and opened its mouth, firing a Water Gun toward Zangoose. However, nearby, Cacturne swiftly stepped in front of Zangoose to block the attack.


    The Water Gun engulfed Cacturne''s small body, yet it remained unscathed.


    The White Leader''s Cacturne had the ability Water Absorb, which meant that water-type moves not only didn''t damage it but also restored its health.


    After the Water Gun was blocked, Lapras immediately gave up on using any more water-type moves. An icy chill erupted from its body, and it attempted to unleash an ice-type one-hit knockout move��Absolute Zero!


    Crack... Crack...


    Blue ice spread across the beach, and in the blink of an eye, arge area centered around Lapras was frozen.


    Unfortunately, Absolute Zero had a low hit rate, and with Zangoose and Cacturne''s quick reflexes, Lapraspletely missed its mark. Even the White Leader had to be helped out of the attack range of Absolute Zero by Zangoose.


    However, just as Zangoose and Cacturne were breathing a sigh of relief for narrowly escaping, they suddenly realized that the sand beneath their feet had transformed into a patch of lush green grass without them noticing.


    The vibrant green grass suddenly sprang to life, crawling up their feet, shins, and then thighs...


    Snap!


    Zangoose''s w-like paws quickly severed the grass that had wrapped around it, cutting through the thick strands while also protecting the White Leader closely.


    Meanwhile, Cacturne utilized Spiky Shield, releasing sharp thorns from its body that instantly shredded the grass entangling it.


    Just as the two Pok��mon were caught up by Florges''s grassy terrain, Laprasunched another attack, firing two freezing beams of light toward Cacturne and Zangoose.


    Zangoose waved its paw to use Crush w to deflect Lapras''s freezing beams, but Cacturne was not so fortunate; it was encased in ice along with all its sharp thorns.


    As a grass-type Pok��mon, Cacturne was weak to ice-type moves, and given its already inferior strengthpared to Lapras, a single freezing beam was enough to render it immobile.


    Seeing Cacturne''s condition, Zangoose knew that victory was impossible today. It picked up the White Leader, mping him at its waist, ready to flee. Although the White Leader initially opposed the retreat, unwilling to leave without taking Marlin with him, the situation was beyond his control.


    He had no choice but to bow to the circumstances!


    But how could Florges allow them to leave? The grass grew wildly, and before Zangoose could take two steps, its feet were bound.


    Zangoose nced at Lapras, who was once again preparing a ice beam, and, gritting its teeth, threw the White Leader towards the sea.


    The ice beam arrived on schedule, and like Cacturne, Zangoose was encased in ice.


    As the White Leader fell towards the ocean, Yuga was just about tomand his ghost-type Pok��mon to retrieve him when an unexpected turn of events urred: a colossal Wailord suddenly leaped out of the sea, opening its massive jaws and swallowing the White Leader whole.


    What''s going on? Yuga was stunned!


    "Quickly search!" Yugamanded his ghost-type Pok��mon to search the surface of the water.


    At that moment, the ice encasing Zangoose unexpectedly cracked open, and as Zangoose broke free from the ice, countless vines ensnared it. It struggled to break free, but Florges would bind it again; it broke free once more, and she bound it again... until Zangoose was exhausted and copsed on the ground.


    Seeing this scene, Yuga couldn''t help but exim: "As expected of a champion-level Pok��mon!"


    The ghost-type Pok��mon had no sess searching the sea; the suddenly appearing Wailord seemed to have vanished just as quickly.


    Just then, Dusknoir returned with some of his subordinates. It turned out that Yuga had long since sent him to deal with the members of the Heaven Organization searching the deserted ind, including those guarding the aircraft.


    When Dusknoir returned, he also brought back a stretcher.


    When Yuga clearly saw the face of the corpse on the stretcher, his eyes widened in surprise.


    This is... Gillruta Rite?


    But wasn''t he supposed to have died during the Legendary Birds incident in the Orange Archipgo? His body was even found!


    This was reported in the news, and the Rite family suffered greatly because of it. So who is this corpse?


    Meanwhile, far away in the ocean, a giant Wailord swam freely. Inside its belly, in a room, the White Leader slowly opened his eyes, his signature white mask no longer on his face.


    If Yuga were here, he would certainly recognize that the person before him was the second young master of the Rite family, Milolovide, whom he had met before.


    "You''re awake!"


    A voice rang in Milolovide''s ear. He turned around to see Archie.


    "It''s you!" Milolovide replied indifferently, "When were you there?"


    You saved me, but you don''t even say thank you! Archie thought to himself, but his face was filled with a smile: "I just happened to pass by and saved you by chance."


    It was true that he was just passing by, but he had been there for a long time, watching the battle between Yuga and Milolovide. Until the end, he hesitated about whether to intervene and save him.


    This Wailord had been developed in coboration between Team Aqua and Team Rocket after their merger. The skin of the Wailord had been imnted with a special biological material, making it difficult to be detected when it submerged.


    A special space simr to that of a submarine had also been constructed inside its belly for people to move around.


    Considering Milolovide''s status in Team Rocket and fearing punishment from Giovanni, Archie reluctantly chose to intervene.


    That''s right; Milolovide was actually a member of Team Rocket as well. Now he had brought the entire Heaven Organization to join Team Rocket.


    Milolovide had joined Team Rocket a long time ago, but the Heaven Organization had previously been under the control of the Rite family. It took him over ten years to take full control of the organization himself.


    The previous exposure of the Heaven Organization and Gillruta''s reckless behavior in the Orange Archipgo were all intentional actions by Milolovide. His goal was to use the League''s power to weaken the Rite family''s influence and eliminate their supporters within the Heaven Organization.


    With the League''s cleanup, the Heaven Organization was nowpletely under his control, while the Rite family remainedpletely unaware. In fact, fearing that the League might trace back to the Heaven Organization and its ties to them, they chose to abandon the organization altogether.


    This perfectly aligned with Milolovide''s intentions!


    The members of the Rite family would never suspect that their second young master had personally uprooted their family''s minions Even the current leaders of the Rite family were secretly supported by Milolovide.


    Milolovide was an adopted son; he didn''t even carry the Rite surname! This was something Milolovide would always remember.


    Thinking about the memory chip and the waves left behind on the ind, Milolovide''s mood soured. With a nk expression, he said to Archie, "You can leave now; I want to be alone!"


    "Alright, I''ll head out then. Take care!"


    Archie said nothing more and walked out of the room. He actually didn''t want to take care of Milolovide and had no fondness for him at all.


    Very few people knew about Milolovide''s affiliation with Team Rocket; only he from Team Aqua was aware. He knew this was not someone to be trifled with.


    After Archie left, Milolovide sat alone on the bed, lost in thought. The thought of the missing memory chip made him extremely irritable, as if there was a surge of anger inside him that he couldn''t release.


    Gradually, Milolovide couldn''t help but fall into memories.


    When did he join the Rite family? Probably when he was five or six years old.


    Just as the rumors outside suggested, Milolovide was the adopted son of the head of the Rite family. He was adopted by Gillruta''s parent since he was child. He was originally the child of Gillruta''s parent subordinate, but after they passed away, he was taken in by the Rite family.


    Gillruta''s parents had always treated him "well," almost no differently than their biological son, Gillruta. To outsiders, Gillruta, who was nearly ten years older than him, seemed to treat him like a younger brother.


    Perhaps to outsiders, he should have been grateful to the Rite family!


    Back then, Gillruta was only a teenager, quite different from the lively ck Leader now. The real Gillruta was born weak, unable to even walk, spending his days in a wheelchair.


    Because of his physical condition, Gillruta''s parents spoiled him greatly. Soon after Milolovide arrived in the Rite family, he even discovered that Gillruta had been abusing small Pok��mon.


    The Rite couple not only failed to discourage him but even condoned his behavior. Eventually, Gillruta''s bad habits intensified, and he began to physically assault the family servants.


    Looking back now, Milolovide thought that if it weren''t for someone like Gillruta, he might not have encountered the leader of Team Rocket at that time, who was Giovanni''s mother.


    Milolovide joined Team Rocket a long time ago, even earlier than anyone assumed��back when Giovanni''s mother was still alive.


    This was a secret that only Giovanni knew within Team Rocket.

 Chapter 1127: Milolovid and Team Rocket

    <h4>Chapter 1127: Milolovid and Team Rocket</h4>


    By the time Milolovide was nearly ten years old, Gillruta''s violent tendencies had be increasingly severe. Hurting the servants around him no longer satisfied him, so he set his sights on Milolovide, who had always been by his side.


    Milolovide had been brought into the Rite family under the pretense of being apanion for Gillruta, as Gillruta was genuinely in poor health. At first, they were inseparable, spending nearly every day together.


    After discovering Gillruta''s habit of torturing small Pok��mon, Milolovide was constantly on edge whenever they were alone together.


    But every time, his adoptive parents would tearfully tell him that his brother was actually very kind, and that the reason for his behavior was because he was ill. They would plead with him not to distance himself from his brother and not to speak of what Gillruta was doing.


    Young Milolovide agreed.


    One time, Gillruta was thirsty, and a servant brought him a cup of tea. Displeased that it was too hot, he threw the scalding tea directly onto the servant''s face, causing the servant to scream in agony.


    After that day, Milolovide never saw that servant again, but Gillruta''s violent tendencies only grew worse. The servants attending to him were reced almost every one or two weeks.


    Young Milolovide witnessed someone being carried out, covered in blood. He often heard his adoptive parents crying in secret over these events, yet they never stopped their son''s behavior. Instead, they grew increasingly indulgent.


    Eventually, Gillruta turned his violence toward Milolovide.


    The first time it happened, Gillruta had been whipping a servant when he identally struck Milolovide. At that moment, Gillruta even apologized to him, his face full of guilt, putting on the appearance of a good brother.


    But after that incident, Gillruta seemed to find pleasure in it. He shifted his focus from the servants to his younger brother. For the first time, Milolovide was left with scars all over his body from being whipped.


    At the time, Milolovide was only eight years old.


    He cried and told his adoptive parents what had happened, hoping they would stop his brother. But they only hugged him tightly, crying, and then reminded him to "endure." His brother was just sick and didn''t mean it.


    Little Milolovide was chilled to the bone at that moment. He suddenly realized that in this house, he was no different from the servants.


    From then on, Milolovide was regrly injured��sometimes from being cut with a knife, sometimes from being burned, and other times from "identally" hitting himself. Every time he was hurt, his adoptive parents would tearfully apologize to him, but his situation never improved.


    In this way, Milolovide grew up, reaching the age of ten.


    Over the years, people on the outside would constantly say how lucky he was to have been adopted by the Rite family, to be treated as their own child by the Rite couple.


    On his tenth birthday, Milolovide received a birthday gift from the Rite couple��a Cyndaquil. Now that he was ten, he was eligible to be a Pok��mon Trainer.


    When he became a Trainer, he would leave this house and live on his own in the outside world.


    At the time, that was Milolovide''s biggest dream.


    He was thrilled and loved the Cyndaquil dearly, feeling like he finally had his first truepanion.


    With Cyndaquil by his side, Milolovide felt like a light had entered his dark life, and he started to smile more. Even on days when Gillruta beat him, he would still face Cyndaquil with a bright smile.


    He would tell Cyndaquil all the happy and unhappy things in his life.


    Cyndaquil was his most important and closestpanion.


    However, Gillruta''s health was worsening, and doctors even predicted that he wouldn''t live for many more years.


    When Milolovide heard this diagnosis, he felt a slight sense of joy deep inside. At that time, he was so young that he even felt guilty for having such a thought.


    Because of Gillruta''s condition, the Rite family sent him to a secluded manor outside Cdon City to rest. The only ones who apanied him were Milolovide and an old butler. The Rite couple, busy with family affairs, did not go with them.


    On the first day at the manor, Milolovide suddenly realized that his Cyndaquil was missing. He anxiously searched the entire manor, only to find the bloody corpse of his beloved Cyndaquil in Gillruta''s room.


    Later, he found out that on that day, Gillruta had learned that he didn''t have much time left to live, and in a fit of rage, Cyndaquil became his target to vent his anger.


    For the first time, Milolovide had the thought, "It would be better if my brother died soon."


    Holding Cyndaquil''s lifeless body, Milolovide sorrowfully went to the forest outside the manor, wanting to bury it there.


    It was also there that he encountered Togekiss.


    At the time, Togekiss was gravely injured, as it was being hunted by Team Rocket.


    After Togekiss left the Mirage Kingdom, it was soon captured by others. However, due to its overly proud and unruly nature, it was sold several times. After many changes of ownership, it was eventually sold to Team Rocket, bing one of the test subjects in theirboratory.


    At that point, Togekiss was already at a very high level; otherwise, it wouldn''t have been able to defeat the old Togekiss and seize thest perfect Shiny Stone of the Togepi tribe.


    However, no one could be its trainer. As a result, theboratory used it as a breeding tool, constantly forcing it toy eggs with other Pok��mon in the hopes of producing an outstanding offspring.


    From being the pride of its tribe to bing a heartless breeding tool, Togekiss''s sharp edges were gradually worn away, and it came to understand the harsh realities of the world. It even regretted not heeding the advice of the old tribe leader back then.


    One day, while theb staff wasn''t paying attention, it managed to escape. But due to its weakened state from being overused as a breeder, and the relentless pursuit by Team Rocket, it crashnded, severely injured, in the forest near the Rite family''s manor.


    Milolovide saved it.


    After rescuing Togekiss, Milolovide secretly hid it in the manor''s warehouse, but within a few days, Team Rocket found them.


    Because of this incident, Milolovide met Giovanni''s mother for the first time. Both he and Togekiss were secretly brought before the woman.


    She was incredibly beautiful. Milolovide thought he had never seen such a beautiful woman, but she was also ruthless, single-handedly controlling all of Team Rocket.


    At that time, Team Rocket wasn''t as powerful as it is now, but it was still a major organization in Kanto. Back then, there were several dark organizations like Team Rocket in Kanto, not like now, where Team Rocket dominates.


    Upon seeing Milolovide, the woman''s first words were, "Kid, do you want to join us?"


    Milolovide inexplicably agreed.


    Afterward, Milolovide was quietly returned to the manor, but from that point on, people would secretlye to the manor every day to teach him.


    Later, the woman asked Milolovide what he wanted his first Pok��mon to be. After thinking for a moment, he said Togekiss''s name, and thus, Togekiss became his first true Pok��mon as a trainer.


    At a very young age, Milolovide easily gained the recognition of Togekiss, which was already a high-level Pok��mon at the time.


    He told Togekiss that he could give it a better life, and in return, it would need to be his enforcer.


    It was a deal, and Togekiss, already tormented by its past, agreed!


    Later, the secret murder of Gillruta and the recement with a clone were all taught to him by that woman.


    At the time, Team Rocket was secretly working on a very important experiment��cloning Mew. Although progress in cloning Pok��mon was slow, the technology for cloning humans was highly advanced. It seemed that the mysteries hidden within Pok��mon bodies were far moreplex than those of humans.


    This created favorable conditions for recing the real Gillruta with the clone.


    However, before the Mew clone experiment could seed, that woman suddenly disappeared. No one knew where she went, or whether she was dead or alive.


    After the woman vanished, a twenty-year-old Giovanni took over Team Rocket, and Milolovide naturally became one of his people.


    When the young Giovanni took control of Team Rocket, Milolovide became his most trusted aide. Milolovide yed a crucial role in helping Team Rocket unify the dark forces of Kanto.


    Everyone in Team Rocket knew that there were four Executive Officers: Archer, Ariana, Proton, and Petrel. But what they didn''t know was that there was actually a fifth officer, hidden in the shadows��Milolovide!


    This fifth person had entered Team Rocket even earlier than the others and was Giovanni''s most trusted confidant.


    Even Archer and the others only knew that there was such a person in the organization, but they didn''t know who it was, and they had never met him.


    From the time Milolovide joined Team Rocket to the present, more than twenty years had passed.


    As the personnel within Team Rocket continued to change, and with Milolovide and Giovanni deliberately downying his presence, fewer and fewer people in Team Rocket knew about Milolovide''s existence.


    After withdrawing from Team Rocket, Milolovide shifted all his focus to the Rite family.


    Not only did he use the clone of Gillruta to create the illusion that he had found a way to heal the family heir, but he also secretly killed the Rite couple, making it appear to outsiders that they had died from illness.


    Compared to Gillruta, Milolovide hated the Rite couple, who had indulged him, even more!


    Thanks to his remarkable talents and the clone of Gillruta, who had inherited the position of the family head, Milolovide gradually took control of the real power within the Rite family and built an image of himself as the family''s guardian to the outside world.


    The Rite family was far from a clean entity��after all, they had secretly fostered the Heaven Organization as their pawns.


    The Rite family''s base was in Kanto, but the dark organization they had supported had always operated in Hoenn. Who would have thought there was a connection between the two!


    Over the years, Milolovide had quietly inserted his people into the Heaven Organization. Most of his former confidants from Team Rocket had been ced within the organization, gradually creating a situation where they took over the Heaven Organization from within.


    When Milolovide and the clone of Gillruta attacked the Seven Seas Trio, it was his first move to eliminate dissenters. By intentionally drawing the attention of the League and secretly feeding them information, the League had consecutively wiped out many members of the Heaven Organization.


    And these people were originally members of the Rite family. Once they were gone, Milolovide gained full control of the Heaven Organization.


    The pathetic members of the Rite family still thought the League targeting the Heaven Organization was just a coincidence. Once a glorious and prestigious family, the Rite family had now been toppled by Milolovide. All that was left were some worthless nobodies.


    Team Rocket''s ability to easily subdue Hoenn''s native force, Team Aqua, wasn''t just due to Ariana''s outstanding personal abilities��Milolovide and the Heaven Organization''s covert assistance were also crucial.


    After sitting quietly in the room for an unknown amount of time, Milolovide finally pulled himself out of his memories.


    When Archie came back to the room to bring him some food, Milolovide was already gone.


    "Damn that bad temper guy! I''ve taken care of him all this time, and I don''t even get a thank you!" Archie threw the food onto the table and then kicked the table over in frustration.


    But he only dared to grumble quietly��after all, Milolovide was his boss now!


    Originally, it was Ariana who was responsible for the joint affairs between Team Aqua and Team Rocket, but she had been reassigned, supposedly for an important mission. So now, all of Team Rocket''s operations in Hoenn were under Milolovide''s control.


    If the Heaven Organization hadn''t been fully subdued, Milolovide wouldn''t have been able to appear so casually, and Archie would never have known that such a person like Milolovide even existed within Team Rocket.


    On the other side, Yuga learned from Gon and May that the main goal of the White Leader this time was to retrieve the ck Leader''s corpse, which led him to fall into deep thought, just like Gon.


    There was something off about this body!


    "Dusknoir, could you please help me take a closer look at what''s going on with this corpse?"


    After searching Gillruta''s body and finding nothing suspicious, Yuga asked Dusknoir. Being a master-level Ghost-type Pok��mon, it had a much keener sensitivity to corpses than humans.


    "Dusknoir!"


    Dusknoir used its psychic powers to scan Gillruta''s body, repeatedly examining its condition.


    Looking at Gillruta''s body, Yuga couldn''t help but sink into contemtion. Since the ck Leader was Gillruta, then who was the White Leader?


    He couldn''t help but think of Milolovide, the second son of the Rite family.


    Could it be him?


    Yuga nced at Marlin sitting in one corner of the ghost ship and then at Gillruta''s corpse. Suddenly, a realization seemed to dawn on him.


    Cloning!


    Having dealt with Team Rocket many times, Yuga was no stranger to the technology of cloning.


    If both the Gillruta in front of him and Marlin were clones, then could there be a connection between the Heaven Organization and Team Rocket? Team Rocket''s gene research was highly advanced, capable of creating an artificial legendary Pok��mon like Mewtwo. Cloning a person would be a mere trifle for them.


    Thinking about the ck Leader''s endless stream of cloned Pok��mon, Yuga became more and more convinced of this idea.


    It had to be said��Yuga''s intuition was sharp!


    "Dusknoir!"


    At that moment, Dusknoir''s voice interrupted Yuga''s thoughts.


    It had just pulled out a small ck object, about the size of a fingernail, from the back of Gillruta''s head. It was covered in blood, looking quite disgusting!

 Chapter 1128: Departing for the Temple of the Sea

    <h4>Chapter 1128: Departing for the Temple of the Sea</h4>


    Yuga was unable to determine exactly what he found from Gillruta''s corpse, so he decided to hand it over to the League for processing.


    He tied up the members of the Heaven Organization he had captured from the isted ind onto the ghost ship, then contacted the investigation bureau to arrange a meeting ce. After setting up the meeting, he took May and the others to meet up with the Shep family.


    Before finding May and the others, Yuga and Hill first located the Shep family. Through the clues they provided, they found several scattered Pok��mon belonging to Gon, and then they sessfully located the isted ind and rescued May and Gon in time.


    As the ghost ship sailed toward the Shep family''s location, the unconscious Gon finally woke up groggily. Just like after his previous bout of unconsciousness, the bacsh from excessive use of psychic power had miraculously healed once more.


    However, neither Yuga nor May knew about Gon''s psychic bacsh; they only thought that he got psychical injury. So when Gon woke up, no one noticed anything unusual.


    After reuniting with the Shep family, Yuga nned to take them back to Lilycove City, where he had arranged to hand over the criminals with the search agency.


    As for Suicune, who had originally been with the Shep family, it had long since vanished. ording to the Shep family, Suicune''s injuries were quite serious, so worried about it, Gon and Hill directly said their goodbyes to Yuga.


    When Yuga and the others arrived in Lilycove City the people from the investigation bureau had already arrived first. The visitor was the deputy director of the investigation bureau.


    The structure of the search agency''s higher-ups was almost identical to that of the supervision bureau, with a director and four deputy directors. The one who came this time was one of the four deputy directors, named Himekawa, ranked sixth on the Hoenn Champion List.


    Because Yuga detailed the events of this incident and his suspicions over the phone, the investigation bureau took it very seriously and thus dispatched a deputy director.


    After arranging for the Shep family and May and Max to settle at the Pok��mon Center, Yuga boarded the ghost ship to meet the people from the investigation bureau on the beach west of Lilycove City.


    As he disembarked from the ghost ship, Yuga saw a neatly lined-up group of people by the seaside, with a flying vehicle parked nearby.


    The person in charge approached Yuga enthusiastically as soon as he saw him, shaking Yuga''s hand and happily saying, "I''ve long heard about the famous Gym Leader Shimizu, and today I''m finally fortunate enough to meet you."


    This person was Himekawa.


    Himekawa was nearly fifty years old and had gained fame within the League for many years, rising from a lowly position in the investigation bureau to the role of deputy director today. He was an idol in the hearts of a generation.


    He had a robust physique, towering a head above Yuga, who was already over 1.8 meters tall, creating a strong sense of pressure when he approached. However, his face had a somewhat silly look, which gave off the impression of a big, goofy guy. ording to Yuga, this person was very well-liked in the League.


    Yuga humbly replied, "Director Himekawa, you''re too kind. I have long admired your esteemed name!" Although Himekawa was merely the deputy director, Yuga wouldn''t foolishly include the "deputy" in his address; one must show respect to navigate well in officialdom.


    Yuga''s words indeed made Himekawa quite happy. After a bit of mutual ttery, Yuga said, "Let''s first handle the transfer of the criminals. We captured quite a few this time, so I hope Director Himekawa can assist us further."


    Following Yuga''s instructions, the ghost-type Pok��mon began to carry the criminals off the ship one by one. In no time, a crowd of heads appeared before Himekawa.


    Seeing the sudden appearance and disappearance of the ghost-type Pok��mon, Himekawa''s mouth slightly opened in surprise. Although he knew Yuga had a ghost ship, witnessing it firsthand was still astonishing.


    Ghost ships mostly exist in legends; ordinary people truly cannot encounter one.


    Yuga''s ghost ship had previously made an appearance during Rayquaza incident in Rustboro City, and rted videos has been circted online, so it was not aplete secret.


    Young people nowadays are truly bing more and more unprofessional! Himekawa silently criticized in his heart, it was oblivious that he was a Grass-type gym leader, yet he was surrounded by such arge group of Ghost-type Pok��mon, which was quite contrary to martial virtue!


    "Bring all these people onto the ship!" Himekawa shouted, and immediately, his subordinates behind him sprang into action, quickly moving nearly a hundred criminals onto the flying vehicle in less than two minutes.


    There were three items to hand over: Gillruta''s corpse, a ck chip, and two Pok��mon belonging to the White Leader.


    Thinking of his suspicions, Yuga solemnly said to Himekawa, "Director Feichuan, these three items are extremely important, so please ensure that you take them back to the League intact!"


    Himekawa understood the seriousness of the matter and solemnly assured him, "Rest assured, Gym Leader Shimizu, I will safely bring these back!"


    Yuga was a hall of fame-level trainer in the Hoenn League. His rank might not be high, but his status was a bit higher than Himekawa''s, so Himekawa treated Yuga''s words with great caution.


    Himekawa didn''t dy in Lilycove City. After handing over the items to Yuga, he immediately took the people back to the Hoenn League headquarters.


    As Yuga watched the flying vehicle soar into the distance, he couldn''t shake the feeling that something was about to happen.


    In fact, Yuga''s intuition was urate; not long after Himekawa''s flying vehicle left Lilycove City, it was ambushed by the White Leader, whose objective was none other than Gillruta''s corpse and the memory chip.


    However, having lost his strongest Pok��mon, Zangoose and Cacturne, he was no match for Himekawa. Not only was he repelled, but he was also severely injured again. If he hadn''t run fast, Himekawa would have captured him directly.


    After returning to the Pok��mon Center, Yuga secretly took Marlin to Chris''s family''s inn, where he temporarily left him, then contacted Robert, hoping he coulde to pick him up.


    Although Marlin had no memory and didn''t know who they really were, Yuga knew he must be rted to Gillruta and the White Leader.


    Chris''s dad was Robert''s uncle, and since Yuga was also a good friend of Robert, when Yuga said he wanted to leave Marlin at the inn, Chris''s dad agreed without hesitation.


    On the phone, Yuga instructed Robert to hand Marlin over to Wace or Steven after picking him up, ensuring that he would be properly arranged.


    The reason he didn''t hand Marlin over to Himekawa to take along was to keep a backup n; if anything happened with Himekawa, Marlin could still be a safeguard.


    Once he finished all of this, Yuga returned to the Pok��mon Center, ready to take a break when Jack showed up at his door.


    Seeing Jack standing at his room''s entrance with a troubled expression, Yuga asked curiously, "What''s wrong? Is there something you need?"


    Jack replied somewhat awkwardly, "I... have a favor to ask you."


    "Come in and tell me."


    After inviting Jack into the room, Yuga asked, "What''s making you so ufortable? This isn''t like you!" Jack was usually straightforward and spoke directly, so it was quite rare to see him so hesitant.


    Jack took a deep breath and said, "I want to ask you to escort the descendants of the People of the Water and Manaphy to the Temple of the Sea!"


    This matter was extremely important, but after the recent incident, Jack felt powerless. He realized that it would be difficult to guarantee Manaphy''s safe arrival at the Temple of the Sea relying solely on himself.


    However, it was evidently toote to apply for more forest rangers toe!


    Given the proximity principle, seeking help from Yuga was the best choice! However, this matter didn''t fall within Yuga''s responsibilities as a gym leader, and getting others involved in his task made Jack feel quite ashamed.


    "Oh, so that''s why!" Yuga suddenly realized. "Alright then, since you''vee all this way, I''ll apany you to see the legendary Temple of the Sea."


    He had known Jack for a while and had always had a good rtionship with the forest rangers, so since he had asked, he might as well help. Moreover, with May and Max also involved, he felt a bit uneasy.


    After May and Manaphy were captured by the ck Leader, Max cried miserably. After May returned, he followed her closely, immediately starting to search as soon as she was out of sight. He waspletely different from Max who used to belittle May.


    "Did you really agree?" Jack eximed, his voice unconsciously rising several octaves.


    Yuga smiled and nodded.


    "That''s great!"


    The weight in Jack''s heart finally lifted. He hadn''t expected Yuga to agree so easily. To him, this task seemed thankless.


    After receiving Yuga''s promise, Jack happily returned to his room, finally able to rest peacefully.


    Early the next morning, Yuga''s ghost ship set sail from Lilycove City. The submarine that Shep and the others originally used was directly abandoned, as it was nowhere near as safe as Yuga''s ghost ship.


    Now that they were at sea, the Ghost-type Pok��mon no longer had to expend their psychic energy to control the ship''s flight. Traveling over the ocean was much easier than flying in the sky.


    However, what Yuga and the others didn''t know was that a Wailord was closely trailing behind their ghost ship, specifically the one carrying Archie.


    Due to the special bio-tech skin imnted on Wailord''s surface, this skin could not only shield against the psychic perception of Psychic and Ghost-type Pok��mon but also blend the Wailord into the environment, achieving visual deception. As a result, Yuga remainedpletely unaware of the Wailord following them.


    This kind of technology is actually not rare in the Pok��mon world; it''s used in many industries, and the League has corresponding technology that is quite mature. However, the one Archie used was evidently more advanced.


    After Milolovide left, Archie immediately piloted the Wailord to find Yuga and began following them.


    In fact, the Wailord that rescued the several Psychic-type Pok��mon earlier was Archie''s Wailord. Yuga was able to quickly locate the isted ind thanks to the information that Archie''s Wailord discreetly ryed to those Psychic-type Pok��mon.


    Archie did this because he did not want Manaphy and the Temple of the Sea to fall into Team Rocket''s hands.


    Although Team Aqua was currently under the control of Team Rocket, Archie was unwilling to ept that fate and did not want to be subordinate for life. Therefore, he sought to pit Yuga and Milolovide against each other, hoping to reap the benefits as a bystander.


    He just didn''t expect Milolovide to be so ipetent, which forced him to intervene and save Milolovide again.


    While Archie didn''t want to be under Team Rocket''s thumb, he also had a grudge against Yuga.


    Since Milolovide had be adversarial with Yuga, he couldn''t allow Milolovide to be captured or killed easily.


    The Temple of the Sea was the ancestralnd of Manaphy, but Archie knew that it was rted to Kyogre. Only by finding Kyogre could he have a chance to turn the tables, so he had no choice but to take the risk and continue following Yuga.


    Yuga''s terrifying prowess was something Archie had witnessed firsthand, but he couldn''t miss this rare opportunity.


    In fact, Archie was genuinely envious of Yuga, who possessed such strong abilities at such a young age. If he had that kind of strength, he would have already turned against Team Rocket long ago.


    The weather was exceptionally fine that day, the sea was calm and peaceful, and the ghost ship sailed swiftly and smoothly across the mirror-like water''s surface, with Manaphy leading the way, it would asionally leaping out of the water to chase after passing Pok��mon happily.


    The Temple of the Sea was a truly magical ce; it did not remain fixed in one location but constantly changed its position with the ocean currents. Only Manaphy could sense its presence and locate it.


    Manaphy was also the key to opening the Temple of the Sea! Newly born, Manaphy would only be the true "Prince of the Ocean" after receiving the legacy of the Sea Crown within the Temple of the Sea, granting it the ability to regte the world''s oceans.


    Days passed as they sailed over the sea, yet Yuga and the others still had not caught sight of the Temple of the Sea, while Manaphy remained as carefree as ever.


    Whenever Yuga asked how much longer it would be until they reached the Temple, Manaphy would cutely respond, "Soon, soon!"


    The worst off was Archie, who was hiding in the belly of a Wailord. Having spent too long at sea and not being able to replenish supplies in the Lilycove city, his stored food and fresh water were almost running out. As a result, he had to ration his meals every day.


    Two more days passed, and Yuga gradually realized that they had begun to sail out of the Hoenn region. Aheady Sinnoh.


    "Manaphy, are you sure you''re leading the right way?"


    "Manaphy, Manaphy!"


    Manaphy popped up from the water, cradling a Shellos it had somehow found, with an expression that clearly said, "What are you talking about? I don''t know anything!" This left Yuga quite frustrated.


    "Brother Yuga, Manaphy must know what it''s doing, so don''t be anxious!" Seeing Yuga jump in anger, Mayforted him.


    "Alright!" Yuga took a deep breath, deciding not to argue with a child.


    "Manaphy, Manaphy..."


    At that moment, Manaphy surfaced again, calling out to Yuga from a distance, indicating that they were almost there.


    Yuga was about to say not to trust the little guy when suddenly, the ghost ship shook violently.


    "What happened? What''s going on?"


    May fell to the ground, tightly gripping the ship''s railing and anxiously asking.


    Yuga was also unsure of what was happening; he quickly held onto the ship''s edge and looked out, only to see a massive whirlpool had appeared unexpectedly on the right side of the ship.


    Logically speaking, with such arge whirlpool, the ghost-type Pok��mon piloting the ship shouldn''t have missed it. Could it really mean they had arrived at their destination? Given that the Temple of the Sea was such a grand and significant ce, wouldn''t it be entirely normal for there to be one or two strange phenomena when it appeared? So he shouted to Dusknoir: "Dusknoir, let the ship ascend immediately!"

 Chapter 1129: Wishiwashi VS Unown

    <h4>Chapter 1129: Wishiwashi VS Unown</h4>


    Dusknoir quicklymanded its subordinates inside the ghost ship to control it to ascend, but a tremendous pulling force came from the whirlpool, dragging the ship toward its center. The Ghost-type Pok��mon couldn''t lift the ship at all.


    The ghost ship swayed increasingly violently, making it nearly impossible for anyone aboard to stand firm. Jack anxiously shouted to Yuga, "At this rate, the ship will definitely be capsized!"


    Shep''s son, Kyle, suggested, "Why don''t we let the Water-type Pok��mon go down to control the whirlpool?"


    Yuga quickly intervened, "Don''t do that! The power of this whirlpool is too strong; ordinary Water-type Pok��mon might not be able to calm it down!"


    "Where did Manaphy go? Is Manaphy going to be in danger outside?" May leaned against the ship''s railing, trying to spot Manaphy in the water, but at that moment, there was no sign of it at all.


    Seeing this, Yuga hurriedly pulled May back, saying, "That''s too dangerous! Manaphy will be fine."


    "But..." May still wanted to search for Manaphy, yet the ghost ship was already in chaos. Yuga quickly pulled her away from the railing; if a human fell into the whirlpool, it was uncertain whether their body could ever be found.


    Dusknoir was struggling against the pulling force of the whirlpool alongside its subordinates.


    Although Dusknoir was a master-level Pok��mon, it was not a Psychic-type. Its psychic power, while formidable, was still far from that of a true master-level Psychic-type Pok��mon, and it was bing increasingly strained.


    As the ghost ship drew closer to the center of the whirlpool, the swaying intensified, and it became more difficult for the Ghost-type Pok��mon to stabilize the ship. There were several close calls where they almost capsized.


    All the Ghost-type Pok��mon aboard now revealed themselves, floating above the ghost ship, a dark mass of figures, some shing blue light, others purple, directing their psychic energy toward the ship. Yet even so, Dusknoir urgently called out to Yuga.


    "Dusknoir, Dusknoir!"


    Yuga, we can barely hold on any longer!


    Hearing this, Yuga quickly released Chimecho to assist Dusknoir. If it really came down to it, they would have to take to the skies with a Flying-type Pok��mon and abandon the ship.


    This ghost ship had apanied Dusknoir and the Ghost-type Pok��mon for many years, forming a deep emotional bond with them. Yuga didn''t want to make such a decision unless it was absolutely necessary.


    As soon as Chimecho appeared, it floated over to Dusknoir, releasing a powerful psychic force. Chimecho''s psychic energy was far stronger than that of an ordinary Champion-level Pok��mon, and with its addition, Dusknoir indeed felt a bit relieved.


    However, before they could enjoy their brief respite, the ship rocked violently again. Somehow, the pulling force at the center of the whirlpool had intensified.


    Seeing this, Yuga almost found himself uttering the words to abandon ship. But just then, Chimecho suddenly let out a sharp cry, its blue-white and pink body beginning to manifest strange ck patterns, transforming its originally cute visage into a fierce one.


    As the ck patterns appeared on Chimecho, a mysterious low chanting sound suddenly mixed with the sound of the waves, as if whispering or singing, the rhythm remarkably enchanting, seemingly infused with an indescribable power. Though the volume was soft, it instantly filled Yuga''s mind, driving out even the roar of the tumultuous waves.


    It was the sound of an Unown!


    This sound momentarily slowed Yuga''s thoughts; themand that was about to leave his lips failed to be spoken, and in an instant, the entire ghost ship was engulfed by the waves.


    However, just a second before the ghost ship was swallowed by the waves, an incredibly powerful psychic force erupted from Chimecho, instantly enveloping the entire ship and expelling the psychic energies of the other Ghost-type Pok��mon and Dusknoir.


    Chimecho''s psychic energy formed a circr energy shield, tightly enveloping the ghost ship. The surging waves ruthlessly crashed against the psychic barrier, failing to shake it even the slightest bit.


    Countless Unown surged forth from Chimecho, resembling ck tidal waves. They became part of Chimecho''s psychic energy, spreading outward along with it and merging into the psychic barrier.


    At that moment, Chimecho had no idea what was happening. Protected by the psychic barrier, the ghost ship continued to toss in the water, while Yuga and the others had long lost consciousness due to the impact, but fortunately, they were not seriously harmed.


    Just as the ship was about to be capsized, Chimecho held only one thought in its mind: it had to protect Yuga, to protect Yuga''s ghost ship!


    Then it seemed that Unown heard its heartfelt plea and began to resonate with its psychic energy.


    An Unown who is alone does quite powerful, but they were very remarkable when they were together, seeming both tangible and intangible, shifting from physical forms to ethereal presences, all merging into Chimecho''s psychic energy. They ignited Chimecho''s psychic force, enabling it to unleash an unprecedented strength!


    Among those sharing a simr fate was Archie.


    However, Archie was much luckier, having hidden within the belly of Wailord, so only Wailord suffered.


    The suddenly appearing whirlpool was beyond the capabilities of even the massive Water-type Pok��mon like Wailord, which could only be pulled toward the unknown by the power of the whirlpool.


    Time passed, though it was unclear how long it had been, and the people aboard the ghost ship gradually began to awaken.


    "What happened?"


    Max crawled out of his sister''s embrace, shaking his head in confusion as he asked.


    Before losing consciousness, May had instinctively held onto Max, and she hadn''t let go until the very end.


    "I don''t know," May replied, also awake now, rubbing her bumped head and involuntarily gasping as she realized it must be bruised.


    At this moment, Yuga was looking out through the purple, translucent psychic barrier. The ghost ship floated quietly in the deep sea, and the previous whirlpool seemed as if it had never existed, the surroundings terrifyingly tranquil.


    Looking around, everyone realized they had been pulled into the deep sea by the whirlpool!


    Chinchou and Lanturn swam back and forth outside the ghost ship, their glowing tentacles providing a glimmer of light in the pitch-ck depths. Sometimes, they would curiously approach the ghost ship, only to swim away in fright momentster.


    In addition to the Chinchou and Lanturn, there were also many Relicanth that wasrger than adults, leisurely swimming about. Perhaps having lived in the deep sea for so long, these Relicanth had degenerated eyesight, oblivious to the ghost ship drifting past them.


    "Chimecho Chimecho!"


    Chimecho''s voice suddenly rang out, and everyone finally noticed Chimecho floating by the ghost ship''s mast, using its psychic energy to protect the entire ship.


    They still couldn''t determine how deep they were underwater, but it was clear that Chimecho was not having an easy time.


    Dusknoir and the Ghost-type Pok��mon wanted to help Chimecho, but their psychic energy couldn''t merge into the psychic barrier at all. Even the slightest contact caused the transparent purple psychic barrier to disy the patterns of Unown, violently bouncing back the psychic energy of Dusknoir and the Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    Watching Unown flickering asionally on the psychic barrier, Yuga thought to himself: so the voice I heard earlier wasn''t just an illusion!


    He extended a hand and ced it on the psychic barrier. The moment his hand made contact, Unown that had been hidden there suddenly materialized like a ck tide, gathering around Yuga''s hand, subtly conveying a sense of closeness.


    At the same time, the previously mesmerizing rhythmic sound echoed in his ears once more.


    Yuga nced at the others and realized that it seemed he was the only one able to hear this sound.


    The sound conveyed no specific meaning; it was merely a pure melody!


    This startled Yuga, but he also found it strange.


    What Yuga didn''t know was that at this moment, Unown were resonating with Chimecho. Chimecho acted like the nerve center for Unown, equivalent to their brain, controlling all their actions and thoughts, while the individual thoughts of Unown were infinitely weakened.


    In Chimecho''s subconscious, the one it felt closest to was Yuga, so that awareness was conveyed to Unown.


    Yuga withdrew his hand from the barrier, and the gathered Unown swiftly retreated like a tide, disappearing into the purple barrier in the blink of an eye.


    Yuga found Unown fascinating. Since they had attached themselves to Chimecho, this was the first time they had revealed themselves, and unexpectedly, they had saved them.


    At that moment, Jack and Shep approached and asked, "What should we do next?"


    "I don''t know," Yuga replied, looking around the ghostly surroundings, unable to make up his mind.


    "Brother Yuga, Manaphy is missing. It can''t be in trouble, right?" May asked with a worried expression, and Shep''s family shared the same concern.


    "Don''t worry," Yuga reassured May by patting her head. "Manaphy will be fine."


    After all, Manaphy was a mythical Pok��mon, supported by all Water-type Pok��mon. Though it had not yet fully grown, it should be safe in the water.


    However, in the next second, Yuga was pped in the face by reality. No sooner had he finished speaking than a roar and screams echoed from a distance, causing the Chinchou, Lanturn, and Relicanth that had been gathered outside the ghost ship to vanish without a trace.


    Immediately after, Yuga and the others saw Manaphy''s tiny form darting through the water like lightning, closely pursued by a massive shadow.


    "Manaphy! Manaphy! Manaphy!"


    Upon spotting Yuga and the ghost ship, Manaphy''s eyes lit up with joy, and it joyfully dashed over, plunging through the psychic barrier andnding in May''s arms, acting all cuddly.


    The massive shadow that had been chasing it crashed into the psychic barrier, causing the ghost ship to sway as it was blocked outside.


    At this moment, Yuga and the others finally got a clear look at the true form of the shadow.


    ...


    [ Wishiwashi (School Form) ]


    Type: Water


    Ability: Schooling


    Gender: In school form, cannot be determined


    Potential: In school form, cannot be assessed


    Level: 100


    Move: Water Gun, Brine, Aqua Ring, Tackle, Dive, Beat Up, Water Tail, Souble-Edge, Water Cannon, Water Pulse, Soak, Whirpool.


    ...


    This colossal creature was evenrger than the ghost ship itself. At that moment, Yuga finally understood how that previous whirlpool had formed��it was indeed caused by this swarm of Wishiwashi!


    Wishiwashi were somewhat simr to Unown; the individual strength of each of them was so weak that it could almost be ignored. However, when they gathered together, they could unleash incredible power.


    Especially since Wishiwashi had a specific School form!


    The School form of Wishiwashi was a special state created by their ability, Schooling, which brought the entire school of fish together. The more Wishiwashi there were in the School form, the higher the level they achieved upon gathering, and the more terrifying their power became.


    Despite the name "weak" in Wishiwashi, which suggests individual cowardice and frailty, Pok��mon schrs affectionately referred to the School form of Wishiwashi as "sea demons," indicating their fearsome nature.


    The School form of Wishiwashi before Yuga had reached level 100, meaning the number of these fish had reached its limit.


    Yuga had heard a rumor that at their maximum form, Wishiwashi could even challenge Kyogre. Whether this was true or not, Yuga didn''t know, but he understood that they needed to run! A level 100 Wishiwashi was not something they could provoke.


    "Chimecho, let''s run!" Yuga shouted, and Chimecho immediately controlled the ghost ship to dash away. Unfortunately, the ship''s speed was severely hampered by water resistance, making their escape very slow.


    "Roar!"


    Wishiwashi roared as its massive body crashed against the psychic barrier again, causing the ghost ship to sway once more.


    The skill Wishiwashi used to ram the ghost ship was the reckless charge, which inflicted recoil damage to the user. However, this School of Wishiwashi actually used their heads to perform the reckless charge and their tails to execute Aqua Ring.


    Wishiwashi at the front suffered recoil damage but was instantly healed by the Aqua Ring used by Wishiwashi at the back. For a swarmprised of countless individual Wishiwashi, this was easy!


    How cunning they were!


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Wishiwashi repeatedly collided with the psychic barrier, creating ripples in the water that spread out continuously. All the Water-type Pok��mon they encountered along the way were frightened and fled in all directions.


    Even if Chimecho''s psychic barrier was sturdy, it couldn''t withstand repeated collisions from a level one hundred Pok��mon! If it weren''t for the presence of Unown, Chimecho probably wouldn''t have been able to hold on for even one round.


    Seeing the brazen Wishiwashi outside, Chimecho was genuinely furious, and its anger was conveyed to Unown. Unown began to instinctively follow the subconsciousmands of Chimecho.


    Suddenly, the hidden Unown on the psychic barrier revealed themselves, and the purple barrier was swiftly stained ck. A gigantic ck hand shot out from the barrier, mming the iing Wishiwashi away.


    Roar, roar, roar!


    Wishiwashi roared as they crashed into the barrier again, only to be swatted away by the ck hand. They came crashing in again, and again they were sent flying...


    Witnessing this scene left not only Yuga and his friends stunned but even Chimecho itself was startled.


    The sh between the two Schools of Pok��mon caused the sea to surge and swell, creating amotion that directly affected the surface of the water, stirring up towering waves.


    Not far away, the previously calmed Wailord was swept away by the force of the waves, drifting toward another direction. Archie, which had just woken up in its belly, fainted again due to Wailord''s tossing.

 Chapter 1130: Sea Crown

    <h4>Chapter 1130: Sea Crown</h4>


    The battle between Whishiwashi and Unown stirred up massive waves in the ocean. Wailord was swept along by one of the waves, drifting who knows where, until it suddenly crashed into something with a loud "boom."


    When Archie woke up inside Wailord''s belly, he noticed through the camera installed on Wailord''s head that a giant pce was floating in the ocean right before him.


    This pce was protected by a transparent energy shield, keeping all the seawater at bay. Inside the pce were red flowers, green grass, high walls, and courtyards, making it look like a paradise from a distance.


    Seeing this sight, Archie''s lips trembled as he muttered, "I found it, I finally found it!"


    "Wailord, let''s go in!" Archie took out a palm-sized device and held it to his mouth, his voice traveling through the device into Wailord''s mind.


    "Wailord..."


    Wailord let out a long cry and gently swayed its massive tail as it charged headfirst toward the pce. However, it was blocked by the energy shield outside the pce.


    Bang!


    Wailord, not willing to give up, rammed into the shield again, but it remained unmoved, making the massive Wailord seem like a small, helpless child in front of it.


    Again and again, Wailord collided with the energy shield, but the barrier stood firm, showing no signs of yielding.


    Frustrated at being so close to the Temple of the Sea yet unable to enter, Archie anxiously paced back and forth inside Wailord''s belly. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He reached into his belongings and pulled out a box. Opening it, insidey a blue orb, about the size of a fist.


    Except for its color, this orb was strikingly simr to the green one Mr. Genzo once held.


    Archie took the orb out of the box, released an Octillery, and handed it the orb while giving it a set of instructions. Octillery, with the orb in its grasp, crawled out through Wailord''s blowhole.


    Standing on Wailord''s head, Octillery raised the indigo-colored orb high, and a blue halo of light radiated from it. The transparent energy shield protecting the Temple of the Sea suddenly absorbed Wailord and Octillery inside, as if it swallowed them whole.


    Now inside the Temple of the Sea, Archie excitedly stomped his feet within Wailord''s belly.


    "As I thought, the Temple of the Sea is rted to Kyogre, it''s all connected..."


    Within the Temple of the Sea, there were also water channels. Countless streams crisscrossed and slowly branched from the top of the temple, eventually flowing into the waters at the bottom, which connected to the outside ocean. Wailord, having been sucked in, now floated in thisrge body of water.


    The space was vast. Even with Wailord''s immense size, it didn''t feel cramped, leaving it plenty of room to move its head and tail freely.


    Wailord swam to the shore and opened its mouth, and Archie slowly stepped out. Looking around, he realized he was standing in a za beneath the temple.


    Archie looked up at the pce at the very top of the Temple of the Sea, thinking that the Sea Crown must be there. If he could obtain the Sea Crown, it would mean he had a chance of finding Kyogre.


    All the buildings within the Temple of the Sea were neatly arranged along both sides of a central staircase above the za. A gentle stream flowed down the center of the stairs, while various strange and exotic nts grew on both sides.


    Archie''s destination was at the top of these stairs.


    While Archie had found the Temple of the Sea, Yuga and the others had not yet escaped the pursuit of Whishiwashi. Although Unown had fought them several times, it was clear they were no match.


    Unown were inherently weak,cking Whishiwashi'' ability to gather strength. Since they had merged with Chimecho, their power depended entirely on Chimecho''s strength.


    Though Chimecho''s psychic power had been enhanced by Unown, it was still only a Champion-level Pok��mon, far weakerpared to the level 100 Whishiwashi! As the ghost ship found itself cornered by Whishiwashi, Manaphy suddenly directed the ghost ship to follow its lead. With no other option, Yuga decided to trust Manaphy and take a desperate gamble.


    Under the relentless pursuit of Whishiwashi, the ghost ship surged forward along the path indicated by Manaphy. Soon, Yuga and the others spotted a magnificent temple floating in the ocean ahead.


    "It''s the Temple of the Sea! We''ve finally found the Temple of the Sea!"


    The Shep family embraced each other, shouting in excitement.


    It turned out that when the ghost ship was caught in the whirlpool earlier, Manaphy''s exmation of "I''ve found it" had been true��it had genuinely sensed the presence of the Temple of the Sea.


    Just as the ghost ship was about to crash into the temple, a blue light shot out from Manaphy, and the entire ship was absorbed into a transparent energy shield surrounding the temple. Meanwhile, the pursuing Whishiwashi mmed into the barrier, nearly breaking apart their swarm.


    "Roooaaaarrr!!!"


    Whishiwashi raged in frustration outside the energy shield for a long while. Much like Wailord before them, they tried ramming into the shield several times, but when they found no way to enter, they were forced to retreat.


    Whishiwashi were the rulers of this area, and the Temple of the Sea had mysteriously appeared here one day. They had attempted to im it as their own but were unable to enter, eventually giving up.


    "Serves you right! Who''s the boss now?" Max jumped up and down on the ghost ship''s deck, gloating as he watched Whishiwashi leave in defeat.


    The Shep family approached Yuga and May, then looked at the Manaphy in May''s arms, saying, "Now that we''ve found the Temple of the Sea, let''s hurry and take Manaphy to find the Sea Crown." Only after Manaphy epted its inheritance before the Sea Crown would the Shep family''s mission beplete.


    "Manaphy, Manaphy, Manaphy!"


    Upon hearing the mention of the "Sea Crown," Manaphy became excited. It leaped out of May''s arms and dived into the water, yfully swimming along the waterways and up the temple''s staircase.


    The environment of the Temple of the Sea was breathtakingly beautiful. However, apart from Yuga and hispanions, there was no other sign of life, which made the ce eerily quiet. Manaphy''s bell-likeughter echoed through the empty temple, adding a touch of vitality to the serene surroundings.


    Being young, lively, and yful by nature, Manaphy darted around in the water, asionally leaping onto the shore to trample the flowers and nts. Seeing how much fun Manaphy was having, Yuga released his Lapras to join in the fun.


    Yuga''s actions inspired the others to follow suit, releasing their Water-type Pok��mon to y with Manaphy. The Shep family, in particr, had the most Water-type Pok��mon due to their years of performing water shows, so their Pok��mon put on a variety of entertaining disys, filling the temple with excitement andughter.


    Just as Manaphy was about to swim up to the pce at the top of the Temple of the Sea, the entire structure suddenly began to shake violently, and the water in the channels started to stop flowing.


    "What''s happening? What''s going on?" Jack asked, struggling to keep his bnce.


    "This shouldn''t be happening. What''s going on?" The oldest of the Shep family, with a confused expression, echoed the concern.


    "Manaphy, Manaphy, Manaphy!"


    At that moment, Manaphy suddenly became extremely anxious. Seeing this, Shep''s son, Kyle, confidently dered, "It must be the Sea Crown! Something''s wrong with the Sea Crown!"


    The Sea Crown was the pir of the Temple of the Sea, its most important artifact. If something hadn''t gone wrong with the Sea Crown, the Temple of the Sea wouldn''t be in such turmoil.


    As soon as Kyle finished speaking, a gigantic Wailord, radiating a golden light, burst out from the temple above. Standing atop Wailord was a figure.


    "Hahahaha..."


    A boastful and unrestrainedughter echoed through the temple. Yuga immediately recognized the man standing on Wailord''s head as Shimizu Archie. Team Aqua had been wanted by the League for a long time, so there was no way Yuga wouldn''t recognize their leader.


    "Shimizu Yuga, you never expected this, did you? You went through so much trouble to find this ce, only for me to reap the rewards in the end!" Archie sneered.


    Without wasting any more words, Archiemanded Wailord, and they charged through the energy shield protecting the Temple of the Sea. To everyone''s shock, the golden-glowing Wailord started flying within the Temple of the Sea, despite there being no water. This sight left everyone stunned!


    With a single dive, Wailord, carrying Archie, vanished into the ocean in the blink of an eye. At the same time, the energy shield surrounding the Temple of the Sea began to copse bit by bit, and seawater started flooding into the temple.


    As Archie left the Temple of the Sea, somewhere far away in the deep-sea caves, a massive creature opened its crimson eyes!


    "Let''s go! We need to get back to the ghost ship!" Yuga shouted to everyone. There was no time to question why Archie was there.


    The damage to the energy shield worsened, and more and more seawater poured into the temple. Water cascaded down in torrents, destroying the countless exotic flowers and nts in its path. Furthermore, the Temple of the Sea itself began to rise slowly, as if it were about to surface from the ocean.


    In a hurried rush, the group barely managed to return to the ghost ship. Controlled by Chimecho and Unown, the ghost ship sped out of the temple.


    Just as they left, the Temple of the Sea waspletely submerged by the floodwaters. The iing water was so powerful that even Chimecho and Unown''s psychic power might not have been able to hold out much longer.


    "Damn it! That guy must have taken the Sea Crown!" Kyle angrily punched the side of the ship.


    Hearing this, Jack added, "The top priority now is to retrieve the Sea Crown!"


    With Chimecho in control, the ghost ship quickly resurfaced, and alongside it, the now-ruined remains of the once-magnificent Temple of the Sea emerged. What had once been a grand pce was now nothing more than a pile of debris.


    As soon as the ghost ship broke the surface, Unown returned to Chimecho''s body. Dark patterns briefly flickered across Chimecho''s body before disappearing again.


    The ghost ship''s control was returned to the Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    Manaphy seemed to have a mysterious connection to the Sea Crown. The moment it reached the surface, it pointed in a direction, urging Yuga and the others to follow.


    The ghost ship sailed much faster on the ocean than it had underwater. With thebined efforts of the Ghost-type Pok��mon, the ghost ship cut through the waves, racing toward the direction Manaphy indicated. Before long, Yuga and the others spotted a massive Wailord ahead.


    Sitting atop Wailord, Archie was somewhat surprised to see Yuga and the others catch up so quickly. However, he soon sneered, thinking, Since you''re so eager to seek death, I''ll dly oblige!


    Originally, Archie had been hesitant to confront Yuga, but now that Yuga had caught up, he decided to test the powers of the Sea Crown!


    As Archie came within striking distance, Yuga and the others suddenly noticed that Archie and Wailord hade to a halt. Then, Wailord erupted in a golden glow, and a massive jet of water shot out from its body, aimed directly at the ghost ship.


    "Dusknoir!"


    Dusknoir was the first to charge forward, roaring as it raised its fists and used Ice Punch to freeze the entire water column into an ice pir, shattering it with another punch.


    Seeing Dusknoir forced back several steps by Wailord''s water attack, Yuga couldn''t help but be astonished. Is Archie really this strong? Dusknoir is a Master-level Pok��mon!


    Noticing the golden glow surrounding Wailord, Yuga quickly understood: So that''s it! It''s the power of the Sea Crown!


    ...


    [ Wailord (Sea Crown) ]


    Type: Water


    Ability: Water Veil


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Unknown (interfered)


    Level: Unknown (interfered)


    Moves: Bounce, Roar, Water Gun, Whirlpool, Water Pulse, Mist, Brine, Water Spray, Hydro Pump, Aqua Ring, Heavy m, Hyper Voice, Zen Headbutt.


    ...


    After reviewing Wailord''s data, Yuga unconsciously frowned. He had a bad feeling that Wailord in this state would be difficult to handle. The fact that it could block system checks for skills indicated that the Sea Crown''s power was formidable!


    Seeing Archie and Wailord brazenly using the power of the Sea Crown, Manaphy became extremely agitated. It struggled to leap out and settle scores with Wailord and Archie but was tightly held back by May.


    The Shep family also wore angry expressions. As guardians of the Temple of the Sea, they felt both furious and guilty for losing the Sea Crown.


    Watching as Dusknoir absorbed Wailord''s attack, Archie was surprised yet thrilled. He thought, If Shimizu Yuga is that strong, defeating him myself and capturing him would be quite an aplishment!


    If it weren''t for Shimizu Yuga, I wouldn''t be reduced to being someone else''sckey!


    Although they had never officially battled before, Archie harbored intense hatred for Yuga!


    Wailord unleashed another water attack, this time the water column was much thicker and more concentrated, a full-force strike from Wailord.


    Dusknoir''s Ice Punch only managed to freeze part of the water column this time, and the remaining force sent it flying far away. It turned out that Dusknoir was no match for Wailord.


    In previous encounters, Dusknoir would have never regarded Wailord as a threat, but today it found itself at a disadvantage, leaving it feeling somewhat frustrated.


    Seeing that Dusknoir was subtly struggling against Wailord, Yuga immediately released his Lapras. Although Water-type Pok��mon were resistant to Water-type moves, they could still exert their full power at sea.


    Seeing Yuga release a second Pok��mon, Archie felt furious. He wanted to summon another Pok��mon as well, but unfortunately, his Pok��mon were too weak to engage in a battle at this level.


    So unfair! The younger generation has no sense of honor!


    As soon as Lapras emerged, it felt as if something was calling to it from Archie. Its bloodline seemed to boil with excitement.


    Lapras couldn''t help but fix its gaze on Archie.

 Chapter 1131: Lapras: Awakening

    <h4>Chapter 1131: Lapras: Awakening</h4>


    As soon as Yuga''s Lapras emerged, it dove straight into the water, only to reappear riding a massive wave, crashing toward the Wailord and Archie.


    Because they were at sea, with the environment perfectly suited for Lapras, this Surf attack was at full power, as if Lapras had unleashed a tsunami, looking as though it might crush both Archie and Wailord.


    However, Wailord wasn''t so easily defeated. Under Archie''smand, it used Heavy m to charge into the wave Lapras had created.


    Heavy m is a move that bes stronger the heavier the user, and with a massive creature like Wailord, the power was extraordinary. The towering wave was shattered by Wailord''s collision, sending water sshing everywhere. The sunlight reflected off the spray, forming a brilliant rainbow bridge over the sea.


    Yet no one had time to appreciate this beautiful scene. As Wailord smashed through the wave, Dusknoir appeared right in front of it, delivering a powerful Thunder Punch to its head. Golden lightning surged through the water, instantly spreading across Wailord''s entire body, causing even Archie on its back to let out a scream.


    But that wasn''t the end. With the wave shattered by Wailord, countless droplets of water were still suspended in the air, not yet falling back into the sea. Hidden among these droplets, Lapras radiated an intense chill. In an instant, all the seawater transformed into solid ice, freezing half of Wailord''s body within.


    Crash...


    Countless chunks of ice fell back into the ocean, while Lapras swiftly dove into the water again.


    Just when everyone thought that Wailord had to be seriously injured, the golden glow around its body suddenly hummed, shattering the ice and dispelling the lightning.


    Seizing the opportunity, Wailord used Aqua Ring, surrounding itself with arge, blue water ring that slowly healed its injuries.


    Seeing this, Yuga frowned deeply. He called out Florges and Chimecho once more.


    Florges, carried by a giant Mantine from the Shep family, joined Chimecho in entering the battlefield. Together with Lapras and Dusknoir, they surrounded Wailord from four directions, leaving it no chance to escape Apart from Absol, who was still in the Distortion World, all of Yuga''s main Pok��mon were now in y.


    Seeing the four Pok��mon surrounding him, Archie was furious. He thought Yuga, as a Gym Leader of the League, waspletely breaking the rules by orchestrating this four-on-one, showing no martial honor at all.


    But poor Archie, with his ownck of strength, couldn''t summon a single Pok��mon capable of withstanding any of Yuga''s four Pokemon.


    It wasn''t clear who made the first move, but Dusknoir''s Thunder Punch struck forward, while Chimecho unleashed its most powerful attack, Psycho Boost, both heading straight for Wailord.


    Wailord responded by using Heavy m, charging toward the attacking Chimecho and Dusknoir from the left and right.


    Boom!


    The purple-glowing Chimecho and Dusknoir''s electrified golden fist shed fiercely with the enormous Wailord. Chimecho''s small body was immediately sent flying, while Dusknoir was also knocked into the sea.


    However, despite appearances, Wailord wasn''t unscathed either.


    While Chimecho often acted as a healer for Yuga, that didn''t mean itcked offensive capability. Its Psycho Boost, inherited from Deoxys, was something that few Pok��mon could withstand.


    As for Dusknoir''s Thunder Punch, its power spoke for itself, especially since Electric-type moves have a natural advantage against Water-types!


    After Chimecho and Dusknoir''s attacks, Florges'' long-prepared Sr Beam and Lapras'' Dragon Pulse followed closely behind.


    However, it seemed as though Wailord had eyes on its back. Its tail pped the water''s surface, creating a swirling vortex thatpletely absorbed Lapras'' Dragon Pulse, dissipating it.


    This was Whirlpool!


    Yet Florges'' Sr Beam pierced through the Whirlpool, its golden beam like a sword, striking Wailord with precision.


    This Wailord was unbelievably resilient!


    Even after taking so many hits, it still showed no signs of falling. Yuga couldn''t help but think this to himself.


    However, the main reason Wailord was holding on was due to the golden light surrounding it.


    "What exactly is that golden light?" Yuga couldn''t help but voice the question in his mind.


    Shep, hearing this, replied, "I guess that might be the legendary Sea God''s Blessing from the Sea Crown!"


    "Sea God''s Blessing?"


    "Yes, ording to legend, it''s a power bestowed by the Sea God upon the Sea Crown and given to Manaphy. A Manaphy blessed by the Sea God is said to be unharmed while in the ocean." Shep exined the legend passed down among the people of the sea to Yuga.


    The Sea God?


    Yuga had always thought that the Sea God mentioned in the Sea Crown referred to Manaphy since this ce was the sacred site for the legacy of sessive generations of Manaphy. But now, it seemed that wasn''t the case.


    Was the Sea God referring to Lugia, or was it Kyogre?


    Yuga guessed that Kyogre was the more likely candidate. Although Lugia was called the God of the Sea, it wasn''t a Water-type Pok��mon, so blessing Manaphy with Water-type powers would probably be more difficult.


    In myth and legend, Kyogre didn''t have the best reputation, at least not as good as Lugia''s. Even though it created the oceans, people rarely referred to it with the respectful title of "Sea God." However, calling it a Sea God wouldn''t be wrong either!


    But Yuga wondered, if the Sea God''s Blessing was a power left by the Sea God for Manaphy, how did Archie and Wailord manage to use it?


    Pondering for a long time without understanding, Yuga had no choice but to continuemanding his Pok��mon to attack Wailord and Archie.


    Just as Shep had said, the Sea God''s Blessing did indeed provide some protection in the sea, but it wasn''t absolute.


    As the attacks from Yuga''s four Pok��mon grew fiercer, Wailord gradually started to struggle. If not for its Water-type recovery move, Aqua Ring, the Sea God''s Blessing wouldn''t have protected it for this long.


    Seeing that Aqua Ring''s healing effects were bing less effective, Archie started to panic. He had originally thought that with the power of the Sea Crown, he could act arrogantly. Little did he expect that Yuga''s strength would far exceed his imagination. His earlier ambition to capture Yuga now seemedughable, like the foolish n of a clown.


    Facing the relentless assault of four Champion-level Pok��mon, neither he nor Wailord could hold out much longer!


    As the situation became more and more dire, Archie began to look for an opportunity to flee.


    After enduring another round of attacks from Yuga''s four Pok��mon, Archie quietly crawled into Wailord''s nostrils, and Wailord dove headfirst into the water, hoping to escape in the chaos.


    However, just as it entered the water, a series of chains suddenly shot out with a tter, instantly dragging Wailord out of the water.


    However, the chains weren''t very sturdy. Just as they pulled Wailord out of the water, they snapped with a loud tter.


    The one responsible was none other than a Dhelmise that had quietly been lurking in the water nearby. Though its Elite-level strength wasn''t enough tost long against Wailord, it was sufficient to deal with Yuga''s Dusknoir and the others.


    At that moment, Dusknoir appeared above Wailord, its golden fist moving swiftly. In the blink of an eye, itnded dozens of punches. Golden currents of electricity spread through the seawater, enveloping Wailord entirely. Archie, hiding in Wailord''s nostrils, felt his entire body go numb, convulsing along with Wailord.


    By the time Dusknoir stopped its assault, Wailord was floating on the water''s surface, belly up.


    Seeing Wailord sessfully subdued, Shep''s family couldn''t help but rejoice. They even began to silently pray, "Thank the heavens, the great Sea God has blessed us!"


    With Wailord defeated, Yuga and the others managed to pull Archie out and found the Sea Crown on his person.


    Although it was called the Sea Crown, it didn''t resemble a traditional royal crown. Instead, it was made of crystal rods, each thicker and longer than Yuga''s arm. If someone were to actually wear it on their head, their neck would probably snap from the weight.


    Of course, the Sea Crown only looked like crystal. As for the actual material, none of them could tell.


    The Sea Crown they recovered had already been dismantled. Yuga and his team couldn''t discern its original form, so they decided to bring it back to the Temple of the Sea and deal with itter.


    No one was more excited about the Sea Crown''s recovery than Manaphy. If it weren''t for its small size, it might have hugged the crystal rods and refused to let go!


    In addition to the Sea Crown, something else shocked Yuga: they found an indigo-colored orb on Archie as well.


    If the Temple of the Sea was truly connected to Kyogre, it wouldn''t be surprising that Archie was able to wield the Sea God''s Blessing with the Indigo Orb in his possession. After all, the Indigo Orb was said to be powerful enough to control Kyogre itself.


    Yuga recalled how, a thousand years ago, the emperor of the Vante Empire used the Crimson Orb to control Groudon in a war that destroyed the Arus Empire. It made sense that the Indigo Orb could control Kyogre as well.


    Both Jack and Shep''s family had heard legends about Kyogre and the Indigo Orb. The group exchanged nces, unsure of how to handle such a powerful artifact.


    Only May and Max remained oblivious, not understanding why everyone was fixated on a single orb.


    Finally, Jack broke the silence. "It''s probably best if Gym Leader Shimizu keeps this for now."


    Shep''s family didn''t object to Jack''s suggestion. After all, Yuga had escorted them and Manaphy safely to the Temple of the Sea and helped them retrieve the Sea Crown. They were filled with gratitude toward him.


    "Alright, I''ll hold onto it for now," Yuga said, not bothering with false modesty as he put the Indigo Orb away. However, he had no intention of keeping it for himself, nning to hand it over to the League upon his return. Although the orb was incredibly valuable, he wasn''t interested in it.


    He wasn''t about to use the Indigo Orb to control Kyogre��how dull would that be? Besides, once his Cosmoem matured, it might even surpass Kyogre in strength (Although it''s just his wishful thinking!)


    But then Yuga noticed something strange about his Lapras. It seemed to be zoning out repeatedly, staring nkly, and no matter how many times Yuga called it, there was no response.


    "Lapras, are you alright?" Yuga asked with concern, fearing that it might have been injured during the battle.


    "Lapras..."


    Lapras suppressed the restless power within its blood and affectionately nuzzled Yuga with its neck, reassuring him that it was fine.


    After confirming that Lapras was indeed unharmed, the group tied Archie up and tossed him into the depths of the ghost ship, leaving him under the guard of the Ghost-type Pok��mon. They also used a Heavy Ball to recall Wailord. Then, aboard the ghost ship, they returned to the location of the Temple of the Sea.


    At that moment, the shattered Temple of the Sea was floating lonely on the ocean surface, like a small ind. The protective energy barrier that once shielded it had vanished without a trace.


    Yuga and the others carried the Sea Crown upward until they reached the highest pce of the temple. All the waterways within the pce had dried up, and the entire Temple of the Sea seemed like a lifeless ce.


    In the center of the pce was a pool, and in the center of the pool was the spot where the Sea Crown had originally been ced. However, the pool was nowpletely dry.


    As they inserted the crystal rods of the Sea Crown back into ce, Shep anxiously remarked, "I wonder if the temple will still function properly. If anything goes wrong, we won''t know how to exin it to our ancestors!"


    Fortunately, the fears of Shep and his family did note true. Though the temple''s structures were in ruins, its core functions were still intact. As soon as all the crystal rods were returned to their original positions, the Sea Crown emitted a soft blue light. Immediately afterward, trickling streams began to flow from the pool, and in no time, it was filled to the brim.


    Ssh...


    The thousand waterways that crisscrossed the Temple of the Sea were revitalized, bringing the temple back to life. Even the energy barrier that had disappeared earlier was restored.


    However, the damaged buildings and destroyed nts could not be repaired.


    Rumble!


    With a loud noise, the Temple of the Sea began to sink into the ocean once more.


    Seeing the temple restored, Shep joyfully urged, "Manaphy, quickly, go receive the legacy!"


    "Manaphy, Manaphy!"


    Manaphy excitedly leapt from May''s arms and dived into the pool beneath the Sea Crown, beginning a mysterious dance in the water.


    As Manaphy danced in the pool, even Lapras, who had been in the waterway, was drawn to swim over unconsciously.


    As the dance neared its end, a golden beam of light suddenly descended from the Sea Crown. The group realized that Manaphy''s inheritance had begun.


    But to everyone''s surprise, the light split into two beams��onending on Manaphy and the other on Lapras.


    "What...what''s happening?" Even Shep couldn''t help but exim in surprise.


    It was then that Yuga remembered his Lapras had Kyogre''s bloodline. If the Temple of the Sea was rted to Kyogre, then this situation wasn''t entirely unexpected.


    As Lapras and Manaphy bathed together in the golden light, a phantom of Kyogre suddenly appeared above Lapras'' head. The phantom circled endlessly, and the group could feel an overwhelming sense of majesty emanating from it.


    But the change wasn''t over yet. A blue orb slowly emerged from Lapras'' body, floating above the Kyogre phantom. As soon as the blue orb appeared, the once proud Kyogre phantom froze in ce. It seemed to struggle but was firmly bound by the orb.


    Buzz...


    After a tense standoff, the Kyogre phantom suddenly shattered into fragments of light, which were absorbed by the blue orb. Momentster, the blue orb also crumbled into a mist of blue vapor, which flowed into Lapras'' body.


    Once Lapras had absorbed the blue mist, the group noticed that its blue skin had be even more radiant, a deep and brilliant blue!


    Outside the Temple of the Sea, an enormous creature had arrived unnoticed. At the exact moment the Kyogre phantom shattered, the creature seemed to sense it and a look of confusion flickered in its eyes.

 Chapter 1132: Kyogre

    <h4>Chapter 1132: Kyogre</h4>


    Lapras transformation did notst long. The people present were astonished to see the image of Kyogre emerging from Lapras''s body. Jack couldn''t help but ask, "Gym Leader Shimizu, what is going on?"


    However, Yuga remained fixated on the transforming Lapras and did not respond to Jack''s question. Firstly, he was too preupied to answer, and secondly, he felt it unnecessary, as any trainer would keep their Pok��mon''s information confidential.


    Seeing that Yuga did not answer his question, Jack did not press further. At this point, Lapras''s transformation was nearing its conclusion. Suddenly, vivid red patterns appeared on Lapras''s fins, waist, and abdomen, crisscrossing each other before fading away as if they had never existed, disappearing back into its skin.


    "Lapras!"


    Lapras raised its long neck and let out a cry. Unlike its previously beautiful and melodious song, this time its roar was filled with authority.


    The colossal creature hovering outside the Temple of the Sea involuntarily responded to this roar. Its prating voice resonated throughout the ocean, causing a stir among the sea Pok��mon.


    After calling out, the giant beast appeared momentarily confused: Why did I just call out? It lingered outside the Temple of the Sea but showed no intention of entering. The energy shield surrounding the temple trembled with its presence, as if weing its arrival.


    Inside the Temple of the Sea, Yuga and the others also heard the roar that had just reached them. Shepmented, "What was that sound just now?"


    Everyone exchanged nces, unable to identify it. Yuga, distracted by the roar, withdrew his attention from Lapras. He, too, was unsure what Pok��mon''s roar could reach the Temple of the Sea.


    Just moments ago, Yuga had been worried about the broken blue orb on Lapras. This orb was of the same origin as those on Florges and both Lapras and Charizard. It had always been a significant aid in their training. He didn''t expect Lapras''s orb to break today, wondering if it would have any adverse effects.


    "Manaphy, Manaphy!"


    Manaphy had already finished its inheritance before Lapras, energetically jumping in the water before diving into May''s arms.


    Yuga unconsciously used his Insight skill to assess it.


    ...


    [ Manaphy ]


    Type: Water


    Ability: Hydration


    Gender: None


    Potential: Unknown


    Level: Unknown


    Move: Firefly, Bubble, Ssh, Bubble Beam, Melt, Water Pulse, Whirlpool, Water Ring, Dive, Rain Dance, Telepathy, Scald, Surf, Waterfall, Water Break.


    ...


    Unlike the earlier Manaphy that knew almost nothing, the Manaphy that had received its inheritance immediately learned all the water-type skills it could learn. As for other skills, it would have to learn them step by step; shortcuts were not an option.


    However, the most important thing Manaphy gained from the inheritance was not skills, but divinity! If previously Manaphy possessed only a faint trace of divinity, even less than Yuga''s Florges, now it had be a genuine mythical Pok��mon.


    As Manaphy was acting cute with May, Lapras''s transformation came to an end.


    "Lapras?"


    Lapras tilted its head, looking at its trainer, still a bit unclear about the current situation, but it sensed that it seemed to have be different.


    Yuga walked over and patted its smooth neck,forting it while assessing its condition.


    ..


    [ Lapras (Variant) ]


    Type: Water, Ice


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Hydration, Rain Dance


    Potential: Purple


    Level: 86


    Move: Sing, Water Gun, Mist, Water Pulse, Rain Dance, Hail, Ice Beam, Misty Guard, Water Cannon, Absolute Zero, Blizzard, Refresh, Waterfall, Surf, Avnche, Dragon Dance, Detect, Heavy m, Dragon Pulse, Icy Wind, Water Tail, Signal Beam, Origin Pulse.


    ...


    Compared to before, Lapras had two noticeable changes: an increase in level and a change in skills.


    In terms of level, Lapras had only improved by a couple of levels, but for a champion-level Pok��mon, such an increase was not easy to achieve, so two or three levels of improvement could not be considered trivial.


    In terms of skills, Lapras gained Kyogre''s exclusive move, Origin Pulse.


    Previously, when Chimecho inherited the exclusive skill, Psychic Boost, from Deoxys, Yuga felt regret that Lapras could not inherit Kyogre''s exclusive Origin Pulse. He never expected that today, that regret would be alleviated.


    Aside from the changes visible through Insight, Yuga inquired in detail about Lapras''s transformation from the system.


    ording to the system, during this transformation, Lapraspletely assimted the benefits brought by Kyogre''s bloodline. Although the changes in its skills and level were not significant, its more profound transformation urred at the gic level.


    Lapras utilized Kyogre''s bloodline and the power of the blue orb to alter its base stats, resulting in a substantial enhancement of its overall abilities.


    This transformation took apletely different pathpared to Florges.


    Florges had been continuously cultivating the divinity within her. Once the umtion of divinity reached a qualitative change, she would have the potential to ascend to a Legendary Pokemon, bing a being simr to AZ''s Floette.


    In contrast, Lapras increased its racial value at the cost of its bloodline and divinity, allowing it to reach the limits of an ordinary Pok��mon (a level 100 Pok��mon).


    Yuga couldn''t definitively say which path was better.


    Cultivating divinity was not easy; it was exceedingly difficult for an ordinary Pok��mon to be a Legendary Pokemon. Currently, Yuga only knew of one Florges that had seeded.


    Even if Florges were to achieve sess in the end, a typical Tier 2 Legendary Pok��mon would not necessarily be stronger than a level 100 Pok��mon. Yuga still vividly remembered the time Zapdos was beaten mercilessly by a giant Milotic.


    However, Legendary Pokemons possess their own unique qualities. For example, Manaphy may appear timid in battle, but its significance is undeniable; without it, the oceans of this world might have turned into stagnant waters.


    Though achieving level 100 Pok��mon is also quite challenging, it is somewhat easierpared to an ordinary Pok��mon''s ascent to Legendary Pokemon status. After all, Yuga had encountered several level 100 Pok��mon already.


    Thus, it was truly difficult to judge which path was superior!


    "Since Manaphy''s inheritance has concluded, we should leave the Temple of the Sea," Jack reminded them.


    "Yes, it''s time to go." Everyone agreed.


    However, just as they stepped out of the pce, they were stunned by the sight of a giant Pokemon battling a Whishiwashi outside!


    "That... that is... is that Kyogre?" Shep stammered, almost copsing in shock. If not for his granddaughter Lizabeth''s quick reflexes, he would have certainly fallen down the stairs, sustaining serious injuries.


    The pce where the Sea Crown was kept was located at the highest point of the Temple of the Sea, so as Yuga and the others exited the pce, they had a full view of the entire Temple of the Sea and naturally saw Kyogre outside in its entirety.


    It was Yuga''s first time seeing the real Kyogre, which was farrger than he had imagined��a true behemoth!


    Kyogre seemed to have encountered the Whishiwashi that was chasing Yuga and the others earlier.


    In fact, the situation arose from the low intelligence of the Whishiwashi. It had chased Manaphy before, and now it was provoking Kyogre in the same manner.


    These Pokemon had grown ustomed to dominating this sea area, wanting to bite anyone they encountered. Yuga and his group couldn''t defeat it while battling with Manaphy, so they would have to flee, but could Kyogre tolerate it?


    Suddenly, two massive light spots appeared on either side of Kyogre''s gigantic fins. Before Yuga and the others could react, four beams of light shot out from the spots. In an instant, therge group of Whishiwashi was pierced through and shattered into numerous small Whishiwashi, each norger than a palm.


    Although the school characteristic of Whishiwashi allowed them to merge into a cohesive unit, greatly enhancing their strength, it also had a drawback: once the health of thebined Remoraid dropped below 25%, the school would fall apart.


    A single Whishiwashi was cowardly and timid. It wouldn''t stand a chance against Kyogre; even the sight of a stranger could induce enough psychological pressure for it to flee in no time.


    After dealing with the Whishiwashi, Kyogre turned its gaze toward Yuga and the others in the Temple of the Sea, creating significant psychological pressure for them.


    "Grandpa, do you think Kyogre is here to pick up Manaphy?" Lizabeth spected uncertainly.


    Escorting Manaphy to the Temple of the Sea was a task that the People of the Water had only once every many years. This was the first time for Lizabeth and herpanions to undertake such a mission, and they had not heard of Kyogre''s appearance during the process beforehand.


    "It''s... quite possible," Shep replied, calming his emotions and taking a deep breath.


    Manaphy did not seem surprised by Lizabeth''s spection; it appeared to have anticipated this moment, though its eyes were filled with tears as it looked at May.


    "Manaphy, is Kyogre here to pick you up?" May asked tearfully, not wanting to part with Manaphy.


    "Manaphy, Manaphy."


    Manaphy tightly clutched the hem of May''s clothing. Although it was reluctant, it nodded in agreement. Even though it had only just been born, it understood that it bore an irreceable responsibility.


    With Manaphy''s affirmative response, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Since Kyogre was here to pick up Manaphy, it likely wouldn''t pose any threat to them.


    Unlike Rayquaza, which stood on the side of the League, both Kyogre and Groudon were neutral Legendary Pokemons. While they harbored no hostility towards humans, they also held no fondness for them.


    ording to legend, Hoenn region was gued by disastersrgely because two of its three Tier 1 Legendary Pok��mon were neutral Pok��mon.


    Although these two wouldn''t intentionally harm humans, they often bore grudges against each other. When they argued, they rarely considered humans, and their reckless actions would lead to heavy casualties among people.


    "Kyogre!"


    Kyogre had no intention of entering the Temple of the Sea. It called out to Manaphy, seemingly urging it toe over quickly.


    "Let''s escort Manaphy over," Yuga suggested.


    So, the group made their way down the stairs, arriving at the waters where the ghost ship was anchored.


    May reluctantly ced Manaphy into the water and said, "Manaphy, go ahead."


    Manaphy jumped back into May''s arms, hugging her tightly as tears streamed down its face.


    May steeled herself and ced it back into the water: "Manaphy, you have a mission toplete. Go, and we will definitely meet again in the future."


    Upon hearing this, Manaphy reluctantly swam towards Kyogre, asionally looking back to wave at May.


    "Kyogre!"


    At that moment, Kyogre called out again. While others might not have understood the meaning behind its call, Yuga clearly grasped it. Kyogre was summoning him, and he also had a guess as to why Kyogre wanted him toe over.


    Yuga then sat on the back of his Lapras.


    Seeing Yuga''s actions, Max, who was nearby, asked curiously, "Brother Yuga, what are you doing?"


    Yuga ruffled Max''s hair and replied, "You all go wait on the boat for me. I''ll be right back."


    Although Jack and the others were also puzzled about what Yuga was nning to do, they couldn''t voice their questions and could only nod at him, signaling him to hurry back.


    Yuga, along with Manaphy, arrived at the boundary where the water and the energy shield met. Manaphy swam through the energy shield and approached Kyogre, yfully swimming around it. Yuga and Lapras, however, stopped at the edge.


    After ying around for a while, Kyogre gestured for Manaphy to hop onto its back and then turned its gaze toward Yuga and Lapras, its eyes filled with a hint of confusion as it looked at Lapras.


    Every time Kyogre saw Lapras, it felt an intangible connection between them, though it couldn''t quite understand why.


    "Kyogre!"


    Kyogre called out to Yuga, who immediately understood its meaning. Thinking to himself, "Just as I suspected," he took out the indigo orb he had found on Archie.


    This was the reason Kyogre had called him over.


    Yuga felt that returning the indigo orb to Kyogre was a good deed, at least more appropriate than handing it over to the League. After all, Rayquaza had taken away its own Jade orb, right?


    Yuga held the indigo gem out toward the edge of the energy shield. The gem then flew from his hand, passed through the energy shield, and was swallowed by Kyogre.


    After receiving the indigo orb, Kyogre thanked Yuga, which caught him off guard.


    However, what Kyogre did next left Yuga stunned��it actually tried to entice Lapras to join it!


    After obtaining the indigo orb, Kyogre bypassed Yuga and directly asked Lapras if it wanted to go with it. Yuga was dumbfounded. This was indeed Kyogre, boldly trying to steal away his Pok��mon.


    Fortunately, Yuga''s Lapras was not a "vain" Pok��mon and outright refused Kyogre.


    Kyogre, however, didn''t seem angry at the rejection. More urately, Yuga didn''t perceive any change in its emotions. It opened its mouth and expelled a palm-sized crystal, presenting it to Lapras.


    The crystal was a light blue, transparent, and prism-shaped, looking exceptionally beautiful��more stunning than any gemstone Yuga had ever seen. Importantly, it emitted a very pure wave of water-type energy.


    The crystal floated in front of Lapras before suddenly disappearing into its body. Though Yuga didn''t know what that crystal was, he instinctively felt it must be an extraordinary treasure.


    Yuga also couldn''t tell whether Kyogre gave such a treasure to Lapras as thanks for returning the indigo orb or simply because it liked Lapras.

 Chapter 1133: Meeting Harley

    <h4>Chapter 1133: Meeting Harley</h4>


    After giving the mysterious crystal to Lapras, Kyogre left without looking back, taking Manaphy with it. However, Manaphy, sitting on Kyogre''s back, kept turning around to wave goodbye to May, reluctant to part.


    Once Kyogre had left, Yuga and the others also departed from the Temple of the Sea aboard the ghost ship. No one voiced any objections to Yuga returning the Indigo Orb to Kyogre.


    Although everyone had helped obtain the item, Yuga had yed the leading role, giving him the right to decide what to do with it. Besides, they all agreed that it was safer to leave such an item in Kyogre''s hands, preventing any future disasters.


    Such a thing would only bring trouble if left in human hands.


    As soon as Yuga and the others left the Temple of the Sea, the temple drifted slowly toward the ocean depths under the force of the current. Before long, it disappeared from everyone''s sight.


    Watching the temple gradually vanish, Shep let out a deep sigh. In his lifetime, there would be no chance for them to see the Temple of the Sea again.


    After leaving the Temple of the Sea, Jack immediately bid farewell to Yuga and the others. He had been escorting Manaphy all this time, but now that his mission wasplete, it was time for him to return to the Ranger Union and report the results.


    Watching Jack ride away on the Mantine he had captured with a capture styler, Yuga asked Shep and the others, "Now that your mission isplete, what are your ns?"


    Shep replied, "No special ns. Once we return, we''ll continue our performances with the troupe, just like ordinary people." Although they had the special identity of being descendants of the People of the Water, that identity had faded over time and brought no real benefits to their everyday lives.


    Hearing this, Yuga nodded and didn''t ask further.


    About a weekter, Yuga and the others returned to Lilycove City, where Shep and his family officially bid farewell to Yuga and May. Before leaving, they gave May an address, suggesting that she might want to visit if she had the chance. As a descendant of the People of the Water, they hinted that May might gain some unexpected rewards there.


    Back in Lilycove City, Yuga took the opportunity to visit Chris''s home once more. Marlin that had been left there had already been taken by Robert, but Yuga did meet Chris, who had just returned from her travels. With the new year approaching, it was time for Chris, who had been traveling all year, toe home.


    Afterward, Yuga contacted Himekawa again and handed over Archie, who had been tied up on the ship.


    Seeing Archie in Yuga''s custody, Himekawa was utterly shocked. They had been trying to catch Archie for so long without sess, and yet here he was, delivered right to Himekawa by Yuga.


    "Rest assured, Gym Leader Shimizu, we will make sure this man is safely brought back to the League to face trial."


    Himekawa truly admired Yuga''s skills. With such professional ability, it was no wonder Yuga had be a Hall of Fame-level trainer.


    "Then I''ll leave it in your hands, Director Himekawa."


    Himekawa also told Yuga about the previous attack by White Leader. Yuga wasn''t too surprised by this news. Since that thing was so important to White Leader, it was only natural that he would try to take it back.


    Additionally, League experts were actively working on cracking the chip that had been sent back. Given time, they were confident they would unlock the secrets hidden within.


    After saying goodbye to Himekawa, Yuga and the others didn''t stay long in Lilycove City. However, before heading back to Verdanturf Town, Yuga decided to first escort May and Max back to Petalburg City.


    On the way to Petalburg City, with no outsiders around, Yuga began testing Lapras'' abilities after its transformation.


    Just as the system had stated, after its racial value changed, Lapras'' overall strength had significantly improved, with the most noticeable increases in its special attack and special defense.


    Previously, when Yuga saw Kyogre using Origin Pulse during its battle with the Wishiwashi school, he had been deeply envious of that move. So, when testing Lapras'' Origin Pulse, Yuga had high expectations.


    Lapras'' use of Origin Pulse was very simr to Kyogre''s, where light spots formed near its front flippers, and then the gathered energy shot out in beams.


    However, while Kyogre could form two light spots on each flipper and fire a total of four beams, Lapras could only form two beams in total, one on each flipper, and their power couldn''tpare to Kyogre''s.


    The reduced power of Origin Pulse was not only due to the difference in strength between Lapras and Kyogre but also influenced by the skill''s proficiency andpatibility. These factors would depend on Lapras'' efforts to keep moving forward.


    The ghost ship floated in the air, flying steadily toward Petalburg City, while Lapras followed behind, practicing its moves as it flew.


    Since its transformation, Lapras'' flight speed had greatly improved. Although the change wasn''t as noticeable as its special attack and special defense, it no longer flew as sluggishly as before. This improvement was not only a result of its increased speed stat but also due to its better control over Water-type energy.


    Boom!


    Lapras'' two Origin Pulse beams sted through a small hill in the distance. Max, standing on the deck, pped excitedly and shouted, "Amazing! So amazing!"


    At that moment, an irritated voice came from beyond the hill.


    "Who''s being so reckless?!"


    Then, Yuga and May saw a person wrapped in spider silk being flung out from the explosion''s smoke, followed closely by an Ariados.


    It was clear that this person and the Pok��mon had been caught in the st from Lapras'' Origin Pulse.


    "Ouch, that hurt like crazy!"


    The person, who had been tossed by Ariados'' silk,nded face-first on the ground. If it hadn''t been grass, Yuga thought, the person might have been seriously hurt.


    "Sis, sis... doesn''t that person look like Harley?" Max suddenly tugged on May''s arm.


    May took a closer look. "...It really does!"


    "Harley, what are you doing here?" Recognizing someone she knew, May called out loudly to the figure.


    Rubbing his sore backside, Harley looked toward the voice and immediately spotted May and Max standing on the ship''s edge. After a brief moment of shock, he stood up and pointed at them, shouting angrily, "Was it you two who just blew me up? How could you be so inconsiderate! If I got hurt, how would you make it up to me?"


    Instead of getting angry at Harley''s outburst, May and Max burst intoughter.


    Harley was someone May had met during the Pok��mon Contests. His entric personality had led to many shes with May, but as the saying goes, "you don''t know someone until you''ve fought them," and they had eventually made peace.


    However, Harley''s difficult personality was undeniable. Even if he became friends with you, don''t expect him to be particrly kind or gentle.


    Yuga also had a distinct impression of Harley. Although he hadn''t met him in person, Harley wasn''t very likable in the original story, always causing trouble for May.


    But in reality, Yuga couldn''t judge Harley too harshly, having never interacted with him.Based on May and Max''s reactions, it seemed they got along well enough.


    Soon, Harley and his Ariados were brought aboard Yuga''s ghost ship by Lapras. As he looked at the Lapras carrying him, Harley found it surreal. Since when could Lapras fly?


    "Aren''t you supposed to be in Kanto with Ash? When did youe back?" Harley asked May and Max, shifting his attention away from Lapras. But soon enough, his eyes were drawn to the ghost ship beneath his feet.


    A ghost ship! He had only ever heard of them in legends, and this was his first time seeing one in real life. How exciting!


    Harley has a special fondness for spooky things, and the Pok��mon he captures reflect this preference: Cacturne, Bte, Ariados... none of them are exactly easygoing.


    "We''ve been back for almost a month," May replied with a smile. "What about you? What are you doing in this remote area?"


    At this, Harley huffed angrily, "How can you even ask that? If it weren''t for that explosion of yours, I''d have already caught that tricky Abra!"


    Unlike May and the others, who came from privileged backgrounds, Harley was an orphan. Being a trainer was expensive, so in addition to participating in Pok��mon Contests, he asionally took on private jobs to make extra money.


    The reason he was out here was due to rumors of an Abra sighting. At the request of a client, Harley hade to capture the elusive Pok��mon.


    The rumors were true; Harley had already encountered Abra.


    He was about to catch it when Lapras'' Origin Pulse disrupted everything. Not only did Abra escape, but Harley himself was almost caught in the st. If it hadn''t been for his Ariados'' quick reflexes, using its web to fling him out of harm''s way, things could have ended much worse.


    "I see," Yuga said awkwardly upon hearing Harley''sint. "That was definitely our fault. How about this�� aspensation, we''ll help you find that Abra."


    Harley''s eyes lit up at the offer, but he remained "reserved," saying, "Oh? Is that really okay?"


    In truth, Harley had noticed Yuga from the start, but Yuga''s status was so high that Harley hadn''t dared to approach him.


    Harley knew who Yuga was, of course��someone that famous was hard to miss. He also knew that the ghost ship belonged to Yuga. If it weren''t for Yuga''s presence, Harley would''ve already been pestering May and Max with a million questions about the ship��he loved ghost ships!


    While Harley could be open and straightforward with his friends like May, when facing someone as prominent as Yuga, even someone as quirky as Harley couldn''t help but feel a bit nervous.


    "It''s no problem. After all, it was our mistake," Yuga reassured him.


    "Well, since you''re offering... okay, then."


    And so, Yuga, May, and Harley disembarked from the ship, leaving Max behind to "guard" the ship. Although Max wasn''t happy about it, there was no room for negotiation.


    Once they were on the ground, May asked, confused, "How are we supposed to find that Abra?"


    Harley, equally frustrated, added, "Exactly! That Abra is not only tricky, but it can also use Teleport. Tracking it down won''t be easy."


    Yuga smiled faintly. "Leave it to me."


    With that, he released Florges and said, "Florges, would you mind giving us a hand?"


    "Florges!"


    Florges nodded and closed its eyes. It spread its arms wide, and a light green energy ring expanded from its body, radiating outward.


    Rustle, rustle, rustle...


    As the green light spread out, the surrounding leaves and grass rustled, seemingly responding to Florges. After a short while, Florges opened its eyes again, and the movement of the nts around them came to a halt.


    Florges nodded at Yuga, who smiled and said to May and Harley, "We found it."


    "That''s it? You found it already?" Harley looked confused, feeling a sense of bewilderment.


    Yuga released his Sawsbuck, allowing Florges to sit on it and lead the way. Although Florges was capable of walking and jumping, its legs weren''t suited for running or fast movement. Without Sawsbuck as a mount, its speed would be quite slow.


    In the forest, all the flora acted as Florges'' eyes and ears, so under its guidance, Yuga and the others quickly located Abra.


    However, to their surprise, they discovered that they were not the first to arrive. Abra was already surrounded by three people.


    Realizing that someone else had reached Abra first, Yuga and the others hid in the shadows to assess the situation. But from their conversation, Harley learned that these people were working for the same employer as him.


    This infuriated Harley.


    "What''s the meaning of this? Do they look down on me?" Harley whispered, his face turning pale with anger.


    Harley''s task was acquired from the League''s task website, which was specifically set up for trainers like him who were not financially well-off, and it was monitored by the League.


    There were rules for every job. ording to the website, in the case of solo tasks like Harley''s, once he epted the task, the employer was not allowed to hire others until he explicitly stated he could notplete it. (Harley had to pay a deposit to take on the task, which would be forfeited if he failed toplete it.)


    Clearly, the people in front of him had been privately hired by the employer, bypassing the League''s website. Although their actions did not technically vite any rules, Harley still felt deeply insulted.


    If this got out, how would he ever stand in this line of work again? Even if the employer was at fault, others might assume hecked the ability, leading to a loss of trust.


    Fueled by his anger, Harley was about to charge out when Yuga quickly held him back.


    If the three people were unaware of the employer''s actions, then Harley would have no justification for confronting them. After all, they had also used their own skills to find Abra, putting them on the same footing as Harley.


    Given how rare and elusive Abra were, it was no wonder that Harley''s employer was "ying both sides."


    However, what happened next surprised Yuga and the others.


    Abra, appearing quite young, was incredibly intelligent. Realizing it was outnumbered, it showed no intention of putting up a fight and prepared to use Teleport to escape.


    But just then, the three people surrounding it threw out two fist-sized cubes each. The six cubes shed with blue electricity, instantly forming a light prison that trapped Abra inside.


    Abra''s attempt to teleport was interrupted, and astonishingly, when it tried to use Teleport again, it failed and was shocked by the blue currents emanating from the cubes.


    Clearly, the devices used to trap Abra were some sort of high-tech gadget specifically designed for capturing elusive Pok��mon!

 Chapter 1134: The Trip to Lilycove City

    <h4>Chapter 1134: The Trip to Lilycove City</h4>


    Trapped inside the light prison, Abra screamed in pain due to the electric shocks. From their hiding spot, Harley cursed loudly, "Those bastard..."


    This time, Yuga didn''t stop Harley from jumping out, as using high-tech devices to capture wild Pok��mon was illegal.


    Along with Harley, Ariados also leapt into action.


    Ariados'' four legs swiftly cut through the grass, reaching the trapped Abra in the blink of an eye. It raised a sharp w and used Shadow Sneak to stab the light prison. However, a sh of electricity from the prison repelled its attack.


    Ariados prepared to strike again, but the opposing Shiftry had already spotted it. In a sh of green light, Ariados was struck by Leaf de and knocked back.


    "Who are you?" a man asked warily after Harley appeared.


    There were two men and one woman surrounding Abra, all seemingly in their early thirties. The eldest male was the first one to speak.


    Furious, Harley pointed at Abra and shouted, "Who cares who I am? That Abra is mine!"


    Harley was already livid due to the employer''s "double-dealing." Now that the other party had broken the rules, he felt it was only fair to reim his target.


    "Where did this freake from? Can''t you see we''ve already captured the Abra!" the woman spat angrily.


    "Freak?" Harley''s face turned green at that word.


    Harley''s behavior was indeed entric, with his feminine clothing and mannerisms, but he liked himself just the way he was. He wouldn''t tolerate anyone insulting him for it. Anyone who dared to insult him in this way would face his retaliation��he was a vengeful person!


    "Ariados, get her!" Harley, too angry to speak further, ordered Ariados to attack the woman. Harley had no concept of showing leniency just because she was female.


    The woman''s expression shifted in fear as the terrifying Ariados charged at her, but her Parasect swiftly intervened, getting tackled by Ariados.


    Ariados pinned Parasect down with two of its legs, and with the other two, it used Poison Jab to stab Parasect. Parasect tried to fight back but was so frightened by Ariados'' Scary Face that its moves were interrupted. After being hit by Poison Jab, Parasect was struck again with Toxic Spikes.


    Given that Grass-type Pok��mon are weak to Poison-type moves, Parasect was instantly poisoned. Already weak, it copsed and couldn''t get back up.


    However, Parasect''s ability was Effect Spore, and since Ariados had made physical contact with it, Ariados became paralyzed from the spores.


    "You little brat!"


    Seeing theirpanion attacked, the two men were furious and ordered their Shiftry and Mightyena to charge at Harley.


    Ariados, now paralyzed, was unable to move and could only watch as Harley was put in danger.


    But just then, Yuga and May stepped in. May''s ziken and Altaria used methrower and Dragon Pulse to st Shiftry and Mightyena away.


    The sudden appearance of Yuga and May made the three people more cautious. The eldest man held back his Shiftry and Mightyena, who were about to attack again, and said to Yuga and May, "We captured this Abra fair and square. You barging in like this is quite out of line, don''t you think?"


    May retorted angrily, "The way you captured Abra vites the League''sws! Why shouldn''t we intervene?"


    Hearing May''s words, the man hesitated for a moment, then nced at her ziken and Altaria. Realization dawned on him, and he looked at Yuga and May with a mocking expression.


    At first, he thought Yuga and his group were rivals trying to steal the job. But May''s "naive" statement made him realize he had misjudged them.


    Now that he understood, the man stopped talking and, along with his malepanion, released a Dustox, Breloom, Forretress, and Magcargo to join the battle.


    Harley immediately recalled the paralyzed Ariados and sent out Cacturne, Bte, and Wigglytuff to focus their attacks on the woman.


    Meanwhile, May also released Beautifly, teaming it up with ziken and Altaria to handle the two men.


    As for Yuga... he stood off to the side, watching with his Sawsbuck and Florges, barely making his presence known.


    With the strength of those three opponents, Yuga saw no need to intervene. It was a perfect opportunity for May to get some battle practice, and Yuga was curious to see how much she had improvedtely.


    In his rage, Harley fully disyed his terrifyingbat style. His Cacturne used Needle Arm repeatedly, turning the woman''s Exploud into a pin cushion.


    Exploud''s greatest weapon was its voice, but under Bte''s relentless Shadow Sneak attacks, it couldn''t manage to use a single sound-based move.


    The woman''s cute little Cors was nearly driven to madness by Harley''s Wigglytuff.


    Despite its cute, pink appearance��just like Cors��Harley''s Wigglytuff was far from ordinary. A Wigglytuff chosen by Harley certainly wouldn''t be a normal one. This particr Wigglytuff might have looked sweet on the outside, but it was undoubtedly dark on the inside.


    Harley''s Wigglytuff, while known for its terrifying looks, was chosen for its equally terrifying personality. It had mastered Confide, a move that used soft, persistent whispers to disturb the opponent''s focus and lower their special attack.


    Wigglytuff had alsobined Confide with Sing, creating abo that not only prevented Cors from focusing but also made it drowsy. However, the nasty Wigglytuff wouldn''t let Cors sleep. The moment it started to doze off, Wigglytuff would p it awake with Wake-Up p. Then, when Cors was severely injured, Wigglytuff would hit it with Heal Pulse.


    Cors was utterly devastated!


    On May''s side, Beautifly took on Dustox, ziken faced Magcargo, and Altaria handled both Breloom and Forretress simultaneously.


    May''s Beautifly had been training with Yuga''s Vivillon for a long time, learning flight techniques from Ledian. After putting in significant effort, Beautifly had not only mastered those techniques but had developed its own unique style, clearly reflecting its hard work.


    Under Beautifly''s nimble control, Dustox was utterly outmatched.


    As for the battle between ziken and Magcargo, there wasn''t much to say. May''s ziken was her primary focus of training, and whether in terms of fire temperature or control over fire-type energy, it far outssed the ordinary Magcargo.


    Altaria, being May''s first Pok��mon, was even stronger than ziken. Facing Breloom and Forretress, it remained inplete control throughout the fight.


    However, as the opposing trio realized they were losing, they gave a desperate order: Forretress wasmanded to use Explosion, a move that harms both the user and others nearby. If Yuga hadn''t intervened in time to save May and Harley, they would likely have been gravely injured.


    Though May and Harley were unscathed, the three enemies were left on the brink of death due to Forretress'' Explosion. Fortunately, Yuga had Florges use Grassy Terrain to sustain their lives. Otherwise, they might have died on the spot.


    Yuga wasn''t acting out ofpassion. Rather, Harley wanted to take these three people back to confront their employer. With Harley''s vengeful nature, he wouldn''t let this go without a proper reckoning.


    Seeing the three people in such a pitiful state, most of the anger in Harley''s heart finally subsided.


    The light prison that had trapped the Abra had resisted both Harley and Bte''s attacks for a long time without breaking. In the end, it was Yuga who found the switch to open it and freed the Abra.


    That Abra was extremely cunning, and the moment the light prison opened, it tried to use Teleport to escape. But Sawsbuck, quick on its feet, immediately hit it with Leech Seed.


    With its small body, Abra couldn''t withstand Sawsbuck''s Leech Seed for more than two or three seconds before it was drained dry, copsing like a beached fish, lying motionless on the ground.


    Harley picked it up, swearing under his breath. "You ungrateful little thing! We just saved you, and you were already trying to run away. What a piece of work!"


    Yuga used Insight ability to check on the Abra, and to his surprise, it turned out to be a Pok��mon with green potential��definitely worth all the trouble Harley went through.


    "Quick, put it away. Don''t you have a task toplete?"


    Harley, hearing this, replied, "Is this really for me?"


    If it weren''t for Yuga and May helping out today, Harley would never have been reckless enough to face those three people alone. Now that Yuga was offering him the spoils of their battle, Harley couldn''t help but feel a rare sense of embarrassment.


    Yuga smiled and said, "Didn''t we agree this would be yourpensation? Lapras identally involved you earlier, so this is our way of making it right."


    "Well... alright then." Since you insist, I''ll take it.


    Harley took out a Pok��ball and captured the Abra.


    Looking at the three people lying side by side on the ground, Yuga asked Harley, "Where are you headed next? If it''s on the way, we can give you a lift."


    "Really?" Harley''s eyes lit up. "I''m going to Aromatic City. How about you?"


    "We''re headed to Petalburg City," May responded.


    "That''s perfect. Aromatic City is right on the way to Petalburg. Let''s travel together then," Yuga said.


    So, they hauled the three injured people onto the ghost ship and set off for Aromatic City. Harley was overjoyed to be on the ghost ship. He kept looking around and touching everything, obviously thrilled by its spooky aesthetic.


    Aromatic City wasn''t far from where they were. After about two or three hours, they arrived. Thanks to Florges'' efforts, the injuries of the three captives had stabilized, and their lives were no longer in danger.


    Before disembarking, Harley turned around to Yuga and May and asked, "Would you two like to stay at my ce for the night? It''s toote to reach the next city by now."


    It turned out that Aromatic City was Harley''s hometown.


    With the ghost ship, Yuga and May didn''t mind spending a night outdoors, but they also didn''t want to reject Harley''s hospitality. After all, why suffer outside when there was a better option?


    Especially May, who had grown tired of the ship''s food after spending so many days onboard.


    Leaving the ghost ship under the guard of Dusknoir and the others, Yuga, May, Max, and Harley headed into Aromatic City together.


    Before going home, Harley decided to stop by the mission center to hand in his task.


    The mission center operated simrly to a Pok��mon Center, but instead of lodging and rest for trainers, it handled task submissions.


    Afterpleting a mission, trainers could deliver the task items to the mission center, which would then pass them on to the employer, reducing the chances of disputes. Most cities had a mission center, but it was Yuga and May''s first time inside one, and Max''s too, of course.


    Initially, Harley intended to go directly to the task submission window, but after thinking it over, he headed to theint window instead and reported the employer''s "two-timing" betrayal.


    He even dragged the three injured people over as evidence, with the light prison''s ck-market technology serving as proof. The trio had no way to deny it.


    Harley had originally nned to settle things privately with the employer, but the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. In the end, his temper got the better of him, and he decided to go public.


    Harley''s actions quickly attracted the attention of the other trainers in the mission center, and soon, a crowd gathered around theint window.


    From the conversations of a few trainers, Yuga and the others gradually learned more about the trio.


    It turned out these three were regrs at the mission center, and they were siblings. However, their reputation was notorious��they were often involved in shady jobs, though no one had ever been able to gather any concrete evidence.


    People who frequently took on illegal jobs were known as bounty hunters. Unlike trainers who operated above board, bounty hunters worked in the underworld, and most of them were fugitives.


    Due to the employer''s betrayal, Harley refused to submit the task items, which led the mission center to contact the employer directly.


    Not long after, a plump, middle-aged man rushed into the mission center. In his haste, he was drenched in sweat and panting heavily.


    "I''m sorry, I''m so sorry. This is all my fault."


    The man''s apology was sincere, and seeing the three people Harley had brought in, he didn''t offer a single excuse for himself. He immediately began apologizing.


    "Of course it''s your fault! What do you take me for? Do you think a couple of apologies will make this go away?"


    Though the employer was quick to apologize, Harley wasn''t willing to let it slide. He held onto Abra and refused to submit the task items, which eventually drew the attention of the mission center''s management.


    Since the fault clearlyy with the employer, the mission center''s resolution was fair. They canceled the mission as Harley requested, and his deposit was refunded in full.


    As for the three siblings, they were handed over to Officer Jenny of Aromatic City. The employer vehemently insisted that he hadn''t known the trio would use ck-market technology to capture a Pok��mon, so Officer Jenny only questioned him as part of standard procedure.


    However, Yuga reminded Officer Jenny that the light prison technology looked advanced, likely beyond the reach of ordinary people, and advised her to investigate its source thoroughly.


    Since Officer Jenny knew Yuga, she took his reminder seriously and promised to conduct a proper investigation.


    On their way home, Harley, Yuga, and the others were stopped by the employer. He pleaded with Harley to release the Abra, offering to pay extra.


    "Sorry, I just don''t like you, so no deal!"


    Hot-tempered as ever, Harley rejected the offer without hesitation.

 Chapter 1135: Trade Pokémon

    <h4>Chapter 1135: Trade Pok��mon</h4>


    Yuga watched from the side as Harley argued with the employer for quite some time before the plump man finally left, huffing in frustration.


    After the man left, Yuga asked curiously, "Why is he so insistent on getting that Abra?"


    The employer hadmissioned the task to get a Pok��mon for his family. While Abra was rare, it wasn''t irreceable. Couldn''t he just get a different Pok��mon? Why was he so determined, knowing full well Harley was still angry and likely to refuse him?


    "Who knows!" Harley, still fuming from the exchange, answered grumpily.


    Yuga didn''t think too much about it. Whatever the reason was, it wasn''t his business anyway.


    On their way to Harley''s house, Yuga asked, "Since you''re not nning to submit Abra as the task reward, what are you going to do with it now?"


    "Oh yeah, what should I do with it?" Harley, hearing this, seemed a bit unsure himself.


    Little Max chimed in from the side, "Why don''t you just train it yourself, Harley?" Despite his young age, Max knew how valuable an Abra was.


    "Train it myself?" Harley curled his lip. "I''d rather not."


    It wasn''t just that Psychic-type Pok��mon were notoriously difficult to train; Harley also didn''t like Abra''s style. He preferred Pok��mon like Cacturne and Bte��those suited him better.


    "Why not? Abra''s great!" Max asked, confused. He personally liked Abra a lot.


    May overheard this and knocked him on the head. "Why are you asking so many questions? Mind your own business!"


    "I was just curious! Am I not allowed to ask?" Max held his head and teared up, looking pitiful.


    Yuga chuckled at Max''s reaction before turning back to Harley and saying, "If you''re really not sure how to handle Abra, I have two suggestions."


    Harley asked, "What are they? Tell me."


    "First, you can sell Abra to me. Once we check its potential at the Pok��mon Center, I''ll pay you based on its market value." Since Abra had green potential, it would be worth more than what Harley would have earned from his original task reward.


    Hearing this suggestion, Harley''s eyes lit up. He liked the sound of that idea��he could really use some money right now!


    "And what''s the second suggestion?" Harley asked, not rushing to make a decision.


    "The second suggestion is a trade. If you have a specific Pok��mon in mind that you want to raise, and I happen to have it, you can trade Abra for it. If there''s a difference in value, we''ll settle that separately."


    Harley thought this suggestion sounded good too. He had been thinking about raising a new Pok��mon, though he hadn''t decided which one yet.


    The reason he was eager to earn money was so that, once he figured out what he wanted, he''d already have the funds prepared. He was hoping to buy a Pok��mon he truly liked this time, but powerful, easy-to-train Pok��mon didn''te cheap.


    "How about we check Abra''s potential at the Pok��mon Center first?" Yuga suggested, seeing Harley deep in thought. Although Yuga had already assessed Abra''s potential using his Insight ability, Harley didn''t know that yet.


    "Let''s head to the Pok��mon Center first," Harley agreed with a nod. No matter which option he chose, Abra''s potential would need to be assessed.


    So, the group changed course and made their way to the Pok��mon Center.


    The results came out quickly, and upon learning that Abra had green potential, Harley felt that all the frustration he endured was worth it!


    "Mr. Shimizu, I want to trade Abra for another Pok��mon, but I haven''t decided which one yet. Do you have any rmendations?" After thinking for a while, Harley decided to go with the second suggestion.


    "Do you have any specific requirements?" Yuga wasn''t surprised by Harley''s choice. He had plenty of good Pok��mon, but Harley needed to decide what type he was looking for.


    After a moment of thought, Harley replied, "A Dark-type Pok��mon, or one with a strong, smart personality." In truth, Harley wanted to say "ferocious and cunning," but if he''d said that out loud, Yuga might have given him a strange look.


    Even though Harley didn''t explicitly say it, Yuga had a pretty good idea of the type he wanted.


    For Dark-types, Yuga could rmend Murkrow, Vuby, or Houndour. For ferocious and cunning Pok��mon, there were options like Seviper, Arbok, and Carvanha.


    Yuga listed these potential options, but Harley couldn''t decide after thinking it over for a while. He felt that Murkrow, Houndour, and Vuby all suited him, but something still didn''t seem quite right.


    Seeing Harley hesitate for so long, Yuga suddenly remembered something and asked, "What do you think about a Tsareena?" For some reason, Yuga felt that a Tsareena with the Queenly Majesty ability would suit Harley perfectly.


    When it came to strong personalities, Tsareena certainly fit the bill. Those with the Queenly Majesty ability even had a bit of a sadistic trait. They were the ideal partner for trainers with a masochistic streak��getting stomped on by a Tsareena was likely the highest pleasure for such trainers.


    "Tsareena?" Harley asked, surprised. He didn''t know much about this particr Pok��mon.


    So Yuga carefully exined what Tsareena was like. Aside from its fitting personality, being a pure Grass-type made Tsareena easier to train and maintain. From a financial standpoint, Tsareena would be a good fit for Harley, given its lower upkeep costs.


    After hearing the exnation, Harley made up his mind on the spot. "I''ll choose Tsareena."


    Once the decision was made, Harley handed Abra''s Pok�� Ball to Yuga. Yuga then called home from the Pok��mon Center, asking Audino to send over a Bounsweet.


    To ensure that Bounsweet would evolve into a Tsareena with the Queenly Majesty ability, Yuga specifically asked Audino to send over a Bounsweet with the Oblivious ability.


    Bounsweet had three potential abilities: Leaf Guard, Oblivious, and the hidden ability Sweet Veil.


    If Bounsweet had the Leaf Guard or Sweet Veil abilities, these wouldn''t change when it evolved. However, if it had the Oblivious ability, it would transform into Queenly Majesty upon evolving from Steenee into Tsareena.


    Abilities have different effects on each Pok��mon. For example, Pok��mon with the Gluttony ability have bigger appetites, those with the Guts ability have stronger willpower, Pok��mon with the Honey Gather ability are better at producing honey, those with the Justified ability have a stronger sense of justice, and Pok��mon with the Keen Eye ability have sharper vision... Simrly, Pok��mon with the Oblivious ability and those with the Queenly Majesty ability will havepletely different personalities.


    A Steenee with the Oblivious ability will undergo a dramatic personality change when it evolves into a Tsareena with the Queenly Majesty ability. It''s like transforming from a sweet princess into a regal queen.


    "Bounsweet, Bounsweet."


    As Harley watched the bouncing, adorable Bounsweet on the ground, he couldn''t help but feel that something was off. Could this soft and cute Bounsweet really evolve into the Tsareena Yuga described? Harley was skeptical: "I don''t believe it!"


    The market value of a Bounsweet couldn''tpare to that of an Abra, not even ounting for regional differences. Therefore, Yugapensated Harley with a bit of extra money, though it wasn''t much.


    After leaving the Pok��mon Center, Yuga and the others headed directly to Harley''s house.


    Harley''s home was located in an ordinary residential area in the southern part of Aromatic City. He had bought the house with his own efforts after leaving the orphanage. Yuga found Harley''s story quite inspiring.


    Most of the time, Harley wasn''t home much, either participating inpetitions orpleting tasks to earn money.


    To thank Yuga for helping him solve the issue of what to do with Abra, Harley personally cooked avish dinner at his house for Yuga, May, and Max.


    Harley, having lived alone for many years, had be quite skilled in the kitchen. May, the foodie, was thoroughly satisfied and couldn''t help but look at Harley in a new light.


    You really can''t judge someone by just one side. While Harley had an odd personality, was vengeful, and had many hidden schemes, he also knew how to show gratitude and loyalty. Overall, he was a veryplex person.


    At Harley''s house, May and Max finally had a good night''s sleep. They hadn''t been able to rest well or eat properly in days due to the whole Manaphy situation.


    Yuga, on the other hand, was quite used to this kind of life. Sleeping at Harley''s house didn''t feel much different from sleeping on the ghost ship. There was a bed, nkets, shelter from the wind and rain��most people traveling in the wild didn''t have such luxuries.


    The next morning, Harley woke up early. After preparing breakfast for his guests, he headed to the task center alone.


    Life had to go on, and with a new Pok��mon, Harley needed to take on more tasks to earn money.


    Not long after Yuga and the others finished breakfast, Harley came back, cursing up a storm. It turned out that the same employer had found him again, persistently asking him to sell Abra, clinging to him like an annoying pest.


    Of course, Harley refused. Besides, Abra wasn''t even in his possession anymore. However, he didn''t mention that he had sold it to Yuga. If the employer shifted his attention to Yuga, that would really be a case of repaying kindness with betrayal.


    After venting his frustration, Yuga asked, puzzled, "What''s the deal with that guy? Why is he so fixated on Abra? Wouldn''t it be easier to just pick another Pok��mon?"


    "Who knows!" Harley replied, gulping down arge ss of water to soothe his dry throat. "Anyway, I''ve epted a new task and will be leaving Aromatic City for a while. Once I''m gone, let''s see if he can find me!"


    Even though New Year''s was approaching, it didn''t mean much to Harley, who had been living alone for so long. Earning money was more appealing to him, and there was a good chance he wouldn''t return to Aromatic City during the holidays.


    "Oh, by the way, when are you guys leaving?" Harley suddenly asked.


    Before Yuga could respond, Harley''smunicator started beeping. Harley picked it up and saw that the call was from the Aromatic City Police Department.


    The police were calling to express their gratitude for Yuga''s earlier tip. Since they didn''t have Yuga''s contact information, they called the "local" Harley instead.


    It turned out that the interrogation results for the three people who had been arrested were now in. There was indeed something seriously wrong with them.


    As it turned out, it was Harley''s former employer who had given them that high-tech prison device. These three individuals had been working for him the whole time, secretly using the technology to capture numerous Pok��mon, and they had even stolen Pok��mon from other trainers.


    ording to their statements, this employer seemed to be doing something nefarious with the Pok��mon they captured, though these hired hands didn''t know exactly what it was, as they were just following orders for money.


    After receiving this call, Harley learned that the employer had been arrested by the police shortly after Harley left the task center.


    "Hah, serves him right! That''s what you get for doing shady business!" After hanging up, Harley cursed with a cold expression.


    "Since the guy''s been caught, don''t get worked up over it. It''s not worth it," Yuga advised, feeling impressed by how quickly the Aromatic City police had wrapped things up��arresting the culprit one day and getting results the next morning.


    Meanwhile, at a vi in the eastern district of Aromatic City, Officer Jenny was leading a team in a thorough search. This was the employer''s residence.


    The employer''s wife, children, and house staff had been rounded up and were being watched by the police, though they still had no idea what was happening.


    "Search every corner!" Officer Jenny shouted,manding the officers as she led her Arcanine through the vi.


    About an hourter, an officer with a Luxray ran over to her, shouting, "Captain, we found something!"


    Officer Jenny followed the officer to a hidden study and asked, "Is it here?"


    The officer nodded silently.


    Luxray''s eyes had x-ray vision, which allowed it to detect the hidden features of the room.


    Once inside the study, Officer Jenny and her team quickly found a concealed chamber with Luxray''s help. However, the chamber was already empty, leaving only a lingering smell of blood in the air.


    ording to the employer''s confession, this chamber had been a makeshiftb where the captured Pok��mon were processed. However, whoever had been there was now long gone.


    The officer and his Luxray carefully searched the chamber, but aside from some discarded machinery, there was nothing else to be found.


    "Captain, there''s nothing here. They must have fled after catching wind of the situation."


    Officer Jenny stepped out of the study with her Arcanine and gave the order, "Search for them! They can''t have gotten far!"


    With that, the entire Aromatic City police force sprang into action.


    Meanwhile, Yuga and his group were purchasing supplies for their journey and said their goodbyes to Harley. They nned to leave Aromatic City immediately.


    After Yuga and the others left, Harley packed up his things and prepared to leave the city as well. Even though his employer had been caught, Harley still had tasks toplete��he didn''t have time to lounge around at home.


    As Yuga, May, and Max left Aromatic City, they noticed the city was under lockdown. There were not only police officers patrolling the streets with their Pok��mon, but even passersby like them were being questioned.


    Due to Yuga''s special status, many of the police recognized him, so they didn''t have much trouble and were able to leave the city smoothly.


    Outside the city, Yuga noticed that there were also police officers patrolling the outskirts, likely searching for someone. However, Yuga didn''t interfere and simply led May and Max back to the ghost ship.


    Yuga''s ghost ship was docked in a forest outside Aromatic City. With a group of Ghost-type Pok��mon, including Mismagius, keeping watch, it would be hard for anyone to find it.


    As soon as they returned to the ship, a Haunter floated over to Yuga, babbling away. Yuga was surprised and asked, "You''re saying you captured two suspicious people?"

 Chapter 1136: Mewtwo???

    <h4>Chapter 1136: Mewtwo???</h4>


    "May, Max, you two go rest in your rooms. I''ll be right back, and then we''ll head out," Yuga said after listening to Haunter''s report, turning around to May and Max.


    "Okay, Brother Yuga, go ahead and take care of what you need to," May replied sensibly as she led Max back to their room. The ghost ship wasrge, with many empty rooms. May and Max had been staying in the same rooms for the past few days.


    Once May and Max left, Yuga, led by Haunter, went down to the bottom of the ship''s hold. There, a scruffy middle-aged man and a gloomy young man were both tied up with chains by Dhelmise.


    "Who are you? Why did you capture us?" the gloomy young man asked, looking baffled as Yuga approached.


    Yuga looked at him with surprise. "Weren''t you the ones who broke in here first? I should be asking who you are."


    The gloomy young man immediately went silent.


    "I heard that the Aromatic City police are currently searching the whole city for someone," Yuga said, probing for information when the young man didn''t respond.


    Upon hearing this, the young man merely raised his eyebrows, but the scruffy middle-aged man, who had been silent the entire time, shrank back and began trembling.


    "It seems Officer Jenny is looking for you two," Yuga said with certainty. "Why don''t you tell me why she''s after you?"


    The young man kept his face cold and silent, while the middle-aged man began shaking even more.


    Seeing this, Yuga signaled with his eyes to a nearby Mismagius and Haunter. Understanding his cue, they floated over to the two captives and began searching them.


    "Get away from me! Don''t touch me! Get off, get off!"


    As Haunter approached the young man, he felt a chilling aura wash over him. He struggled, trying to keep Haunter at bay, but the more he resisted, the tighter the chains from Dhelmise became.


    In no time, Haunter found several Pok�� Balls and a palm-sized mini space pouch on the young man. Mismagius, however, found nothing on the scruffy middle-aged man.


    Yuga had basically figured it out by then: the young man was clearly the one in charge, while the middle-aged man was not only timid but also seemed terrified of the young man.


    The Pok�� Balls likely contained the young man''s own Pok��mon. Unfortunately for him, when he trespassed near the ghost ship, he didn''t have time to even pull out his Pok��mon before he was subdued by Mismagius and the other Ghost-type Pok��mon.


    Yuga picked one of the Pok�� Balls at random and opened it. In a sh of red light, an Escavalier leaped out. Upon seeing its master bound on the ground, it immediately brandished itsnce and used Fell Stinger, lunging at Yuga, who was closest to it.


    But before thence could even touch Yuga, Mismagius had already immobilized the entire Escavalier with Psychic. No matter how much it struggled, it was futile.


    Yuga hadn''t expected such a unique Pok��mon from the Unova region to appear here, so he took a closer look with his Insight. The Escavalier, with its ferocious expression, was at a decent level��over 50, though not quite at the pseudo-Elite level yet.


    After recalling the Escavalier back into its Pok�� Ball, Yuga turned his attention to the mini space pouch.


    This mini space pouch was a new product recently developed by MeloTech Corporation, based on their earlier spatial backpack technology.


    Though small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, the delicate little pouch held about a cubic meter of space. It wasn''trge enough for big items, but it was perfect for carrying everyday essentials. Light and easy to carry, it became extremely popr as soon as it hit the market, especially with female users.


    Inside the mini space pouch, Yuga found a stack of papers, three Ultra Balls, and a USB drive.


    The stack of papers appeared to be some sort of manuscript, filled with numbers and forms scribbled in an unintelligible manner. They seemed to recognize Yuga, but Yuga certainly didn''t recognize them.


    Yuga wasn''t a genius by any means. Even in his past life, he couldn''t understand anything beyond basic math or physics, let alone in the more technologically advanced world of Pok��mon.


    Unable to read the contents of the USB drive, Yuga decided to open the three Pok�� Balls one by one. Inside were an kazam, a Gothitelle, and a Spoink.


    However, all three Pok��mon were in a deep sleep, their eyes closed, showing no signs of waking up even after being released from their Pok�� Balls.


    Waving the stack of papers in his hand, Yuga addressed the gloomy young man. "Interested in exining what this is and what''s up with those three Pok��mon?"


    The gloomy young man gritted his teeth and remained silent. Yuga then turned to the scruffy middle-aged man. "He''s not talking. How about you?"


    The scruffy man shook his head vigorously, lips tightly pressed, asionally ncing at Yuga and then at the gloomy young man, but saying nothing.


    Seeing theirck of cooperation, Yuga sighed. "Since you won''t tell me willingly, I''ll just figure it out myself."


    With that, Yuga signaled Haunter, who floated over to the young man. A sh of purple light quickly appeared in Haunter''s eyes. The young man instantly realized what was happening��it was going to use Hypnosis.


    But surprisingly, the young man didn''t seem rmed. He allowed Haunter to proceed without resistance.


    Clearly, the young man had something up his sleeve. Despite Haunter''s Hypnosis, which should have taken effect through eye contact, the young man remained fully conscious, his mind as clear as ever.


    Yuga had Haunter try the same thing on the scruffy middle-aged man, but the result was exactly the same.


    Haunter''s Hypnosis was one of the best on the ghost ship, yet it had failed today.


    "Hmph..."


    The young man let out a cold snort, clearly amused by Yuga''s failed attempt.


    Yuga: "Are you kidding me..."


    "Haunter, Mismagius, search them again thoroughly," Yuga ordered, feeling underestimated.


    The young man didn''t seem the least bit worried by Yuga''s words, and sure enough, Haunter and Mismagius found nothing.


    Yuga rubbed his chin, frowning as he scrutinized the young man, even circling around him. Suddenly, he noticed a fingernail-sized scar near the man''s neck. His eyes lit up.


    He moved behind the scruffy middle-aged man and yanked down his cor. As expected, there was a simr scar in the same spot.


    Seeing Yuga''s actions, the young man''s face immediately changed.


    Feigning expertise, Yuga pulled out a small fruit knife from his pocket (in reality, it came from his system backpack) and swiftly sliced the skin near the young man''s scar. With a firm squeeze, a button-sized metal object fell out.


    "Ahhh!!!"


    Feeling the pain from his skin being cut, the young man let out a pained scream.


    Yuga picked up the button-like object, wiped off the blood, and guessed that this was what had nullified Haunter''s Hypnosis.


    The material of the object was quite unique. It looked metallic but was somewhat flexible, likely made from some kind of bionic material, as it wouldn''t have been possible to imnt something purely metallic into a person''s body.


    Yuga''s inspiration for finding this object came from remembering the ck chip inside Gillruta''s body.


    To prevent the young man from passing out, Yuga released Chimecho to use a Heal Pulse on him, which calmed his screams.


    Without the object, Haunter''s Hypnosis worked without any hindrance. It didn''t take long before the gloomy young man confessed everything about himself and the scruffy middle-aged man.


    First, the scruffy middle-aged man wasn''t a Hoenn native��he was from Kanto. To Yuga''s surprise, he was a survivor of the New Ind incident.


    New Ind was where Mewtwo was created and had originally belonged to Team Rocket.


    At Mewtwo''s birth, it destroyed theboratory on New Ind, killing all the scientists who had helped create it.


    The scruffy middle-aged man had once been part of the New Indb, and his teacher was none other than Dr. Fuji, the main researcher behind the Mewtwo project.


    When Mewtwo went on a rampage and destroyed theb, the scruffy man escaped with the help of Dr. Fuji, who also instructed him to avoid being found by Team Rocket.


    The scruffy man had also taken most of the experimental data on Mewtwo with him��data that was now stored on the USB drive Yuga had obtained.


    Dr. Fuji had deeply regretted creating Mewtwo at the time, but he couldn''t bear to see his hard-earned research go to waste, so he secretly backed up the data and gave it to the scruffy man to take with him.


    Team Rocket''s gic technology was so powerfulrgely thanks to Dr. Fuji. Even though the destruction of the New Indb caused much of the gic data to be lost, Team Rocket still reaped enormous benefits from his research.


    The Heaven Organization''s ability to clone a Legendary Pok��mon like Suicune was built on the foundation of Dr. Fuji''s research.


    Team Rocket still believed that the primary data from the Mewtwo experiment had been destroyed by Mewtwo. In reality, the scruffy middle-aged man had kept a backup.


    This man, apart from burying himself in experiments, had no life experience to speak of. He was the ssic bookworm type. The only reason he had been selected to join the New Indboratory was thanks to being Dr. Fuji''s student.


    After leaving Kanto with the Mewtwo experiment data, he arrived in Aromatic City in Hoenn.


    Being a lover of academic pursuits, the middle-aged man secretly began conducting experiments after settling in Aromatic City. It wasn''t long before the gloomy young man took notice of him.


    As for the gloomy young man, his identity wasn''t simple either��he was a member of Team sma from the Unova region, specifically from their P2 Laboratory.


    The items imnted in the bodies of both the middle-aged man and the young man that blocked Hypnosis were the products of research from Team sma''s P2 Laboratory.


    P2 Laboratory was one of Team sma''s most important departments, and everyone in it was imnted with a device that could block Hypnosis. This was to prevent any secrets from being extracted by enemies if they were captured.


    The reason the gloomy young man was in Hoenn was that he had a rtive who was previously Harry''s employer.


    As a member of the P2 Laboratory, the young man had been developing small products over the years and giving them to his rtive to sell, making a decent profit. Although the products weren''t extraordinary, Harry''s employer made quite a bit of money and had always obeyed the young man''smands.


    As a fellow researcher, the young man was well aware of the immense value of the data in the middle-aged man''s possession. If he could bring it back to Team sma, his status within the organization would soar. He might even stand on equal footing with his superior, Colress, the head of the P2 Laboratory.


    So, the gloomy young man had secretly captured the middle-aged man, imprisoning him in his rtive''s home and forcing him to continue researching the Mewtwo experiment.


    The reason he hadn''t taken the data directly back to Unova was that he wasn''t sure if the middle-aged man''s data was authentic. He had decided to keep him in Hoenn until the data had been verified, only then nning to return to Unova.


    However, the most crucialponent needed to recreate Mewtwo was Mew''s DNA, which they didn''t have. Moreover, the Mewtwo experiment was extremely expensive��not something a small group of people could handle. That''s when they came up with the idea of using other Psychic-type Pok��mon as substitutes.


    The young man''s ultimate goal wasn''t to recreate Mewtwo but to verify the authenticity of the experimental data.


    After spending a great deal of time and money, the young man and his team captured numerous Psychic-type Pok��mon for experimentation, many of whom were killed in the process.


    In the end, they discovered that pure Psychic-types were the mostpatible with the experiments, with kazam showing the highest affinity.


    That''s why Harry was given the task of finding an Abra.


    Psychic-type Pok��mon are rare to begin with, and kazam is even rarer, making it hard to find another one. This was why Harry''s employer had been so persistent in trying to buy that particr Abra.


    But they hadn''t expected that this mission would lead them to such disaster.


    To verify the young man''s story, Yuga had Haunter use Hypnosis on the middle-aged man, and their ounts matched almost perfectly.


    The young man had been anything but kind to the middle-aged man, imprisoning him and frequently subjecting him to physical abuse. This exined why the middle-aged man was so fearful of him.


    After hearing their confessions, Yuga was troubled, unsure how to deal with the manuscript and USB drive in his hands.


    Yuga had no intention of creating another Mewtwo. Not only could he not understand any of the experimental data, but the experiment itself was hical. Otherwise, Mewtwo wouldn''t have asked those soul-searching questions: "Who am I? Where did Ie from? What is my purpose?" before ultimately rebelling against Team Rocket.


    Pursuing power at the cost of losing one''s essence makes that power meaningless. Yuga had no desire to meddle with artificially created life.


    Handing the data over to the League wasn''t a great option either. Although the League represented justice, who could guarantee that none of its members harbored ill intentions?


    After thinking it over for a while, Yuga decided to store the manuscript and USB drive in his system''s backpack for now.


    Speaking of Team sma''s P2 Laboratory, Yuga recalled that the Genesects had been revived and fitted with cannons there��cannons that weren''t originally part of their bodies.


    The capabilities of P2 Laboratory were undeniable. If the young man managed to bring the Mewtwo data back, Team sma might very well be able to recreate another Mewtwo.


    Yuga had wanted to pry more information about Team sma out of the young man, but he didn''t get much.


    Team sma''s internal discipline was surprisingly strict. As an ordinary researcher in the P2 Laboratory, the young man was only allowed ess to a portion of theb''s information. He was prohibited from knowing anything beyond that.


    Having gathered enough information, Yuga had Haunter escort the two men into the depths of the ship''s hold for safekeeping.


    Since the matter involved the Mewtwo experiment, he decided to not handing them over to Officer Jenny in Aromatic City. Instead, he nned to return to Verdanturf Town and have Nana erase part of their memories first.

 Chapter 1137: New Year and New Beginnings

    <h4>Chapter 1137: New Year and New Beginnings</h4>


    On the third day after leaving Aromatic City, Yuga''s ghost ship arrived in Petalburg City, carrying May and Max. After safely escorting the siblings back to the Petalburg Gym, Yuga returned to Verdanturf Town.


    The first thing Yuga did upon returning to Verdanturf was to find Nana and ask for help in erasing the memories of the Mewtwo experiment from the gloomy man and the scruffy man. Afterward, he handed both of them over to Masato Shirai.


    Regardless of whether they remembered the Mewtwo experiment or not, one of them was from Team Rocket and the other from Team sma��both indisputable facts.


    At the same time Yuga returned to Verdanturf, the White Leader, who had dragged himself back to the Heaven Organization''s headquarters with severe injuries, received word of Archie''s arrest. He immediately reported the news to Giovanni.


    After informing Giovanni of the ck Leader''s situation as well, the White Leader suddenly said, "Boss, I want to return to Kanto."


    "Thene back," Giovanni agreed after a brief moment of contemtion.


    "What about Team Aqua? With Archie captured, the team is currently leaderless. Should we recall Ariana?"


    "No need, Ariana has more important tasks to handle," Giovanni shook his head on the video screen. "I''ll send Archer instead."


    "Make sure your people stay quiet for the time being; we need to keep a low profile in Hoenn," Giovanni added after some thought. "I''ll also instruct Archer to keep Team Aqua in check."


    "Got it, I understand," the White Leader nodded earnestly, thinking about the organization''s recent string of failures.


    Meanwhile, following Giovanni''s orders, Ariana appeared near thergest prison in the Kalos League. Using her excellent disguise skills, she sessfully infiltrated the prison and then quietly left, with no one ever realizing she had been there.


    On Yuga''s side, he returned with kazam, Gothitelle, and Spoink.


    These three Pok��mon had already woken up during the journey back, but due to being experiment subjects in the fake Mewtwo project, each one had significant problems.


    The first to awaken was Spoink.


    Spoink likely hadn''t been subjected to the experiments for too long. Aside from being physically weak, it was otherwise normal.


    However, because of its frailty, Spoink had be a "delicate Pok��mon unable to care for itself," relying on psychic power to walk and perform tasks. It probably couldn''t lift a brick with just its physical strength.


    Even the pearl on its head wasn''t being held up by its physical strength, but by its psychic power.


    Fortunately, due to the experiments, Spoink''s psychic power had been greatly enhanced. Though its body was weak, its movements were not impaired.


    Gothitelle''s condition was the exact opposite of Spoink''s. Her body was healthy, but she couldn''t release any psychic power. Not a single Psychic-type move could be used. Even someone as skilled as Nana couldn''t detect any psychic power wavesing from her.


    Both Spoink and Gothitelle epted their current states well. They felt fortunate just to have escaped the clutches of the gloomy man and the scruffy man and were very grateful to Yuga.


    The most troublesome case was kazam. Its body was fine, and its psychic power was incredibly strong, but it had be "mindless."


    Yuga wasn''t sure if kazam was truly mindless, but ever since it woke up, it had been in a dazed, vacant state, not even moving its eyes. Nana attempted tomunicate with it using psychic power, but her consciousness was actually repelled.


    Despite its dazed appearance, kazam''s psychic power was exceptionally powerful��far stronger than Spoink''s. Otherwise, it wouldn''t have been able to fend off Nana''s psychic intrusion.


    When Yuga delivered the gloomy man and the scruffy man to the police station, he took kazam and the others to the Pok��mon Center to have Nurse Joy give them a physical check-up.


    Unfortunately, kazam and the others had issues at the gic level, meaning they all had gic defects, so Nurse Joy was powerless to help.


    However, she promised to consult with experts in this area and would inform Yuga if she learned anything useful.


    Thus, kazam, Gothitelle, and Spoink settled into the YoYo Day Care.


    Gothitelle adapted well to life at YoYo Day Care. Although she couldn''t use her psychic abilities, she maintained an optimistic personality and wasn''t disheartened or discouraged. She not only helped the Audino and Wigglytuff with chores but also assisted Suzuki Koen and Ayaka in greeting customers in the shop, making her quite popr among everyone at the Day Care.


    Spoink had a lively personality. Although it wasn''t in great shape, it still enjoyed floating around using its psychic power all day. The new life was very enticing for it.


    Only kazam sat in the main Ecopark all day in a daze. Thankfully, it still knew to eat when food was offered; otherwise, it might have starved to death.


    As the year-end approached, Verdanturf Town became increasingly lively, with various businesses holding activities, and even the town government organized several events.


    However, Yuga''s Pok��mon Paradise and Gym had already closed down for the holidays. The staff at the Pokemon Day Care had also been given time off. Non-local Lain returned to Mauville City, and Misaki went back to Lavaridge Town. Even Cheren returned to Unova the day before Yuga got back.


    Initially, Cheren had nned to stay in Verdanturf Town throughout the New Year, but Yuga thought that would be too inhumane, so he took the initiative to send him back.


    On the day before New Year''s, Yuga was in the shop doing a thorough cleaning with the Audino, Wigglytuff, Gothitelle, and the Mr. Mime couple while Suzuki Koen and Ayaka were on vacation at home.


    Suddenly, someone tapped Yuga on the shoulder from behind. When he turned around around, he saw no one there, but then Luna jumped out and startled him.


    "Hahaha... surprised, aren''t you?" Luna''s mischievousughter echoed in the shop.


    "You little brat, causing trouble as soon as you return!" Yuga hit her on the forehead lightly and then turned to Audino and the others, questioning, "You all saw her already, didn''t you? How could you hide this from me?"


    Audino and the others burst intoughter, feeling proud of sessfully tricking Yuga.


    "Why did youe back sote? Was your school that busy?" Yuga asked while mopping the floor. "You''re in my way; move to the side."


    Luna jumped aside and pouted, "Why do you say that? I''m busy too!"


    Yuga nced at her out of the corner of his eye: Take that as you will.


    Seeing that Yuga didn''t believe her, Luna huffed, "I''m serious! I can take the entrance examination for the Investigation Bureau next year!"


    "So soon?" Yuga looked at her in surprise. "When exactly next year?"


    "Late spring," Luna replied.


    "So soon?" Yuga straightened up from mopping, astonished. "That''s just a short while after you return to school!"


    "Yeah, it''sing up soon." At this point, Luna''s expression became much more serious.


    "How are you preparing?" Yuga asked with some concern.


    "I''m doing alright. I discussed it with a few ssmates, and after the New Year, we''ll go out for some intense training together," Luna shared her n, noting that many students at her school were preparing for the selection of the Investigation Bureau and the Supervision bureau.


    "Doesn''t that mean you won''t be home for long?" Yuga frowned. "But have you really thought it through? The Investigation Bureau has dangerous missions." He couldn''t shake the feeling that if Luna did get selected, her aunt and uncle would have a lot to worry about.


    "Is that even a question?" Luna shot Yuga a re, though her expression was serious.


    Yuga sighed in resignation. "Alright, then good luck. I can''t really help you with this." He never expected that his once spoiled cousin would firmly choose her own path.


    Children grow up and no longer listen to their parents!


    While Yuga was tidying up, he chatted with Luna until she left for home around noon.


    After lunch, Anya found Yuga, looking flustered. Yuga couldn''t help but ask, "Anya, just say what you need to say. You''re making me anxious just watching you."


    Anya''s face flushed bright red. "I... I have a favor to ask of you."


    "Go ahead," Yuga replied curiously.


    "I want to invite Mr. Harrison to our house tomorrow for the New Year''s celebration. He''s all alone at the ranch," Anya exined.


    Yuga suddenly realized, "Oh, is that what it is? Ipletely forgot. Sure, you can take care of inviting Mr. Harrison to our home."


    "Great! Thank you, Gym Leader! I''ll go tell Mr. Harrison right now," Anya cheered before darting out like a little rabbit.


    The other helpers had long since stopped assisting Mr. Harrison. Once they returned, Yuga took Anya to the ranch.


    Mr. Harrison was genuinely devoted to teaching Anya, nning to impart all his knowledge of cultivation to her, which earned her deep respect for him. Anya was diligent and learned quickly, demonstrating high aptitude, which was why Mr. Harrison was willing to share so generously.


    Before long, New Year''s Day arrived. The entire YoYo Day Care was bustling early in the morning, with both adults and children busy with preparations.


    Meanwhile, Yuga was called away by Mayor Ishida.


    It turned out that Mayor Ishida had organized a blessing ceremony for the town''s residents to summarize the year''s harvest and wish for even greater prosperity in theing year. Yuga was invited to officiate this blessing ceremony.


    The ceremony took ce at the town''s shrine, where Verdanturf Town''s festivals andrge events were generally held. People of all ages from the town gathered, creating a densely packed, impressive scene.


    The blessing ceremony itself was notplicated; as the host, Yuga essentially just went through the motions. However, because there were so many participants, he still ended up quite exhausted by the end of the ceremony.


    As soon as Yuga returned home, he was informed by Audino about something that shocked him: his granddaughter had been born.


    He had to admit that Vivillon really had a knack for picking auspicious days, choosing New Year''s Day for the birth. Bug-type Pok��mon have a short gestation period and don''t take ten months like humans.


    Yuga hurried go to Ecopark and found that in one of the nests of the Insect Nest Sub-Ecopark, Vivillon was looking benevolently at a red Pok��mon egg speckled with ck dots, while a Volcarona flitted its wings outside the nest.


    The freshly delivered Vivillon didn''t seem very energetic.


    Rather than choosing the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark or the Volcano Sub-Ecopark for the birth, Vivillon opted for the Insect Nest Sub-Ecopark. This special Sub-Ecopark is very beneficial for the hatching and growth of Bug-type Pok��mon. It''s likely that Vivillon wouldn''t leave with its child until after hatching.


    The cave chosen by Vivillon was small, so Yuga couldn''t enter. He could only stand at the entrance and ask, "Are you alright, Vivillon?"


    "Vivillon, Vivillon!"


    Vivillon called out reassuringly twice, confirming to Yuga that it was healthy and well.


    Generally, Pok��mon don''t have issues during childbirth, and besides, during Vivillon''s delivery, there were a Miltank and a Blissey standing guard, so Yuga was just overthinking things.


    Seeing that Vivillon was otherwise fine aside from being a bit fatigued, Yuga turned his attention to the "freshly hatched" Pok��mon egg beside it.


    The egg waspletely fiery red, marked with a few white stripes and speckled with starry ck dots. To be honest, Yuga couldn''t discern whether this was a Vivillon egg or a Volcarona egg.


    Vivillon has many varieties based on their patterns, totaling twenty different types. The appearance of the Pok��mon eggs theyy varies ordingly; for instance, Vivillon with Meadow patterns, modern patterns, or sun patterns can also produce red-looking Pok��mon eggs.


    And Volcarona eggs are also red.


    Don''t think that Yuga''s Vivillon, which has an Icy Snow pattern, can''ty Meadow, modern, or sun-patterned Pok��mon eggs. The appearance of a Vivillon''s egg is influenced not only by its parents but also by several generations of ancestors.


    This means that if Yuga''s Vivillon has ancestors with Meadow, Modern, or sun patterns, then there''s a high probability that its offspring will inherit those patterns.


    So, it''s still uncertain whether the egg contains a Vivillon or a Volcarona.


    However, this didn''t matter much because, through the Insight skill, Yuga discovered that this was, in fact, a Pok��mon egg with indigo potential.


    An indigo potential Pok��mon egg, and it''spletely natural��how rare is that!


    However, this wasn''t too surprising, considering that its mother had purple potential, and its father had blue potential. Both parents were also top-tier Pok��mon, so it was entirely normal for it to be born with blue potential given these circumstances.


    No matter whether this Pok��mon egg eventually hatches into a Vivillon or a Volcarona, Yuga wouldn''t be at a loss. Having a Volcarona would be great, but he would be satisfied even if it was a Vivillon.


    As he gazed at the Pok��mon egg, Yuga fell into deep thought.


    When this Pok��mon hatches, should he raise it in the Ecopark as a breeding Pok��mon, or should he find it a reliable trainer? The idea of raising it as a main Pok��mon for himself hadn''t crossed his mind at all. He already had enough main Pok��mon, and if it were a Grass-type or Ghost-type Pok��mon, he might consider it since he had special abilities in those two types. Other types, he decided, could be overlooked.


    Whether it was a Vivillon or a Volcarona, neither was within Yuga''s consideration. He already had a Vivillon for Bug-type, a Charizard for Fire-type, and plenty of Flying-types, so he didn''t see the need to raise another one.


    He also didn''t think of raising Chatot, which had indigo potential, as a main Pok��mon.


    As a child of Vivillon, Yuga secretly didn''t want to see it waste its time in the ecological park.

 Chapter 1138: Spoink’s Divination

    <h4>Chapter 1138: Spoink''s Divination</h4>


    The New Year in Verdanturf Town was bustling with excitement. Compared to previous years, the increasingly prosperous town offered more entertainment activities, and its poprity was on the rise.


    However, happy times are short-lived, and in the blink of an eye, the New Year festivities were over.


    Not long after the New Year, Luna set off on her training journey as nned. Her auntined to Yuga for quite a while, feeling that there was no need for a young girl to work so hard��after all, they could easily support her. Her uncle, on the other hand, fully supported Luna''s decision, believing that it was a good thing for her to pursue her dreams. Hard work is inevitable; after all, is there any job that isn''t tough?


    In addition, Lain and Misaki returned to their respective posts one after another, and Cheren also came back from Unova.


    At the start of the New Year, YoYo Day Care received severalrge orders in quick session, making it a great start to the year.


    These orders all came from the external business that Yuga had initiated earlier.


    The external business involves outsourcing the surplus low-potential Pok��mon from YoYo Day Care to other smaller Pokemon Day Care. Since theunch of this business, Yuga has gradually established partnerships with several well-reputed Pokemon Day Care.


    This initiative brought about a new dawn for many small Pokemon Day Care, like the Blissful Day Care in Mauville City.


    Mauville City is a famous metropolis in Hoenn, wherepetition in the Pokemon Day Care industry is intense. For small Pokemon Day Care like Blissful Day Care, whichckpetitiveness, the pressure to survive is enormous.


    The owner of Blissful Day Care initially coborated with YoYo Day Care to find a breakthrough opportunity. He was hesitant at first but is now immensely grateful for having taken the risk.


    Blissful Day Care markets its Pok��mon with the slogan "Stocked from YoYo Day Care." This approach had YoYo Day Cares approval, which not only boosted Blissful Day Care''s Pok��mon sales but also indirectly promoted YoYo Day Care.


    YoYo Day Care''s reputation has grown immensely. With the endorsement of such a well-known establishment, Blissful Day Care quickly made a name for itself in Mauville City, standing out among other small daycare centers.


    Initially, some people doubted whether Blissful Day Care was fraudulently using YoYo Day Care''s name, but YoYo Day Care soon published a list on its website of all the small Pokemon Day Care it was coborating with. Coupled with the fact that Blissful Day Care indeed sold high-quality Pok��mon, its reputation grew even further, with the potential to expand beyond Mauville City.


    Other small Pokemon Day Care that coborated with YoYo Day Care experienced simr oues, and they were all relieved to have made the right choice by partnering with the right entity.


    As for those Pokemon Day Care that had originally been invited by YoYo Day Care but declined the opportunity, they were now filled with regret.


    The sess of Pokemon Day Care like Blissful Day Care quickly drew envy from theirpetitors, who privately reached out to YoYo Day Care expressing their desire to coborate.


    Unfortunately, YoYo Day Care has very strict standards when selecting partners. Each potential partner undergoes careful scrutiny and is verified by the White Light Intelligence Agency. Pokemon Day Care with poor reputations stand no chance of working with YoYo Day Care.


    Later, YoYo Day Care selected a few more coborators, but the number was small��only four or five, fewer than the first batch.


    The current sess of YoYo Day Care is not only due to the quality of its Pok��mon but alsorgely attributed to the star power of Yuga''s name.


    Yuga is now one of the most famous celebrity trainers in Hoenn, and many people know about YoYo Day Care because they first heard about Yuga himself.


    It''s clear that Yuga''s decision to use his fame to promote YoYo Day Care was the right one.


    Since their business revival, small Pokemon Day Care like Blissful Day Care have increased their stock orders from YoYo Day Care.


    Unlike YoYo Day Care, which focuses on high-potential Pok��mon, small Pokemon Day Care like Blissful Day Care take a lower-end approach, and the majority of their customers are not trainers.


    In this Pok��mon world, thanks to the long-term promotion and advocacy by the League, keeping Pok��mon has gradually be a cultural habit. Even families without trainers will often buy a Pok��mon for their children if their financial situation allows it, so the kids can have apanion.


    This is the embodiment of the League''s philosophy of "Harmony between People and Pok��mon."


    Under this cultural influence, as soon as the name of Blissful Day Care got out, its business naturally flourished.


    Although the Pok��mon and eggs that Blissful Day Care and other small Pokemon Day Care purchase from YoYo Day Care are low-potential and inexpensive, the sheer volume of orders from a dozen or so Pokemon Day Care adds up to a significant amount, making the profit substantial. That''s why Yuga considered this a great start to the New Year.


    Today was the day YoYo Day Care was shipping out Pok��mon to the small Pokemon Day Care they supplied. Yuga was overseeing the loading of prepared Pok��mon eggs into the vehicle.


    This batch was being shipped to Lavaridge Town, the nearest town to Verdanturf Town, so the first Pokemon Day Care toe for supplies was from there. The one picking up the order was the son of the Pok��mon Day Care''s owner.


    Previously, when the Pokemon Day Care in Lavaridge Town sourced supplies from elsewhere, they had been robbed once. Since then, the owner''s son had personally handled all pickups.


    Despite his young age, the owner''s son was quite capable and organized, and it was said he was also a skilled Trainer.


    Once all the Pok��mon eggs were loaded, Yuga took out a ck case and said to the young man in front of him, "All the eggs have been loaded onto the vehicle. Here are the Pok��mon you ordered. You can check them."


    The young man opened the case, took a quick nce, and seeing that it was filled with Pok�� Balls, grinned and said, "No need to check. We trust Boss Shimizu."


    Yuga smiled at that and said, "Alright then. I wish you a safe journey back."


    The young man took the case, signed the delivery contract under Yuga''s guidance, and then boarded the vehicle, carrying the case with him.


    After seeing the young man off, Yuga was about to head back into the shop when he suddenly noticed a Spoink had appeared behind him, startling him.


    "Spoink, what are you doing here?" Yuga asked in confusion.


    "Spoink, Spoink."


    Spoink raised a tablet, and on the screen was an image of a young girl dressed in a magical robe, apanied by a Spoink wearing the same kind of magical robe.


    This image was from a promotional poster for a recently popr film series called <<magical girl="" and="" spoink="">>. Spoink was a huge fan of this show, and it had borrowed the tablet from Windy specifically to watch it.


    </magical>


    "So you want a magical robe like that one?" Yuga asked helplessly.


    "Spoink, Spoink,"


    Spoink nodded happily.


    "But I don''t know where to buy one. Or do you want me to custom-make one for you?" Yuga, who had the money, didn''t mind ordering a custom magical robe for Spoink.


    Upon hearing this, Spoink tapped away at the tablet and then held it up again, revealing an online purchase page.


    It turns out, it had alreadye prepared.


    "Alright then, I''ll buy you one," Yuga said, surprised at Spoink''s "middle-school syndrome."


    "Spoink, Spoink."


    Spoink was delighted by Yuga''s response and began floating around using its psychic powers.


    Because of its physical limitations, the "fragile" Spoink couldn''t move around on its own and had to rely on psychic power for everything��even holding the tablet. Nurse Joy had said that due to a gic defect, this Spoink might never evolve into a Grumpig.


    Yuga didn''t mind whether Spoink evolved or not. With the strength of its psychic powers, it already surpassed most Grumpig, and ording to Nana, with proper training, Spoink''s psychic power could be even stronger.


    Spoink''s daily use of psychic power was, in itself, a form of training.


    The magical robe wasn''t expensive. Yuga took the tablet and ced the order directly. Spoink, content with this, happily floated away.


    Returning to the shop, Yuga saw Spoink in the corner, fiddling with a deck of tarot cards in front of its tablet, which puzzled him.


    At that moment, Ayaka passed by and exined to Yuga that Spoink had recently gotten into fortune-telling and was learning how to use tarot cards. The deck of tarot cards in its hands was also a gift from Ayaka.


    Ayaka herself was a casual fan of tarot reading and would y with the cards when she had time. Spoink had picked up the hobby after seeing her use them.


    Two dayster, the magical robe arrived, and it fit Spoink perfectly. As soon as the package was opened, Spoink donned the robe.


    The wide robepletely covered its body, with the hood draping over its head. Using its psychic powers, Spoink made the pearl on its head float beside it, giving off a genuine air of mystery like a magical sorcerer.


    However, Yuga couldn''t shake the feeling that Spoink looked different from the one in the show.


    "Spoink, Spoink, Spoink."


    Dressed in the magical robe, Spoink confidently approached Yuga and "boldly" offered to do a fortune reading for him.


    "Alright, go ahead and tell me what kind of luck I''ll have today," Yuga said with augh, thinking that Spoink was nothing like the character in the show. The Spoink in the show was a magical Spoink, always battling evil with magic, but this one... well, it was more like a fortune-teller Spoink.


    This had to be a fake fan. It couldn''t even get the essence of the cosy right.


    Yuga hadn''t seen Spoink using the tarot cards it had studied a couple of days ago. Instead, he found it seriously chanting spells while looking at its pearl.


    Spoink mumbled a series of gibberish that Yuga couldn''t understand at all, probably because it didn''t really mean anything.


    "Spoink, Spoink, Spoink."


    Someone woulde to the shop today.


    The pink pearl floating in front of Spoink suddenly changed to a light blue color, prompting Spoink to speak.


    Yuga''s eyes widened. "Wow, that''s actually pretty impressive, Spoink! I didn''t know your pearl could change colors!"


    As for the fortune-telling results, Yuga clearly didn''t take it to heart. There was hardly a day when the shop didn''t have customers; without customers, how could he run his business?


    It was just that while others used crystal balls for divination, Spoink was using a pearl��what a silly way to go about it! Yuga silentlyined about Spoink in his mind.


    "Spoink, Spoink, Spoink!"


    Seeing Yuga''s skepticism, Spoink became very angry, taking off its hood and turning to walk away.


    "Are you upset?"


    Yuga rubbed his nose and awkwardly went back to work.


    However, while Yuga didn''t believe in it, others did. Hidden nearby, Sneasel and its friends excitedly surrounded Spoink, asking it to tell their fortunes.


    Spoink was very amodating and didn''t refuse anyone who wanted a reading. Each of them��Bunnelby, Fennekin, and Lillipup��took turns getting their fortunes told. Regardless of whether the results were urate, Spoink only said nice things, making everyone happy.


    When it was Sneasel''s turn, Spoink looked at its and then at its pearl, pausing for a long moment before finally saying, "I can''t tell your fortune."


    Sneasel: ... Do you look down on me? Everyone else can, but I can''t?


    Sneasel felt its had lost face in front of its friends.


    "Do you want to fight? Come on, let''s draw a line!"


    Sneasel''s group, who had just been happily enjoying their fortunes, immediately red at Spoink, especially Bunnelby, who always looked up to Sneasel. Its long ears spun like propellers, making a whirring sound as it waited for Sneasel''smand to charge at Spoink.


    Faced with a group of "bullies," Spoink wasn''t scared at all. Even if these little ones teamed up, they probably still wouldn''t be its match. Despite being in its initial form, it was still a Pok��mon created based on Mewtwo''s experiments, so it had some standing.


    "You guys being angry is beyond my control; I just don''t have the right attributes to deal with it," Spoink said helplessly.


    Right attributes?


    Sneasel paused at this remark. That''s true; Spoink was a Psychic type, while she was a Dark type. Psychic types are ineffective against Dark types. If Spoink had used its psychic abilities during the divination, then it made sense.


    Feeling a sense of superiority, Sneasel proudly walked away with her friends.


    After Sneasel and its crew left, Chatot unexpectedly popped out from somewhere.


    "Little one, your fortune-telling is quite interesting," it remarked.


    Spoink looked up at Chatot. "Do you want to get your fortune told too?"


    Chatot shook its head; it didn''t believe in such things.


    "Would you like to help me tell fortunes for more people?" Chatot thought it hade up with a brilliant idea.


    "Sure!" Upon hearing Chatot''s suggestion, Spoink became interested immediately.


    Thus, Spoink was coaxed by Chatot to set up a stall at the entrance of the Pok��mon Paradise.


    "Passersby,e take a look! This is a very urate fortune-telling! Just five Pokedor for a reading, the price of a bag of snacks; you won''t lose anything for five Pokedor!"


    Chatot shouted from a stone pedestal at the entrance of the paradise, while Spoink, dressed in its magical robe, concealed its true appearance and quietly stood to the side with its pearl. It really did look the part.


    Many people passed by the entrance of the Pok��mon Paradise, and some even spent money to try it out. Spoink was responsible for the fortune-telling, while Chatot handled the trantion. They didn''t delve into anything too serious, just small matters like whether someone would have good luck today, if a date would be sessful, or if a crush liked them.


    Spoink was already sweet-tongued, and Chatot was an excellent smooth talker. Before long, a crowd had gathered around them, and Chatot was delighted to see a stack of money in front of it,ughing heartily.


    Just as Steven arrived near YoYo Day Care, he was drawn in by the lively scene at the entrance of the Pok��mon Paradise.


    What''s going on here?


    He couldn''t help but be attracted to it. In the crowd, he spotted Chatot and recognized it as a Pok��mon from YoYo Day Care.

 Chapter 1139: Let Yuga Become The Champion

    <h4>Chapter 1139: Let Yuga Be The Champion</h4>


    Chatot and Spoink were busy, with one handling the fortune-telling and the other collecting the money.


    "Are you two doing fortune-telling? Can I get one too?"


    "Oh, it''s you!" Upon hearing this voice, Chatot looked up and saw Steven. "Are you here looking for our boss? The boss is at home."


    Steven''s arrival instantly caught everyone''s attention; after all, he was the Champion of Hoenn, and everyone recognized him. However, although many people wanted to talk to Steven, they hesitated to approaching him due to his status.


    "Are you two doing fortune-telling? Let me give it a try," Steven said, looking at Spoink''s pearl, finding it amusing.


    Spoink didn''t know Steven and, upon hearing him, was about to perform a reading. But Chatot didn''t dare to mess around, shouting, "Ah, ah... Let''s take you to find our boss instead!"


    After saying this, Chatot murmured something to Spoink and pped its wings, flying toward the shop.


    Spoink watched Chatot gradually fly away and then looked back at Steven, floating away in confusion.


    My fortune-telling ability is definitely not a joke! Spoink muttered silently, but no one heard or understood it.


    With Spoink and Chatot gone, the crowd that had gathered to watch the fortune-telling also began to disperse.


    When Steven entered the shop, Yuga was busy cing an order with Windy for another small breeding house and was very surprised to see Steven.


    "What brings you here? Why didn''t you let me know in advance?"


    "I wouldn''t dare to disturb you, such a busy person, without a good reason," Steven teased.


    Yuga invited Steven to the reception room, saying, "If you''re here, it must be important. So, what''s going on?"


    Steven rummaged through a small spatial bag he had and flipped it over, causing a series of ttering sounds as several Pok�� Balls fell onto the table.


    "What''s this?"


    "Your reward," Steven replied.


    It finally dawned on Yuga; the Hoenn League was supposed to reward him for his achievements in capturing Archie and the ck Leader. Earlier, since the New Year was approaching, the League hadn''t figured out what to reward him with, so they decided to postpone it until after the holidays. In the meantime, Yugapletely forgot about it.


    "Oh, there''s something else I need to tell you," Steven continued.


    It turned out that the chip found on the ck Leader had finally been cracked by the League. As a result, they learned about the past of cloning the ck Leader and the White Leader (which was a very one-sided perspective from Gilruta), as well as the Ritter family secretly cultivating the Heaven Organization.


    Now, the people who are connected to the Ritter family had been captured, and it was believed that this would soon make the news. Meanwhile, the infamous second young master of the Ritter family, Milolovade, was also being hunted by the League.


    From the chip''s memory, the League obtained many secrets about the Heaven Organization, including some of their bases. Unfortunately, by the time the League sent people to raid them, the main bases had already been evacuated, and those people that they captured were not the core members.


    It was likely that the White Leader, upon learning that the chip had been taken, anticipated that the League would eventuallye for them and moved their people elsewhere.


    However, the League didn''te away empty-handed. Due to insufficient time, with so many members of the Heaven Organization and hidden bases, the White Leader only took away some important members, leaving the rest to be casualties.


    Especially since the League had found quite a few lists of names, and these people were all undercover agents for the Heaven Organization, used to lure in civilian children.


    Some training camps that they hadn''t managed to evacuate were also dismantled. The trainees there were all adolescents, who were prospective members of the Heaven Organization.


    With the destruction of these training camps and the elimination of their undercover agents, the Heaven Organization would find it very difficult to recruit new blood in the short term.


    Unfortunately, the memory chip only contained fragments of the ck Leader''s memories. The White Leader had kept too many secrets from the ck Leader; otherwise, the League might have even been able to uproot the Heaven Organizationpletely.


    "Thanks to the memory chip, the League has really put a lot of resources into your reward," Steven said, his tone unexpectedly showing excitement.


    "Really? What did I get?" Steven''s words sessfully piqued Yuga''s interest.


    Steven picked up the one luxurious Pok�� Ball on the table, opened it, and a cute little Drillbur appeared in front of Yuga.


    "Drillbur?" Yuga said, slightly surprised.


    Steven wore a look that suggested Yuga didn''t know its value. "Don''t underestimate this Drillbur; it has indigo potential!"


    "Indigo potential?" Now Yuga was genuinely shocked; he hadn''t expected the League to be so generous.


    ...


    [ Drillbur ]


    Type: Ground


    Ability: Sand Rush


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 18


    Moves: Scratch, Rapid Spin, Metal w, Dig, and Fury Swipes.


    ...


    After observing closely, Yuga confirmed that this was indeed an indigo-potential Pok��mon.


    The number of indigo-potential Pok��mon that the League could cultivate was very small; it was difficult to find even one in several years. He didn''t expect to receive one today.


    "If you don''t believe me, you can go have it checked yourself." Seeing Yuga''s expression, Steven thought he was skeptical.


    "Of course I believe you; if you say so, it must be true." Yuga detected a slightly sour tone in Steven''s voice and didn''t want to provoke him.


    "The League initially wanted to give you a indigo-potential Grass-type Pok��mon, but they temporarily didn''t have one. They also couldn''t exchange one from other League branches, so they decided to give you this Drillbur instead," Steven exined.


    Yuga waved his hand. "There''s no need to go through all that trouble; Drillbur is great! I really like it."


    Since Yuga didn''t n to train a main Pok��mon for now, he didn''t mind whether it was a Grass type. Drillbur was quite good, too. Look at those big, round eyes��so spirited and incredibly cute!


    Seeing that Yuga truly liked Drillbur, Steven didn''t press the issue further.


    "You have so many merit points now that you can''t possibly use them all, so the League hasn''t rewarded you with many more merit points. Considering that your Pokemon Day Care is thriving, they decided to convert your rewards into Pok��mon instead." Steven pointed to the remaining Pok�� Balls. "These Pok��mon were all exchanged from other League branches; you probably don''t have any of them in your Day Care yet."


    Since Yuga became a Hall of Fame-level Trainer, he hadn''t been short on merit points, which led to this arrangement from the League.


    Yuga hadn''t expected the League to be so considerate. After recalling Drillbur into its Pok�� Ball, he opened the other Pok�� Balls one by one to check them.


    Among these Pok��mon, there were five Totodile, four Heracross, six Shellos (three pink and three blue), four Sandile, and four Drillburs, totaling 23 Pok��mon, all with green potential.


    It must be said that as Yuga provided more innovation potions to the League, the number of high-potential Pok��mon in the League gradually increased, resulting in increasingly generous rewards for Yuga.


    After handing out the rewards to Yuga, Steven began to chat casually with him, during which Yuga learned that Steven was considering resigning from his position as Champion.


    "You''ve only been Champion for a few years; are you really thinking about quitting already?" Yuga knew about Steven''s intention to pass the Champion title to Wace, but he didn''t expect it to happen so soon.


    Steven shrugged and said, "You know how I am; my biggest hobby in life is collecting rocks. I really can''t just sit in the Champion''s seat all the time."


    "But you''ve only been Champion for a few years��less than four! The Elite Fourpetition isn''t even up yet. If you quit now, who will be the next Champion?" Yuga thought Steven was being truly reckless; he was on track to break the League record for the shortest term served as Champion.


    Steven replied, "You might not know this, but there are actually other ways to seed the Champion aside from the Elite Fourpetition."


    As long as a Trainer has more than four Champion-level Pok��mon, receives a rmendation from the current Champion, meets the merit point requirements, and simultaneously defeats the current four Elite Four members and the Champion, they can be appointed as the new Champion by the League''s higher-ups and headquarters without going through the Elite Fourpetition.


    Usually, as long as you win the Elite Fourpetition, you can be the Champion even with just one Champion-level Pok��mon, but to seed mid-term, having four Champion-level Pok��mon is essential.


    Steven didn''t mention this, and Yuga truly hadn''t known about it.


    "If you want to resign, it''s probably going to be tough to find someone to seed you," Yuga said with a frown.


    Steven might already have that kind of strength, but Wace was a bit weaker than Steven, and at the moment, he likely didn''t have the strength of four Champion-level Pok��mon.


    Of course, this was just Yuga''s estimation; he didn''t know Steven and Wace''s true strengths very well.


    Steven smiled at this: "That''s why I''m here looking for you."


    In Steven''s mind, Yuga was the most suitable sessor.


    There was no question about strength; Steven believed Yuga had certainly met the requirements. Defeating the four Elite Four members wouldn''t be a problem; he could even let Yuga win a little.


    As for the appointment from the League''s higher-ups and headquarters, Steven felt that was even less of a problem. Thanks to the innovation potions, everyone in the League practically treated Yuga like a revered ancestor. If Yuga was willing to be the Champion, not only the Hoenn League, but even the League headquarters would be eager to have him.


    Since Yuga was also an ally of Devon Corporation, having Yuga be Champion would ensure Devon''s position in the League.


    Steven''s primary purpose for personallying to deliver rewards to Yuga was this; otherwise, there would be no need for a Champion to deliver rewards in person.


    "Huh? What did you just say? I think I might have an issue with my ears; could you say that again?" Yuga said while digging at his ear with his pinky.


    "I said... I want to ask you to take over... my position!"


    Steven purposely raised his voice by a notch.


    Ah... so I didn''t hear wrong earlier! Yuga reached out to touch Steven''s forehead.


    "I want to check if you have a fever or something."


    Steven swatted Yuga''s hand away. "What are you talking about? I''m not feverish."


    "Are you sure it''s not you who''s talking nonsense? You''re all over the ce! Asking me to be the Champion��what a ridiculous idea!"


    Yuga had a look on his face that seemed to say, "What kind of fool are you?"


    "How is what I''m saying nonsense? You have the strength, you have the reputation; who could be more suitable than you?"


    "I refuse," Yuga said firmly.


    "Why?" Steven asked, confused.


    "It''s nothing; I''m absolutely refuse it. You don''t want to be the Champion, so you''re trying to drag me into this? That''s so sneaky!"


    As Steven said, he currently had the strength, the reputation, and he was reasonably well-off��so why would he want to take on the burdens of being Champion? It sounded exhausting.


    "Just think of it as helping me out! I''m begging you!" Steven said, putting on a pitiful expression.


    Yuga remained resolute: "Why don''t you go ask Wace? He has a good rtionship with you; he would definitely be willing."


    Steven sighed in resignation. "I want to ask him too, but he''s not ready yet!"


    "Well, then just work a bit harder for another two years. Once he meets the requirements, it won''t be toote for you to step down and let him take over," Yuga advised.


    Steven spent a long time earnestly trying to convince Yuga, but Yuga stubbornly refused to budge, so Steven had no choice but to give up.


    "Alright, since you don''t want to, I won''t force you. I''ll be on my way now; you can focus on your own things."


    After sending Steven out of the shop, Yuga shook his head helplessly. He truly hadn''t expected Steven toe back and ask him to take over the Champion position.


    After Steven left, Yuga sent the Pok��mon to the Ecopark.


    Five Drillburs were sent to the Mining Sub-Ecopark, five Totodiles were sent to the Heart Lake on Ind No. 1 of the Shallow Sea Sub-Ecopark, six Shellos were sent into the waters of the Shallow Sub-Ecopark, four Heracross were sent to the Insect Nest Sub-Ecopark, and four Sandile were sent to the Desert Sub-Ecoaprk, as their living environments were simr.


    It was a pity that there wasn''t a single Electric-type among these Pok��mon; otherwise, he would have been one step closer topleting his side quest.


    Had he known the League would send so many Pok��mon to him, Yuga thought it would have been great if they could send over a few Electric-type Pok��mon as well.


    But s, you can''t buy foresight with money!


    After finishing all this, Yuga wondered if it was time to list new Pok��mon on the Day Care''s website.


    The main quest required Yuga''s Day Care to list at least three different types of high-potential Pok��mon within a year. Several months had passed, and he hadn''t listed a single one yet! He needed to hurry!


    As he walked, Yuga contemted which Pok��mon to list. Considering the number of various species in the park, the unlisted Pok��mon with arger number included Xatu, Buneary, Pachirisu, Swellow and Staraptor, as well as the Mantyke and Remoraid species.


    If these groups were to be evaluated based on listing standards, only Xatu barely met the requirements.


    However, Xatu had always been responsible for surveince around YoYo Day Care and if they were to be listed, it would undoubtedly impact the group''s reproduction.


    This left Yuga feeling conflicted.


    While Ghost-type Pok��mon also undertook surveince tasks, they didn''t like to stay outside during the day and preferred to operate at night; thus, the primary force for daytime surveince at YoYo Day Care was still the Xatu.


    Moreover, all Xatu here had undergone special training, with the older generation teaching the younger ones, making each of them exceptionally skilled at their jobs.


    Thinking about it that way, Yuga felt reluctant to list them.


    After much contemtion, Yuga ultimately decided to wait a bit longer; after all, there was still some time before the task deadline, so there was no rush.


    Just as he left the Ecopark, Yuga received a phone call from Reggie.


    The Bluesky Day Care had sessfully cultivated a batch of excellent-quality Skorupi and Drapion over the past two years. As the numbers of Skorupi and Drapion gradually increased, Reggie wanted to discuss with Yuga the possibility of using Drapion in exchange for introducing some new Pok��mon that weren''t avable in Sinnoh into YoYo Day Care.

 Chapter 1140: Am I related to Dawn?

    <h4>Chapter 1140: Am I rted to Dawn?</h4>


    In recent years, the Blue Sky Day Care had been developing quite well. Not only did they establish their own Ecopark, but the variety of Pok��mon being bred there had also grown more diverse. Skorupi and Drapion were the Pok��mon they had put the most effort into cultivating.


    Blue Sky Day Care wanted to introduce new Pok��mon, and of course, YoYo Day Care was interested as well. So, Yuga immediately agreed to Reggie''s proposal.


    Considering the actual conditions at Blue Sky Day Care, Yuga didn''t rmend Pok��mon like Amaura, which had extremely high habitat requirements, nor did he suggest Aron, which was extremely costly to raise.


    After much deliberation, Yuga ultimately decided to trade five pairs of Altaria for seven pairs of Drapion from Reggie. Both the Altaria and Drapion they exchanged were adults, fully capable of reproducing immediately.


    Altaria were more valuable than Drapion, so Yuga traded five pairs for Reggie''s seven pairs.


    Yuga chose to trade Altaria for Drapion with Reggie for two reasons: First, Altaria didn''t have high habitat requirements. Although Blue Sky Day Care had an Ecopark, it wasn''t advanced andcked the ability to simte extreme or specialized environments. Second, Altaria could interbreed with Staraptor, which Blue Sky Day Care excelled at cultivating, making breeding much easier.


    Although interbreeding Altaria with Staraptor would gradually dilute the Dragon-type bloodline in their offspring, given Blue Sky Day Care''s current conditions, they couldn''t afford to be picky.


    Raising Dragon-type Pok��mon like Altaria was certainly not easy, but Reggie''s grandfather had many years of experience breeding Flying-type Pok��mon. Since Altaria and Swablu were both Flying-types, with his guidance, Reggie would surely be able to breed more Swablu and Altaria.


    After sending the five pairs of Altaria to Reggie, Yuga also shared some of his own insights on breeding Altaria and Swablu from his Ecopark, sparing Reggie the trouble of figuring everything out from scratch.


    Breeding tips were something Yuga might keep secret from others, but there was no need to with a close friend like Reggie. Simrly, Reggie shared his own experience breeding Drapion and Skorupi with Yuga.


    Just as Blue Sky Day Care needed to breed Altaria alongside other Flying-type Pok��mon, Yuga also needed to breed Drapion with other Bug-type Pok��mon.


    Although Drapion wasn''t a Bug-type, it was in the Bug egg group, and its initial form, Skorupi, was a Bug-type Pok��mon.


    The Drapion that Blue Sky Day Care sent over were all fully mature and capable of immediate reproduction, but with only seven pairs, Yuga had no choice but to breed them alongside other Pok��mon.


    One thing that left Yuga conflicted was that, aside from pairing Drapion with Bug-types, it would also be highly suitable to breed them with Flygon and Gliscor (even though they weren''t Bug-types, they shared the Bug egg group).


    Flygon and Gliscor were among the earliest Pok��mon to reproduce in Yuga''s Ecopark, especially Flygon, which lived in the Dragon Cave Sub-Ecopark. Its genes had gradually stabilized, and the offspring produced from breeding them with Drapion would undoubtedly be exceptional.


    However, after some thought, Yuga ultimately ruled out Flygon. Just as interbreeding Altaria and Staraptor would dilute Swablu''s Dragon-type bloodline, interbreeding Flygon and Drapion would also dilute the Trapinch line''s Dragon-type bloodline.


    But Yuga also wanted to raise Scyther, Pinsir, and the Heracross that Steven had just sent over. Although Yuga''s Ecopark already had some of these Pok��mon, their numbers were too few, and they hadn''t yet achieved any significant results.


    These three Pok��mon were top-tier among Bug-types, and Yuga was counting on them to carry the g for Bug-type Pok��mon at YoYo Day Care in the future!


    If these three Pok��mon could be bred alongside Drapion, the difficulty of breeding them would surely be greatly reduced.


    Yuga was torn��should he breed Skorupi with Gliscor to produce even stronger Skorupi, or breed Drapion alongside Bug-types to produce more Scyther, Pinsir, and Heracross?


    After much consideration, Yuga decided to first breed Drapion alongside Scyther and the others. After all, he still had a system task toplete.


    When the numbers of these Pok��mon increased over time, he could reconsider his optionster.


    So, Yuga took Drapion to the Insect Paradise Sub-Ecopark and even set aside a special area where Scyther, Pinsir, Heracross, and Drapion could live together.


    After living together for a while, they would naturally interbreed and produce offspring.


    Actually, the Scyther and Pinsir in Yuga''s Ecopark had never really gotten along well, but the concept of "growing fond of each other over time" applies not only to humans but also to Pok��mon.


    Just in case, Yuga had the Ariados and Galvant couple move nearby. If anyone caused trouble, this pair would take care of it by stringing up the troublemakers.


    Although Ariados and Galvant weren''t among the strongest in the Ecopark, they were still more than capable of handling these younger Pok��mon. With them overseeing the area, Yuga wasn''t worried.


    After leaving the Ecopark, Yuga was informed that there was a challenger at the gym.


    With the start of the new year, the number of challengers at various gyms had gradually increased. However, this was the first challenger of the new year for Verdanturf Gym.


    Verdanturf Gym had a restriction on challenges: challengers needed to have obtained three badges from other gyms first. Because of this, Verdanturf Gym wasn''t usually the first choice for new trainers at the start of the year.


    Cheren had been interning at Verdanturf Gym for a while now and had also spent some time teaching the children at the orphanage, so Yuga decided to let him handle the challenger while Yuga observed from the side.


    Cheten performed exceptionally well in the challenge. Perhaps due to his time teaching children at Forest Home, he was very good at guiding challengers during the battle, as if it were a practice session with the kids.


    After the battles, he would offer sincere suggestions, making the challengers feel like they were being showered with care and advice.


    Yuga was very pleased and praised Cheten. He decided to let Cheren handle the uing challengers for the time being (so Yuga could take a justified break). Cheren, on the other hand, took this as a sign of Yuga''s trust and mentorship, silently vowing to never disappoint him.


    That day, Yuga started busying himself early in the morning, helping with preparations alongside Happiny for An Lin, An Mu, and Ryo''s trip. They had been nning this journey for a long time, and it was finally about to happen.


    Originally, it was only the twin siblings, An Lin and An Mu, who were going on the trip, but Ryo felt it was unfitting for him, as the older brother, to stay home livingfortably while the twins ventured out, so he decided to go on a journey as well.


    These kids didn''t have any elders to take care of them��Ryo was frequently away from home, and An Ya, their sister, was still a child herself. The only one left to worry about them was Yuga, the gym leader.


    There were many things to prepare for a trip, aside from clothes and food. Tents, sleeping bags, pots and pans, energy cubes for their Pok��mon, incense for various uses��everything had to be carefully packed.


    An Ya was also helping out, taking care of packing the kids'' clothes and other items.


    Once everything was ready, Yuga, Audino, and An Ya saw them off as they left Verdanturf Town.


    The twins and Ryo weren''t traveling together; they had split into two groups.


    The twins headed in the direction of Mauville City, aiming to participate in this year''s Hoenn League Tournament, while Ryo set off for Petalburg City to meet up with May.


    May was also about to resume her journey, and upon hearing the news, Yuga asked her to travel with Ryo and help look after him.


    Unlike the twins, who had long decided on their goal of setting out for the league, Ryo, though resolved to travel, was still uncertain about his own goals. Whether to participate in the Contest Spectacr, the League Tournament, or simply to venture out for training��he hadn''t decided yet.


    Yuga didn''t force him but simply advised him to think about it slowly during his journey, without rushing.


    Although May was about the same age as Ryo, after more than a year of traveling, she had be a reliable trainer. With her traveling alongside Ryo, Yuga felt reassured.


    Right after the New Year, May visited the address given to her by the Shep family when they parted ways. It turned out to be the residence of a reclusive member of the People of the Water.


    May didn''t fully understand the situation of this hermit, and the other person didn''t offer many details either, but May had a strong sense that this person was extremely skilled (don''t ask how May figured it out��just me it on their aura being "8-feet tall").


    After passing the hermit''s test, May was gifted a Mantyke. Upon inspecting it, she found out that it was a Pok��mon with indigo potential, which made May incredibly happy.


    When Mr. Norman learned about the Mantyke, he wanted to visit the hermit to thank them. However, the hermit refused to see him, and in the end, Norman didn''t even get a glimpse of the person.


    When Yuga heard that May had received an indigo potential Mantyke, he was both surprised and moved. He had originally nned to give Vivillon''s child to her, but now, he thought it might be better not to.


    May was still just a beginner trainer, and being able to raise the Mantyke well would already be an impressive feat. Adding another indigo potential Pok��mon to her team might overwhelm her with the amount of energy and experience needed to train them properly at the same time.


    After seeing off Ryo and the others, Yuga headed back home with Anya and Audino. But as soon as they arrived, his aunt informed him that they had visitors.


    Visitors? Yuga was puzzled. Did he have any other rtives besides his aunt? That didn''t seem right! Plus, his aunt didn''t even recognize them.


    If they really were rtives, and his aunt didn''t know them, then they couldn''t be from his father''s side. They had to be rtives from his mother''s side.


    His aunt led Yuga to the reception room door and said, "You can go in yourself. I need to head back to the shop, so I won''t join you."


    "Got it, you can go ahead," Yuga nodded and then pushed open the door to the reception room.


    Upon entering, Yuga immediately noticed two females, one older and one younger, sitting inside. He recognized them both at first nce.


    It was Dawn and her mother.


    What''s going on? Yuga waspletely confused. Did his family have some sort of connection with Dawn''s family?


    "Hello."


    Seeing that Yuga hadn''t spoken yet, Dawn''s mother, Johanna, greeted him first.


    "Um... and you are?" Yuga hesitantly asked.


    Johanna smiled and replied, "My name is Johanna, and this is my daughter, Dawn..."


    After some exnation, Yuga finally understood that Dawn''s family was indeed distantly rted to his.


    Yuga''s grandfather had a cousin, the daughter of Yuga''s great-grandfather''s brother. This cousinter married and settled in Sinnoh, rarely returning to Hoenn.


    When Yuga''s grandfather was alive, he kept in contact with his cousin, but after his death, Yuga''s mother wasn''t close to her, and with the distance between them, they eventually lost contact. At Yuga''s grandfather''s funeral, Yuga''s mother barely spoke with this distant cousin who had traveled from afar.


    Yuga''s parents didn''t keep in touch with her, so Yuga had no idea this branch of the family even existed.


    In terms of family hierarchy, Yuga should call his grandfather''s cousin "grand-aunt," and Johanna was her daughter.


    By Yuga''s generation, the two families were separated by three generations, and since they were both daughters married off to other families, they didn''t belong to the main family line anymore. They were considered distant rtives, and with the geographical distance, it was natural that there had been no contact.


    Thinking back, if Yuga''s grand-aunt had fought for inheritance rights, she might have had a im to a portion of YoYo Day Care. However, she had passed away a few years ago, so there was no point in discussing that now.


    Before she died, Yuga''s grand-aunt had told Johanna to visit Hoenn if she ever had the chance, and if possible, to reconnect with their distant rtives here.


    But Johanna was unfamiliar with this side of the family, and if her mother hadn''t mentioned it, she wouldn''t have remembered these rtives at all, so she hadn''t thought to make contact.


    Johanna''s reason for bringing Dawn along this time was purely coincidental.


    Recently, the Sinnoh Contest Spectacr organizers were nning a joint event with their Hoenn counterparts. The venue for this event had been set in Verdanturf Town, chosen by Wace due to the suitability of the grand Contest Hall built there for the Wace Cup years ago.


    There was a lot to discuss before the event, and as a top-tier coordinator, Johanna was chosen by the Sinnoh Contest officials to represent them at the nning meetings, which were also being held in Verdanturf.


    Since Johanna had never visited Hoenn before, and now found herself in Verdanturf, she thought she might as well bring Dawn along to visit, leading to today''s unexpected reunion.


    To prove her identity, Johanna took out a bracelet her mother had left her. As soon as Yuga saw it, he knew Johanna was telling the truth.


    Yuga''s mother had an identical bracelet, engraved with a unique pattern that was specific to Yuga''s grandfather''s family. It was this bracelet that had provided the clue for Yuga to find his Wigglytuff back then.


    After hearing Johanna''s exnation, Yuga was filled with amazement. He never imagined that his family and Dawn''s would have such a connection.


    "So, what should I call you?" Yuga asked a bit sheepishly.


    "You can call me Aunt Johanna," Johanna replied after some thought. Technically, she and Yuga''s mother were one generation removed as cousins, so Johanna was essentially Yuga''s grandaunt.

 Chapter 1141: The Mysterious Scene on the Pearl

    <h4>Chapter 1141: The Mysterious Scene on the Pearl</h4>


    After chatting for a while with Johanna and Dawn, the three of them gradually became morefortable with each other. Yuga then asked Johanna, "Aunt Johanna, you just arrived in Verdanturf Town. Have you arranged your amodation? If you haven''t found a ce to stay yet, you can stay here at the daycare."


    Johanna smiled and replied, "We''ve already taken care of our amodation, so no need to worry." The official organizers of the Pok��mon Contest had arranged for them to stay at the best hotel in Verdanturf Town, and Johanna had brought Dawn to settle in at the hotel beforeing to visit the YoYo Day Care.


    "That''s good," Yuga said with relief. "Aunt Johanna, why don''t you and Dawn stay here for dinner tonight? Let me properly y host."


    Although the two families hadn''t had contact for years, since they hade all this way, Yuga felt it was only right to host them warmly.


    "I''m afraid we can''t stay for dinner tonight. I still have work to do, and I might not have timeter," Johanna said apologetically. They had just arrived in Verdanturf Town, and after meeting with the Hoenn Contest organizers, there were still many work-rted matters to discuss.


    "I see, then let''s save the dinner for another day," Yuga said with some regret. Then he had another thought. "Why don''t you leave Dawn here with me? You''ll be busy working, and she''d be bored staying in the hotel by herself."


    "Wouldn''t that be too much trouble for you?" Johanna hesitated, but she was tempted by Yuga''s suggestion.


    She was worried about leaving Dawn alone in the hotel while she worked.


    "It''s no trouble at all," Yuga said with a smile. Then he turned around to Dawn and asked, "Dawn, would you prefer to stay at the hotel or stay here?"


    Dawn wasn''t a shy child. Rather than being bored alone at the hotel, she would obviously prefer to stay at the YoYo Day Care.


    "Mom..." Dawn looked at Johanna hopefully.


    "Alright then," Johanna finally agreed, though a bit reluctantly. "You be good and don''t trouble your big brother."


    "No problem, no problem!" Dawn eximed, excitedly using her favorite phrase.


    After chatting a bit more with Yuga, Johanna noticed the time and said her goodbyes. "I''ll be heading out now, Yuga. Please take good care of Dawn." Now more familiar with Yuga, she had started addressing him more casually.


    Yuga led Dawn to see Johanna off at the door. "Don''t worry, I''ll look after her."


    "Mom, I''m not a little kid anymore, I''ll be fine!" Dawn waved to her mother as she left, her favorite phrase slipping out again.


    Hearing Dawn''s repeated assurances of "no problem," Johanna suddenly felt less assured.


    After Johanna left, Yuga gave Dawn a quick tour of the daycare, introducing her to Ayaka and Suzuki Koen, who were working, and also to the Pok��mon helping out around the shop: Audino, Wigglytuff, and Gothitelle.


    Dawn was fascinated by everything in the shop��the Flygon sleeping on the roof, the Linoone and Mightyena patrolling at the door, the Persian and his three cucubines who are strutting by, and the Sneasel whose eyes were following her every move. She had never seen so many interesting Pok��mon.


    After a brief tour of the daycare, Yuga called out to Cleffa and Mime Jr., who were clowning around in front of the customers. "You two,e over here!"


    Mime Jr. was in the middle of showing off a new dance it had learned to the customers at the entrance. Hearing Yuga call, it quickly grabbed Cleffa, and the two of them ran over eagerly.


    "Mama-na-na!"


    You called for us?


    Mime Jr. chirped


    Yuga pointed to Dawn and said, "This is our little guest. Could I ask you two to help me look after her?"


    Cleffa immediately felt a surge of responsibility. It patted its round belly with its tiny hands.


    "Pii, Pii!"


    You can count on us.


    Seeing Cleffa''s confident attitude, Yuga smiled and said, "Then I''ll leave Dawn in your care."


    Then Yuga turned around to Dawn and asked, "Dawn, are you okay ying with Cleffa and the others?"


    Dawn adored the cute Cleffa and hugged it affectionately. "No problem, no problem!"


    Seeing this, Yuga nodded and secretly instructed the Xatu hidden in the shadows to keep an eye on Dawn before leaving to attend to his own business.


    After Yuga left, Mime Jr. was about to show Dawn its talent when suddenly a voice sounded beside them.


    "Hey, little girl over there, do you want to have your fortune told?"


    Dawn looked up and saw a Chatot pping its wings, looking at her with a mysterious air. Below it was an "unknown creature" dressed in a wizard''s robe.


    "Whoa! This Chatot can talk!" Dawn eximed in surprise.


    Chatot was amon Pok��mon in Sinnoh, and Dawn often saw them, but it was her first time encountering one that could speak so fluently.


    Hearing Dawn''s amazement, Chatot felt quite proud but maintained its mysterious demeanor as it gazed at her.


    "Little girl, would you like to try a fortune telling? It''s really urate!" Chatot added.


    Mime Jr., upset that its performance was interrupted, became even more angry when it saw that the interrupters were Spoink and Chatot! Mime Jr. and Spoink had a deep-seated rivalry.


    Mime Jr.''s favorite activity was dancing, so it often looked up dance videos to imitate. Meanwhile, Spoink had be obsessed with fortune-telling and enjoyed watching fortune-telling tutorials online.


    Both of these activities required Windy''s tablet.


    Windy''s tablet was bought by Yuga for Windy''s work, but since Windy mostly used hisptop, the tablet was often left idle, avable for anyone to use.


    Naturally, the conflict between Mime Jr. and Spoink arose from this.


    Of course, they never let Yuga know about their quarrels, always keeping their arguments hidden.


    Hearing Chatot''s words, Dawn became very interested.


    "Really? You guys can really do fortune-telling?"


    "Of course!" Chatot said confidently.


    In the past few days, Chatot and Spoink had earned quite a bit of pocket money through fortune-telling. If Yuga hadn''t found out and ordered them to stop this "scamming" activity, they might still be running a fortune-telling booth at the entrance of the Pok��mon Paradise.


    Since they couldn''t set up shop outside anymore, Chatot and Spoink had resorted to "guing" the Pok��mon in the daycare. Whether it was MooMoo Milk, Sweet Honey, or even the treasured Pok��blocks that others were reluctant to eat, they epted it all as payment for their fortune-telling services.


    Spoink used to be such a well-behaved Pok��mon, but after spending only a few days with Chatot, it had be quite mischievous.


    However, since Chatot and Spoink usually had enough food and entertainment, the fun of scamming quickly lost its appeal. So now, they had set their sights on the new arrival��Dawn.


    Upon hearing this, Spoink removed the hood of its wizard''s robe, and Dawn immediately recognized its outfit.


    "This is from <<magical girl="" and="" spoinkp="">>!" Dawn excitedly shouted. It turned out she was a fan of the show just like Spoink. Earlier, with its head covered, Spoink''s appearance and demeanor were so different from the magical Spoink that Dawn hadn''t recognized its cosy.


    </magical>


    Dawn''s words made Spoink''s eyes light up. The two exchanged a look and, without missing a beat, struck a pose and simultaneously eximed, "Magical Girl Lily will uphold justice today!"


    What a perfect connection!


    Lily was the main character of <<magical girl="" and="" spoink="">>, and the line Dawn shouted was one of Lily''s signature lines. She always said it after defeating the viins.


    </magical>


    However, as soon as Dawn shouted the line, she regretted it. The customers in the shop, including Ayaka and Suzuki Koen , were all staring at her with strange looks. Her shout had been so loud, andbined with her pose, the embarrassment was overwhelming.


    It was a social death moment!


    Dawn''s face turned bright red in an instant, and she hurriedly lifted Cleffa to cover her face.


    Only after everyone had turned their attention away did Dawn slowly lower Cleffa, then she, Chatot, Spoink, and Mime Jr. ran out of the shop together.


    They ran all the way to the alley between the YoYo Daycare and Verdanturf Gym, where Dawn finally let out a long sigh of relief. "Ugh... That was so embarrassing."


    Aside from Chatot, the clueless Spoink, the still-young Cleffa, and Mime Jr. couldn''t understand why Dawn felt embarrassed. Seeing Dawn''s thoroughly flustered expression, the little ones couldn''t help butugh mischievously.


    "Heave-ho!"


    Just as the group wasughing uncontrobly, someone suddenly jumped down from the nearby wall. Upon closer inspection, this person looked exactly like Dawn, even wearing the same clothes.


    The kids''ughter came to an abrupt halt.


    Did they just see a ghost in broad daylight? The little ones, including Dawn, all had the same thought.


    The "new Dawn" twirled around on the spot, showing off her long flowing hair and swaying skirt, looking youthful and adorable.


    It was Chatot who first realized what was going on: "You must be a Zoroark!"


    Once its disguise was revealed, the Zoroark flickered and returned to her original form. Then, in another sh, she transformed into a Liepard.


    As soon as the Zoroark finished her transformation, three more Liepards jumped down from the wall��Liepard father, Liepard sister, and Zoroark mother.


    The whole family had been patrolling along the wall when they spotted the little ones and Dawnughing, and the Zoroark decided to y a prank, leading to the scene they had just witnessed.


    "Amazing!" Dawn eximed in awe at Zoroark''s transformation. "What kind of Pok��mon is this?"


    Chatot exined Zoroark''s identity to Dawn, though Spoink, Cleffa, and Mime Jr. didn''t seem too fond of the Zoroark family.


    While Dawn was intrigued by Zoroark, the four Liepards had already nimbly leaped back onto the wall, walking away without a second nce.


    After the Zoroark family left, Dawn turned around to Chatot and Spoink and said, "Didn''t you say you''d do a fortune-telling for me? Let''s get started!"


    Chatot replied, "Sure, we can do that. But you need to give us a little something in return."


    "In return? What kind of something?" Dawn asked, confused.


    "Anything will do. Let''s see what you''ve got," Chatot said, eyeing Dawn for a moment before finally speaking.


    Dawn rummaged through her belongings and eventually found only a lollipop, which she handed to Chatot, saying, "Here, this is all I''ve got."


    "Tsk!" Chatot clicked its tongue in dissatisfaction. "You''re lucky this time!"


    Chatot took the lollipop with its ws, unwrapped it, and popped it into Spoink''s mouth before telling Spoink to start the fortune-telling.


    Spoink, happy with the lollipop, happily licked it twice before getting down to business.


    Spoink took out its pearl and began muttering incantations to the pearl in a strange, gibberishnguage. Whether or not this incantation was necessary, no one knew��except Spoink.


    Then, a faint purple glow appeared around Spoink, which amazed Dawn as it really did give off the vibe of a fortune-telling session.


    The pink pearl also started to glow with a simr purple light. Suddenly, the pearl changed color, turning from pink to transparent, and a few blurry shadows shed across it. The shadows moved too quickly for either Chatot or Dawn to make out clearly.


    This was the first time something like this had happened, leaving Chatot utterly dumbfounded.


    Chatot had always assumed that Spoink''s fortune-telling was just a bullshit, and that the reason people believed in it was all thanks to Chatot''s smooth-talking. But now...


    Could it all have been real?


    It wasn''t just Chatot who was shocked��Cleffa and Mime Jr., who didn''t usually get along with Spoink, also stared wide-eyed at Spoink''s pearl, thinking that Spoink was actually quite amazing.


    "Quick, tell us what that meant just now!" Dawn said excitedly.


    But as soon as she finished speaking, Spoink copsed t on the ground.


    "Hey, what''s wrong with you?"


    "Spoink!"


    ...


    For a moment, Dawn and the Pok��mon were in a flurry of panic.


    However, Spoink didn''t stay unconscious for long; two or three minutester, it regained consciousness.


    Spoink rubbed its beloved pearl and said, "Ah, I identally overdid it."


    "You still haven''t exined what just happened!" Chatot asked eagerly,pletely shaken by Spoink''s fortune-telling, which had upended its understanding of reality.


    To be honest, Spoink hadn''t clearly seen the image in the pearl either. It simply patted its pearl, and an image began to surface on it.


    "This is all I can see," Spoink said (with Chatot tranting).


    The image on the pearl showed a short stretch of road, with a manhole cover at the center of the scene.


    "Aren''t you supposed to be doing a fortune-telling for me? What does this have to do with me?" Dawn asked, pointing to the image on the pearl.


    "I... I don''t... I don''t really know," Spoink stammered. It wasn''t sure if it had done the fortune-telling for Dawn, for someone else present, or perhaps for everyone there.


    "Does anyone know where this is?" Chatot asked.


    Mime Jr. looked closely at the image, then raised its hand and shouted, "I know! I know!"


    After a few nces, Cleffa also chimed in, "I know too! I know too!"


    As it turned out, the road in the image wasn''t far from the YoYo Day Care, and both Cleffa and Mime Jr. had yed there before.


    So, under the guidance of Mime Jr. and Cleffa, Dawn and the group arrived at the road shown on the pearl.


    Looking at the manhole cover in front of her, Dawn hesitated and asked, "Are we supposed to go down there?"

 Chapter 1142: Rodent Infestation

    <h4>Chapter 1142: Rodent Infestation</h4>


    "Manene!"


    Of course, we should go down and see what''s inside!


    Hearing the hesitation in Dawn''s voice, Mime Jr. immediately raised its hand and volunteered. It was full of curiosity about the scene Spoink had just foretold during the fortune-telling.


    "Do all of you want to go too?" Dawn asked for the opinions of the other Pok��mon.


    "Boing, boing!"


    "Pii, pii!"


    Except for Chatot, who didn''t give any opinion, Spoink and Cleffa were inplete agreement with Mime Jr.


    "Alright then, let''s go and take a look!"


    Dawn decided to follow the majority and venture down with Mime Jr. and the others.


    With thebined efforts of the Pok��mon, they managed to lift the manhole cover. Dawn and the four Pok��mon then climbed down thedder.


    "Cover the hole back up! We don''t want someone tripping over it!" Halfway down, Dawn looked up and reminded Spoink.


    "Boing, boing!"


    Spoink responded with a nod and used its psychic power to ng the manhole cover back into ce.


    "It''s so dark in here!" After her feet touched the ground, Dawn nced around at her surroundings andined.


    The manhole led to Verdanturf Town''s underground waterways. It wasn''t pitch ck inside, but the light was indeed very dim. The silence was eerie, and Dawn''s voice echoed in the tunnel, mixing with the faint sound of water flowing, which only added to the unsettling atmosphere.


    "Manene..."


    "Pii, pii..."


    Mime Jr. and Cleffa were scared too. They clung to Dawn''s legs on either side, trembling with fear.


    "Which way should we go?" Chatot looked at the two directions of the waterway and asked Dawn.


    "I don''t know either." Dawn bent down, picking up Cleffa and Mime Jr., one in each arm, and then couldn''t help but scold them, "If you''re this scared, why did you evene down?"


    Suddenly, a rustling sound came from Dawn''s right. Pointing in that direction, she said, "How about we head this way?"


    Since no one knew which way to choose, they all agreed to follow Dawn''s suggestion.


    p, p, p!


    After walking a short distance, the sound of wings pping suddenly echoed through the tunnel.


    "Aaaahh..."


    Seeing the dark shapes rushing toward them, Dawn screamed in fear.


    "What are you afraid of? It''s just a few Zubat." Chatot, unfazed, let out a low grumble and then used Hyper Voice, causing the Zubat to fly off in confusion.


    "Alright, it''s all clear! In a ce like this, it''s normal to see Zubat."


    Watching the Zubat scatter away in a panic, Chatot, for once, acted responsibly and reassured Dawn in a soft voice.


    "So it was just a few Zubat, huh!" Now that Dawn saw what the dark shapes were, she wasn''t as scared anymore.


    Winding their way through the underground waterway, Dawn and her four Pok��mon turned left and right several times. Eventually, she realized that she had gottenpletely lost.


    "What exactly are we looking for?"


    "Yeah, what are we looking for?" Chatot couldn''t help but ask as well.


    Everyone''s gaze naturally turned toward Spoink, who backed up a bit. "I don''t know either!"


    Just as they were debating whether or not to keep moving forward, Dawn once again heard the rustling sounds from earlier. Suddenly, a shadow the size of a small cat appeared in front of them.


    "Oh, it''s just a Rattata." Dawn squinted and then rxed. It was just a Rattata, nothing too dangerous.


    However, Spoink wasn''t as calm. The moment it saw the Rattata, a cold shiver ran down its spine, as if it had a bad premonition.


    Sure enough, the next second, the Rattata lunged at Dawn, its sharp front teeth gleaming menacingly in the dim light.


    Mime Jr., who was in Dawn''s arms, was the first to react. It tried to use Psychic to push the Rattata away but was shocked to find its powers melt away as if they had no effect.


    It turned out this wasn''t an ordinary Rattata��it was a Dark-type Aln Rattata! Due to the dim environment, Dawn and her Pok��mon hadn''t noticed its pitch-ck fur.


    Luckily, Chatot was quick on its feet. With a swift p of its wings, it sent out a Hyper Voice that knocked the Rattata away.


    "Squeak, squeak..."


    As soon as the Rattata hit the ground, it let out a sharp cry. Spoink instinctively wanted to warn everyone to run, but it was toote. In response to the Rattata''s call, waves of Rattata started flooding in from the shadows, surrounding Dawn and her Pok��mon in an instant.


    "Squeak, squeak, squeak..."


    "Squeak, squeak, squeak..."


    "Squeak, squeak, squeak..."


    The entire waterway echoed with the high-pitched squeaks of the Rattata.


    "So many Rattata!" Dawn said in fear, trying to stay calm despite the overwhelming situation.


    At that moment, Spoink finally realized that the dark shadows it had glimpsed in its pearl earlier were these Rattata.


    The swarm of Rattata surged toward Dawn, Chatot, Cleffa, Mime Jr., and Spoink.


    "This doesn''t make sense! Why are there so many Rattata in Verdanturf Town''s underground?" Chatot eximed while using Heat Wave to blow away the iing Rattata.


    Cleffa and Mime Jr. no longer stayed huddled in Dawn''s arms. Although they were scared, they chose to jump down and stand in front of Dawn, ready to protect her.


    Mime Jr.''s Psychic-type abilities were ineffective against the Rattata, and being young and low-level, it hadn''t learned many other moves. It could only resort to repeatedly pping the Rattata with its Doublep.


    Cleffa was in a slightly better situation. Not only was it higher in level than Mime Jr., but its Sweet Kiss effectively controlled the attacking Rattata. Any Rattata hit by the hearts fell into a confused state, causing them to attack each other indiscriminately.


    However, the sheer number of Rattata was overwhelming, and gradually, even Cleffa started to struggle.


    Spoink, though also a Psychic-type, had much stronger telekic powers than Mime Jr., making it less affected by the Dark-type Rattata''s immunity to Psychic-type moves. Nevertheless, despite this, its Psychic abilities were still at a disadvantage, and Spoink couldn''t unleash even half of its potential strength.


    Spoink''s mental power came with limitations. While its Psychic-type moves were powerful, it wasn''t adept with moves of other types. So even though its Psychic moves weren''t effective against the Rattata, Spoink had no other options.


    The main force protecting the group fell to Chatot, the strongest among them. At this moment, Chatot deeply regretted not stopping the others froming down in the first ce. It truly was a case of curiosity killing the bird.


    Chatot continuously sent out waves of Heat Wave, each one sting arge group of Rattata away. Over time, the temperature in the waterway began to rise due to the constant heat.


    But no matter how strong Chatot was, it was still only one Pok��mon, and there were bound to be gaps in its defense. Suddenly, a Raticate that was muchrger than the Rattata, emerged from nowhere. It found an opening in Cleffa and Chatot''s defenses and lunged at Dawn.


    Luckily, Mime Jr. was close to Dawn and struck the Raticate with Doublep. However, the difference in their strength was too great, and Mime Jr. was quickly sent flying by the Raticate.


    "Piii!"


    Cleffa cried out in rm as it saw its friend get hurt. In a fit of rage, it immediately rushed forward to avenge Mime Jr.


    In its anger, Cleffa began to emit the glow of evolution. To the surprise of all the surrounding Rattata, Cleffa evolved into Clefairy. Any Rattata that tried to take advantage of the evolution process to attack were quickly thrown aside by Spoink''s psychic powers.


    The condition for Cleffa''s evolution was reaching a high level of friendship, and it seemed that in this moment, its bond with Mime Jr. had hit the critical point.


    After evolving, Clefairy immediately learned the move Metronome.


    With a rhythmic wave of its finger, a cold aura suddenly enveloped the area around Clefairy. In an instant, all the surrounding Rattata, including the Raticate that had attacked Mime Jr., were frozen solid.


    It turned out that the move Clefairy had called forth with Metronome was none other than Sheer Cold.


    As more and more Raticate appeared among the Rattata horde, Chatot and the others found themselves increasingly overwhelmed.


    Just when it seemed like they could no longer hold on, four pulses of Dark Pulse shot out from behind them, wiping out arge number of Rattata and Raticate.


    Chatot turned around to see who it was and it''s turns out the Zoroark''s family had arrived.


    The two Liepard swiftly rushed to Dawn''s side. The Liepard sister grabbed Dawn by the cor and threw her onto the back of her father, while she herself picked up Clefairy, Mime Jr., and Spoink, and dashed away like lightning.


    Seeing Dawn and the others being carried away, the Rattata and Raticate tried to give chase, but Zoroark''s younger sister and mother blocked their path. Another round of Dark Pulse swept across the waterway, clearing out a huge number of Rattata and Raticate.


    The speed of Liepard and its father was astonishing. In just a few swift movements, they disappeared with Dawn and her Pok��mon. Zoroark''s younger sister and mother followed close behind them.


    Thankfully, Yuga had previously instructed Xatu to keep a close watch on Dawn and the others; otherwise, the Zoroark''s family wouldn''t have made it in time to rescue them.


    Once Dawn and the others left the daycare area, Xatu found it inconvenient to continue following them directly, so it had secretly sent Zoroark''s family to tail them instead.


    However, with the maze-likeyout of the waterway, Zoroark''s family lost track of them shortly after entering. If it hadn''t been for the sounds of the battle, they might not have found Dawn and her friends in time.


    Seeing that Dawn and her group had been rescued, Chatot had no intention of staying to battle the swarm of Rattata and Raticate any longer. pping its wings, it immediately made its escape.


    The two Liepard carried Dawn and her friends back the way they came, with the two Zoroark and Chatot following closely behind. Once they climbed out of the manhole, Zoroark''s mother hurried to rece the cover.


    Finally out of danger, Dawn and her Pok��mon heaved a long sigh of relief, a feeling of narrowly escaping death washing over them.


    "We need to hurry home and tell Yuga about this!"


    Barely catching its breath, Chatot couldn''t wait to speak up.


    This wasn''t something to take lightly. With so many Rattata and Raticate in the underground waterways of Verdanturf Town, if they started to cause damage or even escaped to the surface, it would be a disaster for the town.


    Also, where did all these Rattata and Raticatee from? How long had they been lurking in the town''s underground system? These questions needed answers.


    With these thoughts in mind, Chatot hurriedly led Dawn and the others back to the daycare.


    When Chatot found Yuga, he was just about to ship out a batch of Pok��mon eggs for a customer. After hearing the anxious recount of what had happened from Chatot and Dawn, Yuga frowned deeply. "Are you saying this is all true?"


    From their description, there had to be at least a thousand Rattata and Raticate! The thought of that many Pok��mon gathering in the underground system of Verdanturf Town was unthinkable.


    "Of course it''s true! We experienced it ourselves!" Chatot was indignant at Yuga''s doubt.


    "Yeah, yeah! Brother Yuga, everything Chatot and we said is true," Dawn quickly backed Chatot up.


    "Why were you all in the underground waterways in the first ce?" Yuga asked in confusion.


    Chatot and May quickly exined Spoink''s fortune-telling.


    What? Yuga was left stunned after hearing the exnation, his expression mirroring Chatot''s initial shock when it first realized that Spoink''s fortune-telling was real.


    Up until now, Yuga had thought Spoink''s fortune-telling was just something it did for fun, influenced by TV shows. But it turned out Spoink could really predict the future?


    This made Yuga think of Olympia, the Gym Leader of Anistar City in Kalos, who could use psychic powers to foresee future events.


    However, fortune-telling wasn''t the most important thing at the moment. What mattered now was investigating the situation with the Rattata and Raticate in the underground waterways.


    "Chatot, you''ll lead the way. I need to investigate the area you mentioned."


    "Huh? Me?" Chatot hesitated, clearly unwilling. The thought of those swarms of Rattata and Raticate made it ufortable.


    "If not you, then who?" Yuga replied.


    Hearing this, Chatot nced at Dawn, then at Mime Jr., Clefairy, and Spoink. Well, apart from itself, the others were just kids.


    And so, with Chatot leading the way, Yuga headed to the underground waterways.


    Taking into ount the situation Chatot had described, Yuga preemptively released Lapras.


    They hadn''t even reached the spot where Chatot and the others had encountered the Rattata and Raticate when they began to hear the sound of squeaking in the distance.


    "Uh oh, they''reing!" Chatot eximed, startled.


    Lapras, swimming in the water, immediately raised its head, assuming a vignt stance.


    "Squeak, squeak, squeak..."


    Sure enough, within a minute, arge swarm of Rattata and Raticate rushed toward Yuga and his group. It was clear that Dawn and the others had fully rmed these Pok��mon earlier.


    Seeing the tide of Rattata and Raticate surging toward them, Yuga realized that Chatot hadn''t exaggerated at all. In fact, there were even more Pok��mon than they had described.


    The moment the Rattata and Raticate spotted Yuga, they attacked without hesitation, charging at him with such ferocity that it seemed like they intended to tear him apart, flesh and bone.


    "Lapras, now!"


    With a powerful lunge, Lapras burst out of the water, energy gathering at the tips of its fins.


    Boom!


    Two beams of light shot from the energy spots, and Lapras controlled the beams with a wide sweep. In an instant, the charging Rattata and Raticate werepletely wiped out.


    This was Lapras'' Origin Pulse, a move it had been practicing for a long time!

 Chapter 1143: Two Mutated Raticate

    <h4>Chapter 1143: Two Mutated Raticate</h4>


    After Lapras repelled one wave of Rattata and Raticate, another quickly surged forward. With no other choice, Yuga released Vivillon. This was Vivillon''s first battle since giving birth.


    Vivillon swiftly flew into the swarm of Rattata and Raticate, pping its wings at high speed. Arge amount of powder poured down from its wings, and every Rattata and Raticate that touched the powder instantly fell into a deep sleep.


    The limited space in the underground sewer,bined with the fact that the Rattata and Raticate were densely spread across the ground, walls, and ceiling, left them no escape from Vivillon''s Sleep Powder, which chased and trapped them from all directions.


    Lapras, fearing that Vivillon''s Sleep Powder might affect Yuga, created a water barrier in front of Yuga and Chatot. This not only blocked the drifting Sleep Powder but also effectively protected them from the attacks of the Rattata and Raticate.


    Perhaps due to the long break Vivillon had taken during pregnancy and giving birth, its battle style carried an air of release. One by one, the Rattata and Raticate fell unconscious under the effects of the Sleep Powder. But then, as if bored with using Sleep Powder, Vivillon switched to Bug Buzz.


    The sharp Bug Buzz echoed through the underground sewer, and due to the reverberations, the power of the attack was extraordinary. The Rattata and Raticate clinging to the walls dropped like flies, and the number of Rattata and Raticate still able to move rapidly decreased before Yuga''s eyes.


    The area attack capability of Vivillon''s Bug Buzz was unmatched, not even by Lapras, a Champion-level Pok��mon.


    Fortunately, Lapras was quick-witted. When Vivillon used Bug Buzz, it added severalyers of water barriers in front of Yuga and Chatot. Otherwise, both Yuga and Chatot might have been knocked unconscious by the piercing sound.


    Seeing therge number of Rattata and Raticate lying on the ground, Yuga decided it was time to go back and get help. There were far too many Pok��mon for him to handle alone.


    "Squeak, squeak, squeak..."


    Just then, the surviving Rattata and Raticate began to shriek in unison. Yuga looked up and saw two gigantic figures stepping heavily into his line of sight.


    ...


    [ Raticate (Aln Form: Mutant) ]


    Type: Dark, Normal


    Ability: Gluttony


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 71


    Moves: Quick Attack, Focus Energy, Bite, Crunch, Sucker Punch, Hyper Fang, Shadow Ball, Shadow w, Revival, Iron Tail, Super Fang.


    ...


    [ Raticate (Aln Form: Mutant) ]


    Type: Dark, Normal


    Ability: Thick Fat


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Green


    Level: 70


    Moves: Quick Attack, Tackle, Bite, Crunch, Sucker Punch, Hyper Fang, Shadow Ball, Shadow w, Revival, Iron Tail.


    ...


    After using his Insight skill to assess the two newly appeared Pok��mon, Yuga couldn''t help but exim, "Goodness!"


    Not only were these two Pok��mon mutants, but they were also both at the Elite level.


    Due to the dim lighting, Yuga had initially thought these were just ordinary Rattata and Raticate. Now that he looked closely with the Insight skill, he realized they were all in the Aln regional form.


    Yuga strongly suspected that the mutation in these two Raticate had resulted in hyper-reproduction. Otherwise, how could so many Rattata and Raticate suddenly appear in the underground sewers of Verdanturf Town?


    In fact, Yuga''s guess was spot on. The mutation in these two Aln Raticate had indeed led to hyper-reproduction, and all the Rattata and Raticate here were their offspring.


    Normally, a pair of Raticate couldy about three to four eggs at a time, but this pair could produce over a dozen in one go. Not only that, but their reproduction rate was rmingly high.


    Seeing therge number of unconscious Rattata and Rattata and Raticate, the two mutant Raticate became furious and charged at Vivillon with Hyper Fang.


    A regr Raticate stands less than a meter tall when upright, but these two mutants stood over 1.5 meters. Their robust physiques and rapid recovery abilities were key to their frequent reproduction.


    Vivillon reacted quickly, and before the Raticate could even get close, it pped its wings nimbly, soaring out of their attack range.


    Ssh!


    Missing their target, the two Raticate collided mid-air and fell into the water.


    Lapras immediately fired an Ice Beam, intending to freeze them in the water.


    To Yuga''s surprise, despite their bulky bodies, the Raticate were agile and excellent swimmers. They shot out of the water like rockets,nding back on the bank.


    However, Vivillon had been preparing its attack. Just as the two mutant Raticatended, it fired two yellow-green beams from its wings, striking them down instantly.


    Signal Beam was the strongest skill Vivillon had gained after absorbing Genesect''s fossil, and it was particrly effective against Dark-type Pok��mon like Raticate. The two Raticate twitched briefly before falling still.


    Although these were mutant Pok��mon, they had only recently reached Elite level, so it was natural for them to be defeated by Vivillon so easily.


    Yuga quickly threw two Pok�� Balls, capturing the mutant Raticate. Before the remaining Rattata and Raticate could react, he and Chatot made their escape.


    As for the Pok�� Balls, Vivillon used Psychic to pick them up and carry them along.


    With their parents taken away, the Rattata and Raticate scattered in a panic, running aimlessly through the underground sewer like headless chickens.


    Once out of the sewer, Yuga went straight to Verdanturf Town''s police station and found Chief Masato Shirai.


    He exined the situation in the underground sewer to Masato Shirai, showing him the two captured Raticate and urging him to quickly organize a team to handle the remaining Rattata and Raticate.


    The most important thing was to figure out how these Aln Raticate ended up in Verdanturf Town.


    Had the situation gone unnoticed, these Rattata and Raticate could have caused a disaster. Not only would Masato Shirai be held ountable, but Yuga, as the local Gym Leader, would likely face questioning from the League as well.


    Looking at the two Elite level Aln Raticate lying before him, Masato Shirai broke out in a cold sweat. Luckily Yuga had encountered them. If it had been someone else, they might not have made it out unscathed, let alone captured them.


    Having two such dangerous elements in town was a huge risk. If they had escaped and harmed anyone, Masato Shirai''s career as police chief would have been over.


    Without wasting any time, Masato Shirai immediately organized his officers to go into the underground sewer and round up the Rattata and Raticate.


    Seeing Masato Shirai bustling around, Yuga suggested, "There are a lot of Rattata and Raticate, and the underground sewer is vast. Relying solely on the police force might not be enough to find them all. Chief Masato, you should consider posting a town-wide mission to recruit other trainers to help."


    Masato Shirai thought this made sense and rushed off to the town hall to discuss the matter with Mayor Ishida.


    Verdanturf Town didn''t have a dedicated mission center like Aromatic City, so recruiting local trainers required the mayor''s assistance. Besides, they''d need to offer rewards to encourage participation; otherwise, few trainers would be willing to help.


    When Yuga returned home, he sought out Persian, instructing it to lead its gang to the police station and offer their assistance to Masato Shirai.


    After all, cats are excellent at catching mice.


    Persian was rarely given a task by Yuga, and though it didn''t show it outwardly, it was actually very pleased. With its head held high, it proudly led its wife and underlings to the police station.


    Aside from that, Yuga also sent a team of Houndoom and Houndour to assist Masato Shirai, including the Arcanine father and his son. Naturally, Chatot was sent to coordinate with Masato Shirai, so he wouldn''t be confused about why Yuga was sending a bunch of Pok��mon to the police station.


    When Masato Shirai returned from the town hall and saw the Pok��mon Yuga had sent to help, he was overwhelmed with emotion.


    After handling everything else, Yuga went to the Ecopark and woke up the two mutant Raticate.


    The most direct way to find out why so many Rattata and Raticate had appeared in Verdanturf Town was to question the culprits (Pok��mon) themselves.


    Yuga had no intention of handing the two Raticate over to the police, as they were his spoils of battle. Although Raticate are verymon Pok��mon, these two were mutants with green potential. If nothing else, keeping them around as guards wouldn''t be a bad idea.


    Under Chimecho''s healing, the two Raticate woke up in no time. As soon as they opened their eyes and saw Yuga, they began baring their teeth, but they quickly realized they were tightly bound by vine whips from a Venusaur and a Serperior, unable to move.


    "I''m going to ask you some questions, and you better answer truthfully!"


    "Chirp... chirp!"


    The two Raticate angrily squeaked at Yuga in defiance.


    "Not willing to cooperate? Florges, show them what you''ve got!"


    As soon as Yuga finished speaking, Florgesshed out with her vine whips, striking the two Raticate without mercy. The more they resisted, the harsher the beatings became.


    Before long, the two Raticate couldn''t take it anymore and spilled everything about their situation.


    It turned out that neither they nor the Rattata and Raticate had intended to attack Yuga or the group that had ventured into the underground sewer earlier. They were simply afraid that if Yuga and the others discovered their hiding ce, they would bring more people to drive them out or capture them.


    Yuga hadn''t expected that these two mutant Raticate had been living in Verdanturf Town''s underground sewer for seven or eight years. They had remained hidden so well that they had never been discovered.


    To avoid detection, they and their offspring almost never left the sewer.


    About nine years ago, when they were still Rattata, they were brought back to Hoenn by a boy traveling in Al.


    In Al, Aln Rattata weremon and not at all noteworthy. The boy, curious about their different appearancepared to Hoenn''s Rattata, brought them away from their homnd.


    If the boy had continued to care for them, everything would have been fine. But not long after, his initial excitement wore off, and he realized that the Rattata weren''t much different from the Hoenn ones. Losing interest, he discarded them carelessly.


    The two Rattata, now far from home, struggled to adapt to life in Hoenn, especially the one with the Gluttony ability, which had an enormous appetite. Their days as stray Pokemon often left them hungry.


    So, the two little ones began their life of theft, stealing a bit from this house and a bit from that one, soon bing public enemies in town.


    By the time they evolved into Raticate, theirrger size made them even more noticeable, and stealing became more difficult.


    In the end, to avoid being caught and killed by the townsfolk, they hid in Verdanturf Town''s underground sewer, where they remained for the next seven or eight years.


    The sewer system in Verdanturf Town is extensive, with both public water channels and sewage lines, and it''s littered with garbage as well.


    The two Raticate survived on the trash in the sewer.


    After about a year of living in the underground sewer, the two Raticate, starving, either ate something by mistake or were affected by the environment, and suddenly mutated. Their bodies grew muchrger, and they became extremely fertile.


    In just a few short years, the two of them had bred a massive poption of Rattata and Raticate.


    Afraid of being discovered by humans, the two mutated Raticate had always led their children to avoid humans. However, as the number of their offspring grew, the trash in the sewers could no longer sustain them.


    The offspring born after the Raticate mutated were highly adaptable and resilient, capable of eating almost anything. They had essentially be the cleaners of the sewage system in Verdanturf Town. If not for the strict control of the two Raticate parents, their brood would have spread across the entire town long ago.


    The Raticate couple were equally troubled by their "extraordinary" fertility. Having too many children was a burden for them as well��food was hard toe by, and managing the horde was bing increasingly difficult.


    However, just because they had too many kids didn''t mean they could stop their regr "married life." As a result, batch after batch of children were born, and the situation had nearly escted into a full-blown rodent infestation.


    Their potential had also changed after the mutation. ording to the two Raticate, when the boy initially brought them home, they were just ordinary Rattata.


    By the time Yuga finished interrogating the two Raticate, night had fallen. Johanna hade by again in the evening to check on Dawn. Since she had a meetingter that night, she left Dawn in the care of YoYo Day Care once more. Dawn, busy ying with her Mime Jr. and Clefairy, didn''t mind her mother being too upied to look after her.


    Early the next morning, Masato Shirai organized the operation to capture the Rattata and Raticate.


    Yuga didn''t join them��he went to meet with Mayor Ishida.


    ording to the two mutated Raticate, the boy who had brought them to Verdanturf Town moved away with his family not long after abandoning them. They couldn''t remember the boy''s name anymore.


    However, they did remember the address of the boy''s old home. Although the family had moved, the house was still there. Yuga had already visited the location, but it was now upied by another family.


    Yuga went to Mayor Ishida to investigate the previous owner of the house, hoping to uncover the boy''s identity.


    Although seven or eight years had passed, abandoning Pok��mon is still a vition of the League''sws. Moreover, the boy''s actions had almost caused a major Pok��mon disaster. There was no way Yuga could let this matter slide.


    Meanwhile, thanks to thebined efforts of the Verdanturf Town police and many trainers, arge number of Rattata and Raticatea were captured.


    The sheer number of Rattata and Raticate meant that a considerable amount of money was spent just on Pok�� Balls for the operation.


    All of these expenses were covered by Verdanturf Town''s local government.


    However, the capture process wasn''t as smooth as expected. While most of the Rattata and Raticate were caught, a small portion managed to escape into the sewer system. They were adept at hiding, making it difficult topletely eliminate them in the short term.


    Fortunately, with the majority of the Rattata and Raticate captured, Masato Shirai no longer had to worry about a full-blown rodent infestation.

 Chapter 1144: That Old Man Is Really Bad

    <h4>Chapter 1144: That Old Man Is Really Bad</h4>


    With the help of Mayor Ishida, they quickly found out the previous owner of the house.


    The family hadn''t left Verdanturf Town that long ago, and many of the neighbors still remembered them well.


    ording to the neighbors, the child in that family was very mischievous, always running from one house to another, causing trouble for the adults.


    Once Yuga had confirmed the identity of the family, he immediately contacted Masato Shirai, asking him to summon that boy who are now grown up back to Verdanturf Town under the authority of the police station.


    When Masato Shirai learned that Yuga had already tracked down the person responsible for the rat infestation, he felt deeply ashamed. While he was still out capturing Aln Rattata and Raticate, Yuga had already thought three steps ahead and found the culprit.


    At the same time, Masato Shirai was envious of Yuga''s ability tomunicate with Pok��mon. If he had that ability, no major case would be too difficult to solve!


    However, he could only dream. People with such special talents were one in a million; not everyone could be so fortunate.


    A couple of dayster, Yuga received word from Masato Shirai that the boy from back then had returned to Verdanturf Town. To be more precise, he was now a young man.


    Meanwhile, the police at Verdanturf Town''s station were still working hard to capturing the remaining Rattata and Raticate. Every household in the town had been notified: if anyone spotted a ck Rattata and Raticate, those capable of doing so should capture them and send them to the police station. If they were unable to, they should notify the authorities toe and handle it.


    After receiving Masato Shirai''s notification, Yuga took the two Mutated Raticate to the police station and met the young man that the Raticate had spoken about.


    The young man''s father hade with him to Verdanturf Town. When they received the call from the police station, they were filled with fear, unable to understand why the police were looking for them.


    From Masato Shirai, Yuga quickly learned about the young man''s identity and background.


    The young man''s name was Yoshiyama, and he was now 24 years old now. He lived with his parents on a small farm in the countryside, where they made a living by growing and selling vegetables.


    Before they left Verdanturf Town, the family''s financial situation was a bit better. They had a smallpany that was doing well, founded by Yoshiyama''s grandfather.


    However, after his grandfather passed away, Yoshiyama''s father,cking business skills, led thepany into bankruptcy. Afterward, the family moved out of Verdanturf Town and returned to their hometown to farm.


    Now, Yoshiyama was not a Pok��mon Trainer. He spent most of his time helping his parents manage the farm.


    Unlike the mischievous and rebellious child the neighbors described, Yoshiyama now appeared timid and reserved, someone who had clearly experienced the harsh realities of life.


    Yuga entered the interrogation room where Yoshiyama was being held and released the two Raticate. He asked them, "Take a look and see if this is the person." Although Masato Shirai had already asked all the necessary questions before Yuga arrived, and they were fairly certain that Yoshiyama was the one who had abandoned the Raticate, Yuga still wanted the Pok��mon to confirm it once more.


    "Squeak, squeak..."


    It''s him!


    "Squeak, squeak, squeak..."


    It''s him! It''s him!


    Even though nearly ten years had passed, the young man''s features still faintly resembled those of the boy he once was.


    Seeing their former owner again, the two Raticate were extremely agitated. Of course, they didn''t feel any affection for Yoshiyama; they were filled with anger. If it hadn''t been for Yoshiyama, they might still be living an ordinary life with their kin in Al, without having mutated, without the need to hide, starve, and suffer in the cold every day.


    Yoshiyama was startled by the sight of these two overlyrge rats. Though he had already heard from Masato Shirai about the consequences of abandoning the Aln Rattata, he was still frightened by the appearance of the two mutated Raticate.


    Who could have imagined that the two tiny creatures from back then would turn into such "giants"?


    Had today''s events not urred, Yoshiyama''s memory of those two Aln Rattata would have long since faded. It was only after multiple reminders from Masato Shirai that he managed to dig out a vague recollection of the two Pok��mon.


    "Quiet down!"


    Seeing that the Raticate were baring their fangs and ws, Yuga scolded them, and they immediately became obedient. After two days of "training," the Raticate now followed Yuga''s everymand.


    "S-sorry," Yoshiyama timidly apologized to the two Raticate. However, the Raticate didn''t care at all. They bared their sharp incisors at him, causing Yoshiyama''s heart to race in fear.


    After the Raticate confirmed Yoshiyama''s identity, Yuga recalled them into their Pok�� Balls and then invited Masato Shirai into the interrogation room.


    "Chief Masato, what''s going to happen to me? Will I go to jail?" Yoshiyama asked nervously.


    "Jail? Not likely," Masato Shirai replied. But before Yoshiyama could breathe a sigh of relief, he added, "But your family will probably have to pay a hefty fine."


    Since Yoshiyama was still a minor when he abandoned the Aln Rattata, jail time wasn''t on the table. Generally, cases of Pok��mon abandonment, unless they involved particrly egregious cruelty, were resolved with fines.


    However, considering the serious consequences of this abandonment, the fine Yoshiyama''s family faced would be quite substantial.


    "Based on the severity of this case, I estimate your fine won''t be less than 200,000," Masato Shirai said, preparing Yoshiyama mentally. While the final amount wasn''t for the police to decide, his estimate was probably close.


    Although the rat infestation hadn''t caused a major disaster, the manpower and resources spent capturing the Raticate and Aln Rattata, along with the costs of amodating so many Pok��mon, were significant expenses.


    "200,000? That much?" Yoshiyama was stunned.


    "This is just an estimate. You''ll have to wait for the official notice to know the exact amount. If you''re dissatisfied, you can always hire awyer and appeal, but I don''t think you''d have much chance of sess."


    Masato Shirai''s attitude toward Yoshiyama was still quite reasonable. He carefully exined everything, especially since Yoshiyama, after learning about the rat infestation, had not denied or tried to justify his abandonment of the Pok��mon. He was being rather honest about it.


    "How could we possiblye up with that much money at once?"


    Upon hearing Masato Shirai''s words, Yoshiyama immediately deted.


    200,000 might be pocket change to someone like Yuga, but for someone like Yoshiyama, a poor man, it wasn''t easy to gather that kind of money. Yoshiyama''s family might call themselves farmers, but in reality, they were simple, ordinary people who had no choice but to move to the countryside when they couldn''t make a living in Verdanturf Town.


    Yoshiyama''s father had developed a bad habit of reckless spending when he was younger, and even now, despite their poverty, he hadn''t changed. Whatever money they had, he would spend it. Soing up with 200,000 quickly was impossible.


    As Yuga was leaving the police station, he saw Yoshiyama looking utterly dejected as his father berated him. In that moment, it was clear that Yoshiyama deeply regretted abandoning the two Rattata so carelessly all those years ago.


    The effort to capture the Raticate and Aln Rattata in Verdanturf Town continued for over a week. During that time, Yuga and Masato Shirai reported the situation to the Hoenn League, and the League soon made a decision on how to handle the Raticate and Rattata.


    Thousands of Rattata and Raticate were to be sent in batches to various Pok��mon sanctuaries across different regions. However, before being sent to the sanctuaries, they would undergo sterilization.


    This was necessary because the offspring of these mutated Raticate had a much higher reproduction rate than normal Raticate and Rattata. Without sterilization, it wouldn''t take long before the sanctuaries would bepletely overrun by them.


    The mutated Raticate couple themselves agreed to have their offspring sterilized. They had suffered greatly from rapid reproduction and, if given the choice, would have opted for sterilization themselves. Without the burden of children, their lives would be much morefortable. Yuga assured them that sterilization would not affect their rtionship as a couple.


    Yuga himself agreed with the idea of sterilization. Rapid reproduction might be an advantage for other Pok��mon, but for Raticate, it wasn''t.


    The thought of his own Ecopark being overrun by Rattata and Raticate in a few years sent chills down Yuga''s spine.


    If it weren''t for their high potential, it would be difficult��if not impossible��to sell Pok��mon like Rattata. Even the Aln variant, with its unique form and typing, was no exception.


    And if they kept reproducing, Yuga would have even bigger headaches in the future.


    Even though Yuga agreed to sterilize the two Raticate, the League officials sent to handle the case didn''t. They believed the Raticate''s rapid reproduction was a valuable research opportunity. If they could figure out the cause of the mutation and apply it to Pok��mon like Metagross or Smence, which are notoriously difficult to breed, it would be a groundbreaking discovery in the world of Pok��mon research.


    While their idea was promising, Yuga didn''t agree to let the two Raticate be used for research.


    Since the two mutated Raticate were now part of his YoYo Day Care, he wasn''t about to hand them over to others for research. Who knew what those crazy scientists might do to them?


    After the Aln Rattata and Raticate were sent away in batches, the League handed down their fine to Yoshiyama��250,000, even higher than Masato Shirai''s estimate of 200,000.


    How Yoshiyama was going to scrape together the 250,000 was no longer Yuga''s concern. Two days earlier, he had already sent Dawn and Johanna on their way after they finished their work in Verdanturf Town, and now he had someone else pestering him.


    The elderly man pestering Yuga was named Kanda, and this was already his fourth visit to YoYo Day Care.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, please, for the sake of the League, allow us to borrow those two Raticate for research," Kanda pleaded, his face filled with earnestness.


    This Kanda was a senior scientist from the League and also a top-tier Pok��mon breeder. When he learned that Yuga had two Raticate capable of rapid reproduction, he rushed to Verdanturf Town with his team two days ago, arriving in the middle of the night.


    It was the doctors sent by the League to perform sterilization on the Aln Rattata and Raticate that had told him about the situation.


    To be honest, Yuga found the old man quite annoying, so he busied himself with his work,pletely ignoring him. When Kanda first came to YoYo Day Care, Yuga had treated him with great respect since top-tier breeders were rare. But after multiple visits, Yuga began to feel that Kanda was overstepping, acting entitled and ying the seniority card.


    Seeing that Yuga was ignoring him and refusing to budge, Kanda''s tone turned usatory. "Doesn''t Gym Leader Shimizu care about the League''s future? Do you not have any loyalty to the League at all?"


    Yuga, irritated by his words, threw the cloth he was holding onto the counter and retorted, "I don''t care about the League? Who are you to use me? I''m a Hall of Fame Trainer who has done more for the League than you ever have!"


    Although top-tier breeders were valuable, they were nothingpared to a Hall of Fame Trainer.


    "You... you''re arrogant!" Kanda pointed a trembling finger at Yuga, his voice shaking. "Is this how you speak to your elders?"


    Kanda was in his seventies and, unlike Yuga''s mentor, Mr. Kuni''o, he wasn''t in the best health. After being angered by Yuga, his eyes rolled back as if he might faint at any moment.


    But Yuga didn''t care. Rolling his eyes, he said, "What kind of elder do you think you are? My mentor is Mr. Kuni''o, and you think you can call yourself my elder? You''ve got a lot of nerve!"


    "You are unbelievably insolent! Just because you''ve done a few things for the League, you think you''re invincible. You''ll regret this!" Kanda fumed.


    "Well, that''s still better than someone who only uses their age to manipte others with moral high ground." Yuga threw out thisst remark before walking away.


    Their argument hadn''t been quiet, and soon, it attracted the attention of the customers in the shop. These were all regrs at YoYo Day Care, and they were quite familiar with Yuga. Seeing what happened, they started whispering and pointing at Kanda, making his face flush with embarrassment.


    In the end, Kanda had to rely on his apprentice to help him leave YoYo Day Care, grumbling the whole time.


    Leaving Kanda behind, Yuga took the two Raticate straight to the Pok��mon Center.


    "Joyka, do you know how to perform sterilization on Pok��mon?" Yuga asked Joyka, who was busy with her work.


    "Sterilization?" Joyka looked up in surprise. "You, a breeder, want to sterilize Pok��mon?"


    Joyka had heard a little about the Rattata and Raticate disaster but wasn''t aware of the rapid reproduction issue with the mutated Raticate. So, Yuga exined the whole story to her.


    "So, when no one else will help, youe to me, huh? You really only show up when you need something from me!" Joyka said in a mockingly irritated tone.


    "Just tell me if you can do it here or not."


    "Well, we definitely can''t do it here," Joyka shook her head.


    It was very rare for people to request sterilization for their Pok��mon, so most Nurse Joy at Pok��mon Centers didn''t perform such procedures. Sterilizing a Pok��mon wasn''t as simple as it sounded.


    "You can''t do it? Alright, forget it then! I''ll find someone else," Yuga said, a bit disappointed. He had hoped to get the procedure done right away, just to spite that annoying old man, Kanda.


    "Wait, don''t be so quick to give up. Give me the Pok��mon, and I''ll find someone who can do it for you!"


    After all, Joyka was part of the Joy family, and it wouldn''t be hard for her to find a Pok��mon doctor who could perform sterilizations.


    "But let''s be clear��your Pok��mon must agree to it themselves before I can arrange for the procedure," Joyka added.


    Yuga nodded and said, "Of course, you can ask them yourself if you like."


    "Alright, that''s settled then. Leave it to me!" Joyka patted her chest, assuring him.


    After handing the Pok�� Balls containing the two Raticate to Joyka, Yuga noticed that the Pok��mon Center was fairly empty at the time, so he stayed to chat with her for a bit before leaving.

 Chapter 1145: Larvesta

    <h4>Chapter 1145: Larvesta</h4>


    Joyka was highly efficient. By the time Yuga picked up the two Raticate the next day, their sterilization procedure had already beenpleted.


    However, what Yuga didn''t expect was that as soon as he returned to aYoYo Day Care from the Pok��mon Center, he received a call from his mentor.


    "Master, why are you calling me all of a sudden?" Yuga asked, both surprised and delighted.


    Normally, if Yuga didn''t call to check in, Mr. Kuni''o almost never took the initiative to contact him. Even if there was something important, it was usually Ryuichi who acted as the intermediary. So, receiving a direct call from Mr. Kuni''o today naturally surprised Yuga.


    "What have you been up totely? The League''s already had someone file aint against you with me."


    Mr. Kuni''o always spoke seriously, but despite that, Yuga could tell there was no hint of reprimand in his tone.


    "I haven''t done anything! I always follow the rules, you know that. Who had nothing better to do than run to you and file false usations against me?" Yuga immediately thought of that annoying old man, Kanda.


    "I don''t know what you''ve been up to, but I do know that the League told me..."


    It turned out that the Chairman of the Hoenn League''s branch had specifically called Mr. Kuni''o. He hadn''t gone into too much detail, but the gist of it was that Yuga was still young, and although he had already achieved remarkable sess, he was still prone to youthful arrogance. The Chairman expressed the hope that Mr. Kuni''o could offer more guidance to Yuga to prevent him from straying from the right path. Most importantly, young people needed to learn to respect their elders.


    After hearing thatst line, Yuga didn''t even need to think to know that Kanda was behind this trouble.


    "Master, don''t listen to their nonsense! You know who I am!"


    Yuga then recounted to Mr. Kuni''o how Kanda had tried to use his age to pressure him. He even vented his frustrations about that old man to his mentor.


    Usually, Yuga maintained hisposure in front of others due to his current status, but there was no need for that in front of his mentor.


    Mr. Kuni''o didn''t interrupt and just listened quietly to Yuga''sints. After a while, he finally said, "Alright, alright, just tone it down a bit. No need to insult people so harshly."


    Though Mr. Kuni''o was verbally advising Yuga to be more tactful, he didn''t actually feel that Yuga had done anything wrong.


    Even after the phone call ended, Mr. Kuni''o hadn''t uttered a word of reproach toward Yuga. In fact, he had even encouraged him.


    Shortly after finishing his call with Mr. Kuni''o, Yuga received another call, this time from Steven.


    "Who did you offend recently? A bunch of people wereining about you in front of the Chairman today," Steven said, clearly amused by the situation.


    Yuga instantly knew it had to be Kanda stirring up trouble.


    "So, what did the Chairman say?" Yuga asked curiously.


    Steven replied, "He didn''t really say much. He did, however, ask me privately about you. After I exined a bit, he didn''t seem to take theints too seriously."


    At Yuga''s level, if someone wanted to file aint against him, they would have to go straight to the Chairman of the Hoenn League''s branch or someone with an even higher position at headquarters.


    "And he even went to my mentor toin about me?"


    "Oh, that! Yeah, I heard about that too," Steven said, clearly aware of the situation. "He''s just putting on a show, though maybe he''s genuinely worried you might act impulsively because of your youth."


    ording to Steven, the Chairman of the Hoenn League''s branch didn''t have many chances to interact with Yuga, so he wasn''t too familiar with Yuga''s personality. But based on the contributions Yuga had made to the League over the years and the many Innovation Potion he had developed, the Chairman didn''t believe Yuga could be the kind of person others were making him out to be.


    Still, Yuga was young and could use some guidance from elders, which was why the Chairman had called Mr. Kuni''o, hoping he could guide Yuga and prevent such a talented individual from going to waste.


    The Chairman even hoped that one day Yuga could be, like Mr. Kuni''o, a "pir of the Hoenn League." These were sentiments the Chairman had shared with Steven during their conversation.


    "Don''t worry about it. Our Chairman''s a pretty good person. Once you have more chances to interact with him, you''ll see for yourself," Steven said with augh.


    "Alright, whatever you say," Yuga sighed.


    "If you''d be willing to take over my position, I guarantee those people would shut up real quick..."


    Steven seized the opportunity to try to deceive Yuga, but unfortunately for him, he hadn''t even finished his sentence before Yuga hung up the phone. Yuga could easily imagine Steven stomping his feet on the other end.


    After hanging up on Steven, Yuga turned around and made a trip to the new Ecopark, sending the two Raticate to apany Druddigon. On his way back, he immediately spotted Kanda, sitting there with a serious expression, alongside his disciple in Yuga''s shop.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, you''re back! We''ve been waiting for you for half the day," Kanda said with a forced smile. "I''m really sorry about yesterday. I was too impulsive, and I''d like to apologize."


    Hearing this, Yuga let out a cold snort. This old man really was two-faced��just moments ago, he was running to fileints against Yuga, and now he was trying to smooth things over.


    Yuga''s snort was loud enough to catch Kanda''s attention, causing his face to turn pale, but he still forced a smile and said, "Gym Leader Shimizu, it''s actually beneficial for you to let us study the Raticate. If we can achieve some results, wouldn''t that be a path to fame and fortune?"


    Yuga coldly stared at him and replied, "Am I not already famous?"


    Kanda''s expression darkened. "That''s not the same! If this research yields results, it would go down in history as a major event for the League!"


    "And how does thatpare to my Innovation Potion?"


    At this, Kanda''s face turned as dark as ink; there was simply noparison! Over the years, there were only a handful of research projects in the League that could rival Yuga''s Innovation Potion.


    Though he didn''t want to admit it, none of Kanda''s research could stand up to Yuga''s innovations.


    "See? My Innovation Potion have already made it into the League''s major events, and they''ll certainly be remembered through the ages. So your little research really isn''t important to me!"


    Little research? Not important? Kanda trembled with rage, and his disciple, who was supporting him, was nearly crushed by his grip.


    He was furious! How could those two Raticate have ended up in the hands of such a person? If they had been given to anyone else, he wouldn''t be in such a passive position.


    But the thing that drove him to the brink of despair was still toe.


    "Oh, by the way! I forgot to tell you that my two Raticate have already been surgically sterilized," Yuga said nonchntly.


    "You... you..." Upon hearing this, Kanda nearly lost his bnce and started to sway.


    "Master..." His disciple quickly steadied him.


    Stay calm! Stay calm! Kanda repeated in his heart as he took deep breaths; there''s still a chance! There must still be a chance! Maybe the sterilized Raticate could still yield some research results.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, it''s fine that they''ve been sterilized," Kanda said, inhaling deeply and forcing himself to remain calm.


    If he hadn''t failed to achieve anything from the offspring of the two mutated Raticate, he wouldn''t have humiliated himself like this.


    Yuga turned around and stared at him for a few seconds before pointing towards the shop door. "Take care, and don''t let the door hit you on your way out."


    Kanda: (����#)


    "How about this, Gym Leader Shimizu? Let''s make a deal. I happen to have a Beldum in my possession. If you could lend me those two Raticate for a while to study, I''ll give you this Beldum."


    Thinking about giving away Beldum made Kanda''s heart ache. That was a pseudo-legendary Pokemon!


    Yuga paused at Kanda''s proposal, secretly delighted: There''s hope!


    "Your offer is quite tempting."


    Hearing this, Kanda''s face lit up with a smile, but it onlysted for a brief moment.


    "Unfortunately, I can''t ept!"


    Kanda felt like he had never been this angry in his seventy-plus years of life.


    In the end, both parties left in a huff.


    Watching Kanda''s departing figure, Yuga summoned a Mismagius from the shadow space and instructed it, "Take a fewpanions and keep an eye on them. Be careful not to be discovered."


    Since this old man was relentlessly trying to create trouble for him, Yuga certainly had to return the favor.


    Although he didn''t have any incriminating evidence against that old fool at the moment, if he kept a close watch, he would surely find something.


    Unaware that they were being followed, the master and disciple returned to their residence in Verdanturf Town, where Kanda''s disciple immediately started cursing Yuga.


    "That Shimizu Yuga is too arrogant! Just because he has some ability, he looks down on everyone! It''s very infuriating! Master, we can''t let this go!"


    Kanda shot a nce at his disciple. "If you had his abilities, you could be arrogant too. Maybe I could benefit from it."


    Though Kanda hated Yuga to the core, he had to admit that Yuga was indeed exceptional. Compared to him, Kanda''s disciple was practically worthless.


    "Master..." Kanda''s disciple said awkwardly, "Do we still want that Raticate?"


    "Of course we do!"


    Kanda snorted coldly. Although he was already a top-tier breeder at his age, it was still far from enough to leave a mark in history; he had to produce something significant.


    Kanda cared most about his reputation. He had spent his entire life pursuing fame and would not give up any opportunity, no matter how small, even in old age.


    "Then what should we do..." Kanda''s disciple''s eyes darted around, "He definitely won''t give it to us. Why don''t we find someone to steal the Raticate?"


    Kanda raised his cane and gave his disciple a light rap on the head. "Is your brain full of trash? What kind of person do you think Shimizu Yuga is? Stealing from him? How could you even think of that!"


    "Then what do we do?" Kanda''s disciple sulked. "That guy has a terrible temper; he won''t willingly give us the Raticate."


    Kanda waved his hand dismissively. "Enough! You don''t need to worry about this; I''ll find a way."


    While Kanda and his disciple were temporarily set aside, Yuga received a notification from Blissey in the evening: the child of Vivillon and Volcarona was finally about to hatch.


    Yuga, Vivillon, and Volcarona stood by the Pok��mon egg, waiting until after ten at night, when the egg finally began to hatch.


    As a burst of white light dissipated, a moth-like Pok��mon with a head wrapped in white fluff appeared before Yuga, Vivillon and Volcarona��it was a Larvesta!


    Yuga was delighted that the hatched Pok��mon was a Larvesta. Compared to the rtively weaker Vivillon, Volcarona was clearly stronger and rarer.


    The newly hatched Larvesta was very small, only slightlyrger than Yuga''s palm. With bright blue eyes, it alternately looked at Yuga and then at its parents, its gaze filled with curiosity about the new world, showing no signs of shyness.


    The newly hatched Pok��mon require delicate care. Yuga moved over the prepared sand bath and gently ced Larvesta inside.


    The sand bath was filled with fine, white sand, which felt very delicate to the touch. This sand was specially produced for cleaning the bodies of newly hatched Pok��mon that did not like water.


    "Chirp... chirp... chirp..."


    Once Larvesta entered the sand bath, it excitedly burrowed around, asionally letting out high-pitched cries and sttering sand everywhere. In no time, it had cleaned itself up to a shiny glow.


    The sand was sterile, so no matter how Larvesta yed, there would be no problems.


    When Larvesta eventually tired out, Yuga picked it up from the sand bath and ced a small bowl filled with sweet Moo Moo Milk in front of it.


    As soon as it caught a whiff of the sweet Moo Moo Milk, the tired Larvesta eagerly began to feast.


    Being able to drink Moo Moo Milk right after hatching was a benefit that all newly born Pok��mon in Yuga''s Ecopark enjoyed.


    After filling its belly, Larvesta fell asleep. It had just been born and didn''t have much energy. Eating and then sleeping was a privilege for all babies.


    Once it was asleep, Yuga carried Larvesta along with Vivillon and Volcarona to the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, a ce more suited for the life of a newly hatched Larvesta.


    However, it probably wouldn''t live there for too long, as Yuga had already decided to find a trainer for it once it had adapted to life after hatching; he had already identified the candidate.


    After much consideration, Yuga ultimately decided to entrust the task of raising Larvesta to Robert.


    On one hand, Robert was the first friend he made aftering to the Pok��mon world and was also his best friend. On the other hand,pared to newer trainers like May and Ash, a more experienced Robert would be better suited to care for and nurture Larvesta.


    In fact, Steven, Wace, and Cynthia would also be great candidates, but Yuga''s rtionship with Robert was closer. As the saying goes, "Why let the good water flow to outsiders?" Robert naturally became the first choice.


    Moreover, Wace was a Water-type trainer, and Steven was a Steel-type trainer; it just felt a bit inappropriate to give Larvesta to them (even though Steven had raised several non-Steel-type Pok��mon).


    Of course, Yuga didn''t n to give Larvesta to Robert for free; he would still charge him. After all, brothers need to keep ounts clear!


    However, determining how much to charge for an indigo potential Pok��mon, especially a rare Larvesta, was a significant issue.


    Regardless, an indigo potential Pok��mon wouldn''te cheap, and Yuga suspected that if he priced it too high, Robert would end up bankrupt.


    Although the decision had been made, handing Larvesta over to Robert for training would have to wait for a while��at least until Larvesta passed through its weak newborn phase.


    Before that, he might as well consider it a surprise for Robert.

 Chapter 1146: Luna And Her Friend

    <h4>Chapter 1146: Luna And Her Friend</h4>


    Time flew by, and before long, it was time for Cheren toplete his internship. Over the past few months, Cheren had performed exceptionally well, and in Yuga''s opinion, he was more than capable of taking on the role of a gym leader. Yuga gave Cheren a good review in his internship evaluation.


    The end of the internship meant that Cheren had to leave Verdanturf Town, something he was reluctant to do after gradually adjusting to life at the Verdanturf Gym.


    In order to celebrate Cheren''s sessful internship, Yuga got up early and, with the help of Audino, prepared avish breakfast for him. Since Cheren had to catch a flight back to Unovater, there was no expectation of lunch or dinner together.


    Upon hearing that Cheren was leaving, the children from the Forest House also came over to say their farewells. Though their time together as teacher and students hadn''t been long, they had formed a deep bond, and the children were sad to see him go.


    With Cheren leaving, none one knows when they might meet again.


    After seeing Cheren off, Yuga returned to his shop and resumed helping Audino and Wigglytuff with the usual tasks. That''s when he noticed a little boy peeking curiously into the store from the corner by the entrance.


    Yuga wasn''t the only one to notice the boy��Clefairy and Mime Jr. did too.


    Although Dawn had only stayed at the daycare for a few days, she had formed a close friendship with Clefairy and Mime Jr. So after she left, the two Pok��mon had been downcast for quite a while. Eventually, Yuga taught them how to video call Dawn, and they gradually cheered up.


    Now that they had recovered their spirits, they were back to their mischievous selves. Spotting the shy little boy at the entrance, they ran over and started pulling and tugging at him, making him even more embarrassed.


    As the two Pok��mon''s antics grew more unruly, Yuga stepped in and scolded them, "Clefairy, Mime Jr., that''s enough! If you keep misbehaving, I''ll get mad!"


    Giggling, Clefairy and Mime Jr. finally ran off.


    Yuga then turned to the boy and asked curiously, "Young man, do you need something?"


    The boy was quite small, seemingly shy, and around ten years old. Yuga thought he looked familiar, and after a moment of thinking, it hit him. "Oh, I remember now! You''re one of the kids from the Forest House, right?"


    "Yeah, that''s right," the boy responded quietly.


    Yuga smiled and said, "No need to be nervous. Have you run into some trouble? If so, feel free to tell me."


    The boy''s eyes lit up. "Really?"


    He then exined the reason for his visit to Yuga.


    The boy''s name was Ichiro, and he hade to ask if he could adopt one of the stray Pok��mon from the Pok��mon Paradise.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, is that not allowed?" Ichiro asked nervously, seeing Yuga remain silent after hearing his request.


    "It''s not that it''s not allowed," Yuga replied after some thought.


    "Great! I promise to take good care of Jiro!"


    Jiro was the name Ichiro had given to the Seedot he wanted to adopt. This Seedot was one of the Pok��mon Yuga had sent to the Forest House as a practice partner for the children during Cheren''s time as their teacher.


    During the lessons, Ichiro formed a deep bond with Jiro, which led to his decision to adopt it.


    Ichiro had just turned ten, and although he was still young, he was now old enough to own a Pok��mon.


    Seeing how happy Ichiro was, Yuga said to him, "Come with me, and I''ll exin the details of the adoption process."


    Yuga didn''t dismiss Ichiro just because of his young age. On the contrary, he treated him with great care and seriousness.


    After leading Ichiro into the reception room, Yuga asked him, "Are you sure you''ve thought this through and really want to adopt Jiro?"


    Ichiro nodded firmly. "I''ve thought about it. I''ll take good care of him."


    Yuga continued, "You need to understand that once you make this decision, Jiro will be your responsibility. Are you sure you can handle that? Adopting a Pok��mon is far moreplicated than you might think."


    The reason Yuga was being so cautious was his fear that Ichiro''s desire to adopt Jiro might just be a passing whim. If that happened, it wouldn''t be good for anyone��just like what happened with Yoshiyama, who abandoned his Rattata.


    However, Ichiro''s attitude remained resolute. He promised Yuga that he and Jiro would always stay together.


    Looking at Ichiro''s determined expression, Yuga sighed deeply, hoping the boy would stay true to his original intentions.


    "Here''s what we''ll do. I''ll give you a chance. Starting tomorrow, you''lle to the Pok��mon Paradise every day and take care of Jiro by yourself. If you can stick to it for a month and get the director''s approval, I''ll agree to let you adopt him," Yuga said after some thought.


    "Really? That''s great! I''ll do my best. Thank you, Gym Leader Shimizu!" Ichiro eximed excitedly, jumping up from his chair.


    Yuga then asked, "Why are you so eager to adopt Jiro?"


    "I want to be a Trainer like Teacher Cheren," Ichiro replied with admiration in his eyes. "Teacher Cheren said the world of Trainers is vast, and I want to see it too."


    Yuga fell silent at these words. He had assumed Ichiro wanted to adopt Jiro just to have apanion, but it turned out the boy aspired to be a Trainer.


    "But you should know, the Pok��mon in the Paradise have poor potential. Choosing one of them means you''ll have to work much harder than most people," Yuga couldn''t help but give Ichiro a realistic assessment.


    In fact, the reality was harsher than what Yuga had described. Often, even after working harder than others, you could still find yourself left far behind.


    Ichiro had clearly thought about this. He responded with determination, "I know, but I still want to try."


    Ichiro was an orphan, and his only option was to pick a stray Pok��mon from the Pok��mon Paradise as his starter for his Trainer journey. Regardless of what the future held, he knew he wouldn''t regret it if he tried his best.


    There were countless children like Ichiro in the Pok��mon world.


    Seeing the hope and resolve in Ichiro''s expression, Yuga suddenly felt there was nothing more to say.


    Indeed, every child in the Pok��mon world had the dream of bing a Trainer. No matter their circumstances, pursuing that dream was their right and their freedom.


    Yuga sometimes wondered, if he had been in Ichiro''s shoes after his own journey to this world, how would he have chosen? Would he have fought hard, or lived a quiet, uneventful life?


    At that moment, Yuga suddenly felt very grateful for the system''s existence.


    Although, back then, being pushed into inheriting the daycare by the system had felt a bit like being forced into something without preparation, Yuga realized that if it hadn''t been for that nudge, he might not have figured out what path to take when he first came to this world.


    That push from the system at least kept him from having time to overthink things.


    Now, Yuga really enjoyed his role as the owner of the YoYo Day Care!


    As soon as Ichiro left the daycare, he was quickly surrounded by a group of his friends.


    "Ichiro, how did it go? Did Gym Leader Shimizu agree?"


    Five or six children, all around the same age, gathered around Ichiro, eagerly bombarding him with questions.


    It turned out that Ichiro wasn''t the only one who wanted to adopt a Pok��mon. Several other kids from the Forest House had the same idea, and Ichiro had just been their representative.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu agreed!" Ichiro eximed excitedly.


    He then shared Yuga''s conditions with his friends. None of them had any objections. After all, the one thing they had in abundance was time, so Yuga''s requirements seemed very easy to them.


    Sure enough, the next morning, Yuga was blocked at the daycare entrance by several children from the Forest House. Hearing why they were there, Yuga couldn''t help but smile wryly.


    But since he had agreed to let Ichiro try, there was no reason to refuse the others. As long as they could meet his requirements and obtain the consent of the headmistress, Director Kawahara, everything would be fine.


    As long as the children were willing to treat those stray Pok��mon with care and responsibility, it would be a good thing.


    After sending the kids away, Yuga turned around and spotted Luna standing not far away, smiling at him. Next to her was a girl about the same age who Yuga didn''t recognize.


    "Huh? Didn''t you say you were studying for exams? Why are you suddenly back?" Yuga asked, surprised.


    "I finished the exams! I''m on vacation now!" Luna replied happily. "I passed the exams sessfully!"


    "Already? When did you take them? Why didn''t you tell the family?" Yuga scolded. "Something this important, and you''re telling us after the fact? Is that really appropriate?"


    "Oh,e on! What''s the point in telling you? It''s not like you could have helped!" Luna replied nonchntly.


    Yuga, dissatisfied, said, "I don''t like the way that sounds! Just because we can''t help doesn''t mean we shouldn''t know."


    Luna, giggling, ran over and took Yuga''s arm, yfully apologizing. "Oh, I didn''t mean it that way. I just didn''t want you guys to worry."


    The Investigation Bureau exams weren''t just written tests; they also involved practical exams likebat and wilderness survival. Each year, some candidates had idents during these exams.


    "Oh, right! Let me introduce you. This is my best friend, Honoka. She took the exam with me and passed too. From now on, we''re not just ssmates but colleagues as well!" Luna enthusiastically introduced the girl next to her.


    Honoka was a little shorter than Luna, with a round, cute face. She seemed shy, stepping forward with a flushed face after the introduction. "H-hello, I''m Honoka."


    "Hello, it''s nice to meet you," Yuga replied politely, nodding at Honoka. He kept his demeanor respectful, neither too distant nor overly familiar.


    After greeting Honoka, Yuga turned back to Luna and asked, "What brings you home this time? It''s not like you toe back so often."


    "Before we officially join the Investigation Bureau, we have to go through some secret special training. It''s possible that we won''t be able to contact home for a while, so I thought I''d use this chance to spend more time with you all," Luna exined honestly.


    Later, Yuga learned that the ce where Luna and the others were undergoing their secret training was none other than Meteor Falls.


    After the Draconid People were captured, the League had transformed that ce into abat training camp. To ensure that the Investigation Bureau''s neers could better adapt to their new roles, all rookies were sent there for a period of special training.


    "Hm? If that''s the case, why didn''t your friend go home to spend time with her family? Why did shee to Verdanturf Town with you instead?" Yuga asked Luna in a low voice.


    "Oh, you don''t know, my friend''s actually a fan of yours! When she found out I was your sister, she insisted oning back with me to see you in person," Luna said cheerfully, proud to have an older brother others admired.


    Honoka had been the first friend Luna made at school and was also the one she got along with the best. They not only lived in the same dorm, but they were also inseparable in everything they did. When such a close friend made a small request, how could Luna refuse?


    "I see," Yuga nodded and didn''t ask any further. After all, it was impolite to whisper in front of guests.


    "We shouldn''t be standing at the door. Let''s invite our guest inside."


    With that, Yuga politely weed Honoka into the house and asked Audino to prepare a delicious cup of honey milk tea for both Honoka and Luna.


    Luna took a big gulp from her cup. "Ah, I''ve missed this taste! Audino is amazing! So delicious!"


    She closed her eyes, her face showing pure enjoyment.


    Honoka, too, took a small sip after hearing this, and her eyes lit up instantly. It was so good!


    After a while, Yuga asked Luna, "Have you arranged a ce for your friend to stay? If not, take her to the Paradise Hotel. Uncle is there, so you can ask him to set it up."


    It was only natural that Luna should host her own friend. After giving his instructions, Yuga returned to his work. Luna hade straight to the daycare without letting their aunt and uncle know she was back yet!


    Not long after Luna left with Honoka, she returned again. Yuga was surprised. "You''ve already got everything settled?"


    Luna nodded. "More or less, Honoka is just organizing her things in the room now!"


    Yuga sighed. "Then why aren''t you with her? What are you doing here?"


    Luna cleared her throat. "Ahem... Brother, can I ask you a question?"


    Without looking up, Yuga said, "Go ahead."


    "If Honoka wanted to buy a Pok��mon from you, would you sell her one?" Luna asked, testing the waters.


    "A high potential one?" Yuga responded.


    "Yeah!" Luna nodded. Honoka clearly wouldn''t be asking Luna to intercede for a low potential Pok��mon.


    "No," Yuga rejected firmly.


    "Can''t you make an exception?" Luna pleaded on her friend''s behalf.


    "Has she reserved one?"


    "No."


    "Does she have a membership card?"


    "No."


    "Then what are you even talking about?" Yuga didn''t care at all about Luna losing face in front of her friend.


    "Fine, fine, if you won''t do it, then never mind," Luna finally gave up and didn''t push Yuga any further.


    In reality, Yuga wasn''t the kind of person who strictly adhered to rules. If it had been Luna herself, Robert, Steven, Cynthia, or other close friends and family, there would have been room for negotiation (after all, that''s how the membership cards originally came about). But Honoka, in the end, was just a stranger.


    Yuga had no problem bending the rules for close friends and family, but for strangers? No way. Rules were rules!


    When Honoka met Yuga againter, there was no awkwardness about her request to buy a Pok��mon being turned down. Finding herself bored at the Paradise Hotel, she suggested visiting the new Ecopark for a tour.

 Chapter 1147: Severe Chuunibyou: Marill

    <h4>Chapter 1147: Severe Chuunibyou: Marill</h4>


    Yuga had no objections to Honoka wanting to visit the new Ecopark. After all, the new Ecopark was primarily for show, and there were no secrets inside. The only notable aspect was that some of the Pok��mon housed there were rather rare.


    Besides, with the new Ecopark guarded by three Elite level Pok��mon �� a Druddigonand two mutated Raticate �� Yuga wasn''t worried about any idents. He let Luna take Honoka on the tour.


    Meanwhile, Yuga was listening to a Mismagius report on the surveince of Kanda.


    To his surprise, Kanda turned out to be a rather sly character. During his time in Verdanturf Town, he behaved impably. If he wasn''t at the inn, he was conducting research on the Raticate and Rattata (descendants of the mutated Raticate) that he''d received as study specimens from the higher-ups.


    Moreover, he conducted his research in fullpliance with the League''s Pok��mon welfare regtions. Not only did he not harm them, but he also regrly sent them to the Pok��mon Center for check-ups.


    Just today, Kanda returned the Raticate and Rattata to the designated sanctuary and even nned to leave Verdanturf Town.


    After hearing Mismagius''s report, Yuga was quite astonished. Could it be that Kanda was truly an honest person, with no ill intentions?


    As for Mismagius mentioning that Kanda''s apprentice would often curse about Yuga, he chose to ignore it. Even without Mismagius reporting it, Yuga was sure the two were grumbling about him behind his back.


    Since Kanda and his apprentice were about to leave Verdanturf Town, there was no point in continuing to monitor them. Yuga instructed Mismagius to halt the surveince.


    However, Mismagius, being a bit stubborn, noticed Yuga''s reluctance to let go of finding dirt on Kanda and even suggested following Kanda as he left to continue the surveince.


    Yuga was amused by Mismagius''s persistence. He couldn''t let the Pok��mon put itself in danger. Once out of Verdanturf Town, the risks would increase significantly, and if anything happened to Mismagius, Yuga wouldn''t be able to rescue it in time.


    Still, Yuga appreciated Mismagius''s good intentions.


    Though a bit frustrated, Yuga didn''t dwell on it. After all, he and Kanda weren''t mortal enemies. There would be plenty of opportunities in the future, and Kanda should just hope Yuga never gets his hands on any incriminating evidence, or he''d have no one to me when Yuga "kicks him while he''s down."


    After Mismagius left, Yuga headed to the Ecopark to check on his beloved Bagon.


    Recently, Bagon had been acting strangely, often distracted during training and looking listless all the time.


    Seeing Bagon like this, Yuga suspected it was about to evolve.


    With several Bagon in his Ecopark, Yuga had gained some experience in raising them and even considered himself somewhat of an "expert" on the matter.


    Before evolving into Shelgon, other Bagon disyed simr signs of lethargy.


    Just to be sure, Yuga had taken Bagon to Joyka for a check-up at the Pok��mon Center, and the results showed that Bagon was in perfect health. Joyka also thought Bagon might be close to evolving, though the signs at the time weren''t very clear, and further observation was needed.


    Today, Blissey informed Yuga that Bagon''s appetite had decreased further, confirming Yuga''s suspicion that Bagon was indeed about to evolve.


    The process of Bagon evolving into Shelgon is somewhat simr to that of bug-type Pok��monrvae evolving into pupae, where umting energy is crucial. For this reason, Bagon are typically voracious eaters.


    In the early stages, Bagon eat a lot to support their growth and development. Their skeletons contain roughly 50% more bones than the average Pok��mon, most of which are concentrated in the incredibly hard "skull" on top of their heads, which is even tougher than steel.


    Once their physical growth isplete, especially the full development of their skulls, Bagon begin storing energy for their evolution into Shelgon, which causes their appetite to increase further.


    When Bug-type Pok��monrvae evolve into pupae, the energy umtion process is quite brief. Once they sense the impending evolution, they suddenly increase their food intake, relying on a short burst of appetite to store energy.


    Bagon is different. Even before it''s time for their evolution, once their developmental phase ends, they begin storing energy through daily feeding, umting a little each day.


    This process is much longer than the energy umtion period for Bug-type Pok��monrvae.


    When their evolution is imminent, they actually stop storing energy. Their appetite decreases, and they reduce unnecessary activities, quietly waiting for the evolution to ur.


    Yuga''s Bagon had been raised with meticulous care, even more so than when he was raising Dragonite, so its energy umtion phase was particrly prolonged. Some of the younger Bagons in the Ecopark had already evolved, but only now was this one showing signs of evolution.


    When Yuga arrived at the Ecopark, Bagon was lying in a cave in the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark, with its eyes closed. Sensing Yuga''s presence, it opened its eyes and softly called out, its voice filled with affection for him.


    As Bagon closed its eyes again, the evolution process began. Itsted two days, and on the third day, when it opened its eyes again, it had already evolved into a Shelgon. The first thing it saw was Yuga, who had been guarding it the entire time.


    "Shelgon, you''re awake!" Yuga said cheerfully.


    ...


    [ Shelgon ]


    Type: Dragon


    Ability: Rock Head


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 41


    Move: Ember, Leer, Bite, Dragon Breath, Zen Headbutt, Dragon w, Crunch, Dragon Rush, Hydro Pump.


    ...


    After evolving, Shelgon''s skills hadn''t changed much, but its level had increased by a few, which was better than nothing.


    Yuga had never rushed to teach Bagon too many skills, focusing instead on honing the skills it already knew through daily training.


    The reason was that when Bagon had just hatched, it inherited two powerful moves, Hydro Pump and Dragon Rush, but it was unable to control them properly, leading to many difficulties.


    Bagon had good talent andprehension, so Yuga figured it could learn more skillster. After all, he had plenty of teachers around to instruct it.


    "Ahem... ahem..."


    Hearing Yuga''s voice, Shelgon scrambled to its feet. Still adjusting to its new body after the evolution, it nearly stumbled but steadied itself and nuzzled Yuga''s palm in excitement.


    After evolving, Shelgon regained its vitality and no longer appeared "sickly" like before.


    "Shelgon, are you hungry? I''ve prepared plenty of delicious food for you." Yuga took out the food he had already prepared: Pokeblock made from Dragon Bone, Moomoo Milk, sweet honey drinks, and pollen balls made by Ribombee...


    Having consumed all of its stored energy during the evolution, Shelgon''s stomach grumbled at the sight of the food.


    From this day on, Shelgon would need to start storing energy again, this time for its future evolution into Smence. Its appetite would surpass that of its Bagon stage, and the energy umtion phase would be even longer.


    The difference between a Caterpie and a pseudo-legendary Pok��mon like Smence is clear. Just the length of their growth cycle puts them on entirely different levels.


    After Shelgon had eaten its fill, Yuga decided to take it for a walk.


    However, just as they stepped out of the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark, a Natu flew over. After chattering for a bit, Yuga looked at Shelgon in surprise and said, "Could it be that you and your father share some kind of telepathic bond?"


    Seeing Shelgon looking at him in confusion, Yuga smiled and exined, "Your father hase to visit you!"


    After making an agreement with Yuga, the level 100 Smence of the Dragonid People had be the guardian of the Meteor Falls Trainer Base. However, it would often sneak away from its duties to visit Bagon in Verdanturf Town.


    The level 100 Smence''s flying speed is incredibly fast; it only takes a few days to travel back and forth between the Meteor Falls and Verdanturf Town. To Smence, this short time and distance are nothingpared to its longing for its son.


    The League forces stationed at the training base in the Meteor Falls''s area are quite lenient with Smence, never restricting its movements. This leniency made Smence feelfortable and more devoted to serving as the guardian of the base.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s words, Shelgon''s eyes brightened, and it immediately tugged at Yuga''s clothes, eager to go outside and meet its father.


    It had been several months since thest time the father and son had seen each other, and at that moment, Shelgon also felt a strong longing for its father.


    "Alright, alright, let''s go now," Yuga said with a smile, soothing Shelgon.


    Once they exited the sanctuary, Yuga mounted Dragonite with Shelgon and headed toward the Sunflora Ranch. Dragonite and the others had returned from the Distortion World long ago, and the reverse mirror was currently in cooldown.


    With Dragonite''s speed, Yuga and Shelgon arrived at the Sunflora Ranch within minutes.


    Since the establishment of the Sunflora Ranch, the meeting ce for Shelgon and its father had been changed to here.


    Smence was not suited to enter the town of Verdanturf; doing so would likely cause panic. Plus, it would be difficult for Yuga to notice it arriving outside the town.


    However, there were no such concerns at the Sunflora Ranch. The spacious area allowed Smence to move around freely. Yuga had already coordinated with the workers at the nearby power nt, instructing them to notify him at the YoYo Day Care once Smence arrived.


    As soon as Yuga and Shelgon entered the ranch, they spotted Smence perched on a hill. Smence immediately saw Yuga and the others and excitedly raised its neck, letting out a loud roar that startled the nearby Sunflora, who were basking in the sun.


    Dismounting from Dragonite, Yuga happily said to Smence, "You arrived just in time; Bagon just evolved into Shelgon today."


    However, to Yuga''s surprise, Smence was standing on top of a struggling Azumarill, which he hadn''t seen from a distance before.


    Seeing Shelgon full of energy, Smence was delighted and expressed its gratitude to Yuga, then kicked the Azumarill it was standing on aside and said to Yuga, "This is a gift for you!"


    ��(O_O;) Pok��mon are this fashionable now? Bringing gifts when visiting rtives?


    However, Yuga quickly learned about Azumarills backstory from Smence.


    As for gifts, Smence certainly didn''t know to prepare one. Even if it had known, it wouldn''t have just brought an Azumarill.


    This Azumarill was captured on the way to Verdanturf Town.


    At the time, Smence was flying over a grassy area when it suddenly felt a stream of water sshing down on itself. Looking down, it saw Azumarill spraying water at it.


    Smence was left puzzled, wondering what this Azumarill was doing��was it trying to give it a bath?


    Being the generous Smence it was, it didn''t intend to hold a grudge against the little one, deciding to act as if nothing had happened and continued flying forward.


    To its surprise, Azumarill began to curse and shout as Smence who is prepared to fly away, boldly iming that Smence was afraid of it.


    Provoked by such a small creature, how could Smence tolerate it? It immediatelynded right in front of Azumarill.


    Seeing Smence "obediently"e down, Azumarill not only felt no fear but was also filled with pride, dering that it wanted to duel Smence, nearly making Smenceugh.


    Smence replied, "A duel? Sure, bring it on. I''ll just stand here; feel free to attack."


    Azumarill, feeling belittled, was furious andunched a Water Gun attack.


    Smence flicked its tail and said, "Nice bathing water; keep iting!"


    (���) Azumarill decided to pull out its trump card, swinging its fist to use Ice Punch against Smence.


    Smence casually remarked, "Hmm, this feels pretty refreshing; keep up the good work." Although Ice-type moves are quadruple effective against Flying and Dragon-type Pok��mon, it all depended on who is the target being hit.


    Azumarill felt its worldview being challenged: This isn''t right; isn''t it said that Dragon-types are most afraid of Ice-type moves?


    Unconvinced, Azumarill continued to throw several Ice Punches at Smence and even used the Fairy-type move y Rough that it had just learned.


    Looking at the exhausted Azumarill lying on the ground, Smence mockingly asked, "So, how does it feel? Did you enjoy that?"


    Azumarill was in a daze, as its good friend, the Aipom, had clearly told it that using Ice Punch and y Rough against Dragon-types would make it a "Dragon yer." Now that it finally encountered a Dragon-type Pok��mon, why was the situation different from what Aipom had said?


    Yugater learned that Azumarill had a good friend, Aipom, who had once lived in the human world. Aipom, not knowing where it got its information, had imed that as long as Azumarill defeated a Dragon-type Pok��mon, it would be a "Dragon yer." It then exaggerated the story to encourage Azumarill.


    Azumarill, being heavily affected by its delusions, thought the title "Dragon yer" sounded so cool that it was easily fooled by Aipom''s flowery words, truly believing it could casually defeat Dragon-types.


    And then it faced a downfall.


    Thinking about meeting its son soon, Smence felt in a good mood and found Azumarill quite amusing, so it decided to take Azumarill along to Verdanturf Town.


    Still unaware of what kind of being Smence was, Azumarill, after being kicked to Yuga''s side, got up andunched a verbal assault on Smence, "You grotesque evil dragon! I, the brave Azumarill, will one day bring justice upon you!"


    These words were all given to it by its good friend Aipom.


    However, before Azumarill could finish its speech, Dragonite stepped on its tail! (Dragonite: I can''t let unknown Pok��mon harm Yuga!)


    "Eek!" Azumarill let out a sharp cry.


    "Hahaha..."


    Seeing Azumarill struggling to pull its tail out from under Dragonite''s foot, Yuga couldn''t help butugh, gasping for breath!

 Chapter 1148: Misleading

    <h4>Chapter 1148: Misleading</h4>


    Afterughing, Yuga couldn''t resist using his Keen Eye ability to examine Azumarill closely.


    ...


    [ Azumarill ]


    Type: Water, Fairy


    Ability: Huge Power


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 55


    Moves: Water Gun, Bubble, Helping Hand, Bounce, Aqua Tail, y Rough, Aqua Ring, Superpower, Hydro Pump, Belly Drum, Ice Punch, Liquidation, Icy Wind, Water Pulse, Work Up, Iron Tail.


    ...


    This was unexpected! Yuga was startled to find that the Smence had casually grabbed a blue potential Pok��mon from the roadside.


    Despite Azumarill being bullied by Smence like a small child, its level was actually not low, and it knew quite a few moves.


    But what surprised Yuga the most was that this overly delusional creature was actually female!


    What Yuga didn''t know was that Azumarill''s extreme delusions were partly due to its exceptional potential.


    In the ce where Azumarill lived, its potential was unmatched, and it learned things quickly. Not long after it was born, there were hardly any Pok��mon around that could defeat it, and soon enough, it was surrounded by constant praise.


    For an ordinary Pok��mon, being surrounded by such ttery over time could easily lead to an arrogant, self-centered personality.


    But Azumarill took a different path, bing delusional instead. After learning human knowledge from Ambipom, its delusions became even worse, and it started thinking of itself as a hero all day long.


    After learning about the title "Dragon yer" from Ambipom, Azumarill couldn''t stop thinking about it and longed to earn that "achievement," which led to the events of today.


    In fact, the reason Ambipom mentioned the "Dragon yer" title to Azumarill could be traced back to a popr movie from a few years ago called <>.


    </azumarill>


    The movie told the story of an unremarkable Azumarill who, through hard work, defeated the evil dragon, Flygon.


    Back when the movie was very popr, Ambipom still lived in the human world and often saw the movie''s advertisements on the streets, so it remembered the Azumarill in the film and unknowingly mimicked its character when boasting to Azumarill.


    However, Ambipom had never actually seen the movie, and all its knowledge of the lines and actions came from overhearing people talk about it.


    Azumarill struggled under Dragonite''s foot for a while, but eventually, too exhausted to continue, it looked up at Yuga.


    "You human, are you the dragon''s aplice? I advise you to switch sides to the light soon, or else when my divine power awakens, you''ll regret it!"


    Azumarill was still fullymitted to maintaining its self-image as a brave hero with divine blood flowing within and destined from birth to eradicate evil.


    Hearing this, Yuga''s eyes twinkled, and he yed along with Azumarill''s fantasy. "Oh, warrior of the gods, this is not an evil dragon, nor am I its aplice. We arerades sent by the gods to help you vanquish evil!"


    After speaking, Yuga gave Dragonite a meaningful look, and Dragonite quickly lifted its foot, nodding earnestly at Azumarill. Its goofy expression was surprisingly convincing.


    Seeing the doubt in Azumarill''s face, Yuga quickly pulled up some images of Hydreigon on his phone and showed them to Azumarill.


    "Look, this is the real evil dragon. Our meeting today is no coincidence but divine guidance!"


    Compared to Dragonite and Smence, Hydreigon did indeed look more like an evil dragon. Azumarill immediately believed him. (Hydreigon: Why is my reputation getting smeared?) It threw itself at Yuga, hugging him tightly, and cried out, "Myrades! Why did you onlye now? Do you know how lonely I''ve been?"


    Suppressing hisughter, Yuga replied, "Dearrade, from today onwards, we can fight side by side. Divine blood flows in all of us, and once our powers awaken, we will surely eradicate all evil from this world! Until that dayes, let us quietly await our destiny!"


    Azumarill clenched its fists, its face full of determination. "You''re right!"


    Smence and its son were stunned by Yuga''s swift and convincing performance. When they finally snapped out of it, they could barely contain theirughter.


    Yuga spent some time at the Sunflora Ranch and, learning that Smence would be staying in Verdanturf Town for a few more days, so he left Shelgon behind with him while taking Dragonite and Azumarill back to the YoYo Day Care.


    It was Azumarill''s first time in the human world, and everything she saw was incredibly fascinating.


    Standing in front of the entrance to the YoYo Day Care, Yuga said to Azumarill, "Comrade, this is the base I painstakingly built. Inside arerades I''ve gathered from all corners of the world, waiting for the day when our divine bloodline awakens so we can destroy evil together!"


    Moved to tears, Azumarill replied, "Comrade, you''ve worked so hard. From today, you are my dearest friend!"


    Dragonite, who was standing nearby, nearly couldn''t resist a snarky remark: "Wait until Azumarill sees the Hydreigon at home, let''s see how you exin that!"


    As Yuga and Azumarill were talking, Clefairy and Mime Jr., who had just returned from outside, overheard their conversation. With a look of disdain, Mime Jr. said to Clefairy, "Yuga''s acting like he''s got a severe case of Ch��niby��. At his age! We better stay away from him; I''ve heard that condition is contagious!"


    Being a frequent video-watcher, Mime Jr. knew all about Ch��niby��! Yuga, having overheard thatment, stiffened but, mindful of Azumarill, he pretended not to hear anything.


    And so, under Yuga''s persuasion, Azumarill ended up staying at the YoYo Day Care!


    Meanwhile, Luna and Honoka, who were visiting the new Ecopark, came across a pair of Raticate snoozing away.


    "Are these Raticate from the Al region? It''s my first time seeing one!" Honoka eximed in curiosity.


    Both Honoka and Luna had learned a lot in school, especially since they were aiming for the Investigation Bureau, and naturally had studied the basic Pok��mon knowledge from different regions. Recognizing Aln Raticate at a nce was not surprising.


    "It seems so. It''s my first time seeing them too!" Luna replied. She was unaware of the rodent infestation incident, so she didn''t know when Yuga had acquired two Aln Raticate. Intrigued, she and Honoka walked over to observe the Raticate couple more closely.


    "These Raticate are much stronger than the usual ones, really impressive!" Honoka praised.


    "Yeah, they''re really impressive. I wonder where brother Yuga got these unique Raticate!" Luna responded.


    "Luna, can I ask you something?" Honoka suddenly said, looking troubled.


    "Of course, go ahead! There''s nothing we can''t discuss!" Luna replied cheerfully.


    "It''s like this..." Honoka pointed at the two Raticate and exined, "My uncle has a Leaf Stone mine..."


    It turned out that recently, some unknown Pok��mon had been sneaking into Honoka''s uncle''s Leaf Stone mine to steal the stones. These Pok��mon were very cunning and hard to catch. So, Honoka wanted to ask Luna to convince Yuga to sell these two Raticate to her uncle as guards for the mine.


    Upon hearing this, Luna''s expression immediately darkened. "Absolutely not! You know my brother''s position. Selling adult Pok��mon is illegal, and he''s the Gym Leader of Verdanturf Town! How could I ask him to break thew?"


    Even though Luna knew she wasn''t exactly the most considerate sister, she couldn''t possibly betray her brother like that!


    "This can be done privately. You won''t tell, I won''t tell��who would know? Besides, lots of people do it!" Honoka said anxiously.


    Though it was true that the League prohibited the sale of adult Pok��mon, it was difficult to enforce, and many people did it discreetly. Even Yuga himself had done it several times!


    Of course, Luna didn''t know all of this. All she knew was that if she tried to plead on Honoka''s behalf, Yuga would definitely feel troubled.


    "I''ll pretend I didn''t hear anything, and you should drop it too. I won''t agree to this."


    Seeing that Luna was genuinely upset, Honoka quickly blushed and apologized, "I''m sorry, Luna. I didn''t think things through. I won''t bring it up again!"


    Luna''s expression softened a bit after seeing how sincere Honoka''s apology was. However, there was still a bit of tension between them. After wandering around for a little longer, they each went their separate ways.


    When Yuga finished settling Azumarill into the Shallow Beach Sub-Ecopark and came back out, he saw Luna walking into the shop with a displeased look on her face.


    "What''s wrong? Weren''t you showing your friend around the new Ecopark? Who made you mad?" Yuga teased.


    "Brother..." Luna hesitated for a moment before telling Yuga about what had happened in the new garden.


    "I see," Yuga said, thinking for a moment beforeforting Luna. "You already turned her down, right? So there''s no reason to be upset. Don''t let it bother you! How about I ask Audino to make you something tasty?"


    Luna wasn''tforted at all, but what could she do? It was upsetting to realize that her best friend had made such a difficult request of her. For the first time, she felt like the friend she had known for so many years suddenly seemed a little unfamiliar.


    In Luna''s mind, Honoka had always been a slightly shy but understanding girl.


    Seeing that Luna was still pouting, Yuga sighed helplessly. He really couldn''t help when it came to the conflicts between girls.


    "Alright, alright, don''t stay mad!" Yuga pushed Luna towards Audino. "Audino, make Luna her favorite Pecha Berry ice cream!"


    Reluctantly, Luna let Audino lead her away. Meanwhile, Yuga sought out the Mismagius who had previously been tasked with keeping an eye on Kanda.


    "I want you to monitor Luna''s friend. If you notice anything suspicious, report to me immediately."


    Yuga had already found it odd that during her rare vacation, Honoka hadn''t gone home but hade to Verdanturf Town instead. Now, hearing that she wanted to buy the Raticate couple only made things seem even stranger.


    Luna had said that Honoka was her fan, but Yuga hadn''t seen any admiration in her eyes. That was part of the reason why he hadn''t been overly friendly toward her.


    Excited to have a new task, Mismagius eagerly asked for Honoka''s whereabouts before vanishing in an instant.


    As the saying goes, "It''s better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early." When Mismagius sneaked into Honoka''s room, she just so happened to be on a phone call with someone.


    "Uncle, can I give up on this?" Honoka asked the person on the other end of the line, her tone full of helplessness.


    Whatever the person said in response caused Honoka to be more agitated. "But... but Luna is my best friend! You want me to deceive her... I..."


    ...


    The phone callsted quite a while, with Honoka constantly arguing with the person on the other end. But in the end, Honoka gave in.


    "Fine... I get it! I''ll do it, okay?"


    After hanging up, Honoka sat at the edge of her bed, silent for several minutes. Her eyes were red, and several times it looked like tears were about to fall, but in the end, she held them back.


    Mismagius lingered in Honoka''s room for a while before finally leaving. As it left, it couldn''t help but think, <i>The task the boss gave me was way too easy! I had barely started and already got results</i>.


    When Yuga saw Mismagius again, he thought it hadn''t had time to reach Honoka''s ce yet. But after listening to its report, he said, "Well done! Keep monitoring Honoka, ande report if anything else happens."


    "Maah!"


    ted by Yuga''s praise, Mismagius let out a joyful cry before vanishing once more.


    "Uncle..." Yuga murmured to himself, then proceeded to make a phone call.


    The first person Yuga contacted was Himekawa, the Deputy Director of the Hoenn Investigation Bureau.


    Himekawa was very happy to receive a call from Yuga. During the Manaphy incident, Himekawa had received a lot of benefits thanks to Yuga and still owed him a favor.


    The reason Yuga contacted Himekawa was to investigate Honoka''s family background. Since she had already been admitted into the Investigation Bureau, her records would have been transferred there as well, so Himekawa, as the Deputy Director, was the right person to approach.


    Normally, the personal records of Investigation Bureau members are highly confidential, and most people wouldn''t have the authority to view them. However, Yuga''s status as a Hall of Fame-level trainer granted him ess to any Investigation Bureau member''s information, unless they were of a director or deputy director level.


    Because Himekawa still owed Yuga a favor, he handled the matter quickly, and within an hour, Yuga received detailed information from him.


    Honoka came from a well-off family, nearly aristocratic in status, but she wasn''t the biological child of the family she currently lived with. The man Honoka referred to as her "uncle" was actually her adoptive father by name.


    This "uncle" had been a close friend andrade of Honoka''s biological parents, both of whom had once worked for the League''s Investigation Bureau. However, the work of the Investigation Bureau is dangerous, and both of Honoka''s parents died during a mission.


    Afterward, Honoka was taken in by her current adoptive father (her "uncle"). To raise his friend''s child, this man not only quit his job at the Investigation Bureau and returned home to take over the family business, but he also remained unmarried and never had biological children of his own. He was well-regarded for this in themunity.


    It was likely due to the influence of her parents that Honoka had chosen to join the Investigation Bureau herself.


    Although Honoka''s file in the Bureau was quite detailed, the information about her adoptive father was only briefly mentioned. As a result, Yuga didn''t find much useful information from it.


    Since Honoka''s adoptive father had previously worked for the Investigation Bureau, Yuga asked if there were still any records of him within the Bureau. Unfortunately, Himekawa informed him that those records had been removed when the man resigned.

 Chapter 1149: Mama Eelektross Who Stole Electricity

    <h4>Chapter 1149: Mama Eelektross Who Stole Electricity</h4>


    Unable to retrieve Honoka''s adoptive father''s records from the Investigation Bureau, Yuga had a backup n��the White Light Intelligence Agency. He didn''t intend to dig into anything too deep, only to rify the connections in Honoka''s adoptive father''s social circle.


    Whether this man had any ties to Kanda was the key to clearing up the whole matter.


    Yuga had been a regr customer of the White Light Intelligence Agency for a while, so they quickly epted his request.


    After setting everything in motion, Yuga suspected that Honoka hadn''tpleted her adoptive father''s task with Luna, and there might be further developments soon.


    As Yuga had anticipated, the next day Honoka privately approached him and once again expressed her uncle''s desire to purchase the two Raticates.


    Yuga politely declined. Until it was proven that Honoka''s adoptive father had a connection with Kanda, Yuga didn''t want to escte the situation.


    If it turned out there was no connection between the two, Yuga would have no grounds to criticize Honoka''s uncle for such a request. After all, Yuga himself had privately bought adult Pok��mon from others in the past.


    After being refused, Honoka didn''t seem upset. Before leaving, she asked Yuga not to mention the matter to Luna.


    Yuga thought it over and agreed, but internally he was considering whether or not to warn Luna to keep her distance from this person. However, he couldn''t easily jump to conclusions based on just a few interactions, given that he hadn''t spent much time with Honoka.


    In the end, Yuga decided not to interfere in his sister''s friendships. As the saying goes, "Time reveals a person''s true nature." If Honoka truly wasn''t trustworthy, her true colors would show eventually.


    After all, you learn from experience. Luna had simply been through too little. If Honoka wasn''t someone worth befriending, letting Luna learn a lesson wouldn''t be a bad thing. Especially since Luna would be working in the Investigation Bureau in the future, and being too naive wouldn''t do her any favors.


    After Honoka left, Yuga went to check on the new shop, as a batch of Pok��blocks was due for shipment, and he needed to follow up with Misaki and the others.


    On his way out, he happened to bump into Anya, who had just returned from Mr. Harrison''s ce.


    "Boss!" Anya greeted Yuga politely.


    "You just came back from Mr. Harrison''s?" Yuga asked casually.


    "Yes..." Anya let out a deep sigh and nodded, "That''s right."


    Seeing her sigh so heavily, Yuga asked curiously, "What''s wrong? Who upset you?"


    Anya was startled for a moment before responding, "No one upset me. It''s something that happened at my master''s ce." Since formally bing Mr. Harrison''s apprentice, Anya had started calling him "master."


    "What could possibly go wrong at Mr. Harrison''s?" Yuga asked, even more puzzled. Mayor Ishida practically doted on Mr. Harrison��who would dare cause trouble for him?


    It turned out the problem wasn''t with Mr. Harrison himself, but with the Sunflora Power nt. Mr. Harrison had been troubled by the issue for the past couple of days.


    Recently, the power nt had been experiencing unexined massive power losses. The staff suspected that an Electric-type Pok��mon had somehow infiltrated the nt.


    However, after searching for quite some time, they hadn''t been able to find the Electric-type Pok��mon responsible or figure out its identity, driving everyone at the nt to the brink of despair.


    Arge amount of electricity was disappearing for no apparent reason, which meant that to maintain the power supply for Verdanturf Town, the workload of the Sunflora had increased significantly. Mr. Harrison was quite unhappy with the power nt''sck of security in this regard.


    "There''s such a thing happening?" As soon as Yuga heard "Electric-type Pok��mon," his eyes lit up. "I''ll go check it outter!" After all, he had a side quest toplete.


    Waving at Anya, Yuga ran off.


    Upon returning to the old store, Yuga first called down Windy from upstairs to help move the Pok��blocks to the new store. Then, after giving Suzuki Koen some instructions, he headed to the Sunflora ranch.


    Before leaving, he took along his Mismagius, Gengar, and Mimikyu, as they were sensitive to life forces and would be more effective in locating Pok��mon.


    When Yuga arrived at the ranch, Smence was ying with Shelgon. The moment Shelgon spotted Yuga, it ran toward him with a heavy, snorting sound.


    Bending down to give Shelgon a hug, Yuga patted its back and said, "I have some business here. You can keep ying with your father."


    Shelgon affectionately rubbed against Yuga before running back to Smence''s side.


    After parting from Shelgon, Yuga went straight to the nearby power nt. When the nt''s manager saw Yuga, he greeted him respectfully, "What brings Gym Leader Shimizu here? Is something the matter?"


    This nt manager used to be a highly skilled technician at arge power nt in Mauville City (though Yuga didn''t know the exact details of how he was skilled). After retiring, he had been re-hired by Mayor Ishida to manage this nt.


    Yuga replied, "I heard you''ve been having some trouble at the nt recently, so I thought I''de and take a look."


    "Indeed, you wouldn''t believe it..." The manager, filled with frustration,unched into aint. If this situation continued, all the stored power would be stolen, and he might lose his job as manager!


    He and Mr. Harrison had quarreled several times over the matter in recent days, but there wasn''t much he could do.


    "I''ll take a look and see if I can find the reason for the power drain," Yuga offered after hearing the manager''sints.


    The manager''s face brightened immediately. "That would be wonderful! With Gym Leader Shimizu here, I''m sure we''ll find the cause."


    The manager wanted to find someone to guide Yuga around, but Yuga declined.


    "No need to trouble anyone. I''ll just wander around on my own. No need to interrupt anyone''s work."


    Since Yuga insisted, the manager didn''t push the issue. "Alright then, Gym Leader Shimizu. If you need anything, just call me!"


    After finishing the conversation with the manager, Yuga entered the power nt alone.


    Compared to typical power nts, the Sunflora Power nt''s internal structure was much simpler since its main power generation was done by the pot-shaped equipment outside. Most of the internal facilities were used for storing electricity converted from sr energy.


    That was the advantage of the Sunflora Power nt!


    However, Yuga was no expert. No matter how simple the equipment, he couldn''t tell one thing from another.


    "Gengar, Mismagius, Mimikyu,e out and take a look around. See if you can find anything."


    As soon as Yuga finished speaking, Gengar, Mismagius, and Mimikyu appeared out of nowhere beside him and then vanished in the blink of an eye.


    After the three Pok��mon left, Yuga also started walking around the nt. Aside from Yuga, there were many other workers in the nt, all of whom recognized him. They greeted him respectfully when they saw him but refrained from asking why he was there.


    No one at the nt restricted Yuga''s movements. Wherever he wanted to go, they would let him pass without hesitation.


    After making a full round, Yuga hadn''t noticed anything unusual.


    He checked the ces where electricity was stored and where it had been disappearing, but still found nothing, so he was about to move on to another area.


    At that moment, he suddenly noticed another shadow next to his own. This shadow was only the size of his thumb, swaying like a small fish. If he hadn''t been paying close attention, he might not have noticed it at all.


    Yuga quickly turned around, but saw nothing��not even the shadow that had just been there.


    There was no way that had been his imagination, Yuga thought with a frown.


    Suddenly, "Ka, ka..." Mimikyu appeared beside Yuga, holding a thumb-sized Pok��mon in its Shadow w.


    ...


    [ Tynamo ]


    Type: Electric


    Ability: Levitate


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Red


    Level: 10


    Moves: Tackle, Charge Beam, Ma Rise.


    ...


    Yuga finally understood. So this little guy was the culprit! No wonder the power nt workers couldn''t find it!


    Although Tynamo was mostly seen in the Unova region, Yuga wasn''t surprised. In recent years, the cases of Pokemon being carried to different regions��like the mutated Raticate��had be more and moremon.


    The Tynamo struggled fiercely in Mimikyu''s grasp, but given its strength, there was no way it could escape!


    Wait a second! Could such a small Tynamo really have stolen that much power from the nt?


    Yuga looked at the Tynamo again and felt that there was more to this.


    Sure enough, it wasn''t long before Mismagius and Gengar returned as well. Gengar had caught five more Tynamo, and Mismagius had caught three. These Tynamo had managed to evade the power nt workers but couldn''t escape from Gengar and Mismagius, who were sensitive to life forces.


    Looking at the group of Tynamo, Yuga thought, <i>Now this makes more sense! But there must be even more. Just these few Tynamo wouldn''t be enough to steal so much power.</i>


    Yuga thought for a moment and then said to Gengar and the others, "Let them go."


    Gengar and Mismagius looked puzzled. <i>Why let them go?</i>


    Yuga discreetly gave them a signal, and the three Pok��mon understood immediately, releasing the Tynamo. The Tynamo shrieked and darted away in a panic.


    They moved so quickly that they vanished in an instant. No wonder the power nt workers hadn''t been able to find them.


    "Follow them," Yuga whispered to his three Pok��mon.


    They grinned, nodded, and disappeared from sight.


    A few minutester, Mimikyu returned to Yuga''s side. It tugged at him, indicating that he should follow.


    Led by Mimikyu, Yuga arrived at a location with a pool and drainage pipes, where Gengar and Mismagius were waiting for him.


    "Gen, Gen, Gen!"


    After Gengar''s exnation, Yuga understood that the Tynamo had disappeared into the drainage pipes.


    Yuga then sought out the power nt staff to inquire and learned that the water in the pool was used to cool the nt''s machinery, and the drainage pipes connected to Green Jade River, the mother river of Verdanturf Town.


    The Green Jade River served as the source of cooling water for the power nt and was also the discharge location. (The cooling water from the Sunflora Power nt wasn''t polluted in the first ce, and it went through special purification before being discharged, so there was no environmental contamination.) The drainage pipes were usually locked with metal grates, which didn''t obstruct the drainage but prevented anyone from entering.


    The gaps in the metal grates were small, but with Tynamo being the size of a thumb, it could easily slip through.


    After learning about the drainage pipes'' function, Yuga sought out the nt manager again and asked him to unlock the metal grates.


    Once the metal grates were opened, the nt manager, with a worried expression, asked, "Gym Leader Shimizu, are you sure you want to go down there alone? Shouldn''t I get someone to guide you?"


    Yuga waved his hand and said, "No need. We still don''t know what''s really going on down there, so it''s better if I go alone."


    The manager didn''t insist after hearing this. If Yuga couldn''t solve the problem, sending more people wouldn''t help either.


    However, before Yuga went in, the manager handed him a shlight. The drainage pipes were dark, and since there were no lights installed, it would be very inconvenient without a shlight.


    After thanking the manager, Yuga, along with Gengar and the others, entered the drainage pipes. The space inside the pipes was quite spacious, mainly because the power nt had plenty of funding when it was built, with generous financial support from the League.


    Yuga walked a long distance without encountering anything unusual, hearing only the sound of rushing water.


    After nearly twenty minutes, Yuga suddenly heard a series of squeaking noises. He shone his shlight in the direction of the sound, and white shadows quickly darted by.


    It was the Tynamo from earlier.


    There were far more Tynamo than the ones Gengar and the others had caught before. Yuga estimated at least twenty or more.


    The Tynamo moved too fast for Yuga to capture their exact movements, so he continued walking forward.


    After another four or five minutes, the squeaking sound returned. Yuga raised his shlight again, and the beam revealed a dense swarm of Tynamo.


    Yuga gasped. There were so many, easily several hundred! No wonder they were able to steal so much power from the nt.


    Despite their small size, even hundreds of Tynamo gathered together didn''t take up much space. However, for someone with trypophobia, this sight might be unsettling.


    Oddly enough, this time, the Tynamo didn''t flee in panic when Yuga''s shlight shone on them. Instead, they all lined up, blocking the way as if they were determined to prevent Yuga from passing. There was a sense of united defiance in the air.


    Just as Yuga was about tomand Gengar and the others to attack, a roar echoed from behind the Tynamo, followed by the sound of something breaking through the water in the darkness.


    Yuga didn''t have to wonder for long before a ferocious-looking Eelektross pushed past the Tynamo and appeared before him.


    The Eelektross''s body crackled with electricity, seemingly overcharged with power, as it red at Yuga.


    The Eelektross let out a menacing roar, baring its sharp teeth and ws, trying to intimidate Yuga and his Pok��mon into retreating.


    But Yuga noticed something off. Despite its fierce disy, the Eelektross seemed to be bluffing. Even Yuga could smell the strong scent of blood in the air.


    When the Eelektross was still in the water, the water had masked the scent, but now that it was out, the smell of blood was unmistakable.


    Clearly, the Eelektross was injured, and the stolen electricity had been used to aid it.


    However, it had been too severely wounded. Not only had it failed to absorb the stolen electricity properly, but the excess energy had worsened its injuries.


    Eelektross was a dominant force in the water, and as an Electric-type Pok��mon, it naturally had an advantage over Water-types. Yuga couldn''t figure out what could have hurt it so badly that it had to flee to human territory for refuge.

 Chapter 1150: Persistent Tentacruel

    <h4>Chapter 1150: Persistent Tentacruel</h4>


    Seeing through Eelektross''s bluff, Yuga felt even more at ease and casually used his Insight skill to assess the Eelektross in front of him.


    ...


    [ Eelektross ]


    Type: Electric


    Ability: Levitate


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 58


    Moves: Tackle, Thunder Wave, Thunder Shock, Crunch, Charge Beam, Acid, Thunderbolt, Acid Spray, Coil, Ion Deluge, Thrash, Crush w, Signal Beam, Aqua Tail.


    ...


    After reading the data, Yuga nodded to himself. "Not bad potential, not bad level. This trip wasn''t in vain."


    Noticing Eelektross''s pained expression, Yuga released Dragonite and said, "Dragonite, help it with its excess electricity."


    "Kwaa!" Dragonite responded. Its antennae sparked with a crackling sound, and soon, the uncontrolled electricity from Eelektross flowed toward Dragonite.


    Seeing this, the Tynamo tried to rush Dragonite, but Mismagius quickly used Mystical Fire to erect a wall of mes, blocking the Tynamo from advancing.


    Dragonite worked efficiently, and within a few minutes, it had absorbed almost all of Eelektross''s excess electricity. With the extra energy replenished, Dragonite pped its small wings in satisfaction.


    However, despite the excess electricity being drawn away, Eelektross did not seem relieved. The overabundant electric charge had been numbing its pain.


    Now, without the glow of electricity, Yuga could finally see the wounds on Eelektross clearly. Its body was covered with marks, looking simr to the imprints left by the vines of Yuga''s Venusaur, as if it had been strangled. Additionally, a horrifying gash almost disemboweled it across the abdomen.


    Although the wound had stopped bleeding, it showed signs of inmmation, rot, and infection��an rming sight.


    Given these severe injuries, Yuga was amazed that Eelektross had survived this long. Its tenacity was truly remarkable.


    While the excess electricity had worsened Eelektross''s injuries, it had also dulled its sense of pain, allowing it to hold on until now. But now, with the electricity gone, Eelektross let out a pained groan.


    Seeing their leader in agony, some Tynamo red angrily at Yuga and his Pok��mon, some panicked and darted around, while others attempted to transfer their own electric energy to Eelektross.


    "Would you like me to help?" Yuga asked at this point.


    His voice caused the scurrying Tynamo to freeze in their tracks. Then, they all looked expectantly at Yuga. By this time, Eelektross had already passed out from the pain.


    Eelektross''s injuries had gone untreated for several days. Although the Tynamo weren''t sure whether Yuga was a friend or foe, they had no choice but to rely on him now, as ast resort.


    With Dragonite''s help, Yuga dragged Eelektross from the water''s edge onto the shore. The Tynamo surrounded Yuga in tight circles, watching him closely, afraid he would do something harmful to their leader.


    After carefully examining all of Eelektross''s wounds, Yuga realized that he could only provide emergency treatment. More detailed medical care would have to be left to Nurse Joy.


    Although he could use a Max Revive to instantly heal Eelektross, Yuga decided against it, as it wasn''t necessary. Eelektross''s injuries were severe, but not to the point of requiring such a precious item. Growing Revival Herbs was not an easy task, and Yuga wasn''t about to casually waste something so valuable. Being frugal was a good habit!


    Without making a fuss, Yuga discreetly retrieved a sharp knife from his system backpack and began cleaning out the rotten flesh from Eelektross''s wounds.


    Since Yuga had no means to sterilize the knife, he had Mismagius use Mystical Fire to heat and disinfect it. Given the current state of infection in Eelektross''s wounds, disinfection wouldn''t have mattered much anyway.


    After cleaning out the rotten flesh, Yuga applied a healing salve to Eelektross''s wounds and then had Chimecho use several Heal Pulse moves on it.


    Once everything was done, Eelektross''s expression of pain eased considerably, though it didn''t wake up immediately. Yuga then began asking the Tynamo about the reason they had ended up here.


    Grateful for Yuga''s help in treating their leader, the Tynamo all spoke at once, exining the situation to him.


    It turned out that neither Eelektross nor the Tynamo lived in this area��they had swum here from a distant part of the ocean. More urately, they had fled here.


    The Mother River of Verdanturf Town, the Green Jade River, eventually flows into the sea, its end being in Oldale Town, where it meets the ocean. Eelektross had led the Tynamo upstream along the Grenlen Jade River, ultimately arriving near Verdanturf Town.


    The reason Eelektross and the Tynamo left their ocean home, enduring the hardships of the journey ind, was because they were being pursued by a pair of Tentacruel��hence, their escape to Verdanturf Town.


    In truth, it wasn''t entirely the Tentacruel''s fault for chasing Eelektross. Eelektross had acted rather unscrupulously.


    Eelektrik, Eelektross''s pre-evolution, needs a Thunder Stone to evolve. However, Thunder Stones are quite rare in the ocean. Eelektrik had searched for a long time without finding one.


    One day, it identally discovered a Thunder Stone in the territory of a pair of Tentacruel. The temptation to steal it arose, thinking that the Tentacruel wouldn''t need it anyway, so it would just go to waste.


    When the Tentacruel were not paying attention, Eelektrik sessfully snuck into their territory and took the Thunder Stone. However, the moment it touched the stone, the evolution process began uncontrobly.


    What Eelektrik didn''t know was that the Thunder Stone it had stumbled upon was an exceptional one, containing an abundance of pure Electric-type energy. As a result, its evolution caused a massive surge of electricity, which spread throughout the surrounding waters, leaving destruction in its wake. Unfortunately, the Tentacruel''s child, a small Tentacool, was nearby and was identally injured in the process.


    After the evolution ended, Eelektrik had sessfully be Eelektross, and its potential, by a stroke of luck, had improved from yellow to green. However, it had also thoroughly enraged the Tentacruel couple.


    Thus began the Tentacruel''s relentless pursuit of Eelektross.


    The Tentacruel were the rulers of that part of the sea, and even after evolving, Eelektross stood no chance against them. So, it led the Tynamo on a desperate escape.


    The Tentacruel were not only formidable but also vengeful. No matter where Eelektross hid, they always managed to find it. Eventually, Eelektross was driven out of the ocean entirely.


    With no other choice, Eelektross decided to lead its followers ind. However, the Tentacruel still refused to let them go and chased them all the way to the maind.


    The wounds on Eelektross were caused by the Tentacruel during their pursuit.


    After hearing the Tynamo''s exnation, Yuga finally understood that the marks on Eelektross''s body were not caused by vines but by the Tentacruel''s tentacles.


    "Your leader''s injuries will need Nurse Joy''s help to be fully healed. Let me take you out of here," Yuga said to the Tynamo.


    The Tynamo immediately objected when they heard they would be leaving. They exined that the Tentacruel were waiting outside and would surely capture them the moment they left.


    The reason they had hidden in the drainage pipes of the Sunflora Power nt, aside from stealing electricity, was that the Tentacruel feared venturing into human territory and dared not chase them inside.


    As it turned out, the two Tentacruel were currently blocking the exit of the drainage pipe, preventing the Tynamo from leaving, while also being too cautious toe in themselves.


    Learning this, Yuga''s curiosity was piqued. A pair of Tentacruel capable of wounding Eelektross so badly��now that interested him.


    The Electric-type Eelektross should have had an absolute advantage over the Water-type Tentacruel, yet even under such favorable conditions, Eelektross was relentlessly pursued with no escape, highlighting just how extraordinary these Tentacruel were.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll protect you. The Tentacruel won''t be able to harm you," Yuga promised the Tynamo with full confidence.


    Even though Eelektross was technically in the wrong here, Yuga still wanted to capture it toplete his mission. So, the Tentacruel would just have to bear the injustice for now.


    Despite Yuga''s confident words, the Tynamo were reluctant to believe him, as the Tentacruel had left a deep and terrifying impression on them. Having been chased all the way from the ocean to the ind, the fear of the Tentacruel had been ingrained in their very bones.


    "Are you just going to stand here and watch your leader die? You have two choices: face the Tentacruel, or stay here and watch your leader perish," Yuga said.


    Initially, Yuga had nned to leave the power nt through the main entrance, but now, intrigued by the Tentacruel, he decided to convince the Tynamo to follow him through the drainage pipe instead.


    At this point, the not-so-bright Tynamo had yet to realize that they could have simply exited through the power nt''s main entrance, where there were no Tentacruel.


    Still oblivious to Yuga''s little trick, the Tynamo nced at their still-unconscious leader and, having no other choice, agreed to follow Yuga out to face the Tentacruel.


    Thus, with Dragonite carrying the unconscious Eelektross, Yuga led the way with Gengar, Mismagius, Mimikyu, and the group of Tynamo towards the exit of the drainage pipe.


    The outlet of the drainage pipe was located along a section of the Jade River, and as soon as they emerged, they were greeted by the shimmering surface of the water.


    Boom!!!


    A loud explosion shook the surface of the water as two Tentacruel, evenrger and more imposing than Yuga had expected, emerged. Their thick, long tentacles pped the river''s surface, sending water sshing everywhere, creating a scene that looked like chaos incarnate.


    Terrified by this sight, the Tynamo began to panic.


    "Dragonite, take Eelektross to the Pok��mon Center first. The Tynamo should go with you as well. Leave this to me, Gengar, and the others," Yuga instructed.


    Trusting in their trainer''s abilities, Dragonite obediently nodded, while the Tynamo were deeply moved by Yuga''s "selfless" decision.


    This human is so kind! He''s a good person!


    With that, Dragonite soared into the sky with Eelektross in its arms, while the Tynamo quickly followed behind.


    Seeing Eelektross gradually flying out of reach, the two Tentacruel angrily thrashed their tentacles, but there was nothing they could do. Left with no other outlet for their rage, they turned their fury towards Yuga.


    At that moment, Yuga noticed something��on top of one of the Tentacruel''s heads was a frail, tiny Tentacool, clinging tightly to its parent.

 Chapter 1151: The Master of Deception is Online

    <h4>Chapter 1151: The Master of Deception is Online</h4>


    [ Tentacruel ]


    Type: Water, Poison


    Ability: Clear Body


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 66


    Moves: Poison Sting, Wrap, Acid, Barrier, Water Pulse, Poison Jab, Brine, Sludge Wave, Hydro Pump, Mirror Coat, Bind, Rain Dance, Haze.


    ...


    [ Tentacruel ]


    Type: Water, Poison


    Ability: Rain Dish


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Green


    Level: 68


    Moves: Poison Sting, Wrap, Acid, Barrier, Water Pulse, Poison Jab, Brine, Sludge Wave, Hydro Pump, Mirror Coat, Bind, Rain Dance, Muddy Water, Infestation.


    ...


    After looking over the data on the Tentacruel, Yuga eximed, "Whoa, no wonder the Tynamo said these Tentacruel are the rulers of their area. They''re both pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon!"


    The two Tentacruel surged through the waves and reached Yuga in an instant, their thick tentacles aiming to crush the culprit responsible for letting their enemy escape.


    The female Tentacruel was the one taking most of the action, while the male Tentacruel held back somewhat due to the child clinging to its head.


    However, before the Tentacruel could reach Yuga, Mismagius''s Power Gem and Gengar''s Shadow Ball struck them simultaneously, forcing the Tentacruel to recoil with piercing screams. But their eyes grew even more hateful as they stared at Yuga.


    Despite sensing that Gengar and Mismagius were much stronger than they were, the Tentacruel were so consumed by rage and hatred that they paid no heed to this.


    Tentacruel are known for their strong special defense, and since Gengar and Mismagius hadn''t attacked with full force, the Tentacruel weren''t too badly injured.


    For certain undisclosed reasons, Yuga had no intention of pushing the Tentacruel to the brink, so he had already instructed Gengar and Mismagius to hold back.


    The female Tentacruel was about to strike again, but Gengar, quick on the draw, used Psychic to freeze her in ce. No matter how much the female Tentacruel struggled, she couldn''t move an inch, as Poison-types are weak against Psychic-type moves, and her strength was no match for Gengar''s.


    Seeing his partner restrained, the male Tentacruel panicked like an ant on a hot stove, even causing the tiny Tentacool clinging to his head to nervously wave its tentacles.


    Before the male Tentacruel could act, Mismagius''s eyes shed ck, and a pair of enormous eyes appeared above his head. The male Tentacruel was horrified to realize that his entire body was now paralyzed.


    He knew that the effect must havee from those eyes, and he worried for the frail child clinging to his head, fearing that the child might be harmed.


    But his fears were unnecessary��the ck gaze would not harm them.


    The average height for a regr Tentacruel is around 1.6 meters, yet as Yuga gazed at the two paralyzed Tentacruel before him, both of whom towered over him and Gengarbined, he couldn''t help but marvel: "Creatures from the sea are truly gigantic!"


    "Tentacruel, I don''t want to be your enemy. How about settling your grudge with Eelektross here and now?" Yuga proposed.


    Hearing this, both Tentacruel became visibly agitated. Even though their tentacles were restrained, their muscles twitched and pulsed as if they were about to explode with fury. It was clear they had no intention of settling anything peacefully.


    In truth, Yuga felt a bit guilty about what he had just said. After all, Eelektross had injured the Tentacruel''s child, and it was only natural for the parents to seek revenge. If someone had harmed his own Florges or Chimecho, he''d undoubtedly be ready to fight to the death.


    "It''s better to resolve enmities than to deepen them. If you have any requests, feel free to tell me, and I''ll do my best to help," Yuga continued to advise them, hiding his true intentions.


    The female Tentacruel let out a bitter cry of usation, and it was only then that Yuga learned the truth: when Eelektross evolved, the electric current it produced didn''t kill the young Tentacool, but it caused irreversible damage to the little Tentacruel.


    At that time, the young Tentacool was less than two days old, its body extremely fragile. After the electric current invaded its body, not only did it be frail and weak, but it was also constantly tormented by the residual Electric-type energy stubbornly rooted within it.


    In this condition, whether or not the little Tentacruel could grow up was uncertain��just staying alive was already a form of torment.


    The higher a Pok��mon''s level, the harder it is for them to have offspring, especially for Pok��mon living in the wild. For these two pseudo-Elite level Tentacruel, it had been a struggle to produce this one little Tentacool. Seeing their child suffer such agony, how could they not harbor hatred toward Eelektross?


    After hearing the female Tentacruel''s usation, even Yuga felt that Eelektross had deserved it!


    "May I take a look at your child?"


    Upon hearing this, the two Tentacruel grew even more agitated, clearly unwilling to let Yuga get close to their child.


    But Yuga didn''t bother asking for their permission. He immediately had Mimikyu jump onto the male Tentacruel''s head and bring the small Tentacool over to him.


    The young Tentacool was so weak that it had no strength to resist Mimikyu.


    Once he touched the little Tentacool, Yuga used his special Grass-type ability, sending healing energy into its body. He quickly confirmed that the female Tentacruel was right: the Tentacool''s body indeed contained a stubborn trace of Electric-type energy.


    This Electric-type energy had fused with the young Tentacruel''s fragile body, bing like a parasitic infection and causing further damage to its core, making it extremely difficult to dispel.


    Of course, that difficulty was only rtive to others. Yuga''s Dragonite possessed the "sacred artifact," the Yellow Orb, and this amount of Electric-type energy was barely a snack for it. Removing it would only take a matter of moments.


    At first, the little Tentacool was very resistant to Yuga''s touch, seeing him as the viin who had harmed its parents. But as the healing energy entered its body, it suddenly felt some relief from its constant pain, causing it to feel conflicted.


    Resist? Or ept?


    However, before the little Tentacool could finish sorting out its feelings, Yuga withdrew his hand, leaving the Tentacool with an inexplicable sense of loss.


    "If I can heal your child, how about we settle the score with Eelektross and call it even?" Yuga loudly proposed to the Tentacruel.


    The two Tentacruel became visibly excited upon hearing that Yuga could heal their child.


    "I''m serious. You''re already at my mercy, so why would I deceive you?" Yuga continued to exin.


    The Tentacruel considered this for a moment, realizing it made sense, and finally, they reluctantly agreed.


    Compared to the health of their young Tentacool, Eelektross was now as worthless as dirt on the side of the road.


    Seeing the Tentacruel agree, Yuga felt a wave of joy but outwardly feigned difficulty, saying, "Although I can dispel the Electric-type energy from the Tentacool''s body, the damage it has already suffered is irreversible, and it will require a long period of recovery. If you want your child to fully return to normal, I''m afraid you''ll have to stay with me for quite some time."


    Yuga, the master deceiver, was back in action!

 Chapter 1152: The Idea of Compensation

    <h4>Chapter 1152: The Idea of Compensation</h4>


    You could say that most Pok��mon are simple creatures. As long as their little Tentacool could be healed, the Tentacruel couple would agree to any of Yuga''s requests. And thus, the conflict was resolved by Yuga.


    When Yuga arrived at the Pok��mon Center with the Tentacruel couple and the little Tentacool, Joyka had just finished healing Eelektross.


    "Perfect timing. The Eelektross you sent over with Dragonite is all better now. Take it back and let it rest for a while, and it''ll fully recover," Joyka said as she and her Blissey wheeled Eelektross out on a cart.


    At that moment, Eelektross had already woken up. Yuga looked at it and said, "I saved you and even helped you resolve your grudge with the Tentacruel. How do you n on repaying me?"


    Hearing that the feud between itself and the Tentacruel had been settled, Eelektross showed a look of surprise, but soon after, its expression turned confused. It wasn''t until Yuga exined the terms he had negotiated with the Tentacruel that Eelektross finally understood.


    "I don''t think you have much to offer me as thanks, so how about joining me?" Yuga suggested, taking the opportunity. He was well-practiced in "demanding repayment" for his help.


    Eelektross thought about it for a while but didn''t agree right away, as it was concerned about its subordinates.


    Upon hearing its concern, Yuga reassured it, "Don''t worry, I''ll take good care of your fellow Pok��mon."


    Although none of the young Eelektross in the group had potential that caught his eye, since the leader Eelektross had agreed to follow him, Yuga would ensure it had no lingering concerns.


    Besides, he still had the Innovation Potion, and among the young Eelektross, there were a few with yellow potential. Surely he could manage to upgrade a few to green.


    With Yuga''s assurance, Eelektross agreed to follow him. A life-saving favor deserved such repayment��there was nothing wrong with that!


    Joyka, who had been listening to Yuga''s conversation with Eelektross, was baffled. Seeing this, Yuga exined the situation at the Sunflora Power nt to her. After hearing it, Joykaughed, "You quietly went off and handled another big problem!"


    The young Eelektross were not opposed to their leader following Yuga. Earlier, Yuga''s actions in facing off against the Tentacruel alone had convinced them that he was someone worth "entrusting their future to."


    Yuga had Dragonite escort Eelektross and the young Eelektross back to the YoYo Day Care first, and then he returned to the power nt. They were still waiting for the situation to be resolved there!


    When Yuga returned to the power nt, the manager was overjoyed to learn that the issue had been handled and thanked him profusely. Unable to bear the manager''s overwhelming gratitude, Yuga quickly exined what had happened and then intended to head straight back to YoYo Day Care.


    However, as he was leaving the power nt, he noticed arge group of people gathered on the grass of the ranch, seemingly arguing about something.


    Normally, Yuga wouldn''t get involved in such matters, but he saw that Smence was the one surrounded, so he had no choice but to approach. From a distance, he could see the menacing look on Smence''s face, as if it was about to incinerate the crowd with methrower at any moment.


    "What''s going on here? Why are you all gathered around?" Yuga asked as he pushed his way through the crowd.


    "Isn''t that Gym Leader Shimizu? Gym Leader Shimizu is here!"


    Some people in the crowd recognized Yuga immediately and called out his identity. Those who didn''t recognize him soon understood when they heard the words "Gym Leader Shimizu."


    Mr. Harrison was among the group. Yuga turned to him and asked, "Mr. Harrison, what happened?"


    Before Mr. Harrison could respond, Shelgon rushed over, nuzzling against Yuga in a pitiful manner, and began to recount the events.


    Earlier today, Shelgon had been on the hillside learning skills from its father when a group of tourists suddenly appeared. One of the tourists, upon seeing Shelgon, immediately tried to capture it.


    Shelgon is destined to be a pseudo-legendary Pok��mon��what Trainer wouldn''t be tempted? Unfortunately for this person, theycked the skill. Smence, the boss, hadn''t even made a move, and this individual was already beaten ck and blue by Shelgon. After losing the battle, they tried to get theirpanions to gang up on Shelgon.


    At this moment, Mr. Harrison, who had been tending to Sunflora nearby, noticed themotion and immediately rushed over to inform the group that Shelgon already had a Trainer.


    But Mr. Harrison didn''t expect these people to be so shameless. They assumed Mr. Harrison was Shelgon''s owner and demandedpensation for their injuries, making outrageous ims. It was obvious they were trying to take advantage of Mr. Harrison''s age to extort him.


    Could Mr. Harrison tolerate such behavior? Even though Shelgon wasn''t his, he couldn''t stand these people''s lies. So, an argument broke out.


    After listening to Shelgon''s ount, Yuga looked up and scanned the crowd surrounding Smence and Mr. Harrison. The group was startled by Yuga''s gaze and instinctively took two steps back.


    "Shelgon is my Pok��mon. Who here got injured and needspensation? Step forward so I can take a look!"


    Hearing Yuga''s words, the group fell silent, too embarrassed to speak. One young man, in particr, looked pale and trembling, pitifully scared.


    Seeing no one speaking up, Yuga asked again, "Why isn''t anyone stepping forward? Didn''t you ask forpensation? I''m right here, so why isn''t anyone saying anything?"


    At this point, who would dare step forward? Offending Yuga could ruin their reputation in the Trainermunity.


    Seeing that no one was going toe forward, Yuga let out a cold snort, causing the group to shiver again.


    "Since no one wantspensation, leave at once and stop disturbing the ranch staff!" Yuga said icily.


    Upon hearing this, the group felt as though they had been pardoned and hastily left the ranch in a flurry.


    To Yuga, this incident was just a minor episode��he didn''t take it to heart at all. After thanking Mr. Harrison, he returned to the YoYo Day Care.


    The first thing Yuga did upon returning to YoYo Day Care was, of course, to resolve the electrical energy issue in the little Tentacool''s body, to avoid the Tentacruel couple thinking he was trying to deceive an innocent Pok��mon.


    Yuga took the family of three to the shallow seaside zone of the reserve and called on Dragonite. Together, Yuga and Dragonite used their special abilities and the power of the Yellow Orb to sessfully eliminate the stubborn electrical energy in Tentacool''s body.


    Without the burden of electrical energy, Tentacool still appeared frail, but its vitality was immediately different. Only then did the Tentacruel couple fully trust Yuga.


    "The chronic problem in Tentacool''s body has been removed, but to fully restore its health, it will need a lot of nutritional supplements, which I''m sure you don''t have. But don''t worry, I''ll help you. Your family can stay here and rest assured," Yuga said, sounding righteous as he addressed the Tentacruel couple.


    At this point, the Tentacruel couple believed Yugapletely, not realizing his "ulterior motives." Of course, Yuga was someone who honored his promises. He provided Tentacool with a series of items that could help restore its health: energy cubes, Moomoo Milk, Honey, Pollen Puffs...


    Next, it was time to handle Eelektross and the Tunamo.


    Audino went to theb to get the Innovation Potion and administered it to the yellow potential Tynamo. As for those below yellow potential, they were ignored.


    From Yuga''s perspective, Pok��mon below yellow potential wouldn''t improve much even with upgrades, so it wasn''t worth wasting resources on them.


    After counting earlier, Yuga found there were just over 200 Tynamo, with only around ten having yellow potential. After using the Innovation Potion, only five sessfully advanced to green potential.


    Audino escorted the five newly green potential Tynamo and Eelektross to the shallow seaside zone, where they trembled upon seeing the Tentacruel family.


    Realizing they would have to live with the Tentacruel family from now on, Eelektross and the Tynamo felt their future looked bleak.


    The Tentacruel couple, upon seeing Eelektross, gritted their teeth in anger. Although they had agreed to settle their grudge with Eelektross at Yuga''s request, seeing it in person made it hard to suppress their rage.


    Fortunately, the couple only red at Eelektross fiercely without taking any actual action.


    Out of fear of the Tentacruel couple, Eelektross and the five Tynamo cautiously settled in the spot farthest from them. Coincidentally, this was also the residence of a few Shellos, marking the beginning of a new connection.


    With the addition of Eelektross and the Tynamo, Yuga''s progress towardpleting his side mission advanced yet another step.


    As for the remaining Tynamo, Yuga assigned them to the patrol team. Their thumb-sized bodies made them perfect for the role.


    Though they are fish, Tynamo don''t necessarily live solely in water. In the Unova region, they can often be found in electricity-filled areas onnd, like caves. Their Levitate ability is their greatest asset for surviving onnd.


    The small, fast-moving Tynamo provided a different kind of support for the patrol teampared to Ghost-type Pok��mon or Persian.


    After the sessful coboration between the Verdanturf Town Police Station and Persian in the Rattata and Raticate capture operation, Yuga appointed the Tynamo as patrol Pok��mon while also forming a partnership with the police station.


    From now on, the Tynamo would be an integral part of Verdanturf Town''s public security, with 200 of them secretly spread throughout the town.


    Tourists visiting Verdanturf Town soon heard a rumor: in the shadows of the town, a mysterious group of watchers existed, and if you dared tomit any wrongdoing, the police would soon be knocking on your door.


    But that''s a story for another time.


    The Tynamo in the patrol team were marked with a special emblem to prevent them from being identally captured. Though their small size and speed made them difficult to spot, the possibility of such an event wasn''t entirely impossible.


    After resolving the situation between Eelektross and the Tentacruel couple, Yuga enjoyed a couple of days of peace. He didn''t give up monitoring Honoka, but to his surprise, she hadn''t taken any action in the past two days, as if she had given up on buying the two Raticate.


    Now Yuga could only hope the White Light Intelligence Agency would quickly uncover the results of their investigation. Whether Honoka''s actions were connected to Kanda or not, he wanted an answer soon.


    On this day, Yuga invited Dawn''s mother, Aunt Johanna, to YoYo Day Care.


    Yes, Aunt Johanna hade to Verdanturf Town again for work. Thest time she came was for a pre-event nning meeting, but this time, the event had officially begun.


    Previously, because the event details were not public, Yuga didn''t know what the event jointly nned by the Sinnoh and Hoenn Contest Spectacr officials entailed. But now that it had started, Yuga naturally knew.


    However, this time Dawn didn''te along because she had already set out on her journey. Yuga learned about this and invited Aunt Johanna over as a result.


    "Aunt Johanna, today I invited you here to discuss something," Yuga said, getting straight to the point.


    "Go ahead, tell me. No need to be so formal with me," Aunt Johanna replied. Over time, their rtionship had be much more familiarpared to when they first met.


    "It''s like this: Since Dawn has also started her journey, I want to prepare a Pok��mon for her."


    Yuga had a reason for this. Logically speaking, Dawn''s grandmother''s side of the family, particrly her great-aunt, had inheritance rights to Yuga''s grandfather''s YoYo Day Care. Back in the day, Yuga''s grandfather and great-aunt were the only two left in the family, and there wasn''t any rule preventing women from inheriting family businesses.


    So, in theory, half of the YoYo Day Care should have belonged to his great-aunt. But after she married into Sinnoh, she never mentioned it. Now that Yuga knew about it, he naturally felt he should offer something inpensation to her descendants.


    Of course, this smallpensation was nothingpared to the current YoYo Day Care. But Yuga had built up the YoYo Day Care little by little, so giving it away was out of the question. The only thing he could think of was this gesture.


    Yuga nned to give Dawn a Pok��mon with blue potential.


    Pok��mon with blue potential were incredibly valuable. Back during the auction in Kalos, a blue potential Finneon was sold for over 4.3 million, and a blue potential Growlithe was auctioned off for 13 million, purchased by Malva.


    So, a well-chosen blue potential Pok��mon could easily be worth half of what Day Care was when it had fallen on hard times before Yuga took over, when it wasn''t worth much at all.


    "That''s not eptable!" Aunt Johanna immediately objected when she heard Yuga''s words. "How can Dawn ept such an expensive gift for no reason? Absolutely not!"


    "Aunt Johanna, don''t be so quick to refuse!" Yuga then exined the reason he wanted to prepare a Pok��mon for Dawn.


    "Even so, it''s still not eptable!" Aunt Johanna remained firmly opposed even after hearing the exnation. "If your great-aunt didn''t bring it up back then, we shouldn''t bring it up now either. She must have had her own reasons for staying silent."


    Yuga hadn''t expected Aunt Johanna to be so stubborn. He continued to persuade her, "Well, at the very least, I count as Dawn''s cousin, right? Is it not okay for me to give my cousin a starter Pok��mon as a gift? I gave Luna a gift before. She''s also my cousin, so it wouldn''t be fair to treat them differently!"


    "That''s not the same!" Aunt Johanna silently grumbled in her heart, "Luna is your proper cousin, but Dawn is more of a distant rtive."


    Luna was currently on break at home, and since Aunt Johanna had met her before, she naturally knew who she was.

 Chapter 1153: The Hidden Intention Is Finally Revealed

    <h4>Chapter 1153: The Hidden Intention Is Finally Revealed</h4>


    After Yuga''s persistent persuasion, Aunt Johanna finally agreed to let him give Dawn a gift. Once Aunt Johanna left the YoYo Day Care, Yuga began thinking about what kind of Pok��mon to prepare for Dawn.


    Unlike May, who was uncertain about her future path for a long time, Dawn had been determined to be a top Coordinator from a young age due to her mother''s influence. Therefore, Yuga wanted to give her a Pok��mon that suited her profession.


    After much consideration, Yuga decided to give her a Fomantis. Both Fomantis and its evolution, Lurantis, are visually striking Pok��mon with elegant moves, making them more suited for the stage than ordinary Pok��mon.


    Fomantis is ssified as a Grass-type Pok��mon and is listed in the sales catalog of YoYo Day Care. So far, only one Fomantis that has been born with blue potential, and Yuga decided to painfully part with it as a gift.


    While the value of this blue potential Fomantis couldn''tpare to that of the Absol or Growlithe auctioned off in Kalos, it was certainly worth more than a Lumineon.


    Having made up his mind, Yuga nned to visit the Ecopark to mentally prepare the Fomantis for leaving the YoYo Day Care, ensuring it wouldn''t struggle to adjust.


    But as soon as he stepped into the Ecopark, he saw Sister Liepard listlessly walking out from the light gate leading to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark.


    Out of concern, Yuga approached and asked, "Sister Liepard, what''s wrong? You look unhappy."


    Sister Liepard nced at Yuga, sighed deeply, and left without saying a word.


    Yuga: ...


    At that moment, an Abra suddenly teleported to Yuga''s side and, in its usual garbled speech, exined the reason behind Sister Liepard''s sorrow.


    This Abra was the one Yuga had traded from Harley, but it had a gossipy personality, always teleporting around the Ecopark, snooping for information like a natural-born paparazzi.


    ording to Abra, Sister Liepard had long been secretly in love with a Luxray, who had recently found not just one partner, but four. Sister Liepard had witnessed Luxray being affectionate with its partners and was deeply upset by the sight.


    Unlike her younger sister Zoroark, who boldly pursued her love interests, Sister Liepard was too proud to take any real action despite her feelings. As a result, Luxray found his own partners, and it was now toote for her to do anything.


    Curious, Yuga went to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark to check it out, only to discover that Luxray''s partners were none other than the four Ampharos who had long made their home there.


    All four of the Ampharos were female and had remained single until now, having no intention of mating outside their species. Now, in an unexpected twist, they had all ended up with Luxray.


    Yuga waspletely taken aback by how Luxray, who usually seemed so serious and upright, turned out to be quite the charmer, even more skilled than Persian, managing to get four wives at once.


    Having seen how Persian had navigated a simr situation before, Yuga wasn''t too surprised by Luxray''s behavior. If the Ampharos sisters themselves didn''t mind sharing a husband, Yuga had no desire to intervene.


    It was just a pity for Sister Liepard and her unrequited love.


    After watching Luxray and his partners continue unting their affection, Yuga turned to head toward the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark to check on Fomantis.


    Meanwhile, Sister Liepard, dejected after leaving the Ecopark, decided to wander the streets in search of her parents and sister, who were on patrol. However, instead, she ran into the loving pairs of Mightyena and Linoone, followed by the Persian and his three Delcatty wife.


    She suddenly felt the world was deeply against her.


    What had she done wrong? To run into all these couples unting their love right after having her heart broken��it was too much!


    At that moment, Sister Liepard couldn''t help but feel a bit envious of her carefree younger sister. At least her sister had found love��Lucario was a very devoted and single-minded partner, unlike the fickle Luxray.


    Oh, how she wished she could fall in love! As Sister Liepard walked, these thoughts began to fill her mind.


    She didn''t even know how long she had walked before she looked around in confusion: Where did everyone go?


    At that moment, Sister Liepard suddenly noticed a man sneaking into an alley. Due to her years of patrolling, her instincts kicked in, and she silently followed him.


    If Yuga had been there, he would have immediately recognized the man as one of the suspicious tourists who had been eyeing the Shelgon at the Sunflora Ranch.


    Sister Liepard moved so quietly that the shady man didn''t realize he was being followed.


    Leaping onto a rooftop to overlook the alley, Sister Liepard saw that there was already someone waiting for the shady man, pacing nervously. The person was wrapped in a heavy coat, with a hat covering their face, making it impossible for Sister Liepard to see who it was.


    "Here''s the stuff! Be careful, and make sure you get the job done!" The shady man handed a space backpack to the waiting person.


    "I know. Now get out of here!"


    Hearing this voice, Sister Liepard froze for a moment��it was Luna''s friend! She couldn''t see the face, but she recognized the voice.


    Sister Liepard wisely chose not to confront them and stayed hidden until both of them left. Only then did she shift her body.


    Suddenly, a Mismagius appeared right in front of her, startling Sister Liepard so much that she slipped and tumbled right off the roof.


    This Mismagius was the one Yuga had sent to spy on Honoka. It had noticed Sister Liepard earlier but had kept itself hidden for fear of being discovered by Honoka. It hadn''t expected its sudden appearance would scare Sister Liepard so badly.


    Just as Sister Liepard was about to hit the ground, a fiery red blur darted out, catching her by the scruff of her neck, preventing her from being injured.


    Feeling guilty, Mismagius saw that Sister Liepard was unharmed and slunk away quietly. Sister Liepard, about to shout in anger, nced up but found no trace of the Mismagius, so she let it go with a grumble.


    "Awooo?"


    Are you okay?


    Hearing this voice, Sister Liepard realized that her rescuer was none other than Arcanine. Compared to Arcanine''srge, muscr frame, Sister Liepard now felt quite small and delicate.


    Being looked at by Arcanine like that, Sister Liepard suddenly felt a little embarrassed. Even after Arcanine left, she was still a bit dazed.


    In truth, Sister Liepard wasn''t close to Arcanine. They lived in different Sub-Ecopark��Arcanine in the Volcano Sub-Ecopark and Sister Liepard in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark. They were barely acquaintances and had never interacted before.


    As she watched Arcanine walk away, Sister Liepard suddenly thought to herself, <i>Maybe Luxray wasn''t that great after all.</i>


    Pushing aside the odd feeling in her heart, Sister Liepard continued searching for her sister and family.


    Meanwhile, Yuga, having just left the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, learned from the two Meowstic that Giratina had returned to the Ecopark through the Reverse Mirror, so he hurried to the Haunted House Sub-Ecopark.


    When Yuga arrived, he found Giratina indeed there, standing in the Ghost Sea, surrounded by arge group of Ghost-type Pok��mon, including Cosmoem, who hovered nearby, asionally letting out gleeful giggles.


    Despite the crowd of Pok��mon around it, Giratina didn''t seem upset at all and even appeared to enjoy Cosmoem''s antics.


    Feeling a bit guilty about its sudden visit, Giratina decided to make up for it by quietly nurturing Cosmoem''s growth with its own power while also teaching it some advanced techniques. Other Ghost-type Pok��mon, such as Dusknoir, also benefited from this training.


    Cosmoem had already received divine gifts from Giratina before, making it quite different from other Ultra Beasts. Its energy field nowbined both the traits of Ultra Space and divinity. Kartana, another Ultra Beast, could sense this most acutely and felt that Cosmoem was developing a whole new kind of power.


    When Cosmoem saw Yuga appear, it was delighted. It used Teleport to instantly appear beside him, and in the blink of an eye, teleported Yuga onto Giratina''s back.


    Cosmoem''s use of Teleport was smooth and effortless, far surpassing that of Abra or Xatu.


    Giratina didn''t mind Yuga standing on its back. In fact, it even offered to take Cosmoem to the Distortion World for personal training for a while if Yuga would allow it to absorb some life energy from the Ghost Sea.


    Of course, Yuga agreed immediately. Having a Legendary Pok��mon, especially a Tier 1 Legendary Pok��mon, as a teacher for Cosmoem��why wouldn''t he? With Giratina''s help, Cosmoem''s growth process could be significantly shortened.


    Thrilled with Yuga''s permission, Giratina opened its mouth and took a deep breath, absorbing most of the life energy from the Ghost Sea in just a few seconds. The once vibrant, green waters turned into a very pale shade of green.


    Yuga: ... You really only absorbed just a tiny little bit.


    Since Giratinast drained the Ghost Sea, it had taken a long time for the life force to replenish, but now most of it was gone again in an instant.


    The other Ghost-type Pok��mon in the Haunted House Sub-Ecopark were dumbfounded as well��after all, that was their food supply!


    Giratina, likely realizing it had gone too far, decided to immediately take Cosmoem and Jellicent back to the Distortion World.


    Yuga wasn''t sure if it was just his imagination, but it seemed that after absorbing all that life force, Giratina now appeared shinier, as if it had been waxed. It looked almost like it had applied a beauty filter, with its appearance upgraded by more than a few levels.


    Yuga hadn''t seen Jellicent in a while and couldn''t resist using his Insight skill to check on its progress.


    ...


    [ Jellicent ]


    Type: Water, Ghost


    Ability: Water Absorb


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 68


    Moves: Bubble, Water Sport, Night Shade, Recover, Ominous Wind, Hydro Pump, Hex, Water Spout, Shadow Ball, Grudge, Pain Split, Trick Room, Rest, Psychic.


    ...


    Yuga was surprised to see that Jellicent had already reached the level of a pseudo-Elite Pok��mon, clearly benefiting greatly from Giratina''s training. This made Yuga even more confident in entrusting Cosmoem to Giratina, and the heartache over the loss of life force in the Haunted House was significantly eased.


    As Yuga was bidding farewell to Cosmoem and Giratina, Honoka, under Luna''s guidance, took another tour of the new Ecopark. Yuga hadn''t ced any restrictions on how many times Honoka could visit, so when she asked Luna to show her around again, Luna didn''t refuse, though she did remind Honoka not to mention anything about buying Pok��mon again.


    What Luna didn''t know was that during the tour, in ces where Luna couldn''t see, Honoka discreetly released several tiny electronic spiders, each no bigger than a thumbnail, into the new Ecopark.


    That night, those hidden electronic spiders began to move. Silently, they crept up to two mutated Rattata and released a puff of white mist under their noses. The Rattata sneezed and then stopped moving entirely.


    Meanwhile, in a hotel in Verdanturf Town, a man was operating a strange machine, the screen disying live footage of the new Ecopark.


    Under his control, the electronic spiders extended sharp needles and extracted blood from the two unconscious Rattata.


    The man next to him, puzzled, asked, "Boss, why are we going through all this trouble just to steal a bit of blood? Why not just snatch the two Pok��mon?"


    The man red at his subordinate. "Are you stupid? That girl Honoka just toured the ce. If the Pok��mon go missing right after her visit, don''t you think the Gym Leader would suspect her?"


    "And who do you think you are? If you really stole those two Pok��mon, do you think you''d get away with it? Do you even know how many of his informants there are in this town?"


    The underling was left speechless by his boss''s reprimand and could only shut his mouth awkwardly.


    "Now we can only hope Mr. Kanda can figure something out with this blood, or else it''ll be us suffering all the consequences again," the man muttered quietly.


    "Mr. Kanda can do it!" The subordinate, full of confidence, expressed his trust in Kanda.


    Just as the man was manipting the machine, preparing to have the electronic spiders that had extracted the blood leave the garden, the screen on the machine suddenly went ck.


    "What happened?"


    "Not good, we''ve been discovered!"


    Back in the new Ecopark, Yuga held one of the electronic spiders he had just crushed underfoot. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Perhaps I won''t need to wait for information from the White Light Intelligence Agency to find out what I need to know."


    With that, he turned his head toward Mismagius and said, "Take a few of your brothers and sisters and pay them a visit."


    Mismagius responded with a nod before disappearing into the night.

 Chapter 1154: A Hundred Million

    <h4>Chapter 1154: A Hundred Million</h4>


    Mismagius was highly efficient, and after just half an hour, it returned with a few Ghost-type Pok��mon, each carrying a person. They had caught a total of four "suspects."


    When the leader of the group saw Yuga, he finally realized who had captured them. It dawned on him that Yuga''s control over Verdanturf Town was even tighter than they had imagined; they had never stood a chance. It wasughable how they had thought their n was wless.


    All four of them were immobilized on the ground by Mismagius''s Mean Look, but their mouths were still free to speak. Yuga stepped in front of them and said, "I want to know some secrets about Kanda. Which one of you is willing to tell me?"


    Though they were physically restrained, they could still talk, but all of them red in silence, seemingly loyal to Kanda.


    "Not talking, huh..." Yuga nced at them. "If you don''t speak now, you''re going to regret itter."


    Yuga didn''t n on using Hypnosis immediately. The night was long, and he wanted to have a little fun, making it worth for him to getting up in the middle of the night to deal with these people.


    Hearing this, the captives red at Yuga even more fiercely, but none of them showed any intention of speaking. They knew that saying more could worsen the situation, and now that they''d been caught, they certainly didn''t want to implicate Mr. Kanda.


    "Sigh..." Yuga sighed deeply. "Since you prefer to choose the hard way, I''ll kindly oblige."


    As he spoke, Roserade appeared by his side.


    Seeing Roserade, the leader''s eye twitched, and he finally spoke. "Gym Leader Shimizu, you should think carefully about this. Torturing people for a confession, even as a Gym Leader of the League, is still illegal!"


    "Hah?" Yugaughed incredulously. "You''re telling me about what''s illegal? Then can you tell me who you are?"


    Upon hearing that, the man fell silent. All four of them were on the League''s most-wanted list. While they weren''t the most infamous criminals, a simple check would reveal their extensive criminal records.


    Over the years, they had managed to survive thanks to Mr. Kanda''s protection, and thus remained deeply loyal to him. If Yuga were to im they resisted the arrest and got injured in the process, no one would doubt him.


    Seeing the man lower his head, his expression unreadable, Yuga turned around to Roserade and said, "Let''s see how tight-lipped they really are. We''ll start with one of them."


    Yuga scanned the four sitting on the ground and pointed to the shortest one. "Let''s go with him."


    The short man didn''t know what Yuga had nned for him, but he couldn''t help but shiver.


    Roserade stepped forward, and from the flowers in its hands, a seed shot out. The seednded, rooted in the ground, and within moments, vines sprouted, wrapping the short man like a cocoon.


    Suddenly, a sh of light coursed through the vines, and the short man felt his body grow weak and powerless, the sensation worsening by the second as if his strength were being drainedpletely.


    A deep fear rose within him. He had seen Pok��mon use Leech Seed on others, but this was the first time he had experienced it himself.


    "Roserade."


    As it absorbed energy from the short man, Roserade sneered disdainfully. This experience wasn''t even as satisfying as draining a Wurmple!


    When the Leech Seed attached itself to the short man, Mismagius released him from Mean Look. But he was too weak to stand and copsed to the ground, while the vines continued to drain his energy.


    "So, how about it? Have you decided whether or not to talk? Keep this up, and you''ll be nothing but a dried-up husk," Yuga said maliciously.


    The leader of the group, unable to bear seeing hisrade being tortured, averted his gaze.


    "You all quite loyal," Yuga remarked as the short man bit his lip, still unwilling to talk. But then his tone shifted. "I guess I''ll have to see if the others are as stubborn."


    Looking over the remaining three, Yuga pointed to a thin man. "Next up is him. Let''s try a different approach this time."


    With a nce at Roserade, Yuga gave a silent signal. Roserade understood and stepped forward, spraying two clusters of dark purple poison onto the thin man, who immediately began screaming in agony.


    After extensive training, Roserade''s poison was extremely potent, and the thin man instantly entered a state of severe poisoning.


    Seeing hisrade writhing in pain, the leader yelled at Yuga with fury, "Bastard! You call yourself a Gym Leader of the League? Your methods are so cruel��how are you any different from us?"


    "I <i>am</i> a bastard, and I <i>am</i> cruel. What are you going to do about it?" Yuga grinned. "If no one talks, the next one will have an even worse fate." His gaze shifted to another man.


    By this time, the poisoned thin man had copsed to the ground, convulsing, with foam pouring from his mouth��a very horrifying sight.


    "Well, it seems no one is talking. Looks like I''ll be busy tonight." Yuga and Roserade moved towards thest remaining person besides the leader.


    Just as Yuga finished speaking, the man couldn''t hold out any longer. In tears, he cried, "I''ll talk! I''ll tell you everything!"


    The leader immediately shouted, "Kuro! How dare you!"


    The man called Kuro wiped his tears and snot, saying, "Boss, Mr. Kanda won''t me us. He''s always treated us so well."


    The leader: "..."


    Yuga: "..."


    Yuga thought to himself, <i>Wow, even among criminals, there are simple-minded fools like this! That guy treated you well because he needed something from you, and you actually believed him.</i>


    After a night of interrogation, Yuga finally uncovered some incriminating information about Kanda from the four.


    Kanda, as a top breeder, not only held a high position within the Hoenn Breeders'' Association but also worked at thergest breeding facility of the Hoenn League.


    Over the years, Kanda had been conducting his own secret research, hoping to one day achieve something that would make him famous.


    However, research is expensive. To fund his ambitions, Kanda had been secretly smuggling high potential Pok��mon from the League''s breeding facility and selling them to private Pok��mon Day Care.


    The four men Yuga had captured were part of the crew that helped him sell the stolen Pok��mon.


    As for Honoka''s adoptive father (or uncle), he was in cahoots with Kanda. The mining operation under his name was actually a front tounder Kanda''s money. The money Kanda earned from selling stolen Pok��mon needed a legitimate source.


    Honoka''s adoptive father might genuinely care for her, but he loves himself more. He had a weakness in Kanda''s hands, so when Kanda asked him to use Honoka to gather information from Yuga, he had no choice but to agree.


    The same was true for Honoka. She may have genuinely seen Luna as a close friend, but in the end, she chose family over friendship.


    After obtaining the interrogation results, Yuga handed the four captives over to Masato Shirai the next day, while he contacted Steven to ask for help in investigating Kanda.


    The private Pok��mon Day Care involved with Kanda was called "Rainbow Day Care," located in Ever Grande City, near the Hoenn League headquarters.


    Although the Rainbow Day Care wasn''t asrge as major private Pok��mon Day Care like Aromatic Day Care, it was still a force to be reckoned with, ranking among the top five in Hoenn.


    This Pok��mon Day Care had always used Mudkip, one of the starters, as their selling point. Since the League didn''t prohibit private Pok��mon Day Care from selling starter Pok��mon, these rare Pok��mon became their marketing strategy.


    In addition, they asionally offered rare Pok��mon like Ralts, Eevee, and Scyther. In hindsight, these Pok��mon likely came from the League''s breeding facility.


    Upon hearing these details from Yuga, Steven took the matter seriously and immediately organized an investigation with the League''s Investigation Bureau.


    In addition to Kanda and the Rainbow Day Care, Honoka''s adoptive father would also be investigated. If his collusion with Kanda for moneyundering turned out to be true, not only would he be arrested, but Honoka''s newly earned spot in the Investigation Bureau would also be jeopardized.


    However, Yuga had no sympathy for her. He was only curious about how Luna would react.


    After hanging up with Steven, Yuga took a deep breath, relieved that he had finally dealt with the nuisance that was Kanda.


    Meanwhile, Kanda, waiting for news at home, was still blissfully unaware that disaster was looming. Despite his secrecy, once the League began investigating, they would inevitably uncover everything.


    Just as Yuga came down from his room, he saw Robert standing in the store, smiling and waving at him.


    "Robert, what brings you here?" Yuga hurried down the stairs and gave him a big hug. "Long time no see!"


    Robert returned the hug and replied, "I came to Verdanturf Town for an event and thought I''d drop by to see you."


    Robert was as dashing as ever, catching the eyes of many female customers in the store.


    "Let''s talk somewhere else."


    Yuga happily led his friend to the reception room, where he learned that Robert and Aunt Johanna were attending the same event. Like Aunt Johanna, Robert was a top Coordinator, representing the Hoenn Pok��mon Contest while Johanna represented the Sinnoh Pok��mon Contest at the event.


    "I was nning to get in touch with you soon, but you beat me to it by showing up." Yuga patted Robert on the shoulder.


    "You needed me for something?" Robert asked curiously.


    Yuga smiled mysteriously. "It''s something good."


    At that moment, Wigglytuff came in with tea, and Yuga whispered something in its ear. Wigglytuff smiled and nodded before leaving the room.


    "What''s going on? You''re being so secretive," Robert''s curiosity was piqued.


    Yugaughed. "Alright, no more teasing. Let me tell you." He then exined his n to sell Robert a Larvesta.


    Robert jumped up from his seat. "Are you serious? You''re not kidding me, right? An indigo potentnial Larvesta?"


    Yuga replied, "What would I gain by lying to you?"


    "Fantastic! I''m so d to have a friend like you!" Robert said excitedly, shedding his usual calm demeanor. If his fans saw him like this, they would be shocked.


    "Don''t get too excited yet, I''m not giving it to you for free, you still have to pay!" Yuga couldn''t help but tease him.


    Robert had also attended the auction in Kalos and knew very well the value of an indigo potentnial Pok��mon. Back then, that indigo potentnial Larvitar was bought by Lysandre''s side for a whopping two billion, and just thinking about it still made one''s heart race.


    Of course, auction prices tend to be a bit inted, and Yuga definitely wouldn''t rip off his friend like that.


    Besides, Larvesta couldn''t bepared to Larvitar.


    However, now that Yuga thought about it, where did Lysandre take that Larvitar? He didn''t see it when he was encircling Team re. But since Lysandre was captured by the Kalos League, maybe Larvitar had already fallen into their hands.


    "How much do you n to charge me?" Robert swallowed nervously. "If it''s too expensive, I won''t be able to afford it."


    Yuga thought for a moment, just about to answer, when he saw Wigglytuff walk in with the Larvesta, apanied by its mother, Vivillon.


    Since her baby was about to have a new Trainer, Vivillon naturally had toe and check things out, though she was already quite familiar with Robert.


    Vivillonnded on the table, casting a scrutinizing nce at Robert, feeling that someone she once liked now seemed a bit off.


    But she understood Yuga''s reasoning and felt that aside from Robert, no one else was more suitable to be her baby''s Trainer.


    Vivillon: (_) Oh well, let''s just settle for him.


    Vivillon''s gaze left Robert confused, so Yuga exined, "Larvesta is Vivillon''s child."


    Robert suddenly realized, and now understood the look Vivillon had given him.


    Larvesta was very well-behaved, showing no signs of unfamiliarity when Robert touched it. Instead, it blinked its bright blue eyes curiously at Robert, who was utterly charmed.


    He turned around to Yuga and, gritting his teeth, saying, "Alright, name your price. Whatever it is, I''ll pay!"


    Hearing this, Yuga grinned, "One billion."


    With Larvitar priced at two billion, Yuga cutting it in half was more than fair.


    Robert also knew Yuga wasn''t overcharging, so he steeled himself and said, "Fine, one billion it is. Just give me some time."


    Robert''s family was wealthy, so one billion was definitely something he could gather, though it wouldn''t be easy for him toe up with it alone.


    If necessary, he''d hit up his senior! Robert had already made up his mind��if he couldn''t gather enough, he''d go to his senior, who was way richer than him.


    "Alright, take your time. No rush. I''ll hold it for you," Yuga replied, of course, not refusing. Besides, Larvesta wasn''t ready to leave its parents just yet anyway.


    Because his mind was preupied with raising the funds to buy Larvesta, Robert became somewhat absent-minded in their conversation, so Yuga had no choice but to send him off.


    "If you have something to take care of, go ahead. You''re going to be in Verdanturf Town for several days anyway. You cane back another time."


    "I''ll head out for now, and I''lle see you again tomorrow."


    Intent on quickly finding his senior to discuss things, Robert got up and hurriedly left YoYo Day Care.


    Watching Robert''s departing figure, Yuga smiled and shook his head.

 Chapter 1155: Rewards For The Follow-up of The Event

    <h4>Chapter 1155: Rewards For The Follow-up of The Event</h4>


    The event jointly organized by Hoenn and Sinnoh this time is called the "Pok��mon Contest Regional Promotion Project." Its goal is to spread the Pok��mon Contest to more regions, allowing more people to learn about and understand them.


    Currently, Pok��mon Contest are most active in the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions. Johto and Kanto have also gradually embraced them in recent years, but regions like Unova, Kalos, and Al remainrgely untouched.


    Promoting the Pok��mon Contest is a long and challenging task.


    For this event held in Verdanturf Town, many students from Trainer schools in the Unova and Kalos regions were invited to participate. This not only gives them a chance to experience the unique charm of the Pok��mon Contest but also allows them to learn what a Coordinator truly is.


    This event was open for students to sign up voluntarily, meaning those who came were generally interested in the Pok��mon Contest. Both the Hoenn and Sinnoh Pok��mon Contest organizations ced great importance on the event.


    The event was tost for a month, simr to a spring camp. Top Coordinators like Robert and Aunt Johanna acted as the children''s teachers, while Suzuha from the Distribution Department also participated in this event.


    On the fourth day after the event officially began, Yuga handed the prepared Fomantis to Aunt Johanna, who would deliver it to Dawn, who was currently on her travels.


    As in the original story, Ash, Brock, and Dawn had crossed paths as if by fate and were currently traveling together. Yuga had heard this news from Ash. Although Yuga asionally kept in touch with Ash, he didn''tmunicate much with Dawn��only Clefairy and the others were frequently in contact with her.


    On the fifth day of the event, Yuga received a report from the White Light Intelligence Agency. The information they had gathered ovepped significantly with what Yuga had learned from interrogating the four captured individuals, but there were also many new details. Yuga passed all of this information to Steven.


    Thanks to this information, Steven''s investigation proceeded smoothly, and they quickly found a series of criminal evidence against Kanda, including his moneyundering activities in collusion with Honoka''s adoptive father.


    Honoka''s adoptive father was not only arrested, but the evolution stone mine he owned was also confiscated by the League.


    Upon investigation, the League found that the mine actually contained very few evolution stones and would likely be depleted within a year or two. Honoka''s adoptive father had kept operating the mine solely to help Kandaundering the money.


    The two of them had been working together for years, earning a lot of dirty money through the Pok��mon from the League''s breeding facility.


    Luna and Honoka had gone to the training facility a few days earlier, but Honoka was dismissed and sent home after only two days. Luna, unaware of the situation, called Yuga in tears after learning of Honoka''s dismissal.


    Honoka''s adoptive father, at least, had some sense of decency and didn''t involve Honoka in his affairs. As a result, Honoka was merely dismissed from the investigation bureau and wasn''t affected in any other way.


    However, after Honoka returned home, likely ashamed of what she had done in Verdanturf Town, she took the initiative to cut off contact with Luna. No matter how Luna tried to reach her, she received no response. This was why Luna called Yuga, crying, thinking that something had happened to Honoka due to the shock.


    The truth was that Honoka was indeed devastated. After all, after years of effort, she had finally achieved her dream of joining the Investigation Bureau, only to be suddenly dismissed. It was surely hard for her to ept this mentally.


    However, ording to information from the League, although Honoka was down for a while after returning home, she quickly bounced back. She registered at her hometown''s mission center, choosing to follow a path simr to Harley''s.


    Since her adoptive father was a criminal, Honoka would face many career limitations in the future due to her status as his adopted daughter. Being a free adventuring trainer suited her better at this stage of her life.


    Later, Yuga told Luna about all the things Honoka had done in Verdanturf Town during a phone call, and Luna was left dumbfounded.


    Luna had already heard about Honoka''s adoptive father''s criminal activities after the news broke. Initially, she thought it had nothing to do with Honoka, but she never expected that Honoka had secretly done all of that behind her back.


    After Kanda and Honoka''s adoptive father were arrested, the Rainbow Day Care, which had been involved with them, also went bankrupt.


    Not long after Yuga heard this news, Steven called him.


    Before Yuga could even speak, Stevenunched into hisint, saying, "I heard you''re selling an indigo potential Larvesta to Robert! That''s so unfair��how could you not think of me for something so good? Don''t I have more money than Robert?"


    Since Robert needed to raise funds, he inevitably turned to his senior, Wace, for help. Naturally, Wace learned about the Larvesta, and as Wace''s closest friend, Steven quickly found out as well.


    Yugaughed and teased, "Aren''t you a Steel-type trainer? Since when are you interested in Fire- and Bug-type Pok��mon?"


    Steven: Feeling personally attacked.


    But Steven was mostly joking. Although he envied Robert for getting this opportunity, he also understood that Robert''s rtionship with Yuga was closer than him, and it made sense for Yuga to prioritize him.


    "Alright, enough joking," Yuga said, steering the conversation away from the Larvesta topic. "Did you call just toin about this?"


    "Not exactly," Steven replied. "Have you heard about the copse of the Rainbow Day Care?"


    "I just heard about it. What''s up with that?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    "It''s like this..." Steven exined, "After the Rainbow Day Care went bankrupt, the League not only recovered a batch of Pok��mon that had leaked from the breeding facility but also seized some other Pok��mon.


    "You yed a major role in bringing this down, so the League wants to transfer some of the confiscated Pok��mon to you, and they asked me to check with you on that."


    Yuga replied enthusiastically, "Of course, I have no problem with that! That''s great news!"


    Although the Rainbow Day Care wasn''t as prestigious as top-tier ones like the Aromatic Day Care, it was still ranked among the elite. Yuga was excited about the Pok��mon that would being from them.


    The fact that the Rainbow Day Care was being directly shut down by the League was a surprise to Yuga. Such arge Pok��mon Day Care disappearing overnight was unexpected. This also showed that the number of Pok��mon they had smuggled from the League''s breeding facility must have been substantial, and it might even have involved other issues as well.


    But Yuga didn''t care about these matters; he only cared about what Pok��mon the League would transfer to him.


    "What kind of Pok��mon does the League n to transfer to me?" Yuga asked.


    Steven replied, "The Rainbow Day Care had a wide variety of Pok��mon, several species in fact. The League ns to let you choose two species from among them. What you pick is entirely up to you!"


    Steven exined the League''s reasons for transferring the Pok��mon to Yuga: not only as a reward but also because a portion of the seized Pok��mon were already abundant in the League''s breeding facility.


    Thinking of his system mission, Yuga asked, "Are there any Electric-type Pok��mon in the batch?"


    Steven thought for a moment and said, "I believe there are. I''ll send you the list in a bit. Once you''ve made your choice, get back to me, and I''ll coordinate with the League to have the Pok��mon sent to you."


    "Alright, I''ll wait for your message."


    Sure enough, not long after hanging up, Yuga received a list of avable Pok��mon. The list not only detailed the species he could choose from but also included specifics such as how many Pok��mon there were for each species, how many were adults, how many were young, how many were male, and how many were female. Everything was clearlyid out.


    Yuga counted��there were nearly twenty species of Pok��mon listed. Some were numerous, while others were scarce, and there were not just one but three different Electric-type species avable.


    Of course, Yuga couldn''t pick from just any of the twenty species. Only those circled in red were avable for selection. The ones circled were species that the League''s breeding facility already had inrge numbers, and all three Electric-type species were among them.


    However, of the three Electric-type species, Yuga already had Ampharos and Pikachu, leaving only the Electabuzz line as an option.


    The Electabuzz line had the fewest numbers among the three Electric-types, with a total of less than thirty. About half of them were young Elekid, with twelve in total. Among the remaining adult Electabuzz, the males and females were evenly split, but there wasn''t a single Electivire.


    Yuga was sure he wanted to choose the Electabuzz line, but that left him with one more species to pick, and that''s where he was torn. There were several species he was interested in.


    The other avable options included the Poliwag line, Machop line, Cubone line, Seedot line, Corphish line, Qwilfish line, Snubbull line, and Yanma line.


    The Pok��mon avable for Yuga to choose from weren''t particrly rare, but some of the species like Poliwag, Machop, Seedot, and Yanma caught Yuga''s attention. Unfortunately, he could only pick one more.


    The Poliwag line and Seedot line had thergest numbers among these options, but in terms of personal interest, Yuga leaned toward Machop.


    Machop, along with its evolutions Machoke and Machamp, are practical Pok��mon with solidbat abilities. They can also handle manybor-intensive tasks, making them valuable helpers for humans. Many ordinary households keep one, and on construction sites, Machop and its evolutions are the mostmon Pok��mon used.


    However, the Machop line had the smallest numbers here, with just over a dozen avable��far less than what he''d get by choosing another species.


    After weighing his options, Yuga finally decided to go with the Poliwag line.


    Although Poliwag wasn''t a rare species, its two evolutions, Poliwhirl and Poliwrath, were highly useful. The only drawback was that evolving them required either a Water Stone or a King''s Rock, which was why Yuga had initially leaned toward choosing Machop instead of Poliwag.


    The Poliwag line had a total of 82, including 31 young Poliwag and 51 adult Poliwhirl. Among the 51 adult Poliwhirl, there were 28 females and 23 males. There were no Poliwrath or Politoed among them.


    Yuga thought that it worked out well��his Ecopark already had a Poliwrath and a Politoed. When the Poliwag and Poliwhirl arrived, they could be ced under the care of those two.


    Politoed had absolute leadership over Poliwag and Poliwhirl, which would save Yuga a lot of trouble.


    The Pok��mon that the League was transferring to Yuga were all breeding stock and of high potential. These Pok��mon had been carefully bred over the years at the Rainbow Day Care, and their genes were already quite stable. This made it more likely that their offspring would also be of high potential.


    The Rainbow Day Care''s years of foundation were thoroughly cleaned out by the League.


    Although Yuga could only choose two types of Pok��mon, he was satisfied with the quantity, so he immediately reported his selected Pok��mon species to Steven.


    The Pok��mon were transferred to YoYo Day Care the next day, and the person in charge was the head of the breeding facility in Ever Grande City. Most of the Pok��mon seized from the Rainbow Day Care were sent to the Ever Grande City breeding facility, while a smaller portion was sent to other breeding facility or exchanged with breeding facility in other regions.


    Yuga sent the newly acquired Elekid and Electabuzz to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark to be managed by Luxray and the four Ampharos, while the Poliwag and Poliwhirl were sent to the Heart Lake on the Ind No. 1, where they were put under the care of Poliwrath and Politoed.


    While Yuga was quite pleased with his newly acquired Pok��mon, far away in Meteor Falls, Luna, who was undergoing entrance training for the Investigation Bureau, was not in such good spirits. Because of what happened with Honoka, Luna hadn''t been able to sleep well for several days.


    Luna told herself that her years of friendship with Honoka were genuine, but she never imagined that her best friend would use her.


    Due to herck of sleep, Luna was in poor spirits, which resulted in her performance during today''s training being subpar. She was called out and criticized by the instructor several times.


    After training, Luna walked toward the cafeteria with her mind full of thoughts. Without Honoka by her side, she walked alone.


    "Ouch!"


    Because she wasn''t paying attention, Luna identally stepped on someone''s foot.


    "What''s your problem?! Can''t you watch where you''re walking?" the person she stepped on snapped angrily.


    "Ah... I''m sorry, I''m really sorry!" Luna quickly lowered her head and apologized.


    But it was clear that the other person wasn''t ready to let her off the hook.


    "Hey, Luna, now that Honoka''s gone, are you nning on leaving with her too?" the person said sarcastically.


    The reason for Honoka''s departure from the Investigation Bureau was well-known among their colleagues who had joined around the same time.


    Luna then realized that the person she had stepped on was her usual rival��Kaname Hirakawa, a former ssmate from school. The two of them had never gotten along very well, they always shing whenever they crossed paths.


    "Mind your own business! You didn''t deliberately ce your foot under mine just to get stepped on, did you? Pathetic!"


    Even though Luna had matured a lotpared to before, she still wasn''t the type to endure being bullied, and she retorted without hesitation.


    "Who are you calling pathetic?! Say it clearly!" Kaname Hirakawa''s face darkened.


    "Whoever answers is who I''m talking about!" Luna snapped back, then turned to leave.


    "Luna, I''ve noticed you''ve been distractedtely. Could it be that you were involved in Honoka''s uncle''s incident too? You seem guilty.


    "Well, it wouldn''t be surprising since you and Honoka were always so close. It would make sense if you two were colluding together," Kaname Hirakawa said as Luna walked away, starting to spout nonsense.


    "Hirakawa, you can''t say something like that without proof. Let''s just go," one of Kaname Hirakawa''s friends said, trying to pull him away after hearing his wild ims.


    Kaname Hirakawa shook off his friend''s hand and raised an eyebrow as he looked at Luna. "Why aren''t you saying anything? Did I hit the mark, and now you''re feeling guilty?"


    In truth, Kaname Hirakawa didn''t really believe his own words. After all, they were in the Investigation Bureau, so it wasn''t like they could just use someone without evidence. But because of the long-standing grudge between him and Luna, and because Luna''s sharp tongue had provoked him, he couldn''t resist saying something without thinking it through.


    Hearing this, Luna suddenly stopped in her tracks. The next moment, arge and muscr Seviper appeared beside her. The Seviper''s long tailshed out and wrapped around Kaname Hirakawa, catching him off guard and binding him tightly. He struggled helplessly as he was lifted off the ground.


    "Hey... hey... what are you doing?! Tell your Seviper to let me go!" Kaname Hirakawa yelled, thrashing around as he was held in the air.


    Luna, with Seviper in tow, marched straight to the training grounds and tossed Kaname Hirakawa onto the ground.


    "Come on, let''s duel! You need to take responsibility for what you just said!" Luna dered.


    Suddenly, Luna felt that having someone to vent her frustrations on wasn''t such a bad thing after all.


    There were still many people in the training grounds who hadn''t left yet. Noticing themotion, they gathered around to watch the show.

 Chapter 1156: Tasks and Coincidences

    <h4>Chapter 1156: Tasks and Coincidences</h4>


    Kaname Hirakawa fell to the ground with a thud after being thrown by the Seviper. Feeling extremely embarrassed with so many people watching, he quickly scrambled to his feet and said angrily, "A duel is a duel; why would I be afraid of you?"


    With that, he pulled out a Pok�� Ball and released a Dodrio.


    "Dodrio!!!"


    As soon as Dodrio emerged, its three heads, each with a different expression, raised up and red fiercely at the Seviper beside Luna. They were old rivals, and neither could stand the sight of the other.


    "Then let''s do this!"


    Luna dered as she extended her finger forward. The Seviper vanished in an instant like lightning, reappearing right next to Dodrio and quickly wrapping its slender body around Dodrio several times using the Wrap move.


    "Dodooo!"


    Due to the tight grip, Dodrio let out a sharp cry and twisted its neck, trying to use its Peck skill to jab at the Seviper''s vulnerable spot.


    Seeing this, the Seviper quickly slid to the side, avoiding the critical area just in time. Dodrio''s sharp beak hit the Seviper''s back instead.


    Boom!!!


    The Seviper cried out in pain and violently tossed Dodrio into the air, then raised its long tail and used Iron Tail to send Dodrio flying, causing it to crash heavily at the edge of the battlefield.


    "Dodrio!"


    Kaname Hirakawa eximed anxiously, but Dodrio quickly got back up, its determination intensifying. It set off running with its strong legs, using Quick Attack to charge at the Seviper.


    The Seviper remained still, coiled on the ground, expressionless as it raised its defenses and attack. Its crimson eyes red ominously at the charging Dodrio.


    As Dodrio was about to reach it, the Seviper suddenly sprang up. At the same time, Dodrio leaped into the air as well.


    Bang!


    The Seviper''s Poison Jab collided with Dodrio''s Peck, and they quickly separated again. Both Pok��mon suffered injuries, but Dodrio was worse off; it had fallen into a poisoned state due to the Seviper''s Poison Jab.


    The poisoned state not only caused continuous loss of stamina but also inflicted pain from the toxic corrosion on its body.


    Originally, Dodrio''s strength was simr to that of the Seviper, but once it became poisoned, its chances of winning were virtually gone.


    As expected, not long after, Dodrio''s pain distracted it, and it was knocked away by the Seviper''s tail. It kicked its legs a couple of times but couldn''t get back up.


    "Hmph!"


    Luna recalled her Seviper with a haughty smirk and walked away proudly, leaving Kaname Hirakawa fuming with rage. But one couldn''t me anyone; after all, he had provoked her first.


    Kaname Hirakawa resentfully recalled Dodrio. His matches against Luna always ended with him losing more than winning, and he consistently fell victim to the Seviper''s poison.


    The training base in Meteor Valley has strict rules, and soon, the duel between Luna and Kaname Hirakawa reached their coach''s ears. The two were called to the office.


    "Let''s hear it; you must have a reason for fighting," the coach said with a headache.


    "It''s his fault for being so annoying," Luna muttered softly, but both the coach and Kaname Hirakawa heard her loud and clear, especially Kaname Hirakawa, whose face flushed with anger.


    "Your mouth is too sharp; can''t you speak a little more pleasantly?" the coach mmed the table, making a loud noise.


    "I''m just speaking the truth; who told him to keep provoking me?" Luna argued back.


    The coach, upon hearing this, helplessly rubbed his forehead and then criticized Kaname Hirakawa, saying, "What''s wrong with you? Why do you keep bothering this girl? Can''t you just keep your distance from her?"


    Few people knew that Luna was Yuga''s cousin, but the coach happened to be one of them, which is why he paid particr attention to her.


    Luna excelled in her studies, trained diligently, and progressed quickly, which pleased the coach. The only downside was her poor interpersonal skills; her only friend had been dismissed not long ago, so the coach understood her feelings.


    Kaname Hirakawa was also an excellent team member, performing on par with Luna in every aspect and being more sociable than she was. The only issue was that he always picked on her.


    Their constant squabbles every few days gave the coach a headache.


    "I..." The coach''s words left Kaname Hirakawa speechless for a long moment.


    "You''re teammates, and you''ll need to carry out missions together in the future. How can this continue? If there''s a dispute during a mission, who will take responsibility?" The coach earnestly tried to persuade them.


    However, both of them took the coach''s advice in one ear and out the other, not caring at all.


    "Alright, alright, you can go back for now." The coach waved his hand in exasperation, allowing them to leave.


    But the next day, the two were called back into the coach''s office.


    Looking at them as they entered, the coach said, "I called you here today to assign you a mission."


    "A mission?" Luna asked, puzzled. "But aren''t we still in special training? Can we take on missions if we aren''t formal members yet?"


    Kaname Hirakawa looked equally confused.


    The coach exined, "Before you officially be part of the organization, each of you has an evaluation mission. Normally, you wouldn''t be up for evaluation yet, but given your special circumstances, I thought it best to conduct it early. With your abilities, you should be just fine."


    Coincidentally, the investigation bureau had a beginner-level mission that was very suitable for neers. The coach thought it would be perfect for the two to improve their rtionship by working together.


    "Why do I have to go with Luna? Can''t I partner with someone else?" Kaname Hirakawa said unwillingly.


    "Yeah! I''d rather have a different teammate. I could go alone; I just don''t want to be paired with this guy!" Luna chimed in.


    Although they both agreed on not wanting to team up, hearing Luna express her disdain for him only made Kaname Hirakawa angrier:<i> I don''t even dislike you, yet you dislike me!</i>


    The coach, after listening to their remarks, frowned and said sternly, "Is it your turn to have opinions? I''m notifying you, not consulting you.


    "Alright, go back for now. I''ll send you the mission details shortly; you can pack up and head out. Don''t worry; this task isn''t too difficult, and as long as you work together, you canplete it easily."


    "But..." Luna still wanted to argue.


    "Enough..." Under the coach''s unwavering gaze, Luna stormed out of the office in a huff.


    Meanwhile, far away in Al, Ayashi and Arata Sena were encountering trouble.


    The Al region is different from others, it was surrounded entirely by ocean, consisting mainly of fourrge inds: Melemele Ind, '' Ind, Ak Ind, and Poni Ind, along with numerous smaller inds scattered around.


    Ayashi and Arata Sena found themselves on a small ind closest to Ak Ind. While adventuring on the ind, a strange spatial portal suddenly appeared around them.


    Out of curiosity, the two approached the portal, but they were inadvertently sucked in by a tremendous force emanating from it. The portal then seemed to shake as if satisfied before disappearingpletely.


    However, a series of strange roaring sounds could be heard from the other side of the portal.


    Not long after Luna and Kaname Hirakawa left the coach''s office, they received the details of their mission from the coach. Their task was to go to Al to investigate the traces of a criminal gang.


    This gang was a small poaching group that had fled to Al aftermitting crimes in Hoenn. However, for some unknown reason, they suddenly went missing near Ak Ind.


    The main objective of their trip was to ascertain the whereabouts of this poaching gang and report their findings to the local police department. The police would then provide appropriate leads to the two and assist in capturing the gang once they located them.


    Despite their reluctance, Luna and Kaname Hirakawa set off on their journey to Al together.


    Verdanturf Town.


    After a period of preparation, Robert finally managed to scrape together a hundred million, and he excitedly headed to the YoYo Day Care.


    "You raised the money so quickly? I didn''t expect you to be so financially strong!" After hearing Robert''s purpose, Yuga teased with a smile.


    Robert sighed, "Don''t remind me. In order to gather this hundred million, I not only spent all my savings but also incurred a substantial amount of debt." He felt that he would need to enter a frenzied money-making mode for a long time toe, or he''d be left with nothing to eat.


    Although an indigo potential Pok��mon could fetch a hundred million, Yuga still had to pay a significant tax to the league. He was now a bona fide taxpayer.


    In the breeding business, the pricier the Pok��mon, the higher the rted taxes, making the overall tax burden greater than in other industries.


    Afterpleting a series of procedures, Yuga received Robert''s remittance, and a Larvesta was brought in by Wigglytuff to hand over to Robert.


    The newly born Pok��mon undergoes changes almost daily, and in just a few days of not seeing it, Robert noticed that Larvesta had grown quite a bit and was much more lively. Larvesta even remembered Robert, the person it had only met once.


    Sending off Larvesta was its mother, Vivillon. Although Volcarona wanted toe, considering itsrge size and tendency to il around, Vivillon didn''t let ite, reasoning that they could always see each otherter.


    Yuga and Robert were good friends and kept in frequent contact, so Vivillon didn''t feel as sad about sending off Larvesta as one might expect. If she missed it, a video call would suffice; there was no need to make it feel like a tearful parting.


    After receiving Larvesta, Robert happily left the YoYo Day Care.


    After seeing Robert off, Yuga stood at the shop entrance for a while. Just as he was about to turn back inside, he saw a little girl with pink hair walking toward him.


    Seeing the special sportswear she was wearing, Yuga eximed in surprise, "Are you a trainee from the Pok��mon Contest Regional Promotion Project?" For some reason, he felt that the girl looked somewhat familiar.


    The girl nodded, saying, "Yes, you know about this program?"


    Yuga smiled and replied, "I do; I have friends in it too."


    The girl assumed that Yuga''s friend was also a trainee and nodded without further questioning him on that topic.


    "Are you a staff member here? I want to buy some Pok��blocks, and I wonder if you have any rmendations?"


    Yuga responded, "I see. Follow me."


    As Yuga led the girl into the store, he asked, "Which Pok��mon are you buying for?"


    The girl replied, "For a Fennekin, Aromatisse, and Vivillon."


    After hearing this, Yuga took a few cans of Pok��blocks off the shelves behind him and exined, "For the fire-type Fennekin, you should give it the Crimson Crystal Pok��blocks. Its final evolution, Delphox, has a secondary psychic typing, so asionally giving it some Fantasy Pok��blocks will help ensure a smoother evolution in the future.


    "Next, for the pure fairy-type Aromatisse, it only needs the Innocent Pok��blocks.


    "Finally, for Vivillon, which is primarily a bug-type with a secondary flying type, it should primarily consume the Longevity Pok��blocks, with the Soaring Pok��blocks as a supplement. If your Vivillon has a strong preference for flying types, then you should increase the intake of Soaring Pok��blocks appropriately."


    Yuga carefully introduced how to pair each Pok��mon with the Pok��blocks, exining how much should be consumed at different stages... which was highly beneficial for the girl.


    After listening to Yuga''s exnation, the girl remarked, "I didn''t realize there was so much knowledge behind pairing Pok��blocks." She hade to this store based on a rmendation and didn''t expect such excellent service.


    Thanks to Yuga''s attentive service, the girl ended up buying several cans of the Pok��blocks she needed.


    "Since I live in Kalos, what should I do if I want to buy your Pok��blocks again in the future?" the girl suddenly asked Yuga as she was about to leave.


    Yuga opened his phone, pulled up the YoYo Day Care''s official website, and exined to the girl, "You can buy directly from here, and we''ll ship it to your home via Pidgey Express, with shipping at just nine ny-nine."


    Until the girl left, Yuga still didn''t know her name.


    After the girl left, Aunt Aoba came into the store to settle the ounts. She had been managing the Paradise Restaurant, but she regrly came to report to Yuga.


    "Ah, that kid Arata Sena has been out and hasn''t called home; I haven''t heard from him for quite a while."


    As Aunt Aoba settled the ounts, sheined to Yuga about Arata Sena not calling home for an extended period.


    "Yeah, young people these days just don''t understand. Ayashi is the same; he hasn''t called home in a long time either. I''ll have to talk to them properly next time," Yuga replied, sounding older than his years,pletely unaware that he was nearly the same age as Arata Sena.


    Aunt Aoba didn''t notice anything amiss; instead, she agreed, saying, "It''s about time! He never listens to me; you need to talk to him."


    Time passed in this back-and-forth chatter between the two.


    In the blink of an eye, three days had gone by. At the airport on Ak Ind in the Al region, Luna and Kaname Hirakawa stepped off the ne, dragging their suitcases behind them.


    At the airport, a police officer from the local station was already waiting for them. Once they met, Luna and Kaname Hirakawa were led by the officer to settle in at a hotel.


    Luna was an impatient person, and after they got settled, she immediately headed to the police station to understand the situation regarding their mission. Kaname Hirakawa had no choice but to drag his tired body along with her.


    The local police were aware that this case was the responsibility of the two, so apart from providing necessary clues, they didn''t offer much additional help.


    Based on the clues provided by the police, Luna and Kaname Hirakawa sessfully located the spot where the poaching gang had gone missing.

 Chapter 1157: Danger Is Coming

    <h4>Chapter 1157: Danger Is Coming</h4>


    Luna and Kaname Hirakawa had arrived at the very ind where Ayashi and Arata Sena had mysteriously disappeared. At this moment, they had no idea that unknown dangers awaited them on the ind.


    This nameless ind near Ak Ind wasn''trge, but it was densely forested and home to many wild Pok��mon. It was once a paradise for trainers who are seeking for adventure.


    However, one day, a trainer mysteriously disappeared on the ind. Since then, a ghost legend began to spread, and gradually fewer people dared to adventure there.


    Al was a region rich with various legends, and many locals believed in the ghost story.


    As Kaname Hirakawa used his Scyther to clear a path ahead, he asked Luna, "Do you believe in the ghost legend of this ind?"


    Luna scoffed, "Haven''t you been to school? Why ask such a stupid question? There''s no such thing as ghosts. It''s probably just a prank by some ghost-type Pok��mon, or maybe someone started the rumor out of boredom."


    Kaname Hirakawa had only been trying to make conversation to break the silence, but Luna''s response made him furious.


    "Yeah, I''m the stupid one, and you''re the genius. If you''re so smart, why don''t you finish the mission all by yourself?"


    With that, Kaname Hirakawa stormed off with Scyther, quickly disappearing from Luna''s sight. Luna sighed, "Such a child," and followed in the direction he had gone.


    As Kaname Hirakawa angrily pushed forward, he suddenly noticed arge group of wild Pok��mon fleeing in panic nearby, as if something terrifying was chasing them.


    "What''s going on?"


    Curious, Kaname Hirakawa, along with Scyther, cautiously followed the direction from which the Pok��mon had fled, trying to figure out what was happening. Before long, he heard strange screeching noises and a series of explosions in the distance.


    Following the sounds, Kaname Hirakawa soon discovered the source of the chaos. He quietly pushed aside some branches and saw two massive Pok��mon battling each other.


    One of them was a Lurantis, but this was no ordinary Lurantis��it was a Totem Pok��mon.


    Totem Pok��mon were a unique feature of Al''s ecosystem, and Kaname Hirakawa had studied them beforeing to the region, so he recognized it instantly.


    However, Totem Pok��mon were said to be rare, and he didn''t expect to encounter one here.


    The other Pok��mon, however, was one he didn''t recognize. It was pitch-ck except for a few yellow stripes, and its belly bore a giant mouth. The eerie screeching sounds hade from this gaping maw.


    Even from a distance, Kaname Hirakawa could feel the menacing aura radiating from this strange Pok��mon.


    This unfamiliar Pok��mon was overwhelmingly powerful, so much so that the Totem Lurantis was no match for it. Lurantis''s Sr de struck the creature, but it seemedpletely unfazed.


    Totem Pok��mon were already considered strong, and Lurantis even had an assisting Castform with it in the battle. Yet, despite this, the strange Pok��mon was clearly dominating them.


    Finally, with a powerful Dragon Rush, the strange Pok��mon sent the Totem Lurantis flying. Just as Lurantis tried to get up, the unfamiliar Pok��mon extended two massive ws and mped down on its shoulders.


    Seeing that the strange Pok��mon was about to deliver the final blow to the Totem Lurantis, a flock of Pikipek and Trumbeak, led by a Toucannon, suddenly flew out from the jungle and attacked the strange Pok��mon. Under their assault, the strange Pok��mon loosened its grip on Lurantis.


    Toucannon squawked something to the Totem Lurantis, and though Lurantis looked reluctant, it retreated with Castform and the bird Pok��mon.


    The strange Pok��mon, being slow, could only watch in frustration as Lurantis and the others escaped into the distance.


    Kaname Hirakawa guessed that the strange Pok��mon had transformed its frustration into hunger. He watched as it uprooted a tree and stuffed it into the giant mouth on its belly. Within seconds, the tree was reduced to fragments and devoured.


    The terrifying part wasn''t over. The strange Pok��mon didn''t just eat trees; it devoured everything in its reach, from flowers to grass. In no time, the entire area around it was stripped bare.


    Kaname Hirakawa suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. If that Pok��mon discovered him, would he be able to escape the same fate as the trees��being eaten alive?


    Panicking, Kaname Hirakawa tried to flee, but identally rustled some branches. The alert Pok��mon instantly noticed his presence.


    Boom!!!


    A Dark Pulse exploded at Kaname Hirakawa''s feet, blocking his escape.


    Boom!!!


    A second Dark Pulse followed, and though Scyther tried to sh through it with its scythes, the attack sent it flying in a parabolic arc.


    Even the Totem Lurantis couldn''t stand against this Pok��mon��how could Kaname Hirakawa and his Scyther possibly defeat it?


    "Scyther, fly up!"


    Kaname Hirakawa shouted desperately at his Scyther and quickly released an Aerodactyl, intending to ride it to escape. But just as Aerodactyl appeared, it was struck down by yet another Dark Pulse.


    As the mysterious Pok��mon prepared to attack Scyther again, a powerful Thunderbolt suddenly struck its head, interrupting its move.


    Kaname Hirakawa looked up to see Luna flying in on her Magnezone.


    "What are you standing around for? Hurry up and run!" Luna shouted.


    Snapping back to his senses, Kaname Hirakawa quickly recalled Aerodactyl and Scyther, released his Dodrio, and jumped onto it, galloping away at full speed. Dodrio, known for its exceptional running ability, soon put a good distance between them and the mysterious Pok��mon.


    Luna, distracting the creature from the air, saw that Kaname Hirakawa had sessfully escaped. Not wanting to get entangled with the Pok��mon any longer, she quickly flew off on Magnezone as well.


    The two of them eventually reunited after running far from the danger. Seeing that the strange Pok��mon hadn''t followed, they finally let out a sigh of relief.


    Exhausted, they found a spot to rest. Still shaken, Kaname Hirakawa asked, "Do you know what that Pok��mon was? It was terrifying!"


    Luna shook her head. "No, I don''t know. But I suspect it might be connected to the disappearance of the poaching group."


    "That''s very possible," Kaname Hirakawa mused.


    "We need to report this to the League as soon as we can," Luna said with a serious expression. "They probably don''t even know this Pok��mon exists."


    With that, the two decided to leave the area immediately. But just as they took their first steps, two spatial portals suddenly appeared before them, and out stepped two identical Pok��mon to the one they had just encountered.


    Without saying a word, the two strange Pok��monunched an attack. There was no way Kaname Hirakawa and Luna could stand a chance��dealing with just one had been tough enough, and now there were two.


    The two were forced to flee in a panic, but the Pok��mon''s attacks were so relentless that they couldn''t escape their range.


    Luna, spotting the still-glowing, rainbow-hued spatial portals ahead, gritted her teeth and shouted to Kaname Hirakawa, "Head for the portals!"


    "But��"


    "But what? Do you want to die?!"


    Without waiting for a reply, Luna shoved Kaname Hirakawa into one of the portals, then jumped in after him.


    Boom!


    Two Dragon Pulses exploded at the spot where they had disappeared, and the two strange Pok��mon followed them into the portal as well.


    Buzz...


    The spatial portals slowly vanished, leaving behind nothing but the wreckage from the earlier battle. The surroundings fell eerily silent, as though nothing had happened.


    Meanwhile, in Verdanturf Town...


    These were the days when the Verdanturf Town Grand Festival was being held. May had just arrived in town, her goal being to win the Pok��mon Contest''s ribbon.


    In addition, this Grand Festival had a special mission: to showcase the appeal of the Pok��mon Contests to the students involved in its promotional program.


    Having not visited Verdanturf Town in a long time, May greeted Yuga with a big hug as soon as they met.


    Traveling with May was Ryo, who had been herpanion on their recent journey. The two of them had gotten along quite well during their time together.


    "Ryo, how was your trip? Did you enjoy it?" Yuga asked with concern.


    "It was fun! I met lots of new friends and learned so many things I didn''t know before," Ryo replied honestly.


    "That''s good to hear. As long as you learned something, the trip was worth it," Yuga said with a smile. "Oh, by the way! May, did you sign up for the Pok��mon Contest yet?"


    May answered, "Not yet. We wanted to see you first before going to register."


    "Well, you''d better hurry! The registration deadline ising up soon. Do you want me to go with you?"


    "Sure! Let''s go quickly then."


    And so Yuga went with May and Ryo to the Pok��mon Center, where Pok��mon Contest registrations were usually held.


    When they arrived, Yuga noticed that the registration line was quite long. Nurse Joy and her Blissey were busy managing the crowd.


    Many people there recognized Yuga, and seeing that he hade to help someone register, they even offered to let May cut ahead in line. However, Yuga politely declined each offer and waited with Ryo at the back of the line alongside May.


    To Yuga''s surprise, thest person in line was the same young girl who had bought Pok��blocks from him earlier.


    "What a coincidence! Are you participating in the Pok��mon Contest too?" Yuga greeted her warmly.


    The young girl was equally surprised to see Yuga. After returning that day and hearing from others, she learned that the young man before her was not only the owner of the breeding house but also the Gym Leader of Verdanturf Town��a very powerful Trainer.


    "Yes, I''m very interested in the Pok��mon Contest," the girl answered with a smile.


    "Yuga, do you know her?" May asked curiously.


    Yuga introduced her, "This is one of our shop''s customers and a student in the Pok��mon Contest promotion program. Her name is..." Yuga paused, suddenly realizing he didn''t know the girl''s name.


    "My name is Aria, nice to meet you," the young girl said smartly, extending her hand to introduce herself.


    "I''m May," May responded.


    The two girls, both interested in the Pok��mon Contest, quickly became familiar with each other. After a bit of conversation, May learned that Aria was a somewhat famous Pok��mon Performer from the Kalos region.


    In Kalos, there is apetition called the Pok��mon Showcase, which is quite simr in content and format to the Pok��mon Contest. Aria had joined the Pok��mon Contest promotion program to improve her performance skills.


    After listening to the two girls chat, Yuga suddenly remembered why Aria seemed so familiar to him. She was the future "Kalos Queen," the one who would go on to win multiple Pok��mon Showcase championships.


    It turned out that the future Kalos Queen had once studied in the Hoenn region!


    Joyka was very experienced in handling Pok��mon Contest registrations, and it wasn''t long before it was May''s turn. After helping May register, she said to Yuga, "Mr. Contesta asked me to contact you. He wants to discuss something with you."


    "Mr. Contesta? Why is he looking for me?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    Mr. Contesta was one of the judges of the Pok��mon Contest and also a high-ranking official in the Pok��mon Contest''s organization.


    Joyka shrugged, "I don''t know either. You''ll have to ask him yourself."


    Since Verdanturf Town is one of the permanent locations for the Pok��mon Contest events, Joyka often dealt with Mr. Contesta. Having frequent contactcwith him, their conversations had be more casual.


    So, after leaving the Pok��mon Center, Yuga went to meet Mr. Contesta. It turned out that Mr. Contesta wanted to ask Yuga to serve as a judge for this Pok��mon Contest.


    Usually, there are three permanent judges for the Pok��mon Contest: Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, and Nurse Joy. However, this Pok��mon Contest was special because of the unusually high number of participants, making three judges insufficient.


    After deliberation, the Pok��mon Contest officials decided to split the Verdanturf Town Pok��mon Contest into two venues, each with three judges.


    The judges for the first venue would still be Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, and Nurse Joy. For the second venue, they wanted to appoint top Coordinators Robert and Johanna, as well as Yuga, the Gym Leader.


    After hearing this, Yuga said helplessly, "You''re really putting me in a difficult spot. I''m just an amateur. If I be a judge, won''t that be unfair to the participants in that venue?"


    Mr. Contesta pleaded earnestly, "Gym Leader Shimizu, we''re really out of options. We don''t have enough people. Besides, you''ve been a judge for the Wace Cup before, so you have experience."


    Yuga thought to himself, <i>That''s not the same thing! The Wace Cup didn''t have separate venues, so all the judges were the same, which avoided any fairness issues</i>.


    "Oh, right! What about Suzuha?" Yuga suddenly remembered. "Wouldn''t she be a more qualified judge than me?"


    Suzuha was one of the star Coordinators heavily promoted by the Pok��mon Contest organization. Although she always lost to Robert, she was certainly qualified to be a judge for a regr Pok��mon Contest. Her skills were not far off from those of top-tier Coordinators.


    "Suzuha''s on a mission!" Mr. Contesta sighed. "If she were avable, we wouldn''t be asking you."


    Yuga remembered that members of the Logistics Division had gone out a couple of days ago to escort the newly developed medicine.


    <i>What bad timing!</i>


    "Fine, fine. If you insist on having this amateur, just don''t me me if something goes wrong!" Yuga agreed reluctantly.

 Chapter 1158: Set off for Alola

    <h4>Chapter 1158: Set off for Al</h4>


    The Pok��mon Contest officially began on the second day, just as Mr. Contesta had said. All the participants were divided into two venues for thepetition, and Yuga served as a judge in the second venue alongside Robert and Aunt Johanna.


    Coincidentally, May had been assigned to Yuga''s venue, and it was his first time seeing her indigo potential Mantyke.


    ording to May, this was Mantyke''s first formalpetition. However, Yuga felt that Mantyke had a calm demeanor, showing no signs of nervousness on stage and performing exceptionally well.


    Having participated in Pok��mon Contests in both the Hoenn and Kanto regions, May''s performance style had be much more mature, and she worked in perfect harmony with her Mantyke.


    Even though Mantyke was still in its basic form, its water control techniques were incredibly precise. It stood out in the first round of the performancepetition, securing the highest score in the second venue.


    The first round of the performancepetition eliminated most participants. Once they advanced to the second round, which was a battlepetition, the contestants from both venues would merge into one for the remaining matches.


    In the first venue, Aria also passed the first round of the performancepetition smoothly. Although she wasn''t a Coordinator, she wasn''t a novice when it came to performances, so her score was higher than most participants.


    After the two venues merged, there were suddenly six judges in total, which made many participants, who were experiencing this situation for the first time, quite nervous.


    However, Yuga yed a very minimal role throughout, only speaking when necessary, and hisments were often vague. It wasn''t that he didn''t want toe across as more professional, but being an outsider, he couldn''t discern the more intricate aspects of the performances.


    When the list for the battlepetition was revealed, Yuga was surprised to see that May and Aria were matched against each other in the first round, and they would bepeting in the first battle of the round.


    The battle started soon after. May looked at Aria and said, "I didn''t expect to face you in the first round. Let''s give it our all and have a battle with no regrets."


    Aria nodded, "Yes, let''s give it everything we''ve got, no regrets!"


    With that, both girls sent out their Pok��mon. May called upon her Delcatty and ydol, while Aria released her Vivillon and Aromatisse.


    Seeing May''s Delcatty surprised Yuga; he hadn''t expected her Skitty to have evolved, which was proof that May had grown stronger since theirst encounter.


    Although May''s Mantyke had performed excellently in the first round, it was still too early for it to participate in battles, so she chose not to use it in the second round.


    Simrly, Aria had used her Fennekin in the performance round, where it excelled in presentation butcked the strength for battle. Naturally, she reced it with her stronger Vivillon and Aromatisse in the second round.


    Unlike May, who had multiple Pok��mon to choose from, Aria had only three Pok��mon in total: Fennekin, Vivillon, and Aromatisse. In Kalos, Pok��mon erformers weren''t required to have as many Pok��mon as other Trainer professions.


    Although Coordinators also didn''t need to have arge number of Pok��mon, the battle rounds still required some degree of strategy and lineup variety. For most Coordinators, raising five or six Pok��mon was the norm, while Aria only had three.


    Once the battle began at the host''s signal, both sides moved simultaneously.


    May''s ydol took the lead, positioning itself in front of Delcatty. Being a defensive Pok��mon with excellent stats in both defense and special defense, it could withstand most attacks.


    Meanwhile, from behind ydol, Delcatty unleashed a powerful Blizzard attack aimed at Vivillon, which was weak to Ice-type moves.


    Blizzard had a wide area of effect, and although Vivillon excelled at flying, it wasn''t easy for it to quickly escape the attack range.


    However, Aria''s Aromatisse wasn''t just standing idly by. It quickly used Light Screen, positioning itself in front of Vivillon to absorb the remaining damage, and then used Heal Pulse to restore Vivillon''s health.


    May''s side featured a mix of attack and defense, while Aria''s lineup was clearly focused on offense with a support role.


    Typically, both Delcatty and Vivillon are used for disruption and support by traditional Trainers. However, Coordinators have slightly different roles for their Pok��monpared to traditional Trainers.


    The white Blizzard and the pink Heal Pulse intertwined, creating a dreamlike scene on the battlefield, but both participants'' score bars simultaneously dropped.


    "ydol, use Heal Block!"


    "Vivillon, use Signal Beam!"


    May and Aria''smands rang out at the same time. May aimed to block Aria''s healing, while Aria was trying to eliminate the ydol that was protecting Delcatty.


    Heal Block is a rtively niche move. It''s primarily learned by Psychic-type Pok��mon, which are rare, so not many Trainers use it.


    Although it''s an umon move, it''s incredibly practical. Under the seal of Heal Block, Aromatisse''s Heal Pulse became useless, and the healing for Vivillon was interrupted.


    Meanwhile, Vivillon''s Signal Beam hit ydol. However, before being struck, ydol had used Cosmic Power, significantly boosting its defense and special defense. So, even though Signal Beam was super effective, the damage was not as high as expected.


    As a result, both participants'' score bars dropped again by a significant amount.


    With only five minutes allocated for the battle, the clock was ticking, and the two sides remained neck and neck. Aria, participating in her first contest, was starting to feel anxious, but the experienced May stayed calm.


    Aria, who had gained some fame in the Kalos region, had a bit of pride. She hadn''t expected to face such a strong opponent so quickly.


    "Delcatty, use Blizzard again!"


    May''smand echoed through the arena, and Delcatty unleashed another howling Blizzard.


    Aromatisse tried to defend with Light Screen, but ydol used Imprison, preventing Aromatisse from using the move. Both Aromatisse and Vivillon were engulfed by the swirling snowstorm.


    As a purely defensive Pok��mon, ydol could use both Light Screen and Reflect. Under the effects of Imprison, Aromatisse was rendered useless��it could neither heal nor defend effectively.


    After this round, Aria''s score bar was nearly depleted.


    Aromatisse was a pure support Pok��mon, with almost no offensive capabilities. Under the restrictions of Heal Block and Imprison, it became useless. Vivillon now faced a two-on-one situation, and before time ran out, Aria''s score bar hit zero.


    As May emerged victorious, a smile spread across Yuga''s face. Although he was a judge, he couldn''t help but favor May, who was closer to him.


    The remaining matches were almost a formality, as May dominated thepetition and imed victory in the Contest, earning the Verdant Ribbon.


    To celebrate May''s victory, Yuga and Audino prepared a delicious meal at home to reward her. For a foodie like May, nothingforts the soul better than a good meal.


    After dinner, Yuga mysteriously called May aside and said, "I have a gift for you." With that, he pulled out a Pok�� Ball.


    "What''s this?" May looked at the Pok�� Ball, puzzled.


    "There''s a blue potential Remoraid inside," Yuga exined. "Your Mantyke will need a Remoraid to evolve into Mantine, right? It would be a waste for your indigo potential Mantyke to pair with an ordinary Remoraid. This blue potential one should be good enough."


    There were only two blue potential Remoraid that had ever been bred in Yuga''s Ecopark, so offering one to May was no small feat for him.


    Hearing this, May quickly responded, "No, no, that''s too valuable. I can''t ept it."


    Yuga had already helped her a lot��not only had he passed on a lot of training experience, but he had also guided her in capturing the well-bred Baltoy and Lunatone. She felt she really couldn''t ept this Remoraid.


    "Your Mantyke will need to evolve sooner orter," Yuga reasoned. "Do you want to dy its growth? The sooner it starts getting along with apatible Remoraid, the smoother its evolution will be."


    "I can take my time to find one. I''m sure I''lle across the right Remoraid eventually," May insisted, still resolutely declining the offer.


    "How long do you think that''ll take? You''re being foolish not to take what''s right in front of you," Yuga said, a bit sternly. "If it really bothers you, just think of it as a loan. You can repay me when you''ve made some money."


    "But..." May was still hesitant.


    "Why are you being so stubborn?" Yuga pressed, shoving the Pok�� Ball into her hand. "Do you really need to be so formal with me? When your father helped me in the past, I didn''t act like you''re acting now!"


    "Well... okay then," May finally relented. "I''ll make sure to train them well."


    "That''s more like it," Yuga said with a smile.


    May didn''t stay in Verdanturf Town for long. The day after the contest ended, she and Ryo set off on their journey again, with Yuga personally seeing them off.


    However, shortly after returning home, Yuga received a phone call from Mr. Norman. It turned out that Mr. Norman had heard about the Remoraid from May the previous night.


    Over the phone, Mr. Norman not only expressed his gratitude to Yuga but also transferred a substantial sum of money to him. Although Yuga initially didn''t want to ept it, Mr. Norman insisted, so he had no choice but to take it.


    Mr. Norman also asked Yuga not to tell May about this arrangement, believing that a little pressure could be a good thing for her.


    After finishing the call with Mr. Norman, Yuga came downstairs to find that Aria had returned to the shop.


    "Aria? What brings you here today? Are you looking to buy something?"


    Aria''s eyes lit up as she saw Yuga, and she replied, "I''d like to buy a Pok��mon."


    After participating in the Pok��mon Contest, Aria felt that the number of Pok��mon she had was too few, so she decided to train another one. However, she was quite particr about her Pok��mon, so she came to YoYo Day Care, a ce known for its high potential Pok��mon.


    Upon hearing this, Yuga immediately understood. "In that case, you should head to our new store. All our Pok��mon are sold there."


    Aria hesitated for a moment and then said, "I''m looking for a high potential Pok��mon." The new store only sold lower potential Pok��mon.


    "I see..." Yuga said apologetically. "Unfortunately, our high potential Pok��mon can only be purchased by appointment."


    "I know," Aria replied. "But I heard that members can also buy them. I''d like to know how I can get a membership card."


    Yuga: ...


    How was he supposed to exin this? Should he say that only people close to him could get one? The poor girl might think he was a creep if he said that.


    Seeing Yuga''s troubled expression, Aria asked curiously, "Is there some sort of condition you can''t talk about?"


    "That''s not it," Yuga shook his head and exined, "The reason I introduced the membership card was to make things easier for my friends, so..."


    Aria immediately understood what Yuga meant. She had only known him for a few days��hardly enough to be considered an acquaintance, let alone a friend.


    "Alright then, I''lle back another time."


    With that, Aria turned around and walked out, leaving Yuga bewildered. He thought to himself, "What does she mean? Will we be friends the next time she visits?"


    However, Yuga didn''t get to see the "next time" Aria mentioned, because he received a phone call from Luna''s Coach and left Verdanturf Town that very day.


    "What did you just say? Luna has gone missing?" Yuga''s voice rose several notches due to the shock. "Wasn''t she in the middle of training? How could she disappear?"


    The coach then exined everything about the mission Luna and Kaname Hirakawa were assigned to carry out.


    "We didn''t expect any issues with the mission; it was supposed to be a simple investigation task," the coach said, his tone filled with guilt.


    "Have you informed my aunt and uncle yet?" Yuga forced himself to stay calm as he asked.


    "Not yet," the coach replied. Due to Yuga''s unique status, the coach had contacted him first instead of Luna''s parents upon hearing about the incident.


    Yuga let out a sigh of relief. "For now, don''t tell them anything. Let''s wait until we know more about the situation." His aunt and uncle were ordinary people, and Yuga didn''t want them to worry unnecessarily before there were any concrete results.


    "Well..." The coach hesitated. By protocol, he was supposed to notify Luna''s guardians immediately.


    "If anything happens, I''ll take full responsibility. For now, just tell me everything that happened in detail," Yuga said in a slightly stern tone.


    "Okay... alright."


    After the coach finished exining, Yuga asked, "What''s the current situation on the ind?"


    The coach replied, "We''re still investigating, but ording to witnesses, they saw an unidentified Pok��mon on the ind, and that Pok��mon was extremely destructive. Arge part of the ind has already been devastated."


    Based on the coach''s description, Yuga was almost certain that the unknown Pok��mon was an Ultra Beast��Guzzlord. This was a troublesome creature, and he didn''t know if Luna''s disappearance was connected to it.


    "Alright, I''ve got the general idea. I''ll head over as soon as possible. We can discuss the details once I arrive."


    "Understood. We''ll be waiting for you."


    After ending the call with the coach, Yuga quickly gave instructions to Audino and Suzuki Koen, then booked a flight to Al.


    Since time was of the essence, Yuga chose the earliest avable flight and arrived at Ak Ind''s airport within two days.

 Chapter 1159: The Conspiracy of Guzzlord and Nihilego

    <h4>Chapter 1159: The Conspiracy of Guzzlord and Nihilego</h4>


    When Yuga stepped off the ne, he immediately noticed that the coach is already waiting for him. The coach approached him and about to say something, but Yuga interrupted him first saying, "Let''s talk on the way. Let''s head straight to the ind now."


    The coach nodded and led Yuga to a small aircraft. After instructing the pilot to head directly to the ind, he began to brief Yuga on the current situation.


    Due to the appearance of the unknown Pok��mon, the ind''s wild Pok��mon had either fled or scattered, yet the unknown Pok��mon itself had still not been found.


    The aircraft was fast, and since the ind was close to Ak Ind, theynded on the ind smoothly within minutes.


    As soon as they got off the aircraft, a person in camouge ran up to the coach and reported, "Captain, we''ve located the Pok��mon!"


    Yuga and the coach exchanged nces before releasing their respective ride Pok��mon. They followed the person toward the location of the unknown Pok��mon.


    Along the way, Yuga noticed that many of the nts and trees had vanished, leaving only devastation behind. The exposed ground was a shocking sight, perfectly matching the destructive nature of Guzzlord.


    Before they even reached the scene, they could hear the roars from a distance. There was no doubt that the Investigation Bureau members were shing with Guzzlord.


    Sure enough, when Yuga and the coach arrived, they saw Guzzlordunching fierce attacks at the Investigation Bureau members, who could barely defend themselves and were forced to retreat.


    Boom!


    A Shiftry belonging to one of the team members was sent flying by Guzzlord''s Dragon Tail. After hitting the ground, it trembled a couple of times before falling still. Seeing this, Yuga quickly sent out Lapras.


    As soon as Lapras appeared, the surrounding air became humid, and its powerful presence immediately caught Guzzlord''s attention.


    Guzzlord looked even more ferocious than Yuga had imagined. Its ability, Beast Boost, had increased its strength to the limit, as it had already defeated several Pok��mon.


    Lapras opened its mouth, gathering arge amount of Water-type energy. Then it unleashed it in a powerful stream, pushing the massive Guzzlord back, saving a Swampert that had been under attack.


    Since Lapras met Kyogre, its mastery of Water-type moves had grown significantly, and it showed no fear in facing the Ultra Beast, Guzzlord.


    Guzzlord was immensely strong, and it was on apletely different levelpared to Kartana, which was still young and much weaker.


    Furious at being attacked, Guzzlord unleashed a Dark Pulse. The coach and the Investigation Bureau members tried to assist, but they were overwhelmed by the sheer force of the attack.


    However, their efforts bought Lapras enough time to use Rain Dance. Under the rain, Lapras became even more powerful. The abundant moisture made it easier for it to use both Water- and Ice-type moves.


    "Hoo..."


    Lapras exhaled a breath of icy air, freezing the rainwater into ice spikes that shot toward Guzzlord. In no time, Guzzlord''s body was covered in ice.


    Before Guzzlord could break free from the ice, two beams of blue light engulfed it��Lapras''s Origin Pulse, a move it had inherited from Kyogre.


    When the light faded, Guzzlordy on the ground, battered and exhausted. Just as Yuga was about to deliver the final blow, a rainbow-colored spatial portal suddenly appeared behind Guzzlord. The portal emitted an aura so intensely alien that Yuga could feel it from a distance.


    Without hesitation, Guzzlord turned around and dove into the portal with surprising speed, despite its seemingly clumsy body.


    "An Ultra Wormhole?" Seeing the portal, Yuga thought: Could Luna''s disappearance be rted to this?


    "Absol, go after it!"


    On instinct, Yuga ordered Absol to charge. With a powerful leap, Absol followed Guzzlord into the Ultra Wormhole and disappeared.


    Lapras, seeing this, also tried to dive into the portal, but it was too slow. By the time it reached the spot, the Ultra Wormhole had already vanished.


    Lapras let out a furious cry, and the raindrops around it turned into ice beads under the influence of its cold aura, falling to the ground and startling the Investigation Bureau members.


    Yuga''s sudden disappearance left the coach in a panic. "What just happened? How did he disappear so suddenly? How am I supposed to exin this to the higher-ups?"


    A Hall of Fame-level Trainer had vanished right in front of him. No matter the reason, the coach couldn''t escape responsibility.


    He immediately organized a search team to investigate the cause of the Ultra Wormhole''s appearance.


    At the same time, Yuga and Absol, who had followed Guzzlord into the spatial tunnel,nded with a thud on the ground. They found themselves in a deste, unfamiliar space surrounded by exposed gray and yellow rocks, with a dark, ominous sky above.


    Before Yuga and Absol could get their bearings, they were suddenly surrounded by growls from all directions. Yuga turned his head and saw a group of Guzzlord staring at them with greedy expressions.


    One, two, three... seven, eight. There were eight Guzzlord in total, including the one Yuga had just defeated.


    Without hesitation, Absol grabbed Yuga by the cor and flung him onto its back, ensuring he was secure. In the next moment, Absol Mega Evolved. With so many Guzzlord present, Absol couldn''t afford to be careless.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Waves of Dark Pulse and Dragon Pulse exploded beneath Mega Absol''s feet as it agilely leaped away. It countered with its own Dark Pulse, even more powerful than the Guzzlords'' attacks.


    But there were simply too many enemies.


    Yuga quickly summoned Gengar and Mismagius. Gengar, syncing with Yuga, Mega Evolved and teamed up with Mismagius to unleash Dazzling Gleam.


    A pink light shone in the sky, and every Guzzlord hit by the Dazzling Gleam felt a scorching, stinging pain all over their bodies, howling in agony.


    Fairy-type moves were highly effective against Dark and Dragon-type Guzzlord.


    "Absol, don''t engage them for too long. We need to get out of here first," Yuga shouted to Mega Absol.


    Right now, the priority was to figure out what this ce was and whether it had anything to do with Luna''s disappearance.


    "Absol!"


    Mega Absol nodded,unching a Stone Edge attack, sending sharp stone des flying, forcing back two Guzzlord that were closing in. Mega Gengar and Mismagius seized the moment to fire another Dazzling Gleam.


    The three Pok��mon fought while retreating, gradually slipping out of the Guzzlords'' range. The Guzzlords, beingrge and cumbersome, moved slowly and couldn''t keep up with Yuga and his Pok��mon.


    "Phew..."


    After narrowly escaping, Yuga let out a long breath of relief. Now that he was out of immediate danger, he finally took a moment to observe his surroundings. Everywhere he looked, thend was barren, as if it had been reduced to ruins.


    Yuga suspected that this devastation was caused by the Guzzlords.


    He wasn''t sure how far they had traveled when he spotted two more Guzzlord in the distance. This time, they were fighting each other, seemingly over a rotten piece of wood.


    Not wanting to attract their attention, Yuga quietly changed direction and continued on his way. As he walked, he saw nothing beyond the barren wastnd. The vast desert-like environment showed no signs of life.


    At some point, Kartana and Cosmoem emerged from their Pok�� Balls of their own ord, drawn by the overwhelming presence of Ultra Beasts in this strange space, which felt familiar to them as fellow Ultra Beasts.


    Yuga couldn''t help but wonder: were Guzzlords the only living creatures here?


    Just then, he heard the sounds of a battle. Initially, he thought it was just another fight between Guzzlords over food, but the anxious cries of Kartana flying above made him realize it was something else.


    Squinting into the distance, Yuga could vaguely make out a few small Pok��mon attacking a Guzzlord. Those Pok��mon appeared to be... Kartana.


    Moreover, Yuga thought he saw an oasis. In such a barrenndscape, finding an oasis was a rare stroke of luck! Perhaps it held the answers he was searching for.


    Before Yuga could react, Kartana had already flown toward the battle, and Yuga had no choice but tomand Absol to follow.


    As they approached, Yuga confirmed that the small Pok��mon were indeed Kartana. However, even though they outnumbered the Guzzlord, they were still no match for it, they barely managing to dodge its attacks with their speed.


    Normally, with their speed, the Kartana could easily escape. However, they were trying to protect the oasis and had no choice but to stay and fight the Guzzlord. If the Guzzlord made it into the oasis, the home they relied on for survival would be destroyed.


    Kartana had never seen others of its kind before. Seeing them being bullied by Guzzlord, it rushed to their aid without hesitation.


    The other Kartana were surprised to see this unfamiliar Kartana suddenly appear. They had never seen it before. However, they had no time to dwell on that, as they quickly resumed their battle against Guzzlord.


    But Guzzlord was incredibly strong. Even with Yuga''s Kartana joining the fight, they were still no match for it, and before long, the situation descended into chaos again.


    Just as the Kartana were about to be defeated, Yuga''s Absol, Gengar, and Mismagius finally stepped in.


    Absol and Gengar Mega Evolved once more, and together with Mismagius, they swiftly defeated the domineering Guzzlord.


    When Yuga, holding Cosmoem, suddenly appeared, the Kartana looked at him with eyes full of curiosity, as they had never seen a being like Yuga before.


    Since Yuga had helped them, the Kartana didn''t show any hostility toward this unfamiliar creature. Instead, they were filled with wonder, making Yuga feel as though he was being observed by aliens.


    Yuga''s Kartana spoke with the group of Kartana for a while, and eventually, they expressed a desire to invite Yuga to visit their oasis.


    Yuga had the same thought and dly epted the invitation.


    Upon entering the oasis, Yuga found that it was much smaller than he had imagined. The vegetation was sparse, and the water supply was far from abundant.


    Their arrival quickly caught the attention of the other Kartana living in the oasis. They all curiously studied Yuga and his Pok��mon, almost as if they wanted to run over and ask who they were and where they hade from.


    Led by a few Kartana, Yuga ventured deeper into the oasis, where he met the elder of the Kartana tribe.


    "Are you human?" the elder Kartana asked in surprise as soon as it saw Yuga.


    "You know about humans?" Yuga was equally surprised. Judging from the reactions of the other Kartana, they didn''t seem to know what humans were.


    "I never thought I''d actually see a human," the elder Kartana sighed. "I learned about humans from our ancestors. They once traveled to the human world and learned that other worlds besides ours exist."


    Thenguage of Ultra Beasts was different from that of other Pok��mon, and Yuga hadn''t always been able to understand it. However, after spending so much time with Kartana and Cosmoem, he had naturally picked up this special "foreignnguage."


    "So, have you seen any humans besides me?" Yuga asked, a little disappointed.


    The elder Kartana shook its head.


    "There''s a Guzzlord in our world. Do you know anything about that?" Yuga asked again.


    The elder Kartana sighed, "Has ite to this? After ravaging our world, they''re now moving on to another."


    "What do you mean?" Yuga asked, confused.


    "You''ve seen the state of the outside world, right? That''s all the work of the Guzzlords," the elder Kartana exined.


    This world was once a lush and beautiful ce, inhabited by two species: the Kartana tribe that Yuga was currently speaking to, and the Nihilego tribe.


    But one day, arge number of Guzzlord suddenly descended upon this world, bringing disaster with them.


    Yuga had previously thought that Ultra Space was a single, unified dimension. But in fact, it wasn''t. Each species of Ultra Beast lived in its own separate Ultra Space. The Ultra Space Yuga was in now had originally been home only to the Kartana and Nihilego tribes.


    Guzzlord was a creature with an insatiable appetite. Not only did it eat an enormous amount of food, but it would consume anything other than dirt. For any world, this kind of creature was a catastrophe.


    Once an Ultra Space lost enough life to sustain it, the space would be fragile and eventually copse. The Guzzlords had consumed everything in their original home, causing it to copse, which was why they hade to this world.


    This world had once been home to arge number of Kartana, but most of them had perished at the hands of the Guzzlords. Only the Kartana living in the oasis had survived.


    Over the years, this Ultra Space had also been gradually weakened by the destruction caused by the Guzzlords. As a result, the Guzzlords were able to easily travel to the human world.


    ording to the information the Kartana tribe had gathered, the Guzzlords seemed to be nning to take advantage of this opportunity to migrate to the human world. This was part of their deal with the Nihilego tribe.


    The Nihilego tribe was stronger than the Kartana tribe, and of course, they couldn''t stand by and watch their home be destroyed. However, they were unable to stop the Guzzlords either, as neither side could do much against the other. So, the two sides reached an agreement: the Guzzlords were allowed to ravage thend outside the Nihilego territory, and once the space became fragile enough for the Guzzlords to pass through the Ultra Wormholes, they would let them move on to another world.


    In other words, the Kartana tribe and the human world were the sacrifices in thepromise between the Guzzlords and the Nihilego tribe.

 Chapter 1160: The Moon Flute and Cosmoem

    <h4>Chapter 1160: The Moon Flute and Cosmoem</h4>


    In a forest far from where the Kartana tribe resided, there lived arge number of Nihilego.


    This forest was much more expansive than the small oasis where the Kartana tribe lived. The vegetation here was dense, and there was plenty of food and water.


    However, there was a clear boundary at the edge of the forest. On one side were bare rocks, while on the other side, lush flowers, trees, and grass flourished��a stark contrast.


    Several Guzzlord were stationed at the boundary. Though they eyed the verdant forest hungrily, they didn''t dare cross the line. Both sides remained at peace, watching each other.


    Deep in the forest, four figures were floating aimlessly in the air. If Yuga were here, he would surely recognize them. Not only was Luna here, but so were Ayashi and Arata Sena.


    The reason they were floating in the air was that Nihilego had parasitized them, controlling their bodies.


    Nihilego, as a Pok��mon, had a unique ability: it could parasitize other living beings, releasing neurotoxins into its host, thereby taking control of them.


    Beforeing to Al, Yuga had thought about Ayashi and Arata Sena, knowing they were here. He even tried calling them, but no one answered.


    At the time, he assumed the two were off on some remote adventure and didn''t think much of it. Little did he know that not only had they identally entered Ultra Space, but they had also been captured by Nihilego.


    When they first entered this Ultra Space, Ayashi and Arata Sena encountered some trouble, but thanks to their quick thinking, they managed to evade Guzzlord''s pursuit.


    Later, however, they happened to witness Luna and Kaname Hirakawa fall into this Ultra Space through an Ultra Wormhole.


    Unlike the fortunate Ayashi and Arata Sena, Luna and Kaname Hirakawa were immediately attacked by several Guzzlord. Fortunately, Ayashi and Arata Sena who are hiding in the shadows, sent out their Flying-type Pok��mon to save them. Without this intervention, Luna and Kaname Hirakawa wouldn''t have stood a chance.


    Although the four of them managed to escape from Guzzlord, they unfortunately wandered into Nihilego''s territory. Nihilego, like Guzzlord, was not to be trifled with, and it had the added advantage of being able to fly, unlike the slow-moving Guzzlord.


    Although Luna and the others, under Nihilego''s control, retained some consciousness, they could neither control their bodies nor think deeply. They were stuck in a half-awake, half-asleep state.


    Nihilego''s neurotoxins were damaging to the nervous system. If a creature remained parasitized for too long, its nervous system would suffer damage, potentially resulting in a vegetative state.


    Meanwhile, Yuga, having saved the Kartana earlier, was being warmly weed by the Kartana tribe. However, the Kartana tribe lived a harsh life themselves, so what they could offer to Yuga wasn''t much��just some dried-up fruit, which Yuga couldn''t help but wonder how long they had secretly stored away.


    The oasis where the Kartana lived had been suffering from severe environmental degradation, and its size was rapidly shrinking. Before long, they might not even have those dried fruits to eat.


    For years, the Kartana had been hiding from Guzzlord, but now Guzzlord had discovered this ce. It was only a matter of time before more of them would swarm here.


    As Yuga ate the fruit, he chatted with the elders of the Kartana tribe, and the conversation eventually turned to his Kartana.


    As an Ultra Beast, how had it ended up in the human world?


    The Kartana egg had appeared in the human world decades ago. It was identally found and taken away by Manaphy during one of its patrols.


    Based on the timeline described by Yuga, the elders of the Kartana tribe confirmed that several decades ago, when the Guzzlord first arrived here, one of their members had indeed thrown an egg into a suddenly appearing Ultra Wormhole during a desperate chase.


    However, the couple who had thrown the egg had long since died in the chaos caused by Guzzlord, so there was no way to confirm whether Yuga''s Kartana hade from this Ultra Space. After all, Kartana did exist in other Ultra Spaces.


    Besides, even if Yuga''s Kartana had originated from this ce, the Kartana tribe had no intention of asking it to stay. In their eyes, following Yuga into the human world was clearly a better option for Kartana.


    It was uncertain whether their tribe could continue to exist in the future.


    The pessimistic mood of the Kartana tribe also affected Yuga''s Kartana, causing its spirits to drop significantly.


    Seeing its friend upset, the Cosmoem in Yuga''s arms quickly jumped out tofort it.


    However, when one of the elders of the Kartana tribe saw Cosmoem in full view, they suddenly eximed, "The Star Cocoon?"


    "You know Cosmoem?" Yuga asked in surprise, while Cosmoem looked curiously at the Kartana elder who had spoken.


    "Cosmoem? This is the legendary Star Cocoon! Follow me," the Kartana elder said.


    With that, the Kartana led Yuga and the others deeper into the oasis, where they saw three statues of different sizes��Cosmog, Cosmoem, and Lun.


    In addition, there was a peculiar white flute ced right in front of the three statues.


    "A long time ago, the Star Child, the Star Cocoon, and the Moon God protected this ce, but one day, they all disappeared," the elder Kartana said, gazing at the statues with nostalgia. "I never thought I would see the Star Cocoon again."


    Cosmoem felt a strong connection with the statue that resembled itself and curiously approached it, but before long, it became captivated by the flute in front of the statue.


    "What''s this flute for?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    The elder Kartana exined, "I don''t know either. It''s something passed down alongside the statues for generations. I only remember that it''s called the Moon Flute."


    The Moon Flute? Yuga thought. Could it be rted to Lun? Lun was also known as the Beast that Calls the Moon.


    Cosmoem yfully used its psychic power to lift the Moon Flute from the altar. Just as Yuga was about to stop it, the elder Kartana shook its head, signaling that it was okay.


    Cosmoem then eagerly handed the Moon Flute to Yuga, persistently trying to ce it in his hands.


    "What are you doing? Do you want me to y it? I don''t know how!" Yuga said helplessly.


    But Cosmoem insisted, refusing to give up until Yuga took the flute.


    "Alright, alright, I can''t say no to you," Yuga said, epting the Moon Flute. "But don''t me me if I can''t y it."


    Cosmoem, its eyes squinting with joy, continued to smile at Yuga, seemingly unbothered.


    "Whooooo..."


    To Yuga''s surprise, he actually managed to produce a sound from the flute, though it was terribly off-key. But it did make a sound.


    Could I be a musical genius after all? Yuga thought, feeling quite pleased with himself.


    The sound was so loud that even the elder Kartana, along with Yuga''s own Kartana and Absol, couldn''t help but want to cover their ears. Only Cosmoem seemed to enjoy it thoroughly.


    At that moment, Yuga noticed something unusual��Cosmoem''s body had started to glow with a silver light. When the pitch of the flute rose, the glow intensified, and when the tone dropped, the light dimmed.


    Not only that, Yuga could even feel the Ultra Aura surrounding Cosmoem fluctuating along with the sound of the flute.


    Just as Yuga was about to further explore the connection between Cosmoem and the Moon Flute, a Kartana suddenly flew over, reporting that arge number of Guzzlord had appeared outside the oasis.


    The elder Kartana panicked upon hearing this. It hadn''t expected the Guzzlord to arrive so quickly. In a fluster, it flew out of the oasis, and Yuga, along with Absol and the others, followed closely behind��though he forgot to put the Moon Flute back in its ce.


    When Yuga and the others arrived outside the oasis, the rest of the Kartana tribe were already standing their ground, ready to face death. Facing the overwhelming number of Guzzlord, they stood little chance of victory.


    However, this oasis was theirst home. If it were destroyed by the Guzzlord, even if they managed to escape, where would they go?


    Thus, not a single Kartana retreated in the face of the approaching Guzzlord.


    Seeing their kin prepared to die fighting, Yuga''s Kartana screeched at him in agitation. Instantly understanding its meaning, Yuga smiled and said, "Don''t worry, I won''t just stand by and do nothing." Even if they couldn''t win, Yuga was confident he could escape if necessary.


    The battle was about to begin. With a roar, the Guzzlord charged into the oasis, and the Kartana rushed to meet them without fear. Yuga called out all of his Pok��mon to join the fight.


    The battle was intense. The oasis, already fragile, quickly became devastated under the onught of the Guzzlord.


    As Dragon-type Pok��mon with tough skin and immense durability, the Guzzlord were highly resistant to attacks, and the weaker Kartana couldn''t do much against them.


    Among all the Pok��mon, the one that performed the best was Yuga''s Florges. It activated Misty Terrain and providing support to all the allies on the field.


    Under the effect of Misty Terrain, the Dragon-type moves of the Guzzlord had their power halved.


    With Florges''s current strength, its Misty Terrain covered a vast area, almost the entire battlefield. The Guzzlord, influenced by the Misty Terrain, were severely ufortable.


    Not long after that, Florges transformed into a turret, firing one Moonst after another like a cannon. Every Guzzlord hit by it howled in agony.


    Unfortunately, Yuga''s Lapras didn''t join the battle; otherwise, it would have been another expert at dealing with the Guzzlord.


    Despite Yuga''s help, the Kartana tribe gradually started losing ground in their battle against the Guzzlord. In terms of both numbers and overall strength, the Kartana couldn''tpete with the Guzzlord��the gap was too great.


    Watching as the grass and trees were torn apart by the charging Guzzlord, even Yuga, an outsider, couldn''t help but feel heartbroken.


    At this moment, Cosmoem suddenly tugged at Yuga, urging him to y the Moon Flute, leaving Yuga puzzled.


    At first, he thought Cosmoem was being unreasonable, but seeing the seriousness and determination in its eyes, Yuga eventually chose to trust it.


    "Woooo..."


    The harsh sound of the flute echoed across the battlefield, and for some reason, all the Kartana and Guzzlord felt a shiver run through their hearts.


    "Woooo..."


    The flute''s sound continued, as did the battle. Suddenly, Cosmoem, glowing with a silver light, transformed into a streak of light and shot up into the sky.


    "Wooo..."


    Under the influence of the flute, Cosmoem''s silver glow intensified. Then, all of a sudden, beams of rainbow-colored light erupted from the bodies of the Guzzlord, each one shooting towards Cosmoem in the sky, as if returning to their source.


    Yuga instantly recognized that these rainbow-colored beams were the manifestation of the Ultra Aura from the Guzzlord. He continued ying the Moon Flute without pause, and the Ultra Aura from the Guzzlord flowed continuously into Cosmoem.


    As the Ultra Aura drained away, the Guzzlord felt themselves growing weaker and weaker, a deep sense of fear rising in their hearts. They tried to stop the loss of energy, but found they were powerless to do so.


    Wrapped in silver light, Cosmoem seemed to truly be a cocoon.


    Buzz...


    No one knew how much time had passed when a massive image of Lun suddenly appeared above Cosmoem. The apparition was enormous, covering half the sky.


    The image had its eyes closed, its expression solemn and dignified, and its wings spread wide, illuminating the gloomy sky with unparalleled brightness.


    "Roar!"


    "Roar!"


    "Roar!"


    All the Guzzlord, upon seeing the enormous apparition, were filled with an inexplicable fear and involuntarily crouched down to the ground.


    Not only were the Guzzlord astonished, but Yuga was also shocked. Was Cosmoem about to evolve? But that didn''t seem right! From what Yuga knew, Cosmoem was still far from the point of evolution.


    Boom!!!


    A massive silver beam shot out from Lun''s apparition, leaving a nearly bottomless chasm in its wake.


    After firing this attack, the giant Lun apparition shattered into pieces, turning into countless silver particles that merged into Cosmoem''s body. Then, Cosmoem plummeted from the sky.


    Fortunately, Gengar reacted quickly, flying over to catch Cosmoem as it fell at high speed.


    Clearly, Yuga had guessed wrong. The appearance of the Lun apparition didn''t mean that Cosmoem was about to evolve.


    When Yuga took Cosmoem from Gengar''s hands, he found that it had already fallen asleep.


    Looking at Cosmoem''s smiling face, Yuga guessed that it was probably fine.


    Because Cosmoem had used the Moon Flute to extract arge amount of Ultra Aura from the Guzzlord, all of them had be incredibly weak, theirbat abilities significantly reduced, and they were no longer a match for the Kartana tribe.


    After driving away the Guzzlord, all the Kartana let out a sigh of relief. However, they knew that this safety was only temporary. As long as the Guzzlord continued to exist, they could never live in peace. The Guzzlord could return at any time.


    After the battle, the oasis was in even worse condition, and the mood of the Kartana tribe was very low.


    With the battle over, Yuga nned to return the Moon Flute to the Kartana tribe, but surprisingly, the Kartana all unanimously agreed to gift the Moon Flute to Yuga and Cosmoem. Yuga was delighted to hear this, knowing how important the Moon Flute must be to Cosmoem.


    In return for the Kartana tribe''s gift, Yuga decided to give them a gift as well.

 Chapter 1161: The Forest of Nihilego

    <h4>Chapter 1161: The Forest of Nihilego</h4>


    The oasis of the Kartana tribe had suffered extensive damage during the battle, leaving the Kartana deeply saddened.


    However, this was not a challenge for Yuga and Florges. Florges was easily able to restore the damaged nts. To repay the Kartana tribe for their gift of the Moon Flute, Yuga decided to have Florges help them rebuild their home.


    "Is it really true? Can you truly restore this ce to its former state?" an elderly Kartana asked excitedly.


    "Of course!" Yuga replied affirmatively. "Just follow me and see for yourself."


    With that, Yuga led Florges to the center of the oasis. When all the Kartana heard that Yuga and Florges were going to repair the oasis, they gathered together in high spirits, eager to see how Florges would restore their home.


    "Florges, I''m counting on you," Yuga said, looking into Florges''s eyes.


    "Florages!"


    Florges responded with a smile, then slowly moved forward.


    It stood solemnly on a patch of grass that had been heavily damaged, closed its eyes, and spread its arms. Streams of green energy flowed down from its body like water, forming a circle at its feet.


    The circle of energy continuously spread outward, and all the nts and trees swept up in its wake were rejuvenated, while new green shoots began to sprout from the exposed yellow earth.


    Seeing this miraculous scene, some Kartana dropped their jaws in astonishment, some couldn''t help but cheer loudly, and others were brought to tears.


    Florges''s restoration work continued. Under the nurturing of the grass-type energy, the small grass des eagerly pushed through the soil, trees slowly sprouted new branches, and flowers began to bloom again.


    Witnessing this, Yuga took out a Pok�� Ball and released his Dragonite.


    "Dragonite, make it rain here."


    "Dragonite!"


    Dragonite let out a loud roar, pped its wings, and shot into the sky like a cannonball. Soon after, light rain began to fall from the clouds above.


    The revitalization of the nts depended on the nourishment of rainwater.


    This oasis had been dry for a long time, and now with the moisture from the rain, the air felt brighter.


    In terms of weather control, Dragonite was a professional, even outdoing Lapras, a water-type Pok��mon, in this regard.


    The rain became heavier, as if it were drawing in all the surrounding moisture to pour down in one go. The water slowly gathered together, and the previously dried-upke in the oasis was now filling back up.


    Once Florges finished its restoration, Dragonite dispersed the rain clouds, and the Kartana were astonished to find that the edges of their oasis had expanded outward by a whole circle.


    This... was nothing short of a miracle!


    Afterpleting the restoration, Florges didn''t immediately return to Yuga''s side. It kept its eyes closed, listening to the rustling sounds of the trees swaying in the breeze, which sounded to Florges like the nts thanking it for its help.


    As Yuga and the many Kartana watched Florges, they suddenly felt as if something indescribable had emerged from her. Although Yuga didn''t quite grasp the sensation, the Kartana were overwhelmed with a sense of awe.


    When Florges finally opened her eyes again, the many Pok��mon felt as if the scene they had just witnessed was merely an illusion; Florges appeared unchanged from before.


    After restoring the oasis, Yuga took out a variety of berry tree for the Kartana, an assortment that he had temporarily exchanged for at the system shop.


    Of course, Yuga didn''t give them these berry tree for eating but rather for them to extract the seeds for nting. Although not all berry tree are propagated through seeds, the ones Yuga selected were.


    Due to the destruction caused by the Guzzlord, the surviving berry tree in the area had be extremely scarce. This was also why the Kartana tribe could only serve Yuga meager rations before.


    With these seeds, Yuga believed it wouldn''t be long before the Kartana tribe wouldn''t have to go hungry again��provided Guzzlord didn''te back to disrupt them.


    After receiving the berry tree seeds, the Kartana tribe showered Yuga with gratitude, nearly treating him like a deity.


    However, Yuga didn''t stay with the Kartana for long; he still needed to search for clues rted to Luna. Despite the tribe''s best efforts to keep him, Yuga rode away on his Absol.


    On his journey, Yuga rode his Absol while holding the still-sleeping Cosmoem in his arms, diligently studying the Moon Flute he had obtained.


    "Wooooo..."


    The sounds produced by Yuga ying the flute echoed nonstop; if it weren''t for Absol''s great patience, it would have long since tossed Yuga off its back.


    It was so awful!


    After walking for an unknown length of time, Cosmoem finally woke up, and seeing it lively and energetic, Yuga felt a wave of relief.


    Yuga''s flute-ying career continued; while Absol didn''t understand how to "appreciate" it, Cosmoem seemed to enjoy the music, giving Yuga a sense of pride.


    As the melodies rose and fell, the Ultra Aura surrounding Cosmoem also fluctuated in sync.


    Since absorbing the Ultra Aura from Guzzlord, the Ultra Aura surrounding Cosmoem had grown exceptionally robust. Initially, these foreign auras didn''t quite harmonize with Cosmoem, but as the music from the Moon Flute blended in, the auras gradually became one with Cosmoem.


    Yuga increasingly felt that this Moon Flute was a treasure!


    Along the way, Yuga encountered several wandering Guzzlord but managed to avoid them from a distance.


    As night fell, Yuga had to stop to find a ce to rest. His system backpack was well-equipped with items for overnight camping, so he wasn''t worried about going hungry or freezing.


    That evening, while having dinner, Yuga pondered what to do next; aimlessly searching like this was not a viable n.


    After a long time of thought, Yuga decided that perhaps he should check out the territory of the Nihilego. Since Guzzlord were too vicious to gather information from, he would have to try his luck with Nihilego.


    Thus, early the next morning, he rode his Absol toward the direction of Nihilego''s territory.


    Although Yuga didn''t know exactly where Nihilego''s territory was, he had learned the general direction from the Kartana tribe, so as long as he didn''t stray too far off course, finding it shouldn''t be too difficult.


    With a destination in mind, Yuga quickened his pace. Absol galloped forward, and after quite a while, Yuga finally saw a vast and dense forest.


    Needless to say, this was the dwelling ce of the Nihilego tribe, as the Kartana had mentioned that throughout the entire Ultra Space, aside from the territory of the Nihilego tribe, there were no otherrge areas of green vegetation.


    The small oasis of the Kartana tribe couldn''tpare to the expansiveness of this forest; it looked like a beautiful green emerald embedded in and filled with yellow sand and soil.


    From a distance, Yuga spotted numerous Guzzlord wandering around the outskirts of the forest, their mouths watering as they gazed hungrily at the trees within. If it weren''t for the Nihilego patrolling the edges, they likely would have charged in already.


    Although the Kartana tribe had mentioned that the Nihilego tribe had a pact with Guzzlord, it was evident from the current situation that their rtionship was merely superficial.


    Guzzlord were eyeing the territory of the Nihilego tribe hungrily, while the Nihilego tribe was also eager to drive away Guzzlord and use them to eliminate the Kartana tribe.


    Despite being strong, the steel-type Kartana tribe naturally countered the Nihilego tribe, being immune to their poison-type moves and resistant to their rock-type moves. Thus, they had long wanted to eliminate or drive away the Kartana tribe.


    The arrival of Guzzlord was a perfect opportunity!


    Yuga observed the outskirts of the forest for a while before recalling Absol and Cosmoem into their Pok�� Balls and summoning Gengar. "Gengar, let''s sneak in and check the situation."


    Gengar nodded at Yuga''s words, draping its arm over Yuga''s shoulder, and together they vanished from sight.


    After sneaking into the forest, Yuga and Gengar were extremely cautious, fearing that any noise might attract the attention of the Nihilego. He nned to find a lone Nihilego to see if he could catch it off guard and ask if it had any information about Luna.


    The number of Nihilego was far greater than that of the Kartana tribe; nearly every short distance, Yuga encountered four or five Nihilego patrolling together.


    From their formation, it seemed they were on high alert for Guzzlord!


    Poor Yuga and Gengar had been sneaking around for quite a while but hadn''t found a single lone Nihilego.


    As they walked, Yuga suddenly heard a burst ofughter and noise. He quietly parted the bushes and discovered a small pool hidden deep within the forest.


    The pool was filled with a deep purple, strange liquid, and several Nihilego were bathing in it, looking extremely pleased. Anyone who didn''t know better might think they were soaking in some heavenly nectar!


    Just as Yuga was curious about the liquid in the pool, a leaf was blown by the wind and fell into the water. He heard a "sizzle," and the leaf waspletely corroded.


    My goodness!


    Yuga quickly covered his mouth, realizing that the pool was filled with poison! And it was highly toxic at that! No wonder these poison-type Ultra Beasts could bathe in it with such strong toxicity.


    Looking at the pool full of poison, Yuga suddenly thought��should he steal some to bring back to Roserade? Such potent poison would surely be appealing to Roserade!


    However, even if he wanted to steal some, this was not the time, with so many Nihilego present!


    Just as Yuga was about to turn and leave to continue searching for a lone Nihilego, he suddenly spotted another Nihilego drifting over from a distance, with a human parasite beneath it.


    When Yuga saw the human''s face clearly, he was shocked to find that it was Ayashi.


    What is Ayashi doing here?


    Yuga widened his eyes in disbelief, fearing he might be seeing things.


    The newly arrived Nihilego seemed to say something to itspanions in the poison pool, and all the Nihilego floated off in a particr direction. At this moment, Yuga couldn''t care less about stealing the poison and hurriedly followed along with Gengar.


    Before long, Yuga saw that Arata Sena, Luna, and Kaname Hirakawa were also being parasitized. However, with so many Nihilego around, he felt anxious but didn''t dare to act rashly.


    Just as Yuga was desperately thinking of a way to rescue Luna and the others, the Nihilego that was parasitizing Kaname Hirakawa seemed to sense something and shot a dissolution liquid toward Yuga and Gengar.


    Seeing this, Gengar quickly pushed Yuga aside, and the dissolution liquid instantly corroded the spot where Yuga had been hiding. At the same time, the contact was broken, and Gengar and Yuga''s invisibility effect was lost.


    Upon seeing Yuga, a suddenly appeared unfamiliar human, the Nihilego began to wildly thrash their tentacles, looking extremely excited.


    Another human to parasitize!


    Why do the Nihilego prefer to parasitize humans? Because they can draw more nutrients from the humans they inhabit; even if the human''s brain dies in the future, they can still control the still-living body.


    It was incredibly terrifying!


    The first to attack Yuga were the four Nihilego that had parasitized Luna and the others, and they were the strongest among all the Nihilego.


    Yuga immediately released his Chimecho, which used Light Screen to block the Nihilego''s Power Gem.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Gengar alsounched a counterattack with Shadow Balls hitting the Nihilego, but it dared not use its full strength, as that would harm Luna and the others who were being parasitized.


    Due to the concern for the parasitized individuals, Chimecho and Gengar found their fighting abilities severely restricted. They were not the opponents of the four leading Nihilego even under normal circumstances, and now they were even more flustered.


    Seeing that more and more Nihilego were gathering over to this side, Yuga gritted his teeth and shouted to Gengar and Chimecho, "Gengar, Chimecho, let''s go!"


    Upon hearing Yuga''smand, the two Pok��mon quickly gathered by his side. Yuga released Cosmoem and said, "Cosmoem, use Teleport to take us away!"


    Cosmoem responded, and the next second, Yuga and Gengar vanished from their spot.


    The approaching Nihilego immediately began to frantically search for the suddenly disappeared Yuga.


    When Yuga and Gengar reappeared, they found themselves standing in a dense jungle. Before Yuga could regain his bearings, he heard the Nihilego calling out, searching for his whereabouts.


    This meant that Cosmoem had foolishly not taken them out of the Nihilego territory.


    What an unreliable guy!


    Yuga mumbled under his breath, quickly recalling Cosmoem and Chimecho, then hiding again with Gengar.


    Although there was still a risk of being discovered by sensitive Pok��mon while hidden, they could still avoid most dangers of being found.


    After the Nihilego around them left, Yuga cautiously made his way out with Gengar.


    Due to Yuga''s sudden discovery, the number of Nihilego out on patrol increased, so he had to be even more careful.


    As the jungle was too dense, Yuga and Gengar didn''t dare to make too much noise, making it impossible to determine their direction for a moment; they could only il about like headless flies in the woods.


    Not knowing where they had wandered into, Yuga gently parted the bushes before him, and a pile of scattered stones appeared in front of him!

 Chapter 1162: The Proper Way to Rescue Hostages

    <h4>Chapter 1162: The Proper Way to Rescue Hostages</h4>


    Yuga never expected that, by pure luck, he''d stumble into the Nihilego tribe''s storage area for Pok��mon eggs. Hundreds of gray-white eggs were scattered densely among the pile of rocks.


    Seeing these eggs, an idea suddenly formed in Yuga''s mind.


    There were currently two major difficulties in rescuing Luna and the others from the Nihilego tribe: first, their numbers and strength far exceeded his, making a frontal assault impractical; second, they held hostages, which prevented him from fully unleashing his full abilities.


    Since the opposing side had hostages, if he could also get "hostages," all his problems could be solved. And these Pok��mon eggs before him would make the perfect "hostages"! Yuga thought to himself.


    One or two Nihilego as hostages might not matter to the tribe, but if all their eggs were suddenly missing, the tribe would face a severe drop in poption, possibly even extinction. They would have no choice but to negotiate!


    The Ultra Beasts found it more challenging to reproduce than ordinary Pok��mon. Without these eggs, no new members would be born in their tribe for a long time.


    However, taking all the eggs posed some difficulty since two Nihilego were standing guard. The problem now was how to take them without alerting the rest of the tribe �� especially given that every Nihilego was an Elite-level.


    After considering a moment, Yuga decided to send Chimecho out as a distraction. With its Teleport, Chimecho could act as bait without fear of getting caught.


    The Nihilego tribe didn''t have moves like Block, Mean Look, or Imprison to prevent an opponent''s escape.


    After discussing the bait n with Chimecho, Yuga warned it, "Be careful and don''t get entangled with them. As soon as you''ve got their attention, make a quick getaway."


    "Ching-ching!"


    Chimecho nodded, then flew out with confidence, head held high.


    "Ching, ching-ching...ching, ching-ching..."


    It floated before the two resting Nihilego, happily singing, making funny faces, sticking out its tongue... wriggling around in an oddly hrious way. The two Nihilego were instantly provoked andunched an attack.


    Chimecho dodged left and right, effortlessly evading the Nihilego''s Power Gems. But instead of fleeing right away, it continued to dance and sing, taunting the two Nihilego even more.


    The Nihilego grew increasingly irritated, their attacks intensifying. Once Chimecho felt it had them riled up enough, it turned around and bolted, sticking its tongue out and even spitting in their direction as it ran.


    Although Yuga thought Chimecho''s antics were cute, the two Nihilego were infuriated, and without a word, they chased after it, soon disappearing from Yuga''s sight.


    A minute or twoter, the noise in the distance grew louder. Yuga guessed that other Nihilego had probably joined the chase after discovering Chimecho''s taunts.


    As time ticked by, Yuga leaped from the bushes, quickly cing the Pok��mon eggs into his system backpack, one after another.


    He was so tense that he lost track of how long he''d been at it. When he finally came to his senses, only a few scattered eggs remained on the pile of rocks.


    Originally, Yuga intended to take thest few eggs as well, but the approaching noise signaled that the guards were returning, so he had no choice but to leave with Gengar.


    Even after he was far from the rock pile, Yuga''s heart was still pounding. It had been a long time since he''d experienced something so thrilling like this!


    Next, he needed to regroup with Chimecho. Since it had caused such amotion, it was easy for Yuga to find it. Then, hiding in the shadows, he returned Chimecho to its Pok�� Ball.


    Seeing Chimecho suddenly vanish in a red sh, the Nihilego who are preparing to capture it exchanged confused nces, unsure what had just happened.


    Very soon, the disappearance of the Pok��mon eggs was discovered, triggering a massive uproar within the Nihilego tribe. At this point, they had no attention left to chase after Yuga and Chimecho.


    At this moment, Yuga and Gengar made their way back to the venom pool they had spotted earlier. With the Pok��mon eggs missing, there wasn''t a single Nihilego in sight around the venom pool.


    Looking at the pool brimming with venom, Yuga instructed the system to store all the venom in a section of his system backpack.


    Since the system couldpartmentalize and iste items, the venom wouldn''t affect anything else inside the backpack.


    After collecting all the venom, Yuga discovered that the bottom of the pool was packed with hundreds of Poison Orbs, each emanating a dense purple aura from being nourished by the venom��obviously of high quality!


    The Nihilego tribe had painstakingly collected venom to nourish these Poison Orbs, which in turn enhanced the venom''s toxicity. A great deal of time and effort had gone into creating this valuable venom pool.


    Now Yuga had taken it all at once! The Nihilego tribe would surely go berserk when they discovered this.


    Yuga decided that when he got back, he would build a simr pool for himself, filling it with the Poison Orbs and venom, which would be a great boon for Roserade! He could continue collecting various toxic substances to enrich the venom in the pool and enhance the quality of the Poison Orbs.


    Gengar might also benefit from the poison fumes in the pool.


    After finishing everything, Yuga swaggered into the center of the Nihilego tribe''s territory with Cosmoem in tow. The Nihilego standing guard saw Yuga and immediately prepared to attack.


    The four Nihilego that was parasitized Luna and the others were also present, as they held the most authority in the Nihilego tribe.


    "Hold on! Take a look at this!" Yuga said, as a Pok��mon egg appeared out of thin air in his hand. "If you act rashly, I can''t guarantee what will happen to this egg." He made a motion as if he were about to drop the egg.


    Seeing this, the Nihilego immediately ceased their attacks, ring at Yuga in anger (although Yuga wasn''t sure where their eyes were, he could certainly feel their furious gazes).


    At this point, they understood that their tribe''s children were entirely in this human''s hands.


    "Human, what do you want?"


    The Nihilego that was parasitized Kaname Hirokawa slowly floated out from the others, and its voice echoed within Yuga''s mind.


    Telepathy? Yuga looked at the Nihilego with surprise, realizing that this particr one had the strongest aura among the Nihilego��no doubt, it must be the leader of the group.


    "Release the humans you''ve taken over!" Yuga said directly.


    "Fine!" The Nihilego responded decisively. Compared to the survival of its species, it didn''t hesitate to abandon smaller gains. "But you need to show some sincerity. Otherwise, if you suddenly escape, we''d have no way to stop you."


    It had already witnessed Yuga''s teleportation and invisibility abilities, and they indeed had no way to counter them.


    "You have a point!" Seeing its straightforward response, Yuga didn''t beat around the bush. In the next moment, three more Pok��mon eggs appeared in his arms. "Release them, and I''ll give you these four eggs for now. Once we''re outside, I''ll return the rest."


    "No deal!" The Nihilego instantly refused. "How do I know you won''t deceive us?" Only four eggs in exchange for so many? That wasn''t nearly enough.


    "Forget it, then!" Yuga replied, quickly putting the eggs back without any sign of worry. "I don''t know those people anyway, and I''m only trying to rescue them as a favor. Do as you please." He patted Cosmoem beside him as if ready to teleport away at any moment.


    The Nihilego leader was curious about how Yuga managed to hide and retrieve the Pok��mon eggs so effortlessly, but it knew this wasn''t the time to dwell on such details.


    It stared intently at Yuga''s nonchnt face, trying to detect any sign of deceit, but Yuga''sposure was impable.


    Finally, the Nihilego leader had no choice but to relent, saying, "Alright, we''ll do as you say."


    With that, it released Kaname Hirokawa from its possession, and instructed the other three Nihilego to release Luna, Ayashi, and Arata Sena.


    Although reluctant, the three Nihilego obeyed their leader''s orders, albeit with visible reluctance.


    Seeing Luna and the others lying unconscious outside, Yuga summoned Gengar and Mismagius, ready to move them over, but a few Nihilego quickly blocked the way.


    "We''ve released them, but you need to show more sincerity!" the Nihilego leader''s voice sounded again.


    Yuga stared at the leader for a few moments, then casually replied, "Fine, I''m just that generous!" He took out about ten more Pok��mon eggs and set them on the ground.


    An exchange was arranged: Gengar and Mismagius moved Luna and the others, while the Nihilego carefully moved the eggs to their side.


    After sessfully rescuing Luna and the others, Yuga said to the Nihilego leader, "Back off a bit. Once we''re out of your territory, I''ll return the remaining eggs."


    He meant that he would leave the forest under their watch, and once he reached the edge, he''d hand over the rest of the eggs. But the Nihilego couldn''t follow him too closely.


    "Alright!" The Nihilego leader nced at the other leading Nihilego and agreed, knowing they were at a disadvantage.


    Yuga grinned, instructing Gengar and the others to carry Luna and the rest, and began walking towards the forest''s edge.


    The Nihilego followed closely, but whenever they moved a bit too near, Yuga would turn and re at them, forcing them to back off.


    Sensing the right moment, Yuga gently tapped Cosmoem. In the next instant, he, along with Gengar, Luna, and the others, vanished, leaving behind a bold, mockingugh.


    "Hahaha... Farewell!"


    Seeing Yuga escape in a moment of inattention, the Nihilego were furious, especially their leader, whoshed out in rage, whipping its tentacles wildly and uprooting the surrounding nts and trees.


    The Nihilego leader quickly gathered all of its kind, ordering them to leave their territory and capture Yuga, determined to retrieve the egg.


    Unfortunately, they couldn''t send out every member, as the ravenous Guzzlord outside their territory eyed them hungrily as well.


    This time, Cosmoem was exceptionally reliable, it teleporting Yuga and the others dozens of miles outside the Nihilego territory in a single move.


    Seeing that they were safe, Yuga let out a long sigh of relief��what a thrill it had been to snatch victory from the jaws of danger.


    He hadn''t returned all the Pok��mon eggs to the Nihilego, not only because he was intrigued by them, but also because he didn''t want to give up such valuable leverage.


    Although he had found Luna and the others, how to return to the human world was still a mystery. Keeping this leverage over the Nihilego might be useful down the road.


    In this Ultra Space, the Kartana tribe he was on friendly terms with had already declined, leaving only the Nihilego and the Guzzlord tribes to bnce each other out. Now, with a bargaining chip against the Nihilego, Yuga felt a bit more confident.


    He could imagine how furious the Nihilego tribe must be now, but as long as he held on to these eggs, they wouldn''t dare act recklessly toward him.


    Finding a ce to settle down, Yuga checked the condition of the four people. Discovering that they were very weak, he decided to take them to the Kartana territory, which was rtively safer.


    Since Cosmoem hadn''t paid attention to the direction when teleporting, it took Yuga some time to get back to the Kartana territory, finally arriving there a dayter with Luna and the others in tow.


    The Kartana were surprised to see Yuga again, especially with four humans alongside him, but they weed him warmly.


    Thanks to continuous treatment from Chimecho, Luna and the others finally woke up after reaching the Kartana territory.


    While they had been possessed by the Nihilego, they could eat under its control, but once freed, Yuga was worried they might starve if they didn''t wake soon.


    The first one to wake up was Arata Sena, who had the best physical endurance, so he regained consciousness the earliest.


    "Am I dreaming? Why is the Gym Leader here?" Arata Sena''s memory lingered on the moment he was possessed by the Nihilego. After being parasitized for so long, his consciousness had gradually faded. Had Yugae anyter, it was uncertain if he would''ve ever woken up.


    "You''re not dreaming. If I hadn''te, you wouldn''t even know where you died," Yuga said with a touch of annoyance.


    Arata Sena blinked, finally realizing he wasn''t dreaming. Just as he tried to sit up, he copsed back down, too weak to stay upright.


    "You''ve been possessed by the Nihilego for a long time. Your body''s still weak, so just lie down for now," Yuga reassured him.


    So the creature that possessed me is called Nihilego! Arata Sena thought silently. Only now did he notice that he and Luna were lying in Florges''s grassy terrain!


    Thanks to the healing effect of Florges''s grassy terrain, which nourished their bodies, Arata Sena was able to wake up this quickly.


    Arata Sena was about to speak further when Yuga appeared with a pile of berries held on leaves. "Hungry? Eat something first, and then we''ll talk."


    Yuga had thoughtfully cut the berries into small pieces, making them easy to eat.

 Chapter 1163: Cosmoem’s Plan

    <h4>Chapter 1163: Cosmoem''s n</h4>


    Not long after Sena Arata woke up, Luna, Ayashi, and Kaname Hirakawa also regained consciousness one by one. Luna was delighted to see Yugae to their rescue, though she felt useless��she''d suffered such a major setback on her very first mission.


    However, Yuga didn''t me her. The sudden appearance of Ultra Beasts hadn''t been detected in time, which was primarily a failure on the part of the League''s Investigation Bureau, not Luna and Kaname Hirakawa''s fault.


    After all, Luna and Kaname Hirakawa were still new recruits who hadn''t even passed the formal entry exams. Without adequate preparation, how could they have stood a chance against Guzzlord?


    Afterforting Luna, Yuga said to the four of them, "Your bodies are still very weak. Focus on recovery for now. I''ll go talk to the Kartana to see if there''s a way for us to leave this ce."


    "Mm, go ahead, Brother. We''ll be fine here with Florges taking care of us," Luna said obediently.


    After Yuga left, Kaname Hirakawa, while eating some berries, gazed after Yuga''s retreating figure and remarked with admiration, "So that''s Gym Leader Shimizu. I didn''t expect you to really be his sister!"


    Luna, hearing this, was about to snap at him, but too weak to muster much anger, she replied faintly, "Didn''t I already tell you? What, did you think I was lying?"


    Back when Ayashi and Arara Sena had rescued Luna and Kaname Hirakawa, Luna had introduced Ayashi and Arata Sena as apprentices of the Verdanturf Gym and rified that she was Yuga''s cousin.


    Even after going through life-and-death situations together, she couldn''t bring herself to like Kaname Hirakawa��how could he not believe her? Luna thought indignantly.


    Kaname Hirakawa chuckled awkwardly, "I was just too surprised back then. It''s a good thing you''re Gym Leader Shimizu''s sister. If not, who knows if we''d still be alive now?"


    To Kaname Hirakawa, someone like Yuga seemed like a legendary figure from far away��who would have thought he''d be personally saved by him one day?


    "Hmph, at least you have some sense!" Luna huffed.


    After leaving Luna and the others in Florges''s care, Yuga went to see the Kartana tribe leader.


    "You want a way out of here?" the elderly Kartana leader said. "Currently, the weakest part of this world is in the area where Guzzlord has gathered inrge numbers. If you want to leave, you''d have to use the Ultra Wormhole that sporadically appears there."


    Yuga frowned, "Isn''t there any other way? Going to Guzzlord''s gathering area is far too dangerous. If we''re discovered, I can''t handle them all alone."


    The Kartana leader shook his head and replied, "That''s the only method I know."


    "Ah..."


    Yuga had just sighed when he noticed Cosmoem beside him rubbing against him repeatedly.


    "What is it?" Yuga asked curiously.


    "Woo woo woo..." Cosmoem suddenly made a strange sound, and Yuga immediately understood that it was imitating him ying the flute.


    "You mean we could use the power of the Moon Flute?" Yuga''s eyes suddenly brightened. How had he not thought of this sooner!


    Cosmoem quickly nodded, but then it hesitated and shylymunicated to Yuga that it wanted to help the Kartana drive Guzzlord out of this Ultra Space.


    Yuga was silent for a while before asking, "Do you have a specific n?"


    Cosmoem nodded immediately.


    "Alright, then!" Yuga murmured after a brief pause. "Tell me how we should go about this."


    Of course, getting rid of Guzzlord would be ideal. If this Ultra Space copsed, the next ce in danger would be the Al region.


    Beside him, the Kartana leader''s face broke into a joyful expression upon hearing that Cosmoem had a way to drive out Guzzlord: It truly was worthy of being the Star Cocoon!


    An hourter, Yuga returned to the resting area where Luna and the others were recuperating on the Grassy Terrain. He told the four who were still lying there, "In a bit, I''ll be heading out to find a way for us to leave this ce. Just focus on your recovery; the Kartana will look after you."


    Yuga didn''t reveal Cosmoem''s n to them since they couldn''t really assist in it anyway.


    Upon hearing this, Luna immediately looked worried and said, "Be careful out there."


    Both Ayashi and Arata Sena shared her concern, frustrated that they were too weak to be of any help and had even held Yuga back.


    Yuga smiled and said, "Don''t worry. I was able to rescue you safely from Nihilego; of course, I have a way to ensure my safety too."


    After giving Luna and the others some instructions, Yuga hurriedly left the Kartana territory, bringing Florges with him while leaving Bellossom behind to continue caring for the four of them.


    The next day, Yuga looked at the dense forest in front of him, feeling a sense of wonder. He hadn''t expected to return so soon after escaping.


    Yes, Yuga had returned to the Nihilego''s territory.


    With Cosmoem''s guidance through Teleport, Yuga appeared in the heart of the Nihilego territory, where he was confronted by their leader and other high-ranking members.


    The Nihilego, seeing Yuga,unched an attack without a word��Power Gems, Acid Sprays, Sludge Bombs, Venom Drains... a barrage of skills surged toward Yuga and Cosmoem with the intent to pulverize them.


    Scoundrel! How dare you return!


    Fortunately, Yuga and Cosmoem were prepared. At the moment the Nihilego attacked, they Teleported out of harm''s way.


    "Let''s talk things out; no need to be so hostile, alright?" Yuga said, waving a Pok��mon egg around.


    The sight of the Pok��mon egg was enough to bring the Nihilego back to their senses.


    "Human, what do you want now?" the Nihilego leader floated forward and barked angrily, its eyes full of hatred toward Yuga and Cosmoem.


    "I''m here to propose a deal," Yuga replied.


    "A deal? Do you think we''d fall for your tricks again?"


    Mentioning a deal nearly made the Nihilego leader explode in rage��this despicable human still dared to talk about making deals.


    Yuga spread his hands and said, "Whether you take it is up to you. I''lly out the terms first."


    "If you help me with something, I''ll return your children to you. To show my sincerity, I''ll give you a third of them right now."


    After Yuga spoke, dozens of Pok��mon eggs appeared in front of him.


    At the sight of the eggs, the Nihilego began to grow restless, eager to rush forward, but Yuga waved his hand, and the eggs disappeared again.


    (#����) The Nihilego red at Yuga with fury: You scoundrel!


    "Well? Are you in or not? If you agree, I''ll return a third of your children to you right away," Yuga said with a grin.


    "We''ll do it! We agree!" the Nihilego leader gritted its teeth, forced to ept. "But I have one condition."


    Yuga raised an eyebrow. "What condition? Let''s hear it."


    "Our poison pool��did you take it? If you want us to agree, you''ll have to return the poison pool as well," the Nihilego leader demanded.


    "What are you talking about? Poison pool? I don''t know anything about that!" Yuga replied, putting on an innocent expression. "You can''t me me for every little thing that goes missing."


    Of course, Yuga wouldn''t admit to it. He held the advantage, and he wasn''t about to give it up.


    "If it wasn''t you, then who else?" The Nihilego leader demanded angrily.


    Yuga put on an annoyed expression. "How would I know? Anyway, it wasn''t me."


    "You!" The Nihilego leader was livid��how could someone be this shameless?


    "So, are you going to do it or not? If you keep dragging your feet, I''ll just leave," Yuga said impatiently, acting as if he was about to walk away.


    "What do you want us to do? Just tell us!" the Nihilego leader ground out, full of resentment. Even though it knew Yuga was lying, there was nothing they could do butpromise. Getting at least some of their children back took priority; as for the poison pool, it was a small matter inparison to their species'' survival.


    "I want you to round up all the scattered Guzzlords," Yuga said, emphasizing each word.


    In order to carry out Cosmoem''s n, all of the Guzzlords had to be gathered together.


    Most of the Guzzlords had already congregated at their nest to prepare for an invasion of the human world through the Ultra Wormhole. Still, some remained scattered outside.


    It might be difficult for the Nihilego to fight all the Guzzlords, but gathering those scattered outside shouldn''t be too challenging.


    "What did you say?" The Nihilego leader was so shocked its voice changed. "Capture the Guzzlords? What exactly are you trying to do?"


    "That''s not your concern," Yuga replied. "But you don''t want the Guzzlords sticking around here forever, do you? My goal is to drive the Guzzlords out of this ce. Just tell me if you''ll do it or not."


    The Nihilego leader red at Yuga in silence for a long moment before finally responding bitterly, "We''ll do it."


    Yuga grinned. "Good, then I''ll be waiting for your news!"


    With that, Yuga left behind dozens of Pok��mon eggs and, with Cosmoem''s Teleport, disappeared from the scene.


    Before leaving, Yuga suddenly remembered something and said to the Nihilego leader, "Oh, by the way, you still have the Pok�� Balls from those four people, right? Hand them over."


    Fearing that the Nihilego didn''t know what a Pok�� Ball was, Yuga took out a new Pok�� Ball to show them.


    Indeed, the Nihilego didn''t recognize Pok�� Balls or understand their purpose. As they were about to negotiate with Yuga over the Pok�� Balls, Yuga added, "If you don''t have them, that''s fine, but I''ll need to reim a few of your children''s eggs."


    As he spoke, he moved as if he were about to collect the eggs in front of him, and the Nihilego leader hastily instructed others to retrieve Luna and the others'' Pok�� Balls.


    (������ŭ) Infuriating!


    After counting the Pok�� Balls and confirming everything was correct, Yuga left with ease.


    Watching Yuga leave so calmly, the Nihilego felt enraged, wishing Yuga would slip during his Teleport and end up drowning in a pond.


    In the following days, the Nihilego tribe mobilized almost all of its members, leaving only a few behind to guard their home.


    The capture operation went smoother than Yuga had expected; since the Guzzlords had absorbed the Ultra Aura during their attack on Kartana''s territory, their strength was greatly diminished. Originally, the Nihilego and Guzzlords were on par in power, but with this shift in bnce, the Nihilego gained the upper hand.


    Yuga had secretly observed the Nihilego capturing Guzzlords and noticed they were very adept at dealing with them, as if they''d ambushed the Guzzlords many times before.


    Every day, Yuga would visit the Nihilego territory to check on their progress. To his surprise, each Guzzlord they brought back was in a poisoned state, renderedpletely immobile except for its impotent rage.


    The capture operation continued for five days, and during this time, Luna and herpanions in Kartana''s territory had mostly recovered from their injuries. They were bing increasingly worried as Yuga still hadn''t returned, and Ayashi and Arata Sena even wanted to go search for him. However, Luna and Kaname Hirakawa who are still rational managed to hold them back.


    Without their Pok��mon with them, if they went out, they would not only fail to help Yuga but might also cause him additional trouble.


    In the Nihilego territory.


    Looking at the unconscious Guzzlords scattered around, the Nihilego leader said, "All the Guzzlords you asked for are here. Now, you should return our children."


    Yuga shook his head. "Not just yet. You need to help me transport these Guzzlords to their gathering ce."


    "You!!" The Nihilego leader was furious, but seeing Yuga''s indifferent "take it or leave it" expression, it had no choice but to relent, warning, "You better not be trying any tricks, or we won''t let you off!"


    "Don''t worry! I''m a man of my word!" Yuga replied with a cheerful smile. "Once you reach the destination, you can leave, and I''ll send the eggs to youter."


    Indeed, a person who abandons shame is invincible! Yuga thought silently to himself, though he had to admit he felt a bit like a scoundrel.


    But being a scoundrel wasn''t such a bad feeling!


    The Nihilego had no other choice now but to put their faith in Yuga.


    And so, Yuga and the Nihilego members set off, transporting the unconscious Guzzlords toward the gathering ce.


    The Guzzlords were incredibly heavy; a single Nihilego couldn''t manage one on its own, which meant that the transport required the majority of the Nihilego tribe. Furthermore, to prevent Yuga from pulling any tricks, several powerful high-ranking Nihilego, including the leader, joined the escort.


    The Guzzlord gathering ce was located in a vast canyon surrounded by eroded rock formations. When Yuga and the others arrived, most of the Guzzlords were lounging aroundzily.


    Just as the Nihilego leader was about to ask Yuga where to ce the unconscious Guzzlords, Yuga suddenly jumped out, producing an iron pot and spoon he usually used for cooking in the wild, and began banging on them loudly.


    The noise instantly disturbed the resting Guzzlords, and they quickly spotted the Nihilego holding their unconscious kin. By this point, Yuga and Cosmoem had already Teleported away to some unknown location.


    The Guzzlords, not known for their intelligence, assumed the Nihilego had broken their agreement.


    Realizing they had once again been duped by Yuga, the Nihilego leader let out an enraged screech, which only further agitated the Guzzlords.


    The Guzzlords began their attack on the Nihilego!

 Chapter 1164: Aether Foundation

    <h4>Chapter 1164: Aether Foundation</h4>


    Facing the Guzzlords'' attacks, the Nihilego tribe initially tried to exin, but the enraged Guzzlords were too aggressive and wouldn''t listen to a single word. Eventually, the Nihilego grew furious as well, and a chaotic battle broke out.


    At this moment, Yuga that was concealed by Gengar''s invisibility, floating high above the battlefield, relishing the scene of "dog-eat-dog" chaos below.


    Both the Guzzlords and the Nihilego were individually very powerful, and their battles were earth-shattering, nearly leveling the entire canyon. This was precisely why Yuga had been cautious about confronting the two tribes head-on.


    The battle raged for nearly half a day. With the overall power of the two tribes evenly matched and their fury blinding them, it quickly descended into a situation where both sides suffered heavy losses.


    As he watched the Nihilego and Guzzlords fall one after another, Yuga knew the time was right. He took out the Moon Flute, brought it to his lips, and began to y. The discordant notes immediately echoed across the battlefield.


    The sound of the flute sent a jolt through the hearts of both the Guzzlords and the Nihilego, filling them with a sense of dread. But by then, it was toote.


    Cosmoem suddenly appeared, floating at the highest point above the battlefield, radiating a dazzling silver light. Even in broad daylight, its luminous form was impossible to miss.


    The silver glow seemed to pulse like a heartbeat, pulling at the Ultra Aura within the Guzzlords and the Nihilego. They stared in horror as they felt the energy within them threaten to break free.


    In the next moment, beams of multicolored light shot out from the bodies of the Guzzlords and Nihilego, streaming straight up toward Cosmoem in the sky like swallows returning to their nests.


    The Guzzlords and Nihilego tried desperately to stop the Ultra Aura to be drained by the Cosmoem, but it was useless. The Guzzlords that was exhausted, copsed to the ground one by one, while the floating Nihilego dropped from the air like hailstones.


    Every Nihilego present was ovee with despair and rage. They had been so naive, allowing themselves to trust that despicable human again and again! What was his intention? Did he mean to capture and kill them all? The thought terrified them.


    But mass ughter was not Yuga''s n. Wiping out an entire tribe was too cruel, and unless absolutely necessary, Yuga would never do such a thing.


    In this world of survival of the fittest, both the Guzzlords and the Nihilego had acted out of their own interests, and in that sense, they weren''t truly at fault. Yuga''s actions were aimed at protecting the human world from harm, which was also not wrong; it was merely a sh of perspectives.


    As more Ultra Aura gathered around Cosmoem, its aura grew stronger, until finally, a spectral image of Lun appeared in the sky.


    Compared to thest time, this vision of Lun was more solid, exuding an even stronger, awe-inspiring presence.


    Seeing this apparition, the Nihilego leader cried out in disbelief, "The Moon God? Is that the Moon God?"


    The legend of the Moon God was known to the Kartana tribe, and as natives, the Nihilego tribe knew it as well. However, their understanding wasn''t as detailed as Kartana''s, and they hadn''t recognized Cosmoem''s identity until Lun''s image appeared now.


    Yuga could even hear the leader''s voice crack in shock and fear.


    "Aah..."


    The Lun apparition lifted its head and let out a resounding cry, shooting a rainbow-colored beam from its mouth. A massive Ultra Wormhole then appeared in the sky.


    After the Ultra Wormhole appeared, all the Guzzlords started uncontrobly flying toward it. However, the Lun apparition prevented the Nihilego from being drawn in, leaving only the Guzzlords to be sucked inside.


    This was Cosmoem''s carefully devised n. By using arge amount of Ultra Aura, it could pinpoint Ultra Spaces devoid of life. Sending the Guzzlords there to fend for themselves would solve the problem once and for all.


    Whether the Guzzlords would eventually wreak havoc on their new home was an issue for decades or centuries down the line, far beyond Yuga''s concern. Besides, if that dimension ever did copse again, it was unlikely to reconnect with the human world but rather with another Ultra Space.


    Yuga had initially considered sending the Nihilego along too, to prevent them from causing trouble for the Kartana in the future. However, Cosmoem rejected the idea.


    For one, the Nihilego tribe had already lost much of their power from the heavy Ultra Aura drain, making them unlikely to stir up significant trouble in the future. Secondly, the resources in the dimension to which the Guzzlords were being sent were limited; adding the Nihilego would only hasten its copse.


    When the Nihilego were momentarily pulled toward the Ultra Wormhole, they were terrified. Fortunately, the Moon God intervened, sparing them from being drawn in. Still, they were utterly shaken by the experience.


    They had no desire to enter any other Ultra Space. Who knew what conditions awaited them there? However grand an unknown space might seem, nothing felt as secure as their own familiar territory.


    When thest Guzzlord disappeared, the Ultra Wormhole closed with a hum, and the Nihilego that was suspended in the air, fell to the ground again.


    But it wasn''t over yet. The Lun apparition let out another powerful cry as its radiance brightened, illuminating the entire sky. Yuga watched as another Ultra Wormhole, about to form near the canyon, was forcibly closed.


    The Lun apparition was using its power to reinforce the spatial barriers of this Ultra Space, preventing any future Ultra Wormholes from connecting with the human world.


    Ultra Spaces, as alternate dimensions, weren''t meant to frequently link with the human world. If another highly destructive Ultra Beast like Guzzlord ever crossed over, it would cause no end of trouble for the League.


    Meanwhile, back on the ind where Yuga and the others had vanished...


    The Investigation Bureau''s personnel and the Aether Foundation''s team watched in astonishment as an Ultra Wormhole that was just about to open suddenly disappeared. Faba and Lusamine, who had been excited moments before, felt as if cold water had been poured over their fervent hopes.


    "How could this happen? It was so close to opening!" Faba said, frustrated.


    The Aether Foundation had been invited by the Investigation Bureau to help locate Yuga. They had more extensive research on Ultra Beasts and Ultra Wormholes than the League itself.


    Of course, the Aether Foundation''s research was still in its early stages, but they had hoped this chance would push their studies further. Now, however, they had been thwarted at thest moment.


    Over the past few days, this was the only Ultra Wormhole they had managed to open.


    Back in Ultra Space, within the canyon...


    Once the space had stabilized, the enormous Lun apparition in the sky shattered suddenly, and Cosmoem, exhausted, fell from the sky. Luckily, Gengar quickly caught it with Psychic power.


    The sudden disappearance of the Moon God left the weakened Nihilego looking at each other in confusion, unsure what to do.


    Yuga, however, ignored them. He recalled Cosmoem to its Pok�� Ball, released Dragonite, climbed on it, and flew back toward the Kartana''s territory.


    As for the Nihilego... once they recovered, they could find their own way back. Yuga had no intention of returning the remaining Pok��mon eggs to them; he thought he was being merciful enough not to take back the ones he had already distributed.


    On the other side, Luna and the other three waited anxiously for Yuga''s safe return to the Kartana''s territory. When they saw hime back unharmed, they collectively sighed in relief. Yuga then shared everything about the Guzzlords and Nihilego with the elder Kartana, who thanked him profusely.


    Cosmoem, exhausted from the ordeal, fell into a deep sleep for three days, during which Yuga stayed by its side without leaving, constantly ying the Moon Flute to aid its recovery��much to the torment of Luna and the others'' ears.


    Most of the Ultra Aura absorbed from the Guzzlords and Nihilego had been used by Cosmoem to locate Ultra Space and stabilize the spatial barriers, but a small part remained within its body. Over the three days, the Moon Flute''s tune gradually harmonized this aura, fully merging it with Cosmoem.


    Upon waking, Cosmoem was as lively as ever, and Yuga could sense that it had grown significantly through this experience.


    On the fourth morning, Yuga went to bid farewell to the Kartana tribe, who, knowing they''d eventually have to leave, didn''t ask him to stay but handed Yuga a green crystal. The chieftain exined it was a unique item that could enhance Kartana''s power��a gift from the tribe to thank Yuga for all his help.


    Never one for excessive formality, Yuga epted the gift without hesitation.


    Examining the thumb-sized crystal in his hand, he noticed it resembled a Grassium Z he''d previously received from the system, though it seemed to hold an even greater power.


    The Kartana chieftain hadn''t mentioned its name, so Yuga decided to call it the Ultra Crystal, as it radiated an intense Ultra Aura, simr to the energy Kartana possessed.


    He nned to equip it to Kartanater on since it didn''t currently have a held item.


    After saying goodbye to the Kartana tribe, Yuga led Luna and the others to the canyon where the Guzzlords once lived, nning to return to the human world from there.


    On the way, Yuga sternly warned the four of them, "Once we''re back, don''t breathe a word about what happened here. If you really can''t withstand questioning, just say you were unconscious the entire time and know nothing."


    Now that things here had settled, Yuga wanted to avoid any furtherplications from external factors; humans had a way of causing trouble.


    "Understood!" the four replied in unison.


    Upon reaching the canyon, a rainbow-colored beam shot out from Cosmoem, creating an Ultra Wormhole justrge enough for one person to pass through.


    After this experience, Cosmoem had gained the ability to open Ultra Wormholes on its own.


    "Alright, go in one at a time. This will take you back," Yuga said to the four.


    They nodded and jump in into the Ultra Wormhole, with Yuga following behind them. Once everyone was through, he recalled Cosmoem and stepped into the portal himself.


    On the ind...


    As the Investigation Bureau''s team anxiously debated how to reopen the Ultra Wormhole to rescue Yuga, a voice suddenly shouted, "It''s open! Someone''sing out from inside!"


    Sure enough, when the coach turned around, he saw Luna and Kaname Hirakawa emerging from the Ultra Wormhole. Just as he was about to ask about Yuga''s whereabouts, he saw Yuga himself walking out calmly.


    Once all five of them were back, the Ultra Wormhole slowly closed again, leaving Faba and Lusamine watching anxiously on the side, feeling a pang of frustration.


    "Why did it have to close already?" They both couldn''t help but nce at the five, who are now being warmly received by the Investigation Bureau''s team members.


    The coach inwardly breathed a huge sigh of relief��if anything had happened to either Yuga or Luna''s group, he''d have to resign and go back to farming.


    He wanted to ask Yuga what had happened on the other side, but Yuga said, "Let''s leave here first. We''ve been through quite a bit these past few days, and we''d like to get some rest."


    The coach quickly nodded, "Of course, of course. I''ll arrange a ce for you to rest right away."


    After making arrangements for the five, the coach approached the Aether Foundation representatives and said, "Thank you for your assistance in this matter; we''ll be sure to show our gratitude in due course."


    Lusamine smiled, "It was no trouble at all. We''re happy to be of service to the League. It''s just a pity we couldn''t do more to help this time. We''lle by to visit again."


    With that, she led Faba and the others away. In truth, she was eager to speak with Yuga and his team about the Ultra Beasts and the Ultra Wormhole, but she knew the timing wasn''t right, so she had to leave for now.


    Lusamine''s strong interest in investigating Ultra Beasts and Ultra Space stemmed from the fact that her husband, Professor Mohn, had recently disappeared while researching Ultra Space.


    Soon after, Yuga and his team were taken to a hotel on Ak Ind to rest. After all those exhausting days in Ultra Space, Yuga was thoroughly worn out and spent two full days inside the hotel without stepping outside.


    On the morning of the third day, Yuga had just finished breakfast with Luna and the others when a hotel staff member approached and said, "Excuse me, sir, Aether Foundation''s President Lusamine and Deputy Director Faba would like to visit you."


    "Aether Foundation?"


    Ah, it must be about the Ultra Space incident! Yuga thought to himself.


    "Yes, may I ask if you''d like to meet with them?" the staff member inquired respectfully.


    "Alright, I''ll go and see them," Yuga replied, turning to Luna and the others, "Once you''re done eating, go do your own thing. I''ll go meet with them."


    Following the staff member''s lead, Yuga went down to the hotel restaurant and met Lusamine, the president of Aether Foundation, in a private room.


    The Aether Foundation, also known as the Aether Corporation, is a major organization based on Ak Ind, renowned for its influence and wealth throughout the Al region. Their main activity is the rescue of persecuted wild Pok��mon.


    They also own thergest artificial ind in the Al region, Aether Paradise, where most of the rescued wild Pok��mon are sent for sanctuary.


    Since Al joined the League, the Aether Foundation''s coboration with the League has deepened significantly. When the League eventually establishes a branch in Al, they''ll undoubtedly need the support of the Aether Foundation.

 Chapter 1165: Sandygast And Palossand

    <h4>Chapter 1165: Sandygast And Palossand</h4>


    When Yuga entered, Lusamine greeted him warmly, saying, "Mr. Shimizu, it''s an honor to finally meet you." She extended her right hand to shake his.


    Yuga smiled and gently shook her fingers. "The honor is all mine, Ms. Lusamine. Your reputation precedes you."


    Beside them, Faba quickly pulled out a chair for Yuga to sit. Lusamine continued, "You only returned two days ago, so we didn''t get a chance to meet. Today, I made a special trip to pay my respects."


    At that, Yuga replied, "Speaking of which, I should thank you foring to help the other day. I didn''t get the chance to thank you then."


    Lusamine waved her hand dismissively, "Oh, Mr. Shimizu, there''s no need. We''re the ones who should feel embarrassed for not actually being of help. We''re just d you all returned safely."


    Yugaughed, "You can''t think that way. You made the effort, and that counts��no need to pretend it didn''t happen."


    Looking slightly troubled, Lusamine then said, "Well...then, how about this��I''d like to ask you a few questions."


    With a thoughtful expression, Yuga replied, "Please go ahead, Ms. Lusamine."


    Unable to hold back, Lusamine asked eagerly, "Since you traveled to the other side of the Ultra Wormhole, could you tell us what it''s like over there? Oh, by the way, the Ultra Wormhole refers to the space channel you all used to return."


    Concerned that Yuga might not be familiar with the term, she exined it to him.


    Yuga paused in feigned contemtion, "Hmm... Honestly, it''s not much different from here��just mountains, rivers, trees, and flowers."


    Lusamine leaned forward abruptly, a look of urgency on her face, "And what else? Could you be more specific?"


    Faba, who had been silent, gave a light cough to bring Lusamine back to her senses. Realizing she''d lostposure, she straightened up and asked, "Ahem... Could you perhaps tell us more specifics, such as how the Ultra Wormhole appeared? Are the Pok��mon there different from those here? And are there any other humans?"


    Looking conflicted, Yuga replied, "Actually, I didn''t get to explore much, so I can''t say for sure. The Ultra Wormhole''s appearance seems to be a rare urrence; we were lucky to make it back at all. The Pok��mon there, however, are indeed different. I didn''t recognize a single one, and I didn''t encounter any humans."


    In truth, he had seen quite a few human remains at the Guzzlord''s territory. ording to Luna, those were likely the targets of her and Kaname Hirakawa''s mission, but the Guzzlord had devoured them entirely. If it weren''t for the remaining clothes, they wouldn''t have been able to identify them.


    Hearing Yuga''s response, Lusamine''s face showed visible disappointment, and she forced a strained smile. "We''re currently conducting research on Ultra Space��that''s what we call the other side��so I was hoping to gather some information from you."


    Yuga nodded but remained silent, and Faba stepped in for Lusamine, "Could you exin in more detail how the Pok��mon in Ultra Space differ from ours here?"


    For Lusamine, researching Ultra Space wasrgely driven by the hope of finding her missing husband, Professor Mohn. Faba, however, was motivated by pure curiosity and the desire for knowledge as a researcher.


    Yuga then provided them with information about Ultra Space, half-truths mixed with lies. He didn''t want the Aether Foundation to get too involved with the powerful Ultra Beasts and risk igniting trouble between their world and the other side.


    After their conversation, Lusamine and Faba warmly escorted Yuga out of the private room.


    "Thank you for your time today, Mr. Shimizu. We''ll be sure to show our gratitude another day," Lusamine said.


    Unbothered, Yuga waved it off, "No need for that. It''s not like I had anything else to do. I''m d I could help."


    Back in his hotel room, Yuga found that Luna and the others were out. After asking a staff member, he learned they had gone sightseeing.


    Yuga decided to go exploring as well. It was his first time in the Al region, after all. Al was famous as a tourist destination, so it would be a shame not to experience it properly.


    Ak Ind is located in the northeast of Al and is quiterge, with many cities and towns. The town he was currently in was called Pani Town, where you could catch a view of Ak''srgest volcano, Mount W��a distinctive feature of the town.


    Walking down the street, Yuga saw tourists everywhere in floral shirts and shorts, a vibrant local touch. Al''s towns had the best greenery he had ever seen, with bright flowers everywhere, a result of the favorable climate.


    As he strolled and sampled the local cuisine, Yuga felt very rxed and at ease.


    As he was walking, Yuga suddenly overheard some people talking about a surfingpetition happening by the beach. Seeing quite a crowd heading in that direction, he decided to join in, curious to see what it was all about.


    Upon arrival, Yuga noticed arge number of spectators. After asking around, he learned that this surfingpetition wasn''t done with surfboards but rather with Pok��mon.


    This kind of surfing event was a frequent urrence in the area, attracting both locals and tourists. It had be a popr activity in the region, and winners could even receive prizes.


    Looking around, Yuga spotted numerous people with Water-type Pok��mon signing up.


    "Why don''t I sign up too?" Yuga thought. Since returning from Ultra Space, his Lapras had been sulking a bit, and maybe participating in something fun could improve its mood.


    With that in mind, Yuga released Lapras.


    "Lapras, they''re holding a surfingpetition here. Would you like to join me?"


    Lapras, still slightly annoyed, nced sideways at Yuga, pretending not to care, then gave a proud nod.


    Due to the high number of participants, the registration line was long, but Yuga and Lapras managed to get signed up after a bit of a wait.


    After registering, Yuga found out about the prizes: first ce could win a Popplio, a Water-type starter Pok��mon, second ce would get an expensive fishing rod, and third ce a swim gear set.


    The prizes were impressive, especially the Popplio, which, though not necessarily a high-potential Pok��mon, was valuable as a rare a Pok��mon starter.


    However, Yuga wasn''t too concerned about winning; he was more interested in the experience, as he didn''t really need any of the rewards.


    An hour after registration, thepetition finally began.


    The first stage was a preliminary round, where contestants had to ride their Pok��mon through massive waves. Only those who could withstand the waves without wiping out would advance to the next round.


    The giant waves were a special feature of this beach, rolling in every half hour or so from the distant ocean, making this a popr surfing spot.


    Yuga mounted Lapras and, following the staff''s instructions, gradually moved out to sea. Around him were contestants riding a variety of Water Pok��mon: stoise, Mantine, Sharpedo, Whiscash, and even some on Wailord.


    Before long, Yuga saw a white line approaching from afar��it was the oing wave. At the sound of a whistle, all the Water Pok��mon surged forward toward the massive wave.


    Overhead, many Pelipper flew, serving as a rescue team arranged by the organizers. If a contestant identally fell, and their Pok��mon couldn''t assist in time, the Pelipper would swoop in to help.


    Each Pelipper had the Keen Eye ability, giving them exceptional vision to monitor the entire event area, along with impressive diving skills.


    Soon, a massive wave, towering higher than city walls, surged toward the contestants. Yuga quickly called out to Lapras, "Lapras, surf!"


    Lapras let out a bold cry and plunged forward into the water. Holding his breath, Yuga submerged briefly, and when he emerged, they were riding at the crest of the giant wave.


    Lapras''s water control skills were truly remarkable. At this point, most of the other contestants were still trying to guide their Pok��mon onto the wave. From his elevated position, Yuga could clearly see their faces��some tense, others anxious.


    "Yah-hoo!"


    Just then, a bright, cheerful voice reached Yuga''s ears. Turning his head, he saw a young girl also riding a Lapras, casually gliding along the wave''s peak. Her seamless surfing skills made it look as easy as walking onnd, and Yuga felt a little envious of her natural ability.


    While Yuga''s Lapras could ride the wave effortlessly thanks to its high-level water control, the girl was relying entirely on her technique.


    He recognized her immediately��it was Lana, one of Ash''spanions in Al from the original story.


    "Al!" Lana noticed Yuga''s gaze and turned to greet him warmly.


    "Al!" Yuga replied, adopting the local greeting.


    Thepetition continued, and as time passed, more contestants managed to climb onto the giant wave, while just as many were swept down by it. Even though it wasn''t over yet, Yuga predicted that less than a third of the contestants would make it through the preliminary round.


    Besides Lana, Yuga noticed a girl riding a Milotic, a man on a Carracosta, and a young guy on a Primarina��all of whom handled the waves like pros, clearly experienced surfers who spent much of their time in the ocean.


    As the giant wave neared the shore, it began to lose its size, and by the time the round ended, Yuga''s prediction proved urate��fewer than a third of the participants remained.


    After the preliminaries, the contestants had an hour to rest before the second round. This time, simply riding the wave wouldn''t be enough; they would also be judged on the tricks they could perform while surfing.


    The most crucial rule of the second round was that Pok��mon couldn''t use any abilities during thepetition.


    Upon hearing this, Yuga felt a pang of embarrassment. He knew nothing about surfing tricks��his entire strategy up until now was relying on Lapras''s "automatic driving" mode.


    Sure enough, the gap between Yuga and the skilled surfers became obvious in the second round. While others were performing stunts on their Pok��mon, gracefully cutting through the waves, Yuga was doing his best just to stay bnced, relying on Lapras''s water control skills to avoid looking too awkward.


    Lana''s surfing skills were as stunning as ever. Her Lapras flipped up and down along the giant wave, with Lana standing firmly on its back, unaffected by any of the rough motions.


    Before long, thepetition results came out. Lana unsurprisingly took first ce, the man on the Carracosta came second, and the trainer with the Primarina earned third ce.


    Yuga ced somewhere in the middle��no prize, but at least he hadn''t embarrassed himself.


    Lapras, however, looked dejected about not winning. They had entered thepetition with a bit of an advantage, and yet they still lost��it was rather humiliating.


    Yuga consoled it, saying, "Each has their specialty. We''re not professional surfers, so losing is normal." Yuga, with his thick skin, didn''t feel even a bit of shame at losing with such an advantage.


    Lapras rolled its eyes at Yuga and insisted he quickly return it to its Pok��ball; it didn''t want to be out in the open to suffer further embarrassment.


    After Yuga returned Lapras, he muttered to its Pok��ball, "I didn''t say anything wrong. What''s there to be mad about? We really don''t know anything about surfing!"


    Not far away, Lana had just imed her first-ce prize, a Popplio. Upon spotting Yuga, her eyes lit up, and she was just about to walk over when a sudden scream broke out.


    Yuga, who had been grumbling to Lapras''s Pok��ball, heard it too. Soon after, chaos spread through the crowd as people began to flee. Yuga quickly saw the cause of themotion.


    It was a Palossand!


    Initially, this Palossand was only about the size of a small hut, but as time went by, it grewrger andrger until it became a massive castle-like structure, covering a huge portion of the beach.


    "My child! My child! My child!"


    "Taro! Taro!"


    ...


    It was then that Yuga noticed several young children, around five or six years old, were trapped inside the Palossand. The parents, crying out, were desperate to rush in and rescue their kids, but other sensible tourists held them back.


    If the parents were to run in now, not only would they fail to save their children, but they might also put themselves in harm''s way.


    The cause was simple: this Palossand had likely washed up on the beach with the waves and had disguised itself as sand. But when some mischievous kids disturbed it while ying, they angered it, leading to the current situation.


    Palossand is a Ghost-type Pok��mon that absorbs the life force of creatures within it, fitting its Ghost-type nature all too well. People in Al were aware of this, which exined the parents'' desperation.


    Several kind-hearted trainers quickly sprang into action to rescue the children, but this Palossand was unexpectedly powerful. Not a single trainer who attempted to help could gain the upper hand.


    Leaving aside its offensive capabilities, this Palossand had impressive defensive abilities. Every attack directed at it was absorbed by the sand on its body.


    Seeing the parents crying in despair, Yuga pushed through the crowd and released his Venusaur.

 Chapter 1166: Visiting Kiawe’s House

    <h4>Chapter 1166: Visiting Kiawe''s House</h4>


    As soon as Venusaur emerged, two thick and long vines shot out. The Palossand, thinking it could use its defensive strategy of softening against hard attacks, quickly discovered that Venusaur''s vines were as tough as steel drills, piercing straight through its body. When the vines were soft, they coiled around it like rope, wrapping it tightly in an instant.


    Taking advantage of the distraction while Venusaur dealt with the Palossand, Yuga use his Insight to check its data. This was the first time he had encountered a Palossand!


    ...


    [ Palossand ]


    Type: Ghost, Ground


    Ability: Water Compaction


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 59


    Moves: Harden, Sand Attack, Sand Tomb, Iron Defense, Hypnosis, Shadow Ball, Sandstorm, Earth Power, Sandstorm, Amnesia, Gravity, Pain Split, Curse, Scare.


    ...


    This is a Pok��mon that was almost reaching pseudo-Elite level, which exined why most trainers couldn''t handle it.


    Thanks to its unique racial traits, this Palossand might be even tougher than other Pok��mon of the same level. Therge amount of sand it had umted allowed it to easily absorb most attacks, giving it a very special defense.


    After reading the information, Yuga became quite interested in this Palossand. With its unique ability, "Sand Gathering," he thought that training it could prove to be quite entertaining.


    The Palossand''s ability to suddenly grow to the size of a castle relied entirely on this "Sand Gathering" skill. Yuga thought, if he had this Palossand, wouldn''t he have a portable house whenever he went out? No more roughing it outdoors?


    With this thought, Yuga''s eyes sparkled as he gazed at the Palossand, which shivered in the midst of battle.


    <i>Could someone be thinking about me?</i> A fleeting thought crossed through the Palossand''s mind.


    "Venusaur, don''t y with it anymore; finish it off quickly!"


    "Bana!"


    Venusaur responded energetically, and suddenly, the massive flower on its back began to glow with a golden light. The air around it became intensely hot, causing nearby tourists to step back in rm, fearing the heat might reach them.


    Boom!


    A massive beam of light formed from Sr Beam shot out, piercing straight through the Palossand''s body. The giant castle-like structure shrank down to just about human height, and the sand it had gathered began to rain down. The onlookers nearby found themselves covered in sand.


    At the same time, Cosmoem appeared on the beach with the children using Teleport.


    Just as Venusaur was preparing to unleash Sr Beam, Cosmoem had already teleported inside the Palossand, allowing it to rescue the children just in time as the beam was fired.


    Watching the Palossand lying unconscious, Yuga was about to throw a Pok�� Ball when he noticed several sneaky individuals in the crowd also pulling out their Pok�� Balls.


    Oh, so you want to steal my catch?


    The Palossand had just demonstrated exceptional capabilities, and it was obvious to anyone that it was a valuable Pok��mon, prompting many to entertain less-than-honorable intentions.


    Yuga red at each of them, making them awkwardly retract their Pok�� Balls as if nothing had happened.


    There was nothing they could do; Yuga''s strength had been clearly demonstrated just moments ago, and they didn''t dare act up in front of him��doing so would certainly lead to trouble.


    "Hmph!"


    Yuga snorted coldly and recalled the Palossand into an empty Pok�� Ball. Since it was already unconscious, it didn''t struggle as it was captured.


    The parents of the rescued children checked them multiple times to ensure they were unharmed. Once they confirmed their safety, they rushed over to Yuga, overflowing with gratitude. Some wanted to treat him to a meal, while others offered him money. Yuga politely declined for quite some time before finally sending them on their way.


    With no more drama to witness, the surrounding crowd began to disperse.


    "Big brother, you''re amazing!"


    Once the people had left, Lana rushed over, her excitement palpable. She had wanted to talk to Yuga ever since she saw his Lapras earlier.


    Yuga turned around to see Lana and smiled, saying, "You''re pretty impressive too!"


    When Lana said "amazing," she referred to Yuga''s prowess as a trainer, while Yuga''s "amazing" was in regard to her surfing skills.


    Lana was lively and outgoing. Hearing Yuga''spliment, she didn''t feel shy at all. Instead, she proudly dered, "Of course! I''m the best surfer on Ak Ind!"


    Lana''s home was not in Pani Town; it was in Konikoni City, located in the southwest of Ak Ind. She hade to Pani Town specifically to participate in a surfingpetition today.


    In Al, most of thend is made up of inds, which means the distances between towns and cities are very short. Additionally, the locals love to use various riding Pok��mon, making it easy to travel between different cities.


    The first region to utilize riding Pok��mon for public transportation was Al.


    Lana had already found out that the winner of this surfingpetition would receive a Popplio, which was why she hade all the way here topete. She had wanted a Popplio for a long time, but unfortunately, they were quite rare, and she had never managed to get one.


    Thus, Lana and Yuga began to chat casually. Lana was very interested in Yuga''s Lapras and wanted to exchange tips on training Water-type Pok��mon.


    Although Yuga didn''t have any secret techniques��his only Water-type Pok��mon was Lapras��he had plenty of Water-type Pok��mon in his Ecopark, and he was willing to share his experiences with Lana, making their conversation quite enjoyable.


    "Lana!"


    While they were deep in conversation, Lana suddenly heard someone calling her name. Looking up, she saw Kiawe riding on a Charizard and waving at her.


    "Kiawe!"


    Lana waved back happily.


    "Al!"


    "Al!"


    Once Kiawended his Charizard, the two of them exchanged greetings.


    Then Lana introduced Yuga and Kiawe to each other.


    Kiawe was Lana''s ssmate from Pok��mon School. Besides attending sses, he also part-timed delivering goods for his family''s ranch. He had just returned from a delivery.


    "Lana, what brings you to Pani Town?" Kiawe asked, as he lived in Pani Town.


    "I''m here for the surfingpetition! Ta-da! Look what I just got!" With that, Lana joyfully took out a Pok�� Ball and released the Popplio she had just obtained.


    The Popplio had a personality somewhat simr to Lana''s; it was not shy at all. Not only was it unafraid of the unfamiliar Yuga and Kiawe, but it also bowed and pped in greeting.


    "By the way, Lana, since you''re in Pani Town, why don''t youe over to my house?" Kiaweinvited.


    The two were very close friends; Lana and her ssmates from Pok��mon School often visited Kiawe''s ranch, and everyone loved the ice cream made from the Moomoo Milk produced there.


    "Sure, sure!" Lana replied generously.


    "Big brother, do you want to join us? We can have a battle at my ranch," Kiawe suggested, having thought of this idea as soon as he heard Lana introduce Yuga as a strong trainer.


    "Sounds good!" Yuga agreed with a smile; he didn''t have anything else to do, and it would be nice to check it out.


    So, the three of them set off together toward Kiawe''s ranch.


    Since Lana didn''t have a flying Pok��mon, she shared a ride on Kiawe''s Charizard. Seeing Kiawe ride his Charizard, Yuga decided to let out his own Charizard as well. Kiawe became even more excited at this, as he was a fan of Fire-type Pok��mon.


    "Mom! Dad! I''m back!"


    Upon arriving at the ranch, Kiawe shouted before he evennded, and his parents, Rango and Sima, both looked up from their work.


    Rango was Kiawe''s father, and Sima was Kiawe''s mother.


    Kiawe''s ranch was quiterge. As Yuga looked down from the sky, he saw a multitude of Tauros, Miltank, Mudbray, and Mudsdale living in the ranch.


    The scale of this ranch could rival that of Grandpa Milton''s ranch in Goldenrod City. However, while Milton''s ranch only had Miltank and Tauros, this one also featured Mudbray and Mudsdale.


    This wasn''t Lana''s first time at the ranch; she was quite familiar with Kiawe''s parents. In contrast, Yuga, as the first-time guest, received a much warmer wee.


    Yuga also met Kiawe''s younger sister, Mimo. Just like in the original story, Kiawe was quite protective of his sister and couldn''t wait to find her as soon as he returned.


    Under the hospitality of Rango and Sima, Yuga got to try the ranch''s famous ice cream, which was indeed delicious��perhaps even better than the version made by Audino.


    Audino also made ice cream using Moomoo Milk and had even developed various vors. It was tasty, but it was ultimately made following online tutorials,cking the traditional craftsmanship that came from a family legacy.


    However, the Moomoo Milk from Kiawe''s ranch had a slightly different tastepared to the Moomoo Milk produced in Yuga''s Ecopark; Yuga''s milk had a richer vor that lingered longer on the pte.


    To thank them for their hospitality, Yuga took out a jar of Honey from his portable space bag to share with them (it was actually from the system backpack).


    With the addition of Honey, the ice cream became even more delicious!


    In Al, there are many Cutiefly and Ribombee, but rtive to them, Vespiquen are quite rare. Therefore, Al essentially does not produce Honey, and the Honey used for consumption or medicinal purposes is generally imported from other regions. The pollen puffs produced by Ribombee are their main export and source of ie.


    However, Al does produce a unique type of nectar derived from a special flower, which can be consumed without needing a Pok��mon to refine it a second time and is even tastier than regr Honey.


    This flower produces four different vors of nectar depending on its growing location and is extremely popr.


    The only downside is that the production of this nectar is quite low because the flowers that produce it are challenging to cultivate. If cultivated artificially, the flowers will bloom but not produce nectar, so it can generally only be collected in the wild.


    Moreover, these flowers often grow in areas inhabited by Oricorio, and collectors may identally be attacked by them during the gathering process. Oricorio can switch between its four forms at will, relying on the nectar, and generally do not allow humans to touch it.


    After finishing their ice cream, Rango and Sima, along with Kiawe, took Yuga on a tour of their ranch. When it came to discussing their ranch, Rango could talk for days and nights without stopping, as he was very proud of it.


    When they mentioned that Kiawe had to ride his Charizard early every morning to deliver goods, Yuga curiously asked, "Why don''t you use Pok��mon to do this job? Like the Pidgey Express?"


    The Pidgey Express has branches in various regions, so Rango''s parents naturally knew about it.


    "It''s not that simple. The flying Pok��mon here in Al, like Toucannon, aren''t suited for this job," Rango shook his head. "We don''t have a way to importrge quantities of flying Pok��mon from other regions."


    In fact, Rango had considered bringing in flying Pok��mon to help with deliveries for a long time but hadn''t been able to act on it due to various reasons.


    Yuga thought about it and realized that Toucannon''s beak was bigger than its head, making it impossible to securely hang milk on its neck. Carrying it would be even more unstable, and its ws weren''t as strong as those of other flying Pok��mon.


    "How about I introduce you to a channel? I run a Pok��mon Day Care, and while I don''t have suitable flying Pok��mon, my friend''s Pok��mon Day Care does," Yuga said after some hesitation.


    Deliveries don''t require Pok��mon with high Pok��mon, but YoYo Day Care''s low Pok��mon flying Pok��mon had all been contracted out to smaller Pok��mon Day Care, so there weren''t enough to trade with Rango and his wife at the moment. However, Reggie''s Blue Sky Day Care could do it.


    The main Pok��mon of the Blue Sky Day Care is Starly, and its final evolution, Staraptor, is one of the strongest among all bird Pok��mon, making it very suitable for this work.


    "Really? Wouldn''t that be too much trouble for you?" Rango asked, both surprised and hesitant, as they had only just met Yuga.


    Yuga smiled, "How could that be a bother? This way, it resolves your problem and also boosts my friend''s business. It''s a win-win!"


    "That''s wonderful! Let''s go inside and discuss the details!" Rango eximed, pulling Yuga along, forgoing the ranch tour.


    Watching Yuga being pulled away by his father, Kiawe said disgruntledly, "I still wanted to battle with big brother!"


    Lana pped him on the back and said, "You''ll have plenty of opportunities for battles. If big brother really helps your family get a flying Pok��mon, then you won''t have to deliver goods every morning anymore!"


    "Yeah, you''re right!" Kiawe thought for a moment and found Lana''s reasoning very sensible. Once he had more time, he could focus more on training his Pok��mon.


    Kiawe''s goal was to be an Ind Champion like his grandfather, so he trained very diligently and was the strongest trainer in his ss.


    After Yuga and Rango returned, they immediately contacted Reggie, who was far away in Sinnoh. Reggie was currently taking care of his recently evolved Vespiquen and had been wanting to reach out to Yuga to share the good news. So he was quite surprised and delighted to receive Yuga''s call.


    Following that, business between the two parties progressed even more smoothly.


    From Reggie, Rango learned that Yuga was the owner of the YoYo Day Care. Although he lived in Al, he had heard of the renowned YoYo Day Care, and naturally trusted the business that Yuga introduced.


    There was no need to mention Reggie''s side; how could he not trust the business Yuga referred to? Recently, he had been worried about the sales of his Pok��mon Day Care, and this order from Yuga was just what he needed to alleviate his pressing concern.


    Overall, both parties were very satisfied!

 Chapter 1167: Shore Up

    <h4>Chapter 1167: Shore Up</h4>


    After Kiawe''s family ranch and the Blue Sky Day Care reached an agreement, Reggie, due to Yuga''s involvement, gave Rango a slight discount. Although the discount wasn''t significant, it still saved Rango a fair amount of money, which delighted him, and he insisted on having Yuga stay for a meal.


    Since Yuga didn''t have anything to do at the hotel, he agreed.


    In order to show their gratitude, Rango and his wife prepared an array of local dishes to treat Yuga, who ate to his heart''s content, making it a pleasant experience for everyone.


    After lunch, Yuga found a corner in the ranch and released Palossand. The injured Palossand had already woken up, and upon seeing Yuga, it looked defiant and tried to attack him.


    Yuga summoned Gengar and Mismagius and instructed them, "Take this guy inside and give him some training!"


    Gengar was thrilled andughing mischievously as it motioned for Mismagius to drag Palossand into the Shadow Space. It had been a while since it got to "train" a neer!


    Palossand shivered, trying to resist Gengar and Mismagius, butcking the strength, it was gradually dragged into the Shadow Space.


    Mimikyu found it amusing, peeking out to watch the fun and even trying to imitate Gengar''sugh, although it couldn''t quite get it right.


    Once Yuga finished dealing with Palossand, he turned around and saw Kiawe running over.


    "Big brother, let''s battle!"


    "Sure!" Yuga agreed without hesitation.


    "That''s awesome!"


    Kiawe was thrilled and immediately led Yuga to an open area suitable for battle.


    Once they were both in position, Kiawe took out Charizard''s Pok��ball and said to Yuga, "Big brother, use Charizard too! I want to see how strong your Charizard is!"


    "It''s better if I don''t. I''ll use another Pok��mon to battle you!" Yuga hesitated briefly before declining, feeling it would be too unfair to use his Charizard against Kiawe.


    Although Kiawe was tall, he was about the same age as Ash and slightly less skilled. Yuga didn''t think he could handle Charizard.


    Hearing Yuga refuse to use Charizard, Kiawe looked disappointed for a moment but quickly perked up, realizing that as long as he could battle and improve, it didn''t matter which Pok��mon he faced.


    When Kiawe released Charizard, Yuga summoned Mimikyu from the Shadow Space.


    Mimikyu had been watching Gengar and Mismagius tag-team Palossand in the Shadow Space, so it was a bit dazed when suddenly called out.


    Mimikyu was a high potential Pok��mon with great talent, and thanks to the fragments of Spirit World Origin Stones in the Shadow Space, its level had long reached pseudo-Elite level, making it even stronger than Decidueye or Abomasnow.


    So Kiawe''s chances of defeating Mimikyu were slim, not to mention winning against an Elite-level Charizard.


    As soon as Mimikyu saw the "fierce" Charizard, it realized it was time to "fight." It didn''t often get the chance to battle others, so it was quite excited.


    Kiawe was surprised to see Yuga''s Pok��mon was a Mimikyu, especially since it emerged from underground.


    Are all Ghost-type Pok��mon like this? Kiawe wondered, though he didn''t ask, knowing it would be impolite to pry into someone else''s Pok��mon secrets.


    "Charizard, methrower!"


    Once they were ready, Kiawe quicklymanded Charizard to attack.


    Kiawe''s grandfather, a former Ind Champion, had left this Charizard to him, so it was quite strong, although it''s still far from reaching pseudo-Elite level.


    A scorching column of fire shot toward Mimikyu, but in the next second, Mimikyu vanished from its original spot. When it reappeared, it was already behind Charizard, striking with a Shadow w aimed directly at its back.


    Charizard hadn''t taken to the skies yet, which gave Mimikyu the opportunity to strike.


    Luckily, Kiawe reacted quickly and immediately called out to Charizard, who was in sync with him. Hearing themand, Charizard pped its wings and ascended just in time to narrowly avoid the attack.


    The massive ck ws struck the ground, leaving a muddy crater in the green grass, making Kiawe''s heart skip a beat. If Charizard had been hit, it might have been "knocked out" on the spot!


    After missing its initial attack, Mimikyu shot several fist-sized Shadow Balls into the air, causing Charizard, who had just recovered, to panic and dodge frantically.


    "Charizard, fly higher!"


    Seeing Charizard in a disadvantageous position, Kiawe quickly shouted a reminder.


    Yuga chuckled at this. "Flying is useful?"


    "Mimikyu, jump!"


    Jump is a move with no special effects other than allowing the user to jump high. But even the most seemingly useless move can find its time to shine!


    Charizard was just beginning to ascend when Mimikyu leapt up, positioning itself directly above Charizard. Then, Yuga''smand rang out.


    "y Rough!"


    Mimikyu let out a strange cry, its whole body glowing pink as it crashed into Charizard.


    Boom! Charizard fell to the ground!


    It struggled to get up, but Mimikyu was already perched on its back and struck it again with a Wood Hammer. The enormous hammernded with a heavy blow, and Charizard stopped moving.


    The battle ended quickly.


    "So strong!"


    Kiawe, still stunned from how quickly it ended, managed to blurt out. He knew Yuga was powerful, but he hadn''t expected him to be this strong.


    "The battle''s over. Do you have any thoughts?"


    Recalling Mimikyu into the Shadow Space, Yuga smiled and asked Kiawe.


    Given Kiawe''s current skill level, Yuga had expected the oue to be one-sided. He hadn''t rejected Kiawe''s challenge, nor did he intend to hold back.


    Young Trainers should experience and be motivated by the challenge of facing opponents of varying strengths.


    Looking back, Yuga had grown from countless battles��whether against genius Trainers like Steven and Cynthia, or shes with dark organizations, Legendary Pok��mon, and level-100 Pok��mon��each one was invaluable experience in his journey.


    Being a Gym Leader for so long, Yuga hade to appreciate the role. Watching young Trainers grow little by little gave him a sense of pride as a mentor.


    It was only now that he understood how Mr. Moore felt when he gave him his first Vulpix. When someone achieves a certain level in a field, there''s a natural desire to nurture talented sessors.


    Although only twenty-four himself, seeing the thirteen- or fourteen-year-old Kiawe made Yuga feel like an elder. (With only a ten-year difference, Yuga felt that it wouldn''t be too strange if Kiawe called him "uncle"...)


    "I feel there''s still a lot I need to learn."


    Kiawe wasn''t discouraged by his swift defeat; instead, it ignited his fighting spirit.


    "Big brother, you''re from another region, right? Could you tell me what Trainers from other regions are like?" Kiawe asked Yuga excitedly.


    "Of course!" Yuga readily agreed.


    The two of them found a shady spot under a tree and started chatting.


    Yuga told Kiawe about Trainers'' journeys, Gym challenges, the League Championships, Pok��mon Contests, and roles like Coordinators and Breeders. Kiawe listened intently, unable to help but dream about the outside world.


    Compared to Trainers elsewhere, those in Al seemed a bit limited. Inparison, it felt like rural kids meeting their urban counterparts.


    Kiawe also shared with Yuga stories from his time at the Pok��mon School. Although Yuga saw them as simple childhood games, he listened patiently to the end.


    Yuga asked why Kiawe didn''t use a Z-Move during the battle; he hadn''t seen one used before and was eager to witness it. He remembered that in the original anime, Kiawe had both a Firium Z and a Z-Ring.


    However, Yuga overlooked one detail��the anime''s timeline had not yet reached that point.


    Yuga himself owned a Grassium Z, but without a Z-Ring, it remained unused in his system''s inventory.


    The system had mentioned that the Trainer Store had a chance to refresh with Z-Rings, but since one hadn''t appeared yet, it simply meant Yuga''s luck wascking.


    When the system brought up luck, Yuga felt like an arrow had pierced his heart. In the system''s Trainer Store, he might as well have been the unluckiest chief on the continent of misfortune.


    But even if he did get a Z-Ring, Yuga wasn''t entirely sure if he had the courage to do the awkward dance that went along with it. The thought of battling while dancing seemed quite embarrassing.


    Yuga and Kiawe chatted for the entire afternoon, and by the time he returned to the hotel, it was nearly dark. Lana had already gone home before lunch, so Yuga left Kiawe''s house alone.


    When he got back, Luna, Ayashi, and Arata Sena had all returned.


    During dinner, Ayashi and Arata Sena mentioned their ns to leave Ak Ind to continue their adventures in other parts of Al. They''d been away for a long time and couldn''t stay in one ce for too long.


    Yuga didn''t object but advised them to call home regrly to let their families know they were safe and to visit home whenever possible, not to disappear indefinitely.


    The two of them agreed without hesitation.


    Luna wasn''t in a rush to leave, as the Investigation Bureau had given her and Kaname Hirakawa a few days off to recover from the recent events. She thought Al was a lot of fun, so she decided to spend a few more days exploring.


    Yuga was also nning to enjoy Al a bit longer, so he invited Luna to join him. However, she declined, feeling she wouldn''t have as much fun with him, so he didn''t press her further.


    In addition, the three of them mentioned that people from the Aether Foundation had approached them that day, hoping to inquire about Ultra Space. They even offeredpensation, but none of the three agreed to meet with them.


    Yuga praised them for their decision and advised that if Aether Foundation approached them again, they should continue responding in the same way.


    The next day, Ayashi and Arata Sena packed their things and left Ak Ind, while Luna went out early to shop.


    Just as Yuga was about to head out himself, he remembered the Palossand he had thrown into the Shadow Space yesterday.


    Since the three Ghost-types living in the Shadow Space had the Origin Stone of the Spirit World to sustain them, Yuga didn''t need to feed them Pokeblock every day, so he''dpletely forgotten about Palossand.


    When he found a ce to release Palossand, he discovered that it was sprawled on the ground like a heap of sludge, looking as though it had been through some ordeal. At any rate, it now followed Yuga''s orders without question.


    Satisfied with the training results from Gengar and Mismagius, Yuga said to Palossand, "Show me your sand-gathering ability."


    Palossand dared not refuse and immediately began a vigorous disy for its new master.


    A yellowish-brown light shone over Palossand, and the surrounding muddy ground began to turn into sand, slowly gathering toward it. Its body also began to grow in size.


    Moreover, the grass around it started to wilt, turning to ash and mixing into the sand that Palossand absorbed.


    No wonder it was a Ghost-type Pok��mon. While transforming the soil, it also absorbed the life force of the nts growing on it.


    Upon close observation, Yuga noticed that Palossand''s ability to transform the soil so easily had a lot to do with its Water Compaction Ability.


    The ground naturally contained moisture, which hindered the sand transformation. Since water wouldn''t simply vanish, Palossand used its ability to absorb this moisture first, enhancing its defense, and then turned the now-dried ground into sand.


    This was also why Palossand''s defense grew stronger over time.


    With its unique ability, an idea suddenly struck Yuga: if he paired Palossand with a Water-type partner and had it create a swamp using Sand Tomb and water nearby, then closebat specialists wouldn''t even be able to get near it. Although Water-type moves were one of Palossand''s weaknesses, in a damp environment, its ability to harden in water actually turned this into an advantage.


    Moreover, this Water-type partner would need to specialize in ranged attacks. As long as it stayed within Palossand''s defensive zone, it could bombard opponents from afar without any worries! This kind of setup was practically a nightmare for melee-based opponents.


    Of course, thisbination had significant limitations. Purely closebat Pok��mon weren''t toomon, though many Fighting-types fell into this category. However, since Palossand would have a teammate, so could its opponents.


    Pok��mon skilled in disruption, like Grass-types, or Ghost and Poison-types that inflict status conditions, could easily counter such a formation.


    There are many factors to consider in battle, and adaptability is crucial.


    Once Palossand''s body had fully stabilized, Yuga stepped through its mouth to enter inside its body. Palossand''s mouth acted as the entrance to the "castle."


    As soon as he entered, Yuga felt his stamina start to drain, but this sensationsted only a moment. The next instant, thanks to the protection of the Origin Stone of the Spirit World, that feeling of stamina loss faded. The energy Palossand tried to absorb was instead reced by the special energy stored in the Shadow Space by the Origin Stone.


    Palossand absorbed the life force of creatures inside it by instinct, not by conscious control, just as food is automatically digested in the human stomach. Because of this, Yuga didn''t hold it against Palossand.


    For anyone other than Yuga, entering Palossand''s body without the protection of the Origin Stone would be a real risk.


    Yuga then began to explore Palossand''s inner structure.


    He noticed that Palossand resembled a castle not only from the outside but also inside. The space was spacious, and there was even a staircase leading up to a second floor��perfectly suited to serve as a dwelling!


    Yuga knocked on the castle''s inner walls, which emitted a solid "thunk, thunk" sound, indicating they were quite sturdy��another effect of Palossand''s Water Compaction ability.


    Palossand''s body was made ofpacted sand, with its true essence actually residing in the shovel atop its head. So, even if its body were smashed to bits, its life wouldn''t be in danger.


    In battle, Palossand was very protective of its shovel. Withyers of sand shielding it, getting to the shovel was no easy task.


    Yuga became so engrossed in studying Palossand that he lost track of time.


    In the blink of an eye, the entire morning had passed, and by the time he realized, it was already lunchtime. Thus, he had to postpone his outing until the afternoon.


    After all, he hadn''t yet taken the time to fully appreciate Al''s stunningndscapes!


    In the afternoon, Yuga nned to explore beyond Ak Ind. His first thought was to visit Melemele Ind.


    Samson Oak had set up the Pok��mon School on Melemele Ind, and since the principal had kindly gifted him two Aln Vulpix, it would be a shame to visit Al without stopping by for a visit.

 Chapter 1168: Oricorio And Four-Color Flower Nectar

    <h4>Chapter 1168: Oricorio And Four-Color Flower Nectar</h4>


    In the afternoon, Yuga rode on Dragonite toward Melemele Ind.


    Melemele Ind is located in the northwest of the Al region, and the Pok��mon School Yuga was heading to is in Hau''oli City, thergest city in Al.


    Midway through the flight, Yuga happened to encounter Kiawe, who was also riding Charizard and heading to the school. So, the two of them traveled together, with Kiawe conveniently guiding Yuga, who was visiting the Pok��mon School for the first time.


    Upon arriving at the school, Kiawe offered to lead Yuga to Principal Samson Oak''s office after hearing that Yuga was there to visit him.


    However, in the principal''s office, Yuga unexpectedly saw two familiar faces��Crystal and Amber, Principal Oak''s twin granddaughters.


    "It''s been a long time! I didn''t expect my visit today to be so lucky, meeting both of you here," Yuga said in surprise after greeting Principal Oak.


    "Yes, it is!"


    "What a coincidence!"


    Crystal and Amber each responded, smiling. They hade to Al specifically to visit their grandfather and do some sightseeing, never expecting to run into Yuga by chance.


    "Isn''t it such a coincidence!" Principal Oakughed heartily. "By the way, how are the two Aln Vulpix I gave you doing?"


    Yuga replied with a smile, "They''re doing well. At my daycare, they live peacefully alongside a group of ceon."


    "Haha... That''s wonderful! I knew you''d take good care of them," said Principal Oak with augh. "Living withpanions keeps them from getting lonely."


    Yuga didn''t stay long at Principal Oak''s office; he had simplye to check in on the principal and had no particr matters to attend to. After giving Principal Oak a gift, Yuga left the Pok��mon School and decided to wander around Hau''oli City.


    Hau''oli City ranks among the top ten most bustling cities in the Pok��mon world and is one of the most famous resort cities, with countless ces to explore and enjoy.


    As Yuga admired the lively sights along the streets, he considered buying some souvenirs to bring back for his aunt and uncle. Just then, he suddenly heard someone calling his name from behind.


    Turning around, he saw it was Crystal and Amber.


    Crystal: "Gym Leader Shimizu!"


    Amber: "You were walking too fast!"


    Crystal: "We''ve been trying to catch up with you."


    They spoke breathlessly.


    Yuga asked curiously, "You need something from me? What is it? Why didn''t you say anything back at the school?"


    Crystal: "Grandpa was there just now."


    Amber: "He definitely wouldn''t let us go."


    They responded in unison.


    "Wouldn''t let you go? Where do you want to go?" Yuga grew even more curious. "You''re not nning on doing anything mischievous, are you? I''m a good person, you know, and I don''t do anything against thew."


    Crystal: "To the Melemele Meadow!"


    Amber: "Have you heard of the Four-Color Nectar?"


    Amber: "They have it at Melemele Meadow."


    Of course, Yuga knew about the Four-Color Nectar, it''s consisting of Red Nectar, Yellow Nectar, Pink Nectar, and Purple Nectar. It''s a famous specialty of Al, but it''s extremely scarce and difficult to purchase.


    The only known area in the Al region where arge amount of four-color flowers grows is Melemele Meadow, where you can find all colors of the nectar at once.


    Melemele Meadow is named a "meadow" because it''s filled withrge fields of four-colored flowers.


    However, it''s also home to arge number of Oricorio. If anyone tries to gather the Four-Color Nectar, the Oricorio will flock together and attack them, creating quite a scene that most people dare not approach.


    Still, some wealthy people would asionally hire skilled trainers to venture deep into Melemele Meadow to collect the nectar, which is where most of the Four-Color Nectar on the marketes from.


    But due to the sheer number of Oricorio there, even skilled trainers can only collect a limited amount of nectar each time.


    This season happens to be the peak production time for Four-Color Nectar, and the twin sisters, who have finally made it to Al, naturally wanted to see it for themselves.


    They originally nned to go alone, but now that they''ve met Yuga, they thought, why not take advantage of this powerfulpanion? Perhaps with his help, they could gather even more nectar.


    Worried that their grandfather wouldn''t let them go, the sisters nned to sneak off without telling him.


    After listening to the twins'' story, Yuga''s interest was piqued��not only in the Four-Color Nectar but also in the Oricorio living in Melemele Meadow.


    Oricorio has four forms, and the Pom-Pom Style is Electric-type. If he could capture a few and keep them in his Ecopark, he couldplete his system''s side quest, right? However, he wasn''t sure if the system would recognize the Pom-Pom Style Oricorio as a separate Electric-type Pok��mon, considering they can change types depending on the nectar they consume.


    "Sounds good! When do we head out?" Yuga agreed without hesitation.


    Crystal: "Let''s go now!"


    Amber: "The sooner we go, the sooner we''ll be back!"


    The twins spoke in unison.


    And so, the three of them immediately set off on their flying Pok��mon.


    Yuga hadn''t been in Al long and wasn''t familiar with Melemele Meadow''s location, but Crystal and Amber had already done their research. Under their guidance, the three quickly arrived at their destination.


    Melemele Meadow is located in the northern part of Melemele Ind. Although few people usually visit, it''s well-known in Al, not only for producing Four-Color Nectar but also for its breathtaking scenery. The vast fields of four-colored flowers make the ce look dreamlike.


    Upon arrival, Yuga and the twins noticed they weren''t the only ones there to gather nectar. However, most people were under attack by swarms of Oricorio, they were scrambling in all directions. They hardly managed to gather any nectar and looked utterly miserable.


    Yuga now understood why Crystal and Amber had said it was challenging to collect Four-Color Nectar��the sheer number of Oricorio was overwhelming.


    At first nce, you might not spot many Oricorio, but if you looked closely, you''d see that the nts in the flower fields were gently swaying. This wasn''t due to the wind but rather Oricorio moving about within.


    Although Oricorio are bird Pok��mon and capable of flight, they prefer to walk on their two feet in the flower fields, as dancing is their favorite activity.


    Oricorio of different colors hide among flowers of corresponding colors, blending seamlessly with the field. It''s truly difficult to spot them unless you look very carefully.


    The Four-Color Flowers bloom in four distinct colors depending on the environment, and Melemele Meadow is the only ce in Al where all four colors grow together.


    Afternding, Yuga stood behind the flower fields and asked the twins, "So, what''s our n?"


    Hearing this, the twins immediately pulled out a few Pok�� Balls.


    "Let''s go!"


    "Charge!"


    Their determined stance showed they were ready to face the challenge head-on! Quite the disy of courage.


    The twins each released a Gardevoir, a Gade, a Bellossom, a Vileplume, an Umbreon, and an Espeon.


    Yuga couldn''t help but think, "As expected of twins��their choice of Pok��mon is so distinctive!"


    Seeing that the twin sisters were ready to take action, Yuga had no choice but to join in, releasing Florges , Bellossom, and Roserade to help collect nectar.


    But just as his hand reached for a Yellow flower, a Yellow -colored Oricorio jumped out, sending a zap of electric current straight at Yuga. He quickly dodged, and the electric shock missed, striking and shattering a Yellow flower instead. Roserade then hit the Oricorio with an Energy Ball, sending it flying.


    Oricorio can''t learn any moves of Fire, Electric, Psychic, or Ghost types on their own. Each of its forms has only two Normal-type moves besides Flying-type moves: Revtion Dance and Hidden Power. The electric current just now was from its Electric-type Hidden Power.


    As soon as this Oricorio was knocked out, ten more of the same color jumped out, ready to attack Yuga. Vines shot out from the flower bushes, instantly binding the Oricorio tightly��Florges had stepped in.


    But more and more Oricorio continued to appear, wave after wave, seemingly endless. Yuga was starting to get a headache from the constant chattering of the Oricorio now hanging from vines all around him.


    Themotion on Yuga''s side naturally caught the attention of others nearby, but they were too busy fending off Oricorio themselves to watch.


    The twin sisters, who had also been fending off attacks from the Oricorio and looking rather disheveled, quickly noticed Yuga''s situation and hurried over with their Pok��mon, entering Florges''s protective circle. Yuga''s area was definitely saferpared to theirs.


    Realizing this approach wouldn''t work, Yuga thought for a moment and then released Venusaur.


    Seeing the Oricorio everywhere, chirping and pping, Venusaur instinctively prepared to use Sleep Powder on them all, but Yuga stopped it just in time. After all, nectar mixed with Sleep Powder wouldn''t be very appetizing!


    "Venusaur, use Sweet Scent."


    Since Oricorio are extremely sensitive to floral scents, Venusaur''s Sweet Scent should be especially effective.


    As expected, with Venusaur''s Sweet Scent, the Oricorio became dazed, as if drunk. Oricorio hidden among the flowers started wobbling out, and some even stumbled and copsed on the ground, utterly entranced, drooling in bliss.


    The Oricorio caught in Florges''s vines were simrly affected. She released her vines, and they dropped to the ground like dumplings, no longer making a fuss and looking thoroughly enchanted.


    Crystal: "Impressive!"


    Amber: "Clever!"


    The twins both gave Yuga a thumbs up in admiration. They''d definitely picked the right person to team up with!


    Without the interference from the Oricorio, the three of them could collect nectar much more quickly. Yuga continued gathering nectar while keeping an eye out with his Insight skill, hoping to find an Oricorio suitable for capturing.


    Although there were plenty of Oricorio here, it was still not easy to encounter high potential ones. If there were too many high potential Oricorio, it would be impossible for humans to collect the nectar from the four-colored flowers.


    Others who were collecting nectar saw how Yuga and his friends were using Sweet Scent to confuse the Oricorio and wanted to imitate them. However, the Sweet Scent from their Pok��mon couldn''tpare to Venusaur''s and had little effect.


    Some people tried to hitch a ride on Yuga''s sess, but he chased them off. If he helped everyone, it could lead to the four-colored flower nectar beingpletely harvested. What would the Oricorio eat then? Everyone should rely on their own abilities. If they could collect more on their own, Yuga wouldn''t stop them, but if they were looking to take advantage, that wasn''t going to happen!


    A group of four saw that Yuga was unwilling to help and tried to bully him, but before Yuga could even move, the twin sisters beat them up.


    With the twins'' show of force, no one else dared to bother them.


    By mid-afternoon, Yuga finally encountered his first green potential Oricorio. This one was of the Sensu style Oricorio, a Ghost-type, and stood out among the many Oricorio. It was also the most susceptible to the effects of Sweet Scent.


    However, it was still knocked out easily by Florges''s vine whip, allowing Yuga to capture it without any trouble.


    After encountering this Oricorio, Yuga''s luck suddenly changed for the better. During the next phase of nectar gathering, he came across a Baile Style Oricorio, and another Pom-Pom style Oricorio.


    Now he had collected one of each of the four styles of Oricorio.


    Yuga thought, since he had captured the Oricorio, should he also gather some four-colored flower seeds to take back and nt? His biggest worry was that they wouldn''t grow, or even if they did, they wouldn''t bloom, which had been the case for others.


    However, Florges reassured him that he didn''t need to worry; with her around, the seeds would definitely grow and bloom sessfully.


    Thinking about it, Florges was indeed the most professional gardener. So, Yuga had Roserade and Bellossom help him collect some seeds from the four-colored flowers.


    The climate in Al was unique. Although the nectar from the four-colored flowers was most abundant in spring, they actually bloomed all year round; otherwise, the Oricorio living there would have starved long ago. Thus, flower seeds were avable in all seasons.


    By evening, after collecting enough, the trio decided to head back.


    Gathering nectar was quite a tedious task; each flower produced very little nectar. Despite Yuga and the twin sisters, along with a few Pok��mon, working hard all afternoon, they only collected about ten jars of nectar. This wasrgely thanks to Florges, who harvested nectar faster than all three of thembined.


    Yuga and the twins didn''t mind the amount of nectar they gathered; they were just in it for the fun anyway.


    Compared to others, Yuga and the twins had done quite well. A team of over ten people had collected less than the three of thembined.


    As a result, they left amid envious gazes from other nectar collectors.


    Since it was gettingte, the twin sisters invited Yuga to stay overnight at the Pok��mon School; after all, their grandfather had plenty of rooms.


    When Principal Oak saw his two granddaughters returning with Yuga, he looked at Yuga strangely, especially after learning that Yuga would be staying the night; he regarded him as if he were a thief.


    Yuga was utterly confused.


    The sisters brought out the nectar they had collected to let their grandfather taste it, which made him beam with joy.


    However, they didn''t show him everything they had collected nor did they tell him it was all from their gathering; they just said they bought it while shopping that day.

 Chapter 1169: Own Tempo

    <h4>Chapter 1169: Own Tempo</h4>


    Yuga stayed overnight at the Pok��mon School at the invitation of the twin sisters. The next day, he just happened to run into Lana and Kiawe on their way to ss, so he took out the four-colored nectar he had obtained the previous day to share with them.


    Unfortunately, just as he brought out the nectar, Lana and Kiawe''s ssmates, Mallow, Lillie, and Sophocle, arrived, do he need to turn the sharing from two people into five.


    Even someone as privileged as Lillie, the heiress of the Aether Foundation, didn''t get to eat four-colored nectar very often, so everyone found it quite novel.


    In fact, the nutritional value of four-colored nectar was simr to that of Honey, and their taste was alsoparable. The main differencesy in their medicinal properties, but in practical terms, their value was essentially the same.


    If someone were to ask why four-colored nectar was considered precious, it might just be due to its rarity.


    Although the production of Honey was not high, Honey could still be farmed artificially. No matter how rare a Vespiquen was, it was still possible to obtain one with the right connections.


    However, the four-colored flowers not only grew exclusively in Al but were also difficult to cultivate artificially. The challenges in harvesting them were significant, making them much rarer in the marketpared to Honey.


    Mallow''s family owned a restaurant, and seeing everyone treat the precious four-colored nectar as a snack made her feel it was a waste. So, she proposed that they give the nectar to her; she would turn it into dishes and invite everyone to eat at her family''s Aina''s Kitchen.


    Naturally, everyone agreed without a second thought.


    Yuga felt a bit hesitant upon hearing this. He hadn''t returned to the hotelst night and wondered if Luna had been worried.


    "I should call my niece to let her know; otherwise, she will worry," Yuga said after some consideration.


    However, Yuga was overthinking it. Luna had been having too much fun yesterday and didn''t even notice he hadn''t returned to the hotel. When he called back, she was still fast asleep.


    Yuga hung up the phone with a dark expression.


    In any case, this girl wouldn''t be crazy for long. Once the vacation was over, she would leave Al and return to the training base to continue her grueling training life.


    Visiting Aina''s Kitchen was a lunchtime event, and Mallow and the others had sses to attend in the morning, so Yuga found a quiet spot to start practicing the flute.


    Since returning from the Ultra Space, Yuga had been searching for instructional videos online to begin learning how to y the flute. He nned to ying Moon Flute for Cosmoem every day.


    The sound of the Moon Flute had a significant positive effect on Cosmoem, so Yuga wouldn''t let such a valuable treasure go to waste.


    Although the unpleasant sound of the flute and a melodious sound had simr effects, Yuga felt it would be better to learn it properly. After all, he didn''t want to be surrounded by noise every day, as it would definitely affect his mood.


    What fascinated Yuga the most was that aside from himself, no one else could y the Moon Flute. He had previously asked Luna, Ayashi, and Arata Sena to give it a try; despite having learned to y the flute for a while in her childhood, Luna couldn''t produce any sound either.


    The Moon Flute had a deep connection with Lun, and Yuga spected that he could y it because he was Cosmoem''s trainer and had gained its recognition.


    He wondered if the flute could recognize people.


    The piece Yuga chose to practice was a very simple and basic melody, but he realized he didn''t have much musical talent, as he kept stumbling over the notes.


    However, Cosmoem was very supportive. No matter how off-key he yed, Cosmoem listened with a cheerful expression, its eyes squinted with delight, looking incredibly cute.


    Yuga practiced ying the flute on a patch of grass outside the Pok��mon School, blowing his notes while Cosmoem floated nearby, swaying gently as it listened.


    Just then, Yuga suddenly felt a sh of golden electricity in the air, followed by a Pok��mon with a Mohawk hairstyle descending from the sky.


    "Tapu Koko!"


    Yuga''s flute ying abruptly came to a halt.


    As Yuga was still pondering why Tapu Koko had suddenly appeared, the Tapu Koko across from him had alreadyunched an attack.


    Buzz!


    Tapu Koko, glowing with electric light, used Wild Charge and barreled toward Yuga. Luckily, Cosmoem reacted quickly, using Teleport to whisk Yuga out of harm''s way.


    Seeing that Tapu Koko seemed unfriendly, Yuga quickly released his Dragonite to counter it.


    Tapu Koko was the guardian deity of Melemele Ind and was highly respected in Al. Yuga had never seen it before and certainly had never had any conflict with it, so when it attacked him, he could only think of one reason.


    Cosmoem!


    ording to known legends, the four guardian deities of Al had a deep connection with the Sun and Moon deities.


    As soon as Dragonite appeared, it pped its wings and swung its Ice Punch, imbued with freezing energy, at Tapu Koko. Tapu Koko simply folded its arms, retreating into its shell, easily absorbing Dragonite''s punch.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Dragonite''s punches rained down like a storm on Tapu Koko''s shell. Suddenly, Tapu Koko shone with a pink glow,unching Dragonite away just as it prepared to swing its fists again.


    The Dragon-type Dragonite was struck hard by Tapu Koko''s unexpected Dazzling Gleam, crashing heavily to the ground.


    Tapu Koko suddenly soared into the air, and a golden light beam shot down toward the ground, instantaneously unfolding an electric field.


    Crackle...


    Tapu Koko dove down using Wild Charge. The speed of the charge was so swift that Yuga felt like the air itself was about to ignite.


    Dragonite realized it couldn''t dodge, and a torrent of golden electricity surged from its body. In an instant, arge dark cloud gathered in the sky, dimming the daylight.


    Boom!


    A thunderp resonated, and a massive golden dragon descended from the heavens, crashing down onto Tapu Koko.


    Patter, patter...


    Following the thunder, heavy rain began to pour from the sky,pletely shrouding the nearby Pok��mon School in rain clouds.


    Professor Kukui, who was teaching a ss, looked out at the sudden downpour and muttered in confusion, "That''s strange; the weather forecast said it was going to be a nice day!"


    Just then, the ss ended, and he advised the children, "That''s it for today''s lesson. But since it''s suddenly started to rain heavily outside, please be careful on your way home."


    "We understand!" the children replied in unison.


    Tapu Koko was immediately interrupted from its Wild Charge by Dragonite''s lightning strike, nearly suffering internal injuries from the impact.


    Generally, if a Pok��mon took a hit like that from a thunderbolt, it would either die or be significantly injured, but Tapu Koko, being a legendary Pok��mon and an Electric-type, only suffered minor charring and was not seriously harmed.


    After taking such a blow from Dragonite, Tapu Koko finally ceased its assault, quietly hovering in the air, staring at Yuga without blinking.


    Seeing that Tapu Koko had stopped moving, Yuga refrained from letting Dragonite make any rash moves. Instead, he maintained a "passionate" eye contact with Tapu Koko.


    Time passed without Yuga realizing it, and soon his eyes began to ache. Tapu Koko finally averted its gaze, and in a sh, it vanished from his sight.


    Yuga was left bewildered by the neurotic legendary Pok��mon. After discontentedly recalling Cosmoem and Dragonite, he returned to the Pok��mon School.


    In the anime, Ash would have gotten a Z-Ring after battling it, but here he was, merely startled and without any rewards.


    As soon as Yuga entered the campus, he saw Lana and the others walking toward him.


    "Big brother, where have you been? We''ve been looking for you!"


    Yuga replied, "I was training my Pok��mon outside, but I didn''t expect it to rain. I''ll go change my clothes ande back."


    At that moment, his clothes were quite damp.


    "Okay, then hurry back! We''ll wait for you here."


    Yuga nodded and returned to where he had stayedst night, changing out of his wet clothes. He also took the opportunity to inform the twins and Principal Oak that he was leaving.


    Initially, the twins wanted to invite Yuga to visit Melemele Meadow again, but upon hearing that he was leaving, they didn''t press the matter.


    After bidding farewell to the three of them, Yuga set off with a few children to the Aina''s Kitchen.


    The Aina''s Kitchen was located in Hau''oli City, which was bustling and filled with tourists. The restaurant offered delicious and affordable meals, making it a popr dining spot.


    In the past, Mallow would always help her busy father as soon as she returned, but recently her older brother, who had been studying culinary arts abroad, came back. So when her father saw that his daughter had brought friends along, he allowed her to focus on attending to the guests.


    Having learned cooking from her father since childhood, Mallow''s dishes were exceptionally delicious. She transformed the precious four-color nectar into a variety of foods, including beverages and desserts. The array of enticing dishes allowed everyone to enjoy a hearty feast.


    After finishing their meals, Yuga was surprised to see a familiar face in the restaurant''s lobby.


    "Ilima, you''re back in Al?"


    Ilima had previously studied in the Kalos region and then spent some time as an exchange student in Hoenn.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu? You''re also in Al!" Ilima was equally astonished to see Yuga.


    "Big brother, do you know senior Ilima?" Mallow and her friends were surprised as well. Ilima was a senior at their Pok��mon School; although he had graduated some time ago, he was still a notable figure at the school, and many people often talked about him.


    "I challenged Gym Leader Shimizu at his Gym before, so I''ve known him for a while," Ilima exined with a smile.


    "You probably didn''t know, but big brother is the Gym Leader in Hoenn; he''s a very powerful trainer," Kiawe proudly added, now aware of Yuga''s identity.


    "Is that so? That''s why senior Ilima calls you Gym Leader Shimizu."


    "Um... what is a Gym Leader?" Lillie asked weakly at that moment.


    The room suddenly fell silent. Everyone exchanged nces, unsure of what to say. Al had no Gyms, so they were unfamiliar with their purpose.


    "A Gym Leader is one of the city''s managers. Besides being responsible for the city''s safety and stability, they also... in a sense, a Gym Leader is somewhat simr to our Ind Kahuna," Ilima patiently exined the functions of a Gym Leader to the children.


    After hearing Ilima''s exnation, the children finally understood.


    "So that''s why big brother is so impressive!"


    Yuga chatted with Ilima for a little longer at the Aina''s Kitchen before leaving. The children still had sses to attend in the afternoon, so they didn''t apany him.


    Since he had been called away to Melemele Meadow by the twins yesterday and hadn''t explored Hau''oli City properly, Yuga decided to continue his exploration of the city in the afternoon.


    Hau''oli City boasted many famous local specialties, including various antique boutiques, clothing stores, and more. Yuga took the opportunity to finish buying gifts for his aunt and the others.


    With so many items he purchased, his spatial backpack couldn''t hold everything. Yuga didn''t want to pull out his system backpack in front of everyone, so he ended up carrying some of the items in his hands.


    Just as he was looking for a ce to rest, he suddenly heard amotion nearby.


    "Catch them! Don''t let them get away!"


    Immediately afterward, Yuga saw two small gray figures darting past him, almost knocking over the items he was holding. A few people chased after them.


    The two gray figures couldn''t run far before being caught by a Houndoom, which swiftly pinned them down with its paws. Yuga then realized the gray figures were actually an Aln Meowth and a Rockruff.


    "Look at you, still trying to run! How dare you steal my things!"


    The group of people who caught up to Meowth and Rockruff began to kick and punch them, leaving the already distressed little creatures in an even worse state.


    A bystander, who was about to intervene, was intimidated into silence when the aggressive group red at them fiercely.


    Listening to the conversation, Yuga learned that the two little ones had indeed stolen from these people. To his surprise, he recognized them as the same four people who had been beaten by the twins at Melemele Meadow the day before.


    "Alright, alright, that''s enough! Don''t go too far!" Yuga finally spoke up, unable to watch the scene any longer.


    "What''s it to you..." the leader of the Houndoom trainer was about to retort when he saw Yuga''s face. He immediately swallowed the rest of his words and awkwardly said, "Fine, fine! I won''t hold this against you this time. But if I see you two again, don''t me me for being rude!" He even kicked Meowth as he left.


    Clearly, this person recognized Yuga and was wary of his strength, which is why he chose to back down.


    Yuga released his Breloom, cing the items he was holding into its arms, and then walked over to pick up the two little creatures.


    Even in a bustling metropolis like Hau''oli City, there were still stray Pok��mon like these two. The little ones had been beaten so badly that they couldn''t even get up. When Yuga picked them up, they seemed to want to struggle but didn''t have the strength.


    While using his special ability to heal them, Yuga carried them toward the Pok��mon Center. By the time they were halfway there, the two little ones had already fainted.


    After Nurse Joy examined them, she reported that Meowth and Rockruff''s injuries weren''t serious, but they were suffering from malnutrition.


    As Yuga contemted how to care for the two little ones, he noticed something unusual about Rockruff, it had Own Tempo Ability.


    Typically, Rockruff has three possible abilities: Keen Eye, Vital Spirit, and Steadfast. Depending on whether they evolved during the night or day, these abilities could lead to different forms of Lycanroc (Midday Form and Midnight Form).


    However, there was a unique case: if Rockruff had the Own Tempo ability, it could potentially evolve into the rare Dusk Form if it was evolved during Dusk time.


    It was easy to imagine how rare a Rockruff with Own Tempo ability would be; it wouldn''t be encountered so easily! It''s not like they were wild grass by the roadside!


    Could it be that this was the very Rockruff that Ash would eventually get? Yuga couldn''t help but think to himself.

 Chapter 1170: The Feud Between Persian and Lycanroc

    <h4>Chapter 1170: The Feud Between Persian and Lycanroc</h4>


    After picking up Rockruff and Meowth from the Pok��mon Center, Yuga found a small park and decided to let them have something to eat there.


    The two little ones seemed timid, probably due to their long time wandering outside, and especially because of the harsh lesson they''d just received. So when Yuga took out food for them, they were too scared toe forward.


    Yuga used his special ability to make himself appear more friendly. Only then did the two let down their guard and eagerly started devouring the food Yuga offered.


    Once they had eaten their fill, Yuga gently asked, "Would you two like toe with me? If you do, you''ll never have to go hungry again."


    Meowth and Rockruff looked at each other, unsure how to respond to Yuga. In the end, Rockruff nudged Meowth forward, prompting it to tell Yuga about their situation.


    As it turned out, they still had a mother. With her protection, even though they were stray Pok��mon, they hadn''t been doing too badly. However, not long ago, their mother returned badly injured, and she could no longer take care of them. That was when they began living by stealing here and there.


    Despite one being a cat and the other a dog, Meowth and Rockruff were actually brothers because their mother was a Persian, and their father was a Lycanroc.


    However, they had never met their father, and all the information they had about him came from their mother''s stories.


    Although they wanted to go with Yuga, they couldn''t bear to leave their injured mother behind.


    "That''s easy enough! Take me to see your mother, and I can bring her to the Pok��mon Center for treatment," Yuga said with a smile after listening to Meowth''s story.


    At Yuga''s words, Meowth and Rockruff exchanged another uncertain nce. They looked quite troubled. Finally, it was Rockruff who made the decision, gritting its teeth and agreeing to lead Yuga to its mother; it didn''t want her to die.


    Following Rockruff and Meowth''s lead, Yuga arrived at an abandoned little hut on the outskirts of Hau''oli City, where he found their severely injured mother.


    Like Meowth, their mother was also in the unique Aln form of Persian. Yuga was surprised to see that this Persian had a green aura and an exceptionally high level��almost at the pseudo-Elite level.


    No wonder Meowth said their lives had been rtively good before. With a mother this powerful, even as stray Pok��mon, they could live quite well; theirpetitive edge was just different.


    When Yuga entered, the Persian, who had been lying down, immediately became very alert. Despite her injuries, she jumped up, baring her teeth at Yuga. Had her two children not been standing beside him, she probably would have attacked him right away.


    Sensing the hostility radiating from Persian, Yuga finally understood why Rockruff and Meowth had been so hesitant about bringing him here��their mother didn''t like humans.


    Persian growled, threatening Yuga not to approach her, while calling for her children to stay away from him. Rockruff and Meowth reluctantly moved from Yuga''s side to hide behind her.


    "Calm down, I mean no harm; I just want to take a look at your injuries," Yuga said, trying to use a gentle tone.


    "Roar!"


    Don''te any closer!


    Persian was unmoved by Yuga''s kindness.


    "If you keep pushing yourself like this, your body won''t hold up much longer. If you fall, what will happen to your two children?" Yuga continued to try to persuade her, even telling her everything that had happened today. "Do you want your children to live a life where they''re chased and hunted down?"


    Yuga''s final words seemed to touch Persian. She looked at her two children and, unable to hold herself up any longer, copsed onto the ground with a thud.


    Seeing their mother copse, Meowth and Rockruff immediately ran to her in distress. Persian could only manage a weak smile tofort them.


    Yuga quickly walked over to check on Persian''s condition. When his hand touched her body, she flinched, but seeing her children''s anxious and worried faces, she gritted her teeth and endured it.


    Persian''s body bore numerous tears, with an especiallyrge gash on her left nk, almost half the length of Yuga''s arm. Though the wound had stopped bleeding, it was clearly rotten and infected, giving it a terrifying appearance.


    This Persian had the Fur Coat ability, which reduces physical damage by half. Without this protective ability, she likely wouldn''t have survived.


    Yuga wanted to take her to the Pok��mon Center right away, but she refused, so he had to treat the wound himself.


    He first cleaned her wound, then used a sterilized knife to cut away the decayed flesh, and finally called upon Chimecho to assist in healing.


    Fortunately, Yuga often traveled and kept necessary medicines and tools in his system backpack; otherwise, he wouldn''t have been able to handle Persian''s injuries at this moment.


    After more than half a day, Persian''s wounds were mostly treated. However, because she had been injured for so long, she was extremely weak and unable to stand up.


    "Would you, along with Meowth and Rockruff, considering with me? If you do, you''ll never have to face such dangers again."


    Yuga continued to "persuade" the Persian family.


    Out of gratitude for Yuga''s help, Persian''s hostility toward him finally subsided a bit, though she still didn''t feel warm toward him.


    After looking at Yuga for a long moment, she finally said, "If you help me with one thing, I''ll go with you."


    "What is it? Just say it." Yuga wasn''t afraid of her having a request; he was only worried if she didn''t. If he could earn her trust, she''d willingly follow him.


    Persian then told Yuga her story.


    It turned out that back when Persian was a Meowth, she had been raised by a human. However, her trainer treated her poorly, constantly scolding and beating her and frequentlymanding her to bully weaker wild Pok��mon. Eventually, she stole her Pok�� Ball and ran away.


    This experience was the reason Persian now harbored a deep distrust of humans.


    Meowth had excellent potential and soon evolved into Persian, finding the freedom a stray Pok��mon and lifefortingly.


    Later, she met Rockruff and Meowth''s father, a Lycanroc in its Midday Form.


    Unlike Persian, a stray Pok��mon in the city, Lycanroc was a wild Pok��mon with his own n, where he served as the leader. Persian had encountered him while foraging outside the city.


    After meeting, Persian left Hau''oli City and joined Lycanroc to live in the wilderness. However, their happiness was short-lived, as their n soon faced a dire situation.


    Another n led by a Midnight Form Lycanroc lived nearby and had always sought to conquer her mate''s n. In a territorial battle between the ns, Persian''s mate was defeated and killed by the Midnight Form Lycanroc.


    At that time, Persian had just be pregnant with the current Meowth.


    Following the merge of the two ns, the Midnight Form Lycanroc naturally became the n leader, and none of the other members objected. To them, it was perfectly reasonable.


    Perhaps to the Lycanrocs, it truly was natural �� survival of the fittest.


    But Persian couldn''t ept it. She didn''t belong to any n and couldn''t understand or want to understand the Lycanrocs'' philosophy of "survival of the species above all." She only wanted to avenge her husband!


    So, she quietly left the n with Rockruff and returned to Hau''oli City, where sheter gave birth to her second child, Meowth. During her time in Hau''oli City, she never forgot her desire for revenge.


    Not long ago, feeling that her strength had improved enough, Persian secretly returned to the wild, determined to eliminate that Midnight Form Lycanroc.


    However, that Lycanroc was far stronger than she''d expected. Not only did she fail to defeat him, but she was also severely injured in the battle. It was clear that both she and her opponent were powerful.


    After this failed attempt, Persian realized that without outside help, she might never be able to achieve her revenge.


    "So, your request is for me to avenge your husband?"


    Persian nodded.


    "Alright, but can we go tomorrow? You could use a night''s rest," Yuga agreed, curious about the Lycanroc who had inflicted such severe wounds on Persian. It had to be quite strong.


    With that, Yuga took Persian, Meowth, and Rockruff back to a hotel in Pani Town.


    After a long day, Yuga reserved a private room in the hotel''s restaurant, ordered avish dinner, and even let out his Oricorio for a spontaneous performance.


    Each of the four Oricorio had a distinct style. The Baile Style Oricorio''s dance was reminiscent of menco, the Pom-Pom Style Oricorio performed a cheerleader dance, the Pa''u Style Oricorio showcased h dancing, and the Sensu Style Oricorio''s movements resembled Japanese fan dances.


    Halfway through dinner, Luna joined them. She was captivated by the Oricorios'' performance and decided to stay for the meal.


    After dinner, Luna said to Yuga, "Brother, I''m nning to head back tomorrow. Do you want toe along?"


    Yuga was surprised. "Leaving so soon? Don''t you have a few days left on your break?"


    "I''ve been going wild these past few days, but now I suddenly feel like going home," Luna said sheepishly.


    "Oh, so you know you''ve been wild, huh?" Yuga rolled his eyes. "You didn''t even answer my calls! If you want to go, go ahead. I''ll stay for a few more days."


    "Alright," Luna agreed. Since she''d be returning with members of the Investigation Bureau, she didn''t mind if Yuga stayed behind.


    Later that night, Yuga knocked on Luna''s door. When she saw him, she asked, "Brother, what''s up thiste?"


    Yuga handed her a Pok��mon egg and said, "Since you''re leaving tomorrow, here''s a gift."


    Luna happily epted the egg. "Thank you, Brother! What Pok��mon is it?"


    "Nihilego," Yuga answered.


    "Nihilego?!" Luna quickly held the Pok��mon egg high, a look of dread on her face. "Why would you give me this? I don''t want it!"


    The days when she''d been possessed and controlled by Nihilego were nothing short of a nightmare for Luna.


    "How can you be so cowardly?" Yuga knocked her on the head, exasperated. "Nihilego is incredibly powerful; others would be thrilled to have it!"


    If he hadn''t brought back quite a few Nihilego eggs this time, he wouldn''t have given one to Luna.


    "Alright then." Luna reconsidered and found Yuga''s words quite reasonable. "Once it hatches, I''ll make sure to teach it properly �� no attaching itself to others whenever it wants."


    Yuga chuckled. "Now that''s more like it. Work hard when you get back, and be more vignt on missions. Don''t make people worry about you anymore."


    The next morning, after breakfast with Yuga, Luna left Pani Town with Kaname Hirakawa. With the Investigation Bureau team apanying her, Yuga didn''t see her off and instead mounted his Dragonite. He took Persian and her cubs and flew towards the wilderness near Hau''oli City.


    Lycanroc''s territory was even farther than Yuga had imagined. Even with Dragonite''s speed, it took them more than two hours to reach the destination.


    Confident in his abilities, Yuga boldly entered Lycanroc''s territory with Persian, Meowth, and Rockruff. This area, deep within the forest, was a rocky canyon contrasting sharply with the vibrant, lush forest surrounding it.


    As the habitat of Rock-type Pok��mon, the barrenndscape fit perfectly.


    Their arrival immediately drew the Lycanroc pack''s attention; some observed Persian with indifference, while others red at her with anger.


    It was clear they recognized Persian.


    The indifferent ones were originally members of Meowth and Rockruff''s father''s n, while the angry ones were from the Midnight Form Lycanroc''s n. Originally, this canyon had belonged to Meowth and Rockruff''s father.


    "Awooo!"


    A red figure leaped swiftly down from the cliffside,nding right in front of Yuga and Persian.


    As soon as Persian saw the red figure, she began growling in fury. From her reaction, Yuga instantly identified the Lycanroc before him.


    ...


    [ Lycanroc (Midnight Form) ]


    Type: Rock


    Ability: No Guard


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 64


    Moves: Tackle, Howl, Rock Throw, Scary Face, Stone Edge, Crunch, Rock Climb, Brick Break, Snarl, Crush w, Swords Dance.


    ...


    This was an Elite-level Pok��mon �� no wonder Persian couldn''t match it.


    The Lycanroc looked fierce, with scarlet eyes and long scars across its abdomen and arm, a clear mark of countless battles.


    "Awooo!"


    Lycanroc howled again. Yuga recognized it as the Howl move, not only bolstering its aura but also boosting its attack power.


    It knew Persian was here with ill intentions!


    As Lycanroc''s howling echoed through the canyon, more howls followed, one after another, from the surrounding cliffs. The other Lycanrocs and Rockruffs were cheering on their leader!

 Chapter 1171: Tapu Bulu and Florges

    <h4>Chapter 1171: Tapu Bulu and Florges</h4>


    Yuga looked at the Lycanroc before him, pondering how to handle it. Persian had asked him to avenge her, but how exactly? Should he kill it? Cripple it?


    Yuga felt conflicted. Although he had agreed at the time, looking back, it seemed he''d been a bit hasty. After all, he was a Gym Leader of the League; either killing or crippling the Lycanroc didn''t fit his status.


    The Lycanroc before him wasn''t concerned with Yuga''s thoughts. Seeing an opportunity, it leaped towards Persian, raising its gleaming ws to strike.


    Watching this, Yuga understood how Persian had gotten those previous wed wounds; it was Lycanroc''s Crush w.


    Persian''s body hadn''t fully healed yet and couldn''t dodge or withstand the attack.


    At some point, Mimikyu had appeared in front of Persian, intercepting Lycanroc''s Crush w with its Wood Hammer. The impact sent Lycanroc flying backward.


    As Lycanrocunched its attack, Meowth and Rockruff by Persian''s side were startled. But after it was repelled, the two little ones, regaining theirposure, stood protectively in front of their mother, growling "threateningly" at Lycanroc. Their voices, though childish, moved Persian deeply.


    Yuga smiled and said, "Oh, look at that �� you two know how to protect your mom! Nice. But leave this matter to me today. Take your mom and step back."


    Knowing they couldn''t help, Meowth and Rockruff quickly pulled Persian back behind Yuga.


    This time, Lycanroc, after standing back up, no longer ignored Yuga. It quietly assessed Yuga and Mimikyu, its scarlet eyes gleaming with menace.


    "Awooo!"


    Lycanroc used Howl again, then leapt forward with Crush w to attack Mimikyu. Mimikyu, like a small cannonball, bounced up and used y Rough to collide with Lycanroc.


    Boom!


    The two Pok��mon shed, but in terms of strength, Lycanroc actually lost to the small, "frail" Mimikyu, who exerted force and threw Lycanroc to the ground.


    Boom!!!


    The hard rock shattered into pieces from Lycanroc''s impact, causing exmations among the observing Lycanrocs.


    Their leader was the strongest Pok��mon in the area, yet it was already struggling.


    This was when the pack''s unity came into y; the Lycanrocs on the cliff all jumped down and surrounded Yuga and Mimikyu in an instant.


    "Are you nning to gang up on us?" Although Yuga said "you," he kept his eyes on the Lycanroc leader.


    The Lycanroc leader, now standing again, felt its pride trampled. It turned around and barked at the other Lycanrocs, who backed off in fear.


    "How about we make a bet?" Yuga continued, addressing the Lycanroc leader. "If you lose, you''ll give up your position as leader and leave your pack."


    Since killing or crippling it wasn''t a good solution, Yuga hade up with this alternative.


    Since Persian''s mate had been killed in the fight for leadership, he thought it fitting that the one responsible should lose the same position.


    Yuga''s words enraged the Lycanroc leader. It had struggled immensely to be leader, unifying the two packs �� how could it just give that up so easily?


    Seeing the Lycanroc ring viciously at him, Yuga sneered, "What''s wrong? Afraid? So you''re certain you''re going to lose? I can''t believe a coward like you actually became the leader."


    "Roar!"


    Yuga''s words sessfully infuriated the Lycanroc leader, and in a moment of rage, it agreed to Yuga''s bet.


    Yuga chuckled after hearing its answer. Sure enough, taunting straightforward Pok��mon was a foolproof tactic.


    The battle resumed. Lycanroc sent a barrage of sharp Stone Edges shooting toward Mimikyu, who extended a giant ck w from behind itself, swatting each stone away with left and right strikes.


    After deflecting the Stone Edge attacks, Mimikyu didn''t stop. It leaped up, its entire body glowing pink, and hurled itself at Lycanroc.


    Not to be outdone, Lycanroc used Rock Climb to charge at Mimikyu.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The two Pok��mon shed again and again until finally, Lycanroc was defeated, knocked to the ground by Mimikyu''s Wood Hammer.


    Seeing the Lycanroc leader unconscious, Yuga called out to Persian, who was watching from nearby, "How about we settle your grudge by driving it out of the pack?"


    Persian felt reluctant; if possible, she wanted to kill the Lycanroc leader. But knowing that wasn''t feasible, she nodded in agreement.


    Driving the Lycanroc out of the pack was the best solution for now.


    Seeing their leader defeated, the other Lycanrocs wanted to check on him but held back, wary of Yuga''s strength.


    Yuga didn''t heal the unconscious Lycanroc leader. Instead, he waited patiently until it woke up.


    When the Lycanroc finally came to, it was around noon. Yuga had set up cookware and prepared avish lunch, eating with Persian and the others while they waited. The scent of the meal made the surrounding Lycanrocs'' mouths water, and their usual berries suddenly seemed a lot less appetizing.


    "You''re awake! So, are you going to honor our bet and leave this ce?" Yuga said casually, noticing the Lycanroc leader opening its eyes.


    "Roar..."


    For a moment, the Lycanroc looked confused, but then, as if epting its fate, it slowly got up and limped toward the canyon''s exit, its departure looking rather bleak. Even Yuga felt a bit sympathetic.


    The other Lycanrocs wanted to stop it, but a single re from their leader kept them from intervening �� it didn''t want to lose thest bit of its dignity.


    Oh no, am I starting to look like a viin here? Yuga thought to himself.


    After watching the Lycanroc leave, Yuga decided to head out as well. There were no high potential Lycanrocs or Rockruffs left here besides the departing leader, so he didn''t want to waste any more time.


    Letting such an excellent Lycanroc go was actually a bit painful for Yuga. But since he had decided to keep Persian and her children, he couldn''t very well capture their enemy.


    It''s like how a Seviper Trainer would never capture a Zangoose.


    After leaving the Lycanroc territory, Yuga didn''t hurry to fly off on Dragonite. Instead, he recalled Persian, Meowth, and Rockruff into their Pok�� Balls and ventured into the surrounding forest.


    Since he had some free time, he figured he might as well explore the forest and see if there were any Pok��mon worth capturing.


    The natural ecosystem of Al is exceptionally well-preserved andplete. Though the ce where Yuga was wasn''t a primeval forest, it was still a vast, dense forest home to all kinds of Pok��mon.


    Here, Yuga saw Passimian leaping among the trees, Cutiefly and Ribombee yfully flitting across the grassy fields and flowers, Toucannon devouring berry inrge gulps, and Morelull and Shiinotic sleeping hidden in the bushes��all Pok��mon that could only be seen in Al.


    Despite the abundance and variety of Pok��mon, finding high potential ones suitable for capture wasn''t easy, and after a long search, Yuga hadn''t spotted even a shadow of one.


    As Yuga walked along, the ground suddenly bulged at his feet, and he saw something burrowing around beneath the soil.


    "Florges, use Vine Whip to pull it out!" Yuga instructed Florges beside him.


    "Florges!"


    Upon hearing this, Florges swung out her vine, and with a bang, the ground burst open. A Wimpod, caught by the vine, was pulled out, writhing in struggle.


    Just as Yuga was about to tell Florges to knock out the Wimpod, a clear ringing came from the sky, and suddenly a ck and red figure descended, smashing Florges''s vine and causing the Wimpod to fall back to the ground and burrow away in an instant.


    What the heck! Yuga was about to curse out loud, and seeing the ck-and-red figure more clearly only made him want to swear even more.


    Tapu Bulu!


    Was he stirring up a whole nest of Al''s guardian deities? Why they weree to him one after another! Wasn''t Tapu Bulu the guardian of '' Ind? Why was it here on Melemele Ind?


    It must be Tapu Koko''s doing! Yuga thought to himself.


    Tapu Bulu bounced around as it observed Yuga, and with every swish of its tail, a pleasant ringing echoed out.


    Somehow, hearing this sound, Yuga couldn''t help but feel a sense of closeness to Tapu Bulu.


    Unlike Tapu Koko, Tapu Bulu didn''t attack upon arrival. Instead, it circled around Yuga and Florges, appearing quite interested in them.


    Seeing that Tapu Bulu didn''t have hostile intentions, Yuga stood still, allowing it to observe him.


    After a while, Tapu Bulu suddenly leaped over to Florges, startling Yuga.


    Just when Yuga thought it was about to attack, it instead led Florges over to a small sapling and began performing a mysterious dance in front of it.


    Ding-ling... ding-ling...


    With each step Tapu Bulu took, green light emanated from its body. To Yuga''s amazement, the small sapling started growing at a visibly rapid pace, and before long, it had transformed into a towering tree covered in pink blossoms.


    Yuga was stunned by the scene, remembering only then that Tapu Bulu had the power to control and enhance the growth of nts.


    Florges also possessed the ability to make nts grow, but her powers couldn''tpare to Tapu Bulu''s.


    After finishing, Tapu Bulu pushed Florges over to another sapling, encouraging her to give it a try, just like it did.


    Florges hesitated for a moment but then tried to imitate Tapu Bulu''s dance. Though there was no ringing, Florges also emitted a green light.


    The sapling began to grow, sprouting branches and buds, but after a while, it only reached about the height of a person��nothing like the towering tree that Tapu Bulu had created.


    Tapu Bulu continued to lead Florges to the next sapling, demonstrating again, and even providing exnations as it went along, as if earnestly teaching her.


    And so, one by one, towering trees began to spring up across the forest, growing quickly under the influence of Tapu Bulu and Florges.


    Meanwhile, elsewhere in the same forest, dion was training with Umbreon. dion is Lillie''s older brother and the son of Lusamine, the president of the Aether Foundation.


    "Umbreon, did you hear something?"


    dion suddenly stopped, tilting his head to listen closely to something.


    "Umbreon!"


    Umbreon also stopped, raising its long ears, mimicking its trainer''s actions as it listened intently.


    "Umbreon!"


    After a moment, Umbreon nodded at dion, confirming that it, too, had heard a strange ringing sound.


    "Right, you heard it too. Should we go check it out?" dion asked Umbreon.


    "Umbreon!"


    Umbreon nodded in agreement, then darted forward, leading the way. Seeing this, dion quickly followed.


    After running a while, dion suddenly heard Umbreon calling out anxiously from up ahead. When he caught up, he saw that a Midnight Lycanroc was blocking their path.


    The sight of this Lycanroc instantly captivated dion.


    "Umbreon, let''s capture it together!"


    "Umbreon!" Umbreon responded enthusiastically, leaping in front of Lycanroc.


    The Lycanroc initially wanted to avoid dion, especially since it was injured, but seeing Umbreon provoke it was more than it could tolerate!


    The battle began, with Umbreonunching a Dark Pulse at Lycanroc, while Lycanroc retaliated with Stone Edge aimed at Umbreon.


    Although Lycanroc''s level was considerably higher than Umbreon''s, its injuries hindered it, and its natural strength and training couldn''t quite match Umbreon''s. Before long, it was defeated by Umbreon.


    After dion captured it, Lycanroc found itself surprisingly okay with the oue. It nned to one day seek revenge on the human who had driven it away, but doing so alone would be impossible. However, with a trainer, things might be different!


    Thus, Lycanroc willingly decided to follow dion.


    After capturing Lycanroc, dion and Umbreon continued to follow the ringing sound.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, under Tapu Bulu''s guidance, Florges had nurtured one tree after another, gradually grasping the essentials of Tapu Bulu''s power, and the entire area was now blooming with vibrant flowers.


    Tapu Bulu was pleased with Florges''s progress. Seeing that she had mastered the technique, it shook its tail triumphantly and flew away.


    Halfway through its flight, Tapu Bulu suddenly thought: <i>What was I here for again? Fighting?</i>


    Not one for meaningless battles, Tapu Bulu flew straight back to '' Ind,pletely forgetting the task Tapu Koko had given it.


    Meanwhile, after seeing Tapu Bulu leave, Yuga and Florges also departed. When dion and Umbreon finally arrived, all they saw was a forest filled with pink flowers.


    "Umbreon, are these flowers supposed to bloom at this time of year?" dion asked dumbfoundedly.

 Chapter 1172: Tapu Lele’s Late-Night Visit

    <h4>Chapter 1172: Tapu Lele''s Late-Night Visit</h4>


    After parting ways with Tapu Bulu, Yuga took another stroll around the forest, but after a considerable walk, he found no more high potential Pok��mon and had to return to Pani Town.


    As soon as he returned to the hotel, the front desk receptionist informed him that someone was looking for him. It turned out to be people from the Aether Foundation, inviting him to visit Aether Paradise the next day.


    It was clear that the Aether Foundation hadn''t given up on the Ultra Space project; the invitation to tour Aether Paradise was just a pretext.


    Yuga didn''t refuse their invitation, as maintaining a good rtionship between the League and the Aether Foundation was still necessary. After all, the League was currently establishing a branch in Al, and the Aether Foundation''s support would be invaluable.


    After sending the Aether Foundation representatives away, Yuga returned to his room and took out two Innovation Potion, intending to use them on Meowth and Rockruff.


    Since he''d officially captured Meowth and Rockruff, it was time to help improve their potential, as neither of them had inherited their parents'' high stats. Especially Rockruff, who had the Own Tempo ability��if it stayed at yellow potential, that would be such a waste.


    Yuga released Rockruff and Meowth from their Pok�� Balls, handing each of them with an innovation potion and watching as they gulped it down, closing their eyes in prayer.


    Please let the luck be good!


    The chance for a yellow potential Pok��mon to advance to green potential with the Innovation Potion was only forty percent, so it depended heavily on luck.


    A few minutester, Yuga opened his eyes and used his Insight ability to check on the two little ones, and a relieved smile spread across his face.


    Luck was on his side; both Meowth and Rockruff had reached green potential.


    "Fantastic!"


    Yuga picked them up, one on each side, and kissed them on their little faces, leaving the two still-confused Pok��mon bewildered.


    "Let''s go shopping and reward the two of you!" said Yuga cheerfully.


    Although they weren''t sure what exactly had happened, Meowth and Rockruff were thrilled at the idea of a reward, they were bouncing up and down excitedly and each of them voicing requests for what they wanted him to buy.


    When they had previously wandered the streets, both Rockruff and Meowth had often envied other Pok��mon who went shopping with their trainers, and they''d always wanted to try it for themselves.


    Money wasn''t an issue for Yuga, so once they hit the streets, he bought whatever Meowth and Rockruff wanted. Before long, his hands were full of bags, and the two Pok��mon''s bellies were round and satisfied.


    Aln Persian, who Yuga had dragged along reluctantly, watched the three of them shopping without restraint. Although it shook its head at their carefree spree, it looked at Yuga with newfound appreciation.


    Although Meowth and Rockruff had nevercked food or care when they were with her, they''d never seemed this happy.


    She wasn''t fond of humans and had lived in the outskirts of Hau''oli City for a long time, rarelying into crowded ces. Watching Meowth and Rockruff enjoy themselves so much, its dislike for humans lessened a bit.


    In order to support Rockruff and Meowth, she often had to spend a lot of time away from them, leaving them to wander around in the city on their own. This was the first time seeing its little ones y so freely.


    After walking a bit further, Yuga noticed a stall selling popcorn up ahead. He turned his head to Rockruff and Meowth and asked, "Would you like some popcorn? I''ll go buy it for you."


    "Meow!"


    "Woof!"


    Even though they were already quite full, Meowth and Rockruff eagerly agreed, more for the thrill of Yuga''s generosity than the food itself.


    "Alright, wait here; I''ll be right back," Yuga said with a smile.


    There were quite a few people buying popcorn, and by the time Yuga returned, a good while had passed. But when he came back, he found Aln Persian, Meowth, and Rockruff surrounded by three strangers.


    "What are you doing surrounding my Pok��mon?" Yuga''s sudden voice startled the three people.


    The three of them were dressed in ck, with ck masks covering their faces, making them look just like street thugs.


    "Oh, these three Pok��mon are yours, huh? We''ve got our eyes on them, so hand them over to us!" said the man leading the group.


    The way he spoke made Yuga burst outughing; it sounded like he was trying to rap.


    "Hey, our boss is talking to you! Didn''t you hear? Hand over the Pok��mon already!" said a girl in the group.


    The three consisted of a hunchback, a chubby guy, and the girl��all of them looked young.


    After the girl finished speaking, her chubbypanion tugged at her, and she suddenly realized something, whispering, "Oh, I forgot."


    Then she adjusted her tone to match their leader''s peculiar style, saying, "Didn''t you hear, huh?"


    Looking at the three of them, Yuga suddenly recalled that they seemed to be from Team Skull. Despite its intimidating name, Team Skull was essentially just a gang of street thugs.


    "If you want my Pok��mon, sure. If you can beat me, I''ll hand them over to you," Yuga replied with a smile.


    After being washed clean, Meowth and Rockruff now looked nothing like strays, so it was no surprise that they''d caught the attention of these Team Skull members.


    Feeling looked down upon, the three Team Skull members angrily released their Pok��mon, ready to teach Yuga a lesson.


    The hunchback sent out a Sndit, the girl a Zubat, and the chubby guy a Garbodor.


    Yuga nced at the three Pok��mon and casually asked Aln Persian, "Think you can handle them?"


    "Meow!"


    With a graceful leap, Aln Persian sprang forward, looking disdainfully at the three Pok��mon, which infuriated the Team Skull trio. Without another word, theyunched their attack.


    Aln Persian jumped lightly, dodging the attacks with ease, then struck Sndit down with a single Sucker Punch, before instantly appearing in front of Garbodor and knocking it down with an Iron Tail.


    Seeing this, the Zubat in the air started pping its wings, trying to flee, but Aln Persian''s Dark Pulse took it down urately.


    "Still interested in my Pok��mon?" Yuga asked with a faint smile.


    "N-No... not anymore..." the hunchback stammered.


    "Then get lost!"


    At Yuga''smand, the three of them ran away in a panic.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu?"


    At that moment, a voice sounded behind Yuga. He turned around and saw Professor Kukui while holding a Rockruff in his arms.


    "Oh, it''s Professor Kukui! What a coincidence." Yuga greeted the professor but kept ncing at the Rockruff in his arms.


    ...


    [ Rockruff ]


    Type: Rock


    Ability: Own Tempo


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 5


    Moves: Tackle, Rock Throw, Thrash


    Another Own Tempo Rockruff? Yuga was astonished. Rockruff with Own Tempo should be exceedingly rare��yet here was another one!


    It was clear that this was the Rockruff that would eventually belong to Ash. Although it was newly born, it had a indigo potential, far superior to Yuga''s own Rockruff.


    Of course, Yuga didn''t feel disappointed with his own Rockruff; in his eyes, no Pok��mon could everpare to his own.


    He had previously wondered if his Rockruff could be the one destined for Ash, but seeing its initial yellow potential, he now knew it wasn''t suited to be the protagonist''s partner.


    "I noticed amotion here and thought I''d check it out, but I didn''t expect to run into you, Gym Leader Shimizu," Professor Kukui exined with a smile.


    "Oh, I see. But what brings you to Pani Town, Professor Kukui?" Yuga asked curiously.


    Professor Kukui frowned and replied, "A friend of mine had a Rockruff born recently. Its potential is good, but it has some congenital weaknesses. My friend was worried it might not survive, so he gave it to me, hoping I could try and help it."


    "I see!" Yuga noticed that the Rockruff in Professor Kukui''s arms indeed looked a bit weak, so he asked, "Could I take a look at it?"


    "Of course!" Professor Kukui said, handing Rockruff over.


    This Rockruff wasn''t shy; not only did it not resist Yuga''s hold, but it also opened its wide, curious eyes, observing Yuga with interest.


    Yuga held Rockruff in his arms, gently closed his eyes, and began to channel his special ability, directing green energy from his arms toward Rockruff.


    "Mmm..."


    Under the nourishment of this power, Rockruff closed its eyes and let out afortable sigh.


    Realizing that his special ability was indeed working on Rockruff, Yuga intensified his energy flow, letting even more green energy pour into Rockruff.


    Seeing Yuga radiating such a vibrant life force, Professor Kukui''s mouth opened slightly in surprise. It was his first time truly witnessing this ability in action.


    Yuga''s and Mr. Kuni''o unique abilities weren''t exactly secrets, and as one of the league''s key professors, Professor Kukui had heard of them, but this was his first time seeing it firsthand.


    He found it quite amazing.


    For over ten minutes, Yuga stood still with Rockruff in his arms. When he finally opened his eyes, he almost stumbled from exhaustion, barely able to stay standing��luckily, Professor Kukui quickly supported him.


    "Are you alright, Gym Leader Shimizu?" Professor Kukui asked worriedly, noticing Yuga''s pale face.


    Yuga shook his head. "I''m fine; it just took a lot out of me. I''ll be alright after some rest." He was still too inexperienced; if his master had been here, they''d have probably healed Rockruff without breaking a sweat, unlike him.


    "Rockruff, from now on, you''ll be able to grow up healthy and strong!" Yuga said with a smile to the Rockruff in his arms.


    Hearing this, Rockruff affectionately nuzzled against Yuga''s chest.


    Due to his exhaustion, Yuga only chatted briefly with Professor Kukui before returning to his hotel. Professor Kukui wanted to express his gratitude, but Yuga declined.


    Feeling unwell, Yuga ordered dinner to his room and didn''t leave his room from the afternoon until nighttime. By midnight, he was finally feeling somewhat better and drifted off to sleep.


    However, just as he''d fallen asleep, he was awakened by the sound of Rockruff barking outside his window, prompting him to get up and head to the balcony.


    Yuga''s room was the hotel''s most luxurious suite,plete with arge, open-air balcony.


    Standing on the balcony under the bright moonlight, Yuga saw a Pok��mon floating in midair, its beautiful scales glimmering in the moonlight.


    "Lele!"


    Seeing Yuga step outside, the Pok��mon cheerfully circled above his head, scattering specks of powder that settled on Yuga, apanied by an innocent, melodiousugh.


    The guardian deity of Ak Ind��Tapu Lele!


    Tapu Lele''s sudden appearance made Yuga frown deeply. Because of Cosmoem, these guardian deities simply wouldn''t let him be; this was already the third one.


    As Tapu Lele flew around, it suddenly turned and fired a Moonst without any regard for the fact that this was a hotel full of guests.


    Boom! An explosion sounded.


    Yuga''s Gengar and Mismagius emerged from the shadows just in time,bining Thunderbolt and Mystical Fire to barely block Tapu Lele''s Moonst.


    "Gengar, Mismagius, find a ce with no people!"


    Seeing that Tapu Lele hade with hostile intent, Yuga quickly instructed Gengar and Mismagius.


    The two Pok��mon nodded seriously, lifting Yuga from the balcony and disappearing into the night sky in an instant, with Tapu Lele following close behind.


    "Woof! Woof! Woof!!!"


    Rockruff barked incessantly on the balcony, the sound cutting sharply through the stillness of the night.


    Gengar, Mismagius, and Yuga stopped by the seaside, with Tapu Lele descending to face them, its innocentughter echoing through the night.


    Buzz!


    Another Moonst shot forward, and in the next second, Gengar hadpleted its Mega Evolution, creating an interdimensional space portal to swallow the Moonst.


    Absorbing Tapu Lele''s attack was tough on Mega Gengar; its interdimensional space nearly shattered under the force.


    Realizing that Tapu Lele was no easy opponent, Mega Gengar and Mismagius exchanged nces, activating Trick Room and Magic Room. The two space-altering moves ovepped, fused, and formed a new dimension, trapping Tapu Lele inside to prevent it from targeting Yuga directly.


    Sensing it had lost contact with the outside world, Tapu Lele curiously floated over to touch the barrier, then used Psyshock to strike it.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The pink shockwaves continuously struck the barrier, and the once-indestructible space shook under Tapu Lele''s attack, as if it could shatter at any moment.


    Mega Gengar and Mismagius hurriedlyunched attacks on Tapu Lele, but in response to their onught, Tapu Lele seemed delighted. It happily and cheerfully danced in the air, dodging each move effortlessly.


    Bang! Bang!


    Mega Gengar''s Sludge Bomb and Mismagius''s Shadow Ball hit the barrier instead, unable tond a hit on the nimble Tapu Lele.


    After evading their attacks, Tapu Lele resumed using Psyshock to strike the barrier, its innocentughter never ceasing.


    What Yuga saw as a battle of life and death was merely a game to Tapu Lele.


    Crash!


    With a crisp shattering sound, cracks appeared along the barrier, and momentster, the dimensional space copsed into nothingness.


    "Lele!"


    With its freedom regained, Tapu Lele soared into the sky. The next second, a silvery beam of Moonst formed and aimed straight at Yuga under Tapu Lele''s control.


    The more innocent, the more ruthless! Tapu Lele was now showing Yuga its merciless side.

 Chapter 1173: Wimpod

    <h4>Chapter 1173: Wimpod</h4>


    Faced with Tapu Lele''s sudden attack, Yuga reacted swiftly, leaping to the side and rolling several times on the beach to avoid the strike. The silver beam exploded just inches from his body, showering the sand around him.


    "Lele!"


    Yuga''s clumsy maneuvers seemed to amuse Tapu Lele, which swayed joyfully in the air before unleashing another Moonst aimed at him.


    At that moment, Mega Gengar and Mismagius had already reacted, stepping in front of Yuga to jointly counter the attack with Dark Pulse and Mystical Fire.


    Watching Tapu Lele''s innocent demeanor suddenly ignited a feeling of frustration within Yuga; it was unbearable to him. Damn it, why should I take your nonsense here!


    "Gengar, Mismagius, hit it hard!" Not only that, but Yuga also released his Lapras, Chimecho, and Florges.


    "Everyone, let''s go all out!"


    Florges quickly set up Grassy Terrain, tossing a seed into it that it had picked up in the forest.


    Under Florges''s control, the seed grew at an astonishing speed, transforming into a magical vine that reached toward Tapu Lele with menacing tendrils.


    After learning its abilities from Tapu Bulu, Florges''sbat power had drastically improved, already showing signs of bing akin to a legendary Pok��mon.


    Seeing this, Tapu Lele quickly dodged, but Florges''spanion, Chimecho, suddenly appeared above it and activated Gravity, causing Tapu Lele to be pulled toward the ground.


    The magical vines seized the opportunity, their numerous tendrils wrapping around Tapu Lele''s body with apparent precision, suspending it in mid-air.


    At this moment, Lapras, Mega Gengar, and Mismagius had prepped their attacks, unleashing Ice Beam, Sludge Bomb, and Shadow Ball all at once, striking the immobilized Tapu Lele.


    It wasn''t until the pain registered throughout its body that Tapu Lele realized it was being attacked.


    Tapu Lele''s childish nature red up at the sight of Yuga summoning so many Pok��mon to surround it, especially as it took a beating; it was furious.


    For Tapu Lele, it had always been the one teasing others; it could never ept being bullied in return.


    After a series of explosions, Tapu Lele burst out of the smoke, its eyes filled with rage as it red at Yuga and Florges.


    Its innocentughter and carefree demeanor were nowhere to be found!


    "Lele!"


    Soaring into the sky, Tapu Lele angrily scolded Yuga and Florges, with countless beams of moonlight pouring down from it, the Moonst raining down like a machine gun.


    Tapu Lele was now serious.


    Seeing this, Chimecho took the lead, rising to match Tapu Lele''s altitude, with purple energy surging around it. Multiple light walls sprang up just in time in front of Yuga, Florges, Lapras, Mega Gengar, and Mismagius, stabilizing and blocking the barrage of attacks from Tapu Lele.


    After sessfully weathering this wave of assault, the magical vines in the Grassy Terrain began to grow wildly, gathering together to gradually weave into a gigantic hand reaching for Tapu Lele.


    Tapu Lele narrowly dodged the grasp of the magical vine''s hand just as Mega Gengar''s Sludge Bomb struck. It managed to evade the attack again, but then Mismagius''s Mystical Fire came next. It dodged that as well, but Lapras''s Origin Pulse was right behind.


    This time, the flustered Tapu Lele couldn''t evade in time and was hit directly by the Origin Pulse, crying out in pain as it fell from the sky. As soon as itnded, Florges teleported above it, activating Gravity once more.


    The extreme anger fueled Tapu Lele, amplifying its power. It unleashed a move only a guardian of the Al region could use��Nature''s Madness��aimed at Chimecho, who had imposed Gravity on it.


    Caught off guard, Chimecho was struck squarely by Nature''s Madness, instinctively dispelling the Gravity. Seizing the opportunity, Tapu Lele dashed upward, radiating a brilliant pink light that illuminated the entire sky, resembling a dazzling little sun.


    In the face of this Dazzling Gleam attack, the rtively weaker Mismagius fell instantly, unable to be saved even by Wish move that Florges had been secretly prepared.


    Chimecho that has been injured by the Nature''s Madness also nearly sumbed to the attack, but thankfully, Lapras was close by and shielded it with its body.


    However, just as Tapu Lele finished this devastating attack, the giant hand formed from the magical vines suddenly struck, capturing it firmly.


    "Lele!"


    Tapu Lele cried out in panic, but the giant hand held it tightly; no matter how much it struggled, the grip did not relent in the slightest.


    But this was not the end. The giant hand began to flicker with a faint green glow, and soon Tapu Lele realized its stamina was depleting.


    Through the vines that was weaving the giant hand, Florges had also applied Leech Seed.


    The rapid loss of energy left Tapu Lele without the strength to resist; ity breathlessly in the palm of the giant hand, deeply regretting its decision to heed Tapu Koko''s suggestion to stir up trouble.


    Seeing Tapu Lele in such a helpless state finally relieved Yuga''s pent-up frustration.


    "Chimecho, go check on Mismagius!"


    "Ring, ring!"


    Chimecho hurried off to assess Mismagius''s injuries.


    After sending Chemicho on its way, Yuga began pondering how to deal with the trouble-making Tapu Lele. However, before he could formte a n, Tapu Bulu appeared before him in the night.


    "Are you here to take Tapu Lele away?" Yuga asked, frowning at Tapu Bulu.


    Tapu Bulu nodded, its tail swaying back and forth, the familiar ringing sound echoing.


    "Alright then."


    Yuga considered it briefly and agreed, remembering that Tapu Bulu had once taught Florges.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s response, Tapu Bulu looked overjoyed, its tail wagging even more energetically. It pulled out a silver bracelet from somewhere and handed it to Yuga.


    "Is this for me?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    Tapu Bilu nodded eagerly, extending the bracelet toward Yuga, afraid that he might refuse it.


    "Thank you."


    Yuga expressed his gratitude and took the bracelet. With this Z-Ring, his Z-Crystal would finally be of use.


    Seeing Yuga ept the gift, Tapu Bulu joyfully flew in the air for a couple ofps before vanishing into the night with the unconscious Tapu Lele.


    As Yuga watched Tapu Bulu and Tapu Lele depart, he came to his senses and noticed that the sky was already beginning to lighten; dawn was approaching without him realizing it.


    After Chimecho checked Mismagius and confirmed there were no serious injuries, Yuga had Gengar take Mismagius back to the Shadow Space to rest.


    Having worked through the night, Yuga decided to find a spot to enjoy the seaside sunrise, knowing he probably wouldn''t be able to sleep if he returned to the hotel now.


    Yuga summoned Palossand from the Shadow Space. After it absorbed enough sand to growrger, he climbed onto the walls of Palossand''s second floor with his Pok��mon and quietly waiting for the sun to rise.


    Thinking about how Persian, Rockruff, and Meowth were still at the hotel, he sent Dragonite and Charizard back to fetch them, wanting to avoid making them worry.


    After such an intense battle with Tapu Lele, Yuga was indeed feeling a bit tired, so he took a lounge chair from his system space and reclinedfortably.


    Perhaps because of the pleasant sea breeze, Yuga, who had initially felt no sleepiness, gradually began to feel his eyelids grow heavy, and before long, he dozed off.


    However, he did not enter a deep sleep. When Dragonite and Charizard returned with Persian and her little ones, he was still somewhat aware, albeit in a daze.


    Yuga hadn''t slept long; the sky was not yet bright. Though there was a golden line on the horizon, the overall sky remained dark. Suddenly, Rockruff bit the hem of his pants, waking him up.


    Rubbing his eyes, Yuga asked groggily, "What happened?" He seemed to hear a rustling sound near him, dense and continuous.


    "Woof, woof!"


    Rockruff barked twice, prompting Yuga to get up from the lounge chair and slowly walk over to the edge of the wall. He looked down and was immediately jolted awake, no longer feeling sleepy.


    Goodness! Upon closer inspection, the beach was now teeming with palm-sized bug-type Pok��mon.


    Not only were these bugs crawling all over the beach, but many had also already entered Palossand''s body, having been unconsciously sucked in and stunned.


    Palossand didn''t mind being covered in these bugs at all, but the sound they made as they moved sent chills down Yuga''s spine. Not only were they swarming the beach, but there were also continuous streams of them crawling up from the sea.


    Anyone with a fear of clusters would probably faint at this sight.


    Yuga''s movements seemed to startle these bugs; they almost instantly moved away from Palossand, disying their timid nature as suggested by their name, Wimpod.


    Wimpod is a verymon bug and water-type Pok��mon in the Al region. They typically live in groups, have a broad diet, and will even eat garbage and decaying food, earning them the title of nature''s cleaners.


    However, Wimpod usually gather in groups of dozens or hundreds, so Yuga had never heard (or seen) of such arge number��probably over a thousand here.


    Given the sheer number of Wimpod, Yuga wasted no time and quickly activated his Insight ability to see if he could find a suitable target for capture.


    The evolved form of Wimpod, Golisopod, is a rare and powerful species among bug-type Pok��mon.


    However, precisely because of this, Golisopod prefers solitude. Once a Wimpod evolves into a Golisopod, it leaves its group to live independently.


    So, even with so many Wimpod here, it was unlikely that Yuga would find a Golisopod.


    Before long, Yuga sessfully spotted the first green potential Wimpod among the swarm and hurriedly directed Charizard to catch it.


    Wimpod not only has a timid personality but also weak abilities, so the process of capturing this one went smoothly.


    However, Charizard''s appearance frightened the other Wimpod, causing them to panic and scatter across the beach, even causing those climbing up from the water to retreat back into it.


    Encountering danger and immediately fleeing is the survival strategy of Wimpod.


    Yuga thought for a moment andmanded Lapras to dive into the water, where it began to make a ruckus. Soon enough, the Wimpod in the water were frightened and scrambled onto the shore.


    As he saw more and more Wimpod crawling up onto the beach, Yuga began to get busy. He looked left and right, but he still couldn''t find another high potential Pok��mon.


    The continuous stream of Wimpod crawling ashore made Yuga''s scalp tingle, yet he endured the difort in hopes of spotting a high potential one, staring intently without blinking.


    However, high potential Pok��mon were indeed hard to find. After searching for quite a while and stilling up empty-handed, Yuga reluctantly decided to capture a dozen or so yellow potential Wimpod with decent skills. After using an innovation potion on them, they might still have a chance for improvement.


    Just as Yuga was about to give up on finding a high potential Wimpod, a burst of white light suddenly erupted from the water, and a Golisopod broke through the surface.


    ...


    [ Golisopod ]


    Type: Bug, Water


    Ability: Emergency Exit


    Gender: Male


    Potential : Blue


    Level: 31


    Skills: Tackle, Struggle Bug, Fury Cutter, Rock Smash, sh, Razor Shell, Wide Guard, Leech Life.


    ...


    Clearly, this hidden blue potential Wimpod had evolved unexpectedly in a moment of crisis.


    After evolving, Golisopod was no longer as timid as Wimpod. It took the initiative to attack Lapras, using sh to cut the sea and then shing at Lapras with its sharp ws using Razor Shell.


    In the water, Lapras was much more agile than onnd. It dove beneath the surface and reappeared right behind Golisopod. With just a gentle breath of Ice Wind, Golisopod was frozen into an ice sculpture.


    Having captured this Golisopod, Yuga selectively caught a few more yellow potential Wimpod. Opportunities like this wouldn''te often, so he had to seize the moment to capture a few.


    By the time all the Wimpod had returned to the sea, the sun hadpletely risen, and Yuga had missed the chance to appreciate the majestic sunrise over the ocean.


    After recalling Palossand, Yuga suddenly remembered something important: today was the day he was supposed to visit Aether Paradise as per their agreement!


    He hurriedly hopped on Dragonite and flew towards the hotel.


    When Yuga arrived back at the hotel, the person from the Aether Foundation who was supposed to pick him up was already there. He quickly returned to his room to freshen up and change clothes before boarding the luxury vehicle sent by the Aether Foundation.


    However, Aether Paradise wasn''t located on Ak Ind but rather on Al''srgest artificial ind.


    Although Ak Ind is an important activity site for the Aether Foundation, their true headquarters is Aether Paradise, which sits entirely on property owned by the Aether Foundation.


    The car drove Yuga to the Aether Foundation''s private airport on Ak Ind, where he was greeted by Wicke, who had been waiting to wee him and led him to a flying vehicle.


    This flying vehicle would take Yuga to the artificial ind where Aether Paradise is located.


    Wicke is the deputy director of the Aether Foundation and a right-hand aide to Lusamine. Her personallying to greet Yuga shows how much importance they ced on this visit.

 Chapter 1174: Yuga’s Mission

    <h4>Chapter 1174: Yuga''s Mission</h4>


    The aircraft carrying Yuga quickly and smoothly arrived at Aether Paradise, allowing him to witness thergest and most luxurious conservation area he had ever seen.


    One could say that Aether Paradise is a massive ecological park formed bybining various types of smaller conservation area. It includes simted wends, forests, deserts, and numerous other specialized environments. In essence, it''s like amunity of conservation area.


    Setting aside the construction costs, just the maintenance and management expenses alone are staggering, calcted by the day and even by the hour, with every second consuming funds. It''s practically like burning money.


    At this point, Yuga finally understood why the League needs the support of the Aether Foundation to establish a branch in Al. This single ecological park alone hints at many underlying issues.


    Aether Paradise houses many Pok��mon rescued from various regions. Whether it''s amon Caterpie or a rare Ralts, they can all be found here.


    Additionally, there is a dedicated department focused on breeding Pok��mon that are either rare or nearing extinction. The revival and breeding of fossil Pok��mon is also a research project here. To achieve these goals, they have hired numerous highly skilled breeders and scientists atpetitive sries.


    In terms of hardware, Aether Paradise even surpasses most of the League''s breeding bases.


    Led by Lusamine, Faba, and Wicke, Yuga gained a thorough understanding of the Aether Foundation''s capabilities.


    Having been invited to Aether Paradise as a guest, Yuga had already reported this to the League in advance. After all, as an elite League trainer, his every move often represents the League, especially when it involves an influential organization like the Aether Foundation.


    The League Headquarters even make a call, expressing their hope that Yuga would do his best to foster good rtions with the Aether Foundation. For certain information that wasn''t particrly sensitive, Yuga could selectively disclose some details if the Aether Foundation showed interest.


    Apart from this, Yuga also received an important temporary assignment.


    After touring most of Aether Paradise''s facilities, Faba said to Yuga, "Gym Leader Shimizu, we have a new research project here. Would you like to take a look?"


    "A new project? Then I must take a good look," Yuga replied with a smile. "What area of research is it about?"


    Lusamine replied, "Gym Leader Shimizu, no need to rush. You''ll know soon enough when you see it."


    "Then I look forward to it!" Yuga said with an expectant expression.


    Led by Lusamine and the others, Yuga entered a spacious room filled with all sorts of equipment.


    Faba approached a machine as tall as a person and introduced it, "Gym Leader Shimizu, you know that we''ve been researching Ultra Wormholes and Ultra Beasts for a long time. This machine is our greatest achievement so far. It can simte the effect of an Ultra Aura and resonate with the Ultra Aura of another world, thereby opening an Ultra Wormhole."


    "Is it that powerful?" This time, Yuga was genuinely surprised. He hadn''t expected the Aether Foundation to have developed such advanced equipment. With this, they wouldn''t need his help; they could simply enter Ultra Space on their own!


    However, Yuga had only been surprised for a few seconds before he saw Faba''s bitter expression. Faba said, "The intended effect is like that, but we don''t actually know the specific properties of the Ultra Aura. The effect simted by the machine cannot truly resonate effectively with an Ultra Aura, so this machine is still just a prototype." In fact, it could hardly even be called a prototype.


    Yuga thought: So, after all this, they''re still trying to indirectly ask me for help.


    "I see..." Yuga forced a smile, pretending not to catch the hint in Faba''s words.


    Seeing that Yuga didn''t respond to Faba''s suggestion, Lusamine asked, "I wonder what Gym Leader Shimizu thinks about Ultra Beasts and Ultra Space?"


    Hearing this, Yuga immediately made a disgusted face and said, "What''s so great about Ultra Beasts? They''re just like alien creatures, even abducting people! It''s obvious they''re bad news."


    Lusamine: ...


    Faba: ...


    "Ahem... it''s not quite fair to say that," Lusamine responded with a forced smile. "Ultra Beasts are a new type of Pok��mon with no recorded data. If we could thoroughly study them, they might bring unexpected benefits to our world, like enhancing biodiversity."


    "But introducing a new species often brings another issue: species invasion," Yuga replied seriously.


    Lusamine: ... Why can''t this person speak normally?


    "We can''t look at things from just one angle; there are many benefits to researching Ultra Beasts, such as..."


    Lusamine continued exining the various advantages of studying Ultra Beasts, but Yuga acted as though he didn''t understand the underlying hints in their conversation.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, no matter what, we sincerely hope you can lend us a hand..." Faba exined tirelessly, almost losing his voice.


    Sensing the timing was right, Yuga spoke up, "The Al region has been part of the League for a long time, and the League is also nning to establish a branch here. Our hope is to reach further cooperation with the Aether Foundation."


    Ah, so this is what they were waiting for! Faba couldn''t help but think.


    "Of course, we will definitely support the League''s work in Al, and we''ll also assist with the establishment of the branch," Lusamine said after exchanging a nce with Faba.


    Yuga looked into Lusamine''s eyes for a few seconds, pausing briefly before continuing, "That''s not quite what I mean. I mean that we hope the Aether Foundation and the League can be one family."


    Wow! This immediately changed the expressions of Lusamine, Faba, and Wicke. Was he trying to take advantage of the situation?


    Yuga''s meaning was clear: for the Aether Foundation to merge into the League and be a part of it.


    Seeing that Lusamine and the others were silent, Yuga continued, "Joining the League wouldn''t be a bad thing for the Aether Foundation. Going forward, the Foundation''s activities across various regions would receive the League''s support and facilitation."


    They would also be subject to the League''s restrictions! Lusamine thought to herself. But she also understood that Yuga wouldn''t bring this up today unless the League had been nning it for some time.


    If the Aether Foundation were just an ordinary private organization, the League wouldn''t need to push them to this extent. The issue is that the Foundation''s power in Al is too significant��especially its economic influence, which controls nearly half of Al''s economy. In such circumstances, if they''re unwilling to merge with the League, how could the League feel secure in establishing a branch here?


    Seeing Lusamine''s troubled expression, Yuga smiled and reached into his space bag, taking out the gift he had brought with him today.


    He ced an incubator containing a Pok��mon egg on Lusamine''s desk and said, "This is a gesture of the League''s goodwill."


    Yuga was merely the starting point for the Aether Foundation''s potential merger with the League. If the two sides did reach an agreement, the next steps, such as the League providing development assistance to the Foundation and the Foundation showing itsmitment to joining the League, would be matters for the League''s Department of Foreign Affairs and the Aether Foundation to handle. Yuga''s role would beplete.


    However, Yuga''s role as the catalyst was crucial and would ultimately determine whether this merger would seed.


    Lusamine looked at the Pok��mon egg on the desk and asked with curiosity, "What is this?"


    "An Ultra Beast''s egg," Yuga answered slowly and clearly.


    "Are you serious? Is this really an Ultra Beast egg?" Lusamine asked, her breath quickening, and Faba and Wicke nearby had their eyes alight with excitement. With this Ultra Beast egg, they might just be able to unravel the mysteries of the Ultra Aura, meaning their research machine might actually bepleted.


    "It''s the real deal!" Yuga confirmed.


    Though he didn''t particrly want humans to delve too deeply into studying or disturbing the Ultra Beasts, he doubted that the Aether Foundation would be able to uncover the secrets of the Ultra Aura just from a single Pok��mon egg.


    The Ultra Aura in the Pok��mon world is akin to the divinity found in Legendary Pok��mon. If humanity were capable of deciphering it, they would have already unlocked the secrets of Legendary Pok��mon.


    From the histories of the ancient ns like the People of the Water, the People of the Dakness, and the Dragonid People, one can see that in ancient and primeval times, the Pok��mon world was imbued with divinity everywhere. There were many Legendary Pok��mon, revered as totems by various ns.


    However, over time, this divinity faded, the numbers of Legendary Pok��mon dwindled, and the Pok��mon world evolved into what it is today.


    Many Ultra Beasts possess abilities akin to the Tier 2 Legendary Pok��mon in the Pok��mon world. Yuga boldly spected that the history of the Ultra Space might not be as long as that of the Pok��mon world; its current state could correspond to the ancient or primeval era of the Pok��mon world.


    Ancient humans in the Pok��mon world were incredibly skilled, with unique powers and technologies that modern humansck, and they used these to create various advanced civilizations.


    Despite all this, they never managed to decode divinity. For the Aether Foundation to fully understand something akin to the Ultra Aura was going to be extremely difficult.


    Staring at the Pok��mon egg, Lusamine hesitated. "Could you give us some time to consider this?" No matter how powerful the Aether Foundation was, they couldn''t directly oppose a giant like the League.


    "Of course! We eagerly await your response at any time," Yuga replied with a warm smile. "Ms. Lusamine, you should know that joining the League would be a win-win for both the League and the Aether Foundation."


    Lusamine nodded, "I understand. I''ll get back to you and the League as soon as possible. I have some matters to attend to, so I''ll leave you here for now." She took Faba and the Pok��mon egg with her and left quickly, instructing Wicke to continue showing Yuga around the Aether Paradise.


    Under Wicke''s guidance, Yuga continued his tour of the Aether Paradise.


    The Aether Paradise housed many rare Pok��mon. Yuga spotted young forms of pseudo-legendary Pok��mon like Dratini, Beldum, and Gible.


    After visiting an area housing Trapinch, Yuga suddenly heard the sounds of a battle. Following the source, he saw a young manmanding an Umbreon and a Lycanroc.


    Yuga immediately recognized the Lycanroc, especially the scars on its body that were etched into his memory.


    "That is young Master dion, the son of President Lusamine and Dr. Mohn," Wicke exined to Yuga upon noticing him watching.


    Yuga nodded to show he understood, but Wicke''s voice seemed to draw the other side''s attention, and the Lycanroc immediately noticed Yuga.


    "Grr! Grr!"


    In the blink of an eye, the Lycanroc charged toward Yuga, swiping a w at him, clearly still holding a grudge against Yuga for driving it out of the pack.


    Seeing this, both Wicke beside Yuga and dion in the distance cried out in rm. Wicke instinctively closed her eyes, while dion shouted amand to stop it.


    However, before the Lycanroc could reach Yuga, Gengar appeared above it, using psychic energy to lift it into the air.


    "Awooo! Awooo!"


    The Lycanroc struggled frantically to escape Gengar''s control, but the power gap between them was too vast, rendering its efforts useless.


    Seeing that Yuga was unharmed, both Wicke and dion breathed a sigh of relief, and dion quickly ran over to apologize to Yuga.


    "I''m sorry, sir. My Lycanroc has never shown aggression towards people before. I don''t know why it suddenly acted this way today."


    "It''s alright," Yuga said with a smile, shaking his head. "You must''ve just recently captured this Lycanroc."


    "Yes," dion nodded.


    "Well, that exins it. It holds a grudge against me because I drove it out of its pack. It''s not surprising it would react this way upon seeing me," Yuga exined, gesturing for Gengar to release the Lycanroc.


    Upon hearing Yuga''s answer, both Wicke and dion were a bit stunned. How could he talk so nonchntly about bullying a Pok��mon?


    The Lycanroc continued to re at Yuga, its eyes still burning with anger. It only refrained from acting due to dion''s calming presence and its fear of Gengar.


    "We had an agreement before. Since you lost the bet, you need to stick to the terms. So why the bitter stare now? Sore loser?" Yuga said, smirking slightly at the Lycanroc, which only served to make it angrier.


    dion didn''t know what this agreement or bet Yuga was talking about, so he didn''t say anything hastily. However, he was a bit curious as to why Yuga hadn''t captured this Lycanroc himself.


    This Lycanroc, at pseudo-Elite level, would have been quite difficult for him and his Umbreon to capture if not for its prior injuries.


    Based on Gengar''s earlier disy, it was clear that Yuga could defeat Lycanroc with ease.


    Could it be that Yuga was so powerful he didn''t see a pseudo-Elite-level Lycanroc as worthy? dion wondered silently.


    Seeing dion''s inquisitive look toward Yuga, the perceptive Wicke quickly introduced him. "Master dion, I haven''t had the chance to introduce him. This is the Gym Leader of Verdanturf Gym in the Hoenn region and an Hall of Fame Trainer of the League."


    A Gym Leader? A Hall of Fame Trainer? That impressive!


    dion''s eyes lit up at Wicke''s introduction.


    "Can I challenge you?"


    dion was eager to grow stronger, for only then would he have a chance to go out and search for his missing father��Dr. Mohn.

 Chapter 1175: Fighting

    <h4>Chapter 1175: Fighting</h4>


    Upon hearing dion''s request, Yuga was surprised. "You really want to challenge me? It might be a bit difficult for you to win."


    dion replied, "I know, but I want to get stronger. Whether I can win against you isn''t important."


    Since dion said that, Yuga had no reason to decline.


    "Alright, but I won''t hold back."


    There were many battlefields in the Aether Paradise, and under dion''s lead, Yuga quickly took his ce on one of them.


    The rules for the match were three against three, and neither side was allowed to switch Pok��mon at will during the battle; the side whose Pok��mon were all knocked out would lose.


    "I''m older, so I won''t take advantage of you." Saying this, Yuga released his first Pok��mon��Decidueye.


    As Decidueye emerged, it pped its wings and gazed down at dion with a sharp look from the air.


    dion thought for a moment and then released his first Pok��mon as well. Yuga nced and saw, to his surprise, that it was a Tyranitar��no wonder he was the heir of the Aether Foundation.


    Since the Lycanroc had only been captured recently and had previously lost to Yuga, dion hadn''t included it in this battle''s roster.


    Once Tyranitar appeared, it let out a deafening roar, seemingly trying to intimidate Decidueye.


    However, Decidueye showed no signs of fear andunched the first attack, shooting arrows formed by Leaf de directly at Tyranitar.


    Thanks to its ability, Decidueye could fire Leaf de as arrows from a distance.


    "Bann!"


    Tyranitar roared and used Sandstorm, swiftly swinging its arms to knock away all the arrows.


    When the initial attack proved ineffective, Decidueye kept pulling back its bowstring, unleashing a barrage of green arrows that rained down on Tyranitar in rapid session. Even with its formidable defenses, there was no way Tyranitar could fend off such a relentless onught.


    The arrows, trailing green mes, sliced through the air and nged against Tyranitar''s sturdy armor, making it emit a series of low groans.


    Decidueye''s training under Mr. Genzo in archery wasn''t for nothing; controlling so many arrows at once wasn''t easy!


    Seeing Tyranitar on the defensive from the start, dion''s expression turned anxious. He shouted loudly to Tyranitar, "Tyranitar, stay calm and use Sandstorm!"


    Under dion''s prompt, a dense sandstorm kicked up in the arena, causing Decidueye to lose sight of Tyranitar in an instant.


    For a sharpshooter, visibility is crucial, and the arrival of the sandstorm sessfully disrupted Decidueye''s focus.


    Moreover, the constant impact of the sand and gravel made Decidueye''s feathers disheveled, causing it to take damage every moment.


    As Decidueye struggled to locate Tyranitar, sharp stone des shot through the storm toward it. Fortunately, Decidueye''s instincts were sharp enough to allow it to dodge just in time.


    Seeing this, Yuga fell into deep thought; it seemed Decidueye needed to unleash a powerful attack.


    "Decidueye, use Frenzy nt!"


    Although Frenzy nt wasn''t Decidueye''s mostmonly used or strongest skill, it was the most powerful move in its repertoire.


    With Yuga''smand, the ground of the battlefield began to tremble.


    Before long, massive brown roots, thicker than an arm, burst forth from the earth and quickly filled the arena, snapping and wing at the air.


    In this situation, regardless of whether there was a sandstorm obscuring the view, as long as Tyranitar remained in the arena, it had nowhere to escape.


    "Bann!!!"


    As a scream echoed from within the sandstorm, Yuga knew Tyranitar had been caught.


    Being a Rock-type Pok��mon, Tyranitar was weak against Grass-type moves, and its level was lower than Decidueye''s, so it quickly fell to the barrage of Frenzy nt.


    Though Tyranitar had been knocked out, the duration of the sandstorm wasn''t over yet, and Decidueye continued to suffer from its effects.


    After recalling Tyranitar, dion gazed at the Pok�� Ball in his hand, lost in thought. He could tell that Yuga''s Decidueye wasn''t vastly superior to Tyranitar, yet Tyranitar had gone down far too quickly.


    Was this the strength of a League hall of Fame trainer?


    dion''s second Pok��mon was Krookodile, a Ground-type Pok��mon that was simrly unaffected by the sandstorm.


    As soon as Krookodile emerged, it unleashed a loud roar aimed at the airborne Decidueye. Moreover, at that moment, Krookodile activated its Intimidate ability, startling Decidueye so much that it almost plummeted from the sky.


    Under the influence of Intimidate, Decidueye''s attack power decreased, which significantly impacted it, as most of Decidueye''s arrow-based skills were physical moves.


    Seizing the opportunity while Decidueye was distracted by the Intimidate effect, Krookodile used Stone Edge to control multiple sharp stone des that shot toward Decidueye.


    With few options for physical ranged attacks, Krookodile relied solely on this skill to reach the airborne Decidueye.


    In the chaos, Decidueye was unable to dodge this round of attacks but managed to use Feather Dance on Krookodile before losing consciousness.


    You attack me, then I''ll lower your attack as well.


    After recalling Decidueye, Yuga sighed and said to its Pok�� Ball, "Sigh... you still need to keep working hard."


    Without a doubt, Yuga''s second Pok��mon was going to be Abomasnow; after all, he couldn''t use a Champion-level Pok��mon against dion��that would be too unfair.


    As soon as Abomasnow appeared, it activated its Snow Warning ability, countering the sandstorm. By now, the sandstorm had long since passed.


    Under the snowy weather, the surrounding temperature dropped sharply, and as a Ground-type Pok��mon, Krookodile could hardly endure the low temperatures. So, it also used Sandstorm, trying to contest control of the weather with Abomasnow.


    Abomasnow was called the "Blizzard King" because it was exceptionally skilled at controlling snowy weather, especially this mutated variant under Yuga''smand, making it impossible for Krookodile to take control of the weather from it.


    Not only did Abomasnow fully grasp the control of the weather, but it also opened its mouth and unleashed a blizzard on Krookodile, freezing it to the core.


    With the howling wind and snow capable of easily slicing through skin, Krookodileshed out with Dragon w, striking hard at Abomasnow. However, Abomasnow''s massive size made it unable to evade the attack, and Krookodile managed to leave a deep gash along its side.


    However, before Krookodile could celebrate, the wound on Abomasnow healed at a visibly rapid pace, leaving it dumbfounded.


    Given the recovery energy that Abomasnow typically stored within its body, it was already difficult for Pok��mon of the same level to break through its defenses, especially since Krookodile''s attack power had been reduced by Decidueye''s Feather Dance.


    This scene not only astonished Krookodile but also left dion stunned: Does Abomasnow have recovery moves? Why didn''t he notice how it was used?


    In the moment Krookodile was dazed, a massive wooden mallet appeared in its line of sight, growingrger by the second. By the time it realized what was happening, it had already been smashed away by the mallet.


    Although the mallet was a Grass-type move that caused recoil damage to the user, Abomasnow used it without hesitation; the recoil damage from the previous moment would heal automatically the next second.


    Sent flying by the strike, Krookodile rolled several times on the ground before finallying to a stop. Already at a disadvantage against Grass-type moves, it could barely catch its breath.


    "Krookodile, use Swagger, then Bulk Up!"


    With Krookodile''s attacks being insufficient, it needed to raise its power.


    However, to prevent Abomasnow from interfering with Krookodile''s power-up, dion firstmanded Krookodile to use Swagger to put Abomasnow in a state of confusion.


    The Swagger urately hit Abomasnow, causing it to go berserk in its confused state, even swinging its fists to hit itself.


    Soon, Krookodilepleted its power-up, and Abomasnow recovered from its confusion.


    Now clear-headed, Abomasnow showed no signs of injury; the wounds it had inflicted on itself during its frenzy had vanished entirely due to its incredible recovery abilities.


    Seeing this, dion gained a deeper understanding of Abomasnow''s healing potential.


    "Krookodile, use Outrage!"


    dion''s voice rang in Krookodile''s ears as they prepared for an all-out attack. He realized that without a decisive strike, he would have no chance of defeating this absurdly strong Abomasnow.


    Krookodile''s eyes turned a fierce red. It pushed off with its powerful hind legs and dashed toward Abomasnow like a cannonball, swinging its fist down toward Abomasnow.


    Abomasnow, not one to back down, countered with Ice Punch, throwing its fist back at Krookodile.


    Although Swagger could confuse the opponent, it also had the side effect of increasing their attack power. Thus, in this sh of strength, Abomasnow was not at a disadvantage against Krookodile, who had used Outrage.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The two Pok��mon struck each other with countless punches. However, due to the side effects of Outrage, Krookodile became confused and attacked Abomasnow mindlessly. Unfortunately, Abomasnow had powerful recovery abilities, while Krookodile did not.


    Bang!


    Finally, Krookodile copsed to the ground in exhaustion, kicking up a cloud of dust, while its body was covered in white frost from Abomasnow''s Ice Punch.


    In contrast, Abomasnow showed no signs of wear at all.


    Seeing this, dion furrowed his brows tightly: Can I really defeat this Abomasnow?


    Yuga smiled and asked dion, "Do you want to continue the battle?"


    "Of course!" dion gritted his teeth, knowing he hadn''t really expected to win anyway; victory wasn''t his ultimate goal.


    dion''s final Pok��mon was his starter Pok��mon, Umbreon, which was also his strongest Pok��mon. However, Umbreon was a defensive Pok��mon andcked the attack power of Krookodile, so against Abomasnow, he needed to find a different approach.


    "Umbreon, use Toxic!"


    At dion''smand, Umbreon opened its mouth and shot a ball of venom toward Abomasnow. dion knew that Abomasnow, beingrge, wouldn''t be able to dodge it.


    As expected, Abomasnow fell into a poisoned state and began to lose health over time. Meanwhile, Umbreon started using its agile and petite body to cleverly evade all of Abomasnow''s attacks.


    Even if it was asionally hit by Abomasnow''s moves, Umbreon would use Moonlight to heal itself. With its high special defense, it was virtually impossible for Abomasnow to knock it out in one hit, giving Umbreon ample time to recover with Moonlight.


    dion''s strategy was simple: utilize Umbreon''s strong defenses to engage in hit-and-run tactics against Abomasnow. While Abomasnow had considerable recovery abilities, those were clearly not limitless. If they could wear down Abomasnow''s stamina with Toxic, victory would be within reach.


    Yuga naturally saw through dion''s intentions, but faced with Umbreon''s nimble movements, the clumsy Abomasnow had no effective countermeasures.


    Once Abomasnow exhausted all of its stored recovery energy, Yuga tried to have it use Grassy Terrain to counter the effects of Toxic on its stamina.


    However, Toxic was not the same as being poisoned; it progressively deepened the damage over time, and the fixed healing from Grassy Terrain could not counteract this damage.


    Just as it seemed Abomasnow was about to copse from exhaustion, Yuga shouted, "Abomasnow, use Sheer Cold!"


    dion immediately sensed trouble, but before he could warn Umbreon, an intense wave of cold erupted from Abomasnow.


    Sheer Cold was a one-hit knockout move, and no matter how high Umbreon''s defenses were, it wouldn''t matter.


    As Umbreon was frozen solid, Abomasnow also fainted, having exhausted itsst bit of energy. Yuga had won the battle with a two-to-three advantage.


    To be honest, Yuga had underestimated dion''s strength earlier.


    He had initially thought his Decidueye could at least take down two of dion''s Pok��mon, but it had only managed to take one. He also believed Abomasnow was invincible at its level, only to find it faltering against Toxic.


    The mutated Abomasnow, while gaining tremendous offensive and recovery power, had its inability to move freely be its greatest weakness.


    "Your performance was impressive, especially Umbreon''s at the end." After recalling Abomasnow, Yuga gave dion a thumbs-up. "You will definitely be stronger."


    "Thank you! I will keep working hard," dion replied with a smile.


    After that, Yuga didn''t continue touring the Aether Paradise but instead engaged in discussions with dion about Pok��mon training experiences.


    Though dion was young, he was a very thoughtful kid. During their conversations, Yuga found himself inspired by their exchanges.


    dion mentioned that he wanted to visit Hoenn when he had the chance, and he intended to challenge the Verdanturf Gym with his Lycanroc to redeem its previous defeat.


    Yuga smiled and responded, "You''re wee anytime!"


    Following discussions with the Aether Foundation, Yuga spent the next two days traveling around Al, enjoying the food and sights.


    On the third day, the Minister of Foreign Affairs from the League Headquarters arrived in Al. His purpose was to negotiate with the Aether Foundation about whether they would merge into the League.


    Yuga had already opened the door for the League, and whether they could ultimately achieve their goal would depend on this minister''s abilities.

 Chapter 1176: How About Tax Exemption?

    <h4>Chapter 1176: How About Tax Exemption?</h4>


    Three days after the arrival of the League Headquarters'' Minister of Foreign Affairs in Al, the Aether Foundation and the League jointly announced to the public that from now on, the Aether Foundation would be a part of the League.


    When the news was released, many people were taken aback and marveled at the speed of the League''s actions, especially the locals of Al.


    Yuga attended the press conference where the League and the Aether Foundation made the official announcement. Although he didn''t know the specifics of what the Foreign Affairs Minister had discussed with Lusamine, one thing was certain: the League had agreed to help her in the search for Dr. Mohn.


    Afterward, Yuga met privately with the Minister, who expressed his gratitude for Yuga''s assistance in the matter.


    With the Aether Foundation''s affairs settled, Yuga took a flight back to Hoenn. Though he hadn''t been away for long, he felt a deep sense of familiarity upon returning home.


    Once home, Yuga distributed the gifts he''d brought back from Al to everyone. When he saw his aunt, he almost got scolded.


    Yuga had instructed the Investigation Bureau not to inform his aunt and uncle about Luna''s disappearance in Al until everything was resolved, making him the "culprit" behind keeping them in the dark.


    Previously, his aunt had been wary of Luna working at the Investigation Bureau due to concerns about the risks involved. Yuga assumed that after learning about this incident, his aunt would react strongly and demand that Luna leave her position.


    However, aside from giving Yuga a lecture, his aunt had no other reaction. In the end, it was his uncle who told him that she hade to terms with it.


    Luna had grown up and was no longer the little girl who needed constant protection. It was time for them, as parents, to let go and let her explore the world on her own.


    After having a heartfelt conversation with his aunt and uncle, Yuga went to the Ecopark to settle the Pok��mon he had brought back from Al.


    The Oricorio were first, naturally finding a new home in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    With Florges, the super "gardener," the four-color flower seeds Yuga brought back from Melemele Meadow took root, sprouted, and blossomed into beautiful flowers in no time.


    Thanks to the four-color flowers, the four Oricorio quickly adapted to life in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.


    At the moment the Pa''u Style Oricorio settled in, Yuga heard the system notification that his side mission wasplete��he had obtained the universal Pok��block recipe for Electric-type Pok��mon.


    With that, Yuga had collected every Pok��block recipe.


    After iming the side mission reward, a new side mission appeared on his system task icon.


    ...


    [ Side Mission: Hone Yourself. (ept) ]


    [ Description: As the owner of YoYo Day Care, the host must always maintain a lifelong learning attitude. You can never have too many skills. Keep striving, host! ]


    [ Requirements: Raise your Pok��block-making skill to an advanced level. ]


    [ Reward: Pok��block Crafting Tutorial Video. ]


    ...


    Reading the details of this side mission, Yuga couldn''t help but chuckle. The system knew how to push him! He had only just collected all the Pok��block recipes, and it was already urging him to improve his crafting skills. The system really knew how to take advantage of every opportunity.


    Yuga opened the icon for host information and scrolled down to the skills section under his profile. There, it was inly listed: Pok��block Crafting (Intermediate), Pok��mon Breeding (Intermediate).


    The gap between intermediate and advanced levels was significant, and advancing this skill to the advanced level would not yield results in just a day or two.


    Since hiring Misaki and the others at the Pokemon Day Care, Yuga hadn''t made Pok��block himself in a long time. His goal was to be aid-back boss, but apparently, the system wouldn''t allow that.


    Is it really not satisfying to just be a hands-off manager? Why must he do this tiring and demanding work?


    Looking at the mission reward, Yuga suddenly asked, "Hey, if I''m already advancing my Pok��block-making skill to the advanced level, then what use is this tutorial video?" He felt the system''s reward was rather uninspired.


    The system replied, "There''s a level above advanced: top-level. The tutorial video is a shortcut to guide you toward bing a master of top-level Pok��block crafting."


    "Top-level master? That impressive?" Yuga eximed.


    Pok��block crafting is a sub-discipline in the breeder profession, and reaching the top level is considered expert status.


    Even when using the same Pok��block recipe, different people will produce varying qualities, and the higher the quality, the higher the price they can fetch.


    Currently, Misaki''s Pok��block-making skill is only at the advanced level, and her Pok��block are the most expensive items at YoYo Day Care.


    As for Anya, her skill level is around intermediate, not much different from Yuga''s own.


    If YoYo Day Care could cultivate its own top-level Pok��block Master, the business would surely thrive.


    However, while advanced-level crafters aremon, top-level masters are incredibly rare��those who reach such a level usually have a legacy or mentorship to follow.


    ording to the system, this tutorial video seemed to be a type of legacy.


    With the system''s products, quality was guaranteed, so Yuga was confident the video would be valuable.


    "Once I get this reward, can I share it with others?" Yuga quickly asked the system.


    [ Of course. Once the reward is given to the host, it''s entirely yours to handle as you see fit. ]


    Upon hearing this, Yuga epted the side mission without hesitation. Since the system missions had no time limit or penalty, he was no fool��he''d take his time and eventually raise his Pok��block-making skill to advanced.


    Yuga decided that from now on, he''d set aside a little time each day to craft Pok��block. He couldn''t continue to be aid-back boss like before.


    After epting the mission, Yuga headed to the Insect Paradise Sub-Ecopark and released the Golisopod and Wimpod he''d caught.


    Before settling the Wimpod, Yuga used Innovation potions on each of them. Out of the thirty yellow potential Wimpod, eleven of them sessfully evolved to green potential, a sess rate of less than forty percent.


    Still, Yuga was quite satisfied; while not exceptionally lucky, he hadn''t had terrible luck either.


    Since both Wimpod and Golisopod were Water-type Pok��mon ustomed to living in water, Yuga ced them in theke beneath the Bug Nest.


    As for the Wimpod that was failed to improve their potential, Yuga would eventually move them to the new Ecopark. He didn''t n to sell them for the time being. Selling just these dozen or so wouldn''t bring much value; it would be better to wait until they were bred in greater numbers. Then, whether they were sold in the new shop or outsourced to a partnering small Pok��mon Day Care, it would be a good choice.


    Next was the arrangement for the Aln Persian and her child.


    Typically,nd-dwelling Pok��mon were ced in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, so naturally, the Aln Persian and her child were no exception. After leading them to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, Yuga introduced them to the caretakers there, the Blissey, who would take care of everything for them.


    After leaving the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, Yuga returned to the Main Ecopark, nning to ce the Nihilego Pok��mon egg from his system bag there.


    Under the guidance of Blissey and Wigglytuff, the Aln Persian and her children quickly adapted to their new environment in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark and were enjoying it greatly.


    As Wigglytuff departed, Aln Persian continued exploring with Meowth and Rockruff in tow, catching the eye of a Persian nearby.


    Persian was instantly captivated by Aln Persian''s "graceful" figure, feeling as if it had found true love.


    The fact that Persian already had three Delcatty wives speaks to its restless nature, so it was no surprise it was drawn to Aln Persian.


    "Meow!"


    Persian approached Aln Persian with what it believed to be an "elegant" stride and gave a call it thought was full of affection, only to receive a dismissive look from Aln Persian.


    What''s with this guy? What a weirdo! Aln Persian gave a contemptuous nce at the lovestruck Persian, then turned around to lead Meowth and Rockruff away.


    Compared to regr Persian, Aln Persian has slightly droopy eyelids, giving it a naturally aloof, disdainful look. Coupled with its Dark-type, this haughty face often makes it appear intimidating.


    Indeed, Aln Persian in the wild often use this look to bully the weak.


    But the look Aln Persian had just given Persian didn''t make it feel overpowered��it sent a thrill down its spine.


    Wow, what intensity! I''m into this!


    Thus, Persian began following Aln Persian.


    Having survived on her own with two children, Aln Persian was far from patient. Noticing this tag-along, she wasted no time andunched an attack.


    Persian was no match for Aln Persian and was soon left battered and bruised.


    This scene of Aln Persian beating up Persian happened to catch the eye of Sneasel, who was exploring the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark with Bunnelby to scout the area. Sneasel''s eyes lit up and it naturally ran over to chat with Aln Persian and her kids.


    Both being cat-like Pok��mon and of the Dark type, Aln Persian took an immediate liking to Sneasel, and soon Sneasel and the mother and her two children became friends.


    Sneasel had long held a grudge against Persian but wasn''t strong enough to get revenge. However, being cunning, it had no qualms about letting others help teach Persian a lesson.


    Once it had bonded with Aln Persian, Sneasel eagerly began bad-mouthing Persian.


    Aln Persian already had a poor first impression of Persian and liked Sneasel, so she trusted Sneasel''s words without question.


    The Grasnd Sub-Ecopark had no shortage of Pok��mon who disliked Persian either; Persian''s past tendency to bully others was well-known, something Sneasel fully understood. Thus, Sneasel could "casually" call on other Pok��mon to confirm its story.


    And so, Persian officially made it onto Aln Persian''s cklist.


    After being beaten by Aln Persian, Persiany t on the ground like a dead fish. His three Delcatty mates came over tofort him, but he remained unresponsive, his mind filled with thoughts of Aln Persian''s every move and expression.


    At that moment, Luxray passed by with his four Ampharos wives, nced dismissively at Persian, and thought him utterly pathetic.


    As the only two Pok��mon in the Ecopark with harems, Persian and Luxray were well-acquainted, often keeping an eye on each other, intentionally or not.


    Luxray looked down on Persian, feeling superior due to having one more mate and stronger abilities. Persian was irritated, but what could he do? Luxray was an elite-level Pok��mon, while Persian hadn''t even reached pseudo-elite level and couldn''t beat him.


    Meanwhile, Yuga had just taken out all the Nihilego Pok��mon eggs from his system backpack when two of them started to glow.


    "Are they about to hatch? What a coincidence," Yuga said, surprised.


    "They are indeed hatching," replied Nana, who had lived in the Ecopark for a long time and was very familiar with the signs of an egg about to hatch.


    Soon, two Nihilego eggs hatched sessfully, revealing two small, delicate Nihilego. Compared to the adult Nihilego Yuga had seen in the Ultra Space, these young Nihilego looked innocent and adorable.


    After hatching, the two Nihilego floated into the air. Although Yuga couldn''t see their eyes, he could sense they were surely curious about this new world.


    Knowing that Nihilego had unpredictable personalities, Yuga decided to raise them carefully, nning to nurture them to be friendly through early education.


    More precisely, it was a matter of cultivating them.


    Yuga had brought back about a hundred Nihilego eggs this time, so he decided to entrust their upbringing to Nana, who spent more time in the Ecopark and was better suited to the task.


    The two newly hatched Nihilego were very attached to Yuga and Nana, who were the first beings they saw, vastly different from the sly, ferocious Nihilego Yuga had encountered in the Ultra Space.


    As Ultra Beasts, Nihilego were quite distinct from regr Pok��mon. They didn''t have individual quality levels, but with the right kind of high-quality training, each one could reach an exceptionally high level.


    Therefore, Yuga hadn''t yet decided how to handle them. Selling them like regr Pok��mon was out of the question��it would be a terrible waste.


    After interacting with the newborn Nihilego for a while, Yuga left the Ecopark. But as soon as he stepped out, he received a call from Steven.


    "You did a fantastic job in Al this time! The League Headquarters has a very high opinion of you, and our Hoenn branch is delighted as well. Both sides are nning to reward you. Is there anything you''d like? If so, feel free to tell me, and I''ll report it to the higher-ups," Steven said enthusiastically.


    "You want me to make a request?" Yuga asked, surprised.


    "That''s right. Having the Aether Foundation merge into the League has saved the League a lot of trouble," Steven remarked, with a touch of admiration.


    "In that case, I''ll have to think carefully," Yuga replied thoughtfully before adding, "Actually, I''ve got an idea. How about asking the League to waive the tax for my YoYo Day Care?"

 Chapter 1177: Great Flygon

    <h4>Chapter 1177: Great Flygon</h4>


    Upon hearing Yuga''s response, Steven thought for a moment and said, "I can''t make that decision myself. I''ll ask about it for you, and if it''s possible, I''ll let you know."


    Yuga replied casually, "Go ahead and ask; I''ll be waiting for your reply."


    In the following days, Yuga''s life returned to its usual routine, but he had added two new tasks to his daily schedule: one was to continue practicing ying the Moon Flute, and the other was to regrly help Misaki with making Pok��block.


    Yuga''s sudden diligence made Misaki wonder if something was wrong. She had only seen such a hardworking boss when she first started working at the Pok��mon Day Care. Back then, there weren''t enough hands in the shop, and Yuga frequently helped make Pok��block.


    Once the Pok��mon Day Care''s operations stabilized, Yuga became more of a hands-off manager.


    Improving his skills in making Pok��block wasn''t something that could be achieved overnight; it required a lot of practice to build up. Misaki had reached a high level because thousands of Pok��block had been created under her care.


    Yuga still had a long way to go.


    Fortunately, Yuga wasn''t the type of person who couldn''t be relied upon; he had decent talent when it came to making Pok��block.


    Four dayster, Yuga received another call from Steven, who informed him that his request for tax exemption had been approved.


    In the Pok��mon world, having a tax-exempt status is not umon for businesses, but it usuallyes as a result of significant contributions to the League. Additionally, there are limits on the scale of businesses that can achieve this status. For example, apany like Devon Corporation, regardless of how much it contributes to the League, would never qualify for tax exemption.


    Although the YoYo Day Care had seen impressive profits over the years, it was still just a single entity, unlikerger Pok��mon Day Care that have multiple branches. Without that scale, no matter how good the business was, its profits remained limited.


    Thus, the League could afford to lose the small amount of tax revenue from YoYo Day Care each year.


    Having a tax exemption is a considerable honor for any business because it signifies that thepany has made a substantial contribution to the League.


    While YoYo Day Care hadn''t made any groundbreaking contributions to the League, Yuga, as the owner, had done quite a bit for the League over the years, making the tax exemption for YoYo Day Care not unreasonable.


    Moreover, the tax exemption for YoYo Day Care was a reward from the Hoenn League to Yuga, and the League Headquarters was also preparing a reward.


    The autonomy of the League''s branches is quite high, with independent tax authority. Since YoYo Day Care is a business in the Hoenn region, its taxes fall under the jurisdiction of the Hoenn League branch.


    However, because the Hoenn League branch granted Yuga this major prize of a tax exemption, the reward from Headquarters was somewhat diminished; they only sent him a Goodra as a gift.


    The Goodra was sent from the Kalos League to Professor Oak''sboratory for research purposes, and after the study waspleted, it was transferred to Yuga by the League Headquarters.


    Without the Hoenn League''s tax exemption policy, it would indeed be inappropriate for the Headquarters to reward Yuga, who had made such significant contributions, with just a single Goodra, but now it seemed perfectly fitting.


    Yuga himself was very satisfied with the Headquarters'' reward; the Goodra was a pleasant surprise for him. Even if the Headquarters had given him nothing else, he would still have been content with the tax exemption policy, as the League had never failed to treat him well over the years, consistently providing generous rewards.


    After finishing the call with Steven, Yuga quickly received the Pok�� Ball containing the Goodra that he had sent over.


    ...


    [ Goodra ]


    Type: Dragon


    Ability: Hydration


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 50


    Move: Bubble, Bide, Dragon Breath, Rain Dance, Dragon Pulse, Muddy Water, Aqua Tail, Outrage, Power Whip, Counter, Endure, Draco Meteor, Water Pulse, Iron Tail, Substitute, Dragon Tail, Sludge Wave, Sludge Bomb, Earthquake, Thunderbolt, Thunder.


    ...


    After looking over the data for Goodra, Yuga was quite surprised. He had expected the Headquarters to send him an ordinary green potential Goodra, but it turned out to be a blue potential one.


    Moreover, this Goodra seemed to have recently evolved and appeared very youthful, resembling a "graceful youngdy."


    As a Pok��mon that had spent time at Professor Oak''sboratory, this Goodra was also exceptional in skill acquisition; even at level 50, it had already learned a considerable number of skills.


    However, upon reflection, Yuga understood that since this Goodra was chosen as a research subject by Professor Oak, it must be an outstanding individual, making such impressive stats quite normal.


    "Goodra, from now on, this will be your home. I hope we get along well!" Yuga said with a smile directed at Goodra.


    "Goodra!"


    Not only was this Goodra gentle in nature, but it was also very affectionate towards people. Upon hearing Yuga''s greeting, it beamed with joy and then hugged Yuga tightly.


    Goodra''s skin was incredibly smooth, covered with ayer of special mucus. It felt very much like the skin of a Lapras, but even slicker.


    Lapras''s skin is wet and slippery, while Goodra''s skin is sticky and slippery, which makes some people find the mucus on Goodra''s skin off-putting.


    Goodra, being a herbivorous type, had rtively less mucus on its body and drier skin. However, for Goodra with the Hydration ability and slimy characteristics, their skin secretes more mucus, which can indeed be unpleasant for those who dislike it.


    Nheless, Yuga felt that he could still ept it.


    After spending some time bonding with Goodra, Yuga spoke up, "Alright, let me show you your new home."


    Under Yuga''s guidance, Goodra arrived at the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark, where it saw many dragon-type Pok��monpanions.


    With its gentle personality and friendly demeanor, Goodra was well-received by everyone in the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark, especially by the younger ones. It didn''t take long before it became friends with a group of Jangmo-o and Swablu.


    Dratini also quickly grew fond of the new older sister, especially since its little buddy, Sneasel, had been spending so much time with that Aln Persiantely and hadn''te to y with it for a long time. So, Dratini decided to find a new friend too.


    Goodra was very satisfied with its new home; not only did it have manypanions, but the environment was also excellent. Its favorite spot was the Dragon Lake, where the Horsea lived, and they were very friendly towards it.


    Goodra loves moist conditions and usually inhabits humid marsnds or tropical rainforests, which is also why most Goodra excel in water-type skills.


    Seeing that Goodra had quickly be the star of the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark, Yuga felt relieved and left.


    Two dayster, the YoYo Day Care received the license and certificate sent by the League, all pertaining to the tax exemption policy.


    Yuga disyed the license at the entrance of the Pok��mon Day Care and ced the certificate at the reception desk so that customers could see them as soon as they entered. This also served as a form of promotion.


    On the official website of the YoYo Day Care, the tax exemption logo was added by Windy, and indeed, the business of the Pok��mon Day Care improved significantly in the following days, gaining even greater recognition.


    The benefits of the tax exemption policy extended beyond just the YoYo Day Care itself; the small Pok��mon Day Care that coborated with YoYo Day Care also saw better business. They catered to ordinary people, and in many people''s eyes, the tax exemption at YoYo Day Care was equivalent to an authoritative certification from the League.


    One day, after finishing his Pokeblock-making practice with Misaki, Yuga returned to find Aria chatting with Ayaka in the store.


    The official promotional n for the Hoenn Pok��mon Contest, jointly organized by the Hoenn and Sinnoh Pokemon Contest authorities, was set tost for a month. Since the event was still ongoing, Aria and the others participating had not yet left.


    When Aria saw Yugae back, her eyes lit up, and she immediately got up from her chair and walked over.


    "I told you, without an appointment or a membership card, we can''t sell you any Pok��mon," Yuga said helplessly, thinking Aria had finally given up, but here she was again today.


    As soon as Yuga finished speaking, Aria pped a membership card on the table: "This should be enough, right?"


    Yuga was astonished as he looked at the membership card: she really managed to get one! Whose is it?


    Yuga''s membership cards were limited in number, so he was curious where Aria got hers.


    Yuga handed the membership card to Suzuki Koen, who checked the number on the card in theputer and quickly found the result��it belonged to Robert.


    How did Robert give her the membership card? Yuga wondered. Could it be that they were in a rtionship?


    Seeing Yuga looking at her with a strange expression, Aria said awkwardly, "Now that I have a membership card, hurry up and arrange for my Pok��mon!"


    Actually, Yuga had misunderstood Robert. The reason Robert gave Aria his membership spot this year was simply because he was in dire need of money after buying a Larvesta.


    Robert was currently working as a teacher in the Pok��mon Contest Promotional Project, so he had many opportunities to interact with Aria. After Aria learned that Robert had a membership card from YoYo Day Care, she offered to buy his spot for this year''s purchase of Pok��mon from the Pok��mon Day Care.


    Robert thought that keeping the Larvesta was already financially straining, and he had no ns to train new Pok��mon for the time being, so he might as well sell this spot to get some "milk money" for his kid. He agreed to Aria''s proposal.


    Thus, the two of them quickly reached an agreement.


    Once Suzuki Koen finished registering the information on the membership card, Yuga returned it to Aria and said, "Follow me." He then led her into the guest room.


    "These are the Pok��mon currently avable for purchase with the membership card. Take a look and see what you want," Yuga said as he handed Aria a list filled with Pok��mon names and their prices.


    As Aria nced over the list of various Pok��mon, she was somewhat surprised. She hadn''t expected there to be so many options for buying Pok��mon at YoYo Day Care. It truly lived up to its reputation, and she felt her money was well spent.


    After scanning through the names on the list, Aria almost got overwhelmed with choices. After much hesitation, she finally chose b��b��. Although b��b��''s price was higherpared to other Pok��mon of the same quality, she simply adored it and could afford the expense.


    After acquiring b��b��, Aria left the YoYo Day Care, fully satisfied.


    Once she was gone, Yuga thought of Aunt Johanna, who, like Robert, was still serving as a teacher In the Pok��mon Contest Promotional Project in Verdantuf Town.


    He silently decided: <i>I should invite Aunt Johanna over for dinner tonight!</i>


    After all, she''s family, and since she''s in Verdantuf Town, it''s only right to take care of her. He had been back for several days but had yet to think of inviting Aunt Johanna to his home for a visit.


    That evening, Yuga not only invited Aunt Johanna but also called his aunt and uncle over, and they all enjoyed a cheerful meal together.


    From that day on, Yuga frequently invited Aunt Johanna over for dinner, asionally including Robert, until the promotional project for the Pok��mon Contest concluded and both of them left Verdantuf Town.


    Today, Yuga was helping Misaki make Pokeblock as usual when suddenly, Clefairy and Mime Jr. rushed into the studio, both of them looking flustered.


    "Clefairy, Clefairy, Clefairy!" Clefairy iled its arms, and Mime Jr. chimed in energetically.


    "Are you saying that the Great Flygon is outside fighting with someone?"


    Before the two little guys could respond, Yuga had already stepped out of the studio.


    As he exited the new store, he immediately spotted two Pok��mon battling in the air. One was the Great Flygon, which often patrolled Verdantuf Town, and the other was a strange Braviary.


    Bang, bang, bang...


    The sound of collisions filled the air as the two Pok��mon crashed into each other with their powerful bodies, neither able to gain the upper hand.


    It''s important to note that the Great Flygon was a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon. For it to be evenly matched against the Braviary was a testament to thetter''s impressive strength.


    Neither Pok��mon was using energy attacks; it was purely a battle of strength, so the fight in the air did not affect the ground below. However, that didn''t stop a crowd from gathering to watch the spectacle.


    Everyone recognized the Great Flygon; it was known as the aerial guardian of the YoYo Day Care, or rather, Verdantuf Town. The unfamiliar Braviary, however, was a mystery to them.


    Seeing that the battle wasn''t causing any trouble, Yuga didn''t rush to intervene; he trusted the Great Flygon to know its limits.


    At that moment, a mature-looking young man rushed over, his gaze fixed on the Braviary in the air. It was easy to guess he was the Pok��mon''s trainer.


    This young man was not only dressed unusually in rare ethnic clothing but also had striking features, with hair that was half ck and half white.


    Seeing him in such a hurry, Yuga spected that he might be a traveler who had just arrived in Verdantuf Town.


    The Great Flygon was consistently holding back its strength to avoid harming the residents below.


    After using Dragon w to push the Braviary back once more, Flygon pped its wings and flew above the Braviary before beginning to perform Dragon Dance, intending to finish the Braviary in one go.


    As it sessfullypleted round after round of Dragon Dance, the Great Flygon''s momentum continually increased. After reaching a critical point, it gritted its teeth and strengthened itself once more.


    In the past, the Great Flygon was unable to reach its final stage of enhancement, but this time, it suddenly seemed to have broken through some barrier, and its momentum surged even higher.


    Yuga, watching from below, noticed this too: <i>Is it breaking through to the Elite level?</i>


    He was well aware that the increase in the Great Flygon''s momentum wasn''t solely due to the enhancements; it also stemmed from the power gained upon breaking through.

 Chapter 1178: Damon And Zekrom

    <h4>Chapter 1178: Damon And Zekrom</h4>


    The Great Flygon sessfully broke through to the Elite level, directly using Dragon Rush to collide with the Braviary. With a loud "bang," the Braviary let out a pitiful cry before plummeting straight down.


    As the Braviary fell, the spectators, who had been watching the battle unfold, screamed and hurriedly ran away, fearing they might be crushed by it. Fortunately, Yuga acted swiftly; Gengar appeared mid-air, using Psychic to catch the Braviary and gently lowering it to the ground.


    At this point, the Braviary had already fainted.


    "Braviary !" The young man rushed over to the Braviary, calling out in concern.


    The Great Flygon slowlynded, and Yuga quickly ran over to check on the situation.


    "Great Flygon, congrattions on your breakthrough! But how did you end up fighting with that Braviary?"


    "Flygon..." The Great Flygon exined to Yuga what had happened.


    It had been patrolling around Verdanturf Town with its littlepanions as usual when it happened upon the Braviary''s trainer in a conflict with some vigers from a nearby vige. rmed, the Great Flygon had jumped into the fray with the Braviary.


    After hearing the story, Yuga patted its neck and said, "You should really get a clear picture of the situation before you act. What if it was just a misunderstanding?"


    The Great Flygon nuzzled its neck against Yuga''s palm, looking remorseful. It was very proactive in admitting its mistake, so Yuga found it hard to me it.


    After calming the Great Flygon, Yuga walked over to the young man and the Braviary and asked, "Are you both okay? Let me have my Chimecho heal your Braviary."


    The young man looked up at Yuga, thought for a moment, and then nodded. "That would be helpful, thank you."


    So, Yuga released Chimecho to heal the Braviary while subtly probing into the reason behind the young man''s conflict with the vigers.


    The young man didn''t seem intent on hiding anything and told Yuga the entire story, clearing up the misunderstanding.


    His name was Damon, he came from Eindoak Town in the Unova region and also a descendant of the People of the Vale.


    Yuga knew about the People of the Vale. Ever since he heard about the ancient remnant ns, he had researched a lot of history and records about them. The People of the Vale, also called the People of the Earth, were one of these ancient remnant ns.


    Nowadays, most People of the Vale live in Eindoak Town in the Unova region, though some remain scattered in other ces.


    Damon left Eindoak Town on a journey to locate these scattered People of the Vale, hoping to convince them to return to Eindoak Town.


    Damon''s lifelong wish is to restore the former glory of the People of the Vale.


    The vige that was not far from Verdanturf Town is home to the people Damon has been searching for. However, the vigers were unwilling to return to Eindoak Town, which led to a conflict with Damon. During their heated exchange, with some pushing and shoving, the Great Flygon misunderstood the situation.


    After researching, Yuga remembered that Eindoak Town was the setting for the events of the original <i>Pok��mon movie: ck-Victini And Reshiram</i> and <i>Pok��mon Movie: White-Victini And Zekrom. </i>Due to the long passage of time, Yuga could only recall the general plot and barely remembered the characters'' names or faces, except for the main cast. However, the character who triggered the events in the movie did travel around seeking the scattered People of the Vale and sessfully brought them back to Eindoak Town. Yuga suspected that Damon might be that very person.


    Upon learning that Damon wasn''t genuinely in conflict with the vigers, Yuga apologized on behalf of the Great Flygon. "I''m really sorry. My Flygon thought you were bullying the vigers, which is why it intervened. I apologize on its behalf."


    Just then, the Braviary woke up. Seeing it unharmed, Damon said, "If it''s all a misunderstanding, no harm done. It''s fine."


    With the misunderstanding resolved, Yuga arranged a ce for Damon to stay in Verdanturf Town as a gesture of apology.


    That night, thunder suddenly rolled over Verdanturf Town, and golden lightning shed within the clouds, casting an oppressive atmosphere over the town.


    Yuga stood by his bedroom window, watching the sky, feeling something amiss. Such unusual weather had never urred in Verdanturf Town before.


    Meanwhile, three Dragon-type Pok��mon were locked in a standoff within the clouds over Verdanturf Town.


    If Yuga had seen these three Pok��mon, he would have immediately recognized two of them as Rayquaza: one that had once been struck down by Deoxys and Chimecho, and another one is the one that was cloned by the Draconid People. The third figure facing off against the two Rayquaza was none other than Zekrom, one of the Legendary Dragon-type of Unova Region.


    With a Legendary Pok��mon from Unova appearing in Hoenn, the Rayquaza felt their territory was being infringed upon as the guardians of Hoenn''s skies.


    "Roar!"


    "Roar!"


    The two Rayquaza roared with warnings at Zekrom, trying to make it leave Hoenn. The ck Rayquaza was mutated by a giant meteorite, while the green one, though it was just a clone, had now be a truepanion to Rayquaza. The green Rayquaza was still alive because Rayquaza had given it its own Jade Orb.


    "Roar!"


    Zekrom responded with a powerful roar, showing no intention of leaving.


    Rayquaza is not known for its patience, and after Zekrom''s refusal, it and the cloned Rayquaza simultaneously unleashed golden beams of light at Zekrom.


    Hyper Beam!


    Zekrom let out a fierce roar, and the cone-shaped tail on its back erupted with a strong current of electricity as it charged, glowing gold, directly into the two iing Hyper Beams.


    As the three legendary Pok��mon shed, a deafening boom reverberated across Verdanturf Town''s sky, waking up many people from their sleep.


    Yuga frowned as he stood at his window, thinking about the sh of golden light he had just glimpsed. Something felt off about this strange weather.


    In the Paradise Hotel, Damon stood by the window, gazing up at the sky with a face full of worry, fearing that something might happen to Zekrom.


    After a long contemtion, Damon released Braviary and instructed it, "Go check on Zekrom. I''m a bit concerned."


    Braviary nodded, pping its wings and soaring into the darkened sky.


    By this point, Zekrom''s battle with the two Rayquaza had reached an intense peak. With two opponents, Zekrom was at a clear disadvantage.


    <strong>Bang!</strong>


    One Rayquaza struck Zekrom hard with Dragon Tail, which Zekrom blocked using Bolt Strike, but then the cloned Rayquaza''s Dragon Tail followed swiftly,nding heavily on Zekrom''s back.


    <strong>Buzz!</strong>


    In immense pain, Zekrom roared, its tail turbine shing wildly with a golden current that erupted, forcing both Rayquaza to back off.


    At that moment, Braviary happened to enter the clouds.


    The rampant currents surged wildly, and before Braviary could react, it was caught in them, plummeting toward the ground, smoking all over.


    The sh of these three legendary Pok��mon was far too powerful for Braviary, a pseudo-Elite Pok��mon, to approach. The electric shock left it barely clinging to life.


    After staring at the sky for a while without understanding what was going on, Yuga decided to head back to sleep, but then he heard a loud crash from his rooftop. He quickly sent Gengar out to investigate.


    When Gengar returned and bringing a charred Braviary, Yuga was shocked, thinking, <i>What is this dark, smoky things?</i>


    Thankfully, his sharp eye offered a hint: it was Braviary, and specifically, Damon''s Braviary.


    There was no time to ponder what had happened. Yuga immediately called out Chimecho to provide emergency treatment and rushed out to bring Braviary to the Pok��mon Center.


    With such serious injuries, Yuga knew he couldn''t handle it alone and had to ask for help from Joyka.


    Before leaving, he sent Chatot to notify Damon at the Paradise Hotel about Braviary ''s condition.


    It was the middle of the night, and Joyka, roused from a deep sleep by Yuga, was understandably annoyed. However, as soon as she saw the charred Braviary, all her irritation vanished, and she hurried with Blissey to bring it into the emergency room.


    When Damon anxiously arrived at the Pok��mon Center, the thunder and roaring in the sky had finally subsided, and Braviary was still undergoing emergency treatment.


    "Thank you so much, Gym Leader Yuga! If you hadn''t spotted it in time, I can''t imagine what would have happened to my Braviary!" Damon said gratefully to Yuga, still worrying about Zekrom, with whom he had suddenly lost contact.


    "No need to thank me. I just happened to see it," Yuga replied with a wave.


    Momentster, Joyka rushed out of the emergency room, urgently telling Damon,


    "I suspect your Braviary was injured by a legendary Pok��mon. I can''t clear the residual energy from its body, and it''s looking bad."


    Joyka, living up to her reputation as a Nurse Joy, quickly pinpointed the root of Braviary''s injuries.


    "A legendary Pok��mon?"


    Yuga was surprised, wondering if there was a legendary Pok��mon near Verdanturf Town. He hadn''t noticed the specifics of Braviary''s injuries earlier, being too focused on getting it to the Pok��mon Center in time.


    He immediately thought of the strange weather from earlier.


    Damon had a hunch about the source of Braviary''s injuries, but he had no solution to the problem.


    Without any word from Zekrom, he paced nervously, feeling deeply anxious.


    At this moment, Yuga spoke up, "I''ll go check it out."


    Joyka looked at Yuga and gave a silent nod. She knew that Yuga was dependable in critical moments.


    After Joyka''s treatment, Braviary no longer had its charred appearance, though its once-glorious feathers were gone.


    Yuga inspected Braviary''s wounds, confirming that there was residual legendary aura, and it was indeed from a Tier 1 Legendary Pok��mon. Having encountered several legendary Pok��mon, he was well aware of the strength of a Tier 1 Legendary''s legendary aura.


    An Electric-type Tier 1 Legendary Pok��mon? As far as Yuga knew, there was only one��Zekrom.


    <i>Zekrom came to Verdanturf Town? </i>Thinking of Damon, Yuga felt he was close to the truth.


    Yuga summoned Gengar, asking it to fetch Dragonite. He had rushed out so quickly that, apart from his Ghost-type Pok��mon stored in the shadow space, he hadn''t brought any others. Now only Dragonite could save Braviary.


    Gengar nodded and vanished. A few minutester, Dragonitended at the Pok��mon Center entrance.


    With Dragonite''s help in purging the legendary aura, Joyka''s treatment waspleted swiftly, and Braviary was out of danger. Damon was deeply grateful to Yuga.


    Once Braviary was safe, Yuga left the Pok��mon Center and returned home, leaving Damon to care for Braviary on his own.


    The next day, the sky over Verdanturf Town was clear and sunny, as if the thunder from the night before had been a mere illusion. Those who heard the thunder thought it had rained overnight, yet the town was bone-dry, without a trace of rainfall.


    Although Yuga suspected Zekrom''s presence in Verdanturf Town, he had no intention of investigating further as long as there was no disturbance.


    However, things seldom go as one wishes. In the morning, as he was working with Misaki and the others in the studio to make Pok��blocks, the Berry Mixer suddenly stopped operating.


    "Hey, what''s going on? Why did it just stop?"


    Thinking the mixer had broken down, Misaki began tapping it to see if it would start up again.


    Anya, checking her own Berry Mixer,mented, "It looks like a power outage."


    "A power outage? That can''t be!" Yuga checked his own mixer as well. "It shouldn''t be; we''ve hardly had any outages since Verdanturf Town built the power nt."


    "Seems like we''re really out of power." After a round of checks, it turned out that Anya was right.


    As Yuga finished speaking, Mayor Ishida suddenly called him and inform him that something had happened at the Sunflora Power nt. All the electricity that was stored had been vanished overnight.


    <i>Another problem? The Sunflora Power nt sure is trouble-prone! </i>Yuga immediately thought of Zekrom.


    Speaking of which, Braviary''s injuriesst night were quite odd too. Why would Zekrom injured Braviary? If Zekrom had indeed been brought by Damon, they should be on the same side.


    There was no time for further thoughts. Yuga quickly rode Dragonite to the Sunflora Power nt.


    The entire town was now without power, which severely impacted the Verdanturf Town''s daily life and production.


    When Yuga arrived at the power nt, the Sunflora were busy generating electricity, sending wave after wave of Sr Beam, turning the daytime sky into a golden hue.


    With Dragonite, Yuga toured the power nt, eventually finding the traces of legendary aura in the area where the electricity was stored��identical to that on Braviary''s wounds.


    Meanwhile, Damon, who had been watching over Braviary at the Pok��mon Center all night, immediately thought of Zekrom upon hearing about the town-wide power outage. After asking Joyka to take care of Braviary, he rushed to the Sunflora Power nt.


    Yuga and Dragonite thoroughly searched the entire power nt but failed to find the thief who had stolen the electricity.


    At that moment, Zekrom was resting deep in Petalburg Woods. The battle with the two Rayquaza the previous night had left it injured and drained of a significant amount of electrical energy, forcing it to steal the power from the Sunflora Power nt early this morning.


    Just as Zekrom was about to close its eyes to recuperate, a dragon''s roar startled it awake, and shortly after, a young man with green hair descended from the sky on a white dragon-like Pok��mon.


    "Zekrom, we meet again!" the young man spoke in a gentle voice. "Are you ready toe back with us?"


    Seeing Zekrom looking at him warily, the young man smiled, "Seems like you''re not willing."


    As he prepared to face Zekrom in battle, a green and a ck Rayquaza descended from the sky.

 Chapter 1179: N And Reshiram

    <h4>Chapter 1179: N And Reshiram</h4>


    The green-haired youth looked in astonishment at the two Rayquaza who had suddenly appeared. He watched as the Rayquaza opened their mouths, unleashing beams of golden light towards both the Reshiram beneath him and the Zekrom facing them.


    Zekrom, already on guard upon seeing the Rayquaza, kicked off the ground and shot up into the sky, effortlessly dodging the Rayquaza''s Hyper Beam.


    But Reshiram didn''t have time to react and was forced to withstand the cloned Rayquaza''s attack unprepared, nearly tossing the green-haired youth from its back.


    The Rayquaza''s assault didn''t end there. After the first attack didn''t achieve the desired effect, the two Rayquaza twisted their bodies and flew up into the sky, eachunching another Hyper Beam at Zekrom and Reshiram.


    Afterst night''s battle, Zekrom had no desire to fight the two Rayquaza again. It knew it couldn''t take on both Rayquaza alone, unless it joined forces with Reshiram��but that was clearly out of the question.


    Thus, Zekrom began contemting a retreat.


    Reshiram, on the other hand, had never battled Rayquaza before, and immediately began a counterattack, unleashing searing mes from its body in an attempt to burn Rayquaza to ashes.


    Themotion of the legendary Pok��mon battle was so great that it soon attracted the attention of the Pok��mon Rangers in Petalburg Woods. The sudden appearance of two Rayquaza, as well as the presence of two Dragon-type Legendary Pok��mon that was likelye from Unova Region, meant they had to proceed it with caution.


    Meanwhile, aboard an aircraft hidden in the clouds above, Ghetsis was furiously questioning his subordinates, "What''s going on? Why did you attract the attention of Rayquaza? How could you be so careless?!"


    Beforeing to Hoenn, Colress had warned them to avoid catching the attention of Rayquaza while carrying Reshiram. Otherwise, leaving Hoenn would be no easy task.


    One of the subordinates nervously exined, "We were extremely careful; there''s no way we should have disturbed Rayquaza. It must be because of Zekrom."


    Ghetsis sneered coldly, "Then why are you just standing there? Go help N and Reshiram! Don''t just sit around!"


    "Y-yes, sir..." The subordinate stammered as he left.


    After the subordinate had left, Ghetsis frowned, watching the screen before him, which was showing the battle between Rayquaza, Zekrom, and Reshiram. After a while, he turned around to a shadowy corner beside him and ordered, "Shadow, go retrieve N." Originally, he''d nned to capture Zekrom, but now it seemed impossible.


    "Yes, sir!" Three white-haired men dressed in ninja attire appeared in the corner, responding to Ghetsis before disappearing again.


    Back at the power nt, Yuga, who was still investigating the mysterious power outage, suddenly received a call.


    "Rayquaza? In Petalburg Woods? Got it, I''m on my way now."


    Just like Yuga, Roxanne, the Gym Leader of Rustboro City, and Mr. Norman, the Gym Leader of Petalburg City, also received the calls.


    The appearance of Rayquaza and the Unova twin dragons in Petalburg Woods was reported by the Pok��mon Rangers, so as the Gym Leaders of the threergest city and town surrounding the Petalburg Woods, Yuga, Mr. Norman, and Roxanne needed to head to the scene as quickly as possible to help the Pok��mon Rangers to manage the situation.


    All of the three Gym Leaders were now speeding towards the location on their respective flying Pok��mon.


    Yuga was riding Dragonite in a hurry, and his figure caught the attention of Damon, who had just arrived at the power nt. Without hesitation, Damon summoned a Hydreigon and rode it to follow Yuga.


    Meanwhile, the Rayquaza duo''s assault on the intruders grew fiercer, especially towards Reshiram, who was fighting back.


    Seated on Reshiram''s back, N initially tried to persuade Reshiram to retreat. Given the current situation, it was clear that fighting separately made neither them nor Zekrom a match for the two Rayquaza who cooperated seamlessly. Retreat was the only best option.


    But Reshiram who are now fully engaged in the fight, refused to listen to N and continued its fierce battle against the Rayquaza.


    It had to be said, Fire-type Pok��mon were indeed quicker to get heated up than other Pok��mon.


    With Reshiram absorbing most of the attack, Zekrom, already intent on retreating, had no intention of contributing to the battle. It had no ns to assist Reshiram and was even eyeing opportunities to slip away.


    The two Rayquaza circled around Reshiram, and the ck Rayquaza''s tail swiped through Reshiram''s Blue re, scattering it. At the same time, the cloned Rayquaza unleashed a Dragon Pulse aimed directly at Reshiram.


    Just as the Dragon Pulse was about to hit Reshiram, a Dark Pulse and a Fire st suddenly shot out from nowhere, intercepting the attack.


    The ck Rayquaza looked up to see a Hydreigon on Reshiram''s left and a Volcarona on its right.


    These were the reinforcements Ghetsis had sent to assist N.


    The ck Rayquaza was furious. How dare these insignificant pests interfere in its battle with the intruders?


    "Roar!!"


    "Roar!!"


    The ck Rayquaza let out a long howl toward the cloned Rayquaza, and the cloned Rayquaza responded in kind. The two Rayquaza twisted in mid-air, and as a rainbow-colored light shed, they both used Dragon Ascent andpleting their Mega Evolution.


    Since absorbing the power of the giant meteorite, the two Rayquaza had discovered that they had gained the new skill Dragon Ascent and they also could control their Mega Evolution at will.


    Inside the aircraft, Ghetsis watched this in disbelief, his eyes widening: <i>What''s going on? What did I just see? Did Rayquaza just evolve?</i>


    The fact that Rayquaza could Mega Evolve was a secret known only to the upper ranks of the Draconid People and a few top-ranking members of the League, including Yuga. Ghetsis, a Unovan, had no way of knowing.


    Ghetsis immediately sent the footage to Colress, who was far away in Unova.


    Colress, the most brilliant scientist in Team sma, had yed an indispensable role in advancing Team sma to its current status.


    After watching the footage of the two Rayquaza''s Mega Evolution, an inexplicable gleam shone from Colress''s transparent lenses.


    With their Mega Evolutionplete, the two Rayquaza grew even more imposing. They eachunched a Hyper Beam from their mouths, instantly sting Hydreigon and Volcarona out of the sky.


    N, who had the ability tomunicate with Pok��mon''s hearts, tried to speak with the two Rayquaza, wanting to assure them that he and Reshiram meant no harm, but Rayquaza was unyielding,pletely ignoring him.


    After defeating Hydreigon and Volcarona, the two Mega Rayquaza simultaneously used Extreme Speed to strike Reshiram, who was surrounded and had no chance to evade.


    Boom!


    An explosion erupted in the sky, and N could no longer maintain his bnce on Reshiram''s back, falling straight down.


    Just as N was about to hit the ground, an elgor shot out from the forest and caught him,nding him safely on the ground.


    "Master N, are you all right?"


    At that moment, three dark figures suddenly appeared before N. They knelt with their heads lowered and asked after him.


    "I''m fine. Thank you."


    N recognized these three��they were his father Ghetsis''s trusted subordinates. Though they were three individuals, all three of them were called "<strong>Shadow</strong>," acting as high-ranking officials within Team sma with the code name "<strong>Shadow Triad</strong>."


    "Master N, please leave with Reshiram at once. Master Ghetsis is concerned something might go wrong," one of the Shadow Triad said.


    "I understand." N looked up at the intense battle still raging between Reshiram and Rayquaza in the sky, his brows furrowing.


    From a distance, Yuga, riding Dragonite, spotted Reshiram battling the two Rayquaza and also noticed Zekrom, who wanted to leave but couldn''t.


    After the two Rayquaza''s Mega Evolution, Zekrom''s n to escape had beenpletely thwarted.


    Following closely behind Yuga, Damon also saw the same scene. He hadn''t expected Reshiram toe to Hoenn as well, which meant that Team sma had arrived too.


    Back when he discovered Zekrom in the underground maze of Eindoak Town, Team sma had followed the trail and stolen Reshiram, which was also sleeping in the maze. This event had filled him with regret ever since.


    Yuga was nning to urge Dragonite to fly directly toward the battle between Rayquaza and the twin dragons of Unova when he looked down and saw N talking to the Shadow Triad.


    "N''s here too?" Yuga couldn''t recall most of the scenes from the show, but he remembered N, and he knew that N had a deep connection to Team sma.


    The members of the Shadow Triad immediately noticed Yuga''s presence. In a sh, the three of them vanished from sight.


    Seeing how sneaky the trio was, Yuga instantly guessed that they were likely with Team sma. Dragonite unleashed three bolts of lightning, striking three trees directly.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    The three trees shattered into splinters, and three figures quickly darted out from the treetops. As they were about to escape with N, a vine suddenly appeared out of nowhere, wrapping around N''s waist and lifting him into the air.


    It turned out that Florges had somehow made her way onto Dragonite''s back, and she was now standing behind Yuga, hands resting on his shoulders, with vines from her body holding N aloft.


    N held a very unique position within Team sma, and since Yuga had encountered him, he certainly wouldn''t allow Team sma to take him away right under his nose.


    Seeing that Yuga was the one intercepting them, the Shadow Triad abandoned their attempt to rescue N and disappeared without a trace.


    Meanwhile, Roxanne and Mr. Norman had arrived at the battle site between Rayquaza and the Unovan Legendary Dragons before Yuga. Noticing Rayquaza''s relentless pursuit of Reshiram and Zekrom, they immediately stepped in, hoping to put a stop to it.


    They didn''t know that Reshiram was linked to Team sma, the dark organization from Unova, so they showed no favoritism toward any of the legendary Pok��mon, wanting only to end the battle as quickly as possible.


    But the battle between the legendary Pok��mon was so intense that Roxanne and Mr. Norman could hardly influence it, especially Roxanne, whose Probopass was knocked out by a single swipe of Rayquaza''s Dragon Tail, struggling to recover for quite some time.


    The appearance of Mr. Norman and Roxanne heightened Ghetsis''s anxiety.


    "Useless fools! Why aren''t they back yet!" he shouted, mming his hand on the table in front of him.


    Atst, Reshiram, overwhelmed by the two Rayquaza, was struck by a dual Hyper Beam, reverting to a white stone as it fell to the ground, entering a deep slumber.


    As soon as the white stone hit the ground, a masked figure in a ck uniform attempted to take it away with an elgor, only to be blocked by a Reuniclus.


    The Reuniclus belonged to Damon, who red at the Team sma member in front of him, seething with rage. That stone belonged to Eindoak Town.


    While Damon fought the Team sma member, Florges had already retrieved the white stone and handed it over to Yuga.


    In fact, Yuga had already noticed Damon following him; he was simply curious to see what Damon intended to do.


    Yuga touched the slightly warm white stone in his hand, thinking, <i>Is this the slumbering Reshiram?</i>


    After the Shadow Triad returned to the aircraft, they reported to Ghetsis, saying, "Shimizu Yuga from Verdanturf Town has arrived, and Master N has been taken away by him."


    Ghetsis remained silent for a long time upon hearing this. Thinking of Reshiram, which they hadn''t yet retrieved, he gritted his teeth and said, "We''re leaving." This time, they had truly lost more than they gained��Zekrom was out of their reach, and now Reshiram and N were lost as well.


    Although N was merely a puppet he had trained, he currently yed a crucial role. Without N, they had no way to control Reshiram.


    With this in mind, Ghetsis resolved to quickly locate Kyurem and the DNA Splicers. Relying on N alone was not going to be enough. With Kyurem and the DNA Splicers, N would no longer be necessary.


    Team sma''s aircraft, concealed high in the sky using bio-invisibility technology, departed undetected by Yuga and the others.


    With the white stone of Reshiram in hand, Yuga once again mounted Dragonite and flew into the sky. At that moment, the two Rayquaza were aggressively surrounding Zekrom.


    Without Reshiram to draw their attention, Zekrom had be the sole target of the Rayquaza.


    Noticing Yuga''s sudden appearance, the attacking Rayquaza paused for a moment, thinking, <i>What the heck, why is this kid here? Nothing good ever happens when he shows up!</i>


    The pressure felt by Roxanne and Mr. Norman lessened as they saw Yuga arrive, and they both breathed a sigh of relief.


    Mr. norman thought, <i>How disgraceful. Relying on a junior like this��I must be getting old!</i>


    "Rayquaza, could you give me a favor and hold off for now?" Yuga called out loudly to the Rayquaza.


    Hearing Yuga''s request, both Rayquaza actually stopped, though they looked at Yuga with unfriendly eyes, as if saying, <i>What do you want?</i>


    "There''s no need to be so hot-tempered," Yuga said as he flew up to them on Dragonite. "You always seem to resolve issues with fighting, but sometimesmunication is important too."


    "Get to the point or shut up!" Rayquaza growled impatiently.


    "How about you let us handle Zekrom? The League will take care of everything."


    Rayquaza nced at the slightly battered Zekrom and, after a few seconds of hesitation, released its Mega Evolution form, signaling its agreement to Yuga''s proposal. As a legendary Pok��mon aligned with order, it still had some level of trust in the human League.


    If it had been anyone else persuading it, Rayquaza likely wouldn''t have given in so easily. But with Yuga... Rayquaza would never admit that it harbored a bit of a mental shadow from Yuga.


    Recalling how Yuga once held a bottle beneath it to collect its dragon blood, Rayquaza couldn''t help but think that this kid was somewhat ruthless.


    Following Rayquaza''s lead, the cloned Rayquaza also deactivated its Mega Evolution.


    At this point, Damon, who had finished off the Team sma member, approached Zekrom. He spent some time calming Zekrom and then looked at Yuga, who was negotiating with Rayquaza, unsure of what to do next.

 Chapter 1180: Sasaki

    <h4>Chapter 1180: Sasaki</h4>


    After the battle subsided, it was time to determine what to do with Zekrom, the white stone that held Reshiram, and N.


    First, regarding Zekrom: the League does not have the authority to control a Tier 1 Legendary Pok��mon and always respects their own will. However, due to Rayquaza''s demand, Zekrom needed to immediately leave Hoenn and return to Unova��non-negotiable.


    Consequently, Damon''s n to persuade the scattered People of the Vale to return to Einoak Town was effectively thwarted.


    Next was N. He was the nominal king of Team sma, and dealing with him required careful consideration.


    In recent years, Team sma had been promoting the idea of liberating Pok��mon, advocating for freeing them from human ownership. However, in reality, their actions did not align with their statements��they often seized Pok��mon from trainers by force, significantly impacting public safety.


    Yuga understood that N was, in truth, deceived by Team sma and was essentially just a misguided youth.


    After Damon and Zekrom were forcibly sent back to Unova, N stayed at the Verdanturf Town police station for two days. He was then taken by an arriving investigation bureau and transferred to the Unova League.


    The white stone (the slumbering Reshiram) was also handed over to the Unova League along with N.


    The Unova League expressed deep gratitude to the Hoenn League, especially to Yuga; if Reshiram had fallen into Team sma''s hands, it would have caused them no end of trouble.


    How the Unova League would deal with Reshiram was not Yuga''s concern. His only responsibility was to quell the battle and capture those involved; he would not meddle with anything beyond that.


    A few days ago, YoYo Day Care had taken on a new business deal, and today, Yuga was scheduled to meet with this business''s owner.


    As Verdanturf Town prospered, more investors came to set up businesses. Recently, a water-type Pok��mon enthusiast nned to build arge aquarium in Verdanturf Town. To decide which water-type Pok��mon to disy in the aquarium, he wanted to discuss his options with YoYo Day Care.


    This man had been introduced to Yuga by Mayor Ishida. Yuga didn''t know him well; all he knew was that his name was Shindo Sasaki. ording to Mayor Ishida, not only was this person investing in the aquarium, but he had also put capital into several other ventures in Verdanturf Town, and was considered reliable.


    Yuga was particrly alert to the Sasaki surname, as Windy''sst name was also Sasaki. But it wasn''t until he met Shindo Sasaki in person that he realized this wasn''t a mere coincidence.


    Yuga and Shindo Sasaki had arranged to meet in a private room at a high-end restaurant in Verdanturf Town, a location selected and paid for by Shindo Sasaki, showing he was a man of considerable wealth.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, I''ve heard so much about you! If not for Mayor Ishida''s introduction, a nobody like me would never have had the chance to meet you!" Shindo Sasaki greeted Yuga warmly, immediately cing him in high regard.


    Then, Sasaki gave a lengthy self-introduction, and Yuga learned that Shindo Sasaki was indeed a member of the Sasaki family he had heard of.


    The Sasaki family was a prominent n in Kanto, with its current head being James''s father, who was Windy''s biological uncle.


    The current head of the Sasaki family was not particrly well-regarded by outsiders. He was a guardian of the family legacy with no particr ambition; he could maintain the family''s standing butcked the capacity to expand its influence.


    However, this was understandable; everyone knew that the previous Sasaki head had invested heavily in grooming his eldest son. After the eldest son passed away, the younger son inherited the position, but inevitablycked in certain areas.


    Yuga highly suspected that the Sasaki family''s purpose in seeking him out was rted to Windy.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, do you have any suggestions on the types of water-type Pok��mon we should include in the aquarium?" Shindo Sasaki asked Yuga humbly for his input.


    Yuga thought for a moment and replied, "Since your aquarium is in Hoenn, you should select water-type Pok��mon from other regions as well. This will attract more visitors. Naturally, this will also increase costs."


    Shindo Sasaki agreed wholeheartedly, saying, "Gym Leader Shimizu, you make an excellent point! This aligns perfectly with my own thoughts." He continued tovish Yuga withpliments.


    As expected from a businessman, Yuga felt slightly embarrassed by all the praise, while Sasaki remained unfazed.


    After some discussion, Shindo Sasaki said, "We''ll leave the selection of water-type Pok��mon for the aquarium up to you, Gym Leader Shimizu. Money isn''t an issue��just let us know what you need."


    To Yuga''s surprise, he didn''t mention Windy at all, making Yuga wonder if he might have overthought the situation.


    Since he hade with genuine business intentions and wasn''t short on funds, Yuga saw no reason to turn him away, and they quickly signed a contract.


    In the following days, Shindo Sasaki took Yuga on multiple tours of their newly built aquarium, thoroughly exining itsyout and discussing which Pok��mon to ce in each section.


    The Pok��mon disyed in the aquarium were purely for visitor viewing, so there were no specific requirements for quality��whether red or orange level, any would be eptable. However, they would need arge quantity.


    The aquarium was enormous, giving Yuga a vivid understanding of what it meant to be wealthy and extravagant.


    What surprised Yuga the most was that Shindo Sasaki was genuinely passionate about water-type Pok��mon. He knew all kinds of water Pok��mon inside out and discussed them enthusiastically with Yuga.


    ording to him, he had dreamed of bing a water-type Pok��mon trainer when he was young, but he didn''t have the talent. Instead, he had a knack for business, which led him to take on part of the family''s businesster on.


    Building an aquarium was a way to fulfill his original passion. Since he couldn''t be a trainer, he could at least be a "virtual" trainer.


    Meanwhile, Ghetsis, who had fled from Petalburg Forest, reconnected with Colress.


    "Have you made any progress with your investigation on the DNA Splicers and Kyurem?" Ghetsis asked anxiously.


    "There''s a lead. Why?" Colress responded with a hint of curiosity.


    In fact, Colress was fairly certain that the DNA Splicers were in the hands of Drayden, the Gym Leader of Opelucid City, but how to obtain them from him would require careful nning.


    However, before attempting to take the DNA Splicers, they needed to locate Kyurem. Without Kyurem, the DNA Splicers would be useless.


    "Reshiram and N have been taken by the League!" Ghetsis said, his face grim.


    "What? Weren''t you after Zekrom? How did you end up losing Reshiram and N?" Colress''s expression turned sour, almost as if he were reprimanding Ghetsis.


    Colress held a high position in Team sma, almost equal to Ghetsis, so he spoke to Ghetsis in a tone of reproach, which irked Ghetsis slightly.


    However, despite his irritation, he didn''t show it, as both he and Team sma heavily relied on Colress, who was essentially the heart of their organization and indispensable.


    Seeing Colress''s dark expression, Ghetsis remained silent for a long time, realizing he had indeed been careless this time.


    "Weren''t you mainly going to Hoenn to meet Maxie? See if you can get him to help you investigate Rayquaza," Colress finally said after a while.


    Since Maxie was so knowledgeable about Groudon, he likely also knew some lesser-known information about Rayquaza.


    Ever since Archie was captured by the League, Team Aqua has temporarily disappeared from the scene, leaving Team Magma struggling. As a result, their connections with Team sma have be much closer.


    "Investigate Rayquaza? Why?" Ghetsis asked in confusion.


    "I have my reasons. Just do it," Colress replied curtly, ending the call without further exnation.


    After the call, Colress stared at hismunicator, lost in thought. Since he watched the footage of Rayquaza''s Mega Evolution, he couldn''t get the idea of this form of evolution out of his mind.


    In the footage, he could see that the evolved Rayquazapletely overpowered Reshiram. If he could understand and harness this evolution...


    After several days of discussion, YoYo Day Care agreed to supply Shindo Sasaki''s aquarium with a variety of water-type Pok��mon, including Feebas, mperl, Qwilfish, Remoraid, Carvanha, uncher, Horsea, and Lapras.


    In addition to these, Yuga arranged contacts with Pok��mon Day Care from other regions to import a wider selection of water-type Pok��mon.


    Yuga had developed quite awork in the breedingmunity, knowing several breeders across different regions, so acquiring additional Pok��mon wasn''t a problem.


    Shindo Sasaki was generous, covering all expenses himself and even paying Yuga a fee for his efforts.


    Yuga also learned that a conservation area under the Sinnoh League recently faced an overpoption of Relicanth, which was straining their resources, so he managed to secure a free batch for Sasaki''s aquarium.


    Thanks to Yuga''s connections from his work with the Innovation potion, along with Cynthia''s help in smoothing things over, the application process went smoothly, and before long, the Relicanth arrived at the aquarium.


    Relicanth, often called a living fossil, generally inhabit deep-sea areas in the wild and are rarely encountered, so even though they aren''t particrly attractive, they''re still highly valued by enthusiasts.


    If it weren''t for the overpoption in the conservation area, they likely wouldn''t have had the opportunity to acquire so many Relicanth.


    Receiving these Pok��mon at no cost made Shindo Sasaki extremely grateful to Yuga. Early in the morning, he arrived at YoYo Day Care with gifts to thank him, only to run into Windy, who was helping Yuga deliver goods to the Pidgey Express.


    "Young Master, it''s been a while," Shindo Sasaki said respectfully to Windy.


    "You''ve got the wrong person," Windy replied, not even turning his head as he walked past by him.


    Sasaki quickly stepped forward to block Windy.


    "Young Master, Lord Motoharu misses you dearly. He hopes you''ll visit when you have time."


    Motoharu is the name of James'' father, while Windy''s father is named Motoaki.


    In fact, Shindo Sasaki''s main reason foring to Verdanturf Town was Windy, but he and Motoharu didn''t approach him right away out of fear of provoking Windy''s resentment.


    Motoharu genuinely wanted Windy to return, not only because Windy was his brother''s only child but also because the Sasaki family needed an heir.


    He was well aware of his son James'' nature; expecting him to revitalize the Sasaki family was about as likely as the sun rising from the west.


    Although Windy was an illegitimate child, Motoharu had never looked down on him, a sentiment evident even in his choice of James'' name.


    The reason James is called "Jiro" (Second Son) instead of "Ichiro" or "Taro" (Eldest Son) is because he has an older brother, Windy.


    (Note: James Japanese name is Kojiro)


    In the past, Windy constantly changed residences and jobs to avoid members of the Sasaki family. However, as the saying goes, there''s no wall that doesn''t let in wind; they eventually managed to find him this time.


    When Windy heard Shindo Sasaki''s words, his expression finally changed slightly. He nced at the man before walking away again.


    Watching Windy''s departing figure, Shindo Sasaki sighed deeply. As a branch family member, he had no desire to meddle in the family affairs of the main family, but the family head had given him orders.


    He had heard about the hardships Windy endured back when he lived in the Sasaki family mansion.


    Time flew by, and soon, the Nihilego eggs Yuga had ced in the main Ecopark began hatching one after another. These creatures, resembling jellyfish, floated about in the sky all day, their soft tentacles drifting and waving. The other Pok��mon living in the main Ecopark kept their distance from them.


    Fortunately, they were quite afraid of Nana and obediently followed her instructions, so Yuga didn''t have to worry much about managing them.


    Watching the white jellyfish creatures drifting all around, Yuga started thinking about where to house them, as keeping them floating around the main Ecopark wasn''t ideal.


    After considering it for a long time, Yuga decided to move them to Ind No. 2 in the Shallow Sea Beach.


    Originally, the Pok��mon on Ind No. 2 were members of the Oddish and Hoppip families, Pok��mon gifted to Yuga by his master.


    With thepletion of the new Ecopark, YoYo Day Care had established partnerships with many smaller Pok��mon Day Care, so the low potential Pok��mon from the Oddish and Hoppip families had already been relocated.


    Taking this opportunity, Yuga decided to move the remaining high potential Pok��mon to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, allowing all the Grass-type Pok��mon to live together. The vacated space on Ind No. 2 would be perfect for housing the Nihilego.


    Wasting no time, Yuga quickly relocated the Oddish and Hoppip families to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, then had Nana lead the Nihilego to Ind No. 2.


    As expected, the Nihilego were very pleased with Ind No. 2. For these drifting creatures, the limited space of the main Ecopark had felt constricting, but the open skies above Ind No. 2 provided them with plenty of room to float freely.


    To facilitate management, Nana also moved from the main Ecopark to Ind No. 2 to stay with the Nihilego.


    The Oddish and Hoppip families loved their new home as well. The Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark was clearly more suitable for them than Ind No. 2. There, they could enjoy the blessings of Florges''s Grassy Terrain and live in greatfort.


    After settling the Nihilego, Yuga was about to check on Ind No. 1 when he saw Archeops flying over with a sorrowful look on its face.


    "What''s wrong?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    Archeops said nothing, simply gesturing for Yuga to get on its back, then flew him toward Ind No. 3.

 Chapter 1181: The Death of Togekiss

    <h4>Chapter 1181: The Death of Togekiss</h4>


    Yuga rode Archeops down to theke at the center of Lake Ind No. 3, where he found it crowded with Togepi, Togetic, and Togekiss, all looking deeply sorrowful. When they noticed Yuga''s arrival, they respectfully made way for him, allowing him a clear view of the Togekiss n leader they were gathered around.


    At that moment, the Togekiss leader was on the brink of death, its age evident in every feature, and no signs of vitality remained. Upon seeing Yuga, it lifted its head slightly but soon copsed back down, exhausted.


    Yuga approached to check on its condition. "Why did this happen so suddenly? Wasn''t everything fine before?" he murmured as he channeled his special healing abilities into the Togekiss leader''s body.


    All the Togepi, Togetic, and Togekiss lowered their heads in silence. Only the Togekiss leader gave a faint call,forting Yuga as it felt a renewed sense of ease from the healing energy.


    Yuga knew that the Togekiss leader was simply too old, with its organs failing and death approaching at any moment.


    Once a Pok��mon reaches Elite level and undergoes a life transformation, their lifespan generally surpasses that of humans. However, the Togekiss leader was already quite old and had not managed to reach the Champion level, so it was not surprising that it found itself in this condition.


    "I''ll take you to see Nurse Joy," Yuga said with a heavy heart.


    The Togekiss leader initially wanted to refuse, feeling that its time had naturallye, but seeing the sorrow in its n''s eyes and Yuga''s own sadness, it nodded and chose not to object.


    After retrieving the Togekiss leader''s Pok�� Ball, Yuga hurriedly left the Ecopark.


    Watching Yuga''s figure rush off into the distance, Archeops thought to itself that, had it not met Yuga, it might no longer be around.


    This thought left Archeops feeling a touch mncholic.


    Upon reaching the Pok��mon Center, Yuga handed the Pok�� Ball to Joyka, asking her to perform a full examination of the Togekiss leader.


    The wait felt agonizingly long as each second ticked by, and Yuga grew increasingly anxious.


    After about an hour, Joykae out and said to Yuga, "The examination results are ready."


    "How is it? Togekiss will be alright, won''t it?" Yuga asked, his face tense with worry.


    Looking into Yuga''s eyes, Joyka paused briefly before softly replying, "This Togekiss''s organs havepletely deteriorated due to old age. Its lifespan has reached its final moments, and it could pass away at any time."


    Yuga immediately asked, "Isn''t there any treatment?"


    Joyka sighed. "Don''t get too upset. This is just the natural process of aging; it''s not a disease or injury. There really isn''t a treatment for this."


    "Isn''t there any solution at all?" Yuga asked, unwilling to give up.


    "No, there isn''t. You''ll have to ept it," Nurse Joy Kana replied, shaking her head. "In fact, given Togekiss''s current state, staying alive is likely more painful for it."


    Hearing this, Yuga nodded in resignation. It was his first time witnessing the natural cycle of life and death with a Pok��mon that was so close to him, and it left him with an indescribable sorrow.


    However, he knew that, as a Pok��mon Day Care owner, this wouldn''t be thest time he would face such a situation, especially as his own lifespan, like Mr. Koni''o''s, was longer than that of most humans.


    Seeing Yuga''s downcast expression, Joyka asked, "Would you like to visit Togekiss? You can leave it here at the Pok��mon Center. With my care, it will be less painful in its final days."


    Yuga nodded, then followed Joyka to the Togekiss leader''s hospital room.


    At that moment, the Togekiss leadery quietly on the bed, its breathing steady, its eyes peacefully closed, and the pained expression on its face had disappeared. However, various tubes and machines surrounded it, all serving to prolong its life.


    "I''ll leave you to keep itpany. I have other things to attend to," Joyka said, leaving Yuga and the Togekiss leader alone.


    Yuga stayed at the Pok��mon Center overnight, watching over the Togekiss n leader. Seeing that its vital signs had temporarily stabilized, he returned to the Ecopark the next day to inform the Togepi n of the leader''s condition.


    Yuga didn''t hide anything from them, as they would eventually find out, and it was better for them to be mentally prepared in advance.


    In the days that followed, Yuga traveled back and forth to the Pok��mon Center, spending most of his time by the Togekiss leader''s side, keeping itpany with conversations when he could.


    On the third night after the Togekiss leader had been admitted, Yuga, who had dozed off, was suddenly awakened by the sound of a beeping monitor��the Togekiss leader had passed away.


    Joyka and Blissey, also alerted by the passing of the Togekiss leader, they woke up and helped Yuga bring the Togekiss leader back to YoYo Day Care.


    The members of the Togepi n, upon seeing their deceased leader, broke down in tears. Starting from today, they would need to choose a new n leader.


    Originally, Yuga nned to bury the Togekiss leader directly in the Ecopark, but Gengar and Mismagius stopped him.


    When a Pok��mon dies, its soul is meant to journey to the ghost world, but the Ecopark exists as a self-contained space, isted from the ghost world, which would not be good for the Togekiss leader.


    Both Gengar and Mismagius were Pok��mon of the ghost world and were much more knowledgeable about such matters than the average person. So, Yuga decided to follow their advice and bury the Togekiss leader in the Pok��mon Tower in White Cloud Town.


    Coincidentally, Granbull was also buried there.


    With his mind made up, Yuga set out that same day, leaving the task of transferring Pok��mon with Shindou Sasaki to Suzuki Koen and Windy.


    It wasn''t Yuga''s first visit to the Pok��mon Tower, and when he arrived, he saw an elderly monk with a white beard waiting for him at the foot of the tower, apanied by several monks.


    "Long time no see, Old Abbot," Yuga greeted the old monk.


    "Long time no see, Gym Leader Shimizu," the monk replied, bowing to Yuga, and the monks behind him hurriedly followed suit.


    Back when the Trevenant from the ghost world caused trouble here, not one monk would have survived if not for Yuga and Phoebe.


    Now, the parts of the Pok��mon Tower that the Trevenant had damaged had all been restored. The Golden bells that was hanging from the octagonal eaves chimed, filling the tower with an aura of peace.


    Once inside, Yuga chatted briefly with the Old Abbot before bringing the Togekiss leader to the area where Granbull was buried. He nned toy the Togekiss leader to rest beside Granbull.


    Although Granbull continued to live in another form now(Mimikyu), the being it once was was no longer.


    With the monks'' help, Yuga quicklypleted the Togekiss leader''s burial. Once the monks had left, he ced offerings he had prepared in front of the Togekiss leader''s tombstone.


    Yuga didn''t know if the Togekiss leader would be able to enjoy these offerings in the ghost world, but it was an expression of his care nheless.


    When Yuga finished paying his respects, he noticed another person on the same floor��a tall young woman with green hair, apanied by a Delcatty.


    Originally, Yuga intended to leave quietly, but out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a Haunter behind her, nning to y a prank. The woman and her Delcatty, both focused on the tombstone in front of them, had not noticed Haunter''s approach.


    Out of kindness, Yuga suddenly unleashed his ghost-type special ability, which startled the Haunter, causing it to cry out in fear and flee.


    Though his grass-type special ability had no formal name, the ghost-type ability did, given by the system: <<king of="" ghost="">> It had a suppressive, intimidating effect on lower-level ghost-type Pok��mon.


    </king>


    The Haunter''s startled cry quickly caught the attention of the young woman. She looked at the fleeing Haunter, then at Yuga, and soon pieced everything together.


    It wasn''t her first time at the Pok��mon Tower; each time she visited here, she would encounter one or two ghost-type Pok��mon ying pranks. But these ghosts were elusive, making it difficult for her to deal with them.


    "Thank you for that just now," the young woman said sincerely as she approached Yuga with her <i>Delcatty</i>.


    "No need to thank me; it was nothing."


    By habit, Yuga used his Insight Ability to take a quick look at her Delcatty an he was surprised to find it was at the pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon.


    After a round of introductions, Yuga learned that her name was Abby, a Top Coordinator Trainer who had earned her title even before Wace.


    Though Wace was the one who brought the Pok��mon Contest to global fame, many top Coordinators existed before him, such as his mentor, Mr. Juan.


    These Coordinators simply weren''t as well-known as Wace, especially those like Abby, who had left the field years ago.


    Abby was now a Pok��mon doctor with her own private clinic.


    After earning the Top Coordinator title, she continued to travel, and during one of her journeys, her Delcatty was severely injured by a Flygon. They were saved by her current mentor, which led her to change careers and be a Pok��mon doctor.


    Even more surprising to Yuga was that Abby knew May.


    Previously, during May and Ash''s travels in Hoenn, they visited her clinic. May''s Skitty (now a Delcatty) even learned Blizzard from Abby''s Delcatty.


    The two still kept in touch, and as a senior in the world of Coordinators, Abby had been a great help to May.


    Because of May, Yuga and Abby quickly felt closer to each other.


    Seeing that it was about time, Yuga asked, "Are you heading out, Ms. Abby? Shall we go together?"


    Abby nodded at his words; she was heading to Foothill Town, which happened to be along the way to Verdanturf Town where Yuga was headed.


    The Foothill Town where Abby lived was not the same as the one where Dawn''s family resided in Sinnoh. Though they shared the same name, one was in Hoenn and the other in Sinnoh.


    (Note: Both Foothill Town And Twinleaf Town (Dawn''s Hometown) is called Futaba Town in Japanese)


    There were quite a few ces with the same names across the Pok��mon world.


    The two of them walked out of the Pok��mon Tower together, and after bidding farewell to the Old Abbot, they prepared to leave.


    But just as they stepped out, a group of people surrounded them.


    Yuga was surprised to see the masked individuals encircling him and Abby, while the Shadow Triad on the opposite side were also equally surprised to find Yuga beside their target.


    This wasn''t supposed to happen! Their intel hadn''t mentioned anything about Shimizu Yuga knowing the target!


    Ghetsis''s goal was to learn specific details about Rayquaza from Maxie. But Maxie wouldn''t reveal the information for free, hence the Shadow Triad''s current actions.


    In the original story, Maxie and Archie found the Indigo and Crimson Orbs, with Archie even locating both Kyogre and Groudon.


    However, with Yuga''s "butterfly effect" intervention, Team Aqua had not only been swallowed up by Team Rocket, but Archie had also been captured by the League. Isted and without support, Maxie naturally had no way to obtain the orbs or locate Groudon.


    Yet, in this world, there''s often more than one solution to a problem. After extensive investigation, Maxie finally found a lead on Groudon, and that lead was connected to Abby.


    Maxie originally intended to capture Abby himself, but since Team sma came knocking his door, he decided to take advantage of the opportunity. Let them do the work, while he stayed out of danger.


    Neither Maxie nor Ghetsis, however, could have anticipated Yuga suddenly showing up along the way.


    Yuga himself hadn''t expected it either��he''d merely stepped out for a casual outing, and now, here he was, facing Team sma! What exactly was Team sma up to in Hoenn?


    Seeing Yuga by Abby''s side, the Shadow Triad showed no sign of retreat. They were Ghetsis'' loyal fighters, dedicated to carrying out his orders without question.


    Rumor had it that Yuga was quite formidable, but the Shadow Triad had never faced him in battle, so they were eager to see just how powerful he really was.


    The Shadow Triad was Ghetsis'' most elite squad.


    In an instant, Yuga and the Shadow Triad made their moves simultaneously. Gengar and Mismagius hovered on either side of Yuga, while three elgor had somehow appeared by the Shadow Triad''s side.


    Gengar''s Dark Pulse and Mismagius'' Mystical Fire shot toward two of the elgor with lightning speed, while Abby''s Delcatty attacked the third with a Thunderbolt.


    But the elgor were incredibly fast; in the blink of an eye, they vanished from their spots, leaving only afterimages. Using Agility, they swiftly repositioned, firing Water Shuriken one after another like true ninjas.


    Abby as a Top Coordinator Trainer, demonstrated impressive control over energy. Her Delcatty split its Thunderbolt into multiple streams, each of them precisely intercepting a Water Shuriken.


    Though Abby''s strength was not on par with Yuga''s or the Shadow Triad''s, her ability to coordinate and support her teammates was outstanding, showcasing a performance far above her level.


    Perhaps this was what people called a true "God-tier teammate."


    With Delcatty shielding them from attacks, the blue mes with the size of fists��Will-O-Wisps��suddenly floated around Gengar and Mismagius. Under their control, the Will-O-Wisps shot toward the three elgor.


    The elgor tried to dodge, but with a gleam in their eyes, Gengar and Mismagius sent a pulse of psychic energy, and the Will-O-Wisps locked onto their targets as if guided, relentlessly chasing the three elgor until they finally hit.


    The moment the mes touched them, the elgor screamed and fell to the ground, the burning pain from the ghostly fire slowing them significantly.

 Chapter 1182: The Battle Of The Legendary Pokémon

    <h4>Chapter 1182: The Battle Of The Legendary Pok��mon</h4>


    Under the influence of Will-O-Wisp, the three elgor gradually began to lose against Gengar and Mismagius. Noticing this, the Shadow Triad each released a Bisharp.


    In contrast to the swift and agile elgor, the Steel-type Bisharp moved slower due to their weight, but they possessed high attack, defense, and resistance. When Gengar and Mismagiusunched Dark Pulse and Shadow Ball toward the Bisharp, they quickly swung their steel ws, using the Fury Cutter move to shatter all the attacks. Even the scattered energy thatnded on them was of no concern.


    One Bisharp covered the elgor, and before they knew it, it had sneaked up near Abby and her Delcatty. Fortunately, Delcatty was alert, using Blizzard just in time to drive them back.


    Seeing that only Delcatty was by her side, Abby felt a bit vulnerable, so she quickly took out Pok�� Balls and released a Torkoal and a Tropius.


    These two Pok��mon were about as strong as Delcatty, and the three of them together protected Abby. With Yuga nearby as well, she remained safe.


    Although the Shadow Triad''s main attention was on Yuga, they hadn''t forgotten that their primary target this time was Abby. They attempted to capture her several times but were stopped by Yuga each time.


    Due to the burn status, the three elgor soon went down, even with the protection of the Bisharp.


    Then, Mismagius, assisted by Gengar, used Mystical Fire to take down the three Bisharp one by one.


    The Shadow Triad exchanged nces, their brows tightly furrowed��this mission was turning out to be a tough one! However, they didn''t intend to retreat, as Ghetsis''s orders were absolute to them.


    After recalling the defeated elgor and Bisharp, the Shadow Triad gritted their teeth and each took out two Pok�� Balls, releasing a total of six Forretress.


    "Forretress, Explosion!"


    The phrase "hurting the enemy by a thousand and oneself by eight hundred" applies perfectly to moves like Self-Destruct and Explosion, which spare neither friend nor foe and aim for mutual destruction.


    Furthermore, after using Explosion or Self-Destruct, the user falls into a near-death state. Without timely treatment, they would truly die��not just lose the ability to fight.


    Hearing the Shadow Triad''smand, Yuga and Abby''s expressions changed, especially Abby''s, who had never experienced something like this before��someone was actually willing to use Explosion!


    The six Forretress spun rapidly in the air, on the verge of exploding at any moment. Even two explosions would be too much for them to handle, let alone all six at once.


    In this critical moment, Gengar and Mismagius floated above the Forretress, holding hands as they unfolded a special space that enveloped all the Forretress.


    "Gengar! Mismagius!" Yuga shouted.


    To create this spatial field, Gengar and Mismagius had to remain within it. Although their actions ensured Yuga and Abby''s safety, they couldn''t guarantee their own.


    A rumbling explosion sounded shortly after, and the space in the sky trembled, cracks appearing the next second before it shattered into fragments and vanished.


    Six charred Forretress fell from the sky, creating craters in the ground where theynded, each one in a near-death state.


    Yuga didn''t have time to worry about someone else''s Forretress. He quickly looked up at Gengar and Mismagius, finding that although they were injured, they were mostly unharmed, still capable of fighting, and not in a near-death state themselves.


    Phew... Yuga let out a long sigh of relief.


    It turned out that once Gengar and Mismagius entered the space, they immediately used Skill Swap to exchange their abilities, gaining Forretress''s ability, Sturdy.


    Pok��mon with the Sturdy ability can''t be taken down in one hit.


    Although Sturdy doesn''t protect the user when using Explosion, it does protect them when enduring it.


    Still, Gengar and Mismagius were injured, so Yuga recalled them to his Shadow Space and then sent out Absol and Vivillon.


    Seeing that the Explosion from the Forretress hadn''t worked, the Shadow Triad tried to resist further, but their three Liepard that they released were quickly taken down by Absol and Vivillon. In the end, Absol even knocked each of them out with a single hit.


    With Absol''s strength, a hit like that was sure to leave internal injuries, but Yuga didn''t stop it��they had maliciously tried to harm others with Explosion, after all!


    To keep things simple, Yuga had Vivillon put them to sleep with a dose of Sleep Powder, and soon the three of them were out cold, sleeping like logs.


    Yuga had to admit, he''d caught some big fish this time!


    After the incident in Petalburg Woods, Yuga specifically looked into the history of the Shadow Triad. These three people were once internationally famous bounty hunters. After running into trouble, they were saved by Ghetsis and subsequently joined Team sma, bing some of his most loyal lieutenants.


    After dealing with the Shadow Triad, Yuga turned around to Abby and asked, "Ms. Abby, do you know them? It seems their target this time was you."


    Abby replied, still shaken, "I don''t know them at all. I''ve never even seen them before." She was equally confused��she had onlye to pay respects to her deceased Pok��mon. How did things end up like this?


    Yuga thought for a moment and said, "These three are members of Team sma, a notorious organization in Unova. Since they''ve targeted you, it likely means you possess something they want. I suggest you apply to the League for personal protection."


    "Can I really apply for that?" Abby asked excitedly, "How do I apply?" She was very worried for her safety; if these people came after her again, what would she do? Yuga couldn''t protect her forever.


    Yuga replied, "I''ll help you with the application process, but you''ll need to cooperate with the League in investigating a few things."


    Yuga felt it necessary to uncover why Team sma was targeting Abby.


    "That would be a huge help! I''ll definitely cooperate fully with the investigation," Abby said gratefully.


    With that, Yuga took Abby and the unconscious Shadow Triad members out of White Cloud Town and personally escorted Abby back to her home in Foothill Town, which was conveniently along his route back to Verdanturf Town.


    After dropping Abby off, Yuga immediately contacted Steven. He stayed in Foothill Town until Steven arrived with a team to take over custody of the Shadow Triad before departing.


    Steven personally handled Abby''s case, and he soon discovered why Team sma was targeting her.


    Upon examining Abby''s family genealogy, Steven found some clues that led him to suspect that Abby''s family might be the descendants of the Sky People.


    The Sky People are one of the most severely diminished ancient tribes. From what Steven knew, the Sky People had long vanished from history, and Abby herself had never even heard of them.


    Steven''s knowledge of the Sky People came from their shared reverence, along with the Dragonid People, for the Dragon God and Sky God��Rayquaza. For more information, Steven had consulted the Dragon Tamer Lance.


    In Abby''s family records, there was an old ount: long, long ago, a massive meteor fell from the sky, carrying mysterious powers. Rayquaza, Kyogre, and Groudon all fought over it, but Rayquaza ultimately prevailed and disappeared with the meteor.


    It was clear that Team sma was searching for this legend.


    In addition, the family records included information about the location of Sky Pir.


    The meteor, Yuga knew, was once stored by Rayquaza at the Sky Pir. Back then, Team sma might have been able to locate it. But now, Rayquaza had already taken the meteor away.


    This meant that even if they did capture Abby, it would be useless.


    However, an unexpected event urred.


    A few dayster, unknown assants attacked Abby''s grandparents'' home, abducting her grandparents.


    Although Abby now lived with her parents in Foothill Town, her family''s ancestral home was in a distant city. Her grandparents still lived there.


    Steven and the others never expected that while they were protecting Abby, they had overlooked her grandparents.


    Fortunately, her grandparents were soon returned home unharmed, but not before they had revealed everything they knew about the family records to their captors.


    Although the records were kept by Abby''s parents, her grandparents were well-versed in some of the family''s lore, particrly the legend of the meteor.


    The intruders threatened Abby''s grandparents, warning that if they didn''t speak the truth, their son, daughter-inw, and granddaughter would be harmed. Being ordinary people, the elderly couple couldn''t withstand such intimidation and, in their fear, confessed everything.


    Since Team sma was not a native force, they feared the Hoenn League''s relentless pursuit. After obtaining the information they wanted, they not only refrained from harming the grandparents but even returned them safely.


    But the matter was far from over.


    One day, Yuga was inspecting the conditions of the Pok��mon in the Ecopark when, to his surprise, Giratina showed up again, bringing Jellicent for a visit.


    Yuga left them alone, leaving Cosmoem in the Ecopark and heading out.


    However, just as he exited the Ecopark, he received a shocking piece of news: over the distant seas near Farbor Town, a giant meteor had appeared in the sky, and Rayquaza, Kyogre, and Groudon had all gathered there.


    The culprit behind this series of events was a ck Lugia, and the meteor had arrived during a battle between the ck Lugia and two Rayquaza over the sea.


    The appearance of the ck Lugia indicated that Team Rocket was involved.


    Previously, Giovanni had sent Ariana on a mission to the Kalos region, specifically targeting Lysandre.


    Using her exceptional disguise skills, Ariana had easily infiltrated the prison where Lysandre was held. She had intended to rescue him and recruit him into Team Rocket, but Lysandre refused.


    Lysandre was a proud man, fully aware that he was still alive due to AZ''s influence. If he escaped, it would undoubtedly implicate AZ, something he was unwilling to see happen.


    However, he handed over Team re''s hidden research data to Ariana. Team re''s greatest expertisey in mega evolution, including their knowledge of the meteor.


    With the information provided by Team re and after extensive investigation, Team Rocket finally located Rayquaza and the meteor with the help of Dark Lugia.


    But relying solely on Dark Lugia to seize the meteor from two Rayquaza would be naive. So, following leads left by Archie, they also tracked down Kyogre and Groudon. (In the anime, both Kyogre and Groudon were located by Archie.)


    Without the Indigo Orb or Crimson Orb, Team Rocket couldn''t control Groudon and Kyogre. Instead, they proposed a coboration, promising to share the meteor if they managed to capture it.


    Groudon and Kyogre agreed.


    By the time Yuga received the news, the battle had already begun. Dark Lugia, Groudon, and Kyogre were teaming up against the two Rayquaza, which were struggling, especially since one of the Rayquaza was only a clone, weaker than a true legendary Pok��mon.


    For now, the Rayquaza were being forced back, and it seemed only a matter of time before the meteor was seized.


    When Steven called Yuga, he was in a rush, urging Yuga to get to the scene immediately.


    As soon as Yuga hung up and preparing to go to the site, Spoink suddenly appeared by his side, floating up to whisper something in his ear, causing Yuga''s eyes to light up.


    He hurried into the Ecopark, finding Giratina in the Haunted House sub-Ecopark ying with Jellicent.


    "Giratina, can I ask you for a favor?" Yuga called out to it.


    Giratina paused, looking at Yuga, and asked, "What''s the matter?"


    Yuga quickly exined what was happening outside.


    Giratina thought for a moment before agreeing. After all, it had absorbed a substantial amount of life energy while staying with Yuga, so helping wasn''t unreasonable. Additionally, as both it and Rayquaza belonged to the forces of order, aiding an ally was eptable.


    Giratina nudged Jellicent off its back, motioning for Yuga to get on. Then, it dove into the Reverse Mirror and disappeared.


    Passing through the Reverse Mirror, Yuga and Giratina entered the Distortion World. Although this was Yuga''s first time here, he had no time to admire thendscape.


    Upon entering, Giratina''s form shifted as it quickly glided through the air, searching for the area in the Distortion World that corresponded to the battlefield in reality.


    Before long, Yuga spotted a patch of blue light suspended in the air, where Kyogre unleashed Origin Pulse at Rayquaza, knocking it down from the sky.


    The already ice-bound sea surface fractured upon impact, seawater surging from the cracks and submerging Rayquaza in an instant.


    Kyogre was about to attack again when Steven and his Metagross appeared in the light screen, intercepting an Ice Beam directed at Rayquaza.


    "There it is!" Yuga alerted Giratina.


    Without a word, Giratina dove straight into the light screen. Suddenly, a massive whirlpool formed on the sea''s surface in the real world, and Giratina emerged from the vortex, carrying Yuga into the sky.


    Dark Lugia was about to strike the clone Rayquaza with Dragon Rush when Giratina suddenly appeared, releasing a Dragon Pulse that caught Dark Lugia off guard, sending it flying instantly.


    This scene caused the other three legendary Pok��mon, along with Steven, to simultaneously turn their attention to Giratina and Yuga.

 Chapter 1183: One Person Overpowers Kyogre

    <h4>Chapter 1183: One Person Overpowers Kyogre</h4>


    Steven hadn''t expected Yuga to arrive so quickly. Initially, he had informed Mr. Koni''o first, but Mr. Koni''o didn''t make it in time. Instead, Yuga, whom he contactedter, arrived first �� and even brought along the powerful ally Giratina.


    Yuga''s sudden appearance shocked not only Steven but also Ariana and Proton, who were lurking in the shadows.


    "How did he get here so fast? Didn''t you say the news was sealed, and he wouldn''t be able to make it?" Ariana demanded furiously, her voice filled with frustration.


    To Ariana, Shimizu Yuga was practically her lifelong nemesis.


    "How should I know!" Proton retorted in a low growl, equally puzzled. Who could have predicted Yuga would use Giratina''s ability to traverse the Distortion World?


    With Giratina''s Dragon Pulse forcing Dark Lugia back, the clone Rayquaza finally had a moment to catch its breath. Its real power couldn''t match a true Legendary and was no match for Dark Lugia, so it quickly turned around to put distance between itself and its attacker.


    The clone Rayquaza, wracked with pain, felt as though its body didn''t even belong to itself anymore.


    "Giratina, I''ll leave this Lugia to you!"


    Yuga released his Dragonite, climbed onto its back, and entrusted Giratina with the task.


    Giratina nodded in response, finding Lugia''s appearance particrly strange.


    The true Lugia, the Guardian of the Seas, belonged to the orderly faction of Legendary Pok��mon, just like Giratina, and they knew each other. But Giratina had no knowledge of this Dark Lugia before it.


    Dark Lugia, furious, turned to face Giratina, who had ambushed it, and charged at it with a Sky Attack.


    Unfazed, Giratina countered with its own Shadow Force and charged straight back.


    Boom!


    The two Legendary Pok��mon''s powerful sh sent shockwaves across the surroundings, causing the mountains to crumble and the frozen sea to crack open with massive fissures, with waves surging out. Yuga and Dragonite were thrown back by the impact, and even the ice below fractured from the force.


    Rayquaza, who was struggling against Kyogre and Groudon, sighed in relief, seeing the clone Rayquaza now had Giratina''s support.


    Had Yuga and Giratina not arrived, it feared its clone partner wouldn''t have made it. It had just managed to revive the clone �� it couldn''t let it fall here.


    Indeed, the clone Rayquaza had already been severely injured by Dark Lugia and could no longer continue fighting.


    After all, a clone was still a clone; even with the help of the Jade Orb, it had narrowly escaped certain death, but its abilities still fell far short of a true Legendary Pok��mon.


    After steadying himself on Dragonite, Yuga looked up at the giant, multicolored stone hovering silently in the sky. The stone emitted a radiant glow, and even without approaching it, Yuga could feel the oppressive energy emanating from it.


    This rainbow stone was the very source of the battle among these Legendary Pok��mon.


    "Dragonite, let''s go help Rayquaza." Yuga patted Dragonite''s head.


    "Dragonite!"


    Dragonite let out a loud cry and sped toward Rayquaza, who was working with Steven to hold off Kyogre and Groudon.


    "Steven, Rayquaza! You two handle Groudon; I''ll take care of Kyogre," Yuga called out loudly to Steven and Rayquaza.


    Rayquaza, hearing this, immediately disengaged from Kyogre. In its mind, a ruthless guy like Yuga taking on Kyogre was just the right match for a viin against a viin.


    Steven, however, looked worried. "Just you? Can you handle it?" Though he knew Yuga''s strength had already surpassed his own, Kyogre was still a Legendary Pok��mon, after all.


    "I don''t have to defeat it, just hold it off until Giratina or Rayquaza has a free hand."


    Hearing this, Steven finally directed his Metagross to assist Rayquaza.


    Kyogre pped its fins, attempting to chase after Rayquaza and Steven, but Yuga quickly summoned Lapras.


    "Ah, oooh..."


    Lapras called out to Kyogre from afar. Perhaps due to a connection in their bloodline, Kyogre paused for a brief moment.


    It stared intently at Lapras, its gaze shifting slightly, but then, with no mercy, itunched a Water Pulse straight at Lapras, as if forgetting it had once taught Lapras skills and given it gifts.


    Compared to the precious stone, any kinship with Lapras meant little.


    Lapras tilted its body to the side, narrowly dodging Kyogre''s Water Pulse.


    Seeing that an emotional appeal didn''t work, Yuga promptly recalled Lapras.


    "Alright then, let''s go all out!"


    With that, Yuga released his lineup of Grass-type Pok��mon: Florges, Bellossom, Venusaur, Roserade, Torterra, and Serperior. Since the sea''s surface was frozen by Kyogre, there was solid ground for the Pok��mon to stand on.


    "Everyone, form the formation!"


    At Yuga''smand, the six Pok��mon spread out. Bellossom, Venusaur, Roserade, Torterra, and Serperior took positions in five different spots, forming arge circle, with Florges standing in the center.


    Kyogre floated above, directly over Florges.


    "Begin!" Yuga shouted.


    "Bana!"


    Bellossom was the first to act, lightly stomping on the ice, sending a green beam like an arrow along the ice toward Florges.


    "Roserade!" Next was Roserade.


    "Serpior!" Then Serperior.


    ...


    When all five green beams converged on Florges, she opened her arms, releasing a surge of green light that radiated outward.


    The five beams represented Grassy Terrain from each of Bellossom and herpanions. But this time, instead of spreading as a field, they served as Florges''s "batteries."


    Florges''s innate ability allowed her to control flowers she cultivated and tended to herself. Bellossom and the others, having been with Florges for a long time, had be like flowers she nurtured; they shared a special connection.


    The five Grass-type Pok��mon and Florges were now of one mind and body.


    The green light prated the thick iceyer and reached the seabed, bringing an unprecedented vitality. The once lifeless seaweed started growing madly.


    One meter, two meters, three meters... wider and wider...


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Atst, the ice surface shattered as countless strands of dark green seaweed broke through. The seaweed, like massive, thrashing dragons, lunged at Kyogre, quickly wrapping around its tail, fins, head, and body.


    "Dragonite!"


    While Florges and her team were busy, Dragonite wasn''t idle.


    After Yuga switched to Charizard, Dragonite shot up high into the sky. Shortly after, thickyers of dark clouds began to gather overhead, seemingly ready to press down at any moment, looking ominous.


    The moisture from the sea made it convenient and quick for Dragonite to use Rain Dance.


    "Boom!" A thunderp echoed as golden lightning crackled within the dark clouds, its jagged shes threatening to strike at any moment.


    Hidden in the shadows, Ariana, Proton, and the others felt a pang of unease, as if something terrible was about to happen.


    "Roar!!!"


    Kyogre struggled fiercely, breaking free of the seaweed binding it, piece by piece. Once it was free, it opened its mouth andunched an Ice Beam straight toward Florges below.


    Crack!


    A lightning bolt transformed into a massive dragon, striking Kyogre''s blue beam, neutralizing both attacks.


    Kyogre prepared to attack again, but another thick bolt of lightning crashed down, striking its back directly.


    "Roar!!!"


    The intense pain drove Kyogre to writhe wildly. Just then, countless strands of seaweed gathered together, forming into even thicker "grass ropes."


    Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!


    More than a dozen of these enormous "grass ropes" instantly wrapped around Kyogre''s body. Kyogre thrashed about madly, but the ropes held firm.


    "Roar!"


    Suddenly, rings of water formed around Kyogre, forcing the "grass ropes" to loosen slightly.


    "Florges!"


    Florges called out, and the five other Grass-type Pok��mon instantly shot another green beam toward her. The green light around Florges red up once more.


    Ssh, ssh...


    More seaweed emerged from the ocean, breaking through the ice, then gradually climbed up the ropes binding Kyogre, making the "grass ropes" even thicker.


    Creak, creak!


    The ropes tightened further, until Kyogre was unable to move even an inch.


    Crack!


    Another thick bolt of lightning struck Kyogre''s back with force.


    Ariana and Proton, who were observing from a nearby cloaked aircraft, felt the turbulence caused by the thunderclouds. The aircraft shook so much that it nearly revealed their location.


    "This is terrifying! Unbelievable! He''s managing to suppress Kyogre all on his own!" Proton murmured, watching the live footage on the monitor.


    Ariana''s expression was equally grim. Yuga''s strength was beyond her expectations. Team Rocket had gone through tremendous effort to get Kyogre and Groudon to assist them, only to face not only Giratina but also Yuga, who alone was keeping Kyogre at bay.


    In truth, in the past, Yuga would have been powerless against Kyogre. But since Florges had been trained by Tapu Bulu, her strength had grown tremendously. Combined with the type advantage of Electric and Grass moves against Water-type Pok��mon, they managed to suppress Kyogre for the time being.


    Meanwhile, Giratina was evenly matched with Dark Lugia, while Mega Rayquaza, together with Steven, had Groudon under heavy attack.


    Seeing the situation increasingly turn in their favor, Yuga thought that as long as he could keep Kyogre suppressed, victory was just a matter of time.


    Then, just at that moment, the previously still giant stone suddenly erupted in radiant light.


    "Roar!"


    "Roar!"


    Groudon and Kyogre called out in unison toward the giant stone, which, as if responding to their call, projected two beams of prismatic light onto them.


    Buzz! Buzz!


    The forms of Groudon and Kyogre underwent a massive transformation.


    Golden markings appeared across Groudon''s body, resembling flowing magma. Instantly, itunched a Sr Beam, forcing Mega Rayquaza and Steven back, then followed up with a Precipice des aimed straight at Rayquaza.


    Steven''s Metagross had alreadypleted its Mega Evolution. It quickly raised a Reflect wall in front of Rayquaza, but the wall shattered in less than three seconds. Still, it managed to buy Rayquaza enough time to dodge.


    Kyogre''s body had grownrger, with golden lines rippling like water across its skin. With a powerful swing of its two front fins, it snapped the "grass ropes" binding it.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Countless strands of seaweed continued to break through the ice, gathering together into thicker and thicker "grass ropes." Each time Kyogre broke one, another immediately took its ce.


    Crack! Crack!


    To wear down Kyogre''s strength, golden dragon-shaped bolts of lightning, controlled by Dragonite, kept crashing down toward it.


    Inside the aircraft, Proton watched Kyogre and Groudon''s transformations with excitement and said, "Primal Reversion! This is the Primal Reversion you mentioned in your data report? This is... incredible."


    Ariana also looked pleased. Kyogre and Groudon''s Primal Reversions hade at just the right time; moments earlier, she had nearly felt the mission was about to fail.


    As Lysandre had said, the giant stone was indeed the true treasure!


    But it wasn''t only Team Rocket agents hidden nearby. Maxie and Ghetsis were also silently observing the battle.


    "This is your idea of taking advantage of chaos?" Ghetsis asked Maxie with a dark expression. "Do you think you can handle Rayquaza, Kyogre, or Groudon?"


    Forget about the Legendary Pok��mon��they couldn''t even deal with the two League Trainers.


    "Do you think I invited you here just to watch?" Maxie replied irritably. "Don''t think I don''t know��you have Reshiram on your side!"


    "You!" Ghetsis was speechless with rage. Maxie didn''t yet know that Team sma''s Reshiram had been seized by the League, but Ghetsis couldn''t reveal this. Who knew if Maxie would use that information to betray them?


    "Either way, I''m not dealing with those monsters!" Ghetsis snapped, storming out of the control room.


    Once away from Maxie, Ghetsis quickly dialed Colress and sent him the live footage of the battle.


    "Who is that person?" Colress asked in surprise, pointing at Yuga, who was fighting Kyogre head-on.


    "That''s Shimizu Yuga, the Gym Leader of Verdanturf Gym in Hoenn," Ghetsis replied.


    "He''s incredibly strong, almost excessively so! Looks like the Hoenn region is gaining another Master-level Trainer," Colress remarked, marveling.


    Colress, a scientist with some entric tendencies, was usually more focused on his field and wasn''t particrly attentive to external matters. Thus, while Yuga was famous, Colress hadn''t known much about him.


    "Indeed," Ghetsis agreed, nodding. He felt that it was getting increasingly difficult for dark organizations to survive. The League was producing more powerful young Trainerstely��look at Caitlin in Unova; she was a truly formidable individual too.


    "It''s very fascinating," Colress said, intently watching the battle footage. "If you''re hoping to take advantage of the situation, forget it. With him there, you won''t get the chance. Just leave."


    "I was just thinking that!" Ghetsis said angrily. "Maxie only dragged me here to use me as a pawn."


    Meanwhile, on the ocean''s surface...


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Enraged at its continued entanglement in the "grass ropes," Kyogre gave up trying to break free. Instead, itunched an Origin Pulse directly at Florges.


    Four beams shed across, carving deep abysses into the entire ocean surface.

 Chapter 1184: Shatterer and Seize

    <h4>Chapter 1184: Shatterer and Seize</h4>


    Primal Kyogre''s frenzy provoked Florges, who swung its arms as five Grass-type Pok��mon responded, channeling vast amounts of green light toward Florges.


    "Florges!" Florges couldn''t help but raise its head, releasing a high-pitched cry.


    Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!


    The green light poured into the seawater, making the underwater seaweed grow wildly, dyeing the entire sea surface a dark green, almost ck.


    Ssh! Ssh! Ssh!


    Endless strands of seaweed shot up from the water. With a loud thud, Primal Kyogre, suspended in the sky, was dragged down, crashing into the sea, shattering the ice as water instantly engulfed it.


    At that moment, a golden lightning pir controlled by Dragonite cut through the sky, crashing into the ocean with a thunderous roar. Kyogre''s piercing wails resonated from beneath the waves.


    However, although Florges managed to turn the tables on Kyogre, it had exhausted all its strength and copsed onto the ice alongside the five Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Seeing this, Yuga quickly recalled them to their Pok�� Ball and released Lapras and Chimecho.


    "Lapras, Sheer Cold!"


    In response, Lapras flew over the spot where Kyogre had fallen. Its entire body emitted an intense chill, and in an instant, the shattered ocean surface refroze. No one knew what had be of Kyogre below.


    Ghetsis, who had originally intended to part ways with Maxie, couldn''t help but mutter when he saw this scene, "A monster, a true monster!" This dy kept him from leaving.


    After dealing with Kyogre, Yuga turned around and rode Charizard, bringing along three Pok��mon to support Rayquaza.


    After its Primal Reversion, Groudon''s power had surged, and for a moment, even Mega Rayquaza showed signs of being overpowered.


    Before Yuga''s arrival, Rayquaza had sustained injuries from fighting both Groudon and Kyogre simultaneously, which were now affecting itsbat ability.


    Boom!


    A golden light beam, controlled by Primal Groudon, shot toward Rayquaza, who was charging up a Dragon Ascent, leaving it no time to defend or dodge.


    Steven''s Mega Metagross promptly erected a Reflect, but it was shattered effortlessly.


    Just then, another Reflect appeared, which also shattered shortly after. However, a timely Origin Pulse nullified Primal Groudon''s Precipice des.


    Yuga had arrived with Chimecho and Lapras.


    Boom!


    Mega Rayquaza''s Dragon Ascent was finally unleashed, and Primal Groudon, just havingunched Precipice des, was sent crashing to the ground, the small ind beneath it sinking under its weight.


    Mega Rayquaza nced at Yuga from the corner of its eye, seeing that he had escaped Kyogre unharmed, thinking, "A truly ruthless human!"


    Yuga''s arrival turned the tide of the battle between Mega Rayquaza and Primal Groudon once more.


    Meanwhile, Dark Lugia and Giratina remained locked in a dead heat, their shes sending tremors through the air as neither could gain the upper hand.


    Just as everyone was focused on their opponents, a sudden rumble came from below, and Primal Kyogre broke through the ice once more, propelling itself high into the air with a powerful swing of its fins, like a rocket ascending.


    Four light spots appeared on its fins, a clear sign of its impending Origin Pulse.


    Yuga initially thought Primal Kyogre''s target would be him, the one responsible for sinking it. However, the four blue Origin Pulses shot straight toward the multicolored giant stone hovering in the air.


    Boom!


    Amidst the stunned expressions of everyone and their Pok��mon, the giant stone shattered, scattering fragments in all directions.


    After a few seconds of shock, everyone sprang into action, scrambling to snatch pieces of the shattered stone.


    Rayquaza reacted first, snapping up the nearest fragment in its mouth and swallowing it without hesitation.


    Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, unwilling to fall behind, each seized a piece for themselves. Once they imed their fragments, Groudon dove into the earth and disappeared, while Kyogre plunged into the sea and vanished from sight.


    While Steven was momentarily stunned, his Mega Metagross was struck by a fragment, and instinctively caught it with its psychic power.


    In the direction of Dark Lugia and Giratina, a fragment also appeared. Giratina showed no desire to seize it, allowing Dark Lugia to snatch it effortlessly.


    Although Yuga failed to grab a piece, his Chimecho managed to im a medium-sized fragment.


    Meanwhile, Cosmoem had slipped out at some point, using its incredible teleportation skills to secure thergest fragment. As soon as it obtained the piece, Cosmoem returned to the shadow space at top speed, leaving no trace. Even Yuga, its Trainer, hadn''t noticed it had left.


    Proton and Ariana, stunned by Kyogre''s sudden shattering of the stone, quickly recovered. Ariana ordered, "Retreat!"


    Since the stone had broken, and with fragments already in the possession of Rayquaza, Kyogre, Groudon, as well as Yuga and Steven, they knew they had no hope of reiming them. Rather than risking further confrontation, they decided to withdraw, satisfied that Dark Lugia had managed to secure a fragment.


    From the invisible aircraft, a concealed device emerged, releasing a Pok�� Ball that silently captured Dark Lugia.


    The Pok�� Ball was unmistakably a Master Ball.


    By the time Giratina realized what had happened, Dark Lugia was already gone.


    After retrieving Dark Lugia, Proton and Ariana discreetly piloted the aircraft away.


    Meanwhile...


    Having parted ways with Maxie, Ghetsis was preparing to leave in his own aircraft when he suddenly heard a ng on its roof.


    He sent out his elgor to investigate, and it returned with a palm-sized fragment of the stone.


    "This is... this is..."


    Taking the stone fragment from elgor, Ghetsis was ovee with excitement, running his fingers over it repeatedly, almost at a loss for words. This was truly a treasure that hade to him effortlessly!


    The fragment still held a cool, damp sensation, likely from Primal Kyogre''s Origin Pulse, which felt unusually distinct to Ghetsis.


    Unlike the ted Ghetsis, Maxie left with a belly full of frustration, feeling as though his efforts had beenpletely wasted, without gaining any advantage.


    Seeing that Kyogre, Groudon, and Dark Lugia had all disappeared, Rayquaza quickly flew to the side of its clone to check on its injuries.


    At this moment, the clone Rayquazay weakly on a remote ind not far from the battlefield.


    Seeing that the battle was nearly over and that Yuga wouldn''t need it anymore, Giratina prepared to return to the Distortion World.


    Noticing this, Yuga quickly flew over to thank it, saying, "Giratina, I owe you one this time."


    Giratina shook its head, feeling it was no big deal; this was just a way of reciprocating. After all, every time it visited Yuga''s Ecopark, it would absorb a portion of the life force.


    After bidding farewell to Yuga, Giratina found an unfrozen spot, opened its mouth, and shot a beam of light toward the sea surface, creating a whirlpool. It dove into the vortex and vanished from sight.


    Yuga wanted to take the clone Rayquaza with him, but the clone was too injured. Feeling sympathetic, Yuga offered a Max Revive, and Rayquaza, for once, stopped ring at Yuga with hostility.


    The effect of the Max Revive was remarkable; as soon as it was consumed, the clone Rayquaza was revitalized and full of energy.


    Before leaving, the clone Rayquaza specifically expressed its gratitude to Yuga. Although it didn''t offer anything substantial in return, at least it had boosted the legendary Pok��mon''s favorability toward him.


    Thus, the enmity between him and Rayquaza was officially resolved.


    Watching as the two Rayquazas soared into the sky and disappeared, Steven approached Yuga, saying, "Thanks to your timely arrival, we would have definitely lost this battle otherwise."


    Yuga humbly replied, "I just happened to be here."


    Steven remarked, "It doesn''t matter if it was by chance or not; what matters is that the problem has been resolved. By the way, how did you manage to call in a Legendary Pok��mon like Giratina?"


    Yuga exined, "I helped it a little when I was in Sinnoh with Cynthia." This wasn''t a lie; they had indeed assisted Giratina in finding the Griseous Orb.


    Steven didn''t doubt Yuga''s words, but his envy was palpable. He also wanted to help some legendary Pok��mon, but unfortunately, he never received the opportunity.


    "You''re already this impressive; why not just take the Champion position?" Steven seized the opportunity to try and persuade Yuga.


    Yuga looked at him with a deadpan expression and replied, "With me being this readily avable, what more do you want?"


    Steven: ...Another day of failed persuasion.


    "Alright, alright, I take back what I said."


    The two of them then began discussing how to deal with the stone fragments. Even though they hadn''t lost this time, they hadn''t won either, as one of the stone fragments had been taken by Dark Lugia.


    Everyone in the League was aware that Dark Lugia was in Team Rocket''s possession.


    "Team Rocket is bing more and more brazen; they''re getting increasingly reckless!" Steven said, filled with indignation.


    Yuga nodded in agreement, "Yeah, but let''s leave the stone fragments to the League; we can''t really figure out what these things are."


    Steven acknowledged, "That''s true."


    "Let''s search around and see if there are any other scattered fragments." Yuga suddenly suggested.


    Given the hurried departure of Dark Lugia, Kyogre, and Groudon, it was likely that there were undiscovered fragments.


    "Good point."


    So the two of them, along with their Pok��mon, searched the surrounding waters but found nothing.


    If something had indeed fallen into the sea, it would be challenging to locate, akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.


    What Yuga and Steven didn''t know was that after they left, Maxie had quietly returned with his crew. He was piloting a submarine and had searched over and over again but found nothing.


    "Damn it, they won''t even leave a drop of soup for others to drink!" Maxie angrily mmed the submarine''s hatch, shouting to his subordinates, "Keep looking! I refuse to believe we can''t find even one piece!"


    At that moment, a charming blue shadow suddenly appeared outside the submarine. It circled around Maxie''s submarine a few times before a surge of water enveloped the submarine, causing it to tilt uncontrobly, and the pilot struggled to maintain control.


    "What''s going on? What happened?" Maxie shouted, clutching the hatch to keep his bnce. "Quick, check everything!"


    The blue figure watched as the submarine was carried farther and farther away by the swirling waters, covering its mouth and giggling before disappearing. A sh of rainbow-colored light gleamed across its body.


    With the battle over, Steven quickly contacted Mr. Kuni''o to report the oue, informing him that he didn''t need to rush over anymore.


    In the past, a battle of this magnitude would have required Mr. Kuni''o''s personal intervention, but now it had been resolved without his assistance.


    Afterward, Yuga and Steven met up with Mr. Kuni''o in Farbor Town.


    Having not seen his disciple in a while, Mr. Kuni''o was overjoyed, especially he was proud of how well Yuga had handled the recent events.


    "Looks like you won''t need these old bones of mine much longer before retirement."


    Yuga immediately responded, "Master, you don''t look old at all; you look quite young."


    While there was a bit of ttery in Yuga''s words, Mr. Kuni''o truly did look robust��nothing like a frail old man. In fact, he appeared younger than the Elder of the Temple n who is younger than him.


    Yuga''s lineage, though small and without a formal faction, was known for its longevity, which was unmatched by most. The Elder of the Draconid People, the Elder of th Temple n, and the Elder of the Vige of Dragons��they all might go before Mr. Kuni''o; who could say for sure?


    "Indeed, we juniors are still counting on your guidance!" Steven gazed admiringly at Mr. Kuni''o, who was a legendary figure to any trainer.


    Mr. Kuni''oughed, saying, "You''re not bad yourself. Hoenn has a bright future ahead." Steven was indeed outstanding; even with Yuga around, he wasn''t far off from Mr. Kuni''o''s abilities in his younger days.


    After a brief chat with Mr. Kuni''o, Yuga and Steven began giving a detailed report on the recent battle, and arrangements were made to send a team to the site to conduct further searches for any remaining stone fragments.


    Even though Yuga and Steven had searched the area, their abilities alone were limited. Aprehensive, grid-based search was the safest approach.


    The League also swiftly established a dedicated research group to study the stone fragments. Both Yuga and Steven handed over the fragments they had collected.


    Although there was no recorded footage of Rayquaza''s Mega Evolution using the stone, the recent Primal Reversions of Kyogre and Groudon had been documented, and they also now had fragments from the stone.


    These research materials were incredibly valuable.


    The research group included not only Professor Oak but also Professor Sycamore.


    In light of Team Rocket''s recent actions, the League Headquarters was furious, sparking a wave of reports and arrests targeting Team Rocket throughout Kanto and Johto. Team Rocket had quickly be public enemy number one.


    Yet, following these events, Team Rocket, which had been rtively conspicuous, suddenly went silent. The League only managed to capture minor operatives��none of the big fish.


    Yuga had also be increasingly busy.


    The headquarters'' campaign against Team Rocket in Kanto and Johto had extended to Hoenn as well. Although Hoenn''s actions weren''t as prominent as those in the other two regions, measures were still being taken.


    Team Rocket''s presence in Hoenn was already minimal, and with their Kanto headquarters lying low, their Hoenn operatives became even less active.


    Yuga and Steven spent many days assisting the Investigation Bureau in their search efforts, but their efforts yielded little reward, leaving them utterly exhausted.

 Chapter 1185: Alakazam’s Riot and Awakening

    <h4>Chapter 1185: kazam''s Riot and Awakening</h4>


    Yuga was busy for over a week without results, so he chose to returned to Verdanturf Town. After all, he was just a Gym Leader, not a detective, and capturing dark organizations wasn''t really his job. He''d already gone above and beyond by helping as much as he did.


    The battle of the six legendary Pok��mon at sea was kept strictly confidential by the League, so the public remained unaware. Everyone at YoYo Day Care only knew that Yuga had a secret mission outside, but the specifics were unknown.


    "Hey, Gym Leader Shimizu is back! I haven''t seen you in days!"


    "Yes, it''s been a while! I returned as soon as I finished up."


    ...


    After a week of not appearing in the shop, Yuga returned to the old store in the morning after making Pok��blocks with Misaki and the others at the new store. The regr customers greeted him enthusiastically.


    After helping Suzuki Koen and Ayaka in the store for a while, Yuga went upstairs to Windy''s office. He felt it was time to list some new Pok��mon in the shop, especially as the system''s main mission deadline was approaching.


    While there was no penalty for failing the mission, missing out on the rewards would be a shame!


    After discussing with Windy for a while, Yuga decided to list three types of Pok��mon for sale: Buneary, Ekans/Seviper, and Amaura.


    The Buneary poption had been in the Ecopark for some time, and through intermarriage with the Medicham, their numbers had gradually reached a sustainable level for sales.


    Ekans and Seviper would be listed as one Pok��mon type; they lived together, interbred, and had simr market prices, so selling them together wasn''t an issue, especially since their poption was still too small to sell separately.


    Although the Amaura had only recentlye to the Ecopark, their numbers were naturallyrge. Most of then were at the prime breeding age, with high overall species potential, so they reproduced quickly, with a higher probability of producing high potential offspringpared to other species.


    Yuga set a limit of one Buneary and one Ekans/Seviper per month, while Amaura would be sold every two months.


    Both Buneary and Ekans/Seviper were rtivelymon species, so their prices were affordable; however, Amaura was rare and very expensive, almost on par with the market price of Ralts or Riolu.


    With the advent of fossil revival devices, fossil Pok��mon in trainers'' hands were no longer rare, but the fossils themselves remained limited in supply, and the revived species were usually Omanyte, Kabuto, Lileep, andmon fossil Pok��mon.


    Because of this, rarer or more powerful fossil species like Aerodactyl, Amaura, Tyrunt, and Archen were far more expensive thanmon fossil Pok��mon, and finding high-potential specimens of these rare fossil Pok��mon was even more challenging.


    Currently, most revived Amaura and Aurorus lived in major research institutes under strict protection and were ssified as protected Pok��mon, making it impossible to sell them. YoYo Day Care would be the first one to take this step.


    After discussing listing details with Windy, Yuga joined him to photograph the new Pok��mon, record their data, and upload their images.


    Since the new month was about to begin, the new Pok��mon could go on pre-sale right away.


    For the first month, Yuga decided to include an Amaura in the pre-sale despite it being a two-month sale item, hoping to generate some buzz.


    As expected, the pre-sale channel opened, and the listed Pok��mon were immediately reserved, especially the Amaura, which caused a huge sensation on the YoYo Day Care website.


    However, while the new Pok��mon had been listed, Yuga''s main mission didn''t immediately show asplete because the system deadline hadn''t arrived yet.


    Listing these three Pok��mon species was just the minimum requirement forpleting this mission; the more species he listed, the higher his evaluation and the better his rewards would be. So, he''d have to wait until the deadline for the system to assess the mission results.


    For now, managing to list three new Pok��mon was already Yuga''s limit. He couldn''t exhaust his resources just toplete a mission.


    After returning the photographed and measured Pok��mon to the Ecopark, Mayor Ishida suddenly called Yuga to vent. He said that although strange events happen every year, this year was exceptional. In one of the viges under Verdanturf Town''s jurisdiction, over half of the families had suddenly decided to move �� all to the same ce.


    Moving was the vigers'' choice, and Mayor Ishida couldn''t stop them, so he told the officials to let them go.


    Upon hearing this, Yuga immediately thought of the People of the Vale vige that Damon had visited. After confirming with Mayor Ishida, he found that the vige in question was indeed inhabited by members of the People of the Vale.


    Although Damon had returned to Unova, he had managed to persuade some members of the People of the Vale to move, undoubtedly with Zekrom''s help.


    Not all of the People of the Vale had left; some chose to remain in the vige. Verdanturf Town had been developing well, bringing prosperity to its affiliated viges, and the residents were quite satisfied with their lives.


    Yuga didn''t interfere in this matter; with Reshiram now in the League''s hands, it was uncertain if the events from the original movie plot would even take ce.


    Following this, the courier department members who returned from Unova brought back official thanks from the Unova League. They were grateful for Yuga''s help in seizing Reshiram from Team sma and capturing the Shadow Triad, Team sma''s top enforcers.


    Beyond verbal gratitude, they also sent a gift through the courier department: one hundred Sandiles.


    Recently, an overpoption of Sandile had emerged in a desert area in Unova, nearly reaching the level of an infestation. Arge number of Sandile had flooded out of the desert, severely impacting nearby towns.


    Since Yuga had helped them, the Unova League selected some of the better-potential Sandile from those they''d captured as a gift to him, a bit like a favor in return.


    Out of the hundred Sandile sent, twenty had green potential, which were all the high-potential Sandile from the outbreak, while the rest were yellow potential Sandile. The Unova League, knowing that Yuga had the Innovation Potion, included some yellow-potential Sandile in the mix.


    Yuga already had four Sandile in his Ecopark, so this new batch would be perfectpanions for them.


    Through the courier department, Yuga also learned about the current status of Reshiram and N.


    With the League''s assistance, the severely injured Reshiram reverted from stone back into its true form and agreed to ally with the League as a guardian Pok��mon. However, the details of how the Unova League managed to convince Reshiram were unknown to the courier members.


    Reshiram did have one condition: they had to protect N.


    The Unova League readily agreed since they hadn''t intended to harm N in the first ce.


    Upon examining N more closely, the League found that he was genuinely kind-hearted but had been misguided by Ghetsis, resulting in his extreme beliefs. N was under the impression that Pok��mon with humans were unfree and unhappy.


    But that wasn''t the reality.


    To help N change his perspective, the Unova League made a decision: they would enroll him in a school to be a true trainer. Only by experiencing firsthand how trainers and Pok��mon coexist could he truly understand the rtionship between humans and Pok��mon.


    N had recently enrolled in Unova''s most renowned public high school, Aspertia Trainer''s School. Though he encountered various challenges interacting with peers his age, overall, things were going smoothly.


    To prevent any future contact with Team sma, the League assigned a guardian to N, who also serves as his protector. They even gave him a new identity, changing his distinctive green hair and cutting it short.


    As for N''s new identity, the courier department''s returning members didn''t know, as it was ssified information. The Unova League only allowed them ess to details about Reshiram and N''s situation to update Yuga.


    After settling all the Sandile in the Desert Sub-Ecopark, Yuga was about to leave when he noticed a sudden whirlwind forming in the distance, quickly bing a full sandstorm.


    Soon After, Nana, Gothitelle, Spoink, and Cosmoem appeared close to the sandstorm.


    "What''s going on?" Yuga wondered aloud.


    Just then, a Flygon flew overhead, and Yuga signaled it to bring him closer.


    Arriving at the sandstorm, Yuga saw an kazam floating at the center, its eyes shing with purple light as it unleashed a psychic storm, creating the sand tornado.


    "What happened?" Yuga asked Nana urgently uponnding.


    Nana quickly exined the situation.


    kazam had been in a deep slumber, never once waking up. However today, Cosmoem had found arge, rainbow-colored stone from somewhere, and as soon as it neared kazam, an unknown energy surged into kazam''s body, triggering its psychic powers into a frenzy.


    Seeing the psychic storm grow increasingly destructive, Nana had teleported kazam to the Desert Sub-Ecopark to prevent damage to the main Ecpark and its inhabitants.


    Gothitelle and Spoink, who came from the same ce as kazam, followed along, worried.


    Looking over at Cosmoem, Yuga saw it hovering beside therge, rainbow-colored stone, nearly as tall as half a person��it was indeed a fragment of the giant stone, evenrger than the one he and Steven had found.


    "Where did you get this?" Yuga asked, exasperated.


    Cosmoem replied, feeling wronged, "I found it! You all picked some up too, didn''t you?"


    "Then why didn''t you tell me first? Look at the mess now!" Yuga was baffled at how Cosmoem had managed to bring back something so huge without anyone noticing.


    Seeing Yuga''s frustration, Cosmoem tried to appease him by pushing the stone fragment toward him as a gift.


    Yuga stored the stone fragment in his system space and said, annoyed, "We''ll talk about thister!"


    "Nana, is there a way to calm kazam''s psychic outburst?" Yuga asked her.


    Nana thought for a moment before answering, "I can give it a try."


    Nana slowly floated into the sky until she was level with kazam. Her psychic energy surged, directing itself onto the sandstorm to prevent it from expanding any further.


    However, Nana''s actions seemed to provoke kazam. The purple glow in kazam''s eyes flickered more rapidly as it released another burst of psychic power, summoning a sand-formed dragon thatshed out swiftly at Nana.


    Although kazam''s eyes were open, it was clear that its consciousness hadn''t fully awakened.


    Nana crossed her arms in front of her chest, forming a protective psychic barrier, but the sand dragon still managed to knock her back, creating a sandpit on the ground where she fell.


    Fortunately, Nana''s powerful psychic shield protected her from any injuries.


    "Gengar, Mismagius,e out and help Nana!"


    Seeing this, Yuga quickly called upon Gengar and Mismagius. As Ghost-type Pok��mon, their psychic power was second only to that of Psychic-type Pok��mon, and with Chimecho absent, Gengar and Mismagius were the best choices to assist.


    "Be careful! Don''t harm kazam!" Yuga called out again.


    Nana ascended into the air once more, positioning herself with Gengar and Mismagius around kazam in a triangr formation, channeling theirbined psychic power onto the sandstorm.


    Finally, thebined psychic pressure from the three Pok��mon caused the sandstorm to shatter, and the sand stirred up by kazam''s psychic vortex began to fall quietly to the ground.


    But it wasn''t over yet. An even stronger wave of psychic power suddenly burst forth from kazam, instantly knocking back Gengar, Mismagius, and Nana.


    As they regrouped, preparing to suppress kazam again, they noticed that kazam''s psychic energy had somehow linked with Gothitelle, who stood nearby.


    Due to a gic defect, Gothitelle was not only unable to use any moves, but she also couldn''t tap into her psychic energy at allpletely opposite to the slumbering kazam, whose intense psychic power suppressed its own consciousness.


    Connected to kazam''s psychic power, Gothitelle suddenly felt her own psychic abilities awaken. She could now effortlessly control her psychic energy and even sense kazam''s consciousness.


    kazam wanted to awaken and move freely, but the overwhelming pressure of its own psychic power caused it immense pain, which was why the psychic storm had erupted.


    Gothitelle slowly extended a hand, her gaze fixed on kazam. Under her control, kazam floated gently toward her.


    Seeing this, Yuga quickly signaled Gengar and the others to hold back.


    Gothitelle embraced kazam slowly, pressing her forehead gently against his. kazam didn''t resist; instead, the violent psychic energy radiating from it gradually softened.


    After an unknown length of time, kazam''s psychic outburst fully subsided. It slowly opened its eyes, meeting Gothitelle''s gentle gaze as their foreheads rested together.


    Gothitelle''s eyes held a calming warmth, as if assuring kazam that everything was all right, that the storm had passed.


    The psychic connection between kazam and Gothitelle did not break. Every nce, every movement, was effortlessly understood by the other, as they had truly achieved a perfect harmony of heart and mind.

 Chapter 1186: Spatial Enhancement

    <h4>Chapter 1186: Spatial Enhancement</h4>


    After kazam calmed down, it sincerely expressed its gratitude to Yuga. Although it had been in a state of slumber, it was mostly aware of its surroundings and not entirely oblivious. It thanked Yuga for rescuing it, Gothitelle, and Spoink, and for taking them in.


    To ensure that kazam and Gothitelle were truly okay, Yuga brought them to the Pok��mon Center, where Joyka conducted a full examination.


    The results showed that, apart from some mild muscle atrophy in kazam from its prolonged inactivity, both it and Gothitelle were in excellent health.


    While Gothitelle could now use moves and channel psychic energy, her gic defect remained unchanged.


    Joyka showed Yuga the gic sequence diagrams of Gothitelle and kazam, pointing out that they shared a significant number of identical gene sequences. This simrity was why kazam''s psychic energy resonated with Gothitelle''s.


    The presence of so many identical gene sequences in two entirely different species was clearly due to the gene experiments they had endured in the past.


    Additionally, Joyka ran a test on the frequency of their psychic energy fluctuations, finding them to bepletely identical.


    The psychic energy frequency of each Pok��mon is unique, much like human fingerprints, but the instruments showed that their frequencies were perfectly aligned.


    Joyka also revealed that she had detected a foreign object in kazam''s brain, about the size of a fingernail, which emitted an unknown energy field. Due to interference from this field, further examination was impossible.


    When Yuga first brought kazam back, he had it examined at the Pok��mon Center, and this foreign object hadn''t been present then. Yuga spected that the emergence of this object was likely triggered by the stone fragment.


    Current theories suggested that this unknown object was a product of kazam''s condensed psychic energy, meaning that kazam''s psychic power was far greater than what they had observed so far. This powerful psychic energy was simply trapped and unable to fully manifest.


    kazam had awoken because its psychic energy had been "sealed" by the unknown object; without the pressure of its psychic power, its consciousness naturally reawakened.


    Joyka spected that Gothitelle might be the key to helping kazam fully release this psychic energy.


    She also warned Yuga not to attempt a full release of kazam''s abilities, as such a release would harm it rather than benefit it. kazam''s frail body couldn''t withstand such powerful psychic pressure, and its current state was ideal.


    Yuga and Joyka discussed kazam''s condition for a long time. When they came out, they saw Gothitelle happily showing off her newly acquired abilities to Spoink. Even though these abilities had been "borrowed" from kazam, she was still delighted.


    After confirming that kazam was alright, Yuga took it and Gothitelle back home. Joyka prescribed some conditioning medication for kazam and advised Yuga to have it engage in physical exercise and maintain a bnced diet.


    Once they returned, Yuga created a specialized training n for kazam and coborated with Audino to design its meal n. From then on, kazam had to strictly follow the training and diet n, with Gothitelle as its supervisor.


    Time swiftly moved to summer, and the deadline for the main system task arrived. Yuga hadn''t introduced a fourth type of Pok��mon, but at least the task waspleted.


    ...


    [ Congrattions, Host, onpleting the Main Task: New Pok��mon Listing (epted). ]


    [ Note: The variety of Pok��mon in the YoYo Day Care does not meet the standard. Host must strive to improve. ]


    [ Requirements: List at least three high potential Pok��mon of different types and species within one year. ]


    [ Rating: Good ]


    [ Reward: A Water Stone vein. ]


    ...


    Yuga hadn''t expected to earn a Water Stone vein with just a "Good" rating. What kind of reward would an "Excellent" rating bring? He suddenly felt a bit regretful and thought, "I should have tried harder."


    He recalled that the previous main task reward had been a Leaf Stone vein, for which he received an "Excellent" rating.


    However, that previous task had beenpleted swiftly, with a shorter timeline, and indeed, its difficulty wasn''t as high as this main task.


    Yuga now possesses three evolution stone veins (Fire Stone, Leaf Stone, and Water Stone). It seemed that after acquiring the Pokeblock form, the system''s main task rewards for this series would likely center around evolution stones.


    The system informed Yuga that this time''s reward, the Water Stone vein, was located at the seabed of the Shallow Sea Beach Sub-Ecopark. Due to the challenging extraction conditions, he would have to rely on his Water-type Pok��mon to mine it in the future.


    Upon receiving this main task reward, the next main task was immediately issued.


    ...


    [ Main Task: New Pok��mon Listing 2 (epted) ]


    [ Exnation: The variety and quantity of Pok��mon in the YoYo Day Care still do not meet the standard. The host must continue to work hard. ]


    [ Requirements: Introduce at least four high potential Pok��mon of different types and species within a year. ]


    [ Reward: ??? ]


    ...


    Clearly, this main task was a continuation of the previous one, but with increased difficulty.


    This time, Yuga nned to go all out. If he could achieve an excellent rating, he wondered what reward the system would offer: two evolution stone veins? Three? Or perhaps some other surprise?


    Yuga was eager with anticipation.


    After receiving the task, Yuga went to Shallow Sea Beach Sub-Ecopark to inspect the new reward.


    Following the system''s directions, he quickly found the location of the Water Stone vein. Many Water-type Pok��mon had already gathered around, including Cors, Omanyte, Sharpedo, Gorebyss, and Huntail that were reluctant to leave.


    Water-type Pok��mon are highly sensitive to the presence of Water Stones, and they had detected the vein as soon as it appeared.


    Yuga''s arrival calmed the excited Water-type Pok��mon. Under his guidance, five Croconaw and several Poliwhirl and Poliwrath dove underwater to investigate the Water Stone vein.


    Just like the previous Leaf Stone and Fire Stone veins, this Water Stone vein was another massive one, and Yuga was confident there would be some top-grade Water Stones within it.


    Soon, the Croconaw, Poliwhirl, and Poliwrath resurfaced one by one, each of them holding one or two Water Stones in their hands. Every stone was crystal clear, showing a high level of purity at a nce.


    Although the purity of ordinary evolution stones doesn''t significantly impact Pok��mon evolution, high-purity veins tend to yield top-grade evolution stones.


    Additionally, the purity of the evolution stones reflects the vein''s reserves. Generally, the higher the reserves, the purer the stones produced.


    After getting a general idea of the Water Stone vein''s scope, Yuga assigned mining tasks to the Water-type Pok��mon. They were required to turn in any whole Water Stones, while the broken ones were distributed based on effort, providing them with resources for daily training.


    All the Water-type Pok��mon eagerly vied for more tasks from Yuga, hoping to earn more Water Stone fragments. However, the efficiency varied due to differences in body structure.


    For instance, Croconaw, Poliwhirl, and Poliwrath, which have limbs, could mine faster. Inparison, Pok��mon like Sharpedo, Mantine, and Cors were less efficient.


    But some Water-type Pok��mon were clever. For example, the Shellos, although slow due to theirck of limbs, had an advantage: their neighbor, Eelektross, possessed powerful, sharp ws, making it an excellent miner.


    Although Eelektross lived underwater, it wasn''t a Water-type Pok��mon and had no need for Water Stones. The Shellos paid Eelektross with their treasured items to hire it for mining work.


    In fact, even if the Shellos didn''t offer extra payment, Eelektross was happy to help as long as they "rewarded" it by spending time with it.


    Seeing Eelektross working with the Shellos, other Water-type Pok��mon started following suit. Soon, Pok��mon such as Lileep, Cradily, and Armaldo, who lived in the water but weren''t Water-types, became popr "hired hands" that everyone wanted to befriend.


    After leaving the sea, Yuga made a stop at Lake Ind No. 2 to check on the Nihilego. By now, all the Nihilego had hatched, and Yuga had built a venom pool on Lake Ind No. 2 as well.


    The Nihilego loved the venom pool, and so did Roserade. They often absorbed the toxic gases from the pool to strengthen their own poison abilities.


    Yuga had even collected various types of toxins from elsewhere and added them to the pool, making the venom more potent with each addition.


    After checking on the Nihilego, Yuga had just left the Shallow Sea Beach Sub-Ecopark when he saw Gengar float over, signaling for him to follow. It seemed Gengar needed a bit of help.


    Recently, Gengar and Mismagius had been slipping out of the Shadow Space to find Dusknoir. Every time Yuga asked what they were up to, they would dodge the question, so he eventually stopped pressing them.


    Today, though, Gengar had suddenlye to him��what was it up to? Yuga was curious but obediently followed along.


    Originally, Yuga thought he and Gengar were heading to the Haunted House Sub-Ecopark, but unexpectedly, Gengar led him through the light gate that opened into the Desert Sub-Ecopark.


    Once inside the desert, Yuga was led straight to an area filled with sand pits. Not only was Mismagius there, but so was Dusknoir, and around them were craters scattered everywhere, as if something had exploded. Yuga was at a loss as to what had happened.


    "What''s going on here?" Yuga asked the three Pok��mon, gesturing to the sand pits.


    At Yuga''s question, Gengar sheepishly exined the whole situation.


    It turned out that, after several recent battles, Gengar and Mismagius had realized theirbat strength wascking��they couldn''t help Yuga at critical moments. So, they wanted to increase their fighting prowess.


    There were two basic ways to boostbat strength: improve skills or raise levels. A significant level increase in a short time was impossible, so they focused on honing their skills.


    Gengar and Mismagius''s most unique abilities were theirbined moves: Magic Room and Wonder Room.


    To enhance these spatial skills, they sought out Dusknoir, who could use Trick Room, aiming to incorporate it into their skill set. Since Magic Room and Wonder Room couldbine, they figured Trick Room should be able to join too.


    To surprise Yuga, the three Pok��mon secretly practiced for a long time, butbining the three spatial skills was far moreplicated than they had anticipated.


    At first, they practiced in the Haunted House Sub-Ecopark. However, each failed attempt led to a violent explosion from the unstable space they had created. Since the Haunted House Sub-Ecopark was densely popted with other Pok��mon, many of them were frightened by these explosions. With no other choice, the trio moved their practice to the Desert Sub-Ecopark.


    In the desert, there was ample space, few Pok��mon, and no vegetation, so even if their experiments exploded, nothing would be affected.


    After countless failures, they had no choice but to seek Yuga''s help.


    "You want me to see where the problem lies?" Yuga asked after listening to their story.


    "Gengar!"


    "Mismagius!"


    Gengar and Mismagius nodded in unison.


    "These sand pits... are they also the result of your practice?" Yuga asked, pointing at the craters littering the ground.


    "Gengar!"


    "Mismagius!"


    Gengar and Mismagius gave an embarrassed cry.


    "Alright then, show me the move from the beginning," Yuga said helplessly.


    In truth, Yuga wasn''t sure he could spot any issues. He wasn''t exactly skilled in Psychic-type moves, and the spatialbo techniques that Gengar and Mismagius had created werergely beyond his understanding.


    He had tried to study it before, but the underlying principles were tooplex, far beyond what he couldprehend as a novice.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Gengar and Mismagius nodded excitedly and flew up into the air. Holding their small hands together, they created a transparent space.


    In the center of this space stood Dusknoir, who was far moreposed than they were. Once the space appeared, Dusknoir activated Trick Room.


    As soon as Trick Room began merging with the space, the entire field vanished before Yuga''s eyes.


    Buzz!


    Yuga seemed to see something flicker twice, followed by a sudden explosion. Gengar, Mismagius, and Dusknoir were flung backward, and a strange shockwave sted another pit into the sand, identical to the surrounding craters.


    From beginning to end, Yuga had no idea what actually happened when Trick Room merged with the space.


    Although there was an explosion, fortunately, the three Pok��mon were unharmed. They flew back over to Yuga, asking if he had figured out the problem.


    Yuga shook his head and said, "I couldn''t tell."


    Gengar and Mismagius looked disappointed, but Dusknoir remained calm. Having lived so long, it took such things in stride.


    "Hey, why don''t we ask some Psychic Pok��mon to take a look? All three of these space moves are Psychic-type; maybe they could see the issue," Yuga suggested suddenly.


    Each field has its experts, and in terms of mastery over Psychic-type moves and control of mental power, Psychic Pok��mon obviously had the upper hand.


    At this suggestion, Gengar and Mismagius''s eyes lit up. Why hadn''t they thought of that?


    So, Yuga gathered Chimecho, Nana, kazam, Gothitelle, the leader of the Medicham group, the leader of the Xatu group, the Mr. Mime couple, Gade and Gardevoir, Espeon, and even a Spoink that hade along for the fun.


    As the saying goes, "Three heads are better than one." With so many Psychic Pok��mon gathered together to discuss, surely they could pinpoint the issue.

 Chapter 1187: The Mysterious New Space

    <h4>Chapter 1187: The Mysterious New Space</h4>


    Once all the Psychic Pok��mon had gathered, Yuga said to Gengar, Mismagius, and Dusknoir, "Please demonstrate it for everyone again."


    Gengar, Mismagius, and Dusknoir, well-practiced by now, repeated the fusion of Space and Trick Room. Just like before, within three seconds, a violent explosion urred, adding yet another pit to the sandy ground.


    After the demonstration, Gengar and the others, covered in soot, came back to ask if anyone had identified the issue. The Psychic Pok��mon exchanged looks and shook their heads.


    At this point, Nana suggested, "Show us again."


    Without hesitation, Gengar and the others repeated the demonstration.


    "So, did you figure it out?" Mismagius asked excitedly.


    "Not quite yet," replied the Medicham n leader, shaking their head, with other Psychic Pok��mon following suit.


    "Try once more," said kazam.


    Gengar, Mismagius, and Dusknoir performed thebination once again.


    After their third attempt, Espeonmented, "It''s hard to pinpoint the problem without seeing it a few more times."


    So, the three Pok��mon demonstrated the fusion of Space and Trick Room over and over, breaking down the process to show every detail. Fortunately, they had already learned how to avoid injury from the explosions; otherwise, they''d have been hurt by now.


    "Are you guys able to figure out the issue or not?" Gengar asked impatiently after another round of demonstration.


    "I think it''s the difference in the intensity of your mental energy that''s blocking the fusion," said kazam.


    "I agree," Nana nodded in agreement.


    "The reason Gengar and Mismagius can fuse Magic Room and Wonder Room is because they''ve lived together for so long. Not only is their mental strength simr, but they''re also synchronized in many other ways," Nana continued. "Dusknoir, on the other hand, is much higher in level than Gengar and Mismagius, and when it uses Trick Room, it can''t control its mental energy to match them. That''s why these explosions keep happening."


    The other Psychic Pok��mon nodded in understanding.


    To sessfully fuse Dusknoir''s Trick Room with the spatial moves of Gengar and Mismagius, they needed to consider many factors. Dusknoir would have to strictly control the output of its mental energy, and even adjust the frequency of its energy waves to align with Gengar and Mismagius''s, or else the fusion would be impossible.


    "It''s like ying a song with different instruments," Nana exined. "Even though they''re different, everyone has to follow the same sheet music. If one instrument goes off-track, the whole melody bes chaotic."


    "In that case, would it help to swap Dusknoir with another Pok��mon closer in strength to Gengar and Mismagius? Wouldn''t the fusion of Space and Trick Room go more smoothly?" Yuga asked, considering that perhaps Dusknoir''s higher level was the issue.


    kazam shook his head and replied, "It''s not that simple. The key is in the user''s control over their mental energy output. Just being close in strength won''t be enough."


    "So, what should we do?" Mismagius asked anxiously.


    "This will likely require a lot of time to develop synergy," Nana said, feeling a bit helpless. "Dusknoir will have to continuously adjust its mental energy until it can harmonize perfectly with you two."


    Everyone fell silent, pondering whether a solution could be found.


    At this moment, Spoink raised a hand and suggested, "How about we find them an assistant?"


    Nana responded immediately, "Let''s hear it."


    So, Spoink shared its idea.


    During the fusion of Trick Room and Space, Dusknoir needs to constantly adjust various aspects of its mental energy output, such as intensity and frequency. However, as the performers, Dusknoir, Gengar, and Mismagius are so absorbed in the process that they can''t adjust their mental energy in real time to properly coordinate with one another.


    But if there were a director to observe their status and give timely instructions, much like a conductor in an orchestra, the fusion process would certainly go more smoothly.


    After hearing Spoink''s proposal, everyone agreed it made a lot of sense.


    "Let''s go with Spoink''s suggestion. Who would like to volunteer as the director?"


    As soon as Yuga finished speaking, Spoink eagerly bounced forward, doing its best to stand out, practically screaming "Pick me" with its expression.


    Yuga took one look at Spoink and immediately chose Nana.


    "Nana, why don''t you give it a try?"


    After all, Nana also knew Trick Room, which could help her better assist Gengar and the others.


    Spoink grew anxious and cried, "Pick me! I can do it!"


    Yuga replied gently, "You''re still young. Let''s have Nana take this on."


    After Yuga''s repeated persuasion, Spoink finally relented, albeit reluctantly, saying, "Alright then."


    And so, Nana joined Gengar and the others in practicing the fusion of Space and Trick Room.


    Nana didn''t need to perform any extra actions; she simply had to remain within the spatial area, closely observing the changes in the mental energy of the three Pok��mon and guiding them on how to adjust.


    Though this task seemed simple, it actually required intense concentration and greatly drained her focus.


    The process of skill practice was long and tedious, with explosions echoing again and again, and before long, the day had passed.


    One by one, the other Psychic Pok��mon departed, but Yuga and Spoink stayed on to continue supporting the four Pok��mon in their training.


    The first day passed this way, as did the second. On the third day, after finishing his outside tasks, Yuga once again brought Spoink to the Desert Sub-Ecopark to continue skill training with the four Pok��mon.


    Yuga could see that Gengar and the others were making progress, as the fusion of Space and Trick Room now took five or six seconds before exploding, whereas before, it had barelysted three seconds.


    However, Yuga noticed something odd: each time Space and Trick Room fused, they would vanish, and he had no idea where the fused space went. The explosion would just suddenly ur out of nowhere.


    Seeing that there was progress, Yuga thought they could take their time. As long as they kept practicing, Gengar and the others would eventually seed. All they needed was to build synergy, and with plenty of time, there was no rush to achieve instant results.


    But Gengar and Mismagius didn''t feel the same; to them, the progress was far too slow.


    As their director, Nana insisted that rushing wouldn''t help.


    After a brief rest, Gengar and the others were about to start a new round of practice when Spoink blinked up at Yuga, saying, "Let me try! I know I can do it well!"


    Yuga, exasperated, replied, "Why are you so eager to try? This isn''t some fun activity, and what if you get hurt?"


    Spoink puffed up proudly, "I won''t! I bet I can do better than Nana."


    Nana chuckled, "Alright then, go ahead and give it a shot. Let''s see if you can really outdo me. You may be small, but you''ve got a big attitude."


    Seeing Nana''s agreement, Yuga finally relented. "Just be careful, okay? Don''t get hurt in any explosions."


    Spoink, nonchnt, replied, "Got it, got it!"


    And so, Spoink eagerly took on the role of director.


    At first, under Spoink''s direction, Gengar and the others didn''t perform much differently; they still exploded when the timing was off. Yet, Spoink enthusiastically chattered away, advising Dusknoir and the others on adjusting their mental energy��one moment this way, the next moment that way. Yuga and Nana watched with amusement, deciding to let Spoink try a few more times before putting a stop to the "y."


    But then, in the sixth round of practice, Dusknoir followed Spoink''s instructions, and as Trick Room and Space fused, one second, two seconds... thirty seconds... almost a full minute passed before an explosion finally urred.


    Yuga and Nana were dumbfounded.


    Yuga muttered, "This... must be a coincidence."


    Nana replied, "...Probably?"


    Although it still ended in an explosion, the difference between one minute and a few seconds was enormous��a leap in progress.


    But Spoink wasn''t satisfied with Dusknoir and Gengar''s performance,unching into another round of chatter like a little teacher scolding students for not trying hard enough.


    The four Pok��mon then began their eighth practice.


    This time, with Spoink''s adjustments, Gengar and the others managed to hold the fusion for over four minutes��another groundbreaking improvement.


    Nana sighed in disbelief, "Looks like I''m getting old. Even a little kid is better than me."


    Yuga couldn''t help but connect Spoink''s fortune-telling abilities to its knack for pinpointing the exact adjustments needed for the fusion of the three spatial skills. He guessed that Spoink''s talent had a lot to do with this sess.


    Since Spoink was clearly a more suitable director than Nana, she naturally handed the task over to it. Under Spoink''s guidance, the three Pok��mon improved rapidly. Their fusion time extended from one minute to four minutes, then to half an hour...


    By the end of the day, Gengar and the others were able to maintain the fusion for over an hour��a phenomenal improvement that made Spoink swell with pride.


    However, one thing continued to puzzle Yuga. He hadn''t mentioned it before, given that Gengar and the others were busy practicing, but now that they were nearing the end, he finally voiced his question.


    "Why does the space disappear after it fuses with Dusknoir''s Trick Room?" Yuga asked Gengar and Mismagius.


    "Disappear? No, it''s still there," Mismagius replied, looking thoroughly confused.


    Yuga looked at Gengar, Spoink, and Nana, and saw them all nodding in agreement with Mismagius.


    "That''s impossible! Try again and let me see!" Yuga insisted, convinced he hadn''t imagined it.


    So Gengar and the others obediently demonstrated once more.


    Sure enough, Yuga couldn''t see anything in his line of sight, yet Gengar and the others could sense the space''s presence.


    Following Spoink''s lead, Yuga stepped into the fused space, only to find that it looked no different from the outside.


    Seeing Yuga''s puzzled expression, Spoink mumbled a few things to him, and he suddenly crouched down to grab a handful of sand from the ground.


    But to his surprise, although he was clearly gripping sand, his hand came up empty.


    Then, he watched Spoink fire a Power Gem at the ground. Normally, this would leave a mark or a crater, but instead, there was just a subtle ripple, and the sand remained untouched.


    "This... is amazing!" Yuga couldn''t help but marvel internally.


    To further explore the new space''s peculiarities, Yuga brought in various other Pok��mon to test it out, and before long, he reached some conclusions.


    First, Yuga noticed that many Pok��mon, like himself, couldn''t perceive the space''s existence at all with their eyes, but Psychic-type Pok��mon were an exception; they could distinctly sense the space''s presence.


    Among Ghost-types, aside from Gengar and its teammates, no other Ghost Pok��mon could detect the space either.


    Secondly, as long as Gengar and the others didn''t interfere, others could freely enter the space, but once inside, they wouldn''t be able to leave without Gengar''s permission.


    Moreover, the space ovepped with reality, making anyone or anything inside it unable to interact with the outside world. For example, if Yuga remained outside the space and stood right in front of Spoink, Spoink could st skills at Yuga''s face from inside the space, and Yuga wouldn''t feel a thing.


    Lastly, the space''s durability was limited by the strength of Gengar and Mismagius. Although Dusknoir had master-level strength, the space''s durability depended on the weakest link��Gengar and Mismagius. Through testing, Yuga found that while Dragonite''s punches could only cause the space to ripple, Lapras could shatter it on its own.


    In other words, for now, the space was only usable under specific conditions, making it rather impractical for regr battles.


    Of course, some of these limitations might be due to the fact that the three Pok��mon were not yet perfectly in sync.


    The moves Magic Room, Wonder Room, and Trick Room could coexist in the same battle and on the same field without interfering with each other''s functionality, unlike terrain moves that cancel each other out. However, once these three moves merged into the space, their individual effects would vanish, and the space would be just a space, without any skill effects.


    This aspect was simr to Gengar and Mismagius''s original space.


    In summary, the new space had both advantages and disadvantages, but Yuga believed that with continuous adjustments, the space could still be improved.


    To reward Spoink for its impressive contributions, Yuga decided to give it a well-deserved reward.


    Considering Spoink''s remarkable fortune-telling abilities, Yuga thought: wouldn''t it be a waste not to nurture them?


    Speaking of fortune-telling, Yuga naturally thought of Gym Leader Olympia of the Anistar Gym in Kalos.


    Madame Olympia was a Psychic-type trainer, but unlike powerhouses like Sabrina and Caitlin, her strengthy in her ability to foresee events.


    Historically, Anistar Gym Leaders held a unique role with their foresight abilities, sparing the Kalos region from many catastrophes and maintaining a special status within the Kalos League.


    Yuga was now pondering whether he should pull some strings to send Spoink to Anistar Gym for a period of training.

 Chapter 1188: The Brawling Incident

    <h4>Chapter 1188: The Brawling Incident</h4>


    Whether or not to send Spoink to the Anistar Gym wasn''t a decision Yuga needed to make now. First, Gengar and the others still needed Spoink''s help with their training. Second, Anistar Gym might not even agree to the request!


    One day, Yuga discovered that two Growlithe in the Volcano Sub-Ecopark had fallen in love.


    One of these Growlithe was Arcanine''s child, whom Yuga had captured on Revival Herb Ind, while the other had been sent to him by the Jenny family through Masato Shirai as a friendly gesture.


    Yuga thought that since the two little ones were already in love, it was time to let them evolve; putting it off any longer wasn''t ideal.


    Previously, the Fire Stone mine had yielded quite a few top-grade Fire Stones, and there were still some left unused��just right for evolving these two Growlithe.


    Although the chance of a blue potential Pok��mon (both Growlithe were blue potential ) evolving into indigo potential with a top-grade evolution stone was almost zero, Yuga had no intention of using regr evolution stones on them; even a slight improvement was worth it.


    So, Yuga took the two Growlithe to the cave where the Fire Stone mine was located.


    All the top-grade Fire Stones were stored in the mine, where the concentration of Fire-type energy was high, ensuring that their quality wouldn''t degrade.


    Not trusting anyone else with his child, Arcanine followed along as well.


    After this long period of mining, a spacious tunnel had formed within the Fire Stone mine. Numerous Pok��mon were working in the tunnel, mining Fire Stones, and the asional "ng ng" sounds weremonce for Yuga.


    Complete Fire Stones and Fire Stone fragments were sorted and stored separately.


    Complete Fire Stones were typically put up for sale in the shop, while the fragments were partially allocated as rewards for the daily training of Fire-type Pok��mon. The remaining fragments were used to produce Pok��mon items like Pokeblock and incense.


    Today, two Darmanitan were overseeing the Pok��mon mining. When they saw Yuga entering the tunnel, they hurriedly waddled over to him.


    Yuga waved them off, saying, "Carry on with your work, don''t mind me."


    Hearing this, the two Darmanitan left and waddled away once more.


    Yuga took Arcanine, and the two Growlithe continued to the depths of the tunnel, where there was a stone chamber dug out by the Pok��mon. The top-grade Fire Stones were stored there.


    As Yuga stepped inside, he saw piles of vibrant, sparkling Fire Stones filling the chamber, illuminating the entire space.


    He didn''t let the Growlithe enter, instead asking them to wait outside��one misstep and the two could end up evolving on the spot if they identally stepped on a Fire Stone.


    A hollowed-out spot on the wall held a chest. Yuga took it down and opened it, revealing four or five top-grade Fire Stones inside.


    There used to be even more of these top-grade Fire Stones, but a few had been used up during the evolution of some Vulpix.


    Yuga took out two stones, put the chest back in the hollow, and left the stone chamber.


    "Catch!" he said as he tossed a top-grade Fire Stone to each Growlithe upon stepping out.


    "Woof!"


    The two Growlithe jumped up simultaneously, each catching a Fire Stone in their mouths, and soon their bodies began to glow brightly with the light of evolution.


    As the light faded, two tall, majestic Arcanine appeared before Yuga.


    Activating his Insight skill, Yuga confirmed that neither Arcanine had upgraded from blue to indigo potential; however, their quality halos had brightened slightly��not much, but better than nothing.


    The two Arcanine, one male and one female, affectionately rubbed their necks together,pletely forgetting about Yuga and their father who are standing nearby.


    "Roar!"


    The Arcanine father let out an angry growl, and only then did the two newly evolved Arcanine stop their affectionate disy.


    Although these two freshly evolved Arcanine were tall and mighty, they were still far from their father. Just standing there, the Arcanine father naturally exuded a dignified aura that drew respect from anyone nearby.


    That was the mark of true strength, something the two young Arcanine still had far to go to achieve.


    Now that the Growlithe had sessfully evolved into Arcanine, it meant their bodies were fully mature, and they could live a carefree married life together from now on.


    Yuga and the Arcanine father led the way out of the mine, with the two Arcanine lovers still cuddling as they followed behind.


    "Now that your son has a mate, how about I find a wife for you too?" Yuga asked the Arcanine father.


    Hearing this, the Arcanine father shot Yuga a look as if he were a fool and walked off without a backward nce.


    "Hmph! No need��take care of yourself first!"


    Yuga chuckled, shook his head, and quickly followed.


    After leaving the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, the Arcanine father nned to head out on patrol.


    However, thinking about his son who was busy showing affection and wouldn''t be joining him, the Arcanine father decided to go to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark to find the Zoroark family and ask if they''d like to patrol together. Zoroark''s younger sister had been preupied with Lucariotely, so she hadn''t been patrolling as much.


    They often crossed paths on patrols, so they were quite familiar with each other.


    As soon as the Arcanine father stepped through the light gate into the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, he was immediately hit by arge figure that was flying towards him, which then crashed into a Luxray nearby that was out for a stroll with his mates.


    It turned out the one who had crashed into Arcanine was a newly evolved Diggersby.


    After both Arcanine and Luxray were knocked down, a Weavile quickly ran over with a worried look at the downed Diggersby.


    Why were Weavile and Diggersby in such a mess?


    Recently, Sneasel had felt stuck in a bottleneck, so he asked Yuga for a Razor w, wanting to evolve from Sneasel to Weavile.


    Seeing that Sneasel had indeed reached the stage for evolution, Yuga agreed.


    Coincidentally, Diggersby had just recently evolved, so Weavile, who had long harbored resentment towards the Persian couple, decided today was the day for revenge.


    But Weavile underestimated the strength of the Persian and his wives.


    The Persian and his wives had been in the Ecopark for quite a while and never missed a day of training. Yuga had generously provided them with resources, so how could the newly evolved Weavile and Diggersby possibly stand a chance against them?


    During the battle, Diggersby was struck and sent flying, which led to his collision with Arcanine and consequently involved Luxray as well.


    Just as Weavile arrived, the Persian and his wives followed, looking at Weavile next to Diggersby with haughty expressions.


    Although they didn''t know why Weavile had started a fight, that didn''t stop them from looking down on him.


    However, the Persian and his wives failed to notice that Luxray, who had been caught up in the fray, was now on the brink of fury. Luxray had already disliked the Persian, and now, seeing its arrogant expression, he found it even more detestable.


    "Roar!"


    With an angry roar, Luxray''s body surged with blue electric energy, striking the Persian along with the Delcatty behind him.


    Luxray was an Elite level Pok��mon, and he usually held himself above meddling with the Persian, but now they had provoked him.


    Both Persian were left dazed from the electric shock. Realizing that it was Luxray who had attacked, they were instantly furious. Luxray had held them in disdain for some time, but they had likewise been annoyed by Luxray for a long time.


    The rebellious Persian wasn''t about to back down, regardless of Luxray''s superior power. Without hesitation, he charged forward with his three wives right behind him.


    Luxray initially intended just to teach the Persian and his wives a lesson, but when they dared to fight back, his anger red even more.


    Having been a wild Pok��mon, Luxray was the kind who''d rather throw down than waste words. There was no way he would tolerate the Persian showing off in front of him.


    The scene suddenly became chaotic. Luxray and his four Ampharos wives fought against the Persian and his three Delcatty wives, while Weavile, not one to miss a chance to stir things up, cheered Luxray and his partners on.


    The Persian couple was no match for the powerful Luxray and his mate. Before long, they were sustained injuries, and Luxray and his partner showed no sign of relenting, continuing to beat down on the struggling Persian.


    Standing on the sidelines, Arcanine found himself momentarily stunned.


    Luxray''s retaliation was understandable��after all, the Persian had initially dragged him into the mess. But Luxray''s attacks grew increasingly fierce, crossing the line. As an Elite level Pok��mon, his force threatened to make the situation uncontroble.


    Pok��mon are highly emotional creatures, prone to extremes, like intense anger...


    If this kept up, the Persian pair could easily end up dead. Even Weavile, who had initially enjoyed the show, began to sense that things were getting out of hand and immediately tried to drag the unconscious Diggersby away from the scene.


    Just as Luxray was about to use Wild Charge on the now-motionless Persian, Arcanine quickly intervened with a me Wheel, knocking Luxray away.


    Luxray, who had already lost his reason in the chaos of the battle, shifted his focus to Arcanine as soon as he blocked his path and charged at him with another Wild Charge.


    Both Luxray and Arcanine had the Intimidate ability, and with Luxray already having activated his, Arcanine followed suit, activating his own.


    Boom!


    Luxray''s Wild Charge and Arcanine''s Extreme Speed collided, sending both of them flying backward.


    Meanwhile, the Persian and his three Delcatty werepletely out of action, and the four Ampharos set their sights on Arcanine, who was now fighting their husband.


    Coincidentally, Lucario arrived with the Zoroark family, having heard themotion. Without hesitation, Lucario intervened to stop the Ampharos from attacking Arcanine.


    Lucario didn''t know exactly what had happened, but he understood that this fight could not continue unchecked.


    Although Lucario''s strength was about on par with Ampharos, he found himself struggling against all four of them at once. But the Zoroark family wasn''t about to stand by and do nothing while their "son-inw" was bullied��both parents, the sister, and his mate all jumped in to help.


    In an instant, the four Ampharos were subdued.


    However, the Zoroark family couldn''t do much about the fierce sh between Arcanine and Luxray, since both of them is an Elite-level Pok��mon.


    With rage-clouded their eyes, Luxray relentlessly used Wild Charge to attack Arcanine, who repeatedly dodged with Extreme Speed. Yet, Arcanine quickly realized that simply dodging wouldn''t solve the problem; he couldn''t let Luxray continue his rampage unchecked.


    So Arcanine began to face Luxray head-on with his full power.


    Although both Arcanine and Luxray were Elite level Pok��mon, Arcanine was already at the peak of the Elite level, almost reaching Champion level, whereas Luxray had not yet reached even the peak of the Elite level.


    Once Arcanine unleashed his full strength, it didn''t take long for Luxray to lose the ability to continue fighting.


    The incident had caused such amotion that it was impossible for the other Pok��mon not to report it. Yuga soon found out and he was furious.


    Once the injured Pok��mon had recovered, Yuga gathered all the remaining Pok��mon who are involved in the fight together.


    "You''ve all grown some nerve, haven''t you? To thinking you guys gathered together to fight and creating chaos like this!" Yuga roared.


    In truth, he didn''t mind the Pok��mon sparring or having friendly bouts now and then, as long as it didn''t get too serious. But this time, both Weavile and Luxray had crossed the line.


    "And you, Weavile! Why did you have to go and mess with Persian and his group?" Weavile was the main target of his reprimand.


    "Weavile!"


    Weavile scratched his chin with his w, looking unconcerned by Yuga''s scolding.


    Seeing itsck of remorse only made Yuga angrier. "From today onward, you''re confined to the Snowy Mountain Sub-Ecopark. You can onlye out when you''ve understood your mistake." Yuga immediately instructed the system to restrict Weavile''s ess to the various Sub-Ecopark, a privilege currently only "enjoyed" by the three Mmar.


    Usually a fan of stirring up trouble, Weavile instantly deted upon hearing this punishment. It tried to plead, but under Yuga''s stern gaze, it wisely kept silent.


    Then, Gengar picked up Weavile and tossed it into the Snowy Mountain Sub-Ecopark to serve its time.


    After dealing with Weavile, Yuga turned his attention to Persian.


    "Can''t you behave yourself for once? Just look at this mess! You''ve managed to offend Pok��mon everywhere you go, and now you''re suffering the consequences." Yuga sounded exasperated, as if he''d given up on Persian.


    Persian, for his part, knew himself well. He was aware that he wasn''t popr among many Pok��mon, so he listened to Yuga''s reprimand with head bowed, without showing any defiance. As for whether he would change in the future, that remained to be seen.


    After finishing the reprimand, Yuga announced Persian''s punishment.


    "From today, you''ll be separated from your three Delcatty wives for a while. They''ll stay in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark, and you''re going to the Desert Sub-Ecopark. You cane out after you''ve done some reflecting."


    With that, Yuga also restricted the Persian''s ess to other areas and had Mismagius escort him to the Desert Sub-Ecopark.


    Hearing Yuga''s decision was like a bolt from the blue for Persian. How could he possibly live without his three wives around?


    Finally, it was Luxray''s turn.


    "Everything should have a limit. Persian offended you, so a bit of payback would''ve been enough. Why go so overboard?"


    Luxray had been a wild Pok��mon before, and since joining the Ecopark, Yuga had admittedly beenx in disciplining him. Such a fierce nature didn''t quite suit life in amunal environment.


    A strong spirit was good, but it shouldn''t be taken too far.


    After thinking it over, Yuga decided to entrust Luxray to the care of the Archeops for a period.


    Archeops also a former wild Pok��mon and it had worked his way up step by step with its green potential to the Champion level through sheer tenacity and effort, fighting his way forward bit by bit. Compared to the harsh conditions Archeops had endured, Luxray''s little "games" were child''s y.


    If Luxray wanted to act tough, Yuga figured, he should be shown what true toughness looked like.


    With years of managing the Mandibuzz tribe under his belt, Archeops was a seasoned pro. And let''s not forget��the Mandibuzz tribe was also a troublemaker back in the day!

 Chapter 1189: The Duel Tournament and New Ventures

    <h4>Chapter 1189: The Duel Tournament and New Ventures</h4>


    After the brawl incident, Yuga imposed strict rules for the Pok��mon in the Ecopark: fighting was allowed, but no real harm was to be inflicted, even if there were irreconcble differences between them. If they truly wanted to settle things seriously, they could report to Yuga, who would then organize a grand duel where they could resolve their issues in front of everyone.


    To Yuga''s surprise, a Pok��mon actually requested a duel.


    The challenger was Aln Persian, and its target was the recently confined Persian.


    Aside from its own two children, Rockruff and Aln Meowth, Aln Persian had a particr fondness for Weavile. The fact that Weavile and Diggersby were chased down and beaten by Persian and his three wives was something Aln Persian took great offense to.


    Though this recent conflict had indeed been initiated by Weavile, Aln Persian knew all too well the past grievances between Weavile and Persian. It felt that Weavile''s actions were perfectly justified.


    Aln Persian itself was the type that would never let a slight go unpunished. If it suffered at someone else''s hands, it would make sure to get even.


    Had Aln Persian been present when Weavile sought revenge on Persian, it certainly wouldn''t have stood idly by.


    With Aln Persian resolute in its stance, Yuga had no choice but to bring Persian back.


    Aln Persian recounted the history of grievances between Weavile and Persian to Yuga, and Yuga finally understood why Weavile had initiated the conflict.


    After listening, Yuga shot a sharp re at Persian: "Look at you! All you ever do is stir up trouble for yourself. Now karma''se around."


    Hearing Aln Persian''s recounting, Persian waspletely baffled��it had no memory of bullying Weavile. Maybe... perhaps... possibly it had done so once.


    Persian had bullied so many Pok��mon over time that it couldn''t remember who it had wronged on which day.


    Since there was indeed a genuine conflict, with Aln Persian determined to stand up for Weavile, and both Weavile and Aln Persian unwavering in their resolve, Yuga agreed to the duel.


    And so, the first-ever Duel Tournament at YoYo Day Care began.


    Persian was no match for Aln Persian, who was careful not to deal any heavy blows or target any vulnerable areas. Instead, it aimed for the spots that would hurt the most, making sure Persian felt the sting without suffering a serious injury, leaving him thoroughly subdued.


    After this duel, Persian was very well-behaved for a long time, no longer harboring the slightest inappropriate thoughts toward Aln Persian.


    Before, it might have considered their little skirmishes as a bit of fun, but thebination of psychological and physical torment was far too terrifying!


    After dealing with the duel between the two Persian, Yuga returned to the shop and found that Mayor Ishida was also there.


    "Mayor Ishida, what brings you here? Something up?" Yuga asked curiously.


    "I''ve got something to discuss with you," Mayor Ishida replied, pulling Yuga into the guest room.


    "So here''s the thing: I want to hold a Grass-type Pok��mon Duel Tournament in Verdanturf Town and invite Grass-type trainers from all over the world to participate. What do you think?" Mayor Ishida said, rubbing his hands together.


    Yuga was surprised and replied, "That sounds great! But why a tournament only for Grass-type Pok��mon?"


    Mayor Ishida smiled, "You might not know this, but our Verdanturf Town is now being called the ''Land of Grass-type Pok��mon'' by outsiders, and it''s all thanks to your Grass-type Pok��mon promotion n from back in the day! I want to take this opportunity to put the Verdanturf Town on the world stage."


    The "Land of Grass-type Pok��mon"? Yuga truly hadn''t known that; the town''s development was mainly handled by Mayor Ishida, so he didn''t pay much attention to it.


    But the Verdanturf Town truly deserved this title. Now, almost every household in town kept at least one or two Grass-type Pok��mon, with wealthier families even keeping five or six, or even seven or eight.


    These Grass-type Pok��mon were different from ordinary ones; most of them had mastered the Grassy Terrain move and were adept at tending to nts and flowers. As a result, Verdanturf Town was lush and in full bloom nearly every day of the year.


    In recent years, the number of Grass-type trainers in the Verdanturf Town has been steadily increasing, andst year, these trainers had made appearances at various regional league tournaments. Although they hadn''t achieved ideal rankings, it was still far better than in previous years.


    "I think this is a great idea! Go for it," Yuga said supportively.


    "With your blessing, I''m relieved! I was worried I might be overreaching and that you wouldn''t agree!" Mayor Ishida sighed in relief. Yuga was the pir of Verdanturf Town; with his support, the mayor felt confident he could seed.


    Yugaughed, "There''s nothing to worry about! The Verdanturf Town isn''t the little ce it used to be. Even if the results aren''t perfect, we can handle it now. Go ahead and make it happen."


    Yuga could tell that Mayor Ishida was aiming to do something big this time, but that was a good thing. For a town like the Verdanturf, which relied heavily on tourism and agriculture, a bit of publicity was necessary to reach the global stage.


    Yuga''s support brought a broad smile to Mayor Ishida''s face; nothing boosted his confidence more than Yuga''s endorsement.


    "How about this? We can offer a Grass-type Pok��mon with a blue potential from YoYo Day Care as a prize for the tournament," Yuga suggested.


    Since Mayor Ishida was putting so much effort into the Verdanturf Town''s development, Yuga, as the Gym Leader, couldn''t just sit back and do nothing. With a blue potential Grass-type Pok��mon as the prize, there would surely be no shortage of trainers who are eager to participate.


    Hearing Yuga''s words, Mayor Ishida eximed in delight, "Really? That''s wonderful!" He knew well the kind of appeal a green potential Pok��mon would bring.


    After chatting for a while in the guest room, Mayor Ishida left in a hurry; now that the decision was made, there was a lot to prepare.


    Although Mayor Ishida wasn''t young, he was incredibly proactive. Since he was nning to host a major tournament, he knew sponsors were essential��relying solely on the Verdanturf Town''s finances wouldn''t be enough for such arge-scale event.


    After a period of running around, Mayor Ishida sessfully got Devon Corporation toe aboard. In addition, manyrgepanies with branches in Verdanturf Town also joined as sponsors.


    This was partly due to Yuga''s prominent role as the town''s Gym Leader and partly because thesepanies saw potential in Verdanturf Town''s future.


    Over the past few years, Verdanturf Town has shown remarkable development, with continuous expansion and a flourishing economy, making it a worthy ce for investment.


    While Mayor Ishida worked tirelessly for the town, Yuga wasn''t idle either. Leveraging his connections, he reached out to various leagues to help promote the tournament in their regions.


    It was during times like these that Yuga''s vastwork proved invaluable.


    With the leagues'' assistance in spreading the word, news of the Verdanturf Town''s Grass-type Pok��mon Duel Tournament quickly spread across various regions.


    Yuga already had a strong reputation, and now, with a blue potential Grass-type Pok��mon as the prize, more and more trainers were taking notice.


    Moreover, Yuga invited Cynthia, Diantha, and Caitlin to serve as judges for the tournament, which further elevated the event''s prominence.


    Yuga and Cynthia were friends, so when he asked her, she readily agreed.


    Caitlin, who was close friends with Cynthia, happened to be there when Yuga called, and she volunteered to serve as a judge too, even lowering her usual appearance fee.


    Yuga, of course, had no objections; the more support, the better.


    As for Diantha, Yuga invited her through his connections. Although he knew her, their rtionship wasn''t quite close enough to consider each other friends.


    Initially, Yuga had thought about inviting more high-profile figures to serve as judges, but hiring them would be too costly, and having too many people would increase expenses, so he decided against it.


    If there were unlimited funds, he could invite as many big names as he wanted. Unfortunately, Champion and Elite Four appearance fees were sky-high, and even though he didn''t have to pay directly, he still had to consider the sponsors.


    YoYo Day Care was also one of the tournament sponsors. As the Gym Leader of the Verdanturf Town, Yuga felt it was his duty to lead by example.


    However, YoYo Day Care''s sponsorship share was modest and couldn''tpare to major corporations like Devon.


    When considering the judges, Yuga had thought about inviting Steven as a "free helper," but Mayor Ishida suggested that Yuga himself was enough representation from Hoenn, so there was no need to trouble Steven, who was always busy.


    Yuga agreed; if Steven used this as an excuse to try and dump the Champion''s position on him again, it would be more trouble than it was worth.


    Since the Verdanturf Town ced great importance on this tournament, Yuga was noticeably busier than usual.


    Since Mayor Ishida was mainly responsible for organizing the Duel Tournament, Yuga, after handling the initial phase, found himself gradually less busy as things began to run smoothly.


    After some thought, Yuga decided to add a new service to YoYo Day Care.


    In the past, there had been requests from parents wanting to reserve Pok��mon for their children under the age of ten at YoYo Day Care, so the child coulde to receive it once they were old enough��somewhat akin to how children would receive their first Pok��mon from League professors.


    At that time, Yuga had declined due to tax-rted issues.


    Now that YoYo Day Care was tax-exempt, there would be no problems inunching this service.


    Yuga spent a long time in his room, listing all the details that needed attention, and once he felt he''d covered everything, he went to discuss it thoroughly with Windy.


    The two of them spent a long time deliberating before finalizing the service and then posted an announcement on the YoYo Day Care website.


    Starting today, YoYo Day Care would allow parents to pre-order Pok��mon for their children, paying a fixed amount to YoYo Day Care each year, so that when the child reaches ten, they coulde to receive the Pok��mon.


    For example, if a five-year-old child wanted to reserve a Pok��mon worth 500,000, their parents could pay 100,000 annually to YoYo Day Care, and by the time the child turned ten, the payments would beplete.


    This could ease the financial burden on some families; after all, not every family could produce 500,000 all at once, and paying in installments would be much more manageable.


    This was quite different from YoYo Day Care''s previous service, where customers would receive the Pok��mon first and then make installment payments.


    However, there were restrictions on this service.


    First, the child''s parents must be legal citizens of the League, with no record of serious crimes.


    Second, the child must be under seven years old; those older than seven would not pass the service review, and those over ten or adults would be outright ineligible.


    Lastly, only ten slots would be avable each year, with five opening in the first half and five in thetter half, on a firste, first-served basis. However, YoYo Day Care held the right to final approval.


    Once this service announcement was released, it immediately caused a great stir. Unfortunately, the service was aimed at children under ten, so it wasn''t relevant to most trainers.


    After finalizing the new service, Windy hesitantly spoke to Yuga, "Boss, I''d like to find some time to visit Kanto."


    Surprised, Yuga looked at him and asked, "What made you suddenly want to go back?"


    Yuga knew that Windy''s sudden desire to return to Kanto was likely rted to Sasaki Shindou''s recent visit; otherwise, Windy, who hadn''t returned in so many years, wouldn''t have suddenly wanted to go back.


    Windy replied, "I''d like to visit my uncle and aunt. I won''t stay long, so it won''t interfere with my work."


    Windy''s main responsibility was maintaining and managing YoYo Day Care''s website, so as long as he had ess to aputer, his physical presence at YoYo Day Care wasn''t strictly necessary.


    After considering for a moment, Yuga said, "It''s a good idea for you to go and visit them, after all, they''re some of the few family members you have left."


    Windy nodded, saying no more. Truthfully, after working at YoYo Day Care for six or seven years, his feelings for his uncle and aunt might not be stronger than his bond with the people at YoYo Day Care.


    Over the years, the boss had treated him like family, allowing him to live free of worries aside from his designated work, a far better life than he''d had with the Sasaki family.


    "Oh, and I''ll have the Great Flygon to apany you on your trip. Since you don''t know how long you''ll be gone, having a Pok��mon with you for protection will ease my mind," Yuga suggested to Windy.


    The Great Flygon was at the Elite level now, more than adequate as a bodyguard.


    Although Porygon was always with Windy, it usually assisted with work and had never been in battle, so it couldn''t be relied on in a fight.


    "Understood. Thank you, Boss," Windy epted without hesitation. Having known Yuga for so many years, he understood Yuga''s nature and knew that he wasn''t just being polite. Having a bodyguard along would make him feel more secure, too.


    The tournament venue was set to be the Contest Hall, currently thergest venue in the Verdanturf Town. However, modifications were necessary to turn it into a proper dueling arena.


    Yuga and Mayor Ishida decided to take this opportunity to remodel the space into a multifunctional venue, allowing it to be readily used for both contests and battles in the future.


    To avoid shing with the regr annual league tournaments, Yuga and Mayor Ishida ultimately scheduled the duel tournament to take ce a month after the league tournament ended, giving Verdanturf Town ample time to prepare.

 Chapter 1190: Dragonite in Critical Condition

    <h4>Chapter 1190: Dragonite in Critical Condition</h4>


    Just two days after telling Yuga that he was returning to Kanto, Windy left with Great Flygon.


    Verdanturf Town''s summer is a rainy season; one moment, the sun shines brightly, and the next, the sky may be covered with dark clouds.


    Sure enough, just as the aircraft carrying Windy took off from Verdanturf Town, a heavy rain began to pour. Fist-sized raindrops fell in torrents, apanied by thunder and lightning in the sky, while pedestrians on the street screamed, scrambling to find shelter.


    Yuga stepped to the doorway and saw Clefairy pulling Mime Jr. as they ran quickly under the porch,ughing as they ran as if the rain was something fun for them.


    Aside from them, many of the Pok��mon on patrol around the YoYo Day Care rushed under the porch to avoid the rain. In no time, the porch outside Yuga''s shop was filled with Pok��mon��Arcanine, Linoone , Mightyena, Liepard...


    It was a simr scene at the entrances of other homes.


    Verdanturf Town is home to many Grass-type Pok��mon, as nearly every household raises them, and Grass-types don''t mind the summer rain; some even enjoy the coolness after the recent heat, rushing out into the downpour to bathe in the refreshing showers.


    However, as the rain grew stronger, some of the more delicate Grass-types became disheveled, drenched as soon as they stepped into the rain. Yuga even saw several Oddish with wilted leaves on their heads, hastily running back home while slipping and sliding, bringingughter from their owners.


    "Clefairy, Clefairy!"


    "Miiime!"


    Clefairy and Mime Jr. saw this scene too, clutching their stomachs as theyughed at the Grass-types spinning in the rain. They amused Yuga and some customers stuck at the doorway as well.


    Yuga initially thought that such a heavy rain would pass quickly, but the thunder grew louder and the rain showed no signs of letting up.


    He frowned as he looked up at the sky, but the rain was so heavy that his view was blurred, making it hard to see far.


    For some reason, Yuga suddenly felt that today''s heavy rain seemed unusual.


    His intuition was correct. At that moment, high above Verdanturf, his Dragonite was "summoning clouds and rain."


    Dragonite used Dragon Dance and spinning rapidly within the thick clouds. The air currents generated by its high-speed flight pulled the rain clouds closer, concentrating them around it, while thunder and lightning gathered within the clouds.


    Electricity crackled around Dragonite, illuminating the surrounding clouds in a golden hue, as if resonating with the natural lightning in the clouds.


    As more clouds gathered around it, more lightning was drawn in, making the thunder over Verdanturf Town louder and louder, further convincing Yuga that something was off with today''s rainstorm.


    Wanting to check the situation despite the rain, Yuga sent Linoone and Mightyena to fetch Dragonite, but they couldn''t find any trace of it after a while.


    At this moment, Gothitelle and Audino came over to inform Yuga that Dragonite had left earlier and had not yet returned.


    Yuga thought to himself, <i>Could this rainstorm have something to do with Dragonite?</i>


    For its training, Dragonite indeed has the habit of absorbing natural lightning during summer storms. With this thought, Yuga became more certain that the rain was rted to Dragonite.


    Since it was a storm caused by Dragonite, there was nothing to worry about, so Yuga decided to go about his day as usual.


    Attracted by the massive amount of Electric-type energy, arge number of Magnemite and Maon gradually gathered near the clouds above. Like Dragonite, Magnemite and Maon in the wild also have the habit of absorbing natural lightning during thunderstorms.


    Although the Magnemite and Maon were eager for the abundant Electric-type energy within the clouds, they hesitated to act due to the intimidating pressure emanating from within.


    Due to Dragonite''s influence, while the clouds thundered and rain poured below, not a single bolt of lightning actually descended. The Magnemite and Maon could only look up at the clouds "longingly."


    These Magnemite and Maon were actually familiar with Dragonite in the clouds, as they often encountered each other during thunderstorms near Verdanturf. After meeting a few times, they naturally became acquainted.


    In the past, while Dragonite had a big appetite, it always left a bit of energy for the others to enjoy. Dragonite would let just a little spill out, which was enough for these small hangers-on like Magnemite and Maon to take in.


    But this time, for some reason, Dragonite was suddenly acting very domineering, and that wasn''t a good sign. If it continued like this, how were they supposed to survive?


    Gradually, the Magnemite and Maon began to get restless.


    Within the storm clouds, as Dragonite''s Dragon Dance reached its peak, its aura intensified to the max.


    "Roar!"


    Now the rain clouds had gathered into a funnel shape. Dragonite flew above the clouds, let out an energized roar, then opened its mouth to start absorbing the lightning.


    Boom!


    Crackle!


    A massive suction came from Dragonite''s mouth, causing all the lightning to go berserk. The previously dark clouds gradually turned golden, and the gathered Magnemite and Maon couldn''t withstand the storm''s violent electricity, backing away in terror for fear of being shocked to pieces.


    Even though they were Electric-types, they couldn''t handle such a violent surge of electricity.


    Dragonite, however, remained unfazed by the storm of lightning. Large amounts of electricity poured into its body, which seemed like a bottomless pit, never filling up.


    As it absorbed more and more lightning, Dragonite''s aura grew stronger, reaching the critical threshold between the Elite and Champion levels.


    Clearly, Dragonite was pushing to reach the Champion level.


    Back at the shop, Yuga resumed his work when he suddenly remembered that today the system shop had refreshed, and he hadn''t checked it yet.


    Refreshing the system shop was something Yuga did daily. Although he hadn''t encountered any rare treasures, the refresh section often had useful items. Sometimes it offered materials for making high-quality Pok��blocks or incense, rare evolution items, or valuable sheds from rare Pok��mon...


    Yuga skillfully opened the system shop, and his attention was immediately drawn to a purple box on the screen.


    <i>Did I step on a lucky charm today? Or am I seeing things? This is a purple item!</i>


    That was Yuga''s first reaction upon seeing the purple box.


    After pping his cheeks twice to confirm he wasn''t hallucinating, Yuga began to examine the item.


    It was a fist-sized purple orb, faintly surrounded by an aura of treasure. At first nce, he could tell it was something valuable.


    [ Dragon Ball ]


    [ Description: A sacred item for Dragon-types, a powerful supplement for Dragon-type Pok��mon. ]


    This was the system''s only description of the purple item.


    Yuga was used to the system''s cryptic exnations about items in the shop, but he was still puzzled. <i>How did a purple item suddenly appear? This doesn''t make sense; have I finally hit a stroke of luck?</i>


    While purple items weren''t as rare as gold ones, Yuga hadn''t seen many in all these years.


    Although rare, purple items also came at a steep price. This single Dragon Ball was priced at three million!


    Fine, three million it is��Yuga didn''t mind the expense and bought it on the spot.


    The only problem now was whether to use it for Dragonite or Shelgon. This left Yuga in a dilemma; both of them were equally important to him.


    Oh well, he''d decideter.


    Since he couldn''t make a decision right away, he chose to put it aside for now. It wasn''t urgent, so Yuga adopted an ostrich mentality and went back to work.


    Dragonite absorbed every bit of lightning from the clouds, sessfully breaking through to the Champion level.


    After breaking through, Dragonite used the Hurricane move, summoning a massive tornado that instantly scattered the dark clouds in the sky.


    With the clouds dispersed and the rain gone, the sky above Verdanturf Town quickly became clear and bright.


    For some reason, Dragonite suddenly felt a slight difort when it used Hurricane, something that didn''t feel quite right. However, it brushed off the odd sensation.


    Noticing the rain had stopped, Yuga walked to the shop entrance. The sun was shining brightly, and the street was bustling with people again. He smiled and went back inside.


    As Dragonite prepared to head home after its sessful breakthrough, the gathered Magnemite and Maon crowded around, displeased with Dragonite for monopolizing all the lightning. They demanded an exnation.


    Dragoniteughed at theirints. In the natural world, lightning belonged to no one; whoever could take it was its owner. Since it had seized it, it was rightfully his��why should these others be whining about it?


    Seeing that they couldn''t resolve the issue peacefully, the Magnemite and Maon quickly assumed an aggressive stance. They all lived in this area, and if they didn''t deal with Dragonite, life would be tough for them here in the future.


    In an instant, Dragonite was surrounded by hundreds of Magnemite and Maon.


    Seeing their ingratitude, Dragonite became furious. Without waiting for them to attack, it swung its Dragon w at them.


    As it swung, that strange feeling returned, but Dragonite was too upied dealing with the swarm to notice.


    The Magnemite and Maon retaliated with Spark attacks, but the electricity did not harm Dragonite��instead, it replenished it. Meanwhile, Dragonite''s Dragon w sent them flying with a series of loud nging sounds.


    Dragonite who is now a Champion-level Pok��mon, faced little challenge from the small fry, even though they numbered in the hundreds. It didn''t take long to deal with most of them.


    However, as time passed, Dragonite could no longer ignore the strange sensation in its body. The stiffness it felt while using its moves grew worse, and a few times, the moves even stopped mid-way.


    What was going on?


    Half an hourter...


    Yuga was helping Ayaka attend to customers in the shop when Spoink suddenly told him that Dragonite had returned. He rushed outside and saw Dragonite indeed standing at the door.


    The moment he saw Dragonite, Yuga sensed something was off about its aura, so he quickly activated his Insight skill.


    ...


    [ Dragonite ]


    Attributes: Dragon, Flying


    Gender: Male


    Ability: Multiscale


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 81


    Moves: Rain Dance, Twister, Thunder Wave, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Extreme Speed, Fire Punch, Brick Break, Roost, Outrage, Dragon Dance, Dragon Rush, Hurricane, Dragon w, Stone Edge, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch.


    ...


    "Dragonite, you''ve broken through!" Yuga eximed in delight.


    Since Dragonite had sessfully advanced, Yuga decided to keep the Dragon Ball for Shelgon.


    Just as Dragonite was about to share its joy with Yuga, it lifted a w to wave in greeting��but suddenly lost consciousness.


    <strong>Thud!</strong>


    Dragonite copsed, falling straight to the ground.


    "Dragonite!" Yuga shouted, rushing over, fearing that something was wrong. Yet, after a thorough check, he found Dragonite to be physically healthy.


    With no other choice, Yuga quickly took Dragonite to the Pok��mon Center for Nurse Joy''s examination to determine the issue.


    The results came in swiftly.


    "The reason your Dragonite fainted," Joyka exined carefully, "is due to an energy imbnce in its body. Dragonite is a Dragon- and Flying-type, but its Dragon- and Flying-type energies are currently suppressed by a powerful Electric-type energy."


    Before reaching the Champion level, Dragonite''s internal energy was bnced. However, breaking through with the aid of lightning disrupted this bnce, resulting in the current problem.


    Although Dragonite had gained Electric-type talents thanks to the Yellow Orb, it was still primarily a Dragon- and Flying-type Pok��mon. If the Electric-type energy severely overpowers the Dragon- and Flying-type energies, it could significantly hinder Dragonite''s future growth.


    "Is there a way to fix this?" Yuga asked with a frown.


    Nurse Joy thought for a moment and replied, "There is, and it''s quite straightforward��just restore the Dragonite''s Dragon- and Flying-type energies to bnce. But..."


    Yuga understood her hesitation. Dragonite''s Electric-type energy had already reached Champion level, so restoring its Dragon- and Flying-type energies wasn''t as simple as it sounded; it would be very challenging.


    He instinctively thought of the Dragon Ball he''d obtained today. He had wondered why it suddenly appeared, but now he realized it was waiting for this moment!


    He figured it out��his system seemed to prioritize the well-being of his Pok��mon over his own. When Kartana was hatching, the system had provided Essence Liquid, and now, for Dragonite, the Dragon Ball. The system always provided assistance when his Pok��mon were in dire need.


    <i>I must be just a tool, </i>Yuga thought wryly to himself.


    The Dragon Ball could restore Dragonite''s Dragon-type energy, but what about the Flying-type energy? Yuga sighed, feeling another headacheing on.


    When Yuga entered Dragonite''s hospital room, it had already woken up, though ity weakly on the bed, looking up at him with a soft murmur.


    "Dragonite, are you feeling any better?" Yuga asked, concerned.


    Dragonite shook its head, feeling incredibly heavy, unable to muster any strength.


    "Going for a breakthrough without telling me��look at the trouble now," Yuga said gently, patting Dragonite''s back. He wasn''t really scolding it; he hadn''t considered this situation himself. It just made him feel sad.


    "Drago..." Dragonite murmured softly, pping its small wings on its back, and even tried to act a bit spoiled, hoping to brush off the situation.


    Yuga couldn''t help butugh, giving it a few pats. He then took out the Dragon Ball from his system''s storage. But as he looked at it, he was stumped��the system hadn''t exined how to use it!


    Should Dragonite wear it, or grind it into powder to consume?

 Chapter 1191: Establish a Platform for Stray Pokémon Work

    <h4>Chapter 1191: Establish a tform for Stray Pok��mon Work</h4>


    Yuga had initially been puzzled about how to use the Dragon Ball, but as soon as Dragonite spotted it, its eyes lit up, and it immediately swallowed it whole.


    "Anything produced by the system is guaranteed to be top quality," Yuga thought.


    Almost as soon as Dragonite swallowed the Dragon Ball, it began to take effect. A faint blue-purple glow enveloped Dragonite, and its body instantly seemed lighter, with its energy visibly restored.


    "How are you feeling, Dragonite? Any better?" Yuga asked anxiously.


    "Dragonite!"


    Dragonite jumped off the bed and hugged Yuga, rubbing its chin against the top of Yuga''s head, showing Yuga just how much better it felt.


    After a brief moment of affection, Dragonite clenched its ws, a sharp gleam flickering from them. It wanted to test if it could now use its moves smoothly. Unfortunately, there was little improvement. Although Dragonite''s physical difort had eased, its Flying-type energy remained unbnced, causing its move execution to still feel clumsy.


    This realization made Dragonite''s previously cheerful expression droop in disappointment.


    Seeing this, Yuga patted it and reassured, "Don''t worry. I''ll help you find a solution."


    After obtaining Joyka''s permission, Yuga took Dragonite out of the Pok��mon Center.


    Back at home, Yuga actively started asking around for any Flying-type treasures that might help Dragonite. Initially, he thought it would take a long time to find something, as items of this caliber were rare. However, the very next day, when he routinely checked the system''s store, a striking purple frame appeared.


    Inside the purple frame was a blue-white feather, emitting a faint silver glow that radiated a sense of purity.


    [ Sky Feather ]


    [ Description: a holy relic for Flying-types Pok��mon, excellent for enhancing their energy. ]


    The item description was just as simple as it had been for the Dragon Ball��and even the price was exactly the same.


    Seeing this fortuitous offering from the system, Yuga didn''t hesitate anymore and purchased it immediately.


    The Sky Feather was about as long as an adult''s forearm and felt almost weightless. Yuga could clearly sense the delicate energy pulsating from it.


    Even being near it created a gentle breeze, especially refreshing in the summer heat, making the effect even more noticeable and pleasantly cool.


    Since Dragonite still couldn''t fully use its moves, it had gone to take a long nap in the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark upon returning home. Yuga brought the Sky Feather to find Dragonite, who was chatting with its mother.


    Yuga rode into Dragonite''s cave on the back of an Altaria while holding up the feather. "Dragonite, look what I brought you!"


    Seeing the Sky Feather in Yuga''s hand, Dragonite immediately understood and rushed over.


    As soon as Yuga handed the feather to Dragonite, it seemed to dissolve gently into its body��a truly magical sight.


    The moment the Sky Feather was absorbed, Dragonite felt all the heaviness vanish, finally experiencing the true relief and exhration of breaking through to Champion level.


    "Dragoooon!"


    Dragonite let out a triumphant roar, causing echoes to reverberate throughout the cave. Yuga had to cover his ears to block the noise.


    Just then, Dragonite''s mother leisurely came out to witness the scene. She smiled broadly, her worries for Dragonite finally at ease.


    <strong>Boom! Boom! Boom!</strong>


    Electricity crackled from Dragonite''s fists as it pounded them together, making loud booming sounds. Noticing its mother''s arrival, Dragonite spoke a few excited words to her, and she nodded in approval. They then dashed out of the cave together.


    It turned out Dragonite had just issued a yful challenge to its mother!


    Having resolved its physical issues, Dragonite was eager to release its pent-up energy.


    Standing at the mouth of the cave, Yuga watched as Dragonite and its mother engaged in an intense sparring match outside.


    Dragonite was skilled in Electric-type moves, while its mother excelled in Ice-type moves. Their sh created an impressive visual spectacle, as golden electricity and icy blue-white energy interwove in theirbat from a distance.


    However, Dragonite''s mother was a Master-level Pok��mon, while Dragonite had only just reached the Champion level, so it was no match for her. To save her son''s pride, Dragonite''s mother held back, which left Dragonite feeling a bit unfulfilled in the fight.


    Resigned, Dragonite gave up sparring with its mother and instead went to challenge Lapras.


    Yuga wasn''t entirely sure how things turned out between Dragonite and Lapras, as he had to leave the Ecopark after receiving a call from Mayor Ishida to discuss the prize distribution for the Grass-type Pok��mon Duel Tournament.


    This tournament in Verdanturf Town differed from the major tournaments held by the League.


    League tournaments, akin to the Olympics in Yuga''s past life, were prestigious events officially organized. Earning a high rank in such tournaments was itself an honor and held considerable prestige. Even if there were no other rewards, a good cement would bring a trainer numerous benefits.


    However, the Grass-type Pok��mon Duel Tournament was being organized solely by the Verdanturf Town, with limited benefits for trainers. Therefore, to attract arge number of participants, substantial rewards were essential.


    When Yuga arrived at the town hall, quite a few people were already present, including Mayor Ishida and representatives from the tournament''s sponsors.


    Since the sponsors were funding the prizes, they also had a say in deciding them.


    After a heated debate, the tournament rewards were finally decided.


    [ <strong>First Prize</strong>: A Grass-type Pok��mon with blue potential, 50 Grass Gems, and a year''s supply of Vitality Pokeblock (enough for one Pok��mon). ]


    The Grass-type Pok��mon and Vitality Pokeblock were sponsored by YoYo Day Care, while the Grass Gems were provided by Devon Corporation.


    [ <strong>Second Prize</strong>: A Treecko with green potential, five Sun Stones, five Leaf Stones, and six months'' supply of Vitality Pokeblock (enough for one Pok��mon). ]


    The Treecko was a gift from the Hoenn League in support of Verdanturf Town''s event, while the Sun Stones and Leaf Stones came from two other sponsors. The Vitality Pokeblock, once again, were provided by YoYo Day Care.


    [ <strong>Third Prize</strong>: 20 Grass Gems, one Sun Stone, one Leaf Stone, and a set of specialized Pok�� Balls. ]


    These prizes were donated by other sponsors.


    [ <strong>Fourth to Tenth Prizes</strong>: A six-month supply of Rose Incense (enough for one Pok��mon). ]


    The Rose Incense was also provided by YoYo Day Care.


    YoYo Day Care clearly contributed the most in terms of rewards, but Yuga didn''t mind, as the other sponsors took care of various logistical aspects.


    Expenses included venue repairs and maintenance, equipment purchases and upkeep, and fees for the referees��all of which required a substantial budget. Compared to these costs, the expenses for the prizes were minor.


    Hosting arge-scale event drained funds as quickly as water flows, and Yuga hadn''t realized how costly it would be until he got involved in the nning.


    Over ten days passed in the blink of an eye, and Mayor Ishida was still busy managing the tournament preparations.


    Today, an incident urred at the venue construction site, and Mayor Ishida urgently called Yuga to the location.


    Since the original Contest Hall was being transformed into a multifunctional venue, it had now been officially renamed the Verdanturf Town Gymnasium.


    Mayor Ishida had gone back and forth with the Contest Hall officials for quite a while over this matter. The officials were initially unwilling to convert their exclusive venue into a multipurpose gymnasium.


    However, the Verdanturf Contest Hall only hosts major contests every so often, leaving the venue unused for long stretches. Mayor Ishida had always thought this was a huge waste. Even when it was left empty, maintaining such arge venue cost a significant amount of money.


    In the end, Yuga personally intervened and negotiated with Wace, which finally led the Contest Hall officials to agree.


    Today, Mayor Ishida called Yuga to the construction site of the gymnasium because the project was being hindered by a group of wild Fearow, Zubat, Murkrow, and Taillow.


    Some parts of the Contest Hall venue had been vacant for so long that wild Flying-type Pok��mon had taken up residence on the rooftops.


    The Verdanturf Contest Hall was arge venue, even capable of hosting the prestigious Wace Cup, and had been funded by Devon Corporation. However, most of the events Verdanturf Town hosted were smaller-scale, so many sections of the venue were rarely used.


    In the past, before Verdanturf Town developed, there were many abandoned factories and buildings in the town, which served as shelters for the city''s stray Pok��mon.


    As Verdanturf Town expanded and redeveloped, these abandoned factories and buildings were gradually torn down, leaving many Pok��mon homeless.


    Luckily, Verdanturf Town had Yuga''s Pok��mon Paradise, where most stray Pok��mon could livefortably, though this mainly applied tond-dwelling Pok��mon and did not include Flying-types.


    Flying-type Pok��mon were more elusive and difficult to track, so it wasn''t easy to bring them to Yuga''s Pok��mon Paradise.


    Additionally, as Verdanturf Town prospered, stray Pok��mon from nearby towns and wild Pok��mon struggling to survive in the wilderness began to gather here.


    Life opportunities are always a bit more plentiful inrger towns.


    As a result, the number of Flying-type Pok��mon hidden around Verdanturf Town had grown beyond expectations.


    Arge number of these Flying-type Pok��mon had quietly made the gymnasium their home, coexisting peacefully despite their different species, united by their need to survive.


    Now, with the gymnasium''s reconstruction, these Pok��mon felt as though they were being disced once more, prompting them to collectively attack the construction workers.


    When Yuga arrived, officers from Verdanturf Town''s police department were trying to hold back the attacking Flying Pok��mon, assisted by patrol Pok��mon from YoYo Day Care.


    Mayor Ishida had called Yuga over to figure out how to handle the situation.


    Flying Pok��mon swarmed everywhere, so the non-trainer Mayor Ishida had to hide with his secretary in a corner, afraid to step forward. When he saw Yuga arrive, he called out with a distressed expression, "Thank goodness you''re here, I was nearly scared out of my wits!"


    Seeing that the police officers were managing to keep things under control, Yuga didn''t immediately step in. Instead, he pulled Mayor Ishida aside to discuss a way to calm these stray Pok��mon.


    Stray Pok��mon had always been part of Verdanturf Town''s growth, so Yuga and Mayor Ishida had no intention of abandoning them now.


    After some discussion, Yuga took the lead in negotiating with the group of Flying-type stray Pok��mon.


    The troublemakers were led by a Zubat, a Murkrow, and a Taillow, Pok��mon from the lowest rung of society with low potential and strength; their only advantagey in their numbers.


    Many of the Flying Pok��mon causing the disturbance didn''t actually reside in the gymnasium but were recruited by Zubat, Murkrow, and Taillow to bolster their ranks. Otherwise, there would never have been so many Pok��mon involved in the ruckus.


    The first thing Yuga did was send Vivillon to locate the three ringleaders, subduing them in one swift move. With "hostages" in hand, the stray Pok��mon finally calmed down enough to listen to negotiations.


    Yuga''s solution was simple: since the construction had disced them from their home, he would provide them with a new one.


    These Pok��mon, due to their low potential, rarely trained and could only stay in their first evolution stage throughout their lives, making them all small in size. Therefore, finding amodations for them wouldn''t be difficult.


    Verdanturf Town had recentlypleted a new park, and after consulting with Mayor Ishida, Yuga suggested building some simple wooden houses in the park''s trees to serve as dwellings for the Flying Pok��mon. It would be a perfect fit.


    Moreover, they didn''t need to hire anyone special to build these small houses. By encouraging students from the Trainer School to do a volunteerbor project, the children couldplete the work themselves.


    In addition, Yuga made another suggestion to Mayor Ishida: that the town government set up a work tform specifically for these stray Pok��mon.


    Flying Pok��mon could perform many tasks; the simplest would be running errands for residents, or perhaps even delivering food orders...


    After all, who could be better suited for food delivery than Flying Pok��mon?


    The tform didn''t need to berge; it would only serve the Flying Pok��mon and offer straightforward tasks. The staff to manage the tform could be recruited from Forest House Orphanage.


    The town government would pay the staff''s wages, while the Flying Pok��mon would earn their wages in the form of food they could buy with the money they made.


    This n would solve both the issue of survival for the Flying Pok��mon and address theck of management for stray Pok��mon in the town.


    In order to facilitatemunication between the tform''s staff and the Flying Pok��mon, Yuga generously assigned his Chatot, who could speak humannguage, to assist. Chatot was usually idle anyway, and this job would allow it to earn some extra ie to help cover household expenses.


    With so many benefits on the table, the negotiations went smoothly. Not only did the stray Flying Pok��mon in the gymnasium agree to Yuga''s n, but those living in other areas also joined in.


    Yugaid out aprehensive solution, appeased numerous Flying Pok��mon, and naturally left the tform''s setup to Mayor Ishida.


    Mayor Ishida, a man of swift action, quickly established the tform under his direction. Yuga even brought in an instructor from Pidgey Express to train the tform''s staff in managingrge numbers of Flying Pok��mon.


    Yuga had some connections with Hayate, the young owner of Pidgey Express, and Hayate was willing to extend this small favor, as it didn''t involve any secrets of Pidgey Express.


    A weekter, Yuga received his first delivery brought by one of the Flying Pok��mon. The delivery Pok��mon was a Taillow, now radiating health and energy, looking much better than the frail creature it had once been. With a new home and ie, it was now thriving.

 Chapter 1192: Encounter at the Perfume Shop

    <h4>Chapter 1192: Encounter at the Perfume Shop</h4>


    Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and there was still no word from Windy, who had gone to Kanto. No calls, no messages��Yuga couldn''t help but feel a little worried.


    Just then, the League called to say that Professor Oak and his team had made some progress in their research on the boulder fragments and wanted to invite representatives from the various League branches to check it out, with the event to be held in Kanto.


    Curious about what they''d discovered from the boulder fragments and wanting to check on Windy''s situation, Yuga volunteered to represent Hoenn for this visit.


    Since it was rare for Yuga to actively request a task, the Hoenn League had no reason to refuse, and so Yuga boarded a ne bound for Kanto.


    The research showcase on the boulder fragments was set to be held at Professor Oak''sb in Pallet Town, but since Pallet Town doesn''t have an airport, Yuga firstnded in Cdon City.


    Since there were still two days before the event, Yuga wasn''t in a hurry to get to Pallet Town and decided to stay in Cdon City for now.


    Pallet Town is quite unique; unlike other small towns, it rarely sees outsiders aside from the local residents. There aren''t any inns, restaurants, or hotels there, so arriving early would mean nowhere to stay. Better to wait in a nearby city.


    Cdon City is one of thergest cities in Kanto, second only to the bustling metropolis of Saffron City. This wasn''t Yuga''s first time here, and he still had a strong impression of the ce.


    After leaving the airport, Yuga headed straight for the direction of the Pok��mon Center. Passing by a perfume shop, he noticed they were having a promotion and couldn''t help but take a second look.


    That second nce was enough to get him pulled into the shop by several enthusiastic female sales clerks who suddenly appeared from inside.


    "Dear customer,e take a look! Our perfumes suit all kinds of people. Whether you''re buying it for yourself or as a gift for a girlfriend, it''s perfect!" one of the sales clerks said enthusiastically, introducing Yuga to various perfumes.


    Yuga was a little startled by the sudden crowd of pretty clerks around him. He almost thought he''d wandered into some dubious establishment selling questionable goods!


    A girlfriend? Like he''d have one!


    Sometimes, Yuga would wonder about the fact that his lifespan was clearly longer than most people''s. If he lived to be as old as his master, while his partner could only live to about sixty or seventy, wouldn''t that mean only half his lifespan?


    Different lifespans, different aging rates��was it even right for him to seek a partner? Imagine if he still looked like a young man while his partner had aged into an old woman. Just thinking about it was terrifying! No wonder his master had remained alone all these years; living a long life came with its own set of troubles!


    But shock aside, Yuga still seriously considered the perfumes the sales clerks rmended.


    Cdon''s perfumes are quite famous. Even though Yuga doesn''t use much himself, he''d still heard of their reputation.


    If the perfume here was really good, he could buy some as gifts. His Aunt, Misaki, Lain, Suzuki Koen... they all used perfume. With so many women at home, it was bound to be well received.


    Everyone''s busy with work, so buying a few gifts for them could also serve as a form of employee welfare.


    ording to the sales clerks, their perfumes are made from all-natural ingredients, with some even having special effects like aiding sleep or calming the mind.


    "Look at this, dear customer; this is a ssic men''s fragrance, very popr in our shop. It''s worth every penny and can even be a collector''s item!" the sales clerk continued, enthusiastically introducing the perfume to Yuga.


    Yuga nced at the price tag��wow, 30,000 for a small bottle! Was there gold mixed into it?


    He sniffed it and found it indeed fresh and pleasant. You get what you pay for; while he didn''t know much about perfume, he had basic judgment skills. It was indeed quality stuff.


    "Do you have a women''s version of this?" Yuga asked.


    "Yes, we do! Just a moment, please!" The clerk, beaming, took a simr bottle from behind the disy case.


    Yuga tried the women''s version and was equally satisfied, so he said to the clerk, "I''ll take one bottle of each fragrance for both of these."


    "Of course, sir! I''ll get them for you right away!"


    The sales clerk''s smile practically sparkled. It had been a while since they''d seen such a generous customer. Each of the two types of perfume had ten different scents��Yuga''s order amounted to 600,000 in total. What a high roller!


    Yuga didn''t mind spending so much money all at once. Though he''d bought gifts for everyone on previous trips, those were usually small expenses; it wasn''t often he''d splurge like this.


    "Is that...?"


    As Yuga waited for the clerk to wrap up the perfumes, he suddenly heard a voice from the side. Turning his head instinctively, he saw a woman dressed in a green kimono looking at him.


    "It really is you, Shimizu Yuga... no, Gym Leader Shimizu," the woman said, smiling with delight as she looked at him.


    "Ms. Erika?" Yuga said in surprise. Naturally, he recognized the Gym Leader of Cdon City. When he entered the store, there was even a standee of Erika by the door.


    "Yes, it''s me! I didn''t expect to run into Gym Leader Shimizu here," Erika said excitedly. "Are you here to buy perfume?"


    As a fellow Grass-type Gym Leader, Erika had long admired the renowned Gym Leader of Verdanturf Town.


    Yuga nodded, saying, "That''s right. Are you here to buy some too, Ms. Erika?"


    Erika chuckled and replied, "This perfume shop is actually mine! I came by today to check on things, and I didn''t expect to meet you here."


    It dawned on Yuga then��he had assumed that Erika''s standee was just a promotional gimmick by the store. After all, Erika was a famous perfume expert; he hadn''t expected her to be the owner herself.


    "Sir, here''s your perfume, all packed up!" The sales clerk returned with an elegantly packaged bag. Upon seeing Erika, she eximed, "Gym Leader, you''re here!"


    The sales clerk wasn''t just an employee of the perfume shop but also a trainee at the Cdon Gym.


    Erika nodded at her Gym apprentice and nced at the perfumes Yuga had bought, her expression thoughtful.


    "Where should I pay?" Yuga asked, picking up the bag from the counter.


    The sales clerk was about to answer when Erika suddenly interjected, "Gym Leader Shimizu, there''s no need to pay. Consider these perfumes a gift from me. However, I''d like to have a friendly match with you."


    Hearing her own Gym Leader address him as "Gym Leader," the sales clerk was momentarily stunned, but she wisely remained silent.


    Yuga thought for a moment and replied, "A friendly match is fine, but there''s no need for a gift." It wasn''t as though he couldn''t afford the perfumes, and he didn''t see a need to take advantage. If Erika had offered him a Pok��mon, he might not have declined.


    Since Yuga was insistent on paying, Erika didn''t press the matter.


    After paying, Yuga turned to Erika and asked, "Where shall we have our match?"


    "Follow me, Gym Leader Shimizu," Erika said, leading Yuga toward the back of the perfume shop.


    Before leaving, Yuga left his perfumes at the shop, nning to collect them after the match.


    It wasn''t until he reached the back of the store that he realized this was actually the Cdon Gym.


    To make it easier to manage her perfume business, Erika had set up the Cdon Gym right behind the shop. All of the shop employees were also Gym staff.


    Standing across from Erika on the battle grounds of the Cdon Gym, Yuga readied himself.


    "The match will be a two-on-two double battle. The side that loses both Pok��mon first will be dered the loser," the referee announced loudly. "Now, both sides, please send out your Pok��mon!"


    At the referee''s call, Yuga and Erika released their Pok��mon simultaneously: Yuga sent out Serperior and Sawsbuck, while Erika sent out Venusaur and Vileplume.


    Just like Serperior and Sawsbuck, Venusaur and Vileplume were also Elite-level Pok��mon.


    Despite Erika''s gentle and graceful demeanor, she is actually a renowned Elite Trainer, ranked 88th in the League Headquarters'' Elite standings. Her reputation in the Kanto region is well established.


    Although she only recently made it onto the rankings, reaching 88th ce so quickly is quite an achievement.


    Erika''s fame isn''t solely due to her status as a perfume master and Cdon City''s Gym Leader, but also her exceptional strength at such a young age.


    Erika is a bit older than Yuga, about the same age as Steven and Wace. While her innate talent as a Trainer may not be on par with top-tier prodigies like Steven or Cynthia, she''s certainly on the same level as Robert.


    Erika''s mentor, the former Gym Leader of the Cdon Gym, was also the previous Grass-type Elite Four of the Kanto League. Though she passed away many years ago, her legacy holds great respect in the region.


    "Begin the match!"


    With the referee''s call, both sides'' Pok��monunched their attacks simultaneously.


    After the battle started, Erika''s demeanor changed; her aura sharpened intensely, as if she had transformed into a battle-hardened warrior. Yuga had never encountered such a fierce and battle-ready Grass-type Trainer.


    Venusaur''s thick vines and Vileplume''s Sludge Bomb attacked Sawsbuck and Serperior respectively.


    Since Sawsbuck frequently sparred with Yuga''s own Venusaur, it knew exactly how to handle the situation.


    Leaping into the air with impressive agility, Sawsbuck soared high and kicked away Venusaur''s vine with a Jump Kick,nding precisely in front of it.


    Meanwhile, Serperior used its Leaf Storm to disperse Vileplume''s Sludge Bomb. Seeing that Sawsbuck''s Megahorn was about to strike Venusaur, Vileplume dashed forward to block it.


    Erika''s Vileplume had the hidden ability Effect Spore. The moment Sawsbuck touched Vileplume, it fell asleep under the influence of Spore.


    Vileplume let out a painful cry as it was knocked back, but Venusaur quickly extended two vines��one to catch the flying Vileplume, and the other to grab Sawsbuck by the leg, swinging it hard towards Serperior.


    Serperior, also proficient with Vine Whip, caught Sawsbuck, spun it around in midair to reduce the impact, and gently set the sleeping Sawsbuck down beside it.


    Venusaur and the injured Vileplume were about to press their advantage when Serperior unleashed re, freezing them in their tracks. Once they snapped out of their shock, both Venusaur and Vileplume realized they had been paralyzed.


    With Erika''s side now at a disadvantage due to the paralysis, Serperior and the recovered Sawsbuck immediatelyunched an offensive against the immobilized Venusaur and Vileplume. Serperior used its signature move, Leaf Storm, while Sawsbuck attacked with Seed Bomb.


    Sawsbuck, wary of Vileplume''s Effect Spore ability, avoided closebat this time.


    A whirlwind of green leaves roared toward Venusaur and Vileplume, and Erika quickly shouted, "Venusaur, Vileplume, use Protect!"


    Though Erika''smand carried an element of risk, it paid off. Vileplume failed to activate Protect, but Venusaur seeded just in time.


    Unfortunately, while Protect blocked Serperior''s Leaf Storm, it couldn''t withstand the Seed Bomb that followed closely behind. Vileplume bore the brunt of the attack and was immediately knocked out of the battle.


    Vileplume had already taken a Megahorn attack from Sawsbuck earlier, and now with a Seed Bomb, it couldn''t hold on any longer.


    However, just before it fell, Vileplume managed to cast Sunny Day, causing the weather to be intensely hot.


    Under sunny conditions, Venusaur could use Sr Beam without charging. A golden beam shot directly towards Sawsbuck and Serperior under Venusaur''s control.


    It must be said that Erika''s Venusaur was quite lucky, managing to use moves sessfully even in its paralyzed state.


    By this point, Serperior had already amplified its Special Attack significantly with two rounds of Leaf Storm and its Contrary ability, raising its power dramatically. When Serperior''s Leaf Storm shed with Venusaur''s Sr Beam, it quickly overpowered the Sr Beam.


    Meanwhile, Sawsbuck had somehow slipped behind Venusaur.


    Vileplume''s Sunny Day didn''t just benefit Venusaur��it also worked in Sawsbuck''s favor. Sawsbuck''s ability, Chlorophyll, doubled its speed in sunny weather.


    Erika tried to warn Venusaur to be cautious, but before it could react, Sawsbuck''s Megahornnded squarely on its rear, causing Venusaur to howl in pain.


    Being sturdier than Vileplume, Venusaur could endure the Megahorn without losing its ability to fight.


    It seemed that Sawsbuck''s horn had hit a particrly sensitive spot, because Venusaur, overwhelmed by pain, began iling its vines wildly. Sawsbuck, the closest target, was sent flying from the strike.


    Judging by Venusaur''s reaction, it must have been truly excruciating!


    Just as Sawsbuck was knocked away, Serperior''s Dragon Pulse came charging in. This time, it refrained from using Leaf Storm, knowing that Grass-type moves are resisted by Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Boom!


    The enraged Venusaur was struck, its head tilted to the side, and it lost consciousness.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, you''re truly impressive! I still have so much to learn!"


    Despite her loss, Erika wasn''t disheartened at all. Instead, she eagerly pulled Yuga aside to discuss Grass-type Pok��mon training techniques.


    Yuga was equally interested in Erika''s expertise, and the two exchanged insights for a long time, both gaining valuable knowledge.


    As the disciple of the former Grass-type Elite Four, Erika had much to teach Yuga, allowing him to verify and expand upon the knowledge passed down from his own mentor.


    Seeing it was gettingte, Yuga said his farewells. Just before he left, Erika said, "I heard from the League that your Verdanturf Town will be hosting a grand event for Grass-type Trainers. I''ll definitely be there!"

 Chapter 1193: Warning from the Future

    <h4>Chapter 1193: Warning from the Future</h4>


    Yuga hadn''t expected Erika to say that; it seemed the Kanto League''s promotion had been effective.


    "We would be delighted to wee you to Verdanturf Town, Ms. Erika. I''ll be looking forward to your arrival," Yuga replied with a smile.


    As Yuga left the Cdon Gym, he noticed it was gettingte, so he decided not to wander further and headed directly to the Pok��mon Center to stay for the night.


    The next morning, after having breakfast at the Pok��mon Center, Yuga received an invitation from Erika to join her for tea at the Cdon Gym. Reflecting on their pleasant conversation the previous day, he epted.


    Yuga stayed at the Cdon Gym until nearly noon. Erika wanted him to stay for lunch, but Yuga, eager to make the most of his time exploring Cdon City, politely declined.


    After leaving the Cdon Gym, Yuga found a modest yet well-rmended restaurant known for its vors and decided to have lunch there before exploring the city.


    Seated at the restaurant, Yuga ordered a few Kanto region specialties and was about to enjoy them when he keenly sensed someone watching him. ncing around, he noticed a bald man in a ck suit sitting not far away, someone strangely familiar.


    The man looked about twenty, quite handsome, and even sitting down, Yuga could tell he was tall��probably at least as tall as Yuga himself.


    Realizing Yuga was looking at him, the bald man didn''t seem bothered; instead, he smiled broadly at Yuga.


    Yuga was baffled.


    Filled with curiosity, Yuga finished his lunch. But as he stepped out of the restaurant, the bald man followed him outside.


    Not wanting to jump to conclusions, Yuga walked a bit further, but the man kept trailing him at a steady distance. Yuga stopped and asked, "How long are you nning to follow me? Do we know each other?"


    The man grinned and approached him, saying, "Guess who I am?"


    Hearing the familiar tone, Yuga was stunned. Was this really someone he knew?


    Seeing Yuga hesitate, the man prompted, "It''s me, Gon."


    No wonder! Yuga suddenly realized��this bald man did resemble Gon. But why did Gon look so much older all of a sudden?


    A momentter, Yuga understood. This wasn''t the Gon of today; it was Gon from the future. Having experienced time travel himself, Yuga quickly grasped this possibility.


    Noticing Yuga''sprehension, Future Gon smiled and asked, "Surprised to see me?"


    Yuga looked at Gon, dressed in a suit, and couldn''t help but say, "Why are you, a monk, dressed like this?"


    Gon blushed. "My usual attire isn''t suitable for going out, so I just threw this on."


    Since they were in the middle of the street, it wasn''t a convenient ce to talk. Yuga hurriedly pulled Future Gon into a secluded spot for a private conversation.


    With a frown, Yuga asked, "Why are you here?" Time travel wasn''t something done lightly. For Future Gon to be here, something major must have happened.


    Future Gon''s expression turned unusually serious as he said, "I was only able toe here thanks to your help."


    Yuga instantly realized that the "help" Future Gon referred to must havee from his future self. Given Yuga''s connection to Celebi, helping someone travel through time wasn''t impossible.


    After a pause, Gon continued, "I traveled from the future to this time because the Bell Tower is about to face an unprecedented crisis. I need to get to Johto as soon as possible.


    "I''m here now because Future You asked me to remind Present You to go to the Sasaki household immediately. If not, Windy''s life will be in danger."


    Windy''s life in danger? Yuga''s expression changed at Gon''s exnation.


    For Future Gon to havee all this way to deliver a message, the situation must be extremely urgent. If Yuga went directly to Pallet Town for the exhibition instead of visiting the Sasaki household, what would happen to Windy?


    Future Gon didn''t know the specifics of what was happening with Windy. He was simply following the instructions from Future Yuga to warn Present Yuga.


    After exining everything, Gon was about to depart immediately for Johto. ording to him, the situation with the Bell Tower was so urgent that if he didn''t arrive in time, the tower might be destroyed.


    The disappearance of the Bell Tower could impact the rtionship between Ho-Oh and humanity.


    After a hasty farewell to Future Gon, Yuga immediately dialed Professor Birch''s number.


    "Hello, Professor Birch, this is Yuga. I might not be able to make it to the exhibition tomorrow on time. Could you help me handle things over there?"


    "I can''t exin everything right now, but please cover for me."


    "Yes, yes, don''t worry. Once I resolve this, I''ll get there as soon as I can. Sorry to trouble you."


    ...


    After ending the call with Professor Birch, Yuga took a deep breath. Although he didn''t fully understand the situation, he decided it was best to head to the Sasaki household first.


    Originally, he had nned to visit them after attending the exhibition in Pallet Town. However, judging from the vague hints from his future self, it might be toote by then.


    Though missing the exhibition was irresponsible, priorities had to be set, and Windy''s safety was more important.


    Yuga wasn''t the only one the Hoenn League sent to represent them at the exhibition. Several others, including Professor Birch, were attending as well; they simply hadn''t departed together.


    Wasting no time, Yuga immediately rode Dragonite toward the Sasaki residence.


    The Sasaki family is a prominent n in Kanto, didn''t keep the location of their main estate a secret. As a ce where Windy had once lived, Yuga was familiar with it.


    The Sasaki family''s base wasn''t in a major city; much like the Temple n had Celestic Town as a residential area for their ordinary members, the Sasaki n had its own small town.


    However, they do not have the foundation of the Temple n, so they do not have something like Michina Town where all the key members resided, the Sasaki n''s key members all resided in their base town, Sasaki Town.


    Sasaki Towny on a fertile in not far from Saffron City. Since Saffron and Cdon were neighboring cities, it took Yuga only half a day on Dragonite to reach Sasaki Town.


    Sasaki Town was small, mostly inhabited by members of the Sasaki family, with the few remaining residents relying on the Sasakis for their livelihood.


    In this little town, the Sasaki family''s grand, luxurious manor stood out prominently, and Yuga spotted it immediately.


    Yuga directed Dragonite tond before the main gate of the Sasaki family''s manor, where two stern-faced guards stood watch.


    As soon as they saw Yuga approach, they didn''t ask any questions. Instead, they barked, "This isn''t a ce for you. Leave at once!"


    Yuga was taken aback. That couldn''t be right. As one of Kanto''s most respected families, the Sasaki n''s guards shouldn''t be so rude.


    Noticing Yuga''s confused stare, one of the guards shouted again, "What are you looking at? Leave now, or I won''t be so polite!"


    With lingering questions in his mind, Yuga walked away.


    On his way out, Yuga summoned Gengar, and using Gengar''s invisibility, he doubled back to the gate.


    Those two guards gave him a bad feeling.


    As he returned, he overheard the guards whispering to each other, heads close together.


    "Did you see that? That was a Dragonite!"


    "The guy must be an acquaintance of the Sasaki family. With all their wealth, it''s not surprising for them to own a Dragonite."


    "Should we report it? Maybe we should just capture him. A Dragonite would be worth quite a lot of contribution points!"


    ...


    Hearing their conversation, Yuga was now certain that something had happened to the Sasaki family, and these two guards definitely weren''t Sasaki family members.


    With rising suspicion, Yuga and Gengar quietly sneaked into the Sasaki manor.


    Inside, the guards were even more numerous, posted at nearly every few steps. This only made Yuga more puzzled.


    Although a prominent family would naturally have tight security, this level seemed excessively over-the-top!


    While invisibly scouting around the manor, Yuga observed that aside from the guards, there was no sign of the Sasaki family''s legitimate members anywhere.


    At that moment, a short man appeared out of nowhere. As he passed, the guards all bowed their heads in greeting.


    "Greetings, Lord Carr!"


    "Greetings, Lord Carr!"


    ...


    Carr? Yuga looked at the man in surprise. His height barely reached Yuga''s waist; this wasn''t a child, so he must be a dwarf.


    (Note: In this story, Carr is a member of Team Rocket''s secret elite trio, unknown to the public, including the League. That''s why Yuga doesn''t recognize him.)


    Now Yuga could bepletely certain that these people upying the Sasaki manor weren''t part of the Sasaki family.


    Ignoring the saluting guards, the dwarf walked away arrogantly, with the guards unfazed by his attitude.


    It seemed this dwarf had a high status! Thinking this, Yuga quietly followed him.


    Passing through rows of courtyards, the dwarf Carr headed straight to the depths of the Sasaki manor.


    In arge hall, Yuga spotted the main members of the Sasaki family, including the current head of the n and Windy.


    But they were all either unconscious or injured, lying scattered across the floor.


    Seeing Windy lying there unconscious, Yuga finally understood why his future self had urged him to hurry to the Sasaki household. Anyter, and Windy might truly have died.


    Arge wound shed across Windy''s abdomen, and the blood had soaked his clothes and the floor. His face was pale, and his breathing was extremely weak.


    Beside Windy was a girl who was still conscious, though injured, though not as severely. She was crying as she tried to press her hands against Windy''s wound, but blood continued to seep through her fingers.


    Apart from the guards outside and Carr, a tall, muscr man stood in the hall. The girl bit her lip in fear of the muscle-bound man, stifling her sobs.


    To Yuga''s surprise, the girl beside Windy looked exactly like Jessie! He had met Jessie before!


    This reminded Yuga of the original story, where James indeed had a fianc��e who looked just like Jessie, though he couldn''t remember her name. It had to be this girl next to Windy.


    "Orca, how''s it going? Got anything out of him?" Carr asked the muscr man.


    The muscr man, Orca, replied angrily, "Nothing! This old geezer really doesn''t seem to know anything, even though I tried hypnosis on him!"


    He then furiously kicked the already unconscious Sasaki family head, who groaned in pain, his face twisted, clearly injured badly.


    Yuga was confused. The Sasaki family was arge n with an Elite level trainer guarding it. How could they have fallen to this group, and sopletely at that?


    It seemed these people were trying to obtain something from the Sasaki family.


    Seeing Windy''s breathing grow weaker, Yuga knew he couldn''t wait any longer.


    With that thought, he summoned Mismagius and Dusknoir.


    At this moment, Yuga was very grateful that he had brought Dusknoir with him.


    "Gengar, Mismagius, Dusknoir, cover this mansion with your Space."


    He instructed them carefully: the Sasaki family members would be excluded from the space, so only the intruders would be contained. This way, their battle wouldn''t endanger the Sasaki family, and no intruder would escape.


    Once Gengar and the others created the spatial field, it would be isted from the outside world. Unless the space was shattered, those inside would be unable to interfere with the outside.


    Since the intruders and the Sasaki family wore different attire, Yuga wasn''t worried that Gengar and the others would make a mistake.


    As soon as Gengar left Yuga, his invisibility wore off.


    "Who''s there?"


    Yuga''s sudden appearance instantly caught the attention of Carr and Orca.


    But they didn''t notice that Gengar and the others had quietly created the space, enveloping them inside.


    Recognizing Yuga''s face, Carr and Orca immediately knew who he was. After all, Yuga was a special target of interest for Team Rocket, and as members of Team Rocket''s elite trio, Carr and Orca couldn''t possibly not know him.


    "What are you doing here?!" Carr''s voice cracked with fear.


    Recalling Yuga''s rumored abilities, Orca, knowing he was outmatched, instinctively tried to grab a hostage nearby. However, when he reached for the Sasaki family head, his hand passed right through him.


    ��|||


    Orca was stunned, and Carr''s eyes widened as he shouted in disbelief, "What did you do?!"


    Meanwhile, Chimecho and Bellossom, whom Yuga had left outside the Space, had already begun healing the injured Sasaki family members with Heal Pulse and Grassy Terrain.


    Carr and Orca tried to stop them, but they found that the Sasaki family members before them seemed like illusions��visible but untouchable.


    Little did they know, although the Sasaki family was only a few feet away, they were now in a different space. Unless they had Champion-level strength to break through the space, there was no way to reach them.


    And clearly, they didn''t.

 Chapter 1194: Long-lost People in Memory

    <h4>Chapter 1194: Long-lost People in Memory</h4>


    The previously unconscious Windy finally regained consciousness thanks to the full efforts of Chimecho and Bellossom''s healing.


    "What happened? Am I dreaming?" Windy asked in confusion upon seeing Chimecho hovering in front of him. Internally, he thought, <i>Am I seeing the boss''s Chimecho?</i>


    Just then, Jessebelle, who was holding him,ughed and cried simultaneously. "You''re not dreaming��someone''se to save us!"


    Following Jessebelle''s pointing finger, Windy saw Yuga, who was confronting Carr and Orm. He shouted exitedly, "Boss!"


    His sudden movement pulled at his abdominal wound, making him wince in pain.


    Although he was unsure why his boss had shown up here, Windy knew they were saved.


    Seeing this, Jessebelle urged him, "Your injuries are severe, so try not to move too much. That person looks very strong��we''re definitely going to be okay."


    Windy nodded in agreement.


    Once Chimecho confirmed that Windy''s injuries were no longer life-threatening, it turned around, and together with Bellossom, they went to treat the other members of the Sasaki family.


    Meanwhile, Carr and Orm, realizing they were trapped, reluctantly released their Pok��mon in a final desperate move against Yuga.


    Yuga summoned all his Pok��mon, except for Shelgon and Cosmoem, keeping Lapras and Dragonite by his side while sending the others to take down Carr and Orm''s subordinates in the confined space.


    Noticing Yuga''s intentions, Carr and Orm were furious and ordered their Pok��mon to attack him.


    Despite hisrge build, Orm used four cute, small Cottonee. However, these Cottonee were unusually vicious and ruthless, far from the typically gentle nature of their species.


    The four Cottonee attempted abined Energy Ball attack directly at Yuga, but Lapras intercepted it with a powerful Water Gun, scattering their attack.


    After failing in the first attack, the Cottonee tried again, but Lapras countered with Ice Beam, encasing each Cottonee in ice, which then dropped to the ground with a series of thuds.


    The Sasaki family patriarch, who had just been rescued by Chimecho, opened his eyes to see several ice chunks had flying toward him and somehow passed right through his body. Startled, he rolled further away in fright.


    Seeing this, Chimecho giggled at the Sasaki family patriarch''s foolish reaction.


    Windy and Jessebelle who are standing near Yuga, were equally tense.


    Dragonite knocked Carr''s Skarmory out of the air with a Thunder Punch, sending it crashing to the ground right in front of Windy and Jessebelle, who jumped in fright.


    However, they soon realized that, despite being so close to the battle, not a single attack reached them.


    Carr''s Pok��mon included six Forretress and one Skarmory. With Skarmory defeated, the six Forretress encircled Dragonite, spinning at high speed.


    Seeing the approaching Forretress, Dragonite clenched its fist and began using Fire Punch, knocking each Forretress out of the air one by one like dumplings into soup.


    Although Carr''s Forretress was capable of using Explosion and Self-Destruct, he was nothing like the Shadow Triad Yuga had encountered before��Carr valued his life highly. In this situation, if the Forretress used Self-Destruct or Explosion, it wouldn''t just be Yuga in danger; he and Orm would also be caught in the st.


    Seeing their Skarmory, Forretress, and Orm''s Cottonee all being taken down, Carr broke out in a cold sweat.


    For Carr and Orm to be part of Team Rocket''s Three Beasts, they were undoubtedly strong. Unfortunately, they were facing a far more formidable opponent.


    Carr gritted his teeth and released his strongest Pok��mon��two Steelix. Orm followed suit, releasing two Shuckle.


    "Roar!"


    "Roar!"


    Two enormous Steelix charged at Yuga from either side. Despite knowing the Steelix couldn''t reach her, Jessebelle couldn''t help but scream and cover her head as their massive tails swept dangerously close.


    Dragonite darted in front of the first Steelix, delivering a Fire Punch directly to its jaw, sending it reeling with a pained cry. The other Steelix was struck by Lapras''s Hydro Pump. Despite its massive size and weight, the forceful water st forced it to retreat.


    Just as Lapras and Dragonite prepared to continue their assault, Orm''s two Shuckle intervened, using Rock Tomb. Dozens of massive rocks fell from above, trapping both Dragonite and Lapras and halting their movements.


    Dragonite smashed through the rocks one by one with punches, shattering them into pieces. Breaking free, Dragonite charged toward Steelix, readying another Fire Punch.


    Just then, one of the Shuckle sprang forward, intercepting Dragonite''s punch with its sturdy body. Although it was sent flying, its impressive defense left it rtively unharmed.


    Lapras, meanwhile, used Surf to wash away the rocks encircling it, intending to attack Steelix, only to be blocked by the second Shuckle.


    Frustrated, Lapras''s body emitted an intense chill, lowering the temperature sharply within the space.


    With a resonant hum, an icy blue aura erupted from Lapras, instantly freezing the nearby Shuckle and Steelix into two ice statues. Lapras had used its one-hit knockout move, Sheer Cold.


    However, from within the frozen Steelix, a cracking sound emerged, and in moments, the ice shattered as Steelix broke free. Its Sturdy ability had allowed it to withstand the effects of Sheer Cold, sparing it from aplete knockout.


    The Shuckle, on the other hand, wasn''t so fortunate; its Gluttony ability offered no protection, and it was rendered unable to battle within the ice.


    Breaking free, Steelixunched itself at Lapras with Double-Edge. In response, Lapras used Surf to create a water barrier, propelling itself into the sky while Steelix crashed into the water wall.


    From above, Lapras unleashed an ice beam, freezing the water barrier along with Steelix within it.


    Desperate, Orm secretly released a Girafarig, intending to use Trick Room to support the remaining Steelix and Shuckle. However, the area was already under the influence of Dusknoir''s Trick Room, preventing the weak-minded Girafarig from setting up its own Trick Room.


    Meanwhile, the Shuckle suddenly shifted tactics, using Power Trick to swap its defense and attack stats, and thenunched a full-force Stone Edge at Dragonite.


    Steelix seized the opportunity, using Double-Edge to charge at Dragonite.


    Dragonite swiftly dodged with Extreme Speed, causing Shuckle''s Stone Edge to hit Steelix in the head, making it lurch sideways.


    Seizing the moment, Dragonitended a powerful Fire Punch directly on Steelix''s head, knocking it out cold.


    Without Steelix, Shuckle was left vulnerable. With its defense swapped to boost its attack, it now had little defense to withstand even a single hit from Dragonite.


    With all their Pok��mon defeated, Carr and Orm huddled together, trembling in fear.


    It wasn''t long after Yuga dealt with Carr and Orm that the Pok��mon he''d sent out to handle the grunts returned as well. Soon, the area outside the hall was filled with unconscious people, lined up in neat rows.


    "Shi... Shimizu Yuga, Team Rocket won''t let you get away with this!" Carr''s voice shook as he spoke, both angry and terrified at the sight before him.


    Team Rocket?


    Yuga hadn''t expected Carr to reveal his identity, let alone that these people were with Team Rocket. None of them wore uniforms with the Team Rocket emblem, so it was no surprise that Yuga hadn''t recognized them.


    Actually, it wasn''t surprising that Carr would spill his identity; now that they were in Yuga''s hands, it was only a matter of time before their identities were forced out, so there was no point in hiding it.


    Seeing Yuga ignore him, Carr started cursing again, and Orm joined in.


    The grudge between Yuga and Team Rocket went so deep it would take days to exin, so it was no wonder Carr and Orm were furious at him.


    Finding them too noisy, Yuga shot a look at Breloom nearby, who understood immediately andnded a punch on each of them, instantly silencing them.


    After confirming all the Team Rocket members had been captured, Yuga ordered Gengar and the others to withdraw into the shadow space.


    Seeing the Gengar and other Ghost-types vanish into shadows one by one, the Sasaki n members who had already regained consciousness looked at Yuga with awe and respect, realizing that these Ghost Pok��mon had created the barrier separating them from the battlefield!


    They had never heard of such an ability.


    After withdrawing the space, Yuga walked over to Windy and asked with concern, "Are you okay?"


    "I''m fine; it''s all thanks to you, Boss!" Windy replied, getting up from the ground with Jessebelle''s help. Then he remembered something and quickly said to Yuga, "They took my Great Flygon and Porygon!"


    Hearing this, Yuga replied, "No problem, I''ll go look for them."


    In a short while, Yuga found the Pok�� Balls for the Great Flygon and Porygon on Carr. After releasing them to check for injuries and confirming they were not seriously harmed, he returned them to their Pok�� Balls.


    "Take care of things here with the Sasaki family. I''ll go find someone to take these people into custody," Yuga said, pointing at the pile of Team Rocket grunts outside.


    "Don''t worry about it; we''ll handle the rest ourselves," Windy responded.


    Yuga stepped outside the hall and dialed Joyna''s number.


    In Kanto, Yuga knew quite a few people, including Joyna, the chief of the Kanto Investigation Bureau.


    The former head of the bureau was Lance, but after he transferred to Johto, Joyna took over.


    Yuga exined the events that had transpired at the Sasaki estate to Joyna over the phone. Of course, he didn''t know all the details, so Joyna would need to send people over to investigate further.


    When Yuga returned to the hall, it had already been tidied up, and the other Sasaki family members who had been held captive elsewhere were also rescued.


    He even spotted a familiar face: Sasaki Shindou.


    The Sasaki family was inplete chaos, overwhelmed with matters to handle, so Shindou merely nodded in greeting at Yuga from afar without approaching for a conversation.


    Yuga walked back into the hall to find the head of the Sasaki family, supported by his wife, approaching him with a pale face.


    Mrs. Sasaki had been held captive earlier, but Team Rocket hadn''t had the chance to interrogate her, so she wasn''t hurt.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, we owe you so much this time. On behalf of the Sasaki family, I offer our sincerest gratitude," said the head of the Sasaki family, bowing deeply to Yuga, with Mrs. Sasaki following suit.


    Yuga stepped aside to avoid the bow and waved his hand, saying, "It was a coincidence that I was here. Besides, Team Rocket is a menace to society, and it''s everyone''s duty to fight against criminals."


    Yuga then learned from the head of the Sasaki family that Team Rocket had managed to infiltrate and control their family so silently because of an insider��a traitor within their ranks. It turned out that one of the Sasaki family''s elders had secretly joined Team Rocket.


    Under this elder''s scheme, all the capable trainers in the Sasaki family had been neutralized; some were still unconscious even now. Team Rocket''s operation had been so covert that no one outside even knew the Sasaki family had been attacked.


    It seemed Team Rocket hade to the Sasaki family searching for something, but they had been vague about it. The head of the family truly had no idea what they were looking for.


    To find out about it, Team Rocket had even used hypnosis on him. But not knowing meant not knowing��hypnosis was useless.


    After listening to the head of Sasaki family''sints, Mrs. Sasaki suddenly spoke up, "I heard them mention that the item was something Big Brother brought back. Do you think Sister-inw might know?"


    Upon hearing this, the head''s face changed, as did Windy''s, who was sitting nearby.


    Seeing everyone looking at her with puzzled expressions, Mrs. Sasaki sheepishly said, "I was just specting."


    The head of the family sighed and said, "You might have a point."


    Listening to their conversation, Yuga fell into thought.


    There was only one person the Sasaki couple could refer to as Big Brother��thete father of Windy. So, the sister-inw they mentioned could only be Windy''s father''s first wife.


    "Windy, do you remember her?" the head of the Sasaki family cautiously asked.


    It had been many years since anyone in the Sasaki family dared mention this person.


    Windy nodded; of course he remembered. The happiest days of his life in the Sasaki family were the days he''d spent with her.


    In his memories, she was an incredibly gentle woman. Thanks to her protection, he''d had a few carefree years within the Sasaki family.


    He knew that she was the one who had killed his father, but he didn''t hate her for it.


    "Would you like to see her again?" the head of the family asked, aplex expression on his face.


    His words exploded in Windy''s mind. See her? What did he mean?


    Yuga raised an eyebrow, too. It seemed that the woman was still alive.


    Then again, no one had ever explicitly said she was dead. Windy only remembered her being taken away by people sent by his grandfather, and they never saw each other again, nor had he heard any news about her since.


    He had thought that his grandfather...


    Windy''s grandfather had passed away not long after she disappeared.

 Chapter 1195: Mew And Aura

    <h4>Chapter 1195: Mew And Aura</h4>


    While Yuga was chatting with the head of the Sasaki family and Windy, Joyna quickly arrived with her team in tow.


    She was surprised to see rows of people neatly lined up outside the hall. After greeting the head of the Sasaki family, she smiled at Yuga and said, "It''s been a while! This wee gift of yours is really quite something!"


    Yuga replied with a bitter smile, "If I could help it, I wouldn''t want to give this gift at all." If he had arrived even a littleter, Windy and the others might not have survived.


    The head of the Sasaki family respectfully invited Joyna into the room and carefully recounted how their family had been controlled by Carr and Orm. Yuga sat silently beside them, listening without speaking.


    After understanding the events, Joyna looked at Yuga in confusion and asked, "You must have been invited to Kanto to attend Professor Oak''s exhibition. Shouldn''t you be in Pallet Town right now? How did you suddenly end up here in Sasaki Town?"


    The head of the Sasaki family and Windy also looked at Yuga curiously upon hearing Joyna''s question. Joyna didn''t mean to doubt Yuga��she was simply ustomed to investigating as part of her job, and her curiosity led her to ask without thinking.


    "I have a Spoink at home who can foretell things, and it suddenly told me that Windy was in danger, so I rushed over in a hurry. It''s turns out it was right!" Yuga replied earnestly, making things up as he went along.


    Because it wasn''t convenient to mention about Gon whoe from the future, he had to use Spoink as an excuse. Anyway, his Spoink did possess a hint of irvoyant ability, even though it was unreliable most of the time. But having some ability was enough.


    At that very moment, Spoink, who was reading fortunes for passing tourists at the entrance of Ecopark, suddenly shivered, as if something had just been dropped on its head. It reached up to touch its head, but its arms were too short to reach.


    Strange, the pearl is right here in my hands! Spoink muttered to itself.


    Hearing Yuga''s answer, Windy suddenly understood. So that''s what happened! He was aware of some of Spoink''s peculiarities.


    Windy had no reason to doubt Yuga''s words.


    Joyna, equally surprised, asked, "A Spoink that can foretell? Like Olympia at Anystar Gym?"


    Olympia''s ability was well-known within the League, and with this example in mind, Joyna didn''t doubt Yuga''s story. Pok��mon came with all sorts of talents, and a Spoink with fortune-telling abilities wasn''t shocking.


    Yuga waved his hand and replied, "It''s not as impressive as Ms. Olympia''s abilities; it can only predict simple good or bad omens."


    "That''s still pretty amazing!" Joyna praised and didn''t ask further. She turned around to continue discussing the details of the incident with the head of the Sasaki family.


    After about an hour, Joyna stood and took her leave. "We''ll head back for now, and we''ll inform you if there are any updates on the case," she said.


    With that, she called her team over to take away everyone lying outside the hall, including Carr and Orm.


    After Joyna left, the head of the Sasaki family, seeing that it was gettingte, enthusiastically invited Yuga to stay the night. Yuga epted; Sasaki Town was a secluded family settlement without nearby inns. Leaving the Sasaki estate at this hour would make it hard to find amodations.


    That night, during a chat with Windy, Yuga finally learned why Windy had been dyed so long in returning to Verdanturf Town. It turned out that the head of the Sasaki family wanted him to inherit the role of family head.


    Currently, there were only two rightful heirs to the Sasaki family: James and Windy.


    The head of the Sasaki family was well aware of his son James''s tendencies. If he inherited the position of head, the Sasaki family''s future would be bleak. Thus, he had sent Sasaki Shindou to Verdanturf Town to persuade Windy to return.


    Windy only learned about his uncle''s intentions aftering back.


    Additionally, the head of the Sasaki family hoped Windy could take James''s ce in fulfilling the marriage arrangement with Jessebelle. The reason Jessebelle hade to the Sasaki estate in the first ce was to discuss this matter, but she had be involved in an unexpected disaster.


    The Jessebelle family and the Sasaki family had been allies for generations. Although they weren''t as wealthy as the Sasaki family, they were still a prominent noble family in the Kanto region. A marriage alliance between the two families would strengthen both.


    This marriage arrangement had been in ce since Windy''s father was alive, and he seemed to have been deeply invested in it. One way or another, the marriage would fall to either Windy or James.


    Bringing up the matter now, the head of the Sasaki family intended to fulfill his brother''sst wish.


    When Windy learned of his uncle''s intentions, he immediately refused. He didn''t want to be the heir of the Sasaki family, nor did he want to fulfill the marriage arrangement with Jessebelle, leaving the two of them at an impasse.


    After listening to Windy''s story, Yuga was bewildered. What kind of situation was this? An inheritance worth billions with no one to im it? How could such a vast fortune not be appealing? He couldn''t understand what Windynd James were thinking.


    Though he felt it was a shame, he didn''t urge Windy to ept his uncle''s offer. Windy''s situation wasplex, and it wasn''t something an outsider like Yuga could resolve with just a few words.


    Besides, Windy was one of the "founding generals" of the YoYo Day Care. If he went back to inherit the family business, it would be YoYo Day Care''s loss!


    The night passed just like that.


    Early the next morning, the Sasaki family''s driver began preparing the car, as both the Sasaki family head and Windy needed to go out.


    After a night of reflection, Windy decided he would meet that person after all.


    It was only yesterday that he learned that when his grandfather had taken that person away back then, he hadn''t actually been able to do anything to her.


    For someone who could be considered a potential spouse for the heir of the Sasaki family, her family background must have been remarkable as well.


    Windy''s adoptive mother''s full name was Tsuruko Honma, and she was the twin sister of the current head of the Honma family. In terms of influence in the Kanto region, the Honma family was no less formidable than the Sasaki family.


    Unlike the business-oriented Sasaki family, the Honma family was one of the oldest families in the League, having yed a major role in its founding. Even now, many Honma family members held prominent positions within the League, and Tsuruko''s younger brother was currently the Vice-President of the Kanto League.


    When Windy''s grandfather learned that his eldest son had been killed by his daughter-inw, he immediately seized Tsuruko and went to the Honma family to demand an exnation.


    At that time, the old head of the Honma family, Tsuruko''s father, was still alive, and naturally, he wanted to protect his daughter. Moreover, although Windy''s grandfather knew the truth about his son''s death, he had no concrete evidence. Not only did he fail to get any ountability from the Honma family, but he also ended up leaving humiliated.


    Since then, Tsuruko never returned to the Sasaki family.


    Windy''s grandfather always wanted to seek justice from the Honma family, but hecked solid evidence, and both the father and son of the Honma family were powerful figures within the League. Eventually, the matter was left unresolved.


    Tsuruko herself openly admitted to her father-inw that she had killed her husband, but with her brother and father''s unwavering support, no one in the Sasaki family could do anything about her.


    It was said that one of the main reasons Windy''s grandfather passed away so quickly was because of the distress from this situation.


    After his passing, the Sasaki family cut off all ties with the Honma family, and there was no further news about Tsuruko Honma. She seemed to vanish without a trace.


    The current information about her was something that the head of the Sasaki family only discoveredter.


    Thanks to a night of treatment from Chimecho, the injuries of both Windy and the Sasaki family head were no longer serious, though they both looked pale and appeared weak. Fortunately, their injuries were external; otherwise, even Chimecho wouldn''t have been able to help much.


    Noticing his uncle''s paleplexion, Windy hesitated for a moment before saying, "Uncle, perhaps you shouldn''t go."


    Although Windy bore no resentment toward his adoptive mother, the head of the Sasaki family might not feel so neutral about his former sister-inw.


    Although Windy''s father was at fault in the past, family is family, and a blood brother remains a blood brother. Facing the person who caused his brother''s death, it was impossible for the head of the Sasaki family not to hold some resentment.


    Looking at his nephew''s equally pale face, the Sasaki family head smiled wryly and said, "I''ll still go with you. I wouldn''t feel at ease if you went alone."


    Seeing his uncle''s resolute attitude, Windy did not try to dissuade him further and simply instructed the driver to depart.


    Yuga did not apany the uncle and nephew to see Tsuruko Honma; after all, it was a family matter that he didn''t want to interfere with. So, he stayed at the Sasaki family''s estate, waiting for them to return.


    After more than half a day, Windy''s car stopped at an unremarkable vige. The driver rolled down the window to ask a viger a few questions, and the viger pointed in a direction. Following the directions, the car eventually parked in front of a small courtyard.


    The courtyard was simple, with a modest house inside and a garden filled with brightly colored flowers.


    The garden was enclosed by a low fence, allowing anyone from outside to see clearly within.


    At that moment, a tall woman was in the garden, watering the nts with a watering can, with a Roserade by her side helping out.


    The woman and the Pok��mon were chatting andughing, seemingly discussing something amusing.


    Their car''s arrival caught the attention of the woman and Roserade. The woman turned around, and Windy immediately recognized her from inside the vehicle.


    It was his adoptive mother.


    So many years had passed, yet time seemed to have left no trace on Tsuruko Honma. The only difference was her current attire.


    She wore a simple dress, a white apron, and a headscarf, with her beautiful blonde hair cascading down her back��she looked just like a viger.


    Who would have thought that the elegant and nobledy of years past would now appear as a modest vige woman?


    After Windy''s grandfather passed away, Tsuruko Honma moved here on her own and has lived in this vige alone ever since, never once leaving it. Her daily expenses were covered by the Honma family, who sent someone to bring her necessities.


    The Honma family, though influential, was not asrge or widespread as the Sasaki family, with its many rtives and branches, so they didn''t have their own estate or settlement.


    However, this vige was the Honma family''s ancestral home.


    Seeing Windy quietly staring at Tsuruko Honma, the Sasaki family head patted him on the shoulder and said, "Go down and see her."


    He knew his nephew had thought about his adoptive mother over the years, but he himself wasn''t nning to go down; he still couldn''t let go of the past.


    In the courtyard, Tsuruko Honma looked curiously at the car outside. When Windy stepped out, her pupils contracted slightly.


    Though Windy had grown up, she recognized him at once��after all, he was the child she once raised as her own son.


    As Windy walked into the courtyard, Tsuruko gave him a gentle smile and said, "What brings you here?"


    Windy, feeling a bit uneasy, forced himself to actposed and replied, "I came to see you."


    Tsuruko nodded, momentarily at a loss for words, before finally saying, "Come inside and have a seat; don''t stand outside."


    The Sasaki family head waited outside until nightfall. When Windy finally came out of the house, he was holding an ornate box about the size of a person''s head.


    "Uncle, let''s go back," Windy said, his eyes red.


    The Sasaki family head nodded and instructed the driver, "Drive."


    On the way back, noticing Windy''s mood had calmed, the Sasaki family head looked at the box in his hands and asked, "Is this the item those people were looking for?"


    Windy replied, "I''m not sure. She said my father entrusted it to her, saying it was very important, but she doesn''t know its specific purpose either. It''s hard to say if this is what those people are after."


    After some thought, the Sasaki family head said, "In that case, let''s wait until we get back and show it to Gym Leader Shimizu."


    Whatever was in this box, the Sasaki family head intended to hand it over to the League. If it had attracted Team Rocket today, who''s to say it wouldn''t bring other troublemakers like Team Aqua tomorrow? Keeping it wasn''t worth the risk.


    The uncle and nephew returned to the Sasaki family mansion in the early hours of the next day. After resting briefly, they took the item to see Yuga.


    When Yuga opened the box, he found an irregrly shaped, icy-blue stone inside.


    The moment he saw it, he sensed a familiar energy emanating from it��the power of aura. Since he had a Lucario in his Ecopark, he was naturally familiar with the unique energy waves of aura.


    In addition to the icy-blue stone, the box also contained a palm-sized stone tablet engraved with an elegant Mew.


    "Do you know where your father got these items?" Yuga asked Windy.


    Windy replied honestly, "My adoptive mother said a friend of my father''s entrusted him with these."


    Yuga continued, "Do you know who this friend was? Do you know their name?"


    Windy responded, "I''m not sure, but ording to my adoptive mother, her name was Miyamoto."


    "Miyamoto..." Yuga muttered the name a few times, finding it vaguely familiar, but he couldn''t recall from where.


    "Are you sure you want to hand this over to the League? This doesn''t look like an ordinary item," Yuga asked, seriously confirming with the uncle and nephew.


    "It''s precisely because it doesn''t look ordinary that we want to hand it over��to avoid causing more trouble," the Sasaki family head said.


    "Perfect timing. I''m leaving for Pallet Town tomorrow, so I''ll bring it to Professor Oak," Yuga said, closing the box containing the stone and tablet.

 Chapter 1196: Arriving at Pallet Town

    <h4>Chapter 1196: Arriving at Pallet Town</h4>


    After spending another night at the Sasaki household, Yuga departed with the items he had received from Windy''s adoptive mother, setting off for Pallet Town.


    Windy also left with him.


    The head of the Sasaki family, seeing that Windy had no desire to inherit the family business and had also refused the engagement to Jessebelle, begrudgingly allowed him to leave, out of respect for Yuga.


    Watching Yuga and Windy ride off on Dragonite and Flygon, Jessebelle resolved to be a formidable Trainer. The next time she encountered danger, she didn''t want to be caught helpless.


    A significant part of why Windy had been so severely injured before was because he had been protecting her, leaving Jessebelle feeling deeply guilty.


    But truth be told, the idea of marrying Windy didn''t sit well with her either; she actually preferred James, who had been her closepanion since childhood.


    Riding on Dragonite and Flygon they departed from Sasaki Town early in the morning. By the afternoon, the two of them had sessfully reached Pallet Town, where Professor Birch was already waiting at the town''s entrance, after having been notified in advance.


    Seeing Yuga and Windy dismount from their Dragonite and Flygon, Professor Birch greeted them with a warm smile, saying to Yuga, "You finally made it! If you''d been anyter, the exhibition would''ve already ended."


    After returning Dragonite to its Pok�� Ball, Yuga turned around to Professor Birch and asked, "How has the exhibition been going? Has anyone voiced any objections about me?"


    Professor Birch replied with a smile, "The exhibition has been going smoothly! You''ve made a valuable contribution this time; it''s not as if you''re shirking your duties, so no one has anyints about you. Don''t worry."


    Hearing this, Yuga felt reassured. "Good to know."


    At that moment, Professor Birch turned to Windy and greeting him warmly, "So you''re Windy! Hello!"


    Windy, being a shy person, simply replied with a brief, "Hello, Professor Birch," and didn''t say much more.


    As they headed toward Professor Oak''sboratory, Professor Birch enthusiastically shared with Yuga some recent events from the exhibition, particrly emphasizing the early-stage results of the two giant meteoroid fragments.


    Once inside theboratory, Yuga was led to the research room where the exhibition was being held, while Windy was escorted to a different part of the facility by one of theb staff to settle in.


    The giant meteoroid fragments were a League secret, and only influential figures within the League had been invited to attend the exhibition, so Windy naturally wasn''t eligible to apany Yuga.


    Yuga''s arrival quickly attracted the attention of everyone in the research room; some of them nodded their heads in acknowledgment from a distance, others waved their hands to greet him, while a few of them whispered quietly among themselves.


    Yuga scanned the room, responding to the greetings from familiar faces, and also noticed a number of unfamiliar ones.


    "Goodd, you finally made it!" Professor Oak, who had been talking to Professor tane, approached and gave Yuga a firm pat on the back.


    "I apologize for beingte," Yuga said with a smile, excusing himself to Professor Oak.


    Professor Oak waved it off, saying, "Oh, you''re here now, and that''s what matters. Being a bitte doesn''t affect anything. Come on, let me tell you about our research findings."


    As Professor Oak spoke, he led Yuga to the central console in the research room. On the console were two transparent casings containing the megalith fragments that Yuga and Steven had handed over.


    After a few adjustments, a set of magnified dynamic images appeared on the screen of the machine in front of Yuga.


    "This is..." Yuga asked, puzzled.


    Professor Oak pointed to the dynamic images and exined, "This is a dposition image of cellr tissue..."


    Through Professor Oak''s exnation, Yuga learned that the megalith fragments emit a unique radiation that causes rapid cell division in Pok��mon. However, this cell division effect is only triggered in legendary Pok��mon; regr Pok��mon and humans exposed to the radiation do not undergo any such changes.


    The dynamic images shown to Yuga were obtained from experiments conducted with a hair sample from Mew, a rare item in the League''s collection. Aside from Mew''s hair, Professor Oak and his team had also experimented with cells from Latias and Latios'' scales, the talons of the Legendary Birds, Rayquaza''s blood, and other cellr tissues from legendary Pok��mon, ultimately arriving at their current findings.


    Legendary Pok��mon have unique life forms with exceptionally powerful life forces. The radiation from the megalith not only poses no harm to them but even stimtes theirtent abilities.


    If humans or regr Pok��mon were exposed to such rapid cell division, symptoms of life force depletion would likely appear quickly.


    Professor Oak and his team had shared these findings with others before Yuga arrived but were now recounting them for Yuga''s benefit.


    However, the megalith fragments don''t leave ordinary Pok��monpletely unaffected. During the experiments, for instance, a Hypno experienced a sudden spike in psychic power after prolonged radiation exposure, nearly causing its brain to copse; it only returned to normal after being kept away from the fragment for an extended time. Simrly, a Primeape experienced localized muscle necrosis and signs of organ failure after prolonged exposure, and a Venusaur went through spontaneous Mega Evolution due to the radiation, which caused it intense pain until it reverted after being moved away from the fragment...


    In short, the effects of the megalith fragments on ordinary Pok��mon are varied and unpredictable, with negative impacts being the mostmon oue in the experiments conducted so far.


    The only constion is that, at least for now, there''s no evidence that the radiation from the megalith fragments affects humans whoe into contact with them.


    After listening to Professor Oak''s exnation, Yuga realized just how dangerous the megalith fragments were. Fortunately, his own fragment was safely stored in his system''s inventory; otherwise, things could have gone terribly wrong.


    As for whether the megalith fragments were truly as harmless to humans and legendary Pok��mon as Professor Oak suggested, Yuga had his doubts.


    The reason headquarters decided to hold the exhibition at Professor Oak''sb wasn''t only to present the findings on the megalith but also to gather representatives from each League division to discuss how to handle the fragments.


    Before Yuga''s arrival, the League representatives had already been debating this issue for some time without reaching a conclusion. Some proposed distributing the fragments to the League''s alliedwful legendary Pok��mon, as they could make the best use of them. Others suggested using the fragments to develop new weapons due to their immense energy potential. Still, others proposed using the fragments to enhance Pok��mon...


    Since Yuga arrivedte, by the time Professor Oak finished exining the research findings on the megalith fragments, the day''s discussion had ended.


    "Alright, that''s enough for today," Professor Oak announced to everyone. "Since there hasn''t been much progress, we''ll continue tomorrow. Everyone, please go rest."


    Soon, most people in theb had left. Daye, Elite Four Shimi, and a few others had wanted to catch up with Yuga, but seeing that Yuga seemed to have something to discuss privately with Professor Oak, they refrained from interrupting and followed the others out of theb.


    After everyone left, Yuga turned to Professor Oak and Professor Birch and said, "There''s something I''d like to show you both. Do you have a moment?"


    Professor Oak''s curiosity was piqued. "What could be so important?"


    Professor Birch quickly caught on. "Does it have something to do with Team Rocket''s capture this time?"


    Yuga nodded slightly.


    Professor Oak raised an eyebrow. "Ah, so it does. I definitely want to see it!" He was already aware of Yuga''s sessful capture of several Team Rocket members and assumed that anything capable of mobilizing so many Team Rocket operatives had to be significant.


    Beforeing to theb, Yuga had handed the item to Windy for safekeeping. So, after leaving theb, the three of them found the room where Windy was staying. Windy, understanding they had important matters to discuss, handed the item back to Yuga and excused herself from the room.


    After Windy left, Yuga opened the box and took out the stone and the stone tablet within.


    "Is this... the power of Aura?"


    Both Professor Oak and Professor Birch, being experienced researchers, immediately recognized the energy fluctuations emanating from the blue stone.


    "And this... there''s an image of the Mythical Pok��mon Mew on it..." Professor Oak observed as he examined the stone tablet.


    "Do you know the origin of this stone and tablet?" Yuga asked.


    "No, I can''t discern their origin," Professor Oak replied, inspecting the stone closely with a magnifying ss.


    "Wait, look closely. Is there something inside this stone?" Professor Birch suddenly called out.


    "Where? Let me see!" Professor Oak quickly grabbed the magnifying ss and looked closely.


    "There really is!" After a while, Professor Oak confirmed.


    Yuga also leaned in to look carefully and indeed saw a small, transparent flower bud inside the semi-transparent stone��a detail he hadn''t noticed before.


    The icy blue stone was only semi-transparent, and the bud inside was fully transparent, so it was no wonder Yuga hadn''t noticed it earlier.


    "Professor Oak, doesn''t the thing inside look like a Time Flower?" Professor Birch suggested after some thought.


    "Time Flower?" Professor Oak moved closer with the magnifying ss to examine it again. Then he said, "Wait a moment."


    He ran out of the room, returning with a thick book.


    After carefullyparing the contents of the book for a while, Professor Oak finally said, "It really is a Time Flower."


    At this point, Yuga also saw the illustration in Professor Oak''s book. It depicted arge, transparent flower that looked very simr to the one in the stone, except the Time Flower in the illustration was in full bloom, while the one inside the stone was still a bud.


    "Professor, what exactly is a Time Flower?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    "A Time Flower is a unique life form that only grows near the Tree of Beginning," Professor Birch exined to Yuga. "Though it takes the shape of a flower, it''s not a true nt. Its unique property is that it can record events that took ce nearby."


    "You may not know this, but the Tree of Beginning, despite its name and appearance as a tree, is not actually a true tree. It only looks like one because so many nts grow on its surface," Professor Oak exined. "In reality, it''s a crystalline life form encased inyers of rock. The Time Flower is an affiliated life form of this Tree."


    Professor Birch nodded in agreement. "Exactly. The Tree of Beginning still holds many mysteries, but one thing is certain��the Mythical Pok��mon Mew resides there."


    This information was a closely guarded secret of the League. If anyone else were present, the two professors wouldn''t have discussed it so openly.


    "So these items may be connected to the Tree of Beginning or Mew?" Yuga spected.


    "Very likely," Professor Oak agreed.


    "Then how should we handle them?" Yuga asked, looking to the two professors.


    After a moment''s thought, Professor Oak replied, "Leave them with me for a couple of days so I can study them. We can decide on the next steps afterward."


    Yuga had no objections, as this approach suited Professor Oak''s inquisitive nature perfectly. Researchers tend to have a strong thirst for knowledge and curiosity.


    As they were leaving, Professor Oak was carrying the box with the items. Just as he reached the door, he turned back to Yuga and said, "I heard from Director Joy that you have a Spoink that can perform divination. Would you mind lending it to me for a couple of days to study?"


    Yuga: ...


    Joyna''s loose lips strike again!


    With a polite but slightly exasperated smile, Yuga replied, "I can''t really make that decision on my own. I''ll need to ask Spoink for its permission first."


    Professor Oak nodded approvingly. "Absolutely, you should ask. Let me know after you do. If Spoink doese over, I''ll make sure it''s well-fed andfortable."


    With that, he and Professor Birch left without a backward nce, leaving Yuga to shake his head in mild frustration.


    Over the next few days, discussions among the participants at the conference intensified over how to handle the megalith fragments.


    During this time, Yuga encountered Gary at Professor Oak''sb after not seeing him for a long time. It turned out that Gary had been assisting his grandfather in research and was helping with the studies on the megalith.


    Gary was thrilled to see Yuga again and eagerly gave him a tour of Professor Oak''s backyard, where Yuga saw a wide array of Pok��mon stored there, including some that Ash had left with Professor Oak.


    Some of Ash''s Pok��mon recognized Yuga, and they greeted him with surprise and excitement.


    Another notable event was that the Porygon, which typically assisted Windy, evolved into Porygon2 with Professor Oak''s help.


    Professor Oak happened to see Windy at work one day and enthusiastically helped Porygonplete its evolution. The Oak Lab also had its own Porygon2 used for assistance, all of which had evolved from Porygon using readily avable upgrade data.


    After evolving, Porygon''s work efficiency significantly improved, saving Windy a lot of effort.


    Windy was fascinated by the upgrade data used to evolve Porygon and spent quite some time consulting Professor Oak''s assistants about it.


    Afterward, he enthusiastically told Yuga that he was determined to research data that could further evolve Porygon2, and Yuga expressed his full support.


    Windy was a genius, especially in the field ofworking. It wouldn''t be surprising if he seeded in this research, as Porygon was known to have the potential for further evolution.


    Time flew by, and after many rounds of intense debate, consultations with the League headquarters, and discussions with various branches, a final decision was finally reached on how to handle the megalith fragments!

 Chapter 1197: Pidgeot’s attempt to court a mate ended up backfiring…

    <h4>Chapter 1197: Pidgeot��s attempt to court a mate ended up backfiring...</h4>


    The League finally decided to split therger of the two giant meteoroid fragments into equal parts and distribute them among the Order-aligned Legendary Pok��mon that have allied with the League. The smaller fragment will continue to be studied by the various professors, with the hope of discovering more results.


    Once the decision was made, the distribution list of the giant meteoroid fragments was confirmed. Ho-Oh, the Original Three Legendary Beasts, Lugia, the three Legendary Birds of the Orange Archipgo, Mew, Celebi from various regions, and the Sinnoh Creation Trio... each received a share.


    After the fragments were allocated, they needed to be delivered personally to each of the Legendary Pok��mon. This was an important task, so only the top-ranked experts in the League were assigned to it.


    For example, Professor Oak was assigned to deliver a fragment to Ho-Oh, Elite Four Bruno to the Original Three Legendary Beasts, Elite Four Lorelei to Lugia and the three Legendary Birds, the regional candidate Elites attending the exhibition to the various Celebi, and Gardenia to Regigigas...


    The League has a special method for contacting the Order-aligned Legendary Pok��mon, so the deliverers just need to follow the League''s instructions and deliver the fragments to the specified locations.


    In theory, Rayquaza could have also received a piece, but it had already taken arge fragment for itself, so it wasn''t interested in the smaller piece the League was offering.


    Rayquaza didn''t want to go out of its way for an extra piece, which left Yuga''s original delivery assignment without a destination.


    However, Professor Oak eventually arranged for Yuga to deliver a fragment to Mew, even though Yuga wasn''t particrly eager to ept the task.


    "It''s not like I''m getting a bonus or anything, so why go out of my way for this?" Yuga thought.


    "This task is something I specifically arranged for you," Professor Oak exined. "We''ve been researching this fragment for days with no breakthrough. Since you''ll be meeting Mew, why not take the item and ask it directly? No one is more suitable for this task than you."


    In the end, Yuga agreed. After all, he was now working under the League, so he had to do the job he was paid for.


    Professor Oak also assigned Gary to apany him as an assistant. Getting a rare chance to meet Mew, Professor Oak wouldn''t miss out on an opportunity to study it. Since he couldn''t go himself, sending Gary to record his observations was the next best thing. This way, Gary could also gain valuable experience.


    If Professor Oak hadn''t been assigned a task himself, he would have gone to meet Mew with Yuga instead of sending Gary.


    To be honest, bringing Gary along was less efficient than working alone, but Professor Oak had begged him for half a day, and Gary had looked at him with such hopeful eyes that Yuga reluctantly agreed.


    Perhaps influenced by Professor Oak, Gary was now fully embracing his role as a budding researcher. He was thrilled about the chance to meet Mew, especially on the day before their departure when he was so excited that he couldn''t sleep all night.


    The next day, when they set off, Yuga noticed that Gary had dark circles under his eyes, looking exhausted.


    "What''s wrong? Didn''t sleep wellst night?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    "Yeah, a bit of insomnia," Gary replied vaguely, too embarrassed to admit he hadn''t slept because he was too excited.


    Yuga didn''t press further and released Dragonite, saying, "Then let''s get going."


    Gary murmured an "okay" and released his own flying partner, Pidgeot.


    Once they were both seated on their mounts, Dragonite and Pidgeot took off with a p of their wings.


    Yuga had left Windy at Professor Oak''sb, as he''d been getting along well with theb assistants. Leaving him there for a few days didn''t worry Yuga.


    Their destination was the Tree of Beginning, Mew''s residence, located in the mountains north of Pewter City and Mt. Moon.


    The closest city to the Tree of Beginning is Cameran Pce, which also serves as the League''s guard post to protect the Tree of Beginning.


    The Tree of Beginning is in a restricted area, strictly regted by the League, and not essible to everyone. Professor Oak and Professor Birch had only been there a few times for research expeditions.


    However, Yuga and Gary didn''t n to stop at Cameran Pce. They decided to head straight to the Tree of Beginning to deliver the item to Mew as quickly as possible.


    Since they wouldn''t be going through Cameran Pce, Yuga and Gary would need to crossyers of forests and mountain ranges to reach their destination.


    After nearly two days of flying, they finally crossed the vast expanse of Mt. Moon.


    "Once we get through this ancient forest, we should be close to our destination," Gary said, looking at the GPS device Professor Oak had given him.


    "Then let''s head down; flying might not be suitable for the next stretch," Yuga agreed.


    The closer they got to the Tree of Beginning, the more frequent high-level wild Pok��mon appeared in the area. Continuing to fly in the open would likely attract unnecessary trouble.


    With several years of experience under his belt, Gary was no rookie. He understood Yuga''s point, and after nodding, directed Pidgeot tond.


    Yuga switched to riding his Absol, while Gary brought out his Arcanine. They plunged into the forest on their Pok��mon, quickly disappearing from view.


    The ancient forest was vast and teeming with various Pok��mon species, and Yuga and Gary encountered many along the way.


    Most Pok��mon, intimidated by Absol and Arcanine''s auras, kept their distance. However, some saw the two as intruders or prey and attacked, though Yuga and Gary managed to fend them off easily.


    Gary, spotting interesting moments, used a camcorder to record scenes for his research. He filmed Paras and Parasect busy nting mushrooms, Nidoran and Nidorina courting, and even a Sandsh in a private moment �� all valuable material for his studies.


    Thest forest they needed to cross was incrediblyrge, and the day quickly slipped by without them making it out.


    As dusk began to fall, Yuga said to Gary, "Let''s find a ce to stop; it''ll be hard to travel once it''s dark."


    "Alright, I''ll have Pidgeot and Honchkrow scout for a good camping spot," Gary replied, releasing his Pidgeot and Honchkrow, while Yuga sent out his Dragonite and Charizard.


    Soon, Dragonite returned, having found a smallke nearby with open ground suitable for camping.


    Yuga agreed that the spot Dragonite found was suitable, so he and Gary decided to head there, now just waiting for the other Pok��mon to return.


    A few minutester, Charizard and Honchkrow returned one after the other, but no matter how long they waited, Gary''s Pidgeot was nowhere to be seen.


    "Could it have run into some danger? I can''t just sit here, I have to go find it!" Gary finally lost his patience after waiting so long for Pidgeot.


    Just then, a loud cry sounded from afar.


    "It''s Pidgeot!" Gary''s eyes lit up.


    Shortly after, they saw Pidgeot flying back.


    But to their surprise, following closely behind Gary''s Pidgeot was another Pidgeot.


    "What''s going on? Who''s this Pidgeot...?" Gary looked at his own Pidgeot in confusion.


    "Pidge... Pidge..." Gary''s Pidgeot called out twice, sounding rather exasperated.


    Yuga, on the other hand, could see what was going on clearly. The unfamiliar Pidgeot was looking at Gary''s Pidgeot with an adoring gaze��an expression Yuga had seen often in his own Ecopark.


    But the stranger Pidgeot''s gaze toward Yuga and Gary was entirely different, filled with wariness.


    After Gary''s Pidgeot exined the situation, Yuga and Gary finally understood why the unfamiliar Pidgeot had shown up.


    It turned out that this Pidgeot was a wild Pok��mon and the leader of a local Pidgey flock.


    Previously, a flock of Spearow had suddenly attacked the Pidgey flock, and the wild Pidgeot was almost killed by the Spearow leader, Fearow. Gary''s Pidgeot had happened to pass by and rescued it, helping to drive off the Spearow.


    Afterward, the wild Pidgeot fell hopelessly in love with Gary''s Pidgeot, clinging to it and insisting that it stay with it.


    But Gary''s Pidgeot had a Trainer, and naturally, it wanted to stay with Gary rather than remain with a wild Pidgeot it had just met.


    The wild Pidgeot, however, was quite maniptive. Seeing that Gary''s Pidgeot was unwilling to stay, it tried to use its flock as an excuse, iming that the Pidgey flock would continue to suffer casualties at the hands of the Spearow flock if Gary''s Pidgeot didn''t stay.


    The wild Pidgey flock also wanted Gary''s Pidgeot to stay, so they yed along with their leader, giving it pitiful looks to appeal to Gary''s Pidgeot''s sympathy.


    Gary''s Pidgeot was indeed touched but couldn''t bring itself to abandon its Trainer. Left with no choice, it returned with the wild Pidgeot to discuss the matter with Gary.


    After hearing the full story, Yuga couldn''t help but chuckle. To him, the solution was simple��survival of the fittest was thew of nature, and it wasn''t their ce to interfere in the affairs of wild Pok��mon.


    Gary, however, turned to his Pidgeot and asked, "Do you want to stay? I respect your choice; if you wish to remain, I won''t object."


    Pidgeot immediately shook its head vigorously. Sure, it felt some sympathy for the young Pidgey, butpared to them, the Trainer who had nurtured it all along was far more important.


    Seeing Pidgeot''s reaction, Gary broke into a happy smile.


    Watching this scene, Yuga suddenly thought of the Pidgeot that Ash once released. Same situation, yet different Pok��mon made different choices.


    If one of Yuga''s own Pok��mon were to abandon him for another, he would certainly feel like he had failed as a Trainer. After all, how could a Pok��mon abandon the Trainer it had spent every day with for a random stranger?


    As Trainers, they sometimes needed to respect their Pok��mon''s wishes, but if those wishes made the Trainer''s position awkward, it was a delicate situation indeed.


    Pidgeot''s decision made Gary happy, but the wild Pidgeot wasn''t having it. Enraged, it suddenlyunched itself at Gary with a Tackle attack.


    The wild Pidgeot believed it was Gary''s presence that prevented his Pidgeot from wanting to stay.


    Luckily, Honchkrow was right beside Gary and raised its wings, countering with a Sucker Punch that knocked the wild Pidgeot flying.


    The wild Pidgeot''s behavior not only angered Gary but also his normally good-natured Pidgeot, who flew up to scold it. The wild Pidgeot shot Gary a furious re before reluctantly flying away, full of bitterness.


    Gary could only sigh helplessly at this unexpected trouble.


    Most of the time, Pok��mon like Pidgey, Pidgeotto, and Pidgeot were rtively mild-mannered. Gary hadn''t expected to encounter such a peculiar one today and realized he still had a lot to learn.


    Yuga, on the other hand, thought this situation was perfectly normal. Pidgeot, after all, was a bird of prey, and one that could hold its own against the nasty-tempered Fearow; expecting it to be gentle-hearted was naive.


    "Hey, Pidgeot, don''t feel bad," Yuga consoled it. "If you''re looking for a mate, there''s no shortage! I remember Ash has quite a few Flying-types at Professor Oak''sb��why don''t you check them out?"


    Pidgeot: ...


    Gary: ...


    "If that doesn''t work, I can introduce you to some as well!" Yuga continued.


    After sending the wild Pidgeot on its way, Yuga and the others followed Dragonite to the smallkeside spot it had found to set up camp.


    Gary had to pitch a tent for himself, but Yuga didn''t need one. He called out his Palossand, which grewrger in the breeze, soon transforming into a castle suitable for human habitation.


    Gary, who had seen Yuga''s Palossand in action a few days prior, was deeply envious��it was practically the ultimate travel essory.


    Unfortunately, Gary couldn''t stay in a Palossand like Yuga without risking his life force being drained. Otherwise, he''d definitely want one.


    Seeing Gary''s interest in living inside Palossand, Yuga had encouraged him to research a way to make it safe to inhabit Palossand without life force being drained. If sessful, it would be a blessing for travelers everywhere.


    Gary was very intrigued and asked Yuga many questions about Palossand and what it felt like to stay inside one, clearly determined to figure it out.


    That night, with Yuga''s Gengar and Mismagius on guard duty, they both slept peacefully.


    The next morning, after finishing breakfast and feeding their Pok��mon, they prepared to set off again.


    Just as they mounted Arcanine and Absol to leave, they realized they were surrounded��a flock of Pidgey and Pidgeotto led by the wild Pidgeot from yesterday had encircled them.


    "Pidgeooooot!"


    Robbery!


    The wild Pidgeot''s call made its intentions clear to Yuga.


    So, this wild Pidgeot, failing to win its love, had resorted to robbery?


    Yuga and Gary quickly understood��the wild Pidgeot wasn''t after anything else, but Gary''s Pidgeot itself. If Pidgeot refused to stay willingly, it had decided to take it by force.


    Seeing the sky filled with Pidgey and Pidgeotto, Yuga sighed deeply and released Dragonite.


    "Dragonite, go easy on them. Don''t identally knock anyone outpletely!" Yuga instructed.


    "Dragonite!"


    Dragonite nodded and flew into the sky.


    After a burst of lightning and thunder, the Pidgey and Pidgeotto came raining down from the sky, while the wild Pidgeot, whom Dragonite had intentionally spared, stared in shock.

 Chapter 1198: Invitation from the Mysterious Pokémon

    <h4>Chapter 1198: Invitation from the Mysterious Pok��mon</h4>


    Seeing all itspanions defeated, the Pidgeot trembled in fear as it looked at Yuga and Gary again. With Dragonite blocking its way, it had no chance of escaping even if it wanted to.


    Noticing Pidgeot curling up in terror, Yuga smiled evily and said to Gary, "Gary, what do you think we should do with it?"


    Gary yed along, replying, "Well, maybe we should roast it and eat it? We haven''t had breakfast yet, and I''ve always wondered what roasted Pidgeot tastes like. I''ve only ever had steamed Kingler, boiled Gyarados, and fried Spearow and Fearow... never tried Pidgeot. Today might be the day!"


    Yuga, appreciating Gary''s cooperation, shot him an approving look and added, "Or maybe we should stew it instead? Judging by this Pidgeot''s tougher-looking meat, roasting might be too hard on our teeth. When ites to eating bird Pok��mon, I''m quite experienced!"


    <i>Experienced? Just how many bird Pok��mon have you eaten?! </i>Pidgeot, taking their banter seriously, felt its mental defenses crumbling once more.


    Gary nodded his head in agreement. "You''re right��the broth from stewed Pidgeot would probably be delicious."


    Listening to their devilish talk, Pidgeot grew even more terrified. Then it heard Yuga say, "And look at all these Pidgey and Pidgeotto around here��they look so tender! We could take them all with us, roast one each day��that''d be the life!"


    Hearing this, Pidgeot''s eyes rolled back, and it fainted on the spot!


    Yuga walked up to it, giving it a light nudge with his foot. "Doesn''t seem to have much courage, huh?"


    Gary burst outughing at this.


    When Pidgeot woke up again, it found its feet was bounded with a vine and dangling from a tree branch. It started shrieking, "Don''t eat me! Don''t eat me! I''m not tasty at all!"


    Although Gary couldn''t understand Pok��mon speech, Pidgeot''s panicked squawking made himugh.


    Yuga, who could understand, raised an eyebrow and replied, "We haven''t eaten you yet! How do we know if you''re tasty or not unless we try it?"


    At this, Pidgeot broke downpletely and shouted, "Please don''t eat me! I know where there''s treasure��I''ll take you to it! I''ll take you to it!"


    Surprised, Yuga asked, "Treasure? What treasure?"


    Gary, intrigued by Yuga''s reaction, chimed in, "Treasure? Really? Where?"


    Pidgeot whimpered, "Let me go, and I''ll take you there."


    Gary pulled Yuga aside, "We''re not really pressed for time, are we? Why don''t we go treasure hunting?"


    "We''re not in a rush," Yuga replied, "but who knows if it''s telling the truth?"


    "We''ll find out if we check it out, won''t we? It won''t take long," Gary said excitedly, clearly thrilled by the idea of a treasure hunt.


    Yuga sighed helplessly, "Alright, let''s go take a look."


    After their discussion, Yuga untied the vine binding Pidgeot, which fell to the ground with a thud.


    "Behave yourself. If you really lead us to the treasure, we''ll let you go! Now tell us in detail what this treasure is all about!" Yugamanded with a hint of threat.


    Pidgeot, terrified and not daring to deceive Yuga and Gary, immediately spilled everything it knew.


    It turned out there was a legend about this ancient forest. Long ago, a pirate who had amassed a great fortune came to this forest and hid all his wealth here.


    The pirate left his Pok��mon to guard the treasure, then vanished without a trace. It''s said that any Pok��mon who received the treasure''s blessing would be incredibly powerful.


    "That''s it?" After hearing Pidgeot''s story, Yuga was incredibly disappointed. This legend sounded like something out of a children''s picture book��hardly believable.


    "If you''re going to lie to us, at leaste up with a more convincing story!" Gary echoed Yuga''s disbelief after he repeated Pidgeot''s words.


    Seeing Yuga and Gary doubting its story, Pidgeot quickly squawked, "I swear it''s true! Many Pok��mon in the forest know about it, and quite a few have received blessings from the treasure!"


    Pidgeot went on to say that several "kings" ruling different parts of the forest had gained power from the treasure and were now incredibly strong.


    However, these kings never disclosed the nature of the blessings they received and forbade ordinary Pok��mon from approaching the treasure''s hiding ce.


    "So the treasure is real?" Gary''s interest was rekindled.


    "It''s true! It''s true!" Pidgeot insisted.


    "Then... should we go check it out?" Yuga looked at Gary.


    "Yes, we have to go! I want to uncover the truth behind this power-boosting treasure!" Gary clenched his fists excitedly.


    "Then lead the way!" Yuga said, tugging on one of Pidgeot''s feathers.


    Pidgeot hesitated. "The rulers of the forest are very powerful. If they catch me leading you to the treasure, they''ll kill me!"


    Yuga growled, "What are you afraid of with us here? If you don''t take us, we''ll stew you right now and find another Pok��mon to ask. I don''t believe no one else will talk!"


    "But the forest kings are terrifying..."


    To the Pok��mon living in this forest, the rulers were indeed terrifying. They had all witnessed the kings'' immense power, and fear of them ran deep��especially for a low-levelckey like Pidgeot.


    But Yuga and Gary didn''t care about any of that. Under their threats, Pidgeot reluctantly gave in.


    So, with Pidgeot leading the way, Yuga and Gary rode on their Absol and Arcanine, making their way step by step into the depths of the forest.


    This forest was truly vast; they''d been walking for a long time and still hadn''t reached their destination. Impatient, Yuga asked, "How much farther? How much longer do we have to go?"


    Just then, Pidgeot suddenly let out a loud cry into the forest. In response, there was a rustling in the trees and bushes, and soon a horde of Grass-type Pok��mon emerged: Oddish, Gloom, Paras, Parasect, Bellsprout, Weepinbell, Exeggcute, Tang... a whole crowd surrounded Yuga and Gary in an instant.


    Seeing this, Pidgeotughed triumphantly in the air. It had deliberately led Yuga and Gary here to the territory of one of the forest rulers��Vileplume. The rulers of the forest did not allow anyone to covet the treasure, so its subordinates would certainly not let Yuga and Gary go.


    And this was the perfect chance for it to escape.


    After a fit of smugughter, Pidgeot was about to turn and fly away, but just then, a vine whip appeared out of nowhere and wrapped it tightly.


    Once again, Pidgeot found itself hanging from a tree.


    Huh? What happened? For a moment, Pidgeot waspletely stunned.


    Unbeknownst to it, Florges had quietly appeared beside Yuga, and the vine was her doing.


    Just then, an elderly Venusaur stepped out from among the crowd of Grass-type Pok��mon. It seemed to sense an aura of kinship around Yuga and Florges and in a low voice urged Yuga and Gary to leave.


    Seeing therge group of Grass Pok��mon, Gary patted his Arcanine beneath him and said to Yuga, "Yuga, let me and Arcanine handle these Grass-types."


    Yuga shook his head. "Let Florges handle it."


    Just as Gary was puzzled, Florges stepped forward to face the Grass-type Pok��mon. A gentle green light emanated from her, and one by one, the Grass-types began to move aside, clearing a path.


    Florges now held an unquestionable authority over ordinary Grass Pok��mon.


    "This... this..." Gary''s mouth dropped open in shock, and Pidgeot, still dangling from the tree, looked equally stunned.


    Yuga guided Absol over to Pidgeot, giving its upside-down head a pat. "You''re pretty clever, aren''t you?"


    Pidgeot stammered, too afraid to speak.


    Yuga wasn''t too surprised. If he were the one caught and threatened, he''d also be looking for a way to escape. Whether or not he could get away, and what consequences might follow, would be a separate matter.


    So, for the rest of the journey, Pidgeot was bound up by Florges''s vine and dragged along behind them.


    With the Grass-type Pok��mon no longer blocking their way, it didn''t take long for the two of them to encounter one of the forest rulers Pidgeot had mentioned��Vileplume.


    This Vileplume lived in a vast flower field, along with numerous Oddish and Gloom. When it learned that Yuga and Gary intended to find the treasure, it immediately became enraged!


    It wouldn''t allow it, and Florges''s authority had no effect on it.


    Yuga activated his Insight skill to examine the Vileplume standing in their way.


    ...


    [ Vileplume ]


    Type: Grass, Poison


    Ability: Chlorophyll


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 75


    Moves: Absorb, Growth, Sweet Scent, Toxic, Petal Dance, Sludge Bomb, Energy Ball, Grass Knot, Sr Beam, Sunny Day, Synthesis, Aromatherapy


    ...


    After inspecting her, Yuga thought, <i>So, it''s an Eliet-level Pok��mon��definitely worthy of its title. Could it be that the pirate''s treasure is real? It''s rare to encounter a Grass Pok��mon with blue-level potential.</i>


    To drive away Yuga and Gary, two intruders coveting the treasure, Vileplume immediatelyunched an attack on them. It first used Sunny Day to change the weather, then fired a golden beam from the flower on its head, intending to pulverize them.


    Given Gary''s current strength, he couldn''t possibly match this Vileplume. So Yuga controlled Absol to leap forward and block the attack.


    "Absol, use Shadow w!"


    A massive ck w materialized on Absol''s right forelimb, instantly dispersing Vileplume''s Sr Beam.


    Yuga''s Absol was a Champion-level Pok��mon, while Vileplume was only at the Elite-level, making them hardlyparable.


    When Vileplume''s first attack failed, itunched another, but Absol had already leaped forward. Vileplume''s Sr Beam missed, sting a bare patch into the beautiful flower field.


    Absol appeared beside Vileplume, lifted its paw, and struck, sending Vileplume flying. Before it could hit the ground, Absol''s Psycho Cut attack followed, hitting Vileplume in midair once again.


    When Vileplume finallynded, it had lost the ability to fight.


    Yuga rode Absol over to the unconscious Vileplume, nced at it, and ultimately chose not to capture it. Although a blue potential Pok��mon was rare, the forest needed a ruler.


    Exiting Vileplume''s flower field, Yuga and Gary continued toward the treasure''s hiding ce, with Pidgeot guiding the way.


    Since Yuga and Absol hadn''t been harsh, it wasn''t long after they left that Vileplume woke up.


    Realizing what had happened, Vileplume quickly summoned several Jumpluff and whispered something to them. Before long, the Jumpluff returned to the flower field with a Tropius.


    Vileplume urgently climbed onto Tropius''s back and directed it to fly toward another part of the forest.


    Meanwhile, as Yuga and Gary drew closer to the forest''s center, they encountered more Pok��mon blocking their path. This constant ambush rattled Pidgeot, which felt it had experienced more scares today than in its entire life.


    Although Yuga and Gary easily dealt with the obstructing Pok��mon, it slowed them down significantly. By the time they reached the forest''s heart, the sun was directly overhead.


    From afar, Yuga and Gary saw a brown stone pir standing tall amidst the forest.


    "Is that where the treasure is buried?" Yuga asked Pidgeot.


    Pidgeot nodded obediently, too afraid to pull any more tricks, realizing that even the forest''s rulers were no match for this human. It didn''t dare to mess around as a mereckey.


    "Well, it certainly looks the part," Yuga muttered. "But it''s awfully conspicuous. Burying treasure here is practically inviting people to dig it up!"


    Soon, Yuga and Gary reached the base of the stone pir.


    Up close, they realized the pir was even taller than they''d thought��at least as high as a seven or eight-story building.


    The pir''s surface was extremely smooth all around. Without the help of flying mounts, reaching the top would be challenging.


    Yuga and Gary released Dragonite and Pidgeot, preparing to fly up and see whaty above. Just then, they found themselves surrounded again.


    This time, the ambush was different. Instead of swarms of Pok��mon, only a few appeared: Poliwrath, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Honchkrow, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Vileplume, and Exeggutor��all Elite-level Pok��mon.


    The sudden appearance of these powerful Pok��mon startled Yuga. But seeing Vileplume, he immediately understood that it had likely gathered them. They were probably rulers of other forest areas, just like Vileplume.


    Noticing the intimidating looks these Pok��mon were giving them, Gary couldn''t help but feel anxious.


    As Yuga worried they might attack, a deep and resonant call sounded from the top of the stone pir above them.


    "Whoo... whoo..."


    Upon hearing this call, the surrounding Elite-level Pok��mon nced at each other, and reluctantly stepped aside, releasing Yuga and Gary from their encirclement.


    Yuga and Gary looked up at the stone pir, but the top was directly in the sun''s re. The bright sunlight allowed them to see only a faint silhouette standing at the summit, obscuring the figure''s true form.


    "What should we do?" Gary asked Yuga.


    "Let''s go up and check it out!" Yuga replied.


    From the Pok��mon''s reactions, it was clear they were responding to an invitation from an unknown Pok��mon.


    Sure enough, this time, they encountered no resistance and ascended the pir smoothly. Finally, they saw the mysterious Pok��mon''s true form.

 Chapter 1199: A torrential downpour and swirling flames

    <h4>Chapter 1199: A torrential downpour and swirling mes</h4>


    When Yuga and Gary flew up to the top of the stone pir, they finally saw the mysterious creature clearly��it was a beautiful Nales.


    This Nales was slightlyrger than the usual ones, sitting quietly atop the stone pir. Its silky, pale-yellow fur shimmered under the sunlight like satin, and its nine long tails trailed behind, gently swaying, exuding a powerful presence.


    Instinctively, Yuga activated his Insight to observe the Nales.


    ...


    [ Nales ]


    Type: Fire


    Ability: sh Fire


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 99


    Moves: Ember, Tail Whip, Baby-Doll Eyes, Will-O-Wisp, Sunny Day, Quick Attack, Fire Spin, Confuse Ray, Hex, me Burst, Extrasensory, methrower, Inferno, Fire st, Overheat, Energy Ball, Dark Pulse, Tail p, Return, Hypnosis, Heat Wave, Iron Tail, Pain Split.


    ...


    After seeing the data on Nales, Yuga''s eyes widened in surprise. This was a Nales just one step away from reaching Level 100.


    One condition for reaching Level 100 is having purple potential. Yuga suspected that, if not for this limitation, the Nales before him would have already achieved that milestone.


    Though it was only one level away, the difference in power was vast. A Level 100 Pok��mon''s strength could rival that of a legendary Pok��mon, while this Nales, at Level 99, could only be considered at the Master level. That single level gap was insurmountable.


    As Yuga and Gary reached the top, the sitting Nales slowly rose to its feet, then leaped gracefully onto a tform behind it.


    Just as Yuga and Gary had their Dragonite and Pidgeotnd on the stone pir, a voice resonated in their minds.


    "Are you here in search of the treasure?"


    The voice was both aged and elegant, giving the impression of someone who had seen much of life.


    Yuga instinctively looked at Nales, only to find it gazing down at him and Gary, its eyes calm and unreadable.


    "Is this telepathy?" Gary asked, looking at Nales with excitement and fascination in his eyes.


    "Are you here in search of the treasure?"


    Seeing that neither Yuga nor Gary had answered, Nales asked again.


    Cautiously, Yuga looked at Nales and replied, "Yes, but does that mean the treasure is a lie?" With such a formidable Nales guarding it, Yuga had good reason to question the legitimacy of the treasure.


    With a voice both weathered and tranquil, Nales responded, "The treasure does indeed exist, but whether you can obtain it depends on your abilities!"


    As soon as Nales finished speaking, its nine tails spread open in a disy as magnificent as a peacock''s fan. At the tip of each tail, an orange fireball materialized, and under Nales'' control, the fireballs shot toward Yuga and Gary.


    This was merely the most basic Fire-type move, Ember, but when unleashed by Nales, it was more terrifying than most Pok��mon''s Fire st.


    Having already been wary of Nales, Yuga quickly pushed Gary out of harm''s way the moment the fireballs shot toward them, then rolled aside to dodge the attack himself.


    Gary''s Pidgeot, quick-witted as ever, spread its wings to lift him into the air by gripping his cor. As Nalesunched another barrage of fireballs, Pidgeot skillfully maneuvered to help Gary evade them.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Nales'' fireballs exploded upon impact with the ground, leaving craters in their wake. While dodging, Yuga released his Lapras from its Pok�� Ball.


    "Here we go..."


    Lapras opened its mouth and unleashed a water jet, intercepting all of Nales'' fireballs. The collision of the fiery projectiles and Lapras'' water cannon created a thick cloud of steam that shrouded everyone''s vision.


    "Gary, you and Pidgeot hide and stay out of this fight!" Yuga shouted through the mist.


    "But..." Gary hesitated.


    "Trust me!"


    "Alright!"


    With that, Pidgeot carried Gary out of Nales'' range.


    Watching the stone pir enveloped in steam from afar, Gary felt a surge of worry. He hadn''t expected Nales to be this powerful.


    At this level, Nales could fully suppress its own aura, which was why Gary, at first, hadn''t sensed anything exceptional about it apart from its elegant form.


    Yuga wanted Gary to stay out of the fight, not only because Garycked the strength needed but also because Yuga desired a one-on-one confrontation with this formidable opponent just a step away from Level 100.


    Encounters with such Pok��mon were rare.


    If Yuga had initiallye for the treasure, meeting Nales had now made it worthwhile��even if there was no treasure.


    Whoosh...


    Amid the dense mist, Nales sent out waves of Heat Wave, dispersing the water vapor in an instant.


    As the intense heat surged toward Yuga, Dragonite leapt in front of him, pping its tiny wings to send a tornado swirling back toward Nales, carrying the heat with it.


    Nales remained still on the tform, spreading its nine tails again. Red columns of me shot from each tail, striking precisely at Dragonite''s whirlwind and dispersing it.


    The top of the stone pir was quite spacious, with a small shrine-like structure in the center that Yuga suspected might be Nales'' residence.


    Besides the central structure, there were four tforms positioned at the cardinal points atop the stone pir, resembling altars. Along with the engraved patterns on the pir''s surface, it genuinely gave the ce a treasure-like aura.


    Nales sat perched on the eastern tform.


    With such an open area, the broken pieces of rock scattered from the dispersed whirlwind began rolling off the edge, asionally striking the heads of the Elite-level Pok��mon waiting below.


    The Pok��mon below looked up at the pir longingly but had no idea what was happening up there, merely standing by, helpless.


    Seeing its attack effortlessly countered by Nales, Dragonite exchanged a nce with Lapras before both took to the sky, vanishing out of sight.


    Once Dragonite disappeared, Lapras unleashed a beam of blue light into the sky, its eyes beginning to glow a matching blue.


    Rumble, rumble!


    As the blue light faded, dark rain clouds swiftly gathered directly above the stone pir, and a torrential downpour began.


    This time, Lapras'' Rain Dance was no mere drizzle��it summoned a full-blown storm!


    As the heavy rain poured down, Yuga''s Gengar and Mismagius appeared on either side of him, each supporting him as they quickly moved him out of the rain zone covering the stone pir.


    Staying within the rain zone would not only leave Yuga soaked, but he also risked getting caught up in Lapras and Dragonite''s attacks. Keeping a safe distance was the best choice.


    The rain was pouring down heavily, soon blurring Yuga''s vision, so much so that Lapras became a faint silhouette in the rain zone.


    The sticky rainwater drenched Nales'' beautiful fur, making it visibly irritable. Raising its head, it released a golden orb into the sky, attempting to wrest control of the weather from Lapras by using Sunny Day.


    The golden orb shot up like a missile, piercing the thick clouds and clearing a vast section of them.


    Just like when a drop of water falls into hot oil, the clouds seemed to bubble and boil, causing the downpour to gradually lessen from a torrential rain to a light drizzle, and it continued to dwindle.


    "Lapras..."


    Lapras was not one to yield so easily. Its eyes glowed a stronger blue, and it activated both Rain Dance and its Drizzle ability simultaneously!


    Lapras inherited its Drizzle ability from Kyogre, so although its level was far below that of Nales, it managed to hold its ground in this contest for weather control.


    Yet, holding its ground didn''t mean Lapras had gained the upper hand, and the two sides reached a standstill.


    Crack!


    At that moment, a thunderous roar echoed from the clouds, followed by a sh of golden lightning, breaking the equilibrium between Nales and Lapras.


    Rumble... rumble...


    The torrential downpour returned with full force, and within moments, Nales was soaked to the bone, losing its usual poise andposure, with a hint of irritation shing across its face.


    "Grr..."


    Nales let out a long howl, and fiery red energy rose from its body, instantly evaporating the rainwater near it.


    "Grr..."


    With another cry, a ring of fire expanded from Nales, spreading outward in an instant and striking Lapras, which let out a pained wail.


    This ring of fire was Nales'' Inferno. Under its intense burning effect, patches of Lapras'' skin turned charred ck, indicating it had been burned.


    However, the burn onlysted for a moment. Lapras'' Hydration ability enabled it to cure any status condition in rainy weather.


    But while the burn was healed, the damage from Inferno still lingered.


    A strange glint shed in Nales'' eyes as it trapped Lapras in a circle of mes. Despite the downpour, the mes continued to ze relentlessly.


    Legend has it that Nales is a long-lived Pok��mon, with each of its nine tails possessing a unique secret power, allowing it to manipte fire freely with mystical abilities.


    And now, this legend seemed undeniable!


    Boom!


    The mes on the ring intensified, forcing Lapras to retreat further and further.


    "Lapras..."


    Lapras'' fins pped swiftly, drawing rain droplets from the air, which formed a massive wave that surged toward the ring of fire.


    Surf!


    However, instead of extinguishing the mes, the water only fueled the fire, transforming the ring of fire into a towering wall that encircled both Lapras and the giant wave. The wave beneath Lapras sizzled as it evaporated, its vapor quickly merging with the downpour, disappearing without a trace.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    Just as the fire''s tongues were about to lick Lapras, a dragon-shaped bolt of lightning descended from the sky, scattering the fiery wall surrounding it.


    The fire ring surged back up into a wall of mes, but another dragon-shaped lightning bolt struck, dispersing it again.


    The moment Lapras escaped the fiery ring, it gathered energy in its fins and shot an Origin Pulse at Nales.


    Caught off guard, Nales was hit directly. The powerful impact sent it flying off the tform, rolling across the ground several times beforeing to a stop, its once-glorious fur now coated in grime, leaving it looking rather disheveled.


    Nales flipped itself upright, only to be struck by another dragon-shaped bolt of lightning that descended from the sky, hitting its head and turning the golden fox into a ckened fox.


    Phew...


    Nales exhaled a smoke ring, and its nine long tails red outward, each tail igniting in a fiery column. The nine columns converged to form a zing tornado that engulfed Nales.


    Enveloped by the mes, Nales seemed to transform into a fiery spirit, manipting each flicker of fire as if they were extensions of itself.


    Boom!


    A spiral of mes burst from Nales and struck Lapras head-on, causing it to let out a pained cry as it crashed to the ground, losing consciousness.


    Nales had unleashed its powerful Fire-type move, Overheat!


    The instant Lapras fell, Dragonite''s Thunder arrived as well, a dragon-shaped lightning bolt striking Nales directly. With the rain pouring down, there was no way for Nales to dodge it.


    However, as Nales was struck by Thunder, it used Pain Split. A pained cry echoed from the clouds as Dragonite wobbled, falling from the sky.


    Though Dragonite had been unscathed, Pain Split transferred half of Nales'' damage to it, allowing Nales to endure Dragonite''s Thunder.


    "Grr..."


    Nales pulled itself up, shaking its body to shed the rainwater and regaining a hint of its former elegance.


    With Lapras down and Dragonite on the ground, the clouds above began to dissipate bit by bit, and the raindrops slowly dwindled.


    As Nales nced at it, Dragonite assumed a defensive stance, but Nales did not attack.


    Once Yuga guided Gengar and Mismagius closer, Nales'' familiar voice resonated in his mind once again.


    "Let''s end the battle here. You all are very strong!"


    Yuga didn''t object, knowing that continuing would result in Dragonite''s defeat, especially since it was essentially a two-on-one fight.


    Despite the oue, Yuga felt he gained a lot from this battle. The teamwork between Lapras and Dragonite had been excellent. Though they didn''t win, they hadn''t lost too badly either, especially with their joint weather control efforts, which Yuga thought had great potential for further development.


    Standing back on the stone pir, Yuga quickly released Chimecho to heal Lapras and Dragonite. Their injuries weren''t severe, and Chimecho swiftly healed them, a testament to the fact that Nales hadn''t fought with lethal intent.


    By now, Nales had resumed its ce on the tform, though it looked slightly disheveledpared to its elegant entrance.


    To maintain its dignity, Nales gently swished its tails, using Tail Whip to clean the grime from its fur, restoring its coat to its previous luster.


    After a brief hesitation, Yuga gestured toward Chimecho and asked Nales, "Need a little help?"


    Nales hesitated, then nodded in agreement. Although it felt a bit embarrassing, the pain was indeed a bother!


    As a dedicated healer, Chimecho quickly tended to Nales'' injuries, and Nales'' gaze softened as it looked at Yuga.


    At that moment, Gary returned, riding on Pidgeot, looking thrilled. He had captured every moment of the battle on his high-quality camera.


    Such a spectacr battle scene would be invaluable footage for the future!


    Although Gary had been far from the battlefield, his advanced camera had clearly recorded everything from a distance.


    "Now that the fight is over, do we qualify to learn about the treasure?" Yuga asked Nales.


    "Of course!" Nales'' voice echoed in both their minds.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1200: Uniform

    <h4>Chapter 1200: Uniform</h4>


    Hearing Nales'' response, Gary asked excitedly, "Is there really treasure? Where is it? Show us!"


    However, Nales did not move at his words. Instead, it looked at Yuga and asked, "I heard that you''re nning to go to the Tree of Beginning?"


    Yuga was surprised. "How did you know?" Although Nales posed it as a question, its tone was certain, clearly not seeking confirmation.


    Nales lifted its head proudly, its nine tails swaying gently. "Nothing in this forest escapes my notice!"


    It turned out that the moment Yuga and Gary had entered this ancient forest, they had been secretly reported by some inconspicuous wild Pok��mon to Nales. This included part of their conversation, so Nales was naturally aware of their n to meet Mew at the Tree of Beginning.


    "What does our trip to the Tree of Beginning have to do with getting the treasure?" Gary asked in confusion.


    Nales answered, "It''s certainly rted! If you can help me meet Mew, then the treasure is yours. Otherwise, I won''t hand it over to you!"


    "You want to meet Mew? Why would a Nales want to meet Mew?" Gary couldn''t understand Nales'' desire to meet Mew.


    Hearing Nales'' words, Yuga had an inkling. A Level 99 Nales... if it wanted to meet Mew, there could only be one reason.


    To gain a purple potential and be a Level 100 Pok��mon!


    "Since you''re curious, I may as well tell you!" Nales cast a nce at Gary.


    It turned out that part of the legend circting in the forest was indeed true. Nales did have a treasure, left behind by a renowned pirate.


    This pirate was Nales'' former master.


    This pirate master had lived almost eight hundred years ago, when this area was more than just a vast forest; it was home to a small vige.


    The pirate, who had roamed the seas all her life and amassed countless riches, eventually brought her treasures here to this secluded vige within the ancient forest to retire. The vige was close to the Tree of Beginning, and nearly all of the vigers were devoted followers of Mew.


    In the end, the pirate passed away, leaving all her treasures to her only Pok��mon, Nales. The vigers never knew this, always believing the pirate to be an ordinary person.


    Nales hid the treasure and, as it grew stronger over time, became the guardian of the vige.


    However, the vige eventually disappeared with the passage of time, and this ce gradually transformedpletely into a forest. But Nales never left; it remained, guarding this ce to this day.


    The idea that a Nales can live for a thousand years is no myth, especially the one as powerful as this Nales.


    The Nales before Yuga and Gary had been thriving here for hundreds of years since the vige disappeared. However, it wasn''t because of a deep attachment to the vige��Nales had another reason for staying.


    Although the vige had perished, Nales learned a secret from one of the vige elders: if a Pok��mon wished to surpass its limits, it would need a Legendary Pok��mon''s blessing.


    At first, Nales paid little attention to this so-called secret. But upon reaching Level 99 without a hint of progress, it couldn''t ignore it any longer.


    It was no secret that Mew resided at the Tree of Beginning. So, to break through its limits, Nales made a special trip to the Tree of Beginning, hoping to obtain this so-called "Legendary Pok��mon Blessing."


    The vigers were Mew''s devotees, and the "god" they spoke of was naturally Mew.


    However, meeting Mew was no easy task. The Tree of Beginning was guarded by the Three Regis. It was difficult enough to confront them without having reached Level 100; even if it had, Nales would still be unable to handle an attack from all three.


    Other than the Pok��mon that originated from the Tree of Beginning itself, the area was unweing to outsiders. Thus, Nales'' n to meet Mew failed.


    In the years that followed, Nales tried repeatedly to bypass the Tree of Beginning''s defenses to meet Mew, but each attempt ended in failure.


    Eventually, it came up with a n: to spread rumors of the treasure and use it to lure others into helping it break through the Tree of Beginning''s defenses.


    However, nearly a century passed, and not one could aplish this task.


    The rumor that the treasure could strengthen Pok��mon was, of course, false. It was just a tale Nales spread to mislead others. As for the few Elite-level Pok��mon that had appeared, they were born thanks to a few top-grade evolution stones in its master''s treasure hoard. This helped confirm the legend''s credibility.


    Those Pok��mon had no idea they were being deceived by Nales and firmly believed in the rumors it spread. In reality, human treasure doesn''t necessarily hold allure for Pok��mon.


    Yuga and Gary being brought here by Pidgeot was actually the result of Nales'' maniption. From Pidgeot''s encounter with Yuga to the hints about the treasure, everything was under Nales'' control.


    Nales is a mystical Pok��mon, especially one that has lived for 800 years. It can grasp a subtle, indescribable thread of the future that hangs in the air.


    From the moment it saw Yuga, it sensed that this human could help it, which is why it suddenly tested Yuga''s strength to confirm its intuition.


    Yuga did not disappoint! Over all these years, aside from the three regis at the Tree of Beginning, this was the first time Nales had been forced into such a tight spot!


    Of course, Nales wasn''t going to tell Yuga and Gary all the truth.


    The version it told them was that its master''s greatest dream was to visit the Tree of Beginning and meet Mew, but this wish had gone unfulfilled until the day they died. Nales hoped it could fulfill this wish on behalf of its master.


    If Yuga and Gary could help, it would reward them with the treasure left by its master.


    This half-true tale added a touch of credibility, but Yuga and Gary weren''t fools. They wouldn''t trust an 800-year-old fox so easily.


    "How can you prove you''re telling the truth? What if we help you and don''t get the treasure in the end? That would be a huge loss!" Yuga questioned.


    Nales was momentarily taken aback. "Then what do you suggest? My master is long gone; I have no way of proving it."


    "At the very least, we need to see where the treasure is," Gary said. "You can''t just dangle promises in front of us and expect us to obediently follow."


    After a moment''s thought, Nales replied, "Alright, I''ll show you."


    Confidently, Nales felt that even if Yuga and Gary saw the treasure, they''d still be within its grasp.


    Nales leaped off the pedestal and walked to a small house at the center of the stone pir, releasing a burst of mes onto the ground.


    Strangely, the mes followed the patterns etched into the ground rather than spreading randomly. In a short while, the patterns lit up entirely, forming an intricate image.


    With a rumble, the mes gathered back at the small house, which slowly began to shift, revealing a hidden pit beneath its original position.


    The mechanism was quite clever! Yuga thought silently as he observed the pit. Gary, equally surprised by its appearance, eagerly took out his camera and started filming.


    "Is this an ancient ruin?" Gary asked while filming.


    "No idea," Yuga replied, shaking his head.


    "Follow me," Nales instructed and jumped into the pit.


    Yuga and Gary quickly followed. Inside, they found a long stone staircase winding downward into the pitch-ck darkness below.


    Blue ghostly mes suddenly flickered from the tip of Nales'' tails, drifting to the stone walls and lighting the wall-mountedmps one by one.


    "It''s a bit creepy," Gary muttered, rubbing his arms to ward off the chills.


    "That''s Will-O-Wisp," Yuga remarked.


    "Such a show-off," Gary mumbled under his breath.


    Guided by Nales, Yuga and Gary soon found themselves before the pirate''s treasure.


    The ground was littered with gold and silver, countless ancient treasures, and even many fossils of ancient Pok��mon. If these were all revived using a fossil revival machine, they would be valuable fossil Pok��mon!


    Seeing this treasure, Gary was dumbfounded. "It''s real... are we about to strike it rich?"


    Besides gold, silver, jewels, and antiques, Yuga also discovered several crates filled with evolutionary stones and elemental gems��Fire Stones, Thunder Stones, Water Stones... Fire Gems, Water Gems, Thunder Gems... Most of the stash consisted of Water Stones and Water Gems, while only a few Fire Stones and Fire Gems remained, likely already used by Nales.


    For Nales to have grown as strong as it was now, it must have consumed an impressive amount of resources.


    "Well, are you satisfied? As long as you help me fulfill my wish, all this is yours!" Nales said, slightly arrogantly.


    Yuga turned his head to Nales and suddenly said, "I think even if we don''t help you, we can still take this treasure."


    Nales sensed something amiss and its expression changed drastically. "What do you mean?"


    Before it could react, a powerful force struck it, sending it flying into the wall with a violent crash.


    It turned out that Dusknoir had appeared behind Nales without it noticing.


    Like Nales, Dusknoir was also a Master-level Pok��mon. Although it was slightly lower in level, it had lived even longer and umted extensivebat experience, making its strength not much less than Nales''s.


    Originally, Dusknoir had been at level 96, but since joining Yuga, it had leveled up to 97, only two levels lower than Nales''s 99.


    Dusknoir was Yuga''s trump card for daring to confront the 99-level Nales head-on!


    If Nales had been at level 100, Yuga wouldn''t have risked this, but level 99 and level 100 are worlds apart, so Yuga wasn''t about to hand over the initiative to Nales.


    "You dare to ambush me?!"


    Enraged by the sneak attack, Nales hadn''t expected Yuga to still have a trick up his sleeve��such treachery!


    Sliding down from the wall, it opened its mouth to spit mes in retaliation, but found itself unable to move.


    Dusknoir had cast Mean Look on Nales, the intense psychic pressure slowing its movements to a crawl.


    Bang!


    Dusknoir approached and delivered a Thunder Punch directly to Nales''s face, knocking its head to the side and rendering it unconscious.


    Gary was stunned by Dusknoir''s sudden appearance and its series of actions.


    "This...this..." Gary, holding his camera, couldn''t get a word out.


    Yuga chuckled and said to Gary, "This Nales wasn''t being honest; sometimes a good beating is the best reassurance."


    Gary nodded his head, still in shock: Alright, fine, you''re the boss. Whatever you say!


    Then, he watched as Yuga pulled out a purple Pok�� Ball and tossed it at Nales, capturing it without any resistance.


    "Is that a Master Ball?" Gary gasped.


    Master Balls had been heavily regted by the League from the start, and their high production costs meant only a few existed in the world.


    Yuga smiled. "I stumbled upon it by ident. Didn''t think it''de in handy today!"


    In fact, he had acquired the Master Ball one morning at Professor Oak''sb from the system store. He''d thought it was useless at first but hadn''t expected it toe in handy today.


    Since the system update, Pok�� Balls and berries are now avable as fixed items, so they can be bought without waiting for a refresh. However, the Master Ball is unique, ssified as a purple item, just one tier below the rarest gold items. This was the first time Yuga had ever encountered it in the shop.


    If this Nales hadn''t seemed so unreliable, Yuga wouldn''t have been interested in using a Master Ball to restrain it.


    There was an achievement reward in the system that also awarded a Master Ball, but unfortunately, he hadn''t unlocked it yet.


    After releasing Nales from the ball, Yuga had Chimecho heal it, and soon it woke up again.


    As soon as it saw Yuga, Nales was furious and prepared to attack him, only to see Yuga take out the purple Pok�� Ball and capture it again.


    The Pok�� Ball shook continuously, but no matter how hard Nales struggled, it couldn''t break free from the Master Ball''s constraints. It was rumored that the Master Ball could even contain Legendary Pok��mon, and now it was clear that reputation was well-deserved!


    Yuga and Gary stared at the Master Ball for about an hour, watching as Nales finally quieted down, and the ball ceased to shake.


    Yuga picked up the Master Ball, released Nales, and saw it lying weakly on the ground. Smiling, he asked, "Have you calmed down?"


    Nales raised its head and demanded, "What do you want from me? Let me go, and the treasure is all yours!" Forced into submission, it had no choice but to concede.


    Yuga asked, "What were your original ns? Tell us, and then I''ll decide whether to release you."


    Nales red at Yuga with rage, but intimidated by the Master Ball, it reluctantly revealed everything.


    The Master Ball was different from a regr Pok�� Ball; its interior was like a prison, unfriendly to the Pok��mon trapped within. This was one of the reasons the League had banned further production of Master Balls.


    After listening to Nales, Yuga thought to himself, <i>Just as I suspected. It was seeking Mew so it can upgrade its potential.</i>


    After a moment of contemtion, Yuga said to Nales, "We can help you to meet Mew, but not only will you have to give us the treasure, you''ll also need to escort us to the Tree of Beginning."


    Though they were on a League-mandated mission to meet Mew and shouldn''t encounter danger, Yuga knew it was always better to be safe than sorry. ording to Nales, the Tree of Beginning didn''t wee outsiders. It had its own will, and the three Regis that was guarding it were also not an easy opponents.


    Already under their control, Nales had no reason to refuse.


    Thus, Yuga and Gary decided to leave the treasure here for now and nned to enlist Professor Oak''s help to retrieve itter. Without exposing the system''s spatial inventory, Yuga and Gary couldn''t carry all these items at once, and they still had a mission toplete.


    Before they set out, Nales reactivated the mechanisms in the undergroundir and dispersed the Elite-level Pok��mon guarding the pirs, then departed with Yuga and Gary.


    With Nales, a native guide, leading the way, Yuga and Gary quickly made their way through the dense, primordial forest.


    Throughout the journey, Gary showed intense interest in Nales, conducting detailed measurements of its body and attempting various experiments to verify the many legends surrounding it, which irritated Nales to no end.


    If asked who Nales currently despised the most, it wouldn''t be Yuga, who had beaten and captured it, but Gary, who kept experimenting on it. And with Yuga''s deliberate indulgence, Nales couldn''t even vent its anger at Gary.


    Not long after leaving the forest, Yuga and Gary finally saw the colossal Tree of Beginning looming in the distance.


    They were about to continue toward the Tree of Beginning when two people blocked their path.


    "Stop right there! You''re not allowed to proceed!"


    Seeing the attire of those blocking their way, Yuga and Gary immediately realized: They were forest rangers!

 Chapter 1201: The Weak Tree of Beginning

    <h4>Chapter 1201: The Weak Tree of Beginning</h4>


    The location of the Tree of Beginning is designated as a restricted area by the League, with numerous forest rangers stationed around its perimeter. Yuga and Gary happened to encounter two of these rangers.


    Since Yuga and Gary were there on an official mission, they were quickly granted passage after exining their purpose and verifying their identities.


    "Be careful on your way. The closer you get to the Tree of Beginning, the stronger the territorial instincts of the Pok��mon here be. You risk being attacked if you''re not careful!" one of the rangers kindly warned them.


    "Thanks, we''ll be careful!" Gary replied cheerfully. The closer he got to the Tree of Beginning, the more excited he became, as he was already eager to see the legendary Mew.


    Yuga was riding on Absol, while Gary rode Arcanine, and Nales obediently followed behind them.


    Just as the ranger mentioned, the Pok��mon''s sense of territory became noticeably stronger as they ventured further. After only a short distance, they encountered several aggressive Pok��mon, all of which were driven off by the reliable "bodyguard" Nales.


    As they continued, Gary suddenly pointed in a direction and shouted to Yuga, "Yuga, look!"


    Before Yuga could respond, Gary urged his Arcanine forward.


    When Yuga got closer, he saw what had caught Gary''s attention: a crystalline flower, gleaming like a jewel. The petals of the flower were curled up, but as soon as Gary picked it, they unfurledpletely.


    At that moment, a projection emanated from the crystal flower''s center into the air, showing tworge, muscr Nidokings engaged in a fierce battle, while a Nidoqueen observed coldly from the side.


    It was clear the two Nidokings were fighting for mating rights.


    The scene was brief,sting only about ten seconds before it vanished, leaving no hint as to when it was recorded. After the image faded, the petals of the crystal flower closed back up.


    "Is this the Time Flower that Grandpa talked about?" Gary said in amazement. "It''s incredible."


    He then took a box out of his spatial backpack, carefully ced the Time Flower inside, and nned to take it back as research material.


    The Time Flower is a unique life form and not an actual nt, so Gary wasn''t concerned about it wilting before they returned.


    The Time Flower is not particrly rare in this area, though it''s notmon either. After walking a bit further, Gary found another one on arge rock.


    The image stored in this Time Flower depicted two Fearows fighting over food. Gary quickly pulled out a camera he had prepared, watching while filming the scene, and afterward, carefully stored the flower in another box.


    One had to admit, ever since switching careers to be a researcher, Gary had changed quite a lot.


    The two of them then continued on their journey.


    Despite the Tree of Beginning appearing close by, they spent over half a day to finally reach its base.


    Of course, the ones who were exhausted were not Yuga and Gary but their rides, Absol and Arcanine.


    Although the Tree of Beginning looked like a towering giant tree from afar, upon closer inspection, it became clear that it was actually a series of rockyers stacked atop each other. Trees and flowers grew all over the rocks, making the whole structure look like the crown of a massive tree from a distance.


    "How can we meet Mew?" Gary asked, looking at the Tree of Beginning in front of them with a hint of confusion.


    "I don''t know either!" Yuga replied. "Why don''t we go up and take a look?"


    "I think you''d better be careful. The Pok��mon here aren''t easy to deal with!" Nales, who was squatting nearby, cautioned them.


    "It seems pretty quiet around here. It doesn''t look as dangerous as you said," Gary observed, ncing around.


    Nales found it odd as well. "Something does seem off. Usually, there are so many Pok��mon living here, and it''s always bustling. It shouldn''t be this quiet!" It wasn''t Nales'' first time here, but it had never encountered such silence.


    Just as Nales finished speaking, sharp cries rang out above them. Yuga, Gary, and Nales looked up to see three Aerodactyls swooping down toward them.


    The Aerodactyls had fierce expressions, their mouths open wide as they dived, with their sharp teeth glinting dangerously, as if they intended to bite Yuga and Gary in half.


    Seeing this, both Yuga and Gary''s expressions changed. Absol and Arcanine responded quickly, using Psycho Cut and methrower, respectively, to repel two of the attacking Aerodactyls.


    Nales, being even more powerful than Absol and Arcanine, directly struck the remaining Aerodactyl with a methrower, sending it crashing down.


    Upon seeing one of theirpanions defeated in an instant, the remaining two Aerodactyls quickly flew up high, too scared tounch another attack.


    The Aerodactyls here at the Tree of Beginning weren''t resurrected from fossils but were true ancient Pok��mon that had survived until the present day.


    "We''re from the League, here to meet Mew ording to an agreement!"


    Yuga shouted toward the three Aerodactyls hovering above. However, they ignored him, appearing as if they wanted to attack butcked the courage. This left Yuga feeling frustrated.


    They were supposedly here under an agreement with Mew. So what was going on?


    Just then, a strange buzzing sound echoed, catching Yuga and Gary''s attention. Looking in the direction of the noise, they saw an ice-blue Pok��mon with a crystalline body standing on a rocky ledge halfway up the Tree of Beginning.


    "It''s Regice!" Nales eximed.


    Regice also noticed Nales. It recognized Nales from its previous attempts to "visit" the Tree of Beginning.


    "Vrrrrr..."


    The eye-like markings on Regice''s forehead shed, instantly locking onto Nales beforeunching a Zap Cannon straight at it.


    Not one to back down, Nales countered with an Inferno. The two attacks collided, creating an explosion that sent the Aerodactyls flying in panic.


    With the other two Regis not present, Nales didn''t feel intimidated facing only Regice, which it had an advantage over.


    Yuga shouted again, "We''re here to meet Mew as per our agreement!"


    Only then did Regice stop its attack, ncing at Yuga and Gary. It observed them for a moment before turning away and disappearing from sight.


    Yuga and Gary exchanged confused looks, wondering what had just happened.


    Nales, having its fight interrupted, was visibly displeased.


    A few minutester, a blue vortex suddenly appeared in front of them, and Regice re-emerged alongside Registeel and Regirock.


    Seeing the three regus appear together, Yuga took out a small box, opened it, and revealed the meteoroid fragment inside for them to see.


    "This is what we''ve brought for Mew, as agreed. Can we meet with it?"


    "Vrrrrr..."


    "Vrrrrr..."


    "Vrrrrr..."


    After inspecting the item, the three regis conferred briefly before sending Regice forward to speak with Yuga and Gary.


    It turned out that the Tree of Beginning had been experiencing issues recently, affecting Mew, who shared a symbiotic rtionship with it. The Tree of Beginning contained a self-sustained ecosystem that nurtured many Pok��mon. When the tree encountered problems, its ecosystem began to deteriorate, leading to the copse of habitats for many Pok��mon. This was why Yuga and Gary had not seen any Pok��mon around since arriving.


    Following Regice''s hint, Yuga and Gary examined their surroundings more closely and noticed that many trees growing along the rockyers had leaves that were slightly yellowing. The effect was subtle enough to be overlooked at a casual nce. These trees were parasitic to the Tree of Beginning, so naturally, they were impacted when the tree itself faced issues.


    "Can''t we meet with Mew?" Yuga asked.


    The League was evidently unaware of the troubles with the Tree of Beginning and Mew. As emissaries representing the League, Yuga and Gary had a responsibility to find out what was happening to Mew and report it back.


    The three regis appeared troubled by Yuga''s question.


    Mew couldn''t appear due to its weakened condition, and if Yuga and Gary tried to enter the Tree of Beginning to meet Mew, they would be met with hostility and rejection from the tree itself. The Tree of Beginning was a unique lifeform, and any foreign entity entering it would trigger an immune response, resulting in an attack that not even the three Titans could stop.


    "Does this mean we can''t see Mew?" Gary said disappointedly after hearing Yuga''s trantion. "What if Mew and the Tree of Beginning are in real danger?"


    Yuga proposed to the three regis, "Let us at least go inside and take a look. If things get too dangerous, we''ll leave!"


    Gary quickly chimed in, "Yeah, exactly. We won''t feel at ease unless we see Mew."


    "Vrrrrr... Vrrrrr... Vrrrrr..."


    The strange buzzing of the three regis filled the air as they discussed among themselves.


    After some time, Regice stepped forward and agreed to Yuga''s suggestion. Due to the League''s longstanding friendship with Mew, the three regis treated Yuga and Gary with kindness.


    Strictly speaking, the regsis served as guardians of the Tree of Beginning, not Mew. However, eons ago, Mew had formed a symbiotic rtionship with the tree; their fates were intertwined, so the regis protected Mew as well.


    But before they could enter to see Mew, the three regus turned their gaze toward Nales, who had been silent all this time. Recognizing Nales, they inquired why it was apanying Yuga and Gary.


    Yuga, quick on his feet, casually replied, "The journey here was dangerous, so we hired it as a bodyguard." After all the treasure he had taken from Nales, he couldn''t just abandon it now. He wanted to at least let it see Mew. However, given Mew''s current state, Yuga had little hope that Nales would get what it wanted.


    The three regis fell silent at Yuga''s exnation, allowing Nales to apany them. While they didn''t particrly wee Nales, they acknowledged its strength. With Nales present, Yuga and the others would have a slightly better chance of escaping if they encountered any danger within the Tree of Beginning. The Tree was friendly to its native inhabitants but viewed outsiders like Yuga differently.


    Following the regis, Yuga, Gary, Nales, Absol, and Arcanine stepped into the blue vortex and reappeared inside a rocky passageway��the inner body of the Tree of Beginning.


    It was eerily quiet, with nothing but the long stone corridor ahead, illuminated by crystal-like stones glimmering along the path. Yuga noticed these stones resembled the material of the Time Flower, but wary of disturbing anything they shouldn''t, he resisted touching them.


    They traveled a long way with the regis, and the immune system of the Tree had yet to respond. Along the way, Yuga and Gary saw some of the Pok��mon living inside the Tree.


    However, each Pok��mon appeared dazed, as if facing an impending catastrophe. None of them seemed surprised to see Yuga and Gary, two humans, within their territory.


    After some more walking, Yuga and Gary entered another rocky passage. As soon as they stepped forward, their feet became encased in a mass of pink sludge.


    "Vrrrrr..."


    The regis sent a warning��the immune system of the Tree of Beginning was beginning its counterattack.


    Absol and Arcanine immediately attacked the pink substance, but their strikes were simply absorbed.


    Nales fared no better. Although it had visited the Tree of Beginning many times, it had always been stopped at the entrance by the regis. This was its first time inside, and it found the ce far more challenging than expected, as its mes had no effect.


    Soon, the pink sludge was engulfing them up to their waists. Gary shouted anxiously, "What are we supposed to do now?"


    At that moment, the box in Yuga''s hand suddenly emitted a radiant light. Under the glow, the pink sludge melted away like snow in the sun.


    Each of them held a box��Gary''s contained the giant meteoroid fragment, while Yuga''s held the item he''d obtained from the Sasaki family. Yuga had kept it handy to ask Mew about its origins, not expecting it would serve as an unexpected lifesaver.


    Yuga, Gary, and even the regis were all surprised by this turn of events.


    When Yuga opened the box, the icy blue stone inside continued to shine brightly, and the small Time Flower embedded in the stone became even clearer in the light.


    The pink sludge retreated at once under the stone''s glow, vanishing without a trace in moments.


    The scene left the regis stunned. They had never seen the Tree''s immune system relent like this. The Tree of Beginning had always shown no mercy toward outsiders, driving them out like fallen leaves in the autumn wind. Why had it changed now?


    Unbeknownst to them, the moment Yuga opened the box, Mew, far at the top of the Tree, sensed the presence and opened its eyes. Exhausted and barely able to move, Mewy limp beside a small pond, struggling to rise. It managed to float barely half a meter before copsing back onto the ground with a soft thud.


    "Miu..."


    Mew let out a weak, intive sound, looking pitiful.


    With the stone''s protective light, Yuga and hispanions proceeded smoothly and reached the top of the Tree of Beginning, where they found Mew, frail and worn-out.

 Chapter 1202: Chance Encounters and Wishes Fulfilled

    <h4>Chapter 1202: Chance Encounters and Wishes Fulfilled</h4>


    Yuga and Gary hadn''t anticipated finding Mew in such weak state��it was far worse than even the regis had described. Nales hadn''t expected this either, and now wondered if it would still be able to receive Mew''s blessing given Mew''s frailty.


    But the moment Mew saw the stone in Yuga''s hand, a spark of joy lit up in its eyes.


    "Miu!!!"


    Mew''s weak but excited voice called out. Gary didn''t understand it, but Yuga did��it was summoning him toe closer.


    Yuga guessed that Mew calling him over must have something to do with the stone he held, so he obediently approached.


    Following Mew''s guidance, Yuga crouched down. Mew reached out with its tiny hand, and the instant it touched the stone, an even brighter light burst forth. The entire Tree of Beginning began to tremble.


    This time, not only Yuga but also Gary, Nales, and the regis sensed an awakening consciousness��a consciousness belonging to the Tree of Beginning, a unique living entity that now seemed to be intensely craving the stone in Yuga''s hand.


    Under Mew''s touch, the "Time Flower" in the center of the stone began to bloom slowly, and an image was projected outward.


    In the vision, two Mews poured all their energy into a ball of light that enveloped a crystal flower. When the light faded, the two Mews were gone, and the crystal flower was encased within an icy blue stone��the very stone Yuga and hispanions had brought with them.


    The visionsted only about twenty seconds, but by the end of it, Mew was in tears, while Yuga and the others were left bewildered.


    Mew''s weakness stemmed from the Tree of Beginning''s weakened state, so the immediate priority was to address the problem with the Tree. Judging from Mew''s reaction, it was clear that the icy blue stone in Yuga''s possession was the key to solving this crisis.


    Following Mew''s instructions, Yuga carried the stone to a rock formation resembling a tree. In the "trunk" of this "tree," there was a blue vortex. Guided by Mew, Yuga threw the stone into the vortex.


    As soon as the icy blue stone touched the blue vortex, it began to melt swiftly, like ice against me, transforming into energy and merging with the vortex. The "Time Flower" at the heart of the stone spun slowly as it vanished into the vortex.


    The moment the "Time Flower" disappeared, Yuga, Gary, and all the Pok��mon present sensed a joyful, life-filled consciousness emanate from the Tree��it was, without a doubt, the consciousness of the Tree of Beginning.


    A blue ring of energy radiated outward from the tree-like rock, filling the entire space with a brilliant glow.


    It was the power of aura; Yuga could feel it.


    What Yuga and the others didn''t realize was that outside, the entire Tree of Beginning was now radiating a rich green light. This green glow symbolized life, and under its influence, all the nts and trees parasitically growing on the Tree of Beginning began to flourish anew, while the Pok��mon living within the Tree erupted into joyful celebration.


    Not only that, but the green light continued spreading across the ground, extending to nearby forests,nds, rivers... all life around fell into a state of joyous celebration.


    The rangers guarding the area around the Tree of Beginning were astonished to see trees around them sprouting new buds at an incredible speed, flowers forming buds, and resilient grasses pushing their way through the soil.


    No one knew how much time had passed before the green light faded and the celebration of life came to an end. It was as if everything that had just happened was a fleeting illusion, yet the rangers felt it keenly��thend seemed to havee alive.


    Meanwhile, at the Tree of Beginning, Mew had regained its vitality along with the Tree itself, now flying energetically back and forth in the air.


    "Mew, what exactly happened here? Why did you and the Tree of Beginning end up like this?" Yuga couldn''t help but ask.


    "Miu..."


    Hearing Yuga''s question, Mew paused mid-air, hesitating for a moment before revealing the truth.


    Long, long ago, the Tree of Beginning''s core went missing. Back then, there were still quite a few Mew in the world.


    To the Tree of Beginning, its core was equivalent to a human''s heart. Without a heart, the Tree lost its source of life.


    In an effort to save the Tree, one of the Mew formed a symbiotic rtionship with it��that was the very Mew that Yuga and hispanions saw now.


    The energy source that the Tree of Beginning needed was the power of aura, the same type of energy present in Mew. Thus, only through a symbiotic bond with Mew could the Tree''s decline be slowed.


    During this time, the other Mew who lived at the Tree of Beginning ventured out in search of the missing core.


    However, many years passed, and none of the Mew who went out ever returned, nor was the core found.


    Many years ago, the Tree of Beginning helped a warrior named Aaron end a war. However, with no core, its power was limited. In the end, Aaron sacrificed himself, using his aura to revive the Tree of Beginning.


    But relying on others'' aura was merely a temporary fix, and over time, even the effects of the symbiosis with Mew began to weaken.


    Over a year ago, Ash and his friends visited this ce when the Tree of Beginning fell into weakness once more. Aaron''s Lucario sacrificed itself again to alleviate the Tree''s frailty.


    Yet, Lucario''s sacrifice could not buy the Tree much time. Not long ago, the long absence of the core caused an even more violent bacsh within the Tree, and its internal ecosystem began to copse.


    The Tree of Beginning was on the verge of perishing when, against all odds, Yuga and hispanions returned with the core.


    The core was none other than the "Time Flower" encased within the icy blue stone.


    However, it was not the real Time Flower but rather manifested in that form. The Time Flower was a life form that apanied the Tree of Beginning, and the core naturally took on that shape.


    Because Yuga and the others carried the core, the Tree''s immune system had responded when they were attacked. Realizing the core''s presence, the Tree was eager to wee Yuga and hispanions and would never have allowed its immune system to harm them!


    From the image projected by the core, it seemed that, years ago, two Mew had indeed located the core. However, by then, it had almost lost its vitality, unable tost long enough for them to bring it back to the Tree of Beginning.


    To preserve the core, the two Mew sacrificed themselves, transforming into crystallized aura.


    By a series of fortunate coincidences, the core ended up in Yuga''s possession and, by fate, was brought back.


    As for the stone b ced with the core, it actually didn''t hold any special significance��it was likely just a clue left behind by the two Mew who sacrificed themselves. Without that b, Professor Oak probably wouldn''t have asked Yuga to bring the core to Mew.


    After listening to Mew''s exnation, both Yuga and Gary couldn''t help but feel deeply moved. They hadn''t realized that, by sheer luck, they had managed to save the Tree of Beginning.


    Mew, however, was a little stingy. It hesitated for a while before conveying its wish to thank Yuga and Gary, asking what kind of reward they wanted. It also noted that it couldn''t fulfill overly difficult requests, so they should think carefully before responding.


    Yuga: ...


    Gary: ...


    They hadn''t expected Mew to be this kind of Mew.


    Gary''s request was simple: he wanted a single strand of Mew''s fur, a precious research material. Even his grandfather didn''t have such a sample, so this was a rare opportunity.


    This request was easy for Mew, who, with a look that seemed to say Gary was being sensible, plucked a strand of its pink fur and gave it to him.


    Gary received the strand and carefully wrapped it in a handkerchief before cing it in his backpack.


    When Mew turned to look at Yuga, he found himself in a dilemma. He didn''t have any particr request for Mew.


    "Woo... woo..."


    At this point, Nales, standing to the side, grew anxious: "What about me? Don''t forget me!"


    Yuga immediately understood Nales'' intention and rolled his eyes, saying, "We already helped you meet Mew as you requested. I have no reason to ask for more on your behalf!"


    Nales became even more frantic, "I gave you all my treasures, how can you be like this!"


    Yuga shrugged indifferently, "Fair is fair. You gave us the treasure, we brought you to meet Mew��simple and clear! If you want Mew''s help, ask it yourself!"


    Hearing this, Nales quickly turned to Mew and made its request. However, Mew, being the stingy Mew that it was, pretended not to hear. Helping a Pok��mon achieve a purple potential wasn''t an easy feat, so Mew looked away, ignoring Nales'' pleas.


    Mew''s helpers were Yuga and Gary��Nales was just tagging along, so Mew naturally didn''t want to entertain its request.


    Nales was genuinely desperate. After going through so much to meet Mew, it knew that if it returned empty-handed this time, it wouldn''t be easy to get another chance.


    It raised its paw and kept scratching Yuga, hoping he''d lend a hand, but Yuga was unmoved.


    "What will it take for you to help me?" Nales finally burst out.


    Yuga''s eyes gleamed with an idea. "Helping you isn''t impossible. But this is a rare opportunity for me. If you agree to follow me for a hundred years, I''ll give up my chance for you!"


    "A hundred years?!" Nales eximed, "What are you thinking?!"


    Nales hadn''t used telepathy to speak with Yuga but had simply called out like a fox, so although Gary could tell they weremunicating, he didn''t know what they were talking about. Seeing Nales'' angry expression, he curiously observed both it and Yuga.


    "Miu... miu..."


    Mew started urging them impatiently, while Yuga remained calm and nced at Nales with a "take it or leave it" look.


    Finally, Nales gritted its teeth and said, "A hundred years is too long; fifty years!" Even with its long lifespan, a hundred years was simply too much for Nales.


    Hearing this, Yuga reluctantly said, "Fine, I''ll make a little sacrifice��fifty years it is!"


    He had intentionally set the years high, not actually expecting Nales to agree to a hundred. Even twenty or thirty years would have satisfied him, so fifty was more than enough.


    Yuga was confident that if Nales followed him, it wouldn''t take fifty years for it to be too attached to leave. By then, this agreement wouldn''t even matter.


    Who could offer Nales a morefortable life than him?


    Hearing Yuga''s agreement, Nales breathed a long sigh of relief. After preparing for nearly a hundred years, it finally had a chance to fulfill its wish.


    A weight seemed to lift from Nales'' shoulders.


    Now that they had reached an agreement, Yuga stopped keeping it in suspense and directly told Mew that he was willing to give his reward to Nales.


    Nales'' request was much more demanding than Gary''s, and Mew hesitated, considering it for a long while before reluctantly agreeing.


    Mew flew over to Nales and drew a purple light sphere from its forehead, then sent the sphere into Nales'' own forehead. Yuga and Gary watched as a faint purple glow enveloped Nales, and its nine long tails swayed in unison.


    Though not a Psychic-type, Nales could harness its powerful mental energy to develop its unique talents, and Mew was now aiding it with that energy.


    After some time, all nine of Nales'' tails unfurled, each with a crimson me at the tip, creating a stunning sight.


    Then, Nales'' mes suddenly surged, and Yuga activated his Insight skill to observe it.


    ...


    [ Nales ]


    Type: Fire


    Ability: sh Fire


    Gender: Female


    Aptitude: Purple


    Level: 100


    Moves: Ember, Tail Whip, Baby-Doll Eyes, Will-O-Wisp, Sunny Day, Quick Attack, Fire Spin, Confuse Ray, Hex, Inferno, Psyshock, methrower, Inferno, Fire st, Overheat, Energy Ball, Dark Pulse, Tail p, Return, Hypnosis, Heat Wave, Iron Tail, Pain Split.


    ...


    Nales'' potential ascended to purple, and its level increased by one, making it a genuine Level 100 Pok��mon.


    Feeling the power of a Level 100 Pok��mon firsthand, Nales admitted: although its made big sacrifice, but it still eptable.


    However, after the ritual, Mew seemed somewhat weakened, wavering slightly as it floated.


    At this point, Yuga pointed to the box in Gary''s hand. Gary suddenly remembered they hadn''tpleted their mission and quickly held up the box, saying, "Oh, right, Mew, this is something the League wanted us to deliver to you."


    Seeing the giant stone fragment inside the box, Mew''s eyes lit up. It eagerly picked up the fragment and flew around joyfully in the air with it.


    "Miu... miu... miu..."


    The fragment''s influence visibly rejuvenated Mew, who looked much livelier. Since the stone had been cut down to a smaller size, it fit perfectly in Mew''s embrace.


    With the Tree of Beginning restored to healthy, the League''s item delivered, and their debts repaid, Mew no longer wished to linger with Yuga and Gary. Using its psychic powers, it transported them out of the Tree of Beginning.


    After depositing Yuga and Gary outside, Mew flew away without looking back, perfectly demonstrating the phrase "paymentplete," leaving Yuga and Gary staring nkly at each other.


    With everything settled, Yuga and Gary nned to set off for home the next morning. As night was already falling, they decided to find somewhere nearby to rest for the night.,

 Chapter 1203: Stylish Ninetales

    <h4>Chapter 1203: Stylish Nales</h4>


    That evening, Yuga told Gary about Nales'' decision to follow him. Gary was thrilled upon hearing this, as he could freely study Nales while traveling with Yuga.


    An eight-hundred-year-old Nales was extraordinarily rare, and it likely had many secrets yet to be discovered. As a researcher, Gary was not about to pass up such a unique opportunity.


    The next morning, Yuga and Gary set out on their journey back to Pallet Town.


    On the way, they stopped by Nales'' oldir. Nales summoned the rulers of the forest to inform them that it would soon be leaving to explore the outside world and urged them to continue maintaining order in the forest.


    The forest rulers were very obedient to Nales. After all, it was thanks to the top-grade evolution stones Nales had provided that they had reached their current state. Though reluctant to part with Nales, they dutifully promised to uphold its wishes.


    As for the treasures, Yuga and Gary couldn''t transport them all in one trip, so they decided to return to Pallet Town first and arrange to have them movedter.


    A few dayster, Yuga and Gary returned safely to Pallet Town. Nales, who hadn''t been recalled to its Master Ball, simply followed them back outside.


    To Nales, the Master Ball was too confining, even lessfortable than a regr Pok�� Ball, so it usually preferred not to enter it.


    Yuga wasn''t nning to rece its ball with a regr Pok�� Ball yet, as he still didn''t fully trust Nales. Without the Master Ball''s restraint, there was no guarantee Nales would remain as obedient.


    Upon their smooth arrival in Pallet Town, the happiest one by far was Professor Oak. Mew''s fur, the long-lived Nales, and the Time Flower sample��each of these fascinated him.


    During Yuga''s absence, Windy got along splendidly with Professor Oak''s assistants at theb, even to the point of not wanting to leave. This meant Yuga had nothing to worry about.


    Despite being a homebody, Windy had some mild social anxiety, yet during his time at theb, he and Porygon2 learned many new things, significantly increasing their work efficiency.


    In the field ofworking, Windy truly was a bona fide genius.


    Once Gary and Yuga informed Professor Oak about the treasure, he arranged for some helpers and a flying transport. Yuga then led the way back to Nales''ir to retrieve all the treasure.


    Gary didn''t participate in the treasure recovery because he waspletely absorbed in studying Mew''s fur and didn''t want to leave theb at all.


    Once the treasure was back, Yuga and the team separated the valuables��gold, silver, jewelry, antique jade, and the resources for raising Pok��mon.


    Professor Oak nned to have the valuables appraised and handled, with the proceeds split equally between Yuga and Gary.


    As for the resources, they divided them on the spot.


    After the resource division, Yuga decided to visit the nearest city to Pallet Town��Viridian City��and hire Pidgey Express to send the items back to Verdanturf Town.


    It was easy to find Pidgey Express in Viridian City. Yuga simply asked someone on the street, and they directed him right to the ce.


    Since he had too many items to transport by himself, he requested on-site service from Pidgey Express. After exining the situation to the staff, he left Professor Oak''sb address and contact information.


    Afterpleting all this, Yuga called for Nales and walked out of the Pidgey Express office.


    It had been a long time since Nales had visited the human world. With how much the outside world had changed, it felt entirely out of sync with society.


    As Nales observed all the new and intriguing things on the street, it kept a calm appearance but was actually ncing around curiously, eyeing various objects with interest. However, it didn''t dare ask Yuga about them, fearing he''d tease it for being out of touch.


    With its elegant appearance, Nales was even more beautiful than most of its kind, so it drew many stares along the way. Some people even approached Yuga, challenging him to a battle.


    Nales, however, was uninterested. Given its age, it could easily be considered a "grandmother" among Nales, and it had no intention of stooping to engage with these young ones.


    Many people walked their Pok��mon around town, but none made as much of an impression as Yuga and Nales. Feeling quite pleased with itself, Nales said to Yuga, "See? You''ve got so much prestige just walking around with me!"


    Yuga looked at it with a half-smile. "So?"


    Nales perked up at this. "So, aren''t you going to thank me? I mean, it''s not like I care, but if you <i>insist</i> on showing gratitude, I wouldn''t mind. That flower over there, for instance, might be a suitable gesture."


    Yuga followed Nales'' gaze to a clothing shop. In the disy window, a mannequin dressed in a kimono wore a striking floral headpiece.


    "You like that?" Yuga asked in surprise. "You''re a Pok��mon!"


    Nales mumbled, "It''s not that I particrly <i>like</i> it, I just think it suits me." Then, feigning indifference, it turned its head away.


    Yuga nced at it and casually replied, "Oh, well, if you don''t like it, let''s move along."


    "Wait..." Nales hesitated, torn between following Yuga and keeping its eyes on the shop window.


    Knowing not to tease it too much, Yuga turned and said, "Fine, I''ll buy it for you. It''s not like it costs that much."


    A glimmer of joy shed in Nales'' eyes before it quickly returned to its usualposed expression.


    The shop Nales had chosen specialized in kimonos and rted essories, so when Yuga entered with Nales, they were immediately weed warmly by the sales staff.


    When Yuga mentioned buying something for Nales, the sales staff weren''t surprised at all. It turned out this shop catered to Pok��mon as well, and it wasmon for Pok��mon toe in for clothing and essories.


    As soon as Nales stepped into the store, it was dazzled by the variety of garments and essories. Back when its previous owner was alive, they would often dress it up, but the essories back then couldn''t achieve the same level of elegance and mour as today.


    Although Yuga knew that Nales'' former owner was a notorious pirate, he didn''t realize that this pirate had been a woman.


    She hadn''t started out as a pirate, though. Originally, she was the daughter of a tailor, but her beauty attracted the attention of a wealthy local man. Refusing to be with him, she watched helplessly as he murdered her parents.


    Afterward, she fled to the sea and joined a pirate crew, eventually marrying the captain. When he passed away, she naturally took over his influence, rising to fame on the high seas, and soon avenged her parents by eliminating her enemies.


    In the Pok��mon world, ancient gender bias wasn''t as severe as in Yuga''s past life, thanks to the presence of Pok��mon. Regardless of gender, anyone with ability could rise to prominence.


    When the pirate retired, she became a humble tailor in her father''s old trade, and Nales served as her model.


    Thus, influenced by its former owner, Nales, though quite old, still had a youthful heart! Enchanted by the beautiful essories, it wanted everything it saw. Although it didn''t explicitly say so, its gaze made its desires clear.


    Yuga thought, <i>Well, since I just made some money off of it, I might as well spend a bit.</i>


    So he bought everything Nales liked, leaving it beaming with joy.


    The store''s staff were experts in styling, with some assisting customers in choosing clothing and essories, while others did the same for Pok��mon.


    One of the staff helped ce the floral ornament Nales initially admired on its head.


    Originally designed for humans, the flower wasn''t easy for Nales to wear, but since Yuga was spending generously, the designer and tailor came out to make adjustments.


    In addition to the flower, Nales was adorned with essories on its paws, neck, and back.


    The staff were truly professional��the ensemble looked fantastic, reminding Yuga of the dazzlingly dressed performance Pok��mon he''d seen in the Pok��mon Showcasepetitions in Kalos.


    Unfortunately, these items were only decorative, bing cumbersome in battle.


    But since Nales enjoyed it, Yuga didn''t dampen its enthusiasm. He hoped to win its favor enough to keep it by his side permanently.


    Once dressed up, Nales strutted proudly in front of the mirror. It truly did attract attention, especially with its nine silky, ribbon-like tails.


    Watching the pleased Nales in the mirror, Yuga shook his head helplessly. Raising Pok��mon required more than just training; sometimes it meant indulging their lifestyle needs as well.


    Just then, avishly dressed noblewoman approached with her own Nales. Upon seeing Yuga''s Nales, she eximed, "Oh my, how did you raise such a beautiful Nales? If mine looked half as good, I''d be thrilled."


    Yuga looked over to see the noblewoman''s Nales wing at her skirt with a disgruntled expression. Unfazed, the noblewoman smiled apologetically and said, "Just kidding, just kidding! To me, you''re always the prettiest. Let''s go get you groomed, and you''ll be just as stunning in no time."


    Only then did her Nales relent, taking the opportunity to shoot a re at Yuga''s Nales. Yuga''s Nales, however, didn''t deign to respond, dismissing it altogether.


    It was true that the noblewoman''s Nales couldn''tpare to Yuga''s. Not only was its elegancecking, but in every aspect��from posture and fur luster to behavior��it was inferior to Yuga''s Nales.


    The noblewoman, naturally sociable, asked Yuga, "You must have taken your Nales to a beauty salon for such beautiful grooming, right? I knew this was the right ce."


    "Beauty Salon?" Yuga asked, a bit puzzled, while Nales couldn''t resist perking up its ears.


    "Yes, the beauty salon here is very famous. I heard about it from a friend..." The noblewoman, clearly intrigued by Yuga''s good looks, began chatting away.


    Before leaving, she even tossed Yuga a flirty wink, clearly pleased with herself.


    "That beauty salon sounds amazing. Let''s go check it out," Nales suggested after the noblewoman left.


    Nales was quite intrigued by this beauty salon. Could it truly make that dull creature as beautiful as her? Nales was skeptical.


    Yuga looked at it and said, "Aren''t you generous! You just cost me a fortune, but it''s not your money, so you don''t feel it, do you?"


    Nales huffed, "I''ve already ''sold myself'' to you, so why shouldn''t you spend a little on me? Don''t you think I''m worth it? Fine, I''ll follow yourmands from now on."


    Yuga''s eyes lit up at that. Was it possible to buy a Pok��mon''s favor with money? Worth every penny! Any problem money could solve was no real problem.


    "You said it! No going back on your word!" Yuga feigned reluctance.


    "Yeah, yeah! Stop nagging," Nales grumbled impatiently.


    And so, Yuga left the store with his elegantly dressed Nales. Although its appearance was a bit extravagant, it wasn''t umon for Pok��mon to be dressed like this in public, so it didn''t attract excessive attention.


    Actually, Yuga had suggested in the store that Nales remove the essories while they were out and wear them at home, but Nales refused. Wearing these in private wouldn''t be any fun��it was the joy of being seen.


    Thankfully, the designs allowed for regr movement, or Yuga wouldn''t have agreed to let it go out like this.


    Just as the noblewoman had said, the beauty salon in Viridian City was indeed very well-known, and Yuga quickly located it after asking around.


    But because of its poprity, the slots were already filled when Yuga and Nales arrived. Outside, the garden was packed with customers and their Pok��mon waiting to be seen.


    Upon reaching the beauty salon, Nales'' extravagant look no longer stood out; there were even more mboyantly adorned Pok��mon everywhere.


    "You see? It''s not that I''m unwilling to spend, but this ce is packed!" Yuga exined, shrugging.


    Nales knew it wasn''t Yuga''s fault, but its excitement faded, and its ears drooped in disappointment, making Yuga feel sympathetic.


    "Yuga? What are you doing here?"


    Just then, a familiar voice sounded behind Yuga. He turned around and, to his surprise, he saw Misty.


    "Misty? What brings you here?" Yuga asked, delighted.


    Since they hadn''t seen each other in a while, the two of them found a spot to catch up. Yuga exined why he was in Viridian City, and Misty shared her reason for being there.


    It turned out that Viridian City was currently hosting a conference for Kanto''s Gym Leaders, and Misty was one of the invited Leaders.


    Today, after some intense sparring with several other Gym Leaders at Viridian Gym, Misty decided to bring her Pok��mon here for some rxation, not expecting to run into Yuga.


    This beauty salon was well-known for its excellent rxation and rejuvenation services for Pok��mon. Not only was Misty a regr, but she was also a VIP member.


    When she learned that Yuga and Nales couldn''t get in due to ack of reservation, Misty patted her chest confidently and said, "Leave this small matter to me!"

 Chapter 1204: Finis And Suzie

    <h4>Chapter 1204: Finis And Suzie</h4>


    As a VIP of the beauty salon, Misty didn''t need to wait in line. She led Yuga to the entrance, where the attendants, upon seeing her, immediately weed her warmly.


    "Miss Misty, you''re here! Please,e on in!"


    Due to her participation in the gym leader exchange, Misty had been in many battles over the past few days. After each match, she would bring her Pok��mon here to rx, so the attendants were already very familiar with her.


    Misty introduced Yuga with a smile, saying, "This is my friend; he came with me."


    The attendant, smiling widely, said, "Since he''s Miss Misty''s friend, pleasee right in. Miss Misty is one of our top members and has the privilege of bringing one or two guests along."


    The salon''s membership has several tiers, from basic to VIP. Misty was in the top tier. Some of the customers waiting outside had initially been annoyed, thinking that Misty and Yuga were cutting in line. However, after hearing that Misty was a VIP, their resentment immediately dissipated.


    VIPs are entitled to bring guests ahead in line. So... well, that doesn''t really count as cutting, right?


    Under the attentive guidance of the attendant, Misty and Yuga entered the beauty salon.


    Though this ce was called a beauty salon, it wasn''t the same as salons for humans. They didn''t provide styling services; rather, they focused on treatments like massage, aromatherapy, medical care, and rxation techniques for Pok��mon. Their goal was to make Pok��mon naturally exude a healthy beauty, hence the name "beauty salon."


    If it hadn''t been for Misty''s introduction, Yuga would never have known howplex these salons for Pok��mon could be.


    There are simr salons in various ces, but the quality varies greatly. Some are outright scams, while this one was a standout in the industry. It was precisely because of its top-notch services that it had gained such a great reputation.


    The moment Yuga stepped into the salon, he noticed a particr scent in the air that instantly rxed him.


    This was the effect of Lax Incense!


    Since YoYo Day Care sell Incense, Yuga immediately recognized the smell. Incense for Pok��mon tends to be expensive, earning it the nickname "burning gold." In other words, burning incense here was like burning through gold. The price of incense is no joke.


    To be able to keep incense burning 24/7 in the lobby like this, the salon was clearly well-funded. But naturally, the clientele here could probably afford it easily.


    With a quick nce around the lobby, Yuga noticed that the Pok��mon apanying the customers were either precious pets from wealthy families or the main battlers of powerful Trainers.


    Since it was his first visit, the attendant gave Yuga and Misty a brief tour. By the end, Yuga felt that he''d truly seen something new.


    The salon offered a wide range of services, amodating evenrge, intimidating Pok��mon like Onix and the fierce Gyarados and Ursaring.


    Yuga personally saw one of the Pok��mon groomers meticulously bathing an Onix with fine sand and another cleaning the scales of a Gyarados, removing the buildup from between its scales.


    Both the Onix and Gyarados looked utterly rxed and were quietly lying there in total enjoyment.


    ording to the attendant, all the Pok��mon groomers here were certified Pok��mon breeders and Pok��mon doctors, each highly skilled.


    Yuga was genuinely impressed. With so many Pok��mon groomers employed, the salon''s wage costs alone must be enormous, as Pok��mon doctors and breeders are both high-paying professions.


    After the tour, Yuga and Misty were led into a private suite. The attendant asked Misty, "Miss Misty, which Pok��mon groomer would you like today?"


    Misty thought for a moment and replied, "Let''s go with Finis."


    The salon''s Pok��mon groomers were also ranked by levels, with higher-level Pok��mon groomersmanding higher prices. Finis, the Pok��mon groomer Misty requested, was at the top tier.


    "Alright!" The attendant said happily, then turned to Yuga. "Mr. Shimizu, is there any service you''d like to try?"


    As he spoke, he handed Yuga a menu of services and carefully went over each option.


    Misty, as a regr customer, was already very familiar with all the services here, so the attendant directly asked her which Pok��mon groomer she preferred. However, Yuga was a neer, so the attendant naturally provided a more detailed introduction.


    Since it was his first visit, Yuga hadn''t nned to have all his Pok��mon try the services. For just Nales alone... he thought for a moment and asked the attendant, "I''d like to get a massage for Nales. Could you rmend a suitable Pok��mon groomer?"


    Not knowing the specific skills of the Pok��mon groomer here, Yuga decided to go with the attendant''s suggestion.


    "For a massage, let''s go with Suzie," Misty interjected before the attendant could reply. "I heard Suzie is here today. Is she booked?"


    The attendant checked his tablet and said, "Yes, Miss Suzie is here today, and she currently has no appointments."


    Misty nodded, "Then let''s go with Suzie."


    "Alright, please wait a moment, both of you. The Pok��mon groomer you requested will be here shortly. I''ll be right outside if you need anything, so feel free to call me."


    Once the attendant left, Misty told Yuga that Suzie, the Pok��mon groomer she rmended, was actually a friend she''d met while traveling with Ash.


    Suzie was very skilled in massage, though she wasn''t a resident Pok��mon groomer at the salon. She was specially hired by the salon owner and only worked here on specific days.


    Although Suzie wasn''t yet a top-tier Pok��mon groomer like Finis, Misty was sure that with more time, she''d eventually reach that level.


    Hearing Misty praise Suzie so highly, Yuga became curious about her, and Nales beside him was already eager to start.


    Before long, Yuga saw two young women enter, one behind the other. The woman in front was very tall, around thirty, with a voluptuous figure and a sensual look; the one behind her was petite, looking sweet and pure, and appeared to be in her twenties.


    The two women greeted Misty warmly upon entering, showing that they were well-acquainted. Misty introduced Yuga to the two women: the tall one was Finis, and the petite one was Suzie.


    To Yuga''s surprise, Finis actually recognized him. She eximed in surprise, "I didn''t expect to meet the famous Gym Leader Shimizu here today. What an honor!"


    After speaking, Finis noticed Yuga''s Nales and, with admiration, remarked, "Is this your Nales, Mr. Shimizu? You''ve raised it wonderfully."


    Finis wasn''t only a Pok��mon doctor but also a breeder. Although she specialized more in Water-type Pok��mon, her keen eye was undeniable.


    Upon hearing the praise, Nales proudly lifted its chin: That''s right, this Nales is indeed that remarkable!


    Suzie, a quiet young woman, hadn''t said much, though she noticed Nales as soon as she entered. It wasn''t only Nales'' extravagant, morous appearance that caught her eye but also its outstanding form.


    Being an expert, Suzie understood well that a Pok��mon''s natural appearance best reflects its health and development.


    She herself had a Nales, so she was more familiar with the species than others and could recognize this one''s exceptional qualities.


    After Misty introduced Yuga, Suzie understood it all��of course, a skilled Trainer would have such a remarkable Nales.


    What Suzie didn''t know was that Nales'' excellence wasn''t entirely Yuga''s doing.


    Well... it wasn''tpletely unrted either; Yuga had, after all, yed a role in Nales'' final stages of growth, at least in reaching Level 100.


    After a brief chat, the two Pok��mon groomer began their work.


    Today, Misty came to treat her strongest Pok��mon, Starmie.


    Finis had prepared everything meticulously, starting by setting up a bath suitable for Starmie and adding a special liquid to it.


    Finis exined that this medicinal liquid was her exclusive form. It not only healed umted injuries in Water-type Pok��mon but also strengthened them physically��a luxury treatment indeed.


    She then took out a box of odd incense, lighting it so that the room filled with a refreshing fragrance.


    This odd incense could enhance the meditation efficiency of Psychic-type Pok��mon, making it ideal for Starmie. During Misty''sst visit, Finis used Wave Incense, tailored for Water-types; this time, she made a suitable adjustment.


    Meanwhile, Suzie started Nales'' massage.


    Suzie''s massage technique not only activated Nales'' meridians but also relieved umted fatigue. Before long, Nales was humming contentedly.


    When Finis lit the odd incense, Nales noticed right away.


    Although it wasn''t a Psychic-type, it had a strong affinity for mental energy, especially after its advancement to Level 100 with Mew''s help, which further developed its psychic abilities.


    Seeing Nales enjoying the massage while eyeing the incense burner with longing, Yuga thought quickly and said, "No need to be so envious. Once we get back, you can use as much as you want. The incense we have at home is far superior to this."


    As soon as Nales heard this, its eyes brightened, looking at Yuga as if asking, <i>Really? You''re not lying, are you?</i>


    Yuga''s words also caught the attention of Finis and Suzie. Finis asked, "I heard that Gym Leader Shimizu is also the owner of YoYo Day Care, a very well-known ce these days! Does your daycare also sell incense?"


    Yuga replied humbly, "You''re too kind. Yes, YoYo Day Care does sell incense, and it has a very good reputation."


    Finis responded, "Then I''ll definitely have to try it out sometime."


    Though Finis was just being polite, Yuga seized the opportunity and said, "As it happens, I have some with me. Allow me to gift Miss Finis a box, and one for Miss Suzie as well."


    With that, he theatrically took out two boxes of incense from his portable space bag��though, in truth, he pulled them from his system bag. It happened to be the same rare incense, ideal forparison.


    Knowing Yuga well, Misty immediately backed him up. "YoYo Day Care''s incense is really excellent! Our Cerulean Gym exclusively uses their incense, and I think the quality is noticeably better than what''s used here." Though she was supporting Yuga, Misty was speaking truthfully.


    Yuga gave Misty an approving mental thumbs-up.


    With Misty''s endorsement, Finis and Suzie''s interest was piqued. They took the boxes of odd incense from Yuga, trusting that Misty wouldn''t lie about such things.


    Opening the boxes, Finis and Suzie saw the shiny, fine-grained odd incense inside and immediately recognized its high quality.


    As people who regrly worked with incense, they knew how to discern quality at a nce. A quick inspection was enough to make them decide to test it properlyter.


    Seeing them ept the incense, Yuga beamed with joy.


    Earlier, Yuga had learned from a staff member that a Pok��mon groomer of Finis''s level held considerable influence at the salon. If YoYo Day Care''s incense received her approval, Yuga would have a chance to sell his products here through her.


    This beauty salon was exceptionallyrge and a luxurious establishment, consuming vast quantities of incense daily. Securing a partnership with them would mean significant business for YoYo Day Care.


    Even if it didn''t work out, Yuga wouldn''t lose much��just two boxes of incense, which was hardly a big deal.


    Having achieved his goal, Yuga then engaged in casual conversation with the three women, mostly discussing experiences in Pok��mon breeding.


    Though Suzie and Finis weren''t trainers, as breeders and Pok��mon doctor, insights from a trainer''s perspective could offer them valuable inspiration.


    Speaking of Nales, Misty remarked, "I remember Suzie''s Nales was taken care of by Brock for a while. I wonder how Ash and Brock are doing these days."


    Hearing this, Yuga recalled that Brock had indeed cared for a Vulpix once, though he hadn''t known whose it was. So it was Suzie''s?


    Suzie added wistfully, "Yes, I really owe Brock for that. I was busy preparing for the breeder''s certification exams at the time, and he took such good care of Nales for me!"


    That Vulpix had since evolved into her current Nales.


    After the massage session, Suzie thoughtfully helped Nales put back on its essories and clothing, restoring it to its stylish (and mboyant) appearance.


    Feeling even more beautiful, Nales strutted in front of the mirror in the room, prompting Yuga to think, <i>I can''t bear to look at this!</i>


    <i>Its so narcissistic!</i>

 Chapter 1205: Viridian Gym

    <h4>Chapter 1205: Viridian Gym</h4>


    Leaving the beauty salon, Nales walked ahead with a radiant glow, head held high, exuding an irresistible charm that caught the attention of the Pok��mon they passed, making Yuga feel helpless. ording to Yuga''s other Pok��mon, Nales truly was a rare beauty in the Pok��mon world, with every reason to unt her good looks.


    Sure enough, a Meowth passing by with its trainer was so captivated by Nales that it absentmindedly walked right into its trainer''s leg, which made Nalesugh out loud.


    There was no denying it��Suzie''s grooming skills were impressive, enhancing Nales'' beauty even more.


    "This beauty salon is pretty good. Let''se back next time!" Nales said contentedly to Yuga.


    Yuga had previously asked Nales not to use telepathy tomunicate with him, but now that they''d left the salon, Nales spoke up without hesitation, startling Misty beside them.


    "Th-this Nales can use telepathy!" she eximed.


    "Yes, she can," Yuga nodded to Misty, then shot Nales a look. "Did you forget what I told you? This is Kanto, and I''m from Hoenn. We''re heading back in a couple of days, so there won''t be a ''next time'' here! What, you want me to bring you back to the heavens or something?"


    "That''s uneptable!" Nales protested. "Doesn''t your Hoenn have a salon like this?"


    Yuga pointed out, "Not <i>your</i> Hoenn, it''s <i>our</i> Hoenn now. You''re part of Hoenn too!"


    Nales wasn''t interested in that. "Whose Hoenn it is doesn''t matter. I just want a salon."


    Yuga sighed and relented, "Fine, I''ll ask around once we''re back." He hadn''t paid much attention to beauty salons before, but maybe Joyka would know.


    Satisfied, Nales replied, "Good! Don''t be stingy with the money��I know you''re wealthy. Any new salon you find should be at least as high-end as this one."


    Yuga felt the urge to retort, "Easy to say when it''s not your money!"


    Nales red. "You''re still hung up on this? I''ve practically sold myself to you, agreed to follow all yourmands, and you''re still unwilling to spend a little money on me?" The look she gave him was as if he''d broken her heart.


    "Fine, fine!" Yuga surrendered wisely. If he didn''t keep thisdy happy, she could be quite the handful. A bit of money wasn''t worth the trouble of upsetting her.


    "Ha ha... you two are so funny!" Misty couldn''t helpughing at Yuga and Nales'' banter.


    Nales was almost offended by Misty''sughter but, remembering that she owed this youngdy for helping her get into the salon, chose to let it go. Even Nales knew to repay kindness.


    "You did a great job cooperating in the salon just now. Let me treat you to dinner," Yuga said to Misty after his back-and-forth with Nales.


    "You don''te to Kanto often; I should be the one treating you!" Misty replied.


    Yuga waved her off. "It''s not like I''m strapped for cash. Does it matter who treats whom? Let''s go eat."


    The two then found a high-end restaurant, nning to catch up over their meal.


    The restaurant''s service was indeed exceptional, even offering special dishes for Pok��mon. Both Yuga and Misty enjoyed their meal, and Nales was fully satisfied with her own feast.


    After living in the depths of the mountains for so long, Nales hadn''t tasted human food in ages. Even while at the Oak Research Lab, it had only eaten energy cubes, so today it was finally able to indulge its wishes.


    However, for a high-level Pok��mon like Nales, merely eating human food might satisfy its taste buds, but it doesn''t provide enough energy for any high-intensity activities afterward; it would still need to supplement with high-energy foods like Pokeblockter.


    After finishing their meal, Yuga and Misty, along with Nales, stepped out of their private room and were met by a group of people. The young man leading them was surprised to see Misty and said, "Miss Misty? What a coincidence, you''re eating here too?"


    Misty hadn''t expected the chance to meet either. "Yes, I am! I didn''t expect to see you here, Gym Leader Salem."


    "Is this... Could it be Gym Leader Shimizu from Verdanturf Town in Hoenn?" The young man, Salem, instantly recognized Yuga and enthusiastically approached him. "I can''t believe I get to meet Gym Leader Shimizu here��it''s such an honor!"


    Seeing the young man enthusiastically shaking his hand, Yuga nced at Misty in confusion. Misty noticed and introduced him, saying, "This is Salem, the Gym Leader of Viridian Gym."


    She had previously mentioned that the Gym Exchange Competition she was attending was hosted by the Viridian Gym.


    Upon hearing this, Yuga understood. "Ah, so you''re Gym Leader Salem. It''s a pleasure to meet you!"


    Viridian Gym''s previous Gym Leader had been Giovanni, but after his identity as th leader of Team Rocket was exposed, he naturally lost his position. Afterward, one of the Kanto Elite Four, Agatha, temporarily filled the role, followed by a brief period when Gary served as the acting Gym Leader. Ultimately, the position was taken over by the current official Gym Leader, Salem.


    Although Yuga had heard about this, he hadn''t really followed who the final official Gym Leader would be.


    Listening to Yuga and Salem''s conversation, the other Gym Leaders who hade to dine with Salem exchanged whispers among themselves. Although many hadn''t met Yuga personally, they''d all heard of him.


    As fellow Gym Leaders, it was natural for them to be somewhat informed about famous figures in their line of work, especially someone as renowned as Yuga.


    Salem was genuinely warm and weing toward Yuga, and although Yuga had been ready to leave after the meal, Salem enthusiastically pulled him into the conversation, making it hard for Yuga to excuse himself.


    After chatting for a while, Salem said, "Do you have any ns next, Gym Leader Shimizu? We''re currently hosting a Gym Leader Exchange Conference at Viridian Gym. How abouting over for a look?"


    In response, Yuga asked Misty quietly, "Are you heading back to Viridian Gym afterward?"


    Misty nodded silently, as all the Gym Leaders were currently staying at Viridian Gym.


    Realizing this, Yuga told Salem, "Alright, then. I''ll be honored to broaden my horizons."


    Visiting wouldn''t be bad��anything was better than standing here making an awkward conversation. Besides, Misty had mentioned that the exchange was well-organized, with the various Gym Leaders learning and sparring, creating a chance for significant growth.


    Salem was thrilled. "It''s our pleasure to have you join us, Gym Leader Shimizu."


    It had to be said, that Salem was extremely weing, making Yuga feel a bit out of his element. Salem looked around at Yuga''s age; it was impressive that he''d developed such an affable personality.


    As they exited the restaurant, Salem noticed the Nales following behind Yuga and praised it enthusiastically, "Is this Nales yours, Gym Leader Shimizu? It''s been nurtured excellently!"


    A continuous stream ofpliments couldn''t help but make the normally aloof Nales nce at Salem a few more times. It even whispered a foxy bark to Yuga, saying, "This guy isn''t bad."


    Yuga thought to himself, <i>Yeah, right��anyone who tters you is ''not bad.''</i>


    When they arrived at Viridian Gym, Yuga indeed saw many Gym Leaders, including Lt. Surge from Vermilion Gym and Janine from Fuchsia Gym. Even Erika was there. When she saw Yuga, she was clearly surprised, but seeing him surrounded by Salem and others, she only gave him a nod from afar as a greeting.


    Then Yuga spotted someone who surprised him: Sabrina.


    Sabrina was a solitary person, and Yuga had assumed she wouldn''t attend such a gathering. But here she was.


    True to her demeanor, Sabrina seemed challenging to approach. She was sitting alone on the spectator''s bench, quietly watching others spar in the arena with her kazam, paying close attention.


    Out of curiosity, Yuga used his Insight skill to assess the strength of Sabrina''s kazam and was surprised by her rapid growth. Though, considering her natural abilities, this level of progress was hardly surprising.


    Naturally, someone as sensitive as Sabrina quickly noticed Yuga''s gaze.


    However,pared to the gentle Erika, Sabrina''s attitude was much colder. She gave Yuga a brief, indifferent nce before refocusing her attention entirely on the battle before her, as if she didn''t know Yuga at all.


    After showing Yuga around the gym and introducing him to a few other gym leaders, Salem asked, "Would you like to join us for a practice match, Gym Leader Shimizu?"


    On the way to the Viridian Gym, Yuga had already learned from Misty''s exnations that Salem was actually the grandnephew of Granny Agatha, who had rmended him as the Viridian Gym Leader.


    Granny Agatha never married; while she was strict, she supported talented younger members of her family.


    Hearing Salem''s suggestion, Yuga replied with a smile, "Sure! I was itching for a battle anyway." Since he was already there, a match would make the trip worthwhile.


    "That''s fantastic!" Salem was thrilled by Yuga''s response. "Would I have the honor of being your first opponent, Gym Leader Shimizu?"


    Salem had heard his great-aunt mention before that, despite Yuga''s reputation as a Grass-type trainer, he was also a master of Ghost-types.


    If Granny Agatha had praised him this highly, Yuga''s skill with Ghost Pok��mon was surely formidable.


    Salem knew he likely wouldn''t be able to defeat Yuga, but he wasn''t seeking victory. His goal was to learn, to observe his opponent''s strengths��a quality his great-aunt had always taught him to embody as a trainer.


    That''s why he was so thrilled to meet Yuga and so eager to invite him to the Viridian Gym.


    Having been directly challenged, Yuga had no reason to refuse. He responded with a smile, "I''d be honored."


    News quickly spread around the battle area that Yuga and Salem were about to face off. A space was cleared for their battle, and soon, spectators gathered around the edges of the field. Even Sabrina had to switch from sitting to standing to watch.


    Once they were positioned on opposite sides of the field, Yuga suggested, "Since this is a practice match, let''s keep it simple��one round to decide the winner."


    Salem was a bit disappointed, but he still answered with a smile, "Agreed, one round it is. But I hope Gym Leader Shimizu will use a Ghost-type Pok��mon against me."


    Yuga was slightly surprised but understood after recalling Salem''s background.


    He then released his Decidueye, while Salem sent out a rather rare Chandelure.


    ...


    [ Chandelure ]


    Type: Ghost, Fire


    Ability: sh Fire


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 67


    Moves: Astonish, Smog, Ember, Confuse Ray, Hex, Will-O-Wisp, Night Shade, Shadow Ball, Pain Split, Inferno, Overheat, Trick Room, methrower, Fire st, Mystical Fire, Psychic, Haze, Dark Pulse.


    ...


    This was a high-level pseudo-Elite Chandelure, whereas Yuga''s Decidueye was only at the initial stage of the pseudo-Elite level.


    However, when Chandelure noticed the Nales lounging calmly beside Yuga, it shivered inexplicably. Despite being a fellow Fire-type, its instincts told it that this Nales was no ordinary Pok��mon.


    Sensing something unusual with Chandelure, Salem asked, puzzled, "Chandelure, what''s wrong?"


    Chandelure''s me flickered slightly, indicating that it was probably nothing��perhaps just a trick of its mind.


    At the referee''s signal, the battle officially began.


    Decidueye pped its wings, soaring upwards, but Chandelure quickly summoned several pirs of me to block its path.


    However, Decidueye was not unprepared. It first folded its wings into a tight cluster, and when it opened them again, a swirling dark wind burst forth, dispersing all the pirs of me instantly.


    This was Ominous Wind.


    Returning the favor, Decidueye countered Chandelure''s aggressive opening with a powerful Shadow w.


    Although Shadow w is typically a melee move, Decidueye''s Long Reach ability allowed it to unleash a massive ck w that shot downwards, ferociously targeting Chandelure.


    Chandelure tried to dodge, but Decidueye''s wings were already in action. Before unleashing Shadow w, Decidueye had prepared its Spirit Shackle skill, firing ck arrows that pinned Chandelure''s shadow firmly to the ground.


    Chandelure''s movements stalled for a split second, allowing Shadow w to hit its mark.


    <strong>Bang!</strong>


    Chandelure was mmed into the ground, and as it floated back up, the candle mes around its body were flickering wildly, leaving it looking rather disheveled.


    Decidueye''s impressive counterattack drew cheers from the audience, including Misty, Erika, and Sabrina, who were all watching in awe.


    Determined to fight back, Chandelure summoned a flurry of eerie blue Will-O-Wisps and directed them toward Decidueye. Decidueye tried to evade by pping its wings to gain distance.


    But the Will-O-Wisps seemed to have a mind of their own, relentlessly pursuing Decidueye like shooting stars wherever it flew, creating a rather mesmerizing sight.


    Upon closer inspection, Yuga noticed that Chandelure was controlling the Will-O-Wisps with its Psychic.


    "Decidueye, use Double Team!"


    At Yuga''smand, dozens of identical Decidueyes suddenly appeared in the air, circling around the battlefield. Chandelure was left bewildered, unable to determine which Decidueye to target with its Will-O-Wisps.

 Chapter 1206: Yuga Vs Sabrina

    <h4>Chapter 1206: Yuga Vs Sabrina</h4>


    Because it couldn''t find its true target, the will-o''-the-wisp controlled by the Chandelure suddenly became chaotic. Taking advantage of this, several Decidueye charged forward, using Brave Bird tounch a fierce attack.


    Dozens of Decidueye rushed in at once. Despite Salem repeatedly shouting, "Dodge quickly!" the panicked Chandelure had no idea where to hide and was struck head-on.


    After taking multiple hits from the Decidueye''s Spirit Shackle and Shadow w, followed by a Brave Bird attack, the Chandelure, which wasn''t particrly good at defense, finally wobbled and fell to the ground.


    As the battle ended, intense apuse erupted from the sidelines.


    Salem smiled as he put away the Chandelure and walked over, saying, "As expected, Gym Leader Shimizu''s reputation is well-deserved. I''m sure today''s battle has been very beneficial to everyone."


    Yuga humbly replied, "Gym Leader Salem tters me. It''s all about mutual learning. I''ve learned a lot from you as well."


    Seeing Yuga''s sincere tone, Salem''s smile widened. He then asked, "It''s still early, would Gym Leader Shimizu be interested in a couple more battles? Many people are eager to challenge you."


    Salem signaled toward the sidelines with his eyes. Yuga saw many people eager to take their shot, so he smiled and said, "Sure, let''s have a few more rounds. I don''t have anything else to do anyway."


    By saying this, Yuga clearly gave Salem enough face. With someone of his stature participating, even just making an appearance would add great value to the gym exchange event hosted by the Viridian Gym.


    Seeing Yuga agree, Salem shouted toward the sidelines, "Who else would like to challenge Gym Leader Shimizu?"


    As soon as those words were spoken, the sidelines buzzed with excitement. The gym leaders here all recognized Yuga. Who wouldn''t want to spar with such a high-level expert? However, most of them were not as strong as the already-defeated Salem, and hesitation soon spread among them. People like Salem, who didn''t care about losing and were only focused on learning, were in the minority. The majority cared deeply about winning or losing.


    "I''ll do it!"


    At that moment, a person and their Pok��mon descended from the sky,nding directly in the arena. It was Sabrina and her kazam.


    Seeing Sabrina fly up into the arena with her psychic powers, Yuga gained a more direct understanding of her progress. Without substantial mental strength, it was impossible to fly like that.


    Sabrina''s fame in the Kanto region was huge, earning her the title "Psychic Queen." She was known for being cold, domineering, and reclusive. Her volunteer challenge immediately sparked discussions among the crowd.


    After Sabrina entered the arena, Salem, quite aware, stepped aside.


    As kazam floated to the center of the arena, Sabrina said, "The battle can begin."


    ...


    [ kazam ]


    Type: Psychic


    Ability: Synchronize


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Indigo


    Level: 76


    Moves: Confusion, Kinesis, Disable, Teleport, Psybeam, Reflect, Psycho Cut, Recover, Psyshock, Psychic, Calm Mind, Light Screen, Thunder Wave, Shadow Ball, Taunt, Dazzling Gleam, Signal Beam.


    ...


    Compared to their first meeting, kazam''s strength had drastically improved.


    Hearing Sabrina''s words, Yuga raised his hand, and Gengar appeared beside him with a mischievous grin, drawing a stunned reaction from the crowd. They hadn''t noticed how Gengar had appeared.


    Gengar mischievously flew into the arena and made a face at kazam. However, kazam, like its trainer, had a deadpan expression and didn''t react to Gengar at all, which made Gengar feel a little bored.


    "The match begins!"


    At the referee''smand, the cheerful Gengar and the emotionless kazam immediately entered battle mode.


    Boom!


    Gengar''s Shadow Ball collided with kazam''s Psychic, creating a violent explosion in the air.


    Both Gengar and kazam were skilled in long-range special attacks, making their long-distance exchange very captivating.


    At first, the Shadow Ball and Psychic were just probes and greetings, but the next attacks were much fiercer.


    Gengar leaped into the air, looking down at kazam from above. The earlier yful and carefree demeanor waspletely gone. Its eyes were cold, and both of its chubby arms extended, each producing a Shadow Ball. The Shadow Balls grewrger andrger, soon bing as big as two small houses.


    "Gengar!"


    With a swift motion, Gengar waved its arms, sending the two massive Shadow Balls one after the other toward kazam.


    kazam disappeared with Teleport, and the two huge Shadow Balls crashed into the ground, instantly creating massive craters. Salem, watching from the sidelines, felt a chill run down his spine.


    "This is going to take a lot of work to repairter."


    When kazam reappeared, it was already behind Gengar. With a flick of its spoon, a beam of colorful energy shot directly toward Gengar.


    However, it seemed that Gengar had eyes on the back of its head. Without needing Yuga''smand, it dodged the attack by leaping outward, causing kazam''s Psybeam to miss.


    Gengar had clearly predicted kazam''s location after its Teleport. This was one of the advantages of frequent battles with the Pok��mon from the Ecopark.


    There weren''t many Pok��mon that could use Teleport in the wild, but many of the Pok��mon in Yuga''s Ecopark could. After using Teleport in battle, the mostmon location for them to appear was behind their opponent.


    After leaping out, Gengar immediately retaliated with a Shadow Ball.


    kazam couldn''t dodge in time and quickly crossed its two spoons in front of its chest. A transparent Light Screen appeared, deflecting the Shadow Ball.


    At the same time, kazam took advantage of the opening to use Disable. Gengar, who had nned to use another Shadow Ball, suddenly found that it could no longer release it.


    But Gengar was quick-witted. The moment it couldn''t use its Shadow Ball, it released an Dark Pulse. Although kazam''s Light Screen was still active, the attack still swept it away.


    As kazamnded, Gengar, its face twisted in a grimace, shot a massive ck eye toward the sky. The spectators, watching from the sidelines, felt their skin crawl.


    The ck eye rapidly descended toward kazam, and kazam immediately realized it couldn''t move. Sabrina, too, quickly noticed this.


    As Gengar''s next wave of attacks was about tond, a surge of purple light suddenly red up in Sabrina''s eyes.


    She and kazam''s psychic link intensified, causing kazam''s psychic power to surge to unprecedented levels.


    Buzz!


    kazam''s psychic power erupted, instantly breaking free from the ck eye''s hold. Using Teleport, kazam vanished from its position just as Gengar''s Dark Pulse missed, creating anotherrge crater in the ground.


    Having sessfully escaped, kazam countered with Psychic. This time, it had learned its lesson and didn''t appear near Gengar. Instead, it distanced itself slightly.


    While the attack power decreased with the added distance, the range of the attack increased. Gengar was hit by kazam''s Psychic.


    Yuga immediately noticed that Sabrina had used her psychic abilities to assist kazam. Yuga smiled slightly and activated his King of Ghost ability.


    This was a power Yuga rarely used.


    Then Sabrina was shocked to see ck mist rising from Yuga''s body, resembling dark mes burning. As a psychic, she instinctively felt a sense of revulsion.


    What puzzled her even more was that the ck mist seemed to be visible only to her; no one else in the crowd reacted.


    Everyone present was apetent trainer, so they could certainly tell when Sabrina used her psychic powers, but the use of the King of Ghost ability by Yuga went unnoticed by anyone except Sabrina, who was a sharp psychic. The others could only watch the fierce battle between Gengar and kazam.


    As Gengar sensed that Yuga had activated the King of Ghost ability, it felt a surge of excitement in its heart, and its ghostly aura began to swell. A faint trace of ck mist even drifted from its body.


    However, this faint ck mist was barely noticeable, and only Yuga and Sabrina could perceive it.


    With the boost from the King of Ghost ability, Gengar felt invincible, able to conquer both heaven and earth. Just then, kazam''s Disable effect wore off, and Gengar raised both arms. A pitch-ck Shadow Ball began to form in its palms.


    The Shadow Ball grewrger andrger, with its energy waves bing increasingly terrifying, making kazam on the opposite side feel uneasy.


    "kazam, Light Screen!"


    Unable to hold back, Sabrina shouted out themand for kazam to activate the Light Screen.


    kazam raised its barrier, and Gengarunched the Shadow Ball.


    With a sound like breaking ss, the Shadow Ball shattered kazam''s Light Screen, sending kazam flying backward.


    Gengar''s Shadow Ball had sessfully left kazam near death.


    Just as the audience thought the battle was over, they heard Sabrina shout, "Recover!"


    Yuga''s expression darkened as he was about to order Gengar to stop, but by the time he did, kazam''s injuries were visibly healing at an incredible speed, and Gengar couldn''t stop it in time.


    But it didn''t end there. Sabrina then took out a Keystone, and kazam''s hidden Mega Evolution Stone revealed itself.


    "kazam, Mega Evolution!"


    As Sabrina''s voice rang out, a rainbow-colored light erupted from the Keystone and the Mega Evolution Stone. After the dazzling light faded, kazam''s form hadpletely transformed into an elderly figure, exuding a terrifying aura, one that hinted at the potential of a Champion-level Pok��mon.


    kazam''s ability switched from Synchronize to Copycat, instantly acquiring Gengar''s ability, Cursed Body.


    Poor Gengar had fought all this time without its Cursed Body ability ever triggering, only for it to be stolen by kazam''s Mega Evolution (Gengar''s original ability didn''t disappear, though).


    The Mega Evolution of kazam caused a stir among the spectators, with most of them quickly pulling out their phones to take pictures.


    While Mega Evolution wasn''t a secret for many trainers, not everyone had ess to a Mega Evolution Stone. Some had never even seen a true Mega Evolution before.


    Seeing the Mega-Evolved kazam, Yuga smiled wryly. "This girl is really going all out just to beat me. She''s even using Mega Evolution."


    In fact, Yuga misunderstood. Sabrina wasn''t solely focused on defeating Yuga��she simply wanted a good battle. She hoped Yuga would give his best, so she had done the same.


    Since her opponent was using all their power, Yuga decided to go all out as well. He shouted to Gengar, "Gengar, let''s go!"


    Gengar grinned at Yuga, took its Mega Evolution Stone out of its belly, and waved it at Yuga from a distance.


    Yuga pulled out his Keystone, and the light of Mega Evolution erupted on the battlefield. Gengar Mega Evolved.


    The gym leaders and trainers watching from the sidelines didn''t expect to see two Pok��mon Mega Evolve in one match. They were all ecstatic, their phones set to both photo and video modes.


    Seeing Gengar Mega Evolve, Sabrina was quite satisfied, a rare smile flickering at the corner of her mouth, though it disappeared almost instantly.


    "Gengar, Shadow Ball!"


    Mega Gengar once again formed a pitch-ck Shadow Ball in its hands. Though its size was simr to the previous one, the energy fluctuations it emitted were far more terrifying.


    On the other side, several colorful orbs of light began to form around Mega kazam.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The two attacks collided, and Mega kazam''s Psychic attack held for a few seconds before being crushed by Gengar''s Shadow Ball. It was clear who was stronger.


    "Gengar, Curse!"


    At Yuga''smand, a sh of ck light emanated from Mega Gengar, and a simr sh of ck light appeared on Mega kazam. A look of pain shed across its face.


    But as kazam was hit by the Curse, its Thunder Wave struck Gengar, causing it to be paralyzed.


    As the Curse deepened, the look of pain on kazam''s face grew more intense, and its energy continued to drain faster.


    Unlike kazam, which was skilled at using Light Screen for defense, Gengar, now paralyzed, found itself restricted in movement and became very passive.


    However, with the tables turned, Gengar took advantage of kazam''s distraction from the Curse and managed to sneak in a lick.


    Gengar''s saliva-covered tongue gave kazam a thorough face wash,plete with an electric shock, which made kazam feel quite the tingle.


    Everyone watching could feel the shock as they shuddered from the paralysis.


    Sabrina''s kazam, being a female Pok��mon, had its facepletely wiped by Gengar''s slobbery tongue. The expression it made was priceless��thankfully, they weren''t in the same Egg Group, or kazam might have been chasing after Gengar to "take responsibility" for this.


    With both sides now paralyzed, the battle reached a standstill, and the pace of the fight slowed down.


    But while Gengar could still hold on, kazam, cursed and draining energy rapidly, was eventually worn down and defeated.


    After the match, Sabrina nodded at Yuga, returned her kazam to its Pok��ball, and made her way back to the spectator area. Her attitude toward Yuga had softened considerablypared to when he first arrived.


    Yuga continued to engage in battles with other Gym Leaders, including Lt. Surge and Janine, who were both excellent opponents.


    Misty also requested a battle with Yuga. In her words, she wanted to test the results of her Starmie''s training in Meditation, which Yuga had taught her.


    Once Yuga had finished battling with others, Erika came over to chat with him. Through their conversation, Misty learned about the Grass-type Pok��mon Duel Tournament that would be held in Verdanturf Town.


    Misty wasn''t a Grass-type trainer, so she hadn''t known about this event, but now that she did, she expressed her intention to attend and join in the excitement.


    She thought that such apetition would definitely attract Ash, the battle fanatic, and maybe she''d even get to meet Ash and Brock.


    Having had pleasant conversations with the various Gym Leaders, Yuga stayed at the Viridian Gym until it was almost dark. By the time he left, a patiently waiting Nales had found a spot to sleep and had dozed off so deeply that when Yuga found it, it was drooling uncontrobly.

 Chapter 1207: Trip to Mt. Hideaway

    <h4>Chapter 1207: Trip to Mt. Hideaway</h4>


    Yuga woke up Nales and handed it a tissue, intending for it to wipe away some drool.


    Realizing how it looked upon waking, Nales stiffened, staring at the tissue in Yuga''s hand for a few seconds before looking up at him. "You didn''t see anything just now, right?"


    Yuga: ...


    "Yes, I didn''t see anything," Yuga replied without hesitation, sensing that if he answered otherwise, he might be burned to a crisp...


    Hearing this, Nales was very pleased and raised its chin, signaling Yuga to tidy its appearance. Yuga, expressionless, used the tissue to wipe off the drool and adjusted the essory on its head.


    As he left, Salem and Misty saw Yuga to the door, and just before he left, even Sabrina, rarely, bid him farewell.


    At dusk, Yuga returned to Professor Oak''sb. Before he could enter, a shadow darted toward him, crashing right into his arms with a distressed whimper.


    Looking down, Yuga saw it was none other than Spoink.


    Of course, this was Yuga''s Spoink. Lately, Professor Oak and Gary had been enthusiastically doing research and had insisted Yuga send over his fortune-telling expert Spoink so they could examine it.


    So, before leaving theb that morning, Yuga had instructed Audino to send Spoink over.


    "What happened?" Yuga asked, setting Spoink down and looking at it with concern.


    Seeing Yuga back, Spoink immediately started whining andining, tearfully using Professor Oak and Gary of "abusing" it.


    Apparently, the professor and Gary had kept Spoink busy in theb all day for their research, hardly letting it eat properly. Their experiments were bizarre and non-stop, tossing Spoink between tasks and leaving it utterly exhausted.


    Spoink wasn''t the obedient type by nature, and fortune-telling rarely worked anyway. Spoink just couldn''t handle the tediousb environment any longer.


    When mealtime rolled around and the two researchers showed no sign of stopping, Spoink''s stomach started growling in hunger. Feeling wronged, it secretly ran out to find Yuga.


    Seeing Spoink''s teary face, Nales scoffed, "Pathetic."


    Yuga shot Nales a look, then gently consoled Spoink, "I''ll talk to them. It''s too much to keep you from eating!"


    Spoink clung to Yuga''s leg, casting a defiant nce at Nales, who bristled, its tail almost puffing out in irritation. "Hmph! You little rascal, thinking this old fox can''t still wield its ws, do you?"


    Seeing Nales'' fierce expression, Spoink clung even tighter to Yuga''s leg, looking up at him with tearful eyes, pitifully pleading.


    Yuga turned to Nales and said, "Come on, it''s just a kid. Why bother picking on it? Besides, you started it by calling it names."


    "Hmph!"


    With onest re at Spoink, Nales turned around and walked back into theb, leaving Spoink smirking in triumph.


    Once Nales was gone, Yuga squeezed Spoink''s soft cheeks. "Why did you provoke it? Be careful; I might not be able to stop it from hitting you."


    Spoink just chuckled, unconcerned.


    When Yuga entered theb, Professor Oak and Gary wereing out of the experiment room, looking rather disheveled, clearly having worked all day without a break.


    "You should take breaks during research," Yuga advised. "Working like this all the time isn''t good for you."


    Professor Oak awkwardly waved it off. "We don''t do this often. It''s just that we''re busytely; special circumstances."


    Yuga didn''t press the issue further, and then Professor Oak remarked, "Your Spoink is pretty impressive. Want to trade it? How about a blue potential Bulbasaur in exchange?"


    A trade? Wouldn''t that mean Spoink would have to stay here permanently?


    The thought of being subjected to Professor Oak and Gary''s relentless experiments in the future made Spoink shiver.


    "Spoink..."


    Spoink quickly hugged Yuga''s leg, looking at him pitifully, terrified that he might actually trade it for a Bulbasaur.


    The Nales lounging on the couch with its eyes closed caught sight of Spoink putting on a pitiful look again and couldn''t help but roll its eyes, thinking, <i>Hmph, you little faker!</i>


    "Don''t worry," Yuga patted Spoink reassuringly, then turned to Professor Oak. "As much as I''d love your Bulbasaur, you can see this little one isn''t willing, so there''s nothing I can do."


    "That''s truly a shame," Professor Oak said regretfully. He had already guessed that Yuga wouldn''t agree but had hoped that maybe, just maybe, he''d get lucky since he genuinely liked Spoink.


    The three chatted for a while, and Yuga noticed that neither Professor Oak, Gary, nor Windy, who was still holed up in his room, had eaten dinner yet. He took the initiative to cook for them. Although Yuga wasn''t a master chef, his skills were decent, and Gary, who had previously spent several days with him, knew this well.


    In the past, whenever Gary traveled or conducted fieldwork alone, he often subsisted on rations.


    Professor Oak, a disaster in the kitchen, and Gary, who had grown up living a life of luxury, were both terrible at cooking. Usually, they survived on instant noodles and rarely had a proper meal. If it weren''t for Ash''s mom asionallying over to cook for them, they''d likely turn into instant noodle addicts by now.


    The ingredients in the Oak Research Lab were only stocked up because of Yuga''s recent trips to buy them. Otherwise, even if Yuga wanted to cook for the two of them now, it''d be impossible to work with an empty pantry.


    The next morning, people from the Pidgey Express arrived. Yuga handed over the pre-packed items to them, then called home to remind Audino and Suzuki Koen to expect the delivery.


    After the Pidgey Express team left, Gary came out of his room and, seeing that Yuga had some free time, said, "Not far from Pallet Town, there''s Mt. Hideaway. Loads of Onix live there; do you want to go check it out? Trainers often go there to try catching an Onix."


    Yuga''s interest was piqued immediately. "Where''s it located?"


    "Wait a sec," Gary said, then ran back inside, returning shortly with a map in hand.


    "Mt. Hideaway isn''t far from Pallet Town, and a map is more convenient than GPS. Follow this red line, and you''ll get there," Gary exined, pointing to the map.


    "I''ll go check it out, then. I probably won''t be back for lunch, but I left some food in the fridge, so make do with that for now," Yuga said after looking over the map.


    Gary waved a dismissive hand. "Go on, don''t worry about us. We''ve managed fine when you weren''t here."


    Yuga nodded, packed up briefly, and headed out with his backpack.


    This time, Yuga left with a few bodyguards hidden in his shadow space and took Nales, Florges, and Spoink with him, leaving the others to rest in Professor Oak''s garden.


    Spoink had begged Yuga to let it tag along. Professor Oak''s research on it was nearlyplete, and Spoink had no interest in staying at theb any longer.


    With the detailed map Gary provided and the proximity of Mt. Hideaway to Pallet Town, Yuga reached his destination quickly.


    Mt. Hideaway was distinctly different from the other nearby hills. While most of the surrounding mountains were lush and covered in vegetation, this one had many barren areas. ording to Gary, the scarcity of nts on Mt. Hideaway was due to its unique geological makeup, which was rich in special minerals within the mountain itself. This uniqueposition was also why so many Onix gathered here.


    The Onix fed on the mountain rocks, and the mineral-rich stones here contributed to their superior growthpared to those in other areas. It was even rumored that some Onix Trainers would bring their Onix here specifically for the minerals as a supplement.


    After circling the mountain''s base a few times, Yuga was just about to head up when he felt the ground begin to tremble. Soon, two Onix locked in battle came into view.


    These were indeed two well-developed Onix, though they were rather low in potential. Yuga decided to ignore them and continued up the mountain.


    After walking a bit farther, Yuga finally understood why Gary had mentioned the abundance of Onix on Mt. Miacha. He had only covered a short distance and had already encountered more than a dozen Onix. Some were sleeping, others were eating, and some were even mating... All of them were in robust health, and aside from potential, their appearances were without fault.


    With such ideal conditions, even if he didn''t encounter any high-potential Onix, Yuga could still capture a few Onix with good qualities and decent potential, then use innovation potion on themter. This approach would still yield good results.


    Feeling optimistic, Yuga continued up the mountain with Spoink hopping along cheerfully behind him. Nales, however, looked rather bored.


    To make outdoor activities easier, Nales wasn''t wearing any borate essories today. Instead, it simply wore a scarf around its neck, adorned with a bright, decorative flower pinned to it. With the gentle breeze, the flower petals swayed lightly, giving Nales an air of elegance.


    When they reached the mountainside, Yuga spotted his first target: a young-looking Onix with yellow potential, excelling in skill mastery and overall developmentpared to others of its kind.


    Spoink was the one to take on the Onix, and it even volunteered for the challenge. Although Spoinkcked extensive battle experience, with Yuga''s guidance, it managed to defeat the Onix and allowed Yuga to capture it.


    Seeing Spoink''s proud expression, Nales, feeling a bit annoyed, couldn''t resist throwing in a jab: "What''s there to be proud of? You still have a long way to go."


    Spoink pretended not to hear and ignored Nales, which only irritated Nales further.


    Yuga couldn''t help but chide it, "You always have something sharp to say. Why keep picking on it?"


    "Hmph!" Nales gave a cold snort and fell silent. It just couldn''t stand that little ''fake.''


    After wandering around the mountainside for a while longer, Yuga captured two more Onix.


    Just as Yuga was about to continue up the mountain, a loud rumbling sound echoed, and an Onix came hurtling down from the peak as if fleeing for its life. It dashed past Yuga and his team, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake, and they were left coughing and covered in grime.


    The most annoyed of all was Nales; its beautiful fur was now coated in dust, and the scarf around its neck was smeared with dirt. For a beauty-loving Pok��mon like Nales, this was absolutely infuriating.


    With an indignant growl, Nales unleashed a Fire Vortex. However, the fleeing Onix was already out of range, leaving the mes to scorch a hole in the ground.


    As Yuga wondered what could have scared the Onix so badly, several more Pok��mon��Rhyhorn, Golem, Graveler, and Sandshrew��came charging down the mountain, each looking as if they were running for their lives.


    "Run, big brother up ahead! The Pok��mon on the mountain are in a panic! If you don''t run now, it''ll be toote!"


    A boy''s voice called out, and Yuga looked to see a young boy riding atop an Onix, frantically waving at him.


    The boy was being chased by a stampede of Pok��mon, allrge and heavy types like Onix, Golem, and Rhydon. Judging by their numbers, there were at least a hundred of them, and the ground shook as they ran.


    Yuga frowned deeply at the sight. If these Pok��mon continued charging down unchecked, smaller Pok��mon in their path would surely be crushed.


    With this in mind, he quickly grabbed a Pok�� Ball and released Florges.


    "Florges, stop those Pok��mon!"


    "Flo~orges!"


    Florges responded with a nod, spreading her arms as green light flowed from her body into the ground. Almost immediately, shoots of green began sprouting, and trees in the distance stretched out new branches.


    Within moments, the stampeding Pok��mon found themselves halted: some were ensnared by thick vines, others were blocked by newly extended tree branches, and still others were tripped up by resilient grass that sprang up beneath them. One by one, they all came to a stop.


    Nales, the old fox, widened its eyes in surprise at the sight.


    This... this is incredible.


    It was Nales'' first time seeing Florges in action, and it was suddenly clear that this equally beautiful Pok��mon was far more powerful than it had realized. Other than the forest deity Celebi, Nales had never heard of anyone with this kind of power, and seeing it in person was even more awe-inspiring than the tales.


    Seems like this new Trainer of mine is pretty remarkable, Nales thought to itself.


    Sensing Nales watching her, Florges turned and gave it a gentle smile, dazzling Nales and leaving it feeling a bit like, "Darn it, she showed me up!"


    While Nales was merely astonished, the boy riding the Onix waspletely stunned. He could only stare, speechless, at the sight of the struggling Pok��mon bound tightly and unable to break free.


    Is this... a miracle?


    To further soothe the distressed Pok��mon, Yuga had Florges use Aromatherapy. The gentle, calming fragrance washed over them, and most of the Pok��mon quickly settled down.


    Just then, a loud roar echoed from the mountain. Yuga looked up to see the true culprit behind the chaos��a Shiny Onix.


    This Shiny Onix was far more muscr than an average Onix, and it rolled down the mountain, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

 Chapter 1208: Forrest

    <h4>Chapter 1208: Forrest</h4>


    Seeing the Onix charging toward them, the young boy and the other Pok��mon that were restrained quickly fell back into chaos. Yuga noticed this and called out to Florges, "Florges, stop it!"


    Florges nodded, and under her control, the trees near the Shiny Onix began rapidly extending their branches, sprouting leaves, and growing. In an instant,yer uponyer of branches formed a barrier in front of the Shiny Onix.


    However, the Shiny Onix didn''t seem to notice the obstacles ahead and continued roaring and charging forward with its head down.


    <strong>Crack... crack... crack...</strong>


    With its massive body, the Shiny Onix snapped many branches, but as they broke, more branches grew back to rece them. Gradually, the Onix''s charging speed slowed.


    Once the Shiny Onix hadpletelye to a stop, thick vines, each wider than an arm, shot out of the ground and skillfully bound it up like a cocoon.


    "Roaaar~"


    With only its head left free to move, the Onix let out a frustrated roar, unable to budge any other part of its body.


    The Shiny Onix''s roar didn''t convey any specific message, and Yuga couldn''t understand its intent, but he could hear pain in its voice.


    With this curiosity, Yuga approached the Shiny Onix.


    Sensing Yuga''s approach, the Shiny Onix opened its mouth and roared again, warning him not toe closer. Florges noticed and gave its head a firm smack with a vine whip, making it dizzy.


    Yuga circled around the Shiny Onix and noticed signs of injury on one of its joints. Arge portion of the rocky surface was covered in cracks, indicating a serious injury.


    Is that why it''s been acting so recklessly? Yuga wondered.


    But isn''t itmon for wild Pok��mon to get injured? Usually, they just need some time to recover��such an extreme reaction seems unusual.


    At that moment, he noticed a part of the Onix''s body entirely wrapped in vines, catching his attention. He turned his head to Florges and said, "Florges, remove the vines here."


    Following his instruction, Florges waved her arm, and the vines moved aside like snakes, revealing what was underneath.


    With the vines removed, Yuga could finally see what was there. Embedded in the Onix''s body was a holerger than a human head, and trembling inside it was a Shuckle.


    Each time Shuckle moved, the Shiny Onix let out a pained roar. Shuckle''s shell was wedged tightly in ce, and no matter how much it struggled, it couldn''t get out.


    Upon seeing Yuga, Shuckle began squirming even harder, causing the Onix to cry out in pain once again.


    So this was the true source of the Shiny Onix''s agony.


    "Florges, pull that Shuckle out!"


    At Yuga''smand, two vines extended from Florges, gripping Shuckle''s shell and pulling. The Shiny Onix howled in even greater pain.


    "Keep going!" Yuga ordered, knowing that a short burst of pain would be better than prolonged suffering.


    Florges nodded and gave a strong tug, finally pulling Shuckle free with a loud pop. However, the hole in the Shiny Onix''s body became evenrger.


    "Rooaar~"


    With a final cry, the Shiny Onix copsed, fainting from the pain.


    Florges dropped Shuckle onto the ground, who promptly retracted its head and limbs into its shell in fright.


    Seeing how timid Shuckle was, Yuga crouched down and gently asked, "There''s no need to be scared. We won''t hurt you. How did you end up inside the Onix?"


    After a while, Shuckle cautiously poked its head out of its shell, finally convinced that Yuga and his team had no ill intentions, and began exining what happened.


    A couple of days ago, the weather had been particrly hot, so Shuckle had been looking for a cool ce to rest. It happened to find a hole just big enough to fit inside, so it crawled in and soon fell asleep.


    Not knowing how long it had slept, it suddenly woke up to a roar and realized that the little hollow it had been resting in was shaking. After a while, it finally understood��the ce it had slept in was actually an injury on therge Onix.


    Half of the Shiny Onix''s body was buried in the ground, and with its green coloration, it looked no different from moss-covered rock, so the Shuckle hadn''t noticed.


    The more the Shiny Onix struggled, the tighter Shuckle found itself wedged in the wound. It wanted to escape, but being so small and weak, it simply couldn''t get out.


    Yuga used his Insight ability to examine Shuckle.


    ...


    [ Shuckle ]


    Type: Bug, Rock


    Ability: Gluttony


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Yellow


    Level: 10


    Skills: Withdraw, Bide, Sweet Scent


    ...


    A yellow potential is already quite good in the wild. However, with only level 10, it''s clearly still in its juvenile phase, andbined with Shuckle''s naturally low attack power, it''s no surprise it couldn''t free itself.


    If it were any other Pok��mon, it could have easily widened the Shiny Onix''s wound a bit and escaped.


    However, Shuckle is said to be able to ferment berries stored in its shell into delicious juice. Yuga had never tried it before and wondered if it was true, so...


    Thinking of this, Yuga asked, "Hey little one, how would you feel abouting with me?"


    Shuckle is quite rare, especially in the wild, so encounters like this don''t happen often.


    After a brief moment of hesitation, Shuckle remembered how kind Yuga had been and that he''d just saved it, so it nodded and agreed.


    Seeing how quickly Shuckleagreed, Yuga thought this little one wasn''t just timid but also easy to convince. Just a little coaxing, and it decided toe along.


    After storing Shuckle in a Pok�� Ball, Yuga remembered the little boy and went over to ask, "Are you alright?"


    The boy, still atop Onix''s head, looked so familiar��brown skin, eyes forever squinting, a spitting image of Brock! This had to be a rtive of his; otherwise, Yuga wouldn''t believe it.


    The boy stammered, "I...I''m alright, thanks so much for earlier."


    After a bit of questioning, sure enough, the boy introduced himself as Forrest, Brock''s younger brother.


    Brock has nine younger siblings, and Forrest is the eldest of them, currently serving as the acting Gym Leader of the Pewter Gym.


    Brock''s parents sure had a lot of kids! Yuga marveled internally.


    The Onix Forrest was riding was actually Brock''s. Since Mt. Hideaway''s soil is ideal for Onix, Forrest often brings it here for exercise.


    Today, besides letting Onix feast on the rich soil, he''d also nned to capture an Onix of his own. But as soon as they reached the mountaintop, all the Pok��mon were spooked by the Shiny Onix and went into a frenzy.


    Unable to handle it alone, he had no choice but to run for it. What a stroke of bad luck.


    After chatting for a while, Forrest eximed, "So you know my brother, Mr. Shimizu? I had no idea my brother knew such a powerful Trainer!"


    Yuga smiled and said, "I''m also a Gym Leader. Your brother visited my gym while he was traveling in Hoenn."


    "Is that so!" Forrest was astonished to hear that Yuga was a Gym Leader. He hadn''t realized that Gym Leaders could be this powerful. Suddenly, he was filled with admiration for Yuga, imagining that one day he, too, might be this strong. At that time, the Pewter Gym would surely flourish.


    "By the way, weren''t you nning to capture an Onix? There are plenty right here��why not just choose one?" Yuga said, pointing to the Onix that were tied up by Florges.


    Forrest hesitated, "Isn''t... isn''t that a bit improper?"


    Yuga replied, "What''s the problem? Pick one you like, and I''ll have Florges release it. Then you can battle it, and if you win, it''s yours."


    Hearing this, Forrest nodded. "Alright, thank you very much."


    "No problem, it''s just a small favor." Yuga waved his hand dismissively.


    Among the Pok��mon that were bounded, there were well over a hundred, with Onix making up the majority, leaving Forrest unsure where to start.


    "Why not choose this one? It seems pretty decent," Yuga suggested when he saw Forrest''s indecision, pointing to a specific Onix.


    There weren''t any with outstanding potential among these wild Pok��mon, but the one Yuga pointed to was the best within the yellow potential Pok��mon.


    Forrest, trusting Yuga''s expertise, selected the Onix without hesitation.


    Seeing Forrest had made up his mind, Yuga said to Florges, "Go ahead and release it."


    Florges, who was currently tending to the injured Shiny Onix, nodded and, with a wave of her arm, withdrew the vines and branches restraining the chosen Onix.


    Forrest and Brock''s Onix were both ready, and the wild Onix, realizing what it was up against, immediately charged at Brock''s Onix.


    Brock''s Onix, experienced andposed, raised its tail and delivered a powerful Iron Tail, striking the wild Onix''s head and knocking it to the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.


    Brock''s Onix had been meticulously trained by him; not only was its level far above the wild Onix, but its battle experience was also iparable to this rtively immature Onix.


    The wild Onix staggered back to its feet, pain fueling its ferocity as it charged again, this time using Heavy m��a move it had inherited.


    Brock''s Onix remained calm, raising its tail once more and delivering another Iron Tail. The wild Onix was sent flying again and, this time, couldn''t get back up.


    Seeing the wild Onix fall, Forrest was delighted and threw a Pok�� Ball. The Onix was captured without further resistance, making the capture a sess.


    Holding the Pok�� Ball containing his new Onix, Forrest thanked Yuga once more, "Thank you very much, Mr. Shimizu."


    Yuga waved it off with a smile. "Thanking me once is enough. No need to keep repeating it."


    Just then, the Shiny Onix finally woke up after being treated by Florges. Though its wounds had mostly healed, it was left with some scars.


    Knowing Yuga had saved it, the Shiny Onix was quite friendly toward him. When Yuga asked about the cause of its injury, it didn''t hesitate to share.


    Apparently, a powerful Rhyperior had recently arrived on Mt. Hideaway from somewhere unknown, trying to im territory and naturally angering the Shiny Onix. The two Pok��mon shed.


    The Shiny Onix, unable to withstand Rhyperior, was severely injured by its Mega Horn and had no choice but to retreat. The hole where Shuckle had been lodged was left from that retreat.


    Having lost its territory, the Onix had no choice but to find a ce to heal. But as it slept, its wound became increasingly painful, until it couldn''t endure it anymore and went berserk.


    After hearing the Onix''s story, Yuga used his Insight ability to examine it.


    [ Onix (Shiny) ]


    Type: Rock, Ground


    Ability: Rock Head


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Green


    Level: 55


    Moves: Tackle, Harden, Rock Throw, Rock Tomb, Gyro Ball, Sand Tomb, Iron Tail, Dig, Sandstorm, Stone Edge, Double-Edge, Rototiller, Earth Power.


    ..


    Not only did it have green potential, but it had also inherited the Rototiller move. If he brought it back, wouldn''t it be perfect for farming? There was plenty ofnd at home, and he was in need of just such a helper.


    But this Shiny Onix was already level 55, a level that represented impressive strength in the wilderness near human towns. Yet it had still been beaten so severely. Yuga''s interest in the Rhyperior mentioned by the Onix was piqued.


    This unexpected intruder could very well be another high-potential Pok��mon.


    "Onix, how abouting with me? I''ve got plenty of territory, so you won''t need to worry about anyone stealing it," Yuga said, enticing the Shiny Onix.


    "Roooar~"


    The Onix thought about it and agreed, but with one condition: it would follow Yuga, but only if the Rhyperior received a proper lesson.


    Yuga thought, "Perfect."


    He had nned to capture the Rhyperior anyway, which would inevitably require a battle, so giving it a lesson was just as well.


    After making the agreement with the Shiny Onix, Yuga turned to Forrest and said, "I''m going to check out the mountain. Do you want toe along?"


    Forrest eagerly nodded. How could he pass up the chance to learn from such a strong Trainer? He''d be a fool not to go along.


    Before they left, Yuga instructed Florges to release all the Pok��mon that were still bound. After cooling down for a while, these Pok��mon left without causing any trouble.


    Aside from the Onix Forrest had captured, the rest of the Pok��mon here didn''t particrly interest Yuga.


    Guided by the Shiny Onix, Yuga and Forrest made their way to the summit of Mt. Hideaway and found the Onix''s original territory.


    The Shiny Onix was the most powerful Pok��mon in this small area, so its territory was ratherrge, consisting of a spacious mountain valley.


    ording to the Shiny Onix, this territory hadn''t originally belonged to it but to another Onix. However, that Onix had been captured by someone a few years ago, leaving the Shiny Onix to inherit thend.


    That former Onix had been the mightiest Pok��mon in this area, not only on Mt. Hideaway but even ranking among the strongest on the surrounding mountains.


    If that Onix were still around, Rhyperior wouldn''t have had a chance to rampage here.


    Yuga had no opinion on this��he had never seen that Onix, so he had no way of knowing just how powerful it truly was.


    As soon as they entered the valley, Yuga spotted the Rhyperior the Shiny Onix had mentioned.


    Well, well, at that moment, it was also caught in an inappropriate act with a Nidoqueen, and Yuga instinctively covered Forrest''s eyes.


    It''s not suitable for young audiences!


    This Rhyperior certainly didn''t waste any time; it hadn''t been here long, yet it had already found itself a mate. Could it be that it had just cuckolded some nearby Nidoking?


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1209: Leaving Pallet Town

    <h4>Chapter 1209: Leaving Pallet Town</h4>


    Yuga''s arrival immediately caught the attention of the Rhydon. In the middle of its workout, it was so startled that it shuddered, instantly losing all interest in its activity.


    When it saw that it was the Shiny Onix approaching, anger red up in the Rhydon''s eyes: <i>Why on earth did you have toe now of all times? Couldn''t you see I was busy?</i>


    Then, Yuga watched as the Rhydon stomped heavily, thumping across the ground as it charged over.


    The Shiny Onix wasn''t in a good mood either. After being beaten and forced to hide away to lick its wounds, it had to see that mangy beast openly courting in its own territory.


    Unforgivable! It wanted to experience a sweet romance too. But as a Shiny Pok��mon with a gleaming green hue, it was viewed as an ugly duckling by its own kind. Otherwise, given its strength, how could it not find a partner in these parts?


    Thinking this, Onix felt a surge of frustration. It elerated, using Double-Edge, and collided with the Rhydon.


    Boom~


    A loud crash echoed as the two big beasts collided head-on.


    Taking advantage of this moment, Yuga activated his Insight skill to check out the Rhydon.


    ..


    [ Rhydon ]


    Type: Ground, Rock


    Ability: Rock Head


    Gender: Male


    Potential: Green


    Level: 59


    Moves: Horn Attack, Fury Attack, Stomp, Heavy m, Breakthrough, Drill Run, Take Down, Stone Edge, Earthquake, Megahorn, Hammer Arm, Horn Drill, Dragon Rush, Stealth Rock, Earth Power.


    ...


    As Yuga had guessed, this Rhydon that defeated the Shiny Onix was indeed a high-potential Pok��mon, and its level was nearly at the Pseudo-Elite level. This was quite rare so close to human towns. It was still a mystery where it hade from.


    With such strength, it wasn''t surprising that it could defeat the Shiny Onix.


    Even in this rematch, the Shiny Onix was no match for the Rhydon, especially since it still hadn''t fully recovered from its injuries. It quickly fell in defeat once again.


    Seeing this, Spoink looked eager to jump in, but Nales held it back with her tail: "Little one, you''re not ready for this!"


    With Nales'' sharp eyes, it could easily tell that Spoink''s strength was far from enough to handle the Rhydon.


    Yuga gave Spoink a fewforting words, then called out Mimikyu to let it try its hand.


    Seeing Yuga step in, the Shiny Onix, unable to hold its own against the Rhydon, reluctantly retreated, letting Mimikyu take its ce.


    Rhydon looked down at the tiny creature barely reaching its thigh with disdain: "What could this little thing possibly do?"


    But in the next instant, Mimikyu suddenly vanished from its sight. When it reappeared, it was already right up in Rhydon''s face.


    Rhydon''s eyes widened in disbelief, but before it could react, a massive green hammer appeared above its head.


    Thud!


    The hammernded on Rhydon''s forehead, and it fell to the ground, screaming in pain, much to the satisfaction of the nearby Onix.


    As a Ground/Rock type, Rhydon was four times weak to Grass-type moves, and getting hit squarely on the forehead made it easy to imagine just how much it hurt.


    Since Yuga had promised the Shiny Onix he would give Rhydon a proper lesson, there was no way Rhydon was getting off with just one hit from the hammer.


    So Yuga mentally offered a moment of silence for Rhydon: <i>To help me win over the Shiny Onix, please bear with this a little longer.</i>


    Soon, Rhydon was left lying miserably on the ground after being thoroughly beaten by Mimikyu.


    To prevent Rhydon from passing out too soon, Yuga specifically instructed Mimikyu to hold back slightly, ensuring that the Shiny Onix could fully enjoy the sight.


    Once Rhydon finally fainted, Yuga threw a Pok�� Ball and captured it.


    Witnessing this, the Shiny Onix widened its eyes in disbelief: "Don''t you already have me? Why would you need to capture it too?"


    Yuga looked at it, puzzled. "Having you and capturing it��why would those conflict?"


    Shiny Onix: ...


    There was no real conflict, but something still felt off.


    Yuga smiled at the Onix and said, "Now that I''ve caught Rhydon, you can go after it for revenge whenever you want. I''m on your side!"


    After thinking it over, Shiny Onix realized, <i>Hey, that does make sense.</i>


    "Then you have to stay on my side in the future and not help it, okay?" Shiny Onix said, na?vely.


    Nales, watching the whole exchange, almost covered its eyes with its tails��too pure! Could this big guy really believe that kid? Nales had just learned a new term from humans: "heartbreaker." Apparently, this was exactly how a heartbreaker talks when they want to keep multiple lovers.


    After calming the Shiny Onix, Yuga noticed Nales giving him a strange look and asked, "What''s with you? Why are you looking at me like that?"


    Nales shook its head, feigning innocence. "Nothing, just... looking around."


    Yuga: <i>Weird.</i>


    Then Yuga turned his attention to Rhydon''s partner, Nidoqueen.


    ...


    [ Nidoqueen ]


    Type: Poison, Ground


    Ability: Poison Point


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Yellow


    Level: 35


    Moves:* Double Kick, Poison Sting, Fury Swipes, Superpower, Poison Tail.


    ...


    It was just an ordinary Nidoqueen.


    With its limited strength, it couldn''t resist Yuga. When Yuga asked it questions, it answered honestly: it was Rhydon''s mate through normal courtship and not, as Yuga had guessed, some unfaithful affair with a Nidoking.


    Since it was Rhydon''s mate, Yuga figured he might as well capture Nidoqueen, too. Otherwise, leaving Rhydon all alone would be rather cruel.


    Seeing Yuga capture Rhydon''s partner, the Shiny Onix voiced its discontent again: "I don''t even have a partner��why should it have one?"


    Yuga: ... We''reparing that too?


    "Oh,e on! You''re so good-looking. One day, you''ll surely find a mate��no need to envy anyone else!"


    Yuga had a knack for dishing outpliments. In truth, with its green skin, Onix didn''t exactly align with human aesthetics. Still, it didn''t quite reach the level of being painfully unattractive, either.


    "Really? Am I really good-looking?" Onix asked. This was the first time anyone hadplimented its looks, and it felt overjoyed. Suddenly, Rhydon''s mate didn''t seem so bothersome anymore.


    "Really, really! I wouldn''t lie to you," Yuga said, nodding like a bobblehead.


    "Well then, I won''t hold a grudge," Shiny Onix said, satisfied.


    From Nales'' perspective, Yuga''s smooth-talking skills were downright frightening! To Nales, the Shiny Onix was an eyesore, yet Yuga actually had the gall to shower it with praise. Terrifying!


    Forrest, of course, didn''t think too much of it. Hearing Yugapliment Onix, he simply figured Yuga''s taste in aesthetics was a bit unique. Afterward, Yuga and Forrest roamed around Mt. Hideaway, guided by Shiny Onix. Along the way, Yuga captured a few more Onix��all with yellow potential��but no more green potential ones.


    It made sense; with so many Trainers passing through, even without a "lucky find" boost, the best Pok��mon would still get snatched up eventually. It was already fortunate Yuga could find so many yellow-potential Onix here.


    As they traveled, Yuga noticed Brock''s Onix constantly munching on the soil. Curiously, he asked Forrest, "Is Mt. Hideaway''s soil really that tasty?"


    Forrest replied, "Of course! I often bring my brother''s Onix here. Just look at how strong it''s grown!"


    "Yes, it does seem very strong," Yuga nodded.


    After observing the Onix for so long, Yuga noticed the Onix in Mt. Hideaway had a far denser body structure than average, which not only gave them higher defense but also boosted their offensive power.


    Yuga picked up a stone and inspected it closely, noticing that in the sunlight, it could reflect tiny sparkles of light��a beautiful sight.


    Could this be the secret to Mt. Hideaway''s unique geology?


    However, he wasn''t a geologist. Other than finding it aesthetically pleasing, he couldn''t make much more of it.


    "If the soil here is so good, doesn''t anyone ever try to take it?" Yuga asked Forrest again.


    If someone took Mt. Hideaway''s soil, processed it a little, and sold it, it probably wouldn''t be difficult to find buyers. Many Trainers with Pok��mon like Onix, Golem, and Tyranitar would go out of their way to buy soil and rocks rich in special minerals for their Pok��mon, and these kinds of minerals weren''t cheap.


    Forrest replied, "Of course people have tried, but Mt. Hideaway is under Pallet Town''s jurisdiction. Even if anyone wanted to take it, they wouldn''t dare; the people of Pallet Town forbid development here. And there are rangers stationed in all the nearby mountains!"


    "Oh, I see!" Yuga said, understanding.


    Yuga had initially considered bringing some stones back with him, but seeing this, he decided against it. With his own Mine Sub-Ecopark, he didn''t need to bother with a few stones.


    Byte afternoon, Yuga noticed it was about time and said goodbye to Forrest before heading back to Professor Oak''sb.


    When Yuga returned, Gary asked, "So, how''d it go? Any good catches?"


    Yuga replied happily, "Not bad! I caught a few Onix, nning to take them back for breeding."


    Their conversation eventually led to Mt. Hideaway''s unique geology.


    ording to Gary, Professor Oak''sb had studied Mt. Hideaway a long time ago. The area''s unusual geology likely resulted from a former hard rock vein.


    The hard stone vein somehow shattered, scattering the minerals throughout Hideaway Mountain and causing a transformation in the soil, which created the mountain''s unique environment today.


    Hard stone is a rare mineral used to craft Rock-type items and is an invaluable resource for raising Rock-type Pok��mon. However, since the vein waspletely pulverized, extracting it again would be very costly, so the League has never pursued it.


    Moreover, the preservation of the natural environment in Pallet Town is a high priority for the residents, who strongly oppose the development of Mr. Hideaway.


    After chatting with Gary for a while, Yuga made a call home and transferred the newly captured Onix, Shuckle, Rhydon, and Nidoqueen, entrusting Audino with their care and housing arrangements.


    The next day, Professor Oak informed Yuga that the batch of treasures he and Gary had collected had been processed, and the professor transferred Yuga''s share of the funds.


    The amount was substantial��over 50 million��granting Yuga an incredible windfall. Without Professor Oak''s assistance, it would have been nearly impossible to handle such arge sum in such a short time.


    Not only did Yuga prosper, but Gary also found himself newly wealthy. This was the first time Gary had earned such a sum himself, a distinct experience from the family wealth he had ess to before.


    Though, admittedly, this fortune was more or less a windfall.


    Professor Oak allowed Gary to manage the money on his own. Now that he had matured a lot, he seemed well-equipped to handle his own matters.


    A dayter, Yuga and Windy bid farewell to Professor Oak and Gary, embarking on their journey back to Hoenn.


    Gary, who had developed a close bond with Yuga over these days, felt reluctant to see him go. He urged Yuga to visit Pallet Town whenever he had the chance, and promised he would visit Hoenn sometime too.


    Meanwhile, at the YoYo Day Care in Verdanturf Town, in the Mine Sub-Ecopark...


    The slumbering Steelix was awakened from its nap in the field by Audino. As it emerged from the ground, it noticed Audino, who carefully exined the situation regarding the new arrivals of Pok��mon before trotting off. After arranging the Onix herd, it still needed to find a ce for Rhydon and Nidoqueen.


    Steelix stared nkly at the dozen or so Onix before it, baffled by the situation. Wait, all of them were now its responsibility?


    Its attention was immediately drawn to the shiny Onix among them. Oh my goodness, could there really be an Onix this unattractive?


    However, the other Onix, including the shiny one, looked at Steelix with awe and admiration.


    Thergest Pok��mon they had seen was the giant Onix from Mt. Hideaway, butpared to this Steelix, it paled inparison.


    The shiny Onix, thrilled, wanted to shout, "Master, please teach me!" If it could learn even a fragment of Steelix''s skills, it would make Rhydon look irrelevant.


    Meanwhile, Audino located a residence for Rhydon and Nidoqueen far from Tyranitar, Aggron, and Steelix��mostly to avoid any trouble for them.


    When Rhydon emerged, it looked at Audino with some trepidation; not long ago, it had been scolded by Audino.


    Upon receiving Rhydon and Nidoqueen, Audino had followed Yuga''s instructions and administered an innovation potion to Nidoqueen.


    Seeing this mysterious liquid given to his mate, Rhydon had almost tried to intervene, but Audino quickly subdued him. While Audino might not be a skilled fighter, it was still a Pok��mon of Elite-level strength, making it easy to handle a pseudo Elite-level Rhydon.


    Unfortunately, though the potetion improved Nidoqueen''s potential, it failed to do the same for Shuckle, which left Audino disappointed. Yuga had mentioned Shuckle could make delicious berry juice.


    Because of this, Audino decided not to send Shuckle to the new Ecopark like the other unsessful Onix but kept it close by instead.


    After cautioning Rhydon to stay out of trouble, Audino left to discuss berry juice production with Shuckle.


    Next to Rhydon and Nidoqueen''s new home lived a group of Drilbur. The Drilbur were yfully burrowing all around, which brought out Nidoqueen''s motherly instincts, as she found them absolutely adorable.


    Once Nidoran evolves into Nidorina or Nidoqueen, they lose the ability to reproduce, so Rhyhorn and Nidoqueen would never be able to have biological offspring of their own.

 Chapter 1210: Rhydon, Drilbur, Archeops

    <h4>Chapter 1210: Rhydon, Drilbur, Archeops</h4>


    Since the arrival of the shiny Onix and about a dozen Onix in the Mine Sub-Ecopark, Steelix had taken on a "nanny" role, with all the responsibility for managing these Onix falling on its shoulders. As a result, Steelix had much less time to sleep.


    Initially, Steelix thought the shiny Onix was truly ugly. With that appearance, it figured the little guy would have a hard time finding a partner in the future. But as time went on, Steelix got used to its look and eventually found it kind of cute in an odd way; its bright green hue wasn''t all that bad.


    The shiny Onix admired Steelix immensely,ing by almost daily to ask for training advice, whether it was about workout routines, skill learning, orbat techniques. At first, Steelix was quite impatient, trying to brush it off whenever possible. But over time, as the shiny Onix kepting back with that bright, eager look in its eyes, Steelix started to feel guilty about being dismissive.


    Bit by bit, Steelix''s teaching became more earnest, and the shiny Onix''s learning became increasingly diligent.


    Although the shiny Onix and Rhydon had been at roughly the same level before, with Steelix''s guidance and frequent sparring matches with its kin, the shiny Onix''s strength began to surpass that of Rhydon.


    One day, unable to contain itself, the shiny Onix sought out Rhydon for a battle and ended up winning. Though it wasn''t an easy win, a victory was still a victory.


    With a jubnt sway of its "graceful" figure, the shiny Onix walked away in high spirits, leaving Rhydon behind, questioning its life choices.


    "We came here together, so howe you''ve progressed so fast in such a short time?"


    It didn''t take long for Rhydon to realize the key: it was the kinship!


    The shiny Onix''s rapid improvement came from having Steelix as a mentor and fellow Onix to train with frequently.


    But Rhydon and its mate, Nidoqueen, didn''t have such advantages.


    Returning home, Rhydon saw Nidoqueen ying with the Drilbur. Over the past few days, Nidoqueen had grown close to the five Drilbur and now yed with them as if they were family.


    Although most members of the Nido family were known to bepetitive and fierce, Rhydon''s mate was gentle and very well-liked by the Drilbur.


    Standing at a distance, listening to the sounds of Nidoqueen and the Drilbur happily ying, Rhydon suddenly made a decision. Since it and Nidoqueen would likely never have children, why not adopt the Drilbur as their own? Then they, too, would have a kinship circle.


    The more Rhydon thought about this, the more feasible it seemed. He nned to discuss it with Nidoqueen once she returned.


    But that still wasn''t enough. The shiny Onix had Steelix as a powerful mentor, the strongest in the Mine Sub-Ecopark. Rhydon and Nidoqueen didn''t have that luxury.


    Thinking further, Rhydon came up with an idea: if there was no mentor avable in the Mine Sub-Ecopark, why not go outside to find one?


    It was determined to find a mentor even stronger than Steelix. After all, it had heard that the other Sub-Ecopark housed plenty of powerful Pok��mon, some even stronger than Steelix.


    After being in the Mine Sub-Ecopark for several days without stepping outside, Rhydon was starting to feel a bit hesitant.


    Before venturing out, Rhydon decided to ask around for some information about whaty beyond.


    While his mate, Nidoqueen, was happily ying with the Drilbur nearby, she noticed Rhydon standing around, seeming thoughtful before wandering off. Curious but not too concerned, she didn''t press him, as she usually didn''t interfere with her partner''s affairs.


    The first creature Rhydon encountered was a Tyranitar. He considered approaching, but after one sharp look from Tyranitar, he quickly backed off.


    Next, he ran into two Aggron sparring, though they weren''t fighting seriously��they were simply polishing each other''s armor as a couple''s training. Rhydon watched them for a bit, but felt it might be too awkward to interrupt. Besides, Aggron didn''t seem like the easiest Pok��mon to engage.


    Before entering the Mine Sub-Ecopark, Audino had already warned Rhydon that the Aggron and Tyranitar ns were some of the fiercest groups around. With just him and Nidoqueen, it would be wise to avoid provoking anyone.


    Moving on, he spotted a Magnezone and decided to try speaking to it. Unfortunately, Magnezone only responded with a string of sounds Rhydon couldn''t understand. Perhaps Magnezone was studying an aliennguagetely.


    Then, Rhydon thought of the Lunatone and Solrock��another major group in the Mine Sub-Ecopark, with evenrger numbers than Aggron and Tyranitar. Better still, he''d heard that Lunatone were known for being gentle.


    Fortunately, before he reached their habitat, he encountered a Lunatone who kindly provided all the information he needed.


    The Lunatone exined that the Dragonite in the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark and the Dusknoir in the Haunted House Sub-Ecopark were among the most powerful Pok��mon in the entire Ecopark. Although Dusknoir was currently away on a mission with Yuga, Dragonite was still home.


    As Lunatone described Dragonite''s abilities, Rhydon realized this was exactly the kind of powerful mentor he was looking for.


    Eagerly, Rhydon left the Mine Sub-Ecopark and, after consulting a Hoothoot in the Main Ecopark, found his way to the light portal leading into the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark.


    The Dragon Den felt worlds apart from the Mine. The variety of Pok��mon was astounding: Swablu and Altaria glided gracefully in the sky, Flygon zipped past like a jet, Horsea, Seadra, and Kingdra drifted leisurely through the water, while a Jang-mo-o made a rhythmic sound as it shook its scales. Arboks and Sevipers intertwined, giving the ce a bustling, lively energy.


    A Dratini, on its way to meet friends, spotted the unfamiliar Rhydon and curiously asked, "Who are you, and do you need something?"


    Rhydon softened his voice, seeing the adorable Dratini, and replied, "I just moved in recently. I''m here looking for Dragonite."


    "Dragonite? Do you mean Dragonite Mama?" Dratini blinked itsrge, dark eyes.


    Dragonite Mama? That must be her.


    "Yes, do you know where I can find her?"


    "I know! I''ll take you there!" Dratini happily wagged its tail, thrilled to be of help.


    <i>What a sweet kid!</i> thought Rhydon.


    Led by Dratini, Rhydon arrived at the cliffside residence of the Dragon Pok��mon.


    Dratini looked up toward a high cave and said, "Dragonite Mama lives up there. But I can''t fly, so I can''t go up."


    Rhydon realized they were at an impasse��getting up to such a high ce was no easy task for him, either.


    At that moment, Smence and Hydreigon came flying over and noticed Dratini down below. They asked, "Dratini, what are you doing here? Weren''t you going to find Diggersby and Weavile? Why are you still here?"


    Dratini replied, "Sister Smence, Brother Hydreigon, we wanted to go up and find Dragonite Mama. Can you take us up there?"


    Upon hearing this, Hydreigon immediately snorted, turned his head away, and made it clear he wasn''t interested in helping. Smence gave him a nudge and exined to Dratini, "Dragonite Mama isn''t home; she left with Shelgon early this morning."


    Yuga had left Shelgon in Dragonite Mama''s care this time around, so she could teach it some valuable lessons. "Oh, I see," Dratini said, a little disappointed. He turned to Rhydon and said, "Dragonite Mama''s not here, so I can''t help you."


    Seeing Dratini''s crestfallen expression softened Rhydon''s heart even more. "That''s okay," he said, "I can wait for her to return." How could anyone not adore such a sweet Dratini?


    "What are you all talking about?"


    Just then, Weavile arrived with Diggersby. They had been waiting in the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark for Dratini, but after a long wait, they decided toe looking for him.


    Since Diggersby''s evolution, he had grown even bulkier, and Weavile now liked to sit proudly on his head, asserting her authority.


    "Weavile, Diggersby, you''re here!" Dratini was thrilled to see his friends and quickly told Weavile about Rhydon''s wish to find Dragonite Mama.


    After hearing the story, Weavile looked at Rhydon with an incredulous expression and asked, "Why are you looking for Dragonite Mama?"


    Rhydon didn''t hide anything and straightforwardly said he wanted to be her apprentice.


    Weavile, however, looked at him as if he''d lost his mind. Bing Dragonite Mama''s apprentice? What a joke! Dragonite Mama''s status was no small matter. If she epted every Pok��mon who came to her wanting to be an apprentice, she''d be swamped by the sheer number of Pok��mon in the Ecopark.


    If anyone in the Ecopark had the most experience with seeking teachers, it had to be Weavile. To quickly enhance her and Diggersby''s strength, Weavile had traveled to countless sub-Ecopark, visiting numerous experts. Even if she couldn''t formally be their disciple, she would still learn something from each of them.


    Weavile''s efforts had been crucial to Diggersby''s current growth. Although she worked hard, her natural talents didn''t quite match Diggersby''s, who had already left her far behind in strength.


    But Weavile didn''t feel any jealousy; rather, she felt happy. Diggersby had always obeyed her, and that was the reason she had put so much effort into nning for his growth.


    Now her goal was achieved!


    In a good mood, Weavile decided to give Rhydon some advice. "Let me share a bit of experience with you: if you''re looking for a mentor, you can forget about top-tier masters like Dragonite Mama and Dusknoir. You won''t seed."


    Unless Yuga personally requested it or Dragonite Mama found a student who genuinely impressed her, there was no chance. Rhydon didn''t stand out much, so winning Dragonite Mama''s favor was a fool''s dream. If she truly wanted a disciple, there were plenty of talented Pok��mon in the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark who were far better candidates than Rhydon.


    After hearing Weavile''s words, Rhydon fell silent and pondered deeply. He knew that as a neer, his understanding of the situation here couldn''tpare to Weavile''s, and Weavile had no reason to mislead him.


    "So, what should I do?" Rhydon asked, looking at Weavile.


    Weavile, finding Rhydon somewhat likable, thought for a moment and began offering suggestions.


    More than ten minutester, Rhydon left the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark.


    ording to Weavile, the most suitable teacher for him at the moment was Archeops in the Shallow Sea Beach Sub-Ecopark. They were both Rock-type Pok��mon, so there was a lot he could learn from Archeops.


    The strength of Archeops may not be on par with Dragonite Mama or Dusknoir, but it''s certainly among the top-ranked Pok��mon in the Ecopark. More importantly, it''s highly experienced in battle and definitely stronger than Steelix.


    Another key point is that Archeops, being older, has be more tolerant of younger Pok��mon. Even if Rhydon fails to be its apprentice, it''s bound to learn a thing or two from it.


    Learning is what truly matters; whether or not an official mentorship happens isn''t as important.


    Weavile, who''s well-versed in the Ecopark, gave Rhydon solid advice and even promised that if he didn''t gain anything from Ecopark, he coulde back, and Weavile would rmend other mentors.


    After leaving the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark, Rhydon returned briefly to the Mine Sub-Ecopark to bring his wife, Nidoqueen, along to meet Archeops.


    Without much exnation, he dragged the somewhat confused Nidoqueen out of the Mine Sub-Ecopark.


    On the way to the Shallow Sea Beach Sub-Ecopark, Rhydon exined his n to be Archeops''s apprentice and even mentioned the Drilbur as his adopted children.


    Upon hearing this, Nidoqueen was naturally supportive, even pleased. But when she learned she''d also be expected to train with Archeops, she couldn''t help feeling nervous.


    Nidoqueen wasid-back by nature and wasn''t particrly ambitious about increasing her strength. However, she was used to going along with Rhydon, and so, half-willingly, she let herself be led to Archeops.


    Weavile didn''t just tell Rhydon where Archeops resided in the Shallow Sea Beach Sub-Ecopark; he kindly provided directions to Lake Ind No. 3 as well.


    Just as Weavile had described, Archeops''s attitude toward Rhydon and Nidoqueen was surprisingly kind. Seeing the couple''s eagerness to improve, it was more than happy to guide them.


    Thus, from that day forward, the couplemitted to visiting the Shallow Sea Beach daily. Initially, Nidoqueen merely apanied her husband, but upon seeing his dedication, she began to adopt a serious attitude toward training as well.


    Archeops also had a Luxray undergoing behavioral adjustment training. After spending some time under its mentorship, Luxray had be much calmer and asionally offered advice to Rhydon and Nidoqueen.


    Luxray was a powerful Elite-level Pok��mon. Although its type didn''t exactly match the couple''s, the battle experience it shared was valuable, helping them significantly.


    Furthermore, ever since adopting the Drillbur as his own, Rhydon had be a stricter trainer. He no longer allowed them to spend their days goofing around.


    While they had trained before, it was more generalized group training. Now, under Rhydon''s guidance and with the knowledge he acquired from Archeops, he set up a customized training regimen for them.


    After hearing about this, Audio had no objections. Instead, it encouraged the Drillbur to listen to Rhydon''s instructions. The Drillbur, already fond of Nidoqueen, now felt even more inclined to obey.


    If more incidents like this happened, managing the Ecopark would be much easier.


    With Rhydon supervising them and a more systematic training n, the Drillbur began to make rapid progress.


    Rhydon soon noticed that one of the five Drillbur was improving much faster than the others. This one''s abilities were noticeably superior, and Rhydon couldn''t help but pay extra attention to it.


    This particr Drillbur was the only one among them with an indigo potential.


    As the Indigo potential Drillbur advanced, Rhydon became even more dedicated to training it. He thought, even if he failed to amount to much himself, raising Drillbur to its full potential would earn him the respect he desired.


    In this sense, Rhydon''s thinking aligned with Weavile''s past mindset. After all, hadn''t Weavile thrived thanks to Diggersby''s prowess? Although they weren''t yet able to challenge the top-tier Pok��mon, they were certainly a force no minor yer dared to provoke.


    As Rhydon was busy arranging his mentorship, Yuga, after several days of flying, finallynded at the Verdanturf Town Airport.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1211: Business Progress

    <h4>Chapter 1211: Business Progress</h4>


    The first time Nales arrived in Verdanturf Town, it was filled with a desire to explore. This was the ce it would likely be living for quite some time, and everything about it felt fresh and intriguing.


    Following Yuga into the YoYo Day Care, it looked around, taking in its surroundings. "So, this is your home?"


    Yuga looked down at it with a smile. "Well, what do you think? Satisfied?"


    Nales turned its head away, pretending not to care. "It''s... passable." In truth, it was quite pleased.


    Yuga only gave a slight smile, choosing not to reveal its true feelings. After spending the past few days together, he felt he had a decent grasp on Nales''s personality.


    "Hey, the boss is back!"


    "Wee back, Boss Shimizu! Haven''t seen you in a few days��where''d you go?"


    "Boss Shimizu, it''s been a while, and you''re looking even more handsome!"


    ...


    The customersing and going greeted Yuga warmly as he returned.


    Nales was surprised and remarked, "Who would''ve thought you''d be so popr."


    Yuga feigned modesty. "Not too bad. It''s just everyone being nice."


    Nales rolled its eyes. "Hmph, so fake!"


    After greeting Yuga, Windy went to his own room. As a homebody and someone with slight social anxiety, being outside for so long had left him a bit tense.


    After chatting with Suzuki Koen, Yuga found Audino to check on the arrangements for Onix and the others. Learning that everything was going smoothly, he turned to Nales and said, "Come on, I''ll show you where you''ll be living from now on."


    While Nales was excited, it didn''t want Yuga to get cocky. "Hmph, all mysterious, huh? Let''s see what kind of ce you''ve prepared for me!"


    Yuga gave Nales''srge, fluffy tail a yful stroke, then jumped back before it could react, calling out as he ran ahead, "You''ll see soon enough! Prepare to be amazed!"


    Nales, a bit annoyed, chased after him, following him to the entrance of the Ecopark.


    Just as they were entering, they saw Mime Jr. and Clefairy heading out together.


    The two little ones were thrilled to see Yuga back and were about to rush over to him, but Spoink, following Yuga, stopped them in their tracks.


    "Yuga''s busy right now; don''t bother him. I''ll go y with you," said Spoink.


    Mime Jr. and Clefairy weren''t too happy about that, but with Spoink''s superior strength and Psychic abilities keeping them at bay, they had no choice.


    So, they were reluctantly pulled along by Spoink, who eagerly began boasting about its recent "honeymoon" trip with Yuga, making the two little ones bristle with irritation.


    Yuga eavesdropped a little and found that Spoink was not only exaggerating but also fabricating stories. It was passionately recounting supposed feats, like bravely battling an elite-level bully Pok��mon on Mt. Hideaway, rescuing a lost, beautiful Pok��mon in Viridian City, and splurging in a luxurious beauty salon.


    Yuga didn''t expose it he just smiling as he led Nales away.


    However, as Spoink was borating on how valiantly it had fought the bully Pok��mon, it was overheard by the second grand syndrome Azumarill passing by, who imed itself as a messenger of justice. Azumarill eagerly joined in the lively discussion with Spoink.


    But Spoink''s tall tales were quickly debunked by Mime Jr. and Clefairy. Realizing it had been deceived, Azumarill joined forces with Mime Jr. and Clefairy, dragging Spoink to a corner and giving it a good beating.


    Although Spoink was stronger than Mime Jr. and Clefairy, it was no match for Azumarill and ended up quite battered.


    This all happened after Yuga had already left, so he was unaware. By now, he had brought Nales to the Volcano Sub-Ecopark.


    Pointing to the glowing magma pool below, Yuga said, "So, what do you think? Like it here?"


    Nales had already been amazed by the existence of the Ecopark, and now, standing in a ce so rich in Fire-type energy, it was stunned, frozen in ce.


    Having lived for hundreds of years, it had never stayed in a ce this incredible. The dense Fire-type energy could be felt with every breath, flowing straight into its nostrils. If such a ce had existed before, it wouldn''t have needed to use up all the Fire Stones left by its previous owner to reach its current strength.


    Today, Volcarona, Arcanine, the Nales Leader, and Houndoom Leader were all here, and seeing Yuga bringing in another Nales, they curiously sized up the neer.


    "We have a new resident here today, so make sure you all get along well," Yuga announced. "Our new Nalesdy is very skilled, so feel free to learn from her."


    Yuga gave Volcarona and Arcanine a look, signaling that this Nales was stronger than them. The two smart Pok��mon understood Yuga''s meaning right away.


    Seeing Nales still in a daze, Yuga took the opportunity to stroke itsrge tail, saying, "What''s wrong? Do you like it here?"


    He had to admit, Nales''s fur was the softest he''d ever felt among all the Pok��mon he''d petted��worthy of a high-level, hundred-year-old Pok��mon.


    Still somewhat stunned, Nales forgot to hold a grudge over Yuga touching its tail. It simply gazed deeply at him and replied, "Well... it''s alright, I suppose. Barely worthy of me."


    "That''s good." Yuga knew that getting such a response from this elder meant it was extremely, extremely satisfied.


    After settling Nales in, Yuga left the Ecopark and happened to encounter Mayor Ishida, who hade specifically to see him after learning of his return. Mayor Ishida also took the opportunity to update him on the progress of preparations for the Duel Tournament.


    Early the next morning, Yuga went into the Ecopark to check on how the newly arrived Pok��mon were settling in and was surprised to find Nales hanging out with Nana.


    "When did you two get to know each other?" Yuga asked, walking over with a puzzled expression.


    Nales shot him a look. "Do I have to report everything I do to you?"


    Yuga replied sheepishly, "Not necessarily..."


    "Then stop talking." With that, the two Pok��mon went back to their tasks.


    After watching for a bit, Yuga realized that Nana was actually giving Nales a makeover.


    Nales now lived in the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, but the environment there was definitely not suitable for storing its clothes and essories. So, it had nned to leave its things with another Pok��mon and naturally got to know Nana in the Main Ecopark.


    Nana had never met such a fashionable Pok��mon before and quickly found herself getting along with Nales, as if they were old friends. She even enjoyed giving Nales personal makeovers.


    Seeing these two "elder" Pok��mon chattering away non-stop, Yuga didn''t quite know what to say.


    Maybe older ones just find it easier to havemon ground?


    After finishing up the makeover, Nales asked Yuga, "When are you taking me to the beauty salon?"


    Yuga: ... So, you didn''t forget after all.


    Nana, overhearing, asked curiously, "What beauty salon?" Nales immediately exined, and after hearing about it, Nana was intrigued. "That sounds so nice! Yuga, when can we go?"


    "Uh... well, another day. I have things to do. Gotta go!" With that, Yuga practically ran off to escape.


    Nales scoffed as she watched him leave. "Cheapskate."


    Nana burst intoughter, unable to stop giggling.


    Leaving the Main Ecopark, Yuga headed to the Mine Sub-Ecopark, where he found Steelix training the Onix group, while Rhydon and Nidoqueen were working with the five Drilbur on their training.


    Seeing this bustling scene, Yuga felt a deep sense offort, believing that Audino was bing increasingly capable, organizing the new arrivals in an orderly fashion within just a few days. Little did he know that Rhydon and the Onix group''s efforts all stemmed from their ongoing rivalry.


    Of course, Yuga was happy to see this kind ofpetition that encouraged mutual progress, as long as there was no repeat of the malicious conflicts from earlier.


    Leaving the Ecopark, Yuga was served breakfast by Audino.


    After finishing, he took a sip from his cup and said in surprise, "Hey, what''s this? It tastes great! Did youe up with a new drink?"


    "Audino!"


    Audino nodded with a smile.


    After a bit of exining, Yuga learned that the drink was made from fermented juice by Shuckle mixed with Gogoat''s milk. Not only did it taste good, but it was also very nutritious.


    "Nice, very nice. I''ll have this every morning from now on."


    Yuga praised Audino sincerely. Although Moomoo Milk was also delicious, drinking it every day could get a bit dull. This new drink came at just the right time.


    "Audino, Audino~"


    Audino then gestured excitedly to Yuga. When Yuga understood, he was surprised. "You want to get more Shuckle and sell this new drink at the Paradise Restaurant?"


    "Audino~"


    Audino nodded its head enthusiastically.


    "But Shuckle is hard toe by." Yuga pondered, rubbing his chin. "How about this��I''ll ask Professor Birch and Professor Oakter to see if they can help us source Shuckle."


    "Audino~"


    ted, Audino gave Yuga a big hug.


    Yuga joked, "How wonderful��our Audino is thinking about making money for the family! I wonder if in my lifetime, I''ll be able to live off you. They say being a kept man is nice!"


    "Audino~"


    Don''t make fun of me!


    Having lived in the human world for so long, Audino naturally understood what Yuga meant. She punched him, almost hard enough to cause internal injuries.


    After breakfast, Yuga received an unexpected call from Finis, the beautiful woman he had met in Viridian City.


    It turned out that upon returning home, Finis had tried out the incense Yuga had given her.


    Nobody''s a fool, and with some thought, she understood why Yuga had given her and Suzie the incense under those circumstances. She also realized that Yuga must have been confident in the product''s quality to give it away like that.


    As a breeder and a Pok��mon doctor, Finis had a high standard for assessing incense quality. After using it for a while, she noticed a significant difference in the YoYo Day Care''s incense.


    What Yuga had given her was an odd incense, roughly 10% more effective than the odd incense used in most salons.


    This 10% improvement might not seem like much in the short term, but for Psychic-type Pok��mon, whose meditation efficiency is usually fixed, the long-term benefits of this increase were invaluable.


    Not only was it effective, but YoYo Day Care''s incense also had a soothing fragrance when burned, more refreshing than other brands.


    Inferior incense on the market could be harsh on the nose, but the higher the quality, the more pleasant the scent.


    After using hundreds of incenses, Finis was confident YoYo Day Care''s incense would easily rank in the top three for fragrance alone.


    Incense quality isn''t just about the form; it''s also influenced by the craftsman''s skill and the materials used. Finis could tell the ingredients were first-rate, though she couldn''t say much about the skill of YoYo''s incense maker.


    Good materials are hard toe by, and well-known brands typically have their own dedicated suppliers, guarding their sources closely to avoid major losses topetitors.


    Owning Ecoparks and cultivating his own ingredients, Yuga didn''t need to worry about this.


    Based on her observations, Finis decided to rmend YoYo Day Care''s incense to her boss.


    Given Yuga''s unique status, maintaining a good rtionship with him could only be beneficial. There was no reason for Finis not to help him.


    However, the salon already had its own incense supplier, so switching entirely to YoYo Day Care''s incense would be difficult.


    Still, with YoYo''s quality verified, her boss agreed to trial a batch first��not much, just a small portion.


    Finis, a top-notch groomer with partial salon ownership, had enough influence to secure this trial.


    Thus, Finis called YoYo Day Care to ce an order. Yuga had given her his contact information beforehand.


    In fact, she could have ordered directly through the YoYo Day Care website. But having extended this "favor," she wanted her involvement recognized. It wasn''t about face but about establishing a small presence with Yuga.


    Since she had helped him out, Yuga didn''t hold back, giving Finis a significant discount on her personal incense purchase.


    Building connections is all about give and take. Yuga wasn''t about to turn away this chance to strengthen hiswork.


    Finis not only ordered for herself and the salon but also helped Suzie buy some.


    While Suzie also worked as a groomer at the salon, she owned a small massage business in another city.


    Unlike the salon, which had a dedicated incense brand, she typically used whichever worked best. Since YoYo Day Care''s incense was superior, switching was a natural choice.


    This is the advantage of a small business��she could make decisions on her own.


    Having closed a new deal, which, while modest, wasn''t too small either, Yuga felt pleased and decided to visit Joyka at the Pok��mon Center to ask about the new beauty salon for Nales.


    Since he had promised Nales, he didn''t want to go back on his word. And if he could secure a business opportunity on the side, even better.

 Chapter 1212: Filming

    <h4>Chapter 1212: Filming</h4>


    Yuga didn''t expect that Joyka really knew about the beauty salon.


    Recently, a new one opened in Verdanturf Town, and it was run by a rtive of the Joy family. However, it wasn''t called a beauty salon; instead, it was a Pok��mon Private Club. They offered all the services of a traditional salon, plus more unique services.


    In short, it was very upscale.


    After getting a brief overview, the next day, Yuga took Nales there. When Nana heard about the outing, it insisted on tagging along to see for itself, so Yuga had no choice but to bring it too.


    However, this new Pok��mon club was stillrgely unknown, so when Yuga entered with Nales and Nana, there were only a few scattered guests with their Pok��mon inside, and they were mostly elderly people. The ce looked rather deserted.


    Joyka had told Yuga that her rtive invested quite a bit of money into this private club, so if business remained this slow, it was uncertain whether they''d end up going bankrupt.


    Upon hearing that Yuga was visiting, the club manager came out eagerly to greet him. Since they were setting up shop in Verdanturf Town, the club naturally knew about Yuga and was happy to establish a good rtionship with the local "big shot."


    The manager was rather shrewd. When he saw Nales and Nana, he was stunned��such beauty, such elegance... absolutely remarkable.


    Right away, he proposed to Yuga that if Nales and Nana were willing to film a promotional video for the club, they could enjoy a 50% discount on all future visits.


    Yuga''s eyes lit up at this offer��was there really such a good deal?


    This luxury Pok��mon club charged high fees for each visit, and given his Nales'' refined tastes, it was likely it would want toe here often. That would add up to a hefty sum over time. Getting a 50% discount sounded like a golden opportunity!


    However, Yuga didn''t make the decision for Nales and Nana; he asked for their opinions.


    As soon as Nales heard, it agreed immediately. After following Yuga for a while, it was no longer the naive Nales it had once been.


    These days, many Pok��mon starred inmercials, and Nales had secretly envied them a bit, longing for an opportunity for others to appreciate its beauty.


    Now, it had that chance��how could it say no?


    After all, Nales was very confident in its own beauty.


    With Nales agreeing, Nana, who didn''t think much of it, agreed as well.


    Since both Nales and Nana epted, Yuga was happy to go along with it. The ce had been rmended by Joyka, and since the owner was a rtive of the Joy family, Yuga wasn''t worried about any foul y in their cooperation.


    Hearing Yuga''s eptance, the manager was thrilled and personally escorted Yuga and the Pok��mon to a private room, arranging for the best specialist to attend to them.


    The Joy family is known as thergest medical organization in the Pok��mon world, with extensive connections, so a club run by one of their rtives would naturally have top-tier specialists. The quality here was as good, if not better, than the beauty salon in Viridian City.


    While the Pok��mon enjoyed their services, there were also activities prepared for Trainers, so they wouldn''t be left waiting idly. The club offered various entertainment options specifically for Trainers.


    However, Yuga quickly noticed that most of these activities were geared towards an older audience. For instance, he was currently ying chess against a professional chess yer.


    Although Yuga wasn''t particrly skilled at chess��he could y but didn''t have any advanced strategies��he couldn''t win a single game against this seasoned opponent.


    The manager didn''t leave right away, and after setting up everything for Yuga, he stayed to chat. It was through their conversation that Yuga learned the club had a rather unique clientele.


    Though Verdanturf Town might not be as developed asrger cities like Mauville or Rustboro, it is renowned for one thing in Hoenn: its sanatoriums.


    Verdanturf has a beautiful environment and is ideal for living, with many elderly people and patients residing in sanatoriums on its outskirts.


    With Verdanturf''s environmental policies and specialized agriculture in recent years, the town''s surroundings have be even more attractive. As a result, more and more elderly people and patients have beening to these sanatoriums for care, and many of these visitors share one trait��they''re wealthy.


    After all, without special circumstances, people with limited means wouldn''t usually spend money on a stay in a sanatorium.


    Therefore, one of the main customer groups for the Pok��mon club is the elderly residents from these sanatoriums.


    These elderly people aren''t Trainers, but most of them have Pok��monpanions they''ve been with since childhood. They have deep emotional bonds with their Pok��mon, sometimes even valuing them more than their spouses or children, so they''re very willing to spend money on them.


    Unlike the Pok��mon of Trainers,panion Pok��mon don''t undergo rigorous training, so their lifespans are rtively shorter. Many of them start aging alongside their owners and face various health issues as they grow older.


    The club offers special services specifically to help care for the health of elderly Pok��mon. With their connection to the Joy family, they certainly have the expertise for this.


    Of course, they also offer other services simr to a beauty salon, though as a newly opened establishment, these areas of business haven''t picked up yet.


    Originally, Yuga had nned to promote his own products, but to his surprise, the Pokeblock, incense, and other supplies the club was using were already from YoYo Day Care, so there was no need for him to pitch them further.


    After the session ended, Yuga left with Nales and Nana, both looking refreshed. The manager personally escorted them to the door. "Gym Leader Shimizu, spread the word about us when you can!"


    "Of course, I will!" Yuga replied with a wave.


    "I''ll let you know when we''re ready with the promotional video!" the manager called out.


    "Sounds good!" Yuga responded.


    On the way home, Yuga asked Nales, "So, what do you think? Which is better, this club or the beauty salon in Viridian City?"


    Nales thought for a moment. "Hmm...they''re about the same, but I prefer this ce."


    Yuga nodded, satisfied. As long as Nales liked it, he was happy.


    For Nana, today had opened a door to a whole new world; it hadn''t known it could live so indulgently. It resolved toe back often with Nales.


    Yuga was still unaware that his regr expenses would be increasing once more.


    In their good spirits, the two Pok��mon chattered non-stop on the way back, even deliberately keeping their conversation out of Yuga''s hearing, which annoyed him enough to ruffle Nales'' fluffy, plush tails.


    Fresh from their club treatment, Nales'' tails felt even softer to the touch.


    Though Nales was pleased enough not to mind too much, it gave Yuga a sidelong re. But he''d gotten so used to those restely that he hardly felt a thing.


    The club manager worked quickly. Entrusted with full control of the club by its owner, he held considerable authority, so within a few days, he informed Yuga to bring Nales and Nana over for the promotional video shoot.


    Filming the promotional video didn''t take nearly as long as making a movie, so Yuga, who didn''t know much about such things, only needed to take Nales and Nana twice before it was done.


    The finished video yed on a huge disy screen above the club building. In it, Nales and Nana showcased their elegance and beauty, drawing the attention of countless passersby and tourists. The club''s owner spared no expense on the prime location, and with the eye-catching promotion, business picked up instantly. The manager even called Yuga specifically to express his gratitude.


    When Nales learned of its aplishment, it was exceedingly pleased, bragging to Yuga that it had saved him money.


    Yuga felt like retorting, "If you didn''t go, I''d save even more."


    The matter seemed closed, but one day, someone showed up unexpectedly, saying he wanted Nales and Nana to star in a movie. Yuga was utterly baffled.


    A movie? What on earth?


    Initially, Yuga thought the person was a scammer and promptly sent him away, but the next day he came back, this time with a very earnest attitude.


    After doing some online research, Yuga discovered that this person was indeed a highly renowned director whose movies he had seen multiple times��he just hadn''t paid attention to the director''s name.


    The director hade to Verdanturf Town for a vacation and had stumbled upon the promotional video featuring Nales and Nana. He was instantly captivated by their presence and wanted to feature them in a movie.


    After some inquiries, he found out that Nales and Nana belonged to YoYo Day Care and came to personally seek them out.


    But Yuga ran a day care, not an entertainmentpany, so naturally, he intended to decline. While he often joked about how Nales spent his money, that was really just talk; he could easily afford it and didn''t need Nales to earn a small amount of movie money.


    Yuga''s refusal was firm, but Nales wouldn''t have it. With such beauty, staying hidden at home without an audience was a waste! It wanted to act in movies, be a star, and let the whole world admire its beauty.


    Yuga was stunned by its vanity. "You''re so self-obsessed! Are you a narcissist or something?"


    Being democratic, Yuga respected the opinions of his team. Since Nales wanted to go, he had no choice but to agree.


    Nana didn''t even wait for Yuga''s suggestion before declining the director''s invitation. She preferred to stay cozy at home; filming the promo video was just something she went along with to keep Nalespany. But filming a movie? She''d rather rx at home, enjoying food and yfully entertaining the kids��why bother going out and putting herself through all that?


    While Nana wasn''t interested, Spoink, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation from the sidelines, suddenly hopped out and expressed interest in going.


    Spoink was a die-hard fan of magical girls and still took every chance to show off the magic robe Yuga had gifted it. While it didn''t initially grasp the concept of movies, the rare opportunity was too tempting for it to pass up.


    Yuga rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "Filming a movie has nothing to do with magical girls; are you sure you want to go?"


    "I''m sure!" Spoink puffed out its chest, though with its round, plump body, it just ended up looking even more round.


    Nales, watching from the side, mocked, "You''re dark and ugly��what movie could you possibly film? Go home and get some sleep." Vain as ever, Nales preferred beautiful friends like Nana.


    Spoink couldn''t stand being taunted by Nales and insisted angrily on joining the movie.


    Yuga reassured it, "We''re not the ones filming; can we just skip this whole thing?"


    The director, however, found Spoink''s enthusiasm adorable and thought it might suit a role in the movie, so he encouraged it. This only strengthened Spoink''s resolve.


    It wasn''t that Yuga opposed his Pok��mon acting in a movie; he was just uneasy about it.


    Since the movie wouldn''t be filmed in Verdanturf Town, they''d definitely have to leave, and Yuga didn''t have time to go along with them. This meant that his Pok��mon would be traveling and working independently, which worried him.


    In the end, it was decided that Nales and Spoink would go for the movie.


    A few dayster, Yuga learned about the film''s plot and received a copy of the script.


    The story followed a female trainer, who started as a young girl and, through countless trials, grew into a master.


    Nales was cast as the trainer''s mentor, a significant supporting role with few scenes but an important impact on the story.


    Spoink''s role was even smaller; it was the main character''s innocent, adorablepanion during her childhood but sadly met its end early on, serving as the catalyst for her character development.


    To Yuga''s surprise, the actress ying the trainer as an adult was none other than Diantha. Additionally, the filming location was in the Kalos region.


    Yuga reasoned it made sense for a famous director to work with a big star. Although he wasn''t particrly close with Diantha, he figured he could ask her to look after Nales and Spoink.


    Most of the main cast had been decided early on, but after the director saw Nales and Nana''s promo video, he was instantly drawn to them.


    Originally, he had wanted Nana to y the love interest of the main Pok��mon partner, but since it declined, he had to find a recement. The love interest role was also fated to die in the movie.


    However, Nana was actually a male, and it was unclear if the director had realized this.


    The main Pok��mon in the movie were a Lucario and a Riolu (as Lucario''s younger self), both celebrity Pok��mon.


    In the film, Lucario was male, so naturally, a female partner Pok��mon was ideal for the romantic subplot.


    Gardevoir, while having no gender-specific differences, could appear visually simr for both genders, but finding an actual female Pok��mon seemed preferable.


    Diantha, as the Champion of Kalos, had Pok��mon but never allowed her main team to participate in movies or TV shows.


    On the day of filming, Yuga transmitted the Pok�� Balls for Nales and Spoink to Diantha. He had already contacted her in advance, hoping she''d keep an eye on the two rookies.


    Diantha agreed easily, as it was no trouble for her.


    However, when she received the Pok�� Balls, she was surprised to find that one was a Master Ball. What kind of Pok��mon was important enough for Yuga to keep in a Master Ball?


    Master Balls had long been discontinued, with the few remaining ones mainly kept as collectibles. Hardly anyone actually used them to store Pok��mon!


    After Nales and Spoink left, Yoyo Day Care returned to its usual quiet, though visitors often came inquiring about Spoink''s whereabouts; these were mostly people drawn in by its fortune-telling.


    Even though Spoink''s divinations rarely came true, Chatot, ever the hustler, managed to build up a "fanbase" for it at the daycare entrance.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1213: Wild Bull Club

    <h4>Chapter 1213: Wild Bull Club</h4>


    Time flew by, and before long, Nales and Spoink had been away filming for quite some time.


    During this period, Yuga asionally kept in touch with Diantha to check on how Nales and Spoink were doing on set.


    The filming was going smoothly, and Nales and Spoink were thriving there��especially Nales. Although it wasn''t the friendliest, everyone liked it.


    Diantha said that Nales had real talent for acting and would probably have a great chance at bing famous someday. Yuga was nomittal; fame wasn''t a priority. It wasn''t like they relied on Nales to support the household.


    In fact, Spoink''s scenes had already wrapped up, but it refused toe back, insisting on staying until Nales finished filming so they could return together. Normally, they squabbled like there was no tomorrow, but now they were pretending to be the best of friends.


    One day, Yuga called Diantha again to chat a bit about how Nales and Spoink were doing. After that call, he received another one��from Professor Oak.


    A while ago, Audino had asked him to get a batch of Shuckle to make juices, so Yuga had contacted Professor Oak, and finally, there was news today.


    Yuga didn''t have high standards for the Shuckle; they were purely for juice production, so their quality didn''t really matter. As a result, Professor Oak didn''t have too much trouble finding someone willing to trade Shuckle.


    The person willing to trade was the owner of a juice factory. However, instead of a mary trade, they wanted to exchange Shuckle for some Miltank upon learning that Yuga was a daycare owner.


    The juice factory was currently working on developing a new product that required Moomoo Milk.


    The owner of the factory did have a herd of Miltank himself, but his stock of Moomoo Milk was too limited to meet the needs of both research and production.


    After listening to Professor Oak exin the owner''s terms, Yuga immediately agreed. He had never sold Miltank from his ecopark before, and after years of breeding, there were now quite a few. With someone willing to trade Shuckle for them, it would save him the hassle.


    After negotiating with the other side, Yuga selected a batch of young Miltank that were currently in their milking period to exchange for the Shuckle that Audino needed.


    This batch totaled fifty Shuckle, with generally ranging between red and orange potential, so Yuga settled them all into the new ecopark.


    With these Shuckle on hand, Audino started frequenting the new ecopark, and before long, customers at the Paradise Restaurant noticed a new drink on the menu.


    This new beverage became incredibly popr in the restaurant, earning Yuga yet another stream of ie.


    After clearing out a batch of Miltank, Yuga began thinking about handling another batch of Tauros.


    Originally, Yuga brought in Tauros to solve the "lifelong matters" of the Miltank in his ecopark. Over time, as the Miltank poption grew, so did the number of Tauros. Now that the surplus Miltank had a ce to go, it was naturally time for the surplus Tauros to be dealt with as well.


    When Tauros and Miltank were first introduced, their potential were fairly average, and even after all this time, only a few high-potential Miltank and Tauros had been born.


    Since Verdanturf Town started using riding Pok��mon as public transportation, YoYo Day Care had donated some Tauros to the town''s transportation department. However, there were still some leftover Tauros in the ecopark.


    But Yuga already had a n for where to send these Tauros.


    In the Pok��mon world, there are alsopetitive sports, one of which is Pok��mon ridingpetitions. Riders canpete by riding specified Pok��mon, simr to racing in Yuga''s previous life.


    The species allowed for riders topete on are fixed, with somemon choices being Rhydon, Gogoat, Tauros, and Rapidash.


    Among them, Rhydon riders are the rarest. Yuga recalled that in the original anime, Serena''s mother was a Rhydon rider.


    Unlike the car racing in Yuga''s previous life, in order to ensure fairness, the Pok��mon used in ridingpetitions are usually provided by the organizers, rather than by the riders themselves.


    This is because ridingpetitions test the rider''s skills, not the Pok��mon''s strengths or weaknesses.


    Ridingpetitions are organized by riding clubs, each of which trains its own riding Pok��mon and riders topete in events.


    Naturally, high-potential Pok��mon aren''t used for training as riding Pok��mon, as clubs have to consider costs. Nowadays, most ridingpetitions explicitly forbid high-potential Pok��mon from participating.


    The ban on high-potential Pok��mon is not only to prevent clubs from blindly pursuing high-level riding Pok��mon, turning ridingpetitions into showcases of expensive Pok��mon, but also to emphasize the rider''s skill to the fullest extent.


    Of course, even low-potential Pok��mon have their differences, but this rule generally ensures fairness inpetition.


    The cost is what limits Rhydon from bing a mainstream riding Pok��mon.


    Imagine if, after all the training, the Rhydon evolved��then the club would suffer a huge loss! Once Rhydon evolves, it is no longer suitable as a riding Pok��mon.


    If a riding Pok��mon that has required so much time, money, and effort to train suddenly bes unusable, the financial loss alone would be devastating, not to mention the frustration.


    Rapidash, Tauros, and Gogoat don''t have these worries.


    In fact, Tauros and Rapidash are still the mainstream riding Pok��mon. While Gogoat is well-suited as a riding Pok��mon, it serves another purpose too��just like Miltank, it can produce milk.


    The grass-vored milk produced by Gogoat, called Gogoat Milk, has many uses and sells very well on the market. For this reason, people generally raise Gogoat for milk production, not for training as riding Pok��mon.


    Riding Pok��mon are not irreceable, and since Gogoat isn''t mandatory for riding, it doesn''t enjoy the same poprity as Tauros and Rapidash.


    Still, the Rhydon ridingpetition, although a non-mainstream event, persists because it is the most challenging and thrilling of all the ridingpetitions.


    Ridingpetitions are divided into categories. There''s a separatepetition for Rapidash racing and another for Tauros racing; you won''t find a Tauros rider mixed into a Rapidash event.


    Therefore, there are many types of riding clubs, including mixed-type and single-type clubs.


    Mixed-type clubs train multiple kinds of riding Pok��mon and participate in various riding events, while single-type clubs focus on training only one type of riding Pok��mon andpete in only one specific event. Both types of clubs have their advantages.


    This time, Yuga nned to sell his Tauros to a single-type riding club that specializes in training Tauros riders, and he had already set his sights on a specific one.


    Between Verdanturf Town and Mauville City, there is a pasture, which serves as the training base for the Mad Bull Club''s Tauros riding program.


    A few years ago, the Mad Bull Club held a high reputation in the ridingpetition field, especially in the Hoenn region, and often won awards in major tournaments.


    However, in recent years, signs of decline have appeared, and they haven''t won apetition for a long time. They haven''t taken home a gold medal��or even a bronze��in recent years.


    But Yuga had specifically looked into it and learned that this club was well-regarded for its reputation and for treating its riding Pok��mon with care, which was why he chose them.


    Of course, just because Yuga had chosen them didn''t mean they would immediately agree to work with YoYo Day Care. Business is always a matter of mutual agreement, so Yuga still needed to negotiate the deal himself.


    He found out that the Mad Bull Club recently nned to introduce a batch of new Pok��mon, though he wasn''t sure what they had in mind, so he decided to go in person. Beforehand, Yuga contacted them, received their approval, and then brought ten selected Tauros to the club''s pasture.


    Although these ten Tauros weren''t high-potential Pok��mon, Yuga had carefully selected each one, and each surpassed others of its kind in endurance and running speed.


    Taurospetitions differ slightly from Rapidashpetitions.


    Rapidash has great bursts of speed and incredible velocity, so thepetition ces more emphasis on speed, with shorter tracks. Tauros, of course, can''t match Rapidash''s sprinting speed; they''re slower but have better endurance, so their tracks are longer.


    Thus, training Tauros forpetition requires a focus on both speed and endurance.


    Moreover, the Tauros Yuga selected were all young and had high potential for development.


    Yuga traveled on his Charizard since his Dragonite and the others were off in the Distortion World again and wouldn''t be home for a while.


    Although the Mad Bull Club''s pasture lies between Mauville City and Verdanturf Town, it''s slightly closer to Verdanturf Town, so Yuga reached his destination in just half a day.


    Since he had informed them in advance, the person in charge of the pasture was already at the gate waiting for him with a small group of people when he arrived.


    Only someone with Yuga''s unique status would even get a chance to meet with the Mad Bull Club; otherwise, they might not bother with visitors.


    While Yuga didn''t intend to use his status to pressure them, it certainly brought him great convenience.


    "Hello, everyone, I hope I''m not causing too much trouble," Yuga said to the group from the Mad Bull Club. "Are you Mr. Fostor?"


    Mr. Fostor, the middle-aged man leading the group, was also the person in charge of the pasture and managed all of the Tauros there.


    Just before Yuga arrived, he had been checking on the Tauros'' health, and his clothes were still covered in bits of grass.


    "It''s an honor to have you here, Gym Leader Shimizu. It''s no trouble at all. Would you like us to give you a tour of our pasture first?" Mr. Fostor asked with a broad smile.


    Yuga nodded. "Alright, thank you."


    At that moment, he noticed a young boy beside Mr. Fostor sneaking nces at him.


    Meeting the boy''s gaze, Yuga smiled warmly at him, but the boy, like a startled rabbit, quickly looked away.


    <i>Am I really that scary?</i> Yuga thought to himself.


    Fostor noticed the boy''s reaction and, while leading the way, exined to Yuga, "This is the boss''s son. Don''t let his age fool you; he''s actually one of our club''s top riders!"


    Yuga was surprised. He hadn''t expected this timid-looking boy to have such an impressive status.


    "H-Hello, my name is... Ray," the boy stammered, blushing as he greeted Yuga, his voice barely above a whisper, like the hum of a mosquito.


    "Hello," Yuga replied, doing his best to appear less intimidating. Although he was tall, he considered himself handsome and hadn''t expected to frighten someone today.


    The Wild Bull Club''s pasture was enormous, and under Fostor''s guidance, Yuga soon saw Tauros galloping freely across the field.


    Regardless of their qualifications, these Tauros were indeed impressive in appearance, clearly well-cared-for and meticulously trained.


    However, Yuga noticed that the number of Tauros here was far fewer than he''d expected. After a bit of exnation from Fostor, Yuga learned that only elite Tauros could remain at the pasture; all of the Tauros here had been rigorously selected forpetition.


    After they toured the grounds, Yuga asked in confusion, "Are there only Tauros here? How are their physiological needs handled?" After all, Tauros were known for going into heat easily.


    Fostor exined, "We strictly control the breeding frequency ofpetitive Tauros. Excessive breeding can negatively impact their performance on the track, so we don''t keep any female Pok��mon here to avoid disrupting their training."


    Yuga nodded in understanding.


    Fostor continued to share information aboutpetitive Pok��mon in the riding world, giving Yuga more insight.


    It turned out that if the Wild Bull Club saw potential in Tauros like the ones Yuga had brought, they would train them ording topetitive standards, but these Tauros would not actuallypete.


    The Tauros they brought in would serve as breeding Pok��mon, much like high-potential Pok��mon in Yuga''s day care.


    Once the Tauros had undergone training and produced offspring, their offspring would then be trained, and so on. After three to four generations, only then would a Tauros have the chance to be apetitive Pok��mon.


    Yuga was dumbfounded upon hearing this; he realized he had been naive, as he hadn''t anticipated that the selection process forpetitive Pok��mon would be so stringent.


    Fostor exined that this meticulous approach served two purposes: to ensure the purity of thepetitive Pok��mon''s bloodline and to create a subtle influence from one generation to the next.


    Althoughpetitive Pok��mon don''t require the same qualifications as those trained by individual Trainers, cultivating a high-potentialpetitive Pok��mon still demands an extraordinary investment of time, money, and energy.


    Yuga felt that this process was a kind of "internalpetition."


    Even though official rules prohibit high-potential Pok��mon frompeting, clubs still find other ways topete��this time over "appearance" and "bloodline."


    Thepetitive service life of these Pok��mon is short. After retirement, the Tauros here on the pasture be breeding Pok��mon. During theirpetitive years, they are not allowed to breed freely, but once retired, they can do as they please.


    Although Yuga was unfamiliar with this industry, he was greatly affected by what he''d heard from Fostor, feeling that his decision toe had been rather impulsive.


    After seeing the Tauros showing off their strength in the arena, Yuga noticed a small group of Tauros lying listlessly in a corner.


    "Mr. Fostor, what''s the matter with those Tauros? Why do they seem so unenergetic?" Yuga asked curiously.


    Fostor sighed deeply and replied, "That''s been giving me a headache. Lately, Tauros have started to act like this for no apparent reason. This is almost the twentieth one."


    "I had a Pok��mon doctor check on them, but he only said they were weak, with no other issues. We provide them with the best food and scientifically sound training. They aren''t sick, so how could they be weak?"


    Yuga also found this puzzling. Surely, it couldn''t be from... too much mating right?


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1214: Night Operation

    <h4>Chapter 1214: Night Operation</h4>


    Out of curiosity, Yuga pricked up his ears and secretly listened to the conversation among the Tauros. He quickly found a clue from what they were discussing.


    It turned out that what had been draining their energy was a Golbat that came and went without a trace. No one knew where this Golbat hade from, but every night recently, it had been sneaking into the pasture to suck the Tauros'' blood.


    The Tauros didn''t feel anything when the Golbat was feeding because its saliva had a slight numbing effect. If one of them hadn''t woken up in the middle of the night and seen it, they still wouldn''t know why they''d be so weak.


    However, even knowing that the culprit was the Golbat didn''t help, because they couldn''t just stay awake all night. Once they fell asleep, the Golbat would have another chance.


    The people in the pasture couldn''t understand what the Tauros were saying, unlike Yuga, so even if the Tauros wanted toin, they couldn''t do anything about it.


    Moreover, the Golbat was very crafty, carefully controlling the amount of blood it drank. Although the Tauros looked weakened after being fed on, the Pok��mon doctors couldn''t diagnose them with excessive blood loss.


    Fostor sighed, "If this keeps up, our losses might be unmanageable!"


    Eachpetitive Tauros took a lot of time and money to raise, so nearly twenty of them having issues was indeed an unmanageable loss for the Wild Bull Club.


    Besides, the club had to participate inpetitions. If they didn''t have any Pok��mon avable when the time came, it would be truly embarrassing.


    "I''m sorry to let you witness this mess," Fostor apologized to Yuga after venting, looking slightly embarrassed. "Shall we go discuss our coboration?"


    The tour ended, and finally, they got down to the real business of the day. Whether or not the Tauros from YoYo Day Care would be selected, the Wild Bull Club had agreed to meet with Yuga, which showed they were open to the possibility.


    With Fostor leading the way, Yuga was brought to an open area in the pasture. Yuga took out his Pok�� Balls and released the ten Tauros he had brought.


    "Tauros~"


    "Tauros~"


    The Tauros began to gallop energetically around the pasture as soon as they were released.


    Seeing these ten Tauros, Fostor looked a bit surprised.


    Tauros bred by daycares weren''t usually appreciated by riding clubs. While daycares had Ecopark, they didn''t have enough space for Tauros to run freely. Tauros raised in such confined spaces often lost their wild instincts, making them unsuitable forpetitive training in riding sports, at least in the eyes of professional breeders like Fostor.


    A professional like Fostor could tell at a nce the difference between a Tauros raised in an Ecopark and one bred on a vast prairie.


    In Yuga''s grasnd sub-ecopark, there was an endless expanse of prairie where the Tauros could fully express their wild nature from birth. Naturally, they were different from those raised in ordinary Ecopark.


    "These Tauros that Gym Leader Shimizu brought are really impressive."


    Fostor praised sincerely.


    "Thank you." Yuga was, of course, pleased to hear someonepliment his Pok��mon.


    "Well... um... could I... could I give it a try?" At that moment, Ray, who had been silently following beside Fostor, raised his hand and asked.


    Give it a try? Try what?


    At first, Yuga didn''t quite understand, but he quickly realized that this young master wanted to try riding a Tauros.


    Yuga hesitated, "That might not be appropriate. What if you get hurt?" Untrained Tauros could be wild and unruly. If this young master, as delicate as a little rabbit, got injured, wouldn''t that ruin the whole deal?


    Fostor, however, wasn''t worried at all. He smiled and said, "Don''t worry. Ray won''t get hurt."


    "Well, alright then." Since they were so confident, Yuga didn''t object further.


    With permission granted, Ray ran out excitedly.


    At this moment, the Tauros were still galloping at full speed, showing no signs of stopping. Yuga was curious about how Ray would make them stop so he could get on one.


    Ray stood along the path the Tauros were running on, and as thest Tauros passed by, he grabbed its horns and, with a swift, stylish flip,nded firmly on its back.


    Yuga''s eyes widened in surprise at the sight.


    Ray who is riding the Tauros was apletely different person. The gentle "little rabbit" demeanor vanished, reced by the poise of a hunting leopard, body bent low, pressing close against the Tauros''s back as if ready to pounce at any moment.


    Sensing someone on its back, the Tauros began to thrash wildly, trying to throw Ray off. But Ray sat steady, unaffected in the slightest.


    The Tauros became increasingly frantic, kicking up its hind legs repeatedly. In an attempt to throw Ray off, it started breaking away from the herd, but Ray remained as immovable as a mountain.


    The Tauros reared up, kicking three feet into the air, using every means possible to shake Ray off. Yuga watched, heart pounding, and finally understood why Fostor had said that Ray was a star rider for the Wild Bull Club.


    After about ten minutes, the Tauros gradually submitted to Ray, epting him riding on its back. When the other Tauros passed by again, it rejoined the group, carrying Ray along.


    Watching Ray effortlessly control and freely ride the well-tamed Tauros across the field, Yuga couldn''t help but admire, "As expected of the young master of the Wild Bull Club."


    After Ray had his fill of riding, he slowly guided the Tauros back toward Yuga and Fostor. By now, the Tauros had be incredibly docile.


    "That was amazing!"


    As Ray approached, Yuga gave him a thumbs-up.


    Ray''s face turned bright red from the praise. After dismounting the Tauros, he reverted to his shy "little rabbit" persona and quietly hid behind Fostor.


    "So, Mr. Fostor, what do you think of the Tauros from our breeding house?" Yuga asked.


    Fostor thought for a moment and replied, "Honestly, they''re not bad. At the very least, they''re certainly up to standard as breeding Pok��mon. But we''ve had a previous partnership with Greenfield Ranch, and your Tauros don''t really have an edge over theirs."


    Hearing this, Yuga didn''t argue; he knew Fostor was simply stating the facts.


    He hade to the Wild Bull Club seeking business without careful nning, so he didn''t know much about the industry. Greenfield Ranch already had partnerships with multiple clubs, so they definitely had the upper hand.


    In the end, he had acted impulsively.


    However, since he was already here, he figured he might as well try. If the deal went through, great; if not, no big deal��it was normal in sales.


    "What if I could help you identify and resolve the cause of your Tauros'' weakness?" Yuga suggested after some thought.


    Fostor was stunned, not expecting Yuga to say that.


    "Are you serious?"


    They had been worrying about this problem; if the number of weakened Tauros continued to increase, they wouldn''t be able to participate in the ridingpetition this season.


    If Yuga could really help solve this issue, then a partnership was definitely worth considering.


    "Of course, I have no reason to deceive you," Yuga replied.


    "If you can truly solve this problem, we can proceed with the partnership," Fostor said after a few seconds of contemtion.


    "Then it''s settled." Yuga felt pleased, d he hadn''t revealed this solution prematurely. Now it had turned into his bargaining chip.


    Since the blood-sucking Golbat wouldn''t appear during the day, Yuga nned to stay the night at the Wild Bull Club''s pasture.


    Unable to return for the night, Yuga called home to inform Audino and then took the time to survey the area around the pasture.


    Because the pasture was established here, wild Pok��mon were scarcely seen nearby, which exined why the Golbat had targeted the Tauros.


    Yuga recalled reading an academic report that studied Zubat, Golbat, and Crobat. The report noted that while these Pok��mon did have a bloodsucking habit, they didn''t drink just any Pok��mon''s blood; they had their own preferences. Among their top choices was the blood of Tauros.


    Yuga had found that quite interesting at the time and thought, "Could it be that Tauros'' blood has stronger Yang energy, which attracts these little bloodsuckers more?" After all, Tauros were exclusively male!


    Of course, this was just Yuga''s wild spection. While Tauros were indeed only male, Zubat, Golbat, and Crobat certainly weren''t exclusively female.


    That night, instead of going to the ce Fostor had prepared for him, Yuga found a spot near the Tauros'' stable, released Palossand, and made his temporary camp there.


    To ensure he could catch the Golbat, Yuga had no choice but to keep vigil throughout the night. Fostor didn''t understand why Yuga had decided to stay out here, but since Yuga was confident about resolving their issue, Fostor could only let him be.


    Golbat were adept at silently moving around in the night, making it difficult for the average person to catch them after dark.


    But Palossand was the key to Yuga''s n for catching the Golbat tonight.


    On top of Palossand''s head was a shovel with radar-like functionality, highly sensitive to life energy. If a Golbat showed up, it would certainly detect it.


    If not for the fact that Mismagius and Gengar had gone to the Distortion World, capturing a Golbat would have been a breeze for Yuga; with their "Empty Talk" skill, any intruder would be trapped upon entry.


    The pasture at night was very quiet. After a day of excitement, the Taurosy peacefully in the stable, fast asleep, with only the asional sound of a guard patrolling the grounds.


    Yuga sat in therge hall inside Palossand''s body, hanging a shlight from the ceiling for light, and taking a table and chair out of his system backpack.


    The long night stretched out before him, and since he couldn''t sleep, Yuga couldn''t just sit there doing nothing. So, he took out materials and tools to make Pokeblock, quietly waiting for Golbat to appear.


    One of his system tasks required him to improve his Pokeblock-making skills, and although he practiced daily, he still hadn''t met the required standard. With time to spare, he might as well work on honing his skills.


    Time passed unnoticed, and soon it was midnight. By then, a pile of finished Pokeblock had stacked up on the table, yet there was still no sign of Golbat.


    "Could it be that Golbat doesn''t n toe tonight?"


    Stretching his sore wrist, Yuga muttered to himself.


    Still, he reminded Palossand to remain on alert.


    At that moment, Palossand gave a warning signal, alerting Yuga that a group of life forms was approaching. Yuga hurried outside and climbed to the balcony, but he couldn''t see anything in the darkness.


    A group of life forms approaching? That''s different from what Tauros mentioned!


    Yuga squinted, but he still couldn''t make anything out. He knew Zubat, Golbat, and Crobat were silent fliers in the night.


    After a moment, he picked up faint sounds��a few of the Golbat seemed to be making quiet calls. The Tauros remained deeply asleep, unaware of the impending danger.


    "Take action!"


    Yuga gave a quietmand to the Pok��mon hidden in the shadows.


    The first to move was Venusaur, concealed in the grass. Its Sweet Scent would disorient the intruders, causing them to react sluggishly.


    In the darkness, shadowy figures swayed under the influence of Sweet Scent, as if intoxicated. Their flight slowed, and some even plummeted straight to the ground.


    Yuga avoided using a light source, as he didn''t want to startle them. If they scattered, capturing them would be difficult.


    Next, it was Vivillon''s turn. With the intruders dizzied by Sweet Scent, it released Sleep Powder over them using Tailwind.


    One by one, the invaders fell to the ground, fast asleep.


    Then Mimikyu and Breloom emerged, both wearing masks to avoid inhaling Sleep Powder.


    Breloom carried arge sack, while Mimikyu picked up the sleeping intruders one by one, tossing them into the bag.


    On closer inspection, they saw all of them were Golbat.


    One after another, until soon Breloom''s sack was more than half full.


    "Screeech��"


    Suddenly, a sharp cry pierced the night.


    "It seems we''ve been detected," Yuga muttered quietly.


    Crobat had intended to throw onest wild feast, unaware that they were walking into a trap. Had humans already known about them?


    Crobat had never brought all its followers here at once, always taking turns. That''s why Yuga only ever heard about Golbat''s presence from the Tauros��Crobat was always cautious.


    But after so many visits, it was bound to be discovered, so Crobat had already decided to relocate.


    They hadn''t lived here originally, having only settled in the area after being driven from their previous territory. With the Tauros nearby being so tempting, they couldn''t resist staying a while.


    In response to Crobat''s call, the Zubat and Golbat who hadn''t been affected gathered around it.


    Seeing its followers reduced to only a few, Crobat was furious.


    "Roooar��"


    A pir of me suddenly shot into the sky, illuminating the area in red, and revealing Crobat and its remaining followers in clear detail.


    By the light of the mes, Crobat could also see the source of the fire��a Charizard.


    The moment Crobat spotted Charizard, it knew it wasn''t a match and instinctively wanted to flee.


    But its followers were still in the enemy''s hands!


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1215: An unexpected surprise

    <h4>Chapter 1215: An unexpected surprise</h4>


    When the Crobat was still hesitating about whether to rescue its subordinates, Charizard had already charged forward and struck it with a powerful Iron Tail. With Crobat''s average strength, there was no way it could withstand a move from a Pok��mon at the Elite level, and it was instantly knocked out.


    The remaining few Zubat and Golbat, now without their leader, panicked and scattered like headless flies. Vivillon quickly dealt with each of them one by one.


    After a long night of effort, once all the Golbat and Zubat had been captured, Yuga noticed that dawn was breaking. He counted the Pok��mon they had caught and found that there was one Crobat, eighteen Golbat, and nearly fifty Zubat��a decent-sized Zubat colony.


    Zubat and its evolutions are naturally inclined to live in colonies and typically prefer dark environments like caves, bridge undersides, or abandoned old houses, with colony sizes ranging from a few individuals to over a hundred.


    The Zubat colony Yuga had caught was quite average in both strength and aptitude. Logically, they shouldn''t have appeared in this environment, which didn''t fully suit their way of life.


    Thinking of this, Yuga woke up the Crobat and began interrogating it.


    The Crobat was rather timid, and now that its whole family was in Yuga''s hands, it spilled everything without hesitation.


    As it turned out, the Crobat and its colony indeed hadn''t originally lived in this area. Their original home was on a mountain some distance away, where many natural caves made for a deep, cool environment ideal for them.


    However, one day, a Pok��mon arrived on the mountain. This Pok��mon was very aggressive and, after taking a liking to the caves inhabited by the Zubat colony, not only seized the area but drove the Zubat out entirely.


    Left homeless, the Golbat and Zubat, led by the Crobat, began to wander. Though their numbers were significant, their strength was not, so they were constantly bullied and driven away by other wild Pok��mon, struggling even to find a ce to rest.


    After who knows how long of wandering, they eventually arrived nearby. Although this environment wasn''t ideal for them, it had few wild Pok��mon to trouble them.


    Knowing they were now in human territory, the Crobat led the Golbat and Zubat to lie low during the day and sneak out only at night to suck a bit of blood from the Tauros herd.


    But the area didn''t suit their needs, so after some thought, the Crobat decided it was time to move on, leading to tonight''s st hurrah."


    Unfortunately, they really had no luck. Mustering up all their courage for one final big feast, they were ambushed by Yuga.


    Hearing Crobat mention that Pok��mon, Yuga''s eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "There''s really such a Pok��mon?"


    Crobat, puzzled by Yuga''s sudden excitement, nodded obediently.


    Calming down, Yuga then said to Crobat, "Take me there, and I''ll help you reim your home. How about that?"


    "Really?" Crobat asked cautiously.


    "Really," Yuga promised.


    Anyway, he didn''t n to keep this Zubat colony. Their potential were too ordinary, mostly red or orange. Even with Innovation potion, there wasn''t much that could be done to enhance them.


    After confirming multiple times that Yuga was telling the truth, Crobat grew excited and assured him it would obediently lead the way. No matter how luxurious another ce might be, nothingpares to one''s own home. If it could go back, Crobat would not only guide Yuga but also dly serve him as a loyal helper.


    After dawn, Yuga took Crobat, along with the Golbat and Zubat, to meet Fostor.


    Seeing several bags full of Golbat and Zubat, plus Crobat being held by Charizard, Fostor was astonished. "Are these the culprits?"


    Yuga nodded. "Yes, they''ve been secretly feeding on the Tauros'' blood, which is why the Tauros became so weak."


    "You''re certain it''s them?" Fostor asked cautiously. It wasn''t that he doubted Yuga, but as the pasture manager, he had to be prudent.


    After a moment of thought, Yuga replied, "How about this: I''ll take them away for now, and I''lle back in a few days. Without them feeding on the Tauros, they should recover quickly, and no new Tauros should be affected. This way, we can confirm if it''s this Zubat group causing trouble. We can discuss cooperation once we''re sure."


    Fostor was grateful for Yuga''s understanding and, with a smile, said, "That would be very helpful. If it turns out this Zubat group is responsible, we certainly won''t disappoint you."


    Yuga was equally pleased; Fostor''s response was essentially a promise that as long as what Yuga said was true, their coboration was guaranteed.


    "Oh, Gym Leader Shimizu, you''ve been busy all night. I''ve prepared a ce for you to rest," Fostor offered.


    "Thank you, Mr. Fostor."


    Yuga, indeed quite tired, epted Fostor''s kindness without hesitation.


    He ended up sleeping until noon, and when he woke up, Fostor had even thoughtfully prepared lunch for him.


    After lunch, Yuga bid farewell to Fostor. Fostor didn''t insist on prolonging his stay; if the Zubat matter was resolved, they''d be meeting again soon.


    Leaving the Wild Bull Club''s pasture, Yuga didn''t return to Verdanturf Town. Instead, as promised, he decided to help Crobat reim its home.


    Yuga released Crobat, Golbat, and Zubat. Riding Charizard, he flew ahead while the swarm of Crobat and its group followed closely behind.


    Since the Crobat group had wandered for a long time before arriving at the Wild Bull Club''s pasture, their original home wasn''t near the pasture.


    They flew from the afternoon until dusk without reaching their destination. As night was falling, Yuga had to find a ce to camp.


    Though the journey was longer than expected, Yuga didn''t mind. If the Pok��mon Crobat mentioned really existed, the extra time and effort would be well worth it.


    That night, Palossand stood quietly in the forest.


    After flying all afternoon, the nocturnal Crobat and its group were all exhausted. Now, they hung upside-down from tree branches, resting with their eyes closed.


    After feeding his Pok��mon with Pokeblock outside, Yuga returned them to their Pok�� Balls and set up a simple bed inside the castle. Hey down, closed his eyes, and fell asleep almost immediately.


    The summer forest was anything but quiet, filled with the asional bird call and the chorus of insects. But lying inside the castle, Yuga was unaffected by any of it.


    Swish~ swish~ swish~


    Suddenly, shadows darted through the forest, moving lightly without disturbing the sleeping Crobat, Golbat, and Zubat.


    The shadows looked cautiously around. After confirming there was no danger, they crept into the castle. Wandering inside for a while, they found Yuga sound asleep.


    Their target wasn''t Yuga but his spatial backpack.


    Just as one shadow reached out for the backpack, it suddenly felt all its strength drain away and couldn''t help but copse to the ground.


    Once the first shadow fell, the others followed suit, one by one, until none remained standing.


    The next day, when Yuga woke up, he was surprised to find several "withered" Nuzleaf lying beside his bed.


    Don''t be mistaken��they weren''t dead, just drained unconscious by the Palossand. They looked haggard, like fruit dried out fromck of water, giving them a somewhat eerie appearance.


    After asking the Palossand, Yuga learned that these little guys hade to steal.


    Apparently, they had been watching him since the evening when he was feeding Pokeblock to his Pok��mon. In the wild, Pok��mon often live a tough life, especially those inrge groups where food is scarce. Seeing that Yuga had so much food, these Nuzleaf couldn''t resist.


    Once he understood the situation, Yuga didn''t me them. He simply carried them outside one by one, to prevent the Palossand from draining thempletely.


    Afterward, Yuga fed the unconscious Nuzleaf some Pokeblock and gave them a bit of water. One cube was enough to satisfy these little guys.


    Given how much life energy Palossand had absorbed from them, they would likely need a long time to fully recover; otherwise, they might suffer lingering effects.


    After taking care of the Nuzleaf , Yuga started preparing breakfast while also getting Palossand ready for his Pok��mon. Crobat and its group each received one as well.


    The Palossand they were eating were leftovers from Roserade. Since Roserade had gone to the Distortion World, the extra Pokeblock were now benefiting Crobat and its group. Without some food, they''d be too tired to fly when they set offter.


    Once Yuga finished feeding the Pok��mon, he was just about to eat his breakfast when a sudden strong wind blew, scattering his dining table messily.


    Yuga looked up to see a Shiftry standing on a branch of arge tree; it was the one who conjured the gust of wind.


    Seeing his carefully prepared breakfast ruined, Yuga felt a bit angry, his gaze toward Shiftry now carrying a hint of rage. But he quickly noticed Shiftry''s eyes were focused on the unconscious Shiftry nearby. Realizing this was likely the elder, Yuga understood that the parent hade for its young kin.


    Whoosh!


    With a powerful wave of itsrge leaf-fans, Shiftry sent a whirlwind hurtling toward Yuga.


    Since he hadn''t provoked this situation, Yuga felt no guilt. Hemanded, "Serperior, Leaf Storm, hit it hard!"


    Upon hearing this, Serperior raised its tail, summoning a leaf tornado evenrger than Shiftry''s windstorm. It tore the wind pir to shreds and then surged toward Shiftry.


    Seeing this, Shiftry''s pupils shrank.


    Luckily, Shiftry reacted quickly, leaping among the branches to dodge Serperior''s Leaf Storm. However, therge tree it had been standing on was shredded to pieces.


    Before Shiftry could catch its breath, Serperior shot forward like an arrow.


    Serperior was very fast, especially in the forest. In a mere blink, it was next to Shiftry, using its Wrap move to bind tightly around it.


    The Wrap Move is only a basic skill, but when used by the Serperior against the much weaker Shiftry, it was more than sufficient.


    As Serperior tightened its grip, Shiftry groaned involuntarily, with the faint sound of bones straining under pressure.


    Seeing Shiftry about to suffocate, Serperior executed a powerful Dragon Tail move, flinging it from the tree. Shiftry hit the ground with a dull thud and struggled to get back up.


    At that moment, a few of the still-dazed Nuzleaf happened to regain consciousness and saw their leader beaten, looking bewildered and unsure of what had happened.


    In fact, Shiftry''s troubles with Yuga were just a misunderstanding.


    Shiftry had no idea about the Nuzleaf''s attempt to steal anything. When it noticed the young ones hadn''t returned all night, it went out in concern. When it found them in their weakened state, it assumed Yuga had captured them, and in its anger, it rushed into action without thinking clearly.


    Once Yuga exined the whole story, Shiftry was deeply embarrassed. It red at the Nuzleaf, feeling like scolding them, then sincerely apologized to Yuga.


    With the misunderstanding cleared up, Yuga saw that Shiftry had reason and decided not to hold a grudge. He simply asked Shiftry to clean up the scattered table and food, then let them go.


    Before leaving, Shiftry apologized once more, and Yuga, considering that the Nuzleaf had lost a significant amount of life energy, offered them two jars of Vitality Pokeblock.


    Stealing was indeed wrong, but not deserving of death.


    Due to Shiftry''s visit, Yuga lost his breakfast and had to make a new one. After finishing his meal, he resumed his journey with the Golbat and the others.


    As he was nearing the edge of the forest, Yuga spotted Shiftry waiting atop arge tree ahead.


    Riding on Charizard, Yuga flew over and asked, "Do you need something else?"


    Shiftry didn''t speak but silently extended its hand. In its palmy a shining blue stone with a spiral pattern in alternating ck and blue at its center.


    A Mega Stone? And specifically, a Mega Stone for Charizard X.


    "For me?" Yuga asked, surprised.


    Shiftry nodded, indicating this was both an apology and a thank-you gift for the two jars of Pokeblock.


    This stone had been left to Shiftry by its father, who had exined that, long ago, there was a volcano here, and the stone had surfaced during an eruption, carried along with theva.


    Over the years, the volcano had disappeared, but Shiftry''s father had found and preserved the stone.


    Shiftry didn''t know what purpose the stone served, but sensing it was something special, it decided to gift it to Yuga.


    "Are you really giving this to me?" Yuga asked again, seeking confirmation.


    Shiftry nodded and held out its hand toward Yuga.


    "Well, then, I''ll ept it!" Yuga took the Mega Stone from Shiftry''s hand.


    However, he felt it was a bit unbnced to take such a valuable gift so easily. After some thought, he took a small box about the size of a person''s head from his system backpack.


    "This stone is precious and I truly like it, so let me give you this in return."


    Shiftry looked at the box with curiosity. When it opened it, it saw a box filled with Leaf Stones, over a dozen in total.


    Seeing a boxful of Leaf Stones, Shiftry was delighted. With these, its n would be able to produce several more Shiftry.


    But Leaf Stones were valuable, and Shiftry hesitated, unsure whether it should ept.


    Yuga noticed its hesitation and said, "Your stone is valuable too. Think of it as an exchange, and honestly, I''m getting the better deal."


    Evolution Stones can be bought with money, but Mega Stones are rare and priceless.


    If he had more Leaf Stones on him, Yuga would have dly given Shiftry even more.


    After hearing Yuga''s words, Shiftry epted the Leaf Stones with relief, then bid Yuga farewell, leaping away and disappearing from Yuga''s sight.

 Chapter 1216: One, Two, Three, Four

    <h4>Chapter 1216: One, Two, Three, Four</h4>


    After flying for another half a day out of the forest, Yuga and hispanions finally reached their destination.


    Returning to their long-lost home, Crobat, Golbat, and Zubat chattered excitedly, stirring up several Pok��mon residing nearby.


    Some of the Pok��mon here remembered Crobat and its group as neighbors and peeked out curiously to observe them, mainly focusing on Yuga, the unfamiliar human among them.


    Crobat''s home mountain was hidden away and not very tall, but it was lush with dense, ancient trees, providing a shady, humid environment, perfectly suited for bats like Crobat and its kin.


    If it hadn''t been for Crobat leading the way, Yuga wasn''t sure he would''ve been able to find this ce.


    After a quick look around, Yuga said to Crobat, "Alright, take me to your home."


    Crobat chirped excitedly, thrilled at the thought of soon driving out the intruder that had taken over its home.


    Crobat''s home was deep within the mountain, in a cave, and after following a winding path led by the bats, Yuga finally arrived at the cave entrance.


    The cave lookedrge, with a small stream trickling out, but the lighting was poor, making it impossible to see inside from outside.


    Yuga took a shlight out of his bag and said to Crobat, "Let''s head in."


    "Screech~"


    Crobat responded eagerly, flying in first to lead the way. Its kin stayed outside, wary of the bully still inside, making it unsafe for them to enter.


    Realizing he couldn''t rely on the cowardly Crobat for protection, Yuga released Bellossom to guard him closely.


    Once inside, Yuga found the cave even more spacious than he had imagined. The ceiling was high, and water dripped from certain areas, producing a gentle, tinkling sound as the dropsnded in the stream below.


    The stream was shallow, only reaching Yuga''s ankles at its deepest point, but in the quiet cave, the sound of the flowing water and the droplets was very pronounced.


    After walking a while, Yuga''s shoes werepletely soaked. He suddenly felt as if he had stepped on something and nudged it with his foot, only to see something leap out of the water andnd on a nearby rock.


    Shining his shlight toward it, Yuga saw a Magikarp pping its tail vigorously on the rock, bursting with energy.


    Yuga: ...


    "There are Magikarp living here too?" Yuga asked Crobat.


    Crobat nodded. The water here was shallow, but small Water-type Pok��mon like Magikarp could still livefortably. Moreover, the stream and thend were separate enough that the bully wouldn''t bother chasing the Water Pok��mon out of the cave.


    After listening, Yuga nodded, walked over, and kicked the still-jumping Magikarp back into the water, thinking to himself:<i> I wonder if I have the "Evolution Kick."</i>


    Obviously, Yuga didn''t actually have such a power. The Magikarp flopped about in the water and then disappeared; the Gyarados he had hoped for didn''t appear.


    As he continued on, Yuga encountered several more Magikarp, but he ignored them until he felt he''d stepped on something again.


    This time, instead of kicking, he bent down and reached into the water. With a ssh, he pulled something up.


    When he shone his shlight, he found himself holding a Feebas, staring back at him listlessly, its pale eyes devoid of any vitality.


    After a few moments of staring at each other, Yuga activated his Insight skill.


    ...


    [ Feebas ]


    Type: Water


    Ability: Oblivious


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Green


    Level: 44


    Moves: Ssh, Tackle, Haze.


    ...


    A Feebas with green potential, a high level, but only three moves��it was an unexpected surprise.


    True to its Oblivious nature, the Feebas barely reacted as Yuga held it for half a day, even when he captured it in a Pok�� Ball.


    After catching the Feebas, Crobat led Yuga and Bellossom further into the cave. Suddenly, they heard a series of <strong>bang bang</strong> sounds of something hitting against a surface.


    Following the sound, Yuga spotted a Mawile using therge mouth on the back of its head to pound on a rock, seemingly practicing a move.


    Yuga looked at Crobat, asking with his eyes: <i>Didn''t you say there were no other Pok��mon here?</i>


    Although he hadn''t spoken, Crobat quickly understood his meaning and was equally puzzled.


    In the dim cave, Yuga''s shlight stood out, immediately drawing Mawile''s attention.


    The Mawile looked wary, noticing the unfamiliar human, and quickly backed away, then tapped on the nearby rock wall.


    Before long, dozens of Mawile, big and small, appeared in front of Yuga. One of the Mawile chattered something to the others, and they allunched an attack on Yuga, Crobat, and Bellossom.


    Crobat was already furious to see so many Mawile upying its home. And now they were attacking! This was beyond outrageous!


    Angry as it was, this didn''t stop Crobat from being cowardly; as soon as the Mawile attacked, it quickly hid behind Yuga and Bellossom.


    Seeing the overwhelming Fairy Winds approaching, Yuga''s Palossand burst out from his Shadow Space, and Yuga quickly dove into its hollow body for cover.


    The quick yet timid Crobat, seeing that Yuga had found shelter, wasted no time and slipped inside right after him.


    The Mawile''s Fairy Winds hit Palossand, who immediately activated its Sand Veil ability, constantly absorbing moisture and sand from the ground. In the blink of an eye, its wounds healed.


    Meanwhile, outside, Bellossom began her counterattack on the Mawile, hurling Energy Balls at them like raindrops. Although the Mawile resisted Grass-type moves, the gap in power between them and Bellossom was vast, so each Energy Ball rendered them instantly unable to fight.


    Inside Palossand, Yuga noticed the limp and exhausted Crobat lying on the ground and shook his head helplessly. <i>Is this what they call "drinking poison to quench thirst?"</i>


    It hadn''t been long since Crobat entered, yet it had already been drained of all energy by Palossand. Yuga had warned it not to enter Palossand''s body, and Crobat had listened, but in the moment of urgency, it had lost its head and made a foolish decision.


    Now, Crobat finally understood why Yuga had prohibited it from entering; the feeling of being slowly drained of all strength was truly terrifying!


    Yuga used his King of Ghost ability, covering Crobat with ayer of Ghost-type energy, which gradually helped ease the weakness it felt.


    Concerned that Bellossom might not handle the dozens of Mawile alone, Yuga released Decidueye and Kartana from the castle balcony to assist.


    With Decidueye and Kartana''s help, the Mawile were quickly dealt with. When Yuga emerged from Palossand, he saw the Mawile scattered on the ground, lying every which way.


    After some thought, he took out Pok�� Balls and captured them one by one.


    Although Mawile weren''t particrly strong, they were rare Pok��mon; rarity increases value, so bringing them back for careful training would certainly pay off.


    After finishing with the Mawile, Yuga turned to the still-weak Crobat he was holding and asked, "What''s going on? You never mentioned there were Mawile here!"


    Crobat, still a bit frail, replied weakly, "I don''t know, maybe they cameter."


    "Cameter?" Yuga mused, rubbing his chin. "It doesn''t make sense. If that Pok��mon you mentioned is as overbearing as you say, why would it drive you out but allow them to stay?"


    Crobat shook its head, indicating it didn''t know.


    Unable to figure it out, Yuga had no choice but to continue deeper into the cave with Crobat.


    As they went further, the cave began to branch off, with some paths leading to the stream''s source and others to different areas.


    Yuga guessed that if the Pok��mon he was looking for was still here, it wouldn''t like a particrly damp environment, so he avoided the paths with water flow.


    After choosing a dry path, Yuga noticed that as he continued forward, the light improved significantly. This was due to numerous openings in the cave ceiling, which not only reduced the humidity but also provided excellent venttion.


    After an unknown amount of time, a dark shadow suddenly shot out from somewhere, heading straight for Yuga. Swiftly, he dodged to the side, and the shadow missed its mark.


    <strong>Boom!</strong>


    With a loud crash, the shadow mmed into the cave wall, creating arge dent. Before Yuga could get a clear look at what it was, the shadow charged at him again.


    But this time, Bellossom was ready. She wielded her Leaf de with force, striking the shadow and sending it crashing to the ground.


    As Yuga got a closer look, he realized it was a Beldum.


    ...


    [ Beldum ]


    Type: Steel, Psychic


    Ability: Clear Body


    Gender: None


    Potential: Green


    Level: 18


    Moves: Take Down, Iron Defense.


    ...


    Yuga was thrilled to discover that it was a Beldum.


    But he quickly grew puzzled. ording to Crobat, the Pok��mon that had driven them out was a Metagross. So why was there a Beldum here now? Could it be that there was more than one Metagross?


    That would be a great find!


    Regardless, Yuga decided to capture the Beldum in a Pok�� Ball first.


    Just as he was about to throw the Pok�� Ball, several dark shadows suddenly appeared from the darkness, surrounding the unconscious Beldum and blocking Yuga from capturing it.


    Seeing the shadows clearly, Yuga was stunned. One, two, three, four... including the fainted one, there were sixteen Beldum in total.


    "Wow, did I just stumble into a Beldum nest?"


    Pseudo-legendary Pok��mon were incredibly rare and valuable, especially Metagross, which was notoriously difficult to breed. Encountering even one Beldum was usually a blessing, but Yuga hadn''t expected to find so many here.


    However, Yuga didn''t refer to these Beldum as "pseudo-legendary juveniles" because, although they were all in their basic stage, each was fully grown��there were no young Beldum among them. This puzzled Yuga, as Beldum aren''t typically low in potential, and two of these even had green potential. It made no sense for them to remain un-evolved and at such a low level even as adults.


    Could it be that they were toozy to train?


    That seemed unlikely. Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon are born with high potential, so even with limited training, they shouldn''t still be at such a low level as adults. Yuga''s mind was filled with questions.


    But his curiosity didn''t stop him from trying to capture the Pok��mon. Just as he prepared to "catch them all," two strange sounds echoed behind him.


    Yuga turned around to see two Metagross staring at him with hostile eyes.


    ...


    [ Metagross ]


    Type: Steel, Psychic


    Ability: Clear Body


    Gender: None


    Potential: Green


    Level: 65


    Moves: Tackle, Iron Defense, Iron Head, Zen Headbutt, Confusion, Metal w, Bullet Punch, Miracle Eye, Scary Face, Agility, Meteor Mash, Earthquake, sh Cannon, Psychic, Brick Break, Gravity, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Hammer Arm


    ...


    [ Metagross ]


    Type: Steel, Psychic


    Ability: Clear Body


    Gender: None


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 58


    Moves: Tackle, Iron Defense, Iron Head, Zen Headbutt, Confusion, Metal w, Bullet Punch, Miracle Eye, Scary Face, Agility, Meteor Mash, Earthquake, sh Cannon, Psychic, Brick Break, Gravity, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Hammer Arm.


    ...


    Two Metagross, one with blue potential at a level nearing pseudo-Elite, and one with green potential, both at respectable power levels for Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon.


    Each Metagross raised a Meteor Mash and charged at Yuga furiously, intent on attacking him with full force.


    Bellossom and Kartana rushed forward to intercept.


    With a ng, Bellossom''s Leaf de shed with one Metagross''s fist, while Kartana''s Leaf de met the other''s.


    Bellossom wasn''t particrly strong in physical attacks, but as an Elite level Pok��mon that had undergone a life evolution, it managed to hold its own against the physically formidable Metagross.


    Kartana, on the other hand, easily overpowered the Metagross below level 60, despite its status as a Pseudo-Legendary Pok��mon.


    Watching the two Metagross''s fierce, desperate attacks, Yuga thought something was odd. He hadn''t even done anything to them yet��why were they attacking him with such reckless abandon? Even though he had knocked out a Beldum earlier, that''s hardly a serious offense for Pok��mon; it would just wake up in a bit.


    Yuga sent out Florges and instructed her, "Use Aromatherapy to calm their emotions."


    Florges nodded and released a faint aroma into the air.


    But Yuga soon realized this was a miscalction. The Aromatherapy had no effect on the Metagrosses. They fought even more fiercely,unching deadly attacks as if Yuga were their mortal enemy.


    With no other option, Yuga instructed Bellossom and Kartana, "Take them down quickly."


    Bellossom and Kartana, no longer holding back, unleashed their full strength.


    Kartana, being a pseudo-Elite-level Pok��mon, easily handled the level-58 Metagross, slicing it down with a Sacred Sword.


    Meanwhile, the pseudo-Elite Metagross fighting Bellossom grew flustered after seeing itspanion fall. Bellossom seized the opportunity, finishing it off with Petal Dance.


    After defeating the two Metagross, Yuga wanted to know how they and the sixteen Beldum hade to be in this ce.


    Interrogating the maddened Metagross was obviously unrealistic, so Yuga turned his attention to the Beldum.


    Initially, the Beldum were reluctant to speak, but under Yuga''s shameless threat��he imed he would have Charizard roast the Metagross if they didn''t tell the truth��they had no choice but to tell him the reason they and the Mawile hade here.


    After hearing the Beldum''s story, Yuga''s expression turnedplex. It seemed the birth of so many Beldum was no coincidence, and it was no wonder they were in such poor condition.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1217: Automatically Delivered to Your Door

    <h4>Chapter 1217: Automatically Delivered to Your Door</h4>


    The two Metagross and sixteen Beldum were all Pok��mon raised by humans, but their caretaker was far from decent.


    Initially, the two Metagross were stolen by a poacher. Though the poacher himself wasn''t particrly strong, he had ess to ck-market technology that allowed him to capture the already pseudo-Elite level Metagross.


    Unfortunately, this poacher was too greedy. He demanded an exorbitantly high price when trying to sell the Metagross, which deterred potential buyers and left the Pok��mon unsold. As time passed, his activities drew the attention of others.


    The first to set their sights on the poacher was a young man from a wealthy family��not excessively wealthy, but affluent enough. However, being unwilling to spend the hefty sum required to purchase the Metagross, he instead plotted to rob the poacher.


    But as the saying goes, "the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind." After the young man seeded in robbing the poacher, two individuals from the hired group betrayed him, fleeing with the captured Metagross.


    The people the young man had hired were all from the criminal underworld��none of them were trustworthy. It was hardly surprising that two of them would turn on him once the Metagross were within reach.


    The two defectors were bounty hunters operating on the darker side of their profession. They were the type to care only about money, devoid of honor or even basic professional ethics.


    After obtaining the Metagross, the pair originally nned to sell them for a substantial profit. However, a breeder friend of theirs proposed a vile scheme.


    Since Metagross were so valuable, why not turn them into a renewable resource?


    With the breeder''s assistance, the two Metagross were subjected to a horrific existence.


    Through special methods, the Metagross were forcibly bred to produce Beldum.


    Once the Metagross produced their second Beldum, the Beldum were in turn forcibly bred to produce even more offspring.


    To prevent the Beldum from growing strong enough to escape, the breeders used drugs to suppress their power, which exined why the Beldum Yuga had encountered, despite being fully mature, were all under Level 20.


    And so the cycle continued, with Beldum being bred among themselves. The offspring were often the product of parent-child pairings, sibling pairings, or other close-kinbinations.


    While Pok��mon generally have a weaker sense of morality regarding such matterspared to humans, this kind of inbreeding carries its own problems.


    For example, natural cases of close-kin breeding among Pok��mon are not unheard of, especially in species like Szzle, often referred to as the "Harem Queen" of Pok��mon.


    As the name suggests, there is usually only one Szzle in a given group, with all the other Sndit being male consorts. Among these consorts might be the Szzle''s father, brothers, or sons.


    While some Pok��mon don''t care about such things, the resulting problems cannot be ignored. Inbreeding significantly increases the likelihood of gic disorders in the offspring.


    The natural world operates beyond human control, but when humans are involved in the breeding and raising of Pok��mon, they are generally very cautious about avoiding issues like inbreeding, which is strictly prohibited.


    In the early days of private breeding facilities, some unscrupulous owners did resort to methods simr to those used by the two bounty hunters, aiming to cut costs. While the costs were indeed reduced, the result was the production of countless wed Pok��mon.


    Eventually, the League cracked down harshly on such practices, which led to their gradual disappearance.


    To umte more Beldum and sell them for a high price, the two bounty hunters dyed selling any of the Beldum, forcing them to reproduce repeatedly. Whether the new Beldum suffered from gic diseases was of no concern to them��after all, the ws wouldn''t be visible at the point of sale.


    However, the excessive breeding severely damaged the health of the Beldum.


    The two Metagross, observing the bounty hunters'' cruelty, grew to despise them deeply. One day, they seized an opportunity to destroy the secret base where they and the Beldum were held captive, escaping with the Beldum in tow.


    The Beldum, already overwhelmed by their plight, eagerly followed the Metagross at the first chance to leave those devils behind.


    After their escape, the Metagross and the Beldum wandered until they arrived at Crobat''s old home. To provide a safe ce for the Beldum, the pseudo-Elite level Metagross forcefully seized Crobat''s home.


    Since the Beldum were weak and the Metagross had to leave frequently to find food for them, the Metagross enlisted a group of Mawile to serve as guards for the Beldum.


    The Mawile, who lived in a nearby valley, were once bullied by another group of Pok��mon. The Metagross happened to pass through while searching for food and rescued them.


    As fellow Steel-type Pok��mon, the Mawile acknowledged the Metagross as their leaders and agreed to protect the Beldum in exchange for the Metagross providing them with shelter.


    After listening to the Beldum''s story, Yuga gazed at them with deep sympathy. Their situation was truly tragic��not only had they suffered severe depletion from excessive breeding, but many also bore gic diseases due to inbreeding.


    No wonder the Metagross were filled with rage when they first encountered humans like Yuga, and no wonder the Beldum attacked without hesitation. They had only ever known humans as sources of suffering.


    After the conversation with the Beldum, Yuga took out the Iron Wall Pokeblock usually reserved for his Kartana and distributed them to the Beldum. Initially, the Beldum were too afraid of Yuga to touch the Pokeblock. But once the first Beldum tried one, the rest quickly followed suit.


    They had never tasted Pokeblock of such high quality before. Considering the bounty hunters were reluctant to give them even berries, this was a feast.


    The Beldum were simple and straightforward by nature. As their conversation with Yuga continued, their wariness gradually faded.


    Of course, this had a lot to do with the Celebi''s Blessing that Yuga carried.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, the two Metagross regained consciousness. Seeing Yuga together with the Beldum, they assumed he intended to harm them and became extremely agitated. Yuga had to expend considerable effort to calm them down.


    With the Beldum assisting in persuasion, Yuga managed to negotiate with the Metagross. He proposed that they, along with the Beldum, follow him, and he presented the following conditions.


    1. They would not be forced to do anything they were unwilling to do (primarily to soothe the Metagross''s sensitive hearts).


    2. Yuga would help the Beldum recover from their depleted bodies and cure their gic illnesses.


    The Beldum''s depleted condition required arge amount of rare minerals to provide the necessary special elements. Fortunately, Yuga''s mine sub-ecopark was abundant in such minerals, so this wasn''t an issue.


    As for the gic illnesses, Yuga had already consulted the system, and small gic medication would be sufficient to cure the Beldum.


    3. The Metagross and Beldum would provide clues about the bounty hunters, and if given the chance, Yuga would eliminate the two perpetrators on their behalf.


    The conditions Yuga offered were tempting for the Metagross, but they were wary of deceit, as they viewed all humans as cunning by nature.


    However, thanks to Celebi''s Blessing, the Metagross no longer harbored as much hatred for Yuga as they initially did.


    Yuga noticed the Metagross''s hesitation but understood their caution. After all they had endured, it was only natural to be wary.


    "I have no reason to lie to you," Yuga said after a moment of thought. "You''re already in my hands��if I wanted to do something to you, I could have done it without all this effort to negotiate. What would I gain from tricking you?"


    The two Metagross exchanged a nce. That was true; they were already like fish on a chopping board. If Yuga had any malicious intent, there would be no need for kind words or bargaining.


    After a brief silence, the Metagross agreed to Yuga''s terms.


    They didn''t care much about revenge; their only wish was for the Beldum to live carefree lives. They could tell Yuga was powerful and likely held a high status in the human world. With his protection, the Beldum wouldn''t have to live a life of hiding and constant fear.


    Recalling that the Metagross had been busy fighting since their return and hadn''t had a chance to eat, Yuga took out some Pokeblock and offered them.


    As Yuga and the Metagross began to build rapport, two figures suddenly appeared outside the mountain.


    "Big brother, are you sure it''s here?" one person asked.


    "This is definitely the ce," the other replied, holding a strange device resembling a cellphone. He stared intently at the screen, which disyed two red dots.


    "When we catch them, I''ll make sure they suffer for daring to escape! They''ve made us chase them all this way!" the first person said angrily.


    "Calm down, let''s find them first," the other person advised.


    The two began heading toward the mountain, making their way directly toward the cave where Yuga and the others were.


    It turned out these were the bounty hunters who had captured the Metagross and Beldum.


    Unbeknownst to the Metagross, the bounty hunters had imnted tracking devices in their bodies��specifically, bio-trackers that couldn''t be detected.


    Had the Metagross and Beldum not fled to so many different locations after their escape, they might have been recaptured long ago.


    Now that the group had settled in Crobat''s home, the bounty hunters had naturally tracked them here.


    The two bounty hunters were brothers. The one who had spoken first was the younger brother, and the second was the elder.


    When Yuga felt he had spent enough time in the cave, he decided it was time to leave.


    By then, the bounty hunters had already reached the cave entrance.


    The elder brother nced at the tracker in his hand and then at the dark cave. "They should be inside."


    The younger brother sneered. "They sure know how to hide."


    Just as they were about to enter, the elder brother''s expression suddenly changed. "They''ve disappeared from the tracker!"


    The younger brother''s expression also changed. He snatched the tracker from the older brother''s hand and eximed, "Impossible! This is top-of-the-line equipment!"


    But the fact remained: the two red dots representing the Metagross had indeed disappeared.


    What they didn''t know was that the dots vanished because Yuga had just captured the Metagross in Pok�� Balls.


    Originally, the bounty hunters had Pok�� Balls for the Metagross, but the Pok��mon destroyed the balls when they destroyed the base. Without that, Yuga wouldn''t have been able to capture them with his own Pok�� Balls.


    When Yuga emerged, he was apanied by his Bellossom and Kartana. Crobat also appeared; now that its home had been reimed, it needed to inform its fellow bats.


    As Yuga stepped out of the cave, he bumped into the two bounty hunters heading in. The older brother quickly pulled the younger one back and eyed Yuga warily. "Who are you?"


    Yuga frowned. "And who are you? Why does it matter who I am?"


    Bellossom darted in front of Yuga protectively, and Kartana floated above him, ready for battle. As for Crobat, the timid Pok��mon had already vanished, wanting nothing to do with a human conflict.


    "Did you see any Pok��mon inside?" The younger brother, now scowling, demanded harshly, clearly thinking of the missing Metagross.


    Pok��mon? Yuga quickly connected the dots. These two must be after the Metagross and Beldum. So, their identity... His thoughts raced.


    The older brother pulled the younger one back again and smiled amiably. "My brother and I are trying to catch a Pok��mon. It ran into the cave earlier, and we just wanted to ask if you''ve seen it. That''s all."


    "Oh, I see." Yuga feigned sudden understanding. "I didn''t see anything. Maybe we just missed each other."


    "Then there''s no problem," the older brother replied with a warm smile.


    "Well then, I''ll take my leave," Yuga said, turning away with Bellossom and Kartana.


    As Yuga''s figure receded, the two brothers exchanged a nce. They each released a Nidoking and Nidoqueen, attacking Yuga from behind.


    However, Yuga had been prepared. Without needing hismand, Bellossom and Kartana swiftly turned around. Their Leaf de attacks shed with Nidoking and Nidoqueen''s fists, sending the pair flying.


    "You..."


    Seeing this, the two brothers widened their eyes in disbelief.


    Yuga turned back, his smile faint. "So, you''re bounty hunters?"


    The older brother quickly pulled his younger sibling back several paces, his eyes darting between Bellossom, Kartana, and Yuga before cautiously asking, "Who are you?"


    Yuga replied calmly, "I asked you first. You haven''t answered if you''re bounty hunters."


    The older brother''s gaze darkened as he pieced things together. By now, he was almost certain that the Metagross and Beldum were in Yuga''s possession.


    The younger brother, however, lost his patience. "Brother, why waste time talking? The Pok��mon are definitely with him! Let''s just take them back!"


    The older brother red at his sibling, but before he could respond, Yuga said, "So, you''re admitting it. I was just about toe looking for you. I didn''t expect you to deliver yourselves to me.


    "Bellossom, Kartana, attack!"


    As soon as Yuga gave the order, Kartana appeared above Nidoking and struck it down with a single Leaf de.


    Nidoqueen was also knocked unconscious by an Energy Ball from Bellossom, leaving it in a critical state.

 Chapter 1218: Eight Symbol Shadow Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 1218: Eight Symbol Shadow Mountain</h4>


    Seeing their Nidoking and Nidoqueen defeated so easily, the brothers'' faces turned dark. Confronted by Yuga''s mocking gaze, the older bounty hunter forced a smile and said, "Misunderstanding, it''s all just a misunderstanding. We were only trying to test if you were a bad guy, no malice intended."


    "Oh, a misunderstanding?" Yuga stretched out the words. "How about exining that to Officer Jenny? Let''s see who the real bad guy is."


    The older bounty hunter''s forced smile froze, while his younger brother angrily muttered to him in a low voice, "Big bro, if ites to it, we can just fight him."


    The older brother pushed his sibling behind him, stopping him from speaking further. Turning back to Yuga, he continued, "Brother, it really is just a misunderstanding. No need to involve Officer Jenny. How about we leave right now?" As he spoke, he took a few steps forward.


    Seeing Yuga unmoved, he tried to get closer. But just as he lifted his foot, a sharp "ng" rang out. A glowing de struck the ground right at his feet, carving a crack into it. Startled, he quickly retracted his foot.


    The older bounty hunter''s face turned ashen, his expression darkening. Suddenly, his gaze grew sinister. With a swift motion, he raised his hand, holding a pistol-like device. Two beams of redser shot out one after another, aimed directly at Kartana and Bellossom.


    Kartana and Bellossom reacted quickly, darting backward to avoid the beams. But the older bounty hunter didn''t relent; theser continued to fire with a sharp "pew-pew-pew" sound, one shot even narrowly missing Yuga, who dodged just in time.


    A passing Taillow wasn''t so lucky. Struck by the redser, its body shimmered with an arc of light before twitching twice and dropping to the ground, motionless. The sight made Yuga frown deeply.


    Theser-shooting pistol in the older bounty hunter''s hand was a piece of ck-market technology they had stumbled upon by chance. Anyone, human or Pok��mon, struck by theser would instantly fall unconscious.


    Neither brother was strong enough to reach even pseudo-Elite level, but armed with this advanced tech, they dared to brazenly hunt a Metagross that had already achieved pseudo-Elite status.


    However, the older bounty hunter''s arrogance didn''tst long. Seizing an opening, Kartana suddenly appeared by his side. The younger brother tried to warn him, but it was toote. A cold sh of light sliced through the air, and the older brother''s hand��holding theser pistol��was severed cleanly at the wrist.


    "Ahhh, my hand!" he screamed in agony.


    Blood gushed out as the elder bounty hunter''s screams echoed through the forest, startling a flock of Spearow feeding in the distance and sending them scattering in all directions.


    "Big brother!!!"


    The younger bounty hunter roared in fury and threw himself toward his injured brother. Meanwhile, the elder bounty huntery on the ground, clutching his severed hand, rolling and wailing in pain.


    Kartana returned to Yuga''s side. ncing at Kartana''s sharp de-like arms, Yuga remarked, "You know, this didn''t have to be so gruesome."


    Kartana tilted its head, feigning ignorance: <i>My des are too sharp��it''s not my fault!</i>


    "I''ll fight you to the death!!!"


    The younger bounty hunter let go of his still-crying brother and released an Exploud from his Pok�� Ball, ready to fight Yuga to the end. However, as soon as his Exploud emerged, it was hit by an Energy Ball from Bellossom, its eyes rolling back as it fainted on the spot.


    "Bellossom, quiet them down!"


    At Yuga''smand, Bellossom nodded and released two puffs of yellow-brown powder from the flowers on its head, which drifted toward the two brothers. In an instant, the two fell silent,pletely knocked out.


    To prevent the elder bounty hunter from bleeding out and dying, Yuga instructed Bellossom to use Grassy Terrain to perform basic first aid on his wound. As long as he wouldn''t die, that was enough��Yuga wasn''t inclined to waste any morepassion on a viin.


    Once everything was settled, Yuga released one of the captured Metagross. Pointing at the unconscious brothers, he asked, "Are these the bounty hunters who captured you?"


    As soon as the Metagross saw the brothers, its eyes turned blood-red. It would recognize these two even if they turned to ash. Without hesitation, it raised its fist, ready to pound them into the ground, but Yuga stopped it.


    "I''ll hand them over to Officer Jenny. They''ll get the punishment they deserve. No need to dirty your own hands."


    Hearing Yuga''s words, the Metagross paused. After a moment of contemtion, it decided to listen to him.


    Now that he had confirmed the identities of the two brothers, Yuga released the remaining Metagross and the sixteen Beldum. Since the bounty hunter brothers were enemies to them all, Yuga wanted every one of them to witness the downfall of these two.


    As expected, when the Metagross and Beldum saw the unconscious bounty hunter brothers, a wave of relief and satisfaction swept over them. The tension and resentment that had weighed on their hearts were dispelled.


    "All right, your enemies have been dealt with. From now on, just stay with me and live peacefully," Yuga said.


    The Beldum all responded enthusiastically, and even the two Metagross looked at Yuga with a newfound sense of trust. Though their bond would take time to fully grow, they were willing to see how things would unfold.


    After the enemies were defeated, Crobat finally emerged cautiously with its group of Golbat and Noibat peeking out from their hiding spots. Yuga shot it a mildly annoyed look and said, "Stop hiding. We''re leaving now, so you all should head back home."


    Only then did Crobat and its group chatter noisily as they flew out to bid farewell to Yuga, their benefactor who had helped them reim their home.


    After recalling the Metagross and Beldum, Yuga didn''t linger on the mountain any longer. He took the two bounty hunters and left.


    The city closest to Crobat''s home was teport City, so Yuga decided to escort the two bounty hunters to the police station there.


    On the way, the two woke up briefly, during which Yuga interrogated them more thoroughly. From them, he learned about one of their acquaintances.


    This acquaintance was a legitimate breeder working within the Breeder Association. Not many people knew about their connection, and it was this person who had given the brothers their bad ideas.


    Anyone capable of such sinister advice couldn''t possibly be a decent person. Yuga decided it was necessary to investigate this breeder.


    Of course, investigating someone within the League wasn''t something Yuga could handle personally. Who better for this task than Steven, the League Champion and Director of the Supervision Bureau?


    Thus, on his way to teport City, Yuga called Steven to file a formal report against the breeder.


    Originally, Yuga nned to hand the bounty hunters over to the police station, but since Steven wanted them as witnesses for the case against the breeder, he sent someone to take custody of the brothers.


    When Yuga arrived in teport City, Steven''s personnel took the bounty hunters away, saving Yuga a lot of hassle. If he''d gone through the police station, he''d have had to deal with the usual formalities like giving statements.


    After spending some time in teport City, Yuga noticed the day was gettingte, so he decided to stay overnight at the Pok��mon Center.


    teport City, being a coastal and port city, was bustling with activity and had a high poption density. Yuga witnessed this firsthand the next morning when he went for breakfast.


    Even though Yuga got up rtively early, the Pok��mon Center''s cafeteria was already packed with Trainers having breakfast. Chansey, who brought him his food, told him that such a morning rush was the norm at teport''s Pok��mon Center.


    With so many people around, incidents were bound to happen. That morning, someone tried to cause trouble in the cafeteria, only to be kicked out by a Lopunny clearing tables.


    Yuga was momentarily stunned by the scene. A Trainer sitting across from him remarked, "See that? Never cause trouble here. That Lopunny belongs to Nurse Joy. It''s very fierce. One kick from it, and you''re done for." The Trainer''s expression was so serious it looked as if he''d been kicked himself.


    Later, Yuga learned that this Nurse Joy was originally a Battle Joy, known for her exceptionalbat skills. She had only transitioned to being a Medical Joy after switching careers.


    After finishing breakfast, Yuga was about to leave when he noticed amotion up ahead. Upon inquiring, he found out that the Gym Leader of teport City had arrived at the Pok��mon Center.


    teport City''s Gym Leader was Arashi Jenny. That''s right��she was one of the Officer Jennys. However, unlike most Jennys who worked inw enforcement, she had been rmended by the League to be teport City''s Gym Leader.


    As a fellow Gym Leader, Yuga had heard of her name but had never met her before.


    "Let me tell you..."


    Just then, Yuga felt someone tugging on his sleeve. Turning around, he saw the same Trainer who had sat across from him at breakfast chattering away.


    *Not you again!!!*


    The person tugging at Yuga was the Trainer who had been sitting opposite him earlier that morning.


    However, through this person, Yuga learned what was going on. It turned out Arashi Jenny hade to the Pok��mon Center to challenge Nurse Joy to a fight.


    To exin the grudge between Arashi Jenny and this Nurse Joy, one had to delve into their history of love and rivalry.


    Rumor had it that the two had known each other since childhood. Back when Nurse Joy was a Battle Joy, the two had attended the same Trainer school and even sat next to each other in ss. At the time, they were supposedly good friends.


    However, their parents suddenly announced their divorce, and not long after that, Nurse Joy''s father and Arashi Jenny''s mother quickly remarried and formed a new family. As a result, the two girls turned against each other.


    Yuga was stunned after hearing the story and remarked, "That''s such a melodramatic twist!"


    The chatty Trainer replied, "Dramatic, isn''t it? We don''t know all the specifics, but ever since then, the two of them can''t meet without shing. And now that they work in the same city, it''s even worse."


    (��__��)


    Yuga looked at the chatty Trainer: <i>Why do you seem so excited about this?</i>


    Just then, someone in the crowd shouted, "They''re heading to the back to fight!"


    The crowd started surging toward the backyard of the Pok��mon Center.


    "Let''s go and watch!"


    The chatty Trainer pulled Yuga along.


    Yuga thought, <i>Are we even that close? Why are you dragging me so naturally?</i>


    As they pushed through the crowd, the Trainer exined, "This kind of thing happens a lot. Everyone''s used to it. Just think of it as entertainment."


    "Hey, hey, hey... make way, make way!"


    The chatty Trainer nudged his way through the crowd, trying to get a good spot. Some people initially seemed annoyed by his pushing but, upon seeing who it was, promptly closed their mouths and stepped aside, leaving Yuga dumbfounded.


    <i>Is this guy a seasoned pro? But he doesn''t even look that old!</i>


    Yuga guessed the chatty Trainer was probably around 25 or 26 years old.


    Before Yuga could think further, Arashi Jenny and Nurse Joy were already battling in the training yard. From the chatty Trainer, Yuga learned that the Nurse Joy here was named Mikoto Joy.


    Mikoto Joy was using her Lopunny, the same one from the restaurant, while Arashi Jenny''s Pok��mon wasn''t Arcanine but Marowak.


    Marowak swung its bone club, using Brick Break to attack Lopunny, but Lopunny raised one long leg and countered with a High Jump Kick, sending the bone club flying.


    Without its club, Marowak quickly retreated, flipping several times before catching its weapon again. It then used Bonemerang, hurling the club at Lopunny.


    Lopunny seemed very familiar with Marowak''s attack patterns. It used its long ears and the move Double p to catch the bone club, then hurled it back with Strength.


    <strong>Thud!</strong>


    The club struck Marowak squarely on the head, leaving it dazed.


    Before Marowak could recover, Lopunny used Agility to appear beside it,unching it into the air with a kick. As Marowak fell, Lopunny kicked it again, repeating thebo five or six times before finally retracting its long legs. By then, Marowak was already unconscious.


    Mikoto Joy recalled her Lopunny and, with an emotionless expression, said to Arashi Jenny, "I have things to do. Stoping to bother me. Unlike your Gym, we''re not so idle at the Pok��mon Center."


    With that, she called Lopunny to carry the fainted Marowak for treatment. Judging by her practiced movements, this clearly wasn''t the first time.


    "You..." Arashi Jenny was visibly furious.


    "The difference in strength is pretty big. And yet she stilles to the Pok��mon Center to challenge her?" Yuga asked the chatty Trainer, rubbing his chin.


    "Exactly! So why would you say that out loud? If she hears you, watch out��she might hunt you down!" the Trainer replied slyly. "Don''t be fooled by Mikoto''s words. No matter how much she tells her off, she never refuses her challenges and always goes through with them."


    "Oh? That''s intriguing."


    Yuga nced suspiciously at the chatty Trainer. "Why do you know so much about their business? Do you have a crush on one of them?"


    The Trainer immediately looked horrified. "No way... I couldn''t handle either of them."


    "Then why are you..." Yuga pressed on.


    "Professional habits! Just a professional habit!" the Trainer quickly interrupted. "Oh, by the way, I haven''t introduced myself yet. My name''s Kageyama Jun."


    "I''m Yuga Shimizu," Yuga introduced himself in return.


    "I know, I know. You''re the Verdanturf Gym Leader, a Hall of Fame Trainer in the Hoenn League," Kageyama Jun replied with a grin.


    Yuga was surprised. "You know me?"


    "Is it strange? You''re pretty famous," Kageyama Jun said.


    Thinking about it, Yuga realized it wasn''t odd for someone to know him, especially in Hoenn. But why did Kageyama Jun''s name sound so familiar?


    As Yuga pondered, Kageyama Jun said, "Now that we know each other, let''s grab a drink. If you want to hear any juicy gossip, I can tell you. I know a lot!"


    Before Yuga could decline, Kageyama Jun was already dragging him off. Yuga thought, *This guy is way too friendly. Is he a journalist or something?*

 Chapter 1219: Infiltration

    <h4>Chapter 1219: Infiltration</h4>


    Speaking of drinking, Kageyama Jun led Yuga into a tavern. This tavern, however, was tucked away in a rather secluded spot. Yuga had no idea how many twists and turns they had taken before finally arriving.


    "Wee! Oh, it''s Mr. Kageyama! Please,e in," the server greeted warmly.


    The tavern staff seemed very familiar with Kageyama Jun and happily led him and Yuga to a seat inside. After they were settled, the server asked, "The usual for you, Mr. Kageyama? And for this gentleman?"


    "Yes, the usual for me," Kageyama replied casually, then nced at Yuga. "He''ll have the same as me. Just bring a couple of snacks to go with the drinks."


    The server jotted down the order. "Understood. Please wait a moment."


    While Kageyama Jun ced the order, Yuga took the opportunity to survey the tavern''s interior. It had a traditional Japanese aesthetic, with simple and elegant decor. However, there weren''t many customers, just a handful scattered around.


    "Don''t be fooled by theck of people here," Kageyama Jun said, noticing Yuga''s curious gaze. "The drinks are top-notch, and it''s not a ce just anyone can find."


    Yuga withdrew his gaze and looked at Kageyama Jun. "Are you always this outgoing? Just pulling someone off the street to drink with you?"


    Kageyama Jun burst intoughter. "Of course not! I just happened to run into you, didn''t I? You''re a Hall of Fame-level Trainer in the League��how could I pass up the chance to get to know you?"


    Yuga: ...So blunt, huh?


    Before long, the server returned with their drinks. Kageyama Jun poured Yuga a ss. "Try it! I promise you''ll love it."


    Yuga cast him a doubtful nce. He wasn''t one to drink, but out of courtesy, he picked up the ss and prepared to take a sip.


    As soon as the ss neared his lips, a fragrant aroma wafted over. Although there was a distinct scent of alcohol, it wasn''t sharp or overpowering.


    He took a light sip, and immediately his senses were overwhelmed. A tingling sensation rushed to his head, and as the liquid slid down his throat, it felt like a warm current flowing into his stomach.


    If all alcohol tasted this good, Yuga could understand why so many people were addicted to it.


    "Well? Pretty unique, isn''t it?" Kageyama Jun asked with a grin.


    Yuga snapped out of his thoughts and nodded slightly.


    "I knew you''d like it," Kageyama Jun said smugly, taking a sip from his own ss. His eyes narrowed with satisfaction. "I only found this ce by ident. Not many people know about it."


    The tavern''s owner was originally from Johto, and they didn''t open the ce for profit��just out of a love for fine drinks. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have chosen such a remote location.


    When the snacks arrived, Yuga took a bite and was immediately impressed. Delicious��truly delicious. It was even better than Audino''s cooking.


    After they were full, Kageyama Jun leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "Want to do something funter?"


    "What kind of fun?" Yuga asked, puzzled.


    Kageyama Jun feigned mystery. "I''ll keep it a surprise for now. You''ll see when we get there."


    Hearing this, Yuga didn''t press further. After leaving the tavern, Kageyama Jun led him to the outskirts of teport City.


    Hidden within the canopy of arge tree, Kageyama Jun pointed to a grand mansion not far away. "See that ce? Tonight, we''re sneaking in there."


    Peering through the gaps in the leaves, Yuga caught sight of the mansion. "That''s your idea of fun? Whoever lives there must be someone important. Why are we going in?"


    "We''re going in to rescue someone," Kageyama Jun said, his expression suddenly turning serious. "My colleague is trapped inside, and I need to get them out."


    "So, you''re recruiting me for backup?" Yuga said tly, clearly unimpressed.


    By now, Yuga had pieced together who Kageyama Jun was��a journalist-turned-member of the League''s Investigation Bureau and currently ranked 97th on the Hoenn Elite Four candidate list.


    "Pretty much. I really need your help," Kageyama admitted, scratching his nose awkwardly.


    "Alright..." Yuga thought it over and agreed.


    The two climbed down from the tree and quietly approached the back of the mansion. The property was surrounded by a tall electric fence, buzzing with a lethal current strong enough to kill any person or Pok��mon that dared to touch it.


    "How are we getting in?" Yuga asked. If his Dragonite were here, he might have a way to deal with the fence, but unfortunately, Dragonite wasn''t with him. Flying in wasn''t an option either, as it would likely alert the guards.


    "Leave that to me," Kageyama Jun said confidently, patting his chest. "But once we''re inside, you''ll need to handle the Mightyena pack. I can''t deal with them."


    It was clear that Kageyama Jun had done some reconnaissance beforehand.


    "Fine," Yuga nodded.


    Pleased with the response, Kageyama Jun released a Manectric from its Pok�� Ball. Not only was Manectric an Electric-type Pok��mon, but its ability was Lightning Rod, rendering it immune to the high voltage coursing through the fence.


    The sturdy-looking wire mesh was no match for Manectric, which tore open a passage easily, creating an opening justrge enough for them to slip through.


    Once inside, Kageyama whispered, "The Mightyena are all yours. You need to take them out in one go. If they get the chance to sound the rm, my colleague will be taken hostage."


    Yuga nodded. At some point, Florges had appeared by his side. After giving her a few instructions, Florges responded with a nod of understanding.


    By now, they had infiltrated the mansion''s courtyard, where Mightyena patrolled the area in a disciplined formation. Kageyama held his breath, not daring to make the slightest sound for fear of being discovered.


    While Kageyama wasn''t afraid of fighting the Mightyena head-on, doing so would undoubtedly alert the mansion''s owner, putting his colleague''s life at risk.


    As the Mightyena prowled proudly, vines suddenly erupted from the ground, wrapping around their necks with lightning speed. The Mightyena didn''t even have time to cry out before their eyes rolled back, and they copsed unconscious.


    The vines then dragged the unconscious Mightyena away, piling them at Florges'' feet.


    Seeing this, Kageyama gave Yuga a discreet thumbs-up but couldn''t help thinking to himself: <i>Good thing it''s Florges with this power and not a Victreebel��otherwise, those Mightyena would''ve been turned into dinner by now.</i>


    With the Mightyena dealt with, the two easily made their way inside the mansion.


    "Do you have any idea where your colleague is being held?" Yuga asked Kageyama.


    "No clue. We''ll have to search for them," Kageyama admitted, shaking his head.


    At that moment, a few maids passed by not far from them.


    "What will the master eat today?" one of the maids asked.


    "Probably pan-fried Slowpoke tails. The master mentioned wanting them a few days ago," another maid replied.


    "Then hurry up and get them ready. If it''s not prepared in time, watch out��you''ll all suffer."


    "I wonder what Slowpoke tails taste like. I''ve never tried them before..."


    "You? Eat a Slowpoke tail? Keep dreaming!"


    The maids'' voices faded as they walked away. Kageyama Jun stepped out of hiding and spat on the ground. "That damn old scoundrel! He even has maids waiting on him!"


    Yuga was speechless. <i>Is that really the point?</i>


    "Let''s follow those maids and see where the master of the house is." This mansion had heavy security, and they couldn''t afford to wander around aimlessly like headless flies.


    Hearing this, Kageyama Jun nodded, and the two of them quietly tailed the maids.


    The maids headed to the kitchen, and as they had mentioned earlier, the mansion''s master was indeed having Slowpoke tails for dinner that evening.


    However, instead of using pre-prepared ingredients, they were about to cut fresh Slowpoke tails.


    Inside the kitchen, a cage held over ten trembling Slowpoke. The chef brandished a sharp knife, sizing up the unfortunate creatures with a cruel smile.


    In the market, pre-cut Slowpoke tails were avable, sourced from legitimate farms that followed strict regtions.


    Only a select few farms were licensed to breed Slowpoke and harvest their tails for food, and these operations were tightly monitored by the League. As a result, Slowpoke tails remained an expensive delicacy.


    But this illegal harvesting of Slowpoke tails was a clear vition of thew. If such practices were widespread, Slowpoke poptions would have long been decimated.


    Although they sympathized with the Slowpoke, Yuga and Kageyama Jun didn''t act. It wasn''t the right moment yet. Acting recklessly could endanger the Slowpoke even further.


    Slowpoke were naturally slow to react. When their tails were cut, it took them a while to emit faint, mournful whimpers.


    At legitimate farms, only the very tip of a Slowpoke tail would be carefully harvested, a process simr to humans cutting hair or trimming nails��painless for the Slowpoke.


    But this chef sliced off nearly half of each tail, leaving the Slowpoke in agony. Although the tails would regenerate, the pain was undeniable.


    Yuga didn''t know the chef''s background, but Kageyama Jun was well aware. This chef wasn''t an ordinary person.


    Years ago, he had been a wanted criminal. Unlike typical chefs, he had a penchant for using Pok��mon as ingredients and had a sadistic streak, taking pleasure in watching Pok��mon writhe in pain under his hands.


    The chef had disappeared suddenly back then, and no one expected him to have been hired by the mansion''s master.


    With his culinary skills, the chef quickly prepared the Slowpoke tails.


    Although he had cut off arge portion of each tail, he only used the tender tip for cooking.


    Despite their hatred for the despicable chef, Yuga and Kageyama Jun had to admit his cooking skills were exceptional. The tantalizing aroma had them both swallowing hard. No wonder someone would harbor a fugitive like him��his cooking was extraordinary.


    Once the dish was ready, the maids carried the food out of the kitchen. Seeing this, Yuga and Kageyama Jun quickly followed.


    The mansion was enormous, and after winding through several hallways, the maids finally arrived at the door of a room.


    The head maid knocked on the door and asked, "Master, dinner is ready. May wee in?"


    After a long pause, an elderly voice replied from within, "Come in."


    With permission granted, the maids respectfully opened the door and entered one by one, carrying the food.


    Yuga and Kageyama Jun had no way of entering the room. Kageyama Jun was sweating anxiously, but Yuga patted him on the shoulder, signaling him to stay calm. Then, Yuga summoned Mimikyu and instructed it to slip inside to scout the situation.


    Watching Mimikyu disappear through the wall, Kageyama Jun gave Yuga a thumbs-up again. He thought to himself that it was a good thing he had the foresight to bring Yuga along��otherwise, who knew how much more trouble this mission would have taken?


    Soon, the meal was over. The maids cleaned up the dishes and exited the room one by one, but the "Master" inside remained silent and unmoving.


    After some time, a well-dressed, silver-haired elderly man finally opened the door and stepped out. When Yuga saw his face, he gasped sharply. <i>No way... isn''t this the mayor of teport City?</i>


    Kageyama Jun, being a key member of the League''s Investigation Bureau, knew that he and his colleagues were secretly investigating the teport City mayor. That clearly indicated the man hadmitted serious crimes.


    After the elderly man exited, Mimikyu followed close behind. Kageyama Jun quickly asked in a low voice, "Well? Did you find anything?"


    Mimikyu exchanged information with Yuga, who nodded at Kageyama Jun and motioned for him to follow.


    The two of them snuck into the room where the mayor had dined. It was arge,vishly decorated dining hall. However, knowing that the only person eating here was the old mayor himself, they couldn''t help but feel speechless.


    <i>What''s the point of making it so big and fancy for just one person?</i>


    As far as Yuga knew, the old mayor of teport City had no family living with him. His son and daughter-inw had been soldiers in the League''s frontier expansion forces and had died in service many years ago, leaving no children. His daughter had passed away from illness, and although she had left behind a granddaughter, the girl lived with her father elsewhere and wasn''t in teport City.


    Under Mimikyu''s guidance, the two focused their attention on an unused firece.


    Mimikyu moved a brick from the firece, revealing a keypad hidden behind it. Yuga, having learned the password from Mimikyu, sessfully unlocked the mechanism concealed within the firece.


    Seeing how capable Mimikyu was, Kageyama Jun couldn''t help but feel envious and jealous. <i>As expected of a Ghost-type Pok��mon, they really excel at these kinds of tasks.</i>


    Although Ghost-type Trainers were rare in the League, Kageyama Jun had to admit that each one was an elite. <i>If only I had a Ghost-type Trainer on my team, then...</i>


    "You know," he suddenly said, "how about joining me in intelligence work? I think we''d make a great team."


    "What?"


    Kageyama Jun''s sudden suggestion left Yuga stunned.


    Thinking it over, Kageyama Jun shook his head. "Uh... never mind. Forget I said anything." After all, being a Gym Leader was far more prestigious than being a low-ranking investigation bureau officer. He must have been out of his mind just now.


    Behind the firece was a hidden room, or more urately, a prison cell. As expected, Kageyama Jun found his colleague inside.


    However, his colleague was unconscious and badly injured, clearly having been interrogated. Judging by the situation, he hadn''t divulged anything; otherwise, the old mayor would have been alerted by now.


    Kageyama Jun''s colleague had infiltrated the mansion as an undercover agent, but the old mayor was too cunning and quickly realized something was amiss, capturing the agent. Thankfully, the colleague had managed to transmit a message in time.


    Yuga asked Kageyama Jun if they should rescue him now, but Kageyama Jun shook his head and declined. Instead, they withdrew from the hidden room together.


    Before leaving, Yuga had Bellossom provide basic treatment to the injured colleague to prevent life-threateningplications. However, he made sure not to heal the agent too much��otherwise, the old mayor might notice something was off.


    After leaving the mansion, Kageyama Jun began nning how to coordinate the arrest of the old mayor. He had nearly all the evidence he needed to take action.

 Chapter 1220: Twins from One Egg

    <h4>Chapter 1220: Twins from One Egg</h4>


    That very night, Kageyama Jun organized a team to surround the old mayor''s mansion, led by none other than the teport City Gym Leader, Arashi Jenny, and the city''s police chief.


    The only person authorized to arrest the mayor was Arashi Jenny, as she held the position of Gym Leader for the city.


    It was evident that Kageyama Jun and Arashi Jenny had coordinated beforehand; otherwise, this operation couldn''t have been arranged so quickly.


    Since Yuga had been involved in the earlier events, Kageyama Jun once again pulled him in as backup for the night''s mission.


    Their task was to infiltrate the secret cell again and rescue Kageyama Jun''s colleague, preventing the old mayor from using him as a hostage during his arrest.


    The old mayor was extremely vignt. Not long after his mansion was surrounded, he sensed something was wrong.


    Connecting the dots with the captured undercover agent, he quickly deduced what was happening and immediately attempted to flee.


    Unfortunately for him, the entire mansion was tightly surrounded by Arashi Jenny, the police force, and their reinforcements, leaving him no room for escape. His attempt failed, and he fiercely resisted capture.


    Although the old mayor himself wasn''t a trainer, some of his subordinates were desperate ouws who had been secretly sheltered by him. They caused significant trouble for Arashi Jenny and the police force.


    Fortunately, the operation ended sessfully, and everyone inside the mansion was apprehended.


    Since the old mayor was busy trying to escape, Yuga and Kageyama Jun didn''t face much resistance while rescuing the captured colleague.


    After freeing theirrade, the trio passed by the kitchen, where Yuga noticed that the Slowpoke were still confined in cages. Acting on impulse, he decided to free them as well.


    At that moment, the chef was in the kitchen. When he saw Yuga and Kageyama Jun, he was stunned. He immediately released a Scyther to attack them.


    At Yuga''s side was his Breloom. Upon seeing the aggressive Scyther, it didn''t hesitate to deliver a punch, knocking it out instantly.


    The chef might have been a significant figure outside, but against Yuga''s Breloom, he couldn''tst a single move.


    Besides the chef, Yuga managed to capture another person.


    As they were preparing to retreat with their rescued colleague, they passed through a courtyard and spotted a man sneaking around suspiciously. Without hesitation, Yuga directed Breloom to knock him unconscious.


    By sheer coincidence, Yugater discovered that this man was none other than the breeder friend of the two bounty hunters they had encountered earlier.


    The Slowpoke delivered to the mayor''s mansion had been provided by this breeder.


    This man had secretly built an ecopark where he bred arge number of Pok��mon, not forpanionship or training, but to be raised as food.


    He had covert ties with numerous officials and wealthy elites, selling these Pok��mon as high-priced delicacies to make exorbitant profits.


    Because of his wealth, he had established a notable presence within the League and gained some influence in the Breeder Association.


    His visit to the old mayor''s mansion was purely coincidental. In addition to delivering Slowpoke as ingredients, he intended to use this opportunity towork through the mayor''s connections, develop new clients, and expand his market.


    Little did he know that the teport City investigation into the old mayor had long been underway. His involvement became an unintended casualty of the operation.


    After the operation ended, Arashi Jenny and Kageyama Jun both expressed their gratitude to Yuga for his assistance. Noticing Yuga''s interest in the Slowpoke, they decided to gift them to him as a token of appreciation.


    Although the Slowpoke were technically stolen property, the situation allowed for some flexibility. Neither Kageyama Jun nor Arashi Jennycked the social tact to make this decision.


    Besides, the haul from the old mayor''s mansion was enormous, and a few Slowpoke were inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.


    After staying another day in teport City, Yuga realized that the agreed meeting time with Fostor was approaching, so he hurried back to the ranch at the Wild Bull Club.


    Unlike thest time, this time the club''s young boss, Ryo, was not there to greet him��only Fostor weed him.


    After a round of pleasantries, Yuga asked, "So, after I left, have there been any further problems with the Tauros at the ranch?"


    Smiling, Fostor shook his head and said, "None at all. We owe you a great deal for helping us pinpoint the problem."


    Yuga humbly replied, "It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. No need for thanks. As long as you don''t forget our agreement, I''m content."


    "Haha, of course, I won''t forget. Let''s go discuss the details of our coboration now!"


    Half a dayter, their negotiations concluded. To show their gratitude and the importance they ced on the partnership, Fostor and the YoYo Day Care finalized a long-term agreement. From now on, YoYo Day Care would provide the Wild Bull Club with fifty high potential young Tauros every two years.


    Because the Wild Bull Club required a certain standard for Tauros appearances, YoYo Day Care set a price significantly higher than the market rate for regr Tauros.


    After finalizing the deal, Yuga and Fostor shared a meal before Yuga returned to Verdanturf Town.


    Once home, Yuga headed straight to the Ecopark, where he ced the Metagross and Beldum in the Mine Sub-Ecopark.


    "You''re free to eat any of the minerals here," Yuga told the Metagross and Beldum. "I''ll also create a special potion to help you recover and strengthen your bodies as quickly as possible."


    After spending a few days with Yuga, the simple-minded Beldum had be a little livelier. They responded cheerfully before starting to sample the minerals, while the two Metagross remained much moreposed.


    The arrival of the new residents drew the attention of the longtime inhabitants. The Tyranitars took one look and immediately turned away. The Steelix who is leading the Onix, briefly made an appearance but didn''t linger. In contrast, the Aggrons seemed eager for a fight and looked like they might challenge the Metagross at any moment.


    The Lunatone and Solrock, being fellow Psychic-type Pok��mon, were very weing to the neers. Not only did they introduce them to the basics of their new home, but they also thoughtfullyforted the Beldum and helped them settle in.


    As for the Rhydon, it took one nce at the two powerful Metagross and, without a word, returned home to train with its Drilbur squad.


    "What is going on here? Why is everyone stronger than me?!" it grumbled in frustration as it ramped up its training efforts.


    Meanwhile, the Mawile were also ced in the mine Sub-Ecopark. Having been saved by the Metagross, they had developed a strong sense of loyalty toward them. Even in the Ecopark, they chose to stick with the Metagross and Beldum.


    Although thebined number of Metagross and Beldum wasn''t particrlyrge, the addition of the Mawile suddenly made the new residents a considerable group. This left the Rhydon watching enviously, with a mix of frustration and admiration in its heart.


    In the following days, Yuga spent his time at home either practicing making Pok��blocks or working on small gic serums.


    After a few days of care, while their physical health was improving, the mental state of the Beldum had also undergone significant positive changes. As a result, treating their gic diseases became a priority.


    One day, after returning from inspecting his new store, Yuga received a call from Steven. Steven informed him that the League had recently confiscated a batch of Slowpoke and asked if Yuga was interested in taking them.


    These Slowpoke were seized from the evil breeder''s Ecopark. While the other Pok��mon from there had already been rehomed, the Slowpoke, being the most numerous, were still unallocated, which prompted Steven to ask Yuga.


    If Yuga was interested, Steve promised to select the best potential Slowpoke from the batch and send them to him.


    Of course, Yuga was interested. Adding more would perfectlyplement the Slowpoke he had received earlier.


    Slowpoke, despite their often sluggish demeanor, were Psychic-types and quite powerful when trained properly. Among Pok��mon, they were reasonably popr.


    From Stev n, Yuga also learned that the evil breeder''s arrest had implicated a considerable number of people.


    A list was found at the evil breeder''s home, detailing the officials and wealthy individuals he had traded with, leading to many arrests. It was a ssic case of one pull exposing many.


    Meanwhile, the old mayor''s sentence had been announced: death penalty.


    Since his imprisonment, not a single person had visited him. While his son and daughter were no longer alive, he still had a granddaughter. Unfortunately, upon learning of his crimes, his son-inw and granddaughter severed ties with him entirely, refusing even to see him.


    After Yuga gave Steven his confirmation, the Slowpoke were quickly transported to him��50 in total, including three with green potential and the rest is yellow potential.


    It turned out that the evil breeder who raised the Slowpoke was quite peculiar.


    To fetch high prices for their tails, he selected Slowpoke with rtively high potential for breeding, under the belief that better potential made their tails tastier.


    In reality, whether a Slowpoke''s potential was high or low made little difference to the vor of its tail. Factors like their living environment, diet, and care yed a far more significant role in determining taste.


    However, many people bought into the idea. To disy their wealth and status, officials and rich clients wouldpete to eat only the best, opting for tails from high potential Slowpoke. This belief kept the breeder''s business thriving.


    After administering innovation potion to the Slowpoke, Yuga sent those with sessfully enhanced potential to the shallow sea beach Sub-Ecopark to be managed by Slowbro and Slowking. The rest were moved to the new Ecopark.


    Slowbro and Slowking had been living a carefree life on the shallow sea beach Sub-Ecopark. When Yuga suddenly delivered the Slowpoke, they were initially reluctant to take responsibility.


    But faced with the dazed expressions of their kin, they couldn''t bear to leave them unattended and eventually epted Yuga''s arrangements.


    Speaking of the shallow sea beach Sub-Ecopark, a joyous event recently urred.


    Not long after Greninja and Wartortle became a pair, Wartortle removed its Everstone to evolve into stoise in preparation for reproduction. Shortly afterward, itid an egg.


    The egg was muchrger than a typical Pok��mon egg, with strange patterns on its surface. Yuga couldn''t immediately determine whether it belonged to Froakie or Squirtle.


    Even more unusual was the fact that the egg took an exceptionally long time to hatch, making Yuga almost believe it was a dead egg.


    stoise, however, was deeply attached to the egg, taking great care in incubating it. Finally, just a few days ago, the egg hatched.


    To everyone''s amazement, the egg produced both a Froakie and a Squirtle simultaneously��a phenomenon never before seen or heard of.


    It''s not unheard of for a single Pok��mon egg to hatch two Pok��mon. Species like Meowstic and Binacle are especially prone to producing twin Pok��mon from a single egg. However, those cases always result in two Pok��mon of the same species.


    For Yuga, seeing two different Pok��mon hatch from the same egg was not only a first-time experience but something he had never even heard of.


    The newly hatched Froakie and Squirtle had identical potential, both rated at the green level. Even the brightness of their potential halos was indistinguishable.


    However,pared to Pok��mon hatched under normal circumstances, these twins were slightly weaker physically and much smaller than others of their kind.


    In recent days, aside from helping the Beldum recover, Yuga also dedicated significant effort to strengthening and nurturing the Froakie and Squirtle.


    Fortunately, Yuga''s ce was well-stocked with various items suitable for boosting Pok��mon health, such as Moomoo Milk, Gogoat Milk, Rainbow Nectar, Pollen Puffs, and Sweet Honey, all perfect for newborns.


    To ensure the babies had a healthy diet without overburdening their systems, Yuga followed a nutritional n specifically designed by Joyka to supplement their meals.


    One day, Yuga brought the two little ones to the Pok��mon Center for another health check.


    After the examination, Joyka and her Blissey wheeled out the Froakie and Squirtle, smiling as she said to Yuga, "Their health has improved a lotpared to before, and they haven''t been getting sick as often. It looks like you''ve been taking good care of them."


    epting the two little ones, Yuga replied, "I owe it all to you. Without your regr checkups and nutrition ns, I wouldn''t have been able to care for them properly."


    "That''s true!" Joyka tilted her chin up proudly. "You better thank me properly!"


    "Blissey~ Blissey~"


    Blissey, hearing this, tugged on Joyka''s sleeve and pointed at itself. Seeing this, Joykaughed and said, "Right, and our dear Blissey too!"


    "Blissey~"


    Blissey closed its eyes happily at the acknowledgment.


    "Alright, alright, I''ll make sure to thank both of you properly!"


    "Oh, by the way, do you still have any of those berries?" Joyka asked.


    "I have a few left. Why? Do you need some?" Yuga responded.


    The berries Joykareferred to weren''t ordinary ones��they were the special fruits grown on the sacred tree on Torterra''s back.


    These berries had a unique effect: they could raise a Pok��mon''s level, but only when the Pok��mon''s level was rtively low.


    Yuga had always believed that Pok��mon should not rely on such berries for level growth, so he rarely used them. Every time Torterra''s tree bore fruit, Yuga would pick and store them.


    When Joyka learned about the existence of these berries, she had asked Yuga for a few to study.


    Unexpectedly, the more she researched them, the more fascinated she became, and she ended up taking quite a few more from Yuga.


    However, due to the berries''plexposition, fully understanding them proved challenging.


    "I''ve recently made some progress," Joyka said. "I''m trying to create a potion using the berries. If it works, it might solve Froakie and Squirtle''s physical weakness issues."


    "Really?" Yuga asked excitedly.


    "Really, but it''s still just a prototype. The actual effects are yet to be confirmed, so don''t get your hopes up too high," Joyka added cautiously after some thought.


    "It''s fine. I trust you! Go ahead and give it your all. I''ll send you all the berries I''ve got stored," Yuga said confidently, even more optimistic than Joyka.


    "Well... since you''re so enthusiastic, I''ll do my best..." Joyka replied, slightly exasperated.

 Chapter 1221: Let’s Find Trouble Together

    <h4>Chapter 1221: Let''s Find Trouble Together</h4>


    Leaving the Pok��mon Center, Yuga returned home with Froakie and Squirtle.


    However, as soon as he reached the shop''s entrance, he noticed a crowd gathered outside, discussing something animatedly. Themotion had created quite a stir.


    Someone in the crowd spotted Yuga and shouted loudly, "Boss Shimizu is back!"


    The crowd parted on its own, creating a path for him. Only then could Yuga see what was happening. Ayaka and Suzuki Koen were facing off against a couple, whose child was clinging tightly to a Mime Jr. And Mime Jr. with tears in its eyes, was hugging Ayaka''s leg.


    A distressed Ayaka, sweating from the stress, let out a sigh of relief when she saw Yuga. Suzuki Koen was doing her best to exin the situation to the couple, while Mime Jr. With its teary-eyes gazed pitifully at Yuga.


    "What''s going on here?" Yuga frowned as he approached.


    Before Ayaka or Suzuki Koen could respond, the wife of the couple immediately spoke up, her voice loud and shrill: "You''re the boss, right? What kind of business are you running here? My son wants to buy your Mime Jr., and yet these two refuse to sell it. Is this how you do business?"


    From this outburst, Yuga immediately understood the situation. It seemed the family wanted to purchase Mime Jr., but Suzuki Koen and Ayaka wouldn''t sell it, leading to the uproar at the shop''s entrance.


    Yuga, keeping his patience, exined, "I''m sorry, ma''am, but this Mime Jr. is not for sale."


    As soon as he finished speaking, the woman red at him and retorted, "You think you can just say it''s not for sale? You run a shop, don''t you? Refusing customers at the door��don''t you have any sense of customer service? Do you even know what ''the customer is king'' means?"


    It was clear that Suzuki Koen had already exined this to the woman, but she paid no heed.


    "Mommy, Mommy, I want this Mime Jr.! I want this Mime Jr.!" the young boy shouted, tugging at Mime Jr.''s arm with all his strength.


    The Pok��mon whimpered in pain, crying from the difort��it had never been treated so harshly before.


    Hearing her son cry, the woman immediately tried to soothe him. "Don''t cry, sweetie. Mommy will get it for you right away. Don''t cry, okay?"


    After calming the child, she turned back to Yuga. "We''re in a hurry, so just get the paperwork done quickly. We''re buying this Mime Jr. Name your price!" She squinted at him suspiciously, adding, "Or could it be you''re stalling because you want to drive up the price? Now it makes sense!" Her eyes shed with an "aha" expression, as if she had uncovered some great conspiracy.


    While the woman continued her tirade, Yuga nced at Mime Jr., whose face was twisted in pain. He addressed the boy, "Little one, please let go of Mime Jr. You''re hurting it!"


    The boy stared back at Yuga for a few seconds before bursting into loud sobs. "No! No! I want Mime Jr.! I want Mime Jr.!"


    The moment her son cried again, the woman shrieked, "What''s wrong with you? How could you bully a child like this?!"


    At this moment, Yuga felt his anger reaching its peak. He turned to the man, who had remained silent throughout, and said, "Sir, please control your wife and child. This kind ofmotion is inappropriate."


    The man, however, appeared indifferent and replied casually, "Then just sell us the Pok��mon. It''s just a Mime Jr., so why make such a big deal out of it?"


    The man''s attitude made Yuga decide he''d had enough of tolerating this family of three.


    Just then, Gothitelle happened toe out of the shop. Yuga instructed her, "Gothitelle, make the boy let go of Mime Jr."


    Gothitelle nodded, her eyes shing with a bright light. The boy suddenly found his body moving uncontrobly.


    "M-Mom... Mom..."


    Frightened, the boy began crying and shouting again, but his hand involuntarily released Mime Jr.


    "Mime Jr.~ Mime Jr. ~"


    Once freed, Mime Jr. leaped into Yuga''s arms, its face scrunched up in tears, as it pitifullyined about its grievances.


    "What are you doing? What are you doing? Is this how you treat people? I''m going to report you!"


    The boy''s cries enraged the woman further. She scooped him up and pointed at Yuga, yelling usations.


    After rescuing Mime Jr., Gothitelle withdrew her psychic power, ensuring the boy wasn''t harmed in any way.


    Looking at the mother and child, who were now making a scene, Yuga said coldly, "I''ll say it one more time: Mime Jr. is not for sale. If you continue causing trouble, I''ll have to call Officer Jenny."


    The woman''s shouting stopped abruptly, though the child continued wailing.


    "Are you picking on us just because we''re from out of town? We just want to buy a Pok��mon!" the woman cried, now taking on a victimized tone.


    The man chimed in with a forcedugh. "Exactly! You run a day care, don''t you? Why can''t we buy a Pok��mon?"


    Yuga countered, "If your family ran a supermarket, would it be okay if I wanted to buy your son?"


    The man stammered, "That''s not the same thing..."


    Yuga cut him off. "I think it''s the same."


    Faced with Yuga''s threat to call Officer Jenny, the family of three slunk away in embarrassment. As they left, the child was still crying and making a fuss.


    Watching the backs of the family of three as they left, Yuga couldn''t shake the feeling that something was off. In all the years he had run his Pok��mon Day Care, incidents like this were incredibly rare.


    As the onlookers dispersed, no longer entertained, Persian suddenly appeared out of nowhere and informed Yuga that while the family of three was causing trouble, a few suspicious individuals had been lurking around the vicinity of the Ecopark. It was unclear what their intentions were.


    Yuga listened thoughtfully to Persian''s report.


    After the cat left, Yuga dialed the Verdanturf Town police station and ryed what had happened outside his Day Care to Masato Shirai, requesting him to investigate whether there was anything unusual about the family of three.


    Maintaining Verdanturf Town''s peace was part of the police station''s duty, so Masato Shirai agreed without hesitation.


    In addition to asking Masato Shirai to secretly investigate the family''s background, Yuga also assigned two Ghost-type Pok��mon to keep them under surveince.


    The investigation results came back quickly. ording to the files sent by Masato Shirai, the family was just ordinary citizens of the Pok��mon League��moderately wealthy, but known for their unpleasant behavior.


    The Ghost-type Pok��mon had found nothing suspicious either. The family hade to Verdanturf Town as tourists, and the scene at the YoYo Day Care was merely one of the many embarrassing episodes they had caused during their stay.


    Although the investigation revealed nothing unusual about the family, Yuga couldn''t shake the feeling that something wasn''t right. Given the sensitive nature of the Ecopark, which concealed his greatest secret, he felt it was better to err on the side of caution.


    Soon enough, Yuga''s instincts were proven correct. Over time, the YoYo Day Care began experiencing minor disturbances every now and then. While none of these issues were particrly significant orplex, they nheless aroused his suspicion.


    ording to the patrol Pok��mon''s reports, nearly every time there was an incident at YoYo Day Care, suspicious individuals were spotted near the Ecopark.


    Under normal circumstances, such events might not have seemed connected, but Yuga''s initial doubts made him view the situation differently. When pieced together, the pattern felt undeniably suspicious.


    Yuga kept a quiet eye on those involved in the disturbances and even asked Masato Shirai to privately investigate a few of them. However, the findings were much like those for the troublesome family: no apparent anomalies.


    But Yuga firmly believed that so many coincidences couldn''t be mere chance.


    It was clear��someone had set their sights on his Ecopark.


    Although the Ecopark was safeguarded by the system''s protection, its connection to Yuga''s deepest secret left him no choice but to remain on high alert.


    For a while afterward, YoYo Day Care returned to a peaceful state. Nothing unusual happened��not even the minor disturbances. At times, Yuga wondered if he''d been overthinking everything.


    Even so, while his vignce eased somewhat, he tightened the security measures around the Ecopark. During the day, Xatu kept watch, and the patrol Pok��mon maintained strict surveince. At night, Ghost-type Pok��mon roamed the area while Crobat and its kin stayed awake throughout to guard the perimeter.


    Meanwhile, in a concealed underground chamber in Verdanturf Town, a group of individuals had gathered.


    "Is everything ready?" the leader asked those assembled.


    The group, dressed uniformly in dark nightwear, responded in unison, "Ready!"


    The leader nodded in satisfaction. "Good. This operation is crucial. If we fail, there won''t be many opportunities left."


    Hearing this, the group grew solemn. The leader continued, "Shimizu Yuga has captured too many of us and ruined too many of our ns over the years. We''re preparing to retreat from Hoenn for the time being, but before we leave, Mr. Giovanni has ordered us to give him a parting gift."


    "Mr. Giovanni~"


    "Mr. Giovanni~"


    "Mr. Giovanni~"


    ...


    At the mention of Giovanni''s name, the group erupted in cheers, as though the name itself was a source of faith and reverence.


    The leader raised a hand to quiet them. "Shimizu Yuga is too strong. A direct confrontation would be pointless for us. This time, our n is to destroy his Ecopark, so his YoYo Day Care can no longer operate."


    "For this n, we''ve used all the covert operations and hidden agents the organization had ced in Hoenn over the years. This n can only seed��it absolutely must not fail. Do you understand?"


    "Understood!"


    "Understood!"


    "Understood!"


    The crowd responded in unison.


    The enthusiasm and determination of the group satisfied the leader. Nodding, he said, "Since everything is ready, let''s move out."


    ...


    In the middle of the night, the usually lively Verdanturf Town had fallen silent, including YoYo Day Care.


    A group of individuals d in ck quietly appeared near the Day Care. Stealthily, they made their way toward the Ecopark with the familiarity of someone who had been there before.


    Blending into the night with their dark outfits, one person approached the entrance to the Ecopark and attempted to open the gate.


    As soon as their hand touched the gate, Yuga, who had been sound asleep in his room, abruptly opened his eyes.


    Moments earlier, the system had alerted him to an intrusion attempt at the Ecopark. While the intruders could not gain entry, the system still notified Yuga as a precaution.


    The individual in ck fumbled with the gate for a while but could not open it.


    Another ck-d figure approached and asked, "Still not open?"


    The person trying to open the gate replied anxiously, "It shouldn''t be like this. I''m sure this is how it was supposed to work!" Unbeknownst to them, gaining ess to the Ecopark required a special system-granted permission.


    "Just hurry up! If we get discovered, none of us are getting out of here!" urged the second figure.


    "I know, I know! Stop rushing me; the more you push, the more nervous I get!" the first responded irritably.


    Suddenly, the person at the gate felt something gripping their shoulder. A sharp screeching noise followed, and before they could react, they were lifted into the air.


    One by one, the other ck-d individuals experienced the same fate. Crobat, hanging upside down under the eaves, had opened their glowing golden eyes. In the quiet of the night, the eerie gleam of their gaze added ayer of terror to the darkness.


    "Skreeee! Skreeee!"


    The piercing cries of bats filled the air as more intruders were plucked from the ground. Ghost Pok��mon silently emerged, surrounding the captured individuals.


    Yuga had already moved to his bedroom window, observing the scene outside under the faint moonlight. From the cries of the Crobat, he could discern the situation.


    Fearing discovery, the captured intruders didn''t dare scream, instead enduring their terror in silence as they released their Pok��mon.


    However, the moment their Pok��mon appeared, they were overwhelmed by the swarm of Ghost Pok��mon and subdued without a sound.


    The leader of the intruders was the strongest among them. His Pok��mon, a Persian, retaliated the moment its trainer was seized by Crobat, using Fake Out to repel the attack. The leader narrowly avoided being carried off.


    But when he looked up and saw the countless pairs of glowing golden eyes floating in the sky, his heart sank. One thought shed through his mind: <i>It''s over. The mission has failed.</i>


    Seeing hisrades being captured one by one, the leader realized there was no time to waste. He turned to flee but found himself face-to-face with a Pok��mon wreathed in dark purple mes.


    A Chandelure.


    The Persian lunged to attack again, but Chandelure''s strength far exceeded that of Crobat. With a single glowing sh from its eyes, the Persian was frozen mid-air, unable to move no matter how much it struggled.


    After swiftly subduing the Persian, Chandelure turned its gaze toward the leader. The man felt a wave of dizziness before copsing unconscious.


    As he hit the ground, his blurred vision caught sight of a pair of shoes.


    Yuga, having arrived at the scene, kicked the unconscious leader lightly. When there was no response, he instructed the Crobat to gather all the captured intruders in one ce.


    Surveying the group of subdued individuals, Yuga couldn''t immediately determine who might have orchestrated the attack, given the number of enemies he had made over the years.


    He then used Hypnosis to interrogate the intruders, starting with the leader.


    However, as soon as the Ghost Pok��mon applied Hypnosis to the man, he began convulsing, foaming at the mouth, and went still within moments.


    Yuga checked for signs of life and frowned. The man was dead.


    He proceeded to interrogate a few more individuals, but the results were the same��each one died moments after being hypnotized.


    Staring at the bodies before him, Yuga was at a loss. Should he quietly dispose of them or turn them over to the police?


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1222: Opening

    <h4>Chapter 1222: Opening</h4>


    Since the matter involved Ecopark, Yuga pondered for a long time before ultimately deciding to handle it privately. Given that several people had already died, he figured he might as well deal with it all at once.


    These individuals were clearly under some sort of control, and Hypnosis had no effect on them. It was unlikely the police could extract anything useful from them. Worse, if this drew attention to the peculiarities of Ecopark, it would spell trouble.


    Yuga entrusted the task of disposing of these bodies to Jellicent, who threw them into the Distortion World. For this, Giratina personally came to confront Yuga, using him of treating the Distortion World as a garbage dump. Yuga was forced to sign numerous "unequal treaties" with Giratina to cate its displeasure.


    And so, the incident quietly came to an end. Throughout it all, Yuga never managed to figure out who had tried to harm him. While he suspected Team Rocket��given their deep-seated animosity��it was impossible to confirm without solid evidence.


    After the nighttime attack, YoYo Day Care gradually returned to its usual tranquility. With no further incidents, Yuga himself began to put the matter behind him over time.


    Time flew by, and several months passed. Just a few days ago, the League Conferences across various regions concluded, and Verdanturf Town''s Grass-type Pok��mon Duel Tournament was fast approaching.


    As the event date drew nearer, the town saw a significant influx of visitors. All departments in Verdanturf were bustling with activity, and as the Gym Leader, Yuga also had to start preparing for the tournament.


    As previously agreed, Erika arrived early from Kanto and stayed at Yuga''s Paradise Hotel.


    Originally, Erika had hoped to spend time exchanging training insights with Yuga, but as the host of the tournament, Yuga was far too busy to interact with her much.


    Fortunately, Ash and Dawn arrived just a few dayster. A lively tournament like this was naturally the kind of event Ash wouldn''t miss. Though not a Grass-type specialist, Ash had plenty of Grass-type Pok��mon to join in the excitement.


    Ash and Erika were already acquainted, so the two of them quickly struck up conversations. They often visited Verdanturf Gym to spar with each other.


    However, neither of them went all out. With the tournament so close, it would be more interesting to save their real strength for the actualpetition.


    Incidentally, Ash performed exceptionally well in the recent Sinnoh League Conference, clinching the championship title.


    In Yuga''s memory, the original anime depicted Ash as only reaching the semifinals due to being targeted by a mysterious trainer with a Legendary Pok��mon.


    Perhaps due to the influence of the butterfly effect, Yuga watched the live television broadcast of the Sinnoh League Conference, and the mysterious trainer with the Legendary Pok��mon never appeared.


    Without the interference of the trainer, Ash naturally secured the championship title.


    With the win, Ash became quite smug. When Yuga met him, Ash''s nose was practically in the air.


    However, he was soon taught a lesson. During a sparring match with Erika, he suffered a crushing defeat.


    Ash''s battles with Erika could be traced back to when he had just started as a rookie Trainer. At that time, Erika had shown leniency during their Gym match, leading Ash to remember her as not particrly strong.


    In reality, however, Erika was one of the most outstanding Gym Leaders in the Kanto region, and her strength indeed surpassed Ash''s. Although neither went all out, it was obvious to any observer where the differencey.


    After that sparring match, Ash was brought back down to earth and no longer acted so smug.


    Ash, being a determined individual, dedicated himself to training over the next few days, vowing to defeat Erika in the tournament.


    One day, after finishing his work at the town hall, Yuga returned home. Just as he was about to step through the door, he suddenly heard someone calling him. Turning around, he saw a charming young woman looking at him.


    "You are...?"


    She looked familiar, but no matter how hard Yuga tried, he couldn''t recall who she was.


    "It seems Gym Leader Shimizu haspletely forgotten me!" the young woman joked. "Here''s a hint: the Gym Competition."


    "Ah... you''re... Anya." Yuga suddenly realized, though he felt a little embarrassed. He had truly forgotten all about her.


    Among the group who participated in the Gym Competition and became Gym Leaders alongside him, Yuga still kept in touch with some, like Brawly and Vi, while others, like Anya, had gradually fallen out of contact.


    Yuga recalled that Anya was from Crown City in the Sinnoh region and was now the Gym Leader there.


    Like Verdanturf Gym, Crown City''s Gym also specialized in Grass-type Pok��mon.


    Speaking of Crown City, one couldn''t help but mention something that Ash experienced there.


    This incident dated back more than twenty years. At that time, Crown City had suffered a disaster where all the city''s vegetation withered overnight.


    Through thebined efforts of both people and Pok��mon, Crown City eventually regained its vitality.


    However, the disaster in Crown City had been tied to the Mythical Pok��mon Celebi. A man named Kodai had used the opportunity to gain the ability of Celebi''s Time Ripple, allowing him to briefly see glimpses of the future.


    Using this power, Kodai gradually became the wealthiest and most influential person in Crown City.


    Twenty yearster, Kodai''s Time Ripple ability began to fade. Eager to regain this power, Kodai''s ambitions grew, and he decided to capture Celebi for himself, causing significant chaos in Crown City.


    Fortunately, his ns were thwarted by Ash and his friends, preventing Crown City from enduring a repeat of the disaster from two decades prior.


    These were all things Ashter recounted to Yuga directly when they stayed in touch.


    Although the major antagonist, Kodai, was eventually captured, Yuga spected that Anya, as the Gym Leader of Crown City, must have borne some responsibility for the incident��at the very least, negligence.


    In fact, Yuga''s guess was correct. Anya was indeed reprimanded by the League for her oversight, and a significant portion of her des with the League was docked as punishment. As a result, she harbored a deep hatred for the troublemaking Kodai.


    "So you finally remembered who I am!" Anya said. "Well, it makes sense. We haven''t seen each other in so many years, and we''ve been out of touch. It''s normal that you forgot me."


    It was indeed normal, but admitting it aloud was awkward.


    "Are you here to participate in the Duel Tournament?"


    As Anya approached, Yuga asked. But as soon as he spoke, he froze because he sensed Celebi''s blessing emanating from her.


    Almost instinctively, Yuga noticed Celebi''s blessing on Anya, and at the same time, Anya sensed the same blessing on Yuga. Both of them paused momentarily, surprised.


    However, it was clear that Anya had only recently received this ability, as the energy fluctuations on her were weak and far less potentpared to Yuga''s.


    "Y-Yes, of course! How could I miss such a lively event?" Anya quickly diverted the topic after her brief hesitation, and the two tacitly avoided mentioning Celebi''s blessing.


    "Fair enough..." Yuga responded with a nod. "Would you like toe in and sit for a while?"


    "Sure! I might as well see if there''s anything in your shop that suits me," Anya replied cheerfully.


    "You won''t be disappointed," Yuga said, inviting her into the shop.


    Because they hadn''t seen each other in so long, there was a bit of awkwardness between Yuga and Anya. Struggling to find a suitable topic, Yuga simply began introducing the shop''s products to her.


    Anya had already heard about YoYo Day Care and found herself genuinely interested after Yuga''s introduction. She ended up purchasing quite a few items from the store.


    As Anya finished shopping and the two were chatting, Ash and Hikaru happened to walk into the shop.


    Seeing Anya talking to Yuga, Ash eximed in surprise, "Gym Leader Anya, you''re here too? You know Yuga?"


    Anya was equally surprised for a moment but then smiled. "Why wouldn''t I be here? I didn''t expect you and Dawn to know Gym Leader Shimizu as well."


    Dawn chimed in, "Of course! Yuga is my cousin!"


    "No wonder," Anya said, now understanding.


    Hearing their conversation, Yugaughed. "So you all know each other too! Anya and I were in the same batch of Gym Leader candidates during the Gym Competition."


    After chatting for a while, Anya left. Watching her departing figure, Yuga pondered: if he hadn''t traveled to this world, would Anya, with Celebi''s blessing, have be his Master''s disciple instead?


    Shaking his head to dispel the thought, Yuga reminded himself that there was no point dwelling on "what-ifs." The world didn''t work that way!


    In the following days, Anya frequently joined Ash and the others to exchange experiences, eventually bing acquainted with Erika. Meanwhile, Yuga remained busy with the preparations for the Duel Tournament, barely able to catch his breath.


    As the tournament approached, Grass-type Trainers from all over the world gathered in Verdanturf Town. The invited judges��Cynthia, Caitlin, and Diantha��arrived one after another in the days leading up to the event.


    Returning to Verdanturf Town alongside Diantha were Nales and Spoink, who had been filming a movie. The production had officially wrapped just before Diantha''s trip.


    Before anyone realized, the day of the Duel Tournament had arrived. The entire Verdanturf Town Stadium (formerly the Contest Hall) was packed with people. Fireworks exploded above the stadium, celebrating the grand opening of the tournament.


    "Wee, participants and spectators, to the Verdanturf Town Grass-Type Pok��mon Duel Tournament..."


    The host andmentator for thispetition was specially invited��Vivian. After a stirring opening speech, Yuga and Mayor Ishida each took the stage. Mayor Ishida gave words of encouragement to the participants, while Yuga outlined thepetition rules and prizes.


    The Grass-Type Pok��mon Duel Tournament was divided into three parts: the preliminaries, the advancement rounds, and the finals. Only Grass-type Pok��mon were allowed in thepetition.


    The preliminaries were an initial elimination round, with participants allowed to use only one Pok��mon to filter out the weakerpetitors. Participants were grouped into trios, and each trainer would battle the other two in their group. For each victory, the trainer would earn one point, while those with zero points would be eliminated.


    The advancement round rules were simpler. The remaining participants were randomly paired, and each pair would face off in a double battle using two Pok��mon at once. The winners would advance to the finals, while the losers were eliminated.


    The finals followed a more traditional format. Contestants could use up to three Pok��mon, sending them out one at a time. The first trainer whose entire team was rendered unable to battle would lose.


    Once the rules were exined, Vivian took the stage again and addressed the audience: "Before thepetition begins, our host, Gym Leader Shimizu, and Champion Diantha will perform an exhibition match for everyone!"


    The moment Vivian finished speaking, the crowd erupted in loud cheers. Who wouldn''t want to see a battle between Champion-level Trainers?


    Amidst the enthusiastic apuse, Yuga and Diantha walked onto the stage.


    "Let''s have a great match," Yuga said politely to Diantha.


    "Looking forward to it," Diantha replied with a warm smile.


    "Begin!" announced Vivian.


    At her cue, both trainers tossed their Pok�� Balls into the air. Two Pok��mon appeared as red light shed across the stage, their cries echoing��one fierce and roaring, the other gentle andposed.


    Yuga sent out his Charizard, while Diantha sent out her Aurorus. Both trainers had tacitly agreed not to use their Champion-tier Pok��mon in this setting.


    Using their ace Pok��mon in such an event would indeed be inappropriate.


    To further excite the crowd, Yuga took out his Key Stone and called to Charizard, "Let''s Mega Evolve, Charizard!"


    As a dazzling rainbow glow surrounded Charizard, itpleted its Mega Evolution. This time, however, it didn''t transform into the usual Mega Charizard Y. Instead, using a Mega Stone gifted by Shiftry, it evolved into Mega Charizard X.


    Mega Charizard X''s typing changed from Fire/Flying to Fire/Dragon, and its ability became Tough ws, recing Charizard''s ze and Mega Charizard Y''s Drought.


    The Mega Evolution drew another wave of thunderous cheers from the audience. Even Diantha''s eyes widened in surprise, though she was more excited than anything else.


    Yuga made the first move.


    "Roarrr!"


    Mega Charizard X let out a ferocious roar and surged toward Aurorus with its ws glowing with blue me, ready to strike. The Tough ws ability significantly amplified its close-rangebat power.


    But as a Pok��mon raised by a Champion, Aurorus was anything but defenseless. It swiftly erected a Reflect barrier. Although Charizard''s attack forced Aurorus to retreat a few steps, the Pok��mon retaliated with an Ice Beam that sent Mega Charizard X flying backward.


    While Charizard was thrown back, Aurorus used its speed to cast Hail, changing the weather to snow��perfectly suited to its abilities.


    Recovering quickly, Mega Charizard X unleashed a methrower at Aurorus, while Aurorus countered with another Ice Beam. The red pir of fire and the bluish-white beam collided midair, creating a massive plume of white steam. However, before the steam could dissipate, the frigid temperature caused it to crystallize into tiny ice particles that fell to the ground.


    Aurorus disyed expert control over the Hail weather. Under itsmand, the snowstorm was confined to the stage, leaving the audience entirely unaffected.


    When the energy sh ended, Mega Charizard X instantly reappeared beside Aurorus, swinging its tail in a powerful Dragon Tail attack.


    Aurorus reacted quickly, stomping its front feet to raise an Ice Wall from the ground. Charizard''s tail mmed into the wall, shattering it into icy powder, but Aurorus remained unharmed behind its barrier.

 Chapter 1223: Preliminary Round Begins

    <h4>Chapter 1223: Preliminary Round Begins</h4>


    The instant the ice wall shattered, the Aurorus countered with Rock Slide. Several massive boulders descended from the sky, aimed at Mega Charizard X. Without hesitation, Mega Charizard X used Dragon w, swiftly smashing the rocks to pieces in just a few moves.


    "Roar!"


    Mega Charizard X let out a thunderous roar, unleashing a surge of searing mes from its entire body. The Aurorus, caught at close range, was instantly engulfed in the fire.


    This was Charizard''s Inferno.


    The crimson mes consumed the entire battlefield, casting a deep red hue in the spectators'' eyes. The audience reacted with gasps and exmations of awe and amazement.


    The intense mes immediately dispelled the snowy weather on the field, freeing Mega Charizard X from the sticky difort of melting snow dripping across its scales.


    When the mes cleared, the Aurorus was nowhere to be seen. In its cey a peculiar block of ice, its shape slightly distorted by the intense heat, but it had remarkably withstood the mes without melting.


    As everyone wondered where the Aurorus had gone, cracks began to spread across the block of ice. In moments, the Aurorus emerged,pletely unharmed, from within.


    "Auuurooo!"


    The colorful membranes on its head and neck quivered gently, releasing a burst of cold air that instantly neutralized the oppressive heat on the battlefield.


    Both Amaura and Aurorus are extraordinarily sensitive to temperature. As a Pok��mon that thrives in frigid environments, the Aurorus managed to endure the harsh heat thanks to its ability to regte the temperature in its immediate surroundings.


    Seeing the Aurorus safe and sound, the audience erupted into enthusiastic cheers.


    Observing the scene, Yuga mused to himself: <i>As expected, it''s the gracefuldies that win the crowd''s favor.</i>


    Breaking free from the ice, the Aurorus let out a tremendous roar, sending shockwaves rippling across the battlefield. The reverberations hurled Mega Charizard X far into the distance.


    But that wasn''t all. With the Aurorus''s powerful roar, dazzling auroras suddenly illuminated the sky. The stunning disy captivated everyone''s attention instantly.


    However, these auroras were not merely a feast for the eyes. Beneath their beauty lurked danger.


    As Mega Charizard X stabilized itself midair after being flung back, beams of multicolored light shot out from the auroras above, each targeting it with precision.


    Mega Charizard X, quick to react, pped its wings and darted through the air, skillfully dodging the iing Aurora Beams. Each beam narrowly missed its mark.


    When the final beam descended, Mega Charizard X retaliated by unleashing a methrower. The intense fire dispersed the aurora''s light in an instant.


    At this moment, mes began to surge from Mega Charizard X''s body once again, enveloping it entirely. With a deafening roar, the zing Mega Charizard X dove from the sky, charging directly at the Aurorus in an unstoppable descent.


    Seeing the situation, Diantha called out from the sidelines, "Aurorus, Zen Headbutt!"


    "Auroruuus~"


    With a resonating cry, the Aurorus rapidly pped the membrane-like fins on its head, creating a surge of airflow above its forehead. nting its four legs firmly on the ground, it sprang forward, charging headfirst toward the approaching Mega Charizard X.


    Neither Mega Charizard X nor the Aurorus was a petite Pok��mon. In particr, the sheer size of the Aurorus was enough tomand attention.


    The collision of these two massive Pok��mon created powerful shockwaves that blew across the battlefield, forcing the spectators to shield their eyes.


    One young man, standing behind a girl in an ultra-short skirt, unintentionally cracked his eyes open. Immediately, he felt tears run down his face. <i>Mom, I think I just caught a glimpse of heaven...</i>


    The battle continued relentlessly. In terms of raw strength, the Aurorus was indeed at a disadvantagepared to Mega Charizard X.


    Despite itsrger size, the Aurorus wasn''t built for power. Coupled with the added boost from Mega Charizard X''s ability, the Aurorus was sent tumbling backward, rolling over several times before sprawling across the ground.


    "Auroruuus~"


    The Aurorus gasped for breath, struggling to stand. Meanwhile, Mega Charizard Xnded beside it, raising a glowing, blue-tinted Dragon w, ready to strike.


    At that moment, Diantha shouted, "Aurorus, Barrier!"


    Just as Mega Charizard X''s Dragon w was about to connect, a transparent shield materialized around the Aurorus, sessfully absorbing most of the attack''s force.


    "Auroruuus~"


    The Aurorus let out a pained cry and swung its tail, now enveloped in swirling water, at Mega Charizard X. The strike forced Mega Charizard X to retreat.


    "Whew..."


    Seeing Mega Charizard X withdraw, the Aurorus, still lying on the ground, opened its mouth and unleashed a freezing st. The icy stream pressured Mega Charizard X to retreat even farther.


    Taking advantage of the reprieve, the Aurorus braced itself on its legs and struggled to rise. However, its massive weight and the injuries from its earlier tumble made standing excruciatingly difficult.


    Due to its injuries, the usually docile Aurorus became agitated, and its attacks grew erratic. It continuouslyunched streams of Ice Breath at Mega Charizard X, but every shot missed.


    "Aurorus, calm down!"


    Diantha quickly noticed the Aurorus''s frustration and called out to soothe it. Gradually, the Aurorus steadied its emotions and regained itsposure.


    "Aurorus, Thunder Wave!"


    Given the Aurorus''s bulky frame, it was at a clear disadvantage against the nimble, airborne Mega Charizard X. Diantha aimed to use Thunder Wave to paralyze Mega Charizard X, limiting its mobility.


    <strong>Boom. Boom. Boom.</strong>


    Golden electric orbs wereunched one after another by the Aurorus, but Mega Charizard X was too agile and managed to dodge every single one of them.


    "Aurorus, Hail!"


    Following Diantha''smand, the Aurorus once again summoned a hailstorm.


    "Auroruuus~"


    At its call, the sky darkened with dense clouds, and thick snowkes began to fall steadily.


    As the snownded on Mega Charizard X''s body, it immediately melted due to its high body temperature, creating ayer of dampness. The moist air not only made Mega Charizard X ufortable, but its skin also started to feel a faint stinging sensation.


    The snowy weather sessfully reduced Mega Charizard X''s agility.


    "Aurorus, use Thunder Wave again," Diantha instructed.


    With the Aurorus repeatedlyunching Thunder Wave, Mega Charizard X found itself unable to close the distance. Left with no other choice, it unleashed a massive methrower.


    The enormous, zing fire descended from above like a fiery curtain, crashing down on the Aurorus and pinning it to the ground. However, Mega Charizard X was also hit by Thunder Wave, leaving it paralyzed.


    Seeing the Aurorus struggling to get back on its feet, Yuga shouted to Mega Charizard X, "Charizard, use methrower toward the sky!"


    Mega Charizard X attempted to lift its head and unleash the mes, but the paralysis hindered its movements, and the methrower failed.


    At that moment, the Aurorus finally managed to rise, making Yuga tense up, only for it to copse again.


    The Aurorus''s injured leg had worsened under the pressure of Mega Charizard X''s attack. Its body, already heavily damaged, bore multiple burns on its once-beautiful blue skin.


    However, before it fell, the Aurorus had taken measures to protect itself by casting both Barrier and Light Screen, forcing Yuga to abandon his n to have Mega Charizard X exploit the moment to attack.


    "Charizard, use methrower toward the sky again!"


    This time, the attack seeded. The massive mes surged into the sky, instantly dispersing the dark clouds and halting the snowfall.


    With the snow no longer interfering, Mega Charizard X seemed visibly relieved and in higher spirits.


    After clearing the snow, Yuga noticed that the Aurorus still hadn''t managed to stand. He quicklymanded Mega Charizard X to charge forward. Fortunately, the paralysis didn''t trigger this time.


    As Mega Charizard X rushed in, the Aurorus raised its head and unleashed a stream of icy frost. Mega Charizard X attempted to counter with methrower, but its luck ran out, and the paralysis struck again. It was engulfed by the icy torrent.


    "Roarrr!"


    Mega Charizard X emerged from the frost, battered and disheveled, but managed tond near the Aurorus. It attempted to use Brick Break to attack, aiming to shatter the Aurorus''s Light Screen, but another surge of paralysis coursed through its body, causing the move to fail.


    Brick Break could have destroyed the Aurorus''s defenses, but luck was not on Mega Charizard X''s side.


    At that moment, the Aurorus''s Aqua Tail struck. Though Mega Charizard X took the hit, it managed to grab hold of the Aurorus''s tail.


    Initially, it tried to lift the Aurorus into the air directly, but the paralysis forced it to abandon the idea. Instead, it swung the Aurorus around and hurled it away.


    <strong>Boom!</strong>


    With a thunderous crash, the Aurorus mmed into a nearby wall, causing it to crack under the impact. The Aurorus copsed to the ground and didn''t get back up.


    The battle was over, and a wave of thunderous cheers erupted from the audience.


    As Yuga and Diantha tended to their Pok��mon and escorted them for treatment, the announcer, Vivian, took to the stage. With electrifying energy, she addressed the crowd.


    "How incredible was that battle between Gym Leader Shimizu and Champion Diantha just now?"


    "INCREDIBLE!"


    The audience responded in unison, their excitement filling the air.


    "It was absolutely incredible! Even as someone who''s not a Trainer, I felt my blood boiling!" Vivian eximed excitedly. "But the next stage belongs to all of you! I hope you can bring us equally thrilling battles. Can you do it?"


    "Yes!!!"


    The participants responded with exuberance, as if infused with boundless energy.


    "Then I''ll be eagerly looking forward to your performances," Vivian said yfully, winking at the contestants below.


    After the exhibition match concluded, the preliminary rounds for thepetitors began.


    The Verdanturf Town Gym, having undergone renovations, now boasted additional arenas. The contestants were assigned to different venues for their matches. Each venue was equipped with Rotom Cameras, which Mayor Ishida had specially requested from the League. These cameras could dynamically capture and showcase the contestants'' performances for both the audience and judges.


    Rotom Cameras were the League''stest technological innovation, allowing Rotoms to inhabit them for flexible andprehensive coverage of matches.


    Verdanturf Town was fortunate to acquire these cameras as they were still undergoing performance testing, with the town''s Duel Tournament serving as one of the testing grounds.


    Given therge number of participants in the preliminary rounds, many matches took ce simultaneously.


    Ash''s group included two other contestants: a man in his thirties and a woman in her twenties, both older than Ash.


    Ash''s first opponent was the man, a local of Verdanturf Town who wasn''t a professional Trainer. He had only started raising Pok��mon after Yuga''s campaign to promote Grass-type Pok��mon in Verdanturf Town. His participation in the tournament was just for fun.


    However, the preliminary rounds were designed to weed out such casual participants. His Gloom was defeated by Ash''s Meganium in just two moves.


    In the original series, Ash''s Bayleef didn''t evolve, but now it had not only evolved but also grown significantly stronger.


    The female contestant, on the other hand, was much more skilled. A genuine Grass-type Trainer, she was more serious than Ash, the "pseudo" Grass-type Trainer, though her overall strength was still inferior to his.


    Her Pok��mon was a Tangrowth, known for its high defense and stamina. After losing to Ash''s Meganium, it quickly recovered and managed to defeat the male contestant''s Jumpluff.


    As for why she didn''t switch Pok��mon, spectators spected she might be conserving her strength.


    In the three matches within their group, the male contestant was eliminated with zero points, while Ash and the female contestant advanced to the next round.


    Meanwhile, Erika''s matches proceeded smoothly as well. She didn''t use her signature Pok��mon like Vileplume or Bellossom, opting instead for a lessmon Carnivine.


    This Carnivine was ferocious, attacking with relentless aggression and swiftly dispatching her two opponents, even faster than Ash''s battles.


    In her group, one person also ended up eliminated due to Erika''s undefeated record.


    Ryo had also returned for this tournament. He and May arrived just before thepetition started, without notifying their family in advance. Yuga was quite surprised when he found them at home.


    Though May wanted to participate in the tournament, herck of three Grass-type Pok��mon prevented her from joining, leaving only Ryo to sign up.


    Ryo''s chosen Pok��mon was a Ludicolo, not one from their home but likely captured during his travels. It performed well, easily defeating his two opponents to advance.


    Then came Anya''s turn topete.


    Anya''s strength was unexpectedly impressive. Her performance in the preliminaries was on par with Erika''s, drawing Yuga''s attention.


    The Pok��mon Anya used was a Maractus, a species simr in habits to Cea and Cacturne, native to deserts and known for their resilience.


    This was Yuga''s first time seeing such a Pok��mon. With every movement, its body emitted a pleasant rustling sound, almost musical.


    In the desert, Maractus typically uses this sound to deter predators.


    Anya''s Maractus was exceptionally strong, no less capable than Erika''s Carnivine. Yuga could see its prowess at a nce.


    In the matches, it disyed remarkable efficiency,nding crushing blows with its spiked fists. Its swift and ruthless attacks left no chance for its opponents, wrapping up the battles in no time.

 Chapter 1224: Treatment

    <h4>Chapter 1224: Treatment</h4>


    The opening ceremony of the Duel Tournament took ce in the morning, with the preliminary rounds scheduled for the afternoon.


    After a full afternoon of intense matches, the preliminaries concluded, with Ash, Erika, Ryo, and Anya all advancing to the next stage.


    At the end of the day''spetition, both participants and spectators began leaving the stadium one after another. Having been engaged in matches all day, the contestants and referees alike were utterly exhausted.


    To celebrate Ash, Erika, and Ryo''s sessful advancement, Yuga invited them over to his house for a grand feast meticulously prepared by Audino. He also wished them victory in their uing matches.


    After dinner, the contestants gathered to exchange experiences and strategies.


    Since the preliminary round had so many participants, none of them had encountered particrly difficult opponents so far. However, the uing advancement matches would be a different story. The opponents'' strength would increase significantly, and making it to the finals would be far more challenging than the rtively easy preliminaries.


    This Grass-type Pok��mon Duel Tournament held in Verdanturf Town was not only an excellent tform for honing skills but also offered exceptionally generous rewards. As a result, every participant was gearing up with determination.


    They stayed at Verdanturf Gym for quite a while, and before they knew it, night had fallen. One by one, they bid their farewells and left.


    After everyone had departed, Yuga went to the Ecopark.


    Today marked the final dose of the gic serum for the Beldum. After this treatment, and with some rest, their gic disorders would be fully cured.


    There were also the baby Squirtle and Froakie to consider.


    After handing all of Torterra''s fruits to Joyka, she had lived up to expectations and crafted medicine to treat the two little ones'' frail conditions. Starting today, the treatment for both Pok��mon would officiallymence.


    Arriving at the Mine Sub-Ecopark of the Ecopark, Yuga found the Beldum training with a few Drilbur, while their guardians��two Metagross, a Rhydon, and a Nidoqueen��watched from nearby.


    Seeing how absorbed they were in training, Yuga didn''t interrupt but instead stood by and observed.


    While Beldum are the first evolutionary stage of pseudo-legendary Pok��mon, they aren''t particrly strong in this form. This isrgely because the moves they can learn at this stage are extremely limited, and their primary weapon is using their bodies to ram into opponents.


    In contrast, the Drilbur, which had been rigorously training since entering the Ecopark, were much stronger. Using their Dig move, they could nimbly evade Beldum''s attacks and evenunch surprise counterattacks. As a result, the Beldum often ended up at a disadvantage during their sparring matches.


    At this moment, the Beldum were sparring with the indigo potential Drilbur, which was taking on two opponents at once.


    Thanks to Rhydon''s rigorous supervision and guidance over this period, the indigo potential Drilbur had made rapid progress, leaving its peers far behind in strength. This greatly satisfied Rhydon.


    As long as Drilbur continued to improve, Rhydon and its mate felt assured they would have a reliable ally in the future.


    The Drilbur had just emerged from the ground when the two Beldum, irritated from being toyed with, charged at it with all their strength using the Tackle move. Seeing them rush forward, Drilbur quickly ducked its head back into its burrow and disappeared.


    <strong>Bang! Bang!</strong>


    The Beldum''s attacks missed, creating arge pit in the ground. Meanwhile, Drilbur reappeared behind them and struck each with a Drill Run, knocking both Beldum to the ground.


    Just as Yuga was about to walk over, he noticed a bright light of evolution radiating from Drilbur''s body. When the light subsided, a magnificent Excadrill stood proudly in its ce.


    Seeing this, Yuga was delighted and immediately stepped forward to praise them. "Great job! It seems you''ve all been working hard in your training recently."


    When Yuga approached, the Metagross and Beldum became ecstatic, they''re floating over one after another until they hadpletely surrounded him.


    Because Yuga had avenged them and given them such a happy life now, both Metagross and the Beldum were exceptionally affectionate toward him.


    If their evolution condition were based on friendship, they might have already evolved into Metang by now.


    "Haha... Haha... Stop crowding me! I still need to administer your medicationter. After this round, you''ll be fully cured," Yuga said with a helplessugh, trying to shift their focus to the matter at hand.


    Sure enough, upon hearing Yuga''s words, the Beldum immediately calmed down and became very obedient, though the excitement in their eyes was unmistakable.


    Born with a gic disorder that had caused them immense suffering, the fact that it was finally going to be cured filled them with joy beyond measure.


    "Before we begin, let''s treat these two little ones first." Yuga gestured at the two unconscious Beldum still lying on the ground, unattended.


    Realizing they hadpletely forgotten about their faintedpanions, the other Beldum hung their heads in embarrassment.


    Yuga released Chimecho, and with a wave of Heal Pulse, the two Beldum woke up in no time.


    Seeing them awake, Yuga turned to Rhydon, who was standing nearby, and said, "You''ve worked hard training the Drilbur recently. You''ve done a great job. As a reward, if you''d like to evolve, I can help you."


    Evolve?


    Rhydon''s eyes immediately lit up:<i> I can evolve?</i>


    For Rhydon to evolve into Rhyperior, it needs to hold a Protector and be traded��an artificial method created by humans. Since this item doesn''t naturally ur in the wild, it''s rare to find Rhyperior outside of human ownership.


    Hearing it could still evolve, Rhydon, eager to grow stronger, was visibly thrilled. It wasted no time in expressing its desire to evolve.


    "Great," Yuga said with a satisfied smile. "Keep supervising Excadrill and the Drilbur during their training. You''ll be rewarded plenty in the future."


    Rhydon nodded earnestly.


    "You''re doing well too," Yuga added, turning to Excadrill. "Keep it up. If you''re craving anything special to eat, go find Audino. Consider it my reward for your recent efforts."


    Excadrill, delighted by Yuga''s words, clicked its ws eagerly and nodded in gratitude.


    After encouraging both Rhydon and Excadrill, Yuga began preparing to treat the Beldum.


    At that moment, several Blissey entered the room, carrying fourrge tubs of water, which they ced neatly in a row.


    Yuga took out four bottles of medicine, unscrewed the caps, and poured the contents into the water-filled tubs. The sixteen Beldum divided themselves into four groups and dove into the tubs.


    Having used the gene therapy solution before, the Beldum were familiar with the process. They instinctively swirled around in the medicated water to ensure their bodies fully absorbed the treatment, which entered their systems through their joints to heal their gic disorders.


    After soaking for about two hours, the Beldum emerged one by one, chattering excitedly among themselves. They shared their joy at finally being healthy and dreamed aloud about a bright future.


    In truth, their gic disorders hadn''t rpsed for a while, thanks to the gradual effects of the gene therapy. Today was merely the final step of the treatment.


    The two Metagross exchanged nces, their gazes softening as they looked at the now lively and healthy Beldum. They turned to Yuga and thanked him again.


    Noticing their mixed emotions, Yuga offered a fewforting words before leaving with the Blissey.


    After exiting the Mine Sub-Ecopark, Yuga headed straight for the Shallow Sea Beach Sub-Ecopark.


    Ever since a group of Slowpoke moved onto Lake Ind No. 1, the surface of theke had turned pink from the presence of water hyacinth leaves. The Slowpoke loved lounging on the floating leaves to nap. When they woke up and felt hungry, they''d nibble on the leaves, seemingly enjoying their vor.


    Water hyacinths are a type of medicinal nt cultivated not only on Lake Ind No. 1 but also on the other twoke inds. The YoYo Day Care regrly requiresrge quantities of them.


    Their leaves are rich in Water-type energy and offer great benefits to Water-type Pok��mon when consumed over time.


    Fortunately, despite their slow and seemingly dull nature, the Slowpoke were obedient and easy to manage. The Slowking and Slowbro kept everything in order without much trouble.


    When Yuga arrived at thekeside, he saw the little Squirtle and Froakie darting around in the water, yfully teasing the Slowpoke napping on the water hyacinths.


    The Slowpoke mostly ignored their antics, at most lifting an eyelid to nce at them before going back to doing nothing.


    Even though the Slowpoke didn''t pay much attention to Squirtle and Froakie, the two little ones yed to their hearts'' content. Despite being born frail, their lively and charming personalities made them quite endearing.


    Seeing how much fun they were having, Yuga called out to them from a distance. When the two noticed Yuga had arrived, they immediately abandoned the Slowpoke and swam over to him.


    Since Yuga often took them to the Pok��mon Center for treatment, the two little ones were very attached to him.


    Greninja was still as diligent as ever, heading out early in the morning to spar with other Pok��mon. Even thiste, when Yuga asked stoise��who had been meditating nearby��Greninja hadn''t returned yet.


    "How was your day, you two?" Yuga asked with a warm smile as the little ones mbered onto the bank.


    He had been busy all day preparing for the Duel Tournament and had barely found the time to pick up some medicine from the Pok��mon Center, let alone check on the two little ones.


    "Froooakie~"


    "Squirtle! Squirtle!"


    The two eagerly began recounting all their adventures from the day, vying for Yuga''s attention.


    Still too young and frail to start training, the little ones spent their days freely exploring and ying. Yuga nned to begin their formal training once their health improved. With Greninja as their father, they were naturally at an advantagepared to others like Drilbur, who had spent time as an orphan.


    After spending some time ying with the two, Yuga took out the medicine he had prepared for them. The treatment provided by Nurse Joy involved two steps: oral and topical application.


    First, Yuga pulled out a palm-sized bottle filled with small, round brown pills. Pouring out two pills, he handed them to Squirtle and Froakie. "Here, eat these."


    The little ones took the pills, ncing at Yuga with puzzled expressions. They didn''t know what these were but trusted him enough to pop them into their mouths. After a bit of chewing, they swallowed the pills.


    Their eyes lit up after eating, mistaking the medicine for candy, and they reached out, wanting more.


    Yuga chuckled and put the bottle away. "This is medicine, not candy. Only one pill at a time."


    In truth, the pills tasted awful, but Nurse Joy had coated them in sweet honey to make them ptable. If the little ones took their time chewing, they might''ve been repulsed by the true vor.


    Realizing the "candy" was out of reach, the two gave up, sitting obediently with their big, round eyes fixed on Yuga.


    Next, Yuga brought out a moderately-sized tub, filled it with water, and poured in a vial of dark green liquid.


    "Alright, hop in and soak for a bit."


    The little ones peered over the tub''s edge, pointing at the green liquid with suspicion. "What''s this? It looks weird."


    Yuga exined patiently, "This is medicine to help your bodies recover. The pills you just ate were part of the treatment. Once you''re better, you''ll be able to do anything just like the others."


    Hearing this, the two gasped, covering their mouths in shock. They had just realized the "candy" was medicine. Their round eyes widened even more, their expressions hriously exaggerated, which made Yuga burst intoughter.


    "Come on, stop dawdling," Yuga said, picking them up by the scruffs and cing them into the tub.


    Though the greenish liquid looked unappealing, it emitted a faint, pleasant aroma. Once in, the two rxed and began swimming leisurely, clearly enjoying the soak.


    stoise, having been briefed about the medicine earlier, immediately crawled up from the shore to join Yuga by the tub, watching the little ones in the medicated bath.


    Not long after, Greninja returned. Seeing both Yuga and stoise crouched by the tub, it curiously approached, only to be filled in by stoise. Soon, Greninja joined the "watch party" as well.


    After soaking for over an hour, Yuga decided it was time. The water in the tub had be clear again, indicating the treatment wasplete. He carefully lifted Squirtle and Froakie out of the tub.


    Though this medicine, much like the gic therapy, worked gradually, Yuga could already notice a change. The two seemed more energetic, and their previously sicklyplexions looked much healthier.


    Seeing the improvement, stoise and Greninja were thrilled.


    After spending several hours in the Ecopark, Yuga finally finished his work. When he stepped out, it was almost midnight. Knowing he had another busy day ahead preparing for the Duel Tournament, he quickly washed up and went to bed.

 Chapter 1225: Bill, The Son of Pokémon

    <h4>Chapter 1225: Bill, The Son of Pok��mon</h4>


    Early the next morning, Yuga made a trip to the Pok��mon Center.


    Joyka, who had just started her morning preparations, was surprised to see Yuga and asked, "What brings you here so early?"


    Yuga smiled and replied, "I''ll be busy with the Duel Tournament soon. If I don''te now, I might not have the timeter."


    Once the Duel Tournament officially begins, the Pok��mon Center will be swamped with work, as all injured Pok��mon from the battles will be sent there for treatment. Even if Yuga found the time to visit then, Joyka likely wouldn''t have a moment to spare to attend to him.


    "Burp~ So, what are you here for exactly?"


    Joyka took a sip of Moomoo Milk handed to her by Blissey and burped, smacking her lips before asking. In front of Yuga, she didn''t bother to maintain her elegant, gentle Nurse Joy persona.


    On a side note, the Pok��mon Center''s Moomoo Milk was provided by YoYo Day Care.


    Trainers staying at the Pok��mon Center needed meals, so Yuga often sold leftover ingredients from the Paradise Hotel to the Pok��mon Center at a friendly price. After all, Joyka had helped him immensely over the years.


    Since the Moomoo Milk produced in Yuga''s Ecopark was low-cost, even selling it at a modest price to Joyka still turned a profit.


    Yuga pulled out a card and handed it to Joyka, who didn''t take it and instead asked in confusion, "What''s this?"


    "Payment for the medicine," Yuga exined. "You researched and prepared it; I can''t let you work for free."


    Joyka frowned and pushed the card back toward him, saying, "What kind of person do you take me for? Didn''t you give me all those materials without charging a cent?"


    "That''s not the same," Yuga said. "Wisdom is priceless. You independently developed a unique form. How can the cost of materialspare to that?"


    "But I didn''t give you the form. I just made the medicine for you. The form is still mine," Joyka said with a shrug.


    "Without my materials, your form wouldn''t be of any use," Yuga countered. "Don''t worry, it''s not much, just a small token of appreciation for your hard work."


    "Fine, fine, you win," Joyka said, unable to out-argue Yuga. She reluctantly took the card.


    After leaving the Pok��mon Center, Yuga headed to the stadium, where Mayor Ishida was already hard at work.


    At 7:30 a.m., the Duel Tournament''s advancement rounds began.


    Following the preliminary rounds, only 100 contestants remained. Since the advancement rounds wouldn''t feature multiple simultaneous matches like the preliminaries, they were split into two sessions: morning and afternoon.


    Soon, the matchups for the participants were disyed on therge screen in the arena. The host, Vivian, took the microphone and announced from the stage, "Contestants, please take note of your opponents and match order. Get ready!"


    At 8:00 a.m., the advancement round''s morning session officially began.


    The first two contestants to step onto the battlefield were a muscr middle-aged man and a bespectacled teenager.


    The muscr man''s Pok��mon were a Chesnaught and a Passimian, both of which looked extremely robust and matched their Trainer''s vibe perfectly.


    ording to the introductions, this Trainer had traveled all the way from the Kalos region specifically to participate in the Duel Tournament.


    After releasing his Pok��mon, the man shouted, "Muscles are victory!" and struck a bodybuilding pose. His exaggerated muscles were indeed impressive.


    His two Pok��mon mimicked his actions, showing off muscles even more exaggerated than their Trainer''s.


    Compared to the mboyant entrance of the muscr man, the bespectacled teenager''s Pok��mon appeared much more unremarkable: two nearly identical Sunflora.


    The man''s dramatic entry had the audience anticipating a spectacr performance, but the bespectacled teenager struck first. One Sunflora immediately used Sunny Day at lightning speed, while the other unleashed a SrBeam faster than the eye could follow.


    The blindingly powerful SrBeam swept across the battlefield, striking Chesnaught and Passimian standing side by side. Despite both being Grass-types with resistance to Grass-type moves, they were instantly knocked out.


    Although SrBeam is a Grass-type move, it generates intense heat. When the dazzling beam dissipated, both Chesnaught and Passimian were left charred ck.


    Even though the man had a rare starter Pok��mon like Chesnaught, the battle demonstrated that having a strong Pok��mon alone wasn''t enough��being a good Trainer mattered just as much.


    Seeing this, the audience erupted into boos and jeers at the muscr man, who quickly recalled his Pok��mon and fled the scene.


    The bespectacled teenager''s remarkable performance caught the attention of the judges, including Yuga.


    "This boy is quite impressive. Have you heard of him?" Cynthia asked, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.


    The others all shook their heads.


    "From the introductions, it seems he''s a local from Hoenn. Have Gym Leader Shimizu hear anything about him?" Caitlin asked curiously.


    "Never heard of him," Yuga replied, shaking his head.


    All the judges could tell that the muscr man''s quick defeat wasn''t due to his weakness but rather the teenager''s exceptional strength.


    "To encounter such an intriguing contestant right in the first match of the advancement round... I''m even more excited about the uing battles," Diantha remarked enthusiastically.


    The matches continued. Next up were two young women whose performances were excellent, though they didn''t leave as strong an impression as the bespectacled teenager.


    One of the women appeared to be in her twenties, tall with short hair, exuding amanding presence. The other was younger, under twenty, with shoulder-length hair and a sweet, delicate appearance.


    Themanding woman''s Pok��mon were a Cradily and a Vileplume. The Vileplume handled the offensive moves, while the Cradily focused on defense, showcasing seamless teamwork.


    The sweet-looking girl''s Pok��mon were a Leavanny and a Serperior. However, her performance didn''t quite match up to themanding woman''s. Although she was strong, she narrowly lost by a slim margin.


    The matches continued until past 11 a.m., when Ryo and his opponent finally took the stage as the 21st pairing.


    Ryo''s opponent was a young man in his twenties. Despite being older than Ryo, he was very polite, greeting Ryo warmly upon entering the arena.


    The young man''s Pok��mon were a Tropius and a Roserade, both rare and clearly well-trained. Their condition suggested that the young man came from a wealthy family.


    However, despite owning such rare Pok��mon, the young manckedbat experience and often seemed flustered during the battle.


    Ryo''s Pok��mon were a Cacturne and a Bellossom. These two were rewards given to him by Yuga at home, and he had trained them for a long time. Although they weren''t quite as strong as his starter Pok��mon, Leafeon, their strength was impressive.


    During the battle, the young man''s Tropius focused solely on defense and healing, leaving all the attacking to Roserade. Roserade, on the other hand, concentrated entirely on offense, neglecting to cover for Tropius when it was under attack.


    While the young man''s strategy of assigning roles to his Pok��mon was sound, he failed to adapt during the fight. For instance, while support Pok��mon are primarily meant to assist, they must step up and attack when necessary.


    Thus, despite their respectable levels, the young man''s Pok��mon suffered a devastating loss. Yuga suspected that the young man had likely relied solely on their high levels to scrape through the preliminaries.


    After the 25th match concluded, the morning session of the advancement round officially ended.


    During the lunch break, everyone left the stadium to eat. Yuga was no exception.


    After saying goodbye to Diantha, Caitlin, and Cynthia, Yuga walked out of the stadium, nning to head home for lunch.


    However, he hadn''t gone far when he spotted the bespectacled teenager from the first match standing nearby, looking around anxiously.


    Curious, Yuga approached him and asked, "What''s wrong? Do you need help?"


    As one of the tournament''s judges, Yuga was easily recognized by the boy, who stammered nervously, "I... I''m lost... lost..."


    The boy''s tone struck Yuga as odd. During the match, he had spoken fluently whilemanding his Pok��mon, but now he seemed ufortable with speaking.


    Noticing how distressed the boy was, Yuga offered, "Where are you trying to go? I can take you there."


    The boy stammered again, "Looking... for... Mr. Scott... looking..."


    So he really had trouble speaking! Yuga confirmed his suspicion. Wait��Scott? Could it be <i>that</i> Scott?


    The Scott Yuga knew was the head of Hoenn''s Battle Frontier, famous for scouting talented Trainers to join the facility. If this boy had any connection to Scott, everything would make sense.


    "Where did youe from?" Yuga asked.


    The boy''s match had ended early in the morning, so he''d clearly been wandering around for some time.


    With his poor sense of direction and difficulty speaking, it took a long time for the boy to exin how he had ended up here.


    Fortunately, Yuga had lived in Verdanturf Town for many years and knew the area like the back of his hand. With his guidance, they eventually found their way back.


    Sure enough, the Scott the boy had mentioned was the same Scott Yuga knew.


    Upon seeing the boy return, the round and cheerful man beamed with relief. "Oh, thank goodness! Where did you go? You scared me half to death! I only stepped away to buy something, and you disappeared in the blink of an eye! Didn''t I tell you not to wander off?"


    The chubby man kept rambling on, wiping sweat from his forehead. Judging by his soaked face, it was evident he had been running around frantically. It must''ve been exhausting, especially for someone of his build.


    The boy pointed at Yuga and stammered, "He... helped..."


    Only then did Scott notice Yuga standing nearby. Surprised for a moment, Scott quickly smiled and said, "Isn''t this Gym Leader Shimizu? Thank you for helping Bill." He then pulled out a handkerchief to dab at his sweat.


    Yuga already knew the boy''s name was Bill.


    Smiling, Yuga replied, "I didn''t expect you, Mr. Scott, to visit Verdanturf Town. If I had known earlier, I would have extended a proper wee."


    Waving a hand dismissively, Scott said, "I''m just bringing Bill here to broaden his horizons."


    Turning to Bill, Yuga asked, "Where did you find such a promising talent? I hadn''t heard anything about him before."


    At that moment, Bill was engrossed in eating a bag of chips that Scott had bought for him. The mention of his name drew little reaction��he simply nced at Yuga before focusing back on his snack.


    It was evident that Bill''s mental state wasn''t as mature as his physical age suggested.


    Scott cast Bill aplex look before sighing deeply. "It was sheer coincidence. I found this kid in the mountains. He''s had a tough life."


    As it turned out, Scott had discovered Bill during a field expedition in a dense forest. At the time, the boy was d in nothing but a grass skirt and was living among a group of Sunflora.


    Raised by Sunflora, Bill had no knowledge of his parents or even his identity.


    Feeling sorry for the boy, Scott decided to take him in. However, the Sunflora who had raised Bill were reluctant to let him go, so they sent two of their kin to apany and protect him.


    Knowing Bill was human and couldn''t live with them forever, the Sunflora insisted on entrusting him to Scott despite Bill''s reluctance to leave his adoptive family.


    The name "Bill" was given to him by Scott after they left the forest.


    Later, Scott discovers Bill''s extraordinary affinity for grass-type Pok��mon. He began teaching Bill human knowledge while also training him to be a Trainer.


    Bill exceeded expectations, quickly surpassing most of the young Trainers cultivated within the Battle Frontier.


    Scott invested significant resources into nurturing Bill, who now functioned as his adopted son, with Scott serving as his legal guardian.


    When Scott heard about Verdanturf Town''s Grass-type Pok��mon Duel Tournament, he rushed to enroll Bill. True to form, Bill made a sensational debut on the battlefield.


    Though Bill struggled with fluent speech, he spoke effortlessly about Pok��mon moves and strategies, making his performance on the field vastly different from his demeanor off it.


    Offstage, Bill exuded an endearing naivety.


    Hearing Bill''s story, Yuga was amazed. A child raised by wild Pok��mon��it was an incredible tale!


    While simr cases had urred before, akin to the "feral children" from Yuga''s past life, such phenomena were rare and rarely encountered in person.


    Noticing Yuga''s gaze, Bill instinctively looked up at him. However, the boy''s sses obscured any clear view of his expression.


    Bill''s sses weren''t for vision correction; he wore them to alleviate the anxiety of facing crowds.


    Scott also exined that Bill wasn''t genuinely directionally challenged. Having lived in the forest for so long, he was simply unustomed to human environments. With time, he would likely adapt.


    In the forest, Bill''s sense of direction was unparalleled��no matter where he wandered, he could always find his way home.


    Out of gratitude for Yuga''s assistance, Scott invited him to lunch, using the opportunity to strengthen their rapport. However, Yuga politely declined, as Audino at home had likely already prepared a meal.


    Audino''s culinary masterpieces were not to be missed.


    Perceptive as ever, Scott caught on to Yuga''s reluctance and didn''t press the issue. After exchanging pleasantries, he cheerfully said his goodbyes and drove off in his shy convertible with Bill in tow.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1226: Qualifying Round

    <h4>Chapter 1226: Qualifying Round</h4>


    In the afternoon, the second half of the qualifying rounds continued.


    When it came to the twenty-eighth match, Erika suddenly faced her opponent.


    Her opponent was a young woman slightly older than her, tall, with dark green hair and matching green eyes.


    The opponent''s two Pok��mon were Ferrothorn and Serperior, both distinctively characteristic of the Unova region, which was indeed where she was from.


    Erika''s Pok��mon, on the other hand, were abination of Bellossom and Vileplume.


    As soon as the four Pok��mon entered the battlefield, the first to act was the green-haired woman''s Serperior.


    However, this Serperior''s Ability wasn''t Contrary; it was the standard Overgrow. Its first move was the signature Grass-type starter attack, Grass Pledge.


    A green glow spread from beneath Serperior and rapidly extended toward Bellossom''s position.


    Seeing this, Erika shouted, "Bellossom, dodge the attack quickly!"


    Bellossom reacted swiftly, somersaulting out of the way.


    The moment Bellossom leapt, a pir of green light burst violently from the spot where it had been standing, nearly engulfing it.


    Vileplume, seeing its partner under attack, released a barrage of purple liquid from the flower atop its head, targeting the Serperior that had attacked Bellossom.


    At that moment, Ferrothorn descended from above. The three arm-like appendages on its head swung rapidly, deflecting all the poison droplets with ease.


    Ferrothorn, being both Grass and Steel type, waspletely immune to poison.


    After clearing the poison, Ferrothorn didn''t stop its spinning motion. Its entire body began to rotate, and it charged rapidly toward Vileplume.


    This was Gyro Ball, a move whose power increases the slower the user ispared to the target. For Ferrothorn, it could unleash this move to its full potential.


    Seeing this, Vileplume used Grass Knot. Suddenly, a thin vine sprouted from the ground, growing rapidly and binding the charging Ferrothorn, bringing it to an abrupt halt.


    At this moment, Bellossom appeared on Ferrothorn''s right side, raising its fist and using Drain Punch to strike it hard.


    Ferrothorn''s numerous resistances and overall toughness, especially against Grass-type moves, made it a challenging opponent. This left Bellossom and Vileplume in a highly disadvantageous position. Drain Punch was the only move in Bellossom''s arsenal capable of effectively countering Ferrothorn.


    Bellossom''s soft but precise punchnded squarely on Ferrothorn, skillfully avoiding its spiked exterior. Ferrothorn was instantly sent flying.


    Bellossom had no idea that Serperior had already maneuvered behind it. Erika and Vileplume tried to warn it, but it was toote. Serperior coiled its body around Bellossom, tightly binding it, and used Wrap.


    The unique feature of Wrap is that the more HP the target has, the more powerful it bes. At this moment, Bellossom was at full health, so Serperior unleashed Bind to its full potential.


    Vileplume immediately prepared to use Sludge Bomb to attack, but Serperior seemed to have anticipated this. It turned its head and unleashed a Dragon Pulse, a wave of dragon-shaped energy, which engulfed Vileplume.


    The Dragon Pulse struck before Vileplume couldunch its Sludge Bomb, interrupting the move mid-charge.


    Bellossom, being a delicate and small Pok��mon not known for its physical strength, struggled in vain to break free from Serperior''s grip.


    Even though this was only a qualifying match and Erika wasn''t going all out, she hadn''t expected to encounter such a formidable opponent so early on.


    "This young woman is really strong! She''s even forcing Erika into such a tough spot. Does anyone know her background?"


    From the referee''s stand, Yuga turned to the other referees and asked.


    "I do!" Caitlin raised her hand. "Thisdyes from a Grass-type specialist family in Unova. Their expertise in breeding Grass-type Pok��mon is unparalleled."


    The woman on the field was older than Caitlin, so calling her "sister" was entirely appropriate.


    "Oh, and by the way, do you know Burgh from the Castelia Gym? He''s rted to thisdy," Caitlin added.


    "So that''s it��an inherited legacy of skill," Yuga nodded. Still, wasn''t Burgh a Bug-type Gym Leader? How was he rted to a family specializing in Grass-types?


    The match on the field continued. Erika knew that Bellossom couldn''t break free from Serperior''s Wrap through sheer force, so she shouted loudly, "Bellossom, Giga Drain!"


    Hearing themand, Bellossom stopped struggling and instead clung tightly to Serperior''s body. A green glow enveloped Bellossom as tendrils of energy extended from the light, piercing into Serperior''s body.


    In no time, Serperior began to feel its strength being gradually drained, and the grip around Bellossom started to loosen.


    At the same time, the injuries on Bellossom''s body were slowly healing.


    Now trapped in Bellossom''s Giga Drain, Serperior tried to shake it off but found it impossible.


    Seeing this, Ferrothorn attempted to rush over and save Serperior, but it was intercepted by Vileplume using Dazzling Gleam.


    In a desperate attempt to free itself, Serperior began rolling on the ground,pletely shedding its previously graceful and elegant demeanor.


    As Serperior''s body rolled against the ground, Bellossom sustained numerous small injuries. However, Bellossom remained unfazed, as the energy it was draining from Serperior was enough to heal its wounds.


    No one knew how long the strugglested, but Serperior''s resistance gradually weakened. Finally, when itsst ounce of strength was drained, ity motionless on the ground.


    With Serperior out of the match, Ferrothorn now faced a two-on-one situation. Even with its strong resistance to Grass-type moves, itcked the strength to take on two opponents at once.


    Moreover, Ferrothorn''s specialty was defense, not offense, and it quickly fell to thebined efforts of Bellossom and Vileplume.


    As Ferrothorn copsed, Erika wiped the sweat from her brow and muttered, "Whew, that was close. Almost lost it."


    The green-haired woman recalled her Pok��mon and smiled graciously at Erika. "I hope we get to battle again someday."


    Erika returned the smile warmly. "I''m sure we will."


    With her strength, the green-haired woman could have easily made it to the finals and earned a respectable ranking. Unfortunately, she had the misfortune of encountering an even stronger opponent like Erika.


    As they say, luck is also a part of strength!


    Ash was scheduled to battleter in the second half of the round, and his opponent turned out to be a surprising elderly woman.


    Although the Grass-type Pok��mon Duel Tournament didn''t impose any age restrictions, it was still surprising��but not entirely unexpected��to see an elderly participant.


    Yuga recognized the elderly woman; she lived in the retirement home in Verdanturf Town and often shopped at YoYo Day Care, making her a frequent customer.


    Coincidentally, both the elderly woman''s and Ash''s teams included a Mega.


    The elderly woman''s second Pok��mon was a Shiftry, while Ash''s was a Sceptile.


    As soon as the Pok��mon entered the battlefield, the two Meganium immediately shed, ramming into each other with all their might. Meganium''s considerable weight caused the ground to tremble, and Yuga could feel the vibrations even from a distance.


    Meanwhile, Shiftry squared off against Sceptile.


    The Shiftry waved its fans, sending a fierce gust of wind toward Sceptile, but Sceptile was no pushover. With a single strike of its Leaf de, it sliced through the whirlwind, splitting it in half and dispersing it.


    The elderly woman, despite her age, had the advantage of experience. Both of her Pok��mon were well-trained, making the battle with Ash''s Meganium and Sceptile evenly matched for a time.


    After a bout of intense struggle, Shiftry began to lose ground. Itcked the agility of Sceptile and was soon struck down by a decisive blow from Sceptile''s Leaf de.


    Seeing its ally injured, the elderly woman''s Meganium took a heavy hit from Ash''s Meganium but retaliated by stomping its front legs forcefully onto the ground, unleashing an Earthquake to drive Sceptile away from Shiftry.


    Cracks spread across the battlefield, and the ground beneath Sceptile began to copse. It leaped onto a chunk of debris, attempting to evade the tremors, but still suffered from the lingering aftereffects.


    Using the opportunity, the elderly woman''s Meganium healed Shiftry with Heal Pulse, a move it had inherited.


    Sceptile was wounded, and since Ash''s Meganium didn''t have ess to Heal Pulse, it took the Meganium tounch an attack on the opposing Meganium, hitting it with an Energy Ball.


    Once Shiftry''s injuries had been healed, it immediately jumped to its feet and distanced itself from Sceptile, retreating to stand alongside both Meganium.


    Seeing Shiftry return, the elderly woman''s Meganium began to heal itself using Synthesis.


    Ash''s Meganium retaliated with a well-aimed Toxic, spraying venom onto Shiftry''s face, poisoning it. The corrosive effect made Shiftry cry out in pain, but instead of retreating, it became enraged. Ignoring the venom on its face, it raised its fans and struck Ash''s Meganium with another X-Scissor.


    At the critical moment, Sceptile appeared in front of Meganium, crossing its arms and using Leaf de to block Shiftry''s X-Scissor. With a powerful shove, it pushed Shiftry backward.


    Shiftry roared in frustration and copsed. Meanwhile, the elderly woman''s Meganiumpleted its Synthesis. Seeing Shiftry poisoned, it quickly attempted to use Aromatherapy to heal it.


    However, Ash''s Meganium, still vignt,unched another Energy Ball at the opponent''s Meganium, striking its neck and interrupting its attempt to use Aromatherapy.


    The elderly woman noticed that Shiftry was growing more agitated from the pain. She tried to calm it down, but her efforts were in vain.


    Shiftry beganunching a frenzied assault on Sceptile. However, Ash didn''tmand Sceptile to counterattack, instead instructing it to rely on its superior speed to evade the attacks.


    The elderly woman realized Ash''s strategy and grew increasingly anxious, but Shiftry ignored hermands to calm down.


    Before long, Shiftry became exhausted, and Sceptile defeated it effortlessly.


    With Shiftry out of the fight, the Meganium, which excelled in support butcked offensive power, was no match for Ash''s team and was quickly defeated as well.


    "Oh dear... I lost... I''m getting old," the elderly woman remarked while recalling her Pok��mon.


    Across from her, Ash gave her a thumbs-up and said, "You''re not old at all, ma''am. That was an amazing battle."


    The elderly woman was touched by Ash''s enthusiasm, and her disappointment over losing quickly vanished. She gave him a thumbs-up in return. "Young man, you''re pretty amazing yourself!"


    After the woman''s battle ended, the 40th match featured another elderly participant, this time an old man. Yuga recognized him immediately��it was the elderly woman''s husband.


    Yuga couldn''t help but wonder why this couple had decided to join thepetition. Could it be that life at the retirement home had gotten too dull?


    The old man proved to be slightly stronger than his wife. Without encountering a challenging opponent like Ash, he easily defeated his opponent and advanced to the next round.


    Anya''s battle was scheduled toward the end of the day. With 50 groups of participants, she was in the 49th match.


    For her battle, Anya brought out two Pok��mon: Cacturne and Cherrim.


    Cherrim, with its adorable appearance, is a staple in many Sunny Day teams. Its ability, Flower Gift, is excellent for supporting teammates.


    True to form, Cherrim started the battle by using Sunny Day. As the sunny weather took effect, its petals unfurled, revealing its full cherry blossom form.


    The sunny conditions activated Cherrim''s Flower Gift ability, significantly boosting Cacturne''s special defense and special attack.


    Anya''s opponent was a young man about her age, whose Pok��mon were a Tropius and a Parasect.


    The Tropius had the ability Sr Power, which greatly increased its special attack under sunny conditions. It pped its wings and rose into the air, releasing two crossing Air shes aimed directly at Cherrim.


    However, Cacturne''s ability, Chlorophyll, doubled its speed in sunny weather. The moment Tropius attacked, Cacturne reacted swiftly,unching a massive Energy Ball that intercepted the Air shes.


    The Energy Ball not only neutralized the Air shes but continued toward Tropius.


    Boom!


    Tropius wavered in mid-air after being struck.


    Clearly, Cherrim''s Flower Gift had provided Cacturne with a powerful boost.


    While Cacturne dealt with Tropius, the Parasect rolled its eyes before swinging itsrge pincers, aiming a Cross Poison at Cacturne.


    Cherrim quickly hopped in front of Cacturne and used Protect to block the attack. At the same time, it used Helping Hand on Cacturne.


    The boost from Helping Hand increased Cacturne''s attack power. It fired a Sr Beam at Tropius, trying to bring it down.


    However, despite its seemingly sluggish demeanor, Parasect reacted swiftly, intercepting the Sr Beam with another Cross Poison, allowing Tropius to escape unscathed.


    Cherrim used Helping Hand again on Cacturne, which then unleashed a Hyper Voice, targeting Parasect this time.


    Cacturne''s Hyper Voice was peculiar, as it used the sound of the bells inside its body. The resulting noise was a cacophony, so unbearable that even the audience covered their ears.


    Hyper Voice was an area-of-effect move, and neither Parasect nor Tropius could avoid it. Parasect, being directly in the line of fire, was knocked unconscious almost instantly.


    With Parasect out, Cacturne and Cherrim used the same strategy to defeat Tropius, securing victory for Anya and advancing her to the next round.


    Anya''s match marked the conclusion of this round of elimination battles, bringing the day''s events to a close.

 Chapter 1227: Cosmoem and Musharna

    <h4>Chapter 1227: Cosmoem and Musharna</h4>


    After a day ofpetition, Yuga and Ash, along with the others, decided to leave the stadium together.


    As they reached the entrance, they happened to see two elderly people talking to a five- or six-year-old boy. These elders were none other than the grandma and grandpa who hadpeted earlier in the tournament.


    "I''m sorry, sweetheart," the grandma said apologetically to the little boy. "Grandma lost the match, so I couldn''t win the Grass-type Pok��mon to bring home."


    The boy, however, didn''t seem upset at all. Instead, he kissed his grandma on the cheek and said sweetly, "Grandma did amazing today. Colt is so proud of you."


    It was clear the boy''s name was Colt.


    Hearing Colt''s words, the grandma was delighted and returned his kiss with a loud smooch. "Mwah~ Our Colt is such a good boy."


    At this point, the grandpa chimed in, "If Grandma lost, there''s still Grandpa. I''ll definitely win that Grass-type Pok��mon and bring it home so Colt can have a new friend."


    Colt looked up at his grandpa with admiration. "Thank you, Grandpa! You''re the best!"


    Receiving such praise from his grandson, the grandpa''s face beamed with pride.


    After listening to their conversation, Yuga finally understood why the elderly couple had entered the tournament.


    Colt hade with his parents to visit the grandparents at the retirement home and to watch the Grass-type Pok��mon Duel Tournament.


    However, the boy had taken a liking to the Grass-type Pok��mon that was being offered as the champion''s prize. The doting grandparents, upon realizing this, had immediately signed up for the tournament.


    At this moment, the elderly couple noticed Yuga and the others. Ash enthusiastically waved at them, and the grandparents cheerfully waved back. Even Colt, not quite understanding what was going on, started waving his little hand.


    After returning home and finishing dinner, Ash and the others gathered again at the gym to exchange training experiences. This time, Yuga didn''t join them. Instead, he went back to his own home.


    Once home, the first thing Yuga did was open the League Trainer Shop''s official website to check how Protector was sold. Since he had promised Rhydon to help it evolve, he couldn''t go back on his word.


    After opening the website, Yuga typed "Protector" into the search bar. Soon, the page disyed the prices for the Protector.


    One look and Yuga realized that this special item could only be purchased with merit points��it couldn''t be bought with League currency at all. To make matters worse, the price was staggering, costing several thousand merit points, much more than other items.


    Luckily, Yuga wasn''tcking in merit points, so he ced an order for the Protector right away.


    After purchasing the Protector, Yuga headed to the Mine Sub-Ecopark to check on the Beldum. Today was their first day off their medication, and he needed to ensure they were doing well.


    After inspecting the Beldum, he found them in perfect condition and then headed to the Shallow Sea Beach Sub-Ecopark. The treatment for Squirtle and Froakie still needed to continue.


    Both Squirtle and Froakie were in even better spirits today. Having realized the benefits of the treatment, they were cooperating more actively with Yuga, which made stoise very pleased. (It was, once again, a day when Greninja wasn''t home.)


    While waiting for Froakie and Squirtle to soak in their medicinal bath, Yuga noticed out of the corner of his eye a Feebas with a dazed expression watching him from the shore. Yuga immediately recognized it as the one he had brought back from Crobat''s old home.


    The reason Yuga could recognize this particr Feebas was because its expression was even more vacant than that of a typical Feebas.


    After eating Beautie Pok��blocks for some time, its expression hadn''t changed much, but its scales had be much more refined. Though still a dull gray, they now had a sheen, like a highlighted version of dull gray.


    Yuga walked over to thekeshore, looked at the Feebas, and asked, "What are you doing here?"


    He didn''t expect an answer, as this dazed Feebas had never taken the initiative tomunicate with him since being captured.


    But this time, to his surprise, the Feebas clearly expressed its intention. Though it was a bit slow to respond, it conveyed its desire inly: it wanted Yuga to find it a Trainer.


    Yuga was astonished. This was the first time he had encountered a Pok��mon that actively requested help finding a Trainer. How unique!


    "Can I ask why?" Yuga asked curiously. The Pok��mon in the Ecopark was provided with excellent food and amodations. Was this kind of life not appealing? Could this Feebas be a free spirit who loved adventure?


    After the Feebas exined in its slow, deliberate manner, Yuga finally understood. This Feebas wasn''t very good at socializing and had trouble fitting in.


    In the centralke on Ind No. 1, where it lived, there were other Feebas. Usually, the couple of Milotic and Gyarados managed the group, but this Feebas, being overly dazed and not verymunicative, struggled to integrate with the others.


    When it lived alone before, it hadn''t minded. But now, seeing other Feebas moving in groups while it remained alone, the Feebas felt lonely.


    Later, it overheard from other Feebas that they could have Trainers. So it thought, since it couldn''t fit in with the other Feebas, why not try to find a Trainer instead?


    After hearing its reasoning, Yuga thought to himself: <i>Who says it''s just dazed? It''s pretty smart��just a bit slow to react.</i>


    "You really want a Trainer?" Yuga asked again for confirmation.


    Feebas hesitated for a moment before nodding.


    Yuga felt a bit troubled as he looked at it. Although it hadn''t evolved yet, it was no longer a juvenile Pok��mon, so selling it wasn''t an option.


    After thinking for a while, Yuga decided to help Feebas find a Trainer through an exchange. This way, not only could he fulfill Feebas''s wish, but he could also gain another Pok��mon in return.


    However, he needed to carefully select the exchange partner to ensure Feebas wasn''t shortchanged.


    With his n in mind, Yuga said to Feebas, "Got it. Be patient, and I''ll find you a suitable Trainer."


    Feebas blew a bubble, flipped over, and dove back into the water.


    As it flipped, Yuga noticed a prism scale on its belly.


    <i>Is it about to evolve?</i>


    Yuga was a bit surprised.


    When Feebas consumes Beautie Pok��blocks, a prism scale appears on its body as it prepares to evolve into Milotic. Once fully evolved, this prism scale bes Milotic''s scale, akin to the inverse scale found on Dragon-type Pok��mon.


    Even after a Milotic passes away, its prism scale remains and can be used as an item to help other Feebas evolve into Milotic.


    After Froakie and Squirtle finished their medicinal bath, Yuga gave them a few instructions and then left the Shallow Sea Beach Sub-Ecopark.


    As he passed through the main Ecopark, the system suddenly spoke.


    After listening to what it had to say, Yuga made his way to the climate tree in the main Ecopark. Rubbing his hands together, he climbed up the tree.


    When he reached the top of the canopy, he noticed a tree hollow on one of the branches. Inside, a pink Pok��mon was peacefully sleeping. It was the Munna Yuga had won during a bet at the Rustboro City battle arena.


    The reason the system had urged Yuga to win this Munna back then was because its evolved form, Musharna, possessed the ability to materialize the dreams it consumed. The special energy known as Dream Mist that it produced was an excellent resource for nurturing Cosmoem.


    However, since bringing the Munna back, Yuga had left it in the tree hollow without much intervention��not out of neglect, but because he simply didn''t know how to care for it.


    Although the Munna had blue potential, it remained in a constant state of sleep, feeding only on the dreams of other Pok��mon in the Ecopark. Yuga was clueless about how to raise it properly.


    Initially, Yuga had considered using a Moon Stone to evolve it immediately, but the system had stopped him.


    At the time, the system exined that the Munna was still too weak. Even if it evolved, it wouldn''t be able to materialize dreams or produce Dream Mist. Dream Mist was a powerful and unique force born from dreams, and a weak Musharna wouldn''t be able to control it. The Munna needed to grow stronger first, so Yuga had to wait.


    And wait he did��so long that he had almost forgotten the Munna''s existence.


    Just now, the system informed him that the Munna, having consumed a significant amount of dreams, had finally reached the point where it could evolve. That was why the system called him over.


    Looking at the Munna, which was sleeping so peacefully, Yuga gently poked its cheek with his finger. It remained fast asleep, showing no sign of waking.


    <i>How cute</i>, Yuga thought.


    "Can I evolve it directly using the Moon Stone?" Yuga asked the system.


    "Yes," the system replied concisely.


    Upon hearing this, Yuga immediately retrieved a Moon Stone from the system''s inventory and ced it on Munna''s belly.


    As soon as Munna touched the Moon Stone, it began to glow with the light of evolution and floated out of the tree hollow.


    When the glow subsided, a new Pok��mon hovered before Yuga, muchrger than the original Munna.


    ...


    [ Musharna ]


    Type: Psychic


    Ability: Forewarn


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Blue


    Level: 61


    Moves: Psywave, Lucky Chant, Yawn, Synchronoise, Nightmare, Calm Mind, Psychic, Dream Eater, Telekinesis, Psyshock, Safeguard, Shadow Ball, Role y, Rest, Sleep Talk, Psychic Terrain, Hypnosis.


    ...


    Having consumed a vast amount of dreams, this Musharna had unknowingly be a pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon. No wonder the system said it could evolve now.


    As the Pok��mon floated in front of him, Yuga once again poked its cheek with his finger. This time, Musharna wrapped one of its ribbon-like appendages around his finger.


    Noticing Musharna''s tightly closed eyes, Yuga eximed in surprise, "Could it be awake?"


    He reached out again, this time aiming to poke its belly. Musharna, however, deftly dodged left and right, refusing to let him touch it.


    Through the system''s exnation, Yuga learned that Musharna was in a state that could be described as both awake and asleep. Its actual state was indeed one of sleep, but it could still perceive its surroundings and understand what was happening nearby.


    The ribbon-like appendage on its head serves as the link through which it perceives the outside world while dreaming.


    "How fascinating..." Yuga murmured to himself, then turned to ask the system, "So how do I collect dream mist to nurture Cosmoem? And what does dream mist even look like?"


    He looked around but couldn''t spot any sign of dream mist.


    "Dream mist hasn''t been produced yet..." the system replied bluntly.


    Yuga: ...


    The system exined that Yugacked the capability to create tools to collect dream mist, so the simplest solution was to let Cosmoem spend more time with Musharna. Once Cosmoem encountered dream mist, it would instinctively consume it.


    Dream mist originates from dreams materialized by Musharna. Without consuming dreams, no mist would be produced.


    Acknowledging this, Yuga called out Cosmoem and introduced it: "Cosmoem, this is Musharna. You''ll be spending time together from now on, so get along well."


    After all, Musharna was about to be its key to sustenance.


    "Cosmoem~" Cosmoem chirped curiously, gazing at Musharna floating in midair. Musharna gently descended and patted Cosmoem''s head with its ribbon-like appendage. Before long, the two Pok��mon were ying together harmoniously.


    Seeing them get along, Yuga said to Cosmoem, "Make sure to treat your new friend well. I''ll leave you two to it."


    Before departing, Yuga offered Musharna a Pokeblock, asking if it wanted to eat. Musharna declined decisively��it only consumed dreams.


    Yuga thought to himself, <i>This Pok��mon sure is cost-effective to raise.</i>


    In reality, nurturing a Musharna was no easy task. High-quality dreams are quite rare. Without therge variety of Pok��mon living in the Ecopark, generating plenty of dreams daily, Musharna''s growth wouldn''t have been so smooth.


    When Yuga returned to the gym, everyone had already left, except for Ryo, whose room was still lit. Seeing Ryo still organizing his noteste into the night, Yuga said, "Ryo, you should head to bed soon. You have a match tomorrow."


    Turning to see Yuga standing at the doorway, Ryo smiled and replied, "Got it, Gym Leader. I''ll sleep after finishing this part."


    "Alright then, goodnight."


    "Goodnight, Gym Leader."


    The next morning, when Yuga left the house, Ayaka had already arrived at the shop. Yuga reminded her, "Ayaka, I ordered something online. If a delivery arrives in the next couple of days, please sign for it."


    "Understood, boss!" Ayaka replied cheerfully.


    At 7:30 AM, the second round of the preliminaries officially began. Like yesterday''s first round, today''s match featured 50 contestants battling in 25 matches, split into a morning and afternoon session.


    With the tournament progressing into the second round, thepetitors'' skill levels had increased, and the matches became even more intense.


    The first match of the day featured an elderly man facing off against a teenage boy.


    The old man''s Pok��mon were Breloom and Exeggutor, while the boy''s were Victreebel and Tangrowth.


    The elderly man and his wife had been full-time Trainers in their youth, specializing in Grass-types. Although theycked exceptional talent, they had umted substantial experience over the years.


    Their advanced age worked in their favor, as Grass-type Pok��mon are often long-lived, and most of their retired Pok��mon were still in peak condition. This was why the couple dared to enter thepetition.


    Inparison, the boy had slightly better natural talent but was still inexperienced inmanding his Pok��mon. His Victreebel and Tangrowth quickly fell into a disadvantage.


    During the match, the old man nced at the audience and saw his wife, son, daughter-inw, and grandson cheering him on. Feeling a surge of pride and courage, he seemed to regain the vigor of his youth and swiftly defeated his opponent.


    ...


    <i>Earlier, a reader had asked me what happened to Munna, so I decided to include it in this Chapter (Munna''s origin story was in Chapter 999: gambling challenge). Honestly, without the reader''s reminder, I would havepletely forgotten about Munna''s existence.</i>


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1228: Losing the Game

    <h4>Chapter 1228: Losing the Game</h4>


    Ash was the third participant to take the stage, facing off against a boy roughly his age and equally skilled.


    Ash''s chosen Pok��mon for this battle were Torterra and Sceptile, while his opponent fielded a Shiinotic and a Tsareena.


    It was clear that thispetitor hailed from the distant Al region.


    As the match began, Ash''s Torterra immediately used Rock Tomb to create a cage of rocks, trapping Tsareena inside.


    Since Tsareena was the main attacker of the opposing team, immobilizing it left Shiinotic to face both of Ash''s Pok��mon simultaneously, making the situation much tougher for his opponent.


    However, Tsareena was no pushover. Trapped within the stone cage, it began relentlessly attacking the rocky walls, using Trop Kick to smash them one by one. Before long, one of the walls waspletely destroyed, allowing it to break free.


    By the time Tsareena emerged, Shiinotic had already taken a considerable beating from thebined assaults of Sceptile and Torterra. Seeing this, Tsareena wasted no time rushing to its teammate''s aid.


    But just as it stepped out of the rock cage, Torterraunched a distant Earthquake attack.


    The ground trembled violently, almost causing Tsareena to lose its footing. As it regained bnce, therge rocks from the dismantled cage copsed behind it, sending debris crashing straight toward it.


    In an instant, Tsareena was buried under the rubble.


    Shiinotic, meanwhile, was slow-moving but highly adept at defense. Its soft, flexible body allowed it to absorb and deflect the impacts of attacks thatnded on it. Otherwise, it would have sumbed long ago under the relentless strikes from Sceptile and Torterra.


    Furthermore, its ability, Effect Spore, activated during one of Sceptile''s close-range attacks, putting Sceptile to sleep.


    Seeing this, Torterra stepped in to shield its slumbering ally.


    At that moment, Tsareena emerged from the pile of rocks once again, looking battered and bruised from the heavy damage caused by the falling boulders.


    Wasting no time, it charged straight at Torterra and Sceptile, seizing the opportunity to attack while Sceptile was still asleep.


    However, just as it approached, it let out a sudden, pained cry. Torterra, determined to protect Sceptile, hadid a perimeter of Stealth Rock around itself and its ally. The invisible rocks activated as Tsareena came close, striking it directly.


    Though wracked with pain, Tsareena swiftly leapt out of the Stealth Rock''s range. Its furious gaze locked onto Torterra, now filled with rage and frustration.


    From the beginning of the battle until now, Tsareena had been repeatedly outmaneuvered by Torterra. It hadn''t achieved a single noteworthy feat, despite being the primary attacker of its team.


    Little did Tsareena know, its trainer was even more exasperated than it was.


    Unable to engage in closebat, Tsareena and Shiinotic resorted to long-range attacks.


    Tsareenaunched Seed Bomb, while Shiinotic used Moonst.


    In response, Torterra retracted its head and limbs into its shell, using Withdraw to bolster its defense.


    <strong><i>Boom! Boom!</i></strong>


    The two attacks struck Torterra''s sturdy shell, but it seemedpletely unbothered. As for Sceptile, it was shielded behind Torterra''s massive body, leaving Tsareena and Shiinotic unable to do anything to it.


    Although Torterra was known for its defensive prowess, it wasn''t one to passively endure attacks. After being hit, it began to counterattack. Under its control, massive rocks suddenly appeared in the sky and rained down on Tsareena and Shiinotic.


    Seeing this, Tsareena instinctively leapt far away. <i>Oh no, isn''t this Rock Tomb again?</i>


    Thanks to its agility, Tsareena managed to evade the attack, but Shiinotic, with its sluggish movements, couldn''t escape in time. It was promptly trapped inside a cage formed by the massive rocks.


    Tsareena had previously escaped from such a cage due to its strong offensive abilities, but Shiinotic was different. Without Tsareena''s help, it wasn''t going to break free anytime soon.


    At this moment, Sceptile awoke from its slumber. It leapt onto therge tree growing on Torterra''s back, perching atop the treetop, andunched a Dragon Pulse from afar at Tsareena.


    Ash''s Sceptile had learned Dragon Pulse from Yuga. Despite Sceptile''s decent potential, it had barely any Dragon-type lineage, making it a real challenge to master this move at the time.


    The dragon-shaped energy surged skyward and engulfed Tsareena in the distance. Already injured, Tsareena copsed on the spot.


    With Tsareena out of the picture, the opposing team was left with only Shiinotic, still trapped in the rock cage and unable to escape. Ash quickly secured the victory.


    The final match of the second round was Ryo''s, but as soon as Yuga saw his opponent, he realized that Ryo was unlikely to advance this time.


    Ryo''s opponent was a tall and slender young man named Nobu, with delicate, almost feminine features. He stood around 1.9 meters tall but was extremely thin, like a bamboo pole.


    Yuga had taken note of him earlier in thepetition, not just because of his impressive strength but also because all his Pok��mon were Gourgeist.


    Gourgeist and its pre-evolution, Pumpkaboo, were unique species. Depending on their growth environment, their body size could vary greatly, typically categorized into four sizes: Small, Average, Large, and Super Size.


    Despite the name, Small Gourgeist were actuallyrger than the Average size ones. The Average size Gourgeist were, in fact, the smallest of them all.


    It was clear that this young man, Nobu, had a penchant for collecting Gourgeist.


    This kind of collecting obsession is actually quitemon among Trainers, such as those who collect Shiny Pok��mon, Vivillon with all its patterns, or pink-colored Pok��mon. Compared to those examples, Nobu''s collection didn''t seem particrly extreme.


    For this battle, Nobu sent out two Gourgeist: one of Average Size and one of Super Size. Meanwhile, Ryo sent out a Leafeon and a Maractus.


    Ryo had heard of Nobu''s reputation before, so he took this battle seriously, even sending out his starter Pok��mon, Leafeon.


    The two Gourgeist immediately used their signature move, Trick-or-Treat.


    "Ehehehe~ hee~"


    After an eerieughter, two pumpkin-shaped ghostly heads floated out of the jack-o''nterns on the Gourgeist''s lower bodies. These ghost heads uratelynded on Leafeon and Maractus, altering their typings.


    Leafeon changed from a pure Grass-type to a dual Grass/Ghost-type, while Maractus changed from a dual Grass/Dark-type to a triple Grass/Dark/Ghost-type.


    Ghost-types are weak to other Ghost-types.


    Maractus waved its arms,unching two Dark Pulses at the Gourgeist pair.


    However, the two Gourgeist, standing side by side, moved in perfect sync. Using their vines, they blocked the attacks with a slight tug, avoiding the Dark Pulses with ease.


    Meanwhile, Leafeon silently crept behind the Super Size Gourgeist, attempting a sneak attack with Shadow Ball. However, the Average Size Gourgeist spotted Leafeon''s movements clearly.


    <strong><i>Boom!</i></strong>


    Before Leafeon could fire its Shadow Ball, the Average Size Gourgeistunched one of its own. However, the Shadow Ball was intercepted mid-flight by Maractus''s Dark Pulse, resulting in an explosion in the air.


    The Super Size Gourgeist was rmed, thwarting Leafeon''s sneak attack. Still, the explosion shockwave affected the Super Size Gourgeist, sending it flying far away.


    The Super Size Gourgeist, while being blown away, suddenly vanished from the battlefield��it had used Phantom Force to slip into another dimension. When it reappeared, it was right behind Maractus.


    After using Phantom Force, Gourgeist hides in a different dimension, making it impossible for Leafeon or Maractus to locate it.


    Maractus, wary of a possible attack, tried to evade. However, the other Gourgeist used Scary Face, releasing a giant ghostly face from the jack-o''ntern on its lower body. The sight momentarily startled Maractus, causing its movements to slow down.


    The Average Size Gourgeist''s Scary Face came so suddenly that Leafeon, far away, didn''t react in time. By the time it realized what had happened and prepared to counterattack, the two Gourgeist had already retreated to a safe distance.


    Leafeon excelled at physical attacks, but asking it to perform ranged special attacks was a tall order.


    Maractus, hurt from the attack, knelt down and used Ingrain to heal itself. However, the drawback of Ingrain is that the user bes temporarily immobile.


    Seeing this, the two Gourgeist sensed another opportunity. They once again used Phantom Force, reappearing beside Maractus.


    This time, however, Maractus was much smarter. Before the Gourgeist could attack, it used Spiky Shield, covering itself with sharp spikes. The sneaky Gourgeist yelped in pain as they were pricked by the spikes. Seizing the opportunity, Maractus countered with Payback, punching the Super Size Gourgeist and sending it flying.


    Dark-type moves are super effective against Gourgeist, and Payback doubles in power when the user attacks after the opponent. The powerful move knocked out the Super Size Gourgeist.


    But Maractus didn''t know that Gourgeist can inherit a move called Destiny Bond. As the Super Size Gourgeist fell, it dragged Maractus down with it.


    The battlefield was now down to a one-on-one between Leafeon and the average-sized Gourgeist.


    The two Pok��mon stared each other down for a few seconds before Leafeon took the initiative. It pushed off with its powerful hind legs, leaping to the same level as Gourgeist, and swung its Iron Tail in a fierce arc.


    Gourgeist took the hit but managed to counter with Will-O-Wisp at the same time. At such close range, Leafeon had no chance to dodge.


    Crying out in pain, Leafeon crashed to the ground, its body engulfed in the ghostly mes.


    <strong><i>Boom!</i></strong>


    The impact from Gourgeist hitting the ground left arge crater, showing the sheer force behind Leafeon''s attack. However, Leafeon now found itself in a dire situation. It was suffering from a burn, which not only caused continuous damage but also halved its physical attack power��a devastating handicap.


    Gourgeist slowly floated back into the air, its eyes glowing eerily as it stared at the struggling Leafeon. Seizing the opportunity, it used Pain Split to siphon a portion of Leafeon''s remaining vitality to itself.


    With its attack power reduced and its health drained, Leafeon was unable to mount a meaningful offense and was soon defeated, securing the victory for Nobu.


    After losing the match, Ryo instinctively nced at the referee''s booth where Yuga was seated. He felt disheartened, assuming the Gym Leader must be disappointed in him. Quietly, he recalled his Pok��mon and left the arena in low spirits.


    With the morning matches wrapped up, it was time for a midday break. Yuga found Ash and his friends in the audience seating area.


    "Where''s Ryo? Didn''t hee to you guys?" Yuga asked.


    Ash shook his head. "Nope, maybe he went back already?"


    Yuga nodded thoughtfully. Ryo had lost his match��he was likely feeling upset.


    "Let''s head back for lunch first," Yuga suggested, and the group left the stadium together.


    When they returned, Yuga went to Ryo''s room in the Gym and knocked on the door.


    "Ryo, are you in there?"


    The door creaked open momentster, and Ryo appeared.


    "Gym Leader, you''re back," Ryo said, his expression a bit uneasy.


    "What are you up to? It''s lunchtime��why didn''t youe out to eat?" Yuga asked.


    Ryo scratched the back of his head. "I''ve been reflecting on the match."


    "Can I take a look?" Yuga asked.


    Ryo hurriedly invited Yuga into his room and handed over the notes he had been working on.


    Yuga flipped through the pages carefully. Ryo''s analysis was meticulous. He had listed out his weaknesses, proposed ways to address them, and even nned his uing training sessions in detail.


    After reading it, Yuga sincerely praised him, "This is excellent work. Keep it up, and you''ll be much stronger in the future."


    Ryo wasn''t a particrly gifted Trainer, but he was incredibly hardworking. This dedication couldpensate for much of hisck of natural talent.


    "Gym Leader, I lost today''s match..." After a long silence, Ryo finally spoke, his voice filled with regret.


    Looking him straight in the eye, Yuga asked, "Ryo, have you truly decided to pursue a career as a Trainer?"


    Ryo nodded firmly. Before setting off on his journey, he had been unsure about his future. But now, he had found his path. He was determined to be an outstanding Trainer and carry on the legacy of Verdanturf Gym.


    Seeing Ryo''s determination, Yuga continued, "If that''s the case, don''t worry about a single loss. You''re still young��what''s one loss in the grand scheme of things?


    "In the world of Trainers, there are so many geniuses and countless people stronger than us. Yes, we should learn from them and strive topete with them, but remember, our greatest rival will always be ourselves.


    "We may never surpass everyone else, but if we can be better today than we were yesterday, that''s what truly matters."


    Ryolooked at Yuga, not fully understanding but nodding nheless.


    Yuga smiled. "It''s fine if you don''tpletely get it now. Just remember my words��one day, they''ll make sense."


    Ryo obediently nodded.


    "All right then, let''s go grab some lunch. This afternoon, we''ll watch more matches. Observing others is also a form of training," Yuga said, patting Ryo on the shoulder.


    As Yuga and Ryo were leaving the Gym, they ran into May on her way over.


    "May, what brings you here? Looking for Ryo?" Yuga asked.


    "Yes," May nodded before turning to Ryo. "Ryo, are you okay?"


    Having traveled together for so long, May had always looked out for Ryo. She was worried after seeing him lose earlier, so she came to check on him.


    "I''m fine, May," Ryo replied. "Thank you."


    Seeing both Yuga and May concerned for him, Ryo felt a little embarrassed. He realized he might have been overthinking things and resolved to work harder.

 Chapter 1229: Joining the group to find someone

    <h4>Chapter 1229: Joining the group to find someone</h4>


    After lunch, Yuga went to the stadium alone and spotted the boy named Bill cornered by another boy in a secluded corner of the venue.


    Instinctively, Yuga hid to eavesdrop on their conversation.


    "Kid, let''s make a deal. How about you throw the match to me this afternoon?"


    It was clear this boy was trying to bribe Bill into fixing the match. He was likely Bill''s opponent for the afternoon battle.


    However, Bill didn''t understand what the boy was saying at all. He just stared at him with wide, innocent eyes, which only served to infuriate the boy.


    "You... I''m talking to you! If you do as I say, I guarantee you won''t lose out," the boy said impatiently.


    But Bill remained silent, and the boy grew angrier. Already jealous of Bill''s skill, the boy felt as though he was being disrespected.


    If he hadn''t been intimidated by Bill''s strength and convinced he couldn''t beat him head-on, he wouldn''t have approached him in the first ce.


    "Did you hear me? Are you ying dumb?" the boy growled, keeping his voice low to avoid attracting attention, not realizing that Yuga had overheard everything from the shadows.


    The boy reached out to grab Bill''s shoulder, but Bill moved deftly, tilting his body to avoid the grasp. Missing his target, the boy grew even more frustrated and raised his fist.


    "Young master, don''t!" another voice suddenly called out.


    It was the boy''s butler, a well-dressed middle-aged man, who shook his head at the boy before turning to Bill with a polite smile.


    "You must be Bill. If you agree to our request, we can provide you with money or resources��far more than you would gain from winning the match," the butler said warmly.


    Before approaching Bill, they had clearly done some research on him. They knew he was an orphan without parents.


    However, they had missed the critical detail of Bill''s connection to Scott.


    Still hiding, Yuga found the situation peculiar. What was the point of bribing someone for a match? This boy wasn''t that old��was all this really necessary?


    Bill, being poor atmunication, heard the butler''s words but couldn''t fully grasp their meaning. Talk of profits and benefits didn''t make sense to him, but he knew one thing: he didn''t want to lose the match.


    Seeing that Bill still didn''t respond, even theposed butler began to grow impatient.


    Realizing they were about to escte the situation, Yuga summoned Mimikyu from the shadow space, instructing it to create amotion. Startled, the boy and his butler quickly fled the scene.


    Bill watched them leave, puzzled for a moment, then walked out of the corner and left as well.


    Yuga didn''t reveal himself. Since they wanted Bill to lose, he figured Bill could settle things with them on the battlefield.


    He had a strong feeling that Bill would win.


    Meanwhile, the boy and his butler, now far away, beganining in frustration.


    "What am I going to do about the match this afternoon? If I lose, my n to be Gym Leader Shimizu''s apprentice will be ruined!" the boy said, his face dark with worry.


    It turned out that this boy''s goal in the duel tournament wasn''t just about winning��it was to impress Yuga and secure an apprenticeship under him.


    Yuga''s reputation had long been established, and many young trainer aspired to be his disciple. However, few of them dared to act on it due to the significant gap in status.


    This boy came from a family with some standing in the League and had been spoiled by his parents, which emboldened him toe up with such a harebrained scheme.


    "Young master, do your best this afternoon. Perhaps you''ll still win against Bill," the butler said gently, trying tofort him.


    The boy was silent for several seconds before muttering, "Maybe... maybe he''s not that strong after all." But even he didn''t seem convinced.


    The second half of the second round of knockout matches began that afternoon. Erika, Anya, and the others took turns entering the arena, securing their victories with ease.


    Then it was finally Bill''s turn to take the stage, and his opponent was, as expected, the boy who had tried to bribe him to throw the match.


    From the host''s introduction, Yuga learned that the boy''s name was Andel.


    Once they took their positions on opposite sides of the battlefield, Bill stared at Andel for a moment before suddenly dering, "I... will win!" His tone was resolute.


    Andel, irritated, shot back, "What are you so smug about? I won''t lose to you!" With that, he released his Pok��mon��Roserade and Lilligant.


    True to someone willing to pay to win a match, Andel''s Pok��mon were the epitome of elegance and luxury.


    Bill, however, sent out his usual Pok��mon: two Sunflora.


    The moment the Sunflora appeared, they began stretching out their leaves and blossoms energetically. On the opposite side, Lilligant and Roserade grew instantly wary. After all, the memory of the Sunflora dominating their previous matches in mere seconds was still fresh in everyone''s minds.


    Seeing the opposing side intimidated, one of the Sunflora used Sunny Day.


    Sunny Day would normally benefit both sides'' Grass-type Pok��mon, especially since Lilligant''s ability was Chlorophyll, which would double its speed in sunlight.


    But then the other Sunflora seized the opportunity to use Worry Seed, changing the abilities of both Lilligant and Roserade to Insomnia.


    The Insomnia ability was utterly useless in this battle.


    However, Yuga was surprised to discover that Andel wasn''t as weak as he had initially thought.


    For someone bold enough to act on the idea of bing Yuga''s apprentice, Andel clearly had talent and wasn''t just an ordinary Trainer.


    Faced with the twin Sunflora''s Sr Beams, Roserade and Lilligant simultaneously used Protect to block the attack. After withstanding the Sr Beams, Lilligant began to use Teeter Dance, while Roserade cleverly closed its eyes.


    Teeter Dance is an indiscriminate move that causes confusion in all affected Pok��mon, whether friend or foe. By shutting its eyes, Roserade effectively avoided being impacted by the move.


    The two Sunflora weren''t so fortunate. Watching Lilligant sway and dance, they quickly became dizzy and fell into a state of confusion.


    In their confused state, the Sunflora began recklessly firing Sr Beams everywhere. The sheer frequency of their attacks made it impossible for Lilligant and Roserade to approach, leaving Andel momentarily at a loss.


    However, unleashing powerful moves so frequently was draining for the Sunflora. By the time their confusion wore off, they were thoroughly exhausted.


    Seeing this, Andel''s heart lifted with hope.


    But he had underestimated Bill and his Sunflora. One of the Sunflora had inherited Grassy Terrain. As a lush green field spread across the battlefield, it enveloped the two Sunflora, allowing them to gradually recover their stamina.


    And that wasn''t all. While benefiting from Grassy Terrain''s healing effect, the Sunflora also used Ingrain and Growth. Ingrain elerated their recovery rate, while Growth significantly boosted their Attack and Special Attack.


    Using such abination of moves requires exceptional skill, something most Pok��mon cannot achieve. Yet the two Sunflora executed it effortlessly.


    The disparity between Bill and Andel was clear at a nce.


    Lilligant and Roseradeunched attacks on the Sunflora during this time, but the damage they inflicted couldn''t keep up with the Sunflora''s recovery rate. The situation was so dire it was enough to drive Andel to despair.


    As the effects of Sunny Day began to fade, the Sunflora took the opportunity to renew it.


    Under the Sunny Day effect, the Growth move boosted the Sunflora''s Attack and Special Attack by two stages instead of one. The more the Sunflora used Growth, therger their bodies grew.


    Before long, the two Sunflora had be enormous giants.


    <strong><i>Boom!</i></strong>


    Two massive beams of light, formed by Sr Beam, erupted from the Sunflora''s blossoms, engulfing Roserade and Lilligant in an instant. Both Pok��mon were immediately knocked out.


    Bill''s performance sparked a lively discussion among the judges.


    "This little guy is amazing!" Caitlin eximed, covering her mouth in astonishment.


    "He truly is remarkable, and he''s from Hoenn! Gym Leader Shimizu, congrattions to Hoenn on producing yet another talented Trainer," Diantha said, her tone filled with admiration.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, do you know what''s the story with this boy?" Cynthia asked.


    "He''s one of Scott''s Trainers, trained under the Battle Frontier program," Yuga answered truthfully.


    "Ah, I see."


    The group collectively nodded in understanding. In recent years, the Battle Frontier had produced many outstanding Trainers for the League, so another genius emerging wasn''t surprising.


    The second round of the elimination matches concluded at 6 p.m., with 25 participants advancing to the third round.


    After leaving the stadium, Yuga went to the Pok��mon Center. There, he asked Joyka to post a task on the center''s bulletin board before heading home.


    He had promised to find a Trainer for a Feebas, so he wanted Joyka to post an announcement in the Pok��mon Center. If anyone was interested in trading for a Feebas, they could visit the YoYo Day Care.


    Since many Trainers passed through the Pok��mon Center, it would be rtively easy to find someone willing to trade for a Feebas.


    Once he got home, Yuga opened hisputer and decided to search online for a suitable candidate to trade for the Feebas.


    After some searching, he found a Pok��mon trading group chat. He applied to join, and to his surprise, he was approved.


    The group was quite lively.


    However, instead of discussing Pok��mon trades, the members were chatting about their experiences in training Pok��mon. The topics were varied and scattered, with a yful and informal tone.


    Yuga checked the group''s description, which stated that it was a tform for exchanging Pok��mon that members had caught but didn''t find suitable for themselves. Members could trade those Pok��mon with others in the group.


    After quietly observing the banter for a while, Yuga decided to post a message.


    "Does anyone want a Feebas?"


    The group responded immediately.


    [ Tomorrow I''ll Be a Master: Feebas? What''s its potential? ]


    Yuga replied, "Blue potential."


    [ Tomorrow I''ll Be a Master: "Blue potential? That''s not bad. ]


    Hearing it was blue potential, the person''s interest noticeably increased


    Ever since the Beautie Pokeblock becamemercially avable, Feebas was no longer as unpopr as it used to be.


    Of course, the Beautie Pokeblock wasn''t cheap, and Trainers wouldn''t bother spending the money to evolve a low-potential Feebas.


    [ Dragon Tribe: Is it really a blue potential Feebas? ]


    Another person chimed in.


    Although many people were active in the group, not many showed genuine interest in Yuga, the neer.


    [ Tomorrow I''ll Be a Master: What Pok��mon are you looking to trade for? ]


    Yuga thought for a moment and replied: "I''m not picky about what Pok��mon to trade for, as long as it''s also a blue potential Pok��mon. But I require an in-person meeting��no direct trades through trade machine."


    Without meeting face-to-face, how could he confirm whether the Trainer was trustworthy or if the Feebas would be well cared for?


    [ Dragon Tribe: Ugh... that''s such a hassle. Where are you located? ]


    Yuga: "I''m in Verdanturf Town, Hoenn. The meeting location has to be Verdanturf Town as well."


    [ Dragon Tribe: Hoenn? That''s too bad. I''m in Al and can''t make it. ]


    [ Tomorrow I''ll Be a Master: I can''t go either, but I''ve heard Verdanturf Town is beautiful. Isn''t there a Grass-type Pok��mon duel tournament going on there right now? ]


    Yuga: "Of course there is! Every day, tourists flock to Verdanturf Town. You definitely won''t regret visiting!"


    Yuga couldn''t resist promoting his hometown.


    [ Tomorrow I''ll Be a Master: If I get the chance, I''d like to check it out. I hear the Verdanturf Gym Leader is incredibly skilled. Maybe I could even get some pointers from him! ]


    Yuga: ...


    <i>The person you''re talking about is chatting with you right now!</i>


    [ Dragon Tribe: What are you dreaming about? A Big shots like him don''t have time to bother with you! ]


    Yuga: <i>I actually have plenty of free time.</i>


    Suddenly, another person chimed in.


    [ Handsome Lad: Are you serious about epting <i>any</i> Pok��mon? ]


    Yuga: "Of course, but you muste to Verdanturf Town to meet me in person."


    [ Dragon Tribe: Why do you insist on meeting face-to-face? Honestly, I''d love a Feebas, but... you''re not nning to rob us, are you? Is the Feebas just a decoy? ]


    ( �� �� )


    Yuga decided to ignore this fool.


    [ Handsome Lad: Alright, I''lle to Verdanturf Town to meet you. ]


    After confirming this with Handsome Lad, Yuga arranged to meet him at the Pok��mon Center in Verdanturf Town two dayster.


    ...


    When Yuga left his room, Audino had already prepared dinner. Seeing hime downstairs, Audino immediately dragged him to the dining table.


    "What were you busy with upstairs? You''re not even eager to eat!" Nales, sitting across from him, remarked.


    "You could have eaten first! Why wait for me?" Yuga grumbled.


    Nales''s tails bristled. "Do you think I wanted to? It was Audino''s idea!" Audino ruled the kitchen, and Nales didn''t want to upset it.


    "Of course, Audino cares about me the most!" Yuga grinned at Audino, who was bringing soup to the table. Then, turning to Nales, he said, "Look at you��spending money is the only thing you''re good at!"


    All Nales ever did was spend money on beauty salon, clothes, and even insist on eating meals with Yuga.


    Nales was instantly offended. "What do you mean by ''only good at spending money''? I work hard and give you all my sry, don''t I?"


    Yuga scoffed. "What can your measly earnings even cover? They''re gone in a few days."


    The pay Nales earned from acting in a movie wasn''t much. It wasn''t the main character, and it was its first role, so thepensation couldn''t be high.


    "Audino!"


    Audino sat down, trying to mediate between the bickering Trainer and Pok��mon, urging them to eat first.


    "You underestimate me! Just wait��I''ll make big money someday!" Nales dered, giving Audino some face and ring at Yuga onest time before falling silent.


    Yuga''s stomach had been growling for a while, so seeing that Nales stopped talking, he eagerly dug into his meal.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1230: A Dangerous Situation

    <h4>Chapter 1230: A Dangerous Situation</h4>


    The food made by Audino was so delicious that Yuga identally ate too much. Leaning back in his chair with a full belly, he noticed Nales on the other side, sitting in the exact same posture as him.


    But just then, someone suddenly knocked on the door, and the knocks were extremely urgent.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, open the door! Quick, open the door!"


    The store had already closed for the day, and apart from Yuga, there was no one else at home. So, he had no choice but to get up and open the door.


    The moment Yuga opened the door, he saw Officer Jenny standing there, drenched in sweat.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, something has happened in town! There are violent criminals on the loose, and they''ve already injured several people."


    "Criminals attacking people?" Yuga''s expression grew serious at once. If this turned into a major incident and dyed the continuation of the Duel Tournament, it would be disastrous!


    As the Verdanturf Town Gym Leader, he would be held ountable if the town experienced arge number of casualties. What were these criminals thinking? Terrorizing people at night��couldn''t they let others enjoy their meals and rest?


    "It''s true. Even the International Police have been dispatched! You need toe quickly," Saskia urged.


    "Wait here for a moment. I''ll be right back!"


    Yuga hurried back into the Ecopark and brought out all of his Pok��mon.


    "Let''s go! Take me there. Has your chief already gone?" he asked as he rushed back out.


    Saskia quickly followed behind, answering, "Our chief is already on-site. The criminals have taken hostages, and the International Police are currently negotiating with them."


    Behind the door, Nales pricked up its ears, listening to the conversation between Yuga and Saskia. As soon as the two left, it immediately wanted to follow. However, after thinking for a moment, it stopped, called Audino to help remove the essories from its head and body, and then leaped out of the door.


    As Saskia led the way, she exined the situation at the scene to Yuga.


    It turned out that these criminals had fled from Sinnoh, which was why the International Police were involved.


    Some time ago, the dark organization called Team Gctic in Sinnoh had been dismantled. However, many of their lower-level members managed to escape, dispersing to various ces.


    In addition to Team Gctic, Sinnoh''s notorious Hunter Organization was also taken down during their coboration with Team Gctic. Their leader, Hunter J, had perished, leaving the organization leaderless and causing even more members to scatter than those from Team Gctic.


    The criminals who fled to Verdanturf Town this time were members of that Hunter Organization. Their homnd was actually in Hoenn, and after finding themselves with no way out, they secretly smuggled themselves back from Sinnoh to Hoenn.


    But they hadn''t expected the International Police to track them all the way to Hoenn and discover their presence.


    It just so happened that Verdanturf Town was hosting the Duel Tournament during this time, which brought arge influx of people. The criminals seized the opportunity to sneak into the town, hoping to blend into the crowds and evade the International Police.


    After days on the run, the criminals were utterly destitute. For the sake of survival, they had to resort to attacking others once again. These people were long ustomed to a life of crime,mitting misdeeds as naturally as eating or drinking, without the slightest moral hesitation.


    Still being pursued by the International Police, the criminals decided to strike discreetly, nning to deal with their targets in secret so that no one would know what had happened.


    With so many people in town every day, the disappearance of one person wouldn''t attract too much attention. Others would simply assume the person had left Verdanturf Town.


    But the criminals had no idea that their chosen target was a fairly skilled Trainer. A fierce sh broke out, which exposing their true identities and causing significant unrest in the town. In the chaos, several bystanders were unintentionally injured.


    The incident urred near Verdanturf Town''s Trade Tower. When Yuga arrived at the scene, arge crowd had gathered, and the criminals were holding a hostage on the rooftop of the building.


    As soon as Yuga showed up, Mashito Shirai, sweating profusely, rushed over to him.


    "How''s the situation?" Yuga asked.


    Mashito Shirai nced at the rooftop and shook his head. "The International Police are negotiating with the criminals, but they''re too far away. We still don''t know what''s happening up there."


    Yuga looked toward the rooftop as well, but the building was so tall that he could only vaguely see figures moving around. He couldn''t make out any details.


    "Unbelievable! Of all times to cause trouble, they had to pick now!" Yuga cursed.


    "That''s right!" Mashito Shirai responded in frustration.


    At the scene, Joyka was also busy attending to many of the injured bystanders.


    Yuga thought for a moment and then released his Pok��mon: Bellossom, Venusaur, Serperior, and Florges.


    Seeing Joyka and her Blissey overwhelmed with work, Yuga approached her and said, pointing to his Pok��mon, "Joyka, let them give you a hand. I''ll go deal with the criminals."


    Relieved, Joyka wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, "You''re a lifesaver. Go ahead and handle things up there��I''ll take care of everything here."


    Yuga nodded and then turned to Mashito Shirai. "Can I go up and take a look?"


    "Of course!" Shirai replied. He and his team were stationed below to prevent anyone from falling off the building.


    "Alright then."


    With that, Yuga released his Charizard.


    Just as he was about to climb onto Charizard, a middle-aged man suddenly rushed over and grabbed his arm, pleading desperately, "Gym Leader Shimizu, you have to save my young master! He''s still so young, with such a bright future ahead��nothing can happen to him!"


    Seeing the man, Yuga was momentarily surprised. <i>What are the odds?</i>


    It was none other than Andel''s butler. The man was covered in blood and dragging a trembling, clearly injured leg. His disheveled appearance was worlds apart from the meticulously dressed figure Yuga had seen earlier in the day.


    <i>So the hostage is that boy Andel? That''s just terrible,</i> Yuga thought to himself.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll do my best," Yuga reassured the butler.


    Although this master-servant duo didn''t give off the impression of being particrly upstanding people, as Verdanturf Town''s Gym Leader, Yuga couldn''t just stand by and do nothing.


    "Thank you, Gym Leader Shimizu. Thank you!" the butler sobbed, tears and snot streaming down his face. He genuinely seemed concerned for his young master''s safety. He likely never imagined that he and his master would end up crossing paths with Yuga in such a disastrous way.


    After reassuring the butler, Yuga mounted his Charizard and flew toward the rooftop of the Trade Tower. Gradually, he was able to clearly see what was happening up there.


    Originally, there had been five criminals, but one had been captured during the chaos below, leaving four on the rooftop.


    The hostages weren''t just Andel��there was also a girl under the age of ten.


    Two of the criminals stood at the back, holding the hostages, while the other two confronted the International Police at the front with their Pok��mon. By the side of the police stood a couple, who were sobbing uncontrobly. It was clear they were the girl''s parents. As they cried, they also tried tofort their daughter. The little girl, surprisingly, remained calm and didn''t cry or cause a fuss despite the situation.


    To Yuga''s surprise, the lead International Police officer was someone he knew: the officer Looker from the Kalos region.


    <i>This guy sure has a wide range of operations, </i>Yuga thought. <i>He''s everywhere</i>.


    At that moment, the criminals were demanding that the police prepare a flying vehicle for their escape, threatening to kill the hostages if their demands weren''t met.


    Yuga''s arrival quickly caught the criminals'' attention, and Looker also recognized him.


    "What are you nning? Trying to ambush us? Where''s the flying vehicle? We told you to prepare one! And bring our captured brother back!"


    The leader of the criminals became agitated upon seeing Yuga and shouted angrily at the police.


    "Calm down. Preparing the vehicle will take some time," Looker said, trying to pacify the criminals.


    "Stop wasting time! Bring our brother here first!" the criminal barked while signaling his Pok��mon to take an aggressive stance.


    The International Police had prepared Psychic-type Pok��mon to try and rescue the hostages using psychic powers. However, the criminals had a Tyranitar, a Dark-type Pok��mon with considerable strength. The moment the Psychic-types attempted to use their abilities, the Tyranitar would immediately sense and block them.


    These criminals were members of a hunter organization, so it wasn''t surprising they had a rare and powerful Pok��mon like Tyranitar. With such a behemoth standing guard, the police didn''t dare to make any reckless moves.


    Meanwhile, Andel, who was being held by the neck, wasmenting his awful luck. <i>What a terrible day.</i> He had already lost a match earlier in the day, and now, while wandering the town to clear his head, he''d ended up in the hands of criminals.


    Having fought the criminals before being captured, Andel was injured. One of his arms was unusable, and pain radiated from his abdomen and thigh.


    The worst part? Seeing Gym Leader Shimizu at a time like this. Yuga was the very person Andel wanted to apprentice under. But now that Yuga was seeing him in such a pitiful state, would he still have any chance of being epted as a disciple?


    Yuga slowly guided Charizard tond on the rooftop, nodding at Looker before turning his attention to the criminals.


    "Don''t make any reckless moves," Yuga said calmly. "If you harm the hostages, you''ll lose any chance of getting out of here."


    "Don''t try to scare us!" the leader of the criminals snarled viciously. "If you dare pull any tricks, I''ll snap his neck!"


    Feeling the grip around his neck tightening, Andel was terrified. His Pok��mon had already been defeated by the Tyranitar, leaving himpletely defenseless.


    Yuga watched as the police brought the captured criminal over. He then spoke, "How about we make an exchange? You release the hostages, and we''ll return your brother to you."


    These criminals seemed to value loyalty, still insisting on getting their capturedrade back even in this dire situation.


    While Yuga spoke to the criminals, he discreetly released Chimecho.


    As the criminals began negotiating further with Yuga, a sudden surge of gravity hit them. Before they could react, all of them were forced to the ground, unable to move. Their hands loosened their grip on the hostages.


    Ordinary Psychic-type Pok��mon using their powers would have been detected by the Tyranitar, but Chimecho was different. With its overwhelming power, even a Dark-type Pok��mon like Tyranitar was no match.


    In an instant, Chimecho teleported to the center of the gravitational field, and with another teleport, it whisked the hostages to safety.


    Seeing the hostages rescued, the criminals roared in anger, baring their teeth. But the intense gravity Chimecho had applied held them firmly in ce��they couldn''t even move a finger.


    Andel, who had just been saved, was still in shock. He instinctively touched his face. When the gravity had struck, he had been knocked down along with the criminals, face-first into the ground. He worried whether his face was swollen.


    The young girl, however, had fared better. Being small, she was held in the criminal''s arms and had fallen on top of him when they hit the ground.


    The girl''s parents rushed forward, embracing her as they cried with relief.


    They had only intended to go out for dinner that night but had encountered the criminals instead, and their daughter had been taken hostage in the chaos. The ordeal had terrified them.


    With the hostages now safe, the criminals no longer posed a significant threat. Yuga immediately instructed Chimecho to knock out the criminals'' Pok��mon, including the Tyranitar, Houndoom, and two Purrloins.


    Once all the criminals were subdued, Yuga signaled for Chimecho to lift the gravitational field.


    After the parents finished crying, they brought their daughter over to thank Yuga. Seeing that the little girl seemed frightened, Yuga had Chimecho y a Healing Bell to soothe their nerves.


    With the criminals in custody, Looker ordered his subordinates to search them for any concealed Pok��mon.


    From the three other criminals, the police found dozens of Pok�� Balls. However, when they searched the leader, he suddenly broke free, shaking off the grip of two officers.


    The officers were caught off guard by the man''s incredible strength.


    Once free, the criminalughed maniacally as he pulled out a Pok�� Ball and released an Aggron.


    "Hahaha... You think you can capture me? Over my dead body! If I can''t escape, you''ll all die with me! Aggron, Earthquake!"


    It was clear the criminal realized he had no way out and intended to bring everyone down with him.


    The events unfolded in the blink of an eye, leaving no time for anyone to react.


    They were on the rooftop of a building over 50 stories high. If the Aggron used Earthquake, the entire structure would copse, dooming not only everyone on the rooftop but also those inside the building.


    In that critical moment, a pir of fire suddenly erupted from somewhere, engulfing the criminal and his Aggron just as he finished speaking.


    When the mes dissipated, the Aggrony on the ground, its steel armor melted and deformed. The intense heat had rendered it incapable of even attempting an Earthquake. As for the criminal, he had been reduced to a charred corpse.


    The smell of burnt flesh filled the air, leaving everyone momentarily stunned.


    At that moment, Nales walked out, its nine tails swaying gracefully as it strode forward with elegance. It held its head high, exuding an air of pride, as it approached Yuga. Casting a smug nce at him, it projected a telepathic message.


    "Well? Still think all I''m good for is spending money?"


    The sudden telepathic voice snapped everyone back to reality, including Yuga.


    In truth, Nales had been there for a while. Initially, it hadn''t nned to intervene, seeing that Yuga was handling the situation smoothly. However, it hadn''t expected the criminal to pull such a desperate move.


    As a Level 100 Pok��mon, Nales possessed extraordinary mental acuity. Moreover, having achieved this level with the blessing of Mew, its perceptiveness was unparalleled. That was how it managed to act so swiftly and prevent disaster.


    What a close call!

 Chapter 1231: Ninetales’s Request for Help

    <h4>Chapter 1231: Nales''s Request for Help</h4>


    "Why are you here?"


    Yuga asked in surprise.


    Nales flicked its tuft of hair and rolled its eyes. "If I didn''te, wouldn''t you all have been in trouble?"


    Yuga nodded. That was true. While he could undoubtedly handle the situation himself, others wouldn''t have been so lucky. If the whole building had copsed, it would''ve been all over the news tomorrow, and there would be no way to hold the Duel Tournament.


    At this moment, Looker walked over and asked, "Gym Leader Shimizu, is this Nales your Pok��mon?"


    Yuga nodded. "That criminal is dead. You won''t hold my Nales ountable, right?"


    Lookerughed. "Of course not. This was an unavoidable situation, and we owe it our lives. Not to mention, we have you to thank for capturing the criminals and rescuing the hostages."


    He had already severely reprimanded the two officers who had allowed the criminal to break free. If they hadn''t been careless, such a dangerous moment wouldn''t have urred.


    Luckily, Nales had acted in time. Otherwise, if something had gone wrong, the me would''ve fallen squarely on him.


    Yuga waved it off. "No need for thanks. I''m the Gym Leader of Verdanturf Town, so it''s my duty to assist you in capturing these criminals."


    After chatting with the officer for a while, Yuga descended from the rooftop.


    Masato Shirai, who had been waiting below, saw Yugaing down with a rxed expression and knew the situation had been resolved sessfully.


    The injured had all received effective treatment, although Joyka was exhausted from the effort.


    After speaking with Joyka for a bit, Yuga saw that his presence wasn''t needed anymore and was about to leave when someone suddenly patted him on the shoulder.


    "Hey, bro!"


    Yuga turned around and saw it was Luna.


    "Since when are you back? And why haven''t youe home?" Yuga asked in surprise.


    Luna grinned. "I''ve been in Verdanturf Town for several days, but I''m on a mission��ssified. I can''t go home."


    It turned out that Luna was one of the agents sent by the Hoenn Investigative Bureau to assist the International Police in capturing the criminals. Because she had been secretly tracking their movements, she hadn''t been able to contact her family.


    Yuga lightly knocked her on the forehead, scolding, "ssified mission, huh? And now you''re bbering about it?"


    Luna covered her forehead and chuckled. "Well, the mission isplete now!"


    Yuga raised an eyebrow. "Where were you just now? I didn''t see you when I arrived."


    Luna exined, "There were a lot of onlookers, and the police were shorthanded, so I was helping maintain order at the scene."


    "Are you done now? Will youe home tonight?" Yuga asked again.


    "Of course! I came to find you because I''m finally done." Luna giggled as she hugged Yuga''s arm. "Let''s go home together."


    And so, the two walked home together.


    Yuga dropped Luna off at her house before leaving. Her aunt and uncle were puzzled about why their daughter wasing home sote, but they were simply happy to see her.


    The night passed quickly. Despite the chaos from the night before, the situation had been handled swiftly, preventing any major disturbances.


    The next morning, Yuga had just finished breakfast when Luna came by to bid farewell. She and the other Investigation Bureau members were to escort the criminals away with the International Police.


    Seeing Luna all geared up, Yuga asked, "Are your missions always this urgent? Don''t you ever get any rest?"


    Luna sighed. "Well, I''m officially full-time now, so things are different. No choice��it''s the nature of the job."


    Yuga fell silent at her words.


    After a while, he said, "Wait here for a moment."


    He went upstairs and returned shortly after, holding a piece of clothing (which he had actually taken out of his system inventory).


    Luna looked at the garment in confusion. "What''s this?"


    "It''s protective gear," Yuga exined. "It can shield you from most energy attacks. With this, I''ll feel a bit more at ease when you''re on missions."


    The gear was a reward the League had given him after the Team re incident.


    "That amazing?" Luna asked in surprise. "You should keep it for yourself, then." As she spoke, she pushed the protective suit back toward him.


    Yuga unfolded the suit and said, "I''m giving it to you, so take it. Don''t be so fussy. Do you think I''m weaker than you?" With that, he began exining how to use the protective suit to Luna.


    Hearing her cousin call her weak, Luna pouted in dissatisfaction. Though,pared to Yuga, she was indeed much weaker.


    "See? That''s how you use it. As for the elemental gems, I''m not giving you any. You''ll have to figure that out on your own," Yuga said after finishing the demonstration.


    Luna folded the suit back up neatly and said, "Got it."


    Yuga couldn''t resist nagging, "Wear it when you''re out there. Be careful in everything you do, and don''t make me or your parents worry."


    "Okay..."


    Luna responded casually, knowing full well her cousin was only looking out for her, even if he could be a bit naggy.


    After Luna left, Yuga headed to the gym. Today was the third round of the advancement matches.


    However, no sooner had Yuga stepped out the door than Nales poked its head out and began sneaking after him.


    When Yuga reached the office at the gym, Cynthia and the others asked about the events from the previous night. Although they hadn''t been present, they had heard about it. Yuga gave them a brief summary.


    Cynthia, who had been involved in the downfall of Team Gctic, was particrly surprised to learn that a hunter organization associated with Team Gctic had escaped to Verdanturf Town. She sighed deeply and apologized to Yuga, admitting that it was a failure on her part.


    Yuga, of course, didn''t me Cynthia. He reassured her, saying it was all a coincidence and not her fault.


    After chatting for a while, the group left the office as the match was about to start.


    Diantha trailed behind the others and, as she reached a corner, felt something gently tug at her.


    Turning her head, she saw a paw extend from the other side of the wall and beckon her over.


    Having spent some time with Nales, Diantha immediately recognized whose paw it was. She couldn''t help butugh, both amused and exasperated.


    She nced at Yuga, who was walking at the front of the group, and silently slipped over to the corner. Sure enough, it was Nales.


    "What do you want? And why are you sneaking around, hiding from Gym Leader Shimizu?" she asked in a hushed tone.


    Nales poked its head out a bit further, checking to see that Yuga and the others were gone. Then it cleared its throat and, looking slightly awkward, said, "I just wanted to ask for a little favor."


    Diantha had only learned muchter during the movie production that Nales could use telepathy.


    "What kind of favor?" Diantha asked, puzzled.


    "My master thinks I''m only good at spending money, so I''d like to ask if you could rmend me to a director if youe across a role that suits me. That way, I can make some money to support my family." Nales'' eyes shifted away, clearly embarrassed by the request.


    Diantha couldn''t help but chuckle at Nales'' awkwardness. She found it amusing that Yuga''s Pok��mon would think about earning money for the household.


    Seeing Dianthaugh at it, Nales bristled. "What''s so funny? If you''re not willing, just say so!"


    Waving a hand, Diantha replied, "I didn''t say I wouldn''t help. I''ll do it. I actually think you were great in thest movie; you''ve got real acting talent."


    Nales perked up, visibly pleased. "Right? I thought so too! But my stupid trainer just doesn''t appreciate it."


    Hearing Nales alternately call its trainer "master" and "stupid," Diantha chuckled again.


    "Oh, and don''t tell my stupid trainer about this for now," Nales added suddenly, as if remembering something important.


    "Why not? You can''t go work without your trainer''s permission," Diantha said, confused.


    "Oh, I''m not saying I won''t tell him eventually. I mean for now, just in case I don''t get the part. I''d lose so much face if heughed at me!" Nales replied dramatically.


    "Alright, alright..." Dianthaughed again. "Don''t worry. I''ll keep it a secret for now."


    "Thanks! I won''t let you help me for nothing." Satisfied with Diantha''s promise, Nales left happily.


    When Diantha returned to the judge''s seat, Caitlin looked at her curiously. "Diantha, where did you go just now?"


    "Nowhere," Diantha replied, shaking her head and keeping quiet about her interaction with Nales. She then nced at Yuga and asked, "Gym Leader Shimizu, your home life must be pretty lively, huh?"


    "It''s alright, I suppose," Yuga said, though he was confused as to why Diantha had brought this up. Since she didn''t borate, he didn''t press further.


    The third round of advancement matches had 25 participants, divided into 12 groups, with onepetitor getting a bye into the next round. The matches were scheduled to conclude by noon.


    The remaining 13 participants proceeded to the finals, as the top 10 positions in this Duel Tournament offered generous rewards.


    After the morning matches concluded, there was an afternoon break for the contestants to rest and prepare for the finals the next day.


    Soon, the big screen disyed the matchups for the finals, with one participant receiving a bye into the next round. That lucky individual turned out to be the grandfather determined to win a Leafeon for his grandson.


    At that moment, the grandfather was still in the audience. Seeing his fortunate bye, he was secretly delighted but maintained a proud front for his grandson. Feigning nonchnce, he said, "Hmph... Even without the bye, I could''ve won. It seems the heavens simply decided to deny me the chance to showcase my skills."


    Hearing this, the grandson immediately looked up at his grandfather with admiration. "Grandpa, you''re amazing! You''re my favorite!"


    Receiving his grandson''s worshipful gaze, the old man''s face lit up with a broad smile.


    Meanwhile, the grandmother and their son and daughter-inw, well aware of the old man''s habit of exaggerating, exchanged helpless looks and shook their heads.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, contestants and spectators, this morning we''ll hold the final round of the elimination matches! If you can make it to the finals and secure a spot in the top 10, you''ll be rewarded handsomely. Without further ado, let''s start today''s matches. May we invite the first group of contestants..."


    The first match featured the tall and slender Shun, who had previously defeated Ayaya, and his opponent, a round-faced young woman named Hanae.


    As the Rotom camera signaled the start of the battle, both contestants released their Pok��mon simultaneously.


    Shun''s Pok��mon were, as expected, two Gourgeist. However, this time, one was a average-size Gourgeist, and the other was a small-size one.


    On the other side, Hanae sent out a Tangrowth and a Lurantis.


    Yuga remembered Hanae because her Lurantis had been purchased from the YoYo Day Care several years ago.


    As in previous matches, Shun''s two Gourgeist opened with Trick-or-Treat, adding the Ghost type to their opponents, creating an additional weakness against themselves.


    However, Hanae''s Pok��mon were no pushovers. Having made it to the final elimination round, Hanae was no amateur��in fact, she was quite formidable.


    As soon as the match began, Hanae''s Tangrowth started to grow rapidly. Numerous green vines shot out from its body in an astonishing disy.


    This wasn''t Power Whip or Frenzy nt��it was merely the basic Grass-type move, Vine Whip.


    Tangrowth''s natural talenty in its ability to regenerate its vines endlessly under the right conditions. This particr Tangrowth was clearly exceptionally gifted.


    Some of its vines transformed into roots, burrowing deeply into the ground to absorb nutrients continuously using Growth.


    Due to its bulky body, Tangrowth was typically a slow-moving Pok��mon. However, its numerous vines allowed it to reach its prey without needing to move.


    Countless vines spread out from Tangrowth, nketing the battlefield andshing out at the two Gourgeist. The Gourgeist were forced to dart about in the air to avoid them. They used Shadow Ball to destroy vine after vine, but there were always more chasing them relentlessly.


    Meanwhile, Hanae''s Lurantis used Sunny Day, flooding the battlefield with dazzling sunlight. The intense rays momentarily distracted Shun, causing him to shield his eyes instinctively.


    In the next instant, a massive golden de of light appeared in the corner of his vision. With a cry of pain, his small-sized Gourgeist plummeted from the air, struck down by Lurantis''s Sr de in a single hit.


    It turned out that, at some point, the small Gourgeist had been ensnared by Tangrowth''s vines, leaving it unable to evade Lurantis''s Sr de.


    Clearly, Tangrowth''s role in the battle was to disrupt and control, while Lurantis served as the attacker��an attacker with extraordinary firepower.


    Even though Gourgeist resisted Grass-type moves, it was still taken out in one blow.


    Unfortunately, this small Gourgeist hadn''t inherited the rare Destiny Bond ability, so once it fainted, it was out of the battle for good.


    Recalling the small Gourgeist, Shun''s face turned pale. He hadn''t expected to fall into such a disadvantage so quickly. Truly, there was always a stronger opponent.


    Tangrowth''s vines continued to chase the remaining average-size Gourgeist, which struggled without its partner''s support.


    This average-size Gourgeist was evidently stronger than its smaller counterpart, performing better on the field.


    It managed to use Will-O-Wisp to inflict a burn on Lurantis, halving its physical attack power. It also used Pain Split to sap half of Tangrowth''s vitality.


    Despite these efforts, the battle''s oue couldn''t be reversed. Facing relentless attacks from two powerful opponents, the average-size Gourgeist eventually fell to Lurantis''s Sr de.


    Although Lurantis''s physical attack had been halved, it simply struck multiple times��once, twice, three times��until the Gourgeist was down.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1232: Rhyperior

    <h4>Chapter 1232: Rhyperior</h4>


    In the second match, it was Erika''s turn topete. As one of the seed yers in this Grass-type Pok��mon Duel Tournament, she was highly popr and received a warm round of cheers upon her entrance.


    Her opponent was a young man with sses and a refined appearance. He used a nt Cloak Wormadam and a Torterra as his Pok��mon.


    Wormadam has three forms: nt Cloak, Sandy Cloak, and Trash Cloak, evolving from Burmy depending on the materials it wears. However, only the nt Cloak form possesses the Grass type.


    In Sinnoh, Burmy and Wormadam are extremelymon Pok��mon, found everywhere from grassy fields and forests to urban areas, akin to the way Wurmple is widespread in Hoenn.


    Most Burmy are female and evolve into Wormadam. Male Burmy, which evolve into Mothim, are quite rare.


    Mothim is also considered the natural enemy of Combee. It''s not because they prey on Combee, but because they love stealing the honey collected by Combee. Their behavior is far from gentlemanly, and in the eyes of Combee, Mothim is nothing short of a notorious bully.


    For this match, Erika used a Tangrowth and a Vileplume. The bespectacled young man couldn''tst more than a few rounds against her. His Torterra was decent, but his Wormadam was underwhelming, leading to a quick defeat.


    Since the final round of the qualifiers determined whether yers could advance to the finals, the following matches became increasingly intense.


    Ash''s match was in the fifth group. He used a Sceptile and a Torterra.


    While Ash doesn''t specialize in Grass-types and doesn''t have arge number of them, his Pok��mon are all quite powerful. With Sceptile focusing on offense and Torterra on defense, he quickly overcame his opponent, securing a clean and decisive victory, much like Erika.


    Given that many people knew Ash was the recent Sinnoh League Champion, his chances of winning the tournament were considered just as high as Erika''s.


    Then came the dark horse, Bill.


    Bill was young and had never participated in an officialpetition before, so he was rtively unknown. However, his exceptional performance in this tournament made him impossible to ignore.


    Bill''s opponent was also formidable, reportedly having reached the top eight in several league tournaments and even achieving third ce once. His Pok��mon were two identical Leavanny.


    Leavanny are slender and agile, known for their flexible and varied movements. After Bill''s Sunflora used Sunny Day, the Leavanny quickly utilized their Chlorophyll abilities to dash over to the Sunflora''s side in the blink of an eye.


    Bill relied heavily on intuition in battle and didn''t pay much attention to his opponents'' strategies. As a result, he hadn''t considered that his opponent''s Pok��mon might take advantage of the Sunny Day he set up.


    Anyone who studied Bill''s previous battles would know that he almost always opened with Sunny Day to ensure Sunflora could fire Sr Beam instantly.


    Of course, even if he anticipated that his opponents might exploit this, Bill wouldn''t mind.


    With a sharp <i>ng</i>, the de-like forearms of the two Leavanny shed down on the two Sunflora. However, the Sunflora raised their leafy arms to block the attack.


    The move used by the Sunflora to counter the Leavanny''s Leaf de was sh. Bill had taught this technique to his Sunflora upon being taken in by Scott, who suggested it to help diversify their skill set.


    While the Sunflora were indeed strong in special attack, Bill ensured that their physical attack capabilities were at least adequate, so they wouldn''t fall behind in closebat.


    The Leavanny tried to continue their onught, but beautiful flowers suddenly bloomed all around them. In an instant, the Sunflora were surrounded by a protective shield of flowers, rendering the Leavanny''s Leaf des soft and ineffective.


    The Sunflora had used Flower Shield, a defensive move unique to Grass-type Pok��mon to guard against close-range attacks.


    Sunflora, being less nimble than Leavanny, found defense far easier than evasion when faced with such assaults.


    Sensing that something was amiss, the two Leavanny immediately tried to retreat, but it was toote. A tornado of petals surged up, sweeping them into the sky.


    The petals were as sharp as des, and by the time the storm subsided, the two Leavanny had copsed, unable to continue.


    Bill secured his victory, and the matches moved forward.


    Anya took the stage in the ninth group.


    Although Anya was a Gym Leader, her presence had never been particrly prominent, whether as a Gym Leader or as a Grass-type Trainer. Many people hadn''t even heard of her name. However, her ster performance in this duel tournament had made everyone take notice.


    So far, the Pok��mon Anya used most frequently was her Cacturne. This Pok��mon had disyed incredible strength, reshaping many Trainers'' perceptions of what a Cacturne was capable of.


    Cacturne is a rather niche Pok��mon, rarely seen in battles or used by Trainers.


    Her other frequently used Pok��mon was her Cherrim. While it wasn''t as dazzling as Cacturne, it was equally impressive in its role as a support Pok��mon.


    Other than these two Pok��mon, she had not revealed a third.


    Yuga had a gut feeling that Anya''s strength went far beyond what she had demonstrated so far.


    In this match, Anya once again used her Cacturne and Cherrim.


    Her opponent was a shrewd-looking young man, likely in histe twenties, using an Abomasnow and a Cradily.


    As a support Pok��mon, Anya''s Cherrim started by activating Sunny Day and leveraging its Flower Gift ability.


    While Anya''s side was setting up support, the young man wasn''t idle either. His Cradily began using Stockpile, and his Abomasnow used Powder Snow to transform the battlefield into an icy terrain.


    The young man wanted to activate Abomasnow''s Snow Warning ability but refrained because the hail would negatively affect his Cradily as well, making it an impractical choice.


    On the icy battlefield, both Cherrim and Cacturne became sluggish and struggled to move effectively.


    To avoid slipping, Cacturne used Ingrain to root itself firmly into the ground. It then instantly fired a Sr Beam at Abomasnow.


    However, the Cradily beside Abomasnow was a defensive Pok��mon. It used Mirror Coat to reflect the Sr Beam right back at Cacturne. Fortunately, Cacturne quickly deployed Spiky Shield, preventing the double-strength Sr Beam from forcing it out of the battle.


    Meanwhile, the Cradily continued using Stockpile, causing its defense and special defense to grow even stronger.


    Anya pondered for a moment before giving her Pok��mon new instructions: "Cherrim, Helping Hand! Cacturne, Uproar!"


    Hearing hermand, Cherrim patted Cacturne gently, and a faint glow began to emanate from Cacturne''s body. Then Cacturne started to sway its body rhythmically.


    As Cacturne swayed, an ear-piercing cacophony began to pour out from its body, amplified by Cherrim''s Helping Hand. The noise was so disruptive that the opposing Pok��mon clutched their heads in pain, unable to focus. Even the audience outside the battlefield couldn''t help but cover their ears to block out the unbearable racket.


    The enraged Abomasnow charged straight at Cacturne with a Ice Punch before the young man could even stop it.


    Cradily, with its Suction Cups ability, had firmly anchored itself to the icy surface to stabilize its position, but this made it unable to keep up with Abomasnow and defend it.


    Anya, however, had been waiting for Abomasnow toe closer all along.


    "Cherrim, Weather Ball!"


    As Anya''smand rang out, a massive fiery energy ball mmed into Abomasnow.


    With the weather set to Sunny Day, Weather Ball''s power was amplified, and its type shifted to Fire. This was something Abomasnow, a Grass and Ice-type Pok��mon, couldn''t withstand. It was immediately knocked out of the battle.


    However, just as Abomasnow fell, a powerful beam of energy shot forth, instantly engulfing Cherrim, the one that had taken down Abomasnow.


    It turned out the young man had ordered his Cradily to unleash its umted energy in a Spit Up attack. By this point, Cradily had used Stockpile three times, so its Spit Up delivered maximum power.


    With Cherrim and Abomasnow both out of the match, it became a one-on-one between Cacturne and Cradily.


    The young man''s Cradily had excellent defensive capabilities, but its offensive power wascking. After being hit by Cacturne''s Toxic, Cradily''s defenses crumbled, and it quickly sumbed.


    After Anya''s match concluded, the final round of the qualifying matches was nearing its end, followed by a half-day break.


    When the matches were over, Yuga returned home in high spirits.


    By the time he arrived, Audino hadn''t finished preparing lunch yet, so he wandered around the shop. That''s when he saw Nales quietly sitting there watching TV. Even when some customers tried to tease it, it ignored them entirely.


    "Well, this is rare! Has the sun risen in the west today? Why is our ''old granny'' so obediently watching TV?" Yuga teased.


    Nales rolled its eyes at Yuga. "What do you know!" It imed it was studying to prepare for making money in the future.


    Yuga was about to retort when he suddenly received a call from Ayashi.


    It turned out Ayashi had heard about Ryo''s loss in the duel tournament and was calling to inquire about it. However, he didn''t feelfortable asking Ryo directly, so he reached out to Yuga instead.


    As expected of an older brother, Ayashi was reliable and considerate enough to respect his younger brother''s feelings now that Bill was growing up.


    "Don''t worry, he''s fine," Yuga said over the phone. "It''s just a tournament. He understands, so don''t underestimate him."


    After chatting with Ayashi for a while, he sent over a Pok�� Ball as a gift for Ryo. Inside was a Ferroseed.


    Ryo had caught this Pok��mon by chance. Initially, he nned to train it himself, but after some thought, he realized he didn''t specialize in Grass-types. Feeling it unnecessary to train the Ferroseed, he decided to use this opportunity to gift it to Ryo.


    Once the call ended, Yuga went to the gym to see Ryo and handed him the Ferroseed from Ayashi.


    Holding the Pok�� Ball, Ryo was deeply touched. He hadn''t expected his older brother to care about him so much even while away.


    Earlier, he had also received calls from Anmu and Anlin. They had heard about his loss in the tournament and, though they didn''t mention the match during their conversation, Ryo knew they were calling out of concern.


    When Yuga returned to the shop, Ayaka stopped him.


    "Boss, the package you mentioned arrived this morning. I signed for it and left it at the counter. Don''t forget to take it."


    "Got it. Thanks!" Yuga replied. Sure enough, he found the package at the counter. Opening it, he discovered it contained the protective gear he had ordered from the League.


    Taking the gear, Yuga headed to the kitchen door and called out to Chansey, who was busy cooking.


    "Audino, how much longer until lunch is ready?"


    "Audino~"


    A little while longer!


    Hearing this, Yuga thought to himself: <i>Since there''s still some time, I might as well go help Rhydon evolve.</i>


    Just then, Wigglytuff walked by carrying a bag of groceries. Seeing Yuga blocking the doorway, it put its hands on its hips and scolded, "If you''re not helping, why are you standing there in the way?"


    Yuga quickly stepped aside, grinning. "I''ve got something to do soon. Thanks for helping out, you and Audino both."


    With a huff, Wigglytuff marched into the kitchen to assist Audino. Meanwhile, Mimikyu slipped out of Yuga''s shadow space, red at him, and then scurried off to help its "wife."


    Yuga sighed internally. <i>This PDA is overwhelming.</i>


    Yuga then took the Protector to the Ecopark and found Rhydon, informing it about the possibility of its evolution. Rhydon was overjoyed, immediately gazing at Yuga with an eager expression.


    However, for Rhydon to evolve while wearing the Protector, a trade was required. Yuga returned it to its Pok�� Ball and headed to the Pok��mon Center.


    When Yuga arrived, the center was bustling. Joyka and Blissey were too busy to assist, so Yuga decided to handle it himself.


    This wasn''t Yuga''s first time performing a trade evolution, and he managed the process smoothly on his own.


    A few minutester, Yuga retrieved Rhydon''s Pok�� Ball and took it to the center''s backyard.


    Given Yuga''s poprity in Verdanturf Town, he wanted to avoid drawing a crowd. He found a secluded spot before releasing Rhydon.


    As soon as Rhydon emerged, it was enveloped in the light of evolution. Its body grew taller and broader. When the glow finally faded, a brand-new Pok��mon stood before Yuga.


    With a sturdy build, brown skin, orange-yellow armor, and arger horn apanied by a smaller one, the newly evolved Rhyperior looked even more imposing than its pre-evolution.


    Rhyperior lowered its gaze to inspect its body, then raised its hands, examining them with great satisfaction. It felt brimming with power.


    <i>Evolution really does make a difference.</i>


    Seeing Rhyperior''s delight, Yuga smiled and said, "Alright, I''ve fulfilled my promise. Now it''s your turn to work hard. Train the Drilbur and Excadrill well, and I''ll make sure you''re well-rewarded."


    Rhyperior nodded enthusiastically, its determination reinvigorated.


    When they returned home, Nidoqueen was momentarily stunned upon seeing her husband''s new form. He looked so powerful and majestic��she was utterly smitten.


    Nidoqueen''s admiring gaze filled Rhyperior with pride, thoroughly satisfying its sense of vanity.

 Chapter 1233: Sasaki Visits Again

    <h4>Chapter 1233: Sasaki Visits Again</h4>


    When Yuga returned from the Ecopark, Audino had already set the dishes on the table.


    Seeing such a sumptuous spread, Yuga sat down and eximed happily, "Wow, the food looks amazing today! What a treat! Thanks for your hard work, Audino."


    "Audino~ Audino~"


    Audino replied, waving its hand as it ced the utensils in front of Yuga. It exined that Yuga had been working hard on the Duel Tournament recently and now that he finally had a half-day to rest, he needed a good meal to replenish his energy.


    Yuga picked up some food with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth, chewing as he sighed contentedly, "Living like this��having everything handed to me on a silver tter��I''m just too lucky. Mmm... delicious... so good!"


    Nales, using its Psychic power to control its chopsticks, also took a bite. After swallowing, it said with its mouth full, "Look at him, acting like this. Does he seem like someone who''s been working hard? He''s just beenzing around, enjoying life. You shouldn''t spoil him so much."


    Audino chuckled and replied, "Yuga works hard every day, I know it well."


    Hearing this, Nales choked on its words, deciding not to say anything further, and simply lowered its head to focus on eating.


    Yuga shot Nales a re, then picked up another tasty piece of food and ced it in Audino''s bowl. "Audino, you''re the one who works so hard every day. You even worry about me so much��it''s really touching. Not like certain Pok��mon, who eat my food, live in my ce, and still treat me so coldly."


    Nales wanted to retort but seemed to think better of it and refrained, merely letting out a soft humph.


    Audino found their bickering amusing, shaking its head with a smile as it continued eating.


    After lunch, Yuga greeted Suzuki Koen before heading to the workshop of the new store. Due to his involvement in the Duel Tournament, he hadn''t had the chance to join Misaki and the others in practicing making Pok��blocks for several days.


    However, just as he stepped out the door, he saw Andel and his butler approaching.


    Thanks to effective treatment, Andel and his butler were no longer seriously injured.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu..." Rentaro called out to Yuga.


    Yuga stopped and looked at them in confusion. "What''s up?"


    "I wanted to ask if you could take me as��"


    Before Andel could finish his sentence, the butler tugged on him.


    "Actually, we''re here specifically to thank Gym Leader Shimizu for saving my young master''s life," the butler said with a polite smile.


    "Andel, was it?" Yuga nced at him.


    "Yes, my name is Andel! I didn''t think the Gym Leader would remember me!" Andel was overjoyed to hear Yuga call him by name, thinking he might have impressed him.


    Seeing Andel suddenly so excited, Yuga felt a bit perplexed but continued, "It''s my duty to help, and besides, it wasn''t just my effort. The police and the International Police were involved too. You really don''t need to thank me."


    The butler replied earnestly, "How could we not thank you? We must! In fact, we''ve brought a gift as a token of our gratitude."


    As he spoke, he pulled out a small spatial pouch from behind and offered it to Yuga.


    Yuga didn''t know what was in the pouch, but he had no intention of epting it. He quickly pushed it back.


    "I said there''s no need for thanks."


    The butler, adept at reading people''s expressions, saw that Yuga''s refusal was genuine. Silently, he put the pouch away and smiled again. "In that case, how about we treat you to a meal, Gym Leader? Would you do us the honor of joining us for lunch?"


    Yuga nced at the butler and thought to himself, <i>No wonder they came during lunchtime��this butler sure is calcting.</i>


    Politely declining, he said, "Sorry, I''ve already eaten."


    The butler, unfazed, chuckled. "What a shame. Then we''ll just have to invite you another time."


    "Alright, if there''s nothing else, I''ll be going. I have some things to take care of," Yuga said.


    "Of course, go ahead. Don''t mind us," the butler said, gesturing politely.


    Yuga nodded and left.


    After Yuga departed, Andelined, "Why didn''t you let me bring up the apprenticeship earlier?"


    The butler replied, "Oh, young master, you can''t bring that up right away. He doesn''t know us well, so he wouldn''t agree so easily."


    Andel pouted. "Then what should we do?"


    The butler sighed and said, "I was going to use the gift as a bribe, but he wouldn''t take it. But of course, someone of his stature wouldn''t care for such a small token. That''s exactly the kind of person who''s worthy of being your master."


    Hearing this, Andel immediately leaned in and asked, "So, what should we do next?"


    "The fact that he saved your life is already a great excuse for us to visit him more often. Once we''ve built a rapport with him, we can bring up the idea of an apprenticeship. We have plenty of time; there''s no rush."


    Andel chuckled upon hearing this, "As expected, the butler always has a way."


    At this moment, Yuga waspletely unaware that someone was nning totch onto him!


    When Yuga arrived at the new shop, all the employees, except for his Aunt, had gone to the Paradise restaurant for lunch, including Misaki and the others in the workshop.


    Seeing his aunt managing the shop alone, Yuga said, "Aunt, you should go eat, too. I''ll watch the store for now."


    Aunt Hisako readily agreed, "Alright, you keep an eye on things. I''ll be back after I finish eating."


    It was lunchtime, and while there were a few customers in the shop, it wasn''t particrly busy.


    Inside the ss disy cases of the new shop were all sorts of Pok��mon eggs. Thanks to the Duel Tournament being hosted in Verdanturf Town, business had been boomingtely, with quite a few Pok��mon and Pok��mon eggs sold.


    Since he was minding the shop, Yuga didn''t go to the workshop but instead sat behind the counter.


    After sitting for a while, customers who had selected Pok��mon eggs came over to check out one after another. Just then, Yuga received a call from Sasaki Shindou, who said he would be stopping byter.


    Sasaki Shindou''s visit had two purposes: first, to check on Windy on behalf of the Sasaki family head, and second, to pick up some Magikarp and Feebas that their aquarium had ordered from the YoYo Day Care.


    Thanks to the sess of the Duel Tournament, Sasaki Shindou''s aquarium had also experienced a surge in visitors.


    The most popr Pok��mon in the aquarium, of course, was the stunning Milotic. Sasaki Shindou wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to bring in a few more Feebas.


    When the aquarium first opened, he had purchased just two Feebas��a pair��from the YoYo Day Care. Both had sessfully evolved into Milotic and were now the aquarium''s star attractions.


    If he was going to bring in Feebas, he figured he might as well bring in some Magikarp, too. Although Gyarados wasn''t as beloved as Milotic, it was still a highly popr Pok��mon.


    Once Aunt Hisako and the others returned from their meal, Yuga went to the workshop to practice making Pok��blocks. Around 1:30 in the afternoon, Sasaki Shindou arrived at the YoYo Day Care in his car.


    He first delivered the items entrusted to him by the Sasaki family head to Windy and then began discussing the Feebas and Magikarp business with Yuga.


    The YoYo Day Care had umted quite a few low-potential Feebas and Magikarp that were difficult to sell. Even the small Pok��mon Day Care that had partnerships with the YoYo Day Care weren''t willing to take them.


    For both Trainers and ordinary people, it wasn''t cost-effective to spend money on a low-potential Feebas or Magikarp and then invest additional effort and resources to raise them into Milotic or Gyarados. As a result, these Pok��mon were hard to move.


    While aquariums like Sasaki Shindou''s were willing to buy them, they didn''t need many, which couldn''t fundamentally solve Yuga''s inventory problem.


    After finalizing the deal, Yuga said, "I''ll take you directly to the Ecopark so you can choose. You can take whichever ones you like."


    Sasaki Shindou replied, "That would be great; sorry for the trouble."


    Since Yuga had previously saved the Sasaki family, Sasaki Shindou treated him with great respect.


    Under Yuga''s guidance, Sasaki Shindou arrived at the entrance to the new Ecopark.


    At the gate, two massive Raticate basking in the sun noticed Yuga approaching and immediately ran over, affectionately rubbing against him. They nearly knocked him off bnce.


    Seeing the tworge Raticate, Sasaki Shindou eximed in astonishment, "Whoa, such huge Raticate! These are from the Al region, aren''t they?"


    Yuga squeezed the slightly coarse fur of the two Raticate and smiled, "That''s right, Aln Raticate."


    Sasaki Shindou marveled, "Gym Leader Shimizu really has all kinds of Pok��mon." On his way here, he had even seen a Nales dressed in clothes and adorned with jewelry sitting at the entrance of the YoYo Day Care.


    Yuga chuckled, then patted the heads of the two Raticate and said, "I''ve got things to do. Go y on your own."


    The Raticate nodded obediently and ran off with heavy steps.


    After entering, Yuga was about to take Sasaki Shindou to the pond to pick out Feebas when he noticed a plump tail swaying in the grass not far away.


    "Hang on a moment," Yuga said to Sasaki Shindou before walking over and stepping firmly on the tip of the tail.


    "Druddigon~!"


    <i>Who''s the jerk stepping on me?!</i>


    A chubby Pok��mon jumped out of the grass��it was none other than Druddigon!


    Yuga, annoyed, gave it another kick. "I told you to guard the ce. What are you doing? Taking a nap! Look at you now! What kind of guard do you think you are?"


    The current Druddigon looked even chunkier than Dragonite, having lost all its former intimidation. Its once fierce face had turned so chubby that it now looked oddly adorable, much to Yuga''s dismay.


    Realizing it was Yuga who had stepped on it, Druddigon shrank back nervously and mumbled, "There''s no need for me to guard the ce anymore..."


    The two Raticate were very diligent. Since their arrival, they had taken over the task of guarding the new Ecopark.


    Both Raticate were Elite-level Pok��mon and mutants at that, so their strength wasn''t much weaker than Druddigon''s. Over time, Druddigon found itself without a role to y.


    Naturallyid-back, Druddigon had only reached its current level of strength through the life-or-death struggles it faced in Petalburg Woods. Now, with the Raticate guarding the ce, it was more than happy to take it easy.


    In the new Ecopark, Druddigon spent its days eating and sleeping, neglecting exercise, and eventually became the chubby Pok��mon it was now.


    "No wonder I haven''t seen you thest few times I came here. Are you deliberately avoiding me?" Yuga asked sternly.


    Druddigon didn''t dare respond, clearly hit where it hurt.


    Looking at Druddigon in this state, Yuga came up with an idea. He shot it a re and said, "Just you wait!" Then he turned back to attend to Sasaki Shindou.


    Although Yuga''s new Ecopark didn''t house any high-potential Pok��mon, it was home to a wide variety of rare species. After a thorough tour, Sasaki Shindou couldn''t help but express his amazement.


    When they reached the pond, Yuga pped his hands and called out, "Milotic!"


    "Milotic~"


    With a ssh, several beautiful Milotic emerged from the water, like goddesses stepping out of a pristine bath.


    These Milotic had all evolved from low-potential Feebas and were now in charge of managing the Feebas in the new Ecopark.


    Seeing the Milotic in the water, Sasaki Shindou marveled, "Gym Leader Shimizu, the Milotic you''ve raised here are truly remarkable, even better than the ones we raise in our aquarium."


    Whether it was their elegant physiques or the vibrancy of their colors, the Milotic at his aquarium paled inparison to these.


    Yuga smiled humbly at thepliment. "You tter me. When you take care of many Pok��mon, you''re bound to pick up a few extra tricks."


    Sasaki Shindou felt envious and wanted to ask for advice. However, he hesitated, worried that it might touch on proprietary trade secrets, and swallowed his words.


    Yuga turned to the Milotic and said, "Bring out all the Feebas."


    "Milotic~"


    One of the Milotic responded and dove back into the water. Soon, the surface was teeming with Feebas.


    Yuga gestured to Sasaki Shindou. "Here are all our Feebas. Go ahead and pick."


    When it came to evaluating Water-type Pok��mon, Sasaki Shindou had excellent judgment��after all, he owned an aquarium.


    Circling the pond, Sasaki Shindou quickly selected ten Feebas he liked. His eye was sharp; most of the ones he picked were on the verge of evolution.


    Yuga fished out the chosen Feebas, ced them in a pre-prepared water tank, and enlisted a few Pok��mon to carry the tank to Sasaki Shindou''s vehicle.


    Using the same method, Yuga then let Sasaki Shindou pick ten Magikarp.


    Before leaving the park, Yuga walked over to Druddigon with a neutral expression and said, "Come with me!"


    Though Druddigon didn''t know what Yuga wanted, it had a sinking feeling of foreboding.


    When Sasaki Shindou saw the overly plump Druddigon following behind Yuga, he paused for a moment andmented, "Gym Leader Shimizu, your Pok��mon have such... unique physiques."


    Yuga: ...


    Druddigon shot Sasaki Shindou a re: <i>Human, I advise you not to add fuel to the fire!</i>


    At the entrance to the Ecopark, Yuga told the two Raticate, "The safety of this ce is now entirely in your hands. Druddigon won''t being back."


    The Raticate, entrusted with such an important responsibility, were delighted, but Druddigon felt utterly dismayed��it feared whaty ahead for it might be nothing short of a trial by fire.


    Yuga led Druddigon back to the store from the Ecopark, enduring countless odd looks along the way. The sight of this chubby Druddigon was simply too eye-catching.


    Mostly, it was just embarrassing.


    After settling his bill at the store, Sasaki Shindou also purchased a batch of Beautie Pokeblock and Dragon Transformation Pokeblock before leaving.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1234: Finals Begins

    <h4>Chapter 1234: Finals Begins</h4>


    After sending off Sasaki Shindou, Yuga took Druddigon to the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark.


    Upon arrival, Yuga gathered all the Dragon-type Pok��mon and announced, "Starting today, whenever you need a sparring partner for training, go to Druddigon. It will not refuse a challenge from any of you."


    The Dragon Den Pok��mon were immediately eager to test their skills, especially Smence, Hydreigon, and Kommo-o, who looked like they couldn''t wait to spar with Druddigon.


    Dragon-types are naturallybative, and having someone as skilled as Druddigon as a training partner was far more convenient and effective than challenging anyone else.


    Yuga then turned to Druddigon and asked, "Druddigon, you won''t refuse anyone''s challenge, right?"


    Faced with Yuga''s "kind" smile, Druddigon shivered and nodded without hesitation, though internally, it wasmenting its fate: <i>This is it. Goodbye to my peaceful life!</i>


    It had known Yuga wouldn''t let it off the hook so easily.


    "And one more thing," Yuga added. "Every day, there must be at least fifty challenges for it. You can have more, but not less. Team battles are allowed if you can''t win one-on-one. Any objections?" Yuga asked the Dragon Pok��mon.


    Of course, the Dragon Pok��mon had no objections. They roared with excitement, filling the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark with thunderous dragon cries.


    Yuga then turned back to Druddigon. "Do <i>you</i> have any objections?"


    "Druddigon~"


    <i>No... no objections.</i>


    Druddigon silently endured its misery.


    Seeing it behave so obediently, Yuga nodded in satisfaction and then sought out the Dragonite Mother, assigning her the task of supervising Druddigon''s daily activities.


    When the Dragonite Mother saw Druddigon, she nearly burst outughing. She hadn''t seen it in a while and never expected it to have ended up in such a predicament.


    With the Dragonite Mother in charge, any sneaky ideas Druddigon had were immediately squashed. After all, the only one in the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark who could truly keep it in check was the Dragonite Mother.


    As soon as Yuga left, Smence, the Hydreigon couple, and several Kommo-o approached Druddigon. Under the Dragonite Mother''s watchful gaze, Druddigon could only brace itself for battle.


    But its grueling life was just beginning!


    After leaving the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark, Yuga went to the Grasnd Sub-Ecopark and met with Happiny, Blissey, and Miltank there. He asked them to notify the other Pok��mon in the Ecopark that if they couldn''t find sparring partners for training, they could head to the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark to challenge Druddigon.


    The afternoon flew by, and before long, it was the next day��the day of the finals for the Grass-Type Pok��mon Duel Tournament.


    On his way to the stadium that morning, Yuga saw many spectators and participants heading into the venue, their faces brimming with excitement for the finals.


    At precisely 7:30 AM, the host, Vivian, appeared on stage.


    "Good morning, everyone��spectators andpetitors alike! The day we''ve all been waiting for is finally here: the finals of the Grass-Type Pok��mon Duel Tournament! I''m sure many of you can''t wait to see the matches, so without further ado, please look at the big screen. We''ll now reveal the matchups and order of appearance."


    As Vivian finished speaking, the big screen lit up, disying photos of thepetitors paired up two by two. The numbers below each photo indicated their order of appearance.


    There were thirteen contestants who made it to the finals, with one receiving a bye to the next round. The lucky participant was a girl named Nobukata.


    Thepetition officially started at 8:00 AM. The first match featured Anya against a young man named Aaron.


    The finals adopted a three-on-three format, recing the previous doubles matches.


    Anya''s first Pok��mon was finally not the usual Cacturne or Cherrim but a Tropius.


    As Yuga had spected, Anya had been hiding her true strength. This Tropius was indeed a bona fide pseudo-Elite level Pok��mon.


    Aaron''s first Pok��mon was a Victreebel. As soon as it appeared, it attempted to use its vines to pull Tropius down from the air. However, Tropius was far stronger, lifting Victreebel into the sky before mming it down hard. It finished the battle with a clean Air sh.


    Tropius''s sequence of attacks was so fluid that Aaron barely had time to react.


    Having reached the finals, Aaron''s strength was certainly not weak. Watching his fallen Victreebel lying motionless, Aaron furrowed his brows, realizing that Anya was even stronger than the rumors suggested.


    Aaron''s second Pok��mon was a Breloom, which was significantly stronger than his Victreebel. However, its Fighting/Grass typing was severely countered by Tropius''s Flying-type Air sh, leaving it utterly defenseless.


    Additionally, Tropius''s ability to fly put Breloom at a severe disadvantage, as it relied on closebat to fight.


    It wasn''t that Aaron didn''t want to use a different Pok��mon, but the rest of his teamcked the strength to stand a chance. If they were sent out, they might perform even worse than Breloom.


    Aaron''s final Pok��mon was a Vileplume, his strongest. While its Poison-type moves gave Tropius some trouble, the level gap was too significant, and it ultimately lost.


    In the first finals match, Anya swept Aaron''s team with just her Tropius, significantly boosting her chances of bing the champion.


    The second match featured an elderly man against a young trainer named Y��rei.


    The elderly man was among the weakest of the thirteen contestants, but he got lucky by facing apetitor even weaker than himself.


    The elderly man''s first Pok��mon was his previously seen Exeggutor, while Y��rei''s first Pok��mon was a Jumpluff.


    Jumpluff, a Pok��mon skilled in control strategies, was unable to effectively use its arsenal of status moves against the simrly Grass-type Exeggutor and was ultimately defeated.


    However, Exeggutor did not emerge unscathed. It had been poisoned by Jumpluff''s Poison Powder. When it faced Y��rei''s second Pok��mon, Amoonguss, it was struck by another dose of venom, sumbing to the cumtive effects midway through the battle.


    The elderly man''s second Pok��mon was a Victreebel. In the ensuing battle between two Poison-types, the match became a "poison fest," and both Pok��mon ended up taking each other out.


    The elderly man''s final Pok��mon was a Ludicolo, which appeared to be his strongest. When he released its Pok�� Ball, his face was filled with determination.


    The final showdown between Ludicolo and Y��rei''s Bellossom turned into a fierce weather war. Ludicolo used Rain Dance while Bellossom countered with Sunny Day. Ultimately, Ludicolo gained the upper hand, securing victory for the elderly man.


    The third match featured Erika, the Gym Leader with the highest odds of winning, finally revealing her strength in the finals.


    Erika''s opponent was a middle-aged female trainer named Minori, who was among the strongest contestants. Unfortunately for her, she faced Erika, the worst possible draw.


    Upon learning her opponent was Erika, Minori became extremely anxious and tried to disturb Erika''s focus with provocative remarks during the match.


    However, Erika, calm andposed, only smiled more brightly in response to Minori''s taunts, while her Vileplume unleashed increasingly ferocious attacks on the field.


    This Vileplume was the same Elite-level Pok��mon Erika had used when battling Yuga. Facing such a powerful adversary, Minori could hardly put up a fight and was sweptpletely, stunned into disbelief.


    The fourth match featured Ash. What made his match interesting was that his opponent, like Erika and Anya, was also a Grass-type Gym Leader.


    However, this Gym Leader, named Tougen, hailed from a small, remote town in Johto, and naturally couldn''tpare to Gym Leaders from major cities like Cdon City or Crown City.


    Ash''s first Pok��mon was Sceptile, while Tougen''s first Pok��mon was Tangrowth. Unlike Erika''s formidable Tangrowth, this one couldn''t withstand Sceptile''s Leaf de attacks and was quickly defeated.


    Tougen''s second Pok��mon was Bellossom. It was not much stronger than Tangrowth, and Sceptile, with its remarkable agility, easily overpowered it.


    That said, everyone has a trump card or two, and as a Gym Leader, Tougen was no exception.


    His final Pok��mon was a pseudo-Elite level Exeggutor. Even with Sceptile''s incredible speed, Exeggutor used its Psychic abilities to restrain it. In the end, Sceptile narrowly lost to Exeggutor.


    This Exeggutor, however, was eventually defeated by Torterra. Torterra first used Rock Tomb to limit Exeggutor''s movements, then followed up with an Earthquake that buried it into the ground. As Exeggutor struggled to climb back out, Torterranded a Crunch to finish the battle.


    The match concluded with Ash securing victory.


    The fifth match featured a plump girl named Hana against a boy named Take. They were about the same age and matched in strength.


    Hana''s first Pok��mon was a Lurantis, while Take''s was a Breloom. Both closebat specialists, the two Pok��mon immediately engaged in an intense melee.


    Though Hana''s Lurantis looked graceful and colorful, it fought with ruthless precision. Swinging its oversized scythes with lethal intent, it eventually defeated Breloom with a well-timed Leech Life.


    Despite healing itself slightly, Lurantis was still significantly injured and was ultimately taken down by Take''s Abomasnow.


    Hana''s second Pok��mon was her trusty Tangrowth, known for its exceptional vine-handling skills.


    However, Take''s Abomasnow was much stronger than the one Anya faced earlier in thepetition. Initially, Tangrowth overwhelmed Abomasnow with a barrage of vines, leaving it in disarray. But Take seized an opportunity and unleashed a Sheer Cold, sessfully countering Tangrowth in a surprising reversal.


    Sheer Cold is a rare and difficult-to-master Ice-type move, and Hana likely hadn''t anticipated that Take''s Abomasnow could perform it so effectively.


    Facing imminent defeat, Hana was forced to reveal her trump card: a Trevenant far stronger than her previous two Pok��mon.


    Aside from Nobu, Hana was the only contestant specializing in Ghost-types.


    Despite Abomasnow''s imposing and powerful appearance, it lost the strength contest to Hana''s Trevenant. When Abomasnow struck Trevenant with an Ice Punch, Trevenant countered with a Horn Leech that sent Abomasnow flying. To make matters worse, Abomasnow was burned by Trevenant''s Will-O-Wisp.


    Realizing that Abomasnow could not match Trevenant, Take gambled on one final attempt and tried using Sheer Cold on Trevenant.


    But unlike Yuga''s Lapras, Take''s Abomasnowcked refined control over the move. The attempt failed, leaving Abomasnow vulnerable to a sneaky Phantom Force from Trevenant that knocked it outpletely.


    Take''s final Pok��mon was a Carnivine. Though it was strong, it was at best equal in power to the earlier Abomasnow. There was no way it could defeat the Trevenant that had easily bested Abomasnow.


    So, in the end, Take lost the match.


    The sixth round naturally featured Bill.


    As thepetition reached the finals, everyone grew serious, and Bill was no exception. He no longer used the two Sunfloras he had deployed earlier.


    Bill''s opponent was a girl named Yoshiko. Both Bill and Yoshiko were from the Battle Frontier, making this match a sort of "battle betweenrades."


    However, Bill wasn''t good atmunicating and wasn''t familiar with most people in the Battle Frontier, including Yoshiko, despite both being brought there by Scott.


    After spending some time observing Bill, Yoshiko had long realized that she couldn''t be his match. But her pride as a Trainer wouldn''t allow her to give up so easily.


    Bill''s first Pok��mon was Sceptile, the very first Pok��mon Scott gifted him upon recognizing his talent. Its potential was far superior to the two Sunfloras Bill had raised himself, and significant resources had been invested in its training.


    Yoshiko''s first Pok��mon was a Whimsicott. While Whimsicott often excelled in doubles or group battles, it stood no chance against Sceptile in a one-on-one match, especially with its level being significantly lower.


    Yoshiko''s second Pok��mon was Roserade. While Poison-types do have an advantage over Grass-types, Sceptile''s agility was too overwhelming. Roserade''s toxic attacks couldn''tnd, and it was ultimately defeated by a single Dragon Pulse.


    Yoshiko''s final Pok��mon was a Ferrothorn, her strongest one.


    Ferrothorn was known for its numerous resistances and high defensive stats. Combined with its level being higher than her previous two Pok��mon, Sceptile did find it tricky to handle.


    Ferrothorn''s ability, Iron Barbs, allowed it to deal damage to opponents that made physical contact with it. It relentlessly used Gyro Ball to chase Sceptile around, leaving ugly craters all over the battlefield.


    Sceptile''s agility was indeed remarkable, but Yoshiko wasn''t without countermeasures. Shemanded Ferrothorn to use Spikes, covering the field with sharp hazards, which naturally limited Sceptile''s mobility.


    Sceptile''s attacks barely fazed Ferrothorn, and it was repeatedly struck by Gyro Ball. After taking several hits, Sceptile, with its rtively low defense, was knocked out.


    Ultimately, Bill''s second Pok��mon, Chesnaught, took down Ferrothorn.


    Chesnaught first used Vine Whip to pull the flying Ferrothorn to the ground, then pinned it down and pounded it relentlessly with Hammer Arm.


    Although Ferrothorn was covered in spikes, Chesnaught endured the damage. Its sturdy shell made it highly resilient, so the injuries it sustained were not as severe as expected.


    Being weak to Fighting-type moves, Ferrothorn couldn''t withstand Chesnaught''s barrage for long and quickly fell.


    With that, the top seven contenders in the duel tournament were decided: Anya, the old man, Erika, Ash, Hana, Bill, and Nobukata, who had advanced due to a bye.


    As for thepetitors who lost this round, they wouldpete in the afternoon matches to determine their rankings from 13th to 8th ce. After all, the top ten contestants would receive rewards.

 Chapter 1235: Helioptile And Druddigon

    <h4>Chapter 1235: Helioptile And Druddigon</h4>


    The afternoon matches were rtively less intense, and the results were quickly determined. Ultimately, the rankings from 13th to 8th ce were: Y��rei, Aaron, Yoshiko, Take, Tougen, and Minori.


    Once the afternoon matches concluded, Yuga headed to the Pok��mon Center. He had arranged to meet someone nicknamed "Handsome Lad" there, and he had already brought Feebas along when he returned at noon.


    At the Pok��mon Center, Yuga found Joyka and asked, "Has someone named Handsome Lade here looking for you?"


    Joyka looked up at Yuga and replied, "That person is waiting for you?"


    Yuga asked, "Is there a problem?"


    Joyka shook her head. "No problem. Look, he''s sitting right over there." She then pointed to a table by the window in the lobby, where a young man wearing a hat was seated. Joyka thought to herself that anyone bold enough to use "Handsome Lad" as a name or alias must have exceptionally thick skin.


    Yuga walked over and politely asked, "Hello, are you the one who wants to trade for my Feebas? Are you Handsome Lad?"


    Yuga suddenly felt a bit embarrassed just saying the nickname out loud.


    The young man sitting there abruptly looked up and froze for several seconds upon seeing Yuga''s face. "You..."


    Yuga noticed his stunned expression and asked curiously, "What''s wrong?"


    The young man was indeed good-looking, but Yuga thought to himself that even someone as handsome as him didn''t call himself "Handsome Lad." This guy might be a tad narcissistic (just kidding).


    The young man snapped back to reality and asked, "Are you the Pok��mon Collector?"


    "Pok��mon Collector" was the username Yuga had chosen in the chat group.


    Yuga smiled and nodded. "That''s me."


    The young man gasped audibly, clearly shocked to find out that the person he was trading with was the legendary figure himself.


    Earlier that day, he had attended the duel tournament in person and had seen Yuga from afar on the referee''s tform. Naturally, he was aware of Yuga''s identity.


    Seeing the young man dazed again, Yuga couldn''t help but speak up. "May I sit down so we can discuss the trade?"


    The young man quickly stood up, flustered. "Oh, my apologies! Please, have a seat."


    Yuga chuckled at the man''s nervous demeanor and sat down. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Shimizu Yuga��"


    Before Yuga could finish, the young man interjected, "I know who you are! Allow me to introduce myself first."


    Yuga wasn''t surprised that the young man recognized him and smiled. "Sure, go ahead."


    The young man cleared his throat and, slightly nervously, introduced himself.


    His name was Hiro, and he was 18 years old, six years younger than Yuga. He was from the Kalos region but was currently in Hoenn for personal reasons. Being close to Verdanturf Town, it was convenient for him toe and trade for Yuga''s Feebas.


    The Pok��mon he intended to trade for Feebas was a Helioptile. It had recently hatched from an egg he had purchased back in his hometown.


    Hiro exined that his hometown''s daycare offered a unique service where they mixed various Pok��mon eggs together, set a uniform price, and let customers choose based on their intuition and luck.


    The Pok��mon egg''s potential varied greatly, with the lowest being red potential Pok��mon eggs and the highest being blue potential Pok��mon eggs. Hiro wasn''t sure if anyone had ever gotten a blue potential Pok��mon egg, but he had been lucky enough to pick a green potential Pok��mon egg.


    The uniform pricing of these Pok��mon eggs was much higher than low potential Pok��mon eggs but significantly lower than high potential Pok��mon eggs. Most people would end up with a loss, but a few lucky ones could get something exceptional.


    Yuga was familiar with this type of service because many daycares in Hoenn offered simr options, though it wasn''t a suitable practice for YoYo Day Care.


    Hiro''s egg hatched shortly after he arrived in Hoenn, resulting in a Helioptile.


    However, since Hiro specialized in Water-type Pok��mon, he wasn''t particrly fond of Helioptile and decided to trade it away. He just hadn''t found the right opportunity until he came across Yuga''s post in the group chat.


    After listening to Hiro''s story, Yuga didn''t immediately agree to exchange Pok��mon with him. Instead, he started a casual conversation, subtly probing for information and trying to get a sense of Hiro''s character.


    Once Yuga felt he had learned enough, he said, "May I have the honor of seeing your Pok��mon?"


    "Of... of course." Hiro agreed instinctively, though he wasn''t sure why Yuga wanted to see his Pok��mon.


    Throughout their conversation, Hiro remained visibly nervous around Yuga, answering every question without hesitation. This made it easy for Yuga to gather information.


    <i>If this young man wasn''t exceptionally good at pretending, then he was definitely an honest person</i>, Yuga thought.


    With Hiro''s consent, Yuga led him to the Pok��mon Center''s backyard. There, Hiro released his six Pok��mon: witzer, Barbaracle, Floatzel, Pelipper, Octillery, and Starmie.


    As soon as they were released, the Pok��mon crowded around Hiro, affectionately interacting with him. It was clear they shared a deep bond.


    Seeing this, Yuga felt reassured. A Pok��mon''s attitude toward its Trainer can often reflect the Trainer''s character. While Yuga couldn''t fully assess Hiro''s skills, at least his Pok��mon genuinely liked him.


    This was enough for Yuga to feel confident about entrusting Feebas to him.


    Moreover, Hiro wasn''t weak. His strongest Pok��mon, witzer, was already close to the pseudo-Elite level. While this didn''t make him a prodigy, it ced himfortably above average for his age.


    "Gym Leader Shimizu, what do you think of my Pok��mon?" Hiro asked eagerly.


    "They''re excellent. I can see you''ve trained them with care," Yuga replied with a smile.


    "Thank you for thepliment, Gym Leader Shimizu!" Hiro beamed with pride at the praise.


    "Now let me show you Feebas. If it agrees to have you as its Trainer, we''ll proceed with the exchange," Yuga said.


    Though Yuga was satisfied with Hiro, the final decisiony with Feebas. If it wasn''t willing, Yuga wouldn''t force it.


    "Alright," Hiro responded excitedly.


    Since the backyard wasn''t suitable for Feebas, they returned to the Pok��mon Center lobby.


    On their way, Yuga asked Blissey, "Blissey, could you please prepare a basin of water for me?"


    "Blissey~"


    Blissey patted its chest in affirmation and quickly brought over a basin of water.


    Once everything was ready, Yuga released Feebas from its Pok�� Ball into the water.


    "Feebas, this is the Trainer I''ve chosen for you. What do you think?" Yuga asked.


    Feebas, slow to react as usual, took a long time to turn around and look at Hiro, coincidentally meeting his gaze.


    Hiro couldn''t discern any particr reaction from Feebas. It just seemed unusually sluggish.


    "Don''t be fooled by how slow Feebas appears��it''s actually very smart. Look here..." Yuga said as he flipped Feebas onto its side to show Hiro. "See this scale? It''s a sign that Feebas is about to evolve."


    Hiro leaned in to see. Sure enough, there was a prism scale on Feebas''s belly. It was small but quite beautiful.


    However, Hiro couldn''t shake the feeling that Feebas was looking at him strangely. He squinted for a better look, but then dismissed it as his imagination.


    What Hiro didn''t realize was that Feebas was internally fuming, silently ranting about both Yuga and him: A<i>dy''s belly is not for casual inspection, let alone touching! So disrespectful</i>! However, its outward expression remained as nk as ever.


    After finishing the introduction, Yuga tapped Feebas''s head and asked, "Well? Are you willing to have him as your Trainer?"


    Feebas stared nkly, blowing bubbles in the basin.


    Seeing no reaction, Yuga added, "If you stay silent, I''ll take it as a yes."


    At this, Feebas finally blinked. Yuga knew this meant it had agreed.


    Hiro was overjoyed at Feebas''s agreement. He took out a Pok�� Ball and said, "Let me show you Helioptile too." With that, he opened Helioptile''s Pok�� Ball.


    In a sh of red light, a small Helioptile appeared in front of Yuga.


    ...


    [ Helioptile ]


    Type: Electric, Normal


    Ability: Dry Skin


    Gender: Female


    Potential: Green


    Level: 5


    Moves: Pound, Electric Terrain


    ...


    Just as Hiro had mentioned, this Helioptile was indeed a newborn. However, it had inherited the move Electric Terrain, which was quite impressive. Trading it for Feebas was undoubtedly a fair deal for Yuga.


    The young Helioptile seemed a bit shy. When it noticed the unfamiliar Yuga, it instinctively hid behind Hiro.


    "Come here, don''t be afraid," Yuga said, taking out a Pokeblock holding it in his palm as he beckoned to the Helioptile.


    Thanks to the extraordinary affinity brought by Celebi''s blessing, the Helioptile quickly lowered its guard. Not only did it ept the Pokeblock from Yuga, but it also affectionately rubbed its cheek against his palm.


    The Helioptile''s skin was still tender and soft to the touch, given how young it was.


    Seeing how well both sides were getting along, the two decided to proceed with the trade. Before finalizing it, however, they had Feebas and Helioptile undergo a potential assessment at the Pok��mon Center in front of Joyka to ensure mutual reassurance.


    Once the trade wasplete, Yuga said his farewells to Feebas and brought the Helioptile home. By then, the sky had begun to darken.


    When Yuga arrived home, dinner was alreadyid out, and Audino quickly ushered him to wash up and eat.


    After finishing dinner, Yuga headed to the Ecopark. He took Helioptile to the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark and brought it to Druddigon, saying, "Hey, Druddigon, I''ve got a job for you."


    At that moment, Druddigony motionless on the ground like a lump of dough,pletely drained of energy.


    Before Yuga arrived, it had just endured challenges from a Noivern and Aerodactyl couple, a Kommo-o, and a Flygon. Now, it was so exhausted that it didn''t even want to lift a w to acknowledge Yuga.


    Seeing its sorry state, Yuga smirked inwardly, thinking: <i>Let''s see if you dare ck off again in the future.</i>


    Since it didn''t respond, Yuga gave it a nudge with his foot. "Hey, get up. If you don''t, I''ll call Dragonite Mama toe fetch you!"


    At the mention of Dragonite Mama, Druddigon immediately scrambled to its feet, shooting Yuga a look of exasperation, as if to say: <i>What now?!</i>


    At that moment, it sorely missed the carefree life in the new Ecopark where no one bossed it around.


    Yuga picked up the Helioptile and ced it in front of Druddigon. "Here, this little one is your responsibility now."


    Although Helioptile wasn''t a Dragon-type Pok��mon, it had dragon lineage in its blood. Living in the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark wouldn''t be a problem.


    Startled by the sudden proximity of the tiny Pok��mon, Druddigon hurriedly backed away, almost losing its bnce.


    Looking at the delicate and fragile Helioptile, Druddigon worried it might identally harm it. Taking care of this little thing? What a joke!


    "Helioptile~"


    Although Helioptile was a bit timid, it unexpectedly didn''t seem afraid of the big, goofy Druddigon. Instead, it tilted its head and let out a soft cry toward it.


    Yuga guessed that it might be because Druddigon, after gaining weight, no longer looked as intimidating as before.


    >�D(����ء㡨)��


    <i>S-So cute...</i>


    Druddigon was instantly struck in the heart by Helioptile''s adorable demeanor. <i>How could such an incredibly cute creature exist in this world?! </i>


    But it still shook its head and backed away two steps. <i>No... I can''t. I can''t do it.</i>


    Holding Helioptile, Yuga took a step forward and said, "You can. Believe in yourself."


    <i>I can''t...</i>


    Druddigon backed away another two steps.


    Yuga didn''t move forward this time but stared directly at Druddigon. "Really can''t?"


    Druddigon wanted to keep insisting it couldn''t, but under Yuga''s gaze, it felt an overwhelming sense of threat. Almost involuntarily, it blurted out, "I can!"


    Yuga smiled in satisfaction. "Now that''s the spirit. I knew you could do it."


    Then he turned to Helioptile and said, "Helioptile, from now on, Druddigon will take care of you. Make sure to listen to it, okay?"


    "Helioptile~"


    Helioptile obediently nodded.


    After Yuga left, Druddigon slumped onto the ground, locking eyes with Helioptile in an awkward stare-off. Helioptile wasn''t scared at all. Instead, it trotted over and rubbed its cheek against Druddigon''s face, nearly giving therger Pok��mon a heart attack.


    Druddigon stiffened, then sternly said, "From now on, don''t do that without my permission. Got it?"


    Helioptile obediently nodded.


    "And you better listen to me from now on. Understood?"


    Helioptile nodded again, just as obediently.


    ...


    After lecturing Helioptile for a long time, Druddigon flopped back onto the ground to rest. It was still aching all over from earlier.


    Helioptile watched Druddigon for a moment, then found a spot near its neck andy down as well.


    Before long, a Hydreigon descended from the sky,nding beside Druddigon. Noticing Helioptile, it loudly eximed, "Druddigon, when did you have a kid?!"


    Helioptile was startled by Hydreigon''s sudden appearance and quickly scrambled to hide behind Druddigon''s tail.


    Druddigon nced nervously at Helioptile. Seeing that it was unharmed, it let out a sigh of relief before roaring furiously at Hydreigon, "What''s it to you?!"


    With that, Druddigon lunged at Hydreigon with its jaws wide open.


    Hydreigon spread its wings and took off into the sky, leaving Druddigon biting at thin air.


    Before long, the two Pok��mon were locked in a fierce battle. The other Pok��mon nearby saw what was happening but acted as if they hadn''t noticed a thing.


    As a Pok��mon at the Elite level, there was no way Druddigon could lose to Hydreigon. Just as Hydreigon was on the verge of defeat, it suddenly shouted toward the distance, "Honey... my wife Smence... your husband''s being bullied!"


    In no time, Smence arrived on the scene, and the one-on-one dragon fight quickly escted into a three-way dragon brawl.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1236: Top Four Qualifying Tournament

    <h4>Chapter 1236: Top Four Qualifying Tournament</h4>


    The next day, when Yuga arrived at the stadium, he noticed that the audience members were brimming with excitement, all eagerly anticipating the final showdown.


    At 7:30, the tournament''s big screen disyed the groupings and order of matches for the seven remainingpetitors:


    First match: Erika vs. the Old Man


    Second match: Ash vs. Anya


    Third match: Bill vs. Nobukata


    Bye: Hana


    Ash facing Anya came as a surprise to many since both were highly favored to win the championship, though Ash''s chances were slightly more favored.


    At 8:00 sharp, the matches officially began.


    Standing on opposite sides of the battlefield, the Old Man was visibly nervous,pletely unprepared for such a strong opponent right from the start.


    However, seeing his grandson in the audience energetically cheering for him, he had no choice but to muster his courage and proceed.


    As soon as the Rotom camera signaled the start of the match, both contestants released their Pok��mon. The Old Man sent out a Victreebel, while Erika countered with a Vileplume��two Pok��mon with identical typings.


    Determined to avoid an embarrassing loss, the Old Man made the first move.


    "Victreebel, Sunny Day!"


    Victreebel''s ability was Chlorophyll, and Sunny Day would significantly boost its performance.


    The Old Man had done his homework, analyzing Erika''s previous battles. However, since she had defeated her opponents so effortlessly, he couldn''t discern the ability of her Vileplume.


    Vileplume''s abilities typically fell into one of two categories: Chlorophyll or Effect Spore. Though the Old Man wasn''t an aplished Trainer, he still had a solid grasp of the basics.


    If Vileplume''s ability was Effect Spore, Sunny Day would have no effect on it. However, if it was Chlorophyll, the Old Man had already prepared a counter.


    As Victreebelunched a golden orb into the sky, the battlefield temperature noticeably rose, and the sun shone even brighter, dazzlingly so.


    With the weather now altered to Sunny Day, Victreebel''s Chlorophyll activated, enhancing its speed. But Erika''s Vileplume remained motionless, leaving the Old Man unsure about its ability.


    "No matter!"


    The Old Man steeled himself andmanded, "Victreebel, Gastro Acid!"


    Regardless of whether Vileplume''s ability was Chlorophyll or Effect Spore, neutralizing it with Gastro Acid could only be beneficial.


    But while the Old Man was executing his n, Erika and her Vileplume had no intention of cooperating. Before hismand was fully given, a brilliant golden beam erupted from Vileplume''s floral crown, engulfing Victreebel in an instant.


    With a single cry of pain, Victreebel copsed to the ground,pletely incapacitated.


    Seeing his Pok��mon taken down so swiftly, the Old Man felt a brief dizziness and even turned pale.


    Noticing his difort, Erika quickly expressed her concern. "Sir, are you okay?"


    Regaining hisposure, the Old Man replied, "I''m fine, I''m fine. Just getting old. The future belongs to the younger generation like you."


    As he spoke, he recalled Victreebel back into its Pok�� Ball.


    Despite all his carefully devised strategies to counter Erika, he had overlooked one undeniable truth: in the face of absolute strength, no tactic could prevail.


    For his second Pok��mon, the Old Man chose an Exeggutor, banking on its Psychic typing to counter Erika''s Poison-type Pok��mon.


    Though he knew he stood little chance of winning, he was determined to give it his all. After all, his beloved grandson was watching from the stands. Even in defeat, he wanted to lose with dignity.


    As soon as the Old Man''s Exeggutor appeared, it was bombarded by relentless poisonous attacks from Vileplume.


    While Psychic-type moves are strong against Poison-type Pok��mon, Poison-types also have an advantage over Grass-types.


    Wave after wave of poison wasunched, and Exeggutor continuously countered by using Psychic to disperse the attacks.


    However, Vileplume was a Pok��mon at the Elite Four level, far surpassing Exeggutor in endurance. Soon, Exeggutor''s mental strength waned, and it was struck by a glob of poison.


    Things went from bad to worse��Exeggutor was poisoned.


    Seeing Exeggutor''s stamina steadily drain, the Old Man wanted it to use Synthesis to recover, but Erika wasn''t about to let that happen. A single Sludge Bomb decisively knocked out Exeggutor.


    Recalling his Exeggutor, the Old Man gave a bitter smile. "The gap is just toorge."


    Meanwhile, Erika felt somewhat disappointed with the Old Man''s strength. She hoped one of her uing opponents would be strong enough to push her to her limits. She thought to herself, If no one here can challenge me, I might as well visit Gym Leader Shimizu more often. Battling him is much more interesting than facing these Trainers.


    The Old Man''s final Pok��mon was a Ludicolo, the strongest member of his team, which he had already used in a previous match.


    As soon as Ludicolo appeared, it began dancing joyfully, elicitingughter from the audience. However, Erika and Vileplume remained serious and focused, showing their respect for the match.


    While dancing, Ludicolo maneuvered closer to Vileplume and swung its Ice Punch at it.


    Vileplume, being a stationary Pok��mon with slow mobility, typically fought by standing its ground and attacking without moving. Even in the face of Ludicolo''s close-range assault, it didn''t budge.


    Just as Ludicolo''s punch was about to connect, a pir of petals erupted from the ground, sending Ludicolo flying into the air.


    iling helplessly midair, Ludicolo cried out, only to be hit by a Sludge Bomb that sent it crashing to the ground.


    Uponnding, Ludicolo writhed in agony, the poisonous residue from the Sludge Bomb corroding its wounds. The pain was akin to having salt rubbed into fresh injuries.


    "Ludicolo, Surf!"


    Realizing Ludicolo might be poisoned, the Old Man urgentlymanded it.


    Following themand, Ludicolo summoned a massive wave and dove into it.


    The Old Man wasn''t just trying to attack Vileplume with Surf��he also hoped the water would wash away some of the poison afflicting Ludicolo.


    Though this method was only a temporary solution and wouldn''t cure the poisoning, it could at least slow its effects.


    As the towering wave rushed toward it, Vileplume responded by using Dazzling Gleam. Its body radiated dazzling rainbow-colored light as it charged directly into the wave.


    BOOM!!!


    With a deafening crash, the wave shattered, and Ludicolo tumbled out of the water, its head tilting to the side as it fainted.


    Though Vileplume emerged soaking wet, looking a bit bedraggled, it had suffered little actual damage.


    "It''s over!!! Miss Erika is the winner! Congrattions to Miss Erika for bing the first contestant to advance to the semifinals!"


    As soon as the match ended, Vivian''s excited voice echoed across the stadium.


    In truth, Erika wasn''t the first to advance to the semifinals��Hana, who had a bye, had technically secured her spot earlier.


    The reason Hana wasn''t mentioned was that she didn''t have a match in this round, so Vivian simply overlooked her.


    After stepping off the field, the Old Man, feeling a bit down, made his way to the stands. Upon seeing his grandson, he said apologetically, "I''m sorry, my dear. Grandpa couldn''t win the match. I must''ve let you down."


    To his surprise, his grandson, Colt, wasn''t upset at all. Instead, he ran into the Old Man''s arms, yfully eximing, "Grandpa, you were amazing just now! I was so absorbed in watching you! You''re the coolest grandpa ever!"


    The Old Man was deeply moved by these words and thought to himself: Even if I couldn''t win that Grass-type Pok��mon today, I''ll make sure to get my precious grandson an outstanding Pok��mon in the future.


    Seated near the Old Man''s family were several of his old friends from the nursing home. Seeing him return, they each chimed in with praise, saying he hadn''t lost his touch. The Old Man''s disappointment over the loss quickly melted away in the warmth of their encouragement.


    The second match featured Ash and Anya, two top contenders for the championship, which made the arena buzz with excitement.


    When both stepped onto the field, Anya couldn''t help but focus intensely as she spotted Ash. Though not close friends, they were acquainted, and she had some understanding of Ash''s strength.


    At the signal for the match to begin, both Trainers sent out their Pok��mon simultaneously.


    Ash''s first Pok��mon was a Meganium, while Anya released a brand-new Pok��mon not used in the dyel tournament before: a Leavanny.


    The moment Meganium entered the field, it began swinging its Vine Whip, relentlesslyshing at Leavanny. But Leavanny disyed extraordinary agility, dodging gracefully. Even when it was struck, its body bore thesh marks without sustaining any real damage.


    While evading Meganium''s whips, Leavanny used its nimbleness to close the distance. Its arms crossed as it executed a X-Scissor, aiming directly for Meganium''s neck.


    Leavanny''s arms were equipped with sharp des, and as a Bug-type move, X-Scissor had a clear advantage over the Grass-type Meganium. If the attacknded, Meganium would undoubtedly lose.


    However, Ash and Meganium were not unprepared for Leavanny''s approach. Just as it lunged, Meganium raised its right front foot and stomped heavily on the ground. Cracks spread rapidly across the battlefield, reaching Leavanny and throwing it off bnce. Nearly toppling over, its X-Scissor failed to connect.


    Meganium had used the move Stomp, which not only interrupted Leavanny''s attack but also reduced its speed.


    Leavanny excelled at physical offense, but the presence of Stomp made it difficult for it to approach Meganium easily, leaving it in a bind.


    Forced to retreat, Leavanny found itself once again under a barrage of Vine Whip strikes. With its speed reduced, it now struggled to evade the onught.


    Noticing Leavanny''s predicament, Anya shouted, "Leavanny, Agility! Follow with Aerial Ace!"


    As Anya''smand rang out, Leavanny''s speed surged dramatically. Using Aerial Ace, it instantly closed the gap to Meganium. Its de-like arms gleamed with white light as it shed from both sides.


    "Meganium, Return!"


    Ash''s response was swift as he directed Meganium to counterattack.


    Meganium''s body began to glow with white light as it mustered all its strength to ram into Leavanny.


    The move Return bes more powerful the stronger the bond between the Pok��mon and its Trainer. Considering the deep connection between Ash and Meganium, the attack''s power was undoubtedly at its maximum.


    Leavanny was sent flying, but Sceptile also took a direct hit from Aerial Ace. If it weren''t for its high defense, it might not have endured.


    Leavanny, however, did not have Meganium''s level of defense. Being mmed by such a heavyweight Pok��mon caused significant damage, leaving it kneeling on the ground, gasping for breath.


    "Leavanny, use Agility!" Anyamanded.


    "Meganium, Aromatherapy!" Ash quickly countered.


    Agility would boost Leavanny''s speed, but Aromatherapy could reduce its evasiveness.


    As the field was engulfed in a sweet and heavy fragrance, Leavanny struggled significantly, finding it increasingly difficult to dodge the oing vine whips. It was soon struck several times in quick session.


    Meganium, categorized as the Herb Pok��mon, naturally emits a special fragrance, making Aromatherapy one of its signature moves.


    Spotting a weakness, Sceptile''s vines suddenly ensnared Leavanny. Though it used its sharp ded arms to cut through the vines, another quickly appeared, binding it once again.


    Finally, a Grass Pledge sealed the match, and Leavanny fainted.


    Leavanny''s loss caused Anya to furrow her brows in frustration. After a moment''s thought, she sent out her second Pok��mon, Roserade, a high-level Pok��mon in pseudo-Elite level, even slightly stronger than Ash''s Meganium.


    Unlike the closebat-oriented Leavanny, Roserade was a long-range specialist. Its first move was Toxic, scattering a wide area of poisonous liquid. Ash''s Meganium was soon badly poisoned.


    However, Anya didn''t immediatelymand Roserade to attack. Instead, she had it circle Meganium and spread toxic traps around the field.


    For a poisoned Meganium, stepping into the traps would lower its Attack, Special Attack, and Speed significantly.


    As expected, surrounded by toxic traps, Meganium''s movements became heavily restricted.


    "Meganium, use Aromatherapy!"


    While Meganium couldn''t use recovery moves like Heal Pulse, it did know Aromatherapy, a status-clearing move.


    After the poisoned state was removed, Roserade used Sludge Bomb, and Meganium was unfortunately poisoned again.


    This time, before Meganium could use Aromatherapy to clear the condition, it was brought down by Roserade''s Venoshock.


    Venoshock''s power doubles against poisoned targets, and with Poison-type moves being super effective against Grass-types, Meganium was no match.


    Ash then sent out his second Pok��mon, Sceptile. Compared to the slower Meganium, Sceptile was much more agile. Roserade''s poison attacks and traps found it hard to hit such a nimble opponent. Even if Sceptile got caught in a trap, it could easily escape with a swift leap.


    Moreover, with its excellent mobility and quick reflexes, Sceptile managed tond two powerful Dragon Pulses on Roserade.


    Seeing that Roserade''s poison strategy wasn''t working, Anya grew increasingly anxious.


    "Sceptile, Dragon Pulse!"


    At Ash''smand, a blue dragon-shaped energy wave shot toward Roserade. Roserade scrambled to roll on the ground, barely dodging the Dragon Pulse in the nick of time.


    <strong><i>Boom!</i></strong>


    The attack left a massive crater in the ground, and Roserade broke into a cold sweat. Another Dragon Pulse could very well knock it out.


    After a moment''s thought, Anya ordered, "Roserade, use Grass Whistle!"


    Hearing themand, Roserade quickly got up, pulling out a leaf. It brought it to its mouth and began to y, the soothing melody resonating throughout the arena. Meanwhile, Sceptile found its eyelids growing heavier and heavier.


    "Sceptile, hang in there!"


    Ash shouted to keep Sceptile alert, but despite his encouragement, Sceptile eventually sumbed and fell asleep.

 Chapter 1237: Legendary Pokémon Sightings

    <h4>Chapter 1237: Legendary Pok��mon Sightings</h4>


    The opportunity was rare, and with Sceptile fast asleep, Roserade immediatelyunched a barrage of Sludge Bombs at it, quickly reducing Sceptile''s health to a dangerously low level.


    Seeing that Sceptile was about to fall, Roserade prepared tond the final blow. However, at that moment, Sceptile suddenly opened its eyes and unleashed a Leaf Storm, pulling Roserade into its vortex.


    Despite this, Roserade sessfully threw out its Sludge Bomb, and the two Pok��mon ended up in a mutual destruction.


    After recalling their respective Pok��mon, both Ash and Anya released their final Pok��mon. Ash sent out his Venusaur, while Anya shocked everyone by releasing the mythical Pok��mon Shaymin.


    When Shaymin appeared, not only did the audience gasp in surprise, but Yuga also widened his eyes in astonishment.


    However, from the legendary aura surrounding this Shaymin, Yuga could tell it was probably still in its juvenile form.


    "This... This is Shaymin!" Ash eximed.


    Ash had encountered Shaymin during his time in Sinnoh, so he instantly recognized the Pok��mon.


    Considering Anya''s connection to Celebi, Yuga thought it wasn''t too hard to ept that she had earned Shaymin''s favor.


    The first to act was Ash''s Venusaur.


    Not only was Venusaur the strongest Grass-type Pok��mon in Ash''s team, but it was also one of his earliestpanions, ranking among his top performers overall.


    Venusaur had once resisted evolution, but as Ash''s strength grew and his other Pok��mon evolved, Venusaur realized that if it remained at Ivysaur stage, it would soon be unable to keep up with Ash''s progress.


    For Ash''s sake, Ivysaur chose to evolve into Venusaur it was today.


    Venusaur''s Vine Whip was far superior to that of Torterra, swinging with such precision that it seemed imprable. Yet, Shaymin was still able to dodge it with agility.


    "Shaymin~"


    Shaymin leaped onto a vine, pushed off forcefully, and jumped up, throwing an Energy Ball toward Venusaur.


    "Venusaur ~"


    Venusaur responded in kind, releasing its own Energy Ball. The two spheres collided midair, resulting in a violent explosion.


    "Venusaur, Grass Pledge!" Ash shouted.


    Ash knew that if he didn''t give his all, he would lose this battle, so he shouted with urgency.


    "Venusaur ~"


    Venusaur roared in response and stomped its foot on the ground. A green line surged along the ground, aiming straight for Shaymin. At Anya''s warning, Shaymin quickly jumped out of the way.


    Boom!


    A green light pir shot up from the ground, but Shaymin was already gone, narrowly avoiding the attack. Grass Pledge''s assault missed.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Pirs of light from the Grass Pledge continued to erupt across the battlefield, but none of them managed tond a hit on Shaymin, which made both Ash and Venusaur grow more anxious.


    "Shaymin, Sweet Kiss!"


    Shaymin suddenly came to a stop while running at full speed and blew a flying kiss toward Venusaur. A giant, magenta heart immediately crashed into Venusaur, causing it to fall into a state of confusion.


    In its confusion, Venusaur began using Vine Whip tosh at itself, and after several strikes, it recklessly fired Energy Balls in all directions.


    "Venusaur, snap out of it!" Ash shouted urgently, trying to call Venusaur back to its senses.


    "Shaymin, Seed re!"


    Taking advantage of Venusaur''s disorientation, Anyamanded Shaymin to use its signature move.


    "Shay~min~"


    Shaymin jumped close to Venusaur, inhaled deeply, and then its body began to glow with brilliance. Momentster, with a loud boom, Venusaur was sted into the air.


    The light from Seed re was so dazzling that many people couldn''t clearly see what was happening in the arena. However, they soon saw Venusaur fly out from the cloud of dust that had been kicked up.


    Bang~


    Venusaur wasn''t light, and the heavy fall to the ground caused it to gasp in pain. But thanks to the fall, Venusaur managed to shake off its confusion and regain its senses.


    Venusaur, being a sturdy Pok��mon, was able to withstand Shaymin''s Seed re, which would have otherwise been difficult for any other Pok��mon.


    "Venusaur, use Synthesis!"


    At Ash''smand, Venusaur closed its eyes, and the flowers and leaves on its back began to glow with a green light. Slowly, it absorbed the energy of the sun to heal its injuries.


    Although Synthesis isn''t as effective on a cloudy day as it would be in bright sunlight, it was enough for Venusaur''s current condition.


    Seeing that Venusaur''s injuries were starting to heal, Anya quickly ordered, "Shaymin, use Zen Headbutt!"


    "Shaymin~"


    Shaymin leapt into the air, its body radiating purple light as it crashed toward Venusaur.


    Psychic-type moves are strong against Poison-types like Venusaur, and if it got hit now, it was almost certain that Venusaur would lose.


    But at that moment, Venusaur opened its eyes.


    "Venusaur, use Frenzy nts!" Ashmanded.


    "Venusaur ~"


    Venusaur responded with a cry, stomping both its front feet onto the ground. Countless brown roots burst from the earth and formed a wooden wall in front of Venusaur.


    Bang~


    Shaymin collided with the wooden wall. Though the wall cracked and created arge hole, the Venusaur behind it was unscathed.


    Realizing something was wrong, Shaymin tried to move away from Venusaur, but to its surprise, several roots had already wrapped around its back, quickly constricting and tightening around it.


    "Shaymin!" Anya called out anxiously.


    "Shay~min~"


    The thick roots tightened bit by bit, and Shaymin struggled to breathe, groaning in pain.


    At this moment, Ash shouted, "Venusaur, use Absorb!"


    Shaymin soon realized its strength was starting to drain. Green energy flowed through the roots holding it, transferring to Venusaur.


    Suddenly, Anya shouted, "Shaymin, use Seed re!"


    Hearing Anya''smand, Ash''s face changed, and he quickly shouted at Venusaur, "Venusaur, throw it away!"


    But it was already toote. A blinding light filled the arena, and when the glow faded, the roots that had been restraining Shaymin had been blown away. Venusaur had also been affected, and all the energy it had regained through Synthesis and Absorb was wasted.


    Now free, Shaymin used Confusion Headbutt again, mming into Venusaur. This time, Venusaur, still affected by the side effects of using Frenzied nts, couldn''t move at all.


    Bang~


    With a loud crash, Venusaur was knocked down and lost its ability to continue fighting.


    Ash lost the match!


    It was a surprise for many that Ash lost to Anya, but looking at the Shaymin on the stage, some of them began to understand why.


    "I... lost..." Ash mumbled to himself.


    "The second round has ended, and congrattions to Anya for advancing to the top four!"


    Amidst the cheers of the audience, both Ash and Anya left the arena.


    Back in the stands, Ash was in low spirits. Brock, Misty, and May quicklyforted him, but Ash, being the optimist that he was, soon recovered his mood.


    The final match for the top four was between Bill and Nobukata.


    Nobukata was an incredibly cute girl, small in stature, and appeared to be a young girl. However, she was actually in her twenties.


    However, despite her cute appearance, this girl was no slouch when it came to strength. Although she advanced by a bye, even without it, she still had the power to make it to the next round.


    Nobukata''s first Pok��mon was a lively and adorable Bellossom, whose temperament was quite simr to hers. Bill''s first Pok��mon, on the other hand, was a Sceptile.


    As soon as Sceptile appeared, it swiftly dashed behind Bellossom, raising its Leaf de to strike. But Bellossom seemed to sense iting. It suddenly spun around, crossing the des on its arms to block Sceptile''s strike.


    However, Bellossom was physically weaker than Sceptile and was pushed back by the force of the blow. Still, it managed to throw two Magical Leaves, hitting Sceptile urately.


    Enduring the pain, Sceptile didn''t back down. It fired two Energy Balls in quick session. The first missed as Bellossom dodged, but the second one hit its target.


    The hit Bellossom, under Nobukata''smand, used Lucky Chant. This move prevented Bellossom from taking critical damage from attacks.


    Both Pok��mon then began to trade Energy Balls, causing the ground to be littered with craters from the explosions.


    During their exchange, Sceptile suddenly used Swagger, catching Bellossom off guard. In its confusion, Bellossom started hurling Energy Balls indiscriminately in all directions, no longer targeting Sceptile.


    Seizing the opportunity, Sceptile used Quick Attack to close the distance, then unleashed a series of four quick strikes aimed at Bellossom''s weak points. The confused Bellossom was knocked out from the relentless blows.


    Nobukata''s second Pok��mon was Leafeon.


    Knowing that Sceptile''s speed would make it difficult for Leafeon to keep up, Nobukata didn''t immediatelymand an attack. Instead, she instructed Leafeon to dodge and use Swords Dance to enhance its attack, waiting for the perfect moment.


    Though Leafeon struggled to avoid Sceptile''s attacks, even taking two Leaf de hits, itpleted two rounds of Swords Dance to boost its power.


    When Sceptile approached once again, Nobukata sensed that the time was right.


    "Leafeon, use Grass Whistle!"


    Grass Whistle has a low uracy, which is why Nobukata had been waiting for the right opportunity.


    The sweet melody of the flute filled the air. Sceptile, just inches away from Leafeon, suddenly felt its eyelids grow heavy, and its mind became groggy. In no time, it closed its eyes and fell asleep.


    "Sceptile!" Bill called out loudly, trying to rouse his Pok��mon, but it was futile.


    "Leafeon, use X-Scissor!"


    Seeing her opportunity, Nobukata quickly gave themand.


    Two X-Scissorsnded squarely on Sceptile. Being weak to Bug-type moves, Sceptile immediately lost its ability to continue fighting.


    Bill''s second Pok��mon was Chesnaught, the same one he used in the previous round. Like Nobukata''s Leafeon, it specialized in physical attacks.


    In the face of the powerful Chesnaught, Leafeon used Double Team, creating several illusory copies of itself to surround Chesnaught.


    Seeing that Chesnaught was confused by the illusions, Nobukata gave the order: "Leafeon, use Aerial Ace."


    Flying-type moves, such as Aerial Ace, deal four times the damage to Fighting-types like Chesnaught, which is a significant advantage.


    Just as Leafeon was about tounch its attack, Billmanded Chesnaught, "Chesnaught, use Pin Missile!"


    Suddenly, Chesnaught fired a barrage of green arrows from its body, scattering the illusory Leafeons that surrounded it. Among them, the real Leafeon was hit, letting out a cry as it was knocked back.


    "Chesnaught, Arm Thrust!" Bill continued,manding Chesnaught to press the attack.


    "Leafeon, quickly dodge!" Nobukata urgently called out.


    Boom~


    The ground was smashed into a giant crater by Chesnaught''s Arm Thrust. Leafeon, following Nobukata''s warning, barely managed to dodge in time.


    "Chesnaught, keep attacking!" Bill ordered.


    Chesnaught raised its arms and began to hammer them down one after the other toward Leafeon. However, this time it wasn''t using the more energy-draining Arm Thrust, but rather Drain Punch, a move that not only caused damage but also restored its own health.


    Leafeon, now recovered, nimbly jumped and avoided Chesnaught''s attacks, causing them to miss.


    Bang~


    Leafeon''s Aerial Ace collided with Chesnaught''s Drain Punch. Both Pok��mon were pushed back a few steps, but from the way they retreated, it was clear that Leafeon was at a disadvantage in terms of strength.


    Leafeon once again used Aerial Ace to charge toward Chesnaught. This time, Chesnaught didn''t counter, but instead slightly tilted its body, exposing its right side, which was covered in a hard shell. As Leafeon mmed into it, Chesnaught used Spiky Shield.


    In an instant, sharp spikes protruded from Chesnaught''s shell. It not only avoided damage but also pierced Leafeon, causing it to cry out in pain.


    Taking advantage of the moment, Chesnaught grabbed Leafeon by the neck.


    Leafeon kicked its legs desperately, but with no solid footing, it couldn''t put up much of a struggle and could only be carried by Chesnaught.


    Boom!


    With a powerful Arm Thrust, Leafeon was knocked unconscious.


    Nobukata''s final Pok��mon was Shiinotic, a Grass-type and Fairy-type, leading to a true showdown between fists.


    Bang~ Bang~ Bang~


    Chesnaught''s Drain Punch and


    Shiinotic''s Sky Uppercut collided repeatedly, with both Pok��mon exchanging blows over a dozen times in the blink of an eye. The audience''s eyes struggled to keep up with the rapid pace.


    Boom~


    After another exchange of blows, the two Pok��mon quickly separated, bending over and panting heavily.


    Inparison, Chesnaught seemed to be in worse shape. Not only had it been injured from its previous battle with Leafeon, but also the repeated use of Arm Thrust had taken a toll, slowing down its speed and reactions. During the exchange, it was hit several times by Shiinotic.


    After catching their breath for a few moments, the two Pok��mon squared off again.


    Boom!


    The two fists collided, but this time, Chesnaught managed to knock Shiinotic flying with a single punch. A sh of green light passed over Chesnaught''s body.


    At that moment, it became clear that Chesnaught''s Ability, Overgrow, had activated.


    Seeing Shiinotic downed, Chesnaught seized the moment to press forward, delivering another punch toward Shiinotic.


    Shiinotic, not willing to give up, threw a punch in return.


    Chesnaught struck Shiinotic in the abdomen, while Shiinotded a hit on Chesnaught''s chest. Both Pok��mon were already on the verge of copse from earlier battles. Their eyes rolled back, and they simultaneously fainted.


    With that, the top four of the Duel Tournament were decided: Erika, Anya, Bill, and the bye-winner Hana.


    The morning saw the final four settle, while in the afternoon, the battle for 7th to 5th ce took ce.


    After an intense series of battles, the final rankings for 7th to 5th ce were as follows: Grandpa in 7th, Nobukata in 6th, and Ash in 5th.

 Chapter 1238: Acquisition of Incense Workshop

    <h4>Chapter 1238: Acquisition of Incense Workshop</h4>


    The afternoon''spetition had just ended, and as Yuga arrived at the door, he was greeted with surprising news from Suzuki Koen��Yashushi had returned.


    Yuga was taken aback by this, quickly walking into the shop. In the reception room, he saw Yashushi talking to Seien.


    Seien was a skilled incense maker trained by Yashushi. Now that his master had returned, it was only natural for him toe and see.


    Having learned both Yashushi''s family traditions and the incense-making manual from YoYo Day Care, Seien had grown into a capable and outstanding incense maker, fully capable of handling things on his own.


    Upon seeing Yuga enter, Seien stood up politely and greeted him, "Hello, boss."


    Seien, along with Kano, who joined YoYo Day Care with him, were orphans, and it was Yuga who had provided them with good jobs and favorable treatment. As a result, he held Yuga in great respect.


    Yuga nodded and asked, "What were you talking about with your master?"


    Seien scratched the back of his head, feeling embarrassed. "Hehe, we didn''t talk about much. My master was testing me on my skills!"


    Hearing this, Yugaughed heartily, "I''ll vouch for Seien. He''s now our YoYo Day Care''s signature incense maker, and everyone knows how good his craft is. He certainly hasn''t embarrassed you, his master."


    At present, there were three incense makers at YoYo Day Care: the head master, Lain, the apprentice, Kano, and Seien.


    Kano was Lain''s disciple, while Seien had been personally trained by Yashushi before he left.


    Seien had learned both Yashushi''s and YoYo Day Care''s methods, whichplemented each other, so his incense-making skills were slightly better than Kanos, who joined YoYo Day Care around the same time.


    The craft passed down from Yashushi was something that Seien had learned privately from him and could not pass on to others. Doing so would be a betrayal to Yashushi.


    "I can''t let the students I teach bring shame to me," Yashushi said, joking for once.


    Seeing that his master seemed to have something to discuss with Yuga, Seien spoke up, "I still have some work to do, so I''ll leave now. You two can talk."


    Yashushi nodded, "Go ahead."


    After Seien left, Yuga sighed as he sat down, "You''ve been gone for so long, and not even a call. There''s not a word from you."


    Actually, Yuga had asionally heard news from the Evesting Incense Workshop and knew that things hadn''t been going well for them.


    Evesting Incense Workshop was the name of Yashushi''s family incense workshop. Once the most famous workshop in Hoenn, it had nowpletely fallen into decline.


    Yuga didn''t need to ask to know that life must have been hard for Yashushi after returning.


    Yashushi remained silent for a long while before finally speaking.


    "My grandfather passed away."


    Yuga was stunned for a moment after hearing this, but before he could respond, Yashushi continued, "In a way, it was for the best. It was a release for him."


    Family legacy had always been the most important thing to Yashushi''s grandfather. He had gone so far as to force his granddaughter, Miyuki, to be Ariana, making him watch helplessly as the incense workshop he had spent his life building gradually fell into ruin. This was a pain greater than death for him.


    What was most painful was that it was all his own doing. If he hadn''t forced Miyuki into bing Ariana, the family''s incense workshop wouldn''t have copsed.


    His grandfather had already been old and, after experiencing such a huge rise and fall, his health had deteriorated, and he eventually passed away some time ago.


    It could be said that Yashushi''s grandfather had passed away with curses from Miyuki still hanging in the air.


    Even in death, Yashushi''s grandfather had never reflected on the unfairness he had shown Miyuki. He only thought of her as ungrateful and less than human.


    It was precisely because his grandfather had carried this resentment throughout his life and suffered for it that Yashushi said his passing had been a release.


    After his grandfather''s death, only Yashushi and his sister, Yukino, remained in the family.


    Yukino was a notorious youngdy who had never received proper guidance, so Yashushi had been very strict with her afterward, hoping to correct her bad habits.


    The effects of strict teaching were evident. Although Yukino couldn''t be considered a good person or a well-behaved girl, at least she no longer caused trouble.


    The main reason was that their family no longer had the resources to cover for her. Yukino herself understood this, so she had no choice but to behave herself.


    After returning from YoYo Day Care, Yashushi began taking over the family''s incense workshop. However, due to the influence of Miyuki (Ariana), the reputation of the Evesting Incense Workshop had already been tarnished, and business was steadily declining, putting it on the brink of closure.


    Yashushi could only be considered a tech enthusiast��though skilled in incense making, he was not the type of person who excelled at running a business. Faced with the crisis of Evesting Incense Workshop, hecked the ability to reverse its fortunes.


    Yuga watched Yashushi, who was deep in thought for a while, unsure whether tofort him, and finally decided to ask, "So what are your ns moving forward?"


    Yashushi hesitated, his face full of bitterness, before speaking, "Boss... I''d like to ask for your help."


    "Go ahead," Yuga said. "I will certainly help if I can."


    Having worked with Yashushi for such a long time, Yuga still felt a bond. Moreover, Yashushi had helped cultivate an outstanding incense maker for YoYo Day Care.


    "I''d like to ask you to acquire our Evesting Incense Workshop," Yashushi said, a request that left Yuga shocked.


    Although Evesting Incense Workshop had once been a leader in the incense making industry in Hoenn, it had since fallen from grace, and many people were eager to see it fail��this included both formerpetitors and previous partners.


    Now that Evesting Incense Workshop was on the brink of bankruptcy, one of its formerpetitors was pressuring Yashushi to maliciously acquire it.


    Yashushi reasoned that it didn''t matter who acquired the workshop, so he thought of Yuga, who was the only one who could still help him.


    Though Evesting Incense Workshop had declined, its foundation was still there, and if Yuga acquired it, there were great benefits to be had.


    Yuga was taken aback. "Are you sure? That''s your family''s ancestral workshop."


    Yashushi smiled bitterly. "What else can I do? It''s better than letting it be maliciously acquired and falling into the hands of ourpetitors. I can no longer protect the workshop alone."


    "So, do you have a specific n?" Yuga asked.


    "I do." Yashushi then took out a n.


    Since he hade specifically for this matter, he had naturally prepared in advance.


    Yuga took the n and began reading through it. It didn''t take long for him to understand the content.


    The root cause of Evesting Incense Workshop''s downfall was that the workshop''s former owner was Miyuki (Ariana), a wanted criminal in the League. (Ariana had controlled the workshop for a time through her maniption of Yashushi''s grandfather.) If it had been a regr wanted criminal, it wouldn''t have been such a big deal, but she was an executive of Team Rocket.


    Yashushi''s n was to sell 60% of Evesting Incense Workshop''s shares to Yuga, changing the workshop''s actual owner and giving it a fresh start.


    Once Yuga took over the ownership of the workshop, it would re-emerge under a new identity. This would not only erase the negative impact caused by Miyuki but also allow the workshop to benefit from Yuga''s and YoYo Day Care''s reputations, gradually reviving its business.


    If Yuga agreed, Evesting Incense Workshop would be part of YoYo Day Care.


    "Are you really sure you want to do this?" Yuga took a deep breath and said.


    After reading the n, Yuga couldn''t deny that he was indeed tempted.


    "Yes!" Yashushi nodded. "Not only will this save Evesting Incense Workshop, but it also gives it a chance to reim its former glory. Why not take the opportunity?"


    Hearing this, Yuga looked at him with a half-smile and said, "You didn''t write this n, did you?"


    Yashushi was a tech enthusiast at heart, and from Yuga''s understanding of him, he knew Yashushi couldn''t have written such a n.


    Yashushi''s face turned red under Yuga''s gaze. "You... You figured it out. It''s not mine, actually."


    After his grandfather passed away, Yashushi was overwhelmed with the issues surrounding the workshop, so he hired a professional to manage Evesting Incense Workshop for him.


    Although the person was new to society, they were highly capable, and after understanding the situation of the workshop, they came up with the current n.


    After hearing this, Yuga nodded. "Seems like they''re a good person. I''ll make sure to meet them when I get the chance."


    "Okay... okay," Yashushi said, feeling somewhat embarrassed.


    "Alright, I agree to acquire Evesting Incense Workshop," Yuga said as he ced the n on the table. However, he then shifted his tone and added, "But I have one condition."


    Yashushi immediately asked, "What is it?"


    "I want the Evesting Incense Workshop to no longer operate solely in the incense business, but to also run alongside the Pokeblock."


    To make YoYo Day Care bigger and stronger, Yuga must expand the business, but opening branches in the Pok��mon industry isn''t feasible for someone like him. So, he decided to shift his focus to Pokeblock and Incense, which are by-products of Pok��mon.


    With Evesting Incense Workshop as a foundation, he wouldn''t have to start from scratch.


    Although Evesting Incense Workshop had fallen into decline, its experience in operations and industry knowledge was far greater than Yuga''s, which would save him a lot of trouble.


    After the makeover, Evesting Incense Workshop would be a new enterprise. Although Yashushi would still hold shares, he wouldn''t be involved in its operations. Yuga would be the actual person in charge, rendering the negative influence brought by Miyuki irrelevant.


    Of course, he would need to report this to the League in advance to avoid unnecessary trouble.


    Yuga''s proposal was one Yashushi agreed to after a moment of thought. Since Yuga would be the real owner of Evesting Incense Workshop, he would have decision-making authority over the direction of the workshop''s operations.


    As long as Evesting Incense Workshop could be preserved, Yashushi had no objections.


    "Then let''s work together!" Yuga stood up and extended his right hand to Yashushi.


    "Looking forward to it!" Yashushi''s tone lightened considerably. Evesting Incense Workshop was saved! Beforeing, he had been worried that Yuga would refuse to acquire Evesting Incense Workshop.


    After finalizing their agreement, they talked for a while longer. This was only a preliminary agreement, and many details would need further discussion. It wouldn''t be somethingpleted in a day or two.


    By the time they were done talking, it was nearly dusk, and Audino came to call Yuga for dinner. Yuga invited Yashushi to stay and have dinner before leaving.


    Yashushi hadn''t had Audino''s cooking in a long time and missed it, so he didn''t refuse the invitation.


    After dinner, Yashushi left in a hurry.


    After seeing Yashushi off, Yuga went to the Ecopark to visit the newly settled Helioptile.


    Yuga had been worried that Druddigon, the clumsy one, wouldn''t take good care of the Helioptile. However, when he arrived, he saw how carefully Druddigon was tending to it and how much the Helioptile depended on Druddigon. Yuga was immediately reassured.


    He didn''t expect Druddigon to have the potential to be a good caregiver! Yuga thought quietly as he left the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark.


    After several days of intense training, Yuga noticed that Druddigon''s round face had slimmed down considerably, which made him very satisfied.


    Leaving the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark, Yuga went to the shallow beach to visit Squirtle and Froakie.


    When Yuga arrived, the two little ones were having a swimming race, looking far more energetic than before.


    When Yuga arrived, the two little ones swam even faster. In no time, they reached the shore and darted straight to Yuga''s feet, with Squirtle being faster than Froakie.


    It was surprising that the turtle was faster than the frog.


    Yuga eximed in surprise, "I didn''t expect you to swim so fast!" He then patted Squirtle''s smooth little head.


    Squirtle was very happy, hugging Yuga''s hand and rubbing its cheek against Yuga''s skin, leaving it wet.


    Froakie was not pleased and kept croaking at Yuga, who had to reply, "Froakie swims really fast too. If you work harder, you''ll definitely catch up with Squirtle."


    Froakie was immediately satisfied upon hearing this and jumped to Yuga''s feet, rubbing against his pants.


    Well, now his pants were wet too.


    The next morning, Yashushi came over to say goodbye to Yuga. He had a lot of things to take care of once he got back. The acquisition of Evesting Incense Workshop by YoYo Day Care needed to be handled quickly; otherwise, more and more people would start targeting Evesting Incense Workshop .


    After breakfast, Yuga headed to the stadium. When he arrived, he noticed that the audience had arrived earlier than usual. Everyone was discussing who would win the championship in today''s Duel Tournament.


    Among the fourpetitors��Erika, Anya, Bill, and Hana��the one most likely to win was Anya, while Hana was considered the least likely.


    Originally, Erika was the favorite to win, but since she used Shaymin in her match against Ash, the situation had turned around.


    There was a strange reverence people had for legendary Pok��mon.


    At 7:30 AM, the battle groupings appeared on the big screen.


    First match: Bill vs. Hana


    Second match: Erika vs. Anya


    The crowd gasped at the draw, as the two top contenders, Erika and Anya, were matched up against each other earlier than expected.


    But it couldn''t be helped; the matchups were random, and it was just bad luck for the two of them to meet so soon.


    At 8:00 AM, thepetition officially began. Bill and Hana slowly entered the arena amid the cheering of the audience.


    At the signal from the Rotom camera, Bill and Hana released their Pok��mon simultaneously.


    Bill''s first Pok��mon was Sceptile, while Hana''s first Pok��mon was Trevenant.


    Trevenant had performed very strongly in previous matches, and Bill hadn''t expected Hana to send it out first.


    "Trevenant, greet Sceptile with Shadow Ball!" Hana said in a cheerful tone.


    At hermand, Trevenant gathered several Shadow Balls and hurled them at Sceptile.


    "Sceptile, use Agility to dodge!" Bill shouted.


    As Sceptile sped up, the Shadow Balls missed one after another.


    Bill then gave the nextmand. "Sceptile, use Double Team!"


    Upon hearing Bill''smand, Sceptile left behind multiple clones that were indistinguishable from the original. In no time, Trevenant found itself surrounded by them.


    Hana wasn''t worried in the slightest and calmly issued her next order.


    "Trevenant, Will-O-Wisp!"


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!